Review: Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

July 14, 2013 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

By: Keyur Seta

Director: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra

Producers: Viacom18 Motion Pictures and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra Pictures

Writer: Prasoon Joshi

Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Yograj Singh, Divya Dutta, Pawan Malhotra, K K Raina, Dalip Tahil, Prakash Raj, Sonam Kapoor, Rebecca Breeds

Music: Shankar Ehsaan Loy

Genre: Drama

Rating: * * *

Story Outline: The film is based on the life of the great Indian athlete Milkha Singh being played by Farhan Akhtar. Apart from Singh’s glorious and dramatic career, the film focuses on the effect of Indo-Pak partition on his mindset.

Review: The basic motto of a sports biopic is to narrate a fascinating tale that proves to be highly inspiring. Although that is the case with Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, the film surely falls short of being superlative due to an unjustifiable length of 187 minutes and the various Bollywood-isms thrown in while narrating a realistic tale.

You can’t deny that Mehra has displayed cinematic brilliance while presenting a number of important (on and off the field) events from Milkha’s life. The race scenes are not only magnificently shot but one can also notice the pains taken in creating such a mammoth stage. The significance of the title and the heartwarming climax also deserves mention. But above all, it is Farhan Akhtar’s supreme performance that proves to be the biggest plus point.

But, as mentioned earlier, the film could have been much, much more pleasurable but for some reasons. First and foremost, there can be no justification for such an enormous length for this story. You surely don’t mind a three hour plus movie if it’s fully engaging and amusing (like 3 Idiots) but here, you are forced to check your watch regularly, especially during the long wait for the interval. Surely, the love track and various other scenes, including the flashback ones, (not possible to reveal much) should have been shortened.

The film also hangs between being a realistic biopic and a filmi tale. Most of the times, we are shown a real story of an athlete but on various occasions, it is peppered by some Bollywood-isms. After the inclusion of some fictional elements, the most questionable aspect is using lip-sync songs; from which some are just unnecessary. Needless to say, they also add up to the length. From the tracks, ‘Zinda’ is the only impressive one. Unfortunately and strangely, it’s hardly exploited.

Talking about the technical departments, it won’t be an overstatement that cinematographer Binod Pradhan is one of the biggest heroes of the film. Capturing such races with perfection is extremely difficult but he rises to the occasion and how! Background score generates the desired effect but the editing should have been manifolds tighter.

Some performances bring a character alive in such a way that you completely forget the actor who is playing it. There can hardly be a bigger compliment than this for an actor. Farhan Akhtar deserves such and many more accolades for his portrayal of Milkha Singh. The word excellent doesn’t do justice for the talent and painstaking hard work displayed by him. From the rating, an extra half a star is given just for his act.

The film is also blessed by some apt supporting acts from Divya, Dutta, Pawan Malhotra, K K Raina, Dalip Tahil, Prakash Raj and Rebecca Breeds. Yograj Singh (cricketer Yuvraj Singh’s father) surprises with a dedicated performance, although he appears awkward few times which is understandable. Sonam Kapoor is getting painfully stereotyped. Her limited acting skills don’t help either.

Overall, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag has its moments of glory but thanks to various factors, it falls in an above-average category. The tremendous hype and response will ensure the film becomes a blockbuster at the box office.

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag Box Office Prediction

July 9, 2013 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

Director: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra

Producers: Viacom18 Motion Pictures and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra Pictures

Writer: Prasoon Joshi

Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Sonam Kapoor, Rebecca Breeds, Dalip Tahil, Prakash Raj

Music: Shankar Ehsaan Loy

Genre: Drama

Release Date: July 19, 2013

Analysis:

Star Value: Farhan Akhtar has proved his acting talent quite a few times but he is not a big acting star. However, the fact that Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is based on the legendary athlete Milkha Singh itself adds star value to the film.

Hype: The hype for Bhaag Milkha Bhaag has been tremendous ever since the first teaser released. And as the main trailer and songs are out, the excitement has just got bigger!

Music: The song ‘Zinda’ has already been appreciated. Although the rest of the tracks aren’t famous, they would rank up the charts if the film does well as they too are impressive.

Prediction:

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag will surely get a very good opening at the box office. If the initial reports are positive, the film will surely be a blockbuster. Even if the initial reports don’t fetch thumbs up, the film will still stand a chance of becoming a box office success. Its subject is such that it can score well in single screens (of both metros and smaller centers) as well as multiplexes. The only concern is its runtime or duration of 3 hours 8 minutes.

Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani Box Office Prediction

May 30, 2013 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

By: Keyur Seta

Director: Ayan Mukerji

Producers: Dharma Productions and UTV Motion Pictures

Writers: Ayan Mukerji and Hussain Dalal

Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Aditya Roy Kapur, Kunal Roy Kapur, Kalki Koechlin

Music: Pritam

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Release Date: May 31, 2013

Analysis:

Star Value: There is no doubt that Ranbir Kapoor is not only one of the biggest superstars but the most talented young actor currently. Due to this, he has a huge fan following not just in India but abroad as well. Plus, the film also stars Deepika Padukone. So naturally, the star value for Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani is very high!

Hype: The trailers and promotional campaigns have built a lot of excitement, which is continuing to grow as the film nears its release.

Music: The song ‘Badtameez Dil’ has become an instant rage. Other songs like ‘Balam Pichkari’, ‘Dilli Wali Girlfriend’ and ‘Ghagra’, which features Madhuri Dixit, have also added to the publicity.

Prediction:

There is no doubt that Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani will get a very good opening at the box office. The genre and its appeal are such that it will score well in both single screen theatres and multiplexes. In fact, even if the film receives negative initial response, it will still sail through due to Ranbir’s presence and the commercial appeal. And if it gets thumbs up at the onset, the film will surely be one of the biggest hits of 2013. All in all, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani looks like a very safe bet at the box office.

“Forgive him, he’s a superstar!”

May 18, 2013 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

By: Keyur Seta

The phenomenon of hero worshipping is very old among Hindi cinema lovers. There is nothing wrong with it since these actors have entertained us and helped us escape from our stressful routine. But when hero worshipping goes onto a level that people turn a blind eye to the high level of crime their onscreen ‘hero’ commits, be rest assured we are living in dangerous times.

Picture Source – Mail.com

I have always found it questionable and even disturbing to see people demanding forgiveness for Sanjay Dutt despite him being convicted in an utterly dangerous crime of storing arms in connection with the 1993 bomb blasts. But my disturbance scaled higher levels recently when I saw the actor being surrounded and cheered by his fans when he was about to surrender at the Tada Jail. It’s so funny to see people supporting a criminal just because he is a big Bollywood superstar!

All these disturbing scenes have given rise to a single question in my mind – Suppose if a common man like me was convicted under the arms act in connection to a crime as serious as 1993 bomb blasts, how many people would have supported me and demanded forgiveness for me? Nobody would have simply because I am not a superstar! The public would have burnt my effigies in fact! So how can the law be different for a common man and a filmstar?

It is been argued that Dutt has already spent some time in jail but is it enough for a crime as serious as this? His supporters are also raising the point that he deeply regrets what he did. So suppose if I commit a similar serious crime and then repent my acts, will people demand for my forgiveness too?

In the midst of this madness, Nana Patekar’s brave and bold statement on the issue has come as a pleasant surprise. The fearless way in which Nana has expressed no mercy for Dutt has increased my respect for him manifolds. Perhaps, he is the only one from the film fraternity to have spoken about equality in law.

As for the rest from the industry, they scream about honesty, truth and justice only in their films. Their fans whistle and clap whenever their favorite actors speak about these three issues. In real life, both parties will go all out in supporting a criminal activity.

Watch Nana Patekar giving a fearless opinion against Sanjay Dutt’s mercy:

Dialogues: Shootout At Wadala

May 5, 2013 by Keyur Seta 9 Comments

By: Keyur Seta

Although Sanjay Gupta’s Shootout At Wadala fails to impress much, the movie can boast some of its creatively witty dialogues by Milap Zaveri. Of course, there are loads of cringe-worthy cheap lines and gaalis but in between, there is some praiseworthy stuff as well which is worth sharing.

Gunehgar maa ke pet mein nahin, police station mein bante hain.

Aadmi ko insaan ban ne se pehle, jaanwar ban na padta hai.

Police se zyada morale hijadon ka hai. Woh toh phir bhi kudrat ke mare hain, aapka kya bahana hai?

Jail se aane ke baad tu sudhar sakta tha, lekin jo maza bigadne mein hai woh sudharne mein kahan?

Sabko hero ban na hai. Amitabh Bachchan ne sabki ma t*** di hai.

Yahan suhagraat manane ke liye shaadi nahin karni padti.

Jo maut dost ki umar badhaye, woh maut sar aankhon par.

(BEST of all) Baadshah ki gali mein aake uska pata nahin poochhte. Ghulamo ke jhuke hue sar khud ba khud raasta bata dete hain.

Shootout At Wadala Review

May 3, 2013 by Keyur Seta 2 Comments

By: Keyur Seta

Director: Sanjay Gupta

Producers: White Feather Films and Balaji Motion Pictures

Writers: S Hussain Zaidi, Sanjay Gupta and Milap Zaveri

Cast: John Abraham, Anil Kapoor, Sonu Sood, Manoj Bajpayee, Tusshar Kapoor, Ronit Roy, Kangna Ranaut

Music: Anu Malik

Genre: Action/ Drama

Rating: * *

Story Outline: Based on a chapter from S Hussain Zaidi’s book Dongri To Dubai, the film is about an honest, lower-middle class man from Mumbai called Manohar Surve (John Abraham). After being wrongly framed for a murder, an innocent Manohar transforms as the dangerous gangster Manya Surve.

Review: Distorting facts from real accounts while making a commercial caper is alright if the end product turns out to be a convincing as well as gripping affair. Sadly, that doesn’t happen with Sanjay Gupta’s Shootout At Wadala due to its age old gangster story, weak narration and some unforgivable vulgarity in various forms. The film can best be enjoyed if you are a part of a rowdy crowd.

First, the positives. The film has some extra-ordinarily written witty lines by Milap Zaveri. There are a number of praiseworthy and seeti-bajao moments for hardcore masses. The action scenes are also a treat on some occasions as they are smartly captured and presented.

These positives are certainly not enough to overshadow the various negatives. The film has the tiresome, tried and tested gangster story with the same kinds of gang wars that have done the rounds of Hindi cinema innumerable times ever since Ram Gopal Varma’s Satya released. On top of that, the screenplay just lacks proper focus and its long length just makes things worse.

Anybody who has read Manya’s chapter in Dongri To Dubai will realize the too much distortion of facts. As mentioned earlier, it is completely fine in a mass oriented feature film but over here, it looks unconvincing and at times, silly. For instance, the Pathan Gang is called Haji Mastan’s gang while the character of Haji Mastan is called Haji Maqsood. Even the fiction added in the climax appears questionable. (Purposely not mentioning various other points to avoid spoilers.)

But what hurts the most is the level of cheapness that the film crosses. The regular flow of cuss words and vulgar references get onto your nerves. Although violence is necessary in such films but over here, there is just an overdose of gore that make you cringe regularly. They have even gone onto show a rape scene in a disturbing manner.

There is more vulgarity in store in the form of two item numbers (out of three). This film will trigger more amount of wrath against Hindi cinema for portraying women as sexual objects and it definitely should! The industry surely needs a reality check when it comes to portrayal of women!

The technical areas (cinematography, background score, editing and action) can hold their heads high. From Anu Malik’s music, only ‘Aala Re Aala’ turns out to be decent. The rest of the songs just add up to the length. Having as many as three item numbers is a terrible idea!

John Abraham has the perfect physique and attitude needed to play Manya Surve but he certainly lags behind when it comes to acting. At the most, he is just average. An actor with more acting talent was the need of the hour. Anil Kapoor’s act is the saving grace. The veteran actor still doesn’t appear as a veteran.

Tusshar Kapoor doesn’t suit as Munir Sheikh at all! He even turns out to be a laughing stock on few occasions. Kangna Ranaut falters with her dialogue delivery yet again. The supporting cast – Mahesh Manjrekar, Ronit Roy, Siddhant Kapoor and Karan Patel – give decent performances.

Overall, Shootout At Wadala turns out to be unimpressive due to various reasons. It is sad that such a film released on the day when Indian Cinema completed 100 years! The initial hype and the fact that it is a hardcore commercial product will help the film at the box office in the first week.

Shootout At Wadala Box Office Prediction

May 1, 2013 by Keyur Seta 2 Comments

By: Keyur Seta

Director: Sanjay Gupta

Producers: White Feather Films and Balaji Motion Pictures

Writers: S Hussain Zaidi, Sanjay Gupta and Milap Zaveri

Cast: John Abraham, Anil Kapoor, Sonu Sood, Manoj Bajpayee, Tusshar Kapoor, Ronit Roy, Kangna Ranaut

Music: Anu Malik

Genre: Action/ Drama

Release Date: May 3, 2013

Analysis:

Star Value: With an ensemble star cast of John Abraham, Anil Kapoor, Sonu Sood, Manoj Bajpayee and Kangna Ranaut, it is needless to say that Shootout At Wadala is high on star value.

Hype: There has been a very good amount of hype for the movie ever since its first promo was released. It is the character of Manya Surve that created ripples among the masses. Later on, some smart promotional strategy and including Sunny Leone for a song has only helped increase the excitement.

Music: The song ‘Aala Re Aala, Manya Aala’ has helped in popularizing the movie and creating further excitement. The track ‘Laila’ has also managed to make heads turn due to Leone.

Prediction:

Shootout At Wadala will surely get a very good opening at the box office. Being a hardcore commercial product, it will set the cash registers ringing at the single screen theatres. But it also has a chance of opening well at multiplexes.

If the initial response turns out to be positive, there is no doubt that the film’s name will be included in the blockbusters of 2013 and it might also earn Rs 100 crore. If it doesn’t impress initially, Shootout At Wadala will still garner average returns due to the genre and the hype.

Ek Thi Daayan Box Office Prediction

April 18, 2013 by Keyur Seta 2 Comments

By: Keyur Seta

Director: Kannan Iyer

Producers: Vishal Bhardwaj Pictures Pvt. Ltd. and Balaji Telefilms

Writers: Vishal Bhardwaj and Mukul Sharma

Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Huma Qureshi, Konkana Sen Sharma, Kalki Koechlin, Annu Kapoor

Music: Vishal Bhardwaj

Genre: Horror/ Thriller

Release Date: April 19, 2013

Analysis:

Star Value: Emraan Hashmi has, over the years, successfully acquired an image of a quality performer, than just a serial-kisser. Hence, his presence surely adds star value to a film. Ek Thi Daayan not only has another quality performer in Konkana Sen Sharma, it also features Huma Qureshi, who is slowly earning name as a brilliant actor after Gangs of Wasseypur. Therefore, the star value for Ek Thi Daayan is high.

Hype: The first eerie promo of the movie created a good amount of hype. But as the film has neared its release, the excitement hasn’t gone to higher levels, although it is surely there.

Music: The track ‘Yaaram’ is slowly becoming famous and giving a good amount of publicity to the film. The rest of the songs aren’t that known, although they are good melodious numbers by Bhardwaj. It seems the songs will gain popularity if the film attains high success.

Prediction:

Due to the dark subject, Ek Thi Daayan will get a decent to good opening at the box office but only in metros. The film will struggle at the smaller centers and single screens, although its chances are not that negative.

It is very vital for the film to receive thumbs up initially if it has to succeed at the ticket window, else it will struggle to make the producers happy. This will largely depend on the suspense of the climax. If it manages to shock and convince the audience, it is expected to have a good run. The good thing for Ek Thi Daayan is that the big release next week is Aashiqui 2, which shouldn’t be a threat.

Chashme Baddoor Dialogues (2013)

April 16, 2013 by Keyur Seta 1 Comment

By: Keyur Seta

The biggest reason for the success of David Dhawan’s Chashme Baddoor is the dialogues. The writer duo Sajid-Farhad has continued their good work after, like they have been doing so consistently since last few years. A large majority of funny lines are given to the character of Omi played so very well by Divyendu Sharma. Here are some outrageously funny lines from the film.

Lines rendered by Omi’s character:

Toh Arz Kiya Hai,
Bhari Mehfil Mein Maine Sher Mara
Bhari Mehfil Mein Maine Sher Mara
Toh Sherni Vidhwa Ho Gayi

Toh Arz Kiya Hai,
Aurat Hoti Hi Aisi Hai,
Kuchh Kaho Toh Mooh Fula Deti Hai,
Kuchh Karo Toh Pet Fula Deti Hai

Toh Arz Kiya Hai,
When You Can’t Change The Girl, Change The Girl

Toh Arz Kiya Hai,
Kashmir Na Koi Le Sakta Hai,
Kashmir Na Koi De Sakta Hai,
Kashmir Mein Toh Sirf Do Raat Aur Teen Din Ka Honeymoon Package Ho Sakta Hai

Agar Tum Safed Sari Mein Lal Bindi Lagakar Aa Jao, Toh Ma Kasam Ambulance Lagogi

Patni Ne Poochha Pati Se Ki Tum Mere Alawa Aur Kitnon Ke Saath Soye Ho,
Pati Bola Soya Sirf Tumhare Saath Hoon, Bakiyon Ke Saath Poori Raat Jaga Hoon

Mere Dost Yeh Woh Seema Hai Jiski Koi Seema Nahin,
Aur Jiske Character Ka Koi Beema Nahin

More lines by other characters:

Ali Zafar: Agar Pyar Pant Hai Toh Dosti Chaddi Hai. Pant Agar Phat Bhi Jaye Toh Chaddi Izzat Bachati Hai. Buddies, You Are My Chaddies.

Siddharth: Bade Buzurg Keh Gaye Hai Ki Paapon Ka Prayashchit Karna Chahiye.
Divyendu Sharma: Lekin Uske Pehle, Paap Toh Kar Le

Siddharth: Main Jay. Sholay Wala Nahin, Bas Naam Aur Personality Wohi Hai.

Rishi Kapoor: Agar Agle Hafte Tak Kiraya Nahin Diya Toh Tere Kapde Utaar Doonga.
Ali Zafar: Chillana Hai Toh Chillao Na, Romantic Kyun Ho Rahe Ho?

Nautanki Saala! Box Office Prediction

April 12, 2013 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

Director: Rohan Sippy

Producers: Ramesh Sippy Entertainment and T-Series Super Cassettes Industries Ltd.

Writers: Nipun Dharmadhikari, Rohan Sippy and Charu Dutt Acharya

Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Evelyn Sharma, Pooja Salvi, Gaelyn Mendonca

Genre: Drama/ Comedy

Release Date: April 12, 2013

Analysis:

Star Value: Due to his lovable act in his debut movie Vicky Donor, Ayushmann Khurrana is a known name while Kunaal Roy Kapur is also not a stranger due to the appreciation he received in Delhi Belly. Hence, the star value for Nautanki Saala! is moderate.

Hype: The promos of the film garnered a good response due to the humor. There is some excitement for the film’s release but it is not as high as one expected.

Music: The outrageous ‘Dhak Dhak’ remix is a known number. Even the ‘Draamebaaz’ song featuring Abhishek Bachchan has managed to get heads turn.

Prediction:

Nautanki Saala! is expected to get only an average to decent opening at the box office. But due to its genre, its chances rely more in the multiplexes of the metros. It will struggle at the single screen theatres, especially in the smaller towns and villages. Since it is a content oriented film, it is vital for it to get a positive initial response in order to have a good run at the box office. If that happens, there are chances for the producers to be happy.