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Barfi!: Shamefully plagiarized film sent for Oscars!

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Oscar or Academy Awards are considered the highest honours for any film. Each year India, like a number of countries, nominates one film in the Foreign Language Category for the Oscars. Since the nominated movie is representing India, it is logical that originality should be the biggest criteria along with other pre-requites. However, this year the Film Federation of India (FFI) has flouted all norms by sending a shamefully plagiarized film like Barfi! for the Oscars!

To see for yourself, click on this link – http://ibnlive.in.com/news/barfi-vs-hollywood-homage-inspired-or-copied/293100-8-66.html – http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/exposed-the-sources-from-where-barfi-was-stolen/ –  and you will get to know how Anurag Basu has plainly lifted scenes from various international films. Apart from copying the scenarios and conversations from the original scenes, Basu has not even spared the camera angles! But the buck doesn’t stop here for Barfi!. Pritam’s (who is more famous as a music lifter than a music composer) background score is way too similar to the French film Amelie.

The above mentioned facts about Barfi! have spread like fire in the last week or so. Therefore, it is impossible for the FFI to wash their hands off saying they were unaware about it. This also shows that this isn’t a mistake or a blunder by the FFI. It is a simple case of grave injustice to more deserving and importantly, original films like Deool and Kahaani.

From now onwards, we shouldn’t be surprised if more and more copied products emerge from Bollywood when the FFI itself openly encourages plagiarism. Despite being an Indian, I am hoping Barfi! doesn’t get the Oscar honours!

Heroine Box Office Prediction

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Director: Madhur Bhandarkar

Producers: UTV Motion Pictures and Bhandarkar Entertainment

Writers: Madhur Bhandarkar, Anuradha Tiwari, Manoj Tyagi and Niranjan Iyengar

Cast: Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Randeep Hooda

Music: Salim-Sulaiman

Genre: Drama

Release Date: September 21, 2012

Analysis:

Star Value: Kareena Kapoor alone adds star value to the film. Plus, there are also some known names like Arjun Rampal and Randeep Hooda.

Hype: The film has been in the headlines even before the shoot commenced because of the controversy surrounding Aishwarya Rai, who was supposed to do the film initially. The promos of Heroine certainly created buzz and excitement for the movie. However, a section of the audience were not so impressed as the film bears similarity with Bhandarkar’s earlier films and also The Dirty Picture.

Music: Music doesn’t have much scope in such films but the track ‘Halkat Jawani’ has managed to grab eyeballs. The title song too is becoming popular. It should become widely famous if the film succeeds.

Prediction:

Heroine will get a descent to good opening at the box office. Like Barfi!, UTV’s last film which released last Friday, even the Kareena starrer will do well in the multiplexes of the metros due to the subject. It should earn something around Rs 25-30 crore or more in the first weekend. The collections thereafter will depend on whether the film managed to impress with its content.

Barfi! Movie Review

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Director: Anurag Basu

Producers: UTV Motion Pictures, Ishana Movies

Writers: Anurag Basu and Sanjeev Dutta

Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Ileana D’Cruz, Saurabh Shukla, Ashish Vidyarthi, Akash Khurana, Roopa Ganguly, Haradhan Bandhopadhyay

Music: Pritam

Rating: * * ½

Plot: Barfi! is the story of a deaf and mute young man called Barfi (Ranbir Kapoor) and his relationship with Shruti (Ileana D’Cruz) and an autistic Jhilmil (Priyanka Chopra).

Review: Barfi! starts with an unusual yet interesting song called ‘Picture Shuru’ which creatively asks the audience to behave in a non-distracting manner. As some part of the movie passes by, you realize the song was just the tip of the iceberg as far as the creativity in the film is concerned. In fact, the film can easily be called an artistic brilliance. But what’s unfortunate is that the think tank of Barfi! try to be too creative in the second half in terms of the script and narration. This is enough to include the film in the ‘strictly one-time watch’ category.

Talking about the positive points, it can be said that Anurag Basu has narrated the tale in a manner that no other Indian filmmaker has managed before, at least in mainstream Bollywood. The creativity shown in the simplest of scenes just makes one speechless. Even before the first 30 minutes, one might lose count of the number of the intelligently crafted scenes! The use of flashback is also super witty!

Since the central character is deaf and mute, it would have been challenging for most writers and directors to narrate the story while using the visual medium. Barfi! passes that test easily!

But how one would have loved to have the positive points shining throughout the film! As mentioned before, that isn’t the case here. After few moments of the second half, one realizes that the simple heartwarming tale is being told in a complicated manner. The screenplay and some of the events also give rise to confusion which coupled with the dwindling pace and abuse of flashback, make matters worse. In addition, the helplessness of physically and mentally challenged characters and a number of emotional moments make the proceedings too depressing and disturbing.

One also can’t ignore few other factors. There is just too much of Charlie Chaplin-ism in the form of chasing and falling around. Filmy moments like the central character cutting lamp post to test people and hurling a shoe upwards to call Jhilmil don’t suit in a realistic film. And by the way, why is Barfi’s mother shown dying in such a humorous manner?

Apart from the title song, Pritam’s music is just average. In the song ‘Main Kya Karoon’, Nikhil Paul George’s rendition of those three words is irritating! But Pritam deserves praise for the background score, although it is very similar to Amelie. Ravi Varma’s cinematography is masterly, a pure delight!

Barfi! is also blessed with some quality performances. Ranbir Kapoor is just brilliant as Barfi! Judging by the way he realistically brings the character alive, this will be one of his most talked about performances from his filmography. Priyanka Chopra deserves similar applause. She pulls off a physically and emotionally challenging act with ease. She deserves a standing ovation! Ileana D’Cruz makes a confident debut as she shows her acting potential apart from her stunning looks.

One of the best character actors, Saurabh Shukla is wondeful. Akash Varma, Ashish Vidyarthi, Roopa Ganguly and the rest of the supporting cast do well too.

Overall, Barfi! is a stunning visual treat which could have been better . At the box office, the film will score mostly at the urban multiplexes.

Barfi! Box Office Prediction

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Director: Anurag Basu

Producers: UTV Motion Pictures, Ishana Movies

Writers: Anurag Basu and Sanjeev Dutta

Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Ileana

Music: Pritam

Genre: Drama

Release Date: September 14, 2012

Analysis:

Star Value: Due to the presence of some very big names like Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra, the star value for Barfi! is very high. Plus, Ileana too is a very popular name down south although this is her first Hindi film.

Hype: The promos of Barfi! have managed to impress both the masses and the classes. This was largely possible due to Ranbir’s lovable and funny acts. This fact coupled by the promotions has garnered very good hype for the movie.

Music: The song ‘Ala Barfi’ is slowly becoming a rage. The rest of the songs, which are also melodious, are expected to acquire fame as the film releases.

Prediction:

Barfi! will surely get a very good opening at the box-office. It will score more at the urban multiplexes. But having said that, it will do well at the single screen theatres as well. Of course, its collection after the first weekend and the first week will depend on the content. Overall, Barfi! is a very safe product for the producers and distributors, mostly due to the Ranbir factor. The film is expected to earn around Rs 30 crore or more in the opening weekend.

Raaz 3 Box Office Prediction

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Director: Vikram Bhatt

Producer: Vishesh Films

Writer: Shagufta Rafique

Cast: Emran Hashmi, Bipasha Basu, Esha Gupta, Mohan Kapoor

Music: Jeet Ganguly and Rashid Khan

Genre: Horror

Release Date: September 7, 2012

Analysis:

Star Value: Over the last few years, Emran Hashmi has steadily acquired an image of a quality performer instead of just being a serial kisser. Naturally, he has become a respected star now. Although Bipasha Basu has ceased to be one of the top actresses, she is still one of the famous names currently. Even Esha Gupta is becoming a known name. Hence, the star value for Raaz 3 is high. Plus, the Bhatt tag adds further weight to a film.

Hype: The scary promos of the movie have gone down well, at least with those who prefer horror films. The fact that Bipasha would be seen in an altogether different avatar has also helped. However, the hype for the film is not as high as the producers would expect.

Music: The songs of the movie are impressive but ‘Zindagi Se’ is the only track that has managed to become known. Unlike other Vishesh Films’ products, the music of Raaz 3 hasn’t added to the publicity of the film.

Prediction:

Raaz 3 will get a decent to good opening at the box-office. The initial rush surely won’t be extraordinary. But some of Emran Hashmi films have succeeded in getting very good numbers despite the initial hype not being high. This might happen with Raaz 3 as well if it manages to impress initially. The big worry for the film is Vikram Bhatt’s recent track record.

Joker Box Office Prediction

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Director: Shirish Kunder

Producer: Hari Om Entertainment Co., Three’s Company and UTV Motion Pictures

Writer: Shirish Kunder

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Sonakshi Sinha, Shreyas Talpade, Minissha Lamba, Asrani

Music: Gaurav Dagaonkar and G V Prakash Kumar

Genre: Drama

Release Date: August 31, 2012

Analysis:

Star Value: Akshay Kumar is one of the biggest stars ever. Even Sonakshi Sinha has become a known name after her first two films attaining success. Hence, we can say the star value for Joker is very high.

Hype: There is a good amount of hype for Joker but unfortunately a major part of it is negative. Due to some reason, people had assumed the film to be bad even before the first promo released. After the promo came out, the negative publicity increased. And since Akshay and Sonakshi, due to whatever reasons, are not promoting the film, it has further hampered the movie.

Music: Despite the controversy and Chitrangada Singh’s sensuous moves, the song ‘I Want Fakht/Just You’ has not succeeded in becoming known or publicizing the movie. The rest of the songs are hardly known as well.

Prediction:

Joker will get an average or at the most good opening at the box-office. This is certainly below par for a big budget movie with big stars. Due to this, it is vital for the movie to impress at the onset. The good thing for Joker is that it caters to both single screens as well as multiplexes.

Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi Box Office Prediction

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Director: Bela Sehgal

Producers: SLB Films and Eros International

Writer: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Cast: Boman Irani, Farah Khan, Kavin Dave, Shammi

Music: Jeet Ganguly

Release Date: August 24, 2012

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Analysis:

Star Value: Boman Irani and Farah Khan are no big stars. But the fact that choreographer-turned-director Farah is now making her acting debut has given some star value to Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi. As it is, content is the real star in such films.

Hype: The funny promos of the movie have impressed the masses. Boman and Farah spoofing various Bollywood blockbusters in the posters has worked very well. And as mentioned above, Farah coming in front of the camera in her first full-fledged role has managed to get heads turned. But the hype isn’t as high as one would expect. This is largely because of the Ek Tha Tiger euphoria since last 3-4 weeks.

Music: This is not a music oriented film. Only the title song has managed to become well-known.

Prediction:

Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi will get a decent opening at the box-office in the first weekend. However, such genre of films rely more on the multiplex audiences of the metros. It will struggle in the smaller centers and single screens. It is vital for it to impress initially as it is a content oriented film. But since it is made on a low budget, it looks like a safe bet for the producers.

Ek Tha Tiger Review

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Director: Kabir Khan

Producer: Yash Raj Films

Writers: Aditya Chopra (Story), Neelesh Misra and Kabir Khan (Screenplay and Dialogues)

Cast: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Ranvir Shorey, Girish Karnad

Music: Sohail Sen and Sajid-Wajid

Rating: *

Plot: RAW agent Tiger (Salman Khan) is sent on mission to Dublin to just observe a scientist (Roshan Sheth) as the agency has doubts over his activities. Over there, Tiger meets Zoya (Katrina Kaif) and falls for her. But the mission goes haywire due to some unexpected events.

Review: First things first – Kabir Khan’s Ek Tha Tiger is a replica of Sriram Raghavan’s Agent Vinod minus few twists in the second half. But the final product suggests that an exact copy of Agent Vinod would have been a better decision since the Yash Raj version makes the not-so-impressive Saif Ali Khan starrer appear like a classic! The Salman Khan starrer not only makes fun of the secret intelligence agencies but also takes the audience on a ride that makes them tear their hair off in despair after reaching the final destination.

The film, however, starts on a promising note although it follows the age old formula of Bollywood and Hollywood action flicks – the hero making a dhamakedar entry in an action scene followed by his next mission where he meets his lady love. This won’t bother you since the fast-paced writing, impressive action and some good quality humour provide satisfying entertainment. But the next turn in the story poses a question mark when the scientist is just thrown out of the plot. Not just that; the interval point is the same as Mohit Suri’s Awarapan, with the audience already knowing the filmy outcome.

But since the second half is still to be seen, you try to ignore these points. That doesn’t help as the script goes further downhill with those clichéd romantic moments. Then the story takes the biggest turn which defies logic and doesn’t go with the nature of the secret intelligence officers. You still hope for something better but what you get is a series of idiotic twists and some dumb action scenes where, on few occasions, the lead pair tries to imitate Spider-man and even succeeds in it!

Although there is no hope left by this time, you still expect to get some satisfaction from the climax. Then suddenly, Ranvir Shorey’s voiceover indirectly tells us that the film is over. The abrupt ending coupled with the final outcome crosses all levels of idiocy! The message of peace between India and Pakistan is given in a laughable manner!

Kabir Khan’s talent is seen in some of his fearless documentaries and two feature films Kabul Express and New York. Due to this, it is not possible to believe that a passionately talented filmmaker came up with something like this!

Talking about the technical aspects, Aseem Mishra (cinematography) does a brilliant job during those difficult action scenes and while artistically capturing different cities of the world. Background music (Julius Packiam) and editing (Rameshwar S Bhagat) are the other plus points. Sajid-Wajid and Sohail Sen have produced songs that, although not brilliant, are likable.

Salman Khan appears more like Salman Khan and less like a RAW agent. Even his performance falls in the not bad category. But since most of his fans will be queuing up just to see his looks, songs and fights, they won’t have a problem. Like most of her films, Katrina Kaif struggles with her dialogue delivery due to her accent. Although she enacts the right emotions on most of the occasions, it is difficult to believe a hardcore Pakistani girl with such poor pronunciation and diction. Ranvir Shorey and Girish Karnad provide good support although the latter appears awkward on few occasions. Roshan Sheth excels in a cameo. The actor playing Katrina’s aide is adequate.

Overall, Ek Tha Tiger is yet another poorly made Salman film that will break box-office records as the masses will watch the film at least once. The crazy opening will ensure it crosses Rs 150 or maybe even 200 crore, if money can be considered a yardstick for measuring success of a film.

Ek Tha Tiger to break Ra.One’s first day record

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At the start of the year, Dharma Productions’ Agneepath took a grand opening at the box-office due to some heavy advance booking, which is a rare occurrence in Bollywood these days. But the advance booking of Yash Raj Films’ Ek Tha Tiger has been even crazier. Ever since the booking started last weekend, the response has been unprecedented. This brings back memories of the good old days when advance booking was a norm for every big budget movie.

Judging by the crazy response for the Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif starrer, it is certain that the film will break Ra.One‘s record of earning Rs 25 crore in one day. At that time, Ra.One had broken the record of Salman’s Bodyguard which had earned Rs 21 crore in one day. Now that Ek Tha Tiger is all set to break Ra.One‘s record and SRK’s next releasing later this year, it looks like the see-saw battle of the two Khans is going to continue for a long time.

Coming back to Ek Tha Tiger, it won’t be surprising if it becomes the first film to earn Rs 30 crore in a single day and the second film after 3 Idiots to cross Rs 200 crore overall.Having said that, let’s  hope the film also manages to impress with its content, unless Ra.One and Bodyguard.

 

 

Ek Tha Tiger Box Office Prediction

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Director: Kabir Khan

Producer: Yash Raj Films

Writers: Aditya Chopra (Story), Neelesh Misra and Kabir Khan (Screenplay and Dialogues)

Cast: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Ranvir Shorey, Girish Karnad,

Music: Sohail Sen and Sajid-Wajid

Release Date: August 15, 2012

Analysis:

Star Value: If a film has Salman Khan in the lead, nobody can disagree that its star value is supremely high! Since Ek Tha Tiger also has one of the most famous actresses Katrina Kaif, its star value becomes the highest.

Hype: These days, a Salman movie creates hype right from the time it is announced. The same was the case with Ek Tha Tiger. And as the promos and songs released, they created tremendous excitement, as expected.

Music: The music of the movie has added to the euphoria surrounding the movie. Songs ‘Mashallah’ and ‘Laapata’ have received thumbs up from the audience. The rest of the tracks too are gaining popularity.

Prediction:

If an unimpressive Salman movie like Bodyguard can create box office history, predicting the outcome of Ek Tha Tiger is a child’s play. The actor’s presence coupled by the hype will fetch the movie an earth-shattering opening at the box office, both in the metros as well as the smaller centers.

There is no doubt that the film will be the biggest hit of the year so far, regardless of the level of content. Don’t be surprised if Ek Tha Tiger becomes just the second movie after 3 Idiots to cross the Rs 200 crore mark. It is also certain that the film will break Ra.One‘s record of earning Rs 25 crore on the first day, which is highest collections for a movie on a single day. There are speculations that the Salman and Katrina starrer might even be the first film to earn Rs 30 crore on the first day.