Category Archives: Bollywood

Agent Vinod Review

Direction: Sriram Raghavan

Production: Saif Ali Khan and Dinesh Vijan for Illuminati Films

Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Adil Hussain, Dhritiman Chatterjee, Shahbaaz Khan, Prem Chopra, Gulshan Grover, Maryam Zakaria, Ravi Kissen, Ram Kapoor

Music: Pritam

Rating: * * ½

Plot: While on a mission in Afghanistan, Raw Agent Vinod (Saif Ali Khan) gets caught. Somehow he manages to free himself. After his job forces him to travel all over the world, he gets to know about something called 242. What is 242? In his quest he comes across unusual characters. He also meets Dr Iram (Kareena Kapoor). But can he trust her?

Review: After debuting with the impressive Ek Haseena Thi (2003), Sriram Raghavan came up with Johnny Gaddar (2007), which according to me is one of the best thrillers ever in Bollywood.

The promos of his third flick Agent Vinod promised a roller-coaster experience. But all promises aren’t fulfilled. Despite having international standard resources and a super-creative director at its disposal, the Saif Ali Khan starrer is let down as the script, which is the most important element, isn’t up-to-the-mark although interesting. Therefore, the product turns out to be a one-time watch and that too only for hardcore action thriller lovers.

Your expectations are raised in the initial minutes when the credits roll while the first fight scene is carried on. The super-stylish way of presenting the opening credits produces a seeti-bajao effect. As the tale unfolds, your interest continues to be stable until Kareena’s character arrives which brings some complications in the narrative.

Although there are a good number of twists in the second half and the film continues to move at a brisk pace, the complications seem to increase. There will be a good part of the audience that will find the proceedings a lot confusing. Thankfully, some thrilling, nail-biting moments in the climax provide some satisfaction although the film shouldn’t have been dragged after that.

Sadly, the flipsides don’t end here. There a good number of logical errors which can not only be pointed out easily but are also pure laughable. And then there is the usual Hindi fillum formula of not a single bullet hitting our hero even when thousands are showered on him. One surely expected more intelligence from someone who has Johnny Gaddar under his belt.

But what makes the film a one-time watch is some Hollywood-like action and stunts, clever editing, brilliant cinematography, smart dialogues and some creatively directed scenes. The scores for these areas are definitely high. A gun-fight scene with a romantic song in the background deserves special mention.

The same can be said for Pritam’s music. Songs like ‘I’ll Do The Talking Tonight’, ‘Dil Mera Muft Ka’, ‘Govind Bolo’ and the theme song suit the content perfectly. Although ‘Pyar Ki Pungi’ is an enjoyable number, it just doesn’t suit the nature of the flick. Its placement is also faulty.

This is not one of the best acts by Saif Ali Khan but it’s surely one that deserves appreciation. He manages to play a difficult character with maturity. Kareena Kapoor does well portraying a mysterious character. A very smart and impressive performance is given by Adil Hussain. Shahbaaz Khan and Prem Chopra fit their character well.

The rest of the cast including Gulshan Grover, Maryam Zakaria, Ravi Kissen, Ram Kapoor are good too, especially the last one is terrific and hilarious!

Overall, Agent Vinod is yet another Bollywood action thriller which is let down due to the writing department although it is very well directed. Due to this, the film won’t gain very good collections at the box-office.

Agent Vinod Box-Office Prediction

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Star Value: Saif Ali Khan’s star power isn’t as huge as that of the three biggest Khans but it is certainly big. Apart from him, there is Kareena Kapoor who is at the peak of her career. Hence, one can say the star value for Agent Vinod is high.

Hype: The makers have succeeded in creating hype for the movie by spending a huge amount on it. The very first promo of the movie generated excitement. The same can be said for the second one as well. And Saif’s slap controversy has also indirectly helped a bit in publicizing the movie.

Music: The ‘Pyaar Ki Pungi’ song has gained instant approval from the audience due to its funny and roadside flavor. ‘Dil Mera Muft Ka’ is also known while ‘I’ll Do The Talking Tonight’ hasn’t grabbed that many eyeballs although it’s a fabulous club dance number.

Prediction: Agent Vinod will surely receive a positive opening at the box-office. The film is expected to be a quality thriller since it is directed by Sriram Raghavan, the man who made the super-impressive Johnny Gaddar and the well made dark thriller Ek Haseena Thi. If Raghavan scores a hattrick, Agent Vinod will be a big success at the ticket window.

Kahaani Review

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Direction: Sujoy Ghosh

Production: Boundscript Motion Pictures Pvt. Ltd, Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, Pen India Pvt. Ltd

Cast: Vidya Balan, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Indraneil Sengupta, Dhritiman Chatterjee, Darshan Jariwala, Saswata Chatterjee

Music: Vishal-Shekhar

Rating: * * * *

Plot: Arnab Bagchi arrives in Kolkata from London for a two-week work related visit. During his stay in the city, he is constantly in touch with his wife Vidya Bagchi (Vidya Balan). However, all of a sudden communication between Vidya and Arnab ceases. Left with no other choice, Vidya arrives in Kolkata, in a pregnant condition, to search for her missing husband.

Sub-inspector Rana (Parambrata Chattopadhyay) helps Vidya as she struggles to find any trace of her missing husband. So, what exactly happened with Arnab? Is there something more than meets the eye?

Review: Let’s face it. There has been a dearth of quality edge-of-the-seat thrillers in Bollywood. In the last five years or so, only Johnny Gaddar (2007), Race (2008), A Wednesday (2008) and Maharathi (2008) have managed to impress in that genre. But finally, there comes a new addition in the list in the form of Sujoy Ghosh’s Kahaani, an applaud-worthy effort having all the necessary elements needed for a quality suspense thriller.

Script is the most vital department in any flick of this genre. Ghosh, Suresh Nair and Advaita seem to understand this well as their writing manages to grip the audience from start to end. You instantly become a part of Vidya’s quest in finding her missing husband. Elements like twist, thrill, amusement, humour as well as shock are peppered very intelligently throughout. Since there’s unpredictability in plenty, it becomes a kind of a roller-coaster ride for the viewer.

But that’s not all; there is also a strong emotional connect which does the important task of making sure the audience feels for the central character.

(Review continued after picture.)

In such films, it is absolutely necessary for the climax to have a satisfying effect. No matter how good your efforts are in the first 80-90% of the film, it proves to be a waste if the end suspense becomes predictable. Thankfully in the case of Kahaani, that doesn’t happen as the final twist and the truth related to Arnab Bagchi takes the audience by surprise and shock. Job well done!

Having said all this, few incidents in the later part of the second half become complicated. Therefore, a section of the audience might have trouble grasping the events in this period.

It would have been a mammoth task for any director to handle such a film as a major part of its shoot took place in real-life locations in a city like Kolkata. Sujoy Ghosh not only manages that perfectly, he also creates a large number of praiseworthy scenes. Personally, I feel Kahaani is his best effort till date.

Other critical areas like cinematography (Setu), editing (Namrata Rao), action (Sham Kaushal) and background score (Sanjay Maurya and Allwin Rego) are praiseworthy too. Only two of Vishal-Shekhar’s well composed tracks (Aami Shotti Bolchi and Ekla Chalo) are used in the background. They suit perfectly to the mood of the proceedings.

Vidya Balan is on a roll. After giving an earth-shattering act in The Dirty Picture (2011), the actor packs in a powerful punch in Kahaani. Playing such a character would have been highly challenging for any seasoned actor. Vidya fulfills the challenge by displaying different emotions with perfection. This is another performance worthy of all awards!

Parambrata Chattopadhyay turns out to be a surprise package. Despite Vidya’s continuous presence, the actor impresses with his fine acting skills. There is Saswata Chatterjee who is another surprise element. It is amusing to see him do about his ruthless activities. Nawazuddin Siddiqui deserves equal praise too as a hot-headed intelligence officer. Rest of the cast including Indraneil Sengupta, Darshan Jariwala, Dhritiman Chatterjee, etc provides ideal support.

Overall, Kahaani is an intelligently crafted new age suspense thriller which shouldn’t be missed. The movie hasn’t had a very good opening at the box-office but there is a chance for the collections to rise if the word-of-mouth spreads.

(Filed under the section BOLLYWOOD.)

Chaar Din Ki Chandni Box-Office Prediction

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Star Value: With the star cast being Tusshar Kapoor and Kulraj Randhawa, along with few supporting actors, there isn’t much star value in Chaar Din Ki Chandni.

Hype: Despite no big stars, the promos of the movie have managed to interest the viewers. The humour factor has made sure the film has become somewhat well-known.

Music: ‘Kangana’ track has impressed. It has also been a good publicity material for the movie. The ‘Chandni’ song, originally from the movie Chandni (1989), is also been associated with the movie as it has been hugely used in the promos.

Prediction: Chaar Din Ki Chandni will, at the most, get an average opening at the box-office. The film needs to super impress the viewers and the critics in the initial days if it has to succeed.

Kahaani Box-Office Prediction

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Star Value: Vidya Balan has always been a terrific performer but she lacked the star value required to draw huge number of audiences to theatres singlehandedly. But things have changed for her drastically post the success of The Dirty Picture. Now, her star value has almost doubled. This will help Kahaani get good numbers initially.

Hype: The very first promo of Kahaani, which was wonderfully crafted, struck a great chord with the audience. The promos which followed had a similar effect with the junta. The makers have succeeded in generating good hype for the film as people are very much eager to know the suspense behind Arnab Bagchi (Vidya’s husband in the movie).

Music: ‘Aami Shotti Bolchi’, an unusual fast-paced number has managed to get heads turned. ‘Piya Tu Kahe Rootha Re’ is also well-received. Surprisingly, the makers haven’t used Amitabh Bachchan rendered track ‘Ekla Chalo’ as a promotional material.

Prediction: Kahaani will get a decent to good opening, although not extra-ordinary. It has more chances in multiplexes. Its initial response, and mostly the suspense factor, will determine whether it will be a winner at the box-office.

(Filed under the category BOLLYWOOD.)

Paan Singh Tomar Review

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Direction: Tigmanshu Dhulia

Production: UTV Motion Pictures

Cast: Irrfan Khan, Vipin Sharma, Khan Jehangir Khan, Mahie Gill, Rajendra Gupta, Nawazuddin Siddiqui

Music: Abhishek Ray

Rating: * * * *

Plot: The movie is a biopic on the life of the great Indian athlete Paan Singh Tomar who was later forced to become a dacoit. After enrolling in the Indian army, Tomar gets himself transferred to the sports department. Having the ability to run like a hare, Tomar soon becomes a National Champion in the sport and later leaves his mark at the international level as well.

But the big turning point in his life arrives when he gets into a dispute regarding his farm with his nephew Bhanwar Singh (Khan Jehangir Khan). Singh uses force to snatch away Tomar’s farm. Tomar runs from pillar to post to get justice but in vain. This forces the sportsman to become a dacoit and fight for his rights.

Review: Director Tigmanshu Dhulia has always narrated hard hitting dramas with maturity, right from his debut Haasil (2003) to his last flick Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster (2011). With Paan Singh Tomar, the filmmaker tries to tackle his most difficult subject ever. It is believed that big challenges bring out the best in you. This phrase proves to be true for Dhulia as he comes up with his best effort ever in PST. In fact, personally speaking, it’s one of the most well made films to have come from Bollywood in recent years!

It’s a proven fact that the root of all great films is a powerful or a watertight script. Such is the case with the screenplay of the Irrfan Khan starrer courtesy Dhulia and Sanjay Chauhan. It was a very intelligent idea to have Tomar narrating his life to a journalist.

The unfolding of events as Tomar’s life progresses from being an army officer to a champion runner (in the first half) makes sure there isn’t a dull moment ever. It’s an amalgamation of well written and well directed scenes with terrific performances and dialogues.

The same continues in the post-interval section when the athlete starts a new chapter in his life as a dacoit. The way Tomar and his group take revenge and fight for their lives stays etched in your memory.

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In the end, your heart just goes out for Tomar and numerous other sportsmen (non-cricketers) who are just thrown away by the government and sports authorities as unwanted individuals after they brought glory to the nation. It really paints the sports authorities and system with shame to see such brilliant sportsmen been denied a meaningful life and even simple justice.

There isn’t any flipside as such. The only thing which can be mentioned under this is that the film might not appeal to those who are looking for feel-good or masala entertainers.

There is top quality work seen even in the technical departments like cinematography (Aseem Mishra) and background score (Sandeep Chowta). Those are vital areas in a film like this. The songs, which are only used in the background, suit the subject.

Over the years, Irrfan Khan has proved that he is one of the best actors India has ever produced. He proves this fact yet again in his act as Paan Singh Tomar, which can be rated as one of his finest ever! He skillfully gets into the skin of the character and portrays every emotion with ease!

Vipin Sharma, Khan Jehangir Khan, Mahie Gill, Rajendra Gupta, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and the rest of the supporting cast also delivers quality performances.

Overall, Paan Singh Tomar is a film which can take Indian cinema to greater levels. Sadly, it hasn’t had a good opening at the box-office due to the lack of proper publicity. However, the collections might just increase in the coming days if it receives positive word-of-mouth, which it strongly deserves!

Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya Box-Office Prediction

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Star Value: Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D’Souza aren’t big stars. In other words, they don’t have enough star value to attract audiences to a movie. However, the fact that the couple recently got married and the way their marriage was hyped has made them the talk of the town. The timing of their marriage is spot on, which is just before the release of their film.

Hype: As mentioned earlier, the hype for the movie is created due to the wedding of the lead couple in real life. However, one can’t deny the fact that its comical promos have impressed the audience.

Music: Apart from the title track, no other song has managed to gain popularity. The promotional material of the movie is only focusing on this song.

Prediction: Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya will fail to get a very good opening at the box-office. It will at the most have an above average run if it manages to impress at the onset.

(Filed under the category BOLLYWOOD)

Jodi Breakers Box-Office Prediction

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Star Value: R Madhavan’s star value has increased in Bollywood after the stupendous success of 3 Idiots. But since he is playing the mail lead in Jodi Breakers, it is a question mark whether it will attract audience towards the theaters. Bipasha Basu, who plays the female lead, has lost the star power which she possessed earlier. However, there is Omi Vaidya as well. So, all in all, Jodi Breakers has a decent star value.

Hype: There is not great hype surrounding the movie, although the comic promos have gone down well with the audience. More publicity and promotion is needed.

Music: The song ‘Kunwara’ has become well-known while the track ‘Bipasha’ has just managed to make heads turn.

Prediction: Jodi Breakers won’t attain a very positive opening. The collections would range between average to decent. It has more chances at the metros than the smaller centers. It is vital for the movie to create an extra-ordinary effect in the initial weekend if it wants to succeed.

(Filed under the section BOLLYWOOD)

Ekk Deewana Tha Box-Office Prediction

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Star Value: There is no such star value in Ekk Deewana Tha. Having said that, Prateik Babbar is becoming quite known these days, while debutant Amy Jackson has started impressing people by her looks.

Hype: Although the promos of the movie haven’t taken the audience by storm, they have certainly made heads turn. But the biggest publicity for the movie is created by its song ‘Hosanna’. However, the film’s promotion is negatively affected by the hype surrounding the 2012 BMC Elections.

Music: As mentioned above, the track ‘Hosanna’ has managed to enchant the audience in no time. Javed Akhtar’s touchy as well as peppy lyrics have worked wonders. The song has single-handedly managed to promote the movie. The rest of the songs are hardly heard.

Prediction: It will be difficult for Ekk Deewana Tha to get a good opening first up. But if it manages to strike a chord with youngsters in the first weekend, it might well turn out to be the surprise of the season.

Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu Box-Office Prediction

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Star Value: Kareena Kapoor is one of the biggest names in Bollywood. Her performances and choice of films have made sure she is one of the most sought after actresses today. Even the Ra.One debacle has had no effect on her popularity. Imran Khan’s popularity is also well known. He is also fresh from his last release Delhi Belly, which was a blockbuster. Hence, the film is high on star value.

Hype: No doubt the movie Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu is known and the promos are well received. However, there isn’t as much hype as one expects from a Karan Johar movie. It would have been difficult for the head honcho of Dharma Productions since there wasn’t much gap between the release of EMAET and the keenly anticipated Agneepath.

Music: The title song of the movie is slowly becoming famous. Although the rest of the numbers aren’t popular, they have a chance if the film scores big at the box-office.

Prediction: Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu will certainly get a good to descent opening at the ticket window due to Kareena and Imran, who are cast opposite for the first time. The initial response will determine whether it will sustain the collections after the first weekend and attain success at the box-office.