Mardaani against all odds!

This is written as a part of I am Mardaani activity exclusively at BlogAdda.com for Indian Bloggers.

By: Keyur Seta

Indians have grown up watching mainstream Hindi films. Most of these films have a common theme – a man (known as ‘hero’) fighting a lone battle against evil forces and emerging victorious. Although we all have seen innumerable films with this theme, we hardly (or never) come across such a hero in real life. Very, very few of us do.

I am glad to have known one such a brave fighter very well. I am more fortunate since that person is also a good friend. She (not ‘he’) is Dr Rita Pal. She is a doctor and a medical journalist. But the reason why I feel she is an ideal Mardaani is because she dared to be a whistleblower against malpractices and corruption in the medical field and refused to give up despite the fact that she was all alone.

This is her story that she narrated to me:-

Originally from Bengal, Rita has been staying and working in the United Kingdom since long. Her story started in 1999 when she was working in the Midlands with the National Health Service (NHS). After realizing the substandard methods of patient care over there, she complained about it. However, the authorities not only ignored her concerns but also labeled them as baseless.

But Rita didn’t give up. She continued her fight by approaching the Department of Health, General Medical Council and the media. But these organizations, however, didn’t take any actions and, worse, started assassinating her character. The scheme of things also ensured that Rita didn’t find other employment; she was able to work with NHS on short contracts in order to conceal her ‘past’.

Sadly, this wasn’t all. The worst was yet to come. It came when once Rita came to know that false rumors about her ‘mental state’ are been circulated on a website. This obviously affected her professional life so much that she had to carry a doctor’s certificate to prove her normalcy. When she tried to find the source of these rumors, she came to know that the General Medical Council (GMC) came to the conclusion after doing a secret inquiry about her mental condition and that too without contacting her or having a look at any of her medical reports.

When the GMC refused to remove the notes of the secret inquiries, Rita approached lawyers but none were ready to help as they felt it is impossible to take legal action against the GMC. She decided to become a litigant and wrote a claim with the help of a friend by going through those thick legal books. Finally, she found a lawyer, a colleague’s friend. This route also wasn’t easy as we all know these lawyers charge a bomb.

After a lot of hardships, Rita finally won the case. The GMC had to remove the notes citing her so-called mental illness. They were also compelled to provide her with a letter stating that there was nothing wrong with her mental condition.

Her story is indeed similar to the theme of a lot of Hindi films. But what she went through was not a film shoot but an actual life struggle that would demoralize many of us, who would have given up when pitted alone against such powerful forces. Unfortunately, the media didn’t cover this case much. But that doesn’t take away anything from Rita’s act of bravery.

I believe fighting a lone battle against such forces and emerging victorious is an ideal example of Mardaani.

P.S: Dr Rita Pal regularly takes part in a number other social causes too.

This is a personal message sent by Rani Mukerji after reading this post:-

Humshakals Review

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Director: Sajid Khan

Producers: Vashu Bhagnani’s Pooja Films

Writers: Sajid Khan, Robin Bhatt and Akarsh Khurana

Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Riteish Deshmukh, Ram Kapoor, Tammannah Bhatia, Esha Deol, Bipasha Basu

Music: Himesh Reshammiya

Genre: Comedy (???)

Rating: * ½

By: Keyur Seta

Story Outline: Ashok (Saif Ali Khan) and Kumar (Riteish Deshmukh) are the best of buddies. Kumar works in Ashok’s multi-million dollar business empire. Ashok’s father is in coma since 15 years. Ashok’s uncle (Ram Kapoor) is eager to enjoy Ashok’s wealth all by himself. But as he is bound by few clauses in the will, he can’t kill Ashok and Kumar. So he sends the two friends to a mental asylum where Ashok and Kumar’s lookalikes are being treated. But this is not the end as far as the saga of the lookalikes is concerned.

Review: With Humshakals, director Sajid Khan was expected to be back on track or at least produce something better than his last outing Himmatwala. But he has come up with a huge surprise, not in a good way though. Humshakals has not only turned out to be worse than Himmatwala but it also falls in the category of one of the worst mindless comedies churned out by Hindi cinema.

One is expected to keep logic and reasoning away while watching such mindless comedies. That’s fair enough because such films are only meant to tickle your funny bone. But you can’t take the audience for granted and expect them to be completely dumb to get amused by horribly shocking basic plot, twists and many subplots. Try to fathom these points:-

A man keeps funding his friend’s illegal scientific laboratory. What is that? They run it like a professional laboratory so what is its exact motto?
That scientist produces a medicine that can make a human behave like a dog for 24 hours.
A bribed ward boy of a mental asylum mixes that medicine in two glasses of water meant for one of the pairs of Saif and Riteish. The culprit is seen committing that crime through the CCTV footage by the doctor and the dean but no action is taken against him. In fact, he is not even confronted for this!
A man suffering from the third stage of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is highly dangerous so he needs to be kept away in confinement. So what do they do? Instead of keeping him in a different room, he is kept way under in a secret basement. Why???
Nobody knows about the existence of that patient. The main doctor in-charge is also completely unaware about him. However, a ward boy not only knows about him but also has the keys to open the secret place! Huh!
The condition of the supposedly utterly dangerous patient is improved in a jiffy. Not just that, he also becomes able to impersonate someone else. But still he goes into a mental stupor due to one reason. So to calm him down, one just needs to present him with a lollypop!
A lot of plot twists are brought in by using substances like the above medicine, chloroform, seductive deodorants, etc.
If I continue to list down more of such ghastly absurdities, I might end up writing a book. In short – the above points are just a few grams from a kilogram of nonsense.

The bigger problem with Humshakals is that it reaches highly insensitive and sadist levels, especially when it comes to portraying mentally retarded and physically challenged people. These are some incidents:-

Patients in a mental asylum are treated worse than animals. They run around in the vicinity while the doctors and others in charge chase them.
An officer in the asylum dressed up as a security guard tortures the patients through electric shocks. He continues this horrifying activity throughout the film.
Two mentally retarded people play with life-supporting equipment attached to a person in coma; the makers have tried to induce comedy through the poor man’s torture.
The same poor old man’s disability is used to create laughter in a devilish way later on!
This is yet another Bollywood film featuring gays or homosexuals in the most objectionable manner.
There is a dose of racism too with respect a colored African or American. Bollywood still thinks it’s funny!

The film does offer some witty PJs that get you in splits; especially the type of humor Sajid is known for, mostly through his TV shows. The song ‘Caller tune’ is also a rare moment of satisfaction. But these instances are too minute in front of the rest of the torture that has a runtime of almost 3 hours.

When you have such content, it won’t be fair to blame the actors for such awkward performances. Despite this, Saif Ali Khan, Riteish Deshmukh and Ram Kapoor try their best and manage to appear genuinely crazily funny at various points.The three female characters – Bipasha Basu, Tamannah Bhatia and Esha Gupta – don’t get any scope and like Sajid’s previous few films, they are just used to expose their bodies. Satish Shah is hampered due to a terrible characterization. The rest of the actors are not worth mentioning.

Overall: Humshakals is a terrible attempt at comedy. Its only achievement is that it is much better than the disgraceful Grand Masti. Due to the hype and promotions, it will manage to get good or decent numbers at the box office in the first weekend. But it will suffer after that.

Filmistaan Review

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Director: Nitin Kakkar

Producers: Satellite Pictures, UTV Motion Pictures and Shringar Films

Writers: Nitin Kakkar and Sharib Hashmi

Cast: Sharib Hashmi, Inaamulhaq, Kumud Mishra, Gopal Datt

Music: Arijit Dutta

Genre: Drama/ Comedy

Rating: * * * *

By: Keyur Seta

Story Outline: Sunny Arora (Sharib Hashmi) is a crazy Hindi film buff who lives life filmi style 24/7. He is aspiring to become an actor but isn’t getting an opportunity. So for the time being, he decides to become an assistant director for a documentary to be shot in Rajasthan by a group of Americans. During the shoot schedule, Sunny is abducted by a group of terrorists across the border in Pakistan. Will he ever return to the other side of the border?

Review: A border separates one country from another but human emotions remain the same all over the world, including the patch of land across the Line Of Control (LOC) called Pakistan. And when people from both sides of the border share a common crazy interest for Hindi films, the border becomes mentally invisible.

This theory of bonding is beautifully presented by director Nitin Kakkar in his debut flick Filmistaan through a smart mixture of rib-tickling and moving moments. What makes it even more special is that he has given a fitting tribute to Filmi Keedas like us to derive at the point.

Like all content-driven films, Filmistaan rides high largely due to the writing. An interesting story, watertight screenplay and creative dialogues give rise to these winning points:-

Sunny’s lovable character that recites famous Hindi film dialogues throughout the film, even in tense situations.
His close bond with Aftab through the medium of films.
The message of friendship given in a completely non-preachy manner.
A number of memorable scenes including, Maine Pyar Kiya sequence, filming of the hostage, Sunny’s encounter with a Hakeem (easily the most touching scene in recent times), Sunny and Aftab’s antics in the pre-climax, etc.

There isn’t an absence of flawlessness though due to some errors. It is also surprising to see no footage given to the consequences of the kidnapping in India. But thankfully, these points don’t affect you due to the overall content.

There is some smart display of camerawork by Subhansu Das. The background score too excels in creating the right emotions. Arijit Dutta has composed some soulful tracks that suit various situations perfectly.

The performances are of top draw. Sharib Hashmi (Shah Rukh Khan’s Pakistani friend in Jab Tak Hai Jaan) is outstanding! It looks like it was a cakewalk for him to get into the skin of the character of Sunny Arora. It is his act that takes the film to a higher level. Needless to say, he deserves to be seen more.

But despite such a strong performance from the main lead, Inaamulhaq succeeds in impressing with a brilliant portrayal of Aftab. The chemistry between the two actors is incredible. Kumud Mishra is perfect as the head of the terrorist group; he succeeds in speaking mostly through expressions. Some good supporting acts are seen from Waseem Khan, Sanjay Mehta and Tushar Jha. Habib Azmi deserves special mention for his wonderful cameo as the Hakeem.

Overall: Filmistaan highly succeeds in giving a positive message while paying a tribute to Hindi cinema and its fans. The film needs word-of-mouth to make an impact at the ticket window.

Lords to witness history… again!

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By: Keyur Seta

Memorable matches are the ones that witness an extraordinary feat by a player, a team or both teams. So naturally, a match becomes memorable after it’s over; in the past tense. Even a World Cup Final becomes unforgettable only if something great happens in it. But a match to be played on July 5 has already achieved a title of ‘memorable’ or ‘unforgettable’, although it is very much in the future tense right now.

Tendulkar during MCC v/s ROI match in 1998 (Picture: Espncricinfo.com)

The said match is between MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) and Rest of the World on July 5 at Lords, the home of Cricket. It is the presence of some legends in both teams that is responsible for the match to be terribly awaited.

Just imagine, Sachin Tendulkar, Shane Warne, Brian Lara, Rahul Dravid, Adam Gilchrist, Mutiah Muralitharan, Yuvraj Singh, Kevin Petersen, Virender Sehwag, Brett Lee and Shivnarine Chanderpaul together on the field! It doesn’t get bigger than this, can it? Plus, this might even be the last time we would be able to see the likes Tendulkar, Warne, Lara, Dravid, Muralitharan and Gilchrist on a Cricket field. And if we are lucky enough to see a battle between Tendulkar and Warne or Lara and Warne, what more can a Cricket fan ask for?

So the occasion will not only be memorable but also highly emotional for anyone who has grown up watching these great ambassadors of the game. Needless to say, one player that would be looked forward to the most is Tendulkar, not only by Indians but fans from around the globe. After the legendary farewell he received last November, watching him bat again will be a heavenly feeling.

But even if some of these great names fail to live up to the expectations, their mere presence is enough to generate tons of excitement, like it happened in 1998 when a similar match was played at the same venue in memory of Lady Diana. If you grew up in the 90s, I am sure you would remember that contest. Tendulkar and Chanderpaul are the only two out of the 22 players that had played the 1998 match. Interestingly, they both scored centuries in it.

So July 5 is our date with history!

Teams:-

MCC: Sachin Tendulkar (Captain), Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Rahul Dravid, Aaron Finch, Brian Lara, Brett Lee, Chris Read, Saeed Ajmal, Shaun Tait, Umar Gul and Daniel Vettori

ROI: Shane Warne (Captain), Tino Best, Paul Collingwood, Adam Gilchrist, Muttiah Muralitharan, Kevin Petersen, Virender Sehwag, Shahid Afridi, Peter Siddle, Tamim Iqbal and Yuvraj Singh

Venue: Lords Cricket Ground, London

Date: Saturday July 5, 2014

Time: 10:45 am local time; 3: 15 pm India time

Highlights of Tendulkar’s innings from the 1998 Diana Memorial Match:

Lok Sabha Election Result: Pre-Result Analysis

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Tomorrow’s 2014 Lok Sabha Election result is like a match between AUSTRALIA and ZIMBABWE. People supporting the former are sure of victory and have already started celebrating. They will tune in to see the margin of victory. Those supporting the other team will tune it with some hope of miracle. Neutrals like me will only ask from time to time – Oye SCORE kya hua?

But still, let’s look at the chances of major political parties:-

Congress: The question shouldn’t be whether Congress will win or lose. The question is – by what margin will it lose? Due to the abysmal performance in 10 years, especially the last term, this might well be the party’s biggest defeat ever.

BJP: The only party that is sure of winning. The anti-Congress feel, the popularity of Narendra Modi and the crazy marketing campaign will surely work in their favor. It doesn’t look as if there will be an upset. But if the party win’s only around 200 seats on their own, it will surely be an upset of sorts as it will surely raise a big question on the presence of a ‘Modi Wave’.

AAP: They are getting a place in this write-up because of their sudden popularity since December 2013. The Aam Aadmi Party aren’t looking to form the government as this is their first Lok Sabha election. So anything over 4-5 seats will be a great achievement for them. Of course, things would have been different for them had their rule in Delhi wouldn’t have turned controversial.

All in all, the winner of the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections seems to have been declared already. Let’s see whether it turns out to be that way or if there will be a twist in the climax.

Keep watching this space for the results.

Picture Source: Livemint.com

Ajoba (Marathi Movie) Review

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Director: Sujay S. Dahake

Producers: Supreme Motion Pictures Pvt. Ltd and Illusion Ethereal Film Company

Writers: Sujay S. Dahake and Gauri Bapat

Cast: Urmila Matondkar, Hrishikesh Joshi, Dilip Prabhavalkar, Shashank Shende,s Shrikant Yadav, Om Bhutkar, Neha Mahajan

Genre: Adventure/ Drama

Rating: * * * *

By: Keyur Seta

Story Outline: Ajoba is based on true events experienced by wildlife conservationist Vidya Athreya between the years 2009 and 2011. A leopard is found in a well in Junnar village in Maharashtra. Wildlife Biologist Purva Rao (Urmila Matondkar) gets the animal rescued with the help of forest department workers.

She fits an electronic chip at its tale and, as per the procedure, frees it. She names the animal Ajoba. The whole idea is to trace Ajoba’s journey in order to learn more about it and its thinking. Although the leopard is on a journey, Purva and his team are experiencing the adventure out of it.

Review: When a leopard enters a city and kills a man, naturally, the wild animal is labeled as the devil. But this is far from the actual fact. Such incidents have a much deeper meaning, which is explored by Sujay S. Dahake in Ajoba in a manner that would compel you to applaud not only his end product but also his act of bravery towards creating such bold genre of cinema.

Firstly, it can be a stressful nightmare for anyone to make a film on this subject. To create such an experience on screen not only requires painstaking patient efforts but also some great talent. As Dahake manages to go through the grind, half the battle is won.

The second half is won by a gripping narrative that either thrills or moves you throughout the duration. Soon you realize that the film is not story-based but treatment-based. The journey of the leopard and the subsequent twists keeps you glued. The smart characterization and the internal drama between characters also play their parts in making sure the film doesn’t go into the docu-drama mode whatsoever.

But there does come a period in the second half where the narration slows down thereby making you a bit impatient. Thankfully, this period doesn’t last long due to what follows. The closing moments and the climax deserve special mention for the soul-stirring effect it produces and the questions it raises about the indirect dangers and hypocrisy of ‘human nature’.

Apart from the above-mentioned point, what can go against the film is that the Indian audience isn’t friendly with such genre of films. Needless to say, those wishing for conventional entertainment might be disappointed.

Shooting such a film can also be a hell of a task for the cinematographer. Diego Romero has shot the entire movie using a hand-held camera. For getting his craft right, creating a visual treat and keeping the frame un-shaky, his work should be described as brilliant. The haunting background score suits the flick perfectly and stays with you. There is also some smart display of visual effects, especially the CGI image of the leopard.

Urmila Matondkar’s thoroughly dedicated performance too is one of the biggest plus points. Her Marathi film debut can move anyone due to the way she gets into the psyche of Purva Rao. It’s nothing short of excellent! After Yellow, Hrishikesh Joshi ones again turns up with an adorable act. Om Bhutkar, Shashank Shende and Shrikant Yadav give earnest support. Dilip Prabhavalkar and Yashpal Sharma create strong impact in cameos. Neha Mahajan and Anita Date are good in their cameos.

Overall: Ajoba is a spectacular cinematic treat; something that you haven’t experienced before. The film surely has a chance of making a good impact at the box office through positive word-of-mouth.

Salaam (Marathi Movie) Review

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Director: Kiran Yadnyopavit

Producer: Calyx Media and Entertainment

Writer: Kiran Yadnyopavit

Cast: Vivek Chabukswar, Abhishek Bharate, Girish Kulkarni, Kishore Kadam, Atisha Naik, Jyoti Chandekar

Music: Rahul Ranade

Genre: Drama

Rating: * * * ½

By: Keyur Seta

Story Outline: In a picturesque village in Maharashtra lives Raghunath aka Raghya (Vivek Chabukswar), studying in seventh standard. His father (Girish Kulkarni) works with Mumbai police as a constable; he visits his family in between. Shankar aka Sada (Abhishek Bharate) is Raghya’s classmate and close friend. His father is an officer with the Indian Army.

Sada believes his father’s profession is more prestigious than Raghya’s father while Raghya feels vice-versa. Once, their school teacher (Kishore Kadam) hands over a voluntary task of collecting funds for a noble cause to the students. This exercise becomes the turning point in the friendship of Raghya and Sada.

Review: Kiran Yadnyopavit’s Taryanche Bait was about an obsessive desire of a child and his relation with his father. Although the storyline of his latest offering Salaam is entirely different, it also focuses on a fixated longing of a kid and his relation with someone, this time a friend. The similarities don’t end here as Salaam, just like Taryanche Bait, turns out to be a delightfully moving experience.

The film doesn’t follow a conventional storytelling method. Through the experiences and routine lives of the character, a plot emerges in the background. But this doesn’t test your patience whatsoever. Instead, you are treated to a series of pleasurable moments as the characters go about their business. The beautiful and utterly peaceful locations add to the delight. The effort to pay tribute to army officer and policemen is also laudable.

In the latter part of the second half, however, there comes a point when not only is your patience is tested but you are also left a bit confused by the turn of events. Thankfully, all your doubts are cleared by a soul-stirring climax that pleases you no ends! The simple manner in which Yadnyopavit has presented a pleasing message by just using the visual medium proves he is here to stay for long.

The scenic locations appear more beautiful through cinematographer Abhijit Abde’s lens. From Rahul Ranade’s music, the song ‘Timbacktoo’ is worth mentioning. His background score too goes well with the proceedings. But repeating a particular background tune too many times could have been avoided.

The performances of two kids play a large role in creating an impact. Vivek Chabukswar is excellent as Raghya! It is incredible how he can display such varied emotions at such a young age. Abhishek Bharate, as Sada, isn’t far behind either in a supporting role. Girish Kulkarni leaves a mark in a lovable cameo. Kishore Kadam too deserves a similar praise.

Atisha Naik, as Raghya’s mother, and Jyoti Chandekar, as his grandmother, also chip in with good performances. There are some well-enacted cameos also from Pravin Tarde, Shashank Shende, Savita Prabhune, Suhas Shirsat, Sanjay Khapre and few others.

Overall: Salaam is a gem of a film that deserves a salaam. But it is sad to see such lack of proper hype for such a good effort. Hence, it will struggle at the box office.

Postcard (Marathi Movie) Review

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Director: Gajendra Ahire

Producers: Smita Vinay Ganu and Prashant Gokhale

Writer: Gajendra Ahire

Cast: Girish Kulkarni, Sai Tamhankar, Dilip Prabhavalkar, Kishore Kadam, Vibhavari Deshpande, Radhika Apte, Subodh Bhave

Music: Gandhaar Sangoram

Genre: Drama

Rating: * * *

By: Keyur Seta

Review: A postman is considered a messiah when he brings delightful news. But he also has to bear the brunt of being labeled as inauspicious if the letter consist a tragic update. Ahire’s exploration of such interesting and unusual experiences of a postman in Postcard is not one of his best efforts but definitely worth watching for being visually stunning and heartwarming.

The three experiences of the central character of the postman are presented in three different stories. They are analyzed as under:

Ever since the age of 10-12, Bhikaji (Dilip Prabhavalkar) has been working as woodcutting laborer at the same place. Now, in his 80s, he wishes to join his family staying in a nearby village and spend the rest of his days with them. But he is unable to leave as he faces severe exploitation from his boss. Bhikaji develops a bond with the postman (Kulkarni), who reads the good news of his newly born grandson.
This is the best of the three stories simply because of a solid storyline. The happy and sad turn of events and the final emotional twist is enough to win your hearts. But it is Prabhavalkar’s brilliant act that plays a large role in the overall effect. It is incredible to see him carry out such a physical demanding role in this age with ease.
The postman is transferred to a scenic hill station. While entering a school to deliver a letter, he is stopped by a soldier Kamble (Kishore Kadam). He hands over a letter to the postman and pleads him to deliver it to her daughter studying in the school. He finally agrees but the task lands him in some mysterious trouble.
What starts as a funny tale turns into something unusually emotional. The intriguing narrative and an unexpected culmination are the strong points here. But it is strange to see some vital questions left unanswered. Also, the postman’s reaction to a shocking revelation is highly surprising. As expected, Kadam provides an aptly moving performance. In a limited screen time, Vibhavari Deshpande leaves behind a solid and memorable impact!
The postman’s next destination is a village with some barren land. Here he comes across a young girl Gulzar (Radhika Apte), who is a courtesan. She entertains numerous guests but longs for her lover (Subodh Bhave). She waits for hours for the postman to receive a letter from her beau, who has promised to marry her.
This story is beautifully shot and it also contains an earnest performance from Apte. She deserves to be seen much more. But this part tests your patience after a point of time as there is not much in terms of story development. Hence, it appears dragged most of the times. A surprising step taking by the postman also serves no purpose. Subodh Bhave provides a decent act.

Coming to the technicalities, cinematographer Yogesh Rajguru has presented a visual treat while capturing the beautiful locales, especially the hill station. There is not much scope for music (Gandhaar Sangoram) but the Mujra song featuring Apte is soulful.

Present throughout the film, Girish Kulkarni realistically gets into the skin of the character of a postman and gives a brilliant performance. Sai Tamhankar, as his wife, too plays a part well; she plays a rural character for a change.

Overall: Postman deserves a watch for being a realistically amusing tale of a postman. But it will have a tough time at the box office due to a low hype and the fact that three other Marathi films and three Hindi films have released simultaneously.

Dialogues: Main Tera Hero

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Compiled By: Keyur Seta

Writer Milap Milan Zaveri’s crazy and whacky one-liners have played a large role in making David Dhawan’s Main Tera Hero a truly hilarious affair. So here’s revisiting some of the humorous lines from the Varun Dhawan starrer:

Ehsan toh mujhpe Shankar aur Loy ne kiya tha.
Yeh humein degree ke naam pe third degree dega.
Yeh tujhe bohat mahanga padega… No problem, waise bhi sasti cheezon mein main interest nahin rakhta.
Jab main Pampers mein thi tab se mere dad mujhe pamper karte aa rahen hain.
Jaise har Coke Coca-Cola nahin hota, jaise har chana chhola nahin hota usi tarah har shareef dikhne wala aadmi bhola nahin hota.
Ab pata chala, jab Veeru paji Basanti ko bandook chalana sikha rahe the tab Basanti ko kaisa feel hua hoga.
Arunoday Singh: Srinath Prasad (Varun’s character) kahan hai? Rajpal Yadav: Arre who toh kab ka retire ho gaye. Aajkal commentary dete hain.
Main tum logon ko aise dhounga jaise Sachin aur Sehwag ne 2003 World Cup mein Pakistan ke bowling attack ko dhoya tha.
Tumhare dil mein mere liye ghanti nahin baji, toh kya ghanta tumhe mujhse pyaar hua?
Yeh toh chumme ka sequel ban gaya. Krrish 2 ke baad Kiss 2… Krrish 3 ke baad Kiss 3.
Purani Haveli ke paas Chikni Chameli ko dekh ke toh kisi se bhi galti hogi.

Main Tera Hero Review

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Director: David Dhawan

Producers: Balaji Motion Pictures

Writer: Tushar Hiranandani and Milap Milan Zaveri

Cast: Varun Dhawan, Ileana D’Cruz, Nargis Fakhri, Arunoday Singh, Saurabh Shukla, Rajpal Yadav, Anupam Kher, Manoj Pahwa

Music: Sajid-Wajid

Genre: Comedy

Rating: * * * ½

By: Keyur Seta

Story Outline: Staying in Cunnoor, Srinath Prasad aka Seenu (Varun Dhawan) is a nuisance in college. He also has to face wrath from his professor and parents for his poor academic performances. In order to prove a point to his parents, he goes to Bengaluru for further studies. His eyes fall on a fellow student Sunaina (Ileana D’Cruz) and he instantly falls for her.

However, Sunaina has been blackmailed into being the girlfriend and future wife of the evil and hot-tempered cop Angad (Arunoday Singh). Despite Angad’s strength and power, Seenu decides to fight against him to win Sunaina’s heart. But things go ugly for Seenu when Ayesha (Nargis Fakhri) forcefully enters his life.

Review: So far in Hindi cinema, only experienced actors or superstars have successfully managed to pull off hero-centric roles in hardcore masala entertainers. But Varun Dhawan, in his father David Dhawan’s Main Tera Hero, has managed to do that just in his second film and how! With his lovable heroic antics, he just doesn’t cease to impress you, regardless of your gender. His act coupled with Milap Milan Zaveri’s writing results in a non-stop laugh riot. After last year’s successful Chashme Baddoor, David Dhawan continues his winning streak.

It is common sense to keep logic and reasoning away in such genre of films. But to enjoy Main Tera Hero, you need to keep both the entities miles away and be ready to accept some madcap, crazy humor. If you can’t do that, don’t even think of watching it. But if you can, be ready for a laughter dose lasting for little over two hours.

What is most impressive about Zaveri’s writing is that he has managed to include punch lines and PJs after almost every few seconds. Despite being silly most of the times, Tushar Hiranandani’s screenplay should also be lauded for the way he has connected various crazy situations, without giving you any time to think.

On few occasions, however, the craziness crosses the limits. You can forgive such points for the laugher provided in return but this will affect a section of the audience. What also goes against the film is some amount of vulgarity. It is absolutely fine for such things to be included in an adult comedy but not in a film targeted for family audiences. Apart from this, the situation in the second half is similar to Sajid Khan’s Houseful 2.

Sajid-Wajid’s music adds to the entertainment with every song – ‘Tera Dhyan Kidhar Hai’, ‘Galat Baat Hai, ‘Besharmi Ki Height’ and ‘Shanivar Rati’ – turning out to be enjoyable.

As mentioned above, Varun Dhawan is simply outstanding, be it comedy, action or dance! His father has made him do stuff that Govinda does in his films. But Varun has managed to do it so early in his career, which is a remarkable achievement. He surely should continue it! Ileana D’Cruz plays her part well. Nargis Fakhri’s bad acting skills are visible here too. Thankfully, it doesn’t trouble you much due to the overall entertainment.

Arunoday Singh is the surprise package. He not only scores with his villainous antics but also with the unusual comedy he had to do. Rajpal Yadav is brilliant at what he does best. Saurabh Shukla and Anupam Kher once again display their talents. Manoj Pahwa and Supriya Shukla, as Seenu’s parents, are decent. Evelyn Sharma is wasted. Shakti Kapoor is hilarious in a cameo.

Overall: Through Main Tera Hero David Dhawan once again delivers what he always promises: lots of entertainment! The film should do well at the box office due to its mass appeal and Varun Dhawan’s act.