Jai Ho - Film Reviews

Ratings - * * * 1/2

Aamir Khan the Salman's close friend had aptly said in Agenda Aaj Tak that Salman Khan is the only star in Bollywood. Whatever antics he does in his movies from tearing off his shirt to wearing inverted glasses, everything becomes a fad. 

Based on Telugu movie "Stalin" (2006), Jai Ho is a complete Salman show.This movie is a full time entertainer replete with action, romance, dance, comedy, thrill, emotion, drama, patriotism, pathos and so on.

It's the story of an army man Jai Agnihotri, who is leading a civilian's life due to some unknown reasons. But the sense of righteousness is infused in him to such an extent that he is unable to tolerate any wrong doing so much so that he often lands in troubles.

He is supported in his rightful endeavors by his sister Geeta and two friends-one is a doc and the other probably a corporate honcho.

Jai is a happy,joyful and fun loving person, but is so much disturbed by the vice around that he decides to change it himself and this he does by propagating a lovely mantra which says, "if you help someone and the other person thanks you, ask him to help three other people in return and those three persons should help three others, thus making a huge chain of goodness!!!"

The concept is beautiful and its implementation is even better.

Since the hero is Salman Khan, there is a huge army of villains too! From a corrupt minister, a vicious  daughter of a politician, a corrupt son-in law, a six pack monster type son and of course police officers who have turned dishonest, Salman fights innumerable baddies in the movie.

There is a lot of action and drama, but romance has not been forgotten by the director.

love affair of jai with Pinky (Daisy Shah) who lives in the neighborhood is movie's romantic relief.

Although she had very little to do in this movie, yet she has not failed to impress. Tabu as expected, has done her job really well. From songs to dance, everything in the movie is first class!

Those who love Salman, masala films and conventional cinema, should not miss "Jai Ho"!

"Dedh Ishqiya" Review: Old-world charm with a tangy twist

Ratings : * * *

Cast:  Madhuri Dixit, Huma Qureshi, Naseeruddin Shah, Arshad Warsi, Vijay Raaz, Manoj Pahwa, Salman Shahid

Director:  Abhishek Chaubey

TheBollywoodBlast Ratings: * * * stars

Khawatinon hazrat, tashrif rakhiye, ek Banarsi paan nosh farmaiye. Aur phir, itminan se, hum aagaaz karenge is dilkash kisse ka — "Dedh Ishqiya".

There are nawabs, sher-o-shairi, and a courtly old-world romance but make no mistake, this is a twisted theatre of the absurd in which the gamut of human folly - greed, decadence, deceit, stupidity - is laid out for us. Once again, Abhishek and co-writer Vishal Bhardwaj find the vein of humour in the darkest situations, including a stand-off in which many guns are pointed at many heads.

Khalujan and Babban, played nicely by Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi, are petty thieves with such wit and charm that you want to hang out with them. These are honourable conmen, unafraid of punching, shooting, brandishing knives but when the ladies are in trouble, they come gallantly to the rescue

There is a superbly funny running gag about the stages of love and a gorgeous climactic shoot-out. Best of all, the movie gives us women who are unapologetically scheming and lusty. They break all the rules and get away with it. It is wonderfully refreshing. And yet, "Dedh Ishqiya" does not have the seductive sparkle that Ishqiya did. In the first movie, Babban referred to the heroine Krishna as a sutli bomb and desi tamancha.

The ladies here - Begum Para played by Madhuri Dixit-Nene and Muniya, played by Huma Qureshi - are not as deliciously twisted though Madhuri is still compelling. The first half of the movie is devoted to a swayamvar that Begum Para holds to choose a husband - the best poet wins the bride.

The construct feels artificial and the pacing is languid. I also struggled with the Urdu - it was melodious but I wish I understood more of it. 

Still, Dedh Ishqiya is worth watching just for Abhishek Chaubey's ambition. He is not constrained by the demands of the box office.  I am eager to see what trouble Khalujan and Babban will get into next. 

"Yaariyan" - Film Reviews

Ratings : *

Director: Divya Khosla Kumar

Cast: Himansh Kohli, Dev Sharma, Serah Singh, Rakul Preet Singh, Nicole Faria, Evelyn Sharma, Gulshan Grover

Rating: *  

The film "Yaariyan" opens to a scene of a play in motion, one that's telling the story of Indo-Pak war. When suddenly there is a scene that requires "Ma", only "Ma" is busy kissing her boyfriend backstage.

Such is the comedy. Pretty immature. It is to save your from the torture of watching this film that reviewers like myself are writing this. I give one star to the film,purely for the effort of making the movie. 

"Yaariyan" is an entirely disappointing movie. The characters are flawed, and the acting is fake. There's not story or plot in the movie. This college in Sikkim has five young kids. The boys just have the one dream of gaining access to the girls' hostel and kissing a girl. Mind you, before heading out there, the hero even takes the permission of his aunt and the girls' hostel's warden. Trouble comes in the form of a company wanting to build a casino on the spot where the college now stands. The challenge is to win five competitions, between the Australians and the college kids. 

Lots of action, lost of attempt to create drama, and not-so-great dialogues that can take over the film. 

Avoid watching the movie.

But atleast we can appriciate the efforts of these new comers.

"Mr Joe B. Carvalho" - Film Reviews

Ratings - 1/2 star

Cast: Arshad Warsi, Soha Ali Khan, Jaaved Jafferi, Himani Shivpuri, Vijay Raaz, Shakti Kapoor, Vrijesh Hirjee

Director: Samir Tewari

TheBollywoodBlast Ratings - 1/2 star

I have been thinking of one nice thing to say about this movie, which I suspect was made because its title can be read as "Jo Bhi Karvalo". it was very funny but Sadly, not at all.

Sad because I always have hopes of the Arshad Warsi a very talented actor. Because he has delivered, in the past. But in this one, he is made to play a bumbling sleuth, saddled by a mommy ( Shivpuri) who wears polka dotted frocks and dark glasses and bumps into furniture, and a girl-friend ( Khan) who is a uniformed female- Dabangg-type cop but is also to be found in teeny bikinis and short frocks.

He is then dumped into a plot that that is so asinine that it leaves one speechless.

What can you say when you are faced with characters who make no sense, and speak only nonsense? Jafferi is an 'international terrorist' in this movie, whatever that might be, who is armed with a 'neutron bomb' that nestles in a necklace. He also dons several terrible disguises, one of which involves a huge wig and blackface. Raaz roams around with a couple of fellows. Hirjee does exactly what I'm not sure.

Actually I am not sure of anything post watching "Mr Joe B. Carvalho" other than wonder just how I sat through all of it. Mr Warsi, `hum se yeh kyon karvaya'?

"Sholay 3D" : Reviews

Ratings : *****

If as William Shakespeare told us, a rose by any other name smells just as sweet, then "Sholay" in any format -3D, 4D or whatever, would remain fantastic.

An inviolable classic, timeless, as it is timely. The new version, spruced up with flying bullets and thundering hoofs, comes to us at a time when "Dhoom" is trending. So it is "Sholay 3D" weighed against "Dhoom 3".

Undoubtedly, the current movies that seem to make so much money seem to pale into flamboyant insignificance when weighed against the hefty impact of "Sholay".

As many as 38 years have passed since "Sholay" and its astonishing lines (Salim-Javed at their pithiest) created immediate and enduring history. Yes, the movie opened badly. But then Rome and Amitabh Bachchan`s career weren`t built in a day.

With each viewing of "Sholay", I come away wiser and richer. Yes, this is actually the 'Bollywood' entertainment should always be but seldom is. Rich in drama, vivacious and vibrant in its characterisations, "Sholay" about one armless man`s two-men army and their battle against a sadistic dacoit (Amjad Khan) spawns innumerable eras of cinematic experience.

It is the most well assembled screenplay ever.

With the passage of time, we can view the movie in episodes - the stunning train robbery sequence at the start, the massacre of "Thakur" Sanjeev Kumar`s family by Gabbar and his ragged henchmen, Dharmendra`s `suicide` drama from atop a water tower, `Jai` Amitabh Bachchan`s marriage proposal on behalf of his buddy `Veeru` Dharmendra, `Gabbar` Amjad Khan`s Russian roulette in the ravines with his trio of petrified henchmen, `Rahim Chacha` A.K. Hangal`s son`s poignant death scene, the widow `Radha` Jaya Bhaduri`s flashback into a colourful Holi when she accosts her future father-in-law with incessant chatter (Radha could have been Basanti), Jagdeep`s Soorma Bhopali and Asrani`s `angrezon ke zamaanein ka jailor` episodes.... each of these and many others, have a throbbing autonomous life of their own.

And yet, here lies the magic of a monumental classic - all the accentuated episodes come together in a compelling cohesive screenplay which blows your mind.

This is a revenge story with a supremely sustained momentum. The characters show no sign of aging with time. Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan`s Veeru and Jai are to this day roguish mercenaries who seem to convey an endearing amorality in their conduct even as they emerge as unlikely heroes in the Thakur`s fight against an oppressively cartoonish outlaw.

There are two romantic tracks navigated by two very contrasting female characters. While Basanti (Hema Malini) never stops chattering, Radha (Jaya Bhaduri) seldom speaks.

They are portraits in contrasts done up in colours that have acquired deeper shades and relevance with the passage of time.

Dissertations, thesis, textbooks and essays have been written on the impact of "Sholay" on commercial Indian cinema. Does the narrative show any signs of wear and tear? Never! Except when monetary amounts meant to be astronomical in 1975 are mentioned.

Thakur Baldev Singh hires the services of Jai and Veeru for a princely sum of Rs.50,000. That in today`s economic context would amount to close to Rs.10 crore. And if you have actors as exceptionally charismatic as Amitabh and Dharmendra playing Jai and Veeru, then the characters seem priceless.

Has there ever been a better celluloid illustration of male bonding than the Jai-Veeru jodi in 'Sholay'? Amitabh and Dharmendra came together once again as Ram and Balram in Vijay Anand`s movie. But the same chemistry was missing.

No one can encore the magic of Ramesh Sippy in "Sholay". Not even Sippy himself. And what a team of technicians Sippy had! Dwarka Divecha`s cinematography, M.S. Shinde`s editing and R.D. Burman`s background music will never cease to take our breath away.

I always found R.D. Burman`s songs in "Sholay" to be relatively weak. I still do. But that`s a very small quibble in a movie that defies all analyses.

So does the 3D format affect "Sholay"? I`d say "Sholay" in any format is..."Sholay"! Incomparably gripping, flawlessly cast and impeccably mounted, this is the mother of all Bollywood classics.

Mahabharat 3D : Animation movie review

Ratings : **

Cast : Voices of Amitabh Bachchan, Sunny Deol, Vidya        Balan, Ajay Devgn, Anil Kapoor, Shatrughan Sinha 

Director: Amaan Khan 

Producer: Kushal Kantilal Gada, Dhaval Jayantilal Gada 

SPOILERS AHEAD

If you were hoping that animation movies would come of age with this purported epic, you are in for a disappointment. Though the characters from the "Mahabharat" have faces and voices of the biggest stars, the images do not add up to a compelling canvas. Not by a wide margin.

Or, perhaps, it is because those eminently known faces and voices assume the roles of the mythological characters that we are unable to connect, let alone empathize with the astonishing tale of valour, manipulation and war that we've grown up with. Folklore and mythology when done with excessive flamboyance loses its efficacy.

The presentation is epic in intent, yes. Alas, the execution, packaging and projection leave the epic undernourished and over-emphasized.

The magic of animation cinema is to transport the audience into the world of make-believe, but in a way that we forget the characters are not real people. In other words, for animation to be effective, the narration must transcend the technique of animation.

"Mahabharat", as told by director Amaan Khan, never goes beyond self-congratulation. The animation characters are so busy posturing they are never humanized. All we see are graphics, not the spectacular characters from the Mahabharat whom we've grown up with. We hear them. But they never attain credible shapes on screen.

To their credit the superstars have lent their voices with great dignity and restraint. And one would have been happy just hearing Mr Bachchan as Bheeshma Pitamah, Sunny Deol as Bheem, Vidya Balan as Draupadi.

Incidentally, Draupadi's vastrahan scene has to be seen for us to know how clumsily inadequate the animation and graphics are. The saree doesn't unfurl. It ties itself up in knots, in a manner of speaking.

There is a laboured attempt here to prove that animation has come to animated life in Indian cinema. Sadly, it ends up proving only the opposite. We've a long way to go. If you want to see a credible dramatically deft adaptation of the Mahabharat, check out B R Chopra's televised version.

As for animation, Indian cinema should leave it alone or try for the better animation.

Dhoom 3 - Movie Reviews

Dhoom3 Ratings - ***

Opening on the debt ridden illusionist (Jackie Shroff, first-rate), and his prodigy son Sahir, “Dhoom 3” quickly discards any substantiality of the plot in favor of superficially sexy-looking escape sequences of the movie’s lead crook – a grown up version of Sahir played by Aamir Khan with a constant furrow and a skewered expression.

Sahir is his father’s son, and discrediting the films’s opening about their family circus being debt ridden by a nefarious bank, he is running a modern day grandstand version of the circus to packed houses. He is also, quite openly, raiding the bank that forced his father to put a bullet to his head.

Regardless of being set in Chicago, where ANY bank’s security would be a tad better than India’s (I think), Sahir loots the place, threatens them in Hindi, places a joker’s mask as his mark, and scales the building down without concealing his identity. If the heist feels anticlimactic, it’s because we didn’t see how Sahir thwarted the bank’s security measures. In fact, we never see him committing any robbery in “Dhoom 3”. He just, quite simply, escapes.

Anyways, the bank and police – who are adept at ramming their own service vehicles every time Sahir is on the run – are baffled. Who is this unmasked burglar? Maybe someone forgot to think about surveillance tapes, or questioning people on the streets he drops in on. (A social security check on would-be suspects would have worked wonders, if anyone would’ve bothered to have asked me).

Instead, feeling trumped, they bring Indian super-cop Jai Dixit (Abhishek Bachchan) and his love-ready, bike Savvy partner Ali (Uday Chopra) over for some bland play-acting. (And before I forget, the cast includes the cameo-esque screen-time of lead actress Katrina Kaif, who plays Aaliya, the high-wire acrobat who falls for Sahir).

In a series of juvenile scenes, Jai finds Sahir out, but doesn’t arrest him; (because, if Jai nabs Sahir now, the next cut would be the end credits).

R...Rajkumar - Film Reviews

Ratings - *1/2
How much Rating will you give to this movie...???

Cast: Sonakshi Sinha,Shahid Kapoor,Sonu Sood 

Directed By:  Prabhu Deva 

R… Rajkumar,starring Shahid Kapoor and Sonakshi Sinha, arrived on Friday,6 December, 2013. This Movie has mostly got bad reviews,and failed to impress the people.

There was overall 40-45% occupancy for R… Rajkumar on Friday, Day 1. The movie performed well in Mumbai, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Bihar. In these regions, the single screen collections are better than multiplexes.

While,In north indian circuit, as we reported earlier, R… Rajkumar has failed to impress audiences. Delhi, Punjab and UP mainly, where it registered 30-35% occupancy on day 1.

According to initial reports, R… Rajkumar has collected in the range of Rs 88.6 million (8.86 crore) net on it’s opening day. More clearer picture on the figure will be available post the weekend phase.

R… Rajkumar is the biggest opener for Shahid Kapoor. Shahid’s highest collection was for Mausam in 2011,collected in the range of Rs 70 million (7 crore) nett on it’s opening day.

While the reviews are not favorable, the public opinion is ranging from good to mixed.

Bansi Sharma, 23 from Mumbai said, “It’s an entertaining movie, I loved it.” Jasmin Rozia, 19, from Surat, Gujarat, who had arrived with his entire group of friends said, “It’s very much like Dabangg. But really refreshing to see Shahid Kapoor. We enjoyed it.” Nisha Garg, 34, a housewife from Nagpur, who watched the movie with her family said, “Kids enjoyed it, but I didn’t like it. Sonakshi must really stop doing such roles.”

We also caught up with a group of around 20-24 girls, all in their late teens in Ahmedabad, who eagerly waited for the first show since many days. Rujuta Shah, the group leader said, “We all are die-hard Shahid Kapoor fans, and it’s definitely a must watch for all Shanatics.”

Though Saturday for R… Rajkumar has begun on a dull note, the fate of this movie on weekend remains to be seen.

R… Rajkumar is directed by Prabhu Deva, and produced by Viki Rajani and Sunil Lulla. This movie also features Sonu Sood, Ashish Vidyarthi, Mukul Dev and Asrani in key roles, besides Shahid Kapoor and Sonakshi Sinha.

So friends What you think about this movies??..You can give your own rating in the comment box.

RamLeela - Movie Reviews

Ratings - ***1/2

Cast - Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Supriya Pathak Kapur

Direction - Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Ratings - ***1/2
So what do you think about Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Movie? Bhansali creates a visual spectacle that transports you to his make-believe world.
A viewer is overwhelmed by the opulence of the sets - the colour, the grandeur, involved in the tragedy that strikes the star-crossed lovers, ready to suspend rational and inhabit the director’s universe for a few hours. The question is whether you remain engaged for all the time that you decide to suspend logic and participate in Bhansali’s flight of fantasy? While first half of "Ram-leela" is an engrossing watch, the second half seems too long – the feuding families spend so much time trying to level scores that after a point you really don’t care.
"Ram-leela" is yet another Bollywood love saga inspired by Shakespeare’s "Romeo and Juliet". What really stands out in this one is how Bhansali has managed to deconstruct the typical Bollywood heroine – our female lead is aggressive and passionate. And it’s a pleasure to watch Deepika do away with the conventionally coy and shy and play the rebel.
Ranveer and Deepika and their lovely chemistry make the first half immensely watchable. Their well-sculpted bodies as they romance and embrace is like poetry in the motion. Torn apart by circumstances and years of hatred perpetuated between their families; it breaks your heart to see them apart. But then again, when actual tragedy strikes, you feel devoid of any emotion. Interim melodrama and the tedious pace of the second half robs you of any real pathos that you had felt for the ill-fated lovers.
The treatment for quite a few parts is reminiscent of what we had seen in "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam" and "Devdas". The "Nagada sang dhol" song in "Ram-leela" is like a remake of "Dholi taro" song from "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam", Ram’s drinking style reminds you of Shah Rukh Khan in "Devdas".Surely a director of Bhansali’s caliber is capable of infusing his movies with fresh ideas?
The item song by Priyanka Chopra, "Ram chahe Leela chahe" is completely superfluous to the narrative. Not that Priyanka doesn’t look good in the song but the song seems inserted as an afterthought. A dance number by Deepika would have looked just as good and probably made more sense.
"Ram-leela" has strong females characters like Supriya Pathak Kapur, who plays the autocratic matriarch or Richa Chadda, who plays the feisty sister-in-law but the plot fails to do complete justice to their parts.
‘Goliyon Ka Raasleela Ram-leela is visually spectacular but the love story makes little impression.

So Friends...Did you like the movie? Share your views/comments with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Have Fun...!!!

KRRISH 3 - Full Entertainment... FILM REVIEWS

Film Ratings :  ***1/2

Movie - Krrish 3

Director - Rakesh Roshan

Stunning Roles - Hrithik Roshan, Vivek Oberoi, Priyanka Chopra and Kangana Ranaut

Ratings -  ***1/2

What is in tthe movie ??

Krrish 3 continues the story of Rohit Mehra (Hrithik Roshan) and his superhero son Krishna or Krrish (Hrithik Roshan),,after Koi... Mil Gaya and Krrish. When Krishna is not saving lives, he is trying to hold down a job. He lives with his wife Priya (Priyanka Chopra) and father Rohit in Mumbai. Hell breaks loose when a virus spreads in the city.

Rohit finds a cure for it but manages to earn the wrath of Kaal (Vivek Oberoi) who releases his army of mutants or Manwars (Manav + jaanwars) on his family. Krrish has to save his family, his city, it's people and overpower this super villain.

What is good ?? 

Let me assure you right at the onset that Rakesh Roshan has packed din enough in the film to make a Krrish fan get his/her money's worth. A superhero franchise escapade that delivers fully on it's promise and raises the bar for future desi superhero movies. It's film escapism at it's best.

Krrish 3 is an entertaining mix of spectacle and human-scale drama. Roshan combines his imagination and flair to deliver a movie that is sure to capture everyone's imagination. The film contains much more things to be seen.. For a superhero film fan there are fantasy characters, a super villain, full scale heroism, plot twists and superb action.

For a Bollywood fan, there is enough emotion, drama, love story and songs. For the bachcha party there are plenty of exciting and exhilarating moments. The film is fast-paced, the effects are smashing, and what works is that Krrish is engaging and endearing even when he is is out of costume.

Krrish may be a superhero but it is his human side that is so appealing. Hrithik Roshan is so watchable in every frame. He owns both the roles with such ease. Kangana Ranaut is delightful as an alien making the weird hair and clothes work for her. She even manages to make you feel her pain. Every action adventure needs a memorable villain. Vivek Oberoi as Kaal ensures you won't ever forget his act. Priyanka is saddled with a role that doesn't do her justice. She deserved a meatier role.

What is not good ??

It is a gallery of product placements, which ruins the movie experience repeatedly.The music could not have been worse. The film — aimed more at kids, than adults gets a little complicated at times, making you wonder if the young ones will be able to grasp it. It is highly derivative. It borrows heavily from almost every superhero film you have seen. If I had to list them, it would take up the entire review's space.

What to do ??

This is the kind of film one can definitly enjoy for what it is. Go to watch this movie...and try to find out that superhero that is inside you...So for what you are waiting.