Sunday, September 15, 2013

Raanjhana Ki Aashiqui2

2013 sees a revival in the almost-forgotten Bollywood genre of love and romance. There was a time when you could call every movie a love story (remember Gadar bhi ek prem katha thi), but between Salman Khan block buster action movies, Rohit Shetty’s mind-numbing laugh riots, Farhan Akhtar’s identity sagas and Aamir Khan’s clever escapades, we’ve gone through the last few years without really a love story movie (unless you call Rockstar a love-story, which it isn’t really, see my review http://www.books-booze-boxoffice.blogspot.in/2011/12/rockstar-2011.html or Jab Tak Hai Jaan, which I haven’t cared to watch yet because it has SRK)
But, 2013 finds itself declaring ‘love is in the air’, with a slew of movies revolving around romance - from Yeh Jawaani Hai Diwani, to Shuddh Desi Romance (which just released & I will be reviewing it next). But, this review is about 2 specific movies that came out this year (as you would have guessed from the title) - Raanjhana and Aashiqui2. I was struck by the uniqueness and uncanny similarities between the two movies and it felt  only appropriate to write about them together as well.                                                                      

I suppose the story of Raanjhana shouldn’t come as a surprise. After all, Dhanush had already made the story popular through his viral music number that made him famous in the first place. Essentially, Raanjhana is “Why This Kolaveri Di” in 2.5 hours. “white skin girl-u girl-u... eyes eyes meet-u meet-u... my future dark-u.... eyes full of tear-u... empty life, girl come, life reverse gear-u... god, i am dying now-u, she is happy how-u... this song for soup boys-u, we don’t have choice-u”... these words are an apt summary of the movie.
The story is set against the back-drop of small-but-iconic city of Benares, where Kundan (Dhanush) falls in love with Zoya (Sonam) in school (they are dressed in school uniforms to make sure you don’t miss that) - puppy teen romance. With the family disapproving of Zoya’s school love affair, she is sent to study in Lucknow, & after that to JNU, Delhi, where she finds her true ‘adult’ love Akram ne Jasjeet (Abhay Deol). Unfortunately for Kundan, while Zoya has moved on with her life, Kundan has not & after trying really hard to win Zoya back, finally gives into his broken heart & concedes victory to Akram, who he thinks has the ‘religion’ advantage to wed Zoya. But, the story takes a turn, when on the day of the wedding, he finds out himself & reveals to Zoya’s family that Akram is actually a Hindu (Jasjeet), after which Jasjeet gets beaten to death by Zoya’s relatives & biradri-waaley. What ensues is Zoya’s hatred for Kundan, who finds his way back into her life, as part of the college political theatre in Delhi, that was Jasjeet’s legacy, and actually starts making amends by progressing Jasjeet’s political agenda, and in a much better way than Zoya herself. But Zoya is a tough nut to crack and it is only till the very end that Zoya doesn’t melt, and Kundan has to finally give his life amidst a political riot to finally make her realise how much he loved her.

Complicated, and long winded, did I hear you say? Yup. The movie was a lot of hard work, I must say, both for Kundan and the audience. But, if complicated & hard-work is not your cup of tea, then sample the other end of the spectrum, Aashiqui 2, which is amazingly simple & linear. 

Aashiqui 2 is the story of super-famous rock-star singer Rahul (Aditya Roy Kapoor), who after peaking in his career, has become a bad-tempered alcoholic (no one really knows why!). He bumps into Arohi (Shraddha Kapoor) drunk after a concert, also sees her singing & falls in love head-over-heels with her. He decides to take upon himself the task of making the world see her talent & adopts her as his protege, training her as well as moving mountains with his contacts to make sure she gets a break. He gets deeper & deeper in love with her, as she rises to become a super-star singer herself. What follows is a series of hi-intensity ups & downs in their relationship attributed to the conflict between his deep love for Arohi & insecurity & envy of her career growth, which is only made lethal because of his alcohol addiction. Finally, ofcourse love wins & the lovers lose, as Rahul, realising his helplessness with his addiction, gives up his life to liberate Arohi, who had declared to him that she would chose her self-destruction with him rather than being (happy) without him.

Both movies are actually quite well-made and are very watchable. The stories are well told, that keep you engaged through the movie. In Raanjhana, because so much is happening and in Aashiqui2, because there is nothing happening (they fight, they cry, they hug, they can’t live without each other, they get back, they cry). Both movies have beautiful moments between the lead pair, that make you feel their passionate (in case of Aashiqui) & pure (in case of Raanjhana) love. Both movies put selflessness right at the heart of what it means to love, and romances the idea of loving someone without asking for anything in return. And therefore, both movies have a quirky nostalgia value that romances the idea of romance itself, and that’s why they work. Both movies ask you, as the viewer, to invest a little bit of your own emotions into the story and the characters. That’s also why they leave you feeling cheated at the end when it doesn’t end in a happy-ever-after.

But, watching both movies also makes you realise why we’d forgotten about making love stories for a while. Because both movies remind us that you can’t be happy if you’re following your heart and chasing your true love. And despite the sane advice the world is giving you (embodied in the hero’s friend & his don’t-chase-that-girl-or-she-will-be-your-end advice in both movies), if you do choose to stick to your pig-headed obsession with the girl, you have only yourself to blame for the pain and the eventual death you have brought upon yourself. And if after all that hard work (for three long hours), if it’s only going to end up in the bliss of the other-life (which both movies again seem to romance), then is there any point to it all?

Both movies also give us some really good performances. Dhanush, as Kundan, gives an endearing & impactful performance. Despite his heavy Southie accent, you easily believe that he is a local Benarsi (may be his Tamil parents moved to Benares when he was young). He is soft, angry, cheeky, innocent, helpless, pathetic, loud, passive-aggressive, desi, funny, street-smart through the movie, and he moves effortlessly through these many emotions. A good Bollywood start for Dhanush. Whether he will be able to play any other kind of role, though remains to be seen. 
Also convincing performances by Swara Bhaskar as Bindiya (who is in love with Kundan since childhood & again selflessly loves him one-sided through the movie, and possibly the only one who grieves the most in the end), Mohd Zeeshan Ayoob, as Murari, Kundan’s childhood best friend, with well-meaning advice that is never heeded to. Even Shilpi Marwah as Rashmi (Jasjeet’s grieving sister) gives a subtle-yet-intense performance. Abhay Deol is fine too. The only one that doesn’t really fire, unfortunately, is the reason why the entire movie happens - Sonam Kapoor, as Zoya. After seeing her in Milkha and now in Raanjhana, I think it’s safe to say that she really can’t act, and may be should find her calling in the fashion industry. She looks cute, but emotes unconvincingly when she’s not-in-love with Kundan & when she is angry with him, and when she is giving him lectures & platitudes, and even when finally he dies. Pity!

Aashiqui 2 also gives intense and powerful performances. Aditya Roy Kapur as Rahul has done a decent job, though there is an element of a hamming dialogue delivery that gets a bit annoying at times, when he comes home drunk yet again. Shraddha Kapoor, as Arohi, is a pleasant surprise. Her under-stated dialogues and emotions cut through quite well, and gives a promising start in Bollywood. Never-mind the fact, that we are no longer used to seeing women lead characters playing door-mat lover to the hero (which does get a bit annoying at times, when you feel like standing up and say ‘stand up woman, don’t take this shit from him’). Shaad Randhawa as Rahul's friend Vivek looks like a bumbling idiot, but does a decent job of playing the role of a friend trying desperately to save Rahul from himself. There was also a potentially powerful performance that we kept waiting for to happen, but doesn’t - which is Rahul’s dad. There are many phone calls through the movie that Rahul makes to his dad about how he is lost, miserable, unhappy (and once happy) & we hear his dad saying, ‘I’m coming’ and he never does. May be we have to wait for Aashiqui 3 for that.

But, Raanjhana & Aashiqui2 are different in two important ways. The one big difference is the music. The haunting music by newcomers Mithoon, Jeet & Ankit lifts the movie many-fold and gives the movie a lasting quality that haunts you weeks after you have seen the movie. The music gives you the feeling of Rahul’s ‘after-life’, which reminds you of the story of the movie, as you hear it again & again in Arijit Singh’s melancholy voice. The music captures the essence of the film, with every nuance of the pathos captured - the euphoric highs of love and depressive lows of love. The movie wouldn’t be half as impactful, if it wasn’t for the music. Raanjhana’s music, despite being A R Rahman, disappoints & doesn’t last at all. As a result, you forget the movie much faster. 
The other big difference between the 2 movies, is in their portrayal of the centre-piece: the woman. While the hero is a helpless lover in both movies, the women couldn’t be more different. Zoya is an independent, strong-minded woman who believes in love as not only a blind meeting of hearts, but a convergence of common interests, passions & beliefs. For her love is as much about the mind as it is about the heart and she seeks an equal relationship with a man. And that’s why she could never have been with Kundan. By contrast, Arohi is a woman of the 80s (like Jaya Bhaduri in Abhimaan, though that was 1973), who believes in blind love over-powering the mind, who has the talent & the temperament to be successful, but puts her man before everything else. As the movie ends, we know that Zoya will recover from her losses (& even from her guilt for sending Kundan to his death) & move on, but we are not sure if Arohi will ever recover & move on to a better life. And therein lies the biggest difference between the two. 

All in all, you may like the stories in these movies or not. You may like the characters or they may irritate the shit out of you. You may like the music or get put off by them. You may wonder why the names of the movies were what they were (Don’t Heer & Raanjha BOTH die in the legend? And what was common with Aashiqui 1 except for the producers & the kissing-under-the-coat poster) But, for all the hopeless romantics out there (I am one of them), both these movies speak to that part of you that still is in love with the idea of love, and for that reason alone, these movies must be seen, because if we stop believing in love, what can we believe in?

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, July 2013


Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (or ROM as he seems to be calling himself these days) does it again, after faltering in his last disaster, Delhi-6, a couple of years back. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is an outstanding movie that, like Rang De Basanti, reminds you of your Indian-ness in a true, right-at-the-heart sort of way. Only an Indian could have enjoyed RDB. In a similar way, BMB is again exclusively Indian. And that makes the film special and ours. We once again see a refreshing intensity juxtaposed against simple story-telling, the same ingredient that made Rang De Basanti, the phenomenon it became.

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is the simple story of a simple guy from a simple farming family in Multan, that gets uprooted during the partition and after growing up amidst the squalor, humility and misery of a refugee camp in Punjab, finds a life-changing love (Sonam Kapoor), that leads him into the righteous path of a proper career in the army, where he finds his true calling as an athlete, a sprinter, a 400m champion. He wins, he loses, he wins again. But above all, he fights. Fights real hard.

It's the story of a legend who, for all of my generation, was a household name. We've all grown up knowing, admiring and aspiring to be the first fastest runner that India knew. There is only one Milkha Singh, and this movie tells the most definitive and involving story of his life.

One of the reasons why this movie works is because at the heart of it, it is the human ‘ideal’ that we all aspire to. The story of an ordinary guy transforming into an extraordinary hero, through sheer grit, hard-work and a pig-headed obsession with his ambition. It's the great Indian story that we all (want to) believe in. And indeed have believed in, while growing up. And that's why Milkha's story resonates so powerfully with us. It's the ultimate human story  of man's victory over his circumstances, his fears, his baggages, and his distractions, to become the most superhuman form of his own self. 

This is also a story of emotions & the resilience that comes inspite of (or because of) the emotional journey you’ve been through in your life. The emotion of being haunted (all your life) by the image of the horse-riders that slayed your entire family (which incidentally looked too similar to Frodo being chased by the Nazguls!). The emotion of being displaced from home and living like a refugee, while also dealing with the emotions of your sister, who is trapped & tortured in an unhappy marriage. The emotion of not being able to marry the one you love, the one you have waited for years to get together with. The emotion of being the star champion of the India team in the first-ever international event (Olympics 1956) but then failing miserably even before the event begins, just because of a momentary distraction (who can blame him for one beery pub evening in Melbourne!). 

The other reason why BMB works is because of its timing. It couldn’t have been a moment sooner. At a time, when every day the front page news reminds us of everything that is wrong with the country, here is a movie that reminds us of the things that are right, and what it takes to make it right, if it’s not. The good old fashioned Nike philosophy ‘just bloody do it’.

And ofcourse finally and perhaps as important as ROM in this movie is the man himself, Farhan Akhtar (I saved the best for last). Farhan is brilliant. He IS Milkha Singh in the movie, without an iota of doubt. He is not the urbane cool Aditya of Rock On. He is not the ambitious new actor Vikram of Luck By Chance. He is not the neurotic Karthik of Karthik Calling. He is not the fun-loving playboy of ZNMD. He is Milkha out and out. Even his six-pack (or 8-pack or whatever-pack) is Milkha and forms a part of the character he becomes,  of his determination, his perseverance & his sheer courage. Farhan puts out an exemplary performance, emoting as much with his face, as much as with his dialogues. You can see the pain on his face every time he remembers the partition massacre, you can see his love for his sister every time he is just near her (Divya Dutta, who also delivers an excellent performance), you can see the dogged rage on his face, every time he is challenged by the erstwhile Indian champion or by the Pakistani champion. In Farhan, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra has found his alternative for Aamir. After being disappointed by Abhishek in Delhi-6 (just like we all were), ROM has found his alternate man.

The sound-track, by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, while not the one to hum along in your car, works beautifully in the movie in lifting the movie. Where words feel incomplete in expressing the emotion of the moment (or when Sonam Kapoor inadequately tries to emote), the sound-track completes it and does the job.

There are a few things though that don’t work for the movie. One, is the length. It is a really long movie, and while it’s credit to the screenplay that it keeps you mostly hooked, it still is a story that could have been told in lesser time. The stretching angst of Milkha’s sister, could have been given less screen time (we still didn’t cry ROM, despite your best try!). Sonam Kapoor is also quite forgettable in the movie, which is a pity, since she has such a pivotal role to play in what makes Milkha. May be after Abhishek, ROM will replace Sonam in his next too! Some of the casting is distracting and reduces the impact of certain powerful scenes. Milkha’s dad (played by Pak-Brit actor Art Malik) who is massacred in the farm and is a central part of the plot, gives a weird middle-eastern over-acting performance that lessens the impact of that turning point moment. Also Dalip Tahil as Nehru is a terrible choice and instead of looking-feeling like Nehru, he looked like Dalip Tahil in white clothes. 

But, these distractions apart, it’s a must-watch movie for all Indians. ROM, you have delivered again and we are so glad you are back. We loved the crash-course in history. We loved the moments like finding out it was the Pakistani President that gave Milkha the name of Flying Sikh. We loved the setting and the periodicity to the movie, of a time we all have forgotten and taken for granted. 

No matter, how you enter the theatre for the movie, when you walk out, you walk out a Milkha fan... 

Friday, May 17, 2013

Go Goa Gone

Firstly, let’s get technically correct, shall we? Wikipedia has this to say:

Zombie: fictional undead creatures regularly encountered in horror and fantasy themed works. They are typically depicted as mindless, reanimated corpses with a hunger for human flesh.

Comedy: is a genre of film that is designed to elicit laughter from the audience; often through humorously exaggerated situations, ways of speaking, or action & characters.

Based on the above definition, Go Goa Gone is indeed a Zom-Com spectacle that is not to be missed. It’s a one-of-a-kind mad hatter movie, that can only be made by someone as mad as Saif, one of the few actors, possibly that still doesn’t take himself too seriously.

And that’s the beauty of this film. It doesn’t take itself or the audience too seriously. It makes no pretensions about what the movie is. They’ve promised a Zom-Com and a Zom-Com it is. Nothing more, nothing less. Period. 

So, anyone who gets grossed out by blood, please stay away. Anyone who is looking for meaning in the storyline & the plot, please stay away. Anyone, who lives in denial about youngsters smoking pot, getting laid & drinking themselves silly, please please definitely stay away (you could get really scared with that shit)

But, if you have a funny bone in your body, if you can leave your mind behind for one evening, if you can just let go and jump into the deep without expecting to come out safe at the other end, just for the ride, then this movie is for you. 

The movie is the story of 3 single guys (Hardik Luv Bunny - spoken together sound like a twisted Mills & Boons story) living in Mumbai, living the daily drudgery-getting-through-the-routine life that you live in Mumbai (you can tell I’m a Delhiite). Hardik (Kunal Khemu), pot-head loses his job & Luv (Vir Das), the trying-to-reform-pot-head loses his girlfriend & they latch on to their corporate friend-roommate Bunny (Anand Tiwari) for a free trip to Goa for Bunny’s life-altering presentation to senior management. The promise of a life-altering trip comes true in a different form when they attend an all-night rave party in a remote island, where they wake up to realise all except them (and a girl Puja Gupta) have turned into zombies on this island, due to a strange drug served at the party. What ensues is a hilarious escapade trying to dodge and kill zombies with the help of Boris, the zombie-slayer (Saif), till they finally escape the island.

Granted, that it’s no Delhi Belly. But comparing Delhi Belly and Go Goa Gone is as fair as comparing Aamir Khan and Saif Ali Khan. Two totally completely different worlds. The only thing Saif & Aamir have in common is their surname (so to that extent, yes, both movies are new-age youth-based random-events, bizarre plot & dialogue-based comedies) and the fact that both Aamir & Saif turned a new leaf in the iconic Dil Chahta Hai (and therefore, yes, both movies heavily inspired from Hollywood & a western-sensibility of humour & story telling). But otherwise, 2 very different movies. Delhi Belly was about the fast-paced forever evolving plot, the humour in the clever language, and the several tangential & random scenes that eventually become the highlight of the movie (see my review http://www.books-booze-boxoffice.blogspot.in/2011/08/delhi-belly-2011.html). In that sense, Delhi Belly was quite like Aamir - perfect and complete. 
Go Goa Gone is anything but - it’s neither perfect, nor complete. Or rather it is perfectly non-sensical and completely insane. It’s a series of funny dialogues happening while the protagonists are trying to stay alive amidst the onslaught of these bizarre creatures, while simultaneously enjoying the satisfaction of ‘killing dead people’ (as Boris calls out). And that’s why it’s great fun.

All the actors deliver fine performances and the discovery of the movie is Kunal Khemu who shows some really good comic timing, that matches Vir Das’s poker-face jokes. We can see Saif having a lot of fun in making and acting in this movie as Boris, who kills dead people, and sheds blood every few seconds, Tarantino style.

While the overall characterisation of the 3 lead protagonists was a little weak, with really no background to who they were, and what they are like, and the story-line doesn’t evolve beyond killing & escaping zombies, there are some priceless moments in the movie, that make it watching the whole movie worthwhile - like the scene when Boris gives them a visual signal of 2 incoming zombies & the guys interpret it as dumb cherades, or when Vir Das comes up with the idea of acting like zombies to escape them & succeeds till he notices his ex in the zombies and gives himself away, or even when they discover the solution to immobilise the zombies is nothing but good old cocaine (because 2 drugs never mix well - the zombie drug and cocaine!).

Again, while some of the scenes & dialogues were a little lame (like when they are trying to understand what these creatures are and they take a while to call out zombies and the lame reference to globalisation bringing them into India, or when Vir Das girlfriend dumps him reminiscent of Delhi Belly), there are priceless ones like when Hardik laughs at Luv’s virginity saying “Yeh kya petrol hai jo tu use bacha raha hai” or when Bunny questions Boris’s Russian credentials and he shouts out “Haan Dilli se Hoon Bhen***”

Fundamentally though, the reason why this movie is enjoyable and therefore should be watched is because, at the heart of it, it’s a movie about the ironic absurdity of life, especially our modern urban lives, when life’s biggest party transforms into life’s last party, where our day-to-day routine zombie-like existence comes face to face with it’s inevitable end at the hands of zombies, and where the very drugs that the young use to escape their reality become their most horrific reality. For this, Albert Camus would be proud of Saif for making this movie. 

All that apart though, Go Goa Gone is a brave attempt at building a unique sense of humour (zombie and that too a spoof) in our other-wise too-serious lives, in a country not known for its sense of humour. Walking out of the movie theatre, laughing away, you wonder to yourself... 3 guys, goa, party, drugs, zombies... was this for real? More where that came from Saif. Will be waiting...

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Iron Man 3

“I'm Tony Stark. I build neat stuff. I got a great girl. And occasionally save the world”

“You can take screwdriver or any toys, but it's something no one will ever take from me.I am Iron Man”

Two lines from the movie, spoken by the inimitable Robert Downey Jr, kind of sum up what has turned out to be one of the fun-nest super-hero movies in recent times. If you enjoyed Avengers, Iron Man 3 will rock you once again.

So, how did Iron Man become the coolest super-hero of our times, for a generation that has grown up worshipping Batman, imitating Spiderman, and applauding Superman. Even the Hulk had a greater fan following. When did Iron Man trump these guys? This is what you’re wondering, as you walk out of the theatre, at the end of the movie.

Firstly, I think it’s the casting and the characterization of Iron Man, which is the biggest coup. For a relatively unknown super-hero to the masses, the canvas was wide open for Kevin Feige (producer) & Jon Favreau (director for Iron Man 1 & 2) to build nuances into a character that make him human and super-human at the same time. And then Robert Downey Jr playing the role in a way that only he can, just transforms Iron Man into someone who we can’t believe we didn’t know too well only 5 years ago (That’s right, Iron Man 1 came in 2008!)

Then (and perhaps more significantly) the one thing that is unique to Iron Man (and not so for the other super heroes) is the fact, that there is no secret identity. Can you believe that! A super-hero that everyone knows is Tony Stark, the big tycoon! That’s the most unnerving (for any super hero fan)and yet the most powerful aspect of Iron Man. He is as ‘dabaang’ as it gets. No hiding behind a regular-guy personality of Peter Parker, or Bruce Wayne or Clarke Kent or Bruce Banner. In fact, it is this very fact, that we know the regular-guy behind Iron Man, that makes him a super-hero. Strange and yet powerful.

In fact, the reason why Iron Man 3 is brilliant is because it blows this aspect of Iron Man into its ultimate and complete form. It’s Tony Stark’s story all the way - his insecurities and fear of losing his one true love, Pepper (“I have to protect the one thing I can’t live without, and that’s you”), his sleepless nights & periodic nervous breakdown, his story of the past that has created the villains for today, even his challenge to the evil terrorist The Mandarin (“I'm not afraid of you. No politics here. Just good old fashion revenge”) that becomes the raison de’ etre for the start of all the action in the movie - it’s all Tony Stark.

And yet, it is done in an Iron Man way, where the ‘man’ takes all of it on the front foot, without any soppiness (unlike the one you see in, say, a Spiderman movie). Yup, Iron Man may be a man (and therefore have his vulnerabilities) but he’s not going to sit and cry about it to millions of his fans (he’s made of iron from inside too). Like he says to the boy “Dads leave, no need to be a pussy about it”. 

It’s Tony Stark’s story in the movie, and it begins with a flashback, where Tony Stark remembers pissing off some scientists decades ago, laying the base for them coming back to get even with him today. Parallel sequence of events happening in current times with a terrorist (called the Mandarin, I’m sure the Chinese are not happy) is threatening to blow up American cities and the President. One such terrorist attacks mortally injures his friend and chief security officer, which leads to Tony Stark issuing a public threat to the Mandarin, actually giving his address on National Television. The Mandarin gets to his address before the fans do, and destroys his abode completely, nearly killing Tony and Pepper. Tony escapes & with long distance help from Jarvis (his A.I. assistant), he puts pieces of evidence together from similar terrorist attacks of the past, uncovering the secret behind the Mandarin and his humans-that-explode technology. Without his house, equipment or even his Iron Man suits, Tony Stark still manages to get to the source of the evil, expose the villain & saves the president, america, and the day (in the night).

The action sequences (especially when seen in 3D) are fantastic and full paisa-vasool. Tony’s house being destroyed, the exploding people going red n orange before going off, saving the White House staff thrown off from Air Force One, and ofcourse the final climax, where there is not one, but multiple Iron Men fighting on remote control. 

And the many new characters in the movie, spark off new interest and twists that add a lot of flavor to the irrepressible Downey - be it Guy Pearce as the menacing Aldrich Killian, Ben Kingsley as the terrorizing Mandarin, the abandoned-but-smart kid that gives Tony his second lease of life, Jon Favreau (Iron Man ex-director) as his chief security officer Happy Hogan, and Rebecca Hall as Maya Hansen (OK, she was quite forgettable, actually)

Throughout the movie, we see and hear Tony Stark as being not just Iron Man, but a whole lot more. It’s one super hero movie, where they keep reminding us that the hero is bigger than the super hero. In fact, there are many sequences where we see Iron Man & Tony Stark in the same frame, but separate from each other - be it when Tony is in bed with Pepper, or be in the final action sequence where many Iron Man suits fight independently of Tony. Further, we see while anyone can become Iron Man, by wearing the suit (Colonel Rhodes wears the suit, the bad guy wears the suit, the president wears the suit and even pepper wears the iron man suit!), there is only one Tony Stark, the hero, the super-hero

Shane Black (first time director of Iron Man series) totally rocks this film and creates a fast paced complete blockbuster entertainer.  And yes, we loved the references to the Avengers throughout the movie (“Nothing’s been the same since New York”). Thank You Mr Black. This is how super hero movies were meant to be.

Monday, April 22, 2013

Ek Thi Daayan

Ek Thi Daayan. This could have been the 'start' of a spine-chilling spooky story, as in "once upon a time there was a bloody witch". Or it could have been the 'end' of a thrilling and scary adventure, as in "and so it was the end of a bloody witch". Well, it was exactly that. Come to think of it, you can't blame the movie makers. The clue was in the name. Ek Thi Daayan was pretty much it - the beginning, the middle and the end, as in "once upon a time there was a bloody witch and so it was the end of the bloody witch". Kind of reminded me of our childhood rhyme, "Ek Tha Raaja, Ek Thi Raani, Dono Mar Gaye Khatam Kahani"

The story (if you want to call it that) revolves around Bobo (Emran Hashmi) the magician, who has a regular urban life, with a troubled past of a dead sister that haunts him. When his childhood psychiatrist puts him on the couch & hypnotises him to take him to the past, we see his flashback of the daayan that killed his family. Back in the present, the inevitable return of the daayan keeps haunting him, which lead to a series of non-events, new characters and brand new daayans, till finally he kills them all & saves the day.

Produced/Written by Vishal Bhardwaj would have stood for a highly engaging story telling with a potentially dark and twisted side. Produced by Ekta Kapoor would have also meant a certain plot and story telling, which while not profound, would be deeply entertaining. However, clearly when the two master story-tellers come together, they create a witch-potion that is not only ineffective at scaring you, but deeply insulting to the audience that is lost between the Christian notion of the devil and hell (aka omen's 666 symbol) and the Desi notion of Daayan and her choti, Pishaach and his gardan. 

It's bad enough that you have to suffer Emran Hashmi and his lover-boy marriage proposal of "I'm a tiger in bed", but then you have to sit through music and dance sequence of the likes of "tottey udh gaye, with everyone (including Bobo's psychiatrist who has just convinced Bobo that he is f***ed up in the head), and see the plot unfolding to the great climax scene of a devils party underground (no, really... It's literally underground - no metaphors in this movie - I think it was the minus 2 level, and yes you can press the lift button to get there), and it’s literally a party (one of the pishaach’s is actually seen with a glass of wine!), where all the daayan's and pishaaches are giving a human sacrifice of a child to please the devil. You could almost see the Ramsay Brothers having the last laugh at the audience, saying "and you thought our horror was crass" (Score 1 for Ramsays)

To give the movie it's fair due, it did have potential, not in the story line, or the dialogues, or the acting, or music or the directing, but in the way it started and built up in the first half till the interval. Bobo's childhood memory story of the Daayan who comes into his life and kills his family is quite engaging and in moments scary, thanks to Konkona's acting (by the way, what the hell was she doing in this movie), the child actor who plays Bobo delivers a convincing performance of a wanna-be magician child who believes in the fantasy world of witches and hell, a world that eventually comes true and destroys his life. The movie also has a sense of humour in the first half, like the name of the Daayan being "Diaana", where again you look for promise and potential in a style of narration that could be going somewhere.

But unfortunately, the interval ends and the movie continues to its fast decline into a sea of nothing happening except the Daayan kind-of coming back and kind-of trying to create havoc. Well mostly the Daayan doesnt have to even try hard. Bobo is obssessed and psychotic enough to keep running around every woman with long hair in knots, trying to cut it off (the hair) that keeps the commotion moving along (kyonki saas bhi kabhi bahu thi... I mean kyonki Daayan Ki shakti uski choti mein hoti hai!)

Ofcourse, the good thing for the characters in the movie is that this was happening in India, where we have a text book for everything, so "all you wanted to know about witches and the devil, but didnt know whom to ask" is there in a book called "Kaal, Dayan Aur Whatever". and thankfully, the daayans in the movie play by the book. So, you know how to spot them, know them, and beat them.

In fact, I think at the end of the movie, they did say its going to be available on book store, both iOS and Android. Because, you see, the movie was a modern movie (suck your face Ramsay brothers, Score 1 for Daayan) - no haveli's, and mahals, and green lands and forests. This is a bombay urban setting, in a bombay high rise building (read 4 floors in H.I.G colony in vile parle), with modern day young characters, who are 'living in', use mac books and iPhone, bring take-away coffee home, are planning to adopt a child even before getting married, and talk about watching porn.

Then ofcourse, there are these randomly created extra characters in the movie,like Bobo's childhood psychiatrist who spent 20 years convincing Bobo that he is a stark-raving lunatic believing in daayans et al, and then in one brief moment of seeing a page in the text-book, calls Bobo to say "Bobo you were right and I was wrong", just before meeting his inevitable doom at the hands of... You guessed it... Daayan. But, not before he says, what I think, is one of the most priceless dialogues in the movie "Bobo,Yeh kitaab padhke mujhe samajh aa gaya hai ki tumhaari jaan khatre mein hain". No shit Sherlock. He's been saying it for the last 20 years, reading the same text book (apparently still in the syllabus, not even a new edition).

Oh ya, and then there is Kalki Koechlin too, as Lisa Dutt, who seems to play the role of the fall guy for all Daayans. Much like Sanjay Dutt, I suppose. 

I think you finally give up on the movie (still too late I think) when Bobo before the  climax scene reads in the text book that there are 2 types of pishaach - good ones and bad ones! Kill me now is the thought that crosses your mind then. But then it finally dawns on you what the movie was all about. It’s not in what’s written in the text book, but in what Bobo does NOT read in the text book... Pishaach (or male daayans it seems) can be good or bad, but (women) daayans it seems are only bad. Thats when you get it, that this movie is a sequel to "Pyaar Ka Punchnaama". And then they also have the sense of humour to give the disclaimer in the beginning of the movie that the intention of this movie is not to show women in poor light!

So, all in all a neat little movie. Like I said, Ek Thi Daayan, Ek Aur Thi Daayan, Donon Mar Gaye, Khatam Kahani, pretty much sums it up.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Argo F*** Yourself


Ben Affleck once again puts on display the genius that he is capable of. A genius that we otherwise don’t get to see (or haven’t seen in a very long time). Perhaps, he doesn’t want to show what he’s capable of. Or perhaps he doesn’t find the world and the people around him inspiring enough. That’s why he had to look into a hidden event in history to find inspiration. Or may be it’s George Clooney that was able to get the best out of Ben Affleck (if he could do it to Matt Damon in Oceans’ series, he can do it to Ben).

We’ve seen Ben Affleck’s genius before. Remember Good Will Hunting, where he was the co-writer with Matt Damon. (OK, fine so Matt Damon is talented (mr ripley) without George Clooney too!) Even movies like Shakespeare in Love and Forces of Nature, showed Ben Affleck the actor with a lot presence and a unique personality that was not easily imitable.

But, we haven’t seen much of that for a very long time, with forgettable roles like Daredevil, State of Play, Paycheck. Well, the point is, we see this genius back again, this time as the director of this masterful film. And thank god for that.

The film is set in 1980 against the background of the Ayatollah Khomeini regime in Iran, with a significantly strong Anti-American sentiment. During the time that the Irani local revolutionaries had captured the US embassy and had held people hostage for over 200 days. Their demand: the repatriation of the previous Iran Shah for public punishment who, having been supported by US, had mis-governed for many years, and was now hiding in the US. The story of the film, however, revolves around a sub-plot of 6 Americans who fled the embassy before being captured by the extremists, without being noticed. And how they are rescued from Iran before the extremists find them missing.

Fairly simple plot? But, it gets complicated and therefore exciting because first, they are not in hiding just anywhere, but in the Canadian Ambassador’s house, a country that is in peace with Iran. Further, with the Irani soldiers scrutinizing and blocking all airports, it’s not a simple case of getting in and pulling them out. And finally, the clock is ticking as the extremists are only a few days away from being able to piece all the papers together to find if anyone in the captured embassy is missing. (FYI, if the 6 get caught, they will be publicly hanged!)

And so emerges the creative and elaborate plot by CIA agent Tony Mendez (Affleck) to make a fake Canadian sci-fi movie (Argo) and fake it’s shooting and production reccy in Iran, getting the 6 Americans to pose as the film crew, and therefore taking them out.

What ensues is a nail biting thriller, that keeps you following every detail of the movie being produced, every tense look of the 6 helpless Americans, every dialogue that the Irani  extremists speak to the workers piecing the papers together, every door bell that rings at the Canadian Ambassador’s house, making you wonder if they will ever get out alive. Throughout the movie (for those who hadn’t read their history well enough before), you keep hoping that they get out alive, but doubt if you’re hoping for the impossible. How can they ever get out alive! The whole fake movie idea is never going to work. Is it? It was a stupid idea. What were they thinking! And then you hear the script telling you “Argo, F*** Yourself”. And the cycle of hope begins again.

If the power of Lincoln was in Daniel Day Lewis & Steven Spielberg’s human touch to the character, the power of Silver Linings Playbook in the nuances & details of Pat & Tiffany’s characters, the power of Life of Pi in the grand vision & visualization of a momentous journey... the power of Argo is simply in the story and the screen play (no wonder it got the Oscar for it). It’s a really well-told story that takes you into the world of 1980s and makes that era real. But, unlike Lincoln where you see (and admire) that time as a piece of history (from a distance), Argo literally takes you to the 1980s Iran and makes you feel vulnerable and scared amidst a country ruled by extremists. May be also because terrorism & vulnerability are still such live realities of our times, that the threat on your life amidst a violent environment feels quite real and something that you can relate to.

The plot of the fake movie-making to rescue a big political situation feels faintly reminiscent of the other brilliant movie Wag the Dog (interestingly released in the same year as Ben Affleck’s previous genius GoodWill Hunting), but while Wag the Dog made you laugh cynically, Argo keeps you on the edge of the seat till the very end. Even when they’ve boarded the plane finally, you’re not relieved, because you know that the extremists have found out and they could still stop the plane. Even when the plane leaves the runway you’re not satisfied they are safe, because you almost can’t believe that it’s over. The script controls your emotions throughout the movie and it’s only after the script tells you “ that we have cleared Iranian airspace & you can now have alcoholic drinks” that you breathe easy & celebrate.

All I’ll say is forget the fact that the movie is set against a belligerent Iran (suspiciously well timed against the current Iran nuclear reality), forget any larger human behaviour under stress messaging, forget the subtle allusion to US international politics, and forget the oscars for the best picture. Argo is a must-watch for it’s sheer entertainment value - a good old classic page turner. And if that’s not enough, “Argo F*** Yourself”

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Special 26

Neeraj Pandey makes his second innings, after the highly acclaimed A Wednesday, almost 5 years ago. What took you 5 years Neeraj? Watching this movie made me realise that we have missed you. So, welcome back Mr Pandey. Special 26 is special because you're back. And it's great to see once again a pacey, story and plot-based film that keeps you hooked on to see what happens next, like a page turner book. 

But 5 years is a long time Neeraj. We'd almost forgotten you. And it seems like you've forgotten a little bit about your movie-making edge too. Five years is especially a long time, in a country like India and in the movie business that evolves, changes, grows and reaches new milestones every year. What was a kick-ass movie (and never-seen-before) in 2008 can easily become been-there-done-that in 2013. Thankfully, Special 26 doesn't fall in the been-there-done-that category (just about), but its definitely not in the wow never-seen-before space that A Wednesday was, either. 

What works in the movie, is the plot essentially. The story line of a group of fake CBI guys (led by Akshay Kumar and Anupam Kher) who raid politicians and businessman to usurp their black money, which is the perfect crime because it makes this motley gang rich, without it ever getting reported by the guilty victims. Until now, when the real CBI (led by ace officer Manoj Bajpai) gets involved and is committed to catching the impersonating criminals, with the help of the local Delhi police officers (Jimmy Shergill and Divya Dutta) who were also duped by the fake-CBI gang in one of their fake raids. And so enters the Grand Heist of the movie, where the cat and mouse games begin, with a grand trap laid out for Akshay and the gang to catch them finally red handed.

What in fact makes the plot stronger and come alive well, is the portrayal of the characters.  From A Wednesday, I remember that, this is also Neeraj's strength, which is possibly his biggest trump card in a sea of Bollywood movies with many actors, but very few characters. The lively and fertile Punjabi Anupam Kher from Chandigarh who is heisting and planning daughter's wedding (and not family planning!) all at the same time, the next-in-line in the group living in old Delhi Muslim large joint matriarch family, the other hen-pecked guy who may be ace at raiding but can't seem to get in a word edge way with his wife, the humble and self-respecting police officer Jimmy Shergill, even the hawaldarni Divya Dutta who is watching the world cynically, and finally ofcourse the honest yet practical CBI officer Manoj Bajpai (in one of the scenes he asks his superior about his pending promotion and wonders aloud sarcastically whether he should start taking bribes).

But the weakest character, unfortunately, is the protagonist himself. Akshay Kumar was Akshay Kumar, not Ajay the rejected CBI applicant who turns to faking CBI for a living. He is a character sure, but is the character of Akshay Kumar, the actor in Bollywood who can play different kinds of roles in different movies (from Oh My God to Rowdy Rathore), and this was one of his many movies. The power of A Wednesday was equally in the powerful portrayal of Naseeruddin Shah's character of the guy-next-door who's finally had enough. A weak characterisation of the protagonist leads to a less convincing and less involved experience of the overall movie. And Special 26 suffers from that. 

However, the one thing that I loved in the movie was some sheer acts of randomness and a funny bone that we didn't know Neeraj had (from his previous movie). The random shiva impersonator in the (real) CBI office, the topless guy making important calls from the CBI office, the disapproval of Manoj Bajpai at his wife's missing pallu, and some random dialogues like

Manoj: Call Solanki, the Mumbai IGP, and get him involved in this mission
Assistant: But Solanki has got transferred out. He is no longer in Mumbai.
Manoj: Ok. Then who is the replacement in Mumbai?
Assistant: Solanki (another one)

Randomness and the related humour is a huge talent and something that will grow over the years. It was one of the winning aspects of Delhi Belly (as I have reviewed earlier). So Neeraj, please explore this side of your writing more. Waiting to see more of that in the future.

The other disappointing thing about the movie is the dragging parts. It could have been a crisper 90-105 minute movie. It didn't need the elaborate (and very very painful) romantic scenes between Akshay and this really plainest-of-janes heroine (there is the girl-next-door type sure, but this one should be many many doors away). And it didn't need the equally elaborate (and even more painful) romantic songs. I think at one point I even heard someone snoring in the movie hall! The heroine seemed like on a parallel track story, unconnected to the main plot. It's like someone was playing a heist with her too, showing her a fake script (which said that the film was a love story between a criminal and society-ki-maari-but-independent-minded Mumbai girl). So, may be it wasn't her fault, that till the end she kept trying to emote (and failing miserably) as a woman helplessly in love with her swash-buckling neighbour who despite his evil ways will finally sweep her of her feet and elope. This whole piece was totally unnecessary and came in the way of truly enjoying the movie.

However, all said and done, it was a fun movie with all the Neeraj Pandey twists and turns. It keeps you engaged and is definitely worth a watch. Even though we may not go raving about it and telling everyone about this movie, like we did for A Wednesday, it does re-assure our faith in the potential of the director and 'different' movies like these which put the story at the centre of the film. Waiting to see a lot more from you Neeraj. And please don't make us wait for another 5 years for your next.

Friday, February 8, 2013

Do You Want Fries With That?


So, they are now delivering condoms directly to your home in Dubai. The news article says "SOS-Condoms: Delivery services are offered between 4 p.m. and 4 a.m. and costs $15 for a dozen condoms. Your request will be fulfilled within the hour and condoms will be hand-delivered by a "discreet and professional delivery team." 

I don't know if it's just me, but did anyone else think of these questions? Firstly (and may be most importantly): the delivery time of one hour! I can get a pizza in 30 minutes, if I'm hungry, but I have to wait for an hour if I've realised in the heat of the moment that I forgot to stock up. Either the Dubai dudes are such studs that they would put Don Juan to shame (an American service offers the same in 5 minutes - what losers!), or their calendars are planned days in advance. "So, 9-10pm Friday night, better call the delivery guy by 8pm latest. Secretary, could you dial 069, please!"

Also, clearly Dubai is a stickler for routine. Only 4pm to 4am, please. That's the allotted time, it looks like. When you go to get your booze licence, please take the  post card that lays out the schedule. Remember the weekend is Friday and not Sunday. Repeat after me: Saturday to Thursday, 4pm to 4am. For any morning activities, please contact your indiscreet and unprofessional doodh-waala.

The service is supposed to save you from the embarrassment of not having to get it at a store. Interesting that, because at least in a store you're an anonymous guy buying from an unknown shop keeper. This service uses location based technology to find out exactly where you're doing it and when you're doing it. All discreet & professional ofcourse.

Yup, it does feel like SOS service indeed - Delivery that ensures that it's Soon Over Sex!