Rockstar

Rating : 8/10
Release Date : 11th November, 2011
Time : 155 minutes
Director : Imtiaz Ali; Writers : Imtiaz Ali, M Beg; Music : A R Rahman
Starring : Ranbir Kapoor, Nargis Fakhri, Aditi Rao, Piyush Mishra, Kumud Mishra, Shernaz Patel, Shammi Kapoor


Despite its length, numerous logical and other flaws, what kept me hooked was the scintillating music, Ranbir’s performance and the crazy, goofy, improbable love between the ‘hi fi', 'neat & clean’ Nargis Fakhri and the Jat boy from Pitampura who wants to be a musician



The love begins as an unlikely friendship. She is the poster girl of the college, coveted by all in a very physical sense. He is more often than not the butt of jokes, spends most of his time in the canteen. However, the soon-to-be-married Nargis strikes a deal with this cartoonish lad to fulfil a few of her baser desires (no, its not what you think). Ranbir goes along for the ride. And we find through the movie that the ride never quite stops….



Ranbir’s growth as a musician juxtaposes with the different emotions he goes through. Expulsion and numerous thrashings by his family. Life as an unwanted wasterel in a dargah. Separation from Nargis. A trip to Prague, where she is now settled after marriage. Meeting her again. Then again. And his rising star in the music world, along with the growing sense of being incomplete without her.



Its hard to imagine any other actor of the younger lot being able to carry this role out. Ranbir manages to look good in just about anything (though full credit to Aki Narula for his threads). His locks & looks change length and character as frequently as he is forced to. From the bumbling, innocent kid to the friend for life to the castaway wastrel to the assured musician to the angry young man who has it all. From looking goofy to innocent to angry to cool, sometimes in a matter of minutes. I also liked the realism of the Delhi University setting, the terms used (palangtod, jannat hai yahan etc), the different characters, the foggy mornings and the idea of college being a place more for extra curriculars than for studies (I think we saw the inside of a classroom for all of 2 seconds).


And rising above all this, almost linking it together is AR Rahman’s near mystical music, haunting, enthralling, with a life of its own. From the divine ‘Kun Faaya Kun’ to the angst driven ‘Naadan Parindey’ to the self doubting ‘Jo Bhi Main’ to the funny ‘Katiya Kahun’ to the rousing, angry, anthem like ‘Sadda Haq’. Excellent lyrics by Irshad Kamil. And kudos to Imtiaz / ARR for keeping Mohit Chauhan’s voice constant for Ranbir. It helps build the character, make it more real.



It did get repetitive towards the end. You wished the two would make up their mind. The illness angle was possibly not desired, though I loved the stupidly romantic notion of a relationship where you feel so incomplete without the other that you fall physically sick and all the wealth / fame in the world doesnt seem enough. You wished it was edited better, a few jerks & jumps and also the length, with the film seeming longer than its actual running time. All the fun moments are concentrated in the first half, with the second mostly running on raw music & emotion.

It worked for me. I didnt want to miss a single frame, or its stunning locales, or the expressions or the musical notes (listen to the shehnai piece, in the background in the movie, from the CD, its just amazing). It works partly because its Ranbir. But sure its not for everyone.

Ra-One

Rating : 5/10
Release Date : 26th October, 2011
Time : 156 minutes
Director & Writer : Anubhav Sinha; Music : Vishal, Shekhar
Starring : Shahrukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Armaan, Arjun Rampal, Dalip Tahil, Shahana, Satish Shah

Ra-One is a very ordinarily scripted film which has some stand out moments (only a few of which don’t feature the lovely–in-red Kareena). Instead of focusing on its core, interesting premise, a villain who steps into the real world combated by a father –son duo, it chooses to delve into silly subplots, irrelevant characters & songs which detract from the film. And its much hyped special effects were also a let down. Nothing we’ve not seen before, either in Hollywood or locally (Robot, for example).


Geeky, Tam-Brahm SRK is a game programmer who, inspired by his bratty son (Armaan), creates a game with a super-cool villain Ra-One, more powerful than the hero, G-One. Unfortunately, due to the artificial intelligence of the villain, he picks up a few tricks that weren’t in the script and decides to seek vengeance when Armaan leaves a game incomplete. Most of the rest of the film deals with Ra-One’s search for Armaan and G-One’s attempts to thwart him.


I found it sad that instead of ‘changing the rules of the game’ in Bollywood by making a slick, crisply edited superhero film that doesn’t deviate from its main storyline, SRK chose to add every masala element conceivable and take the easier, more appeasing route. So the scientist is a tam-brahm, complete with all the ‘ayyo’s and an accent that is thick at times but changes to SRKs more familiar baritone when reciting shayari. There are unnecessary cameo’s by Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Priyanka Chopra and Rajni. Irrelevant characters (Dalip Tahil, Shahana, Satish Shah, the Chinese mom). Rehashed jokes (‘I don’t know how to make idli’) and buffoonery moments (none more cringeworthy than the MJ one). And preachy dialogue (esp between the father son) when something more snappy would’ve been more representative of todays generation.

What works are some of the moments when G-One attempts to adjust to the human world (the airport scanner) and with SRKs household (Kareena as SRKs wife gets it just right for her role). Some of the fight sequences. The haunting ‘Bhare Naina’ song, which, thankfully, plays in the background during a key sequence in the film.

In its current form, this works primarily for pre-teens and for SRK’s adoring fans. Logic is given a miss, it takes until halftime for the film to really warm up and even then it drifts a little.


Its tough to ignore all the hype and focus just on the film with this one, especially with promos, songs, PR and the smiling visage of the main protagonist hounding you on every screen (big, small and the internet).


Most superhero films seem to take their time to find their feet. I find the original Batman films (Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer) almost unwatchable now with their cardboard heroes and over the top villains. The new ones, with Christian Bale as the angst ridden hero and more real life villains, are superb ! I hope that this is the case with Ra-One. That the next one, which is set up well right at the end of this one, doesn’t try to be cheesy, glitzy but really about the black & white battle of good vs evil and all the greys that lie in between.

PS : This project wasnt conceived in 3D and it shows when you watch the 3D version

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

Rating : 7/10
Release Date : 15th July, 2011
Time : 135 minutes
Director & Co-writer : Zoya Akhtar; Co-Writer : Reema Kagti; Music : Shankar, Ehsaan, Loy
Starring : Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, Abhay Deol, Katrina Kaif, Kalki Koechlin, Ariadna Cabrol

Clearly no one in India does mid life crisis, coming of age films better than the Akhtars. This film, about three old friends (Abhay, Hrithik & Farhan) meeting in Spain, to celebrate Abhay’s impending marriage to Kalki, connects on several levels.


I liked that each of the three came in with a certain pre-defined character, each very different, in different stages of wealth, yet connecting comfortably as old friends do.


I liked that there was tension between Hrithik & Farhan, over an old incident. Some wounds do take time to heal.


I liked the way Katrina instantly feels some attraction for the tightly wound-up, ‘I want to make money so that I can retire at 40’ Hrithik. It came across very naturally, even though someone else hits upon her first.


I liked the fact that they chose Spain, still off the major Indian tourist road maps and they made sure the country was captured in all of its beautiful glory, with some outstanding camera work.


I liked a few little touches : their funny way of speaking English (‘Buoy’ instead of ‘Boy’ etc), copied from an old school teacher (haven’t we all had those), the silly pranks they play including one that goes wrong, the replacement phone that Hrithik gets & the circumstances in which he gets it (there have been times we would all have loved to do it).


What I didn’t like is that everything got settled very nicely in the end, a bit too pat. I didn’t like that the music, while quite nice in the background, isn’t really hummable, no song sticks in memory, makes you leave the hall singing the tune. I didn’t like the issue that Abhay faces or the way it gets resolved – seemed like nothing a conversation couldn’t have sorted out. And Farhan’s issue was just too filmy, and again seemed to sort itself too easily. I didn’t like that the end got slightly preachy, sentimental, with the title line being repeated possibly once too often.


Abhay stood out for his acting, came across really nice and natural. Katrina looked great and came across well. The others were good.


This is one of the films that’s very easy watching – beautiful scenery, great eye candy (with more focus on the men for a change), nice plot and some intelligent dialogue coupled with funny moments. While this will easily make the list of good movies to come out of our industry, there is something about it that stops it being great, a classic. I have a feeling that its the characters, who while endearing, nice blokes, are not someone you totally identify or fall in love with. And I'm trying hard not to compare to Dil Chahta Hai...

Game

Rating : 4/10
Release Date : 1st April, 2011
Time : ~140 minutes
Director : Abhinay Deo ; Writer : Althea Delmas Kaushal ; Music : Shankar, Ehsaan, Loy
Starring : Abhishek Bachchan, Kangna Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Sarah Jane Dias, Jimmy Shergill, Boman Irani, Gauhar Khan, Shahana Goswami

All the cool threads, exotic locations, expensive yachts, slick photography and interesting camera angles cannot mask the lack of soul in this film. A convoluted plot, with twists & turns thrown in almost as if to fulfil a quota, actors who sleepwalk, terrible music and a feeling of déjà vu, of having seen bits and pieces of this film in several other films, ensure that you are applauding for the wrong reasons by the time this film ends.



Four people are brought from different locations under different pretexts to his Greek island by billionaire, Anupam Kher. He has evidence of wrong doing on three of them. There is a murder. The chief investigating officer, Kangna Ranaut is determined to catch the killer, even against the wishes of her boss. Her chief suspect gives her the slip. Some predictable, some unbelievable twists and a couple of hours later, will she get her man ?



The actors possibly took themselves too seriously. The smile, the flair, which are key ingredients to make a thinly plotted film enjoyable, are conspicuous by their absence. The locales are stunning, the styling & clothes amazing. I found issues with the make-up and lighting in some scenes but am possibly being over critical. However, there is very little to like in what we see. Everything is just too pat, falls in place too neatly as it can only in films.



Disappointed that this is the first real turkey I’ve seen from this production house and wondering if this is a case of style overshadowing all substance so dramatically that the entire thing falls flat ?

Golmaal 3

Rating : 5/10
Release Date : 5th November, 2010
Time : 155 minutes
Directors : Rohit Shetty; Writers : Robin Bhatt, Yunus Sajawal; Music : Pritam
Starring : Ajay Devgn, Arshad Warsi, Kareena Kapoor, Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade, Kunal Khemu, Mithun Chakraborty, Ratna Pathak, Johnny Lever, Sanjay Misra, Mukesh Tiwari, Vrajesh Hirjee

The sole purpose of viewing the film is to have a good laugh. And it succeeds in delivering that, though for the most part with the crudest of humour, liberal doses of slapstick and amazing facial contortions by all actors. Again, this is just a loose array of gags, strung together very tenuously with something vaguely resembling a story.


Gang One, Ajay Devgn, Shreyas Talpade (he with the stutter) and Kareena Kapoor try many unsuccessful businesses. And of late they always seem to come up against equally unsuccessful Gang Two, Arshad Warsi, Tusshar (he with no vocals) and Kunal Khemu. They live with single Dad (Mithun), while Gang One ke paas Maa hai (Ratna Pathak) (sorry, couldn’t resist).


Turns out Mithun and Ratna had a thing going in their youth and on the instigation of Kareena, they get married with Mithun & co moving into Ratna’s house. The obligatory settling in difficulties happen between warring brothers, some more expensive vehicles are blown up (film budget is more since it’s the 3rd instalment), some more impossible stunts happen (they have to really push the limits because it’s the 3rd instalment) and eventually, it ends almost seamlessly into the making of Golmaal3 (quite liked it – noticed that quite a few of the audience stayed on for the entire end-credits this way).



Ajay Devgn looked extremely fit, Arshad looked quite unfit (needs to lose a few kgs) and Kareena looked like a million bucks of any currency you choose. Everyone did their roles with apt gusto, even the veteran Mithun doing his share of contortion-acting with enthusiasm. There was some thought put into some of the side characters too. A don (Johnny Lever) who has short term memory loss. His sidekick, who mis-spells everything under the son. Kunal Khemu who comes up with non-sequitur couplets for all occasions.


A few places you laugh because its genuinely funny, a few where you laugh almost inspite yourself and through the rest you kind of grin or frown and bear it. Never is it worse than the third degree. It is, after all, Golmaal 3 !

Anjaana Anjaani

Rating : 4/10
Release Date : 1st October, 2010
Time : 150 minutes
Director, Co-writer : Siddharth Anand; Co-writer: Advaita Kala; Music : Vishal-Shekhar
Starring : Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra
Two strangers, a man & a woman, meet while attempting suicide. The woman believes in ‘signs’ from up above. These tell her that she needs to live for a few more days. She manages to convince the guy of the same as well and they decide to spend the next 20 odd days having fun, fulfilling their ‘bucket list’. Will they fall in love ? Or will they commit suicide ? And if you cant predict the correct end, you need serious psychiatric help !


Ranbir is charismatic. Priyanka is fun in her opening scene but then seems to taper off. Some of the gags are funny (Ranbir’s gay turn makes him a promising candidate for the next Dostana instalment), some moments iconic (Priyanka changing into shorts in the back seat of a moving car) and there are some interesting merchandising ideas (named helmets, for example).


The music and background score is v good, the scenery nice & fresh, the central premise interesting but then the rest is a silly story that is unable to hold attention, is unevenly paced, has two unreal characters doing things that are just plain unbelievable and is at least an half an hour too long !


This is one of the scripts that relies totally on star power to transform it into something barely watchable. And the producers seem to know this as on their official website, no one else apart from the lead pair are mentioned in the cast. It has its moments but too far and few in between.