...and also a revelation. A reasonable Pakistani. Must see
Thank you India Uncut!
Friday, January 9
Saturday, January 3
The Bollywood Roundup : Top films of 2008
The year 2008 has been bad, not only with the terror attacks all over India, the stock market meltdown and the slowdown but also terrorism spread from the likes of Mimoh, Tushar Kapoor and Harman Baweja. In a year when the biggies came out with Jodha-Akbar, Tashan, Race, Rab Ne Bana di jodi and Ghajini, you had chotu filmmakers coming out with Aamir, Mithya, Dasvidaniya, Dil Kabaddi etc. So amidst the gloom and the doom I present my best films list of the year.
Number 5 - Mithya
That Ranvir Shourie is talented actor is very well known, what was not known to us that a
combination of Shourie+Vinay Pathak+Rajat Kapoor's wacky direction would be a dark comedy with a bundle of surprises. Watching Mithya I was reminded of a line from the Tom Hanks' starrer Forrest Gump - Life is a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get. The movie starts of on a wild note...goes slow in the second half and the ending well.. breaks your heart. Ranvir Shourie is brilliant and so is pal Vinay Pathak.
Rajeev Masand Review of Mithya.
Number 4 - Race
Having a plot which is as straight as a jalebi, Race is one of those typical 90's films of Abbas
Mastan. The only difference being that you have more cleavage, mindblowing 'copied' music(as a certain Mr Pritam is the music director), countless twists and turns and jokes so silly that they make you laugh. Sample this line from Anil Kapoor - Ganna chusenge bolne main accha nahi lagta isliye bol raha hun ganna khayenge.
Movies are for entertainment and if you agree with that, Race is a total paisa vasool.
Number 3 - Aamir
Inspired from the filipino film Cavite and brilliantly executed by debutant director Rajkumar Gupta, Aamir is an answer not only to the radical islamists in India but also to the current UPA govt, which undertook the Sachar comittee report. On being taunted that he was one of the lucky few, Aamir replies - "I was not lucky. I studied in govt schools and colleges, worked hard, got a scholarship and made my destiny on my own".
Number 2 - Jaane Tu..ya Jaane na
Movie Talkies called it "One of the coolest, warmest, hippest and funniest musical romantic comedy in years has arrived, and a new Khan is born." I would add 'funniest' and the remove the latter line. Jaane Tu is also an example of how great writing and great dialogues can make a simple film work. The gags in Jaane Tu are the funniest I have seen in any Bollywood film since Khosla ka Ghosla.
And the Desiblab Film of the year is...
Number 1 - A Wednesday
I have reviewed the film previously. And there is nothing more to say that in a year when the aam aadmi was the mainstay of Bollywood, media and Madam Sonia, 'A Wednesday' is the perfect candidate for the film of the year.
Number 5 - Mithya
That Ranvir Shourie is talented actor is very well known, what was not known to us that a
combination of Shourie+Vinay Pathak+Rajat Kapoor's wacky direction would be a dark comedy with a bundle of surprises. Watching Mithya I was reminded of a line from the Tom Hanks' starrer Forrest Gump - Life is a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get. The movie starts of on a wild note...goes slow in the second half and the ending well.. breaks your heart. Ranvir Shourie is brilliant and so is pal Vinay Pathak.Rajeev Masand Review of Mithya.
Number 4 - Race
Having a plot which is as straight as a jalebi, Race is one of those typical 90's films of Abbas
Mastan. The only difference being that you have more cleavage, mindblowing 'copied' music(as a certain Mr Pritam is the music director), countless twists and turns and jokes so silly that they make you laugh. Sample this line from Anil Kapoor - Ganna chusenge bolne main accha nahi lagta isliye bol raha hun ganna khayenge. Movies are for entertainment and if you agree with that, Race is a total paisa vasool.
Number 3 - Aamir
Inspired from the filipino film Cavite and brilliantly executed by debutant director Rajkumar Gupta, Aamir is an answer not only to the radical islamists in India but also to the current UPA govt, which undertook the Sachar comittee report. On being taunted that he was one of the lucky few, Aamir replies - "I was not lucky. I studied in govt schools and colleges, worked hard, got a scholarship and made my destiny on my own".
Number 2 - Jaane Tu..ya Jaane na
Movie Talkies called it "One of the coolest, warmest, hippest and funniest musical romantic comedy in years has arrived, and a new Khan is born." I would add 'funniest' and the remove the latter line. Jaane Tu is also an example of how great writing and great dialogues can make a simple film work. The gags in Jaane Tu are the funniest I have seen in any Bollywood film since Khosla ka Ghosla.And the Desiblab Film of the year is...
Number 1 - A Wednesday
I have reviewed the film previously. And there is nothing more to say that in a year when the aam aadmi was the mainstay of Bollywood, media and Madam Sonia, 'A Wednesday' is the perfect candidate for the film of the year.
Also ran - Jodha Akbar, Dostana, Ghajini, Dasvidaniya, Golmaal Returns, Fashion and Rock On!
Monday, December 22
Farhan's scoreline
Back with a BANG!
It's been a long long time actually. First, I had my final semester exams, then dissertation susmission, a marriage and then a crisis on the personal front, all of which are either over or have been resolved. A lot has happened since my last long post, attacks on Bombay being the major happening. Amongst all the crap that has been floating in the media(print as well as TV), I saw some very very few articles/columns being able to see reason and talk sense. Some of them are as follows.
- GreatBong's posts on 26/11 and the press coverage
- Offstumped and the Acorn are as usual, at their best.
- M J Akbar's(for whom I have newfound respect now) piece, here and here.
- Swapan Dasgupta, as usual everywhere.
Amongst the English channels CNN IBN is the worst. Their coverage as well as their anchors as well as their bias against you know who. NDTV was better but then they have Barkha Dutt no. Whenever NDTV tries to do well, she tries equally hard to show how minorities have also suffered.
Madam Barkha, we Indians are not fools. After the Gujarat riots, there have been almost 8-12 terrorist attacks on India and nowhere have Hindu mobs targetted muslims. So puh-lease stop treating us as kids and behaving as the epitome of (pseudo)secularism.We are more mature than you think.
Amongst the good things that happened was India's win against England and Sachin's knock. And now Dravid's knock too. But the best bit of cricketing news came from down under. So you see arrogance is fallible!!! LOL! On the subject of cricket, Harsha's latest is as usual, ORGASMIC!
Tuesday, December 16
Wow!!!
2 months and 1 post.....have to get back to regular blogging. Have a lot on my mind - terror attacks, India's win, Sachin's century blah blah blah.
Sunday, November 2
Harsha Bhogle's latest
is a masterpiece. Sample this
On Laxman
"This double hundred was flawless and like a master cutter shaping a diamond, VVS Laxman eroded the Australian bowling. They respect him there far more than we do in India and this innings was an example of why that is so."
"There is something deeply satisfying about a man who doesn’t thump his own chest, doesn’t give the two fingers to the opposition, is in the news for the right reasons and doesn’t know what a brawl means."
"He was treated very shabbily during the IPL, was prevented, in a most bizarre episode, from playing for a month in England and had to witness the swords being sharpened for his execution. Don’t forget this is a man who gave up a million dollars a year so the Deccan Chargers could get better players and help develop cricket in his state. In England they are going crazy over a million dollars per player. Laxman gave up a million a year for three years! At the end of the first season in the IPL, he was sacked when he had been captain for six games and the job was given to a man who had led in the other eight!! And not a thank you for the extra three million!"
On Laxman
"This double hundred was flawless and like a master cutter shaping a diamond, VVS Laxman eroded the Australian bowling. They respect him there far more than we do in India and this innings was an example of why that is so."
"There is something deeply satisfying about a man who doesn’t thump his own chest, doesn’t give the two fingers to the opposition, is in the news for the right reasons and doesn’t know what a brawl means."
"He was treated very shabbily during the IPL, was prevented, in a most bizarre episode, from playing for a month in England and had to witness the swords being sharpened for his execution. Don’t forget this is a man who gave up a million dollars a year so the Deccan Chargers could get better players and help develop cricket in his state. In England they are going crazy over a million dollars per player. Laxman gave up a million a year for three years! At the end of the first season in the IPL, he was sacked when he had been captain for six games and the job was given to a man who had led in the other eight!! And not a thank you for the extra three million!"
Wednesday, October 29
My Review - The Insider
You have two great actors, a great director, a great real-life script, seven Oscar nominations and what do you get in the end - a movie which manages to indulge in some foreplay but fails to give you the orgasm. The Insider could have been a gripping drama about corporate fraud, greed and standing up for your beliefs(which is such a common plot in Hollywood) but this two and a half hour film fails to keep up the pace. Al Pacino gives you some fine moments and thats it. Russell Crowe it seems used this film to prepare for 'A Beautiful Mind'. Maybe because I saw it on DVD. Maybe I had too many expectations. Maybe life is not that fair. Maybe. Try this one of you are a Pacino fan.
Tuesday, October 21
Thursday, October 16
Thursday, October 9
My Review - Patton
My obsession with world war movies continues. Patton is a 1970 Hollywood film which won seven Oscar awards including Best Film, Actor and Director. It is based on George Smith Patton Jr, who was a brilliant but eccentric US military general in world war II. My father used to mention a lot about him along with Rommel(who was a German General). It has been on my to-do list for a long long time. The film documents the general's exploits in the buildup to the second world war. George C Scott, who won the Best Actor Oscar in 1970,(and refused it famously) is brilliant as Patton. The film does not focus on the war as such but more on Patton's personality and his views and opinions on a host of issues like reincarnation, war, honour etc. Watch it for George C Scott's brilliant performance!
My Review - Out of Africa
Casually surfing through Wikipedia, I stumbled upon this movie and I got to know that this real-life romantic drama got a Best Oscar for Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay among others in 1985. I saw this movie last Sunday. If you are the one who has Discovery and Nat Geo as their favourite channels and Big Cat Diary as one of your favourite shows, you are bound to love this movie. The pace is slow and boring at times but it tells of a much simpler time and very simple people(African tribals). Meryl Streep is brilliant with her Dutch accent, Robert Redford is sexy and the cinematography is mindblowing. Some of the supporting cast also does well in their tiny but significant parts. A perfect watch for a lazy Saturday or Sunday afternoon!
Wednesday, October 1
Absolute bliss
How would you feel when you saw the director of the last decade's best comedy giving an interview almost two years after the release of the film?
The answer is bliss!
The answer is bliss!
Sunday, September 28
My Review - A Wednesday
A lot of people recommended this film to me, including some of my dear friends and I have to say ‘A Wednesday’ is THE best film of the year. Ten minutes into the movie and you are hooked; anticipating what's going to happen next. Anupam Kher(after a long long time) gives an excellent performance as the Bombay Police Commissioner. Jimmey Shergill hardly has five lines, enough to make an impact. Amir Bashir is cute as usual. But the role of the film is with the nameless character(the common man) played by Naseeruddin Shah, who gives an inspiring 10 minutes speech at the end after which you cannot help but stand up and clap. Continuously!Must Watch for every Indian!
My Review - Apocalypto
I read a lot of great reviews and went for this one. Got the DVD and saw it with my better half. I am thankful I am still married! Depiction of Mayas and the Maya Civilization is nice and the cinematography is excellent. The first half has a lot of brutal violence(Be ready to see human sacrifice with hearts being ripped out) which is pointless cause it does not lead anywhere. The actual fun is in the last 50 minutes when the chase begins. Its like you want him(Jaguar Paw) to run run and run faster. This would have been a top of the line film had the chase started 30 mins into the movie. Great idea, bad execution. One time watch strictly!
Friday, September 19
Wednesday, September 17
Sunday, September 7
My Review - Rock On
Finally I saw Rock On. And I have to say that Rajeev Masand's review is spot on. The film has its moments but its not a cult film(which I am guessing most of us thought it will be right?!!). First the bad things. Some of the dialogues and scenes are very awkward - the one where the band members fight or the scene where Aditya(Farhan's character) leaves his girlfriend overnight etc. The first half is painfully slow and Aditya's attitude seems irritating. The second half has its moments(when Prachi watches her husband in a new role and the channel V performance) but the cliches are hard to miss.
About the cast, Purab is the funniest. Farhan, sadly, is a better singer than actor. Shahana Goswami(plays Arjun's girlfriend and wife) is a revelation(she is sexy, dusky and can act). Arjun Rampal has given a nice understated performance. But the real scene stealer is Prachi Desai(sooooooooo cute) who looks so damn fresh and so elegant. Also, I have to add that the songs make much more sense once you see the movie. You can't help but admire Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy for their mindblowing music. Pichle saat dinon main and Yeh tumhaari meri baatein are the best songs.
I would conclude by saying what Rajeev Masand said - Watch the film Cause at least it tries to be different. Three out of five stars is what the film deserves.
About the cast, Purab is the funniest. Farhan, sadly, is a better singer than actor. Shahana Goswami(plays Arjun's girlfriend and wife) is a revelation(she is sexy, dusky and can act). Arjun Rampal has given a nice understated performance. But the real scene stealer is Prachi Desai(sooooooooo cute) who looks so damn fresh and so elegant. Also, I have to add that the songs make much more sense once you see the movie. You can't help but admire Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy for their mindblowing music. Pichle saat dinon main and Yeh tumhaari meri baatein are the best songs.
I would conclude by saying what Rajeev Masand said - Watch the film Cause at least it tries to be different. Three out of five stars is what the film deserves.
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