LAAGA CHUNARI MEIN DAAG Songs: First! and Exclusive!!

Fwee! I have done it once again! This time I'm the first on the blogging/ internet community to bring you the exclusive track listings of the next Yash Raj Film LAAGA CHUNARI MEIN DAAG - JOURNEY OF A WOMAN. This is the first time Yashraj is co-producing a film with an outsider. This film is directed by Pradeep Sarkar of Parineeta fame. It's produced by Aditya Chopra and Sarkar himself. This film stars Rani Mukherjee in the lead role. It also has Konkona Sensharma, Anupam Kher, Kunal Kapoor, Jaya & Abhishek Bachchan and Hema Malini in a special appearance.

LCMD-JOAM has six tracks altogether. Lyrics are written by Swanand Kirkire and music composed by Shantanu Moitra. Only the title song is not from the original sound track. Music Composed by: Roshan, Lyrics: Sahir Ludhianvi. It's a very popular old Hindi song.

Click on the each link to hear the songs:

1. Hum To Aise Hain
Singers : Sunidhi Chauhan, Shreya Ghoshal, Swanand Kirkire & Pranab Biswas

2. Zara Gungunalein Chalo
Singers : Babul Supriyo & Mahalaxmi Iyer

3. Chunari Mein Daag
Singers : Shubha Mudgal & Meeta Vashisht

4. Ik Teekhi Teekhi Si Ladki
Singers : KK & Shreya Ghoshal

5. Ehi Thaiyaa Motiya
Singer : Rekha Bharadwaj

6. Kachchi Kaliyaan
Singers: Sonu Nigam, KK, Sunidhi Chauhan & Shreya Ghoshal

Remember that you first read it on Bollywood Unlimited with Hollywood. Nowhere else!

Photo Credit: Rediff.com

JHOOM BARABAR JHOOM: External Movie Review 1

Well, guys! The reviews are out! I have 3 review till now. And guess! EACH of them is negative! This is the REDIFF review 1!

Maybe I'm just too naive.

I actually expected Jhoom Barabar Jhoom to be a love story, a fun four-person entertainer. It's not. I expected the film to star Abhishek Bachchan, Lara Dutta, Bobby Deol and Preity Zinta. It doesn't. Sigh. Promos are too misleading. Sure, the Shaad Ali film features this sub A-list starcast, but the star of Jhoom Barabar Jhoom is a man named Aki Narula, and he does costumes. Shaad's feature-length music video affords Narula the chance to go wild and flex his designer skills, and so we're treated to outlandish dresses and crazy colours, startling cuts and bizarre bling. Bravo.

It's just that maybe films should have a point. Or if not that -- for perhaps that might seem too optimistically greedy a demand -- then at least a story. Jhoom Barabar Jhoom has nothing to offer but eye-candy. And, unlike Dhoom: 2, it's not sugary enough to lap up anyway, a contrived, half-witted, over-Punjabi offering. Gah.


Anyway, Abhishek is Rikki Thukral, a sashaying Punju lout who likes all things shiny. He runs into the ever-pouting Alvira Khan (Preity), a British girl with Pakistani roots. Both share a table and their love stories, Forrest Gumping into an almost-confessional conversation as they sit at Waterloo Station, waiting for a train. So as Rikki's uneaten sandwich cools off, he describes his dreamy Anaida Raza (Lara), a manager at The Ritz in Paris, and Alvira gushes about her millionaire lover, Steve Singh (Bobby). They're both utterly happy couples, but -- as we discover through an unthinkably out of context series of dargah and mosque scenes, with some Taj Mahal talk thrown in for good measure -- this two-hour conversation has left them convinced they are in love with each other.

Convenient, no?

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for trademark Bollywood escapism.

What I'm not so gung-ho about, though, is a scriptless film playing out with extreme obviousness. Ooh, there is a twist, but by the time it comes around you're bored and don't really give a damn anymore. Jhoom is a film aimed unashamedly at the Punjabi-Abroad audience, and the only way I see them enjoying it is if they spot a familiar Southall laundry. In case you were wondering, it's not funny. Unless, that is, your idea of funny just happens to be Abhishek Bachchan saying 'Blimey' in an overdone Punjabi accent every few scenes -- and then pausing to give you laugh-time -- and a pretty actress with a Punjabi foul mouth. (Have you, by any chance, wondered at my constant use of the P-word? I'm sorry, can't help it. This movie tries to be as hardcore as sarson da saag. Only, it's stale.

Abhishek tries hard, and you have to admire him for it. Not many actors would come in and try their hand at a character only playable by Akshay Kumar, and Bachchan does a valiant job as stand-in. For the filmmaker's part, they've given him the plummiest of lines and the edgiest of shoes; he has the laughs, the definitive protagonist role, and a real character arc. What he does with all of this is, of course, overact to the nines, making Bunty Aur Babli seem like a masterwork. Lara Dutta is the finest of the four, her character managing a relatively adorable French accent as well as coarse streetwalker-speak with natural flair. The film is quite a revelation as the actress emerges comfortably head and shoulders above the rest of the cast, and is the only one to act in the appropriate key.

Bobby Deol doesn't have much to do in the first half, but is significantly, impressively 'chweet' in the second, and you don't mind him as much as his filmography demands. And then there's Preity Zinta. Once young and bubbly, today's Zinta looks heavy on both botox and frustration. Her lips might possibly have had a shot of collagen too many, and she pouts as if a boyfriend fawningly compared her to Ms Jolie, lying through his teeth. The result is disastrous, an actress hamming enough to make her co-stars look way better. From accent to emotion, Preity is plain and simple insufferable in this film. Perhaps big-sister roles are in order.

No, the Haneef bhai bit role is the film's best, a pleasant surprise like the cameo from The Kumar's At No 42 cast.

There has always been a warmth to Shaad Ali's work, a certain slice-of-life realism palpable even when the going gets unreal and outrageous. Here, the director succumbs to the gimmicks, and while almost every line in the first half plays for laughs, there isn't even a snicker from the audience. And the gimmicks aren't even clever. Shaad whizzes by in a car nearby, writer Habib Faisal has a two-line cameo. And the star-kids are put in their place: Abhishek gets to grin about Ash-ji and Amit-ji's statues at Tussauds' and wear a bright red Coolie shirt; Bobby comes on screen with Main Jat yamla pagla deewana playing. And both dutifully ride a motorcycle and sidecar with the Sholay song playing. When, oh when, are we going to let go of these coat-tails?

The first half is merely, mindnumbingly boring, while the second gets exasperating. And it's all so inanely wasteful. There's nothing wrong with making a madcap comedy. Next time, though, a plot would be nice. This film doing well would just mean more brightly packaged idiocy will be shoved down our throats, and so I'm praying otherwise. All I can say is that it's stupid. Oh, and a word must be said about the music. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy have managed one catchy, potentially hit number in the title track, while the other songs all seem derivative of either Rahman or Reshammiya. But they have their one, titular 'punch' song, and so the filmmakers go all-out with it, thwacking us with versions of it repeatedly. Like the hit of the year at a Punju shaadi, we're Jhoomed till we groan as Amitabh Bachchan [Images] pops randomly, meaninglessly out of place and sings a few lines, while the rest of the bachchas go completely overboard, stretching a 'dance competition' version to about 20 minutes, interspersed with snatches of dialogue. Aargh.

Just before a ridiculous Amitabh epilogue, the film ends happily, with a couple kissing. I won't tell you which two are liplocked, but it isn't a surprise. Anyway, it's one of those awkward screen kisses, a glorified, postured moment with the man bending the woman over his kneww, and planting one, hard. The shot ends with her legs wobbling in discomfort.

We can relate. We've been dying to walk out.

Rating: *½ (1.5/5) [Very Poor to Poor]

Personal Movie Review: Spider-Man 3 - An Absolutely . . .

This is my first personal review appearing on BUwH. When I t movie of this frachise it didn't make me flabbergated but nonetheless it was a good movie. When I saw the second one, I was completely bowled over by it. Be it the story or screenplay or acting or direction or VFX or everythings........it was a perfect balance. Since then I was a fan of the "friendly neighbourhood". See my previous posts, how aggresively I promoted spidey 3. From June, I used up all my hard disk space collecting HD videos and trailers of SM3. After a tedious yet exciting wait of 3 years, I entered the theater with bated breath. After thye screening was over, I came to a conclusion that it's an ABSOLUTE movie. I tell you why.

*ABSOLUTELY awesome action scenes.
*ABSOLUTE no action thoughout the movie. They come as ABSOLUTE compromise, just for sake of the ABSOLUTE trailer.
*ABSOLUTE nonsense emotions.
*ABSOLUTE useless sobbing.
*ABSOLUTE example of Hollywood copying Bollywood craps.
*ABSOLUTE example of shortage of a proper story.
*ABSOLUTE worst screenplay seen in a long time.
*ABSOLUTELY bad storytelling. Sam! What's that?
*ABSOLUTELY lenghty. It crawls and crawls and leaves a perpetual pain.
*ABSOLUTELY no acting from any of the cast.
*ABSOLUTE action & bad storyline ratio of 1:100
*ABSOLUTE useless scenes.
*The screenplay's so occupied to give importance to each sub-plot, that the sory itself becomes ABSOLUTELY impotent without giving any importance.
*James Franco's teeth are ABSOLUTELY annoying.
*Franco puts an ABSOLUTELY decent performance.
*Just like too much cooks spoil the film each of the 3 villain mars everything ABSOLUTELY.
*ABSOLUTE lack of smartness, failure to infuse humour.
*ABSOLUTELY brilliant J. Jonah Jameson (this man's always....)
*If you sum up all the bad guys and merge into one 100 times over, that doesn't ABSOLUTELY touch a bit of Alfred Molina-played Doc Ock or even GG!

*Thomas Haden Church has only one ABSOLUTE squirming countenance and is ABSOLUTELY abysmal.
*Topher has an ABSOLUTELY decent, not great performance.
*An ABSOLUTE example of bad and plastic CG in form of the black sticky thing.
*ABSOLUTELY badly created role and VFX of Venom.
The number of Sandman plotholes/ goofs is just uncounatble.
*I'm a diehard science student. I don't like anyone tampering with that. Okay, Thomas enters the highly radioactive science zone without a >440 v spark. And a demoleculizer turning sandman? Can't take it anymore. It'd take another couple of posts to explain. So better leave it ABSOLUTELY undiscussed.

**************SPOILERS HERE!*******************
*The symbiant actually comes from a hot burning meteorite, but still ABSOLUTELY dies of the fire in the end.
**************SPOILERS END*******************

*When Flint Marko (Sandman) is in the demoleculizer, everything including his belt buckle turns to sand, but the locket with the picture of his daughter doesn't.
*Tobey is ABSOLUTELY better at dancing than acting.
*About Kirsten, it's ABSOLUTELY the less said the better. Quoting another reviewer, I say, you wish Goblin succeeded killing her in the first part.
*Bryce, though decent, is ABSOLUTELY wasted here.
*Bill Pope (DOP) is the ABSOLUTE star of the film.
*Sound Design may win it an Oscar ABSOLUTELY.
*The climax is the ABSOLUTELY the most contrived sequence ever made.

*Sony should ABSOLUTELY think changing every part of cast and crew.
*If you love Bollywood massacres like DHOOM:2 and KRRISH, you may like it ABSOLUTELY.
*It's the WORST movie in the franchise, albeit a bit above the likes of KRRISH, D:2, SUPERMAN RETURNS, BATMAN BEGINS.
*An ABSOLUTE example of a Hollywood crap being produced under popular demand and super success of the prequels. You may know that the release date 5/4/7 was set before the release of 2. So they made it somehow without a thought and respect for Spidey fans like me.
*update: Some dialogues are actually lifted from this film.

To sum up, an ABSOLUTE DISAPPOINTMENT.

If you really love the makers of the film and yourself too, do yourself a favour. Buy a SPIDER-MAN 2 special edition DVD than to watch this. I'd do that. Though some jug head thinks it's better than 2. You can also buy SRK starrer DON, which has better storyline and action.

Bollywood Unlimited Rating
Letter Grade: C-
Stars: * * * * ½ ½ * * * * * (4.5/10)

Wait for a television premiere in case you haven't seen it.

did you like or dislike the film or my review? tell me and give your ratings to the film and the review.

Ratings Scale of BOLLYWOOD UNLIMITED WITH HOLLYWOOD Reviews . . . . . . . . .

After publishing so many external movie reviews this time for me to actually pen reviews. I promise I'll not be revealing much of the story-lines or plot-holes or spoilers. There will be a separate section regarding that where you can find a lot of these things.

My critique will be intelligent, ingenious, filled with humour and wit, knowledgeable and blah...blah...blah................I know so bragging is not good. So I won't exaggerate myself to an unlimited level. But, one thing I can say, having seen so many cinematic classics (From the best Indian filmmaker RAY, to Orson Welles to Scorsese to Kurosawa et al).

But don't expect me to compare every Bollywood or any film with these unquestionable classics. For, classics are made only once in a lifetime. But the film I recommend will certainly entertain you to a good extent. I guess! So let's have a look at my rating systems: Equivalent number ratings are beside the letter grade.

A+ : Even an Oscar
is too small an award (10/10)
A
: No less than a classic (9.5-9/10)
A- : It's
perfect! (8.5/10)

Not to miss anyhow! Whatever happens surely
catch them and watch umpteen number of times.

B+ : Truly a memorable
experience (8/10)
B : Good! You will not be hurt! (7.5 or
7/10)
B- : Pretty much
good! (6.5/10)

There's no harm watching 'em! But they are no
classics. Should watch at least once.

C+ : Bit flawed.
Nevertheless worthy of a good video watch. (6/10)
C : A tribute to the mediocrity. Watch
it if you have nothing better to do! (5.5 or 5/10)
C- :
Radically disappointing! (4.5/10)

No need to book an advance ticket and rush at a plex.
You should watch it on video if you really want to.

D+ : Abysmal.
Tragic. The maker didn't think of you while making it! Script, Direction, Acting
...A POOR EFFORT AT EVERY LABEL! (4/10)
D :
Horrifically Dreadful and Lamentable experience! (3.5 or 3/10)
D- : Pernicious
and will leave a perpetual pain on your mind. (2.5/10)

Must miss! It will be at your risk!

Fs : Well F is the begiiing of a lot of words. You know! You can't count how many times you will curse yourself for checkin'
it out.

F+ (2/10)

F (1.5 or 1/10)

F- (.5/10)

And comes a very very very rare rating. Which I will
(try to) give only once in a Blue moon.

Z--: You'll be
found either dead or mentally/physically handicapped after the screening is
over. It jars you ad nauseam. (0/10)

Tell me what do you think of my ratings.

PLEASE DO SUGGEST ME SOMETHING YOU WANT. IT WILL BE ACCEPTED HEARTILY!

Now wait for my first review!!

TA RA RUM PUM: External Movie Review 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

After 2 positive, 1 negative review we have another positive review. See here too!


Is it Cinderella Man? Is it Life is Beautiful? Or is it simply a fairy tale, told in Bollywood ishtyle ? Honestly, it's a mix of all three, heavily inspired by the Russell Crowe-Renee Zellweger film about James Braddock, a washed-out boxer who reclaimed his title — and his family's future — to become an inspirational figure in the 1930s.

And then again, you have dad Saif doing a Roberto Benigni ( Life is Beautiful ) to his bachchas by transforming their turn of fortunes (read garibi ke din ) into a reality show called 'Don't worry, be happy,' where the premium is on smiling, come what may. Trust Bollywood to equate a Nazi concentration camp with a downmarket New York existence!

But who's complaining. Not the archetypal family audience that has become the mainstay of the Indian multiplex boom. For them, this film about a bindaas racer, his beauty-with-brains wife and their cute little cherubs could end up as perfect holiday fare, despite the trivialisation and the cloying story-line. Plot-wise, the film has all the cliched ploys that traditional cinema uses.

Once the racer dad has an accident and develops race track phobia, the family undergoes all those thakela trials like joblessness, no food on the table, sacrifice and the final sickness, where death looms large unless the dollars pour in...

Yet, all this familiarity fails to breed contempt because there is Saif and there is Rani: two consummate actors who squeeze out the ordinariness from any role and make it extraordinary. As the young NRI couple who dare to dream the American dream, the two lend a spiritedness to their characters which somehow makes them the most lovable mom-dad/husband-wife duo in town.

Be it Saif's live-in-the-present effervescence or Rani's till-death-do-us-part devotion, Ta Ra Rum Pum tangos off to a high simply due to their chemistry. Quite, quite reminiscent of Hum Tum. Of course, the film lacks the originality of Salaam Namastey , where director Siddharth Anand scored with the sheer novelty of the no-holds-barred relationship between Saif and Preity. And Javed Jaffrey is truly the most under-estimated actor in Hindi films. Yet ...Rum Pum is the right get a fix for the Great Indian Family.

Rating: * * * (3/5) [Good]

(Note: the text is used strictly for INFORMATIONAL purpose, not commercially)

TA RA RUM PUM: External Movie Review 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

So finally after two good reviews, we have a negative review. You can read it here too.

(Click on the photos to enlarge)

In director Siddharth Anand’s Ta Ra Rum Pum which releases at cinemas this week, New York-based racing-car champion Saif Ali Khan hits a bad spell when he’s injured in a racing accident that leaves him with the kind of emotional scars that he doesn’t quite recover from even a year later when he returns to the racing track. He’s lost his speed and as a result, he loses his place on the team. With no savings to fall back on, and no job that’ll stick, Saif has no choice but to move his family from a sprawling home in Manhattan to a modest apartment in Queens. His loving wife Rani Mukherjee stands by him like a rock, they decide to face all hardships with a smile, never once letting their two young kids realize that they’ve fallen upon hard times. Taking up odd jobs here and there, the couple try their best to make ends meet, until one unfortunate incident involving their child, makes Saif return to the race track to regain his lost glory and save his family forever.

How do you even begin to explain what’s wrong about a film, that does nothing right to begin with? The one, the only, the real problem with Ta Ra Rum Pum is that there’s absolutely nothing new about it. The plot’s been borrowed generously from such films as Cinderella Man, In America and Life Is Beautiful, but it’s also littered with so many Bollywood clichés that barely twenty minutes into the film, you can predict exactly where it’s going and how it’s going to end. Another big problem I have with this film is the ooh-so-cute factor which almost made me puke. Kids should behave like kids, and watching them starve themselves to save money, or reach for other people’s half-eaten doughnuts is just not cool. I know it’s all meant to tap at your tear-ducts and choke you up, but honestly the only feeling you’re overcome with is anger towards the director for his blatant attempt at emotional manipulation.


Also, when will we ever be spared those Bollywood stereotypes - the heroine’s father who insists his daughter has chosen the wrong guy? Then years later when she’s going through a bad patch, he’ll remind her that he’d warned her not to marry this guy. And the honourable heroine who’ll defend her husband and reject any help that her dad is willing to offer. God help us, surely Siddharth Anand could have done better. Like so many movies before it, Ta Ra Rum Pum is one of those glossy-but-soulless films which aren’t insufferable to sit through, but they’re an exercise in futility because they fail to touch you or move you or affect you in any way whatsoever. Even though it’s meant to be an emotional story, you can’t really empathise with the characters because it’s all so plastic, so fake, so calculated and clinical.

This family doesn’t have food to eat but they’re still dressed in designer clothes! Also I’d like to ask the director of this film if he really thinks this film is meant for kids. Dude, what do you want them to take from this? That revenge is okay? That it’s cool to be speeding like a madman even when you’re not on the race-track? Also, will someone please tell me why everyone’s screaming in the film’s first hour? Rani, Saif, Javed Jaffrey, why’re they all yelling at the top of their lungs? I understand Ta Ra Rum Pum is a well-intended film and it’s probably even trying to send out a positive message. But the way it goes about doing so is unimaginative and dull, to be honest. Even the car-racing scenes aren’t particularly impressive - there’s none of that edge-of-the-seat, nail-biting tension that you’d like to see.

In fact I’m going to go so far as to say that there’s a sense of indifference I get from this film. It just seems like nobody cared enough to work hard on this picture. Vishal-Shekhar’s music is way below average, nothing to sing and dance about. Rani Mukherjee’s been styled so badly, you can’t help wondering if her designer was getting back at her for something. Of the performances, neither Saif Ali Khan nor Rani is able to make much of an impression because their characters are so unidimensional and boring. Saif’s just playing himself all over again and that’s because the writers didn’t bother to give him anything solid to work on. As for Javed Jaffrey who’s playing Saif’s best friend and team-manager, I don’t know if that kind of humour is funny anymore - speaking English with a smattering of Gujarati thrown in, it’s just annoying if you ask me.


You know, when you leave the cinema after watching Ta Ra Rum Pum , you’re overcome with a sense of exhaustion. You feel like you do after a long, hard day at work. And that’s not a good thing because cinema is meant to entertain you not wear you out. So I’m going to go with two out of five for director Siddharth Anand’s Ta Ra Rum Pum, it’s old wine in a new bottle. What you take back with you at the end of the film is a pain in the backside because you’ve been stuffed in that seat for so damn long. In fact I came up with a jingle for it - Ta Ra Rum Pum, have mercy on my bum, ta ra rum pum!

Rating: * * (2/5) [Average]

(Note: the images and text are used strictly for INFORMATIONAL purpose and they are not used commercially)

TA RA RUM PUM: External Movie Review 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I have already posted one review of TRRP in my last post. Here's another. You can get its here too.

(Note: Click on the photos to enlarge)

Yash Raj created magic with speeding bikes [DHOOM]. Now's the turn of speeding cars [TA RA RUM PUM].The West has often made films depicting the rise, fall and subsequent rise of sportspersons. ROCKY [Sylvester Stallone], DAYS OF THUNDER [Tom Cruise] and CINDERELLA MAN [Russell Crowe] are films that cross your mind as you watch director Siddharth Raj Anand's second outing TA RA RUM PUM. It wouldn't be erroneous to state that Siddharth borrows from the above-named films, but he garnishes the material with desi emotions that work well with Indian moviegoers. There's no denying that TA RA RUM PUM is a well-crafted fare that provides entertaining moments and also succeeds in its goal as a feel-good experience. One of the prime reasons why TA RA RUM PUM works is because it's not about car racing only. It involves a couple, their two kids, the family's riches to rags story, their highs and lows…

Now let's get down to the basics: What works and what doesn't? If the car racing sequences are awe-inspiring, the emotional quotient in the second hour is worth acknowledging as well. A number of sequences make you moist-eyed, especially the high-octane climax that not only gives you goose bumps, but also makes you jump with joy. However, TA RA RUM PUM isn't a flawless film. You can't turn a blind eye to the aberrations in those 16 reels. Fortunately, the pros outweigh the cons in the final tally. To sum up, Siddharth Raj Anand comes up with a worthy follow up to his directorial debut, the immensely likable SALAAM NAMASTE. TA RA RUM PUM easily ranks amongst Yash Raj's better films in terms of style as also substance. TA RA RUM PUM tells the story of one man, his family and how they overcome the obstacles that life puts in their way, together. It is the story of human spirit and how it ultimately prevails.

Rajveer Singh [Saif Ali Khan] is a pit-crew worker in a racing team with a passion for driving who gets discovered by a team manager, Harry [Jaaved Jaaferi]. The same day, he accidentally meets a music student, Radhika [Rani Mukerji], who he falls for instantly. He gets drafted into 'Speeding Saddles' -- a failing race team and transforms from Rajveer Singh to 'RV', the race car driver. While his racing career takes off instantly, his love life also blossoms after a whirlwind romance. A few months later, he is both a happily married man and one of the country's best racers. Fatherhood and greater success both follow and soon he is the Number 1 race car driver in U.S.A. as well as the proud father of two kids -- Priya [Angelina Idnani] and Ranveer [Ali Haji]. But as a result of a bad racing accident, RV is hospitalized for a few months. When he tries to make a comeback, he realizes that he has been mentally scarred by the accident. His life now takes a turn for the worse and after a string of failures, he is forced to auction his house and move with his family to a run-down neighborhood.

However, RV and Radhika decide not to tell their children the truth and construct a skillful masquerade of a reality show where they have to live a poor life in order to win a mythical grand prize. The family struggles to survive a life that they are not used to, using a mixture of fantasy and cheerfulness to pull through in the face of adversity. But an incident forces RV to reclaim the life that was taken away from him. You don't take to TA RA RUM PUM instantly, since the writing [screenplay: Habib Faisal] meanders on oft-repeated tracks initially [the snooty father-in-law/Victor Banerjee looking down upon the son-in-law/Saif Ali Khan, the mandatory romantic scenes and songs]. The one aspect that shines the brightest in the first hour is the car race that makes Saif's life go topsy-turvy. Ideally, the intermission card should've flashed at this juncture, but the sequences that follow are plain mediocre.

Thankfully, the substance [script] as also the execution of the material improves a great deal in the post-interval portions. The plight of the family moves you: Saif is reduced to a cabbie, Rani plays piano at birthday parties and hotels to run the kitchen fires and foot the bills, the children skip their meals to save for the school fees.

The son, in fact, picks up leftovers from the waste to satiate his hunger… These are moments that mirror the realities of life. The highpoint of the film are the penultimate reels. Right from Saif storming into a hotel, asking for a loan of $ 65,000 to the final victory, the narrative reaches its crescendo in those 25 + minutes. In fact, the powerful second hour elevates the film tremendously. Director Siddharth Raj Anand is only getting better with every film. He handles the emotional moments in particular very well. The execution of the race sequences is outstanding. Something like this hasn't been witnessed on the Hindi screen before. Binod Pradhan's camerawork is marvelous.

Vishal-Shekhar's music is of the fast-forward variety. One looked forward to a better score for sure. However, the picturization of a few songs camouflages the defect to an extent. The kiddie song -- merging live with animated characters -- catches your attention. The animation here matches international quality. Saif is extremely likable. He conveys the varied emotions with complete understanding. Rani enacts the role of the mother/wife proficiently. Jaaved Jaaferi is first-rate in a serious role. Bharat Dabholkar is efficient. Victor Banerjee suits the character. Shruti Seth is alright. Angelina Idnani and Ali Haji are adorable.

On the whole, TA RA RUM PUM easily ranks amongst better films from the Yash Raj factory. Surprisingly, the film has opened to a below-the-mark response at several screens. But it has the potential and power to gather speed in days to come since it has something for everyone -- emotional quotient for families, thrilling car races to woo the youth and the kiddie factor to attract this huge movie-going segment [kids]. Its business in Overseas should be excellent and in India, the multiplexes will help the distributors reap a harvest. Strongly recommended!


Rating: * * * 1/2 (3.5/5) [Good to Very Good]

(Note: The text and image are used only for INFORMATIONAL purpose and they do not serve any commercial purpose)

TA RA RUM PUM: External Movie Review 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Well, the first review of Ta Ra Rum Pum is out. I'm the first to bring it here. You can get it here too!

Cheering can be a lot of fun. In movies, it has the power to do miracles, especially when the man, you are rooting for, has so much at stake. Siddharth Anand's Ta Ra Rum Pum plays on every human's ultimate fantasy to conquer against all odds and take home the trophy. Here the trophy stands as a metaphor for the realisation of one's most precious dreams. And that is precisely what makes Ta Ra Rum Pum a universal subject to identify with and feel for.

But for god's sake, it's a Yash Raj Film. And so even if a story about inspiration and hope, it is bound to be lavish, stylish and commercially viable. For starters, it's set in New York City. What's new, you ask? Hasn't Karan Johar made a career out of making films based in NYC? True. What is new is Anand's vision of the most populated city of The States. Not only do you get to do some fresh sight-seeing but also innovative angles of oft-repeated locations like Brooklyn Bridge and Times Square. Also, car racing is the basic premise of the story. Expectedly, there is a whole lot of vroom-vroom going on all through the movie. True blue racing buffs might not feel the rush of adrenalin on witnessing the tackily executed chase. But folks not too familiar with NASCAR will enjoy just the same.

Like every story, this one has a hero too. Rajveer aka RV (Saif Ali Khan) makes a dashing entry; a la Tom Cruise in Top Gun, helmet in hand, against the violent strumming of an electric guitar. Only our man started out as a pit stop tyre changer. His racing skills impress a cabbie Harry (Jaaved Jafferi in his best Gujarati speaking accent goes in for a swell image makeover) and they strike a deal with Billy Bhatia's (Bharat Dabholkar) company Speeding Saddles. During his winning spree, the carefree RV also hits it with the fastidious Radhika (Rani Mukerji). He calls her Shona because 'it's Bong (Bengali in slang) and sweet, and so are you'. The duo, with funny hairdos, also find time to parade on the empty streets of Manhattan. Again, Anand appears to draw inspiration from another Tom Cruise flick, Vanilla Sky. The latter has Cruise running on the empty streets of Times Square, not a soul in sight.

RV proposes to Radhika with Tiffany, a Merc and a mansion in Manhattan -- all of which is irresponsibly purchased on loan and installment, if you are the one for details. Soon they have two kids, with nicknames that'd have you mistake them for a horse -- Champ (Ali Haji) and Princess (Angelina Irani) and an Irish Setter, Bruno. All the adulation makes RV feel over-confident about his game. In trying to fool around and entertain the crowds against his closest competition, RV makes a faulty move resulting in a major accident. After missing out on a whole year, he gets back into the action, nonetheless scarred from his previous experience. His poor performance on the track leaves him jobless, homeless and bankrupt. While RV never stepped inside a university, Radhika never finished her degree post-marriage. Silly move, we think. Lack of proper education forces the two to take up low-end jobs and shift to a rundown desi neighbourhood. While the children are made to believe their new impoverished status is a play and part of a reality show, Don't worry. Be happy. And though it's not mentioned, we believe RV was definitely a fan of Roberto Benigni's Life is Beautiful. Eventually, RV has to take a stand, which means an edge of the seat contest from start to finish and, of course, lots of cheering.

The sentimental turn in Anand's story is heartfelt. But what is particularly appealing that none of the characters crib or mope around. Instead, they tackle every problem with resilience and humour. Sure, kids will be kids and occasionally sigh at the sight of creamy puffs and spicy hot dogs. Aww moments aside, generally, there is a positive vibe running through this family and the film. The foursome make a happy picture hopping inside the enormous Disney store. Speaking of choreography, Vaibhavi Merchant infuses an impressive rhythm and frolic in the movements. Almost every song and dance is a pleasure to watch. If Salaam Namaste (Anand's directorial debut) was inspired albeit cool, Ta Ra Rum Pum is inspiring and sweet. The filmmaker has a knack for bringing wit in woe. He does that here too, admirably. Though I have to say, how come RV enters a racing competition whenever he feels/needs like/to? Isn't there supposed to be a schedule calendar or something?

That's what makes Saif Ali Khan indispensable. His spontaneity is utterly disarming and distracting. He plays RV -- a huge racing star, with amusement as if to say 'big deal' not losing his boyishness even during stressful times. Hence, his breakdown scene is particularly effective.

Rani Mukerji's Radhika is a confident lady. There is a certain polish in her taste and thoughts. Self-assurance comes naturally to the actress. And for this role, she makes the most of it. Also, there is just one word to describe Surily Goel's wardrobe for Rani: WOW!

Essentially, Ta Ra Rum Pum is a feel-good family entertainer with good looking actors, thrilling car chases, playful melodies (Vishal-Shekhar) and pretty visuals. Then again, there's lot more beneath. It talks about taking responsibility for one's own problems instead of finding an easy way out. It packs in a lot of optimism and grace, especially in the way new age parents are depicted. Even if in passing, the fast-growing obsession and dependency on plastic money and installment schemes is mentioned as well.

Any film that makes you feel good about life and prioritises hope over struggle is worthwhile. Ta Ra Rum Pum brings a smile to your lips and song to your heart.

Rating: * * * 1/2 (3.5/5) [Good to Very Good]

(Note: the text and image are used only for informational purpose and they are not used commercially)

BHEJA FRY: External Movie Review.

As I promised last week, I am bringing you an external review of BHEJA FRY. You can get it here.

Everyone loves a good laugh, and I'm no different. Director Sagar Bellary's Bheja Fry which opens at cinemas this week is a cleverly-written and competently-enacted comedy which stars Rajat Kapoor as a selfish and insensitive man whose idea of Friday night entertainment involves a party where unsuspecting, dim-witted victims provide laughs to his group of like-minded, shallow friends. One such victim, Vinay Pathak — an income-tax officer with an annoying singing habit — visits Rajat at his home one Friday, excited to be invited for a dinner party. But the joke turns out to be on Rajat eventually, when he watches his life fall apart just moments after this bumbling fool walks through the door.

His wife decides to leave him, his nympho mistress decides to show up, his back is killing him from an earlier injury, the fear of an income-tax raid is looming over his head, he's forced to confront a friend he'd wronged some years ago, and this idiot at his home is the man responsible for most of these catastrophes. While it's true this film is somewhat entertaining and much of the humour is derived from its rock-solid script, let me be the party-pooper here by revealing that Bheja Fry is a scene-by-scene, dialogue-by-dialogue remake of the superhit French farce The Dinner Game, which, if you remember clearly I'd recommended on this show some months ago. You see, Bheja Fry isn't 'inspired' or 'borrowed' or 'influenced' from the original film, it's an out-and-out remake. One can only hope that remake rights were bought from the makers of the French film, although I didn't see any acknowledgement of the same in the film's credits, and in fact I saw this film's screenplay credited to two persons, which if you ask me is shocking, considering the only real work on the script would be in the form of translation.

Now that I've cleared my conscience and made the point about plagiarism, let me confess Bheja Fry does have more than just a handful of hilarious moments, most of which are provided by the imaginative screenplay and dialogue. The film's director Sagar Bellary rarely digresses from the plot and the narrative of the original French film, although he does make a few significant changes. Like the fact that Rajat's wife role is a little more fleshed out in Bheja Fry than it was in the original film — Bellary gives Sarika a career and a back-story, but then he botches it all up by failing to show clearly the building resentment Sarika feels towards her husband, and the reason for this. The only other major change is that in the original film, the idiot protagonist had the annoying habit of discussing his passion for making matchstick models of famous buildings, but in Bheja Fry, it's Vinay Pathak's irritating habit of breaking into a song and his childish enthusiasm at showing off his scrapbook that makes him the perfect candidate for this idiot's dinner.

If you ask me to nitpick, I'd say I was a little disappointed with Ranvir Shorey's performance in the film. Which is surprising, I know, because Ranvir is fast emerging a comic genius. But in Bheja Fry where he's playing Vinay's best friend and colleague, Ranvir overdoes it a little by playing his part as a caricature and not as a flesh-and-blood character who one might be able to relate to. Also was it just me or did you also notice how midway through the film, Rajat Kapoor suddenly seems to have recovered from his back injury -- in no time at all, he's walking about and fixing a meal and setting the table. Wasn't it just moments ago that he was moaning and groaning in pain, unable to move by himself? Another problem I have with the film is the seemingly insignificant but in reality, the shockingly careless insinuation that Ranvir Shorey is a pro-Pakistan, anti-India cricket-buff simply because he's Muslim. That may have been only a passing reference in the film, but it's horribly racist, it's an unfair stereotype, and it could have been easily avoided.

The funnier moments in Bheja Fry are provided by Vinay Pathak, who manages to give his character a few quirks of his own, even though its more-or-less modeled exactly after the role played by the excellent French actor Jacques Villeret in the original film. In all fairness, Vinay Pathak is priceless particularly in those scenes in which he packs and unpacks his scrapbook, and then those scenes in which he makes sure nobody's looking when he's tackling the combination code on his briefcase. It's a testament to the strength of the script that the film doesn't slip despite mediocre performances by Bhairavi Goswami and Tom Alter who play Rajat's mistress and his doctor respectively. Sarika, on the other hand, delivers a credible performance -- perhaps the most credible of the lot -- when she plays the wife as a real person and not the cliché that we have come to see in most movies these days.

Thankfully, Bheja Fry doesn't fry your brains like the title threatens to, in fact it's got a handful of moments that will make you laugh out loud — my favourite is that scene in which Rajat's mistress is unable to understand a word he's been using to describe her, until Vinay translates it for her, much to Rajat's horror. Or that one in which Ranvir calls up his wife who's in the middle of an adulterous tryst to tell her he knows what she's upto. It's really moments like these that you'll remember even after you've left the cinema. I'm going to go with two out of five for this week's Bheja Fry, it's funny in parts so give it a chance. But no points for writing or directing as it's a faithful remake of an earlier film. I just wish the filmmakers had acknowledged that.

RATING: * * (2/5) [average]

PROVOKED: External Movie Review 1

Well guys, I promised you that I will bring you a couple of Provoked review. One is here. You can also get it here.

Set in London and based on a real-life story, director Jag Mundhra's film Provoked stars Aishwarya Rai as a battered Punjabi housewife and mother of two. Aishwarya plays the role of Kiranjit Ahluwalia, who sets her brutish husband on fire after suffering 10 years of abuse at his hands. Charged with first-degree murder when her husband succumbs to his wounds, Kiranjit is sentenced to life imprisonment. Despite evidence of repeated abuse, the law doesn't allow her to claim self-defense as her husband was asleep when Kiranjit set him on fire.

In prison, it's with the help of a fellow inmate Ronnie, played by veteran British actress Miranda Richardson, that Kiranjit picks up the pieces of her life and learns to stand up to bullies. Meanwhile, Nandita Das playing a female activist with The Southhall Black Sisters, a support group committed to helping victims of abuse, takes up her cause and persuades Kiranjit to make an appeal. A little over three years after her arrest, Kiranjit is finally freed by the British judicial system in a landmark case that redefined the word "provocation" in the case of battered women.

Despite its many shortcomings, Provoked is engaging till its very end because it's such a dramatic story and because it avoids over-sentimentality, a trap that most films of this genre invariably fall into. Thankfully, we're spared all the Bollywood-style chest-beating and the shameless tugging at heart-strings that most Hindi films of this kind indulge in.

So, even though there are scenes in which Kiranjit begs to be united with her sons, there's none of that ‘I'll-die-without-them’ drama. That's not to say the script is all perfect, in fact it’s far from it actually.

Mundhra wastes too much time setting up those courtroom scenes, and there's little need to go into the back-stories of every inmate in that prison. Instead it might have helped if the character of Kiranjit's husband had been more fleshed out. One moment you see he's surprising his pregnant wife with their new suburban home. Next thing you know, he's bashing her up and thrashing her around for no fault of hers. Also, attributing his violent mood swings and his promiscuous lifestyle to his drinking habit is a little too convenient on the director's part.

In terms of production value, Provoked comes of looking like one of those filmed-in-your-backyard TV movies, and to be completely honest, Mundhra's direction is too basic, almost too amateurish to be taken seriously. But because it's entirely honest and well intended you're willing to overlook many of these flaws. Instead, you're moved by those tender moments between Kiranjit and Ronnie, her protective new friend in prison. You're stung by the sense of empty loneliness that you see in Kiranjit's eyes even after she's released from prison.
In all honesty, Provoked wouldn't work if it wasn't for two performances that uplift the film considerably. Miranda Richardson plays Ronnie as a tought-but-tender woman who befriends Kiranjit when she's falling apart. It's Richardson who provides some of the film's most memorable moments, like the one in which she responds to Kiranjit's bear-hug with a comic line.
Of course, the real star of Provoked is Aishwarya Rai who delivers a performance that is appropriately restrained. I haven't exactly been a big fan of Aishwarya's acting, but I'll say here, she surprises you with what she strums up. It's a performance that penetrates into your consciousness because she plays it with a slow-burning passion rather than an all-out flourish. This is easily one of her better acting jobs. The film works because it's not preachy and it doesn't take itself too seriously. So I'll go with three out of five for Jag Mundhra's Provoked. It's a sensitive film about domestic abuse. It's not a great film by any standards but it's well intended and it goes about its job with sincerity, and sometimes, just sometimes, that's enough.

Rating: * * * (3/5) [GOOD]

Note: The text/image used here, is strictly for informational purpose and they do not serve any commercial purpose.

Guru: Movie Review 2 (External)

Here is another external Guru review here (Link here). The film seems to blow everybody's mind. What about you? From start to finish, from opening credits to end roll, director Mani Ratnam's new film Guru is a more-or-less accurate documentation of late industrialist and Reliance Industries founder Dhirubhai Ambani's life. All key incidents and several significant characters from Ambani's rags-to-riches life-story are recreated in Ratnam's film, with the occasional cinematic liberties thrown in.Guru is after all, the story of an ambitious, middle-class man who had big dreams, a man who would stop at nothing to realise his dreams, a man often accused of using morally questionable means to achieve his goals.Guru is the story of a man who believed not only in personal growth and personal success, but in empowering the very people who contributed to his success. A man who understood that the growth of an enterprise, a company, a corporation must reflect not only in its owner's personal growth and success, but in the growth and success of its every shareholder.

You see, the similarities to Ambani's life are far too many to be simply dismissed as coincidences. And yet Mani Ratnam insists Guru is no biopic of Dhirubhai Ambani. Then again, poor Mani Ratnam is probably just protecting himself and his film. Remember what happened years ago when word spread that a character in his film Bombay was inspired by Bal Thackeray?As is the case with most Mani Ratnam films that are centred around seemingly larger themes - Roja, Bombay, Dil Se, Kannathil Mutthamital, Alaiypayuthe - Guru too, is on one level a love story. And here, in the case of Gurubhai Desai and his unflinchingly supportive wife Sujata, played by Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai respectively, it's a beautiful, intimate, playful, passionate love story.

I mean, think about it, who else but Mani Ratnam could film a bedroom scene playfully? A grown couple in bed, husband gets frisky, next thing you know they're smacking each other mischievously, and what a moment it makes for. Now I know I'm stating the obvious when I say that nobody shoots songs the way Mani Ratnam does, but really it's once again true in Guru. Whether its Mallika Sherawat's item song set in Turkey, or Aishwarya's introduction number, every song is part of the narrative and is used specifically to continue the story. But if there's one song that sticks out like a sore thumb, then it's that celebration number in the second half, right after the couple have become parents. It's a song that doesn't fit into the narrative and only slackens the film's pace because it's so purposeless.

The beauty of Mani Ratnam's cinema is truly in its unpredictability. How he infuses humour or just creates wonderful moments out of the most ordinary situations. Look at that confrontation scene right before intermission. The one between Guru and his mentor, newspaper magnate Maneck Dasgupta, played by Mithun Chakraborty - it's a scene, which in a film by any other director, would have been treated as a loud, screaming match, but here Mani Ratnam treats it gently, and yet he doesn't lose the gravity of the moment.

My favourite scene in this film is the one in which Guru visits the home of the journalist who's hell-bent on bringing him down. Once there, he discovers that the reporter, played by R Madhavan is married to his very dear friend, one who has a very special place in Guru's heart. It's an awkward moment between the three of them, and no doubt it's now a complex relationship he shares with this journalist. But you have to see the simplicity and the beauty with which the director treats this scene. It's moments like these that hold together the film and your interest in it, even when the screenplay begins to drag.

The film's second half moves at a sluggish pace, but I'm not sure how much Mani Ratnam can be blamed for that. You have to understand two things here: One, passage of time is always difficult to show on film. And two, it is after all the story of a man's life, you can't expect high-drama at every corner. The sign of any good film - remember this always - is when all departments blend together seamlessly and no one department stands out from among the others. How many times have you felt that a film hasn't worked for you, but the camerawork really impressed you? Or the music stood out? The thing about Guru and about most films by Mani Ratnam is the consistency in its technical quality.

Having said that, I'm still going to point out that Rajiv Menon's cinematography is imaginative and also remarkable in the manner in which it effortlessly alternates depending on the mood - from eye-watering splendor in Aishwarya's rain song, to dramatic swish-pans in the court scenes, to the lavish, epic-scale trolley movements each time a train pulls into a station. As for the music, what can one say about A R Rahman's score that hasn't been said before, except that he seems to reserve his most versatile best for Mani Ratnam. Of the film's cast, Mithun Chakraborty playing the Gandhian newspaper baron, deserves mention for the dignity which he brings to the part, one that's clearly inspired by Indian Express founder Ramnath Goenka.

The actor in this film who truly blew my mind, is Aishwarya Rai. There is a silent grace, quiet nobility to her performance, which I have to admit I've never seen before. I think it can be safely said here that she's truly a director's actress. It's very evident that Mani Ratnam is neither overwhelmed by her beauty, not intimidated by her star power and perhaps that's why he treats her character so regularly. Of course the film belongs to Abhishek Bachchan, the protagonist, Guru himself. And in all honesty, Abhishek rises to the challenge like never before. With varied expressions, with a change of gait, with studied body language, Abhishek plays both the younger Guru and the older man so impressively that you cannot help admit this is the best he's been, in years.

Now if you want me to nit-pick, then I'll admit the film as a whole, isn't free of flaws. The climax, in my opinion, is a tad weak, and there are enough indulgences that could have been avoided. But still, Guru is an experience you must enjoy. Few filmmakers can translate their personal vision onto screen the way Mani Ratnam can. So that's two thumbs up for Guru - it's a must-watch for all.

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Rating: ****(4/5) [VERY GOOD]
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(Disclaimer: The writings displayed here are only for INFORMATIONAL purpose and is NOT used for COMMERCIAL/ PROMOTIONAL purposes.)

Guru: Movie Review 1 (External)

Hello friends! As I promised I am bringing you Guru reviews. I am yet to see the movie. So I am presenting a review from an external site. Here is the original link. The review follows. Meet India's most powerful man, screams the headlines. You want to believe the statement primarily because the man at the helm of affairs is none other than Mani Ratnam, one of the finest talents India has produced. Irrespective of how his films are received by the paying public, you cannot deny the fact that a Mani Ratnam film is special.So when GURU, Mani's new film, makes claims such as the one mentioned above, the viewer saunters into the cineplex with real big expectations.

Mani's impressive repertoire includes a few bio-pics and now GURU is a welcome addition to the club. This time around, the supremely talented storyteller narrates the story of a man who rises from zilch and becomes the premier industrialist of the country through sheer hard work, determination, passion and grit.

As a story, GURU is tremendously inspiring and makes you feel all the more confident to encounter challenges and hurdles that may crop up in a journey called life. But by no means is GURU a documentary, as a section of the film industry/media would want us to believe. Sure, GURU chronicles several vital facets of an industrialist's life, but the marriage of enlightenment and entertainment is brilliantly executed here.

With GURU, Mani proves that he's indeed the guru when it comes to narrating stories. Note the poignant moments in the narrative -- Guru's thorny relationship with his father [Rajendra Gupta], his relationship with a newspaper publisher [Mithun Chakraborty], Guru's brother-in-law Jignesh [Arya Babbar] staging a walkout and creating a rift between Guru and his wife Sujata [Aishwarya Rai], the confrontation between the journalist [Madhavan] and Guru at the publisher's residence, Guru's emotional moment in the hospital when his trusted aide [Manoj Joshi] attempts suicide and of course, the finale.

The graph of GURU escalates gradually and reaches its crescendo in the concluding reels. Guru's monologue in a packed courtroom -- where an enquiry commission is looking into the complaints against Guru's companies -- gives you goose bumps. The simpleton from a village in Gujarat roars like never before and the impact it creates cannot be described in mere words. All you want to say is, it's the most fitting finale for a fabulous film!

Mani's choice of the protagonist -- Abhishek Bachchan -- is equally worthy. You ought to be enormously talented to understand the nuances of the character and Abhishek deserves the highest praise for reliving a complex role. You smile when he smiles, you cry when he cries… you relive every single emotion that the character experiences. Only goes to show that the actor involves you at every step with a stupendous performance.

In a nutshell, GURU packs in a solid punch in those 2.45 hours. The year 2007 may have just begun, but one can confidently state that this Mani Ratnam film will rank prominently amongst the bests of the year when we go into a flashback mode later this year. Put your hands together for one of the most courageous attempts on the Hindi screen. GURU is a film not to be missed!

In a small village of Idar in Gujarat, a young man dreams of making it big some day. His father [Rajendra Gupta], the headmaster of the village school, tells him that dreams never come true. But Gurukant Desai [Abhishek Bachchan] dares to dream!Set in 1951, GURU tells the story of a ruthlessly ambitious villager who moves to Turkey first and Mumbai later with his wife Sujata [Aishwarya Rai] and brother-in-law Jignesh [Arya Babbar] to fulfill his dreams.

In Mumbai, truth dawns upon Guru that the business world is a closed community ruled by a handful of rich and influential people who don't believe in giving opportunities to new players. Despite barriers, he starts a company called Shakti Trading and climbs the ladder of success at a furious pace.Manik Dasgupta aka Nanaji [Mithun Chakraborty], who publishes a newspaper Swatantra, treats Guru as his son. But when he learns that Guru's means to make it big are not right, he along with the Editor of his newspaper, Shyam [Madhavan], decide to expose Guru's unjust ways.

Even though GURU is a bio-pic, the serpentine twists and turns in the screenplay are the mainstay of the enterprise. You may have heard of a few incidents, but the life sketch of the leading industrialist makes for an interesting celluloid experience.From the writing point of view, while GURU holds your attention at most times, there are a few loose ends, though negligible, that you cannot overlook. The tiff between Guru and his bro-in-law Jignesh is one of those tracks. What actually brings about a rift between the two and why doesn't Jignesh reappear anywhere in the story later is not explained.

Another track that doesn't really hold your attention is the one between Madhavan-Vidya Balan. Although the emotional sequence between them is a highpoint [the smooch that follows is aesthetically filmed], you still wish there was some more meat in this sub-plot.Moreover, the film can do without a song 'Ek Lo Ek Muft' [appears soon after Guru and his wife are blessed with twins] and also the pacing could've been tighter in the second half.GURU ranks amongst Mani Ratnam's finest attempts. In fact, it wouldn't be erroneous to state that the film is at par with his most accomplished works like NAYAKAN, AGNI NAKSHATRAM, GITANJALI, ROJA and BOMBAY. Every sequence in GURU bears the stamp of a genius and the outcome is tremendous.A.R. Rahman's music is in sync with the film. 'Maiya Maiya' at the start of the film [Mallika Sherawat] is sizzling, while 'Barso Re' [Ash's introduction] and 'Tere Bina' are melodious to the core. Rahman's background score is also topnotch. Rajiv Menon's cinematography is of international quality. The lensman captures the 1950s look, right to the present day setting, with flourish. Vijay Krishna Acharya's dialogues are of superior quality. The writing in the last twenty minutes is fantastic.

Reserve all the awards for Abhishek Bachchan. No two opinions on that! His performance in GURU is world class and without doubt, a shade above his career-best work in YUVA. From a sharp teenager in Turkey to the biggest entrepreneur of the country, Abhishek handles the various shades this character demands with adroitness. He takes a giant leap with this film!Aishwarya Rai too stuns you with a powerful performance. Known for her angelic looks all the while, the actor will make people sit up and notice the reservoirs of talent in GURU. Also, the chemistry between Abhishek and Aishwarya is electrifying. Mithun Chakraborty is in form after a long, long time. And it's a pleasure to see the veteran deliver a natural performance from start to end.Madhavan's role could've been stronger, but he enacts it with élan. Vidya Balan too suffers due to a weak characterization, but makes up with a confident performance. Arya Babbar is first-rate in a brief role. The film has a number of characters, but the ones who register a strong impact are Roshan Seth, Manoj Tyagi and Sachin Khedekar.On the whole, GURU is one of the finest films to come out of the Hindi film industry. At the box-office, its business will be excellent at the multiplexes as compared to the single screens. In fact, the business at the multiplexes [which are performing 12/14/18/20 shows a day] will be enough to make the film a success story in days to come. Strongly recommended, go for it!

Rating: **** (4/5)

(Disclaimer: The pictures and writings displayed here is only for INFORMATIONAL purpose and is NOT used for COMMERCIAL/ PROMOTIONAL purposes.)