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Movie Review

Rating : 6/10
Release Date : 12th February, 2016
Time : 131 minutes
Director, Writer : Abhishek Kapoor; Co-Writer : Supratik Sen (based on the novel �Great Expectations� by Charles Dickens); Music : Hitesh Sonik
Starring : Tabu, Katrina Kaif, Aditya Roy Kapur



Soulful, romantic movies � where the hero and heroine keep expressing their love for each other, revel in deep sighs, leaving things unsaid and meaningful stares - aren�t really my type. Add shades of tragedy to them and usually they�re well nigh unwatchable for me. I went purely for Tabu and some of the visuals and I wasn�t disappointed.



It�s a pretty straight-laced translation of Great Expectations � set in Kashmir. Aditya Roy Kapur, the poor, talented artist / boy, Katrina Kaif, the gorgeous princess and Tabu the mesmeric, heart-broken wealthy �Queen�.



Kashmir never looked prettier � the autumn and snowy frames a visual delight (great work by Anay Goswami) ! The music score is super, sets the tone, the song Pashmina especially resonating. Even some of the art Aditya is shown creating is beautiful, breath-taking (some went over my head � the horse, for example - but there were others � the shikara, the black and white drawings - that were stunning). And Tabu works her magic � her look, her eyes and minimal gestures connecting a lot more than her hysterical moments.



I don�t get this kind of love � perhaps the problem is me � the one-sided, never-fading, the kind that lasts for years just on memories. Add to that the rich-poor angle, the bits about Kashmir (the bomb blasts, Indo-Pak relations) and the whole somber, brooding undertone, and you lost me



The main issue with the film though lies in the fact that, despite being only two years apart, Katrina looks like a nearby Cougar Aunty I know when romancing Aditya�and I mean this without in any way demeaning either of the two persons � it�s not that she looks old or anything � just the pair doesn�t work. She�s all grown-up, full-bodied, curvaceous woman while he�s still man-boy-child (with rippled abs, but that doesn�t change anything).

It�s not good for a romance flick, if the lead pair doesn�t click. No ?

Rating : 6/10
Release Date : 27th November, 2015
Time : 151 minutes
Director & Writer: Imtiaz Ali; Music : A R Rahman;
Starring : Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Piyush Mishra, Yash Sehgal, Piyush Mishra, Javed Sheikh



I got the central message but not the way the delivery has been,
I loved, in minutes, the first ten and five, and the last fifteen
But sadly very little of what�s in between�



After a slightly surreal opening sequence about a young boy (Yash Sehgal playing a young Ranbir) and a storyteller (Piyush Mishra), which kind of sets the mood for what lies ahead, btw, we arrive in Corsica. Beautiful, sun-drenched, summery, full of old world charm, cobbled streets, pristine waterfalls, a very leggy, vivacious Deepika Padukone, a charming Ranbir Kapoor, emerald green seas, gorgeous vistas�and did I mention Deepika�s legs, that go on for miles ?


Anyways, they meet, have fun, set boundaries, break them, romance, mention Asterix in Corsica and all the while don�t tell each other who they are. Then they leave and we are treated to a fabulous, mad-cap song, Heer To Badi Sad Hai



�And then they meet again�and it gets quite boring, very normal (despite all the stuff about it not being the same old story). Things perking up again only just before the end�


It�s kind of a gender - reverse complicated version of Jab We Met (kind of). It�s about doing what makes you happy, finding your mojo, recognizing your own special story, chasing your own dreams, writing your own story, shunning mediocrity, pursuing excellence.



But as someone who�s chosen paths of the beaten track, I found issue even with the way that is depicted (rant coming up, you�ve been warned). It�s not a binary equation, is it ? There is a way to find happiness / pursue your passion outside the confines of the workplace (which circumstances may have forced on you). So the solution offered � the break free � may not necessarily be the only option, nay, can probably be a very dangerous course to recommend. And what is this fixation about being the best ? Do whatever you�ve chosen to do well, have fun doing it � if you�ve chosen a line because you want to enjoy life then why put this additional pressure of trying to be the best � just be the best you can be, no ? Revel in the fact that you�ve chosen a different option and find happiness in your own unique way (apologies to Mr Tolstoy).



And that brings us to what for me is the fatal flaw in the movie - the character played by Ranbir doesnt really ring true...the one we saw in Corsica and the one we see in Delhi can simply not be the same person ! Dont want to give anything away, so please message / comment here if you'd like more discussion on why I think so...



All in all, Imtiaz Ali here chooses a rather convoluted way to tell us a story � normally he�s quite direct, well thought out and it seems to come from the heart � this one falls somewhere in between. Thank God, as a saving grace, for AR Rahman�s kickass soundtrack, the impish charm of Ranbir and the sizzling, perky Deepika (you were waiting for me to mention the legs again, weren�t you ?

Rating : 4/10
Release Date : 18th September, 2015
Time : 138 minutes
Director, Co-Writer : Nikhil Advani; Co-Writer: Anshul Singhal; Music : Shankar Ehsaan Loy
Starring : Imran Khan, Kangana Ranaut, Abhishek Saha, Vivan Bhatena



You know he�s nerdy because he wears specs. You know she�s cool and hip because she paints, has tattoos, wears really short shorts and carries Rs 20 notes in her bag with her phone number written on them� He takes but an instant to fall in love and wants a deep, committed relationship while she wants something time pass, as she hasn�t checked out the �merchandise� in their college yet. And with a start like that, isn�t heartbreak inevitable ? Booze (lots of it), a suicide attempt (featuring a bottle of phenyl that looks like a beer bottle), fights and a rebound one night stand follows, but will they lead to true love finding a way ?


And then, just when you thought it was going to end, is a big twist � something so incomprehensible, so ludicrous, it made the movie fall and fail�


What works are the moments of zaniness (only a few, like when he�s examining toilets, the parents visit to the campus or the opening credits), a decent soundtrack (despite being over-populated with songs), a good supporting cast (especially Abhishek and Vivan) and superb sets / visuals. What falls flat are the repeated, almost desperate attempts to be really cool, quirky (the impossibly overwrought boss, the band at the end), the irritating sister, the stretched heartbreak with the �I will forget her� alternating with �I will get her back� portions and the overall silliness of the plot.



What also doesn�t work is the lead pair � neither is able to truly bring credibility to their characters. Imran is completely unconvincing as the love-sick lover � he doesn�t look like the type who would go to pieces if his girl left him � and he tries too hard to emote. Kangana�s struggle is more with her character, which being flawed doesn�t leave her much scope. And she�s also done the wild chick a bit too often, so the novelty has worn off.



What we get is a terrible, confused, mess of a story, almost as if the makers didn�t know whether to make us laugh or to cry and then fall flat trying to make us do both. The characters are stereotypical, make us feel nothing for them and the ending is a desperate attempt to wring some emotions from us. Though it only made me cringe and hold my head in my hands, while laughing hollowly�

Rating : 6/10
Release Date : 28th August, 2015
Time : 136 minutes
Director, Co-Writer : Kabir Khan; Co-Writer: Parveez Sheikh, based on a novel Mumbai Avengers by Hussain Zaidi; Music : Julius Packam
Starring : Saif Ali Khan, Katrina Kaif, Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub, Sabyasachi Chakrabarty



Despite an emotive topic, you struggle to feel anything. Especially for the characters � portions of the blame can be assigned to the script, casting, dialogue and editing � you just kind of go through the motions on this one, till right at the end, where you begin to root (a little bit) for things to go as planned.


Based on the book, Mumbai Avengers, this one is seriously wishful thinking about avenging the 26/11 blasts. About finding someone to go about killing those responsible for those blasts wherever they may be � vigilante justice, American style. A RAW think tank, headed by Sabyasachi and powered by Zeeshan, dreams this mission up, finds the right people and goes ahead without government permission.


They settle on disgraced soldier, Saif. Living in isolation in icy wilderness. Who finally says yes. And then goes about pursuing his assigned targets across the globe. Aided by Katrina Kaif, a London based information source for RAW. And an inept ISI (they really do make someone who regularly conducts operations against India with ease, look like bumbling buffoons).


For starters, Saif isn�t really believable as tough guy on a suicide mission. And it�s not just his fault, as the script doesn�t build him up or point out why he�s the right guy, apart from telling us he was court-martialled. Katrina, she of the famous pout, just doesn�t look plausible firing assault weapons. She doesn�t move or behave like she�s in the counter-intelligence business. And her front, a medical organization (something like Medecins Sans Frontieres), again doesn�t make sense, one minute she�s in London, next in Beirut, then in Syria and then in Lahore, almost as per her desires, going around with heavily armed men. Even the villains aren�t built up well enough � you know a little bit about them from news reports � but if they�re so easy to access (especially the first target), then you really do wonder why India isn�t doing something about it



This one is a little bit of a flatline, despite the exotic locales and the jingoistic plot. Struggles between trying to keep it real or filmy, succeeds at neither and even at the end, when things do pick up it�s just patriotism which eggs you on, aided by lots of Bollywood masala and dialogues, rather than anything substantive.

Rating : 9/10
Release Date : 19th December, 2014
Time : 153 minutes
Director, Writer : Rajkumar Hirani; Co-Writer: Abhijat Joshi; Music : Shantanu Moitra
Starring : Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma, Sanjay Dutt, Parikshit Sahni, Boman Irani, Saurabh Shukla, Sushant Singh Rajput



Ten Things About PK (and I�m trying hard to give nothing of the story away)

1. Aamir displays a child-like curiosity in the film, questions many things we take for granted. Imagine, if we were brought up in isolation, without parents / elders to make us conform, how many of our customs would we find odd ? For example, the concept of money ? Or Dancing Cars ? Or even clothes ? Its inevitable then, that he gets the name he does�


2. One custom, that for sure Aamir finds very intriguing, is that of our religions. Or different companies, run by different managers, as he puts it. Just for starters, ever wondered how the colour of mourning in one is the bridal colour in another ?


3. He, for reasons that will only be clear as you watch the film, does all this questioning in fluent Bhojpuri� which definitely enhances the humour quotient


4. He only trusts two people. One is Sanjay Dutt, a band master in Mandva, Rajasthan. Who, to assuage his own guilt, takes Aamir in, gives him shelter, helps him in many ways


5. The other is the pretty, petite, Anushka (looking quite different, not all naturally I�m assured by women who claim they can make out such stuff), who helps him out of a bit of a jam. Freshly jilted by her lover, Sushant Singh Rajput and back from videsh (picturesque Bruges), she is now a TV reporter in Delhi, and her Dad (Parikshit Sahni) is a great believer in a God-man, Saurabh Shukla


6. Saurabh Shukla, as many others of his ilk, claim to have a direct line to God. And his routine, extremely well enacted, actually involves him doing a mock conversation with our Maker, whenever a question is posed to him. He ends up having a key role to play in the film


7. Aamir�s acting and dialogue delivery is close to perfect. He is brilliant and with this one cements his reputation as one of the best actors we have on screen, definitely the best amongst the superstars.


8. Rajkumar Hirani and Abhijat Joshi deserve many kudos for delivering a great script (this time hopefully no controversy from a disgruntled author) as does Vidhu Vinod Chopra for producing it. Credit also due to Raju Hirani for extracting super performances from all actors (Sanjay Dutt was very good in his brief role) and also for great locales. The music, songs by Shantanu Moitra, lyrics by Swanand Kirkire is great � enhances the film, doesn�t disturb the story / pace of the film and isn�t the type that makes you reach for the phone to check your messages (the case with most film songs these days)


9. The film is a light-hearted yet hard hitting look at life and an aspect that divides us quite deeply. Probably something that should be kept personal but is instead used more for outwardly show, to create schisms among us. Something that in recent times has led to too much �touchiness�, unnecessary �sensitivity� and even senseless violence.


10. There is a fable like feel to the movie (was reminded for some reason of Chocolat) and it deserves a lot of credit for managing to keep the tone light, despite the seriousness of the points it makes. The choice of Bhojpuri really does prove a master-stroke in this regard. There was, I felt, one redundant love angle in the film, and the sole point deducted for its final rating is probably towards that. I recommend making time for the film this week. And taking the kids with you is highly advisable.

Rating : 6/10
Release Date : 7th November, 2014
Time : 108 minutes
Director: Don Hall, Chris Williams; Writer: Don Hall, Jordan Roberts based on the comic by Duncan Rouleau and Steven T Seagle; Music : Henry Jackman
Starring : (voices of) Scott Adsit, Ryan Potter, Daniel Henney, TJ Miller, Jamie Chung, Damon Wayans Jr, Genesis Rodriguez, James Cromwell, Alan Tudyk, Maya Rudolph



The first fifteen minutes here are really great � expand how we think, what is possible in the world of science, robotics. The first half is pretty good � slightly predictable but we are quite invested in our boy hero, his angst and his inventions � and await more stuff like we saw in the beginning. The second half really unravels though, logically inconsistent, moving from a good, personal, albeit tech based story into superhero territory. However, the huge, ungainly but extremely lovable BayMax, our friendly health companion probably does enough to salvage the film.









Hiro, our hero, is a young child prodigy who�s finished high school by 13 and is currently using his brains to win at Bot-Fighting. His elder brother, also a science genius, luckily is around to help when needed and show him the way. When an accident causes his untimely death, his invention, BayMax and some friends from the science lab have to step in to help Hiro rediscover his path and his true self. Set in the city of San Fransokyo � a kind of Japanese version of San Fransisco � the film has its share of funny moments, endearing characters. But where it really scores is with its techie, nerdy stuff � its inventiveness, its zaniness, its combination of flair and science � helping us think beyond what is available today. Just for that alone, this one is worth taking the kids to !