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Movie Review

Rating : 9 /10
Release Date : 8th April, 2016
Time : 105 minutes
Director : Jon Favreau; Writer : Justin Marks based on the book by Rudyard Kipling; Music : John Debney
Starring : Neel Sethi and (Voices of) Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong�o, Scarlett Johansson, Christopher Walken, Giancarlo Esposito; And a few sentences from Jon Favreau, Sam Raimi, Russell Peters, Sara Arrington



This is one of the best remakes I�ve seen of a classic, works for kids and adults alike !



The visuals are amazing, the twists in the story (takes quite a different path to the original film) make sense, are well thought through and add intrigue, keep you gripped. Neel Sethi is a revelation, ideal for the role (sweet face, until he shows the steel he�s made of) as are the myriad superstar voices (Scarlett�s Kaa is sweet death personified, oh so deliciously tingly and Walken dry staccato tone so perfectly suits King Louie). And the songs � aaaahhhhhhh�.they�ve kept elements of the familiar tunes and added some edgy magic to it (especially loved the Indian touch in the soundtrack)! Don�t leave when the end-credits are on � that�s when you get to hear them properly � the video of Kaa�s �Trust In Me� is so totally worth it�



I�m not going to go into the story as I don�t want to give anything away � most of you would be familiar with the broad outline anyways and those who aren�t probably don�t deserve to be forewarned



BTW � for once our censor board seems to have got it right, with a deserved U/A guidance � if you have a young child (under 8?), it can be a little scary, so be careful


You can put the 1967 Disney Classic feature film on mute and I�ll be effortlessly and gladly able to supply the soundtrack � it�s that big a personal favourite ! I had cringed when a remake was announced but every trailer released had helped whet my appetite. And finally, this refreshing retelling of the tale has simply bowled me over. Will be going again tomorrow, despite an extremely packed schedule, to watch it again

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 : 8/10
Release Date : 2nd October, 2014
Time : 161 minutes
Director, Writer, Music: Vishal Bhardwaj (based on William Shakespeare�s play Hamlet); Co-writer : Basharat Peer;
Starring : Shahid Kapoor, Tabu, Kay Kay Menon, Shraddha Kapoor, Narendra Jha, Irrfan Khan, Lalit Parimoo, Aamir Bashir, Sumit Kaul, Rajat Bhagat, Kulbhushan Kharbanda



The most beautiful places can be the settings for the darkest of deeds. The vivid red splashes of human blood on an otherwise pristine, white blanket of powdery snow. The desolate magnificence of winter. The gushing, glorious river being used to cleanse all manner of sins. The bare, stark limbs of a tall trees providing cover for the rich, human drama that unfolds in what was once Paradise.



Hamlet acquires a Kashmiri makeover in Vishal Bhardwaj�s latest masterpiece. Shakespeare�s story of a young prince returning home to find his father gone, his uncle king and his beloved mother the new king�s consort, finds new meaning in the very special Indian state. Where broken promises, the ugly beast of religious fundamentalism, the brute strength of the military boot and most of all, the meddlesome politics for petty gains have ensured a state which remains Paradise only in name.



Shahid is superb as the innocent boy-man who returns to find his manipulative mother, Tabu, smiling, singing as she is being wooed by his hungry-for-power uncle, Kay Kay, just a few days after his soft-spoken father, the good doctor, Narendra Jha�s, disappearance. His subsequent journey, loss of innocence, the blossoming of his love with childhood sweetheart, Shraddha Kapoor, his brush with militancy via Irrfan Khan�s brief appearance and his run-ins with the law represented by the head of the local police, Lalit Parimoo, also Shraddha�s father make for a delicious study of human motives and dilemmas.



Betrayal, greed, filial love, lust � for power and for the female form, the desire to do good irrespective of the cause, the purity of a sweetheart�s love and the burning fire of revenge form a potent mix and compete against one another in most of the key characters at some point or another. Each one, at the end, betrays and is betrayed, as they seek to resolve the maelstrom that envelops their lives.


Shahid and Tabu are superlative amongst a luminous star cast. For Shahid, this film is not about his chocolate candy looks but more about acting prowess as he struggles to find his way amongst conflicting information and emotions. Whether as the son desperate for his mother�s affection, the lost man in need of his beloved�s unflinching love, or the vengeance seeking mad man � he holds our attention and keeps us spellbound. Tabu is mesmeric, magnificent as the woman torn between various desires. A caring mother, the capricious consort, the wronged and the manipulative, its hard to keep your eyes off her riveting performance. There is also a hint, probably more than just a hint, that there is something deeper than filial love that binds these two star performers !



This film unfolds slowly, weaves a rich tapestry and is filled with melodious music and visual delight. It isn�t for those who only want instant gratification, a thrill or a spill per minute but for those who�re willing to be rewarded for their patience. The best movies play with your mind. Lay out choices, force you to take sides, showcase the consequences and outline simple characters who aren�t black or white but imbued with the many shades of grey. With Haider, even the next day, you�re still looking for answers�