Bollywood Blog

Despite her success with Jab We Met, there is hardly anything this actress is doing for which one can take her seriously. The next route for an actor to take after giving a breakthrough performance is to get serious. There is no telling with Kareena; she can ham her way in a movie to stun you in another and then just as equally fall back to where she started.

No one can deny her starpower; she has become the gossip for tabloids and newspapers; sad in a way. Then, there’s the countless campaigns. Just how many different soaps is she using? and selling to the public? I lost track after the 20th. Then comes the “special appearances”; just why is that so *in* these days? I fail to understand why able directors need two minutes of star celebrities to get their movies rolling?

So, she has almost five movies coming out this year. Will one of them turn out to be Omkara or Jab We Met? Let’s see. For now, for me, for this actress, it’s back to ignore.

Also, is it just me or does she really have no chemistry with Salman Khan? Nada. Zilch. Yet again, she’s doing a movie with him.

I watched this movie last night without any expectations. In fact, I hadn’t even heard of it. I remotely remember someone talking about a flim releasing that should be a modern take on the rather ancient Devdas. I didn’t think much into it since Devdas has been formulated; presented way too many times to be taken seriously anymore. I was, however, in for a big surprise.

This movie is what gives new and eager directors in India a chance to understand where they need to go as filmmakers and as an industry. I was simply blown away by the concept, the direction and the acting; not to mention the realistic way things approach within the story without the element of overdoing it.

In bollywood going over the top is a common occurrence; intentionally and even unintentionally. If it’s a comedy, it needs to be over the top but then the real downside of realistic cinema going over the top becomes an opportunity gone in vain. The cast and crew of the movie want to experiment but wind up just *too* experimental. Here, I give huge props to the way things don’t ham their way into the movie.

Furthermore, every character has been given such distinctive qualities that even in their one dimensional roles turn out to be spectacularly original and far from abstract. Dev, played to perfection by Abhay Deol, has a drinking problem stemming from his inability to get over Paro, played beautifully by Mahie Gill. He has no one to blame but his egotistical impulses but can He help it? The story; direction will keep the masses interest in at least the first half where the movie does it’s best to engage and impress.

On another side of the spectrum is Chanda, played by Kalki Koechlin. A schoolgirl, unripended and naive, becomes part of a sex scandal that takes turn for the worse and lands her in prostitution. Dev, fraught with heartache lands on her door, the two sharing something special as time goes on. Is Dev a narcissistic oppurtuntist or really in love?

The implementation of Devdas within the movie is actually very subtle and in some ways rather funny. I wouldn’t say it’s word to word like Devdas, because it isn’t, but the major storyline revolves around the same characters. Some scenes have been nailed down so perfectly you are amazed at Anurag’s skill to construe past into present day.

And, the music is amazingly engraved within the movie. This has to be the first time I’ve seen such perfect placement of a soundtrack; it’s not forced; it doesn’t seem foreign and it blends rather well with everything going on.

There is some sexual content but it’s not explicit in nature and has no motives in the movie other than to showcase a real approach to the real sexual tensions and lusts within the sub-continental society. To avoid that would take away from it’s core; there was nothing was there to garner false appeal or sell tickets; and there are ten other movies on right now that a person with interest in adult material would prefer over this.

All in all, Anurag gives us a massive treat; and marks his directorial genius with Dev D. He not only has left behind the bogus Mahesh Bhatt, whose insistence on making sexual elements a norm of the Indian cinema has really done nothing constructive about it but have women shed clothes and become soft porn actresses, but has also given new meaning to experimental movies that should appeal to the masses and also not compromise art while succeeding at it.

I give this movie a 10/10 because of the sheer inspiration it should give other filmmakers to make better films, and giving them hope that not all *experiments* have to turn into box office losses.

Let’s just take a stint on the fact that this movie is definitely a hit. After coming out of the cinema, I was pretty sure of that. It is the kind of movie that tends to garner in more and more people (and money) through good word of mouth because it is an incredible sellout, in a good way.

Over the years we have come to expect nothing but good family entertainment (full of laughs but with a little drama) movies from Karan (except Kaal and Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna) and this is another add to the bundle. This movie will definitely be given a thumbs up in terms of it’s marketability, but I just hope it is never seen “seriously” or as “ground breaking cinema” because it isn’t that, and that’s okay.

The movie is about two guys, Sam and Kunal, who pretend to be a gay couple to get into the apartment that has a “no man” policy, but when the tenant, Neha, turns out to be an extremely good looking woman, they are both stuck hating fate. What goes on doesn’t make a whole lot of sense; and even though there are some loopholes in the movie in terms of character development, the whole package from start to finish is very very funny; and that is what overshadows it’s shortcomings and weak storyline.

Karan Johar just took out Shahrukh and Saif and Kanteben from Kal Ho Naa Ho and extended it to a whole movie, and it works really well here. I would have to give props to the Director for such a risky subject. The fact that almost everyone in the cinema seemed to hoot and shout every time something funny happened made this a comfortable watch. To highlight gay themes in a comedy/family environment is obviously new to Bollywood, and to have done that and succeed is a major plus.

So let’s get down to business. The story was decent, to be critical though, I would say the things that seem to not work for me was almost the second half of the movie. You just didn’t know where it was headed. It starts of very promising, and don’t get me wrong, it does deliver fairly in it’s second half, story wise, it was a little unsure of it’s boundaries, and the whole “Devil Wears Prada” stolen sequences were hard to go by unnoticed. My other complain was character development. Abhishek was a riot; John was also quite funny; and Priyanka delivered some very great lines, but the one thing that seemed hard to understand was why these two guys, who were around and about girls all the time, suddenly seemed to just get stuck once they saw Neha? Where were Sam’s patients then? Or Kunal’s models? That too were instances where I feel the Director was sleeping. Also, what was up with all the skin? You never saw John with full clothes, and after a while, it got a little tedious. Shilpa Shetty bombed, in a bad way.

The soundtrack was very nice; the cinematography was decent. Kirron Kher; Booman Irani and all the rest of the cast was simply amazing. Bobby didn’t really work though, and Abhishek, in my honest opinion, was the star of the show. He was funny, He was daring, He took a risk, and it paid off. Kudos to Him.

But despite it’s bad sides, entertainment wise, I would give this an A+ simply because of it’s originality. Some of the jokes were amazing and some of the parts made me laugh real hard. I bet Karan Johar is trying to warm up audiences for something serious next time. Who knows. But either way, I would say go watch it for entertainment value. That’s all you get out of this movie, and that’s all some people want, anyway.

I’m going to start by saying if you haven’t seen Memento, see it now! One of the most amazing movies of all time, I must say Aamir is very clever when it comes to selecting the kind of movies He wants to associate with.

I haven’t really looked much into Ghajini, except the trailers airing on television every now and then, I only recently found out it is inspired by Memento. The one thing that does seem a little off is the fact that Aamir has changed the ending; not a great thing. Memento’s ending is exceptionally original; also it is what sums up the movie and gives it edge. I suppose the concept has been stolen; but the story might be totally different. Who knows. Have to wait and find out.

The soundtrack will be released on the 23rd of this month as far as I know. Watch out for it.

I heard a story last night where Aishwarya was interviewed by a journalist on why she never did Dostana. Apparently she was offered Priyanka’s role first; to which she replied Dostana was more about Abhishek and John and decided to not do it because the character ends up with someone else at the end of the movie and not Abhishek; and that would send out a wrong signal to the public.

Okay, this a movie, she needs a well sought out reality check. No-one really cares who she ends up with because it’s a role, not her life. I hate it when these celebrities think movies revolve around their personal lives. They ham and talk about how much they intend for the two to be separate; yet when it really comes down to it, they can’t live without publicity. So cut the crap Aishwarya.

Moreover, I heard from someone she wasn’t ever offered the role. Karan had her in the pipeline but never signed her on; and it was his decision at the end to cast Priyanka. Maybe He thought she would be too wooden? Who knows. Gone are the days when I thought she was a good actress. All of these good actors turn into sellout celebrities along the road; and it shows on their faces. Let’s take Priety for instance, I thought she was very good in Dil Chahta Hai, but since Kal Ho Naa Ho, She looks so plastic and fake it beams on her face. When will we have another Madhuri? or Sridevi? Less drama, more art.

So all this buzz about Yash Raj’s new production starring Rani Mukherjee and Shahid Kapoor. No one is sure what both these actors are going to portray in the movie; but one thing is for sure, it involves cricket. Perhaps a zested sellout like other sports releases recently; Goal and that Shahrukh movie; what was it called? But with a speck of humour and masala.

The truth is though, Shahid seems to NOT be stepping it up. It is childish to compare him to Kareena and her success, I know, but you know, that is how it works. It’s unfair, get over it. She has gone leaps and bounds since Jab We Met (based on overall celebrity status, not acting) while He seems to be stuck to flops and his twenty years old bubblegummish dancing. The truth is, it isn’t really working out for him. I feel sorry for the poor guy.

I’m quite curious what Rani will be doing next. She has been a failure this year. No more Blacks since Black but hopefully this movie should prove a commercial success for both of them. Lord knows Shahid needs this one to stick around.

The expectations from this movie were as high as they could have gotten. The trailers looked decent; the background score and the soundtrack is very snuggish; and not to mention Imran Khan looks like a debutante to look out for. You want to be blown away by this movie; in a cool but subtle way.

The truth is, though, this is probably one of the most bogus movies I’ve ever seen. The only difference is the fact that it’s packaged really well, which makes it kind of even worse. I rented Good Boy Bad Boy knowing what I was in for. I needed to make fun of something and it was money well spent for that matter. This movie cheats you from the day it’s trailers aired on the television. It makes you think it’s worth watching. You go out of your way and waste three hours of your life thinking you’re seeing history.

The story is very simple. Jay and Aditi are best friends. Everyone around them know they’re made for each other, but the two of them think otherwise. When confronted with marriage, they begin on a quest to hooking each other up only to shut others. Jay finds Megna and He begins to change. Aditi is confronted by feelings she never knew she had, and from there it goes on forward..

I went into the cinema expecting a nice/friendly kind of a movie with laughs, friendship and a little drama. Here, the movie takes 180 degree turns into plots. It changes from reality to fantasy as it pleases. There is literally no character development. It starts and goes on and on until it ends. Stories develop; change and end without the viewer feeling any kind of emotion. The only thing that keeps you tuned is the idea of Aditi and Jay and what this movie COULD have POSSIBLY been.

Jay has acted well. Not much can be said for the rest of the cast except that much wasn’t required anyway. Movies like Rang De Basanti, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai that are all based around friendships, groups and college life are like holy shrines in comparison. Kajol and Shahrukh in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai had great chemistry; were very well developed as Anjali and Rahul. Here you have Jay, who is anything but violent, and Aditi, who needs a reason to fight. You take the narrator’s word for this because their introduction situationally is very poor. For five minutes they’re best friends inseparable. For the next five they are disgusted about being together; in the next five they’ve changed. You never see them both together from then onwards; no questions asked. The plot is very localized in a lot of ways. It tries to be one of those movies that get into a comedic fantasy phase slash drama serious phase but all you can do is roll eyes while it is happening. Jay lives to see Aditi smile, yet that kind of close connection between the two is never shown properly on screen. You begin to wonder if you really want for the two of them to be together. You simply don’t care.

I will stop ranting and just say if you’re expecting a lot from this movie, you will be hugely disappointed. The truth is, though, this could have been great. It just messes up too much. It tries to find it’s core somewhere within the story but it’s just all over the place to achieve any kind of appraise.

Good Points: Imran Khan; Music; Megna’s character development.

Bad Points: Direction; Character development; Story.

P.S. Arbaaz and Sohail Khan’s part in this movie was very corny. They both really need to get lives.

Karan Johar started his own blog only a few days ago. I think it’s a great thing He did. Blogs can be therapeutic if written honestly. His thoughts, though, seemed more personal for a blog; talking about his love for the film fraternity (or the lack of it) and also admits to his questionable sexuality and hookups with Bollywood stars (you could have just said Shahrukh there, or are there more?)

Often times you hear these celebrities talk about nothing and you realise just how fickle and ungrateful BUT human they are. The other day I read an editorialesque-type entry from ZQ, a now retired Pakistani Fashion Model, and I was rolling my eyes. The amount of hate, regret she opinionated in that entry (in rather poor english) I kind of wondered where all the happiness is gone? True everybody is sad, and usually the will to write something and share it is only a defense mechanism to be saved, like accepting you’ve reached your lowest point and there’s only coming back up from there; still often times you JUST can’t help but wonder why all the frigging negativity.

The most interesting part of the whole entry was the two line ending, his “official announcement” of his latest venture. Starring Kajol and Shahrukh Khan a movie titled “My Name is Khan” will start shooting soon. After I read that I did a little research and it turns out Kajol did FINALLY accept to work with Karan Johar (given how she’s such a talent hack) so let’s see what this one has in store for the future!

Here is Karan’s official entry.

The website was just updated with the soundtrack listing of Mission Istaanbul. Not anything different here, we’ve seen such scores in the past (Dus, Dhoom, etc) from action movies. The soundtrack is more dance oriented and has a modern/racy touch to it. Some Arabian element has also been diverged into the score. Nothing about the movie though strikes it any different from the already tried-and-tested-and-exhausted formula of wannabe mobsters, throwing in a few almost naked models and a lot of Hollywood cloned action. Let’s hope there is something different about this one. Wishful thinking.

What’s even funnier though, is the fact that Vivek Oberoi plays a Turkish Commander in this movie. Isn’t that funny? Or is it just me?

Anyhow, here is a direct link to the MP3 Soundtrack of Mission Istaanbul.

Satyajit, a John Doe Reviewer, gave this soundtrack a 3/5.