Friday, 14 September 2007

Yes Boss [1997]

I remember watching this film in the cinema when it released, and then watching Duplicate just a few months later too. I used to get incredibly confused between the films haha but one thing I knew was that I loved both dearly. Duplicate was a film I ended up watching a lot over the years, but Yes Boss I didn’t see as frequently. Thankfully I bought the DVD a couple of months back and finally got around to watching it the other day!

I don’t want to beat around the bush here, I’m going to put it simply – it is a great film! It’s a complete entertainer and a brilliantly made film. Everything about it is wonderful. The comic moments are perfect and so are the more emotional sequences.

The story is unique and really interesting. The basic theme [how people can do anything for fame and money] is realistic, as all Aziz Mirza films. The highlight of the film is definitely the characterizations, as each character is so perfectly sketched.

Aziz Mirza delivered a classic with Yes Boss! He’s a fine filmmaker, who doesn’t know how to make a bad film. I cannot wait to see his forthcoming Shahid-Vidya starrer, but I do wish he returns to Shah-Juhi sometime soon.

Performances by the entire cast are good and each actor justifies his/her character. Shah Rukh Khan suits the character so wonderfully. His natural performance and charm give the character something no other actor could have. It goes without saying that this is his show all the way and he steals each and every scene from under the noses of all his co actors!

Aditya Pancholi delivers one of his best performances. Juhi Chawla looks adorable and does exceedingly well in her role. All the character artistes (namely Gulshan Grover, Reema Lagoo, Johnny Lever, Kashmera Shah etc) all do well in their roles.

Overall, the film is simply brilliant. There’s little else I can add to this review! It runs at a perfect timing, never boring the viewer. Consisting of a great soundtrack, fantastic performances and a fantastic story, it’s no wonder why Yes Boss remains today as one of the most universally loved films of the 90s.

Wednesday, 12 September 2007

Zameer [2005]

I know this isn’t the type of film most people get excited about watching, but I remember looking forward to it many years back while it was being shot. I remember how happy I used to get seeing the onset pictures in Filmfare and Cineblitz, and then the promos started and I was so hyped for the film! However, then the film just got stalled for sometime and that was irritating, it took longer then expected to release and my hype got lost somewhere there and I forgot all about it! Then when I was at some DVD store a couple of weeks back I saw the film in the “3 for £10” section and just had to buy it to add to my collection!

I’m a huge fan of both Ajay Devgan and Mahima Chaudhary and since last year I’ve started to like Amisha Patel a lot too, so I was really looking forward to watching this one when I got time. So last night I did just that!

In terms of the box-office result, I know this film flopped…badly! Do I think that’s justified? Well, in a way, yes it is. Why? Because it released 5 years too late! The film is very “outdated” in terms of concept and perhaps even treatment. Had it released earlier, it would’ve found a market for itself. But instead it ended up being unfortunate enough and releasing in the year where we saw progressive cinema like Black, My Brother Nikhil and Parineeta seeing commercial success.

Zameer consists of a very sweet romance, with all the ingredients one expects from a movie of the 90s. It doesn’t find a place in today’s cinema, but that’s not necessarily translating into the film being a bad film – I personally do not believe it to be so!

I enjoyed the film a lot. The story is a sweet college romance, with a twist. It’s not original or earth shattering, but it forms the base for a very good entertainer. I’m delighted to say that this DVD wont just sit on my shelf collecting dust from now on, because I can actually imagine myself watching it again!

The music by Jatin-Lalit is a let down. None of the songs are catchy enough to even remember, and the lyrics are incredibly cheap! The technicalities of the film are also unimpressive but that’s not really a surprise as it’s a film which was in ‘the making’ for a long period of time and didn’t even have the backing of a big production banner.

All the performances are impressive and the three lead stars of the film get very good roles to project their talent. Ajay Devgan is as smashing as ever! His natural performance makes his character so believable that the viewer cannot help but sympathise with the situation he’s in.

Among the actresses, both get good roles to display their talent. Amisha Patel looks adorable and makes a very convincing college student. She pulls of her cutesy outfits with a lot of grace and a very warm childlike innocence. Performance-wise there are times where one wishes she had worked that tad bit harder, but nonetheless she delivers well. Mahima Chaudhary is a revelation. She looks stunning, as she always does, and performs like a dream! Her expressions were perfect throughout and though her screen time is a lot less then Ajay and Amisha, she leaves an equal amount of impact!

The supporting cast all do a very good job. Kulbhushan Kharbanda is at his best, Alok Nath is impressive and Shakti Kapoor delivers one of his finest, most likeable and mature performances!

Overall, I’m very impressed with this film and I know I’m probably not in the majority here, but I believe it’s definitely worth watching at least once! Sweet story, great entertainer and very good performances all round!

Ram Jaane [1995]

As a child this was one of the films I used to watch most often, because it starred two of my favourite actors [Shah Rukh and Juhi]. However, as years went on I began to, in a sense, forget about it. The last time I saw the film properly was probably a good 10 years ago! So the other night I decided to give it a watch, for old-times sake, even though I didn’t remember much about it and most people I know bash the film quite a bit.

Did the film disappoint me? Hell no! It’s a fantastic movie and I consider it to be a golden piece in my DVD collection. The story is fabulous and the characterizations are brilliant (primarily the one of Ram Jaane himself). Running to a screenplay of approximately 2 hours 20 minutes, the screenplay of the film is quite good and surprisingly the film didn’t drag at any point.

The music by Anu Malik is superb and each song is catchy! The lyrics are quite tacky, with song titles like “Phaink hawa mein ek chumma tum catch karlo”, “Bum chiki chiki bum”, “Pehla love song” and “Pump up the Bhangra”, but I guess that’s just how the majority of soundtracks during that time were! Also, keeping in mind the area the film is set in and the kind of characters we follow in it, these tacky lyrics actually match pretty well!

The highlight of the film is undoubtedly the performance delivered by Shah Rukh Khan. I really don’t think myself worthy enough to attempt to review performances by the man I consider to be the best actor in the entire world. No amount of words can do justice to his brilliance in most films, and this is no different. He slips into the role of Ram Jaane as a hand does into a glove! His facial expressions and body language deserve a 10/10 as always, but what really catches the viewers attention, with the performance he gives us here, is his mind-blowing dialogue delivery! It goes without saying that this film is his show the entire way. I am really glad he won an award [at the Screen awards] recognising his brilliant in this performance – extremely deserving!

All the other actors do complete justice to their roles. Pankaj Kapoor is a scene-stealer!! His performance is outstanding as ‘technicolour’! Puneet Issar tended to go slightly over-board in some portions, but did a good job nonetheless.

Vivek Mushran is good, though I found his facial expressions slightly irritating at times. Juhi Chawla looks and performs very cutely. Gulshan Grover did very well.

Overall, the film really surpassed what I remembered of it. It’s very entertaining and Shah Rukh’s performance makes it so worth buying… a must watch for all Shah Rukh fans!

Monday, 10 September 2007

Aap Kaa Surroor [2007]

Himesh Reshammiya has been a favourite of mine ever since 1998. He always ranked as one of my favourite music directors, and then when he explored new avenues and debuted as a singer – he became one of my favourite singers! 9 years after the time I first knew who he was, he debuts as an actor with ‘Aap Kaa Surroor – The Moviee – The Real Luv Story’. My initial thoughts? “Oh my God…Himesh as an actor, that’s awesome, I can’t wait! But what kind of terrible title is that? Stupid numerology!”… all the promos were impressive and I was dying to see the film but then came June 29th 2007… and three biggies release: Apne, Awarapan and Aap Kaa Surroor. Thanks to some unfortunate reasons, I had the chance of watching only one of them in the cinemas and debated over it for quite some time before finally deciding on Apne. However when the three films released on original DVD’s, I bought them all! I loved Apne, I liked (but was disappointed by) Awarapan…and now for Aap Kaa Surroor. The DVD had been sitting pretty in my collection for like almost a month now and I just couldn’t find the convenient time to watch it, but today I finally got around to doing so.

The promotion of the film was stupendous! There was just so much mystery revolving around the film and it’s story. Why are the songs looking like music videos? Who’s that couple always hanging around in the background? Will Himesh Reshammiya make as good an actor as he does composer/singer? Can a film with such a stupidly written title (credit: numerology) be appreciated; can it be anything more then a cheese-fest? And then *hold your breath* the film releases and it becomes such a huge success that the success is compared to movies like Krrish and Dhoom 2! Oh my God… HR has got the impossible to be possible – his movie is being compared to the legendary actor’s [another HR] movies haha, but can the film actually be even a fraction as decent as them?

The story of the film is sweet and simple but has many twists and turns incorporated into it, which heightens the level of excitement. It revolves around the life of a rockstar [Himesh], how he falls in love and the corruption he discovers in the music industry. The screenplay is perfect and the film is only about 2 hours 10 minutes in length! It doesn’t drag at all and keeps the viewer engaged throughout.

Prashant Chadha, thankfully, takes us away from New York and London! Instead we are introduced to the uniquely beautiful scenery of Germany, which is made to look even more pretty and welcoming thanks to the cinematography by Manoj Soni. In fact the film looks like one big music video thanks to the gorgeous, stylish and crystal-clear gloss look! Trade analyst Taran Adarsh is absolutely right when he refers to this film as “eye candy” – it most definitely is!

This review would be absolutely incomplete if the music section was not given justice. Himesh Reshammiya excels in both departments (as the composer and playback singer)! All the songs are impressive and beautiful. A fantastic soundtrack!! Each and every song is a treat to hear and also to watch, as the choreography is also fantastic!

Debutante actor Himesh Reshammiya takes to the role like a fish to water! Playing a rockstar must have come very easy to the superstar and he enacts the role with absolute ease, showing no signs of forced-effort. He’s an absolute natural! Never once in the film does he go overboard, he fits the role perfectly and does complete justice. Before watching the film I had my doubts whether or not he would prove to be a good actor, but thankfully Himesh has removed all doubts – he churns out a fantastic performance, absolutely wonderful…you couldn’t have asked for more! Here’s an actor who can act, compose music and also playback for his own songs – and do all that excellently, without sacrificing anywhere, Himesh proves that with A.K.S! Now I’m really looking forward to seeing him set fire on the cinema screen once more (and next time HR, I will surely be there in the cinema watching the movie, I really regret not having done so)!

Hansika Motwani impresses more then expected. She’s a complete natural. Never once did I remember she is ‘Hansika – The child artiste’, she was 100% Riaa (her character) in this film and hats off to her for delivering such a fine performance, and also looking so breathtakingly beautiful throughout. I wish her all the success for the future, because I really am looking forward to seeing her act again! Oh and I must add that her acting style really resembles both Preity Zinta and Kareena Kapoor (either she takes inspiration from them, or it’s just coincidental).

In a guest appearance, Mallika Sherawat leaves an impact. She performs with ease and delivers a great performance as Ruby.

The actors playing the roles of Shravan and Bani both do justice to their roles, but it’s the guy playing Shravan who really excels. After a good job in Kuch Meetha Ho Jaaye, he impresses yet again (and looks hot too!).

All the others, most notably Raj Babbar and Darshan Jariwala, do complete justice to their roles too.

Prashant Chadha does a brilliant job as Aap Kaa Surroor is a brilliant entertainer! It has all the ingredients of a successful film so it really does not surprise me that it’s one of the most successful movies of 2007. It is, without any doubt, a very good movie and definitely worth watching at least once. If you haven’t yet seen it, I suggest you get yourself moving and buy a copy of the original DVD because it’s most definitely worth every penny you pay! Just the other day I was telling my sister how I wished we had more of these cute love stories made which you can watch whenever you’re feeling bored – and Aap Kaa Surroor is just that, and more! It’s very entertaining and it’s also a quality film! I’m not at all disappointed, actually it’s surpassed my expectations!

Cash [2007]

Anubhav Sinha has a great resume to boast of, including films like Tum Bin [fantastic emotional drama], Aapko Pehle Bhi Kahin Dekha Hai [sweet love story] and Dus [classy and stylish action]. The director has not only proved his fantastic capabilities as a filmmaker, but has also assured the audience that he will not be typecast in a particular genre of filmmaking. After making 2 family entertainers [Tum Bin, Aapko Pehle Bhi…] the director took on the challenge of an action-adventure movie [Dus], which went on to achieving a lot of commercial success, before exploring a completely different style of filmmaking with Tathastu and then reverting back to the action genre with the film in question – Cash!

So, is Cash yet another milestone in Anubhav’s journey, or does it take him 10 steps backwards? In terms of success, the film was not really appreciated by either the critics or the audience!

The story of the film revolves around the typical chor [thief] and heera [diamonds] business. It’s not as novel as one would expect and yet it still has potential to make a decent action thriller. Although the story disappoints initially, the major downfall of Cash lies in it’s weak and patchy screenplay. The film seems rushed at some parts and at other parts it feels it is going at the pace of a snail! The entire first half seems without purpose and leaves the audience feeling bored and highly irritated. It’s the second half of the film where the action begins to take off and the film becomes tolerable and entertaining.

A major turn-off in the film is the cheesy and highly pathetic animation! It’s absolutely ridiculous when the actors keep being animated every other second (and the worst thing is that the animation is so terrible)! The locations of Cape Town are breathtaking and the action sequences are incredibly well illustrated.

The soundtrack by Vishal-Shekhar is impressive. All the songs are catchy, though they really don’t find place in the films screenplay! The most strangely placed one being ‘Mind-blowing Mahiya’.

Ajay Devgan seems uninterested and bored (and to be honest, I don’t blame him!), you can tell he felt forced to do the film and his heart wasn’t in it. The energy was missing. However, being the fantastic and natural actor he is, he still manages to churn out a natural performance and completely justifies his character. Some of his scenes were absolutely fantastic [like when he’s teaching Shamita to get her car starting again… “koo-kiri-ooo-kirich” LOL] and he didn’t even have to put in any effort to steal the scenes he was in!

Zayed Khan does well and looks very sweet, however he does tend to go overboard at times. Ritesh Deshmukh is easily the show-stealer! His natural performance makes you want to stand up and applaud him. As always he’s simply a revelation! This is yet another fantastic performance from him, and this time in a very different avatar.

Watching Suniel Shetty in Cash gives a deja-vous feeling, how many times have we seen him play absolutely identical roles in the past couple of years? He does well, but he needs to refresh himself.

Esha Deol easily wins the race amongst the actresses in the film. She looks beautiful and gives a strong performance. Shamita Shetty is adorable. Dia Mirza looks pretty but disappoints with her mediocre performance. Ayesha Takia is a beautiful surprise and looks absolutely gorgeous, while performing as naturally as ever even in such a short appearance.

All in all, let’s put it simply… I had earlier planned on buying the original DVD of Cash (without having seen it) and boy am I glad I did not make that mistake! I’d advise everyone who’s bored, and has nothing better to do, to give Cash a watch, it’s worth that one watch when you have nothing better to do…but don’t spend £20 buying it – just rent it for £2 instead, like I did. Do not under any circumstance bother spending too much cash on it because though it has it’s moments, Cash really isn’t worth your Cash!!