I had seen this in "fast-forward motion" earlier on haha but never actually watched it properly, so it was fun to actually sit down and watch it... and surprisingly enjoy it!
A comic thriller isn't a common genre in our industry so I found the twists/turns quite surprising.
Akshay was fantastic. As expected, he totally stole the show. Govinda was brilliant, he'll always be the King of comedy. Paresh is someone I am far from being a fan of, in fact I kind of dislike watching him, but he did a decent job.
Everyone else was good enough too. Lara looked gorgeous and it was a nice surprise to see Arbaaz and Jackie.
Priyadarshan isn't really my kind of filmmaker. However, BB turned out to be a really good entertainer. A nice, fun, de-stressing entertainer.
Thursday, 29 November 2007
Bhagam Bhaag [2006]
Nanhe Jaisalmer [2007]
I expected a lot from this film and I was really happy when my sister bought the DVD (without us having watched it even haha).
The highlight of the film is it's concept. It's unique and appealing. As a diehard film-buff and an extremely star-struck person, I could totally associate with Nanhe's character and at times I would relate with parts of the film a lot.
The downside of the film is that it begins to feel as though it's dragging. It's strange that a lot of films set in Rajesthan tend to have this slow-feel to them haha... I guess with NJ it's because the concept is so straight forward and revolving around a little kid, and it's a simple film with no huge drama going on and no stupid sub-plots.
The music of the film is not all that great. The only song that stands out is the title track which is heart-warming and beautiful in terms of both audio and visuals.
Bobby Deol delivers a fine performance as always. He is an extremely natural actor and did complete justice to his character. I fail to understand why some critics of the film felt that he was not a big enough superstar for the film? That's one of the most ridiculous and pathetic comments any critic could ever make. He didn't have to break any grounds with this performance but he did whatever it required with ease and perfection.
The show stealer is of course the young child artiste Dwij Yadav. I didn't expect him to churn out such a brilliant performance, as he did. He suited the role wonderfilly and proved to be a great performer. The film carries itself on his shoulders! Everything from his expressions to dialogue delivery is great.
Vatsal Seth was a very nice surprise. I really like this boy and I wish he became more successful.
Overall, I really enjoyed Nanhe Jaisalmer and I'm glad it's been added to my DVD collection. I don't know if it has repeatability factor (the fact that it drives at such a slow pace makes me doubt that I'll see it much again) but nonetheless it is a worthwhile watch and I recommend it to everyone. A sweet, simple and adorable film with a very unexpected and surprising twist towards the end.
The highlight of the film is it's concept. It's unique and appealing. As a diehard film-buff and an extremely star-struck person, I could totally associate with Nanhe's character and at times I would relate with parts of the film a lot.
The downside of the film is that it begins to feel as though it's dragging. It's strange that a lot of films set in Rajesthan tend to have this slow-feel to them haha... I guess with NJ it's because the concept is so straight forward and revolving around a little kid, and it's a simple film with no huge drama going on and no stupid sub-plots.
The music of the film is not all that great. The only song that stands out is the title track which is heart-warming and beautiful in terms of both audio and visuals.
Bobby Deol delivers a fine performance as always. He is an extremely natural actor and did complete justice to his character. I fail to understand why some critics of the film felt that he was not a big enough superstar for the film? That's one of the most ridiculous and pathetic comments any critic could ever make. He didn't have to break any grounds with this performance but he did whatever it required with ease and perfection.
The show stealer is of course the young child artiste Dwij Yadav. I didn't expect him to churn out such a brilliant performance, as he did. He suited the role wonderfilly and proved to be a great performer. The film carries itself on his shoulders! Everything from his expressions to dialogue delivery is great.
Vatsal Seth was a very nice surprise. I really like this boy and I wish he became more successful.
Overall, I really enjoyed Nanhe Jaisalmer and I'm glad it's been added to my DVD collection. I don't know if it has repeatability factor (the fact that it drives at such a slow pace makes me doubt that I'll see it much again) but nonetheless it is a worthwhile watch and I recommend it to everyone. A sweet, simple and adorable film with a very unexpected and surprising twist towards the end.
Monday, 12 November 2007
Darling [2007]
I saw this movie sometime ago... I think it was in September or October? Not sure to be honest. I was too busy to review it at that point and now I'm not remembering too much *umm..* so this is going to be brief haha
Fardeen Khan is superb and delivers an excellent performance.
Esha Deol is simply fantastic. Not only does she look incredibly gorgeous but churns out a brilliant performance too, definitely one of her career-best.
Isha Kopikar impresses and surpassed what I expected from her.
The music is brilliant, each and every song is really catchy.
The screenplay is the only department which lets the film down.
Overall...The film is everything you expect from an RGV film. It keeps you gripped and does well in entertaining you. It's not a perfect film and could've been a lot better, but nonetheless I'm glad I saw it. The highlight is definitely the performances delivered by the lead cast.
Fardeen Khan is superb and delivers an excellent performance.
Esha Deol is simply fantastic. Not only does she look incredibly gorgeous but churns out a brilliant performance too, definitely one of her career-best.
Isha Kopikar impresses and surpassed what I expected from her.
The music is brilliant, each and every song is really catchy.
The screenplay is the only department which lets the film down.
Overall...The film is everything you expect from an RGV film. It keeps you gripped and does well in entertaining you. It's not a perfect film and could've been a lot better, but nonetheless I'm glad I saw it. The highlight is definitely the performances delivered by the lead cast.
Zindagi Rocks [2006]
I saw it last night 'coz I had nothing better to do. Usually I like Tanuja Chandra's films but this time I'm really confused about it.
It was alright, a good time pass I guess. But someone please tell me why it was called Zindagi Rocks? It should've been called Zindagi Sucks because it was so depressing and life really does suck, especially what was shown of life in the film.
Shiney Ahuja is the worst narrator a film could have. His voice kept on putting me to sleep. His dialogue delivery is seriously stupid. He looked yellow throughout the film and needs to hire a new makeup artiste. Expressions and body language were fine.
Sushmita Sen was annoying as she usually is these days but I'd still credit her for the effort put in. It was a decent performance. She looked gorgeous, though that spot on the side of her nose kept on jumping out at me!
Kimmy was just simply adorable and gorgeous, I wish she had more scope in the film.
The little boy looked like a girl (I swear he threads his eyebrows?!) but he was still cute and he churned out a good performance nonetheless.
Maushami and everyone else did a good enough job too.
The soundtrack by Anu Malik is disappointing. Ugly songs!
Overall, it's a strange film and I have mixed feelings about it to be honest. I don't regret watching it, it has it's moments... But it had potential to be better then it was.
It was alright, a good time pass I guess. But someone please tell me why it was called Zindagi Rocks? It should've been called Zindagi Sucks because it was so depressing and life really does suck, especially what was shown of life in the film.
Shiney Ahuja is the worst narrator a film could have. His voice kept on putting me to sleep. His dialogue delivery is seriously stupid. He looked yellow throughout the film and needs to hire a new makeup artiste. Expressions and body language were fine.
Sushmita Sen was annoying as she usually is these days but I'd still credit her for the effort put in. It was a decent performance. She looked gorgeous, though that spot on the side of her nose kept on jumping out at me!
Kimmy was just simply adorable and gorgeous, I wish she had more scope in the film.
The little boy looked like a girl (I swear he threads his eyebrows?!) but he was still cute and he churned out a good performance nonetheless.
Maushami and everyone else did a good enough job too.
The soundtrack by Anu Malik is disappointing. Ugly songs!
Overall, it's a strange film and I have mixed feelings about it to be honest. I don't regret watching it, it has it's moments... But it had potential to be better then it was.
Sunday, 11 November 2007
Om Shanti Om [2007]
Om Shanti Om
Reviewed by Manpreet Bhandal
Shah Rukh is like God to me, I love him more then I can express with words. I'm also a huge fan of Farah (be it as a person, director or choreographer) and 'Main Hoon Na' is one of my favourite films, I think 'Main Hoon Na' epitomises entertainment! However, due to the "diwali clash" I didn't have time to be excited for 'Om Shanti Om'. It was still the album I listened to most [second to 'Saawariya' only] on my iPod, but I wasn't as excited as I usually am for Shah Rukh's films because it just didn't appeal to me from the promos.
To get the downsides out of the way first: The story is nothing outstanding or new, we've been there and seen that. The screenplay confuses at times and the editing could have been a lot sharper.
The best parts of the film (which make it worth every minute):
* The beginning with Rishi's song "Om Shanti Om" from Karz – that was truly awesome and unexpected!
* The choreography of 'Dhoom Taana'…a very special mention to the special effects – the way they bought in the actors from their old films and 'stuck' them in the frame with Deepika haha that was so fantastic!!
* The entire "Mind It" scene LOL! That is the funniest scene of the film!!!
* Shah Rukh's re-introduction in the second half
* The discussion about the strange film where Shah Rukh's character can't hear/speak/move or anything
* The entire Filmfare sequence… Amisha/Dia part was too funny! Abhishek's Dhoom 5 was hilarious! Akshay Kumar's 'Return of Khiladi' is perhaps the funniest thing I've ever seen…OMG his "gun" *ahem* Hahah! Hats off to Akshay, he almost stole the show in the entire film with that bloody hilarious sequence LOL… the red carpet with Bappi Lahri, Hrithik, Rakesh, Abhi, Amitabh, Rani, Preity, Bipasha… was fantastic. Especially the girl's "OK and me…we're just good friends" LOL
* Deewangee. Enough said. Everyone looked bloody gorgeous and was such a treat to see!! I could write a separate review for this song but that would get ridiculous. Definitely a highlight!
* Training Sandy to become more like Shantipriya… Sandy was such a laugh!
* The twist that it was actually Shantipriya in the climax scene and not Sandy!
First half / Second half: There are no two ways about it, I by far and large preferred the second half! It was so cute and funny and had so many more good moments as compared to the first half!! The whole 70s spoof got really boring after some time so the first half started to drag sadly… But the second half had me in splits quite a lot…
Classifying genre: Well, it's a "masaala film"…it has a bit of everything… but I definitely preferred the comic moments. The romantic and emotional/tragic parts were dealt with really poorly and not at all impressive, but the comedy made up for that… there were some really good comic moments!
Music: I'm not a fan of this soundtrack but it's good. I wish Farah had taken Anu once again though ('MHN' is such an amazing album!)… Audio-wise my favourite song is 'Dhoom Taana' but a couple of the others are nice too.
Performances:
Shah Rukh Khan What can I say? He's SRK, he's always great… The role doesn't challenge him, so that's disappointing, but performance-wise he does a natural job as always and lives the role(s) of Om to perfection. He was damn cute in the first half and his "hunky cool" act in the second part had me laughing so much, bless! However, his makeup artiste needs to be sued (does he even have one?) because Shah Rukh was looking way too wrinkly in this movie and that didn't do well with the character being quite a young guy!
Deepika Padukone This girl really impressed me! I am so happy with her… She's just so adorable!!! It's great that we've got such lovely new talent in the industry and I'm so happy that this weekend I've seen Ranbir, Sonam and Deepika make their way into our cinema… these three will rock our industry and totally rule! Deepika is a born superstar, she has fantastic screen presence. It's sad that she didn't get to dub for herself and the role doesn't demand much of her as an actress, but she does make the most of whatever she's been given to do and she shows very promising signs, good job…I like!
Shreyas Talpade This is the first time I saw Shreyas act I think… And to be honest he was good but not great. He did justice to his role but he came across as a cheap version of Ritesh Deshmukh to me. Shreyas is really cute but Ritesh would've done this role better and would have left a more remarkable impact.
Arjun Rampal I've always liked Arjun! He's good looking and a good actor but he's never been given recognition as an actor. He churns out yet another very good performance here.
Kiron Kher This woman is perhaps the most rocking onscreen mother we have today. I'd choose her over Jaya Bachchan any day!! She's a laugh and she's just so full of energy, and not to mention she shares beautiful chemistry with Shah Rukh.
Others from Satish Shah to Bindu to every single character artiste did a decent/good job, all of them were impressive.
Overall, I wouldn't say I'm disappointed with 'OSO' because frankly I'm not. It was a nice and cute entertainer and I had a nice time watching it, in fact I will for sure buy the DVD when it comes (but then for heavens sake I have the DVD of Maya Memsaab too) and I will probably watch it a few times more at least when it releases… I don't think 'OSO' is at all as good as 'MHN', 'MHN' is far superior in every single department, however it's a nice watch and a recommended entertainer/pass-time!
Reviewed by Manpreet Bhandal
Shah Rukh is like God to me, I love him more then I can express with words. I'm also a huge fan of Farah (be it as a person, director or choreographer) and 'Main Hoon Na' is one of my favourite films, I think 'Main Hoon Na' epitomises entertainment! However, due to the "diwali clash" I didn't have time to be excited for 'Om Shanti Om'. It was still the album I listened to most [second to 'Saawariya' only] on my iPod, but I wasn't as excited as I usually am for Shah Rukh's films because it just didn't appeal to me from the promos.
To get the downsides out of the way first: The story is nothing outstanding or new, we've been there and seen that. The screenplay confuses at times and the editing could have been a lot sharper.
The best parts of the film (which make it worth every minute):
* The beginning with Rishi's song "Om Shanti Om" from Karz – that was truly awesome and unexpected!
* The choreography of 'Dhoom Taana'…a very special mention to the special effects – the way they bought in the actors from their old films and 'stuck' them in the frame with Deepika haha that was so fantastic!!
* The entire "Mind It" scene LOL! That is the funniest scene of the film!!!
* Shah Rukh's re-introduction in the second half
* The discussion about the strange film where Shah Rukh's character can't hear/speak/move or anything
* The entire Filmfare sequence… Amisha/Dia part was too funny! Abhishek's Dhoom 5 was hilarious! Akshay Kumar's 'Return of Khiladi' is perhaps the funniest thing I've ever seen…OMG his "gun" *ahem* Hahah! Hats off to Akshay, he almost stole the show in the entire film with that bloody hilarious sequence LOL… the red carpet with Bappi Lahri, Hrithik, Rakesh, Abhi, Amitabh, Rani, Preity, Bipasha… was fantastic. Especially the girl's "OK and me…we're just good friends" LOL
* Deewangee. Enough said. Everyone looked bloody gorgeous and was such a treat to see!! I could write a separate review for this song but that would get ridiculous. Definitely a highlight!
* Training Sandy to become more like Shantipriya… Sandy was such a laugh!
* The twist that it was actually Shantipriya in the climax scene and not Sandy!
First half / Second half: There are no two ways about it, I by far and large preferred the second half! It was so cute and funny and had so many more good moments as compared to the first half!! The whole 70s spoof got really boring after some time so the first half started to drag sadly… But the second half had me in splits quite a lot…
Classifying genre: Well, it's a "masaala film"…it has a bit of everything… but I definitely preferred the comic moments. The romantic and emotional/tragic parts were dealt with really poorly and not at all impressive, but the comedy made up for that… there were some really good comic moments!
Music: I'm not a fan of this soundtrack but it's good. I wish Farah had taken Anu once again though ('MHN' is such an amazing album!)… Audio-wise my favourite song is 'Dhoom Taana' but a couple of the others are nice too.
Performances:
Shah Rukh Khan What can I say? He's SRK, he's always great… The role doesn't challenge him, so that's disappointing, but performance-wise he does a natural job as always and lives the role(s) of Om to perfection. He was damn cute in the first half and his "hunky cool" act in the second part had me laughing so much, bless! However, his makeup artiste needs to be sued (does he even have one?) because Shah Rukh was looking way too wrinkly in this movie and that didn't do well with the character being quite a young guy!
Deepika Padukone This girl really impressed me! I am so happy with her… She's just so adorable!!! It's great that we've got such lovely new talent in the industry and I'm so happy that this weekend I've seen Ranbir, Sonam and Deepika make their way into our cinema… these three will rock our industry and totally rule! Deepika is a born superstar, she has fantastic screen presence. It's sad that she didn't get to dub for herself and the role doesn't demand much of her as an actress, but she does make the most of whatever she's been given to do and she shows very promising signs, good job…I like!
Shreyas Talpade This is the first time I saw Shreyas act I think… And to be honest he was good but not great. He did justice to his role but he came across as a cheap version of Ritesh Deshmukh to me. Shreyas is really cute but Ritesh would've done this role better and would have left a more remarkable impact.
Arjun Rampal I've always liked Arjun! He's good looking and a good actor but he's never been given recognition as an actor. He churns out yet another very good performance here.
Kiron Kher This woman is perhaps the most rocking onscreen mother we have today. I'd choose her over Jaya Bachchan any day!! She's a laugh and she's just so full of energy, and not to mention she shares beautiful chemistry with Shah Rukh.
Others from Satish Shah to Bindu to every single character artiste did a decent/good job, all of them were impressive.
Overall, I wouldn't say I'm disappointed with 'OSO' because frankly I'm not. It was a nice and cute entertainer and I had a nice time watching it, in fact I will for sure buy the DVD when it comes (but then for heavens sake I have the DVD of Maya Memsaab too) and I will probably watch it a few times more at least when it releases… I don't think 'OSO' is at all as good as 'MHN', 'MHN' is far superior in every single department, however it's a nice watch and a recommended entertainer/pass-time!
Saturday, 10 November 2007
Saawariya [2007]
Saawariya
Reviewed by Manpreet Bhandal
[As this is a review of the film, it may consist of spoilers so beware incase..]
Expectations: 'Khamoshi', 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam', ' Devdas' and 'Black'… there's little I can say to describe, without taking too much time, just how brilliant each one of these four films are. Sanjay Leela Bhansali is not only a filmmaker beyond excellence but also someone who cannot get enough of churning out films nothing short of being classics back to back! I was so excited when Sanjay launched Saawariya because to me SLB is the epitome of filmmaking, he's everything a director should be, and he is my inspiration! When he announced his cast I was ecstatic!
Ranbir Kapoor – the son of my first ever favourite actor.
Sonam Kapoor – the daughter of an actor I've grown up watching and admiring.
Salman Khan – one of my favourite actors from the day I learnt to walk/talk.
Rani Mukerji – an actress I've admired and loved obsessively for almost 10 years.
To have these beautiful people under the master wand of my most favourite director, I couldn't imagine it getting any better! Then in September when the music was launched, I became crazy and yes there is no better way to describe it. I fell deeply and hugely in love with "Bir and Sona" (that's Ranbir and Sonam, in case you hadn't yet gathered), and Monty Sharma's music had me under a spell! The first promo was in the beautiful signature-style of SLB and I was so excited! The release date got closer and I kept on feeling the strangest of emotions… one minute I'd feel absolutely excited and positive and then I would feel ridiculously nervous.
I didn't get much sleep at all last night so forgive me for writing a lazy (but still lengthy of course *haha*) review.
And now the review…
Initial thoughts: They say that when you go in for an interview, the employer makes up their mind about you within the first few minutes. The same happens with a film. Just a few frames into the film and I knew I was in for something fantastic! I knew I had entered a dream-like world, which is going to take me away from all my own worries and present me with something beautifully welcoming.
Storyline: As I just mentioned above it's a dream-like film. We're transcended to a world we can't really relate to, yet yearn to know more about. We question whether the world truly exists, whether these characters really exist or whether they are a figment of Gulab's imagination. Based on Fyodor Dostoevsky's short story 'White Nights' the story itself is not exactly breathtakingly unique or unseen, but it's been dealt with in the most remarkable manner. It's surreal, yet inviting. We know this place doesn't exist; yet we wish it did. Time and place do not play important characters in 'Saawariya'; in fact they are insignificant factors.
The most beautiful part about the story is how Sanjay has managed to bring in so many messages without rubbing them in your face. He doesn't lecture you, yet he does touch upon issues… be it the way the prostitutes lead their lives or how 'Lollipop' has been living life so alone and isolated.
Technicalities: It really doesn't come as a surprise that the film was definitely the most beautiful piece of visual poetry I have ever witnessed. Cinematographer Ravi K Chandran has yet again worked his magic and bought to us an unimaginable, dreamlike, beautiful and striking cinema experience which leaves you in awe, credit for this of course also goes to the art director Omung Kumar. Let me put it this way – if you thought Devdas and Black were the best you were going to get from SLB in terms of visual-appeal, you were pleasantly mistaken! Everything else is first rate. The screenplay and editing work together wonderfully and refrain from allowing the viewer to get bored at any point of time, in short the film does not drag and has been skilfully edited. I was really upset to see that some songs were cut short and others were entirely omitted, but I respect the editor (which happens to be director SLB himself) did his job with the films best interest at heart.
Costumes/Character styling: Wonderful! The film did not demand dramatic 'costumes' per se, but the outfits worn were suited to each character. Job well done by each and every costume designer!
Music: I have been hearing the songs of Saawariya like crazy ever since the soundtrack released. Even when I had an ear infection, I didn't stop listening to these songs, doesn't that say enough? Monty Sharma stunned his with his themes/scores in 'Devdas' and 'Black' but with 'Saawariya' he has proved to be one of our finest music directors ever. This is a soundtrack I surely won't be forgetting, ever! Without a doubt, it's an evergreen album. Each and every song has been composed/arranged beautifully and the vocals are absolutely superb!
Choreography: Every song has been choreographed with divine beauty. Each one of them is a visual extravaganza! Special mention to 'Chabeela' and 'Yoon Shabnami', both of which are so festive and perfect for the Diwali season in which the film has released.
Performances:
Ranbir Kapoor stuns! And how! I really can't find words to describe just how cute and natural this boy is. He is so charming! When his introduction came in the film, I was about to fall off my seat… believe it or not, I pinched myself 10 times because I felt so numb and thought I was dreaming…even pinching myself didn't help because I still thought I am dreaming! I simply cannot believe that Rishi's son has truly arrived… and he is so incredible! Natural, cute and charming are the best adjectives to describe him. He exudes such warmth you just feel like reaching out to him and giving him the biggest hug. Yes, it's true… the film belongs to him entirely. I feel like I have been blessed that I have finally seen him onscreen, it's like a dream come true. He's a fantastic actor and to think this was just a debut performance is absolutely ridiculously impossible. An incredibly fine performance! Hats off Ranbir… keep working this way. There's no doubt you're here to stay, just keep at it because there are no two ways about it – you are our next superstar…I say we already send you off to Madame Tussauds haha! Oh and "I love you baby!" LOL
Sonam Kapoor is so heavenly beautiful! Every time Sonam came on the screen I couldn't take my eyes of her (and yes people, I am still straight!), she's just so beautiful and has such classic beauty. One second she looks adorable and innocent like a child and the next second she'll look so prim and proper lady-like. I cannot believe some critics were being so harsh on her, I am really insulted by them because I fail to understand who exactly they were watching, as it cant be the same girl I watched. She blew me away with her talent and beauty both. She has such grace in her every move, in her every word… she's truly fantastic! It breaks my heart to think that she wasn't thinking of becoming an actress, because if not her I cant imagine a single other actress doing this role (no, not even our senior actresses!). Her voice really stole my heart. She's too cute! Not only have we found our next male superstar in Ranbir but we've also found our next female superstar in Sonam! Sonam, like Ranbir too, I believe you also are going to grow from strength to strength… it's hard to imagine how you can get even better (because you both were so freaking fantastic), but I know you will keep on surprising me…keep up the great work!
Both Ranbir and Sonam share the most immaculate chemistry, absolutely flawless pairing. They are both our forthcoming super-super-superstars and I am so proud of them! They both act, look and dance like a dream, a very beautiful dream!! I am so impressed… they have truly lived up to my expectations, and believe me you my expectations were freaking high! I truly am in love with them all over again… if you thought I couldn't get madder about them, trust me I am…I don't know what I'm going to do now until their next film releases! They were just so fresh and so lovely!! Oh and one more quick note… I've never seen a newcomer use their eyes as expressively as Ranbir and Sonam did, they completely floored me with their brilliant performances… they were Ranbir Raj and Sakina and not Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam!
So yes, the ending was a bit hard to digest… but then aren't all of SLB's endings? I accept the ending as the perfect ending to 'Saawariya', I cannot imagine it any other way. If Ranbir Raj is lonely it's only because Sakina is with her true love, so we have to be happy for Sakina! And I'm sure Raj wont be upset or anything because if he is, he'll just get in that "boxing ring" haha…aww…
Rani Mukerji is a 'pataka' [firework] in every sense of the word! She lives the role of Gulab with such natural ease but of course that doesn't surprise me an ounce because I always expect the most natural and perfect performances from her, she wont know how to give a bad performance even if she tries haha (unless she is acting to act bad of course!)… she looks her career-best, so gorgeous!! Her dialogue delivery is superb and she had me laughing so much…love this woman to death!
Zohra Sehgal was a sweetheart. It was so good to see her! And she has the sweetest smile!!
Salman Khan had a very short appearance and not much of a demanding character but Salman being Salman leaves a fantastic impression nonetheless. He does complete justice to Imaan.
Others were fantastic too, everyone did a brilliant job!
Sanjay Leela Bhansali… what can I say? The man is my Guru! If anyone can dare make a film like this, it's him… in the 90s decade when everything was about masaala love stories, he made Khamoshi. At a time when it was all about mini skirts, he made HDDCS and Devdas. At a time when filmmakers want to keep safe with love stories, he made Black (a film which broke all boundaries and gave leeway to filmmakers who are now free to make whatever the hell they want!)… with Saawariya he yet again proves his worth as a director. What he extracts from these newcomer kids is unbelievable! Sanjay, last time I reviewed your film in 2005 I bowed down to you and thanked you for everything you taught me. This time, I've just run out of ways of saying how brilliant you are…You're the best…end of!
Overall, Saawariya is yet another classic feather in SLB's cap. This man cannot go wrong and he proved that to me today! I am so, so, so happy and so content with what I saw. It's one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen. It's hard to compare it to Sanjay's other films because I love them all so much, but I'd say if it's second to anyone of his films it's only Black. One of the finest films of our generation…SLB, thank you once again for a cinematic experience of a lifetime.
Rating: 9.5/10
Reviewed by Manpreet Bhandal
[As this is a review of the film, it may consist of spoilers so beware incase..]
Expectations: 'Khamoshi', 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam', ' Devdas' and 'Black'… there's little I can say to describe, without taking too much time, just how brilliant each one of these four films are. Sanjay Leela Bhansali is not only a filmmaker beyond excellence but also someone who cannot get enough of churning out films nothing short of being classics back to back! I was so excited when Sanjay launched Saawariya because to me SLB is the epitome of filmmaking, he's everything a director should be, and he is my inspiration! When he announced his cast I was ecstatic!
Ranbir Kapoor – the son of my first ever favourite actor.
Sonam Kapoor – the daughter of an actor I've grown up watching and admiring.
Salman Khan – one of my favourite actors from the day I learnt to walk/talk.
Rani Mukerji – an actress I've admired and loved obsessively for almost 10 years.
To have these beautiful people under the master wand of my most favourite director, I couldn't imagine it getting any better! Then in September when the music was launched, I became crazy and yes there is no better way to describe it. I fell deeply and hugely in love with "Bir and Sona" (that's Ranbir and Sonam, in case you hadn't yet gathered), and Monty Sharma's music had me under a spell! The first promo was in the beautiful signature-style of SLB and I was so excited! The release date got closer and I kept on feeling the strangest of emotions… one minute I'd feel absolutely excited and positive and then I would feel ridiculously nervous.
I didn't get much sleep at all last night so forgive me for writing a lazy (but still lengthy of course *haha*) review.
And now the review…
Initial thoughts: They say that when you go in for an interview, the employer makes up their mind about you within the first few minutes. The same happens with a film. Just a few frames into the film and I knew I was in for something fantastic! I knew I had entered a dream-like world, which is going to take me away from all my own worries and present me with something beautifully welcoming.
Storyline: As I just mentioned above it's a dream-like film. We're transcended to a world we can't really relate to, yet yearn to know more about. We question whether the world truly exists, whether these characters really exist or whether they are a figment of Gulab's imagination. Based on Fyodor Dostoevsky's short story 'White Nights' the story itself is not exactly breathtakingly unique or unseen, but it's been dealt with in the most remarkable manner. It's surreal, yet inviting. We know this place doesn't exist; yet we wish it did. Time and place do not play important characters in 'Saawariya'; in fact they are insignificant factors.
The most beautiful part about the story is how Sanjay has managed to bring in so many messages without rubbing them in your face. He doesn't lecture you, yet he does touch upon issues… be it the way the prostitutes lead their lives or how 'Lollipop' has been living life so alone and isolated.
Technicalities: It really doesn't come as a surprise that the film was definitely the most beautiful piece of visual poetry I have ever witnessed. Cinematographer Ravi K Chandran has yet again worked his magic and bought to us an unimaginable, dreamlike, beautiful and striking cinema experience which leaves you in awe, credit for this of course also goes to the art director Omung Kumar. Let me put it this way – if you thought Devdas and Black were the best you were going to get from SLB in terms of visual-appeal, you were pleasantly mistaken! Everything else is first rate. The screenplay and editing work together wonderfully and refrain from allowing the viewer to get bored at any point of time, in short the film does not drag and has been skilfully edited. I was really upset to see that some songs were cut short and others were entirely omitted, but I respect the editor (which happens to be director SLB himself) did his job with the films best interest at heart.
Costumes/Character styling: Wonderful! The film did not demand dramatic 'costumes' per se, but the outfits worn were suited to each character. Job well done by each and every costume designer!
Music: I have been hearing the songs of Saawariya like crazy ever since the soundtrack released. Even when I had an ear infection, I didn't stop listening to these songs, doesn't that say enough? Monty Sharma stunned his with his themes/scores in 'Devdas' and 'Black' but with 'Saawariya' he has proved to be one of our finest music directors ever. This is a soundtrack I surely won't be forgetting, ever! Without a doubt, it's an evergreen album. Each and every song has been composed/arranged beautifully and the vocals are absolutely superb!
Choreography: Every song has been choreographed with divine beauty. Each one of them is a visual extravaganza! Special mention to 'Chabeela' and 'Yoon Shabnami', both of which are so festive and perfect for the Diwali season in which the film has released.
Performances:
Ranbir Kapoor stuns! And how! I really can't find words to describe just how cute and natural this boy is. He is so charming! When his introduction came in the film, I was about to fall off my seat… believe it or not, I pinched myself 10 times because I felt so numb and thought I was dreaming…even pinching myself didn't help because I still thought I am dreaming! I simply cannot believe that Rishi's son has truly arrived… and he is so incredible! Natural, cute and charming are the best adjectives to describe him. He exudes such warmth you just feel like reaching out to him and giving him the biggest hug. Yes, it's true… the film belongs to him entirely. I feel like I have been blessed that I have finally seen him onscreen, it's like a dream come true. He's a fantastic actor and to think this was just a debut performance is absolutely ridiculously impossible. An incredibly fine performance! Hats off Ranbir… keep working this way. There's no doubt you're here to stay, just keep at it because there are no two ways about it – you are our next superstar…I say we already send you off to Madame Tussauds haha! Oh and "I love you baby!" LOL
Sonam Kapoor is so heavenly beautiful! Every time Sonam came on the screen I couldn't take my eyes of her (and yes people, I am still straight!), she's just so beautiful and has such classic beauty. One second she looks adorable and innocent like a child and the next second she'll look so prim and proper lady-like. I cannot believe some critics were being so harsh on her, I am really insulted by them because I fail to understand who exactly they were watching, as it cant be the same girl I watched. She blew me away with her talent and beauty both. She has such grace in her every move, in her every word… she's truly fantastic! It breaks my heart to think that she wasn't thinking of becoming an actress, because if not her I cant imagine a single other actress doing this role (no, not even our senior actresses!). Her voice really stole my heart. She's too cute! Not only have we found our next male superstar in Ranbir but we've also found our next female superstar in Sonam! Sonam, like Ranbir too, I believe you also are going to grow from strength to strength… it's hard to imagine how you can get even better (because you both were so freaking fantastic), but I know you will keep on surprising me…keep up the great work!
Both Ranbir and Sonam share the most immaculate chemistry, absolutely flawless pairing. They are both our forthcoming super-super-superstars and I am so proud of them! They both act, look and dance like a dream, a very beautiful dream!! I am so impressed… they have truly lived up to my expectations, and believe me you my expectations were freaking high! I truly am in love with them all over again… if you thought I couldn't get madder about them, trust me I am…I don't know what I'm going to do now until their next film releases! They were just so fresh and so lovely!! Oh and one more quick note… I've never seen a newcomer use their eyes as expressively as Ranbir and Sonam did, they completely floored me with their brilliant performances… they were Ranbir Raj and Sakina and not Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam!
So yes, the ending was a bit hard to digest… but then aren't all of SLB's endings? I accept the ending as the perfect ending to 'Saawariya', I cannot imagine it any other way. If Ranbir Raj is lonely it's only because Sakina is with her true love, so we have to be happy for Sakina! And I'm sure Raj wont be upset or anything because if he is, he'll just get in that "boxing ring" haha…aww…
Rani Mukerji is a 'pataka' [firework] in every sense of the word! She lives the role of Gulab with such natural ease but of course that doesn't surprise me an ounce because I always expect the most natural and perfect performances from her, she wont know how to give a bad performance even if she tries haha (unless she is acting to act bad of course!)… she looks her career-best, so gorgeous!! Her dialogue delivery is superb and she had me laughing so much…love this woman to death!
Zohra Sehgal was a sweetheart. It was so good to see her! And she has the sweetest smile!!
Salman Khan had a very short appearance and not much of a demanding character but Salman being Salman leaves a fantastic impression nonetheless. He does complete justice to Imaan.
Others were fantastic too, everyone did a brilliant job!
Sanjay Leela Bhansali… what can I say? The man is my Guru! If anyone can dare make a film like this, it's him… in the 90s decade when everything was about masaala love stories, he made Khamoshi. At a time when it was all about mini skirts, he made HDDCS and Devdas. At a time when filmmakers want to keep safe with love stories, he made Black (a film which broke all boundaries and gave leeway to filmmakers who are now free to make whatever the hell they want!)… with Saawariya he yet again proves his worth as a director. What he extracts from these newcomer kids is unbelievable! Sanjay, last time I reviewed your film in 2005 I bowed down to you and thanked you for everything you taught me. This time, I've just run out of ways of saying how brilliant you are…You're the best…end of!
Overall, Saawariya is yet another classic feather in SLB's cap. This man cannot go wrong and he proved that to me today! I am so, so, so happy and so content with what I saw. It's one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen. It's hard to compare it to Sanjay's other films because I love them all so much, but I'd say if it's second to anyone of his films it's only Black. One of the finest films of our generation…SLB, thank you once again for a cinematic experience of a lifetime.
Rating: 9.5/10
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