All his films may not always succeed completely in what he is trying to convey but there is no denying that Prakash Jha is a brilliant, thought provoking director. In his every film, he picks up a sensitive and socially relevant issue and raises uncomfortable questions on the same by way of an engaging and interesting story around it. This time he takes up a critical and strong subject of naxalism.
The film is about an honest and brave cop who is assigned the task of fighting naxalites and his friend, who he sends amongst them as an informer to catch their leader. And how this friend eventually becomes a rebel himself while living with them and starts counter fighting the police.
While the story about friends turning rivals isn't new, what makes it interesting and different is the backdrop of naxalism that is explored probably for the first time in bollywood. For most of us living in metro cities miles away from terror affected states and districts, the film throws a balanced view on naxals and their victims. While it shows killings of hundreds of innocent policemen and the ruthlessness of naxal on one hands, it also highlights the plight, reasons and circumstances which make common villagers take up guns and law in their hands. And while it doesn't justify their killings and rightly so, it does make you think if the system, government and police are equally responsible for this big internal crisis that our country faces today.
But sadly enough, despite this strong subject, film fails being a hard hitting political drama for various reasons, the biggest being that it raises questions on naxalism but doesn't sustain long enough on them and eventually ends up being a cop and a rebel war only in the end. Also, the circumstances that lead to change of heart for someone who is against the naxals to become one of them aren't highlighted convincingly enough. The running length of two and a half hours, unnecessary songs and a romance angle also bring it down a bit.
In terms of performances, Arjun Rampal gets role of his lifetime and he does complete justice to it, Abhay Deol is as good as always. Cinematography is good and few action sequences are shot beautifully.
All in all a reasonably engaging thriller due to it's new subject but lacks the punch that you would expect a Prakash Jha film to do.
Thursday 25 October 2012
Saturday 20 October 2012
Student of the Year
There is a dialogue in the film where the lead actress's friend tell her....you are confused. This is actually what you would want to tell Karan Johar after watching it.
The film is set in a fantasy school where guys are bare chested and girls barely covered, where uniforms come from designer houses, where good looks seem to be the only admission criteria, and where everything is important except studies. I know it's just a film meant for entertainment but how do you explain the most prestigious competition of a school, student of the year being judged basis a stupid treasure hunt, dancing and running only and where the principal needs to be ridiculed by a loser student before he realizes this or A business tycoon not liking his son because he wants to become a musician and so much so that he actually feels happy to see his son losing the competition or A smart girl unable to decide who she loves between two hunks and so much so that even viewer can't find this out till she marries one of them or two hunks who can't decide for their life whether they are friends or enemies and either ways why!
On positive side, KJo presents all this with super style and at large canvas, all three newcomers look stunning and fresh and preform reasonably good, the music is peppy and few sequences funny. It's a superb launch for new faces but it remains just that.... nothing in substance.
Not entirely unwatchable but far from a good film you would expect out of Karan Johar.
Cinema Analyst's take - this student manages to score just about passing marks.
The film is set in a fantasy school where guys are bare chested and girls barely covered, where uniforms come from designer houses, where good looks seem to be the only admission criteria, and where everything is important except studies. I know it's just a film meant for entertainment but how do you explain the most prestigious competition of a school, student of the year being judged basis a stupid treasure hunt, dancing and running only and where the principal needs to be ridiculed by a loser student before he realizes this or A business tycoon not liking his son because he wants to become a musician and so much so that he actually feels happy to see his son losing the competition or A smart girl unable to decide who she loves between two hunks and so much so that even viewer can't find this out till she marries one of them or two hunks who can't decide for their life whether they are friends or enemies and either ways why!
On positive side, KJo presents all this with super style and at large canvas, all three newcomers look stunning and fresh and preform reasonably good, the music is peppy and few sequences funny. It's a superb launch for new faces but it remains just that.... nothing in substance.
Not entirely unwatchable but far from a good film you would expect out of Karan Johar.
Cinema Analyst's take - this student manages to score just about passing marks.
Sunday 7 October 2012
English Vinglish
It's a golden period for Bollywood and for cinema lovers. Few years ago, who would have thought about making a mainstream film without an established hero, or a film where the lead heroine is an actresses way past her youth making her comeback after 15 long years, or a female director debuting with a maturity and sensibility that most veteran filmmakers don't show all their liv
es, or a film based on a simple story with outstanding impact and entertainment. Welcome to the new exiting period of Bollywood.
This is the story of a typical middle class housewife who is ridiculed by her husband and kids for her inability to speak English and how the determination to get her self respect back, she learns the language and finds her inner happiness. It's a simple story told beautifully. Each and every sequence is novel and fresh taking you on a journey full of emotions. The screenplay is so engaging that it takes two minutes before you become part of Shashi's life, world and her struggle. There are moments that bring smile on your face and then there are some that bring limp in your throat. It makes you think about small little things that matter in all relationships be it between married couple, or between parents and kids or between strangers becoming friends. And it does that without ever being preachy. And while like all films, you can predict where it's going, you can't but feel joyous and victorious when it ends.
Sridevi coming back after a while delivers an absolutely superlative performance, probably her best till date. All other supporting actors also do complete justice. In fact, it's one of those rare films that have many supporting characters in the story yet each one of them gets footage and leaves an impact. Music is soothing to ears and cinematography treat to eyes. R. Balki has made couple of different and interesting films in the past but his wife Gauri Shinde debuts with even better and meaningful film.
Cinema Analyst's Take - it's a little gem of a film, don't miss it. Highly recommended.
This is the story of a typical middle class housewife who is ridiculed by her husband and kids for her inability to speak English and how the determination to get her self respect back, she learns the language and finds her inner happiness. It's a simple story told beautifully. Each and every sequence is novel and fresh taking you on a journey full of emotions. The screenplay is so engaging that it takes two minutes before you become part of Shashi's life, world and her struggle. There are moments that bring smile on your face and then there are some that bring limp in your throat. It makes you think about small little things that matter in all relationships be it between married couple, or between parents and kids or between strangers becoming friends. And it does that without ever being preachy. And while like all films, you can predict where it's going, you can't but feel joyous and victorious when it ends.
Sridevi coming back after a while delivers an absolutely superlative performance, probably her best till date. All other supporting actors also do complete justice. In fact, it's one of those rare films that have many supporting characters in the story yet each one of them gets footage and leaves an impact. Music is soothing to ears and cinematography treat to eyes. R. Balki has made couple of different and interesting films in the past but his wife Gauri Shinde debuts with even better and meaningful film.
Cinema Analyst's Take - it's a little gem of a film, don't miss it. Highly recommended.
OMG Oh My God
It's an interesting satirical take on the existence and meaning of God and how in the name of believing in Him, people actually believe in superstitions only.
The story revolves around an athiest who sues God himself when he loses everything in an earthquake and how during his fight in the court to recover his money, he exposes godmen, challenges the blind faith of people in age
The story revolves around an athiest who sues God himself when he loses everything in an earthquake and how during his fight in the court to recover his money, he exposes godmen, challenges the blind faith of people in age
old idiotic rituals, questions their belief in religion more than humanity and how he himself also ends up meeting God and changing his own perceptions.
A film made with sincerity and right intentions, it makes you think about how each one of us is trapped in doing something or other in the name of pleasing God when actually the only thing needed to connect with Him is being a good human being, when instead of fearing God, the only thing needed is unconditional faith in Him. And it does all this in a light and comical way without ever being preachy and heavy.
On the flip side, it drags a bit towards the end, climax is too filmy and dramatic and considering this sensitive and debatable issue, it could have been much more impactful in what it wanted to convey.
In terms of performances, it's Paresh Rawal's show all the way with a soothing cameo by Akshay Kumar.
Cinema Analyst's Take - Above average. Watch it and try to follow what it teaches.
A film made with sincerity and right intentions, it makes you think about how each one of us is trapped in doing something or other in the name of pleasing God when actually the only thing needed to connect with Him is being a good human being, when instead of fearing God, the only thing needed is unconditional faith in Him. And it does all this in a light and comical way without ever being preachy and heavy.
On the flip side, it drags a bit towards the end, climax is too filmy and dramatic and considering this sensitive and debatable issue, it could have been much more impactful in what it wanted to convey.
In terms of performances, it's Paresh Rawal's show all the way with a soothing cameo by Akshay Kumar.
Cinema Analyst's Take - Above average. Watch it and try to follow what it teaches.
Heroine
This film has created lot of news and hype around it due to multiple reasons : the entire controversy of Aishwarya Rai signing it last year despite being preggers and then walking out, the curiosity of seeing what goes on behind the glamrous bollywood faces and on top of all due to Madhur Bhandarkar who is famous for his reality based hard hitting films and considering that this was a t
ake from his own industry. Unfortunately, the film fails to live upto this hype.
As commonly known by now, it's a story about a film heroine who is losing her professional life and stardom to her rivals and losing her personal life to her mood swings and insecurities and how in the process of staying afloat on top of her career and love life, she retorts to manipulations, fake friendships, and the destructive world of cigarettes, alcohol and pills.
The film starts off well showing the dark and bitter inside of bollywood where every one is involved in scheming and pulling each other down but then just starts throwing in every possible shocking incident one after another. So you have film heroes trying to sleep with their heroines, their wives controlling their lives, their failed marriages, cricketers getting obsessed for film heroines, PR honchos creating sensational stories on the eve of film release, casting couches, gay designers and lesbian actresses. While all this keeps you engaged in first hour or so, you gradually start realising that the film is just being a bunch of all scandals that you have read about in the past. Also, the shock value of various incidents is negated by sense of deja vu, you have seen all this in Fashion and Page 3. And too much of all this happening in just one heroine's life makes her story dramatic and unreal. Mahi Arora ends up being a character that fails to touch your heart and the culmination of her story is too abrupt to make you think.
In terms of performances, Kareena Kapoor kills the part, she looks stunning and performs brilliantly particularly the vulnerability of her character. She is easily the best thing about the film. Other actors are decent. Music is just about ok and Halkat Jawani is no Sheela.
It's a watchable film but way short of the quality cinema you would expect out of Madhur Bhandarkar.
As commonly known by now, it's a story about a film heroine who is losing her professional life and stardom to her rivals and losing her personal life to her mood swings and insecurities and how in the process of staying afloat on top of her career and love life, she retorts to manipulations, fake friendships, and the destructive world of cigarettes, alcohol and pills.
The film starts off well showing the dark and bitter inside of bollywood where every one is involved in scheming and pulling each other down but then just starts throwing in every possible shocking incident one after another. So you have film heroes trying to sleep with their heroines, their wives controlling their lives, their failed marriages, cricketers getting obsessed for film heroines, PR honchos creating sensational stories on the eve of film release, casting couches, gay designers and lesbian actresses. While all this keeps you engaged in first hour or so, you gradually start realising that the film is just being a bunch of all scandals that you have read about in the past. Also, the shock value of various incidents is negated by sense of deja vu, you have seen all this in Fashion and Page 3. And too much of all this happening in just one heroine's life makes her story dramatic and unreal. Mahi Arora ends up being a character that fails to touch your heart and the culmination of her story is too abrupt to make you think.
In terms of performances, Kareena Kapoor kills the part, she looks stunning and performs brilliantly particularly the vulnerability of her character. She is easily the best thing about the film. Other actors are decent. Music is just about ok and Halkat Jawani is no Sheela.
It's a watchable film but way short of the quality cinema you would expect out of Madhur Bhandarkar.
Cinema Analyst's Take - Average.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)