Race 2

The director duo of Abbas Mustan have been in the industry for more than 2 decades now and have been making films in only one genre..Entertaining thrillers. Of course not all of their films have been good but Race, which was released way back in 2008, had seen tremendous success and appreciation because of its racy pace, nice plot with ample of twists and turns to keep audience thrilled to the fullest. The makers now come up with next installment of Race trying and expecting to outdo the first one. While the first half meets the expectations, the second half brings it down badly.
The film is about Ranveer Singh (Saif Ali Khan) who wants to take revenge of the murder of his love Sonia and comes to Turkey for that. There he meets Armaan Malik (John Abraham) who is mafia king, his half sister Elina (Deepika Padukone) and his girlfriend (Jacqueline Fernandez). And of course, there is RD (Anil Kapoor) with his fruits and a new secretary (Ameesha Patel). And then starts the tale of friendship, love, deceit, big money and revenge with twists waiting at every corner.
The films starts off very well with an engaging and entertaining first half….brisk and smart introduction of all the characters, beautifully shot exotic locations, exciting casino games, a fine sword sequence, a brilliant chase sequence and a thrilling build up of twists towards the interval. While there are obvious flaws in the narrative, the pace of first hour overshadows it.
But the second half brings the tempo down and narrative strays from a revenge tale to robbery, club fights and few irrelevant scenes. The ease with which robbery of a shroud worth billions takes place is so amateurish that it’s funny. A long fight sequence involving John Abraham, a romantic track of Anil Kapoor, all this seems forced only to increase their footage. The twists also die down here and the ones that come are too predictable. The lack of pace, disjointed story and plenty of flaws in the story in this second hour spoil the fun with a not so thrilling climax.
In terms of performances, Saif Ali Khan and John Abraham are good and they look stylish. Deepika Padukone is at her glamorous best with lot of skin show. Anil Kapoor is ok offering nothing new from last edition and Jacqueline and Ameesha try to do their best which of course remains barely average. Music and choreography of songs is in line with the mood of the film…racy and peppy.
With running time of two and a half hours, the film is little long. And if only the overall story between both halves had remained consistent with edge of the seat thrills, it could have been equally good as the first Race which unfortunately is not the case.
Cinema Analyst's Take – Average. It doesn't bore for most parts but it doesn't have enough to force people to Race towards the multiplexes.

Inkaar

Sexual harassment at workplace is a very critical and relevant subject particularly in today’s times when the entire country is outraged and raising voices against sexism. At the same time, it’s a very sensitive issue and probably that’s the reason why this hasn’t really been touched upon in Indian cinema in the past except for a half baked attempt on it in Aitraaz. But when a filmmaker like Sudhir Mishra who is known for his serious and realist films on socially relevant issues takes it up and makes a film around it, the expectations are bound to go up. Unfortunately, he fails miserably to highlight and make any meaningful sense out of this issue.
The film is about two career oriented professionals in an ad company; Rahul who is CEO of the company and Maya who joins him as an intern but jumps up the corporate ladder fast to reach next only to him. She files a sexual harassment case against Rahul and a penal is formed to find out the truth and the guilty. What follows thereafter is tale of accusations, ambitions, office enmity and dirty politics of corporate culture to outdo each other.
The film starts off well with the director coming to the point almost immediately but then it fast starts losing focus and plot. The harassment incidents stated by Maya are hardly convincing and don’t evoke any empathy towards her. And neither do the explanations and reasoning of Rahul. Narrated by way of multiple flashbacks, the story keeps wandering from love story to sexual harassment to vengeance drama to corporate politics to back to love story but doesn’t really establish anything material in the process. And the culmination to the story is absolutely abrupt, absurd and weird to say the least. What were the writers thinking really?
The only positive of the film is Chitrangada Singh who looks extremely stunning and sensuous. Arjun Rampal is strictly ok.
With running time of more than two hours, the film fails to keep you interested and engaged for most parts and its incomprehensible climax is its biggest downer. A subject that had the potential to be converted into a sensible and meaningful film is treated very amateurishly and foolishly which is a pity. Cinema Analyst's Take – below average. The title of the film is what you need to do to watching this one.

Table No 21

Bollywood opens this New Year’s account with a thriller. While the film lacks big star power and hype, its promos last month caught one’s attention suggesting a new and different story and creating some interest and excitement around it.
The film is about a married couple who wins a free trip to Fiji in a contest. They meet a resort owner there who invites them to play a game which involves answering eight questions truthfully followed by a daring act. The prize money is 21 crores with only one rule… if you lie, you die. The game soon becomes a trap for the couple and what follows then is a thrilling and suspenseful drama.
It’s a novel story and the narrative keeps you engaged for most parts. Once the initial acts are over, you know that it’s not only a game and that builds a good suspense of why is all this happening, how are the couple and their past linked with the game-master and where will this lead to. The climax is also somewhat shocking with a tragic yet extremely meaningful message. However, the film has too many weak points to be a good thriller. While some questions and acts are interesting, some are plain silly and amateurish and none of the acts is thrilling enough to take you to the edge of your seat. Also, once the suspense unfolds, you wonder what was the need for some of the acts because not all come across as relevant to main story. And you don’t connect with the couple’s pain and helplessness during those acts and that too weakens the overall impact.
In terms of performances, Rajeev Khandelwal is good…he comes to the other side of the table this time in playing “Sach ka Samna”. Tena Desae is strictly ok while Paresh Rawal is competent as always.
With running time of less than two hours, the film is definitely not unwatchable because of its unique story, engaging few sequences and a thoughtful message but it remains far from being a brilliant thriller. Cinema Analyst's Take – Average.

Dabangg 2

I hadn’t liked Dabangg…there, I said it. But I know I am in minority and there is no denying that Chulbul Pandey was loved enough to warrant at least one more outing. And so, here comes the sequel at a time when Salmania is at its peak.

The film starts in Kanpur, Pandeyji has made peace with his step father and brother and his wife Rajjo is expecting. In the course of his duty, he comes across Bachcha Bhaiya, a politician cum goon who is ruling the city along with his two brothers and then starts the good cop-bad villain drama and action. Needless to say that we have seen this story zillion times in the past and frankly, no one expects any better story anyways from this film. Also, you can’t help but notice that makers have only tried to imitate the first edition in everything from setting to dialogues to music to dance to action. But despite this imitation, the question is whether it entertains and the answer thankfully is yes, it does, albeit only in parts.

The film is made for Salman Khan and he carries it entirely on his shoulders. His Chulbul Pandey plays completely to the gallery and his mannerisms, jigs, giggles and goggles are all seen before yet likable once more. The camaraderie between him and Vinod Khanna is fantastic and few sequences between them are bound to bring you genuine laughters particularly the prank calls ones. The action sequences are shot well and you wonder how at times you still like one man beating scores of people alone. His entry, shirtless action scenes in climax and his first confrontation with Bachcha Bhaiya are bound to get whistles in single screen theatres.

But the film is not without lot of blemishes with the biggest of them being its weak villain. Prakash Raj, who has been brilliant earlier in Wanted and Singham, doesn’t get a chance to be at his menacing best, the altercations between Chulbul and Bhaiyaji are very few leaving you wanting for more of them and so the climax doesn’t thrill you the way it should. The side track between Arbaz Khan and Mahie Gill is irrelevant to main story, second half doesn’t have light moments like in first half and though the music is good, songs look forced in the narrative with couple of them only for the sake of having them. Also, Fevicol despite being peppy and addictive fails to match Zandu Balm.

In terms of other performances, everyone is strictly ok with Sonakshi Sinha only filling the heroine slot with single expression and multiple songs.

Overall, the film with its nonexistent content remains watchable only because of Salman Khan; I have never seen a mainstream hero enjoying himself so much on the silver screen. And that’s why this almost xerox copy of Dabangg is good enough for his fans to rejoice. For all those who don’t like non-sense, brainless, hardcore commercial masala entertainers, this film offers nothing to change their liking. Cinema Analyst's Take – Average but if you know what to expect from a Salman Khan film, you won’t come back disappointed.

Khiladi 786

One year ago, Himesh Reshamiya met Akshay Kumar in a flight and they started chatting:

AK - Hi HR, why are you looking so upset?

HR - Sir, I want to sing, compose music and act in films.

AK - So?

HR - So this that no film producer is giving me a chance to do all that.

AK – hmmm

After a minute…….

HR – Sir, I have a brilliant idea, why don’t you and I together produce a film wherein I get a chance to do all this.

AK – but why will I produce a film if you have to act in that!

HR – No no Sir, I’ll play second lead (while thinking in his mind, “as it is, who’ll come to watch the film if I play main lead”)…..main hero of film will be you only

AK – hmmm

HR – and we’ll title it something with Khiladi…this was your franchisee Sirji with highest ever number of films made in India on any franchise and you have just left it!! We’ll restart your Khiladi series after so many years Sir; imagine the hysteria it’ll create.

AK – And who’ll play the heroine?

HR – Sir, this year, Asin has given two 100 crore hits in Housefull 2 and Bol Bachchan so we’ll take her

AK – what rubbish, what did Asin do in those two films!!

HR – Sirji, we’ll not make her do anything in our film too, she’ll only fill the heroine slot and bring lady luck to us

AK – but what all is the film about?

HR – Sir, I have an absolutely fresh and new idea….we’ll have you play a goon who cons people by playing a cop but is not able to find a bride, then there would be another goon who is unable to find a groom for his sister and I’ll play a marriage mediator who’ll bring you two together. And this sister will already be in love with another goon with some side track on them too and you’ll try to sacrifice your love for making them meet but then this sister will change her mind and come back to you.

AK – Oh…so it’s a love story

HR – No no Sirji, it’s different. It’ll also have lot of songs composed and sung by me

AK – Oh…so it’s a musical story

HR – No no Sirji, it’s different. We’ll also have your extended family with African grandmother, Indian father, Canadian mother, Chinese Aunty and a lost twin brother too who all will keep on coming in between and speak some dialogues.

AK – Oh…so it’s a family story

HR – No no Sirji, it’s different. We’ll also have some comedians like Johny Lever, Bharti Singh, Sanjay Mishra and Ghuggi who’ll keep on coming in between and speak some dialogues.

AK – Oh…so it’s a comedy story

HR – No no Sirji, it’s different. We’ll also have you knocking down 20 people with one punch.

AK – Oh…so it’s an action story

HR – No no Sirji, it’s different. It’s a multi mega masala entertainer ever.

AK – ok, let’s do it

I wish above had remained my imagination only but this film seems nothing short of result of some such random conversation. Cinema Analyst's Take – Stay away, don’t angry yourself :-)

Life of Pi

I had not heard about this book till last year when I read about Ang Lee making film on this book and his coming to India and selecting Delhi boy Suraj Sharma as the protagonist. It was then that I read about this story of a young boy sailing from India to Canada with his family and how their ship sinks in the water leaving him stranded in the sea on the ship wreck along with a Tiger and how he survives and fights all odds for an unbelievable 227 days.

Its an incredible story narrated incredibly.....the film is actually a visual delight with absolutely spectacular picturisation throughout. The tiger, thunderstorm, sea creatures, sun rise, night in the sea, island in the end.......there are so many sequences shot so well that they'll take your breath away. And use of 3D technology and and its effects are the finest seen in recent times.

In terms of performances, Suraj Sharma delivers a fantastic performance and so does the other hero of the film...the tiger. Irrfan Khan and Tabu are ok.

On flip side, the film takes a while before the adventure on sea starts, its a bit long and despite being engrossed in this survival story, you feel tired towards last half hour.

But these are small blemishes for what is otherwise an inspiring film about tragedy and triumph, sufferings and survival, fear and faith, evil and humanity and above all, about not losing hope.

Cinema Analyst's Take - it's a cinematic pleasure....watch it.

Son of Sardaar

Now I know why Ajay Devgn was so adamant to release this film on Diwali even if it meant taking YRF and JTHJ head on.....it's during Diwali only that people are in such festive and happy spirit that they might just forgive him for making this non sense of a film.
It's the story of a Sardaar who comes back from London to Punjab to sell off some family property only to find out that he has an enemy who is waiting to kill him and only to conveniently fall in love with niece of that enemy. What happens thereafter is brainless and mostly humourless events in the name of comedy.
The film starts off ok with a fast paced introduction of all lead characters, meeting of lead couple in a train with few light moments and remains watchable somehow in the first half. But it's the second half which brings it down big time what with numerous songs, no genuine laughter moments and story going nowhere at all. The romance angle between Ajay and Sonakshi is also half baked and film keeps on moving between love story and revenge drama without any consistent flow. The action sequences are nothing new and are stretched unnecessarily trying to do a Rohit Shetty what with flying cars and humans without similar effect though.
In terms of performances, everyone is just about ok....no one outshines. Salman Khan makes a cameo which even he would lille to forget soon. Music is average and you wish film had at least three songs less.
I am all for keep-your-brain-at-home masala comedy entertainers provided they do what they are supposed to.....entertain. This one doesn't do that except for few sequences in first half which is not enough. For most parts, you laugh not due to comic dialogues, scenes or performances but actually at the silliness of what's going on. Watch it only if you have nothing to do these holidays, you don't like romance flicks and you have taste for anything in the name of comedy. My overall verdict - Below average.