murali-5 Reviews

Pitaah (2002)

Good intention, bad execution

[5/10 · 13 May 2007]

The movie is laudable because of the mature theme it chooses to deal with. The actors are convincing throughout the movie. The portrayals are believable. Sanjay Dutt, Nandita Das and Om Puri impress.

However, the movie loses its steam and meanders after the first quarter. The director might have thought he was creating a lot of gray shaded characters but instead he ends up creating non-credible and confused ones. Unnecessary flashback songs, and a dragging narrative don't help either.

In the end it's another Bollywood Masala movie where the impossible is made possible by a single man's efforts. The only thing that distinguishes this movie from other pot-boilers is the cause for which the hero fights for and it's a worthy one...

Aaj Ka Goonda Raaj (1992)

Chiru at his peak...

[8/10 · 11 May 2007]

It's a typical masala movie, of course. But the movie wins solely because of Chiranjeevi, who at that time was the highest paid actor in India. ( He was getting Rs/- 1.25 crores per movie, compared to Rajani Kanth's 1 crore and Amitabh's 75 lakhs.) By 1992, Chiru had a successful run at the top of Tollywood for ten glorious years. Un-opposed, un-challenged he had ruled the Telugu Marquee for a decade and especially in the last couple years before this movie got released, he had gone from strength to strength.

So, it was with this background Chiru went back to the Hindi audiences with his second movie. His swagger, his demeanor oozed supreme confidence and Aaj ka Goonda Raaj hit bull's eye, more so because of this than anything else.

His dance for the number "No one can dance with me, no one can take a chance with me," set the Bombay dance clubs on fire for more than a year after the movie hit the screen. It was the most popular dance number in all the parties that year too.

If for nothing else, the movie is worth watching for this song alone. And it's a treat to Chiru's fans, when he utters the lines, "Mujh saa na koyi yahaan," with an attitude almost bordering on arrogance. It it tough not to agree with him...

Clueless (1995)

Despite the name, is not so!

[7/10 · 8 May 2007]

Alicia Silverstone uses this perfect vehicle to turn in a pretty decent performance as a confused, witty and angst filled teenager. Others actors ably support Alicia in this venture.

Jokes about teenagers hitting the malls at the ring of a cell phone, cranky gals during "that time of the month," gays who are all supposed to read Oscar Wilde abound but the director manages to keep the pace slick.

While expressions like "As if" and "Not even" will stay with you for a while after you are done with the movie, there are some toughies like "riding the crimson," which make you go find a slang dictionary. All in all, "Cluless" is an enjoyable fare, though a bit silly at times.

Rendu Rella Aaru (1985)

Cracks you up every time...

[8/10 · 10 January 2006]

Another rib-tickler from Jandhyala.

Telugu movie lovers are indeed fortunate to have had Jandhyala around, in the eighties and nineties. Just like K.Vishwanath and Bapu, Jandhyala provided Telugu audience respite from the mediocre fare that was the order of the day then. His movies were pip squeak clean, had zero vulgarity, and provided wholesome entertainment to the entire family. Not a mean achievement during those times.

Rendu Rellu Aaru has two male protagonists played by Chandra Mohan and Rajendra Prasad respectively. While Chandra Mohan had been already around for a long time and delivers the usual punch expected of him, Rajendra Prasad turns hero with this movie for the first time, and boy, did he vindicate the director's faith in him or what! His timing is near perfect in this movie, as is evident in the initial scene when the titles roll. A star was born and he ruled the marquee, as far as the comedy movies are concerned, for the next decade, without any kind of competition.

Every character is carefully sketched by Jandhyala and has something to contribute to the movie. Potti Prasad in the role of a god-man excels above everybody. Rallapalli is a riot, translating every thing he says into multiple languages. Pattabhi Ram's character is a nice touch. Sutti Velu and Sutti Veerabhadra Rao are marvelous as always. However, Sutti Velu's impersonation of the veteran actor CSR doesn't go down well with the audience.

There is nothing authentic about the story. It pursues the age old theme of mistaken identities. But with Jandhyala at the helm, you don't really care. At the end of the film, you are laughing so hard, nothing really matters.

Apaharan (2005)

Jha does it again...

[8/10 · 2 January 2006]

In a different way though.

While "Gangajal" was graphic, "Apaharan" is slick. It moves at a fast pace throughout and rarely breaks its rhythm. All the actors deliver impressive performances. But it's Nana Patekar who steals the show in this one. The usual loudness is gone and replaced by composure. Nana was always a fine actor, but in the recent years has lost his way. In "Apaharan," he finds his groove again. Welcome back, Nana.

The movie is about the thriving kidnapping industry in Bihar, Jha's home state. The passion Jha has for his besieged land shows clearly throughout the film. Although we have been numbed by the tales of corruption told earlier, "Apaharan" still manages to shock us. Bihar was always a backward state, but 15 years of Laloo rule has turned it into a surreal world, full of scheming gangsters and unscrupulous politicians who sometimes seem to have forgotten why they ever started this ghastly game in the first place.

The climax is predictable but leaves us something to cheer about. A must see.

Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985)

All pomp and no glory!

[3/10 · 8 July 2004]

Raj Kapoor is supposed to be the ultimate showman of Bollywood. He does some justice to this image by choosing spectacular locales along with some great music and photography.

However, there is nothing new this movie offers. It's an unconvincing love story set right at the foot of Himalayas, between a rich guy and a poor girl. How they meet, get separated and finally get united in the end forms the core of the story.

Most of the Indians would remember this movie as the first one, at least the first blockbuster, where the heroine openly bares her breasts. (Such exposure is not very common in Indian movies.)

Apart from that dubious distinction, there is not much else.

The music is a blast and worth listening to. Give the movie itself a skip.

Gangaajal (2003)

Dark and Violent

[8/10 · 12 May 2004]

Gangajal is a dark and ultra-violent movie; darker than Ardh Satya, more violent than Shool.

In the end, the hero lives to survive another day and the villains die. But I would not call it a happy ending. The line between criminals and police, the good and the bad is wafer-thin in this movie. It's tough for me to cheer, when a person gets acid, a.k.a gangajal, poured into his eyes, even though he might be an incorrigible criminal. And, except for the hero Amit Kumar (essayed by Ajay Devgan), nobody seems to mind in the movie.

Ajay Devgan brings a lot of passion with him. Mukesh Tiwari, who played the role of Bacha Yadav is convincing. Akhilesh Mishra as the corrupt D.S.P is refreshing. Others play their roles to the best of their abilities.

Good triumphs over evil. But at what cost? At the end, Ajay Devgan thunders, "main samaaj ko darinda hone se bachaanaa chahtaa hoon." I agree with the sentiment whole-heartedly.