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Lootera (2013)
Poignant and Soulful
When a magical talebearer like Vikramaditya Motwane has a story to share, the audience is sure to be all ears. With masterpieces like Udaan (my personal favourite) and Dev. D under his belt, with Lootera this magician decides to recreate magic with the superpowers of his narration. Inspired by O. Henry's "The Last Leaf", Lootera is a beautiful period romantic drama made tastefully to perfection.
Watching it was similar to reading a book , the vintage musk makes you lose yourself to every page.
Yes, it is extremely slow. I sensed many in the audience getting restless in their seats. But, not once did this slow splendor make me yawn or restless. I loved every ounce of it. This is certainly not the kind of masterpiece you would appreciate if you lack a thirst for unhurried substance and variety in cinema.
Although I'm not a sucker for undying romance, this one had a subtle, charming and refined reflection of love. The antique hues and trends were impeccably recreated with simplicity and grace. The slow pace of the script is intriguing and connects the audience to the emotions on display.
A standing ovation for Ranveer and Sonakshi as their performances were flawless. Having seen the two in completely contrasting roles in Ladies Vs Ricky Bhel and Dabbang, it was hard to fathom that they were the same two people playing the roles of Varun and Pakhi to earnest perfection. They definitely altered my perception of their potentials. A new found respect for them.
With an old-world charm, a simple script, dedicated performances, a poignant climax and a soundtrack that is inexplicably soulful and retro (Especially, Monta Re and Shikayatein), a detour to inspiration has been discovered.
Lootera is a proud moment for Indian cinema.
Great stories are rare and precious. Go live it, slowly.
Raanjhanaa (2013)
Realistic Perception
To be honest, I had absolutely no inclination to watch this one. I was so sure that it would be just another nauseating romance and that too with such a ghastly pairing.
But you know what? It was a pleasant surprise. It was not as bad as I imagined it to be. In fact, it was not a bad watch at all! And although the contrast tinges are blatant, the movie surpassed above shallow prejudices of human veneer.
A great performance by Dhanush as always. His performance always reflects sincerity.
Post Mausam I was doubtful of Sonam's ability to emote. In Raanjhanaa, she not only emoted, but also gave the audience a surprisingly great performance. May be to her surprise as well.
Raanjhanaa does falter at frequent intervals, but such instances can be easily overlooked for the earnest script. It promises a profound display of human intellect. The story is simple but realistic, the dialogs are pretty funny, albeit not everlasting and Abhay Deol casts his charm once again.
Here is the Hero is not projected as a Demigod. He makes his mistakes and learns from them, like the rest of us. The script is not just a bed of mushy roses.
Although the only mighty indigestion is Dhanush's extreme, selfless, intense, dauntless, shameless and unconditional love for Sonam. One must be really naive and zonked in modern times to believe in love of the sort.
Usually, concepts tire out in the second half. But in Raanjhanaa, the first half seems to slowly ready our minds for a well-thought second. From the streets of Benaras, the concept blends into a play of pain and anger with realistic substance.
You could easily give it a try once. And not regret it.
Go Goa Gone (2013)
Going Bonkers
I walked in to the theater expecting nothing from this one. How could I when the title is so grammatically incorrect?! This one has no earth- shattering plot. Actually, there is no meaningful plot. I was just intrigued by the good (for bollywood standards) make-up of the zombies. To my surprise the first half cracked me up, not ROFL albeit. I enjoyed the irksome "Khoon Chus Le" track and mocking the dull zombies. It was a good tummy tickler until Saif ruined it with a wig dipped in henna and a hilarious "Russian" accent.
Sadly, there are way too many zombies than one can digest. It gets pretty grose overtime, enough to give one a troubled tummy. And that's when you wonder why you didn't walk out with the pop-corn tub during intermission. The mindless comedy of the first half is a stress-buster and highly recommended. You could easily do without the rest of it. Nothing much to miss.
Argo (2012)
Sheer Brilliance
One word description - Outstanding! Here is a gripping entertainer you've been waiting for. A replica of actual events made to perfection and HOW! Argo captures the viewer in a complex cobweb, leaving lumps in the throat frequently. A remarkable performance by Ben Affleck and the entire cast. Smart, witty and intense, this one is too good to be watched just once. You will enjoy and love every ounce of this nail-biting thriller. The cinematography, direction and the performances are very earnest in their approach to realism. Argo is certainly the kind of movie that will stay with you long after you have watched it. So, let your pound a bit, let your senses feel fright and let your mind race. Go get captured!
Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012)
Yash Chopra's Work Montage
Have you missed most of the YC creations? Well, here's a ticket to a montage of Yash Chopra's career in film making. Honestly, one can survive through this one once, JUST once.
We start with a clichéd YC romance between a rich, well-read woman and an odd Joe who makes ends meet in London through multiple jobs and who is blatantly too wrinkled to deserve her, but, he is still THE MAN!
The story gets intense when our HEROINE (KAT -In reality a plastic doll who can't act to save her life) runs out of a Rolls-Royce and falls for her worst nightmare, and ours (SRK). They then mutually decide to pave way for a nauseating romance with a plan to upgrade themselves in 30 days. He teaches her Punjabi (his only possession), while she hilariously teaches him impeccable English. With a Hin- Eng ratio of 0.5 – 100 respectively, a boring journey begins.
The hero creates "magic" by singing pathetic songs, making his lady give a sleazy performance (more like a CPR dance) as a display of confidence, some amateur kisses, a sudden jolt of love and a ridiculous separation.
But it doesn't end there, to fuel the forest fire after 10 years, a new woman (Anushka) enters the life of the now transformed Hero; a high- ranked Bomb Squad army man. She is amazed by him after she candidly reads his endless romance and 98 bomb diffusion tales from a small telephone diary. Makes you wonder about the size of his letters.
As expected, this little bimbo also falls for the now even more wrinkled man, but the almighty can't let our agony end this early. In a twist of fate and neck, our hero meets his old plastic doll again
little bimbo is heart-broken and awaits her time of love with the hero; a Hindi version of Benjamin Button.
The best bits about the movie are: The poem on the title track, Kat's outfits, and Anushka's decent, realistic acting it overshadows the entire cast.
During intermission, I hallucinated Yash Chopra in 3D apologizing for making this one. It is a disappointing and boring watch and a sad end to over decades in film making.
Table No.21 (2013)
A One-Timer!
After watching the brilliance of 'Amir', I could not miss another Rajeev Khandelwal starrer. This one also stars the amazing Paresh Rawal and a promising Tena Desae.
The movie begins well and keeps the audience awkwardly engaged, if not nail-biting throughout its course. The most thrilling scenes are re- stitched on prior Hollywood markings. No doubts there.
What begins as a predictable, dark plot with a gullible couple, an excess of gore and some good flashback narratives, shapes into an unsettling climax. Almost leaving you cheated.
Messages are very important, especially those that make people ponder, but this plot overshadows the essence of it. In table no. 21, the message is a stamp size photo mounted within a gigantic frame. With a frame that big, the picture can never be registered and it might just turn into mockery.
The climax is a subject that needs to be portrayed in a more dignified manner. We can only hope that people learn from this vague presentation. However, it is a good attempt by the director, some good acting by the actors but sadly, just a one-timer.
Bombay Talkies (2013)
A Good Attempt
The much awaited Bombay talkies creates a cocoon of emotions. And discomfort tops the list. Not because we chose to embark on an unsailed ship, but because we are thrown into an arena of natural realism completely unalarmed.
The concepts are neither unnatural nor uncommon, yet we cringe, because these are stories we like to read about secretly and gossip about mockingly in the warm comforts of privacy.
Bombay talkies is honestly four good concepts disappointingly exaggerated, poorly executed and recklessly smothered into one film.
Concept 1 (Karan Johar) - This concept had the highest potential. They screwed up. And How! Homosexuality is NOT shameful. But this concept portrays negativity, pushing the audience away from it. It could have been so much better. It's not bold, it's a disaster.
Concept 2 (Dibakar Bannerji ) - This one is easy to relate with. Bringing out the best of Nawazzudin, the concept weaves the small joys of life and creates magical surrealism. Last 5 minutes display the best of expressions. The kind that will remain fresh in the memory forever.
Concept 3 (Zoya Aktar ) - This concept is the most powerful, it subtly transcends the boundaries of the acceptable and unacceptable. Simple, straight with a big question...why can't dreams be irrational and raw? Why does it always have to make sense? My personal favorite.
Concept 4 (Anurag Kashyap) - The most natural and easiest to digest, this concept actually relates to Bollywood and the madness around it. Vineet Kumar Singh proves to be an amazing actor. However, the story is stretched beyond limits, allowing boredom to set in easily.
A meager 30 minutes per film does no justice to the concepts, nor evokes enlightenment or empathy. The time provided is insufficient to feel the concept, allow it to sink in and be moved by it. Sensitivity is not handled with utmost caution and dignity. They are abrupt and further inflate the prejudices of the audience. The leads however pull it off right through with their fantastic acting skills.
The credits roll over with an easily forgettable song of yesteryear visuals blending into current Bollywood biggies, ending with KING KHAN's version of a retard.
All said and done, it is certainly no "tribute to Indian cinema". The movie only hypes Bollywood., ignoring the rest of India, which do also make remarkable cinema. Ironically, it is no tribute to Bollywood either, for it speaks volumes about the negative influence of Bollywood in our lives. It fails to highlight the few masterpieces the industry has given us and makes the Indian public only appear blurry-eyed and moronic.
The concepts take all the credit as good insights to new perspectives that help us co-exist with nature.
Worth giving a try with an open mind.