Movies....Films....Cinema.... Nothing Else Matters

Make space for all the bouquets Mr. Tyrewala !!!

2008-07-04T14:36:00.013+05:30

You know that feeling when you're watching a movie and you go 'WAH KYA dialogue hai!!!' or 'What a beautiful shot' or Wow, I love what she is wearing!!!'. Well, Abbas Tyrewala's directorial debut 'Jaane Tu..Ya Jaane Na' doesn't have ANY such moments.

And thats the beauty of this immensely charming and oh-so-refreshingly cute piece of cinema.

Nothing...ABSOLUTELY NOTHING distracts you from what is the most important part of any film...the story...the 'SCRIPT' (and what a lovely one at that).

The thing that works big time for the movie is the way the characters have been written. Each and every person you see on screen is so real that you start believing you know these people. They could be the gang of friends right next to you in the college canteen...Hell they could be YOUR gang of friends :) And what totally catapults these extremaly well written and etched out characters onto a different league all together...is the perfect casting of each and every one of them. You totally forget that any of them are ...well...acting!!! They all seem to BE the characters that they are portraying and thats something very difficult to come by in the performance of an entire ensemble cast.

The fact that Abbas Tyrewala is a writer par excellence, is something everyone is aware of, but he is as good, if not better, a director. The simplicity and restraint with which he narrates this beautifully layered story deserves all the praise in the world.

Another factor that helps the movie to a great extent, is that at no point does it seem like its a 'launch vehicle' for Imran Khan [who, lemme tell you makes a brilliant acting debut, and the fact that he is super cute only helps :) ] There isn't a single frame in the movie where you could say 'Oh...they are trying to display his talent for this...or that'. Its a story of two friends and their own course towards understanding their own relationship. And that is exactly what every minute of screen time works towards. Also it has to be seen to be believed, how effortlessly the narrative juxtaposes a completely real and relatable world of the characters with a completely fantasy driven element that forms the super funny cameo track of Naseeruddin Shah.

While everyone is going to yak a LOT about Imran and Genelia and how good they are in the movie ( and they are...they REALLY are), I'd like to specially mention Ratna Pathak Shah, who plays Imran's mom in the film. The lady is a treat to watch onscreen and it makes you wonder why we don't see her on the big screen more often. Along with her, there is Prateek Babbar, who plays Genelia's brother. This boy is a complete natural and takes your breath away with his absolutely effortless performance. Surely a talent I'd be looking forward to see on the silver screen in the near future.

On the whole, 'Jaane Tu.. Ya Jaane Na' totally and completely belongs to the vision and creative genius of Abbas Tyrewala and is undoubtedly the BEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR so far !!! Whats next Abbas ?
Can't wait !!! :)

Was 'Hum Tum' nothing but 'When Harish met Saloni' !!!

2008-06-28T01:49:00.001+05:30

And the answer is NO, it was so much more !!! Read on ... :)

I finally watched 'When Harry Met Sally'. No I was not ignorant or unaware of the film the last 20 years of its existence, I just didn't happen to see it. I'd discovered films, much to the horror of everyone around me, at about the age of 5, which was the year 1989 (god I feel ancient). The year in which one of my favourite films "Maine Pyaar Kiya' had released back home in India. The same year, that 'When Harry Met Sally' released as well. It baffles me to think how different were the levels of maturity with which relationships were discussed in our films compared to the films made by our friends across a few continents. Well...thats a topic relevant even today...but as I say often - Thats a whole other article :)

Coming back to 'When Harry Met Sally', I always wanted to watch the movie and had even rented a copy when I was around 11 and put it in my VCR, but couldn't watch it beyond 15 minutes, because I thought it was boring. Yes...you read that right...Boring !!!

I don't remember WHAT it was about the film that i found boring but I distinctly remember thinking - 'Nah...lemme just watch 'Hum Aapke Hain Kaun' again ( No...this article is not some secret love letter to Mr. Sooraj Barjatya). Now that I think about it, it makes sense that a movie about a man and a woman yapping about relationships wouldn't really appeal to an eleven year old.

Anyway...the reason I finally bought a DVD and sat down to watch the movie was a comment made by a friend who said that Kunal Kohli's 'Hum Tum' (a film that I really adore) was a carbon copy of 'When Harry Met Sally'. And thats when I got thinking... was 'Hum Tum' really nothing but 'When HARISH met SALONI' !!!

Well I just had to find out the truth behind this so I did what any good film buff would (or should) do in such a situation- I watched both the movies back to back. And as I finished watching them, first thing I did was keep the DVD of When Harry Met Sally right next to 'Hum Tum' in my DVD collection and sighed a breath of relief.

Yes...both the movies have two different film makers trying to explore the man-woman relationship and both the movies have two characters meeting each other again and again during different stages of their life and discovering different facets of each other's personality everytime life makes them bump into each other. But thats it !!! It would be naive of me to say that 'Hum Tum' has absolutely nothing to do with 'When Harry Met Sally'. In fact I'd go ahead and admit, had 'When Harry Met Sally' not been made... it would've been quite improbable for 'Hum Tum' to have been conceived. But in no way does that take away from the beautiful experience that Kunal Kohli gave to the film lovers in the form of 'Hum Tum'.

Having seen both the movies I can safely say that both the movies are brilliant in their own right. Enough has been said and written about 'When Harry Met Sally' over the years but 'Hum Tum' never got its due credit just because some self appointed guards of everything sacred in cinema went ahead and shouted out to the world that its nothing but a rip off. Well I don't know what my friends and esteemed colleagues at my film school might have to say about this, but I think 'Hum Tum' was as good as 'When Harry Met Sally' if not better.

Have any doubts about that statement !!! Go ahead and watch the movie and tell me that the title track of 'Hum Tum' (where Rani & Saif's characters, Rhea and Karan come across different couples at different stages of life) isn't one of the most romantic moments in contemporary Indian cinema... or the Paris 'walk to home' sequence (Karan walking Rhea back to her house and not being able to say anything throughout and Rhea thanking him for what he was 'trying to say')...or the incredibly cute midnight sandwich sequence. Well all I am trying to say is that even now when I think about both the movies, where I absolutely adore the both...I'd still pick 'Hum Tum' over 'When Harry Met Sally' - but thats if such a day of final judgement ever comes- till then I am happy loving and respecting both the movies equally :)

p.s..- I'd heard about it..read about it...had people stop me in the middle of conversations and tell me about it, but the 'Fake Orgasm' sequence from 'When Harry Met Sally' totally lived up to all that hype. One brilliant example of the sheer power of performance and I can see why it deserved every word of praise its received in the last 20 years since the film's release.

'REASONS' I cant WAIT to watch 'Jaane Tu..Ya Jaane Na' !!!

2008-06-27T04:21:00.000+05:30

FIRST REASON , Its the directorial debut of one of the best
writers we have in the industry. I know the fact that he
wrote the dialogues of Munnabhai is enough of an introduction for Abbas Tyrewala...but the super talented guy has written one of my all time favorite flicks - 'Salaam Namaste'. So YAY for that :) Also he had co-written 'Chupke Se' which was a really sweet movie directed by Shona Urvashi starring Zulfi Syed, Masumeh and Rati Agnihotri.

SECOND REASON, It stars Genelia D'Souza, who has done some forgettable films like Masti and the recent Priyadarshan catastrophe, I haven't seen any of her telugu films but I've seen a movie that most people haven't even heard of, i.e, 'Tujhe Meri Kasam', which also happens to be the debut film of Ritesh Deshmukh, and I remember very clearly that when I got out of the theatre after watching that movie...I was so impressed with this adorable girl that I couldn't wait for the big wigs in the industry to snap her. She finally seems to be on her way there. Also the movie stars another actress just waiting to be discovered by the masses...Manjari Phadnis. The girl who debuted in an immensely forgettable flick called 'Rok sako to rok lo' and was quite easily the only good thing about the movie. She also starred in the last year's 'under the radar' release "Mumbai Salsa' produced by Vikram Bhatt. A decent movie which could've done better had it been given a better release than getting pitted against 'Jab We Met'...but anyway...Manjari, once again...an actress to look out for...the girl has talent and I don't know if she has a great role in JTYJN but even if she is there for sometime on screen , I am happy that she would finally be seen on big screen by people who matter considering this would be one film she is starring in that people would actually go to the theatres to watch...so there you go.

THIRD REASON, Imran Khan is kinda cute... yeah thats it, no explanations for that one :)

FOURTH REASON, I LOVE the music of the movie...if you haven't got yourself a CD yet...RUN and buy it !!!

I CANT WAIT TILL 4th of JULY :) No not cos its independence day of the Unites States of America ( I really don't know why I didn't just type USA) but cos I'll finally get to watch 'Jaane Tu ... Ya Jaane Na'

Oh also the fifth reason...someone I know knows someone else I kinda know, who has already watched the movie at a preview show (Lucky Bastard !!!) and he seems to be of the opinion that JTYJN is as cool as 'Dil Chahta Hai' !!!

As if I didn't have enough 'REASONS' to go crazy :)

U Me aur Hum - A heart warming experience (atleast the second half !!!)

2008-04-12T03:04:00.002+05:30

THE FIRST HALF

"Hmmmm...nice song...yeah yeah whatever...ooh that was nice... ok .... Kajol looks nice there....hmmm...nice....ok....ho hum....that was cute.....uh....that was not....I am hungry.."

INTERVAL

Yippy !!! Popcorn time :) Its nice, not as good as expected... but nice...hopefully the second half is better...One caramel popcorn please !!! No wonder I am not losing weight"

THE SECOND HALF

"Hmmm... Thats interesting...WOW...OH MY GOD....WOW WOW WOOOOW.....Oh no ...no no no...someone gimme a tissue...sniff. .. No I am not crying...Shut up and watch the movie !!! WOW this movie is AWESOME.

Hey whats your problem lady!!! Haven't you ever seen a guy crying... Look in front and watch the movie!!! Oh my God I am in love with this movie :)

I cant BELIEVE this has come out of Ajay Devgan's head. He is a brilliant actor...no doubts about that...but somehow I associated him with films where the hero makes his entry standing on two bikes...no wait...that was him in what now seems like another lifetime.

The first half of the film is ....uh....well...not so good, and a tad too long to be honest, but post interval, the film takes you by a complete surprise and leaves you breathless by the end of it.

Kajol is as brilliant as ever... the adorable lady has done it once again...proved to everyone that she is the best the industry has seen in decades. But the film totally belongs to one man, and thats Ajay Devgan - The Actor ...The Director.

He has a wonderful sense of visuals and the film clearly depicts that in every frame. He has an unnervingly good grasp on the pulse of the audience and surprises in his brilliant handling of a subject that would scare off many experienced directors...let alone a first timer. Can't wait to see what he comes out with next.

As of now...am planning to go watch 'U Me aur Hum' once again...and hoping the DVD comes out soon !!! And if I've not already called you or screamed it out loud enough...DO buy the audio of the film... the songs are GREAT !!! For more info on the music of 'U Me aur Hum' read the music review I posted a few weeks back.

Vagina Monologues : Makes you moan.... with pleasure !!!

2008-04-11T15:40:00.007+05:30

I'd heard so much about this wonderful play and how many people claimed it to be a life changing experience for them. When I first heard it was gonna be performed in my city... I just HAD to go and watch it. Didn't know what to expect. And I refrained from 'Googling' it on the net and spoil my highly anticipated, and as my friend would describe it 'Life Changing Experience'.

So as I settled down in my seat, first row, might I add, I saw 5 empty chairs on the stage with huge stacks of pages on them. The chairs were all set in a single row and there were no other props... actually there was absolutely nothing else on the stage. I've been tricked, I thought... into watching a dull boring seminar about women screaming and complaining about how they've been suppressed by men throughout the ages. Hey ... Don't get me wrong !!! I am the first guy to stand up for women's liberation and women being self reliant and independent... but being in the center of the first row from the stage and getting picked on by a bunch of angry women while they target me..... Me??? Anyone who knows me would be able to tell you that I am a totally wrong representative for all the men that women might think are the major cause of all their problems in life. So... I am sorry...but this didn't like my idea of a fun evening.

I waited anxiously as the auditorium filled up with...guess what...more women !!! Finally the lights went down and this pleasant looking woman came center stage to welcome the audience and requested everybody to switch off their mobiles and pagers. The way she requested for the same was one of the funniest things I'd ever heard anyone say on-stage. Trust me !!!
And then started the main act with the words ...

“Let's just start with the word "vagina". It sounds like an infection at best, maybe a medical instrument: ‘Hurry nurse, bring me the vagina!’”

That... set the tone for the evening and I realized that its not going to be such a horrid evening after all.

What followed...really WAS an experience I'll never forget my entire life. The whole play is basically a narration of various monologues by a group of women who, one by one, transform into various characters solely on the basis of voice modulation and body language. So you get to hear a 9 year old's experience growing up confused about her sexuality, a corporate lawyer turned prostitute (at service... only for women), a middle class Maharashrian woman's encounter with a man called Atul Kulkarni ( No...not the actor) who loves to look at her....er.. you know uhh.... what the 60 year old parsi woman's monologue calls - 'maari nicheli jagah' (my thing ...down there). All the performers bowl you over with the fluidity with which they slip in and out of different characters and the one actress who deserves a special mention is 'Jayati Bhatia'. I could see the play, atleast 10 more times...JUST for her. Her portrayal of the corporate lawyer turned ...ahem...'Woman Pleaser' made me laugh my head off. And the moans....oh the MOANS that she belts out of her talented little self are just a sheer moment of magic in the world of performances.
I'd recommend...every woman...and EVERY MAN...to go and watch the very next show of Vagina Monologues thats performed in their town, that is IF you can get your hands on the tickets. Thats right...every show is completely booked within hours of the start of the ticket sales.

For those of you in Mumbai...the next show is on 19th April at Fame Andheri. Hurry and book your seats...NOW !!!

[Umm... just so you know...its not a movie...its a play....so dont ask for the last row in the auditorium :) ]

"Kareena set off the fire alarm !!!"

2008-03-14T20:49:00.001+05:30

I was sitting comfortably in the editing lab at my institute when around 2 p.m. I heard a loud and piercing alarm. It didn’t take me much time to comprehend that it was one of those fire drills that are performed on a regular basis these days. I was in two minds about actually leaving my comfortable and air conditioned lab and running out into the icky and humid Mumbai afternoon.... AAaaaargh... I did what was the right thing to do. Switched off my computer and rushed out. There were more than the regular number of students who are generally out there in such instances. I got curious if there had really been a fire. That’s when I saw that there were a lot of media and reporters along with their broadcast vans in the institute campus. On asking around I found out that Ms. Kareena Kapoor was expected any minute for a press conference. There was a lot of confusion going on as some students said she had already arrived. That’s when one of my fellow students shouted out – “She is definitely here... NO wonder the fire alarm went off !!!”

All in all... it was a pretty special day at the institute as we were visited by two of the best actresses of the country in the same day :)

“Acting was all about glamour for me…” – Tabu

2008-03-14T20:26:00.002+05:30

The students at my institute, i.e., Whistling Woods International, were in for a treat as they were visited for a special guest lecture by the supremely talented actress – Tabu. Dressed in an elegant salwar suit, Tabu was warmth personified as she spoke to the students about her experience of working in Indian as well as International cinema.

On being showered with lavish praises by the students for her acting powress, she floored one and all by her statement, “I am not a great actress, I am still getting the hang of what acting is all about”.

She talked to us about how she prepares for different characters that she plays so convincingly and effortlessly on screen. She spoke about the importance of ‘Listening’ to the director’s instructions without any preconceived notions and how by just doing so, half the battle of delivering a convincing performance is won. She also talked about how by simply observing different people around you, one can grow as a performer and a film maker.

When someone asked about her thoughts on her early days in the industry, she surprised everyone by a blatantly honest answer, “When I came into the industry, acting was all about glamour for me. I was young and like any other newcomer wanted nothing more than to look glamorous and pretty onscreen.” A statement like that certainly came as a pleasant surprise considering that today she is one of those rare actresses who are known more for their nuanced performances than an ultra glamorous image associated with a Bollywood star. It was a memorable day indeed.

Run and buy the music of 'U Me Aur Hum'

2008-03-05T17:52:00.007+05:30

Almost two decades ago, Salman Khan crooned onscreen - 'Mere rang mein rangne waali' in Sooraj Barjatya's directorial debut 'Maine Pyar Kiya'. The song was a huge rage and people still remember it for its soulful music and beautifully written lyrics.

The song spoke about a couple who were so in love that they wanted to leave their individual identities behind and become one. In short....forget the
'You' and 'Me' and become 'Hum (us)'.

As I slipped in the audio CD of Ajay Devgan's directorial debut, 'U, Me Aur Hum' into my car's audio system I was expecting a bunch of breezy romantic numbers as thats the feel I got from the teasers and promos. And just as I'd thought, the first number of the album, 'Jee Le' was everything that it promised to be in the trailers. A fun number with a not so subtle hint of sensuality... its an instantly likable piece of music with foot tapping latin beats. Adnan Sami and Shreya Ghoshal add to the magic of the Vishal Bhardawaj's composition with their effortless rendition.

I love songs like these as they make you forget about the woes of driving in Mumbai's pathetic traffic. I immediately pressed the repeat button and heard the song 3 times before letting the CD go on.

Shit... the horn doesn't work....This must be my car's way of telling me I REALLY need to get it serviced !!!

I entered the premises of my destination as the second track started with its soft and soothing music. I wasn't paying much attention to it as I was busy looking out for a parking spot....THERE....I saw one spot at the end of the lane and drove quickly to beat the bitch in blue Honda City right behind me. What does she think of herself....just because she has a bigger car.....err... anyway.... as I was about to switch off the music system the lyrics of the album's title track hit me -

'Apne rang gavaaye bin, Mere rang mein ghul jao,
Apni dhoop bujhaye bin, , Meri chaaon mein aa jao,

I was like.....whoooaaaaah....I just sat there still in my car thinking WOW... finally a song that manages to get down in words the essence of a relationship in todays time and age. The song got me thinking, that how for any relationship to survive, its so important, that the the people in the relationship learn how to maintain their individual identities while learning to cope up with their new found status of being together... of being a 'Couple'.

Completely lost in my thoughts ( good thing I wasn't driving) I missed out on half the song when I heard another few lines from the song bringing me back to reality :-

Ek din to voh lamha bhi aana hai,
Dono mein se ek ne chale jaana hai....
Dono mil ke saah mein, aise jeena seekh lein,
taaki jo peechche rahe, usko naa ho mushkilein....

And there I was back to the world of my thoughts :)

There have been 'n' number of songs and films with the highly romanticized take on relationships where people talk about living together and dying in each other's arms... 'Saath Jiyange Saath Marenge' types. Not that I have anything against such extreme portrayal of passion, but such ideologies may fulfill the emotional need when the story being told is of 'Laila Majnu' or 'Romeo & Juliet', not when the film is about ordinary and everyday people like you and me ( no pun intended....ah who am I kidding....of course it is).

This song talks about the life of two people together but also mentions how its bound to happen that one of the two would have to deal with the other's death at some point in their life. The lyrics speak beautifully about how both the people in the relationship have to learn to live in such a way that whenever either one of them has to deal with being alone...he or she should be able to gather the strength to go on with life.

So finally I got off the car....all the while thinking about this beautiful track and decided there and then... more people need to know about it. And of course bought a few more copies of the album to gift it to some of my friends.... Aaah NOW you wish I was your friend don't you !!! :)

Oh and I did hear he rest of the album eventually. I particularly like the third track for its peppy music and the fact that Kajol looks superb in the video being her naughty self with her on and off screen husband in the song - 'Paheli jaisa saiyaan'. Another superb track is the second version of the title track in the voice of the music director Vishal Bharadwaj which is as beautiful and effective as the Shreya Ghoshal version .

I'd highly recommend the soundtrack of 'U Me Aur Hum' to anybody who enjoys good music. The album is worth every penny you'd spend on it.

Caramel - 'Soul Food'

2008-01-28T01:00:00.004+05:30

As I drove down all the way to Andheri from Filmcity, battling the horrible Mumbai traffic, trying to ignore the stupid headache that had been pestering me since afternoon, all that was going on in my head was- 'Please God PLEASE, let there be at least ONE film at this film festival that makes this trip worthwhile' and I guess the one up there in the extreme north was in a happy mood that evening .... maybe he had just had an extra special preview screening of Nadine Labaki's intensely gorgeous and heartfelt film - 'CARAMEL'

This amazingly beautiful Lebanese film tells the story of a group of women who run a salon , which in fact, is a metaphor for the Utopian world that all of us pine to live in. Its only when these women step out of this Utopia and face the realities of life's simple and not so simple issues, that they learn how to live.

...From a woman going through medical procedures to be a virgin again for her unsuspecting groom-to-be... to a woman trying to cope with her physical desires for another woman...to a woman who carries on a hopeless – but very satisfying – affair with a married man.

It was a great experience watching the film and then being able to converse with the director as soon as the film got over. The beautiful Nadine Labaki herself, who was grace personified, accompanied by her husband who happens to be the background music scorer for the film.

'Caramel' is undoubtedly the most heart warming international film I've seen after Majid Majidi's 'Children of Heaven'. I doubt that it'll be possible for most of you readers to watch the film on a big screen but I'd recommend this film on DVD to anyone who just wishes to get a smile on their face while they hanve an experience as sweet as ....you guessed it... Caramel !!!

Aaja Nachle - Makes you wanna dance !!!!

2007-12-06T15:04:00.001+05:30

This isn't really a review as it comes almost a week after the film's release. I'd like to apologize to all those people who've been mailing me all week to know my feedback on Ms. Dixit's comeback film. I've been really busy the last few days with my internship.

As a film making student I try to watch every good film atleast twice so that the first time I can enjoy it as a part of the general audience and then watch it the next time to analyze its finer aspects as a student of cinema.

I've seen 'Aaja Nachle' thrice already and still haven't been able to get over the first stage.... as its extremely difficult to not let yourself go when Madhuri Dixit dances her way onto the screen looking as fab as ever and wondering ....'Is she really 42' !!!! The best thing about Madhuri in this film is that she isn't trying to look like a 20 year old.... instead she has been portrayed as the beautiful woman that she is, and trust me.... she can give sleepless nights to most of the PYTs in the industry today.

So whether you watch the film for Madhuri's dance, her million dollar smile, Konkona's heartwarming portrayal of the village tomboy or just to listen to the most innovative and politically correct 'Gaalis' mouthed by her as she expresses her love to the village toughie (Kunal Kapoor) who strongly believes real men don't dance and looks OH so cute while doing it, or just for the really nice story that the director brings across so convincingly.

Its an immensely charming piece of cinema which has everything that one looks for in a good film. A great story....brilliant performances by the entire cast and one helluva interesting climax.

The film has been targeted by numerous critics who have taken it up as the mission of their sad lives to run down any film that comes out of the Yashraj camp. Its been given extremely negative and unfair reviews which is nothing but their attempt to kill the film even before its first show got over in the theaters.

Don't miss out on watching this wonderful film on the big screen as its an extremely entertaining film that appeals to people of all ages.

Without a doubt.... one of the best films this year - 'Aaja Nachle'

'Saawariya'- pan the critics - decide for yourself

2007-11-11T14:57:00.004+05:30

'Saawariya' is the most beautifully and innocently told love story in ages. I LOVED it. Its not for cynics or the hard core mass audience who are looking for cheap thrills or masala.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali has been repeatedly accused in the past for his work being 'Opera-tic', so this time around he serves to the audience..... the pure and passionate magic of a grand scale musical opera on 70 mm screen. And the result....is something you just need to sit back and enjoy.

Ranbir and Sonam are Mr. Bhansali's Diwali gift to the industry which so badly needs new and fresh talent. While Ranbir completely transforms into the character of a dreamer and enthralls you with his performance as he makes you cry for his first love as a shy tear falls from his oh so beautiful eyes... Sonam floors you with her innocence and mature portrayal of a child woman...who waits...waits with endless hope...that her love would come back to her. Enough has been written about them both being a powerhouse of talent so I wont say more. Rani as Gulab ji is mind blowing in the film. She proves to be the sunshine in this beautiful story of four nights.Every time she walks into the frame...you just can't help but smile. While she is completely enthralling in the 'Chabeela' song she makes your eyes go moist as she explains he eternal wait for a 'pari' to Ranbir , with a smile on her face and a silent tear in her eyes. Another performer who is absolutely charming in the film is the cute old veteran- Zohra Sehgal.

As far as the film being slow is concerned....I think the film had just the pace that the story required. If someone is looking for a zippy romantic comedy....I'd recommend 'Jab We Met' by Imtiaz Ali.... another fabulous film that recently came out.

But 'Saawariya' is an experience that needs to be enjoyed like sipping on an exquisite wine.... So if someone is looking for instant fizz of 'Pepsi' they've come to the wrong screening.

Yes.... its a 2 hour 22 minute film with 9 songs.... just leave cynicism at home and enjoy the sheer magic of cinema at its best. I know a lot of people who know me personally, and are aware that I absolutely adore Mr. Bhansali, might think that I am biased towards the film because i literally worship and idolise the man. But trust me... there is a reason to my madness about him as a film maker. He is one of the rare few film makers in India who understand the power of cinema and use it to its full potential, and bring out on screen...not just functional images...but experience of life itself. And anyone who can't see that, is the most unfortunate person, as that person is missing out on the most pure form of art and the magic that this man can create by painting his vision on celluloid.

I rarely ever quote an external review but the statement here under so aptly describes the film, I just couldn't resist :-

"The experience is visually enchanting, cloyingly sweet, at once utterly chaste and insanely erotic." - New York Times

'JAB WE MET' - A sweet n simple story....splendidly told !!!! Three cheers of Imtiaz :)

2007-10-30T11:54:00.000+05:30

I don't know about the rest of the world, but I was waiting with bated breath to watch Imtiaz Ali's 'Jab We Met'. After a superb directorial debut in 'Socha Naa Tha', (which happens to be one of my all time favorite films) I really wanted to see if he will be able to live up to the expectations everyone had of him.... and what a delight he has whipped up in the form of an extremely charming and thoroughly entertaining romantic comedy....A genre,, that very few film makers in India understand, let alone attempt. Imtiaz has a gift...when it comes to creating moments that seem straight out of life, which to a large extent is due to his brilliant writing which hardly ever make the dialogues sound like regular film dialogues, something very reminiscent of his first film.

The film has amazing music and all songs are very well placed in the sceenplay. The two tracks that deserve a special mention for the way they've been shot are 'Nagada Nagada' and 'Yeh Ishq hai' ( A special mention here for brilliantly refreshing choreography by Saroj Khan). The number that has become my personal favorite after watching the movie is 'Aaoge Jab Tum' a beautiful song about longing sung by 'Ustad Rashid Khan'.

Whatever maybe the situation in their personal lives, Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor blow you away with what can be only termed as their career's best performance. They are so convincing as Aditya Kashyap and Geet Dhillon that 5 minutes into the movie,and you will see them just as their characters and nothing else.

This film proves that it just takes a good script and a great director to get across onscreen chemistry between two good actors. And the crackling chemistry amongst the lead actors is to be seen to be believed. Check out the hotel room sequences in the first half as well as the second half of the film.

Kareena Kapoor completely 'lives' her character with utmost sincerity. She does go slightly over the top in a rare few scenes but it gels well with her character of non-stop chatterbox 'Sikhni from Bhatinda'. She looks heartbreakingly beautiful , especially in the second half, and the girl brings tears to your eyes when you see her in the 'Aaoge Jab Tum' track.

Shahid Kapoor proves once again after 'Vivah' that he has what it takes to successfully carry a film on his shoulders. His immensely controlled performance as the young businessman disillusioned with life is one of the best performances by a lead actor this year.

Overall its a brilliantly written and directed film with great performances, which, lets face it, is a rare thing these days. Go grab your tickets NOW !!!!

'Laaga Chunari Mein Daag'- Watchable despite its 'Daags' !!!!

2007-10-17T22:15:00.000+05:30

...And 'Bhool Bhulaiya' - Watch it.... if you have nothing else to do on a weekend !!!! Or wait for the Rs. 50 original DVD :)

Both the releases this weekend - Priyadarshan's 'Bhool Bhulaiya' and Pradeep Sarkar's 'Laaga Chunari Mein Daag' turned out to be quite disappointing.

'Bhool Bhulaiya' is a clear victim of severe identity crisis under the reins of a severely confused director not being able to make up his mind if he wants to make a comedy or a psychological thriller. The film's concept had all the potential to be a rich, well made, horror/psychological thriller. But Priyadarshan forces unnecessary songs into the narrative and even the comedy is jarring at places as it comes when the audience is expecting high drama.

Performances by Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal, Asrani and the entire brigade are just right and go with the mood of the film. Amisha Patel doesn't really have much to do except look pretty, sob and scream and then sob some more.

Vidya Balan while being in quite a vanilla mode throughout the film, punches in a fantastic performance towards the end of the film. But the real 'SHOCKER" is Shiney Ahuja - whose performance is ....believe it or not.... as bad as Nisha Kothari's portrayal of 'Basanti' in 'Ram Gopal Verma ki Aag'. Now, how does such a promising young actor manage to completely forget how to act !!!! Maybe he saw the 'Haveli's bhootni (ghost)' :)

'Laaga Chunari Mein Daag' suffers from glaring loopholes in its screenplay, also Pradeep Sarkar (director) seems to have a heavy hang over of his first film- Parineeta.
He introduces and sets up the protagonist's world beautifully at the Ganga ghaat and the streets of Banaras, and to some extent successfully manages to bring forward the plight of the family dealing with severe financial crisis, but soon after the story shifts to big bad city of Mumbai, the film starts to fumble in terms of plausibility and build up of new characters, especially the character of the woman who helps Rani become (ahem....) a 'high class' escort....not some cheap prostitute (her words...not mine). This character, called 'Michelle', played by the television hottie, Suchitra Pillai. Who was this woman ???? Where did she come from ???? I thought she was a call centre employee ...yikes !!!!

Then, the Zurich sequence- the supposed bonding song between Abhishek and Rani's characters- 'Zara Gunguna Lein' featuring totally forced and it would make absolutely no difference to the narrative if they edit it out completely. So, what apparently seems to be the most expensive schedule of the film, is the one that sicks out like a sore thumb. Talking of sore thumbs....Why the hell does Abhishek look so disinterested in the film. He doesn't have much of a role, but whatever screen time he has, it seems like he was just not interested in being on the sets. And someone PLEASE find him a new stylist, and while they are at it....a shaving kit. Its sad to see such an abysmal performance by someone who has given riveting performances in films like Yuva and Guru. It seems like the director was so tired after working so very hard on the detailing and nuances of the other lead cast members (including Kunal Kapoor's), that when it came to Abhishek....this was the only instruction Abhishek got from the Mr. Pradeep Sarkar - "Just do what you did in Hum Tum, Kuch Naa Kaho, and other such films.... "

Although, the film has its share of good points as well. Firstly the performances by the entire female lead cast- Jaya Bachchan, Rani Mukherji and Konkona Sen ....
.... Crackling chemistry between Konkona and Kunal Kapoor ( who does a good job in a small role that he has....and he looks super cute, which is always a good thing).
Konkona's performance deserves an applause. The woman is just a treat to watch on screen. Anupam Kher is brilliant in the small role he has

A special mention is in order for the mesmerizing camera work and stunning costumes, and some brilliantly written sequences that do manage to touch a cord with the audience, but over all 'Laag Chunari Mein Daag' is a half baked product which leaves the audiences a bit disappointed as it definitely had a potential to be an immensely engaging drama but ends up being just an average....watchable film.

Oh and look out for the subtle treatment given to the resolving of drama in the climax....a total turn around from the over melodramatic climax of 'Parineeta', which almost threatened to kill the the beautifully poetic film that it was.

Looking forward to Pradeep Sarkar's next....

.... and Mr. Priyadarshan.... if not Hera Pheri or Viraasat....give us another Hungama....or even a Hulchul would do.... but please don't make another DHOL !!!!

Music .... at this moment !!!!

2007-10-11T17:40:00.001+05:30

There has been some really nice and catchy music thats hit the market in the recent past. Everyone is grooving away with Akshay Kumar to the foot tapping numbers of 'Bhool Bhulaiya' and also the music of 'Jab We Met' has some really nice numbers, especially 'Mauja Mauja' (awesomely sung by Mika), 'Yeh Ishq hai' (Shreya Ghoshal's surprisingly saucy avatar is a treat) and the soulful 'Tum Se Hi' ( really nice rendition by new singer, Mohit Chauhan). Over all makes 'Jab We Met' a quite a Paisa Vasool album with a little something for everyone.

Same is the case with Farah Khan's 'Om Shanti Om'. The album has some instantly likable numbers and then there is an out and out mass oriented track like 'Dard-e-Disco' which you can just not help but tap your feet to, especially with the heavily aggressive promotion that its being given [Shahrukh Khan's new muscled up physique being used to its full glory to attract more and more eyeballs to the theatre-Well nothing wrong with that now, is it!!!! ] :)
The other two tracks from OSO that make for some pleasant listening are 'Ajab Si' and 'Main Agar Kahoon'.

But lets talk about what I think is the best album to have hit the shelves of music stores this year- Sanjay Leela Bhansali's labor of love- 'Saawariya'. The music of Saawariya has been out in the market for quite some time now and its been steadily climbing the charts and not without reason. Its one of those pieces of work that make you feel like you are in the presence of pure genius. Sanjay leela Bhansali knows his stuff when it comes to music, and his music director for this film, Monty, is a great discovery by any standards. He worked on the background scores of the director's earlier films which were just a mere hint of what the man is capable of. You have to hear the music of 'Saawariya' to believe it. Almost every song has a freshness and beauty of a freshly painted canvas that just seems too precious to be meddled with. The first track of the album is a simple and breezy number sung quite ably by new singer Shail. An instantly likable and light number but somehow seems divorced from the sound and feel of the rest of the soundtrack. But I'd recommend that you directly skip to the other tracks as the first track will be thrown at you on every music channel and radio station anyway. There are 4 immensely beautiful numbers to be relished in the album- 'Jab Se Tere Naina','Masha-Allah', Daras Bina' and 'Thode Badmaash' (a track composed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali himself). But the best track of the entire album is without a doubt- 'Yoon Shabnami' sung by the first time singer Parthiv Gohil, and what a debut it is !!!! Its after a long time that there has come a song that has the ability to give goose flesh to the listener. Its pure magic....

Overall if you really want to experience pure unadulterated power of good music.... Invest in an Audio CD of 'Saawariya'. It'll be worth every penny you spend on it !!!!

Word you are looking for.... is MARKETING !!!!

2007-10-05T09:47:00.001+05:30

You've got to be living on another planet if you haven't heard of the two mega movies releasing this Diwali weekend. Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus 'Saawariya' and Farah Khan's reincarnation drama 'Om Shanti Om'. The marketing of both the films has almost gobbled up the entire media space, be it television, print media or the hundreds of hoardings around the city of Mumbai. Seriously....check out the huge hoarding of 'Saawariya' at Juhu and you'll know what I mean. While I am personally waiting eagerly for both the films, what concerns me is that the publicity of both these films has taken over in such a way that all the other films releasing around the same time as them will have to pull up their socks just to get noticed and make the audience aware of their existence.

These include Imtiaz Ali's Shahid- Kareena starrer 'Jab We Met' , Pradeep Sarkar's (Parineeta) Rani Mukerjee-Konkona Sen starrer 'Laaga Chunari Mein Daag'. Both the films are expected to cater to the family audience with clean wholesome entertainment and need to make their presence felt by some aggressive last minute marketing as both the films are by directors whose first films (Imtiaz Ali's 'Socha Naa Tha' and Pradeep Sarkar's 'Parineeta') showed a lot of promise and I feel both their new films are potential winners at the box office if they manage a good enough initial opening, because thats what will seal the deal for them. The Ramzan period will be over around the release of these films and the holiday of Dusshera could add to the opening figures but the importance of a strong marketing campaign cannot be ruled out.

While the only film that seems to have gotten its footing perfectly right in this game from the word go is Priyadarshan's comedy drenched horror film 'Bhool Bhulaiya'. From the very first teaser to the song promos to the recent dialogue promos, the film has been marketed excellently and the audience interest has been raised with every passing day. While Laaga Chunari Mein Daag's promotion started with a bang with its 2 minute first look being released in Yashraj Films ' last big release- 'Chak De India'. The marketing campaign of the film after that has been surprisingly tepid especially because its a Yashraj release and the people at YRF are known for mind boggling expertise in the marketing department. Another weak link affecting the promotion of the film is its lack of popular music which is an important factor in promoting any film these days. Even the latest promotional video of the title track lacks the punch that one would expect from the powerful lyrics with the fiery vocals of Shubha Mudgal and an incredible recital by Meeta Vashisht. The illustrious production house had kept the marketing of its last release 'Chak De India' low key as well, but this strategy might just backfire this time as its not a Shahrukh Khan film they are dealing with, rather, its a women centric film where they need to pull in the huge female segment of the audience who really need to be wooed into the theatres with some aggressive promotion targeted just at them.

Why else do you think packets of 'bindis' were handed free with tickets at small centers at the release of Sooraj Barjatya's super successful 'Vivah'. Special shows were arranged for women where there were lucky draws to be won....the big prize being 'sarees' and 'bangles'. Box Office report - 'Vivah' was one of the biggest hits last year.
And it captured the hearts of college goers in Mumbai to Basanti didi, my maid back at my home in Gwalior, a small town in Madhya Pradesh. Oh and by the way, Basanti didi had not ventured out to watch a movie in a theatre since Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Devdas' in 2002. So what got her to spend the 30 bucks per ticket for her and her family to watch a movie that didn't have huge sets or big names like Shahrukh Khan or Madhuri Dixit !!!!

Well I hope all the above discussed films get a brilliant response at the box office.... They've got a lot of money riding on them and a lot of careers hanging on them. But most importantly.... all of them seem to be well made, decent entertainers and it would be a shame for someone's hard work go unnoticed just because of the lack of appropriate marketing. Yup.... Thats the name of the game in today's blink and miss extremely short attention span of the audience....Marketing !!!!

Why the 'Bourgeois-ian' Hypocrisy !!!!

2007-06-29T06:00:00.000+05:30

As I finished watching my highly over used and scratched VCD of Mahesh Bhatt's Anupam Kher, Pooja Bhatt starrer film 'Daddy' for the 'N'th time and switched to a popular news channel I was pleasantly surprised at the coincidence that Mr. Mahesh Bhatt was on my television screen speaking about the latest film being released by his production house- Mohit Suri's Awaarapan.

Mahesh Bhatt…. The mere mention of the name takes you mind to the mental a picture of the guy who is always voicing his opinions on some or the other topic on numerous television channels.

The much eager barricade of journalists always have his number on speed dial as he offers them the most brilliant ‘Dial-A-Quote’ service.

But once the microphones go off and the flash bulbs fade out, the same people seem to put him down with sneer remarks and sly smiles. What’s with the hypocrisy!!!!

Here is a man who belongs to the rare breed of people in the Indian Film Industry, who actually have the balls to speak out their mind unapologetically. Every time the media or any outside party wrongly accuses someone for the sake of cheap publicity or to provide a push to their TRP ratings, this man goes out of his way to make sure that the person being victimized doesn’t go unheard.

Whether it was his support for actress Raveena Tandon in 2001 against the ugly political controversy regarding her credibility as the winner of National Award for Kalpana Lajmi’s Daman or his recent plea to the Mumbai Authorities to support film makers in the country. Ever since I can remember he has been on a constant mission to give the people of his fraternity a better work environment. Its disheartening to see that most of the people in the film industry not only don’t support him, they very conveniently turn their back on him and go home without showing an iota of gratitude.

Yes, the mind that gave birth to classics like Arth, Saaransh, Naam and Daddy may have turned more into a business man’s that a sensitive film maker’s. That doesn’t take away from the fact that he gave us immensely popular and memorable films like Aashiqui, Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin, Sadak, Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayi, Criminal and his last film as a director, Zakhm.

This hypocrisy that resonates so vividly isn’t merely limited to the media or the film industry. It can be largely sensed amongst the general public as well. When it comes to the films that are made by the Bhatt camp, it’s not really difficult to find people with their noses high up in the air, blurting out comments such as....

‘These Bhatts make such vulgar non sense’, or ‘Why do they have to have so much indecent stuff in their movies’…. ‘Cant they make anything more than soulless skin flicks !!!!’

The list goes on.

The are the same people who go watch all these films while rejecting films like Tamanna or Sur, which is amusingly surprising, as according to their high demands of clean and quality cinema, these films were tailor made for them. While the ‘supposed’ sleaze fest is lapped up by the same audience, and the only reason for this is that it is anything but….

Well the films in question in such a scenario are films like Murder, Kasoor, Gangster, Kalyug, etc. All these films are directorial vehicles of the young new directors launched by the Bhatt camp.

Let’s face it…. All the above mentioned films proved to be extremely successful at the box office. And mind you, neither of them was a bad film. They were all slickly executed, smartly written and brilliantly marketed products which worked because they equally entertained the masses and the classes.

So when someone tries to belittle ‘Murder’ by calling it a soft porn skin flick, they better be aware of the fact that a 3 crore film does not do a business of 20 crores business based on a few love making scenes. The film has to have a story and a screenplay strong enough to make the audience sit through and appreciate a 3 hour film. And all these films had just that.

According to me, Kunal Khemu starrer ‘Kalyug’ was one of the most brilliantly made films by a new film maker in recent times. It was a film that delved into the taboo world of pornography and sex trafficking, while being ‘CLEAN’ enough for a teenager to sit and watch it with his parents. I think that’s an achievement worthy of an applause. Similar was the case with Gangster, which was truly one of the most soul stirring and beautiful films last year.

Mr. Bhatt may not have given us a gem like ‘Zakhm’ in a long time but he never stopped providing the audience with thoroughly entertaining cinema and that’s got to count for something. Also, his constant pursuit to infuse fresh talent into the industry is something all big production houses should take a cue from.

To cut a long story short…. Mahesh Bhatt is one of those people that people just love to hate. Well, that’s never stopped him from doing what he wants to do. It’s just sad how conveniently people forget that this man is one of the best storytellers Indian Cinema has witnessed in a long time.

JHOOM BARABAR JHOOM - My Review :)

2007-06-16T12:12:00.001+05:30

Hmmmm ....So....JHOOM BARABAR JHOOM !!!!
I Dont know what to say !!!!
Who am I kidding.... I always have a LOT to say :)
So hear goes....

OK…. Picture this –

What if…. Zaara from ‘Veer Zaara was living in present day London and met Bunty from ‘Bunty aur Babli’ and both of them started talking about their love lives.

Sounds whacky !!!! Hmmm????
What if their love stories (flashbacks) took you through events such as Princess Diana’s funeral and places like Madame Tussauds wax museum and a mad song and dance sequence at none other than Eiffel Tower!!!!

Sounds Over The Top ????

WAIT!!!! That is just the first 45 minutes !!!!

What if…. After discussing their respective fairy tale romances they ponder upon what would have happened had they not met their ‘partners’ and met as two single people. And this dream sequence took you to what can only be described as the director’s tribute to Yash Chopra’s Veer Zaara .

WHOA!!!! HANG ON HANG ON…. You thought the first half was Over The Top????

Then the second half is ‘OVER whatever you can BLOODY IMAGINE’

So what do I think about Shaad Ali’s third directorial venture !!!!

IT BLEW MY MIND AWAY.

JHOOM BARABAR JHOOM ROCKS BABY !!!!

Because somewhere between the ‘Over The Top’ phase and ‘Over the Bloody Everything’ phase I realized that this movie isn’t supposed to be taken seriously or logically or practically. That’s just not what its asking of its audience. Its like one of those wild rides you hop on in an amusement park and just let yourself go crazy not knowing what to do when every moment is a new surprising experience.

Is it one of the best films I’ve ever seen …. NO
Is it one of the best screenplays ever written….NO

But it’s genuinely one of the bravest and sincere attempts I’ve seen of a film that redefines mainstream hindi cinema. Its in true terms a refreshingly different piece of entertainment.

Yeah Yeah…the ‘Nay sayers’ can go ahead and sue me for using the (oh so criminal) word ‘DIFFERENT’ for a (OH MY GAWD!!!!) Yashraj Film’s production.

I am sure many self claimed critics and reviewers would ask the film’s makers- ‘What was the necessity of Amitabh Bachchan’s presence in this film ?’
Well, all I would like to say to that is…. If you could get the icon himself to be a ‘Sutradhar’ in your film, would YOU ask yourself this question. I know to many people Mr. Bachchan’s presence in the film would seem like a ‘waste of his talent’ or just an attempt by a father to contribute some extra face value to his son’s film. MY QUESTION IS…. Whats wrong with either of those reasons being true !!!! Wake up and smell the coffee guys, tomorrow if you ever make a movie and you’d give a leg and an arm to even have him present at the ‘Mahurat’.

“Getting a Tad Technical”

The first half of the film has an international feel throughout. Whereas the second half magnificently pulls you out of the fairytale love stories set in London and Paris and throws the audience on to ‘Saaadda HINDUSTAN’ (read Punjab) and Southall (‘OH JI London da Punjab’).

*Note to Abhyanka Bose (Cinematographer) and the entire Art Direction team :-

A brilliant job people !!!! I’d like to specially mention the ‘Steve’s Office sequence’ and the entire pre-climax dance competition sequence for an exemplary effort by both the departments. But….(and this is for the cinematographer…. the never ending ‘round about’ trolley shot in the ‘Bol Na Halke’ song in front of Humayun’s Tomb made my head spin :( Sorry !!!!

The music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy in one word…. ROCKS !!!! Every number is of chartbuster variety and is complimented beautifully by the genius of Gulzar saab’s lyrics. Whether it’s the soft and breezy ‘Bol Na Halke Halke’ or the ever energetic climax version of Jhoom.

“Jo baanware se lagte hain,
woh log bhale hote hain ….;
Jo pyaar mein jee nahin sakte,
pehle se mare hote hain ….”

The simplicity with which something so meaningful has been conveyed has Gulzar saab’s name written all over it.

The major flaw of the film is the sluggish pace of the first half. The film has a running time of a little over 2 hours, yet it seems to have some scope for a bit of trimming in the initial reels. The song ‘Ticket to Hollywood’, no matter how foot tapping and well choreographed seems unnecessary and could have been done without. All the other songs have been interestingly shot as well, may it be ‘Kiss of Love’ – the film’s tribute to the Oscar winning Richard Gere starrer ‘Chicago’ or Bol Na Halke’ – an ode to ‘Veer Zaara’ perhaps : /

*Note to Vaibhavi Merchant (Choreogrpher) :-

Girl….you arrived with a bang with ‘Kajra Re’, but spiraled down to mediocrity and repetitiveness as you made Aishwarya Rai dance to a modern ‘Kajra Re’ in ‘Crazy Kiya Re’ and a historic ‘Kajra Re’ as Umrao jaan Ada !!!! I am sorry for being ruthlessly honest but that’s because I’ve always felt that there is definitely more to you. And you have proved me right with a FANTASTIC job in Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. How you’ve made four ‘non-dancers’ look believable as participants of a Dance Competition is definitely plausible.

Director Shaad Ali has a flare for comedy and that comes across effectively in the film. JHOOM BARABAR JHOOM is as MAD and CRAZY as nothing else I’ve seen in a long time. It makes the director’s last film Bunty aur Babli look like a serious art film. SERIOUSLY !!!!J But its not a LOUD film. Yes I am aware the above two statements sound contradictory but you’d understand what I mean when you watch the film.

Also, Mr. Shaad does a fine job of extracting some ‘real life’ moments and making them fit seamlessly into the film which is as close to reality as Taj Mahal is from Eiffel Tower.

Case and point;
*Abhishek and his friend ordering kababs in South hall, London ('Bakra kaat raha hai kya')
*Ms. Shabbo and the ‘cat calls- Awaaz nahin aa rahee’ –reminds you of watching a film in small cinema hall in olden day’s Amritsar.
· Preity and Lara’s ‘girly’ (ahem….bitchy) ‘FIGHT” scene in the green room

Perfomances by Abhishek Bachchan and Lara Dutta ( in whatever little role she has) are brilliant. Specially Lara Dutta, who stuns you with her most polished performance to date. She works the audience brilliantly in her two different ‘avatars’ in the film.. Hang in there Ms. Dutta, you’ll get your due very soon as you clearly deserve every ounce of it.

Bobby Deol gets a similar opportunity in the film where he gets two diametrically opposite personas to potray and he does a decent job. He manages to look like a hot and suave Indo-Brit lawyer and then a silly Punjabi mama’s boy with amazing finesse.

*Note to Preity Zinta and Aki Narula (Costume Designer)

Preity…. Oh Preity….I don’t hate you, in fact I really adore you as an actress but this film didn’t really have much different to offer you as a performer than the other films you’ve done in the past. But you still prove to be sincerity personified in a role that seems to have been written just for you. Oh and a special mention to your look in the song ‘Kiss of Love’. Girl when you came on screen in that silver number….You looked hot enough to make even a gay man blush !!!!

SO .... Would this film work at the Box Office ???? Would it appeal to the masses or would they find the 'hollywood-ish' first half too iffy !!!! I don't know the answer to these questions. What I DO know, is that due to the fantastic marketing and immense pre-release popularity of its music, it will get a good opening at the domestic and international box office.
So the crux of the situation is....

Meaningful cinema it isn’t…. But then it never pretends to be so…. Just watch it and enjoy the silliness

My verdict :- PAISA VASOOL [Popcorn Included !!!! :)]

*Psssst…. Don’t miss the ‘first look’ of the Shahrukh Khan starrer ’Chak De’ directed by Shimit Amin (Director; Ab Tak Chappan) in the beginning of Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. It’s a 5 and a half minutes long music video starring Shahrukh himself and the entire cast of the film. So if you go to watch JBJ, just try and make it to the theatre on time.

I met Madhuri Dixit !!!! Do I need to say anything else :)

2007-05-23T18:32:00.000+05:30

Who knew.... despite 5 months in a filmmaking program, and seeing celebrities on a regular basis I'd experience being star struck like a small town boy seeing a film star for the first time. I thought they were just rumors.... 'Madhuri Dixit is coming to Whistling Woods on 23rd May!!!! ' Naah !!!! All the tabloids have been screaming that she is done with her schedule for Yashraj Film's Aaja Nachle and is flying back to the states on 22nd. How can she possibly be visiting our institute a day after she has left the country ? I agree she is the best thing thats happened to Indian Cinema in the last three decades, but even the queen herself couldn't pull this one off !!!! BUT SHE DID !!!! Ok fine, the tabloids were misinformed :) Bottom Line- She came to the institute today, and Gawd she is pretty. Coming back to me being star struck. I am a filmmaker in the making and am totally aware of the fact that everything we see on the screen is staged.... all lies. But I cant believe that all I could think for the first 5 minutes of her entering the auditorium was - "OH MY GOD, Its POOJA sitting right in front of me" Yes.... Pooja from Dil To Pagal Hai. I know.... I know....I know.... How dumb can someone be ???? But I guess I am (sheepish smile here) I just couldn't disassociate her from the character that she played 10 years ago . Dil To Pagal Hai happens to be my favourite movie of all times and I know the script and screenplay inside out. Seriously !!!! I can just close my eyes and watch the whole movie in my head [Hee Hee....so much for buying DVDs :)] Anyway, I was sitting with my hand over my mouth for 10 minutes just trying to make myself believe that Madhuri Dixit was actualy sitting at a 15 feet distance from me. As reality sunk in and she started speaking about her experience in the Hindi Film Industry over the last 2 decades, it dawned on me why Yash Chopra is a genius. There could have been no one better a choice than her to play 'Pooja' because she is the character. Down to earth, humble and somehow totally unaware of the effect she has on people around her. And oh so pretty. Yeah I'm a FAN JUST BORN and wouldn't even try to pretend otherwise. Mrs. Madhuri Dixit Nene - ' You are one of the nicest and sweetest people I've ever come across.... God Bless You :)' (Oh.... and please work in my film sometime soon in the future. It would be a dream come true to direct you for even one scene)

Psst.... the picture you see on top left of this article is a still from Aaja Nachle which is sort of her comeback film. Its the directorial debut of the National award winning cinematographer Anil Mehta and is a story of a theatre actress's life over a period of a decade. Its releasing on 30th November 2007. CANT WAIT :)

TA RA RUM PUM- Style and Soul-BRILLIANT :)

2007-04-28T03:48:00.000+05:30

Saw Ta Ra Rum Pum. LOVED IT. Its a brilliantly crafted film. Siddharth Raj Anand is undoubtedly one of the best discoveries of Yashraj Films. First, Salaam Namaste and now Ta Ra Rum Pum. He has successfully managed to bring into both his films that rare balance of style and substance.
TRRP manages to get across its core message, while thoroughly entertaining the audience. DO WATCH IT !!!!

Birds and Bees.... Yikes.... Dont talk about such stuff !!!!

2007-04-27T05:11:00.000+05:30

Shot a short film for the Nokia Mobile Film Contest. It was mandatory for the film to be shot on a mobile phone's camera so I decided to make a thematically strong film so that the low resolution of the video doesnt take away from the impact. The film is a 3 minute short promoting the
'Importance of Sex Education in Schools'

But it was a real fun experience as I decided to experiment and make a film without a pre decided script. Just got some friends to talk about their silly and stupid experiences around the time they hit puberty and how they wish they had been more informed about the classic and most debated topic of ' birds and bees'

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE MOVIE :)

SHOT MY CONTINUITY FILM.... FINALLY !!!!

2007-04-10T11:32:00.000+05:30

Well.... I think the title of this post says pretty much everything I have the energy to say right now. I am tired like hell, can barely keep my eyes open and am about to crash on my bed. The shoot went on smoothly. Rushes look good, lets see what happens on the editing table :) More details after a week of sleep ....YAWN

Script reading and discussion with my actors :)

2007-04-01T16:22:00.000+05:30

Made a trip to Pune to discuss the script of my film with my actors (uhh....my best friends....but lets try and keep it professional)

The First Reading....

Moi !!!! Acting all ' DIRECTOR-Y' !!!!

My lead actor was really happy with the script ....

My actress....well.... not so much :( We argued for hours but thats ok....

Cos finally I WON :)
HEE HEE
(No I am just kidding.... it was a very....ahem....mature discussion)

Finally.... all arguments were settled and we were like a Happy Family
( HEY, Just like in the movies)

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE MOVIE- 'GOOD NEWS'

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE 'MAKING' OF 'GOOD NEWS'
(A silly 'behind the scenes' featurette)
:)

MEGHNA GULZAR ROCKS !!!!

2007-03-21T02:11:00.000+05:30

Oh My GOD !!!! This is HUGE !!!! Atleast for me....(and I don't care what the world thinks) One of my favourite filmmakers - Meghna Gulzar, actually replied back to the looooong letter I wrote to her about how much I loved her film - 'Just Married'. She is one of those rare celebrities (like Onir ) who actually take the pain to respond to feedback that they get from their audience. I totally adore this woman. Ok this is what she wrote -

"Thank you Taran, for your email... It was really touching to know how carefully you have watched my film. I'm grateful that you liked and appreciated my work, as well as the work and talent of all the actors in it. I am honoured that you mention me in your list of film makers that I personally have a huge regard for. I appreciate all your feedback and your honesty and thank you from the bottom of my heart! Wish you all the best and I look forward to seeing your film someday soon! " - Meghna Gulzar

Ok here I go again - MEGHNA GULZAR ROCKS !!!! :)

"A good writer rewrites" - Syd Field

2007-03-20T01:00:00.000+05:30

Well I hope there is some amount of truth to that statement by Screenwriting Guru Syd Field :)
I am wiriting drafts after drafts of the script for my next short film. I've already written 4 drafts and am hoping the next one is the 'Final Draft'. But I can never be sure about that. My next film is a comedy about 'Marriage of Convenience'. Its a not-so-subtle social satire on how parents force their children to get married just to feed their insecurities. Lets see how it turns out :)
The Pre-Production begins on 26th March and the date of shoot is 9th April. I've cast both my best friends in the lead roles(check out their pic on top- they certainly have the chemistry I need for my movie) . I am really looking forward to actually being on the set and then finally editing it.

Take a break...Read a book (or atleast a magazine) !!!!

2007-03-18T23:30:00.000+05:30

On my way to home as I settled in my seat a few minutes before the train left the Mumbai station, I bought a copy of the Filmfare magazine. As I flipped through the pages of the magazine I didn’t realize when 2 hours got over and the train attendant brought my dinner (yes the sick looking train food). Anyways I was finished reading the last page of the magazine and started eating and couldn’t understand why I was feeling so happy inside. It was 15 minutes after I lay down to sleep that it struck me - It was almost after a whole year that I had read a magazine (not even a book) cover to cover at one stretch. It was such a nice feeling that I don’t know how to pen it down in words, but one thing is for sure…. from now on….I’d be looking forward to travelling in trains. It’s a great way to cut yourself off from the rest of the world :)

Meghna Gulzar's 'Just Married'- Beautiful and Sensitive

2007-03-17T12:14:00.000+05:30

I saw Meghna Gulzar's 'Just Marrried' and fell in love with the movie. So much so that I decided to write her a letter expressing how amazing I thought the movie was and how brilliantly it captured the emotions of a newly wed couple trying to know each other and rediscover themselves in the process.

For those who don't already know - "Just Married' is Meghna's second film as a director after a terrific directorial debut in the form of 'Filhaal' in 2002, which is one of my all time favourite movies :)

Yippy !!!! Mid-Term Break !!!! I'll watch loads of movies- as if I don't already :)

2007-03-17T01:37:00.000+05:30

I am working on a comedy right now. my first film was a serious one about effects of divorce on children of different ages. Am shooting the next one on 9th April in 4 hours time. It'll be a really cool experience. The script is ready, Am going for a 1 week mid term break to home tomorrow. I'll start working on pre production as soon as I land back in mumbai. Its so fucking awesome preparing for a movie's shoot. Imagine We'll be preparing for a 3 minute short film's shoot for 10 days so that on the D day everything is taken care of :)

Talking to Shabana Azmi....Well almost :)

2007-02-17T12:36:00.000+05:30

Oh today's date has been one of the most interesting days of my life. I MET SHABANA AZMI. HOW COOL IS THAT !!!! I LOVE HER. I CANT BELIEVE I GOT TO INTERACT WITH SHABANA AZMI. In the Q&A round, I was shivering, breaking into cold sweat and almost bout to have my first heart attack I forgot everything I wanted to ask her and just wanted to blurt out...I loved you in Arth, in Masoom, in Saaz, in Sati, Blah Blah Blah Blah... but I made a wise decision of directing my question at Vinay Shukla- the director of GODMOTHER the film that won Shabana ji her last national award ( Isnt that cool..'Last National Award' :) its like....yeah yeah she wins them almost every year..HEE HEE) Well anyways she joined him later to answer my question...So technically I spoke to,...or rather Shabana Azmi SPOKE TO ME... That was enough to make my day :)

Life = :) + :( + :/ + :?

2007-01-25T07:32:00.000+05:30

Shot my first film- a 3 minute short film on 23rd Jan. Edited it on 24th. It was a GREAT experience. Sat in the editing lab for 7 hours straight !!!! I've titled the movie 'He'll be Fine....'. Its bout two kids of different ages, dealing with their parents' divorce. I think its turned out pretty cool for a first film :) considering it was the first time I handled a camera and had only one hour of training in Final Cut Pro (The editing Software)

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE MOVIE :)