Aatma

Not worth a scare

           

            Supern Verma’s Aatma is yet another film of the horror genre in addition to a fair bit of not so great films of the same genre released in the recent times. To its makers’ credit, Aatma tries to be different and particularly logical unlike its very many counterparts.

            Maya (Bipasha Basu) is a single mother to a daughter (Doyel Dhawan). Having separated with her husband (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) who eventually dies, Maya believes life shall be peaceful hence, only until she realises her husband’s super natural presence in her life who is determined to kill their daughter and take her to the world of the dead.  Now the plot might just feel a little unconventional to begin with, but the film soon gets sucked into clichés and typically annoying tactics used by most of the horror film makers in India.

 

 

            The director and writers seem to be almost obsessed with the mirrors, as they throw us a volley of scenes where the ghost is visible only in the mirror. The only intelligent killing sequence is while the ghost murders his daughter’s school teacher, although the setting is rather odd. Not in many films with running of time of mere 90 minutes, have I felt so exhausted waiting for the climax; Aatma tests your patience as its screenplay is sloppy and slow. The conclusions however is much logical than most of the hindi horror films we have seen in the recent times, although it is totally predictable. The genre demands suspense and scary moments, but Aatma has the least of it to offer.

            Editing and animations are good in parts and functional in some. Watch the death sequence of the priest and you will applaud the animated beast he turns into. Background score is decent, but is betrayed by some really amateur scenes.

            It is totally an actors’ film. Doyel Dhawan as the loving and confused daughter is perfectly cast and plays her part with conviction. Basu as the vulnerable mother is impressive and delivers her best amongst the few horror films she has done. Siddiqui is easily the best the film can offer. He looks simple yet vicious and adds to the horror. Here’s an actor who adds more value to the film that its captain, the director.

            Aatma is not the best, but easily a better attempt at making horror.

 I am going with a very liberal 2.5 out of 5 for Supern Verma’s Aatma. In spite of its very many flaws, watch it to encourage a genuine effort to make some better horror in Indian films.

 

 

Jolly LLB

                        ^{Too easy for inspiration, yet decent enough}

Director Subhaas Kapoor of the Phas gayere Obama fame attempts a feel good film with Jolly LLB.  Jolly, played by Arshad Warsi, a small town jobless lawyer travels to Delhi in search of better work. He soon finds himself pitched against the supposed best lawyer in the country played by Boman Irani in a case which is way too big for Jolly to handle. The story then turns into a predictable-inspirational kind with a pretty obvious conclusion.

You may think the movie is a thorough comedy, but you will be pleasantly surprised to experience a decent share of drama and reality of the Indian judiciary system. Kapoor’s biggest achievement in this film is clearly the genuine occasional laughs that he gives the audience with a blend of a reality check and criticism of the judiciary system. Kapoor writes an engaging 130 minute run time with a linear screenplay.



Having said that, patches of the script show lazy writing. Jolly’s adventurous journey throughout the case seems too easy to be believable. For instance, the way Jolly falls into being pitched against the Irani in a huge case feels just too fake to be true. And again, a totally unnecessary love angle adds to the spoiler and also generates unneeded song and dance.

Camera work and editing is particularly impressive during an accident sequence. Music is ignorable.

Cunning and witty dialogues generate big laughs in the theatre and are easily the highlights of the film. Kapoor however wastes his actors this time around. Warsi is well cast as the small town confused lawyer; however he hardly gets the opportunity to reach his best. Irani too is underused. Amrita Rao as Jolly’s love interest although in short insignificant role shines through her part. It is Saurabh Shukla however, as Judge Tripathi who steals the show with a lousy, weird and doubtful character.

 

I am going with a 3 out of 5 for Subhaas Kapoor’s Jolly LLB.  With all its ignorable flaws and limitations, its offers you a good weekend entertainer.

 

 

Special 26

A prey to commercial demands

 

               

            After the spectacular thriller of 2008, A Wednesday directed by Niraj Pandey, it isn’t surprising if you eagerly await for his next, especially when the trailers look pretty interesting. When a first time director make a spectacular film, his second not so bad project, can easily be written off and Special 26 can fall prey to the same.

            A decent plot, good story telling and an excellent background score is what Special 26 flaunts, but all this goes in vain when a smoothly running story is occasionally interrupted by totally unnecessary romance sequences. It is surprising and annoying to see an efficient director fall prey to the so called conventional commercial demands of a Hindi movie especially when he already has roped in a ‘very saleable’ hero. Dragged romantic scenes and dance numbers pop in and out of a gripping narrative and make it look like a never ending novel and defy the very intention of it bringing some entertainment value as all it does is, is to make the viewers restless.           

            Ajay Singh, played by Akshay Kumar with his three fellow conmen have been raiding politicians and rich businessmen for some time now by pretending to be officers from CBI. They raid another minister and also cheat the local police who aid them during the raid. Ranveer Singh, the cheated (and hence suspended) police officer played by Jimmy Shergill is desperate to find the conmen down with help of Wasim, the real CBI officer. The raids shown look very real and tiniest of details shown. Entertaining dialogues and comic traits of certain characters are the brightest parts of the movie.

 



 

Director writes a gripping screenplay for the parts showing the hardcore planning and execution of the raids/robbery, but the lengthy romantic pop ups totally slow down the pace of the film. Pandey adds a totally unnecessary character: Ajay Singh’s lady love played by Kajal Aggraval. This character costs the film a really boring 30 minute excess run time and hence a few detractors. The screenplay then fails to keep the suspense till the end.

Camera work is excellent, especially during the chasing sequences, the robbery and vehicles. Editing is average and some really amateurish animation is easily annoying. Music is also average but background is excellent.

 Anupam Kher is terrific as the oldest of the conmen. He is hilarious in parts and really strong and vibrant in the raiding sequences. Manoj Bajpai looks pitifully weak but delivers an equally strong performance. Kajal Aggrawal gets the second name in the credits, but has least work. She is wasted in the film, has the most insignificant role and fails to be even a show piece. Jimy Shergill and Divya Dutta too have much smaller roles. Akshay Kumar is entertaining, smart and quick for his role and performs it with utmost sincerity.

Special 26 has its flaws, but it surely is one of the better films of the year.

I am going with a 3 out of 5 for Neeraj Pandey’s Special 26. Do watch it, but with some patience.

 

 

 

Vishwaroop

 

                                                                       The first in India

               

              In spite of having seen decent action sequences in some recently released films like Ek tha Tiger, action in Indian films has been incomparably inferior to that produced in the west. Writer, co-producer and director Kamal Haasan’s Vishwaroop is a perfect example to break this convention and is to date the most technically sound film made in India. This can perhaps become your sole reason to catch it this week in the theatres.

                Kamal Haasan’s Vishwaroop totally sucks you into the plot within the first few minutes of the run time.  It is easily amusing to see an effeminate hero dance kathak on a classical number, in a spy thriller in the very beginning of the film. But it soon starts to lose its grip with some scattered writing in the second half.  Hasan writes a non linear screenplay and tries his best to keep the suspense intact, but the story is often too simple to even pretend to have anything hidden.  And in this desperate play of the screenplay, Hasan introduces unnecessary characters and scenes which add nothing but an excessive run time.

                It all starts with narration from Dr Nirupama(Pooja Kumar) an oncologist in the states, who is married with an hidden agenda to an effeminate and much older husband,Vishwanath(Kamal Haasan). Having to self hide her guilt of an affair with her boss, she hires a spy to find out a possible extra-marital affair of her husband. Soon the spy falls into the wrong hands while chasing Vishwanath, and things start to unfold and all the lies to unveil.

 



                A large portion of the film is shot in parts of the terrorist camps of Afghanistan and is easily the highlight of the film. The combat including the bombings, the Arab culture and especially the vicious terroristic influence on the kids of the jihads is shown with utmost genuineness which makes it a well researched film. Hasan excels in showing emotions of the innocent Arabs living life on the edge in Afghanistan.  For instance, a scene where an innocent Arab accused of being a traitor is hanged to death on a crane while the mother cries helplessly reveals the intense atmosphere in the country.

                The camera work is excellent with clean cinematography capturing the lonely arid deserts of Afghanistan and cold snowy winter of New York. Editing is uniquely done, especially the spoofy edits when the narration changes timelines.

                Pooja Kumar as Dr. Nirupama is well cast, she often struggles to match up to Hasan’s performance, but succeeds in most providing a comic relief in the film. It is interesting to see Rahul Bose cast as a jihad, especially when the casting team had a lot of other options. He seems a little uncomfortable in his character, and doesn’t finds a spot for it. Shekar Kapoor has limited work, and he hardly shines through whatever he gets. Praising Kamal Hasan for a good performance is like calling sugar sweet; from being the effeminate to the macho guy, he gets it all bang on!

                Vishwaroop could have been a great film had it managed to find a smarter script. Yet, the film is easily watchable and I would recommend a watch as this film has touched such a height of excellence in the technical department that no Indian film has to date.

                For the record the film doesn’t make any derogatory remarks on any sane community of the world, and the film clearly deals with anti-terrorism ideals and the reality of the terrorists groups of Taliban in Afghanistan.

 

I am going with a 3 out of 5 for Kamal Hasan’s Vishwaroop. Watch it for its technical finesse and to have a closer look at the reality of Afghanistan



 

 

 

Race 2

All tried and tested, yet unapologetically immature

 

            Director duo Abbas Mustan’s Race 2 reminds you of the very recently released Dabang 2 and also makes you realise how the Hindi film industry lacks imagination and originality. Race 2 is yet another sequel produced to a successful predecessor and is amusingly similar to it. The twists appear at similar situations, but this time they are painfully predictable.

                Abbas Mustan yet again attempt their signature stylized and slick action thriller with Race 2, but are ditched but a patchy script which craves for logic. Race may not have been the most logical of thrillers, but its surprising twists had made it an engaging film. Race 2 offers neither a surprise nor  thrill for it is a film with a scattered and confused story. However, the film starts with a plot having potential and leaves with you a higher expectation at the end of the first half. The second totally falters.

                Characters are either repeated from the first part or replaced by similar ones in this sequel. Ranvir Singh(Saif Ali Khan) is the same smart rich man, this time with a motive of his own. John Abraham replaces Akshay Khanna as Arman Malik, a filthy rich businessman ever ready to expand his empire. Both characters have opposing agendas and use other characters to win over each other. Abbas Mustan use their skills of showing slick action sequences, exotic foreign locales and good looking men and women with least amount of clothing. Race 2 is certainly an ambitious project and it shows on its expensive production design and the star-cast.

                Certain action sequences have clarity and good editing while the climax sequence shot on a flying private jet is ridiculously illogical and badly animated and can become a reason why some might totally dislike the film. Cinematography is decent and the camera captures decent looking locales of Turkey. Songs pop in the movie at the most unnecessary situations and can be easily annoying. Music is average. Background score is good.

                Amongst the actors, everyone fits well into their parts except John Abraham, whose performance falls at various moments and the big muscular body just doesn’t help.

                Race 2 has it all, big money, glamour, cleavage and stars but a patchy story and not surprising twists waste all the glitter its makers gave it.

 

I am going with a 2.5 out of 5 for Abbas Mustan’s Race 2, watch it if you are willing to enjoy all the glamour without a good story.

 

 

 

 

Trailer:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bollywood 2012

 

BOLLYWOOD MOVIES 2012

 

#10 :

 

EK MAIN AUR EK TU
 

 

#9 :

 

SHANGHAI

 

 

#8 :

 

DELHI SAFARI

 

 

#7 :



AGNEEPATH











 

 

#6

 

VICKY DONOR

                              

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AND

 

 

OMG! OH MY GOD

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#5

 

TALAASH

 

#4

 

GANGS OF WASSEYPUR 1 & 2

 

 



#3

 

 



PAAN SINGH TOMAR

 

 AND

 

 

KAHAANI

   

 

#2 

 

ENGLISH VINGLISH

 

 

 

 

BARFI!

 

 

In a nutshell:

#1 Barfi

#2 English Vinglish

#3 Paan Singh Tomar and Kahaani

#4 Gangs of wasseypur

#5 Talaash

#6 Vicky Donor and Oh My God

#7 Agneepath

#8 Delhi Safari

#9 Shanghai

#10 Ek Main aur Ek Tu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Special Thanks to Mr Bhavya Chadva for providing valuable suggestions for finalising the rankings! 

 



Dabang 2

New pot from the same mould

 

                Debutant director, Arbaz Khan’s Dabang 2, a sequel to the blockbuster hit of 2010, Dabang, is more of a good business opportunity to its makers than just a film. Dabang 2 feeds on the success of its predecessor, and heavily at that! It has almost become a rule to produce a sequel to every successful film that is made in the Hindi film industry, be it the Dhooms, the Housefuls or now the Dabangs. But it is clear that magical films do not get made every day and on the top of it, to reproduce the magic in the sequel without solid content is rather a weird task.

                Dabang 2 happens to be a caricature of Dabang in almost all ways. But this replica falls short of recreating the magic its predecessor created. Having said that, Dabang 2 is not particularly a bad film.  Director Arbaz Khan and writer Dilip Shukla make a decent entertainer with some witty and comic dialogues, wacky action sequences and good performances.

 



                What keeps this film from being a good film is the simply the story which is coherently similar to Dabang's except that Chulbul now has a happy joint family and a pregnant wife. The clichéd and extra ordinarily influential villain whose ego is periodically tickled by Chulbul and then a chance for a big revenge is what Dabang had, and is naturally inherited by its sequel’s script.

                What’s good about this sequel which none of the sequels in Bollywood have managed before is that, its director maintains the image of its protagonist from the predecessor rather than going overboard. Chulbul Pandey is as strong and flamboyant as in Dabang without getting extra powers or qualities. I believe the character is what the audience will cherish and connect to in Dabang 2. Arbaz Khan as a director captures some really mature and touching interactions between Chulbul and his wife (played by Sonakshi Sinha) and celebrates post marriage romance onscreen.

                Screenplay is very amateur and you literally see the film running in a cyclic order of action-drama-romance-songs making the already weak script annoyingly predictable. Action is stylised with an effective background score and good editing, however, it seems overdone in parts. The entry action sequence is lengthy and monotonous while the finale sequence is disappointing. Music is average and the funniest part is that each song inherits from its coinciding song from Dabang in terms of singers, tune, setting and the situation in the story. Dabang 2 is a new pot from the same mould!

                Prakash Raj plays the overpowered villain, he can never disappoint. But don’t expect a Singham level performance because he surprisingly has a less screen time. Arbaz Khan and Vinod Khanna carry their characters ahead with ease. Sonakshi Sinha cake walks through another role in the shadow of a flamboyant hero played by a big star. Salman Khan as Robinhood Pandey or this time the Kung Fu Pandey steals the show. You will find the same Chulbul, a little fat though, delivering big faced one liners, smacking goons with ease and going shirtless in the finale sequence. Salman Khan never pretends to know to act, but pulls it off with sheer screen presence and his real life dabang attitude reflected on screen.

                Dabang 2 is neither a magical film nor a trash! But it’s earning big buks for its producer is inevitable just as the consequent production of a dozen more Dabangs is!

               

I am going with a 2.5 out of 5 for Arbaz Khan’s Dabang 2. If pure Salman Khan entertainer is what you are looking for, then Dabang 2 is your destination this festive season.



Rating:

 

 

 

Trailer: