Don 2

2011 by Farhan Akhtar - Hindi movie from Bollywood

A lot of facts related to this movie, are well enough to keep me far away from the theatre. Add to it the fact that, it is in 3D. Still I ended up watching it, only because of some reviews, all of which described it as sleak, stylish, bla bla bla...

Farhan Akhtar is yet another person from Bollywood who would love to make Hollywood style movies, which was proved right away with his debut film, Dil Chahta Hai. That one was exactly like a Hollywood Romantic comedy, but it was really looking fresh, for a Hindi movie. Now Don 2, is only another attempt to make a Hollywood style movie, by Bollywood.

Watch all those famous movies from Hollywood, including the Oceans 11/12/13, Matrix's, Italian job and many others including the Mission Impossible's and various other action ones. Sure, one cannot watch all this again before watching Don 2. But if you remember anything from all these movies and then watch Don 2, you will really understand what I am saying.

I could not find anything original in this movie. Sure it looks sleek and stylish by Indian standards. But for the subject matter and rest, it is just like watching another Hollywood movie with Indian actors, mostly and occasional Hindi and Indian English, and of course, some songs.

If this trend is continued by Bollywood, I mean trying to make Indian movies which looks exactly like Hollywood, soon there will be only a couple of differentiating factors between Bollywood and Hollywood, ie for the occasional use of Hindi and a few songs in Bollywood movies.

I also dont understand why this need to make all these movies in 3D??? It is a real suffering, for hardly noticeable benefits. 

Rockstar

2011 by Imtiaz Ali - Hindi movie from Bollywood

Going through media, almost all seemed to have very good impressions of this movie was the only reason I decided to see it. Yes, this inspite of having A R Rahman's music. But..

Understanding Hindi is not easy for me. If it is quite, it is allright I can understand 99%. But as is common now, in Kerala theatres are the venue for the youth to speak out loud their fantasies and to shout on mobile phones (latter not just youth, almost everybody). So frankly, it was not very quite and I might have missed a lot of dialogues. Simply put, I did not understand most of this movie. But even if I had managed to understand the full dialogues, I am not sure if I would have liked it. I have seen more than a few foreign language movies, without any subtitles, and was still able to appreciate the cinema behind few of them.

Rockstar simply speaking is not fluent. It looks like a collage of different scenes taken from the love life of a rockstar. Some could say that it is fast paced, with brilliant editing, and it requires an amount of intelligence from the audience to understand it and so on. I am afraid, I dont think so. There are many things happening in the screen, which is typical of Bollywood and Indian cinema, which are just there to make sure the audience have it simple. So.

Above all, I failed to understand the love between the man and the woman and also why this man behaves like a Rebel.

I can only feel that, this movie might be representing the heights of Bollywood trying to ape the west. There are so many so many things, from the story to the behaviour patterns of the characters, which are just not Indian and which are just an attempt to ape Hollywood.

A R Rahman's music was the only saving grace. But even as an A R Rahman fan, I wish to listen a new album from AR Rahman, which can better his early Tamil works. 

The Dirty Picture

2011 by Milan Luthria - Hindi movie from Bollywood

One major change that happened in Indian entertainment industry, after globalisation , was that Bollywood literally started aping Hollywood by all means, from language to dresses and even the conservative 'fortunate' viewers started to change their view point on how our female actresses should dress. Modern Indian heroines, may it be Aishwarya Rai or whoever, appearing in skirts even shorter than mini skirts or bikinis or making ultra vulgour expressions, gestures and body movements during song sequences are all part of regular 'family' cinema and the actresses who do that are BOLD. Only a couple of decades ago, there were some actresses in each Indian language movies, who were supposed to make some sexy dances, then called 'cabaret' which are now rechristened as item numbers, and once in a while vamp roles. These actresses across India were looked down by the whole society. In fact, if these dances appeared on TV, while watching movies at home in VCR, parents would fast forward the dance. The blunt truth is that those dances or cabarets of 80's exposed much much less than today's normal song sequences, forget the item numbers. And those unfortunate actresses should have lead a terrible life.

One of those leading ladies of 80's was Silk Smitha. I would still consider her as having one of the most beautiful and expressive eyes ever witnessed in Indian cinema. I still remember her very well from Moonram Pira and her dance numbers in various other movies. But women hated her then. And there was a void for some time after which she came back strongly with Layanam, a kind of soft porn movie. Even in that movie, she didnt show anything more than what today's super actresses do. But still, poor lady, she was looked at like an out cast and the lonely life was too much for her I guess, she ended her life.

When I knew that Bollywood was making a movie on Silk Smitha, I was sure they just wanted to make some money out of skin show. And that is exactly what Dirty Picture is about. They have just used the name of Smitha, picked up her beginning and end, and decided to do a movie from hear say it seems. I wonder if they did even talk to any body close to Smitha about her character. Such a pity.

From all what I read from the film magazines of 80's and 90's, I always felt sorry for Smitha. There were few actresses and others who spoke nicely about her, about her dancing talents, eyes and all. And there were also some rare write ups about how Smitha was always used by directors and producers but ignored after the use. Smitha was really a lonely woman. But she was not a bitch, not from what appeared in the magazines. Watching Dirty Picture, if anybody feels that Smitha just wanted to ruin family life of super stars, you cant blame them. This is almost like a caricaturised presentation of an actress who did not care for others at all, who looks almost like a vamp even in real life. I really believe this is wrong and unfair.

So are the few male characters in this movie, all looking like caricatures. The contempt Bollywood have for South Indian movies is well known. But I thought the way the super hero is picturised, played by Nasirudeen Shah, they are definitely taking a peak at a South Indian hero, who to my knowledge, didnt had anything to do with Smitha. Whatever, they are just trying to make money.

But even otherways, presenting Shakeela as another sexy heroine who was like a competitor to Smitha is absolutely idiotic. Shakeela rose to fame with the soft porn movie, Kinnaarathumbikal, which released sometime around the beginning of 2000. Smitha died in mid 90's. So this is quite absurd. And there are many such things in this movie which I found in poor light and hence for me this is just a poor average movie, which might only give some more bad name for a dead actress. If only there was a sincere writer and director, Smitha's life is worth a classic movie. Smitha deserved much more than This Dirty Picture, I think.

The plus point to some extent is Divya Balan. Ever since I saw Lage Raho Munnbhai, I like her a lot. Here is an Indian actress, who looks quite Indian and doesnt care at all about looking the western designer way, skinny (I call this skeleton). She has the gorgeous looks, with beautiful curves, which India adored before Bollywood started imitating Hollywood, and she can act too. And she would appear in Sari in public,  to which Bollywood media reacted by awarding her the term-  the worst dressed actor. Is anything more required to show the hypocrisy of Bollywood. Anyways, Vidya have tried her best to do justice to what was offered to her. But not anything great. Not her fault, because the script does not offer anything great. The script only offers more and more scenes for cleavage show actually. Vidya already had a gorgeous figure and it is told she managed extra pounds to have some similarity with Smitha. All North Indian reviewers are gleaming about her 'bold'ness in revealing her fleshy abdomen. I only felt, as far as the beauty of abdomen is concerned Vidya Balan still have miles to go to reach the beauty of Smitha. Just like her eyes, Smitha had a gorgeous abdomen, except for the very last part of her career. Those days we used to discuss about the beauty of Smitha, her eyes, her curves and her abdomen and navels.

The use of Naaku Mukka song, and the Oolaala Oolaala song in the backgrounds was very entertaining. There are also some good dialogues here and there, plus excellent cinematography. If Bollywood have reached the level of Hollywood in anything, it is in their lighting and related technical factors. It looks like they have taken time and good effort to use soft lighting and the frames have a really good feel. They also seems to have spend good money on DI.

If Smitha had started her career now, I wonder what would have happened to many item number artistes of today. Definitely she would not have been looked down at. What was vulgour then is just the norm for an ordinary Indian heroine now. So definitely, she would not have been lonely now.

And may I repeat, Smitha deserved a much better movie than this. 

RA - One

2011 by Anubhav Sinha - Hindi movie

It has been really long that I have tried to watch a Bollywood movie on the very first day. I would not even try to watch it unless its special. But for my wife, I had to book for RA- One. I had watched Rab ne Bana di Jodi too, only for her, in theatre. Normally I would not have. I do not like Sharukh as an actor, even if he is very sincere with his over acting. Nor do I consider him as a great box office sure bet. If yes, Swadesh, his very best movie yet, would have been a big success. I did like his Dilwale Dulhaniya..., Yes Boss and Chak De, which were good entertainers. Because of all the hype around RA- One and also because of the news that Sharukh wanted to make something even better than Enthiran, I did think this would not be a real disappointment. But I am afraid, this might be his worst movie ever. Compared to this movie, if any one dares to term his My Name is Khan as a classic, I will not blame him.

Like Amir Khan, Sharukh too seems to be obsessed in earning the credit of the western world. Most of the techinicians behind this movie are from Hollywood. And even the story, characters, moments, settings everything are in bits and parts taken from previous Hollywood sci-fi hits. And as always in Bollwood, half of the movie takes place in London. Still, inspite of being a Sci-fi one, the plot and the script fails to create a story logic, fit enough for a fantasy entertainer at least, is one of the major reasons why this movie disappoints.

The first 40 or 45 minutes of this movie is nearly a punishment. It is like watching any run of the mill Bollywood flick. Terrible experience. It gets slightly better after that, but nothing as to keep us engaged without wondering about the absurdity on the screen. Even the highly money absorbed special effects and visual effects are not consistent through out. They are really good for certain scenes, but there are at least few where it looks just allright. This is true even for the rest of the production values. There is a sheer lack of consistency. Even the huge amount of grains on the silver screen was an unpleasant surprise for such a huge movie. Add to it that the real encounters between the two game heroes, RA One and G One, is not that excellent or mind blowing for this kind of a movie. Especially the final end, to the super villain, is too poor to make any kind of excitement or adrenaline rush, forget any WOW feelings.

And the ways in which the writers have tried to evoke some laughter is pathetic, absolutely pathetic. I wonder what the western audience will think about Indian cinema, watching this highly promoted movie.

Stupid characterisation,(I will not be surprised if some South Indian critics will criticize the writers for making a clown of a South Indian character), which is epitomised by a widow who easily goes into a party dance few days after losing her husband and a school child who yearns for a super villain!!! And terrible performances as well. Even Sharukh Khan, who normally overacts just enough for us to not to laugh at him, doubles it out. This is definitely his worst. Only Arjun Rampal keeps calm, but he doesnt have anything to emote.

If Sharukh wanted to make the biggest modernised movie in India, with lots of production values, Special and Visual effects and all CG, then I am sure he has not even managed to reach the excellent levels set by Enthiran or Magadheera, both of which were also much better entertainers in all ways.

It is said, Sharukh pumped in more money and effort to this movie, after watching Enthiran. Obviously he wanted something better than a regional language movie. I cannot imagine, what would this movie have been, if it was completed before Enthiran. 

Shor in the City

2011 by Krishna DK & Raj Nidimoru - Hindi movie

It is very rare that I feel happy at the end of a Bollywood movie. I really do not understand why Bollywood did not look proud about this movie. They always seems to promote some really stupid movies which is very unIndian. Here is a real Indian or Mumbai one from Bollywood.

5 characters in Mumbai city. Tilak publishes pirated books and sells them on the street and has two close friends, Ramesh and Mandook, who live on petty thievery. Sawan desperately wants to be selected in the Under 22 cricket team, so that he can start a new life with his girl friend whose parents are presenting a groom every day to get her married immediately. Abhay has just arrived in India and starts a small business. 

All these characters are linked some ways through the petty underworld thugs and the movie climaxes on the Vinayak Chathurthy festival day, when the first 4 are part of a horribly stupid bank robbery and the last wants to get rid of the petty thugs who has taken all his peace.

For so many aspects; the realism in the plot and settings which is rarely present in Bollywood, the vividness of the 5 main characters who are all some how linked together in the plot through the 3 small time thugs, for all those petty acts by the first three, the brilliant humour which is omni present and for a very fitting climax, I found this movie really good, a simple but wonderful entertainer. It is excellent because it does not follow the typical extra vagant methods of Bollywood, keeps it simple and genuine and still manages to entertain us. And the movie has a brilliant pace that we never feel that it has taken so much of our time. Its like the movie starts and within a second it finished.

There are so many hilarious moments in this movie. Some of this moments look really naive, but I found it really funny. And actually the writers are taking a real poke at the ways and psyche of the Mumbai society.  And some of the moments between the thugs and Abhay is quite shocking and chilling too.

The performances are truly exceptional. It is only very rarely that we feel the power of performances from a Bollywood movie. And especially Pitabash Tripathy as Mandook was brilliant. Each and every moment involving this actor was really really wonderful. Finally after long time, am able to see a new actor from Bollywood, who can act without acting.

This is a truly wonderful movie from Bollywood, but such a pity movies like this do not get the attention it requires. Every Bollywood movie which pretends, is marketed so well, but a true Indian movie from Bollywood is not. What a pity. I hope Bollywood will feel proud about this movie rather than about Shaitan or Delhi Belly.  

Not a Love Story

2011 by Ram Gopal Varma - Hindi movie

I made a promise to myselves, after watching No one killed Jessica, that I would not attempt to watch another Bollywood experiment of a true crime story. I knew this one was based on the infamous Neeraj Grover murder case and it was directed by the once brilliant RGV, but I wanted to ignore my promise, just because of Mahie Gill. Here is an actress in Bollywood, who can really act, Dev D had proved it to me so I really felt I must not miss this one.

Anusha has a possessive boy friend in Robin, who quite obviously, as any Indian with some common sense have some idea how things work for a Bollywood entrance,  is not receptive to her idea of trying out to be an actor in Bollywood. But his love for her, lets her leave for Mumbai and give it a try. Obviously, Anusha meets those who wants to try her other talents than acting and is almost disappointed, when finally, she is offered a real chance. She calls Robin, shares her joy, and then goes for a party with all her friends and the casting guy, who accompanies her to her apartment, drunk obviously, and both have a very late night sleep. Robin, wanting to congratulate his would be, flies into Mumbai and knocks at the door. Anusha can only behave as if the casting guy is just trying to rape her. Robin, does what every man would do, kills the man. 

Mahie Gill is good, but she still looks a bit over age for this character, for me at least. But to be frank, I cannot imagine a single different actress from Bollywood who can do all those, repeated a lot, close shots of crying out loud scenes, with even half the results as hers. She could still have been better, but I thought, she has done it much much better than any contemporary Bollywood actress would have. Others might have looked comical with so many of such shots, that too with a camera so close. The actor, who really stood out for me, was Zakir Hussain, who did a brilliant under play as the investigator. This kind of underplay is achieved by Bollywood only rarely.

The unbearable part about this movie is its camera. I really doubt the intentions when RGV use this kind of camera angles, always having Ms. Gill's legs on the fore ground. (There is even a shot with a bra in the fore ground!!!) Until the second half of the movie, when it is into the investigation and court, Mahie has to do a lot of cleavage shows and the camera is always in a low angle. What for? And such angles are nearly absent in the second half. Add to this the horrible camera movements, which can even create some pain for ones eyes, together with some horrible back ground score, the movie is a little bit of pain actually. But it is still watchable, only because of the shock and seriousness of the plot. I really wish there was a camera, the presence of which would not have been noticed, for this movie. There is a touch of realism for many scenes, until the advocates walk in for each party. And the final scene between Anusha and Robin, is truly brilliant. If I would remember this movie after a couple of years, it would be for that single scene. Brilliant.

I really had many questions during the movie.

Do girls in our country still believe, that they can fly into Mumbai and look for an acting career, without show casing their talents outside acting, at all?

Dont our women smell something bad, when our men want to come to their apartment, late at night, drunk or not?

Having a possessive/ non possessive boy friend, who keeps calling every hour or not, how can a woman not take his calls, especially late at night, and think all will be allright?

All what is required to bed a girl, is just two drinks and a sad story at late night?

How the hell can a man walk into his girls apartment, in the morning, sees a man naked there and can still believe the word of his girl that the naked man is trying to molest her? How stupid can a man be?

Even after all the blood shed, there doesn't seem to be a single word from this stupid man to his girl about how the hell this man ended up naked in his girls apartment?

How can an educated man and woman be so stupid to decide that one can say the other never came to Mumbai at all.  (Investigation for this crime, I thought, is so simple even a college student could have done this, so foolish were the acts, how the two lovers carried it out. )

All these questions does not have anything to do with the movie, as it might be what really happened, but I find it quite amusing. Are all our men and women really stupid like this? During the investigation, Robin asks the officer, what would you have done, if you were in my place? Good question, but ... sounds really strange for me.

Aarakshan

2011 by Prakash Jha- Hindi

Whenever there is a movie from Mr. Jha, Bollywood centered media come out craving for a great movie, as if a very genuine director is making a film with a great theme and message. For me, I liked his Gangaajal as a good entertainer, which was different from typical Bollywood movies. Bollywood normally does not want its viewers to think. Prkash Jha gives something to ponder about in his movies, though it has never been great. However, this time he has taken a theme, Reservation for backward castes in Governmental higher educational system and jobs, some theme, the mention of which even can lead to heated discussions and even petty fights and sometimes even riots. I have to say, he is really bold to base his new movie around reservation and through his protagonist, air some views which is definitely not going to please the upper castes and the great Indian middle class. No wonder that the theatre was almost empty.

Professor Prabhakar Anand is the principal of an ideal philosophy of education and of such an institution. He does not care for caste or family background to encourage a needy student. But as he too is surrounded by those who run the education mafia, he has to get out of the institution and run his own system. 

Mr. Jha is quite a bold person in the first half of this movie, when there is this strong battle between the view points of two groups, one group against reservations and the other for the reservations. And this half definitely is the better half, inspite of having two unnecessary songs taking their time within the first 15 or 20 minutes. But in the second half, it takes a different turn and the politics behind the reservation is almost like lost and it turns out more like the battle of sustenance between two individuals who took two sides in the first half. And it is this second half, which made Aarakshan look pretty ordinary. In the first half, we see a director who is bold enough to take a hot theme and clearly takes a stance through his protagonist. So the first half is commendable, as it airs many questions and should make us think. But the same director chooses a path in the second half, which we have seen in so many movies from across India, in which the good finds some ways, mostly quite easy, to get over the bad. At the end it all looks pretty ordinary.

For once, here is a Bollywood movie which happens almost in some North Indian town. But still, there is a scene which happens somewhere in America. America seems to be such an integral part of every thing in India now, at least for Bollywood. And for the first time, I think, Saif Ali Khan comes out looking like a pretty ordinary man and tries to convince in that role. He is not excellent but still it is a good performance from him as he has tried his best to not go over board. And then there is Mr. Bachhan. But I doubt, with the kind of talent he has, if he really had to put in a big effort for this role at all.

Finally, a different effort which decided to end up normal. Still congratulations to Mr. Jha to raise some serious questions in the first half. But he should have known that, his pertinent questions must be quite irritating for the majority of that class who are biggest promoters of Bollywood. At least if the upper castes, who also form the chunk of the Indian middle class, if they would even care to think about the issues arised in the first half, Mr. Jha must be a happy man. But I doubt so. For, Indians only like to point fingers at other nations when there are racism issues in the west. Their own mirror never reflects them. Or they dont like to see what they are and the result show in the theatres.

Zindagi na milegi do bara

2011 by Zoya Akhtar

I would not have watched this movie if not for Abhay Deol. He impressed me a lot in Dev D and in a couple of other movies too he proved, he is a different person from the Bollywood family.

Three friends decides to go on a vacation trip to Spain, a kind of bachelors party as one of them is engaged and will get married very soon. The movie goes through their brief 'adventure' in Spain and how this trip changes their attitudes to life. 

Honestly, ZNMDobara is a good entertainer. There are some nice funny moments, some silly moments but all together it is a different kind of entertainment from Bollywood, without the horrible love songs or item numbers or action scenes. If we wont worry about any questions, we can just sit back and enjoy some good fun which pops out occassionally.

But I would say, this is yet another example that Bollywood cannot make Indian movies. ZNMD has a plot which can be pieced together from umpteen number of Hollywood romantic comedies. In fact, it really looks like a Bollywood attempt to make a Hollywood kind of romantic movie.

The characters are all from Elite India, as always, who could easily identify with this way of living which can match Hollywood movies. 99.99% of the movie is in the West, except for a few frames in London, all in Spain, there are only a few indoor shots which are supposed to be in India, so that the settings can be exactly like how it will be in a Hollywood comedy. And what else, even the plot development is exactly like how you would expect from a Hollywood comedy. The difference is just that, we have Indian names on the characters.

Performance wise, I thought it was good from both Farhan Akhtar and Hrithik Roshan. The first time I felt Mr. Roshan can really act and I would give the credit to the director here. My favourite, Abhay Deol, was ok but I thought he was a little bit feminine in many moments. Since the character didn't require it, may be I am wrong, I think that could have been avoided. So here, the director got it wrong.

I am wondering, when will Bollywood realise that they will not get any world wide acclaim, that they crave for, if they try to match western movies. Why cant they think Indian, develop Indian stories which Bollywood have not tried yet, and use their new found production values and technical abilities to make a technically brilliant movie which is genuinely Indian. 

7 Khoon Maaf - 7 murders forgiven

2011 by Vishal Bhardwaj

Ever since India entered the globalisation era, Bollywood was one of the first Indian industrial sector who thought they could match with the world and prove they are part of a Super power nation. Sadly Bollywood  considered Hollywood as their blue print. And ever since Lagaan got nominated as one of the five entries for the foreign language movie at the Oscars, Bollywood has decided for sure that recognition by Hollywood is the ultimate test. Nothing wrong in vying for recognition. But the path they chose is to make similar movies like that of Hollywood. And they started doing this in its whole, movies which look alike to the ones from LA, not just in content, style (not just on how movie is shot and told, but even how their actors behaved and conducted themselves in front or behind the camera) or production but even adopted their promotion techniques. In between they ignored the fact that Lagaan as a movie had India written all over it. 90% of Bollywood movies, ever since, are just trying to look like Hollywood movies. 7 Khoon Maaf, is yet another movie which is a poor attempt to make a western style movie.

Susanna is searching for her love. She marries 7 times and ends up killing all of them, as each one of them were simply the wrong guy. And she escapes law each time too and finally chose spirituality. 

I dont know from where they got this plot. I, for one, found even that plot having a western touch. So right from the basics, I think it turns out to be a highly pretentious movie, that I can only feel sorry for Vishal Bharadwaj, who had made a much better movie in Kaminey. There might not be even one ordinary Indian who could identify with Susanna as a character. So flawed are Indian concepts on love and marriage.

The movie is narrated by a forensic doctor, who was bought up by Susanna, but the narration, even, is really poor and bohring. And dont worry about any logics here, as to how Susanna escapes the law at all. For, from the second or third, she starts pulling strings with the police officer in charge of the investigation, who himselves ends up as a later husband. Life with the first two husbands are detailed slightly, yes very lightly, and by the end of the first half, I was quite scared about watching through the rest 3 or 4.. Had it been only 2 or 3 husbands, and their life before and after was detailed more, may be, may be this movie would have been better. But it ends up as a really horrible watch. Imagine what will happen if a 100 meter sprinter is asked to run for 800 or 1500 meters race. The poor athlete will definitely complete the race, but he would drag it all along after the 400 or 500 meters.

The director and script writer really wanted to make it a special movie it seems. So they tried to make it look different in many ways from the rest. But, not even Susanna manages to touch our hearts. She doesnt even get any closer. However, there were still some brilliant moments. The Darling song was quite nice. So was the final dance sequence of Susanna when she becomes a nun. May be this would have been a better TV serial.

A real pretentious movie, which fails as such.

Shaitan

2011 by Bejoy Nambiar

I had watched Dileep Kumar's Devdas, in Doordarshan. So when I watched Bansali's Devdas I was disappointed. In fact the kind of promotion and reception it got had shocked me. Luckily, the brand who sponsors Cannes festival had just signed Aishwarya Rai then and hence they made Devdas an important movie in Cannes festival that year. Many people mistook it as a synonym of Indian movie, when it was only a poor Bollywood flick with high production values. The celebrity media in India raved all this as a success of Bollywood even without wondering why Devdas, after all, was screened in Cannes. Then came Dev D and I was not interested at all. But a friend who is as passionate about movies as I am, pushed me and I thought that was brilliant. I was stunned by the talent of Anurag Kashyap, the director. I , again a mistake, thought Shaitan was directed by Mr. Kashyap, for some strange reason and went. In few minutes realised, he is only a producer. In Tamil, when Shankar directs a movie, it is an out and out entertainer, but when he produces, all most all of them have turned out to be brilliant movies. In case of Mr. Kashyap it looks just opposite.

A small group of ultra rich spoiled youngsters ends up killing two bikers while having fun. The policeman who gets to them asks for a huge bribe to cover it up. The group's only choice is to kidnap one of them and find money. 

Almost all Indians looks up towards the west, just like most countries who were under colonial rule. The biggest achievement , for Bollywood, seems to be making movies that looks exactly like Hollywood. The result is there are fewer and fewer movies coming out of Bollywood which are genuinely Indian.

A good majority of Indians, even those of middle class from small towns might not understand the dialogues and actions of the young group in the early half of this movie. For the script seems to have taken up ideas from lots and lots of movies from abroad and created a plot line to begin with. To be frank, at this point the movie definitely looks different by Bollywood standards. My point that a good majority of Indians would wonder what is happening, still standing though.

But from the moment the kidnapping happens, it turns just ordinary and routine, a kind of kidnapping saga that has been explored by movie makers across the world, even from India. The only respite being the production values and the pace of the script.

The makers have created a traumatic past for one of the characters, who, by killing one of her mates gets out of her trauma. This trauma is picturised in a way to fool viewers into thinking that this is a classy production. Thats all. Also for a majority of Indians, the kind of life style and the actions by this spoiled youth group is something that most can't even dream about. So it might still look different, for some if they wish so. The way they have picturised some songs actually matches the pace of the movie that we may not even notice that a song has come and gone. But it is a real pity that this modern brand of movie makers, cant even make their own new songs and have to remix the old songs. I think there were two old songs remixed in this one.

Shaitan, might be promoted as a different movie by regular Bollywood goers, but it is only a slightly different average movie, which can only give a feeling of a wine made of grapes from prominent wine yards across the world. Those who know about wine will know, wine from mixed grapes are of poor quality.

Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Se

2010 by Ashutosh Gowariker

A group of youngsters plan an uprising against the mighty British in small  town Chittagong, now in Bangladesh, about an year after 1930. Their plan is to capture the Telegraph office, the Police lines, the European club and the Cantonment all within a short span of time, the same night. A group of teenagers who are angry with the British as they lost their football ground to set up an army camp, joins the revolutionaries. On the planned day, all looks fine, except that the revolutionaries didn't think at all that their chosen day was Good Friday. A major part within the plan was to raid the European Club where the English officers were supposed to be for dinner, so that they could arrest all of them in one raid. Being Good Friday they found the Club empty. From there all went wrong and the British strike back and within a short period they search and arrest some of the revoloutionaries and the rest are killed.

A true story and the movie is inspired by a book. However it is a terrible attempt as a movie. If not for the patriotic factor, I would have stopped watching it within the first 30 minutes.

Performance of leading actors were sub standard. These stars are dressed like in the 30's. But the fact that their body language is from 2010's, is enough to describe how serious they were about their job. Most of these actors are only good for doing their routine song and dance numbers and soulless characters. They are not able to do characters which require intelligent understanding and reactions. In fact, some of the teenagers , I thought, could embarass the superstars in moments of brilliance. Of course, its also about casting and the director. Director doesn't seem to have cared to even change the hair styles of most revolutionaries.

I havent read the book. But the script is a pity. I thought, the whole thing could have been intelligently told within about 90 minutes, but the movie runs over 150 minutes, with two (or three) completely unnecessary songs. And scenes after the uprising, are comparatively better than the uprising itself or its build up.

Cinematography too was terrible. Mr. Gowariker who gave us movies like Lagaan and Swadesh have taken many steps backwards with this movie. His selection of subject was good. But it all went wrong, from scripting and casting onwards.

The best plus, for me, was a track which played during the titles and also for some part during the beginning. It looked very new, genuine and very Indian and to the theme.

Also if not for this movie, I would have remained ignorant about this small chapter from the Indian Independence struggle.