13B Bollywood Movie Review

HORROR films pretty much follow a similar format. Everyone is happy initially. Then, a series of bizarre, scary events traumatise one character thanks to which s/he digs up the past. Finally, the restless souls get their revenge and are at peace. The protagonist gets back to his/her normal life. And all’s well that ends well.

And so it is in 13B, that Manohar (R Madhavan) moves into flat, number 13B, at a posh building with his huge family, including wife Priya (Neetu Chandra), and his serial-loving mother (Poonam Dhillon). Soon, strange things start happening to him -- the elevator doesn’t work only for him; somehow they can’t complete setting up the puja room; the milk gets spoilt every morning; the television switches on by itself at 1300 hours, on channel number 13, to a serial called Sab Khairiyat. A closer look at Sab Khairiyat shows many similarities between the TV family and Manohar’s own. Coincidence forces him to realise this, until he gradually starts depending on the serial to see what happens next in his life.

He realises the serial plays only in his house, and that it is trying to tell him something. With his inspector friend (Murli Sharma) and family doctor Balram Shinde (Sachin Khedekar), Manohar figures out what the people in the serial are trying to tell him. This helps him save his family from being massacred.13B is scary. Goosebumps are guaranteed along the ride. The sound effects and background score by Tubby and Parik up the scare factor.

As does the cinematography by PC Sriram and H Laxminarayan, which is full of close-ups. The film is bathed in a dull, grey hue throughout; there are no bright colours, adding to the eerie feel. Madhavan carries the film ably on his shoulders. Neetu Chandra is good in her simple role. Poonam Dhillion acts her part effortlessly.

Murli Sharma does well as Madhavan’s friend. Sachin Khedekar makes an impact, too.The climax is long-winded and the film could have been cut short by at least half an hour. Thrillers need to be taut. You can predict certain portions in the film, but the climax is rather hard to guess. The film has that going for it.Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s score falls below the mark.

Little Zizou Bollywood Movie Review

Xerxes or Zizou (Jahan) wants to meet his idol, Zinedine Zidane. So he talks to his deceased mother’s picture, conveying all his wishes. His elder brother Art (Imaad) makes wonderful graphics and he and his friends are designing a cockpit simulator.

Art’s father Khodaiji is fanatic and fraud, completely against interracial marriages. Problems arise when Zizou and Art get friendly to Boman Pressvala’s (Boman Irani) family. Art loves Zenobia (Dilshad Patel) and Zizou is close to Mrs. Roxy Pressvala (Zenobia Shroff). He wants to become friends with animal lover Liana (Iyanah Baltivala).

All hell breaks loose when Mr. Pressvala runs a negative article against Khodaiji in his publication.Little Zizou is a delightful and very funny film, depicting the way of life of the Parsis. The performances by one and all are excellent. Jahan is so cute and adorable. He expresses his bereavement so well that your heart goes out to him.

Iyanah Baltivala is very expressive as the smart and clever Liana.. John Abraham looks super hot in the two scenes he has. Zenobia Shroff as Roxy, the concerned wife is wonderful. Boman Irani is brilliant as always. It is amazing how he gets into the skin of the character each time. Shernaz Patel as Khodaiji’s stressed secretary is lovely too. Sourabh Ardeshir plays his part as the religious fraud so well that you hate him. Mahabanoo Mody Kotwal has just two scenes, but she makes an impact with her colourful and interesting character.

She is the only untidy Parsi in the movie. Imaad Shah plays his part sensitively.There are many memorable moments in the film, like the scenes with Cyrus Broacha and John Abraham, the speech that Liana makes in the end, the scene where Zizou confronts his elder brother about their mother’s death, when Zizou breaks the ice with Liana.

You wonder what took Sooni Taraporewala so long to make her directorial debut because she has made a very enetertaining and heartwarming film about Parsis and their inter-personal relationships. It doesn’t look like a debut film. We cannot wait to see what she comes up with next.All in all, Little Zizou is a sweet, feel good film that you must see. It will stay with you long after it is over.

Jai Veeru Bollywood Movie Review

Even before I was ten minutes into this movie, I knew it was going to be a long (read bad) one. As a part of my job, I had to stick it out till the very end.

But let me tell you what others were doing during the filming. First and foremost there were a handful of couples who were least bothered about the proceedings in the movie. Then I spotted a guy who was reading a newspaper with the help of the light from his phone in the pitch dark theatre, as the movie failed to interest him.

Now if you still want to know what Jai Verru is all about, here goes: Veeru (Kunal Khemu) is a small time thief who becomes best friends with undercover cop Jai (Fardeen Khan). Obviously he doesn’t know about Jai’s true identity. Veeru is working for dangerous don Tejpal Yadav (Arbaaz Khan). While on a holiday, he falls in love with Divya (Anjana Sukhani) He tries to set up Jai with him, so that his friend can also make some extra cash.

Jai, the cop, along with his superior, Ranbir Singh (Govind Namdeo), grabs this opportunity to arrest Yadav but the plan goes awfully wrong. Veeru shoots Jai by mistake and runs away to Bangkok. Jai recovers and wants nothing more than killing than Veeru. He also finds a romantic partner in his nurse, Anna (Dia Mirza). He then goes about getting revenge as a cop and acquiring Yadav's little black book of contacts.

So is it worth a dekko?For starters, these movies went out with the nineties. The dialogues are silly and forgettable. Anjana Sukhani should stop acting because she can’t. Her entry has her emerging from the sea to send the hero’s heart into a tizzy. Hasn’t she seen how slim Kareena Kapoor., Esha Deol and Bipasha Basu, even Neha Dhupia have looked in similar scenes? Anjana has bulges and nothing about her is eye popping.

We don’t know what Kunal Khemu liked about her. The action has a very Dhoom 1 and 2 feel to it. So there is nothing new there. Some scenes have been flicked from M: I 2. Even the background score is jarring and ‘inspired’ from Hollywood action flicks. The other songs are alright. The song between Fardeen and Dia was totally unnecessary.

Why did the producer waste so much money on it, I wonder.Kunal Khemu isn’t hero material but he has decent acting skills and comic timing. Fardeen Khan should learn something from him. I guess his Hindi isn’t very good so most of his dialogues are in English. Arbaaz Khan can’t act and is unconvincing as the dangerous Don. Dia Mirza looks pretty and does action sequences well.Jai Veeru is just a waste of time. Please stay away.

Lottery Bollywood Movie Review

Rohit Avasti (Abhijeet Sawant) is a junior accountant with a leading fashion magazine. And while he may not be brilliant in his job, he loves being there as he gets to spend time with his Simran (Manisha Kelkar) whom he loves a lot.

That’s besides the point that she couldn’t care less for him in real life. But since she knows that he has a decent position in the office, she uses him for her gain. One day Soha (Rucha Gujrati) is introduced to Rohit and can’t help but fall for him. She is well aware of his feelings for Simran but that doesn’t stop her. She has her own emotional baggage and believes that Rohit is her knight in shining armour.

Now while Rohit believes that Simran is the one for him, he also begins depending on Soha for help. Every time he is in a spot of bother, he turns to Soha. And slowly but surely the two get together exactly as how Soha wished and hoped for. But just when things are going fine for Rohit, he finds himself in the midst of bet with which he had nothing to do. Rohit is told that a pregnant lady whom he does not know is about to deliver a baby.

If she delivers a baby girl Rohit stands to win rupees 3 lakhs in cash and if in case she delivers a baby boy Rohit will get nothing. Now the lure of making that much money and standing nothing to lose, Rohit bets on a girl being born and lucky for him he wins the bet. Now egged on by the first win, he enters into a second bet – this time worth 7 lakhs. However, sadly for him the last bet for one crore rupees turns ugly and Rohit is framed for a murder, which he did not commit. Will Rohit be able to save himself?The film thoroughly disappoints.

Abhijeet Sawant who makes his Bollywood debut in this film needs to stick to singing. There is a reason why he has been given a great voice – can he first make it completely in that sphere before he decides to turn to acting. And if he does want to act, can he learn how the art works first? Rucha Gujrati comes across as those teenage girls who dream of being an actress in Bollywood and will take any role that comes their way.

That is a well thought of, good or even worth their while is completely forgotten. Let’s not even get into the remaining cast.Hemant Prabhu needs to go back to the first draft of his script that he may have got years back. Please compare that script with what he has served us on screen. If it is exactly the same, I want to know why that script wasn’t burned. And if it isn’t, then please tell us why!All in this entire lottery isn’t going to work for anyone. And least of all you and me!

Aalo Chat Bollywood Movie Review

Aloo Chaat is the age old film that revolves around parents trying to fix an arranged marriage for their son while he has his eyes on another girl. Nikhil (Aftab Shivdasani) is trying to deal with his narrow minded parents who are all set to get him married with a Punjabi girl of their choice.

He on the other hand is in love with Aamna (Aamna Sharif) but is not able to disclose that to his family. And so he uses his father’s friend to help convince his father that Aamna is the girl for Nikhil. Will he succeed? Aloo Chaat disappoints you at many levels. Aftab’s acting is very mediocre. Aamna is even worse.

And I don’t think it’s the actors who need to be blamed for it. The screenplay is so clichéd and so mediocre that anyone would be bored of the script.As a part of the audience, I yawned through most of the film and was so restless all through out. I actually knew the end even before we got there because the script was so filled with the same situations that we have seen on so many occasions in so many movies that this film felt more like a hot pot of all those films.Robby Grewal’s direction is nothing spectacular either.

He does an average job and sadly for him the results at the box office will also be average – if that!This is one chaat that will only give you indigestion and so our advice is to stay far away from it!

Firaaq Bollywood Movie Review

I went to see Firaaq with really high expectations after all the stunning reviews it had got at various festivals. Although the film was a tad moving, it wasn’t as great as I expected it to be. But one thing is for sure that although you may not like it immediately after you see it but some images of it will remain with you long after.

The story is set a month after the communal riots in Gujarat, depicting how everyone’s lives continue to be haunted by the riot. Deepti Naval, a Gujarati housewife punishes herself for not giving shelter to a Muslim girl during the riots; Sanjay Suri is scared to death because he is a Muslim; his wife Anuradha, played by Tisca Chopra, is a Hindu. Shahana Goswami, is a Muslim mehendiwali who thinks her Hindu best friend might just be responsible for setting her house on fire. Mohsin aka Mohan, played by Mohammed Samad, is a Muslim boy orphaned in the riots. Naseeruddin Shah is a musician who cannot accept the reality of the riots and Raghubir Yadav provides him company.

Just how each of these individuals deal with the impact of the riots in their lives is what Firaaq is all about.The performances are excellent to say the least. Sanjay Suri expresses his fear well and Tisca complements him perfectly. Deepti Naval as the suppressed housewife is wonderful. Shahana Goswami, delivers another brilliant performance. It is amazing how she fits into any role. Naseeruddin Shah is perfectly natural; he IS the character.

Ditto for Paresh Rawal who is absolutely flawless and makes you hate his Gujarati MCP lecherous character.The production design is flawless. It has been shot in Hyderabad but you will think it is Ahmedabad through and through. There is attention to detail in every frame. The mixed languages: English, Hindi and Gujarati lend authenticity to the film. You feel the fear and helplessness of the characters. It moves you in that way.However, what goes against the film is that it is awfully slow paced. It is less than two hours long but feels much longer. Also, it ends rather abruptly with none of the ends tying up like they should.

There is no proper closure to the stories and you don’t expect the movie to end when it does. It is abstract. But maybe that is the point Nandita Das is trying to make - that riots and violence do not make any sense and they leave us with many questions unanswered. The loss cannot be measured.Nandita Das has an interesting voice and vision and extracts impeccable performances from her stellar cast to tell a personal story. If you can be patient while watching a film, go and see Firaaq.

Barah Aana Bollywood Movie Review

Barah Aana is a story that revolves around the friendship between a driver called Shukla (Naseeruddin Shah), a watchman Yadav (Vijay Raaz) and a waiter Aman (Arjun Mathur).

Naseeruddin brings with him the maturity and dependency that you can expect from a man of his age. Raaz on the other hand is lazy and mischievous man who prefers life that is easy and laid back. And finally there is the young Arjun who is simply brimming with ambition and wants to make it in life.But what happens when one of them gets involved in the world of crime and how it impacts the other two is what Barah Aana is all about.

Raja Menon’s Barah Aana is a refreshing film because it gives you a light comedy coupled with some serious moments and why it works is because it is tightly held together and is filled with brilliant performances.Naseeruddin Shah does yet another fantastic job. It is always a treat to watch Shah on screen because time and again he impresses and never once does he let you down. Vijay Raaz, one of Bollywood’s most under utilized actors, shines as well as Shah in almost every frame.Newcomers Arjun Mathur and Tannishtha surprise us with a strong presence on screen. Both of these are talents to watch out for! But most credit for the film should go to the director Raja Menon who has ensured the script has been fleshed out perfectly and more importantly it has been executed very well.

Sure there are some flaws but that can be expected from a film that is tight on budget but having said that none of them are glaringly obvious.The film is definite recommendation for this weekend especially for all the Naseer fans!

Aa Daikhain Zara Bollywood Movie Review

Ray Acharya (Neil Nitin Mukesh) is a freelance photographer barely able to meet his expenses. One day he gets the news that his grandfather has died leaving him a note behind. Ray heads to his childhood home to bid a final goodbye to him and also take some remaining items of his grandfather. One such item is a boat that growing up his grandfather had told him was not a ‘sadharan’ boat. Twiddling with it, he discovers a key and a photo of a safe.

Ray reaches the safe and discovers that his grandfather has left him an old looking camera with magical powers. The magical powers being that it can take pictures of the future. Confused? Well if Ray takes a photo of a man today at 4pm, then the photograph develops to show what will happen to that man tomorrow at the exact same time.And so the hard up for cash Ray begins to use this camera to his advantage. By looking into the future he starts winning lotteries, betting on horses and on cricket matches. As a result very quickly he gets himself the money, house and car. On the other hand his girlfriend Simi (Bipasha Basu) can’t seem to understand what is happening to her simple boyfriend and how he is becoming rich overnight.

One day Ray finds himself facing the same camera and when he develops the picture he gets back a completely black picture that is dated few days into the future. A black picture means only one thing – death isn’t very far for the person in question.Thus begins Ray’s countdown to his death and he makes every attempt to avoid his end. Will he succeed?

That’s what the rest of the film is all about.A tightly written script that moves very quickly makes Aa Dekhen Zara a decent watch. Credit must be given to director Jehangir Surti for holding the script and not letting it go at any point in the two hours. Sure there are some flaws but which Bollywood film doesn’t? For example you have to deal with Bipasha the DJ dancing on the top of the DJ console or her scantily clad breaking into a peppy number just when she and Neil are running from the police.

Neil Nitin Mukesh has done a good job and will definitely put to rest a lot of his critics. Rahul Dev who is back on our screens after a while pulls off the contract killer role well. Sophie Chaudhry looks hot on screen but her acting as an agent in disguise is more laughable and can’t really be taken seriously. However, considering the other two extremely mediocre films this weekend, it surely looks like ADZ is your safest bet!

Videsh Bollywood Movie Review

Preity Zinta plays the young village belle Chand. She arrives in Canada to be married to a man she has never met Rocky (Vansh Bhardwaj) with just one suitcase to call her own leaving her parents and brother back home in India.Her husband on the other hand is a short tempered young man who is dealing with his own pressures within the family. His mother still wants to have a hold on him, his father has no say in the house and with his sister, brother-in-law and their kids moving in the house is already bursting at its seams when Chand arrives.

To make matters worse, he is solely responsible for earning enough money so he can arrange for the immigration for the rest of his siblings to Canada as well.Chand on the other hand is educated and comes from a family where she is loved and pampered. Here in a foreign land, she tries to find comfort in her husband only to be mistreated and physically abused by him. While working in a factory, Chand meets a Jamaican woman who sees the bruise marks on Chand and gives her a magical root that she says will help turn her husband around.

However, the root has no effect on her husband and she only finds herself falling further into the trap of being at the mercy of her husband and his family. But that’s till she finds herself in the middle of an old Indian fable that suddenly gives her an understanding and loving husband. Confused how he suddenly changes during the day and then at night, Chand finds her sanity in imagining her loving husband in the face of a King Cobra – the old Indian fable of the icchadari naag.Videsh: Heaven on Earth disappoints you at every level.

The script is ridiculous and the acting even worse. Vandh Bhardwaj flies off the handle for no apparent reason. Yes he maybe short tempered and yes domestic abuse doesn’t ever have any logic, but the way here he is made to start beating his wife is ridiculous. The mother in law is equally annoying and actually reminds you of one of Ekta Kapoor’s numerous vamps who are obsessed with their sons! Don’t get him married if you want him tied to yourself – it’s really as simple as that.Coming to Preity in the film, the Bollywood actress plays the abused wife who is trying to please her husband well; but her character is so badly written that she couldn’t have saved the film no matter how hard she tried.

The differing shades of excitement, confusion and then helplessness are portrayed very well by Zinta but sadly a whole film cannot ride on it – no matter how short it is.Deepa Mehta who has given us brilliant award winning films disappoints with Videsh: Heaven on Earth.

While I agree with the concept of her film – young girl goes from a village, is married abroad only to find herself in a dead end and dealing with domestic abuse – I find that the film lacked enough meat. While we waited for the big deliveries to arrive, every time you had to settle for Zinta singing couplets to make herself oblivious to what she was going through.All in all Videsh doesn’t offer you any Heaven in your cinema, let along on Earth!

Ek "The Power of One" Review

Cast :
Bobby Deol, Nana Patekar, Shriya Saran, Chunkey Pandey
Director :
Sangeeth Sivan
Producer :
K. Sera Sera Production
Genre :
Not available
Release Date :
27-3-2009
Synopsis :
Ek - The Power of One staring Bobby Deol, Nana Patekar, Shriya Saran and Chunkey
Bobby Deol, Nana Patekar, Shriya Saran, Chunkey Pandey

Nandu (Bobby Deol) is an orphan. At a very young age, he joins a gang of thugs and commits his first murder. Along with him is Shekhar (Pradeep Kharab) who is as young as Nandu and being an orphan has also joined this group of criminals to survive. Nandu grows up to become a cold blooded assassin and Shekhar the getaway specialist. However, one contract job goes haywire for Nandu. During his getaway not only does Shekhar die but Nandu is also on the run from the cops.

In his escape from the police, another man called Puran whom he meets on the train dies when the police aim a shot at Nandu. Nandu heads to Puran’s home and starts living his family a Puran. There he experiences the feeling of living in a real home – something he had never done before. He becomes protective of his grandfather (Kulbhushan Kharbanda), his sisters and also begins to fall in love with Preet (Shriya Saran). Nandu is ready to forget about his past and continue to live here like Puran – but that’s till CBI Inspector Rane (Nana Patekar) arrives on the scene. Convinced that Puran is Nandu; Rane is hot on the heels of Puran.

Nandu also realizes that if he wants to live a life in peace, he will have to prove his innocence in the contract job.And it is in this mission to fin out the truth, Nandu discovers the biggest lie of his life. Will he be able to prove his innocence, that’s what Ek – the Power of One is all about.

So is it worth a trek to your local cinema? In short the answer is NO.Bobby Deol is probably a good choice for an assassin. Like Arnold Schwarzenegger, he can produce all of two and half facial expressions and that’s all he does in this film too. Shriya Saran looks like she just saw a hundred Asha Parekh movies before she took a shot for the film and the rest of the cast don’t even deserve a mention.

Nana Patekar is so disgusting in the film that he makes you want to throw up (just a warning – don’t chew on anything every time he comes on screen else you will choke on his atrocious English!)When Sangeeth Sivan would have begun writing the script of this film, I am sure it was good. No body really sets out to make a bad film. (Or do they?)

The concept of the story is not bad. But what happened once the execution began is something that I want an answer to. Does anyone have a number for Mr. Sivan?