After a song, a dance and a lunch with Salman Khan, The Great Khali made his wild card entry at the Bigg Boss house.
Shankar uses a robot to make his point about human behaviour and he does that with aplomb. However, in portions, the film is too stretched, especially in the second half. Chitti's extended conversation with mosquitoes is redundant and so are some of the songs that hinder the film's flow.
Some of the awe-inspiring scenes include Chitti's train sequence or when he becomes a snake of many robots in the climax. You can't stop whistling or clapping here.
The special effects used in the film are at par (if not better) than most Hollywood films. Swanand Kirkire's Hindi dialogues are excellent. Music by A R Rahman is disappointing to say the least.
Rajnikanth is simply outstanding. If one Rajnikanth is good for you, this has 100s of him at one point. And even though all except one are bad, they are still good to watch. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan looks ravishing and acts well. Danny Denzongpa plays his negative role to perfection.
ROBOT is highly recommended for its heartfelt story and Rajnikanth's awesome histrionics.
There aren't many stars and films these days that are capable of creating hysteria amongst the masses. Rajnikanth's Robot is one such film.
The thought of robots having emotions is intriguing. What if they are able to love, hate, be happy or sad just like humans? Will that be a boon or a bane? This is what director Shankar has tried to portray in ROBOT.
ROBOT is full of awesome action sequences, drama, and romance, but more importantly, it has a good story to tell. Surely your money's worth.
The best part about ROBOT is that director Shankar doesn't try to overshadow the film's plot with Rajnikanth's superstar status. Yes, there are copious unbelievable action scenes that Rajnikanth is synonymous for. However, the film is much more than that.
After 10 years of hard work and perseverance, Dr. Vaseegaran (Rajnikanth) creates an andro-humanoid robot named Chitti (Rajnikanth). Sana (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) is Dr. Vaseegaran's girlfriend for whom Dr. Vaseegaran doesn't have much time. Chitti is flawless as a machine but things take a horrid turn when Dr. Vaseegaran instils human emotions into him. He falls for Sana and is hell-bent to marry her. But Sana considers him to be a 'toy friend' rather than a boy friend. This calls for doom.
What's it about: A little girl named Shruti (Hassan) is bewildered that her mother, who she was otherwise close to, would want to spend time apart from her. Her head is brimming with conflicting thoughts when she goes to the railway station to receive her.
While waiting for the train to arrive, her brother concocts a tale around throwaway toys they've bought, involving aliens from the Orion galaxy coming to earth as shapeshifters.
The little girl believes every word. When her mom does arrive, they almost don't recognise her. She used to have waist length hair, but now has cut it quite short. There's a marked difference, indeed.
Coming to terms with the possibility that her 'mother' could possibly be an alien, Shruti then decides to warn her dad. She's even prepared to go the whole hog -- all the way to the Orion galaxy -- to get her 'real' mother back.
Obviously, the father and the mother have problems of their own that they are resolving. However, it appears that the mother has made up her mind that she wants out.
In all the emotional melee, Shruti makes a run for it when her dad refuses to take her to Orion. They finally find her only to figure out that there's more than meets the eye.
What's hot: The premise is engaging enough. Child psychology is intriguing to say the least and it's admirable that Jain has helmed this story from an eight-year-old's perspective for the most part. Zoya Hassan plays Shruti convincingly. When she's distrusting or helpless, her eyes speak volumes.
As her distraught father fighting his demons, Adil Hussain impresses in what I suspect is his first screen appearance. The Delhi theatre actor makes the best of a joyless character trying to salvage what's left of his life.
What's not: If you're looking to connect with the audiences, think in a language they speak for the most part. Or at least speak your language of choice convincingly. While Adil's accent is more or less perfect, his intonation is heavily affected by his stage experience.
Sarita is a New Yorker by origin, a Londoner thanks to the script and a reluctant Indian (for 10 years), so her accent sounds muddled. Zoya's speaking parts seem heavily rehearsed and unnatural. However, that doesn't seem to affect the parts where she actually emotes. The story gets heavy-handed and sluggish in the flashbacks.
What to do: While the film has its flaws, it's worth the watch only because of the unexpected climax. You know it's building to something, but you never quite guess what's below the surface.
The unpredictability works to its advantage, but it does leave you wondering if things could've ended differently. That could be it's sole triumph.
Some films are good to look at. Some feel good at heart. Very few mainstream films manage to look as good on the surface and also capture the heart. ‘We Are Family’ is equally appealing from the outside and at the heart.
It doesn’t take us long into the narration to realize that the debutant director has his own ideas on how urban man-woman relationships work. Siddharth Malhotra brings the traditional compassion and large-heartedness of Sooraj Barjatya’s films into the same line of vision as the urban fables about the man-woman relationship of Gulzar’s ‘Ijaazat’ and Govind Nihalani’s ‘Drishti’. The brew is invigorating and often very very moving in the way movies stopped moving us a long time ago.
The basic premise and even chunks of sequences and dialogues are taken from Chris Columbus’ ‘Stepmom’. Are Kajol and Kareena Kapoor as powerful in portraying the wife and the other woman as Susan Sarandon and Julia Roberts in the original?
What if one says the two divas in the desi ‘Stepmom’ are far more empathetic in their understanding of the complexities of a marriage that has not quite terminated and the alternative relationship which doesn’t know where to go without disrespecting the earlier relationship? Kajol and Kareena share a compelling partnership in portraying a household that’s run by two women.
The intricacies of the triangle are worked out with heartwarming delicacy, so much so that you wonder why the director needed to keep any of elements from the Hollywood film. ‘We Are Family’ takes the ‘Stepmom’ saga to another level. It’s an urban fable told with subtlety and a softness of touch which completely avoids excesses of emotions until the last ostensibly gut-wrenching finale when the narration gets excessively melodramatic.
The rest of the film is remarkably devoid of extravagant emotions even though the situation described and defined by the plot is susceptible to acute bouts of overt emotion. Having three actors who know how to play down the pitch without taking away the edge in the narration surely helps the situation.
Kajol needs absolutely no recommendation. Her transformation from physically healthy but restless in soul, to a dying but spiritually healed entity happens right in front of our eyes. The little-little things she does with her eyes and lips just rips a hole in our soul. Yup, she is one of our all-time greats – without trying. The moments when she watches Shreya (Kareena) take charge of her children and husband find Kajol expressing a mixture of envy and resignation the way only she can.
But it is Kareena Kapoor who is an utter revelation. Never before has she demonstrated such a complete understanding of her character’s inner life. To the role of Kajol’s husband’s girlfriend Kareena brings a rare and reined-in passion. Everything that she has done so far on screen is undone as Kareena redefines the role of the Other Woman in Hindi cinema.
Admirably the 6(!!) screenplay writers have worked overtime on Kareena’s part. She could easily have been the bitch who steals Kajol’s husband away. As written in the script, Kareena comes across as flesh blood tears – and yes, as a woman of great beauty.
Arjun Rampal has been constantly evolving as an actor. Here he balances out the powerhouse performers on both his sides with a deeply felt emotional binding presence. And by the way, he dances better than Kajol and Kareena in the disappointing ‘Jailhouse Rock’ number.
Sensibly, Siddharth Malhotra has avoided the temptation of too many confrontational moments between Kajol and Kareena. We wouldn’t have wanted this tender-sweet look at a shattered family’s attempts to hold the fabric of their togetherness in place to end up looking like one of those T. Rama Rao mera-pati-sirf-mera-hai kitsch-kitsch-hota-hai stale-tales from the 1980s.
‘We Are Family’ takes the story of a broken marriage to an area of poignancy where the outer edges remain as strong as the inner fabric of the three characters who find themselves trapped in a tragedy not of their making. From the opening birthday sequence where Arjun introduces girlfriend Kareena to his wife and children, with disastrous consequences, the film exercises a high cool-and-calm quotient in its structuring.
At the end, when Siddharth Malhotra has taken the family fable beyond ‘Stepmom’, you suddenly realize it’s been a while since we saw a film about Man, Wife and Other Woman tackle the layers of painful separation and reconciliation with such fluency and care.
Salman Khan's much awaited Dabangg opened to full houses across the country today cashing in on the festive weekend.
Even though the reviews were mixed, critics admitted that the film provided for entertainment.
Critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh said ,"Chulbul Pandey aka Robinhood Pandey taps Salman's star power like no film has and the result is sheer magic. In fact, Dabangg stands on three pillars - Salman's star power, smashing stunts and super music."
Girish Wankhede, spokesman for multiplex chain Cinemax said the Salman starrer has received overwhelming response at all its theatres.
"The opening has been excellent and our patrons have been coming out of the theatres happily," he said.
Another trade analyst Amod Mehra describing the movie as "entertaining" said it has got an outstanding opening throughout the country. "The opening is as good as 3 Idiots. Dabangg has the benefit of the festive weekend. Let's see how it picks up," he said.
The movie directed by debutante Abhinav Kashyap is about a corrupt police officer donning a Robinhood image.
“Dabangg is a buffet meal, there’s something for everyone,” said director Abhinav Kashyap before the release of his debut film.
His baby stays true to the director’s claim. An out-and-out Salman Khan entertainer, Dabangg (which means fearless) give you a lot of reasons to love Khan even more.
We see Khan as his old self, packaged in a new police ki vardi as Inspector Chulbul ‘Robinhood’ Pandey in a certain Laalgunj gaav of Uttar Pradesh. Sure, many would like to adopt that middle name.
Lovably corrupt and enticingly lean, Chulbul makes sure he gets the share of the booty in every big (or small) dacoity in the village banks. His love for mother (Kapadia, typical Bollywood maa) and hatred for stepfather Prajapati Pandey (Khanna) on one side is balanced with his love-hate relationship with stepbrother Makhi (Arbaaz Khan) on the other.
Family dramas are not new to Bollywood. But Dabangg has an edge because of the smart packaging of action, love, drama and a tragic climax. Small-town politician-villain Chhedi Singh (Sood) has personal scores to settle with Chulbul. Using his dysfunctional family ties as pawns, Chhedi will stop at nothing to win an election and settle his rivalry with Chulbul.
Apna Chulbul cracks PJs, falls in love, propositions village belle Rajjo (Sinha), and gets married in style. Salman Khan’s on-screen larger-than-life persona is fully exploited by Kashyap.
Arbaaz Khan as the mandbuddhi (slow-witted) stepbrother puts on a good show playing a character with slightly grey overtones. Sinha risked a deglamorised launch and went for the sari-clad Rajjo, a role she fits to the T and in which she doesn’t fail to impress you. She looks comfortable being paired with a hero who is at least two decades older. The star kid (she is Shatrughan Sinha’s daughter) will, however, need some more challenging roles to prove her worth.
Kapadia as the Pandey mother reminds you of the mothers in Hindi cinema of yore, self-sacrificing, torn between relationships, slightly over-the-top, likeable nevertheless. As for Sood, you feel like beating him up for giving hero Chulbul such a hard time.
The casting for each peripheral (importance to the plot notwithstanding) character in Dabangg is perfect, be it Mahesh Manjrekar as Rajjo’s alcoholic father, Om Puri as the hand-in-glove crooked cop, Anupam Kher as the power-crazy politician, or Mahie Gill as family-oriented Nirmala, Arbaaz Khan's lover.
Fans and critics can see Salman Khan do what he does best, positively “bhayanak” dialoguebaazi, Rajini-style action, and trademark dance steps with funny hand movements, topping it all with a shirtless fight sequence. The dialogues of Dabangg are memorable; don’t be surprised if you rattle some off long after you have left the cinema hall.
Mahesh Limaye’s cinematography captures the feel of rustic Uttar Pradesh well and lends authenticity to the muddy politics, fight sequences, and overall lawlessness of the land. The very many songs are effectively, in Chulbul’s words, thusaoed in the plot, without once making the audience cringe. From theme song Hun Hun Dabangg to the romantic Tere Mast Mast Do Nain and the drunks’ anthem Humka Peeni Hain, every song has recall value. Not to mention Munni Badnaam Hui with Arbaaz Khan's wife in real life Malaika Arora Khan sizzling to the beats of composer Lalit Pandit.
Clean humour, fabulous action sequences, innocent love stories, and superb dialogues typify Dabangg. Watch it at a single screen to enjoy the hooting, cheering, clapping and even the occasional standing ovation for the dabangg Sallu Bhai.
For the first time Priyanka Chopra and Ranbir Kapoor have been paired together for a film which is titled 'Anjana Anjani' (spellings may be changed as per the oracles' advice to producers).
'Anjana Anjani' is produced by Sajid Nadiawala, who is known for producing Salman Khan films like Judwaa, Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi and Jaan-E-mann. He has recently made two Akshay Kumar flicks Heyy Baby and the critically panned Kambakkht Ishq.
Director Siddharth Anand has been roped in to helm 'Anjaana Anjaani'. The film reunites Ranbir Kapoor and Anand, who earlier worked in last year's romantic comedy Bachna Ae Haseeno. 'Anjaana Anjaani' has already begun pre production and begins filming this November. The film will be shot in exotic, glossy locales such as Los Anegeles, New York and San Francisco. Director Anand is known for creating technically sound, lush shots in his films Salaam Namaste, Tara Rum Pum and Bachna Ae Haseeno, 'Anjana Anjani' will in all probability follow suit. Shooting is expected to last 45 days with the final cut aimed at January 2010.
Priyanka Chopra has become one of the the hottest, most in-demand stars of Bollywood after three consecutive hits Dostana, Fashion and now Vishal Bharadwaj's Kaminey. The star not only cemented her status as a bankable romantic lead but also wowed audiences with her dramatic range in Fashion and Kaminey, the latter of which showcased her commitment to her roles (she hired a linguistic coach who trained her in perfecting her Marathi to play her character Sweety). Priyanka had also worked with Sajid Nadiawala in Mujhse Shaadi Karogi half a decade earlier.
Anjana Anjani is supposedly an offbeat romantic dramedy, the title of which is based on the popular song of the same name from Mani Ratnam's 2004 flick 'Yuva'. The song featured Kareena Kapoor and Vivek Oberoi, and Siddharth Anand reportedly wanted to cast Kareena in the lead role in his fim. Bebo however declined the offer due to scheduling conflicts. It will be interesting to see how Ranbir Kapoor manages to shoot for 'Anjaana Anjaani' since he has four films up for release in four consecutive months beginning in October, Wake up Sid, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year and Raajneeti.
Anjana Anjani is expected to release sometime in Q2 2010.
Breaking News! Bollywood always appears as mystery despite a lot of exposure to media. But director Siddharth Anand expects a big hit from his upcoming movie 'Anjaana Anjaani' starring two Bollywood bigies Ranbir and Priyanka.
The most awaited film under Sajid Nadiadwala's production, which is meant to appeal the youth, is indeed a project that highlights the director's thinking process.
According to Bollywood buzz, after doing films under Yash Raj films banner, working with Sajid Nadiadwala, is just like stepping out of the comfort zone into unknown territory for Siddharth.
However, Siddharth was wandering into a lot of questions before going for this project and finally he realized that passion is above everything while making a film not money.
In fact, it was Siddharth's dream that came true with the help of the entire unit right from the producer to technicians. The movie based on an extraordinary love story seems promising with its tag lines "All greatest love stories are between strangers".
Now, this is audiences' turn who will rate this film and respect the director's feelings. The film is all set to release on 24th September.
