No Problem review: "Full of problems!!!"

Anees Bazmee is one of those directors who has been instrumental in racking in a lot of moolah on the basis of no brainer slap stick comedies. His array of hits belonging to that genre includes "No Entry", "Welcome" & "Singh is Kinng; all of which had nonsensical story lines but somehow managed to tickle the funny bone. This weekend witnessed the release of his latest venture,"No Problem"; which is also of the same genre & produced by Anil Kapoor. So will this one also add onto his success list???

Coming to the plot, as expected its having an absolutely stupid story. It basically involves two crooks,Yash (Sanjay Dutt) & Raj (Akshay Khanna); who robs a bank headed by manager Zandulal (Paresh Rawal). Since both these crooks happened to stay in his house for a day prior to the robbery, the blame naturally falls on Zandulal; who vows to catch them. In the meantime, a heist happens in the Diamond Centre,Durban carried out by Marcos (Suneil Shetty) & his gang. The investigation charge falls on the crack inspector Arjun (Anil Kapoor);who is married to Kajal (Sushmita Sen);who in turn has split personality disorder. Zandulal in search of the crooks also lands up in Durban & what follows later on is too stupid to be even discussed.

The biggest flaw with the movie is that it is full of problems. There isnt a single aspect which deserves a word of praise.Frankly speaking, I never expected anythng logical but even the comedy is so down-rite stupid that you feel like banging your head rather than laughing. Except for "Mast Punjabi" rendered by Anand Raj & Sunidhi Chauhan;the others are below average...considering the fact that 4 music directors worked in this fim namely Sajid-Wajid, Anand Raj & Pritam. The background score is one of the worst that I have come across in recent times; even a amateur would have done it better.

As for performances, its a well known fact that slap stick comedies works totally on the timing & comic flare of the performer. I didnt feel that any of them has done a credible job though Paresh Rawal & Anil Kapoor did manage to infuse a couple of laughs, the others were trying too hard.

Verdict: The North Indian audience has a habit of taking a liking for absolute nonsensical comedies like Golmaal 3 etc etc; but this time I dont believe even they would tolerate this. In short, dont even bother watching!!!

Regards...Ben

Phas Gaya Re Obama review : "Innocently funny!!!"

The last few years especially since the super hit "Bheja Fry",we have been witness to the release of a large number of low budget movies, which relied mainly on their script rather than on star power & it wont be wrong to say that many of them has been impressive. This year has also seen many such movies making their mark such as "Peepli Live", "Love Sex Aur Dhokha" etc, to name a few. "Phas Gaya Re Obama" is another such movie trying to repeat the feats of its predecessors. The unique title does create some hype especially since Obama has been here just a month back. So will its storyline be able to create magic ????

The story is written by the director himself, Subhash Kapoor & he has to be applauded for choosing a pretty unique subject. The plot basically involves, the impact of recession in all walks of life but mainly focusing on the gangsters. Om (Rajat Kapoor), is a US NRI who has been hit hard by recession, causing him to lose everything & now virtually on the brink of being kicked out from his house by the bank for non-payment of the mortgaged amount. Seeing no other option, he decides to come to India & sell his ancestral home so as to garner the amount that he requires. Within a few days of landing, he is kidnapped by a band of gangsters whose leader is Bhai Saab (Sanjay Mishra); who is going through a lean patch owing to recession. This sets off a sequence of events among the various rungs of gangsters who all wants a piece of Om, quite oblivious of the fact that he is a financial wreck. Will Om be able to escape from the clutches of the gangsters & collect the amount that he needs to sustain his family forms the framework of the story.

The star cast consists of Rajat Kapoor (as Om) who again comes up with a winning performance as the clever NRI guy. Sanjay Mishra (as Bhai Saab: the boss of the lowest rank of gangsters) is absolutely brilliant & his side-kick Manu Rishi (as Anni) is equally good. Neha Dhupia as Munni Gangster aka Female Gabbar delivers a power packed performance along with Amol Gupte as Dhananjay Singh (Minister for Animal Welfare). The real winner without doubt is however the script, which keeps our spirits high with its hilarious moments without ever resorting slap stick comedy,which is so prevalent nowadays.The music by Manish Tipu doesnt have much of a say, but the dialogues has been spot on. The movie does have its minor pit falls at places but thats pardonable when you look at the bigger picture.

Verdict: Being made on a shoe-string budget of approx 3 crores (as per Bollywood standards), the film should be able to recover its costs with a couple of good shows. Since its endowed with an interesting script, I wont be surprised if it becomes a hit as it would have the benefit of word by mouth going in its favour. So in short, I would suggest that you guys to definitely watch it for some clean humour!!!

Regards...Ben

Best Actor review: "Mammotty pulls out yet another ace!!!"

December is one of those months which the film industry always looks forward to for cashing in on the holiday season coming up. Unofficially the release of big films begins from today with Mamukka starrer "Best Actor" being the first among many to follow in the subsequent weeks. Coming on the back of a pretty good year for Mammotty, will this directorial debut of photographer Martin Prakatt continue his purple patch??? The promos has been pretty promising & the music has been ruling the charts...hmm, lets check it out!!!

The story by Bipin Chandran & Martin Prakatt is interesting & keeps the audience engaged for sure. It basically tells the story of a school teacher, Mohan (Mammootty) who nurses his childhood dream of making it big on the silver screen. Inspite of repeated efforts, his dreams fails to acquire wings; but his wife, Savitri (Shruti Krishnan) & son,Unnikuttan (Master Vivas) stands by him. Finally an opportunity comes knocking in the form of a hit director Sreekumar (Sreenivasan), who happens to shoot a film in Mohan's school. Mohan is made to believe that he would be offered a role in the film, but it turned out to be a hoax. This prompts Mohan to make a last ditch effort to realise his dreams & he ends up going to Cochin to meet up with a friend who is making a movie. As expected he faces flax there as well, & he is asked to imbibe the character of a gangster by living among such people. Being true to his efforts, he ends up meeting with such a band of gangsters.So will Mohan realise his dream or will he get sucked into the gangster world ??? The answers for these questions forms the highlight of the movie.

Mamootty has come up with yet another spell bounding performance, he imparts such an innocence to the character that you end up loving the character. Just to cite an example, the scene in which he is told by Sreenivasan that he cant be offered any role is brilliant to say the least; the way he emotes his feelings has to be seen to be believed. Shruti Krishnan has done a decent job though she doesnt have much of screen space. As for other characters like Lal, Nedumudi Venu, Salim Kumar & Vinayakan as the gangsters keeps us entertained with their witty one liners.A host of guest appearances by noted directors like Lal Jose, Renjith, Blessy along with Sreenivasan makes it for an interesting watch.

As for other aspects of the movie, the music by Bijibal though ordinary is pretty hummable especially the track "Swapnam Oru Chak" by Arun Elat. Another aspect which really got my attention were the colourful posters which makes you feel like watching the movie. However, there are a few pitfalls as well....though the first half breezes through...the second half has certain sequences which seems to be too hollow giving it a dragging effect. The background score is below average & its absence at times is one of the main reasons for the above mentioned flaw.

Verdict: The movie has definitely got a decent story coupled with a good climax making it for an interesting family entertainer. It should be able to get the box office bells ringing...I dont feel it would be a super hit but its going to be well above average or hit as well. In short, I would suggest that you guys to definitely watch it!!!

Regards....Ben

Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey review: " Credible effort on patriotism!!!"

Finally, Ashutosh Gowarikar is back with his patriotic celluloid venture after the debacle of "Whats your Rashee???". With AB Jr. & Deepika Padukone paired together for the first time, will this venture based on the Chittagong Uprising of 1930 bring back the glory days of Ashutosh...it waits to be seen. Anywaz I will give you a feedback as to how I felt about it & then the ball is in your court.

As I had mentioned earlier, the story is based on the Chittagong Uprising of 1930 & the intricate details regarding that revolt has been adapted from the novel " Do and Die: The Chittagong Uprising 1930-1934" by Manini Chatterjee. Just to give you a brief idea, it basically involves a series of attacks carried out on 5 strongholds of the British on the night of April 18th,1930 in Chittagong which was then a part of the undivided Bengal province. The revolt was headed by Surjya Sen, popularly referred to as "Master Da"; since he was a school teacher. The significance of this revolt is that it was carried out by 64 teenagers under the leadership of Surjya Sen & his trusted team of revolutionaries.

Coming to performances, Abhishek Bachchan (as Surjya Sen) has given a very restrained act which at times doesnt seem to match the character of the revolutionary. However, there is no denying the fact that he has given a very sincere effort. Deepika Padukone (as Kalpana Dutta) has been offered the first deglam role of her career & though not endowed with much screen space; she has been able to be noticed. The role of the revolutionaries essayed by Sikander Kher & others, were natural & earnest. The biggest applause is deservedly reserved for the teenagers, who has been able to impart an innocence to their roles & which makes it for an endearing watch especially in the second half.

Verdict: The movie is definitely not going to create wonders at the box-office & will recover its costs at the max. It has been successful to make us aware of a significant part of our Independence efforts as its not been covered in detail in our history books. In short, if you are not much into history..its better you give this a miss!!!

Regards...Ben

Rakta Charitra 2 review: "Surya rocks in this engrossing vendetta saga!!!"

The much awaited Bollywood debut of Surya is finally here & we couldnt fault him in biding his time before making the plunge into Hindi. The prequel had been released barely a month back & it goes without saying that it was one of the most violent Hindi movies to have ever released. As expected, RC-1 achieved rich dividends from the Telugu version while it recovered its costs from Hindi. The climax of RC-1 created immense excitement with a sneak peek into what could be happening next. So was this bated anticipation totally justified ????? Hmm...just read on & you will know what I felt.

The plot basically picks from the climax of the prequel with the emergence of Surya , who turns out to be the nemesis for Prathap (Vivek Oberoi). The movie begins with Surya carrying out a failed bomb attack on Prathap & how Prathap retaliates to get even. If the first part showed us as to how Prathap became the person he was, in the sequel Surya takes the centre stage & throws light as to why he wants him dead. As many would be aware, Surya is enacting the real life character of Madichelu Suri, however giving more information regarding the character would be like giving out the entire plot.

With such a strong thread to rely upon, it was just a matter of having a good screenplay & Prashant Pandey has done total justice to his craft. Though the movie isn't filled up with as much events as in the prequel, nevertheless this will keep you engrossed.The emotion of vengeance hasnt been ever depicted with so much of clarity.Both the primal characters seems to have valid reasons for their situations & the audience totally gets to understand this. As for other aspects of the movie, the background score by Dharam-Sandeep deserves a pat on their back while the cinematography was the usual RGV style.

Coming to performances, Surya is totally awesome; he is the show stopper & the intensity he imparts to the character has to be seen to be believed. Vivek Oberoi has also done a credible job but the limelight is mainly on Surya this time. Priyamani (as Bhawani, Surya's wife) is equally top notch & exudes confidence. Sudeep (as DCP Rathod) is suave,manipulative & clever...though appearing only in a few sequences, he definitely leaves an impression.

Verdict: The sequel isn't as gory as RC-1, however it also has its share of violence which is still way beyond the palatable range of many. The Tamil version which is released as a single installment is bound to make the producers laughing to the bank & I believe a similar fate awaits the Telugu version also. Just as I had predicted for RC-1, the Hindi version this time also wont be going great guns but it will definitely be a bigger success. In my opinion, I would suggest that you guys to watch it...preferably the Tamil version!!!

Regards....Ben

Again Kasargod Kadherbhai review : "A disgraceful sequel!!!"

Finally the last month of 2010 has arrived with a stack of movies lined up for all the weekends leading upto New Year. This week witnessed the release of the sequel of one of the biggest hits of Malayalam "Mimics Parade" & its sequel "Kasargod Kadherbhai".Since the prior two ventures being huge successes, naturally a lot of expectation has been attached to the 3rd installment titled "Again Kasargod Kadherbhai". So can this live up to the box office success of its predecessors???

The plot is basically crap to say the least...Father Tharakandam (Innocent) is still in charge of the troupe Kaladarsan which is carrying out cultural programmes with mimicry being its highlight as in prequels . On the occasion of Father's 60th bday, the troupe decides to hold a grand function & calls up its former star performers for a get together. With the exception of Siddique, the remaining guys (Jagadish, Biju & Ashokan) all make it for the function. These guys ends up performing a programme for the Central Jail inmates on the behest of Father. Incidentally, Kasim Khan (Babu Antony),who had been jailed courtesy of the Kaladarsan team in the prequel, is here as well. As expected, that leads to an altercation & it so turns out that he gets murdered. The blame falls on the Kaladarsan troupe owing to circumstantial evidence...so did they actually do it??? if not, who did it & why???

After the debacle of "College Kumaran" a couple of years back, Thulasidas is back at the helm of things. However, things doesnt seems to have changed much this time as well... with this movie being an equally worthless venture. The script by Kaloor Dennis doesnt have anything which would keep the audience interested. As for other aspects of the movie, the background score played when Gautham appears (enacting the role of  SI) is totally outrageous & blares out at times. Ratheesh Vegha's music is average with a track rendered by Vineeth Srinivasan being the best among the lot though its picturisation is appalling.

Coming to performances, though a galaxy of comedians are present here, there isnt much to write home about. Suraj does manage to infuse a couple of laughs while the female lead essayed by Radha Verma of "Crazy Gopalan" fame doesnt have much to do except apply oodles of makeup. A special word of mention definitely goes to Siddique for having being clever enough not to have acted in such a whimsical movie.

Verdict: Without doubt,one of the worst movies of this year. It would be lucky if it gets through this weekend. In short, I would suggest that you guys to avoid it!!!!

Regards...Ben

Break ke Baad reviews: "Different yet average & predictable!!!"

Yet another film in the genre of contemporary romance where everyone is cool & independent . The trend started with "Dil Chahta Hai", after which hoards of movies had released with "Anjaana Anjaani", "IHLS", "Aisha" etc being the last few released in the past 4-5 months. So will the directorial debut of Danish Aslam "Break ke Baad" be different or will it be just another old story in a new bottle???

One thing that I liked about the movie is that for a change the storyline is different, though it transverses an oft used path in the latter half. Abhay (Imran Khan) is a dotting boyfriend who places his girlfriend Aaliya (Deepika Padukone) above everything else. He is the understanding, romantic & level headed guy in the relationship while Aaliya is the loud, career oriented, rebellious character who takes Abhay for granted. Things reach a point where she wants to pursue her acting career & pushes off to Australia; with hardly a thought for Abhay or her mom (Sharmila Tagore).Abhay as expected follows her there & due to her insistence they have to break up. Will Aaliya realise Abhay is the source of happiness & balance in her life??? Hmmm...for that you got to watch it.

The screenplay by Danish Aslam & Renuka Kunzru though different & endearing in the first half becomes totally predictable & boring "break ke baad". The reason for saying different is in terms of the character given to Imran & Deepika. Vishal Shekhar tunes are hummable but not worth mentioning except for "Adhure". As for other aspects of the movie, there is nothing which deserves a special mention.

Coming to performances, Deepika has come up with an act on par with "Luv Aaj Kal" while Imran as always seemed confident & totally at ease in doing characters like these with "Jaane Tu..", "IHLS" etc being his predecessors. Lilette Dubey (as Imran's aunt) delivers a couple of punch lines which gets us into splits while Shahana Goswami has been wasted & so is Sharmila Tagore. In short, the others dont have much scope with the film focusing on Deepika, & Imran playing the supporting act literally.

Verdict: The movie opened with a lot of promise but fizzled out in the 2nd half, with an ending on the lines of "Kannamoochi Yenada".It will recover its costs but going on to become a hit..is too tall an ask. Anywaz, the movie is worth a one time watch if you are into urban Bollywood love stories or else forget it!!!

Regards...Ben