Ready review: "Salman...the name says it all!!!"

Since the last two decades, the Khans has been ruling the industry, be it SRK, Aamir or Salman with occasional hits from Big B & Akki. But if there is one star who is the darling of the masses, its undoubtedly the favourite poster boy of India, the one & only SALMAN. Whether you like him or not, you cant definitely ignore him & his mass appeal blockbusters are testimony to that. His movies are eagerly awaited by all sections of society, except for the connoisseurs of meaningful cinema as his movies are high on entertainment but low on content. To add to this list arrives Anees Bazmee's "Ready". Hmm...now lets see how would this fare???

Frankly speaking, its actually pointless to even discuss about the storyline, as Anees Bazmee's movies are always a mish mash of rocking music, insane comedy & a wafer thin outrageous plot. However, I will try to make sense of this tale. Prem (Salman Khan..hmm, its almost the 15th time since he has used this onscreen name) is the son of a rich business man, Ram Kapoor (Mahesh Manjrekar), whose only job seems to be helping lovers in distress. His parents contemplates on getting a suitable bride for him & that's when Sanjana (Asin) turns up in their family on the pretext of mistaken identity. In due course of time, Prem falls for Sanjana & comes to realise that her two uncles wants to usurp her fortune by getting her married to their brother in laws. The latter part then basically focuses on what all Prem does to resolve the problem amicably.

In comparison with Anees Bazmee's no brainers such as "Thank you", "No Problem" etc., this one was far far better. It might be due to the fact that it is the remake of the Telugu hit by the same name "Ready" starring Ram & Genelia & later on remade in Tamil as "Uthamaputhran" with Dhanush & Genelia as the leads. It's loud & liberally sprinkled with slap stick comedy. But the show is totally focused on the antics of Salman, which I am sure the masses will lap it up. The biggest highlight of the movie other than Salman is the awesome music by Pritam & Devi Sri Prasad with "Deela character" & "Dhinka Chinka" already being chart busters.

 

Coming to performances, its trademark Salman all the while & he plays it totally to the audience. His comedy, characteristic dance steps, style, stardom & finally the shirtless torso...you name it & he gives it in ample measure. As for the remaining cast, Paresh Rawaal supports him well while Asin just had to look good. The rest were more or less for the numbers as the eyeballs were inevitably always on Salman.

Verdict: There is no doubt that the movie is going to be the first blockbuster of the year. Though virtually devoid of anything called script, the masses are gonna create a ruckus in theatres with his brand of style & humour. In short, if you are a hard core Salman fan, dont miss it!!!

Regards...Ben

Janapriyan review: "Bland yet enjoyable story of an endearing simpleton!!!"

Just as it has been the trend since the last few years, more & more people are coming forward to display their craft in movie making. So to add to this list, arrives director Boban Samuel who is quite an household name for his TV serials. To aid him in his debut venture "Janapriyan", he has sorted the help of script writer Krishna Poojapura who has quite a good track record of three hits except for his last venture "Four Friends", which was a debacle. Hmm, so will the debutant taste success or will it be a sour pill to swallow???

Just as the title states, the film talks about the story of a simpleton, Priyadarshan (Jayasurya) who is a jack of all trades but with a heart of gold for his fellow beings. Vaishakan (Manoj K Jayan) is an employee of a Taluk Office who nurtures the  dream of making it big in the film industry & repeatedly make futile efforts with utter disregard for his job. This eventually forces him to take leave at the behest of his superior to pursue his dream. It is at this juncture that Priyan takes up the vacated post & in due course of time his selfless hard working nature makes him the darling of all those he comes in contact with. At the same time, he falls in love with Meera (Bhama) mistaking her to be the servant of his rich neighbor. Things seems to be working out fine until Vaishakan call it quits & decides to rejoin the job while Meera's folks starts searching proposals for her. So how is Priyan going to tackle both these issues???

Krishna Poojapura has definitely risen up from the debacle of "Four Friends" & has come up with a simple feel good movie. Though there is hardly any twists & turns, the endearing character of Priyan makes the movie for an enjoyable watch. Another positive is the clean situational comedy which is in complete contrast to the double meaning vulgar comedies which is in vogue nowadays.  However, I do have to concede that the movie doesnt offer anything new & Priyan's nature at times has a striking similarity with Mammootty's in "Loudspeaker". Boban Samuel's direction has definitely not done any harm to his nascent reputation. As for other aspects, the music by Gautham was hummable while the visuals by Pradeep Nair was commendable.

In the performance department, Jayasurya as always has done total justice to his character. Its common knowledge that he is always willing to go that extra yard in terms of diction or appearance to make his performance count & it very well reflects here also. Manoj K Jayan seems to be enjoying his newly attained status of a comedian & continues his act here in a much more convincing manner. Bhama has done a decent job along with ample support from Jagathy & Lalu Alex.

Verdict: The movie doesnt have anything new to offer but the endearing portrayal of Priyan by Jayasurya should keep the audiences interested. With hardly any twists or turns coupled with some clean hilarious situations, it should be able to get a decent return on its investment. In short, it would certainly wont hurt if you give it a try!!!

Regards...Ben

The Train review: "Mammootty's woes continues!!!"

As we almost reach the half way stage of 2011, it could be safely said  that this year has been pretty good for the Malayalam film industry. Within this span, there has been a host of movies with varying subjects making the box office bells ring to its tune. However, things hasn't been looking so bright for Mammootty who had enjoyed unparalleled success both critically & commercially the last couple of years. With two of his movies already drawing blanks, he is looking forward to break the jinx with Jayaraj, whose previous venture "Loudspeaker" was incidentally with Mammootty itself. So will this combination bring about a change in Mammootty's fortunes???

In addition to wielding the mike, Jayaraj has also taken upon the scripting task & has made the Mumbai train bombings of July 11th,2006 as the theme. The film tracks the happenings of the last 12 hours leading to the devastating blasts through the lives of four sets of people. Kedarnath (Mammootty) is a Commander of the Anti-Terrorist Squad, who stumbles upon a suspect whom he believes is planning a terrorist attack. In the meantime, the film depicts the changes in the lives of Karthik (Jayasurya),on his way to Chennai to audition for A.R Rahman, Meera (Sheena Chouhan) who embraces life following an anonymous call, Suhana (Sabitha Jayaraj) who runs from pillar to pillar trying to acquire her grandfather's long delayed pension for his Haj expenses & finally the relationship between a grandfather & his grandson.

 

The biggest challenge in selecting a real event is how to make it all the more engrossing by intermingling fact with fiction. Unfortunately, Jayaraj has totally failed in his effort as he wasnt able to create any sense of anticipation in the audience. Inspite of being a shade under 2 hours, the film labours along so slowly making it appear much longer with hardly anything happening. The sequences itself seem so irrelevant & disjointed that you dont sympathise with what actually happens to the characters. The protagonist, Kedarnath seems to be the supercop who even goes to the extent of searching for a suspect in Mumbai CST which is like searching for a pin in a hay stack. Come on yaar!!! there has to be more officers in the force.

In the performance department, Mammootty has done a fine job as Kedarnath; but the lack of a credible script offers him very little opportunity to improvise. Jayasurya as usual has done a fine job while both Sabitha Jayaraj & Sheena Chouhan were conscious of the camera. As for the remaining cast, there is nothing much to write home about. Coming to the technical aspects, the music by Srinivas though fine was totally ill placed & at times unwanted as well. The editing by Vivek Harshan could have been tighter while the visuals by Seenu were decent.

Verdict: As I has mentioned earlier, the lack of an impressive script is going to be the bane of the movie. It seems that Mammootty has lost the Midas's touch for the time being & will have to wait until the next release for a hit. In short, "The Train" failed to reach the destination & gets derailed, the choice is now yours!!!

Regards...Ben

Manikyakallu review : " A simple feel good movie!!!"

The North East monsoon should be hitting the coast of Kerala within a fortnight & that in turn will usher the beginning of yet another academic year. So keeping in mind of this fact, arrives a movie which focuses on the relationship between a teacher & his students. Incidentally, this venture is brought onto the silver screen by M.Mohanan whose debut effort was the block-buster "Kadha Parayumbol". In such a scenario, it goes without saying that there is a huge amount of anticipation surrounding his latest offering "Manikyakallu". So will it be live upto the success of its predecessor???

Among all the various courses, 10th standard results still holds the most pivotal position since its the first time that students are exposed to such a huge competition, not to forget that at times its the only qualification required for jobs. The film also unfolds with a similar scenario of the results being published but with a difference. As opposed to the numerous schools with cent percent results, Vannanmala Govt Model School has been the recipient of the dubious distinction of having cent percent failure since many years. The situation wasn't surprising as the teachers were more concerned about their side businesses rather than imparting wisdom to the pupils. Into this scum, enter Vinayachandran (Prithvi Raj) who makes it a point to turn around the mentality of the staff & students alike & in turn the fortunes of the school. So in short, "Manikyakaalu" talks about the efforts of Vinayachandran. How & what does he do to achieve his aim , is what remains to be seen.

After the stupendous success of "Kadha Parayumbol", Mohanan bided his time before come up with this venture. Coming to look at it, "Manikyakallu", is a decent effort with hardly anything to point out that it's appalling. However, the script doesn't tread on any new territory & after a point of time we are made to wonder as to how comes things are falling in place so easily. The protagonist seems to be virtuosity personified who could do no wrong while all the other characters turn into a new leaf by his inspiring anecdotes without hardly a whimper. The first half was built up properly & when we do expect something in the latter half, the same trend continues yet again. Inspite of this there are a couple of genuine scenes which does tug at our heart cords though at times you might feel its inspired from the previous venture. 

Prithviraj has performed his part to perfection with a toned down performance as opposed to the imposing style that he usually imbibes. Samvritha Sunil as the smart & loud Chandni, was a refreshing change from her previous roles. As for the remaining cast, they neither had scope nor did they overdo their part. Coming to the technical crew, the music by Jayachandran was soothing & gelled with the mood of the movie while the other aspects were fine.

Verdict: "Manikyakallu" is without doubt Prithviraj's low budget movie in recent times both in terms of advertising & finance. Though there is nothing specific as such to tag it as bad, it doesnt offer anything out of the ordinary. In short, its a feel good movie where people dont have shades of grey. You can give it a try to soothen your stressed out mind or else give it a miss!!!

Regards...Ben

Seniors review: "Punning galore in this entertainer!!!"

With the summer vacation in full swing, its been party time for the movie buffs as movies has been flooding the theaters. Owing to the World Cup & elections, many of the films were delayed to the extent that every weekend is seeing 2-3 releases. However, due to this many of them are finding it to hard to even get release centers. Thankfully, the eagerly awaited "Seniors" managed to secure a decent release in around 70 centers owing to the impressive promos & a distinct star cast. Its been helmed by Vysakh who had a dream debut with "Pokkiri Raja" & scripted by the Sachi-Sethu duo who are coming on the back of the debacle "Doubles". So what will the combined duo produce at the box-office???

The opening sequence takes us 30 years back, where a boy is witness to his father's suicide after his mother walked out on him for her lover. Another 15 years later, its the College day of Maharaja's College, where a girl gets murdered. Finally its fast forwarded to the present day where Padmanabhan (Jayaram) is coming back from jail & is received with open arms by his three close friends namely Philip Idiculla (Biju Menon) a planter; Rasheed Munna (Manoj K Jayan), a ladies accessories shop owner & Rex Manuel (Chackochan), a painter. Without further adieu, we are made aware to the fact that Padmanabhan had served the jail term for his friends; but for which he had no regrets. But he nurses the dream of going back to the same college to do PG along with his friends. With much coaxing, his friends also agrees to join him to relive their college life. However, things doesnt go as smoothly as expected, as another girl meets with a near death experience under similar circumstances. Was history repeating itself or is there something more to it than coincidence???

Vysakh has done a fine job in imparting suspense & comedy in adequate measure; without much of a drag  anywhere. It was expected that Sachi-Sethu who had hit a trough with "Doubles", couldnt do much worser. Frankly speaking, I do agree to that; but here too the plot isnt upto the mark with glaring loopholes & a very predictable climax. The first half breezes through with its share of comedies which though will instill laughs is in fact a case of pure punning. The latter half, gets us into the heart of the plot which is questionable but executed decently. As for other technical aspects, the visuals by Shaji were lively while the music by Alphonse, Alex Paul & Jassie Gift being decent. 

Coming to performances, Biju Menon absolutely rocked especially in his dynamics with his son. He has also been successful in serving up some hilarious one-liners which had the audience in splits. Jayaram has done an apt job while Chackochan seems side lined at times in the first half. Manoj K Jayan as the eternal flirt seemed to be a misfit, as he overacted his part; in my opinion Indrajith would have been the best choice. As for the remaining cast, Suraj does tickle the funny bone while the female leads seemed fine.

Verdict: The film is definitely going  to have a good opening & likely to get the bucks coming in without fail. As far as my opinion goes, I found the plot lacking clarity with an equally predictable climax. However it does have its hilarious moments which though thrives on double meaning makes it good enough for a one time watch!!!

Regards...Ben

Shor in the City review: "Surprisingly simple yet humorous & thrilling!!!"

The past few years has seen a huge rise in the so called parallel or off beat cinemas in Bollywood. As one would expect, initially it was looked upon as boring or something meant for the intellectuals to grace the film festivals. Thankfully, that trend has changed with movies like "Bheja Fry", "Omkara", "A Wednesday" etc etc owing to the impressive scripts & mushrooming of multiplexes giving these cinemas a much required wider audience. This week saw the release of "Shor in the City", which has been creating quite a bit of shor in the film festivals. Will it able to replicate the same in the box-office remains to be seen???

"Shor in the City" deals with three different sets of people who is trying to make a living amongst the filth & corruption of Mumbai. The film unfolds over a period of 11 days leading upto Ganeshotsav. Tilak (Tusshar Kapoor), Ramesh (Nikhil Diwedi) & Mandook (Pitobash Tripathy) are three friends who are always on the look out for some easy money. Tilak runs a pirated book printing press & the opening scene were these friends kidnaps a prominent author in exchange for his unpublished manuscript sets the tone for the movie. In the meantime, Sendhil Ramamurthy (Abhay) is an American Indian who had come back with the intention of setting up a small business. But little did he release that things arent so easy with many looking for a share in the pie. At another part of the city is Sawan (Sudeep Kishan), an aspiring cricketer making futile efforts trying to break into the Mumbai Under 22 squad realizing the bitter truth that talent isnt everything. So how will these characters hold their own in this tainted yet desireful city ???

Without doubt, the strongest point of the movie is its script which though might look nothing out of the ordinary but every inch interesting, thrilling & coupled with situational comedy. When one is equipped with such a well worded script, its just a matter of executing it properly & thankfully that has been taken care of very impressively. The credit for both these departments goes to the same duo of Raj Nidimoru & Krishna D K. The music doesnt have much of a say with "Saibo" rendered by Shreya Ghoshal & Tochi Raina being melodious.

Tusshar Kapoor had always been side lined to do the same old stereotypical comical stuff, but this one will surely break him free off the "Golmaal" mold. The subtle romance with his wife Sapna (Radhika Apte) is something to look out for; who herself has come up with a decent act. Nikhil Diwedi was apt while Abhay was a complete natural as the US returnee exhibiting his frustration & helpless against the shady elements. Sudeep too has done a credible job, but the show stopper is undoubtedly Pitobash Tripathy as the eccentric goon who sets out doing everything just for the momentary thrill without even using an ounce of his gray matter

Verdict: "Shor in the City" is yet another winner from the stable of Balaji Pictures who has always been keen on doing unique stuff be it "LSD" or "Once upon a time in Mumbai" & kudos to Ekta Kapoor for her efforts. With an impressive script & an equally appreciable execution, the movie should be able to fill its coffers without fail. In short, it has all the elements in adequate dosage rather than flirting with our intelligence; which compels me to say that you guys have got to watch this one!!!

Regards...Ben

City of God review: "Encouraging signs for the future!!!"

Its a well known fact that the movies being churned out nowadays are so abysmal that we actually tend to wonder as to what has become to those days when everyone used to look to our films for impressive scripts. Thankfully, this year began with one such venture "Traffic", which was both critically acclaimed & commercially viable. To add to this list, comes the latest offering "City of God", directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery whose debut effort in "Nayakan" was highly commendable. With an impressive star cast & catchy promos, the movie has been the talk of the town for some time. So will it actually live upto its promise???

Just as in the case of Mani Ratnam's "Yuva", Rajesh Pillai's "Traffic" or Hollywood movies like "Crash"; the film tracks the life of the various protagonists who are linked together by an accident happening in the beginning. Jyothilal (Prithvi) is a close friend of Sony (Rajeev Pillai), a wealthy businessman for whom he is willing to risk his life. Swarnavel (Indrajith) is a Tamil labourer  in love with Marathakam (Parwathy) who fled from a failed marriage. Viji Ponnoose (Shweta Menon) is a wealthy divorcee while Sooryaprabha (Rima Kallingal) is a rising starlet who had to suffer the brutalities of her husband. So were these characters linked together just by destiny or is all this part of a master plan???

Just as in "Nayakan", the execution here also is top notch & full credit to Lijo Jose for framing the sequences so brilliantly. At times, the audience is left in awe as to how he is able to shoot the same scene from various points of view. There are many such sequences in the movie such that after a point of time, you are at a loss of words. Now, for creating such sequences requires an impressive script & Babu Janardhanan deserves a pat on the back for that. However, there is no denying the fact that certain sequences lacked the punch & tempo to match the events due to which it feels dragging at times. Also, the handy cam sort of picturisation though imparting a realistic feel; causes headache as its too shaky. The music by Prashanth Pillai wasnt exactly chart busting type but it did have a different feel, while the editing by Manoj was top notch.

Almost all the performers have done total justice to their characters starting from Prithvi who was at complete ease as Jyothilal. Though not as celebrated as Prithvi, Indrajith is one damn good actor & you have to give it to him for his excellent depiction as the Tamilian. Parvathy was outstanding in her part, Shweta as always dazzled the screen as the confident female while Rima Kallingal seems more promising with time.However, the person who blew me away with her performance was Rohini. She was just superlative in all facets be it diction, expressions or body language. 

Verdict: Certainly one of the best movies in recent times which promises to raise hopes that there is still talents budding in our industry. Though it does have drawbacks as specified earlier, that doesnt add to much if we weigh the positives. However, I doubt if it would be able to command the box office owing to its off beat nature which might not be palatable to many. In short, I would suggest that you guys definitely try this out as its something different & interesting!!!

Regards...Ben