Aashayein Release Date : 27,Aug 2010

Producer Percept Picture Company, T-Series
Director Nagesh Kukunoor
Music Salim Merchant
Writer Nagesh Kukunoor
Release Date 27-Aug-2010

That sublime theme of living life to the fullest even if there isn’t much time left to live finds a retelling in Nagesh Kukunoor’s somewhat good to middling tale of a compulsive gambler and chain smoker who discovers the secret to a happy life while counting down his last days to death. Aashayein, a bit delayed and staid, isn’t intended as a tear-jerker for kerchief-friendly audiences. It’s rather a subtle, slow, laidback cinematic experience that tugs at your heart now and then and leaves you in a state of sweet melancholy.

Rahul (John Abraham), a reckless gambler who can put all his life’s earnings at stake in a single bet, would not have been what he’s if not for his loving, caring, doting girlfriend Nafisa (Sonal Sehgal). But life plays a cruel joke when he’s diagnosed with lung cancer and told that he’s got only three months left to live.

With his days numbered, Rahul gives a lion’s share of his gambling wins to his girlfriend, who actually wants to stick by him until the inevitable end, and goes all by himself to live in a hospice at a scenic location next to a beach. There, at the hospice, he meets an assorted bunch of terminally ill characters, racing against time like him, who change Rahul’s perspective on life and how it ought to be lived.

Girish Karnad, a regular in Kukunoor’s films plays an elderly who’s lost his speech; Farida Jalal somewhat overplays her character of a high class ex prostitute who’s now HIV positive and therefore shunned by many at the hospice for fear of contracting the deadly virus. Anaitha Nair pitches in a terrific performance as a cancer-stricken teen who has the hots for Rahul. And there’s also the child artiste Ashwin Chitale playing a spirited character full of life’s wisdoms too early for his age.

John throws himself completely into his character and delivers a performance worth noting. But is it his best? We doubt. Sonal Sehgal shows the promise of a good actress in her.

Aashayein has a number of poignant moments, including one in which John and Anaitha are shown watching Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s film Anand, that moving ode to the spirit of living to the fullest from a protagonist facing death. The reference obviously has a resonance with the film’s theme, but Kukunoor wisely abstains from cashing on it for a lump-in-the-throat moment.

There’s also a fantasy sequence in which John, a fan of Indiana Jones, dresses up as the adventurer - with fedora, whip and khakis et al. The sequence stands out as a blur between the protagonist’s dream and reality.

Aashayein has more such engaging instances, but the film unspools at a pace that may be a tad too slow for many audiences. There’s no in-your-face melodrama, no mawkish sentimentality; just subdued interplay of emotions as the protagonist learns some important lessons of life from the dying.

Watch it only if you have a taste for slow, pensive, understated cinema.

Antardwand Release Date : 27,Aug 2010

Director Sushil Rajpal
Music Bapi - Tutul
Writer Sushil Rajpal
Lyrics Amitabh Verma
Release Date 27-Aug-2010

Often in movies, we have witnessed a female being forced into marriage, much against her wishes. But seldom has one seen the so-called stronger sex being forced into such ordeal. Sushil Rajpal's Antardwand tells one such story of groom abduction, a rampant practice in Bihar where a prospective bridegroom is forcibly married and kept under house arrest.

Raghuveer (Raj Singh Chaudhary) has appeared for civil services exam in Delhi and is in a steady relationship with girlfriend Sia (Himanshi). When Sia gets pregnant, Raghuveer visits his hometown in Bihar to discuss marriage with his father Madhukar Shahi (Vinay Pathak). But his father doesn't approve of their relationship.

With expectations of higher dowry for his IAS son, Shahi also turns down Mahendra Babu (Akhilendra Mishra) who comes with a marriage proposal for Raghuveer. That's when Mahendra gets Raghuveer abducted and inflicts him with continual physical torture to make him consent for marriage with his daughter Janki (Swati Sen). When Raghuveer doesn't comply, he is forcefully married to Janki at gunpoint. Further he is kept under house arrest with Janki for weeks until they consummate their marriage. But despite the inevitable wedlock, the marriage seems loveless and the couple is unable to acknowledge each other.

Sushil Rajpal comes up with a shocking story from unfamiliar terrains and keeps his storytelling simple. From cold-blooded characters, ruthless attitude, rustic locations to the dry dialect, the director keeps the authenticity intact. The theme and treatment bring back memories of Manish Jha's Matrubhoomi where the female species had almost gone extinct and hence much in demand. But unlike Jha's film which was fictional, Rajpal's film is inspired from true stories and more interestingly has the male gender as the one in demand.

Raghuveer's prolonged confinement is portrayed so disturbingly that as a viewer you can empathize with his vulnerability and mental trauma. The irony of the entire idea of groom abduction is such that post marriage when the copulation accounts to marital rape, the bride and her family is happy that the marriage is consummated. Through its runtime the film compellingly expresses the ugly patriarchal power play at the price of their children's life. The female form remains silent spectators throughout, having absolutely no say in the state of affairs.

The pace of the narrative drops once the duo is married off as time is consumed to express their turmoil and achieve their intimacy. The repetitive flashback cuts of Raghuveer's yearning for his girlfriend further slacken the flow. Amitabh Varma's screenplay is hard-hitting but at times resorts to convenient conflicts. Like the male protagonist is made to indulge in sex under the influence of alcohol. Or the female protagonist revolts only when forced to abort her fetus. Though dealt poignantly, it makes the otherwise original film appear somewhat standard.

While the film touches an untried topic effectively, one feels that the entire quest for the girl's father to abduct that one particular guy could have been established with more elaboration and clarity. At times you wonder whether the whole effort is because of dearth of grooms, obsession for IAS suitors, to dodge hefty dowry, merely for self-esteem or all of these reasons. Also it appears a little unconvincing that the girl's father gives up on the guy so easily in the end after the extended exercise. Technically the film is not overtly demanding and seems flawless in all departments from art direction, cinematography, sound design and music.

The drama comes live with competent performances from the entire cast. Raj Singh Chaudhary as the powerless and victimized groom is believable. Swati Sen is exceptionally good in her emotional act. Akhilendra Mishra has an authoritative and imposing presence. His character gives him enough scope to get dramatic and thankfully he doesn't ham like his usual tendency. Vinay Pathak is efficient in his small part. Jaya Bhattacharya and Sumukhi Pendse lend good support.

Antardwand completely redefines the term 'wedlock' showing a face of the supposed democratic country where even today guns decide grooms.

Gumshuda Release Date : 27,Aug 2010

Producer Sudhir D. Ahuja
Director Ashoke Viswanathan
Music Bikram Ghosh
Writer N. Viswanathan
Lyrics Rakesh Tripathi
Release Date 27-Aug-2010

Anisha, an attractive young lady in her thirties, is astounded to find that someone is sending her a series of diamonds by courier. Her father, Captain Mehta, had disappeared some years back and the letter accompanying the diamonds hints at some link between her father and the diamonds…

The diamonds lead the intrepid Anisha, a night club singer by profession, to the idiosyncratic private detective, Prashant Saigal and his associate, Dr. Arvind Rao: a criminological expert with an eye for the beautiful things in life!

The trio of Prashant, Arvind and Anisha reach the house of the man who was sending the diamonds, namely, the ultra stylish Goutam Dutt. He tells them the intriguing tale of the Agra treasure, a collection of highly priced jewels that had its origin some 150 years back and which disappeared nearly 40 years back…

The search for the treasure and for the truth behind Captain Mehta's death leads the trio to Shillong, to the house built by Colonel Dutt, the father of Goutam Dutt. The colonel had died in a strange paroxysm of fear upon seeing a ferocious face at the window…

Saigal and Arvind stumble upon a series of murders including that of Siddharth Dutt, Goutam Dutt's brother, mercilessly annihilated by a poisonous dart – the last in a series of killings that began with the butchering of the merchant Achmet, at Agra, some forty years ago… It was Achmet who had been entrusted with the Agra treasure by the Maharaja of Sitamgarh.

Prashant, who has a great liking for single malt whiskeys, gradually unravels the mystery, aided by his own hallucinations and dreams. His research, coupled by his own subconscious, leads him to the mysterious and malevolent Jalaluddin who is the prime suspect in the Siddharth murder case. In the course of the adventure, Anisha's traumas and uncertainties throw her close to the disarming Arvind, who often has to face the ire of the short tempered Prashant.

Meandering along a path full of strange sulphurous fires and labyrinthine corridors, Prashant and Arvind engage in a cat and mouse game with the one legged Jalal. This culminates in an incredibly complex chase on the Badapani River, a massive water body surrounded by mountains. The final confrontation between Prashant and Jalaluddin takes place on the high seas with the mythical treasure ever remaining cloaked in historical mystery, even as a shaken Anisha tries to assimilate the nuances of this dream like sojourn…

Hello Darling Release Date : 27,Aug 2010

Producer Ashok Ghai
Director Manoj Tiwari
Music Pritam Chakraborty
Writer Sachin Yardi, Pankaj Trivedi
Lyrics Shabbir Ahmed, Kumaar, Ashish Pandit
Release Date 27-Aug-2010

A blatant copy of Hollywood film of the 80s, Nine To Five, Hello Darling is for those who enjoyed comedies like Kya Kool Hain Hum and Apna Sapna Money Money.

Sat (Eesha) comes to Mumbai for a job from Haryana. She joins a fashion house headed by Harddick Vasu (Javed Jaffrey), a lecherous boss who leaves no chance in sexually harassing his employees. Though married to a devoted wife Purvi (Divya Dutta) Vasu is philandering and harassing his female employees. Also, working in his office are Candy (Celina) as his personal secretary and Manasi (Gul Panag) as a senior manager. They two are fed up of his constant passes. Sat joins Manasi and Candy to teach him a lesson. Circumstances lead to Manasi accidentally pouring rat kill powder instead of coffee meant for Vasu. Vasu collapses but it is because of his chair falling down. But the three ladies mistook him for dead and the chaos that follows leads them to stealing a wrong dead body from the hospital thinking its Vasu’s. Meanwhile Vasu captures this all on his mobile video camera and blackmails them into spending a week with him at a hill station. The three ladies have no option but to say yes to him but with a condition that he will spend the seven days in Manasi’s house instead. What plan do the three ladies have in store for Vasu and what all it leads to forms the rest of the film.

The film is full of double intender jokes and one-liners that amuse you at times but don’t really entertain. While the first half is quiet pacy and hilarious at places, the pace drops considerably after Vasu’s visit to Manasi’s house. Nothing much happens in the second half and it simply drags. The climax too is unnecessarily stretched and the entry of Sunny Deol (in a cameo) doesn’t add much. One wonders why his voice appears dubbed by a mimicry artist. The whole section of Chunky Pandey being mistaken as Divya Dutta’s hubby and kidnapped by Seema Biswas’s hench men is howlarious at first but then gets repetitive.

While Javed Jaffrey enacts his part well he doesn’t appear lecherous from any angle. He however gets his comic timing perfect. Gul Panag, Eesha and Celina all three have managed to do their job well. Eesha especially displays a better comic timing than the rest two. Chunky Pandey as Celina’s unfortunate boy friend in a desi Elvis avatar is first rate. Divya Dutta is endearing.

Music by Pritam is nothing worth to rave about and the only passable song being the redoux version of yesteryears super hit track Aa Jaane Jaa.

Hello Darling seems to be aimed completely at the front benchers. Watch it if you like corny humour.

Life Express Release Date : 27,Aug 2010

Producer Sanjay Kalate
Director Anup Das
Music Roop Kumar Rathod
Writer Anup Das
Lyrics Shaqeel Azmi
Release Date 27-Aug-2010

“Life Express” is a film based on the dilemmas faced by two women from two different strata of society. It is a passionate and encapsulating story of an urban educated couple, Tanvi (Rituparna Sengupta) and Nikhil (Kiran Janjani), and their successful fast-paced life and their need for parenthood and it is also a story of Gouri (Divya Dutta) and Mohan(Yashpal Sharma), who live a life far from the din and bustle of the city, far from the one lived by Tanvi and Nikhil, and their need for wealth.

With ease the story moves from the busy streets of urban city to the desolate red-soiled dusty lanes of a rural India and brings to the fore-front the cross currents of human emotions and sentiments. It helps one understand motherhood in a way Indian films haven't showcased before. The film narrates a story never told in Hindi films. It sheds light on those mothers who have always remain in the dilemma of the cross road between materialistic aspirations and motherhood. “Life Express” is really an experience, a journey and challenges there in.

This story weaves a captivating soul searching story of woman’s need for motherhood and materialistic aspirations. This film also touches upon various facets of life in the real sense i.e. of love, hatred, relationships, responsibilities, defiance and greed. Will the Tanvi and Gouri achieve what they strive for? Or will the desire for materialistic needs overshadow even the greatest gift of motherhood…

Soch Lo Release Date : 27,Aug 2010

Producer Karanbir Singh Pannu
Director Sartaj Singh Pannu
Music Charu Mohan, Nitish Pires
Writer Sartaj Singh Pannu
Lyrics Prashant Ingole, Charu Mohan
Release Date 27-Aug-2010

Soch Lo-Sartaj Singh Pannu’s debut in the filed of acting, script writing & movie directing is good to start with but loses grip mid way. The synopsis can be summed up as the tale of a man who has lost his memory and is striving to get his wife back after flashes of past play on his mind intermittently.

Sartaj plays the lead role in Soch Lo and executes it to perfection. The thing that stands apart in Soch Lo, is the fact that despite being directed by a newcomer and having many new faces in it, the movie holds your attention longer than any mystery potboiler does.

Beginning from the opening scene of the wounded man in the desert till the enthralling climax, everything holds the eye of the audience. Sandeep Patil brings alive the scenic deserts of Rajasthan with his excellent cinematography. And can any Bollywood movie be complete without music? Charu Mohan and Nitish Pires add charm to Soch Lo with their beautiful compositions.

The casting is great too. The lead role played by Sartaj as Baba the man who has lost his memory is simply superb. The acting is very natural and doesn’t give any indication of being that of a newcomer. The role of his missing wife Riva is played by Iris Maity who is fairly good. The other characters’ in this story are Harry played by Himanshu Kohli, Toto and Pali by Barkha Madan. Harry, Toto & Pali are the ones who help Baba in his quest for his missing wife.

Soch Lo however falls back on many accounts. Like some scenes draw laughter unknowingly or leave you a bit amused. Like when a character Basu played by Nishan Nanaiah, says to Riva that ‘Now you look unmarried and more beautiful,’ you can feel your lips twitching. Some dialogues could have been avoided, like the old man saying ‘Baba ki madad nahin ki to main puri umar guilty mehsus karta rahunga’ i.e. If I don’t help Baba now, I’ll end up feeling guilty for the rest of my life.

Over all the casting and direction of Soch Lo is good. But the scrip and dialogues fall apart eventually. Sartaj’s acting makes you yearn for the same perfection in his scripting as well. Watch out the official trailer of Soch Lo here. And as for the movie, well go for it if you want to see some raw talent but don’t expect too much of the story.

Lafangey Parindey Release Date : 20,Aug 2010

Producer Aditya Chopra
Director Pradeep Sarkar
Music R. Anandh
Writer Gopi Puthran
Lyrics Swanand Kirkire
Release Date 20-Aug-2010

Pradeep Sarkar after delivering a critical and box office success with his debut feature Parineeta had faltered in his next one, Laga Chunari Mein Daag but with Lafangey Parindey he has managed to get back in form and has succeeded in giving masala entertainer. The only thing that goes against it are the predictable plot points and the slow pace. But despite its few flaws LP is still worth a watch for its unusual lead pair Neil and Deepika and good direction aided by nice music.

Nandan Kamthekar aka One Shot Nandu (Neil) works for Usmaan bhai (Piyush Mishra) as a fighter for his betting games. In the Tilakwadi basti that he lives in Mumbai, also stays Pinky Palkar (Deepika) an ace skating dancer who aspires to win a TV reality show contest and break out of the lower middle class life. A botched up job for Usmaan bhai along with his mentor Anna (Kay Kay Menon) leads to a big mess for Nandu. Pinky’s life changes over night too as all her dreams get crashed with her accident that leaves her blind. Circumstances lead to Nandu helping out Pinky and teaming with her to participate in the talent hunt show which she always dreamt of winning. How it changes all equations for Nandu and the people connected to him forms the rest of the plot!

Pradeep Sarkar should be commended for opting for a completely different genre to the female oriented subjects he has been adept at. However, Sarkar has ensured his female lead’s character is pretty strong enough. The Mumbai chawl setting appears authentic and so do the characters inhabiting it. The action and skate dance sequences have been imaginatively shot. The songs too don’t act as speed breakers. The only major flaw of the enterprise is the sense of déjà vu one gets of films like Jeetendra – Hema Malini starrer Kinara and Aamir Khan’s Ghulam. But then that is a minor flaw, as the screenplay is infused with plenty of good moments that need to be experienced on screen.

Neil Nitin Mukesh convincingly adapts himself as a Mumbai tapori despite his suave persona befitting a rich dude. Deepika Padukone is only getting better with each film and with this one she treads successfully on a difficult character graph. She is effortless in her blind girl act and very good in emotional scenes. Piyush Mishra as the bad ass don is super cool in his act and is fun to watch mouth some really acidic lines laced with humour. Kay Kay Menon in a short but significant part is effective. All the actors playing Neil’s friends are very good. Manish Choudhary (last seen in Rocket Singh) playing a Police investigating officer delivers a fine act too. The two kids of Tilakwadi are hilarious to watch, especially Ameya Pandya in his tapori kid act.

R.Anandh’s music is fresh with Man Lafanga and Dhatad Dhatad being the pick of the lot. N. Natarajan Subramaniam’s cinematography is good and captures the dark night Mumbai sequences well. Editing by Sanjib Dutta however could have been better as the film drops pace in regular intervals. Bosco Caesar’s choreography is innovative.

Do give Lafangey Parindey a chance. It is definitely not a waste of time. Its characters succeed in endearing themselves to you. It may not be an ace but its still a quality product from Yash Raj Fims and marks the return to form of Pradeep Sarkar.

And Once Again Release Date : 20,Aug 2010

Producer Shangrila Kreations
Director Amol Palekar
Music Debajyoti Mishra, Anjan Biswas
Writer Sandhya Gokhale
Lyrics Asif Ali Beg
Release Date 20-Aug-2010

Directed by veteran actor Amol Palekar, ‘And Once Again’ is a warm rendition of human emotions, intertwined beautifully with a heart wrenching story of a pained heart, recuperating from the loss of losing one’s love and then finding the same love, lost in the most unusual way - once again!

Starring Antara Mali, Rajat Kapoor and Rituparna Sengupta, the movie subtly talks about repercussions of violence on human life.

Rishi (Rajat) is trying to cope with the reality since he had lost his wife and son in a violent attack when he was posted in Yugoslavia. While he was undergoing therapy in order to overcome his trauma, Rishi met Manuvela (Rituparna) – his psychiatrist’s daughter. She fell in love with him. Their marriage helped him to get back to life.

Manuvela is an architect who is on her official visit to Sikkim, India. On her insistence, her husband, Rishi joins her to the home of rotating prayer bells, the fluttering holy flags encircling the majestic monasteries and the overwhelming peace filled in the valleys.

Both are enjoying their stay and relish the serenity of the gorgeous hills, oblivious of the events that are to dictate their future!

As Rishi is returning from a monastery in Sikkim, Rishi sees a female monk who resembled his first wife Savitri (Antara). He gets restless with his doubt: he tries to identify her – unfortunately, his suspicion gets confirmed. Subsequently, he confides in Manu about this accidental revelation: she also gets shaken.

The film unfolds their complex situation while tracing the roots of this incredible coincidence. Had Savitri not died? How did she end up being a monk in Sikkim? Does Savitri recognize Rishi? How does Manu react? What is end of this awkward dilemma?

While dealing with intricacies of man-woman relationship, the film casts a lingering shadow on all of us with its startling shades as the characters manage to draw a line between their past and present. ‘And Once Ahain’ is rather slow, but worth a dekko for the perfect monsoon weekend!

Rating: Two cheers for this one!

Kis Hudh Tak Release Date 20-Aug-2010

Producer Tarun Dhanrajgirji
Director Tarun Dhanrajgirji
Music Abid Shah
Writer Tarun Dhanrajgirji, Abid Shah
Lyrics Abid Shah
Release Date 20-Aug-2010

Kis Hudh Tak sets out to be a tale of justice, conviction and sacrifice but, sadly, turns out to be an insensitive bag of wannabes trying to prove a point: a rape, in this case.

Item numbers are passé. I think everybody knows that by now. Still, director Tarun Dhanrajgir takes the risk to begin the film with an item number with lead actor Sharad Bhutani (Sharma), a move that backfires. Our preening hero (Sharad keeps running his fingers through his hair ever so often) is the typical spoilt brat who leads a 'colourful' life (tell us something new). The mother is a control freak (of course, with no control) with political ambitions. Our heroine Dia (Shah) is a law student whose charm floors Sharad and they start dating.

'Rape is a crime… if you can prove it,' says the film's tagline. As predicted, Sharad is put behind bars and even his politically powerful mother cannot save him from the proverbial 'kanoon ke lambey haath'.The story is about Dia and her fight for justice, for whom you know only in the end.

It’s strange how the filmmaker fails to realise how painfully repetitive and overused the dialogues are, especially the way the characters yell “rape”, completely trivialising a very serious subject and defeating the purpose of the film.

Talking about purpose, the film looks like the product of the confusion of many minds wanting to show many things in roughly two-and-a-half hours. As the filmmaker claims that the film has a “definite message”, you feel like asking him the meaning of “definite”. You don’t know whether the film tells you not to date, not to rape, or to go to any extent to prove that you were raped. The attempt may be sincere, but the approach and portrayal are trifling.

As for acting talent, there is none on display. Newcomer Shah shows some promise, but Sharma looks like a wannabe trying to make it big in Hindi cinema. I’m not sure how far he will go with this kind of performance. The best of the lot is Sharad's mother Nirmala Devi (Kumar) with her Indira Gandhi-like hairstyle and strict demeanour. She has been seen in television serials before. In fact, many of the locations in the film remind you of the afternoon TV serials.

I guess the film's producers doubted their own product (why shouldn’t they?) and so came up with a 'buy 1 get 1 free' offer on tickets for the film. In Mumbai, the film is releasing in only one theatre, Eros.

The filmmaker deserves punishment for bad treatment of a great subject. Don’t even think of wasting your time and money on this one.

Peepli [Live] Release Date : 13,Aug 2010

Producer Aamir Khan, Kiran Rao
Director Anusha Rizvi, Mahmood Farooqui
Music Indian Ocean, Brij Mandal, Bhadwai, Nageen Tanvir, Ram Sampat
Writer Anusha Rizvi
Lyrics Sanjeev Sharma, Swanand Kirkire, Gangaram Sakhet
Release Date 13-Aug-2010

Movie Review: And that's the bottomline of Peepli Live, a small little film, that showcases the real India without glossing over the contradictions of our fumbling-bumbling democracy or getting overtly sentimental about garibi and the attendant grime that goes with it. Refreshingly, the film unfolds like a hard-hitting satire that turns its tongue-in-cheek gaze over almost all that's incongruous in contemporary Indian society: the rural rot, the yawning rural-urban divide, the vote-bank politics, the out-of-sync bureaucracy, the we-give-a-damn political class, the TRP-lusting media and the total insensitivity towards real people, real problems, real solutions for a real India.

So, we get to savour this delightful scene where the caretakers of the Indian state try to prevent Natha's suicide by gifting him a `Lal Bahadur' (read hand pump) without providing for the requisite funds for its fitting. Needless to say, the hand pump lies unused in the destitute farmer's courtyard and doubles up mostly as a plaything for the village urchins. Then again, there's a local politician who tries to gain mileage by gifting him a colour TV, quite like Marie Antoinette's famous blooper: 'If they don't have food, give them cakes!' And finally, there are the state officials who go through their entire gamut of garibi-hatao schemes, only to realise there is nothing tailor-made to prevent a farmer from committing suicide.

All this while hordes of television news channels have descended onto the non-descript village and transformed it into a comedy circus, complete with cameras that intrude right into Natha's house and try to do an expose on his poop as well. It isn't really difficult to recognise the various real-life TV journalists who are good-humouredly spoofed at in Peepli Live. And nobody should actually take offence, because it's all such fun, despite being a serious indictment of India's skewed development schemes.

The high point of the film indeed is its smart and sassy script. But more than all this, it's the life-like portrayals that add a refreshing authenticity to the film. Handpicking the actors mostly from Habib Tanvir's famed Naya Theatre troupe was indeed a coup for debutant director Anusha Rizvi. The show stealers here are Raghuvir Yadav, Omkar Das Manikpuri and Farrukh Jaffer. Jaffer's old and acrimonious mom act is absolutely brilliant, even as Natha's face mirrors the pain, anguish and confusion of a simpleton trapped between the contradictory pulls of a hungry family on the one side and an uncaring state -- and polity -- on the other. The music of the film deserves a special mention, with folksy lyrics and tunes by Indian Ocean, Nageen Tanvir, Brij Mandal and the rest. Just a word of caution: The film does tend to get repetitive midway and the story goes a bit low on the emotional conflict of Natha and his family, leaving them mostly as bystanders in the circus that revolves around them.

But by and large, Peepli Live is a lively and living document on the `other' India, that lives beyond the neon lights and the cruising metros. Another ace up Aamir Khan's sleeve! This time as producer of a film that has loads to say, without being boring and didactic.

Help Release Date : 13,Aug 2010

Producer sanjay Ahluwalia, Vinay Choksey
Director Rajeev Virani
Music Ashutosh Pathak
Writer Deepak Pawar, Viddesh Malandkar
Lyrics Irshad Kamil
Release Date 13-Aug-2010

Help Hindi Movie tries to scare through a number of very different kind of animation sequences and the script get predictable in the later parts of the movie, which make the movie less interesting .The story of the movie is about Vic and Pia who are undergoing a difficult phase in life. Pia is pregnant and a spirit tries to possess her and it starts killing people close to her. Vic tries to save his pregnant wife who is possessed by the spirit of his twin sisters who died at the age of 5.

A psychologist Aditya tries to solve the problem and he finds out about the curse on Pia’s family. The script is engaging at the start and the initial few scary scenes are very nice but later the sequences get predictable .The director did not try to deliver a very new horror story although looking at the start one assumed it will be all new.

The lead actors appear convenient in their role .Bobby Deol’s performance is nice and Mugdha Godse has also delivered a better performance. Shreyas Talpade as a psychiatrist is perfect in the role. The songs of the movie are average and the cinematography – locations and animated scenes are great.

The movie will get average response at multiplexes and small towns.

Aisha Release Date : 06,Aug 2010

Producer Anil Kapoor, Rhea Kapoor, Ajay Bijli, Sanjeev K. Bijli
Director Rajshri Ojha
Music Amit Trivedi
Writer Devika Bhagat
Release Date 06-Aug-2010

In a late line from the film, Aisha Kapoor’s father tells her, “ Hum Kapoor hai. Hum zyada sochte nahi. We believe in action ”. This pretty much qualifies as an (unintentional) self-mocking line on producer Anil Kapoor and Rhea Kapoor and actress Sonam Kapoor. Perhaps the Kapoors put this picture into production without much pondering. What starts as a cheerful chick flick sadly ends up being a lame love story.

Based on Jane Austen’s novel Emma , the problem with the cinematic adaptation, unlike the book, is that within the first twenty minutes of the film you can predict the last twenty minutes. Which means once the characters are introduced and established, you can easily figure out which girl is gonna fall for which boy by the end, irrespective of all the cross-connections that the narrative attempts to mislead you.

Aisha (Sonam Kapoor) is a sassy Delhi dame who believes she is the best matchmaker in town. With friend Pinky (Ira Dubey), she plans to hook up her new bucolic buddy Shefali (Amrita Puri) with common friend Randhir (Cyrus Sahukar). When things don’t work out, she tries to set Shefali up with another friend Dhruv (Arunoday Singh) until Shefali falls for Arjun Burman (Abhay Deol). So far so good but like in all average love stories Arjun happens to be Aisha’s childhood friend! And abruptly Aisha’s heart starts beating for Arjun.

Seeking the sparkling spirit from chick flicks like Sex and the City, Confessions of a Shopaholic , 27 Dresses , et al director Rajashree Ojha sets the tone of the film correct. With her feminine perspective, the lady director adds a youthful zing to the female bonding, packaging the film with the requisite glitz and glamour. Also what’s amusing is the interesting characterization of Aisha modeled on Austen’s Emma Woodhouse. Aisha deviously dominates her friends, decides for them and (as her friend Arjun mentions) turns them into her Xerox copies. The silliness of her ideas and actions amuse and irritate.

But beyond its slick skin, the movie is weakened by Devika Bhagat’s standard screenplay. Pre-interval the film wanders aimlessly amidst polo matches and river-rafting camps and continues casually post-interval to reach a conventional ending. One can’t overlook the loose ends in the story for its lighthearted storytelling. While the first half is shallow on story, the second half is short on originality. What adds to the clichés is Aisha’s perplexity to profess love out of fear of rejection (a conflict too common) followed by a public declaration of her feelings in the climax (a scene too common).

The romantic chemistry between Sonam Kapoor and Abhay Deol seems nonexistent. You acknowledge them as good friends as the film starts but never realize when cupid has struck in the climax. The jealousy pangs that arouse adoration in Aisha’s mind are conspicuously absent. As a result, you don’t relate to her turmoil.

The pace drops drastically in the second half and even Sreekar Prasad’s editing doesn’t save the narrative from dragging. Shefali’s sudden realization towards the climax that she was taken for a ride all-through by Aisha seems a bit too rushed. The supposed romance between Shefali and Arjun is never elucidated. The film concludes with a peppy Punjabi track ( Gall Mithi Mithi Bol ) amidst wedding celebrations much in the vein of the Kawa Kawa number from the finale of Monsoon Wedding . Just that the end fails to have the same gratifying effect like the Mira Nair film.

On the upside, the film is blessed with a brilliant musical score by Amit Trivedi (of Dev.D fame). Also Trivedi’s treatment to the background score is refreshingly different and aptly complements the flavour of the film. The styling by Kunal Rawal and Pernia Qureshi is uber-cool and trendy. Cinematographer Diego Rodriguez imparts colourful richness to the frames. Dialogues by Manu Rishi and Ritu Bhatia are funny at instances but the climactic romantic discourse sounds verbose.

Director Rajashree Ojha succeeds in extracting decent performances from the entire cast. Sonam Kapoor fits the title role to T. Aisha is the most defined role she has essayed so far and Sonam adds spark and soul to it. Even when she irritates with her antics, she is in sync with her character. Abhay Deol as the suave corporate guy adds poise to, both, his character and performance, bringing sanity whenever Aisha goes insane. Amrita Puri as the small-town wannabe is hilarious with her middle-class mannerisms and elite aspirations. At times she overdoes it but still manages to be the scene-stealer. Ira Dubey as Aisha’s best pal is impressive. Cyrus Sahukar plays a loser in love and is funny. Lisa Haydon is plain pinup material. Arunoday Singh tries hard to play the Casanova.

‘A beautiful body but a shallow soul’ is what qualifies for, both, Aisha – the character as well as Aisha – the film.

Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai Release Date : 30,Jul 2010

Producer Ekta Kapoor, Shobha Kapoor
Director Milan Luthria
Music Pritam Chakraborty
Writer Rajat Arora
Release Date 30-Jul-2010

Well, Milan Luthria's film is that sort of film. It's overwritten, over acted, overcharged but also super fun. Nothing is simple here. Every dialogue is like a philosophical statement. "Jab dost bana kar kaam ho sakta hai to dushman kyon banaye," says Devgn's Sultan Mirza as he speaks to the dons of Mumbai--each one has had a movie made on him. "Jinki manzil ek hai woh raaste par hi milte hai," so says the heroine to her soon-to-be hero. As everyone knows the story is a fictional recreation of the rise of Mumbai's underworld, of the replacement of the gentler anti-social smuggling of Haji Mastan with the hard nosed, hard hearted gangsterism of Dawood Ibrahim. Devgn is Mirza/Mastan and Emraan Hashmi is Shoaib/Dawood. Mirza has his Madhubala (?) and Shoaib has his Mandakini. Mirza has his all white attire and Shoaib has his all black heart. Mirza is a boy who came to Mumbai in a "machli ki tokri" and Shoaib is the son of an honest police officer.

Yes, yes, with some changes of character here and there it could be Company. It is not, not even because of Devgn's presence. It is part costume drama, part period film and part crime thriller. It is also all glamour, from the hair on Kangna's elaborate wigs to the tips of Devgn's white shoes. Luthria, a Bollywood talent who has for one reason or the other, been languishing on the periphery should come full front and centre with this, fullfilling the early promise of Kache Dhage. He is in command of his film, however melodramatic it may be. A love letter to Mumbai, this is a film that trots out every possible placard signalling it is the 70s. Yes, "Amit" has the intense eyes required to play Mirza in a film (Deewar, anyone?). Yes, Bobby's polka dot lie-up shirt and hot pants became quite the rage. Yes, Mastan was a Robin Hood character who helped the poor whenever he could. And yes, Dawood was a new age criminal who believed the "ghoda" (gun) was the source of all power and the supari was the solution for all ills.

The movie takes us back to the last years of innocence, when it was clear that the social fabric of Mumbai was tearing. When it was clear that crime paid, got you the bangla, the gadi and the girl. When the police tried to prop one gang against another to create chaos in the underworld. When the economy of shortages meant no opportunities for youngsters. When criminals started becoming more powerful than politicians.

You can understand why then that dialogues like this: ''duniye raakh ki tarah neeche hogi aur khud dhuye ki tarah upar'' make so much sense. As does this: "Himmat batai nahin jati, dikhai jati hai." The clash of civilisations, between Mastan's gentler way of doing business and Dawood's criminal ways could not be sharper. Hashmi has played impetuous upstart before and can now do this sort of role in his sleep but he brings a new sleeker danger to Dawood's role. Devgn is also now a past master at playing the conscience striken criminal--I smuggle those things for which the government doesn't give permission, not for which my conscience doesn't. Kangna has never looked lovelier and been more playful. This is one girl who has not come out of a bottle, or even if she has, the bottle is broken. Prachi Desai as Dawood/Shoaib's girlfriend, who is as "garam" as the food she serves, is suitably tremulous and pleading.

The tragedy is even Dawood's beginnings look so modest by today's hugely corrupt standards. He has a two-in-one and phone and expects his girlfriend to be happy. He is not. He is greedy. He wants Mumbai, never mind if the city becomes as dirty as his deeds.

You get the picture, hmm? The film is directed with precision, the drama at a tone that matches the decor, the cabaret, the dialogues. Its cinematography is by Aseem Mishra who shot New York as well. And even the walk-on parts are played pitch perfect, from Randeep Hooda's policeman, Agnel Wilson, who blames himself for creating a monster, and Naved Aslam is stoic as Patrick, Mastan/Mirza's Man Friday. As Mastan would say "har kitab ki kismat main library nahin hoti, kuch kabadi ki dukan main milti hain". But this little number belongs to a full house.

Watch it. It's like watching a retro fashion show with some cool gun battles thrown in. Lots of rain, lots of crashing of the waves, moody lighting, and dialogues that echo Salmi-Javed at their purplest prose. Ahh. Mumbai when it was still Bombay.