Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai -Release Date : 09,Apr 2010

Producer Mukesh Talreja, Nikhil Advani
Director Milap Zaveri
Music Sajid-Wajid
Writer Milap Zaveri
Lyrics Sameer
Release Date 09-Apr-2010

In two days, a girl from Venus descends on Earth in a sad-looking spaceship to study love. But isn't Venus supposed to be the planet of all things romance, you ask? Milap Zaveri's Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai, however, doesn't feel the need to explain the irony.

Feel free to draw your own sub-text. Like maybe things got way too mechanical up there? Or perhaps they felt a need to introduce a science-of-love program along the lines of Yoga? Yeah, let your imagination travel to obnoxious extremes. This is a fantasy, after all.

And so in two days, this smiley-faced alien (Jacqueline Fernandez) displays a month's wardrobe, learns to speak Hindi, quote Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge [ Images ], make the country's leading superstar (Ruslaan Mumtaz [ Images ], looks too rookie to pass off for a megastar but lends warmth in his Prince Charming skin) and his assistant director (Riteish Deshmukh) to fall in love with her, enjoy strip-porn videos and attend two high-profile New Year parties.

What's funny though how our contrived story-telling doesn't even spare an extraterrestrial? At the end of the day, the hero's idea of a perfect date has to be trips to places of worship and the skimpily-clad Venusian will somehow find a way to fit into the Bhartiya naari prototype. And so from skimpy silver boy shorts to shiny silk kanjeevarams it is.

The only way you can mildly amuse yourself with this sham is a) Do not ask questions. b) Do not think. c) Ignore the stereotypes (a loud Gujju middle-aged couple, gay jokes).

Considering, the film is set against the backdrop of the Hindi film industry; Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai had a lot of opportunity to work some gags and comical situations around the topsy-turvy world of show-business.

It does exploit this potential in the beginning with Akshay Kumar's [ Images ] cameo or when Riteish employs his talking-the-camera technique to narrate the bumbling episodes of his life as filmmaker Farah Khan's [ Images ] incognito assistant.

The lady can be a lot of fun as you all have witnessed in her various interviews. But there's something unnecessarily gimmicky and flimsy about her constant Shah Rukh Khan [ Images ] references -- 'Miss you Shah Rukh,' or 'Don't cry Shah Rukh, I'll do your next film.'

Eventually though, Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai sidelines earlier-demonstrated possibilities to obsessively capture Jacqueline's gooey glances, impish smile as opposed to Riteish's hard-to-buy sorry state. Dude, just two days back, this guy was completely besotted by another pretty thing (a vivacious Sonal Chauhan). Microwave feelings, anyone?

Also, innuendoes are a recurring mainstay in writer- turned-director Zaveri's brand of comedy. While he sourced sit-coms like Friends to gather some laughs in Masti, here he whips a lopsided mix of corny humor involving a sex video, which competes for screen time with the beaten- to-death track of Does-he/she-love-me confusion?

Same old worn-out sighs on new faces. Same old I-was-only-joking-about-being-in-love-with-you sympathy card. You know how it goes, right?

The only reason you're able to keep pace with the irregularities in the script's momentum is because of its young, efficient cast.

The actors give their spontaneous best even while conveying sentimentality that is flowery enough to put a greeting card to shame. Riteish has played the golden-hearted loser on more than one occasion. As usual, he lends his wide-eyed loopiness and earnest charm to a role he can sleep-walk through by now.

Vishal Malhotra, as his round-the-clock turned-on buddy too plays a part he's being essaying since Ishq Vishq. Yet, you've got to hand it to him. He's hilariously salacious and the only reason for that infrequent chuckle.

As for the alien, Ms Fernandez, handicapped by a one-dimensional role, is quite the sport. She gamely makes a fool of herself whilst aping the actions of movie stars, ranging from Sridevi's [ Images ] Naagin dance, Mithun Chakravarthy's Disco Dancer moves to Big B's [ Images ] violent headshake in Hum. Her Tara could be a keeper if only Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai wasn't so intent on turning her into a love-struck Barbie. Ditto for the movie.

Prince Release Date : 09,Apr 2010

Producer Renu K. Taurani, Ramesh S. Taurani
Director Kookie Gulati
Music Sachin Gupta
Writer Shiraz Ahmed
Lyrics Sameer
Release Date 09-Apr-2010

'PRINCE' RACES through in the first half with technical stunts and strong script in this fast paced action thriller, set to amaze the audience with the sharp instincts of 'Prince'. The film 'Prince' has been scripted by writer Shiraz Ahmed of Race fame. The story offers quite a number of twists and turns but slips to maintain a tempo in the second half of the film.

A production of Taurani brothers and directed by Kookie V Gulati ' Prince' has tried to break all the extremities of a conspiracy, deceit and deception.

The storyline webs around one of the most shrewd and intelligent burglars, who one fine morning wakes up to find a gun shot wound on his arm after committing the most dangerous theft of all times.

The thrill is witnessed right from the onset of the film when Prince (Vivek Oberoi) fails to remember his past and sets on a never ending trail of unanswered questions. Following his quest, he is able to discover his name to be Prince and that he used to work for a man named Sarang. He gets to know about his girlfriend's name to be Maya.

The film runs along a parallel sub-plot which shows the secret services in India I Grip, the intelligence CBI and the white collared criminals in the world, who are on a hunt for Prince because he is the only one who knows the whereabouts of the stolen . The whereabouts of the theft is found to have a secret not only to Prince's lost memory but also to the threat which can damage the entire human race.

Prince is entangled within lots of twists and turns which adds to the thrill of the story. Prince has no option but to rely upon his sharp instincts to save himself from the peril.

The role of 'Prince' is played by Vivek Oberoi, who is the protagonist while Aruna Shields, Nandana Sen, Niroo Singh, Sanjay Kapoor, Isaiah, Rajesh Khattar, Dilip Tahil, Mayur Puri, Manish Anand and Mohit Chauhan team up to make for a fantastic star cast for the film.

As a complete masala flick it has fantastic stunts, upbeat music though drops down in pace post- interval but still offers entertainment in tit-bits.

The Japanese Wife Release Date : 09,Apr 2010

Producer Madhu Mantena
Director Aparna Sen
Writer Kunal Bose
Release Date 09-Apr-2010

Story : Snehamoy, a school teacher in a small village in the Sunderbans, finds a penpal in the Japanese girl, Miyage, who runs a grocery store in Japan. The duo build a beautiful relationship and even marry through an exchange of letters. Sadly, it remains a long-distance relationship, since the two are unable to meet due to the constraints of their personal life. But, that does not affect their love or the depth of their feelings, despite the presence of the beautiful widow, Sandhya in Snehamoy's life.

Movie Review: If you really care about aesthetics and have been hungering for something that will satiate your finer sensibilities -- battered by now, by the relentless onslaught of kitsch -- you must grab a dekko at Aparna Sen's artful rendition of Kunal Basu's novel, The Japanese Wife. There is such beauty, restraint and minimalism in this akin-to-a-haiku film, it transports you into another world altogether. One, where love can exist without consummation and togetherness can be attained, despite spatial and cultural distances.

Snehamoy (Rahul Bose) and Miyage (Chigusa Takaku) build an everlasting bond through a mere exchange of letters that manage to communicate their devotion and longing for each other, even though they both are unsure of their English and are bred in totally different cultures. But Snehamoy connects with his distant wife by flying the beautiful kites she sends him and Miyage dons the bangles and drinks the medicine her husband posts to her, hoping that someday they might be physically together....It's an unconventional yet undeniable bond that is accepted by all and sundry: by Snehamoy's vivacious aunt (Moushumi Chatterjee), who does get hysterical initially, by Sandhya, the silent and adoring widow (Raima Sen) and her young son who seek shelter with Snehamoy and by the villagers too. And yet, like the mercurial landscape of the Sunderbans, it's a bonding that is not without its turbulence too: unfulfilled passion, deep desire, desperate longing....

Watch out for a new-look Rahul Bose, who pitches in a powerhouse performance, complete with Bengali English, as the laidback Snehamoy, the vibrant Moushumi Chatterjee, the poignant Raima Sen, sweet little Chigusa and then savour Anay Goswami's superb cinematography, which paints landscapes on celluloid. Truly, this one's a heady potion from Aparna Sen...can still feel the senses clouding!

A word about:

Performances : Rahul Bose is in stellar form with his village boy look and his Bangla Angrezi. Raima Sen is delectable as the reticent, shy widow and Moushumi Chatterjee is a revelation.

Screenplay : Kunal Basu's book has been superbly adapted for a celluloid rendition.

Cinematography : Anay Goswami's camera creates visual poetry even as it captures the wild Sunderbans in all their devastating fury.

Inspiration : The film is based on Kunal Basu's book, The Japanese Wife.