We Are Family Release Date : 03,Sep 2010

Producer Karan Johar, Hiroo Yash Johar
Director Sidharth P. Malhotra
Music Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani, Loy Mendonsa
Writer Gigi Levangie
Lyrics Irshad Kamil, Anvita Dutt Guptan
Release Date 03-Sep-2010

Debutant director Siddharth Malhotra's We Are Family, an adaptation of the English film Stepmom, is yet another tear-jerker from Dharma Productions. Malhotra has quite faithfully followed the KJo style to dish out a melodrama that tries to wring out tears from the audience.

The premise is the same as the original; Maya (Kajol) and Aman (Arjun Rampal) are divorced and have three children who live with their mother. Both seem to have separated on amicable terms and Aman is quite a doting father. He has moved on and is now in love with Shreya (Kareena) and desperately wants her to get along with his family. There is obvious conflict - the children are afraid they'll lose their dad, the ex-wife is reluctant to let go and the new girlfriend is all eager to win them over but no one is cooperating. Maya is diagnosed with terminal cancer and that makes the domestic interplay more complicated.

The film struggles to build a logical rationale for the totally improbable relationship dynamics that play out. Maya's character is the most important and yet it's the most inconsistent, her reactions are incomprehensible to say the least. I understand that a single mother with a terminal illness undergoes a gamut of unexplained emotions but somehow the upheavals seem rather whimsical and selfish.

Shreya's character is layered but not completely well-defined as the ambitious girlfriend who is trying her best to balance her career and her love life. Kajol and Kareena underplay and do their part but fail to rise above their inconsistent characterization. The children are quite a treat to watch, especially the youngest one. Arjun as usual looks suave but is completely marginalized in a film that completely belongs to the two women.

The film is so caught up with the power play between the two stars that they become more important than the characters. Kajol and Kareena take precedence over Maya and Shreya. Karan Johar tries to desperately replicate the Madhuri- Karisma chemistry that we saw in Dil To Pagal Hai but that somehow doesn't happen.

There is this nagging suspicion then about KJo's real motive in making this film. It seems more like he was looking for the apt script that gives Kajol and Kareena sufficient room for repeated face-offs rather than picking up a Hollywood story that he really believed should be retold for the Indian audience. The film is so focused on making the turf war the focal point that somewhere the soul goes missing. The "fulcrum" where the "other woman" desperately tries to make the transition to a step-mom and the supermom eventually learns to accept her into the family gets buried.

I understand the film is an adaptation but the almost verbatim translation of every word just shows lack of imagination and any sort of creativity. The problem with any Karan Johar production is that they lack any subtlety in the portrayal of emotions. The plot lacks the nuances that explain how people caught in such an unusual situation learn to reconcile their differences and learn to accept each other despite the initial discomfort. The music by Shankar-Ehsan-Loy is very disappointing.

Like any other KJo film the packaging is great, the actors look good and are dressed immaculately. The film has been shot in Australia so you get to see some awesome foreign locales. The film is not completely unwatchable and does have its moments. If you like mush you will love this film.

Mallika Release Date : 03,Sep 2010

Producer Percept Picture Company, Glorious Entertainment
Director Wilson Louis
Release Date 03-Sep-2010

Mallika is a technically well shot film with a very pathetic and clichéd screenplay. It tends to get so unintentionally hilarious at times that you forget you are watching a supposedly horror film.

Sanjana (Sheena Nayyar) is troubled by deadly nightmares every night. She sees a murder happening of the girl who stayed in the same apartment. Frustrated by her daily night torture she decides to go out of town for a break. She goes to Rajasthan to a fort resort. She meets Saahil (Sameer Dattani) who too has come for a work cum pleasure trip at the same resort. But unfortunately for her, if she goes away from one trouble, a much bigger one awaits her. She starts seeing the spirit of a lady resembling her. The resort caretaker’s (Himanshu) wife and a resort guest get brutally murdered. Strange things start happening in the resort and there is no escape for its guests. Who is behind all this? What connection does Sanjana have with the spirit forms the rest part of the film.

Louis is a horror expert what with having only directed horror flicks so far. But sadly, his scriptwriter has let him down. All his superb technical expertise and special effects goes waste because of the poor script. The comedy track by Suresh Menon is pathetic. One also wonders why have the makers put in so many bathing scenes in the film! But Louis should be credited for managing to give a good scare in a couple of scenes. The camerawork is excellent as well and the dark night scenes have been superbly lit up. The editing is also good. The sound is too loud. The music doesn’t impress but the picturisation of the yesteryears number Woh Bhooli Dastan is excellent.

Sheena tries hard and manages to deliver a good performance. It could have been more impressive had she not been made to expose her body in practically every scene of hers. Sameer Dattani is just unbearable. Himanshu Malik hardly gets any scope. Suresh Menon is the most irritating factor of the film. Mamik in a special appearance is good.

Mallika offers nothing new apart and is a let down. Watch it if you want to have a good laugh over its silly screenplay or else skip it!