7 Khoon Maaf Release Date : 18,Feb 2011

Producer Vishal Bhardwaj, Ronnie Screwvala
Director Vishal Bhardwaj
Music Vishal Bhardwaj
Writer Vishal Bhardwaj, Matthew Robbins
Lyrics Gulzar, Ajinkya Iyer
Release Date 18-Feb-2011

Expectations
There are very good expectations from the music of 7 Khoon Maaf and there are two major factors behind that - Vishal Bhardwaj and Gulzar. Together they are a lethal force, something they have proven time and again in big (Kaminey) as well as small (Ishqiya) films. While Kaminey was an instant winner from the word 'go', Ishqiya grew with word of mouth and continued appreciation, especially once the film turned into a success. With Priyanka Chopra heading the star cast, one expects a commercially viable soundtrack along with something unusual from the team of 7 Khoon Maaf as well.

Buzz up!

Music
The moment Usha Uthup goes 'Darling' in this namesake opening number, you know that this would be one popular number in the offing here. A fun celebration track with a naughty appeal to it, this track based on Russian folk song 'Kalinka' is instantly catchy and makes one tap feet along with it. The song also reminds one of lesser heard song 'Pyaar Mein Sau Uljhane Hai' (from Kyun Ho Gaya Na) which had released seven years ago. No, 'Darling' is not the kind of song that makes one head for that dance floor in the discotheque. However, when seen on screen it can well be expected to be a live wire.

The song arrives again as 'Doosri Darling' and this time around Clinton Cerejo and Francois Castellino join Usha Uthup and Rekha Bhardwaj. The Russian folk flavour is kept intact this time around as well but the song's repetition ensures that one can't get it off once the album is through and finds a repeat hearing all over again.

There is a sound of light rain in the background and a subtle build up is maintained for more than half a minute before Vishal Bhardwaj himself comes behind the mike for 'Bekaraan'. Just like the title song of Kaminey and U Me Aur Hum, Vishal reserves the best for himself when it comes to rendering a track and he does that amazingly well again in 'Bekaraan'. A heartfelt love song with a strong poetic appeal, it has the kind of lyrics that one can expect only from the likes of Gulzar and Javed Sheikh. A smooth number that requires just one listening to be caught hold of, it gets etched in one's memory for long.

There is a complete twist in the tale with a rock number following soon after 'Bekaraan'. KK sings 'O' Mama' which starts off slowly only to pick pace as it proceeds further. The start is haunting though one wonders how the song will shape up eventually. In the meanwhile as one listens to the lyrics carefully, one realises that there is a dark undertone of love here which only hints of turning dangerous nonce the momentum picks up in 'O' Mama'.

Along with Clinton Cerejo's rap (written by Ajinkya Iyer), KK gets into a different zone from his romantic ballads and is totally convincing with a ferocious 'O' Mama'. Later he gets soft for the acoustic version of 'O' Mama' where he goes solo and is aided by just a guitar in the background.

Surprisingly, immediately after 'O' Mama' comes 'Awaara' which is the kind of track that one has heard for years now and doesn't offer anything novel at all. In fact the tune and pace of this sad track is such that it is hard to believe the man behind the helm of affairs as Vishal Bhardwaj who is known for his originality. Sung by Master Saleem, 'Awaara' has a philosophical undertone to it and one wonders if presence of this song will only slow down the pace of the film.

Thankfully, Vishal Bhardwaj is back in his elements all over again with 'Tere Liye' with a slow and soft beginning that gets listener in the kind of zone that they wanted to be in the first place while picking up the soundtrack of 7 Khoon Maaf. This is yet another track which has a definite lyrics quality to it and the man entrusted for the job, Suresh Wadkar, as always turns out to be reliable. A song that lasts almost six minutes, 'Tere Liye' maintains a constant pace right through it's duration and requires a continuous listening in the dead of the night with just a candle light around. A good romantic number.

Well, to wake up from the dead of the night there is 'Dil Dil Hai' which has the man for the job, rock-star Suraj Jagan, summoned behind the mike. This is the kind of track that would have been readily picked up by the young brigade comprising of Shahid Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor, Imran Khan or Neil Nitin Mukesh. Now with Neil in 7 Khoon Maaf, one wonders if he is one of the '7 lucky husbands' to have actually bagged this one up. A hardcore rock track which reminds of 'Zahreeley' from Rock On, 'Dil Dil Hai' literally attacks out of the soundtrack and turns out to be entertaining nevertheless.

The album ends on a surprising note though with a devotional track 'Yesu' which has a minute long build up to it before Rekha Bhardwaj comes behind the mike. A number where the protagonist is complaining to God about her voice not being heard, 'Yesu' is strictly situational and even musically it is just about average.

Overall
7 Khoon Maaf is a good album with a couple of definite hits ('Darling', 'Bekaraan'), couple of skip worthy ones ('Awaara', 'Yesu') and the remaining ('Dil Dil Hai', 'Tere Liye', 'O Mama') turning out to be the kind that have the potential to grow if the film succeeds at the box office. Since 7 Khoon Maaf is not a routine Bollywood affair, it can't be expecting a quick pick at the stands from Day One. However, on the positive side the reputation which precedes Vishal Bhardwaj and Gulzar will ensure that there is good visibility at the least for the album. This would ensure that the soundtrack too finds decent success coming it's way.

Kaccha Limboo Release Date : 18,Feb 2011

Producer Sahara Motion Pictures, A Park Bench Motion Pictures Production
Director Sagar Ballary
Music Amardeep Nijjer
Release Date 18-Feb-2011

Hindi cinema is going through a major metamorphosis. Innovative ideas and fresh stories are being developed and executed by Gen X storytellers.

Bheja Fry director Sagar Ballary tries to attempt something different from his maiden attempt. But before I begin to analyse Kaccha Limboo, let me clear a misconception. This one is not a comedy, and not remotely similar to Bheja Fry.

I couldn't help but recall three films while watching Kaccha Limboo - Gulzar's Kitaab [1977], Ritwik Ghatak's Bari Theke Paliye [Bengali, 1959] and celebrated French director Francois Truffaut's The 400 Blows a.k.a Les Quatre Cents Coups [French, 1959].

These three films had great stories to tell [of a misunderstood adolescent], but among the three, Kaccha Limboo bears a striking resemblance to Kitaab, which, in my opinion, ranks amongst Gulzar's best works.

However, unlike Kitaab, which remains well etched in our memory even after three decades, Kaccha Limboo runs out of gas after an interesting first hour.

Kaccha Limboo suffers due to a sketchy screenplay, also penned by Ballary. In fact, the post-interval portions ruin the impact that was beautifully created after a fairly engrossing first hour.

Shambhu [Taher Sutterwala] is a 13-year-old teenager who falters consistently. Trouble at school, peer pressure and a half-baked romance, all contribute to his woes. A huge fight with some local boys and a stern warning from the school principal deepens his crisis, and running away from home seems like a solution.

On his journey of self-realisation and discovery, Shambhu bumps into Vitthal [Chinmay Kambli], an extremely smart kid who belongs to a nearby fisherman colony. Shambhu is mesmerised by this new world he encounters with Vitthal. Everything is in such stark contrast to the world he had just left behind.

And everything works just fine until a sudden turn of events force Vitthal and Shambhu to set out on a train journey in search of a place where they can find the freedom they desire. Kaccha Limboo starts off really well, with Ballary handling the material with great care. Childhood can be a delight, but in today's chaotic world, the kids are often exposed to the realities of adulthood very early in their life.

The incidents depicted in the film's first hour [peer pressure, puppy love, familial frustrations and high-school dilemmas] seem so real, as if they were borrowed from your, mine, our lives. The incidents, anecdotes, occurrences and episodes are worth noting, especially Shambhu's interaction with his classmates and also with his parents [with his father in particular].

In fact, the viewer is introduced to Shambhu's grumpy and irritable nature at the very outset, when Vinay Pathak and Rukhsaar, family friends, are invited home for dinner. The kid experiences the lonely stages at home and also at school and the film offers an insight into the emotional confusion that he experiences, besides creating a touching awareness of his unspoken agonies.

But, like I pointed out earlier, Kaccha Limboo goes haywire in the post-intermission portions. One expects Ballary to come up with a much better second hour, but you feel exasperated after a point. And the film ends abruptly.

Ballary has injected a couple of songs in the narrative and though at least two numbers are decent, the song in the fishermen colony was just not required. I would like to make a special mention of the dialogue, which are wonderful at places.

Talking of performances, Sarika is natural, while Atul Kulkarni handles his part with ease. The show actually belongs to the kids - Taher and Chinmay - who are the real stars of the enterprise.

Taher delivers a spontaneous, deep and convincing performance, while Chinmay catches your attention with a splendid performance. In fact, it is Chinmay who makes vital portions of the second hour come alive with his bindaas portrayal.

The remaining kids, each of them, are complete natural. Rajesh Khattar is effective. Iravati Harshe does well, but where does she disappear suddenly? Bhairavi Goswami gets no scope. Vinay Pathak, in a cameo, is passable. Ditto for Rukhsaar.

On the whole, Kaccha Limboo comes across as an unripe and undeveloped effort. Disappointing!

Masti Express Release Date : 18,Feb 2011

Producer Vikram Pradhan, Siddhanta Ashdhir
Director Vikram Pradhan
Music Gulraj Singh
Writer Bunty Rathore
Release Date 18-Feb-2011


Now here's yet another film that places its story on Rajpal Yadav's shoulders. This time, Rajpal has Johny Lever for company. Masti Express, helmed by first-time director Vikram Pradhan, has two stories running concurrently: Rajpal and his wife Divya Dutta's fervent desire to have their kid educated at a respectable institution and the auto rickshaw race that forms the crux of the story.

Buzz up!

Quite an interesting idea, I must add, but interesting ideas don't necessarily translate into fascinating cinematic experiences. The problem is, Masti Express appeals in parts, not in its entirety. At places, the film is engaging, but there are times when it comes across as a yawn-inducing attempt. The screenplay writing is clearly the culprit here!

Masti Express tells the story of a father [Rajpal Yadav], who desperately tries to get his only child admitted to a renowned school and provide him education. His son is just another brat in a slum with an uninspiring future. The son is refused admission initially, but later, when the father faces a lot of obstacles and wins an auto rickshaw race with the help of the school kids, the Principal [Manoj Joshi] opens the doors of his school to the kid.

The director tries to pack just about everything to make the film palatable to the junta janardhan. He decides to pander to the commercial diktats by injecting songs on guest stars [filmed on Shankar Mahadevan and Kashmira Shah, respectively] and also instill comedy in the narrative. Sadly, one doesn't laugh at the jokes [which are crass anyways], the songs too act as speed breakers, while the kiddie portions are half-baked. Ideally, the director could've avoided the unwanted add-ons [including the characters that suddenly arrive from other states to participate in the race] and the editor should've trimmed the film judiciously for a better impact.

On the brighter side, Pradhan has handled a few sequences expertly. Note the sequence when Rajpal cooks an alibi as soon as Divya Dutta enquires whether their kid has been granted admission in the school or not. Prior to that Rajpal's sequence with the School Principal [Manoj Joshi] also stands out. Also, note the sequence when Divya tries to pacify a heart-broken Rajpal after the auto rickshaw accident. Besides, the finale, when Rajpal actually pulls the auto rickshaw to the winning post, moves you. The auto rickshaw race is interesting in parts, while the attempt to inject humor during the race falls flat.

Like I pointed out earlier, the songs don't help in carrying the film forward, except for one song when the auto rickshaw is being repaired. However, the background score is effective, especially towards the finale. The cinematography is inconsistent.

Given the fact that the story of Masti Express rests on his shoulders, one expects Rajpal to deliver a stunning performance, but he doesn't. He is decent at best and there are times when one feels that he's hamming big time. Johny Lever is loud, but that's how his character is perceived. Divya Dutta stands out with a striking performance. Vijay Patkar is just right, Razzaq Khan gets to deliver some funny lines, while Rajkumar Kanojia is passable. Manoj Joshi is strictly okay. Ryan Pinto has screen presence and also has the trappings of a fine actor, provided he gets the right parts to portray.

On the whole, Masti Express falls short of expectations. Besides, the film has arrived with zilch hype and that will make the effort go disregarded.