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.

Khatta Meetha Release Date : 23,Jul 2010

When Priyadarshan and Akshay Kumar join hands, you expect the cineplex to reverberate with laughter. Let's not forget, the team has regaled us with some terrific entertainers in the past. Naturally then, you expect Khatta Meetha to take the legacy forward.

Unfortunately, Khatta Meetha is noise (the actors scream a lot in this movie), more noise (the great promotion) and only noise, while the content takes a complete backseat. Although Khatta Meetha shouldn't be compared to this combo's earlier works, since this one's a satire, I have to add that this is their weakest film to date.

The first question I asked myself once the movie got over was, what's the story? Okay, okay, neither did Priyadarshan's last few films had a story to tell, but when you attempt a satire, when one talks of the hardships faced by the common man, when one talks of corruption in society, there HAS to be a story in place. That goes without saying!

Khatta Meetha raises a finger at the corruption in government establishments, but what it tries to say, or expose, has been witnessed over and over again. In fact, it's the writing - sorry, the absence of it - that makes matters worse. The beginning is good, the middle falters and the end is exasperating.

Final word? This one's far from being meetha. It's a khatta experience!

Struggling road construction contractor Sachin Tichkule (Akshay Kumar) is doomed. There is no chance that his dreams will ever come true, simply because he has no money to bribe. To make matters worse, the new Municipal Commissioner turns out to be his ex girlfriend (Trisha), who now hates him.

The film reveals the extent of corruption and bribery rampant in the system and the ingenious means you have to adopt if you want to survive in today's times.

Khatta Meetha attempts to say a lot many things in those two hours and forty minutes. Oh yes, its running time is a problem, more so because the narrative lacks the power to keep you hooked to the proceedings.

Okay, coming back to what I wanted to say, Khatta Meetha is more of a collage of isolated incidents encompassed in within its duration. The collapse of the bridge, the consequent murder of Tinnu Anand, the constant bickering in the house, the tu-tu-main-main between Akshay and Trisha, the sister's track, the corrupt netas and government babus, the payment issue of workers... several sequences are a repeat of what you watched barely minutes ago or an hour ago.

While the romantic track is the weakest link (half-baked; the songs are forced down your throats, without valid situations whatsoever), the flashback portions depicting Akshay Kumar as a college student, is just hard to digest. Even the end is worn out and doesn't give the feel of contentment that one expects at the conclusion of a film.

Priyadarshan's handling of the comic sequences is noteworthy especially in the first half of the film. The repair-and-paint sequence at Asrani's mansion is sure to bring the house down. Ditto for the conversation that Asrani has with multiple people, in person and also on phone. Also, the road roller sequence is a laugh-riot and prior to that Johny Lever's sequence of repairing the road roller is truly funny. But a few isolated sequences aren't enough. The veteran storyteller ought to know the importance of a watertight screenplay by now.

Cinematographer V Manikandan's lens captures the exteriors with flourish. Pritam's music is easy on the ears and two songs are extremely popular as well. But the placement of songs in the narrative acts as a roadblock. Dialogues are funny at times, especially the one-liners.

Akshay Kumar plays the common man with gusto. He looks his part and more importantly, not once do you feel that he's repeating himself. However, he goes over the top in a few sequences.

Trisha carries the Plain Jane look well, but fails as an actress. The fiery attitude, so vital when you're enacting the role of the Municipal Commissioner, is missing. Rajpal Yadav is in terrific form yet again. What a splendid actor!

Urvashi Sharma is awkward. Makrand Deshpande is wasted. Tinnu Anand is hardly there. Even Aroona Irani is sidelined. Kulbhushan Kharbanda is first-rate. Asrani is excellent. Manoj Joshi screams too much. Ditto for Neeraj Vora. Milind Gunaji is okay. The actor playing the role of Urvashi's husband does a good job.

On the whole, Khatta Meetha is a major letdown from the accomplished director. It's not a full-blown comedy. It's not a full-scale satire either. Hugely disappointing!

Lamhaa Release Date : 16,Jul 2010

Producer Bunty Walia, Jaspreet Singh Walia
Director Rahul Dholakia
Music Mithoon
Writer Rahul Dholakia, Raghav Dhar
Lyrics Sayeed Quadri
Release Date 16-Jul-2010

Lamhaa opens in the year 2009 and talks about the separatist protest movements that initiated in Kashmir which (it repeatedly claims throughout the film) had started ‘18 years’ back in the year 1989. Not only does the film goes appallingly wrong with elementary mathematics, but also adds to the audience ambiguity through its constantly changing geographical boundaries and jumbled history.

Lamhaa mercilessly doesn’t deal with the Kashmir issue in an outright jingoistic approach like those countless formula films that have been made on the theme that show India as a clear-cut hero and Pakistan as a definite villain to exploit patriotic sentiments. This film highlights several discrepancies in our own country from corrupt army officers, conniving politicians to scheming businessmen. But beyond that when it attempts to fit in a clichéd conspiracy theory within the preset political premise, it falls flat on its face.

Officer Vikram (Sanjay Dutt) is sent on an undercover operation to Kashmir when the Indian intelligence gets information of a probable big terror attack in the valley. There a separatist leader Haji (Anupam Kher) has been fighting against the Indian government since 1989 for Azad Kashmir. Haji’s protégé Aziza (Bipasha Basu) supports her mentor in his mission. Haji’s other ex-protégé Aatif (Kunal Kapoor), who is now a reformed militant, wants to contest elections from the valley to win his people and province.

For Vikram, spying seems to be a child’s play. He sneaks into the police commissioner’s office in broad daylight as if playing hide-and-seek with him. He walks into a seamster’s shop who gives him ‘tailor-made’ tips and tracks terrorist identity by just having a look at their jackets. (Was the writing conveniently inspired by the investigative tele-series CID?) For no good reason Vikram keeps stalking and supporting Aziza in her attempts. Thankfully (though the background score gives a slight hint) a romance track is averted.

Through all his lackadaisical spying, Vikram finally learns that the neighbouring country is going to repeat the assault of 1989 on a larger scale. So as you look forward to a striking climax, you are sorely disappointed to discover that the supposedly colossal conspiracy merely ends up being a bombing plan on a political rally, seen for a zillion times in Hindi films. The intended twist in the plot is predictable and the convenient culmination is void of any dramatic moments.

It takes time to absorb the wide-ranging characters and their varied conflicts in the film and yet you do not understand all of them. Vikram is specifically chosen for the Kashmir operation though he doesn’t belong to the region.

Yet there is no background account to justify his character, making him look shallow. In the initial reels, one tends to get confused if Anupam Kher’s Haji is a protagonist or antagonist as he keeps juggling between the two identities through the film. His fallout with Aatif is merely mentioned in a flashback scene. And then there is Mahesh Manjrekar playing Peer Baba in a cameo who remains quite undefined through the film.

The screenplay by Raghav Dhar and Rahul Dholakia appears disjoint with constant unconnected scenes and subplots. Though the writing attempts to touch several related concerns from the half widows of Dardpura village, victimized prostitutes to the psychosis of the border security soldiers; these works only peripherally without being plugged into the core narrative. Bipasha Basu’s public humiliation scene seems to be distinctly derived from Monica Belluci’s Maléna. Nevertheless the actress is poignantly effective in her outburst.

The pacing seems too hurried and the restless editing by Ashmith Kunder and Akshay Mohan barely allows you to breathe, gasp, feel, absorb, react or relate. The incessant disturbing camera movements by cinematographer Jamie Fowlds annoy you more than having an effect. Mithoon’s soothing musical score has its charming moments.

The performances are not bad but don’t rise above the script. Sanjay Dutt plays his age but his character seems half-baked. Bipasha Basu is decent in a different role. Kunal Kapoor adds grace to his character but sounds meek in delivering political speeches. Anupam Kher is effective.

For the common man, the politics of Kashmir has often been a complicated topic. This film doesn’t make it any simpler. Lamhaa doesn’t enthrall beyond a few interesting moments.

Tere Bin Laden Release Date : 16,Jul 2010

Producer Pooja Shetty Deora, Aarti Shetty
Director Abhishek Sharma
Music Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani, Loy Mendonsa, Dhruv Dhalla
Writer Abhishek Sharma
Lyrics Jaideep Sahni
Release Date 16-Jul-2010

Osama Bin Laden is back. He has put on weight and is looking younger with botox. And he is all set to attack you with some side-splitting moments in this crime con-medy Tere Bin Laden.

Set in Pakistan, Ali (Ali Zafar) works as a television reporter for local news channel but wants to migrate to the US for better prospects. After being deported from US once and having his American visa rejected seven times, Ali approaches a travel agent who assures him of an entry to America if he can manage a couple of lakhs.

That’s when he stumbles across Noora (Pradhuman Singh) whose facial features come too close to Osama Bin Laden. Ali hatches a plan to shoot a fake video of Osama with Noora and sell it to news channels for big money. So he hires services of a makeup artist (Sugandha Garg), an Arabic scriptwriter (Chirag Vohra), a dubbing artist (Rahul Singh) and a cameraman (Nikhil Ratnaparkhi) to create the video footage that creates big furor across the globe.

Unfortunately his plan backfires when Pakistanis are forbidden entry into US due to security reasons after Osama’s reappearance. Further an American intelligence officer (Barry John) arrives in Pakistan to trace Osama’s whereabouts.

It’s impressive how an Indian director makes a film entirely set in Pakistan and takes several digs at Pakistan’s infrastructure and America’s intelligence in a smart and subtle manner. Writer-director Abhishek Sharma humorously pulls off every politically incorrect aspect that we unofficially know about the two nations through the comic genre of his film. This one is India’s very own Hot Shots Part Deux.

Slapstick in some scenes, satirical in most and silly at times, Tere Bin Laden clicks primarily because above all its farce, it has an entertaining story to narrate. The writing is witty, funny, crisp and moves at a brisk pace so much so that one doesn’t look for too much of conviction in the bigger picture.

The con game in the film is redolent of the con-comedy Khosla Ka Ghosla. Also the song ‘Ullu Da Patha’ written by Jaideep Sahni is in the vein of ‘Chak De Phatte’ written by him in Khosla Ka Ghosla. The dialogues have an authentic Urdu touch to it but with pungent Punjabi punches, it’s not difficult to appreciate the humour. Noora’s rendition of Arabic lines as Osama is hilarious. So is the scene where his most priced possession, a murga turns into a martyr. Thankfully the film doesn’t divert into unnecessary romance track or forced song-n-dance.

Showcasing comical flair like Riteish Deshmukh and a façade like Shahid Kapoor, Pakistani actor Ali Zafar effortlessly glides through his role. Pradhuman Singh is hilarious while pulling off an Osama Bin Laden. Barry John pretty much justifies the firang character he plays. Blessed with impeccable comic timing, Piyush Mishra is uproarious. The ensemble character cast of Sugandha Garg, Nikhil Ratnaparkhi, Rahul Singh and Chirag Vohra play their parts well.

Tere Bin Laden is laden with some genuine laugh-out-loud moments. Entertaining, enjoyable and surely worth a watch!

Udaan Release Date : 16,Jul 2010

Producer Anurag Kashyap, Ronnie Screwvala, Sanjay Singh
Director Vikramaditya Motwane
Music Amit Trivedi
Writer Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane
Lyrics Amitabh Bhattacharya
Release Date 16-Jul-2010

Much against our will, at several instances in life, one has to helplessly bow down to some entity – be it your teacher, boss, kin or anyone else. Udaan narrates a tale where a son is almost on an extended detention under his disciplinarian father’s domain. Through this allegory, Udaan inspires one to break away from all bindings of life and fly freely.

In its very first scene, four teenagers jump off their hostel compound wall to indulge in an adult film. Caught by the warden, they all are expelled from their school. One of them, Rohan (Rajat Barmecha) is sent back to his hometown Jamshedpur where his father (Ronit Roy), whom he hasn’t met for years, isn’t much happy to have him back. Rohan is also introduced to a younger stepbrother Arjun (Aayan Boradia), who he never knew existed.

Much against his aspirations of being a writer, Rohan is forced to study engineering and work part-time in his father’s factory. The tyrant rule of his father cuts off all the independence he enjoyed in his school days. As life turns more and more claustrophobic under the roof of his dominating father, the only respite he finds is in his uncle (Ram Kapoor) and college senior (Anand Tiwari).

The story of Udaan can be encapsulated as the unspoken track in 3 Idiots where the disciplinarian dean (Boman Irani) loses his son whom he tries to mould in his way rather than letting him live his life.

Interestingly, Udaan doesn’t merely restrict the father-son divide till the academic expectations that parents have from their children, like in 3 Idiots or Taare Zameen Par. Ronit Roy’s multifaceted father figure is added with layers of frustration of being a single parent, a widower and having a regimented past of being brought up under as much discipline by his strict father which he carries forward to his children. He is caring but not loving. His quest for control has conquered his warmth as a parent. So much so that he wants his son to address him as Sir and not dad.

The writing by Vikramaditya Motwane and Anurag Kashyup is real, refreshing, straightforward and effective. The initial few sequences simply communicate the daily lifestyle of the father which the son is attempting to adapt to. But the proceedings keep you riveted because the routine is as much unusual to the viewer as much to Rohan. Also the writers at no point get carried away to portray the father as an outright villain.

His character is balanced with sporadic humane shades but since he is too rigid and incorrigible, the story works towards the liberation of the son over the rectification of the father. The continual dominance of the father on the son doesn’t get monotonous, since the prolonged narrative gives time to Rohan to reach the threshold of his tolerance. That justifies, both, the slow pacing and the long length of the film.

The screenplay delicately works towards the relationships between the central characters.

While the rift between Rohan and his father increases, reciprocally, he develops an endearing attachment with his kiddo stepbrother. Some scenes are kept long to stay with the protagonist and allow you to experience or at least relate to his mental turmoil. Yet the sequences don’t seem stretched and the director keeps the treatment comprehensible without tending to get artistic or abstract.