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.

Tum Milo Toh Sahi Release Date : 02,Apr 2010

Producer Nikhil Panchamiya
Director Kabir Sadanand
Music Sandesh Shandilya
Writer Rajen Makhijani, Kabir Sadanand
Lyrics Irshad Kamil
Release Date 02-Apr-2010

Story: Dimple Kapadia's little tea house is threatened to be swallowed by a bigger chain of coffee stores. But Lucky Cafe isn't an ordinary cafe. It has been the communion point for all kinds of Mumbaikars who now rally around to save the heritage site from greedy multinationals. Leading the crusade is the crabby lawyer, Nana Patekar, who also couldn't stay immune to the charms of the friendly Parsi neighbour.

Movie Reviews: Where have you been, Nana? And why don't we see more of you, Dimple? These are the two questions that primarily stare you in the face as you sit through Tum Milo Toh Sahi, a sweet little ode to the spirit of the quintessential Mumbaikar who manages to connect, communicate and build lasting bonds in the milling crowds. The two veteran actors create such a warm picture of humaneness, warmth and togetherness, it leaves you asking for more. And the fact that they are total opposites -- he's Subbu, the reclusive, angry, Tamilian and she's Delshad, the delightful, exuberant Parsi -- makes the bonding crackle and shine some more.

Ever since their first meeting which begins with a fight in a mall, the duo take you by the scruff of your collar and make you sit up and watch them as they chart out a friendship graph that weaves through unchartered territory. Like, Nana playing the violin in his dead mother's room, while Dimple watches or Dimple trying to convince him to open up his house, and himself too, to let in some fresh air. Eventually, Nana does play crusader and try and save her cafe from the land sharks, but it is the smaller nuances and the several unsaids between the adult couple which makes for compelling viewing.

The other actors too manage to create some firmly-etched cameos. There's Suneil Shetty and Vidya Malvade, the discord-ridden couple who are on the verge of a split. And there are the mass communication students, Rehan Khan and Anjana Sukhani, who may or may not transform their fuchha-senior relationship into something more. Bringing them all together is Dimple's corner house cafe, with its bun-muska, its caramel custard and its `We are the world-We are the children' spirit.

Director Kabir Sadanand picks up a simple story and tells it well. And as he does, he touches upon the new trend of the common-man-as-crusader which seems to have taken India by storm currently. More importantly, he captures the `melting pot' syndrome of our very own maximum city with a treacly tenor that does spread some sweetness in the harsh political reality. A bit of editing needed, however, for the film does tend to ramble a bit, specially in the song and dance sequences. Nevertheless, there's enough to hold your attention....Watch it for the veterans' winsome act, the spirit of Mumbai and for a tale told well.

The Great Indian Butterfly Release Date : 02,Apr 2010

Producer Sanjay Gupta, Parth Arora
Director Sarthak Das Gupta
Music Deepak Pandit, Shibani Kashyap, Gourov Dasgupta, Vivek Philip
Writer Sarthak Das Gupta
Lyrics Jaideep Sahni, Manoj Muntashir, Vipul Saini, Vivek Philip
Release Date

The Great Indian Butterfly is a simple tale in the complex miasma of a changing India. Krish and Meera, form a young Indian couple climbing the ladder of the corporate rate race in a nation hurtling forward at a rate unprecedented in its long history. Stressed, frustrated and unable to come to terms with the sacrifice required for success, they go in search of a legendary magical insect - The Great Indian Butterfly.

Last seen by the unknown Portuguese explorer Carodiguez, in a remote valley located in erstwhile colonial Goa, the butterfly possesses a magical aura, granting immense happiness to the person who catches it.

In the journey that takes the couple from the smog filled, concrete jungle of the Megalopolis of Mumbai through the little discovered coastal landscapes of the western Sahyadris, to the sun soaked land of Goa, the couple lose more than what they want to rediscover. It becomes a passage, which seems to travel with a metaphor of its own and an insect as elusive as a fossil trapped in prehistoric resin.

Will they find the Butterfly? Can they survive the journey? Can it cost them their lives? Will 'The Great Indian Butterfly' wreck havoc on their souls? Will there be redemption? Or is it a futile hunt for an answer to their crumbling lives? Is happiness a rare insect?

Pankh Release Date : 02,Apr 2010

Producer Sanjay Gupta
Director Sudipto Chattopadhyaya
Music Raju Singh
Writer Sudipto Chattopadhyaya
Lyrics Sudipto Chattopadhyaya
Release Date 02-Apr-2010

'PANKH' STARRING Bipasha Basu with debutant Maradona Rebello along with an experianced star cast of Mahesh Manjrekar and Lillette Dubey is set to experiment an all together different subject which seperates itself from mainstream cinema.

The story is about the life of a boy, who turns homosexual because of several problems he faced in childhood, the role is played by Maradona, who is a talented new comer. The boy's life is showcased in a bizarre and weird way. The movie seeks to explore the reasons which lead to the formation of dreams.
Maradona Rebello is in a complex role. He is casted opposite Bollywood actor Bipasha Basu, other actors like Ronit Roy, Sanjeeda Sheikh and newcomer Amit Purohit are also playing important roles in the movie.

The plot develops in a manner which forces Maradona to become a girl. His disturbed childhood makes him mentally unstable. His life is ruined to an extent that he seeks an escapade in behaving like a girl. As a part of his new feminine avtar he starts wearing girl's clothes, a wig, puts on make-up.

Pankh is about a boy (Maradona Rebello) who carries the burden of lost sexual identity which is suggestive of his name in the movie as 'Jerry'. With time as he crosses his youth, he is puzzled about his real sexual identity.

Jerry meets a girl, Nandini (Bipasha), and he starts loving her but he is totally confused about his sexual identity. Jerry starts getting urged by Nandini in his dreams and gets questioned about his sexuality. He sees her as someone who questions his identity and encourages him to be a man.

Ultimately, Jerry recreates his looks and expression into a boy.

The film reaches a climax at this point and reveals what happens to him after he changes his identity for Nandani.

Pankh's approach is to look at a complicatd network of relationships i.e. the Oedipal, the homosexual, the abusive. The film focuses on various aspects in a homosexual's life which include the societal space, the mind space, the sexual space and the spiritual space.

The movie Pankh is directed by Sudipto Chattopadhyay. The movie is set to release today on 2nd April in all the leading theatres of the country. It will be interesting to see the audience response towards this unique concept.

Sadiyaan Release Date : 02,Apr 2010

Producer Raj Kanwar
Director Raj Kanwar
Music Adnan Sami
Writer Raj Kanwar
Lyrics Sameer, Amjad Aslam Amjad
Release Date 02-Apr-2010

Movie Review:

We rarely make desi movies these days. Palatial mansions, swanky cars, designer outfits, the latest handsets and gizmos have replaced large kothis, traditional outfits, ghoda-gaadis and makke di roti aur sarson ka saag. True to its name, SADIYAAN takes you to a different era, when the warmth of relations mattered the most, when blood was thicker than water, when promises were meant to be honoured.

SADIYAAN is set in the 1970s, but travels to the partition days. Raj Kanwar tackles a unique theme this time – of two mothers. The first is the biological mother, who gets separated from her child during the partition. The second raises the child like her own, when she crosses to India after partition. The basic premise is wonderful and you can draw parallels with Hindu mythology.

SADIYAAN is divided into two parts. The first part focuses on the love story, which falls on the predictable, mundane stuff, with the Hindu-Muslim angle thrown in. But Raj Kanwar reserves the best for the second part, when the two women meet and the story takes rapid turns. But, let’s face it, SADIYAAN is not everyone’s idea of entertainment, since the ‘multiplex junta’ doesn’t patronise desi cinema anymore, unlike the single screen audience that adores this kind of cinema.

So what’s the final verdict? Watch it if you like desi melodrama of yore, which comes alive with SADIYAAN.

SADIYAAN is a period drama based on an incident which happened during the partition. It’s the story of two mothers, a Hindu played by Rekha and a Muslim mother played by Hema Malini.

In the chaos and confusion during partition in 1947, Benazir [Hema Malini] leaves behind her child in the mansion she lived in, before moving to Lahore. The child is rescued by Amrit [Rekha] and Rajveer [Rishi Kapoor], who try hard to locate the parents of the child, but in vain. They decide to raise the child themselves.

Ishaan [Luv Sinha] falls in love with Chandni [Ferena Wazeir], who lives in the same city [Amritsar]. However, Chandni’s parents oppose the match, since Ishaan is a Hindu. Amrit and Rajveer decide to reveal the truth to Ishaan and also to Chandni’s parents.

Two commonalities in Raj Kanwar movies… One, he has always stressed on drama in his movies and SADIYAAN is no exception. Two, the maker has often worked with newcomers [SRK in DEEWANA, Aarya Babbar and Amrita Rao in AB KE BARAS and Lara Dutta and Priyanka Chopra in ANDAAZ] and now, it’s Shatrughan Sinha’s son Luv Sinha in SADIYAAN.

SADIYAAN has two stories running concurrently – the love story [Luv, Ferena] and the story of two mothers [Rekha, Hema Malini]. While the love story is hardly exciting since it relies on the tried-and-tested stuff, the Indo-Pak angle in the mothers’ story makes this part extremely watchable.

The best moments are reserved for the second hour, with the penultimate moments proving the mainstay of the enterprise. However, as mentioned earlier, desi themes aren’t too popular these days, except in the hinterland. Hence, a film like SADIYAAN has its limitations to cut across to a universal audience. Another drawback is that a love story should be embellished with lilting music and unfortunately, Adnan Sami’s music is a letdown.

Directorially, Raj Kanwar handles the dramatic moments with flourish, but the writing, especially the love story, is archaic. Also, what was the need to force comedy in the narrative? Cinematography is alright, but the locations are eye-filling.

Rishi Kapoor, Rekha and Hema Malini are the lifeline of the film. Rishi is top notch. Rekha is amazing, while Hema is perfect. In fact, it’s a treat to watch the two actresses share screen space after a really long gap. Luv Sinha needs to polish his acting skills. He’s slightly awkward in the first part, but decent in the second half, when the goings-on get emotional. Ferena is a decent actor, but needs to work on her makeup and wardrobe.

Javed Sheikh is appropriate. Deep Dhillon is good. Vivek Shauq is getting typecast. Avtar Gill is perfect.

On the whole, SADIYAAN is an emotional drama narrated in old-fashioned style. If old world charm still excites you, there are chances you may like this one.