3 Idiots

I know I haven't posted in a while but I thought I would just drop in to say 3 Idiots is one of the best Bollywood flicks I've seen in a long time! Aamir Khan, Madhevan and Sharman Joshi were all great as was Omi and even Kareena Kapoor wasn't that bad!

When Omi gave his speech in the first half I was absolutely crying, it was hilarious and the ending was very satisfying! The only thing that slightly blighted the film was the character played by Boman Irani, he was very unrealistic and over the top, a bit more of a composed character (like his role in the first Munnabhai) would have made more sense.

Minor gripes aside, a very entertaining 2 hours spent! I liked this film so much I'm going to give it a 5 out of 5!

Predictions Update

Last year I made some predictions on how this years releases would fair with the public. Here's how I'm getting on...

Correct
Aa Dekhen Zaara - Flop
Acid Factory - Flop
Paying Guests - Flop
Daddy Cool - Flop
Fox - Flop
Kambakht Ishq - Average - Despite being a terrible flick, due to being the first film to be released after the strike it did good numbers
Shortkut - Flop
Tasveer - Flop
What's Your Rashee - Flop
Dil Bole Hadipa - Flop

Incorrect (My prediction in brackets)
Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani - Super Hit (Average)
Aladin - Flop (Average)
Billo Barber - Hit (Flop)
Blue - Flop(Average)
Delhi 6 - Flop (Hit)
Do Knot Disturb - Average (Flop)
Kaminey - Hit (Flop)
Main Aur Mrs Khanna - Flop (Hit)
New York - Hit (Flop)
Love Aaj Kal - Hit (Average)
Wake Up Sid - Hit (Flop)

It's pretty close at the moment, I've got 10 right and 11 wrong!

Love Aaj Kal

Sometimes you shouldn't believe the hype! I was eagerly awaiting the release of the Love Aaj Kal DVD, fully expecting to be in for a treat with Saif Ali Khan back at his best but instead I found myself falling asleep! I'm not quite sure why the film got such rave reviews because it bored the hell out of me!

I've noticed that recently films have started to focus on dating, cheating extra marital affairs and other such content which was once upon a time frowned upon. The premise for Love Aaj Kal is that two young and happening desis decide to cool their romance because they don't want to be tied down with commitment. But rather than having a messy break up the two decide to embrace their split with a party! The two stay in touch as they explore other relationships and tell each other everything. Meanwhile Rishi Kapoor recounts his own love story in flashbacks (the young Rishi happens to be enacted by Saif!)

My problem wit the film is that it's a little far fetched for a couple to break up after so long stay friends and give each other advice on their new relationships! The whole section featuring Rishi Kapoor's love story seems unnecessary and with Saif playing the young Rishi it makes matters a little confusing. But my biggest gripe with the film is that it's just boring! Come on Saif you can do much better than this!

2/5

Lajja

I happened to catch Lajja the other night and I must say it was pretty entertaining.

Although the individual stories were engaging, they didn't fit with the overall story arc, making it seem unbelievable. How many female hating incidents can a woman possibly come across whilst she's on the run from her own abusive husband?

Having said that, Manisha, Madhuri and Rekha all put in solid performances and Mahima, Ajay Devgun and Anil Kapoor did well in their brief roles. Jackie was over the top but did have a certain menace about him. And of course Johnny Lever was excellent as one half of an inept private investigation team.

The worrying fact coming from this film is the fact that a lot of the themes explored in this film are very much real. The Mahima/Anil portion dealt with dowry and how the poor are often held ransom by the grooms family should they wish to get their daughter married in to a respectable family. In Rekha's portion we saw how villagers saw the birth of a baby girl as a burden rather than a blessing and watched in horror as the father tried to drown his daughter in milk, luckily Rekha came in to save the day. And of course the overall story of Manisha and Jackie and domestic abuse was highlighted even though the ending was very lame.

A decent film with some fine acting a lot better than some of the crap being churned out at the moment.

2.5 out of 5

Yuvraaj

Subhash Ghai, Anil Kapoor, Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif and Mithun Chakrobathy were all involved in Yuvraaj. So how can a film with so many big names be so bad? Yuvraaj was so bad I'm not even going to review it, but it makes me wonder, how the hell could these guys actually think that this film was worth making?

Anil Kapoor has a habit of signing dodgy films but it's Salman Khan I fear for. With the exception of Partner he has been pretty awful in most of his films. I swear he's either pissed or high because his performances seem to get worse and worse. In the films Partner, Mujshe Shaadi Karoge and Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya he played the same role albeit with a different name. SRK gets slagged off for his cheesy Raj persona but Salman should be slapped over the head with a wet fish for his annoying acting in these films. Salman is releasing two mega budget flicks this year, Veer and Wanted, I hope for his sake they do well otherwise he needs to be removed from the 3 Khans of Bollywood group and be replaced with Kader Khan or even Fardeen Khan!

Rock On

Farhan Akhtar made his acting debut in the surprise hit of 2008. I finally got round to viewing the DVD a few days ago after trying to avoid it for a long time! I'm not a big Rock fan and the thought of having to watch Arjun Rampal always fills me with dread.

The story follows the members of rock band Magik who have left their youthful days of making music and partying far behind. Lead singer Aditya (Farhan Akthar) is a stockbroker making big bucks but stuck in a loveless marriage. Guitarist Joe (Arjun Rampal) is struggling to make ends whilst being constantly on the recieivng end from his stylist turned fishmonger wife (Koel Purie). Meanwhile drummer KD (Purab Kohli) is a lonely bachelor still trying to relive his youth whilst bassist Rob works for Anu Malik!!!

Through various flashbacks we get to know the group and how they won a talent contest which got them an album deal. We then see how the group fall apart. The post intermission part of the film deals with the reunion (come on you must have realised it was going to happen!)

The concept is totally different to the usual Bollywood masala flick and the film is very laid back and just goes along at it's on pace. The plot is a little bit cheesy and very predicatble but enjoyable. The performances are all top notch, especially Farhan and I hate say it Arjun was pretty solid too! Farhan deserves an extra mention for the fact that he sung half the songs on the soundtrack himself! Fair play.

All in all a very good film, different from the norm but interesting and fun.

4 out of 5

Luck by Chance

I think Farhan Akthar has forgotten that he's actually a director, after making his debut in Rock On he's followed it up with another worthy number in the form of Luck by Chance which was directed by his sister Zoya.

Vikram (Farhan Akthar) is a struggling actor from Dehli trying to find fame in the Mumbai film industry. As he searches for that ever elusive big break he meets a fellow a fellow aspiring actor, Sona. Sona (Konkona Sen Sharma) goes from one bit part to another hoping shady casting director Chaudhury will throw a big part heroine part. The two start seeing each other and eventually fall in love.

Romy Rolly (Rishi Kapoor) is a big name producer, he's snagged the top name in the industry Zaffar Khan (Hrithik Roshan) to star in his latest movie, the launch the daughter of former Bollywood starlet Nina Walia (Dimple Kapadia), Niki Walia (Isha Sharvani). But when Zaffar Khan gets a better offer, he makes his excuses and leaves the project. Romy finds himself in a bind and when his efforts to find a replacement fail he pitches the idea of casting a newcomer opposite Niki Walia. Nina Walia reluctantly agrees and as fate would have it, Vikram is picked for the role.

As shooting starts, Vikrams charm and charisma woo his co star Niki and the two begin to date and as productionof the film continues Vikram imerses himself more and more in to the glamourous world of Bollywood, forgetting his friends and his love Sona in the process. Does Vikram realise his mistakes before time runs out? Will he chose the down to earth Sona or the mollycoddled star daughter Niki?

LBC is a brilliant insight into Bollywood and gives you a glimpse of how things work in tinsle town. Farhan plays the role of an aspiring actor who is seduced by the fame to perfection and Konkona is just as good. The turns by Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia are also very commendable. A very interesting and different film with a realsitc feel to it. The one negative point might be that the film is a little slow in parts and the lack of action and masala may have caused it to struggle at the box office. A very enjoyable look at hindi cinema, highly recommended.

3 out of 5