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

Tasveer flops

My predictions are getting better! Both Tasveer and Ao Dekhen Zara both flopped taking my predictions to 2 out of 4 for the year so far!

Flops
Tasveer 8x10
Billu
Ao Dekhen Zara
Dehli 6

Hits
None

Dhoondte Reh Jaoge

Two Johnny Lever films in a month - that's what I call a good month! Gone are the days when Mr Lever popped up in practically every film, so it is a treat to see the comic genius in action. Dhoondte Reh Jaoge came and went without even a whimper - which is a shame because it's actually quite good!

Raj (Paresh Rawal) is a down on his luck producer desperately trying to avoid his creditors and sign India's biggest star Aryan (Sonu Sood) failing miserably on both fronts. Anand is an accountant trying to hold down a job and marry his sweetheart, aspiring actress Neha (Soha Ali Khan). A series of events bring Raj and Anand together and the two hatch a plan where they borrow lots of money to make a big budget film. But rather than spend all the money, they plan to make a film with a small fraction of the funds and pocket the rest. When the film flops the investors wouldn't want any money back because of the losses and the pair could escape with the riches. They make a film lifting the plotlines from several films including Lgaan, Gadar, DDLJ and Sholay. Unfortunately for them the film becomes a success and it's not long before Raj and Anand are on the run from all the film financers looking for their share of the profits.

Johnny Lever was fantastic playing the character Parvez Asharaf, a pro Pakistani scriptwriter. Johnny has you laughing out loud as he mimmicks the former premier. Paresh Rawal is first rate as ever, his comic timing is spot on, just think this guy spent the first 10 years of his career playing villains! Kunal Khemu puts in another solid performance after his rather under rated Superstar.

DRJ was a low budget flick that came with little or no hype yet it entertained the entire 2.5 hours unlike bigger budget comedies like Golmaal Returns. Obviously there are lots of plot holes and the story is completely crazy but it's one of those films where the madness makes the film even more enjoyable. DRJ will be sure to make you laugh and I would definitely recommend it if you're after a silly entertainer with a great comic cast.

2.5 out of 5

Kaash Rubish Nahin Hote

The list of bad films I've watched recently is growing by the day and Kaash Mere Hote is probably the worst film of all. But the honest truth is, I knew it was rubbish but I only gave it the time of day because it was the first film that featured the legendary Johnny Lever in a long time! And Johnny did not disappoint.

The story of unrequited love has been done to death in Bollywood, Anjaam, Darr, Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa are some of the better ones that come to mind (I could only think of SRK films!) not to mention all the really bad ones like Mere Jeevan Saathi, Daraar and some mediocre ones like Aitraaz and Barsaat. Unfortunately Kaash Mere Hote takes a tried and tested formula and makes it even worse! Krish, a photographer is sent on an assignment to Mauritius, his girlfriend Radhika tags along for the ride. In Mauritius the couple meet Piya who instantly falls in love with Krish, such is her love for the photographer, she is willing to kill anybody and everybody to get the man of her dreams. Meanwhile Johnny Lever plays the cross dressing, Aishwariya obsessed Police Chief in charge of finding out who is commiting these murders.

The problem with the film is that it really is outdated, there is nothing new to the old forumla, some of the storylines in Balaji soap operas hold your attention more than this pile of pants. Sneha Ullal deserves a special mention for her performance - she was awful. She has one expression and one emotion, she makes Amisha Patel look oscar worthy. The newcomer Kumar Sahil is poor, he really doesn't have any star quality, charisma or aura about him to suggest that he is going to make it big in Bollywood. Half way through the film I was hoping he would die! Johnny Lever was a welcome relief in this film, making his entrance singing Kajra Re and camping it up to the max, unfortunately the poor direction makes his role a little repetitive after a while, a waste of a comic genius.

This film rocks. If you are Kumar Sahil's mother that is. For the rest of the world, this film is sh*t. Don't watch it, even Johnny lever can't save this shambles.

0/5

A bad start...

Looks like my predictions have taken a bit of a bashing at the box office! I had predicted Billu Barber and Dehli 6 to do well at the multiplexes but it was not the case. Billu was well recieved by critics but didn't make much money where it counted whilst Dehli 6 was slated nationwide. Not a good start for Abisheikh! Or for me.

Mere Baap Pehle Aap

I’ve seen some pretty bad films recently but Mere Baap Pehle Aap has to be up there amongst one of the worst. I fancied watching a comedy and flicked through a load of dvd’s I had bought the last time I went on holiday. Mere Baap had a strong comic cast of Paresh Rawal, Om Puri, Rajpal Yadav and Archana Puran Singh so I thought I’d give it a whirl. Boy do I wish I hadn’t bothered!

Have you heard me use the phrase “the story was wafer thin” before? Well this film is the bench mark for this film. The story line is so thin even Posh Spice would be jealous! In fact you could say the film has two very short (and boring) stories sloppily put together to make a feature length crap-fest. Part one of the story follows Akshay Khanna as he tries to discover the identity of the girl that has been stalking him for the past few days, Rose played by that annoying girl from Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na. Eventually the two meet and become lovers. The second half of the film then shifts gears, the two lovers now try and hook up Paresh with his long lost lover from years gone by.

Why someone of Paresh Rawal’s calibre would do a film like this, is beyond me. On the other hand, Akshaye deserves to be in a shit film like this, because apart from his turns in Humraaz, Race and Dil Chaata Hain (none of which were single hero films) he’s not really done a lot. Even the highly over-rated Taal didn’t do much to make me like this guy. Akshaye Khanna is rubbish and so is this film. Avoid this one like the plague!

1 out of 5

My Name is Khan

One of the most anticipated films of this year happens to be Karan Johar’s latest, My Name is Khan. What’s so special about it? It is the reunion of the hit jodi, SRK and Kajol after a gap of 6 years. The film’s plot revolves around an autistic muslim played by SRK and deals with the prejudices he faces in America because of his religion. Interesting subject matter but not as interesting as the controversy that has begun before the filming has even started!

A number of Karan’s crew were refused visa’s for the USA because, get this, they were MUSLIMS! That’s right, Karan and his employees were facing the same prejudices that his character Khan faces in his movie! So what did Mr Johar do? Did he tell the Americans to do one? Nope, he copped out and replaced all his staff including drafting in Jimmy Shergill to replace a muslim actor. So, when the media hype starts to build for this one and Karan Johar tell us ‘this film is very close to my heart’, you can tell him to piss off because he’s a hypocrite!

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi

Everytime an SRK film gets released, the haters come out in full force trying to knock his film down even before it has been shown. Initial reviews of his latest film Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi were not very complimentary despite the reunion of SRK and Aditya Chopra after 8 long years. No SRK film can ever truly live up to the spectacular hype it builds prior to release, but the truth is King Khan rarely disappoints at the box office these days and RNBDJ was no different.

RDNBDJ finally got released in our local cinema so I dragged the missus along to see what all the fuss was about. Firstly the character of Surinder Sahani was brilliant, Khan played the geeky, akward man to perfection. I absolutely loved Suri's dress of shirt and trousers with trainers, I've seen so many guys wear that exact combination.

The story centres on Suri Sahani, an ordinary guy working for Punjab Power, as fate would have it, due to events beyond his control he gets to marry the girl of his dreams. The story picks up as we arrive back at Surinder's home where he must settle with a wife who does not love him, yet he loves her whole heartedly despite only having met her days before their wedding. Being the man he is, Suri struggles to express his feelings to his new wife who is still nursing her own wounds. As the days go by, Suri and Thaani fall in to a lifeless routine, until a dance competition sparks Thaani's interest, she asks Suri's permission to go and he agrees. Suri realises that if he is to ever get Thaani to love him he must change his whole persona. With the help of his best friend Bobby Khosla, Suri becomes Raj and sets out to make his wife smile again.

As mentioned before, Shahrukh is wonderful in his role as the socially inept Suri and his potrayal of Raj is one of self procrastination. Many have commented that they hated the inclusion of Raj, but personally i feel that his role was essential to the story. Newcomer Anushka is solid on her debut alongside the Badshah, she's beautiful but still maintains the girl next door simplicity. Vinay Pathak was the only other notable character in the film, he did a great job as the outrageous Bobby.
If you love SRK, you will love this film, if you're a romantic at heart, you will love this film. If you're looking for light entertainment, you will love this film. If you like Aamir Khan, you will hate this film!

Hum hain rahi pyar ke, phir milenge, chalte chalte!

3.5 out of 5

Express Review - Taare Zameen Par

Cast: Aamir Khan, Darsheel Safary

I have to admit, one of the biggest films of the year 2007 and I couldn't be bothered to watch it! I think a mixture of subject matter and Amir Khan's odd movie choices (I'm thinking Mangal Pandey) put me off despite the rave reviews. Suffering from insomnia and bored of the masala genre I decided to pop the DVD in one evening.

The story is largely based on Ishant, a buck toothed youngster with behavioural problems. A constant thorn in his fathers side, Ishant is sent away to boarding school after one too many misdemeanours. Ishant struggles to cope with life at the school and becomes depressed and withdrawn which draws him to the attention of the new relief art teacher - Ram played by Amir Khan. Ram quickly realises that Ishant suffers from dyslexia and goes about helping the child and proving to everyone that every child is special (see how I wove in the tag line of the film there?!).

The Good: Darsheel Safary is fantastic as the much maligned Ishant, he carries the entire first half of the film on his own as we get to see inside his creative mind whilst feeling his pain when he is unable to connect with his elders and his peers.

The Bad: There were very few flaws in this films (it's not often I say that!)

Verdict: A wonderful story based on a subject that many people would not even have heard of had it not been for this film, which for a country like India is great. As I've mentioned already, the young Darsheel Safary was excellent and Aamir Khan was accomplished in his role. The thing I really liked about this was the fact that the big superstar did not try and over shadow his young co-star. Had this film not had the star power of Khan it would have flopped, can you imagine this starring Suniel Shetty or Fardeen Khan?!

A great film, a change from the usual masala fare and something you can happily watch with the family.

4.5/5