Analysing films

Coming back to writing a piece after a very long time. I think about 3 months. Unfortunately, there was not a single film worth mention that released between now and September that is worth a shot. For that matter there is nothing in 2013 that is actually worth a mention. There were so MANY films and so much of hype and so much of marketing built around these films, but each one was a disappointment and perhaps a bigger one preceding the other. We come to that in a recap of 2013, probably as a next piece. But for now, it is Dhoom 3. What to write? What to say? Frame after frame it is Aamir Khan and not one but two, did I give out the suspense? Well nothing much in giving it away, as there is nothing at stake in the movie to give it away. YRF, Vijay Krishna Acharya, and everybody involved in the process of making the movie seems more enamored than anything else with the lead star. Makes you feel bad for Jai Dikshit and Ali. And as luck would have it, the only parts of the movie wh

Came out of the cinema hall confused, dazed, stifled and little stretched, trying to decipher which part of India did we see through the eyes of the fabled Director, of Band Bajaa and Baraat fame. Infact, after this movie I make a promise to myself, not to do a mad rush in the name of the Director (more so after his/her first movie was a runaway hit or a nice decent movie to watch) and then thoroughly feel let down. This has happened to me at least thrice or probably four times or could be more. Shudh Desi Romance, fumbles from the start itself, where the boy (Sushant as Raghu or is it Raghuram) in question is off to marry  the girl (Vaani Kapoor as Tara) in  a non-descript town in Rajasthan. Along  side him travelling is the party spoiler, Gayatri (Parineeti Chopra), his so called elder sister (hmmm!). In a highly testosterone charged atmosphere Gayatri subconsciously plays a spoil sport and is the reason (was it the kiss or the conversation or the simple charm) for the boy to

Over the weekend amongst a host of unproductive things done, managed to do something productive- could watch Madras Cafe. Summed up in a line: Parts of the movie done well, but parts needed re-work. I am not a cinema expert in the true sense, but a connoisseur definitely. Therefore I went into the cinema with a lot of expectation, especially with Shoojit's last outing, Vicky Donor, being an absolute delight. Where does Madras Cafe score, the plot overall, definitely was spot on, the characters, particularly that of Prakash Belwadi and John (John I always thought was good in dark, gritty, brooding, action oriented roles, remember Force and Karam, it is comedy where he fumbles and badly) looked good, the locations and the detailing overall was very very authentic. The climax and the bombing of the election rally was extremely well crafted. The overall dark, brooding and the lighting of the film lent an overall tension and a trifle banality to the film. However, there were parts w

One of the major challenges that directors face is when they carry the baggage of a superstar and have to deliver what they are best at. Rohit's tryst with comedy and action is well known and so also is his timing. His Zameen to Golmaal 3 has been one long journey, but they all seem to carry his distinct trademark stamp. Chennai Express, fails here miserably. We all went with a sense of anticipation and an element of trepidation too. With big stars like the Shahrukh and Depeeka, can he deliver. I think the baggage was heavy and Rohit lost the plot somewhere midway. It could have been a nice plot started nicely and in between Chennai Express became a local train and stopped mid way into too many number of stations. MAKING THE JOURNEY DRAB AT A POINT... The journey starts well with Deepika's entrance being mint fresh and bringing a sense of bravado to the character. She seemed to be in her elements through the movie and never did she once seem to trip on it. Shahrukh, unfo

Carrying forward the brouhaha and hype on the 100 years of Indian cinema, I try and chip in my bit here. From the days of Raja Harishchandra to circa 2013, yes we have traveled quite a distance. Distances through technology, genre, approach and reflection of the society. Yet, the one thing that has remained constant, cinema has entertained us. We have laughed, cried, felt, and at times copied our silver screen avatars. From the days of silent movies to the talkies and then from black and white to colour, and with advances in sound, editing, color, film promotion and publicity, corporatism of the industry there have been several highs. Yet it does not come with it's lows too. Stories of stars like Parveen Babi or Rajesh Khanna or Meena Kumari, Smita Patil or Sanjeev Kumar or Madhubala or Guru Dutt, the list is endless, who have died a tragic death and have lived a life of mostly melancholy. So the industry can be unforgiving too. Yet the medium

Managed to see the movie finally. In a limited words, very honest and laborious attempt, which shows in every frame of the movie. Starting from the pre-release hype about Farhaan's attempt on shaping the body (a la the original Milkha Singh, which I doubt was like this, as Milka the original looked skinny), to the talks of his training and then eventually the behind the scenes of the movie. The involvement of the real Milkha Singh was, Prasoon Joshi, Rakesh Mehra (still carrying the Rang De Basaanti makeover, in a cameo as the pilot of the aircraft carrying Milkha and team to Melbourne) and the frame does not get any bigger than this. It was the perfect biography and ode to one of the few genuine athletes' that modern and Indian sports has seen. Also after the success of Paan Singh Tomar there was a lot of hype and expectations too. Pity! It could not live up to the expectations that the hype it had created. Why? The movie was a tad longer than required (3+ hours, phewww!)

Managed to watch D-Day. In these days of Multiplex cinema, to watch a movie with the entire family, and that too over the weekend, you are down by Rs. 2500+ popcorn and cold drinks, so 3500/- Rs. gone and if the movie is a let down, then you not only curse the movie and so also curse yourself of shelling out 3500/- for a trash. With D-Day that is pretty much the case, what could have been a 1 1/2 hour tight crisp and edgy movie, went on to be a 2 1 /2 + hour long ordeal. What could have finished by interval and left audience wanting for more, was needlessly and aimlessly harked on for 1+ hour. That extra one hour was an extension of the past baggage that most directors of today (leave aside a few here and there) carry or rather haunts or should I say puts them in dilemma. The classic case of emotion, drama, farz, karz, marz,...running high and leaving the audience asking for once to stop it and go home. The pre-interval phase was what could have been where Arjun Rampal's chara

I know it is quite late in the day to be doing a take on the mercurial and talented Rituporno (known to many as Ritu Da, hence I took the liberty of calling him with the same acronym). Ritu Da’s death has been sudden and has definitely sent shock waves in both the Bengal and the Hindi film industry. He was a talent, who dared to look at cinema beyond the confines of what was stated at that point in time. Detailing, detailing and detailing, was his forte, which brought out the characters so strongly. Perhaps one of the things he seems to be inspired from Ray!    Again from the advertising background (I use again, as there are quite a few people who have made their mark coming from this background, notably Shyam Benegal, R. Balki and his wife (English Vinglish), John Mathew Mathan (Sarfarosh fame) to name a few!), he established himself very quickly in the Bengal film industry. Largely to me for two reasons, one there was big vacuum left behind after Ray, Ghatak, Mrinal Sen,

What have we had in 2013 so far, some small, some big and some really big releases. The first half, particularly Jan, Feb and March were kind of hesitant and unable to take off. Jan we had the hyped Matru Ki Bijlee...but it never captured the audience's imagination. Why? The script never really was in place. I have been closely following Vishal Bharadwaj, his genius is unquestioned. Otherwise how can one make a sheer gem like Makdee (go watch it, if you haven't)! However, he has been missing the plot in the last few outings. He seems to have got stuck in the big Bollywood name imbroglio. That will really hurt him as he decides to explore new boundaries. Look at his fantastic protege, Abhishek Chaubey and Ishquia, that saw glimpses of vintage Vishal. I have not seen Maqbool, but I understand it is a gem too, Vishal go on, where are you, explore, ponder and cultivate. Feb, managed to see a new genre in Indian cinema, not explored before, ABCD. Remo and his brand of dancin

  "It is said that Pilgrimage to Kashi will be completed only after the worship at Rameswaram besides a holy bath in Dhanushkodi at the Confluence of Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean" In the same spirit, Raanjhana is incomplete without Dhaanush, paradoxical as the setting of the movie too is Kashi. He is just effortless and expressive. Frame after frame he captures every moment leaving very little for Sonam (who anyway is a drab) and the often mercurial and hyped Abhay Deol. They both are downsized, ironical again considering that both Abhay and Sonam are taller than him. The movie starts on a note which quickly lays the edifice to the movie. The energy of the protagonist, the never ending zeal and quest of the character Kundan (Dhaanush) to get his girl Zoya (Sonam). Religion, caste or creed is completely inconsequential for him. To add to this frenzy are Dhanush's childhood friends, superbly played by Zeeshan and Swara Bhaskar. These three in the first 15 minutes

 A dance film in India! 20 years or even 5 years back would have raised eyebrows. Not today! Whom to thank for that. Well you can start with Boogie Woogie, then the slew of dance reality shows that emerged in mid 2000 from Nach baliye, Jhalak Dikhla Jaa, Dance India Dance (DID)... The list is endless, but what it has definitely done? Raised an entire generations's awareness and interest in Dance. The movie takes off from where these dance shows have left off through TV. The canvas is broader, the frame is bigger and yes, you have Prabhudeva, Saroj Khan, Ganesh Acharya and Remo D'Souza. Add to that a sprinkling of the DID past winners and not to miss Laurien Gattlieb (from the So you think you can dance fame). What are the pluses! Actually you have to love dance ( I do that!) to like the movie  which is the first criteria of the movie.  A nice good package of dance, dance and Prabhudeva. He has one act in the movie (wish we could see more of him) and we know why he is the

I did manage to see the two Oscar nominations, of this year- Argo and Zero Dark Thirty. I thought, in short both are over hyped movies. Why? read on! Let me first take on the more hyped Zero Dark Thirty. Catherine Bigelow has for quite some time been staking claim; this is not a documentary and is more a feature film from the perspective of the protagonist, Maya (Jessica Chastain). Several classified documents from the CIA seems to have been ravelled through to produce the film. What does not strike with the movie? Quite predictable and each scene spills the outcome of the next. Typically, with films of these genres where the final outcome is know the process is important. For instance in a movie like "All the President's Men" or "Kennedy" the final outcome is known, the Watergate Scandal and the assassination of President Kennedy respectively. However, in both cases there is a painstaking attempt to make the movie evolve and make viewers run thro