Harindran Oru Nishkalangan – Well intentioned, but not convincing

How does pace affect narration? You may say sluggish pace can kill our interest. But here, in the new Vinayan flick, ‘Harindran Oru Nishkalangan’, the pace kills the interest. The film’s excessively paced narrative hampers the flow. Despite committed performances from the principal actors, the film leaves a spiritless yarn at times. No shot in the film lasts for more than a few seconds, particularly in the first half. Yet there’s stillness to this film, which hinders the indulgence. The film is devised as an eye-opener into the fate of those who are falsely accused, primarily by media just because they are rich or assume powerful positions, leading to the destruction of their personal lives. Can a young IT entrepreneur, who runs business worth crores of rupees, outwit a bunch of media crooks and his own deceiving henchman who are interested only in his money and prestige? The question is more to the ongoing media activities and the clashes which are solely aimed to grab and plant news rather than to investigate the truth. Indrajith plays the title character Hareendran Varma, a young IT businessman who runs Starlite, a hundred-crore business establishment. He is supported in all his endeavors by his old friend Gopalakrishnan (Jayasuriya). Both of them, who like fast life, had a plenty of differences in characters. But the sole aim of making it big in life propelled them through their differences. Popularly known as G K, Gopalakrishanan is a crude entrepreneur who dreams of becoming the executive director of the firm some day. He wants to be a millionaire and he has his own theories of survival for making it big. He carefully hatches plans to achieve his motives, without anyone’s knowledge. The film opens in flashback mode as Hareendran, being the second accused in a murder, is acquitted by the court and the prime accused is given a death sentence. Harindran, on the day of the hanging of the prime convict, tells his story to the viewers about how he got enmeshed in such troubles. A city slicker, and software pro to boot, Hareendran agrees to his mother to marry Indhu, the only daughter of another business big wheel Krishnan Nair. Hari even meets Indhu (Bhama) and falls instantly in love with her, who on the other hand is the heartthrob of Alex, a young political activist from ordinary backgrounds, who studies with her and lives by his ideals. G K had a crush on Pooja (Sherin) a stylish hotel singer, and the only daughter of Gulf-returned businessman Vasudevan (Jagathy), who has turned out to be a full time drunkard in the recent days. G K goes to any extent to achieve his dreams and even uses his lady love to scheme and plot to corner Hareendran and to get himself promoted to the directorship. Hareendran, on the other hand, doesn’t know what is happening behind his back. On the day of the marriage of Hareendran with Indhu, Alex who was missing for some days, comes up and takes Indhu with him. This shatters Hareendran, who is otherwise a proud person, living among the riches. He then turns into a full-time drunkard with little interest in his business. And in the following days, one among the group is found brutally murdered and all doubts fall on Hareendran. Then, the film moves on to the investigative genre, to finally bring out the real culprit. Vinayan is trying to tell the story of erosion of ideals among a young generation who loves to live every moment of their life, accumulating money through any means. It also deals with the fate of people who are accused of having committed a crime only because they are having money and are in the upper strata of the society. Taking the plot from a short story, developed by his son Vishnu Vijayan for a tele-film, Vinayan fails to bring to the narrative a level of intensity that’s perhaps lacking in the presentation on the whole. There’s too much left back that’s frozen in the scheme of racing it to the finals. And even the preachy climax could have been much more impact, if it had come to a halt two or three shots back. Indrajith and Jayasuriya are in ease portraying Hareendran and G K. Indrajith, once again appears prospective in a number of scenes where he appears drunk and mentally unstable while Manikkutan as Alex and Bala as the investigative officer Rajan Joseph, makes a mature cameo. Sherin hardly suits the role while Bhama as Indhu overacts. The production values are also nothing to rave about. Interestingly, the plot also deters to keep the actual suspense and leads to the crisis to build up. When the murder occurs we are not whisked away and are more or less prepared to name the culprit. The film could have been effective, if it was told the alternate way, avoiding the leads to the entire commotion, and then we could have been made to leave the theatres with a “wow”. With no heart and feel in the treatment, it is simply an attempt to cook up a movie in all the genres that are popular now, taking even a half baked  mood from ‘Nadhiya’ and ‘Arabikkatha’. The songs in the movie also don’t work for the film. Berny Ignatious, in their return, give nothing good to the movie. As with the movie, in the songs also editor G Murali makes crude cuts to make it annoyingly racy. Venugopalan behind the camera too, doesn’t have much to salvage the film. To sum it up, the beginning was appealing, the middle is flaccid and the ending is passable. That’s how you feel after a tottering two hours and ten minutes.

Orata – I Love You – It is gripping

Director Sri has worked hard to keep the attention of the audience tight through the screenplay in his very first venture. That is the main saving grace of this tragic love story ‘Orata…I love you’.

The lead player’s inexperience has been a hitch for this film which is like body devoid of breath. Lovely tunes and perfect photography adds a little to the film. The focal point is washed-out.

What happens when a ruffian with no education, civilization but good heart falls in love for the first time? He falls at her feet and begs her for love. Yes. This is what happens in the film. Begging for love to his love!

The rejection of love his obviously leads him to depression but the warmth of his love is in tact with the hero. He saves her humility gives shelter for her but he is not ready to tell ‘I Love You’ at that moment of time.

The situation changes now for the heroine Kavya. She wants to say ‘I love you’ for Varada. But’ she decides to express it after her studies. In the combat it was the old settling of scores that Varada faces from don Kencha, when the politician he helped in the election deceives him. Varada faces the boulder shock. He is badly beaten. He wants to declare himself dead. His friends agree to do so. It is because Varada wants to live in seclusion in a far of place. Destiny does not allow it to happen. Kavya looking at this falls sick. What happens later in the climax is another twist in the film.

In his debut Prashanth has worked very hard but that is not so convincing. His dialogue delivery is aping that of Shanker Nag. The requisite anger has not come out from him. Sowmya as heroine making debut is good for second heroine roles. Height is another problem with her. Avinash, Satyajith and Shobaraj have done the similar roles in the past too.

GR Shanker the debutant music director has the tang for melody. Suresh Babu’s camera is ample.

Scoring – 6/10

Right Adhre – Novel Attempt! ( K )

What best you can expect from a television serial director Sharavana is there in this film. The clever handling of four track of narration, novelty here and there in dialogues, at the interval point and at the climax makes you sit through and watch this film. A newcomer to big screen Sharavana is supported very well by Shivasamaya who has written the story, screenplay and dialogues for the film. There are some good song numbers and lighting and camera work for this film is adequate.

There are four groups in this film each one is not connected. But all of them have their own problems and pressures in life. John is in love with Pallavi but she is floored for porno CD. The cameraman on bed with Pallavi hurts innocent John that makes him to commit suicide. Pallavi despite of being a part of pornography takes courage and says both good and bad people have right to live on earth.

The Poornima and Soori both residing in hut have different kind of story. Soori taking care of his dumb mother is educating Poornima from his black ticket selling. He has no expectation in his life from Poornima. That is a pure friendship but people looking at them misunderstand.

Uma daughter of politician and careless mother is disturbed when her mother runs away with the car driver. She likes Shiva who is a boozer. She tames him gradually and the two have neat understanding.

Dhanya and Brihaspathi are teenage lovers. They are at the school education opposed by the respective parents. They elope to a far of place and realize their flaws. They come back for a good reception by the respective parents.

Showing the problem and giving solution to it is what director Sharavana has done in his maiden film. In the narration and dialogues he wins the hearts of common audience. It is catering to all sections of people in the society. Poornima and Soori pair is what very convincing among all. Next is Uma and Shiva pair. The teenage Dhanya and Brihaspathi evoke laughter and the right thinking they make is a relief to elders watching this film. The bedroom scenes of Sangeetha Shetty and Harish Rai could have avoided. Thara and Ramesh Bhat are apt for the roles.

”Bhoomiyantholu…” sung by SPB, “Preethi Preethi Guttu..” sung by Hariharan, “Nenenenedhu nenepu….” by Neel and Anuma and peppy song for drunkards “Kudkondu Thuradkondu…” sung by LN Sastry, Gururaj Hoskote, Raju Ananthaswamy and Channaveer Bidar are well tuned by music director Neel in his debut.

Manohar in his cinematography gives the right mood via lighting for the film.

Banner:	Sri Mahalakshmi Talkies
Cast:	Mohan, Sunil, Satya, Bhavya, Sangeetha Shetty, Preethi, Priyanka, Thara, Ramesh Bhat, Haish Rai, Karibasavaish, Ashok Rao
Direction:	Sharavana
Production:	B.N.Srinivas
Music:	Neel

 

Dosar

Rituparno Ghosh’s latest Bengali venture “Dosar” (The Companion)” is a poignant film that takes a different approach to the much-dealt with subject of infidelity.The film, screened in Delhi as the inaugural of the first Habitat Film Festival, is set in 21st-century urban  culcutta.

The film starts with the male protagonist Kaushik, played by Prosenjit Chatterjee, enjoying a weekend getaway with his colleague-cum-lady love.

The sojourn ends with a car accident, leaving her dead and him in a critical condition while exposing their extra-marital affair.

His wife Kaberi (beautifully portrayed by Konkana Sensharma) rushes to the hospital and is overcome with agony and anger combined with grief.

The storyline seems simple but what sets it apart is the treatment and screenplay. The attempt to capture a 21st century setting in black and white film is definitely a bold step – a positive risk taken by both the director and the producer – Planman Motion Pictures.

This textural treatment also enables the wonderful interplay of light and shade and highlights the grey shades of all human relations and emotions.

While the wife in Kaberi wants to see Kaushik healthy again, the strong feminist in her hates the idea of nursing the man who has betrayed her.

Ghosh looks at Kaberi’s struggle both outside and inside herself. It is as though her whole world has fallen apart in front of her eyes.

She often threatens divorce but ultimately is overpowered by the wife in her and cannot desist fulfilling her duties towards her husband at the time of crisis.

On the other hand, Kaushik too is caught in his own predicament. The physical and mental trauma caused by the accident are portrayed with great skill and subtlety by Prosenjit. He has to not only come to terms with the loss of a loved one but is faced with the daunting task of winning back his wife’s trust.

The lilting background score and the extensive use of Bengali poetry enhances the depiction of the complex human emotions.

What mars the sensitivity of the film are the unnecessary, almost-crass sex scenes. These could very well have been avoided. And finally, despite a fresh approach to the subject, the film fails to break socio-familial stereotypes.

Godava – Misleading title and a lost mission

What happens when an ace director turns producer for his son’s debut film? Well, you would expect a rather scintillating fare. But without sounding too filmi, we can safely say that father’s love seems to have taken over the rational side of a once successful director. So what one ends up getting is a hotch-potch of a lot of films in an attempt to ensure a grand Tollywood entry for his son. The blame, however, cannot go to Vaibhav as a debut film is totally a director’s film. In this case, his own father A Kodandarami Reddy, who had directed some of the most successful of the ’80s with Chiranjeevi and Balakrishna.

However, he has since taken a break from the industry and the rustiness seems to show, despite his best attempts at showing off his son in the best possible manner.

Like all debut films from yore and probably in the years to come, Godava too is a love story. Talk of misleading titles! It is the story of two college students, Balu (Vaibhav) and Anjali (Shraddha Arya). Surprisingly, what is socially gross is sometimes misinterpreted as being cute in films. So, we have a heroine who is a habitual bottom pincher. If you think that is some variety from the skirt-chasing heroes. After all, the hero is a rather straight forward guy who does not believe in the concept of love.

Naturally, it becomes Anjali’s mission to make him fall for her. So, where’s the twist? In this film, we have her father, multi-millionaire businessman (Sayaji Shinde), playing spoilsport and arranging a match for her. Our dear heroine is heart-broken and convinces the hero to at least act that he is in love with her for three months. Well, it is predictable that within three months, and after many songs shot in foreign locales, Balu falls deeply in love with Anjali.

So far so good. What happens next and how the film ends is for you to watch.

In all, the film is a major letdown given that it is from Kodandarami Reddy. The fact that he is directing a film after so long has generated a lot of hype for the film and he too seemed quite confident giving the many telly interviews before the release. But somewhere along the line, he seems to have taken the ‘film-minus-the-proper script’ policy of the present Telugu industry a bit too seriously. How else can once explain the film’s poor storyline? It is really very disappointing coming from such a veteran and respected director of the industry.

As for Vaibhav, we must give him credit for doing his homework. Though he does not score much in the looks department, he tries to make up with his dances and action shots. At least he makes an honest effort to infuse energy into his character. Shraddha Arya bares enough skin to put most item girls to shame. Well, if you are cast opposite a debuting hero, then it’s expected probably. Sayaji Shinde needs a voice-over badly. Though his heavy Hindi accent is okay if he is playing a villain, it lacks the clarity for other characters, as is the case with this film.

Martand K Venkatesh is the editor likes scores of films these days. The cinematographer Dinesh too puts in his share to make the new pair look their best. But like we have already said, it’s the script that really fails them. The comedy track too is badly conceived. However, Mani Sarma’s music is only saving grace.

In all, one can only feel bad for the ace director as Kodandarami Reddy fails his son in his maiden film. Though not intentional, his earlier success leaves one judgemental about his current film and surely his 93rd film is not in the league of his earlier films.

Yet again, if you want to watch a new lead pair, just check out Godava!

Cast: Vaibhav, Shraddha Arya, Sayaji Shinde, Sunil, Brahmanandam, Chalapati Rao and others

Banner:	K Films
Cast:	Vaibhav, Shraddha Arya
Direction:	A. Kodandarami Reddy
Production:	A. Bharathi
Music:	Mani Sharma

Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal – One more sports anthem in 2007

‘Dhan Dhana Dhan Karenge Goal’ – The tune is everywhere. Be it the opening moments of the film when it plays on subtly in the background as the flop-brigade of Southall football club comprising of men from Indian, Pakistani and Bangaldeshi origin try to find their bearings. Be it the moments when their slightly pot bellied coach – Boman Irani – with an agile mind, precise reasoning and love for the game tries to infuse some self respect into them more than skills.

Be it the time when the team comes together to create this anthem and fine tune the rough edges while traveling in a privately owned bus that that may have been rampaged in World War II. Be it the time when the team members come together, and come together in the true sense, for the first time in a league match and sing the anthem with their eyes closed and fists locked. And be it the time when they start tasting success for the first time, only to take it forward till the grand finale.

The theme is special because the team led by Arshad Warsi has never felt how a win looks like. This is the reason why they concentrate more on defense rather than attack. Because their eyes are always set on saving that goal rather than scoring one. And the only man who could reverse the fortune is John Abraham, a BBFCD i.e. British Born and Forced to be Confused Desi, whose heart pines for playing with the ‘gora’ team.

This is where the racism angle is brought in which is not so subtle but also not so on-the-face that it diverts a viewer’s attention from the theme of sports, self-respect and international integration. In fact this is one area where director Vivek Agnihotri needs a pat on his back as he brings forth the issue of racism when it comes to brown skin but keeps it well integrated as a part of the script rather than making it look artificial and gimmicky.

Coming back to ‘Goal’, it is it’s setting which succeeds in giving a different color to the film. As the film is entirely set in UK, there is a certain international look and feel to the proceedings even when it comes to locations, costumes and accent. Most of the film is shot in real locations due to which football grounds, clubs, apartments, bars and other shops lend an authentic touch to the narrative.

To think of it, ‘Goal’ primarily works as an entertainer even with ingredients like sports, international integration, racism etc. involved. The film maintains it’s consistent graph and there isn’t any demarcation of first half v/s second half. The film moves on at the same rate for close to 2 hours with last 15-20 minutes showing a peak (expectedly).

The film requires a build up to the proceedings and all of this happens at a decent pace while interlaced with some light humor. There are jokes being shared between team members of different origins but none being below the belt. Subtle moments of naughty romance between John and Bipasha is held well too which works due to it’s simplicity. Watch out for that locker room conversation between the duo! In fact Arshad’s possessiveness for his sister Bipasha, his insecurity about her falling for John, his own bedroom conversation with John in a drunken state – all of this leads to some sugar-sweet chuckles which the audience doesn’t mind in between all the league matches being played.

All this while, the film doesn’t loose focus to the core issue of a flop team turning into a super-force. There are no lectures on motivation or leadership or ‘desh-bhakti’ which bring a turnaround. It is instead a round to Manchester United and a brief reference to their glorious past coupled with Boman’s ‘look-at-the-mirror’ conversation which does the trick. In fact this scene at the interval is one of the major highlights.

Performances are pretty even in ‘Goal’. It would be wrong to call either of John or Arshad to be THE hero in the film. Both of them have equal roles in the film and they are in true sense parallel leads. They get to perform on well etched roles and come up trumps. Arshad gives yet another fine performance in a serious role after ‘Sehar’. On the other hand John completely looks the part as a young footballer who has to balance between his love for sports and the goodies which come along with it.

Ever dependable Boman is good yet again and it is nice to see him coming up with a composed performance sans any exaggerated expressions. Watch out for his subdued anger when a fight amongst team members breaks down in the locker room! Dilip Tahil, who is now seen occasionally in films, is impressive as a sports commentator cum player broker. The ladies who play Arshad’s wife and the British officer fit the part well. Raj Zutshi comes up with one of his best performance while not being predictably hammy (as he is in most of his films). Kushal Punjabi is nice while the young man who plays Bangladeshi migrant is good.

“Hum Kaun Hai Hum Kya Hain Duniya Ko Bataenge….Dhan Dhana Dhan Dhan Karege Goal” – If there is one theme song which deserves to be blazing across all sports channels now, it has to be this. Yes, the Salim-Sulaiman tune for ‘Chak De India’, which has reached the anthem status, continues to be favorite but Pritam-Daler Mehendi combination for ‘Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal’ works in a big way too. And how!!

Rating: ***1/2

 

Banner:	UTV Motion Pictures
Cast:	John Abraham, Naveen Andrews, Bipasha Basu, Arshad Warsi, Raj Zutshi Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Boman Irani, Kushal Punjabi, Dilip Tahil
Direction:	Vivek Agnihotri
Production:	Ronnie Screwvala
Music:	Pritam Chakraborty

 

Aaja Nachle – MADHURI MAGIC

She’s back in all her glory. The magic and the mystique is unfurled in full potency as the last Diva of Hindi cinema – Madhuri Dixit – zooms in with a tailor-made role as Dia in this film. In fact, few films in the busiest phase of her career were as perfectly tailored to a mix of the real and reel Madhuri.

It is impossible to separate the film from Dixit in the broader sense of the term. Not only does Madhuri give the role her all (and that’s really saying something!) but Jaideep Sahni substitutes as the hero in this film that has no lead actor! For without pandering to the lowest common denominator, Jaideep spins a screenplay and writes lines and lyrics that instantly connect across the complete audience spectrum.

Aaja Nachle is in a way Chak De! India with Indian fine arts replacing hockey. Check the similarities – the disgrace of the protagonist in her hometown due to no fault of hers, her exit and her determination to remove the stigma attached – and the final victory. In the last film (also scripted by Jaideep for YRF and another superstar) it was about the nation as well as vindicating the hero’s honour. Here it is about waking up the town to its own potential – Dia could not care less what the people feel about her.

The refreshing part of Aaja… is the complete lack of melodrama. As in similar films like Lagaan, Iqbal and of course Chak De…, the path to victory is beset with not just hurdles but also defeats. But the element of luck is removed almost entirely, though because of this the film seems a shade tame and less dramatic even if in a way even more believable.

And so the film delivers – and how! Dia (Madhuri) returns to Shamli, her hometown, from where she had run away with an American boyfriend who turns out to be a cad. It was her dance and music guru (Darshan Jariwala) who had encouraged her to make her own choices, even at the cost of his school going into decay when the disapproving town stops their children from joining it after Dia had eloped.

Eleven years later, Dia is running her own dance school in New York, divorced and with a daughter. And a call comes – her guru is dying, and if she does not do something, Ajanta will be razed to make way for a shopping complex.

Dia returns to Shamli to obvious hostility. She meets the MP responsible (Akshaye Khanna in the cameo of an endearing bad boy) and strikes a deal – in two months, she has to present the mother of all shows with a troupe made up of the town folk, in which case the school can be saved. Obviously, any seasoned film buff knows that she will succeed. But how she does is what the engrossing film is all about.

There are no rules in this feel-good triumph-of-spirit tale. The MP is young, educated, makes pizza and is principled. His political foe is also a man with a soft side, whose chief hoodlum Imran (Kunal Kapoor) becomes Dia’s ardent supporter and the hero of her ballet. The heroine is unkempt, immature Anokhi (Konkona Sen Sharma) whose standout characteristic is her running nose!

The diverse characters are indeed interestingly etched, and if the village characters learning dance and acting in a short span is a shade unrealistic, it is all made to look convincing, and stresses the fact that within all of us, regardless of background and occupation, there lies a hidden artiste who can do so much for preserving our cultural treasure.

The sets (Sukant Panigrahy, Fali Unwala) do not look too artificial, and the choreography (Vaibhavi Merchant) is a shrewd mix of modern and traditional. Anil Mehta’s direction is artless – you do not realize that a director too is around for the film – and therein perhaps is his triumph. The camerawork (Mohanan) is skilled, but the songs and background score could have been more evocative and creative and less cluttered and obtrusive.

Madhuri Dixit is of course a dynamo of terrific emoting, superb dancing and amazing expressions and body language. Kunal is good even if miscast but Konkona though competent seems unambitious in her role.

Divya Dutta and Irrfan Khan are their usual selves. But Ranvir Shorey as Dia’s silent lover, Vinay Pathak and Sushmita Mukherjee as the new occupants of Dia’s old house, Akhilendra Mishra as the rival politician and Yashpal Sharma as the cop are superb. Akshaye Khanna’s performance is truly accomplished for a basically far-fetched character.

So does Madhuri succeed in her comeback? And does the film make it? The answer to both, happily, is a resounding “Yes!”. So don’t waste time. Book your ticket for the new Madhuri show. Come on folks, Aaja Nachle.

Rating: ***1/2

 

Banner:	Yash Raj Films
Cast:	Madhuri Dixit,Akshaye Khanna,Konkona Sen Sharma,Kunal Kapoor,Ranvir Shorey,Irrfan Khan,Divya Dutta
Direction:	Anil Mehta
Production:	Aditya Chopra
Music:	Salim Merchant, Sulaiman Merchant

 

Khoya Khoya Chand – LOST CAUSE

The film is set between 1953 and 1965. Junior artiste Nikhat (Soha Ali Khan) goes through multiple casting couches from the age of 14 till she catches the attention of top star Prem Kumar (Rajat Kapoor) who gets her a big break. He also patronizes Zafar (Shiney Ahuja), a writer from an aristocrat family that has fallen on bad days thanks to his debauched father, whom Zafar could not forgive even on the latter’s deathbed.

Zafar ‘repairs’ a script that Prem Kumar is sure will be a disaster and becomes Prem’s favourite, and this film (with Nikhat) proves a hit, bringing out the worst in top heroine Ratna (Sonya Jehan) who becomes terribly insecure. But due to constant interaction Nikhat and Zafar come close and get into a relationship. Considering Nikhat like his property, Prem is livid and drops them both from his new film. But the director quits Prem’s film, signs Nikhat and Zafar and delivers a hit.

After that comes turbulence. Zafar wants to film his life’s traumatic story and turn director. His marriage to Nikhat has been called off due to the latter’s commitments and she opts out of his film too. Zafar signs Ratna but the film bombs. Nikhat goes back to Prem and a film is signed. But she starts drinking. A whole lot of confusing reels later, she dies – of a hole in the heart! But not before Zafar directs his own triangular love saga with (once again) Prem Kumar and Nikhat in their real-life roles, and exorcises the ghost of his father haunting him for not having forgiven him. And the show goes on…

Every story should have a purpose (not necessarily a message) and direction. But Sudhir Mishra’s story and script seem directionless and pointless. What is he trying to project in this film? Is this just an indulgent tribute to cinema of the past? If that’s so, the detailing is authentic and the caricature characters are well-etched (especially the Punjabi producer stereotype and the Bengali director). The sets, the costumes, make-ups, sets and the sets shown within and of course the songs (great job by Shantanu Moitra but hardly exploited in the film) and background score (Shantanu again) are well-researched and apt. And yes, the lyrics (Swanand Kirkire) are outstanding.

But as a human drama, as a look at the lives of junior artistes, top stars and the workings of the film world, this film works only partly. You can, for example, empathize with Nikhat throwing stones at the cad producer to whom she lost her virginity at 14, but the Zafar-father angle sucks and is overdrawn. The twists and turns in who has broken off and patched up or is sleeping with whom become confusing and frankly, by that time, you do not care.

The attempt to make Nikhat have shades of Meena Kumari (alcoholism, fragmented multiple relationships), Madhubala (a  hole in the heart and a sob story) and a traumatic past fails, partly because Soha Ali Khan lacks the maturity to bring in the nuances but mainly because of the poor script that fails to evoke sympathy for its protagonists.

If Mishra’s script (barring some excellent spoken lines and parts of the first half of the film) is disappointing, his directorial expertise is erratic and there are few punches. The editing (Archit D.Rastogi and Ruchi Narain) vacillates between jerky (suggesting over-shooting) and soporific and the second half is tedious where one keeps expecting the film to end for a full twenty minutes before it does.

Another handicap is the miscasting. Once again, the role of Nikhat needed a more experienced artiste even if Soha tries her best and does justice to several sequences. Shiney is dull (pun intended) and beyond a point (say the first 30 minutes) his monotone, single junkie-like expression and non-performance begin to grate. Rajat Kapur hams, as he is meant to. But he can in no way epitomize a top star. Sonya surprisingly makes a mark, Sourabh Shukla hams too, and the rest of the cast is strictly average.

But Vinay Pathak is wasted, just like the time we spend going to the movie hall, watching the film and coming home, when we could spent it in more fruitful ways, like revisiting classics like Kaagaz Ke Phool (also based on the film industry) or any great films of the past.

Rating:**

 

Banner:	Holi Cow Pictures
Cast:	Shiny Ahuja,Soha Ali Khan,Soniya Jehan,Rajat Kapoor,Vinay Pathak,Sushmita Mukherjee,Dipannita Sharma
Direction:	Sudhir Mishra
Production:	Prakash Jha
Music:	Shantanu Moitra

 

Dus Kahaniyaan – SURPRISE PACKAGE

They have pulled it off. Ten stories, each self-sufficient and completely diverse, yet almost always with a twist in the tale, are woven into one 100-minute film. Obviously in such a case, all stories cannot be bad, and all cannot be great either. But Gupta scores high in almost all of them, and in any case every one of them has at least one or two aspects to recommend.

Ram Gopal Varma tried something like this in Darna Mana Hai in 2003 and Darna Zaroori Hai in 2006, but all the stories there were about either crime or the supernatural. Here the sequence does not matter for the subjects range from intrigue, horror, the supernatural in another sense, crime and even social and rural sagas. There are messages in some sagas, pure entertainment in others and one episode is also a shade melodramatic.

Gupta dresses up every film with state-of-the-art camerawork, simple and lucid storytelling and exotic production values. Each of the ten films have separate but sometimes overlapping teams in writing, cinematography, production design and background music, but Bunty Nagi’s sharp scissors keep things uniformly crisp.  

Since the stories and plots are best left undisclosed to maintain the audience’s curiosity quotient, this review will just spotlight the key points of each saga. The 10-film movie begins with Matrimony, a subtle satire on today’s high-society marriages of convenience. A terrific beginning to the series, it boasts of a fabulous script and a fine performance from Mandira Bedi.

The next is the darkest of the lot, and is about the ironies of life. High On The Highway aptly casts Jimmy Sheirgill and Masumeh, whose forte has always been esoteric cinema. Hansal Mehta’s almost noir narration also underscores the insecurity and bohemian lifestyles of today’s urban aspirants.

Pooranmashi, a truly literary work from Punjab, has a humdinger of a climax, and Amrita Singh outdoes herself as the star-crossed woman who has tried being an ideal wife and mother to a daughter who loves her – as it turns out – too much. Director Meghna Gulzar gets into the Punjabi ethos perfectly.

Sanjay Gupta’s Strangers In The Night and Zahir are undeniably the finest in this pack and prove the ‘dark’ director’s sheer versatility. While the former comes across as dark but proves the most heart-tugging in the list, the latter affects you deep somewhere due to the second of its two twists in the last few minutes. Brilliantly written, they both also boast of sterling performances from Mahesh Manjrekar and Neha Dhupia and Dia Mirza and Manoj Bajpai respectively. e two beauty queens especially are really evolving as actors.

The post-intermission stories have bigger stars but on the whole lesser substance. Jasmeet Dhodi makes a good directorial debut in Lovedale and joins her background music composer, cameraman and art director in creating a super atmosphere. Despite the average performances, it is the sweetest story among the lot – correction, it is the only sweet saga here.

The weakest saga is Sex On The Beach (directed by Apoorva Lakhia) which not only has a RGV hangover but is completely predictable: another story should have come in instead. Rice Plate (director: Rohit Roy) has the seasoned Shabana Azmi and Naseeruddin Shah in amazing performances but comes across as preachy and didactic.

The remaining two films are helmed by Sanjay Gupta. Gubbare is actually maudlin and has an element of triteness again. Nana Patekar is sincere but gives away the game. The predictable story is only mildly touching, largely because of Anita Hasnandani’s effective performance and Raju Singh’s evocative background score.

And Rise And Fall is stylized crime with a hint of a message – crime does not pay, but in not just one way. Sanjay F. Gupta’s camerawork mixed with visual effects add the right tones in this mildly-interesting yet off-beat track.

To sum up, Dus Kahaniyaan is a surprise package from Gupta, whose last two films (Zinda, Shootout At Lokhandwala) have also shown a decided upward graph after his earlier tepid work. It will be a pity if its unconventional content and format does not reap box-office rewards. To me, this is the most riveting watch since Jab We Met.

Oram Po – Cheerful entertainer

We rarely come across Tamil films approaching the various sections of people in a realistic manner. Belittling the marginalized segments by looking down or patronizingly portraying them is the normal practice of mainstream Tamil cinema. However, we get to see some realistic portrayals of such segments in recent days in films like Puduppettai, E, and Polladhavan. Oram Po is one such attempt.

The movie looks into the world of a section of Chennai auto rickshaw drivers as realistic as possible. The approach by debutant directors Pushkar and Gayatri is refreshingly new, as they do not look at them from outside. They make a sincere attempt to look at their lives from within.

Oram Po tells you the story of a set of auto rickshaw drivers based in Chennai in a simple and straight forward manner without any pretensions. The movie has nothing serious in its content. It provides you an engrossing experience with light hearted and enchanting sequences.

Director couple Pushkar and Gayatri makes their debutant with Oram Po, featuring Arya and Pooja in the lead roles. The couple has effectively recreated the lives and emotions of the auto rickshaw drivers. They have captured the various shades of their lives. They try to show you the lives as realistic as possible.

Chandru (Arya) and ‘Bigilu’ (Lal) are close friends. Chandru is an expert in auto race and Bigilu, a mechanic is an expert in customizing the autos to run at a dream speed of 130 km/hr.

Son of Gun (John Vijay) is the chief of rival group who wants to outsmart Chandru-Bigilu group. Chandru, the race champ tries to settle his dues for his auto through a race, which is almost a cakewalk for him. He and Bigilu challenge Son of Gun to a race. And the day for race is fixed.

Bigilu meanwhile introduces Chandru to his sister running a Biriyani shop. Chandru is attracted towards her daughter (Pooja), and woos her into his fold. The affair grows stronger and ends in sex. The care free auto driver however, is not interested in long term commitment and tells it on the face of the girl. Shocked Pooja curses him and moves away from him. The champion gets distracted on the D day because of the memories of his love affair and fails in the race. He looses his auto and later his dearest friend Bigilu, who comes to know about his affair.

The sub plot of the search for the missing diamonds by a smuggler adds flavour to the proceedings. The unpredictable and fun filled climax puts everything in order.

Arya looks credible as an auto driver but struggles to exude varied emotions demanded by various situations. His expressions are monotonous and hence tend to be boring. His expressions in the race and in wine shop sequences are impressive. He also scores in romantic sequences.

Pooja fits into the casual girl who serves Biriyani in her father’s mess. Her chemistry with Arya is good. She has enacted the romance, disappointment, and anger well.

Lal as an elderly friend to the hero gets a sumptuous role and does it convincingly. He handles the character with ease. John Vijay plays the villain cum comedian role perfectly. His presence lights up the proceedings and his handling of Nellai dialect is simply enjoyable.

Others including Vijay TV fame Jagan (Chandru’s friend), Ashwini (Chandru’s sister), and Nellai Siva are competent. The debutant director duo has avoided melodrama and sentiments. The narration is simple and smooth. The turning points are convincing. The script has avoided the routine sequences one could expect from this kind of stories. The separation and reunion of Lal and Arya are handled well.

The story has many threads like the financial problems of the protagonist, his casual love affair, the race, the tug of war between two groups, the diamond mystery, and the ups and downs of the friendship between Lal and Arya. All these threads have been deftly put together to make a neat script.

The couple has also worked hard to reproduce the lingo of the auto drivers with amazing reality. They have of course, gone overboard in using the filthy language in their pursuit for realistic portrayal. Some of the suggestive dialogues could have been easily done away with.

The music by G.V. Prakash Kumar goes with the tone of the movie. It is loud and entertaining. The background score add spice to the proceedings. ‘Nandavanathil’ song fits into the narration perfectly. The lyrics by Na. Muthukumar and the rendition by Manikka Vinayagam are impressive. The item song is enticing in terms of picturization and music as well. Alka Yagnik’s voice is mesmerizing.

Nirav Shaw’s cinematography is pleasant to the eyes. He has captured the race sequences well. The lighting in the shed, wine shop, and beach are quite natural and effective.

Overall, the movie has a sort of joyful spirit that makes it enjoyable.