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Copyright © 2012 Pendown Society |
Movies Review-all movies 2012ReviewEK MAIN AUR EKK TURelease Date : Fri, Feb 10, 2012
 'Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu' is an unusual story of two people who meet by chance and get married under the influence of alcohol. The story is quite new for the Indian audience. The drama will be enjoyed mainly by the multiplex and city audience. The screenplay is fresh and unpredictable. The dialogues are entertaining. Imran Khan does an excellent job. Kareena Kapoor is extraordinary. The two have great on screen chemistry. Shakun Batra's direction is mature. All the songs are well-written and well-composed. The other technical aspects are of a superior quality. On the whole, Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu is an entertaining and enjoyable fare for the city audience. Its business in multiplexes will be good. The film will prove to be a comfortable earner.
ReviewCHAALIS CHAURAASIRelease Date : Fri, Jan 13, 2012
 ReviewGHOSTRelease Date : Fri, Jan 13, 2012
ReviewSADDA ADDARelease Date : Fri, Jan 13, 2012
 SADDA ADDA is about how six bachelors, with completely different backgrounds and personalities, live together. The film actually, takes a long time to come to the point. Beg ensures that the first hour has its share of some wonderful, laden-with-wit moments that keep you engrossed. The turning point in the story comes at the interval point, expectedly. With multiple storylines Beg handles the multiple stories maturely.
Sadda Adda does manage to keep you engaged in its second hour due to the twists and turns in the story. In fact, the penultimate 20 odd minutes are the mainstay of the film, with the emotional moments making you moist-eyed. The end, luckily, gives you a positive vibe. While the cinematography is okay, the music gels well with the mood of the film and the dialogues are funny and witty. ReviewPlayers ReviewRelease Date : fri,6th Jan,2012
 Viacom 18 Motion Pictures and Burmawala Brothers' Players is the official remake of the Hollywood film, The Italian Job. Players is about a gold heist adventure. A thriller like Players could have worked only if it were made as a fast-paced and stylish film. While this film is stylish, it is anything but fast-moving. The drama is so half-baked that tens of questions crop up in the viewer's mind for which the story and screenplay writers offer half-baked answers. All in all, while the story is interesting, the screenplay botches the attempt so badly that the film turns out to be a boring fare. The train robbery sequence and the track of Johny Lever in the post-interval portion is interesting. The music is a minus point in the film. Overall the performances fail to make an impression. The direction is below average. The production values are grand. On the whole, Players will play a losing game at the box-office. Given the huge investment (of Rs. 65-70 crore) made in the film, it will end up entailing heavy losses to the producers as well as distributors. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Desi
Boyz
Eros International's Desi Boyz is the story of two friends who are hit hard by recession. To tide over the difficult times they become male escorts, fulfilling costume fantasies of ladies.
The story is fresh and the screenplay moves at a fast pace. The comedy evokes laughter at many places. The performances are good. Rohit Dhawan makes a confident debut as director. The music and other technical aspects are very good.
On the whole, Desi Boyz is an enjoyable entertainer which will keep its producers, distributors and exhibitors happy. Its business in the bigger cities will be better.
Dam 999 Review
Biztv Network's Dam 999 is the story of a group of people who are faced with their own personal tragedies till disaster strikes in the form of a dam breaking apart, taking many lives.
The story tries to talk about too many things at once. The audience cannot relate to any of the characters and the drama comes across as farcical. The performances are below average. The direction is poor. Other technical aspects are average.
On the whole, Dam 999 will prove to be a poor fare at the box office.
Shakal Pe Mat
Ja
Linc Entertainment and Ipix Movies' Shakal Pe Mat Ja (A) is the story of four young boys who are mistaken to be terrorists by the police on duty at the airport. Ankit Sharma (Shubh), Rohan Malhotra (Chitrak Bandhopadhyay), Bulai (Harsh Parekh) and Dhruv Sharma (master Pratik Katare) are four friends who have come to take photographs of aircrafts at the airport. They get picked up by the police and one misunderstanding leads to another till they are suspected to be terrorists. Soon, the Anti-Terrorist Squad officer, Chavan (Saurabh Shukla), and police officer Om Prakash (Raghubir Yadav) are convinced, the four are indeed terrorists. What happens thereafter? Are they able to prove their innocence? If so, how?
Shubh acts naturally although he doesn't look like a hero. Chitrak Bandhopadhyay is quite nice but his accented English will hardly be understood. His farting scenes are overdone and are irritating more than entertaining. Harsh Parekh is hardly average. Master Pratik Katare irritates. Saurabh Shukla is not sure whether he should be doing comedy in serious scenes or should be serious in them. He hardly creates an impact. Raghubir Yadav is at least earnest. Aamna Sharif is wasted. Mushtaq Khan overacts. Aditya Lakhia is alright. It is sad to see Zakir Hussain being so hopelessly wasted. Joy Sengupta tries to be funny but fails.
Shubh's direction is as dull and disjointed as his script. Music (Salim-Sulaiman) is average. The lyrics are too commonplace to be true. Amar Mohile's background score is rather dull. Camerawork is average. Editing is terribly weak. Production and technical values are pathetic.
On the whole, Shakal Pe Mat Ja is a poor show from start to finish and will meet with a disastrous fate.
Review
Rockstar
Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision Ltd. and Eros International's Rockstar is the story of a simple guy who dreams of becoming a famous musician.
Imtiaz Ali and Muazzam Beg's story about a young man's rise to superstardom is quite different from the usual commercial fare because it deals with the love story of a married woman and her college friend, both of who have no qualms or regrets about the extra-marital affair. However, the screenplay, penned by Imtiaz Ali, is of the kind which would appeal to the classes mainly. The writer has not even attempted to give a reason for the extra-marital affair, which would be difficult for the orthodox and non-elitist audience to accept.
The narrative style is also a bit confusing for the audience as overlapping scenes have been used to further the drama.
On the plus side, the making is fresh and the canvas, big and wonderful. Dialogues, penned by Imtiaz Ali, are very natural. The film is extremely colourful and youthful and for that section of the youth, which won't question the morals of Janardhan and Heer, the film becomes a veritably enjoyable fare.
Again, a minus point of the drama is that comic and light moments are few and far between. The second half, especially, becomes dark and even depressing. Emotions don't draw tears.
Ranbir Kapoor does an extraordinary job. His acting is excellent and it wouldn't be incorrect to say that he has lived the role of Janardhan/Jordan. He has played the simpleton, the passionate lover, and the rockstar with aplomb. His is indeed an award-winning performance and one which takes him to the next level. Nargis Fakhri makes a very promising debut. She looks pretty and does an extremely confident job. She would qualify for awards for the best debut. Kumud Mishra is lovely. Piyush Mishra is first-rate. Aditi Rao Hydari is very natural as the reporter. Shernaz Patel is dignified. Shammi Kapoor lends star value and delivers a mature performance in a short role.
Imtiaz Ali's direction is first-rate. He has made the film like a painting on celluloid. But his narrative style is of a kind which will be loved by the youth, liked by the elite and not appreciated too much by the audience of the single-screen cinemas and small centres.
A.R. Rahman's music comprises some hit numbers and some which are not too easy on the lips. 'Sadda haq', 'Hawa hawa', 'Saari raat katiya karun' and 'Kun faya' are very appealing songs. Irshad Kamil's lyrics are rich and wonderful. Song picturisations (Ashley Lobo and Bosco Caesar) are refreshing. Anil Mehta's cinematography is extraordinary. Editing, by Aarti Bajaj, is very different in style from what one is used to seeing. Production values are grand.
On the whole, Rockstar will be loved by one section of the audience – mainly the youth in the multiplexes. But there will also be a section – mainly the single-screen audience, masses and small-centre audience – which will find the drama dark and depressing. Given the film's high cost on the one hand (around Rs. 60-62 crore) and its lovely start on the other, crossing the average mark shouldn't be a problem.
Review
LOOT Movie
Review By
endown Society
Popcorn Motion Pictures and Viacom 18 Motion Pictures' Loot (UA) is the story of anj attempt to loot somebody, which goes wrong. Shabbir's story is so juvenile that it's a wonder, a film has been based on it. The screenplay, also penned by Shabbir, is so slipshod and irritating that the audience is barely able to get involved in the drama.
Govinda struggles to rise above the script but is let down by inane dialogues and a directionless screenplay. He is good, though. Sunil Shetty does a fair job. Jaaved Jaffery tries his best to evoke laughter but succeeds only at times. Mahakshay Chakraborty is okay. Mika Singh does an ordinary job. Kim Sharma is natural.
Rajneesh Thakur's direction is dull and routine. He has been able to make the film neither an entertaining drama nor an exciting fare. Music (Shravan Sinha, Mika Singh and Shamir Tandon) is average. Lyrics (Shravan Sinha, Mika Singh and Shabbir Ahmed) are routine. Choreography, by Remo D'souza and Nadeem Khan, is pedestrian. T. Surendra Reddy's camerawork is passable. Action (Allan Amin) is functional. Editing (Ashok Honda) should've been sharper.
On the whole, Loot is a poor fare and will fare poorly at the box-office.
Review
MILEY NAA MILEY HUM
Review By
endown Society
Tanveer Khan's story is routine and lacks any novelty as films about children from broken homes have been made in the past too. Even the screenplay, penned by Tanveer Khan, Gurjeet Grewal and Girish Dhamija, relies on clichéd situations because of which the impact is missing. Chirag's emotional turmoil is simply not felt by the audience.
Chirag Paswan makes a fair debut as the lead man. He looks okay and his perfromance is slightly above average. Kangna Ranaut is good. Her clumsy and unsophisticated character is enjoyable. Kabir Bedi acts ably. Poonam Dhillon impresses in a fairly lengthy role. Sagarika Ghatge gets very limited scope. She is okay. Neeru Bajwa also doesn't have much to do but she is earnest in whatever she does.
Tanveer Khan's direction is better than his commonplace script. Music (Sajid-Wajid) is appealing but the songs are not too popular. Javed Akhtar's lyrics are easy on the lips. Baba Azmi's cinematography is of a good standard. Raam's editing is sharp.
On the whole, Miley Naa Miley Hum lacks the merits to work at the box-office. It will flop at the ticket windows.
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Damadamm Movie ReviewBy Pendown SocietyStarring Himesh Reshammiya, Purbi Joshi, Sonal Sehgal So here he is. Himesh Reshammiya is back in front of the camera. This time he moves away from the wannabe-rockstar’s image to play a working-class nerd. Himesh’s Sameer is a bit of an idiot. So he celebrates the departure of his over-possessive bossy girlfriend Shikha (Purbi Joshi) by dancing on the steeets, making weird faces at passing chicks(who should be shown reciprocating with a stern scowl if not a slap but are instead shown giggling), messing up his tidy apartment and binging on booze with his unsavoury boss who keeps giving our Sameer wrong advice on how to handle women, particularly bossy over-possessive girlfriends. Damaddam has its nice sweet wholesome moments. It’s one of those innocuous romcoms that neither leave you impressed nor cold.The heartwarming moments come on when you are most expecting them and linger on screen long enough to make you forgot how annoyingly misguided a character the hero really is. There is a ring of truth to Sameer’s selfdestructive rejection of a 5-year old seemingly stifling relationship for a posh fling in the tempting lap of luxury with his boss’ classy sister Sanjana(Sonal Sehgal). Shah Rukh Khan had done the same in Aziz Mirza’s Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, given up the comfort of true love for a fling with a rich heiress. To her credit Sonal Sehgal doesn’t play the Other Woman as a @#!*% . She echoes Sushmita Sen’s tranquil seductiveness from Goldie Behl’s Bas Itna Sa Khwab Hai. And that’s high praise. Remarkably Surbat Sinha’s screenplay has a believable trio of protagonists, flawed, fumbling, all too human. But the peripheral characters are a letdown. They aren’t only sketchy but also clumsily etched into the plot. Also the music, Himesh Reshammiya’s mainstay, is here uninspiring and often obtrusive. The track ‘Ishq’ unplugged comes at an embarrassing juncture when the love triangle is in need of a solution, not a song. What wins you over is the director Swapna Waghmare’s earnestness. She has her heart in the right place. So does the film. Some of the time. For the rest you’ve to grin and bear the excessive zeal of a supporting cast and a music score that don’t know where to draw the line. Himesh Reashmmiya’s performance is that of a goofy Everyman, a bit of a messed-up soul who finally admits he needs a bullying girlfriend to get him through the complexities of life. Himesh works his performance around the character’s weaknesses and his own limitations as an actor. It is the underused Purbi Joshi as Himesh’s overbearing girlfriend who steals the show. She imparts a sense of lived-in authenticity to her role, almost at times going beyond the script in search of her character’s lost soul. Why don’t we get to see more of this pretty talented girl in our films? Our Rating:
 ReviewTell Me O Kkhuda Movie ReviewRelease Date : Thu, Oct 27, 2011
Review By endown Society Miraj Group and H.M. Creations' Tell Me O Kkhuda is the story of a girl's search for her parents. The story and screenplay, both penned by Mayur Puri, Ulka Puri and Anand Vardhan Sharma, are good but move on the same pattern in each episode. Although the film is about a young girl in search of her parents and who is accompanied by her boyfriend, romance is as good as missing from the film. Comedy is also missing.
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The youngster is unimpressed, thereby revealing the generation and cultural gap between the two of them. 
Shahana Goswami as the employee at the electronic company and Arjun Rampal as Ra.One look fine for the roles they play but have very little to deliver. Armaan as Pratiek is impressive.
Release date: Fri,14 Oct,2011
Review by: Pendown Society team
Yash Raj Films are synonymous with love stories, and with their second release from newly launched youth division Y-Films, the production house stick to what they know best: a story about love.
A romantic comedy set against the backdrop of social networking, Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge tells the tale of two losers, Vishal (Saqib Saleem) and Preity (Saba Azad) who fake their online identities in an attempt to get the attention of drop dead gorgeous Malvika (Tara D’Souza) and rockstar Rahul (Nishant Dahiya). What they do not realize, is that the person they hate most in the real world, just happens to be the same person they have fallen in love with online.
So, the premise for the season’s most screwed up love story, is: Rahul loves Malvika. And Malvika loves Rahul. But Rahul is not Rahul. Rahul is Vishal. And Vishal loves Malvika too. But Malvika is not Malvika either. Malvika is Preity. And Preity loves Rahul. But Preity hates Vishal. And Vishal hates Preity. Got it? Good.
From the opening scene with a naked guitarist gone viral, it is clear that director Nupur Asthana – previously known for cult TV shows like Hip Hip Hurray and Mahi Way – is firmly targeting the 18-30 demographic. MTV style jump cuts, speeded up segments and innovative camera angles, do not let us forget that this is a film for the youth.
We have a vague plot centered on a college project to celebrate the founder’s day of the college. Add to that a cast of shiny, happy students, in a campus where seemingly everything takes place except the small matter of study. Throw in shirtless boys and debut heroines not yet at the ‘no-bikini-clause-in-my-
Asthana scores bonus points for tapping into the language of young, urban India. So people are ‘despo’ and things are ‘obvo’. A ‘Jawaani Booty Booty’ (don’t ask, just watch) MMS scandal and a ‘BRB’ Facebook status announcing the intermission, will appeal to those always on Facebook – day and night.
As anyone in Bollywood will tell you, launching not one – but four newcomers – is a big risk. Here we have no established stars to support the debut actors, as YRF had tried previously with Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan in Mohabbatein. Nor have we taken the star offspring route Karan Johar is currently travelling down in his forthcoming Student of the Year.
When you are banking on newcomers, one of the key attractions that get you into the cinema in the first place, is the kick- @#!*% promo backed by even more kick- @#!*% songs.
With indie musician Raghu Dixit onboard as composer, Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge has created a soundtrack to rival the popularity of ‘Pappu Can’t Dance’ (Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na), and the I Hate Luv Storys title track. ‘Dheaon Dheaon’, a tribute to the South Indian street music form of Dappan Koothu, has been given a fusion feel with hip-hop and rap influences. Sung by Vishal Dadlani and Aditi Singh, the song is already a hit across music channel platforms. ‘Uh-Oh Uh Oh!’ is charming and likeable, picturised with a funky choreographed campus dance. ‘Chhoo Le’ brings Suraj Jagan belted out vocals into a modern twist on the classic stadium rock track.
As is de rigueur for every Yash Raj release post Bunty aur Babli, we are also treated to a bonus track, in the form of a karaoke version of ‘Kajra Re’ sung in the back of a speeding rickshaw.
Performance wise, Saqib Salim as loser Vishal gets my vote. Nishant Dahiya delivers a confident debut as the equally confident Rahul. Katrina Kaif fans will see something of the star in Tara D’Souza (an identikit accent for starters), while Saba Azad brings the cuteness of Genelia to the table. Pay close attention to how Preity goes through a post-interval metamorphosis. Graduating from checked shirts and hideously oversized jeans (1974 called and wants its denim back), to a sleek and sophisticated conventional Bollywood heroine look.
Without giving the movie away, the climax – all about love, pyaar, ishq, mohabbatein – ties up the story so that everything is as it should be, and everyone is with who they should be. The final reels have fun with a photo story montage, and seem to do the trick of preventing the audience of rushing en masse to the exit sign before the movie is properly over.
In the pre-Diwali rush to release everything and anything before the arrival of a certain Shah Rukh Khan sci-fi project, Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge jostles for a place in the crowded box office with four other releases. While its target audience will get it, and in urban centres the movie should do well, non-multiplex audiences, however, might literally not connect with this love story.
On the whole, BollySpice is quite happy to make fraaandship with the film (though perhaps on limited profile). It is not just another love story. ‘It’s complicated’ and we ‘Like’.
Our Rating:
Review
MY FRIEND PINTO movie Review
Release Date : Fri, Oct 14, 2011
Review By 
endown Society
The country bumpkin irritates, exasperates and is difficult to deal with but he is blessed with a heart of gold. The miracle man will interact with you for a few minutes and your life will change forever. All the petty strife and rivalries which have so far populated your existence will suddenly cease to exist. The protagonist as a naïve charmer has become an often repeated theme largely due to the success of theMunnabhai [ ] series.
But a simple quirky idea generally isn't enough to generate a masterpiece. There have been plenty of other films which talked about life-altering events occurring during the span of a single day or night. Kuch Love Jaisa and Utt Patang are just two of the duds which come to mind.
My Friend Pinto is one such caper destined to sink at the box office this Friday.
Slapstick humour is like a many-times-patched, retreaded tyre often rolled out during the second half of the film hoping to accelerate the pace. But slapstick needs to be combined with an edgy script, crisp repartee and laugh-a-minute gags to keep the audience engaged and entertained.
My Friend Pinto which was probably planned as a social satire on urban life style and the inherent callousness of ruthless money minded city slickers turns into a meaningless one-night stand. Pun intended.
Now returning to Prateik Michael Pinto, who has just landed in Mumbai []. He's here to meet and spend a week with his childhood friend Sam (Arjun Mathur [ ]). Sam is a yuppie who puts up with an overbearing boss at the office and a domineering wife at home. In this chaos lands up his childhood buddy Pinto who hopes to spend a week with him.
Pinto behaves more like he's travelled two hundred years through a time machine to reach Mumbai instead of the overnight journey he's undertaken to reach Mumbai Central station. There is murder and mayhem all around him but Pinto remains oblivious of this fact. And the mindless so called humour begins.
A crowded station, two gun-toting goons, a conman on the run with a huge bag stuffed with moolah could have been the most appropriate fertile ground for the hilarity to begin. But first-time director Raagav Dar prefers to focus on Prateik the actor and lets the supporting cast slip into the background. And somebody tripping on a suitcase or accidentally wrenching off a handle are jokes associated more with the Rohit Shetty school of humour.
Trite gags are interwoven in a script lacking in focus or suspense. The characters keep up popping up at random intervals and then disappear from screen. Makarand Deshpande plays a retired Mallu Don who wishes to keep his mistress happy. Makarand tries hard to make the audience laugh, but in today's times is the 'mallu' accent enough to have the audience rolling in their seats? Not really, despite a valiant effort Makarand doesn't even succeed in evoking a chuckle.
There's Divya Dutta as Reshma, a failed actress who tries hard to seduce a younger man. Considering the oomph factor which Divya is capable of oozing on screen, it is one more opportunity lost as the all-pervading air is one of buffoonery.
Kalki Koechlin's Hindi speaking abilities improve with every film. But she is a bit of a miscast as she looks older than Prateik. A small role carried off effortlessly.
My Friend Pinto is a great opportunity for Prateik to showcase his skills both as an actor and a dancer. The young awkward boy from Jaane Tu ] Ya Jaane Na has metamorphosed into a fine and confident actor. An endearing smile which can win many over many pretty young things. Yet he doesn't look like a shy young lad who has never visited a big city. A miscast for this role.
Paying homage to the all-time cult film Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron there is also a dead body being lugged around and which needs to be disposed off at the earliest. Doesn't form an integral part of the story, it appears as an add-on to a shoddy script.
As the grand finale Ragaav Dar summarily commentates on the lessons embedded in the script. Doesn't say much for his story-telling abilities.
See this only if you are a Prateik Babbar fan. Else avoid.
Review
Azaan movie
Review By
endown Society Team
JMJ Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. and Alchemia Films' Azaan is the story of a conspiracy to destroy India by biological warfare, and the fight of one man to save his country.
The story is quite new but it is confusing for the viewers to follow. The emotional connection with the audience is missing. The film has an international look and the action and stunts, are the film's mainstay. The action scenes and foreign locations have been excellently captured. The music is good. The performances are average.
On the whole, Azaan may be a well-mounted and well-shot film but it won't make any mark at the box-office. The film will not connect with the Indian audiences, thanks to its confusing screenplay. Its heavy cost will prove to be yet another stumbling block, given its dull opening.
Our Rating:
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Review
Jo Dooba So Paar - It's Love In Bihar! Movie Review
Review By
endown Society Team
Anand Entertainment and Andaaz Productions' 'Jo Dooba So Paar' is an unusual love story of a small-town boy living in Bihar, and an American girl. The story may not be novel but the atmosphere of the small town in Bihar is well recreated. None of the twists is exciting enough to involve the viewer completely.
Our Rating:
Review
Mod Movie Review
Review By
endown Society Team
Shreya Entertainment and Kukunoor Movies' Mod is an emotional love story with a difference. While the twists and turns in the tale shock the viewer initially, the latter twists seem a bit far-fetched. The drama is depressing and even the uplifting ending does not have the desired effect.
Ayesha Takia plays her role with a rare understanding. Rannvijay Singh goes through his difficult role with alarming ease. Nagesh Kukunoor has handled the sensitive drama with a lot of understanding. The other technical aspects are fair.
On the whole, Mod may win critical acclaim but it will remain a dull fare at the box-office.
Our Rating: 
Rascals Movie Review
Review By
endown Society
Two conmen - Sanjay Dutt and Ajay Devgn - try to prove their supremacy over each other while making fools of people they interact with. Read the full review of Rascals to find out more.
The film does not have a cohesive story and is rather an assemblage of comic scenes which seem to have been randomly thrown together. Yunus Sajawal's screenplay is poor in the absence of a solid plot. After all, it is difficult to keep the audience engaged for more than two hours merely on the strength of scenes which are otherwise unrelated but are sought to be related in a hotchpotch screenplay.
Sanjay Dutt does an ordinary job. He looks too stocky to play the hero, that too, someone who is trying to woo a girl. Ajay Devgn tries his best to rise above the script but fails. He is fairly good. Kangna Ranaut plays the dumb damsel, as required. Lisa Haydon is alright. Satish Kaushik delivers an average performance. Chunky Panday acts ably. Arjun Rampal makes his presence felt in a friendly appearance. Hiten Paintal hardly gets any scope. Mushtaq Khan is okay. Bharti Achrekar passes muster.
David Dhawan's direction does precious little to lift the film from the level of mediocrity. His narration, in short, is disappointing. Vishal-Shekhar's music compositions seem to be a job hurriedly done.
On the whole, Rascals is not half as funny as is should've been. It will, therefore, fail to make its mark at the box-office and, in the process, entail losses to most of its distributors.
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Review
Soundtrack Movie Review
Review By
endown Society
Saregama India Ltd.'s Soundtrack (A) is the story of a musician and DJ, Raunak Kaul. Due to excessive drinking, smoking, drug intake and unsafe sex on the one hand and exposure to loud music all the time on the other, he becomes deaf. How does he strike back is what the film is all about.
speaker which is blaring the music.
Remake of the Hollywood film, It's All Gone Pete Tong, this one has a first half which shows the rise of musician Raunak Kaul. The post-interval portion is devoted to Raunak coming to terms with his deafness and how he strikes back.
The first half is engaging and interesting. In fact, the first half prepares the audience for a tearful second half but the emotions just don't come through.
Rajeev Khandelwal does a very good job. He plays Raunak Kaul with understanding and projects his frustrations aptly. Soha Ali Khan acts ably and makes her presence felt in a brief role. Mrinalini Sharma also does well. Mohan Kapur is pretty effective as Charlie.
Neerav Ghosh's direction is of a good standard. Although this is his maiden attempt at direction, he handles the film with the flourish of a seasoned director. However, he has faltered in exploiting the emotional potential of the drama. Music (Midival Punditz and Karsh Kale) is good and some songs are even very hummable but the requirements of the film about music and a musician were twofold - super-hit music and extremely popular music.
On the whole, Soundtrack has a good first half but a weak second half. With not much face value and given its poor start, it will be lost at the box-office in spite of appreciation from the discerning viewers.
Our Rating:
Review
Love Breakups Zindagi Movie Review
Review By
endown Society
Sahara Motion Pictures and Born Free Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.'s Love Breakups Zindagi (UA) is a story about relationships. It questions the theory that in life, it is opposites who attract each other.
Sahil Sangha's story has several tracks as it deals with different characters in varied situations. In spite of the variety, none of the characters or situations is different from those one has seen in earlier films.
Zayed Khan does a fair job. Dia Mirza is earnest and acts ably. Cyrus Sahukar has his cute moments but they are more class-appealing than mass-appealing. Tisca Chopra is average. Satyadeep Misra hardly gets any worthwhile scenes to perform; he is good. Auritra Ghosh is okay. Vaibhav Talwar makes his presence felt. Pallavi Sharda also stands her own. Umang Jain is quite alright. Farida Jalal passes muster. Soni Razdan and Kamini Khanna fill the bill. Shah Rukh Khan lends star value in a friendly appearance. Boman Irani evokes laughter in a friendly appearance. Ritesh Deshmukh and Shabana Azmi are okay in very brief friendly appearances. Others lend ordinary support.
Sahil Sangha's direction is fair for a debut-making attempt. But the pace of his narration is slow. Salim-Sulaiman's music is melodious. All the songs have appealing tunes and a hummable quality about them. Javed Akhtar's lyrics add to the appeal of the songs. Song picturisations are okay. Camerawork is of a good standard.
On the whole, Love Breakups Zindagi is a dull fare and given its poor start, will fail at the ticket windows.
Review
Force Movie Review
Review By
endown Society
Fox Star Studios India Pvt. Ltd. and Sunshine Pictures Pvt. Ltd.'s Force is an action-romantic film. Remake of the Tamil blockbuster, Kaakha Kaakha, the film has a routine story line about how love changes the life of a police officer living on the edge. John Abraham does very well as the angry young man out to cleanse the country of the drug menace. He is suitably awkward in the romantic scenes. Genelia D'souza is cute and endearing but she gets limited scope. Her absence is more pronounced after interval. Vidyut Jammwal is excellent in stunts. Nishikant Kamat's direction is good but it would've been better had he balanced romance and action in a more mature fashion. He has unnecessarily made the film very serious and made it seem like a one-dimensional account of the drug menace. On the whole, Force will be liked by the youngsters, mostly guys, and will do better in single-screen cinemas than in multiplexes. In the final tally, it will prove to be an average fare.
Our Rating:
Review
SAHEB BIWI AUR GANGSTER Movie Review
Review By
endown Society
Brandsmith Motion Pictures, Bohra Bros. Pvt. Ltd. and Tigmanshu Dhulia Films' Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster (A) is a story of power, lust and betrayal. Sanjay Chouhan and Tigmanshu Dhulia's story has a lot of twists and turns, which keep the audience's interest alive. The many layers in the story keep unfolding in an interesting manner, keeping the viewer engrossed. What adds to the drama (also penned by Chouhan and Dhulia) are the wonderful dialogues, penned by the writing duo. Jimmy Shergill lives the role of Saheb. He does an extraordinary job, getting into the skin of the character. In one word, he makes the character so believable. Mahie Gill is also superb, using her eyes and body language very intelligently to add to her acting prowess. Randeep Hooda is very good as the scheming paramour of Madhavi, going through his role with ease. Tigmanshu Dhulia's direction is praiseworthy. It must be said to his credit that he has maintained a fast pace to keep the audience engrossed in the drama in spite of some shortcomings in the script. Music is good and goes with the mood of the film. On the whole, very moderately budgeted Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster is a fair entertainer but with a few loose ends in its screenplay. It will do fair business at the box-office.
Our Rating:
Mausam Movie Review
Review By
endown Society Team
Mausam is a love story of a Hindu boy, Harinder Singh alias Harry (Shahid Kapoor), and a Kashmiri Muslim girl, Aayat (Sonam Kapoor). The story is spread over a decade and since the lovers keep meeting and getting separated, it follows the same path every time, making the drama repetitive and even boring. The film moves at a leisurely and raises questions in the audience's minds about a number of issues.
The cramming of too many events in the film makes the drama boring, especially in the second half. Pankaj Kapur's dialogues are good.
Shahid Kapoor acts with effortless ease, beautifully underplaying his character of an IAF pilot in search of his love. Sonam Kapoor also looks pretty and delivers a dignified performance. Her acting is suitably restrained.
Pankaj Kapoor has beautifully projected the atmosphere of life in the Punjab town. The music and song picturisations are excellent.
On the whole, Mausam does not have the heart-warming quality of a love story to please the hearts of the audience. It will not be able to do substantial business at the box-office although reaching the average mark may not be difficult.
Our Rating:
Review
That Girl In Yellow Boots Movie Review
Review By
endown Society Team
That Girl In Yellow Boots has the shock value, the gritty camerawork and hounding background score that Anurah Kashyap films have. But the story (by Kalki Koechlin and Anurag Kashyap) lacks the punch in spite of the supremely shocking ending. The screenplay (also by Kalki and Anurag) takes too much time to get to the point and the audience is left to piece the story together.
Kalki Koechlin delivers a nuanced performance as the tumultuous Ruth. She uses her eyes and body language to the hilt to express varying emotions. Anurag Kashyap's direction is appropriate for the script. The background score is very good. Rajeev Ravi's cinematography is edgy. Editing, by Shweta Venkat Mathew, is crisp. Production design, by Wasiq Khan, is realistic.
On the whole, That Girl In Yellow Boots will win critical acclaim and the love of a section of the audience but will be shunned by the majority of the paying public.