Film Review-Kaal

Lara Dutta, Vivek Oberoi, Ajay Devgan, John
Abraham and Esha Deol in Kaal

Starring: Ajay Devgan, Vivek Oberoi, John Abraham, Lara Dutta and Esha Deol
Director: Soham
Rating: * * * 1/2

If Bhoot scared you, this one will kill. Another talented boy Soham Shah added to the breed of Gen X directors. He is greatly influenced by his mentors Ram Gopal Varma and Karan Johar and gives us a product which is the best of both world's, it has the chills and thrills of Varma productions and the gloss of Dharma productions.

Two researchers, Krish (John Abraham) and wifey Ria (Esha Deol) are out on an expedition to find out the mystery about the unnatural deaths of people in the Orbit jungle by the wild cats. Also on a joy ride are four friends Dev (Vivek Oberoi), Ishika (Lara Dutta), Sajid (Kushal Punjabi) and Vishal (Vishal Malhotra). Their cars collide and they meet and they move on together as their destination is common.
The picnic turns into panic when Sajid is killed and all these guys wanna do, is get out of this jungle, and to help them out enters Kali Pratap Singh (Ajay Devgan), the jungle mougli. Remember Ajay's grand entry in his debut film Phool Aur Kaante or the stylish one in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, this is another phenomenonal one with 3 tigers.

That's all I can reveal about the story. Some of the scenes are shot so brilliantly, looks as if it is coming from a very experienced director. For example Sajid's death scene or Vishal's death scene, Ajay's entry, Lara's dream and Esha's well scene, just first rate. But what makes all these scenes extremely bloodcurdling is the back ground score by Salim-Sulimaan, the best ever after Gupt or Bhoot.

Each one gives a convincing performance, but the girls dont have much to do besides screaming and vociferating in dismay. Vivek as the arrogant dude fits the role to the T. John delivers another winner, another feather in his cap. Ajay Devgan as likeable as ever, a legend in the making and above all are the extremely hunky dory tigers, they are so adorable.

Also the two songs, one title song by ShahRukh Khan and Malaika Arora and the second one Tauba Tauba at the end with the 4 lead actors draws a lot of whistles. All said and done, Kaal is definitely a winner and the young director needs an applause for his grotesque and chic style of filmmaking.

A must watch, especially for lovers of the thriller genre.

-Sanketh Rao.

Film Review-Mumbai Express

Kamal Hassan in and as Mumbai Express

StarCast: Kamal Hassan, Manisha Koirala
Director: S. Srinivas Rao.
Rating: * * *

It's crazy, silly and whacky but sure to tickle your funny bone. Kamal Hasan is back in and as Mumbai Express and he does a commendable job. Three rogues A(Vijay Raaz), B, C decide to kidnap a rich man's kid and ask for a ransom. But in the process of doing so, C is admitted to the hospital as he has to be treated for appendicitis, now his wife (Pratima Kazmi) recommends her brother Mumbai Express aka Avinash (Kamal Hasan) to replace her husband. Now Avinash is a very honest guy who drives a motorbike in the death well in a fair and when they probe him into the plan that's where crime meets confusion.

These 3 fools instead of kidnapping the rich man's (Saurabh Shukla) child they kidnap another child Daddu who is the son of the ACP (Om Puri) and his mistress (Manisha Koirala). Now admist this confusion Avinash whose also deaf falls in love with the kid and his mother. There is nothing more about the story that can be written.

This one is a one song film so thats nice and one can die laughing in the first half of the movie. The second half lacks in pace but again the execution of the dialogues and the comic timing by the director and all the actors is extra odinary. All of them, Sharad saxena, Manisha Koirala, the kid, Pratima Kazmi, Saurabh Shukla and his wife just fit the bill perfectly. But the show clearly belongs to 5 people viz The biting horse, very funny, Ramesh Aravind who is the insurance agent is simply hilarious and does a great job, Vijay Raaz, is brilliant infact has more scenes than Kamal Hasan in the first half and finally Om Puri and Kamal Hasan who are by far amongst the best talent India has ever produced. They are a delight to watch and they just prove that with every passing film.

This film with it's total chaos, disorganization, clutter, disarray, disorder, disorderliness, disarrangement, jumble, muddle, snarl, tangle, topsy-turviness, hullabaloo, pandemonium, tumult , ahhhhhh!!!! I am out of words is definitely worth a watch.

Happy Giggling!

-Sanketh Rao.

Film Review-Lucky

Salman Khan n Sneha Ulal in Lucky

StarCast: Salman Khan, Sneha Ulal, Mithun Chakrabarty
Direction: Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru
Rating: * * 1/2

Well, well, well, i thought the draught in Bollywood would be over with Lucky, but NOOOO , will have to wait some more to quench our thirst. The movie is set against the romantic backdrop of St. Petersburg, which is a tale of love that brings together two people who would probably have never met if not for the twist of destiny. Lucky (Sneha Ullal) is the quintessential dreamer, beautiful, calm and petite. One morning Lucky's riding to school and calling on all her guardian angels to grant her a miracle - a teeny weenie, itsy bitsy one - "Please GOD I wish from the bottom of my heart that school is shut today." But what she is granted is sure that she had not wished for. She gets marooned with Aditya Shekri (Salman Khan) in graveyards, palaces, etc in the need to reach home safely, as they are struck in an event of terrorist activities and obviously what follows is their inseperable love for each other.

Both their fathers work at the Indian embassy, so when they find out that their children are missing , they hire a sleuth PD (Mithun Chakraborty) who helps them out. Now this strange guy PD is rather irritating, has a fetish for Bollywood flicks and churns out quotes from famous Bollywood films and goes like this "Kisi Mahaan Aadmi Ne Kaha Tha....." and most of the times these "mahaan" men are either Rajesh Khanna or ShahRukh Khan.

Slowly and steadily the film reaches its end which is anything but rocking, the directors just mess up the climax bigtime. The only saving grace in the film is it's music by Adnan Sami. Be it the zingy "Lucky Lips" by Asha Bhosale or the meloudious "Sun Zara" and "Jaan Meri" by sonu Nigam or the slow track by Asha and Adnan himself, all being simply first rate. The cinematography is brilliant, Russia couldnt have looked better.
Salman Khan is Salman Khan, neither delivers an award winning performance nor a crassy one, just as average as ever. Mithun Chakraborty just goes completely over the top. And the sensational debutante, Sneha is like a fresh breeze of air, she's very sweet and above all she looks like the character she potrays, an innocent school girl. But that's all that can be said about her.

Overall muah felt rather unlucky, maybe coz I was expecting too much out of "Lucky".

-Sanketh Rao.