Heroine, Halcut Jawani in Lowcut.....

Just got back after watching yet another Madhur Bhandarkar film that has his signature style...that is portraying dark side of various professions. Dark...because that gives ample room for showing sale-able elements like skin, sex, scandals, which he does in style. His babes look gorgeous. Kareena is absolutely wonderful. The Halkat Jawani  in Low-cut blouses is highlighted on the celluloid. Explicit scenes and dialogues, extra-marital relationships, casting couch, prostitutes, lesbianism, red-light area.....there is enough for the camera to zoom into wrong...oops right places. I wondered if I missed seeing an A rating because I had taken the kids along..like many other parents. No I did not.

Is the censor board sleeping? Has the Censor Board turned liberal...or is it a kind of FDI in Bollywood? What is A rating reserved for now? What is adult content by the way?  It is not even U/A????????? I completely object to the rating part of the film. We can't subject children to watch this kind of mature and adult content.

Every damn woman in the film...the mother, actress, secretary, PR, wife.....lights up a cigarette in every frame. Like my younger daughter commented...."Its a very suffocating movie. There is so much smoking in the movie." I had to agree to that remarkably witty observation. Madhur Bhandarkar made up for all the films made during that earlier ban on smoking in films.

Contrary to speculations and guesses drawing parallels with any real time heroine, I felt it is a bit of mish-mash of all heroines of past and present. There is bit of everyone's life. The film is quite believable even though Madhur claims it to be fiction. A good watch. A rather serious film for adults so just don't take kids along. Don't go with parents either. (:---) I am not joking. As it is there isn't much to laugh about in the film.

Arjun Rampal looks haggard and old but its okay if/as he playing Shahrukh Khan kind. That character suits. :P ...........Randeep Hooda as a cricketer is likeable but the show stealer is Ranveer Shourie, as Bangali film-maker Tapan da. Looks like wife Konkona Sen has done lots of 'homework' on him.....

Hey come on...I never discuss the story so go watch the film. Its worth all its 'booby traps.' That trapped the Censor guys as well.  But where were the censoring babes??

Barfi.....Fresh n Sweet!

So here's Barfi for you all. Subtle and Sweet.........sweet enough. Bengali director Anurag Basu has captured 'Bengal' beautifully. Film is set in picturesque Darjeeling and chaotic Calcutta. The most beautiful are those small bits of childhood moments in the 70s and every little detail is captivating. Every frame engages you to smile or to empathize or shed a tear...again a USP of Bengali directors. 

Initially the pace seems a bit slow but then it picks up just as the Darjeeling toy train chugging down those romantic winding tracks. But unlike the toy train you can't get in just about anywhere...you have to stay with every frame to understand the narrative because there are lots of flashbacks. A wonderful script and good performances. Ranbir Kapoor will live up to the RK legacy just like his name. Debutant Ileana is terrific. There is plenty of fun in the second half. Just watch the film..... I am just happy for Barfi is my favorite sweet too.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^!!!!!!^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

PS: Could have been edited in the first half to shorten the length a little bit.

Khul gaya Raaz3...the secret of NaRaaz Bipasha

Raaz3 ki baat kah doo toh, jaane mehfil mein fir kya ho...

khul gaya raaz...the secret. It is the most regressive movie in the progressive times. Dirty secret is covered under ample skin show yet can't save the BUTTS.. Between some lousy kisses Bangali Bipasha does some Black magic which supposedly works on her half sister in the film but could not cast a spell on the audience. Frankly, Bipasha's days are over. With clothes or without clothes. And Mahesh Bhatt is going the RGV way. BUTTS could neither BOO nor WOO the audience.

Touted as the spine-chilling horror film, it is stupidly comical in the opening scenes.Frankly, I don't understand why BUTTS needed to create ghosts with black- magic. The only horror in the film is BIPASHA herself. Bipasha treats Hashmi like a slave and stands inches taller to spin him the way she wants. OMG...... Poor #me...between two dirty sisters.

There is very less to tell in the movie so they keep sealing the lips for some visual 'appeal'. (Appeal to some people to please please stick on for the rest of the film.) They also lock lips when they are scared while the audience desperately want them to say something logical. Hash..specially by Hashmi. O boy, Ram Gopal Verma has some serious competition from the 'Boo' Butt camp... 

Aey Imraan Hashmi, fine buddy we know kissing is your forte but yaar kucch toh aur kar le. At least add some creativity to ....it. Completely stupid movie.....Waste of kisses oops money. Hyped and well-marketed but please avoid unless of course you love watching Bipasha's biceps.

Shirin-Farhad KTNP- HEALTHY LOVE STORY

A review of SFKTNP..

Its a cute romance between two golu-moluz, Farah aunty and Boman uncle. I love going to Cusrow Baug, the Parsi Colony where the movie is set. It is a perfect locale to shoot a Parsi love story. Everything is so real yet so different from the Bombay chaos.

Farah looks bindaas and quite herself. Loud and straight. A little conscious sometimes but vivacious mostly. Boman is Boman...as good as always plus a little cuter as a Parsi 'underworld' salesman. Love happens at any age and when it does...the chemistry and biology matches in an instant. The issues are generally social science and history. Predictably here too the same. But the chemistry between two healthy 40+ people is so good that you don't miss seeing a bare midrif or six-packs. Of course the 'glow in the dark' lingerie makes up to some extent. (Next RGV might create a ghost story with bhootnie in flouroscent negligees.)

The movie has lots of original Parsis playing almost themselves. So acting is good. There is fun and also Parsi fun. Movie is inspirational for 40+ singles waiting to mingle. Most of all it is a very believable love story. Call that predictable if you want. But do watch it once for here's a real woman...no liposuction, no nose jobs (hopefully) and no silicon implants, no made up cleavages. Gutsy Wo(W)man...Farah deserves the applause.

Dekh lo yaar! ITZ A VERY HEALTHY LOVE STORY. You can take the kids along too.

Gan?s of Wasseypur...a re view!!!

Friends, I just watched Gan_s of Wasseypur....(so) much late. The reviews were already out and I believed the 4 star rating. Of course I loved Anurag Kashyap's earlier work so it was an easy trap. Trap...it was! "Kah kar loonga"....they meant it literally.

There was a liberal usage of a certain language and it added to my knowledge and vocabulary. One such word seemed the crux of the movie and was used so frequently that I actually wondered if it was mis-spelt in the poster. Manoj Bajpai looked Bihari Babua but not Muslim. The paradox was his auladen (Progeny), Jayaz and najayaz (legal and illegal).... none of his boys looked good despite his good looks or the looks of the sexy women he laid. Some mutations of the genes some where. So much so one of his sons looked haggard and older than him.

Women????? Were they even required?  Not really. While his eye sore sons had beautiful eye candies  to hang around with, he had a hot bong to show some flesh and some suggestive hot moves. It was sex and sleaze and loads of blood shed. Butchery shots were the highlights and may have appealed to a God knows what kind of people.

Men in the front rows loved it as they cheered every gaali and harkat. The men in the back rows loved it too perhaps but they watched it quietly. The women........??????????????????

Women would run away....whats with that nonsensical hunter gibberish passed as some classic from Trinidad. It seems from Trinibad!!

"Kah Kar Le Lee".....thats what the movie makers claim in print ads. Well I don't know about the audiences but CENSOR KI TOH LE LEE....  It's quite a leap from Delhi Belly and Dirty Picture and will set a DISGUSTING trend in the days to come. It should be classified as something else than an A Film.

Its like emperor's new clothes, everyone is raving about it.......but let me tell you Raja Nangdhadanga hai......!!!

PS: Guys, its tough being a film maker and tougher being an objective critic. Worse if you want to turn a filmmaker too. How could a filmmaker-to-be so damn critical of someone's work? I know I am taking a big risk........:))))))))))))))))

Ferrari ki Sawaari... :( :(

First day first show.....thats how I like to see movies. So today we set out for a zipping experience in the Ferrari. But wtf.......Safar tha ya suffering.....ah, ooh, ouchhh!!!

Arey story nahin hai toh picture kyon banate ho yaar.....?????? Ferrari bechaari....that could have been an apt title. (for a good story, contact me)

Ferrariiiiiiiiiiiii kiiiiiiiiiiiiii Sawaariiiiiiiiiiiiii.........The movie could have got over in less than 30 films and was better made into a short film. Barely 20 minutes into the super slow movie a child sitting behind me said,"Arey yaar yeh Ferrari kab khatm hogi?"

Ferrarri has no relevance or significance in the movie. It could have been any car and and anyone's. The pace of the movie is so slow that even director got the Ferarri pulled by a 'Baelgaadi'..bullock cart in one of the scenes.

Sharman Joshi...tried acting out the best out of the given lousy script. Boman played himself???? Old Parsi.

Those of you, like me, don't go by the reviews and like testing things themselves must go and check out this dud. Don't complain then......because you were warned, hugh!! :(

:(  Was that Vidya Balan trying out sexy Lavani number??? Waste...tch! Sorry, Wrong number in every way. ^ ^

Elephanta Festival at Gateway..for the first time!

The three-day Elephanta Festival was celebrated after a gap of two years. And for the first time, it  was not held at the Elephanta island near Mumbai, but at the Gateway of India, with an inferior adaption of the famous Trimurti Sadashiva on stage to create the ambience of Elephanta. The three-day event, organised by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation, which was opened on Friday, March 23, with a recital of Marathi sugam sangeet (light music), was followed by a performance by Hindustani classical vocalist Parveen Sultana, and a collaborative one by singer Runa Rizvi and percussionist Sivamani, who played Sufi rhythms. Unfortunately the event was poorly advertised and not many people know about these cultural events which are actually supposed to be annual festivals. 

On Saturday, March 24, sundari player Bhimanna Jadhav and Hindustani classical singer Arati Ankalikar-Tikekar  performed solo recitals in the spiritual morning session, which began at 6.15am. I and my daughter cycled our way to reach Gateway of India to enjoy a part of Tikekar's performance. There were a handful of people in the first few rows and it practically looked like the organizers and media personnel. There were few foreigners of course but thats about it. Nonetheless it did not affect the singer or the accompanists who were completely enjoying performing for a minuscule few. One did feel that had it been advertised on social media as well it would have got a much bigger and discerning audience for the performers. Thankfully on Sunday the crowds were a respectable size of music connoisseurs. I was again there in the morning.

There were four classical and folk dances being performed in the evening, which I could not attend but I landed up to hear my favorite voice, of Hariharan. He sang Gazals like 'Tere kaandhe pe mera sar hota'......'Marz e ishq'....which had a mesmerizing effect. The beautiful sea breeze on a hot summer evening added to the romance of the gazals. The attendance that night was better but still not enough to occupy the huge number of chairs which were lying vacant. Resources wasted, that's how I felt. Speaking to some people one came to know that they had no clue about the festival. It was a mere coincident that they heard the music while they were strolling around Gateway and they came to check it out. Thank God...

 I am glad I was there for bits and pieces. I missed listening to Parveen Sultana but I was enthralled by 'Tu hi re' from the iconic movie BOMBAY......... a mellifluous composition by Hariharan, which was also an audience choice and incidentally the concluding piece of that evening and the festival. I came all the way back home singing the song....It was a an evening to remember!