Film Review: BABY

Mumbai’s cynical audience broke into spontaneous applause thrice!

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Danny Denzongpa, Anupam Kher, Kay Kay Menon, Rana Daggubatti, Sushant Singh, Taapsee Pannu
Director: Neeraj Pandey

Venkat wanted to see this film even before it’s release. But I didn’t want to see a picture with the title Baby. That was before I got to know that it was directed by Neeraj Pandey who has also helmed films such as A Wednesday and Special 26. Then Venkat, Vinny and I decided to catch it at Cinemax Sion on Tuesday. 

THE STORY

Feroz (Danny Denzongpa) heads a secret Anti Terrorist Squad of twelve members. It’s a trial venture to last for five years and hence he has named it Baby. Four years ahead, the number of members has come down to Feroz plus just four, the rest having been killed during operations. But their success rate is too good. Ajay (Akshay Kumar) manages to uncover a plot for bombing a mall in Delhi. It is thwarted by him and Jai (Rana Daggubati). During the mission, they get to know that more bombings are lined up in the main cities of India. While chasing Bilal (Kay Kay Menon) and terrorist leader Maulana (Rasheed Naz) across Nepal and Saudi Arabia, Ajay and Jai get into deeper trouble along with Priya (Taapsee Panu) and Shukla (Anupam Kher). Will they get back alive? 

MY PERCEPTION

The film was very fast-paced and interesting. Every single actor fitted his/her role and has performed perfectly well. The best part was that the film had only half a song, that too in the background. 

Danny Denzongpa has given an excellent performance as Feroz who heads the Secret Squad. Akshay Kumar looks fitter than ever and is simply awesome as Ajay who balances a secret and dangerous career with a loving family. Anupam Kher’s role is small yet very good. The boy who plays an engineering student was simply amazing. Taapsee Pannu’s fight sequence was a pleasure to watch. 

The audience broke into spontaneous applause at least thrice during the course of the film, which is saying a lot. 

I only wish they had come up with a different title. Baby sounds so innocuous. 

VERDICT: All-in-all, a very good and intelligent film that’s worth a watch. 

*Silly
**Shaky
***Smart
****Snazzy 
*****Super

Film Review: DAAWAT-E-ISHQ

It’s worth a see if you like romances

Cast: Aditya Roy Kapoor, Parineeti Chopra, Anupam Kher, Karan Wahi
Director: Habib Faisal

I had been quite impressed by the promos of Daawat-e-Ishq and was keen to watch the film. Then there is the hero Aditya Roy Kapoor who is too hot for words. So Vinny and I decided to catch it on Saturday at Big Cinemas in R-City Mall, Ghatkopar as the rest of the family weren’t too keen.

THE STORY

Gulrez (Parineeti Chopra) lives with her father (Anupam Kher) in Hyderabad. She has completed her 12th standard topping her class. Unable to pursue her dreams of becoming a shoe designer, Gullu settles for working in a shoe outlet at a shopping mall. Her court clerk father has saved some gold and cash to be given as dowry for his only child. Many guys come to ‘see’ Gullu as a prospective bride along with their families but reject her because they find a dowry of cash and kind worth Rs. 15 lakh too less.

The final straw is when Gullu begins to date Amjad (Karan Wahi) and is confident that he loves her. When his parents meet her father, they insist that they need only Rs. 80 lakh to fund his education in the USA and nothing personal.

That’s when Gullu decides to take things into her own hands. She persuades her father to go with her to Lucknow. They stay at a 5-star hotel pretending to be millionaires from Dubai. They have a plan to find a ‘bakra’ for a groom. Watch the film to find out more.

MY PERCEPTION

The film has a good storyline and is quite interesting as it runs for just a couple of hours. Parineeti Chopra looks good and acts very well. It was very satisfying the way her character deals with the greedy prospective grooms and their parents, especially Amjad (Karan Wahi).

Anupam Kher as her father is just excellent. The widower loves his child but is too steeped in tradition to quite understand her behaviour. Despite all that, he is open to listening to her. Good one!

Aditya Roy Kapoor is too hot and does complete justice to his role as Tariq aka Taru. After seeing him in two different drunken roles (one was good while the other was very so-so) in Aashiqui 2 & Yeh Jawani Hai Diwani, I didn’t know quite what to expect. But he was simply awesome in this film. Kudos! My only peeve is that there was too less of ARK.

The promos were pretty misleading. I had had the impression that the film was about two foodies from Hyderabad and Lucknow. It’s nothing like that. While Tariq runs a restaurant and is a great cook, there was nothing else to it.

While the story was good, I wish it had been handled better. There was very good detailing with Gullu’s prospective grooms. But later, when Gullu and Taru get to know each other, the sequence flashes by too briefly via a song. That could have been explored more, I feel.

VERDICT: It’s worth a see if you like romances; nothing to feel upset about if you miss it either.

*Silly

**Shaky

***Smart

****Snazzy

*****Super

Film Review: TOTAL SIYAPPA

The story idea is good; the treatment nothing short of terrible

Cast: Kirron Kher, Anupam Kher, Ali Zafar, Yami Gautam, Sara Khan
Director: E.Nivas

STORY

Aman (Ali Zafar) is a Pakistani Muslim and Aisha (Yami Gautam) is an Indian Hindu. Both are based in London and in love. He’s is a famous musician and his band is quite popular while Aisha has a job in the corporate world. He goes to meet her family at her invitation. All hell breaks loose, literally. You have to see the movie to find out more. (My advice is that you wait for it to come on TV if you care about your cash).

MY PERCEPTION

The film has a good storyline and spans about five hours of the characters’ lives. It could have been handled beautifully. Yeah, it could have been!

But no, it has to be a mess. It was, believe me. It was Kirron Kher who kept me in my seat despite wanting to run away. I have seen Ali Zafar in Tere Bin Laden, London New York Paris, Chashme Baddoor  and Mere Brother Ki Dulhan. He has been a good actor consistently. But I can’t say the same for the roles that he chooses. While TBL & MBKD were excellent, the other two films were awful.

Total Siyappa also belongs to the second category. I don’t know whom to blame – the scriptwriter or director or maybe the producer who invested money to torture the audience. Extremely bad!

Yami Gautam looks lovely and acts well too. She was good in Vicky Donor but even better in this. But her role was zilch.

Kirron Kher was excellent as Yami’s mother. Sara Khan as Yami’s bratty married sister was not too bad. Anupam Kher has a minuscule role that’s not worth talking about.

Aisha’s brother’s hatred for Pakistanis, the way he and his neighbours gang together and trouble their neighbours; how the Indians and Pakistanis get together finally to bash the English policeman – the idea is good; the treatment nothing short of terrible.

The music was good – composed and sung by Ali Zafar. That and the short span of the film, 108 minutes, were probably the two saving graces of the film.

VERDICT: Watch at your own risk

RATING: **Shaky

*Silly
**Shaky
***Smart
****Snazzy
*****Super

Film Review: GORI TERE PYAAR MEIN

Gori Tere Pyaar Mein

I wish the film had been crisper with less or no songs and a tight edit

Cast: Imran Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Nizhalgal Ravi
Director: Punit Malhotra

Venkat and I were keen to see this movie and could only go this Thursday – a week after its release. We both enjoyed the film.

THE STORY

Sriram Venkat (Imran Khan) is a happy-go-lucky architect who works for his father. The Tam-Bram family lives in Bangalore. Sriram’s father is quite tired of asking him to be more responsible. That’s when the parents decide to get him married. They arrange a match with Vasudha (Shraddha Kapoor). Vasudha tells him in private that she is in love with someone else and requests Sriram to reject her. He in turn tells her to talk to her parents as he does not want to say ‘no’ to the alliance and earn his father’s wrath. The couple gets engaged. In flashback, Sriram talks to Vasudha about his broken relationship with Diya (Kareena Kapoor). Sriram’s perception changes as he talks more and more about Diya. And then he decides to run away from his own wedding…..

MY PERCEPTION

As I have mentioned in other film reviews, Imran Khan can act at times. Luckily, this is one of those films. He has done a very good job of playing the character of a guy who lives on the surface who later moves on to discover himself. Nice one, Imran!

Kareena Kapoor looks gorgeous in her role as Diya and she has also acted very well. There was a time a few years ago when I used to dread watching her films. She has come a long long way. Great work, Kareena!

Shraddha Kapoor’s role is quite small and does not have much scope. She was okay with what there was.

The story is good and the lack of violence was what I liked most about the film. Despite there being opportunities for a few fight sequences, the movie makers have steered clear of them. I am so glad for one. The concept is good and quite forward thinking. But I wish the film had been crisper with less or no songs and a tight edit. That would have kept the audience hooked. And that is probably the reason why the theatres did not run full despite the film being good.

A couple of bloopers that I could not help but notice as I am a Tam-Bram myself – a Tamil bride does not dress in a silk full skirt and synthetic half sari for her wedding. The bridegroom gets all set for Kasi Yaathirai (a trip to Kasi to give up the life of a family man) wearing his slippers – not barefoot like Imran. As he decides to go away, the bride’s father requests him to return promising a beautiful wife in the form of his own daughter. The older guy washes the groom’s feet AFTER he has been persuaded to cancel his trip to Kasi. And NOBODY eggs the bridegroom on to run away. The scene appeared quite stupid to me.

VERDICT: It’s worth a see definitely, especially if you like romance.

RANKING: ***Smart

* Silly
** Shaky
*** Smart
**** Snazzy
***** Super

TV Show: ANIL KAPOOR’S 24

Cast: Anil Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Tisca Chopra, Neil Bhoopalam, Mandira Bedi, Shabana Azmi, Sapna Pabbi, Anita Raj
Director: Abinay Deo

THE STORY

Anil Kapoor’s ‘24’ began on Friday, October 4, 2013 on Colors TV. This drama series is based on the Hollywood TV series by the same name.

Jai Singh Rathod (Anil Kapoor) heads the Anti Terrorist Unit (ATU) of the Indian government. His marriage to Trisha (Tisca Chopra) is on shaky ground as Jai is wedded to his job 24/7.

The show begins with Trisha’s birthday where both Jai and their daughter Kiran (Sapna Pabbi) bring a cake for her. But Jai is called to work just when the cake is being cut. An upset Kiran goes away with a friend to party all night. Trisha is left alone to bite her nails in tension as she does not know where her daughter is and Jai appears too busy to be bothered.

In the meanwhile, there’s a threat to the life of Aditya Singhania (Neil Bhoopalam), the to-be-sworn-in Prime Minister. What follows is a nail-biting thriller that happens over the next 24 hours real time.

MY PERCEPTION

I am not a fan of the small screen and prefer watching films on the big screen. I just happened to see the beginning of this show on Friday and was hooked. It’s quite interesting and is woven well with the Indian scenario. My son Vignesh is a fan of the Hollywood series and found this one not quite up to the mark. My argument is that there is no sense in comparing as this local series has been made to suit the Indian environment and it works for me.

It’s amazing to note that Anil Kapoor is all of 57. He has never been recognised as a great actor but he has done a number of commendable roles. I especially appreciated his work in Mr. India. This show must be a great challenge and so far it looks like the actor is up for it. Kudos Anil Kapoor!

I read somewhere that Anil Kapoor’s toughest challenge in this venture was getting the cast together. Well, I think it’s time to congratulate the actor as he has done a fantastic job of that. Each one of the actors is excellent, of what I have seen of the show so far. Neil Bhoopalam, Tisca Chopra, Sapna Pabbi, Anil Kapoor, Anita Raj and a whole lot of others including the ones playing the bad guys – all are very good.

One cannot help but compare the characters to the Gandhi family at the helm. Aditya Singhania’s character appears too much like Rahul Gandhi. Anita Raj plays his mother. His father used to be the Prime Minister who had been murdered. There is a sister and a drunkard for a brother-in-law too.

I missed the second episode on Saturday and searched the net for a repeat show on Sunday morning. There was not one. But luckily, Colors TV had uploaded the episode and I could watch it minus the advertisements, which was even better.

I eagerly look forward to the rest of the thriller.

‘24’ airs from 10-11 pm on Fridays & Saturdays on Colors TV.  There are 24 episodes in all set in real time.

Click Here to watch the episodes that you have missed.

Film Review: BADMAA$H COMPANY

Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Vir Das, Melyang Chang, Anupam Kher, Kiran Juneja
Director: Parmeet Sethi

The Story: Set in the 1990s, Karan is a 21-year-old genius who has just completed his degree exams along with his best friends Chandu (Vir Das) and Zing (Melyang Chang). The three guys want to make money and go to a guy who deals in imported goods. They act as his ‘Carriers’ and get to see Bangkok at his expense while making a small packet for themselves. They meet Bulbul (Anushka Sharma) on their first trip and the four become great friends. While Karan’s father (Anupam Kher) wants him to do his MBA, Karan is not interested in further studies. All he is interested in is making fast bucks – in a straight or crooked way – he does not care. And make money he does with his maternal uncle’s help. His disgusted father shows Karan the door. Not that it stops the young man. The four of them land in America and continue to pull the wool over the eyes of the law. But after a point, the other three want to call it quits. But Karan wants to go on. The clash of personalities and what happens to them in the long run forms the rest of the plot.

My perception: A mediocre plot and colourful cinematography. Anushka Sharma looks gorgeous and the film has been shot on wonderful locations, but all seen before. Shahid Kapoor has done a good job, but nothing exceptional. Chang and Vir Das have done their roles very well considering that the film is their first. Between the two, my vote goes to Chang.

With Vir Das on board, I did expect to fall off my seat laughing, but alas, nothing close to it. I think Bollywood scriptwriters don’t know how to inculcate comedy in their films. They seriously need to look southwards for this one.

What is wrong with the film? An average story presented in a very ordinary fashion. Nothing grips you about the film – no shocking twists, no earth-shaking climax – just a flow from A to B to C.

I think WE, the audience, have come to expect way more than this.

Verdict: It will soon show up on TV. Watch it then. It is worth a see.

Rating: ** Shaky

* Silly
** Shaky
*** Smart
**** Snazzy
***** Super

Film Review: SANKAT CITY

Cast: Anupam Kher, Kay Kay Menon, Dilip Prabhavalkar, Rimi Sen, Chunkey Pandey, Rahul Dev, Sanjay Mishra, Hemant Pandey
Director: Pankaj Advani

THE STORY:

Guru (Kay Kay Menon) is an automobile thief whose partner is Ganpat (Dilip Prabhavalkar). They bite of more than they can chew when Guru steals a Mercedes belonging to Faujdar (Anupam Kher), a criminal don who loans people big money that they wouldn't dare to not return. Mona (Rimi Sen) cons people into parting with their money quite easily and she partners with Phillip Fattu (Hemant Pandey) who doubles as Faujdar’s chauffer. Then there is the film production unit who owe Faujdar money. You have to watch the film to see more such characters that are extremely well fleshed-out.

MY PERCEPTION:

The film is hilarious from the word go. It’s very light and fast and very neatly packaged in under two hours. There is just one song that fits into the background if you don’t count the one at the end when the credits roll. Kay Kay Menon takes the prize when it comes to acting as the expressions that chase on his face are nothing short of brilliant. Dilip Prabhavalkar gets the second prize and the dialogues between the two are perfectly turned out. The comedy timing and the way the plot and characters are woven together are excellent. All the other actors have done their parts quite well. What made me the happiest is that the film is very well edited without any scene dragging its feet.

Verdict: Don’t miss the film.
Rating: **** Snazzy

* Silly
** Shaky
*** Smart
**** Snazzy
***** Super