MISS LOVELY (A): ‘A’ grade film about ‘C’ grade Film Industry in late 80’s! Dark & disturbing! [3.5/5]

Much before the current ‘Salman-Akshay & now everyone else’ dominating world of non-sense action thrillers, existed the times of Bollywood’s guilty pleasures confidently called as ‘C-Grade’ films. The period when soft-porn sleazy horror flicks were considered the most profitable idea of mass entertainment. The period when ‘Ramsays’ were more a rage in show-business than ‘Benegals’ & ‘Nihalanis’. Ashim Ahluwalia’s MISS LOVELY takes you back to the very same fascinating era but in a very dark, disturbing, unsettling and highly absorbing tone.

Set in Bombay Film Industry of late 80’s, MISS LOVELY is an atmospheric tale of two brothers [on the suggestive lines of ‘Ramsay Bros.’] trying to make it large in a parallel running darker side of mainstream cinema that is destined to find its end in an illegal commercialization of sex & porn. Vicky Duggal [Anil George] alongwith his younger brother Sonu Duggal [Nawazuddin Siddiqui] makes movies with plump-chubby women of desire in ill-fitted blouses and blood-red lipsticks for clients who only bother about filthy exhibition of female body. These movies are in general those ‘extra reels’ that get added in between shows at single screen cinemas to give viewers maximum pleasure and their value for money.

Where Vicky is unabashedly passionate about making money through these movies, Sonu seeks a way out of all these filth and wants to make ‘ceretainly not with Kumar Gaurav’ but a romantic film. Soon he finds his leading and love-lady too in Pinky [Niharika Singh]- a small town girl with twinkled eyes. Rest is the series of betrayal, hope, dream and passion…all in a dim-lit dark shade.

Ashim Ahluwalia masters in soaking you in the not-so-lovely shocking world behind the curtains where C-grade films rule. The nuances and the settings are perfectly captured through lenses. The lighting sets the swing in moods from cheap flashy parties to excessively melodramatic & multi-colored shooting sequences and the shady-murky times of harsh rejection from reality. The soundtracks are varied, apt and interestingly engross. You can easily find the transition stage from subsequential in quality music pieces in movies to jazzy Biddu-Nazia Hasan eon of Music videos in 90s. Production-design succeeds well in recreating the atmos and the textured look of 80s.

Performances here are subtle, realistic and innate. Nawazuddin is known for the kind of acting his role demanded. He impresses with his honesty mixed with brilliance that never allows you to doubt on the standing of his character. Anil George though looks methodical & disciplined in most of his portrayal. Niharika Singh brings a breezy break with her innocence in playing a small towner.

This all can never be completed without making it loud & clear that MISS LOVELY takes on a world popular in mass but is not everyone’s cup of tea when it comes to an overall movie experience. It does have an arthouse movie feel with less dialogues, engaging but slow pace, lack of hardcore non-sense entertainment & anything that is regular and in routine these days. It is a film for cinema adults. [3.5/5]  

YAARIYAN: Shame! Shame! Shame! Recommending this would need guts! I don’t have that [0.5/5]

After I left it out in the interval, I haven’t been really able to judge what is more shameful, appalling and inexcusable in Divya Khosla Kumar’s YAARIYAN- an allegedly youthful film about college-going generation experimenting with their aimless-clueless-directionless lives till they reach the state of realization. Is it the very first 20-25 minutes that only demonstrate how a hysterical teenager [played by Himansh Kohli- an ‘ohh, he’s sooo cute’ chap with all his white teeth out for exhibition] tries his hard luck to enjoy his first kiss? The first kiss always ends up in some not so favorable results, for most I guess but what happens here is totally weird and bizarre! And on the top of that, his loud & clear proclamations to go on date with the hottest girl in college someday soon!  

Or is it the level of humor that permits itself to show women as sex-objects? Be it the female teachers in sleeveless low-cut blouses acting only as seductress to male teachers and falling over them or a barely dressed girl student playing the role of ‘bharat mata’ in college-play and the rest of male actors competing to not waste the ‘opportunity’ to get physical with her, you know what exactly the film is trying to do…to tickle the boneless leech inside you.

There are many in the list but the most unforgivable is the fact that ‘YAARIYAN’ comes out of Divya Khosla Kumar, a woman and a mother herself. If she doesn’t find all these offensive, I would certainly have my doubts on her sense and sensibility. As captain of the ship, she only shows an upper hand in picturisation of songs.  They are edgy, sharp, stylish and with music video kinda look, but whenever you look out for her expertise in emotional scenes or in the drama part, she falls miserably. Even the writing is so immature, convenient and flawed that you only enjoy the transitions to make story go further with unplanned funny clarifications.

A bunch of losers who are flashy, shoddy and hopeless in their lives get selected by the principal of the college to take part in an art & culture competition with some Australian college, in order to save the institution from going in bad business hands. They sure have their ‘**ck it all’ reasons behind the selection but then enters the heavy-duty emotional extravaganza of racial discriminations in Australia. And then starts the most illogical and irritating part where Australian students lift their song while they were busy singing & dancing on your highness Yo Yo Honey Singh’s ‘aaj din hai sunny-sunny’, beat one of them out to death for actually no reasons and what not!! Our poor babies!!

With a lead starcast that is best to look at only on posters when they are not allowed to speak, act or emote, I was expecting surprises but ended up with possibilities of losing my mind, sense of cinema and high opinion for today’s youth that are in real more designed for future than the multimillionaire T-series headhoncho Bhushan Kumar’s talented wife Divya Khosla Kumar thinks and believes. Recommendations of any kind for this would need guts! I don’t have that in me. [0.5/5]

डेढ़ इश्क़िया: मिज़ाज कातिलाना, अंदाज़ शायराना! उम्दा!! [4/5]

फिल्म के एक अहम सीन में, जब दबंग विधायक जाँ मुहम्मद [विजयराज अपने निहायत ही जाने-पहचाने अंदाज़ में], जिन्हें नवाब बनना-दिखना-लगना-कहलाना पसंद है, और उसके गुर्गों का सामना खालू [नसीरूद्दीन शाह] और बब्बन [अरशद वारसी] से होता है...दोनों ही गुट एक दूसरे को पिस्तौल के निशाने पर रख लेते हैं! मुश्किल ये है की अब पिस्तौल पहले कौन हटाये? इसी पेशोपेश में सुबह हो जाती है! अगर आप समझ पायें कि कहानी लख़नऊ के आस-पास की है, जहाँ की तहज़ीब और तमीज़ 'पहले आप-पहले आप' में रची-बसी है तो बहुत मुश्किल नहीं है अभिषेक चौबे की लज्ज़तदार कॉमेडी थ्रिलर 'डेढ़ इश्क़िया' का लुत्फ़ उठाना!

'डेढ़ इश्क़िया' उन चंद फिल्मों में से है जिसकी ख़ूबसूरती जिस शिद्दत से कलम से निकलती है, उसी बख़ूबी पर्दे पे भी रंग लाती है! फ़िल्म आपको एक ऐसी दुनिया में ले जाती है जहाँ के मिज़ाज कातिलाना, किरदार गुस्ताख़ और तबियत शायराना है। उर्दू महज़ लफ़्ज़ों तक नहीं रुकती, हवाओं और फिज़ाओं में रूह की तरह बेपरवाह बहती है। पिछली बार ऐसा कुछ तेवर आपने तिगमांशु धुलिया की 'साहब बीवी और गैंगस्टर' में महसूस किया होगा। सुनकर या पढ़कर अगर आपको लग रहा हो, ये एक बीते दौर की पुरानी फ़िल्म है तो आप एक बार फिर गलत हैं। अभिषेक चौबे जिस तरह फ़िल्म को एक अलग अंदाज़ से अपने बिंदास ह्यूमर और बेबाक किरदारों के साथ परोसते हैं, फ़िल्म आपको ना सिर्फ बाँधे रखती है नयेपन का भी पूरा एहसास कराती है! 

खालू [नसीर साब] पे अब उमर असर दिखाने लगी है पर जवान दिल के साथ वो अभी भी महमूदाबाद रियासत की बेगम पारा [बेइंतिहाई खूबसूरत माधुरी] का शायराना शौहर बनने की होड़ से खुद को पीछे नहीं रख पाता! ऐसे ही एक और नकली नवाब हैं विजयराज जो एक क़ैद शायर [मनोज पाहवा] की मदद से बेगम के दिल और रियासत दोनों पर काबिज़ होना चाहते हैं। जल्दी ही ये सारी कवायद परत-दर-परत साज़िशों और किरदारों के बदलते अक्स का नमूना बन जाती है...और फिर शुरू होता ही दौर, दिलचस्प हादसों का जिनकी भनक आपको कतई नहीं लगती! खुराफाती बब्बन [अरशद] और बेगम की हमराज़ मुनिया [हुमा कुरैशी] भी इस सारी जद्द-ओ-जेहद का हिस्सा हैं।

फिल्म की जान सिर्फ कहानी ही नहीं है, विशाल भारद्वाज के मजेदार डायलॉग- बशीर बद्र साब की शायरी- खूबसूरत सिनिमेटोग्रफी और किरदारों का शानदार अभिनय फिल्म को एक अलग मुकाम पर ले जाता है। जहाँ एक-एक फ्रेम आपको दीवार पे सजी तस्वीरों का गुमान कराती है, किरदारों के ज़बानी इज़हार चेहरे पे मुस्कुराहट बिखेर देते हैं, वहीं फिल्म का स्क्रीनप्ले बहुत ही संजीदा तरीके से आपको उस मौहाल के एकदम करीब ले जाता है। बेगम के कमरे में बजता ग्रामोफ़ोन, उस पर बेगम अख्तर की ठुमरी 'हमरी अटरिया पे आओ जी', शायराना जलसे में मशहूर शायर नवाज़ देवबंदी की मौजूदगी...यहाँ कुछ भी बेढंगा, बेवजह नहीं है! फिल्म के आखिर में, बेगम अख्तर की ग़ज़ल 'वो जो हम में तुम में करार था' और उस पे फिल्माया गया शूटआउट सीन लाजवाब है. इस तरह का तजुर्बा हमें अक्सर टोरंटीनो की फिल्मों में देखने को मिलता है।

आखिर में सिर्फ इतना ही, 'डेढ़ इश्क़िया' 'इश्क़िया' जितनी मजेदार या मज़ाकिया भले ही ना हो, सूरत और सीरत में उस से कहीं बेहतर फिल्म है। काफी वक़्त बाद, एक ऐसी हिंदुस्तानी फिल्म जिसमें उर्दू को एक वाजिब तवज़्ज़ो अता की गयी है। समझ में आती हो तो बेशक़ देखनी चाहिये, नहीं आती हो फिर भी देखिये! [४/५]  

SHOLAY 3D: A visual heritage in Cinema for the next generation! [5/5]

As a devoted movie lover, my most desirable dream came true this week with Ramesh Sippy’s magnum opus SHOLAY getting re-released in 3D after 38 years of its very first release. I was, until, one of those few unlucky who hadn’t experienced this all-time blockbuster and the biggest entertainer in Indian Cinema on big screen. So first and foremost, no matter how many times you have seen it before, no matter how religiously you have learnt all its juicy dialogues by heart…you should rush to the nearest cinema to relive this enormously engaging film bollywood has ever produced. History repeats itself but not so often. So be a part of it!

Despite taking inspiration largely from Sergio Leone’s ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST [‘68] for the ‘mouth-organ’ themed background score & sound designing for family-massacre sequence, George Marshall directed segment in HOW THE WEST WAS WON [‘62] for the train-robbery part and John Sturges’ THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN [‘60] for the plot, Bollywood’s tribute to ‘spaghetti western’ cinema SHOLAY finds its root very much in our ‘desi’ soil and there exists the formula of its never-ending success.

Hats off to the writer-duo Salim-Javed for giving us characters that never lose their magical charm, colloquial quirky dialogues that never get out-of-the fashion and a drama that keeps us engaged and entertained all the way through its perfect and balanced mix of emotions. Who would not react in chuckles when Jai asks wisely, “tumhara naam kya hai, basanti”! How could you not feel the rage of vengeance in Veeru when he calls for the final encounter with, “Gabbar Singh! Main aa reha hoon”! Try to hold yourself from laughing when, modeled mockingly on Hitler, Jailer instructs his orderlies, “aadhe idhar jao, aadhe udhar jao…baki mere saath aao”! Have you ever seen a villain as cold-blooded & brutal as Gabbar who shoots his own sidekicks soon after making them burst into laughing only to prove a point that, “jo darr gaya, samjho marr gaya”? And my most favorite that has social significance also, is the unsaid inherent romance between Jai & Radha. Does your heart not bleed when Radha expresses. “laal, peele, neele, hare, socho toh rangon ke bina zindgi kaisi berang lagegi” cut to the while-clad Radha forced to live a colorless life of a widow.

Apart from Hema Malini playing the chatty tanga-girl Basanti, Sanjeev Kumar as the intensely gritty Thakur Saab and Jaya Bhaduri’s compassionate Radha, this is probably one of those rare films where every single actor cast has come out with an unforgettable presence on screen and definitely a remarkable work of his/her career. Dancing Queen Helen in the sensuous ‘mehbooba o mehbooba’ dance number, Jagdeep in a 2-scene role as ‘Soorma Bhopali’, A K Hangal as Imam saab in the heart-aching ‘itna sannata kyun hai bhai’ act, Leela Mishra as Mausi and everyone else.

SHOLAY was also a trendsetter in many senses. The era of 70’s in Bollywood with formula action entertainers that finds its base in violent vengeance seeking gangster-dacoit movies, was unquestionably lead by SHOLAY. Dharmendra’s foray into ‘kutte-kameene, main tera khoon pi jaaoonga’ mode took a giant leap after the very same. Amitabh dying in the end became a profit-formula & a sure-shot success-mantra for many Bollywood producers and last but not least, the emersion of 70-mm stereophonic sound technology for a king-size ground-breaking entertainment. Who all have experienced it before on screen can vouch for that.

The new form of SHOLAY in 3D has only improved and enhanced the experience. There are added 3D effect-gimmicks also that will make you satisfied with the glasses. The background score and songs are brilliantly been reworked in an enhancing Dolby digital atmosphere. CG effects keep the freshness in the visuals alive and intact but these aren’t and shouldn’t be the criteria to judge the film. Watch it for the status it has achieved through all these years and still doesn’t smell rot and old-fashioned. Classic in other words! This one is a visual heritage in cinema you should pass on to the next generation. Take your kids & family as I say, “History repeats itself but not so often”. Be a part of it! [5/5]        

MR JOE B. CARVALHO: ‘Errors in comedy’ & a case-history in the ‘worsts’ section of Bollywood [0.5/5]

Playing a detective, when Arshad Warsi comes to take the brief of a ‘runaway daughter’ case from Shakti Kapoor playing the father, Warsi investigates if he has any clue where his daughter could be. And you really can’t hold yourself bursting into giggles when Shakti Kapoor gives him an absolutely definite & detailed address in reply. This is a good example of black-humour and most importantly, it is one of those few gags that really come out well on screen. I wish other jokes would also have the same luck!

To be pronounced as ‘Mr jo bhi karwa lo’, debutante Samir Tewari’s ‘MR JOE B. CARVALHO’ is rather ‘errors in comedy’ than ‘comedy of errors’. The characters and I mean ‘each & everyone’ credited here acts and reacts like mad cows trying to eat as much grass from the field as they could.

Arshad Warsi plays a detective who’s hired to solve the mystery [???] behind a daughter running away with the cook of the house. In other plot, there is a cold-blooded killer [the less-wasted Javed Jaffery] out on loose to kill another couple responsible for a self-proclaimed don-cum-lover’s heartbreak. Vijayraj plays a green-eyed, envious goon who’s looking for chances to kill his rival Carlos-the killer. Soha Ali Khan is in role of a ‘Lady Dabangg’ cop who misunderstands his ex-boyfriend Warsi as the same contract killer, God knows why often addressed as a terrorist. Himani Shivpuri as the blind mother to Warsi gets trembling around everywhere without much reason. Rest is the series of happenings, mis-happenings and not-happenings.

With a completely immature, faulty and terrible work of writing, neither the film takes itself serious nor the actors. Everyone races against each other to win ‘who’s worst’ title in the performance. Javed Jaffery shows some relief as the master of disguise Carlos. Arshad Warsi was the biggest bet in this and though he never really disappoints you, he should take accountability for choosing such bad film. For the rest, you will find lots of improvisation from actors taking place in many scenes but even that also don’t help any better. Watching actors mumbling just anything before leaving the frame or camera getting zoomed in to a face to get some reaction and after realizing that it’s not gonna happen, ending it with a late-cut is hilarious but only if you are into the tricks & trades of filmmaking.

Dialogues are pathetically pedestrian. So if there is a talk about bad stomach, be ready to hear Soha starting her sentence with ‘I gas’ only to rectifying it soon after with ‘I guess’. The songs are penned down to tickle funny bones but fall flat only for a well-needed break to visit loo or the cafeteria in the theatre premise.

At the end; if you laugh ever in the film, it is not because of the gags but the situations that are not funny at all. Filmmaking is a serious business and people who think they can have fun with it in trying to make it funnier, should need to learn-unlearn few basics. Cinema lovers can consider it a strictly ‘No-No’ and a case-history in the ‘worsts’ section of Bollywood. Come on 2014, don’t dishearten us! Give us something really good soon! [0.5/5] 

THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY: Celebrate a daydreamer’s expedition to Life, Love & Nature! [3.5/5]

We all, at some point of time, might have thought & dreamt of entering another zone in life where we can perform, do or act as a human being much better than we are in real. Who hasn't think of punching hard on Boss’s face while he’s busy establishing you as the garbage of the company? Who hasn't fall into imagining an all suitable settings where you are ever ready to impress the girl around with those hidden talents inside you?

Daydreaming is not a mental disorder or something but when it hits Walter Mitty- a regular mind-numbing guy in his mid-40s, it definitely goes overboard to create momentary but extra-large viewing pleasure. And till the time you go gaga over these dreamy visual delights, something else comes in to surprise you…and that is called LIFE!

Ben Stiller’s directorial drama ‘THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY’ is a feel good film that talks about the mysterious nature & inspiring lessons of life in a very fascinating way. Walter Mitty works for the ‘LIFE’ magazine in a quite prominent role but remains unnoticed to the most of his co-workers including the girl he has hots for. Like everyone else, he too wants to impress everyone with his wit, his creative expertise and the super-human act to save people but his desires get life only when he’s zoned out. Life for him takes u-turn when a photojournalist [Sean Penn] known to him for almost 16 years sends him photo-negatives for the cover of latest issue but the particular negative actually never reaches to Walter. Now, Walter must inquire and locate the photojournalist to get what everyone is looking for. Thus starts the enriching- enlightening journey of life with Walter’s never done-never seen before contact with nature and its magical events.

‘THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY’ is a beautiful film with picturesque cinematography and scenic visuals that stays in your heart for very long. It also succeeds in striking the emotional chord whether it is the appalling situation of Walter seeking everyone’s attention or the sense of accomplishment that comes in his expedition midway. Special mention to the innovative usages of texts/supers throughout the film!

Ben Stiller steals the show both ways, with his confident directional skills and also the absolutely unbelievable transformation in his far-from-regular role of a lifetime. He looks every part of such miserable character that merely has anything to mention in his profile on a social networking site, in the column of ‘have been there-done that’. He makes the much needed connect with viewers. Kirsten Wiig brings vibrancy on screen through her lovely presence. Sean Penn is in a cameo here but plays a very significant role with absolute brilliance.

Overall, it is a film that presents Ben Stiller in an utterly different league. A film that celebrates life in the very same manner Oscar winner ‘LIFE OF PI’ has done in the past. Not that adventurous, not that overpowering but definitely an important film that keeps a constant smile on your face with moist eyes. Extremely Likeable! [3.5/5] 

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET: Scorsese’s Most entertaining Satirical take rides high on performances! [4/5]

Martin Scorsese’s THE WOLF OF WALL STREET is about ambitions. Ambitions that reject & rebel to be chained in with age-old rules and conventional regulations! Ambitions that don’t always look for permissible means but are ready to hop on anything, black or white, to get there on the top! And what could be the better example than the roller-coaster trippy life of American motivational speaker and a controversial stockbroker in the past, Mr. Jordon Belfort.

Based on his book of the same name, THE WOLF OF WALL STREET is a biographical satire on how a man of big appetite to make money by all means lands him into all glossy-no soul world of drugs and sex but the charm of this black-comedy lies in talking about serious things in a not- so-serious way and without being sober and apologetic.

In the very first few minutes of the film, Jordon in his twenties [played by the terrific Leonardo DiCaprio] is introduced to the real way of functioning in the boisterous world of stock market by his very first coach Mark Hanna [Extremely impressive Matthew McConaughey as the scene-stealer]. Cocaine & hooker as he says, is the road to success in this game of running numbers on digital panels.

Soon after losing his job in a national financial calamity, Jordon finds himself a job in a remote investment agency. With his neighboring salesman [the hilariously funny Jonah Hill] and a group of friends who can sale nothing but drugs, Jordon opens his own firm with a working culture that might give you an idea of being at a big house party with booze, weed and girls. Point is simple; make money and lots of money to blow it hard to bring heaven in earth.

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET is one of the best satires I have seen, on the business world. The way Mark Hanna describes Jordon the unsaid rules of the game in Wall Street in New York, it’s gritty, witty, real and a fun to learn. In similar situations, when Jordon teaches his workforce how to fish the money from riches, it forces you to almost split your sides with laughter. Irrespective of the fact that you might not be very friendly with the ‘typical’ glossary of stock market & investment services and a not-so-favorable 3 hour of duration, you will never feel short of ROFL [Rolling On Floor Laughing] moments even for once. Thanks to the sharp writing and a smart screenplay that beautifully jumbles between voice-overs and audio-visuals.

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET also marks applause worthy performances from more than one actor. Scenes extend to longer period with same settings and same set of actors but the performances never allow you to lose your valuable interest in the plot. DiCaprio has been a blue-eyed boy of Scorsese and he proves his worth in every scene. Most of the times, he is there as the motivational speaker so he speaks and speaks a lot but without being a blabber. Watch out for him where he’s temporarily paralyzed by excessive drug intake and desperately want to fight with the situation. Outstanding!

Of the rest, it’s Jonah Hill who brings maximum laughter moments with his own straight face humor. Matthew McConaughey is there for just a couple of scenes but he overwhelms you in just those few. THE ARTIST fame Jean Dujardin plays a Swiss bank official in a delightful cameo. You also should not miss noticing the real Jordon Belfort playing the show-host in the very last scene.

To sum up things well, it is Martin Scorsese’s one of the most entertaining work for sure. Performances, writing and a skilled direction make it a must-watch for plenty of good laughs. Only if the duration could get shorter by 15-20 minutes, it would have been an overwhelming experience. Nevertheless, it is just awesome! [4/5]