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In this page you will read and watch about following catagories relating films :
1. News , reviews and synopsis of :
Rang de basanti, WATER, Anjane, Fight club , Aksar,Mr Priminister, Bluff Master, MORE
and
2..Read previews , reviews and music reviews of the latest films :
Swades , Dil mangey more ....
3. Watch out movie stills :
Swades , Black , ...more
4. THE COMMING SOONS
and much much more
HOT NEWS OF BOLLYWOOD:
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 Osama Bin Laden. Al Qaida. Pak-sponsored terrorism. Coalition government. Hung parliament... Dev Anand tackles all these topics and more in MR. PRIME MINISTER. Only thing, instead of seriously pondering over these issues, the moviegoer cannot help but break into laughter since the execution of the subject is unintentionally funny.
Sample this: Dev Anand is a poor person, not having ample money to repair his torn shoes, but he carries a sleek mobile phone and suddenly wears designer outfits when he meets the Raja Sahab [Mohan Joshi]. More... The young terrorist [Tara Sharma] has a change of heart when he merely asks her about her past [is it so simple for terrorists to have a change of heart?] and chooses Dev Anand over a young stud [Dev Gill]. By the way, check out the lip locks between Dev Anand and a foreign actress.
In a nutshell, MR. PRIME MINISTER is akin to a 1970 film in terms of treatment, with Dev Anand dominating every single frame of the film.
However, irrespective of the merits of his films, you have to give it to Dev Anand for at least making an attempt to produce his kind of cinema. The octogenarian chooses stories that feature him in the central role [of course!], but you can't deny the fact that he has something different to say every time he attempts a film.
MR. PRIME MINISTER can also classify into the 'typical Dev Anand film' category, without an iota of doubt. Unfortunately, unlike Navketan's earlier films that Dev Anand directed -- DES PARDES and HARE RAMA HARE KRISHNA -- this one comes across as a jaded effort by an amateur.
Johnny Master [Dev Anand] is a well-read elderly person selling newspapers in a small, earthquake-ravaged, but now reasonably rehabilitated township in Kutch. Johnny had in fact come out of the debris of the catastrophe after lying buried underneath for two days and nights.
 The government declares elections. The sarpanch [Anjan Srivastava] and the residents of the township decide to form their own political party and make Johnny Master their chosen candidate for his forthright openness and honesty and his erudite educational background. They win hands down and Johnny becomes the people's elected representative in parliament.
However, his opponents in the elections [Prem Chopra, Mohan Joshi, Anant Jog] join hands and have him kidnapped and subsequently tortured by their henchmen [Shahbaaz Khan and stooges]. In a very cruel and dastardly act of torture inflicted on him, Johnny Master regains his memory only to discover that he is Prem Batra, the richest Indian residing in England. And on the very day of his arrival, he had become a victim of the earthquake tragedy.
He declares his real self to the kidnappers, buys them over and goes back to England as Prem Batra, only to realize that he is also in a position to buy over the corrupt lot of politicians elected to parliament.
Dev Anand has penned the script himself besides directing the film and in both the vital departments it looks like a slipshod piece of work. Bappi Lahiri's music is another sore point. Unlike Navketan's earlier ventures, the score here is strictly functional. The rap song before the end credits also looks forced. Cinematography [Chaman K. Baju] is alright. However, there's very little of Europe in the film.
A Dev Anand film gives minimal scope to other actors to stand on their feet. Dev Anand takes the maximum footage himself and the camera follows him from start to end. Tara Sharma is okay, while Dev Gill is fair. The film has a number of characters [Milind Gunaji, Mohan Joshi, Prem Chopra, Anant Jog, Anjan Srivastava and Boman Irani], but all get eclipsed in an enterprise like this.
On the whole, MR. PRIME MINISTER will arrive without a bang and leave without a whimper.
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 Deepa Mehta's 'Water' finally sees the light of the day. As an opening film of the 30th annual Toronto International Film, it has been back in news after it was stopped from being shot in India years back. Third in the trilogy after Fire and Earth, 'Water' is director Deepa Mehta's long cherished dream that has finally been realized after a wait for number of years. Produced by David Hamilton, 'Water' was secretly shot in Sri Lanka and stars John Abraham, Lisa Ray, Seema Biswas, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Waheeda Rehman, Raghuvir Yadav and Baby Sarala in principal roles. Just like 'Fire' and 'Earth', A.R. Rehman gives music for 'Water' as well.
Sukhwinder Singh begins 'Aayo Re Sakhi' in his trademark semi-classical rendition and just when you start thinking that the track would pump up its tempo, Rehman throws a surprise by keeping the pace consistent. There are very limited musical instruments in the background that makes 'Aayo Re Sakhi' a kind of number that deserves to be heard with more attention. A soothing rhythmic track with a strong classical base to it, it has a female singer joining Sukhwinder after the song is about half way through. Lyrics are poetic that convey the message of love, happiness, celebration and above all – freedom.
A song with a Radha-Krishan background, 'Bangri Marorii' has a rather strong classical base with again vocals doing all the talking (literally) with little or no music playing in the background. And this is where Rehman wins in creating a much desired effect by composing 'Bangri Marorii' in a manner that would be identifiable by people with strong understanding of music belonging to this genre. This is a kind of track that has a maximum impact when one wants to relax in dark isolation!
 By the time 'Naina Neer Bahai' begins, you are well aware about the style of music that Deepa Mehta and Rehman have chosen for 'Water'. This number too is totally subtle in nature and has references to Meera-Krishna love. With great lyrics and some excellent singing, this slow moving song about selfless love and admiration is an even better composition when compared to the earlier too and is a must for the lovers of classical/semi-classical music. Ditto for 'Piya Ho' that moves at even leisurely pace and is a duet where Sukhwinder Singh comes in towards the end.
'Bhang', 'nasha' and 'masti' are the key elements of the celebration song 'Sham Rang Mei' that appears to be a 'holi' song. Beautiful is the way to describe this duet that has an innocent feel to it. Lyrics too are different from numerous 'holi' tracks that have been composed over all these years and has a 'pure' feel to it. The album ends with one of the most popular 'bhajans' 'Vaishnava Jana To' that is known to one and all.
One can almost sense Rehman's enjoyment over composing for 'Water' where he is not bound by commercial boundaries and has just let himself be free. He is completely uninhibited in his approach and comes up with a musical score that can be described in three words - 'Pure', 'Honest' and 'True'! Will the music of 'Water' turn out to be a commercial success? Well, this is not the kind of an album that requires a verdict on such grounds as it belongs to a class that is over and beyond commercial diktats.and I shall not be a partner to this." Marriage? "
I'm living the moment now. Life will unfold what it has in store."
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3 .There are two ways to adapt a Hollywood film. The first one is an easy way out: Pick up a DVD and do a cut-paste job without adding your own bit. The other way out is to add a dash of Bollywood to the firangi film, shake and stir and a new version is ready to stand the test of the audiences.
ANJAANE - THE UNKNOWN takes the second route!
Based on Alejandro Amenabar's ghost story THE OTHERS [2001; Nicole Kidman], which was attempted last year in the form of HUM KAUN HAI?, ANJAANE - THE UNKNOWN is yet another instance of a riveting story going haywire thanks to inept handling.
ANJAANE - THE UNKNOWN tells the story of Shivani [Manisha Koirala], her husband Aditya [Sanjay Kapoor] and their two children. Sonia [Tejaswini Kolhapure] is the third angle of the triangle. Aditya and Sonia are in love.
When Shivani gets to know about it, she confronts Sonia and slaps her. Now Sonia is seething with fury and seeks revenge. Aditya decides to move in with Sonia and divorce Shivani. Later, Sonia gets to know that she cannot deliver a baby and eyes Shivani's children. Aditya agrees to it.
Even the court rules in Aditya's favor. But fate has something else in store for all of them. This is just the backdrop of the film…
 A film of this genre ought to rely on mood, atmosphere and the cast to create the spookish mood. But in this case, almost everything is so uninspiring and monotonous that the viewer starts feeling restless at the very outset. The middle or end portions also don't contribute much in elevating the status of the enterprise.
Harry W. Fernandes' scripting as well as direction is devoid of passion. Despite the fact that the story is borrowed from an English film, the movement of the story as also the screenplay follows the beaten track. Himesh Reshammiya's music is of the fast forward variety. Rajan Kinagi's cinematography is the only redeeming aspect of the enterprise.
Manisha Koirala looks disinterested in most parts, carrying off her role mechanically. Sanjay Kapoor is functional. Tejaswini Kolhapure needs to work on her acting skills. Helen is strictly okay. The child actors - Akshay and Tanwi - are alright.
On the whole, ANJAANE - THE UNKNOWN is an interesting story gone wrong. At the box-office, it's a non-starter.
 
5. Kisna’s tunes enamor you
28th Dec 2004 00.20 IST
By Aparajita Ghosh
Music has always been the strong point of Subhash Ghai ’s films and the tunes of his film Kisna are no exception.
From his collaboration with Laxmikant Pyarelal in yesteryears to his tagging with A R Rahman in recent projects, Ghai has never compromised on the quality of music in his films.
The music of his movie Kisna is full of old-world charm with extensive use of classical and acoustic instruments to the tunes composed by A R Rahman and Ismail Darbar . Javed Akhtar ’s thoughtful and simple lyrics beautifully capture the mood and gist of many situations songs.
The story of Kisna is set in 1947 and tells the tale of characters played by Vivek Oberoi , Antonia Bernath and Isha Sharvani .
If the title of the movie happens to Kisna one can naturally expect good use of flute in the film’s music.
Flute is dominant in Hum Hain Iss Pal Yahan which is a finely composed track quite efficiently sung by Madhoshree and Udit Narayan. The soothing melody of this number and the meaningful words by Akhtar make the song one of the best compositions in the package.
Another song Woh Kisna Hai gives a colorful account of Radha’s love and Kisna’s playfulness. The album also nudges into frivolous mood with Akhtar showing well-crafted frivolity with words in Tu Itni Pagli Kyun Hai.
Akhtar’s expertise over his quill is apparent in the beautifully written song Aham Brahmasmi. Words like Mujhmein Shiv, Mujhmein Brahma, Mujhmein Vishnu, Mujhmein Krishna, Phir mein mandir kyon jaon reflect the wisdom and realization of God in self.
The frothy number Wohi Din Aa Gaya is about a bride happy at the arrival of the day when her lover will come to take vows with her. The album also has a mujra song with prologue narration by Sushmita Sen .
In a nutshell, the music of Kisna inspires love, passion and pathos in a listener.
6.Shah Rukh to play a ghost!
Subhash K Jha | December 30, 2004 13:00 IST
 The odd pairing of Shah Rukh Khan and Amol Palekar in their next film comes as a surprise to many.
The yet-untitled film will also be produced by Khan, and costars Rani Mukerji.
Khan dismisses speculation about the unlikely collaboration.
"Amol Palekar narrated the script. I liked it. It's a very sweet story."
What isn't known as yet is that the 'sweet story' is actually a ghost story!
Shah Rukh Khan plays a double role in Palekar's directorial venture. One role sees him as Rani's husband and the other, as a ghost.
After his unexpected role in Ashutosh Gowariker's Swades, Palekar's film will give SRK another chance to go beyond his image.
The closest he has come to a ghost was in Chamatkar where Naseeruddin Shah had played a spirit while SRK played a simpleton who comes in contact with him.
Recently, Isha Koppiker and Aftab Shivdasani had played ghosts in Krishna Cottage and Shukriya, respectively.
Interestingly, Palekar had almost finalised Nakul Vaid -- the rookie cop in Shimit Amin's Ab Tak Chhappan -- for the ghost's part before Shah Rukh showed interest in the film.
7.Celebrities lend support to tsunami victims:
[Cinema India, Bollywood]: Mumbai, Dec 30 : Several celebrities in this city of glamour are pitching in to help victims of the tsunami tragedy in coastal India.
Celebrity businessman Viren Shah has decided to donate all the money that he was to on his New Year bash to help victims.
Shah is known to host some of the best parties and this time he was to host a theme party on smooching, with almost every major model expected to show up. But when the tsunami hit India Sunday, killing 13,000 people, he decided to use the party money for victims instead.
A lot of other celebrities are also helping in whatever way they can.
Subhash Ghai has announced that he is meeting Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh to chalk out a plan on how the film industry can do its bit to help victims.
Ghai also plans to raise money through his dream project "Kisna", which stars Vivek Oberoi and Isha Sharvani. A special premiere will be planned or members of his team will visit the affected areas.
Vivek's mother Yashodhara apparently runs a non-profit organisation for children in Nagapattinam, one of the worst affected places.
Poonam Dhillon has been sending sms messages to all her friends to help victims in Sri Lanka - where more than 25,000 people have died - after former cricketer Arjuna Ranatunga sent her an appeal. Now she is doing her best to help in cash or kind.
She has already managed to get support from friends like Naresh Goyal and Kiran Kumar.
Indo-Asian News Service
8.Pune Intl film fest from Jan 14:
[Cinema India, Bollywood]: Pune, Dec 30 : The third Pune International Film Festival 2005, beginning here from January 14, would have over 15 films from different parts of the world that would be short-listed for competitive section.
"The Film Festival, which has gone competitive from this time, would see screening of 120 movies. Of these, 18 would be short-listed for the competitive section," organisers of the film festival MP Suresh Kalmadi and film maker Dr Jabbar Patel told a press conference here today.
The theme of the ensuing film festival is thriller movies with special focus of young directors from France and China, Kalmadi and Patel said adding, about 4,000 delegates are expected to attend the festival which concludes on January 20.
They said unlike the Thiruvananthapuram and Goa International Film Festivals, where the focus was on Asian and Latin American cinema, the Pune fest would be global in real sense as films from every part of the world -- France, Germany, Korea, Hungary, Poland, Australia, China, Italy, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, Iran, Sweden, Canada, Norway and Israel -- would be screened here. MORE PTI .
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9.Sanju Baba - Dil Se!
By Taran Adarsh, January 26th, 2005 - 0930 hrs IST
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Sanjay Dutt may be enacting the role of a toughie on the big screen, but he sure has a heart of gold that cares for all. Known for lending support to those in crisis, without making any noise about it [he keeps it away from the media as well!], Dutt continues his charitable work with honest intentions.
Not many are aware, Dutt was amongst the first to stand up for Tsunami victims when the catastrophe struck in December last year. “I've always noticed that the American entertainment industry joins hands to combat any crisis. But I often wondered why we couldn't collectively do something for the needy?” Dutt sounds emotional as we talk of the Tsunami victims.
So what did he do next? “I called Sir [Bachchan Sr.] to seek his advice. If something could be done collectively. And he assured me and gave his whole-hearted support. That's when I started calling my friends within the industry,” Dutt states.
Getting the entire actors' fraternity under one umbrella is next to impossible, but Dutt's intentions were noble and everyone joined in. “I think anyone could've achieved it,” he says with utmost modesty. When you tell him that it's not possible to get the fraternity under one roof so easily, he just smiles back.
We move over to TATHASTU, which has been completed in a record span of less than a month. “It's a great film. A terrific script,” he states. But he's never known to complete his films so fast. What's so special about the film? “This one's an exception. But it's fun completing the films at one stretch. You remain focused completely,” he flashes that by-now-famous smile.
Another change that not many are aware of is a palm-sized tattoo of Lord Shiva on his left shoulder, with a mantra also tattooed there. “I've always been religious,” Dutt continues, “But my experiences in the jail changed me completely. I became more religious thereafter.” And how have the experiences changed him as a person? “Religion has brought stability in my life,” he adds.
On the professional front, Dutt is in no hurry to start a home-production after MUSAFIR. “I am not starting anything right now. May be later,” he states.
10.Padma for SRK and Yashji
By IndiaFM News Bureau, January 26th, 2005 - 1145 hrs IST
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Cine Star Shahrukh Khan and filmmaker Yash Chopra are among the 96 people who have been conferred this year's Padma awards. The awards are announced every year a day before Republic Day. Yash Chopra and Shahrukh Khan have been honoured with Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri, respectively. “ It's great to be honoured, though for me it came a bit late, but then I know how the government functions. I will try hard to live up to the expectations,” said Yash Chopra on the occasion.
Others to win these honours from the industry are Manna Dey and singer Kavita Krishnamurti
11.Ash Clears Misconceptions
By Taran Adarsh, January 26th, 2005 - 0930 hrs IST
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| Contrary to what a section of the industry would like to believe, Aishwarya Rai continues to go great guns. The latest project in her kitty is a Michael Douglas starrer, which is a joint venture between a Hollywood production house and Percept. “Yes, I am doing the film,” Ash tells this writer in an exclusive conversation, “And, let me add, this project was signed much before BRIDE AND PREJUDICE hit the marquee. But I kept quiet all through since I wanted the makers to make the first move of announcing it officially.”
If you thought Ash would be sulking post-BRIDE AND PREJUDICE, you're mistaken. “The film has done exceedingly well in U.K. and South Africa, so why should I sulk? Strangely, a section of the media was in a tearing hurry to write off the film even before the results could be declared. The U.S. critics have also praised my performance in RAINCOAT,” the 'Bride' states with pride.
There's talk that she has started looking at Bollywood all over again. “But I want to be here. When did I ever say that I was bidding goodbye to Bollywood? I still have offers coming in everyday. I don't have a PR machinery to plug in stories at regular intervals. Perhaps, that's one of the reasons why most people feel that I've packed my bags and left for L.A.,” she smiles
12.Dev Anand to revive classics
By Taran Adarsh, January 25th, 2005 - 0930 hrs IST
 The success of MUGHAL-E-AZAM paved the way for grand revivals of classics. While Ravi Chopra is in the process of reviving classics produced by B.R. Films, starting with NAYA DAUR, Dev Anand has also decided to revive four films from Navketan's rich repertoire in the forthcoming months.
“We've decided to revive four films,” Dev-saab informs me, “While three of these have been shot in color [GUIDE, HARE RAMA HARE KRISHNA, DES PARDES], the fourth [HUM DONO], originally a B & W film, will be revived in color after the colorisation process.” Also, the films will be released with Dolby sound, which means the background score of these films will be recorded freshly, all over again.
Meanwhile, the veteran actor-filmmaker is planning to release his new film MR. PRIME MINISTER some time in April this year. And as a strategy to promote and publicize the film, Dev-saab has decided to kickoff a campaign in leading newspapers with a simple question: What qualities do you look for in a Prime Minister? The campaign will be on for three weeks and the best opinion, selected by a 3-member jury [to be decided upon], will be awarded a brand new car.
That's not all, the veteran has decided to hold screenings of MR. PRIME MINISTER for the top bureaucrats in New Delhi, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi, and gauge their reactions prior to the film's release. By the way, unlike other Navketan films, which boasted of 7/8 songs on an average, MR. PRIME MINISTER has just three songs in all and the film is of 1.55 hours duration.
13.PLPY releasing on January 28th
By IndiaFM News Bureau, January 25th, 2005 - 0930 hrs IST
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| Padmashree Laloo Prasad Yadav is being released worldwide on January 28th, 2005. There was a lot of speculation that the Election Commission would delay the movie. But after extensive talks with the Election Commission, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and the Censor Board, the movie was granted a U/A certificate on January 22nd, 2005.
However, the movie will not release in Bihar and Jharkhand until after February 27th, 2005.
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14.Hot fims of 2004
Some made a mark with their sensitive themes while failing at the box office. Others were smash hits in every which way. Here are 10 hot films of 2004:
1. "The Passion Of The Christ": A saga of sublime suffering told by Mel Gibson in excruciatingly graphic descriptions of Jesus Christ's final days on earth as he's taken to the cross to be nailed. Conveniently enough, this work of timeless art and over-brimming heart was sneeringly dismissed as a paean to masochism and sadism. What Gibson does in his masterly study of pain, suffering, redemption and atonement is to resurrect the spirit of humanism in ways that cinema had forgotten.
2. "Morning Raga": Shabana Azmi once again blew the screen apart with yet another powerhouse performance. This time she played a retired, mourning Carnatic singer who's pulled out of a past tragedy by two vivacious students (Prakash Rao and Perizaad Zoarbian). Thematically, Mahesh Dattani's was by far the most powerful film of the year.
Bringing together various layers and levels of cross-cultural images, fusing raga sounds with modern elements, "Morning Raga" eminently took on the age-old conflict between tradition and change.
3. "Yuva": The most underrated and misunderstood film of the year, "Yuva" brought together the lives of three young men in search of truth and motivation. Their lives crisscrossed on Kolkata's Howrah Bridge in ways that reminded some critics of Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's Spanish-language film "Amores Perros". But to punish "Yuva" for adapting Inarrritu's narrative format was to equate the specific work with art for the genre.
Expertly cut, and with stand-out performances by Abhishek Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor, Vivek Oberoi, Rani Mukherjee and Sonu Sood, "Yuva" is a film that begs to be revisited.
4. "Dev": Govind Nihalani's dark and ominous film inspired by the Gujarat holocaust crept up on us with force, compelling us to think when we would rather go to the movies just to have fun. The dialogue between a communal and a non-communal cop played by Om Puri and Amitabh Bachchan was inter-cut by a tender love story between two Muslim youngsters, Fardeen Khan and Kareena Kapoor, torn apart by the savagery of communal riots. While gripping our senses the film raised grim issues like the hand of police in instigating communal animosity.
5. "Maqbool": Vishal Bhardwaj's relentlessly dark tale of ambition, lust, crime and retribution was inspired by Shakespeare's "Macbeth". Shakespeare met Ram Gopal Varma in "Maqbool" and then they both met a stirring nemesis in a swoop of echoes that reverberated across a tale that was both shocking and redemptive. Three very strong central performances by Pankaj Kapur, Tabu and Irfan Khan held the powerful plot together. You couldn't take your eyes off these tainted souls.
6. "Khamosh Pani": So what if they spoke in Punjabi in Pakistani director Sabiha Sumar's big-little film? They spoke Latin and Hebrew in "The Passion Of The Christ", didn't they? It didn't make a jot of difference to the film's universal appeal. Taking us into the life of a historically challenged woman (Kirron Kher) who finds her present obviated by her past, the film portrayed the trauma of the partition without actually reliving the historical accident visually. Kirron Kher's charged performance brought a whole ethos to life. The physical and emotional details were impeccable.
7. "Mughal-e-Azam": The colour-revised edition of K. Asif's time-less romance was surcharged with emotions soaked and saturated in the finest traditions of romantic cinema. Cynics said the experiment with renewed glory won't work. But what do you know! Madhubala looked doubly glamorous in colour. Naushad's music, newly re-recorded in Dolby stereophonic added to the lure of nostalgia. And the chaste Urdu dialogues which many experts thought would go right above today's youngsters' heads had them spellbound. Lesson number one - never underestimate the audience. Lesson number two - they still prefer Madhubala to Mallika.
8. "Monster": If one performance can hold a film together, then let's all join hands to celebrate Charlize Theron's theme-defining performance as a lesbian hooker in this relentlessly dark and disturbing film that graphically portrays the degradation of a social outcast. Theron transforms herself for a performance that screams for attention...and gets it.
9. "Swades": Ashutosh Gowariker's elegiac back-to-the-roots tale of patriotism unfurled like a lingering flag. So what if the film didn't make as many waves as it was expected to? "Swades" offers us a chance to sink into a comforting level of sincerity.
A complete absence of cynicism gives Ashutosh Gowariker's film a feeling of fresh idealism, singularly lacking in films today. Then there's Shah Rukh Khan in by far the best performance of his career. Gowariker's "Swades" had all the solutions.
10. "Veer-Zaara": Yash Chopra's purported love legend didn't quite touch legendary heights. But on the thematic level the story of man who waits for two decades to get back his love was as poignant as its gets. The poetry, music and romance of Yash Chopra's cinema were all there in this engrossing film about the unfinished business of love.
And the other notables: Sudhir Mishra's "Chameli", Revathi's "Phir Milenge", M.F Husain's "Meenaxi: A Tale Of 3 Cities", Gurinder Chadha's "Bride & Prejudice", Pamela Rooks' "Dance Like A Man", Rituparno Ghosh's "Raincoat" and Farhan Akhtar's "Lakshya".
15.'Page 3' is realistic fun flick
The newspaper page that everybody loves to hate but is constantly scrambling to be seen on is back in news - this time as the title of Madhur Bhandarkar's latest film.
The happenings in the lives of the rich and the famous are captured through the eyes of a journalist in Bhandarkar's "Page 3", which is all set to release Jan 14, 2005.
Starring National Award winning actress Konkana Sen Sharma, "Page 3" also boasts of an eclectic cast comprising Atul Kulkarni, Bikram Saluja, Tara Sharma, Sandhya Mridul and Boman Irani.
"Page 3" is a realistic film that exposes the underbelly of the film and glamour world.
Konkana plays Madhvi Sharma, a journalist in Nation Today and is put on the beat of covering celebrity parties and launches. How she is disillusioned by the nature of her work forms the crux of the story. Atul Kulkarni plays a crime reporter who finds entertainment journalism rather demeaning.
Bhandarkar says the audience would find the film's realistic values appealing.
"I am sure people will relate to the film a lot as they will with the brilliant performances of the actors," says Bhandarkar.
"There are about 45 artistes in the film playing various roles like politicians, film stars, business tycoons and socialites. Apart from that, the lead actors Konkana, Tara Sharma (who plays a struggling Bollywood actress - a hopeless romantic) and Sandhya Mridul (who plays a no-nonsense air stewardess whose only ambition in life is to marry a rich man), Atul Kulkarni, Boman Irani, Bikram Saluja and Rehan Engineer have also done well.
"Boman Irani essays a powerful role as the editor of the publication for which Konkona works whereas Bikram Saluja plays a Bollywood superstar and Tara's love interest. I have a brilliant star cast," says Bhandarkar.
Others featuring in "Page 3" include Anju Mahendru, Suchitra Pillai, Kunika, Navni Parihar, Dolly Thakore, Madan Jain, Kishen Mulchandani, Jai Kalra and Nisha Jhamval.
The film explores the power play between the air-kissing, champagne-swigging, caviar-chomping set and the media. Konkana mingles with the elite by night and then takes the last train to her rented apartment to write the headlines for tomorrow's news.
Konkona shares the apartment with two other flatmates: Tara Sharma and Sandya Mridul.
Jai Kalra plays a model and Konkona's love interest. Rehaan Engineer plays a gay make-up artist and best friend to Konkona.
Facts V/S Smokescreen
By IndiaFM News Bureau, January 26th, 2005 - 1145 hrs IST
 Be it Sanjay Dutt in Musafir, John Abraham in Elaan, Saif Ali Khan in Ek Hasina Thi, Shah Rukh Khan in Swades or Zayed Khan in Vaada, cigarettes have been dependable props, adding to the star's appeal and sophistication. A recent World Health Organisation study on the portrayal of tobacco in Indian cinema shows Bollywood is to a large extent responsible for the glamourising of smoking. Despite the WHO's appeal to stop glamourising tobacco in movies, the message has not yet reached Bollywood, as stars continue to light up on screen. As the stars smoke on screen, their actions have left antismoking groups fuming.
The recent WHO report reveals some startling facts...
- Shah Rukh Khan has been shown smoking on screen 109 times, followed by Rajnikanth at 103, Gulshan Grover at 68 and Ajay Devgan at 55
- The occurrence of smoking among positive characters elevated from 22 percent in 1991 to 53 percent in 2002
- India has over 260 million tobacco users and 76 per cent movies have portrayed tobacco use
- Teenagers who watch Bollywood characters smoke are three times more likely to do so
17.Top Bollywood newsmakers of 2004
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Bollywood had its quota of sensations and scandals this year, though no controversy in 2004 could equal the Vivek Oberoi-Salman Khan conflict of the year before.
Here go the top newsmakers of the year from the film industry:
1. Madhur Bhandarkar-Preeti Jain: Jain's rape allegations put Bhandarkar on the front pages of newspapers. When the story broke, there were reactions of shock and disbelief among his colleagues. The casting couch, they joked, had developed a leak.
But the impact remains. Filmmakers are now wary of entertaining wannabes of either sex in their chambers. Says one filmmaker, "I meet newcomers only in the visiting room of my office and make sure one or more of my assistants is around. Who wants to be called a rapist at my age?" Or at any age, one might add.
2. Amar Singh-Shah Rukh Khan: Did the superstar come to blows with the super-politician at an awards function in Dubai? Many theories floated around. But here's what really happened. Singh roughed up one of the Moranis for misbehaving with his friend Amitabh Bachchan. For this, Shah Rukh accused Singh of "goonda gardi" (throwing his weight around). Amar Singh's rich riposte? "If I've to be a goonda to protect my brother, so be it."
3.Priyanka Chopra-Prakash Jaju: Hell hath no fury like a secretary scorned! When Priyanka Chopra told her manager to go fly a kite, he flew off the handle, rushing off SMSs and e-mails to every journalist who could get him to hurt his former star-client. But ask Priyanka if she cared! Well...she did, and she did not. While Jaju's tirade did affect her, she showed exemplary inner strength in dealing with it. "I can't let this get to me," she whispered in the thick of the crisis, and moved on!
4.Shahid Kapur-Kareena Kapoor: No one knows where the incriminating mobile images came from. No one knows who took them. But the images shocked the couple as well as those close to them. The paparazzi had finally arrived in Bollywood. Like the Bhandarkar-Jain run-in, the picture had far-reaching repercussions on Bollywood's relationship with the media. 
Suddenly female stars have become more cautious about being seen in public with people. "Because you never know when one of those 'friends' will click a picture," quips Kareena's colleague.
5. Yash Chopra: He's the coolest one. While the whole industry slumped, the incredible Yash Chopra sailed from one level of success to another. Every single film that he produced during the year, from "Hum Tum" to "Dhoom", was a money-spinner. At yearend, his directorial undertaking "Veer-Zaara" opened to the biggest crowds recorded for any film during 2004, and continued to sustain itself for the next four weeks to become one of the few blockbusters of 2004.
Yashraj Films also launched its own music label to release the music of "Veer-Zaara". Contrary to scepticism, this was the only soundtrack that made hard profits during the year, far more than the other tepid albums that shocked the music industry by their non-performance.
6. Lata Mangeshkar: How do we define her? In her case, the legend tag just doesn't do justice to the volume of her success. Year after year she continues to rule the roost, creating brand new frontiers for her longevity. At age of 75, she gave voice to 30-year-old Preity Zinta in "Veer-Zara". And now in "Bewafaa", she sings for 24-year-old Kareena Kapoor!
Astonishing beyond words...and lyrics, 2004 saw the nightingale score resounding in two simultaneous films. In the revival of "Mughal-e-Azam", she sang like a dream for Madhubala. In "Veer-Zara", released the same day, she crooned with delightful conviction for Preity Zinta.
7. Karan Johar: When one of Bollywood's highest-profile directors decided to do a talk show, everyone wondered why. But within weeks of its premiere the unbelievable combinations of guests on the show and the ambience on the show has yielded plum ratings for the otherwise-dormant Star World channel. Johar's plus points? The guests are all his friends. It's all in-house. And it's all done in a spirit of jest.
8. Amisha Patel: What exactly have parent-child relationships come to in showbiz? Ask the goose that laid the golden egg. Amisha Patel moved her loyalties completely to director Vikram Bhatt and sued her parents for spending her hard-earned money on ventures she didn't really know about.
Years ago the legendary Nutan had taken her mother to court for financial mismanagement. Of course Nutan's legendary status had nothing to do with the scandal. It never does.
9. Amitabh Bachchan-The Gandhis: A totally media-manufactured controversy. A minor war of words was sparked off in the press after Jaya Bachchan supposedly expressed her opinion on the Gandhi family. No one was interested in a controversy. With both parties displaying exemplary self-control, the non-issue died down as suddenly as it started.
10. Sanjay Leela Bhansali-Aishwarya Rai: Aishwarya Rai was quoted as saying that her favourite director had a long way to go as a human being. Bhansali retaliated by calling her Joan Of Arc. Aishwarya then denied ever saying anything against her favourite director. Bhansali withdrew his comment. The end?
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Swades
Everything about swades here
Swades 1st week
CAST: Shahrukh Khan, Gayatri Joshi
WHAT IS IT ALL ABOUT: A man’s effort to bring about a vast change in his village
WHAT TO WATCH OUT FORL: Shahrukh Khan
WHAT NOT TO WATCH OUT FOR: The storyline that proves to be a disappointment especially for those who are expecting a lot after Lagaan
BOX-OFFICE VERDICT: Though critics have appreciated Ashutosh Gowariker’s efforts the common man has felt let down by the film. The collections garnered have not lived up to the expectations
Movie review:swades
An SRK film is keenly awaited. And if the super-star teams up with a celebrated director whose previous film was nominated for the Academy Awards, the expectations are gargantuan, enormous, colossal.
So when a dynamic combo - SRK and Ashutosh Gowariker - join hands, you expect the film to be, if not better, at least at par with LAGAAN. After all, comparisons with LAGAAN are inevitable!
Unfortunately, SWADES disappoints big time. The story of SWADES would've been ideal for a documentary, but for a feature film with a running time of 3 hour plus and starring the country's biggest star, it just doesn't work.
Yes, SWADES has a few interesting moments. But a handful of deftly executed sequences aren't enough. It had to be one exciting joyride, with the 3 hour plus narrative grabbing your attention from the word 'Go'.
To put it bluntly, SWADES is high on hype, low on substance and extremely low on entertainment. Ashutosh Gowariker has missed the bus this time!
Set in modern day India, SWADES tackles the issue facing the citizens of this nation at grassroots level. The India of SWADES is colorful, heterogeneous and complex and it is to this environment that Mohan Bhargava [Shah Rukh Khan], a bright young scientist working as project manager in NASA, returns to, on a quest to find his childhood nanny.
What begins as a simple mission prompted by nostalgia and affection turns into a journey to the heartland of rural India, both literally and metaphorically.
Mohan finds his nanny, Kaveriamma [Kishori Ballal], the symbol of motherhood, in a village called Charanpur with an admirable young woman Gita [Gayatri Joshi] and her younger brother Chikku [Master Smit Sheth].
Mohan begins to interact with the Panchayat, which has at the helm the dogmatic but the just village chief. Along the way he encounters the quirky but endearing Mela Ram [Dayashanker Pandey], who sees Mohan as his ticket to the chain of restaurants he will start on the American freeways.
Mohan befriends the local postmaster Nivaran [Rajesh Vivek], stuck to his old-fashioned ways, and the village children, whose future is inextricably linked with that of the country. Soon, Mohan finally realizes that it is his scientific temperament as well as his understanding of societal complexities that can drive the villagers to participate in a movement to better their lives.
One of the reasons why SWADES does not hold is because of its waferthin storyline [the story idea - bringing electricity to the village - is reminiscent of the recent MUMBAI SE AAYA MERA DOST]. Frankly, the story of SWADES progresses well till SRK arrives in the village in search of his nanny. But after the initial 30 minutes, the story stagnates. There's not much happening in the narrative and the flashpoint between SRK and Gayatri [he wants Kaveriamma to accompany him to the U.S., she wants Kaveriamma to stay back] is not something that would make the viewer long for the second half.
 The post-interval portions are one strenuous ride, with not much being offered in terms of content. And the incidents in the narrative - SRK visiting a faraway village to recover money from a farmer and learning of his miseries, later bringing in electricity to the village, then his decision of returning to the U.S. - are not the type that would involve you completely. Besides, the number of songs in the post-interval portions only slackens the pace of the goings-on. The film could've easily done without a song or two in this half.
You anxiously await the climax of SWADES [partly because LAGAAN had an exhilarating finale] with bated breath, but again, the culmination to the story is sans anything exciting. It's tame and dull!
Director Ashutosh Gowariker may have chosen a subject he was fascinated by, but expecting the audience to be as fascinated by the subject is asking for too much. The story is not as absorbing - it doesn't have the meat to last for 3 long hours - and even the narrative unfolds at a sluggish and lethargic pace. In fact, the narrative gets so boring and cumbersome after a point that you seriously wonder whether the editor [Ballu Saluja] had gone on a holiday or perhaps, he was so fascinated by the director's work that he didn't feel like trimming/deleting the unwanted portions.
Gowariker's screenplay also does not have enough moments that would instantly catch the attention of the masses. For a majority of cinegoers, especially the hoi polloi, the film holds scant appeal. Gowariker's intentions of depicting the problems of rural India may be noble, but it's not too great an idea of entertainment, specifically for that viewer who is thirsting for entertainment and believes in sunshine/feel-good/escapist cinema. Besides, the length only acts as a deterrent.
 Even the much-hyped NASA sequences aren't something an ordinary viewer would be ecstatic to watch.
To his credit, Gowariker has drawn fine performances from the cast. And a few sequences do have the masterly strokes of an efficient technician. But that's about it!
A.R. Rahman's music may sound soothing when you hear it, but when viewed with the story, most of the songs are of the 'fast forward' variety. Clearly, there's not one track you carry home after the screening has concluded. In fact, it would be in the best interests of the film to delete a few songs in the second half, for that would perk up the goings-on to an extent. It would prove to be a good exercise in some damage control at least!
Cinematography [Mahesh Aney] is excellent. The rural look has been captured beautifully. Dialogues [K.P. Saxena] are outstanding, but they tend to get into a sermonizing mode after a point.
Shah Rukh Khan is extremely likeable. He stands firm on his feet in dramatic sequences, confirming yet again that he's not merely a super-star, but a super actor as well. Gayatri Joshi makes a confident debut, though she can go easy on her expressions at times. Yet, considering that this happens to be her maiden big screen appearance as also the fact that she's paired with the country's biggest star, Gayatri manages to make her presence felt.
 The film has a number of characters, but if one were to choose those who displayed their skills effectively, it would be in this order: Kishori Ballal, Rajesh Vivek and Dayashanker Pandey. Makrand Deshpande gets one song and scene, that's all.
On the whole, SWADES disappoints. At the box-office, the film may appeal to a handful of critics [await the 5-star ratings!] and those who believe in this form of cinema, but for a majority of viewers, SWADES will be remembered as a good opportunity gone waste. Businesswise, not much to look forward to in swades as well as videsh.
Rating:- * Ã
Music review: Swades
 After Oscar finalist ' Lagaan ', Ashutosh Gowariker brings another magnum opus - ' Swades - We, the people '. A UTV Motion Pictures presentation and Ashutosh Gowariker production, ' Swades ' is one of the top 3 most awaited movies of the year with Veer Zaara and Kisna . And why not, when it boasts of numbero uno star Shahrukh Khan and the legendary musical 'jodi' of A.R. Rehman and Javed Akhtar saab. Both Lagaan and Swades deal with the theme of taking pride in being an Indian. The difference here being that while 'Lagaan' told a story set in the 19th century, 'Swades' is more contemporary (unlike the misconception of it being set in the pre-independence era) and tells the story of a scientist in NASA (played by Shahrukh Khan) who returns to his motherland to find his roots. Introducing Gayatri Joshi as the lead heroine, 'Swades' (just like Lagaan ) too is character driven rather than star driven and hence has a bagful of talented stage and small time actors.
When the canvas is as big as ' Swades ', ones expectations are sky high from the music. And more so if the team has delivered a massive hit earlier. Coming in the wake of musical ' Veer Zaara ', this one is a second biggie for SRK in the span of just one week.
In the opening number ' Yeh Tara Woh Tara ', Udit Narayan sounds as fresh as always and sings with a childlike excitement. The number has a beautiful melody and rhythm and in facts is reminiscent of a lullaby. Lyrics are far from routine and talk about the strengths of being united. Child artistes Vignesh and Pooja sing their lines well and add on to the rural feel. After listening to the number completely, you are sure that SRK will be doing something different from his lover boy image in this movie that has a classical feel about it.
 Alka Yagnik enchants once again in ' Saanwariya Saanwariya ', an excellent romantic solo by her that proves that fact that just like Lataji and Ashaji, her vocals too are getting better and better with every passing year. Her pitch is just perfect in this 'very much an original' composition by A.R. Rehman that make you admire his music - yet again. A simple love song, it will grow on you after listening for a few times.
A number attached to the roots makes an appearance with ' Yun Hi Chala Chal ' by Udit Narayan, Hariharan and Kaailsh Kher. Though the number is accompanied by strong beats throughout, never once does the number get off track from its theme. Picturized on SRK and Makrand Deshpande, this lively road number talks about life and its various moments that bring a smile on the face. All the three singers are excellent in their rendition and make this rather lengthy track (of about eight minutes) quite enjoyable. Now this is what you call an original tune!
If the previous three tracks were based around rhythm, then listen to ' Aahista Aahista ', which is melody at it's best. Udit Narayan comes together with Sadhna Sargam in this quite'n'nice love song that goes on and on and never once do you feel tired of listening to the tune. This is vintage A.R. Rehman!!
' Yeh Jo Des Hai Tera ', which follows next is the call of the nation to the lead protagonist to come back home. The theme song sung by A.R. Rehman (that also appears in a ' Shehnai ' instrumental ) is a situational track and raises the question of why a person has to be away from his country when everything is here in his own country?
' Pal Pal Hai Bhari ' is a chapter from 'Ramayana' set as a stage play. Sung by Madhushree, Vijay Prakash and Ashutosh Gowariker, the song is narration of the scene when Sita is in the trap of Ravana and he is trying to instigate her against Lord Ram. But Sita doesn't bow down to his wishes and continues her worship with 'Raam-naam'. A devotional song, it should appeal to the ladies and the worshippers of Lord Ram. Just like ' Yeh Jo Des ', ' Pal Pal ' also appears in a 'Flute' instrumental .
 Album ends with the love duet ' Dekho Na ' that is again rich in melody and shows the class of Rehman. Sung by Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik, it is a sugarcoated number that you can sing along to your beloved on a long drive. Another original number, it doesn't borrow its inspiration from anything new or old.
The first obvious question that one may ask after hearing to 'Swades' is - 'Will the tracks be as popular as Lagaan ?' The answer is 'YES'. The tracks have everything going with them to be popular amongst all age groups and societies. All the tracks are original and have a certain class associated with them that make them stand apart from the routine dish served by Bollywood. Interesting promos on the air will further make sure that the songs make their presence felt. From here on, it should be interesting to see which one out of Veer Zaara and Swades reaches a one million sales mark first!
Rating: *** 1/2
Stills of music release of Swades:
Cast and crew of Swades
Alka Yagnik, Udit Narayan & Ashutosh Gowariker
Movie stills : Swades:
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BLACK
BLACK Everything about "black - the movie'
Photo Gallery
Synopsis
Sanjay Leela Bhansali departs from his usual style of colorful, song-filled dramas in his forthcoming film ‘Black’, which is a songless movie about a blind-deaf girl and an ageing man.
The film tells the story of Michelle McNally (Rani Mukherjee), a girl who becomes deaf and blind after an illness at the age of eighteen months. Born to an Anglo-Indian family, Michelle is a bright, intelligent girl whose world is dark, black and silent. She cannot communicate with the outer world. Nor can she comprehend the forms and shapes of things. As time passes on, Michelle’s handicap makes her personality involuted and self-destructive.
But then comes into Michelle’s dark world the 48-year-old Debraj Sahai (Amitabh Bachchan), an eccentric alcoholic, who is consumed by his passion of teaching the deaf and blind. Debraj loses his job because of his drinking habit and then is sent by the school principal to teach the eight-year-old Michelle.
Debraj’s first encounters with Michelle are far from pleasant. But soon he realizes the immense potential the girl carries and decides to use entirely new methods to teach her. He teaches her the language of touch and smell so that she begins to learn about the things and creatures in the world she cannot see.
It is Debraj’s dream to see Michelle leading a normal life one day. But his debilitating health and his Alzheimer’s attacks make him bedridden.
Now it is Michelle who decides to take Debraj under her care. But will she be able to resuscitate the aged Debraj from his weak condition? Will she be able to fulfill his dream of leading a normal life?
PREVIEW: BLACK
Black
By IndiaFM News Bureau, January 24th, 2005 - 0930 hrs IST
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Click above for movie stills
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Prolific filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali comes with his most sensitive cinematic attempt in the form of Black. After magnanimous opus like Devdas and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, he moves back into the mode of his debut film Khamoshi - The Musical with a simple and solid narration style. And Khamoshi and Black share one more similarity. While Khamoshi revolved around the lives of deaf and dumb, Black narrates the story of a deaf and blind character.
Michelle McNally (Rani Mukerji) born to an Anglo-Indian family, deaf-blind after an illness at the age of eighteen months, is a bright, intelligent girl who lives in a world of black silence with no way of reaching out. This frustrates the young girl's mind, which is yearning to communicate. This frustration leads her to be destructive, violent and given to rages. But destiny has other plans for her, as two soul mates are about to meet.
48-year-old Debraj Sahai (Amitabh Bachchan) is an eccentric man, an alcoholic, who is consumed by his profession of being a teacher to the deaf-blind. The school at which he teaches asks him to leave because of his drinking and failing eyesight. The principal of the school, an old friend, believes in his ability and sends him to the McNally house to teach eight-year-old Michelle McNally.
Debraj's arrival at the McNally home is far from auspicious, as he arrives - drunk, angry and rude.
On encountering Michelle, Debraj realizes that the only way to tackle her is to shock her, be aggressive with her and at the same time tender. Michelle is not an ordinary student, thus ordinary methods do not apply to her.
His unorthodox approach is met with opposition from the father and Michelle, who with her fiery nature gives back as good as she gets. In spite of all this Debraj succeeds and miraculously she makes the connection with name and meaning and learns her first word. But this is not the end; there is still a long way in this extraordinary journey and several battles to fight.
Debraj's dream for Michelle is for her to lead a normal life, which includes going to a normal college with normal students. But obstacles are in her way as Alzheimer's attacks Debraj and he slowly forgets everything, all words, and all meanings.
The roles have reversed now. Will Michelle be able to perform the miracle of making Debraj remember even one word through his Alzheimer's and most importantly will Michelle be able to fulfil Debraj's dream of graduating, wearing a black robe?
OFFICIAL WEBSITE : WWW.BLACK-THEFILM.COM
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AMIR KHAN'S NEW PRODUCTION " 1857 THE RISING" IN HINDI ' MANGAL PANDAY'
AMIR KHAN'S THE RISING/MANGAL 1857 the Rising/ Mangal panday The Rising (2005)
Genre: Drama / War (more)
Plot Outline: Based on the life and times of Mangal Pandey, 1857: The Rising is a film about the leader of the 1857 mutiny and his fight against the British rule.
| Credited cast: |
| Coral Beed |
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Emily Kent |
| Aamir Khan |
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Mangal Pandey |
| Kiron Kher |
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Lol Bibi |
| Rani Mukherjee |
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Heera |
| Amisha Patel |
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Jwala |
| Toby Stephens |
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Captain William Gordon |
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(more)
| Mangal Pandey - The Rising |
| Music Review: |
| By Joginder Tuteja |
| Friday, 15 July , 2005, 11:54 |
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A producer who believes in creating nothing BUT original....
A director, who brings alive a chapter from history NEVER told before on the silver screen....
A musician who is FAMED across the globe....
A lyricist who believes in delivering nothing BUT the best....
A distributor whose production house is the BUSIEST and MOST successful today.....
An actor who would be seen on BIG screen after 4 years.....
An actress who is at an enviable numero uno position this year....
And a movie that is touted to be the BIGGEST on this side of the millennium.
Mangal Pandey - The Rising.
 One expects spectacular experience from the celluloid dream called 'Mangal Pandey - The Rising', a Bobby Bedi - Deepa Sahi production directed by Ketan Mehta and distributed by Yashraj Films. With Aamir Khan, Rani Mukherjee, Amisha Patel and Toby Stephens in the lead, 'Mangal Pandey - The Rising' has music by maestro A.R. Rehman and lyrics by Javed Akhtar saab. From a movie produced at such a large scale, one expects nothing but a grandeur musical score that would transcends all boundaries.
Kailash Kher begins the album with the explosive title song 'Mangal Mangal' that is played while the title sequence is on. A song picturised on a group of four men atop an elephant while chanting the song across the 'galis' and 'mohallas', it is a lively track that brings alive India of the 19th century. For this short track, Kailash Kher goes completely rustic in approach and renders with full conviction. Get ready for the 'taalis' and 'seetis' in the auditoriums when this number heralds the beginning of an Aamir Khan movie after an endless wait for years.
Kailash sings two more versions of this track - 'Agni' and 'Aatma'[with Sukhwinder Singh]. The rhythm and overall musical arrangements are still the same [with 'Aatma' being a slower version] but the lyrics are different. With the look of things one assumes that all these three versions would be picturised on the same set of men atop an elephant at different situations in the movie, hence taking the story forward.
In the first ever 'mujra' of her career, Rani Mukherjee appears in 'Main Vari Vari', a highly rhythmic track that is easy on ears and extremely foot tapping. Set as a 'private mujra' for the Englishmen during their rule, it is sung by Kavita Krishnamurthy and Reena Bharadwaj. Kavita, who is heard lesser and lesser these years, is good yet again in this 'mujra' that is choreographed more as a mischievous track rather than a class appealing one, a la 'Umrao Jaan'. Tantalizing and inviting, this track brings to screen yet another facet of Rani Mukherjee!
The opening music of 'Holi Re' appears to be an amalgamation of the base rhythm from the title songs of Rehman's own 'Daud' and Shankar Ehsaan Loy's 'Bunty Aur Babli'. Since the base color of the movie is 'yellow', the holi in this track too primarily revolves around the yellow color, unlike more traditional red and green. The song is picturised well but it doesn't appear to be of the kind that would add on to the list of most memorable holi tracks ever churned in Bollywood. Udit Narayan, Madhushree, Srinivas and Chinmaye sing the number with Aamir Khan too chipping in a little intermittently.
An item song set in the 19th century! Well don't be surprised as this is what you get in 'Rasiya', a song of 'seduction, love and wait' choreographed as a 'banjara' song on two women who leave nothing to imagination. Richa Sharma and Bonnie Chakraborty render this medium paced number that also has passing shots of passion getting ignited between Toby Stephens and Amisha Patel while Rani Mukerjee is shown dancing and falling all out in love in her own private world. All this while Aamir Khan looks on the dance while letting his hair down and joining the proceedings towards the end. Surprisingly, it is one of the most lukewarm tracks ever by Rehman as it neither excites, nor titillates with the visuals too being just about passable.
This world is a 'bazaar' where you have everything for a 'price'. This is the theme of the philosophical track 'Takey Takey', a brilliantly written song by Javed Akhtar saab that is sung with a punch by Sukhwinder Singh. There is an emphasis on the terms 'Takey Takey' throughout the song hence emphasizing on the fact that everything from friends to honesty to righteous virtues are available for just a 'taka'! Kailash Kher and Kartick Das Baul join in this rhythmic fast paced number set in the outdoors, but it is Sukhwinder who walks away with all the honors.
A.R.Rehman, Kailash Kher, Murtaza and Kadir get together for 'Al Maddath Maula', a situational track set in a mosque. While the track is on, Aamir Khan along with some other characters are shown exchanging glances with each other as if preparing to execute a plan. In the movie's narrative, it may sound exciting but as a standalone devotional track, it is hardly of a kind that one would want to play repeatedly either at home or on drive.
A different album by all means due to the demand of the subject, it obviously didn't require any love songs or any other typical situations that form the basis for a Bollywood music album. 'Main Vari Vari' is the only track that caters to all segments of audiences and hence succeeds the most. 'Takey Takey' is another track that could get popular, mainly with children. Rest of the numbers are mainly situational tracks that should take the story forward, but do not appear exciting enough while being just played on. Effort of A.R.Rehman and Javed Akhtar saab shows in each and every note and word, but the tracks are of the kind that appeal more with the visuals.
With just about four weeks to go before the movie hits the screens, extensive promotion of the album would be required to notch up good sales figures that otherwise appear only average for now.
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Country: India / Pakistan
Language: Hindi / Urdu / English
Color: Color
Trivia: Prince Charles served as a clapper boy for some of the scenes while on a visit to the set.
Premise/Synopsis:
a period epic set against the 1857 Indian mutiny which fuses western and
Indian filmmaking styles. The story of the friendship between an Indian
soldier and British commander William Gordon
NEWS :
The Rising Update:
Die Another Day baddie Toby Stephens has been signed up to star in
bollywood movie The Rising that will be directed by Ketan Mehta and will
also star Aamir Khan. The film follows the life of Mangal Pandey, India's
first known revolutionary freedom fighter, who was hanged by the British in
1857 for revolting against their rule. Khan will play Pandey in the film
while Stephens will play Pandey's British friend and commanding officer
William Gordon. The movie will co-star Bollywood actresses Aishwarya Rai
and Rani Mukherjee. Shooting will start by early October and be completed
by March.
Bollywood Predictions 2005
By IndiaFM News Bureau
2005: A Moody Year - Sanjay B Jumaani
After most of the predictions made by them for the year 2004 proved to be correct, eminent Numerologists Duo, Bansilal M Jumaani and son, Sanjay B Jumaani are back with a fresh set of predictions for the new year 2005.
Numerologically the year 2005 adds up to the number 7 (2+0+0+5=7), hence this year is ruled by the planet Neptune. Planet Neptune shares a very special relation with the Moon (Number 2). The Moon governs the mind, and hence would make an eventful year for the Arts and Crafts industry, not only this but all connected trades such as painting, writing, acting and so on, also off-track or 'different' careers would have an eventful year.
Here are predictions for some of your favorite Bollywood stars for the year 2005:
Actors
1) Amitabh Bachchan: Amitji is a number 2 Liberian. Last year was Amitji's 61st birthday (6+1= 7) and as the numbers 2 and 7 share a close relationship he had an eventful year where he was chosen as the brand ambassador of UNICEF and delivered the hit Baghban. The next year 2005 (2+0+0+5=7) too is a number 7 year and hence would be eventful for him.
Films in 2005: Black, Sarkar, Viruddh, Dil Jo Bhi Kahey, Waqt - A Race Against Time, Family, Babul, Bunty Aur Babli, Rituparno Ghosh's next, Ajnabi - A Man Apart, Zamaanat, Boo...
2) Shah Rukh Khan: The 'Badshah', as predicted in 2004 went ahead to clinch the Filmfare power award for the year. Like Amitji he is a number 2 Liberian and at an age that totals to two, this year will also prove to be very eventful for him, and may have another award in store for him. So watch out for the Badshah in 2005.
Films in 2005: Karan Johar's next, Kuch Meetha Ho Jaye (sp.app), Kaal (co-producer)
3) Saif Ali Khan: Saif (Number 7 Leo), will also have a fortunate year and his personal problems should be settled this year. This year will be pretty eventful for him, both personally as well as professionally. He is another strong contender for an award
Films in 2005: Parineeta, Being Cyrus, Nehle Pe Dehla, Yash Raj's next opposite Preity Zinta
4) Aamir Khan: Aamir is no. 5 in numerology and therefore this coming year, which is his 41st year, will be eventful for him. It will win him critical acclaim.
Films in 2005: The Rising, Rang De Basanti, Kunal Kohli's next opposite Kajol
5) Hrithik Roshan: Hrithik is a no.1 person in numerology. 1 and 4 are his lucky numbers and 2 and 7 are his next lucky numbers. His first film Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai was numerically spelt and was a huge hit. His tenth film Koi Mil Gaya (1+0=1) again brought him success. It also happened in his 31st year (3+1=4). As 2005 adds up to 7, his 11th film will do very well.
Films in 2005: A sequel to Koi Mil Gaya
Director/Producer
1) Ram Gopal Varma: Famous for his offbeat movies, this number 7 Arian will excel his already fantastic form this year and he should continue to make 'Different' movies as the number 7 in Aries makes him a pro at offbeat and violent movies.
Films in 2005: Sarkar, D, James, Darna Zaroori Hai, Boo...
2) Karan Johar: This is another good year for him and it promises to take him to even greater heights than he has already scaled, as he too is a number 7 person.
Films in 2005: Untitled venture starring Shahrukh-Abhishek-Preity-Rani, Kaal (co-producer)
Actresses
1)Preity Zinta: The number 7 is also interchangeable with the number 4 as the numbers 1, 2, 4 and 7 share a close relationship. This would make Preity (A number 4 Aquarian) also have an eventful year (that elusive award could come this year).
Films in 2005: Yash Raj's next opposite Saif Ali Khan, Karan Johar's next
2)Aishwarya Rai: She is no.1 in numerology and 2005 which adds upto 7 is one her lucky numbers so I expect her not only to do well in India but also in foreign films because she is a Scorpion (1st November), a water sign and water sign people do better far from their place of birth. No wonder she won the coveted Miss World and also features in Madam Tussauds Museum. Incidentally Sushmita Sen (19th November) also shares same planetary combinations, infact even she won coveted Miss Universe far from the place of her birth. Both of them have lots of other things in common apart from looking beautiful.
Films in 2005: Shabd, Mistress of Spices, Chaos
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MANGAL PANDAY/1857 THE RISING
TOP TEN FILMS FOR MONTH JAN/2005
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#10 |
Chokher Bali
Producer: Shree Venkatesh Films Director: Rituparno Ghosh
Starring: Aishwarya Rai, Prosenjit, Raima Sen, Tota Raichaudhary |
Rating:8.0
Cumulative Rating: 7.2
Rated By 583 unique users
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#9 |
Bride And Prejudice (English version)
Producer: Deepak Nayar & Gurinder Chadha Director: Gurinder Chadha
Starring: Martin Henderson, Aishwariya Rai, Nitin Ganatra, Anupam Kher, Nadira Babbar, Namrata Shridokar, Naveen Andrews, Indira Verma, Megna Kothari, Sonali Khulkarni and Peeya Rai Chaudhary
Music :Anu Malik. |
Rating:7.5
Cumulative Rating: 7.3
Rated By 1419 unique users
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#8 |
Phir Milenge
Producer: Percept Picture Company Director: Revathy
Starring: Shilpa Shetty, Abhishek Bachchan, Salman Khan, Mita Vashist, Naseer, Somayajulu .
Music : Shanker Ehsan Loy |
Rating:9.0
Cumulative Rating: 7.4
Rated By 660 unique users
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#7 |
Khakee
Producer: Keshu Director: Raj Kumar Santoshi
Starring: Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Pradha, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgan, Aishwarya Rai, Tusshar Kapoor, Atul Kulkarni, D. Santosh, Tanuja and Special Appearance by Lara Dutta.
Music : |
Rating:8.0
Cumulative Rating: 7.7
Rated By 4943 unique users
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#6 |
Mujhse Shaadi Karogi
Producer: Sajid Nadiadwala Director: David Dhawan
Starring: Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Priyanka Chopra, Amrish Puri, Kader Khan, Satish Shah, Shashikala, Rajpal Yadav Music : Sajid-Wajid |
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#5 |
Hum Tum
Producer: Aditya Chopra Director: Kunal Kohli
Starring: Starring; Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukherji, Kiron Kher, Rishi Kapoor and Rati Agnihotri. Special Appearances by; Jimmy Shergill, Abhishek Bachchan, Shenaz and Isha Koppikar.
Music :Jatin-Lalit |
Rating:8.0
Cumulative Rating: 8.2
Rated By 1903 unique users
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#4 |
Main Hoon Na
Producer: Gauri Khan Director: Farah Khan
Starring: Shahrukh Khan, Suneil Shetty, Sushmita Sen, Zayed Khan, Amrita Rao, Kirron Kher, Boman Irani, Bindu, Satish Shah, Special Appearances by Naseeruddin Shah, Kabir Bedi & Tabu (blink, and you miss her).
Music :Anu Malik |
Rating:8.5
Cumulative Rating: 8.6
Rated By 9016 unique users
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#3 |
Veer Zaara
Producer: Yash Raj Films Director: Yash Chopra
Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Rani Mukherjee, Kiron Kher, Divya Dutta, Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Zohra Sehgal, Boman Irani, Anupam Kher, and Akhilendra Mishra.
Music : Late Madan Mohan |
Rating:9.5
Cumulative Rating: 8.76
Rated By 5237 unique users
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#2 |
.Musafir
:Starring:Anil Kapoor,Sanjay Dutt, Sameera Reddy, Mahesh Manjrekar, Aditya Pancholi Director: Sanjay Gupta Producer: Sanjay Dutt/White Feather Films
Music: Vishal & Shekhar, Anand Raj Anand (Contributions),
Rating : 8.0
CumulativeRating:8.86 Rated By 856 unique users |
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#1 |
SWADES
Producer/Director: Asotosh Guwariker.
Starring: Shah Rukh Khan , Gayatre.
Music: A.R.Rahman. |
Rating:9.7
Cumulative Rating: 9.0
Rated By 5297 unique users |
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KISNA
KISNA DIRECTED BY : SUBASH GHAI STARRING : VIVEK OBEROI MUSIC : ISMAIL DARBAR & ARRAHMAN .
MOVIE REVIEW
Kisna
By Taran Adarsh, January 21st, 2005 - 1700 hrs IST
 When an accomplished film-maker comes up with his new product, you await it with bated breath. And if the track record happens to be as enviable as that of Subhash Ghai, the expectations soar skywards.
Subhash Ghai, the master storyteller, is back with his new outing KISNA. Set in the pre-independence era, when Britishers ruled India, KISNA is not a page from history, but a work of fiction.
Contrary to expectations, KISNA is not similar to the Academy Award nominated period film LAGAAN. The comparisons are obvious since both LAGAAN and KISNA look at an Indian’s fight against the tyranny of Britishers.
Frankly, KISNA bears a striking resemblance to Michael Mann’s widely acclaimed masterpiece THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS [1992; starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe], a love story threatened by overwhelming circumstances.
Wait, there’s one more film Ghai takes the inspiration from – the all-time favourite TITANIC.
Despite two classics as the reference points, KISNA works only partly. It starts off brilliantly, but runs out of steam as incident after incident unfolds. And by the time it reaches the finale, the viewer is simply exasperated!
Ghai could’ve taken that big leap internationally with KISNA, but...
The turbulent 1940s forms the backdrop of this love story when the nationalists had locked horns with the British to give India its independence. KISNA is set during that era.
A young Indian, Kisna [Vivek Oberoi], defies his family and brethren and shields a British girl Catherine [Antonia Bernath] from an enraged mob of nationalists. Catherine happens to be the young daughter of a ruthless British Deputy Commissioner [Michael Maloney].
 Kisna decides to escort Catherine to the British High Commission in New Delhi, but before that he has to face opposition from his uncle [Amrish Puri], elder brother Shankar [Yashpal Sharma] and a scheming, lusty and power-hungry prince, Raghuraj [Rajat Kapoor].
During this journey, Kisna and Catherine’s friendship blossoms into love, thereby complicating Kisna’s life further. His relations with the girl he is engaged to, Laxmi [Isha Sharvani], are strained in the process...
Making a period film is akin to walking a tightrope. If you deviate from the plot even slightly, or miss focus, the impact can get diluted. That’s what happens in the latter part of KISNA.
KISNA takes off very well and the initial reels keep your eyes glued to the screen. This, despite the fact that the story and flashback unfolds exactly the way TITANIC starts. Ghai, the master film-maker, successfully recreates the pre-independence era and introduces his characters skillfully.
The friendship that begins during childhood continues to bloom even after Kisna and Catherine meet as adults. The proceedings get interesting when the Indians attack the Commissioner’s house and Kisna takes it upon himself to save Catherine from their clutches.
But the moment Kisna and Catherine embark on an unexpected journey, the graph of the film starts going downhill. Actually, the story stagnates at this juncture!
The pace picks up again during the intermission point and you expect the post-interval portions to ignite the screen. But nothing of the sort happens. Rather, nothing exciting happens. Frankly, what you witness in the second half has been witnessed umpteen times earlier.
 The post-interval portions suffer largely because the screenplay now becomes very predictable and run-of-the-mill. There’s a mujra, then a dream song [an English track] comes up, then the usual chase ensues, with the hero defeating all his opponents one by one, then the prince surfaces on the scene suddenly and then the climax, when the lovers go separate ways. But that’s not the end. The two women, who love Kisna dearly, meet again during the sunset of their lives and talk of Kisna’s love for Catherine.
By the time the film reaches its climax, the lethargic pace at which the story unfolds, coupled with the been-there-done-that kind of situations, dilute the impact considerably.
Subhash Ghai’s choice of the subject is perfect – a love story, if made well, always strikes a chord with cinegoers – but where KISNA falters is in its undernourished and uninspiring screenplay. The proceedings, more so towards the second half, are so lackluster and jaded that despite Ghai’s mature handling of some scenes, the outcome is not up to the mark. Writers Sachin Bhaumick, Farukh Dhondy and Margaret Glover along with Ghai himself have just not been able to deliver a taut script!
The four writers run out of ideas in the post-interval portions specifically. The entire Om Puri track, right till the riots in the end, follows the same predictable path. Also, Ghai has set his film in the pre-independence era, but why do the ladies – even the traditional Indian heroine – reveal so much cleavage? Showing Catherine’s back [in the climax] was also unnecessary. The skin show doesn’t gel with the era the film is set in!
Ashok Mehta’s cinematography is of international standard. Absolutely flawless. The locales of North India are simply breath-taking. The chases and the sword fights [Tinu Verma] are excellent.
The musical score [A.R. Rahman, Ismail Darbar] is rich and melodious, but when viewed with the story, only two songs register an impact – the title track deserves a special mention. ‘Hum Hain Is Pal Yahan’ has a haunting tune, while the English track should be deleted instantaneously for it acts as a major hindrance in the narrative.
 Vivek Oberoi is entrusted with the responsibility of carrying the film on his shoulders, but the actor has not been able to get into the skin of the character and deliver a performance that merits golden words. He lacks the fire to carry this role with gusto. His dialogue delivery and expressions, at places, leave a lot to be desired.
The real hero of the film is the British actress Antonia Bernath. She handles the difficult role with amazing grace, displaying the various emotions with ÃÆ’©lan. Her performance can be best described in one word – outstanding!
Isha Sharvani is a confident actress, but she suffers due to a sketchy characterization. Yet, it must be said that she comes across as a fine performer. Also, she’s an accomplished dancer; her dances are awe-inspiring.
Polly Adams, as the aged Catherine, is first-rate. Caroline Langrishe, as Catherine’s mother, is effective. Michael Maloney doesn’t get ample scope.
Amrish Puri is wasted in an insignificant role. Ditto for Om Puri. Yashpal Sharma makes his presence felt. Rajat Kapoor is equally good. Sushmita Sen is alright in the mujra and the two scenes. Hrishita Bhatt doesn’t impress. Zarina Wahab, Vikram Gokhale and Vivek Mushran fill the bill.
On the whole, KISNA does not meet the colossal expectations that you anticipate from a Subhash Ghai film. At the box-office, the film would meet with mixed reactions. Eventually, the film may not be able to hold on thanks to a weak second half. The silver lining is the holiday period, Friday [Idd] as well as Wednesday [26th January; Republic Day]. That would help largely. But a long run seems tough!
Rating:- *a
Stills from Kisna
MUSIC REVIEW : KISNA
By Joginder Tuteja, Dec 08th, 2004 - 1615 hrs IST
 Once a while comes a movie that breaks all barriers and proves to be a turning point in Indian cinema. ' Kisna - The Warrior Poet ' doesn't claim to be one, as of now but by the look of things, it does seem to be treading the path of glory. If the feel of movie, world class crew and the biggest showman of today at the director's seat is anything to go by, then we should be having possibly one of the greatest movies of the modern world coming our way in Jan. 2005. Kisna , set in 1947 tells the story of characters played by Vivek Oberoi and debutants Isha Sharvani & Antonia Bernath. Sushmita Sen and Hrishitha Bhatt make special apearances while Amrish Puri, Om Puri and Zareena Wahab are in supporting roles. Mukta Arts Ltd. have always been known for great music in their films, be it Khalnayak, Saudagar, Pardes, Taal, Yaadein and now Kisna . Kisna also marks the coming together of A.R.Rehman and Subhash Ghai after Taal while Ismail Darbar also composes. Another ace in the sleeve is the lyrics by Javed Akhtar saab.
The mood is set right away with the ' Kisna Theme instrumental ' by A.R.Rehman. A short piece of flute makes for a haunting melody that stays with you hours after you have heard it first. Amazing - that's an apt word for this wonderful piece! Another part of the same instrumental comes up towards the end of the album and is a harmony between flute and a piano. Yet another masterpiece! Same flute is the base music for the divine romantic track ' Hum Hain Iss Pal Yahan '. Class speaks for itself in this track that has perfect vocals by Udit Narayan and Madhushree who impresses with her matured and polished voice. The soothing number has fantastic musical arrangements that would ensure that the song becomes one of the most talked about for next few weeks at the least.
Sukhwinder, Ismail Darbar, Ayesha I.Darbar and S.Shailja come together for the earthy number ' Woh Kisna Hai ' that is attached to the roots. Sukhwinder stands out especially for the energy with which he sings this number that is more of Subhash Ghai - Laxmikant Pyarelal combination than anything else. An extremely engaging song, it talks about Radha & Krishna in a manner that will be easily identified by one and all.
 Another romantic duet, which is again from the LP school of music, arrives in the shape of ' Tu Itni Pagli Kyo Hai '. Sung by more popular 'jodi' of Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik and support from Ismail Darbar, it has good rhythm and is pretty catchy as well. By far, you have already got your money's worth from the album and are truly convinced that 'Kisna' - the movie - will have much more to offer with the kind of music it has by the maestros.
This is the moment where Sushmita Sen makes her appearance in the much talked about ' mujra ' - ' Chilman Uthegi Nahi '. The track crooned by the numbers of singers ranging from Hariharan, Alka Yagnik, Ayesha Darbar, S. Shailja, Kailash Kher and Rakesh Pandit, it would be known more for it's strong classical base, good rendering and situational appeal. It may not turn out to be another ' Salaam E Ishq ' or ' Dil Cheez Kya Hai ', but knowing Sushmita's grace and charm, it should look good on screen.
A happy song comes up as ' Wohi Din Aa Gaya ' where the bride is getting ready for her lover to come and marry her. A large group of friends also sing along in her happiness and joy. Sung by Alka Yagnik, Sukhwinder Singh, Ayesha Darbar and S. Shailja, it has a grand appeal and makes for another classy number, in spite of a routine situation. Javed saab's lyrics are simple that stay to the basics and yet make the number worth hearing.
Another situational song that has great spiritual appeal is ' Aham Brahmasmi ' by Sukhwinder and Alka Yagnik. It is about believing in your own self and considering GOD to be within you. In spite of a theme like this, it may still appeal to every segment of audience in the movie due to Subhash Ghai's style of direction. ' Kahe Ujadi Mori Neend ' that follows next is a pure classical number that may appeal only to a niche audience. Only those who have good knowledge about this genre of music would be able to relate to it!
 ' Ga - Tu Aisi Dhun Mein Ga ' has a trademark Subhash Ghai stamp all over it. It is about a song competition between village kids and the lead protagonist. The song is again attached to the roots and has a village feel to it, both in terms of the lyrics and the rendering by Ismail Darbar, Ayesha Darbar, S. Shailja, M. Salamat and Kailash Kher. Beginning as a kids song, it takes a turn towards a ' ched-chaad ' song with the village belles. Coupled with good picturization and a similar setting, the song could be in the league of ' Radha Kaise Naa Jale ' from ' Lagaan '.
Blaze writes the lyrics for the English romantic track ' My Wish Coms True ' by Sunitha Sarthy. Another amazing composition that has a good fusion of western theme and Indian instruments. It's not an overstatement but Sunitha's ' My Wish ' could well be India's answer to Celine Dion's ' My Heart Will Go On '! Grand finale comes up as the chorus of ' Hum Mile Na Mile ' that puts the final stamp of class to this superb score.
A couple of days back one thought that ' Bewafaa ' was the best way to end 2004. The statement still holds good with Kisna too joining the fray. Both the albums are in a class of their own and it's a win-win situation for all the music lovers who get to hear the timeless compositions by A.R. Rehman, Ismail Darbar and Nadeem Shravan in a span of 4 days.
Add ' Kisna ' to your music collection. You will cherish the album for at least next few months to come.
Rating: **** ½
COMMING SOONS
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Coming SOON
THE FILM COMMING SOON 1. BARSAAT.
2.KARAM
3.CHAHAT EIK NASHA 
4. MY WIFE'S MURDER
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Brief Description |
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MOVIE REVIEWS
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Ab Tumhare Hawalien Watan Saathiyon
Jingo blah
Director: Anil Sharma
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol, Sandali Sinha
Rating: * * *
By Parag Chandrabala Maniar | |
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Yet another anti-Pak film! One wonders what made Anil Sharma call it a film about friendship between India and Pakistan. So, here we have Kunal (Bobby Deol) who joins the army much against his will. His only aim is quit the army and take up a job abroad to make some money. But his plans change when he sees Shweta (Divya Khosla). It is love at first sight for them. But sadly Shweta has a past. She is married. Her husband Rajiv (Akshay Kumar) had to leave for a war the very day he got married.
Rajiv is POW in Pakistan headed by Pak officer (Danny Danzengonpa). Amitabh Bachchan has nothing to do in the film other than spout heavy dialogues defending India and criticizing Pakistan and America. There's enough Pak jingoism in the film. Funnily the climax has Pak and India getting together to fight the terrorist backed by Pakistani armed forces (Ashutosh Rana).
Ab Tumhare Hawalien Watan Saathiyon is a kind of film that will do great business in the interiors. The film will have limited audience where the cities are concerned because there's too much of Pak bashing that may not appeal to the masses especially as there are on going peace talks.
All the three main artistes infuse fire in their characters. But the one to stand out is Akshay Kumar. His character will go down well with the masses. Bobby Deol is likeable. Amitabh infuses energy in his character. Sandali Sinha and Divya Khosla hold their ground even though they have nothing much to do in the film.
Poor : *
Strictly OK : * *
Average : * * *
Good : * * * *
Excellent : * * * * * |
2. RAIN COAT
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Raincoat
No thunderstorm, this
Director: Rituparno Ghosh
Cast: Ajay Devgan, Aishwarya Rai
Rating: * * *
By Parag Chandrabala Maniar | |
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A jobless Manu (Ajay Devgan) comes to Kolkatta to collect a loan that he hopes to get from a friend. He also hopes to meet his estranged lover once! So with a borrowed raincoat he lands up at her doorstep on a rainy afternoon. Niru (Aishwarya Rai), draped in a silk sari, greets Manu with ÃÃÆ’‚©lan yet is slightly apprehensive. The duo then talk about the things they have been up to in the past six years. Manu lies about how he is happy working with a television channel. While Niru too pretends that marriage is the best thing to have happened to her. In between their conversation, you learn how Manu always wanted to marry Niru but neither his family nor friends supported him in his decision. You also learn how Niru agreed to marry a rich man for money. After a point, the conversation gets dragging and boring. One fails to fathom the crux of the story. In short, Raincoat lacks the emotional content and the drama that a Hindi film audience is used to watching. The scenes between and Ajay Devgan and Annu Kapoor have you engrossed in parts though. A film starring Ajay Devgan and Aishwarya Rai raises your expectations but Raincoat has nothing to offer on the content or on the acting front. Ajay Devgan and Aishwayra Rai are okay. In fact, it is Annu Kapoor who stands out. Sameer Dharamadhikari and Mauli Ganguly are okay. The film has nothing exceptional to offer.
Poor : *
Strictly OK : * *
Average : * * *
Good : * * * *
Excellent : * * * * * |
3. DIL MANGEE MORE
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Dil Maange More
Three Is A Crowd!
Director: Ananth Mahadevan
Cast: Shahid Kapur, Soha Ali Khan, Ayesha Takia and Tulip Joshi
Rating: * * *
By Parag Chandrabala Maniar | |
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Unlike Devdas who gives his life up for a single woman, here we have Nikhil Mathur who keeps falling in and out of love. The first lady that sweeps him off his feet is Neha (Soha Ali Khan). But Neha has other plans. She comes to Mumbai to pursue further studies. Not wanting to let her go, Nikhil follows her. Neha however makes it clear to him that it is important for her to achieve her goal. In steps Sara (Tulip Joshi). She too vanishes from Nikhil's life. Nikhil then tries to find his mate in his new neighbour Shagun (Ayesha Takia) who falls for him instantly.
Just when this happens, Sara and Neha re-enter Nikhil's life? What should this young lad do now? Dil Maange More begins on a right note. The pre-interval portions are interesting and keep your eyes glued to the screen. It is in the portions post-interval that the director loses focus and fails to draw balance between emotions and comedy. The story just does not move ahead. Something has gone wrong somewhere!
Soha Ali Khan has a long way to go as an actress. But on the flip side this is her debut film. She will have ample opportunities to improvise as an actress. Tulip Joshi has nothing much to do in the film. Ayesha Takia is bubbly and lively. The one to watch out for is Shahid Kapur. He has done a commendable job. But he should stop being a Shahrukh Khan.
Poor : *
Strictly OK : * *
Average : * * *
Good : * * * *
Excellent : * * * * * |
| Mangal Pandey - The Rising |
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| Music Review : |
| Friday, 15 July , 2005, 11:54 |
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A producer who believes in creating nothing BUT original....
A director, who brings alive a chapter from history NEVER told before on the silver screen....
A musician who is FAMED across the globe....
A lyricist who believes in delivering nothing BUT the best....
A distributor whose production house is the BUSIEST and MOST successful today.....
An actor who would be seen on BIG screen after 4 years.....
An actress who is at an enviable numero uno position this year....
And a movie that is touted to be the BIGGEST on this side of the millennium.
Mangal Pandey - The Rising.
One expects spectacular experience from the celluloid dream called 'Mangal Pandey - The Rising', a Bobby Bedi - Deepa Sahi production directed by Ketan Mehta and distributed by Yashraj Films. With Aamir Khan, Rani Mukherjee, Amisha Patel and Toby Stephens in the lead, 'Mangal Pandey - The Rising' has music by maestro A.R. Rehman and lyrics by Javed Akhtar saab. From a movie produced at such a large scale, one expects nothing but a grandeur musical score that would transcends all boundaries.
Kailash Kher begins the album with the explosive title song 'Mangal Mangal' that is played while the title sequence is on. A song picturised on a group of four men atop an elephant while chanting the song across the 'galis' and 'mohallas', it is a lively track that brings alive India of the 19th century. For this short track, Kailash Kher goes completely rustic in approach and renders with full conviction. Get ready for the 'taalis' and 'seetis' in the auditoriums when this number heralds the beginning of an Aamir Khan movie after an endless wait for years.
Kailash sings two more versions of this track - 'Agni' and 'Aatma'[with Sukhwinder Singh]. The rhythm and overall musical arrangements are still the same [with 'Aatma' being a slower version] but the lyrics are different. With the look of things one assumes that all these three versions would be picturised on the same set of men atop an elephant at different situations in the movie, hence taking the story forward.
In the first ever 'mujra' of her career, Rani Mukherjee appears in 'Main Vari Vari', a highly rhythmic track that is easy on ears and extremely foot tapping. Set as a 'private mujra' for the Englishmen during their rule, it is sung by Kavita Krishnamurthy and Reena Bharadwaj. Kavita, who is heard lesser and lesser these years, is good yet again in this 'mujra' that is choreographed more as a mischievous track rather than a class appealing one, a la 'Umrao Jaan'. Tantalizing and inviting, this track brings to screen yet another facet of Rani Mukherjee!
The opening music of 'Holi Re' appears to be an amalgamation of the base rhythm from the title songs of Rehman's own 'Daud' and Shankar Ehsaan Loy's 'Bunty Aur Babli'. Since the base color of the movie is 'yellow', the holi in this track too primarily revolves around the yellow color, unlike more traditional red and green. The song is picturised well but it doesn't appear to be of the kind that would add on to the list of most memorable holi tracks ever churned in Bollywood. Udit Narayan, Madhushree, Srinivas and Chinmaye sing the number with Aamir Khan too chipping in a little intermittently.
An item song set in the 19th century! Well don't be surprised as this is what you get in 'Rasiya', a song of 'seduction, love and wait' choreographed as a 'banjara' song on two women who leave nothing to imagination. Richa Sharma and Bonnie Chakraborty render this medium paced number that also has passing shots of passion getting ignited between Toby Stephens and Amisha Patel while Rani Mukerjee is shown dancing and falling all out in love in her own private world. All this while Aamir Khan looks on the dance while letting his hair down and joining the proceedings towards the end. Surprisingly, it is one of the most lukewarm tracks ever by Rehman as it neither excites, nor titillates with the visuals too being just about passable.
This world is a 'bazaar' where you have everything for a 'price'. This is the theme of the philosophical track 'Takey Takey', a brilliantly written song by Javed Akhtar saab that is sung with a punch by Sukhwinder Singh. There is an emphasis on the terms 'Takey Takey' throughout the song hence emphasizing on the fact that everything from friends to honesty to righteous virtues are available for just a 'taka'! Kailash Kher and Kartick Das Baul join in this rhythmic fast paced number set in the outdoors, but it is Sukhwinder who walks away with all the honors.
A.R.Rehman, Kailash Kher, Murtaza and Kadir get together for 'Al Maddath Maula', a situational track set in a mosque. While the track is on, Aamir Khan along with some other characters are shown exchanging glances with each other as if preparing to execute a plan. In the movie's narrative, it may sound exciting but as a standalone devotional track, it is hardly of a kind that one would want to play repeatedly either at home or on drive.
A different album by all means due to the demand of the subject, it obviously didn't require any love songs or any other typical situations that form the basis for a Bollywood music album. 'Main Vari Vari' is the only track that caters to all segments of audiences and hence succeeds the most. 'Takey Takey' is another track that could get popular, mainly with children. Rest of the numbers are mainly situational tracks that should take the story forward, but do not appear exciting enough while being just played on. Effort of A.R.Rehman and Javed Akhtar saab shows in each and every note and word, but the tracks are of the kind that appeal more with the visuals.
With just about four weeks to go before the movie hits the screens, extensive promotion of the album would be required to notch up good sales figures that otherwise appear only average for now.
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Mangal paday : Amir khan |
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