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Chain Kulii Ki Main Kulii - Preview

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Chain Kulli Ki Main Kulli, a children’s film, is a journey of an orphan boy of 13 years of age who dares to dream big and thereby, proves to the world that “Believe in yourself and the world will be at your feet”.

The film revolves around an orphan boy, Karan (Adil Badshah), who lives in a dilapidated orphanage owned by a stern, uncouth warden, John Kakkad. Karan has two dreams, one is to have parents and the other is to be a big cricketer. His inspiration is Kapil Dev since he has been brought up on the motivating stories of India’s ‘83 world cup win by the orphanage caretaker, Bholu Dada who is a loving and a gentle old man.

Karan’s best buddy in the orphanage is Daboo who often lends his gentle ears to the aspirations which Karan lives on. His dreams take a turn when one day, he lays his hands on an old cricket bat which Karan is convinced is the bat that Kapil Dev used to win the ‘83 World Cup, and for him the bat becomes a magic bat.

One day by the stroke of luck, the coach of the Indian cricket team, spots Karan and is highly impressed by his batting skill. This happens at a time when the Indian Cricket Team is going through a rough patch. Karan and his magical bat is inducted into the Indian Cricket Team as the opening batsman along with the captain, Varun. A wave of shock and horror runs through the nation. Accusations and altercations abound…Tempers and tantrums fly…Until the little boy marches on to the pitch and wins the match for India.

Karan soon becomes the nation’s heartthrob. Once rejected by adopting couples he is now the most sought after kid in the country. Only one person hates him i.e Raghav the orphanage bully ….who feels that if Karan did not have the magic bat he would have never made it to the cricket team. Raghav now wants the magic bat at any cost.

Karan and Varun, develop a strong emotional bond. A bond deeper than fellow cricketers. Karan has no parents and Varun has parents, but is estranged with his father and does not want to accept him. Karan strongly believes that parents are the best gift endowed by God, and succeeds in uniting Varun with his father.

At the final 5th one day match between India and Pakistan, events spiral out of control and Karan’s magic bat is destroyed. Karan is a nervous wreck, but Varun makes him realize that faith in oneself counts beyond anything else….The magic is in you.

Fool n Final - Preview

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A slick diamond robbery takes place in India. The robber is none other than Rocky (Chunky Pandey) who’s the nephew of Chowksi (Gulshan Grover), a Don based in London. Chowksi tells Rocky to sell the diamond to his brother Lalwani (Asrani) in Dubai. Lalwani is a dealer of smuggled gems and jewellery. But he warns Rocky to stay away from guns and gambling, which is his weakness, to ensure nothing goes wrong.

On the other hand, the local mafia in Dubai, Moscow Chikna (Arbaaz Khan) is torturing Choubey (Paresh Rawal) because he was unable to return the money he had loaned from Moscow Chikna. Choubey owns a junk shop and was facing major loses. He gets information about the diamond robbery from one of his informants. He is also made aware of the involvement of the International mafia Chowksi. To keep a low profile, Moscow Chikna asks Choubey to get the diamond for him, only after which he will leave him. Choubey gets along with Raja (Shahid Kapoor), a fast robber, and Tina (Ayesha Takia) who’s his niece to plan the robbery of the precious diamond.

Luckee (Viveik Oberoi) and Bob (Suresh Menon) own a small video and game parlour in Dubai. To earn a little extra money they also promote new fighters who want to take part in illegal boxing matches in Dubai.

J.D (Zakir Hussain) is a big underworld Don, who controls all of Dubai's illegal gambling and fights. J.D's men also get girls from India to Dubai promising them jobs. But once in Dubai, the girls are forced to work in dance clubs. One of them is Payal (Sameera Reddy). But Payal manages to escape from there. J.D is very upset as he really likes her. He orders his men to find her.

J.D’s men are looking for Payal in the market place. Right there are Bhabhi (Sharmila Tagore) and Bhaiya (Om Puri) who are quiet shaken when they see Payal being taken away by the men. They call Munna (Sunny Deol), who is Bhaiya’s brother, to save her. Munna enters in a heroic manner and knocks them out. They all then take Payal home. Payal eventually falls in love with Munna.

Munna owns a garage and is known for his strength and power. He is strong and very impulsive. He can knock out anyone and just about anyone in one blow! He doesn't think before getting into a fight because he is aware of his potency. Because of this, he is also approached by Luckee to wrestle with some of the strongest men around.

Bhabhi’s son dies in an accident two years back, which completely shakes her. Munna then finds Raja, who is a look alike of her dead son. Munna hires Raja to play her son for a handsome amount. Raja is anyway a crook and does anything for money. He agrees to do so.

Along with this, Raja is now planning the robbery with Choubey and Tina. They hire Pattu (Johnny Lever), who’s famous for his driving skills, to help them flee after the robbery.

When Rocky lands in Dubai, he gets in touch with Moscow Chikna to buy guns. But he is well aware who Rocky is. He asks Rocky not to pay for the guns instead bet on his behalf at J.D’s illegal bookies. Moscow then instructs Choubey, Raja and Tina to kidnap Rocky outside the bookies.

Outside the bookies when they do not get hold of anything they plan to rob the bookies. But again they come out empty handed. As they come out they are over whelmed to find Rocky. They kidnap him and take him to their junk shop. Moscow Chikna shoots Rocky and takes the diamond away leaving them with the body.

Meanwhile J.D learns that some men attempted to rob his bookies. Agitated he comes to Choubey’s junk shop. There he finds out that Rocky was the one who was carrying the precious diamond. He tells Choubey and gang that he will spare them only if they get him the diamond.

Chowksi who comes down from London realizes that Rocky is missing. To find him he hires G9 (Jackie Shroff). Now here all the stories inter cross.

Now with all of them caught up together in this chase, the story takes a comical twist.

A lot of breaking bones for stealing stones ends up this bout with a complete knockout comedy!

Cheeni Kum - Review

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Hindi movies are getting more and more real. Till sometime back, certain themes were kept locked inside the almirah, but delicate and sensitive issues and relationships are slowly stepping out of the closet. On celluloid.

R. Balki's CHEENI KUM talks of two consenting adults wanting to spend the rest of their lives together. But there's a hitch… The groom-to-be is elder than the prospective father-in-law. This relationship is highly objectionable to the bride's father!

Contrary to general perception, CHEENI KUM is not similar to RGV's NISHABD. Like NISHABD, CHEENI KUM looks at the relationship between a much older man and a young woman, fit to be his daughter. But, unlike NISHABD, CHEENI KUM stresses on humor to drive home the point. Also, the culmination -- so vital in a film of this genre -- is not difficult to gulp since the sequence of events that lead to the climax are believable.

On the flip side, CHEENI KUM tends to get verbose, talk heavy at times. Besides, the first hour tends to stagnate. It only sprints towards the second hour when Amitabh pops up the question. More on that later!

In a nutshell, a film like CHEENI KUM signifies the winds of change in Bollywood. An effort like this is sure to find its share of bouquets and brickbats. The elite wouldn't mind the film, the commoners might.

The boy is actually a 64-year-old man, Buddhadev Gupta [Amitabh Bachchan]. The girl is a 34-year-old woman, Nina Verma [Tabu].

Buddhadev is the chef cum owner of London's top Indian restaurant. He lives with his 85-year-old mother [Zohra Sehgal] and his only friend and confidante is his 9-year-old neighbor -- Sexy [Swini Khara]. Buddhadev is an arrogant, egoistic, pompous man with a singular passion in life -- cooking. A confirmed bachelor who has never been in love. Until Nina walks into his restaurant and life.

Nina is a beautiful, charming, Indian woman. Cool, calm, quiet, always smiling, but independent and strong willed. Two extremes, in age, character and attitude, meet and against all odds fall in love. They decide to get married. And, like any Indian man, Buddhadev respectfully comes to ask Nina's father, Omprakash Verma [Paresh Rawal], living in Delhi, for her hand.

But there's just one problem… Nina's father is 58 years old, 6 years younger than Buddhadev, his would be son-in-law.

Let's get into the analyzing mode and find out what works and what doesn't… The sequences between Amitabh and Tabu at the restaurant are involving. The relationship that Amitabh shares with his mother does raise eyebrows, since it's not conventional. Nonetheless, it's amusing. The moments between Amitabh and the child bring to fore another aspect of the protagonist's personality, which is welcome.

What doesn't? A number of sequences have been stretched for no reason. They tend to get repetitive. As someone who's watching the story from the sides, you want it to proceed in some direction, but there's not much movement in the first half. It takes its own sweet time to reach its destination. Besides, since the film is set in London and the setting is urban, the humor depicted in CHEENI KUM is directed at the elite. That, in turn, robs the film of universal acceptance.

Director Balki shows a flair for light entertainers and the execution of certain sequences is commendable. The portions between Amitabh and Paresh [before Amitabh asks for Tabu's hand] as also the climax [Amitabh's monologue] prove Balki's competence as a storyteller. But at the same time, the writing leaves something to be desired. There are times when boredom sets in.

P.C. Sreeram's cinematography is splendid. Ilaiyaraaja's musical score is soothing. The title track is soft on your ear drums. Chandan Arora's editing could've been sharper. Ideally, a few repetitive moments can be done away with.

Amitabh Bachchan proves his supremacy yet again. Playing an arrogant chef, the actor is natural all through, but his performance in the finale makes the character all the more believable. Tabu stands on her feet despite a formidable co-star's domineering presence. She's excellent. Paresh Rawal is only adding to his credibility with every film. Zohra Sehgal is adorable. Swini Khara is supremely confident.

On the whole, CHEENI KUM is absorbing in parts. A lackluster first half gets a boost with a much energetic second half and that elevates the film to the watchable level. At the box-office, CHEENI KUM is targeted at the multiplexes mainly. Clever promos and feel-good vibes should ensure a positive run at the multiplexes.

Shoot Out at Lokhandwala - Review

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Hollywood has often made films based on real-life incidents. Just one incident/accident/encounter/catastrophe is enough to trigger off the imagination of a storyteller.

In India, the trend of making a film on a solitary incident is still in its infancy stages. That's because moviegoers in India expect a film to provide 'wholesome entertainment', with every ingredient that contributes to a masala film being served in proportionate doses.

SHOOTOUT AT LOKHANDWALA follows Western movies in terms of presenting an incident on celluloid. And with an impressive cast at his disposal, director Apoorva Lakhia gives faces to characters that aren't in public memory anymore, also enlightening those who weren't aware that such an incident took place in a bustling locality of Mumbai.

Like KAANTE, MUSAFIR and ZINDA, SHOOTOUT AT LOKHANDWALA is dark and violent. In fact, the film begins with blood stains and concludes with blood-soaked bodies being carried to a van. The action is real and the impact this film makes in the penultimate 30 minutes is jaw-dropping.

But there's a flip side too. You ought to have a strong stomach to absorb a film like SHOOTOUT AT LOKHANDWALA. If the raw action depicted on screen is very real, it could have a nauseating effect as well. Blood, gore and guns can be very off-putting, especially for families/ladies/those into feel-good, sunshine cinema.

In a nutshell, SHOOTOUT AT LOKHANDWALA is sure to meet with extreme reactions. You'd either love it or detest it!

SHOOTOUT AT LOKHANDWALA is the story of a top cop [Sanjay Dutt], who along with Kaviraj Patil [Suniel Shetty] and Javed Shaikh [Arbaaz Khan], eliminated the trigger-happy gangsters in a residential locality of Mumbai.

SHOOTOUT AT LOKHANDWALA is the story of Maya [Vivek Oberoi], who made extortion the buzzword in the early 90s, dared to disobey the 'Big Bhai' of the underworld and fought back a posse of policemen for six hours.

It takes time to absorb a film like SHOOTOUT AT LOKHANDWALA. That's because the film goes back and forth before focusing on the main incident. The initial portions, depicting the rise of Maya and his gang, are difficult to comprehend at first. But, gradually, the viewer is sucked into a world that sent shivers down the spine in the 1990s.

Thankfully, the film doesn't turn out to be one of those docu-dramas that depict the rise and fall of a gangster. Neither is SHOOTOUT AT LOKHANDWALA an extension of 'cop films' like KHAKEE and DEV. The film talks of a dreaded gangster and how the cops eventually eliminated him. But there are layers in the film that we, as commoners, weren't aware of.

That SHOOTOUT AT LOKHANDWALA is raw and crude would be an understatement. The subject demands that kind of a treatment and director Apoorva Lakhia executes it accordingly. The film is interesting in parts, but the best is reserved for the finale. However, from the writing point of view, there's not much that the viewer gets to know of these gangsters. Also, while the incident may be a novel experience from the cinematic point of view, the cop-versus-gangster saga has been beaten to death in Bollywood.

Also, Apoorva could've limited the film to a song or two. The songs in the film are akin to uninvited guests, standing out like sore thumbs in the narrative. Cinematography is consistent. The editing of the final portions is topnotch. Action scenes, as mentioned earlier, are life-like.

SHOOTOUT AT LOKHANDWALA is embellished with a great cast, but the ones who stand out with winning portrayals are, in this order: Sanjay Dutt [effective], Amrita Singh [exceptional], Suniel Shetty [competent], Tusshar [impactful] and Arbaaz Khan [good]. Amitabh Bachchan is not in his element, expect for the final sequence in the courtroom. Abhishek Bachchan is wasted. Although the makers have publicized his presence as a special appearance, it's shocking to see Abhishek getting bumped off at the very start.

Vivek Oberoi repeats his COMPANY act yet again. In COMPANY, it came as a surprise. In SHOOTOUT AT LOKHANDWALA, it's monotony. However, his death sequence is fantastic. Rohit Roy is strictly okay. Shabbir Ahluwalia is limited to a few closeups and a line or two here and there. Aditya Lakhia gets no scope. Akhilendra Mishra is fair. A.A. Khan is natural.

Dia Mirza does well. Neha Dhupia gets no scope. Aarti Chhabria registers an impact in the penultimate telephone sequence with Tusshar. Rakhi Sawant's presence comes as a surprise.

On the whole, SHOOTOUT AT LOKHANDWALA will meet with mixed reactions. A section of moviegoers [masses especially] would love the violent proceedings, while the ladies/families might give it cold shoulder. At the box-office, the terrific cast and promotion will ensure a fantastic start for the film, helping its producers/distributors recover their investment and make some profits too. Business in Mumbai should be the best.

Mp3 - Mera Pehla Pehla Pyaar - Preview

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Character Sketch

Ruslaan as Rohan
Sports enthusiast yet a lover of slumber, Rohan, the only child of rich parents, is never intimidated by anything or anyone, except his father. A regular at skipping classes, his life takes a swirling turn when his heart skips a beat for a girl. The simply clever, good-at-heart and audacious Rohan takes on the adventure of a lifetime when he decides, against the wisdom of the friends and the world, to take a secret trip to Paris, just to meet his girlfriend.

Hazel as Ayesha
Simple minded girl with a sense of responsibility- from supporting her working mother at home to not littering the streets with chocolate wrappers. A straightforward non-scheming person, Ayesha’s nature and beauty are an instant swipe on Rohan. She suffers at times because of her naivety. But as an upfront person, it is not difficult for her to come out of problems. Especially when she is firm believer in the strength of love.

Storyline

The film opens up with chocolate boy Rohan (Ruslaan), the male lead of the film, catching a little more than the usual forty winks. As he wakes up just on time to scuttle away on his bicycle to school, en route his close friend Sudhir joins in.

Enter Ayesha (Hazel), a bright young fresher on her first trip to school who ends up having this bizarre first time experience with Rohan, while the latter is bunking class uses her as a shield to protect himself from the seething school principle.

The meet ups thereafter are full of drama as they realize that their mothers are school pals. After all the wisecracks and leg pulling at each others expense, the two fall in love.

The crux of the story is to be determined when an upset Ayesha moves to France with her aunt after a tussle over Rohan’s ego and sleep patterns.

How does Rohan react to the situation and would he be able to meet his Lady Love ever again? Would umpteen hurdles and the far thrown distance from the Eiffel Tower cement an end to their relationship?

Jhoom Barabar Jhoom - Preview

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Character Sketch

Abhishek Bachchan as Rikki Thukral

Baadshah of Bhatinda, now Sultan of Southall... Rikki Thukral! Confront him and he pulls out his most lethal weapon... "I got class"... Can't mess with Rikki after that. Classy he is, in his own earthy way... Just watch him engineer a deal... selling pirated films, illegal antiques, rented property, second hand fridges... if need be even the Queen's crown... Rikki makes it look like a cakewalk with his canny cheekiness and charm. Rikki came to Southall with a dream... of acquiring windfall riches. He would do all it takes... The moment he met Huffy Bhai it was like love at first sight. It didn't matter that Huffy Bhai was from Karachi or that he would lift his kurta at the most inappropriate moment... they got on like a house on fire. Him and Huffy live life with the attitude and spunk that shouts out, "We're here now... and now that we're here, Southall is ours!" They stay themselves everywhere... and wherever they go, they set up an independent republic! Together, both of them can arrange anything under the sun... from the best seats at the Cricket World Cup to a fridge at the cheapest price... after all, it's not fashionable for a modern day entrepreneur to have all fingers in one pie. They haven't got a permanent mailing address... and even if they did, nothing would ever get sent there... Always on the move, Rikki's clients' needs are such that he can't contain his business in an office... so the whole of Southall is his oyster.

Rikki doesn't consider himself a crook, but rather a maverick who just makes the calls... talks the talk... brings people together... walks the walk... makes his commission and stays happy. Like everything in Rikki's life, even falling in love was 70mm cinemascope. Only Rikki could have fallen in love with his dream girl Anaida when the legendary love-birds Princess Diana and Dodi were leaving The Ritz for the last time.... And then like sparkling magic, as Rikki says, "when two lovers die, another two are born"... they dance... they sing... they're in love!

Lara Dutta as Anaida Raza

Anaida Raza is the sizzling nymph with a soft core. Brought up in the City of Love as a pragmatic, rooted and razor-sharp woman... Assistant Manager at The Ritz Hotel in Paris... she runs her beat with metronomic efficiency and keeps everybody including her staff happy. She's dealt with all types and can be as friendly as she can be foxy. She'll manage a huge hotel and make it look like a breeze... despite thousands of photographers jumping all over the place... but also find the time to pick up Rikki's handkerchief from the floor and return it to him... How was she to know the hanky would turn out bait... and she'd be hooked, in love with Rikki in the flicker of a moment.

Like so many around the world... she gave her heart to Princess Diana. So much so, that despite her otherwise no-nonsense exterior, she cried when she couldn't visit Diana's funeral. She has that alluring combination of passion and charisma that would make any guy go ga-ga... And Rikki is no exception.

Preity Zinta as Alvira Khan

Picture a three foot six inch girl. She stands alone in the middle of a church. Merely six years old, Alvira Khan takes an oath before God. "I'll never marry a brownie kaalakalutaa. Please find me a good-looking gora boy like yourself. Amen." Cut to 20 odd years later. Alvira is your typical Pakistani Brit. She would hate to acknowledge the Pakistani part... She's more Brit than the Queen herself. Despite living in a ghettoized Lahori household, Alvira has that stiff upper lip attitude towards the riffraff... especially those crass Southalliyas with their lack of polish and their over-friendliness. That job she has as Manager at the House of Fraser's is a godsend. She can hobnob with the hip Bond Streeters any time she likes... Yea, that's what she calls 'class'...

She has a princess personality and a virtually rebellious opinion of everything. And on a fated day at Madame Tussaud's, the princess is daringly rescued by her knight in shining armour... her prince Steve, who grabs her from under a falling Superman model... And she's swept off her feet, heels over head in love... Her dream come true!

Bobby Deol as Steve Singh

Steve Singh is the immensely rich and treacherously handsome joint partner of London's reputed Singh & Smith Law firm. Steve is the man's man... the man about town... powerful, intense and very self-effacing... Born to a British Mum and Punjabi Dad, he's a balance of Punjabi impulse – not thinking twice before heroically saving Alvira's life - and he's got suave ritzy genteel from his Brit Mum. Classy. Seemly. Chivalrous. That's Steve.

He has a palace for an office matched only by Mandrake's Xanadu. And wears those dashing suits and up-market cuts like Bruce Wayne. What's more... one meeting and he seemed to know everything about Alvira her religious rituals, where she worked, her pet name... Is he Clark Kent or Superman? He even seems to appear and disappear at will... Yes... That's Steve. He has those natty rugged looks... a scar on his cheek that he got while rescuing a girl who was being forced to dance... But even that Steve doesn't wear on his sleeve. He's Alvira's knight in shining armour... her millionaire lover... her hero...

Storyline

Busy London station. Delayed train from Birmingham. Two strangers waiting for the train... Rikki Thukral (Abhishek Bachchan) born in Bhatinda, living in London; and Alvira Khan (Preity Zinta) more Brit than the Queen herself, however with Lahori blood in her veins.

Crowded café. One table to share. Two hours to kill. Perfect setting for the start of a love-story. Hitch? Both Rikki and Alvira are engaged and have come to pick up their fiancés who are coming by the same train. To kill time, they end up telling each other their “how I met my fiancé” stories.

Rikki met his fiancé Anaida (Lara Dutta) at The Ritz (Paris), the same night that Princess Diana and Dodi walked out of the hotel and into the paparazzi. As Rikki says, “When two lovers die, another two are a born”. They dance... they sing... they're in love!

Alvira, a princess by nature discovers her prince at Madame Tussaud’s. When a gigantic wax model of Superman falls from the ceiling, Alvira is a sitting target. But Steve the Prince (Bobby Deol), a lawyer by profession saves her life but steals her heart! They also sing, they also dance and they also fall in love...

Stories unfold, time passes, the two strangers start enjoying each other. That Alvira is a Pakistani Brit and Rikki originally from India... that Rikki is crooked, earthy, and rakish: dabbler in various businesses; that Alvira is prim-n-proper, wannabe blue-blood, stiff upper-lip: Asst. Manager at House of Fraser’s... none of these details matter. They have gotten alarmingly attracted to each other!

Their brief encounter has created a complicated quadrangle... Rikki Thukral and Alvira Khan have gotten themselves and Steve and Anaida into a lovely mess... To get out of it both of them bend over backward, thinking quickly on their feet, dancing around each other’s emotions... After all when you’re playing musical chairs with love, there’s nothing you can do but Jhoom Barabar Jhoom (Dance Baby Dance)!

Ek Chalis Ki Last Local - Review

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Experimentation is the new mantra today. The past few monsoons have seen the dream merchants envisioning stories that strike the right balance between real and make-believe. 'Think out of the box' and 'Push the envelope' are expressions that echo every alternate Friday.

One cannot classify EK CHALIS KI LAST LOCAL in any particular genre. There are light moments, hilarious moments, tense moments, dramatic moments, mad moments… Debutante director Sanjay Khanduri tries to pack in everything in those 2 + hours. No issues with that, but what could've been conveyed in a concise format of 1.30 / 1.45 hours is stretched to 2 + hours for no reason. A number of sequences are stretched for no reason, thereby diluting the impact.

Yet, there's no denying that EK CHALIS KI LAST LOCAL is engrossing at most points. Only if the debutante director and his editor would've used the scissors more judiciously!

EK CHALIS KI LAST LOCAL is about two people who miss the last local train at 1.40 a.m. to Vikhroli and have full two-and-a-half hours before the next local will arrive. The tale revolves around Nilesh [Abhay Deol], a call center executive, and how missing the last train home proves to be a significant episode in his life.

Nilesh bumps into Madhu [Neha Dhupia], who has also missed her train on the same station and because there is an auto strike, the duo finds themselves getting together and soon seated in a desi bar for some time pass before their next train.

EK CHALIS KI LAST LOCAL unravels in the most natural manner. The characters are straight out of life and the situations they land into are identifiable by those living in a metropolis, especially Mumbai. But the film doesn't catch your attention from the very start. The goings-on get exciting when Abhay and Neha enter a bar and Abhay starts gambling to make a fast buck.

A few portions episodes in the story raise the bar, like the gambling sequence and also when Neha lands up at Snehal Dabhi's house to pay off the ransom amount. Also, the sequences involving Deepak Shirke and Abhay Deol may appear crass, but are bound to raise laughs.

EK CHALIS KI LAST LOCAL doesn't have any flaws as such, barring the fact that its theme is very Mumbai-centric and also its length is unwarranted. The film should be trimmed by at least 20 minutes to make the goings-on crisper. A few scenes tend to get repetitive. A few are stretched endlessly. A few were just not required. The ending too goes on and on. Ideally, the film should've ended the moment Abhay lays his hands on the booty in Deepak Shirke's house.

Director Sanjay Khanduri has the trappings of a fine storyteller. He has handled a number of sequences with dexterity and not once do you feel that EK CHALIS KI LAST LOCAL is his debut film. Cinematography is consistent. The background score is jarring.

Abhay Deol comes up with an honest performance yet again. Actually, he carries the middle class look very well. Neha Dhupia proves herself in latter reels, when her true identity is exposed. Virendra Saxena is okay. His lady accomplice is fantastic. Ashok Samarth as the cop is excellent. Snehal Dabhi as the eunuch is tremendous. The actor enacting the role of Ponappa is first-rate. Deepak Shirke is incredible.

On the whole, EK CHALIS KI LAST LOCAL is a decent fare that stands out for a few individualistic episodes in the narrative. At the box-office, the film caters to the multiplex audience mainly, especially big city multiplexes. Business in Mumbai multiplexes should be better due to its Mumbaiya flavor.

Raqeeb - Review

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Suspense thrillers are tough to make. And film-makers need to follow three golden rules to make a thriller work: Cast fine actors… The needle of suspicion should vacillate from one character to another, keeping the viewer guessing till the finale… The suspense should come as a surprise.

RAQEEB, directed by debutante Anurag Singh, holds your interest at crucial points. Even though the story bears a striking resemblance to two films -- Venus/Abbas-Mustan's HUMRAAZ [in turn inspired by A PERFECT MURDER] and Tips/Ken Ghosh's FIDA -- the film in actuality borrows from a different film altogether -- MURDER BY NATURAL CAUSES [1979] -- a lesser known English film. In the original, one of the leads wears a pacemaker. In RAQEEB, he's asthmatic.

RAQEEB is not without its share of deficiencies. Fortunately, the uppers outnumber the downers in this case. The twists in the storyline and the dangerous games indulged by the lead characters make up for the drab moments in the enterprise. In actuality, the film gathers speed minutes before the intermission and the graph only goes upwards as the reels unfold. But here's a direct question to the debutante storyteller: Why didn't you opt for an unconventional end, for that would've been the perfect icing on the cake? Sometimes, evil also wins!

In a nutshell, RAQEEB isn't great cinema. It isn't low on substance either. It floats somewhere in between. Watch it without expectations and you wouldn't be disappointed.

Remo [Rahul Khanna] is the owner of a highly successful software company. Remo's parents had died in a car crash when he was a child. Siddharth [Sharman Joshi] is his employee and probably, only friend. Siddharth is the exact opposite of Remo who is shy, introvert and asthmatic.

Siddharth constantly pesters Remo to socialize so that he can meet a few girls and fall in love with one of them. Remo seems to be averse to the idea until, one day, Siddharth plays a prank and sets Remo up for a blind date.

Remo meets the girl and after a misunderstanding falls in love with her. The girl is Sofie [Tanushree Dutta], a theatre actress. Everything is perfect until Remo and Sofie discover that her parents died in the same car crash in which Remo's parents had been killed. Sofie realizes that Remo's parents were responsible for the death of her parents.

Remo doesn't know how to deal with this tragic discovery. Siddharth persuades him to propose to Sofie. Remo proposes and after the initial hesitation, Sofie accepts. Remo and Sofie get married.

Sunny [Jimmy Shergill] is a struggling actor who is in love with Sofie. But Sofie always desired a luxurious life which Sunny was unable to provide. Hence, Sofie married Remo. When Sunny and Sofie meet again, the old love is rekindled. Thus begins a torrid affair between them.

Tired of having to meet secretly and only occasionally, they plan to kill Remo. The plan is to hide Remo's asthma medicine and then aggravate his asthma so as to trigger an asthma attack. Once the asthma attack occurs, Sunny has to pretend to shoot Remo with fake bullets so as to aggravate his condition further, eventually leading to death. The post mortem will reveal that Remo died of natural causes and hence, no one will be suspected of any foul play.

The D-day arrives and Sunny comes to Remo's house to execute the plan. But there is another twist in the tale. Sofie double crosses Sunny as well and he is arrested and accused of Remo's murder. But there's more to this story…

Unlike most thrillers that reveal it all in the climax, RAQEEB peels off the mask of the scheming wife much before the intermission card is flashed on the screen. The reason why this film works is because everyone's playing games here. That makes it extremely difficult for the viewer to guess the prime suspect -- the manipulative and scheming mind.

The reason that prompts the prime suspect to indulge in dangerous games is completely justified. But the writer-director messes it up with such a tame ending.

Debutante Anurag Singh succeeds in presenting an unconventional theme with care. The idea of an ambitious woman in a relationship with three men at the same time is undoubtedly interesting. In terms of execution, Anurag handles the drama well, building the suspense beautifully.

Pritam's music is foot-tapping. 'Channa Ve Channa', 'Dushmana' and 'Qateel' are nice compositions. Fuwad Khan's camerawork could've been better. The locales of Thailand are striking, but the visuals don't make you scream 'Wow!'. Dialogues are well worded at places.

RAQEEB belongs to Sharman Joshi, who is evolving into a powerful actor. He slips into the role effortlessly and looks natural all through. Rahul Khanna is perfect as the suave tycoon. Why doesn't one see more of you, Rahul? Jimmy Shergill's role reminds you of the obsessed lover in DARR, but after he's shown getting arrested, this track is sidelined completely. Nonetheless, Jimmy does a worthy job.

Tanushree Dutta is a revelation. Although her makeup and outfits [why so much skin show?] continue to be atrocious, you have to give credit where it's due. She enacts her part very well, expressing a lot through her eyes. Vishwajeet Pradhan is hardly there. Rekha Rao is wasted. Vivek Shauq excels. He provides the much-needed light moments.

On the whole, RAQEEB is a fairly engrossing fare. At the box-office, the bold theme may find its share of advocates and adversaries. Besides, the not-as-aggressive promotion and minimal hype will tell on its business.

Good Boy Bad Boy - Review

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A few decades ago, the Dilip Kumar starrer RAM AUR SHYAM worked big time due to its novel premise, among other things. The concept of a seedha-saadha guy and his street-smart twin brother and the incidents that follow kept you thoroughly entertained.

GOOD BOY BAD BOY bears an uncanny resemblance to RAM AUR SHYAM, since GOOD BOY BAD BOY is also about the sharif [Tusshar] and the not-so-sharif [Emraan] and how the confusion of names brings the best out of the two in the end.

Unfortunately, this good idea is highly under-nourished, which results in a fare that's pointless, emotionless, dramaless, humorless and impactless. Honestly, the concept had tremendous scope to entertain since the film is set in a college campus. But the screenplay is so dull and dreary that barring a few laughs in a scene or two, you actually leave with a frown on your face.

It's indeed surprising that someone as talented as Ashwini Choudhary, who helmed the sensitive DHOOP, is at the helm of affairs here. To cut a long story short, GOOD BOY BAD BOY has nothing worth recalling!

Rajan Malhotra [Tusshar Kapoor] and Raju Malhotra [Emraan Hashmi] are poles apart.

Rajan is a proverbial bookworm, forever lost in studies and completely oblivious to the frolicking of a college dude. He hails from a well-to-do background and his parents [Rakesh Bedi, Navni Parihar] are constantly worried due to his somber nature and his lack of interest in any extra curricular activities.

Raju has absolutely no time for studies as playing notorious pranks on others takes up most of his time on a daily basis. His father [Anang Desai, mother: Prabha Sinha] constantly ridicules him for his wayward ways. As fate would have it, the identity cards of Rajan and Raju get swapped.

The one thing you look forward to in GOOD BOY BAD BOY is ample laughs. But what unfolds is anything but a fun ride. The film has a young look, but not once do you feel the youthful energy flowing out of the screen.

The confusion of names is so confusing itself. Okay, the identity cards get changed since both have the same initials [R. Malhotra], but when they're addressed with different names in the college auditorium by the principal, even in front of their parents, not once does anyone raise an eyebrow. How come?

Besides a tacky script, GOOD BOY BAD BOY also lacks a foot-tapping score to uplift the goings-on. The music is so unlike Himesh Reshammiya this time around. What happened, Himesh?

Ashwini Choudhary is saddled with a poor script, so expecting him to infuse life with his execution is asking for the moon. Cinematography [Manoj Soni] too lacks the sheen that films of today boast of. Dialogues are funny at places.

Emraan has a flair for comedy and that shows on the screen. He is quite likable. Tusshar is pleasant, but how one wishes the writer would've offered him better scenes. Isha Sharvani wears a set of two expressions all through. Tanushree Dutta doesn't work. Also, why is her makeup so dark? Paresh Rawal is a letdown. Kabir Sadanand is expressive. Sushmita Mukherjee is wasted.

On the whole, GOOD BOY BAD BOY disappoints big time.

Life in a... Metro - Review

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The trend of narrating multiple stories in Hindi films continues. SALAAM-E-ISHQ, HONEYMOON TRAVELS PVT. LTD., JUST MARRIED: MARRIAGE WAS ONLY THE BEGINNING and LIFE MEIN KABHIE KABHIEE, all 2007 films, tackled multiple stories in those 2.30/3.30 hours.

METRO charters a new path because the multiple stories run concurrently. Also, the characters are, in some way, linked with each other.

With METRO, director Anurag Basu proves for the third time [after MURDER and GANGSTER] that he's an incredible storyteller. The complexities in relationships, the shortcuts one adopts in life to attain the goals and the corrosion of ethics and values have been depicted most convincingly.

Yet, METRO is no landmark film. It doesn't sweep you off your feet…

If Anurag Basu, the director, deserves brownie points as a storyteller, Anurag Basu, the writer, is just not in terrific form this time around. Reason: The culmination of a few stories, besides the unique concept of using the 'Metro Band' in every song, prevent the film from reaching dizzy heights.

Rahul [Sharman Joshi] works as a call centre executive in Mumbai. He silently loves his colleague Neha [Kangana Ranaut]. A smart young woman who has climbed the ladder in a very short time. And hard work is not her only secret. Because her boss, Ranjeet [Kay Kay Menon], loves her and is willing to shower her with gifts and opportunities… only if she is willing.

In his 30s, Ranjeet is married to Shikha [Shilpa Shetty] with a 6-year-old daughter. They had decided that she should stay back at home and take care of the house and the kid. Ranjeet ventured out on his quest for money and success… and forgot his family somewhere on the way. And bitterness and boredom crept into their relationship. Soon he found solace and a fresh lease of life in Neha.

Neglected by an indifferent husband and bogged down by family chores, Shikha is soon attracted to Akash [Shiney Ahuja], a struggling theatre artist whose wife divorces him because she cannot stand his failures anymore. Akash and Shikha's love blossoms and she almost crosses her limits.

Amol [Dharmendra] is a 70-year-old man who returns to India after 40 years. To spend the last few years of his life with his first love, Vaijanti [Nafisa Ali]. The lady lives in an old-age home and is Shikha's aunt who gives moral strength to Shikha.

Shikha's sister and Neha's room-mate, Shruti [Konkona Sen Sharma], works at 'Radio Mirchi'. In her 30s and still a virgin, she's desperate to get married. She is dreamy eyed about her RJ, Wishy K [Gautam Kapoor]. She also meets Debu [Irrfan Khan] through a matrimonial site. She hates him. But Debu doesn't.

Now let's have a microscopic view of what works and what doesn't…

Director Anurag Basu's handling of a few dramatic and emotional moments is exemplary. Dharmendra's introduction at the railway station, the tense moments between Kay Kay and Shilpa, the entire track featuring Irrfan and Konkona including the sequence on the rocks [after they've shopped for Irrfan's wedding] and the sequence when Shiney and Shilpa are about to get physical are portions that register a strong impact.

Also, the handling of the multiple stories concurrently is praiseworthy, for not once does confusion prevail since so much is happening to so many characters.

On the flip side, the culmination of a few stories looks hurried and half-baked. The Dharmendra - Nafisa Ali story deserved a better conclusion. The one depicted in the film is so filmy! Similarly, Kangana suddenly realizing that she needs to be with Sharman in the end [she leaves Kay Kay stranded] looks unbelievable.

The culmination to the Shilpa - Kay Kay story is ludicrous. Shilpa is about to leave her home when the door bell rings and she finds her husband [Kay Kay] staring at her. He seems repentant and one assumes he has returned home on a rebound [Kangana has dumped him]. Surprisingly, Shilpa goes back to the heartless guy, bidding goodbye to Shiney, who genuinely loves her. Wrong ending!

Another area where the film suffers is that each and every song has the 'Metro Band' coming up from nowhere and humming the lines. Agreed, they are good singers and using the Band in a song or two would've been okay, but every song? They're such a terrible put-off! Besides, the music [Pritam] is strictly okay.

METRO is embellished with superior performances, with Shilpa, Kay Kay, Irrfan and Konkona vying for top honors. Shilpa delivers her finest performance thus far, much better than her work in PHIR MILENGE. In fact, this performance needs to be remembered when the 'Bests of 2007' are compiled during the year-end. Kay Kay is exceptional. You hate him, detest his very sight, all thanks to a terrific portrayal.

Irrfan is the life of the show. You're bound to run out of adjectives to describe this performance. He's sure to appeal to every strata -- elite, intellectuals, classes, masses, kids… Konkona compliments Irrfan beautifully all through. A brilliant performance yet again. Dharmendra is simply superb. He makes you moist-eyed at several places. Sharman Joshi underplays his character beautifully.

Kangana is not in form this time. Shiney Ahuja is passable. He deserved a few more meaty scenes. Nafisa Ali is grace personified. Gautam Kapoor is adequate. Manoj Pahwa is okay.

On the whole, METRO could've been a path-breaking experience, but the faulty writing throws a spanner. At the box-office, the film caters to the multiplexes of big cities mainly. The initial weekend business will be encouraging at select metros, but things might get shaky eventually.

The Train - Preview

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What happens when you give into temptation?

What happens when you cross the lines?

The Train is the story of Vishal Dixit, whose boring, ordinary life changes when he meets a beautiful woman, catapulting him into a world of romance, lust and temptation.

Vishal Dixit (Emraan Hashmi), a regular middle class man, is settled in Bangkok with his wife, Anjali (Sayali Bhagat) and their 5 year old daughter, Nikki. Anjali and Vishal are trying to hold on to their deteriorating marriage which is already under tremendous pressure

One ordinary day, on his way to work, Vishal meets Roma (Geeta Basra), a beautiful, captivating woman. The attraction between them is instantaneous. As Vishal gets to know her better, he realizes that she too is a loner, trapped in a loveless marriage. The attraction between them reaches a peak and at a point they decide to give in to an adulterous affair.

As Anjali starts getting suspicious of Vishal’s erratic behavior, his romance with Roma deepens. He is torn between the two loves of his life. Just when Vishal thought life could not get more complicated, he realizes that his secret liaison is known to someone, an unknown elusive enemy who is bent on using the knowledge to destroy all three lives.

Vishal now realizes that the game will never end till he finds a permanent solution and that would be to eliminate the enemy.

But how does one find an enemy who has no identity? Can he protect his family? Will he be able to save both the women in his life? All Vishal is sure of is that time is running out…..

Is it too late? For Vishal? For Anjali? For Roma?

Yatra - Review

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Certain films run out of steam despite an interesting storyline, partly due to difficult-to-comprehend screenplay and also due to the abstract nature of narrating the story. YATRA is one of those films.

The story of YATRA could've developed into a fascinating screenplay, but writer/editor/director Goutam Ghose interprets it in an offbeat manner, which makes the goings-on difficult to decipher for an average moviegoer.

Dasrath Joglekar [Nana Patekar], a celebrated writer, travels to Delhi to receive the prestigious Literary Award. During the journey he meets a young film-maker Mohan [Nakul Vaid], an ardent fan of Dasrath's writing and the encounter brings back memories from the past.

Both of them travel back in time, remembering characters from Dasrath's celebrated novel 'Janaza', reconstructing the true story of the novel protagonist, Lajvanti [Rekha], from their own perspective. After the gala award ceremony in New Delhi, Dasrath disappears from his hotel. Tension mounts in his family [comprising of wife Deepti Naval and two kids].

Memories from the past and passion bring Dasrath to Mehendi Galli, where people flock to listen to mujras. But everything has changed with time. Lajvanti has become Lisa, presenting popular film songs to entertain a new clientele. Dasrath's sudden appearance is a great surprise for Lajvanti. The character of his novel 'Janaza' comes alive in an unexpected juncture.

On paper, the plotline sounds interesting, but when translated on celluloid, it lacks the power to enchant you. The screenplay doesn't work because it seems unfinished and also, Ghose's execution is abstract.

From the writing point of view, the relationship between Nana and Rekha hasn't been carefully developed. Nana is shown meeting Rekha at a very crucial stage of the story [she has been raped]. An unexplainable bond develops between the two that makes you conclude that they have feelings for each other. Ideally, the writer/director should've shown a sequence or two to support this theory, so that when Nana suddenly lands up at Rekha's doorstep after winning the award, it looks believable.

The second hour goes haywire. Nana's sudden demise and Rekha's idea to get rid of the body by hiding it in her closet and packing it off to an undisclosed destination, looks bizarre. Nana's wife [Deepti Naval] drops in at that moment and a few minutes later, the movie ends. What kind of a climax was that?

In between, there are sequences that flummox the viewer. Nana imagines his daughter in a call centre, his bruised son is being interviewed by a TV reporter and his associate in Delhi is getting intimate with a guy, who in turn is capturing the 'action' on his cell phone… What was that? Slightly earlier, Deepti Naval was shown as a farmer's wife, who looks shocked to see her husband [Nana, a farmer] commit suicide… Sorry, didn't understand that either!

Music [Khayyam and Goutam Ghose] is equally uninteresting. Cinematography is of standard, although the color tones tend to get dark at times. Dialogues are wonderful and are sure to be appreciated.

It's a different Nana Patekar you get to watch in YATRA. Devoid of his usual mannerisms, Nana is natural to the core. The problem with Rekha is that she has enacted similar roles in the past and no matter how hard she tries, it doesn't work. But, yes, the sequence when Nana meets her for the first time [the cry of anguish] is splendid. Deepti Naval is appropriate. Nakul Vaid gets minimal scope. Romit Raaj [Nana's son] is hardly there. The veteran actress enacting the role of Nana's mother is lovable.

On the whole, YATRA is a poor fare. It has precious little for connoisseurs of art house cinema, but nothing for the masses. The low-key promotion coupled with a mighty opposition [SPIDER-MAN 3] will make YATRA's yatra at the box-office very tough.

Awarapan - Preview

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Awarapan is the story of man called Shivam (Emraan Hashmi) who searched for joy but found nothing but pain and loneliness. It is the journey of a godless heartbroken lover who in order to escape from the ghosts of his tragic past dedicates himself to serve his gangster boss Malik who runs a chain of hotels in Hong Kong.

One day Malik asks Shivam to do an unusual job for him. He asks him to keep an eye on his young mistress Reema while he is away on a brief business trip. Reema is a young Pakistani girl who is a victim of human trafficking. Malik had ‘bought’ her in the flesh market in Bangkok.

The brief is clear if Reema is found cheating behind Malik’s back Shivam has to eliminate her. From the moment Shivam sets his eyes on Reema, his frozen past begins to raise its head. He is reminded of his lost love and how he had failed to save it from a catastrophe.

And then one night Shivam is shocked to discover that the innocent looking Reema has a secret boyfriend, whom she has tucked away and is planning to run away with. Does Shivam remain loyal to Mallik and execute his orders, or does he take on his wrath by daring to go against him. Will Shivam find redemption and faith or will this Godless vagabond remain shackled to his faithless dead past are the questions which is the life blood of this haunting tale.

Bombay To Goa - Preview

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Bombay to Goa is the story is about two lives – Lal (Sunil Pal) and Das (Vijay Raaz). Lal is a very ambitious guy, a dreamer, who wants to become big in life and start his own business. There are people, you give them 5000 rupees and ask them to start a business like a vada pav centre. And they start having dreams of having a chain of restaurants. Lal is just like that – he is a dreamer and always thinking about doing something big in life. Das is a loud-mouth, a very arrogant kind of a person. He is a driver who used to work in BEST. His boss irritates him, and eventually he leaves the job.

Lal gets Rs. 2 lakhs by winning some contest. The duo plans to put up a business. Das comes up with an idea to start a travel agency. But they don't have enough money. They just have 2 lakh rupees and these days you don't even get a Maruti car in 2 lakh rupees so how will they get a bus?

So they plan things out and go to Chor Bazaar. Using spare parts of old cars and imported cars, they create a bus. Lal has no idea about what the bus is going to look like. He just gives the money to Das and says I trust you, go ahead with it. Das asks Lal to get the passengers for the bus on a particular day.

Lal tells everybody that we have this palace-on-wheels coming up. He gets 15-16 passengers. He gives them a discount claiming that you'll get the best bus service in the world. But when the bus comes in, it is a madhouse, and people demand their money back. So Das comes up with an idea, saying that this is a pick-up bus and we can get passengers on the highway. Finally, they try to persuade passengers on the way and carry on with their journey.

Ta Ra Rum Pum - Review

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Yash Raj created magic with speeding bikes [DHOOM]. Now's the turn of speeding cars [TA RA RUM PUM].

The West has often made films depicting the rise, fall and subsequent rise of sportspersons. ROCKY [Sylvester Stallone], DAYS OF THUNDER [Tom Cruise] and CINDERELLA MAN [Russell Crowe] are films that cross your mind as you watch director Siddharth Raj Anand's second outing TA RA RUM PUM. It wouldn't be erroneous to state that Siddharth borrows from the above-named films, but he garnishes the material with desi emotions that work well with Indian moviegoers.

There's no denying that TA RA RUM PUM is a well-crafted fare that provides entertaining moments and also succeeds in its goal as a feel-good experience. One of the prime reasons why TA RA RUM PUM works is because it's not about car racing only. It involves a couple, their two kids, the family's riches to rags story, their highs and lows…

Now let's get down to the basics: What works and what doesn't? If the car racing sequences are awe-inspiring, the emotional quotient in the second hour is worth acknowledging as well. A number of sequences make you moist-eyed, especially the high-octane climax that not only gives you goose bumps, but also makes you jump with joy.

However, TA RA RUM PUM isn't a flawless film. You can't turn a blind eye to the aberrations in those 16 reels. Fortunately, the pros outweigh the cons in the final tally.

To sum up, Siddharth Raj Anand comes up with a worthy follow up to his directorial debut, the immensely likable SALAAM | NAMASTEY. TA RA RUM PUM easily ranks amongst Yash Raj's better films in terms of style as also substance.

TA RA RUM PUM tells the story of one man, his family and how they overcome the obstacles that life puts in their way, together. It is the story of human spirit and how it ultimately prevails.

Rajveer Singh [Saif Ali Khan] is a pit-crew worker in a racing team with a passion for driving who gets discovered by a team manager, Harry [Jaaved Jaaferi]. The same day, he accidentally meets a music student, Radhika [Rani Mukerji], who he falls for instantly. He gets drafted into 'Speeding Saddles' -- a failing race team and transforms from Rajveer Singh to 'RV', the race car driver.

While his racing career takes off instantly, his love life also blossoms after a whirlwind romance. A few months later, he is both a happily married man and one of the country's best racers. Fatherhood and greater success both follow and soon he is the Number 1 race car driver in U.S.A. as well as the proud father of two kids -- Priya [Angelina Idnani] and Ranveer [Ali Haji].

But as a result of a bad racing accident, RV is hospitalized for a few months. When he tries to make a comeback, he realizes that he has been mentally scarred by the accident. His life now takes a turn for the worse and after a string of failures, he is forced to auction his house and move with his family to a run-down neighborhood.

However, RV and Radhika decide not to tell their children the truth and construct a skillful masquerade of a reality show where they have to live a poor life in order to win a mythical grand prize. The family struggles to survive a life that they are not used to, using a mixture of fantasy and cheerfulness to pull through in the face of adversity. But an incident forces RV to reclaim the life that was taken away from him.

You don't take to TA RA RUM PUM instantly, since the writing [screenplay: Habib Faisal] meanders on oft-repeated tracks initially [the snooty father-in-law/Victor Banerjee looking down upon the son-in-law/Saif Ali Khan, the mandatory romantic scenes and songs]. The one aspect that shines the brightest in the first hour is the car race that makes Saif's life go topsy-turvy. Ideally, the intermission card should've flashed at this juncture, but the sequences that follow are plain mediocre.

Thankfully, the substance [script] as also the execution of the material improves a great deal in the post-interval portions. The plight of the family moves you: Saif is reduced to a cabbie, Rani plays piano at birthday parties and hotels to run the kitchen fires and foot the bills, the children skip their meals to save for the school fees. The son, in fact, picks up leftovers from the waste to satiate his hunger… These are moments that mirror the realities of life.

The highpoint of the film are the penultimate reels. Right from Saif storming into a hotel, asking for a loan of $ 65,000 to the final victory, the narrative reaches its crescendo in those 25 + minutes. In fact, the powerful second hour elevates the film tremendously.

Director Siddharth Raj Anand is only getting better with every film. He handles the emotional moments in particular very well. The execution of the race sequences is outstanding. Something like this hasn't been witnessed on the Hindi screen before. Binod Pradhan's camerawork is marvelous.

Vishal-Shekhar's music is of the fast-forward variety. One looked forward to a better score for sure. However, the picturization of a few songs camouflages the defect to an extent. The kiddie song -- merging live with animated characters -- catches your attention. The animation here matches international quality.

Saif is extremely likable. He conveys the varied emotions with complete understanding. Rani enacts the role of the mother/wife proficiently. Jaaved Jaaferi is first-rate in a serious role. Bharat Dabholkar is efficient. Victor Banerjee suits the character. Shruti Seth is alright. Angelina Idnani and Ali Haji are adorable.

On the whole, TA RA RUM PUM easily ranks amongst better films from the Yash Raj factory. Surprisingly, the film has opened to a below-the-mark response at several screens. But it has the potential and power to gather speed in days to come since it has something for everyone -- emotional quotient for families, thrilling car races to woo the youth and the kiddie factor to attract this huge movie-going segment [kids]. Its business in Overseas should be excellent and in India, the multiplexes will help the distributors reap a harvest. Strongly recommended!