Indian movies

A film like THODA PYAAR THODA MAGIC makes you nostalgic. It takes you back to the light-hearted, feel-good cinema made by directors of calibre like Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Chatterjee. The focus was on narrating a simple story. A movie that put a smile on your face even if you walked in with a frown.

THODA PYAAR THODA MAGIC does exactly that!

Strangely, for some reason, the film lacks the hype associated with a biggie. Perhaps, the string of flops the premiere production house [YRF] churned out, indirectly, took a toll on this movie. But THODA PYAAR THODA MAGIC should reverse the trend.

A bit of MARY POPPINS. A dash of THE SOUND OF MUSIC. A sprinkle of ENCHANTED. THODA PYAAR THODA MAGIC may not be the most original script, but the sweet and tender moments in this enterprise elevate it to a watchable status.

That Kunal Kohli is a fine storyteller has already been proved [HUM TUM and FANAA were accomplished works]. Now watch him handle a simple, uncomplicated story with dexterity and you'd agree, Kunal has only matured with time.

To put a long story short, THODA PYAAR THODA MAGIC is a simple story, well told. It's one of those films you'd enjoy watching with your family, without feeling embarrassed or red-faced. It's sure to put a smile on your face when you exit the auditorium, which, frankly, is a rarity these days!

Ranbeer [Saif Ali Khan], a leading industrialist, is a loner, not by choice, but because he lost everyone he ever loved. He is now faced with a peculiar and uncomfortable situation. In a rare and landmark court verdict, he is to look after four orphan children. The orphans hate him and want revenge from him. The children do not want to live with a man they hate; he too cannot face them or look them in the eye for certain reasons. Their life together is very unhappy.

One day, the kids pray to God for help and He does help them. He sends his most mischievous, childlike, lovable angel to the rescue, with a mission to bring Ranbeer and the kids together. Geeta [Rani Mukerji] comes bicycling down a rainbow… and bursts into Ranbeer's house as the self-proclaimed new nanny.

And then starts the roller coaster ride of fun, emotions, magic and love. An angel who doesn't know what love is. A man who always lost love. Four orphans who need love.

Kunal Kohli opens the cards at the very outset. The car accident and the subsequent court judgment set the story in motion. But the first half isn't without its share of flaws. The pranks played by the kids to harass Saif fall flat. They're anything but funny most of the times. Ameesha's character is another sore point. Actually, the film could've done without this irritating character.

However, Rani's entry in the story adds magic to the goings-on. Her interaction with the kids and how she eventually wins them over is enjoyable. The kids, of course, are the actual heroes of this enterprise, but more on that later.

It's the second hour that takes the film to a different level. How Saif bonds with each of them and the turning point, an incident that makes the kids see Saif differently, is simply excellent. Ditto for the finale, which may seem Bollywoodish, but you don't mind it.

Kunal Kohli has worked with the best of stars [Aamir, Saif, Hrithik, Kajol, Kareena, Rani], but the real test is to extract performances from four unknown kids and that's where he deserves brownie points. It's easy to handle grown-ups, but kids can be really tough. Also, Kunal doesn't [thankfully] make the proceedings melodramatic with rona-dhona thrown in to make it a perfect 'family film'. The emotions are subtle, but nonetheless move you.

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's music is a letdown, barring just one track, 'Pyaar Ke Liye'. Sudeep Chatterjee's cinematography is perfect. The effects are eye catching at times.

Saif fits into the sauve millionaire part [Richie Rich - the poor little rich guy?] very well. And the best part is, he never 'acts'. He's a complete natural! It's a pleasure to watch Rani in a role that does justice to her talent. She's lovable. But why is she sporting the same outfit throughout? Ameesha doesn't work, mainly because her role looks like an add-on. And what is she wearing throughout the movie? But she sizzles in the 'Lazy Lamhe' track.

The four kids are adorable. Each of them is terrific, but the one who's bound to walk away with taalis is the cute Sikh kid called Iqbal. Watch him break into the 'Main Nikla Gadi Leke' song from GADAR; it's bound to bring the house down. Rishi Kapoor is likable in a cameo. Taraana is okay.

On the whole, THODA PYAAR THODA MAGIC is a simple story told very effectively and efficiently. At the box-office, it may be a slow starter, but should gradually gather momentum with a strong word of mouth. Business at multiplexes will be the best.

Go watch it, it's a treat for your entire family!

If you've watched the promos of DE TAALI, you'd expect a film with tremendous youth power. You'd expect gags, gimmicks, laughter-n-sunshine and lots and lots of fun. But DE TAALI is anything but this! On the contrary, it's a slow-paced love story, which depicts one of the actors as a modern-day Devdas who hits the bottle when his girlfriend walks out on him. There's a kahani mein twist as well -- the kidnapping episode -- but you don't feel giving a taali to that too.

Note another aspect. Two songs from the film have been heavily promoted -- the title track [which has lots of energy] and 'Maari Teetri' [plays to the masses completely] -- which might compel you to buy the ticket. The title track comes when the movie concludes [end credits], while the other number is just not there.

Most importantly, DE TAALI gets it wrong on the script level. Loosely inspired by a popular TV drama [DAWSON'S CREEK] is okay, but the material lacks the power to keep you hooked. Sure, DE TAALI has a few engaging and enjoyable moments, but it's akin to an oasis in a desert.

In one word, disappointing!

Paglu [Riteish], Amu [Ayesha] and Abhi [Aftab] are buddies, an integral part of each others lives. Amu is a girl amongst the two guys, though Paglu and Abhi don't treat her like one. Paglu is the one who makes her realize about her feelings for Abhi. Life, however, takes a serious turn when Abhi falls in love with Kartika aka Anjali [Rimi Sen].

DE TAALI starts off quite well and the bonding between the three friends is well established in the initial portions. Things perk up the moment Rimi Sen enters the scene and shows her true colors. Everything's fine till she's kidnapped -- the interval point.

But things only go downhill in the second hour. The entire kidnap drama, the Saurabh Shukla track [it can't get weird than this], the dejected lovers [Mukul Dev, Pawan Malhotra, Sanjay Narvekar] reaching the wedding venue and the family surfacing from oblivion, everything looks ludicrous. By the time you reach the finale, the viewer is already bored and has lost all interest in the enterprise.

E. Niwas doesn't get in right this time. He knows the job well, but if you've noticed his last few outings as well as DE TAALI, you'd agree that he needs to concentrate on the script than making the frames look alluring. Vishal-Shekhar's music is a mixed bag. Barring the above-mentioned two numbers, the remaining songs lack fizz.

Riteish is lovable and his range is finally being tapped by film-makers. Aftab lends his part the required class. Ayesha Takia is getting better and better with every film. Rimi Sen spices up the otherwise bland scenario with her performance as a gold digger. Anupam Kher is wasted. Ditto for Pawan Malhotra and Mukul Dev.

On the whole, DE TAALI is a poor show. It's an apt case of the promos looking great, not the film.

This common question is addressed to the producer [Kumar Mangat], director [Anil Devgan] and lead actors [Amita Pathak, Nakuul Mehta, Adhyayan Suman] of HAAL-E-DIL: What actually did you see in the script of this film? And the next question is for the writer [Dhiraj Ratan]: How could you pen this apology of a script? Sorry, let me alter the question: Do you know the basics of screenplay writing?

Really, if there was a 'Razzie' [it salutes the worst in movies] in Bollywood, the writer would've walked away with the statuette, stealing the march from contenders like TASHAN, JIMMY and HASTEY HASTEY.

HAAL-E-DIL suits the adage so well - Body beautiful minus soul. Filmed on some stunning locales, the film registers a strong visual impact. Add to it the popular musical score. Also, the two lead men show sparks and are sure to be noticed, irrespective of how badly this film fares at the ticket window. Sadly, the shoddy writing camouflages the positives completely. You expect to be served a sumptuous, seven-course meal, but the writer serves you a few crumbs.
All said, HAAL-E-DIL is a terrible waste of a terrific opportunity. This one, I am sure, would easily rank prominently in the 'Letdowns of 2008' when one compiles the facts as the sun sets on the year.

HAAL-E-DIL tells the story of Sanjana [Amita Pathka], for whom love is chaste and sacred. It's the story of Shekhar [Nakuul Mehta], who keeps tripping for every second girl and loves to be in the perennial state of love, not realizing that he is going to meet a girl who'll change his existence. It's the story of Rohit [Adhyayan Suman], who would fall so deep in love that resurfacing would be impossible.

Sanjana is at the crossroads of life where she has to choose between her perfect love and a perfect stranger.

Strangely, two of the three Hindi releases this week bear an uncanny resemblance to the immensely likable JAB WE MET -- HAAL-E-DIL and KHUSHBOO. In this case, the story fails to grab your attention from the very start. In fact, confusion prevails all through this misadventure, so much so that there're times when the viewer is forced to ask the person seated next to him: How did that happen? Or what was that?

The love story is completely lifeless and the train yatra is anything but enjoyable. The adventure in the jungles [where the couple bumps into a Veerappan look-alike] is equally sad. If the intention was to add a dash of thrill or adventure to the goings-on, sorry, it falls flat. Or if the intention was to raise a few laughs, sorry again, it's anything but funny.

The 7-day fast undertaken by one of the leads in the concluding reels in equally phika. Are we living in the 21st century? Why is the screen writing so regressive in Hindi movies? Prior to that, the viewer learns that one of the leads has passed away and you actually fall off your seat. Ab yeh twist kahan se aaya?

Director Anil Devgan is off the mark this time. Frankly, his RAJU CHACHA and BLACKMAIL appear as classics when compared to this one. Music is the only saving grace. Every track has been filmed on a panoramic locale and acts as an eye candy. Cinematography [Rajeev Ravi] is efficient.

Nakuul Mehta may subconsciously be inspired by SRK, but you don't mind it. In all fairness, he's very confident, a bundle of energy and knows his job well. His expressions are perfect at all times. Adhyayan Suman definitely deserved a better launch. What's he doing in this film? He has the talent, which, unfortunately, hasn't been channelized at all in this misadventure.

Amita Pathak is a fine actor, no two opinions on that. But there's a problem. She looks too plump and her makeup makes her look mature. Very frankly, she looks much better in real life than on screen.

On the whole, HAAL-E-DIL is a complete dil-breaker. This one's gonna sink at the box-office!