Indian movies

The name Priyadarshan is synonymous with comic fares. It instantaneously conjures up images of several entertaining films he has attempted over the years. Naturally, you expect his new outing MERE BAAP PEHLE AAP to be a joyride as well. Even the promos of the film, beamed round the clock on TV, give an impression that it's a laugh-riot.

Sure, MERE BAAP PEHLE AAP has its share of light moments that make you chuckle, even break into laughter, but it's not a laughathon from start to end. From the interval point onwards, right till the finale, the focus shifts to drama, making the goings-on serious at times.

One factor that goes against the film is its length. The concept is truly novel -- for the Hindi screen at least -- but how one wishes Priyan would've controlled its length. Movies of 2 to 2.15 hours duration are fine, but 2.40 hours [add to it the promos of new films, plus interval makes it a 3-hour outing] is strictly no-no in today's times. Priyan should've brought down the length for sure!

Despite hiccups, MERE BAAP PEHLE AAP has endearing moments that work to its advantage. In a nutshell, it had the potential to rise to the level of GARAM MASALA, BHAGAM BHAG and BHOOL BHULAIYA, but it eventually ends up being an average fare

Janaradhan [Paresh Rawal] has spent his life bringing up his two kids, Chirag [Manoj Joshi] and Gaurav [Akshaye Khanna]. Now when the duo has grown up, Gaurav takes up the responsibility of his father. They both manage the household chores and their business to the best of their abilities. Though he is the younger son, he treats his father like his son. Gaurav shouts, threatens, fights, even locks up his father occasionally so that his prankster-friend Madhav [Om Puri], who is desperate to get married, does not spoil him.

Madhav and Janaradhan, who are always in search of a bride for Madhav, forever land up in trouble and every time Gaurav has to bail them out and face the embarrassment.

Gaurav starts getting prank calls from a girl who turns out to be his old college friend Shikha [Genelia D'Souza]. Shikha is staying with her guardian Anuradha [Shobhana], who happens to be Janardhan's first love.

Gaurav and Shikha notice changes in Janaradhan and Anuradha's behaviors when they come face to face after many years. They come to know about their past. Now Gaurav wants his father to get married to his lost love. Of course, the path is not so smooth, there are obstacles.

MERE BAAP PEHLE AAP begins really well. Om Puri's roving eye, Paresh Rawal's timid nature, Om and Paresh's encounter with lady cop Archana Puransingh -- the sequences are truly very enjoyable. But Genelia's constant calls to Akshaye, though meant to be equally interesting, fall flat; they hardly evoke any mirth.

The twist in the tale -- when Paresh spots Shobhana -- increases your anxiety and you look forward to a gripping tale in the second hour. But it's a mixed bag again. Agreed, people may scoff at the idea of a 60 + man wanting to get married, even though his son [of marriageable age] is a bachelor, but it could've been presented more convincingly. Here, the writer is at fault. The Naseeruddin Shah track in the finale is fine, but his bowing down to Akshaye in a fraction of a minute is difficult to digest.

Directorially, Priyan knows the craft well, no two opinions on that, but he needs to judiciously trim the film by at least 30 minutes for a stronger impact. Vidyasagar's music is a major disappointment. Barring the title track, which runs on the end credits, the other tracks are strictly okay. Piyush Shah's cinematography is excellent and the stunning locales of Kerala act as icing on the cake. Dialogues deserve special mention. Some of the lines are truly well penned. Editing is the weakest link of the enterprise.

Both Akshaye and Paresh live their roles, though there's a possibility that a section of the audience may not really like the son bossing over his father. Acting-wise, Akshaye is, as always, very much with the character, essaying his part with incredible ease. Paresh gets a solid role yet again and he sinks his teeth into it. Again, a job well done!

Genelia looks fresh and pairs off well with Akshaye. She leaves a mark. Om Puri is lovable and a major asset for this movie. Archana Puransingh is excellent. Rajpal Yadav is wasted. Ditto for the powerhouse of talent, Shobhana. She deserved a better deal. Manoj Joshi is fair. Naseeruddin Shah is effective, as always.

On the whole, MERE BAAP PEHLE AAP is enjoyable in parts -- an entertaining first hour, a not-too-entertaining second hour. At the box-office, it's at best an average fare. However, the prospects should improve if the makers trim the film from 2.40 hours to 2.10 hours.

If given a choice between Pakistani movies and Pakistani TV shows/serials, I'd settle for the small screen any day. Not that all serials ['dramas' is what they call them in Pakistan] are engaging, but I am hooked to a few shows. From whatever I've seen of Pakistani movies, my ratings would not exceed 1 on a scale of 10. But KHUDA KAY LIYE, the first Pakistani film to release in India, is also the first Pakistani film that moved me.

The film depicts the dilemma the well-educated, progressive-thinking and liberal Pakistanis face, post 9/11. The West looks at them as potential terrorists, while fundamentalists frown on them. Director Shoaib Mansoor may not be a great technician, but is a fine storyteller nonetheless.

Honestly speaking, you don't take to the film at the outset. For, it takes time to come to the point, but once it does, there's no stopping it. However, there's a flip side as well. A theme like the one depicted in the film is not everyone's cup of tea. Although one does identify with the proceedings, the film is more for the thinking viewer, for those who dissect cinema after watching it, it's a film that sparks off debates and discussions.

Cinema in India has undergone a sea change and whether one likes it or not, the harsh fact remains that cinema here is entertainment driven. In that respect, KHUDA KAY LIYE has limited chances. Limited to the multiplexes of a handful of cities only. Yet, you cannot turn your eyes away from the fact that KHUDA KAY LIYE is a well-made film that reaffirms a dangerous fact - the world is only getting more and more divided!

The film is about the difficult situation in which Pakistanis in particular and the Muslims in general are caught up since 9/11. There is a conflict going on between the fundamentalists and the liberal Muslims. This situation is creating a drift not only between the western world and the Muslims, but also within the Muslim community.

The educated and modern Muslims are in a difficult situation because of their approach towards life and their western attire. They are criticized and harassed by the fundamentalists and on the other hand, the western world sees them as potential suspects of terrorism just because of their Muslim names.

The film has two stories running concurrently. The elder brother [Shan] wants to pursue music as a career and leaves for the U.S. The younger brother [Fawad Khan] is so influenced by the fundamentalists that he turns into an altogether different person completely. The younger brother's story of forcibly marrying a woman, the woman wanting to flee from his clutches but can't, takes you back to the Karisma Kapoor starrer SHAKTI - THE POWER and also the Manisha Koirala starrer ESCAPE FROM TALIBAN. The elder brother's story is novel and deftly executed. In fact, the elder brother's story is heart breaking.

Director Shoaib Mansoor knows exactly what he's talking about and has handled several portions with dexterity, especially the penultimate 20 minutes in the courtroom. Only thing is, the chaste Urdu spoken by Naseeruddin Shah will be difficult to decipher by most viewers. Cinematography could've been more eye-filling, in view of the fact that the locales are bewitching.

Shan is a fine actor, but he has put on a lot of weight and it shows. Imad Ali could've been more effective. Fawad Khan is strictly okay. Rasheed Naz is excellent. Naseeruddin Shah is the scene stealer. His portions are simply outstanding!

On the whole, KHUDA KAY LIYE is a well-made film, but it caters to the thinking audience, the intelligentsia mainly. At the box-office, the film caters to a handful of multiplexes in a handful of cites only. Sure, it would win tremendous critical acclaim, but box-office dividends in India are ruled out.

We're experiencing a whole new world in cinema. Themes that were considered abstract and offbeat are slowly making inroads into Bollywood. These films are a complete contrast to what we've been experiencing thus far. You could actually mistake it for European cinema in general and French cinema in particular. MITHYA, directed by Rajat Kapoor, is one of those films. Conceal the faces of the actors and you'd never believe it's a Hindi film.

In this case, MITHYA, you can't draw parallels with any film, past or present. That's because something like this has never been attempted before. And that happens to be the flip side as well, for MITHYA is not everyone's cup of tea, everyone's idea of entertainment. It caters to a niche audience, those with an appetite for 'different' cinema. It's for the discerning viewer that wants a change, who wants to watch a new story unravel on celluloid.

Seen individually, MITHYA is an experience you cannot forget easily. It leaves a solid impact, especially if you're receptive to out of the box experiences.

VK [Ranvir Shorey] has come to Mumbai, chasing big film dreams, like thousands of others. When fate makes him a pawn in a master game plan of the underworld, he unknowingly gets drawn into a whirlpool of events that will determine his future. Then an unexpected accident turns the tables for everybody involved.

Now begins a chase that won't stop at anything. VK is too deep into it now to step back. Unknowingly, he has become an imposter, an imposter who wasn't.

On script level, a film like MITHYA has layers and more layers and is indeed a complex theme to handle. Not everyone can attempt it, since a theme like this has to be handled very, very carefully, else it may boomerang. That's where an expert storyteller like Rajat Kapoor steps in.

You get instantly sucked into the struggler's world and gradually forget that you're a viewer. You become a bystander. You feel it's happening right there in front of your eyes, experiencing everything firsthand.

The best part of the script [writers: Saurabh Shukla, Rajat Kapoor] is that you cannot predict the next moment. Its unpredictability is its USP. The film moves about in a serpentine manner and as it reaches its culmination, you're emphathizing with the struggler, who started somewhere else and ended at an altogether different destination. That's destiny, isn't it?

But the best part is the concluding moments. The culmination to Ranvir's character -- the way it has been filmed -- leaves you stunned, speechless and of course, sad! Its execution cannot be described in mere words.

Director Rajat Kapoor takes a giant leap as a storyteller. If you understand cinema or are associated with it, you'd realize that MITHYA is more of a director's film, than an actor's. Although it's premature to talk at this juncture, but MITHYA should feature prominently in the 'Bests of 2008' when the year draws to a close. The writing too is topnotch. Ditto for the camerawork, which gives the film a cold, gloomy look.

Lavish praises must be reserved for Ranvir Shorey, who delivers an extra-ordinary performance in the central role. You've known him as a funster, now watch him in a role that you could never place him in. A brilliant performance! Naseeruddin Shah, as always, is hugely competent. Neha Dhupia is one of the most under-rated actors around. Watch her in this film as she slips into a role with such effortless ease. She deserves better roles for sure. Iravati is fantastic. Saurabh Shukla is first-rate. Harsh Chhaya excels. Vinay Pathak is relegated to the backseat this time; he's good. Brijendra Kala is excellent.

On the whole, MITHYA has the courage to tell one of the most novel stories we've ever watched on celluloid. Sure, it caters to the multiplex junta, but honestly, some films are beyond box-office and should just be lauded for the sheer strength of taking Hindi cinema beyond the stereotype.

Wait, here's a grievance. The promos give an impression that it's a comic fare. You may also believe that it's a laugh-riot in view of the fact that MITHYA comes from the BHEJA FRY team. It's not! The promos are misleading and ought to reflect the content to tap its potential.

Nagesh Kukunoor is back to the genre he began his career with -- a light entertainer. In his new outing, BOMBAY TO BANGKOK, he goes a step further and incorporates every ingredient available on the shelf that constitutes atypical Hindi film. This one's not 'same-same, but different' from Kukunoor's earlier films!

But all's not well in Kukunoor's BOMBAY TO BANGKOK. The plot, though interesting, isn't fine-tuned into a gripping screenplay. What holds promise at the start turns out to be a below-ordinary exercise midway through the film.

Of course, Kukunoor's expert execution of the material makes a difference and a few sequences are elevated to the watchable level, but the impact the film ought to make in totality is missing.

In short, BOMBAY TO BANGKOK lacks the solid punch of a solid storyteller!

Shankar [Shreyas Talpade], a petty thief, in desperate need of money, steals from the local don [Naseeruddin Shah] and escapes his way into a team of doctors heading for relief work to Bangkok. Unfortunately, he loses the all-important money bag in the chaos.

In Bangkok, his world turns upside down at a massage parlour where he bumps into Jasmine [Lena]. The hitch is, she is all Thai and he can't converse with her at all. A ray of hope comes his way the next day when Jasmine turns up desperately in need of a doctor!

Shankar, posing as a doctor along with the Sardar buddy Rachinder, jumps into this whirlpool, while Jasmine soon gets pulled into his bumbling adventures while running away from the don and his son [Vijay Maurya].

Kukunoor's films have well etched characters and the ones in BOMBAY TO BANGKOK are no exception. There's a seedha-saadha cook turned thief - perfect; there's a Thai woman who works as a volunteer in the day and at the massage parlour in the night - perfect again; there's the don's son who wants the money back, but is more focussed on being a Rapper - great. But great characters don't really make a great film!

The problem? A few individualistic scenes [Shreyas' first encounter in a massage parlour, his prescribing Viagra to all patients and the sequence with Lena's uncle, a hardcore Bollywood buff] do raise a chuckle, but when viewed in totality, the zing is missing. It's a screenplay of convenience. And that's why you feel sad since Kukunoor gets it right with the characters, but not the script.

Clearly, Kukunoor is letdown by the writing. Yet, it must be mentioned that Kukunoor's comedies aren't the leave-your-brains-behind types, but inclined towards the Hrishi-da-Basuda variety, which is always welcome. The songs are soothing, with 'Same Same But Different' and 'Mausam Suhana' being well-tuned tracks. Cinematography is alright, although one feels that Kukunoor should've set the film in Bangkok, not at a secluded spot outside Bangkok. The viewers do miss the beauty of the metropolis.

Shreyas is a fine actor and he proves his abilities yet again. Lena, the Thai actress, is equally competent. The actor enacting the role of Rachinder is good. Vijay Maurya is excellent. Yateen Karyekar is alright. Naseeruddin Shah is there for just one scene.

On the whole, BOMBAY TO BANGKOK has a few enjoyable moments, but that's about it. At the box-office, not much to look forward to!