Indian movies

Jog your memory a bit. Samir Karnik's first two movies [KYUN HO GAYA NA, NANHE JAISALMER] have been critical and commercial disasters. But Samir has assembled an impressive cast for his new outing HEROES. The billboards look really impressive. You think, chalo, dekhte hain, will Samir deliver this time? Will his fortunes change for better? Come to think of it, you saunter into the auditorium with zilch expectations. HEROES is an underdog.

Before we delve any further, let's clear a few misconceptions pertaining to this film. Just because the promos highlight the men in uniform, it doesn't mean HEROES is a 'war film'. Sure, it talks about love for the nation, but HEROES is not anti-Pakistan, is not jingoistic either, is nowhere close to BORDER, LOC and the likes, in terms of content.

HEROES talks about a journey undertaken by two boys and the three letters they've to deliver to the families of the deceased. HEROES is more of an emotional experience, how each family copes with life after their beloved has become a martyr.

Besides evoking strong emotions, HEROES also arouses strong patriotic feelings. There're moments in the film that compel you to salute those who guard our nation, so that we can sleep in peace. At the end, the message it delivers is simple -- You don't have to be a soldier to love your country.

Back to the two pertinent questions we raised at the outset. Question 1, Does Samir deliver? HEROES is a revelation. Cinema is all about narrating stories and Samir proves that he's a proficient storyteller. Question 2, will he prove lucky this time? Well, HEROES has all it takes to strike a chord, with family audiences mainly. The moments linger in your memory much after the show has concluded.

Final verdict? HEROES salutes the heroes who guard our nation. It's a powerful film. A moving experience!

HEROES is the story Sammy [Sohail Khan] and Ali [Vatsal Sheth] who travel a thousand miles to deliver three letters as a part of their film school assignment. But little do they know that the journey they have embarked upon will give a new meaning to their life.

HEORES unfolds in three chapters. But before that you get to see the wild side of two misled youth who don't take life seriously. The first chapter, Salman-Preity, is the highpoint of the film. The emotional moments in this chapter are worth applauding. Note the moments between Salman-Preity and also between the kid [Dwij Yadav] and the two youth. The scene at the Indo-Pak border -- the fence dividing the two nations -- is amazing. Watch Preity missing her husband and also embracing his uniform. Another brilliant stroke! This chapter deserves a 10 on 10 for its high emotional quotient and captivating performances.

Chapter 2 is slightly less impactful than Chapter 1. The portions between Sunny and Bobby are well executed, but the writing isn't as compelling. Yet, the fight sequence -- when a group of hooligans act smart with Sunny's girlfriend [Hrishitaa Bhatt] -- is superb. Sunny's 'dhai kilo ka haath' and the way it shatters the tiles on the floor leaves a strong impact. Watch this sequence with the masses and you'd only hear whistles and claps. Another scene from this chapter -- Sunny paying his last respects to Bobby -- is moving.

The third chapter [Mithun, Dino] is the softest link. Nothing wrong with the writing or its execution, but something is missing, the pace suddenly dips. The match in the end works mainly because it has been edited well.

Samir Karnik takes giant strides as a storyteller. Binod Pradhan and Gopal Shah's cinematography is top notch. The DOPs have done complete justice to the panoramic locales of North India. Sajid-Wajid's music is a major asset. 'Mannata' is the pick of the lot. What a soothing composition! Ditto for 'Makhana' [filmed on Sunny, Bobby]. Dialogues are magnificent at places.

The ones who leave the maximum impression in this multi-starrer are, in this order, Salman [superb; one of his finest works], Preity [outstanding; has spoken Punjabi so fluently], Sohail [pleasant surprise; evolving into a very fine actor], Sunny [very likeable] and Mithun Chakraborty [mature]. Bobby is effective in a cameo. Wish he would've got more footage. Vatsal Seth is decent. Dino is just about okay. Dwij Yadav is first-rate. Prateeksha Lonkar is fair. Amrita Arora and Ria Sen are passable.

On the whole, HEROES is a genuinely well-made film with strong emotions as its trump card. At the box-office, the pre-Diwali dull phase notwithstanding, it has the merits to climb the ladder with a strong word of mouth. The film deserves to be tax-exempted for its noble theme and noble intentions.

Illegal immigration/human trafficking is a global issue. We've read newspapers and watched news-reports on news channels highlighting the plight of millions of people who, in the hope for a better future, entry a country illegally.

Some get arrested, some get killed, some end up at the wrong place, some go missing, some eventually make it. KAAFILA, directed by Amitoj Maan, bares this issue on celluloid, besides clubbing a real-life, shocking incident [Malta Boat Tragedy] with the main plotline.

In KAAFILA, the story begins in Delhi, moves to Russia, then the surrounding nations, then Afghanistan and finally, Pakistan, before returning to India once again. Besides presenting the stunning landscapes, KAAFILA also looks at the various hardships people encounter when they decide to enter England unlawfully.

Not wanting to turn it into a dry, grim and disturbing movie, Amitoj Maan packs in songs and glamour to strike the right balance between enlightenment and entertainment. And that's where KAAFILA falters.

The portions depicting reality are watchable since the issue hasn't been highlighted in detail on the Hindi screen. But the romantic track [Sunny - Polina and Amitoj - Monalisa] stands out like a sore thumb. Also, the narrative tends to get lengthy in the second hour as the kaafila moves aimlessly from one country to another. A shorter duration would've only helped.

To sum up, KAAFILA is watchable in parts. The issue it highlights is its USP, but the writing as well as the length could've been controlled.

KAAFILA is about a group of people, not remotely associated/connected with each other, opting to leave their motherland in search of their utopian dreams of a better life abroad in the developed countries. These people put their careers, families and even lives at stake to reach their desired destinations even when they can be better off in their own countries without all the hardships and sufferings.

KAAFILA also exposes how innocent people are duped by a worldwide nexus of agents showing them dreams of a comfortable life, close to heaven, in foreign lands and making them sell their lands, homes and livelihoods here in a futile pursuit of that dream.

The general feeling is, KAAFILA is about the Malta Boat Tragedy, while the fact is that the boat tragedy forms a small, but significant part of the story. In fact, the tragedy is depicted realistically and since it features in the initial reels, you expect the graph of the film only to go higher and higher.

But the writing could've been tighter. As pointed out at the outset, the romantic track of Sunny - Polina and Amitoj - Monalisa doesn't work. The Russian mafia track is also not convincing.

Director Amitoj Maan has handled a few scenes well, but he should trim the film judiciously in the latter half. Sukhwinder's music is easy on the ear drums. 'Jaana Hain' and 'Humraks' are already popular. Cinematography [Nazir Khan] is of standard and the stunning landscapes sweep you off your feet. Action scenes [Hanif Sheikh] are alright. Varun Gautam's dialogues are nice.

Sunny Deol does well. Amitoj Maan dominates in a few scenes. But the real surprise is Pakistani actress Sana. This being her debut-making Hindi film and despite the fact that she's pitted against experienced names, Sana succeeds in making her presence felt. Sudesh Berry does well.

The film has a host of characters, but those who stand out are Paramveer Singh, Girish Jain, Chandan Anand, Sardar Sohi and Ashish Duggal.

On the whole, KAAFILA is made with noble intentions, but is partly letdown due to its writing and length. Fair.

Kaafila is the story of a group of people who are traveling illegally to UK. As it always happens they fall prey to an unscrupulous agent who creates circumstances that send them into hiding, somewhere in Eastern Europe for nearly six months. Left to fend for themselves , they discover each other and themselves. After much hardships their journey resumes but this time at every step, death stares them in their face. Be it through the jagged jungles near Russia or the ship that hundreds like them are huddled into, the close knit group finds itself shrinking after each tragedy. Be it in the sinister snow or the sinking ship. Now only 12 men out of this group have survived. They are from different communities and different countries. But the trauma of tragedies has created a strong bond between them. In their effort to forge ahead closer to their dream, the innocent dozen finds itself trapped sometimes by the Russian mafia involved in the plutonium smuggling racket and sometimes by the militancy on the Afghan borders. Here they meet an Afghani girl who introduces them to the mysterious man of the mountains Sameer, enacted by the hero SUNNY DEOL. Sameer saves them from all attacks from friends and foes. The Kaafila now believes that only he can be their deliverer. But as the story unfolds, taking the contingent which started off from India, through Tajakistan, Russia and soon back to Afghanistan and Pakistan, doubts about the daring Sameer are raised. Can they trust him any further ? As the Kaafila is the story of a group of people who are traveling illegally to UK. As it always happens they fall prey to an unscrupulous agent who creates circumstances that send them into hiding, somewhere in Eastern Europe for nearly six months. Left to fend for themselves , they discover each other and themselves. After much hardships their journey resumes but this time at every step, death stares them in their face. Be it through the jagged jungles near Russia or the ship that hundreds like them are huddled into, the close knit group finds itself shrinking after each tragedy. Be it in the sinister snow or the sinking ship. Now only 12 men out of this group have survived. They are from different communities and different countries. But the trauma of tragedies has created a strong bond between them. In their effort to forge ahead closer to their dream, the innocent dozen finds itself trapped sometimes by the Russian mafia involved in the plutonium smuggling racket and sometimes by the militancy on the Afghan borders. Here they meet an Afghani girl who introduces them to the mysterious man of the mountains Sameer, enacted by the hero SUNNY DEOL. Sameer saves them from all attacks from friends and foes. The Kaafila now believes that only he can be their deliverer. But as the story unfolds, taking the contingent which started off from India, through Tajakistan, Russia and soon back to Afghanistan and Pakistan, doubts about the daring Sameer are raised. Can they trust him any further ? As the Kaafila look for answers about the man whom they looked up to, the story unravels the most spell binding climax on the borders of India and Pakistan.

With SHRADDHANJALI, his directorial debut, Anil Sharma proved that he could make you moist-eyed. With HUKUMAT, he proved that he could pull off a vendetta fare with gusto. With GADAR, he proved he could handle a love story with two neighboring countries as the backdrop with remarkable ease.

APNE, his new endeavor, is all about familial bonding. In a way, the storyteller goes back to his roots in his new outing -- emotions.

APNE casts a father [Dharmendra] and his two real-life sons [Sunny, Bobby] in roles that suit their personalities. Besides, the backdrop of boxing makes the conflict in the story look convincing.

APNE is rich in emotions and a number of sequences, especially those between Dharmendra and Sunny, are electrifying. Also, the boxing matches [Chris Anderson] are pulse-pounding and you clench your fists tightly due to the tension that's depicted on screen.

But APNE has its share of shortcomings as well. Ideally, the film should've had a concise format of 2.15 hours, instead of 2.54 hours. Besides, the screenplay, although tight at most times, succumbs to mediocrity at places. Music too is another aspect that should've had a lingering effect, since it's not everyday that the three Deols come together.

To sum up, APNE is desi at heart and holds appeal for those who swear by desi flicks. A worthy effort nonetheless!

Baldev Singh Choudhary [Dharmendra] won a silver medal in the Olympics and made India proud. His only dream was to make history by becoming India's first World Heavyweight Boxing Champion. But sometimes dreams get shattered before they can be realized.

When in the U.S., fighting for the World Heavyweight Championship, the betting mafia conspires against him and gets doping charges leveled against him, which gets him banned from boxing.

For an athlete nothing can be worse than doping charges. Baldev wants to get rid of this stigma and pain by training his elder son Angad [Sunny Deol] in the sport of boxing and make him a World Heavyweight Champion and create history which eluded him.

But Angad has some other dreams, other aspirations, other commitments… Karan [Bobby Deol], the younger son, a musician, in spite of wanting to fulfill his father's dreams, is helpless. But the story takes a turn when Karan decides to live his father's dream. The situation spirals out of hand subsequently…

APNE grips you gradually. Anil Sharma and writer Neeraj Pathak open the cards at the very outset. The uneasy relationship shared by the father and son [Dharmendra, Sunny], Dharmendra's failed ambition, the turning point in the tale [when Bobby steps in to fulfill his father's dreams] make the goings-on watchable. The narrative only gets absorbing when the focus shifts to the boxing ring and the opponent [Luca] steps into the picture.

But there's a flip side too. The choreography of these sequences [in the boxing ring] is so real that it can be off-putting as well, especially for the faint-hearted. Also, the climax is well crafted, but, ideally, it should've ended when Sunny overpowers the opponent. The subsequent portions [Bobby's liver problem] only add to the excessive length.

Director Anil Sharma handles the emotional sequences brilliantly. In fact, a number of scenes bear the stamp of a solid storyteller. The screenplay [Neeraj Pathak] is taut, except for a few loose ends. Himesh Reshammiya's music is a complete letdown. Barring the title track, the remaining songs are uninspiring. Kabir Lal's cinematography is topnotch. The lush green fields and locales of North India give the film a rich texture.

APNE belongs to Dharmendra. No two opinions on that. The veteran roars like never before and proves yet again that he's a magnificent actor. Sunny is first-rate. Bobby is alright, but the one complaint that you hold against him is, why didn't he work on his physique when he accepted this role? If he's playing a boxer, he can't afford to show his flabby chest and stomach.

The leading ladies don't have much to do. Shilpa at least gets a few scenes, while Katrina is there to flutter her eyelashes only. Kirron Kher is superb yet again. In fact, she has a far meatier role than the two ladies. Divya Dutta is wasted. Victor Banerjee is natural. Jawed Sheikh gets minimal scope. Aryan Vaid is alright. Luca is excellent.

On the whole, APNE is rich in emotions and has the potential to strike a chord with families. Those who love emotional fares are bound to take a liking for its theme. At the box-office, it has the power to grow with a strong word of mouth. Business in North India will be the best. However, trimming the film will only elevate its status.

Apne…is the story of a family…their relationship and their dreams…a father and his sons, each have their own desires…aspirations…and hopes…

Baldev Singh Choudhary (Dharmendra) won a silver medal in the Olympics and made India proud. His only dream was to make history by becoming India’s first World Heavy weight Champion. But sometimes dreams shatter before they can be realized and make the heart bleed forever…the same fate awaited Baldev.

When in the US fighting for the World Heavy Weight Championship, the betting mafia conspired against him and got doping charges leveled against him, which got him banned from Boxing.

For an athlete nothing can be worse then doping charges. He wanted to get rid of this stigma and pain by training his elder son Angad (Sunny Deol) in the sport of boxing and make him a World Heavyweight Champion and create history which eluded him, but…

Angad had some other dreams…some other aspirations…some other commitments… Karan (Bobby Deol), the younger son, a musician at par, inspite of wanting to fulfill his father’s dreams was helpless. What was this helplessness?

Inspite of loving and living for each other why were these two sons not able to work along with each other to achieve their father’s dream?

Will they ever succeed?

Will Baldev’s dream ever be achieved or will it die along with him?

As he has decided to end his life today………………..

Some rules you need to follow before you embark on a journey called FOOL & FINAL…
One, don't wear your thinking caps. Here's why: The film defies logic.
Two, don't ask questions. Here's why: It's all about entertainment, not enlightenment. Three, don't look for answers. Here's why: The motive is to keep you in splits.

FOOL & FINAL is all about transporting you to a world of make-believe. The sole intention is to offer you loads of entertainment in those 17 reels / 2.20 hours.

But, wait, there's a hitch…

The execution of the material is done most stylishly, it's akin to watching a comic book on screen. But the effort falls flat since there's no script in the first place. The film packs in too many characters and too many incidents in those 17 reels. No issues with that, but director Ahmed Khan and his team of writers [Umesh Shukla, Abbas Hierapurwala] should've mixed, merged and unified the assorted characters and incidents skillfully so that the entire experience would be worth cherishing. Unfortunately, what happens here is that you root for a few individualistic sequences only, not the film in entirety.

What redeems FOOL & FINAL are the portions between Johny Lever and Paresh Rawal and a few splendid stunts in the narrative -- Shahid's bike chase at the start or Sunny's fight to finish combat in the finale. But as you walk out of the auditorium, you strongly feel that Ahmed hasn't utilized the golden opportunity of creating a paisa vasool entertainer.

To sum up, FOOL & FINAL disappoints!

FOOL & FINAL is all about a diamond that's robbed by Chunkey Pandey in Mumbai and smuggled to Dubai. Chunkey's uncle [Gulshan Grover], a don based in London, asks Chunkey to sell the diamond to his accomplice in Dubai, Asrani.

Arbaaz Khan, a don based in Dubai, gets to know of the diamond and also of Chunkey's weaknesses -- guns and gambling. Arbaaz asks Paresh Rawal to get on to the job. Paresh plans to carry out the robbery with his niece [Ayesha Takia], her boyfriend [Shahid Kapoor] and a cabbie [Johny Lever].

Viek Oberoi owes money to a don [Zakir Hussain], who conducts illegal boxing matches in Dubai. Meanwhile, Chunkey cannot resist the urge for guns and calls Arbaaz, who in turn asks Chunkey for a favor: Chunkey should bet on his behalf at Zakir's illegal den. On Arbaaz's instructions, Paresh, Shahid, Ayesha and Johny decide to kidnap Chunkey.

Sunny Deol has an altercation with Vivek's fighter. Zakir asks Vivek to bring Sunny for the big fight. Sunny knocks down Zakir's fighter. Zakir is seething with anger. In the meanwhile, Arbaaz walks away with the diamond. Subsequently, Zakir walks in and demands the diamond from Paresh and gang. Gulshan and Asrani also land up at Paresh's place with Jackie Shroff and ask for the diamond.

FOOL & FINAL is meant to be a laughathon, but it excites in bits and spurts. The first half offers rich visuals and a few interesting gags, but the entertainment quotient isn't high enough. It's only when Johny Lever enters the frame that things intensify. The sequence in the car, with Ayesha's dog swallowing the mobile, is hilarious and every time Paresh and Johny interact with one another, the smile on your face only widens.

But too many cooks spoil the broth. In this case, with so many characters around and so many stories running concurrently, the writer duo hasn't been able to do justice to each of them. As a result, the viewer feels dejected because every sub-plot isn't as interesting as the Paresh - Johny track.

Director Ahmed Khan tries to pack just about everything in those 2.20 hours. His fundas may be, let's give the viewer a dash of everything that they expect from a masala movie. It's like offering twenty well-garnished dishes to a foodie, but [a] most of the dishes [read, sub-plots] aren't delicious and [b] the appetite doesn't permit you to relish each and every dish in your plate.

Himesh Reshammiya's music is in sync with the mood of the film. 'Yeh Dooriyaan' and 'Tere Layee' are visually enticing as well as superb in terms of choreography. Cinematography [Johny Lal] is excellent. The D.O.P. does complete justice to the eye-filling, glamorous locales of Dubai. Dialogues are witty at places.

FOOL & FINAL has a host of actors, but the ones who stand out are Johny Lever and Paresh Rawal. No two opinions on that! Johny is in form after a long, long time and the funster is the soul of the enterprise. The masses will simply love him. Paresh is excellent yet again and together with Johny, elevates the film to a major extent.

Shahid Kapoor is noticeable because he's with Johny and Paresh all through. Even otherwise, he leaves a strong mark in dances. Ayesha Takia pairs off well with Shahid, but doesn't have much to do really. Sunny Deol is okay, although his mukka will be liked by the hoi polloi. Vivek Oberoi hams in the little role that he has.

Sameera Reddy has no role either. Sharmila Tagore is wasted. Om Puri deserved a better deal. Jackie Shroff is hardly there. Chunky Pandey is passable. Ditto for Arbaaz Khan. Zakir Hussain does well. Gulshan Grover, Asrani, Vijay Raaz, Razzak Khan and Suresh Menon are mere gap fillers.

On the whole, FOOL & FINAL is all gloss, no substance. At the box-office, given the hype for the film as also the fantabulous promotion embarked by the magnanimous producer [Firoz A. Nadiadwala], the film will attract footfalls in the initial days, but the weak content will tell on the business in the initial weekend itself. Its sustaining power at the ticket window, therefore, is doubtful.

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!