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.

We often criticize Bollywood for churning out movies that make no sense. But after you've watched MARIGOLD, you'd agree that Hollywood churns out bigger turkeys.

MARIGOLD, directed by American director Willard Carroll, is as off-putting as a week-old omelette. In fact, MARIGOLD has nothing to keep your eyeballs glued to the screen. An apology of a story, a powerless screenplay, shoddy visual effects, poor music and nightmarish direction, that's the ideal description of MARIGOLD. No redeeming aspects? Nothing, except for a pretty looking Ali Larter.

Seriously, what were the makers thinking when they okayed this amateurish piece of writing? Look at the kind of cinema being churned out in India today. Good, bad, whatever, it's better than MARIGOLD.

In a nutshell, MARIGOLD is a classic case of 'Bad Cinema'. This one deserves to be watched by every director for understanding what not to make. One big yawn!

MARIGOLD is about a young American woman who travels to India and finds that her life is transformed in the most unexpected ways by her experiences and adventures there.

American actress Marigold [Ali Larter] arrives in India with no luggage and a bad attitude. Stranded in Goa when financing for her low-budget Hollywood movie falls apart, Marigold finds herself cast in a small role in a Bollywood musical. Eager to prove herself, she enlists the aid of Prem [Salman Khan], the film's choreographer. Marigold is most definitely not a natural dancer, but she experiences renewed confidence and growing love for Prem.

In rapid succession, Marigold discovers that Prem will be marrying a beautiful India girl Janvi [Nandana Sen]. Unable to deal with this development, Marigold angrily departs from Prem's family estate. But she is urged back by Janvi who confesses that Prem doesn't love her and never will.

Another complication arises in the form of Marigold's boyfriend, Barry [Ian Bohen], who arrives in India unexpectedly and finds Marigold very much in love with Prem.

MARIGOLD disappoints on Level 1 itself. The storyline brings back memories of the forgettable stuff that dominated Hindi cinema in the 1970s. Thanks to a poor plotline, what unravels in the next 2 hours is as spiceless as boiled food. There's not a single moment in the film that makes you jump with joy or pine for the lovers.

The writing is so inane and amateurish that you actually pinch yourself, Is this for real? Are you actually watching a film or watching a bad dream? That's applicable for Willard Carroll's direction as well. Without doubt, 'The Razzie' for 2007 should be awarded to Mr. Carroll. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's music is of fast-forward quality. Anil Mehta's cinematography is alright, although the D.O.P. isn't in form here. The production design/sets are tacky.

Salman Khan is terrible and so is his dialogue delivery. What were you saying in the movie, Mr. Khan? Were you chewing beetle nut? His lines are hardly audible. Also, he tries hard to ape the American accent, but falls flat. Ali Larter is as fresh as Marigold, the flower, not the movie. Her performance is quite interesting.

Vikas Bhalla is pure teakwood. So is Roopak Saluja -- absolutely wooden. Suchitra Pillai does well. Nandana Sen is unintentionally funny. Rakesh Bedi makes you laugh, for the right reasons. Vijayendra Ghatge and Kiran Juneja seemed to have walked out of the sets of DHARAM-VEER. And what was Gulshan Grover doing in this film? Ian Bohen adds to the list of non-actors.

On the whole, MARIGOLD is a terrible film with gloomy prospects. A sure-shot disaster!

Some do's and don'ts you need to follow while watching PARTNER…

• Lock your brains in the almirah, before you head for the nearby movieplex to catch this zany entertainer.


• Don't look for logic. Don't ask questions. Don't raise eyebrows. .


• Don't argue with what the master chef David Dhawan serves on your plate. .


• Do carry some earplugs/earwax if you're allergic to noise. The cineplex will reverberate with high decibels of laughter, which could tax your ear-drums if you're overtly sensitive. .

Welcome to PARTNER, David Dhawan's new comic caper. It's stylish, it's crazier, it's a bigger entertainer than David's last two laughathons, MUJHSE SHAADI KAROGI and MAINE PYAAR KYUN KIYA. Making people laugh is an art and David has mastered this art over the years. Like wine, he has only matured with time.

Let's come straight to the point. PARTNER is for those seeking non-stop entertainment. It's targeted at those who swear by masala films. Those who want to get transported to a world of make-believe in those 2 hours. It's definitely not for those who actually know what to expect, but pretend to rubbish escapist cinema. Also, it's not for certain critics [looking for art cinema in a masala entertainer] whose star ratings are a much bigger joke than the one David Dhawan pulls off with élan. The film works, and works big time.

In a nutshell, if you're into escapist cinema, if you're looking for laughter unlimited, if you're curious to watch the bonding between Govinda and Salman Khan, if you're a big fan of David Dhawan movies, if you believe in shelling out Rs. 150 for a ticket and expecting entertainment worth Rs. 200, PARTNER is just for you!

Prem [Salman Khan] is a 'date doctor' who, for a fee, has helped hundreds of men woo the women of their dreams. In his childhood, he understood a woman's likes and dislikes in food, clothes or men. His aim is to help those men who like or love women, not to take them to bed.

The ultimate professional bachelor, Prem discovers that his tried and tested tricks are no match for Naina [Lara Dutta], the one woman he truly loves, who works for a newspaper as a journalist.

He comes across Bhaskar [Govinda], who is in love with Priya [Katrina Kaif], the rich and famous daughter of a tycoon [Dilip Tahil]. Prem helps Govinda find his lady love and eventually also finds a soulmate in Naina.

Inspired by director Andy Tennant's likable Hollywood hit HITCH [2005; Will Smith, Eva Mendes, Kevin James, Amber Valletta], PARTNER is a true-blue David Dhawan film. It's glossy, has some stunning visuals, boasts of very catchy and hummable music and of course, hardly has any tense moment in those 16 reels.

What works is the casting of the two characters, who're as dissimilar as chalk and cheese. Although the romantic portions have the right chemistry between Salman and Lara and Govinda and Katrina, the USP is undoubtedly the terrific bonding between Salman and Govinda, whose on-screen escapades take the film to dizzier heights. Besides, the witty one-liners [Sanjay Chhel] are another ace that has the viewer in splits. The dialogues are truly funny and actually accentuate the impact of every sequence.

Any 'hitch'es? Yes, there's one! The track that leads to the misunderstandings in the climax looks unwarranted. Writer sahib [screenplay: Yunus Sajawal, David Dhawan], this track [Rajat Bedi, Aarti Chhabria] compels you to break into a yawn. Also, it adds to the length of the enterprise. But the subsequent portion [Govinda's honeymoon travails] is rip-roaringly funny.

David Dhawan gets it right yet again. He's on familiar ground and like a seasoned cricketer knows the game inside out. He hits a boundary yet again. Sanjay Chhel's dialogues are superb. Sajid-Wajid make a terrific comeback, with every song having the stamp of a chartbuster embossed on it. Even their picturizations [choreography: Bosco-Caesar] are excellent. Cinematography [Johny Lal] is first-rate. The film bears an opulent look all through. Costumes of Salman and Govinda [Alvira Khan Agnihotri] are stylish.

The question is, who steals the show? Actually both! Salman performs like never before. Sure, he looks dapper [one compliment he's heard umpteen times], but he packs in a solid punch whenever he's on screen. His fans will only multiply with this film. Govinda sets the screen blazing with an incredible performance. Although the actor has featured in a few films after a hiatus [BHAGAM BHAG, SALAAM-E-ISHQ], PARTNER is his comeback film. He has the viewer eating out of his hands actually. Those who felt that he's a spent force will have to eat back their words.

Lara Dutta looks gorgeous and pairs off very well with Salman. Katrina Kaif looks gorgeous and pitches in a natural performance. Rajpal Yadav is really funny. Puneet Issar is alright. Dilip Tahil is okay. Suresh Menon is excellent. Child artiste Ali Haji is wonderful. His confidence level is astonishing!

On the whole, PARTNER is a winner all the way. This one's a laugh-riot that will have the viewers laughing in the aisles and its distributors, laughing all the way to the bank. A sure-shot 'Hit'.

Watch the trailer

Marigold is a musical romantic comedy about a young American woman who travels to India and finds that her life is transformed in the most unexpected ways by her experiences and adventures there.

American Actress Marigold Lexton (Ali Larter) arrives in India with no luggage and a bad attitude. Stranded in Goa when financing for her low budget Hollywood movie falls apart, Marigold finds herself cast in a small role in a Bollywood musical. Eager to prove herself, she enlists the aid of Prem (Salman Khan), the film's choreographer. After several false starts – Marigold is most definitely not a natural dancer – she experiences renewed confidence and growing love for Prem.

In rapid succession, Marigold discovers that Prem is not only descended from royalty but is also paced in rapidly – approaching arranged marriage to a beautiful India girl Janvi (Nandana Sen). Unable to deal with this development, Marigold angrily departs Prem's family estate. But she is urged back by Janvi who confesses that Prem doesn't love her and never will. Another complication – in the form of Marigold's boyfriend, Barry (Ian Bohen), who arrives in India unexpectedly - finds Marigold emotionally drained but still very much in love with Prem.

Love does ultimately triumph as Marigold and Prem are brought together and Janvi and Barry embark upon a romantic journey of their own.