The Croods: In search of Tomorrow !

Breaking Barriers !

I have faced some flak for my Facebook posts questioning the gods and religions. I was in a little bit of dilemma about the 'hurting the sentiments' part of the story, though I had no doubts about my convictions. Then I watched "The Croods", a movie as endearing and funny as it is enlightening.

This Dreamworks 3D animation movie is all about a family of 'Cave Man' [Neanderthal Man] Grug and his family. Just because a lot of families were killed in different circumstances, the Dad puts enormous restrictions on the movements of this family and believes 'his rules' alone can save his family and he steadfastly holds on to his beliefs.

The Croods family consists of Grug, his wife Ugga, Eep the 'curious' daughter, Thunk, the dimwit son, Sandy, the always hungry little daughter and Gran, the mother-in-law with a funny bone.

Eep, his teenage daughter is curious and wants to see the world. But she is restrained by her family. 'Curiosity', the Dad says is what killed the bear and others. But the little creature is too restless and goes out to explore and meets an extremely exciting guy called Guy and thus the roller-coaster ride begins.

I wouldn't divulge any more details than this but would like to say, "This is one wonderful journey of discovery of the world beyond us and a world within us". Guy, who comes across as a more evolved species [Homo sepiens] and hence evokes dislike, hatred and disdain from the Croods. But how he manages to break the barriers and how Grug manages to see the light is what makes the 98 minutes of sheer beautiful journey worth.

The best part I liked about the movies is there are no gods, no religions and no blaming or praising the supernatural. Just a journey of learning for the primitive human. We all have traveled a lot of distance from the caves and the fears that plagued the cavemen. But during the journey, we created our own new set of rules and decided to live within the darkness of those rules. This movie should be seen as an eye opener to those who are worried about rules, the gods and religions and religious sentiments.

Kirk DeMicco and Chris Sanders have given us a simply beautiful movie with some pleasing animation and 3D visuals, though people should refrain from comparing the movie with 'Avatar'. In terms of content, "The Croods" is miles ahead though it doesn't match the technical brilliance of the mega-hit 'Avatar. The BGM is brilliant and so is the camera-work.

The action sequences, the hunting for the giant eggs and the earth-quake scenes are all brilliantly crafted. But more than any of the technical aspects, "The Croods" becomes a must watch for the absolutely marvelous journey of learning it presents.

This is all about the evolution of the human species in search of knowledge that is represented by the 'Light' they chase and which they call "Tomorrow". The journey doesn't end where the movies does, we are continuing that !

My Opinion: Brilliant and a Must Watch: **** Stars !

Kai Po Che [Brothers for Life]: Makes the 'Cut' !

I always believed "Dil Chahta Hai" was a Cult Classic and it gave us a new genre of movies about friendship and male bonding. Many movies have come since but only "3 Idiots" and "Zindagi Naa Milegi Dobaara" made it to the list of my all time favorites. Having Chetan Bhagat minus the "3 Idiots" controversy meant "Kai Po Che" was a must watch even before I had read reviews. It did prove a worthy successor to the illustrious movies mentioned.

"Kai Po Che" means "I have Cut" in Gujarati and that is a popular expression used during the iconic 'kite game' that is famous in the state and beyond. The movie deals with male bonding, ambition and lack of it, religious tensions and love with a precocious lead girl.

"Kai Po Che" tells the story of Ishaan Patel [Sushant Singh Rajput], Omi aka Omkar Shastri [Amit Sadh] and Govind [Rajkumar Yadav]. The story as we all know is based on Chetan Bhagat's "The 3 Mistakes of My Life" and the script is credited to Bhagat, Pubali Chaudhuri, Supratik Sen and Director Abhishek Kapoor of "Rock On" fame, another male bonding movie that will be remembered for long.

The 3 lead actors bring alive the friendship, affection, anger, anguish and then repentance alive through the 127 minutes of running time. Digvijay Deshmukh as the super talented six hitting "Ali" steals the show with an amazing performance. Amrita Puri as Vidya, Ishaan's sister and Govind's beau is cute and bold. She looks the teenager she is supposed to be when she is actually close to 30. Rest of the cast is absolutely perfect including Manav Kaul as the menacing Bittu Mama.

The movie chronicles the Gujarat earth quake and then the Godhra and Gujarat riots and how it affects the lives of the 3 protagonists with Cricket playing the fourth protagonist. Authentic chronicling of Cricket events and using Ishaan's passion to nurture Ali at any cost, the movie never allows for a moment of boredom.

Be it the earth quake or the riots, "Kai Po Che" doesn't become judgmental or go over the top like some movies like "Parzania" did. It just becomes part of the narrative and we are thankfully spared from any kind of preaching.  The climax is both feel good as well as touching with some kind of poetic justice meted out to both "Ali" and his mentor "Ishaan" !

Amit Trivedi's music and Anay Goswami's cinematography is top-notch. The lighting has been used to absolutely fantastic effect. Deepa Bhatia's editing is razor sharp, especially the Cricket scenes. The cover drive shown in the climax is an absolute delight and shows the hard work of the team to attain perfection.

My Opinion: Definitely a worthy successor to the iconic movies like "Dil Chahta Hai", "3 Idiots" and "ZNMD". Go for it if you already haven't !

Special 26 is Truly Special !

When a first time Director makes a movie like "A Wednesday", he will forever be burdened by the weight of expectations. His second movie will face the same fate as an Amitabh Bachchan's son or Sachin Tendulkar's son faces. Unless of course, he can better himself. Neeraj Pandey's "Special 26" released with similar background. Does it work ? Has Pandey bettered himself ? read on...

First of all what is NOT so Special about the movie...

01] Kajal Aggarwal: Not her fault. Catering to so called mass effects, her role is unnecessarily extended like a rubber-band. It actually pulls the movie down by a few notches.

02] Songs: Seriously whoever conceived songs in this kind of a movie needs a proper scolding. They act like bumps in the road during a thrilling ride.

03] Peter England: Not the fault of the Company. We just get a glimpse of a Peter England in a story happening in 1987. A minor flaw, but all the same a flaw.

04] Sunil Gavaskar: Well, what was he doing on TV, playing a Cricket match in Sharjah in late 1987 ? He had actually retired from Cricket on 17 March 1987, a day before the movie begins !

And now, what is Special about it ?

05] Neeraj Pandey: He has exceeded himself. A superb second film to follow up a first one. An extremely well researched movie with very few glitches.

06] Anupam Kher: Lost somewhere in the Indra Kumar - Ashok Thakeria kind of buffoonery, this giant of an actor of "Saaransh" fame is the highlight of the movie. In a role that demands him to be serious and scared while making us giggle, Kher is pure delight. So are the names of his count-less children.

07] Manoj Bajpai: One of the finest actors of this generation got his due mostly in Prakash Jha movies. Here, he is at his best as the honest and somewhat arrogant CBI Officer Wasim Khan. One of his better movies !

08] Akshay Kumar: His best role and movie in a long time. Period !

09] Jimmy Shergill: One more under-rated actor gets a fabulous role as Inspector Ranveer Singh and he has done complete justice.

10] 100 Rupees and honesty: Good to see 100 Rupee note getting respect. The thug returning the officer's honestly earned 100 rupees shows the values people had in that era. Even the kids don't have respect for either 100 rupees or honesty these days.

11] Divya Dutta: "Sirjee, Asli kaam toh yeh log karte hain". In spite of looking older, this lady entertains with her comic act.

12] Kajal Aggarwal: Her role was extended unnecessarily in not her fault. The young lady looks beautiful in 80s style costumes and emotes well.

13] CBI: Central Bank of India... How many people really know the real expansion ?

14] Black Money: Hiding money in the Pooja room, inside the bed and in car seats was fashionable those days. Amitabh Bachchan always managed to find it if he was playing Inspector and invariably managed to escape with it if he was the "Don" !

15] The Phone: The huge black phones with 4 or 5 digit numbers and the cord-less connection phones as large as the dumb bells are sheer nostalgia.

16] Hello: The old style phone tapping was in currency during this period and this has been shown to help crack the case. Zail Singh once blamed Rajiv Gandhi of tapping his phone. Ironically these two begin the proceedings in the movie.

17] Cars: Old cars, Ambassador, Maruti, Padmini, Fiat and not a single new generation car on the roads makes it look absolutely authentic. So is the Connaught Place of the yore. A lot of meticulous work has gone into this. Appreciated !

18] Humor: Extremely subtle. So subtle, most people would miss it if not attentive. A subordinate officer clad in Lord Shiva's getup [under cover], walks past a serious discussion between Bajpai and Shergill, casually greeting them with a "Good Morning, Sir". This is serious comedy !

19] English: "I want to do my Country". This is not the pretentious "Don't angry me" or "Child in the arm pit" stuff. This is real English spoken in India in 1987 and even today !

20] Chulloo Bhar Paani: I don't know how many times this dialogue has been used in Hindi cinema. But I bet it can't be bettered after Manoj Bajpai's Classic act in the climax. The actor turns even the trivial into a classic.

21] Minister: Ministers those days did fear the CBI even though it was post Indira Gandhi era. The guts shown by P. K. Sharma when he slaps the Minister defines the mood of the movie.

22] Dialogues: Neerak Pandey's dialogues are just point blank. The seriousness, humor and timing all are just perfect and are made worthy of a long stay in our minds by some extremely good actors.

23] Rajesh Sharma: as Jogindar, one of the 4 in the gang is life-like. He lives the role. We don't see any 'acting' !

24] Kishore Kadam: As Iqbal, the fourth in the gang is another competent actor.

25] Illustrated Weekly of India: Long dead papers and magazines like Dharmyug come to life adding to the nostalgic value. Old is truly Gold !

26] The heist: Finally, after such duds like "Thees Maar Khan", we get to see an extremely competent 'heist' movie in Indian cinema. A genuinely delightful climax adds to the brand-value !

My Opinion: An extremely well made movie with some forgivable glitches. Would have been much better without the songs and with lesser of Kajal Aggarwal. Yet, this one is Special and is a must watch !

Kadal : All at Sea !

Mani Ratnam's "Kadal" [Sea] is a long [2:44 hours] walk on a beautiful beach infested with the good, the bad and the ugly people. But unfortunately it never ventures into the deeper oceans of the mind and stays superficial till the end.

The story credited to Jeyamohan and Mani is about the triumph of good over evil. It takes the beaten and rocky path and lets both the youngsters [Gautham Karthik and Thulasi Nair] down. Only good thing is a strong come back by Aravind Swamy as Fr. Sam.

Arjun's role is extremely poorly written and the reason for his claims to be the Satan remains unsubstantiated. Why does he foster so much of hatred remains a mystery. But he still manages to pack power into his performance.

Gautham Karthik is intense, gawky and suits the role to the tee. Thulasi Nair is supposed to be an angelic figure. Somehow the charm is missing in spite of an earnest performance by the little girl.

As a generation, our taste in cinema was redefined by Mani Ratnam with movies like "Geethanjali", "Anjali", "Nayagan" "Thalapathi" and "Roja". The usual Mani ingredients like the shadow and lights play, the black and white backgrounds and the omnipresent rain grace "Kadal" too. But somehow, the soul is missing. Even "Ravan" had more soul than this movie.

For me, Mani playing safe is Mani having lost the confidence. Why should he resort to a theme any new-comer Director would have handled beats me. Was it to launch two star-kids ? But given their pedigree, they too deserved better.

With all this rant, I must add, the movie is technically brilliant with international quality camera-work and some breath-taking shots of the sea. But the content never ventures beyond the ankle deep waters. A. R. Rahaman's music is good but this must rank as his most ordinary score in a Mani Ratnam movie.

So here are the main reasons why was I disappointed by Mani Ratnam's "Kadal"

Logic in movies is not always a prerequisite of a commercial Cinema. But, Mani making such blatant mistakes like...

1] Not a shred of justification for the extremely hostile and wicked "Satan" nature of Bergmans [Arjun] !

2] Father Sam [Aravind Swamy] gets punished depending on just one woman's word. No investigation was done about those dressing materials, blood on the beach and the boat and other tell-tale evidences of the existence of Begrmans in the boat. No effort at all was made by the Church to find out the truth of a reputed Priest from a very rich family. No Church in the world would sit quiet ! Under which law was he imprisoned for 4 years ? This is a HUGE GAPING hole in the plot that can't be glossed over.

3] In spite of some magnificent shots of the 'Sea' and the Cyclone, Mani never tries to delve deeper into Psyche of either Father Sam or Bergmans at any point. Why ? Instead of wasting time on those boy taking the girl on boat scenes, he could have tried to enter a little deeper into these characters !

4] Thomas' [Gautham Karthik] affection or devotion for Chetti [Ponvannan] in spite of consistent rejection and humiliation is tough to understand. He harbors enormous grudge for everyone with no reason often but continues to adore the person he believes to be his 'Father' !

5] Telling us Beatrice is like a kid in her mind is one thing. But making her look convincing is other. Mani made "Geethanjali" [Girija Shettar] extremely ethereal yet convincing in "Geethanjali" / "Ithaythe Thirudaadai". Young Thulasi Nair suffers not because she is deficient but the characterization has let her down. Sad !

These are 5 of the many reasons I felt let down by "Kadal". I never felt the thrill of a ride into the "Sea". It was all shallow throughout but for technical brilliance !

Expectation is a beast that bites from both ends. Damned expectations; this would have been a damn good movie from any other Director. Overall, I was all at "Sea" and Disappointed with one more below par movie from an Icon we have venerated. But, Dear Mani Ratnam, I still believe in you and hope your next movie will take you back to where you belong; at the top !

Race-2 Oblivion !

At one point in Abbas-Mustan's Race-2, Aditya Panscholi says, "Shroud of Turin hasn't been stolen even in Hollywood movies and you people are planning on that". They aspire to out-do Hollywood. Do they succeed ? Read on...

A Race is all about numbers and count downs. The Race begins with a count down, but when it ends, it is the 1, 2, 3 that matters. After making an 'Iconic' first part almost half decade ago, Abbas-Mustan return with a sequel with some old and some new characters and same old style of "Style over Substance" kind of film-making !

So let us begin the count down in terms of performance from 10/10 downwards...

10] Shah Rukh Khan: Well, we all know he isn't there in this movie and is busy sobbing about his Muslim identity being a disadvantage in India. But, SRK gave Abbas - Mustan duo their best movie to date and I doubt if they can better "Baazigar" !

09] Saif Ali Khan: It is safe to say he carried the film on his shoulders like John Abraham carried Typhoon. He looks stylish, intense, intelligent and does an encore of Race-1.

08] Akshaye Khanna: Well again, his absence is felt. Tough to replace him and since he is the second on the list of missing people, he still figures high on my list.

07] Anil Kapoor: The wicked but good RD gets wickeder but not better. The actor is an icon when it comes to over the top comedy and tongue in cheek one-liners.

06] John Abraham: He is a handsome hulk and he and we all know that. No big deal. But in a role that deals with big deals, John at times tends to 'Ham'. The problem also is with us. Race-2 is NOT Dhoom-1 for John Abraham.

05] Amisha Patel: I thought Sameera Reddy couldn't be replaced for the stupidity she oozed in first part. As Cherry, Amisha manages to look and talk immensely stupid. But she is so fit and prim at 37, her curves distract us from her stupidity !

04] Deepika Padukone: She looks seductive, melancholic, happy and sad alternatively without much relevance to the going on in the movie. But her legs save her from becoming a total disaster. Tough for her considering she has to replace Bipasha Basu who gave her best performance in the prequel.

03] Aditya Panscholi: He looks more like a middle-aged failing businessman on a forced holiday with his bitch of a wife rather than the all powerful Don he is supposed to be. Miscast I must say.

02] Jacqueline Fernandez: If Amisha tries hard to look stupid, Jacqueline tries hard to look intelligent. Amisha succeeds but Jacqueline fails. Poorly written role; can't blame the young lady. How we miss Katrina Kaif !

01] Race-2: With expectations as high as we had, Race-2 fails to reach 10% of the thrills the prequel afforded in spite of the bigger money, bigger canvas and casinos.

00] Abbas-Mustan: Though it may sound harsh, this is disappointing from the duo who have thrived on thrillers. With all the budget and best of the star-cast at disposal, they forgot something; a good story with a tight plot and something new.

Too much of style and feminine Anatomy and very little substance and Chemistry between the lead actors lets Race-2 down. Diehard fans of Abbas-Mustan style of movie might enjoy this. But unless they bring in some new dimension to their movies, the duo might soon fade away. This might be the beginning of their "Race 2 Oblivion"

Second Hand Lions

This is a feel good movie about a kid, Walter who is left at a ranch by his mother to spend time with her great uncles, fraternal twins Garth and Hub.  Garth and Hub are eccentrics and their relatives believe they have huge amount of wealth stowed away somewhere in their ancient house.  Walter's mother Mae intends him to locate this place so that they can get away with the money, buy a house and settle down.

Walter is a lonely kid, who knows his mother is a liar and therefore does not believe her.  In fact he doesn't easily believe anyone as all he heard from his childhood is lies from his mother.  The eccentric grand uncles take a liking for Walter and Walter gets from Garth and Hub what he never got from his own mother, affection and a stable home.

The movie provides many light moments mainly due to the eccentric nature of the uncles such as shooting at salesman, ordering anything from a glider to a yacht or even a lion to keep on their ranch.  The performance of the trio, that is Walter (Haley Joe Osment), Garth (Michael Kane) and Hub (Robert Duvall) raises the movie to a different level altogether.  Definitely a must watch movie.   

Ek Tha Tiger

Bollywood does not make much movies on espionage, Agent Vinod and Ek Tha Tiger (ETT) are only 2 agent movies to come out of Bollywood in recent times.

Agent Tiger is a RAW agent who falls in love with a Pakistani ISI agent Zoya (Katrina) whom he meets during a mission.  Both of them decide to stick together even as ISI and RAW tries to capture them.   Girish Karnad plays the role of Shenoy, Tiger's Boss, and Ranvir Shorey is Gopi, Tiger's friend and colleague.

The movie is not a full blooded agent movie, but then we do not make such movies here, do we? ;).....One thought that kept me amused was about Jason Bourne, the amnesic agent from Bourne Series, poor Bourne, if only he had been an ISI or RAW agent, he would have surely been able to survive with his gal and live happily ever after as these two agencies are quite lenient (read fools/idiots/nincompoops - at least that is what ETT makes us believe)  towards absconding agents.

Overall it offers what an average Salman Khan fan would love to watch i.e. some comedy, good stunts, with scenes shot in Iraq, Istanbul and Cuba, and as the story moves at a fast pace, it is an interesting watch,  and a must watch if  you are a Salman Khan fan.  

Talaash: In Search of what lies within !

Let me begin with the pledge not to disclose the climax of Reema Kagti's "Talaash". I shall not ! Reviewing a movie as complex as "Talaash" is a tough job. It is a Suspense Thriller, a Psy-Fi Drama, a Supernatural Thriller, a Family Movie about relations and a first of it's kind in Indian cinema when it comes to the professional touch.

Let me not bother about the story at all because I want people to watch it and understand. Let me deal with characters instead as I would prefer to do most of the times.

Aamir Khan is Inspector Shekawat, a disturbed soul carrying the guilt of seeing his 8 year old son drown to death for which he holds himself responsible. He can't sleep and he talks to himself and people find him weird. But he believes his wife is suffering from depression and needs treatment and insists on her getting treated. He sees his own guilt reflected in the eyes of his wife [Rani Mukherjee] and their marriage is slowly and steadily collapsing. Aamir is absolute topnotch.

Rani Mukherjee plays Roshni Shekhawat, the mourning mother worried about her sleepless husband. She finds solace in a soothsayer Freny [Shernaz Patel] who brings her in contact with her dead son. The husband hates this and this further complicates the matter. A deglamorized Rani is as good as she always is.

Kareena Kapoor is Rosy, the most brilliant part of the movie. As the gorgeous and mysterious hooker spouting philosophy, she has reached the peak of her career. She bewitches the viewer and leads Shekhawat through the trail of an extremely difficult case declared to be open and shut accident case.

There are a host of characters who contribute to the narrative. But Nawazuddin Siddiqui playing Tehmoor is absolutely brilliant. He is the highlight of the movie. Raj Kumar Yadav is efficient as Aamir's understudy. Every single actor including the old lady walking through crowded South Mumbai roads looks the part. Well, even the dog in the opening sequence is brilliant.

It all begins with the "Accidental" death of a Bollywood Star Arman Kapoor [Vivaan Bhatena] and the investigation into the high profile case. The screen-play credited to Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar keeps dropping enough hints throughout to keep us guessing. Dialogues credited to Farhan Akhtar and Anurag Kashyap are simply straight and real time.

Ram Sampat's music is just right for the kind of movie this is. Editing [Anand Subaya] is of international standards. Quality of production and technical aspects are brilliant. On the whole, "Talaash" looks like a Hollywood thriller made in Hindi.

The flip side of the whole affair is Reema Kagti has left a lot for the viewers to think, imagine and correlate. The climax is not the kind of "Dhamaaka" the Indian audience loves where the "Hero" solves the mystery, throws a few punches and punchlines and walks in slow motion to a thundering applause. This is all about "search for what is within". Though I may not agree with the soothsayer and Rani talking to dead son parts, those parts have been shot brilliantly and don't jar.

My Opinion: Compulsorily take your brains to watch this one. If you're not following every moment with an analytical mind, you'll perhaps miss the plot and then feel bored. As I left the hall with the satisfaction of having watched one of the finest thrillers made in Indian cinema, I heard some people complaining about having wasted over 2 hours in "Talaash" of a "Laash" !

The 22/7 about "Life of Pi"

Let me begin with disclaimer: I haven't read the novel "Life of Pi" and hence am not enamored by it like some of my friends were, when I went to watch the movie. I went because they said it is great. So here is what I felt...

The Catch 22...

1] Hollywood is Hollywood: Amazing picturization.

2] Animals: How do they get them to perform ?

3] Tabu: Am I happy to see her ?

4] Adil Hussain: Where was he before English Vinglish unleashed him like never before ?

5] Suraj Sharma: Had problems with his assignments at school. But, boy ! He's done a magnificent job with this one !

6] CG: Computer graphics are of the highest order.

7] The Pacific: Becomes a character in the movie. If Water World bored us, this one gives hope...

8] Hope: An amazing feeling that keeps us alive, shown in the best ever manner !

9] Irrfan Khan: I am a Fan of this Khan !

10] Yann Martel: What a novel it must be, one for my kart !

11] Ang Lee: Amazing ability to get into the story.

12] Characterization and continuity: How Pi and the Tiger look progressively emaciated through the journey is handled with amazing care.

13] Story inside the story: The second story told by Pi to convince the Japanese officials is quite symbolic of the animal instincts inside us !

14] Mathematics: For someone who loves Maths, I loved the name Pi and the evolution of Pi.

15] Determination: To get rid of the tag "Pissing", the little boy shows the determination to write the value of "Pi" or 22/7 that covers 3 black boards. That determination is what saves him in the end !

16] Bonding: How the boy decides to develop a bonding with the tiger and trains him is shown very well.

17] Orange Juice: What a cute 'Mother' Pi found for him self in his 'other' story.

18] Narration: Irrfan Khan's very Indian narration with occasional accent augurs well.

19] Carnivorous island: Almost 'Avatar' like floating island shown in 2 beautiful shades of day and night. Symbolic of the good and bad.

20] Thunderstorm: A fantastic picturization of nature's wrath and how it plays.

21] Piscine Molitor: The most beautiful swimming pool in the world after which the protagonist was named.

22] Richard Parker: What a magnificent creature this Royal Bengal Tiger is !

And the 7 I didn't catch...

1] Patel family speaking Tamil is something I don't know, even if they live in Pondichery, I can't really understand that !

2] Religions: Well, the author must have wanted to strike a balance between all religions and thus Pi Patel follows all religions and believes in all Gods as if those 33 crore gods his original religion foisted on him weren't enough.

3] Animals have souls but not emotions: Tell that to your dog and see how bad he'll feel. I know they have emotions and have seen that !

4] Tee shirts: Pi Patel is seen wearing some tee shirts which were not really existing in India of 1970s. A little bit of goof up there ?

5] God: If god is the one who saved Pi Patel, then god is the one who killed his family and many more. Why did god do that ? I have yet to find an answer to this question even in real life !

6] Anandi: Sravanthi Sainath has such gorgeous eyes, I would've preferred to drown in them if I were Pi Patel. That would've saved him from a lot of suffering during his ordeal. But there is very little of those beautiful pair of eyes.

7] 3D effects: Perhaps I was looking for "Pi in the Sky" but I was disappointed by the lack of 3D effects in certain places in the movie.

But 22 out-weighs 7 by 3.1428571428571 times !

A beautiful cinematic experience nevertheless and is strongly recommended for family viewing !

Ayaalum Njanum Thammil [Between him and me]

Ironic it is for sure that Prithwiraj has decided to move to Bollywood. We saw him in the moronic "Ayya" with over the top and also downhill Rani Mukherjee and then we see him in fantastic form with the equally magnificent Prathap Pothan in Lal Jose directed "Ayaalum Njanum Thammil" [Between him and me].

Lal Jose seems to be in a mood to explore the medical field. If he dealt with the extravagant young Oncologist learning his lessons in life in "Diamond Necklace", here we have an irresponsible spoilt brat of a young Doctor going through the travails of life to turn into a great Cardiac Surgeon.Well, I am not complaining because he has given us a beautiful movie that makes us sit up, take notice, enjoy, think and then return with the pleasant feeling of having seen an earnest movie. 

The story revolves around the coming of age of Dr. Ravi Tharakan [Prithwiraj] with the able guidance of an upright and dedicated senior Doctor Samuel [Prathap Pothan]. I wouldn't like to deal with the story and spoil the thrill because I want everyone to watch this movie.

The story is narrated in multiple flashbacks with flashbacks inside flashbacks causing a little bit of a problem early in the first half. But things move smoothly, once we realize the technique. The lighting sometimes gets ridiculously dim and from a Doctor's point of view, I wouldn't accept that. But otherwise, Lal Jose has done his homework thoroughly and deserves all the credit for handling the technical aspects and medical language very well.

The camera work, music and back ground score gel very well with the mood of the movie though the movie could have done very well without songs. Munnar becomes an independent character in the movie. It was only a background for song and dance sequences in most movies hitherto. The silent breeze, the noisy wind, the unpredictable rains and the fog are used with stunning effect to suit the different moods of the character of Dr. Tharakan. And in the climax, we see a pleasant and contented Dr. Tharakan ruminating over the place that made him what he is !

Narein as Ravi's close buddy Vivek, Rima Kallinkal as the lady who puts together the jigsaw puzzle of the story and Ramya Nambeesan as his conscientious colleague have given wonderful performances. Kalabhavan Mani too has given a very good account of himself. Samvritha Sunil as Dr. Tharakan's junior and girlfriend is a little subdued. Sukumari as head-nurse and Salim Kumar as the Cirrhosis patient making a living thanks to his disease are good too.

But the movie belongs to Prathap Pothan and Prithwiraj and both have given stupendous performances. It is as if each has brought out the best from the other and in that sense, the title works beautifully. It is truly between these two. I'd be disappointed if Prithwiraj doesn't win the State Award for best actor for 2012. Well, tough competition for Lal [Ozhimuri] there. He also deserves at least a nomination for the best actor at national awards. Same for Prathap Pothan.

My Opinion: A wonderful movie and a must watch for all Malayalees who love their language and their cinema !

Post Script: I end this piece from where I began. 

Dear Prithwiraj, it is understandable you are quite peeved with the enormous negative vibes, hate campaign and bad press you have received in your home state. But the truth is you will be a misfit in Bollywood and Malayalam cinema needs you as much as you need Malayalam cinema. Public memory is fickle and nobody or nothing can suppress your talent if you continue to work in movies like this. Stay back !

English Vinglish: Triumph of will over ill

I am not being "judgmental" when I say, there are two types of people in this world. Those who think they can't speak good English and those who think they speak good English. Shashi [Sridevi in a stupendous comeback] the protagonist in "English Vinglish" belongs to the first category. She suffers in silence, all the repeated humiliation heaped on her by her self-centered husband and arrogant little teenaged daughter who belong to the second category.

Gauri Shinde has not only brought Sridevi back with a bang but she has given us a movie we can relate to. In reality, all of us are either Shashi or her family members. There are no menacing villains, no scheming mothers in law and certainly no big time melodrama. This is one movie so charmingly real in content, execution and presentation that it is bound to stay with us for very long.

What a person, especially a lady has to face in everyday life if good spoken English is not his or her forte is the premise of the movie. All the insults, subtle humiliation and constant taunts Shashi faces through the movie are completely real life. Her muted reactions each time too are natural. She finds solace in making snacks [the best ladoos in the world] and her husband finds even that to be below his dignity.

Ironically, Shashi finds her biggest turning point in life with an event which she dreads at the first mention. Going to 'The' United States of America from 'The' India alone with a 100 passengers ! Going there to help her elder sister with preparations for the wedding of her elder daughter, Shashi ends up in a spoken English course in the big apple.

"Mind your language", the learn to speak English in 4 weeks course brings together a bunch of funny people like a French Chef, a Tamilian Techie, a Pakistani driver with sex on his mind, a Spanish nanny, an African who rarely opens his mouth in a spoken English class, a Chinese hair stylist and a gay teacher.

Beginning a journey that runs parallel to the preparations for the wedding of her elder niece, Shashi finds an able support in her younger niece Radha who helps her through the journey. What she manages to do is shown in a steady manner with the adulation and unabashed love of the French Chef Laurent becoming a stepping stone rather than a hurdle for her success.

There is a brilliantly conceived scene of  Shashi giving went to her hurt when her teenaged daughter shouts at and humiliates her over the phone. She keeps ranting in Hindi and the French Chef Laurent understands her hurt without understanding a single word. And then she gives a perfect order in English at the coffee shop without even realizing it. Laurent points it out to her in a subtle manner.

This scene actually tells us a simple truth. Faced with the task of making ladoos for the entire wedding party all over thanks to her little son's pranks, she doesn't flinch and sets out with complete confidence in her ability. But acts like flying abroad alone, boarding a train in New York or speaking in English intimidate her.

We create a barrier around us worrying about facing ridicule from others. We crave for appreciation or acceptance for what we do when it is not our strength. A lady who has magic in her hands worries about the reaction of people when she has to speak in English. But when she isn't bothered about any reaction or appreciation, she speaks the correct English.

The climax has to be a speech in English. And this is the highlight of the movie because it is not the fluent and heavily accented American English that we get. It is the honest, hard working and true to character Indian English in which Shashi delivers her speech. In that moment, there is the catharsis of all the pent up angst, humiliation and hurt. But instead of blaming her family, she lifts them up along with her self-esteem. She shows no ill-will towards anyone simply because she loves her 'family' about which she speaks to the newly wed couple. Truly a triumph of will over ill !

Entire cast has done a wonderful job but Adil Hussain as the obnoxious husband, Priya Anand as Radha and Mehdi Nebbou as Laurent are wonderful. And how can we forget the cantankerous old man who 'guides' Shashi through her first flight and beyond the New York airport ? R. Balki can't make a movie without the Bachchan.

Gauri Shinde's "English Vinglish"  is a cute, life like, honest and feel good movie. Sridevi excels in spite of what looks like an overdoes of botox around that once famous pout. Dialogues rock and Shivansh Kotia as Shahsi's precocious little son Sagar is a riot.

What we see is a very competent handling of a subject that could've been over dramatized and spoiled. They could have made horrendous people popping out from every corner insulting Shashi. Any other Director would have brought in the other parents in her daughter's school lampooning Shashi. And then finally they could have made her avenge all that with a smashing speech in Queen's English with an accent so heavy, that Sridevi could have actually danced on it to "Mere Haaton Me Nau Nau Choodiyaan Hai" !

But thankfully what we get is a down to earth movie that doesn't blame anyone or any culture and stays true to the subject. In short, it doesn't get "Judgmental" !

My opinion: Wholesome sweet "Ladoo" for the entire family. Go for it !
And "Thank You Gauri Shinde for a memorable movie experience !"

Barfi: Aptly Sweet !

I went to watch "Kites" because it was so hyped with Hritik Roshan in the lead. I was devastated by the movie. Just couldn't relate to it. So I was a bit negative about "Barfi" knowing it was directed by Anurag Basu. Good reviews even by habitual Bollywood bashers gave me some confidence to watch it. It took me almost a week to write this review because the movie really took some time to sink in !

The story is narrated mostly by Barfi's [Ranbir Kapoor] one-time lover Shruti [Ileana D'Cruz] and by the Police officer played by Saurabh Shukla using multiple short flash-backs. It takes quite some time to settle down with the happenings. But it doesn't slack at any moment.

It is a story of a hearing and speech impaired Burfi [originally named Murphy] who falls in love with the beautiful Shruthi and then loses her due to the gulf of class between them. It also is the love story of Burfi and Jhilmil [Priyanka Chopra] an autistic heir to a huge wealth owned by her maternal grandfather.

Time and again Shruti fritters away opportunities to attain her love. But she is an inherently nice girl and helps Burfi to reach his elusive love. A lot happens through the 16 reels at break neck speed even though we feel the movie moves at a leisurely speed.

Anurag Basu plays to the gallery using some endearing tricks like the hand of sleight in the painting scene. He also uses extreme symbolism when Burfi's bicycle breaks with a wheel getting separated as we see Shruti leaves Darjeeling railway station.

Accused of kidnapping and murdering Jhilmil, how Burfi establishes his innocence and how we reach the climax has been beautifully established. Saurabh Shukla has given a stand out performance and so has the entire supporting cast that includes Rupa Ganguly.

Ileana D'Cruz is absolutely beautiful and has given her best performance to date as Shruti. Priyanka Chopra is super-efficient in a somewhat inadequately researched role of autistic Jhilmil. But let us all stand up and applaud the arrival of a truly magnificent actor in Indian cinema. He was quite cool and efficient in his earlier movies including "Raajneeti". But this performance by Ranbir Kapoor straightaway elevates him to the class of people like his own grandfather Raj Kapoor, Kamal Hasan and such all time greats.

The camera work, back ground music and other technical aspects are top notch. Anurag Basu definitely deserves all the kudos he has been heaped upon since 14 September. We leave with a pleasant smile on our lips because the movie spreads happiness like the protagonist who is happy at all costs in spite of all the deficiencies and misfortunes, without ever blaming anyone.

My Opinion: A must watch. Even those who don't like the way the story unfolds will not be able to resist the charms of Ranbir Kapoor. A truly special performance!

"Ozhimuri" : A Document of Resurrection !

A Document of Resurrection !

What did I feel while watching Madhupal's poignant "Ozhimuri". Even as I felt amazed by the story, Direction and fabulous performances by the star-cast, I actually felt sad. What was Shweta Menon doing all those years of her prime, acting in C-grade Hindi movies ? In the past 3 years or so, she has dazzled Malayalam cinema like very few people have and here she once again proves her versatility. 

"Ozhimuri" is the story of a 55 year old lady Meenakshi [Mallika], who files a petition for separation from her 71 year old husband while her son Sivan Pillai aka Sharat Chandra [Asif Ali] stands by her. The junior advocate Bala [Bhavana] fighting the case for the husband Thanupillai [Lal] tries to convince the teacher son to withdraw the case. 

The story is constructed with a series of flash backs narrated by either Sharat or Meenakshi interspersed with court room proceedings. There is realistic touch to the proceedings. The Kanyakumari background fits the story because of the Tamil - Malayalam cultural clashes becoming the subject of discussion in a subtle manner.

A movie unravels the story of a man shown as one who beats up his wife and son for no reason and is shown as cruel and heartless. The wife, who is seeking divorce or "Ozhimuri" never once blames him of being a bad man. She in fact admits he was a great father. The son, who openly hates the father gradually comes to realize his inner feelings for his father. In the process, love blossoms between advocate Bala and Sharat.

How the dominating Matriarch Kaalipillai, played with absolute elan by Shweta Menon becomes responsible for the entire happenings forms the crux of the story. One more feather in her cap. But the movie definitely belongs to Lal who plays the henpecked wrestler Sivan Pillai and his woman hating son Thanupillai and is a serious contender for a lot of awards this year. He is just magnificent in every single frame.

Mallika plays perfect foil in a landmark movie of her career. This role will be remembered for long. Bhavana excels as Bala and Asif Ali would be another contender for supporting role awards. Nandalal as Thanupillai's side-kick gives another splendid performance after "Spirit". 

There is light-hearted yet completely realistic reference to the traditions of the Nair society before and after the reforms. How most houses did have wife-beating husbands also is shown in a matter of fact revelation by Bala. Though the younger Bala advocates restraint and reconciliation, the older lady Meenakshy wants separation even after admitting her husband was not at all a bad man. 

The final realization of the reason for "Ozhimuri" comes across as a real clincher. We get to see a witch of a woman refusing to believe her son refused to see her when the Sun was setting on her. It shows us how a man who detested his mother all life breaks down after performing her last rites. 

There is a son scared of becoming like his father and his girlfriend who tells him that he is not different from his father and that there was nothing wrong with that. The domineering mother-in-law's affection for the naive and good at heart daughter-in-law is shown beautifully. And finally, it shows the daughter-in-law who always admired and respected the mother-in-law finally realizing her words, "A woman must never surrender her self-respect to a man".

This is one of the most outstanding stories told on celluloid in recent times and Madhupal has made a superb "document of resurrection". It resurrects the life of a father and a husband and a son and a wife. In the process, it also resurrects Malayalam cinema from "Mr. Marumakan" and "Cobra". A subject as complicated as 'Divorce' of an elderly couple is told in a real life manner with very little dramatization and the movie doesn't slack or bore at any time.

My Opinion: Those who don't understand Malayalam and the cultural ethos of Kerala may not relate to this movie. But every Malayalam movie lover MUST Watch this ! 

Raaz-3 : 3 Times Repulsive !

3 Dimensional Rubbish !

Let me begin with a truth about Bollywood Heroines of today. 
There are only 3 kinds of Girls in Hindi Cinema today.
1] Those who have been smooched by Emran Hashmi !
2] Those who have kissed Emran Hashmi !!
3] Those who have not acted with Emran Hashmi !!!

Raaz-3, Vikram Bhat's latest 3-Dimensional Horror movie is indeed a Horror ! It seldom scares, it horrifies the viewer with complete repulsiveness. Raaz-3 is a Ramsay meets Manmohan Desai meets Vikram Bhatt movie that comes 35 years too late. Let me go into the details about the story, screenplay, Direction and such fundamentals and let me tell why it is repulsive.

1] For God's Sake: Emran Hashmi buries an idol of Ganesha on orders from Bipasha Basu. He assists her in terrorizing Esha Gupta with black magic. Then he falls in love with the tortured Esha. He realizes his only chance of saving his love lies in exhuming the buried God. Out comes the God and we know the Hero can't lose now. Mr. Bhatt, this is 2012. Couldn't you find any other plot to scare us and then deliver us ? 

2] God's must be crazy: Esha has usurped the Hindi Cinema's Numero Uno position from Bipasha. And with that, all the major projects and awards. Bipasha takes revenge on her half-sister by subjecting her to a lot of torture. But her master-stroke turns out to be driving Esha crazy and forcing Esha to strip before a party full of filmy people and the media. All of a sudden, all the producers who were after Esha because Bipasha was a spent-force, come back to sign Bipasha. Is Indian cinema so bereft of Heroines ?

3] Godawful idea: Bipasha meets a ghastly looking exponent of black magic who tells her he is actually dead and Gods are not allowed in his world. He then helps her to wreck havoc on Esha and also the viewers. And then he invites her to do what a living woman does with a living man in what must be rated as one of the most repulsive scenes ever in any Cinema. 

Without ever watching one, I can say a Santhosh Pandit movie couldn't have been worse. Tying the soul of Esha with a chain in another world and Emran actually trying to break the chain and bringing her back with the help of a "White Magician" is unintentionally hilarious. 

There is a classic scene of a mouse releasing the curtains from a Ganesh Temple while Emran Hashmi is fighting the evil in the other world. This would have looked silly in 1970s in a Manmohan Desai movie but perhaps would have worked.

Emran, Bipasha, Esha and all others try their best to 'act'. But what can any actor do if the whole movie sucks like the corpse Bipasha agrees to make love to ? And to make matters worse, the 3 D effects get on our nerves during the completely unnecessary songs. 

Raaz-1 had fabulous music and it did work to a certain extent. Raaz-2 won mainly because of a decent scare-quotient. All the hot scenes, kissing, smooching, stripping and skin show won't be able to save this one ! Time for some "Soul-Searching" Mr. Bhatt, this is your worst to date !

My Opinion: After paying a hefty sum for the tickets and suffering this repulsive movie, I am three times angry and would put it as: Naa-Raaz-3 !

Run Baby Run: Slightly Premature Delivery !

This Baby Doesn't even walk !

Let me first state this, Joshiy's "Run Baby Run" with Mohan Lal and Amala Paul is a big hit already and my opinion isn't going to make any difference on the out come of the movie. Not even an ant bite. Yet I have to say, this one promises a lot in the beginning and delivers a slightly premature Baby in the end.

The plot is a give away from the beginning. It is "Grand Master" meets "Spirit" meets "Passenger" meets "Patram" plot where Mohan Lal alters between his characters in "Grand Master" and "Spirit" and the plot is "Passenger" and "Patram" combined together.

There is suspense, there are thrills, there is comedy, there is extremely competent acting by the entire cast and then there is one-upmanship between the villains played by Sai Kumar and Siddique and hero played by Mohan Lal. But there are gaping holes in the plot and that is where we come out with a lot of questions.

So what are my points ? Amala Paul on a comeback trail in Malayalam cinema plays Renuka, a brash, overbearing and almost arrogant senior reporter cum decision maker in a TV channel. She also tells the Hero she knows Kalari, which she never told him during their courtship earlier.

And then through most of second half she just stands and watches the hero bash up villains. Forget running, she doesn't even attempt to walk properly. Joshiy probably forgot his heroine was a firebrand and ends up glorifying the cameraman's role played by Mohan Lal. Amala Paul's character promises a lot and ends up being a side kick in the end. That proves one thing. Amala Paul may be a big star in Tamil but she isn't Manju Warrier.

The title too is misleading because forget the Baby, nobody ever runs in the movie. There are neither chases nor thrills but a lot of scheming and sting operations. To give credit where it is due, these scenes have been picturized pretty well and that is why the movie works in the final analysis.

There are some surprisingly glaring omissions in the movie. Most of the characters remain absolutely unchanged during the 5 years intermission; except Vijaya Raghavan who seems to suffer accelerated ageing. That was perhaps due to the stress of a petty case hoisted by an arrogant cameraman.

Biju Menon as Rishi comes across as confused because he doesn't know if he has to appear serious because of a failing channel or if he has to appear funny because he has a funny friend. But he pulls it off because he is such damn good actor.

Technically the movie is good and the song sung by Mohan Lal manages to please his fans. I doubt if we needed it in the movie. It would have been better if we were to have it shorter by about 10 minutes.

My Opinion: Overall, this Baby is definitely a bit premature but still manages to entertain and is a definite welcome for Malayalam cinema starved of a big hit. So be it !