Review: Ek Tha Tiger

Rating: 3.5/5

Salman Khan, a brand that is getting stronger as each EID passes by. Ek Tha Tiger is the ultimate project that he had always aspired to do, a film with the great Chopras'. Another stamp on sequence of EID releases that he initiated 3 years ago.

Supposedly based on true thrilling events, the film is essentially a romantic story of two spies from different nations which happen to be India and Pakistan. Avinash Singh Rathode a.k.a. Tiger (Salman Khan) is a R&AW undercover agent who is in a constant hunt for ISI undercover agents in various countries. His new mission brings him to Ireland on a basic task of observing a scientist of Indian origin whom the R&AW suspects to have been passing his anti-missile theories to ISI. In an attempt to befriend the professor (Roshan Seth), he encounters his gorgeous care taker Zoya (Katrina Kaif) with whom he falls in love for the first time in his life. Gopi (Ranvir Shorey) Tiger's colleague, is against Tiger falling in love which sparks a few funny moments. The movie starts to thrill you after the intermission and will make you praise the Action Director for making Katrina step out of her comfort zone on screen.

Talking about the performances Salman Khan is his usual self and you would not notice any special effort from him to get into the skin of the character. On the other hand his ladylove has gone the extra mile to give justice to her role. She looks absolutely stunning, but that's not all she has performed some jaw dropping action sequences and don't be surprised if you find people whistling around you at Katrina. Supporting cast is good and worth mentioning, Girish Karnad as R&AW chief as Shenoy, British actor Roshan Seth as the professor and it's a Bollywood debut for punjabi actor Gavie Chahal.

The movie was shot in as many as five countries and the cinematographer has done a good job capturing the scenic beauty of Istanbul and Cuba.

This is Director Kabir Khan's third film and I think the best one till date. Unlike his previous flicks this one is fast paced, action filled, with a simple plot that audiences of our country can relate to on Independence Day.

Aditya Chopra seems to have calculated every aspect of his most anticipated movie. Be it the cast, marketing strategy or even the release date. He knew that Salman has been cashing in on EID releases due to his loyal fan following. Releasing the movie mid week instead of Friday will give multiplexes more time to make revenue rather than just relying on the weekend collection. The ticket price has almost been doubled to recover within a week what was spent on the film's production and trade analysts are already gauging its success.

It's a must watch for all Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif fans!

—   Pankaj Sharma

Review: GANGS OF वासेपुर – 2

Rating: 4/5

As you all know we really appreciated director Anurag Kashyap for his fearless attempt called Gangs of वासेपुर which made an impression on everyone from Cannes to our own Bollywood.

Fans were eager to watch GANGS OF HYPERLINK "http://pankajandmovies.blogspot.in/2012/06/review-gangs-of.html"वासेपुर – 2 which released this week. The only movie I remember that released in 2 parts was Rakht Charitra starring Vivek Oberoi but it couldn’t manage to generate the kind of anticipation GOW has managed to attain.

To enjoy this movie all you need to know is that Faizal Khan’s grandfather and father were killed by Ramadhir Singh. He has inherited revenge, everything else in part 2 falls in place. Cleverly, Anurag Kashyap has steered clear from complicated interlinks and flashbacks which most directors do in their sequels, which makes it compulsory for audiences to watch GOW-1 to follow GOW-2.

Wasseypur is no more the town that was once consumed by the raging war between Sardar Khan and Ramadhir Singh. It has spawned a new generation of money squandering lobbyists, turning into foolhardy gangs overnight. With illegal profiteering through scrap trade auctions over the Internet, corrupt government officials, election rigging and hooliganism, the town got murkier. Everyone wanted alliance with the most powerful man of Wasseypur, Faizal Khan. His sole ambition however, is to destroy Ramadhir Singh, the man with the grand scheme. Gangs of वासेपुर - 2 is a fitting conclusion to this story of vengeance, which by now, not just the family but also this town has come to inherit.

Talking about the performances, every character is just incredible! Nawazuddin Siddiqui's exceptional acting abilities has made his every screen presence a sheer brilliance. Portrayed as an underdog in the first part and the start of the second part he effortlessly transitions between the change of characterizations and comes up as the protagonist who avenges what his family and city wanted.

The casting director Mukesh Chhabra has done a phenomenal job in selecting the robust characters, I will not be surprised if walks away with a couple of awards.

The actresses in the movie leave a lasting impression. Especially Richa Chadda playing Faizal’s mother, who impressively evolves into an aged lady who forces his son to seek revenge.

It's a very well made film in terms of the screenplay, the dynamic between the characters and the raw cinematography. The songs are crude and reflect the flavor of the movie. It is based on real life incidents that occurred in Bihar over a period of 6 decades.

The movie sure has turned out to be a huge success both critically and at the box office.

—   Pankaj Sharma

Review: Kya Super Kool Hai Hum

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Rating: 1.5/5

Out of many Bollywood sequels releasing this year, Kyaa Super Kool Hain Hum was the only comedy. Promos had already annoyed many, including the censor board. Ekta Kapoor is known to defend her movies and as we know she has been choosing subjects that are always controversial.

The movie has the same two characters from its prequel; Adi (Tusshar Kapoor) is an aspiring actor who makes money by doing embarrassing TV commercials, while Sid (Ritesh Deshmukh) is yet to be a successful DJ. They both are best friends and are looking for a chance to make it big in their lives. They have a pug named Fakhru/Sakhru (there was a big uproar about the dog's name from the presidential family) who impregnates barren female dogs in several clinics and thus earns money for Adi and Sid. As it happens in pointless so called comedy movies, complications lead Adi and Sid to land up in Goa where they find Simran (Neha Sharma) and Anu (Sarah Jane-Dias) then the love story begins. To make matters worst, we have Anupam Kher as Mr. Marlowe who believes Baba 3G (Chunky Pandey) when he lets him know that his parents are re-incarnated as pugs!

It is not the story that engages you but, I guess it’s the double meaning adultery dialogues that will make you laugh if you can understand them. Producers have left no stone unturned in humiliating gays, lesbians and even Indian names. The movie has gone through major edits on the Censor table and despite that it has got ‘A’ certificate along with no clearance to premier on television any time soon. Nevertheless, the movie still has managed to find audiences in large numbers, especially the youth.

Talking about the actors and actresses in the movie, they solely rely on the shameless punch lines given to them with a little pinch of acting. It is very sad to see Veteran actor Anupam Kher play an absolute non-sense character. Tusshar is hopeless, I wouldn’t hesitate to say that about Ritesh as well despite knowing that he has done decent roles in the past. Neha and Sarah just end up being eye candy characters that help connect the dots in the story with their respective co-partners. Sister Ekta Kapoor makes fun of her brother by roping in Rohit Shetty which is so lame.

Songs are unnecessary, cinematography is poor and the script…are you kidding? Director Sachin Yardi who had co-written the prequel (a surprise hit) this time seems to have written and directed with a gun to his head.

Watch it only if you are in need of a desperate laugh. Most of the jokes are common ones circulating as Facebook statuses or on SMS and email.

It’s a movie that is not worth a review. 

—   Pankaj Sharma

Review: The Dark Knight Rises

Words: 510

Rating:4/5

Christopher Nolan has proved to be a brilliant filmmaker yet again. Warner Bros had gauged this long back when they decided to reboot their once successful franchise.

With Batman Begins he set the base for a more realistic and recognizable story line and went on to make the sequel The Dark Knight which blew critics and audiences away. The Dark Knight Rises is the third and final installment to Nolan's visionary super hero saga.

It has now been eight years of peace in Gotham post the Joker's killing spree. All criminals are locked up under the Dent's Act. Lieutenant Gordon feels the guilt of covering up the truth about how events unfolded in the past, feeling the need to confess to the city that he has faithfully protected. The villain, Bane (Tom Hardy) has a plan to destroy Gotham just like Ducard (Liam Neeson).

Christian Bale has done a phenomenal job in portraying an aged billionaire who decides to wear the suit again and give the city its caped crusader. Fanatics feared that measuring up to the Joker's performance in The Dark Knight would be challenging for writer Johnathan Nolan. The character had set the standard so high that it was difficult to chose the next villain, but Tom Hardy as Bane has more than satisfied our expectations. He has a very powerful screen presence and physically overpowered Batman, testing him physically and Mentally which was thrilling to watch.

Selina Kyle (Anne Hathway) is the gorgeous savior of Batman. It was interesting that she was never referred to as Cat-woman throughout the movie. Also there are strong performances by Michael Caine as Bruce Wayne's butler Alfred, Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox and Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon. The most intriguing part was that of Joseph Gordon-Levitt as police officer John Blake. If you've seen the film, you'll know why!

Personally I have been the greatest fan of Christopher Nolan, the process of how he develops a story and manifests the same on screen is amazing. Nolan elected not to film in 3-D, but instead stated that he intended to focus on improving image quality and scale using the IMAX format.

I would say that there was too much of story, narration and an absence of Batman in the film. As the story progresses to its conclusion, you will start to hold your seat tight and feel goosebumps, particularly in the last 5 minutes.

As the poster says “The Legend Ends” I don't think so. I guess Mr. Nolan is talking about his epic trilogy here.

So all Batman and Dark Knight fans if you haven't had a chance to watch this because of a houseful in theaters you are missing out on an epic. Try getting to the nearest theater to witness the end of what Christopher Nolan had started, which in my eyes has turned out to be best super hero trilogy ever!

Pankaj Sharma

Review: The Amazing Spider-Man

It is inevitable to compare the friendly neighborhood spidey with the amazing spidey. With that being said, we must admit that The Amazing Spider-Man is a bold attempt from director Marc Webb. It's not easy to break away from the image of Tobey Maguire personifying Spiderman from the hearts of fans across the world. In the film, it's evident that the director is not trying to do that either. Hollywood is calling it a reboot of the Spider-Man franchise.

Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Man, has managed to live and breathe the character in a unique way. He is funnier, sassier and he has a much more casual approach to situations cracking a joke or two in the face of danger, unlike Tobey. In fact, he enjoys his superhero powers and doesn’t have any trouble accepting his new found talent.

Unlike the previous Spider-Man films, the screenwriter takes us through how Peter Parker ended up with Uncle Ben and Aunt May. Another difference is that this Spider-man doesn't naturally produce webs from his hands, instead he has built a gadget that spews them. Director Marc Webb has really tried hard in re-presenting the iconic dialogue of uncle Ben advising Peter on responsibility.

Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy is a smart, charismatic and strong-willed young lady. She does not make you miss Kirsten Dunst as MJ. The famous kissing scene between Spider-Man and MJ while he's upside down, has been replaced with a youthful spin that gets applauded by audiences.

Suffering from an amputated arm, antagonist Dr. Connors (Rhys Ifans) has been working to develop a formula that will help the regeneration of cells within the human body. Finally, he gets the formula right thanks to Peter Parker and does a trial on himself. Things go terribly wrong, transforming him into a powerful Lizard. In my opinion, I would say Goblin was far better but who cares? There are other scenes in the movie that are engaging and worth watching. 
 

Although he gave us a phenomenal performance, as usual, Irrfan khan had more of an appearance rather than playing an actual villain. His role was even shorter than that of Anil Kapoor in Mission Impossible 4. 
 

The visual effects are mind blowing, especially during the climax of the movie. Watching it in IMAX or 3D makes the experience electrifying.

The Amazing Spider-Man has already spread its web over Indian audiences raking in the moola this past weekend. I highly recommend it!

Acting with Celebrities

Acting with Celebrities

Celebrities have a magnetic persona no matter which part of the world they are from. It's every talent's dream to share screen space with their favorite celebrity. However, it is very important to have a few ground rules in mind when working with them.

Every celebrity has a different working style, every production house or channel has to accommodate their demands if reasonable. So, there will be a certain aura around them which may intimidate you, don't succumb to that feeling. Most people tend to get overwhelmed with their presence and behave frantically, leading to an awkward situation for both parties. For example, if you get casted opposite Shahrukh Khan in a commercial and seeing him you go ballistic, he could feel uncomfortable. On the contrary, if you carry yourself in a professional manner, e.g. greeting him and delivering an amazing shot, you will leave a long lasting impression. Perhaps not on SRK himself, but it could open the door to future endeavors. As we all know, word of mouth is the biggest marketing tool we have.

An aspiring model from Mumbai got a chance to act in Farah Khan's movie “Om Shanti Om”, she played one of Shahrukh Khan's assistants in the film. The part had zero dialogue, but she definitely stood out. Opportunities such as beauty pageants, ramp shows and international fashion weeks came her way. Not everyone gets that kind of exposure, but she definitely took the right path. There is a possibility that you may not get noticed and it may be that you're noticed immediately.

You will bump into celebrities at various events and parties. Maintaining a good rapport is imperative to your success. At times, actors and their publicists tend to garner popularity by taking advantage of such situations. They also tend to make up controversial stories of link-ups, misbehavior and even create dramatic incidents during an important occasion in a celebrity's life! For example, a small time actress created a huge buzz during Abhishek Bacchan's wedding. She stated that he had promised to marry her, this generated a huge media hype. Is any publicity really good publicity? It may hold true for some or true for none.

Review: Gangs of Wasseypur

Rating: 4/5

Time and time again, Anurag Kashyap has proven to be a path breaking director. He now presents - GANGS OF वासेपुर. A five hour, ambitious film that was recently screened at the Cannes Film Festival. In India, the film will release in two parts, with part one released last Friday.

The story is based on true events and locations, the director took a cinematic liberty of playing with the names of the characters and the flow of story. Much of the film revolves around Sardar Khan (led by Manoj Bajpai) and his vengeance to get his father's honor back, Shahid Khan (led by Jaideep Ahlawat).

In the midst of India gaining its independence, there's chaos among high society contenders who are in a battle to get their hands in the booming coal industry. The story picks up when Shahid Khan starts to loot a British goods train impersonating legendary Sultana Daku, who belongs to a higher ranking caste. Furious with this act, the villagers exile him after killing his men. Shahid ends up in Dhanbad working as a laborer in one of the coal mines owned by Ramadhir Singh (led by Tigmanshu Dhulia) who soon becomes his trusted aide. The locals now fear Shahid. As Ramadhir comes to find out his plan to eventually take over the mine by crushing him, he gets Shahid assassinated. This sets the plot for a brutal revenge based saga sprawled across generations on the lawless land of Wasseypur.

Aside from the big names that gave structure to the film, there are other fabulous character artists that connect the dots and take the experience to another level. Casting Director Mukesh Chhabra did a phenomenal job in carefully hand-picking each character by rummaging through various parts of India. Actor Piyush Mishra (Gulaal fame) attempts voice over for the first time, his tone blended well with the dark theme taking the story forward when it really gets cumbersome for audiences.

It is hard to remember the last time Manoj Bajpai starrer movie generated this kind of buzz among audiences and critics alike. Often sidelined when sharing screen space with the biggies in recent movies, it looks like he finally got the commercial success that he deserved. His character is naughty and polygamous yet brutal at the same time, not deviating from his goal in life to de-throne Ramadhir Singh and fulfill his revenge.

You cannot praise Anurag Kashyap enough for his fearless effort that stands out of traditional Bollywood cinema. The film gives you a raw local flavor of North India. Despite the film being dark, ‘GANGS OF वासेपुर’ has an inherent sense of humor that comes quite naturally as the story unfolds.

If you have been a fan of Omkara, Rakht Charitra and recently Pan Singh Tomar then this movie will definitely delight you! If you stay after all the credits have been rolled out, you will catch the trailer of GANGS OF वासेपुर – 2.

If you ask me, the length was well worth it!