Movie review.-----HEROES!!!!

Samir Karnik after two back to back flops (Kyon Ho Gaya Na and Nanhe Jaisalmer) makes a grand comeback with a Heroes, a good film that tugs your heart strings and makes you think.

It tells the story of two aimless youth Sammy (Sohail Khan) and Ali (Vatsal Sheth) who have to 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 end up giving a new meaning to their life. Unfolding in three chapters it tells peaks into the lives of Balkar Singh (Salman) and Kuljeet Kaur (Preity) in the first chapter, brothers Vikram (Sunny) and Dhananjay Shergill (Bobby) in the second chapter and that of Dr. Naqvi (Mithun) and his son Sahil (Dino) in the final chapter.

How Sammy and Ali's encounters of heroes in real life changes their attitude towards their own life and our country forms rest of the film.

It is a very good subject that doesn't involve any jingoism from our country's army men characters to prove their love for the nation. Though the opening sequences (including a mindless song) appear a little irritating, the film takes a good turn once the chapters start unfolding back to back. The culmination is the high point of the film which makes us all feel proud for country and our army men and also makes us realize at the same time that you don't have to be in the army to be a real hero. Every common person has it in him to be a Hero. The title of the film couldn't have been more apt.

Scenes between Salman and Preity, Bobby and Sunny have turned out very well. You are in tears in most of the places. This film is a pleasant surprise if you go in without any expectations. The performances by every single actor take this film above average. Salman and Preity not only look like a real couple but they are very much in character appearing real Punjabis. Sunny gets some whistle blowing moments after a long time in a Bollywood film. Bobby in a short role impresses and so do Dino and Mithun. Vatsal shows remarkable improvement as an actor post his disastrous debut in Tarzan the Wonder car. Sohail with his witty one-liners keeps you engaged and shows the transformation of his character very well. Amrita and Riya hardly have any role to speak about.

Samir Karnik deserves kudos for choosing a great subject and narrating it very well. He has very well incorporated strong emotions that bring a tear to you eyes. Don't miss this film; we are sure you will come out a changed person when you see it.

Review: ‘Drona’ a.k.a ‘Drown’a, an uninteresting legend!

Boasting of a top-notch start cast, with the likes of Abhishek Bachchan, Kay Kay Menon, Priyanka Chopra and Jaya Bachchan, the movie adheres to a stereotype filmy drama which is an amalgamation of romance, vengeance and victory over evil. Picturised on time beyond time, Drona’s world was touted to be truly beyond imagination. It must have sounded outrageously ambitious. It's a film that starts in the US, moves to the deserts of Rajasthan and makes an exit run into a never-never land where blue petals shower down on the screen creating an area of enchantment and incandescence without letting the spectacle dominate the characters.

Goldie Behl’s second directorial venture leaves a lot to be answered, it ends up being a perplexed effort which leaves the audience bamboozled! However, it still manages to create a little impact with it’s somewhat unique super hero intervention. The film is a stylised ‘fantasy flick’, with a rather experimental score set by Dhruv Ghanekar.

The story goes like this…

The warrior, Aditya (Abhishek Bachchan) is brought up by a foster family, unaware of his real identity as well as the unique destiny that awaits him. But a haunting nightmare, keeps on distressing Aditya. On the other hand, an evil sorcerer, Riz Raizada (Kay Kay Menon) is desperate to know of a deep secret – the secret, which is the missing link, in his grand plan of taking over the universe. But to know the secret, he would have to confront Drona.

Eventually, the sorcerer comes to know that Aditya is actually Drona and he starts hunting for him. Just when Drona is about to be captured, a cult that believed that Drona is a Messiah come to his rescue. Drona meets Sonia (Priyanka Chopra), leader of the cult, who reveals Aditya's real identity to him. Sonia also takes Aditya back to his place of birth, the ancient kingdom of Pratapgarh where his mother, Queen Jayanti Devi (Jaya Bachchan) would have answers to all his questions but before that Riz roughs up with them.

Aditya now has no option but to rise to the occasion and embrace his destiny. For the sake of mankind he becomes the legendary warrior he was born to be - Drona. As the clash between good and evil becomes dark and dangerous, Drona comes to know about the mysterious secret and he is all set to save the world.

Confused….?

Well, that’s what ‘Drona’ has to offer you… a hell lot of complicated twists and turns, perhaps that’s exactly where it fails to impress!

For, a Hindi film the movie no doubt has amazing visual affects and is the stuff childhood fantasies are made of. But, that’s about it.

So, Abhsihek’s been saying that he is no superhero in the flick, yet powerful and the point is hence proved because ‘Drona’ hardly ever fights! For most of the film it's his sexy guard who takes care of all the action or the evil magician who is getting the better of him.

Abhishek’s performance falls flat as he has weighty issues. Guess he should take some cue ever-so-fit wife, Aishwarya!

‘Drona’ chants mantras and i<>shlokas, lifts his sword and receives a new set of powers. The complete lack of information about what exactly are his strengths is very unimpressive.

And, the 22 crore worth villainous look for Kay Kay was just good for laughs! But the fine actor that he is, Kay Kay gives the flamboyant villainy his best shot.

It’s two cheers for ‘Drona’!

TAHAAN- movie review!!

A fable rarely gets its cinematic interpretation in Bollywood. But acclaimed cinematographer Santosh Sivan decides to do so for his new outing TAHAAN.

Tahaan is a soothing experience. Also, amidst the story of a child's obsession for his pet, it also opens your eyes to the fact that children can be soft targets for carrying out nefarious activities.

Agreed, a film like Tahaan caters to a niche audience. But its simplicity is its USP. There's another reason to go for it: Child artiste Purav. You can't take your eyes off from this sensational discovery of Sivan

Tahaan [Purav Bhandara] lives with his grandfather [Victor Banerjee], his mother [Sarika] and older sister [Sana Shaikh] in the serene meadows of Kashmir. They all live in the hope that someday Tahaan's father, who's been missing for over three years, will return.

The death of his grandfather prompts the local moneylender [Rahul Khanna] to take away the assets of the family, including their pet donkey Birbal. For Tahaan, bringing his favourite donkey Birbal back home becomes the sole purpose in life. Tahaan is devastated to learn that an old man, Subhan [Anupam Kher], has bought Birbal and taken him across the mountains. He traces Subhan and tells him about Birbal.

Subhan doesn't befriend Tahaan at first sight, but slowly warms up to this energetic and determined soul whose love Birbal is paramount. On his way back home, Tahaan encounters a teenage lad ldrees, who convinces him that his efforts would never be sufficient to get Birbal back. Instead, he promises to get Birbal back for a favour. All Tahaan will have to do is carry a package across the mountains on his next journey. Seeing Tahaan's eagerness, ldrees hands him a grenade.

Tahaan sets off on his second journey with Subhan, the grenade and package tucked away under Birbal's saddle. What is the price that Tahaan will have to pay for Birbal?

Santosh Sivan travels a seldom travelled path in Tahaan. Sure, he's telling a simple, uncomplicated story, but a simple story could be difficult to narrate. The film has its share of interesting moments, but the finale is, without doubt, the best part of the enterprise., the screenplay is not as convincing and gripping as one expects it to be.

Tahaan belongs to the young actor -- Purav. Post Darsheel's act in Taare Zameen Par, Purav's is the most confident act by a child actor. Anupam Kher also stays with you even after the show has concluded. Sarika is excellent. Rahul Bose doesn't deliver this time, mainly because the role lacks meat. Rahul Khanna has a miniscule role. Ditto for Victor Banerjee.

On the whole, Tahaan is for a niche audience, more for the festival circuit.

KISMET KONNECTION REVIEWS!!!!!!!

What you look for in KISMAT KONNECTION is the chemistry between the two lead actors, Shahid Kapoor and Vidya Balan. What you also look for is telltale signs of a broken heart in Shahid Kapoor.

All talk of romance between Shahid and Vidya, I guess, was just a publicity gimmick to rake up interest in this flick, but Kismat, has let the producers down. The Konnection just does not work. More than having anything to do with the lead pair, I think it has everything to do with the storyline, which is so flimsy, that you fear it will snap mid-way. No novelty in the drama, no ideation put through when the two first meet, no novelty in planning the end as well. You can just guess what is coming up.

Raj (Shahid) is a struggling architect. Brilliant in his college in studies, sports and drama, he finds it tough in the real world. As luck would have it, he learns about a certain Haseena Banu Jaan (Juhi Chawla wasted in the role) who is a fortuneteller. She tells him that he will find something that will be his lucky charm. And that something happens to be a someone called Priya (Vidya Balan). Whenever Vidya is around, Shahid gets lucky. Vidya is attached to one Community Centre where the old are taken care of and Shahid is about to clinch a deal with the firm to build a shopping mall where the Community Centre exists. Somehow, Shahid manages to convince Vidya that the Community Centre will co-exist, which he knows is not the truth.

The movie shines in patches. There are a few scenes that are very well handled, but the rest is just your normal Bollywood fare. One instance is when Vidya and Shahid try to tell their feelings to each other at a party; another is when Vidya is agitating against the mall coming up. However, these scenes are few and far between.

I must admit that Manoj Bohra who plays Dev Kataria, a character with shades of grey, really stands out. In the first scene they meet, he dwarfs the rest with his personality, presence and acting. And that I think is a huge plus. This lad has a future in Bollywood.

Director Aziz Mirza will manage to rake in the initials in the first week, thanks to Vidya and Shahid, after that I fear that the connection will be lost.

Ratings : 2.5/5

Singh Is Kinng !!!!!! Preview

Director: Anees Bazmee
Producer: Vipul A. Shah
Distributor: Indian Films – Studio 18
Running Time: 135 minutes (approx)
Music: Pritam
Guest Track: RDB (Rap by Snoop Dogg)

Singh Is Kinng, the most keenly awaited romantic comedy of 2008, revolves around a gang of crooks transformed by a good man and his selfless love for a pretty girl…

Lakhan Singh aka Lucky (Sonu Sood) is the ‘king’ of the Australian underworld accompanied by his associates (played by Javed Jaffrey, Neha Dhupia, Manoj Pahwa, Yashpal Sharma, Kamal Chopra and Sudhanshu Pande.) Far away, in a small village in Punjab, where Lucky was born, there exists someone more notorious than him – Happy Singh (Akshay Kumar). The village is fed up of his magnanimity, which has resulted in a number of hilariously disastrous situations. Out of desperation, they decide to send him on a long trip (that will keep him out of the village for a while!) to bring Lucky back to Punjab, as his despicable deeds were maligning their image in Australia.

The happy-go-lucky bumpkin, taking his mission a bit too seriously, embarks on his journey accompanied by his friend, Tony Singh (Om Puri), who hates Happy for dragging him into it.

The high point of his journey is his chance meeting with Sonia (Katrina Kaif) with whom he falls in love, but upon reaching his destination, things take a precarious turn as he runs into a series of comic misadventures, leaving him penniless. He is fortunate to find warmth and affection in an elderly lady (Kirron Kher) who helps him meet Lucky.

In a strange turn of events, an attempt on Lucky’s life is foiled by a well-intentioned Happy who fights off the attackers by risking his own life. Following the hilarious altercation, Lucky lands up in hospital paralyzed, and Happy, unexpectedly, finds the tables turned on him when he is expected to assume the role of the new ‘kinng’!

The series of chaos, shocks and comic misunderstandings that ensue eventually result in redemption and an accidental wedding!

Shot in Punjab, Australia and Egypt, Singh Is Kinng marks superstar Akshay Kumar’s re-entry into the action-comedy minefield. With plenty of romance, glamour, laugh-aloud moments and chartbusting music, it promises to be one of the most appealing and entertaining motion pictures of 2008.

It comes from Vipul Shah and Anees Bazmee, the master-makers of blockbusters like Aankhen, Waqt, Namastey London, No Entry and Welcome.

Bachna Ae Haseeno Preview!!!

Banner:Yash Raj Films Cast:Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Deepika Padukone, Bipasha Basu, Minissha Lamba Direction:Siddharth Anand Production:Aditya Chopra Why do girls always fall for the wrong guy? Their mothers warn them about him. Their friends shake their heads disapprovingly. Their minds tell them to escape while the going is good. But no! oh no! Their hearts are another story. You see, they are sending all the wrong signals. His name alone is enough to scramble their brains and set their hearts racing. Meet Raj. He is the stuff of dreams, with the looks of a 'butter wouldn't melt in my mouth' good boy. Who can blame him for falling in love as many times as love is fortunate enough to find him. It's not his fault that he's a heartbreaker, it's in his DNA. Come discover his three love stories; Raj and Mahi, Raj and Radhika, Raj and Gayatri. Different ladyloves at different times in his life. And each of them, teach him a little bit about love and a little bit about life, in their own sweet, sexy or sassy way. Come fall in love... three times. Character Briefs RAJ (Ranbir Kapoor) The accidental lover. Easy, boyish charm is something no guy can cultivate. You have to be born with it. Like Raj. He's not your regular boy next door though he has a misleading quality; his 'butter wouldn't melt in my mouth' good boy charm. Couple this with a sense of humour and an unintentional sex appeal and you have a package that is lethal in its irresistibility. So, really, you can't blame the poor boy for the effect he has on women. At the same time he's not really complaining. MAHI (Minissha Lamba) Sweet, romantic, innocent Mahi. She believes that the world is her oyster. So what, if it was limited just to Amritsar most of her life. That doesn't stop the universe from conspiring to make all her wishes come true. Her life is made of stuff rarely found outside of a Hallmark card. She is a happy child. The chosen one. She truly believes that nothing bad will ever happen to her. Her path will be decked by rainbows and strewn with flowers. That's where she walks, humming a happy song, with a Mills & Boon in one hand and her one true love holding the other. RADHIKA (Bipasha Basu) The gorgeous one. She's a sexy and confident girl. Lives in Mumbai, on her own terms. In her own flat. She is a dancer with Shiamak, and has the ambitions to shine on the silver screen. She is a girl of today. She doesn't feel any false modesty when it comes to showing her feelings for the opposite sex. She shrugs away all the old fashioned rules set by society, as she believes in doing what makes her happy. As long as, it doesn't compromise with the happiness of her lover. GAYATRI (Deepika Padukone) She is like any of the other girls who move to another country to study and to eventually make it big. And yet, she's unlike any other girl. She's smart and she's sassy. She's beautiful and she's ambitious. She knows what she wants and she knows how to get it. Life can be tough for a girl living alone in a strange land. But Gayatri is fearless. Her already beautiful eyes sparkle when faced with challenge. Nothing will stop this girl from achieving what she wants from life. Or from love.

Love Story 2050 Movie Review

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Harry Baweja has given a lavish launch for his son Harman. A lesson here for star fathers wanting to launch their sons. On a scale of 1-10, it matches 10 on 10 when it comes to comparing it to Papa Roshan's launch, KAHO NA PYAAR HAI... for his son Hrithik. The obvious comparison is unavoidable given the Hrithik-like looks that Harman has and his dancing skills and mannerisms that he consciously or subconsciously incorporates. There is a distinct resemblance in his dialogue delivery as well to that of Hrithik.

Does this movie match to the 2000 monster hit, which catapulted Hrithik into instant stardom? Not really. But first, kudos to Harry for trying something different. He has thought ahead of his time, literally and pitch forked his script into the year 2050. That is where the story takes a dip for the worst.

Karan (Harman) is a rich boy looking for love. His mother passed away when he was very young and his dad is too busy looking after his business. He runs into Sana (Priyanka Chopra) while on a jog. Fate sets up another meeting when Sana mistakes him to be her friend's boyfriend. One thing leads to another and the two are soon in love. Karan has an uncle who is a scientist (Boman Irani) who is experimenting with a time machine.

Once, Sana and Karan enter the time machine and 'enter' Mumbai 2050, as their destination, the place they want to be. However, the time machine is not ready and nothing happens, with the exception of a short circuit. One day when Sana and Karan are out for a drive, she meets with an accident and dies. Karan is shattered. Uncle meanwhile stumbles on the correct formula to set the time machine in motion. The two then set out to meet Sana in the future.

Sana in 2050 is now Zeisha, a very popular singer. She has no recollection of her past life as Karan once again tries to win her heart. He does manage, and dodges a cruel doctor to make it to the time machine seconds before it can take-off back to where it came from the year 2008.

Jaane Tu..... Ya Jaane Na Movie Reviews!!!

MOVIE CLICKS!!!!

Big bang for big bucks. That's my verdict. Aamir Khan and Mansoor Khan join together to recreate the magic of the Summer of 1988, QAYAMAT SE QAYAMAT TAK.

JAANE TU... YAA JAANE NA... is a simple love story repackaged with intelligence. The coup lies is in the casting, backed up by a simple narrative in flashback and held together with some mind-blowing music by the maestro himself - A R Rahman. Every character actor rocks.
And it is plain to see that there is a casting director in place who has understood the subject and worked in close proximity with the producer and the director.

The group of friends on whom the story rests simply rock. Everyone knows their part and pitch in to compliment the other with their intrinsic characteristic etched out for them by the director. No one goes overboard here. There's Nirav Mehta (Jiggy), Alishka Varde (Bombs), Karan Makhija (Rotlu), and Sugandha Gargh (Shaleen). They together with Imran Khan (Jai Singh Rathore) and Genelia D'Souza (Aditi) form the core group that carries the film through.

The story begins when the four friends are on their way to the airport to fetch Jai and Aditi who are coming back from the US. They have with them a new member, Mala, Jiggy's girlfriend. Since the flight is delayed and Mala is confused as to why she came to the airport when she does not even know the two, the four decide to tell her a story. She agrees when told that this here is no ordinary love story. So along with Mala, director Abbas Tyrewala begins telling us the story of Jai and Aditi, two inseparable friends all through their college life and whom everyone thinks are serious about each other. When Aditi's parents broach the topic of marriage to Jai, everyone is in shock, because their friendship is truly platonic. Or is it?