The ‘Van Huesenish’ , Harvard return millionaire Sanjay Singhania (Aamir Khan) runs a telecom company called Airvoice from Mumbai. His style statement includes rolled-up short sleeves over his bulging biceps, his flair for negotiating deals with white men and his unmistakable love for technology which is evident from the MacBook he owns.  Enter the bubbly Kalpana (debutante Asin Thottumkal) modeling for an Ad Agency and boasting about her alleged romantic angle with Sanjay Singhania. That not only wins her a lot of favors from her peers but also puts the millionaire in shame of losing his identity until he decides to take the matter in his own hands. The palpable anger however subsides once Sanjay has a brush with the charming Kalpana – it’s love at first sight. She’s loud at times no doubt. But the most endearing quality is her love for the destitute and the weaker sections of the society. Surpisingly the movie is named after the brute character played by Pradeep Singh Rawat called Ghajini Dharmatma. He joins the list of dreaded on-screen men with fancy names but he also gets a movie named after him which is so rare in Bollywood.

Ghajini is an escapist cinema – one that was purely intended to entertain at the cost of factual bluffs. Aamir must be credited for portraying a wild, ruthless and a dark character with such ferocity. The amount of effort that he invested in the making of Ghajini and afterwards is seen on the silver screen. However he growls a tad too much which is discomforting but it’s all absorbed in the action and the story moves on. His sequences with Kalpana are the most enjoyable on screen and complelety contrary to his psychic behavior which is dark, scary and almost animal-like. Such ghastly portrayal of a ruthless evildoer was once a hallmark of ShahRukh Khan in Yash Chopra’s Darr (1993) – Sanjay Singhania is closer to Rahul Mehra in his dastardly animal acts, however his motivation is revenge for the death of his fiancé rather than romance. Aamir’s 8 abs (or whatever they say) matches his brushed look and the shaved head with the deep scars – which are so profound one can imagine the impact of the hit he must have received. The songs (composed by A R Rahman) feel like they were retrofitted in the script to give the audience a respite from Sanjay’s howling and hits. ‘Guzarish’ (no doubt) has been the highlight of the movie with the sandy picturization and Aamir’s flat tummy. The sensuous Jiah Khan also gets to sway with ‘Lattoo’ which has a nice rhythm to it. ‘Kaise Mujhe Tum’ highlights the agony of lovers and thankfulness. This song has a nostalgic feeling to it.

Overall Ghajini is an average fare but Aamir takes the cake for his portrayal of a sick person with failing memory. But before you hop into the cinema hall, read more about anterograde amnesia to help you familiarize with Sanjay’s psychic condition.

» Visit the Official Website

OLLO traces the footsteps of Lucky Singh (Abhay Deol) who makes a leaving stealing cars and housebreaking. Lucky’s the cute next door guy gunning for a high society lifestyle. For him, the sky’s the limit for his brazen activities and he’s also not limited by weather or daylight in that respect. With his partner in arm called Bangali (Manu Rishi) he’s introduced to Gogi Bhai (Paresh Rawal) and together they form a coterie that runs havoc in the capital city. He’s enamoured by his love interest Sonal (Neetu Chandra) a last year college student. Things begin to take a turn when he meets Dr. Handa (Paresh Rawal) and his wife (played by Archana Puran Singh).

My liking and inquisitiveness for the north indian dialects – those that are spoken by the commoners around the Delhi area began with Khosla Ka Ghosla and Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye has come to personify the same. Abhay Deol as the high profile thief cum lover boy is just fantastic and after Manorama, Socha Na Tha, Ek Chalis Ki Last Local and Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd., one must appreciate his choice of films that have abstract storyform. That makes me await eagerly for his next release Dev D directed by Anurag Kashyap. What needs to be noted with OLLO is the sheer characterization of the cast. It’s heartening to note that Dibakar has not let the success of his previous movie overshadow this one in terms of story, cast or music. Talking of which OLLO has some foot tapping numbers like ‘Jugni’ (Des Raj Lachkani & Party) finds rooted in Punjabi with coatings of western hip hop and the title song in Punjabi beats sung by Mika. This is brilliance that is very rarely seen on Indian screens. Entertainment guaranteed so just go for it. Just don’t look for any social messages from it.

Sajjanpur is an unheard hamlet tucked deep inside North India which has its residents comprising a mo-bike riding ex-sarpanch Ramsingh (Yashpal Sharma) with his henchman keen on getting his wife elected to the village council. A superstitious mausi (Ila Arun) and her amanglik daughter Vindhya (Divya Dutta) who cannot find a suitable match for herself. A flirtatious clinic assistant in the local health centre called Ramkumar (Ravi Kishen) wooing a widow called Shobha (Rajeshwari Sachdev) and numerous other characters. Ravi Jhankal as Munnibai, the eunuch who defeats her nearest rival in the election to become the sarpanch, is worth mentioning for his superb performance.

The educated and learned Madhav performs the job of writing mails for the unlettered blokes from under a banyan tree where he has set up his small office cum observatory – noting the movements of the locals. He’s smitten by Kamla (Amrita Rao) his school chum but now tied in matrimony with a man who has left for Mumbai; helping her to be in constant touch with him by penning her emotions down on a postcard. He swindles the innocent Kamla in an effort to win her loyalty but relents after finding the truth.

For the point, Benegal sticks to his style of bringing the realism through cinema like he has always done through classic movies like Bhumika, Nishant, Ankur, Manthan, etc. This time he prefers to depict societal and cultural problems faced by rural India satirically through comedy. Needless to say that Benegal excels in his storytelling ever so brilliantly. The trauma, the pain and the problems all coated in layers of laughter to bring out an ultimate entertainer that’s Madhav Ka Sajjanpur. Cheers to Shyam Benegal, UTV Spotboy a last request – Please get the original title back!

» Official Movie Website

I recollect the day when 7 blasts shook the city on July 11 2006. I was in the 6:14 local from Churchgate which was stranded between Lower Parel and Elphinstone Road stations. I was notified over the phone by a colleague about the ghastly happening and I instantly knew what I should do. Walking past the congestion, over the rail tracks I reached the main road junction of Elphinstone Road where I decided to take a cab to Borivali. No taxi was willing to hire me except for these 2 gentlemen boys who stopped and offered me a ride. It took me 6 hours to reach Borivali but I wasn’t complaining. I was angry and upset at Mumbai being asked to prove itself time and again. The politicians speak about the “never-say-die spirit” during crisis but do little when it comes to protecting the citizens of its commercial capital. Mumbai Meri Jaan (MMJ) refreshed my memories (or nightmares) from that dreadful day.

MMJ is a story of life’s turnaround in the aftermath of the tragedy. The film traverses the path of 5 characters through the millions who experienced the gruesome event. As a well-paid white collared patriotic and self-righteous man Nikhil Agarwal (Madhavan) has the ability to take a ride to the office but prefers the crowded First Class compartment of the local to the gas-guzzling vehicles. As luck would have it, on that fateful day he’s not traveling in his normal compartment where the blast occurs and he has a narrow escape. Sitting on the rails with dead and amputated body parts and blood strewn across the whole area, Nikhil gazes in disbelief at life’s sudden twist. His confidence completely shaken he ponders over a question that was bluntly put forward by his friend – “you pay 3 lakhs every year as taxes to the government. Have they even filled the pothole on the road outside your house?”. Point taken. On the other hand Suresh (Kay Kay Menon) is plagued with religious bias even refusing to do business with the Muslims. He finds the blasts as a good opportunity to take swipes at the minority population even at the cost of his own dignity. Wearing an angled Swastika emblem on his t-shirt (the nazi symbol), he defintely cannot be called a nationalist.

Rupali Joshi (Soha Ali Khan) is the quintessential Indian TV journalist. A representative of the industry that’s carved a name for creating sensationalism through biased reporting. She loses her fiancee in the incident and ironically events start taking a turn for her as she finds herself at the opposite end of the human story. Of course this time her personal life is packaged into a sensational story (the show is aptly titled Rupali bani Rudali) for the outside world. Thomas (Irrfan) has been a roadside tea vendor barely able to make his living finds a novel way to get even with the capitalists. Targeting the Mall culture that enshrines the idea of liberalism to prove a point to himself. And lastly the unforgettable cop Tukaram Patil (played wonderfully by Paresh Rawal), his philosophies bring true life to the movie through his observations about when Mumbai was Bombay.

As the movie comes to a close, the Rafi song – Aye dil hai mushkil Jeena yaha…Yeh hai Bombay Meri Jaan from C.I.D. is played during the credit titles. The song speaks about the vices in the city – Kahin satta, kahin patta kahin chori kahin res, Kahin daaka, kahin phaaka kahin thokar kahin thes. I wonder if the song was published in the 21st century the lyricist would have been tempted to add “bomb blasts” to the ever growing list problems for the citizens. This is a must-see movie for every Mumbaikar and otherwise.

» Official Movie Website

The movie begins with a bank heist in the typical Hollywood fast-paced genre. Batman’s nemesis the Joker played by the late Heath Ledger makes an entry brutally bludgeoning his associates to keep all the money for himself. The superhero is introduced in a garage action sequence later where he undergoes some injuries that prompt him to demand strengthening his body suit. The new design of the body suit would come as a pleasant surprise for everyone. It’s more chiseled and downplays the yellow-black batman insignia which was so prominently displayed on the chest (even the logo itself has been modified now). To say the least it’s awesome and another proof of the director’s ingenuity towards resurrecting the comic book franchise. Morgan Freeman returns as Lucious Fox the wily CEO of Wayne Enterprise and the creator/inventor of the advanced equipment necessary to fight crime in the city. Michael Caine comes back as Alfred the butler that can be trusted as a father figure and a guide in crisis.

It’s a movie with edge-of-the-seat action every few seconds. The most exhilarating one is when Batman extradites (rather abducts) a Chinese mobster called Lau all the way from Hong Kong. He overpowers a gang of shooters armed with automatic weapons, then grabs the Chinese boss and latches onto a C130 transport aircraft with the help of a chute back to Gotham city where he delivers the culprit to Lt. James Gordon (Gary Oldman). It’s a proof that Batman is committed to fight the city warlords and can go to any length to bring the criminals to justice from any corner of the world. Heath Ledger with his erratic make-up and restless stance plays the antogonist Joker and he’s incredible in the role. I doubt whether the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presiding over the Oscars would recognize his talent in the film and grant him an award posthumously [Read More on CNN.com]. In my humble opinion, the film belongs to Ledger’s class act and the surrealistic execution of the character — and hence his picture at the end of the review. You could be excused for being completely impressed by his style and trying to be one like him from the movie. Here’s to a great actor Heath. R.I.P my friend. Katie Holmes who played Rachel Dawes in Batman Begins is replaced by Maggie Gyllenhaal who looks so much like her. I couldn’t make out the difference until I came home and read the character list (because I thought “Katie” was looking older?).

Of the few of his special carriages that Batman rides in his movies we have the “Tumbler” or the Batmobile in this one, a smart thinking vehicle that “intimidates” and even self destroys at the snap of the fingers. And the newly introduced “Batpod” or the motorcycle equipped with latest gizmos and weapons systems that zooms past the narrow lanes blasting obstructions of any kind in the path. The scintillating parts are when Batman crashes his Batmobile into an oncoming dumper truck making it to tumble around. And the portion where he drives his “Batpod” bike straight into a trailer and skids underneath it unscathed. All these portions are magnificently shot and need no recommendations of any sort. Just as the character has evolved into a coexistent 21st century vigilante with Kevlar suit and modern weaponry so has his vehicles that look sporty and vivacious and technologically more advanced than the previous versions. Even the batcave has been refurbished to accommodate modern communications systems like Sonar in this instance. It no longer looks the typical cave as portrayed earlier. Unlike in the past where the storyline stuck to the original artworks, in this movie it can be seen that the director has taken tremendous amount of creative independence by marrying realism with stunning digital effects that makes the story more believable and entertaining. Some of the sequences have been shot using an IMAX camera for the first time that make the scenes more brighter, wider and more immersive. It’s Nolan’s film all the way to say the least. Don’t miss this one in the theatres.

An Appeal to the Parents
Indian parents must realise it may not be a good idea to accompany their young ones to the theater for this movie assuming its a comic book adaptation. Bear in mind that there are scenes of intense violence and blood in the film which are distasteful and kids may not relish them. In the midst of the violent and gruesome action, I was not surprised at all to find kids howling in the dark maybe signifying that they were frustrated and wanted to leave the dark ‘dungeon’ immediately. The parents had a tough time consoling them and it was disgusting to see their attitude frankly. They must understand that it’s a different matter watching a movie then reading a Batman comic. Subjecting a child to an audio/visual medium of such gruesome nature assures a high degree of attention and memory retention that may have a damaging impact on the child’s mindset (sometimes permanently). In India The Dark Knight has been granted a U/A certification by the CBFC for exhibition. Please practice restraint while taking your child below the age of 12 years to the theater.

Interesting Links:
» Warner Bros. The Dark Knight website
» A List of Batman movie series on Wikipedia
» Dark Knight director shuns Digital Effects for the real thing

Heath Ledger reprising the role of Joker in The Dark Knight

Aamir Ali (Rajeev Khandelwal) returns to Mumbai from London and is rather unwelcomed by the immigration officer. His polite demeanour notwitstanding, the religiously biased officer is bent upon harassing an innocent man because he’s a Muslim. The real drama starts to unfold outside the airport when two suspicious bikers hand him a cell phone and speed off. The gentleman on the phone wants Aamir to follow his directions in exchange for the freedom of his beloved family. The ordeal similar to a treasure hunt leads him to the ghettoes of the city and makes him puke disgustedly at the living conditions. In an attempt to win over his emotions, the voice mentions the purported brutality of the majority community over the Muslims in India and across, how the Muslim brethren globally are financing the jung and how Aamir, who’s name literally means a leader is not caring for his kaum and fighting for them. It’s shown while the man on the phone eats and drinks merrily in his chambers, he ensures that the terrified Aamir is made to run across the city without food, water or any respite. It’s clear that this racket of terrorists is well organized and is dedicated to mislead the Muslim youth into forcing them to commit serious crime.

The only emotion that I felt was one of distraught looking at what the young man was being subjected to in Mumbai. Don’t worry if there’s a palpable lump in your throat as that’s always the case with this movie. Aamir has shades of Nick of Time (Johnny Depp, Christopher Walken) and Phone Booth (Katie Holmes, Colin Farrell), both exploited themes of subjugation through coercive actions. However, the director Raj Kumar Gupta makes the script tighter and does not allow a moment of dullness creep into our minds. Though after having undergone such trauma for the hero I would have changed the slightly predictable end. On the part of Rajeev who has is more known for his lover boy image, he’s able to deliver a serious and mature performance that very few would have chosen for their debut film. I won’t be surprised if he wins a few awards for Aamir which was nothing short of magnificient. Alongside the performances, it presents a completely creepy view of the landscape of Mumbai (remember Dharavi and the slums) reminiscent of such movies like Chakra (1981) and Satya (1998) and just like them, Aamir is sure to leave you spellbound.

It’s a well-known truth that Sarkar (2005) has been inspired by the Godfather series directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Some believe that the main character comes close to depict Balasaheb Thackeray, the Shiv Sena supremo and his family. The dark cinematography, angled camera close-ups with no songs and only a haunting background music is a hallmark of this drama series. Sarkar Raj (2008) is a continuation of the life and turmoils in the Nagre family as portrayed by it’s central cast of Amitabh (Subhash Nagre a.k.a. Sarkar) and Abhishek Bachchan (Shankar). This time they are joined by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as Anita Rajan, the suave director of a power company that wants to set up a plant in Maharashtra.

Due to his ideological moorings, Sarkar refuses to buy the idea until after he reasons it out with his son who is looking for development and prosperity for the people of Maharashtra. To spoil the fun, we have a bunch of bad guys in the form of Karunesh Kangaa (Sayaji Shinde), Hassan Qazi (Govind Namdeo) and Kantilal Vora (Upendra Limaye), each of them portraying an interesting character. In the music instead of ‘Govinda govinda’ we have ‘Saam Daam Dand Bhed’ as the new theme song for this second installment. Just when we thought the movie is turning colorless, there’s a twist in the tale at the end. Is there going to be a third edition? let’s wait and see but Sarkar Raj is a must watch for all.

The movie bought back some old memories of my childhood. The days when I would be woken up by my mom and was helped to prepare my school bag and so on. The lunch box and the homework and most importantly the mathematics class which I hated so much (I am still hating maths no doubt). Most importantly it reminded me of some classmates who were “duffer and idiots” just like the protaganist from the movie and I cannot help but think if they were suffering from a similar situation that went unnoticed. It’s a movie that proves that every child is indeed special (that’s the tagline) and that we must find that speciality in our children rather then pushing them into a rat race.

Before you watch the movie it is necessary that you DO NOT know anything about a disorder called Dyslexia. I am serious! and I am also aghast at how the media played out this story about a kid suffering from this disorder even before the movie was released. The entire fun and the tribulations of the kid is lost when you preempt him to be suffering from something. I realised that his actions in the first half of the movie were making sense to me and the “suspense” of knowing it all was lost forever. This was my personal experience because I had prior knowledge of the symptoms of Dyslexia to some extent. Anyway, I was talking about Ishaan Awasthi (Darsheel Safary), the hero of the movie, the boy-next-door, bucked teeth 8 year old who has little interest in what is being taught in school but loves to dream and paint all day apart from the little fishes in the school gutter. Along the way he meets Ram Kumar Nikumbh (Aamir Khan), the over zealous lover of children who notices something unusual in the young boy and grooms him to achieve the unachievable.

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s music is soothing and pretty much childish if I may say so. When the songs are used at specific portions of the movie it creates an even bigger effect around like the title song which is the icing on the cake. Talking about which, there are some parts which you cannot experience without a lump in your throat at all. Just to inform you that the end credit titles carry short snippets of kids from across the region that you must wait till the end to see it. It’s a great experience in itself — kids are playing, some are bathing, some are doing their own funny little tricks that make you feel cuddly and cute and lovable while the title songs plays in the background. TZP is a must watch movie. One which deals with the basic facets of children’s lives and one which I believe is made with a lot of conviction and truth. This one is for the young crowd of India and the parents of course who might find it necessary to understand this fairly old brain related disorder.

Important Notice – This is a movie for the children and NOT a children’s movie and it’s highly imperative that parents take note of this difference before taking their kids to the cinema halls. The storyline appeals more to the parents then the kids and they may find it boring to watch.

As you’d know, Aamir Khan has become a director with his forthcoming venture Taare Zameen Par (TZP) and he has launched the movie website last night. TZP is produced by Aamir himself and it is a story that deals with a dyslexic kid being played by Darsheel Safary. Watch the curtain raiser which I think is classy — in true Aamir style.

I also admired Aamir’s thoughts on his previous blog. He has now launched his official website/blog which appears to be the first instance of a bollywood actor posting some of his frank opinions online. There’s also a chat application so one can have a 1-1 session with Aamir Khan himself! All my best wishes are with Aamir and I wish Taare Zameen Par becomes a landmark movie in Indian cinema.

Quick Links
Aamir Khan’s Website: www.aamirkhan.com
Taare Zameen Par (Official Website): www.taarezameenpar.com

Hotel Rwanda (2004)
Directed by – Terry George
Starring – Don Cheadle, Sophie Okonedo, Nick Nolte

I will begin with my first movie called Hotel Rwanda. It delves into the heroic exploits of man called Paul Rusesabagina who stood against the barbaric forces to save his people. The story takes you back to 1994 during the Rwandan civil war. The assassination of the Hutu Rwandan president Juvenal Habyarimana commences a bloody episode in the history of the continent, now known as the Rwandan Genocide which sources estimate killed around 800,000 people in a space of 100 days. The film narrates the brutal fighting between the 2 main ethnic groups – the Tutsis and Hutus and recounts the life of a messiah in those difficult times who saved the lives of many.

Paul, a Hutu is the manager of Hôtel des Mille Collines in the capital city Kigali and is under the protection of the United Nations forces. The atmosphere around the city is deteriorating with the incessant killing of civilians as the civil war breaks out again and Paul fears his wife might be targeted as she belonged to the rival Tutsi group. Amidst the growing chaos in the city and the shortening supply of basic items, he works tremendously hard to maintain the luxury of the guests in the hotel and turns it into a haven for the locals who are saved from the blood shed.

Hotel Rwanda did not win any of the 3 Academy Award nominations including Best Supporting Actress and Original Screenplay. Don Cheadle’s strong portrayal of the moderate Paul Rusesabagina won him a nomination for the OSCAR Best Actor but lost out.

Blood Diamond (2006)
Directed by – Edward Zwick
Starring – Leonardo Di Caprio, Jennifer Connelly, Djimon Hounsou

The second film in the list deals with a story set in Sierra Leone, where diamonds are found in abundance and traded in order to fund the war. Such diamonds are hence termed as ‘Conflict diamonds‘. Set in 1990s Sierra Leone civil war, the movie is called Blood Diamond.

The film shows gruesome atrocities perpetrated by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) which include chopping off the hands of people who disagree to work for the rebel army. The RUF employed brutal measures in its confrontation with the government which included recruiting child soldiers to fight the war. Daunting display of young boys holding automatic weapons, sometimes smoking and even subjected to drug abuse are plenty in the film. Must remind you here that there are few scenes in the movie which some individuals might find disturbing and offensive in nature.

On one fine day a fisherman called Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou) comes across his village being attacked by the RUF with sheer force. In the commotion that follows he gets separated from his family; his wife and 2 kids. Solomon is captured and forced to work for the RUF at a diamond field where he finds a rare pink diamond which is worth millions in dollars. He sneaks it past the watchful eyes of the rebels and hides it at a safer place just before the camp is raided by the government forces and Solomon is captured. Back in the prison, he meets Danny Archer (Leonardo Di Caprio) who is a close aide of the RUF forces and a mercenary from “Rhodesia” (present day Zimbabwe) who helps the rebel commanders with their supply of weapons and cash after selling the conflict diamonds. Oblivious about Danny’s dark credentials, Solomon strikes a deal to lead him to the hidden diamond in return for finding his lost family.

Always noticed for his acting and one of my favorite actors, Leo in this movie delivers his lines in a typical Zimbabwean accent which is quite noticeable. Blood Diamond managed 5 nominations at the OSCARs including Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor for Leonardo Di Caprio and Djimon Hounsou respectively.

The Last King of Scotland (2006)
Directed by – Kevin MacDonald
Starring – Forest Whitaker, James McAvoy, Gillian Anderson, Kerry Washington

Although not quite a reality-based film, ‘The Last King of Scotland’ is an account into the personal life of the dreaded dictator and president of Uganda General Idi Amin Dada, who ruled over this east African nation from 1971 to 1979. The movie is a cinematic version of the book by the same title which is written by Giles Foden.

Young and a fresh graduate, Scottish doctor Nicholas Garrigan resolves to work for the poor in the African continent and chooses Uganda. He joins Dr. Merrit and his wife Sarah (Gillian Anderson) where his job entails serving the poorest of the poor. On one such event, he’s summoned by the guards of president Idi Amin, who has met with a freak accident on the country road and needs some urgent treatment. The minor sprain in his arm is treated leaving Idi Amin quite impressed by the young man’s wit and charmed by his Scottish descent. Soon after much persuasion by the president himself, Garrigan accepts the invitation to become his personal physician sacrificing his objective of serving the impoverished and embraces an affluent lifestyle complete with cars, suits and women. Meanwhile as time passes the heroic and egalitarian image of Idi Amin is slowly replaced by a more brutal and oppressive human being, exposed by some incidents in life. It’s too late for Garrigan to go back to his native country though. The dictator certainly won’t allow him to leave Uganda now. Garrigan is turned into a virtual prisoner from an honoured and respected guest in no time and yet he must agree to work for the General to avoid being murdered or tortured brutally.

Though based on a book, ‘The Last King of Scotland’ is not a direct representation of the same and a lot of creative liberty has been taken to weave the final script. For his brilliant portrayal of the tyrannical dictator General Idi Amin, Forest Whitaker won the Best Actor OSCAR in 2007.