U Me Aur Hum

Starring : Ajay Devgan, Kajol, Divya Dutta, Karan Khanna,
Isha Sharvani, Sumeet Raghavan
Director : Ajay Devgan

After Aamir Khan, another star actor Ajay Devgan turns director. Like Aamir, Ajay too has handled 3 roles -that of producer, director and an actor. Besides being his directorial debut, U Me aur Hum is Devgan's first out and out romantic movie too. Kajol, Ajay's wife, plays the female lead in the movie. This is her second movie post her marriage after the 2006 super hit Fanna.

U Me Aur Hum tells us about love, marriage and the commitments and compromises that come along with it. It's also about the dreaded Alzheimer's disease. The movie revolves mainly around two characters, Ajay and Piya. The first time Ajay gets a sight of Piya his heart skips a beat and he falls for her instantly. Despite a bad first impression that he gives, he tries hard to woo Piya and succeeds in winning her heart.

A strong bond of love develops between the two but doesn't last long. Pretense and lies split them apart but the love they felt for each other once again brings them together. They soon get married and are considered the ideal couple for a successful and happy marriage. Just when everything seemed to be going just perfect, Piya is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Will Ajay accept his wife for what she is? Will he help her recover? What are the problems that the couples tend to face? Will they split or be together?

Ajay Devgan's proves to be a good director with his directorial debut. The first half is a refreshing romantic comedy with some breezy, silly and interesting moments. The second half takes a dramatic turn revealing the sensitive and flimsy side of a relationship. From happy moments, the focus shifts to the dark side of a relationship leaving you moist eyed.

Devgan is on the right track and has done his homework well. He has not just chosen an audaciously different and delicate theme but has done justice in handling and portraying it with utmost care and maturity. However the script could have been better and a little tighter, for sometimes you fail to connect with the character. The first half is interesting and lively but the pace and the liveliness of the movie dips in the second half. The movie drags endlessly in the second half and gets slightly exasperating. A shorter narrative would have made a better and stronger impact.

U Me Aur Hum has lots of pros as far as the technical area is concerned. Camera work is brilliant. From the onset to the end, the film maintains its lustrous look. Cinematography is excellent. Background score is topnotch.

The role portrayed by Kajol is not an easy role to portray, but she enacts it with ease and brilliance. Her expressions, dialogue delivery and everything about her performance was just mind blowing. Her histrionics in the second half are praise worthy. She is without any doubt, one of the finest actresses of our generation.

Ajay Devgan is good in the first half as the dotting lover but it's in the second half that he fails to make the best use of his talent. His expressions in the highly emotional scenes weren't up to the mark. Sumeet Raghavan is very good in his supporting role. Isha Sharvani looks pretty and performs well. Karan Khanna was strictly okay. While funny at times, mostly annoying. Divya Dutta is average. Sachin Khedekar is good.

Overall, U Me Aur Hum strikes the chord but not without its share of flaws. Devgan has proves to be good story teller with his debut direction. If not for anything, watch it for Kajol - great performance.

Courtesy by: Ashok Nayak

'U Me Aur Hum' released on April 11th, 2008

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'One Two Three'

The movie’s plot is pregnant with possibilities of truly humourous situations. But the script-writer and director have not been able to turn the possibilities into reality. Reason? The immature and imbecilic gags fail to rise to the requirement of the comic situations in the movie. Barring a few funny scenes, the jokes in the movie are either outdated or poorly conceived, hence non-functional.

‘One Two Three’ has a storyline that could have been developed into a laugh riot. Alas, unimaginative and unskilled handling of the subject by director Ashwani Dhir makes it nothing more than an average, dull comedy. Coupled with this is Ashwani Dhir’s slipshod direction, his poor handling of the characters, and his inability to extract performances from his cast. Not that a share of blame does not go to the cast. But we will come to that later........more

'RACE'

Subtlety and restraint have never found a place in the movies of director duo Abbas-Mastan. Their latest thriller ‘Race’ is so much crammed with unexpected twists and turns that after a while you naturally begin to expect the unexpected from the film.

And that is the trap that any suspense thriller can fall into. In a bid to shock the viewer, ‘Race’ keeps unraveling one surprise after another. So much so that after a while the surprises lose their shock value and the movie ceases to be a thriller. This is the only major problem with ‘Race’. .......more

'Jodhaa Akbar'

Set in the sixteenth centuary, this epic romance begins as a marriage of alliance between two cultures and religions, for political gain, with King Bharmal of Amer giving his daughter's hand to Emperor Akbar. When Akbar accepts the marriage proposal, little does he know that his efforts to strengthen his relations with the Rajputs, he would in turn be embarking on a new journey of true love.

From the battlefied where the young Jalaluddin was crowned, through the conquests that won him the title of Great, to winning the love of the beautiful Jodhaa.......more

'Superstar'- Could have been better'

The strength of 'Superstar' lies in its story, which has a strong element of irony. However, the film's main weakness is a lack of consistent build-up in the plot, particularly in the second half. The movie has Kunal Khemu in double roles.

Kunal (Kunal Khemu) is a struggling actor who, much against the wishes of his father, pursues his dream of becoming a Bollywood superstar some day. He has talent, but doesn’t get more than fleeting roles as an extra in films.......more

'Sunday'

A dead body found floating in a lake... Unexplained scratch marks on her neck... Supari killers out to kill her... A taxi driver who yells 'bhoot, bhoot' every time he sees her.

Seher is at first amused, then mystified and then terrified when she realizes she has a connection with all these totally unconnected incidents. But she cannot remember anything......more

Halla Bol

Ashfaque (Ajay Devgan) is a small town boy aspiring to be a film star in the Hindi film industry. He joins a street theatre group run by a reformed dacoit Siddhu (Pankaj Kapur) who uses street theatre as a medium to bring about an awakening in the masses.

Ashfaque struggles to give a creative vent to the actor in him in order to realize his dreams. Ashfaque's determined struggle pays off and he gets a break in films.

He gets a new screen name - Sameer Khan. With the passage of time, the roles start becoming better and he moves up the success ladder in a very short time.....more

Tare Zameen Par

Very rarely do you get to see such great films that touch your heart and make you a better person. Hats off to Aamir Khan for giving us an exceptional film. Exceptional, because it serves the higher purpose of art, cinema in this case.

'Taare Zameen Par' is about a little boy, or shall I say a little flower that has been nipped so many times in the bud that it begins to wilt. But then comes the gardener, the man who lets, and helps, the bud to flower fully....more

Welcome

'Welcome' is an out-and-out comedy starring Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif as two lovers facing strong opposition to their marriage because of the entirely different backgrounds of their families.

The movie stars Paresh Rawal, Nana Patekar, Anil Kapoor, Feroz Khan and Mallika Sherawat. The film is directed by Anees Bazmee...more

Aaja_Nachle


For an actress who staunchly believes dancing awakens spirituality, no other movie could have marked a befitting comeback to Bollywood than Yashraj Films' 'Aaja Nachle'.

After a five-year long hiatus, Madhuri Dixit has stepped again under the arc lamps of tinsel town for producer Aditya Chopra 's film 'Aaja Nachle', which has been directed by ace cinematographer Anil Mehta .

Don't miss the film's slideshow (story in pictures) at Aaja Nachle..more

Om Shanti Om

This film focuses on Om (Shah Rukh Khan) who grows up in the seventies. This is the time when he meets Shanti (Dipika Padukone), the love of his life but shortly thereafter suffers an untimely demise.

Om is immediately reincarnated and the story flash forwards to the present day.

Haunted by memories of his past life and his true love, Om attempts to solve the mystery of his death, and also reunite with Shanti, the love of his past life.

 Om Shanti Om is said to be inspired by the Hollywood movie, Chances Are, where a man is reincarnated and instantaneously attempts to find the wife from his previous life.... more

Saawariya

So okay. This work of porcelain art doesn't have the in-your-face flamboyant quality of Bhansali's Devdas or Black where almost every shot reached a crescendo like an erupting volcano, every passion peaked like a mid-summer sun melting the universe. and every movement denoted a high-powered drama.

Saawariya is Bhansali's most tender ode to love yet.

Taking Fyodor Dostoevsky's minuscule play, the film creator builds huge but un- imposing emotions classified by dollops of awe-inspiring studio-erected architecture that represent feelings rather than physical forms...more

Jab We Met -An Entertaining Love Story

Imtiaz Ali's movie 'Jab We Met' has all the trappings of a romantic entertainer.

The film doesn't boast of a very unique story. What makes it interesting is the way it has been presented by Imtiaz Ali . 'Jab We Met' tells the story of two contrasting personalities who develop an affinity while traveling together through the heartland of north India. Ali makes sure that something new happens in every reel of the film to keep you glued to the screen. However, the film is not without some low points.

Aditya ( Shahid Kapur ), a young industrialist, is dejected with life because his girlfriend left him for another man. Aimlessly he boards a train on which he meets Geet ( Kareena Kapoor ) a chatterbox who annoys him with her constant talking. So much so that he gets down the train to avoid her. She follows him there too. And the two end up missing the train...more

Bhool Bhulaiyaa - An interesting but exhausting maze

After a dismal DHOL three weeks ago, Priyadarshan drums up a fine beat to drive the demons away in BHOOL BHULAIYA. The director with a flair for comedy handles a subject that deals with the spirit world with elan. He balances the comic with the eerie with such natural flair that the viewer knows when to expect the laughs and when to tighten the seat belt. Interestingly, the viewer is not bored as there are enough twists in the script to keep him glued to the screen. If the comic scenes are hilarious, the creepy happenings in the haveli are chilling.

If you haven't watched the Malayalam movie 'Manichitrathazhu', of which 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa' is a Hindi remake, you will like the suspense as well. It is a suspense thriller with doses of a horror film. The humour is understated, but sufficient enough to tickle the spine already chilled by spooky turns...more

Laaga Chunari Mein Daag - A Tear Jerker

'Laaga Chunari Mein Daag' is a sentimental, tear-jerking saga with good performances and a few glitches.

If you have got a taste for extended soap operas, you would find Pradeep Sarkar's movie eminently watch able. The film is packed with emotions - both pleasant and turbulent. The protagonist at the centre of the story is a woman who sacrifices her own good for the better of her family.

No, it is not one of those regressive tales of self-sacrificing Bhartiya nari. Rather, the movie is a fairly well told, well crafted, visually rich, and quite credible story which you can easily empathize with. The only thing is..more

Dhol - Funny in parts

By now we have gotten familiar with the Priyadarshan brand of humour - hilarious situations arising out of confusion and chaos. His latest movie 'Dhol' bears the trademark Priyan stamp.

One would hardly expect someone of Priyadarshan's caliber to belt out as mediocre a product as 'Dhol' especially since his 'Hera Pheri' is considered an amazing comedy that set quite a few trends some six years ago. Unfortunately that's what his latest 'Dhol' is.

This time there is no Akshay Kumar or Paresh Rawal to shoulder the movie. Priyadarshan relies on small-timers like Tusshar Kapoor, Kunal Khemu, Sharman Joshi and Rajpal Yadav..more

Manorama Six Feet Under -An offbeat thriller

'Manorama Six Feet Under' is an intriguing, complex and offbeat thriller set in a sleepy small town of Rajasthan.

The movie is a promising debut by director Navdeep Singh. People who are used to the escapist Bollywood fare may find the movie too slow or confusing. The fact is that 'Manorama' leaves many threads of the story open-ended. Even as it pays homage to noir genre, the movie stays close to reality. And there is a strong sense of impending doom throughout the film's narrative.more

Nanhe Jaisalmer - Not just about hero worship

It is an excellent act by Dwij Yadav (who plays Nanhe) and a natural performance by Bobby Deol that make you sit through that 1 hour 45 minutes. There are speed breakers though (read: all the songs, except for the title song 'Nanhe Yaar') which makes one go for that popcorn break with the biggest culprit being 'Ranjhana', the poorest of all. In fact the choreography and picturisation of the song is so weak that it makes one of those television talent hunt performances appear far more polished! more

DARLING :With the tag line that reads "A killer love story", Darling thrills just a bit and turns out to be an average in every department. After churning out one of his weakest movies in the name of a remake, Ram Gopal Varma is back with an original thrilling horror movie.

Firstly the introduction of characters. Fardeen Khan is Aditya, a successful married man and the father of a son. He also has an affair with his office colleague. The story of Darling revolves around this adulterated husband who is haunted by the ghost of his dead mistress. more

Dhamaal : Indra Kumar's movie 'Dhamaal' is a full time pass entertainer that tickles your funny bone and leaves you with a broad smile on your face. In this season of successful comedies, 'Dhamaal' brings in more cheers. The movie, starring Ritesh Deshmukh, Arshad Warsi, Javed Jaffrey, Ashish Choudhary, Asrani and Sanjay Dutt, is packed with plenty of funny situations with hilarious twists. The comedy in the film is not cerebral. It is a cocktail of slapstick and wit. And the cocktail really works.

Dhamaal starts off brilliantly. The perfect execution of the script by the director combined with the brilliant comic timing of the actors hold the film together in the first half, which is filled with jokes that are extremely funny. While the introduction of the 4 characters is funny, the car break-down scene and the chemistry between the 4 lead characters gets the house down.more

RGV Ki AAG :
'Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag' doesn't come anywhere close to the real thing, Ramesh Sippy's 'Sholay'.

Unlike the original film, 'RGV Ki Aag' has nothing that leaves a lasting impression on a viewer. The movie is a mere assorted collection of Varma's own interpretation of scenes from the original. There is no cohesive linear flow in the story. The dialogues, with frequent references to America, Iraq and Al Qaeda, are horribly amateurish. Nowhere close to the mastery of Salim and Javed in the original.more




Heyy Babyy :  After showing glimpses of his directorial skills in an episode of  Darza Zaroori Hai, Sajid Khan returns with his first full-length feature film Heyy Babyy. The movie is not an out-and-out comedy. It has many emotional moments as well.

Sajid Khan has attempted to make a wholesome entertainer by blending comedy with drama and sprinkling some 'hot stuff' on top of it to please the young audience. Sajid follows a simple formula - to have at least one interesting sequence in every reel. Most of these sequences do manage to keep your interest kindled, but some of them do fall flat. more

Chak De India:  Hollywood has had its fair share of sport themed films from Escape of Victory, Chariots of Fire, A League of their own to The Longest Yard, Coach Carter and Any Given Sunday. But same was never the case in our country. Of course there was Iqbal and partly the period piece Lagaan (which cashed in on cricket) but then these two dealt with cricket, which is nothing short of a national sensation.

To attempt a film on hockey which is heavily ignored in spite of being the national sport of India and to be precise women's hockey here, and then to present it with conviction, courage and realism on screen is not all that easy. The Yash Raj banner has teamed up with one of their favourite actors Shah Rukh Khan, not for another romantic musical hit but for this off beat movie, thereby proving that they are open to experimentation and tests. Here director Shimit Amin's contributions have come handy in a big way. He has the track record of making a realistic film like Ab Tak Chhappan and his own unique touch is there throughout the film.more

Cash
Kuch chor they, ek tha sipahi Sipahi ne choron ko pakda, khatam kahani!

Right? Wrong! Because not always does law win over the lawbreakers. And sometimes it indeed turns to be fun, if breaking of law is done in as cool a manner as CASH!

Welcome to the genre of films where crime like a heist, robbery or a con act is projected in an utter harmless and ultra cool eye candy manner. CHOCOLATE, BUNTY AUR BABLI, DHOOM 2, DON, APNA SAPNA MONEY MONEY have been some of the recent films that have belonged to this genre. Now add CASH to the list! more

Gandhi My Father
Gandhi My Father is a story that was waiting to be told. We all know about Mahatma Gandhi and his greatness. But only a few know of the troubled relationship he shared with his eldest son Harilal.

PARTNER
Salman Khan and Govinda play partners in this movie. The film has Katrina paired up with Govinda while Lara Dutta is cast opposite Salman Khan. In the film, Salman plays a love guru who is an expert in matters relating to romance and girl-wooing. Inspired by director Andy Tennant's likable Hollywood hit HITCH [2005; Will Smith, Eva Mendes, Kevin James, Amber Valletta], PARTNER is a true-blue David Dhawan film.

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

Aap Ka Surroor
AAP KAA SURROOR starts off as a love story, but gets into the thriller drive subsequently. A key factor that goes in its favor is that the events unfold at a feverish pace, giving no time to the viewer to think or break into a yawn. Besides, the film bears a stylish and glossy look and the viewer is enamored by the stunning locales of Germany as also the melodious musical score that has been filmed on some striking locations. This one's an eye candy!
more

Chain Kulii Ki Main Kuli
Zain Khan (Karan) has been brought up in an orphanage run by Rajesh Khera (John Kakkad). The boys in the orphanage badly fear Rajesh Khera and the children call him Hitler. The children want to escape from his tyranny and they crave to be adopted by some couple. The saddest thing is that the couples who come for adoption are looking for only small kids.

As the story progresses, one day Zain finds a bat which had ` KD` written on it. He took it to mean Kapil Dev and hits sixes with it during the play with his orphanage mates. One day the disillusioned Indian coach Vijay Crishna sees Zain playing and decides to include him into the Indian squad for the crucial match with Pakistan . This surprises the Indian team including Captain Rahul Bose (Varun.) However, Zain gives a good drubbing to Pak team by hitting huge sixes while opening the innings with Rahul Bose. .more

Tara Rum Pum
The power of love and togetherness can sometimes be so strong that it can make you go through the thick and thin of life with a smile on your face. This is the gist of Yashraj Film's latest presentation 'Tara Rum Pum'.

The movie, written and directed by Siddharth Anand (of Salaam Namaste), is a feelgood flick with doses of all the necessary ingredients that go into making a wholesome entertainer. It has light humour, romance, thrills, tragedy, the drama of life, hardships, struggle, the test of human spirit and the final triumph.more

Nishabd
Nishabd means wordless. But the film gets as verbose as possible. In fact it's difficult to believe that Nishabd is directed by Ram Gopal Varma. The filmmaker known for his hard-hitting realistic antics, ventures into Bhansali's sublime romantic territory with his not so conventional pairing. He is 60. She is 18. Reminds of the Zandu Kesari Jeevan advertisement. 60 saal ke budhe ya saath saal ke jawan. Ok, sad jokes apart (the film has plenty of them in the initial reels) it's a love story between the two and how his family reacts to it. That sums up for the synopsis of the entire film. Ramu goes much beyond the screenplay and interprets each of the scenes with a lot of passion. And passion here doesn't imply some sizzling chemistry between Bachchan and Jiah Khan, but Ramu's obsession with the art.more

Eklavya
Can form, no matter how glorious, be a substitute for content? In "Eklavya", lack of content isn't a problem. It's the tense and dark nature of the content that proves to be a dismaying impediment to enjoying the virility of Vidhu Vinod Chopra's storytelling. How do we define the plot of "Eklavya"? It partly borrows the dark, indefinable pathos of Shakespeare's tragedy and partly reverts to the palatial pathos of the Mughal Empire where patricide frequently collided with complex Oedipal equations. "Eklavya" takes us into a territory totally unexplored and designed to create an ethos of infinite resonances.

"Eklavya" is a film of many virtues. Screenwriter Abhijat Joshi and Chopra aim for a sense of heightened tragedy that underlines the cinema of Kurosawa and the music of Mozart. The quality of the sound design (Biswajit Chatterjee), background scores (Shantanu Moitra) and cinematography (N. Natarajan Subramaniam) elevates the bizarre tale of a dysfunctional royal family to heights of lyricism.more

The Guru
Mani Ratnam, the master of his craft, arguably surpasses all his previous works in 'Guru'. Apart from its technical soundness, 'Guru' tells a story that is deeply gripping and highly inspiring. It is the tale of a man who never gives up. The protagonist of the film is a perennial fighter and an incurable optimist.

Beginning in 1951, 'Guru' is the story of a boy who goes to Turkey to work in a petroleum company after failing his school exams back home in a small Gujarat village. With sheer hard work Gurukant Desai (Abhishek Bachchan) rises in ranks and gets promotion. But Guru is a man of big vision. He quits his job in Turkey and comes back to Gujarat to start some business of his own.more

Bhagam Bhaag
In a Priyadarshan comedy one is always comforted in the chaos of colliding characters by the thought that somewhere in the on-going blizzard of bacchanalia there's a rhythm and a rationale.
It's that thought which keeps you smiling through the exasperatingly juvenile games of one-upmanship between Govinda and Akshay Kumar in the prolific director's latest ode to rude- awakening calls from the shudder-world.

While Bhagam Bhag lacks the working-class anxieties of Hera Pheri, it certainly captures some of the colour, flamboyance and friskiness of a dance troupe from Mumbai which arrives in London for a performance without a heroine. Both the heroes, tongue-in-cheekily named Bunty(Akshay) and Babla(Govinda) as tribute to Abhishek and Rani's ongoing boisterousness from the back-waters in Bunty Aur Babli, are asked to get a girl for the play.more

Babul:
BAABUL tackles the issue of widow re-marriage, an issue the late Raj Kapoor successfully raised in PREM ROG [Rishi Kapoor, Padmini Kolhapure]. But comparisons between PREM ROG and BAABUL wouldn't be right, except that both talk about the rehabilitation of a young widow.

Balraj Kapoor (Amitabh Bachchan) is a rich buisnessman, happy and content with his world. He and his wife Shobhana (Hema Malini) have a son Avinash (Salman Khan).more

Back in Mumbai, Ali (Uday Chopra) has graduated from a mechanic to a cop. He and his senior Jai Dixit (Abhishek Bachchan) work together to bring criminals to book.more

Vivah:

Think Rajshri Productions and you're likely to think of larger than life weddings consisting of an equally large family. Be it MAINE PYAR KIYA, HUM AAPKE HAI KAUN, HUM SAATH SAATH HAI etc.
Interestingly Shahid plays Prem, the character that Salman Khan has consistently played in Barjatya's above mentioned films.
VIVAH means marriage - An institution that binds two individuals into a bond that is sacred, pure and eternal - a commitment for life. more


Don:

Farhan Akhtar's 'Don' is a Shah Rukh Khan film all the way. The superstar literally breathes fire into his character of a ruthless and clever Don. He also shows his versatility as an actor while playing the part of Vijay, the bumpkin.

Twenty-eight years after Chandra Barot's hit movie with Amitabh Bachchan in the role of Don, Farhan Akhtar comes up with a sleek and stylish tribute to the original. This 'Don' is certainly bigger and bombastic. Whether it is better, is debatable.

Barot's 'Don' was quite modern for its times. So is Akhtar's. The story of new 'Don' is set in the cityscape of Kuala Lumpur, Paris and India (few portions). The don in the film operates on an international level. He uses state-of-the-art technology, fights like a martial arts expert and has a zany taste in fashion. He is like an Indian James Bond, but obviously on the wrong side of law. more


Zindagi Rocks:


Director Tanuja Chandra forthcoming film "Zindagi Rocks", starring Sushmita Sen and Shiney Ahuja, is eliciting a good deal of curiosity about the film from various quarters.

The film has a new identity, which is one of the reasons the producers have been receiving several queries about the film from buyers as well as eager audiences."ZINDAGGI ROCKS' is a sensible movie with a heart touching story of a mother's sacrifice with a right judged star cast SHINY AHUJA (sooraj) and SUSHMITA SEN (kriya).the movie starts from a flash back which creates a suspense about shiny.... more





Woh Lamhe:

'Woh Lamhe' is said to be based on the past relationship between director Mahesh Bhatt and the late superstar of the 70-80's Parveen Bhabi. According to Mahesh Bhatt the film is an almost identical account to what transpired between him and Parveen behind closed doors. However some may say that Mahesh depicting the late actress and the details of her personal life in such a manner is callous and cruel, but Mahesh looks at it as a way to give vent to all the personal feelings that are bottled inside him. He also hopes that it will have a cathartic and healing effect on him. The story revolves around the life of a glamorous and successful actress; everybody wants to use for their own selfish purposes including the struggling director who wants to make it big at any cost. But though the actress seems to have everything on the outside, she is a lonely, scared and insecure woman on the inside. This loneliness and insecurity threatens to engulf her in its clutches and slowly drives her to the brink. Whether the film is actually a true life account will perhaps never be known, but it definitely depicts a fascinating, gripping and touching drama....more

Pyaar Ke Side Effects:

Once in while, a film makes you smile. Not because of what it strives to be. But for it sheer sassiness and temerity.

Going into the new-age movie mantra of urban relationships, Pyaar Ke Side Effects (PKSE) comes up with a winsome twosome who love some, lose some....and emerge out of the battle of the sexes healed and....quite wholesome!

Sid, that's Rahul Bose meets Trisha, a.k.a Mallika The Sherawat, in extremely trying circumstances. She's trying to escape an undesirable marriage (to stuffed -shirt Jas Arora). He's trying....just trying. Being a deejay at 30 is like being a teenager at 40. Or being Mallika Sherawat and attractive and sexy without taking your clothes off.

A bit bewildering but constantly engaging in its blizzard of bacchanalia (hats off to dialogue writer Victor Acharya for words that ring true and still sound like catch lines on the bumper sticker of sports car) PKSE is possibly that one romantic comedy in Hindi which could equal Hollywood's Harry-meets-Sally formula portraying the man-sharp-woman-sharper gender skirmish......more


Naksha:


The general impression about NAKSHA is, it's a rip-off of an Indiana Jones film. The Harrison Ford trilogy, which entertained millions of moviegoers worldwide in 1980s, is said to be the original source for Sachin Bajaj's directorial debut.

That could be true!

NAKSHA belongs to the Indiana Jones variety, but Bajaj combines Indian mythology with adventure and comes up with a new recipe altogether. And the outcome is as invigorating and revitalizing as a cup of hot coffee.

Frankly, a film like NAKSHA transports you to your adolescent years, when browsing the adventure novels and comics was your favorite pastime. It's the form of cinema that we'd forgotten in the hurly-burly world of meaningless entertainers. Dream merchants are either busy wooing the NRIs or multiplex junta. What happens to the masses then, who yearn for a desi film with loads of entertainment?

Adventure movies have been attempted in Bollywood earlier and NAKSHA is not the first of its kind in India. But NAKSHA comes at a time when adventure movies are as good as extinct in Bollywood. And that is its USP. The voyage in dense forests, high mountains and deep ravines as also the death-defying stunts compel you to pinch yourself, are you really watching a Hindi film?......more


Lage Raho Munna Bhai:

Hats off to Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Rajkumar Hirani for making a film that is more than just a rip-roaring comedy. Lage Raho Munnabhai makes you laugh, makes you cry and, parallel to all the entertainment, it gives a message that sticks in the mind. To say it in Munnabhai's lingo - it creates "chemical locha" in the brain.

It is next to impossible not to like Munnabhai and his sidekick Circuit in their second innings. Almost three years after the loveable duo cured the incurable in Munnabhai MBBS , the street-savvy taporis find themselves face to face with Mahatma Gandhi's ideology in 'Lage Raho Munnabhai'.

As Munna - the goon for whom breaking bones and abducting people is the way of life - comes face to face with Bapu, he discovers that it takes more courage to turn the other cheek than to hit back.

Munna discovers that nothing works like compassion and non-violence. Following Mahatma Gandhi's way, Munna not only triumphs over his enemies, but he also wins the love of the woman he so very longs for......more


Don:

A huge Indian contingent embarks on a dangerous cat-and-mouse trail of capturing DON (Shah Rukh Khan) - the ruthless drug mafia in Malaysia.

When DON gets seriously injured in a police encounter, the word that he is dead begins to do the rounds. The reality, of course, is that DON is held captive in a secret location, while his bumpkin of a look-alike, Vijay, is polished and sent to take down DON's gang.

In a bizarre twist of fate, when the man shielding the humble and streetwise Vijay, is killed, the latter comes to terms with the horrifying realization that both the police and the gang are out to nab him for different reasons.

In a desperate attempt to prove his innocence, he is aided by the glamorously staggering Roma (Priyanka Chopra), and handsomely striking, Jasjit (Arjun Rampal), who owes Vijay a favor for care-taking his son during his imprisonment. But will Vijay be successful in his mission?

Based on the successful erstwhile classic of the same name, which featured the legendary Amitabh Bachchan, the contemporary and stylishly crafted DON, features Bollywood czar Shah Rukh Khan playing a double role in one of the most defining performances of his career, teamed for the first time with former Miss World, Priyanka Chopra.

The biggest and most keenly awaited motion picture of 2006, DON is a high-octane, tension-filled, twisty roller coaster of a ride, with just the right dose of glamour, action, suspense and romance.......more


Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna:


When the most awaited movie of the year, with a star cast as stellar as it gets, hit the theatres, expectations are naturally high. Karan Johar's Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna partly lives up to the expectations. But watching the 3-plus hour movie, filled with emotional, tear-jerking moments from the first reel to its conclusion, is a tad tiresome.

KANK is a departure from Karan's previous works (Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham ) in the sense that the film deals with a theme that is relatively bold in Indian context. The movie simply says that it is better to walk away from a marriage if it is not working.

However,

KANK is akin to Karan's previous works in its lavishness and grandeur - the slow-motion panoramic shots, the very Johar-esque treatment of the songs in which almost all the star cast indulge in celebratory song n' dance, and, above all, the centrality of the movie's story being the complexities of relationships. So in a way, with KANK, Karan has only turned more dramatic than his former self. But in his zeal to tell an emotionally moving story, Karan goes overboard at places.......more


OMKARA:

Seen purely as an adaptation of the English bard's 'Othello', 'Omkara' is a work of cinematic brilliance, translating and transforming with conviction the characters of Shakespeare's book into the Indian milieu. But those who haven't read and don't know about 'Othello' would find 'Omkara' an average film about a man who, poisoned with jealousy, kills his own lover and, later, himself.

The dark-skinned Moor of Venice (Othello) of Shakespeare's tragedy becomes the half Brahmin, dark-complexioned chief (Omkara) of the outlaws in Uttar Pradesh in the film. The envious, conniving and cunning Iago becomes the limping, tobacco-chewing, cursing, Langda Tyagi. The handsome, charming and self-pitying Cassio becomes Kesu Firangi. The beautiful and madly-in-love Desdemona becomes the fair-skinned Dolly Mishra. The jealous, revengeful Roderigo becomes Rajan. The seductive Bianca becomes Billo.

In 'Omkara', Vishal Bhardwaj takes a few liberties and changes a few situations slightly from 'Othello'. But he does not alter the gist of the story............more


YUN HOTA TOH KYA HOTA:


When an actor of the calibre of Naseeruddin Shah decides to perch on the director's chair, you track the directorial debut with interest. It's an instant reaction since Naseer is one of the finest actors in the country who has been associated with qualitative projects since the past three decades.

In his very first outing, Naseer decides to narrate four parallel stories in those 2.05 hours. Of course, several storytellers have made an effort to narrate multiple stories in one film, notable among them being Mani Ratnam [YUVA], RGV [DARNA MANA HAI, DARNA ZAROORI HAI], Khalid Mohamed [SILSIILAY] and Samar Khan [KUCHH MEETHA HO JAYE].........more


GOLMAAL:

Rohit Shetty's movie 'Golmaal' lives up to its punchline - Fun Unlimited.

Despite the absence of a concrete plot, the movie entertains because the gags and pranks keep flowing in quick succession. There is hardly any sequence in the film that doesn't evoke a chuckle, if not make you laugh. And the credit for this partly goes to Neeraj Vora , the writer. Once again, Vora spins a yarn replete with funny oneliners, silly situations, outlandish characters and hare-brained villains.

At the centre of the movie's story are four friends - Gopal (Ajay Devgan), Madhav (Arshad Warsi), Laxman (Sharman Joshi) and Lucky (Tusshar Kapoor). Gopal is the brave, big bully of the four. Madhav is the idler. Laxman is the timid one, while Lucky is the bumbling mute.......more

Corporate


Madhur Bhandarkar continues to walk on a tight-rope, balancing masala [AAN, TRISHAKTI] and thought-provoking films [CHANDNI BAR, SATTA, PAGE 3] consistently. Ironically, the noteworthy films in his repertoire have been those that dared to tackle an issue that hadn't been explored on Hindi screens before: CHANDNI BAR and PAGE 3.

Madhur now peeps into the glitzy world of corporate identities in his new outing CORPORATE. Like CHANDNI BAR and PAGE 3, CORPORATE works for one solid reason: It brings to light the nitty-gritty of a world that most commoners never knew of. Battles fought in ostentatious and swanky offices aren't known to the majority and it is this aspect that can be rightly termed as one of the USPs of the enterprise...........more


Krissh

Is it a bird, it is a plane? No it's Hrithik Roshan!!!

It's not enough to say that Hrithik is one of the best actors of the country.

Extroardinary is the word for the measured manner in which he glides through the air to the beat of Rajesh Roshan's rather-vapid songs...or cuts through the breeze to the stunning special effects created with a verve so- far unknown to Indian cinema.

Krissh takes us into the world of masked fantasy where the stakes are incredibly high...as high as the F-X-generated leaps that the super-hero takes as he tries to save the world from the clutches of a megalomaniacal villain with a glint in his eyes that can only belong to Naseeruddin Shah............more


PHIR HERA PHERI

Comedy is the flavor of the season. And sequels are rare in India. So if a dream merchant decides to make a sequel to an immensely popular laughathon, you fasten your seat belts and wait with bated breath for reels to unfold on the screen.

PHIR HERA PHERI is the sequel to HERA PHERI involving the famous trio -- Raju [Akshay Kumar], Shyam [Suneil Shetty] and Baburao [Paresh Rawal]. Only thing, the film has not been directed by Priyadarshan [who directed HERA PHERI], but Neeraj Vora, who has penned a number of Priyadarshan movies............more



FANAA

The industry has been thirsting for a good film that works at the box-office as well. With a majority of Hindi films sinking faster than Titanic, all hopes are pinned on the first big release this summer: FANAA. Quite naturally, the expectations are humungous and there're two vital reasons for it: Yash Raj and the principal star cast.

A Yash Raj film is special. The illustrious banner has cemented its position as the Numero Uno production house by churning out memorable films and successfully transporting us to a world of make-believe in those three hours, over the years. ...............more



'36 China Town' - Lacks the punch

Abbas Mustan have always been the kings of suspense thrillers, and have given the audiences films like Soldier, Ajnabee, Humraaz, Tarzaan and Aitraaz, all of which have been exciting and have done well commercially. 36 China Town too is no exception, as it falls into the genre of a murder mystery. The film is set in Goa, where 36 China Town is the address of one of the characters.
It is clear now why Subhash Ghai wanted to keep the climax of '36 China Town' a secret before the movie's release. The suspense is such a downer that it would have earned bad publicity for the movie..............more

Darna Zaroori Hai

'Pyare Mohan' - Mundane

Pyare Mohan lacks heart, soul and everything besides having such a talented director of MASTI and Fardeen Khan who did a good job in NO ENTRY and ofcourse Boman irani who is always dependable

Barring a few sequences, the humour in 'Pyare Mohan' is pretty mundane.
Given the movie's basic story idea, 'Pyare Mohan' could have been an interesting flick. Two friends - one blind and the other deaf - go about their lives with fun and masti without letting their handicap become a weakness. ...............more

'Humko Deewana Kar Gaye' Mushy

Akshay Kumar's films are becoming classier by the month. There's a certain restrain in his presence here. The way he conveys the pain and hurt of an impossible love, is quite surprising for an actor who until recently was counted among the wooden.
Director Raj Kanwar's recent efforts to polish up his act have yielded tepid results. Dhai Akshar Prem Ke and the boxoffice hit Andaz were louder than the lyrical aspirations of their creator.
Filmmaker Raj Kanwar's previous movies have bore an indubitable stamp of melodrama and romantic mush. HDKG is no exception. ................more

Saawan

"You'll die this Friday." No, that isn't a trade pundit predicting doomsday for this hopelessly loopy and washed-out take on the vagaries of life. That's just the 'desi' Nostradamus, played by Salman Khan, predicting sure-death for the film's pert heroine (Saloni Aswani).
The film's feverish take on the matters of fate is so hopelessly out of sync with the times, you feel sorry for the perpetrators of this celluloid atrocity.
Poor Salman. He's given the thankless task of shouldering this creative carcass. ............more


Shaadi Se Pehle

The title SHAADI SE PEHLE gave an impression of it being a sex comedy and Mallika's presence just strengthened the belief. But the motion got wiped off immediately after the movie starts rollin'. This ain't no sex comedy, this is an ex-comedy!
Well, read the story first. Ashish Khanna (Akshaye Khanna) and Rani (Ayesha Takia) are very much in love. Ashish suffers from hypertension and one day he misunderstands it for cancer after overhearing his doctor's (Boman Irani) conversation on the phone. Ashish is devastated and then embarks to turn nasty so that Rani starts hating him and does not have to face the suffering of his death. ....................more

Banaras

Starring: Urmila, Naseeruddin Shah, Dimple Kapadia, Raj Babbar, Ashmit Patel.
Director: Pankuj Parashar

Ashmit Patel has a problem. It's not that he can't act. Director Pankuj Parashar has taken care of that issue admirably, skirting his skills and asking him to smile vacantly at everyone. This is what Bollywood, bred on a diet of melodramatic histrionics, calls 'subtle.'
No, his problem is peculiar. A shy, silent orphan named Soham, he's a bit overwhelmed by the unashamedly frank proposal come his way from the overenthused Shwetambari (Urmila). The randy little rich girl is thrilled about Soham's music classes, and singing is clearly not foremost in her thoughts. But, Soham asks himself, is this right?...................more