Reviews by Blessy Chettiar from DNA
Dangerous Ishhq is like watching a Dr Brian Weiss book in 3D, after about 30 pages, it gets monotonous and uninteresting. There’s only so much curiosity you can have in somebody else’s life. By the end of the ordeal you wish to be treated to a past life regression theory to find out what was it that drew you to it. Go curse your karma now.
Apart from some well-choreographed dance practice session by Longines Fernandes and Neha Dhupia there isn’t much working for Pappu Can’t Dance Saala. Pull out that original ‘Pappu Can’t Dance Saala’ song from Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Na and dance your heart out. Saurabh Shukla’s Pappu… can only make you sob. Skip, skip, skip.
This reviewer is still figuring what the storyline was and where it was headed to justify the existence of the film and this review.
The writing is amusing. Writer and director Pawan Gill garnishes his script with all the cheese in the world, using every possible English idiom to emphasise emotional tension. You can’t help but snigger. One could carve out a neat almirah out of the wooden Sunny Gill, while Simran Kaur Mundi could be his pink curtain.
What could have been an entertaining and perky comedy turns out to be silly and unbearable even in the first half. A total waste of resources, watch Loot at your own risk.
My Friend Pinto unfolds in one night, when Michael has a brush with the “strange city, strange people.” The film has some funny and many not-so-funny yet endearing moments involving the good-natured mama’s boy, Michael. My Friend Pinto is one happy, no-frills film that’s sure to make you smile. As one of the characters rightly says, a smile is what we need the most sometimes. Recommended.
If ever there is an award for Consistent Ambiguity, Gandhi to Hitler’s director Rakesh Ranjan Kumar will be the strongest contender. Nah, give it to him already. From the title to the subject and the intention to the universal India-ness in each of the characters (German, Russian and everybody in between), Kumar presents an account of history, botched up and ineffective. Gandhi To Hitler is rancid, futile and unnecessary to the past, present and future of sanity, let alone to cinema. Avoid this one at all costs.
Performances are honest and telling across the board, yet Farhan stands out (Warning: Some bias may be at play here). Roshan, Deol and Farhan stick to their briefs by Zoya, often contained, and true to their characters, and never over-the-top. The writers exploit luxury and frankly, ZNMD set anywhere else could be as true to character. They didn't really have to go to Spain. For those (which, I assume, is a lot of us), who may not be able to afford a holiday in Spain for any time soon, go catch ZNMD for good performances, music, Spain and of course, Farhan Akhtar in his element.
Tollywood director and producer Jagannadh’s tribute is void of story, and with a paper-thin plot like this only works because of Bachchan’s over-powering screen presence. We’re not surprised. The writing isn’t strong, nor are the characters. In a film starring the multi-faceted Bachchan, it’s a daunting task for any actor to stand out. You decide which part of the duniya you’re part of. We love the angry young man of the 70s and 80s. Bachchan saab, aaj khush toh bahut hoge tum, but this angry, wanna-be buddah does not make us feel the same.
In the quest to make it an edge-of-the-seat thriller, debutant director Ankush Bhatt fails to present a coherent story in the first half. The second half meanders with only a few suspense elements breathing life into the screenplay at the fag end. By this time, you’ve run out of patience, taken up mostly by the tasteless item number by Caterina Lopez and heavy duty bedding by newcomer Vedita, whose presence in the film is never fully justified. The dialogue is wannabe, aimed at being etched for eternity in public conscience but failing miserably. It’s certainly no ‘risk’ to miss out on the momentary thrills that Bhindi Bazaar offers. If you’re not a hopeless Mumbai freak in search of these, stay at home, sip a cup of chai and enjoy the rains.
This is the kind of film every guy will swear by while no gal will admit to being like any of the women in the film. It also shakes awake the ghost of the Madhur Bhandarkar directed Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji. The only problem with PKP is its running time. The second half seems never-ending, sappy and pleading for sympathy. The MCPs probably don’t realise that women don’t think much of them and PKP won’t do much to change that.
Too many loose ends, a patchy storyline, and unnecessary additions to the plot make this pseudo comedy a sore watch. The story meanders from the farms of Punjab to the snowed-down peaks of North India, adding unnecessary elements along the way. To cut a long story short, you won’t miss much if you skip this tepid tale of three brothers. 3 Thay Bhai has no comedy, no entertainment, and nothing much to look forward to.
One woman on a murder spree sounds enough to give you the chills, but still the thrill factor remains elusive. Chopra’s acting skills cover most of the flaws in the screenplay, but Vivaan Shah steals her thunder. Naseer's son is clearly a talent to watch out for. Bhardwaj gives each husband just about enough of a lifetime (literally), while keeping 7 Khoon Maaf essentially Susanna’s property. Bhardwaj falters in places, probably owing to the limitations of adapting a book onto film. Sympathies apart, none of Susanna’s reasons for murder are compelling enough. All in all, no words can fully express the wicked experience of 7 Khoon Maaf. Go catch it for some ‘bloody’ good performances and a great storyline.
Director Nikhil Advani injects so much drama into Patiala House that it has the power to moisten your eyes at times. Having co-written the story with Anvita Dutt Guptan, Advani brings out the best in Kumar as well, something we haven’t seen in a while. Much of the action comes in the lead-up to the highly predictable climax. But it’s a delight to watch cricket stars like Andrew Symonds, Graham Gooch and Kieron Pollard. For a Bollywood- and cricket-crazy country, Patiala House seems like a dream that marries both off with aplomb... patialvi style.
A romantic comedy should ideally have a good deal of romance and at least a few lucid funny moments to make it an interesting watch. While DTBHJ has an impressive star cast harping on (and cheering) their love interests in every second frame, there is a serious need for humour in the film. Moreover, the wafer-thin plot hardly moves, so there is not much to look forward to either.
The subtlety with which events unfold works both ways for Dhobi Ghat. It works in the favour of Dhobi Ghat because it uses subtlety where other filmmakers have always over-emphasised and exaggerated while dealing with a Mumbai centric film. The traditional Indian audience may not find favour in Dhobi Ghat, may be only a niche few. For entertainment or emotional stimulation look elsewhere. There’s every reason you can miss this one. Unless you like to believe you’re among the intelligentsia.