Wake Up Sid is a Breezy Watch..

Wake Up Sid (2009)
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Kon Kona Sen Sharma,

Rating: 3/5

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There are movies which have a subject matter you can relate to, movies which are a reflection of the lifestyle and attitudes of the new generation. These movies have characters you can identify with and their story is essentially one that you know as it has already unfolded or unfolding in your life or the life of people around you. Wake Up Sid is one such movie. It is yet another addition to the F5 Club as I call it. F5 Club consists Hindi movies (Eg. Dil Chahta Hai, Jhankaar Beats, Dev D & Luck By Chance) which have F5’ed (read Refresh) the multiplex going audience by serving them a slice of their own life.

Many of us (the self made kind) have always said to ourselves – “Oh these rich brats have had it all easy in life having being served everything on a silver platter. What do these kids know about responsibility and the struggles of everyday life?” Siddharth Mehra played by the dashing Ranbir Kapoor is one of those rich brats who lives life king size and whose occupation is spending his father’s money! In Sid’s dictionary, the words love, work and study don’t exist! He flunks his college exam, refuses to join his dad’s business and leaves home after a fight with his parents. But for all his immaturity and I don’t care attitude, Sid is a sweet and endearing character, a person you would like to befriend. The movie is about the series of events that lead to Sid’s awakening as a mature and independent man. The plot is as predictable as a straight line yet you relate to it as it sucks you in for those two and a half hours while you sip Coke and munch your pop corn.

Besides the coming of age of Siddharth Mehra, Wake Up Sid is a feel good romantic movie. The romance between Sid and Aisha, a girl who shifts to Mumbai to pursue her passion as a writer is not of the love at first sight variety. Opposites attract but it takes time for the realization of mutual attraction to set in, something which is shown well in the movie.

The young debutant director Ayan Mukerji proves that often the person who writes the script is in the best position to direct it. The story and its subsequent execution has both simplicity and honesty. This honesty is reflected in the way the characters are etched out. Sid’s friends are real and ordinary looking people, the kinds who are not necessarily the most stunning looking people you will ever see. Then there are Sid’s parents with whom he does not share a very close relationship with. His mom like any other mom barges into his room without knocking, cleans up the mess inside, dotes on his son and insists that he eats ghar ka khaana. His dad on the other hand is a go getter, a self made man who is proud of his achievements on one hand and dismayed by his son’s aimlessness in life on the other.

Ranbir Kapoor once again shows his charm and swagger as he plays Sid effortlessly. It is true that the role doesn’t really stretch his acting capabilities but he needs to be credited for sustaining audience interest in a predictable plot. Ranbir is without a doubt, a mega superstar in the making. Konkona Sen, the seasoned actress is at her best playing a role which she has played many times in the past. It is a master stroke by the director to get Kon Kona to play Aisha instead of one of the reigning queens of Hindi cinema. Konkona fits the bill perfectly. The casting of the support cast is good and director manages to extract quality performances.

Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions adds to the movie the bright, colorful and larger than life glitz it is known for. Whether it is the sea being overlooked by the Bombay skyline or the colorful and often creepy streets of the suburbs and its defaced buildings, top notch cinematography ensures that Bombay is captured brilliantly. Having been born in Bombay ( I insist on not using Mumbai) and spending the first three years of my life there, this movie made me miss that city. The flair, passion for life, the mad pace, and the clichéd - never say die attitude of the city is in the backdrop a very important character of this film.

With the music of Wake Up Sid, Shankar Ehsaan Loy have added yet another feather in their cap. The soundtrack is uplifting and Kya Karoon (a quintessential feel good song) & Iktara (soulful and additive) are the best picks in the album. It is a pity that the male version of Iktara which is there as a background score in the movie was not included in the album.

Despite being bound by limitations of being predictable and moving at a slow pace, Wake Up Sid works because it is honest (Yes I once again use that word). It is a movie which makes you reminisce those times when you were uncertain about the direction your life is going to take or that time when you were unsure of your feelings for someone or the first time you really felt a sense of purpose and pride. If a movie manages to strike a chord like that, it is a successful attempt. Wake Up Sid is an urban story which is well presented.

Whaaaaaaaats Your Raaaaaaaaaa..... Well, what was the name again?

WHAT'S YOUR RAASHEE? (2009)
Cast: Harman Baweja, Priyanka Chopra
Director: Ashutosh Gowariker

Rating: 1.5/5

There was a man who made Lagaan, a film which enthralled one and all leading to a nationwide hysteria for that elusive Oscar, then, a few years later he made Swades, a film which touched the hearts of Indians living both inside and outside the country. His third directorial venture, Jodha Akbar was charming despite its alleged historical inaccuracies. A Hat-trick of these three successful films made us all believe that the man – Ashutosh Gowariker had truly made his mark as one of the best directors in the country. But wait.... because when you watch his latest movie ‘What’s your Raashee?’ (WYR) you are shocked in disbelief! ‘What’s Your Raashee?’ is an excruciatingly painful watch. Two years ago, Ashutosh Gowariker made a comment that he was tired of making serious films and having being inspired by films like Harry Met Sally he wanted to make a Rom-Com. ‘WYR’ is his attempt at a rom-com and I will not hold back when I say that it is a horrendous attempt, an attempt which both he and his audiences would like to forget as soon as possible.

Zodiac Signs is a discussion topic which fascinates many and is strongly believed by people following astrology. Many of us have read the famous Linda Goodman Sun Sign book in which the characteristics for various sun signs are scaringly accurate. Ashutosh Gowariker’s ‘WYR’ revolves around this concept of sun signs. The protagonist played by Harman Baweja has to forcibly marry due to family pressure and for this purpose he sees 12 women from different zodiacs in order to marry the one with whom he is the most compatible with. The 12 women are played by Priyanka Chopra and when Harman asks his Nanaji as to why does he see the same face in all the 12 women, his Nanaji says “Isliye kyunki tumhe har chehre mei apni sapno ki Raj Kumaari dikh rahi hai.” Gah! It is lameness like this which makes the film fall flat on its face!

The film gets from bad to worse. There is a song and dance routine with each girl, a couple of ridiculous and unwanted plots involving the protagonists’ brother who owes money to the mafia and an astrologer turned detective who crops up regularly during the movie and makes you want to pull your hair in disgust. It would still be acceptable if this film would not take itself seriously but there comes a point when Ashutosh Gowariker starts giving social commentary about child marriage! It’s almost as if Ashutosh Gowariker is committing Hara-Kiri.

With 12 different roles you expect Priyanka Chopra to shine but in the end you are rather underwhelmed by her performance. She does make a mark in three characters but a lackluster script with poor execution lets her down. It is a shame that the characters she plays hardly represent the qualities of the respective zodiacs. Where is the stubbornness in the Aries girl? Where is the moodiness in the Cancerian girl? Where is the split personality or dual side in the Gemini girl? Where is the fickle nature and the indecisiveness in the Libran girl? Ashutosh Gowariker creates characters according to his whims and fancy with complete disregard to astrological literature which is supposed to be the basis of his movie. Harman Baweja on the other hand is sincere, acts well and is perhaps the only saving grace of the movie. Here’s a guy who has been ridiculed for being a clone of Hrithik Roshan but in WYR he is unfazed, showcases his talent and delivers a noteworthy performance.

At 3 hours and 35 minutes, ‘What’s Your Raashee?’ is a mega blunder! It should be included as a case study in film schools of how not to make a movie. If you are still interested in seeing the movie at the cinemas, my advice would be to carry your folding bed, blindfolds, some cotton plugs...all for a comfortable sleep.

An exhilarating ride of kameenapan...

KAMINEY(2009)

Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Amol Gupte
Director: Vishal Bhardwaj

Rating: 3.5/5

Many of you, my dear friends and esteemed readers have complained why I haven’t reviewed Kaminey as yet. The fact is that like every major release hitting Indian theatres, I did see it on the day of its release - 14th August, but as I got out from the theatre I was dazed. For once, I wanted to reserve my judgment as I don’t think I had absorbed the brilliance (or the possible lack of it) in the first viewing. One thing was for sure – Kaminey warranted a second viewing and after having finally seen it for the second time with a fellow film enthusiast I finally write my review. Read on...

Shahid Kapoor’s character Charlie says in the beginning of Kaminey, “Yeh life badi kutti cheez hai”. With this very dialog the director, Vishal Bhardwaj stamps his authority on the movie and reminds us of the rusticity of Omkara.

The setting is grim and murky and not once in the film do you see a scene set in broad day light with a clear blue sky and the sun shining! In this backdrop unfolds the lives of two twin brothers Charlie and Guddu. Wait, did anyone just shout the words – cliché, formulaic or been-there-seen-that? Hang on, because this is not the run of the mill “twin-brothers-parting-in-a-Kumbh-Mela-and-uniting-after-20-years-to-take-revenge-on-their-father’s-killer” saga. Vishal Bhardwaj has his own take on Hindi cinema’s (I hate the use of the term Bollywood) favorite storyline. True, that there is a Deewar between the two brothers but this deewar is sans the two Ms – Maa and Melodrama.

The story takes its precious time to truly engulf you. There is some confusion as seemingly random scenes roll out one after another and half an hour into the movie you haven’t been able to figure out what is really happening! It’s almost as if, it is a deliberate attempt on the part of the director to go slow with the screenplay in order to enable the viewer to absorb himself in the setting the movie has been executed in. But one hour into the runtime Vishal Bhardwaj successfully manages to finely sketch the different characters and put various shades to them. The characters are real and life like speaking everyday language like you and me, yet living realistically dramatic ordinary lives.

The lives of a group of gangsters trying to close a major drug deal with help from top brass of the Mumbai-Anti Narcotics Bureau, a Raj Thackeray proto-type with a ‘Jai Maharashtra’ propaganda trying to get his sister to forcibly marry a Builder’s son so that he can get dowry in his election fund, a local goon wanting to recover his lost savings from a fraud informant and stumbling upon a golden guitar in the process, his estranged brother – a regular next door guy struggling in life and who due to circumstances very hesitantly has to elope with the girl he loves, all intervene through a bizarre series of events and mayhem ensues!

If Vishal Bhardwaj’s direction is the spinal cord of the movie then Shahid’s performances as Charlie and Guddu are the heart of the movie. These two roles present a major challenge to Shahid but he rises up to the challenge and makes the most of it. He proves that his acting capabilities are not limited to the chocolate boy roles we are accustomed to seeing him in. Again the credit goes to the director for the brilliant characterization. In Charlie, Shahid has got a memorable character which will be etched in the viewer’s memory for times to come. Shahid is so good that at the end of the movie you cannot think of any other actor who could have done justice to the two roles. And yes the lisping and stammering act which has already become a rage is pulled off ‘awefomely’ by Shahid! He is without doubt a HUGE Superstar in the making.

Priyanka Chopra (I admit without any qualms that she is my image of the ultimate woman) as the lead actress on the other hand plays the role of Sweety which is beneath her super glamorous image. She carries the toned down look of a Maharashtrian girl with great Chutzpah. Again thanks to the director, her character has some brilliant moments in the movie. Like in that raunchy scene where she tells her lover Guddu when they are making out in a tent and ready to go all the way – “Tere mere beech mei koi teesra aa jaaye, mujhe pasand nahi!” Go figure what that meant! Then there is that scene in the end when she pulls off a ‘Bride’ (Read Uma Thurman in Kill Bill) by picking up a machine gun and pointing and shooting at her own brother for conspiring to kill her lover!

Amol Gupte shines in his portrayal of the Mahrashtrian politician. The casting of the rest of the supporting actors is spot on and their performances A grade. It’s a relief to see fresh faces in the supporting cast and it is this freshness that adds newness to this film!

Kaminey truly has some magical moments. It is commendable how the director amidst the bang-bang mayhem has managed to incorporate a love story between Guddu and Sweety and make it so endearing. The scene where Guddu lashes out on Sweety after finding out that she fakes her stammering deeply moves you. In that very scene the director is able to highlight the insecurity of Guddu’s character on one hand and Sweety's deep love and willingness to go to any lengths to be with him on the other. Then there is that hilarious Bhope Bhau vs. Tope Bhau confrontation which is another masterstroke!

Vishal Bhardwaj recently said in an interview that he considers himself a music director first and then a film director. The background music and soundtrack of Kaminey is pulsating! The Kaminey album has something for everyone. Listening to ‘Dhan Te Nan’ in a Dolby Digital theatre gives you gooseflesh and increases your rate of blood circulation! The lyrics for other songs are brilliantly penned down. Sample this:

“..Ishq mei jalte hue saans tezaabi lage, raaz khulta nahi, koi toh chabhi lage.” (Raat Ke Dhai Bajein)

“...Meri arzoon Kamini,,mere khwaab bhi Kaminey.. ek dil se dosti thi, yeh huzoor bhi Kaminey...” (Kaminey)

“...Yaad hai peepal ke jiskey ghaney saayein they, humnein gilhare ke joothe matar khaaye they...yeh barqat un hazrat ki hai, pehli baar mohabbat ki hai.. aakhri mohabbat ki hai” (Pehli Baar Mohabbat)

Mohit Chauhan’s rendition of ‘Pehli Baar Mohabbat’ is divine. He is arguably the number one playback singer these days with tracks like Masakali (Delhi 6), Khuchh Khaas (Fashion), Tune Jo Naa Kahaa (New York) and Yeh Dooriyan (Love Aaj Kal) to his credit.

Kaminey won’t connect with the sensibilities and tastes of the average Indian movie goer. It requires the viewer’s attention and intelligence throughout. The film cannot be labeled a masterpiece as it loosely draws inspiration from films like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch and Pulp Fiction. But it is not a mish-mash or a rehash of these films. In fact it is a brilliant fusion between the two different worlds of cinema. The movie’s real star is the director Vishal Bhardwaj who proves that what Guy Ritchie/Quentin Tarantino can do, he can do as effectively, if not better with a desi tadka! Kaminey is an insane ride. Jump in and enjoy this ride with the Kamineys and sing - Dhan Te Nan..Te Nan..Te Nan

The L Word...

LOVE AAJ KAL (2009)
Director: Imtiaz Ali Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, Rishi Kapoor

Rating: *****

Imtiaz Ali was the man behind that very endearing movie - Jab We Met which has become a cult of epic proportions amongst Hindi movie lovers. While Jab We Met was essentially about love effecting and changing two people for the better, Love Aaj Kal takes an altogether different route. It’s not the typical boy-meets-girl story. It’s what the boy-and-girl-do-when-they-think-that-it’s-not-going-to-work-out story.

So what is love? They say Love is happiness, it is bliss, it is life transforming, it is passion, it is pain, and often it is disappointment. Simply put love is so many things put together yet it is inexplicable. Nothing evokes more powerful emotions than love. ‘Love Aaj Kal’ tries to look at the dynamics of love as it happens and exists today vis-a-vis the love which actually happened and existed ages ago and the kind which exists today only in romantic novels and implausible movie plots.

Does the notion of love which talks about the existence of soul mates, thunderbolt at first sight and loving and living with each other for many lives hold true for this generation where any and everything is ready-made/instant? Is there anything known as true love? Do distances matter in relationships? Does love happen only once in a lifetime? Or can you love someone again with the same amount of intensity? Love Aaj Kal seeks and manages to answer these questions, not in a very emphatic manner though. The ingredient of cheesiness is used to the minimum and the film is devoid of over sappiness and works mostly at a practical level.

Jai Vardhan (Saif Ali Khan) and Meera Pandit (Deepika Padukone) are the in-love-but-ambitious-couple who live in London. Meera has to go to Delhi, India to pursue her career in arts while Jai has always dreamt of settling in the city of the Golden Gate Bridge – San Francisco. Their ways are meant to part and part is what they amicably do. It’s here that the “we-move-on-quickly-with-no-hang-ups” quality of today’s youth is shown. The coolio treatment follows whereby the couple throw a “Break Up Party”, part ways and encourage each other to find new people and get over each other! But do they really manage to do that? It is at this point that the story is interwoven and stirred gently with another story which takes place some decades ago. It’s here where the contrast is beautifully shown – of how Gen-X has stopped being patient, of how it has stopped hoping and believing and of how it has adopted a practical (perhaps rightfully) approach to life and relationships.

Saif Ali Khan has truly grown as an actor. From the quirky guy in Dil Chahta Hai and Kal Ho Naa Ho to the intense and villainous Langda Tyagi in Omkaara, Saif has truly matured as an actor and this maturity clearly reflects in his portrayal of the character Jai Vardhan, a very real and relatable character who experiences a range of emotions throughout the story. It is Saif who carries the entire movie on his shoulders. The high point of his performance comes during the scenes when his character is dismayed, wondering what is amiss in his life even though he has achieved his dream of settling in SFO. Deepika as the lead actress is a bit of a letdown as she seems to continue in the same mould as her characters in Bachna Ae Haseeno & CC2C by pretty much the same standard looks and expressions. Rishi Kapoor in a pivotal role is endearing but it’s the sort of role which has become a cliché for him (Read Hum Tum, Fanaa, Luck By Chance etc.). The role doesn’t stretch Rishi Kapoor at all as you’d imagine that a seasoned actor like him would turn up on the sets and get it right in the first take itself.

The film takes place at four places – UK, Delhi, Kolkata and San Francisco which makes it an ideal platform for creative and visual excellence in cinematography. Since the film has two stories one of which takes place presumably in the 1950s, the cinematographer does a good job by getting the look and feel of the by-lanes of Delhi and Kolkata during this period right. As a Delhite it is heartening to see that this for long ignored city is now on the radar of major film makers. India Gate, Qutub Minar, the wide open tree lined roads, Dilli Haat, the Gurgaon high rises and the Delhi Metro are all captured brilliantly by the camera.

Music was a high point of Imtiaz Ali’s last film - Jab We Met and while the soundtrack doesn’t match the brilliance of that movie it does have some tracks which truly sparkle on screen. “Ye Dooriyan” sung by Mohit Chauhan is easily the best song on the soundtrack, though the song could have been strategically better placed in the storyline. Nevertheless ‘Ye Dooriyan’ is the quintessential track to be played on a winter night remembering each and every dear one’s absence from your life. ‘Main Kya Hoon’ sung by KK is the song which is most perfectly executed in the storyline. ‘Chor Bazaari’ is peppy, ‘Aj Din Chadhiya’ is earthy, ‘Twist’ leaves a lot more to be desired while ‘Aaahun Aahun’ at the end is no ‘Mauja Hi Mauja’.

Overall, Love Aaj Kal is not a letdown. It’s fun and understated. At a runtime of 130 minutes, the film is crisp by Hindi Cinema standards. Don’t expect the film to overwhelm you like Jab We Met. Love Aaj Kal is like that cup of tea with just the right amount of sugar. But still you might wonder why the sugar was too little/more.

Sincerity and Innocence in its purest form

THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER (1940)
Director: Ernst Lubitsch Starring: James Stewart, Margaret Sullivan

Rating: *****


To say that 'The Shop Around The Corner' is a romantic comedy which is charming and endearing would be an understatement. Movies as pure and sincere as these are indeed a rarity these days. Lubitsch does a fantastic adaptation of the play by Hungarian playwright Nokolaus Lazzlo, about a man and woman working together in a gift shop who can't stand each other, but are falling in love with each other as anonymous pen pals. The 1998 Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks starer --You've Got Mail was largely inspired by this and was charming in its own right BUT it is no match to this original classic.

It is a movie which carves out a niche for each character and makes all of them loved and memorable. The dialogs are some of the wittiest and the most charming I have ever heard.

Sparkling performances by the lead pair James Stewart and Margaret Sulluvan. Aah.. the charm Jimmy is able to turn on, is simply divine! That such an actor once walked in flesh and blood on this earth is an eternal blessing for all of us who appreciate CLASSIC cinema.