The enigma of Talaash – Reema Kagti’s next with Aamir Khan

Everything about this film is shrouded in smoke – Dhuaan was a very apt early rumored title that has now been changed to Talaash. Written by Reema Kagti (director of Excel Entertainment’s Honeymoon Travels) and Zoya Akhtar (writer and director of Luck by Chance and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara), the film boasts of an interesting cast with Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor (last seen in 3 Idiots) but also includes Rani Mukherjee. Rani and Aamir were last seen together in Mangal Pandey years ago!

Lessons learned from Ra.1, or whither Ra.2?

Amitabh Bachchan acted in Ajooba in 1991 (almost 22 years after his debut) and that, along with other misfires, marked the end of his thriving career as a superstar.

Bodyguard – Salman and Kareena

The first long song promo is out! Desi Beats is a catchy enough number but it does have some energetic choreography:

Here is my analysis:

1. Salman is looking quite youthful and fit – best looking Khan today.
2. He is actually dancing to the beat, following the choreography and playing to the galleries splendidly.
3. The backup dancers are shirtless, while Salman has a vest on and shows us his biceps!
4. Kareena is almost a glorified extra with little to do – but at least she indicates she is romancing Salman by looking at him or coming out from behind him.
5. Salman is so focused on the choreography that we get no indication he is even aware that Kareena is sharing the song with him! Reminds me of the kid who memorizes his lines so painstakingly that he forgets to add the expressions as he recites.

Go on this journey from Mumbai to Bhatinda – Jab We Met!

A good-looking and incredibly rich man (Shahid Kapor) is dumped by his girlfriend, and is down in the dumps. He leaves his Mercedes on the street and wanders about, then jumps on to the first train he sees. A good-looking fast talking Punjabi kudi (Kareena Kapoor ) hops on to same train and talks non-stop, even in her sleep, driving the moping hero to brink of insanity.

Omkara – a rare gem!

As Vishal Bhardwaj’s new film 7 Khoon releases it is time to revisit an old friend!

Omkara is Vishal Bharadwaj’s gritty adaptation of Othello. The plot is well known – no spoiler warnings are necessary for this one. The characters follow the Shakespearean plot line and even have alphabet coded names – Omkara is Othello, Iswar (AKA Langda Tyagi) is Iago, Kesu is Cassio, and Dolly is Desdemona.

Perfect Monday morning!!!

First I read this gem – stupendous!  I do not know who gets the award – should it be for creative journalism or stupidity in film-making?

Bebo in chaddis!

Meena Iyer, TNN, Aug 23, 2010, 12.00am IST

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The 3 Idiots – it is about the message, stupid!

Any review of a film like Three Idiots must needs be undertaken at a few levels. At the most superficial level, the film is a simple comedy about life in an engineering college hostel, full of gags and puerile humor – but films like Singh is Kinngg and Kambakht Ishq have shown us that this kind of humor works! Three guys meet, one is UNIQUE and smart without trying, GENIUS even – Rancho or Ranchoddass. They bond over lots of time spent in the hostel bathroom and drinking on the rooftop. The headmaster is a tartar and in an attempt to foil him they get into trouble, are nearly thrown out except that Rancho miraculously fashions a baby vacuum device to deliver the headmaster’s grandson on the college ping-pong table. Then Rancho mysteriously disappears, and the other two Idiots go on a search for Rancho, find him and ALL IZZ WELL.

The politics of Kurbaan…….

The reviews were all over the place and Dharma productions reputation of being the peddler of overseas based candyfloss romances was something that suggested this film could not be real or hard-hitting. So I went with suitably lowered expectations to the afternoon show of Kurbaan with my Kashmiri Muslim friend. There was a long line at the ticket window, for the Twilight movie – mostly females of all ages. (Aside – a mother with her 10 year old daughter was buying tickets for the Twilight film, that raised many disturbing questions for me, but I’ll save those for now). We went in as the previews were beginning and had to find seats way in the front in a theater that was about 80% full.