Jashnn Movie Review

By Subhash K Jha Starring Adhyayan Suman, Shahana Goswami, Anjana Sukhani, Humayun Saeed Directed by Raksha Mistry & Hasnain S Hyderbadwala Rating: *** Rejoice ! The Bhatts are back with a film that rips a hole in the heart, and lodges itself deep into your consciousness … for a bit at least. It’s hard to move away from the territory of trauma that Bhatt perennially creates for his characters. His protagonists suffer because they allow themselves the luxury of feeling and hurting in an utterly selfcentred way. In a marked departure from the sacrificial mother-figures of our movies the film’s central character Nisha ( played with gut-wrenching brutal selfhonesty by Shahana Goswami) is shown to be a rich man’s mistress not because of her kid brother but because, as she roars in one of the narrative’s soul-piercing highest-pitched sequences, she has gotten so used to luxuries she can’t queue for buses any more. Jashnn, like Mahesh Bhatt’s Jannat before it wallows in the transparent hunger of today’s lifestyle and how far individuals are able to go in pursuit of the next thrill. At its heart Jashnn is a simple story about four troubled people tied together in a baffling labyrinth of complicated emotions. As Adhyayan Suman, rising to the challenge of playing the author-backed role of Aakash Didi’s ladla and destiny’s unfavoured wannabe Michael Jackson, says to his spunky girlfriend (a never-say-why chick who moves in with her guy in his garage music room), “Your brother was supporting my sister. Now you’re supporting me. What a family we are!” Bhatt’s people are never afraid of facing the truth about themselves, no matter how ugly. And it can’t get any uglier than the sequence where Akaash, angry embittered cornered and moneyless steals from a woman’s purse in a bar to pay for his drinks. There’s a redemptive counterpoint to this hideous moment of compromise. There always is. And when it comes Jashnn you feel like applauding our young hero’s proclivity to look life in all its garish shades straight in the eye. In what could be considered the best re-launch since Mallika Sherawat in the Bhatts’ Murder, Adhyayan Suman gets a role with a graph and grip that most newcomers fantasize about in their most orgasmic dreams. Adhyayan surrenders himself completely to the bum-musician’s inner world, emerging with emotions that lie buried too deep for tears fears and jeers. He cries openly and feelingly for his lost and redeemed dignity, he makes love to his girlfriend with the same tender look in his eyes as when he cuts a cake with his sister. He grits his teeth when his sister is insulted for her parasitical life as a rich man’s mistress. He rejoices when she’s liberated. He’s a Mahesh Bhatt hero. Shahana Goswami the truest new-millennium inheritor Shabana Azmi’s histrionic kingdom, goes through the role of squalid dependency and emotional liberation with a velocity of expressions that expand the screen space into a universe of articulated angst. Of course the dialogues help. Shahana’s sequence where she tells a cheesy guy she wants to be something better than meat in the market is proof enough of her capabilities. It’s interesting to see Anjana Sukhani turn a routine role of the spoilt but eventually sobered-down heiress into an area of interesting possibilities. The girl is spirited and plays her part with a determined relish. The film’s other protagonist Humayun Saeed hams his way through most of the material. He isn’t to be blamed all the time. Some of his sequences lack the insightful intensity of what the writers offer the other principal characters. And to see this villain weeping in repentance at the end kind of takes away from the sting and bite of the tangy dish on contemporary compulsions that the Bhatts have prepared for posterity. Mention must be made of the actor who plays Aakash’s best friend Sukesh. The boy gets the point. It isn’t as though Jashnn has something new to say. If you’ve been observing the cinema of Mahesh Bhatt you’d know they secrete dark recesses of resonant emotions serving more as mirrors for the mores of our times rather than just vehicles to get audiences into titillated submission. The women in Mahesh Bhatt creations are extraordinarily striking creatures. And there are two such women in Jashnn. One is a tortured mistress of the night. The other is a wealthy woman who lives-in with her struggler boyfriend and refuses to abort her illegitimate baby. A scar is borne. The womb is a wonderfully warm place to tell screen stories about people who manoeuvre out of materialistic morass in redemptive rhythms. Co-director Raksha Mistry and Hasnain Hyderabadwala have here created a parable of pain written across the theme of a musician’s journey from rejection to victory. But the music of Jashnn goes far beyond what we hear playing so stylishly and sensitively on the soundrack.

Luck Movie Review

By Taran Adarsh Rating: *** Fasten your seat belts and get ready for hardcore stunts and thrills, Hollywood ishtyle. Come to think of it, Bollywood hasn't churned out stylised action movies as regularly as it churns out comedies and rom-coms. There's a vacuum for sure. But Luck fills that lacuna. Be rest assured, you haven't watched such thrills since DHOOM 2. Luck is more of a hi-concept film. Three decades ago, Krishna Shah's SHALIMAR narrated the adventures of a billionaire who assembles/invites criminals/gangsters from across the globe to perform the heist of a precious diamond that he possesses. The concept isn't similar here, but in this case too, a gambler assembles people from across the globe for a concept called human betting. Luck may not be high on story, but the concept and at least four stylised thrilling sequences make a big difference. Simply put, it makes Luck Lucky. Luck may have loads of thrills, but director Soham Shah ensures that the grand canvas and stylised thrills appeal to every strata of movie-going audience. Only thing, had screenplay writers Soham Shah and Rensil D'Silva worked doubly hard to come up with a watertight script, it would've only worked wonders. After weighing the pros and cons, it can be said that Luck rides on star power, its concept and adrenaline-pumping thrills primarily. If you're into thrillers or have been missing one, Luck holds the key. Luck tells the tale of mafia kingpin Musa [Sanjay Dutt], who has one obsession: To revolutionize the betting industry. For him, life is a gamble and what better way to skew the odds than play with those with Luck on their side. Different characters from different parts of the world, each with Lady Luck in their favour, are brought in to play the game of death. With millions at stake, how far will each of them go in courting danger and deceit? The very start of the film transports you to a different world. The viewer is drawn into a world where bets are placed on humans and death-defying stunts are the order of the day. The train sequence at the very start says it all. It's a sequence that not only introduces you to the plot, but also makes a hammer-strong impact. You haven't watched something like this on the Hindi screen before. The game of death is far more dangerous than those witnessed in the reality shows. The revolver sequence [the first challenge], the helicopter jump, the underwater sequence with sharks and the train sequence in the climax give you goose bumps and remain etched in your memory. There's a scene involving a lighter too, which is sure to draw whistles and claps. But the film slips due its ineffectual writing. It gyrates from engrossing to bas-theek-hain towards the second hour. The romantic track, to be specific, is flaccid. Also, the climax should've concluded the moment Imran wins the jackpot money of Rs. 20 crores. Wasn't that his motive when he entered the game with his eyes wide open? So why this sudden urge to confront Sanjay Dutt after the game is over? Had the prize money doubled to Rs. 40 crores, it would've made sense. Or, for that matter, if he had a personal score to settle with Sanju, the game of death would've looked plausible. There's no motive in the first place. Moreover, the sequence in the hospital, towards the end, may be true, medically speaking, but the question is, was it necessary in a film of this genre? Frankly, it robs the film of its seriousness and even compels you to break in a full- throated roar, a reaction that is completely unwarranted. Even Shruti Haasan's double role doesn't cut ice. Soham Shah has made a stylish film and the fact remains that he has an eye for visuals. But Soham should've stuck to the spirit of the film, instead of getting into diversions [romance and the penultimate scene]. Salim-Sulaiman's music is vibrant and 'Aasma' is easily the pick of the lot. The background score [Amar Mohile] is electrifying. Santosh Thundiyil's cinematography matches international standards. Ditto for the sound design by Dwarak Warrier. Allan Amin's stunts and thrills are a major USP. Sanju is perfect for this part and enacts it with natural ease. Actually, here's one role that only he could've portrayed so effectively. Imran is getting better with every film. Watch his helplessness at the start or his confidence when he takes to the stunts. Even towards the latter reels, he's very much in sync with his character. Shruti Haasan is a star, no two opinions on that. The confidence with which she carries off this role just cannot be overlooked. Ravi Kishan is another scene-stealer. You are under the impression that he may get lost in the crowd, but he stands tall. The masses will love him. Mithun Chakraborty is controlled and delivers a truly fine performance. Danny Denzongpa is, as always, so perfect. Very few actors have that ability to stand out in a crowd. He's one of them. Chitrashi is excellent. The sequence in the hospital is superb. Rati Agnihotri gets no scope. On the whole, Luck rides on star power, adrenaline-pumping thrills and a concept that's novel for the Indian screens. Despite some loose ends, these three factors primarily would ensure a Lucky journey at the box-office.

Love Aaj Kal Music Reviews

EXPECTATIONS

Huge. Very huge in fact are the expectations from the soundtrack of Love Aaj Kal. And why not? First and foremost it's the return of Jab We Met team of director Imtiaz Ali, composer Pritam and lyricist Irshad Kamil. Now that's a reason huge enough. Moreover, with Saif Ali Khan playing the twin role of an actor and producer, one can be rest assured that Love Aaj Kal would be a zero compromise project both from the film and music front. No wonder, Love Aaj Kal is not just the hottest film of the season but also has listeners waiting to lay their hands on yet another blockbuster musical score.

Music

What a kick start! That's an immediate reaction the moment you are through listening to the opening number 'Aahun Aahun' for the first 100 seconds. A true blue fusion piece that has various flavours of Punjabi, Hindi as well as English coming together not just lyrically but also musically, 'Aahun Aahun' has a HIT written all over it. Whether it's the way Pritam puts together his entire composition in place (a difficult one at that), Irshad brings the young flavour on or singers Neeraj Sridhar, Master Saleem and Suzanne set the perfect mood, 'Aahun Aahun' is a winner. One can't wait to see what director Imtiaz Ali and his choreographer have done to this number that is all set to be a rage, especially in it's 'remix version'. Watch out for those guitar strings that open and close the song.

Love Aaj Kal Movie Preview

Love Aaj
London, San Francisco, Delhi - 2009.
Jai and Meera is a modern-day couple in London. They are very happy together but do not believe in tying each other down. So when life pulls them in different directions, they decide to go with the flow. "These Heer-Ranjha, Romeo-Juliet type janam janam ka saath type couples exist only in story books," Jai says. In the real life, we have to be practical.

Love Kal
Delhi, Calcutta - 1965.
Veer Singh is struck by a thunderbolt when he sees Harleen for the first time. Soon after, he stands under a tree and swears that "is janam mein aur har janam mein... yehi meri votti banegi - Harleen Kaur." He travels a thousand kilometers by train to stand under her balcony only to have a glimpse of her face. And yet not speak a word with her.

Love Aaj Kal
Veer does not understand how Jai can treat matters of the heart without passion, like a financial transaction. Jai does not understand how Veer Singh could have been so naive and silly about Harleen in the days of his youth. But as both stories unfold, we realize that the process of relationship might be different in different eras, but the experience of being in love remains the same. So there is the frolic and despair of modern living, the liberation and confusion. And there is the past - the times of innocence and compulsion. And there is distance, and the fondness that increases with distance. Gaps widen between two people, but bridges keep growing too.

"My Sardar character comes in a story within the story, I've a double role" - Saif

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Besides sharing screen space with Kareena Kapoor in one of the biggest fiascos of their careers - Tashan, Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan now have something else in common.

They both play double roles, characters belonging to two different time zones in their forthcoming films and have to spend hours preparing for their double makeover.

Akshay Kumar, who is currently shooting for Vipul Shah's Action Replay spends a minimum of an hour every morning getting into a 1970s' sporty look without the help of prosthetics. "It's the toughest role I've played. The preparation takes a lot of time. I've Paul Pattison, who did Mel Gibson's look in Braveheart, doing my look. But the effort is worth it. When I look in the mirror after Paul is done I can't recognize myself," chuckles Akshay.

If Akshay promises to look unrecognizable in Action Replay, Saif in Love Aaj Kal shocked even Kareena. "She couldn't recognize me at first when she saw me as a Sardarji," marvels Saif.

In one way or another, people who are close to Kareena are playing Sardars. If her cousin Ranbir is playing a Sikh in Shimit Amit Rocket Singh Salesman Of The Year, Saif Ali Khan gets to play a Sardar in Imtiaz Ali's Love Aaj Kal.

And if Kareena's former love-interest Shahid Kapoor is playing his first double role in Kaminey, Saif Ali Khan too plays a double role for the first time in his home production Love Aaj Kal.

So far we've known only the fact that Saif gets into a Sardarji's act in the course of the narration in Love Aaj Kal. However, the Sardar is a separate character from the protagonist. Says Saif, "The Sardar comes in a story within the story. Yes, I've a double role. The two characters belong to two different time zones."

Apparently, when Kareena saw Saif dressed as a Sardar she couldn't believe the transformation.

Like Ranbir, Saif got a chance to grow his beard for the Sardar's part. "I grew the beard fully. It had to be faked only for one day's patchwork. I give the full credit for the Sardar's look to Dolly Ahluwalia. She had earlier done a great job dressing me up as Langda Tyagi in Omkara. She styled my Sardar's look in Love Aaj Kal."

Saif hasn't done too many disguises. "But after Omkara, I transform physically in Love Aaj Kal. Otherwise I'm not much into physical makeovers."

Neither is Akshay. But both the hotsellers intend to give Gulshan Grover, the master of on-camera makeovers a run for his makeup later this year.

Delhi CM unveils the music of Satish Kaushik's Teree Sang

By Joginder Tuteja, July 15, 2009 - 17:58 IST

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It was a proud moment for director Satish Kaushik as political bigwigs came together yesterday to support his film on teen pregnancy - Teree Sang. Most prominent personality to grace the occasion was Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit who unveiled the film's music at Constitution Club, New Delhi.

Says Satish Kaushik who has worked with Ruslaan Mumtaz and debutant heroine Sheena Shahabadi in Teree Sang, "We were quite tensed if she would be able to come for the event because of the 'Metro' tragedy in the capital. Still, she did fulfill her promise in spite of the fact that she was hard-pressed for time."

The music launch, which also saw good attendance from media, showcased promos and songs from the film. "Sheilaji loved the fact that the film deals with the issue of teen pregnancy", informs Satish Kaushik, "She had good words to speak about Teree Sang since we are bringing to fore a sensitive subject. She saw the promos and admitted that the kids were looking very good together. Since she herself is a film buff, she has promised to go and watch the film once it releases."

As per the filmmaker, the CM personally went to Ruslaan and Sheena and blessed both of them. "It was quite nice on her part as she wished them all the success. She is a great leader and I hold her in very high esteem. The people of Delhi love her and it is phenomenal to see the way she holds her dignity in front of lakhs of people", says Kaushik.

He also goes on to share an interesting anecdote. "Sheilaji was particularly impressed by the fact that our production house is called 'Karol Bagh Film and Entertainment'. Karol Bagh holds a special place in the heart of Delhites. I come from Delhi and my partner Anupam Kher too has spent so many years in the city when he used to have 'ghar-ka-khaana' at my place. It was just apt that we shoot our film in Delhi as well."

Satish Kaushik was accompanied by the lead pair of the film while his co-producer from Delhi, Manoj Mittal, joined him too. Other prominent names present at the event were High Court lawyer Sunil Mittal, Dhawal Gada from PEN, MP Rajeev Shukla and Girish Agarwal, a prominent name in the Delhi society circles, amongst others.

Bollywood Celebrities Wallpaper

Also starring Satish Kaushik himself along with Sushmita Mukherjee, Rajat Kapoor, Neena Gupta and Anupam Kher in a special appearance, Teree Sang, which is produced by Bharat Shah, has music by new finds Sachin & Jigar and is all set for a 7th August release.

Mallika Sherawat 'tweets' at Twitter's Head Quarters at San Francisco

What will you do if someone tells you that the temperature and glamour quotient at our office has gone way up in the office because of your presence? Well, we know that you will surely be floored and must be rolling on the ground!

But, if you are Mallika Sherawat and the compliment came in from none other than Evan Williams, the CEO of Twitter, you will simply flash your smile at the compliment, as you know that your million dollar smile carries more worth than all the stocks in the NASDAQ put together! Mallika arrived at Twitter Head Quarters in San Francisco in a stretch limousine with fans and media channels waiting outside for her. The actress was mobbed for an hour by fans and press, signing autographs and doing interviews.



Not just an excited Mallika gushed saying, "I'm honored to be the first Asian star to be invited to Twitter. Jai Ho!" but also posed for pictures outside Twitter's headquarters and then gave some inspirational remarks to Twitter employees during the lunch break. If that wasn't enough, at the request of a Twitter executive, Mallika even showed the employees a few Bollywood dance moves, and then the whole company joined in for the jhatka-matkas, prompting a spontaneous company dance party!

Following the Indian tradition, a coconut was broken in true desi style, by her producers in front of the Twitter office. Even the superhot promo of Mallika's forthcoming film Hissss was also shown to the Twitter employees during their lunch break, which received a tumultuous applause. Twitter staff members informed Mallika's producers that "Since Mallika joined the Twitter service, membership in India has skyrocketed." Can anyone 'dare' to argue on that! Jai Ho, Madame Mallika!

Kambakkht Ishq glitters with Prime Focus' VFX

Riding high on its box office success, Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor starrer Kambakkht Ishq (KI), one of the biggest openers in the history of Indian cinema, has much more to it than Bollywood masala and a star studded cast including Hollywood stars like Denise Richards, Sylvester Stallone, Holly Valance and others.

KI is an example of the ever-growing trend of Bollywood films embracing visual effects (vfx) with some incredible (invisible) visual effects by post-production house Prime Focus.

Ask director Sabbir Khan about the film's success and he says, "I feel euphoric. Nearly 150 films release every year and yet only a handful can earn the tag of being a 'super hit'. So, yes, it makes me feel very special that I could do that, and that too with my first film."

Speaking to Bollywood Hungama, Merzin Tavaria, Creative Director of Prime Focus and VFX Supervisor of KI shares, "Actually, if we look at KI, there is not much vfx in the movie but more of design elements and the effects which are required in the narrative of the film. These vfx shots helped us to manage the production and also to save the time of international starts while shooting,"

Bollywood Movies Review

In this exclusive case study by Bollywood Hungama, we bring you some of the exciting shots executed by Prime Focus, courtesy Merzin Tavaria, Sabbir Khan and the producer, Sajid Nadiadwala.

Click on the thumbnails below to check out the shot breakdown: