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

Click above for more movie stills

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:

Maan Gaye Mughall-E-Azam

Ratring: ** Sanjay Chhel has penned a number of comic fares. Obviously, when Chhel takes charge and decides to helm a project himself, you expect his film to be one wacky ride. Indeed, Maan Gaye Mughall-E-Azam is wild in parts, thoroughly enjoyable at times, but you don't exclaim 'maan gaye' in the end. Maan Gaye Mughall-E-Azam prompts you to break into guffaws. Even the one-liners -- Chhel's a pro at it -- are dipped in wit-n-humour. Plus, the camaraderie between Paresh Rawal, Rahul Bose and Mallika Sherawat is superb. Lekin kahani mein problem hain… Chhel tries to pack sooooo much in one film. Love triangle, patriotism, terrorism, songs, the theatre group's woes… the outcome is clearly erratic and inconsistent. The comedy works, not the terrorism angle. Chhel seems inspired by JAANE BHI DO YAARO, but this inspiration could've done with a gripping screenplay. Another sore point is the absence of good music. To sum up, Maan Gaye Mughall-E-Azam is, at best, an average fare. Watch it for the humour and also bravura performances by its lead actors. Circa 1993: St. Louise, near Goa, is on a high alert due to illegal activities like RDX and arms landing at the coastal area. Set up in the same town is Kalakar Theatre Company, a theatre group of self indulgent dreamy actors who are always left with no choice but to perform the same age-old period play 'Maan Gaye Mughall-E-Azam' every time. One fine day, they get to know that an underworld don is planning a bomb blast in the country. The drama company gets into the act to save the entire city from this blast. Maan Gaye Mughall-E-Azam takes time to come into form. But when it does, the humour is unstoppable. Sure, you may find the theatre group's drama (Akbar, Salim, Anarkali) amateurish, but it works big time. In fact, the audi will reverberate with wild laughter at several places. But the writing lacks meat and that takes away the sheen. The pace picks up, drops, picks up again, drops yet again unfailingly. Humour is the highpoint of Maan Gaye Mughall-E-Azam and Chhel hits a boundary there. Ditto for his dialogues. Anu Malik's music is lifeless. Barring the title track, the remaining numbers are simply add-ons. Madhu Ambat's cinematography is fair. Maan Gaye Mughall-E-Azam belongs to Paresh, Rahul and Mallika. Paresh has mastered the art of making people laugh, but when you watch him in this film, you realize the tremendous potential this terrific actor possesses. Watch his take on Akbar or step in as Kay Kay's double; he's in top form. Mallika stands on her feet despite a giant called Paresh Rawal. Scrutinize her as Anarkali at the outset and later, as an aspiring actress; she's fantastic. Rahul Bose is known for serious and intense roles, but he breaks the shackles with Maan Gaye Mughall-E-Azam. His timing is perfect. Surprisingly, Kay Kay isn't in form this time. Pawan Malhotra does very well. Zakir Hussain doesn't get scope. Ditto for Tanaaz. Manoj Joshi is wasted. On the whole, Maan Gaye Mughall-E-Azam is an ordinary fare, laced with great humour at places.

Chamku Movie Preview

Where does one point a finger when one isn't quite enthralled to listen to the soundtrack of an album, let aside commenting later on whether it is good or bad? Is it due to 'thanda' vibes that the cast of the film gives (Bobby Deol, Priyanka Chopra)? Is it due to the title, which makes one wonder which genre does the film belong to? Is it the promotion, which gives a strong sense of 'deja vu' with routine mushy song and dance numbers? This is why even as Monty Sharma arrives with his second soundtrack after Saawariya and Sameer joins him as a lyricist, there aren't any expectations with Chamku when one plays on the music. However, there is a surprise at the very beginning of the album with 'Aaja Milke' indeed making you hear the number more closely. Starting with Shreya Ghosal, this song about togetherness of the two lovers is aided not just by some good singing but also Indian arrangements, which is the hallmark of Monty Sharma. Reminding of the kind of work that Sharma has done on the songs for Sanjay Leela Bhansali films; 'Aaja Milke' turns out to be a decent composition even though Shail's limited presence is on a duller side. Richa Sharma is heard next in a kind of number with which she is associated most - a sad painful number with a classic Indian touch to it. A situational track meant for the background score, it doesn't quite seem that 'Kithe Jawa' would be placed for it's entire 5.5 minutes duration in the film. Of course, Richa is good as she always is but the song by itself is hardly the kind, which would have listeners, excited enough to give it a hearing beyond the movie. Surprisingly the number is heard twice with 'Bin Daseyaa' being the title for the 'remix version'. Has Monty Sharma tried to create a 'Dola Dola' [Ismail Darbar] here with 'Gola Gola'? It seems to be the case as he gets a similar mood and style for 'Gola Gola' which is basically a 'Holi' number revolving around 'bhang' and the works! Abhijeet Bhattacharya and Vaishali Samant come together for this yet another 'desi' number in Chamku but here too, there isn't much that one ends up looking forward to. However, there are some hopes of the song getting a few eyeballs if supported by eye catchy choreography and picturisation. Longest track in the album comes next which lasts close to six and half minutes. Titled 'Trance', this one completely changes the mood and flavor of the album and takes the listener to hardcore Western arrangements. Saleem Shahzada, Soumya Raoh and Anaida come together for this fast paced number which is set truly as a 'trance' number and comes with a possibility of being played in nightclubs with the round of drinks and flashy lights in full force. A number which has lyrics in languages other than Hindi as well, 'Trance' again comes with a core situational appeal though one wonders where exactly could this be fitted in except for some dramatic action sequence! In the same slow mannered pace as 'Kithe Jawa' comes 'Dukh Ke Badri', which appears to be set in a village in the cow belt from where the film's lead protagonist comes. A number with a rustic feel to it, 'Dukh Ke Badri' is about looking positively in life and expecting better things to arrive. Sung by Kalpana, Parthiv Goel and Shail, it won't quite make a listener to put it on a repeat mode and in fact also forget 'Aaja Milke' which incidentally turns out to be the best of the lot. In nutshell, Chamku is a forgettable album which is clearly one of the weakest from the house of Vijayta Films. The songs by themselves may not to be a terrible hear but for a commercial film like Chamku, they just don't create any excitement. There is absolutely nothing that one takes back home after listening to Chamku and one wonders if it may just have been a better outing if only it was a song less affair.

Kidnap Movie Preview

From Sanjay Gadhvi, the master-director of mega blockbusters like Dhoom and Dhoom: 2, Kidnap is a high-octane edge-of-the-seat drama about a power tussle between a young boy and the father of the girl he kidnaps.

Sonia (Minissha Lamba – Bachna Ae Haseeno) lives with her mother, Mallika (Vidya Malvade – Chak Dey India) and grandmother because her parents divorced when she was ten. A week before her eighteenth birthday celebration, she gets kidnapped.

The abductor, Kabir (Imran Khan – Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na) is interested in speaking only to her father, Vikrant Raina (Sanjay Dutt), an affluent New York-based Indian businessman, with whom he has an old score to settle.

Vikrant returns to India to retrieve his daughter from Kabir’s clutches but has to carry out a series of daunting tasks set out by Kabir as a condition to rescue her. At the end of each task is a clue that helps Vikrant in coming closer to Sonia.

Is his mission as easy as it seems? How far will a father go to save his daughter? What redemption is there for Kabir at the end?

Sanjay Dutt’s first release of 2008, co-starring the latest teen sensation, Imran Khan, Kidnap makes for compelling viewing as the big festival release on Eid. It features music by Pritam.

Aashayein Movie Preview

Cast: John Abraham, Sonal Sehgal, Girish Karnad, Farida Jalal Directed by: Nagesh Kukunoor Aashayein is the story of an angry, confused, compulsive gambler who discovers new meanings of fortune and life through a dramatic turn of events. At a party celebrating his big gambling win, Rahul proposes to his girlfriend Nafisa. But within minutes of announcing his engagement to her, Rahul collapses on the floor. Aashayein After a medical diagnosis, Rahul discovers that he has only a few months left to live. The movie is a moving tale of Rahul's journey from darkness to light. It is a journey about love, hate, life, death and hope. Sonal Sehgal plays Nafisa, a doting and loving girlfriend who wishes and hopes that love will conquer all her troubles. Other characters touching Rahul's life include Sister Grace (Prateeksha Lonkar), who dedicates her life to the happiness of her patients in the hospice. There is also Parthasarthy (Girish Karnad), a fun-loving but stubborn character wishing to be reunited with his family, while the intelligent, virtuous and loving Madhu (Farida Jalal) wants to lead a normal life and not be ostracised while in the hospice. Also present is 10-year-old comic book lover Govinda (Ashwin Chitale), who dreams of everyone's life being just like a comic book. How Rahul gets influenced by these characters in the hospice and how he makes the most of his limited time is what Aashayein is about. This moving saga is directed by Nagesh Kukunoor of Iqbal (2005) and Bombay to Bangkok (2008) fame.

Movie Review Phook

Rating: ****

The great debate between science and superstition continues, but RGV's new film Phoonk tilts in favour of superstition. Surprising, isn't it?

The makers of the film had organized a contest. You'd be given a handsome reward if you've the courage to watch Phoonk all alone in a theatre, we're told. Honestly speaking, Phoonk isn't scary by any standards, but as a subject, it works big time because somewhere deep within us, we've heard of the power of the unknown.

Whether you're superstitious or not, you may've heard tales/experiences concerning jaadu tona. And you're all eyes and ears the moment someone comes up with an alibi.

Phoonk is easily amongst RGV's finest works (although BHOOTH was scarier) and it holds your attention all through.

As a viewer, you're keen to know how RGV would culminate this story. The culmination, of course, would meet with extreme reactions.

Some would rubbish it, but the believers might endorse the finale. In my individualistic opinion, it's outstanding!

All said, Phoonk is a fantastic experience. The subject -- black magic -- is its biggest star and that alone would ensure House Full boards outside plexes/cinemas.

Rajeev (Sudeep), a successful construction engineer, with a loving wife and two children, is an atheist to the core. He scowls at people who believe in the dark forces, till one day when an evil is let loose in his happy home, which threatens to destroy his family and shake up the very foundations of his convictions and beliefs.

Thanks to the hype and curiosity generated around the movie, you expect to be scared from Scene 1 itself. And RGV emphasises on lighting and artefacts, besides an eccentric woman (Ashwini Kalsekar), to create the right atmosphere.

Of course, you do get the jhatkas in a scene or two, but you don't clasp your hands tightly even once, nor does your heart goes dhak-dhak at a lightening speed.

Gradually, RGV plays with the camera (excellent camerawork by Savita Singh) and sound (Kunal Mehta, Parikshit Lalwani) to heighten the impact.

Like all RGV films, the camera angles bear the unmistakable RGV stamp, while the background score (Bapi-Tutul) takes an ordinary scene to the next level.

RGV is back with a bang. There's a certain consistency from start to end and this time, he gets the right subject to prove his detractors wrong. Every sequence bears the stamp of a genius that RGV is, hits and flops notwithstanding.

The performances are uniformly good. Sudeep impresses you with an excellent performance. Amruta Khanvilkar is efficient. Baby Ahsaas Channa makes a strong impression. Ashwini Kalsekar is top notch.

Zakir Hussain's tantric act is superb. Ganesh Yadav lends good support. K.K. Raina and Lilette Dubey, both doctors, are competent. Kenny Desai, Anu Ansari and the actress enacting the role of Sudeep's mother are perfect.

On the whole, Phoonk is a fascinating cinematic experience on a subject that's rarely tackled by the dream merchants in Bollywood: Black magic. The subject itself is the biggest star of the film, which would ensure a flying start at the box-office and in turn, prove a jackpot for its producers who've distributed the film themselves.

Shahid-Priyanka Chopra fall off bike, hurt

Actress Priyanka Chopra is sporting quite a few bruises after she and Shahid Kapur fell off a bike while shooting for Vishal Bharadwaj's film "Kaminay".

The accident took place in Pune late Thursday while a scene that required Priyanka to ride a bike with Shahid on the back seat was being shot.

The two were riding the bike on a slope that was slightly muddy when the two-wheeler skidded and the two fell off. And to make matter worse, the bike fell on top of them.

"By god's grace, I am fine and so is Shahid, except for a few cuts and bruises. I think the only thing that is seriously damaged is my ego, otherwise I am alive and kicking, " Priyanka was quoted as saying in a press statement.

Singh is Kinng Movie Preview

Music: Pritam
Guest Track: RDB (Rap by Snoop Dogg)
Producer: Vipul A. Shah
Director: Anees Bazmee

Singh Is Kinng, the most keenly awaited romantic comedy of 2008, revolves around a gang of crooks transformed by a good man and his selfless love for a pretty girl…

Lakhan Singh aka Lucky (Sonu Sood) is the ‘king’ of the Australian underworld accompanied by his associates (played by Javed Jaffrey, Neha Dhupia, Manoj Pahwa, Yashpal Sharma, Kamal Chopra and Sudhanshu Pande.)

Far away, in a small village in Punjab, where Lucky was born, there exists someone more notorious than him – Happy Singh (Akshay Kumar).

The village is fed up of his magnanimity, which has resulted in a number of hilariously disastrous situations. Out of desperation, they decide to send him on a long trip (that will keep him out of the village for a while!) to bring Lucky back to Punjab, as his despicable deeds were maligning their image in Australia.

The happy-go-lucky bumpkin, taking his mission a bit too seriously, embarks on his journey accompanied by his friend, Tony Singh (Om Puri), who hates Happy for dragging him into it.

The high point of his journey is his chance meeting with Sonia (Katrina Kaif) with whom he falls in love, but upon reaching his destination, things take a precarious turn as he runs into a series of comic misadventures, leaving him penniless. He is fortunate to find warmth and affection in an elderly lady (Kirron Kher) who helps him meet Lucky.

In a strange turn of events, an attempt on Lucky’s life is foiled by a well-intentioned Happy who fights off the attackers by risking his own life.

Following the hilarious altercation, Lucky lands up in hospital paralyzed, and Happy, unexpectedly, finds the tables turned on him when he is expected to assume the role of the new ‘kinng’!

The series of chaos, shocks and comic misunderstandings that ensue eventually result in redemption and an accidental wedding!

Shot in Punjab, Australia and Egypt, Singh Is Kinng marks superstar Akshay Kumar’s re-entry into the action-comedy minefield. With plenty of romance, glamour, laugh-aloud moments and chartbusting music, it promises to be one of the most appealing and entertaining motion pictures of 2008.

It comes from Vipul Shah and Anees Bazmee, the master-makers of blockbusters like Aankhen, Waqt, Namastey London, No Entry and Welcome.

Mission Istanbul Review

Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Sunil Shetty, Zayed Khan, Vivek Oberoi, Shabbir Ahluwalia, Shreya Saran, Nikitin Dheer
Director: Apoorva Lakhia

One of India's most respected journalists, Vikas Sagar (Zayed Khan) receives an offer he cannot refuse from Owais Hussain (Sunil Shetty).

Owais is the head of an Istanbul television news channel. He offers Vikas a very high salary package with all the frills if he accepts a position within his company.

For Vikas, this offer couldn't have come at a better time. He is going through a messy divorce with his wife Anjali (Shriya Saran) and needs to get away from the stress of it all.

So Vikas accepts Hussain's offer whole-heartedly. But little does he know that one decision will change his life forever.

Well settled into his new role, he decides to voice his plans to quit the channel and move on to newer pastures.

But to his surprise, he learns from the Turkish commando, Rizwan Khan (Vivek Oberoi), on how others who quit the television channel got mysteriously killed because they knew too much.

So will this journalist be able to survive the onslaught where others have fallen prey?

Ek The Power Of One Preview

Cast: Bobby Deol, Chunky Pandey, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Nana Patekar, Shreya Saran
Director: Sangeeth Sivan

Nandu (Bobby Deol) is an assassin by profession. Somehow he gets wrongly accused of a politician's murder.

Whilst on the run from the police, he boards a train where he meets Shehar (Pradeep).

Shehar is returning home for the first time after 14 years.

As they converse, Nandu gets to know all about his joint family and the imminent wedding of Shehar's cousin. This is the main reason he is going home for.

The twist comes when the police catches up with Nandu on the train. In the shootout that follows, Shehar accidentally dies.

Deeply shocked by the incident, Nandu goes to Shehar's family home to return his belongings to his grandfather and also break the news of his grandson's death.

But when Nandu arrives at Shehar's family home, he is mistaken for Shehar himself.

With no time to explain what had happened, the family members get him involved with the wedding preparations and celebrations.

Preet (Shriya Saran), the daughter of a family friend becomes fascinated by Nandu. In no time she falls in love with him.

Meanwhile, police inspector Rane (Nana Patekar), is given the responsibility of tracking down the killer and he is close on Nandu's trail.

Will Nandu be able to come out of the crisis unscathed? Will the family come to know about his real identity? What would be the fate of Nandu and Preet's love story? And who is actually the real killer?

Ek - The Power Of One is a Bollywood Masala movie full of family emotions and suspense starring Sunny Deol in the lead role.

Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Jaya Bachchan, Kay Kay Menon
Director: Goldie Behl

Drona is a compelling modern tale of one man's journey through the labyrinths of mystic myths and legendary legacies.

As good and evil clash in this contemporary fantasy fable, a fascinating journey unfolds into a world of mythical heroes and malicious magicians with cunning curses.

It is a world, where spells can turn flesh to cold stone.

It is a world full of thrills, magic and adventures.

Directed by Goldie Behl, Drona introduces yet another superhero onto the Bollywood celluloid - Abhishek Bachchan.

According to reports, Drona is going to be even bigger and better in terms of special effects compared with Rakesh Roshan's Krrish.

Dhoom Dhadakka Review

Starring Sammir Dattani, Shama Sikandar, Shaad Randhawa, Arati Chabria, Anupam Khe, Satish Kaushik, Gulshan Grover
Rating: super-atrocious

By the time Sammir Dattani and Shaad Randhawa get into drag, this criminally unfunny comedy has dragged on way past 'bad'-time.

Maybe it's in the air. Everyone uniformly hams through this acutely painful piece of cinematic travesty.

There's so much screaming and ranting across the length and breadth of this outrageous ode to idiocy that you wonder if the producer-director intended to provide earplugs for all those bravehearts who would sit to the end of this slapdash hectic and haphazard comedy of terrors.

No earplugs, what we get are shrill banshee ring-tones of risqué ragas sung at a ear-splitting pitch, and phallic jokes about not a single danda in the cellphone.

Chee chee.

If lately you've been wondering where the Bollywood comedy has been heading here's the answer.

Comedies can't get any baser or brainless than Dhoom Dadakka. The gags make you gag. The items and innuendoes are embarrassing not because they TRY so hard to be vulgar but because they fail miserably to be sexy.

Vulgarity in this comedy of disembodied context depends completely on how many of the characters are crammed in one line of vision in every scene. They all stand making faces and gesticulating as though trying to attract the lifeguard's attention from a sinking boat.

The double meanings flow in unstoppered abundance mostly from the moist painted trembling lips of Deepshikha who keeps referring to the size of 'bada' things every time she spots a male member of the cast in her vicinity.

Yup, as one character winks, size does matter.

Dhoom Dadakka is a jumbo-sized non-event.

Ha ha ho ho. Before you fall of your creaky bed in comic splendour, let's move on to the main 'coarse' in this pickled over-spiced thaali in a hotel that's probably named Romp Teri Giggle Maili..

The two guys, Sammir Dattani and Shaad Randhawa grimace and giggle, roll their eyes and suck in their cheeks to indicate lies buried too deep for jeers.

Add two girls (Chabria and Sikandar) trying so hard to be glamorous it's pathetic, and you get a brew that's more eek than greek.

The characterizations take the cult of one-upmanship down to the level of a nukkad nautanki, what with every actor getting lost in the confusion of their mistaken identities.

In no time at all, the plot suffers from an identity crisis.

Director Shashi Ranjan who earlier made us laugh with his supposedly serious study of marital stress in Dobara, doesn't know whether to indulge tongue-in-cheek comedy of the Hrishikesh Mukherjee variety (Ab ke sajan sawan mein aal lagey aisi filmon mein) or just do the out-and-out no -fools-stops comedy of the David Dhawan-Anees Bazmi variety.

Eventually the confusions that dominate the plot overpower every sense of aesthetic decency.

In the end-game where the entire cast runs around an amusement part looking for amusement, the two heroes get into drag to tease laughter out of an audience that's long since ceased to be entertained or amused and is down to feeling utterly embrassed on behalf of the cast and crew of this weird brew.

In one chase sequence Shaad Randhawa pees copiously on a street of Bangkok.

You get jailed for dirtying the streets of Bangkok. Alas, there are no laws for desecrating the rules of aesthetics in cinema.

Jimmy Movie Review

By Subhash K Jha

Staring Mimoh Chakbraborty, Vivana, Zulfi Syed
Directed by Raj N Sippy
Rating: *

"Do you think I'm a rejected man?" the villain asks repeatedly after his true intentions are exposed at the end of this tediously-assembled pastiche of the crude bad and the ugly.

Don't know about the poor battered psycho who controrts his face like his pants were just bitten off by a colony of ants. But this film sure looks like a collage of rejected footage from a series of canned films that filmmakers made and forgot to go back to.

The characters don't talk in Jimmy, they scream dialogues which we thought had died with Pramod Chakravrty. And matching their screechy decibel of dialogue is the sound of cars skidding screeching and groaning in and out of the frames with the misinformed celerity of a noisy baraat which has lost its way to the bride's home.

Dulhan ache rot ki? You bet! Jimmy takes us into the kingdom of the dangerously damned. And none as damned as the audience which sits to the end to watch Mithun-da's boy dance on glass, in a manner of slipping.

Mimoh doesn't dance, he glides. He doesn't moonwalk, he trapezes through a field of corrupted corn planted by a screenwriter whose mind seems to have stopped working two decades ago.

How else do we explain the crass and clamorous crowd of crippling clichés, like the over-painted weepy mother, the over-painted giggly girlfriend, her over-panting suitor, the hero's rich friend (Zulfi Zayed, in the think-less part), the gaggles of villains schemers screamers and good samaritans all crammed in one line of strained vision which recalls the worst moments of television from the time when Doordarshan ruled the roost.

Mithun Chakraborty's son Mimoh gets a nightmare launch worthy of being canned for good. What were the people behind this film thinking when they decided to put together a film so tacky and tattered at the edges it makes a mockery of poor Mimoh's star aspirations.

Director Raj N Sippy made some engaging wannabe-Hollywood flicks in the 1970s and 80s, all cleverly adapted from American films but never slipshod.

Ironically Jimmy rips off Hindi films from the 1970s including Mithun-da's gyratory Jimmy-hijinks like Disco Dancer and the Bachchan starrer Majboor.

All in vain. The plot is propelled by gallery of grotesque caricatures.

This is cinema at its worst. Gimmicky and overblown with no hope for escape because you want to watch Mithun's boy trying to make his way out of this film with no exits.

Only Rahul Dev seems to blessed with a twist of sobriety in a film that equates outdated mayhem with pavement delights.