There are few films, a star does for friendship and some with the lure of working under a big banner, irrespective of their content. An extremely choosy actor Shahid Kapoor after giving big hits like Vivaah, Jab We Met and Kaminey has been giving duds like Dil Bole Hadippa (Yash Raj Films), Chance Pe Dance (UTV) and an equally bad follow up with Paathshaala. Shahid’s friendship with producer of the film, ace choreographer Ahmed Khan is well known. But still we wish, he should have not blindly trusted his buddy when it came to a film! Shahid plays Rahul Prakash Udyawar the new English teacher joining Saraswati Vidya Mandir, a school established in 1941. Since the school doesn’t have a music teacher, he ends up being one as well. He gets help in this from the school's nutritionist-cum-admin girl, Anjali Mathur (Ayesha Takia). School principal Aditya Sahay (Nana Patekar). Anjali ends up falling for Rahul during this process. Sahay who has nurtured the school for 32 years, cannot see it going down financially. So, he gives in to the management's demands of generating more revenue by commercialising the operations of the school.

This is met with intense opposition from the teachers, but they eventually have to comply to save their respective jobs. The school management even decides t hired PR experts to change its image.

Thus began, film and ad shoots happen on campus wherein students are used as extras. And before they know it, all kids have to now keep aside studies for 10 days and prepare for a reality show audition.

The rest of the film is about how the reality show thing tortures the students and how Rahul stands against it.

Director Milind Ukey who gave us the very lovable animated film Hanuman has got a good topical subject on hand but falters big time in the script written by producer Ahmed Khan himself.

While it identifies the problems perfectly, a proper solution is not offered in the end. Also what happens to the school finally is also not made clear.

Bad dialogues are made only worse by loud acting by most of the cast. Certain emotional scenes leave you either bored or end up making you laugh. Hanif Sheikh’s music barring the Lucky Ali number Aye Khuda is nothing much to praise about.

In an attempt to showcase how education goes for a toss in private schools as the managements aims to earn the extra buck the makers also don’t lose out a chance to make a satire out of the media, shifting focus from his original aim.

The pathetic climax is unintentionally hilarious with no conclusion to what happened to the villains of commercialization and all suddenly become well!

Shahid Kapoor and Nana Patekar are the only saving graces of the film with their well nuanced performances. The rest including Ayesha Takia don’t really make a difference. The child stars are just about okay.
Complete Story!

hey say, ‘Show class, have pride, and display character. If you do, winning takes care of itself.’ And whoever they are, they're often right. Like any other business, sales and service fundamentals are no rocket science. All it needs is honesty, dedication and integrity. But the blitzkrieg of cold calls and unsolicited offers on your phone everyday show that these virtues haves been mothballed for good. Poor Harpreet Singh Bedi (Ranbir Kapoor) who has ‘just’ passed his college hasn’t learnt these tricks of the trade yet. His mark sheet is an embarrassment but that never stopped him from dreaming of an exciting and adventurous career in ‘AYS sales’. He is like an honest professional, who lived in every one of us before those unreasonable deadlines, targets and peer pressure got better of us. Soon, his idea of success begins to clash with the ‘professional’ ways of his colleagues, team leader and the boss.
But Harpreet who has inherited nothing but integrity and a modest scooter from his fuddy-duddy grandpa (Prem Chopra) refuses to give in to this chicanery. Instead he forms his very own, at your service 24x7 Rocket Sales Corp. that works from the AYS premises itself.

With his honesty pep talk he also poaches the ‘best’ AYS talent which includes, his sales shark team leader (Naveen Kaushik), perennial lech techie Giri (D. Santosh), hot customer relations manager Koena (Gauhar Khan) and an office boy Chhote Lal (Mukesh Bhatt) better known as ‘cup-plate’.

Together they restore the idea that business is not just about numbers but it’s about people and when people are happy numbers surge anyway.

As the orders start pouring in and sales sky-rocket, AYS begins to feel the heat. What follows is Harpreet’s conquest over the ideas which AYS boss (Manish Choudhari) considers mainstays of any sales business.

Rocket Singh works fantastically due to Jaideep Sahni’s crisp story and dialogues, Shimit Amin’s taut direction and Ranbir’s pristine performance as he plays the desi Jerry Maguire. As for women, it is Gauhar Khan and not Shazahn Padamsee who steals the limelight. Prem Chopra is delight to watch after a long, long time.

Salim-Sulaiman's music & background score is easy on the ears and never hinders the pace of the story. All in all there is no stopping this Rocket Singh and if you like some uncluttered entertainment you know where to board this flight.
Complete Story!

Sonia (Ishita Arun), Tina (Tejaswini Kolhapure), Puja (Gauri Karnik) and Om (Rohit Bhatia) are four home-mates in Dubai. They together share a huge apartment and are platonic best friends. While Puja is a host on an FM channel called Radio Hum, Tina is a stage actress, Sonia runs a boutique, and Om works in a corporate set up. While outwardly the four appear to live a carefree and modern lifestyle, there are many chinks in their respective armors. Puja wants to be the host of her own show, which she would like to call “Puja at 8″, but for that she may have to compromise and spend a night with her boss (Harsh Chhaya), at the same time she has promised her conservative India-based parents that she will meet the boy of their choice and settle with him. Tina’s skeleton in the closet contains her alcoholic dad (Om Puri), who is always asking her for money, though Tina would prefer to avoid him and never see him again, she has no option but deal with him whenever he suddenly shows up in their home unannounced; Sonia’s only male client, Rohit (Kiran Janjani) thinks she is hot and wants to marry her, however, Rohit is known as a womanizer and his affairs only last for a few nights. Om was in love with Shama (Dia Mirza) when he was in India, but then she had got married to Pawan. Now Shama and her daughter are in Dubai and both are about to re-kindle their romance for each other, not knowing that Pawan himself is on his way there. As problems arise, they tend to take a toll in their friendship as they start drifting apart. Finally it all boils down to a climax on the New Years’ Day. The film attempts to be a modern day take on friendships amongst today’s youth ala Dil Chahta Hai. While the friendship chemistry amongst the four friends has come out naturally well and some small sequences and lines shared amongst them have come out very identifiable, the overall impact is missing. The comic track between Tejaswini and Ali Asgar also falls completely flat. The culmination of Kiran and Ishita Arun’s story is unintentionally hilarious. Director Ajai Sinha who is a popular name in television circuit as a director who is a master in handling human emotions is let down here with a weak script. He does impress however in handling of some emotional sequences. The production values are fair but costumes especially worn by Gauri and Tejaswini are simply bad. Music by Vishal – Shekhar lacks the zing required for a youngsters flick. Newcomer Rohit Bhatia makes a confident debut. Tejaswini Kolhapure impresses a lot despite having been badly presented. Ishita Arun and Gauri Karnik barely get scope to showcase their acting talents. Dia Mirza in a small but important part is good. Harsh Chhaya is getting type cast in a lecherous boss roles. He has done similar type of parts earlier in Laga Chunari Mein Daag and Its Breaking News. Kiran Janjani fits the part. Himani Shivpuri, Om Puri and Anupam Kher lend able support as usual. While the film may not exactly be worth a visit to the nearest multiplex, it isn’t that bad either and can be caught up on home video on one lazy Sunday afternoon.

Complete Story!

Nandu (Bobby) and Shekhar (Pradeep Kharab) are childhood pals who have taken to crime and contract killing at a very young age. They get mentored by a goon Sawtya (Jackie Shroff) during their growing up years.

Now as grown ups, Nandu becomes the most dreaded assassin in town and Shekhar his accomplice who always helps him in getting away from the scene of crime within minutes. Opposition leader Anna Mhatre (Sachin Khedekar) to create a sympathy wave for himself in the forthcoming Vidhan Sabha elections hires Nandu to make a false attack on him.

According to the plan, Nandu aims a shot on Anna’s arms who is addressing a huge political rally but before he shoots, a bullets zips through Anna’s forehead killing him instantly. Now the Police present on the scene see Bobby fleeing and think of him as the assassinator.

When he tries to reach for Shekhar’s car, he sees it getting blown up after it hits a petrol tanker. Chased by cops Nandu enters a train heading towards Punjab. In the train Nandu meets Puran (Akshay Kapoor) who is going back home to Hoshiyaarpur after 18 years since the time he had runaway as a kid.

The talkative Puran narrates in short time everything about his home and shows Nandu his souvenirs from home. Just then Police arrives and in the commotion that ensues mistakenly shoot Puran. Nandu yet again succeeds in fleeing the scene. He heads straight to Puran’s house but is mistaken as Puran by his family.

Unable to reveal the sad truth, Nandu starts staying in their house impersonating Puran. There he encounters Puran’s childhood love Preet (Shriya). He takes it upon himself to solve all the problems that Puran’s family is facing.

But his happiness is short-lived as a quirky but intelligent CBI officer Nandkumar Rane (Nana) hot on trail to nab Anna Mhatre’s assassin lands up in Hoshiyaarpur at Puran’s doorsteps. What follows next forms the rest of the film wherein many secrets get revealed some shocking, some not so shocking

Remake of Telugu super hit Athadu starring Mahesh Babu, Ek- The Power of One mixes the plot of many films together.

The basic plot of the hero responsible for an innocent man’s death going to his family’s house and staying with them without them knowing about his true identity was first explored in Rajesh Khanna starrer Dushman followed by Akshay – Saif starrer Keemat.

Then again, the whole political assassination drama and even the suspense angle of it is ditto similar to Salman Khan – Sushmita Sen starrer Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge. Nana Patekar’s ‘chaaloo’ cop who knows his line of duty is a little naughtier version of Om Puri’s cop character in Rajiv Rai’s Gupt which also incidentally had Bobby being chased for murder.

But the mixed khichdi of a plot works to an extent here. But its more thanks to the technical finesse and twists and turns plotted at regular intervals, superbly shot action scenes and of course Nana Patekar.

But where the film falls down is in the pacing that drops down when Bobby arrives to Puran’s house. The whole joint family thing with all the irritating characters thrown in simply grates on your nerves after initial few minutes.

Too much time is wasted on unnecessary and predictable sub-plots. The film could have well done without 30 minutes that are wasted on all this and it could have ended up as being a nice taut thriller.

Bobby acts well and has efficiently performed his own daring stunts. Shriya Saran doesn’t have much to do but look pretty and make faces at Bobby. Kulbhushan Kharbanda who was a delight to watch in last week’s Aloo Chaat is saddled with the typical Punjabi grandfather’s role.

Zarina Wahab seen after a long time hardly gets any scope. Jaspal Bhatti and Sanjay Mishra both irritate you to death. Priti Bhutani playing Puran’s sister act well and looks good too. Jackie in a small role impresses but Chunkey Pandey gets on your nerves in his special appearance with his fake Punjabi accent.

Raghuvir Yadav as the wily politician is good as usual. The biggest star of the film however is Nana Patekar. The openly flirtatious cop with his crazy one-liners justifying his womanizing is extremely hilarious. In fact you keep waiting for him to arrive whenever his character goes off screen.

The film is aimed at the masses but could have been a better one had some loose end taken care of and the narrative kept tight. But it is not a bad film and may work well for you if you literally have nothing else to do and go in without any expectations.

Complete Story!

Certain themes worked in the '70s and '80s. But they seem completely out of place in today's times. You can't connect with them, plain and simple. That's the issue with Kisse Pyaar Karoon.

Kisse Pyaar Karoon? uses every rule in the book to entertain the viewer. It borrows heavily from all masala films that one has watched and admired over the years. To give the credit where it's due, a few scenes are indeed funny. But it comes too late in the day. Ideally, it should've released a couple of years ago.

Sid (Arshad Warsi), John (Aashish Chowdhry) and Amit (Yash Tonk) are thick friends. Everything is going fine till Sheetal (Udita Goswami) enters the scene. She plans to usurp the wealth of John. She entices him and John falls for her.

Realising that Sid and Amit could thwart her plans, she creates problems and hurdles in their friendship. Sid and Amit realize her game and plan to throw a spanner. They decide to drill sense in John, but John is in no mood to listen. He's completely smitten by Sheetal. Sid and Amit embark on a plan to save John from Sheetal.

Director Ajay Chandhok displays a flair for comic entertainers, but there's not much he can really do since the writing (Yunus Sajawal) is archaic and outdated.

The same formula has been repeated so many times in the past, you don't react to it any longer. Despite the shortcomings, Chandhok has the potential to strike the right note if he gets the right script. Daboo Malik's music is pleasant. The title track and 'Bechain Saansein' come easy on the lips.

Arshad Warsi, Aashish Chowdhry and Yash Tonk play to the gallery. We don't expect histrionics in a film like this. Instead, we look for buffoonery and that's what they end up doing.

Udita Goswami makes her presence felt, while Aarti Chhabria is hardly there. Shweta Menon entertains when she's on screen. Shakti Kapoor and Ashish Vidyarthi are wasted.

On the whole, Kisse Pyaar Karoon? comes too late in the day. Perhaps, this masala film may've struck a chord a few years ago, not today.

Complete Story!

He re-engages with the outside world, hoping that the new book will restore his reputation and also reconcile him with his estranged wife, Maya.

Fate has other plans for Roy, when his briefcase gets exchanged at a cyber café with a similar briefcase containing a large sum of money. Roy looses the only copy of his new manuscript, while Mohan, the cyber café manager, comes under pressure from mob bosses to recover the lost money.

In the midst of growing despair about the lost manuscript, Roy is reconciled with his three year old son through a scheming housemaid.

Complete Story!

The film revolves around the infamous sealing issue that had been a hot issue in India's capital city, Delhi in 2007-08. It tells the story of Sandip Kapur (Manoj Bajpai) who heads an advertising agency.

He is already facing a demanding life when to add more trouble to his life his agency is sealed by the Muncipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

Sandip fails to reinstate his company, despite his attempts and efforts. Eventually, he finds himself alone on the road, along with his team.

Now desperately wanting to re-establish his agency, Sandip opts for 'Jugaadbaazi', a technique that people nowadays believe in more than anything else.

What it all leads to and how he succeeds in getting together the property dealers, power brokers, politicians and senior officers involved into it forms the rest of this satirical comedy.

Anand Kumar who made a flop debut with Delhi Heights (2007) makes a solid comeback with an interesting comedy which makes you laugh out loud and yet make you think.

Once again basing his film Delhi just like his debut film, Anand makes a sincere attempt to unfold the real situation that prevailed in Delhi when MCD's sealing drive was underway.

Shot mostly in Delhi and Gurgaon, the film has tried to give a realistic scenario of the sealing drive. Anand also succeeds in showing the true never-say-die attitude of the Delhiites.

The dialogues are extremely funny at places and the narration technique of the maker is good too. What also make the film more fun is the characterizations. The only weak department of the film is the music.

Manoj Bajpai doing a comic role is a revelation. He shows he is as good doing funny roles as he is in intense ones. Hrishita Bhatt playing the female lead doesn't have much to do but she looks pretty nonetheless.

Vijay Raaz brings the hall down with his antics and brings a smile on your face whenever he comes onscreen. Sanjay Mishra is another actor who is simply hilarious in the film.

Jugaad is a harmless entertainer and though it may not be another Khosla Ka Ghosla it is one of those rare good satirical comedies made in Bollywood. Definately a better option than watching those mindless comedies that have been regularly hitting the screens off late.

Complete Story!

Vijay Shekhawat (Hurman) a Jaisalmer boy after a lot of struggle manages to fulfill his father's (Anupam Kher) dream of making it to the Indian cricket team.

With a great debut he wins not just fans but a lot of endorsement deals and lucrative contracts. Success begins to spoil and distancing him from his lady love (Amrita Rao) back home.

Blinded by success and the taste of the high society life he losses both focus and form. He is then understandably dumped by the selectors. Following which, his father gets a heart attack.

Vijay then decides to mend his mistakes and fight his way back to the team. In final match, despite a severe head injury he manages to get India a near impossible win.

A sports film is always crippled with a same storyline that of a underdog, his rise then fall and subsequent rise back to gain the impossible victory. This film is no different. But one expects atleast some sense of creativity wherein the interest is kept alive throughout.

Twenty minutes into the film and one somehow senses whats in store. So full of cliches and melodrama is the film that sometimes you begin to wonder did the makers intend to take the viewers for a ride.

If the melodrama was intended to bring in that emotional connect with the audience then the writer-director have clearly failed as throughout the film the emotional impact is clearly missing.

Also nowhere does the lead character's passion for the game comes across. Also one fails to understand the need of Hurman's character using swear words for his opponents.

Wear is your sporting spirit dude is what we wish to ask him! His character therefore fails to evoke any sympathy from the audience. The biggest high point of sports films are games shown in the film.

But here they are biggest drawbacks. Not only there are just a very few games but also what are shown are simply thanda! There is total lack of edge of the seat excitement which was very much needed.

Also homework by the makers is clearly lacking if they intended to show the 'real' behind the scenes happenings of the cricket match for example the dressing room interactions etc. Just putting in famous national-international cricketing names don't necessarily give the film authenticity.

One feels really sad for Hurman Baweja whose tremendous hard work is noticeable in every single scene but is mightily let down by a pathetic script and listless direction by debutante Ajitpal Mangat.

Amrita Rao reprises her typical simple small town girl act for the nth time. She looks very pretty though. Anupam Kher after a point of time starts grating on your nerves with his screeching overmelodramatic act. Gulshan Grover is just about okay.

The music doesn't really register any impact as there are no full songs as well. The Balla Utha number mostly keeps playing in the background during the match sequences. But thankfully the songs are less.

The film is a complete let down in many departments and instead of wasting time on this film it is a better option to watch a re-run of any Indian cricket team match on TV or best spend your time watching the current India v/s Sri Lanka one day series.

Complete Story!

Fiery unforgettably unstoppable in her self-worth…Paro, now transposed to Punjab (gawd, yeh ladki kahan-kahan jayegi?!) knows her Devdas just back from England wants some quality sex.

As determined as ever, she cycles to the nearest surgarcane fields with a bulky bedroll tied to the carrier, spreads it,and herself, out for her foreign-returned lover-boy…

That image of the super-determined Paro cycling to sex in the fields, compounded with that brilliantly shot sequence where she explodes her bitterness frustration and anger by pressing down on a handpump as thought it were a….never mind!...qualify as two of the most astutely achieved images of literature- on- cinema in recent Bollywood memory.

Anurag Kashyap at last sheds his obstinate inaccessibility as a filmmaker. More a homage to Sanjay Leela Bhansali than litterateur Saratchandra Chatterjee's Devdas, Kashyap's Dev D is that deep liberating lascivious luscious provocative tantalizing and tragic view of tragic hedonism, ruinous selfindulgence and vain miscommunication that Saratchandra barely thought about but couldn't articulate.

Kashyap's Devdas is a raunchy renegade, a bastard of the first order who thinks of only selfgratification.

And his task is made easier by the two women who come into his life in this splendidly tragi-comic subversion of a timeless novel that said, defeatism is heroic. But only when compounded by the ability to confront your weaknesses headlong.

As Dev D, Abhay Patel, that big-little hero of the outré cinema, is crass and wounded, vain and vicious, stupid and sensitive.

The contradictions pulsate and nourish the narrative making it a ripe and riveting drama of disorientation and dissociation where the protagonist's failings are defined more by physical appetites (sexual and otherwise) than metaphysical longings.

In telling a timeless story of selfseeking arrogance Anurag Kashyap manages to build a spiral of contemporary themes.

The Chandramukhi sections where the innocent school girl gets trapped into a quagmire of campus sleaze and finally ends up as a sex worker is hertwrenching in its portrait of the contemporary moral crisis that threatens to tear our civilized society limb by limb.

Kashyap pays some delectable tributes to Sanjay Bhansali's Devdas, not only in the outstanding sets and art decoration (Sukanta Panigrahi) and the super-smouldering-and-evocative cinematography (Rajeev Ravi) but also in the way kitsch is converted into a cool neo-classic currency.

The dialogues (Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane) have a constantly quirky and cutting edge. Check out the long boudoir piece where Chanda wonders aloud to Dev why people are so coy about calling a a sex worker a randi.

The words and visuals are not for the squeamish. Indeed the film's most glorious accomplishment is that it succeeds in simultaneously being sluttish and sublime.

The principal characters seem to be scoffing and saluting Saratchandra's novel while forging a totally unexplored territory for the three tormented misfits whose malfunctional destiny makes them bitter and angry but never repulsive to the spectator.

Anurag Kashyap shoots the drama of the damned on locations that echo the protagonist's inner state.

The open-aired Punjabi prelude progresses painlessly into a pained and claustrophobic psychedelic stroble-lit nightmare that includes three male pub performers who pop up willy-nilly to sing on Dev's plunge into a hellish self-pity.

Kafka would recognize and Saratchandra would probably reject the world that Kashyap's Devdas enters.

Would Saratchandra Chatterjee, Bimal Roy or Sanjay Leela Bhansali smile at Anurag Kashyap's backhanded warm and revisionist look at the life love and heartbreaks of Hindi literature's ultimate loser?

Abhay Deol plays Devdas with a wry cynicism suggesting both disgust and longing for a social system that rejects him as much he rejects it.

Kashyap's two prized finds are his 'Paro' Mahie Gill and 'Chanda' Kalki Koechlin. Mahie plays Paro with a blend of pride and resignation, fire and pathos, bringing to the part a rare and undefinable solidity. How does she compare with Suchitra Sen or Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's Paro? Who's comparing?!!

Kalki as the schoolgirl-turned-whore plays her character stripped of all selfpity. Not that she enjoys being what she is. But this Chandramukhi isn't apologetic about the place that life has put her in.

Anurag Kashyap's Dev D is a harsh but sensitive take on an age-old material, done with a sense of spiraling pit-in-the-stomach vertiginous momentum that's not quite lost even as the protagonist loses his way in a maze of selfindulgence.

Watch the film to see with what tongue-in-cheek temerity form is wedded to content without the director wavering in his determination to take cinema into regions that have nothing to do with convention.

Complete Story!

Anil Kapoor stood up and cheered lustily into the camera when Danny Boyle won the Golden Golden Globe last weekend. I wish I could share his enthusiasm for Danny's phenomenal flight into frenzy. After all the accolades and awards Slumdog Millionaire (SM) proves to be a deafening blow to the year that saw Mumbai go numb with terror.

SM takes nasty below-the-belt potshots at the underbelly of the city, portraying Mumbai as the armpit among the metropolises.

Mira Nair once paid a warm endearing homage to the street children of Mumbai in Salaam Bombay.Long before, Satyajit Ray in Pather Panchali portrayed rural India as poor but never as a gutter of misery.

It's now Danny Boyle's turn to do a 'Slam' Mumbai. The coming-of-age tale about three orphaned chawl kids bears just a passing resemblance to Boyle's rightly-celebrated Trainspotting where the director trailed a bunch of misfits through the streets of Edinburgh.

Slumdog Millionaire is Trainspotting on steroids. It's a beefed -up look at the scummy side of Mumbai, bewildering in its obsession with discovering life in the chawls of Dharavi (curiously the protagonist Jamal is referred to as "the boy from Juhu") as being a facsimile of that drain-inspector's report which Mahatma Gandhi had discovered American journalist Katherine Mayo's account of India in Mother India to be.

Slumdog Millionaire is worse. It looks at Mumbai as a swarming slum of sleaze sex and crime with characters who seem to have jumped out of Rakesh Roshan's and Manmohan Desai's cinema bruising their deep-focussed emblematic quality while making this huge global leap from 'Bollywood' to 'Hollywood'.
After seeing Boyle's much talked-of film it's crystal clear why this murky and squalid portrait of Mumbai has the Americans preening in delight.

At one point after being thrashed mercilessly our hero Jamal tells American tourists, "You wanted to see real India? Here it is. "

"Now we'll show you the real America," the American lady replies handing Jamal a 100-dollar bill.

This, without any apparent sense of irony.

This isn't the 'real' India. This is India as seen through the eyes of a Westerner who's selling desi squalor packaged as savvy slick entertainment.

There is a very thin line dividing slick from scum. Slumdog Millionaire doesn't stop to make those subtle distinctions. It moves at a frenetic pace creating a kind of sweaty energy that one sees in marathon runners in the last lap of their journey.

Boyle is constantly busy whipping up a hysterical banshee of sights and sounds in Mumbai denoting the embittered angry generation of the underprivileged class that grows up in the slums dreaming of the Good Life.

Cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle shoots Mumbai with a gun rather than a camera. Every frame conveys the killer instinct. Every shot ricochets across eternity solidifying sounds and feelings that are otherwise intangible.

Yup, this is a film on a mission. It wants to exploit the Mumbai slums as a hotbed of tantalizing images conveying the splendour of squalidity.

And to think every prominent of the cast and crew went around proclaiming Slumdog Millionaire would do wonders for Mumbai's tourism industry!

Yeah, right. It does as much for the cause of Mumbai as Rolamd Joffe's The City Of Joy did for Kolkata. That much-vilified film at least secreted a core of humanism under its pretentious surface. Slumdog doesn't even pretend to care for the city that it so unabashedly cruises in search of imperialistic tantalization.

From Frame 1 Danny Boyle goes for the jugular. Every scent and stench of the city is converted into a liquid asset.Groups of defecating young boys running out in otherworldly ecstacy when they spot Amitabh Bachchan's helicopter hovering abovehead becomes a celebration of lowly life.

Our protagonist Jamal dunks himself into excreta from head to toe and wades through the disgusted crowd to get Mr Bachchan's autograph.

The star signs calmly, as though exceptionally smelly young boys covered in human waste are the odour of the day.

Such moments define Boyle's attitude to Mumbai. He sees it as city where humour emerges from human waste.

But who's laughing? Even communal riots are not spared of this tantalizing trivilazation of abject misery. Rioters descend on a Muslim locality like Bandits attacking a village in the Chambal valley. A mean Mumbai Mafioso (Ankur Vakil) gouges out orphans' eyes and makes them beg on the streets singing what appears to be his favourite Bhajan Darshan do ghamshyam ad nauseam.

Even Madhur Bhandarkar got it better in Traffic Signal.

There's absoloutely no sense of historic sensitivity in the narrative.

"If it was not for Ram and Allah, my mother would be alive," says our regretful hero Jamal after the riots.

Such corny dialogues, so much a part of Vikas Swarup's novel is minimized in the film. But not enough. Some of the outrageously filmy plot maneouverings from the novel like the game show host (played in the film with cheesy relish by Anil Kapoor) turning out to be Jamal's illegitimate father, are done away with.

But the film nevertheless remains as wedded to kitsch and as ridden with coincidences and implausibilities as any formula Hindi film. In fact the two runaway brothers from the chawl being called Salim and Jamal seems like a backhanded homage to Salim-Javed the pair that wrote the hit films of the era that Slumdog Millionaire adopts, the 1970s

Every sequence is punctuated and edited to accentuate the cinematic aspect of the drama. Each time game-show host Anil Kapoor has to provide our callow hero Jamal a clue, a flackback highlighting the theme of the quiz-question, is conveniently arranged in the plot.

Squalour never appeared designed than it does in Slumdog Millionaire. Bollywood has never been more audaciously honoured. This is an over-hyped and disappointing film that insults Mumbai, culminates with a Bollywood –styled item song on a railway platform.
Complete Story!

You need to look at an animation film differently. Let the kid in you come to the forefront when you watch one. At the same time, it's pertinent that every film, live or animation, should possess that grip to keep the viewer hooked to the proceedings for the next 2 hours.

Percept's Jumbo may not be as entertaining as HANUMAN -- one film that opened the doors for animation films in India -- but it is shades better than most amateur attempts that followed the success of HANUMAN.

Jumbo, based on 'Chao Praya Prah Hongsawadee', a story by Ariya Jintapanichkarn, tells the adventures of Jaiveer aka Jumbo, a baby elephant. He dreams of following Yudhveer, his absent father, and becoming the royal elephant. Jumbo decides to go in search of his father.

During his search, Jumbo meets up with a kindly elephant trainer, a hyperactive messenger bird and a female elephant, who becomes his sweetheart later. Subsequently, Jumbo becomes a war elephant and defends his kingdom against the evil opponents. Jumbo bears an uncanny resemblance to THE LION KING. You don't take to the film instantly, but it picks up towards the latter part when Jumbo is chosen by the king to fight the opponents.

The animation isn't at par with the best (SHREK, THE LION KING, FINDING NEMO, the recent hit MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA), but the quality is better than some of the stuff we've witnessed in India.

Jumbo has the trappings of a typical Hindi film. There's revenge, romance, emotions, action... plus, the voiceovers by several top names, besides a song (well choreographed by Ahmed Khan) and scenes featuring Akshay Kumar.

Also, the voiceovers are in sync with the lip moments. Akshay, Dimple Kapadia, Rajpal Yadav and Gulshan Grover infuse life in those characters.

On the whole, Jumbo is a sweet, sincere and simple film that works. Who knows, it may spring a surprise this Christmas. Recommended for kids from 6 to 60.

Complete Story!

For, this one's applicable for Subhash Ghai, a proficient storyteller, one of the most successful stories from this side of the Atlantic. Irrespective of how his films are received at the ticket window, Ghai's movies are always under scrutiny. You watch every film with a magnifying glass.

Yuvvraaj is no exception!

Ghai's forte has been drama. Recall the dramatic moments in KARZ, VIDHAATA, MERI JUNG, RAM LAKHAN, KARMA, SAUDAGAR. He re-visits the genre with Yuvvraaj. Besides, Yuvvraaj is his most opulent work thus far. It has a sweeping effect, the film makes a stunning visual statement. 

Honestly, Yuvvraaj isn't Ghai's best work, but post YAADEIN, KISNA and BLACK & WHITE, Yuvvraaj salvages him, even redeems the storyteller.

The story (Ghai) mirrors a universal truth. Greed leads to disputes and in turn, ruins all relationships. A fact you've heard or witnessed time and again in real life. While the story is captivating, the screenplay doesn't really do justice to the thought. Also, Rahman's music acts as a soothing balm, but the problem is, it takes time to grow on the listener. And that could be a deterrent. 

Yet, in all fairness, Yuvvraaj is a notch above the commonplace. If you intend spending your hard-earned money on it or devoting 3 hours of your precious time on Ghai's new outing, chances are you won't regret it. 

Deven Yuvvraaj (Salman Khan) is a chorus singer, in love with Anushka (Katrina Kaif). Her father Dr. Banton (Boman Irani), however, is dead against this relationship. Things take a turn when Deven's father passes away and he returns to London to stake claim on his father's wealth.

He meets his two estranged brothers Gyanesh Yuvvraaj (Anil Kapoor) and Danny Yuvvraaj (Zayed Khan) after almost twelve years. But things aren't hunky-dory between them...

Ghai has an eye for visuals and every frame of Yuvvraaj seems like a painting on celluloid. Unmistakably, that's the first thing you notice as Yuvvraaj unfolds.

It takes time to absorb Yuvvraaj. In fact, Ghai doesn't open all his cards at the very outset. It's only when the father (Javed Shaikh) passes away and Mithun Chakraborty, the Executor of the Will, enters the scene that the wheels start moving.

The film gathers momentum after the interval. If the first hour has a few by-now-famous Ghai scenes, the second hour sees Ghai in form, with a number of sequences staying in your memory. 

The penultimate 20-25 minutes are the best. Watch Anil go through the handycam with disbelief, watch Anil and Salman's act during the concert, watch Salman's emotional outburst towards the end... also the titles (brings back memories of OM SHANTI OM).

On the flip side, the screenplay is erratic. There're constant highs and lows in this journey, the film works in patches. In fact, the screenplay falls prey to predictability and mediocrity at places.

Ghai handles the dramatic scenes with flourish. Rahman's music is soothing, but you expect more because Ghai's movies are embellished with lilting music that you recall even after 2 or 3 decades. Kabir Lal captures the striking beauty of Europe well. The output is superb. The sets (Omung Kumar) are truly majestic.

Yuvvraaj belongs to Anil Kapoor, who towers above the entire cast and delivers a natural, believable performance. Salman's looks are inconsistent. 

At times the boyish look is intact, at times he looks bloated. Ditto for his hairstyle. His performance, however, is better, mainly towards the finale. Zayed tries hard and convinces in a few scenes. Mithun Chakraborty is fantastic in a brief role. 

Katrina looks angelic. Despite the focus being on the three men, she registers an impact. Boman Irani is credible, especially in the scene when he steps out of the Operation Theatre towards the end. Aushima Sawhney is confident. Anjan Srivastava and the pack of villains/vamps look straight out of RAM LAKHAN and TAAL.

On the whole, Yuvvraaj is interesting in parts, with the penultimate 20/25 minutes taking the film to an all-time high.

At the box-office, the package (a mammoth cast, Subhash Ghai, A.R. Rahman, the stunning locales of Europe) should ensure a hearty opening and with no major opposition in the forthcoming week, it should keep its investors smiling.

Complete Story!

Now here's a chor who robs just about everything -- car, TV, music system, crockery, artefacts, furniture, even dry fruits, also a pomeranian. Whatever he can lay his hands on. Dibakar Banerjee's Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! is, reportedly, straight out of real life. A conman who gave sleepless nights to many a cop in Delhi.

A couple of summers ago, Shaad Ali's BUNTY AUR BABLI focussed on two thieves, who went on a robbing spree, sporting a different guise every time they played the con game. Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! traces the journey of a teenager who grew up in one of those crowded bylanes of Delhi and slowly and gradually took to the world of crime.

Set in Delhi, like Dibakar's debut vehicle KHOSLA KA GHOSLA, Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! has its heart in the right place and that's made abundantly clear 15 minutes into the film. But the problem is its waferthin storyline. Things get repetitive after a point.

It tells the story of Lucky (Abhay Singh), whose modus operandi is to outsmart people, chowkidars and policemen with his sharp mind and wit. He is an aspiring individual who loves the good things in life and is generally enamoured by the lifestyles of the rich and affluent Delhi families.

Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! traces Lucky's journey from a middle class boy to a popular thief.

Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! starts off really well. The teenage years of Lucky, his relationship with his father, his first crush, his friends… the seeds are sown rightly. But once Lucky starts committing one crime after another, the story stagnates. There's no dramatic twist in the tale and that is its biggest flaw.

Gangster films with Mumbai flavour are restricted to Mumbai/Maharashtra mainly. Similarly, a film like Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! has its share of limitations because you can't expect the film to find universal acceptance due to its Delhi-centric theme and flavour.

Despite the shortcomings, there's no denying that Dibakar Banerjee is a director with potential. He has been faithful to the material, making the goings-on look believable. There's not much scope for music in the film, although Dibakar should've played the title track at all significant points throughout the film.

Abhay Deol excels in a role that offers him ample scope to display histrionics. From a gawky youngster in SOCHA NA THA to a conman in Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! 

Abhay has only evolved with the passage of time. Paresh Rawal is magnificent yet again. He gets to portray three diverse roles and he lives up to the demands of the script. He's terrific as the shrewd and calculating doctor.

Neetu Chandra makes her presence felt in an enterprise that doesn't really belong to her. Archana Puransingh is fantastic and compliments Paresh beautifully. The actor enacting the role of Abhay's friend is competent.

On the whole, Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! is a well-executed enterprise, which has its share of limitations. At the box- office, the film caters to the Northern audience mainly -- Delhi and Punjab specifically. Besides North, the plexes in Mumbai should fare slightly better.

Complete Story!

Director Onir has always defied stereotypes. Recall his first two films -- MY BROTHER NIKHIL and BAS EK PAL. With Sorry Bhai!, Onir takes the road less travelled.

'Come, fall in love… with you brother's bride', says the tagline of the film.

Agreed, there must've been real- life instances of a guy falling in love with his bhabhi-to-be, but as a cinematic experience, a theme like this caters to a niche audience. The traditional ones, even with a modern outlook towards life, might not approve of this story in the first place.

As a movie, Sorry Bhai! has some interesting moments and the ensemble star cast pitches in real performances too. But the impression you get is that Onir didn't know how to tie it all up, to conclude the film convincingly.

Siddharth (Sharman Joshi), a shy young scientist, travels to Mauritius for his elder brother Harsh's (Sanjay Suri) wedding. Accompanying him is his Ma (Shabana Azmi), a reluctant traveller since she is angry at Harsh for deciding to get married without consulting them. Also travelling is Siddharth's cheery father (Boman Irani).

Harsh, pre-occupied with work, can spend little time with his family and it is left to his fiancée Aaliyah (Chitrangda Singh) to show them around Mauritius before the wedding. However, Ma's anger at Harsh ensures that she takes an instant dislike for Aaliyah and it is Aaliyah and Siddharth who end up spending loads of time together.

This, added to the fact that Aaliyah feels neglected by the career-obsessed Harsh, leads to them being irresistibly drawn to each other. A horrified Siddharth battles this attraction desperately, but Aaliyah has fallen madly in love and pursues him with single-minded determination.

When Siddharth's defences start crumbling and Ma starts getting suspicious, all hell breaks loose in the family.

Sorry Bhai! may be an interesting concept, but it doesn't turn out to be an interesting film in entirety. For it to be a complete film, it needed a tight screenplay, which is sorely missing here.

However, a few sequences have been handled deftly. Note the sequences between Sharman and Chitrangda and the gradual attraction. Even the love making sequence in the store catches you by surprise. Again, recall the sequences between Shabana and Chitrangda. You can feel the tension.

But Onir gets too unconventional this time. Sure, times are changing rapidly, but the fact remains that most of us are extremely orthodox when it comes to relationships. And that's precisely why a film like Sorry Bhai! might not find many takers.

The conclusion to the tale is also least convincing. It may seem perfect since the mother (Shabana) makes her younger son (Sharman) swear on her life, but when it comes to matters of the heart, all rules (and relations) take a backseat, nothing else matters actually.

The music, like Onir's previous BAS EK PAL, is soothing, but how one wishes it would've been promoted aggressively too. Cinematography is striking.

In the acting department, Sharman Joshi steals the show. He plays the geek who loses his heart to his prospective sister-in-law with rare understanding. This is his finest performance so far.

Chitrangda is a complete natural and despite being pitted against a powerful actor like Shabana, stands on her feet. It's the chemistry between Sharman and Chitrangda that is the film's saving grace. Shabana is terrific.

There're some (tough) roles only Shabana can perform and this is one of those. Boman is wonderful. The moments between Shabana and Boman are magical. Sanjay Suri is competent, but gets sidelined midway through the film.

On the whole, Sorry Bhai! is too bold and startling for the Indian audiences. At the box-office, it caters to a tiny/miniscule audience -- a handful of plexes in a handful of cities. And those numbers would be disheartening as well!

Complete Story!

Starring: Vinay Pathak, Neha Dhupia, Rajat Kapoor, Ranvir Shorey, Purbi Joshi and Sarita Joshi, Director: Shashant Shah.

Dasvidanya tells the the story of simpleton, Amar Kaul (Vinay Pathak) who works as an accounts manager in a pharmaceuticals company. Amar’s only excitement in life is making a to-do list every morning and then ticking off everything that he accomplishes at the end of the day. But unfortunately, destiny has some other plans stored for him. He comes to know through his doctor that he is suffering from stomach cancer and now only has just three months left to live.

This news makes Amar wake up to the reality that how till now he has wasted his life. Never mustered the courage to express his love, never brought a car or never ever traveled abroad, Amar has so many unfulfilled dreams left! He then sets about making a new to do list of 10 things. His last list of all the things he has to do before he dies. From making a foreign trip to telling his childhood love about his affections for her to meeting his school best friend with whom he has lost contact. The film then follows Amar’s journey towards fulfilling his wishes which also take him nearer to his death.

Completely, character driven, the charm of the film lies in its simplicity of its theme and its wonderfully etched characters. The screenplay is well woven with some moments that carry the power to remain etched in your memory even long after the film is over. The only spoke in the wheel is the Russian girl’s track as it slows down the pace of the film. There are moments however that instantly bring tears to your eyes such as a few scenes between Vinay and his mom played by stage veteran Sarita Joshi and Vinay finally expressing his love on a rainy night to Neha Dhupia. First timer Shashant Shah has handled the subject with a rare maturity.

The film is a must see for Vinay Pathak’s absolutely brilliant performance. One can easily rate it above his Bheja Fry act. Rajat Kapoor is good and so is Sarita Joshi. Neha Dhupia shows remarkable improvement as an actress while Ranvir Shorey appears completely disinterested. Saurabh Shukla is good as Vinay’s boss and Gaurav Gera as his brother.

Complete Story!

The one thing that bonds not just the B-town actors but also the humans all over is ‘Friendship’. And this Hindi movie called ‘Dostana’, which incidentally is also Bollywood's Midas Touch Man Karan Johar's new venture.

The movie stars John Abraham and Abhishek Bachchan and the vivacious Priyanka Chopra. The movie is to be directed by his assistant Tarun Mansukhani. The story is set in the gorgeous city of Miami.

No fashion brands : It's out. The look for Dostana, the fun-packed romcom about three friends is out and the three actors in the lead - Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham and Priyanka Chopra are sporting the Yankee look.

The movie is set in urban America. The look, created by Aki Narula and Manish Malhotra, will be light and summery in keeping with the lighthearted tone of the film.

Unlike ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’, ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’ and ‘Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna’, wherein designer brands such as Tommy Hilfiger and Louis Vinton made their presence felt but there are no heavyweight fashion brands starring in this movie....

The gay-caution : The promos of ‘Dostana’ makes one believe that it's the story of a gay couple – ‘Jo Bhi’ (John - Abhishek), but the director is going around saying it's only about friendship and nothing else.

There's a lot of curiosity and it is confusing movie goers by showing the twosome as a pair of gays walking hand-in-hand on Miami beaches. It has also been speculated to be India's first film which advertises gay sexuality openly.

The film shot in Miami has a lot of skin show by John (he's developed a super sexy bod), Priyanka Chopra as well as Bobby Deol and Shilpa Shetty. Abhishek claims to be the attitude of the film!

John & Abhishek behaving like proper gays, there's bound to be a lot of confusion. He tries to make the picture clear about the Karan Johar production, but they (Abhi and John) don't behave as gay.

They behave as normal friends. In fact, gays never behave in any particular way. Their behaviour is not different from all of us. It's our own perception about gays that makes us think that they behave in a particular way.
Bollywood has made films on a variety of subjects, but no films have been made on gay sexuality till now. Everyone specially the younger generation jokes about gay, but it’s not about gay sexuality. It's basically about friendship & its ups & downs.

Synopsis :Sameer (Abhishek) and Kunal (John) are turned down for an apartment because the landlady doesn't want two strapping young men to corrupt her young sexy niece Neha (Priyanka Chopra).

They go to plan 'G' - they pretend to be 'Gay' to secure the apartment. All is well till they meet the sexy siren Neha and thus begins a journey of fun frolic and a test of friendship like never before.

When Neha's boss Abhimanyu (Bobby Deol) enters the fray as the third contender for her affections, it gets even hotter under everyone's vests and bikinis and the boys get down and dirty in sunny Miami.

Shilpa was left without clothes: Bollywood’s lanky lass Shilpa Shetty had a horrendous time while she was on her way to Miami to shoot a song for Karan Johar’s production ‘Dostana’.
The actress was flying with her staff from Mumbai to Miami when, to her utter disbelief, all her luggage comprising seven suitcases, went missing at the flight’s stopover at London airport.

All of Shilpa’s belongings, her clothes, including the essential ones, her cosmetics, and fashion accessories were in the bag. So the actress was left with nothing more in her possession than just her handbag.

Since the authorities could not locate the luggage, Shilpa had no other option but to buy herself new clothes and cosmetics for her schedule in Miami.

Luckily, she did not carry her costume for the song (designed by Manish Malhotra ) in her luggage. Shilpa shot the song on Miami beaches in the bikinis by Malhotra.

The song comes at the beginning of the film after which Shilpa introduces the characters played by Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham and Priyanka Chopra.

Complete Story!

When you see a Madhur Bhandarkar-directed flick, you know it’s not going to be a typical Bollywood fare. Actually, it pretty much disregards every Bollywood stererotype with gritty realism, openly talking about sex, kissing, no one breaking out into song, strong female lead characters, gay roles, etc. Past critically-acclaimed hits include a look into prostitution with Chandni Bar, the tabloids in Page 3, and females in power in Corporate.

Now, we have Fashion which takes a look behind the lens into the glitzy world of fashion in India through the rise and fall of a supermodel. We get taboos of Indian cinema such as drugs, gay lifestyles, suicides, and blurred-out nudity. And unlike his other films, the director has definitely put some big money into the production with the multiple visually-appealing fashion shows. Plus, we get mainstream A-lister and gorgeous beauty queen Priyanka Chopra trying something totally different with this role. Bhandarkar must be lauded for avoiding conventions in this movie, but it still definitely has some flaws....

The story follows Meghna Mathur, a sweet suburban girl, who leaves her convenient family to move to Mumbai and walk the ramps and pose for magazines. We watch her struggle in the beginning with a shady agent, shady men promising her contacts, her aspirations to be like the top model Shonali, and how she can’t catch a break with her amateur photos. Slowly, she starts networking, meets a great photographer, meets a boy, gets a big agent, and her stunning beauty gets recognized by big businesess. Meanwhile, we have the current top supermodel Shonali, whose ego and cocaine problem allow Meghna to take over her spot at the top quickly. Meghna’s naiveté and confidence get thrown out the window and gets replaced with arrogance and liquor and sex.

Soon-to-be druggie Meghna
We see her tragically deteriorate and it’s quite an entertaining film to see her rise and fall. The film is done pretty well up into this point, it never loses its momentum. The story is narrated rather carefully as we get to experience Meghna’s journey. Also, the runway choreography and fashion designs add another layer of appeal.

The main problem is that after we see Meghna crumble, there is at least another 45 minutes of resolution that needs to be edited heavily. It’s seems unnecessary to see everything come together and for the protagonist to rise again, especially if it is going to take so long. Another problem is cliché dialogue about trying to get famous and what you must do and the price you must pay. We get it. No good side of the fashion industry was shown, and it would have been a nice counterpoint to show how some models aren’t all “hot messes.”

As Meghna, Priyanka finally gets to show some acting chops. It has been awhile since she has done this --- since Aitraaz in 2004 and maybe Don in 2006. Just this past year, she has experienced quite a bit of movie flops: Chamku, Drona, and Love Story 2050. But with Fashion, she plays the part easily. She shows a gradual growth from a sweet nobody to bitchy diva to an alcoholic, and her “hitting rock bottom” scene is powerfully enacted.
As Shonali, Kangna Ranaut, makes for a decent antagonist. She does quite a good job as a cokehead and alcoholic, and on the runway, she is pretty fierce. However, she has played similar psychotic roles in the past with Gangster and Woh Lamhe, so she wasn’t really a revelation. A lot of her freakouts were a little over-the-top and pretty much every scene with her in it was the same – she snorted coke, started yelling, then started crying.

Newcomer, Mughda Godse played Janet, a model Meghna met as soon as she arrived in Mumbai, who helped to show her the ropes. She was perfect casting with her look and natural ease, and not once would you think she was inexperienced. The rest of the supporting cast was quite adequate, except for a couple of gay characters who had no substance and went into caricatures with their roles. And on a side note, there were some weird unnecessary special appearances by Konkona Sen Sharma and Ranvir Shorey that adds absolutely nothing to the story line. After seeing that scene, it felt surreal that it was actually in the movie.

The music serves more as a backdrop to the movie, and is used mostly during the fashion shows. Saying this, the soundtrack is sublime. When “Jalwa” plays at the first fashion show, it sets the perfect mood with its sexy-but-haunting rhythm. The rest of the tracks added similar quality and nothing seemed out of place.

All in all, the movie is worth a see because it is so different from your typical Indian movie. It has all the shock value showing a female experiencing all these tragic elements, but the story lacks just a little more depth.

Complete Story!

The ‘loan culture’ has caught on in a big way. A majority of people have availed of assorted loans, at some point or other. That makes EMI relevant, identifiable.

Debutant director Saurabh Kabra picks up incidents from real life and depicts the pros and cons of availing loans. In this film, four different stories run parallel, plus there’s a ‘Bhai’, who not only recovers outstanding dues from defaulters, but also sorts out their personal lives.

Sadly, the story doesn’t do justice to its title. It starts on an interesting note, but transforms into atypical masala film, where the ‘Bhai’ plays the good Samaritan and even solves personal problems.

Wait, the recovery agent too falls head over heels in love with one of the defaulting members and much of the second hour is devoted to it. Clearly, the story starts off on a different note and ends up being something else altogether!

To cut a long story short, EMI loses focus midway and hence, loses balance. Watch it for Sanju’s sake, who plays the lovable ‘Bhai’ with flourish.

Sattar (Sanjay Dutt), owner of Good Luck Recovery Agency, is the saviour and the solution for all those caught in the debt trap. From Bhaigiri to business to politics to social work — that’s how Sattar wants to progress in life. He has already graduated from Bhaigiri to business and is now eager to jump into politics.

Most sought after by banks, telecom companies and various multinationals, today his Good Luck Recovery Agency is a leading recovery agency. Sattar follows a simple rule when it comes to his business — Loan liya hai to chukana padega.

But will Sattar succeed in using this simple principle when dealing with disparate characters and cases like Anil-Shilpa (Aashish Chowdhary-Neha Uberoi), Chandrakant-Arjun (Kulbhushan Kharbanda), Ryan-Prerna (Arjun Rampal-Malaika Arora Khan) and Prerna (Urmila Matondkar)?

Money crunch? Need a house? Looking at a car? Wanna travel abroad? Pick up a loan for just about everything today. The pesky calls at odd hours, the sweet talk and rosy picture painted by financial institutions, before you pick up a loan — EMI picks up stories/incidents from real life. Interesting!

But EMI does a somersault as it deviates from fact to fiction and follows the beaten path in its second half. And that’s when the film slips. While the writing clearly lacks dum in the post-interval portions, a few scenes do register an impact, courtesy Sanju.

Director Saurabh Kabra’s choice of the subject in perfect, but the writing gives away. Chirantan Bhatt’s music is strictly okay. Dialogues are strong at places.

After a lacklustre performance in KIDNAP, Sanju is in elements in EMI. Remove him from the film and the movie would fall to abysmal levels. Arjun Rampal is natural. Urmila doesn’t really get scope. Malaika looks alluring, that’s it! Aashish Chowdhary and Neha Uberoi don’t look too believable. Kulbhushan Kharbanda stands out.

It’s the goons, the Bhai’s henchmen, who add spice to the goings-on, especially Manoj Joshi, Snehal Dabhi and Dayashankar Pandey.

On the whole, EMI has its share of interesting moments, but they are few and far between. Disappointing!

Complete Story!