Friday, November 27, 2009

De Dana Dan - Movie Review

Read more! Cast :: Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Shetty, Paresh Rawal, Neha Dhupia, Sameera Reddy, Johny Lever, Asrani, Rajpal Yadav.

"De Dana Dan" is the most bizarre film from the maharaja of laughathons, Priyadarshan. Not even in your wildest dream you'd think that Priyadarshan would place almost an entirefilm in a hotel and have its entire cast.

But Priyadarshan needs to be credited for pulling it off. There are times when you laugh hysterically at the most outlandish jokes and situations. There are times when a raised eyebrow or a wide-open jaw makes you break into a guffaw.

Be cautioned. "De Dana Dan" is a loud film, with each and every character screaming on top of his/her voice, with the characters shouting, running, even floating and swimming in the end.

But what do you expect in a Priyadarshan film that has a title like "De Dana Dan"? The promos never promised path-breaking or thought-provoking cinema that would give birth to debates and discussions. So why look for logic in this one?

"De Dana Dan" makes no qualms of narrating a story you haven't heard before. Here, the story is non-existent and it's left on Priyadarshan to mix-n-match those two dozencharacters and keep the momentum alive for the next 2.45 hours.

"De Dana Dan" promises laughter and entertainment and sticks to its promise. This one's not for the hard-nosed types, but for those who worship escapist cinema. Who want to chuckle, giggle and chortle at those mindless jokes. In short, "De Dana Dan" is a pure dhamaal entertainer!

Nitin (Akshay Kumar) is a butler, cook, driver, watchman, gardener to a wealthy female industrialist (Archana Puran Singh) in Singapore. Like any young man, Nitin too dreams of a better life. He desperately wants to become rich and marry the love of his life, Anjali (Katrina Kaif), who supports him financially.

Ram (Sunil Shetty), Nitin's best friend, also came to Singapore with the dream of striking it rich, but ended up a courier delivery man. He falls for Manpreet (Sameera Reddy), but her high society parents will never approve of marriage, not unless Ram has lots and lots of money.

In the midst of all this is Harbans (Paresh Rawal), a shrewd businessman, who's looking for ways to multiply his income and avoid his debtors. He decides the best way would be to marry his son (Chunky Pandey) off to a girl whose parents can give him a large dowry. He is introduced to Manpreet's parents at a function and is impressed by their social status. He introduces himself as a well-established businessman, impresses them and they decide to get Manpreet and Harbans' son married.

With several factors working against them, Nitin and Ram soon reach a dead end in their relationships. When both receive ultimatums from their girlfriends, they realize that only a life of vice can help them out of their misery. They come up with an audacious plan to kidnap someone important and demand a ransom.

The kidnapping goes awry and both hide at a local hotel while waiting for the ransom money. But misfortune is never far and the kidnapping spirals out of control.

Meanwhile, Manpreet's wedding reception is being held at the same hotel that Nitin and Ram are hiding in. Soon, they are joined by a motley set ofcharacters including a Chinese Don (Asrani), a hired assassin (Johny Lever), a ACB police inspector (Sharat Saxena), a club dancer (Neha Dhupia), an ambassador (Vikram Gokhale), a young frustrated double crossing wife (Aditi Govitrikar), a letch (Shakti Kapoor), a drunken waiter (Rajpal Yadav) and a dead body nobody wants to check into the hotel.

"De Dana Dan" is atypical Priyadarshan film that has the unmistakable stamp all over it. But, at the same time, "De Dana Dan" is erratic and uneven - energetic at times, lethargic at places. Also, the culmination to the film is very similar to the director's earlier works, with the entire cast running helter-skelter.

On the flip side, you miss Akshay's presence in the second hour. He disappears (gets locked in a cupboard) for at least 20 minutes and the focus, hence, shifts to the othercharacters. His fans will miss his presence, for sure. Besides, the film tends to get very lengthy towards the second half and overtly verbose too.

Director Priyadarshan is synonymous with comedies and the ace storyteller promises laughter in abundance. Handling so many characters, plus making a film on mistaken identities could be very tough, but the director gets it right. Pritam's music is alright, while the RDB track, 'Paisa', is the pick of the lot. Salim-Sulaiman's background score is energetic. K. Ahambaram's cinematography is alright.

The review would be incomplete if one ignored the dialogue writer's (Jay Master) contribution to the film. The lines are laced with wit and soaked in humour and bring the house down on several occasions.

"De Dana Dan" has so many characters that it gets difficult to pinpoint or single out any one actor. Akshay is at his best in a Priyadarshan film and "De Dana Dan" proves it. Sunil is natural to the core. Paresh is incredible; he pitches in a superb act. Katrina and Sameera don't have much to do. Amongst the plethora of actors, Johny Lever, Neha Dhupia, Manoj Joshi, Asrani, Vikram Gokhale and Archana Puransingh deserve special mention.

On the whole, "De Dana Dan" is targeted at the masses and it delivers laughter in abundance. Leave your brains behind to enjoy this madcap entertainer!

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Thursday, November 19, 2009

Kurbaan - Movie Review

Read more! Cast :: Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Sunil Shetty, Dia Mirza, Om Puri, Kirron Kher.

Post 9/11, there's anger, distrust, suspicion, discomfort all around. Not a day passes when you don't hear of terrorists killing civilians in the name of religion.

Many storytellers have, in the past, narrated stories about terrorists and their evil and wicked plans. But let me state one thing categorically. You haven't watched a more profound, a more thought-provoking, a more dramatic story on this subject before KURBAAN. It's not just the most powerful film to come out of Dharma Productions, it's the most powerful film to come out of the Hindi film industry this year, thus far.

KURBAAN tries to penetrate into the psyche of not just the terrorist, but also someone who has been a helpless spectator all this while. This film is sure to spark off discussions and debates, although it must also be noted that it doesn't take sides or gets preachy.

Rensil D'Silva has chosen a burning issue for his directorial debut, which is a complete departure from Karan Johar's earlier films. For some inexplicable reasons, parallels are being drawn with FANAA and NEW YORK , but the fact remains that barring the backdrop of terrorism, there's no similarity with those films.

One often felt that certain films are beyond box-office. Movies are not meant to merely entertain, but enlighten and educate as well. They need to prick your conscience and in the process, make an attempt to make this world a better place. KURBAAN does just that and for this very reason, it deserves a double thumbs up.

Final word? Drop everything else you're doing to watch KURBAAN. Movies like these need to be made, encouraged and lauded.

Avantika (Kareena Kapoor) is a teacher at a university in Delhi. She has come back from New York where she teaches, because her father (Aakash Khurana) has suffered a heart attack. During this period, she meets a Professor called Ehsaan Khan (Saif Ali Khan). Soon, they begin seeing each other and love blossoms.

A few months later, Avantika receives a call from her university in New York, asking her to come back. Avantika breaks the news to Ehsaan. He, in turn, tells her he doesn't mind coming to the States with her. But first they need to get married.

Soon after the marriage, they leave to start a new life in New York. They buy a house in an Indian neighbourhood and move in. Just as they are setting up home, their conservative Muslim neighbours invite them over for dinner. The next morning, Salma (Nauheed Cyrusi), one of the women Avantika met the night before at the dinner, visits her under the pretext of gifting her sweets.

When Avantika invites her in, Salma tells her that she is in grave danger. Nothing is what it seems. Salma pleads with Avantika to help her. What follows next is a series of incidents that sucks Avantika into a vortex of danger and intrigue. As her life spirals out of control, Avantika realizes that she is a pawn in a huge game.

KURBAAN has two stories running concurrently - the love story between Saif and Kareena and the story of Islamic terrorists. Rensil sets the stage in the initial 15 minutes itself, after which there's a twist in the tale every 15-20 minutes, which catches you completely unaware. Rensil doesn't borrow from the past, which makes the proceedings thoroughly captivating.

The highpoint is the 35-minute climax, which leaves you spellbound. The culmination to the story shakes you completely, largely because it's pragmatic and has been executed most logically as well. In fact, filming the climax at the various underground tube stations must've been the toughest challenge for the director.

On the flip side, KURBAAN caters more to the intelligentsia or the thinking viewer and might not be lapped up whole-heartedly by those who survive on the staple diet of masala fares.

Some of the finest technicians in the business are associated with KURBAAN. Hemant Chaturvedi's cinematography is super. The film bears an international look all through. Salim-Sulaiman's music is well integrated in the narrative. At least two tracks merit a mention - 'Shukran Allah' and 'Ali Maula'. Anurag Kashyap and Niranjan Iyengar's dialogue are superb. The lines enhance the impact of several sequences. Thrills are, again, in sync with the mood of the film.

KURBAAN is embellished with superlative performances. Saif is extra-ordinary in a role that only proves his versatility once again. If he won your heart with a winning performance in LOVE AAJ KAL a few months ago, you need to watch this supremely talented actor underplay his part so beautifully in KURBAAN. As for Kareena, KURBAAN reiterates one fact yet again: She's the best in the business. No two opinions on that! Watch her get those emotional sequences right, it's incredible. Here's a performance that truly merits the highest praise and admiration, besides fetching her awards and accolades.

Vivek Oberoi is fantastic. Matching Saif and Kareena at every step, KURBAAN should be the turning point in Vivek's career. It's a difficult role to portray and only an actor with a wide range could've portrayed this part so effectively. Om Puri is top notch and so is Kirron Kher. Kirron is marvellous, especially in the penultimate scene. Dia Mirza, Nauheed Cyrusi and Kulbhushan Kharbanda lend credibility to their brief roles.

On the whole, KURBAAN is the most powerful film to come out of the Hindi film industry in 2009, so far. The film has a captivating plot, gripping screenplay, super performances and a climax that shakes you up completely. Watching this movie should be on top of your agenda this week.

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Kurbaan - 01 - Shukran Allah @review-of-movies.blogspot.com
Kurbaan - 02 - Dua @review-of-movies.blogspot.com
Kurbaan - 03 - Ali Maula @review-of-movies.blogspot.com
Kurbaan - 04 - Rasiya @review-of-movies.blogspot.com
Kurbaan - 05 - Kurbaan Hua @review-of-movies.blogspot.com
Kurbaan - 06 - Ali Maula Remix @review-of-movies.blogspot.com


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Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Paa - Music Review

Read more!
Cast:: Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Amol Atre, Vidya Balan, Paresh Rawal

"Paa" is a film with an unusual story and music maestro Ilayaraja has composed tunes that gel well with the movie's subject. Director R. Balakrishnan’s film stars Amitabh Bachchan as Abhishek's son Auro, who suffers from progeria that causes premature ageing. It also stars Vidya Balan.

The album begins with ‘Mudhi mudhi ittefaq se’. Crooned by Shilpa Rao, it has an instant connect. It is melodious but not very long. The song is currently doing the rounds on television channels and has become a hit.

‘Mudhi mudhi ittefaq se’ has two more versions - ‘Udhi udhi’, an extension of the original and ‘Gali mudhi’ that has vocals by Shaan. It is slower in pace but equally nice.

Next is ‘Halke se bol’. It is a children’s song and has a chorus behind the mike. It starts without background music and later musical arrangements are introduced. This too is short in length and is an average number.

Up next is ‘Hichki hichki’, more of a situational number that doesn’t impress too much. The fast-paced track has been sung by Sunidhi Chauhan.

It is followed by the title track ‘Mere paa’ by Amitabh Bachchan himself. It’s more of a narration in the voice of a child than a proper song. The theme song is very endearing.

Finally there is ‘Gumm summ gumm’ sung by the composer’s daughter Bavatharini with ample support from the chorus. The song has influences of jazz and is a good hear.

On the whole, the album of ‘Paa’ is not conventional and will appeal to music buffs. But most songs will get an edge with the visuals.

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Gali Mudhi Ittefaq Se@review-of-movies.blogspot.com
Gumm Summ Gumm@review-of-movies.blogspot.com
Halke Se Bole@review-of-movies.blogspot.com
Hichki Hichki@review-of-movies.blogspot.com
Mere Paa@review-of-movies.blogspot.com
Mudhi Mudhi Ittefaq Se@review-of-movies.blogspot.com
Paa Theme-Remix@review-of-movies.blogspot.com
Udhi Udhi Ittefaq Se@review-of-movies.blogspot.com

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Tuesday, November 10, 2009

3 Idiots - Music Review

Read more! Cast :: Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, R Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Boman Irani , Sahastrabudhhe, Mona Singh, Parikshit Sahani, Javed Jaffrey.

3 Idiots. One of the most awaited movies of the year. Its music is finally out. When a team like Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani and Amir Khan is involved we can surely expect something different as far as music is concerned. Music of 3 Idiots is composed by none other than Shantanu Moitra famous for his light, straight-from-the-heart melodious tunes. Moitra has taken heavily from Ravindra Sangeet. Anyway, moving on with the review, Lyrics of 3 idiots have been penned by Swanand Kirkire famous for his "Mann Ye Bawra" lyrics. Kirkire’s writing is as fresh as morning dew and for a movie like 3 idiots the words chosen by him are very apt, young audience can connect to the songs very well.

The music itself is delivered by the underrated Shantanu Moitra, a gifted composer who has been the firm choice for Vidu Vinod Chopra ever since Moitra produced the exceptional, career defining and widely acclaimed soundtrack for Parineeta (2005). Lyricist Swanand Kirkire has been partnering Moitra for most of his career and has proved a stalwart companion. But “3 Idiots” presents a unique challenge for them in that the music is likely to feature more as situational / background amidst the laughter and comedy scenes.

So here we go, album has 5 original songs and 2 remixes.

All Izz Well – Album opens up with ‘All Izz Well’. A very energetic number sung by Sonu Nigam, Swanand Kirkire and Shaan. The whistle in the song makes it more fun to listen. Lyrics are very catchy and the song is likable upon the very first listening itself. It has a remix version also.

Zoobi Doobi – A soft romantic number with a kind of liveliness that appeals to you despite the normal tune. Sonu Nigam & Shreya Ghoshal are once again great behind the mic. The only let down in this song are the average lyrics. This song also has a remix version.

Behti Hawa Sa Thha Wo – Sung by Shaan and Shantanu Moitra himself, this is a situational song(sung for Amir Khan’s character Rancho). A typical soft Shaan number, surely will be liked by all. Use of flute adds feathers to the melodious tune.

Give me some sunshine – Perhaps the best song of the album. This song has been sung by Suraj Jagan but the highlight of the song is the commentary by Sharman Joshi. A very, very fresh song. Listen to it as soon as you can for no words can describe the beauty of this masterpiece.

Jaane Nahin Denge Tujhe – Sung by Sonu Nigam this intense song is yet another jewel of this crown. The song kind of grows on you upon many hearings. Give it 3-4 listenings at least if you don't like the song initially. I'm sure you will like it.

Tracks 6 and 7 are "Zoobi Doobi Remix" and "Aal Izz Well Remix" respectively. Both are remixed well by DJ Amyth and Darshan. But the original compositions are still the best!

Without doubt Moitra's soundtrack succeeds in adding immense value to the movie in terms of atmosphere and background support. It is fresh, authentic and real. But you have to say it also disappoints as a stand-alone soundtrack apart from a couple of songs (particularly Zoobi Doobi and "Give Me Some Sunshine"). To be fair to Shantanu, the scope was always going to be limited with such a theme as the one presented in 3 Idiots, let’s not forget the movie is an all out entertainer / laugh riot with a strong emphasis on friendship, humour and adventure so it was never going to be remembered for its music. Most of the songs aren’t even given a chance with shortened lengths thus limiting their potential for a lasting impression. Also ask yourself why there are only 5 original compositions here? Consequently, the soundtrack can and should only really be judged after seeing the movie. In fact the music portrays a serious undertone to the movie hitherto unknown to many fans. That's how intertwined it is with Vidu Vinod Chopra’s story of the 3 Idiots. There's more to the movie than meets the eye and the same can definitely be said for the music.

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3 Idiots - 01 - All Izz Well@review-of-movies.blogpost.com





Friday, November 6, 2009

Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani - Movie Review

Read more! Cast :: Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Upen Patel, Darshan Jariwala, Asrani, Salman Khan, Govind Namdeo, Smita Jaykar, Navneet Nishan, Mithilesh Chaturvedi, Zakir Hussain, Jagdeep.

The story begins with the showcase of "innocence tipping balance to foolishness" of Prem (Ranbir Kapoor). That's just the start of many Charlie Chapline comical moments. Prem and his gang of good-for-nothing friends open up the Happy Club; read their hangout place where they try to solve their love problems or simply pass time. It’s when one of Prem’s friend needs to rescue his damsel in distress that his chance meeting of Jenny(Katrina Kaif) happens.

What till now was expected to be a romantic comedy turns into a slightly emotional film. However, there are some splendid moments when literally your human brain doesn’t know how to react. That’s where we bow to director Rajkumar Santoshi. For one, there’s a scene where Jenny stammers because she is upset. When Ranbir tries to console her he stammers too because he suffers from the same problem. Oh but Katrina doesn’t know this. So what does she do? One tight slap! ‘For making a mockery of my sad situation’- as she puts it. You simply don’t know how to react. You feel sorry for Ranbir, sorry for the hurt Katrina…but then why does the snigger sneak up on you then? Because the situation IS funny. You’ll know it when you go watch it. Oh yes, you can empty your wallet for this one!

However, don’t forget the mindless adjective used to describe this movie. Because simply it beats everyone whatever happened between Jenny and Prem on the bridge. It so obviously gives the impression that Jenny accepts Prem’s proposal?! Even so, when Prem goes to Goa to rescue Jenny from her forced marriage to Tony, Jenny spring out ‘Rahul’s name out of the blue. Err…excuse me? Who’s this new fella? Yes…so while we’re thinking that Prem’s world comes crashing down because Jenny apparently is in love with Rahul(Upen Patel), her school friend who’s returned from Canada.

But Prem had promised himself that he’d love Jenny with ‘no complaint, no demand.’ So the boy sticks with her and helps her get married to Rahul. However, the interaction between Prem and Rahul gets a bit drab.

This part of the film has been beautifully used for the subtle sarcasm of our country’s failings. Right from Rahul’s politician father Pitamber (Govind Namdeo) who doesn’t want his son to marry a Christian girls ’cause he’ll lose out on all the Hindu votes, to the part where a mail train can easily be stopped over a bridge for the convenience of lover-girl, and yes, the slice of media which behaves like ‘hungry wolves’ for juicy stories!

Jenny eventually realizes that she can never be happy with Rahul and that her true love is Prem. And at the end Prem’s grammatically incorrect English prayer to Jesus God is answered and his photo gets permanently stuck on Jenny’s heart!

Advertisements have been strategically hidden in the screenplay with even Ranbir speaking his youngistaan dialougue- ‘Chaaho Toh Kuch Bhi Hai Asaan’.

Salman Khan easily proves why he is the sweetheart of so many. His cameo is mind blowing and even his dialogues are painfully witty!

Pritam’s scores are good. Tu jaane na takes you into a trance, Aatif Aslam’s another gift to India. Prem ki naiyya would simply refuse to stop ringing in your heads. None of the songs seem out of place and they’ve been shot in some of the best places!

Action sequences are good with smart special effects. But they are neither gritty nor gory. Infact, the combination of Prem n Jen doing action makes you feel like you’re watching a fusion of Superman and Power Puff Girls! Kids are sure to have a blast!!

Ranbir’s many avatar’s are awe-inspiring. He perfectly brings out the rawness of an uneducated person as well as the sophistication of a gentleman. Katrina is an eye-candy in every shot and a goddess in Tu jaane na. The movie has been superbly peppered with antics from the supporting cast too. Thanks to them the faked quirky horniness of Prem’s mother Shalini(Smita Jaykar), Shankar’s (Darshan Jariwala) efforts to straighten out his son, and the laughter infusing frustration of the broke Don Sajin (Zakir Hussain)have been nicely brought out.

Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani will make you laugh if you stop questioning it. Your lover may have many shortcomings but you will still love him because that’s love. That’s what makes it strange. That’s what makes it amazing! Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani is a movie with many shortcomings but once you see it you can’t help loving it. That’s what makes it Ajab. That’s what makes it Ghazab!!

Here's what we liked about Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani
  • If there is one reason why Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani is worth a watch, it has to be the brilliance of Ranbir Kappor. Surrounded by mediocrity and unnecessary madness, Ranbir stands tall in yet another fabulous performance. Undoubtedly, the future ’superstar’ of Bollywood!
  • Some well written scenes (mentioned below) make the movie, a good one time watch.
  • Katrina Kaif adds immense value to the movie, purely by her screen presence and stunning looks. Its hard to take your eyes off her, due to which you manage to sit through those 2 - 3 song and dance numbers in the second half.
  • Supporting characters do well.
  • The chemistry between Katrina and Ranbir was excellent.
Sequences that deserve a mention
  • When Katrina invites Ranbir to be her dance partner and the sequences that follow with her chosen-by-parents groom are hilarious. Slightly over the top, with Ranbir dancing all the way through with weird expressions, but funny nonetheless.
  • When the jobless Ranbir takes up a job in a sweets shop to impress Katrina.
  • Those broken English dialogue scenes were nice, again credit to Ranbir’s fantastic dialogue delivery.
  • When Ranbir’s mother, in an effort to stop his father from entering the bathroom, flirts with her husband.
  • Govind Namdeo’s introductory scene which includes that funny ringtone of his assistant.
  • Last but not the least, when Salman Khan (as himself) makes a dashing special appearance. The girlfriend - yours or mine talk - is sure to bring the house down.
Download MP3 Songs
01 - Main Tera Dhadkan Teri - Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani @review-of-movies.blogspot.com
02 - Tu Jaane Na - Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani @review-of-movies.blogspot.com
03 - Oh By God - Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani @review-of-movies.blogspot.com
04 - Tera Hone Laga Hoon - Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani @review-of-movies.blogspot.com
05 - Prem Ki Naiyya - Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani @review-of-movies.blogspot.com
06 - Aa Jao Meri Tamanna - Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani @review-of-movies.blogspot.com
07 - Follow Me - Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani @review-of-movies.blogspot.com
08 - Tu Jaane Na (Reprise) - Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani @review-of-movies.blogspot.com
09 - Main Tera Dhadkan Teri (Remix) - Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani @review-of-movies.blogspot.com
10 - Tu Jaane Na (Remix) - Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani @review-of-movies.blogspot.com
11 - Prem Ki Naiyya (Remix) - Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani @review-of-movies.blogspot.com
12 - Tera Hone Laga Hoon (Remix) - Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani @review-of-movies.blogspot.com
13 - Aa Jao Meri Tamanna (Remix) - Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani @review-of-movies.blogspot.com
14 - Tu Jaane Na (Unplugged Version) - Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani @review-of-movies.blogspot.com


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Jail - Movie Review

Read more! Cast :: Neil Nitin Mukesh, Mugdha Godse, Manoj Bajpai, Arya Babbar, Chetan Pandit, Ghanshyam Garg, Rahul Singh.

Madhur Bhandarkar is identical with thought-provoking, hard-hitting films. Right from Chandni Bar to Fashion, the expert storyteller has made movies that hold tremendous shock-value. In turn, Madhur has cultivated a rich fan-base for his films.

With JAIL, Madhur not only makes you visit a prison, but also makes you peep into the psyche of a prisoner. In the recent past, Sriram Raghavan's Ek Hasina Thi and Undertrial narrated the travails and anguish of innocents who were falsely implicated in a case. Besides, Nagesh Kukunoor's Teen Deewarein too narrated the story of three convicts. But JAIL is different from the those films.

Besides watching a thought-provoking story on celluloid, one has also come to expect incredible performances in a Madhur Bhandarkar movie. And JAIL too is embellished with superb performances from its key actors.

JAIL transports you to a hitherto unknown world that most of us haven't seen and if this is its USP, it's also something that might go against it. Irrespective of how strong its merits are, a section of movie watcher like families/kids, who generally tilt towards feel-good/sunshine/entertainment-filled cinema, might skip this film due to its dry theme.

In a nutshell, JAIL mirrors a reality in true Madhur Bhandarkar style. It's hard-hitting, it's compelling, it's thought-provoking. The efficient storyteller has the courage to speak a new language in every film and for that very reason, JAIL should be on your agenda.

Parag Dixit (Neil Nitin Mukesh) is living a dream life -- a great job and a loving girlfriend (Mugdha Godse). However, things take an ugly turn when, after a series of unfortunate events, he suddenly wakes up in jail. Parag is perplexed. The only salvation he finds is in Nawab (Manoj Bajpai), a convict, who believes that Parag is innocent.

Soon, Parag is left with a choice, to either live a life with hordes of broken hearts and shattered souls amidst the prison walls or hope to see freedom some day.

JAIL involves you from the very start. The inmates, their crimes, their individual stories, you get drawn into a world that's very real. So real that you feel it's happening right in front of your eyes.

Madhur has a knack of narrating stories and he narrates the story of Parag Dixit with razor-edge sharpness. Besides, JAIL also enlightens you of the legal process, which also acts as an eye-opener.

At the same time, the legal procedures and also the behavioural pattern of the inmates tend to get repetitive after a point and that's when you start feeling restless. Nonetheless, the post-interval has some interesting twists-n-turns, like the convicts' escape from the police van; prior to that Neil and Manoj exchanging stares before Neil perches himself in the van; Neil getting thrown in a dark cell, spending the next few days in solitary confinement; a convict using the garbage van as the means to escape; another convict realising that his wife is now a cop's mistress.Also, the climax is touching and moves you.

Madhur hits the right note yet again. Madhur, Manoj Tyagi and Anuradha Tiwari's script involves you in most parts. Raghuvir Shekhawat's dialogues are true to life. There's no scope for music in a film like JAIL , but the three songs are smartly integrated in the storyline. Kalpesh Bhandarkar's cinematography is top notch. Special mention must be made of Nitin Chandrakant Desai's prison set, where the film is entirely shot.

Not only does Neil Nitin Mukesh deliver his best performance to date, but the performance would easily rank amongst the finest this year. He conveys the pathos and helplessness that this character demands with amazing understanding. He deserves all praise for his extra-ordinary portrayal.

Manoj Bajpai pitches in a memorable performance. In fact, the supremely talented actor is in form after a long, long time. He's subdued all through, which only goes to prove that he knows the craft so well. Mugdha Godse underplays her part beautifully.Also, she carries the non-glam look well.

Aarya Babbar is fantastic. This film should make people sit and notice this young actor. Chetan Pandit is first-rate. Rahul Singh is excellent, especially in the sequence when he confronts his wife. The actor who plays the part of Joe D'Souza is effective.

On the whole, JAIL is a well-made film from an expert storyteller.

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01 - Jail (2009) - Sainya Ve @review-of-movies.blogspot.com
02 - Jail (2009) - Milke Yun Lagaa @review-of-movies.blogspot.com
03 - Jail (2009) - Bareily Ke Bazzar Mein @review-of-movies.blogspot.com
04 - Jail (2009) - Daata Sun Le @review-of-movies.blogspot.com
05 - Jail (2009) - Sainya Ve (Rock Version) @review-of-movies.blogspot.com
06 - Jail (2009) - Bareily Ke Bazzar Mein (Remix) @review-of-movies.blogspot.com
07 - Jail (2009) - Sainya Ve (Remix) @review-of-movies.blogspot.com
08 - Jail (2009) - Daata Sun Le (Contemporary Remix) @review-of-movies.blogspot.com


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Thursday, November 5, 2009

De Dana Dan - Music Review

Read more! Cast :: Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Shetty, Paresh Rawal, Neha Dhupia, Sameera Reddy, Johny Lever, Asrani, Rajpal Yadav.

The brand value of Akshay Kumar, comic-timing of Paresh Rawal and static presence of Sunil Shetty have made a winning combination in the last few years. While Akshay and Sunil once had a reputation as action stars (Mohra), both have sobered down with age to explore different characters. Who can forget the 2000-laugh-riot ‘Hera Pheri’ which was a huge success at the box office? In many ways director Priyadarshan is back with his favourite leading men. Add one of Bollywood’s current flavours of the season, Katrina Kaif, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for success.

De Dana Dan may have its share of fine songs, but overall, it’s disappointing as it stands nowhere close to Tum Mile or even APKGK. In fact the one song that has been popularized and seems like one of the few good songs on the album belongs to RDB and thus Pritam’s share of good songs goes further down.

Out of twelve tracks of De Dana Dan, there are six songs as all songs have a remix or a second version except one. Here is the detailed review.

Rishte Naate: In De Dana Dan Pritam puts forward his best song as the very first as you hear Rahat Fateh Ali Khan singing at the start of the album, with vocals by Suzanne Demello. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan has got the song a gear up than he generally sings at. For the reason, in the beginning you might feel the song a bit fast but ultimately the song sounds perfectly fine. Worth listening to.

Paisa: The second song of the album is the one you must have heard a lot of times on your television already. RDB’s Paisa, featuring Manak-E and Selina. Main Barish kar doon paise ki, jo tu ho jaaye meri is a song that is surely going to rule the charts for a few weeks. Listen to this one on full volume or even better, in North Indian weddings, on the DJ.

Gale Lag Ja: One of the first things you do with any album now is searching Javed Ali’s name in credits. Here I found him again with Sa Re Ga Ma Pa contestant Banjyotsna for the song Gale lag ja. Gale lag ja happens to be the other song that I liked in the album, or at least find worth listening to, if only because of Javed Ali’s voice. Try the song, even though it’s a quite typical love song, you may like it.

Bamulaiza: OK. Here we start moving downwards. This one, called Ba-mulaiza, sounds quite like a song of Anu Malik in the ’90s. The song, though sung by Mika, Style Bhai and Dominique, is probably going to go unnoticed except for being played on FM sometimes, that due to its beats. Nothing much to say on this one.

Hotty Naughty: And here was the SURPRISE. A song written by Neeraj Shridhar, sung by Sunidhi Chauhan, almost half the lyrics in English. And copy of the superhit Haryanvi song Hat ja taau. For those who know the song, the unrapped part of Hotty-Naughty can be made by replacing Hat ja taau pachhe ne, naachan de jee bhar ke ne with you wanna feel me touch me hold me now, I’m hotty naughty babe in town. Simple as that, no need to go to Indonesia or Japan for this discovery of Pritamji.

Rishte Naate – Remix: Well, this is new. Before the end of original songs (wow, that word after the last song) there are remixes in. And this remix of Rishte Naate is sung by Kunal! Try hard but this stands Nowhere near the original. Skip.

Bamulaiza – Ragga Mix: Slightly better than the original. Hope runs better.

Gale Lag Ja (Version 2): No major changes from the original version. I guess that’s the best thing about the song. Nothing much again.

Hotty Naughty Remix: Remix of a dance number is another dance number. Easier for DJs. But yeah, the voice behind the microphone changes and this time it’s not Sunidhi but Kalpana Patwari.

OK. Enough of remixes. Jumping to the only song that remains. De Dana Dan, the title song. Well, the title song De Dana Dan is the one that has not been remixed in the album. And from the song all I could collect was that there is hardly scope for a remix. The best part of the song is that it’s Extremely Catchy. The bad part is that it’s use and throw.

Time for summary. Music of De Dana Dan doesn’t really seem to be a serious thing. Other than Rishte Naate and Gale Lag ja, no song of the album can be expected to last long, even if some of them go fine for sometime. Paisa and the title song are OK for short time. Bamulaiza is avoidable and Hotty Naughty is plagiarism again. Not that it makes the song any worse. It’s just OK.

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