Showing posts with label Vidya Balan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vidya Balan. Show all posts

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Ishqiya - Movie Review

Read more! Cast :: Naseruddin Shah, Arshad Warsi, Vidya Balan, Anupam Kher

Get ready for tangy, pungent, sizzling and spicy stuff. Be forewarned, ISHQIYA isn't the fluffy, candyfloss, saccharine sweet story of lovers breaking into songs in mustard fields. In ISHQIYA, you just don't know what turn the story may take next. Not just the story, even the characters here are so impulsive and unpredictable.

You need to have a strong stomach to absorb ISHQIYA. It's high on drama, it's wild, it's real. But it's not dark, it's not sleazy, it's not crass. Frankly, you don't expect debutante director Abhishek Chaubey to make a stereotypical fare thanks to the tutelage by his guru Vishal Bhardwaj, who loves to swim against the tide and undertake risks in film after film.

You could call ISHQIYA a distant cousin of OMKARA. Set in Gorakhpur in North India, the film has a rustic feel, depicts characters that may make you uncomfortable and is laced with saucy lingo. Yet, it's different than OMKARA.

Final word? You can't help but fall in ishq with ISHQIYA. Tired of sherbat? Try this spicy jaljeera for a change!

Two thieves, Khalujaan [Naseeruddin Shah] and Babban [Arshad Warsi], are on the run from their boss, Mushtaq. They seek refuge at a friend's house, but instead meet his widow, Krishna [Vidya Balan]. The time spent together draws the duo to her, Khalu with his tinted vision of old-fashioned love and Babban with his lustful eye. But the past catches up with all three!

There's no denying that the promos had prepared me of the journey ahead, yet it took me a good 15-odd minutes to get into the world of Khalujaan, Babban and Krishna. But once you get sucked into their world, the blurred images start getting clearer and clearer and you become an active participant in their journey.

The first hour passes in a jiffy, but the story actually gets dramatic and volatile in its second hour. It's at this stage that things start getting more and more unpredictable. Thestory does a somersault every 10 minutes and by the time it reaches its finale, you're curious to know how the debutante director would conclude this saga. The end, of course, will have its share of advocates and adversaries, but the fact remains that it's offbeat.

Abhishek Chaubey is a welcome addition to the ranks of avid storytellers. His choice of the subject and also handling of the material is what makes this film so eminently watchable. Not once do you feel that ISHQIYA has been helmed by a first-timer. Note the change of events in the song 'Dil To Bachcha Hain Ji' or the kidnap drama and the heated argument that follows thereafter. Even the passionate lovemaking sequence between Arshad and Vidya has been dexterously canned.

However, Chaubey and his team of writers could've kept the writing simplistic towards the finale. It's complex and also lacks clarity. Yet, all said and done, screenplay writers Vishal Bhardwaj, Sabrina Dhawan and Abhishek Chaubey deserve kudos for coming up with a film that keeps you hooked for most parts.

Vishal Bhardwaj's musical score has his unmistakable stamp all over. The film is embellished with two lilting gems - 'Ibne Batuta' and 'Dil To Bachcha Hain Ji' - which are a rage with listeners already and have been juxtaposed beautifully in the plot. Mohana Krishna's cinematography is first-rate. Dialogues [Vishal Bhardwaj] are acidic and a few lines are indeed startling.

Every actor in ISHQIYA delivers a sparkling performance! Naseeruddin Shah is superb as a romantic. He is matchless in the sequence when he learns the truth about Vidya and Arshad. Arshad packs in a bravura performance yet again. Post MUNNABHAI films, Arshad should be liked in this one the maximum. Vidya continues to surprise. It's a dynamic performance undoubtedly. PAA and ISHQIYA are two landmarks in her career.

The actors enacting the role of Jijaji, the kidnapped victim and Vidya's husband are all perfect. The child, who interacts with Arshad, is natural. In fact, every performance in ISHQIYA is worthy of mention.

On the whole, ISHQIYA is definitely worth a watch. The film has a riveting plot, great performances, soulful music, an absorbing story and skilful direction to make the viewer fall in ishq with it.

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Sunday, January 3, 2010

Ishqiya - Music Review

Read more! Cast :: Naseruddin Shah, Arshad Warsi, Vidya Balan, Anupam Kher

With its Sufi elements, the mellow retro-styled Dil to Bachcha Hai will have you hooked right from the start, Vishal doing a magnificent job with the instruments, the claps, the accordion (or harmonium, I am not quite sure!) et al. And Rahat Fateh Ali sounds so beautifully at home rendering this track as compared to the songs he sang last year. The remix also has an alluring arrangement, but doesn’t quite capture the magic of the original. The English part sung by Clinton Cerejo doesn’t gel in with the actual lyrics. Ibn-E-Batuta starts off exuding a heady feel akin to Raat Ke Dhai Baje, Dil Haara and the likes. But somewhere along the course of the song the effect starts wearing off, in spite of the high energy vocals by Mika and Sukhwinder. The two remixes can be steered clear of, totally lacking the class or the charm that was there in the Dil To Bachcha Hai remix. The first remix in fact sounds more of a travesty with its annoying chipmunkish processing of Ibn-E-Batuta.

Rekha Bharadwaj gets behind the microphone to deliver Ab Mujhe Koi, a conventional ghazal set to a rather unconventional background consisting of guitars, keyboard and drums. Needless to say Rekha does a wonderful job of rendering the song. She returns to sing the last track of the album, Badi Dheere Jali, a track set to raag Miya Ki Todi I think. The arrangement sees a wonderful fusion of western and eastern instruments.

After giving a very massy soundtrack in Kaminey, Vishal this time opts for a mix of the massy and the esoteric. For that reason Ishqiya’s soundtrack is not going to enjoy the widespread acceptance that Kaminey’s did, barring the first two songs. Nevertheless Ishqiya once again demonstrates the class act that Vishal Bharadwaj is. And in Dil To Bachcha Hai I already have my first entry for the top 15 tracks of 2010!

Dil To Bachcha Hai
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's voice suits any song he sings, 'Dil To Bachcha' is also no exception. This is not the typical soulful track from Rahat but a complete different composition, much required for the singer too, as he was getting monotonous.

Ibn-E-Batuta
I don't understand what the title means but its a very catchy word. This is a rough song with music hitting straight on your face. The video picturization adds a lot of character to this song.

Ab Mujhe Koi
Music is simple and plain, only the basic guitar tunes are used. The singer Rekha Bhardwaj tries to connect with the audience but fails.

Badi Dheere Jali
This song is too depressing. Painfully slow accompanied by sitar music is a no show.

Ishqiya Music Album is half good and obviously half bad attempt. Importance to music is clearly not seen in the original tracks but remixes offer more then the required. First 2 tracks - Dil To Bachcha Hai and Ibn-E-Batuta are made for the crowds, absolute entertainers and the other 2 songs are painfully slow, dead beat tracks from Rekha Bhardwaj. The album offers us something new which was also necessary considering the theme of the film but no song can grasp your attention for long.

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Thursday, December 3, 2009

Paa - Movie Review

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

Can you ever imagine watching an Amitabh Bachchan film and not watching Amitabh Bachchan in it? Seems impossible, isn't it? The towering persona and the rich baritone just cannot be overlooked. But R. Balki transforms the legendary actor into Auro, replaces the rich baritone with the voice of an adolescent [who's neither grown up, nor a kid] and taps the hitherto untapped talent of the icon.

Trust me, 10 minutes into the film and you forget you're watching Amitabh Bachchan. For, Auro takes over the moment he is introduced to the viewer.

PAA is a simple film told in the most simplistic manner and that's one of the prime reasons why this film works big time. The emotions would've fallen flat had the writing been sub-standard or the execution of the material been humdrum or the actors been inferior. But, thankfully, PAA scores in all three departments, although it must be said that the entire slum redevelopment episode is a complete put-off.

Yet, all said and done, PAA is an outstanding film. A film for every paa, every maa... for everyone with a heart. Take a bow, Auro!

Auro (Amitabh Bachchan) is an intelligent, witty 13-year-old boy with an extremely rare genetic defect that causes accelerated ageing. He suffers from progeria. Mentally, he is 13, very normal, but physically he looks five times older.

Inspite of his condition, Auro is a happy boy. He lives with his mother Vidya (Vidya Balan), a gynaecologist, but is completely clueless of his father's identity. Till he meets him, Amol (Abhishek Bachchan), who is a full of ideals politician.

Okay, let's not disrespect Balki by calling PAA a rip-off of THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON or JACK. It's not! PAA looks at the varied relationships so minutely. It may've been publicized as a father-sonfilm, but the women - mother and granny - play equally pivotal parts.

The first hour of PAA grips you in patches. The introduction of Auro is brilliant, but the moment the story focuses on the politician and his arch rival's sub-plot, it goes off-track. Sure, there are some interesting sequences, but the impact isn't mesmeric.

But the post-interval portions take the film to dizzy heights and camouflages the defects. The father-son bonding and the penultimate 25 minutes raise the bar. The emotional quotient is tremendous. Get ready to overhear a lot of sniffs and see a lot of moist eyes once the lights are switched on.

Note the two sequences in the climax, when Auro reveals what his father's first mistake was and the pheras towards the end. Also recall the scene when the girl Auro detests for a certain reason shows up with a sketch of Auro. It moves you completely.

But let's not mistaken PAA to be a rona-dhona movie. It's a positive film with funny/light moments in plenty. The conversation between Auro and his best friend, on various occasions, are superb. Also, not once does PAA show Auro as 'different'. He's one among the kids and there's no discrimination whatsoever, which is remarkable.

Director R. Balki deserves a salute for thinking out of the box and also presenting Amitabh Bachchan like never before. The writing may be erratic, but his handling of the emotional moments is exemplary. Note this, he would be a force to reckon with after PAA. Ilaiyaraaja's music is soothing. P.C. Sreeram's cinematography is incredible.

It would be a blunder if one missed out the contribution of the makeup artists. Transforming the veteran actor into a kid must've been an arduous task and Christien Tinsley and Domini Till deserve to be complimented for making Auro look so real.

Now to the performances! No amount of praise, no amount of adjectives and personifications would do justice to Amitabh Bachchan's performance as Auro. Sure, the icon has enthralled us with superlative performances in his four-decade career, but PAA is something else. The icon keeps surprising you at regular intervals and PAA is one of those beautiful surprises, which will remain etched in your memory forever.

That doesn't mean that the remaining performances get dwarfed by Auro. Sure, PAA belongs to Auro, but not once does Abhishek Bachchan dither from his position or seems less inferior. This is the hallmark of a tremendous actor, which Abhishek is. Vidya is another surprise of PAA. She takes giant strides as an actor and proves yet again that given the right roles, she can match up to the best in the business.

Paresh Rawal is effective. Arundhati Naag is amazing. So is the kid, Pratik, enacting the role of Auro's best buddy. His telephonic conversation with Auro is superb. Jaya Bachchan's presence is lovely.

On the whole, PAA is an amazing experience. It makes you realize two things. One, the Hindi film industry is also capable of narrating fresh stories. Two, Amitabh Bachchan is truly the most accomplished actor this side of the Atlantic.

Talking from the business point of view, PAA has been made in a sensible and reasonable budget (approx. Rs. 17 crores, including P & A expenses), which should easily be recovered from multiplexes alone.

In the final tally, here's a film that should win awards (for Auro) and also box-office rewards, given its low costs. A film that should strike a chord with every paa, maa... just about everyone with a heart!

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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 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.

Download MP3 Music
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

Watch Video








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