Showing posts with label Arshad Warsi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Arshad Warsi. Show all posts

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Golmaal 3 - Movie Review

Read more! Cast :: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor, Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade, Kunal Khemu, Mithun Chakraborty

Brand GOLMAAL is back again. Its equity continues to soar upwards. Naturally, every film of this franchise carries the burden of humungous expectations. Touted as India's first-ever trilogy, GOLMAAL 3 [G-3], the third installment of GOLMAAL and GOLMAAL RETURNS, promises to mesmerize, tickle your funny bone and entertain moviegoers of all ages. G-3 promises to be bigger, better, funnier and far more entertaining and amusing than the first two parts.

There's a flipside of having a thriving brand. No matter how hard you try, comparisons with the earlier parts are inevitable. The question everyone's keen to ask is, does it supersede the forerunners in terms of entertainment? The best thing about G-3 is that it lives up to its undertaking of amusing you from the word go, till the very culmination. From inception to conclusion, save for a few lax moments, G-3 is high on fun and entertainment quotient.

By now one is well versed with Rohit Shetty's funda: Come, have a blast at the movies. Frankly, there's no word called 'logic' in Shetty's cinematic dictionary and the moviegoer too has attuned himself/herself to Shetty's high-on-entertainment laughathons. I've often said that comedy is serious business and a director attempting one has to walk a tightrope. But Shetty has mastered the art by now and G-3 proves that when it comes to entertainers, he's amongst the best in the business.

G-3 rocks! It may not go down in history as the best side-splitting entertainer ever made, but it should go down in history as the first trilogy that would pass the audience test with flying colors. G-3 raises the bar for G-4, what say Mr. Shetty?

G-3 highlights the story of hatred between two bunch of siblings. Ajay Devgn [Gopal] lives with his brother Shreyas Talpade [Laxman], mother Ratna Pathak Shah [Geeta aka Guddi] and best friend Kareena Kapoor [Daboo]. Their world collides with another trio, Arshad Warsi [Madhav], Tusshar Kapoor [Lucky] and Kunal Khemu [Laxman].

Arshad, Tusshar and Kunal's father Mithun Chakraborty [Pritam] and Ajay and Shreyas' mother Ratna Pathak Shah decide to rekindle their relationship and with Kareena's persuasion even get married. But there's a problem: The kids detest each other. To complicate matters further, there's a thief Johnny Lever [Puppy] and his henchmen [Vrajesh Hirjee and Sanjay Mishra] and a necklace that's hidden somewhere.

Two things. One, before watching G-3, I had felt that focusing on eight main characters would lead to chaos only as there would be no scope for character development. But I was proven completely wrong because each character is well etched out and by the time the movie concludes, you don't feel that the show belongs to 'x', while 'y' was sidelined. The movie belongs to everyone!

Two, it's said that G-3 is inspired by Basu Chatterjee's KHATTA MEETHA [1978; starring Ashok Kumar and Pearl Padamsee], Umesh Mehra's HAMARE TUMHARE [1979; starring Sanjeev Kumar and Raakhee] and the Hollywood film YOURS, MINE AND OURS [1968], wherein an elderly couple, having their own kids, decide to live under one roof. Rohit Shetty and his team of writers [screenplay: Yunus Sajawal; script consultant: Robin Bhatt] may be inspired by these films, but they have given G-3 a completely different flavor and dimension altogether. The writing, I wish to forewarn, defies logic, sense and reason, therefore one has to go with the flow. It has a skeletal plot, but is packed with jokes, jibes, pranks and of course, stunts/action [Rohit Shetty's movies are incomplete without cars being blown to smithereens].

The casting of Johnny Lever as the absentminded and scatterbrained thief is a master stroke. The writing, execution and portrayal of this part must've been an arduous task, but what comes across on screen is remarkable. In fact, this track would work wonders with the audience, especially those who swear by the Johnny Lever brand of humour. Johnny's sequence on the water scooter, to cite an instance, is sure to bring the house down. Besides the sequences involving Johnny Lever, I'd like to single out yet another sequence that shows the siblings threatening each other. It's a sequence without words but a super background score [Sanjoy Chowdhury], with the siblings trying to threaten one another with every possible thing in the house - be it a cactus plant or a rose, be it a tomato or a pumpkin, while their parents [Mithun and Ratna] watch HUM SAATH-SAATH HAIN on TV. Also, Kareena's pet dog called Facebook trying to get the bone out of Mithun's pocket is bizarre, but will be loved by the hoi polloi. Prepare to laugh your guts out in the above-mentioned scenes.

Any hiccups? The climax could have been a little more imaginative. It follows the trademark Priyadarshan style of getting together the entire cast, including supporting actors to villain sidekicks, for the finale. No issues with that, but a more innovative and ingenious finale would have only proven the icing on the cake.

Relying more on treatment than content, G-3 has the by-now-famous stamp of Rohit Shetty all over it. The director gets ample help from writer Yunus Sajawal and dialogue writers Farhad-Sajid and Bunty Rathore [additional dialogues]. The screenplay doesn't give you time to think, while the dialogues are truly funny at most times. As the third installment in the GOLMAAL series, G-3 has a lot to live up to and so does the soundtrack [Pritam]. 'Golmaal' is fun, while 'Ale' moves at a feverish pace. Cinematography [Dudley] is perfect, while the action scenes [Jai Singh Nijjar] are exciting.

Like I pointed out earlier, every actor in the film contributes his/her bit in making this fun ride enjoyable. Yet, I'd like to single out Ajay, who goes for a grungy makeover. The rugged style, diamond ear studs, tattoos and cropped hair suits the hyper character that he portrays. He's excellent. Another well-written character is of Kareena, who fits in so well with the boys. She looks every bit the tomboy she is expected to be. She's matchless. Tusshar gives a brand new dimension to the character he has learnt so well to portray. He is sure to have the audience in splits with his class act. I'd also like to single out the emotional sequence, which Tusshar performs with gusto. Arshad oozes sufficient confidence to carry off the role, while Shreyas and Kunal are wonderful as well.

Mithun Chakraborty and Ratna Pathak Shah are genuinely lovable, while Johnny Lever is simply fantastic. Ditto for his henchmen, enacted by Vrajesh Hirjee and Sanjay Mishra. Mukesh Tiwari, Murli Sharma, Vijay Patkar, Viju Khote and Ashwini Kalsekar lend very good support. Prem Chopra is superb in a cameo.

On the whole, GOLMAAL 3 is an ideal fun ride with thrice the enjoyment and gratification, thrice the magic and thrice the hilarity. Go on, have a blast and make this Diwali thrice more entertaining for you. An out-and-out entertainer, it's sure to light up the celebratory festive mood.

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Friday, October 8, 2010

Golmaal 3 - Music Review

Read more! Cast :: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor, Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade, Kunal Khemu, Mithun Chakraborty

Fun. That's in one word to describe the expectation that one has from the music of Golmaal 3. Films coming form the house of Rohit Shetty have time and again celebrated life and are aimed at youth. Whether it is Golmaal, Golmaal 2, All The Best or Sunday, music in each of these films has been vibrant with no single dull moment. This is what one expects from Golmaal 3 as well that has composer Pritam and lyricist Kumaar coming together. With the film being third in the series, one expects double the fun this time around, if not the triple.

It's time for some 'Golmaal' all over again as K.K., Anouska Manchanda and Monali Thakur come together for a high on energy title track. The beginning is exactly on the same line as what one would have expected here, which means that the sound of ' Golmaal Golmaal' is heard all over again. The 'remix version' ensures though that there is a lot of spunk ready to be exploited on the dance floor.

Next to come is a song about togetherness, 'Apna Har Din', which is all set to be picturised on the entire principal cast of Golmaal 3. A fun number with a touch of carnival mood to it, ' Apna Har Din' (which also arrives in a 'remix version') has a 70s style composition with Shaan and Anouska Manchanda sounding genuinely happy while crooning this one. However, the overall impact that the song creates is that of being a situational number.

'Ale' sounds better though and goes full throttle in getting the club mood on. In fact after listening to it a couple of times, one does tend to remember the kind of beats and rhythm that one had heard in the title song of Tum Miley. The song is good but not the kind that makes one stand up and hail it as the next huge chartbuster. A foot tapping track nevertheless with youth written all over it, this Neeraj Sridhar and Antara Mitra sung number is about a bunch of friends who have paved their own path and don't care much about the outside world.

Surprisingly, the best song of the album comes at the very end. One expects at least one massive chartbuster from Pritam in each of his albums. In Golmaal 3, it is 'Desi Kali' which has all in it to rock the charts in its arrival. A smash hit from the word go, 'Desi Kali' has the kind of beats and rhythm that ensure that you get a hang of the song in the very first listening. With Neeraj Sridhar and Sunidhi Chauhan coming together for this song, they ensure that this one turns out to be one of the more popular songs in the offing. Deservingly, there is a 'remix version' of this club track as well which brings on some more spice in the album.

Last to arrive are a couple of songs from Disco Dancer - 'Disco Dancer' and 'Yaad Aa Raha Hain'. Since the film features Mithun Chakravorty in an important role, inclusion of these two songs does not come as a surprise. None of the two songs are presented as-is though and have been re-arranged slightly to go well with the contemporary times. While Bappi Lahiri sings 'Disco Dancer', it is Sudesh Bhosle who comes behind the mike for 'Yaad Aa Raha Hain'.

Golmaal 3 has a chartbuster in the form of 'Desi Kali' with instant recall value coming from title track 'Golmaal' as well. The other two tracks - 'Apna Har Din' and 'Ale' add on to the situational appeal as well. As expected, the music of Golmaal 3 is a fun ride that should go well with racy visuals, which is the hallmark of Rohit Shetty cinema.

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Thursday, March 25, 2010

Hum Tum Aur Ghost - Movie Review

Read more! Cast :: Arshad Warsi, Dia Mirza, Sandhya Mridul, Boman Irani

It is often said, interesting ideas don't necessarily translate into enthralling celluloid experiences. That's what I realized, for the umpteenth time, as HUM TUM AUR GHOST concluded.

Hollywood has attempted several films wherein the living has been shown interacting with the dead. In fact, two decades ago, there was a mad rush to Indianize GHOST [Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg]. The fascination with the dead continues to haunt Bollywood to this date.

Arshad Warsi - who has been credited with the story of HUM TUM AUR GHOST - has denied that the film is inspired by GHOST TOWN. Yet, there're some similarities and that could be coincidental. So far, so good!

Now here's the hitch. The screenplay - the lifeline of any film - is what makes a film stand on its feet and in this case, HUM TUM AUR GHOST suffers due to inept writing. Ideally, the writers and director should've come to the point right away, but the film takes its own sweet time to come to the point and what comes across is also not enticing, barring a couple of attention-grabbing moments. By then, the viewer has already lost interest in the film.

The sole saving grace is the performances by the principal cast. Sadly, that's not enough!

For Armaan [Arshad Warsi], life was picture perfect. He has a doting girlfriend Gehna [Dia Mirza] and also a great job. But there's a problem: Armaan hears voices. Voices that torture him. Voices that disturb him. More importantly, voices that nobody else can hear.

Gehna is irritated with his weird behaviour. Add to that her father [Javed Sheikh] constantly berates him for his fondness for the bottle. No one seems to understand his predicament. What puzzles everyone is the fact that he talks to himself… or rather, he talks to people, who no one can see, simply because they don't live.

Soon, Armaan becomes aware of his special ability to connect with the dead. Equipped with a will to fulfil the wishes of these spirits who hound him, Armaan sets out on a mission to help out three souls - a child, an old man and a young woman.

Generally, most Hindi movies come to the point at the very inception. HUM TUM AUR GHOST also opens its cards at the very outset, but loses focus soon after. In fact, the moment you're told that Arshad can see the dead, you expect to embark on a journey you've never embarked upon earlier. But there's hardly any movement in the story after a captivating start.

No doubt, the concept is fascinating and had the writers concentrated on tackling the three stories that Arshad chooses to solve, and without wasting time on romance-n-songs, HUM TUM AUR GHOST would've been one journey you would've never forgotten.

The build-up to the first story - a dead kid asking Arshad to help his father - is simply missing. The second story - involving Boman Irani - could've been tackled far more expertly. The entire sequence in the bank is bizarre and far from funny. In fact, you wonder, did the writers run out of ideas at this point? Of course, the sequence thereafter - between Boman and his wife [Asawari Joshi] - is touching.

The third story - of a woman in search of her son - starts off very well, but midway through this story, the moment Arshad enters his father's house, the mystery never remains a mystery. You can predict what's in store next. The culmination to the film, although well shot, doesn't make the required impact either.

Director Kabeer Kaushik was entrusted with a great idea, but his team of writers blew it up into smithereens. The impact generated by a few worthy of note sequences gets evaporated as the film reaches its culmination, primarily because the writing doesn't hold. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's music is strictly okay. Ashok Mehta's cinematography is of top quality.

HUM TUM AUR GHOST has skilled performances, starting with Arshad, who's likable and believable. A complete natural, this is among his finest works. It's a new Dia you get to watch in this film. Not only does she look ethereal, but is exceptional in the acting department as well. Boman is tremendous, especially in the sequence when he's meeting his wife again. Sandhya Mridul doesn't get much to do. Zehra Naqvi is convincing. Shernaz Patel is wasted. Ditto for Tinnu Anand. Javed Sheikh is as usual. Asawari Joshi is perfect for her part.

On the whole, HUM TUM AUR GHOST is a terrible waste of a terrific idea. Disappointing!

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Sunday, March 14, 2010

Hum Tum Aur Ghost - Music Review

Read more! Cast :: Arshad Warsi, Dia Mirza, Sandhya Mridul, Boman Irani

Hum Tum Aur Ghost is an extremely shady title for a movie. It was formerly named Kaun Bola? but lead actor and producer Arshad Warsi thought that name sounded ‘tapori’.

Anyway, HTG is produced by Arshad and wife Maria Goretti. It stars Dia Mirza, Boman Irani and Sandhya Mridul in prominent roles. The story is about a fashion photographer who can communicate with souls that haven’t crossed over and portrays how, in the process of helping three lost souls, he ends up finding himself.

Now the music of this film is composed by fab-trio Shankar-Ehsaan and Loy, who are arguably Bollywood’s most-consistent musical team at the peak of their powers. The album opens with the already-aired Dekho Raste Mein which portrays the chemistry between the lead pair. The track is melodious and sweet, setting just the right tone for the album.

In complete contrast, the title track Hum Tum Aur Ghost is bold and loud with marching percussion and blaring electric guitars. Vishal Dadlani teams up with Shankar Mahadevan to give this track a nice desi-rock feel with a catchy chorus. It falls short of the dance-floor but its remix makes up for that.

The tempo stays upbeat for another energetic track in Banware Se Pooche Banwariya. I was surprised to see Maria Goretti’s name in the contributing artists. This one’s another foot-tapping, ‘tapori-style’ experimental track which deserved its own remix.

The shining gem of this album is Kal Tum The Yahaan, a serene love ballad with more meaning in its lyrics than the entire album combined. It’s sung brilliantly by Caralisa Monteiro and Shankar Mahadevan. This one’s as beautiful as they come.

One gaping flaw was including remix tracks of Dekho Raste Meinand Kal Tum The Yahaan. Both tracks are amazing ballads and adding electro beats to it only takes away the seriousness from calm, serene tracks.

Extremely digestible seven tracks out of which five deserve a listen. The music has the potential to do well, if promoted well.

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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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