Friday, July 23, 2010

Khatta Meetha - Movie Review

Read more! Cast :: Akshay Kumar, Trisha Krishnan, Rajpal Yadav, Johnny Lever

When Priyadarshan and Akshay Kumar join hands, you expect the cineplex to reverberate with laughter. Let's not forget, the team has regaled us with some terrific entertainers in the past. Naturally then, you expect KHATTA MEETHA to take the legacy forward.

Unfortunately, KHATTA MEETHA is noise [the actors scream a lot in this movie], more noise [the great promotion] and only noise, while the content takes a complete backseat. Although KHATTA MEETHA shouldn't be compared to this combo's earlier works, since this one's a satire, I have to add that this is their weakest film to date.

The first question I asked myself once the movie got over was, what's the story? Okay, okay, neither did Priyadarshan's last few films had a story to tell, but when you attempt a satire, when one talks of the hardships faced by the common man, when one talks of corruption in society, there HAS to be a story in place. That goes without saying!

KHATTA MEETHA raises a finger at the corruption in government establishments, but what it tries to say, or expose, has been witnessed over and over again. In fact, it's the writing -- sorry, the absence of it -- that makes matters worse. The beginning is good, the middle falters and the end is exasperating.

Struggling road construction contractor Sachin Tichkule [Akshay Kumar] is doomed. There is no chance that his dreams will ever come true, simply because he has no money to bribe. To make matters worse, the new Municipal Commissioner turns out to be his ex girl friend [Trisha], who now hates him.

The film reveals the extent of corruption and bribery rampant in the system and the ingenious means you have to adopt if you want to survive in today's times.

KHATTA MEETHA attempts to say a lot many things in those 2.40 hours. Oh yes, its running time is a problem, more so because the narrative lacks the power to keep you hooked to the proceedings. Okay, coming back to what I wanted to say, KHATTA MEETHA is more of a collage of isolated incidents encompassed in those 2.40 hours. The collapse of the bridge, the consequent murder of Tinnu Anand, the constant bickering in the house, the tu-tu-main-main between Akshay and Trisha, the sister's track, the corrupt netas and government babus, the payment issue of workers... several sequences are a repeat of what's you watched barely minutes ago or an hour ago.

While the romantic track is the weakest link [half-baked; the songs are forced down your throats, without valid situations whatsoever], the flashback portions, depicting Akshay Kumar as a college student, is just hard to digest. Even the end is worn out and doesn't give the feel of contentment that one expects at the conclusion of a film.

Priyadarshan's handling of the comic sequences is noteworthy, especially in the first half of the film. The repair-and-paint sequence at Asrani's mansion is sure to bring the house down. Ditto for the conversation that Asrani has with multiple people, in person and also on phone. Also, the road roller sequence is a laugh-riot and prior to that Johny Lever's sequence of repairing the road roller is truly funny. But a few isolated sequences aren't enough. The veteran storyteller ought to know the importance of a watertight screenplay by now.

Cinematographer V. Manikandan's lens captures the exteriors with flourish. Pritam's music is easy on the ears and at least two songs are extremely popular as well, but the placement of songs in the narrative acts as a roadblock. Dialogues are funny at times, especially the one-liners.

Akshay Kumar plays the common man with gusto. He looks his part and more importantly, not once do you feel that he's repeating himself. However, he goes over the top in a few sequences. Trisha carries the Plain Jane look well, but fails as an actress. The fiery attitude, so vital when you're enacting the role of the Municipal Commissioner, is missing. Rajpal Yadav is in terrific form yet again. What a splendid actor!

Urvashi Sharma is awkward. Makrand Deshpande is wasted. Tinnu Anand is hardly there. Even Aroona Irani is sidelined. Kulbhushan Kharbanda is first-rate. Asrani is excellent. Manoj Joshi screams so much. Ditto for Neeraj Vora. Milind Gunaji is okay. The actor playing the role of Urvashi's husband does a good job.

Download MP3 Songs


Watch Videos



Friday, July 16, 2010

Lafangey Parindey - Music Review

Read more! Cast :: Neil Nitin Mukesh & Deepika Padukone

It is a clear Tarantino influence in the way title song 'Lafangey Parindey' begins. As the song moves ahead, one realises that this influence continues for a good duration of the song. Well, till the 100th second before the song takes an Indian route. However, except for the brief chorus period where 'Lafangey Parindey' gets into 'masti' and 'dhamaal' mood, the song stays on to be Western in its treatment with a soft rock mood prevalent throughout. A song about high attitude, this Ronit Sarkar sung number has an edgy feel to it though made strictly for the situation in the film. Given an extra push, it could have been yet another 'Dum' [Dum] or 'O Mera Khuda' [Prince].

It's the sound of guitar with a country feel to it that kick starts yet another song that has 'Lafanga' in it's lyrics. Titled 'Man Lafanga', this one brings in a new high in the album, something which is expected from Mohit Chauhan in each of his outings. Really, just the way Rahat Fateh Ali Khan brings in a different dimension to a song, same is the case with Mohit Chauhan as well who more often than not has something exciting to offer every time. No wonder, 'Man Lafanga' (pretty much carrying the same theme feel as in case of title song of Kaminey), makes a quick impression as well. Hear it on a repeat mode and it's easy on ears appeal would ensure that you won't be bored. A 'club mix' version - the only remix in the album - arrives later in the album as well but one would prefer the original any time.

The song which is all set to be chartbuster though is 'Dhatad Tatad'. If you have liked 'masala' songs from the 80s, you would be able to grab this one pretty quickly. On the same lines as the lesser heard track 'Aanan Faanan' (from Govinda's 'Hathkadi'), 'Dhatad Tatad' is a full-on-pace track that doesn't have a single dull moment. Lesser exposed singers like Shail Hada and Anushka Manchanda come together to get the mood right for this rooted number which is purely for the masses. If picturised well (which it promises to be), 'Dhatad Tatad' should be picked up by those who have loved Govinda songs from the past.

This time around, it is the word 'Parindey' which is extracted from the film's title and woven into a new song - 'Nain Parindey'. Shilpa Rao is known for her unconventional yet so-very-impressive voice and that is used to it's fullest in 'Nain Parindey' which offers some truly different lyrics. Ironically, the song is written for a girl (Deepika Padukone) who is blind and hence the very theme of 'Nain Parindey' holds even more significance. Expect the song to make an impact in the narrative of the film.

The name Suraj Jagan pretty much ensures that the outing to follow would be high on beats and tempo, what with his rock star image preceding him since the days of Rock On. Just like the title song 'Lafangey Parindey', this one too is basically a song about attitude and is pretty much about the gang of boys out there to rule the world. With a rock feel to the music here, 'Rang Daalein' sticks to the theme and aims for the target audience as youth.

Last to come is an instrumental 'Born To Fly' which has a truly international feel to it for most of it's part. With the sound of violin continuing to dominate for the first 50 seconds, it is a pensive outing before happiness seems round the corner due to guitar coming in. There is some fun in store a few moments later with the sound of 'Dhatad Tatad' coming in. High voltage and ensuring some good thrilling moments throughout the narrative of 'Lafangey Parindey', 'Born To Fly' is one of those few instrumentals that truly sum up the mood of the entire film in a matter of few minutes.

The positive factor about the album is that it stays on to young and urban throughout and brings to fore an entirely different sound that hasn't been heard in Pradeep Sarkar's Parineeta or Laaga Chunari Mein Daag. Add to the fact that 'Dhatad Tatad' truly rocks the show while 'Man Lafanga' and 'Nain Parindey' bring on a certain subtle mood to the proceedings and you know that it would be a good outing after all with Lafangey Parindey.

Download MP3 Songs


Watch Videos


Thursday, July 15, 2010

Lamhaa - Movie Review

Read more! Cast :: Sanjay Dutt, Bipasha Basu, Kunal Kapoor, Anupam Kher

Lamhaa opens in the year 2009 and talks about the separatist protest movements that initiated in Kashmir which (it repeatedly claims throughout the film) had started ‘18 years’ back in the year 1989. Not only does the film goes appallingly wrong with elementary mathematics, but also adds to the audience ambiguity through its constantly changing geographical boundaries and jumbled history.

Lamhaa mercilessly doesn’t deal with the Kashmir issue in an outright jingoistic approach like those countless formula films that have been made on the theme that show India as a clear-cut hero and Pakistan as a definite villain to exploit patriotic sentiments. This film highlights several discrepancies in our own country from corrupt army officers, conniving politicians to scheming businessmen. But beyond that when it attempts to fit in a clichéd conspiracy theory within the preset political premise, it falls flat on its face.

Officer Vikram (Sanjay Dutt) is sent on an undercover operation to Kashmir when the Indian intelligence gets information of a probable big terror attack in the valley. There a separatist leader Haji (Anupam Kher) has been fighting against the Indian government since 1989 for Azad Kashmir. Haji’s protégé Aziza (Bipasha Basu) supports her mentor in his mission. Haji’s other ex-protégé Aatif (Kunal Kapoor), who is now a reformed militant, wants to contest elections from the valley to win his people and province.

For Vikram, spying seems to be a child’s play. He sneaks into the police commissioner’s office in broad daylight as if playing hide-and-seek with him. He walks into a seamster’s shop who gives him ‘tailor-made’ tips and tracks terrorist identity by just having a look at their jackets. (Was the writing conveniently inspired by the investigative tele-series CID?) For no good reason Vikram keeps stalking and supporting Aziza in her attempts. Thankfully (though the background score gives a slight hint) a romance track is averted.

Through all his lackadaisical spying, Vikram finally learns that the neighbouring country is going to repeat the assault of 1989 on a larger scale. So as you look forward to a striking climax, you are sorely disappointed to discover that the supposedly colossal conspiracy merely ends up being a bombing plan on a political rally, seen for a zillion times in Hindi films. The intended twist in the plot is predictable and the convenient culmination is void of any dramatic moments.

It takes time to absorb the wide-ranging characters and their varied conflicts in the film and yet you do not understand all of them. Vikram is specifically chosen for the Kashmir operation though he doesn’t belong to the region. Yet there is no background account to justify his character, making him look shallow. In the initial reels, one tends to get confused if Anupam Kher’s Haji is a protagonist or antagonist as he keeps juggling between the two identities through the film. His fallout with Aatif is merely mentioned in a flashback scene. And then there is Mahesh Manjrekar playing Peer Baba in a cameo who remains quite undefined through the film.

The screenplay by Raghav Dhar and Rahul Dholakia appears disjoint with constant unconnected scenes and subplots. Though the writing attempts to touch several related concerns from the half widows of Dardpura village, victimized prostitutes to the psychosis of the border security soldiers; these works only peripherally without being plugged into the core narrative. Bipasha Basu’s public humiliation scene seems to be distinctly derived from Monica Belluci’s Maléna . Nevertheless the actress is poignantly effective in her outburst.

The pacing seems too hurried and the restless editing by Ashmith Kunder and Akshay Mohan barely allows you to breathe, gasp, feel, absorb, react or relate. The incessant disturbing camera movements by cinematographer Jamie Fowlds annoy you more than having an effect. Mithoon’s soothing musical score has its charming moments.

The performances are not bad but don’t rise above the script. Sanjay Dutt plays his age but his character seems half-baked. Bipasha Basu is decent in a different role. Kunal Kapoor adds grace to his character but sounds meek in delivering political speeches. Anupam Kher is effective.

For the common man, the politics of Kashmir has often been a complicated topic. This film doesn’t make it any simpler. Lamhaa doesn’t enthrall beyond a few interesting moments.

Download MP3 Songs


Watch Videos





Saturday, July 10, 2010

Peepli [Live] - Music Live

Read more! Cast :: Omkar Das Manikpuri, Raghuveer Yadav & Malaika Shenoy

You don't quite know what to expect from the music of Peepli [Live]. Actually, to be honest, you don't really have much hope either. After all, the factors are not quite conducive to a popular soundtrack being in the offing from Peepli [Live] . Rural base, largely unknown actors, offbeat theme, first time director, an unusual set of composers (Ram Sampat, Indian Ocean, Nageen Tanvir) - you name it! But then (and this is a big 'but' by the way) there is a name called Aamir Khan involved with the film. Frankly, if not for him, the film as well as music would have largely gone unnoticed. He is the sole reason why one still feels that there may well be a surprise round the corner. Let's check out to see if there indeed is one!

There is a rustic sound associated with the music coming from Indian Ocean. It could be Western or Indian based but one can't take out the rustic element from the music that this band creates. This is the reason why ' Des Mera' does carry an individuality around it as the band comes together to make a song which talks about the uniqueness of India for all the mishaps or goodness that it boasts of. Written by Sanjeev Sharma and Swanand Kirkire, ' Des Mera' is a theme track that has a feel good factor about it, keeps its tempo high and goes well with the rural background of the film. However, given the theme, ' Des Mera' (which arrives in an added version) has it's shelf life restricted to the play of the film.

Once the sound of harmonium fills up the first couple of seconds of ' Mehngai Dayain' and Raghubir Yadav begins his rustic rendition, you know that there is one song which is going to stay totally true to the background that the film carries. A track which gives the feeling of a 'live on location' recording, courtesy the way Raghubir along with a bunch of other singers go ahead with their rendition, ' Mehngai Dayain' is as topical as it gets due to the statement it makes against price rise. However, all of this is said in a lighter vein which ensures that the message is conveyed without it being thrust down the throat. A track that comes with traditional lyrics, it has Ram Sampat keeping it totally folksy in nature without any touch up.

What is a killer track though is the 'remix version' of ' Mehngai Dayain' which is a sure shot chartbuster that has been placed in the album. With a Western base to it, some English lyrics, added beats and the thump which the song carries, this version turns out to be a track which will make its presence felt all the way. Whether clubs, campus, hostels or even other family celebrations - the remix version of ' Mehngai Dayain' is such that it won't be ignored at all. A fun track, this one will go a long way. Go for it!

There is immediate 'thehrav' with the arrival of ' Zindagi Se Darte Ho' which is yet another track by Indian Ocean. Written by Noon Meem Rashed, this is a dark and haunting song about being courageous, standing up and life and fighting for oneself. With a seven minutes running length, expect the track to play in the film's background during a few dramatic points in the narrative. A soft rock track that has a Western base to it, ' Zindagi Se Darte Ho' comes with a philosophical bent and is strictly situational.

Another folk track in Peepli [Live] is ' Chola Maati Ke Ram' which is sung and composed by Nageen Tanvir. If hearing something which is totally non-Bollywood excites you most, ' Chola Maati Ke Ram' is the one for you. Coming together of devotion and philosophy along with a definite folk flavour means that the song would do well in the context of the film. However, there is a very niche market for this Gangaram Sakhet written track and comes with the possibility of having a run beyond the movie's run only if Peepli [Live] turns out to be a success at the box office.

As mentioned earlier, if not for the name Aamir Khan attached to the film, the music here would have gone totally unnoticed. However, with the kind of marketing and promotion that one can expect from the man here, rest assured Peepli [Live] will find it's fair share of attention. While the entire album will find a larger audience only after the release of the film, what should set the ball rolling is ' Mehngai Dayain' which is a chartbuster waiting to happen. Don't miss that one.

Download MP3 Songs
01 - Des Mera@review-of-movies.blogspot.com
02 - Mehngai Dayain@review-of-movies.blogspot.com
03 - Zindagi Se Darte Ho@review-of-movies.blogspot.com
04 - Chola Maati Ke Ram@review-of-movies.blogspot.com
05 - Des Mera (II)@review-of-movies.blogspot.com
06 - Mehngai Dayain (Remix)@review-of-movies.blogspot.com


Watch Videos



Friday, July 9, 2010

Milenge Milenge - Movie Review

Read more! Cast :: Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Aarti Chhabria, Satish Shah

The lead pair of the film is isolated for years and suddenly wants to find each other frantically without having any contact details of the other. Had there been a similar scenario in the current context they could have effortlessly found out each other through social networking websites. In that sense, this film delayed by almost half a decade appears unbelievable.

Amit (Shahid Kapoor) and Priya (Kareena Kapoor) meet at a Youth festival in Bangkok. The attraction is instant and they spend days together cavorting around Bangkok City together. At the end of the festival when they are preparing to come back to Delhi, Amit loses Priya’s trust and she decides to end the relationship. Amit tries to regain her trust by telling her that are destined to be together and Priya decides that if it is fate that they should be together, they will find each other Delhi again, Although both do not know each other’s whereabouts in Delhi.

Years go by and both of them are about to be married, but each still has this nagging feeling that the other was his/her one true love. Of course fate conspires to bring them back together (after about a dozen very interesting near misses) as they each simultaneously undertake one last attempt to find one another just before they get married to someone else.

So is all of life pre determined, even who our soul mate is? That's the theme explored in Milenge Milenge , a delightful fairytale of a romantic comedy that makes you fall in love all over again

This time Satish Kaushik doesn’t seek inspiration from his regular South territory but opts to remake the Hollywood film Serendipity (2001). The continuous attempts of the couple to find each other in the second half also reminds of Boney Kapoor’s earlier film Sirf Tum .

Both Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor are earnest and their chemistry is credible. But why do every other character artist from Satish Shah to Delnaz Paul end up hamming. Panini Rajkumar (Rajkumar’s younger son) is plastic personified. Aarti Chhabria and Sarfaraz Khan lack screen presence.

Watch it only if you are just interested to see Kareena when the term size zero wasn’t coined. Else Milenge Milenge doesn’t score much above zero.

Download MP3 Songs

Watch Videos



Thursday, July 8, 2010

Aisha - Music Review

Read more! Cast :: Abhay Deol & Sonam Kapoor

Aisha is an upcoming romantic comedy Hindi movie of Bollywood starring Sonam Kapoor, Abhay Deol and Arunoday Singh. Music of Aisha movie is composed by Amit Trivedi. Lyricist of the film is Javed Akhtar.

Amit Trivedi is here again. I was not even done with listening to his awesome Udaan, when he came back with Aisha. The good thing is that unlike Udaan, Aisha is not all typical Amit Trivedi in his favorite rock mood, but much more versatility. In fact with the present variety, you may count it as, something like half a Dev.D.

Aisha has fresh faces, not only on the screen but behind the screens as well. With Aisha, Sonam Kapoor is ready to strike the second time as well after her recent Hit. The movie also has Abhay Deol in the lead and Amit Trivedi is the Music Director. Abhay-Amit combo brought one of the biggest musical successes Dev D, which not only established Abhay as a rising star but also Amit Trivedi became a rage with Emosonal Atyachaar topping all charts.

Hence, although with new talent the music of Aisha has reasonable expectations due to Amit's previous works. Sprinkling a bit of experience with his talaffuss is Javed Akhtar, and boy, does he rock big time or not, well you will surely get to know when you hear the soundtrack of Aisha.

The album opens with Suno Aisha, something which offers freshness and has a beautiful melody. The crisp vocals by Amit Trivedi, Aditt, Nakash Aziz and Ash King offer an edge to this song as finally, you come across something different. The trumpet has not been so marvellously utilized in any hindi song of the recent times, yeah we had the Emotional Atyachaar but this time the it is used more towards creating melody. Suno Aisha is catching up the rage and is a sure shot sucess from the time it starts, you can hear this song again and again.

The second track Gal Mitthi Mitthi is an a hands on Competition to the popular Emosonal Atyachaar. If any song can break records of the previous landmark of Amit Trivedi, this song definately has the potential. Basically, a new-age shaadi song starts with a shehanaayee and the beats of this song somewhat take you back to Pardesi from Dev D. The vocals are by Tochi Raina, again a fresh voice, take this song to a high level moreover hindi-punjabi lyrics with a western arrangement leave a great impact the first time you hear the song. You cannot help yourself but listen this song again and again. And if you thought this song cannot be bettered....you are wrong. There is a bombay bounce dhol remix version with dhol beats, which turns this song into a complete bhangra dance number, leading to a high adrenaline number. A Sure shot Hit, the one song which can re-create the Emosanal Atyachaar effect both in its original as well as remix version.

After some happy and enjoyable racy tracks, the album changes tracks to a rather slow Shaam again sung by Amit Trivedi, where the song heavily rests on guitar arrangements, makes you suddenly realize the word power of Javed Akhtar. This song will catch up with the youth as time progresses. A good change of pace of the Album.

Behke Behke Nain has a blend of international music and Hindi lyrics. The international feel of this song right from the start catches you with its beats. The arrangement is somewhat similar to Zinda hai hum to from Josh but Amit trivedi has really brought yet another ace up his sleave with this track. The vocals by Anushka Manchanda, Samrat and Raman Mahadevan
add to the zingness of this song. Another jewel by the music director.

Lehrein, sung by Anusha Mani is a soothing melodious number follows after behke behke, shows you the versitality Aisha has for you. One thing you notice again, in this song will surely be the Javed Akhtar's lyrics. The other tracks are quite racy and peppy which does not make you focus more on lyrics but Shaam and Lehrein surely shows the magic of Javed Akhtar's tallafus..... The remix version of this song is also worth a listen.

Download MP3 Songs
01 - Aisha - Suno Aisha@review-of-movies.blogspot.com
02 - Aisha - Gal Mitthi Mitthi@review-of-movies.blogspot.com
03 - Aisha - Sham@review-of-movies.blogspot.com
04 - Aisha - Behke Behke@review-of-movies.blogspot.com
05 - Aisha - Lehrein@review-of-movies.blogspot.com
06 - Aisha - By The Way@review-of-movies.blogspot.com
07 - Aisha - Gal Mitthi Mitthi (The Bombay Bounce Dhol Mix)@review-of-movies.blogspot.com
08 - Aisha - Lehrein (The Bombay Bounce Lounge Mix)@review-of-movies.blogspot.com


Watch Videos

Thursday, July 1, 2010

I Hate Luv Storys - Movie Review

Read more! Cast :: Imran Khan & Sonam Kapoor

The first thing that attracts you to (I Hate Luv Storys) is its title. Let's face it, we adore love stories... at least I do. We idolise the characters decades after the movies have come and gone. The songs that come on our lips instantly while playing a game of antakshri are romantic songs as well. In fact, the biggest moneyspinners, let's face it, have been love stories, right? So how can we 'hate' a love story?

No matter how mushy or cheesy they are, we find love stories irresistible because of the tremendous rush we experience at the end. Some of us are big suckers for love sagas, aren't we? That's precisely the reason why this title (I Hate Luv Storys) nagged me no end every time I watched the promo of this film.

Helmed by first-timer Punit Malhotra, (I Hate Luv Storys) is typical candyfloss romance with a story that's not jaw-droppingly different, let me forewarn you. But if you're young at heart or a diehard and hopeless romantic, you'd lap up (I Hate Luv Storys) like a kid laps up his fav candy.

Now to the vital question: If (I Hate Luv Storys) rests on a thin plot, what is it that drives the film for the next two hours? My answer to that is, four factors: The fresh pairing and chemistry between the lead cast, tremendous youth appeal, terrific music and magical moments that make a love story work.

The makers have never claimed that (I Hate Luv Storys) will change the face of Hindi cinema. Nor did they ever claim that (I Hate Luv Storys) will change the mindset of the viewer towards romantic films. So let's sit back and enjoy the fun ride. This one's by the youth, for the youth. It's this age-group that would come out smiling, cheering and rooting for this prem kahani.

'I hate love stories' is the maxim Jay (Imran Khan) lives by. But as an assistant director to Veer (Samir Soni), the most famous romantic film-maker of Indian film industry, Jay has little option but to live with larger than life, glossy, cinematic love on an everyday basis. Things only get worse when he is made to work under the new production designer on the film, Simran [Sonam Kapoor], with whom he shares the strangest first encounter.

Simran loves love stories, so much so that even her life has begun to resemble one. With her ideal job and the perfect boyfriend Raj [Samir Dattani], she lives a blissful, dreamy life. One that is rudely interrupted by Jay's cynicism.

Writer-director Punit Malhotra wins Round 1 by casting the right actors in the roles of Jay and Simran. In fact, it wouldn't be erroneous to state that the casting is the trump card of this film. But what Punit ought to know by now is that every story ought to have a strong grip to keep your attention arrested for the next two hours. In this case, the film rests on a waferthin plot, with not much movement in the story in the first hour. In fact, the story barely moves in the first part.

Yes, post-interval, the story does gather momentum and though you're well aware of the journey and what the culmination will be like, you don't mind the ride because you can't take your eyes off Imran and Sonam. Also, a love story works if one pines for the on-screen lovers and in (I Hate Luv Storys), you genuinely want the duo to sort things out, which means that you're involved in their lives. Even the finale - it won't be fair on my part to reveal how this movie concludes - may be filmy or cliched, but let's face it, it works.

Let me draw parallels with another love story, also starring Imran Khan. Recall the finale of JAANE TU YA JAANE NA, which had Imran riding a horse to reach his sweetheart [Genelia] at the airport. I distinctly recall, a lot of people found the end bizzare and rightly so. Can you imagine anyone galloping to the international airport in Mumbai? But I was truly surprised when I learnt that the youth were whistling and clapping all through. The finale is different here and you exit the auditorium with a smile on your face.

Director Punit Malhotra is heavily inspired by Mills & Boon novels and several Bollywood films... love stories all. But like I pointed out earlier, Punit needs to polish his writing skills, although the director in him bails the writer out and takes the film to a different level. The sequences between Imran and Sonam are well penned, but the ones between Sonam and her parents or Sonam and Samir Dattani are half-baked. Directorially, Punit shows super-confidence in moulding the two actors in their respective parts, so much so that you get sucked into Jay and Simran's world after a while.

A love story ought to be embellished with a lilting score - that's a compulsion - and Vishal-Shekhar are in true form this time. The score is trendy, energetic and beyond fantastic and what's more, it's already a rage. In fact, the musical score only takes the movie a step ahead. Ditto for Salim-Sulaiman's background score, which matches the mood to the T. Ayananka Bose's cinematography is awesome. The ace DoP proved his credentials in KITES recently and with (I Hate Luv Storys), he should find himself entrenched in the top bracket. The styling [Manish Malhotra] is top notch.

Imran enacts his part effortlessly. Though the role doesn't demand histrionics, you keep reacting to Imran because of the magnetism he radiates. The devilish streak in his character is sure to appeal to the youth. Besides, Imran has been photographed and presented very well. Sonam is a revelation. Sonam finally gets a role that does justice to her as an actress. The ease and class with which she carries off the glam look is fantastic. She's like a whiff of fresh air and you actually wonder, is she the same girl from SAAWARIYA and DELHI 6? In fact, (I Hate Luv Storys) will only multiply Imran and Sonam's fan base manifold.

Samir Dattani is decent, although his role gets sidelined as the story moves forward. Samir Soni's character reminds you of a certain hi-profile director and he plays the part extremely well. Kavin Dave, as Imran's buddy, is first-rate and steals the show in several scenes. Aamir Ali is perfect, while Pooja Ghai doesn't get scope to deliver. Bruna Abdullah looks sensuous and adds to the glam quotient. Ketaki Dave [Sonam's mother] is wasted. Anju Mahendru [Imran's mother] is adequate.

On the whole, (I Hate Luv Storys) is a young and vibrant love story with tremendous appeal for the yuppies. The fresh pairing and the on-screen electrifying chemistry, the lilting musical score and the magical moments in the film should attract its target audience - the youth - in hordes. If you're young or young at heart, this one's for you!

Download MP3 Songs



Watch Videos



Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

RECENT POSTS