Bubble Gum Movie Review

Bubble Gum
Direction: Sanjeevan Lal
Actors: Sohail Lakhani, Apurva Arora
Rating: ***


Boys eye girls their age, mark one of them as their own (in their head: “book karke rakha hai”), hope to eventually score
someone for real, to legally announce her as their “GF” (girlfriend): the decisive 'neighbour’s envy'. Girls, demure, yet aware of all the male attention, juggle several boys at once. They play hard to get. Yet keep all hopes alive.
“Joint study”, after school hours, is good meeting point for such extra-curricular activities: basically inane, awkward conversations between the boy, the girl, and her best friend. Things get better from there on. The film’s narrator tells us, “Aajkal haath pakadna aam baat hai (These days, it’s not a big deal to hold hands).” Back then, there was only one legit excuse to steal a feminine touch: “hamara rashtriya khel” (our national sport), kabaddi! This is what the boys get together with girls for in the evenings, sucking on Phantom, the peppermint cigarette, which immediately stands out for the ultimate in cool. They cycle around otherwise. The festival Holi is what everyone’s gearing up for now. There’s plenty of space for everything.
Roads are wide, clean, rarely congested. These children, of roughly the same economic classes, studying in the same school, growing up among assorted uncles and aunties, aren’t neighbours in a crummy housing society. The town itself is their vast playground. A local ‘club’ is their affordable restaurant.
India’s industrial townships, namely Bhilai, Bokaro etc, are this nation’s closest approximations to the American suburban life. This film recognises that. The kids here belong to Jamshedpur. It’s a Tata town, which also makes steel (and recently made for smart setting for the indie hit, Vikramaditya Motwane’s Udaan). The people on screen also belong to an era of middle class India, which looks unrecognisable, only about 30 years after. It’s roughly the late ‘70s. It seems. Girls devour Linda Goodman. Guys hide the Debonair.
The father (Sachin Khedekar) is an engineer (of course). The mother (Tanvi Azmi) is a schoolteacher. They make for the typically soft, strict Indian parents, who place premium on studies and good conduct. The family drives a white Fiat (Premier Padmini). A fat black porcelain box with circular dials is the prized telephone they can’t afford. Yet. Neighbours help.
Of the two boys in this family, one’s a deaf-mute, visiting home for the holidays. He’s older, and as you’d expect, the mature, responsible one. The second (Sohail Lakhani, relatively untrained for a lead actor) is a borderline juvenile delinquent. As most 14-year-old boys are. This one’s also slightly selfish, or self-centred, which seems a more common trait among younger siblings. He has a thing for a girl down the street. He also has a serious competitor, a rival suitor in a friend, from his own group, who’ll do anything to block his chances.
The pic is a sweet, rare, candid personal piece; the kind of filmmaking the market has least patience for. The title’s third-rate. The teenybopper advertising is misleading. There is no effort whatsoever to lend finesse to the film, a certain polish to the final product.
Narrative meanders in portions. Screenplay is streteched out in parts. The amateurish, rough touches remain real still. So does the movie. Throughout. It’s the nearest we’ve got to an honest Indian take on the Wonder Years, set in early '70s American suburbia. Now that was one fine television show (favourite for a lot of my generation). This would make for just as fine a four-part mini series. Pick up its DVD, when you get a chance. Else, negotiate through sickeningly extortionist multiplexes that will charge you the same heavy buck for a Rs 50 crore giant Singham, as they would for a low-budget, earnest, gentle Bubble Gum. Chew on that. Sad.

Singham Movie Review

Yet another remake hits Hindi screens and tries its hand with lady luck. This time it is hit combo Rohit Shetty and Ajay Devgn in the action avatar, Singham. But it’s not the fact of being a remake that sets a film a part or be detrimental to any film. In the scheme of the things, the audience has somewhat gotten used to every third film falling into one of the categories remake, sequel or second episode. The challenge is making it enjoyable for even the select section of the audience that has seen the original, no matter the language or the period. For this hit jodi, the need to go a step forward and bring out something bigger and better than the Tamil Blockbuster starring Suriya Sivakumar and Sweety [Anushka] Shetty, is far greater with the memory Ghajini so strong even now. Considering the statement made by director Rohit Shetty that their version will be fierier in the action, the confidence the makers displayed added to the expectations.
Yet, is confidence enough to win over the audience. After all, the story of an upright police officer becoming the thorn in the eye for a powerful criminal and their showdown isn’t exactly pioneer story-telling. With that said, this isn’t just about an honest cop. Its about a small town Shivgad’s sub-inspector, Bajirao Singham (Ajay Devgn), fierceful yet faithful to his roots, his family and his town. For him, criminals like Jaikant Shikhre (Prakash Raj) are unheard of. But when the Goan Kingpin tries to pull a fast one over the sub-inspector, Singham sets him straight and unknowingly gets on his bad side by hurting Shikhre’s ego. Do what you will but hurting Jaikant Shikhre’s ego is a no no with dire consequences. What happens when Singham gets transferred from his hometown to big city Goa, the kingdom that Shikhre has ruled with his smuggling, extortion and drug trafficking for so long forms the crux.
It has been a while since seeing Ajay Devgn in an action based masala flick and he tries his best to deliver however, doesn’t quite make it. On one side the action is powerful, but when it comes to the emotive side, a normally free-flowing Ajay seems a little stiff. But he does well regardless. However, with a villain like Prakash Raj in front of you, it is tough to stand out. Prakash seriously goes to town in this film and what’s more he maintains his sinister side while appealing to the audience with his quirky lines. Debuting in Hindi as Ajay’s ladylove is Kajal Agarwal who looks pretty but is not only disappointing in her portrayal but the character itself is weak, a stark difference from the original in Tamil. In fact the whole ‘love story’ lacked any connection to the story and remained just as an extra fitting that took up time. Govind Namdev, Sudanshu Pandey and Sonali Kulkarni work effectively and play their parts. The rest are ok.
On the technicals side of things, Amar Mohile’s background helps the proceedings by giving the much needed punch. Camera work by Dudley is nice and editing by Steven Bernard could have been crisper. Music Ajay-Atul worked well for the title track but the rest don’t mesh well with the screenplay. Rohit Shetty has designed some eye-popping action for the film, making it a tough challenge for Jai Singh to execute, but it works nonetheless.
While the dialogue by Farhad-Sajid is phenomenal is most situations, there are some that lack the punch they require. Screenplay writer Yunus Sajawal has made his intentions clear in the beginning itself, so it would be futile to think otherwise. But you can’t help but think the slow-motion button was permanently stuck on for a good portion of the second half. After delivering a exhilarating first half, this becomes a damp squib only revived by Prakash’s presence on screen. Even with all the masalafied drama inserted for the masses, the intensity dwindles because of it too.
So while Singham does roar his loudest, it doesn’t always frighten.

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara Movie Review

Expectations, hopes and excitement were sky high. I had done this before; gone to watch a film having convinced myself that I would love it, just by its credentials. Let’s face it, Zoya Akhtar’s Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara qualified as a potential success in so many departments: three handsome men, two lovely ladies, a road trip, an exotic location… It seemed so well-padded it had to resist failure. The only thing that needed to be added to this otherwise perfect list was the ability to strike a chord with the audience. Could perfection be hit head on by an audience that wanted more?
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara is a story about three friends who comes together for one last road trip before one of them gives up on his bachelor status. Kabir (Abhay Deol) is all set to marry Natasha (Kalki) but, in true bachelor tradition, he and his friends, Arjun (Hrithik Roshan) and Imraan (Farhan Akhtar) organise a stag holiday to Spain which will see them reunite after a number of years. During the trip, the trio meet Laila (Katrina Kaif) who both Imraan and Arjun take an instant liking to and who goes on to bring a change to all of their lives. The trip sees the threesome take part in various sports, overcome old grudges and it also encourages them all to tackle their biggest fears individually.
It would be wrong to say that the film has a plot not seen before in Indian cinema. It would also be untruthful to state that, albeit with a recurring set of circumstances, it seeks to be something that it’s not. The Spanish touch seems to do wonders for the treatment of the movie. The colourful settings and the picturesque locations make the story come to life. Zoya Akhtar’s style seems to be stamped all over the vivid backgrounds and overall feel of the movie, especially if her directorial debut, Luck By Chance, is anything to go by. You can recognise and appreciate the somewhat subtle charm of the movie right from its first shot because of the romantic avatar and this is one thing the audience is sure to remember about Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.
The casting of the film is also very much spot-on. Roshan, Akhtar and Deol seem to fit into their characters perfectly. The comical scenes are particularly effective and what seems to come through the most is the rapport the three must have shared with each other while shooting for the movie. Arjun’s character is not immediately one that you would have placed Roshan in, but he plays him with much dedication and passion. It is refreshing to see him play a character who isn’t instantly likeable, which is very much away from the norm for the actor. Akhtar’s performance as Imraan can be described in just one word: effortless. His comical timing, his spontaneity and his very obvious natural talent in giving a minimalist performance with maximum after-effect is evident in this film. Deol’s character, Kabir, is the one who takes the story forward. It is great to see Deol in such a role as he is by far one of Indian cinema’s most underrated actors. One hopes his undervalued acting talent won’t go unrecognised following this movie. Although the ladies, Kaif and Koechlin don’t have as much exposure as the leading men in the movie, both do their respective roles justice. Kaif is very much a breath of fresh air in her role as Laila.
The performances and scenery is only made better with the soundtrack of the movie which was composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. The picturisations of the songs are wonderful and each song is given it’s own flavour, which fits in with the overall theme of the movie as well as proving to good reflections on the individual characters. For example, ‘Senorita’ captures the very essence of the bachelor-party trip with Roshan, Akhtar and Deol not only seen to dance with a Spanish dancer, but they also lend their vocals to the celebration song. A special mention should also be given to the very sombre ‘Khaabon Ke Parinday’ which shows the enlightenment of Roshan’s character, Arjun. ‘Ik Junoon’ is also given an extremely innovative visual treatment as it is filmed with cast at the Tomatina Festival.
To conclude, Zindagi Milegi Dobara is full of fun, frolics and friendship. If you’re expecting a big romance, an item song with multiple changes of outfit or even a tear-jerking scene that gives you an excuse to take out those tissues, then you will be sadly disappointed. The film is made up of moments you’ll always remember and funny scenes which will make you laugh even just by thought. The intermingling anecdotes within the grand scheme of things will also keep you entertained. The poetry recited by Farhan Akhtar and written by his father Javed Akhtar which accompanies the reflective scenes is also a highlight. Perhaps the best thing about Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara lies in its ability to sporadically switch between the serious and the hilarious without a second thought.
Although the movie isn’t a fresh and entirely original concept, it very much leaves you wanting to let go of your inhibitions, throw away your doubts, and face your fears but, most of all, it makes you want to LIVE… because you only live once. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara!

Murder 2 Movie Review

First things first, Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt’s Murder 2 is in no way connected to the original film Murder. Though titled Murder 2, this one is totally independent of the first, except perhaps the fact

that it too stars Emraan Hashmi. Other than that, it seems that the only reason to call it a sequel to the 2004 Bollywood hit is to cash in on the almost cult –like status, which Murder had achieved.
While Murder was a remake of Unfaithful, Murder 2 seems quite inspired by the South Korean movie The Chaser. However, Mohit Suri deftly adds his own dimension to the screenplay, which prevents the story from looking out of place. Arjun (Emraan Hashmi) is a corrupt ex-cop who left his job to earn the extra buck by working with gangsters and pimps. Priya (Jacqueline Fernandes) is a model who loves Arjun, however for him it’s strictly a physical relationship: “na mohabbat, na zaroorat, sirf aadat” as he keeps on reminding her. A local Goan pimp hires him to solve the mystery behind the disappearance of his many call girls. Arjun suggests using one of the hookers to trap the culprit. A new call girl Reshma (Sulagna Panigrahi) finds herself set up as bait and encounters the psycho Dheeraj Pandey (Prashant Narayanan), a serial killer who fully admits his crimes but shows no remorse. Arjun now has to find fool proof legal evidence against Dheeraj to have him arrested, but Dheeraj’s twisted mind and cold –bloodedness is too much to handle, even for the police.
Very frankly, I am sure that quite a large part of the crowd must have come to watch the movie hoping to find the same intimacy between Emraan and Jacqueline as the jodi of Mallika-Emraan in Murder. They will have to go home disappointed. Except for a lovemaking scene at the start, there isn’t much on that score for the audience. Add to that the clear absence of chemistry and the scene turns out to be bland. In fact, Jacqueline hardly has anything to do in the movie except an unwanted and obvious part in the climax, which could have been easily avoided (considering Emraan’s aim in a major part of the movie is to save Reshma and the story has absolutely nothing to do with Priya). Emraan, who is a natural pro in roles like this, seems to almost sleep walk through the bad-boy-with-good-values character which he has played umpteen number of times and hence has definitely gotten good at. Sulagna, who was seen in a few popular television soaps does justice to her role as a meek innocent scared girl. Sudhanshu Pandey as Arjun’s friend is wasted, but Shweta Kawatra is good in her cameo. Sandeep Sikand as the eunuch Nirmala is good too. The star of the movie without doubt is the psychotic serial killer Prashant. Having starred in quite a few films like Yeh Saali Zindagi, Bhindi Bazaar and Mr. Singh/Mrs. Mehta, Prashant’s depiction of a self-turned eunuch who kills call girls because of his impotency is perfect – never over the top but enough to chill your bones. Interestingly, Bhatt’s one of earlier films Sadak had a similar eunuch character ‘Maharani’ played by Sadashiv who overshadowed Sanjay Dutt. The same holds true in this film. The scenes involving Prashant are definitely the best in the movie and he manages to push even Emraan in the shadows.
As I said earlier, this movie is not Murder. But then again, Mohit Suri manages to keep you riveted with his depiction of the murderer. You can’t really classify the film as thriller either becasue learn the identity of the killer way before the interval, but it’s the why and the how that keep the story engaging. The love track is definitely the weakest link as is a bit of the second half where it tends to get slow, but then again it is Prashant’s performance that manages to keep pulling you back to the movie.
The music by Harshit Saxena, Mithoon, Sangeet Haldipur and Siddharth Haldipur is good but you do miss a ‘Bheege Hote Par’ number in Murder 2. Ravi Walia’s cinematography is excellent and is one of the biggest plus points – it definitely adds the extra dark edge to the movie. Editing is decent but Devandra could have shortened the second half a bit more. Shagufta Rafigue (Dhoka) does a great job with the screenplay but we wish that some loose ends had been tied up – like why can’t the police arrest Dheeraj in spite of his confession and with his family and a call girl as witness or what exactly was the story behind Emraan turning an atheist.
Overall the movie is extremely violent and gruesome – if you thought Ghajini was violent then this one is ten notches higher. But Mohit, who has already dealt with the subject of human trafficking in Kalyug, manages to bring a new and different product for the viewers. Watch it if you have the guts. Stay away if you expect another Murder

Chillar Party Movie Review

Where do you begin with a film like Chillar Party? Backed by Salman Khan Being Human Productions and UTV Motion Pictures, the film first caught the eyes of the audience with some excellent promos that tickled the funny bone and also left us curious. Adding to that was the appearance of Salman Khan, not only as the narrator, but for the first time, under the producer title as well. With a fresh batch of child artists, Amit Trivedi for chaddi clad booty-shaking tracks and the hyped item number by Ranbir Kapoor, Chillar Party had enough to get a decent initial start but did it have enough to bring in more than just chillar. Yes and no.
First, we begin with introductions of the group. Jhangya (Naman Jain), Encyclopedia (Sarath Menon), Akram (Rohan Grover), Panauti (Chinmai Chandranshuh), Aflatoon (Aarav Khanna), Second Hand (Vishesh Tiwari), Silencer (Vedant Desai), and Shaolin (Divij Handa) all live in the same colony and go to the same school. Each one unique in character, the kids have only two things to worry about: the local dog that likes to use their cricket ground as a toilet and the big kids from a close by colony that they keep losing to in cricket games. While one is a burden they have to put up with, the other is one they are determined not to keep doing. Yet life is running smoothly. That is till they meet Phatka [Irrfan Khan] and his pet dog Bhidu. After the initial rivalry, the boys warm up to Phatka so much that they are ready to take on any competition. And for Phatka and the boys, the competition will be the local politician Bhide [Shashank Shende] out to make a name for himself. With the secretary of the colony in his pocket, Bhide wants to get rid of Phatka’s dog for humiliating him on the inaugural day of the local playground. But while the all-wise adults give up on them, the kids of Chillar Party decide to take on the politician and the adults of the colony themselves, chaddis and all, in a challenge to prove a point and help a friend.
Making a film with one child in the lead who has the sincerity and honesty required just like an adult is nothing short of a feat. One extra step on either side, and the performance becomes caricaturish and loses the innocence. But to have a predominantly child artist based cast is like walking on ice able to crack at any moment. Yet Vikas Bahl and Nitesh Tiwari have pulled together an awesome bunch of kids who not only pull it off, but carry the film all the way through. Each one has a characteristic which makes them endearing, funny, and downright adorable. Literally, you cannot say who stands out more. Confident in their portrayal, each one is a superstar in kid size. It’s unfortunate though for the adults of the cast who pitch in with good support, including Shashank Shende who is visibly mean as the politician, it is actually the superstar kids who rule the roost on this one.
On the technical side of things, cinematography flows seamlessly with each aspect and frame blending in beautifully, although editing could have been a little crisper. Music by Amit Trivedi works wonders with the narrative and is sure to have you shaking your chaddi-clad booties to the beat. At the same time, one of the big scene stealers has to be the writing by Vikas and Nitesh in conjunction with screenplay writer Vijay Maurya. Whether it’s a serious moment or one that is inspiring, the cast and their innocence are sure to have you smiling. But that’s not to say it isn’t without its shortfalls. While it was fun the way the scene is set with introductions and back stories, the narrative takes its time to get on with the story. Coupled with a rather long second half the smiles do dwindle a bit. On the other hand, logic doesn’t really have much to say in a film like this, which doesn’t stray from reality when speaking about child labour but also has a mini David[s]-Goliath feel to it. Not entirely a problem though since you want the kids to win over the big bad politician. Plus when you take a look at the adorable faces acting all serious, it is hard to stay annoyed at the narrative.
All in all, with some sweet moments that make you smile, heartfelt ones that have you tear up and whole lot of fun makes Chillar Party a lovely experience for kids and adults alike, regardless of its shortfalls.