“Dil to Bachcha hai Ji” is Madhur Bhandarkar’s first foray in commercial cinema. Madhur who before has handled only serious “real” subjects (best known for films like Fashion, Corporate, Page 3) tries his hand in something different and attempts a light comedy for the first time.
The movie has its soul ...in fact it has all the ingredients required to make a movie work be it comedy, emotions, love, sex, music, beautiful locations, good looking actors but somehow it still fails to grip the audience.
Its a story of 3 guys in different phases of life and their brush with love. Each story has an independent track and individually each one is good. Ajay is going through marriage turmoil and finds solace in the vivacious Shahzahn. Omi is the ideal Marathi mulga unlikely to impress any girl yet falls for modern Shraddha Das playing a Radio VJ. Emran, the ever flirt playboy (As he calls himself ATM – “Any Time Mohabbat”) has a different girl every night and then falls for Shruti, the social cause girl. While the first two have a decent storyline, Emran’s story has many loopholes but we can pardon the makers for that (for which Hindi movies doesn’t has gaps?)
In terms of acting, it’s once again Ajay Devgn who steals the show with his somewhat matured professional shy in love look. This actor is on a roll with so many hits last year. Omi Vaidya (last seen as the delicious Chatur Ramalingam and his hall of fame “balatkar” speech in 3 Idiots) also does his job struggling with his Hindi as well as his love. Well for Emran Hashmi (how many times have we seen him in something similar ...seems like he has got typecast as the evergreen playboy..at least he doesn’t get to smooch anyone in this movie).
The 4 girls (Shahzahn Padamsee, Shraddha Das, Shruti Hasan and Tisca Chopra) are very beautiful and natural in their roles especially Shahzahn playing a teenage girl just starting her internship. Its a pity the beautiful and talented Shruti gets the least screen space with just a song to her credit.
Talking of songs, the movie has a lovely soundtrack with the 2 top songs hummable especially “Abhi kuchh Dinon se” which also continues as the background score.
Seems like everything is good so far...where does the movie fails? Well you will be surprised if I say direction considering its Madhur Bhandarkar’s department and he is quite good in it. But may be this being a different domain, he struggles. The direction and editing doesn’t have that sharpness required to ensure the jokes keep coming at the right moments. There are times when the movie is dragging. The duration seems really long. The movie could have been shorter, may be better edited and some more wits puffed in.
So as I started, the movie is a light comedy and has many moments that will tickle you. Its far better than some of the boisterous and loud movies served to us as comedies these days (no prizes for guessing which ones I am referring to ... you had many in 2010 including the one released late last year).
Friday, January 28, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Justice for Jessica?
We Indians have a very short memory. I am too tempted to say short term memory loss. We are in the habit of forgetting most of the news that don’t concern us howsoever traumatic or disgusting it might be whether its the numerous scams knocking the top headlines of our newspapers and media channels every day or the hideous rapes and murders that now have become part and parlance of Delhi power politics. And precisely for this reason, we need more movies like “No one killed Jessica”.
‘No one killed Jessica’ is a story on the (in)famous Jessica Lal murder case that stormed our news channels for several years. She was shot dead just because she refused to serve a glass of drink after the pub closed. The murderer 'Manu' was acquitted and only after tremendous media and people pressure, the case was reopened and he was given a life-term sentence. (By the way, the story is still not fully over as the accused was out on bail some months back only to be put behind bars again when he was seeing enjoying himself in a pub and the media created a storm)
The movie per se is not very well directed with the first half excruciatingly slow and a bit confused as well. We are not sure what the director is more concerned about: Is it the status of hi-class societies, the rise of India post Pokhran, Kargil war or just the over-pitched performance of Rani. But the second half picks up and to some extent compensates for the first half. The direction is modestly above average and at some places the movie actually fails to arouse the sentiments of people. This is one movie that should have boiled our bloods but many places people are left laughing at the fillers (like the accused's mother repeating the same dialogue... mere monu ko kuchh nahin hona chahiye). The acting was also not that great with Vidya under acting and Rani over acting. The music is good with the track "dilli" matching the sentiments of the movie.
The place where movie scores is its underlying premise. Its a story worth telling less we forget the injustices meted out to people affected by this case. The long unbearable court proceedings. Imagine a court case that lasts 7 years and still “justice is denied” inspite of 300 witnesses including politicians, police people and social activists. Her own boyfriend who turns hostile midway into the case.
Its a story that should remind us that there are many more such “Jessicas”, “Mattoos”, “Ruchikas”, “Nainas” who have all gone through the same fate where power, politics, law and corruption are all above common man’s plight and his (in most cases 'her') fight for justice. It should once again question the insane and now obsolete laws written during 1800s at the time when "India" didn’t even exist.
As I said, the movie itself might not be very well made but still every Indian should watch the same.
‘No one killed Jessica’ is a story on the (in)famous Jessica Lal murder case that stormed our news channels for several years. She was shot dead just because she refused to serve a glass of drink after the pub closed. The murderer 'Manu' was acquitted and only after tremendous media and people pressure, the case was reopened and he was given a life-term sentence. (By the way, the story is still not fully over as the accused was out on bail some months back only to be put behind bars again when he was seeing enjoying himself in a pub and the media created a storm)
The movie per se is not very well directed with the first half excruciatingly slow and a bit confused as well. We are not sure what the director is more concerned about: Is it the status of hi-class societies, the rise of India post Pokhran, Kargil war or just the over-pitched performance of Rani. But the second half picks up and to some extent compensates for the first half. The direction is modestly above average and at some places the movie actually fails to arouse the sentiments of people. This is one movie that should have boiled our bloods but many places people are left laughing at the fillers (like the accused's mother repeating the same dialogue... mere monu ko kuchh nahin hona chahiye). The acting was also not that great with Vidya under acting and Rani over acting. The music is good with the track "dilli" matching the sentiments of the movie.
The place where movie scores is its underlying premise. Its a story worth telling less we forget the injustices meted out to people affected by this case. The long unbearable court proceedings. Imagine a court case that lasts 7 years and still “justice is denied” inspite of 300 witnesses including politicians, police people and social activists. Her own boyfriend who turns hostile midway into the case.
Its a story that should remind us that there are many more such “Jessicas”, “Mattoos”, “Ruchikas”, “Nainas” who have all gone through the same fate where power, politics, law and corruption are all above common man’s plight and his (in most cases 'her') fight for justice. It should once again question the insane and now obsolete laws written during 1800s at the time when "India" didn’t even exist.
As I said, the movie itself might not be very well made but still every Indian should watch the same.
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