Movie Review: 13B

A thriller.....that is always difficult to make. There are many reasons for it. The major one being that a prerequisite for a thriller is a very good script(which Indian film makers don't stress on) and a very very good direction(we have a dearth of talent who can direct thrillers).

I had heard the movie's song "Oh sexy mama..." and i also knew that the movie was a sort of horror/thriller. An absurd mixture. So, my hopes were not high when i started watching this movie. The movie starts with a pure middle class family sequence and goes on like a family drama. But when Madhavan starts to notice that the events happening in his family mirrors that of the event of a TV serial, his life turns upside down.

The movie takes time to take off but even though in the first half some strange cues like lift not working, mobile photo not coming properly, dog not entering the house keeps you engrossed. And also the encounters with his blind neighbor are extremely sharp.

Madhavan enacts his role well. He seems totally in character whether it be when he is happy or when is totally dumbfounded by the events around him. Murli Sharma (as Madhavan's friend) provides some much needed comic relief. Neetu Chandra is ok. Poonam Dhillon looks a pure middle class housewife. Sachin Khedekar pulls up a good performance.

The biggest stars of this movie are the "behind-the-scenes" guys. Cinematography by V.Sreeram is brilliant in all aspects, i also have to mention the excellent camerawork, the tension seems to grow with the great camerawork. Editing is also very nice. Combine all this with an excellent, appropriate background score... and the result is that you get a rare good thriller from Hindi film industry.

There are some downsides that could have been avoided. First the unnecessary duet song. And the climax seems stretched to about half an hour. The back story is not as interesting as the build up. Some plot points are unrealistic. But overall i would rate this movie as one of the best hindi thriller i have ever seen. One of those movies that has the potential to scare you and that too subliminally (not like Ramsay's over-the-top makeup ghosts). Some similarity to "The Ring" can be felt as Television is used as the medium, but trust me both the movies are poles apart. But still both are in the same league in the art of moviemaking...right up there!

Nice to see bollywood coming up with such an excellent movie...13B rocks!

Do give this movie a try....i am sure you won't be disaapointed...at least i wasn't...

Movie Review: 8x10 Tasveer

I had heard a lot about this movie even before its release. I myself was excited at the prospect of seeing Nagesh Kukunoor direct a purely commercial film with an A-star actor. I had liked his earlier movies like "Rockford" and "3 Deewarein". My friends were saying to me that the promos of the movie were looking excellent. So i decided to give it a go...I would have watched it anywayz because Akshay was in this movie. I planned to watch it in a nearby multiplex but was not able to go because of some commitments.

The story goes like this: Akshay has a supernatural or paranormal gift of looking into people's past by looking into their photographs and he tries to solve a murder mystery by using this gift.

Now when i watched it i realised that the movie tries to be a thriller and attempts regularly to invoke your interest in the mystery, at the same time tries to confuse you by other cues like Happi with a I (Javed Jaffery) being paranoid and delusional. In the first one hour the movies just goes here and there with no point. Thats where i belive Nagesh Kukunoor lacked. He lacked the grip over the audience which is required in a thriller. He takes the movie at a different level when Akshay tries to solve the mystery by going into "The Tasveer". But all the good work which was done came to nothing as the suspense is unravelled. It seems a bit unrealistic and in the end i hated the moment when "the bad-guy had a good-guy streak". The bad-guy didn't felt anything when he was killing people around and suddenly his conscience comes to the fore when he hears a dialogue or two from the hero. Such plotholes exist in the movie and this leads to this movie's downfall.

But everything is not bad about the movie. I have to appreciate the background music given, it enhanced the impact of some scenes which were not too good. About the performances, Akshay does his bit and the supporting cast like Ayesha Takia, Javed Jaffery, Sharmila Tagore, Benjamin Gilani, Sharmila Tagore etc. also supports the movie adequately. But because of some lulls in the pace of the movie because of "not-so-good" direction it doesn't leaves that big a impact that it could have. Nagesh Kukunoor sometimes rushes through some scenes related to the past as if they are a burden to the story....sometimes explanation of the past events enhance the impact of the story by giving audiences a better know how of the characters and their motives...but the director didn't believed in this...probably the pressure to make a whole movie in 2 hours was the reason for such rushed scenes.

Overall an above-average movie. Do give this movie a try. One time watch for Akshay and some good sequences. But if you compare it with other classic thrillers like "Gupt" and even new thrillers like "13B"....it pales in comparison.

Movie Review: Chandni Chowk To China

First of all let me make this clear that i am a Akshay Kumar fan. I have liked him since his Khiladi days. Now as his acting skills has improved so i like him all the more.

I read somewhere that Nikhil Advani (Director) decided to make a movie by seeing Akshay Kumar in a poster in a Chinese pose (or in a Chinese look). So they thought of a story with Akshay Kumar and China and made a movie named "Chandni Chowk To China". Usually a script is written first then whichever actor fits the character are approached to play the role, here it happened the other way round........the main character was decided to be Akshay Kumar with some relation to China. I am not against using a new approach to movie making but the result of this approach in this case was truly disastrous.

I won't spoil this movie (if this was possible) for everyone by telling much about the movie. Siddhu (Akshay Kumar) goes to China because of some misunderstanding and then had to encounter a villian named "Hojo" (a terrible name).

Akshay overacts in some scenes but probably that was required, people likes when he overacts sometimes. He did his part well enough, but that was not enough to make this movie a watchable one.

I seriously doubt Nikhil Advani credentials as a director. He was lauded as one of the fine talents in Indian film industry when he directed "Kal Ho Naa Ho". Honestly speaking i don't rate that movie highly...it was made watchable because of star presence and performance of Shahrukh Khan. Then he directed "Salaam-e-Ishq"...a movie that bombed inspite of having so many stars. The reality of Nikhil Advani's talent started coming to the fore. But its now clearly evident that he lacks directorial talent as he directed one of the worst movie of 2009 with one of the bankable stars in the industry as the lead.

Some scenes are totally irrelevant and explanation of many situations are not given. Many twists and turns which try to keep people engrossed...but sadly the audience didn't even cared. Twin sisters, revenge, love, memory loss of father etc.etc. crammed in one movie and the biggest problem many plot points are not justified either.

Inspired liberally from Kungfu Hustle. Some scenes are copied (sorry, inspired) from other movies also. I have no problem in that but the problem is that it just doesn't fit as one package that entertains. The movie just drags on and on. You would start to feel why and how the hell did this happen...but don't worry...there would be no explanations. In the name of a comedy movie, the things are stretched too far for comfort.

Sorry Nikhil Advani, i have to say this, you are the biggest culprit in making this movie what it is...a dissappointing experience. After Saas, Bahu aur Sensex....another feather in the cap for Warner Brothers in Indian Film Industry.

Some people are already having nightmares because in the ending it seems that there is a prospect of a sequel....there is no need to worry about that because after seeing the box office collections of this movie Warner Brothers wouldn't even dare to think about a sequel...

Movie Review: Aloo Chaat

Aloo Chaat....Why the hell did i watched this movie? Because i was free and i didn't had any other movie in my laptop. The story is DDLJ with hero and heroine swapping places. When i was watching this movie i felt like i was watching a movie made around 10-15 years ago. The issue of casteism and discrimination based on religion is touched, which is prevalent still today. But the message gets lost in the poor narration of the movie. In the end, usually it happens in hindi movies, a happy ending. The direction lacks pace and some scenes were totally avoidable. Aftaab's acting is average, Aamna Shariff is also ok, the foreign girl does whatever she can in the small role she was provided. The problem with this movie is everything was absolutely average....just kept on going at the same pace, the intensity was lacking. Even in the scenes where there was strong potential of being intense....it was not properly harnessed. The dialogue writers should have done more work in coming up with more funny dialogues, the jokes used have been used in hindi movies for years. Direction lacked pace, performances were average. Overall, a below average movie. It could have been above average if it was handled well, sadly it wasn't...Another addition to the long list of flops that Indian Film Industry gives every year...

Why Not So Active Blogging?

Well sorry about posting not much content on the blog for past 2 days. Actually i was very busy with my office. Last night it was the longest i have ever stayed in office. I reached at 9:00 a.m and came back at 1:30 a.m. Only 17 hours of work in one day. Well we had to deliver a work so thats why i won't complain. This is a life of MBA. I myself have chosen this life without exactly knowing what would be in store for me. And now i get to see both the sides of the coin. Working 17 hours a day is not sustainable in the long run but sometimes on crucial days or one day before delivery i don't think i would mind that, provided that this recurrence would be occasional, very very occasional.

Will post some sensible content this weekend and will try to make up for the 2 days of not so active blogging.

Movie Review: Dhoondhte Reh Jaaoge

First of all let me clarify that i didn't even knew that such a movie existed in this world. But one of my friends during our talk on the phone told me that you should watch a movie named "Dhoondhte Reh Jaaoge". He is one of my close friends so i decided to take his advice.

But the movie honestly speaking was a dismal effort. The movie's plot is simple - A struggling producer Raj Chopra (Paresh Rawal) to get out of his debts tries to make a flop movie in partnership with a Chartered Accountant Anand Pawar (Kunal Khemu). One of the main flaws of the movie is that it takes too long to get on to the main plot but even though it comes i had a hope that now it might pick up, but sadly it never did. This movie reminds me of the movies like Scary Movie 1,2 3 etc. As these movies spoofed movies like I Know What You Did Last Summer, Scream etc. "Dhoondhte Reh Jaaoge" follows the similar plot and in the process makes spoof of movies like Sholay, DDLJ, Gadar and Lagaan. But the fun was not there.

There are few scenes that might make you laugh. The one in which Johnny Lever narrates his so called "original" script is one of the better scenes in the movie. Even the last T20 match is a little bit of fun. Johnny Lever's batting is nice at the climax. He keeps on hitting fours and sixes on every ball.

Apart from the few good scenes the movie is a lame attempt to spoof other hits of Indian film industry, it tries too hard to be funny, result a poor movie. In bollywood theses type of spoofs doesn't work. (The only spoof that i can think of that has worked is "Fully Faltoo" on Sholay showed on MTV and Channel V, but it was on small screen and it contained small clippings like 5 minute jokes, it was a classic spoof well done)

Otherwise, Performaces are ordinary, nothing to boast about, one liners didn't work. Direction is poor, songs are unnecessary but still there. Probably they have been added to give the audience time for toilet breaks. But the director forgot that nobody is going to shell out even Rs 30 to watch such a bad movie. Please try to come up with something original in future.

Book Review: Q & A - By Vikas Swarup

One day i was walking past big showrooms for buying shoes. My eyes stopped on one book lying on the dirty table of a roadside bookseller. Its name was "Slumdog Millionaire", i know that its original name is Q & A but now its being republished as Slumdog Millionaire. I had watched the movie (i will write its review later) so broadly i knew the story but still as from my past experiences i feel that reading a book is far more enjoyable then watching a movie based on the book. I bought it for Rs 80 and as soon as i came home i started reading it. The novel is exciting and the storytelling is so grounded in reality that from page 1 i could relate myself to the book. I have lived in Mumbai for few months so i know how things happen there, so for me it was all the more exciting. As i was busy that day i had to keep the book at my side and continue my other work. In few days time i finished the book and i have to say it was a enthralling experience.

The story is entirely grounded on reality of Mumbai. The philosophies, the situations, the characters all are real and can be found to you next door. If not next door then you are sure to find them in the daily news. Basically its the story of a boy named "Ram Mohammad Thomas" who by his various experiences in his life knows the answers of all the questions in the game show who wants to win 1 billion. A lady lawyer asks him and he tells how he knew the answers to all the questions. Seriously the experiences shown in the movie are so deep that its easily believable that the answer or the incident was totally stuck in the mind of the protagonist.

The novel also shows that all poor man are not angels nor all rich people are bad. You will find every sort of person everywhere. My favorite question is the one in which he recounts the story of a lady using vodoo on his husband and the most heartbreaking when one little boy dies of rabies. These events move you from within and you start to rethink that yeah this can happen to anyone in this world and the reaction from the protagonist is also natural (barring a few occasions where it was dramatic, but well it adds to the beauty of the book).

In the end as usual in books a happy ending comes. Every major character is happy, successful and leading a very good life. Overall a brilliant story. After all who doesn't like a underdog winning. But again my belief that reading a book is always better than watching a movie based on the book is reinstated from the experience.

A Historic Win By India Over New Zealand

India's Historic Victory

India's Tour to New Zealand ended in triumph for India. In T20 series they lost 2-0 but when it comes to twenty twenty format its totally unpredictable. One good over, one good ball, few edges here and there can change the match. So i won't read much into the T20 series. It could have gone either way.

About the one day series - the 50 over format. India brutally destroyed New Zealand in every aspect of the game. New Zealand bowling lacked the quality to restrict India, probably they were missing Shane Bond who troubled India a lot during their last tour. Virender Sehwag was clearly unstoppable. Sachin Tendulkar displayed his class. Zaheer Khan bowled amazingly and if you ignore the blip in the last one dayer. India were truly world class.

In the test series India again was the far more superior team. Except in the second test when Indian batting collapsed in the first innings did New Zealand looked dominating. But that didn't last too long as India batted comfortably for 2 days to save the test match. In the first and the third test match India played excellently and they showed why they are being touted as one of the teams that would remove Australia from their pedestal (the other is South Africa).

I here would write about the test series that just concluded. Some highlights of the series:

1. Gautam Ghambir - His sparkling form helped India save the second test match and take command in the third. He has matured as a batsman and his weakness of flirting with balls outside off stump has been dealt with. I recently read at cricinfo that he is the fastest Indian to reach 2,000 test runs in 25 tests. He broke Sunil Gavaskar's record of reaching 2,000 runs in 26 tests (i am not sure of this 26 figure). Hope to see more of such classy form from him.
2. Sachin Tendulkar - Played really well. His tally read 100s - 1 and 50s - 2. I personally would have been happier if the tally was 2 hundreds and 1 half century. Anywayz, its nice to see him in form again. He is 36 now (would soon be). Lets hope he can continue till 2011 world cup in ODIs and till 2012-13 in Test cricket.
3. Rahul Dravid - "The Wall" is back. He showed enormous form in this series by hitting a few half centuries. I read in Ian O'Brien's blog that he said that lets hope Dravid stay at the crease is shorter next time around. This shows how frustrated NZ was with this guys form. Here again i would have been happier if he would have scored at least one hundred. He got some hard decisions as well. But nonetheless he snatched the record from Mark Waugh of 181 catches for taking the most catches by a non keeper by taking his tally to 182 and beyond. His catching has been sloppy of late but i think it was because of the poor form with the bat he was in. I think the problem was more mental. Now he is back in good form with the bat lets hope his catching again regains the old touch.
4. V.V.S. Laxman - This guy is simply amazing. Scores hundreds and 50s every time India are in trouble. If India is in trouble he will surely come up with a decent score as showed by the hundred in the second innings in Napier test in which India was looking down at the barrel. He is also 36, but the good thing is he is still going strong.
5. MS Dhoni - The guy has got a Midas touch. Bats well, captains excellently. Is not the exactly the elegant batsman but still is effective. His performance in the series was good.
6. Virender Sehwag - He got starts but never converted them into the big hundreds he is famous for. Threw it away on spinners by playing his favorite slog sweep. Some would say thats the way he plays but the way he threw it away was unacceptable.
7. Zaheer Khan - He has started bowling very nice line and length and swing both ways. That was the reason for his success - Discipline. Something which he lacked earlier. Also he has been quite fit off late. He has finally become the spearhead of a very talented Indian bowling attack.
8. Harbhajan Singh - He hasn't got a overseas record to boast off. But in this series in the absence of Anil Kumble he performed as India's leading spinner. He ended as the leading wicket taker in the series. Well done, Bhajjii.

I don't understand why Ishant Sharma struggled. He is also lacking discipline as Zaheer did in his early career days. Munaf Patel was good in parts. And i have to say why Indians are carrying Yuvraj Singh in their test team i will never understand. He is just saving his place by making half centuries which are entirely insignificant. When India needed him in first innings of Napier test he just threw it away. And in the second innings came and scored a fifty in the second innings to show how good he is. Even in the third test he played nicely. But he needs to play good innings when India are 300 for 5 or 6 rather than 400 for 3. He needs to improve fast because time is running out for him. The only thing going for him is that he is one of Dhoni's favorites to be in the side. But how long will Dhoni hold to Yuvraj with so many talented youngsters waiting....only time will tell.

From the New Zealand perspective they have got a talented team which includes Martin Guptill, Jesse Ryder, Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum and Daniel Vettori. If Taylor and Ryder can do justice to their potential then they would form a very strong middle order. The only glitch in their team is their bowling. After Shane Bond's loss to ICL they haven't got a bowler who can rip through other team's batting line ups especially one with the class of India, Australia or South Africa. They are relying too much on Vettori who himself has lost a bit of effectiveness with age, also i think is the factor that too much responsibility lays on his shoulders.

Well this tour for India was a success and a historic end as India hadn't won a series in New Zealand for 40 odd years. The achievement is over rated and when after few years would be gone by people would say that NZ were not strong enough and India boasted of the best team they have had in years (although i think Sourav Ganguly's team was the best). But who cares, lets enjoy the moment and celebrate.

Memento: A Modern Classic

Memento: A Modern Classic

Few months back in December 2008 a movie was released named "Ghajini" starring one of the biggest stars of Indian film industry Aamir Khan. I went to watch that movie on the big screen and i wouldn't say i loved the movie but still it was worth one time watch only because of Aamir Khan's magical performance. Now "Ghajini" seems a piece of trash because i happened to watch a far more superior movie on the same lines.

Few days back i watched "Memento". A movie starring Guy Pearce, Carrie Anne Moss and Joe Pantoliano. The movie is a classic. The direction by Christopher Nolan is extremely gripping. The narrative is in a very novel way confusing you with different sequencing of scenes. You got to watch this movie at least 2-3 times to understand it fully. The story basically revolves around Guy Pearce trying to avenge her wife's murder. But he is suffering from a short term memory loss syndrome. He can't remember things for more than 15 minutes. If he is stressed the retention time is all the more less. The cast performances are credible. Guy Pearce is good as a person who can't create new memories, Carrie Anne Moss is convincing in her role, Joe Pantoliano is the star of this movie for me. He pulls out an excellent performance out of his bag.

So Christopher Nolan picks this premise of short term memory loss and bases his narrative entirely on it. We are told the story from the perspective of Guy Pearce and sometimes some scenes are shown to clear the confusion of what actually happened. Well story told from the perspective of a man who has a short term memory loss should be confusing and this is what you should expect when you watch this movie.

The ending of the movie is really great and i would keep it into the league of movies like "The Sixth Sense" which leaves their mark on you. Sometimes you would feel confused and would not be able to understand what is happening and why characters are behaving the way they are. For this reason repeat viewings are recommended. The whole movie makes sense when seen in its entirety and characters motives are also clear. Watch this movie for its sheer novelty.

Do not miss it, this is a modern classic!!!

100 Percentor

Hello all, I am a Male, 23 living in Bangalore...i have done an MBA and currently i am working in a company...this is my first post in my blog...100 percentor.

100 percentor..........why i choose this name for my blog....there is a reason for this.

Some time back in a famous book named "Shantaram" by Gregory David Roberts i read this term. It was explained in the book as a term used in jails for people who are willing to give their 100 percent for one cause or for one person.

My life i wouldn't say is full of achievements. I have lived a nice and adventurous life. Sometimes even successful, sometimes totally dissapointing. But i believe its all a package and all the feelings whether it be happiness or grief are a part of process which we undergo in order to live a better life and become a better human being. Enough of philosophy for today.

I will try to post content on this blog as regularly as possible. The content can vary from being a post relating to what i did in the entire day, to movie reviews to a post about a celebrity, sports star, a major event (political, social or sports, even philosophy). So folks thats all for today. Lets hope this 100 percentor can continue for a long period of time.