Phata Poster Nikla Shahid

Last Friday was my last teen birthday! You guys have no idea how sad that made me! Sob, sob.

Mood change!

Every cloud has a silver lining and my cloud had a Shahid lining! (You can post in abuses of all kinds for the PJ at aanchal.srivastava20@gmail.com or like Parde Ke Peeche’s facebook page to show your protest.) After years and years of austerity Shahid Kapoor’s movie release coincides with my birthday to make it a completly memorable one! ^_^

A still from the film. Photo Courtesy: Internet

True to its name, the hero makes a grand entry on screen by ‘phataing’(lol! Sorry! Here i go again! :P ) the poster of Santoshi’s last offering, the Ranbir starrer Ajab Prem Ki Gajab Kahani. This time, apart from the comedy ingredient, Santoshi has added a pinch of elaborate typical Bollywood style action sequences now and then throughout the movie. Shahid does all of it like a pro and with élan.

Frankly speaking, PPNH has nothing new to offer you in its trademark Santoshi style storytelling, except Shahid who I would like to say, made a comeback with a bang! It’s been quite long since one had last seen him in his true elements. It’s his film all the way. He has craft fully carried the film on his strong shoulders leaving little room for complain from his side. He is a visual treat in songs, Dhating Naach and Khali Pili, one thing consistent about him in all these years.  His face is like all the emoticons that you have ever seen, rolled into one. This could have been a bad thing, but when Kapoor pulls all these expressions, he manages to make it work. His performance and the ease with which he has executed the emotional rona-dhona scene with his Maa (Padmini Kolhapuri) or does comic sequences to roll you with laughter speaks loud enough to ring in your ears for ages that he can give stiff competition to his rivals. (Wish I could just go on and on about him, but then, I can already foresee my friends calling it a biased review because personally I love Shahid too much! ^_^ )

Padmini Kolhapuri, as Vishwas’s mother, is full on in her character throughout the film and lends the emotional quotient to the story. Her bonding with her son, Vishwas, is elaborately established before the story can take you anywhere (basically it takes you nowhere!)

A still from a song of the movie, Dhating Naach.
Photo Courtesy:Internet

The ‘plagiarized’ story has nothing out of the box to offer. You feel like Shahid, appearing as those old, ugly, clever, and cheat shopkeepers who’ll take you by hand along the story, throwing in between comic sequences to keep you engaged so that you don’t turn aggressive like the ‘Jago Grahak Jago’ advertisement's customers and demand for your right to a good script. Few sequences here and there are highly comical. One thing Santoshi can never disappoint you on is the way his stories reach climax. Nothing new but still engaging and keeping you on the seat’s edge, the climax is more or less like the one in APKGK.

Apart from Shahid, there are quite a few permanent in Santoshi’s cast who know their work and get down to business right in the start. Darshan Jariwala, Saurabh Shukla and Sanjay Mishra come together to make up for other losses. Trust me! They make the film worth bearing with their ‘rolling on the floor’ reaction deserving acts.

The film is a full on masala commercial entertainer ( I am not sure about this part :P) that has its characteristic features in place:

1) The lead actor dreams high on making it big in Bollywood.

2) He travels to desolate beaches for the Sufi song,

3) The pint-sized star like Singham drops from the air on his feet over flying dust, his body horizontally swaying over the earth as villains come crashing down,

4) Dances on the stage for the item track,

5) Weeps for his mother, hugs his father,

6) Mimics Dev Anand, Amol Palekar for comedy,

7) Mumma has no problems with the almost unknown girl, the good boy has chosen.

Ileana does her job pretty effortlessly- to look pretty in vibrant, evening gowns, sing songs on isolated, exotic locations and keep popping in between scenes. Her dialogue deliveries raises an eyebrow but then you realise it is the language problem. The love chemistry between Ileana and Shahid is extremely weak and is hollow except for a few dance sequences and cheesy lines.

Ileana in the movie.Photo Courtesy: Internet

Salman pitches in this time too being a Santoshi loyal, agreeing to do a cameo. And look! Even ready to take a pot shot at his infamous criminal record!Shahid shines but the movie sinks. Had a lesser talent featured in the film, it would have gone into trash. It is a good two and a half hour entertainment but don’t keep your hopes high. One time watch only for Shahid and his supporting cast.

That night, even though I was dead tired, I went to sleep humming those fun, crazy songs from the movie... as I turned a year older. Indeed it was a really lovely day.

AND for the ones still eager to send me birthday wishes or wanna drop-in feedback on this or previous posts, you surely know what to do! ;)

Saw The lunchbox too, this weekend. Here's how you can know about it :)
http://peechepardeke.blogspot.in/2013/09/a-love-story-redefined.html

A Love story redefined.

There exist love stories which are garnished with flashy, exorbitant, cheesy words, lines or rather emotions. The rule of having a slow romantic song in the rain or in exotic locations in the most eye catching clothes remains unsaid. And then there are love stories that don’t need long conversations to go with drinks and playful hands. They don’t need your pretty eyes or that make-you-go-weak-in-your-knees kinda smile. They just need a lunchbox and before you’ll realize, an unusual, unnerving love story has already distracted you from your mundane life.

A still from the film. Photo Courtesy: Internet

The past weekend, quite unexpectedly, has been happening with two very diverse films, both in terms of craft and target audience, releasing: Phata Poster Nikla Hero and The Lunchbox.

Lets first talk about the movie that’s more recommended from my side,The Lunchbox. Not that PPNH is bad, but at times stories of hope, sorrow, regrets and fears relating to everyday life shouldn't be overlooked.

The Lunchbox is your story. It’s my story. Its Ila’s story. It can be any homely hausfrau’s simple yet intriguing story whose sole motive on mind is to win the attention of her extraordinarily distracted husband(played by Nakul Vaid) through his stomach. She abides by her Nani’s self written recipes and looks forward to the little joys of opening an empty lunchbox, an affirmation of the fact that your experiments with new recipes are working. And in the quite acknowledgment you find a sense of self-worth. It gives you a sense of liberation from the detached void that exists in your own marriage.

The film was screened on May 19, 2013 as a part of the International Critics' Week at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, where it received a standing ovation and positive reviews. A standout in the Cannes critics’ week that had generated potent word of mouth, It was shown at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival. Variety called it "a notable debut from tyro helmer-scripter", for creating a film with "crossover appeal of Monsoon Wedding", and also praised acting of Irrfan Khan and Nimrat Kaur. What impression do these numerous film festival achievements make on your mind? That the film must have had  a serious plot, not entertaining or worth spending your precious money or ideal weekend on? You are going wrong.

Until now, my ideology was that there are only 2 kinds of films: either good or bad, supported by my years old interest in movies. But then came The Lunchbox and my rigid thoughts took a new shape. This film is not about being good or bad. There are some films on which you don’t feel like segregating each aspect and commenting. The film will make you, mind you, you yourself willingly won’t, sit back and transit into another relatable phase of your life, which, either has already happened, is happening or you can foresee it happening. Ila and Mr. Fernandez‘s story is a phase I can myself see going through some 15 or 20 years down the path. Happens, happens, to every obedient, homely housewife in India. And maybe, to every about-to-be-retired lonely old man.

 Enclosing this overlooked, hopeful yet fragile love story are the ‘dabbawallahs’, a community of lunchbox deliverymen who deliver thousands of hot meals cooked by their housewives every morning at their husband’s work desk. Just watching the white-capped men bicycle the uncountable lunchboxes rain or shine is an exhilarating hoot. As one delivery man proudly recalls, their system has been the subject of a Harvard university, which concluded that only one in a million such lunchboxes goes astray. The film is about that one. See, how innocent love can crawl into your rigid routine and your heart goes hmmm...mmm...mmmm!

Nimrat Kaur in the film. Photo Courtesy: Internet

The nuanced approach with which the lead cast essays their roles is incredible. Irfan, Nimrat and Nawazuddin will take you by your hand into believing and pronouncing to the world that they are GODS and worth worshiping. Professionally lensed by Michael Simmonds, edited by John Lyons and graced with just-right music by Max Richter, the film poses no pacing or technical problems. It remains a very Indian tale in its delicacy and humor. A story that makes you want to break into spontaneous applause because it is incredible in so many ways, though you won’t be able to pin point solely one reason for it. The whole movie in itself or rather the feeling it generates is incredible.

The co-production among India, Germany, France and U.S. benefits from the fine production work and has, thankfully, made its way beyond just film festivals but into international marketplaces. It’s pure bliss to witness and acknowledge the uncanny forms that life can take, all unaware!

 As the film reached its unexpected, open ending climax and rolled into flashing the credits, I continued to stare back at the theater screen-the same, highly relatable story continuing in my head and even after I had left the theater to catch an auto back home.

Phata Poster Nikla Hero review right here!!!
http://peechepardeke.blogspot.in/2013/09/phata-poster-nikla-shahid.html

                                                                                                                                                                                                       

It’s All About Money, Honey! Part-III

Continued...

Money over creativity?

Though this new trend has taken the industry by storm and maybe occupies a producer’s mind day evening and night, there exists a section of ATMs (producers) who are not even slightly awed by it. Actor-turned-producer John Abraham, who has been focusing on making small-budget films that guarantee little but quick returns doesn't believe in the 100-crore fad. His debut production Vicky Donor was widely appreciated and made a decent earning. His latest venture Madras Cafe, made on a modest budget of Rs.30 crore, recovered its money and achieved critical acclaim.

"Not all 100 crore films are great films. Sometimes people watch films because they want to be entertained. It is just a number today, tomorrow it will be 150 crore because such huge success is not an outcome of a film's aesthetic quality but the changing nature of film business. As an actor and producer, I make films for a different target group. If my target audience is small, my films won't do 100-crore businesses, but for me that is okay" said John recently to India Today.

Photo Courtesy: Internet

Actor-director Makrand Deshpande, who has been in the industry for more than two decades, appears to be a really worried guy. He feels that Hindi cinema has lost its charm and has only become a money minting machine. He said that if money continues to dominate the film industry then there will not be any scope left for good cinema. "Now, Hindi cinema is all about 100 crore and the subject of the film is not being counted. Earlier, we used to remake Hollywood and Korean films, but these days we are adapting Southern films”. "After ten years nobody is going to remember all these films. People will not even buy DVDs of them. We are only making noise by the term that 'Indian cinema is getting global'. Only money is dominating the industry and if it continues to do so, soon there will be a dearth of good films," Makrand said in The Financial Express.

Photo Courtesy: Internet

Anurag Basu, who delivered a surprise-hit Barfi! last year, doesn't believe in the 100 crore club either although his film crossed that mark. Barfi! was made on a budget of Rs.30 crore. In return, it made a killing of Rs.175 crore. "I would rather touch a hundred hearts with my film than run for making it to the 100-crore club," he had said famously after the success of his film. Direct, clear and undaunted, this guy is. But who doesn't desire for a commercial success?

In a corner, trade expert, Komal Nahta is singing his own song, “A film’s success does depend on the star cast and the box office collections but the story as well as the entire narration is equally important to sustain the audience attention.” If the story and the direction are not catchy, the collections do drop after initial days and the film suffers despite of being a collection of a hit star cast combo.” Ohh! Can you please explain Mr. Nahta why does the success story of Ek Tha tiger and Chennai Express contradict you?

In 21 days, the Rohit Shetty comedy thriller had managed to make a remarkable collection of Rs.218.42 crore in the domestic market. An express train’s speed like rise in the collections of the film has diminished the fact that Chennai Express wasn't a path breaking film. It was an unpretentious, light hearted entertainer that narrates a ‘we-have-seen-this-before’ story.

I couldn’t help but laugh at a friend’s sarcastic comment, “Dear Bollywood. I am just tired of you telling me how many crores you made over the weekend. Good for you. Trust me, screaming cooked-up statistics from headlines will not make us rush to the ticket windows to contribute towards your Bentley funds. In case you step out of your glass house you will see, we are not exactly in the mood to celebrate.”

 In store for future

Chennai Express has elevated the level and the trend is now shifting to the 200 crore club. Diwali will see the return of Hrithik Roshan in his superhero avatar in Krrish 3. Ranbir Kapoor returns on October 2 with Besharam. Aamir and Katrina team up for Dhoom 3 which, many in the trade foresee as the biggest hit of this year. "The business has doubled and thus the Rs.200-crore club has emerged as the new benchmark in Bollywood. This is largely because the number of screens has increased. Big film- makers strategically pick most apt release dates, too. This apart, star craze and mass appeal add to the business of a film," Adarsh said.

.....

Dadu explained his conern to me with an intense look on his wrinkled face coupled with a calm voice,”100 crore is the new yardstick for super success, just as silver or golden jubilee was in our times. Back then, it was Rajendra Kumar who was reverentially referred to as ‘Jubilee Kumar’ because of the line of silver and golden jubilees he had to his credit.”” Now, toh there is a Rajendra everywhere”, he exclaimed as a matter of fact as he brushed aside the dust, covering the Sangam VCD. “Look out for Raj Kapoor, he is amazing in this”, said he, leaving the room on his crutches and me in deep retrospection.

Part I http://peechepardeke.blogspot.in/2013/09/its-all-about-money-honey-part-i.html

Part II http://peechepardeke.blogspot.in/2013/09/its-all-about-money-honey-part-ii.html
  

Photo Courtesy: Internet

P.S. Any suggestions for future posts? Feel free to send in your suggestions and requests here or on my e-mail id: aanchal.srivastava20@gmail.com . Hope to hear from you soon :)