Akshay Shah Reviews “TRAFFIC SIGNAL” (Hindi, 2007)

Akshay Shah Reviews “TRAFFIC SIGNAL” (Hindi, 2007)

Madhur Bhandarkar has now become for his “expose” cinema that started off with the stark and hard-hitting CHANDNI BAR which took a microscopic look into the lives of bar dancers and prostitutes. Since then Bhandarkar has created a sub-genre of his own with films like SATTA(politics), AAN(police force), PAGE 3(cinema stars and socialites) and CORPORATE(business world) each one exposing a facet of society with it’s murky politics in a realistic and hard-hitting manner while infusing the core elements of a entertaining film. The criticism that stands with Bhandarkar has been that his pessimistic view is often to “shock” the viewer which comes across as forced in parts rather than natural. With his latest venture TRAFFIC SIGNAL, Bhandarkar again uses his “formula” to take a microscopic look into the lives of those who live and work at the traffic signals from the beggars, con-men, prostitutes, street-side sellers, corrupt policemen as well as showing the oft-repeated nexus between gangsters and the underworld who’re all intertwined in the story. The same criticism still stands against Bhandarkar, and with TRAFFIC SIGNAL he is letdown by the lack of a cohesive screenplay as well, however the film is nonetheless an eye-opener which is worth a dekkho for its treatment and performances.



The movie revolves Silsila(Kunal Khemu)-a young orphan who was born and raised at the Signal and is now its manager. For Silsila, the Signal is his home, work and life all rolled into one and he is well respected here. He treats all those that work and live at the Signal as one big family however when it comes to business he’s extremely sharp too.

Silsilas “boss” is Jaffar Bhai(D.Santosh) who is the chief collector of that area and he reports to the local Mafia don Bhaijaan(Sudhir Misra). Through a series of circumstances Silsila finds himself at the centre of a larger game when an engineer is bumped off and Silsila indirectly becomes the cause for an event that puts an end to the traffic signal and those who live there.



As far as a story goes, writers Sachin Yardi and Madhur Bhandarkar have strung together a stream of extremely diverse characters ranging from a girl from Gujrat who sells outfits (Neetu Chandra), a hooker (Konkona Sen Sharma), a drug addict (Ranvir Shourey), a socialite who likes her toyboys, a kid called Tsunami as well as a homosexual who is part of the flesh trade. The first half of the story doesn’t move and one can say it’s non-existent as the focus here is on presenting the viewer with the novel experience of peeking inside a world one knew barely existed and showing the “ins” and “outs” of the business and as part of the process the viewers are also introduced to the various characters. This does prove to be a unique viewing experience as the amount of research done by the writers is truly phenomenal and shows in every frame. Some scenes shock, others make you laugh while others tug the heart strings. Rather than a story as such, Bhandarkar has directed a collage of individual moments and sewn them together in a novel manner. Just as one starts to wonder “where is this actually going” there is a twist in the tale in the second half and from there the actual story of the movie is introduced however this is the case of too little too late as the story itself isn’t exciting and lacks originality as well as coming across abrupt. One wonders why Bhandarkar didn’t start the story slightly earlier say just before or after the interval point.
The screenplay of the movie by Yardi and Bhandarkar ranges from great to disappointing. The first half is superb, and the precision and detail that has gone into the depiction of the Signal dwellers is simply outstanding and deserves full marks. Yes, yet again there are times where one feels that Bhandarkar has gone more for the “shock” value when presenting his realism, however this isn’t preachy at all like say PAGE 3 which is good. The second half is odd and goes haywire due to the lack of a cohesive story which in turn muddles the screenplay.



As a director Madhur Bhandarkar must be given credit for attempting such an interesting subject and portraying a rung of society as well as a thriving “business/industry” which some of us didn’t even know existed. The depth to which Bhandarkar goes with his portrayal is truly eye-opening. He merges all the tracks of each of the individual well together, and furthermore what could’ve been a bleak and sombre venture is presented in an entertaining manner. There are plenty of laughs and moments that make you smile merged with the shocking and heart rending moments too. There are shades of his own CHANDNI BAR with the whole segment revolving around the prostitutes however it’s commendable of Bhandarkar to not retread the same material as his earlier film. Bhandarkar and his team spent months dealing with the people of the streets and looking into how the day-to-day business works, and the effort has surely translated well on-screen as he has shown the happenings with utmost realism without shying away from the truth. The get-up of all the actors is simply outstanding, and every actor looks, acts and lives the part they play which is quiet a compliment on it’s own for Bhandarkar. However one just wishes the second half didn’t fall so flat on its face. One waits for a “twist” of sorts to come, and when it does with the death Manoj Joshi, the consequent events that follow are clichéd, boring and to make matters worse the movie ends suddenly in an abrupt manner. I do understand the need to keep the movie as realistic as possible; hence there wasn’t room for any “masala” here or for our hero to take on the gangsters one-on-one however Bhandarkar could’ve surely added some more weight into the story to live up the proceedings. The manner in which Khemu becomes a witness and the movie suddenly ending comes across as a letdown. As a director I would still rank CHANDNI BAR, PAGE 3, SATTA and perhaps CORPORATE as better films on the whole simply because they are more “complete” films, however on a personal front, for its milieu, setting, ambience and characters I would rank TRAFFIC SIGNAL as his most entertaining film after PAGE 3. I have a huge weakness for films set in Mumbai city for its lifestyle and dialogues and Bhandarkar in the first half brings the city of Mumbai to life in all its rugged richness capturing the busy lifestyle with aplomb and technical finesse. However Mr. Bhandarkar….please concentrate just as much on the story as you have on the setting, theme and characters next time so the end product doesn’t comes across as being half baked.



Apart from the novel experience of watching a business almost invisible to the human eye, the other major USP is the performances.

The movie features a range of actors and most of them leave a lasting impression.

Kunal Khemu is simply fantastic! After KALYUG, the young boy impresses again oozing confidence and getting right into the skin of his character. Right from his get-up, delivery, dialogues and body language, Khemu is a complete natural. He brings an immense amount of boyish, street-smart charm to Silsila which works very well in the movie. Indeed a talented boy who can come a long way with the right movies.



Neetu Chandra who made her debut as a glam-doll in Priyadarshans GARAM MASALA is effective here in her second film as she does a complete turn-around from her first. She looks the part she plays and performs ably as well as looking naturally pretty.

Konkona Sen Sharma isn’t the central protagonist here like PAGE 3; however she plays her part with absolute conviction and leaves her mark. She breaths fire into her role, and her expressions and dialogues are just outstanding.

Ranvir Shorey has become an actor I look forward to in EVERY movie much like Boman Irani. Infact I would go as far as to say I would watch a movie just to catch this talented actor at work, and after some brilliant comic performances in KHOSLA KA GHOSLA, PYAAR KE SIDE EFFECTS he springs a complete surprise in a totally diverse role proving his versatility as an actor. He is without a doubt one of the most talented actors to come out of Bollywood in recent times, and his act as a drug addict is ample proof. The slow disintegration of his character has been expression flawlessly and Ranvirs eyes speak a thousand words here as they get more and more sunken and dead each time he is on-screen. His demise is infact one of the most touching moments in the movie.



Upendra Limaye is natural to the core and performs very well. D.Santosh is good in his small part. Manoj Joshi is as reliable as ever. Director Sudhir Misra makes his bow as a director and plays his part as an underworld Don quiet well though appears raw in parts.

The child artistes who play the various street kids are remarkable too.

Technically the movie is first-rate! Devoid of any glam-sham the movie the movie has been shot in a totally natural manner and cameraman Mahesh Limaye captures the movie superbly. One can “feel” the streets of Mumbai here and the ambience and atmosphere Limaye creates is well done. Special mention must also be made of the costumes and clothing wore by the characters as well as the make-up. Costume designer Shefalina deserves distinction marks, as the costumes and make-up look very REAL and adds a lot to making the movie an authentic watch.

The music in the movie is a letdown by Shamir Tandon. The movie features two situational songs which are placed well but instantly forgettable. The last track is an item number which is catchy and picturised extremely well.

On the whole TRAFFIC SIGNAL is definitely worth a dekkho once. It’s realistic treatment and the presentation is a real eye-opener ensuring the slice-of-life drama is definitely an interesting watch though SALAAM BOMBAY this is not. The movie is letdown by an extremely weak story, and more-so a weak second half as well as a rushed finale, however some fantastic performances and expertly canned sequences ensure that this is not a boring watch though Mr. Bhandarkars formula is wearing thin slowly.




7.5/10.0

Sidenote: I probably liked this movie a little more than most simply for my weakness of the milieu, story and characters. Note the movie has offensive language, drug use, as well as some graphic situations including prostitutes-not family viewing.

Special Thanks: Badebhai

A.Shah

Pictures courtesy of wwww.indiafm.com

Akshay Shah Reviews “RISK” (Hindi, 2007)

Akshay Shah Reviews “RISK” (Hindi, 2007)

Films revolves around the Indian Police Force have been done to death in Indian cinema. Right from ARDH-SATYA, KHAKE, SHOOL, AB TAK CHAPPAN, AAN, KAGAAR-LIVING ON THE EGDE, SATYA BOL, DEV, to SHIVA which released last year. Vishram Sawant who earlier directed the highly enjoyable gangster drama D now gives us the other side of the coin with RISK. And though the movie has nothing new to offer at all in terms of a story, for fans of the genre this one is nothing more than an indulgent guilty pleasure.



The story bears more than a passing resemblance to two movies-Shimit Amins masterpiece AB TAK CHAPPAN and N.Chandras KAGAAR-LIVING ON THE EGDE. Set in Mumbai the movie revolves around an honest Police Officer Suryakant(Randeep Hooda), who is the top-cop in the department. His aim is simple-to eradicate crime from Mumbai and in order to do that he needs to bring down the king of the underworld-Khalidbhai(Vinod Khanna) who operates from Bangkok but rules Mumbai with his cell phone.

When Suryakant goes to arrest a corrupt politician who works alongside Khalid-Dekvi(Seema Biswas) a riot breaks out and in the process Suryakant ends u shooting two men. He is falsely implicated who having connections with gangsters, stripped of his uniform and put behind bars. Khalid takes advantage of the situation and gets Suryakant his uniform back; in return he wants Suryakants help in gaining a monopoly over the Mumbai underworld by eliminating his arch enemies. Little does Khalid know that Suryakant has his own ace up his sleeve. He kills Khalids younger brother (Yashpal Sharma) and right-hand man (Makrand Deshpande) in an encounter. Khalid is also arrested by the Bangkok Police and deported back to Mumbai where he has to face an enquiry commission. For the first time…Suryakant and Khalid come face-to-face. What happens next?



Vishram Sawants story offers the viewer nothing new. The whole honest cop versus underworld don’s and corrupt politician scenario is one that has been witnessed many times before on celluloid. The movie is no doubt borrows a lot from Encounter Specialist Daya Nayak, and the viewers have already been treated to a much better movie on the same subject-AB TAK CHAPPAN. The screenplay of the movie on the other hand is well written, though once again lacks originality. The initial scenes establish the mood and ambience of the film well, though don’t present anything novel to the viewer. The story then takes some sharp twists and turns keeping the viewer enthralled for its duration. The pace down drop in the second half only to pick up again right up to the finale.

As a director Vishram Sawant still relies on a heavy Ram Gopal Varma hangover which was also in his debutant film D. Yes, Sawant is talented and definitely has a knack for directing gritty thrillers as well as showing flashes of brilliance in many scenes, but one just wishes he had chosen something much more original given this story had already been done to death. What’s worse is that Sawant doesn’t anything new to the story either, and though the twists and turns in the second half were directed extremely well they do bear a very strong resemblance to AB TAK CHAPPAN which leaves a deja-vu feeling with the viewer. Sawant does direct the movie at a break-neck pace which leaves the viewer little room to breath in the first half, the second half too has been superbly executed despite the pace dropping a little. The entire finale is straight out of the old-school Bollywood films as our hero turns into a “one man army” and goes after Khalid while he is in jail; the climax infact bears a resemblance in many ways to E.Niwas’s SHOOL. Where Sawant strikes points is his presentation of the subject. Theoretically RISK is nothing more than a hardcore masala film in my view. The story is one that can be seen in almost every second 80’s masala fare with a honest cop going after the villain, and his climax affirms this(completely over-the-top and chucks realism right out of the window…yet it makes great viewing nonetheless). His D too was a superb masala fare, however where he strikes a difference is that his presentation of the story itself is in a relative stark and realistic manner paying more than a homage to films like Varmas SATYA and COMPANY. Heck even the voiceover at the start gives an instant reminder of Varmas COMPANY. For lovers of the knitty, gritty cops/underworld/crime genre, this is a treat, however please Mr. Sawant..something original next time.



I have been a huge fan of Randeep Hooda ever since his wicked performance in D and his superb act in DARNA ZAROORI HAI. In a role which does a complete 360 degree turn from D Hooda is again fantastic. The role is no doubt tailor-made for him and he takes to the character with absolute relish. Yes, Hooda is monotone at times which is the same problem I had in D, however in a strange way he justifies this by acting with absolute conviction and precision. His character is one I felt could’ve been better justified in parts, and the director didn’t quiet bring out the humane side well enough. However as the hard-ass, take-no-nonsense encounter cop Hooda is impressive. His dialogues, as well as diction is great, and Hooda has a rather magnetic screen presence which keeps the viewer captivated.



Vinod Khanna is superb in his comeback performance and it’s a pleasure to see the actor after a hiatus. He performs his role of a compassionate Don with relish and performs his part with terrific conviction like a true veteran and does complete justice to the character. Khannas larger-than-life persona brings Khalidbhai to life, and his voice modulation and delivery is simply outstanding. Khannas expressive eyes are used well here and physically Khanna is looking terrific. Just witness the scene at Eid when he loses his temper at his brother or the mind games he plays with Randeep over the phone. RISK certainly proves that there is much more in Khanna the actor yet, and one hopes that this leads onto better roles for him as this doesn’t quiet to justice to his talent.




Tanushree Dutta doesn’t have much to do here at all, and her character is one that sticks out like a sore thumb. As Hoodas love interest, she has a poorly etched character and doesn’t get a chance to perform much at all. The relationship she shares with Hooda fails to strike a chord at all with the viewers and her scenes could infact have been cut to make the narrative a lot smoother, despite the fact she looks gorgeous.



The supporting cast is apt in their relatively clichéd parts. Seema Biswas is sadly wasted here in a character that could’ve been written much better. She is no doubt superb with what little she is given. Yashpal Sharma is ace as always in a part that he has been type-casted in. He infact played a very similar character in Sawants last film D. Makrand Deshpande is sadly wasted in an inconsequential role. Zakir Hussain is good in parts, and goes completely over-the-top in others. Anant Jog and Shiv Subhramanium are both good in their small roles.

The movie features two songs, the first is the extremely catchy yet totally out of place HITCHKI(Akbar Sami) which is an item number featuring Tanushree Dutta looking very sexy. The song just crops up at the wrong time. The theme song(Bapi-Tutul) on the other hand is impactful and leaves a mark. A special mention to Shandesh Shandilyas background music which is just perfect and elevates the proceedings throughout the entire movie. A very moody and sombre score which compliments the movie perfectly.

Technically RISK is a slick film. Mahesh Muthiswamis camerawork fits the movie perfectly, and Muthiswami creates the right atmosphere and ambience with his camera for a genre like this. The realistic by lanes of Mumbai have been bought out to absolute perfection and adds to the viewing experience. Vivek Shahs editing is good though could’ve been tighter, especially in the second half. The gritty action sequences have been expertly canned. Yes the movie has a lot of gun violence with bullets and blood everywhere but in the context of the film it makes sense.



So where does that leave RISK? Well it certainly isn’t a great film by any means, and definitely isn’t an original film either, but for those that thrive on the genre RISK is nothing more than an indulgent guilty pleasure, and an enjoyable one at that.

Overall Rating=7.0/10.0

Pictures courtesy of www.indiafm.com

Akshay Shah Reviews “POLLATHAVAN” (Tamil, 1980)

Akshay Shah Reviews “POLLATHAVAN” (Tamil, 1980)

Watching a film like POLLATHAVAN transports the viewer to an era bygone-the early 80’s! The movie is a masala filled yarn replete with romance, comedy, action and dollops of melodrama. In today’s age it doesn’t play out too well, however the movie does feature a rather subdued performance by Rajnikanth who along with Laxmi holds the film together.



The movie revolves Laxmi who is travelling with her sister’s son in a train to her new job as a nanny. In the train a sleazebag starts to harass her, yet just as she is about to move the man is shot brutally dead by an angry killer, however the viewer only gets to see the killers blood-filled eyes.

After lodging a complaint with the police, she proceeds to her job where she comes across the girl she is supposed to nanny who is spoilt and stubborn. After a not-so-great start the little girl warms up to Laxmi. At that juncture Laxmi meets the girls father-and it is none other than the killer on the train (who other than Rajnikanth). He keeps her as a hostage in his house against her will. She sees him as a ruthless man and hates him. Via a flashback Laxmi(and the viewer) find out what drove Rajnikanth to the murder.

The story is simple, and one that is predictable from the word go. These types of melodramas were dished out dime-a-dozen in the 80’s, however the difference for me is to see the story in it’s Tamil milieu rather than Hindi. In Hindi one can picture Dharmendra, Shatrughan Sinha or Vinod Khanna in the role with either any number of the 80’s actresses enacting the part played by Laxmi. The screenplay of the movie is good. The movie starts off on an exciting note and I was expecting it to be a suspense/thriller of sorts, however as the movie progressed further I realised it was a drama. The first half establishes the character of Rajnikanth and his relationship with Laxmi, while the second half unfolds his tragedy and what happened with him that led him to take revenge. The climax is predictable to the core yet in the films context makes complete sense.

Director Muktha Srivasan directs the film competently in complete masala mould. He paces his story well and engages the viewer with good doses of comedy, action, romance and melodrama. More importantly, he fleshes out a neat little performance from Rajnikanth. The pace does drop considerably at times making the viewer slightly restless however it does pick up again as well. POLLATHAVAN was made on an extremely low budget for it’s time and the movie turned out to be a surprise hit in 1980.

Rajnikanth portrays his part really well. This is a performance that is without any of his trademarks (cigarette flipping, shawl throws etc) however one that still has the Superstar in complete style in a crowd-pleasing role. His role is one that initially comes across as the films villain and Rajni plays the negative shades in his character with relish and is convincing to the core. He is just as good in the flashbacks as the happy-go-lucky guy and excels in the comic moments with élan. This is a rather subdued performance from Rajni from what I have seen in his other films, and he is just as good here. His bearded get-up and body language(cigarette smoking style, acting drunk) are all well done.

Laxmi is superb! The talented actress exudes confidence and plays her part extremely well. She emotes superbly with her expressive eyes and has great delivery and diction as well as looking beautiful on-screen. She shares superb chemistry with Rajnikanth on-screen as well. Surprisingly 19 y ears later the same Laxmi played Rajnikanths mum in PADAYAPPA.

The supporting cast all play their parts well and are apply cast.

Technically the movie is as expected for the 80’s, and the low budget production values too become all too obvious in parts.

The music of the movie is superb. The songs have been executed well on picturesque locales. The title track has to be my favourite, and one that is extremely infectious and addictive. The song features a drunk and smoking Rajnikanth and has Rajni at his mass appealing best. One feels like dancing while watching Rajni dance with his vibrant energy. I must add there is a definite Bachchan influence in not only this song, but also Rajnikanths performance here.

All up POLLATHAVAN may not prove to be an exciting watch in today’s time; however for fans of Rajnikanth as well as those who enjoy a good old-fashioned 80’s yarn the movie is easily watch able.

Overall Rating=6.5/10.0

Trivia: Rajnikanths son-in-law Dhanush is now starring in a movie titled POLLATHAVAN.

Akshay Shah Reviews “PADAYAPPA” (Tamil, 1999)

Akshay Shah Reviews “PADAYAPPA” (Tamil, 1999)

When watching a Rajnikanth film, one has certain type of expectations-the Superstar in a larger than life, mass appealing and crowd-pleasing role, a good story which provides ample scope for the Superstar, hit music, a lavish scale, a strong supporting cast, and ultimately the experience that the viewer has watched a movie that is indeed a “blockbuster” in every sense. So does PADAYAPPA live up to those expectations? Yes, though by not stretch of the imagination is it a “great” movie but one that surely serves its purpose well.




Shivaji Ganesan is a highly respected Zamindar in a village who lives with his extended family including his wife Laxmi, and his brother ManiVannan as well as his brother’s family. The entire holds Shivaji in high regards, and whenever there is a marriage in their village, the bride and groom must convey their consent before Shivaji before the marriage proceeds. Shivaji and Laxmi have a son Arupadayappan (Rajnikanth...**claps and whistles**) who is well educated and has a prestigious job in the city. The story takes a twist when Manivannan claims his share of the family wealth. Shivaji in turn writes off his entire properties and wealth to Manivannan and walks out with his family. Just before he leaves, he turns around to visit his house one more time….and in the process passes away!

Padayappa and his family move into a smaller house in the village. Padayappa has a small piece of dry land and by the turn of luck he finds granite stones in his land and before we now it Padayappa is again a rich man again.

There is also a love track in the movie where a foreign returned, arrogant and snobby girl played by Ramya Krishna falls in love with Rajni. However Rajni falls in love with the servant played by the late Soundarya. He overcomes a number of hurdles, tricks and traps laid out by Ramya before marrying Soundarya. End of story? Not quiet! Ramya keeps her disappointment and revenge sealed up inside her and locks herself in a room for 18 years waiting for the right opportunity to strike back at Rajni. Rajni too has two daughters by now and the rest of the story revolves around how Ramya tries to take revenge on Rajni and his family after 18 years using his daughter.



The story is not an original one by any means, and one can tell where the story is going right from the very start. The story does have all the conventions of a family film with dollops of masala merged in to it throughout and more-so it provides Rajnikanth with a platform to perform and impress his fan base. The screenplay is a bit jilted in parts. The first half starts out well however loses a bit pf pace in between only to pick up before the interval right before Shivaji passes away. The second half with the older Rajni has been well handled. The movie is well paced right up to the climax.

As a director K.S Ravikumar has no doubt chosen a larger than life story with all the right larger than life themes and story angles including love, family, and revenge to keep the viewer entertainer. The movie is a complete masala film in every way with equal amounts of romance, comedy, action, and dramatics to keep the viewer engaged. The film never tends to get too heavy and has been treated in a light manner which keeps the momentum alive. No doubt K.S Ravikumars core aim here is to present Rajnikanth in a larger-than-life manner in a complete mass-appealing and crowd-pleasing role which he succeeds at, however at times I did find myself wishing there were a few more original twists and turns along the way.




As the words “SUPERSTAR’ scrawl on-screen you know precisely what you’re in for and Rajnikanth does not disappoint the viewer one bit. This is a movie that features Rajnikanth in almost every frame and gives him huge platform to perform and completely entertain viewers. Rajnikanth as an actor is one that is very hard not to like. He is charismatic and filled with energy and life like no other and his trademark punch lines and style is simply unmatched that you can’t help but smile at yourself or even let out a few claps. This is a completely stylised Rajni performance replete with a trademark Rajni salute, Rajnis famous cigarette throw followed by the match light(though it’s a cigar here) and a rather cool shawl throw as well. Rajnis punch dialogue in this movie is "My way is unique way'' ! His dancing is fantastic as always, and his action scenes are wickedly entertaining and offcourse totally over-the-top. The movie features his customary introduction scene which is as insanely OTT as always, followed by his introduction song with Rajni dancing in his trademark style. In the first half Rajni performs his part with youthfulness and zest and excels in the comedy scenes. In the second part as the matured father of two, once again Rajni is great. His looks are simply wicked, and he plays his part with sincerity. Rajknikanth defines the word SUPERSTAR!



This is the first time I’m watching a Shivaji Ganesan film, and the actor perform his part like a true veteran and is intermittently likeable in his part as the patriarch.

Soundarya plays her part well in both halves of the movie and looks beautiful as well as performing gracefully.

Ramya Krishna is excellent here as Rajnikanths opponent. She plays her arrogant and spoilt character to perfection and provides a good match for Rajni as an opponent. This is a role similar to the one she played in Mahesh Bhatts CHAHAAT.

Lakshmi is as endearing as ever.

The film also boasts of a huge supporting cast consisting of Manivannan, Nasser, Prakash Raj, Abbas, Sithara and many more all of whom perform their parts aptly yet don't have a role that holds a candle against Rajni ofcourse.

Technically the movie is a slick product. The rustic backdrop of the movie has been well captured, and the movie features a vibrant and lively look throughout.

A.R Rehmans music is fantastic and very catchy. The songs are no doubt there to cater to Rajnikanths image and they do so perfectly well. The picturisations too are simply superlative. The background movie is great too, and the scenes featuring Rajni “in style” the background music hits the right notes.

All up PADAYAPPA is a movie that no doubts serves it core purpose and delivers a entertaining masala packed ride consisting of everything one would expect from a Rajnikanth blockbuster…though don’t get me wrong, this is by no strech of the imagination great movie-making..but it sure as hell is entertaining nonetheless!

Overall Rating=7.5/10.0

Akshay Shah Reviews “MAHANADHI” (Tamil, 1994)

Akshay Shah Reviews “MAHANADHI” (Tamil, 1994)

Kamal Hassan is no doubt a name synonymous with quality cinema and an actor who is without a doubt one of the best actors we have in Indian cinema. In my recent endeavour to trace back the legacy of Kamal Hassan, I finally got a chance to watch what I had always been told was one of Kamal Hassans “best films ever”, and quiet frankly. MAHANADHI is an unforgettable and stunning film from start to finish, with what can arguably be called Kamal Hassans best performance.



The man revolves around a simple-minded, widowed villager(Krishna) who lives with his mother-in-law (S.N Lakshmi) and two young children. In a chance encounter he meets a crooked con-man who lures him with the dreams of more money and a better lifestyle with a chit-fund business; however the venture goes horribly wrong and leaves Kamal Hassan in jail. In jail he faces many hardships in the form of corrupt wardens and sadistic inmates, and outside his family disintegrates without his presence. Once he comes out of jail, he finds that his son and daughter have gone missing, and attempts to reconstruct his family back together only to stumble upon some horrifying truths. The temptation for vengeance and revenge calls out to Krishna..what happens next? MAHANADHI provides the answers.

The story by Kamal Hassan himself on paper sounds like your regular revenge drama, however as the movie progresses one realises this is anything but. Hassan writes the story with painstaking realism laced throughout, and ensures that the movie does not venture down the avenue of being “just another revenge film”. The scenarios and circumstances encountered by the protagonist are very real here and leaves the viewer completely shaken by the time the movie finishes. The screenplay of the movie too is outstanding. The movie is paced well and is neither too fast nor too slow. Hassan allows enough time for the characters to be built up properly and for them to grow on the viewer as the movie progresses. The first half showing his happy family all together in the village has been executed extremely well, and as the movie progresses further the darker and more unrelenting it gets in its portrayal of a grim and dark world. The beauty of the movie is that the viewer doesn’t quiet realise how emotionally involved they have got into this movie until the final scene happens. There are times when the movie forces a trickle of tear down the viewers face, and others where the viewer is completely gripped to the edge of their seat.

As a director Santhana Bharathi must be given a huge pat on the back for avoiding clichés and formulas and presenting the viewer with a story that sounds all too familiar in a realistic and different manner. Right from the outset the movie avoids the usual clichés of Indian cinema and grounds itself in reality. There are no separate comedy tracks, romantic sub-plots or item numbers to distract the viewer as it moves on a singular track from the start to the very end. Infact, it would be wrong to watch the movie as a revenge film, as the movie is about the AFTER affects of what happens to a man and his family after he goes to jail. Ultimately the movie is a tragedy and Santhana Bharathi is in complete understanding of the subject that he has on hand. He understands and nuances, complexities and sensitivities of the situation at hand and directs a complex story without veering off track or alienating the viewer at any point. The scenes in jail convincingly show the “insides” of jail life with total realism, and is a real eye opener. The finale where Hassan finally goes to take revenge even has been done with as much realism is possible until the scene where Hassan cuts off his arm, the scene is gory, violent and slightly over-the –top yet I’m assuming the point here was to “shock” the viewer at the desperation of his revenge which is justified. At the heart of the movie is tale about the loss of innocence and the lack of justice. The movie aptly depicts how the city and it’s materialism for what Krishna believes is going to be a “better” life ruins a man and his family….heart-breaking, poignant and completely unforgettable one can only bow their head down to Mr. Bharathi.

Kamal Hassan is no doubt one of the finest actors we have in India. The range, versatility and sheer depth of performances in his career speak for themselves and MAHANADHI is no doubt a performance that ranks right at the top of a list. Like Hassans performance in NAYAKAN, MAHANADHI ranges his character across a lifetime. Kamal plays a “normal, common man” with sincerity and conviction and not only sinks his teeth into the character, but completely BECOMES the character and after a point in the movie, one forgets that they are watching “Kamal Hassan” but infact peeking into the life of Krishnasamy. From his earlier scenes as a happy-go-lucky villager, to his scenes in jail, and lastly his scenes when he comes out of jail, Hassan is mind-blowing in every sense and leaves s ever-lasting impression on the viewer. This is a “lump-in-the-throat” kind of performance that is hauntingly painful to watch at times and will is poignant enough to melt a rock. Just witness the scene where Kamal Hassans family come to visit him in jail for the first time and he tries to speak but can’t, or the visit to jail where he finds out where his daughter has reached puberty and a gamut of expressions go across his face, the unforgettable scene where he rescues his daughter from the brothels in Kolkotta, and lastly the most disturbing scene in the movie where Hassans daughter is talking in her sleep and Hassan breaks down after listening to her. The method of acting Hassan applies here is distinctly similar to his act in NAYAKAN where he finds out that his son has died, however is unique in it’s own way. The manner in which Kamal Hassan cries and wails will leave Goosebumps on the viewer’s arms; this is in every sense of the word an “excellent” performance that deserves its distinction and placing with the GREATS in Indian cinema. Hassan is known for his perfectionism bug, and given MAHANADHI is a story that has been written by himself, Hassan ensures that he has etched out the character with as much conviction as possible, and his dedication amazes the viewer. His get-ups here are completely natural and don’t come across as a gimmick at all. The long hair at the start, the short hair after he comes out of jail, or ultimately the aged old-man after he comes out of jail. Mr. Hassan….respect…!

Sukanya plays her part well in a character that could’ve been better developed.

Mahanadhi Shobhana delivers a Award Worthy performance as Kamal Hassans daughter. Be it as a happy-go-lucky young girl in the village to a prostitute in Kolkotta this is a performance that is daring and mesmerising and Shobhana goes through the transformation of her character with amazing conviction.

Poonam Vishwanathan is superb as Kamals cellmate and future father-in-law.

V.M.C Hanifa is slimy and sleaszy as the con-man and leaves his mark, though he is slightly over-the-top at times.

Illayarajas music too is simply outstanding, and the songs are effortlessly merged in with the story and act as part of the narrative. The songs infact elevate the story further in several places and the lyrics too are superb.

Technically the movie is good for it’s time. The scenes in jail have been extremely well captured, and a film like this relies more on the power of its story and performance than technical wizardry.

So where does that leave MAHANADHI? In my humble opinion this movie is a masterpiece. It’s a haunting human tragedy which is completely unforgettable and features what can only be called one of the most powerful performances in Indian Cinema.

Overall Rating=9.0/10.0

Sidenote: The film deservedly won the National Film Award for the Best Feature film in Tamil

Akshay Shah Reviews “HAVOC” (2005)

Akshay Shah Reviews “HAVOC” (2005)

HAVOC is a movie I had high expectations from. Written by Stephen Gaghan of TRAFFIC and SYRIANA fame and directed by two time Oscar Winner( HARLAM COUNTY USA and AMERICAN DREAM) Barbara Kopple-so does the movie live up to expectations? NO! Though it tries hard to be a gritty and realistic look into the lives of teenagers, drugs, sex, and gang violence it’s a case of too little too late and lacks originality especially given other film makers out there have presented the theme in a much better manner.



The movie revolves around a pair of young naïve girls Alison(Anne Hathaway) and Emily(Bijou Phillips) who are from a rich, affluent families. Bored of their wealthy lifestyles they want something more “exciting” in their lives and start becoming heavily influenced by the “hip hop” and “gangstah” lifestyle. In an encounter with the East L.A lifestyle the young teenagers are introduced to a world which is so totally different from their culturally homogenised suburban lifestyle. What starts off as a one-off encounter soon starts turning into a deadly infatuation as the two girls meet a Mexican drug dealer named Hector(Freddy Rodriguez). What starting off as a bit of “fun” and “excitement” turns into something a lot more deadlier and the two girls realise just how deep they have actually gone…so deep that it may actually be too late to turn back!

The story is not original. One has witnessed the whole “innocent teenagers getting involved in the gangster lifestyle” many a times before and HAVOC doesn’t provide anything new to the picture. It’s a case of old wine in an old bottle. The structure of the movie is predictable, and the plot devices are all too familiar. The screenplay of the movie too like the story is predictable and the knows what to expect next.

As a director Barbara Kopple must be commended for making a gritty, realistic and hard hitting film like this and obviously her intentions are good, however one wishes that she had paid more attention to the story and screenplay. The explanation given for the teenagers getting so into the “gangstah” lifestyle is too simply and one that doesn’t necessarily justify their actions. Yes, they are bored…but they surely know the difference between right and wrong? They are bored, not dumb! The two girls here aren’t as young as the girls shown in the little masterpiece THIRTEEN nor the kids as messed up as the ones on Larry Clarkes eye-opening KIDS. A little more explanation into the psyche of the teenagers and their mentality would’ve done the movie a whole lot of good, and there is the character of Eric(Matt O Leary) who wants to understand the psyche behind the actions of the teens with his video camera, however the character is poorly developed and fails to leave a mark as such which is a letdown. Also the movie disappoints as it completely plays to stereotypes, the Hispanics shown as black, gang raping drug peddling gangsters, without any consideration or thought given into their backgrounds which makes it look like a one-sided affair. Yes the movie does offer some pretty crude scenes and paints a bleak picture with a birds eye view into a dark and murky world of drug peddling, gang violence and more-so gang rape however these lack novelty and have a sense of deja-vu. The graphic sex scenes the movie has infact starts out like a B grade porno with lots of gratuitous nudity by Anne Hathaway and Bijou Phillips. When the scene gets nasty, the viewer doesn’t feel sympathy for the girl as the first thought that comes to your mind is “she asked for it”?! Maybe that was Barbara Kopples intention; however one wishes she had portrayed her message more clearly.




Performances range from great to poor. Anne Hathaway performs her part with able conviction and acts really well. Her character is a confused one at times, and at others the director fails to bring out the rationale behind her actions. She looks dazzlingly sexy on-screen and has an electric presence.

The scene stealer here is Bijou Phillips as Emily. She plays the innocent girl who wants to be “bad” and “gangstah” to perfection and the whole “loss of innocence” is portrayed remarkably well.

Freddy Rodriguez as the Hispanic gangster plays his clichéd role well.

Mike Vogel and Gordon Joseph-Levitt as the “wiggers” on the other hand disappoint with their gross overacting.

Technically the movie is good, and the camerawork compliments the mood of the film.

All up HAVOC is a well meaning movie, but one that is confused, muddled and highly unoriginal.

Overall Rating=5.5/10.0

Akshay Shah Reviews "RUNNING SCARED" (2006)

Akshay Shah Reviews “RUNNING SCARED” (2006)

Before I sat down to watch RUNNING SCARED I didn’t know quiet what to expect. The comments on the back of the cover said “This makes KILL BILL look like SESAME STREET” which excited me even more. However I got a complete surprise, yes the movie is a violent one and one that is furiously energetic hence where the comparisons to KILL BILL came from, however they should end right there. RUNNING SCARED is a genre-bender, and quiet easily one of the most violent, sick, twisted, fast paced, stylish, and pulse-pounding action thrillers I have seen in a long time. Yes it is a case of style over substance and it does require an acquired taste as the movie is an excessive indulgence in to the world violence…and I simply loved it!




After a drug-op gone bad, Joey Gazelle(Paul Walker in the finest performance in his lifeless career) is given the charge of disposing the gun that shot a dirty cop. However when his neighbours son who is also Joeys sons best friend, steals the gun to shoot his abusive and demented father things go horribly wrong. In a race against time, Joey now has to find the gun and keep himself from being killed as two dangerous mobsters as well as a crooked cop are all after the piece. And after all that, if he survives the night he has to go back and answer to his wife (the damn sexy Vera Farmiga).

The story is simple, yet it has been sharply written. The premise of the movie sounds straight forward on paper, however the execution as well as some splendid plot twists keep the proceedings alive and leave the viewers at the edge of their seat.
The screenplay of the movie is fantastic, right from the opening credits to the poetic ending credits, the movie grabs the viewer by the throat and doesn’t let go. As a writer Wayne Kramer is clear from the outset that he wants to make an “R” rated action movie which will shock the viewer and give them a jolt of adrenalin like no other. In this sense, it is similar to the recent Jason Statham starrer CRANK where the core purpose of the movie was style, violence and above all…to give a jolt of adrenalin to the viewer which keeps them totally on the edge of their seat. However RUNNING SCARED offers more plot twists is certainly more stylish and the tone of the movie is more morbid.

Director Wayne Kramer does an outstanding job!! Critics have drawn comparisons to Tarantinos work here, and I think that’s a little unfair. Yes the movie is violent, slick, stylish etc; however this is NOT as cartoony as KILL BILL or SIN CITY for that matter. Yes there is a “fantasy” element running throughout the movie hence one cannot take the movie too seriously in order to really enjoy, and in some cases it a case of sick, sadistic dark and twisted humour, however this is a much more “real” film than a KILL BILL. Kramer has intentionally worked in a lot of parallels from the Grimms fairytales. Oleg(the kid) is a HANSEL AND GRETEL type character with his father being the woodcutter that is supposed to kill him but can’t bring himself to it. The paedophiles are like the evil witches living in the gingerbread house, the prostitute is like the good fairy and so forth, and all of these morbid fantasy elements have been spellbindingly sewn together. This is a technique earlier used in FREEWAY( 1996) where the whole LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD tale was given a sick and violent twist. The end credits with the comic drawings further confirm this…what an imagination!

The violence in the movie is over-the-top. 5 minutes into the movie we have a gory shootout with peoples heads and nuts being blown off in close range and we get to see the after affects of a bullet once it hits the skull or the pelvis-brutal stuff. But not just gun violence, the film has extreme doses of domestic violence, fist-to-fist violence and heck..just a lot of violence. In one of the scenes Gazelle sets a man on fire and slowly lets his body burn until the man gives him the answer to his question. In another scene Gazelle is held down on a ice hockey rink as the puck is repeatedly hit into his face at full speed and the viewer gets to hear the sounds of his face bones and nose cracking, in another scene we have someone eating into another persons ear and then spitting it out…if this doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, then RUNNING SCARED isn’t your type of movie. The violence here can be compared to that of A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE, and so can some of the themes; however this isn’t as deep as A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE, and the violence here definitely does have a more “extreme” touch to it. Apart from the violence there is a lengthy sequence involving paedophiles which is as scary as it is disturbing. Though the movie avoids showing any actual scenes of child abuse/violence, it’s the visual images of what the paedophiles actually do and how seemingly they lead a “normal” life is what scares the viewer-shocking. The entire sequence in a sense is to justify the character of our leading man, as her wife looks him in the eye after shooting the 2 paedophiles and tells him “I saw pure evil tonight, and I don’t see that in your eyes”. This movie would’ve definitely given the censor board a heart attack and is quiet frankly deserving every inch of its “R” rating with gun violence, knife violence, violence against children, excessive swearing (the word “FUCK” is said over 300 times), explicit sex scenes with a real raw edge, full frontal nudity, drugs, suicide, torture scenes, prostitution, gore, and paedophilia.—disturbing? Oh yea! And given the viewers reactions at IMDB..every inch a cult film.
In the end it is easy to tell that Wayne Kramer is a lover of cinema, as he has taken what he likes best from his type of cinema(the violent, stylish, sick, twisted, extreme and darkly funny), put it in a blender and let it rip. Comparisons can be drawn to PULP FICTION, RESERVOIR DOGS, KILL BILL, GO, CRANK, THE PUNISHER, HARD LUCK, John Woo’s THE KILLER, FACE/OFF with a twist directly out of Telugu cinemas POKIRI and a final twist seen too many times before in films like BASIC and ERASER..however in saying that this is for the most an inventive and original piece of work and how homage’s should be paid! Wayne Kramer….eagerly looking forward to what your twisted imagination dishes out next.



Technically the movie is outstanding, and visually one of the most exciting films I have seen in recent times. Comparisons can be made to CRANK, Tarantinos hyper kinetic vision as well as Sanjay.F.Guptas KARAM with it’s whip-pans, CSI style extreme close-ups, super slow motion and poetic gun violence, sepia filters, colour bleaching, fast cut camera movements etc are all used top give the movie a gritty and unique look which works splendidly. For example the kitchen shooting is played from multiple viewpoints in both forward and reverse-innovative! I would go as far as to say for style buffs this movie is worth a watch more than once alone for its style.

As far as performances go the movie is surprisingly good! Paul Walker I have never liked, and he has come across as the usual “whiteboy/prettyboy” who can’t act but is there for his good looks, however that notion was shattered here as the actor really lets loose in a spontaneous, kinetic, furious and above all gritty performance that takes the viewer completely off guard. He plays a hardened/street-smart role superbly and convinces the viewer that he is a “tough nut” which is a problem I had with his earlier films. The restlessness and panic he portrays throughout the movie is really commendable and he he slips into his character very well.

The real “star” of the show is Cameron Bright who plays Oleg. One of the most talented child actors I have seen, the young actor is marvellous and gives an unforgettable performance. His straight expressionless face makes him look something out of THE OMEN, however merged with his big confused eyes he leaves a lasting impression. Given the boy isn’t given more than 20 lines to utter and is there pretty much throughout the movie its quiet a feat. What’s more amazing is that the understanding he has of his character, folks, this is a little kid who gets embroiled with a psychotic and abusive dad, a prostitute, a pimp, the mafia, and above all Padeophiles…so not your everyday stuff. Just witness the entire sequence when he is at the paedophiles house and desperately makes the phone call. Bright was earlier seen in films like THANK YOU FOR SMOKING and GODSEND however this is no doubt his best performance, and he is much better than the annoying Dakota Fanning.

Vera Farmiga who was last seen in Martin Scorceses THE DPEARTED as the sexy psychiatrist is great here. There is something VERY VERY sexy about this girl, and she plays her confident and confused part with conviction.

Johnny Messner as the son of a psychotic mob boss played his clichéd role well. Karl Roden as the mentally deranged Russian father is good, and Ivana Milicevic as his wife is great too. Chazz Palminteri as a crooked cop is charming as ever.

All up RUNNING SCARED may NOT be everyone’s cup of tea, it’s an ultra-violent, sick, twisted and deranged action/thriller which requires the viewer to have a strong stomach. However no doubt for those who thrive on this kind of cinema it’s a welcome treat!

Overall Rating=8.0/10.0

A.Shah

Akshay Shah Reviews “OCEANS 12”( 2004)

Akshay Shah Reviews “OCEANS 12” ( 2004)

OCEANS 11 was a quirky, witty and extremely well directed little heist movie that relied on the power of a strong story, superb dialogues and a smouldering and extremely charming cast to weave it’s magic on the viewers. A sequel with the same team returning and the same director at helm was indeed an exciting prospect; however OCEANS 12 falls short of expectations.



The story starts off where the first one finished, the crew from the original are now scattered all over the world(Amsterdam, Rome, Paris) spending the money they earnt from the first heist they pulled in part 1. Their luxurious life is however short-lived as Tony Benedict(Andy Garcia) is still fuming and wants his revenge and his money back from Danny Ocean(George Clooney). With limited time to make $97 million dollars, Danny gathers his team from the original to pull off yet another high stakes scam. The stakes are higher this time as there is a Europol agent (Catherina Zeta Jones) who has a link to Rustys (Brad Pitt) past as well as a mysterious French rival who calls himself the “Night Fox” and is hell bent on proving that he is the best thief in the world and foiling the Ocean gang at every step of the way. Does Oceans team succeed against the race of time?

The story has enough potential, and starts out really well in the first 40 minutes, however from a writing point of view, all of the characters aren’t given enough footage and as the movie gets further and further into the story the movie starts to undo itself. The second half of the movie is laden with twists and turns which are all too predictable and the finale is a complete letdown. The screenplay of the movie too is hopscotch and is a letdown as it simply fails to excite, thrill or entertain the viewer compared the mammoth expectations and gigantic canvas. The pressure from the first, as well as the whole “bonding/chemistry” that was so clearly evident in the first is missing here.

As a director Steven Soddenborough relies too heavily on the first movie to do the work for the sequel and frankly it doesn’t work that well. He starts off the movie superbly by reintroducing all the original characters we love as Benedict pays a visit to them all, and with the team trying to get together $97 million dollars in 1 week the scene is set, however the sequence of events that follow are a letdown. The pace gets very uneven and the viewer tends to get restless. The twists don’t offer any variety and surprisingly much of the charm and wit of the original which was the mainstay I should add is clearly missing. The heists in the movie are well executed, though they are limited and one finds it disappointing when the whole team is not involved in them this time around. This is the work of a director who got too sure of himself and became extremely self indulgent as the movie progressed.

The gigantic cast in the movie do a superb job with what they are given, but from the writing point of view this is a half hearted effort. George Clooneys slips effortlessly into the role of Danny Ocean again with half the charm and wit from the original. Yes he looks superb and does a great job, however there was definitely something missing here from his performance that was there in the first. Brad Pitt too faces the same problem. Matt Damon is given limited footage, but excels in the scenes he has. Andy Garcia is nothing more than a glorified cameo and has a few scenes at the start and appears again at the end. Julia Roberts was annoying here, her entire episode where she plays her self tries too hard to be funny but comes across as forced, fake and contrived. Catherine Zeta Jones is fantastic, looks stunning and does a very capable job and livens the proceedings with her presence. James Caan and Casy Affleck are both good in their limited roles. It’s disappointing to see talents like Don Cheadle and especially Bernie Mac wasted in such inconsequent roles. Elliot Gould pleases in his role.

Technically the movie is slick as expected, and the locales of Europe are simply gorgeous.

On the whole OCEANS 12 is a big letdown, and a sequel that is in every way inferior to the original. Given OCEANS 13 is now gearing up for release with the entire cast back for one final round with the inclusion of a certain Mr Pacino, I hope Mr. Soddenborough rectifies the mistakes he has made here to make a more seamless and consistent movie than OCEANS 12.

Overall Rating=5/10

A.Shah

Exclusive First Look of "SHAKALAKA BOOM BOOM"

God Kangna and Celina look HOT!!!!!



A.Shah

Akshay Shah Reviews “12 B” (Tamil, 2001)

Akshay Shah Reviews “12 B” (Tamil, 2001)

Before sitting down to watch 12 B I didn’t know much about the movie except that the leading ladies were Jyothika and Simran, the leading man was Shaam whom I had never heard of, the director was Jeeva(who directed the Hindi version of RUN) and the music director wa Harris Jayraj-on face value the movie looked like a typical love story however I was in for a surprise. 12 B is a different love story with a interesting premise and narrative which is an commendable effort for a debutant director, however the movie only impresses in parts.



The plot is lifted from the Hollywood film SLIDING DOORS with Gwyneth Paltrow which provided a WHAT IF scenario with two parallel tracks-one which showed Gwyneth catching her commuter and the other where she misses it. The story here has been indianised and changed by Jeeva with the main change being the protagonist here is a male rather than a female, as well as the entire milieu and setting as well as events that occur. The screenplay of the movie by veteran K.Bhagyaraj is good in parts, and entirely clichéd in other parts. The movie starts out well enough and the first half trucks along superbly as we witness the two alternative lifestyles of Shaam after he misses his local 12 B bus. The parallel stories do take a bit of getting used to initially, however once the viewer is used to the narrative, the movie moves at a superb pace in the first half. The second half however comes across as hopscotch and confused. The finale is clichéd, and though there is a nice twist at the end, it’s a case of too little too late.

As a director one must commend Jeeva as he has made an interesting film for his debut. The movie is fresh in it’s approach and is a youthful and vibrant look at life and love. One just wishes Jeeva had paid more attention to the second half in order to make the proceedings tighter. The two tracks which start out so diametrically opposite, start to look similar in their approach. The love stories of our main hero start out interestingly enough however lose zing in the second half. The romantic moments, as well as comedy has been merged well in the movie keeping the viewer entertained and what sets 12 B apart from other films is it’s unique narrative, which though isn’t original by any means, does provide something “new” for the average Tamil movie goer who is used to ample doses of “masala”(and I don’t mean that in a negative way as I love my “masala”!).




Shaam does a reasonably good job in his part, and he suits the whole romantic role well, however at times I found his mannerisms to be very similar to Madhavans. He is confident in front of the camera, exudes confidence, delivers his lines well and will no doubt set female hearts fluttering, however I did find something missing in him overall. Though natural, his performance came across rather bland and uninteresting at times.

Jytohika plays her part well. She looks simply stunning as always, however she does look rather plump in certain certain and her wardrobe isn’t complimentary either. As far as acting goes, the movie doesn’t offer her any histronics, but she is her usual spirited and bubbly self.

Simran is superb in her part, though one wishes her character was better defined. She gives a sensitive and nuanced account of herself and looks absolutely stunning. Her love story is infact the more interesting one to watch and she lights up the screen everytime she is on.

Vivek is splendid in his comic role. His comedy scenes have been well merged into the story and the actor livens the proceedings with his presence and impeccable dialogues and delivery everytime.

Suniel Shetty is OK in his part as the endearing uncle who forms the other side of the love triangle. He plays a “nice guy” with finesse and leaves his mark in a small role.

Moon Moon Sen as Jyothikas mum is OK in her small part.


Jeevas camerawork is superb as always, and the movie bears a slick and striking look throughout. It bears a fresh and vibrant look which fits well with the movie…don’t give up your main job Jeeva.

Harris Jayrajs music too is great, the songs are melodious and lilting and the picturisations too are well done. I did find a sense of deja-vu with the songs here though.

All up 12 B is a good effort from a debut director with a interesting premise and unique narrative which is different from most films made in Tamil. However the movie fails to keep the viewer hooked for the entire duration. The movie falls apart in the second half due to a uninspired screenplay and flat direction.

Overall Rating=5.5/10.0

Akshay Shah Reviews “SIGAPPU ROJAKKAL” (Tamil, 1978)

Akshay Shah Reviews “SIGAPPU ROJAKKAL” (Tamil, 1978)

Kamal Hassan is no doubt an actor who has for the most presented the viewer with something different in all his movies, something away from the usual track of films. SIGAPPU ROJAKKAL is a earlier film of Kamal Hassan, and is one of the most path-breaking and trend-setting films from Tamil Cinema, and one that still holds the test of time very well as a gritty and offbeat thriller. Yes the flaws are glaringly obvious now, but given this movie was made almost 30 years ago…its quiet a feat!




Kamal Hassan plays Dileep-a young mild mannered businessman by day, who has a very dark side. During the day he is a CEO of a export company, but during the night he is a raging psychopath who indulges in violent serial killings. He flatters young girls with their charm, ravishes them and then murders them in cold blood. After each murder, the girl is buried in his back garden and a red rose is planted on top.

Dileeps latest prey is Sarada(Sridevi) who works at a clothing shop, and Dileep manages to win her heart as well and they two get married, slowly Sarada picks up theres something not quiet right about his behaviour until she stumbles upon the shocking truth about Dileep and his deranged lifestyle.

Via a flashback we find out Dileeps psychotic behaviour stems from his younger years where he was severely mistreated by a women in his younger years which leaves an unforgettable impression on his mind. Later he starts working for a businessman, and his wife too has a torrid affair again leaving a negative impression of women in young Dileeps mind. The businessman murders his wife and takes young Dileep in as his own son, but in the process ends up losing his mind. What happens next? SIGAPPU ROJAKKAL provides the answers.

As a director Bharathiraja deserves a standing ovation for directing such a whacky, psychotic, eerie and weird thriller which leaves an unforgettable impression almost 30 years after it was made. Breaking norms and taking strides away from “formula” Bharathiraja takes the viewer on a gripping and pulse-pounding journey into the lifestyle of a psycho which makes for a rather eerie and very freaky movie. His inspiration and touches from Hollywoods “shlocker” genre like THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and THE HILLS HAVE EYES is evident in parts, however this is NOT a cheap rehash by any means, and is a completely original and innovative piece of work. He has written the story with immense detail, slowly letting the character of Dileep grow on the viewer without giving away too much. We’re always intrigued by his character and never know quiet what to expect as we’re well aware that all is not that meets the eye, however the turn of events and revelations in the second half catch the viewer off guard and is quiet disturbing in parts. The screenplay is simply SUPERB! The movie starts off with a relatively slow pace setting the scene as to what’s to follow. We don’t actually get to witness many of the murders itself, and Bharathiraja lets the viewer decipher the background of the story for themselves without taking their intelligent for granted; we know Dileep has killed countless girls yet there isn’t a large amount of violence in the movie. The only point I felt where the movie could’ve explained itself better was the revelation of Dileeps father still being alive in the climax, living in a “outhouse” at the bottom of their house watching the steps of his son. We know that he’s mentally deranged but why does he act like a Zombie when Sridevi stumbles upon them? Also what is wrong with the caretaker? An obvious tongue-in-cheek homage to Romeros classic Zombie films is also evident, though it doesn’t quiet gel with the movies story.

Director Bharathiraja knows too well from the start what kind of movie he was making, and stays true to his convictions. The revelation of the reasoning behind Kamals killings and behaviour has been extremely well executed and the flashback leaves its mark on the viewers minds. The entire building of suspense has been magnificently done, and where the first half builds up the suspense and mystery, the second half lets loose of all the “thrills and chills” with plenty of “jump” moments. The entire climax with the silent chase sequence is simply mind-blowing, and an absolute masterstroke as Sridevi runs through the quiet streets at night with Kamal chasing her, and there is no heavy background music or over-the-top noises..Just the natural sound of surreal silence-stunning! Bharathirajasir….a stunning piece of work here, and one that deserves respect.

Kamal Hassan is simply excellent as the psychotic Dileep. In the initial sequences as a “normal” man who is smooth with the opposite sex, to the second half where his true colours are revealed the actor gives an outstanding account of himself getting right into the skin of his character. His body language, getup, eyes and delivery are simply brilliant to say the least. Just witness the scene where he loses his cool around Sridevi and goes into a fit or the murder of the waiter who can get him caught, or finally the entire climax sequence. Eerie and chilling Kamal leaves an unforgettable impression of the viewer in a brave and daring performance.

A pre nose-job Sridevi is great too! Given she was only in her teens here she gives a confident and convincing performance as the unaware wife of Dileep who falls for his charms only to be slowly revealed to the shocking truth. She gives a sensitive performance, and given that there was plenty of room for loud shrills and shrieks, she does NOT go overboard at all and gives a controlled performance.

Vadivukkrasi and Bhagyaraj both are apt in their supporting roles.

Illyarajas music is fantastic too! The manner in which Bharathiraja has merged the music in with the movie yet keeps ensures that the pace of the movie isn’t jeopardised is a feat on it’s own for that era. Indha Minminikki and Ninaivo Oru Paravai are melodious and lilting.

All up SIGAPPU ROJAKKAL is a must-see! Since it was made we have seen the whole “serial killer/psychotic killer” genre introduced in Bollywood and it has been improvised on yet SIGAPPU ROJAKKAL will always be the original and one that plays out well even today.

Overall Rating=8.0/10.0

Trivia: The movie was remade by Bharathiraja himself two years later in 1980 with Rajesh Khanna playing the psychotic killer and Poona, Dhillon playing his wife. I haven’t seen the remake, however I can’t see a Superstar like Rajesh Khanna playing the psychotic killer with as much naturalness and flair as Kamal Hassan has played it.

Amitabh Bachchan...Vishal Bharadwaj..."Rozana"

Amitabhs BEST as a singer....OUTSTANDING music by Vishal...this is one helluva haunting and mesmerising song! Looking forward to NISHABD simply to watch Amitabh Bachchan in a unique role.



A.Shah

Exclusive First Look: Anil Sharmas "APNE"

This could be another DILLAGI for the Deols! The emphasis here needs to be on the "action" element, or maybe even comedy! Rumours indicate that the movie is a "boxing" film!

"Munnabhai Chale Amerika" first teaser...

Fantastic....simply outstanding...BRING IT ON!!!!! The quality of the trailer isn't that great, but its the only one up so far:)

Akshay Shah Reviews "EKLAVYA-The Royal Guard" (Hindi, 2007)

Akshay Shah Reviews “EKLAVYA-The Royal Guard (Hindi, 2007)

Vidhu Vinod Chopra, a name synonymous with quality films right from his classic debut as a director with KHAMOSH to his last release as a producer LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI. EKLAVYA was a subject that Vidhu Vinod Chopra had been wanting to make since 1981 and he has gone on record to say this is his “dream movie”. A gigantic cast with some of the most talented actors we have in India today, a unique and extremely exciting story, outstanding promos which promise technical excellence and above all, the hope that Vidhu Vinod Chopra had indeed made his first classic since PARINDA, so does the movie live upto these enormous expectations? Yes, but only to an extent. The movie does have it’s share of flaws as well, and given I was expecting a outright classic, in some sense I was slightly disappointed and will need to watch the movie a couple more times before giving my final verdict. However the keyword here is “slightly” as without a doubt EKLAVYA is one of the most rich in content, deep in themes, superbly executed, brilliantly acted and above all technically outstanding films I have seen in recent times.




As the titles appear on-screen the movie begins with Eklavya (Amitabh Bachchan) recalling the story of Eklavya from the Mahabharat. This sets the scene for what’s to follow as throughout, the movie directly and figuratively refers to the refers back to the legend.

The movie revolves around a jealous and ungrateful ruler Rana Jayawardhan (Boman Irani) who strangles his dying wife Rani Suhasinidevi (Sharmila Tagore) to death as she is uttering the name of Eklavya-the royal guard (Amitabh Bachchan) in her dying moments. Eklavya is a man who lives in a timewarp, and though times have moved on Eklavya lives only to protect the kingdom, the dynasty and above all the King. His eyes aren’t as strong as they used to be, and physically age has taken a toll on Eklavya however his skills are still unmatched. Eklavya and 9 generations of his family before then have given their whole life to the service of guarding the Royal family as well as their secrets. The death of the queen brings her estranged son and heir to the throne Prince Hashwardhan(Saif Ali Khan) back to India. The prince had been staying abroad in London as he isn’t able to bear the traditions and customs of his land which he finds suffocating. Rana Jawardhans brother Jyotiwardhan(Jackie Shroff) and nephew Udaywardhan(Jimmy Shergill) have their eyes set on the kingdom, however the return of the Prince causes complications in their plans. The Princes childhood sweetheart Rajjo(Vidya Balan) who has been looking after his mentally challenged sister Princess Nandhini(Raima Sen) on the other hand are delighted to see the return of the Prince. However the happiness is shortlived and there is unrest in the kingdom as all is not that meets the eye. Rana Jayawardhan receives a death threat and Inspector Pannalal Chhohar(Sanjay Dutt) is called to investigate the death threat, however things take a drastic turn as Rana Jayawardhan is murdered by a barrage of bullets and Eklavya isn’t able to save the King. Who is behind the murders? What follows next is a dark, brooding, and extremely poetic tale of dharma, honour, respect, family, and revenge as the closely guarded secrets of the Royal family are revealed and the blood starts to flow....



As a writer Vidhu Vinod Chopra owes as much to the Mahabharat as he does to Shakespeare in a story that cleverly fuses the two together in a contemporary thriller. It wouldn’t be far fetched to say that Vidhu Vinod Chopras fusion of the two in a thriller format is one of the most seamless stories ever written. The combination of Mahabharat and Shakespeare is extremely appealing and akin to revisiting your favourite childhood stories. It is evident that this is a story very close to Chopras heart and his passion flows throughout. The screenplay of the movie is great, however given everything all other departments in the movie are outstanding, the flaws do stand out in many places. Writers Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Abhijat Joshi deserve a standing ovation for their work here as the movie breaks the usual filmi traditions and presents the viewer with one of the most flawless narrative techniques in recent times. This is a technique Vidhu Vinod Chopra earlier used to perfection in PARINDA and MISSION: KASHMIR as well. Right from when the opening credits finish rolling the movie throws the viewer right into the middle of the story and letting the characters develop AROUND the story rather than spending time introducing and developing the characters and then moving the story forward. The first 15 minutes of the movie is simply perfect, and the death of the Rani is scene that gets clearly etched into the viewers minds and sets the scene for what’s to follow. The first half keeps the viewer completely mesmerised as the twists and turns keep the proceedings on tenterhooks as well as introduction of characters at the right moments which only “up” the proceedings further. The second half of the story too keeps the viewer on the edge of their seats, and the beauty of the movie is the viewer is compelled to think “what will happen next”? To flow and pace of the music is simply magical to say the least…





Director Vidhu Vinod Choprs returns to his directional roots after a hiatus of 7 years, and frankly the wait has been worth it. He cements the fact that he is without a doubt one of the finest directors and storytellers we have in India today, and the brave director who challenged and broke norms with films like SAZAA-E-MAUT, KHAMOSH and PARINDA is very much still alive in him today. This is easily Vidhu Vinod Chopras best film since PARINDA, and the movie bears the stamp of a “classy” product in every frame. Those expecting a hardcore “masala” film will be disappointed, as the movie falls more into the OMKARA category as a classy film, this however is NOT at the expense of entertainment as Chopra is extremely careful to not alienate the viewer in anyway. Infact, OMKARA had more “masala” in it then EKLAVYA does, though EKLAVYA is more traditional in it’s themes. The themes are larger than life, the story completely indentifiable, and the movie consists of romance, comedy, drama, action and music too, but this has all been merged beautifully into one. Chopras vision is clear from the outset, and given he has allowed the movie 150 minutes, he directs what can only be called one of the tightest thrillers to come out in recent times, though the emphasis here is equally on drama and poetic nuance as well. On a personal level, I did find the movie too short, and I would’ve done with more “mass appealing “scenes i.e more scenes with Sanjay Dutts character however this isn’t something the story needed, but it sure would’ve added more to the entertainment factor.




There are many scenes that are left etched in the viewers minds long after the movie finishes, and these include…

• The death Sharmila Tagore
• The introduction of Sanjay Dutt and the scenes that follow in the palace which is no doubt one of the most crowd-pleasing and mass-appealing scenes in the whole movie.
• The ghungroo sequence with a blindfolded Eklavya separating the ghungroo from the pigeon.
• The death of Boman Irani just before the interval-simply mindblowing.
• The executions of Jimmy Shergill and Jackie Shroff which have been canned to absolute perfection.

Where Vidhu Vinod Chopra deserves the biggest credit is the manner in which he merges style and content into one with such admirable ease and the conviction of the director oozes in each and every frame, and there are times when you get so soaked into the story that it has a almost hypnotic euophoric affect on you.



The movie does have its fair share of flaws as well.

The first flaw I had with the movie was some of the characters haven’t been clearly etched out, and given the short length it was something I had expected. The main one that stands out is the character of Raima Sen, who isn’t given enough footage in the second half given she plays a key part in the movie and her character is vital to the story. Sanjay Dutt too is a glorified cameo here and only appears in the movie three times and though Dutt leaves a unforgettable mark in the scenes he has, I just couldn’t help wishing there was more.



The second flaw, and this one I found more vital, was that the movie finished too quickly for me. Given the large scale and “epic” canvas and story of the movie, I felt Vidhu Vinod Chopra could’ve spent more time in fleshing out his character furthers to evoke a deeper affect. Take for example the scene where the identify of the “killer” is revealed, and the subsequent scenes that follow up to the climax. The climax came too suddenly, and the movie did leave me wanting more, even if it was another 20-25 minutes. I must add the actual climax itself I didn’t have a problem with, as it leaves the viewer with a smile on their face as they leave the cinema halls.

The performances in the movie are no doubt the backbone of the venture, and the talented cast performs their part with absolute perfection and precision leaving a lasting impression…

What can one say about Amitabh Bachchan? The 65 yearold super-star delivers yet another outstanding performance in his illustrious career and this is yet AGAIN one of his finest performances since his comeback. As far as comparisons, I would still rank his performance in AKS, KHAKEE, DEV and VIRRUDH higher than EKLAVYA. He plays the ageing royal guard to absolute perfection and “lives” the role. This is a character which relies more on Bachchans eyes, body language and iconic presence to do the talking, and lets just say Bachchans eyes deliver a thousand words. A deeply emotional character, this is a performance I found slowly grows on you more and more as the film progresses and you don’t quiet realise how much it has grown until the movie is over. Each and every look from Amitabh is simply incredible, and the pain, anguish and anger in his eyes have to be seen to be believed. Just witness the scene he watches Saif flying the kites from far away, the argument with Sanjay Dutt, the murders of Jackie and Jimmy and finally, the scene just before the climax where he comes face to face with Saif.Like I said…What can one say about Amitabh Bachchan? To cite a recent quote I read recently, “one sun, one moon, one Amitabh”!




No doubt Saif Ali Khan is a force to reckon with, and with performances like EK HASINA THI, PARINEETA, BEING CYRUS and OMKARA he has proven that time and time again. The actor again delivers a superlative account of himself in a role that fits in hand-in-glove. Like Bachchan, Saifs character is one that relies heavily on his soulful silence and expressive eyes a LOT to express the emotions of his deeply troubled character, and he comes out with flying colours. He looks every inch the part, and shares superb chemistry with Amitabh Bachchan. The duo share some very refreshing screen chemistry and Saifs biggest compliment would be that he manages to hold his own against the scenes he has with Bachchan. Just witness the scene at the funeral pyre after the funeral or the climax scene. However I must add, with EK HASINA THI, and the recent OMKARA Saif has set the parameter too high for himself, and EKLAVYA doesn’t reach the heights of Karan Rathod or Langda Tyagi.



Sanjay Dutts role consist of 3-4 scenes! Those expecting a outright Sanjay Dutt starrer beware that the movie is NOT by any means a “Sanjay Dutt film” as such. However it wouldn’t be an understatement to say Sanjay Dutt is outstanding in the scenes he has and leaves an unforgettable impression. In a completely mass-appealing and crowd-pleasing performance Dutt shines and EATS the screen with his presence. Right from his walk to his delivery and dialogues he wins the viewer over and leaves us wanting more. His introductory sequence and the subsequent scene with Boman had the viewers and audiences in a barrage of applauses, and once again in the final scene. On the acting front, he excels in the “confrontation” scene with Amitabh. A very iconic performance that fits Sanjay Dutt to a T, and if anything this is closer to Sanjay Dutts performances in DEEWARR-LETS BRING OUR HEROES HOME(though much shorter in length), VIRRUDH and PARINEETA.

Vidya Balan is good in an under-baked role. One wishes that more attention had been paid to her characterisation, especially in the second half. The actress looks simply stunning and excels in the scenes she has with Saif Ali Khan. This is no doubt another winning performance in her amazing track-record.

Boman Irani is simply DELIGHTFUL! The actors range and versatility simply amazes me, and no doubt Irani simply excels in a negative role with a punch, and EKLAVYA offers Irani just that. The movie starts with him reciting lines from Shakespeare which has an eerie effect, and he too holds his own against the mammoth cast and delivers a fine-tuned and deliciously over-the-top performance.

Jimmy Shergill is effective in his part, and plays a somewhat clichéd character with total relish and passion.

After a long time one gets to see Jackie Shroff in a decent role. No this is NOT a PARINDA or a 1942: A LOVE STORY, however it does give the actor a character to sink his teeth into fully and he fleshes it out to perfection. His diction and persona here bears more than a passing resemblance to his wickedly entertaining act in Chopras previous film MISSION: KASHMIR.




Raima Sen leaves her mark with a under-developed character. Sharmila Tagore is wonderful in a cameo, and she looks stunning and classy as ever here as the Queen. Having her play Saifs “reel” life mother infact heightened the impact. Parikshit Sahani appears after gap and plays his part well.

Swanand Kirkires dialogues are some of the best I have heard in recent times since OMKARA! So opulent and absolutely poetic and perfectly in sync with the mood of the story that the dialogues stand out in each and every scene.

Shantanu Moitra has only one song which is merged perfectly with the films narrative and the song is an absolute delight. A lullaby which is a haunting and lilting listen. The background score too is outstanding, and lifts the impact of many scenes a few notches higher.

Technically this is one of THE BEST FILMS I have ever seen, and this is one aspect where I expected EKLAVYA to excel…and it does! The visuals in this movie are some of the most enticing, exciting and picture-perfect I have ever witnessed, and it totally hypnotises the viewer in each and every frame. Each and every shot it like a beautiful painting and I totally bow my head to cinematographer S. Natarajan Subhramanium for his OUTSTANDING work. A film or art student could write pages of praise on the imagery and visuals of EKLAVYA, and quiet frankly, but the movie is worth a watch more than once for the stunning camerawork alone. The majestic palace with all its glory, the mysterious nights, and the vast Rajasthani desert has never looked better. Nitin Desais artwork perfectly compliments Subhramaniums camerawork, and deserves a round of applause. Raghavendra Rathores costumes are authentic to the core and completely in sync with the movie. Tinu Anands action is awe-inspiring to say the least, and the much talked about action sequence with the camels and the trains is every inch worth the discussion as it’s a poetic work of art merged with blistering excitement-heartening to see Tinu Verma back in such great form after a long time.



All up where does that leave EKLAVYA? Well, the movie is no doubt a MUST-SEE on every level, and though the flaws that are there do stand out it’s because the rest of the movie is close to perfection. A majestic and classy effort from the entire team in creating what is one of the most dramatic, involving and exciting thrillers to be made. An exemplary fusion of style and content laced with some superlative performances which marks the welcome return of a truly talented director in excellent form…till next time Mr Vidhu Vinod Chopra, I’ll be waiting!

Overall Rating=8.5/10.0

A.Shah

Pictures courtesy of www.indiafm.com

Akshay Shah Reviews “CHANDRAMUKHI” (Tamil, 2005)

Akshay Shah Reviews “CHANDRAMUKHI” (Tamil, 2005)

Before watching CHANDRAMUKHI there was very little I knew about the movie except that it starred Superstar Rajnikanth after a hiatus 3 years, it was a remake of a Malayalam film, the theme was somewhat supernatural and that the movie was a huge blockbuster. Having just seen the movie, I can see why this movie was blockbuster! A unique story filled with twists and turns, superb direction, excellent technical values, a stunning performance from Jyothika as well as Rajnikanth in a rather unusual role that does complete justice to his “Superstar” status and one that he plays to perfection, CHANDRAMUKHI is wildy entertaining.



The story revolves around Senthil(Prabhu) who marries Ganga(Jyothika) against the wishes of his extended family as Senthils marriaged had been arranged to his cousin Shweta(Malvika) to end a long standing family feud. Senthil manages to make-up with his extended family, and buys a old abandoned mansion for a bargain price. The mansion had been left abandoned for years as the locals feared that the ghost of a ancient courtesan Chandramukhi still roams the palace seeking revenge against the King who had burnt her alive out of jealousy. Senthil and Ganga both aren’t superstitious and ignore the warnings from others and moves into the palace and his extended family join him as well. Soon after moving into the old mansion strange and unexplained events start happening in the mansion and the blame goes onto the girl that lives next door as well as helping out around the house-Durga(Nayanthra). But is Durga really behind these mysterious occurrences? Or is the myth of Chandramukhi really REAL and she has come back to seek her revenge? Or does the mystery run much deeper? CHANDRAMUKHI provides the answers.



The story by P.Vasu is a unique one, and has been extremely passionately written. The first half is light hearted with the right mix of comedy, family moments and a good dosage of masala packed action thrown in too. There are “unusual” moments scattered throughout the first half which give the viewer the impress “all is not that meets the eye” but upto interval point one does begin to feel slightly restless if it hadn’t been for the presence and performances of a lively cast, specially Rajnikanth. The second half takes the viewer completely by surprise as it builds the suspense up to a all time high and then reveals the suspense with relish taking the viewer completely by surprise as well as giving a few goosebumps. The entire finale is just fantastic from a writing point of view, and though it does require the viewer to suspend belief, it nonetheless makes up for a entertaining and unique watch.

The screenplay could’ve been tighter, though I can see the makers ambition here wasn’t just to direct a horror movie and scare the viewers, but to direct a complete entertainer replete with the much needed masala ingredients. The proceedings do slow down in the first half only to pick up very sharply in the second half, however they never get boring.



Director P.Vasu had a tough job on hand and he does a outstanding job at directing a “big” movie in every sense, and one that is quiet different from the usual brand of masala films. Yes, the movie does have plenty of masala however it isn’t a action packeed “hero versus the world” type film. Vasu has taken the concept of a directing a suspense packed scary movie and merging all the right commercial elements around it to make one one very entertaining blockbuster. In the first half he manages to fit in the lighter moments of the movie with some hilarious comedy with Rajnikanth and Vadivelu. The main story of the movie is kept on the backburner which only arouses the viewers curiosity more towards the second half. The second is a masterstroke! The building of the suspense right up to boiling point has been done extremely well and keeps the viewer at the edge of their seat as Rajnikanth starts getting to the bottom of the mystery. As I was watching the movie I was constantly question myself, “is it the actual ghost of Chandramukhi”? “has the ghost possessed someone else in the house”? “or is the whole thing a setup by someone else in the house”? However where most films of this nature tend to lose steam after the suspense is revealed, the beauty of CHANDRAMUKHI is that it manages to grip the viewer even further after the mystery has been revealed. The sequence where Rajnikanth reveals the “truth” about Chandramukhi is no doubt a high point and one that leaves the viewer totally shocked. As Rajni takes the viewer through what has been happening so far in the movie “behind the scenes” is a real eye opener and it makes you appreciate whats been happening so far even more and reflect back on it. It infact reminded me of Ram Gopal Varmas KAUN which used a similar technique where once the suspense was revealed, the viewer reflected on the earlier proceedings again. The entire finale sequence is FREAKY! Infact, there were atleast 3-4 times I got the goosebumps. The finale does bear more than a passing nod to THE EXORCIST and BHOOT however it would unfair to say that the movie tries to “copy” either movie on any level. The manner in which Mr.Vasu fuses contemporary scenes with the entire flashback sequences shows the marks of a fine director who truly knows the medium well. Where Mr. Vasu also deserves credit for projecting Superstar Rajnikanth(and yes it’s made pretty clear right from the start as the words SUPERSTAR appear on-screen to the very end that Rajnikanth is indeed the true-blue superstar) in a role that does complete justice to his image of a Superstar, allows him a to perform a character which gives him the platform to truly shine as well as NOT compromising the story for the sake of a stars image for the most. There is no doubt the obligatory Rajnikanth introductory sequence followed by a fight scene which is completely and totally over-the-top and enough for fans of the actor to stand up and whistle as well as some tailor-made songs which allow the actor to dance in his trademark manner. Job well done Mr. Vasu…you get my thumbs up!



Rajnikanth, what can one say about the Thalivar here, except that he is at his charming, lovable and absolute crowdpleasing best in a role that no doubt suits him to a T!. In most cases when a Superstar makes a “comeback” of sorts after a hiatus, his projection is usually in a larger than life role that gives the viewers fans all that they expect from him in what is usually a oft-repeated storyline or one that is a retread of the actors previous hits. However where CHANDRAMUKHI differs is although it offers Rajnikanth a role that is “larger than life” in every sense, the storyline is a unique one and the characterisation and role too is also a unique one. In what can actually be described as a “heroine” dominated film, Rajnikanth breaths life into his part which with any other actor could have been just a supporting role. However with Rajni there the role and the superstar becomes the focal point surrendering himself brilliantly to the film makers vision. Don’t get me wrong, every step has been taken here to ensure that Rajnikanth is given the platform of a Superstar right from his trademark entry to his punch-lines, mass appealing dance sequences, trademark shawl throws as well as flip of the gum(replaced by his customary cigarettes) and comedy all of which he excels in totally. Physically the actor is in fine form looking a lot younger than he no doubt is, and in extremely fit & trim form. Rajni brings to his performance a intermittently lovable charm and a sense of joi de vivre which has to experienced. Just witness his LAKA LAKA sequence which is simply stunning. Rajnikanthsir….you define the word SUPERSTAR!



Jyothika is the other person in the movie who is a complete scene stealer and delivers a outstanding performance. Her performance does remind the viewer of Urmilas act in KAUN and especially BHOOT in parts, however she no doubt understands the nuances of her character perfectly and fleshes out her character with precision. The first half of the movie requires her to underplay her part, however it’s the second half of the movie from the point where the “truth” is revealed right till the very end which leaves a lasting impression. The scene where she is Chandramukhi are just spine tingling and mesmerise the viewer as well as give them a few good jolts-simply wicked.



Prabhu I didn’t like much, and I found his performance to be relatively bland and one that fails to leave a impression of any kind. The actor looks terribly overweight and his casting with Jyothika actually doesn’t suit at all. Given that Prabhu had produced the movie himself, one can see how he got the part.

Nayanthra is good in her part as Rajnis love interest. She isn’t required to do much but acts with grace and dances well with Rajni.

Vadivelu is hilarious! His facial expressions, dialogues and body language is in full zor here and he shares some superb chemistry with Rajnikanth. Yes, their jokes are crude at times, however they no doubt evoke a laugh or two. There are times when the mere sight of Vadivelus goofy face manages to bring a instant smile to my face, and the movie features what I call a “classic Vadivelu moment”-when he breaks into a crazy dance sequence-priceless!

Vineeth is effective in his small role. Nasser, Sonu Sood, Shweta Konnur, Sheela and Vinaya Prasad are regulated to the background and play their parts aptly.

Vidyasaagars music is FANTASTIC! Although I don’t understand the language, I could sit through each and every song here and what made all the difference was the lively picuturisations, splendid visuals merged with Rajnikanths impeccable dancing style.

Technically too the movie is a slick product. Shehkhar.V. Josephs camerawork is exceptional, and he creates the ambience well given the genre of the movie. All the sequences in the mansion as well as the songs sequences have been shot with aplomb.

Thalapathy Dineshs fight sequences are no doubt catered to suit Rajnikanths image and in that mould they are extremely entertaining, specially for fans of Raini.



All up where does that leave CHANDRAMUKHI? Well I’ll be frank, it’s not necessarily a GREAT movie, but it sure as hell is one VERY entertaining one. Slick production values, a unique story, splendid direction, foot-tapping music, as well as Jyothika in a knockout performance and above all Rajnikanth at his best-CHANDRAMUKHI is addictive.

Overall Rating=8.0/10.0

A.Shah

Pictures courtesy of Indiaglitz

Akshay Shah Reviews "VETTAIYADU VILLAIYADU" (Tamil, 2006)

Akshay Shah Reviews "VETTAIYADU VILLAIYADU" (Tamil, 2006)


Gautham Menon is a director who made a splendid debut with his dazzlingly beautiful romantic tale MINNALE (and its Hindi version REHNAA HAI TERE DIL MEIN) and followed it up with an equally diverse, hard-hitting and gritty cop thriller KAAKHA KAAKHA is back with his third film VETTAIYADU VILLAIYADU. Since the success of his earlier two films, the stakes have no doubt been raised as has the budget and given the movie stars Kamal Hassan and has been shot extensively in American is a clear sign that this is was a much bigger movie in canvas than his previous two outings in Tamil cinema…so does VETTAIYADU VILLAIYADU live up to expectations? Not quiet, though it’s still worth a watch for Kamal Hassans bravura performance.



VETTAIYADU VILLAIYADU is a follow-up to Menons own KAAKHA KAAKHA, and the opening tagline with “Another day in the life of a police officer” makes it quiet clear from the outset. The film revolves around D.C.P Raghavan (Kamal Hassan)-an honest police officer who is superb at his job. When the daughter of his best friend Arogya Raj (Prakash Raj) is murdered Raghavan promises him that he will catch the culprits. Arogya and Raghavan go back a long way together and share a deep friendship. While a stunned Ragahvan is trying to find clues to the murder Arogya and his wife set off to New York to escape the memories of their daughter. But in an unexpected turn of events Arogya and his wife too are brutally hacked up and killed.

Raghavan sets off to the Big Apple to solve the case and aid the New York Police Department. Raghavan is a lonely man whose wife was murdered by thugs a few years back, and in New York he runs into Aradhna (Jyothika) who he saves from committing suicide. Aradhna is on the brink of a divorce and the two form a close friendship based on mutual respect which slowly starts turning into love. In the meantime the killers trike again and Raghavan is hot on their cases, it turns out that there is infact two killers-both are raving psychopaths on a killing spree. Who are these killers? Why are they killing? And how does Raghavan catch them? The answers to these questions lead all the way back to India.

Gautham Menons story has been superbly written in the first half. The movie makes up for a unique experience for those who are used to Tamil brand of “masala” cinema, as it’s a intelligent and thought provoking serial killer film unique to most other films made by the industry. The first half perfectly sets the scene and the sequences of events right up to Hassan going to New York and teaming up with the American police detective to hunt them down is splendid from a writing, acting, technical and execution point of view. Comparisons can be drawn to Hollywood serial killer films like SEVEN, SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, THE WATCHER, and COPYCAT as far as the ambience and direction of the movie goes, and rather than being a “copy” of a Hollywood movies, it draws great inspiration from them but churning out a original story. However the story goes relatively haywire in the second half and Menon the writer seems to have “sold out” from what could’ve been a nail-biting and intelligent thriller to a hardcore, blood-soaked action film which feels like an over-stylised Sanjay Gupta film.




The screenplay of the movie follows the same path as the story. The first half operates superbly, and keeps the viewer glued to their seats with the storytelling at its thrilling best and the suspense growing, however from the moment when the identity of the serial killers is revealed in the apartment showdown sequence, the movies goes downhill. It’s not that it turns into a bad movie, its just a huge disappointment given the movie starts out BRILLIANTLY and could’ve been one of the most intelligent and nail-biting thrillers made, however it cases into become what I call a “bastardised son of Hollywood”.

As a director Gautham Menon is without a doubt of the most stylish directors we have today. Every inch of the movie oozes class, slickness and crispness and the technical finesse of the movie is splendid. He starts out the movie in a similar vein to KAAKHA KAAKHA, and takes a microscopic look into the lives of Police Officers, and as mentioned above the first half is simply outstanding. The movie gives a rare and intelligent insight into how officers operate which is rarely seen in Indian films. The police procedural with Kamal hunting for the killers comes across as a very “real” and refreshing watch. The clues aren’t obvious and in-your-face and the effort that has gone into portraying police work has been shown with exceptional conviction. The scene in the apartment is where the film changes, and in my humble opinion for the worse. The scene itself is superbly directed and has the viewer biting their nails as Balajis psychotic desperation and Kamals never-say-die attitude fly towards a head on collision. However from the moment the motive of the killers is revealed the movie goes down-hill. The reasoning behind the killers going on a psychotic rampage of this nature is hard to fathom, and all that was achieved in the first half comes undone in a sense. The film from this point onwards becomes a cop film that relies heavily on coincidences and “heroism” to catch the killers rather than sticking to its original path of being a tense and intelligent thriller. The projection of the killers is weak in my view, and with the high level of gore, violence, rape and sexual abuse the movie tries too hard with the “look at me” approach rather than unravelling itself in a natural manner. However what’s scarier is that Menon seems to project his “killers” in a rather glamorous light as they dance away with some hot babes on a sun-soaked beach in Goa which seems completely out of place!?! It doesn’t necessarily become a bad film, and the action as well as exciting moments are definitely on a real roll in the second half, however given how the movie started out in the first half it seems to be a compromise on the directors part as it seems like he is more interested in making a “Hollywood” thriller with Indian stars and relying heavily on over-the-top violence and “shock” value and super slick style. The turn of events in the climax where it’s revealed to the viewers that the two killers are infact in love with each other has been done in bad vein, and further to that Kamals taunts too seem to be in bad vein to evoke “seeti’s” and “taali’s”. Yes I enjoyed, the second half, but on the same level as say Farhan Akhtars DON, Anubhav Sinhas DUS or Puri Jagganaths POKIRI which given how VETTAIYADU VILLAIYADU starts out clearly is a letdown.



I must add here that the movie is one of the most violent films I have seen recently from Indian cinema and the use of foul language too surprised me. Fingers being cut off, countless women being raped, beaten and murdered, stabbings, shootings as well as the constant use of “bitch” and “fuck” and much more-the movie paints a horrifically violent picture and once again, after a point it seems like Menon seems to be going for the “shock” value rather than adding any value to the actual movie. However given the movie was one of last years biggest hits in Tamil, the viewers didn’t seem to have a problem with it. Mr. Menon…I hope you stay true to your initial intentions next time as there’s no doubt you’re a supremely talented director.

Kamal Hassan is the backbone and lifeline of the movie in a tailor-made role with suits him to absolute perfection and provides a platform for Hassan to deliver a ranged performance with histrionics and masala in equal doses. The starts off with a “super-stylised” sequence with Kamal Hassan beating up ten people on his own with some hardcore Indian rap in the background, excellent masala? Yes! But in the context of the film it seems totally out of place. However from there on, Hassan plays the middle-aged, paunched, loner cop with a stunning amount of sensitivity and understanding. Kamal is at equal ease in a relatively “low-key” role like this as he is playing the larger than life “overman” and he is simply excellent here. This is infact one of Kamals most natural and straightforward roles he has played in a while, as there is no make-up or SFX and the actor proves that he is able to carry of such a part with equal ease(as if there were ever any doubts in the first place). He plays his part with dignity and leaves a lasting impression be it the subtle emotional scenes where he is restrained, the “procedural” scenes where he searches for the killers or the second half where he goes into “action” mode with crowd-pleasing lines. His get-up is fantastic, I’m not sure if his weary eyes and paunch stomach is infact what Kamal Hassan looks like in “real” life right now or whether he prepared for “reel” life but it definitely helps heightens the impact of his character…hats off Mr.Hassan.



Jyothika is fantastic, and this is quiet frankly the best performance I have seen from Jyothika apart from Menons own KAAKHA KAAKHA. She plays her mature and quiet character with such a rare amount of subtlety and nuance that I was completely blown away. This is a departure from her previous films, and she slips into her character with relish. An effectively restrained performance and Jyothika shines to say the least. Her chemistry with Kamal Hassan is simply outstanding, and the relationship the two share is simply beautiful, and one that is rarely seen.

Prakash Raj in a cameo is superb as ever, I was actually wishing he had more scenes.

Ajay Naidu is OK in his part as a psychotic killer; however it is Daniel Balaji who shines! Playing a loud, over-the-top psychotic with a real mean streak and foul mouth Balaji is extremely convincing and totally detestable.

Kamalini is good in a very very short role which she plays with elegance. Lev Gorn leaves a mark in his short part as the N.Y cop!

Technically the movie is simply outstanding and is a very accomplished piece of work akin to a Hollwyood thriller. Brindas camerawork is very slick. The pulse-pounding raw edge merged with some grotesque visuals has been splendidly captured. The lighting is jaw-dropping. Be it the streets of Chennai, Mumbai or New York, the camera here is relentless and supremely stylish, sometimes to the point where it takes over the content even. The action sequences are a pleasing watch, from the initial fight scene which has been canned well, to the gritty final fight in the climax which is excellent-full marks to Siva.

Harris Jayraj and Gautham Menon no doubt share a unique relationship as they have worked together so far in every movie Menon has made, and here too the music is superlative. The PARTHA MURDHAL NAALE, MANJAL VEIYIL and and UIYRILE are all a pleasant listen and the picturisations make the songs even better with its dazzling visuals. My favourite has to be VENNILAVE which is just soothing and comes in at all the right places. One just wishes that Menon had avoided the item number NERUPPE picturised on the 2 villains as it comes across at a really bad time in the movie and acts as a complete speed breaker, as well as having no relevance to the plot despite some very sexy girls prancing around in what obviously looks like a MTV music video.

Jayrajs background music is a major plus and a total winner. It makes a number of scenes in the movie even more exciting.

All up VETTAIYADU VILLAIYADU could’ve been a brilliant or even great movie, but it falls short of expectations. The first half is no doubt a masterstroke in all departments, however the second half is a compromise for the worse and doesn’t live up to expectations despite a towering, tour-de-force performance from Kamal Hassan and a nuanced and subtle performance from Jyothika. Yes, the movie is easily worth a watch once for these two…and fans of Kamal Hassan will no doubt have enough here for a revisit!



Overall Rating=7.0/10.0

A.Shah

Pictures courtesy of Indiaglitz.com

Akshay Shah Revisits "EK HASINA THI" (Hindi, 2004)

EK HASINA THI(Hindi, 2004)

Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Urmila Mantondkar, Seema Biswas, Aditya Srivastav, Pratima Kazmi, Zakir Hussain, Ravindra Kale, Madan Joshi and Rajendra Sethi.

Released: January 16th 2004

Ram Gopal Varmas “Factory” has always been famous for churning out innovative and fresh thrillers with superb storytelling blended with immaculate performance-and EK HASINA THI frankly ranks as not only the best thriller to come out of the “Factory” but also one of the finest thrillers ever made in Bollywood.



The movie revolves around Sarika(Urmila) who lives alone in Mumbai and works fulltime for a travel agency. A simple, middle class, educated girl. Karan(Saif Ali Khan) is a dashing, young, yuppie businessman who sweeps Sarika off her feet. Sarika completely falls in love with Karan and the two decide to get married after Karan comes back from a business trip. End of story? Heck no! Where most Bollywood movies would spend 3 hours trying to tell the “love story” in a movie, EK HASINA THI establishes all of this in the first 20 minutes but as the tagline suggests “And to think this was just another love story”. A sudden incident in Sarikas life changes her life forever as she is arrested and jailed for a crime that she never committed and the man responsible is non other than Karan. In prison, Sarika learns the harsh realities of life and grows tough. Her aim in life now is to exact revenge upon the man who betrayed her…



The story by Sriram Raghavan and Pooja Surti is one that comes across as a breath of fresh air. Bollywood has witness countless “revenge” stories, but never has a story of revenge been so dark..so treacherous..and that is precisely where the writers succeed. The screenplay is almost perfect. Written immaculately the manner in which the story unfolds and the sequence of events that follow leave the viewer completely engrossed. The writers avoid ANY form of clichés from the word go, and though the initial reels make the movie seem like “just any love story” it is quiet evident that all it not that meets the eye. The story bears a passing nod to earlier “scorned women taking revenge” movies like Rakesh Roshans KHOON BHARI MAANG and Mahesh Bhatts GUMRAAH-but frankly EK HASINA THI is a much darker film, an unforgiving picture of a women completely betrayed who decides to strike back and ruin the man who ruined her. Heart-stopping…breath-taking and ultimately unforgettable!


I must add at this juncture-in a era where most “thrillers” are in one way or another remakes of Hollywood hits(Note the Bhatts) EK HASINA THI comes across as a breath of fresh air. The movies premise is original, and more-so the milieu and setting of the movie has been captured with such passion that it’s certainly worth a dekkho for that alone. It’s evident, that the movie was well planned and thought out the the makers had a clear-cut vision of what they wanted.

Sriram Raghavan makes his debut as a director and frankly this is one of the best films I have ever seen from a debut director. Sriram Raghavan achieves in the “thriller” genre what most directors cannot achieve in their first 10 films, and to say he is excellent would be an understatement! Right from the very first scene to the very last, the movie paints an unflinching picture of trust and betrayal. The entire movie is laced with spellbinding moments which leave the viewer completely at the edge of their seat. On face-value the movie starts off as a “normal” love story, but the manner in which Raghavan makes it aware to the audience that everything is “too ordinary” gives away to the viewer(knowingly, as I feel this is what Raghavan is trying to achieve) that all is not that meets the eye. In the first half even the most smallest sequences like the “question and answer” game between Saif and Urmila has been written to utmost perfection and executed flawlessly. The game? They both have to ask each other questions, and the person being asked has to give the opposite answer of what the truth is. Urmila flirtingly asks “What do you do for a living” to which Saif tongue-in-cheek replies “Im a gangster” and they both laugh when infact in real life Saif is a gangster-brilliant.


All the scenes where Urmila is in jail and her various encounters with other cell mates and how she “toughens” up are outstandingly canned. The indian jail system has never looked so uninviting and EK HASINA THI paints a realistic and bleak picture. Despite the rather bleak subject matter, a one-track narrative devoid of any comedy or songs, Raghavans main aim is to ENTERTAIN the viewer, however is style of doing so is different and one that utterly superb.

There is a analogy running throughout the movie with rats. Yes rats! Urmilas character is shown to be scared of rats, as they appear at various points throughout the movie, however there’s more than that. The rats actually serve a parallel purpose in the movie working as a analogy to the actual happenings in Urmilas life.

The first time the rat appears in Urmilas house, it’s a clear indication to Urmila that the “rat”(Saif) has now entered her life. The second time the rat appears is when Urmila is in jail, this time indicating that the “rat” has trapped Urmila and there is nothing she can do. Finally, the rat appears in what is undoubtedly one of the most startling climaxes in movie history as Saif Ali Khan, bound and tied in a dark cave by Urmila who leaves him alone to die….and a hoard of rats climb on him and start chewing away at his flesh-finally “the rat”(Saif) has lost at his own game! This folks is what CINEMA is all about—absolutely mind-boggling and the work of a true genius.





The performances from the two principal actors are mind-blowing!

Saif Ali Khan delivers what is (arguably) the finest performance of his entire career. Despite completely loving his performance in OMKARA, for me EK HASINA THI is unmatched and still remains his best performance to date. Saif in a sense deconstructs his entire image by using his image and taking it to the darkest corner available and completely letting loose. On face value-EK HASINA THI asks Saif to do everything what he has done in previous movie-be charming, funny, romantic, “hip n cool”, urban, metro sexual male. However as the movie progresses another side is revealed-one of a cool, calm calculated, conniving, deadly, cold, heartless, ruthless gangster who is a complete and utter bastard. One who uses people for his own good yet has no remorse for his actions. In my humble opinion, Karan is one of the most evil characters ever portrayed in Bollywood cinema(even more evil than Khans own LANGDA TYAGI). He has all the trappings of a great villain, however what sets Karan apart is that this is a very humane character and one that is ultimately VERY real. His actions, his charm, his smooth style is something that most girls could EASILY fall for, and for once the viewer cannot sit there and go “man she’s so stupid for not seeing it coming” because you sympathises with Urmila and think to yourself “What a bastard”. Why? BECAUSE HE IS SO GOOD AT WHAT HE DOES(Saif and Karan). Khan latter experimented with more darker characters to supreme effect in films like BEING CYRUS and OMKARA, however EK HASINA THI ranks a cut above the rest.
Khans body language, his delivery, his “lovable” goofy charm and dashing good looks are all intact here, however where Khan ultimately hits the nerve of the master stroke is by etching out the darker nuances of his character, from the fight scenes to the scenes where he is calculated gangster. Just witness the scene where Saif visits Urmila in jail after her sentence, or his fight scene in his hotel room-startling!


Urmila Mantondkar too delivers what in my humble books is her finest performance of her entire career. Yes, there are a number of performances by Urmila are of high quality like BHOOT, PINJAR and TEHZEEB, however none of them strike a chord like EK HASINA THI. From the wide-eyed, innocent, hard working girl to the avenging angel thirsty for revenge the manner in which Urmila constantly transforms in the movie is not only utterly convincing but very compelling too. It’s a performance and character you totally “feel” for however as the viewer even you wish that she doesn’t kill him too quick..but takes her time. All her sequences in jail are totally outstanding, and she doesn’t once go overboard in the crying sequences or the emotional sequences. Her scenes like the one when she gets sentenced in jail, or her fight scene with the local jail bully or when Saif visits her in jail after the sentencing(and her consequent look into the camera indicating that she isn’t the same girl she used to be) are all enough proof that this is a performance that will stand the test of time and ultimately not just be forgotten. Hats off to Urmila!


The supporting cast in the movie is fantastic as per Ram Gopal Varmas previous standards.

Seema Biswas is fantastic as the cop on the trail of Urmila. Biswas makes any character she plays believeable and this is no different. An actress of substance no doubt.

It’s a pleasure to see a “pre SARKAR fame” Ravindra Kale and Zakir Hussain in small yet important roles. Aditya Srivastav as the slimy lawyer and Pratima Kazmi as the “jail based Don” too are flawless.


Technically the movie is a masterpiece, and I guess once again credit must be given to Raghavan who must have had a clear cut vision of what he wanted the movie to look like.

From the dazzling camerawork by C K Muraleedharan which is striking and slick from the first frame. The fast cuts and sepia toned look of the movie creates atmosphere and works as a character of its own. Sanjib Dattas editing is slick, and Dwarak Warriers sound is fabulous.

Yusuf Khans action is indeed one of the high points of the movie. The action scenes have an aura of realism, yet a striking impact. Some of them are very violent, and enhance the appeal of the movie to quiet an extent. Saif pulls these of with élan and panache with extreme conviction and coolness. The background score by Amar Mohile is one of the films biggest assets. The entire movie is completely songless (thankfully for this kinda movie) and the background score enhances the impact of countless scenes in the movie constantly.



All up-EK HASINA THI ranks as one of the finest thrillers EVER made in Bollywood history. I have seen the movie 5 times now, and each time I have been totally gripped from start to finish. An accomplished piece of cinema with immense repeat value that is unforgettable….

9.0/10.

I just watched “Iruvar”(Tamil, 1997)

I can’t quiet call this a review as such, as I’m still quiet overwhelmed by what I just saw, and will need to watch it a few more times before I can add to it and make a proper review of any kind.

IRUVAR (Tamil, 1997):

Every now and then comes a movie that not only serves its core cinematic purpose of entertaining the viewer but one that becomes a landmark movie event of sorts that goes down in history. A movie that leaves the viewer dumbfounded and completely in awe more and more as the movie progresses only to completely propel and involve them into a realm of cinema and leaving them completely oblivious to the world around them at the time, and folks, Mani Rathnams IRUVAR is one such movie.

Mani Rathnams tale presents the real-life rivalry between Superstar actor MGR and Karununidhi. Rather than just using the characters to draw attention but churn out a completely different story as most film makers do, Rathnam from what I gather from my knowledge so far, stays original to the tale taking into account some necessary cinematic liberties which draw the line between a actual film and a documentary.

The story revolves around Anandam(Mohanlal) who plays a struggling actor. He is befriended by by and upcoming leader, poet and scriptwriter Tamilchelvam(Prakash Raj). As time goes on Anandams popularity increases more and more, and he becomes an important tool for Tamilchelvam and his party to woo the ”aam junta” and maintain their public support which is at frenzying heights. After the death of the influential party leader Annadurai(Nasser), both Anandam and Tamilchelvam find themselves in rivalry for the top spot for Chief Minister. What started out as a beautiful friendship turns into a bitter rivalry as love turns to jealousy.

The story by Rathnam himself is a complex one as it’s a story that serves a dual purpose much like the movie itself. On one level, the movie recreates a bygone era and more than that, brings to screen a “true to life” tale that the Tamil public is well too aware of. Merging the facts with fiction yet still retaining credibility is no easy feat yet Rathnam manages to strike the perfect balance in his tale. The screenplay too is perfect to say the least, and is fluidly written. The movie starts off when both Anandam and Tamilchelvam are in their late teens or early 20’s and progresses right to their old age at a perfect pace.



As a director, from what I’ve seen so far of Rathnam(which is THALAPATHI, ANJALI, NAYAKAN, ROJA, BOMBAY, DIL SE.. and YUVA) this is his finest film to date. On one level the movie works as a straight tale of friendship and jealousy between two friends, on another level it presents the viewer with a slice of Tamil history and on yet another level it projects Superstar Mohanlal in a role of a lifetime as a larger than life “overman” role that is in many ways reflects on his own popularity given the actors 27 year reign in the industry and still standing strong. In many a ways, this is similar to the technique Ram Gopal Varma recently tried in his last magnum opus SARKAR, on one level it attempted(though poorly) to model itself on the life of Bal Thackeray, on another level it attempted to project Amitabh Bachchan in a larger-than-life role and also superbly pass on that the torch is being passed from the father to the son, not only in “reel” life but in “real life”; and lastly it was a tribute to Varmas favourite film THE GODFATHER. Though Varma didn’t quiet succeed to deliver on all three levels, Mani Rathnam does. Though my knowledge of the MGR and Karunanidhi isn’t strong, from what I’ve read and have been told from others, this is a pretty good reflection on the life and times of the two, the entire projection of Mohanlals “overman” character is simply outstanding. His countless speeches in front of the crowds as they roar and cheer have a rather chilling and deeply moving affect on the viewer as one feels that they are a PART of the audience in the movie that is cheering for Anandam. Even as a straight tale spanning the friendship, and consequent bitter rivalry of two people the movie works as a fine piece of cinema. Mani Rathnam is no without a doubt a absolute genius and the best director we have in Indian cinema right now in my humble opinion, and IRUVAR is more than enough proof of the mans genius yet again.

On a sidenote, I have simply loved Rathnams narrative. Rather than have screens come up on-screen “5 years later” or anything of that nature, the director leaves it upto the viewers intelligence to decipher the actors age and at what stage they are at in their lives. No doubt there are enough clues by watching the type of films Anandam is acting in and the style and music of that era, be it the 60’s style black and white costume drama to the Shammi Kapoor type “song in the snow in the 70’s” to the early 80’s disco era-a touch of brilliance.

Mohanlal is an actor I forever find fascinating. The first time I saw him, I had a hard time believing that he was a “superstar” of any kind. I’ve had a backwards trajectory as far as watching his films is concerned, given I started with Ram Gopal Varmas COMPANY as my “first” Mohanlal film and have since then watched more and more of his older works. I guess the biggest compliment I can give to Mohanlal is that the man was born to act-natural to the core in every sense. He slips right into the skin of Anandam with a admirable amount of ease and portrays his part with such care and natural grace that it’s hard to call it anything but a cinematic feat of sorts. The role offers Mohanlal a range of emotions to explore as well as a lifetimes worth of relationships to adhere to as the movies scope allows him to span his character over several decades. As Anandams character gains time and experience on his shoulders, we see Mohanlal the actor too perfectly aging with the character and the man we see at the end of the film is nothing more than a familiar shadow of the person we met at the start of the movie. Right from his delivery, voice modulation, get-up, and body language Mohanlal is just perfect. A landmark performance in every sense.

Prakash Raj is an actor whom I have always been fascinated with ever since my foray into Tamil cinema. The first time I saw the actor was in Raj Kumar Santoshis KHAKEE as a slimy policeman, and since then he’s been a fantastic supporting actor in Tamil and Telugu films with a fairly versatile range from a positive role of a supporting brother or father to a wily villain. Though his choice of films may not always be the best, I have always found Raj to be endearing and in a way, elevating the movie for me with his presence. Given this-IRUVAR offers the actor a breakthrough character in a authorbacked role which is parallel to that of Mohanlals and the actor does not disappoint one bit. He too slips into his character to utmost perfection and delivers a astounding account of himself. His delivery, body language and get-up all are fantastic, and the manner in which Raj portrays the slow and uneasy jealousy building up inside him is just perfect. He holds the screen with a magnetic and electric presence and what I consider a huge compliment, is that he manages to hold his own against a titan like Mohanlal in the scenes they share together.

I must add, the chemistry shared between Lal and Raj here is just surreal. Both bounce off each other just superbly. Witness the scene towards the end just before Mohanlals death at the wedding where Lal goes and sits down with Raj, before leaving they share a laugh and Lal adds “be careful, we shouldn’t be seen laughing together before the elections”.



Ashwariya Rai made her screen debut with this movie and she is superb. I guess the one thing that somewhat bugged me about the movie, was Ashwariyas double role in the movie. It felt a little out of place initially, and though Rathnam merged it well with the story later on quiet well, I just wished a little more care had been taken with this angle of the tale which dare I say I found slightly forced at times. In saying that Ashwariyas performance is fantastic! Her earlier sequences as Kalpana are a knockout, and even as Pushpa she is downright convincing. Given this is my second Ashwariya Rai film in 2 days, I must add I have found her performances in Tamil films so far, more natural and effective than most of her Hindi performances I’ve seen to date bar a few.

Taboo is excellent as always. The girls eyes speaks volumes, and just her mere presence on-screen brings so much to a film as does her silence.

Both Revathi and Gautami too are great in their respective roles, and I found the relationships all four women share with Lal and Raj extremely interesting and poignantly crafted for the most.

Everything I said above about Raj and my liking for him in various roles in a supporting mould holds true for Nasser-another actor I have a great personal weakness for and he too is fantastic here in his part.

Technically the movie is yet again a landmark. Santosh Sivans cinematography is Award Worthy and the manner in which he has captured an entire era on celluloid is deifnetly not an easy feat. The manner in which he captivates the viewer with the different years of cinema (from the years of Shivaji Ganesan and MGR) on-screen, speaks volumes for his talent, but more than that, Sivans camerawork holds a special place with me for the manner in which he has managed to capture the crowds in this movie. As Mohanlal speaks at various moments in the movie, the crowds/public/junta are all shown giving their consent by cheering for him, and Sivan alongwith Rathnam captures this to perfection given this is the very core element of capturing and presenting a lrager-than-life “overman” figure to the viewer.

A.R Rehmans music…well what can I say? A.R Rehman is as he is for the most-simply brilliant. The various songs in the movie are perfectly placed, and their picturisations are apt. Rehman has expertly captures the spirit of the songs from that era, and in that sense this ranks as one of Rehmans most intelligent albums to date as the album fits hand-in-glove with the movie itself rather than being a individualistic score of sorts.

All up IRUVAR is hands down a classic, and has found a place on my list of Top 10 Indian Films of Alltime. A film of this magnitude I feel unfair giving a rating too on my first watch, but if a gun was put to my head….

9.7/10.0(classic in every sense of the word defining the very essence of cinema)

Yours Truly

A.Shah

I must say, this makes me all the more excited about GURU as this is yet again a movie that looks like it is going to work on more than one level, firstly as a tale based on the life of Dhirubhai Ambani, secondly as a trajectory of the Bachchan legacy and lastly as a simple tale of one mans rise to power, BOLO GURU!

Akshay Shah Reviews GENTLEMAN (Tamil, 1993)

Akshay Shah Reviews GENTLEMAN (Tamil, 1993)

Before ANNIYAN…before INDIAN….before MUDHALVAN..there was GENTLEMAN-Shankars debut film which was the starting point for the brand of cinema and formula that he continued to improvise, improve and remodel in all his later films.



The story of GENTLEMAN was simple, a modern day Robin Hood Kicha (Arjun) robs money from the rich, and in order to provide an educational system for the poor. During the day he owns a “pappad” business, and during the night he is a master thief who is next to impossible to catch. There is a determined police officer (Charan Raj) hot on his case and is adamant to bring him to justice at any cost. There is also his lady love Suesheela(Madhoo) who in heart things of him as her husband, and Sugandhi(Subhasri) who likes Kicha, but then ends up marrying the police officer. So what turned Kicha into a master thief and inspired him to build the education centre? Via a flashback we find out that Kicha was a A-grade student who wanted to get into medicine with his best friends. The two friends had the best marks, however they are not given admission into medical college when they are not able to provide “rishwot” to the corrupt Education Minister (Rajan Dev). In a drastic turn of events his mother and best friend both commit suicide.

On face value, GENTLEMAN sounds like a regular vendetta drama, and the way it is structured too is quiet similar to the countless vendetta films one has witnessed. The key difference here is that our “hero” isn’t out for revenge or anyones blood, but simply to do something for a good cause. As a writer, Shankar has written a good story and presents the viewer with a simple to comprehend story. The theme of corruption is one that isn’t new, however merging that with the education system gives it a fresh outlook. The screenplay is in true “masala” format and moves at a brisk pace. The first half establishes the characters in the movie, as well as being laced with plenty of comic moments, while the second half gets more action-packed and serious.

As a director, Shankar makes a fantastic debut. No doubt, the base and structure of GENTLEMAN is one that Shankar has mastered over the years in many ways. Corruption, larger than life “hero” who in many ways is a superhero, lavish canvas, technical finesse and a foot-tapping musical score have now become his trademark and while watching GENTLEMAN one can see all of these things incorporated. The “fantasy” element which can be seen to a greater extent in films like ANNIYAN and INDIAN isn’t as evident in GENTLEMAN as it plays out more like a “straight forward” action film, however it does creep up in parts, specially the portrayl of the films main protagonist who plays the Robin-hood type pious hero to perfection. Shankar manages to give GENTLEMAN a “epic” and “big” feel in every way and directs what can be called a “masala extravaganza”. The climax of most Shankar films features the hero other going on National TV or in some way reaching out to a larger audience/public in the movie as well as to the viewers watching the movie, and the platform here is the court case at the end. The climax I did find a bit too rushed, the sequence of events in the courtroom unravel too fast, and the end is too sudden nevertheless a fine debut from a talented director.

As far as performances go, Arjun does a reasonably good job at playing the good-hearted, honest thief, though I found him relatively wooden and flat on the acting front. He possesses good screen presence, delivers his lines with confidence and does the whole “quiet and stioic” routine well enough, however doesn’t impress that much in the dramatic sequences as he could’ve. However he does look the part of a action hero and performs the stunts with panache.

Madhoo is a actress I have never been a fan of as far as looks or acting is concerned. She does an OK job here, but isn’t given a sufficient enough role or footage to really leave a mark. One wishes a actress with greater comic abilities had been cast.

Charan Raj is excellent as the case in charge of bringing Arjun to justice and catching the thief. He plays his part with conviction and impresses throughout.

Subhasri looks cute and leaves a mark.

Goundmani as Arjuns sidekick is quiet funny. Just the other day, I found his comedy irritating in Shankars INDIAN, however he manages to raise the laughs here with his impeccable timing and splitting dialogues. I must add he does remind me a lot of Vadivelu at times. Senthill as the other comedian irritates at times, and is funny at others. Rajan Dev plays the sleazy and corrupt minister as expected. Prabhu Devaa is wicked in his one song-without a doubt the finest dancer to ever come out of India, this guys dancing still amazes me…just surreal! Gowthami looks ravishing in the same song.

Technically the movie is great. Jeevas camerawork is slick and captures the “big blockbuster” look of the film well. Vikram Dharmas stunts are superlative, and they are still exciting to watch. The initial steal and chase sequence as well as the one in the jewellery shop are pulse-pounding and exciting. Editting by B.Lenin and V.Y Vijayan is tight too.

A.R Rehmans music is just brilliant and one of the major plus points in the movie. However whats sad is that Anu Malik ripped-off Rehmans tunes in Mahesh Bhatts frame-to-frame remake of the same film titled THE GENTLEMAN (1994) and took credit for the original compositions without giving Rehman credit. The hindi songs like ROOP SUHANA LAGTA HAI and AASHIQUI MEIN HADSE GUZZAR JAANE KO JEE CHAHE became a rage, and their Tamil versions are just as lilting and foot-tapping. The picturisations of the songs are fantastic, and they have been placed well throughout the movie.

All up GENTLEMAN is a well made masala film which entertains the viewer from start to finish. For fans of Shankar who enjoy his latter films, watching GENTLEMAN proves to be a even more enjoyable viewing experience as one can see the beginning of the talented director here though personally I don’t think GENTLEMAN has stood the test of time as well as Shankars other films.

Overall Rating=7.5/10.0


Sidenote: Mahesh Bhatt remade THE GENTLEMAN a year after Shankars original released. The story was credited to Shankar, while Mahesh Bhatt took over the directional reins. The movie was almost identical and a frame-to-frame copy of the original. Chiranjeevi and Juhi Chawla starred in the remake, while Anu Malik stole Rehmans tunes. From there on Shankar has either dubbed his films into Hindi KADHALAN(1994) was dubbed into Hindi as HUMSE HAI MUQABLA, INDIAN(1996) was dubbed into Hindi as HINDUSTANI, MUDHALVAN(1999) was remade into Hindi as NAYAK(2001) with Anil Kapoor in Arjuns role, and ANNIYAN(2005) was dubbed into Hindi as APARCHIT. Thing to be noted is that all of the dubbed Hindi versions were Hits as well, except for ANNIYAN which sadly didn’t work in Hindi. Shankars SIJAVI-THE BOSS too is going to get a all India release and will be dubbed into Hindi and Telugu.

Akshay Shah Reviews “PARINDA” (Hindi, 1989)

Akshay Shah Reviews “PARINDA” (Hindi, 1989)

Director Vidhu Vinod Chopra has made three masterpieces as a director-SAZAA-E-MAUT, KHAMOSH and PARINDA. While the earlier two films were categorised more into the “art” or “offbeat” film category, it was PARINDA that truly broke the barrier between “art” and “commercial as it struck a perfect balance between the two and became a truly landmark film for Indian cinema. Revisiting PARINDA after 18 years proves to be just as rewarding as the film is stil one of the most grim, gripping and powerful films ever made in Indian cinema.





The movie revolves around two brothers Kishen(Jackie Shroff) and Karan(Anil Kapoor) who have spent their childhood growing up alone on the harsh streets of Mumbai after their father who was a honest farmer passes away. So that Karan can lead a better life with a decent upbringing and education Kishen becomes the right hand man of a ruthless and disturbed underworld don Anna Seth(Nana Patekar). On face value Anna owns a oil factory, but in reality his business is drugs, alcohol and prostitution. Six years after studying in American Karan returns back to Mumbai, however Kishen keeps his “work” a secret from Karan. Inspector Prakash(Anupam Kher), Karans best friend is hot on the heels of Anna and his gang and wants to bring them to justice and on the day Karan and Anna are set to meet, Anna plans Inspector Prakashs murder. Shot in broad daylight, Inspector Prakash dies in Karans arms leaving him shocked and devastated, and he is even more shocked to find out that his brother is a gangster whose gang is infact responsible for the murder of Inspector Prakash. Karan now decides to act as a witness against Anna and his gang and bring those who killed Prakash to justice, what follows is a blood-soaked, emotion packed tale of family, loyalty, justice, and revenge which leave the viewer completely bowled over.

Vidhu Vinod Chopras story was daringly different for it’s time, and though the movie does bear more than a passing nod to Yash Chopras DEEWARR by having two brothers in separate sides of the law, PARINDA is without a doubt a much darker tale in its storytelling. Unlike say Ram Gopal Varmas gangster films which provide a insight into the life and workings of gangsters(SATYA) or a birds-eye-view into the whole network of operations(COMPANY), PARINDA weaves a more emotion based tale about two brothers trapped in a dark and grim world surrounded by death and violence. The focus here isn’t on the “how” the underworld operates, but more on the impact and price one has to pay for leading the life of a gangster.

The screenplay is one that is close to perfection and Vidhu Vinod Chopra has written it with a remarkable amount of passion and flair which is evident. The sequence of events right from the start till the very end “hook” the viewer and takes them through a emotional journey into a darker rung of society and one that was alien to Indian viewers at it’s time of release.

As a director, this is the last “classic” in the truest sense directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, and one has yet still to see Vidhu deliver something in the same league as PARINDA. His subsequence efforts as a director be it 1942: A LOVE STORY, KAREEB, or MISSION:KASHMIR have disappointed on some level and have ranged from “good to great” but not “outstanding”. PARINDA is a landmark film for Indian cinema as it dared to break conventions and trends and while it would’ve been easy for a film like PARINDA to be slotted as a “art” film at it’s time of release, the mould of PARINDA was infact perfectly commercial from it’s casting, story and theme, yet it’s classy and nuanced treatment from Vidhu Vinod Chopra is what set the movie apart and made is the true classic it is. The movie was a realistic take on the underbelly of Mumbais crime world, yet there was no “glamorisation” of criminals or the lives they lead which is one of the problems I’ve had with some of Ram Gopal Varma’s films, though Varma usually “justifies” himself by having the gangster die in a abrupt manner(Bhikhu Mhatre in SATYA, Malikbhai in COMPANY), but that is only after leading a relatively “appealing” life, but that more comes down to Varmas fascination with what I call “prostitution of power”. PARINDA in that sense is a realistic, disturbing, raw, gritty and emotional film that clutches the viewers heart with a vice and doesn’t let go. From emmaculately etched out characters, technical perfection and outstanding performances, PARINDA ranks full marks on every level. The first 20 minutes of the movie right upto Anupam Khers death is infact PERFECT in a total sense, from a writing, acting, technical and execution point of view it manages to completely involve the viewer from from the very first frames. Usually quiet a lot of the first half in Hindi films is spent “establishing” the characters and story with the actual movie only kicking in just before the interval and second hallf, Chopra thrusts the viewers right into the heart of the movie right from the very first frame and introduces the characters and story at the same time which makes up for a unique and refreshing experience. No separate romance or comedy tracks, no unwanted or prolonged romantic sequences, no over-the-top emotional sequences, and heck even the music of the movie has been merged into the story in a seamless manner except for one song.

PARINDA features some of the most unforgettable performances in Indian cinema and again credit must be given to VVC for etching out some of the most complex and “grey” characters one has seen. It would be easy to categorise Jackie and Anil as the “heroes” and Nana as the “villain” however it isn’t that simple, given Jackie and Anil both have enough shades of grey in them to be called “villains” themselves.




Nana Patekar delivers a textbook performance, and one that no doubt went down in history as it is still talked about today. During the 80’s Indian cinema was used to the caricature villans portrayed by the likes of Amrish Puri, Kader Khan, Prem Chopra, Shakti Kapoor, Ajit, Amjad Khan etc and with the exception of the odd Rama Shetty in ARDH-SATYA one would rarely get a glimpse of a “real” villain. Anna Seth is one of the most disturbed, terrifying and complex characters one has ever witnessed on-screen. Nana actually doesn’t have many scenes in the movie compared to Jackie and Anil, however each time he is on-screen he leaves a impression which can best be described as a electric jolt, that the impression left is there forever. What Nana aka Anna( scrabble anyone?) will be most famous for is his fear of fire and the affect fire has on him. On face value Anna comes across as a cool, calm and calculated man with a penchant for “business” and a rather dark sense of humour, however fire the man is terrified of fire to the point where he gets completely out of control with shrieks and wails like a wild animal which reveal the darker nature of his character.. Having recently seen the Dustin Hoffman starrer RAINMAN, I was totally surprised to see the exact scene in the movie, however in a totally different context, and I remember feeling slightly disappointed to find out that the whole “act” was actually copied. However after watching PARINDA again my faith has been reinstalled. It would be completely unfair to say that Nana has copied Dustin Hoffman, yes the action and reaction of both characters are nearly identical, however the manner in which they are portrayed are totally different, not only that, the characters, milieu and setting of both films are poles apart which in turn doesn’t take anything away from Nana Patekars act at all. The first outburst comes as a shock, and the entire sequence is a masterstroke from director VVC as he succeeds in giving the viewer goosebumps. The shrills and wails in the background of Nanas own family who he burnt himself continue in the background even after the scene is over to leave a almost hypnotic affect on the viewer. Anna is a character that Nana “LIVES” and one that has all the trademark attributes that make Nana such a watchable actor-outstanding dialogues and delivery, powerful eyes, emmaculate facial expressions and flawless body language as well as a air of unpredictability which perfectly compliments his demented character. Just witness the scene where he clicks that Anil Kapoor is behind the murder of his henchmen, instead of anger, Nana laughs…like a hyena….and he is laughing at himself, irony, and in a sick sense, at what he is about to do. Anna is immortal….hats off to Nana Patekar!

Jackie Shroff delivers what is arguably the finest performance of his career and delivers a heartfelt and poignant performance which has been enacted with utmost conviction. Jackie has played the doting brother many times, and quiet a lot of those times it has been to Anil Kapoor, however nothing compares with PARINDA. Ultimately a man with simple dreams who is stuck in this dark world, Kishen is a character with his own demons. The character is one that is emotionally charged, and requires a high degree of histronics from Jackie Shroff, and Shroff delivers the part to utmost perfection. It infact would’ve been very easy to go overboard in playing the character, however Shroff handles the part with complete control and understanding. Just witness the scene where Anil Kapoor finds out that he is a gangster and their subsequent showdown, or the scene where Anil Kapoor asks Nana if he can join as Jackie withers and crumbles or the scene where Anil commits his first murder-outstanding!

Anil Kapoor gives a great account of himself despite two very heavyweight performances from actors obviously at the height of perfection. He plays the idealistic and troubled Karan with relish and gets right into the skin of the character. He handles the dramatic scenes with sincerity and shares superb chemistry with Jackie Shroff. Like Nana and Jackie, Anil too has a authorbacked role and one Kapoor performs with exuberance and dignity, though at times he is overshadowed by Jackie and Nana. From the happy-go-lucky America return to the gun toting gangster out for revenge, Anil goes through the transformation of his character with the right amount of emotional backing.

Madhuri Dixit delivers a splendid performance as the innocent school teacher and her character is one that infact symbolises the “ray of hope” for Anil Kapoor in the film. Looking stunningly graceful, she acts with confidence and has a natural screen presence and charm throughout. PARINDA will also be remembered for a liplock which follows onto a rather aesthetically shot sex scene between Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit which is definetly a first for it’s time.

The supporting cast in the movie are all perfect in their part. Anupam Kher leaves a impression in his short yet pivotal. Suresh Oberoi is outstanding in his part and delivers a very impressive performance. Tom Alter is good in a one dimensional character. Anang Desai, Kamal Chopra and Sameer Khakkar all leave their mark in their respective roles.

To say PARINDA is a technically polished product would be a gross understatement, infact one could go as far as to say PARINDA is technically the BEST film of it’s time and one that still holds up well today. Binod Pradhans cinematography is excellent, and is easily his best to date. The film has mostly been shot at night and in the dark, yet the manner in which Pradhan brings different shades to the “night” is fantastic.He gives the movie a “epic” feel and the impact of the visuals are haunting to say the least. The symbolism with the “parindas” throughout is a masterstroke.

Renu Saluja won a National Awards for her crisp editing and it is a textbook job as far as editing goes, and the biggest compliment one could give her is she deserved every inch of that award. Nitin Desai and Nitish Roys art direction is fantastic. Ravi Dewans action sequences are surreal and realistic. The gunshots have been canned with realism and rather than have a “oh wow cool” affect its more a “oh god” affect. Anil/Madhuris death scene has been totally overdone, but in sync with the story I felt.

Lastly a special note to R.D Burman whose background music is truly of international standard and a classic one in every sense. The background music here right from the starting reels to the end reels is stunning and heightens the impact of the entire movie. The songs have for the most been flawlessly merged into the narrative, and the TUMSE MILKE number is truly addictive. Soft, lilting and romantic to the core…god I miss R.D Burman! The only track that sticks out like a sore thumb is the one just before Anil Kapoors wedding, however that is a minor blemish.

So where does that leave PARINDA? Well quiet frankly, the movie is a classic! A landmark AND trendsetter in Indian cinema which changed the face of Hindi cinema with it’s style, storytelling, narrative, characters, performances and technical perfection. Vidhu Vinod Chopra…you are a genius!

Overall Rating=9.3/10.0

Sidenote: With EKLAVYA around the corner, I truly wish that VVC again bounces back into form and delivers another masterpiece. 1942: A LOVE STORY and MISSION: KASHMIR were both great films, however both fell short of a masterpiece in my view.

Also during the credits one can see Sanjay Leela Bhansalis name as “Associate Director”.

Tez Dhaar.....

Sanjubaba...style king!

Akshay Shah Reviews “HINDUSTANI”, (Hindi, dubbed, 1996)

Akshay Shah Reviews “HINDUSTANI”, (Hindi, dubbed, 1996)

The tagline reads “The Biggest Indian Film Ever Made” as South whizkid Shankar directs one of the most entertaining, masala blockbusters of our times which holds the test of time magnificently even today. At the time of it’s release the movie was made into Tamil as INDIAN, and dubbed into Telugu as BHARATYUEEDU and into Hindi as HINDUSTANI and all over Indian the movie became a Blockbuster. A larger than life contemporary theme merged with a Superstar in fine form and topped with technical finesse and a smashing soundtrack HINDUSTANI was ample proof that Shankar is no doubt a director who has his fingers on the audiences pulse and knows how to deliver a “BIG” movie in every sense and leave the viewer totally satisfied.




The movie revolves around Senapathy(Kamal Hassan), a veteran freedom fighter who is angry at the India we have today which is rotting at the mercy of corruption which is seeped into every government department from the lower ranks right to the top ranks. His son Chandra Bose(Kamal Hassan again) belongs to the “new” India and he believes that corruption is a way of life in todays time and it’s quiet “normal” to give “rishwot” in order to get things done. A clash of ideals forces the son the son to leave the house. Tragedy strikes the family when Senapathys daughter Kasthoori(Kasturi) is burnt badly in a accident. They get her to the nearest hospital - but the doctor wants them to file a police report or pay him Rs.500/-; At the police station - the Inspector wants Rs.250/- or a report from the Village Administration Officer; who in turn wants Rs.150/- so that he can start preparations for the report. This delay results in Kasthoori's death - and a vengeful Senapathy decides to teach corrupt officials a lesson - a lesson that will serve to remind other corrupt officials to do their work diligently without accepting any bribes. Senapathy feels that India today is still not free-in earler years we were slaves to the British and now we are slave to our own people and in a attempt to rid society of corruption as well as instill the fear of death and punishment, the old Senapathy once agtain becomes a soldier of the country with his old-fashioned dagger and martial arts technique. However fate has something else in store as a bus accident causes the death of a large number of kids. The transport officer who had given the license to the bus is none other than Chandra Bose and Senapathy decides it is now time for him to cut the process of corruption from it’s roots, which includes his own son.




Shankars attempts a larger than life theme with this story-one of corruption and one that has been witnessed time and time again in Hindi films. Usually we have corrupt police officers and politicians with a honest protagonist out to seek revenge and punish them, however where Shankar differs is presenting the theme in a refreshing manner. The protagonist here is a 60 yearold war veteran who becomes a crime fighting machine which in itself is a novel concept. The father-son clash has been witnessed in films many a times with films like SHAKTI to AAKHREE RAASTA, and Shankar brings out the clash superbly. The two flashback sequences(the 1940’s and also the death of Kasthoori) in the movie are an absolute masterstroke and superbly develop the story further and further.

The screenplay of the movie is good, the movie starts out slow with the “younger” Kamal Hassans sequences as well as the scenes with Crazy Mohan, Manisha and Urmila, however once the flashback of the “older” Kamal Hassan in the 40’s is revealed the film is a non-stop, rip-roaring entertainer which doesn’t let go until the exciting final reels.

As a director Shankar attempts to do many things here, and he succeeds on all levels. On one level his aim is to make a film with a social message, yet he does so in the most entertaining manner. Presenting the theme of corruption with style and finesse the directors views and ideals reflect that of Senapathy and the messages comes out to the viewer loud and clear. The second level the movie works on is one of the most inspiring, emmaculate and enjoyable performances of out times from Padmashri Kamal Hassan in fine form. There is no doubt Kamal Hassan is one of the finest actors in our country-and Shankar is only too well aware of Hassans talents and gives him a role and character(s) that allow him to deliver a performance that fully projects his talent to it’s fullest in a masala format. The “politics” of a one man judge/jury/executioner is one that one may not necessarily agree with, however Shankar works his film on a relatively “WHAT IF” fantasy level which also heightens the masala impact of the movie to a great extent . The idea of a 60+ yearold fighting machine who can kick some serious ass is one that one face level is NOT plausible however in the context of the movie merged with Kamal Hassans conviction it….WORKS. The plausibility factor is low on one side with the whole “fantasy” element, but given the serious theme of the movie it strikes a perfect balance between fantasy and reality which is the movies biggest strength, at times the movie has the whole “this is so crazy its GREAT” effect.. This is a style that Shankar has used again in future films too with a similar central theme merged with a “out there” setting and characters. ANNIYAN (2005) is a prime example where a meek and honest Brahmin becomes a crime fighting avenger with a 3 way split personality to get rid of crime and corruption, and also NAYAK( 2001) where a “everyday” reporter is given a chance to be C.M for the day. Also the movie uses a similar technique used in Rakyesh Mehras modern day classic RANG DE BASANTI(2006) where by the director uses past examples of the British-raj era to justify the actions of our protagonist in todays times by drawing a parallel between the crimes and it’s actions. Shankar….given that you’ve signed one of Indias BIGGEST SUPERSTARS Rajnikanth for your next film SIVAJI where it is rumoured that Rajnikanth has a double role and the theme is again corruption in the education system(a combination of Shankars own HINDUSTANI, ANNIYAN and GENTLEMAN) one can only wish you all the best as this could quiet frankly be the “biggest” movie of our times.



Kamal Hassan is outstanding to say the least. Slipping into the role of both the war veteran, crime fighting father and the corrupt and modern son, Hassan is simply outstading in both roles. Yes, the makeup does look slightly OTT now, however this does NOT take away anything from Hassans performance. As the aged patriotic Senapathy Hassan gets right into the skin of his principled character with his delivery, voice modulation, facial expressions and body language and delivers an outstanding account of himself. Criticism has always been there for Kamal Hassan that he relies on gimmicks to heighten the impact of his performance, but again after NAYAKAN, I have found this to be a performance where his get-up compliments his performances rather than acting as a filler. As the younger Chandra Bose he excels too playing the corrupt traffic officer to perfection. The scenes where the two Hassans are on-screen together one finds it hard to believes that it is infact the same man playing both characters as Kamal plays both parts with equal conviction. What can one say except HATS OFF to Mr.Hassan.

Urmila Mantondkar and Manisha Koirala don’t have much to do in the movie except act as glam dolls and look good in front of the camera while providing the “oomph” factor and masala in the movie. Urmila as the rich and snotty rich girl infact has quiet a poorly etched our character however she plays what little she has to do with grace. She looks sexy as ever, and gets her “latkas” and “jhatkas” right. Manisha Koirala too is just OK, she has a better etched out character as the “actual” love interest, however it is Koirala who actually bores with a rather uninspired performance looking tired and jaded, however like Urmila, Manisha too does well in the song sequences.



Sukanya as Senapathy is brilliant as far as acting goes be it the young lady in the 40’s or Senapathys elderly wife, however better make was the need of the hour as now one can easily spot how fake the makeup looks. In saying that, she does gine a superb account of herself as far as the acting goes, and compliments the “old” Kamal Hassan remarkably well.

From the supporting cast Nedumuni Venu does a good job as the police officer hot on Senapathys trail. Aruna Irani too excels in the few scenes she has and leaves a lasting impression in the scene where she breaksdown. Goudmani and Senthil over-do their comedy act, and infact the comedy track that evades the first half actually acts as a hindrance in the movie as it fails to make the viewer laugh. One wishes that the movie had a better comedy track, or even better, if the comedy track had been better merged with the story. It feels like the comedy track at the start is just there as a time-filler more than anything else.

Technically the movie is simply wicked for it’s time. Undoubtedly one of the slickest and most lavish films(if not THE most lavish film) of that time, the movie has such a large canvas and Shankar manages to present merge the canvas of the movie with his story, theme and cast superbly. Vikram Dharmas action sequences deserve a special mention. YES-at times when the old Senapathy is beating up corrupt officials and doing his old-fashioned martial it comes across as cheesy, however that’s the appeal of the action here as what would normally make the viewer cringe with any other actor, Kamal Hassan pulls off with adamant conviction and makes it all the more fun to watch. The special Effects by S.P Venky are wicked from the stunts at the race scene to the car chase in the finale. Michael.R.Jones’s make-up hasn’t stood the test of time that well.

A special mention must be made of the flashback sequence from the 40’s which has been resurrected and directed with painstaking precision by Shankar and authenticity oozes from the screen. Merging “real” life footage of Subhash Chandra Bose with “reel life” footage of the Senapathy joining the Indian army as well as the whole “black and white” tone makes it one of the masterstrokes in the movie.

A.R Rehmans music is funky and foot-tapping which is precisely what its meant to be. The songs were a Nation wide RAGE and CRAZE when they releases with TELEPHONE and LATKA becoming Anthems of sorts. The picturisations are stunning and enhance the watchability factor of the songs quiet a bit.



All up HINDUSTANI may not quiet be the BIGGEST INDIAN FILM EVER MADE, but it sure as hell is one of the most zany, whacky, and entertaining masala films I have seen which holds the test of time rather well, and Kamal Hassans performance is yet again one that the lingers with the viewer after the show is over…

Overall Rating=8.0/10.0

Now Thats Style!

Sanjubaba is no doubt the style icon..his look in MUSAFIR was simply off the hook!

Akshay Shah Reviews “JAYAM” (Tamil, 2003)

Akshay Shah Reviews “JAYAM” (Tamil, 2003)

A teen love story from a debutant director and actor usually tends to offer the viewer something fresh in it’s story, performances or presentation(or in some all of these) and offers the viewer “old wine in a new bottle”. JAYAM too was a teenage love story directed by a debutant director with a debutant leading man…so does the movie offer the viewer anything new? Not really, however despite a slow and tepid start it does form into a fairly gripping thriller which is sadly letdown by a lacklustre climax.



The movie revolves around Ravi(newcomer Ravi who after the success of the film was tagged as Ravi “Jayam”)-a soft spoken college boy from a lower caste who does odd jobs to pay back his fathers debts. In college he falls in love with Sujatha(Sada), however when Sujatha was young her parents arranged her marriage to Raghu(Gopichand). Raghu and Sujatha had a fight when they were young, and is convinced that he will not marry her, until he sees her and is smitten by her beauty and agrees to marry her. To make matters worse Raghu bets Ravi black and blue and tells invites him to his wedding with Sujatha on that Friday. From hereon begins the chase as Ravi manages to elope with Sujatha as the duo run away with Raghu hot on their trail. Do the two lovers finally reunite? We all know the answer.

In terms of a story M. Raja has chosen one of the oldest ones in the book. Poor boy meets rich girl and falls in love, however parents are against the wedding and there is a dastardly villan who will go to any lengths to ensure that the lovers don’t meet. The premise is one that the viewer has been witnessing countless times over the years in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu cinema and M.Raja doesn’t offer any new variation on the story. The screenplay of the movie is good for the most. The first half establishes the love story between Ravi and Sujatha as well as building a rapport with the viewers. The love story is predictable to the core and at times bores the viewer. The second half takes off with a flying start and right from interval point to the end the pace is relentless and gripping keeping the viewer excited and involved.

As a director M.Raja makes a worthy debut and despite hackneyed story he manages to infuse life into the movie to keep the viewer entertained for the most. The first half could’ve been better directed, the viewer does get a bit restless after a point as the movie pulsl out every cliché in the book as far as love stories go, however from the interval point where Raghu reveals his true colours to Sujatha and holds her by the neck right to the very end the pace picks up. Infact, the interval scene is one of the highpoints of the movie as it’s at this point the directors name flashes on screen and it’s almost like a notice to the viewer that the film is about to take a drastic turn and in a sense start NOW!
Where M.Raja scores as a director is he manages to take the most clichéd scenes yet still manage to add a fairly high amount of tension to these scenes and keep the viewer enthralled. The sequence before the marriage where Ravi challenges Raghu that he will take Sujatha away is a masterstroke and shows the talent of the director. Ofcourse we know that our “hero” is about to enter any second, however the viewer waits for the entry and how he escapes with her with bated breath. The entire chase from there is simply superbly executed and the twist and turns are stylishly executed showing the directors technical finesse. Just when one expectes that the film is about to come to a halt and end, it takes off again unexpectedly. The climax of the movie is clichéd to the core, and is somewhat of a letdown as it has been stretched unnecessarily without much impact. A stronger climax was the need of the hour.




Another interesting aspect in the movie is the casting of soft-faced actor Ravi who plays a rather unlikely and “unheroic” hero right until the final reels. Yes this is a masala movie, but here our hero is shown as the “everyday” guy who isn’t a one-man army like Madhavan in RUN or a street smart sneaky warrior like Mahesh Babu in OKKADU-he is common boy who knows his limitations. When a group of 10 men with knives and sickles chase him, he doesn’t try take them all on..he runs! Heck even when he’s beaten black and blue in front of his love, he takes it all and whimpers down with the final blow. This actually makes for a refreshing change as the actors looks and physicality endorse his performance further in making it credible and ultimately likeable. No doubt all this is leading upto the hero “fighting back” and as expected the hero does turn into a fighting machine at the end with his lady love egging him on, and this is where I felt that the climax could’ve been a LOT stronger. Ravi’s sudden change from a “common boy” to a “fighting machine” doesn’t have enough backing to justify the final fight sequence which comes across as quiet flat. YES the tension is prevalent throughout, however one just wishes that there had been more build-up to this, though it still makes for a fairly engaging masala packed finale, just not as impactful. Ravi acts with confidence, delivers his lines well and excels in the dance sequences as well as romantic and comic scenes which is really good given it’s his first film.

Sada is cute and sexy rolled into one and plays the “damsel in distress” really well. Her “Po…Po…Pooya” and jingling of “payals” to communicate make for an interesting watch, and she looks stunning on-screen. The girls figure and smile both is a killer.

Gopichand as the main villan gives a good account of himself, and plays his part with relish. A clichéd villan to a T with no redeeming qualities at all what-so-ever, the actor does his best with a one dimensional character and plays it straight forward. The sequence just before the interval or the scene where he beats Ravi he excels in.

The supporting cast is OK, but don’t have much to do. The comedy trakcs in the movie with Sumanth Shetty are annoying and stand out for the worst. Also all the comedy sequences at the start with Ravis mate Ali and the teacher are in bad vein and gyrate on the viewers nerves.

The music in the movie is great, and all the song are lilting and hummable, and have been splendidly placed throughout the movie. The picturisations too are well done and compliment the songs well. The background score too is superb and heightens the impact in several places.

Technically the movie is slick, the entire second half with the train chase sequence and the fights in the jungle have been well executed.

All up JAYAM is nothing more than a time-pass masala entertainer which has it’s moments. The first half is slow however the pace does slowly pick up. The second half from interval onwards has been superbly canned however the climax is a letdown. In saying that the movie is a easy watch once, and given it’s from a debutant director and actor there is something relatively fresh about the movie.

Overall Rating=6.5/10.0

A.Shah

Song Of The Week: "Kajre Re"

Gotta love it!

Akshay Shah experiences "ROCKY BALBOA" (2006)

Akshay Shah experiences “ROCKY BALBOA”(2006)

The year was 1976 and my Dad had just finished his studies in Victoria University when he first saw the original Sylvester Stallone classic ROCKY in cinemas, just over 30 years later, I saw the final instalment in what can only be called one of the greatest and most iconic characters in movie history-ROCKY BALBOA, funnily enough this time with my Dad. Given the last few ROCKY movies (Parts 4 and 5) were below the mark, and had deviated from the crux of the original into former shadows of the original two instalments one seriously wondered what Sylvester Stallone was going to deliver at 60, and whether the movie would salvage a series which had lost its “zing” 17 years ago….does ROCKY BALBOA live upto expectations? Yes, hell yes! And for a fan of the ROCKY series it proves to to be the ultimate viewing experience.



Written and directed by Sylvester Stallone the movie takes place in present time. Rocky(played by Stallone, and aged to perfection) now runs a restaurant in his local neighbourhood. His wife has passed away, and his only friend is his brother-in-law Paulie(Burt Young in a Award Worthy performance). His son Rocky Jnr(played by Milo Ventimiglia and not Stallones own son Sage as in the previous film) has become estranged from him as he desprately tries to get away from his father shadow and make something on “his own”. In a sense, the former two time heavyweight champion has become a washout of sorts and lives a rundown life back to his original roots where he first started. Rocky has lost everything that he had ever gained throughout the years and then some. Then a computer fight on TV pits Rocky against the current heavy weight champion Mason “The Line” Dixon(Antonio Tarver) and as fate would have it-Rocky Balboa wins. The computer fight ignites something inside Rocky, that old passion…flair..inspiration…and he wants to fight again (“theres still something stuff in the basement” he tells Paulie) and its evident that something has been brimming up inside Rocky and there is one final punch left in him still. He gets his license, and a “exhibition” fight is organised where Rocky will be pitted against Mason (Rocky makes it quiet clear “he isn’t interested in getting all mangled and embarrassed”). This causes a further rift between him and his son, but a friend in the form of a young girl he once dropped to school who he runs into at a local bar-Marie(Geraldine Hughes) becomes his pillar of strength and support; “Do what you got to do Rocky….fighters fight” she tells him.

From there on begins what every single Rocky fan out there is familiar with, and loves to absolute bits, the training, the buildup, the momentum and ultimately the final fight-and the movie delivers in supreme amounts leaving the viewer completely satisfied.




As a director, it is evident from the very start that Sylvest Stallone is NOT interested in just making another sequel to the ROCKY series for a quick buck, if anything this is his tribute to the series and the character that made him a superstar and his way of saying a final and perfect “goodbye” and Stallone the director does not disappoint one bit. With ROCKY, Stallone created what can easily be called the “ultimate underdog” tale with one of the most lovable characters in movie history. Simple hearted, simple dreams, common everyday guy who every likes instantly and slowly starts to love ultimately winning and becoming triumphant at the one thing he does-in this case Boxing. The formula may have run thin in later movies as the character development had stopped however the whole “feel good” affect of the ROCKY movies was alive in each and every ROCKY film, though not on the same level as the original two and now Part 6. To say ROCKY BALBOA is “just a boxing movie” would be a gross mistake-the movie is much much more. Stallone takes the character of Rocky, and shows us what life is like for him after his fame is over, after the spotlight is off him, and after his beloved Adrian has passed away-and frankly it isn’t a pretty picture though he still survives. If he managed to completely connect the viewer to ROCKY in Part 1, he does it again to absolute perfection in ROCKY BALBOA and along the way pays a perfect tribute to the series. No doubt a sense of nostalgia runs through ROCKY BALBOA and the viewing experience for a fan will be totally different to someone who has never seen a ROCKY movie, and folks, I’m a die-hard fan till the day I die.




The story has been structured into three different parts. The first part deals with Rockys loneliness as he reconnects through bits and pieces of his past, and in many cases is still living in the case. These provide some of the most touching, mesmerising and heart rending moments of the movie. The scenes shared between Rocky and Paulie are simply outstanding, and the scene where Paulie tells Rocky “it wasn’t that great for me” to which a emotionally hurt Rocky replies “It was for me” is just outstanding from a writing, acting and execution point of view. Infact, the entire first act of the movie is scattered with such moments which dwelve right into the psyche of Rockys character and portrays to the viewer where Rocky is at in his life and is way of thinking. The second act is a culmination of events which eventually lead the way to Rocky entering the fight scene. These are fantastic too, and offcourse the highlight of this act is without a doubt the entire training footage which is no doubt become one of the most enjoyable parts of a ROCKY movie. Bill Contis classic background score pounds as Rocky once again prepares for some “hurtin bombs” by lifting weights, lifting chains, but whats even more of a masterstroke is Rocky punching the meat packs like the original Rocky movie, and running through the streets of Philadelphia upthe steps much like the first, only its 30 years later. Rarely in Hollywood movies do I find much of a audience reaction over here,infact the last movie that had any reaction of this kind was CASINO ROYALE in parts, however just as the background score came on, the entire cinema erupted into claps, cheers and whistles as quiet frankly..”this was it”..the moment(apart from the final fight offcourse) they had paid $14.50 to watch this and the experience was superlative to say the least.




The final act in the movie is the fight scenes, and this again emphasizes that ROCKY BALBOA is a HUMAN story about a washed out boxer than a straight story about boxing and winning. The fight sequence at the end too is simply outstanding. The background score, with montage footage of past Rocky films in black and white as well as slow motion no doubt acts as a treat for lovers of the series and is a perfect touch to what can be called the ultimate fight scene. Helping Stallone in his visual presentation is cinematographer J. Clark Mathis does some wonderful photography for some of the film's exterior settings while mixing black-and-white and color for a bit of the film's boxing sequence. Editor Sean Albertson does some nice editing in the boxing sequences that's very stylized while doing some nice cutting in bringing footage of the old Rocky movies to the new one to give the sense of emotion that Rocky is feeling. The presentation of the fight scene makes the viewer feel like they are about to watch a “REAL” fight scene complete with the “coverage” feel and commentary which only adds to the viewing experience. And yes, once the punches start flying, like the original, the viewer is completely at the edge of their seat so involved in the fight that they zone out completely from everything around them, and without even knowing you’re chanting in your heart “ROCKY ROCKY ROCKY ROCY ROCKY”!



The outcome of the fight I won’t reveal but lets just say its ends the series perfectly and does full justice to what can only be called one of the greatest underdog stories in movie history.

This is with a doubt Sylvester Stallones best performance to date since his original ROCKY, and one that he doesn’t portray..but LIVES from start to finish. The manner in which Stallone makes the viewer sympathise with the character of Rocky and make us really “feel” for him without making us feel pity on him is simply outstanding. Stallone is looking better here than any other movie he has recently, and what would sound ludicrous with other actors( a 60 yearold actor stepping into the ring) Stallone enacts with complete and utter conviction which in turn makes it totally believable for the viewer. More than that, it’s the charm, the humour, the honesty of Rockys character, his silly jokes, his innocence and his pain that Stallone portrays to absolute perfection. The scene where he breaks down at Paulies work is simply heartbreaking, and one of the most effective emotional scenes I have seen in recent times(yes I shed a tear). I have always believed that Stallone is at his best playing the “underdog” be it the ROCKY films or the HUGELY underrated COPLAND and ROCKY BALBOA cements that fact. In a sense, this also throws a parallel to Stallones character as an actor who too has washed out, and Rocky in a sense is Stallones attempt at bringing back a superstar who is supremely talented, yet one who was regulated to meaningless action films for the large part of his career. Since 2000 Stallone has given a strong of flops with films like GET CARTER, DRIVEN, DETOX etc, there was one very superb cameo in SHADE as a ageing poker player, but nothing that is truly deserving of the mans stature until ROCKY BALBOA. And yes Mr.Stallone..you’ve proven your point. And though Stallone may not deliver a performance like this again for the rest of his career, there is NO DOUBTS at all in my mind that he still “has it”.




If there is one other actor who stands out here its Burt Young, slipping into his character with such knowing in a winning performance. Burt brings so much to the character of Paulie with his facial expressions, eye movements and body language its simply amazing. Like Rockys character, it also shows the regrets and sorrows of Paulies character. The relationship between Rocky and Paulie has always been a shaky one. Despite their countless arguments, its clear that Paulie cares about Rocky a lot and vice versa, and I guess this movie is a ultimate tribute to that, specially in the first scenes where Young leaves a unforgettable impression. Also the scene just before the climax where Paulie tells Rocky “get it all out of you OK” leaves its mark.

The array of supporting characters in the movie are simply great in their parts. Masin “The Line” Dixon delivers a special mention. He isn’t just a “villan”here for the sake of showing Rocky as the “hero”-but he is a positive character, but with shades of grey. Despite being numero uno all he wants is “respect” which he isn’t getting. Those expecting a Dolph Lungdren or Mr.T type villan will be disappointed, as Mason proves to be a much more “real” character.

Pedro Lovell reprises his role as Spider and is effective, Tony Burton(who appeared as Apollo Creeds trainer in previous movies) gets one of the best punch lines in the movie with his “hurtin bombs” just before the training footage. Milo Ventimiligia does a wonderful job at bringing depth to the character of Rockys son in the movie, something Stallones real son Sage couldn’t do in Part 5. Geraldine Hughes is excellent as Marie with her compassionate performance while being the supporting factor for Rocky and not being the love interest that's often done traditionally.
The film's cast is wonderful with cameos from the likes of boxing critic Bert Sugar, Lou DiBella, Mike Tyson, Jim Lampley, Larry Merchant, Max Kellerman, and you guessed it... Frank Stallone as a dinner patron. A.j Benza leaves his mark as the slimy L.C.

In summary, ROCKY BALBOA isn’t the classic that the first movie was, however in my view it isn’t far from it, and without a doubt it’s the second best movie in the series after Part 1. An uplifting and emotional movie with the “feel good” factor “upped” by 200% ROCKY BALBOA leaves a lasting impression, and for fans of the series this is simply one of the best gifts one can receive. Mr Stallone-THANK YOU and folks…”it ain’t over till it’s over”. Amen to that!

9.0/10.0

A.Shah

Akshay Shah Reviews "GURU" (Hindi, 2007) The Event

GURU(Hindi, 2007)




Every now and then comes a film huge in what it’s trying to portray, so powerful in its themes and ultimately so entertaining in the manner that it’s presented and ultimately connects to the viewer, the movie becomes an “event”. An unforgettable experience and one that will undoubtedly go down in history. I just experienced GURU, an “event” in the truest sense as far as the medium of cinema stretches.

Mani Ratnam-a name synonymous with class, quality, and classics brings to celluloid his latest magnum opus which came with sky high expectations and searing hype-does Ratnams vision live up to expectations? Yes, yes and yes!

Ratnam brings to screen a tale that is loosely based on the life of Indian entrepreneur Dhirubhai Ambani(although the disclaimer at the start states otherwise, the similarities in parts is just openly obvious) but in the process captivates the viewer with a lot more as he, in true Ratnam style, works the film on more than one level.

The movie starts in black and white (a masterstroke) with Gurukant Desai (Abhishek Bachchan) as a man in his 60’s delivering the films opening, and rousing lines. From there we’re transported via a flashback as we watch the rise of Gurukant Desai , the son of a school teacher from a modest family in Idhar (Gujarat). After failing his exams, he goes to work in Turkey selling oil as a working missionary. There he realises that his dreams are much bigger than this, and despite repeated promotions and pay rises Guru realises that his dreams are much bigger than this, and rather than waste it on others(the “white man” in this instance) he decides to use it on him self to realise his dreams. In a sense, Istanbul works for Guru how South Africa worked for Mahatma Gandhi in a warped parallel of sorts.

Guru meets Sujatha (Ashwariya Rai) in the most unusual circumstances and the two get married. But even here, Guru marries Sujatha not out of love, but for the dowry that she will bring with her so that he can use that money and start his business in Mumbai(though that comes back to bite him later).




Without revealing too much of the story, from here unravels a tale of one mans desire to succeed, to become the best and to have everything and hold in his palm what one can only call the Indian Dream. He challenges the systems, and with his penchant for not taking “no” as an answer starts building an empire which goes from strength to strength and his profits start going up, up and up.

Along the way he strikes a friendship with an ethical press baron Mangaldas aka Nanaji (Mithun Chakraborthy finally in a role worthy of his talent) and in a sense, the two develop a father-son relationship.

Guru manages to build an empire which is larger than what most people only dream of, with a staff that is thousands in numbers, yet he still wants more, to grow bigger and to become the biggest company in India.

But with great power comes a darker side, that of corruption, and his one time friend Nanaji now becomes a foe of sorts as he doesn’t agree with Gurus business ethics and ideals. Nanaji with his protégé Shyam Saxena(Madhavan) decide to bring down one of the most powerful men in India-Gurukant Desai. What follows next is a cat and mouse game of power play and in a turn of events Gurus world starts tumbling in front of him, but he continues to fight on in a cat and mouse game of power-play. Who comes out on top?



The story has not been credited, but the screenplay by Mani Rathnam is absolutely outstanding to say the least. The first half of the movie is flawless as it introduces the viewer to the character of Gurukant Desai and slowly lets him grow on us. The relationships that Guru establishes with those around him are beautifully put into place in the first half and strike an eminent chord with the viewer. The rise of Gurukant Desai provides to the viewer one of the most enjoyable and engrossing movie experiences in recent times. The second half of the movie focuses on the flipside of the coin and the consequence of what comes with great power. As always, Ratnam spans his tale across 40 odd years and letting his characters age with the story like fine wine.

As a director, Mani Ratnam brings forth the the final addition to his “power” trilogy after NAYAKAN (1987) and IRUVAR (1997) and now GURU (2007). In a weird twist of irony, Ratnam has spread each of his masterpieces over a span of 10 years himself, and with GURU comes what is arguably his most enjoyable movie to date in the absolute sense merging flawlessly content with entertainment. GURU works on three main levels as a film, the first being the simple tale of an underdog who rises from nothing to become something and the consequences that come along the way. This is a universal theme and works on every level with the viewer, and even those who aren’t familiar with the language or Indian cinema at all (a feat in itself). The main criticisms that have always been against Mani Ratnam is that his films on the whole aren’t “commercial” enough to become a true blockbuster and that he doesn’t cater enough to the “masses”. In that retrospect GURU does NOT disappoint at all, as Ratnam has realised that “masala is a MUST”. The main element of “masala” comes in the form of Abhishek Bachchans performance as it is one that makes us laugh, cry, sit there gape faced and ultimately stand up and applaud. The “feel good” factor in this movie is soaringly high that it’s inspirationational in many ways, and when you leave the cinema you hold your head up high with the attitude “I can achieve anything” which is surely a plus for GURU as far as Box-office is concerned, and also the repeat value, which too is high.



Secondly, the movie works as a movie modelled on life of Dhirubhai Ambani with some cinematic liberties taken into play to make it commercial and to also not make it too obvious. Those familiar with the history of Dhirubhai Ambani will know that this too works superbly, especially in the first half as we see a struggling Guru break through and reach the dizzying heights of fame as well as the problems he faces from government trade quotas and stock-trading rules as well as the enemies as he makes along the way. Lastly, the movie works as a trajectory of the Amitabh Bachchan legacy, and this for me, being a hardcore Bachchan fan, worked in the most surreal and amazing way. Abhishek Bachchan has slowly been on the rise, and there have been several moments in his previous films like BLUFFMASTER, DUS, BUNTY AUR BABLI and the more obvious one SARKAR where the directors have tapped well into the psyche of Amitabh Bachchans legacy and projected Abhishek Bachchan in a light that will ultimately turn him into a superstar. SARKAR in this retrospect came the closest as the audience erupted into frenzy in the simplest scenes like when Abhishek places his hand on the shoulders of an ailing Amitabh, with the message being loud and clear-the prince has arrived. GURU goes ten steps further in my opinion and the reaction to Abhishek Bachchan throughout the movie is manifolded to what it was in SARKAR. The father has now let go of the sons fingers and much like Gurukant himself, Abhishek runs with the opportunity portraying on-screen what can only be called one of the most iconic and legendary performances in recent times. With GURU Ratnams presents Abhishek Bachchan in a performance that can only be called “the moment” in Abhisheks career (though YUVA by Ratnam was again a “moment”) where he not only gives a lifetime performance, but also connects with the masses with what can only be called one of the massiest “overman” performances I have seen in my life in the classiest fashion. The other criticism against Ratnams Hindi works has been that despite the film being in Hindi, the film themselves have a heavy “South” hangover, GURU again shatters that myth as Ratnam captures the culture and lives of Gujratis to utmost perfection with the lingo, get-ups, and milieu.



Ratnam, in both IRUVAR and NAYAKAN has always used a technique where he beautifully ages his characters spanning decades on celluloid, yet letting the deciphering at what age the character is at based on his get-up and looks(in this case how fat Abhishek has got, how many grey hairs has he got), what age the other characters around him are, how big his company has grown, and more importantly, the background features in this movie as Mani creates eras bygone on celluloid for which the movie is alone worth the price of admission.

Where GURU differs from Ratnams previous works IRUVAR and NAYAKAN, is that despite his central character being a man with lot of power, and one that has to face the consequences of the actions he takes with this power, the movie doesn’t end on a dark note, and the film stays true to its tagline..VILLAGER..VISIONARY and more importantly WINNER (the feel good factor). I must add that this is NOT to say that Ratnam compromises in anyway, but Gurukant Desai is not as darker character as Velu Naicker nor one was complex as Anandam.



Abhishek Bachchan delivers what can only be classified as an outstanding performance, and one that will no doubt be talked about for decades to come. Ratnams fascination with ageing his characters provides Abhishek Bachchan a platform to deliver a performance that enthrals and mesmerises the viewer from start to finish with his dynamism. He is completely believable as a character hailing from a Gujrati background. From Abhishek Bachchans powerful delivery, to his get-up as he ages through the years, to his body language (astounding) to his eye movement this is THE Abhishek Bachchan performance that the viewers have been wanting. There are moments, when Abhishek reminds the viewer of Amitabh Bachchan, but in no way does Abhishek imitate Amitabh, if anything, this is a perfect tribute to Amitabh Bachchan as what can only be called Abhishek Bachchans DEEWAR(1975) moment(sorry Sattu I stole your line). From the first screen to the last Abhishek is present in EVERY frame of the movie, and he holds the screen with a magnetic, larger than life presence engulfing the viewer. Despite the get-ups and makeups this is a performance that is natural to the core devoid of any “fake ness” or forced gimmicks like say Hrithik Roshan in his super hero series. In the first half, as the restless young man bursting with energy Abhishek brings to the fore a natural flair for comedy which gives the movie some stupendously entertaining moments of comedy, as the movie progresses and Guru ages, Bachchan maintains that humour merged with menacing ambition and mass appealing histrionics right up to the climax. The climax is one that I somewhat found a bit staged. Nevertheless it provides Abhishek a platform to deliver a speech which quiet frankly is the best projection of the Bachchan psyche and legacy in correlation with Abhishek. Slow-motion, gruffed voice, aged get-up, half paralysed mouthing some of the most crowd pleasing lines I have heard in recent times this is the kind of performance that evokes a cinema hall to completely burst out in whistles, claps and cheers in the largest way possible starting with the lines “ Why should I be scared of the public? I’m the public”! I guess the greatest performance one can give to Abhishek Bachchan is that this is the kind of performance one usually expects from an actor in the calibre of Mohanlal, Kamal Hassan or Amitabh Bachchan or the heavyweight actors of Hollywood, this is a world class performance-nuff said!

It’s near impossible to list the scenes that leave a lasting impact or will be talked about in the days to come as the ENTIRE movie is filled with such scenes all the way through, all I can do is list my favourite scenes and one that have left a lasting impression on me in my first watch.

• Abhishek Bachchans initial entry into the “market” as he tells a veteran trader “tumhare bagal mein beth ke dhanda karoonga”.
• Abhishek dumping all the polyester bags in the IAS officers house
• “Naam tha nahin hai, aur rahega(A Bachchan moment to the core, one can almost imagine a younger Amitabh saying this which gives goosebumps)
• Abhishek Bachchan and Ashwariya Rai at the train station
• The cute play fight scene with Abhishek Bachchan and Ashwariya Rai when they’re in bed.
• Abhishek Bachchans first meeting with Nanaji
• Abhishek Bachchans first speech to his company (defining moment)
• Madhavans entry scene
• Abhishek gets the news that he has twins(buy one get one free bought the house down) and the song that follow(EK LO EK MUFT)
• Abhisheks second speech to his company(another defining moment)
• Abhishek and Ashwariya entering their old house again and their trip down memory lane and the scenes that follow on the swing
• Abhisheks “hospital” scene
• Abhisheks reply to the enquiry commission
• “Banna chahte hai iss duniya ki sabse badi company”?(defining moment).

Ashwariya Rai delivers what in my books is her finest performance to date. I’ve always been one that has found Ashwariya overrated to the core in her Hindi films with the exception of her films with Bhansali as well as RAINCOAT. Her Tamil films (IRUVAR, KANDUNKODAIN KANDUNKODAIN) were much better, and with GURU Ashwariya Rai comes fully into form with a performance that exudes charm and dignity all the way through. From a hot-headed, stubborn yet ultimately soft at heart girl to a matured, and fully realised first lady of her husband she is outstanding. Her initial scenes with Abhishek, as well as her latter scenes in the court got an extremely positive feedback from the viewers here. More so, the chemistry between Abhishek Bachchan and Ashwariya Rai simply exudes a certain amount of warmth and is absolutely lovable. They bounce off each other perfectly, and for all those who were expecting to see a relatively “normal” film with the Abhishek-Ashwariya pairing since their so-called “real” life pairing-GURU is it!



Mithun Chakraborthy wanted to work with Mani Ratnam in 1997 when Ratnam was making IRUVAR, but it required Mithun to shave his head, which he couldn’t do at the time due to commitments with prior projects. 10 years later, Mithunda finally works in a Mani Ratnam film and the result is fantastic. As the monument for truth and justice, Nanaji stands for everything that is right in every sense, and Mithun plays his author backed character to perfection. He brings so much warmth and sincerity to his performance, and elevates every scene he is in. The scenes he shares with Abhishek are simply delightful, as from their initial scenes as friends to their later scenes as foes the histrionics bowls the viewer over.

Madhavan too holds his own extremely well in a relatively smaller, yet very important. His entrance scenes is one of the best in the movie, and the dialogues he mouths after that have a eerie and chilling affect. One just wishes that Ratnam had developed his character a bit more, and shown a few more scenes between Madhavan and Abhishek.

Vidya Balan is simply fantastic. The relationship she shares with both Abhishek and Madhavan has been poignantly portrayed on-screen and she leaves a viscerally lasting impression. No doubt one of the most talented actresses we have in Bollywood today.

The extensive supporting cast in the movie is perfect in every sense. Arya Babbar impresses immensely in the initial scenes, and this can be compared to Sonu Soods performance in Ratnams own YUVA. Once again, Ratnam after a point doesn’t develop the character any further. The other actor who completely bowls the viewer over is Manoj Joshi-he plays Gurus “mota bhai” with such a understanding of the character he is portraying, and with such a natural charm and warmth that he leaves a lasting impression, and more-so, shines in some key scenes he shares with Abhishek Bachchan. The actor in the past has been regulated to loud comic roles in Priyadarshan movies, and it’s a pleasure to see him in such a powerful role.

Sachin Khedkar, Roshan Seth, Rajendra Gupta, Sarita Joshi, Neena Kulkarni, Sanjay Swaraj, Manoj Tyagi, Sudhir Panday, and Dhritiman Chatterjee are all aptly cast in smaller parts.

A special mention to Vijay Krishna Acharya and his outright classic dialogues movie throughout the movie. Refreshingly original and ultimately compelling they heighten the movie a few notches higher.

Technically all Mani Ratnams films are a work of art and a picture of perfection. Dazzling music merged with stirring and eye opening visuals which grace the silver screen have always been his trademark, and GURU is no different, as it actually turns out to be one of his most technically brilliant films to date.

Rajiv Menon captures GURU on celluloid like a painstakingly crafted painting by an artist at the top of his trade. From the scenes in Turkey to the scenes in the village to the scenes in Mumbai this is Award Winning cinematography. The manner in which Ratnam and his technical team have created Mumbai in the 1950’s and onwards is a testament to the talent that lies in Indian cinema, and one that is of truly International quality.

More-so, the long shots of the crowds as they look at the look and react to the larger-than-life Gurukant in front of them at three key moments in the movie is defining moments in cinema and shows how completely in sync Menon and Ratnam were with each other in the vision they were trying to create.

A.R Rehman…Gulzar..Ratnam…what more can be said about the music of GURU? Each and every song is outright amazing, and this is easily one of Rehmans best musical scores to date. The songs in the movie work perfectly in the context of the movie. Some work as a storytelling technique merged seamlessly with the narrative, while others deliver generous dollops of superb masala moments.

The MAYYA MAYYA track at the start of the film is great and foot tapping. Mallika Sherawat is simply delicious here and has some fantastic dance steps (courtesy of Saroj Khan).

The BARSO RE track is one of the most beautifully shot songs I have seen in recent times, soothing to the core and Ashwariya Rai dances amazingly well here.

TERE BINA is a visual and musical treat in the movie. The song is magnificent and majestic, and Abhishek and Ashwariya are simply stunning here.

EK LO EK MUFT is again a projection of the Bachchan psyche, and without a doubt it is Abhishek Bachchans RANG BARSE moment! A crowd pleasing number, which comes at the right time again keeping the tempo upbeat and alive. The dance steps here are rustic and “massy”-wicked.

Alongside the full fledged compositions is Rehmans haunting and gripping background score, from AYE HAIRATHE which plays at various moments in the movie intensifying the Abhishek/Ash love story, to what is one of my favourite songs of the year-JAAGE HAIN. The affect this song has and the tune of it as it plays in the background throughout the movie is one that is simply one of the best in recent times. Finally, the upbeat and catchy GURUBHAI GURUBHAI AAVTA CHE, DHOOM DHADAKA KARTA CHE which plays as Guru accomplishes each hurdle and rises further is catchy and again evokes a very positive reaction.



A few days ago, I was having a conversation with a fellow friend about the Premier of GURU in Toronto, and how I was not willing to spend $100 on one screening of GURU, however if GURU is indeed the masterpiece I’m expecting than I’m happy to spend $100 to watch GURU multiple times across the course of the coming months…luckily I kept that $100 aside:-) The movie does have flaws, the characterisations could’ve been stronger, and there are moments in the second half that could’ve been placed better, however these are minor blemishes in what is one of the most realised films from India in recent times, and one that the viewer simply cannot afford to miss at any cost.

9.2/10.0

A.Shah

Pictures courtesy of www.indiafm.com

Akshay Shah Reviews PITHAMAGAN (Tamil, 2003)

PITHAMAGAN (Tamil, 2003)

Every now and then comes a movie that takes the viewer by the throat and takes them on a journey through its story telling which not only mesmerises the viewer, but leaves a haunting and unforgettable impact…PITHAMAGAN folks, is one such movie.

Director Bala earlier directed the heart rending tragic romantic tale SETHU, delivers yet another hard-hitting, humane and ultimately gripping drama which proves that he is amongst the best directors in Tamil cinema-frankly PITHAMAGAN is unlike anything I have ever seen in my life.

The movie revolves around Chithaan(Vikram) who has abandoned at birth in a graveyard, the local graveyard keeper decides to keep him and raise him as his son. The graveyard becomes his home, and from a young age Chithaan is bought up around death as the undertaker. He is bought up as a reculse with his feelings numb, emotions suppressed and his behaviour is no different to that of an animal.

Sakhti(Surya) is a street smart conmen who makes his living by looting other peoples goods and conning them. Lively, forever talking, full of life and mischief.

After Chithaans father finally passes away he is forced into entering the “normal” world-where he is befriended by a local marijuana seller Gothmati(Sangeetha). She gets him a job with the local drug don (Mahadevan). After a raid by the police Chithaan is put into prison where he runs into Sakhti. An unlikely bond of friendship strikes between the two and Chithaan starts seeing life in a different way through Sakhtis eyes. His his heart Sakhti is his mentor, his guide and his guru and he will do anything for him. All seems to be going well until calamity strikes..What happens? PITHAMAGAN provides the answer.

I have seen many stories of friendship before, but never before have I seen a story of friendship like the one portrayed in PITHAMAGAN. This is probably the most unusual tale of friendship, loyalty, trust, love and violence ever portrayed in cinema and frankly its takes guts to write a rather risky yet engrossing story like this. The screenplay is almost fluid for most of the movie, except for a rather unnecessary angle with actress Simran playing herself, which does provide a rather “masala filled” medley of songs but seems unwanted in the movie. The sequence of events in the last half hour of the movie is an astounding piece of writing which deserves accolades all around.

As a director Bala directs one of the most unusual, yet strangely engrossing and ultimately emotional tales of our times. His style of direction is almost fluid as he lets his character take over the movie completely and take the story forward. He etches his characters so well, they strike an almost hypnotic chord with the viewer which is extremely unique. Directing a story like this, is no easy work however Bala takes helm with utmost sincerity and conviction that one cannot help but admire the director. There are many scenes which are simply unforgettable in the movie including..

• The start of the movie with the birth of Chithaan(graphic)
• The scene where Chithaans father passes away and he does his final “rites”
• Chithaans numerous fight scenes-raw and powerful
• Sakhtis introduction and his various con acts
• The various scenes between Chithaan and Sakhti
• When Chithaan burns a man as ordered by his boss, and he does his final rites-the singing is simply haunting and brings goose bumps.
• The entire last ½ hour of the movie which is disturbing and ultimately haunting in the truest sense.

There is so much portrayed in the movie just through gestures and symbolism(like Vikram not liking Suryas closeness with Laila, the bond between Vikram and Sangeetha and no doubt the bonding between Surya and Vikram.

One can’t help but salute Bala for bringing a tale like PITHAMAGAN to celluloid and doing full justice to the movie.

Those who are thinking the movie is ultimately a sad and depressing affair throughout..think again! The movie is actually laced with some superbly brilliant moments of masala through Suryas character and has quiet a number of comic sequences as well as humour which is natural and brings a smile to the viewers face, though in the end it’s the “tragedy” end of the tale which lingers with the viewer long after the movie is finished.

As far as performances go they are the movies backbone and masterstroke.

Vikram as Chithaan delivers what I would right call one of the GREATEST performances I have ever seen in my life. Chithaan will no doubt remain a remarkable milestone in Vikrams career, and given it’s a character which requires the actor to barely utter 10 lines throughout the whole movie, Vikrams cements his performance in the viewers mind simply through his get-up, expressions and body language and explosive screen presence. It would be easy to overact in a performance like this or ultimately over-do the performance in the sense it screams “look at me im acting” however Vikram avoids this on all counts-he CONVINCES the viewer that he is the animalistic Chithaan and therein lies his biggest victory as an actor. There is a thin line that separates a man from an animal, and we are reminded throughout the movie that Vikram is ultimately an animal who has the form and shape of a man. As he growls, grunts, brutally fights, and shows absolute loyalty to the person who cares for him its quiet clear that through Vikram and Chithaan, director Bala has created one of the most unique characters ever in cinema. Vikrams eerie singing when someone dies, his absolutely insane fight scenes(I always talk about PURE ANIMALISTIC RAGE, and in that sense Vikrams performance is the definition of the very term), his bonding sequences with Sangeetha and Surya, the climax scene where he cries and howls as he hounds Mahadevan like a beast are all ample proof that Vikram is one of the finest actors ever in contemporary Indian cinema(Tamil or otherwise).

In a movie like this, one would think any other actor would be sidelines with Vikram in such an author backed role, once again..think again! Bala has cleverly written the movie to ensure that both “stars” are given ample footage in their diametrically opposite roles. In relation to Vikrams character, Surya is required to do the absolute opposite and in turn delivers what is quiet possibly one of the finest “masala” acts I’ve ever seen. As the loud-mouth, street smart, con-man, tapori Surya has never looked so much at ease in front of the camera. Exuding charm and wit this is one extremely likeable performance that strikes an instant bond with the viewer. Surya is a livewire constantly changing his expressions throughout the movie, as well as his delivery providing the movie with some fantastic comedy and bringing a smile to the viewers face. A character so ALIVE in every sense of the movie, is ultimately a brilliant contrast to Vikrams morbid and sombre Chithaan. It simply would be unfair to compare both actors in their respective roles, as both deliver a performance of a lifetime.

On a sidenote, why aren’t there more Multi starrers in Tamil Cinema? The chemistry shared between Vikram and Surya is simply fantastic, and is ample proof, if both actors are given the right roles, it’s possible to keep both fans of the actors happy. I’m guessing in Tamil cinema, almost all the movie are designed to suit the “image” of the “star” and in a sense, its up to that star to carry that movie through to the box-office and by sharing the limelight with a bigger actor it would mean comparisons as well as the possibility of another star stealing the show. It would be simply fantastic to see more multi-starrers with actors like Rajni, Kamal, Vikram, Surya, Madhavan coming in one movie together.


The supporting cast in this movie is fabulous. Laila who I didn’t like much in DHILL, is great here. Her comic scenes with Sakhti where shes angry with him are hilarious and extremely cute, though I wish her love story with Sakhti was better defined. In the climax of the movie too her facials are just stunning.

Sangeetha too delivers an excellent account of herself and comes out triumphant. Mahadevan as the main villan is hateable in his cold-hearted character.

Music by Ilaiyaraja is just fantastic. The song picturised on Vikram at the start after he is abandoned is haunting. The “medley” type number with Surya and Simran too is simply superlative as is the song that features in the end of the movie.

Technically the movie is a fantastic. From the camerawork which captures the whole milieu and ambience of the movie to perfection, to the editing, sound and most definitely the action scenes its all top notch.

All up PITHAMAGAN may not be everyone’s up of tea, however it is a movie that is simply unmissable…and one that is absolutely unforgettable!

Overall Rating 9.0/10.0

Akshay Shah Reviews "OKKADU" (Telugu, 2003)

OKKADU (Telugu, 2003):

Every once in a while comes a film so simply in it’s story and storytelling yet the manner in which the material is presented is so entertaining that one cannot really complain-OKKADU is one such film! The movie on face-value sounds like the usual “masala” film, however the treatment merged with some sparkling performance catapult the movie to another level.

The film revolves around Ajay (Mahesh Babu) who is a kabaddi player and the son of an A.C.P (Mukesh Rishi at his positive best). Ajay is a street-smart hoodlum who has formed a street gang of sorts with the local boys in the area and is constantly fighting with another local gang. Ajay goes to Kurnool for a Kabaddi tournament where he runs into Swapna(Bhoomika Chawla) in the most unlikely of circumstances. Swapna is on the run from Kurnool trying to get to the U.S. Chasing her is the beast-like Obul Reddy(Prakash Raj) who is in “love” with Swapna and wants to marry her, even though he has killed Swapnas two brothers. Obul is from a powerful family in the area with his brother being a Home Minister and his word is the law.

Ajay rescues Swapna from the clutches of Obul Reddy and escapes from Kurnool back to Hyderabad. Ajay hides Swapna in his room as he figures out a way to get her a VISA so that she can travel to the U.S. Meanwhile the Home Minister gets the entire Police Force(including Ajays father) to start searching for Swapna and the “boy” who helped her escape from Obul. Thus begins a cat n mouse race against time between Ajay and Obul …oh yea and along the way Swapna has started to fall in love with Ajay too.

The story has been well written. The basic premise of the movie is about a mans mission to protect a girl and send her to safety-the U.S. While the first half has been devoted to establishing the character of Mahesh Babu and his family as well as initialising the “clash” between Mahesh and Obul Reddy the second half builds up further on the clash as well as establishing a poignant love story between Babu and Chawla as well as the defeat of Obul Reddy. Gunasekhar does a really good job with the story however it’s the screenplay that makes the difference.

The screenplay in the movie has been superbly written and engages the viewer from the first scene. Gunesekhar is no doubt confident with the material he is dealing with and the sequence of events unfold in the most fluid manner.

As a director Gunasekhar is fantastic! He handles the story with flourish and takes time by allowing the movie to grow on the viewer rather than forcing anything on the viewer. The first half has an equal dose of comedy, family moments as well as action. I guess the turning point in the movie is Mahesh Babus first “interaction” with Prakash Raj. The scene is infact so simple and in many a ways so clichéd, however the manner in which it has been directed is basically what masala cinema stands for.

Picture this….our hideous villain who rules the area forcing the unwilling gorgeous heroine into his jeep. A bystander on the phone watches….he comes out of the phone booth slowly…and starts walking over to the villain. We-the viewer know that this guy is not to be messed with but our hero is out of town…he doesn’t know this as he slowly walks over to the villain only to smack him in the face we know that we’re hooked! No, it’s not rocket science, its spicy old masala. Gunasekhar KNOWS the key ingredients of a masala entertainer and in a sense he overblows the whole element which works in the movies flavour. Our hero is a “HERO” in the truest sense. A do-gooder with a heart of gold though he is always in the bad books of his dad. Fearless and pious he is willing to fight for the right cause without a flinch against anyone. The scene that follows where Babu outwits Reddys entire gang too is simply superb. The second half definitely slows down in pace only to pick up towards the end again. The sequence as Reddys men and the police are both after Babu and Chawla, and as they escape in a amidst a crowd of Muslims going to pray the “namaaz” is simply surreal and again reaffirming that Gunesekhar knows his mettle. The climax is apt and has the required punch.

The best way to describe this movie is a modern-day-masala meets a fairytale. The whole premise of a “ideal” hero, a “damsel in distress” and a “villain” who is the villain in the truest sense. The whole “love story” has a magical feeling to it, hence giving the movie its fairytale edge(the sequences that Babu and Chawla have in Charminar are just outstanding and add a magical touch to the movie). Above all..the troll-like Prakash Raj with his hunched look, beady eyes and grunting face symbolises everything that a “villain” should be. Good versus evil..love triumphs over all…get my drift?

The star of the show is no doubt Mahesh Babu! When I first saw Mahesh Babu he looked like a distant cousin of Chunky Panday mixed with some “chikna” Rajshri launch. His boyish looks, wide grin and “twinkle” in the eye made him look like everything that a required lover-boy should be however definitely NOT what a required action hero should be. But when Mahesh Babu starts fighting I was jaw-dropped. Faster than a bullet, smarter than Einstein and above all absolutely fucking vicious Babu changes the perception garnered by the first impression he gives in a split second. Babu completely excels in the action sequences completely convincing the viewer that he is on tough mutha-fu*ka! The best example of this would be when he takes on Prakash Raj and his entire clan-its completely outrageous yet deliciously entertaining and Babu has a almost magnetic energy when he is fighting that leaves the viewer mesmerised. Looks…wit…charm….from a lover-boy to a street-smart, headstrong vicious warrior..Mahesh Babu has the whole package-in short….the ULTIMATE “masala” hero in the most unlikely form!

Bhoomika is perfect in her part. I have always liked her since TERE NAAM, and she gives another likeable performance here. Natural in the dramatic and romantic scenes she makes her character of Swapna very likeable.

Prakash Raj is simply brilliant. His looks in the movie is wicked, and he plays the evil Obul Reddy with panache. I have always maintained that a great villainy act should be able to make the viewer laugh (sometimes nervously) while being able to completely convince them that he MEANS BUSINESS. From Gabbar Singh, to Mogambo all had a element of madcap humour and in that sense Obul Reddy falls into that category(though he isn’t as great a villain as Gabbar Singh) he has all the quissential requirements of a villain in a masala mould. The way he says “I Love You” to Bhoomika is just hilarious!

It’s a pleasure to see Mukesh Rishi in a positive role after RUN(Hindi) and SARFAROSH. He adds a certain amount of sincerity to his portrayal.

The rest of the supporting actors from Mahesh Babus mother to sister, to Obul Reddys mum and brother are all apt in their parts and perform ably.

Mani Sharmas music is excellent. All the songs are well picturised and extremely likeable, and for the most didn’t interfere with the movies singular narrative.
The background score too rocks.

Technically the film is an extremely polished product. The cinematography is outstanding here, and captures the look and feel of the movie superbly. From the gritty fight sequences to the romantic scenes the entire movie has that definite “fairy tale” look that I’ve been talking about. The sets too are jaw-dropping. Specially that of Charminar which looks totally exquisite. The action sequences are slick and fast….very fast! They completely cater to the “masses” but with a definitive touch of class. Srikar Prasads editing is good, however the second half could’ve been trimmed to maintain the movies pace.

All up OKKADU is a gem of a movie with all the required elements to make it the ultimate modern day “masala” blockbuster. Yes, the movie does have its share of flaws, however with something as entertaining as OKKADU you don’t sit there and pick flaws especially when they take a backseat compared to the entertainment factor!

8.0/10.0

A.Shah

Akshay Shah Reviews "PATTIYAL" (Tamil, 2006)

PATTIYAL( Tamil, 2006)

The genre of “Gangster films” is no doubt one of my favourites! Movies like SATYA, COMPANY, VAASTAV, KAANTE, MAQBOOL, D etc are ones which I simply love and so far in my rendevous with Tamil cinema I had yet to see a worthy gangster film-until now.

Vishnu Vardhans PATTIYAL is a dash of Ram Gopal Varma, a slice of Quentin Tarantino with more than a passing nod to Tamil Cinemas own Bala-and the movie makes for a rivetting watch.


The movie revolves around Kosi(Arya) and Selva(Bharath)-both hitmen for a underworld middleman Sami(Cochin Haneefa). Kosi kills with a unblinking ruthlessness and he doesn’t seem to care what the body count is as long as he comes out unscathed at the end of it all. The deaf and dumb Selva on the other hand doesn’t like to kill innocents-beneath his dark and grimy exterior lies a heart….one that’s beating.

When Saroja(Padmapriya) and Sandhya(Pooja) enters both Kosi and Selvas lives things begin to change. While Kosi constantly tells Saroja to go away and treat her like dirt-the shy Selva falls in love with Sandhya with all his life. Despite warnings from Kosi-its evident that Selva is now a changed man who wants to change his life and end this life of killing and violence.

When Kosi and Selva are given a large sum of money to conduct one final killing of a local MP Nachinmuthu Gounder(Santhanabharathy) things finally come to a grinding halt..what happens next? PATTIYAL provides the answer.

Gangsters with little to no remorse, unparralled show of power, guns, violence…Vishnu Vardhans creates a gangster tale which Hindi cinema has witnessed time and time again-however its change of setting to the South makes PATTIYAL a interesting watch. Vardhan presents characters at the edge of a society that most people don’t don’t even get to see-and he gives us a birds-eye-view on what life is like. The relationship between Kosi and Selva reminds one of Satya and Bhikhu in SATYA as well as giving a passing nod to Chithan and Sakht in PITHAMAGAN. The romantic interludes between Kosi and Selva too draw an heavy inspiration from SATYA-infact the scene where the four go out for a coffee is more-or-less been ripped off, and even actress Padmapriyas performance has a heavy hangover from Shefali Shahs classic act.

However Vardhan succeeds-he paints a rather bleak and tragic picture of friendship, loyalty, murder, love and violence and the age old theme of “those who live by the gun die by the gun” is presented in a relatively slick and emotionally gripping manner. There is also constant in-movie reference to films, movie stars and much more. Just witness the scene where the duo go to threaten a movie star who Selva is a huge fan of-and after threatening him he asks for his autograph! The action sequences have been shot with flair, and the undercurrent of tension and violence has been superbly canned. The finale bears more than a passing nod to Tamil cinemas Bala(SETHU, PITHAMAGAN) yet the outcome is rather well done.

In terms of performances both Arya and Bharath give rivetting , gripping and heartfelt performances though on the whole both the actors haven’t appealed to me much.

Arya is a knockout as the emotionless Kosi. His delivery, style and lumbering persona are just spot-on and towards the climax when he starts “changing” and tells Padmapriya that he wants to leave this life-he is again simply superb. He portrays a “don’t give a fuck” attitude to a T and his scenes with Bharath too are brilliant.

Bharath gives a excellent account of himself in a rather complex role. As the dumb and deaf gangster with a conscience Bharath is simply outstanding in portraying the nuances of his character through his eyes, facials and body language. He manages to touch the viewers hearts-and even his silence speaks volumes. The scenes he has with Pooja and with Arya are just wonderful. Though his almost child-like looks aren’t the usual trademark of a Tamil Hero-with this character the looks work fine as fine. In saying that-the only problem I had with Bharaths act is that it seems heavily inspired by Vikram-yes the spontaneity and raw energy is all there but one cannot help but think of Vikram when watching this performance as there is evidently a hangover.

Padmapriya is efficient and has a rather bubbly persona on-screen. Pooja is excellent in her part though her character too has more than passing nod to Satyas Vidya(Urmila).

Cochin Haneefa is excellent-an absolute knockout as the slimy middleman. The final shot is unforgettable.

Technically the movie is slick-the sets in the movie are superb, and the camerawork too is slick though some shots have clearly been inspired by Bollywood and Hollywood! Yuavraja Shankars music too is good-though some of the songs seem to be forced and seem out of place.

All up PATTIYAL has a rather oft repeated story, but the treatement, presentation as well as performances (not to forget the vibrancy and raw nerve) that Vishnu Vardhan has made the movie with ensures that it’s one that has to be seen!

Sidenote: PATTIYAL I probably enjoyed slightly more than others given my love for the genre-and also given that the movie has been inspired(and at times ripped off) from many known Hollywood/Bollywood sources it makes it all the more fun seeing the movie transported into this milieu!


7.5/10.0

Akshay Shah Reviews "THALAPATHI" (Tamil, 1991)

THALAPATHI(Tamil, 1991)

The first time I saw “Thalapthi” I was 15 years old and at the time remember liking the movie a lot. 10 years later I revisited the movie to completely fall in love with it again.

“Thalapathi” directed by Mani Ratnam in a sense is one his most commercial movie to date and one of the few times he has directed a completely commercial and “formularised” Indian movie but with his touch very much intact.

tamil-cinema-dalapathy.jpg

The film revolves around Surya(Rajnikanth larger than life) who is abandoned on a train when he’s a child during the Bogi Festival. He grows up in the slums into good-hearted, fearless warrior who fights against injustice and helps those in trouble. Totally fearless he isn’t scared to die and his strength is enough to take on 10 men alone. When Surya attacks a man who tries to molest a girl-the man ends up in hospital. Later Surya finds out that the man he beat up was actually working for a local don Devraj(Mamoothy). After a initial clash, Surya is sentenced to prison and the man to bail him out is none other than Devraj. The two become extremely close friends as Surya feels indebted to Devraj for getting him out of jail. Under Devrajs wing Surya rises like a phoenix and becomes Devrajs commander (Thalapathi). However their friendship is put to the test when a new IAS officer Arjun (Arvind Swamy) comes to the village and is determined to put an end to Devrajs crime reign. Surya sets out to kills Arjun not knowing that Arjun is infact Suryas brother.

Mani Rathnam takes loosely takes his inspiration from The Mahabharat merging his characters with the Duryodhana-Karna-Arjuna relationship, however “Thalapathi” is far from being a modern version of the Mahabharat. Infact at the heart of “Thalapathi” lies a director who proves that he is one that is completely comfortable with directing a outright “masala” film with all the common elements from popular 70’s cinema. Infact-with my second viewing I found myself asking what more is “Thalapathi” than a darker version of Manmohan Desais cinema mixed with a touch of Yash Chopras classic “Deewar”?

The “lost and found” formula in “Thalapthi” draws a direct comparison to Desais works like NASEEB and AMAR AKBAR ANTHONY, two brothers on different sides of the law with a doting mother in between echoes “Deewarr”, the “live till we die” friendship between Surya and Devraj draws a reminder to the classic and immortal friendship of Jai and Veeru in “Sholay”,..heck there is even a subtle love angle with Rajnikanth, his sweetheart Sobhna and his brother Arvind Swamy who she ends up marrying. As a director I guess Rathnam despite having the most popular elements of “masala” cinema refuses to give it a straightforward treatment and that precisely is where “Thalapathi” scores. The tone is dark, and often bleak at times but always compelling. Right from the absolutely black and white sequence at the start to the very end the movie catapults the viewer into a somewhat mythical world of identity, love, loyalty, friendship and family. Yes, Ratnam does play it straightforward as a director with “Thalapathi” but even then this is definetly no straight forward film as the writer and director in Ratnam remarkably creates a film that is ultimately an outstanding piece of cinema.

The casting in the movie is nothing short of brilliant and as always, Ratnam brings together the type of cast that will never be seen in Indian cinema again.

Rajnikanth in the title role is absolutely outstanding! I have seen very few Rajni films in my life, but from what little I have seen I’m an absolute fan, and “Thalapthi” is infact one of the few rare instances(compared to what little other stuff I have seen) where the man effortlessley merges style, charishma, screen presence, power with an absolutely raw, powerful and moving performance. His body language controlled, his delivery remarkable-yet not overdone, and his eyes expressing more than ever. More-so Rajnikanth brings to screen a character that despite his negative shades the viewer completely adores and sides with. He fits into the “larger-than-life overman” figure to utmost perfection and one can say this is a performance where his starpower enhances the impact of his performance rather than overshadow it. There are times-namely the emotional and dramatic sequences where I did find relative similarities between Rajnikanth and Amitabh Bachchan which is hardly surprising given Rajnis admiration for the Big B but in no way does Rajnikanth imitate Amitabh Bachchan throughout. I guess a lot has to do with his character of Surya-which in a sense symbolises and holds all the popular commercial elements of 70’s cinema(but a lot darker) which catapulted Bachchan into a Superstar.

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Mamoothy plays a almost parallel role to Rajnikanth in the movie as Devraj and the Malayalam Super-star brings to screen his cool-as-cucumber yet tougher-than-tough persona to utmost perfection. One must give credit to Ratnam sir for giving Mamoothy a role that completely utilises Mamoothys acting talents, star power and screen aura which results in a powerful performance. Mamoothys bear-like presence crackles the screen everytime the actor is on-stage and is simply superb. The scene where Mamoothy is getting slashed up by 10 goons yet still continues to fight is a scene that surely gets the viewers adrenalin rushing-and the mere fact that Mamoothy makes such a implausible scene plausible says it all…the man is a legend!

Arvind Swamy is an actor who I have never been a great fan of, but it seemed like Ratnam had a soft spot for Arvind. From “Roja” to “Bombay” to “Thalapathi”. Heck Swamy even dubbed for Shahrukh Khan in the dubbed version of “Dil Se..” and had a fleeting appearance in Ratnams “Alay Payuthe”-a role which co-incidentially was done by Shahrukh Khan in the Hindi version “Saathiya”. Arvind innocent, schoolboy looks merged with his “I mean business” attitude don’t always work as expected-however given Swamy is pitted against two “gods” of cinema here of sorts he does manage to hold his own(nuff said).

The actresses in the movie all play their parts superbly. From Shobhna, to Bhanu Priya to Srividya. Geetha and Sonu Walia(Yes Sonu Walia who get a FF award for “Khoon Bhari Maang” then never got a good role again) are good in their parts.

Jai Shankar-who plays Srividyas husband, too was excellent in his part.

Lastly, Amrish Puri. In a movie where the characters drawn out are “clichéd” yet not, Amrish Puri is given the most straight forward role of a villan who is against Devraj. Amrish Puri is outstanding, yet on some level the character seems relatively out of place. This is a negative performance which requires Puri to flesh out the “evil” nuances of his character with simple touches like his delivery, eyes and above all…the dialogues he mouths with a icy hatred, as opposed to the OTT villains Puri played in movies like “Mr.India” etc. Just witness the scene where he talks to Rajnikanth about coming into his gang…

Technically the movie is outstanding. Santosh Sivans camerawork is frankly one of his best works to date, and emmaculately captures the entire movie on celluloid with supreme confidence and utmost conviction.

Illayarajas music too is outstanding to say the least. Each and every song hits the right note-however my pick of the lot would have to be the soul stirring “Yamunai Aatirle”(hope I spelt it right).

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“Thalapathi” is not just a movie, it’s a lot more…why? Well, to be quick and precise…..Rajnikanth+Mamoothy+Arvind Swamy+Mani Ratnam+Illayaraja+Santosh Sivan=NO ORDINARY FILM!

Overall Rating=8.5/10.0

A.Shah

Akshay Shah Reviews "POKIRI" (Telugu, 2006)

POKIRI- Telugu (2006)

I recently just saw Mahesh Babus OKKADU and totally loved the movie. A seamlessly directed, superbly acted action packed love story which focussed on the story and perfectly merged romance, action, drama and comedy into one smooth flowing narrative.


My expectations from POKIRI were somewhat the same-however I was in for a complete surprise! POKIRI is a loud, crude, shamelessly exploited, highly stylised, over commercialised and absolutely preposterously over-the-top action movie which is most deifnetly style over content. So does the movie work? OH HELL YES! This folks, is nothing more than a adrenalin rush which requires the viewer to completely turn off their brains, sit back and enjoy the ride.

The movie revolves around Pandu(Mahesh Babu) who is a fearless and remorseless “self employed” hitman. He works for the party that pays the most money and isn’t afraid to pop a bullet through anyones head now matter how important or highly-ranked the figure is. Love was never meant to be a part of Pandus life, however he falls for a aerobics instructor Sruthi(Ilena). She also falls for him, however is terrified once she finds out his way of life. Pandu has a fallout with Alibhai, and Sruthi in the meantime is harassed by a vulgar and corrupt cop(Ashidh Vidyrathi at his slimy best). When Alibhai(Prakash Raj) arrives in India from Dubai, he is arrested by a honest cop(Sayaji Shinde). Alibhai has a blue movie made of the cops daughter and has it made “public”. Just as Alibhai is about to kill his daughter-she reveals that her father has planted a “mole” in his gang who will rip his entire empire apart…what happens next? Watch POKIRI for the answer.

In terms of a story, the movie had immense potential for a lot of “masala” as well as being an intelligent film. However writer Puri Jagganath has decided to play it dumb, and concentrated more on style and panache rather than developing a story. The screenplay itself is quiet disjointed. The movie works in separate tracks( the love story, the action scenes, the comedy track) and the narrative is rather crudely put together as opposed to OKKADUs almost flawless narrative. The “twist”(which I must admit I didn’t see coming) has been superbly written, though I wish this was revealed slightly earlier on in the movie.

As a director Puri Jagganath makes it evident right from the start that this movie is all about style and Mahesh Babu and everything else takes a backseat. Having recently seen a number of Tamil films, I was pleasantly surprised to find the hardcore “old-fashioned” masala that I love and had been missing in these films and the “mass appealing masala icon” figure which evidently isn’t alive and kicking in Hindi films, to be totally alive and slamming with actors like Vikram, Surya, Madhavan etc. And in that sense, Puri Jagganath takes the whole “larger than life” persona and merges it with a techno savvy slick thriller modelled along the lines of a Hollywood film. This could infact best be described as a “bastard product of Hollywood” much like films like DUS, CHOCOLATE, DON Remake(to an extent), and offcourse Sanjay Guptas brand of cinema. Over-the-top strylisation of the hero, violence, sexy and sizzling babes and rather glamourous villans., and I simply loved it! The first half of the movie is completely jam-packed with over-the-top action sequences as well as some comic scenes. The second half focuses on the love story between Mahesh Babu and Ilena only to shift in between the action scenes and comedy. Towards the end of the second half, a twist is revealed which puts a few things into place(though the twist doesn’t justify the title) it does make for a rather cool watch…and the best thing is…Puri Jagganath doesn’t pretend that the movie is anything else but this. One just wishes that Mr Jagganath had taken more in trying to merge the story together better than having it shot in it’s rather episodic manner.

In terms of performances the movie belongs to Mahesh Babu. After playing the street smart tapori-esque character with a heart of gold in OKKADU, he plays the “larger-than-life” overman figure to utmost perfection. What he doesn’t have in size, he makes up for in attitude-and he is DAMN convincing. The kid is no doubt simply explosive and has all the trappings of a huge star-right from his chikna look, “don’t fuck with me” attitude, witty dialogues saturated in sarcasm and satire as well as the ability to beat the crap out of 20 armed men convincgly. He also impressed in the romance scenes between him and Ilena as well as exuding a rather natural comic charm which is instantly likeable. Ultimately, this is a movie that focuses rather on “style” than anything else, hence Mahesh Babu isn’t required to act much here in the true sense, rather he just acts DAMN cool throughout and blows the viewer away with his energy in the action scenes. Just witness the scene where he sits down to bump of Narayanna and his men, or the scene where he meets Alibhai for the first time-the amount of crowd pleasing attitude he portrays is just fantastic..definetly looking forward to more from Mr.Babu!


Of late I have seen quiet a number of gorgeous Tamil/Telugu beauties. Actresses like Jyothika, Asin, Sada are no doubt simply surreal, however Ilena simply takes the cake as far as cuteness, sex appeal, style, charm and everything else goes. This girl is simply DELICIOUS. Her innocent charm, cute smile, big puppy eyes are just so damn magnetic and appealing that it’s hard not to fall for her. She looks MINDBLOWINGLY GORGEOUS throughout.. Ilena….apun tumpe fida! As far as acting goes, she does well in the emotional sequences and her chemistry with Mahesh Babu is simply blistering.


The supporting cast in the movie does well. Sayaji Shinde is good in a loud, typecast role. Ashish Vidyarthi repeats his act from movies like BICHCHOO and DHILL yet as convincing as always. Prakash Raj is wicked as the villan, I love the comic touches he brings to his negative performances first with OKKADU and now POKIRI. Deifnetly a fun actor to watch. Nasser is wasted in his role, the scenes before his death scene are so over-done (though in a way crucial as it is in a sense the turning point of the movie).

This movie features one of the most STUPIDEST comedy tracks I have ever seen revolving around a guy who annoys a beggar-who in turns gets the “beggar community” to harass. Crude, stupid, inane, headache inducing..yet after a while, when the stupid “ba ba bab a….baa baa baa baa baaa” background score came on I couldn’t help but laugh-not at the comedy..but at the stupidity…unsure if that was the aim though.


Mani Sharmas music is catchy and good, and the all the songs are SUPERBLY picturised though not well placed. The songs in the movie are more-or-less shot like a MTV music video, however it has been shot in a appealing manner with some really racy and catchy tunes that one cannot complain. Plus Ilena looks simply STUNNING in these. The background score is loud-however I found it very impactful and perfectly apt in the context of the movie. The music everytime Mahesh Babu makes a entry or does something “heroic” is great.

Technically, as I mentioned this movie is a product of the Hollywood studio films. Slick, over-the-top action sequences as well as some superbly snazzy camera angles and shots. The violence quotient in the movie is high, however unlike say VIRUMANDI, where I found the violence impactful, the violence in POKIRI plays out more like a Videogame meets Comic Book. Yes there are gun fights with bullets whizzing left right, centre, up and down, peoples heads getting blown off, people being shot in the chest however from the gun fights to the fist fights the action is simply pounding, and is one of the major mainstays of the movie. Part Sanjay Gupta, part John Woo and 100% PURE ADRENALIN PACKED! It has been filmed with passion and with the pure purpose to excite the viewer…nothing more! The action scene when Mahesh Babu is with Ilena and she witnesses him in action, or the climax has been superbly canned. The initial sequence where Mahesh Babu takes on a entire “godown” full of people after closing the shutter too is great. Must comment that the intensity and flair that Babu performs the action sequences with is really good.


All up POKIRI is not a great film by any means, nor does it pretend to be. Its big…over-blown…dumb…action packed…stylish…violent…with one VERY cool hero in the form of Mahesh Babu…and one VERY sexy babe in the form of Ilena. PAISA VASOOL!

7.5/10.0

Akshay Shah Reviews "ATHADU" (Telugu, 2005)

ATHADU(Telugu, 2005)

So far I had seen two Mahesh Babu starrers both of which had thoroughly impressed me in different ways. OKKADU worked as one helluva great traditional masala film embellished with a superb script, seamless direction and laced with some excellent performances not to forget breath taking technical finesse. Next came POKIRI-a thoroughly bastardised product of Hollywood which in no way is a great movie, but one that is shamelessly entertaining for its technical wizardry, entertaining plot twists, a very suave performance by Babu as well as Illenas dazzling beauty. So does ATHADU live up to expectations? Well not quiet! It’s not as great a movie as OKKADU, nor it is enormously entertaining like POKIRI.


The movie revolves around Nandu(Mahesh Babu) and his best friend Malli(Rahul Dev) both of whom are professional contract killers. Killing is their “rozi roti” so to speak. While Nandu is an ace shooter and hot on the trigger, Malli is superb at planning the escapes. They are hired by a wily politician Siva Reddy(Sayaji Shinde) who wants a fake assassination attempt on his own life to gain public sympathy and votes so that he can become C.M. On the day the event is meant to take place-someone shoots Siva Reddy for real and it isn’t Nandu.


On the run from the police, Nandu boards a train where he meets Parbhu(Rajiv Kanakalla) who is returning home to his family after 12 years. In a police shootout Parbhu is shot dead, and Nandu assumes his identity and goes to his house to bring joy to his family. There he finds a happy family including a doting grandfather (Nasser) as well as a lively fiancée (Trisha). Love slowly begins to blossom between Nandu and his fiancé and he also starts helping the family out with their financial problems amongst other things. In the meantime a C.B.I officer (Prakash Raj) is hot on the case of the man who killed Siva Reddy. Soon Nandu finds out that he was double crossed, how Nandu takes revenge and also confronts the truth that he isn’t Parbhu forms the crux of the story.

The movie had a promising story; however the screenplay is a huge letdown. The makers have tried to cram way too many ideas into one movie, and not really developed any of them properly. There are shades of the Rajesh Khanna starrer DUSHMAN, as well as passing nod to the Salman Khan starrer TUMKO NA BHOOL PAYENGEI. One just wishes that the writers hadn’t decided to cram the movie with so much yet not develop any of it properly. The direction by Trivikram Srinivas could’ve been a lot tigher. The first 15 minutes of the movie is superb and establishes the character of Nandu and Malli superbly. Right up to the point where Siva Reddy is murdered the pace is fantastic and the direction tight. From the point where Nandu enters Parbhus house as Parbhu the movie starts to fall flat. The countless comic and romantic interludes between Nandu and his fiancé get tedious to a point and become so repetitive. Also the emotional bond that is so clearly needed for a story like this is not established at all. One wishes that there were more scenes with Nandu and his grandfather so when Nandus true identity is revealed there is more to grip the viewer. The film works best when it’s in thriller mode and the C.B.I officer is trying to find out who killed Siva Reddy. The identity of the killer doesn’t come across as a surprise, though the revelation is well done and works fairly well in the context of the story. The climax features a rather non-original yet outstandingly canned and deliciously entertaining shootout which will please the most hardcore fans, especially those who loved the gunplay and technical wizardry of POKIRI. It seemed like Mr.Srinivas was trying to merge a family/emotional based film with a action film, yet despite a superb masala premise his execution and screenplay doesn’t quiet support him.

As far as performances go, Mahesh Babu delivers yet another convincing performance. He plays the super-slick and icy-cool assassin Nandu with utmost conviction. And like with OKKADU and POKIRI, at face value one doesn’t expect Babu to do much damage in the action scenes, but when he does its pure dynamite and he is extremely convincing. He is pretty good in the romantic scenes, and shows a definite flair for comedy as well, although its evident Babu is most comfortable in the dramatic and action sequences. I do feel that he needs to work harder on his facial expressions in the more dramatic and emotional moments as he sometimes comes across as a bit wooden in parts. In saying that, Babu is the backbone of the movie, without him the movie would be almost hollow.

Trisha is OK in her part. Yes, she is very cute and sexy all in one a lot like my other two favourites Asin and Illena(though Illena takes the cake ANYDAY) yet she isn’t given much to do here except act childish, squeal, whinge and look gorgeous-all of which she does fine.

The movie has a fantastic supporting cast yet sadly none of them are given proper characterisations to flesh out a great performance.

Nasser is good in his part and performs with sincerity. Same goes for the ever-watchable Prakash Raj, though I wish they developed his angle a bit more. Sayaji Shinde, Rahul Dev and Sonu Sood all play their parts aptly. Brahmanandam is good in his comic role, though the placing of the comic sequences are badly placed.

Technically the movie is stylish and slick. Guhans camerawork is simply wicked, and he has given the movie a extremely gritty and slick look to it(specially in the action scenes). The camera angles are well done. Peter Hains is no doubt one of my fave action directors. Yes, at times he is heavily inspired by Hollywood films, and at other times he blatantly copies them. The climax shootout here is one helluva fun watch and technically VERY VERY slick, 2 gun slo-mo, bullets whizzing past in slo-mo, blood supporting left right and centre and bodies drop. And yes, the entire sequence is a direct lift from John Woo’s FACE/OFF mixed with a bit of MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 2 right from the quiet church, the two friends having a verbal showdown as they get their guns ready, the doves and birds flying in the church in slo-mo to the entire 2 gun bullet-fest. Does it make it any less enjoyable? NO!


Mani Sarmas music is good, the title song is well done, though all the songs I felt hindered the films pace.

All up ATHADU is a movie that could’ve been SO much more had the screenplay been worked on harder and the direction been a lot tighter. Yes, there are individualistic scenes that have been superbly canned, and if you’re a fan of Mahesh Babu there is enough here to just satisfy you, but this definitely ain’t no OKKADU or POKIRI for that matter.

Pictures courtesy of www.indiaglitz.com

Overall Rating=6.0/10.0

A.Shah

Akshay Shah Reviews "KANDUKONDAIN KANDUKONDAIN" (Tamil, 2000)

KANDUKONDAIN KANDUKONDAIN (Tamil, 2000)

This is a movie I had heard a lot about even before I made my full fledged foray into Tamil Cinema. The fact that it starred Taboo and Ashwariya Rai meant I was familiar with some of the faces already. An Indian adaptation of Jane Austens novel “Sense and Sensibility” this movie is a truly wonderful watch, laced with great direction, superb performances and a brilliant musical score.

The movie revolves around three sisters, Sowmya(Taboo) who is the elder, sober and more calm one and Meenu(Ashwariya) who is the vivacious, outspoken and the more passionate one and the youngest sister who is studying and aspires to be a scientist. They live in their village with their mother and grandfather, until the grandfather passes away. In a cruel twist of fate and destiny the 3 daughters and their mother are stripped of their house and belongings and set out to the city to build a new life. The rest of the movie revolves around the men that enter the lives of Sowmya and Meenu and how they eventually find love and success as well as live a life of dignity.

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The story by Rajiv Menon has been extremely carefully crafted and translates beautifully onscreen. The films screenplay too is great and moves at a brisk and leisurely pace keeping the viewer totally involved.

As a director Rajiv Menon is thoroughly impressive. He portrayl of his characters shows that he a lot of though and work has gone into the movie and he proves his ability as a master storyteller by bringing a rather simple yet beautiful tale to celluloid with extreme passion. His sensitivity oozes in the movie in relation to his female characters and he has handled them with utmost maturity and sincerity.

I guess one grouch I had with the movie was that the problems faced by the characters and their solutions seemed too straight forward and a tad clichéd. For example Taboo landing a job and then immediately getting a promotion.

From the two love stories, it’s the Ashwariya-Mamoothy track that has the most impact, and Menon has presented this in a beautiful manner making Ashwariyas change of heart totally believable. The Taboo-Ajith love story in that retrospect came across as a bit simple and predictable yet still effective in the films setting. I guess the biggest compliment to this movie is the fact that despite being very “Tamil” in it’s flavour it’s a movie that is a movie that can be perfectly understood and more so accessible for even outside viewers.

The performances in the movie are great from it’s principal cast!

Taboo is her usual fantastic self and the actress lends a huge amount of credibility to her character bringing in the right amount of vunerability as well as determination to her chatacter. An actress of substance no doubt, she simply excels and speaks volumes with her eyes in the dramatic and emotional sequences.

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Ashwariya Rai is a actress I have never been a huge fan with the exception of her performances in HUM DIL DE CHUKE SANAM, DEVDAS and RAINCOAT, however Ashwariya totally surprises me here with a confident, charming and likebale performance. She effortlessley slips into her character and its infact her scenes that provide some of the best moments in the movie. Ash brings out the rather “frisky” and hot-headed nature of her character to perfection(just witness the scene just before they leave their house), or her final meeting with Abbas.Even in the climax with Mamoothy she is a complete natural.

Mamoothy is fantastic in his part, and frankly I was a little surprised to see him here. The actor plays his part like a seasoned veteran and at first, I found the idea of his pairing with Ashwariya a little strange given the age difference, but as the movie progressed his love story was really sweet and worked really well. In the initial stages, he played the bitter nuances of his character really well, and his comedy with Mani Vannan provides some neat comic moments in the movie. In the climax too he is effective as ever.

Ajith was good here. This is my second film of the other, and there is a certain amount of earnestness about him here which makes him instantly likeable. He has a certain amount of charm which is hard to deny and plays his part well.

Abbas annoyed the hell out of me as always after MINNALE. I don’t know whether it’s the rather “slimy” characters he’s played in both movies or the mere fact that he is just plain annoying-but he’s one actor I can’t stand..

The supporting cast from Mani Vannan(ace) to Srividya, Shamli, Pooja Batra, Raghuvaran to Dino Morea(looking VERY young) are all apt in their respective roles.

The technical finesse in the movie as well as the music is another aspect this movie will be remembered for. Ravi.K.Chandrans camerawork is simply outstanding, and he shoots the movie like a beautiful painting on celluloid. The song sequences in the movie are a treat for the eyes. A.R Rehmans music too is just surreal, and has a almost hypnotic affect on the viewer merged with Chandrans visuals. The songs in the movie are all aptly paced, and this is a rather “traditional” and classical musical score from Rehman focussing on the ragas of carnatic music again proving by A.R Rehman is indeed the number uno music director we have today in Indian cinema.

All up KANDUKONDAIN KANDUKONDAIN is a movie that is easy to watch and hard not to appreciate for it tales a rather beautiful tale in a simple manner which connects with the viewer and slowly starts to grow on them further and further as the movie progresses. My only nitpick with the movie is it’s treatment is a tad too simplistic at times, but its not a major one.

Overall Rating=7.5/10.0

A.Shah

Akshay Shah Reviews "NAYAKAN" (Tamil, 1987)

NAYAKAN(Tamil, 1987)

NAYAKAN, a name I can remember as long as I have been watching films over the last 10 years. Revisiting the movie ten years later, has indeed been an experience as Mani Rathnam weaves a tale of crime, love, power, law and family in one what can only be called one of the most influential Indian films to ever be made.



Mani Rathnam is known to make more than just a movie, and in most cases his films work on more than one level, and in that retrospect NAYAKAN is no difference. The story by Rathnam is based on a real-life Don Varadarajan Mudaliar. The movie revolves around a young boy Velu Naicker)Kamal Hassan) , who run away to Mumbai after killing a police officer who betrayed him and murdered his Union Leader father in cold blood. He is taken in by a young Tamil boy whose father is a pious and honest man who happens to be a smuggle rwith a heart of hold. As a young man, when Velu decides to help out in his fathers work, it ends up getting his father killed by a sadistic and brutal police officer(Pradeep Shakti). In vengeance, Velu murders the police officer but the people of the slum area where he is living, instead of turning him in, see him as a saviour and protector. From there on begins his rise to power as a leader to the people of Dharavi. Velu falls in love, and consequently marries a young prostitute Neela(Saranya) and the couple end up having two children together. In a bitter gang rivalry, he loses his wife, and in an attempt to protect his children from his life of crime and violence he sends them away. Years pass on and his children now return. As fate would have it, his son follows in his father footsteps which in turn results in the death of his son. This futher distances him from his daughter(Kartika) who doesn’t agree at all with her fathers wayward ways. She breaks all ties with him, and ends up marrying an honest police officer(Nasser) to make up for her fathers sins. Once again in a twist of fate, the same police officer is in charge of bringing Velu Naicker to justice.

The story by Rathnam evidently draws inspiration from one obvious source-which is Francis Ford Coppolas THE GODFATHER, but it would be criminal to call NAYAKAN a “remake” of THE GODFATHER in any sense, as despite certain scenes which draw a close resemblance, the movie itself is a original piece of work.

As a director, Mani Rathnam works the movie on multiple levels, a style of film-making that by no stretch of the imagination is a easy feat, but one that Mani seems to have mastered perfectly with time. Here, the movie on one levels works perfectly as a straight forward story of a underworld don and his life of crime. On another level the movie projects Kamal Hassan in a “larger-than-life overman” role to utmost perfection, and lastly the movie presents the viewer with a depiction of a “real” life underworld don. More than anything else, Rathnam also pays homage to one of the greatest films ever made-THE GODFATHER and in the truest sense this is ultimately a splendid homage.
Rathnams beauty as a director lies in his characterisation of Velu Naicker. It would’ve been very easy to just portray Naicker in his “larger than life” persona and give no parallel justification to his character or draw a line between right and wrong, and in turn portraying a bland prostitution of power. But Rathnam clearly avoids that, he presents both sides of the coin to utmost perfection and rather than draw a conclusion himself, he leaves it for the viewer to decide for himself. The scene towards the end when Naickers grandson asks him “Are you a good person or a bad person” to which he replies “I don’t know” perfectly conveys what Rathnam is trying to portray here. Once again I draw a parallel here to Ram Gopal Varmas recent SARKAR, which too tried to work itself on many levels, but ultimately failed on many levels despite being one entertaining movie. Varma projected his Subhash Nagre in the utmost positive light without presenting the viewer with the other side of the coin. We know that Subhash Nagre is a don of sorts who has his own law and own brand of justice but Varma doesn’t even inform the viewer what exactly it is Nagre does, or present the viewer with the consequence of being in so much power. Velu Naicker, despite being shown as such a powerful figure, is a man who has ultimately lost the most important things in his life from his innocence, childhood, wife, and children and whats left at the end is a man who more than anything we feel sorry for, but also a man who ultimately knows that in some sense he is in the wrong, although he believes what he’s done is right in every way.
The scene where Naickers wife dies and the consequent scenes where the funeral and rites are happening whole the Reddys are being wiped out is a scene that has an obvious heavy hangover of THE GODFATHER, though the scene does hold its own in many ways as well. Rathnam has littered the movie with many golden moments which define cinema(some which I know I’ve failed to pick up this time round) however the scenes that leave a lasting and almost haunting impression include

• Velus first chat with the young boy who goes onto become his best friend Selva(Played by Janagraj). When Selva asks Velu casually “What have you done? Have you failed your exams? Stolen something? “ to which Velu replies “I’ve killed someone”
• The scene where Velu visits the police officers house who he has just killed and meets his wife and kid. Little did he know that this is the day he would meet the man who would ultimately end up killing him in a bizarre twist of fate and irony
• The scene where his son imitates him in the courtyard
• The scene where he slaps his daughter after a heated argument and then tries to make up with her.
• The scene where despite all his wishes, he accepts his son step into the family business. And in a rather touching yet eerie initiation of sorts he calls him “Naicker” and offers him a betel leaf from his own tin.
• The scene where his son dies.
• The climax

To say Rathnams direction is outstanding would be an understatement of sorts. The director paces the movie amazingly gripping the viewer from the very first scene to the last and mesmerising them by the events that unfold onscreen. Violence is aplenty in this movie, but not once does it serve any purpose to be a gimmick of any sort. Finally, Rathnams technique again as he ages his character from a young age to old and spans decades but leaving it upto the viewers intelligence to work out what stage Velu is at in his life by either his get-up or the age of his children, the events around him and so forth is a masterstroke that works like magic; a technique he again used to perfection in IRUVAR 10 years later. From the biggest scenes to the smallest scenes, all the scenes in NAYAKAN work on some level as Rathnam keeps the viewer riveted in their seats till the final credits roll, and you can’t help but applaud as the consequent aftermath of the movie slowly washes over you.

Kamal Hassan delivers what I can only call one of the finest performances I have ever witnessed in my lifetime. A performance that turns into a event in itself as we witness Velu Naicker span 50 years of his life. To say that Kamal Hassan becomes Velu Naicker would be a gross understatement as Hassan is at the height of perfection in a act that has gone down in history as landmark and reference point and one that ultimately haunts the viewer long long after the movie is over. Hassans transformation from his younger years right to his older years from his posture, walk and delivery has been a remarkable feat that Hassan achieves with a sense of dignity, and a aura of perfection. No doubt, Hassan has been known for his “get-up” induced performances with films like INDIAN(which I must add I don’t find “gfimmicky” on any level), however NAYAKAN is not a performance that relies on his get-up or makeup, but one that ultimately relies on the mans acting talent and Hassan proves why he is one of the finest actors we have in India today. The scene that completely bowled me over and touches me to the core would have to be Kamals reaction to the death of his son as he shrieks and wails. What could’ve been a stage for any other actor to go completely overact and self indulge with shouts and screams, Kamal does with a sense of nuance and class yet still leaves a rather chilling and eerie affect. Velu Naicker….Amar Hai…

The supporting cast in the movie too is superlative to say the least.

Janakaraj provides solid support throughout, as well as a rather enjoyable “masala moment” with a song on the boat. Like Kamal, his character to ages as the movie progresses and the actor acts with relish. Saranya as a young prostitute earns our sympathy and wins our heart with her simple appeal. Kartika is outstanding as her role as Hassnas daughter. She absolutely shines in the scenes she has with her father and leaves a lasting impression, specially the scene where she slaps Janakaraj and in turn Hassan slaps her. Tinnu Anand delivered a performance that is still remembered to this day as the young handicap, and he is simply mindblowing in a role that defined the mans career and proved that Anand is a actor par excellence given the right role. Nizhalghal Ravi as Hassans son, and Nasser(looking very young and slim) both are great in their parts. Pradeep Shakti as the menacing police officers plays his part well.

Technically too, the film is outstanding as expected from Mani Rathnam.P.C Srirams cinematography is breath-taking and he captures the decades on-screen with aplomb. The entire backdrop of the slums and the whole seaside setting is something I’ve always had a great weakness for, and Sriram captures the whole ambience with finesse. The scene where Kamal is standing in front of the “junta” is just spectacular in Rathnams trademark style.

Finally Illyarajas music, in a movie where everything is fantastic, would one expect anything but from Illyaraja? All the songs, are merged seamlessley into the films narrative rather than acting as speedbreakers of any kind, and the “Theenpandi Seemaiyile” track which plays in the background at various places is soothing and haunting at the same time, specially in the final shot as Kamal lies there after being shot and we’re given a quick flashback through the life of Velu Naicker.

All up NAYAKAN is truly a outright classic(albeit an overrated one) in every sense of the word.

9/10

My rant on Feroz Khans DAYAVAN-the remake of Mani Rathnams NAYAKAN. First word that comes to mind…bastard! Feroz Khans remake was an absolute embarrasement to what is quiet frankly one of the greatest films ever made. Crude, sleazy and devoid of ALL of the poignant, sensitive and powerful moments that ultimately make NAYAKAN what it is. Depsite the fact that Khan ripped the movie off frame by frame, his direction came across as a turgid mess for the most. His casting of Vinod Khanna, who tried his level best, ultimately was a colossal disappointment when compared to that of Kamal Hassans. Feroz Khans performance taking over from Janakaraja was even worse-and Khan hammed his way through the entire part(and in many scenes trying to project himself in a rather “heroic” light too). The sensual scenes in DAYAVAN merely served as a purpose to titillate the audience. This is a prime example of a remake, where once taken out of its original milieu, setting and team/actors ends up looking like a poor mans desperate rehash. After DAYAVAN, the career of Feroz Khan the director and actor went totally downhill as he went onto deliver duds like YALGAAR, PREM AGGAN and JAANASHEEN(nuff said)

A.Shah

Akshay Shah Reviews "JOOT" (Tamil, 2003)

JOOT( Tamil, 2003)



So far I had seen one film of Srikanth-the film was BOSE-The Force(Tamil, 2004) and that proved to be a watchable little masala action film which followed the formula to a T, yet still provided some fast paced, action-packed entertainment to ensure a enjoyable watch.

JOOT follows the same path as action films like Vikrams DHILL or DHOOL, or more-so Sunny Deols GHATAK which seems to be the obvious inspiration for the film as the director has copied the entire first half from Santoshis little gem. So does JOOT work? Well, yes it does, but once again on the same level that BOSE-The Force worked on, a mindless yet well made and fast paced little masala film..nothing more and nothing less.

For those not aware of GHATAKs story, the movie revolves around Easwaran(Srikanth) who brings his father-an ex army officer(Muarli) to the city for treatment. In the city, Easwaran learns that a local mob boss( “Fefsi” Vijayan) runs the city and the entire city is afraid of his reign of terror including the police force who are under his wing. Easwaran unwillingly gets caught in the cross between the underworld don and the scared and frightened town folk. After a series of clashes, the don kills Easwarans elder brother (Shyam Ganesh) and he swears revenge. How Easwaran takes his revenge with the help of a honest young lawyer Meera(Meera Jasmine) forms the crux of the story.

The entire first half of the movie has been copied from GHATAK as mentioned earlier. However those expecting the hammer strong, heart ripping, lump-in-throat type actioner churned out by Santoshi will be slightly disappointed as the director has only copied the basic body of the story as well as certain scenes, however has added a LOT more “masala” in the movie in the way of a separate comedy track. The scenes like when Srikanth takes his dad to the hospital for a bed, or the scene where he finds out his dad has cancer had a pulsating affect on the viewer in GHATAK, while in JOOT they lack any kind of intensity, and more-so appear to be somewhat forced into the movie.

The main angle in GHATAK was the of a “gandhian” father and his short-tempered son and that entire angle has been neglected in the second half as the movie turns into a routine actioner. In saying that, the screenplay of the movie is fairly racy even if it isn’t entirely original as it borrows from other movies in the same genre.

Director Azagham Perumal made a neat little film with his debut DUM DUM DUM, and in a complete depart from the genre, he again impresses in a action film for the most by showing he is capable of making a outright, action packed masala fare with enough bangs for your bucks. However, if viewed as a “remake” of GHATAK as such the movie fails. Although certain scenes has been copied frame to frame, scene to scene and even dialogue to dialogue, the movie lacks the intensity and punch of the original. For the first half, it seems GHATAK was his source, and the second turned into a “cat n mouse” game between Srikanth and “Fefsi” Vijayan. The second half again borrows certain scenes and characters from GHATAK(the brother dying, the character of the corrupt cop) but adds his own twists to the tale. I guess, I have dwelved more into the whole GHATAK angle , given that this is one of my favourite Bollywood films, but those who haven’t seen GHATAK, and totally enjoy a racy masala fares like DHILL, DHOOL etc will be satisfied.

The performances in the movie are good. Srikanth impressed me as a action hero in BOSE-The Force, and does so again here. His well built physique helps him make his character seem more convincing which is a must given the genre of the movie, and given that Srikanth plays the whole larger-than-life “one man army” role. He simply excels in the gritty action scenes packs a punch. As an actor, I find Srikanth relatively bland, though in some ways quiet watchable as he has quiet a magnetic screen presence as well as a natural charm about him from what I’ve seen so far. He definetly needs to improve himself in the dramatic sequences as he doesn’t do justice to any of them, specially the scene where he finds out his father has cancer, however scenes where he is required to “look angry” he does jus fine though he defiantly doesn’t have the raw, manic energy that Vikram brings to his “angry one man-army” roles. Nevertheless, Srikanth plays the tough-guy with conviction, its playing the emotional side of a tough guy he needs to hone on.

Meera Jasmine is really good here. I didn’t like her too much in RUN, however she impresses a lot more here and gives a convincing and likeable performance.

“Fefsi” Vijayan as the main villan is awesome. His introduction scene is no doubt a take off on Brian De Palmas/Robert De Niros classic “baseball bat” scene in THE UNTOUCHABLES, and though Vijayan is not a patch on that performance, he plays the slimy, over-the-top, eccentric villan with a violent edge damn well and is the perfect foil for Srikanths “hero”.

Murali is good in his part as the father, but given this role is played by Amrish Puri in GHATAK(for which he took home countless Awards) Murali barely musters a pass.

Vivek is ace in his comedy, though the comedy stuck out like a sore thumb at times. His timing is just superb, and he manages to raise some genuine laughs with his double meaning one-liners and rapid fire dialogues which are no doubt his speciality.

Technically the movie is slick, and the action which is choregraphed by “Fefsi” Vijayan is well done. Yes the action is violent and crude(bare razor blade slitting throats open etc), but given the theme of the movie it fits in fine.

Vidyasagars music is extremely hummable and pictured nicely.

All up JOOT is a racy masala fare which has all the ingredients in the right place to make it a watchable, though not entirely original movie.

Overall Rating=6.5/10.0

Akshay Shah Reviews “AASAI”(Tamil, 1995)

Akshay Shah Reviews “AASAI”{Tamil, 1995)

After Ajiths VAALEE, I decided to watch another Ajith starrer AASAI, but much to my surprise the film is owned by a deliciously evil performance by Prakash Raj while Ajith is regulated to a backseat despite being the films “hero”. Nevertheless the film is a entertaining watch!

The movie revolves around Jeeva(Ajith) who plays an unepmployed youth. He falls in love with Yamuna (Suvalakshmi) who lives with her elderly father (Poornam Vishwanathan). Yamunas older sister Ganga(Rohini) lives in Delhi with her husband Major Madhavan(Prakash Raj). Major Madhavan on face value appears to be perfect husband, doting father to a little girl, and a great son-in-law, however underneath that the man is a lecherous, conniving and cold-hearted psycho who wants to marry Yamuna. He murders his own wife in order to get closer to Yamuna, however when he finds out that she is in love with Jeeva he plans to move him out the way as well and causes misunderstandings between Yamuna and Jeeva making him look like the “bad guy”. How Jeeva uncovers Major Madhavans true face forms the crux of the story.

The structure of the story is similar to the other film I saw VAALEE-where a brother-in law was lusting after his own bhabhi with the brother unknowing, but here the brother-in-law is lusting after is sister-in-law and will go at any cost to get her. The story is good, it starts out a bit slow in establishing the love story between Ajith and Suvalakshmi, however picks up pace once Prakash Raj enters the picture and his true colours are revealed. From that point to the very end the movie maintains a fast pace and keeps the viewer hooked. The screenplay, like the story has been written well, though one wishes the first half had been written tighter and engaged the viewer earler on.

Vasanth, who has also written the story and screenplay does a good job at the direction by directing a thriller that is relatively different for its time. He establishes the characters well before bringing the “thriller” element of the story to the fore, however one wishes that he made the initial portions of the movie more gripping and less clichéd and boring. However Vasanths trumpcard is no doubt the portrayl of Prakash Rajs character which is the pivot and mainstay of the movie. The climax of the movie has been well done and is in complete sync with the rest of the movie.

Performancewise the movie is great!

Ajith doesn’t have much to do as far as acting goes which is surprising he is the “hero” of the movie. This is more a case of “DARR” where the villan is the one that has the audiences interest and is also the highlight of the movie, while the hero is there for the romance, and to beat up the villan in the end. I felt Ajith came across fairly dull. No doubt romance is his forte, and he excels in the first half (which is the half I found quiet boring) but in the second half of the movie, it’s a Prakash Raj show all the way. Ajith does excel in the scene at the hotel where he asks Prakash Raj if he can search him.

Prakash Raj delivers a superlative performance in a negative role! Infact, this is one of the best performances I have seen from the talented actor so far. Avoiding the path of over-the-top gangsters or corrupt ministers etc, Prakash Raj plays a very “real” villan that sends shivers down the viewers spine. His delivery, and more-so his eye movements and body language is just excellent and the actor sinks his teeth into the part with relish and devious glee. Just witness the scene where he kills his wife, and then goes about buttering a piece of bread, or the scene where he meets Ajith for the first time, or all his scenes leading upto the climax, and including the climax. Frankly, Raj instils life into what can be called one of the most heartless and chilling villans I have seen in a while.

Suvalakshmi plays her part well. She looks and acts with confidence and lends credibility and maturity to her character. Poornam Vishwanathan too is apt in his part and lends able support.

Technically the film is good, and Devas music is catchy, as well as being well picturised and well placed.

All up AASAI is worth a dekkho! The movie is a engaging and thrilling thriller which plays out nicely once the character of Prakash Raj shows his true colours and doesn’t let go till the end. Prakash Raj delivers one of the most natural, and chilling villans with no gimmicks or over-the-top villany and is truly the “star” of the show.

7/10

A.Shah

Akshay Shah Reviews "THAMBI" (Tamil, 2006)

THAMBI (Tamil, 2006)



The wind blows through his hair, the camera moves in for a close-up as his eyes open wide, his fists clench, his head tilts slightly to the side and in slow motion he lays out his punch directly to the gut, the opponent flys back 10 feet, but firstly spins in the air aboutn 5 times. And then it’s repeated again with the next 9 opponents? Sound cheesy? Sound clichéd?Well it is, but it’s still damn entertaining. Masala folks, there ain’t anything like it!

On paper, THAMBI sounds as clichéd as movies get, and in some ways it is, however what sets the movie apart and makes it one entertaining watch is Madhavans mass appealing, hard-hitting, power-packed “overman” performance which is a complete change from his romantic roles.





The movie revolves around Thambi(Madhavan)-a angry young man who stands up against any injustice that happens in society in everyday life. He takes on the might of a local don Sankara Pandian(Biju Menon) who unleashes mayhem in the city. The mere sight of Thambi sends Sankaras men running and sends shivers down his spine. Thambis aim is not to kill Sankara and his gang, but to make him see the light and give up his evil ways. Theres also Archana(Pooja) who initially mistakes Thambi to be just another “rowdy” but after she knows what he is all about she falls in love with him. So how did Thambi become what he is? Via a flashback we learn that Thambis entire family was killed by Sankara Pandian and his men after Thambi becomes a witness to a murder and sends Sankaras brother(Shanmuga Rajeshwaran) to jail. In order to hain political popularity, Sankara causes riots in the city and Thambi turns up just in time in order to try and prevent the disaster. What happens next? THAMBI provides the answers.

In terms of a story the movie sounds like every other “one man army” masala film made. From the structure of the story to the characterisation, everything has been witnessed thousands of times before. So what sets THAMBI apart? Well at the centre of what appears to be a run-of-the-mill story is a social message which gets across loud and clear. Thambi isn’t after revenge nor is this a tale of vendetta. Thambis main aim is to reform those that do wrong, and make them see the aftermath of what one murder can do. Even the man that murders his family, he doesn’t kill in revenge, but offers him a chance to redeem himself. Every “goonda” and “rowdy” he beats the living daylights of, he first tries to talk them out of the wrong that they are about to commit, and if they don’t listen, then he lets his fists do the talking. Heck, he even takes a murderer to the funeral of one of the people he just killed so that the murderer can see what the impact is of his actions. The screenplay too is clichéd, but tight and flows smoothly keeping the viewer entertained.




Right at the start credits, director Seeman has made it clear, that the movie is about “action” and “impact” and there it gives a clear indication that this isn’t just another action film for the sake of cementing a superstars status as he smacks the living daylight out of ten people at once. But director Seeman isn’t here to preach, hence the movie is saturated in the most accessible masala format-and the movie is one fine masala movie at that. The director understands the simple steps of making a crowd-pleasing, “seeti taali” film and doesn’t let the viewer down in that retrospect as the film is laced with some thumping and racy action sequences as well as crowd-pleasing and mass appealing dialogues. The central theme in the movie even gives a slight nod to Rakyesh Om Prakash Mehras outstanding RANG DE BASANTI, but a distant nod is as far as it goes as the point of this movie is very different.

The biggest piece of masala as such is Madhavans performance. The overman, larger-than-life role of Thambi is one that is usually reserved for the likes of apna Thalivar Rajnikanth, Cheeyan Vikram, or in Hindi Shahenshah Amitabh Bachchan. Before I go into Madhavans performance, I want to go over the basic aspects which make a masala performance of this nature succeed. Firsly the “hero” should be a true “hero” in every sense; fearless, so powerful that he can take on more than ten men at once, such is his strength that one punch can send these men hurdling ten metres across the screen, yet believable that when his punch lands on the “baddies” face or stomach the viewer is CONVINCED that the “hero” in front of them is capable of doing this, and once it happens, evokes a rush of adrenalin that you want to clap and whistle at once. So given this basic criteria, does Madhavan succeed? YES! He slips into the whole mould hand in glove and delivers one VERY entertaining performance. Those wide roving eyes, the tilted head, the long mane with the wind blowing through it, and not to forget the thumping dialogues. The actor excels on every front and totally impresses. The scene which left me gape faced and bowled me over was Madhavans speech at the award ceremony. This kind of monologue, non-stop dialogue delivery with a hard-hitting message is one that usually needs a equal “star”to be able to pull it off in the truest sense and to give Madhavan his biggest compliment he does. As the “hero” in the film delivers the lines, the viewer too is compelled to join in with the claps and whistles as he valiantly walks away after his speech, and no..Mani Ratnam this ain’t, though the scene does have a rather crowd-pleasing and mesmerising effect.




The rest of the cast fits around Madhavan quiet well. Pooja who plays his love interest is cute and looks really pretty on-screen as well as making a nice pair with Madhavan.

Vadivelu does his comic part well enough, however he failed to raise some “real” laughs like I’ve seen him do in other films. Biju Menon plays his part extremely well, and excels towards the scenes before the climax. Mani Vannan is effective in his short role as a socialist.

Vidyasagars music is great, and the songs are a treat to the ears as well as being superbly picturised. The song at the start which introduces Madhavans character is great at giving the viewer an introduction as to whats going to follow.

Technically too the movie is a slick product. Balusubhramanyams camerawork is very techno-savvy with some wicked camera angles and slickly edited shots. The stunning locales too have been beautifully captured like a beautiful portrait.

The action sequences in the movie are outstanding, yes over-the-top completely yet in sync with the genre of the movie. The fight scenes are a treat to watch and Madhavan pulls them off with utmost conviction with the right amount of style and panache as well as hammerstrong impact.

Rocket science it ain’t. Infact, the movie doesn’t have anything new to offer the viewer as far as the story goes, yet THAMBI is one very entertaining masala film with a relevant social message and one very pulse-pounding and impactful performance by Madhavan for alone which the movie is a must-see!

Overall Rating=7.2/10.0

A.Shah
Pictures courtesy of Indiaglitz.com