Tamasha Review

It is difficult to write review for a movie which I can relate to, without bringing in my biases. But I have tried to my best not to include my biases in thus review.

The movie is about finding oneself and doing what one wants to do. The same theme has been presented in other movies like Wake Up Sid. While Wake Up Sid was about a bit trying to realise his true self, this movie is about a grown up man trying to realise himself. The process of self realisation and the problems he faces form the basis of the movie. Like other Imtiaz Ali's movies, this movie too has a very modern narration style. And that is what will gel with today's youth. The movie switches between the present and past with flashbacks thrown in between and this has been used effectively in the storytelling. There are various scenes in the movie which are very strong like the one where Ranbir's character tells a story to his family towards the end of the movie. Or the scene where Ranbir confronts Deepika at her house. The strength of these scenes is because of the emotions that have been presented.

The characters played by Ranbir and Deepika, though not very realistic, have been beautifully written. Ranbir is first rate in the depiction of his character while Deepika is also good. I think this is one of the best performances of Ranbir Kapoor. Among the other actors Piyush Mishra in a very short role makes an impact and his character is very central to the story. Thus acting wise the actors do justice to their characters.

The direction by Imtiaz Ali is very good, however the part where Ranbir struggles finding his true self seems a bit long and could have been shortened. But since that is the main part of the story, the director has presented is as required. Imtiaz is a good director and he once again that he is one of the finest in this genre. The editing too is not the best but stands out at places, where various scenes from past and present and intermingled, but it still conveys what needs to be conveyed. 

The music of A.R. Rahman is beautiful and gels with the mood of the movie very well. All the songs take the movie forward and are effective in depicting the moods of our lead characters. It adds to the beauty of the movie.

The movie has a strong message which has presented with the right mix of drama and light moments. Overall the movie stands out among the other movies that have released recently and makes an impact. It certainly did to me. This movie is worth watching. So go ahead and watch it.

Rating - 3.5 / 5

Spectre Review

This is the 26th movie in the James Bond franchise and the 4th movie starring Daniel Craig as Ian Fleming's James Bond. 

The movie is bit of a mixed bag with a good storyline but a poor script.  The story traces the past of James Bond and we get to know new elements from his past. The movie is fast paced with the story beginning in Mexico and moving to various other locations with Bond trying to unravel the mystery of a secret message and to find the villain. The movie keeps you on the edge of the seat with its action sequences which are in plenty, but fails to go a step further. That is one of the problems with movie. It has far too many action sequences and fails to build on the storyline, which has been one of the things that we liked about the previous three Daniel Craig 007 movies.

Daniel Craig as bond is suave and sexy as ever. But seems repetitive after the first three movies. Christopher Waltz as the bond nemesis is very good and provides a good match to 007. Lea Seydoux is good as the new bond girl and looks very sensuous throughout the movie. Monica Bellucci has nothing to offer in a short role. However the remaining cast has done a good job.

This is the second Bond movie being directed by Sam Mendes after Skyfall. He has done a good job with the script given to him. The scenes between Daniel Craig and Christopher Waltz and Daniel Craig and Batista remain with you even after the movie is over. However the could certainly have been better.

The cinematography is spectacular with the locations captured beautifully and the action sequences are great. The editing could have been better as the movie seems a bit long. Maybe they could have shortened the action sequences.

Overall, the movie is a one time watch which can be enjoyed with friends. But one soon forgets the movie after coming out of the theatre. And that is a downfall for the movie.

Rating - 3 / 5

Gerua - Dilwale Video Song Review

The video song titled Gerua from the much awaited Bollywood movie Dilwale was released this week. The video has already garnered a huge amount of views on YouTube. I have tried to present why the song works and where it fails.

This is a romantic song from the movie featuring the King of Romance, Shah Rukh Khan and his best onscreen pair, Kajol. The music by Pritam is good and great at some places, but not as good as some of the previous romantic songs like 'Suraj Hua Madham'. The music however let down by average lyrics from Amitabh Bhattacharya. If the lyrics had been better, it could have complemented the good music to make the final product great.

Even with average lyrics, the voice of Arijit Singh and Antara Mitra give a soul to the song. However one does feel that Arijit Singh does not do total justice to the song. He could certainly have been better.

Now coming to best part of the video song. The song has been picturised at exotic locations with the visuals hein great in each frame. The visuals are so good that you can pick up any frame and make an amazing wallpaper out of it. The pair of Shah Rukh and Kajol complement the visuals beautifully and make the visuals look even better. Their chemistry is still amazing after first acting together more than 20 years ago in Baazigar. However it is not their best. The top 2 in this category certainly go to 'Tujhe Dekha To Ye Jaana Sanam' and 'Suraj Hua Madham'.

Overall the song and video together is a good watch and if you are a fan of Shah Rukh and Kajol, then you can watch the video song multiple times on repeat mode.

Rating - 3.5 / 5

Prem Ratan Dhan Paayo Review

Prem Ratan Dhan Paayo was one of the most awaited movies of the year. It was also a film from Rajshri Productions and Suraj Barjatya after a long time.

The movie surely lives upto its expectations of grandeur with lavish sets which remind you of Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Suraj Barjatya has left no stone unturned in ensuring that it is one of the grandest movies to come this year.

The movie borrows its theme from the Rajesh Khanna starrer 'Bawarchi' with the hero Prem trying to mend relationships between family members of the royal family. But the movie does not match Bawarchi in storytelling. At almost 3 hours, the movie is too long and has multiple songs erupting for various occasions. The movie does work at times and the moment you feel that now it is getting interesting, the flow of the movie is halted by a song. If a few songs had been removed from the script, it would have been better, but would not have made much difference to the end result. The overall storytelling is slow and unimaginative. The audience can easily guess what is going to happen next but is kept waiting for it to happen. The movie has a good storyline but the story has been wasted with a poor script.

Even the many songs which should have kept the audience interested are not very great and slow down the pace of the movie.

Acting wise no one makes a mark. Salman is average. Sonam looks beautiful in the movie but does not have much to do. Among other actors Anupam Kher does a fair job.

The direction is left wanting throughout the movie. Though the movie has look of a 2015 movie, but it feels like a movie from the 1990's. The director has not moved with the ages and has tried to present a story in the age old way. The director is caught in the past and loses the audience's interest midway through the movie.

When I went to see the movie on its 3rd day, I expected the show to be near housefull, but it was not even 50% full. Todays audience is not interested in old style of storytelling and the director needs to learn this.
In the end, the movie is not worth a watch. You may want to watch it only if you are a Sooraj Barjatya fan.

Rating - 2.5 / 5