Box Office: Why Should Bollywood be Wary of Its American Big Brother?

Hardly a week back, Rajkumar Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra threw a bash in Mumbai to celebrate PK’s unprecedented success in China – an unconventional and largely untapped territory for Hindi films. The event was attended by a visibly beefed up Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma and other cast and crew of the film. Around the same time, in the same bustling and humid Mumbai, the members of the fabled Bhatt Camp were huddling and wondering what exactly went wrong with their ambitious Hamari Adhuri Kahani. Like they say, every Friday fortunes fluctuate in Mumbai and few would know it better than the Bhatt brothers – Mahesh and Mukesh – who produced the Emraan Hashmi-Vidya Balan starrer. So while PK has taken Bollywood to dizzying new heights (in terms of business) by grossing over a staggering 100 crores in China, back home in India, things do not look so bright for a film that’s backed by one of the most reliable and profitable film production houses.

But, what went wrong with Hamari Adhuri Kahani? Bad reviews? Not really, because it’s not rare for a Bhatt camp film to be panned by critics. In fact, Mahesh Bhatt and his ilk have a firm grip over the mood and nerve of the masses. They know what works in huge swaths of India that resides outside metros and big cities and that’s precisely the formula behind their production house’s roaring success in the last decade, irrespective of how the critics receive the film. Then, what killed Hamari Adhuri Kahani? Apart from its own glaring misgivings, the film was seemingly chomped down by rampaging dinosaurs of Jurassic World who rode straight into the hearts of the Indian masses, leaving behind a weeping Vidya Balan and a shocked Emraan Hashmi. Yes, you read it right.

Here are some facts that tell us how Hollywood is slowly but surely posing a serious challenge to Bollywood:

1. With the super success of films like Fast and Furious 7, Avengers: The Age of Ultron and now Jurassic World, the writing is clear on the wall for our desi producers. They do not just need to watch out for potential box office clashes with ‘Khan Films’, but they also need to be wary of big Hollywood releases – especially films that are successful franchises or fall in the action/sci-fi genre. Sample this – Fast and Furious 7 released on the same day as Detective Byomkesh Bakshy and easily trumped it to emerge the winner at the box office. The first week collection of Detective Byomkesh Bakshy was a paltry 19.75 crores. Contrast it with Fast and Furious 7, which grossed around 70 crores in week 1 and then went on to become the highest grossing Hollywood film ever in India with lifetime business of a remarkable 110 crores. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure out that Detective Byomkesh Bakshy, already a niche multiplex film, was swept away by the rampaging F&F franchise.The history seems to have repeated itself with Hamari Adhuri Kahani and Jurassic World. While the Hindi film could only mint 16 Crores in its opening weekend with virtually no growth and a poor trend, the Dinosaur franchise went from strength to strength and garnered close to 30 crores in its opening weekend with a very healthy trend.
2. While Bollywood producers are rightly vying for more and more overseas business and going into foreign territories that no one ever imagined before, back home the domestic audience also seems to have matured and developed a definitive, distinct taste. Any Bollywood product with mediocre content (Bombay Velvet, Hamari Adhuri Kahani) is summarily rejected and only films with good content (Piku, TWMR) are accepted. With ticket prices soaring, the audience is not ready to compromise on content until and unless the film is spearheaded by a massive star (read the Khans). Interestingly, the same junta is taking up to ‘event’ Hollywood films with disaster, sci-fi and action themes in a big way. Even content driven Hollywood films like Gravity, Life of Pi and Inception have started to make a mark at the Indian box office with collections going well into tenth and eleventh weeks!
3. Hollywood films have the great advantage of big studio backing which allows them to dub in regional languages. This ensures that the overall business of these films in India goes up significantly. Imagine this – more than 50% of Jurassic World’s business in India is driven by dubbed regional versions. On the other hand, growing number of multiplexes in the country has encouraged the Hindi filmmakers to make films that cater only a niche segment of the audience. For example, although Zoya Akhtar’s Dil Dhadakne Do should manage to earn profits, most of its revenue is coming only from 4-5 big cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Pune. The film’s collections in mass belts like Bihar, CP and Rajasthan is very low.So, while Hollywood is solidifying its net collections through dubbed versions, Hindi films are losing out their pan-India appeal. There are hardly four to five Hindi films every year that can boast of healthy all India business. A point to ponder for the producers?

It can be easily said that Hollywood is at its strongest best at the Indian box office right now. With continued flow of mediocre Hindi films, very few big-budget and star-driven films and more and more niche films in the offing, the time is ripe for the big American Daddy to conquer the Indian market which has so far proved to be elusive. Not suggesting that the dinosaurs and the ETs are going to run riot in India and throw the Hindi films out of the window, but there’s a definite nudge, or rather a push, from the high and mighty Hollywood. And the push is big enough for Bollywood to sit back and notice.

The Story of June

A milestone so significant
At the halfway stage
Of a beautiful beginning
And an eventual end

A notch ahead of
Memories of March
A tad behind
Occurrences of October

Somewhat like
The mid-day Sun
Burning with desire
But living by fire

Those who live
Are mostly burnt
Only a few survive to tell
The Story of June.

All Rights Reserved. Original Image Used by Blogger. Clicked in Diu, India.

Hamari Adhuri Kahani: Shockingly Regressive and Melodramatic

There are good films and there are bad films. And then there are some films that are so unbelievably bad that you feel like shouting - why did they make this film!!? Hamari Adhuri Kahani, the latest melodramatic overdose from the Bhatt camp, is so regressive, unbelievable, over-the-top and nauseating that you stop expecting anything within half an hour into the film. Mohit Suri, the film's director, has a reasonable track record with good little films like Kalyug, Awarapan and Woh Lamhe under his belt. In fact, Suri has also been at the helm of affairs for three consecutive blockbusters for the Bhatt Camp in the recent past - Ek Villain, Aashiqui 2 and Murder 2.

Apart from a credible director, the film boasts of three fine actors in form of Vidya Balan, Emraan Hashmi and Rajkumar Rao, but the end product is so mediocre, pointless and boring that even you, as regular moviegoer, would like to hang your head in shame. Hamari Adhuri Kahani's biggest lacuna is its kahani itself. Mahesh Bhatt and Shagufta Rafiq's story is so contrived, half-baked and dipped with horrendous dialogues that it can make 80s cinema look like sparking pieces of art. In fact, some of the dialogues are so cheesy and loaded that you silently giggle in your mind and think how they would become a rage once the dubsmash milieu laps them up!

Both Emraan and Vidya mouth some of the worst written lines that one can remember in recent times, but the cherry on the top is saved for Emraan's mother who looks at Vidya and asks his son, "Kaun Hai Ye Banjaran?" Not just that, she even goes on to lecture her on how its time she stopped being 'Sita' and became 'Radha'! Phew! Such rhetorical verbal stone pelting may have been 'cool' in the 80s but is definitely out-of-date and bogus for current times. It is annoying when none of the characters in the film talk to each other in simple words. They are all perennially grim, look heavily constipated and thrash each other with verbal and metaphorical bricks. There is a constant and disturbing imagery of flowers and a VFX-enabled climax in a "valley of flowers" near Bastar (I am sure no place like that excists near Bastar) that looks so odd that it makes special effects of Mallika Sherawat's Hisss look pretty cool.

For those of you who are still interested in the film's story and plot - Vidya Balan plays Vasudha Prasad, a young mother of a 5-year, old whose husband Hari, played by Rajkumar Rao, leaves her an year after the marriage. We are told that Hari is a really bad guy because he has forced Vasudha to get his name tattooed on her arm, and constantly evokes their saat janam ka rishta, sanskaar and peedhiyon se chali aa rahi sanskriti. Vidya, on the other hand, is the lady in distress who always clutches at her mangalsutra as if it were a trophy, but eventually is serenaded by Aarav, played by Emraan Hashmi, the billionaire hotelier who has his own sad past.

It's tough to digest how the film's writers reinforce regressive mindset and beliefs by investing too much in symbolism of a mangalsuktra, pati parmeshwar, sanskaar and then foolishly try to fake feminism towards the climax with an artificial Durga imagery. The principal characters in the film are mere caricatures and lack soul, motive and purpose. You never really take up to Vidya's tears or understand Emraan's fetish fatale with her. Strangely, you do not even hate Rajkumar Rao's character and pity him for landing up a role that lacks layering and conviction.

From Sujoy Ghosh's Kahaani in 2012 to Mohit Suri's Hamari Adhuri Kahani in 2015, life seems to have come full circle for a certain Vidya Balan. Be it the traditional yet poignant Lalita in Parineeta (2005), the chirpy RJ Jhanvi of Lagey Raho Munnabhai (2006), the hysterical but effective Avni of Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007), the shrewd Krishna of Ishqiya (2010), the spirited and seductress Silk in The Dirty Picture (2011) or the feisty Vidya of Kahaani (2012) - Vidya Balan has given us some of the most memorable female characters in recent times. With Hamari Adhuri Kahani, Balan nosedives to a new low in her career, so much so, that it not just hurts but even shocks you to believe that she gave her consent for a film as regressive, ridiculous and nauseating as this. Emraan Hashmi looks disinterested and the film does little justice to his acting potential or even his kissing caliber! Rajkumar Rao is wasted magnificently and it is painful to see an actor as brilliant as him to do a poorly written role as this. The film's support cast borders on being incompetent with the actor playing Emraan Hashmi's mother looking naive in her dialogue delivery and younger than Vidya Balan even with those fake grey strands.

The film's music does not live up to the melodious reputation of the Bhatt camp. Except for "Humnava" none of the songs have that repeat value or a humming quality that sticks on to you. The film's cinematography (Vishnu Rao) is below par, so is the background score that uselessly tries to build up tempo in this lethargic, boring film.

Overall, Hamari Adhuri Kahani will easily qualify as one of the biggest letdowns of recent times; specially for Vidya Balan who has wowed us with stellar performances in the past. This is one film that you can definitely miss and thank this reviewer for saving you your hard-earned money. 

Rating: * (Poor)

Box-Office Analysis: Lessons from TWMR and Piku Success

The Hindi film industry can’t hide its excitement. Almost like a young girl going out on her first official date with her childhood crush. The buzz in Mumbai is that ‘Acche Din’ are finally here and there’s now no looking back at what has been a disastrous, to put it in polite words, first few months of 2015 at the box office. With not a single ‘Super Hit’, forget about Blockbusters, and hardly a couple of clean ‘Hits’ in the Jan-May period, the industry was clearly looking down the barrel in terms of business and revenue. But, with Tanu Weds Manu Returns (TWMR) getting a phenomenal response from the audiences all across the country, we are all set to witness the first Blockbuster of 2015. Yes, you read it right. That elusive blockbuster is finally off the block!

TWMR’s weekend collection was over 38 Crores INR, the biggest opening weekend of the year, closely matching the collections of a much-bigger film like Gabbar Is Back. In the overseas market, the film raked in close to 15 Crores, again the highest opening weekend in overseas this year, beating the previous best of 12 Crores set by Piku couple of weeks back. On the face value, these numbers may look pretty healthy but not exactly path-breaking. However, if you dig a little deeper and analyze the overall film business scenario, you will realize that TWMR is nothing less than a thunderstorm in this prolonged period of dryness at the Box Office.

If the weekend business of TWMR came as a much-needed relief to the industry, the film’s historic collections on Monday must have sparked off jubilations in the film circles. The film collected 8.5 Crores INR on its first Monday, which is equal to/slightly more than its Friday business. Such a strong hold of collections on Monday is literally unheard of in recent times and this ensures that the film will have long and strong run at the ticket windows for at least a couple of weeks. Now, 100 crores, that much-abused and much-publicized number, is definitely on the cards and the sky is the limit for TWMR, given the excellent trend at the box office.

But, for Bollywood, success of TWMR and Piku (expected India Business to be more than 80 crores), another actress-oriented film that released in early May, signals a huge paradigm shift and a definite changed pattern in what differentiates success from failure. We list down a few box office lessons from TWMR and Piku:

1. Get the Budget Right:

Before the release of Piku on 8^th May, Bollywood only had three clean hits – Badlapur (Budget: 25 Crores INR, Business: 52 Crores INR), Dum Laga Ke Haisha (Budget: 15 Crores INR, Business: 30 Crores INR) and NH10 (Budget: 13 Crores INR, Business: 32 Crores INR). Badlapur and NH10 found limited appreciation among the multiplex audience and still managed to yield profits largely because of their sensible budgets. Contrast it with Bombay Velvet which is struggling to touch 25 Crores lifetime business and was made at a humungous budget of over 100 Crores INR! This period also saw the release of two films of Akshay Kumar, a huge star across India, but both of them – Baby and Gabbar Is Back – could only be best described as semi-hits with lifetime collections in the 80-90 Crore INR range. Needless to say, a little discipline from the producers, in terms of budgeting, could have easily sailed these two films into the ‘Hit’ category.

2. Content is (Still) the King:

Dum Laga Ke Haisha probably had the best word of mouth of the year before Piku and TWMR hit the screens. A good word of mouth for these films ensured that even though these films didn’t open to record-breaking collections on day one, but eventually gathered steam and came into their own on their first Mondays. While TWMR pulled off a stunner by not dropping at all on its first Monday, Piku and Dum Laga Ke Haisha witnessed a miniscule 30% drop in collections compared to Friday. Piku showed how a topic as drab as motion could be the key subject of a motion picture! If your content is genuine, out-of-the-box and most importantly, as per the understanding and likes of the audience, you are very much in the game. So, grand scale, lavish sets, star power and a ‘Hollywood-ish’ look and feel would lead you nowhere! It’s no coincidence that Piku (story of a Bengali family living in CR Park), Dum Laga Ke Haisa (set in Haridwar) and TWMR (set in Haryana/Delhi/Kanpur) are all earthy and genuinely ‘Indian’ stories. Point to note for screenwriters out there.

3. Girl Power on the Rise: 

Anushka Sharma debuted as a Producer with NH10 and the film went on to become a solid hit at the box office despite an off-beat theme, no prominent male lead and an ‘A’ certificate. Ditto for Piku, which was brilliantly marketed as a Deepika Padukone film. The initial marketing of Piku was solely driven by Deepika, given the limitations of brand Bachchan and Irrfan Khan’s niche face value. Similarly, Tanu Weds Manu Returns was marketed as an out and out Kangana Ranaut film who is at a Vidya Balan-like high post the success of Queen. Kangana’s star pull can be gauged from the opening day collections of TWMR which are better than two Akshay Kumar films that have released this year.

4. Khans Still Rule:

You may not exactly like the kind of films they do each year, but all the three Khans still rule the roost at the Box Office. In fact, only Shah Rukh, Aamir and Salman can ‘guarantee’ a box-office success in truest sense of the word. If first half of 2015 was very disappointing for the industry, it was mainly because there was no Khan film in the offing. Akshay Kumar is still a big star but only ‘certain’ types of his films go on to become huge box-office grossers. Hrithik Roshan is another huge star but his frequency of releases has been very low. Ranbir Kapoor, considered to be the youngest superstar, perhaps needs to think over the choice of his films as his last three releases have bombed at the box office.

All these key pointers make TWMR and Piku significant box office successes of 2015. Just when we thought that the first half of the year will mostly go dull and dry, and the box office will have to wait for something like a ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ to light up the proceedings, then came the much-needed respite in form of these twin hits. These films have not just set the cash registers ringing but have also reaffirmed the audiences’ and the makers’ faith in this old adage – quality content will eventually find its place in the heart of the audience. And these two films have also sent out terse and clear reminders to those who believe that mediocre work mounted on grand scale and starring a popular actor will yield them dividends. Let this get it straight – only the Khans can sell off ‘anything’ to the audience right now. Nobody else.

Tanu Weds Manu Returns Review: You Will Like the Film, Not Tanu & Manu Themselves

Tanu Weds Manu, Anand L Rai’s much-liked rom-com that released in 2011, managed to break quite a few, if not all, shackles when it comes to predictable love stories. But, Tanu, the feisty, unconventional protagonist of the 2011 film is somewhat underwhelming and repressed in this sequel. Equally cut to size, barring a few kilos that he seems to have gained, is Manu (played by R Madhavan), the inconspicuous and ‘boring’ hero. The task of seeing through this rather ‘forced’ sequel is assigned to Kangana’s double avatar, Kusum aka ‘Datto’, the Haryanvi athlete studying at Delhi University who happens to be Tanu’s doppelganger.

Tanu Weds Manu Returns flatters to deceive since beginning. Starting four years after the marriage of the unlikely couple Tanu and Manu, the film initially ignites hopes of looking into the subject of post-marital discord with doses of earthy humor. When Tanu leaves behind Manu in a mental asylum in London and comes back to her den in Kanpur, you shift a little in your seat quietly telling yourself – okay, let the madness begin. However, right after the first half an hour and well till the end of the film, Tanu Weds Manu Returns makes you question the logic, the rationale of the supposed dissonance between the lead couple and their means to overcome it. So, it is rather unfathomable when Tanu who returns to Kanpur with same swagger and rowdy spirit that had made her stand out, miraculously melts down towards the end and almost surrenders herself in order to get back in Manu’s life. So much for her free spirit, unconventional ways, in-your-face attitude and walking in slow motion to Move on, Move On? Was the sequel made to somewhat tame or to show Tanu her true place?

On the other side of the spectrum is Manu’s character, which becomes worryingly unidimensional, his motives become disturbingly unclear and there are stages in the film when you almost want to take decisions on his behalf – because, you know he is screwing it up big time! Manu’s character in this film, unlike in the prequel, is shockingly underwritten and his chemistry with both Tanu and Kusum is left rather untapped.

But, all is not unwell with Tanu Weds Manu Returns. All through the film’s 2-hour runtime, you are treated with some fine, humorous writing courtesy of Himanshu Sharma, who also wrote Rai’s previous films - Tanu Weds Manu and Raanjhanaa. That the writer has a penchant for earthy humor and whistle-worthy/crowd-pleasing one-liners was very much on display in Raanjhana, where he almost managed to make stalking acceptable with his superior writing. Here as well, you have glimpses of his talent, mostly displayed via hilarious lines delivered by a brilliant Deepak Dobriyal who reprises his role of Manu’s confidant and best friend, Pappi.

Another actor who gets the share of some fine writing is Mohammad Zeeshan Ayub as Chintu, a character that defines himself as ‘kandha’ or shoulder to Tanu whose heart’s been freshly broken. Chintu’s character is not just funny but is also very well-defined in terms of small town sensibilities and mannerisms. But, the biggest show stealer is Kangana Ranaut’s portrayal of a young Haryanvi athlete with short hair and slightly bulging teeth (hence, the nickname ‘Datto’). She is so believable and lovely as Datto that you almost root for her towards the climax despite knowing in your heart that the film is going to travel the predictable path. The way Kangana pulls of thick Haryanvi accent, body language and mannerisms of a young student cum athlete is truly remarkable. The film never caricaturizes her character or the overall Haryanvi connection, except for a brief sequence where you are preached about female empowerment and how everyone should let the women have some freedom of choice! Fake feminism, eh?

Interestingly, while Kangana pulls off the double role superbly, it’s her original character of Tanu that somehow gets overshadowed in the process. The blame for the same mostly lies at the writer’s door who has not done justice to Tanu’s part except for some repetitive insinuations towards her being flirtatious, strong-headed and sometime almost cynical. R Madhavan, the greatest representative of common Indian lover – the one who is a little plump, ages ‘normally’, wears glasses, has a boring job, but is a sweetheart from inside – is suitably restrained, understated yet charming as Manu but is undone by the monotony of his character. That Madhavan is a brilliant actor is showcased on more than one occasions where the actor steals a scene or two without speaking a single word. His shy looks, roving eyes, conceived emotions, believable behavior are all at display but that solid meat at the center is missing.

The film’s soundtrack is not as memorable as its prequel’s, except for the ‘Swagger’ song that’s clearly the USP. The background score and cinematography are well-oiled to capture the small town milieu. Ditto for editing, which is crisp and smart, ensuring that you never real check your watch!

Tanu Weds Manu Returns would have been a brilliant standalone film but is a little underwhelming as a sequel. You may end up liking the film but you somehow do not empathize with or root for its principal characters – Tanu and Manu – which is quite strange. In fact, all your sympathies are directed towards Kusum, who ends up being a sacrificial lamb in what is nothing more than frivolous and undefined post marital discord between Tanu & Manu. Add to this, the several untied knots in this supposed love triangle. For instance - while you can understand Manu being drawn towards Kusum as she heavily resembles his wife, you somewhat keep asking yourself this question about Kusum eventually reciprocating Manu’s feeling– why would a young college athlete fall for a 40-yeard old, almost-fat, divorced man who initially stalked her liked a goon?

All in all, points to the makers for trying because rarely does Bollywood go beyond the standard template of ‘happily ever after’. Tanu Weds Manu Returns is that rare mainstream Hindi film that tries to dispel the myth of 'all is well that ends well’ but eventually falls prey to the same predictable temptation of setting everything right at the end. The film is brave, ridiculous, funny, empowering, and powerless - all at the same time. Like how love is.

Watch it because Kangana Ranaut is in form, there are some genuine laughs and madness. You will most likely come out of the theatre with a smile on your face but you will realize that the charm of the original Tanu and Manu has eroded. May be that’s what happens when you are married off for four years.

Rating: *** (Good)

Movie Review: Gabbar Is Back, But You Will Not Care

They shouldn't have evoked Gabbar's name in the film. Gabbar, perhaps the most iconic villain in the history of Hindi Cinema, has nothing to do with this 2-hour, 10-minutes long humbug of a film that dangerously tries to blend formulaic action-masala with the tricky genre of vigilante justice. The film lacks conviction itself and fails to convince you because of its dangerous positioning where kidnapping, killing by hanging are glorified as legitimate means of rooting out corruption and serving 'justice'.

Akshay Kumar is a college professor who doubles up as a corruption crusader when he is not teaching. He christens himself as 'Gabbar', for reasons best known to him, and keeps reminding us that he is 'naam se villain, kaam se hero'! Eh! While vigilante justice films can be absolute revelations if they are beaming with purpose and sparkling with novelty (remember, A Wednesday and Akshay's own Special 26?), Gabbar Is Back is extremely preachy and devoid of any originality. I am not even trying to explain to you that this film is a remake of a Tamil film's Telugu remake. Did you get that?

To its credit, Gabbar Is Back maintains a good pace throughout and is backed by a hero who is punching hard at all the right places. In fact, the film's first half breezes through rather easily even though there is no moment of glory. The problem, or rather say potholes in the screenplay, arise in the second half when Gabbar's tragic back life comes into the fray. So, Mr. Director, is Gabbar a social reformer with PWD (Power Wala Danda!) or simply a disgruntled, frustrated man who is out there to avenge the death of his wife (guest appearance by Kareena Kapoor in a curious pink nose) and unborn child? From this point onwards, Gabbar Is Back falls flat as motive becomes hazy, modus operandi questionable and logic anyways was always sitting pretty out of the window. How does Gabbar shortlist the 'corrupt' ones from thousands of officers? Who verifies if the corruption charges are legitimate at first place? There are plethora of unanswered questions that you will perhaps not even bother to ask by the time the tedious second half assumes its predictable proportions. Even the investigating officers, featuring Jaideep Ahlawat as a CBI officer and Sunil Grover as a constable who is overzealous and uselessly curious, seem quite disinterested in tracing Gabbar and most of the time end up bickering among themselves or eating Samosas.

Gabbar Is Back has some funny one-liners that will make you chuckle and a few 90s style dialogues for the front row audience. Then, there is also Sunil Grover and Jaideep Ahlawat twisting their tongues while speaking in English. No disrespect meant, but these two actors look rather out of place while delivering their dialogues in English. And hello, why did they need to speak in horrible-sounding English? To show that they are more competent and honest than their peer police officers? Blah.

The film also has Shruti Haasan as a desperate-to-act-cute, decorative piece. Akin to what's reserved for actresses in films of this genre, Haasan's importance in the film's narrative is negligible and Gabbar's supposed romantic interest in her makes you wonder - wait, is this guy avenging his wife's death? Hmm.

The film's music is strictly okay. Special effects are tacky (the buildings collapse like a pack of cards, like how it used to be in good old Doordarshan serials). Screenplay and direction is messy to the say the least. Akshay Kumar is his usual confident and effective self. But, he is undone by a unremarkable script and screenplay that never challenge him to do what he has not done before.

Gabbar Is Back tries hard to blend and hard sell Bhagat Singh and Arvind Kejriwal schools of thought, but ends up being mostly stupid. Watch it only if you wish to save your electricity bill and enjoy a theater's air-conditioning in this sweltering heat, or you have a 'thing' for anything and everything anti-corruption.

Rating: ** (Average)

On Behalf of Love

Even if it gets a little tough,

Let love breathe.

May be you cannot keep calm,

But, don’t let anger seethe.

Love loved you like no one else,

So, don’t walk away in dismay.

When you can’t decide yourself,

Let love have a little say.

Mostly you don’t get it right,

And blame love for going wrong.

Don’t blame the music,

If you don’t really know the song.

Post a million miles and thousand smiles,

All you remember is that little shove

I am not a lawyer by profession,

But I would plead On Behalf of Love.

Image: fineartamerica.com

Rolling Stone (End of October)

When it's neither warm nor so cold,

And there is a little nip and zing in the air.

You badly wanted the month to arrive,

But you never really got its share.

It turned all bleak way too soon,

There was hardly any good to remember.

As fears crept in and joys walloped out,

You knew it was the start of November.

October dreams never saw daylight,

And August wishes died too soon.

The sun hasn't really shone since then,

And there're tears in eyes of the moon.

Soon, the leaves went dry

And the feet followed suit

The color of the sky had a new tone.

As the days got colder and the nights more dark,

I realized I was nothing but a Rolling Stone.

Courtesy: Google/Deviantart.com

Badlapur Review: Say Hello to 2015's First Film With 'Repeat Value'

Sriram Raghavan gets the noir aesthetics spot on and brings about an eerie calmness to the overall dark proceedings. The film smartly trots down the grey rope and constantly blurs the line between good and bad. Your sympathy will keep on shifting from one character to the other as the film never really lets your conviction and anxiety settle down...

Read the full review here: http://www.todaybollywood.com/movies/badlapur-review-say-hello-2015s-first-film-repeat-value/

Now, read movie reviews every Friday-Saturday exclusively on www.todaybollywood.com.

Movie Review: 'Roy' is Over-smart, Pretentious and Hollow!

The problem with a film like Roy is that it takes itself way too seriously. The writer-director (Vikramjit Singh) seems to be hell-bent on making you realize that he has watched all the major Hollywood thrillers, perhaps has a bag full of world cinema DVDs and is also very neat when it comes to understanding the cinematic grammar. Sadly, while trying to impress one and all with his supposed cinematic know-how, Vikramjit only manages to make a film that’s awfully boring, heavily pretentious and criminally hollow.

Click here to read the full review. Now, read my reviews for latest releases every Friday-Saturday exclusively on www.todaybollywood.com

Shamitabh Review: Captivating Concept, Brilliant Bachchan, Uneven Execution

R Balki has a knack of coming up with brilliant ideas but falling just a little short of perfect execution. His previous films, ‘Cheeni Kum’ and ‘Paa’ were very high on thought, thoroughly enjoyable but do not really make it to your list of ‘my god, what a film!’ With Shamitabh, writer-director Balki, once again shows that he is a master when it comes to envisaging the unusual and unique. Yes, it takes a lot of guts and conviction to juxtapose arguably the nation’s most recognizable voice over someone else.

Read the full review here: http://www.todaybollywood.com/movies/shamitabh-review-captivating-concept-brilliant-bachchan-uneven-execution/

Note: Now, read film reviews every weekend, exclusively on www.todaybollywood.com

Movie Review: 'Hawaizaada' is aesthetically pleasing, but perpetually boring!

As a premise, the story of an Indian scientist of pre-independent era overcoming all odds to fly the world’s first ever aircraft sounds quite fascinating. But, glaring loopholes emerge when the director tries to weave narrative around a supposed aviation breakthrough that is not really accounted for in the history books. Hawaizaada makes no effort to legitimize Shivkar Bapuji Talpade’s exploits as an aviation scientist, and in the process ends up being an unbaked product which is part fanciful and part illogical.

Read the full review here: http://www.todaybollywood.com/movies/movie-review-hawaizaada-aesthetically-pleasing-perpetually-boring/

Remember to read reviews of upcoming films every Friday and Saturday, now exclusively on www.todaybollywood.com.

Movie Review: This ‘Baby’ is Worth Your Day Out!

When was the last time you saw an action-thriller that did not let your mind wander even for a minute? Think. Madras Café? Special 26? A Wednesday? Whatever your pick is, do notice that you are most likely to name a Neeraj Pandey film when it comes to genuine action thrillers that keep you on the edge of your seat. Pandey does it again with ‘Baby’. Although, ‘A Wednesday’ remains my favorite in this genre, ‘Baby’ is nothing less than a giant leap when you ponder over the sheer dearth of quality thrillers in the Hindi film industry.

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Watch 'Alone' with your friends and have a little laugh about it!

Based on the 2007 Thai film of the same name, Director Bhushan Patel’s ‘Alone’ does little justice to what is an otherwise interesting premise of a love triangle between two human beings and a ghost! Apart from a couple of genuine and praiseworthy creepy scenes, ‘Alone’ suffers from what plagues most of the Hindi films belonging to this genre. So, there are squeaking doors, a barking dog, a couple of weird looking dolls (which no normal child would pick up to play) and of course, a protagonist who hears and sees things only after she goes to bed in her cute little knickers.

Read the full review here: http://www.todaybollywood.com/movies/menu-reviews/watch-alone-friends-little-laugh/

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'Haider' Takes the Kashmir Dare and Is Almost There

Shakespeare would have been proud of Vishal Bhardwaj, it's a given. One cannot imagine better Indian adaptions of Macbeth and Othello than Maqbool and Omkara respectively. I mean, even if you match title to title, Maqbool and Omkara sound super cool, and these names have a certain 'ring' much like their Shakespearean counterparts. With Haider, Bhardwaj does something unusual and daring, he amalgamates the bard's Hamlet with Kashmir. The resultant is a dramatic and dark cocktail of personal strife and collective sorrow of Kashmir, sorrow that has been mostly ignored by the mainstream Hindi cinema.

Kashmir is not just a shooting location in Haider, it is one of the film's main protagonists. Full credit to Vishal Bhardwaj for an imaginative, sensitive and well-researched portrayal of Kashmir of the mid-90s, the era when the state was battling incessant militancy and unease. It requires a lot of courage and conviction to call a spade and a spade and Bhardwaj does exactly that when he calls AFSPA as 'chutzpah'. It is by far the most quirky take by any Indian film on the draconian law that gives sweeping powers to the armed forces in the strife-torn areas. There is no chest thumping about nationalism nor there is any over-dramatic cry for the 'Kashmiri' cause. Haider beautifully balances its narrative by giving a voice to grievances of all the sides, however, it largely focuses on the plight of the average Kashmiri who is torn by the unrest in the valley.

But apart from a brave, honest and intimate take on Kashmir, Haider also boasts of a heartfelt portrayal of mother-son relationship. Tabu and Shahid Kapoor put up pitch perfect performances as Gazala Meer and Haider respectively, to gift us one of the best Ma-beta jodi of Hindi cinema in recent times. With Hamlet as its inspiration, this mother-son duo share a unique bond that is simmering with love, longing and a strange shade of hatred from Haider's side. Tabu steals the show as Shahid's mother and it is such a joy to watch the great actor on screen after so long. One could only wish to see more of her on the silver screen and thank Vishal Bhardwaj for giving this acting powerhouse another meaty role post Maqbool.

Shahid Kapoor shows yet again that he is a terrific actor and comes up with a layered performance that is at times restrained and mostly vulnerable. Irrfan Khan makes a huge impact in a very brief role as the mysterious Roohdaar and Kay Kay Menon looks cunning enough as Haider's uncle Khurram. Shradha Kapoor comes of age in role of Arshi and takes a big leap in the acting department. She shares a lovely chemistry with Shahid, and the two light up the screen every time they find some room for romance. The film's cinematography (Pankaj Kumar) is first rate, so is the soundtrack and background music. Also, the film's dialogues are truly memorable that are sprinkled with doses of humor, intrigue and pain.

But everything is not hunky dory with Haider. The second half seems a bit dragged specially after a stunningly impactful first half. Bhardwaj fails to resist the temptation of getting into self-indulgence and pretentious symbolism towards the fag end of the film. So, there are graveyard caretakers singing 'So Jao' and digging graves for themselves, Haider holding and talking to a human skull as if it were a trophy and this over-dramatic sequence also a has a young boy watching and asking questions. Trying to pass on a commentary on Kashmir's present and future, Mr. Bhardwaj? It does not come out well, eh? Also, at times conversations on Kashmir seem a little forced and contrived. Kulbhushan Kharbanda's character gives us a sermon on how one 'inteqaam' would only lead to another inteqaam, and it only comes across as the director's attempt to balance out the anti-India or anti-army tirade in the film.

But overall, Haider is a fantastic film and to see or not to see it is never a question. But is it Bhardwaj's best work till date? I would stop short of claiming anything like that and would still rate Maqbool as the affable director's finest work.

Rating: *** 1/2 (Very Good)

'Bang Bang' Could Have Easily Been Titled 'Blah Blah'

Bang Bang makes you feel uncomfortable. Two incredibly good looking actors hop across some exotic locations, fire guns and machine guns as frequently as one pees after gulping a few bottles of beer, and if all of this does not make you sulk about limitations of your own life, they also kiss and dance, and flaunt their sculpted bodies all through the film.

Yes, Bang Bang is a kind of film that makes your body suffer from acute inferiority complex and forces you not to see the mirror for sometime. But sadly, that is all that the film offers- some stunning visuals, some jaw-dropping action sequences and plenty of sculpted body show by its lead actors. Apart from it, the film is a big letdown that becomes boring and predictable within 10-15 minutes of its initial run time.

Clinging on to a wafer-thin story line (if you decide to call it a story), the film starts with a hilarious 10-15 minute sequence featuring a guest appearance from Jimmy Shergill and the film's main antagonist Danny Dengzongpa. It reminds you of the terrible action films of the late 80s and early 90s where the 'hero' would throw some cheesy patriotic dialogues and the 'villain' would rebut citing his own 'lambe haath' that could buy off every damn politician, policewalla or judge of the country. Yes, you are reading the write review. Hrithik Roshan, the 'hero' of this film, would not takeover the proceedings well into 15-20 minutes. Yawn, you are already sleeping.

Then, there is an irritating Katrina Kaif and her annoying personal life of a 'bank receptionist'. The bank is funnily called 'Bank of Simla'. And there is robbery of Kohinoor diamond from London and the MI6 is rolled over by Javed Jaafri (one of the villains, who has also the responsibility of being comical) and his gang. However, the most funny and outrageous part of the movie is how much of snowfall they attribute to places like Shimla and Dehradun! Too much of unbelievable blah blah.

Hrithik tries hard to wrest control of the situation on several occasions, and he mostly succeeds, but obviously he can't fill in for the missing story and semblance of some substance in the film. The action sequences are well-shot and at times sunning, the locations are picturesque, but the overall proceeding has a constant stamp of dullness. Hrithik flaunts his abs and stunningly fit physique on several occasions, in fact, the director treats his body like one of the main leads of the film. Katrina looks beautiful, her skin as radiant as the Taj, but fails to make any mark with her acting (not saying that I expected anything significant.)

Watch Bang Bang only if you are a die-hard Hrithik fan or you get inspired by seeing people who are physically super fit. All in all, the film is nothing but the makers' tribute to good looks of Hrithik Roshan, and Roshan's own contribution to the club of '100 crore films' that otherwise suck big time.

Oh yes, and the film is a remake of Tom Cruise-starrer 'Knight and Day'. But, who cares. Yawn.

Rating: ** (Average)

Taking Care (Silence)

All kinds of sound,

A child wailing, a train running

Sound that resides in a guitar

Noise that comes from within and far.

Rain lashing a tin rooftop

A bird's lazy morning chirp

Crickets playing a night-long match

To each soul, a voice you can attach.

The sound and its healing verb

It would all be futile

Without a lasting doze of silence

Peace suffices after gunshots and violence

Silence of the rain, the guitar, the people

Silence of a bird, a friend, a mountain

They may look a little out of place

But if sound is a shoe, silence is the lace.

So sit back, cut off, let go

Everything can wait, or else fall silent

Don't always seek, just be there

Life has a million ways of Taking Care.

'Mary Kom' is Neat, Sincere and Inspiring

Attempting to make a biopic on a sportsperson is tricky enough, add to it the fact that the subject in question still happens to be active and very much in the news; then you are virtually playing with fire. Howsoever ignorant the Indian public may be about the Northeast, most of them would have at least gone through the real Mary Kom's Wikipedia page since a movie on her life was announced. It is in this context and the fact that you already know which way the boxing match in the climax would go, 'Mary Kom' stands out and deserves praise. Debutante director Omung Kumar and story & screenplay writer Saiwyn Quadras smartly go up, close and personal into the champion boxer's life and beautifully weave the narrative around her life's challenges and predicaments.

The film interestingly and cleverly does not follow Mary Kom's career's most recent events (the boxer's bronze medal winning effort in the last Olympics Games). Starting from Mary's younger days in Manipur where she battles insurgency, poverty, her father's resistance and society's prejudices, the film eventually closes after tracing the boxer's unbelievable comeback to the top (wining the 2008 Women's Boxing World Championship Gold in China) after getting married and delivering twins, and while battling the sports administration's apathy.

The film's biggest strength lies in the way it depicts Mary Kom's unusual relationship with three important men in her life- her husband, coach and father, and how it shapes the boxer's life on and off the boxing ring. Darshan Kumar as Onler Kom, Mary's out-of-the-world husband beautifully underplays his part and ends up making you smile and dote over him (and of course, the 'real' Onler). The actor as the ever-supportive husband, friend and motivator who gives up his own career, baby sits the twins and digests all the barbs of the world for being a man who 'lets his wife go out and get beaten', looks very believable and effective. Shiv Thapa as Mary's maverick coach is affable and outstanding.

Aided by a wonderful support cast, Priyanka Chopra gets into the role of Mary Kom with her heart and soul, and boy it shows! The actress is almost flawless in her dialogue delivery and diction, powerful and fierce when she is punching her opponents, and vulnerable and excitable when she is confronted with emotions. This is easily one of Priyanka's finest performances that is oozing with sincerity and dedication. The gorgeous actress has gone de-glam, bulked up and trained really hard to play her part and it has come out magnificently on the screen. Thankfully, the director does not fall prey to the temptation of trying to make Priyanka 'look' like Mary Kom. This is an out and out commercial film that never tries to come across as something which it isn't or cannot be (characters maintain a consistently believable accent while they speak in Hindi, no one goes overboard in trying to look and sound like a Manipuri).

But, everything is not ten on ten in the film. The film's soundtrack, although played in the background, is a big downer and distracts you many a times from the narrative. Also, the first half of the film gets a tad slow towards the interval and you suspect that the makers look a little lost while trying to bridge the pre-marriage and post-marriage events of Mary's life. The climax of the film also looks a little over-dramatized, especially when most of the film moves you without trying to be too dramatic.

All said and done, Mary Kom definitely has more pluses than pitfalls and it surely qualifies as a fine biopic that never lacks purpose and honesty. Watch it for Priyanka Chopra's stellar performance, balanced storytelling and to get inspired from one of India's greatest sportswoman's unbelievably remarkable journey to the top.

Rating: *** 1/2 (Three and Half - Very Good)

10 Reasons Why Modi is Proving To Be a Gamechanger

It's been 100 days and you know it. You know that you have a Prime Minister who is not as stiff as a robot and does not wear a mask in place of regular human face. The new Prime Minister has eyes that rove, muscles that flex, hands and a head that move and most importantly a mouth that utters words. Behold India, you have just gifted yourself a rather energetic, spontaneous and 'lively' prime minister, ending a decade-long agony of drift, lethargy and uncertainty.

I am not trying to draw out a 100-days report card of Prime Minister Modi nor I am trying to say that all that plagues India has ceased to exist. I am a regular young Indian who is very impressed with what he has seen of Mr. Modi thus far. From the historic swearing-in to the just concluded Japan trip, Modi has driven home at least three vitals points - one, he is way more spontaneous and imaginative that even his admirers thought of him to be, two, he will go all out to achieve what he believes in, almost like an adamant child, three, he means business, and he will do everything possible to leave behind a remarkable legacy. To cut matter short, I am here listing 10 reasons that make PM Modi a gamechanger or at least give him a very good shot at becoming India's first great leader of the 21st century:

1. The Man is the Message: Modi is a workaholic, no-nonsense man. He labours every day in his office and he his making sure everyone else around him does the same. Ministers are more accountable and ministries are bustling with activity right at 9 in the morning. Bureaucrats are powerful but their flab has been peeled off. There is zero tolerance towards inefficiency, non-performance, sycophancy, chalta-hai attitude and corruption.

2. The blessed oratory genius: Modi speaks with his heart wherever he goes. Secretary-written speeches have been junked, nicety and typicality have been minimized, he calls a spade a spade. So, not only his speech is extempore on the Independence Day, he takes the great risk of going completely unscripted on a foreign tour as crucial as Japan's. Guess what, he is pulling it off with aplomb thus far.

3. Buidling a personal connect: Mr. Modi has the innate knack of staring into someone's heart, and not just the eyes. Right from his campaigning days to his current status of being the prime minister, Mr. Modi has managed to strike chord with a billion people. You believe him when he says he will build 100 smart cities, clean the Ganges or get us the bullet train. Politics is a game of perception and Indians largely perceive Mr. Modi as a 'doer'.

4. Love thy neighbour: Modi has managed to do what the two successive UPA governments conveniently and dangerously ignored, that is meaningful engagement with its immediate neighbours. In an unprecedented gesture, he invited eight heads of state and chose Bhutan for his first official tour after taking oath. Next in line was the much-needed brotherly (not big brotherly) gesture towards Nepal where he won over everybody's heart while addressing the Nepalese parliament. India's relations with Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have dramatically improved and even Pakistan was given an olive branch till they decided to look the other way.

5. Perfect Pakistan Policy: Modi and his government has successfuly underlined a simple message- terror and talks cannot go on simultaneously. Despite opting to engage with Nawaz Sharif on day one of his office, Modi quickly realized that it is futile to 'talk' with a neighbor that is hell bent on gunning down our soldiers and civilians on the border. Add to it to the brazenness of Pakistan to hold separate talks with the so-called Kashmiri representatives, the Hurriyat, a group of largely out-of-job and out-of-favor anti-nationals. By deciding to call off the foreign secretary level talks, Modi has at least cut down on a futile decade-long exercise that yields nothing other than an inflated bill of cookies and table tennis balls.

6. Reinvigorating foreign policy: Modi has left Japan in complete awe of him. From tweeting in Japanese to jamming with drummers to playing a flute, Modi has brought in whole new level of personal involvement in India's relations with Japan. Expect more of this when Chinese come to Delhi or Modi himself visits the US. Also, not to forget the subtle nudge that Modi had for Beijing, hinting the strategic shift in India's position to not treat China with the kind of respect that it hardly deserves. India-Japan partnership may well be the most defining achievement of this 100-days old government.

7. Right noises on economy: There are no tall promises of bringing down the inflation in 100 days. Jaitley, Modi's trusted Finance Minister, is working slowly but surely to bring India's economy back on track. Green shoots are already emerging with the manufacturing and service sectors showing signs of revival, GDP clocking its best ever performance in the last two and half years and a renewed push for reforms and economic management. The fact that Modi has eloquently asked the world to come and 'make in India' shows the kind of interest the PM has in reviving the India story.

8. Rebuilding and reselling the India story: The last five years have seen India plummeting in the eyes of global investors and marketers. Policy paralysis, indecisiveness of the leadership and red-tapism threatened to cut the India story short, but Modi, like a true-blue Gujarati is selling the India model to the world again. He promises to reduce bureaucratic hurdle for foreign investors and offers them a red carpet while underlining the uniqueness and opportunities of the Indian market.

9. Focus on little things that will go a long way: Bank account for all Indians, drive to make India a clean country, cutting down on multiple ministries, scrapping of the planning commission etc. are just some of the examples of small but significant corrective measures that Modi has focused upon. While the big pet projects may take some time to materialize, these tiny jewels may well help India shrug off some of its dirt and troublesome flab.

10. Dodging a thousand provocations: From day one, parties and intellectuals with vested interests have been trying to flare up unnecessary controversies around the new government. From Smriti Irani's educational qualification to random communal statements by fringe elements, an attempt has been made to incite Modi into speaking something silly or out of turn. Dodging all these efforts, Modi has been focused on governance and promise delivery, and has refrained from playing into the hands of his critics.

These are great signs coming from India's new Prime Minister. 100 days is too less a time to judge the performance of a Prime Minister or a government, but it is the kind of mandate, resounding and historic, that Mr. Modi has got from the people, which makes his each day in office an acid test. The man, so far, has delivered more often than not, a feat that has further risen the already towering expectations of this nation of a billion hopefuls.