Direction: Nikhil Advani

Review;
A small village in China is terrorized by one cruel gang lord, Hojo (Gordon). Fed up of his tyrannies, the hapless villagers consult an astrologer who tells them that China’s most famous ancient warrior Liu Sheng has re-incarnated and he is the one who will kill Hojo. Two villagers go in the hunt of this re-born Liu Sheng which happens to be one staying in the famous Chandni Chowk of Delhi in India. This bloke Siddhu (Akshay) in real is anything but their warrior they are in the look out for. Working in a paratha shop, as a vegetable cutter, the portly Siddhu is forever chasing dreams of a luxurious life without wanting to do hard work to achieve it. His foster father, Dada (Mithun) is fed up of his lethargic ways and always tries to make him realize his hidden potential. The two Chinese villagers finally find Siddhu and with the help of a fraud Chinese astrologer Chopstick (Ranveer) manage to take him to their village in China. Chopstick too tags along as Siddhu’s translator. During the journey, Siddhu encounters Sakhi (Deepika) a popular model and falls for her instantly but soon his hopes come crashing as he comes across her lethal side of that of a thief. But little does he know that its not Sakhi but her long lost twin Suzie aka Meow Meow (Deepika again) whom he has got confused with. What happens when Siddhu arrives in the remote Chinese village and how Hojo reacts to his arrival and what it leads to forms the rest of the film!

There had been lots of expectations raised from the slick promos of the film but unfortunately, the film doesn’t really end up being the joy ride it promises to be. The biggest flaw of CC2C lies in its predictable script which packs in all the 70s masala including lost and found, revenge drama, the triumph of good over evil just that the setting is changed from India to China. The film begins well with a superbly shot fight on the wall of China but then the pace dips as Siddhu’s daily life is introduced. Then again post the interval any average cinegoer can predict what is in store at what intervals and there is where boredom starts creeping in. You keep looking at your watch hoping it to end. Also, despite a good built up given to Hojo’s Kung Fu expertise and hopes raised about the one on one fight between him and Siddhu, the climax fight ends up being very short and disappointing.

Amongst the most redeemable factors about CC2C is Akshay Kumar. He makes you laugh, cry and cheer for him but then again he is let down by an average script. But it’s a great treat watching Akshay going back in the action mode and doing some really breathtaking Kung Fu stunts. Deepika Padukone in a double role does well but the chemistry between her and Akki is clearly missing. Gordon Liu as the villain is simply superb. He manages to bring out terror just with a stare. Ranvir is good as usual whereas Mithun impresses in the few sequences that he gets.

The music of the film appears better when watching the songs onscreen as they have been very lavishly picturised, especially the title track. The film scores full marks on the technical front. But we wish we could say the same about the script!

The film is a must see for hardcore Akshay Kumar fans, for the rest well one can only say that if you want to get nostalgic about the 70s cinema with some humor mixed with it then going for this 2 hour 40 minutes film won’t be a bad idea.

Director: Mohit Suri

Review;
Yash (Adhyayan) and Nandita (Kangana) is a couple deeply in love. While Yash is heads a successful reality show on TV called Andhavishwas which exposes superstitious beliefs in India, Nandita is a successful model. One evening Nandita realizes that a stranger (Emraan) is following her. The stranger then manages to encounter her in her building lift. He introduces himself as Prithvi and shows her the paintings he has drawn of her. What has him intrigued is that though he had never seen her before, he has drawn her many portraits including one which shows her lying in a pool of blood. He tries to caution her about something evil about to happen to her soon but she ignores him. But from then on, strange things start happening her as if she has been possessed by an evil spirit. What twists and turns follow next form the rest of the film.

Full marks to Mohit Suri for making that one kick-ass horror thriller which can easily put on par with Hollywood’s best in terms of plot, setting, technique and acting. Though the initial few minutes appear dragging with a slow pace, the film takes your grip, once Kangana gets possessed. There are sufficient twists and turns plotted at just the right juncture to give you shocks. The suspense too is well maintained right till the climax. Generally Bollywood horror films tend to have lengthy and at times unconvincing flashbacks to support the happenings but thankfully in here the flashback is not only slickly shot but is also right in length and very convincing. The camerawork by Ravi Walia deserves special mention especially for night shots which are aplenty in the film. He has succeeded in creating the right eerie atmosphere. The song are well placed too and thankfully few.

Mohit has gone right in the casting as well. Emraan is just perfect for the part and his expressions speak a lot. It is not the same Emraan you have been seeing till now. Kangana enacts her part well and succeeds in getting your sympathy. Adhyayan shows remarkable improvement as an actor from his debut film.

The film is a definite must watch, it delivers more than it promises. Not only it is way far better than the first Raaz, it is that one good horror film, that Hindi horror film fans have been deprived for a long time now since Bhoot. Go for it and be prepared to be spooked.

Director: Ajitpal Mangat

Review;
Vijay Shekhawat (Hurman) a Jaisalmer boy after a lot of struggle manages to fulfill his father’s (Anupam Kher) dream of making it to the Indian cricket team. With a great debut he wins not just fans but a lot of endorsement deals and lucrative contracts. Success begins to spoil and distancing him from his lady love (Amrita Rao) back home. Blinded by success and the taste of the high society life he losses both focus and form. He is then understandably dumped by the selectors. Following which, his father gets a heart attack. Vijay then decides to mend his mistakes and fight his way back to the team. In final match, despite a severe head injury he manages to get India a near impossible win.

A sports film is always crippled with a same storyline that of a underdog, his rise then fall and subsequent rise back to gain the impossible victory. This film is no different. But one expects atleast some sense of creativity wherein the interest is kept alive throughout. Twenty minutes into the film and one somehow senses whats in store. So full of cliches and melodrama is the film that sometimes you begin to wonder did the makers intend to take the viewers for a ride. If the melodrama was intended to bring in that emotional connect with the audience then the writer-director have clearly failed as throughout the film the emotional impact is clearly missing. Also nowhere does the lead character’s passion for the game comes across. Also one fails to understand the need of Hurman’s character using swear words for his opponents. Wear is your sporting spirit dude is what we wish to ask him! His character therefore fails to evoke any sympathy from the audience. The biggest high point of sports films are games shown in the film. But here they are biggest drawbacks. Not only there are just a very few games but also what are shown are simply thanda! There is total lack of edge of the seat excitement which was very much needed. Also homework by the makers is clearly lacking if they intended to show the ‘real’ behind the scenes happenings of the cricket match for example the dressing room interactions etc. Just putting in famous national-international cricketing names don’t necessarily give the film authenticity. A

One feels really sad for Hurman Baweja whose tremendous hard work is noticeable in every single scene but is mightily let down by a pathetic script and listless direction by debutante Ajitpal Mangat. Amrita Rao reprises her typical simple small town girl act for the nth time. She looks very pretty though. Anupam Kher after a point of time starts grating on your nerves with his screeching overmelodramatic act. Gulshan Grover is just about okay.

The music doesn’t really register any impact as there are no full songs as well. The Balla Utha number mostly keeps playing in the background during the match sequences. But thankfully the songs are less.

Director: Priyadarshan

Review;
Billu is a story of a down to earth village barber, Billu (Irfaan Khan). A man of principles, he is not willing to give up his values come what may even if it means his children are thrown out of the school or his earnings taking a beating. While his wife (Lara) understands him and stands by him during his tough times, his children forever make fun of him. As Billu is struggling making two ends meet, a film unit visits his village to shoot a movie and with the unit comes superstar Sahir Khan (SRK) Billu’s childhood buddy. When the news comes out about Billu’s childhood connection with Sahir Khan, the villagers make a U-Turn in their behaviour towards Billu. He suddenly starts getting respect from one and all. But at the same time everyone starts coaxing him to meet the superstar, all for their own benefits. But then whenever Billu tries, he fails in his many attempts thanks to Sahir’s Z category security. With this the villagers start getting more restless and an already in trouble Billu has to face their additional wrath. What it all leads to forms rest of the film.

Based on Malayalam super hit Katha Parayumbol starring Mammootty, Billu’s basic story premise is based on the legendary Krishna-Sudama friendship story. But full marks to Priyadarshan for adapting it well to a present day North Indian village setting. The maker who has always been more associated with mindless comedies shows he knows his job well when handling a serious subject as well. Priyan has handled his huge lot of characters very well and brought out humour from the most unexpected situations. He is technically brilliant as usual but where he scores the most, is in lending a soul to the film. There isn’t a single dry eye in the cinema hall during the climax scene between Irrfan and SRK and also during SRK’s public speech scene. Priyan has packed in the emotions extremely well. Where he falters is the pacing. A better editing was desperately needed. Though the second half is where the actual story unfolds, it appears very lengthy and the item songs added, end up testing your patience. Pritam’s music appears better on screen with songs being innovatively picturised, especially the SRK-Deepika’s Love Mera Hit number.

Talking about the performances, Billu is more of an Irrfan Khan film than a King Khan one. He is simply superb and natural to the core. Shah Rukh is good as always but proves with the climax scene why he deserves to be called a superstar. Lara Dutta despite having a glam doll image has perfectly suited the part of a village woman with two kids. Apart from them, the film is full of Priyadarshan film regulars – Rajpal Yadav, Asrani, Manoj Joshi and Rasika Joshi and they don’t disappoint either. Om Puri as the greedy sweet talking money lender is fun to watch. Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone add glam quotient by featuring in three item songs of sorts.

Don’t go in expecting a full on SRK flick and you won’t come out disappointed. Billu has a good story to tell and is the kind of a film that brings a tear in your eye and at the same time a smile on your lips as you come out of the hall.

Director: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra.

Review;
Delhi 6 is a delightful musical run through the Hindu and Muslim cultures of Old Delhi as seen through the eyes of protagonist Roshan (Abhishek Bachchan) who comes to India to fulfill the desire of his terminally ill Daadi (Waheeda Rehman) to spend the last days of her life in her hometown. As Roshan after a brief culture shock, tries to understand the complexities of relations that kept his people apart from each other as well as close to each other, he slowly gets attached to Bittu (Sonam Kapoor) and the chemistry grows, which is very convincingly directed using rich background music and believable day-to-day situations.
The first half, though appearing a little lengthy focuses on reverse-culture-shock jokes, lavishly reproduced Ram Leela, a visit to the Taj Mahal, and a cow giving birth in the street. It is in the second half that things take a more serious turn. Unwelcome traditions and smoldering religious hatred comes bubbling to the surface and erupt into a Do the Right Thing climax that takes everyone by surprise. Several characters and subplots weaved together to relate to the central plot of analyzing beliefs against rational thinking, with a touch of humor is quite entertaining but one has to endure the laborious and forced accent of Abhishek Bachchan throughout the movie. Although at several places, the movie seems predictable, Mehra succeeds in putting surprises well in time and balance. The climax gets dragged due to cameos and voiceovers. Although Roshan’s attempts to put belief and trust in people ahead of belief in customs and religion deserve a pat, what disappoints is Mehra getting preachy at many places. Rahman’s soulful music takes the film to a completely different level altogether.
Mehra and his cameraman Binod Pradhan have succeeded in capturing the buzz of Delhi city very well in every frame. Those living outside of India will find that connect with that feeling of wanting to be in both places. The song in the second half which juxtaposes Abhishek’s life in the US with the people and life in India is beautifully done as well. Hat’s off to the director and technical team there.

Abhishek has delivered one of his better performances but his American accent doesn’t really work. Sonam Kapoor doesn’t have much to do but except for the climax but she carries herself immensely well. Waheeda Rehman, Om Puri and Rishi Kapoor are simply outstanding. The huge ensemble cast comprising of acclaimed actors such as Raghubir Yadav, Pavan Malhotra, Supriya Pathak Shah, Deepak Dobriyal, Divya Dutta, Vijay Raaz, Tanvi Azmi and Atul Kulkarni do a wonderful job.

Just look at the diversity of topics addressed convincingly through brilliant performances and slick editing, you will realize why I say it’s worth a watch!!

Director: Rohit Nayyar
Producer: Pratik Batta , Ram Kishore Saxena , Wasil Siddiqui
Written by: Shub.

Review;
Aasma is a story about a theatre group comprising of talented and aspiring college and actors set out to have some fun. Somewhere along their journey, they realize that they want more. They want to touch the sky with their brilliance. This is a story of people who have faith in spite of the tribulation that life throws at them. Through their insecurities, anxieties, and dilemmas they find that friendship and dedication leads them to near heights, beyond the darkness that temporarily blinds each of them.

Director: T. K. Rajeev Kumar

Review;
Deepak (Govinda)’s ex-school principal father wins a long running court case against his school and ends up getting a school bus as compensation. But instead of selling it off, Deepak’s father advises him to run it and earn money. Deepak’s two sisters (Upasana Singh and Amita Nangia) and their respective Ghar-Jamai hubbies (Asrani and Manoj Joshi) are against it as the feel it’s a very low profile job. They aim to sell it off so that they can earn some share from selling it off. But Deepak values his father’s judgment and with some financial help coming up from his good friend Sundar (Rajpal Yadav) he establishes a company and names it Chal Chala Chal transport. But as the noble hearted Deepak begins his transport business, everyone he starts encountering wants to extract money from him. What roller coaster rid it all leads to forms the rest of the film.

CCC would have been surefire hit had it come some 8-10 years ago. Though really entertaining at places, the film fails to qualify as a worth watch because of the second half which wanders off aimlessly. The story keeps moving round and round, the jokes and gags start falling flat and appearing dated and above all Govinda doesn’t seem to be in the form he used to be once in his hey days. Also one wonders why everyone in the film is shrieking so loudly every time. But to give due credit where it deserves, the characterizations have turned out well and some of the sequences (plenty in the bus) make you really laugh out loud.

Age has started to show on Govinda’s face and he should stop doing youthful roles. This film would have been a much better one, had there been a young actor doing his part. Reema Sen is an average actress who carries limited expressions on her face. Also her pairing with Govinda looks awfully odd. Rajpal Yadav however, seems to be in top form and delivers the goods. Razzaak Khan as the bus driver and Asif Basra as the sweet talking conductor are entertaining. Murli Sharms is okay but Manoj Joshi is irritatingly loud.

The camerawork is strictly functional, editing leaves a lot to be desired and the set design too tacky. The music barring the catchy title song is no great shakes.

Chal Chala Chal is the kind of a film which you can easily avoid going to a theatre to watch for but it won’t harm you if you catch it on a DVD or satellite channels.

Director: Zoya Akhtar

Review;
Vikram Jaisingh (Farhan) comes down to Bollywood town Mumbai from Delhi to become a star. At his fellow struggler friend’s house he meets Sona (Konkona) for the first time. Sona too has dreams in her eyes of becoming a lead actress in an A grade film. For the past three years till then she has been living with this hope in her eyes. Taking advantage of her is Chaudhary (Aly Khan) a small time producer who has been assuring her of that one big break and in return of which he is sexually exploiting her and assigning her B grade projects. Both Sona and Vikram start getting closer as they are doing their struggling. At the same time, a big producer Romy Rolly (Rishi) is making a film starring one of industry’s hottest stars cum his protégé Zafar Khan (Hrithik) and launching Nikki (Isha) opposite him. Nisha is the daughter of famous yesteryears actress Nina Walia (Dimple). When Zafar gets the opportunity to work in Karan Johar film along with Shah Rukh Khan he dumps Rolly’s film despite the shooting for it having begun. Destiny plays a crucial role then and the smooth talking struggler Vikram manages to bag the lead hero’s part whereas on the same day Sona’s dream of becoming a lead actress get shattered when Chaudhary ditches her. What happens next as Vikram manages to grab that one lucky chance and how it takes the toll on his love life forms the rest of the film.

Luck By Chance just like Rangeela or to some extent Om Shanti Om takes you right into the true to life functioning of the Hindi film world. Zoya for her directorial debut deserves a huge applause for making a brilliant film which manages to strike the fine balance between art house cinema and a commercial entertainer. Her characterizations and selection of right actors deserve special mention. While it may appear as Vikram’s story you realize as the film comes to an end that the main protagonist is not him but Sona. The ending may not be everyone’s cup of tea but the way it has being treated you do get the feeling that this is the perfect and most logical way how the story could have ended. Zoya has handled the emotional moments very sensitively. Giving Zoya perfect aid is her father Javed Akhtar in the dialogues department. Right from philosophy laden ones to extremely witty liners, the dialogues manage to touch your heart.

The production values of the film are of high standards with Carlos Catalan’s camerawork giving the film a very international look. Shankar Ehsaan Loy’s music is already climbing the charts and is well mixed in the film’s proceedings. Don’t miss the opening song sequence.

Konkona delivers an award winning performance which lingers in your mind for a long time even after the film is over. Farhan is extremely natural in his act and has brilliantly underplayed his part. Rishi Kapoor and Juhi give able support. Dimple is extremely charming and is brilliant in the pre-climax scene where she brings out her frustration on her daughter very well played by Isha. Sanjay Kapoor is very funny as the film director. Hrithik Roshan in an extended special appearance is simply superb. His dance sequence is awe inspiring. The film has quite a few guest appearances right from Aamir Khan, Rani Mukherjee, Akshaye Khanna, Kareena Kapoor to Shah Rukh Khan and are very well treated. But it is writer-director Anurag Kashyap making his acting debut who is simply outstanding in his 2 scene appearance as a frustrated writer.

Luck By Chance is quality cinema that takes you straight into the heart of the Hindi film industry’s functioning, showing you both the good, the bad and the ugly side of it and yet keeps your love intact for the film industry.

Review;
Eighteen-year-old Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) is a contestant on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, one question away from the grand prize. However, because Jamal is a former street child from the Juhu slums, the police suspect him of cheating and arrest him the night before the Rs. 20,000,000 question. As the police brutally interrogate him, Jamal recounts, through flashbacks, the incidents in his life which provided him with each answer. These flashbacks tell the story of Jamal, his brother Salim (Madhur Mittal), and Latika (Freida Pinto).

The story of Jamal’s life includes trying so hard to obtain the autograph of Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan by jumping in an outhouse hole and the death of his mother during the Bombay Riots at age five. After their mother’s death, Salim and Jamal meet Latika, another street child from their slum. Salim is reluctant to take her in, but Jamal suggests that she could be the “third musketeer”, a character from the Alexandre Dumas novel whose name they do not know. The three are found by Maman (Ankur Vikal), a gangster who tricks street children into begging money for him. When Jamal, Salim, and Latika learn Maman is blinding children in order to make them more profitable singing beggars, they flee by jumping onto a departing train. Latika catches up and takes Salim’s hand, but Salim purposely lets go, and she is recaptured by the gangsters.

Salim and Jamal make a living travelling on top of trains, selling goods, picking pockets, working as dishwashers, and pretending to be tour guides at the Taj Mahal. Jamal eventually insists that they return to Mumbai to find Latika. They discover that she has been raised by Maman to become a prostitute whose virginity is expected to fetch a high price. The brothers rescue her, and Salim draws a gun and kills Maman. After returning to their hotel room, Salim orders Jamal to leave him and Latika alone. The shocked and furious Jamal attacks Salim, who draws his gun and threatens to kill his brother. Latika intervenes and tells Jamal to leave. After he leaves, she gets Salim drunk, and she escapes but is later recaptured by him. Salim tries to sell her virginity but loses interest when he gets a job with Javed (Mahesh Manjrekar), Maman’s rival crime lord.

Years later, while working as a tea server at an Indian call centre, Jamal searches the centre’s database for Salim and Latika. He succeeds in finding Salim, now a high-ranking lieutenant in Javed’s organisation. When the brothers meet, Salim is regretful for his past actions and only pleads for forgiveness when Jamal violently attacks him. Jamal then bluffs his way into Javed’s residence and reunites with Latika. While Jamal professes his love for her, Latika asks him to forget about her. Jamal promises to wait for her every day at 5 o’clock at the CST station. Latika attempts to rendezvous with him, but she is recaptured by Javed’s men, led by Salim. Jamal loses contact with Latika when Javed moves to another house, outside of Mumbai.

Jamal tries out for the popular game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, because he knows Latika watches it regularly. He makes it to the final question despite the hostile attitude of the show’s host, Prem Kumar (Anil Kapoor), and becomes a wonder across India. However, Kumar and the police find it impossible that a simple “slumdog” could possibly know the answers to so many obscure questions and have him arrested, bringing the story back to the present.

The police inspector (Irrfan Khan) calls Jamal’s explanation “bizarrely plausible” and allows him to return to the show. At Javed’s safehouse, Latika watches the news coverage of Jamal’s miraculous run on the show. Salim, in an effort to make amends for his past behaviour, gives Latika his mobile phone and car keys, and asks her to forgive him and to go to Jamal. Latika, though initially reluctant out of fear of Javed, agrees and escapes. Salim fills a bathtub full of cash and sits in it, waiting for the death he knows will come when Javed discovers what he has done.

Jamal’s final question is the name of the third musketeer in The Three Musketeers, a fact he never learned. Jamal uses his “Phone-A-Friend” lifeline to call Salim’s cell. Latika succeeds in answering the phone in time, and, while she does not know the answer, tells Jamal that she is safe. Relieved, Jamal randomly picks “Aramis”, the right answer, and wins the grand prize.

Simultaneously, Javed discovers that Salim has helped Latika escape. He and his men break down the bathroom door, and Salim kills Javed, followed by Salim’s death at the hand of Javed’s men. With his dying breath, Salim gasps that God is great. Later that night, Jamal and Latika meet at the railway station and kiss. The movie ends with a dance scene on the platform.

Director: Vikram K. Kumar

Review;
Manohar (Madhavan) with his wife (Neetu Chandra) shifts to a new address with his entire joint family comprising of his brother and his wife, their two kids, mom (Poonam Dhillon) and a college going younger sister. All the female folks in the family are hooked on to watching daily Saas Bahu soaps on TV. But bizarre things start happening to Manohar after shifting to this new address – 13B like the lift never working whenever he boards it alone, his mobile phone clicking distorted images of his self, his bathroom bulb being constantly lit up despite him putting it off and him not being able to hammer a simple nail in the room of his house walls. While he is experiencing such weird things, the opposite is happening to his family members who are having personal gains in all possible ways. Just around that time the female folk in his house start following a new daily TV Soap called Sab Khairiyat. The show comes daily at 1300 hours at channel number 13 in his 13 B flat only. Manohar soon realizes that the things happening in the TV series are ditto happening in his own family life as well. It is almost as if, his life’s daily events are being dictated by the TV series. This drives Manohar literally mad as he tries finding answers to it. He takes help of an old friend, Shiva (Murli Sharma) and what unfolds next forms the rest part of this shocking thriller.

An innovative plot that steers clear of typical Bollywood horror cinema clichés like a Tantric Baba, Sanskrit shlokas, and badly made up ghosts, 13 B scores on many counts. The setting is very relatable to anyone staying in urban cities and the script makes good use of daily every day life happenings. Even things as simple as a lift and mobile phone are smartly used as a prop to scare you. It’s a tough job scaring the daylights out of the audience by showing things taking place on screen in broad daylight but 13 B succeeds very well in doing so. First timer director Vikram K. Kumar who is also the film’s story-screenplay and dialogue writer deserves full marks for all inventive efforts in making a gripping thriller that has you on the edge of the seat most of the time. Also, the back story which reveals the suspense behind the weird experiences Madhavan is experiencing appears very convincing. Vikram has also made good use of camera by employing lot of handheld camera moments which give you just the right feel of the character’s helplessness. The only thing that is a downer is the film’s running time which is 2 and a half hour. Also, the need for sensous dream song between Madhavan and Neetu was just not needed especially when sufficient time had been given for their bedroom act just few minutes before it. The background music by Tubby-Parik succeeds in elevating the tension.

The film is a must see for Madhavan’s superb act. He brilliantly conveys the dilemma that he faces and his vulnerability in handling the bizarre situations around him. Neetu Chandra in a less make up look gives him able support. Murli Sharma employing a lot of black humour is superb and gets some really good lines to give you that much needed comic relief. Poonam Dhillon making a comeback of sorts after over a decade is good too. Sachin Khedekar as the family’s trusted doctor does a fine job. In a small part, Deepak Dobriyal impresses a lot.

Just don’t miss 13 B, it not only engages you but also gives you the right chills and thrills just when you don’t expect them. It is one of the most intelligently made thriller in recent times in Bollywood. Go watch it.