Inception- Movie Review

Christopher Nolan comes on the back of redefining the Batman series a couple of years back with The Dark Knight, and Leonardo Di Caprio has built a reputation to be an actor of fabulous calibre with the ability to almost always choose the right scripts to participate in despite his relatively young age.

When these two come together, you know that you are in for something extraordinary. With 'Inception', Nolan brings together a mixture of two of his best-written movies- 'Memento' and also the 2006 magical thriller 'The Prestige'. The most telling factor about the film is that the film comes with a concept and theme which is so complex- as it always is when it involves the infinite spectrum of our mind, yet it manages to remain in control and not spiral out to become a self-indulgent psychological thriller as it could have very easily been.

'Inception' is the story of Dom Cobb (Di Caprio), who is an extractor who extracts the deepest memories of individuals by invading their sub conscious mind while putting them in a dream state. Legal problems means that Cobb is always on the run and when a job to extract an information from a Japanese business magnate Saito (Ken Watanabe) goes wrong, Cobb has no choice but to go hiding with a proce place on his head. But Saito traces back Cobb and offers him an interesting proposition- that he'd able to clear all the legal problems that Cobb is facing and allow Cobb to return to his two children- only if Cobb agrees to do an 'inception'- an act of planting an idea in the head of Saito's business rival.

Cobb brings together a group of able assistants, including a dream architect (Ellen Page), to execute the complicated task. However, the recurring presence of Cobb's dead wife Mel (Marion Cotillard) in his dream projections threatens to sabotage the mission, and Cobb has to embrace the disturbing truth and face his own demons in order not to let the memories of his wife haunt him forever. The complicated job carries enormous risks for all involved and Cobb struggles to make it work in order to attain his liberty again.

The first thing that makes Inception work, just like all the other trademark Nolan movies is the screenplay. The movie has a relentless screenplay, with Hans Zimmer's background score being an essential pillar of strength, so much so that you don't feel the pinch of the movie's 148 minutes of running time.

But the catch is- it makes you think. Inception, make no mistakes, is an intelligent movie, and the four-layered dream pattern that forms the climax of the film has to be one of the most complicated action sequences that was ever shot in cinema. You have to pay close attention to all the factors that happen around in the movie in order to really grasp the story of each character and also the logistics and realms of the dreams.

Di Caprio carries the weight of the film on his shoulders and delivers with even a sign of hamming, understating or overdoing it. His calibre as an actor is further reaffirmed with this accomplished, near flawless performance. Inception comes with plenty of CGI and despite the grandeur of images that explore the infinite possibilities that exist within our mind, Di Caprio still carries the emotional weight of the story magnificently, which makes the story more connecting, rather than being just a well-shot dream unique concept.

Ellen Page gives an assured performance in a colorful starcast, and is a real standout. Ken Watanabe also shines in his role as Saito, while Tom Hardy and Joseph Gordon Levitt combine to provide rare moments of laughter throughout the movie. Marion Cotillard is just passable, as her character has the same emotional shade every time it appears, thus having very little to no development (which is the way it is meant to be).

All in all, Nolan once again beats himself to it by pushing the envelope of fine film-making even further. Inception could have become a movie for select audiences with high levels of intelligence, but the film instead threads a fine line between entertainment but at the same time not underestimating the intelligence of its audience. And such an achievement is rare at a time when the movie going public is so often getting divided with recent movies.

And for that, Nolan's got a winner and shows that creativity and popular success can come in the same package.

Raavan- Movie Review

Do we judge the qualities of our lives and that of our own self with a contrast as simple as black and white, good or bad? That is what Mani Ratnam had tried to bring out with his densely shot 'Raavan'. It took Mani and his team a grueling three years to complete this flick, which says alot about the kind of effort it took to shoot the movie in the dense forests of Madya Pradesh.

First of all, Raavan is one of those movies that can't be compared with Mani's previous works. Some may claim it is not on par with his other movies, while some may claim it is as good as any. Admittedly Mani's best movie to date, Iruvar, had a similar response during its initial release before it picked up steam and played to the gallery of classics around a decade later. Raavan might fall in the same mould- few years from now, it'll be seen as a classic.

Mani seems to cut loose whatever is left of the thin veil of ropes that tied him from fully expressing his ideas in his previous movies, and he executes Raavan with a newfound freedom- thus pushing the envelope further as far as the qualities of his own movies go. We all saw what happened when Mani went bold in Iruvar- the movie collapsed on a commercial structure, and like someone who failed in a first real jump, Mani was very subtle in the movies that he made after 'Iruvar', and it took him some time to attempt something with complete boldness again- and by some time I mean 13 years. Because it's only in Raavan that he rediscovers that touch.

Even Iruvar wasn't a perfect movie, but it was classic- so much to the extent that even the unanswered grey aspects of the movie, the hanging threads, and the flaws have come to be accepted to be part of what makes the movie even greater- and Raavan's imperfections might work the same way, they will dissolve as time passes by- and the movie will be accepted as one to be remembered for a long time to come.

To begin with the story- Beera (Abhishek) is another one of Mani's Nayakan moulded character. A man who stands firmly at the wrong side of the law, but not necessarily at the wrong side of life on a larger scale. He is at logger heads with Dev (Vikram), a ruthless local policemen who is hell bent in killing Beera, and thus erasing the image of a lawbreaker ruling the roosts in the rustic rural area of Lal Maati. Once Dev and his fellow policemen contribute heavily to the ill-fated death of Jamuniya (Priyamani)- Beera's stepsister, Beera goes out for revenge. He savages few of Dev's colleagues, and abducts Ragini (Aishwarya Rai), Dev's apple of the eye. Beera vows to kill Ragini within 14 hours of abduction to avenge for his sister, but when Ragini's lack of fear strikes him like a bolt of thunder, Beera retracts from the stance and instead keeps her alive- an act that would set a motion of unprecedented events and upturn of emotions leading to an emotional and poetic climax.

Abhishek Bachchan without doubt is Mani's personal favorite, and Beera was tailor made for him. He plays the character with such effervescence that his facial expressions alone are sufficient to deliver the kind of emotional turmoil he goes through when he starts falling in love with Ragini. He gives a weak look full of love at one glimpse of his vulnerable moment, and at the very next, he returns to his sadistic smile that is his trademark. He comes across as a good-hearted character who shouts out loud to the world that he is indeed a ten-headed Raavan, and a devil in order to hide his own soft side. You start by despising Beera's madness, slowly get intrigued by the layers of emotions he has within himself, and you start adoring him towards the end of the movie. On another day and at the hands of a lesser actor, the character Beera can easily come across as just being a pure psycho, but Abhi prevents that with great deliverance. Every little detail of his performance is polished put exceptionally, so much so that when he finally strings together a dialogue to express himself, no matter how short or incomplete, you'd know what he was actually saying. This is Abhi's best career performance to date, and betters even Guru in many aspects.

Aishwarya Rai never lost an ounce of elegance even after all those years, she looks genuinely charming even in the scenes where she is thrashing about in torn clothes with dirt smearing all over her body. And her performance is no less elegant as well. She stands out well in the plethora of visually poetic scenes between Abhi and her, and yet she stands her ground, and makes the duel and the battle of eyes even more interesting. She is convincing in the latter half when she is torn by her blossoming care for Raavan and also her existing love for Dev, as the two men seem to be heading on a collision course- she struggles to differentiate black and white anymore, which is what the film is all about. In short, Mani tells us the story through Ash's bewildered eyes- the entire darkness and gray shades about it.

Vikram is convincing as the ruthless policeman, and also manages to bring out well the demonic obsession that consumes him towards the end of the movie, when he was killing people at the snap of a finger just to get Beera. His need to get Beera weighs over his need to find Ragini, the kind of obsession not associated with a typified 'good guy'. As Raavan shows love and care for the woman, Dev shows more thirst for blood that tends to be justified by his khaki uniform. The gray shades of Dev were so effortlessly brought forward by the National-award winner.

Priyamani leaves a lasting impact despite her brief appearance, and manages to evoke sympathy for her ill-fated character- a good cameo to get herself introduced in Bollywood. Govinda is underutilized, but manages to evoke humor in the eariler scenes that he was part of- as the story focused more on Beera's side of things.

Technically the film is too good, in one word. Santosh Sivan returns to wield the camera for the larger part of the movie, for the first time since 'Dil Se', and his camerawork is simply mindblowing, not to take any credit away from V.Mani Kandan, who was also the joint cinematographer. The denseness of the jungle, and the depth of the river are simple natural settings, but the way the shots are composed makes this one of the most, if not the most visually poetic movie ever made in Indian cinema. Scenes between Abhi and Ash especially deserve special mention- the shots used for the song 'Behene De' steals your breath away. Mani stays true to his common principles of using natural lights for his films and it is evident again in Raavan.

Kudos should go to every member of the production team for executing the film with such a natural look in such a difficult location- every actor is made to work and go through genuine physical barriers to enact their roles, as it is evident in the movie.

AR Rahman's music as usual carries the film forward almost single handedly at times. There is a variation of music for every different setting, for every different mood, and what tops it all is ARR's own slow humming song 'Uduja' that is used heavily during the climax, bringing out the exact emotional content of the moments.

'Thok De Killi', 'Khilli Re' and 'Kata Kata' carry Mani's usual trademark of songs being executed exceptionally well, as the choreography of all three songs captivates a great deal.

Mani excels in writing the couple of plot twists in the lead up to the climax, and perhaps his biggest achievement would be that despite the plot twist, he doesn't lose the core emotional content that sets the film running. Mani may have not written the dialogues himself, but staying true to his trademark of minimal dialogue usage, the dialogues are great whenever delivered, especially around the climax and the emotional scenes between Ash and Abhi. Vijay Krishna Acharya lost so much credibility after his Tashan flopped that he was sacked from Yash Raj Productions, but with his dialogues for Raavan alone, has attained himself from credibility again, as it looks like he is still Mani's trusted ally in that particular department.

All in all, Raavan has its flaws and unfinished threads- but it is by no means a cumbersome movie- in fact it is a classic for that very reason- the film ends like an open ended question, a question that reverts back to the audiences, to pick up the pieces and find the Ram and Raavan within their own selfs as they makes their way home. Some might say this movie is not for everyone- it is in fact for everyone. But some might find it hard to stomach or dismiss it. But give it sometime and it'll grow back on you.

Mani Ratnam is a gem for the Indian film industry. And with a great deal of help from his actors and technical team, he proves that once again with Raavan.

A couple of cheers and now the wait begins for the next Mani Ratnam film. :)

Rating: 9/10

p.s.- don't listen to the critics. They don't make movies. Mani Ratnam does.

Taran Ardash, please humbly quit reviewing movies.

Raavanan- Music Review

Mani Ratnam and AR Rahman are probably two names that the industry most desperately want to see come together- there is never a bad time for both of them to come up with an album on all respects. The music of Raavan was already creating ripples in the Bollywood arena, now it is time for ARR-Mani to grace Kollywood for the first time in almost six years (let’s discount a dubbed version of Guru out of the way).

Though it turns out hard enough to judge one version over the other, the Tamil, for one, doesn’t come across as even remotely inferior to the Hindi version- probably a repeat of the 2004 scenario, when the music of Aayitha Ezhuttu were more at home compared to the Hindi Yuva. More at home? That seems to be the case with at least few of the songs, while others seem to have fitted the Hindi version better.

Veera Veera (Vijay Prakash, Keerthi Sagathia)

The opening song of the album which has already become a catchy sensation in Bollywood, Veera retains the same tune, beat and length. The lyrics are uncharacteristic of a Mani movie for a start, probably a clear indication that the number was composed originally for the Hindi version. A change of singers was made clearly to fit a more southern environment, and lyrics which exude reference to Ram and Raavan makes it intriguing nevertheless, even though words such as ‘Veera’, ‘Sura’, and ‘Kala’ seems a little over the top. A good number but not great.

Usure Pogudhey (Karthik)

Forums and listeners were full of ‘Behene De’ when it came out last week, many comparing it to the same breath as ‘Satrangi Re’ from ‘Dil Se’. Usure Pogudhey meanwhile seems to go even a notch higher than the already famous and highly appreciated Behene De. This has the potential to be another sparkling song to add to Karthik’s CV, which he sings with such panache that all the infusing passion is almost tangible. Vairamuthu’s lyrics are spot on, bringing out a distinct rural feel about them (which is where the movie is set). Karthik alone carries the song on his shoulders and his modulation and timely stressing at certain stanzas and certain words makes this one of the quality compositions to have come out from the Rahman stable in recent times. Two thumbs up.

Kodu Potta (Benny Dayal)

Though ‘Thok de Killi’ sounded decent in the Hindi version, it got monotonous after some time with Sukhwinder Singh’s singing keeping the song with the same tone variation throughout. However, with Rahman’s own favorite Benny Dayal crooning here, Kodu Potta sounds more unique and pleasant. Once again, lyrics that represent a rustic rural environment prevail and even the tune seems to have been tailor-made to suit a southern environment. Combined with synthesized Arabian sounds, Kodu Potta is a good number.

Kaatu Sirrukki (Shankar Mahadevan, Anuradha Sriram)

Talk about using the same tone and composing a number which would fit a rural Bollywood setting and also a rural southern setting, no one does it better than Rahman. Ranjha Ranjha was an instant hit when it came out last week, and although Kaatu Sirrukki takes a little longer to grow on you, it eventually strikes a chord and looks every bit like a hit that will stay there for an awfully long time. Look out for Anuradha Sriram’s unique voice modulation at different parts of the song, singing again under ARR after such a long absence from his albums. Shankar Mahadevan infuses more life to the song than Javed Ali did to the Hindi version, proving once again that his experience definitely counts for something. Another quality composition. Whether it will become an instant market hit remains to be seen, but any music enthusiast would never deny that this is one composition off the top shelf.

Kalvare (Shreya Ghosal)

The lone classical number of the album, that should immediately appeal to those who love to listen to such classical, almost pure compositions. Rahman opted for Shreya Ghosal for the Tamil version and she seems to be able to bring out more emotions and more variation here than the Hindi version ‘Khilli Re’.

Keedaikari (Benny Dayal, Tanvi, Reyhana)

Just like in ‘Kaatu Sirrukki’, ARR tweaks masterfully to make ‘Kedaikarri’ sound just as southern, original and catchy as the Hindi version ‘Kata Kata’. Understandably, Bollywood wedding songs have the tendency to run at a higher tempo and for that very reason, the Hindi version sounded extremely catchy. Should the same tempo retained in the Tamil version, it might have looked a little out of the place, but ARR’s tweaks works the song wonderfully, sounding as refreshing as ‘Kummi Adi’ from ‘Jillendru Oru Kadhal’.

All in all, AR Rahman and Mnai Ratnam have definitely not disappointed, with the Tamil version of the Raavan album not sounding even an inch like it is a translated version of Raavan in Hindi, but instead sounding just as fresh and infusing as the Hindi version sounded, and even in certain parts, better and more variated, and ultimately sounding more like at home. Maybe because this is home. Mani Ratnam’s home. And also Rahman’s. And no composition elsewhere can better the ones they are able to produce in Tamil (for an original film that is).

Curtains raise...let the ten-headed evil mind come...

Raavan has come, riding with it expectations as heavy as anything, yielding his ten heads and ten minds on a horseback. Two names is enough to make you swirl around with expectations at this album- Mani Ratnam and AR Rahman.

Without giving verdicts, I'll get straight to scrutinizing all the songs.
Beera Beera

Obviously an introduction song for the main character in this movie- Abhishek's Raavan. Set against the backdrop of a rural area, the song has an unique mixture of African and Indian folk, and the result is just as good as any. AR Rahman hits the notes right once again to bring out the entire environment and a glimpse peering into Raavan's characterization. The song oozes with energy, and celebrates Raavan to the tilt. Vijay Prakash has become such a favorite of Rahman's that he is being used in all colors of songs by Rahman in recent times, coming in the back of the super-melodious 'Hosanna' in VTV, he's here stretching his vocals for 'Beera', accompanied by Mustafa Kutoane.

Now you are in the vehicle, you know the atmosphere, a solid start to the album.

Ranjha Ranjha

Don't expect a Tere Bina in Raavan. Obviously Ratnam has set the tone for all of Raavan's songs to fit a more situational frame, in flow with the entire narrative structure; and Ranjha epitomizes that perfectly. Rekha Bhardwaj dominates with her impeccable rendering, and once again ARR throws in a surprise with Javed Ali sounding unconventional supporting the vocals.

This song too brings out the vague smell of the terrains of the more rural areas in Madya Pradesh, which is where the film is mostly set in. Full of life and full of environment (atypical of ARR), Ranjha is just as pleasing.

And we go on knowing its getting better.
Tonk De Killi

Look for the name Sukhwinder Singh, and you'd know what to expect right away. The song is absolutely high on spirits, the sounds and beats staying with the environment of the album so far. Nothing too spectacular, but good nevertheless, but might end up looking as exquisite as anything on the screen. Earmarked.

Khilli Re

If I had not mentioned it so far, Aishwarya Rai plays a singing tutor in this movie, and this song definitely has something to do with that fact. For some reason reminds me of Thalapathy's Yamunai Aatrile. Minimal instruments, mainly classical, with the full scope given for Reena Bhardwaj to take centre stage and deliver the best of her vocal capacities.

Breezy.

Kata Kata

Remember 'Rukumani Rukumani' from Roja? Mani and ARR revisit among their first ever hits together with Kata Kata, which is also a song about a newly married couple, but the beats is even more livelier, and seems to go one better than the classic hit 18 years ago.

Just like 'Beera', the orchestration is heavy and vociferous, and ARR even interludes at some points. Listen to it a couple of times, and you are tapping your feet at the really catchy beats- ranking right beside Alaipayuthey's 'Yaro Yarodi' in terms of overall impact.

Very Good.

Behene De

A killer of a song. Karthik is sensational once again in this situational song that definitely to be used as an all-important number to move the story. Infused with such passion and deliverance of atmosphere, Behene De makes for a good impression.

On an overall note, Mani and ARR prove once again that they are in their own league. ARR still gives his best for Mani, and Mani still extracts the very best of Rahman. And that magical combination wouldn't waver anytime soon. 18 June shall come, and I'd be among the first to grab the tickets.

Come with your ten heads, ten minds, and a hundred voices Mani. I'm awaiting it.

Verdict: 9/10

Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya- Movie Review

One a many had expected that Vinaaithandi.. would be Gautham's throwback days to Minnale, a winding up, feel good film with plenty of entertainment on offer, that doesn't take itself too seriously. But VTV definitely isn't a revisit of any kind towards Minnale, nor a throwback- Gautham tries to push another envelope forward in terms of his own accomplishments as a film-maker.

VTV, for the most part, is a films that resembles life in a poignant, unspectacular fashion. It's simple, not done with any over-the-top elements, extracts enaction of characters rather than performances. Gautham knows his characters like the back of his skin, and that translates onto the screen- he knows the story like the back of his skin, he knows what exactly he feels about the wafer-thin story, and tries to make the audience feel and experience the very same at the end of the movie. And he does succeed to a great extent.

The story, as mentioned, is wafer-thin. Yet without resorting to typical commercial fares to somehow pump excitement to a seemingly non-existent story, Gautham tries to appreciate the very subtleness and the thin story, and pay tribute to the tiny details of relationships, romance and love. The result would translate for some as slow and tedious, and for many as being nostalgic.

The story is not contained with good, bad archetypes of characters, that is so often portrayed as such in Tamil cinema; every character is adversely human. The male lead as someone who, despite his love and conviction, appears unable to force a happy ending to his see-saw love episode, the female lead as someone who is torn between loyalties, and tries to do what she thinks is the best for everybody- even the parents who fiercely oppose the relationship appear only as individuals is a cluster of pre-set notions and requirements that wouldn't be broken down with consummate ease. It's just the story about two individuals whose relationship did not work.

The film demonstrates quite effectively the complications that ensue through relationships, the psychological and mental delusion that follows when problems and fierce opposition starts knocking the door. It is a knock-down on the fairytale ingredient that we are so accustomed to seeing in Tamil cinema over the years- and thus, a fresh change.

Simbhu's performance is an acutely measured performance. Every minute detail is taken care of in his portrayal. Gautham ensured that his performance doesn't border on exaggeration- he behaves exactly the way a man at that young age, torn between a burgeoning desire to attain a woman he loves and his own career aspiration- would behave. Most of the sadness and pain taken intro stride within the character without any verbal expression, Simbhu fits the character, or its more fair to say the character was tailor made for him.

Trisha, though convincing at most parts, could have improvised more on her performance in comparison to the occasional stoic expression that is etched on her face.

VTV does fall at some places, with some scenes inducing a wonder as to whether the pace of the story will change anytime soon, and so on. With one too many songs crammed in the first half, that is another aspect that Gautham could have avoided. Manoj Paramahamsa's camerawork is a delight, as he captures the scenes in Kerala with consummate delight, while AR Rahman's fresh combination with Gautham results in a livelier and more varied BGM work, which can only get better with more films.

Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaaya- Music Review

Here we go. A start to the new year with an album by AR Rahman, that too for a film that has romance written all over it. It has been almost two full years since ARR last composed for a Tamil movie (we can take the abysmal Sakarakatti out of the equation), and this would the first album in Tamil for Rahman since his Oscar triumph last summer. The music has created such expectations that a drafted version of ‘Hosana’ which leaked out on the net itself became such a big hit among enthusiastic downloaders. Vinnai…will witness ARR’s first collaboration with established director Gautham Menon, who is coming on the back of a ‘divorce’ with Harris Jeyaraj, but also riding high on the success of Vaaranam Aayiram. However, Gautham fans expecting a Minnale-like album with instant chartbusters are in for a shock, and so do typical music listeners expecting catchy numbers. This album might remind one of Kangalal Kaidhu Sei, an album that took a long time for the listeners to wind up to and appreciate its quality. Similarly, ARR has threaded and daringly experimented with new feels for his songs once again with this album. The whole album creates a very different environment. It’s not just about one or two songs taking you someplace else, but in this case, almost the whole album does. It’s soothing, unspectacular, and needs to be appreciated by an ear for great music.

Omana Penne

Benny Dayal, Kalyani Menon

Sets the tone for the whole album. A simple, soothing love number laced with Malayalam lyrics in the middle. ARR clearly experiments in the middle stanzas, and mixes beats with carnatic and classical beats. Benny Dayal is a favorite of Rahman for such songs, and he delivers the goods with panache, especiall in the middle stanzas. Reminds me alot of Behka from Ghajini, another unique Rahman number sung by Karthik, but only difference is that Omanna Penne is even better than Behka. Benny is in top form, and ARR assures that the music and the tempo remains at a soothing level thoughout with minimal beats.

Anbil Avan

Devan Ekambaram,Chinmayi

Reminds one about Azhagiya Tamizh Magan songs. No, this not folk village beat, but a fusion that is hard to classify. Lyrics suggest this is a wedding song, and just like how you can’t classify Yaaro Yarodi from Alaipauthey or Kummi Adi from Jillendru Oru Kadhal, this song threads on the same path. Unconventional beats all over, but the end result is nevertheless catchy. Might take some time to grow, but won’t take long for you to appreciate this number. The choice of singers is expectionally good. Devan and Chinmayi both excel. Very Good.

Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya

Karthik

Listen and close your eyes. Appreciate. Lyrics are almost non-existent, but Karthik is in wonderful form. The minimal instrument usage is the mark of a maestro. A pure blues number by ARR. Creates a great environment all through. Don’t expect this to be catchy, but this is pure upliftment. Music is simply brilliant. One would only wish there is a instrumental number using this tune. Brilliant. Pure ARR. His own league.

Hosana

Vijay Prakash, Suzzane, Blaaze

If you are already in love with the drafted Hosana, then you will fall head over heels with this. A striking improvement when Rahman tones down the song to fit the tempo with the rest of the album, additional orchestra and strings work wonders for it further. Vijay Prakash steals this song from the offing, and Suzzane and Blaaze both do admirable jobs. Will be in the charts for an awfully long time to come. Pick of the album.

Kannukul Kannai

Naresh Iyer

A fusion again. It looks like it will be hard to categorize ever song in this album, Kanukkul Kannai borders the closest to western sounds in the whole album. Music is catchy. Naresh Iyer is such an unique choice to sing a song like this. But ARR is no newcomer to experimentation isn’t he? And Naresh justifies the selection as well. A favorite of Rahman’s, he sings with panache and adds an extra appeal to the fairly appealing song.

Manipaaya

Shreya Ghosal, AR Rahman

Look at the two singers’ name. Arguably the sweetest young female voice nowadays, and one of the most soothing male voices in a single song. A class composition. Creates a great environment. Lyrics by Thamarai are great as well, the melody astounding. Credit should go to ARR for not overdoing the tempo and maintaining it to complement with the entire album. Soothing-ness at its best. Shreya is simply wonderful, her sweet voice giving goosebumps all over. ARR provides adequate support as usual.

Aaromalae

Alphonse

A full Malayalam number filled with guitar strings. And guess what, its brilliant. Great work by ARR on the instrumentation and the environment again. Every single sound is paid attention to, just an epitome of how a good a composer he is. Alphonse’s voice fits the bill perfectly. Brilliant.

All in all, you can’t ask for a better gift from AR Rahman to start 2010, that is if you are genuine ARR fan, you ‘d appreciate everything about this album that makes it work to the T.I do not know much about the masses, but I loved it. Hosana will definitely ruled the charts though.

****1/2. (Two Thumbs Up)

My Name Is Khan- Music Review

Shahrukh. Kajol. Karan Johar. These three names are enough to raise humongous expectations of a film. Four years after failing to juggle commercialism and radicalism without dropping balls and making a near mess out of it, Karan Johar is returning to the megaphone with My Name is Khan. Everything about this film typifies with Karan’s earlier films- Shahrukh and Kajol, the classic KKHH and KKKG pair teaming up again under his direction, and for the fourth time in a row, the writer Karan has set his story on the backdrop of America. It is worthy to note that even though his previous films were often light-

hearted, Karan showed that he is not afraid to tackle sensitive subjects as he did last time around with KANK. And even at parts in the film, Karan’s execution and handling of the subject showed glimpses of great talent, but trying to make the film another one of his romantic fairytales backfired completely. MNIK takes over where KANK left off- once again, Karan is trying to break the mould that he is only good at ‘Rahul’ melodramas, and create a more versatile image of himself. If the music is anything to go by, then the signs are good. But if you are a typical Bollywood song listener who wants another series of Rock n Roll Soniye, then you might want to change your expectations. Because this time, Karan doesn’t give in to commercialism- there are no Mahives and Pretty Womans or Where’s The Party Tonight. There is only pure, simple, quality music.

Sajda

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Ric

ha Sharma, Shankar Mahadevan

Well, that’s the way to start an album. You may have never heard anything like this in a Karan Johar film before- a slow, soothing, enchanting number with heavy Sufi touches makes this a must-hear for hardcore music lovers. Rahat who has been in fine form of late does a great job and Shankar as usual provides adequate cover. A great song to start the year with.

Noor-E-Khuda

Adnan Sami, Shankar Mahadevan, Shreya Ghosal

If you listen to Indian music often enough, you’d know that Adnan Sami is not accustomed to singing songs like this one, but he stands out like a shining light, overshadowing Shankar for most of the part, and Shreay as usual is at her effective best. The percussion and keyboard arrangements are the beginning are brilliant, and in so may ways, this song is similar in terms of class and delivery with Khwab Jo from London Dreams, also composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. I couldn’t pick one over the other, but given the fact that these song has three stanzas and mixes classical and synthetically, this one has to take the cherry. Very Good.

Tere Naina

Shafqat Amanat Ali

Similar to Sajda, another soothing, enchanting number about love, only this time, it is heavier with Sufi and ghazal, making it almost a hardcore ghazal number. Listen to it a couple of times and you’ll be hooked for sure. The opening interlude for 18 seconds is a great piece of orchestra and music, and praise has to go to Shankar and co. for that little piece of composition itself. The entire atmosphere and aura of the song takes you someplace else entirely- could go down as one of the best quality composition of the year. Mind it, the year has just started. Pick of the album.

Allah Hi Rahem

Rashid Khan

Khwaja Mere Khwaja. Arziyan. Going on the similar lines is this qawwali devotional mix, and with this song, the fabulous array of talent the Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy trio posses comes forth. If you are an intent music listener, you’d appreciate this, beyond religious boundaries. Class.

Rang De

Shankar Mahadevan

Completely different from everything else in the album. If I am not mistaken, it will probably take place after the climax or during the end credits. A simple, uplifting, meaningful number about peace, and Shankar does his regular bit by rendering with panache for this song. It sort of completes the versatility of the album.

The album concludes with a theme music number, which is an intriguing piece.

A solid start to the year, expect more great stuff from the trio of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. Coming on the back of two solid albums in Wake Up Sid, and London Dreams, MNIK will continue SEL’s good form. As for Karan, the signs are that he has opted for only quality this time, and the results on the screen might be encouraging. And given the fact SRK is just as good an actor as he is a superstar, one can be assured that he has given his all playing an autistic character, and thus there are plenty of reasons for one to watch MNIK. At least I will.

Rating: ***1/2

Avatar- Movie Review

It's been a long, forlorn 12 years since James Cameron last took his place in a director's seat. And 12 years ago, what he made made turned out to be the highest grossing motion picture of all time, in the form of the soap romantic tale of Titanic. When you foray into Avatar, which ends Cameron's long hiatus from direction, except nothing more that what you have been accustomed with while watching Titanic. You will be treated to watching a film where the storyline is something you are pretty familiar with, and Cameron will never try to surprise you with 'twist in tales' or anything such. You will know all along what's coming next, what's going to happen next. Why, if you are an ardent film-goer, like I am, you might even be able to tell how this movie is going to end within five minutes into its opening. It's cliched, its predictable. But Cameron never tried to make the film to seem to be something more than what it is. Clearly his ambitions lay in bringing out the eloquent world of Pandora into reality, to bring a humane connection between the audiences with the cultures and attitude of the native Na'vi people, and in creating an imaginary world, where the connection between the natural earth and its inhabitants is much more deep than just feeding and hosting.

And in that aspect, Avatar suceeds. Bringing forth ground-breaking array of technical and graphic capture achievements, Avatar is strung by stunning visuals, that will probably stick right into your pupils if you had went for a 3D version. Images that exude elegance and light, and in order to bring out the beauty of nature, Cameron has paid intrinsic attention to visual details, a blazing assortment of colors, timely sprinkles, all in all, it makes you feel there is a Pandora somewhere out there.

The story is pretty simple. An ex-Marin called Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is called upon to a human base in an outer planet called Pandora which is inhabited by a native Na'vi tribe. He takes part in a large corporation's bid to coax the natives out of thair villages into order to posses large amounts of ubotranium minerals that are reserved beneath their village trees. It involves taking place in an 'avatar', a simulated fake body of a Na'vi, so that he could enter the tribal areas and demonstrate the friendly intentions of humans. Soon, the Avatar becomes who Jake Sully aspires to be and he earns acceptance among the tribe and fights for their rights against the greed of the corporation.

The villains are typically greedy, ignorant and cartoonishly evil, but the film on a larger scope has the feel of a saga about it, something that would appeal highly to the mass crowd seeking entertainment. Parts of the film's length seems stretched beyond necessity, especially the battle scenes around the film's climax.

Sam Worthington does a commendable job in the lead role, and even though half of the time he is lending the voice for his avatar, he manages to bring about the connection of the character transformation very well indeed. Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver both are adequate in their roles as well.

The film is technically ambitious and delivers on the entertainment front with a decent script to go with a wafer thin storyline, though intellects shouldn't expect much substance from the film. If you have enjoyed Titanic, you'd probably nod for this. A good film for a light-hearted festive season.

Rating:***/5

Blue Music Review- AR RAHMAN IS BACK!

Whether expectations from the media are high or not, it doesn't bother me, what I do know is that I'm just glad that finally there is an AR Rahman album to cherish after nine months in 2009, a year where really good music was so hard to come by. 'Delhi 6' was brilliant, and I mentioned in that review that ARR is going great giving albums at regular intervals to keep me hooked to one song after another, but all of a sudden arrived this void since he walked up the red carpet and lapped up two more than deserved Oscars in Hollywood.

I'm not a fan of Akshay Kumar, nor the type of regular movies he makes, the over-hype it gets and often lack of quality in the end product- and teaming up with Sanjay Dutt, Zayed Khan, Katrina Kaif, and Lara Dutta is hardly a sign of total difference. Despite being India's first mega budget underwater film- at around 100 crores (RM 100 Million) of budget- my expectations for the film itself are almost non-existent, so anything decent from that stable would be enough to get in my good books. Given the Akshay factor as well, I don't expect ARR to give his best album, and somewhat ironically, I also do hope ARR is not too brilliant in this album- because if Blue fails, the good music he gives for it will go seemingly unnoticed as well (look at what happened to Yuvvraaj, one of ARR's best albums ever- what ever happened to Dil Ka Rishta, it was the sort of song that should be described as legendary!). So, I lowered the target for ARR. And yes, he didn't try to make Blue his best album either, but I have to say, Blue is a ridiculously good album that runs on one USP- unpredictablity! One number to the next, ARR changes modes so affluently, and even in a commercial film like this where the only way to be going about it seems to be by giving fast-paced commercial numbers (a la Pritam), ARR leaves his stamp all over it. Welcome to brand AR Rahman! Its time for Akshay and the his team to do justice to this music. So on we goooo....

Hang on...the album is special for me personally because the female voice I fancy the most- Shreya Ghosal sings three (yes, three!) songs in this album- and not all the regular romantic number she is known for. And well, yeah, Kylie Minogue (yes, the Kylie Minogue) has also sung in this album...Enough generalizing and off to the songs, peel it one by one...


Peel 1

Chiggy Wiggy
Singers: Kylie Minogue, Sonu Nigam.

I wanna Chiggy Wiggy! This song created especially for a promotional music video purpose, has Kylie (who will appear in the music video with Akshay) crooning her Chiggy Wiggy way that somewhat reminds you of Zara Zara from Race. But, hey, this is ARR na. Listen to halfway of the song and enter Sonu Nigam with an out-of-the-blue bhangra rhythm, now this is fusion of a high-order. Inovative-ness hardly comes in a better package. The western sections suit Kylie fine, and the bhangra section suits Akshay's image fine. You can already imagine how the music video is gonna be now. Good!! But, well, here it is...Enjoy!

Peel 2

Aaj Dil Gustakh
Singers: Sukhwinder Singh, Shreya Ghosal

Put the guitar strings on, and just Chal Chal Charara re! A blues string simply doesn't get better than this. Sukhwinder and Shreya never are off-form, and putting such two able singers with a nicely arranged song, the results are bound to be infectious. Very the good!! I can't remember the last time I heard such a song in Hindi, or even Indian music arena. Well, who else but ARR to compose the first, aite? Its a priviledge for the song itself. :P


Peel 3

Fiqrana
Singers: Vijay Prakash, Shreya Ghosal

How do I put up a thumbs up icon here? Because this is the best of the lot! Fiqraana is phenomenal! Your body might tap to it without you even knowing. It is that good, and its flawless as well. The song doesn't have one dull moment, its completely consistent in its tunes and once again, guitar strings are too good- they are so Robaroo-ish. Brand ARR!! Brilliant! Vijay Prakash sound so different in this song, its abvious that ARR hymns with him at parts, but even alone, Vijay sounds like ARR himself with the way he has sung this song. Shreya, well, need I say? Of course the male singers take the limelight, Shreya is just a beautiful compliment to it.


Peel 4

Bhoola Tujhe
Singers: Rashid Ali

Kahin To Hogi Wo. Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na. Take the singing from there. Dil Gira Gaaftan. Delhi 6. Take the music and tempo from there. Resonate both of that, and you have Bhoola Tujhe. Rashid Ali has one-of-a-kind voice, and you can use this anyday to create to an emotional romantic number, and ARR leaves his stamp and slow orcehstration all over the place for this song. This is genuine ARR melody, because it grows on you further as you listen to it further. The usage of saxophones as much as keyboard beats adds a new dimension to it. Very the good!! But if you were to love this song, it takes a real romantic ear to capture the essence. If you have that, you'll simply fall in love with this.

Peel 5

Blue theme
Singers: Blaaze, Raqeeb Aalam, Sonu Kakkar, Jaspeert Singh

Blue! Bulue! Always count on ARR on at least one thing- he knows how to give a superb theme music, no matter what film. Blue theme isn't exactly ARR-ish masterpiece, but the adrenalin rush of it imemdiately appeals the listening experience. Again, ARR mixes a bhagra element into the heavy beats and its so inviting to hum along to this. This is better be used properly in the film. Because if it is used well, the results on screen would be great.


Peel 6

Rehnuma
Singers: Shreya Ghosal, Sonu Nigam

Reminds one of Hello Mr.Ethirkachi number from Iruvar some good 12 years ago. Starts of with a jazz-like arrangement, but ARR's inovativeness springs in again and beats change and keep you hooked. There is even orchestration for the song, and the music is simply so good. But whats unique is that Shreya and Sonu Nigam do not change modes, they sing in the same jazz-like rhythm while ARR changes the beats for the songs. Watch out for the Rehnuma...Neela Samandar bit that starts at the middle of the song. Which is brilliant. And you might find Shreya sounding different in this song. She does a brilliant job in this number and easily overshadows Sonu Nigam when given the chance. Good!!


Peel 7

Yaar Mila Tha
Singers: Udit Narayanan, Madushree

Yuvvraaj was a brilliant album, yet at the end we had Shano Shano, a club number which is very good but not up to the high standards of AR Rahman. This is along the same lines, Yaar Mila Tha is extremely enjoyable, but its not ARR-ish as much. But its slightly better than Shano Shano, and has some innovation done by ARR in the song. Again, good!!

All in all, as I have mentioned, Blue is a ridiculously good album. Now with a sterling budget of 100 crores, the makers of Blue better do justice to the good numbers ARR has put forth for them. Definitely exceeded my expectations.

Thumbs up...Thumbs up...Clap Clap for AR Rahman..

He is back!

Rating: 8.9/10

The Winner Stands Alone

Paulo Coelho has definitely left his distinct feel good factor that has always been part of his books with his latest offering- The Winner Stands Alone. And the book is definitely apt with the title, standing lonesome, it is a disturbing offering that is best put in Coelho's own words at the beggining of the book- it is a 'crude' portrait of where we stand today. Yes, very crude indeed.

TWSA is set at the Cannes Film Festival in Southern France, an annual event where the luminaries related to the film industry come and participate in a high order of the social spectrum. The entire story is set within a 24-hour time frame of the festival, focusing on different characters whose stories intertwine with each other. The main characters are:
Igor- A Russian telecommunications mogul, the main character in the story. He comes to Cannes in order to 'destroy worlds' so that he could win back his ex-wife Ewa- to show her that he could kill for her sake. Over the course of the story, he kills six people in the festival, but goes through a personal revelation of his motives as well.

Ewa- Igor's ex wife, who is now married to an Arabian couturier, and a successful one at that. Left Igor after knowing that Igor is dangerous and is more than capable to kill if provoked, but now has to confront her fears again as Igor comes to the festival.
Hamid Hussein- Ewa's current husband, an Arabian couturier who has a rags to riches story behind him, an extremely successful person who is at Cannes to take a look at a new uprising model, and also in order to finalize details about his maiden production venture in films. Loves Ewa deeply.
Jasmine- A black Belgian model, who is the next discovery for Hamid Hussein. Comes from a poor background in Belgium but is discovered by a photographer, and comes to Cannes to perform in her maiden fashion show. Hamid offers her a large contract to join his label.

Gabriela- A small time American actress, who is at Cannes in order to audition for roles, and on that day, grabs the role as the leading lady in Hamid Hussein's maiden production venture.

Savoy- An inspector in the small town of Cannes, who is excited by the prospect of a serial killer on the loose in the otherwise silent, crime free town, a prospect that could see him finally prove his worth as a detective.

The story is brilliant. Coelho's ability to wave a 24-hour time frame narrative in a full novel is a matter to be praised. And being a long-time reader of Coelho, it'd be also fair to say that Coelho's writing has significantly improved over time. His writing in itself is more engaging compared to his other works, and he is arriving on par into becoming a total page turner of a writer. And in this book, Coelho also seems to have developed an ample ability to be a thriller writer, he manages to throw good surprises and manages to keep the suspense going on an even manner.

However, that being said, this simply isn't what a Coelho fan would normally expect from him. In an effort to become a page turner, Coelho seems to have lost somwhere the essence the writer that had been adored by millions all over the world. The spiritual essence of the book is somewhat missing, or to be more fair, it has got lost somewhere in middle of Coelho's attempt to becoming a thrilling writer. At that same time, in an attempt to fit a 24-hour time frame story into a 300-page book, Coelho's writing meets tedium at many parts. There seems to be extensive criticism and commentary of the film world and also the world of the rich, but knowing myself that Coelho has always had a negative impression of the film world, I can't help but to think he has taken it a bit too far and a bit too personal in the commentaries. Added to that, the commentary is the whole book is very much the same- oft repeated. The same criticism is repeated constantly in the book and it becomes predictable and stereotypic after a certain point. Above all that, characters. Apart from Igor, and then Savoy, Jasmine, and Gabriela at certain intervals- the rest of the characters in the book appear uninteresting and some makes you wish you could just skip the pages. Hamid and Ewa's characters are especially pedestrian and do not evoke as much interest, nor does Coelho's writing add any extra dimension. Apart from their relationship with Igor, and how they relate to his mission, they could be easily removes from the narrative structure of the story. At times, with such characters, the story reaches a halt, the flow breaks uninvitingly.

The story's conclusion is also left somewhat hanging, raising more questions than it answers, and failing to answer most that is raised over the course of the book. But probably that exactly has been Coelho's intentions, to write a book that just raises questions and not provide answers. And has he had accurately pu it- the book is a crude portrait of where we stand today. And on that aspect, you have to agree with him. A fierce critic of the materialistic culture myself, I could relate to the central idea of Coelho's theme in this book.

All in all, The Winner Stands Alone is a work apart from other Coelho works. It might be a classic for some, it might be very dissapointing for others. But trying to be objective, I'd say the book is neither perfect nor flawless, it has both perfection and flaw, but most importantly, it stands out from previous Coelho works- its simply different so to speak- without using any other adjectives.

Passable.

Rating: 7/10

Wake Up Sid- Music Review- News: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy are back in form!

Yes, they are back in form. After a couple of mediocre albums by their standards in recent times, Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani, and Loy Mendosa are back in the usual form for Dharma Porductions' Wake Up Sid, which features Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma in the lead roles. The music will definitely create a positive buzz around the film for one, as the expectations and the promos starts to kick in. When you put the SeL combo together with legendary lyricist Gulzar, you definitely have a formula for success and in this case, both the lyrics and the music complement each other so brilliantly in this case.

Wake Up Sid (Shankar Mahadevan)

You will wake up with energy if you listen to this. A great flagship opening number, totally resonating the theme of the film. 'Wake Up Sid, Saare Pal Kaahe' (Wake Up Sid, every moment tells you)- the lyrics by Gulzar ebbs a sober-ness into the half-meandering mind and I did listen to this album very early in the morning and it did a world of good by completely waking me up and getting me going. Shankar Mahadevan's singing needs no commentary, he is a proven veteran and does a fantastic job in low and high pitch modulations throughout the song. Lets Wake Up to the album!


Kya Karoon (Clinton Cerejo)

Remember Lakshya's Main Aisa Kyu Hoon? This song pretty much reminds me of that number. Obviously a number that will look great on the screen provided the right picturization, the song describes the helplesness of a young guy. But SeL make sure they do leave a signtaure that sets the song apart from many other similar songs- the singer. Clinton Cerejo, you simply will find it hard done to go for a more unconventional choice to sing a song like this, Clinton hasn't sung any such solo numbers so far, so this is a new try, and he does a fabulous job with how he renders this song, that itself sets the song apart. A fgood follow up to the flagship number.


Aaj Kaal Zindagi (Shankar Mahadevan)

Stand up and applause. Or just close you eyes, listen, and be tranced. Can't find enough bombastic words to describe this. Just effing brilliant! SeL's best composition in a while. If you are one of those persons who is just lazy to get up in the morning, then listen to this. You'd be pushed into your senses. Again, Gulzar's lyrics are phenomenal. 'Tere Liye Naya Zameen Naya Aasman, Likhde Hawa Ho me Koi Naye Daastan' (A new earth, a new sky is waiting for you, write a new story in your heart). Shankar simply carries the song to another level with his singing, just too good to be true on a Saturday morning. All I can say is thank you SeL for the brilliant number. Best of the album!!

Iktara (Kavita Seth, Amitabh Bhattacharya)

I thought I've listened the best of the album, but 'Iktara' makes it difficult to choose. I still chose Aaj Kaal Zindagi because of the song's lyrics and meaning which is much more deep, nevertheless Iktara is simply a classy blues composition, a romantic number with the best ingredients. You have to listen to know this brilliance. Kavita Seth is a great voice, and Amitabh (of course not Bhachan) gives the song an unique contrast with his soft, melloe voice mingled with the Iktara chorus. Hats off!


Life is Crazy (Uday Benegal, Shankar Mahadevan)

Rock on mode maybe? This were the kind of songs that SeL famously composed Farhan Akhtar's Rock On! last year, a band-like song with a rock-like energy. Yes, Life is Crazy. Its a good ode to end the album, a soothing album with (again) nice lyrics by Gulzar and percussions kept simple, with singing taking centerstage. Uday Benegal is very good in his croooning, well, SeL simply don't get it wrong at all in terms of their singers in this album.

Overall

The only downside is that you wish some of the numbers are longer. Both Aaj Kaal Zindagi and Iktara are just around 4 minutes long :(. With such brilliant numbers hard to come by, I wish they'd be longer (5, 6 minutes anyone?). Wake up Sid is a very good flagship number, while Kya Karoon and Life is Crazy falls into the impressive, good category. So theres actually nothing bad about this album. Simple and delightful morning songs.

And you'd hope this is start for SeL's return to form, this is their first good album of this year, and with many big projects in the lining (especially My Name is Khan), you could expect some great stuff from the trio are turning slowly into Bollywood's most prolific composers.

Rating: 8/10

Pick of the bunch: Aaj Kaal Zindagi, Iktara

Kaminey- a Review

Go Charlie Go!!!

As I sit here typing the first words of my review for Kaminey, the Dhan Te Nan theme music still rings strongly in my ears. And I had a term that I could finally coin this movie with- Royal Masala. Yes, its my own term. If I had used the term masala as it is, it would just remind of all the loads of Bollywood commercial cinema regularity, Kaminey doesn't belong in that association, it defines 'masala' in a brand new way- the Kaminey way. And its royal.

Charlie and Guddu (both played by Shahid Kapoor) are identical twins who have grown up in the slums of Mumbai. Charlie is a small time gangster who works for three Bengali brothers who fix horse races, while Guddu is a small time NGO activist about AIDS awareness. His girlfriend Sweety (Priyanka Chopra) gets pregnant with their child- and she soon pesters him into marrying her, only then does the truth show itself- Sweety is the younger sister of Bhope Bhau, a local wannabe rag-cum-politician, who after discovering about Sweety and Guddu's relationship, is after Guddu's head as the brothers are migrants from the neighboring Uttar Pradesh state, as Bhope runs an agenda for his own state of Maharashtra.Charlie meanwhile accidentally disrupts a 10-crore worth drug transaction, and after discovering what he had accidentally stolen, takes the drug in his own stride to pull of a deal and make his dreams come true, leaving the drug lords are fervently after his head for this. Charlie and Guddu's story soon collide with each other, with the drugs taking the centerstage to everybody's pursuit- resulting is often comical, tragic, yet thrilling consequences.

Shahid Kapoor simply steals the show in his dual role. There is an obvious distinction between the ragged Charlie who spells every S word as an F, and the more silent, quiet Guddu who stammers heavily in his speech. This is by far the best performance of the year so far and Shahid has definitely taken his career to the next level with this film. He seemed to have grabbed with both hands the golden opportunity of working with an acclaimed film-maker like Vishal Baharadwaj and has given his soul to enacting the twin roles. Priyanka Chopra, after a streak of flops that has seen her market value plummet including her high profile break up, makes this her comeback card with a strong, commanding performance in a role where she seems to have not applied any make up to give a natural look. She is loud throughout, yet eventually lovable for her affection towards Guddu. Amol Gupte (who was the writer of the 2007 blockbuster Taare Zameen Par, which marked the directorial debut of Aamir Khan), shows that he is as good an actor as he is a writer with a great performance as Bhope. The rest of the cast just ebbs on with their roles, each fitting in perfectly.

Tassaduq Hussain gives the film an edgy look with his cinemtography, with plenty of close up shots being scattered all over, and also a few handheld shots to give more thrill to scenes, and definitely suceeds in doing so, giving the film a distinct tone that is mantained throughout. His camerawork for the Dhan Te Nan song is also fantastic, with excellent balance of colors.

Where the film wins however, in in the music department and the writing department. Now, in that two areas, are the champions. Vishal Bharadwaj is an impeccable talent. I'm resisting myself from starting all over again about how brilliant his previous works were (Omkara, an Indian adaptation of Othello, and Maqbool, and Indian adaptation of Macbeth), and not only that, also how brilliant his music was in both of the films. But however thought he would only fit the artsie side of movie-making and music-making are on the wrong, because here this film is a money-raker, and the musics are definite chart-topper. Dhan Te Nan deserves all the applause and hype it gets, the number is sensational and the choreography is even more sensational. Fatak and Raat Ki Dhai Baaje are both highly enjoyable but Vishal's background score is simply a masterclass act, off the top shelf. Check out for Pehli Baar Mohabbat, my favorite number from the album, the only slow meoldious romantic number which appears at the end credits.

The screenplay by Vishal and three other writers is brilliant. There are simply no stop gaps. Every story keeps colliding with the other, there isn't a moment in the film you'd feel is going too fast or too slow, the pace if simply an act of perfection itself, you are hooked to the screen for start to the end. There is enough action (realistic ones, no flying stuff), and above all there is enough comedy and also enough emotions to completely charge the film as the film-watching experience you'd cherish for a long time.

And of course, Vishal's direction. He is a genuine talent and it is evident for everyone to see with this film, and finally, I'm glad that he will get the commercial success that he deserves after his two Shakespearenan adaptations, despite being purred on by critics, were both overlooked at the box office counters. This one, however, won't be. Because it's simply Royal Masala.

Dhan Te Nan!!!

Rating: 10/10

Konchem Ishtamga Konchem Kashtamga- Movie Review

Konchem Ishtamga Konchem Kashtamga (a little fondness, a little hardship).

Siddharth has definitely set a certain formula pattern that could be identified within his movies in Tollywood. A formula which includes making a clean, feel good family entertainer, laden with simplicity and family values, and also including a subtle yet important message. Directors still obsessed with the regular fight-romance-villain-hero-dance formula fanfare might make a world of good by taking this formula to make commercial entertainers instead.

KIKK stays true and simple to this new fresh formula- clean and simple. Siddhardh Varma (Siddharth) is a carefree Hyderabadi youth who flirts with girls at his own accord. His father Prakash Verma (Prakash Raj) is a successful industrialist who has his own group of companies, but has separated from Siddhu's mother (Ramya Krishnan) for the past 18 years. Geetha (Tamanna) meanwhile is a pampered, modest village girl who arrives in Hyderabad for her higher studies and soon befriends Siddhu. Despite taking off on the wrong foot due to Siddhu's Casanova acts, both of them become close friends and eventually fall in love, with Siddhu changing his ways for her. However, Geetha's father Subramaniam (Nassar) rejects Siddhu's proposal to marry his daughter- citing Siddhu's parents' separation and Siddhu's own nonchalant attitude towards his parents' involvement in his love life as the reasons. Siddhu soon tasks it upon himself to unite his separated parents in order to win Geetha from her father.

The story is fresh and the approach is also fresh, though the screenplay could have been better written. The film effectively portrays what a child might go through in the event of parents' separation but also touches on the larger picture- the lives of any bidding couples, and how regular hardships often ruin relationships when people forget to hold to their love.

The film lacks pace and total coherence at certain points, but the cast more than made up for it. Siddharth is in his element again as the charming playboy, who, at the same time, is a young man feeling loneliness, while Tamanna is lovable as Geetha. Siddharth and Tamanna's screen chemistry oozes to great heights, with their cute acts turning the most trivial and ordinary of scenes into highly interesting ones. Prakash Raj and Ramya Krishnan proved themselves for the seasoned veterans that they are with effective performances, while Nassar was passable. Even though appearing in lesser scenes, Venu Madhav slightly overshadows the veteran Brahmanandam in the comedy department, playing Siddhu's good for nothing friend.

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy make a stunning Tollywood debut with this film, as the film's music and background score is another fierce highlight of the film, with all the songs falling soothingly on the ears and fitting the situations perfectly.

Debutant director Kishore Kumar has done a above average, if not spectacular, job in his first film. Better polishing in the screenplay department could result in better films in the future.

Rating: 7.5/10