After the success of Wake Up Sid, Dharma Productions are back with a new movie, Kurbaan starring Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Vivek Oberoi. Kurbaan has an intersting plot and even more interesting poster. You can’t deny it, can you? Well, we are here to talk about the soundtrack of the movie. There are total 6 songs out of which 5 are originals and 1 is remix. Let’s get down to the review.
1. Shukran Allah – The very first song of the album is a really nice romantic number featuring Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal. Saleem is on the chorus. If you’ve loved songs like Teri Ore, Khduaya Ve etc then you’ll love this. The beat pattern is quite similar to Teri Ore. But, I’m not complaining. Lyrics are typical romantic, nothing new except the title words, of course.
2. Dua – After a very nice romantic number, Salim-Sulaiman gives Dua with an interesting combo of Sukhwinder Singh and Kailash Kher. The music is pretty much average and I don’t like the english verse in the song. Both the singers are good as usual.
3. Ali Maula – Ali Maula, performed by Salim Merchant is a situational song. Well, the song contains lots of urdu words which give the song a unique feel. It’s not meant to be an entertaining song. It’s much more along the lines of “Maula mere lele meri jaan” of Chak De India. It’ll sound pretty good as background score in the movie. Thumbs up!
4. Rasiya – Rasiya is another situational song and has a very mysterious feel to it. Performed beautifully by Shruti Pathak, Rasiya will take you to a whole new world if you listen to it with your eyes closed. If used right, it can be really haunting during the movie.
5. Kurbaan Hua – Here’s the show stopper of the album. Typical a rock number which very suit Vishal Dadlani’s voice, this song is going to be a chart topper. Their last effort, Nazara Hai of 8 x 10 Tasveer went unnoticed though it was a very good song but this will definitely be on everyone’s lips. The chorus is mindblowing, simply amazing. Kudos to Vishal for singing it so beautifully. Two thumbs up!
Rating –
Cast – Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Vivek Oberoi
Music Director – Salim-Sulaiman
Movie Director – Rensil D’Silva
Post your comments, reviews and suggestions in the comment box below and I’ll reply to them.
After last year’s hit, Fashion, Madhur Bhandarkar is back with his latest feature film, Jail, starring Neil Nitin Mukesh and Mughda Ghodse. The film will release on Novermber 6th, 2009. Let’s get straight to the music review. The album comprises of 8 tracks, out of which 4 are original and 4 are remixes. We’ll talk only about originals.
1. Sainya Ve
The song starts with a strong guitar intro with Toshi on the vocals. Music is by the duo Sharib and Toshi and they have also written the lyrics. The song has nothing special about it and moreover, you’ll get the vibe of “Maahi Ve” of Raaz 2 during the song. Beat is ordinary and so are the lyrics. Nothing innovative.
2. Milke Yun Laga
Milke Yun Laga has been also composed by Sharib and Toshi but this time, it’s Sharib on the vocals. This song is better than Sainya Ve; both in terms of music and lyrics. Just like Sainya Ve, guitar is the important component of the song. But, the beat is worth listening this time. But, it’s not upto the standards of today’s songs like Dhan Te Nan or any Pritam number.
3. Bareily Ke Bazaar Mein
After two tracks by Sharib and Toshi, Bareily Ke Bazaar mein has been composed by Shamir Tandon. As you can get an idea from the title, this is a song which might have worked like 10 years or something but this is an utter disappointment. I don’t even think this song will look good as a situational song. The only saving grace can be the male’s voice in the song as it gives a raw touch but everthing else is unpalatable.
4. Daata Sun Le
Wow, hearing a song from Lata Mangeshkar is such a nice surprise! Daata Sun Le works only for one reason, Lata Mangeshkar. This song has a lot of potential but the mediocrity of the composer, Shamir Tandon, can’t take the advantage of Lata’s voice. You give the same song to A.R. Rahman, Salim-Sulaiman, Amit Trivedi or SEL, you have a masterpiece in your hand. Lyrics are touching but as I said earlier, music is really average.
A song creates magic when Lyrics, Music and Singer’s voice compliment each other which is clearly not happening in this case. A lost opportunity!
Final Verdict
On the whole, the soundtrack of Jail is a disappointment. Madhur should have sticked to Salim-Sulaiman. But, if we go by the subject of the film, I don’t think movie needs a song anyway. If they are using these songs as background music then they are in trouble. Only Daata Sun Le has some chance to catch your attention otherwise every song is unpalatable. Better luck next time.
Rating – and half
Cast – Neil Nitin Mukesh, Mughda Ghodse
Music Director – Shabir and Toshi, Shamir Tandon
Movie Director – Madhur Bhandarkar
Post your comments, reviews and suggestions in the comment box below and I’ll reply to them.
Let me first start by saying that Wake Up Sid is the best film of 2009, with Kaminey. It’s a movie with a big heart and works because of its simplicity.
The story of the movie is about a college student, Sid, played by Ranbir Kapoor, who is simply careless about everything, from studies to relationships to his own future. This is because his dad (Anupam Kher) is a rich businessman who gives Sid more than enough money to spend. After giving his final exams, Sid tries to go to office but leaves that, too, within a week.
The story of Aisha (Konkana Sen Sharma) is going on with his story. Aisha is a girl from Kolkata who came to Mumbai to make her dream true of being a writer and to be independent. Both of them meet in a party and soon become friends. But, when the result of Sid comes out, things go awry. He leaves his home and starts living with Aisha, and this follows the tale of the waking up of Sid.
Technical Stuff
The director of the movie, Ayan Mukerji, who is a debutant, makes a great impact with his strong story telling talent. His script is really good and filled with humour. One thing which goes with the script is that it is not too preachy. It says what it wants to say very subtly. Direction is top class. But, the second part lacks pace while first half is pure awesomeness.
The most important thing which goes with the movie is its relativity. It doesn’t matter if you are a 20 year old guy or 60 year old uncle, you can relate to Sid mainly because you might have experienced the same thing during your time, too. Wake Up Sid is a very realistic movie and it shows the attitude of the youth very clearly. Scenes are very powerful and the one which involves the confrontation of Anupam Kher and Ranbir Kapoor is pure class!
Music is too good. I know a lot of people were complaining about music being too ordinary, but when you listen to the songs as background score (another master stroke by the director), you’ll love every song. The ones that stand out are “Iktara” and “Wake Up Sid”. Kudos to Shankar Ehsaan Loy and Amit Trivedi.
Cinematography is really good and so is the editing.
Acting Department
Now let’s come to the acting department. First things first, out of all the new age actors, only Ranbir Kapoor knows the art of acting. He’s so natural and there is no way you can’t relate to the character he portrayed. You can see the dilemma he is going through and he totally sucks you into his world. Well done, Ranbir! I’m really looking forward to the nominations this year.
Konkana Sen Sharma is as usual great but she somewhat reminded me of her performance of Luck By Chance. There was not much difference between the two, apart from the looks. But, nevertheless, a great performance.
On the supporting cast, Anupam Kher and Supriya Pathak (mother of Sid) shines. It’s really nice to see Anupam Kher doing a good role after the disastrous Dil Bole Hadippa. Rahul Khanna as Konkana’s boss has done a good job.
Final Verdict
Wake Up Sid sets another example for the new age cinema of Bollywood. Undoubtedly, it’s a film which will score big time with the college audience. It has its heart at the right place. Second part could have better as it took a lot of time to come to the final point. Ranbir Kapoor is top notch and so is Konkana. Ayan has a bright future in the industry. As for you people, please go and watch this movie. Bunk college, school or whatever, just watch it. And who knows, Wake Up Sid may become a wake up call for you.
Rating –
Cast – Ranbir Kapoor, Konkana Sen Sharma, Anupam Kher
Music Director – Shankar Ehsaan Loy and Amit Trivedi
Movie Director – Ayan Mukerji
Post your comments, reviews and suggestions in the comment box below and I’ll reply to them.
Oh boy! It was an experience in itself to watch Dil Bole Hadippa. I don’t know what to write for this movie and I don’t even know if there should be a review for this movie. I mean seriously, what the hell were the makers thinking?
Story
Before giving my review, here is a little bit story and don’t worry spoilers because this movie doesn’t have any as it is predictable from the very beginning. The story revolves around a Punjabi girl Veera Kaur who has a dream to play for India in Cricket at international level. I don’t exactly know where she lives because sometimes they mention Amritsar but on the other hand, they are showing a village and Amritsar is not a village.
Now, there is a friendship between Vicky (Anupam Kher) who is an Indian and Lucky (Dilip Tahil) who is a Pakistani. They hold a cricket match between Indian Tigers and Pakistani Champions annually to celebrate their old friendship. The only problem is that Indian Tigers have been losing from the past 8 years. Therefore, Vicky calls his son Rohan (Shahid Kapoor) from England, who is the captain of a county team, to train the team.
Veera learns about the selection of the team and decides to enter but couldn’t as she is a girl. Therefore, she becomes a boy by putting on beard and gets selected in the team. The rest you can imagine, India winning in the end, romance between Shahid and Rani and the usual blah blah.
Technical Department
Before coming to anything, let me talk about the script. It is filled with so BIG loopholes that even an elephant can get into them, symbolically.Songs are coming out of nowhere, cheesy dialogues, same old GIRL VS BOY fight, girl can do anything and all that blah stuff. It’s not that I’m against it but you’ve to watch the movie to believe how ridiculous they’ve made it.
The first scene of the movie starts with this topic. Then there is old India Pakistan rivalry and friendship. Also, there is the captain in which you can see Kabir Khan of Chak De India. Jaya, Aparajita take a bow.
Here’s a sample. When Veera tries to enter the selection camp, security guard asks her to return home and tell the guys standing there “Jis din is gaun ki ladkion ne cricket khelna shuru kar diya, us din tum choodian pehan lena”. And then there is a crowd of followers of some Goddess pass in front of them and everyone starts praying.
To which Veera replies “Vaah, moorti ke saamne jhuk jaate ho par asli zindagi mein usi aurat ko kuchal dete ho”. Of Course, it was not the exact dialogue as I don’t remember the exact words but its meaning was the same as the dialogue above.
Now, let me come to the director, Anurag Singh. Dude, honestly, you should retire from directing movies and start doing something else. You don’t have 1 percent talent in direction and it would be better for you and for us, if you start doing something else. No wonder many portions have been re-shot of this movie. I wonder what this movie would have been without re-shots.
Music is ok and cinematography is nice. Locations of Punjab have been well captured.
Performances by Actors
Shahid Kapoor: To be very frank, I never considered Shahid a good actor till Kaminey. After Kaminey, my respect for him increased manifold but after watching this, it has come down to previous level. During his captain’s role, he looks exactly like SRK in CDI. The way of talking, talking to other teammates, it was like watching Kabir Khan Part 2. And if it was not enough, he even comes up on stage as SRK of DDLJ (complain the script writers and the director).
And in the rest of the part, he is just Shahid Kapoor. He doesn’t look like Rohan from any angle. He has not done anything in characterization of Rohan. You take his role in Kismat Konnection and this one and compare them. You won’t find a single difference between two characters. They react the same way, walk the same way, attitude is same. This shouldn’t be there because the circumstances, financial conditions, everything is different.
Kudos to Vishal Bhardawaj for making him do acting in Kaminey. I think most of the work on character was done by Vishal only.
Rani Mukerji: Dil Bole Hadippa is supposed to be the comeback movie of Rani. I think, in the whole crew, she is the only one who has done some effort to make the movie work. Her role as Veer Pratap Singh is worth an applause.
But darling, start choosing some better films otherwise it won’t be too long for you to disappear like other actresses. Try doing something out of Yash Raj Camp.
Supporting Cast: Anupam Kher was his usual. Rakhi Sawant did her role of an actress without any conviction. I want to ask one thing to the producers and the director, what the hell was Sherlyn Chopra doing in the movie? Was she there only to show boobs and hot legs? Jesus! I never expected such thing coming out of Yash Raj camp.
Final Verdict
Many people walked off when India won the match in the end. To be honest, I envy those people as they saved themselves from the most tormented scene in the movie. The last 2-3 minute speech by Rani which felt like 2 hours and by the end of which, captain of Pakistani team started clapping. She asks one question, “Why can’t a woman play with Sachin if she plays as good as men?”
Here’s the answer darling; because it’s a Men’s team for god sake. Whoever came up with this dialogue should be thrown out of Bollywood.
I recommend you to not to waste time and money on this. Save your money for What’s Your Raashee which will be releasing next week.
In fact, this movie is so bad that not even a single woman clapped during the movie. Even women rights activists would be ashamed of this one.
In short; Dil Bole Hadippa = Wannabe Chak De India + Wannabe She’s the man + Wannabe DDLJ + Wannabe Indo Pak movie + Wannabe Women rights movie.
4. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi Music Review – Check out the music review of the most awaited movie of 2008.
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The very fact that Nagesh Kukunoor is directing a thriller is more than enough to go to watch 8 x 10 Tasveer. The director of critically acclaimed Hyderabad Blues and Iqbaal is back with a bang after his previous disappointing film, Bombay to Bangkok.
8 x 10 Tasveer is about Jai (Akshay Kumar), who has a natural ability to travel into past with the help of pictures. He uses this power to unfold the mystery of his father’s death. And this leads to very interesting moments and some great cinema.
Hero of the film, Nagesh
The concept is very interesting and Nagesh pulled it off very well. He had the vision to direct this movie unlike many directors who lack the vision to pull off an interesting concept. It is because of his sincere efforts that movie is worth watching. He has done his homework and he has made sure that you won’t leave the hall before the end. Two thumbs up for his direction.
But, Nagesh somewhat disappoints in the script department. 8 x 10 Tasveer takes its own time to grasp you completely and initial 20 minutes of the first half are responsible for it. Honestly, the first half is weak and juvenile dialogues don’t help either. But, the second half is the USP of the movie.
The climax of the movie can be disappointing for some of you but the majority in the hall liked it. There were claps during the last 20 minutes and to honest, I have mixed feelings about the climax.
I’ve one complaint against him and that is shameless brand advertising of “Godrej” in the movie. I mean, come on, this looks really cheap and kills the whole fun. You can earn money from the tickets, don’t do it in your next movie.
Technical Department
8 x 10 Tasveer is technically perfect. Mostly shot in Canada, movie looks great with some awesome visuals. Cinematography of Vikas Sivaraman is top notch and he has left no stones unturned. And this brings us to music department.
There are only 3 songs, “Nazaara Hai” in the opening credits, “Kuchh Is Tarah” used as background song and “I Got The Picture” in the credits. Nazaara Hai is my favorite of all the three, primarily because of Vishal’s superb singing.
The background score by Salim-Sulaiman is prodigious. It is perfect of the movie and plays a vital role in setting up the mood of the film. Good job, Salim-Sulaiman.
The Actors
To be very frank, I’m disappointed from Akshay Kumar. The intensity, the charisma, and the sincerity which we see in his other films were clearly missing in 8 x 10 Tasveer. This movie was a perfect opportunity to prove himself as a great actor but he clearly missed it. He is carrying almost a single expression throughout the movie. The scenes which involve waking up from sleep or shocks of nightmares were poorly executed by him. I expected a lot from you, Akshay.
Other actors such as Ayesha Takia, Sharmila Tagore, Benjamin Gilani, Ananth Mahadevan and Rushaad Rana were alright in their small roles. Javed Jaffrey who plays the detective in the movie deserves a special mention. He provides a comedy element in the movie and he does it gracefully.
And what’s with the Canadian actors? None of them knew ABC of acting. Please go for professional actors so that these amateurs don’t kill the fun. And honestly, the actors involved in the initial 20 minutes were partly responsible for the weak first half.
Verdict
8 x 10 Tasveer is a great thriller and a technically perfect film. The hero of the movie, indubitably, is Nagesh Kukunoor. 8 x 10 Tasveer works because of his direction and vision. Akshay Kumar has wasted a wonderful opportunity to prove himself. Considering, there are no releases in the next two three weeks due to Producers – Multiplex war, 8 x 10 has an amiable chance to score at the box office. It is one of the best movies to come out in 2009. A big thumbs up, go watch it!
Rating –
Cast – Akshay Kumar, Ayesha Takia, Sharmila Tagore
Music Director – Salim-Sulaiman
Movie Director – Nagesh Kukunoor
Post your comments, reviews and suggestions in the comment box below and I’ll reply to them.
4. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi Music Review – Check out the music review of the most awaited movie of 2008.
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It was not that long ago, 2007 to be precise, when people were a big fan of typical “masala” films. People didn’t bother about the logic either, they were too happy to watch their favorite stars, irrespective the quality of the movie that they were doing. But in 2008, things started changing.
Suddenly, films of big stars were turning into flops, and many big budget movies tanked at the box office . The sure shot formula of comedy movies stopped working, which was working fine in 2007. Big films like Drona, Yuvvraaj, Love Story 2050, Karzzz etc. were big time disasters. This happened despite of the fact that all of them were heavily promoted.
And small budget films with no face value actors like A Wednesday, Welcome to Sajjanpur, Mumbai Meri Jaan, Rock On and Aamir etc. were doing better business than many big budget movies. Moreover, they were appreciated by people and critics alike from all over India. This was a clear indication that Bollywood was changing, and for the better!
And now let’s talk about 2009. Chandni Chowk to China, 2009’s first big released, tanked big time at the box office, and even Akshay Kumar couldn’t save it. What was the reason behind that? The script of the movie was written poorly, director was third class, and don’t even make me start talking about the action scenes.
And then Dev D released which was not heavily promoted, but is doing very good business and has been appreciated by everyone. One of the reasons it worked because it was unique, cleverly written and had powerful performances.
It’s now clear that people don’t watch movies just because of stars, now they watch movies which have some quality. Audience is smarter these days but sadly, filmmakers are still acting as nincompoops.
Let’s find out some reasons why Bollywood is changing and how it’ll affect the future.
1. The Multiplex audience – Undoubtedly, they have the most important role to play in the transmutation of Bollywood, which we are seeing today. As I said above, audience is getting smarter and this is our Multiplex audience only. They pay a very high price to watch movies and they don’t want to waste their precious money on watching some crap film. They want quality, and it doesn’t matter who the actor is. A Wednesday, Dev.D and Rock On are the prime examples for this.
2. The Youth and the Internet and the exposure to Hollywood – According to many surveys, a large proportion of the movie watching audience comprises of people between the age group of 18 – 35. Now you must be thinking how is this affecting Bollywood? Let me tell you how.
Today, almost everyone in India, especially in big cities, have an internet connection. Many of the hardcore internet users use the internet to download movies, music and ahem… porn. Due to this, they’ve a lot of exposure to Hollywood movies, which are known for their scripts, special effects, and superb performances. As a consequence of this, they know what quality is and they expect the same standard from Bollywood.
But when our filmmakers give us movies like Victory, CC2C, Yuvvraaj, they know that this movie is going to be another crap, and they keep themselves away from such stuff, and thus the movie flops. We’re getting smarter cinematically because of Hollywood, which is a good thing.
3. The Young Filmmakers – Young people are coming with fresh ideas and new approach towards filmmaking. As they are young, they instantly connect with the moving going audience, which I said earlier, is filled with young people, which result in hits. Dev.D is the perfect example as the language of the film was the normal talk we use every day.
The Award Functions
Another aspect which got affected badly this year is the award functions of Bollywood. If you go through the nominations of this year, you’ll find a “Reader’s choice” and “Critics choice” related voting system in almost every award ceremony. Now this critic system was not that popular couple of years back.
But this year, they are giving too much important to both of these systems. Why? Because they know the audience is smart now, so they can’t ignore critically acclaimed movies. That’s why you see “A Wednesday” winning this year, while Khosla Ka Ghosla didn’t win any award in 2005, in the major categories.
As these movies don’t have any big stars, award organizers are in a big conundrum. If they are start giving awards to these small budget movies then the big stars won’t attend the function and then the T.V ratings will drop. Honestly, if we leave out Filmfare, all other award functions don’t have any standard. They all are known for licking stars’ asses to bring them to functions.
So, in order to give them awards, they give them through Reader’s choice awards. And to be very frank, I don’t trust these awards, after seeing the winners of Max Stardust awards. According to their reader’s choice awards, best film is Singh is Kinng. This clearly explains how badly they are licking the ass of Akshay Kumar. In a poll conducted by Bollywood Hungama, Ghajini and Rab ne Bana Di Jodi were the top two movies, according to readers, and I do trust that result.
The organizers knew that Aamir Khan was not going to accept the award anyway, and people have something against Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, so they gave the award to Singh is Kinng. I’m not getting into any actor war, I’m stating a point. Check out the imdb.com profiles of all the 3 movies and you’ll know what I’m talking about. And A Wednesday is not nominated as the best film in Filmfare awards this year, how come? Dostana, Ghajini, Singh is Kinng got nominated but not A Wednesday? That’s a fucking conspiracy.
The thing is that the sudden change in the taste of audience has shocked everyone. It’ll take some time to get used to this. One thing they should is to lift their standards and stop following the actors like a dog chasing a car. And please, telecast the function live! We should go towards the Oscar way, which is the clear indication of classic movies, you can’t doubt that!
I’m hoping that the nominations of next year would be better, and fair, with focus on the actors who gave good performances, irrespective to their star status.
Survival of the Fittest
Bollywood is going through evolution and it is now the time of Survival of the Fittest. Only those people will survive who can mould them according to the latest trends. If you can’t then your career is over. The new wave is coming, and it’s going to change everything for forever.
All the big stars have to do critically acclaimed cinema in order to win awards and applause from the audience. Shahrukh Khan, Aamir Khan, and Hritihik Roshan are somewhat safe as they have My Name is Khan, 3 Idiots, and Kites under their belts, respectively.
Salman Khan is pretty much out of the race and his career is almost over with back to back flops last year. And this brings us to Akshay Kumar, if he starts doing something other than comedy then he has a little chance otherwise he is also gone.
Now let’s come to the young actors. Shahid Kapoor is in real danger now because he is known as the next lover boy of Bollywood, which is not a good sign and if you see his past films, most of his movies are love stories.
Imran Khan is doing an interesting film “Delhi Belly” and he has a good chance of surviving, but he has to work on his acting skills and voice modulation badly. Otherwise, he’ll be a one hit wonder.
And the last two actors, Ranbir Kapoor and Farhan Akhtar. Ranbir Kapoor certainly has the charisma, and the acting talent to survive in Bollywood and Farhan Akhtar is the next big thing. With two critically acclaimed films under his belt, Rock On!! and Luck By Chance under his belt, Farhan is ready to rock.
The News Dose
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Billu Barber or Billu, as many would say, especially people from the Salon and Beauty Parlour associations, is ‘delightful’, if I’ve to describe it in one word. Starring Irfan Khan, Lara Dutta in the lead and with Shahrukh Khan in a supporting role, Billu Barber is a perfect film to watch in this love season.
Synopsis
Directed by Priyadarshan, and produced by Shahrukh’s own production house, Red Chilies Entertainment, Billu Barber is a film about a barber, Billu (Irrfan Khan), living in a village called “Budbuda” in Uttar Pradesh. Along with him, there is his wife Bindiya (Lara Dutta), their two kids, and a whole village which is filled with nincompoops. Billu’s life is not that great, to say the least, he has no money to pay the fees of kids education, no money to buy new chair, scissor, and even a comb for his shop. But, the optimistic Billu carries on his life until Sahir Khan (Shahrukh Khan) comes to the village for shooting.
The whole village goes crazy and the word goes around that Billu and Sahir are childhood friends. And this is when the whole life of Billu turns upside down. People who never helped him suddenly start showering him with favors, even the school authorities who are ready to pay the fees from their school fund, but only on one condition, Billu has to talk to Sahir and invite him to their school function. But our Billu is too ashamed to go in front of him.
Story is simple
The story of Billu Barber is simple, and that was what required for this film. It’s also predictable and you can guess the ending of the film before even entering the cinema hall but you’ll never lose your interest in the film, particularly because of the performances and the witty dialogues.
Script is strong
The script is top notch but with very few flaws here and there. One of the strongest points of the script is that it is straight to point and it never alienates from its main point, which is the difference between the worlds of Shahrukh Khan and Irrfan Khan, which was very essential to create the mood of the film. Billu Barber is filled with many funny moments, especially the one involving Om Puri and Asrani when Om Puri comes to Billu’s shop to gift him a chair. I won’t tell the scene because if I did then it would kill the fun.
Music is good
Music, as I earlier said in the music review, is very good. Marjani and Love Mera Hit Hit are already chartbusters in the whole India. You Get Me Rockin & Reeling, which sounds average on the first listening is good, too, all thanks to hot Priyanka Chopra. The other songs which shine are Billu Bhayankar and Jaoon Kahan. Ae Aa O was really not required in the film. Background score was above average.
They censored out the words “Hajaam” and “Barber” from the song Billu Bhayankar which really killed the song. I don’t see what’s so bad about these words.
The Three Divas
If you’ve Kareena Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, and Priyanka Chopra doing item numbers in a single movie then whistles are always expected and that is what exactly happened when all three came on screen. Out of all three, it’s Priyanka who takes the cake. Priyanka is hotness at its best in “You Get Me Rockin & Reeling”. The whole “glamour quotient” which was absent in the film was fulfilled with these three songs.
Outstanding Performances
Irrfan Khan, as Billu, shines in the movie and is the show stealer. Appearing as a lead actor in a commercial film for the first time, Irrfan Khan gives his best and it shows on screen. He is undoubtedly, one of the best actors of our time, and is no longer under-rated. Watch out for that scene when he calls in Shahrukh’s hotel in hope to talk to him, and check out his expressions and the modulation in his voice, mind blowing!
Lara Dutta is amiable in her role and shows her acting talent. The other heroines who refused the role might be regretting it now after watching her performance. The child artists playing the kids in the movie are confident and their comic timing is perfect. Their relationship with Irrfan and Lara looks authentic.
Om Puri, Rajpal Yadav, and Asrani are good, too. They handle the comedy department of the film very well.
The Last Twenty Minutes
It’s the last twenty minutes when Shahrukh comes and drop the “emosanal (emotional) bomb” on you when he gives a speech to school kids where he recalls his childhood days and his friend Billu. Role of Shahrukh is not that big and in most of the part, he is playing himself. But at the end, he shows why he is the best actor in Bollywood, along with Aamir Khan, and why we cry every time he gets emotional.
That speech and the meeting of Irrfan and Shahrukh is the high point of the movie. Often we see people talking on their cell phones during the movie, but in those 20 minutes, no one talked. If they were getting calls, they didn’t answer it. Those 20 minutes truly absorb you in the movie, and it makes sure that you cry.
Negative points of Billu Barber
If film lacks somewhere then it is the first half of the film, maybe because the attention given to the role of Shahrukh Khan which was not required. First half should have been totally about Billu and his life and how he copes up with all the stress.
Dubbing is also not good, you can clearly see them saying things which are not audible and the timing is not perfect. It’s the high time we adopt the sync sound technology and trash the dubbing system. Editing could have better and some places. Background score could have been better especially during the ending.
Verdict –
Billu Barber is a very simple, sweet and innocent film portraying the power of friendship. It’s undoubtedly Priyadarshan’s best work till date. Billu Barber belongs to Billu, Irrfan Khan, for his powerful performance, and he is, indubitably, one of the strongest contenders for the best actor award next year. Lara Data and the supporting cast shines in their roles.
Shahrukh Khan in his small role hits all the right notes and he plays his best cards during the ending where he lifts the standard of the movie to a whole new level with his powerful speech.
Billu Barber is a must watch film, especially since it’s released near Valentine’s Day.
Take your friends, girlfriend, boyfriend, or your family along with you and enjoy this sweet film.
Rating –
Cast – Irrfan Khan, Lara Dutta, Shahrukh Khan
Music Director – Pritam
Movie Director – Priyadarshan
Post your comments, reviews and suggestions in the comment box below and I’ll reply to them and vote in the poll.
4. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi Music Review – Check out the music review of the most awaited movie of 2008.
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The other day I was watching a video clip on YouTube titled, “50 things every girl wants every guy to know.”Some of the points were written like men were supposed to be the dogs of women, but it was kind of helpful. So I’ve decided to write 10 things that every girl should know about guys. Some of you agree with the list and some of you won’t. No problem, write your points in the comment box and I’ll add them in the post.
1. Don’t blame us if we tell you that you’re fat. Blame on yourself and your ego. Stop crying over it and join a gym.
2. We are not psychologists or mind readers. So just say what’s on your mind and spare both of us from misery. We would rather try to find a solution for Global warming than reading your brain because the former is less difficult.
3. We are not Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise or any other celebrity you like, and we certainly are not those romantic heroes from movies. We’re normal human beings who have flaws, have a small to average pocket and are not that romantic.
4. We may run after hot girls, but when it comes to girlfriend, looks don’t matter that much but we certainly prefer someone who is a “NICE” girl and has some self-respect and respect others.
5. We also cry. Any guy who says that he doesn’t cry is either bluffing or not enough a man to accept it
6. Men are really sensitive about the length of their “THING”. Never tell a man that his thing is small even if it’s smaller than a cigarette. You’ll put him in depression.
7. We can fall in love faster than you, and break up is really hard for us.
8. Don’t disturb us while watching sports. It is really irritating. If you want to know how it feels then imagine someone disturbing you when you’re busy on phone discussing the latest gossip like who slept with whom.
9. Don’t blame us if we stare at you with eyes wide open if you’ve dressed really hot. Blame yourself and blame God for making us like this.
10. Men love porn. You may find it boring or funny, but men love it. Any guy who says he doesn’t watch it is bluffing big time.
So there you go, 10 things a girl should always remember about guys. Feel free to add a comment and your suggestions in the comment box.
“Oh My God!” can be the first three words for many avid Bollywood fans, who are not much into intellectual stuff in movies and take pride in enjoying brainless movies like Singh is Kinng, Golmaal Returns, Welcome etc. There are lots of reasons why Dev.D would take you by surprise but we will talk about them later.
After the not so successful No Smoking, Anurag Kashyap returns with his new offering, Dev.D, starring Abhay Deol, Mahi Gill, Kalki Koechlin in the lead. It’s true that No Smoking was not a commercial success but it was a classic film in its own right. We should always remember that “Every good film is not a hit and every hit film is not good.” But, Anurag Kashyap is one man who has the balls to try something new while other directors are simply going for soft porn to make money by using eye candies like Katrina Kaif.
Synopsis
So, did Anurag Kashyap deliver a classic again? Well, to be honest, he almost did. Let’s get straight to the point and say that Dev.D is a very good film but could have been much more. The story of Dev.D is somewhat based on Devdas, Devandar Singh Dhillon (Abhay Deol), a rich spoilt brat, comes from London to meet the love of his life, Paro (Mahi Gill), but due to some misunderstanding, their relationship fall apart and it leads to downfall of Dev. On the other hand, there is Chanda, a sweet innocent girl who found herself in an mms scandal and her life becomes a total chaos just because of one small “mistake”.
Dev.D depicts the relationship of Dev with these 2 women and how they affect his life.
Strong points of Dev.D
One of the strongest points of Dev.D is its treatment and the way with which the relationships were portrayed. For example; when Dev returns from London and meet Paro, they don’t sing songs and run around trees dancing, instead they are all over each other, sexually, that is, which is far more mature and more realistic.
Another strong point of the movie would be its language; no filmi dialogues, just straight to the point talk like we do in everyday with friends, it doesn’t matter how cheap they sound, they are realistic. For example; a guy says to Dev “I’m very surprised ki aapne abhi tak Paro ki lee nahi”, which translates in English as “I’m very surprised to know that you haven’t fucked Paro till now.” Boys would pretty much understand most of the things.
Add to all that, the abuses, smoking, drinking, drugs, and other “non-social activities” which you won’t find in a typical Bollywood film, you’ll find it here, no wonder it got an “A” certificate from the censor board. And thank God they didn’t censor out anything.
Superb Performances
Abhay Deol shines again, after giving a powerful performance in Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! He is, undoubtedly, one of the most under-rated actors of our generation with Jimmy Shergill. He comes out to be totally natural as a drug addict, drunker, a smoker, and a heartbroken lover. Expressions come out naturally, and his performance can really teach some actors a lesson or two in acting.
Now let’s talk about the new girl, Mahi Gill. Honestly, it was a really tough and daring role for a debutant, with all the abuses, and ahem… sexual scenes. One note to readers, those scenes are a work of art and never appear to be as a cheap B-grade flick. Credit should go to both Anurag and Mahi for making it believable. Maahie has a lot of potential as an actress and is certainly better than many actresses in Bollywood, Katrina Kaif anyone?
A character which was not explored fully
For me, character of Chanda was the most interesting one, but sadly, due to poor acting of Kalki Koechlin, it was not exploited to its full potential. She was not able to make the character convincing, partly due to poor dialogue delivery and poor dubbing. To Anurag, you should have gone for a better actress, seriously.
I would have loved to see more of Chanda, like the psychological impact of the whole incident on her which includes the suicide of her dad after the scandal. As it was clearly inspired from the famous DPS scandal, it was a perfect opportunity to tell the world about the feelings of the girl, and all the hardship she had to go through because of one mms. But sadly, a perfect opportunity was lost.
Music
Music of Dev.D is pure genius. Amit Trivedi is the future of Bollywood’s music industry. His tunes are not your usual disco numbers or club bangers. Emosanal Attyachar is one of the best tracks of all time, without a doubt. It’s already a big hit in the whole country, and all the credit goes to Amit for the unique tune and to Amitabh Bhatt, for his witty lyrics. A classic in every field, kudos to both of you.
My other favorites are Nayan Tarse, Paayaliya, and Emotional Attyachar (Rock Version).
Why film didn’t work
One of the main reasons why film fail to capture your attention for the whole time is its slow speed and unwanted scenes which serve no purpose in the development of the story, especially the last 20 minutes. Dev could have realized his faults in a better and fast way than all that travelling to various places. Dubbing, as I pointed out, in Chanda’s case was bad.
Verdict
Dev.D, in a nutshell, is a very honest effort from the director, Anurag Kashyap. From acting to dialogues to music, everything is perfect. The realistic situations especially that of the villages, and their authentic Punjabi accent, adds for more value to the film. Cinematography is top notch, and so is the directing. But the movie lacks in the editing and screenplay department, which could have made the film a lot shorter and to the point.
One more point I would like to mention here is that Anurag tried to over-do dramatic and imaginary stuff, especially in the last 20 minutes. I hope you’ll read this so I want you to tell you that I’ve a lot of respect for your work. You’re one of the finest directors of our generation and people like you are a ray of hope for our industry, but sometimes you should control your style and stick to the point instead of creating various situations and scenes to prove one point. I know it’s your choice but as they say “too much of anything is bad.” I’m really looking forward to your next project, Gulaal. Trailer was really promising and I hope both Dev.D and Gulaal become successful at the box office. Best of Luck.
6 things you can learn from Dev.D
1. A very little communication gap is enough to kill a relationship
2. Never let your ego come in between your relationship.
3. Don’t drink, smoke and never do drugs.
4. Learn to move on and never let go the new girl because of a previous girl who is someone with else now.
5. Learn to manage your money.
6. And the most important, never call your dad with his name, say “Papa” or “Dad”.
Rating –
Cast – Abhay Deol, Mahi Gill, Kalki Koechlin
Music Director – Amit Trivedi
Movie Director – Anurag Kashyap
Post your comments, reviews and suggestions in the comment box below and I’ll reply to them and vote in the poll.
4. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi Music Review – Check out the music review of the most awaited movie of 2008.
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After giving the cult classic film, Rang De Basanti, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra is back with his latest offering, Delhi 6, which is said to be his semi-autobiography. Delhi 6 is momentous for both Abhishek Bachchan, and Sonam Kapoor, because this is Abhishek’s first solo film after the disastrous Drona and this is Sonam’s first film since Saawariya, which came out in 2007.
Moreover, there are lots of expectations from A.R. Rahman after he won the first Golden Globe for India with Slumdog Millionaire, congratulations to him, and he doesn’t disappoint at all with Delhi 6. One of the best things about Rahman’s soundtracks is its high production value which stands head to head with western standards and this time it’s no different. The soundtrack of Delhi 6 encompasses 10 tracks with no remixes, a great start. Now let’s review the album.
1. Masakali
First things first, the intro of Masakali is monumental! I’m listening to such a beautiful intro after a long time and all the credit goes to A.R. Rahman for this. I fell in love with the song when I listened to it for the first time in the teaser of Delhi 6 and I was eagerly waiting to listen to it and believe me, the wait was worth it. 2009 has only started but I can say this with great assurance that when the awards will come out in 2010, Masakali would be in the nominations for sure!
When you’ve awesome lyrics, superb music, and a great singer then it creates magic and this is what Masakali is. Prasoon Joshi has done a tremendous job in writing lyrics for this and to compliment the lyrics, music is top notch. But the real hero of the song is the singer, Mohit Chauhan. I mean, his voice has some serious magic touch and the way he sings the song just blows your mind. And not to forget, Sonam Kapoor, who also deserves a little credit for making this song popular with her dancing, kudos!
2. Arziyan
After the beautiful Masakali, here comes another beautiful song, Arziyan. Released as the second promo, Arziyan has a sufi touch, and it is sung by Javed Ali and Kailash Kher. Javed Ali is suitable for this, and Kailash takes Arziyan to a whole new level with his melodious voice.
Lyrics are very good and music is top class. My only problem with the song is its length which is 8:41 minutes! They say too much of anything is bad and it is really true for Arziyan. Arziyan as a whole is a very nice composition but its length can be problem for some people. It would have been much better if it was around 4-5 minutes.
3. Dilli-6
Next comes the title song of the movie, Dilli 6. Honestly, it somewhat reminds me of the Rang De Basanti era, which is not a bad thing as it was a classic soundtrack itself. One enthralling thing about the song is the French lyrics, which are beautifully mixed with the song. Sung by Blaze, Benny, Tanvi, Viviane, and Claire, Dilli 6 is surely the next big thing, at least among the Delhi crowd. The chorus can really stick with Delhi “Yeh Delhi hai mere yaar, bas ishq mohabbat pyaar”, which is beautifully written by Prasoon Joshi.
Composition of the song is outstanding, and one thing which also favors the song is its short length, which can really help it to become a chartbuster.
4. Rehna Tu
With Rehna Tu, A R Rahman decides to hold the mic himself, and I’m really glad he did. This song is one of those which you want to listen after closing your eyes and want to forget everything. Believe me the music has a very soothing feel. Everything about Rehna Tu is perfect.
5. Hey Kaala Bandar
Another entry to Bollywood’s weirdest song titles, Hey Kaala Bandar is another nice song which surely will appeal to youngistan. I only wonder how they would use this song in the movie but I guess I’ve to wait for the promo or the movie itself. Karthik, Naresh Srinivas, and Bony Chakravorty are in top form and the background melody, which is used in the intro, is marvelous.
6. Dil Gira Dafatan
Dil Gira Dafatan starts slowly and steadily grabs your attention, all thanks to the wonderful voice of Ash King and background vocals of Chinmayee.
7. Genda Phool
Genda Phool is a regional song and I’m guessing Rajasthan, correct me if I’m wrong. It could have done in two ways; either using the classic instruments or with the modern music (read hip-hop) and I’m really glad that Rahman decided to go for the latter. Genda Phool is a nice surprise of the soundtrack, and undoubtedly, the second best song after Masakali.
Rahman proves his musical talent again by making this regional song into a youth oriented song. I’ve to say I’m really impressed with this song and it’ll surely make our youngistan listen to some regional stuff.
8. Bhor Bhaye
Bhor Bhaye is your classical song which is sampled from an old song and it gives Shreaya Ghoshal a perfect opportunity to showcase her talent. To accompany her, there is Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.
9. Aarti
Aarti, as it is obvious from the name, is a prayer, which is really beautiful. The next time your mom complain that you’re too much into Roadies and western culture and don’t prayer then switch on this song, you’ll be happy and she’ll be happy, too.
10. Noor
To end the soundtrack, there is a little poem written by Prasoon Joshi, and recited by non other, Amitabh Bachan. A perfect way to end this marvelous soundtrack.
Verdict – Delhi 6 is undoubtedly an outstanding album, and will be remembered as one of Rahman’s best work. Masakali and Genda Phool shines in the soundtrack and would be the best songs of 2009. The soundtrack also comprises of chartbuster songs; Dilli 6, and Hey Kaala Bandar. In a nutshell, soundtrack of Delhi 6 is phantasmagorical. Go out and buy it!
And to Rahman’s fans, who were saying Yuvvraaj and Ghajini are classic albums, listen to this and you’ll find out what a masterpiece is and what are the standards of A.R. Rahman.
4. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi Music Review – Check out the music review of the most awaited movie of 2008.
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