The storyline of the film is sheer romance but lacks the smoldering and passionate sexual chemistry between the two stars which was what the fans expected. The story of the film is simple and predictable with no new twists. Jai aka J (Hrithik) is a street-smart Las Vegas guy who romances with a rich girl Gina (Kangna Ranaut) for her wealth. When he meets Gina’s brother Tony’s (Nick Brown) fiancee Natasha (Barbara), he falls in love with her. Natasha too falls for him and the lovers elope and then the chase begins.

Set aside the negative aspects of the movie and you have two great looking sexy people with some interesting moments, gripping action sequences in the second half of the film, international look and appeal and best of all, melodious scores by Rajesh Roshan.

The international version seems to be more impressive than the Hindi version considering the global appeal. To sum it all, a one time watch and an average turnout for an over hyped movie!!!

via-bollywood-star.net

Look what the cool cat dragged in! It’s not a bird (though he does fly across the sky). It’s not a plane (though many of those in many shapes and sizes are seen hovering in the film’s spectrally-shot skyline). And it’s definitely not Superman. Though Mr Oberoi wouldn’t mind being one.

Hey guys, it’s our own Vivek Oberoi, playing hard-ball with various girls, gadgets gizmos and gimmicks.

Vivek plays Prince, a James Bond on a mission not quite impossible travelling at a speed faster than sound. Prince has no choice. He has lost all his memory which has been sucked out of him like juice gone through a sugarcane grinder.

To his credit, Oberoi carries off the ceaseless stint with the stunt with arresting aplomb. Most often because of his memory loss we see him wearing a look like he just smelt something foul in the kitchen and isn’t sure if it’s the milk got burnt or his mom’s favourite recipe simmering in a pot.

Oh, there are no weeping moms in the potty plot. Only screeching wheels, high-octane stunts and high-octave songs shot mostly like music videos rather than as integral parts of the story. And then there are the 3 Mayas, each trying to outdo the other in the stunts and the clothes, or lack of them. They all seem to love our hero to death, an entity which lurks in every slick corner of this emotion-less but attractive package of oomph and wallops.

Where, you are not allowed to wonder, is the plot leading to? Why is Prince so hyper about his memory-loss? It will come back to him, like a blast from the past. Quite like the bolt that finally hits the film’s arch villain Sarang (played by someone called Isaiah).

Oberoi’s Prince goes into convulsions of self-doubt.

Be warned. Prince is more the Bourne territory than “Ghajini”. The expertly-executed stunts (Allan Amin, you are the man!) frequently see our hero jumping down high-rise buildings in breathtaking leaps of fate, with the camera (Vishnu Rao) pulling back in respectful awe. Of course our Prince is essentially shock-proof and crease-free. Don’t mind the bruises, scratches, bandages and, yes I forgot, the memory lapse. Prince is invincible!!!

So when was the last time you viewed a film where the heist-happy hero undertakes fifty adventures in museums and banks stealing diamonds and merchandise worth trillions?

John Abraham in “Dhoom”, Hrithik Roshan in “Dhoom 2″, Ajay Devgn in “Cash”?

You get the drift. Just float away in the stylish mumbo-jumbo that debutant director Kookie Gulati serves up with the swaggering flamboyance of an arms-merchant who loves his guns.

“Prince It’s Showtime” wears its super-cool shirt with the slogan ‘Come Watch Me’ with a little bit too much aggression. But if you love popcorn crunching adventure stories watch Vivek Oberoi play the hero.

Oberoi pulls it off. Effectively.

Questions of religious and national identity, of the sense of right and wrong, of combating a certain isolation that comes with a behavioural disorder. But what triumphs over all the complexities unfolding in a tumultuous post 9/11 America is Rizwan Khan and his essential goodness that tells you unwaveringly – his name is Khan and he is not a terrorist.

Director Karan Johar is in unfamiliar territory here. No candyfloss romance, no sweet nothings, nobody breaking into song. Just the super intelligent Rizwan, who has Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism, his halting voice with his inability to communicate, and his many relationships – with his mother, his brother, and yes, Mandira, and her son Sam.

Move over Rahul, Rizwan is here. Shah Rukh makes the transition from the eternal romantic to the intense Rizwan who finds love and loses it some years later when his Khan identity becomes all important in a tense, suspicious America. You sit through three hours waiting to get a glimpse of Shah Rukh through Rizwan Khan, but it doesn’t happen.

If Shah Rukh lives and breathes Rizwan in what is one of his finest roles, Kajol as Mandira, the vivacious single mother, is also good – as always. The chemistry between them if not always crackling, then heartwarming.

It’s an unlikely romance, not very easy to portray. But it’s dealt with a light touch. There they are sitting on either side of the bed after their wedding with Mandira telling Rizwan, who doesn’t like to be hugged, that this is something they can’t do without touching. It’s a scene that could quite easily have gone wrong, but it doesn’t.

All credit to Karan Johar for that.

Like a piece of music that gradually rises to grand crescendo, “My Name Is Khan” begins with Rizwan as a child with his mother – so good to see Zarina Wahab after such a long time – in a tenement in Mumbai and ends with cheers from the US’ first African American president in a crowded rally.

It’s from his mother that Rizwan learns his first lessons of humanity; as the 1983 Mumbai riots rage outside, she tells the young boy that the world is divided into good people and bad people.

It is this essential humanism that carries Rizwan through from Mumbai to San Francisco where his brother stays, then to the suburb of Banville where he moves in with Mandira and Sam, and even when he is taken to be a terror suspect.

Sam, his “only best friend”, is subjected to a vicious race attack because he takes on Rizwan’s surname. Mandira hits back, saying that the worst thing she could have done was marry a Khan and Rizwan is out on the roads – unable to articulate his feelings but backpacking his way across the US to meet “president sahib” so he can tell him: “My name is Khan and I am not a terrorist.”

It is a road journey through a troubled post 9/11 America towards humanism and the essential goodness of the human spirit.

This is a US where chanting the name of Allah gets you into trouble, where the word terrorist and Khan in conjunction can put you behind bars. Rizwan moves from being a terror suspect to a nationwide hero who exposes a terror mastermind. And then, the man with the mission who travels to Wilhelmina that is literally drowning in a hurricane to supervise a heroic rescue mission.

There’s Afghanistan and Iraq, Bush and Obama too. The US’ first African American president is voted in and, in that final feel good moment Rizwan meets him in front of thousands of people and his goodness is validated.

Plenty of great one liners. When he is refused entry into a presidential fundraiser for the poor in Africa that is only for Christians, he leaves behind $500 saying: “This if for those who are not Christians in Africa.”

The music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy is superb. This is not a film without flaws, it is at least 20 minutes too long for one and flags in the pre-interval period, but here is one straight from the heart. It has a message, in these days of tensions over language and religion, one which needs to be heard.

Go watch.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5*

Starring: Paresh Rawal, Om Puri, Swati Chitnis, Pawan Malhotra, Vijay Mishra and Javed Sheikh

Director: Amit Mishra

The films starts with Tushar Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi receiving a box of Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes which have been lying at a local post office for years. He decides to immerse the ashes in the holy river ‘Sangam’ on the banks of Ganga. Then there is Hashmatullah (Paresh Rawal) a simple, god fearing, devout Muslim who is a renowned mechanic who can repair any engine. He is also respected by the local religious associations there and is a contender for the top post. His main rival is a rich man Mohammad Ali Kasuri (Om Puri) who at one time was his friend but due to some differences has become his rival. Also against Hashmat is the local maulvi Maulana Qureshi (Pawan Malhotra). Among Hashmat’s friends are Dr. Banerjee (Javed Sheilh) who though is from a different religion but always is by Hashmat’s side, like a brother. One day Hashmat has been entrusted the job of repairing an old V8 ford engine, not knowing the historic significance that it once carried the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi which were immersed in the holy river ‘Sangam’. He is caught in a complex situation after a powerful bomb explosion rocks his town leading to the arrest of innocent Muslim youths of his locality. A strike to work is called by the prominent leaders, Mohammad Ali Kasuri and Maulana Qureshi, to protest against the unjust treatment meted out to those arrested youths by the police. He supports them but as he comes to know that the engine he is repairing is needed for a procession to immerse Gandhiji’s ashes in a few days, he decides not to join the strike but continue the work on the engine. In return he faces a wrath of fury from his community members. Finally with his nice attitude he is able to convince some of his community people to let him work and they support him. He also convinces the government to change the route of the procession through his area, which is a stronghold of Muslims. Finally the engine is repaired and the procession takes place and muslims greet the procession with open hands and full respect.

Some may find the film as a glorification of Gandhism, but actually its more about ‘not having’ them rather then ‘getting’ them. And that’s the major USP of this films which doesn,t preaches the principles but simply asks whether do you really aware of such thoughts and ideas.

Debutante director Amit rai does a commendable job in making a thought provoking film and equally commendable is the way he has managed to strike brilliant performances from the actors who are anyway brilliant on their own but this film adds more shine to their acting glory where Paresh Rawal is astonishing, Pawan Malhotra as the maulvi is outstanding and Om Puri is brilliant as ever. Swati Chitnis as Paresh’s wife and Yusuf Hussain as Gaffer also provide valuable support.

Filmmaker Amit Rai has succeeded in awakening our dead souls and remind the significance of the great Mahatama Gandhi and his ideologies which are becoming more and more relevant in this age of smart phones and sleek wheels. Watch it for this soul reason.

Starring: Amitabh Bachchan, Ritesh Deshmukh, Sudeep, Gul Panag, Neetu Chandra, Rajat Kapoor, Mohnish Behl, Suchitra Krishnamurthy and Paresh Rawal

Director: Ram Gopal Varma

An ethical news channel head, Vijay Harshvardhan Malik (Amitabh Bachchan) is facing TRP issues. Not willing to compromise with his principals while running his channel India 24X7, he is forever beaten by a rival channel Headlines 24 run by his one time protégé Amrish Kakkar (Mohnish Behl). Cub reporter Purab Shastri (Ritesh) idolizes Malik and is the new recruit in India 24X7. Malik’s son Jai (Sudeep) is a complete opposite of his father and wants to run the news channel like a business. Jai is frustrated and neck deep in debt with Headlines 24 consistently robbing their new show ideas. Malik’s son in law business magnet Navin Shankhaliya lures Jai into a dangerous plot hatched by wily politician Mohan Pandey (Rawal). Malik trusting his son, unknowingly becomes a part of this treacherous game. Pandey succeeds in toppling the government and India 24X7 becomes the no.1 channel. But what happens after Purab suspects a conspiracy in all this forms the rest of the film.

Ram Gopal Varma is back in super form! Picking a topical subject, one that we all can identify with and lending his superior technical touch, outstanding performances by each cast member, Ramu has a winner on hand. Instead of going on a media bashing spree in his film, Ramu has intricately exposed the media-politician-business magnets nexus and how using a neutral and honest platform like a news channels, our countrymen are being fooled. Rohit Banwalikar’s tight screenplay and a constant under current of tension maintained throughout the film makes Rann a gripping watch. The first half appears deliberately slow paced taking its time to establish the characters and the setting but then picks up super speed post interval as the web of deceit gets thicker. Ramu’s master touch is evident in sequences such as the lunch table scene, Ritesh’s interview of Paresh Rawal, a drunken Rajpal Yadav venting his frustration out with Gul Panag or the climax.

Just when you think Paa was his best till date, Amitabh Bachchan comes back with yet another ace act. His expose speech in the climax is a perfect example of how the angry old man is simply getting better with his every film. Ritesh Deshmukh perhaps in his first ever serious act is excellent. His silences speak volumes. Kannada star, Sudeep exhibiting superb panache holds his own despite being pitched along acting powerhouses like Paresh Rawal and Bachchan. Paresh Rawal after a long time in a serious act is menacingly good as the slimy politician. Gul Panag playing Ritesh’s gf is fine but has nothing much to do, ditto for Neetu Chandra who plays Sudeep’s fiancee. Rajat Kapoor fits the part perfectly. Rajpal Yadav’s character through his humour puts for the glaring truth. Mohnish Behl after a long time gets a meaty role and he utilizes this opportunity well. Suchitra Krishnamurthy is good too.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5*

Starring: Naseeruddin Shah, Vidya Balan, Arshad Warsi and Salman Shahid

Director: Abhishek Chaubey

Two crooks on the run, Khaalujaan (Naseer) and Babban (Arshad) arrive at beautiful widow Krishna’s (Vidya Balan) doorstep. They tell her they were late hubby’s good friends at one point of time. The duo has actually run away from their Jiju Mushtaq (Salman Shahid) after duping him of a huge sum of money and is hiding at Krishna’s house to save their lives from him. But Mushtaq arrives at Krishna’s house and warns them to give back his money in 15 days or face death. The duo then on Krishna’s insistence plans to kidnap a mill owner for the same. Meanwhile, Krishna begins her flirting game with the two. While Khaalujaan loses his heart to her, Babban ends up getting physically involved with her. But then Krishna has her own agenda which the two are completely unaware of which may leave them in a shock!

Debutante director Abhishek Chaubey has been a Vishal Bharadwaj assistant for almost all his films and has co-written them as well. This explains the reason why throughout the film you keep getting the film that you watching a Vishal Bharadwaj film. Abhishek has handled the film like a pro and it doesn’t appear his first effort at all. However, he takes a bit of a time before the interval to set things up but post it the grip is tight and narrative just perfect. With the film set in eastern UP, the dialogues are as real as they can get. However, the use of expletives and double meaning dialogues could have been lessened. The smooching scene between Vidya and Arshad is quiet long too.

Naseeruddin Shah is just excellent playing Khaalujaan and you can’t think of anyone else in his place for the role. Arshad playing completely to the gallery is in top form after a long time. Vidya is in a completely opposite role to her recently released Paa pleasantly shocks with her range and uninhibited act. Pakistani actor Salman Shahid last seen in Kabul Express is impressive. The village kid playing Arshad’s buddy is too good.

Vishal Bharadwaj’s music of the film is already topping the charts with the pick of the lot being Dil To Bachcha Hai Jee and Ibn-e-Batuta. Vidya’s hilarious in the Ibn-e-Batuta number.

Watch Ishqiya for its crazy zany characters and excellent direction.

Rating: 3 out of 5*

Starring: Salman Khan, introducing Zarine Khan, Mithun Chakraborty and Jackie Shroff

Director: Anil Sharma

Anil Sharma is known for giving a huge canvas to his films and his latest film, Veer is no exception in that respect from many of his past films. Seeking inspiration from ‘Taras Bulba’, Veer is a big screen experience which may remind you of films like Kranti, Mard, Dharam Veer and even Gladiator and Troy at time but nonetheless it is an entertainer if you are willing to suspend your belief and not look out for much historical accuracies. Playing to the gallery most of the times, Veer seems to be aimed more at the masses than at the multiplex going junta.

Set in pre independence era, Veer narrates the tale of the valiant Pindhari tribe that fought against the British. It is circa 1862 when the Raja of Madhavgarh aligning with the British, treacherously kills 4,500 Pindhari soldiers despite them helping him defeating his enemies. Pindhari warrior Prithvi Singh (Mithun) vows to slaughter the Raja (Jackie) and every British soldier that comes his way. His son grows up to be a dare devil fighter, Veer (Salman). Prithvi sends his sons Veer and Punya (Sohail Khan) to London for an education so they can figure out how the British mind works. But matters become complicated when Veer falls in love with the princess of Madhavgarh, Yashodhara (Zarine Khan). Now while vowing to get back his father’s honour, he also has to balance his love for her. How Veer valiantly battles the wicked king and the British and even manages to kick-start the Indian independence movement forms the rest of the film.

Salman towers around the film with his amazing screen presence and his efforts taken on his character are visible. You just can’t think of anyone else but Salman playing this role. Debutante Zarine Khan is very pretty but still raw as far as acting is concerned. Mithun Chakraborty is in top form after a long time and his scenes with Salman are amongst the highlights of the film. Jackie does full justice to his evil character. Sohail Khan repeats the same act he has been since last four years. Neena Gupta fits the bill. Puru Rajkumar and Aryan Vaid impress in their small parts. Bharat Dabholkar, Ashok Samarth, Vinay Apte, Rajesh Vivek and Yuri playing the Pindhari soldiers have been perfectly cast but don’t get much scope justifying their acting talent. The British actors lend able support.

Veer has many things going for it and the most important one being the conviction and hard work that Salman and Anil Sharma have lent to it. The battle scenes are terrific and so is the cinematography. There are many applause worthy moments for the masses to enjoy, be it the extremely well shot daring train robbery sequence, the pre-interval sequences when Veer and Yashodhara come to know about each other’s background or the confrontation between Veer and a disgruntled Pindhari tribe warrior and Veer’s first meeting with the Raja. There are a few downers as well, the most important one being the slackening of the film’s pace just post interval and the use of the same song ‘Surili Ankhiyonwale’ repeatedly during many key moments of the film. Also while devising the screenplay from Salman Khan’s story, the writers could have also weaved in a more imaginative screenplay.

Veer, however will work big time in the single screens and small towns, especially in the North. It is a paisa vasool movie just for watching Salman Khan alone. Do check it out if you want to experience a guilt pleasure entertainer.

But not the one to be disillusioned and armed with a ‘Never-Say-Die’ attitude and dynamic talent; Sameer fights every hurdle that comes his way because achieving your biggest dream is never easy. In this challenging journey, he is helped by a spirited choreographer Tina (Genelia D’Souza). Just when Sameer is promised his big break, he is left without a house as he cannot pay his rent.

Not one to lose heart Sam starts living in his rickety old car and starts teaching dance in a school to young kids who have never won any dance competition. He hates kids and the kids hate dancing. The struggle in life continues as the director (Mohnish Behl) who was to launch Sameer now decides to choose his hero through a talent hunt. Sam is shattered but he diverts his focus towards the kids.

Getting over his initial dislike of children, Sam not only emotionally bonds with them, but also helps them win a prestigious inter-school dance competition and gets their confidence back – aided by the spirited and beautiful Tina. Tina urges Sameer to enter the reality hunt, with the love and support from Tina and the kids, Sameer emerges a winner and eventually becomes what he was destined to be, a superstar.

The film offers simply nothing in terms of a plot. Though it starts of well, the lack of depth in characters soon gets exposed and the boringness creeps in. There is a bit of a Hollywood film, School of Rock added to the main plot but even that part doesn’t impress much. Also, sadly like the previous dance disasters such as Lets Dance and Fast Forward, Chance Pe Dance also suffers due to pitiable music (Adnan Sami and Pritam) and a poor script. Ken Gosh has incorporated that tried and tested melodrama and forcefully tried to add ‘Maa’ element in the end. Technically though it scores good points and is crisply edited and glossily picturised especially the songs musically though blah but the production values are top notch and costumes are trendy.

Shahid however rocks big time in this average film. His presence, moves and brilliant performance especially in the scene just before the interval when he is dejected at being rejected of one more chance provides some moments to this otherwise predictable story of a struggler. Genelia provides him able support. Both Shahid and Genelia share a very good chemistry. Mohnish Behl, Parikshit Sahani and Vikas Bhalla leave their impression. The school kids are cute.

What could have been a rocking film ends up being a disappointing affair. Ken Ghosh who had left a lasting impression with his first two films, lets us down with this one. Watch it only if you want to see Shahid setting the screen on fire with his amazing dance moves and for the cute chemistry he shares with Genelia.

In a university in California, Alisha [Priyanka Chopra] is the name of that dream everyone wished came true. The most beautiful girl on campus, she makes hearts flutter like leaves in the wind. Everybody loves Alisha.

It is no surprise then that Abhay [Uday Chopra] loves her too. Abhay is a nerdy, awkward, bespectacled geek of the college who is so far removed from her world. She doesn’t even know that people like him actually exist.

One day Abhay musters up enough courage to go and express his true feelings to her and realizes that it is never gonna happen. He comes to terms with the fact that Alisha is a Princess and he is just a Geek. That is when their ways eventually part. Later, their paths cross again, as Abhay is busy trying to launch his career. Fate again brings him face to face with the woman of his dreams, Alisha.

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‘Dulha Mil Gaya’ is the story of Tej Dhanraj (Fardeen Khan), a bachelor-billionaire-playboy whose father’s (Randhir Kapoor) will asks him to marry his friend’s daughter in order to inherit the fortune. Out of luck and cash, our NRI hero comes to Punjab – a la ‘Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge’ and gets married to a village belle Samarpreet Kapoor (Ishita Sharma) only to ditch her later. However, the gaon-ki-gori traces her wild husband in Trinidad only to realize that she was cheated.

Here enters Shimmer (Sushmita Sen), a supermodel who transforms Samarpreet from a demure village girl to a diva Samara so much so that Tej hardly recognizes her real self – ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’ with a twist!

For all diehard fans of Shah Rukh Khan, the actor appears towards the end of a ‘karwa chauth’ number while the film has already bombarded its viewers with a heady dose of candyfloss stuff.

In all, ‘Dulha Mil Gaya’ could have been made much better only if director Mudassar Aziz didn’t come from the old school of clichéd filmmaking! The dialogues are stale, Sushmita Sen fakes her accent, Ishita Sharma sparks in bits and pieces while Fardeen Khan is forgettable. Johnny Lever is wasted and Howard Rosemeyer is completely over the top.

In the end, with an expected storyline and mediocre performances, watch ‘Dulha Mil Gaya’ at your own risk!