Aakrosh

First of all, a warm welcome to Priyadarshan and Akshaye Khanna. Priyadarshan had stopped making good films years ago, he was busy making guaranteed super flops with Mr. Kumar. Akshaye Khanna had disappeared from films long time ago. Both have made a good comeback with Aakrosh. And, after a long, long time, bollywood has come up with a brilliant and meaningful movie. Aakrosh deals with the honor killing that has been prominent in a few villages for the past few years. The movie also discloses the actual truth behind these alleged honor killings and the real culprits behind them.   

Three students from New Delhi are found missing from the village called Jhaanjhar for the last two months. Two CBI officers ( Ajay Devgn and Akshaye Khanna ) team up to find out the truth behind their disappearance. The Jhaanjhar village, crowded with numerous corrupt politicians is terrified with the attacks going on and the police force under the Superintendent officer( Paresh Rawal) does nothing. The CBI officers have had time doing the investigation as no one in the whole village is gutsy enough to speak against the attacks and the one who tries to open his mouth is abducted by those groups. Ajay Devgn, the hot blooded, loses his cool and takes some strong actions and Akshaye Khanna, the man with the brain, takes his chances and gambles. Hard work pays off well in the end and the truth finally comes out and the village then rests in peace.

The movie has taken its inspirations from the recent cases of honor killing but on the whole it’s a work of fiction.

Acting Department is ruled by Ajay Devgn and Paresh Rawal. Both are in top form in this movie. Both are trying to outdo each other with their strong expressions and dialogue delivery. Akshaye Khanna, too has acted well but Ajay Devgn and Paresh Rawal are the show stealers.  Reema Sen does well. Bipasha Basu is wasted. Action Sequences are top notch. The chasing scene between Ajay Devgn and a group leader is outstanding. Dialogues are awesome. A few of them even manage to bring a smile on your face and compel you to clap and praise! Cinematography is average. Editing could be better. Priyadarshan has directed the movie splendidly this time. He is sure to win many accolades this time. The only absurd part of the movie is the romantic song between Ajay Devgn and Bipasah Basu.

To conclude, I would say go for it as finally a good hindi movie has arrived (which actually is rare ) and for super strong performances of Ajay Devgn and Paresh Rawal.

My Rating: 8/10

Thanks and Regards.

Anjaana Anjaani

Some people never change. Indian Film makers' are a good example. In this industry most of the films are made only for commercial success. The makers give extra weightage to the star cast and publicity gimmicks.They copy rest from the films made in hollywood. From locations to songs to scenes. It's high time that they should stop testing the audience's patience. Anjaana Anjaani is not an exception. Even a part of the main story looks very similar to our own Jab We Met. 

Directed by Siddharth Anand( of Salaam Namaste and Bachna ae Haseeno fame) the film stars Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra. According to the story, Ranbir and Priyanka are fed up of their lives and they meet while trying to commit suicide. Things go wrong and they land up in the hospital. They try again but they fail. They, then postpone their suicide date and focus on completing one task which, according to them, was left unaccomplished and was preventing them from dying. At first, Priyanka's job is to lift up Ranbir's mood and later on it's Ranbir's job to lift up Priyanka's mood. A few insatiable events make the movie even more predictable, but a few scenes do surprise you and manage to bring a smile( or laugh for few ) on the audience's face. In the end, there seems to be no need of reminding you what happens in the end.

It would be good if Nadiadwala Grandsons stop producing films of this kind. They get highly predictable. It would be better if the makers put more focus on the script rather than on star cast and publicity gimmicks. Those movies bring more fame and money. 

Ranbir scores well in acting but everybody knows( including him ) he can do much much better than his performance in Anjaana Anjaani. His comic timing is good. His dance is good too. His physique does get a lot of wows from his female fans this time. Priyanka, look wise, is getting better minute by minute. She has a jaw-dropping looks in the movie. But again, we all know what Priyanka is capable of. She has given amazing performances in the recent past but she hasn't done justice to her role in the movie. Zayed Khan is unnoticeable as he has nothing to do in the movie. 

Direction, as mentioned above, could have been much much better. Cinematography is superb. Music by Vishal-Dadlani is good. Special mention for the song 'Hairat' sung by Lucky Ali which is exceptional. Supporting actors don't have anything to do in the movie but they carried off their part well. Editing was bad. The movie starts taking toll you in the second half. Dialogues at a few places are good and at a few places it is predictive and annoying.

To conclude, I would just say, go for it if you are a Ranbir or/and a Priyanka fan and ofcourse to see their chemistry in the movie( Only positive thing about the movie ).

My Rating: 5/10

Thanks & Regards 

  

Alternate Life

The wind was still. The sea was calm.  There was no one on the bridge. He looked down at water, and then looked up the sky. He was confused. He didn’t have the chutzpah to do it. “Do you believe in destiny?” He heard a voice. He turned around. He couldn’t see anybody. He prepared himself to make a move. “You did not answer me. Do you believe in destiny?” He again stopped and turned around. He saw a middle aged man standing and staring him. He couldn’t recognize him and his face was blurry too.

                                  A Week Ago:  

“Hey Vik! Raunak here. Outta money. Need a job. If possible, urgently.” He hung up. He needed money urgently. His landlord had been banging his door for the past three days and all his bills were pending, albeit he could have managed money from others but he too had his own set of principles. He never borrowed from anybody.

His phone rang. “Raunak! Dude, you know what an incredible timing you have. Just got a job for you. Stakes and money are high.” “I’m on my way.” He got an unsatisfying smile on his face. He wanted to do something different this time, something that could satisfy him, but there he was, embroiled in his own thoughts and principles.

“Raunak! I was waiting for you only. That’s the envelope. You’ll get everything you need in that envelope. Do it by tomorrow.” “Hmm. How much am I gonna get this time?” “How much do you expect?” Vik asked. “Considering your statement, that the stakes are high this time, I think eight figures would be good.” Vik’s jaw dropped. “WHAT? You know that’s double of what you get every time.”  “Vik, I already told you I need money and there is a bigger risk this time. You know I’m the best in this field. Give it or hire someone else.” He said. “You bastard! Looks like you’ve grown some brains lately.” Vik smirked. No sooner did Raunak leave for the completion of his job, than Vik spoke, “At least have a look at the picture once.” Raunak took the photo out of the envelope. He almost fainted.

                              The Characters:

Raunak:   27, a guy with gifted looks and a gifted mind. Couldn’t complete his graduation. Hitman by profession. Ace in assassinating people for money.

Supported by Vik, the man, Raunak’s father et al.

“I….I –I can’t do this.” That was his father’s picture. “What happened? You know him already?” Vik enquired. “He is my father.” Vik, too, was stunned. “Dude, I don’t know how to say this but job is job, he has to die, whatever it takes.” Vik stated. “Are you insane? This man is my father.” “Look, I know you two are not in contacts since ten years. Don’t get sentimental, and you’re gonna get a crore. I promise!” Vik said. “No Vik. I’m not gonna do this and I won’t let you do this.” Raunak took out his gun and shot him in the head. Vik was dead. Raunak turned back and left for his home. He thought about his father the whole day. He decided to meet him again the next day.

The following day’s news headlines were: “Member of Parliament and leading businessman Vishesh Sharma was found dead in his bungalow. According to the reports, he was murdered by a professional who shot him thrice in the chest.”

                         Present Day:

Raunak couldn’t believe what he saw and read everywhere. He had killed Vik. How anyone else could have taken up the job and assassinated his father! That was all he could think of. Memories of him and his father came all the way haunting him. The man who taught him walking, talking, and everything, the man who was the reason he was in this world, was dead. Murdered by the man with the same profession as he was in. He took the blame on himself.  Suicide was the Hobson’s choice for him. He waited for early morning. He was standing on the bridge, when he heard a man’s voice.

“Who are you?” was all he could ask him. “That doesn't matter right now. What really matters is that you shouldn’t kill yourself, considering you didn’t assassinate him and you had no hand in this.” The man said. “Who the hell are you? How do you know me?” Raunak shouted. “Like I said, that doesn’t matter right now. Calm down. Answer my question.” “I don’t know why I am responsible for his murder. Somehow I get a feeling it’s all because of me.” “How good is your physics?” The man asked. “What? I..I don’t know. I guess it’s pretty bad. What it has to do with all of this?” Raunak was confused.

“Many-worlds Interpretation. Does this term ring any bell to you?” The man asked. “Nope. What does it imply?” “It was coined by a physicist called Hugh Everett in the'50s.” “So?” Raunak was getting irritated. “The idea is, anything that could have happened in our past actually did happen in some other universe. All the alternate decisions and choices you made are still playing themselves out in another world.” The man tried to hint him.” “I don’t get it. What do you want to convey?” Raunak said.

“See, that means, you had got a job of murdering your father, but you followed your ethics and refused the job. But, it was destined to happen. Someone had to kill him. You didn’t do it. Someone else did.” He continued. “If you would not have taken up the Hitman’s job as your profession, you would not have come across Vik, who would not have offered you that job. If you would have completed your studies and obeyed your parents, you would have never got separated from your father.”  Raunak was getting it now. He recalled everything. The man was right.

“See pal, doing harm to any ordinary person or doing harm to your relative is equal in the eyes of God. The punishment one gets for doing either of the two is same. It’s your perception which makes the punishment big or small. If you had not killed the other people in the past, your Dad would have been alive.” The man explained. “Then what do you think I should do?” Raunak was clear this time. “Don’t kill yourself. You have got the chastisement you deserved. It’s time to amend your deeds.” The man finished. Raunak knew what he had to do. He took out his phone. “Hello Police Station? I’m Raunak Sharma. I’ve killed 9 people in the past of which you possess the files but are still searching for the murderer…”

As soon as he finished, he turned back to the man. He could see no one. The man had vanished. At least that’s what he assumed.

Dabangg

"Don't watch it!" Everyone was heard quoting this sentence after coming out of the theater. Read further if you still think this movie is watchable. 
Abhinav Singh Kashyap has spoiled the name of his brother Anurag Kashyap. Salman Khan had raised the bar with his 'Wanted' but thwarted this time. Arbaaz Khan should finally retire and settle with his wife. Theater owners should stop buying these kind of movies which might force the viewers for a suicide attempt. The views may be harsh but Dabangg deserves it. 


Last year, Salman had struck the right chord with his 'Wanted'. He dreamed of repeating the success this year but failed miserably. Critics who have been giving this movie rave reviews should be slaughtered. There is absolutely nothing enjoyable in this movie. NOTHING! 


The story goes like this, a police officer who is self-proclaimed Robin Hood is crime hater. He can't withstand anything going wrong in his area. He likes to work alone. He calls the force after he completes all his job and gives them a speech which literally kills you every time. He is an expert in killing criminals while dancing on moronic tunes and showing incredible stunts which don't even exist in the world of Hollywood. He has a step brother who, like all the movies, is worthless. He has step father who doesn't like him and a 'Maa' who is the only one to love him. There is a villain(who actually is a wannabe hero) whose sole task is to get rid of Robin Hood. There is one super gorgeous heroine who had waited all her life only for Robin Hood to come and propose her and there are extras too who have only two jobs, either praise Robin Hood or die while fighting against him. In the end Robin Hood successfully completes all his jobs.


Salman has pledged while shooting for the movie that he shall try his best to aggravate the audience with his dialogue delivery, dance moves and action stunts. Salman, please don't attempt these tasks again. Arbaaz Khan has been slammed in the past, is being slammed for this movie, and shall be slammed forever(if he never stops acting in the movies). Sonu Sood as the villain is good. His scenes are what you call 'passable'. Débutante Sonakshi Sinha is gaudy, ravishing and gorgeous. Yeah, her acting was also good. Om Puri, Mahesh Manjerekar and Anupam Kher are wasted. Vinod Khanna did justice to his role. Dimple Kapadia failed to do the role of 'Maa'. 


Direction is vile, poor and feeble. Abhinav Kashyap should go and take direction classes first instead of copying from everywhere. Cinematography is good. Action sequences have been copied from The Matrix, Sherlock Holmes, Never Back Down and a few others. Dialogues are funny in some scenes but mostly they test your patience. Music has become popular because of weird lyrics and dance moves but it is not good. 


To conclude, I would just say, don't watch this movie, no matter how many good reviews you read. Albeit I know my opinions also don't matter much. 


My Rating: 2/10( one point for Sonu Sood and one point for Sonakshi Sinha) 


PS: If you complete watching this movie without banging your head, time for you to consult psychiatrist.


Thanks & Regards       

Show me the money...!

“I love you!” he was totally high. The drug was showing its effect.  He had eaten his food down to the last morsel, drank 3 full whiskeys and smoked marijuana.  “Shut up!  This is not you, you’re high right now.” “Don’t worry baby, I still love you”.

                       Two Minutes and 31 seconds later

“What the hell! What happened to Nitesh? Why is he unconscious? What happened with us?      ” Calm down, you just calm down first.  We got to figure out something and help Nitesh.”        “Wait, I had a vision, I was in jail, was in for seven years”.           “What? You too?”, “What do you mean by you too?” “I was hallucinating too, I was very happy, and I was flying high on success.”          “What about you?”   “I was running, actually I was being followed. Followed by the police. “

Nitesh: 24, B.com, final year, New Delhi.  Chain Smoker, drinker and a near successful web hacker.

Ronit: 23, Graduate in Chemical Engineering, IITK, New Delhi. Unemployed.

Prakhar: 22, College Dropout, New Delhi. Wannabe DJ.

Himani: 24, Diploma holder in Fashion Technology, New Delhi.  Struggler.

A fun loving group with one common motto, to have unlimited fun! Then what the hell happened?

“What happened? I blacked out! Aah! My head hurts! “ “You mean you didn’t have any vision?” “What vision? I was unconscious.”  “I don’t get this. I think somebody is trying to play us.” “What did you eat last?” “Pepperoni”  “Me too” “Nitesh?” “I don’t know. I don’t remember anything.” “He was drunk, don’t you remember?” “That’s it, Pepperoni was adulterated” “Don’t be a douche, no chemical can make you see the future” “How do you know it was the future” “I don’t know. It’s all a hunch”

“Guys, what are you all talking about? We were normal a few minutes back, we fell unconscious, and I don’t know why and when I wake up I find you guys arguing over some kind of vision. Can somebody explain things to me?”

“HANDS UP! This is the police, no one shall try to move or I won’t hesitate to pull the trigger!” “Wait sir, this must be a mistake...” all four were scared. “Shut up, who amongst you is Nitesh?” “S... Sir, it’s me. What’s the matter?” “You’re under arrest” “What??? On what grounds?” “Here is the arrest warrant, in case any of you demand for it” “Sir, this must be a terrible mistake, I haven’t done anything”  “No baby, we’re criminals and we like to arrest innocents! Now keep your mouth shut and come with us”, the police officer snarled.

                       ……………………………………………………..

“So, Mr. Hacker, your dream run ends here, you planned to rob a bank and you ended up in jail.” The officer said to him while sending the evidence file for compilation.

In the meantime: “This calls for celebration! We did it. He got arrested.” , “I can’t believe we carried out the task so easily” “But yaar, when are we getting our dues?” “Mr. X had sent e-mail stating that we’ll be getting our shares as soon as Nitesh gets arrested” “Whoever it is, he planned well to rob a bank and led the police to Nitesh, and now we all will have enough money to survive”

“Game over Mr. X!” “Wh..What? What are you talking about?” “Yes Prakhar! Your game is over. You are Mr. X”, the officer again was standing at their gate. He had found out during the compilation that Nitesh was not the one he was actually looking for. “Are you insane? Are you telling me that I hacked into the bank website and virtually robbed ten lakh rupees? Nitesh is the culprit; he is the genius behind this virtual robbery, not me!” “Good story, but I don’t buy that, I’ve enough proof against you. Nitesh is a freeman, you have to come to police station for further investigation” “Oh yeah? Let me see the proof then.” “I.. I’ll be back in a minute guys.”, Ronit tried to move shakily.  “Wait!, this can’t happen. I don’t believe this. It’s you Ronit, it’s you!” “You bastard! How can you even think I did this? I don’t even know a single h of hacking!”Ronit got crimson red on hearing all this accusation “Then how come it’s your email id on the transfer account? You have the money, you scumbag!” Prakhar had only one chance to prove his innocence.  “Then how come he has proof against you Prakhar? Explain this!” He just lost it.

“Cuz the computer used was mine, they matched the IP address, you were at my place that night.” “I can’t believe I trusted you both and misunderstood Nitesh. Cuz of you both, I became the part of the plan for your rescue but the real culprits are you both. Officer, arrest both of them, as they tried to cook evidence against Nitesh and made me the part of their plan!”, Himani was almost in tears.

“You’re wrong Himani! It’s Nitesh, he is playing with us.. He did not even had a vision!” “Shut up, that was all fake, we all know that, we had poisoned his whiskey, if you remember, and we had to enact our lines exactly after two and a half minutes. Moreover, if Nitesh would have robbed the bank, he wouldn’t have got caught for this silly IP address match. He is a professional, not a criminal.”

“Enough of all this, you two, follow me to the police station and Himani, Nitesh would be here any moment, sorry for the inconvenience caused.” , Officer was convinced this time.  

                ……………………………………………………….

“You got the money?” “Don’t worry; it’s a matter of 30 seconds. I’ll get it transferred in our account and the figures of his account won’t change. And yes, you acted well.”, Nitesh was in all grins. “Shut up, you were lying on the floor for no reason, and the water in your whiskey bottles was visible. I was afraid for those two could have noticed it too. You hacked and robbed a bank in the easiest and the most dangerous way.  And, you say I acted well. But the most scary part was giving the police a little piece of evidence against you! ” “Done, we are millionaire now! Kudos to our planning. And by the way, coffee tastes good.” “Does it? I’m afraid by time you finish it, you won’t be able to enjoy the happiness money gives.” She passed a sinister smile. “What do you mean? Have y…y..you…” , He couldn’t even complete his sentence before the devil knew he was dead.

‘I’m set now, the sole owner of ten lakh rupees! ‘, Himani thought. As soon as she went to the kitchen and lit the bulb, the whole house was abrogated by the pondering blast

.

 Nitesh had kept the gas on.

What happened to the fun loving group consisting of talented guys? Two got arrested and spent the rest of their lives in the prison for the money they didn’t rob and they never knew where it was and two killed each other for the money that was destined to quench their group! And people think money brings happiness!  Somehow , they were discussing their future, and it happened, at least, in early stages. That’s God for you.

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

Oliver Stone's 1987 film "Wall Street" had taken it's viewers into an exotic world. 23 years later, Oliver Stone returns with it's sequel. Apparently this is the first ever sequel Stone has directed. First movie was a huge hit as came at time when financial news was just a news for everybody and suddenly there was this movie on banking that looked like thriller. This time there's nothing exotic about it anymore. Its based on the nightly news on unemployment corporate downsizing.

But, it is that rare sequel that took its time-23 years and not only it advances its story but also has something new to say. Stone and his sawy writers Allan Loeb and Stephen Schiff, have crafted a tale that takes advantage of viewers' newfound knowledge and cynicism. Stone has cast his movie well with Shia LaBeouf, Josh Brolin and Carey Mulligan to attract younger viewers, and Michael Douglas' return as Gekko can't help being a major lure.

The story settles quickly on young proprietary trader Jake Moore (LaBeouf), who just happens to be in love with Winnie Gekko (Mulligan), Gordon's estranged daughter. Despite Gekko's attempts to warn Wall Street of the economic downturn and stock market crash no one takes him seriously because of his early crimes. Then Gekko tries to rebuild his relationship with his daughter who always accused him for her brother's suicide. In the mean while, global economy is on the verge of disaster, Jake, a young Wall Street trader joins hands with Gekko on a two tier mission.

Can you win two Oscars playing the same role? An actor rarely gets the opportunity to revive a breakthrough role in a way that allows him to rethink the character and to reflect on where fatal flaws once lay. Douglas does this brilliantly. LaBeouf is top notch. He nicely balances his character's idealism and shrewdness. Mulligan and Brolin deliver strong supporting roles with attention-grabbing characters.

Stone has tried a different way of direction this time. His camera work can be either praised in a great manner or people might be turned off. Either ways, no one can ignore the class he has put in the movie. As stated earlier, camera work is glittering and glossy. Background score is scintillating.

To conclude, I would just say that go for it to experience Gordon Gekko after 23 years and of course the class of Stone in a movie on finance, thrill and banking and the brilliant camera-work!

My Rating: 8/10

Thanks & Regards

ROAD RASH

Category: Impossibly Impossible




What is the most unique thing about Varanasi? Your reply would be any of these: paan,saari,ghaat,morning street breakfast,thandai,temples etc. Some would also dare to say Malls. So, i request all of you to go through this
incident before you make up your mind..


Once upon a time on a very hot, busy and normal afternoon I was driving my way through the traffic to drop my mom at her workplace. I accomplished my initial task of dropping her successfully. Then, I plugged in my earphones, browsed through the songs available in my music library and took a U-turn to drive back home. While returning I got stuck in the traffic jam at three crossroads.  


                              
        " I walk this empty street on the boulevard of broken dreams
           Where the city sleeps and I'm the only one and I walk alone "


I increased the speaker volume so that I could enjoy the song in a better way and by the way, Billy Joe rocks! The traffic wasn't moving, I was all sweaty and started feeling exhausted. Then suddenly, a policeman came{ lets call him P1} and snatched my earphone and shouted that why am I not moving. I got startled and scared. I said I can only move if the car ahead of me starts moving. P1 then again shouted and asked why am I not moving even when the car behind me is honking continuously. I felt amused and said i could've moved if the car ahead of me had given me any space. He then got furious and took out the key from my Activa and ordered me to park the vehicle in the corner. 'Meri literally fat gayi!' I enquired about my mistake he said he would give my keys back only if I park my Activa in the corner. I did. I had to.


I parked Activa and just when I was about to turn back I was welcomed by three banarsi dudes who also were told to park their super-bikes as they were trying to conquer the world just by overtaking every vehicle in the traffic. They said that if I really want to get my activa back I should call my dad so that he could come and settle scores with the policeman. I know that was not an option for me! They, then started walking away and I was left with four bikes with no keys and two policemen guarding them. I too, to prevent sunburn, went under a shade waiting for any miracle to happen! Suddenly, the traffic jam got even worse and our bikes were to ported to another place to make way for others. P1 came shouting at us so we could move our bikes but he found no one! So he took out the keys himself and started moving every bike one by one. I was watching everything but was too scared to do anything. Then, suddenly i saw those the other three guys running and shouting as they had seen P1 putting in the keys. They all pushed him and took away their bikes. He again screamed at them and started hitting my Activa in frustration. I assumed that situation as my only opportunity to run away from them. I too pushed him aside and started my Activa and tried to run away. But...




... There was a difference in my running and those three guys' running. They were experienced in doing this and were on bikes whereas I was a first-timer on a scooter. P1 went mad at this sight. He ran after my bike and hit me hard with his stick. I slowed down, and he tried to pull back by holding the backside of the bike. I applied brakes and turned it the other side. P1 fell down. He switched on his radio and shouted that a fatty was on a run on silver Activa.
Dunno why he did that! I didn't steal anything, I didn't kill anybody and there was an order to follow me in the traffic jam! I was driving at a full speed. Suddenly I heard the police siren. I turned back and I saw a police jeep following me.


I know I was screwed for no fault at all. I saw a narrow colony and without giving any second thoughts I turned my Activa into the colony. Those bastard policemen pulled over their jeep outside the colony and asked two bikers to give them a lift and follow me. Those Rascals overtook me and I was again stopped! A rush of fear went down my whole body. I was shivering badly. P1 came near and hit me hard with his stick. He did it again! I couldn't withstand any more pain. I ran over my Activa and without noticing I ran over the feet of P2! That's it! Game over. P1 and P2 both threw their sticks on me. Bang! Bang! My head and my back were so much in pain. I drove madly with nothing but Hanuman Chalisa in my mind. 


I reached home fortunately without any policeman following me and I just fell on the floor and tried to calm my nerves! I cursed my luck for being followed by the police and getting numerous beatings and I thanked god as I had got another incident to share with you so that you get a good laugh reading my bad writing skills and hilarious but terrifying incidents!






PS: I hope you got the answer to the question asked in the first para! If not then you're a true Banarsi cuz I too don't know! :P