altaf42049 Reviews

M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016)

A Born Leader & A Living Legend ..... M.S. Dhoni

[8/10 · 30 September 2016]

It is said that leaders are not created rather they are born and such is the case with M.S.Dhoni. This real life based movie truly does justice to the hard work and commitment of Indian Cricket Captain and World Cup Winner M.S Dhoni. Neeraj Pandey has done a fabulous job to put up all the pieces in the desired sequence to create this masterpiece. Sushant Singh Rajput yet again impresses with his on screen performance and persona as everything about him is just perfect from head to toe in the movie. All the features starting from story, dialogues, cinematography, acting, music till direction is well knitted to form an impressive flick. However, the highlight remains Sushant Singh Rajput with his all the talent, skill and perfection doing full justice to the living legend of Indian cricket. It is quite visible that he has done a good research on Dhoni including his hair style, shyness, walking and famous "Helicopter Shot". The film outlines the struggle of M.S Dhoni from a railway ticket collector to the Captain of a World Champion team. It also highlights the issues pertaining to the changes made by him for transforming Indian Cricket team to a World Class Unit. The trend of making movies on real life events is gaining a lot of momentum in Bollywood and this one is the fresh addition to the list and probably the top of the line effort. M.S. Dhoni is already a star, living legend and a role model for cricketers all over the world and this film will surely add to his existing honor and prestige. A must watch film for those who believe in hard work, common man, fair play and M.S Dhoni!!!!

Happy Bhaag Jayegi (2016)

Stupid, Childish and Time Wastage

[3/10 · 21 August 2016]

There are always few films for whom you wait for a long time but once they are released, it is the sheer disappointment that comes in your share. "Happy Bhaag Jayegi" is a testimonial to this fact and the net result is utter disappointment. I waited for this movie due to 2 reasons i.e. Abhay Deol and Diana Penty but credit goes to Mudassir Aziz for spoiling the show. How cheaply, both actors have been wasted in this "Dabba" movie. The film is a total crap from head to toe with out a single aspect that gives you entertainment or even a bit of it. Pathetic story, loose screenplay, irrational sequences, unimpressive cinematography and third rated direction makes it a perfect super flop movie. Especially the people of Lahore (Pakistan) have been portrayed in a manner that is totally rubbish and wrong. I wanna let the Bollywood directors know that we the people of Lahore neither talk like this nor we dress like that. Kuch tou homework ker liya karo yaar before making your own people fools. In a nutshell, a total crap, flop and money wastage movie. I do not recommend this movie under any circumstances and even if you don't have a choice, download it from torrent or other sites rather than going to cinema to watch such a crap.

Ki & Ka (2016)

He is She and She is He....... Confused??

[2 April 2016]

"Hello! My name is Kabir and I am a house wife (husband)" is the main theme of this movie. This movie is a negative mask, that converts every right perspectives, traits, norms and ethics into an opposite. Mr Balki has once again come up with an innovative,fresh and yet slightly controversial topic as before. The movie focuses on marriage lives in subcontinent but in a never seen before manner. Ka(Arjun Kapoor) Ki (Kareena Kapoor) is a married couple in which Ki(Kareena) plays the husband and Ka(Arjun) plays the wife. The story emphasize that it is not mandatory for women only to stay at home and perform domestic tasks while assigning the outer duties to the male partner rather the same can be implemented in an entirely opposite way. This situation creates a natural comic angle and curiosity in the movie that is maintained till the end. A husband has been shown supporting his wife while staying at home and doing house keeping so that his wife can fulfill her dreams and becomes a very successful business woman. But at times success and over commitment of one partner becomes indigestible for the other and this marks the commencement of disputes between them leading towards more problems. Kareena and Arjun Kapoor has done a fabulous job by doing complete justice to their roles. Kareena Kapoor has appeared so fresh after a long time since "Jab We Met". A short cameo by "Big B" and "Jiya Bachhan" serves as icing on the cake towards the climax. R. Balki has proved his direction abilities and capabilities once again and deserves applause for bringing an altogether new dimension of thinking towards personal relations. A recommended movie to be watched by couples for sake of understanding the value and importance of each others role in real life!!!!

Rocky Handsome (2016)

John Abraham playing at his best.......

[6/10 · 2 April 2016]

"Rocky handsome" is a testimony to John Abraham's skills range and talent quantum. Among his so many appearances, this movie is probably the best after "Madras Café". John has successfully transformed himself from an average actor to a strong performer who knows right expressions, energy, dialog tone and matching action traits at the right moment. The subject of the plot is quite touching, sensitive and social that tries to highlight the mayhem created as a result of drugs and child trafficking. The director has done a reasonable job to portray and execute all the characters in a logical sequence. But the highlight remains "John's Action" and " Body Language". The action scenes have been shot with great skill, technique and perfection. John Abrahams does a fair justice to his martial arts skills which will remind you of "Keon Reeves" of "John Wick". The body language is perfectly matching to the persona of a high profile "special agent" and one gets the feeler of a real time hero every now and then. The film has been taken to the climax in a smooth way and hence the climax has been shot in a befitting manner closing all the issues, characters and chaos in the end. The director has not left any stone unturned and deserves applause for it. Overall, a fantastic topic, a good movie and a great direction despite being short of mega cast and stars.

Neerja (2016)

Courageous, Bold and Dutyful

[8/10 · 26 February 2016]

The film is a testimony of dedication towards duty of an Indian air hostess "Neerja Bhanot" (1986) who sacrificed her life in the line of duty when an Indian passenger plane was hijacked in Pakistan. Sonam Kapoor plays the role of Neerja and she has done a terrific job by doing full justice to the character and will surely earn respect from her fans in future. This movie can be termed as a transitional phase for her future as she turns from a model to a performer. The director Ram Madhvani has made an impact movie within his limited resources and cast. He carries the whole plot nicely and keeps you on the edge of your seat during the proceedings. The drama, thrill, mystery and suspense has been maintained to the expectations. One feels like watching a Hollywood film as the events are unfolded. The highlight of the whole movie remains Sonam Kapoor who maintains a great balance between her acting and reality. Her expressions are a treat to watch and the maturity of her acting is clearly visible throughput the flick. Shabana Azmi who is playing the mother of Neerja shows her acting class once again. The veteran despite a limited role has proved her metal. The memorial speech by her in the climax is one hell of a scene that makes you quite emotional and one may shed tears while watching the crafty acting of Shabana Azmi. Neerja lost her life but saved the life of 357 passengers in the end leaving a message that no matter what comes may, you should perform your duty despite odd environments. Neerja is the youngest recipient of Indian highest civil award, Pakistan's Tamgha-i-Insaniyat and many other international awards. I recommend this movie to be watched at least once for sake of a cause, a message and a commitment with a thumbs up for Sonam Kapoorr!!!

Chalk N Duster (I) (2016)

We Love Our Teachers

[6/10 · 24 January 2016]

The movie is all about our educational system culture which has unfortunately been turned into a money making business. The writer and director has done a reasonable job to convince the audience of the importance of such a sensitive yet interesting subject. The casting combo of Shabana Azmi and Juhi Chawla proved worth a watch and both of them have done a good job by maintaining a reasonable balance in their acting. Divya Dutta has also done a fair job in a negative role. However, there are sequences which made the movie a bit clumsy and boring in the second half. However, the director makes few effective maneuvers to turn it back on the track. Such movies are really important to impart a psychology in the minds of our young children that how important are teachers in their life and the whole society. Despite of bitter circumstances, hardships and difficulties, they (teachers) are determined to deliver their best selflessly and this makes them to deserve respect from all. The film may not earn a commercial response yet it deserves to be watched once. Hail your teachers and love them is the movie subject which has been transmitted very well.

Bajirao Mastani (2015)

Fantabulous, Audacious and Sheer Romance

[7/10 · 29 December 2015]

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's much awaited epic directional venture 'Bajirao Mastani' is finally out in theaters with the slogan of 'Love is Immortal'. The movie is a continuation to his love saga series and it amply speaks of the talent and abilities of Sanjay. Set in the back drop of 18th century, the whole plot is a joyful combination of supreme direction, classic acting, melodious music and dream cinematography. Ranveer Singh (Bajirao) will definitely earn huge respect from his critics on the basis of his acting talent and dialog delivery in this film. His couple of dialog delivery styles reminds you of Big B and Dilip Kumar. The highlight of the movie is Deepika (Mastani) with her classy acting, pleasant persona, graceful expressions and elegant dance. Undoubtedly she is the unanimous 'Queen of Bollywood' right now. All the characters have been given due importance less Priyanka Chopra (Kashibai) who should have been provided more exposure and opportunity. The film losses momentum in the second half with unnecessary rapid unfolding of events. The war scenes should have been deliberated upon more vigorously. The climax could have been more better and intense. Music should have been more soothing less one song (Deewani Mastani). In a nutshell, this movie gives you many things less than everything. Sanjay has maintained his style of splitting love souls and ensuring that they do meet in the afterlife like his all previous flicks. A great movie with a thumbs up and a big kiss and applause for both Ranveer and Deepika Padukone.

Dilwale (2015)

Senseless, Loose and Disastrous

[4/10 · 21 December 2015]

One particular area where Bollywood industry has attained supreme excellence is the Pre-release exaggerated promotions and publicity stunts. This art has enabled them to sell even their average movies at considerable profits. But how long this strategy will be successful in making audience fool and idiots is a serious question to be asked from the Bollywood producers. Sooner or later, this trade trick is surely gonna bite the dust. The latest addition to this exaggerated promotion strategy with average movies is SRK's much awaited, hyped and anticipated movie 'Dilwale'. The movie is a total crap from start till end with sub-standard plot, pathetic dialogs, clumsy situations, average direction and C grade acting. The film lags everything that is expected and extracted from an impressive and inspirational movie by the viewers. Even the idea to use most trustworthy combination of SRK and Kajol failed miserably as the director and writer failed to create the required chemistry among them. There was not even a single scene in the movie that can be termed as a jump off point for this disaster. Although music of the film is much better but not better enough as it is always expected from a SRK movie. The comic scenes, timing and dialogs are so worst that they can not be compared even with normal Bollywood movies. Varun Dhawan and Krriti have been completely wasted without any positive output. Both of them were not provided any room to show off their talent,skills and performance. This film has surely added another super flop film in SRK's movies list. Although this film may gather huge revenues worldwide but on a performance and story scale, this is not something which fans expect from actors like SRK and Kajol. At the same time, this film is a wake up call for Mr. SRK because it will be difficult for him now to fool his fans anymore like this. Rohit Shetty has once again come up with a rosy picture of absolute nonsense like he did in Chennai Express. Such a disappointed and poor show is not even a shadow of the direction standards that Rohit Shetty can deliver. I do not recommend anyone to spend his/her hard earned money to watch this childish flick at the theaters rather I urge all of them to watch pirated versions downloaded from internet. For SRK's lovers, this is a total disappointment with both the thumbs down!!!!!

Manjhi: The Mountain Man (2015)

Good, Fantastic and Alive

[8/10 · 18 December 2015]

The new trend to make films on real life true incidents is gaining speedy momentum in the Bollywood and the addition of 'Manjhi' to this list is quite fresh and encouraging. Director Ketan Mehta has really done a great job to put in all of his skills to make this good film. Everything from story to acting, direction to casting and cinematography to sequence is well knitted to dish out an awesome picture. The story revolves around 'Dashat (Nawazuddin Siddiqui)' who spends 22 years to carve out a road through a hill in the memory of her deceased wife 'Phagunniya (Radhika Apte)'. The hill had bisected his village from neighboring village of Nawabganj where all basic health and social facilities are available. People required to goto Nawabganj had to diverge of the hill and it took them days and hours to cross over. When Wife of 'Dashat' falls from the hill and dies due to non availability of timely health care,he decides to rip it apart and make a passage so that people are facilitated. Everyone makes a mockery of him and term him a senseless individual. Even he faces a lot of opposition from the government offices, head of their village and harsh ground realities but he refuses to quit the task. It is said that where there is a will, there is way and that is absolutely true for determined guys like 'Dashat'. His tireless, long and determined struggle had made a huge difference in the lives of many who lives in that small village of 'Bihar'. The love of his wife was always a driving and motivational force behind this almost impossible task. He accomplished this insane effort with a simple hammer and a chisel even under adverse circumstances through more than two decades. Nowazuddin Siddiqui has always impressed his fans with his natural acting abilities and he proves it yet again. His performance from a youngster to a husband and then finally to an old man of 60 years get up is marvelous. Radhika Apte also did a fair job to her role and her looks probably were best suited for this role. The director has did enough justice with his all the characters and the story nodes. All and all, its a good, fantastic and alive movie.

Drishyam (2015)

Thats what you call a Godfather!!!!

[7/10 · 10 October 2015]

One particular area where bollywood films had lagged, is the lack of serious and purposeful movies. But Drisham has put an end to this and has compensated the gap sufficiently. Nishikant Kamat (Director) deserves applauds for his direction abilities, story formulation and characterization. The movie is a combo of mystery, thrill, suspense and intelligence. The plot revolves around Vijay (Ajay Devgan) and his small happy family who runs a cable TV business and enjoys a good reputation in his area. Anju (Ishita Dutt) is Vijay's daughter who goes on a school trip where she is harassed by a boy (Tabu's son). The boy manages to record a mobile clip of Anju while she is bathing and blackmails her to fulfill his sexual desires. When he reaches at the spot, he finds Anju's mother Nandini (Shriya Saran) at the RV alongside her. Nandini pledges and begs him to leave them in peace for the sake of God but in vain rather he insists Nandini instead to fulfill his sexual desire. In the meanwhile, Anju picks up a rod and hit him on the head which results in boy's death at the spot. Frightened, upset and shocked from the sudden tragic incident, Anju and Nandini bury him in the courtyard lawn. Next day, Vijay returns home and finds about the incident. Now Vijay decides to save his family from police and the court while repairing the psychological damage in the meanwhile. Vijay is a movie-holic who spends most of the time watching Hollywood and Bollywood films. Keeping his movies experience, situations and plots in mind, he makes a fool-proof plan to avert the danger. Here enters Mera Deshmuk (Tabu) in the plot who turns out to be the Commissioner of Police as well as the mother of the murdered boy. Investigation starts but no clue comes in police hands until inspector Gaitonde (Kamlesh Sawant) informs police that he has seen Vijay driving decreased's car few days ago as he finds in it an opportunity to level personal scores with Vijay because he denies to pay him illegal money just for the sake of being a police official. This opens up a new Pandora Box of suspicions, illusions and perceptions but Vijay trains his family intelligently and skillfully that how they will react to all the possible situations utilizing his movies experience. He goes on a 3 day family trip to outskirts and maintains record of all receipts but not for the actual dates rather for 3 days preceding the actual date. When police inquires him and his family, he responds that he was not present in the area on the suspected dates and shows them the record of receipts. Police tries hard but could not find any clue which frustrates Mera and she decides to torture the family in front of themselves. Ultimately the little daughter of Vijay confesses and tells police that the dead body is buried in the courtyard lawn of her house. When police digs the place, they instead find a dead dog stinking badly and that was the master trick played by Vijay as he knew that one day police will penetrate through her family and will come to this spot. Taking advantage of the situation, Vijay informs the media nd public gathered at the spot that its the conspiracy of Mera and Gaitonde to involve his family in the alleged murder and they have even tortured his 6 year old daughter for confession. The police is beaten up by the angry mob and Vijay is liberated from the charges. But where goes the actual dead body remains a mystery till the end and Vijay does not tell anyone of the reality as it is buried under the area Police Station. The whole plot is embodied with twisty, thrilling and sensational schemes and makes you sit at the edge of your seats while watching this movie. The credit goes to the intelligent director who has kept his characters under control and made the happenings the way he wanted. Ajay Devgan has impressed with his acting abilities and showed maturity in his performance. The supporting cast also did fair justice to their assigned roles. Tabu has not been utilized to her full potential and there is hardly a one to one scene between Ajay and Tabu. Music of the film is routine alike and cinematography is even ordinary. The highlights of the movie are its story, dialogs, acting and above all the direction. Its a recommended movie for family audience and a message for children to respect and trust their parents because they can go to infinite limits to protect and safe them

The Water Diviner (2014)

Wel Come Mr. Russell Crowe!!!

[7/10 · 21 September 2015]

'The Water Diviner' is a directional debut film for Oscar Winner 'Russell Crowe' and he has announced his arrival with a big bang to his fans. The movie is set in the backdrop of Battle of Gallipoli (1915) in Turkey. Mr. Conor (Russell Crowe) is a farmer who lives lives in Australia with his 3 sons and wife. His sons are taken away as forceful volunteers in Britain war against Ottoman Empire at Gallipoli where they are killed in action eventually. His wife could not take it and commits suicide leaving Conor in pain and distress. Conor takes a wow at her burial that he will find her sons and bury them alongside her grave. Conor travels to Turkey to find his 3 missing sons. While staying at a hotel in Istanbul, he meets Ayshe (Olga Kurylenko), the hotel manager and tries to find a way to Gallipoli. Somehow he manages to reach Gallipoli despite resistance from British Visa office and military officials. There, he finds his two sons but the third is still missing. He has a strong belief that his 3rd son is alive but the military officials at Gallipoli forces him to return to Australia which is not acceptable for him. While at Gallipoli, Conor meets a Turkish officer Maj Hassan(Yilmaz Erdogan)who promises to help him. Ultimately, Conor, flees from Turkey by deceiving British officials and finds his son in Anatolia (which is under attack by Greeks). The movie is well- paced, well edited and doesn't drag. The lead actors were all perfectly cast and they delivered as per expectations. At the start of the 100th anniversary year of the Gallipoli landings, this is a story that was well worth telling. Russell Crowe has done a Great job at his debut film. Few dialogs are worth mentioning like Hope's a necessity where I come from and he is the only father who came looking after his sons.The war scenes conveyed some of the horror without being gratuitous in the violence or gore. A great movie from a great actor!!!!

Badlapur (2015)

Revenge, Passion and Agony

[6/10 · 21 September 2015]

Badlapur marks the initiation of true acting skills for Varun Dhawan to prove his critics of his performance abilities and capabilities that he can deliver strong characters. This film will surely earn him critic's acclaim and respect in future endeavors. Mr. Sriram Raghavan (director) has worked really hard to prove his metal in this family cum personal vengeance flick.The plot has been well written, logically developed, impressively acted and beautifully directed. The storyline revolves around Raghu(Varun) whose wife and son has been brutally murdered by Laik (Nawazuddin Siddique) and Harman (Vinay Pathak) while on run preceding a bank robbery. Laik is apprehended by police and sentenced for 20 years in prison while Harman manages to escape with the money. The police tries all efforts and means to find Harman but Laik does not reveal his whereabouts. Dejected, shattered and disappointed from the situation, Raghu leaves his area and settles in Badlapur. After 15 years, Shoba (Divya Dutta), a social worker approaches Raghu and informs him of Laik's illness. She pledges Raghu to forgive Laik as he is suffering from cancer and will be dead in one year. This ignites a flame of revenge buried in Raghu's heart again and he finds in it an opportunity to personally level issues with Laik and Herman. He pardons Laik and finds Herman with the help of Laik's mother. From here on starts the brutal, exciting and suspense part of the story. How Raghu kills Laik and Herman and everyone related to them including Herman's wife and Shoba requires serious viewing. Varun has delivered well above his shade and abilities despite the fact that the dude is tagged as commercial chocolate, romantic and dancing hero. His expressions, energy, body language and approach comes altogether new and appealing. Nawazuddin Siddiquue has once again earned his critics attention through his natural and unique acting style embodied with catchy expressions, confused looks and inspiring dialogs. Another character that deserves appreciation is KOKO (Radhika Apte) who is playing Herman's wife. Although she appeared for a very short duration in the second half but her performance as a terrified woman in few scenes especially when Raghu pretends to rape her is phenomenal. Huma Qureshi (Jhimli) and Vinay Pathak remained under utilized in the movie but they did justice to whatever assigned. Yami Gupta (Raghu's Wife) has been given a very short role as she dies in the first 20 minutes. This is probably Yami's 3rd film in a row where she dies early or somehow disappears from the scene. This aspect is not an encouraging one from a Herine Point of view and needs immediate change in plans. She requires an expert mentor to carefully select and sign films to prolong her acting career otherwise the writing on the wall will be as clear as a shining sun for her. The film is also decorated with nice and fresh music as per the storyline especially the title track "Ajj Mera Jee Karda". Besides this, Atif Aslam's "Jeena Mere Hamdam" is melodious and romantic. The film is a treat to watch for serious Hindi Cinema lovers who likes novel based movies. Overall, the movie is well directed, beautifully acted and craftily presented. A thumbs for Varun Dhawan and a round of applause for Nawazuddin Siddique and Mr. Sriram Raghavan.

Welcome Back (2015)

Comic, Hilarious and Entertaining

[6/10 · 18 September 2015]

The sequel to 2007 Welcome is finally out in the theaters and it delivered as per the expectations. A minor variation has been done in the cast for lead roles but they fitted nicely in the whole plot. The story line is similar to the previous one yet it is entertaining, fresh and smooth. Udday Shetty (NANA PATEKAR) and Majnu Bhai (ANIL KAPOOR) has left the under world and has become respected businessmen in Dubai. They unfortunately fall in love for the same girl but can not marry her till the time their sister Ranjhana (Shruti Hassan) is not married. To find a suitable groom for her, they once again approach their Samdhee Dr Ghungroo (Paresh Rawal) who tells them about his step son (John Abraham) Ajju Bhai from Mumbai. Ajju who has already met Ranjhana in Mumbai and decided to get married subject to Ranjhana's brother Udday's approval. Ajju and Ranjhana goes to Dubai to meet Udday. From here on the story develops twists, turns and U-turns. Here enters wanted bhai (Naseeruddin Shah) in the story whose son (Shiny Ahuja) is also interested in Ranjhana but udday and Majnu are not approving it. How the story reaches its climax is interesting to watch. The highlight of the movie is its dialogues and comic timing. All the characters fit in very nicely. Cinematography, background score, editing and casting is well knitted and craftly directed. Fans of Paresh Rawal, Anil Kapoor and Nana Patekar would surely love their performance and comedy. John Abraham has improved his acting dancing and dialogue delivery in a great way and comes out very fresh and inspiring. However, there are few grey areas in the whole plot which makes movie boring especially in the second half. Also the climax has been unnecessarily exaggerated and prolonged. Moreover the music of the movie is not as great as the part one delivered. But all and all, a good movie to be watched on the weekends for reasons of smile, happiness and comedy. A thumbs up for Mr Anees Bazmi for delivering yet again another good comic movie and a kiss for Nana Patekar, Anil Kapoor and Paresh Rawal!!!

Hero (V) (2015)

Bad Begun is All Done!!!

[4/10 · 18 September 2015]

The concept to introduce and launch siblings of veteran actors is not new to the Bollywood cinema starting from Kapoor's to Bachhan's and Deols and so on. But the the recipe does not prove right and successful every time. This recipe has not hold right for HERO of 'Hero' and Mr. Sooraj Pancholi (Son of Aditya Pancholi) is a fresh addition to the disappointment list. The movie revolves around a Kidnap cum love story sketch followed by parental disputes which are neither fresh nor attractive by any means like the old wine in new bottle. Sooraj has been brought up by Mafia King 'BABA'(Aditya Pancholi). BABA is in jail for murder allegations and IG Police is personally pursuing the case against him. BABA tasks Sooraj to kidnap 'Radha' (Athiya Shetty)the daughter of IG Police to level personal scores. Radha had already met with Sooraj in a club and was impressed by his dancing and fighting skills. Sooraj Kidnaps 'Radha' by pretending her to be a police official sent by her father for her security. She is taken to a snowy area where the love catches fire between them but soon Radha finds out the truth about Sooraj. She asks Sooraj to surrender to police and court and have a fresh start for the sake of their love. But this action is neither approved by IGP nor by BABA. Ultimately, Sooraj confesses in the court and is sentenced for 2 years in jail. In the meanwhile, Radha moves to Paris. After releasing from jail, Sooraj takes a fresh start and gives up his past profession. During Radha's stay in Paris, her brother lies to the family that Radha is dating his school friend 'Kunwar' who turns out to be a con and a gambler. Mr. Kunwar is on the run as he steals huge amount of money from BABA's Casino . While on the run, he meets Radha and On discovering the dating issue, he finds in it a God sent opportunity to seek protection from BABA. Unable to return the money, he broke a deal with BABA to bring Sooraj to him because he informs BABA that Sooraj is conspiring with IGP to arrest him so that he could win IG's Daughter. He did so but ultimately BABA finds the truth and Kunwar Sahab is killed in the action. BABA hands himself over to police and IGP accepts Sooraj. If you read and watch the whole plot, it cries out to be boring, ill-logical and clumsy. How easily a young, talented and smart hero has been wasted in an average movie is a question to be asked to Salman Khan. Moreover the casting specially the heroine, music and direction is sub standard. The whole scheme was bound to bite the dust and it proved nonetheless. An average movie with sub-standard direction and awful music.

Dharam Sankat Mein (2015)

Tense, Appealing and Imposing

[7/10 · 14 September 2015]

"Dharam Sankat Main" is a combination of smart story, crafty direction, smooth dialoges and inspirational acting skills. Mr Paresh Rawal has once again touched the hearts of his fans with this extra-ordinarily staid, divisive and appealable performance. The movie is a continuation of sensitive cinema in India and marks the culmination of religious myths and beliefs. When at the age of 55, Paresh Rawal comes to know that he was a Muslim by birth, his agony, helplessness and distress is beyond control. He then decides to find his biological father with the help of his Muslim Neighbor Lawyer Friend (Anu Kapoor). During the search, Paresh comes across so many hurdles both domestically and religiously. When he finds about his father, he goes to visit him but the 'Molana' of the Orphanage(Where his father is living ) refuse to allow him to see his father being a 'Hindu'. The 'Molana' asks him to become "Muslim' first and then see his father as a condition. Perplexed by the situation, he decides to take help from his lawyer friend (who is a Muslim) to learn Islam. From here on starts a dual problem for him. His son is forcing him to go to 'Mundir' so that he can win the heart of her girlfriend orthodox Hindu father and the pinch to meet his father pushes him to adopt Muslim rituals and methods. During the hunt, he encounters a procession that is agitating against Muslims where he burns a 'Muslim Cap' to show his son his Hindu Image and this starts a wave of aggression against him by the Muslims. Ultimately, he ends up in a court where he admits that he is Muslim by birth and it is the 'Molana' of the Madrassa who is not allowing him to see his father because he is 'Hindu' and this caused him to learn Muslim rituals. The whole plot revolves around Paresh Rawal and he creates his persona throughout the movie through his comic timing and natural acting. Paresh Rawal 100% justifies his character and delivers his best. This film is another addition to his sublime acting career and a continuation of "Oh My God" extravaganza. A thumbs for the whole team and a salute to Mr Paresh Rawal Skills with a kiss to Anu Kapoor being so nice and hilarious in the short role!!!

Phantom (I) (2015)

Self Destructive & Pointless Show ...... As Expected from SAK

[3/10 · 3 September 2015]

The much hyped, advertised and anticipated flick of SAK is finally out and straight away went to the trash bins. The movie lacks everything that is necessary to make a film. The action, drama, suspense and direction of the plot is much below the standard that is expected from Directors like 'Kabir Khan'. How long Bollywood can be-fooled audience with sub-standard so called patriotic and anti Pakistan Movies. By watching the movie, one is sure that nobody has even bothered to watch the movie after completion. The storyline is well short of sequential development of events, weak cinematography, music, acting and above all the casting. Few foolish, childish and pathetic scenes force you to bite yourself and pull out your hair out of your head while watching the movie like assassination of Hafiz Saeed, reaching Karachi in 7 hrs by road from Lahore that is even under strict security check. Bhai SAK, just let us know of your 'Sulemani Cap' or the shortcut that only you know to reach Karachi in such a short time and the whole Pakistan is ignorant. Best time is at least 16-18 hrs to reach Karachi from Lahore by road. The enmity of KK to Pakistan is unknown throughout the movie. The plot to assassinate accused of Mumbai attacks from London to USA and to Pakistan is weakly written, loosely directed and poorly acted. SAK has added another disaster to his long long list of big flops and phantom is a fresh addition to it. All and all, it is just a wastage of effort to make people look and feel like buffoons In short a total disappointment, failure and self destruction.....

Bombay Velvet (2015)

Love, Passion and Greed - Story of Being a Big Shot

[7/10 · 2 July 2015]

The story of ambitions, love, hatred, politics, greed, and jazz is called "Bombay Velvet". It is the story of an ordinary man who toils hard and burn the midnight oil to forge his destiny and become a 'Big Shot' of Bombay. Set in the backdrop of 60's, the story develops gradually and shifts its gears smoothly. The best part of the whole film is its choice of characters and the sequential way of unfolding the events. The director has done a great job in putting up all the characters, situations, story and emotions in a logical and yet convincing way. The appearance of "Karan Johar" as an actor appeals you throughout the plot and he acts like a veteran actor with catchy expressions, smooth dialogue delivery and most importantly his persona. Ranbhir did a great job to prove people of his acting abilities once again. He looks like a complete package in this film and gives you numerous times the looks and acts of Al Pacino of "Scarface". Anushka Sharma has finally made an appealing appearance on the screen by all means. She has intelligently disclosed the ammunition and weapons out of her acting armory. Her performance as a Jazz artist is phenomenal. Her dialog delivery has improved by leaps and bounds. The film has been shot mostly in a dark environment utilizing Hollywood technique. But the lightening arrangements, camera work and direction has covered up almost everything. Few of the characters appear in a haphazard manner. The second half is bit clumsy and the pace of scenes is quite faster. Few characters do appear in the movie at once but then forgotten all of a sudden. Overall the film is good keeping the cinematography, dance, music, thrill and acting in mind. I recommend this movie to be watched at least once and a big kiss for Anushka Sharma for her acting talent with a thumbs up for Ranbhir

Any Body Can Dance 2 (2015)

Good Effort but Not Good Enough.......

[5/10 · 30 June 2015]

The plot revolves around a group of street dancers who are trying to remove "Cheaters" tag and establish themselves as professional dancers. They do so by participating in an international dance competition. The director (Mr. Remu) who is himself a renowned choreographer has made subtle efforts to keep things a sequence but his direction abilities fails miserably time and again throughout the movie. The film runs in bits and pieces with sub-standard dialogues, situations and expressions. The idea to put professional dancers and make them act does not suit in a great way. However, few positive nodes are yet there to impress including the "Marjaawan" track embodied with Shradha Kapoor's performance and final performance track in Vegas. However, adding unnecessary, ill-timed and useless emotional sequences in dance and relating it to religion are beyond digestion. After all guys it is an international dance competition and who cares for your emotions or whatever.In short, a film has to remain a film and not a melodrama of stupid and cheap ideas. Prabhu Deva is a great dancer but when it comes to acting, it seems that he is out of colour for the job.Varun did fair job but remained submerged in overall rush of dancers and could not impress upon as a single dude Overall, this time the ABCD team has done better than the previous effort and is expected to do more good in future. The movie can be watched when you don't have anything else to watch!!!!

Gulaab Gang (2014)

An Epic on Women Empowerment.........

[6/10 · 11 April 2014]

The combo of 2 of the Bollywood Top Divas is out in cinemas with a high frequency slogan "Women Empowerment". The film is full of undulating situations, emotions, action and drama. The acting skills of Madhuri Dixit and Juhi Chawla are well suited to the overall plot. The supporting actors and actresses are well balanced. The talent of Juhi Chawla has been proved finally and she has been on the stronger side of her personality signature. Madhuri Dixit was too inspirational but the action sequence filmed on her gave a bit clumsy and super hero touch that looked a bit out of reality. The film should have been advertised and promoted more.The respect and dedication extended towards Madhuri in the film is sketchy and should have been elaborated a little. The storyline developed well in the first half but it looses its tempo and effect considerably in the second half. The situations and cinematography should have been more convincing. The dialogs were effective, fresh and innovative but were out of synchronization with the situation during 2nd half. The music remained out of soul, touch and melody. An item song at an appropriate situation could have paid rich dividends towards the commercial aspect. Overall the film did a good job and can make the audience stick to their seats. Bollywood is rapidly advancing towards women excellence in films and female actors are merely a show piece now. The film is dedicated to women empowerment and nothing could have been a better gift for women on this "Women Day" than "Gulaab Gang". An intense, vocal, bold and a must watch drama packed with impressive acting skills and dialogs.

Total Chaos (2014)

A Forceful Comedy Effort !!!!

[4/10 · 9 March 2014]

One sentence to wrap up the whole film is " A genuine forceful effort to make people laugh (Only possible on Gun Point)". Ali Zafar's 4th Movie (2nd disaster in sequence) is out and finally the fans are disappointed again. The whole plot from start till the end was beyond apprehension. One feels tortured and painful while watching this so called comedy flick. The idea to shoot the movie in one night, one dress and one go is poorly conceived, weakly written, immaturely directed and childishly portrayed. The characters appear in a haphazard manner. The cast was quite limited. The scope remained narrow, dialogs highly unimpressive and acting substandard. The father of the heroine (Yami) is missing, brother fighting with Pakistani neighbor (without any good reason), sister is acting weird (crushing on Ali and at the same loving her husband and the mother is making a joke of her husband while he is missing. Ali Zafar should quit movies immediately and concentrate on his music. Acting is probably out of his league. Yami Gupta was not seen as fresh as she was (I mean it is an achievement to shoot the complete movie in only one dress without any definite reason). Kirron Kher was OK but Anupam Kher was not seen at all in the movie (invisible character) The idea of India Pakistan tussle among a love couple surely would have achieved a great success and a nice movie if conceived and directed with some sense. Such ventures only add frustration to the audience and adds another disappointment to the flop charts numbers in the Bollywood. I do not recommend this movie to watch even when you don't have anything to watch. A failure with two thumbs down !!!

Highway (I) (2014)

Serious, Equivocal & Touching !!!!!

[7/10 · 28 February 2014]

Imtiaz Ali's much awaited flick is in theaters now. The film is attached with emotions, drama, chaos, ambiguity and strong acts. The Indian Cinema is making a rapid advance towards Female Performers. Aliya Bhatt is a fresh, talented and a treat to watch addition to this list. The girl with a cute baby face has compelled her critics to acknowledge the aroma she has created in this film. There are couple of scenes like when she narrates her childhood molestation to Randeep and the last scene when she exposes her uncle who used to do it to her. Randeep also fits in effectively in the whole plot. His Marathi accent is quite nice. Direction wise the film touches highs and lows throughout. The typical Imtiaz Ali's nostalgic touch to the story is quite evident. But the most vulnerable area of his direction......to wrap up and finish the all the characters / situations in the end again puts a question mark on his direction abilities. But to make audience tied to there seats for 150 minutes that too with a subject which is not fresh (already we have seen films on such notes) is a talent The music of A.R. Rahman is fresh. One particular track filmed on Aliya is soothing, melodious and fresh. The best scene is probably Aliya's dance on an English track in front of the kidnapper who understands Marathi Overall, the film is quite satisfactory studded with strong acts, impressive cinematography, fresh music and off course effective direction I give it a thumbs up but a kiss for Aliya Bhatt only!!!!!

Gunday (2014)

Wake Up Bollywood!!!! Plzzzzz

[14 February 2014]

The one area where Bollywood has achieved excellence and perfection is publicity / promotion. The art of pre release promotion has taught them how to sell their even average / substandard productions at good profits. The much awaited, hyped and promoted "Gunday" is finally out in the theaters and yet again, net result is "Total Disappointment". The movie from head to toe lacks attraction in any field (Story, Music, Direction & even Acting).The handsome combo of Ranvir and Kapoor proved insufficient. Irfan Khan selected a B Grade movie and disappointed his fans. PC is continuously on the way to destruction with another flop appearance. The charisma of YRF and embodied cast could not bring desired results. Although film may achieve a good business (May touch the magical Figure of 100 Crores Club)but it can not be termed a movie to watch. The idea of late 80s once again failed. It is a wake up call. I mean how long audience can be fooled by exaggerated promos and publicity. At last, it will fall. So Wake Up!!!!

Jai Ho (2014)

Another Disappointment from Mr Blown out of Proportion

[4/10 · 26 January 2014]

The much awaited hi fi Salman's jai Ho is out in the cinemas but guess what??? This time the old fellow, mr charming, hard rock muscular entertainer has utterly displease everyone. Few people never learn from their mistakes / blunders and the same goes without doubt against mr Salman Khan. Again & again, the Khan Family (Producer, Director, Actor)the same loose stories, pity music, sub standard cast and above all a third class direction decorates this movie. In spite of every possible way of promotion, I feel this time the film will bite the dust. Mr. khan will no more be able to fool his fans. If u ask anything +ve about the movie, it is only its duration (2hrs). At last u have a normal mental system after 2 hrs. Its the time for both SK & SRK to change the old tactics and try to become mature in all fields. After all people love them and don't expect them to fool their fans every time. A total disappointment with a big thumbs down!!!!

To Strike (2013)

Waar - A Treat to Watch

[8/10 · 26 October 2013]

Its the story of Struggle and Survival displayed by the Patriotic Pakistanis since post 9/11. This most anticipated film in the history of Pak Cinema provides its viewer with almost everything that they waited for in the last 2 years. The role being displayed by Pak Security Personnel's,Government and the Non State Actors (Promoting violence)has been shown with Clear, Concise and Impressive way. The Locations, Cinematography,Sound effects,Casting and Dialogues have been done in a never seen before manner. This film may act as a Kick Starter and Ventilator for the "Dead Lollywood". Bilal Lashari deserves to be applauded and appreciated for this unique extravaganza wrapped up with beautiful Messages throughout the Picture. Now its the time to give up the Clumsy Wigs, Funny Mustaches and Clown Dresses for Lollywood. Now is the time to get out of Cast and Creed based films. I give it a Thumbs up and a Kiss for the Team's Effort.