Review: Mirror Mirror (English)

Story: The evil Queen is all out to ruthlessly rule her kingdom. Till Princess Snow White - along with her prince charming and the seven dwarfs - takes control. 

Critic's Rating: 

Cast: Julia Roberts, Lily Collins, Armie Hammer

Direction: Tarsem Singh

Genre: Adventure

Duration: 1 hour 46 minutes

Avg Readers Rating: 

Movie Review: Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all? Well, this time it's not Snow White, but the evil Queen herself. Yes, there have been many Snow White fairly tales that have cast their spell on Hollywood's silver screen in the past, but then never ever have we witnessed this fairy tale from the POV of the evil Queen. This is perhaps your chance to know what happens to the not-so-fairy-Queen ( Julia Roberts) in fairyland. 

The Queen has cast a spell on the king, she now wants to marry a young Prince... who just can't take his eyes of Princess Snow White (Lily Collins). Snow White is on a mission to save her kingdom from the evil shackles of the Queen, of course with the help of the seven dwarfs and the love of her life, Prince Alcott ( Armie Hammer). This is what we know. Now for what we do not know. Prince Alcott and Princess Snow White in the new ice age meet in a rather 'compromising' situation. The Queen stammers and just cannot take her eyes off the young Prince each time he appears shirtless. Snow White takes pride in defeating her Prince Charming in a battle of the swords -- if need be she is all out to punch him too. Though a figure of utmost righteousness, Snow White does not hesitate to 'steal' (read kidnap) her Mr Right to lip lock for the first time ever, and ultimately settle down in marriage. Lastly, no one here seems to believe in the most apt fairy tale concept of living peacefully ever after. It's naach gaana Bollywood style, courtesy desi director Tarsem Singh, that finally brings an end to the great royal tamasha. Different. Contemporary. Interesting. 

But then how apt is Julia as the epitome of a conniving Queen? Well, her evilness comes with a sense of humour. Though her costumes give her the need-of-the-hour royale touch (ironically she looks prettier than the princess), for most of the time you end up thinking this: Is this Queen straight out of the pages of My Best Friend's Wedding? Case in point, she going weak in the knee each time she spots her prince charming in a semi nude (read shirtless) avatar. More than being hated for being evil - she's barely vicious -- you actually end up sympathising (and laughing) with her specially when she just can't get her man to love her... and sleep with her. In fact, it is her mirror image and the final shot with the forbidden fruit in hand that somewhat sends a chill down your spine. Next is Lily Collins, who in her urge to I-can-fight-my-battle-alone syndrome, loses out on the little nuances of a perfect fairy tale heroine. She is not shy. She is not coy. She is not dainty. As for Armie's Prince Alcott, a love potion gone wrong is more than what he (and you) can perhaps take. He turns into a puppy kinda figure with a knack to lick all things human... and pant around. Lastly, wonder what is it about the dwarfs that we just can't get ourselves to say 'oh-so-cute'. 

Agreed it's new. Agreed it's different. Agreed it's year 2012. And agreed it's the fairy tale from the evil Queen's perspective. But then is this Hollywood's Snow White tale really the fairest of them all? Got to wait and watch, specially when there's another Snow White (and the Huntsman) coming soon....

Review: Vicky Donor (Hindi)

Story: Unemployed Vicky is urged by a fertility sexpert to make better use of his 'wasted' sperms. He turns this into a 'productive' idea, until it becomes the origin of more troubles.

Critic's Rating:

 

Direction: Shoojit Sircar

Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Yami Gautam, Annu Kapoor, Dolly Ahluwalia, Kamlesh Gill

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 2 hours

Avg Viewer's Rating: 

Movie Review: Looking for designer babies anyone? With the looks of Brad Pitt/Aishwarya? The stardom of SRK? The talent of Lady Gaga? Well, you need a super-sperm that's one in a million, and Vicky Donor (Ayushmann Khurrana) is full of the 'spunk' that your fertile imagination needs. He's the biological dad of 53 healthy children! Want more? He's unemployed, single, and his view of sex is, jitna mile, utna kum. But don't slam him as a sex-maniac just yet. So what if all he does is 'shag' for a living. At least he breeds joy, cheer and sperms all over the world.

Vicky's over-the-top Punjabi mother (Dolly Ahluwalia) - 100 decibels above average noise levels - constantly nags her puttar about his worthlessness. On the other hand, he's pampered by granny Biji (Kamlesh Gill) - more progressive than all the Dilli-wali kitty party aunties. In the meanwhile, fertility expert, Dr. Chaddha (Annu Kapoor), is frantically looking for a sperm donor for his rich clientele. Vicky is his perfect find, with the Alexander of Sperms. But obviously, he can't disclose anything about his baby-boom(for the moolah, of course) to anyone. It's just too unmanly for a Punjab da sher. Even the love of his life, Ashima Roy (Yami Gautam) who he eventually weds, is kept in the dark. This plants the seed for other complications, which pop up as surprises later. 

Ayushmann Khurrana is rock solid. In this tailor-made debut, he's natural and impressive. He doesn't come from a filmi gene pool, but he'll hold his own (pun intended) in Bollywood. NewbieYami Gautam is the estrogen element in this sperm-dominated enterprise. She's a sheer delight to watch, emoting effortlessly. 

What keeps this film together is the solid supporting cast. Annu Kapoor, in a convincing performance, is bankable as ever. He only speaks sperm language, referring to men as 'complicated sperm', 'confused sperm', et al, and giving advice on how to 'up' the count. Dolly Ahluwalia, plays the dominating mother and saas-serving bahu with melodrama and laughable lines. The unforgettable act is Kamlesh Gill, lighting up every scene with sasuma-like sarcasm, interspersed with witty one-liners and a drunken scene that cracks you up. 

Director Shoojit Sircar is back with a bold, first-of-its-kind concept that's taboo. He makes this sperm of an idea swim all the way. He intelligently uses comedy to break mindsets, without embarrassing moments or awkward lines. The film entertains, without preaching sexual moralities or social service. Even the music blends beautifully with the story. The winner here is the script (Juhi Chaturvedi), penned with subtlety, oodles of non-slapstick humour, while sensitizing the cause at hand. However, the lingo gets too Punju at times and the last twenty minutes could do with some editing. 
It takes a man to make a film like this, literally. Kudos to John Abraham for his brave maiden production. 

Thankfully, this sperm hits bullseye.

Courtesy: The Times Of India

Review: Hate Story

Story: Journalist Kavya Krishna loves tycoon Siddharth - who uses and abuses her. How far will Kavya go to get revenge?

Critic's Rating: 

Direction: Vivek Agnihotri

Cast: Paoli Dam, Gulshan Devaiya, Nikhil Dwivedi

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes

Avg Readers Rating: 

Movie Review: So, yeah, Hate Story exposes a lot - underneath Delhi's surface, that is, not really, as the adverts so tantalizingly showcased, of leading lady Paoli Dam. The film instead blows the top right off the dirty deals, the, well, intercourse between different power spheres ruling India's capital - business, politics, journalism, police, all meet in this slick flick. Depending on who you are, the intersections provide some pleasure - and lots of pain.


Hate Story starts with reporter Kavya (Dam) joining photographer-friend Vicky (Dwivedi) in exposing cement tycoon Siddharth Dhanrajgir (Devaiya) bribing a judge. Enraged, 'Sid' takes revenge - sweetly. Ignoring Vicky completely, he offers Kavya the sky if she works for him, letting him, as he terms it, use her talent. Remarkably, Kavya instantly agrees. Hugging a huffy Vicky goodbye, she leaps into Sid's deals, winning him a biggie in Mumbai. As a result, the tycoon takes her to dinner - and to bed. 

But it's not quite as charmless as that - Sid makes love to Kayva in gentle rain, in fluffy duvets, in the shower, pouring her with expensive watches and a big diamond. Swept off her feet, Kavya's in love - till Sid drops the honey-brush, slaps her one and throws her out of work with chilling contempt. She's also expecting - but he'll have none of it. A forced abortion follows after which her unconvincing 'middle-class family' (spot Pitaji by his red muffler) abandons her. Seeking revenge, Kavya approaches Delhi's most plush and padded prostitute, demanding seduction classes. These last one hot little moment - but more sex with more men follows, all leading towards entrapping Sid within a web of truth and lies, exposing and exposes. 

Interestingly, Hate Story isn't just one woman hating one man - it's also a tale of hateful deals, corruption, brutality and sleaze tiling the farmhouses fringing the capital, glistening in hotel bars, twinkling wickedly off the sunlight on the NCR's corporate buildings. It would all be so interesting - if only deeper and tighter. Instead, we get little sense of the porcelain-faced Kavya's torment, sliding from reporter to prostitute. We get even less sense of backup-BF Vicky's feelings - while we get way too much of Delhi's street-shots, wasted lines, lip-gloss thick as a moustache, bathrobes, jacuzzis and cars, all burdening Hate Story by about 30 minutes too many. 

Underneath this, even the sex-scenes sag - the frontbenchers clap most wildly not at Dam's bare back when she's riding Sid's brother Raj, but at a Haryanvi cop telling her when arrested for Raj's murder, "Kuch kapde pehen lete toh theek hota." Better acting and more music under-wiring this plot would've helped - the only memorable melody is the velveteen lament 'Dil kaanch sa', layering Kavya's trauma after Sid's brutality. 

But there are pluses too - Devaiya stands out as a stammering little egomaniac and the electricity between him and Dam crackles. There are memorable shots - Dam staring with agonised eyes at Sid's office while having car-sex with a stranger outside, a moment of acute tension when she meets Raj's wife in court. One more encounter follows - but let's leave something to the imagination. Appreciate, if you will, the thriller, not the diet-erotica - that's rather an anti-climax.

Courtesy: Times Of India

Ab Hoga Dharna Unlimited!

Story: Opposition neta Gopinath wants Baba Lakshman Dev to do dharna - and bring the government down. Will these plans get limited? 

Critic's Rating: 

Direction: Deepak Tanwar

Cast: Omkar Das Manikpuri, Milind Gunaji, Sunil Pal, Ehsaan Qureshi

Genre: Drama

Duration: 1 hour 18 minutes

Avg Readers Rating: 

Movie Review: Ok, let's get this out upfront - if you like desi stand-up comedy, the kind of TV shows, say, Archana Puran Singh judges and rolls about laughing in, you'll like Ab Hoga Dharna Unlimited (AHDU). If you don't, make other plans - unless you wouldn't 
mind a political satire, even a grubby one. 

AHDU opens with the cheery premise that where dharnas, sit-in agitations, were once a great way to fight injustice - cut to obligatory Mahatma Gandhi shot - today, they're a totally different beast. Exploited by all political parties, the dharna's a headache for the aam aadmi and a stepping stone for the khaas. Thus, 'Avsarvadi Party' leader Gopinath (Gunaji) approaches, ahem, nudge-nudge, wink-wink, yoga-guru Baba Lakshman Dev (Pal, very good in a creepy sort of way) to start a dharna against the incumbent government, targeting corruption and inflation, and hopefully pulling the regime down. The Baba plus sleazy sidekick (Qureshi, clearly enjoying corny lines) name a price the opposition's happy to pay. "Baba karenge dharna, humein kuch nahin karna!" they chortle, throwing an 'item number' party. 

Meanwhile, from rural India, sincere Satya (Manikpuri, maxing his Peepli Live 'Natha' avatar, all dust and dreadlocks, yet oddly flat here) approaches Lakshman Dev to raise awareness of pastoral poverty. An eye on the dharna, the canny Baba makes him his prime disciple, in a glittery little line, exclaiming - "Satya marega! Pichli film mein nahin mara tha!" All's ready for the big sit-in except the ground. The Ramlila Maidan where rehearsal for the traditional Ramlila's on, and proprietor Kaante Lal's reluctant to cancel - till visited by don Makkhi. But the Ramlila being cancelled means troupe lovebirds Rahul and Priya can't mix-and-match. Dismayed, they approach the dharna - as Satya does too. 

AHDU is an interesting experiment. It has rather modest production values but some great lines. It retains the traditional love-story (to its detriment) but goes out on a limb satirizing the political. It's commenting on what's currently happening but in ways not everyone's going to like. It's a cheeky little film - but you may find the laughter a challenge. 


Courtesy: Times Of India

Wrath Of The Titans: Now face the wrath!

Story: Perseus's defeat of the huge Kraken is history. He now vows to live the life of an ordinary fisherman with his son, Helius. But then the son of God cannot live without his destiny forever. The Gods -- have otherwise in store for him 

Critic's Rating: 

Direction: Jonathan Liebesman

Cast: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Edgar Ramirez, Toby Kebbell, Rosamund Pike

Genre: Action

Duration: 1 hour 39 minutes

Avg Viewer's Rating: 

Movie Review: There's always scope for improvement. There's ample scope for the clash (2010: Clash of the Titans) to turn into some real action-packed wrath (2012: Wrath of the Titans). Here's calling all you Clash of the Titans buffs who just could not wait to see their second dose of video game push button fantasy come alive on the big screen. 

So what's cooking between the Gods and the Titans this time? The same old war for the I'm-the-best title. But unlike its previous years, the Gods are losing control of humanity and taking over are the badmaash Titans and the deadly giant-sized Kronos. That's where our been-there-done-that hero from the past, son of the all-powerful Zeus ( Liam Neeson), Perseus (Sam Worthington) steps in to put up yet another spectacular show with the spear of Tritum -- the only weapon that can kill the one who shall not be named. Of course, there's a gamut of labyrinths and changing loyalties (Ralph Fiennes's Hades and Edgar Ramirez's Ares) he has got to deal with first. 



Back to all Clash of the Titans fans. Don't go expecting for a storyline that'll make you go all hail Liebesman. After all, when was this Gods versus Titans versus Demi Gods series all about a colossal plot anyway. But then here is what makes up for the same. First, it's the edgy action cuts -- the coming soon calamity drama, fist fights with fire exploding beasts, two headed beasts, unheard of and unseen before beasts, the fight between the one-eyed Cyclopes (who literally tears out of the screen) and our war heroes, the will-Perseus-won't-Perseus-make-it on time situations, the ultimate falling of the Kronos, explosions unlimited. Then there is the element of the mysterious --  the island of Kail, the labyrinth leading to the dark dungeon of the underworld called Tartarus, the Kronos made out of a huge, huge mound of lava -- the falling of which gives this sequel an epic finale. Next is the ultimate hero, the demi God. This time it's not just Sam Worthington who seems to have mastered the art of fighting with the evil Gods, but also Toby Kebbell as son of Poseidon. Toby's God-turned-man avatar, Agenor, comes with a rather mortal sense of humour. Lastly, it's a message rather loud and clear -- Not that the Gods must die too. Not even that man will be all powerful provided he uses his power wisely. It's the possibility of yet another sequel -- watch the sword of honour being passed from Father (Zeus)... to son (Perseus)... to son (Helius). 

A word about the 3D effects. Definitely not much to make the Gods happy, but surely enough to send the message -- of wrath -across to us mortals. 


Courtesy: Times Of India

Housefull is BACK again!

Story: Everyone's chasing tycoon JD's son 'Jolly' for their daughters - but when four Jollys appear, there's a House-full of confusion! 

Critic's Rating: 

Direction: Sajid Khan

Cast: Akshay Kumar, John Abraham, Riteish Deshmukh, Shreyas Talpade, Asin, Jacqueline Fernandes, Zarine Khan, Shahzahn Padamsee, Rishi Kapoor, Randhir Kapoor, Boman Irani, Johnny Lever, Mithun Chakraborty

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes

Avg Readers Rating: 

Movie Review: Sajid Khan is in love - no, it's not what you're thinking. The director of 'Housefull-2' is in love with the movies - especially 1970s Bollywood, all disco-balls, leering villains and hard-chested heroes. Khan mixes this with luscious English locales, PYTs in short shorts, cheeky jokes and star power - and lo. You have 'Housefull-2' - a castle full of mischief under a midnight-blue sky, lovers, fathers, imposters and 'Prince Charles'. For those seeking Albert Einstein, step aside. For those who'd like an apple-pie comedy, all slapstick - and some slap and tickle - Housefull-2's a breeze.

Khan follows Manmohan Desai's funda - give the audience so much, so fast, they'll be too dazzled to carp. It works - most of the time. Housefull-2 opens in London with sibling rivalry between, ahem, the Kapoor brothers (Randhir and Rishi), elder Dabboo 'najayaz' but given part of his father's business, younger Chintu bitterly resentful. The resentment seeps across this house - Rishi's daughter, Heena ( Asin) and Randhir's girl, Bobbie (Jacqueline) at each other's throats. Each brother wants to marry his daughter to tycoon JD's son, 'Jolly' - Riteish who loves full-figured model 'J'Lo' (Zarine) but is too terrified to tell Daddy - Mithun Chakrabarty, striding across his English castle in a starched dhoti, a tycoon who smiles frostily only at Man Friday, Patil (a frothy Lever). 

But the Kapoors engage 'Aakhri Pasta' - Housefull-1's Indo-Italian, Chunky Pandey - still wearing skin-tight neon suits, delivering his 'I'm-a-joking!' line with creepy panache. Marriage-fixer Pasta brings an eligible match to Chintu, but playing a vinegary uncle with tang, Kapoor insults the father - with offensive 'African jokes' - landing him in hospital. His son (Talpade) swears revenge, begging buddy Jolly to romance Chintu's daughter, then break it off - but jittery Jolly drags in muscular Max (Abraham) to have him play 'Jolly', employing sleazy Sunny (Kumar) for the other brother to get the same. 

The rival Jolly-boys enjoy purani dushmani - but that's forgotten with two hot girls, a crocodile and a desert island that, like a skit in British comedy 'Little Britain', has a luxury resort behind the beach. Yet, some starvation for the clueless girls ensures love and soon, there are four pairs - and four Jollys - hotting things up. With each Punjabi Papa - and one Batuk Patel (Irani, all dimples and nasal inflexion, father of Parul, Talpade's sweetheart - Shahzahn, with more bikinis than lines) - vying for Jolly, the 'dirty dozen' reaches JD's house. But they're walking on water here. JD's got a temper, a dark secret - and a gun. 

Housefull-2 is a bag of laughs with eye-candy - Akshay in linens, Jacqueline in minis - and some crackling performances. Mithun commands with sheer presence while the climax belongs to rip-roaring Lever. Riteish plays 'helpless' with flair while a guest scene by '70s veteran Ranjeet - "From rapist to therapist" - provides a vibrant stroke of colour on this house-wall. Abraham manages the muscle-man while Malaika Arora Khan sizzles in 'Anarkali Disco Chali' - and an oomphy little scenario later. But the film belongs to Akshay Kumar who carries off a sharp suit and 'jhaari-mein-chalein' jokes with glossy aplomb. And to Sajid Khan who, despite a smorgasbord of stars, ensures one prevails - the mad storyline. The music (Sajid-Wajid) could have been punchier while some scenes sag. But with cracks like, "Aasman se gire, Khajuraho mein atke," as Akshay parachutes down on his mum-in-law, you can't complain - unless you were looking for Einstein, of course.

Courtesy: Times Of India

Titanic 2012. Romance in 3D.

Story: The love story between commoner Jack Dawson ( Leonardo DiCaprio) and aristocratic Rose Dewitt Bukater (Kate Winslet), set against the ornate yet tragic backdrop of the sinking luxury liner, sends out all the right signals. It talks of a love that is passionate, permanent, soul stirring, death defying and powerful enough to break all barriers of class and destiny. 

Critic's Rating: 

Direction: James Cameron

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Gloria Stuart

Genre: Romance

Duration: 3 hours 14 minutes

Avg Viewer's Rating: 

Movie Review: It took some 300 hundred people, 60 weeks, 279,000 frames and $18 million more (initially costing some $200 million) for director James Cameron to sink the Titanic all over again. Not to say, his earlier Titanic (1997) did not have its fair share of numbers to deal with: a movie stretching to 194 minutes; a movie bagging 11 Oscars that year. The fact that James Cameron managed to blend steamy romance with mind-blowing depiction of disaster made the film even more spectacular. Watching the Titanic sink, with all the attendant creaks and cracks, was truly a milestone moment in movie lore. That was then. For now, the Big Question: What is it that really makes Titanic (1997) look all different from Titanic (2012)? 

For starters, the decor and dresses look more elegant, the ocean more blue and deadly, the ship more huge and gigantic. Not to miss out is Kate Winslet's very first entry with an enormous hat and an even more enormous bow. Spectacular. Next, it's the sweeping and romantic shot of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet as 'king (and queen) of the world'. More iconic a shot in 3D. But then unfortunately, Cameron's real trick-n-treat visual wizardry is primarily seen during the last 30 minutes of the movie. Perhaps, that's why you just can't wait for the Titanic to snap. And snap it does, 3D ishtyle. Right from the luxury liner being hit by the oh-so-big iceberg, water blasting through the hull, those on board being washed away by violent waves... to the ship's final plunge as it breaks into two, is what makes Titanic different... and worth a watch ek baar phir! Special mention: 1) The section of the ship rising up perpendicular to the ocean 2) Hundred of lifeless bodies floating around in the cold water... in the middle of nowhere. 

So grab your 3D glasses and book yourself a tryst with the turn-of-the-century cinema all over again. And incase you feel the wait (for the special effects to set the screen ablaze) is too long, worry not. It's the overwhelming sentimentality of the liner, along with the then Kate-and-Leo chemistry, that still classifies the Titanic as an epic romance, 3D or no 3D. 


A word about James Cameron: No doubt Cameron is mastering the art of advancing technology, not just in the world of cinema, but his very own cinema. First Avatar (followed by Avatar 3D), now Titanic. 

Tip off: You know what's coming up next on screen. But rest assured, you still won't mind seeing the Titanic sink all over again - in 3D... exactly a hundred years from the moment it actually happened.


Courtesy: Times Of India

Ka-boom! Battleship!

Story: An international naval fleet out to give its new fighters on board a taste of naval exercise ends up waging war of the real kind... not with neighboring countries, but the extra terrestrials.

Critic's Rating: 

Direction: Peter Berg

Cast: Taylor Kitsch, Liam Neeson, Rihanna, Alexander Skarsgard

Genre: Sci-Fi

Duration: 2 hours 11 minutes

Avg Readers Rating: 

Movie Review: The first reason why you'd like to rush to the nearest cinema to watch this one? Battleship releases a month before the United States of America. Nah! You'd rush to see your ultimate Hasbro combat game come alive on screen. But before that, here's a warning: Some fifty odd minutes into the movie and this is what you witness - Lt. Alex Hopper ( Taylor Kitsch) is a happy-go-lucky-youth who does not mind rubbing the cops on the wrong side just to get a chicken hamburger for his girl, Samantha (Brooklyn Decker). Enough to win over his lady love, but not much to convince her dad, Admiral Shane ( Liam Neeson). For him, it's about winning bigger battles. Just when the naval fleet at Pearl Harbor, under the command of apna 'Carter' Kitsch, engages in a deadly battle against the foes from outer space who are here to rob Earth of its power resources. That's where you see Kitsch play hero in every sense of the word as he prepares, strategises and leads his troops to victory. Now, if you can last this bit of screen time, rest assured, the fun just begins. 

Yes, Battleship does have enough battles for all gaming buffs out there. There is endless non-stop action, unlimited explosions, adrenaline pumping moments, balls of fire, weird looking creatures, edge-of-the-seat and do-or-die moments. There are also plasma screens spotting the super fast coming of the aliens from under water, NY roads cracking up, cars being destroyed, Hong Kong skyscrapers turning into dust, helicopters being blasted, bright blue signals in the dark pacific ocean. In simple words, this one's PS3 on the big screen. Add to that the use of several real Navy ships and Navy war skills and you don't really complain about yet another been-there-seen-that battle for Planet Earth from Hollywood. 

Of course, for the just-not-unfaithful fans, here's one more reason to watch this one. Pop iconRihanna makes her debut as the confident Petty Officer Raikes, who makes you almost jump from the seat with her first (and sadly last) blow to the alien on the hunt. Now she might not have her oohs and aahs in place here - she's a tomboy in uniform - but then you do end up saying please don't stop the music (read raw action on screen), Rihanna!

Courtesy: Times Of India

Bitto Boss! A 'Bit-Too' MUCH!

Story:  Cameraman Bittoo is the 'boss' of all weddings in a small-town. In a desperate attempt to make it big, he dabbles in the sex-spy camera business. Will his fate change, or will the good-hearted boy go back to the less-perverted shaadi scene? 

Critic's Rating: 

Cast: Pulkit Samrat, Amita Pathak Language: Hindi

Direction: Supavitra Babul

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 2 hours

Avg Viewer's Rating: 

Movie Review : In the town of Anandpur, Punjab, no wedding can start without band, bajaa and Bittoo (Pulkit Samrat). He's the blue-eyed-boy of all celebrations, because he's the only 'sesky' (read: sexy) videographer who can turn any Katto into Katrina. Every time they see his lens, the kudis flutter their lashes and say, "Ab toh meri le ley" (sic). So much so, that even Bittoo is seduced for some behind-the-camera 'action'. 


In the first scene we are transported to Pammi and Gurvinder's wedding (surprise, surprise), where Bittoo meets Mrinalini (Amita Pathak) and voila ... it's love in the first frame. At first she rejects him, but a few scenes later, she realizes that he's local, but kadak. To this point it seems like a big-fat Indian wedding, a sweet love story even, but wait, this 'VDO-grapher' has a different story to tell. In a momentary lapse of judgment, he's brainwashed into taking the big bad leap. Leaving behind the shaadi videos, he moves on to shooting suhaagraats, with hidden cameras. Hawww! 

Bittoo's grey shades don't really turn 'blue' anytime soon. All he ends up doing is preventing teenage rape and helping an inhibited 'haasband' copulate. Is this still the same movie we started out with? We're not so sure. 

With a character sketch, screen-name and styling so reminiscent of Ranveer Singh, debutant Pulkit Samrat has little scope to create his own identity. However, he pulls off the small-town-munda act with sincerity, and a natural ease. 

Amita Pathak doesn't strike an impression overall, but she shows spark in some dramatic scenes. Ashok Pathak as Bittoo's sidekick, overacts. 
Debutant director Babul had an interesting premise to start with, but after the first half, the script is more scattered than sorted. Some caricaturish characters, dialogues with local tadka, and few laughable moments save the day. At a time when sex and 'dirty pictures' sell, Babul scripts a hero who describes sex as 'dilon ka milan.' Ho-hum! 

This one had the potential to be an entertainer, but turns out to be a 'bit-too' much..!!


Courtesy: Times Of India