Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, Abhay Deol, Katrina Kaif, Kalki Koechlin
Directed by Zoya Akhtar
Rating: ***
Films dealing with life-altering epiphanies are always shot in stunning locations. And Hindi films dealing with the same, need a stunning cast as well. A possible rationale: beautiful places relieve stress and bring things into perspective. And beautiful people experiencing divine realizations can hold your perspective on the screen, often resulting in a 'ka-ching' sound at the box office. 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' (ZNMD) is one such film.
In true 'Hangover' meets Vikas-Krishna-Barcelona spirit, the film deals with a bachelor adventure marinated with stories of finding, losing and forgetting love. Kabir (Abhay Deol), an affluent construction tycoon is about to take the marital plunge. But not before he completes a much-postponed trip with school buddies, investment banker (and constantly grumpy) Arjun (Hrithik Roshan) and freestyle flirt Imraan (Farhan Akhtar).
So, the boys with biceps shoot off to Spain, a land where sunny means a summery glow and not sweaty and stinky, much like an AC studio in Mahalaxmi. Now, the deal is that each would pick a secret adventure sport and the others would have to join him at it.
The problem arises when Kabir's fiancé, poisonously possessive Natasha (Kalki Koechlin) lands up in Spain suspecting a wild orgy (don't get your hopes up, there aren't any). Soon, Kabir takes over as grumpy and Arjun finds hope underwater, as spunky skiing instructor Laila (Katrina Kaif) shows him corals and also offers morals like 'seize the day' and 'live in the moment for you could die tomorrow'. These prophetic pearls of wisdom (from the rough draft of Guzaarish 2?) pierce through Kabir and he realizes how he cherishes things besides money. On Arjun's exaggerated revelations, Imraan remarks, "Ek hi dubki mein zindagi ke saarein raaz khul gaye? Tujhe toh underwater hi rehna chahiye." But then Imraan only spends his screen presence saying and doing things that would be considered unacceptable or just down-right silly in adult society.
The film isn't as simplistic as it seems and each character has a back story and internal conflicts that surface intermittently between thrill-seeking stunts, sugary love, drunk talking and some seriously childish pranks.
What is aesthetic in this film apart from the charming Spanish countryside is that scenes which would usually be served with heightened melodrama are quite well contained and subtle, yet convey the emotion.
The music is hummable but the choreography usually finds Abay Deol playing the part of 'Senorita'. Farhan's comic timing is immaculate but his shayari is cocaine-infused and like a soft murmuring background score it could lull you to sleep. Kalki is deliciously annoying as her character required her to be and Katrina's performance doesn't make or break this film. The film's overall humour quotient is not very high and is mostly situational and there are usually more people laughing on the screen than in the audience.
In a tasteful manner, ZNMD has managed to do for Spain, what 'Dil Chahta Hai' did for Goa, beautifully selling the beaches, babes, tomatoes, tortillas and thrilling adventure sports. Spaniards should only be cautious that this tourism AV doesn't do to their country what the malls did to the mills of Lower Parel. Do I hear McTacos?
Amidst criticisms from certain sections of the society asking not to portray victim Neeraj Grover in a bad light, filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma started promoting Not A Love Story and it is set to release on 19 August. “In the year 2008, when I read that a woman and her boyfriend in Mumbai, had allegedly murdered a guy, had sex in front of the dead body, then cut him into pieces, packed them in shopping bags, and then disposed them off in the nearby jungle, I was taken aback. I could not, for the life of me, understand how two such seemingly, everyday, ordinary people could bring themselves to commit such a heinous act”, posted Ramu on his blog.
“What shocked me even more was that there was a love story behind that hair-raising, gruesome happening. But I assure you this much that this love story is definitely Not A Love Story”, added Ramu.
Mahie Gill and Deepak Dobriyal are playing the lead roles in Not A Love Story. Victim Neeraj Grover is essayed by Ajay Gehl.
Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif starrer ‘Ek Tha Tiger’ under the direction of Kabir Khan has got a release date. YRF today announced that the film will be releasing June 1 next year. The film on the lines of a romantic thriller will see Salman Khan playing a character based on a real life. EK Tha Tiger filming will be taking place in international locations and as a part of this process the unit will move to Iraq next month to shoot action sequences for a period of eight days.
Aditya Chopra has penned the script while screenplay & dialogues have been written by Kabir Khan and Neelesh Misra. Aseem Mishra, who handled photography of New York, will also handle Ek Tha Tiger. Pritam is given the mantle of scoring the music.
This is the first film of Salman Khan with YRF considering his career which spanned more than two decades.
“Especially for newcomers they are extra careful as they feel that it is too much to ask from them when it comes to emoting, looking as well as speaking right. To ensure that the characterization comes out more effectively, they are of the belief that it is imperative to have the right voice for the right face and body,” informs a senior unit member.
However Jackie’s preparation for her dubbing has managed to convince them enough to retain her voice. This is despite of the fact that this is an alien language for her and she has started learning Hindi only during the last couple of years.
Movie Name : Delhi Belly
Release Date : 01 July 2011
Director : Abhinay Deo
Producer : Aamir Khan
Cast : Imran Khan, Shehnaz Treasurywala, Vir Das, Rahul Singh, Rahul Pendkalkar
Delhi Belly Movie Stills Cast and Crew
Movie : Singham
Release Date : 22 July 2011
Director : Rohit Shetty
Banner : Reliance Entertainment
Cast : Ajay Devgn, Kajal Aggarwal, Prakash Raj
Release Date : 22 July 2011
Director : Rohit Shetty
Banner : Reliance Entertainment
Cast : Ajay Devgn, Kajal Aggarwal, Prakash Raj
Ajay Devgn Movie Singham Movie Stills Cast and Crew
Movie Name : Bbuddah Hoga Tera Baap
Release Date : Nov 2011
Director : Puri Jagannath
Cast : Amitabh Bachchan as Bbuddah
Hema Malini as Sita
Raveena Tandon as Kamini
Sonu Sood as Karan
Prakash Raj as Kabir
Sonal Chauhan as Tanya
Raveena Tandon as Kamini
Sonu Sood as Karan
Prakash Raj as Kabir
Sonal Chauhan as Tanya
Film: Cycle Kick Starring: Tom Alter,Ishita Sharma,Girija Oak
Director: Shashi Silgudia
Producer: Subhash Ghai
Banner: Mukta Searchlight Films
Music: Shashi
Rating: 2.25/5
In the clamorous clutter of releases this week, “Cycle Kick” stands out for being the least fashionable/trendy and the most original. Yes, it has its flaws – it is excessively syrupy in places and often amateurish in parts. But the sum-total of the components adds up to a heartwarming take on coming-of-age in the back of the beyond.
In fact, the qualities of mawkishness and over-simplification only add to the film’s simplicity of purpose and transparency of presentation.
Debutant director Shashi Sudigada transports us into the world of the young in a sleepy scenic seaside town. Unlike the hip boys and girls in some other recent young-is-fun films where the students seem to belong to Archies comic books rather than real life, the protagonists in “Cycle Kick” crave for the simple pleasures of life.
That one glimpse of the girl from the window, that stolen hug with your adorable little sibling (there are two such moments squeezed into the baggy narration), and a ride on the bicycle through the dusty lanes.
The bicycle acquires a strange life of its own. It’s almost like the hero beyond the human. In its recreation of world of simple pleasures of the young and the confused, “Cycle Kick” echoes Vittorio de Sica’s “Bicycle Thieves”. There is a bedrock of sincerity in the presentation carried to some depths of lucidity by the fabulous locations and the spirit of kinship, camaraderie and sportsmanship that runs in a soporific trickle through the quaint film, like a stream that isn’t really bothered about where it is heading.
The supple screenplay centres on a stolen bicycle and the two protagonists Ramu(Malayalam actor Nishan) and Ali (Sunny Hinduja) who claim a mutual ownership of the in-demand bicycle.
Parts of the film’s romantic tracks and the rivalry between the low-income school and the ‘high’ school recall Mansoor Ali Khan’s “Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar”. These faint echoes do not take away from the film’s positive energy, its artless candour and its penchant for a state of equanimity in the narration that strives to achieve neither an under nor an over statement.
Shot in the tranquil seaside town of Sindhugarh in coastal Maharashtra, the virgin locations lend a sun-kissed freshness to the goings-on, as does the cast.
Nishan as the cycling dreamer, protective elder brother and love-stuck Romeo brings an endearing sincerity to the proceedings. His relationship with his kid-brother (Dwij Yadav) underlines the film’s most precious moments. The man-to-man talk between the siblings on women makes you smile.
An undercurrent of naivete characterizes the film. Some of the cast is rather stiff before the camera. But there is that fine veteran actor Tom Alter effortlessly making a space for himself as the football coach, echoing Naseeruddin Shah’s role in Nagesh Kukunoor’s “Iqbal”.
Indeed it won’t be erroneous to describe “Cycle Kick” as a successor to “Iqbal”. This film carries a heavy hangover of the earlier film. But does so with grace and honesty.
“Cycle Kick” is not quite the kick-in-the-groin take on the non-urban youth’s aspirations that “Iqbal” so successfully happened to be. But it has its heart in the right place. And it doesn’t puts its foot in its mouth.
Earlier, Filmi pandits had been speculating that Vidya Balan was being considered for the role, but it has become apparent now that Sanjay Dutt is very keen on having the Bachchan Bahu for the role. The film is going to be produced by Sanjay’s own production house, and Aishwarya sharing close vibes with the Dutt family, she is also very interested in the project. Since she is now in New Zealand holidaying with hubby Abhishek Bachchan, who is shooting there for Abbas-Mastan’s film Players, the writer of Satte Pe Satta remake will especially fly down to New Zealand to give her a story narration.
Aamir Khan is excited to play villain in “Dhoom 3″. The superstar Wednesday said “Dhoom” was a great franchise to work in even though he initially didn’t think he would fit in.
“I have recently signed ‘Dhoom 3′. I liked the script very much. When I had watched ‘Dhoom’, I liked it a lot. I enjoyed the music and the whole attitude. It’s a very fun film. I really liked it. I never thought I would fit in this kind of film,” Aamir told reporters at a press meet here.
Victor Acharya[Vijay krishna Acharya], who wrote “Dhoom” and “Dhoom 2″ is the writer-director of “Dhoom 3″. The earlier installments were directed by Sanjay Gadhvi and starred Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra.
“When I heard the story from Victor, I really enjoyed it. Very well-written script, very enjoyable. It’s a great franchise and I am happy to be part of it. I am also looking forward to work with Abhishek and Uday,” Aamir said.
“It’s true that for the first time I’m doing a negative role, an anti-hero in the mainstream film. I liked my role and all the characters are very well-written. Actually, in between I did another negative role in an offbeat film ‘1947 Earth’,” said Aamir.
“I have worked with Yash Raj and I have a very comfortable relation with them,” he said.
The actor said Victor and producer Aditya Chopra are yet to decide the actress opposite him.
While “Dhoom” starred John Abraham as villain, “Dhoom 2″ saw Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai sizzle too.
Victor Acharya’s debut “Tashan” (2008) fared badly at the box office but that didn’t deter Aamir from signing his film.
“I think he is a very talented director. One shouldn’t decide a director’s capacity with the fate of any one of his films. I have full faith in him,” Aamir said.
The screenplay of Ashutosh Gowariker’s latest historical drama “Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey” will soon be part of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences archives.
The library has asked Gowariker for the screenplay of the movie for the permanent core collection which is made for film makers, writers, actors and students worldwide for their research work, said a press statement.
“Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey”, presented by PVR Pictures and jointly produced by Ajay Bijli, Sanjeev Bijli and Sunita A. Gowariker, featured Abhishek Bachchan and Deepika Padukone in lead roles.
The period movie, which failed to click at the box office, is based on journalist Manini Chatterjee’s book “Do & Die – The Chittagong Uprising 1930-34″, about the lesser known freedom struggle.
Earlier, the screenplays of films like “Rock On!!”, “Rajneeti” and “Action Replayy” have travelled to the Oscar library