Teen Patti - Review

Amitabh Bachchan
Sir Ben Kingsley
The game of probability
Teen Patti arrives amongst much publicity taking on the popular vice of gambling. Is this a wager worth betting on?
Sadly not.

NOTE: This review is for the English-Hindi version of the film which shall hit only 10% of the screens. Most cinema halls shall be screening the Hindi version.


The film works on the basic premise of the Hollywood flick "21" & adds a bit of desi tadka to it. Mathematical genius Venkat Subramaniam(Amitabh.B) is an Einstein like professor who formulates a new theory. He devises a way to use math to beat the game of Teen Patti. To prove his work, he uses the idea of co-professor Shantanu(Madhavan) & they rope in a few students to go beat the game in the underground gambling dens of Mumbai.
What follows is a ride of greed,power,betrayal & suspense, as one of them is a backstabber. The film also has Sir Ben Kingsley cast as Perci Trachtenberg, the math wizard, whom the story is being told to.

The first half of the film plays out very well, as it has its elements of fun, feel of local dens & the build-up of a good story. Unfortunately, the film completely falls apart in the second half. The movie is derailed as the script looses its sense. Logic goes for a toss & so does the audience.

The music by Salim-Sulieman is peppy & songs are well woven into the film. The cinematography Aseem Bajaj is very interesting in parts & good in general.

No guesses in the performances. Amitabh Bachchan towers above all as the quirky, math-obsessed intellect. Ben Kingsley too does a great job in his brief role. His scenes with AB are really good. Madhavan does justice to his role as well. The film marks the debut for 4 new actors. Dhruv Ganesh is superb and definitely one to watch out for. Shraddha Kapoor looks sweet but has a long way to go in the acting dept. Siddharth Kher & Vaibhav Talwar are good.
The film has a string of cameos including Jackie Shroff, Ajay Devgn amongst others.

Director Leena Yadav's second outing doesn't deliver. After starting off on the right foot, she strays too far. The film needed to be more concise & to the point.

To sum it up, Teen Patti is an average film. With a few good performances, the film doesn't create any magic. Good start, bad finish.
At the box office, one doesn't see it going too far either.
In the words of the film itself, I say PACK.

Rating: 2.5/5

Karthik calling Karthik - Review

The much awaited Farhan Akthar-Deepika Padukone thriller Karthik calling Karthik finally hits the screens. Does this one go all the way in providing some edgy celluloid excitement?
Almost there, but not the whole hog.

The movie begins with some of the regular cliches. An under-confident man Karthik(Farhan Akhtar), his rude boss Mr.Kamath(Ram Kapoor), his pestering landlord & a girl he is enamored with Shonali(Deepika.P). Frustrated with his life, he locks himself up at home with plans to kill himself, when he gets a call.....from himself.
The movie now sees a new, confident and improved Karthik, who takes all the right moves. His life changes & everything seems to be going great, when one wrong decision changes his fate forever.
While the movie looks at the romance angle in the promos, it is more fitting of the thriller genre.

The first half of the film is pleasant, with a couple of good songs & lightly humourous sequences while in the second half, the film plays on the suspense angle. 20 minutes into the second half & one is totally gripped waiting for the story to unfold. The issue arises in the last 20. While the film clocks in at just about 2 hours, it would do wonders if it were a taut 1hr 40min experience. For the latter portion of the film, it stretches a bit & you wonder when the credits would roll.

The music of the film by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy is great & already topping the charts. A special mention for good background score by Midival Punditz-Karsh Kale.

Of the performances, all pitch in well. Farhan Akhtar does a great job as the sometimes scared-sometimes suave Karthik. He does his job convincingly. Deepika Padukone looks stunning & does much better than her previous work, giving a spirited performance.
Ram Kapoor surprises with an outstanding portrayal of the angry boss. Shefali Shah is apt in her small bit.

Writer-Director debutant Vijay Lalwani scripts a decent tale & entertains. One feels that with this same story he could have done wonders, had he given it a darker, grittier feel with a more crisp ending.

All in all, KCK is an enjoyable film which does not disappoint. Although not the most terrific, this film shall cater to those looking for a respectable thriller. At the box office, the movie should fare well as it has generated quite some buzz.
Definitely a one-time watch.

Rating: 3/5

(No more critical & commercial-Only Critical).

My name is Khan - Review

Isn't the name enough?
Arguably the biggest release of the year, SRK-Kajol return in this Karan Johar directorial venture which has been backed by Fox. With the biggest worldwide release for an Indian film ever, does MNIK live up to the obscene amount of publicity & headlines(thanks to S.Sena) it has grabbed?
Lets just say, this is Shah Rukh Khan as you have never seen him before.

At the outset, let us clear one misconception. This is not just another New York/Kurbaan. While it does use the WTC attacks as a backdrop, it is truly the story of a man, who despite all the challenges, just wants to do good and live a happy life. It tells us the age old tale of Islamic terrorism through the innocent eyes of Rizwan.

The movie begins with Rizwan Khan(SRK) being interrogated at the airport for suspicious behaviour as he says he wants to meet the President of the USA. The film then moves into flashback & delves into the life of Rizwan, who suffers from the Asperger's syndrome. He faces great difficulties as a child & is guided by his mother(Zarina Wahab). His younger brother(Jimmy Shergill) moves to USA & eventually takes him along, where he by-chances to meet Mandira(Kajol). He understands her, falls in love & eventually the story deals with the twist their lives take due to 9/11.

The first half is superb, as the film builds Rizwan's character. One understands him, his thought process and his issues. The second half on the other hand is a little more dramatic. Many sequences are avoidable & add unnecessary masala to an otherwise heart-warming tale.

The screenplay of the film is good & dialogues apt. Visually, the film is brilliant. While it maintains the sheen of a Karan Johar film, it replaces the gloss with simplicity. Ravi.K.Chandran captures America beautifully & deserves a mention.
The music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy grows on you & fits well in the film. But this movie stands on it's performances, with one in particular.

Shah Rukh Khan. With a career spanning almost two decades, this has to be SRK's finest performance to date. Underplayed, believable, exceptional. Even for non-SRK fans, this one cannot be missed, you just can't not like him. He steals the show completely & if it wasn't for him, this would be a very ordinary fare. He breathes Rizwan & makes you forget the candy-floss SRK.
Kajol too, supports him brilliantly. She looks gorgeous & displays her acting prowess with ease. Their on-screen pairing is superb & unmatched.
Of the supporting cast, Zarina Wahab is great, Tanmay as the child Rizwan is exemplary, Jimmy Shergill passable, Navneet Nishan slightly obnoxious & Sonia Jehan surprisingly first-rate.

Karan Johar delivers again, but this time all credit to SRK. While the film is great, it is not because of the story or treatment but only the performances. As a director, this is not his best work, as a film it might be.

At the box office, the cash registers will be ringing all the way, as SRK garners the support of the country. Whether or not the fiasco was a marketing gimmick, we shall never know.
To sum it up, MNIK works. Even with some unneeded sequences in the second half, the film has soul and character. So damn the Sena and catch this movie as SRK is back with a bang. With a spate of forgettable films last year, MNIK will show you why he is indeed, a Superstar.

Critical: 4/5
Commercial: 4.5/5