So the Yashraj camp hasn't quite impressed us in the last few years with some very questionable films leave aside the odd one. Their new outing, with a hit-miss director Pradeep Sarkar is a love story of a blind girl and a rouge fighter. Does he get it right the 3rd time?
Despite its drawbacks, Lafangey Parindey is an honest film with a lot of heart.
The story is simple. Rouge figther one-shot-Nandu(Neil Nitin.M) is the toast of his basti. He fights blindfolded and takes people down with a single blow. A tapori of sorts, he works for the wrong people with clean intentions.
Also in the same basti lives Pinky(Deepika P), a superb dancer with big aspirations. A freak accident renders her blind and from there begins the journey of this film. Nandu will teach her to see, Pinky will teach him to dance. A simple tale of romance with added elements of masala make this an extremely predictable yet likable watch.
What works for this film is that it is believable. Unlike the fodder Yashraj has always fed its audience, this one is far from exotic locales and sari clad beauties. A De-glam look for the actors coupled with some great dialogues does the trick.
Surprisingly, it is Deepika Padukone who takes the honours in the acting department. Her best performance to date, this is the first time she has shown that she can truly act. Affable and subtle, she strikes all the right chords.
Neil Nitin Mukesh too, delivers a brilliant performance, only to be pulled back by his non-tapori looks. The chemistry between them is outstanding and some scenes like the one in the movie-hall or when she is teaching him to dance just bring a smile to your face. Piyush Mishra is a natural.
Director Pradeep Sarkar, who tortured audiences with Laaga chunri mein Daag redeems himself. Clocking in at 2 hours, the film is perfectly timed. The music too is great with Man Lafanga being the pick. Where this film falters is its not so innovative storyline. There is nothing here you haven't seen before.
All in all, Lafangey Parindey is a film with soul, one which is definitely worth a weekend watch. Go in without expectations and come out pleasantly surprised.
Rating: 3/5
Friday, August 20, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
Peepli Live - Review
When the promos of Peepli Live hit the screens, they failed to really impress, but with Aamir Khan's association, the project ends up burdening a lot of expectations. A motley crew of relatively unknown actors with a greenhorn director, does this one deserve a watch?
Definitely, this is one beautifully crafted satire.
Two poor farmer brothers, Natha(Omkar Das) and Budhia(Raghuvir Yadav) have a debt on their heads. They face loosing their land to the banks and go to the local leader for help. He suggests that one of them commit suicide so as to avail the governments Rs.1 Lac compensation for the family. Natha decides to bear the sacrifice and soon the media catches wind of the news. What then transpires is the classic overplay of the media coupled with political vendettas & games. Does Natha die? You have to watch the film to find out.
The splendor of Peepli Live lies in its light approach to such a heavy topic. While it touches all bases, it does not get preachy. Very well written and handled, it has doses of laughter and entertains. The film has an earthy flavour with its fair share of expletives and is well captured by lensman Shanker Raman.
The starcast, mostly unknown is stellar. There is not one name we can single out. Main protagonists Raghuvir Yadav and Omkar Das are great, Farrukh Jaffar as Amma is outstanding and has some hilarious scenes which leave a mark. Malaika Shenoy and Vishal Sharma as journalists are exceptional.
First timer writer-director Anusha Rizvi scores a winner on many fronts. Not only does this film entertain but it passes on a subtle message of farmer suicides without annoying you. Crisp and to the point, it works.
To sum it up, Aamir Khan shines as a producer yet again, picking an art-house apple and packaging it for the commercial market. He can do no wrong can he?
I strongly recommend this tragicomedy for an engaging weekend watch.
Rating: 3.5/5
Definitely, this is one beautifully crafted satire.
Two poor farmer brothers, Natha(Omkar Das) and Budhia(Raghuvir Yadav) have a debt on their heads. They face loosing their land to the banks and go to the local leader for help. He suggests that one of them commit suicide so as to avail the governments Rs.1 Lac compensation for the family. Natha decides to bear the sacrifice and soon the media catches wind of the news. What then transpires is the classic overplay of the media coupled with political vendettas & games. Does Natha die? You have to watch the film to find out.
The splendor of Peepli Live lies in its light approach to such a heavy topic. While it touches all bases, it does not get preachy. Very well written and handled, it has doses of laughter and entertains. The film has an earthy flavour with its fair share of expletives and is well captured by lensman Shanker Raman.
The starcast, mostly unknown is stellar. There is not one name we can single out. Main protagonists Raghuvir Yadav and Omkar Das are great, Farrukh Jaffar as Amma is outstanding and has some hilarious scenes which leave a mark. Malaika Shenoy and Vishal Sharma as journalists are exceptional.
First timer writer-director Anusha Rizvi scores a winner on many fronts. Not only does this film entertain but it passes on a subtle message of farmer suicides without annoying you. Crisp and to the point, it works.
To sum it up, Aamir Khan shines as a producer yet again, picking an art-house apple and packaging it for the commercial market. He can do no wrong can he?
I strongly recommend this tragicomedy for an engaging weekend watch.
Rating: 3.5/5
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Dinner for Schmucks - Review
A remake of the french film "The Dinner Game" and our very own version "Bheja Fry", classic comedians Steve Carell and Paul Rudd come together in this mad comic caper.
Does director Jay Roach of spin the same madness as the Austin Powers/Meet the parents series?
Sadly, the film starts off on the right note but eventually looses steam.
For those who haven't seen the classic Bheja fry, this is the story.
Tim(Paul Rudd) has some brilliant ideas at work and needs to impress his boss. He gets invited to a private monthly dinner at the boss's house which has a theme, "dinner for idiots". The person who is accompanied by the biggest schmuck is the toast of the dinner. A driving accident helps Tim finds Barry(Carell), a lonesome IRS official who has a weird hobby of taxiderming mice, making them wear tiny costumes and creating a rodent world in shoeboxes. After inviting Barry for the dinner, Tim realizes that he is probably going to end up regretting this decision. What follows is a night of mayhem which involves crazy characters such as Darla the stalker, Kieran the self-obsessed painter & Therman the mind-control freak amongst others.
The first half of the film is a scene-by-scene take from Bheja Fry, which in turn was a straight lift of the French original. It is hilarious and keeps you engrossed. The addition is the second half, where the film takes on its own path. Had it been trimmed by 25 min, it would be a riot.
The performances are superb. Steve Carell is simply a joy to watch, emoting beautifully, The Office star is in full form. Paul Rudd is restrained and does justice. The smaller characters are well etched, especially Zach Galifianakis of Hangover fame and Jemaine Clement as Kieran.
Jay Roach doesn't quite create the magic of his earlier films. While Austin Powers was completely over-the-top and mindless, it was thoroughly enjoyable. Meet the Parents/Fockers too had its own flavour which Schmucks doesn't quite capture.
For a weekend which carries the much-awaited action film "The Expendables" and Aamir Khan's "Peepli Live", this one might be forgotten. While its a light hearted entertainer, one can safely relegate this to a DVD watch.
Rating: 3/5
Does director Jay Roach of spin the same madness as the Austin Powers/Meet the parents series?
Sadly, the film starts off on the right note but eventually looses steam.
For those who haven't seen the classic Bheja fry, this is the story.
Tim(Paul Rudd) has some brilliant ideas at work and needs to impress his boss. He gets invited to a private monthly dinner at the boss's house which has a theme, "dinner for idiots". The person who is accompanied by the biggest schmuck is the toast of the dinner. A driving accident helps Tim finds Barry(Carell), a lonesome IRS official who has a weird hobby of taxiderming mice, making them wear tiny costumes and creating a rodent world in shoeboxes. After inviting Barry for the dinner, Tim realizes that he is probably going to end up regretting this decision. What follows is a night of mayhem which involves crazy characters such as Darla the stalker, Kieran the self-obsessed painter & Therman the mind-control freak amongst others.
The first half of the film is a scene-by-scene take from Bheja Fry, which in turn was a straight lift of the French original. It is hilarious and keeps you engrossed. The addition is the second half, where the film takes on its own path. Had it been trimmed by 25 min, it would be a riot.
The performances are superb. Steve Carell is simply a joy to watch, emoting beautifully, The Office star is in full form. Paul Rudd is restrained and does justice. The smaller characters are well etched, especially Zach Galifianakis of Hangover fame and Jemaine Clement as Kieran.
Jay Roach doesn't quite create the magic of his earlier films. While Austin Powers was completely over-the-top and mindless, it was thoroughly enjoyable. Meet the Parents/Fockers too had its own flavour which Schmucks doesn't quite capture.
For a weekend which carries the much-awaited action film "The Expendables" and Aamir Khan's "Peepli Live", this one might be forgotten. While its a light hearted entertainer, one can safely relegate this to a DVD watch.
Rating: 3/5
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