Agent Vinod (2012) Review

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Your expectations soar as soon as you hear the name Sriram Raghavan, the maker of Ek Hasina Thi (starring Saif and Urmila Matondkar). Agent Vinod, sadly and contrarily, is mediocre at best, as hard as it tries to deliver. 
Twists and sub-plots pique your curiosity but as much as I had wanted the second half to live up to the thrill created in the initial half, I walked out unhappy. The post-interval bit fizzles out. It's exhausting to keep track of countless characters, names and places thrown in.


What works
* The film screams style. The shootout sequence with the song Rabta in the background has been slickly executed.
* The lead pair. Both excel in the acting department. Saif's quirky charm does wonders for the film. His cocky dialogues are to watch out for. 
* The 70s music is woven neatly into the film.


What doesn't
* It's tediously lengthy, sucking life out of what could have otherwise been a good film.
* Camera work in the first half an hour is so fast it make you dizzy in the head.

* The first half heightens hopes and is gripping to the core. But it all falls flat in the second half. The pre-climax (the helicopter scene) is a bummer.
A DVD watch at best.

Good Night Good Morning (2012) Review

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An independent* film, GNGM did not release widely and came with zero publicity budget. Which is probably the reason I discovered this little gem only now (two months after its release). 

Writer-director Sudhish Kamath (along with Shilpa Rathnam) put together a riveting script, smartly edited, and peppered with some witty dialoguery. 

GNGM is a story of two characters Turia (Manu Narayan) and Moira (Seema Rahmani) who happen to meet at a bar one night, exchange numbers and get talking. The 80-minute film is about the conversation that ensues that night. 

A black-and-white setting with opening credits rolling in the backdrop of jazz assures you're not in for the ordinary. It defies the rules of formulaic celluloid and how! It charms you as it unfolds. It totally has you in  grips after a point. That's when you know it isn't a film anymore. It's an experience. You secretly confess to yourselves you've lived it at some point in your life.

If good cinema is what you're looking for, don't miss this one!

Paan Singh Tomar (2012)

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  With Bollywood churning out over 800 films each year, films that really matter are few and far between. Paan Singh Tomar is one such gem. 

The athlete-turned-dacoit's tale is thought-provoking and moving. And no one could have portrayed it better. I was almost sick of hearing Irrfan's voice imitations on tv channels and radio stations. But Paan Singh Tomar is an absolute delight to watch and hear. Raw, witty and a rebel, the character haunts you long after you've seen the film.

Director Tigmanshu Dhulia, who hasn't tasted commercial success but is a critics' favorite, hogged the limelight with Haasil (a launchpad for Irrfan) in 2003, Saheb Biwi aur Gangster and Shagird in 2011. I fondly remember Saheb Biwi aur Gangster for its absorbing screenplay and slick editing. Eagerly awaiting its sequel. Among Dhulia's upcoming films are Milan Talkies, (a love story with Irrfan in the lead), Bhiwani and Jai Ramji.
An interesting piece by Forbes on what went into making Paan Singh Tomar.

[Tidbit - Dhulia trained as an actor at the National School of Drama where Khan was his junior].

Kahaani Review

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Drum Rolls! Looks like the celebrations will continue into 2012. ....And the Best Actor (female) award goes to none other than.... Bidya Bagchi. Yet again. She is on a roll!


Sensible cinema, terrific performances, and a Kahaani that holds you till the last shot is what Kahaani is all about. It sucks you in almost as soon as it begins. It's primarily the setting that breathes life into the film. Pat on the back to director Sujoy Ghosh for getting it right, for capturing Calcutta the way he did. I have never been to the place but nothing could make me more familiar to it than Kahaani.


Script writer Advaita Kala surprises and how! Not sure how many of you have heard of her but I had read a book written by her when in college - Almost Single. It made for a fast-paced, enjoyable read.


For those of you who love Bollywood or love trashing Bollywood, go watch Kahaani!

10 Bollywood films that ran the longest

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Films ran for years on the theaters until a decade back. Today if a film manages to stay up for even a month, it's reason enough to celebrate. 

Here are films that had a grand run at the theatres. 

1. Years ago Aditya Chopra directed his first film. It ran packed houses for more than a decade. October 20, 2011, the film happily turned '16.' No points for guessing. DDLJ (1995) it is. Any idea if the film is still running at Maratha Mandir in Mumbai?

   

2. After hits like Andaz in 1971 and Seeta aur Geeta in 1972, Ramesh Sippy's thunderous third hit was Sholay (1975). Interestingly, Sholay opened disastrously at the box office. Word of mouth later convinced audiences. It ran for a whopping 5 years in theatres.

3. A roaring hit, K Asif's Mughal-e-Azam (1960) took 9 years and $3,000,000 to complete. This was when a typical Bollywood film would cost around $200,000. The film ran for three years on the theatre.

4. Another film that completed its three years on a theatre (in Calcutta) was Gyan Mukherjee's Kismat (1943).

5. Raj Kapoor's Barsaat (1949) ran a 100 weeks (two years).

6. If you are a regular reader of my blog, you probably have an idea what Maine Pyaar Kiya (1989) means to me. Sooraj Barjatya's MPK, grossing 66 crores, ran for 50 weeks (a year).

7. Hum Aapke Hain Kaun (1994), which is also a Sooraj Barjatya film, also completed one year at the theaters.

8. Dharmesh Darshan's Raja Hindustani, two years later, also enjoyed a year run at the movies.

9. All films that have ever figured in the list of top grossers have been associated with big names/actors. Kaho Naa Pyar Hai (2000), I guess is the only film in the history featuring two debut actors to become a roaring hit. Rakesh Roshan was coming up with KNPH after two consecutive flops. Interestingly, this film also ran a year at the theatres.

10. Too soon, too near, Bollywood had another reason to cheer. October 27, 2000, Aditya Chopra's Mohabbatein became the second biggest hit of the year. But that I guess was the last film to run that long.

Did I miss something? Share your thoughts.