Mausam | A Receding Mirage | The Critique

Watch any movie just after 2001: A Space Odyssey and its highly unlikely that you will find it slow paced. Though a little short of three hours, I didn't found Mausam as slow as its made out to be. However, Mausam is definitely lengthy which is pretty understandable because the canvas selected was too big. Mausam worked for me to some extent as I wanted it to be a soft slow love story which can its own leisure time to grow on me. Having said all this, the overall experience was a little disappointing. Two and a nothing from my side.

Plot is very simple. Boy falls in love with girl. Girl feels the same way. However dramatic circumstances lead to separation. They re-unite and confess just to be separated. And finally they unite once for all. This linear story was drawn upon backdrop of three major events: Babri Mosque demolition, Kargil War and Gujrat riots. Sounds good and in pieces came out really well. The problem comes in when people overdo the drama. The focus on love story is lost after a point and more of it becomes a frustrated search of beloved. Here the cinematic value falls after impressive buildup.

Script definitely needed a re-draft. They worked on fine details like having Indo-British Memento in rack and left out big loopholes in story like no matter how early someone has to leave, there is always some time for a phone call... and why the Ferries Wheel? It ruined the climax. At one moment you are impressed by scriptwriter's grey matter, the other moment you start doubting your own judgment. Direction was decent. You can see what Pankaj Kapur tried to do, though he failed. Editing was sloppy. Acting... Frankly speaking, I found this one as one of the best by Shahid. He has grown a lot as an actor. His dialogue delivery was little damp, though. Sonam was average. Supriya Pathak was brilliant. She along with Manoj Pahwa filled the story with life it desperately needed. Others were just okay.

Mausam is one of those movies which failed to deliver what it promised though it had everything needed... or maybe a little more. This more was the problem.

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh 

The Story Behind Itaanu Uttaram | Golden Podium

When I read the story of Comrade Duch of Combodia who was held responsible for more than 16k executions, I was literally tongue-tied. For next few days, I kept thinking about it. On day four, when I had a fair idea, I shared it with Arun. That moment, Itaanu Uttaram came into existence. A story that carried a snippet about Comrade Duch and his Pastor.

Presenting a movie is perhaps the most difficult part and our biggest handicap was lack of resources and money, sometimes the former, sometimes the latter and sometimes both. After lot of brain storming, I decided to take a cue from Ranjith's Paleri Manikyam's first half where Mammootty narrates the story of Manikyam. I decided to have a presenter/narrator who connects the dots and completes the picture for viewer. It was a little risk I decided to take. From quick reviews I got, I feel we didn't screw this up.

I like to drop little hints as dedications. Like Ram holding a mug with Casablanca poster, use of Beethoven's classics in scenes of violence and pain hinting a dedication to A Clockwork Orange and few others. It’s a little tricky thing because most of the viewers might not pick these hints but then we would have a few who will understand the motive and would appreciate it.

Itaanu Uttaram is perhaps the best work of art... better than any story I wrote or any blog post or anything else. But I hope, this won't hold good for long. I will improve.

Love…

Sujoy

Promises Of A Rockstar | Editor's Pen

Imtiaz Ali is some talent. He has a vision. Though I am no fan of Love Aajkal, I loved his first two outings: Socha Na Tha and Jab We Met. Imtiaz knows how to play with characters and how to present stories on screen. His stories are simple and full of romance. However, Rockstar promos give you a different feel.

Rockstar has a very rough feel, pretty different from Imtiaz's other movies which had a very soft touch. The character is looking meaner than any other Imtiaz's leads. He is apparantly having an overdose of all the big Rock names and is ambitious to be one among them. He has that persona. Nargis is looking untamed. She is wild. A perfect one for the role. The music revealed has something likeable. Gotta hold it for a second.

Anyways, next edition will be 'Sports Movies Special' where we will showcase some usual and some unusual sports movies. Wait for them. Till then... take care.

Thanks

Sujoy

Two Indias | Bodyguard Vs TGIYB | Under Lens

In last two weeks, different social network forums have been boiling over how Bodyguard worked while TGIYB barely survived. Many people critically discussed the artistic value of latter and absence of the same in former. Some people analyzed the BO collections which tilted the weight in favor of the obvious one. Some involved Bol in the discussion and added more fuel to an already agitated potent mix of gunpowder and rdx.

Agreed that That Girl In Yellow Boots is a victory of Cinema. It deserves a watch by everyone with even a half eye for quality cinema. Though it’s not in the league of Dev D., its not trailing by a big margin. Its good cinema. Though quite a cliché now, the word is Respect. On the other hand, Bodyguard is watched and to some extent loved by people who want to have some good time watching a movie which can blow Sheldon Cooper into flares. Some brainless action. Some cheesy and some funny dialogues. Lot of overacting that can move your 17 muscles. Something you can watch with your girlfriend, sharing a popcorn and... you don't miss a thing if you get busy.

TGIYB is a perfect piece of art which would attract people who follow Shyam Benegal, Indie Cinema, Argentinean movies, Danny Boyle etc. This is the India which has access to Broadband, use torrents and avidly follow the movies in languages one might not be able to spell properly. Bodyguard is the other kind of cinema where people follow stars religiously. They respect the 'class' of parallel cinema but are seriously not interested in hooking up their brain in something cerebral. For them, purpose of cinema is just entertainment.

I have generalized a lot, apologies for that. There is a sizeable chunk of population which is part of both Indias. While some of them genuinely panned Bodyguard for being mindless some panned because they wanted to be part of a class... you see, 'Pretending' is such a show-business.

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh

Sehar | Real Drama | Critique

Real life characterisation has never been the forte of B'wood Cinema. More than once, we cling to old clichés and ruin the charm of the story for sake of adding entertainment. Sehar, however, is a perfect case study of the exceptions. Loosely based on gangster turned politico Shiv Prakash Shukla and SSP Arun Kumar and his STF in Uttar Pradesh.

Sehar is story of SSP Ajay Kumar who struggling hard to control the nexus between gangsters-politicians involved in the government sector which is taking the shape of organized crime. The advent of mobile phones is working against him as Police is not well equipped to track the phones. To resolve this problem, they get Prof. Tiwari in loop with main focus on a particular Gajraj Singh who has become extremely powerful by taking Railway contracts (by force), kidnappings and extortions. Miffed with Ajay Kumar's success, Gajraj tries to hide behind electoral. Ajay Kumar senses his plan and realizes that if Gajraj becomes a part of legislative, it would become hard to ground him.

Arshad Warsi has proved that he is an ‘actor’ bearing the burden of successful comedies. Sehar is perhaps his best work and can be rated higher than Ishqiya. Pankaj Kapoor and Sushant Singh, both are seasoned actors and they know their job more than anybody else. It’s unfortunate that Arshad is forced to do worthless comedies and Pankaj Kapoor and Sushant Singh never got the acclaim they deserved. Mahima and other actors have done justice to their characters.

The USP of this movie is the script. Perfect script without loopholes. Lucknow has never been portrayed so naturally. The language and the tone are so Laknauvi. Detailing behind characters is really good. Entire crew of Sehar and especially Director Kabeer Kaushik deserve a bow.

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh

McDowell's Alex and Heath Ledger's Joker | Under Lens

Every now and then I tend to do little R&D on Heath Ledger's Joker. It’s like my little obsession, please bear with me. After watching A Clockwork Orange by Kubrick, I felt that I saw a Joker in eyes of Alex.

Both characters, Joker and Alex, are extremes. He is an anti-hero who is devious and manipulative. Just like Joker, he is ultra violent and don't feel like backing violence with reason. He is not dangerous, in fact he is ultra dangerous. Just like Joker, Alex tends to glorify himself. The very usage of "Your Humble Narrator" stamps this. He seeks nirvana in acts world frowns upon. Just like Joker, Alex is highly manipulative. He volunteers for experimental Ludovico Technique as he sees it as an opportunity to come out of the prison.

Alex is a weak character, much unlike Joker. He has a weak will and Ludovico Technique makes him frail to the core. Joker, is a strong never-say-die villain of highest degree. He is dangerous as he is a psychopath on killing spree who doesn't give a damn to human life. Alex is a mental wreck but not a psychopath. He enjoys sadistic activities but for him, it’s an instant pleasure. He doesn't plan them. Joker does and does it brilliantly.

Heath Ledger studied Alex while preparing for Joker. No wonder, I felt like that.

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh 

That Girl In Yellow Boots | Spectacular Kalki | The Critique

I am not a great fan of Anurag Kashyap, in fact, I simply hated No Smoking and Gullal was a total bouncer for me. Then what made me to watch That Girl In Yellow Boots over Bodyguard ?……..to your surprise, it was Kalki, and of course she didn’t disappoint. I really feel Kalki is speedily moving from ‘Best supporting Actress’ to ‘Best Actress’.

If we talk about the movie, the first thing that strikes to me is the unexpected and discomforting climax.  Oops…..my mistake, I shan’t talk about the end in the beginning. So, I will start with our protagonist’s character sketch. Ruth, a young British girl, comes in quest of her father to Mumbai, and is soon engulfed by the dark side of this fast moving city. She has neither Visa nor a Work permit but soon realizes that the under the table money can do the trick (Mr. Anna where are you?) She works at a massage parlor, offering clients a ‘special’ Swedish massage which leads her to meet and associate with some seedy characters. And to worsen the case, she has a drug addict boyfriend who is being chased by a gangster. Ruth is a complicated character, and in spite of her connections to illicit activity and the lengths to which she goes in pursuit of her goal, she is fragile. As an audience you feel to protect her, may be coz as Aamir says, ‘atithi devo bhava’, but indeed because Kalki has handled the character splendidly. Truly speaking, I would like to put the movie in the biography / character study genre instead of thriller.

The plot is quite engaging but confusing at the same time too. The sub plots though not very interesting but yes, do contribute to Ruth’s ill fate during her quest. The other one things that’s splendid in TGIYB is its cinematography with a restless camera and nothing flashy, may be due to budget constraints, but that’s what makes the movie close to reality. The side characters as of the parlor owner (Pooja Swaroop) and the gangster (Gulshan Devaiya) have also done justice to their roles. Pooja, seems to be truly living the character, as a chatter box. But some splendid actors have been really wasted, which includes Naseeruddin Shah, Ronit Roy and Rajat Kapoor (scene less than 5 secs, no dialogues!!).  As a movie buff, I really feel sad when an actor is wasted. This may make me to reduce the movie rating, but yet not make me to stop you from watching the movie.

TGIYB is a typical Kashyap film and has almost touched the mark, which it set out for itself. I won’t say it as a must watch, and you may prefer skipping it, if you are interested in light entertainment instead of something which discomforts you for minimum 1.5 hours. The thing that disturbed me even after stepping out of the movie was the Yellow boots, both in terms of title and in design. Title may be justified, that they denoted a journey / quest, but their design was awful, looks they could not get a sponsor. Anyways, movie is a good watch; you may try it if you liked Dev D & Shaitan.

Rating : 3/5

Written By: Neha Jain

UTTKRISHTT-2011

Uttkrishtt Results are Here Now | Editor's Pen

Some days ago, I saw a veteran Kader Khan Sa'ab attending a comedy show where other famous comedians were being felicitated. It was a difficult moment for me to see him almost in tears when he spoke about deteriorating status of Language in Hindi Cinema. Somewhere there, the thought of having Hindi Film Dialogues as the 'Talking Point' of Uttkrishtt-2 was conceived.

I would agree if somebody says that many really good dialogues are not in the list. Frankly speaking, in TRM we follow a kind of democracy and each dialogue in the Top 25 and then in Top 10 have been selected democratically. Democracy is a flawed system, but its the best of all we have... On behalf of entire TheReelMag family, I would like to thanks you all for your kind support and votes.

We dedicate this edition to all the scriptwriters and dialogue-writers of Hindi Cinema. Respect is the word.

Thanks

Sujoy

Top 10 Most Memorable Hindi Dialogues | Uttkrishtt | Results

1. Khush To Bahut Hoge Aaj Tum... (Deewar)  
2. Mogambo... Khush Hua (Mr. India)
3. Mere Paas Maa Hai... (Deewar)  
4. Jale Ko Aag, Bujhe Ko Raakh Kehte Hai... (Kalicharan)
5. Jaao Pehle Us Aadmi Ka Sign Lekar Aao... (Deewar)
6. Rishtey Mein Hum Tumhare Baap Lagte Hai (Shahenshah)
7. Ye Paaon Zameen Pe Na Rakhiye... (Pakeezah)
8. Bachon Ke Khelne Ki Cheez Nahi... (Waqt)
9. Aap To Purush Hi Nahi Hain... (Andaaz Apna Apna)
10. Chinoy Seth, Jinke Apne Ghar Sheeshay Ke Hon... (Waqt)

What Definitely Works | Uttkrishtt | Candid Krishnan

After looking into the nominations and analysis the vote patterns, our dear Candy drew following conclusions:

1) EGO Works: How dare you say that to me? If this is one of your I-Wont-Attest-Your-Word reaction, we got it right. Jale Ko Aag... ; sure dude, your name is Vishwanath and it suits to the rhyming pattern but we believe that you are not that potent... maybe, Superman can use this one unambiguously. Similarly, Rishtey Mein Hum Tumhare Baap... Dude... get a life. You can't keep saying this to every Tom, Dick and Harry and definitely not to people who are older than you. And Mogambo... who the hell are you?

2) Attack-Counter-Attack: We like to give terse reply to everyone. Don't we? Yeh, every hero is an ego filled over-confident guy who can fight with entire army of smelly thugs with zero IQ. Chinoy Seth, Jinke Apne Ghar... and Bachon Ke Khelne Ki Cheez Nahi... both tell how weak the villain and his set of goons are and how powerful the hero is. Again a Jaao Pehle Us Aadmi Ka Sign Lekar Aao... is a scathing reply to an idealistic younger brother by a not-so-idealistic anti-hero elder brother. No wonder we like to see our heroes yelling what we can’t even think... even in mute.

3) Chivalry: Every girl want a chivalrous boyfriend and every guy wants to say romantic poems. Such a fish... Ye Paon Zameen Pe... what dude... where will she keep her lovey dovey feet... on your bum?

4) Comic Timing: Eh... good jokes work. They do. Aap To Purush Hi Nahi Hain... is smart and crisp. What else do you want?

5) MAA: The mother of all emotions... love for mother. Since the moment first reel was screened, this emotion has prevailed everywhere in Indian Cinema... thinking of Rakhi Sawant, almost everywhere. When a son challenges Shiva, the destroyer, by saying Khush To Bahut Hoge Aaj Tum... or when a son replies Mere Paas Maa Hai... weighing mother higher than every materialistic asset. Wow... *tears overflow*

***based on Conversations with Candy Krishnan. commented in jest, no intention to offend***

Curious Case Of A Certain Raj Kumar In Uttkrishtt | Uttkrishtt

Raj Kumar is barely remembered nowadays. For someone who did movies like Waqt, Pakeezah, Lal Patthar, Mother India etc. this is the last thing you would expect. I asked my teammate about him and all he remembered was 'Tiranga'. I felt like bearing a torch in utter darkness. However, the results of Uttkrishtt made me smile. Yes, people no longer remember the actor Raj Kumar but his dialogues are still there... words can survive every catastrophe.

Ye Paon Zameen Pe Na Rakhiye... the words are very simple and chivalrous but what makes it special is the way it’s being said. The depth in voice of Raj Kumar gives it the classy feel it needs. The romance in the dialogue tends to hit you. You can see that girls smile when they see this scene. It makes them feel special. While nominating we knew that this would make it to top 10.

However, we were not sure about the other two... There is a sequence in Waqt where Raj Kumar threatens Rahman (another brilliant actor) and these two dialogues are part of that scene. Chinoy Seth, Jinke Apne Ghar Sheeshay Ke Hon... has good literary value. It’s a reference to Rahman's affluent status as Chinoy Seth (glass is costly and only rich could have afforded them in the that era) as well as a subtle threat . If you try to mess with me... I will get back to you. In the last part of the scene, Rahman's Man Friday tries to tackle him. Bachon Ke Khelne Ki Cheez Nahi... this punch dialogue is enough to thwart any such intention.

Raj Kumar had the voice, real macho voice. You don't need six packs to make other feel sheepish. Raj Kumar's baritone is enough to put herds to shame.

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh

Formula Films Plus Powerful Dialogues | Waqt And Deewar | Uttkrishtt

Uttkrishtt-2 was literally bowled over by two movies: Deewar and Waqt. These two movies had maximum winners in top 10 list. Deewar took away 3 and Waqt took away 2 honors. Each nomination made it to last list. Interestingly, both Deewar and Waqt were typical formula movie.

Deewar had a straightforward story. Two brothers having same beginning. One studies hard and becomes a cop. One struggles hard and life makes him a criminal. Before he could retract his life, his enemies take on him hard. Good brother kills him and he dies in lap of his mother. Anti-hero reprisal. Waqt, on the other hand, is based on lost and found funda. Due to natural catastrophe, a family dis-unites. Each member survives and in a court case which involves everyone, the reunion takes place. As a cherry on the top of the cake, each son has a girlfriend now. Both movies are remembered of strong star casts and Shashi Kapoor is the common actor. Deewar had Amitabh, Parveen Babi, Neetu Singh, Nirupa Roy and Waqt had Balraj Sahni, Raj Kumar, Sunil Dutt and Rahman.

Coming to Dialogues. Deewar and Waqt had dialogues as a big plus point. Getting script and actors right is a big deal but getting dialogues good enough is really big deal. People might remember the sequences but they hardly remember dialogues word by word. Anyone who has seen Deewar or Waqt cannot forget the memorable dialogues of these two movies.

A person goes to Temple and yells, "Khush to bahut hogey tum...". Similar scenes have been repeated umpteen times but how many such dialogues you remember? How many times you remember someone saying, "Mere paas maa hai?" How many times you have seen a hero challenging a villain in villain's den without screaming  and subtly placing a statement, "Chinoy seth.... Jinke..." These dialogues have the X-factor. You remember them. Politicians quote them in election campaigns. Children use profusely in their games. Ads are still made around them... and what not.

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh

Rekha | The Eternal Diva | The Statesmen

Rekha and glamour are like synonyms in the Indian film industry. At fifty plus, she can still hold you spellbound. Poise, beauty and even talent can be acquired. But glamour is something a woman is born with. And Rekha is born with it.

Apart from glamour, gossips are something that has always gone hand in hand with Rekha. Be it about her illegitimate father or her romance with AB, or sudden suicidal death of her husband, or co-actresses comments on her skills /behavior. I have no answers for these questions, and though many may say that these rumors have been a major part in the publicity and her success, but as her fan, I believe, she is a volcanic actress and yet unmatchable in Bollywood. The camera seems to be virtually in love with her face and her well known trademarks, the seductive tone and mesmerizing eyes.

Over the forty odd years of her career, she managed to reverse the trajectory of the Bollywood dream girls. She has gone from being a starlet to being an actress to being a model. She has been particularly recognized for playing female-oriented characters. Her portrayal of a simple school-girl in Khubsoorat and a classical courtesan in Umrao Jaan are examples of her versatility. No one can carry off the 'period' look replete with elaborate costumes and regal bearing as well as her. And all those other actresses who have often commented or shrugged off all ambition to be Rekha know they can never be like her.

She has reinvented herself numerous times in her career and is known for her ability to sustain her status. Even when Mahrashtra govt. announced, Raj Kapoor Jeevan Gaurav Award" (Lifetime Achievement) to Rekha, she refused to accept it, as it went against her own concept of work and self-image. Moreover when her co-stars had started taking up motherly roles, she came up with unconventional roles in movies like ‘Lajja’, ‘Khiladiyon KaKhiladi’ and ‘Zubeida’. And incidentally, all these films were quite successful, prov­ing the fact that the audience still expects Rekha to come up with something sensational.

Apart being the diva and the glamour queen, Rekha has always been known for her mystique personality too. But she has never allowed her mystique to be used to sell other men’s products. As an ordinary movie buff, I have read stories in magazines about her generous acts to co-actresses and accommodating attitude to return friendly gestures, then I really feel sad to know that now she lives all by herself in her ivory tower, leading a reclusive life. Yet her fans will never decrease and she’ll remain the greatest and most beautiful actress of all times.

Written By: Neha Jain