GaneshKSalian Reviews

Udta Punjab (2016)

A powerful movie

[8 July 2016]

Udta Punjab directed by Abhishek Chaubey is a brilliant movie with power-packed performances,water-tight screenplay,excellent music and good direction.

Based on the drug crisis in Punjab,Abhishek Chaubey does an excellent work in showcasing it.Kudos!

Story:

4 people from different walks of life, fighting the menace of drugs in their own way. The film journeys into the artificial highs and the real lows that they face while treading the paths fraught with mortal dangers.

The direction is very good.

The music is pretty good.

The screenplay is water-tight,there are certain portion where it dips,yet it does gain momentum as soon as possible.

The dialogues are excellent.

Performances:

It's Alia Bhatt,who appears to be the scene stealer in this performance ridden movie.She is just excellent as the farmer hailing fro Bihar and her Bihari accent is on point.

Next comes,Diljit Dosanjh,who marks an excellent debut as the police official and is an actor to look forward for in the upcoming years.

Shahid Kapoor is fantastic.He is just incredible as the pop star

Kareena Kapoor does a fine job.

The rest of the cast provide able support.

All in all,Udta Punjab is an excellent work of fiction.

Sultan (2016)

Salman Khan at his finest....

[7 July 2016]

Sultan directed by Ali Abbas Zafar is just a fine movie with excellent performance given by Salman Khan,no doubts but lacks in a water- tight screenplay as well as lacks in the editing department. The movie could've certainly been trimmed off to make it a shorter and more crisp.

Ali Abbas Zafar,who previously has directed 'Mere Brother Ki Dulhan' and 'Gunday' does a fine job,only wish a more water-tight screenplay and a good story-line would've done wonders

Story:

The film centers around Sultan Ali Khan (Salman Khan), a wrestler who has problems in his professional and personal life.

The music is good.

The cinematography is very nice.

The dialogues are good

The action is superb.The wrestling sequences as well as MMA sequences are performed very well.

As mentioned above,Salman Khan is at his finest form in SULTAN though not his best,yet his displays the character with such conviction and ease,you ought to love him as Sultan Ali Khan.

Anushka Sharma is good.Randeep Hooda is efficient.Amit Sadh and the rest of the cast provide able support.

All in all,SULTAN is a fine movie with Salman Khan at his finest.

Fan (I) (2016)

SRK is back with a bang.

[8 May 2016]

FAN directed by Maneesh Sharma is an entertaining flick which showcases a superb performance by Shah Rukh Khan.

After films like Happy New Year,Dilwale,Shah Rukh Khan is finally back with a bang with FAN.

Story:

Gaurav, a huge fan of movie star Aryan Khanna, heads to Mumbai in order to wish his God a happy birthday. When things don't go according to plan, Gaurav's obsession with Aryan crosses the line.

The direction is excellent.

The screenplay is very good.The chasing sequence though due to its excessive length lacks reality.

The cinematography is good too.

Performances:

Shah Rukh Khan delivers one of career best performances with FAN.As Gaurav,he pays the passionate fan perfectly and as Aryan,the superstar,he essays it with finesse. Waluscha De Sousa is good.Shriya Pilgaonkar is apt. Yogendra Tiku and Deepika Amin lend good support.

Overall,FAN is an excellent movie which must not be missed out even if you aren't an SRK flick.

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Amazing superhero flick

[8 May 2016]

Captain America:Civil War is an excellent superhero flick,with a nice story and awesome action sequences with a powerful editing.

Story:

With many people fearing the actions of super heroes, the government decides to push for the Anti-Hero Registration Act, a law that limits a heroes actions. This results in a division in The Avengers. Iron Man stands with this Act, claiming that their actions must be kept in check otherwise cities will continue to be destroyed, but Captain America feels that saving the world is daring enough and that they cannot rely on the government to protect the world. This escalates into an all- out war between Team Iron Man and Team Captain America while a new villain emerges.

The movie has several entertaining moments and not a single dull moment,which keeps you intrigued throughout the entire movie.

The direction is excellent.

The screenplay is water-tight.

The editing is powerful.

The action sequences was just awesome.

Performances:

Though the movie relies heavily on the shoulders of Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr.,but th the scene-stealer here is Tom Holland,whose portrayal as Peter Parker gives a new yet entertaining image to Spiderman.He is truly wonderful.Chris Evans is excellent,while Robert Downey Jr. is efficient. Scarlett Johansson,Sebastian Stan,Don Cheadle,Jeremy Renner,Anthony Mackie,Chadwick Boseman,Elizabeth Olsen(who looks absolutely stunning) and Paul Rudd lend excellent support to the cast.

Overall Captain America:Civil War is an excellent treat for all superhero flick fans.A Sure-Shot Blockbuster.

Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015)

Excellent

[4 August 2015]

Bajrangi Bhaijaan directed by Kabir Khan is an excellent movie.

The movie has a great story,water-tight screenplay and amazing performances specially the kid,Harshaali.

The movie even broadens our mind-set of Indian-Pakistan relationship.And also portrays the relationship between a child and a man in a simplistic yet convincing way.

Story:

A young mute girl from Pakistan gets lost in India with no way to head back. A devoted man with a magnanimous spirit undertakes the task to get her back to her motherland and unite her with her family.

The movie my seem a little long,but nonetheless entertains and leaves you moist-eyed too at several sequences.

The direction is splendid.

The music is great.

Performances:

Salman Khan is excellent.excellent. Nawazuddin is amazing.Kareena Kapoor Kan is fine.Om Puri in a cameo is decent.

It is Harshaali that steals your heart with her astounding performance and charm.

Overall,Bajrangi Bhaijaan is a must-watch even if you aren't a Salman Khan fan

Love School Life (2015)

Excellent work of fiction

[24 April 2015]

Love School Life directed by Anirudh Baboo is an excellent work of fiction.

Being a first-timer director,Anirudh Baboo has executed such a noble idea in such a beautiful way and also the message conveyed is truly powerful.

Story:

Two average students struggle to make their life better and what are the problems they face in life to make it better.

In a run-time of 1 hour and 2 minutes,there isn't a single moment where you'll be bored.

Written by Aaron Fernandas,Krishna Badoni and Anirudh Baboo,Love School Life proves to be a totally different and innovative idea,which deserves applauds.

Stunts by Ahmed Ali are good too.

The photography stands out.

Performances:

Vishnu Ranjith plays the role of Ranveer flawlessly.Be it a comedy sequence or an emotional sequence,he does it with great ease. Leah Liz Jacob playing the role of Reena is quiet good. Shivangi Rathour playing the role of Aaliya is nice.Pranav Parab,though having minimal scope does well.

All in all,Love School Life is an excellent movie with an important and powerful message conveyed.

Demonic (2015)

Brilliant

[19 April 2015]

Demonic is a brilliant horror movie.By far one of the best horror movies to come out.

The story does have twists and is successful in keeping you spooked throughout the proceedings.

Plus,there aren't any unwarranted scenes and characters,which is prominent in many other horror movies,which is why the movie is fast paced and reaches out to the point quiet quick.

And the climax is just awesome,which many horror movies fall short on,Demonic makes sure to give you goosebumps even at the culmination.

Story: A police officer and a psychologist investigate the deaths of five people who were killed while trying to summon ghosts.

The direction is awesome.

The performances are excellent.

All in all,Demonic is one of the best horror movies to come out.I am giving it a eight on ten.

Furious 7 (2015)

Great Action Sequences and A heart touching end but still is missing the charm

[18 April 2015]

Fast and Furious 7 directed by James Wan is amazing but still misses the magic that was in the previous installments of the successful franchise.

FF7 has some amazing,breath-taking stunts and the tribute at the climax is sure to bring tears and is beautifully made.

Even Jason Statham whose entry into the movie was expected to make FF7 a kick-ass movie has very little screen space,which is disappointing.

Dwayne Johnson too,has just a scene or two to showcase his action talent,which is a shame as in FF6 he had had great part.

Story: Deckard Shaw seeks revenge against Dominic Toretto and his family for his comatose brother.

The direction is pretty good.For a director like James Wan who is quiet phenomenal with horror movies to make an action movie like FF7 is a great work.

The action sequences are excellent.

Performances: Vin Disel is good.Ditto for Paul Walker.Dwayne Johnson is average.Jason Statham is menacing,wish he had got more screen space.Michelle Rodriguez is nice.Tyrese Gibson and Ludicrous are great fun whenever they appear on the screen.Nathalie Emmanuel looks gorgeous but acts just mediocre.Jordana Brewster is just okay.Ditto for Kurt Russell.Ali Fazal is damn good.

All in all,Fast and Furious 7 has amazing stunts but still lacks the charm.I am going to give it a six on ten.

Humshakals (2014)

This was better than Happy New Year

[17 April 2015]

Humshakals directed by Sajid Khan may be awful but still is better than Happy New Year.

The movie does have funny scenes,though most of it seems forced.

Story: A comedy centered around three people who each have a lookalike of a lookalike, all with the same name.

Sajid Khan has the ability to become a fine comedy director but wastes the opportunity.

The dialogs are lame.

The music is good.

Performances:Saif Ali Khan overacts.Ritesh Deshmukh is doing the same what he does in every comedy movie.Bipasha Basu looks disinterested.Esha Gupta looks gorgeous but has just one or two scenes to show horrible she acts.Tamannah overacts like all other movies.Chunky Pandey is fine.

Ram Kapoor and Satish Shah are superb.Ram Kapoor plays his role with utter finesse.Satish Shah is funny.

All in all,Humshakals is a bad movie which could've been better.I am giving it a two on ten

Happy New Year (I) (2014)

Horrible

[17 April 2015]

Happy New Year directed by Farah Khan is utter rubbish in the name of entertainment.

Honestly,Humshakals was better than this.

HNY doesn't offer anything new in terms of story,comedy or even direction.

Farah Khan has taken the audience for granted.

Story: Six losers take part in a dance competition.

The plot is weak,the dialogs are lame,the performances are over the top and the direction is horrendous.

The music is fine.

Performances:Shahrukh Khan,Deepika Padukone,Sonu Sood,Boman Irani,the youngster and Jackie Shroff are bad.

Abhishek Bachchan who also overacts does well in some portions though and was the saving grace.

All in all,HNY is waste of time and effort.One out of ten is what it deserves only for the music and Abhishek Bachchan.

Avoid HNY even if it comes on TV

Furious 6 (2013)

Kickass Movie!

[25 May 2013]

Fast and Furious 6 directed by Justin Lin is an excellent action movie!

Although having a weak story it is an entertaining action packed movie!

The movie is one of the best action movies ever!The movie is even much better than Expendables 2 as far as action sequences are concerned!

The direction by Justin Lin is excellent.

The cinematography is nice.

The action sequences are the highlight of the movie.Kudos to each and every crew member involved in the action sequences!

Performances: Vin Diesel is superb.Dwayne Johnson is excellent.Paul Walker is fine.Tyrese Gibson is funny.Michelle Rodriguez,Jordana Brewster,Sung Kang and Luke Evans are good in their respective roles.

All in all "Fast and Furious 6",a must watch for action-lovers.Highly Recommended!

G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)

G.I.Joe Retaliation:Strictly Average!

[4 April 2013]

G.I. Joe Retaliation is an strictly average action movie.

The movie has the same repeated story,which we have often seen in many action movies before.

For me,what made G.I Joe Retaliation more disappointing is Bruce Willis.He had hardly any screen-space to showcase his action skills.

G.I Joe Retaliation is a movie made for the teens.The teens are surely going to love this one! There are many action sequences in this movie,but only a few stand out.The action sequence in the Himalayas is the highlight of the movie.This action sequence has been shot very nicely.

The direction is mediocre.

Performance: Dwayne Johnson is fine.Channing Tatum is strictly okay.Elodie Yung,Ray Park and Adrianne Palicki are just okay.Bruce Willis disappoints.

All in all,G.I.Joe Retaliation is a strictly average action movie.I would recommend this flick for the teens but not for adults.I am giving it a four on ten.

Himmatwala (2013)

Himmatwala:A Idiotic piece of work by Sajid Khan in the name of Entertainment!

[1 April 2013]

Himmatwala directed by Sajid Khan is one of the worst remakes I have ever seen.

The 1983's Jeetendra-Sridevi's Himmatwala was entertaining while 2013's Ajay Devgn-Tammanah's Himmatwala is horror offered to the audience in the name of entertainment.

While the movie has a running time of 150 minutes,I could not endure this nonsense for more than an hour and I had to leave the theater!

The action sequences,too,are boring,because they are the same repetitive action scenes which we have seen in many movies before.

The direction by Sajid Khan is done to death.

The screenplay is badly written.

The music is sonorous.

The dialogs written by Sajid-Farhad are awful.

Performances: Ajay Devgn is strictly okay.Tamannah overacts.Mahesh Manjrekar is fine.Asrani hams and is wasted in a small role.

Special mention of Paresh Rawal,who steals the show with his fabulous performance!

All in all,Himmatwala directed by Sajid Khan is an Idiotic piece of work presented to the audience in the name of Entertainment!I am giving it a generous one on ten(Solely for Paresh Rawal). A Disappointment!

Special 26 (2013)

Special Chabbis:Excellent movie!

[12 February 2013]

Special Chabbis directed by Neeraj Pandey is an excellent movie!

The movie is based on a real life incident which took place during the 80's.

The movie has excellent performances,amazing dialogs and water-tight screenplay.

In a nutshell,Special Chabbis is an excellent movie,which you ought not to miss!

Story:

The film is based on a real life group of con artists who pulled off many clever robberies during 1980's, they robbed famous businessmen & politicians by pretending to be the CBI or Income tax officers, on the pretext of conducting raids they would take away all the black money hoarded by them, the film also takes its concept from the real-life daring where the same group posing as CBI officers executed a daylight income tax raid on the Opera House branch of Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri in Mumbai, and disappeared with jewelery worth millions.

The direction by Neeraj Pandey is marvelous.

The screenplay is watertight.

The dialogs are amazing.

The cinematography by Late Bobby Singh is stupendous.

The editing is fine.

The music is good.

Performances:

Akshay Kumar is superb.After many years he is portraying a serious character and he portrays the character with panache!Manoj Bajpayee as Wsseem Khan is efficient.Anupam Kher as Sharmaji is excellent.Jimmy Shergill is very good.

Kajal Aggarwal is wasted.Rajesh Sharma and Kishore Kadam are good in their respective roles.Vipin Sharma is apt.

On the whole,Special Chabbis is a movie,which one should not miss at any costs!I am giving it a nine on ten.Strongly Recommended!

OMG: Oh My God! (2012)

Oh My God:A Masterpiece!One of the best Bollywood movies of 2012!

[31 January 2013]

OMG Oh My God! directed by Umesh Shukla is an excellent movie in all aspects.

I was surprised to know that this movie has not been nominated for any of the categories in any of the Awards!Shame on the jury,for not selecting a movie like OMG-Oh My God! for the Awards and selecting movies like Dabangg 2,Ek Tha Tiger!

The movie based on a Gujarati play,is outstanding.It has an excellent story,clever dialogs and amazing performances.

In a nutshell,OMG Oh My God! is a movie which should not be missed at any costs!

Story: A shopkeeper Kanji Lalji Mehta (Paresh Rawal) takes God to court when his shop is destroyed by an earthquake.

The direction is excellent.

The dialogs are witty.

Performances:

Without doubt,OMG Oh My God belongs to Paresh Rawal and Mithun Chakraborty.Paresh Rawal is excellent as the middle-class business man,where as Mithun Chakraborty is mesmerizing as the saint.Akshay Kumar,although having a shorter screen space than Paresh Rawal and Mithun Chakarborty,is significant.Om Puri,Govind Namdeo and Poonam Jhaver are good in their respective roles.

All in all,OMG Oh My God! is an excellent film which conveys a powerful message.I am giving it a ten on ten.Strongly Recommended!

Race 2 (2013)

Race 2:A bad successor to to its predecessor Race!

[25 January 2013]

Race 2 directed by Abbas-Mustan is a sheer disappointment.

Except for some few exceptional performances and beautiful cinematography,nothing else works.

Clichéd screenplay,lack of surprising twist and turns,addition of unwanted characters,slow-pacing and unwanted songs.

The first half of the movie was a bit interesting,but the second half turns out to be more painful,thanks to the hackneyed writing.

The twists and turns in the second half,is the same twist and turns we saw in its predecessor,Race! Even there are so many songs in the movie.After every 10-15 minutes of some action sequences or some laughable dialogs,there appears song.

Story: Ranvir (Saif Ali Khan) treads through the world of the Indian mafia in Turkey as he looks to avenge the death of his lover and partner in crime.

The direction is terrible.

The writing is half-baked.

The action sequences is average.

The music is fairly okay."Allah Duhai Hai" is the best of all.

The cinematography by Ravi Yadav is excellent.The scenic beauty of Cyprus and Istanbul has been captured very well and is a treat to the eye for the viewer.

Performances:

John Abraham's performance is the best of all.He acts the evil part with perfection.Saif Ali Khan is average.Anil Kapoor is good.

Deepika Padukone looks gorgeous and acts well.Jacqueline Fernandez looks appealing but acts appalling!

Ameesha Patel,Aditya Pancholi,Bipasha Basu and Rajesh Khattar are all wasted.

All in all,Race 2 is bad successor to Race.I am giving it a three on ten.Colossal Disappointment!

Dabangg 2 (2012)

Dabangg 2:Salman Khan works,movie does not!

[22 December 2012]

Dabangg 2 directed by Arbaaz Khan disappoints big time.

Dabangg 2 turns out to be a dismissal when compared to Dabangg.

Although Dabangg had no story.still it managed to entertain but Dabangg 2 has no story as well as there is very minimal entertaining moments.

The movie has dozens and dozens of characters,many of them who are wasted.The action sequences are unexciting,since because it is the same repetitive action which we have seen in movies like Wanted,Rowdy Rathore,Khiladi 786 and even its predecessor Dabangg.

The songs are bad.The music is sonorous.

The dialogs are laughable.

The direction by Arbaaz Khan is done to death Dabangg 2 works only for Salman Khan!Salman Khan,as always,gives a superb acting.

Performances: Salman Khan,as mentioned above is the only saving grace of Dabangg 2.Prakash Raj is good too,but I find his villainous role to be a bit repetitive,first on Wanted,then,Bbuddah,then Singham and now Dabangg 2,he repeats the same act.Sonakshi Sinha is dull.Vinod Khanna is good.

Arbaaz Khan,Deepak Dobriyal,Niketan Dheer and Mahie Gill are wasted.Manoj Pahwa provides some laughs.Kareena Kapoor sizzles in her item number,while Malika Arora Khan fizzles in her item number.

All in all,Dabangg 2 is a bad successor of Dabangg.I am giving it a three on ten.Colossal Disappointment!

Barfi! (2012)

A perfect example how should a movie be!

[11 December 2012]

Barfi directed by Anurag Basu is an excellent movie.

The movie,although,paces a little slow still manages to captivate you.Thanks to the powerful direction and enthralling writing! Story: Three young people,Murphy (Ranbir Kapoor),Jhilmil Chatterjee (Priyanka Chopra) and Shruti Ghosh (Ileana D Cruz) learn that love can neither be defined nor contained by society's norms of normal and abnormal.

The direction is powerful The writing is water-tight.

The music is good.

The cinematography is amazing.

The editing could have been a bit more razor-sharp.

Performances: Barfi belongs to Ranbir Kapoor.No doubt on that!The actor simply amazes you with his act.He deserves this year's Best Actor Award!Priyanka Chopra,is another actor to watch out.As Jhilmil,she displays an act that will be etched in your memory even after the movie has concluded. Ileana D Cruz is cute.Saurabh Shukla is outstanding.Ashish Vidyarthi is fine.

All in all,Barfi is a must-watch.I am giving it a ten on ten.Strongly Recommended!

Khiladi 786 (2012)

"Khiladi"a successful franchise,which just got weak!

[10 December 2012]

Khiladi 786 directed by Ashish R Mohan is one of the worst movies I have ever seen.

The movie has a weak plot-line,minimal scenes that make you laugh,poor dialogs and erratic screenplay.

There are only three things about this movie,which makes me give it a three star on ten:-

i)The stunts: Although bearing similarity to those of Dabangg,Wanted,Rowdy Rathore etc.What makes the stunts look entertaining is that Akshay Kumar has done it himself and there is no use of body-double.

ii)The music: Himesh Reshammiya does an awesome job."Hookah Bar","Balma" and "Long Drive" work.The title "Khiladi Bhaiyya",bears a bit resemblance to Hudd Hudd Dabangg(Dabangg).

iii)The performances of Mithun Chakraborty,Sanjay Mishra and Johny Lever: Although Akshay Kumar is the main hero of Khiladi,but,yet,Mithun Chakraborty as don TTT and Sanjay Mishra as Jeevanlal Pranlal D'Costa steal the show.Johny Lever as Inspector Bhalerao Kambli, although having a very short screen space brings a huge smile to your face.

Story: Born to an owner of a marriage bureau Champak Lal (Manoj Joshi), Mansukh (Himesh Reshammiya) has been a complete failure ever since he has grown up and tried to help his father in their family business. All the alliances he had tried to get done have resulted in separation even before the marriage took place.

To prove his worth to his father, he takes up an unusual challenge of getting an underworld don TTT's (Mithun Chakraborty) sister Indu (Asin) getting married to a cop called Bahattar Singh aka Khiladi 786 (Akshay Kumar) in Punjab and to add more to his problems he convinces even don TTT to pretend as a cop but little did the over enthusiast know that Bahattar Singh, his father Sattar Singh (Raj Babbar) and his uncle Ikhattar Singh (Mukesh Rishi) were not cops but a family of con-men. The story takes a shape as the two hardcore families of two different states pretend to be policemen in front of each other and the beans from each side can be spilled anytime which can be life threatening for Mansukh.

The direction is poor The screenplay is erratic.

Performances: Akshay Kumar is very good.But still I found something missing in his act as compared to the act he did in Rowdy Rathore.Asin is dull.Himesh Reshammiya does not impress even an inch!He is horrible.

Raj Babbar,Mukesh Rishi,Rajesh Khattar,Manoj Joshi,Bharti Singh are all wasted.

All in all,Khiladi 786 is a terrible waste of terrific opportunity.I am giving it a three on ten.Colossal Disappointment!

Skyfall (2012)

Skyfall:Bond strikes a chord!Masterpiece!

[27 October 2012]

Skyfall directed by Sam Mendes is an awesome action movie! The movie,said to be the 23rd installment of the James Bond series is an entertaining movie! While in U.S the movie is scheduled to have a later release,but the movie was released yesterday in Bahrain and I was delighted to watch it.

Story: James Bond's (Daniel Craig) loyalty to M (Judi Dench) is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

The movie has some excellent performances,power-packed action sequences,awesome dialogs,breathtaking cinematography and water-tight screenplay.

The movie also has a shortcoming,that is its duration.The movie has several unwanted scenes,which add up to the length of the movie and makes it tiresome.

The direction is excellent.

The screenplay is excellent,although it does go erratic at times,but still manages to captivate you.

The dialogs are good,specially the ones delivered by Daniel Craig.

The action sequences are fantastic.

The cinematography is awesome.The locales of Istanbul,Shanghai,London and Macau are a treat to the eye.

Performances: Daniel Craig as Bond is super-awesome.Cant the forgot the way the people went berserk at his entry! Javier Bardem as Silva is outstanding.Judi Dench as M is efficient.Ralph Fiennes as Gareth Mallory is nice.Naomie Harris as Eve is average.Ben Whishaw has very little to do.Rory Kinnear is fine.

All in all,Skyfall is an excellent entertainer and an amazing installment to the James Bond series!I am giving it a nine on ten.Strongly Recommended!

Bol Bachchan (2012)

Abhishek Bachchan and Ajay Devgn rock,movie sucks!

[8 October 2012]

Bol Bachchan directed by Rohit Shetty is a tiresome movie.

The movie follows the same routine of Rohit Shetty movies:A plain story,some idiotic car chase sequences,ironic stunts and monotonous hamming by the actors.

Bol Bachchan does offer some laughs but they are far and between.Even the title track featuring Amitabh Bachchan along with the movie's lead actors is bland.

Story: Abbas Ali (Abhishek Bachchan) lives in Karol Bagh, New Delhi with his sister Sania(Asin Thottumkal). They are legally fighting for an ancestral property - land case. But the odds turn against them and they lose. Their well wisher, Shastri Chacha (Asrani), advises and convinces them to migrate to his village Ranakpur where he assures Abbas that he will get him a job at his owner's place. The owner being none other than the powerful Prithviraj Raghuvanshi(Ajay Devgn). Abbas enters Ranakpur village and while saving a child trapped inside a temple, he breaks open the lock of an ancestral temple but fate plays an important twist in Abbas' life as the whole village including Prithviraj's step-brother Vikrant opposes Abbas' actions but Prithviraj arrives and handles the situation. On being asked his name, Abbas's friend comes out with a fake name, as it would create a rage if villagers came to know that the lock of a temple had been broken by a Muslim. From here starts a series of cover-ups, goof-ups and comic situations where to cover one lie, Abbas starts padding up with a bigger lie telling people that he also has a twin brother with no mustache. From here on starts the Topsy-turvy journey of a single person acting as two different entities.

The saving grace of the movie is the performances of Abhishek Bachchan and Ajay Devgn.Abhishek Bachchan is awesome,although he gets over-the-top at times,he rocks!Ajay Devgn plays the role of Prithicraj Raghuvanshi with panache.His Hindi-translation English lines are humorous.

The direction is bad.

The music is fine.

The dialogs are excellent, especially the ones delivered by Ajay Devgn.

The action sequences are bland.

Performances: As mentioned above,Abhishek Bachchan and Ajay Devgn,are the only ones who manage to bring smile on your faces.The rest of the actors do not deserve a mention because they either just come in and say two-three dialogs(Prachi Desai and Asin) or start hamming(Asrani,Neeraj Vora,Krishna Abhishek and Archana Puran Singh).

All in all,Bol Bachchan is the same routine Rohit Shetty movie,which has got a bit more worse.I am giving it a three on ten.Watch at your own risk!

English Vinglish (2012)

English Vinglish:Sridevi is back,with a bang!

[6 October 2012]

English Vinglish directed by Gauri Shinde is an outstanding movie.

English Vinglish also marks the comeback of Sridevi,who plays the role of Shashi with bravura! Story: A belittled and insecure Indian housewife,Shashi (Sridevi) enrolls in an English language class.

The movie's only drawback is the slow pacing.But yet,first-time director Gauri Shinde does an excellent job in making this movie a delightful one.

The music is soothing.

The cinematography is top-notch.

The dialogs are well-worded The screenplay is water-tight.

Performances: Sridevi rocks as Shashi!I feel that her performance must earn an National Award.If not at least a Film-fare Award.Kudos to her! Amitabh Bachchan,although in a cameo steals the show.The whole theater went berserk when Amitabh Bachchan makes his appearance.His comic timing is superb!He truly rocks! Adil Hussain is efficient.Navika Kotia and Shivansh Kotia as the children,act well.

Cory Hibbs as David Fischer,Rajeev Ravindranathan as P.Ramamurthy,Ruth Aguilar as Eva,Damian Thompson as Udumbke and Sumeet Vyas as Salman Khan play their parts very well.Mehdi Nebbou as Laurent is good.

All in all,English Vinglish is a must-watch for everyone.I am giving it a nine out of ten.Strongly Recommended!If you miss it,its your loss!

The Expendables 2 (2012)

Expendables 2:Dumb story and Incredible Fun.

[31 August 2012]

Expendables 2 directed by Simon West and a sequel to the 2010's "The Expendables" is an excellent action movie.

Although it has a dumb story,but yet Simon West makes this dumb story a fun-filled journey.

Story: The Expendables are reunited when Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) enlists them to take on a seemingly simple job. When things go wrong, the Expendables are compelled to seek revenge in hostile territory, where the odds are stacked against them. Hell-bent on payback, the crew cuts a swath of destruction through opposing forces, wreaking havoc and shutting down an unexpected threat in the nick of time - five tons of weapons-grade plutonium, more than enough to change the balance of power in the world. But that's nothing compared to the justice they serve against the villainous adversary they seek revenge from.

Having actors like Sylvester Stallone,Arnold Schwarzenegger,Jason Statham,Jean-Claude Van Damme,Bruce Willis and Terry Crews,one expects Expendables 2 to have awesome action sequences and Expendables 2 lives up to more than your expectations,the action sequences are excellent.

The flaws of the movie are its story and Jet Li.The story could have been much better and I found Jet Li's character lacked meat.

The direction is marvelous.

Performances: Sylvester Stallone is excellent.Jason Statham excels.Dolph Lundgren is funny.Terry Crews is fine.Jean-Claude Van Damme is very good.Bruce Willis has very little to do.Nan Yu acts well.But it is Arnold Schwarzenegger who steals the show.Be it the scene when he comes in the tractor and utters "I am Back" or at the climax in the airport.He rocks! Liam Hemsworth and Jet Li hardly have any scope.

All in all,Expendables 2 is a fun movie with a dumb story.I am giving it a seven on ten.Highly Entertaining!

Ek Tha Tiger (2012)

Ek Tha Tiger:Salman Khan's most accomplished work.

[19 August 2012]

Ek Tha Tiger directed by Kabir Khan is Salman Khan's most accomplished work in recent times.

This one was much better than Salman Khan's previous works such as "Ready" and "Bodyguard".

Ek Tha Tiger has a slow first-half but a fast-paced and captivating second half.The movie also has amazing action sequences,beautiful locales and engaging soundtrack.

Story: A Trinity College scientist is suspected of selling missile technology secrets to Pakistan. The Indian government sends a secret agent, codenamed Tiger (Salman Khan), to find out about the professor's activities. Tiger falls in love with the professor's caretaker Zoya (Katrina Kaif) who is studying at a fictional dance academy located at TCD, and together they embark on a roller-coaster journey that takes them from Dublin to Istanbul and then to Cuba.

The movie has a decent story.

The direction by Kabir Khan is excellent.

The action sequences by Brahim Achabbakhe is amazing and gives a the movie a Holly wood touch.

The cinematography by Aseem Mishra is truly superb.The locales of Istanbul,Cuba and Dublin are a treat to the eye.

The music is very good."Mashallah","Banjaara" and "Laapata" stand out.

The background score by Julius Packiam is efficient.

Performances: Salman Khan is excellent as Tiger.Katrina Kaif does a good job after a long time.Girish Karnad is efficient.Ranvir Shorey is decent.Roshan Seth is fine.

All in all,Ek Tha Tiger is a must watch for fans of Salman because this the actor's most accomplished works in recent times.I am giving it a six on ten.

John Carter (2012)

Appealing effects,Appalling movie!

[8 August 2012]

John Carter directed by Andrew Stanton is a dull movie.

The effects are pretty awesome,but yet the movie suffers due to its lack of story,bad performances and its length.

Story: John Carter (Taylor Kitsch), a Civil War veteran who in 1868 was trying to live a normal life, is "asked" by the Army to join. But he refuses so he is locked up. He escapes and is pursued. Eventually they run into some Indians and there's a gunfight. Carter seeks refuge in a cave. While there he encounters someone who is holding some kind of medallion. When Carter touches it, he finds himself in a place where he can leap incredible heights, among other things. He later encounters beings he has never seen before. Later he meets a woman who helps him to discover that he is on Mars. And he learns there's some kind of unrest going on.

The story bears a little resemblance to that of Avatar.

The direction is poor.

The special effects are good.

The action sequences are excellent.

The cinematography is amazing.

Performances: Taylor Kitsch is below the mark.Lynn Collins is wasted.Samantha Morton is able.

All in all,John Cater is a bad watch.I am giving it a two on ten.Colossal Disappointment!