Tashan

“Dil Haara” finds Sukhwinder Singh making a come-back after his mega successful Dard e Disco and it is hard to find this song being half as popular as the former. Vishal-Shekhar's catchy rhythmical beat patterns along with enthralled chorals (“Ho-ha-ha”) should be complemented for promising a hot-spot racy track. The song may grow on you, but it's hardly something you would expect as the opening song in a movie with such great expectations.

The all four lead actors emotes out their way of “ Tashan ” where each of the main characters gets a 10 second dialogue in the form of “Pooja Ka Tashan” (Kareena Kapoor), “Jimmy Ka Tashan” (Saif Ali Khan), “Bachchan Pandey Ka Tashan” (Akshay Kumar) and “Bhaiyyaji Ka Tashan” (Anil Kapoor). It's a smart marketing move to materialize the hi-profile face value of bankable lead actors. They give an insight into the character but were better left in the movie only.

Movie: Race

Movie: Race

Producer: Kumar S Taurani, Ramesh S Taurani

Director: Abbas Mustan

Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Anil Kapoor, Akshaye Khanna, Bipasha Basu, Katrian Kaif

Music: Pritam Chakraborty

The true-blue connoisseurs of Bollywood thrillers, Abbas-Mustan are back with yet another spine-chilling escapade, ‘Race’. Hemmed with glitz, glam, style, suspense and everything else you can think of under the sun, ‘Race’ is saddled with the burden of humungous expectations. And it rightfully lives up to all hopes with Bollywood machos Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna and Anil Kapoor together with a bevy of beauties like Katrina Kaif, Bipasha Basu and Sameera Reddy putting up a fantastic show. And to add to all the fanfare are the spectacular locales, the incredible visuals, the captivating songs, the stirring chase, the modish styling and everything else that makes ‘Race’ a great affair.

‘Race’ can be very well placed among Abbas-Mustan’s best work so far after ‘Khiladi’ and ‘Baazigar’. As expected of any thrillers, ‘Race’ too binds you to the edges of your seats as constant string of unprecedented events unfurls themselves at a gap of every fifteen minutes. In fact, it’s like a steady salvo of unexpected twists and turns that leaves your mind choked with excitement.

And to add to all its pluses is the fact that ‘Race’ isn’t just any other flick that is high on style and no substance. In fact, it’s among the very best of the films that prove to be a money-spinner for both the makers and the audience.

Two half brothers, Ranvir (Saif Ali Khan) and Rajiv (Akshaye Khanna), are big money-players who run a stud farm in Durban, South Africa. They also possess the best of the thoroughbreds and are big names when it comes to horse racing. Ranvir (Saif Ali Khan) the elder of the two is known to be a very shrewd man. He is very violent, and is always on the move. His half brother Rajiv on the other hand is a slipshod, who idles his life away in alcohol.

Sophia (Katrina Kaif) is Ranvir’s personal assistant who dearly loves her boss, much to his ignorance. On the contrary he reads her affection and interest as her dedication and commitment to her calling. Shaina (Bipasha Basu) is an aspiring Indian model who fancies Ranvir who reciprocates the same towards her.

Shaina is hooked to Ranvir but ends up marrying Rajiv. When she finds out what a loser alcoholic she has married, her life is blown to smithereens. This troubles Ranvir too, who forgoes his love for the sake of his younger brother with the hope that after getting married to Shaina, Rajiv may abstain from alcohol.

But Rajiv continues with his wayward ways even after marriage and things starts get worse between the couple when Shaina who in one weak moment gets close to Ranvir. This looses the way to all the bottled up emotions between the two and soon after they enter into a love affair.

But when Rajiv comes to know of it, things blow out of proportion. This flings open the gateways to hell with murder, betrayal, lies, and deceit becoming the order of the day.

Saif Ali Khan puts his best foot with ‘Race’. He looks extremely stylish and has played his part convincingly. Akshaye Khanna proves his merit yet again with ‘Race’. He carries off, what is perhaps the most crucial and complicated role in the film, with great composure. Anil Kapoor, who hops his way in the mid-half of the film, adds to the comic relief of it. His dialogues may appear to be a bit crass but they are nevertheless entertaining.

Abbas-Mustan strikes a bull’s eye with ‘Race’ that falls nothing short of a well-etched thriller. Everything about the film is well thought and even better executed. With the A-lister’s to his credit supported by an able script, great music, jaw dropping scenes and spine-chilling actions and thrills, ‘Race’ has got the making of a successful commercial entertainer.

Full credit should be given to writer Shiraz Ahmed for coming up with such a gripping tale that not for once allows your attention to waver away. The film picks up momentum from the very opening scenes, pepping up its pace with the further proceedings.

The camerawork by Ravi Yadav deserves no less than kudos. The spectacular locales of Durban, Dubai and India add to the feel and magnificence of the flick.

Pritam once again scores with his breath-taking melodies. Nearly all the songs are brilliant and have been styled well. The stunts by Allan Amin are a treat for the senses. And Hussain Burmawala’s excellent work at the editor’s table makes the entire affair all the more tantalizing and appealing. And last but not the least. Full points to designer Anaita Shroff Adajania for adding to the X-factor of the flick.

To sum up, ‘Race’ makes for the ultimate watch over the weekend. A thrilling flick that is sure to give you a great time over a packet of popcorn. Don’t miss it!

Movie: Wacky 'Krazzy 4'

Movie: Wacky 'Krazzy 4'

Producer: Rakesh Roshan, Sunaina Roshan

Director: Jaideep Sen

Cast: Arshad Warsi, Irrfan Khan, Dia Mirza, Rajpal Yadav, Suresh Menon, Rajat Kapoor, Zakir Hussain, Juhi Chawla

Music: Rajesh Roshan

'Krazzy 4' is a refreshing if not riveting change from the risque-driven, innuendo-laden comedies that have recently infested our theatres.

Stand-up comedian Suresh Menon, playing one of four psychologically disturbed protagonists, utters barely one word in the film.

'Kidnap!' he stammers to tell his associates that the sweet doctor Juhi Chawla has been whisked away by baddies, who look like they could do with a spot of training in crime management.

'Krazzy 4' has a point to make under the barrage of burlesque. And it's all done in good spirit. Cinematographer Ajit Bhat shoots the streets and crowded places of Mumbai to signify the sense of freedom that the four heroes feel even in the claustrophobic atmosphere outside the confines of their world within stonewalls.

So who's the crazy one? The guy (Rajpal Yadav) who thinks we're still living in the era of Gandhian freedom fighters? Or the guy (Rajat Kapoor) who gets his sweet wife kidnapped for political gains?

Good question. And adeptly handled by debutant director Jaideep Sen. as long as the audience doesn't ask too many questions about the logistics of four men and a jalopy joyride into intrigue, adventure and crime.

Sen, with ample help from writer Ashwani Dheer, knows precisely which frontiers to open to ensure the comedy doesn't slip into farce. The initial scenes introducing the characters are well executed. And if the pace doesn't slacken it's because the actors wouldn't let it.

Each of the four main actors invests a certain something beyond the precincts of parody to their characters. Irrfan Khan as the literate cleanliness freak, Arshad Warsi as the inmate with an anger-management problem, Yadav caught in Gandhian time warp and Menon as the tongue-tied repressed vagrant, invest a definite direction to the wacky goings-on.

If you persuade cine buff to choose one from the foursome it would have to be Rajpal who's by now the maestro of mirthful maneuverings. Watch him give his patriotic mouthfuls to several scumbags in the plot. Rajpal brings the house down.

Agreed some of the plotting and narrative transitions lack finesse. But when have mainstream Hindi films been known for extravagant bouts of finesse?

The narrative packs in some seriously satirical and sensitive moments. Check out Arshad's scene with his prospective father-in-law - it's a superbly scripted encounter.

Or that isolated incident of pathos when the hygiene maniac Irrfan repositions the bindi on his wife's head.

Such moments, delicately drawn and deftly defined get drowned in the din of devilish merrymakers on a rampage.

'Krazzy 4' moves from one wacky adventure to another without sacrificing the sub-linear message on the definition of normal behavior in a social structure that has lost all its sense of proportion and is hurling into mayhem and anarchy.

Laughter is the only medicine. 'Krazzy 4' isn't quite the tonic for our wounded souls. But you can't help but giggle at the goings-on.

On the film's controversial item songs - Shah Rukh moves. Hrithik glides. And yes, Irrfan Khan tries to wipe Rakhi Sawant's tattoo clean in her item song.

That's where the laughter of the lewd is dispersed in the innocence of the 'mad'. 'Krazzy 4' isn't Milo’s Forman's 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest'.

Priyadarshan did that in 'Kyun Ki'.

Movie: 'U, Me Aur Hum'

Movie: 'U, Me Aur Hum' is a tender, tactile melodrama

Producer: Ajay Devgan

Director: Ajay Devgan

Cast: Ajay Devgan, Kajol, Karan Khanna, Isha Sharwani, Sumeet Raghavan, Divya Dutta, Mukesh Tiwari, Sachin Khedekar

Music: Vishal Bharadwaj

Nothing that Ajay Devgan has done in the past prepares us for the poise, poignancy and sensitivity of his directorial debut. 'U, Me Aur Hum' is one of those tender and tactile melodramas that leave you with minty thoughts and dewy eyes.

The heart is completely at the right place as Ajay, turning director with an élan that thumbs its nose gently at all those who scoff at his actioner's antecedents, tells the story of a husband whose gentle ministrations take his Alzheimer's stricken wife from her absentminded youth to blanked-out old age.

The journey gives us insights into the man-woman relationship and the intricate commitments of a marriage as seen through the eyes that go beyond the romance and excitement of courtship to an area where dark clouds gather over a relationship and threaten its annihilation.

The trick, says Ajay's soft but persuasive film, is to hold on, to value the things that make life worth living. There is an interesting reversal of the age-hold cinematic formula where the husband is looked after by the wife through rain and shine.

Ajay plays the caring husband who wins the feisty (if it's Kajol it cannot be any other way) waitress on a cruise that seems to go on and on and on.

Luckily, the narrative doesn't get 'see' sick. To be sure, the film could have avoided a prolonged courtship that tells us nothing more about life than what we don't already know in the first 15 minutes.

Ajay gets to the point halfway through. The narrative quickly comes to grips with the theme as the solemn doctor (Sachin Khadekar) announces the absent-mindedness, which has been stalking Pia for a while, is actually Alzheimer's.

The realization of the gravity of the illness, coming to terms with it and finally recognizing the reality of an unshakeable love and faith beyond the obvious hardships of a troubled compatibility.... these are themes that are given a surprisingly low key treatment by the first-time director.

Ajay's directorial specialty is the interweavement of the characters through some wittily and cleverly written dialogues (Ashwin Dheer), which always tell us more than what we hear.

The film's substantial emotional impact depends entirely on the performances, not just Ajay and Kjaol but their two sets of friends - Sumeet Raghavan and Divya Dutta as the constantly quarrelling divorce bound couple, and Karan Khanna and Isha Sharwani as the soon to be wed couple.

Sumeet is a special revelation. He's quiet and attentive in scenes that require him to be that.

But of course the chemistry between the lead players guides the destiny of this remarkable film. Kajol's powerhouse performance, punctuated and italicized by moments where she hungrily sinks her teeth into emotional depths seldom afforded to commercial actors, comes as no surprise.

However, her makeup sometimes gives her a caked look. Never mind. This is a film where we can easily look beyond the mask.

Ajay bowls you over. To find him measuring up to his wife's dizzying histrionics is an amazing experience. Jim Broadbent looking after his Alzheimer's-stricken wife Judi Drench in 'Iris' couldn't have done better.

One sequence in the restaurant where Ajay is required to give a long, bitter and ironical monologue on man's innate selfishness after he leaves his wife at a care centre will stand out among the sincerest expressions of the human ego seen in cinema.

Ajay's command over his craft and the language of heart take you by surprise.

Some of the sequences showing Kajol's mental blanking-out are so vivid they make your hairs stand on end. That nerve wracking moment when the mother nearly ends up drowning her baby in the bath tub or that poignant interlude when the husband leaves his wife at the hospital are so wonderfully devised and executed you wonder which came first: the thought to make a film on Alzheimer's or the characters who inhabit this dark yet uplifting theme.

The film has its flaws. It sometimes tries too hard to be trendily philosophical in its dialogues and ends up sounding phooey.

The pseudo-philosophical lyrics for the songs sound like cheap rip-offs of Gulzar. Also, the narrative doesn't seem to follow the linear path.

The back-and-forth editing pyrotechnics where key incidents are recreated in flashy flashbacks are distracting. However, Aseem Bajaj's cinematography does much to create a smooth homogenous look and mood for the narrative.

The film takes us through a world of love pain and acceptance with such transparent honesty of purpose that at the end of it you only wonder one thing... why can't more movies is like 'U, Me Aur Hum'?