Shikhar
December 31, 2005
If you subscribe to Gordon Gekko’s school of thought, it’s G for greed, mind you, not giraffe.
Ditto for Gaurav Gupta!
I am not sure which B-school this desi GG, as he is unimaginatively nicknamed in the movie, went to, but he’s sure seen Wall Street a lot many times.
Like the ambitious and ruthless protagonist of Oliver Stone’s 1987 drama, GG Boy also adheres to the ‘it’s all about bucks’ ideology.
Directed by John M Matthan, Shikhar is not nearly a flattering tribute. It borrows the essential structure of Wall Street while raising its own propaganda against the issue of deforestation at the hands of penny-pinching builders. Alas, what could have been a classic duel between avarice and virtue becomes an inconsistent battle of obstinacy with denseness.
If you subscribe to Gordon Gekko’s school of thought, it’s G for greed, mind you, not giraffe.
Ditto for Gaurav Gupta!
I am not sure which B-school this desi GG, as he is unimaginatively nicknamed in the movie, went to, but he’s sure seen Wall Street a lot many times.
Like the ambitious and ruthless protagonist of Oliver Stone’s 1987 drama, GG Boy also adheres to the ‘it’s all about bucks’ ideology.
Directed by John M Matthan, Shikhar is not nearly a flattering tribute. It borrows the essential structure of Wall Street while raising its own propaganda against the issue of deforestation at the hands of penny-pinching builders. Alas, what could have been a classic duel between avarice and virtue becomes an inconsistent battle of obstinacy with denseness.
How does that happen? I volunteer to tell. Let me guide you through ten simple steps to reach the pinnacle of disappointment, namely Shikhar.
Step 10: Undoubtedly, Matthan’s intentions are most honourable and relevant in today’s scenario. Sending out the message of environmental preservation, he emphasises on the need to curb down the cutting of trees to build multiplexes and townships, takes up the issue of homeless tribal folk duped into selling their land and the havoc in climatic conditions ever since the trees were shown the axe.
He tries to put his point across through the character of Guruji (introducing Jawed Sheikh), a wealthy industrialist turned modern day Robin Hood. He takes a voluntary retirement from his business, to run a charitable institution, Krishivan, which comprises an orphanage school, green houses, tissue culture laboratory and in-house medicine.
Noble? Very! Convincing? Hardly! Sheikh doesn’t have the required big screen magnetism to hold the viewer’s attention while he mouths his well-rehearsed lines. His expressions lack the range and drama Guruji’s role demand. As a result, his exerted sincerity pales out after a while.
Step 9: Matthan’s characters resemble a chessboard — either they are ebony black or sparkling white. There are no shades of grey, blue or purple in anybody.
Shikhar in pictures
Shikhar’s funda is: If you wear simple, half sleeved shirts, you are holier than thou. The minute you change into colourful clothing, you are corrupt.
Step 8: As Guruji’s misled son Jaidev Vardhan, Shahid Kapur just doesn’t fit the bill. Shahid has played an uppity city boy in so many films that his discomfort at being dragged into smoky nightclubs or in the company of scantily clad ladies seems completely phoney.
To his credit, Shahid is never short of spontaneity and youthful exuberance.
Step 7: All this time, the viewer is subjected to a salwar-kameez or sari clad Madhavi (Amrita Rao) — Jaidev’s childhood pal romping about in the sugarcane fields. And why not? She is playing a simple girl after all, as opposed to the gold-digger super model, Natasha (Bipasha Basu).
Natasha does the same singing-dancing routine in the stuffy confines of a discotheque.
When Madhavi travels abroad with Jaidev and troupe (Sushant Singh and Farah) to get a crash course in tissue culture from Thailand, her luggage apparently gets left behind. It is informed her sari-filled suitcase will reach in three days. That, conveniently enough, never happens.
Instead, Madhavi coyly parades in tube tops, spaghetti straps and halter neck dresses. Now the hypocrisy of it all is that if the director wanted to insert glamour, despite the presence of Bips, why pull out a lame excuse like jaisa desh waisa bhes (dress like the locals of a country)? If that was the case, couldn’t Madhavi simply insist on a regular tee and jeans?
Step 6: Ajay Devgan! His ultra colourful wardrobe by Anna Singh evokes cringe, cringe and more cringe. As if copper-bronze streaks in his hair weren’t hindrance enough, he goes a step further sporting flimsy fuchsia pinks and gaudy emerald greens.
Devgan’s GG is supposed to be a money obsessed business magnet, who wont stop at anything. Self-centred to the core, he will use every relationship in his life to achieve his sole goal — GG City. Even though he gets to utter some of the neatest lines in the film, one would have thought he’d lend his part furious doses of charisma and white-collar cold-bloodedness as seen in Ram Gopal Varma’s Company. Horrifyingly enough, Devgan plays it with the air of a college canteen bully with a pig-headed motto. Gordon Gekko would be appalled!
Step 5: What’s so funny about a guy speaking in chaste Hindi? Not everyone can carry off Dharmendra’s endearing Pyaare Mohan and his penchant to speak shudh Hindi. Sushant Singh as Bhajan Lal is one of Shikhar’s miserable comic tracks that fails to tickle.
Step 4: Anybody got a pair of scissors? Slow from the word go, Shikhar could do with King Kong-sized editing. In addition, there are endless boring songs to add to your woes. Those few occasions when the pace of the film finally gathers momentum, things are brought to a standstill by inserting yet another elaborate dreary number.
Step 3: The greed versus conscience conflict theme has featured in many films like Shree 420, Trishul, Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman and Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai. Shikhar too follows the same route — first the lure, then the trap, followed by the realisation and redemption and finally, its payback time.
The predictable nature coupled with the easy solutions the climax offers is entertaining in the least. Things fall too idealistically in place for an issue so complex in nature. By the end, Matthan has taken too much time to convey his story and too many cinematic liberties to let the proceedings meet its course.
Step 2: After a spectacular debut in Sarfarosh, expectations were high from Matthan. Even more so, because it had been six years since he came out with his next. Six years is a long period. Sadly, a strictly okay film like Shikhar doesn’t justify the wait. It is unbearable to settle for mediocre fare from someone who has formerly proved his mettle as an intelligent filmmaker.
Step 1: Shikhar tries to impersonate a lot of ideas. It tries to preach. It tries to showcase the glamorous side of darkness. It oscillates crazily between the essence of Swades and Page 3. The final mishmash is neither realistic nor stylish.
Ultimately, all you are left with are a handful of poignant moments and a morsel of food for thought. The truth is good intentions do not make a movie. Execution does.
Bollywood Babe Perizaad eyes the mainstream
December 31, 2005
Bollywood actor Perizaad Zorabian is a woman of many parts. She is a trained ballad dancer, she holds a Masters degree in Business Administration, she has been a successful model and now she owns a restaurant. But having dabbled in so many diverse fields, it is acting she finally wants to settle for. “I had never planned to become an actor. But once Nagesh Kukunoor’s Bollywood Calling happened to me, there was no looking back,” she says. Perizaad received critical acclaim for her performance in Bollywood Calling. Since then she has established a niche for herself in the world of off-beat and experimental cinema by working in films such as Jogger’s Park and Mumbai Matinee. Her recent film, Mahesh Dattani’s Morning Raga is in the race for nomination in the ”best foreign film category” of the 78th Academy awards. “Only 200 movies are considered for nominations in this category from world over. To reach this stage is a great feeling. We are already celebrating,” she says. Her forte into experimental cinema continues with her next release, Bappaditya Bandopadhyay’s Devaki. “I play Nandini in the film. She is an urban youth who is looked upto by the other characters in the film as apparently she is a very talented woman with many qualities. But the complexities within her come to the fore as the movie unfolds,” she says. Supporting the present trend of more filmmakers trying to make off beat or parallel films, she says, “It is true that films like Garam Masala have a larger market in India but serious cinema also has its share of buyers.” Perizaad’s secret behind her preference for serious cinema is revealed when she informs that she idolises Shabana Azmi. “I would love to become the person Shabanaji is. She balances her acting career, her social commitments and her family so well. I love her,” she says. Though the ever smiling actor has created a name for herself in the world of off beat cinema, she is not averse to working in hardcore commercial movies. “I dont know why I have not done many commercial films. Nobody gives me a chance. May be the success of Ek Ajnabi would change things,” she says. “I would love to work with all Bollywood giants such as Yash Chopra and Ram Gopal Varma,” she says. Adding that her training in dance is also going unused, she says, “I am a trained dancer and no one offers me roles where I can dance.” Perizaad has an impressive line up of films coming up in the year 2006. After Devaki, her next release is is a thriller Highway203 with Kay Kay Menon. She will also be seen in Nikhil Advani’s next venture Salaam e Ishq and Moonlight with Shekhar Suman as the male lead. Despite her success, Perizaad says that she does not plan for the future. “There is no plan or strategy for success. I take things as they come,” she says. But she wants the year 2006 to be more stable and settled than 2005. “I am planning to start meditating. This coming year, I want more therav (stability) in my life. I want to take better care of myself and enjoy my work even more,” she says.
Black among the Top 10 movies in Times magazine listing
December 31, 2005
Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Black starring Amitabh Bachchan and Rani Mukherjee has been selected as one of the world’s 10 best movies of 2005 by Time magazine. An unofficial remake of the 1962 US film The Miracle Worker, Bhansali’s Black has been placed at the fifth position by the magazine which put Germany’s The White Diamond and Grizzy Man at the top. “This is an unusual film for India: no songs, a running time under two hours, and most dialogues in English, yet it became a box office hit. It could also be a test for western audiences unused to the fever pitch of Indian melodrama; they may need a warning label— Caution: extreme sentiment (may be contagious),’’ the magazine said. “Everyone else can dive right into the bathos and savour the brave, passionate performances of Amitabh, who harnesses gravity and humour to his magisterial machismo in what may be his greatest role and the two Michells … who revere and adore their teacher as the one man who matters. ‘‘In so many Indian films the deepest searches are for romantic ecstasy and for reconciliation with the father figure. By addressing both these needs, Black is more than a noble weepie; it is the ultimate Bollywood love story,’’ the magazine said.
Bollywood Babe Kareena upset over Amrita?
December 30, 2005
Shahid and Amrita is seen together all the time these days. And the words from Shahid and Amrita point towards a secret love of passion and feeling for each other.
Sweet and sexy actress Amrita Rao, who does not believe in flaunting body, says that it’s true that they share good vibes and that’s why their films are doing fairly well on the box office. Shahid and her are very much in demand as a pair. Today Shahid and her make a hit pair.
The rumor zones in Bollywood is full of whisper – Kareena is real upset on Amrita?
Bollywood Babe Tanisha was hesitant to kiss Uday Chopra
December 30, 2005
Something strange happened that is not normally scene on the big screen. Kajol’s sister was very hesitant kissing Uday Chopra in Neal ”N” Nikki. But the moment they touched each other and smooched once, all hell went lose. They kissed and kissed – they fell for each other.
Tanisha reveals her side of the story. “I didn”t count the number of times I had to kiss Uday but kisses, hugs and western clothes were requirement of the script. I am playing the character of a modern girl and even you will be surprised to know that at one point of time in the film Aditya asks me if I supply girls to men. The story is projecting an advanced culture and if it demands me to do certain things, how can you expect me to be covered from top to bottom? How can I be unromantic on unglamorous when the whole film is based on youthful romance and love equations,” retorts the actress.
Sexy Bollywood Babes in 2005
December 30, 2005
Bollywood seemed obsessed with sex and sleaze in 2005 but the flirtation rebounded, with the dozen-odd movies of this genre fading out without a whimper.
It started with actress-turned-director Pooja Bhatt’s Rog starring Irrfan Khan and South African model Ilene Hamann. A murder mystery, the film was a mixture of sleaze and suspense. Bhatt has been pushing the envelope ever since she ventured into direction with Paap in 2003 and tried the same formula in her second film. Unfortunately, neither box office nor audience enjoyed watching steamy scenes on screen.
After Rog, a slew of unimpressive films hit the marquee and one of them was debutante director Leena Yadav’s much talked about Shabd. It revolved around a prize-winning author, played by Sanjay Dutt, facing a writer’s block after the failure of his second novel. Aishwarya Rai played his wife Antara and Zayed Khan her lover. Certainly, Yadav chose an unconventional theme for her maiden venture but failed to convert a viable script into a convincing film. It had nothing to talk about except a few sexually explicit scenes featuring Sanjay and Aishwarya.
Directors looking for instant fame forget that sex doesn”t guarantee box office success – a good script, good craftsmanship and up to the mark performances are a must for a film’s success. Filmmaker Vinta Nanda says: “Basic criterion for the success of a film is a good story and there is an appetite for good films. Last year from Black to Page 3, Khamosh Pani to my film White Noise were appreciated by the audience. “There is a certain mindset in Bollywood that thinks people will come to see sex films. But such films work only in B and C grade centres.” The list of box office casualties is long. Neha Dhupia, who seemed to believe that exposure was a sure means to success, had to face twin disappointments this year. Two of her films, Sheesha and Siskiyan which had elements of titillation failed to lure audience and bombed miserably.
One reason for the audience’s lack of interest may be too many such films. Perhaps the year’s most sensational release – Vinod Pande’s Sins – a film about forbidden love between a Catholic priest and a disciple – blew the lid off sexual inhibitions in Indian cinema but failed to pull the crowds. Producer-director Mahesh Bhatt, arguably one of the most prolific filmmakers in Bollywood, has become a front-bench loyalist and tries to provide the audience instant gratification through his films. He uses sex and sleaze as publicity gimmicks to promote his films. And to market his thriller Nazar he deliberately blew lip-locking scenes between Pakistani actress Meera and Ashmit Patel out of proportion.
As anticipated, it annoyed Pakistani fundamentalists. Bhatt ignored the box office verdict – poor – and churned out another cheesy film called Kasak with Meera and Lucky Ali. That too fell flat. Even Rituparno Ghosh’s Antarmahal was full of intimate scenes that made a few conventionalist eyebrows rise. In fact, some critics lashed out at Ghosh and even labelled him a porn-filmmaker. But actor-turned-director Deepak Tijori, who startled filmdom with his sexually explicit films Oops! and Khamosh, seems to have learnt from his past mistakes and has moved on to comedy.
He says: “The success of a genre depends upon the audience’s liking. At this point of time comedy is working and double meaning dialogues are titillating people. Also, films with two-three heroes are doing well at the box office.” Films sans sex or nudity did well at box office this year. But there are a few stubborn filmmakers who still refused to accept that verdict. Writer-director TLV Prasad falls in this category.
His film Mazaa-Mazaa, as the title suggests, had ample room for skin show. Payal Rohatgi exposed her anatomy without any inhibitions. But the audience was fed up with such films and dismissed it. Other films in the list were Kaya, Chehra, Bach Ke Rehna Re Baba, Fareb, Chetna-The Excitement and Kasak. All in all, the box office remained unresponsive to filmmakers who were under the notion skin show helps sell.
Bollywood Babe Bipasha and John to get married soon
December 30, 2005
Bips and John are in deep love. They share their time everywhere. But Bips is eager to settler on John. So is John with Bips. The rumor zone has it that in 2006 John and Bips will tie the knot.
No way says sources close to Bips. Bips is eager to move ahead in her career. She is not eager to settle for any one – she look for a career never seen before. John on the other hand is eager to have Bips happy!
Bollywood babe Amrita Arora dating someone?
December 30, 2005
Amrita Arora is happy these days. Sources say she has a secret boyfriend. They see each other in total secrecy and very few if any know about this person.
According to some blog sites in the Internet, this mysterious boyfriend of Amrita is also from Bollywood and is a real male bombshell.
Anjaane
December 30, 2005
What is the Unknown? Who are the Anjaane? When it is totally unpredictable, it becomes Anjaane – The Unknown!
There was a time around a couple of years back when horror dramas were in a vogue. And now comes debutant director HARRYY W. FERNAANDES’s ‘Anjaane’ that is also written by him. Harryy has earlier worked as an Assistant Director with Lawrence D’Souza in number of flicks and has now gone independent with ‘Anjaane’. Produced by Dr. ANIL MEHTA who has earlier produced Jimmy Shergill starrer ‘Jahan Tum Le Chalo’, ‘Anjaane’ stars Manisha Koirala, Sanjay Kapoor and Tejaswini Kolhapure in principal roles along with Helen, Daisy Irani, Ranjeeta and kids Baby Tanwi Gouri Mehta and Master Anand Mehta.
‘Anjaane’ has one element that runs throughout its narration – UNPREDICTABILITY. Nothing seems to be predictable in this tale that has everything from relationships to emotions to horror and suspense.
Shivani [Manisha Koirala] and Aditya [Sanjay Kapoor] are happily married and have been having a great time with their 2 children – Baby Tanwi Gouri Mehta and Master Anand Mehta. They live in a big mansion and nothing seems to have the power to create a drift in this small and happy family.
But then there are certain happenings in the surroundings that create a certain suspense! And then there certain happenings in the surroundings that have horror all around!
What creates this horror? And what is the suspense? Who knows about this?
Only the UNKNOWNS – Anjaane!
Shivani is confident that there is nothing that can snatch her children away from her. She loves them more than her life and shares an eternal relationship with her family. But someone somewhere is out there who threatens to do the unthinkable. And no, it is not someone who is ‘anjaan’!
She is Sonia, who snatches away Aditya from Shivani. And now it’s just the three of them in a lonely mansion – Shivani and her two young kids.
Brave as she is, Shivani vows to protect her children from any mishap whatsoever, come what may! For this she is ready to put anything at stake, even if it means endangering her own life!
But there is a mishap waiting to happen! A horror story that is about to knock her doors! A suspense that builds up in her surroundings…and now her life. To make matters more intriguing, there is introduction of an entity in her life – Nandu.
Nandu, who is ‘Anjaan’ to everyone….and a mystery!
And this is where the unthinkable happens! Something which is simply unpredictable! Something that is simply unforgettable!
Lots of questions. No forthcoming answers. Who is Shivani? Who is Nandu? Has Aditya completely drifted apart from his family? Will he leave his wife to struggle in isolation? Will he let his children to face all the horror? Will Shivani and Aditya together face the unknown entity in the times of DO or DIE?
Will they be able to defeat ANJAANE?
Rang De Basanti – Let’s revisit India
December 30, 2005
What does one expect from a movie that has a title that goes as ‘Rang De Basanti’? Which genre would it belong to? Chances are that it may turn out to be yet another patriotic flick belonging to pre-independence era. With Aamir Khan in the lead, who has two period films ‘Lagaan’ and ‘Mangal Pandey’ to his credit, one half expected ‘Rang De Basanti’ too belonging to the same genre.
Well, there is a surprise in store for those who have been keenly awaiting the release of the movie as ‘Rang De Basanti’ is quite contemporary and belongs to Generation X. Yes, there is an undercurrent patriotic theme but that is also coupled with a social message that is narrated in an unconventional manner by director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, who had earlier debuted with a daringly different ‘Aks’ [Amitabh Bachchan, Manoj Bajpai].
How much do we know about our roots? What kind of awareness do we have about our culture? Do we have all the knowledge about our past? Are we truly aware about our freedom struggle? Or are we just staring from the peripherals?
These are just some of the questions that director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra raises and forces you to think about while you watch the movie. But then a subject like this could just turn into a documentary and hence Mehra presents this in a contemporary manner with a fine mix of experienced and young starcast that gives it a good commercial edge. Unlike some of the recent flicks where Aamir Khan has held center stage from first to last frame, ‘Rang De Basanti’ has a host of characters that play important part in the narrative.
Aamir Khan plays DJ in the film. DJ is a young man who continues to hang around in the University from where he has already passed out 5 years back! Reason? He feels its great to be a part of the University and have a great time with his University mates rather than facing the outer world as it hardly excites him. Other people in this group of youngsters are Karan [Sidharth Suryanarayan], Aslam [Kunal Kapoor], Sukhi [Sharman Joshi], Laxman Pandey [Atul Kulkarni] and last but not the least Sonia [Soha Ali Khan], who loves to hang around inspite of being the lone girl in the group.
Each of the people in the group has an identity of their own and has a different tale to tell. Karan is a man who is emotionally cut-off from his rich family, Aslam is a middle class boy from Chandni Chowk who has a stable mind and thinks hard before he acts. Large part of this comes from the fact that he is intellectually oriented and hence thinks differently. To add to this, he is also a poet and a writer with a rational outlook towards things.
Sukhi, as the name suggests, is a happy-go-lucky boy with only one interest in life – girls, girls and more girls. A young kid with an innocent heart, he is the most loved boy in the entire group. Sonia is a tomboy who loves to be a part of the group and is meanwhile engaged to an air pilot Ajay [Madhavan]. But then it’s not just fun’frolic all the time in the group as there is also a man who is a fundamentalist and has a vision to change the world. His tool? Politics. He looks at the brighter side of politics and strongly believes that if used correctly, politics has all the power one may want to make things better!
Life is as usual for each of them when Sue [Alice Pattern] enters their life. She is a young British film maker who intends to make a film about Indian freedom fighters. Her eyes are especially set on people like Bhagat Singh and Chandrashekhar Azad and how they contributed towards India eventually getting freedom. She looks at the group to act the parts in the documentary film she is making.
But does the buck stop at just the creation of the film? Or does it do something to all the protagonists in the movie?
Is patriotism and spirit of changing the world only restricted to the history books and philosophy of life? Or is it something that should be an intrinsic part of our own self?
Because soon the youngsters start realizing the value of not just the freedom struggle but even our culture, custom, rituals and how everything is still holding on inspite of the times in which we live in. Their journey takes them to Punjab and they start discovering things are in stark contrast to their metropolitan life.
Because these are some things that are unseen, unheard of, unrealized by the current generation.
And this is when different colors come to fore in ‘Rang De Basanti’……
A unique tale told in an unconventional narration by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, ‘Rang De Basanti’ is a film by UTV banner that arrives on 20th January.
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