No entry-Movie Review

By Taran Adarsh, August 26, 2005


Let's clear the misconception at the very outset!
NO ENTRY is not even remotely similar to last year's MASTI or the Hollywood flick THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH, as being widely speculated. The only similarity is that both MASTI and NO ENTRY talk about men wanting to have their share of fun outside marriage. And since the issue of extra-marital affairs is treated humorously in the two films, there's a possibility that people might draw parallels.
Having cleared the misconception, let's get into the analyzing mode.
When the writer of several successful laughathons decides to direct a laughathon himself, expect nothing but the best. Director Anees Bazmee, who has tackled romance [PYAAR TO HONA HI THA] and thriller [DEEWANGEE] with flourish, besides writing a number of David Dhawan flicks, now attempts a comic caper that drives you nuts.
In spirit, NO ENTRY is akin to David Dhawan movies. The mantra is very clear: Garnish light moments with spice [sex], gloss [fabulous locales] and hip-swinging music. Concentrate on gags and punches. Throw logic to the winds. Pack a number of stars in the enterprise. Presto! The recipe for a paisa vasool entertainer is ready.

So does Bazmee get it right? Does NO ENTRY emerge as a paisa vasool entertainer? The answer to both the questions is a big 'Yes'. NO ENTRY is a joyride that's sure to send the moviegoers into raptures. NO ENTRY also works because it does not pretend to be something that it's not. The sole idea is to entertain and NO ENTRY delivers what it promises.
Having said that, let's add that when you saunter into a movieplex screening MUJHSE SHAADI KAROGI, HULCHUL, MAINE PYAAR KYUN KIYA and now NO ENTRY, leave your brains behind, don't wear your thinking caps and forget what the term 'logic' means. If you follow the rules, you'd relish NO ENTRY from start to end.

In a nutshell, MUNNABHAI M.B.B.S., MUJHSE SHAADI KAROGI, HULCHUL, KYAA KOOL HAI HUM and MAINE PYAAR KYUN KIYA regaled viewers and also struck gold at the box-office. Now add NO ENTRY to this illustrious list!

NO ENTRY is the story of three men:
Kishen [Anil Kapoor] -- the married man.
Sunny [Fardeen Khan] -- the bachelor.
Prem [Salman Khan] -- the 'married bachelor'.

While the faithful Kishen has a suspicious Kaajal [Lara Dutta] as his wife, playboy Prem has a trusting wife Pooja [Esha Deol]. And then there is Sunny's to-be wife Sanjana [Celina Jaitley], who is a bit of both.
Trouble brews when Prem decides to make Kishen taste the 'forbidden fruit' that he loves so much. This 'forbidden fruit' is the sultry siren Bobby [Bipasha Basu], who walks into the lives of them all, leading to chaos, craziness, commotion and crisis.
Who is Bobby, who manages to turn their lives topsy-turvy? Astonishingly, each one has a different answer to this question. Kishen dupes Kaajal into believing that Bobby is Sunny's wife. Sunny tricks Sanjana into believing that Bobby is Kishen's wife. That's when the trouble begins!

Comedy is serious business. To make people laugh requires not just the right lines and situations, but the right kind of actors as well. Their comic timing has to be immaculate, or else the jokes would simply fall flat. NO ENTRY has it all and as a result, it works well!

Although the film defies logic, Anees Bazmee must be credited for coming up with a compelling script. Everything is well explained right at the outset and the reasons that prompt Anil Kapoor to cheat on his wife is convincingly told.

A number of sequences stand out in the first hour:
• Lara's suspicious nature, first involving her maid and then at the shopping mall, when she spots Anil's car.
• The sequence with the astrologer [Razzaq Khan], involving the two couples -- Anil-Lara and Salman-Esha.
• Fardeen's 'suicide point' [cliff] sequence.
But it's the post-interval portions that bring the house down:
• The entire marriage sequence [Fardeen-Celina].
• The sequence at the Mauritius resort. A lengthy sequence, but the most hysterical part of the enterprise.
• The climax at the 'suicide point' [cliff] again.
But, from the writing point of view, there are some loose ends as well. The Boman Irani track looks completely forced in the narrative. Even the sequence in the second half, when he bumps into Salman in a hotel, was just not required.

Besides, the film could've done with a much better musical score. Not that the songs are mediocre, but how you wish you'd carry the songs on your lips like the comic sequences in your mind, after the screening has concluded. The film can also do with some trimming in both the halves. Ideally, a 10-15 minute scissoring would only spruce up the proceedings.

Directorially, Bazmee exhibits his versatility with NO ENTRY. This is the first time he has handled comedy [as a director] and not once does it look that he has stepped into a new territory. The execution of comic portions is the mainstay of the enterprise without doubt.

Cinematography [Ashok Mehta] is splendid. Every frame is of the picture postcard quality, reaffirming the fact that Mehta is the best in the business. Anu Malik's music is alright. From the filming point of view, the title track [choreographer: Raju Sundaram] and 'Just Love Me' [choreographer: Vaibhavi Merchant] stand out due to the picturizations. Dialogues are witty and in sync with the mood of the film.

NO ENTRY boasts of a galaxy of stars, but the ones who stand out are Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Bipasha Basu and Lara Dutta -- in that order. Salman is excellent throughout, but it's his work in the climax that takes the graph of the film to an all-time high. However, he is missing for a substantial part in the post-interval portions.
If you saw Anil Kapoor in a serious role last week, watch him in one of the craziest roles ever in NO ENTRY. But despite an excellent performance, watching Anil in almost every frame of the film may not appeal to everyone. Bipasha Basu has never looked so hot, so inviting. But it's not about the looks, but talent and Bipasha scores on that front as well. Lara Dutta springs a surprise, essaying the role of a suspicious woman to perfection. Truly, this is one of her most uninhibited works!
Fardeen Khan comes into form in the post-interval portions, when the story focuses on Anil and Fardeen mainly. And the actor leaves a strong impression in the resort sequence. Ditto for Celina Jaitley, whom you start liking only towards the second half. Her skin show in 'Ishq Mein' will send the guys drooling. Esha Deol is relegated to the backseat. She gets a chance only in the final scene [when Salman apologizes to her] and she makes full use of it.
Boman Irani is wasted. Pratima Kazmi suits the ferocious part well. Paresh Ganatra, the guy enacting the role of Bipasha's lover, is fantastic. Sameera Reddy makes a surprise appearance towards the end and looks alluring.

On the whole, NO ENTRY is a joyride that is bound to click with the masses in a big way. At the box-office, NO ENTRY has all it takes to prove a success story on account of its massive star cast and excellent comedy it has to offer. Go have fun!

Maine pyaar kyun kiya-Movie Review

By Taran Adarsh, July 15, 2005

With MUJHSE SHAADI KAROGI, David Dhawan decided to turn a new leaf. He decided to reinvent the formula that was the hallmark of his movies for almost two decades. MUJHSE SHAADI KAROGI looked more colorful, it had style and attitude, the actors were made to look ultra-glamorous, the packaging was just perfect.
The essence of David Dhawan films, however, continued to remain the same: Entertainment, minus double-entendres.

Riding high on the success of MUJHSE SHAADI KAROGI, DD now attempts yet another light entertainer that is targeted at the common man, with tremendous appeal not just for the youth but also for the family audiences. Like all DD films, MAINE PYAAR KYUN KIYA throws logic to the winds. So, when you saunter into a movieplex screening MAINE PYAAR KYUN KIYA, make sure you leave your thinking caps back at home.

Love triangles have always fascinated DD and MAINE PYAAR KYUN KIYA is no exception. This one also revolves around two women falling in love with one man, but it borrows heavily from a hit Broadway play, which director Gene Saks adapted brilliantly on the big screen and called it CACTUS FLOWER [1969; starring Walter Matthau, Goldie Hawn, Ingrid Bergman].
MAINE PYAAR KYUN KIYA is high on substance and more importantly, very high on entertainment. You expect to watch a breezy entertainer in those 2.15 hours, a film that doesn't test your intelligence and sure, the film lives up to the expectations.
Comedy is serious business. The moviegoer has to laugh at the right places and situations and DD has mastered the art over and over again. In a nutshell, MAINE PYAAR KYUN KIYA is a chill pill, a film that puts a smile on your face and yes, paisa vasool entertainment at its best!

There's no doctor like Samir [Salman Khan]. He mends broken bones, but there's no remedy for the hearts he breaks. That's because this orthopaedic surgeon just can't resist women. Neither can women stay away from this charming casanova.
But there's one exception: His work-obsessed, dutiful nurse Naina [Sushmita Sen].
She has no life except the doctor's clinic and she's always busy making sure that the doctor keeps his appointments with his many patients and his as many girlfriends.
To make sure none of his affairs become serious, Dr. Samir has one instant cure. He tells all his besotted girlfriends that he is already married. Most of them swallow this bitter dose and leave him alone.
But there's one exception: His latest love Sonia [Katrina Kaif]. She is beautiful, bright and sensitive. Samir is finally in love and tells her he wants to marry her. But she has one condition: She will marry him only after she has met his wife!

Now Samir is stuck. Because he has no wife!
David Dhawan keeps the interests of the masses in mind and that's pretty evident this time as well. For any light entertainer to strike a chord, it ought to be laced with gags and punches and most importantly, actors who can carry off the characters with ?n. MAINE PYAAR KYUN KIYA has enough rib-tickling moments that can really drive you nuts and the pacing is so fast generally, it doesn't leave room for the moviegoer to blink an eyelid.

Himesh Reshammiya's music is in keeping with the mood of the film. 'Just Chill', 'Laga Prem Rog' and 'Dil Di Nazar' are peppy numbers that have been promoted extensively and also look good on screen. The choreography of 'Just Chill' and 'Laga Prem Rog' in particular is very energetic. The film bears a striking look throughout, courtesy Vikas Shivraman's cinematography. A film of this genre relies heavily on wit and humor and the repartees/witty retorts [dialogues: Sanjay Chhel] are superb.

MAINE PYAAR KYUN KIYA is a Salman Khan film all the way. The good looking actor has specialized at aimed-at-gallery roles and his performance plus charisma is what makes the goings-on so pleasurable. Besides, the terrific rapport that DD and Salman share translates beautifully on the big screen.
Sohail Khan is back and how! MAINE PYAAR KYUN KIYA showcases the youngest Khan's talent to the optimum and as the nosey Pyaare, he is truly pyaara. He tends to go over the top at places, but that's what the film demands! Sushmita Sen is so perfect, so natural and yes, eye-candy for those looking for the glamour quotient. Katrina Kaif is a complete revelation. The pretty lass, who showed improvement in SARKAR two weeks ago, finally gets the right role to showcase her talent.
To make his lie true, Samir has to tell one more lie. Then another. And yet another Helping Samir cover the truth with his lies is the reluctant but loyal Naina. Helping Sonia discover the truth behind the lies is her besotted neighbor Pyaare [Sohail Khan].

Into this jamboree drops Samir's mom [Bina Kak], who slaps before speaking and Samir's best friend Vicky [Arshad Warsi] and his fake patient Thapa [Rajpal Yadav], who have their own lies to protect.

DD has always chosen actors who've a flair for comedy, their timing is bang-on and MAINE PYAAR KYUN KIYA gets it right in that department. The Salman-DD magic, starting with JUDWAA, right till MUJHSE SHAADI KAROGI, is on display in MAINE PYAAR KYUN KIYA as well. Sushmita, Sohail, Katrina, Arshad, Bina Kak everyone lets their hair down and combine their energies for this joyride.

A love triangle is a much-used-and-abused genre in Bollywood, but DD and screenplay writer Rumi Jafry rise to the occasion to assure you laughter unlimited. A few sequences involving Salman, Katrina and Sohail as well as those involving Salman, Sush and Arshad are truly hilarious.

But that doesn't mean that the film is devoid of loose ends. The post-interval portions are very lengthy and the promise evident in the first half gets diluted in the next one hour. Also, the pace slackens in the post-interval portions. The editor could've used the scissors far more judiciously and trimming the film would've only helped. Even the writing in the second half could've been better!

Arshad Warsi is a major force to reckon with when it comes to comic roles and under DD's direction, the actor explodes big time. He is simply superb! Isha Koppikar gets no scope. Rajpal Yadav isn't in form this time. Bina Kak, as Salman's brash mother, is another actor to watch. She excels! Arbaaz Khan is there for just one scene in the penultimate reel.

On the whole, MAINE PYAAR KYUN KIYA is a breezy entertainer that will keep the viewers smiling, which in turn will make its distributors laugh all the way to the bank!

Lucky-Movie Review

By Taran Adarsh, April 8, 2005

You tend to expect the moon when a keenly-anticipated film hits the marquee. And if the film is produced by an actor's production outfit, with the leading music company as partners, the expectations are enormous, gargantuan, gigantic.

LUCKY, directed by debutante Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru, is amongst those films that is expected to bail the film industry out of its crisis. With millions invested in the enterprise, a lot is at stake for sure.

LUCKY has its share of plusses and minuses.

You do encounter roadblocks as you embark on the journey called LUCKY, but despite the obstacles [in the first half specifically], the final outcome is fulfilling enough.

Mercifully, LUCKY works primarily because of four factors -

· Breath-taking locales of Russia. The film makes a tremendous visual impact.

· Adnan Sami's music. The mellifluous tunes linger in your thoughts even after the show has concluded.

· Fresh pairing. The on-screen chemistry between Salman Khan and Sneha Ullal is endearing.

· Vibrant action [Mahendra Verma, Sergei, Oleg]. You really don't mind the gun-shots and blasts, for a change!

Most importantly, LUCKY heralds the arrival of two talented names - Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru. Yes, the duo falter in the writing department [the screenplay could've been taut and the dialogues classier], but the impact they create in the post-interval portions deserves praise.

Set against the romantic and majestic backdrop of St. Petersburg, LUCKY is a tale of love that brings together two people who probably wouldn't have met if not destined.

Lucky [Sneha Ullal] is the quintessential dreamer - soft, beautiful and gentle. Her one big belief is that if you search from the bottom of your heart, you will find not just the rainbow, but also the crock of gold at the end of the rainbow.

One fine morning Lucky is riding to school, praying that she clears her test, scheduled on that date. But her journey to school becomes her desperate journey of survival.

Caught unawares by an unexpected wave of insurgency in St. Petersburg, Lucky tries to reach for safety. As dread and fear overtake, she meets a stranger, a fellow countryman Aditya [Salman Khan], who's smart, wicked, charming.

They have nothing in common. She's excessively na? and he blas?They are bound together by just one common goal - to reach home safely.

And now begins an unforgettable journey, from burning highways and moldy cemeteries to abandoned theaters and icy snowdrift. A journey where violence and tragedy stalk them constantly.

As they march through savage ambushes and the icy wilderness of a foreign land, they discover the limit of their endurance. Amidst all commotion, an Intelligence guy, Colonel Pindidas Kapoor [Mithun Chakraborty], helps them reach home.

It's common knowledge that a love story works if and only if it's high on emotional quotient. And the moments linger in your memory. LUCKY walks into your heart gradually!

The film starts off well, but the story comes to a screeching halt the moment Salman and Sneha find themselves stranded in a cemetery. The conversations between Salman and Sneha at this juncture are dull and boring, which is a glaring flaw from the writing point of view. The grip is clearly missing!

But the pace picks up gradually in the post-interval portions. And it gets all the more engrossing the moment Salman and Sneha are held captives by the terrorists. From thereon, right till the finale, LUCKY goes higher and higher on the graph.

If Radhika and Vinay score as technicians - the film wears a Hollywoodish look all through - they don't deserve as many marks as writers. From the writing point of view, Mithun looks more like a buffoon than an intelligence officer. Also, you often wonder how Mithun reaches the right place at the right time - there're no explanations offered!

Besides, what is the idea behind making the characters talk in Russian to a large extent? Fine, it has to look authentic, but sub-titles for such sequences are a must. How do the makers expect the Hindi-speaking audiences to fathom what's being discussed time and again?

Even the dialogues [Milap Zaveri] are pedestrian at times and oft-repeated at places. The dialogue writer is at a loss while penning some mushy, romantic, sensitive one-liners.

Despite the hiccups, Radhika and Vinay have handled most parts of this 'offbeat' love story well. Every frame looks well worked upon and the two principal performances are worth noting.

Adnan Sami's music is soul-stirring. 'Jaan Meri Ja Rahi Sanam', 'Sun Zara', 'Lucky Lips', 'Chori Chori' and 'Shayad Yehi To Pyaar Hai' are tunes that you'd want to hum again and again. The impact of the music is elevated thanks to the lavish picturizations. Cinematography [Sudeep Chatterjee] is award-worthy. The locales of Russia enhance the impact to a major extent. Background music [Monty] makes a valuable contribution as well.

Salman Khan goes over-the-top in the first few reels, but he delivers a knockout performance in the second half. Looking dapper [as always!], the actor handles the emotional part with amazing maturity. Sneha Ullal is photogenic, acts confidently and most importantly, looks the character - a school girl. Her sequences with Salman, in the post-interval portions especially, are cute.

Mithun Chakraborty does not deliver. His portions seem forced in the screenplay. Kader Khan is wasted. Vikram Gokhale, Navni Parihar and Ravi Baswani are adequate.

On the whole, LUCKY works for the aforesaid four reasons [fresh pairing, soul-stirring music, vibrant action and breath-taking locales]. And with terrific promotion undertaken by T-Series, besides no major opposition for the next two weeks as well as commencement of summer vacations, LUCKY should keep its investors in the plus, from the business point of view.