Salman Drug...

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Yuvvraaj Movie Review-II

Reviewed by www.india.com

The very name of Subhash Ghai springs up imagery from Karz, Karma, Ram Lakhan, Khalnayak, Taal etc, and with such a repertoire it is only expected that he will deliver another box office biggie.

Ever since the first promos hit TV screens, YUVVRAAJ has developed a massive fan following, and when the music CD arrived, the interest only doubled. So was YUVVRAAJ worth the wait? Surely!

Coming to the story, the film is about three brothers, Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor and Zayed Khan; Salman Khan has a rivalry with the mentally challenged Anil Kapoor. The father is infuriated and throws Salman out of the house (mansion actually). Salman becomes a choir boy in Prague where he finds the love of his life (Katrina Kaif), a cellist. He can't marry her because her billionaire dad (Boman Irani) doesn't approve of Salman's impoverished situation.

Hoping to change his fortunes after the death of his dad, he rushes home to inherit the family millions, only to realize there's nothing left for him and his younger, equally roguish brother, Zayed Khan. Nerd Anil has been declared the sole heir, with sundry greedy relatives eyeing the moolah around him. Time for the dysfunctional family to outwit each other and split or to outsmart the outsiders and come together, once again.

Laced with overtones citing the arrogance and overconfidence of contemporary youth, the moral in this fable quite obviously stares back at you. But there is so much style in the execution, the cliches seem to fade away as this grand movie rolls.

But the heart of YUVVRAAJ is the exquisite music by A.R Rahman, who has given an awesome tribute to Beethoven - Gulzar's beautiful poetry along with Rahman's music is something extraordinary to behold. Cinematography by Kabir Lal is excellent. Every single frame seems like a splendid portrait as Kabir Lal's colorful palette illuminates the screen. Art Director Omung Kumar has done yet another fabulous job after the masterpiece 'Black'.

Yuvvraaj belongs to Anil and Anil alone. One can now call Anil a 'Bollywood veteran' because he deserves every bit of the praise. His career in the new millennium has undergone a metamorphosis and he proves here just how. His Hollywood film 'Slumdog Millionaire' releases next week and we just can't wait.

Salman Khan basically plays himself, a spoilt rich boy, and he does so with ease. He handles the emotional scenes much better than he did in 'Hum dil de chuke sanam'. Zayed Khan is lost in translation, he has no clue of the script or the performance required of him. Katrina Kaif looks fabulous and does exceedingly well. We could've done with more of the Sallu-Kat scenes for their chemistry is sizzling.

Director Subhash Ghai makes a nice comeback after the misbegotten Yaadein, the ludicrous 'Kisna' and the underwhelming 'Black and White'. Like Ghai, Yash Johar needs to wake up from hibernation too.

The script is shoddy at times, the energy rises to a peak in certain moments, but the ride to the strangely inept climax is quite uneven. Although the sumptuous music, classy visuals and the fine acting make up for the script. YUVVRAAJ is worth the trip to the multiplex. Enjoy it while its hot.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Yuvvraaj Music Review-II

Rahman is back with a bangEvery 6 months A.R Rahman dishes out a brand new album or a soundtrack or a background score for a big Bollywood movie - an avid music listener waits eagerly with anticipation to listen to new Rahman material. We managed to get out hands on the music CD of Yuvraaj a couple of hours ago and gave it a listen.

Yuvraaj stars Anil Kapoor, Salman Khan, Mithun Chakraborty, Zayed Khan and Katrina Kaif in the leading roles. The film marks the return of Subhash Ghai in the director's chair after a brief hiatus.

According to the director, the film is about the arrogance and overconfidence of contemporary youth. You don't need to be a quantum mechanics expert to know that the legendary A.R. Rahman provided the music for Yuvraaj.

The album starts off with Tu mera dost hain which is sung by Benny Dayal and Rahman's favourite Shreya Goshal. The opening lyrics transcend the listener to a new realm but the song loses steam as it progresses.

Tu Muskura has Alka Yagnik and Javed Ali providing the vocals. The song is sweet, soft and melodious... just turn up the volume, sit back and relax... the song drifts you away to a wonderful place in your head. This is easily one of the best tracks of the album.

Mastam Mastam is trendy, jovial and a cool track sung by the sprightly Sonu Nigam. The track has some exquisitely funny lyrics laced with some great music and tempo that only heightens the fun. The last minute of the song particularly will have you jumping about.

Zindagi has Srinivas singing the vocals and he captures your heart in a jiffy. The song evokes memories of the ups and downs of your life. The track grabs you and simply never lets go. I heard this song twice before jumping to the next.

Dil Ka Rishta has a haunting piano piece at the beginning at gets those goosebumps streaming down your skin. Things take a U Turn when the keyboards kick in and the western music wins your heart. Sonu Nigam, Roop Kumar Rathod, A R Rahman, Clinton Cerejo, Suzanne D'Mello, Vivinenne Pocha have done an awesome job with the vocals.

Man Mohini has Vijay Prakash providing the vocals and features electronic beats to juice up the track. If you listen carefully, there is a sample of Rahman's own 'tanna dhoom tana' with an electronic twist.

Shanno Shanno Sonu Nigam, Srinivas, Karthik, Timmy, Sunaina, Vivienne Pocha & Tina providing the vocals and the track is a hip hop number packed with a few electronic sounds. It is a sort of an earsore after listening to the other wonderful tracks.

Vis a vis, the album of Yuvraaj is very satisfying! Except for 'Shanno' and its remix, there is not a single song that is underwhelming. A.R Rahman has once again proved that he is the undisputed Demi God of Bollywood scores. Buy the CD, its definitely worth a listen.

Friday, August 15, 2008

God Tussi Great Ho-Movie Review

By Taran Adarsh, August 15, 2008

When it comes to escapist cinema, a gifted writer can make his imagination run really wild. Think of a crazy story, come up with outrageous and zany situations, rope in actors who'd look believable in those parts... hey presto, a crazy potboiler is ready to be served.

Rumy Jafry, who has penned some crazy comedies in the past, does just that. He borrows [partly] from BRUCE ALMIGHTY, also [partly] from YEHI HAI ZINDAGI [Sanjeev Kumar] and [partly] uses his imagination to come up with GOD TUSSI GREAT HO. But this khichdi isn't as delicious as one expects it to be.

First, the plusses!

GOD TUSSI GREAT HO has some really interesting moments. At least two sequences -- [i] When a dejected Salman throws the taveez in the air, the taveez reaches God, later God appears in human form and [ii] Salman invents a chair that acts as a lie detector and teaches Sohail Khan a lesson -- are pure magic in terms of writing, in terms of execution, in terms of performance.

Another ace is Salman Khan. The boyish appeal, the mischievous look, the loud-but-lovable act just cannot be overlooked.

But GOD TUSSI GREAT HO isn't as captivating and arresting at times. The potential to come up with an energetic second half are immense in a film like this, but Rumy Jafry's writing is plain mediocre. Besides, the second hour is lengthy, it gets tedious ['Lal Chunariya' song should be deleted right away]. Also, the pre-climax and climax don't sweep you off your feet.

In a nutshell, GOD TUSSI GREAT HO does appeal, but in bits and spurts. Not in totality. An average experience!

At the end of the worst day in his life, Arun [Salman Khan] angrily rages against God for making his life miserable. To his astonishment, God [Amitabh Bachchan] appears before him in human form and endowing Arun with all of His divine powers, challenges Arun to take on the big job and see if he can do it any better.

Arun responds to his newfound powers with childlike zeal and sets off making one decision after another. The love of his life Alia [Priyanka Chopra] is astonished at the 'new' decisive and confident Arun. He thinks he can make the world a happy place by granting everybody their wishes.

But to his horror, this results in unprecedented mayhem. Ultimately, Arun realises that he is only human, and being God is tougher than he thought.

Rumy Jafry has penned several solid entertainers for David Dhawan and the formula looms large all through GOD TUSSI GREAT HO. Rumy rides on myths and comedy to get it right and it really works at times. However, after a point, the writing doesn't spring any surprises. You know exactly what's in store next and that's what bogs the film down.

In terms of impact, the best portions are between Bachchan and Salman, between Salman and Anupam Kher and between Salman and Rajpal Yadav. These tracks charge up the scenario. But how one misses a meatier script in the second hour.

Directorially, Rumy Jafry's work gets easier thanks to the presence of seasoned actors. But he needs to polish his skills as far as technique is concerned. The film could've been stylishly shot. Sajid-Wajid's music is strictly okay. However, the picturisation of songs camouflages the deficiency. Ashok Mehta's cinematography is perfect. The production design/making could've been grand, given the presence of such powerful names in the cast. Special effects lack finesse.

As always, Amitabh Bachchan is competent. But GOD TUSSI GREAT HO belongs to Salman Khan, who seems to be in form this time. Priyanka doesn't match Salman's enthusiasm. Also, why is her look so inconsistent in the film? Sohail Khan is alright.

Anupam Kher is fantastic. Bina Kak is fair. Rukhsaar doesn't get much scope. Rajpal Yadav provides a few laughs. Dalip Tahil is as usual. Upasna Singh is getting typecast. Ditto for Sanjay Mishra.

On the whole, GOD TUSSI GREAT HO is average in merits, providing a few laughs intermittently. At the box-office, the holiday weekend should benefit the film. But beyond the weekend, the journey could be uneven. However, single screens should fare better in the Hindi belt.