Dhoom Dadakka

Comedies are the flavor of the season and more and more film-makers are following the formula re-invented by David Dhawan and Priyadarshan. Entertainment is the key word, while a logical story goes out of the window. Shashi Ranjan's new outing DHOOM DADAKKA tries to recreate the hungama and gets it quite right in the first hour as well, but it's on a slippery wicket thereafter.

Problem kya hain? Let's not look at the plotline, but the funny situations fail to evoke mirth. In fact, the entertaining moments don't work after a point. Unlike the first hour, which packs in quite a bit in terms of substance and laughs, things slide downwards soon after the intermission.

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DHOOM DADAKKA could've created a mini-dhoom with its entertainment quotient, but the writers play the villain here!

An 'All Asian Bhai Meet' is being held in Bangkok. The agenda is to discuss and assess the falling sensex of 'Bhaigiri' in Asia. In the discussion, a rival Don of Mungi's [Anupam Kher], Fursat Lala [Gulshan Grover], proposes an ambitious plan for a piece of land in Alibagh and puts across a valid argument that it is important to have a waaris, the new generation, to improve matters. Since Mungi has no waaris, it is only logical that the next man, i.e. Fursat Lala should be made the new Don.

Mungi assures the syndicate that he has a waaris, who he will present before the syndicate and asks for a month's time to do the same. Now Mungi and his friend Jignesh [Satish Shah] set out to trace Mungi's estranged sister Angoori [Bhavana Balsawar], whom Mungi had thrown out years back because she wanted to marry a music teacher. One of the letters reveals that Angoori did give birth to Kamal. Mungi is thrilled and resolves to hunt his waaris in Mumbai, where he comes across a detective, Johnny English [Satish Kaushik], who promises to find Kamal.
Through his weird ways, Johnny English gets hold of an NRI [Sammir Dattani], who claims to be Kamal. Johnny takes him to Bangkok but, to his shock, finds another guy [Shaad Randhawa] there, who also claims to be Kamal. While this confusion is on, Shivani [Aarti Chhabria] arrives on the scene claiming to be the real Kamal.

A confused Mungi asks all of them to stay in the house till he arrives at a decision as to who the real Kamal is. In the ensuing drama enters the second girl Jiya [Shama Sikander], who claims to be a girlfriend of the NRI Kamal. Is one of them the real waaris?

That Shashi Ranjan has a flair for comedies is evident at several points in the first hour. Together with the dialogue writer Ashwani Dhir, Shashi succeeds in making you laugh at the funniest of situations and silliest of jokes. That's where the director triumphs. Note the portions involving Satish Kaushik and Deepshikha or the three youngsters claiming to be Anupam Kher's nephew. Shashi changes gears and uses the brakes like a seasoned driver.

But the car runs out of fuel as you munch popcorn and relish the samosa after the interval. In terms of script, a number of questions remain unanswered even after the show has concluded. Besides, the second hour is an exercise in boredom and gets unbearable after a point. The climax is also a major hotchpotch.

Roopkumar Rathod's music is unlike what he has composed so far. It's easy on the lips and quite catchy. The title track as also 'Ishq Ka Rog Laga' [filmed on the seductive Aarti Chhabria] stand out. Ashwani K's cinematography is perfect, although the director and the DoP haven't captured the beauty of Bangkok to the optimum.

DHOOM DADAKKA doesn't demand histrionics, but given the genre of the film, the two boys - Sammir Dattani and Shaad Randhawa - handle their parts well. Sammir also dances well in the title track, while Shaad mimics the top actors quite well. Aarti and Shama are more of eye candies.

Of the supporting cast, Satish Kaushik is excellent, while Deepshikha exudes tremendous confidence. Anupam Kher is, as always, first-rate. Satish Shah is equally convincing. Gulshan Grover does well. Newcomer Zac has an inconsequential role. Jackie Shroff is just okay. Razzak Khan does a fine job.

On the whole, DHOOM DADAKKA could've been a decent timepass flick, but it misses the bus.

Jannat ( 2008 )

The Bhatts never run out of stories. In their new outing JANNAT, Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt have yet another new story to tell. This time, it's all about match fixing and bookies. But wait! It would be erroneous to classify JANNAT as a cricket-centric film. Cricket is just the wallpaper here. The focus is on the love story, like GANGSTER which was, at heart, a love story.

What catches you by complete surprise is the fact that JANNAT has been helmed by a debutante director [Kunal Deshmukh] and penned by, again, a debutante wordsmith [story: Vishesh Bhatt; screenplay Kunal Deshmukh and Vishesh Bhatt]. You're surprised at the level of maturity, the command over the craft, the display of confidence in their very first outing.

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Honestly, you don't take to JANNAT instantly. The initial portions - the love story - are strictly chalta hai stuff. But the best part is, JANNAT takes a step forward every 10 minutes. The film actually takes off when the characters reach Cape Town, South Africa. The portions thereafter are akin to a roller coater ride.

Right from the interval point to a hair-raising, pulse-pounding climax, JANNAT is another journey altogether. The end, especially, hits you like a ton of bricks [it wouldn't be right to reveal what happens to the characters].




You can't imagine JANNAT without Emraan Hashmi. Right from his debut film FOOTHPATH to JANNAT, the actor has only grown with the passage of time. The actor displays the gamut of emotions with aplomb, he changes expressions like a chameleon changes colors. JANNAT is yet another turning point in his career.

In a nutshell, JANNAT is one of the finest films to come out of Vishesh Films. Not to be missed!

Arjun [Emraan Hashmi] is a reckless young man with an obsession for making money at card games. A chance meeting with a girl in a mall, Zoya [Sonal Chauhan], gives him the reasons he was looking for to move out of his ordinary life. He steps up from playing small-time card games to becoming a bookie.

Stuck in a triangle of sorts between the woman he loves and his addiction to make a quick buck, Arjun steps into the world of match fixing. But his dizzy rise attracts the attention of the police [Samir Kochar].

Arjun has to now choose between Zoya and this new-found success and power. As Arjun struggles to choose between the two, the Don [Jawed Sheikh] offers the forbidden apple of limitless wealth in exchange of his soul and draws him into his core entourage of money spinners.

You may not be a cricket fan, but it's not difficult to decipher JANNAT. In fact, the makers have refrained from using any technical jargon in the movie. Portions depicting match fixing and Emraan's interaction with the cricketers are, in fact, amongst the high points of the film. The speed at which JANNAT unfolds and most importantly, the turn of events is the hallmark of this enterprise.

Vishesh Films has an eye for talent and this time the prolific production house pulls up two more aces - director Kunal Deshmukh and writer Vishesh Bhatt. Kunal is a storyteller to watch out for. In the past decade, the Bhatts have nurtured several talents, prominent among them being Anurag Basu and Mohit Suri. Now add Kunal Deshmukh to the list. If you understand cinema, you'd realize that every sequence in JANNAT is not only well-shot, but there's meat in those scenes too.

Vishesh Bhatt's writing is dew-fresh and doesn't take the tried and tested route. Note the intermission point or the twists in the second hour as also the climax, the writer's contribution looms large in those portions. Pritam's music is lilting. The film has a hit score, but you'd like to single out two numbers - 'Zara Sa' and 'Jannat Jahan' - for the sheer melody.

Manoj Soni's cinematography is first-rate. The stunning locales of Cape Town are filmed exquisitely. Sanjay Masoom's dialogues are excellent. A few dialogues, in fact, are refreshing to the ears. Background score [Raju Singh] is top notch.

You can't visualize JANNAT without Emraan Hashmi. If you loved him in MURDER, GANGSTER and AWARAPAN, you'd place his performance in JANNAT in the same league. Note the naughty streak as also the helplessness [at the interval point and towards the end]. An incredible performance indeed!

Sonal Chauhan looks pretty and though she's passable in the initial portions, she gets into the groove eventually. This girl has the potential. Jawed Sheikh is brilliant. This is his finest work so far. Samir Kochar is excellent. Vishal Malhotra is good. Shakeel Khan does very well. Abhimanyu Singh is competent. Vipin Sharma leaves a mark in a brief role.

On the whole, JANNAT is a well-made film with lilting music, gripping script and excellent performances as its mainstay. Coupled with an absorbing second hour and a brilliant climax, the film has all it takes to prove a success story in times to come. Its solo release coupled with good hype should overcome the strong opposition [IPL].

Jimmy

By a strange co-incidence, the new releases of last two Fridays have been poor clones of the 1970s/80s formula. Two weeks ago TASHAN and last week's MR. WHITE MR. BLACK were perfect examples of outdated cinema trying to make a foothold in the multiplex era, but in vain. Now add JIMMY to this list!

JIMMY is meant to be the launch of a star-kid [Mimoh Chakraborty], but the question that crosses your mind constantly is, is the script befitting the launch of a star-kid in the first place? Does it do justice to the debutante's skills? Most importantly, how could a veteran, experienced Mithun Chakraborty okay such a shoddy script for his son's launch?

One look at Mimoh and you know that given the right roles, he can work wonders. So why a tacky script in the first place? He deserved better! The screenplay of JIMMY is an assemblage of the numerous masala films we've visited since time immemorial. The main betrayer here is its concept that has already passed the expiry date. And even a majestic tower will fall if the very foundations are weak.

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Look at the cinema being churned out these days. Newer concepts, newer ideas, newer stories are the order of the day. The multiplex era has taken over completely. There's just no room for mediocrity any longer. In such a scenario, JIMMY looks like a fish out of water, an obsolete product that stands no chance in today's times.

Sorry, you just don't feel like humming the popular Mithun track 'Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy, aaja aaja aaja' for this one!

In the dead of the night, a young woman's dead body is uncovered by the police. All leads point towards Jimmy [Mimoh Chakraborty]. A mechanical engineer in day and DJ by night, Jimmy works hard to pay off the debts his late father [Prithvi] left behind. While everybody is shocked, Jimmy owns up to the murder and is sentenced to death.

Bhoothnath: Adorable but flawed

Cast – Aman Siddiqui, Amitabh Bachchan, Juhi Chawla, Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanshu Chatterjee

Director – Vivek Sharma

Producer – B R Chopra, Ravi Chopra

Rating - ***

It's an absolutely adorable film. Of course that's if you can overlook the corny dialogues, the pointless songs, the embarrassingly lame reason for the Bhoot to 'bhatko' in Nath Villa, and the rather foolish storyline. So yes, it has its flaws.

To not let the cat out of the bag the story can be summarised in one sentence. Banku (Aman Siddiqui) meets a ghost (Amitabh Bachchan), becomes friends with him and then does a 'pooja' to supposedly release his 'aatma'.

The graph of the film is like a Moby Dick drawing. It picks up sharply from the start, remains there for a few minutes before gradually plummeting downwards to its climax (or anticlimax). The first part of the film, where the ghost meets the child is cute, funny and ingeniously original. They're not 'buddies' at that time. When they become 'buddies', they're not interesting.

Eventually the angle of why the 'Bhoot' becomes a 'Bhoot' is pushed in and then begins the 'Rona Dhona' of a 70's drama climax. And then there is the 'when I go away I'll become a star' thing that, overnight, turns an eight-year-old kid into a wannabe Shah Rukh Khan standing on the terrace arms held open to the sky howling his head off before the film ends.

So the film is not flawless but credit has to be given to director Vivek Sharma, who still managed to make his first film with some style and elicit simply rocking performances from the film's leads, Amitabh Bachchan and Aman Siddiqui.

The seasoned Amitabh times his expressions to perfection and essays the character-change of a 'bhoot' with panache. But move over Mr. Bachchan. Here comes the new superstar, Aman! A bundle of delight, the little kid breathes life into even the limpest of scenes (that's of course until the script demands him to be a complete jerk). In fact, move over all the stars of today; they can't ever give the performance that the little tykes give in the song 'Hum to Hai Aandhi'.

Which brings us to the music. The movie has a host of bad playback songs with worse situational placement barring one song 'Banku bhaiyya' which is spot-on. The background music is subtly effective and has a lot to add to the mood of the film.

One thing that needs to be taken note of is the editing and the visuals that are slick and make the film a treat for the eyes.

The script is erratic being simply brilliant at places while simultaneously making you want to punch the scriptwriter's nose for the flabbergasting melodrama that ruthlessly massacres the end of the film. Thankfully, the last scene of the film saves it from being completely disappointing with a ray of hope hinting towards a sequel.

Let's hope Vivek Sharma learns from his mistakes the next time around.

© Copyright 2008.

Hope and a Little Sugar (2008)

Good things come in small packages. HOPE & A LITTLE SUGAR [English] is a fine example of this adage. On face-value, you would be least interested in jumping the queue and grabbing its ticket. But once the reels unfold, you realize that sometimes small-budget films have more to convey than those multi-crore extravaganzas.

HOPE & A LITTLE SUGAR doesn't look at the tragedy [9/11]. Nor does it look for reasons that resulted in the tragedy. It looks at the trauma a family undergoes through and one has to move on in life. One of the prime reasons why it works is because the film has recall value. It affects you even after the show has concluded.

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A film for mature audiences, HOPE & A LITTLE SUGAR packs a solid punch in those 90 minutes.

Set in New York in the weeks before and after 9/11, HOPE & A LITTLE SUGAR centers around the romance between a Muslim photographer and a young Sikh woman. Bike messenger Ali [Amit Sial] meets the beautiful but married Saloni [Mahima Chaudhry], a charismatic mithaai shop owner who encourages Ali's photography and becomes his muse. Despite Ali's secret and largely unrequited crush on Saloni, he develops a close friendship with her and her husband Harry [Vikram Chatwal].

When tragedy strikes with the terrorist attacks on September 11, her father-in-law, a retired army Colonel [Anupam Kher], devastated by grief and anger, directs his longstanding animosity towards Muslims at Ali, as the young man's affection for Saloni grows increasingly evident. Although the Colonel's wife [Suhasini Mulay] tries to pacify her husband, the Colonel, unable to accept life's pain, threatens to bring everything to a violent end.

Director Tanuja Chandra narrates an interesting tale and more importantly, it's topical even today, years after 9/11 occurred. Her storytelling technique is simple, yet powerful. A number of sequences, especially post 9/11, have been handled with dexterity. But the culmination could've been more impactful. Why does Kher have a change of heart all of a sudden? A solid reason is lacking. Also, the romance [from Mahima's side] should've been better established. A sequence or two should've been devoted to make things appear believable.

HOPE & A LITTLE SUGAR belongs to Tanuja Chandra; this is her most accomplished work so far. Also, every actor is in top form: Mahima [excellent], Kher [incredible], Suhasini Mulay [exceptional] and new-find Amit Sial [fine talent; confident]. Vikram Chatwal gets minimal scope.

On the whole, HOPE & A LITTLE SUGAR is a well-made, engrossing fare that caters to a niche audience. A film for select multiplexes in India.

Mr. White Mr. Black (2008)

It's tough to make a comedy. It's even tougher to make people laugh. With MR. WHITE MR. BLACK you realize that director Deepak Shivdasani's intentions may be sincere, to make a full-on entertainer, but the film fails to transport you to ha-ha-land. It takes off with gusto, but the vehicle runs out of gas suddenly, leaving you stranded midway.

MR. WHITE MR. BLACK borrows heavily from the tried and tested stuff. There's a bit of GOPI KISHAN [Suniel Shetty's double role won praise then]. Plus, the usual masala that worked at a point of time. However, despite its uninspiring content, there's no denying that a few scenes do make you flex your facial muscles, even though the jokes are quite childish. Unfortunately, things take a complete U-turn in the second hour, with this comedy proving more of a tragedy for the hapless viewer.

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In short, MR. WHITE MR. BLACK is a half-baked fare that tries too hard to entertain, but fails.

Gopi [Suniel Shetty], a simpleton, arrives in Goa from Hoshiarpur. His mission - to hand over a piece of land to his childhood friend Kishen [Arshad Warsi]. Kishen swindles people with a little help from his accomplice [Atul Kale], to earn enough money to educate his sibling Divya [Mahima Mehta], who's studying in London. Kishen, however, has managed to hide his profession from Anuradha [Rashmi Nigam] by cooking up an alibi of a twin brother, Hari, who's the bad guy.

Kishen avoids Gopi like he's bad news. He's not going to give up his flourishing business and travel to Hoshiarpur just to take possession of a measly piece of land. Meanwhile, diamonds worth Rs. 25 crores have been stolen by three girls, who are now holed up in Goa. Kishen traces the three girls and succeeds in robbing the diamonds. But the diamonds actually belong to a don, Laadla [Ashish Vidyarti], who has also reached Goa.

That Deepak Shivdasani has an eye for style is visible at the very outset, when the three girls perform a heist in broad daylight. The film actually starts off with a bang! A few portions thereafter are equally interesting, but the writing suddenly deviates into unwanted territories in the second hour.

Take, for instance, Suniel's character. He wants Arshad to return to Hoshiarpur to fulfill a promise, but the reasons don't come across strongly. Note another point. When the three girls realize that the diamonds have been robbed from their locker and they begin a search for Arshad, the story suddenly shifts to various sub-plots: The love interest, followed by the mandatory songs, another 15-20 minutes are devoted to Arshad's sister's marriage and much later, the original owner of the resorts [Sadashiv Amrapurkar] re-appears on the scene. The three girls eventually show up in the climax. Truly, the second half is chaotic!

Deepak Shivdasani shows a flair for comic fares, but is letdown by a hotchpotch screenplay. Music is equally ineffective. 'Samundar' and 'Gopi Kishan' are average compositions, but the remaining tracks are lackluster. Thomas Xavier's cinematography, surprisingly, lacks sheen.

Suniel Shetty repeats his act without any variation. Ditto for Arshad, who is livewire in some portions only. Amongst ladies, Anishka Khosla [resembles Preity Zinta from some angles] is an okay actress. But what is the talented Sandhya Mridul doing in a film like this? Rashmi Nigam looks pretty, that's it! Sharat Saxena is the only actor who stands out. Ashish Vidyarthi is loud. Shehzad Khan is funny. Vrajesh Hirjee and Upasana Singh's track is half-baked. Manoj Joshi deserved a better role. Sadashiv Amrapurkar and Atul Kale are passable.

On the whole, MR. WHITE MR. BLACK promises only a few moments of laughter, which isn't enough. At the box-office, an also-ran!

Anamika (2008)

Film scripts are like rubber band. Try stretching the band beyond a point and it's sure to give away. The script of ANAMIKA suffers for this reason!

Director Ananth Narayan Mahadevan presents every sequence with utmost care till the intermission point. You're hooked, you're transported to the world of Mrs. Anamika Sisodiya, the character who continues to haunt everyone in this film, even after she's gone. You eagerly look forward to the twist in the tale.

Alas! What eventually unfolds, though filmed with the same sincerity, lacks conviction. It also fails to surprise you because midway through the journey, you know what the outcome would eventually be. It doesn't keep you guessing. And that's bad news for any thriller!

Frankly, a suspense saga works only if it is backed by a solid climax. In ANAMIKA, the tension gradually builds up till the climax, but the end is so tame, so contrived that you exclaim, 'Gosh! What was that?'

As a storyteller, Ananth almost gets it right -- he has handled the complex theme like a pro, even extracted convincing performances from his set of actors, has worked hard on maintaining the mood of the film from start to end -- but he's letdown by the writing in the second hour.

ANAMIKA tells the story of an escort Jia [Minissha Lamba], who gets married to Vikram Sisodiya [Dino Morea] after a 2-day courtship. Before marrying Jia, Vikram confesses that his first wife, Anamika, had died under mysterious circumstances.

Vikram and Jia fly to Vikram's ancestral home in Gajner in Rajasthan. The home, a palace to be precise, is being looked after by Vikram's childhood friend Malini [Koena Mitra]. Now begins the story… Everyone in Gajner seems to be obsessed with Anamika and Jia starts sensing it. In fact, Jia is constantly compared to Anamika. Worse, she even sees Anamika's spirit in the palace.
In a turn of events, Anamika's dead body is discovered and the police [Gulshan Grover, Dino's brother-in-law] re-open the case. All fingers point towards Vikram. Is he the murderer?

Loosely based on the novel 'Rebecca', ANAMIKA is a difficult subject to make. But after the initial hiccups, the director succeeds in involving the viewer in the mysterious world of Anamika. The backdrop of Rajasthan, the isolated palace and the reference to Anamika at every point only deepens the mystery. So far so good!

Almost the entire first half is executed with élan by Ananth, who's only grown as a storyteller over the years. But, as mentioned earlier, the writing [in the second hour] acts as a spoilsport. Without wanting to reveal the climax, let's just say that it's one of those tame and predictable endings that we've visited time and again.

Anu Malik's music is pleasant, but the songs [the ones filmed in Thailand] and the choreography in particular of these tracks don't really gel with the mood of the film. Pushan Kripalani's cinematography is alright. The stunning locales of Rajasthan, the production design [Gayatri Marwah] as also the styling is commendable. Aadesh Shrivastava's background score deserves special mention. It's excellent.

Dino Morea surprises you with a controlled performance. Also, he carries the regal look convincingly. Minissha Lamba is a revelation. She's getting better and better with every release. Koena Mitra is first-rate. Gulshan Grover is effective. Achint Kaur is highly competent. Vishwajeet Pradhan and Jatin Grewal are okay.

On the whole, ANAMIKA is letdown by its writing in the second hour. At the box-office, the not-too-interesting face-value coupled with the ongoing cricket mania will only go against it.