Dev D

Dev D....Anurag kashyap's brilliant take on the tale of the famous drunk lover...Devdas

Dev is a typical rich-on-his-family's-wealth kid who has a childhood companion Paro who seems to be his only friend. But Dev is no symapthy-inducing sob kid...he's a spoilt brat and a lovable rogue. After he's sent abroad to study, his romance with Paro blooms over the net. But after he returns, things go haywire and Paro leaves him to marry someone else. Lost and burdened with what he thinks is heartbreak, Dev finds solace by increasing his Thums up-with-vodka intake. Fate aka Chunni takes him to Chanda's "suite" where he tries and puts his life into some measure of normalcy.

There ends the similarities with the actual / Shahrukh Khan Devdas storyline And now...for the fun parts of the movie...This isn't about a love story...its about separating the lust from the love....

Dev's father is one cool dad...instead of opposing his love for Paro, he was the one wishes to make it happen...watch out for his "London jaake tera taste kharab ho gaya hai" lines. Paro is a fiery lil package who doesn't put up with Dev's bullshit and tells it to his face. His water pump scene is too good. Chanda aka Lenny...she's actually every man's fantasy...smart, sexy and cute. Don't miss her multi-lingual "kinky" conversation. Chunni is hilarious...the scene where he introduces himself had the audince in splits. A lot of real-life incidents in and around Delhi have been quietly yet brilliantly incorporated into the story line. The happy ending doesn't make you go "Huh??" but satisfies your "Gosh...I hope they make it" sentiment.

Casting is brilliant...Abhay Deol rocks once again. Both Mahi and Kalki are excellent finds. Chunni is a surprise. The music is a good blend of local numbers with a rock base. The screenplay could have been a little tighter. The length of the movie could be a little shorter too...but the research of the small but significant bits is brilliant.

If Shahrukh Khan's Devdas put you off the whole drunk romeo bit, do watch this one for a brand new take on an age old love (?) story ;)

Luck by chance

Luck by chance...the title suggests that the movie is all about how fate plays an integral role in deciding our life's course....the movie in itself ain't all that.

It tells the story of Vikram (Farhan...delicious and talented...what a package ;) ) who comes to Mumbai to make it as an actor....Parallel to him is Sona (Konkana...good..but pehaps a little miscast?) who's the pro-struggler. While Vikram is a mover and shaker...who works to make his dreams come true....Sona prefers to put all her eggs in one faith kitty and belive her "mentor" will surely help her out. They meet, fall in love, only to separated by their ambitions..but their breif encounter is just what fate needed. One of them makes it big...while the other spirals into despair and settles for what is in store.

The best thing about this movie is its nitty-gritty about the movie industry...from outdoor shoots to unit food to tacky costumes. Rishi Kapoor as the producer is brilliant....looooove his Rolly (lucky number 5)...complimented very well by Juhi...his society kitty wife. Isha Shravani (very cute...all the guys will luv her) as the bimbo startlet who's terrorized by her glare-could-make-steel-quiver mom Dimple (perfect fit for this role) who's a yesteryear's superstar. Hrithik is an added delight in a small role that he brings alive with his eyes rather than his dance moves.

The cameos which were the big attraction of this movie are used brilliantly...no over-the-top star dramas...jus the right amount of reality. Watch out for the lines mouthed by each one of them as
you learn what is meant by "star quotes"....

Watch it once...to get a beginner's session of the movie making industry.

Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire....to echo the words of a fellow movie buff....a really good movie after a really long time...

This isn't a movie about slums or poverty or boy-meets-girl...its about destiny...about what's written for each one of us. Its the story of a boy from the Mumbai slums who along with his brother takes on the route of survival...his story is told in flashbacks while he is being interrogated for charges of cheating on the "Who wants to be a millionaire" show. Turns out he isn't cheating...he really does know all the answers...a perfect example of the age-old axiom that life is the best teacher...

The screenplay and the cinematography is par excellence...it does not let the pace of the movie slack even a bit...the to-and-fro effect of the storyline adds the right amount of zing to the script...the music is simply awesome...hats off to Rehman for delighting us yet once again...he truly is a master of music...do get all the songs of the movie (esp Gangsta rap)....

To sum it up....a must watch!!! A multiple must-watch even :)

Oye Lucky Lucky Oye

Oye Lucky Lucky Oye...

A fun and light hearted movie...slick dialogues...good characters...a paisa vasool picture!!!Its about Lucky(Abhay...gorgeous and dimplish) who is the famous super chor sought by the police everywhere. What sets him apart from the rest of the petty thieves is his style and flair of stealing the most atrocious items like showpieces, foto frames with pictures of families enjoying the snow, and most amusingly...a couple of dogs too. Simply put...if you tell him you can't do it - he'll do it. "kyon..nahi kar sakta?" is his fav line which sums up his thought process beautifully.

Shadowing him closely are his childhood friend Bangali and Paresh Rawal in 3 different roles. The common factor between all 3 characters played by Paresh is that they all are father figures who deceive or disappont Lucky.

No moral high ground, no justification of his methods, no regrets and one hell of a gutsy theif- That's Lucky.

All in all, this one is a must watch for Abhay Deol who surprises and delivers superbly. He's the lovable chor you all wanna root for...watch out for him in the scene where he helps an old uncle remember that he was indeed the chor who he had chased...and then follows it up with a so-how-u-doing-sab-theek-thak-na pleasantries.

You'll definitely go Oye Lucky Lucky Oye after this watch!!

Quantum of solace

Quantum of Solace

Everyone thinks this is a Bond movie..its not. Its a movie about James not about Bond.The movie is a high paced action flick about agent 007 and his fight to uncover and destroy a powerful and secretive organization called the Quantum. There are car chases, fight sequences, blood, violence, deaths, betrayal...the whole lot. Yet..it does not feel like a Bond movie. Why? I asked my friends the same question..what did you expect from the movie? Gadgets, guns & girls...and Quantum misses out on all of these...there are no fancy gadgets that are the trademeark of Bond movies. Same is the case with weapons technology. Olga tries to do justice to the Bond girl tag but doesnt quite accomplish it.

So whats good about the movie if at all? Like i said in the very first line...the movie is about James the person and not about Bond the agent. Daniel Craig brings the human side of James Bond to the forefront and lets the sauve agent side take a backseat. Judi Dench is brilliant as usual. The action sequences though a little in the category of Rajnikanth-meets-Die-Hard are impressive.

Watch this one to discover more about the character of the agent 007...

Wall-E and Wanted

Saw WALL-E and Wanted recently...

WALL-E is the cutest robo movie ever!!! Its amazing how few words can craete such an impact...the way WALL-e goes "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVVVVVAAAAAAAAAAAA" is meant to melt the toughest of hearts...the concept that extreme mechanisation can make us lose connection with our human side is also good...the concept is subtly expressed in the flabbiness of the future humans and their extreme dependancy on mechanical aids...But logic kinda goes for a toss when the humans plan to come back to earth..no apprehension, no anxiety, no medical concerns about immunity etc whatsoever...but all in all...a good watch...the special effects take all the credit!!

Wanted...is an out-and-out Rajnikant/Chiranjeevi/Mithun picture dubbed in English...the only saving grace..Angelina, Angelina, and yes...Angelina emerging from the water!! The story line was promising...but loses focus somewhere in between. The ensemble cast are a waste...Morgan Freeman is not dark enough for his character's flaws. And the hero is such a loser in the movie that you wanna slap him yourself and ask him to show some spine!! Once again..watch it for the effects and Angelina who looks like a Olive-Oyl lookalike..