Yuvvraaj Hindi Movie Review

Banner: Mukta Arts Ltd
Genre: Drama/Musical
Cast: Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Zayed Khan, Boman Irani & Mithun Chakraborty.
Music: A R Rahman
Cinematography: Kabir Lal
Screenplay: Sachin Bhowmik, Subhash Ghai, Kamlesh Pandey
Producer & Direction: Subhash Ghai
Release date: 21 November 2008

Review

Story
Devan (Salman Khan) and Danny (Zayed Khan) are blood bothers. Gyanesh (Anil Kapoor) is their step-brother and is also a mentally under-developed man. They are the sons of a multi-billionaire business man in London. Devan comes out of the house in his teens as he hates his father and he settles as a chorus singer in Prague. His father dies and leaving the entire fortune in the name of Gyanesh. Devan and Danny unite and plot against Gyanesh to steal his money. The rest of the story is about how Gyanesh makes them realize the value of human bonds and brotherly love.

Actors:
Salman Khan tried to re-enact the antics he had portrayed in David Dhawan films. But his characterization does not demand similar antics. His performance in the final scene with Boman Irani is good. Katrina Kaif is adequate as the heroine. Anil Kapoor is excellent as a mentally immature man. Zayed Khan fits the bill with a character of negative shades. Mithun Chakravarthy is good in a brief yet vital role of the attorney. Boman Irani is nice as heroine's father.

Technical departments:

Story - screenplay - direction: Story of the film has some shades of Taal (musical subject). Story is quite predictable. Treatment of the film is formulaic. Screenplay is uninteresting. Characterizations in the film are bad except for that of Anil Kapoor's. Direction by Subhai Ghai is clichéd. There is no soul in the film.

Other technical departments: Music by AR Rehman is very good. But Subhash Ghai could not capitalize on it. Cinematography by Kabir Lal is good. The sets and locations explored are beautiful. Dialogues of the film are routine. Production values are very good.

Analysis: Subhai Ghai is the master of drama in Hindi films. How would a drama sound if there is no soul and feel to it? 'Yuvaraaj' is an example of drama that has neither soul nor substance. The script is clichéd and characterizations are bad. On a whole, Yuvaraj disappoints.

Dasvidaniya Hindi Movie Review

Banner: Lemon Tea Productions & One More Thought Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.
Genre: Drama
Cast: Vinay Pathak, Ranvir Shorey, Rajat Kapoor, Neha Dhupia & Saurabh Shukla
Music: Kailash Kher, Paresh & Naresh
Editor: Aseem Sinha
Cinematography: Arun Varma
Story - screenplay - dialogues: Arshad Ali Syed
Direction: Shashant Shah
Producer: Vinay Pathak & Azam Khan
Release date: 14 November 2008

Review

Story
Amal Kaul (Vinay Pathak) is an average, middle class, introvert and middle-aged bachelor who does the boring job of an account manager in a pharmaceutical company. When he goes to see a doctor for stomach ache, he is diagnosed with cancer. His doctor gives him a time-frame of three months to live. Instead of worrying about death, he prepares a list of his unfulfilled dreams and goes on to realize them.

Actors:
Vinay Pathak who has portrayed innocence and stupidity in Bheja Fry (Jeevi review) comes up with an exceptionally brilliant performance in this film. He can create a lot of impact with minute expressions. If you think Vinay is good at comedy, you will realize that he is great in emotional scenes. Neha Dhupia who acted in lots of glamorous and unforgettable roles in the past comes up with a natural performance in this film. She wore no make-up. Saurabh Shukla is hilarious with nasty portrayal of ever-eating irritating boss. Ranvir Shorey’s cameo is good.

Technical departments:

Story - screenplay - direction: The basic idea is borrowed from Hollywood flick The Bucket List (2007) (jeevi review). The treatment and conceiving of scenes is original. Screenplay is good and direction is nice. The director treated the first half with nice entertainment and the second half with heart-touching scenes. The alter-ego concept is nice. The following scenes are pretty good -

1. The scene of bossing his boss
2. Giving ride to the sales girl who sold her the car
3. His minute expressions while talking to Neha in the car.
4. Saying I Love You to Neha using dumb charades.
5. The crying scene in Russia
6. Singing a song to the mother
7. The way he fulfils his last wish
8. The titles rolling scene in which the slide show of the 10 wishes is shown

Other technical departments: Music of the film is soulful. Dialogues are witty (Put a guitar to your pelvis and you think you can be Elvis) and thought-provoking (when his teacher asks him what his problem in life was, he replies ‘Life is my problem’). Cinematography is neat.

Analysis: First half of the film is entertaining. Second half has heart touching moments though the narration slows down a bit. It is a suicidal attempt for anybody to make a film on death, because if it’s not handled well the film will bite dust at the box office. This film tells us that death gives us a chance to live the life to fullest if you knew when you are going to die. On a whole, Dasvidaniya is a very good film and a must watch.

Dostana Hindi movie Review

Banner: Dharma Productions
Genre: Comedy
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan
, John Abraham, Priyanka Chopra, Bobby Deol & Shilpa Shetty
Music
: Vishal - Sekhar
Editor: Manan Sagar
Cinematography: Ayananka Bose
Dialogues: Anvita Dutt Guptan
Story - screenplay - direction: Tarun Mansukhani
Producer: Karan Johar
& Hiroo Johar
Release date: 14 November 2008

Review

Story
Sameer (Abhishek Bachchan) is a nurse. Kunal (John Abraham) is a fashion photographer. Neha (Priyanka Chopra) works for a fashion magazine. They live in Miami. Sameer and Kunal are desperate for a rented accommodation. They had to lie to Neha that they are gays in order to share accommodation with her. One lie leads to another one. They also fall in love with Neha, but unable to express their love because she thinks that they are gays. Meanwhile Neha gets a new boss Abhimanyu (Bobby Deol) who falls head over heels for Neha. She too likes him. The rest of the story is all about who Neha goes with.

Actors:
Abhishek Bachchan is very good with his ‘gay’ antics. John Abraham is cool. Priyanka Chopra is red hot in bikini dress in one scene. She is perfect for this role. Shilpa Shetty did a special bikini song that comes during the titles of the film. Bobby Deol fits the bill. Kirron Kher has a brief but hilarious role as mother. Boman Irani is wasted.

Technical departments:

Story - screenplay - direction: It is a comedy film in which a small lie leads to several funny things. Direction of the film is nice. Screenplay is adequate. The narration goes little slow in the second half. However, director could able to bring lot of funny moments out in the film. But, the basic premise of two guys forced to act as gays in order to get a rented accommodation does not sound convincing at all. The scenes in which the gays make Bobby (editor-in-chief of Verve magazine) a bakra by teaching about how he should dress and behave in front of Priyanka.

The best scenes in the film are

1. The ‘love in Venice’ illustration by Abhishek.
2. Kirron Kher entering heroine’s house
3. Kirron Kher giving arti to John after accepting him as son-in-law/daughter-in-law
4. Gabbar Singh s a gay because his punch line was 'Kitne Aadmi The'.
4. The Kuch Kuch Hota Hai scene where John and Priyanka dance in synchronization with Sharukh & Kajol for a song in front of a giant TV.
5. The scene in which Priyanka suspects that these guys are also trying for Bobby.

You can see innumerable reference to Hollywood films in characterizations, plots and scenes. Here are a few among them

1. I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry – Two guys conveniently acting as gays
2. When Harry Met Sally – faking the orgasm
3. The Devil Wears Prada – heroine’s office set up and Boman Irani’s intro scene
4. Meet the parents – hero working as male nurse
5. Dumb and Dumber - Two guys scarifying the lady to a 3rd guy after fighting for her (and remember fundraising dinner fiasco similar to that of auction fiasco in Dostana)

Other technical departments: The songs composed by Vishal Sekhar are good. Cinematography and visuals are very nice. Dialogues are witty. Choreography is cool.

Analysis: The first half of the film is good. But the second half has got some problems. The story meanders in the second half. However, the director succeeds in getting things right in the climax. The plus points of the film are casting (Abhishek, John and Priyanka) and comedy. The negative points are illogical premises and loose ends in the second half. On a while, Dostana holds a good entertainment value for multiplex crowds.

EMI Hindi Movie Review

Banner: Balaji Motion Pictures & Popcorn Motion Pictures
Genre: Comedy
Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, Malaika Arora, Ashish Chowdhry, Neha Uberoi, Urmila Matondkar
Music: Chirantan Bhatt
Editor: Anand Subaya
Dialogues: Nitin Raikwar T Govinda Rajan
Story - screenplay - direction: Saurabh Kadra
Producer: Sunil Shetty
Release date: 7 November 2008

Review

Story
There are four people in Mumbai who borrowed money from a bank. And they fail to replay the EMIs (Equated Monthly Installments). Hence the bank hands over the list of defaulters to a recovery agency called ‘Good Luck’ which is run by Sattar Bhai (Sanjay Dutt). Sattar Bhai is a hardcore goon who recovers money from defaulters at any cost. He gets the idea of becoming a politician and decides to win over the hearts of people. That is when these four people had to approach Sattar Bhai. The rest of the story is all about how Sattar Bhai solves the problems of these people and wins their hearts.

Actors:
Sanjay Dutt impresses again in his inimitable style. This character is like an extension of his Munnabhai series. Manoj Joshi’s character is styled in the lines of Circuit in Munnabhai series. Arjun Rampal’s character (except for the cheating nature) is like an extension of his role in ‘Rock on’. Malaika Arora is sexy and got two songs for her and she looks little elder. Urmila Matondkar is alright. Kulbhushan Karbhanda is good.

Technical departments:

Story - screenplay - direction: Story of the film offers nothing new. Screenplay is shabby. Though he has taken four different cases as EMI victims, he could not explore the problems seriously. There is huge inconsistency in characterizations. The character of Urmila Montodker is whimsical, ruthless and ambitious. But she appears very soft and sensible when falling in love with Sanjay Dutt. The climax of the film is incomplete.

Other technical departments: Music of the film is adequate. Cinematography is average. Dialogues are mediocre.

Analysis: First half of the film is bad and second half is slightly better. The only solace for the film is Sanjay Dutt’s comedy in the second half. Otherwise, it is a badly made film with no script-sense. On a whole, EMI is a kind of film we prefer to watch in installments on DVD.