New Bollywood Movies Reviews, Press reviews and Members' reviews - pls share |
New Bollywood Movies Reviews, Press reviews and Members' reviews - pls share |
Sharmila-Sweet |
Nov 19 2009, 12:39 PM
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#1
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Regular Member Group: Members Posts: 915 Joined: 17-October 08 From: India Member No.: 75253 |
Kurbaan Film Review [SPOILERS]
First things first. Kudos to Karan Johar for shifting gears completely and entering into serious territory. Of course, we do love him for his K-class cinema: all his crunchy popcorn films beginning with K, ever since Kuch Kuch Hota Hai redefined mainstream romance. But Kurbaan doesn't need the popcorn at all. It keeps the screen on overboil for most of its screen time with its hard-hitting storyline that dares to venture into undefined territory. Like Khuda Kay Liye, Kurbaan too looks at the other side of Islamic fundamentalism and puts the post 9/11 tumult in perspective. Who are these guys who carry anger in their hearts, revenge in their heads and bombs in their pockets? Why are they hell bent on blasting the world, irrespective of the anguish it spells to all and sundry? Can there be a purpose behind their madness? Is one man's terrorist actually another man's activist? Kurbaan, written by Karan Johar, raises these pertinent - and extremely topical - questions, without glossing over the one undeniable truth: a suicide bomber can never solve the inequities of the world, Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, notwithstanding. So we have Ehsan Khan (Saif Ali Khan), the Pakistani who lost his wife and kid to American excesses, seething with a desire to avenge his loss. He isn't the archetypal, skull-capped, bearded fundoo, mouthing soliloquies on jihad and intifada (uprising). On the contrary, he's suave, sophisticated and a charmer, tutoring the world on the misconceptions of Islam in the modern world. Small wonder then he manages to win the heart of college professor Avantika (Kareena Kapoor) and follows her to New York on her stint with NYU. But the domestic idyll is short-lived as Avantika soon discovers it isn't her neighbours (the Afghani extended family, headed by Om Puri) alone who have suspicious antecedents. Husband Ehsan too is an integral part of the plot to bomb America for its excesses against Muslims, the world over. In a classroom sequence, the film tries to put Islamic fundamentalism in perspective by linking the rise of the Muslim terrorist to America's oil-grabbing foreign policy and its questionable attempts at destabilising oil rich countries in order to remain a superpower. Almost every member of the sleeper cell that comprises the Afghan family has a sad story of loss and horror that drove them into becoming fidayeens (suicide bombers). And before you begin to question the filmmakers for going too lenient on terrorism, you find Avantika who remains a non-convert till the very end. Articulating the voice of reason - and non-violence - she questions her husband and oscillates between love and hate for the man who has fathered her child. A prisoner in her own house, her only hope is Riyaaz (Viveik Oberoi), the undercover journalist who has his story of personal loss that pitches him on the other side in this war. He is determined to fight the terrorists and derail their plot of bombing America. Karan Johar's story has gravitas. Renzil D'Silva's narrative keeps you on the edge of the seat, for most of the time. Salim Suleiman's music score has a melodious feel. Hemant Chaturvedi's cinematography serenades both Delhi, where the Saif-Kareena romance blossoms and New York, where it cracks up. And the performances by almost all the lead characters are gritty. If Om Puri paints a chilling picture of the terrorist who masquerades in the garb of the commoner and Kiron Kher makes the myth of a suicide bomber plausible, then Viveik Oberoi lends credibility to the voice of the progressive Muslim. But it is the chemistry between Saif and Kareena that lights up the film as the duo bring to life a picture of passion and restraint as the doomed lovers. We do however wish their relationship had a stronger emotional graph, post the startling revelation. How did the duo contend with the fear, hate and disillusion that crept in after Saif revealed his true identity: a bit more on that? And a bit less in the length of the film which could do with some taut editing in the second half. Also, there are a few inconsistencies that mar the film's realism. Why does the FBI loom large like a know-it-all, do-it-all figure? Not only do the FBI sleuths always be a step ahead of the terrorists and arrest them without actually knowing who they exactly are, they also emerge unscathed in a suicide bombing attacking where almost everybody crumbles. Super Uncle Sam, did we say! But Kurbaan sure does strike a chord and sets you thinking on stuff that needs to be sorted out before the new world order - a more humanitarian, less violent - sets in. Don't miss it. A word about Performances: Saif and Kareena transport their off screen tuning to the big screen. While their passionate encounters are a class in aesthete, their delineation of Ehsan and Avantika is mature, restrained and realistic. Om Puri, Kiron Kher and Viveik Oberoi are in sync too. Music: While Salim-Suleiman have come up with an entire audio track which fits in with the ambience of the film, it is Shukran Allah and the title track, Kurbaan Hua which have lingering notes. More importantly, the songs blend in seamlessly with the story and have not been filmed as your run-of-the-mill song-dance numbers. Dialogue: The conversation amidst the diverse protagonists has a realistic edge and seem straight out of life. It's only when he tries to explain the theoretical basis of Islamic fundamentalism that Anurag Kashyap, dialogue writer, seems to enter the realm of text-book knowledge. The exposition seems a rattling of newspapers headlines. Story: Karan Johar explores new depths with his insightful story on the world's most pressing problem: terrorism. Cinematography: Hemant Chaturvedi uses his camera deftly to create stunning vignettes of Delhi and New York, without losing out on the seriousness of the plot. Styling: Kareena looks svelte in dresses and tights and brings to life a glamorous professor who dons the hijab with equal felicity. Saif is his usual dapper self, making casual seem haute. TOI Don't let someone become a priority in your life,
when you are just an option in their life. |
Sharmila-Sweet |
Oct 15 2010, 02:57 PM
Post
#2
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Regular Member Group: Members Posts: 915 Joined: 17-October 08 From: India Member No.: 75253 |
AAKROSH
By Taran Adarsh, October 15, 2010 - 08:23 IST Shameful as it may sound, honour killings still exist in many parts of the country. The misconception is honour killings are all about the murder of a female family member by one or more family members, since the perpetrators / wrongdoers believe that the victim has brought dishonor / disrepute upon the family by having a relationship with a man of different religion or social status or marrying against the parents' wishes or having premarital sex. Write your own movie review of Aakrosh The fact is men are also victims of this practice, especially when it affects the reputation of a particular caste and community. Many grooms have been killed by the father or brother of the bride and this is exactly what AAKROSH attempts to highlight. Made with right intentions, AAKROSH enlightens you on the caste system which continues to be at its rigid best, with people from the rural areas refusing to change their attitude towards marriage. Having said that, I'd like to add that AAKROSH is strikingly similar to the Hollywood film MISSISSIPPI BURNING, which, reportedly, was loosely based on the FBI investigation into the real-life murders of three civil rights workers in Mississippi in 1964. After attempting a series of some pleasant, some forgettable laughathons, ace director Priyadarshan embarks upon a hard-hitting drama that draws one's attention to a relevant issue in a non-compromising approach. But there's a flipside too: This one's a dark film. Also, a number of sequences in the narrative can make you uncomfortable [the brutal killings especially] and the spoken language, at places, is harsh, acidic and volatile. Final word? A gripping fare. AAKROSH revolves around a lower caste guy who, along with his two friends, goes to his hometown Jhanjhar. These three students go missing soon after. The government appoints CBI officers Siddhant [Akshaye Khanna] and Pratap [Ajay Devgn] to investigate the matter. Investigating in Jhanjhar becomes a tough task for these officers as the local police [Paresh Rawal], with the help of local bigwigs, refuse to co-operate with the two officers. Besides, the officers cannot break the ice with the locals, due to years of fear instilled in them. The effect of their investigation causes mayhem in Jhanjhar, with the wrongdoers spreading terror and killing people in broad daylight. There's no denying that Priyadarshan is a creative thinker with an amazing ability to handle comedy as well as intense drama. In AAKROSH, the director succeeds in giving an effectual and authentic look, but there's a problem: The unnecessary length, which dilutes the overall impact of the film. The first half is excessively lengthy and the second, though crisp, could've also done with trimming for a stronger impact. A number of sequences hold your attention and I'd like to single out the penultimate 20 odd minutes, which leave a stunning impact. Also, the chase sequences - all of them - are executed with panache, especially the one when Ajay chases a key suspect on rooftops. But, like I pointed out earlier, a film like AAKROSH is dark and brutal and therefore, has its limitations. Also, the screenplay [Robin Bhatt, Akash Khurana] vacillates between engaging and not-too-engaging moments at times. There's not much scope for music in the film and even otherwise, Pritam's score is bland. 'Issak Se Meetha', an item song filmed on Sameera Reddy, is strictly okay. Cinematography [Tirru S] is striking, while the sepia look gels well with the theme of the film. Dialogues [Aditya Dhar] are well-worded and powerful when required. Ajay and Akshaye, known for intense acts, deliver bravura performances. Ajay pitches in a remarkable act, establishing himself as one of the iconic actors of the country. Akshaye is superb yet again and only someone who has complete understanding of the craft could've delivered such a fine performance. Bipasha, who was seen in LAMHAA in a deglamorised role, has turned extremely sensitive and serious towards issue-based films. Though the length of her role isn't much, she sinks her teeth in the non-glam role and delivers a really fine performance. Paresh Rawal is menacing as the uncouth cop. In fact, this is amongst Paresh's best works. Reema Sen is excellent. Amita Pathak doesn't have much to do. Jaideep Ahlawat is good. Pankaj Tripathi is perfect. The remaining actors enact their parts well. On the whole, AAKROSH is not the standard Bollywood fare with the usual song-and-comedy routine. This one strikes a punch. Being an issue-based cinema, it will magnetize the thinking viewer and the intelligentsia mainly. It should find more flavor with the North Indian audience. 3.5/5 Don't let someone become a priority in your life,
when you are just an option in their life. |
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