Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi

Title: Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (A Couple Made By God)

Language: Hindi

Year of Release: 2008

Director: Aditya Chopra

Actors: Shahrukh Khan, Anushka Sharma, Vinay Pathak and others.

Verdict: 3/5 (Watch it once!)

Before I stepped into the Cinema Hall to watch this film, the new look of King Khan on TV and posters brought a smile onto my face. To sum up my thoughts, he has never looked this simple and hilarious. I mean, who in the world wears "Lotto" brand shoes anymore?! And that too with that ridiculous moustache he has, things are bound to be different. After having seen the movie, I have a mixed feeling, of course I still smile when I think of Shahrukh as Suri but in the end the movie grapples with clichéd scenes and lack of common sense.

The story is set in Amristar where Surinder Sahni (Shahrukh Khan), a government employee with Punjab Power brings his newly wed wife, Taani (Anushka Sharma). As the story unfolds, Suri explains how madly he had fallen in love with Taani and under what circumstances he had to get married to Taani. A day later, when Taani drops the bombshell that she will never be able to love him, Suri decides to never force her into anything hoping that she will soon realise how much he loves her. All's well till here and the story takes a turn when Taani asks her husband if she could attend the dance classes. Suri, who loves her way too much, immediately agrees and he himself decides to go personally and watch Taani dancing. Enter the new cool dude look, Raj...and the rest as they say is...Rab Di Marzi...

The story of Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi seems to have been inspired from our general fetish for dance competitions and Shahrukh's ability to entertain the audience. Seriously, no other actor would have maintained the dignity of Suri and flamboyance of Raj at the same time with such ease. The first 15 minutes of the film reminded me of Mani Ratnam's 1986 flick "Mouna Raagam". The void between the newly wed couple and the occasional pendulous interactions between Suri and Taani are brilliantly shot and mark a great beginning to what could have been a much better movie. The people around Suri especially Bobby (Vinay Pathak) are heartwarming in their respective roles so much so that, you yearn for the conversations between Suri and Bobby. Even when Raj, the cool dude avatar of Suri enters the scene with an intention to bring in happiness to Taani's life you are glued to your seats. Perhaps it's the intensity and the silly, mocking body language which Shahrukh has...and it works! It's the second half where things don't seem to fit in...literally. Ten minutes into the second half, you will know exactly what's going to happen next, so much so that I ended up predicting half the lines which are about to come up on screen!...:D (Just Kidding!..:P). But still you can...the whole setting of the Dance Classes/competition is taken off in the second half of the story only to be brought back in the climax. Rajeev Masand on CNN-IBN brings out couple of interesting points of view about the heroine not able to recognise that it's actually her husband in disguise and also her stupidity in not telling Raj that she's already married until the former proposes to her. There's no mention of Taani being unhappy with the man she's currently married to but she doesn't think for a moment when Raj asks her to elope with him! But every story has to have a happy ending in India. Continuing this tradition, the director throws in a clichéd concept called "Divine Intervention" to solve a dilemma. And there it is...a Happy Ending...Happy Audience.

On the other side, the movie works because of its simplistic sets, infact most of the film seems to have been shot in the streets of Amritsar, Suri's terrific performance as an introvert who just cannot express how deeply is he in love with his wife and that funny smile (or expression) that he has on his face. Anushka Sharma delivers a confident performance in her debut film, she surely will go a long way! If only her character and her dilemma were well scripted out, she could have been the USP of this film. But the film truly belongs to Suri and Raj...and Shahrukh rises above the script to bring in the emotion and fun element. Raj's new designer T-Shirts and a blade hanging around his neck could be the new trend in the bazaar. Vinay Pathak as Bobby is an asset, his hairstyle and the clothes make his presence felt even when he's sharing the space with Shahrukh...you just can't help smiling at his look, especially after having seen him in Dasvidaniya. And the other important character in the movie is....The God! Quite literally...the Music in the movie is soothing, "Haule Haule" is the best of the lot and quite a few others have been shot spectacularly. But most of them reminded me of some soothing melodies in Telugu especially from Venkatesh's films...maybe in the middle of this, I happened to see "Rab"...:D...[Pun Intended!]

The first song, the bike chase, the first 15 minutes, Shahrukh as Suri, Anushka and the end credits sum up all that you need to see in the movie. At the end of the day, I have nothing much to say about the movie...and if you wondering why I have written so much about this movie, then it's all...Rab Di Marzi....[Dear God, I don't mean to offend you with all this, I think I am searching for you in the Taani's around....:D...hehehe...]

Till Then,

Hum Hain Raahi Pyaar Key. Phir Milenge. Chalte Chalte

Picture Courtesy: Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (Wikipedia)

Kotha Bangaru Lokam

Title: Kotha Bangaru Lokam

Language: Telugu
Year of Release:2008
Director: Srikanth Addala
Actors: Varun Sandesh, Shweta Prasad, Prakash Raj, Jayasudha, Ahuthi Prasad and others
Verdict: 3.75 / 5 (Don't miss it!)

2008 has had its share of ups and downs for Tollywood. There are no huge blockbusters to talk about... the success of Jalsa, Ready, Krishna, and other movies may be the only so far which has the rung the cash registers. But I wouldn't be surprised if the audience complained of some void which arises for lack of fresh stories or atleast something to talk about incessantly! Finally, the wait seems to have ended...atleast in most quarters. And it's once again from the production house of ace producer Dil Raju, who has Addala Srikanth as the chief bastion to his reputation of producing good movies! The team has definitely come up with a winner which will draw in the famillies and more particularly the teenagers and youth.

Kotha Bangaru Lokam (KBL) is the story of Balu (Varun Sandesh) and Swapna (Shweta Prasad), who meet in a Residential Junior College. Balu is the kind of guy whom you would associate any teenager...the happy go lucky guy, who believes that anything is possible and for whom life's a beautiful dream which can be led as one pleases. His life takes a new turn when he bumps into Swapna in college and is compelled to know more about her. As time progresses, love blossoms...the only problem is, they don't know if it's love or attraction. When they come across their Physics Lecturer who believes that life's all about the decisions you make at different levels, they are compelled even more to question themselves as to what exactly is the funny feeling they are enduring. After a short while, they realise that it's the love for each other which makes them restless...all's well so far! But how can life be so smooth??! Obviously, the girl's father discovers the affair and takes his daughter away from the college. Now that, with the girl gone and him being sent out of college, what will Balu do? Will he confess all this to his parents ? Will he be able to meet Swapna again? How does all this end??!--To find answers to all these questions...you must watch the movie!

It's just not the question of what happens in the latter part of the story, but the movie on a whole is an earnest attempt to portray the lifestyle of a teenager and what he thinks and does. The steps to discovering oneself are sometimes the longest and the hardest to walk. If leaving your parents hands (in a strictly Indian Sense) was so easy, there would have been no question of a struggle of conscience. At every step of your life, you have this going in your mind...how would my family react if they find out what I have done? Will my family support my decision? When will the society realise that I am mature enough to make my own decisions?!....yada...yada.

Probably a dozen more of such questions have always plagued us sometime or the other. And after having seen the movie, I can say with my hand on my heart that the writers and the director understand what it's to be like a teenager....watch out for that physics class where this concept is explained as XYZ axis! Coming back to the movie, Varun Sandesh is here to stay! He's got another good role which he performs with ease after his role in "Happy Days". Of course, his American accent doesn't seem to have completely veered of him, especially for a film where he's portraying a Konaseema lad. He has shed lot of weight...and has that funny looking mush...hehe...pretty much like how most of us used to look like back then (Of course, I personally cannot claim to be thin at any stage of my life!!! :-P...). He looks a bit like Danush in this flick...check it out yourself if you don't believe me! Shweta Prasad, the girl who earlier played the role of Iqbal's sister in Nagesh Kukoonoor's "Iqbal" is the find of the year! She's just perfect for the role and has a remarkable innocence etched onto her face all the time. No wonder, her smile and the catchy phrase "Ekkada" will stand out in the movie. Ahuti Prasad is content in his role...he's got some really funny lines. Jayasudha and Prakash Raj team up again...and leave no place for any shortcomings. Although I would say, their roles don't have much footage, but the entire film owes it to their presence and the impact which they leave in those scenes in which they appear. Another big asset to this movie is the set of friends which the hero and the heroine have! I haven't laughed so much for such spontaneous lines...and the Konaseema accent adds to the sparkling humour!

Mickey J Meyer's music is another asset...couple of songs, Nijanga...Nijanga...and Nenani will continue to be among the chartbusters for a long long time! Chota K Naidu's Cinematography is probably the strongest pillar to this movie...all those wonderful scenes across Godavari, the songs and the general scenes between the hero and the heroine are wonderfully captured. The colours are rich and they exude such brilliance...one thing in particular...most of the scenes have been shot amidst the most brilliant of the sunlighting! The golden rays of sun and the soft music are probably more than enough to make you belief that you are feeling good within for some odd reason. Kudos to the director for bringing in such a wonderful team together and bringing out a genuinely fresh product. The direction is particularly brilliant towards the final act in the movie, and I truly hope this talented director comes up with something more consistent. A final word for the producer, Raju...he seems to have got the knack of finding good talent most of the times. Have got just one thing to say-"Your Bank Balance just got multipled!!!"....:D

There might be plenty of reasons for watching this movie, but probably the most important thing would be....go for the sweet romance, sparkling comedy and some beautiful music and cinematographer. Don't miss this flick...you never know when you might come across another truly genuine piece of work like this one!

Anything for you Ma'm : Book Review

Remember, back in 2004 there came a book titled "Five Point Someone" by Chetan Bhagat and it took the Indian publishing industry by storm. What added to the craze was the IIT tag to this book, it was after all marketed as "Five Point Someone- What not to do in an IIT". Oh...boy, Chetan Bhagat and the publishing house did indeed mint money with this book. Oh, just in case if you didn't know this...according to some sources, selling 5000 copies of a book is enough to put in Bestsellers bracket in India! And his book according to some reports in May, 2008 has touched 7 lakh copies!!..and still counting. Whatever maybe the case, it proved that you don't have to be a Rushdie to become a star overnight. If I may take a stand on this issue, I would go on to say that this book has given confidence to so many other budding writers who dream of getting their book published. And whatever maybe the case...a book would eventually find its reader.

Anything for you Ma'm, is a book written by Tushar Raheja who was a final year student in IIT, Delhi when this book was published back in 2006. The book follows the trail of a IITian named Tejas Narula who's longing to meet his lady love Shreya who's in Chennai. As you would have expected by now, the girl's dad realising that she's in love has grounded her in Chennai. And it's upto Tejas to do whatever it may take to meet his girl.

The book has got some good reviews from various newspapers and magazines, some calling it a laugh a minute book, others comparing it with a typical masala film from Bollywood...one chap even drew parallel to Virginia Wolf owing to the narattion technique which the author uses here. I would say, the book's all that...and probably it's a bit over rated! As a fellow blogger points out that, the book is filled with coincidences which one needs to build an interesting plot. Another points out that, there's not one single thing which the author disparages! Everything is beautiful...the months...the sun...the winters...the trains...the people...you name it! I don't blame him anyway...as some of you might argue that being in love one would tend to think of like this...:). I wouldn't know anyway!!!...:-P

If you are one who doesn't go for some heavy reading...this is not a bad one to flip through. It's charming in parts and treads the road travelled in other cases. The author didn't have to really use the IIT tag here...there's nothing in the book which adds to the aura of the character being an IITian. But it sells!! And that's what matters....(No offence!). Not a masterpiece in any angle, but an honest effort....:D

P.S: I have an idea....I think we all should brainstorm and come up with each and every random stuff we have done in our college lives...am sure there are enough tales to tell to the rest of the world. If not anything, we would atleast end up having a log book which we could share for our 25th reunion...should be fun! What say guys?! Who's with me?!...

Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain (Amelie)

Title: Le Fabulex Destin d'Amelie Poulain (Amelie)
Language: French
Year of Release: 2001
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Actors: Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz
Awards: Nominated for five Oscars, won 4 Cesar Awards and several others


Narrator: "On September 3rd 1973, at 6:28pm and 32 seconds, a bluebottle fly capable of 14,670 wing beats a minute landed on Rue St Vincent, Montmartre. At the same moment, on a restaurant terrace nearby, the wind magically made two glasses dance unseen on a tablecloth. Meanwhile, in a 5th-floor flat, 28 Avenue Trudaine, Paris 9, returning from his best friend's funeral, Eugène Colère erased his name from his address book. At the same moment, a sperm with one X chromosome, belonging to Raphaël Poulain, made a dash for an egg in his wife Amandine. Nine months later, Amélie Poulain was born."

This is how the movie begins! The first time I saw this movie, I couldn't understand what was going on....it switched to another channel in 5 minutes. Two years later when I saw this again, I realized what a fool I was!!...How could I have missed such a beautiful movie on the previous occasion? That was all I thought about that day. Released in 2001, this French movie directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet featuring Audrey Tautou who later acted as Sophie in "Da Vinci Code" alongside Tom Hanks.

The story is about Amelie. Her father who's a doctor thinks that she has a unhealthy heart (while the real reason is that, Amelie yearns for her father so much that everytime he touches her, which is only while doing a checkup, her heart beats unusually rapid!) and she's never sent to school. After her mother's death she becomes even more lonley and from there after she develops great interest in doing some simple, but different things. One fine day, she leaves her home and starts working in a Cafe'. Her colleagues at the Cafe' each have an issue or you can say problem of their own which makes them quite uneasy on several occasions. One fine day, Amelie stumbles upon a box hid behind a loose bathroom tile and when she opens it she finds a small treasure....a collection of small objects which perhaps a young boy had left behind. Amelie begins her quest to find the owner of the box and return this to him. After some days she finds him and is quite happy when she secretly sees how that person reacts upon finding his treasure. From them on Amelie decides that she would help people around her and make them happy; and in doing so, she will be happy too. She accidentally bumps into Nino, a guy who's hobby is to collect the torn and discarded passport photo booths and falls in love with him. But given the fact how shy Amelie is, she never appears face to face with him and is quite afraid to express her love for him....and help finds its way through Raymond Dufayel, her neighbour who's called as the Glass man by everyone....And how this happens...makes up the rest of the story.

Narrator: September 28th, 1997. It is exactly 11am. At the funfair, near the ghost train, the marshmallow twister is twisting. Meanwhile, on a bench in Villette Square, Félix Lerbier learns there are more links in his brain than atoms in the universe. Meanwhile, at the Sacré Coeur, the nuns are practising their backhand. The temperature is 24°C, humidity 70%, atmospheric pressure 990 millibars.

This is how the film ends!!...What makes this film so special is the way, the character of Amelie is portrayed...as a person who never hesitates to help others, but when it is about herself she doesn't take a step forward. Acting is beautiful especially by Audrey Tautou, and the little girl who portrays the role of Amelie when she's young...is so damn cute! Dialouges are good; but some of them are quite unexpected...in one of the scenes, while explaining the different interests of Amelie it is said that, right now she's counting how many people are having an orgasm in the city! and many more like this....for more quotes from the movie...click here

The film has got a great look too...beautiful colours, there's never a dull moment in the movie. And there are quite a few number of references too...like Princess Diana (one of the characters wonders what British are going to Princess Di's ashes...he hopes that it will be thrown in space so that it becomes a star...[:)]..)

It's cute, refreshing, romantic...a perfect feel good movie. This one is among my all time favourite movies and definitely my favourite French movie! Highly recommended...one of the best films from Europe!
For more reviews of this flick...click here

Check out this English trailer of the movie...