2011 in Review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 2,800 times in 2011. If it were a cable car, it would take about 47 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

The Best of Films in 2011

Another year comes to an end with people asking  the same irritating question,  ”What are your New Year plans?”. I have modified my reply over the years from “what is the big deal with a New Year???” to “I will  be doing what I love to do, watching  films that I have missed”. There is nothing more enjoyable than a planned home screening of an unseen film, dimmed lights, curtains drawn with pop corn and cola for company. Blissful.

I keep a close  watch of films that I miss but for those who don’t here is a list of my favorite films from 2011.  Now this does not mean I expect you to watch them on New  Year’s Eve. All I wish is  for all of you to watch at least some of these films in original print and enjoy them the way they are meant to be.

Special Mentions-Bollywood: This year I will stick to the regular top 10 in my list. However, I would like to mention some other films that left a mark. Sahib Biwi aur Gangster with Dhulia again in his element, Shaitan for some good hard hitting, disturbing cinema, Mujhse Fraandship Karoge for the performance of Saqib Saleem and for giving a fresh feel to the college romance, Tanu Weds Manu (On a reader’s reminder, slipped my mind) for realistic sets, authentic art direction and bang on characterization (especially Pappi), Don 2 for some slick film-making surpassing even Hollywood, and Singham for being such a damn good entertainer.

10. The Dirty Picture

Dropping necklines, superlative dialogues, and great performances especially by Vidya Balan who showed everyone that fat can also be sexy. It is one of my two favorite performances of 2011.

9. Pyaar  Ka Punchnama

A low budget film which had no stars to power it. What it had was a great idea executed well and helped by legendary dialogues (one liners as well as the 5 min one). Add to it Divyendu Sharma as Liquid and you have a winner.

8. Shagird

Tigmanshu Dhulia is totally in his element in this film. He has everything in place from a great script to superb dialogues to an excellent main lead in Nana Patekar and a fine support cast. All these combined made Shagird a surprise package in 2011.

7. Chillar Party

A gem of a film about a bunch of kids and their dog. It talks about friendship and standing up for what you believe in. It is a simple film with its heart in the right place. Also worth mentioning is the kid known as Janghya (Naman Jain), he is a complete superstar. A lot of credit for this film goes to Salman Khan as this is the first film from SKBH (Salman Khan Being Human) Productions. Hats off for choosing such a script to launch his production house.

I am sure very few people would have seen it so please do watch this one for sure.

6. No one Killed Jessica

Filmy yet effective, No one Killed Jessica is a hard hitting film that asked some very relevant questions. Vidya and Rani in top form along with a powerful musical score by Amit Trivedi led by the track Dilli Dilli.

5. Delhi Belly

So much was expected from this film ever since the first promo came out and the expectations kept building up with every song being released. The controversial ‘Bhaag DK Bose’ led the pack with ‘Ja Chudail’, ‘Sweety’ & ‘I hate you’ following behind. Probably the best script of the year, Delhi Belly delivered on expectations with fine performances from Vijay Raaz, debutante Poorna Jagannathan, Vir Das and some kickass music.

4. Yeh Saali Zindagi

“Zindagi pe tera mera kissi ka na zor hai, hum sochte hain kuch yeh saali sochti kuch aur hai yeh zindagi, uff Ye Saali Zindagi”.  This is the title track of the film and its done in such a style that you know then and there, you are watching something special. The film holds true to this feeling and delivers a hilariously romantic ride which is thrilling at the same time. It offers a damn entertaining story coupled with the Khan of all seasons, Irrfan Khan in his zone. Irrfan lifts this film to great heights and is supported well by some wise-cracking lines. It  is a must watch for all those who missed it & those who didn’t miss it would watch it again anyway.

P.S. There is also the super hot Aditi Rao.

3. Stanley Ka Dabba

A truly experimental piece of cinema which showcased so many different facets of life. Shot with kids as a part of a summer camp without giving them the knowledge of it being made into a film, this brought out a natural feel to the film which is very rare today. A superb concept, beautiful execution and a genuinely heartfelt performance by

2. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

I don’t think I have seen a more fun film than ZNMD in the last 10 years. Coincidentally the last time I had so much fun was  again a film by an Akhtar, Farhan Akhtar’s debut film Dil Chahta Hai. In this case it is the sister behind the camera while Farhan comes in front for the most natural role of his career. Mind you there is a lot of difference in the styles of both brother and sister when it comes to film making but both styles are excellent. Zindagi na milegi dobara teaches you how to  embrace life and not be so involved with the future that you spoil your present. It is a film that makes you think about the choices you have made and the memorable days of your life. I say Zoya Akhtar has a different style of film making because she follows a layered style where all these things are very subtle, hidden in a way. This was the case even in her debut film Luck, By Chance another superb film.

Zindagi na Milegi Dobara also boasts of some very fine cinematography, Shankar Ehsaan Loy’s music, certainly one of this year’s best albums and a extraordinary performance by Hrithik Roshan. Couple of scenes that are worth mentioning are Hrithik’s reaction after the deep sea dive and his reaction to being rejected in a arranged marriage. Simply superb.

1. Rockstar

My favorite album, my favorite performance, my favorite screenplay, my favorite director of the year, all come from Rockstar. To be honest, the first time I saw the film I went to watch a Rockumentry as that was the kind of positioning done with the trailers. This is the major reason why people felt a disconnect in what they expected and what  they saw. I was no different.

However, the film still managed to have a very strong after effect and I felt like watching it again. This time I saw it from the point of view of Imtiaz Ali and fell in love after just 40 mins into the film. It was almost like I was watching some other film. The screenplay that looked random came across as brilliant and I appreciated Imtiaz Ali for the treatment he gave to the film. It is more of a Rockstar meets Devdas kind of a film than a documentary of a famous rockstar. I mean it as a complement because first the  latter would have been easier to execute and second I am not referring to the SRK starer, merely to the character Devdas.

Imtiaz Ali does a brilliant job of using a random narrative which gives the film an almost dreamy feel. It is like when you dream, the sequence of events is not linear, its jumbled but even then you can make perfect sense of everything that is going on in your head. Similarly here every scene has a connection and makes perfect sense in the bigger picture.

Ranbir is exceptional as Janardhan as well as Jordan which says a lot about his acting abilities. The bigger hero of the film is AR Rahman who gives one of his career best scores for this film, every song has classic written all over it. Equally special is Mohit Chauhan who put to rest all debates about how he can only sing one kind of songs. Overall It was a very difficult film to pull off and credit to Imtiaz Ali for doing it in his way.

The con is on Ricky as Dimple steals the show

Ladies vs Ricky Bahl was supposed  to be the reunion of Ranveer, Anushka and Maneesh Sharma, The Trio behind the very fresh and successful Band Baaja Baraat. Sadly this reunion is not as fresh and I don’t think it will be as successful.

Ranveer plays a con man named Ricky Bahl who is a charmer and only cons ladies. He has conned 30 females in last 15 yrs but his last three victims connect with each other and decide to teach him a lesson. They hire Ishika (Anushka) an ambitious young sales girl to con Ricky and get back their money.

The first problem I had with the film was that Ranveer looked more convincing in his conning personalities than as Ricky Bahl. Delhi’s Fitness Trainer, Mumbai’s art gallery owner and even Iqbal, the Shy Guy from small town Bareilly, all were very sincere . However, right from the second half where  he plays Mr. Beach King to the end where is Ricky Bahl, nothing seems convincing. Anushka Sharma does not help the film either with her over the top act of  a bindass sales girl. I mean what’s with so many expressions in that song about ‘Jazba’. I am clueless as to why she was dancing on that song and why she was so over expressive.

The biggest problem however is a weak script. From start to finish the film is very predictable, which is disaster for any con film. No where does the script hold any element of surprise and plays out exactly how you think it would. Add to this a very average soundtrack and there goes the last hope of a film.

So a very bad film??? Not really, because Dipnnita Sharma, Aditi Sharma and Parineeti Chopra are very endearing in their respective roles and save the film from being a totally thanda affair.

Parineeti Chopra completely steals the show as Dimple Chadha, a typical Dilli ki ladki. She is helped  tremendously by superb dialogues from Habib Faisal. Parineeti is so natural that you will want her in every scene and you would not want to look at Anushka Sharma even in a super hot black bikini (ok, may be just a peek). Parineeti Chopra is the biggest reason to watch this film as she successfully manages to steal the thunder of Ranveer & Anushka from right under their noses.

Think again Mr. Ranveer Singh a.k.a. Ricky Bahl, the way I see it is, you just got your *** kicked by a debutant. ‘LOL’ exactly how Dimple would put it.

Rating: 3 / 5 (One is only for Dimple Chadha)

Short, Zippy and Good Fun

This week is playing host to several films and it has been difficult to make a choice as to which one should you see first. As many as 7 films have released this week but I had put my money on Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge and I suggest you do the same. The film is about love, friendship and the random friend requests thanks to Facebook.

Raghu Dixit

The best thing about this film is that it does not try too hard to be extra ordinary. The story is simple and writing is funny at places. The costume and art direction have done a great job in making the film colorful, youthful and vibrant. The music has  a lot of soul as expected given that the film also marks the debut of  Raghu Dixit in Bollywood. All songs are well timed and are a treat not only to the ears but to the eyes as well.

The editing is sharp and at a length of less than 2 hours adds another big  positive to why you should watch this film. However, the cast and the sparkling chemistry between the two main leads is  the biggest reason why this film works. Saqib Saleem as Vishal is spontaneous and charming, Saba Azad as Preity is like the name of  her character and more. The support cast is also good makes for some funny moments thanks to some clever and at times purposefully silly writing.

This is  a love story which is never emotional and gives its target audience exactly what they need. Mujhse Fraandship Karoge  is definitely worth a watch.

Rating: 3/5

Mettle & Metal? One Damn Entertaining Bout

Giant robots one on one in the ring, bashing each other up. Sounds interesting?? Trust me, its even more interesting than it sounds and on top of that there is Hugh Jackman which makes this a complete popcorn entertainer.

The story is not special with Hugh Jackman playing a finished up boxer who now lives in a trailer and earns his living by controlling a robot in any match-up with money in it, even if its against a bull. His life changes when his ex-wife dies and his stubborn son insists on travelling with  him. Things become  more interesting when the kid finds a old robot in a scrap yard and brings it  home.

The second half is lifted by awesome fight scenes and not to forget the dance of the kid and the robot. It is one of those moments that is very  rare in a action flick and hence Real Steel shows a little more depth than a regular action movie. It can be said that the story is kind of like Big Daddy meets Rocky, only in this case the David vs Goliath match-up is between two robots.

The final fight between Atom and Zeus is almost identical to the final fight between Rocky Balboa and Apolo Creed. Atom has the capacity to take hits just like Rocky. Come to think of it, I don’t think there was any boxer in the entire Rocky  series who got hit as much as Rocky himself. Over here that honor goes to  Atom, the perennial underdog who is only a fighting robot. Everyone loves an underdog triumph and this one will be no different as  your hearts will instantly fall for Atom.

The people who are going for the film thinking that they will get to see transformer like action, well that’s just not how this one is. The  problem with the action of Transformer franchise is that especially during the climax, one can’t make out who is fighting who, leave alone understand who is actually winning. In Real Steel the action even though outrageous is still very cultured. The double handed upper-cut and the flying punch to the face of Zeus are surely going to get the audiences to go crazy  and cheer for Atom.

Real Steel makes for an entertaining viewing experience all throughout so if you are still wondering which movie to watch  this week go for this. For those who have an IMAX near by I suggest you catch this one there to amplify  the experience.

Rating: 3.5/5

Swank, Bold Aur Genuine

The three adjectives used above not only describe the film but also describe the three main protagonists. Jimmy is looking stylish, Mahi Gill is bold and saucy and Randeep Hooda shows that he has what it takes to deliver if given the right roles. No doubt the cast of Saheb Biwi and Gangster deserve a big applause but the one who gets a standing ovation is Tigmanshu Dhulia for his fine direction, tight script and superb dialogues.

Tigmanshu Dhulia already has to his credit the cult favorite Haasil(2003) and the recently released, crowd pleasing thriller Shagird (2011). With SBG he proves once again that you do not need a big star to make a good film, all  you need is a good script and the skill for story telling, both of which are rare in Hindi cinema these days. This one starts with a relevant prop appearing against the name of each of the lead cast members during the titles, which gives a hint towards what’s in store. The bar is taken higher by the song Jugni playing in the background. In fact through out the film, the background score plays a vital role in building  the mood.

Dialogues are most definitely the highlight of the film, hitting the spot one after the other. Some of the most memorable ones are “Jisko Marwa rahe ho usko dost toh mat bolo”, “Woh toh ek jagah hai, jo usmein rehti hai woh cheez hai”, “Do gaali sunani hai, zyada time nahin lagega” I can go on and on. This is not a surprise because Tigmanshu Dhulia has always used great dialogues to lift his films. One of my all time favorite dialogues is from the film Haasil, “Itna bhi nazrein jhuka ke na chala kijiye, Sirf sadak hi nazar aayegi aur ussi tarah ke log”.

For those who wanna go and watch the film just for Mahi Gill, I would say its not a bad idea. She looks stunning in most of the scenes with the odd crazy,  bland look thrown here and there. If I could take the liberty then I would say that a couple of scenes are eye popping, served ‘On The Rocks’ almost literally. Jimmy is damn good as the royal blood who has all the poise but no moolah, making it hard for him to stay a float.

The only thing that didn’t go down well with me is the last 3 mins or so. It was as if there was a hurry to finish of the film because there is no time for the climax to sink into the mind. Even then Sahib Biwi aur Gangster is damn good cinema, worth  every penny.

Rating – 3.25/5

Bizarre and unexplained weather

I had been waiting for the release Mausam and was very dissappointed when the release got postponed by a week. However, now that I have finally seen it I wish it had not released at all. I am not saying this because its a bad film, that it is no doubt but many bad films release every year. There is something more to it than just that. Still, before I talk about that let me just back up a few steps and talk about the film.

Mausam starts off with decent potential as Shahid looks totally natural in his character of a Punjabi Boy. The sad part is that there is very little we get to know about character. ‘There is a race with the train’ scene to show that shahid is competitive but that isn’t used anywhere. Frankly there are a lot of things that never come up and a lot of things that are pulled out of thin air. There must be a lot of people who were hoping for magic from Pankaj Kapoor but I don’t think this is what they had in mind.

No matter how much I try I don’t think I can say too many nice things about the film. So I will get right to the insults.
Mausam has one of the most bizarre and atrocious screenplays I have seen in my life. There are references to things that never take place in front of the audience like Shahid suddenly saying that  it was Sonam’s last letter or that Sonam is in America. The editing is bad as even  the first half feels stretched. However, the biggest disappointment is that this film comes from probably the actor we have in the country. That’s  exactly why I didn’t want the film to release.  Pankaj Kapoor is someone I bow down to as an an actor but here he directs, writes and does the screenplay  and all of them fall flat. There are some great ideas but every scene is so stretched that the novel attempts fail to impress like the  ’Abhi na jao chod kar’ song or the intermission from the candle flame or the shot of  the glass of  water in which ink  is getting mixed. These things could have been brilliant but unfortunately disappoint further.

Only a couple of things stand out in this failed attempt at a epic love story, the performances and the cinematography. The leads as well as the support cast are good except for Anupam Kher who is completely wasted. The performances of main leads could have been even better had they not assumed that they were already part of an epic love story which is going to be a landmark in Bollywood.

Watch it if  you must but wear a cap as It will prevent you from pulling out your hair, but only till the time the Giant Wheel climax comes up, after that its inevitable.

Rating – 1.5/5