Finding Fanny

Directed by: Homi Adajania

Starring: Naseeruddin Shah, Dimple Kapadia, Pankaj Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Arjun Kapoor

Released: 2014

My rating: destroy every copy – horrible – bad – whatever – flawed but enjoyable - good – great – amazing

Oh the irony! I always wait for DVDs to come out with English subtitles so I can enjoy the film. This one was to be in English... so naturally I downloaded the Hindi dubbed version and had to deal with speech not always matching the lip movement. It was a mild irritation, but irritation nontheless. And how are you to find Fanny, if you cannot find a gripping plotline? Truth is that I had looked forward to Finding Fanny with great expectations. I loved the trailers and promos, it had a wonderful star cast and sometimes you just have a good feeling about projects that are coming your way.

Unfortunately the expectations are not exactly met, though the movie manages to stand out of the crowd. It is very quirky (though not as delightfully quirky as Dedh Ishqiya, which too was labeled as black comedy), but lacks any wit. It deals with the bizarre and the absurd which life brings, but it is not as bizarre and absurd as I would need it to be to feel entertained rather than depressed. Using the statement of the drunken Russian who also makes an appearance: „Fanny? It is not funny!“ However crazy the situations in Finding Fanny become, they are not stepping over the line which makes black comedy funny. Instead you feel somehow sad, pitiful, and at time mildly disgusted (speaking the cat scene here, which was ever so much worse for me as a lover of animals and cats in particular). On the plus side it only lasts hour and a half, which is just about right for the subject. Plus points to be noted for fitting music (the main melody still rings in my ears) and visuals.

Stuffed in a flaked vintage car the five protagonists are on a way to find love and discover something about themselves. A young man Savio that sometimes one has to act instead of just waiting for something to happen. Beautiful Angie that not all stories have happy endings, but one must carry on. Elderly seductive siren Rosie that hollow pride combined with flattery may result in something very shameful. Adorable Ferdie that even the girl he once had loved did age. And art-obsessed Don Pedro that it may not be the best idea to get into a car with these other four, unless you wanna end up with an accidental bullet in your head and forever missing on the bottom of the sea. Many scenes are so very human one feels the acute embarasement at witnessing them, as an intruder in something that is not your business. I just cannot decide whether that is a good or a bad thing.

What saves Finding Fanny are ultimately very good performances from the whole cast. The young ones - Arjun and Deepika, do not go through many mood changes, and hold steadily and naturally against the elder three, who are acting masters in their own right. My favourite was definitely Naseeruddin Shah. Compare his Ferdie, who cries and howls without shame when sad, who is as soft and gentle as a child, to his Dedh Ishqiya character, who could boast of immense charm, but also vanity, cunningness and sneekiness - though the face remains the same, the two are so distinctly different I just felt in awe of Mr. Shah yet again.

I am glad Finding Fanny exists. It is different and not bad. Just not great either.  

Masoom

Directed by: Shekar Kapoor

Starring: Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Saeed Jaffrey, Tanuja, Supriya Pathak, Jugal Hansraj, Urmila Matondkar

Released: 1983

My rating: destroy every copy – horrible – bad – whatever – flawed but enjoyable - good – great – amazing

The over the top reactions and dramatics are part of Bollywood and you just have to go with the flow. It is not a bad thing per se (except sometimes, when it does not go over the top, rather like over the galaxy). But from time to time even in Bollywood there are movies which abandon both traditional mainstream formulas and (let´s say) fiercely passionate acting, and become perhaps not a great entertainment, but an interesting probe into more everyday lives of more common people. They are relatable to the fullest and remind us of what it is to be.... well, normal, with the failings and generosity of which we are all capable of. Shekar Kapoor is undoubtedly a great director with a touch for..... that special something which makes your heart feeling all fuzzy in the end. Be it in fantastic extravaganza of Mr. India or quiet, wide-eyed Masoom.

Naseeruddin Shah is a loving husband to Shabana Azmi and an adoring father to their two little daughters (the elder of whom is none other than baby Urmila Matondkar). He has everything he could possibly want, except sometimes he jokes he lacks a son. However he is in for a shock. Once upon a time he was unfaithful to his wife, for reasons he himself cannot explain, and he indeed had sired another off-spring. Now the boy´s mother is dead and he must take responsibility for the child. While he could probably cope with the situation, the child, oblivious about the facts, could easily break his home and all the certainties it once represented.

Not many words are needed for the two spectacular lead actors to convey their painful inner struggle to the viewers. Naseeruddin tells everything with his eyes. With Shabana, it is little things. Slight change of intonation when talking to her own children and her husband´s son. Her apprehension on serving him food. Her own confusion whether to hate the child or not. Hers is not an easy role. Easily she could have become an evil step-mother. Instead she is what she is – a woman trying to cope. She realizes the child is innocent, yet she is not capable of seeing him that way. One cannot hate her even during her more rash outbursts. We just know her pain. At the same time we pity the child. The whole situation is heartbreaking, yet there are no villains, only humans.

The children in the film are really good, Jugal Hansraj especially deals with a heavy-load of his role brilliantly. Shekar Kapoor is one of the very few Bollywood directors who know how to find a child actor, that is not artificial and annoying (which is really Hindi cinema standard even today). The supporting cast too is good, even though I was somehow baffled by the character played by Tanuja. I understand she was meant to be sort of Shabana´s trusted genius, whose own actions would show her friend which road is best to take, unfortunately she was really the one that felt somehow preachy and forced into the plot. Shabana could have made up her mind herself easily enough, without Tanuja´s transformation from „strong, single, yet miserable“ to „beaming with happiness cause my dude decided to come back“. Supriya Pathak makes only a brief appearance in flashbacks. I can only say hee complete difference from Shabana, in both appearance and character, makes it easy to imagine that Naseeruddin fell for the temptation of an unknown and unfamiliar, even if just once.

Masoom is very human, sad but ultimately beautiful, soulful movie. A true tribute to a family spirit. (unlike some other films....)

Dedh Ishqiya

Directed by: Abhishek Chaubey

Starring: Naseeruddin Shah, Madhuri Dixit, Arshad Warsi, Huma Qureshi, Vijay Raaz

Released: 2014

My rating: destroy every copy – horrible – bad – whatever – flawed but enjoyable - shitastic - good – great – amazing

Dedh Ishqiya is a film that gave me everything I wanted. Everything I expect from a movie, that too from a sequel of a film I already like a lot. I have been waiting for it for over two years, anticipating it with bated breath, so brace yourselves because this is going to be LONG.

Ishqiya is carried forward as a franchise by the extremely loveable characters of Khalujan and Babban, a notorious uncle-nephew duo, with eyes always on some prize and constantly trying to escape their rishtedaar from previous film. However while it is their franchise, it is not their story. Much like we witnessed Krishna´s story (albeit through their eyes) in Ishqiya, this time it is another woman whose life, struggle and plans come into focus. Neither Khalu nor Babban changed since we last saw them. Khalu is still in love with the idea of love and Babban has not lost anything from his brisque nature. Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi are both great, great actors. Arshad has the advantage over other characters in the film because he is really the only one providing fun and entertainment through one-liners, which he delivers like only he can. Naseeruddin Shah delivers one of his best perfromances, and given his amazing record that is really something. Khalu with puppy-eyes and love-struck expressions is a sheer delight. He is still a crook, but he looses himself in love (and is happy to do so), more than he intended. He has stopped dying his hair, has accepted his age, and his affections are indeed deep, not a flying romance which he shared with Krishna.

Huma Qureshi. My hope for a better Bollywood of tommorow.

But look for a woman behind everything, right? And this woman around whom everything is centered is remarkable. Now, we all know Vidya Balan seduced us one and all, men or women irrespective, with her earthy, raw sensuality. Begum Para seduces too, but through different means. Krishna from Ishqiya was real in every sense of the word. Begum Para seems to be from a different time and place altogether. As if she stepped out of an old painting, she carries herself with utter grace, refinement, class and distinct air of royalty. She seems an illusion the men are chasing wholeheartedly, and at the same time, as you wander through the haveli corridors in day time, it turns out the picture she gives to the outer world is a lying image, put up for the sake of mere survival. Unlike Krishna, Begum Para is not a deserted woman set after a revenge. And she does not need to sleep with anyone or lick their fingers to have them eating out of her lily-white hand. Her one look is enough to set hearts racing, as she possesses the aura of being above mere mortals and almost untouchable. She knows she has these qualities and is aware of the effect she has on people, and yet, at the same time..... she is a child in her soul. Crippled by past experiences, suffocated under the royal title and slowly dying on the inside, trapped in the enormous palace. Dedh Ishqiya heroine is just as exciting, and even more complex than Krishna, even though she is created from a different mould altogether. She too is unpredictable and unreadable, but that is where the whole similarity stops.

Every single interaction between Madhuri and Naseeruddin is magical.

If one expected a shrewd, scheming woman using her raw sex-appeal to get what she wants, Begum is not it. However Muniya is. She fits much more into the expectations people had if they approched the sequel with a pre-conceived notion of how the characters are going to be. Huma, arguably the most talented actress among the current new lot, plays her role of Begum´s close confidant with ease and conviction, and she is not at all lost beside other, much seasoned actors. Huma looks gorgeous and one can feel the energy and vivacity radiating from her. Her diction is wonderful. Not even her hairstyle can compete with the one the excellent Vijay Raaz is sporting though. In a film where everybody chases their own agenda he is no less and no more ambitious and sneaky than Khalu and Babban, making Dedh Ishqiya truly a story where there are no heroes and villains, just self-loving people who work towards their aspirations.

Screw poetry. My hairstyle is the best.

Dedh Ishqiya is a cinematic triumph in many ways, and one of them is the characters. This is one of the rare Bollywood films in which all of them are multi-dimensional, needed for the progress of the story and to drive the plot. There is no place for superficial rubbish.And all the actors involved are so massively talented and click so well together it just doesn´t feel correct to dissect the scenes for the sake of bringing somebody up or down. They are all needed, they all deliver and in the end the FILM is more important than any actor. And it works.

It wouldn´t be Ishqiya though, if love did not get in a way. And there is way more love than in the first film. Between more than two people. More than three. More than four. Dedh Ishqiya is just love, in many forms, with many faces, of different motivation and springing from various roots. The chemistry is at work between all four main protagonists, but interestingly Babban/Khalu and Begum/Muniya have better chemistry together than opposite each other. Babban and Khalujaan are indeed one of the most loveable „bromances“ I can think of, up there with Munna/Circuit, Karan/Arjun, „Shashitabh“ in most of their film and Anil/Jackie in everything they ever did together. They are comfortable with each other and it shows. 

What is much more rare and actually made Dedh Ishqiya so special was the bonding between Begum and Muniya. I have not seen two female characters being so close and in such a tight-knit relationship in a movie ever. At one point Begum adresses Munnia as her “dost, behen and jaan”. And there are more hints on what the relationship is actually about. The possibility that they MAY and MAY NOT be homosexual is enthralling. Munnia is Para´s „jaan“? We all know this word can be interpreted in more ways than one. And perhaps it is innocent. Perhaps not. It depends on the viewer, who can freely choose what they want to believe. And if indeed they are supposed to be lovers, then it is the most subdued, tasteful portrayal of such situation on the screen in Indian cinema. Nothing about it is in your face or riding on stereotypes. Even their prospective grooms are shown to be in awe and actually turned on by what they discover, rather than be disgusted and use it against them.

One of these is as innocent as a lamb without even knowing it.  Hint: it´s not the girl.

There are flaws. Minor ones, truly. The second half is rather slow, at the same time I cannot imagine any scene missing. Jagave Sari Raina dance number happens quite all of a sudden and out of nowhere, a bit more of a build-up would have made it even better. The song is gorgeously choreographed and executed, giving us even a flashback bringing us closer to understanding the backstory of Kahlu and Bagum. I definitely felt more should have been said about it. How close they were? What happened to them really? Why was it her specifically that Khalu set his mind upon once he realized he wanted something in life for himself? Was she his first love? How did he find her? Or was he keeping eye on her throughout the years? Too many questions to be asked.

Musical score is beautiful. I love the whole soundtrack, with qawali Kya Hoga taking the cake for the best song. And lyrics... Oh the lyrics! If we forget the Horn OK Pleaj track, it has been a long long time since such gorgeous and meaningful lyrics have sounded through cinema halls. Gulzar Saab penned down some of his best efforts for this movie. The background score is hauntingly beautiful and truly underlines the atmosphere of some of the scenes – Begum´s entry being one of them. It takes a little while before one gets used to Rekha Bhardwaj, but then the effect is wonderful.

Dedh Ishqiya can also boast of great dialogues. From Babban´s hilarious one-liners, his attempts to woo Muniya, Khalu´s elaborate poetry and all the lines Begum presents with her impeccable and unmatched dialogue delivery, the film is a language festival, Urdu in particular. Even I, though not familiar with it much, was smitten by how sweet and beautiful it sounded.

Camera work and visuals are excellent too.

To me the highlight of this fantastic film was Begum Para, brilliantly brought to life by Madhuri. Perhaps it is because I simply notice her more, then again there is reason why I consider this woman my favourite actress and she re-assured me I am justified in that opinion. And I am proud of her, because Begum Para is a role not everybody would or could do. Begum Para is not a Miss Goody-Two-Shoes. She is emotionally, possibly mentally disturbed woman. She is not interested in love, and of course there is the already mentioned homosexual colouring. Add to it you have to share screenspace with twenty years younger and fresh power-house of talent Huma Qureshi in most of the scenes. In her 30 years long film career Madhuri has given us some truly inspiring, strong characters. Independent and fierce women. Begum Para has something I don´t believe I have seen in any other of Madhuri´s roles – she is extremely frail and fragile. She is vulnerable. For all the plotting and mystery she has gentle innocence in her eyes. She projects such a feeling of helplessness and desperation one just wants to cuddle her up and comfort her, protect her from the realities of the world – and that we love Muniya for doing just that. 

Be it Para who is furiously scratching her own face out of old pictures or Para who in matter of seconds transforms into a seductive temptress, Madhuri plays the role to perfection. Her skin almost changes colour with the mood she portrays, she radiates warmth one moment and it is completely lost in the next, her expressions are lucid and clear and beautiful. And her dialogue delivery yet again flawless. Finally, this is a woman in her 40s, shown as extremely desirable, a central piece of the story, and both she and Muniya make for some of the best feminist characters in recent times. The world of Ishqiya is unique because it shows that WOMEN ARE PEOPLE without need to call anything female-centric and flaunting any such „progressive“ tag.

And so a complaint of mine would be we did not seen nearly enough of her in the film. The screentime is distributed amongst all the actors pretty evenly, which gives them all their chance to shine, but ultimately takes away from the most interesting person of the story. I desperately wanted to know more.

All the bias of mine aside, Dedh Ishqiya is not a flawlessly sculpted film, but that doesn´t take away from the charm it possesses and the story stands pretty strong. Dedh Ishqiya is a celebration of acting, of chemistry and camaraderie, of language and classical dancing. A strange, captivating atmosphere breathes through the film, showing a world where time had stopped, and while some want to rule it, others wants to be free of it. Dedh Ishqiya is witty, entertaining, clever, sensitive, original, better than in predecessor and for me as a woman extremely satisfying. Dedh Ishqiya is important.

Hope to meet these guys again, really.

3 Deewarein

Directed by: Nagesh Kukunoor

Starring: Naseeruddin Shah, Juhi Chawla, Jackie Shroff, Nagesh Kukunoor, Gulshan Grover

Released: 2003

My rating: destroy every copy – horrible – bad – whatever – flawed but enjoyable - good – great – amazing

A curious, intriguing movie this is. Amazingly non-glamorous, yet not hyping on any dirt. Lasts little under 2 hours and yet stays with you for quite a while after. Clever and with a twist that you never could expect, but not venturing into an impossible scenario area. As both a sum of its parts and the final product 3 Deewarein is, I feel, severely underrated.

The notorious „bad man“ of Bollywood Gulshan Grover is here a „good man“, leaving aside his comic antics and theatrical villainous acting, trying to run a prison, where the prisoners are treated with humanity and everything is done to support their reformation. But some cases, apparently are beyond help. Three walls are a prison to three death convincts, each distinctly different from one another, but sharing the same lot. And the story serves as a probe to test their mentality and behavior face to face with death punishment and lengthy waiting for it. Nagya (played by director himself), keep believing his innocence would eventually be proved. Ishaan (excellent, excellent Naseeruddin Shah, stealing the show away and being incredibly charming even as a killer) is a sly-operator keeping his cool and plotting his escape. And finally Jaggu (Jackie Shroff) decides to be absolutely stoic, waiting for death as if she was his lover, whom he would welcome with some of his plentiful, melancholic poetry (which he recites so soulfully in his deep sexy voice that everything in me just couldn´t help but to be a Jackie Shroff-fangirl).

The makers did an excellent job in presenting the reality of life in jail and daily routine of the prisoners. When with the characters, you feel indeed enclosed in the same small world they are allowed to exist in, cut off from the world. There is nothing filmi about this prison, neither there is a Hitler-like jailor (waving at you, Sholay) and do not expect a happy song about how awesome it is to be imprisoned (avoid a movie called „Army“ at all cost). Within this atmosphere, both calm and full of anticipation, depending on which of the three condemned prisoners is pulling the story forward, the excellent performances by the actors make an intriguing tapestry of emotions and actions.

The medium through which the plot function though, is Juhi Chawla in a role of a documentary filmmaker. Simply clad, with simple talks, she is not what she appears to be to the world. These days expression „women empowerment“ is being thrown around right left and center, and it is unfair to forget that there have been character in the past that indeed reached the empowerment – Juhi in 3 Deewarein is one of them, as she plays an abused wife who not only decides to satisfy her need for being creative, she manages to win over her husband all by herself too. And meanwhile she is also an avenger. And a rescuer. Her performance is brilliant (and for me personally her best, most intense), her presence among the mournful and pessimist prisoners like a fresh wind. And her despair in scenes showing her personal life nothing less than deeply disturbing.

The movie does not have any songs, but the background score and a lonely, touching melody of a flute, which sounds throughout the prison in the nights, are beautiful. Editing in some of the scenes flawless. There is a bit too much English for my taste, which is one of the minor possible complaints. If you are looking for a really good film, try this one for sure.

Ishqiya

Directed by: Abhishek Chaubey

Starring: Naseeruddin Shah, Arshad Warsi, Vidya Balan, Adil Hussain

Released: 2010

My rating: destroy every copy – horrible – bad – whatever – flawed but enjoyable - good – great – amazing

It would be a blatant lie if I denied that the impuls for revisiting Ishqiya was the coming of its successor in the form of Dedh Ishqiya (which has been watched and immensely loved and will be reviewed at LENGTH so just prepare yourselves), but at the same time I can claim with a clear conscience that the first film was definitely one of my favourite films of 2010, long before any news about a sequel. Because it was quite different, yet somewhere along the line it still didn´t feel like a wannabe-artsy film. And mostly because the characters created within the Ishqiya world range from extremely entertaining to quite fascinating. What Abhishek Chaubey managed to do in his debut movie, many more experienced directors sturggle to achieve after years of work. And put me in an awkward position, because I have started writing a review and yet I still don´t know how to write about the film. Or what really..... Ishqiya is one of the films I genuinely enjoyed.... but don´t have that much to say about (seriously wait for my word-diorrhea that will come once I get to Dedh....)

A sun slowly rises above the hills, enough to colour everything in hues of beige and brown, but not yet enough to reveal the true colours of a village landscape somewhere in Uttar Pradesh, where the story takes place. The visuals throughout refrain from using too much colour, settling instead for very earthy tones, in which a wild flower or Vidya Balan´s white choli stand out and draw even more attention than they would otherwise. The attention given to a detail is wonderful. And the overal atmosphere created quite unique. As is Krishna, with her glorious braid and drool-worthy sarees.

Now, Vidya Balan is possibly the sexiest (as well as stunningly gorgeous) actress Bollywood has on its hands these days and she is thus perfectly cast as the female protagonist of the story. A great feminist figure she is – going afer what she wants, manipulating others without a blink of an eye and using all that has nature endowed her with, from wit and swift thinking to sinful seduction. And she is so good in that art that no wonder she has two uncouth crooks wrapped around her finger. Played by Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi, the uncle-nephew thieving duo Khalujaan-Babban, have made a sure entry into the golden book of Bollywood bromance. Excellent actors with wonderful chemistry, they essay characters who believe themselves to be a lot more cunning than they actually are, and that together with them both being easily swayed by a promise of love (which they are willing to follow with devoted puppy-eyes) makes them utterly endearing. In many way they are the soul of the film, even if Vidya is the center of it. There can be no complaints about performances, music or visuals.

How do you not love them?

The story seems to be going one way for most part and in the last 30 minutes takes a very unexpected turn (at least silly me did NOT see that coming). It takes quite a while before it picks up a decent pace, and the build-up is good, unfortunatelly the very end feels somehow incomplete. As if the writer didn´t really know what to do with the characters once the issue is dealt with and over. At times the viewer grows impatient for story to move on. And if this review so far feels rather incoherent, it is because the film too is incoherent to a certain extent. It takes patience to „get there“ and good will to believe it will be worth it in the end.

I hope we get more films like Ishqiya. More „tight“, but with the same precision and care placed into the characters. With more even pace but with equal importance given to little details and touches. With similarly impressive twists and even more women, who actually are people. Ishqiya world is very feminist-friendly, with men being part of it (and being loveable with their shortcomings) but never really catching a drift of what is really going on. Ishqiya world is a great space to be.

Krrish franchise

Koi... Mil Gaya

Directed by: Rakesh Roshan

Starring: Hrithik Roshan, Preity Zinta, Rekha

Released: 2003

Verdict: destroy every copy – horrible – bad – whatever – flawed but enjoyable - good – great – amazing

First of three movie that now create a franchise, Koi Mil Gaya is a shameless rip off of extremely popular E.T., in more ways than one. Is anyone surprised that even music is lifted from other films? I was really annoyed when I recognized two of my favourite soundtracks – the Neverending story and yes, they even DARED to touch the Lord of the Rings – and I assure you I am not mistaken as I know that music by heart. Koi Mil Gaya is a film for kids (even though adults can enjoy it as well), and as such it manages to hit the mark. However even as a film for kids it is not too spectacular, especially not in the special effect department. The little blue creeper Jadoo has nothing on likeability of E.T., and looks just way too puppet-ish for anyone to think he is real for a second. The film is worth watching for Hrithik Roshan, who delivers his possibly best performance ever. The level of vulnerability, innocence and sincere emotions he projects is amazing, and that too in a role which is a far cry from macho heroes Bollywood thrives on. His pairing with Preity Zinta is cute, and the actress looks just lovely. Rekha, of course, is one of the most natural actresses ever. I love her in just about anything and everything, so this was no exception. Out of all three films this one has the biggest heart.

Krrish

Directed by: Rakesh Roshan

Starring: Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra, Rekha

Released: 2006

Verdict: destroy every copy – horrible – bad – whatever – flawed but enjoyable - good – great – amazing

Papa Roshan has decided to boost his son´s career a bit more, again with something new and unusual (and inspired) and what better (read: easier) way to do that than creating a sequel to a successful movie? And so Krrish was born, Preity Zinta killed off and Priyanka Chopra brought on board – as not really worthy a replacement (though she looked stunning, she was just kinda annoying silly gal in this). Yet again, the film needs to be watched through children´s eyes and the romantic track needed to be shorter. Performances are fine, but both Hrithik and Priyanka are owned by their older co-stars – apart from Rekha we also meet the very awesome Naseeruddin Shah as the main villain. Unfortunately somewhere down the line one was grieving that loveable, childish, simple Rohit from Koi Mil Gaya was replaced by his „son“, brooding Jesus-on-steroids Krishna. That said Hrithik has a perfect image to be a superhero. For adult people and teenagers Krrish doesn´t really work as a film of particular interest, for children it is almost perfect. I personally, though with long pauses in between, quite enjoyed it.

Krrish 3

Directed by: Rakesh Roshan

Starring: Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra, Vivek Oberoi, Kangana Ranaut

Released: 2013

Verdict: destroy every copy – horrible – bad – whatever – flawed but enjoyable - good – great – amazing

Last (at least for now) instalment of the franchise has raised many eyebrows with its title. Krrish „3“? Did we miss Krrish „2“? Then again numbers do not seem a strong point of Papa Roshan, as we could see during the BO collections aftermath. I was not kind to the idea of the movie, given the previous one was nothing earth-shattering, and the promos very lackluster, the songs just pathetic, reminding one of an outdated 90s films. And after the release I was very put off by all the boasting from various people, mostly Vivek Oberoi, about their own greatness (you do NOT compare yourself to Mogambo and have me nodding in agreement). So I was very sceptical about this venture when I hit the play button and very surprised to find out.... Krrish 3 is a good film. Miles ahead of its predecessor (though sentimental me still prefers Koi Mil Gaya), it has a good enough story to keep you interested and the pace is good throughout. There are moments that are just not needed and overdone (because saving an old grumpy man would simply not play on our heart-strings like saving a cute baby), some of the action scenes are just weird (I kept singing Cause baby you make me tongue-tieeeeed, tongue tiiied...... in my head through the weirdest one – and btw how unhygienic it all was!) and AGAIN, ironically, the special effects look average. What I couldn´t grasp was the fact nobody, including Kangana´s character, realized Krishna is Krrish. The dude is not acting super secretive while in his costume – he sits down with everyone and chats (and apparently has a box of spare bracelets to give out for free) after all. The dude has green eyes and six fingers and nobody suspects anything? Not even when they are capable of making his statue and have his IDENTICAL father reveal it? Sorry, I am not buying that.

Vivek Oberoi as Kaal is impressive – at least up until the moment he decides to wear a seriously embarrassing armour, and so is Kangana Ranaut as a mutant. I suppose when she is forced to be subtle, she can really be great. Her change of heart was not too well explored, but it was sufficient still. Priyanka is better than the last time, but she really is „just there“. The role was not demanding at all. Coming to Hrithik Roshan, this time we do not have to make a choice between Rohit and Krrishna as we get them both. And Hrithik delivers as both – this time actually a lil more as Krrishna. Not a Best Actor award winning performance, but solid enough to be regarded as one of the better ones this year.

The Dirty Picture

Directed by: Milan Luthria

Starring: Vidya Balan, Emraan Hashmi, Naseeruddin Shah, Tusshar Kapoor

Released: 2011

Verdict: destroy every copy – horrible – bad – whatever – flawed but enjoyable - good – great – amazing

What Bhandarkar attempted to do with „Heroine“ (and messed up), Milan Luthria did before him (and did not mess up). No matter if present or the past, the message is clear: it sucks to be a female filmstar. We all know that. It has been talked about for decades. And nobody is doing anything about it, not even The Dirty Picture. After all, as long as we get such tragic and sad stories of lives ruined in a pursuit of stardom, there will be material for film scripts. A story like that of the 80s actress Silk Smita, on which is the film based, though it doesn´t religiously follow her life or characteristics.

A village girl Reshma runs away from her home and mother to pursue her filmi dreams. However she faces rejection on all sides and with every rejection her enthusiasm dies a little and her frustration grows. Until she decides to go „dirty“ - taking up a highly suggestive dance number and completely knocking breath out of everyone. Sex sells and she quickly becomes a sensation. However after some time of doing raunchy, meaningless roles, it all becomes the same to her. Success is no longer sweet and Reshma, now known as Silk, is hoping to branch out of her sex Goddess image. And suffers a nasty blow upon realizing nobody cares for her in any other than her dirty avatar....

The transformation....

It is all definitely dirty, the first half more than the second, but the second actually shows dirtiness of human soul, which is ultimately much more vulgar than dirtiness of showing off of flesh. There is a definite feeling of sadness from the first moment, because you just know it is not going to end well. Somehow it just cannot. But all the sadness feels rather superficial, as way too much time is spent on lingering on the nastiness, and way too little time is given to the actual character of Silk. We see what is happening to her, but we have no idea how she feels, why she feels that way. There is no real contact between the viewer and the character.

The film does great on the visual level. The 80s are bright and alive and you would expect Jeetendra in white shoes prancing around Jayapradha to appear at any moment, and it wouldn´t look out of place. Especially the picturization of the famed Oh La La song (the best track of the album by the way) is bit of an visual orgasm with all the pink vermillion and painted pots and shirtless Naseer and drenched Vidya for me. It represents Indian cinema of the time perfectly – with all the over the top and larger than life factors. It is so much fun, yet never feels like disdainful scoff.

Vidya was excellent and owned the film completely. She was Silk and made her a truly 3D character, not a caricature. I appreciated that she was so real, with all the rudeness and boldness, but in the end just a normal woman with in need of appreciation and solid emotional ties. And some basic respect, which she did not get, because audience, back then and even now, has a difficult time understanding that a woman enjoying and displaying her sensuality does not equal a classless prostitute.

Emraan had really nothing to do and in what he had he seemed incredibly wooden, his voice over throughout the film was atrocious and without any change of intonation whatsoever. Him looking like Anil Kapoor and having pretty much same mannerism do not help him in my eyes. Naseerudin Shah is a pure gold as ever, and a wonderful cast choice for an aging 80s hero who is accepted as forever young, while his heroines are turning into „mothers“ after few years in business. The biggest surprise has to be Tusshar Kapoor in a role of his younger brother, who too has a thing for Silk (only up until the moment he realizes she has no intention to sacrifice everything for him and become a „decent“ woman).

Good, but still overrated picture, at least as far as awards and critical appraisal goes.

Umrao Jaan

Directed by: Muzaffar Ali

Starring: Rekha, Naseeruddin Shah, Farooq Sheikh, Raj Babbar

Released: 1981

Verdict: destroy every copy – horrible – bad – whatever – flawed but enjoyable - good – great – amazing

One of the most famous stories of both Indian literature and cinematography, Umrao Jaan could be easily described as a tale of a woman who got as much as bad luck as possible. Thrown into the middle of undesirable circumstances, Umrao Jaan accepts her fate, tries to make the best of it, dares to hope and being heart broken tries to cope with her fate yet again, every single time a little less hopeful, until a nearly indifferent attitude becomes her main character feature. From unknown enemies to her own family, they all have a share in her misery. The woe story has been adapted on the big screen several times, yet the 1981 version starring the legendary Rekha in her, possibly, most memorable role ever, is without a doubt the one lauded by many as the ultimate and best presented one.

The story begins in 1840. A little girl Amiran is kidnapped as a revenge to her father, who had previously testified in court against a rapist (who naturally feels offended). At first the kidnappers plan to kill the girl, but ultimately their greed and hunger for money produce a better idea – they would sell the girl into a brothel. That way they will get paid, and the girl will be as good as dead to the rest of the world anyway. Little Amiran tries to run away from the brothel, but is caught, and has to bow to her fate for the first time. She gets a new name – Umrao, is treated well by everyone in her new „home“, and she is given a proper education for a future courtesan. She is taught to sing, to play musical instruments, and her greatest passion becomes writing poetry. Years keep flying by and in no time a slightly awkward girl blooms into Rekha (aka into a creature with sweet, intoxicating voice, eyes burning with an inner flame and in possession of unique, mysterious beauty).

It is her poetry though, that brings the love of her life to her. Young and dashing Nawab Sultan is a lover of shayari, and it doesn´t really take much time, until he is head over heels in love with the prostitute as well. The fairy-tale romance, however, is cut short, when under pressure of circumstances (and his mother), Nawab Sultan is forced to stop visiting thr brothel and Umrao refuses to step into a house of his friend, where she is treated like dirt. And not even several outdoor meetings save anything. Nawab Sultan bows down to his mother´s wishes and gets married, leaving devastated Umrao forever. There is more bad luck in store for Umrao, as she tries to create a new way of life for herself, taking some rather dangerous steps, but being always struck down by one blow of fate after another. For no fault of hers, she is ultimately only left with herself and her verses. All the more sad since other two female characters, also destined to be courtesans from the star, both not only find a way out of their personal hell, but also a happiness and love.

The beginning of the film is not edited too well. Glimpses and hints of how the things go, and why the characters decide what they do, seem almost unrelated, and their motivations and reactions are so only a matter of assumptions on the part of the viewer. The story itself moves slowly, and could easily become tiresome (as was the case of the 2006 version of the film), but what keeps ones attention is Rekha, whose sensitive understanding of the character truly made Umrao Jaan a living person. Rekha is also one of those actresses, who don´t need to speak much, yet even their smallest change of mood can be visible in their eyes and on their face. And when she does speak, one wants to listen to her forever. She is almost equaled in the perfection of the performance by Naseeruddin Shah, playing a good-for-nothing Gohar Mirza, a helper in the brothel, who has a soft stop for the courtesan.

 

The settings, the costumes, everything seems extremely realistic, and as far as I know the makers managed to give the film an accurate historic feel to it as well. Nothing is blown out of proportions, yet the high class and richness of the culture of 19^th century courtesans is very apparent. The film, of course, is also famous for beautiful songs, likeable melodies and lyrics. Finally I have to say, that although not perfect, the film is a beautiful piece of cinema for many reasons, some of which I have mentioned and some of which I would be putting into words only with difficulties.