Miley naa Miley hum (2011) - Hindi Movie Review

Cast :

• Kangna Ranaut
• Neeru Bajwa
• Sagarika Ghatge
• Chirag Paswan

Directed by : Tanveer Khan
Produced by : Maverick Productions Pvt Ltd
Music by : Sajid-Wajid
Cinematography : Baba Azmi

How many times must a debutant hero emerge from the same screen, to repeatedly announce his arrival: The one here first gets out in slo-mo from a BMW (first shot), then out of a chopper (to meet his mother), on a Lexus convertible (that his mother gifts him), bang in the middle of a wedding dance party (in a village), into the tennis stadium (where he plays the National finals)….

The boy is called Chirag – in life, as in this movie. “Chirag baba” is the oddly uncomfortable, untrained performer, casually low on body movements, high on screen time; he plays a quiet young heir, given to monosyllables and mono-expressions. His father (jaded Kabir Bedi) orders him around in his vineyard. Old man looks like the hammy old-world zamindar.

For the obedient son, the nights belong to floodlit tennis courts, where he practices whacking the tennis racket like a ping pong bat, only backhands, so he can become India No 1 some day: that’s his father’s dream, and his mother’s nightmare.

Excellence at sports is measured on more real, tangible achievements. It’s easy to tell why Sachin Tendulkar is a superstar. He takes care of runs; the runs take care of everything else. Stardom acquired from Indian politics, and cinema (as the hero here seems to be seeking), work differently. Though, in construct, they’re probably both similar to each other.

Firstly, they’re not always based on performance. You could be the world's best actor and yet not make it as a star; most well meaning visionaries may fail at politics. People directly elect their stars, who in turn, play themselves round-the-clock, protecting or perpetuating a particular public image of themselves.

Actor Chirag, I’m told, is the blue-eyed boy of a popular Bihari politician (Ramvilas Paswan). Literally. Unless those are blue contact lenses in his eyes. You can tell why his father must think he could succeed at show business. He has experience at winning elections.

The boy signs land deals, tenders, contracts, in the film. He comes from a super-rich, separated family. The mom (Poonam Dhillon) wants him to date her London buddy's daughter. Their nights out make for lead story on front page of The Times of India. As is everything else they do. Divorced dad wants his boy to marry a pretty Punjabi girl from the pind. That, by the way, is the central conflict in a film also about sport.

Tennis champ “Chirag baba” claims to be in love with a fashion model instead. He’s never quite met her. Daddy, mommy are after this girl. He pays her Rs 20 lakh a day, for 20 days, to carry on with the pretense of being in love with him. That model's Kangna Ranaut. Reports in trade circles suggest she was paid Rs 5 crore to do this movie. Anybody should be.

Ra.One (2011) - Hindi Movie Review

Cast :

• Shahrukh Khan as G.One / Shekhar Subramanium
• Kareena Kapoor as Sonia Shekhar Subramanium
• Arjun Rampal as Ra.One
• Armaan Verma as Prateek Subramanium a.k.a. Lucifer
• Shahana Goswami as Jenny Nayar
• Tom Wu as Akashi
• Dalip Tahil as Barron
• Suresh Menon as Taxi Driver
• Satish Shah as Iyer
• Rajinikanth as Chitti (Guest appearance)
• Sanjay Dutt as Khalnayak (Guest appearance)
• Priyanka Chopra as The Damsel in Distress (Guest appearance)
• Amitabh Bachchan (Voice-over)

Directed by : Anubhav Sinha
Produced by : Gauri Khan
Written by : Anubhav Sinha
Screenplay by : Anubhav Sinha, Kanika Dhillon, Mushtaq Sheikh, David Benullo
Story by : Anubhav Sinha
Singers : Shafqat Amanat Ali, Vishal Dadlani, Shekhar Ravjiani, Clinton Cerejo, Akon, Hamsika Iyer, Shruti Pathak, Nandini Shrikar, Siddharth Coutto, Sukhwinder Singh
Lyricist : Atahar Panchi, Vishal Dadlani, Kumaar
Music by : Vishal-Shekhar
Cinematography : Nicola Pecorini, V. Manikandan
Editing by : Sanjay Sharma, Martin Walsh
Distributed by : Eros International Ltd., Red Chillies Entertainment

For almost a year ahead of tonight's official release of Shah Rukh Khan's sci-fi/superhero event film, Ra.One, the man himself has been working his fingers to the bone building up this night to be a game changer for Hindi cinema. Ra.One is the most expensive Indian film to date, much of the budget put forward by SRK's own production house, Red Chillies. The film was initially slated to release in early June, but massive post-production demands pushed the release back four months, well into October and the heart of the Diwali season, Indian film's equivalent of Memorial Day weekend. All of this hype started to feel a little bit overwhelming as scores of people like me began to wonder if perhaps Ra.One could ever live up to the massive expectations it had created. I'm happy to say, though, that the film largely lives up to the hype and is a rousing and often breathtaking spectacle that not only marks a high water mark for Hindi film, but also for contemporary international action film.

At its core, Ra.One is a story about a father and his son. The father, played by SRK in a ridiculous looking curly wig, is Shekhar Subramanium, a video game designer in London who is a lovable geek. The son, Prateek, is played by newcomer Aman Verma. Prateek is a typical pre-teen who wants nothing to do with his geeky Dad, and he escapes by jumping into the world of online gaming under the handle Lucifer. Shekhar does everything he can to win Prateek's affection, but it isn't until he takes his son's suggestion of creating a game with an unbeatable villain, that Shekhar finally becomes cool in his son's eyes. This being a sci-fi film, this unbeatable villain, named RA.One (short for Random Access Version One and a play on Ravaan, the demon lord of the Ramayana), breaks out of the mainframe and comes looking for the last person to defeat him online. Who could that be? Why, it's Lucifer of course, and the chase is on.

The first half of the film faces occasional hiccups in the form of some overly broad acting from SRK's nerdy Tamilian, Shekhar. However, this is all in the service of rendering Shekhar a sympathetic character, and is well within the bounds of typical Bollywood masala. SRK does overly broad well, his character of Suri in 2008's Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi was similar in many ways to Shekhar, and it was one of his more successful performances. However, for the uninitiated, Shekhar's bumbling may be a bit off-putting. He is balanced well by an uncharacteristically good performance from Kareena Kapoor, of whom I'm usually not a huge fan. Kapoor plays Shekhar's wife, Sonia, and her performance contains all of the subtlety required to keep SRK from spinning out of control. They have good and palpable chemistry on screen, and Ra.One definitely benefits from that.

As the film nears it's intermission around 90 minutes in, the real fireworks begin. A first half bombshell drops that lands the Subramanium family in a heap of trouble, and as Ra.One attempts to find and destroy 'Lucifer', G.One makes the leap into the real world to act as their protector. For the next 90 minutes or so, the action comes hot and heavy and it is quite impressive to say the least. Right before the intermission, we get a little taste of what a Ra.One/G.One showdown would look like, and it made me a bit giddy. Cars fly all over the place and to call the action ambitious would be an understatement.

The temptation with a film like this is to call it a benchmark for Indian action cinema, which is certainly is, but the fact is that the film and its effects are effective regardless of their origins. Ra.One is a stunning action film, with stunts that would hold up with the best of any Hollywood action film. They did things to the streets of London that would have never imagined I'd see in a Bollywood film, but here they are, and they look good! There is major devastation in every corner of the frame, and the CG is light years ahead of anything to come out of India so far, and on par with anything I've seen anywhere, save Hollywood.

Last night in my review of 7aam Arivu, I lamented the inclusion of a romance in a film that didn't require one. Tonight, with Ra.One, all of the emotion that the film delivers serves the story both in terms of plot development and theme, and it is very seldom gratuitous. Major action films with heart are few and far between, and Ra.One delivered beyond my expectations in that department. Apart from the explosions, superhero stunt work, and computer generated fireballs, there is feeling here, and characters that elicit sympathy. Yes, it is goofy at times, but it never tipped over the line to ridiculousness for me.

Ra.One takes all of the tropes of Bollywood and meshes them into a modern story in a way that is engaging and propulsive. There are several uptempo songs, and yes, even a couple of spontaneously choreographed dances, but they are well integrated into the narrative. There is a particularly awful mangling of Stand By Me in the form of the song Dildaara, but even it manages to deliver an emotional punch potent enough to be forgivable. The film casually veers back and forth from comedy to action to sci-fi, but it does so in a way that is entertaining and never too jarring. They even manage to squeeze in a cameo from Superstar Rajnikanth himself playing Chitti, the robot from Enthiran, following a south Indian styled brawl in an airport parking lot. You know what? It worked!

There was a fear that writer/director Anubhav Sinha had bitten off more than he could chew with Ra.One. Sinha is a director with a couple of minor successes and a couple of flops on his record, so taking on a project of this magnitude was a big risk for everyone involved. I'm happy to say that in my eyes, he's succeeded in a grand and captivating way. Ra.One contains just enough Bollywood that it may have newbies scratching their heads a few times, but for the brave ones who stick it out, I think there is a lot of fun that can be had with this film. I was starting to fear that the marketing would be a poison pill for this film, rendering the expectations unattainable. Is this film the best ever made? Certainly not. What it is, though, is a supremely entertaining action adventure that should be able to cross language lines and find fans in any community.

Chillar Party (2011) - Hindi Movie Review

Cast :

• Irrfan Khan as Fatka
• Sanath Menon as Arjun / Encyclopedia
• Rohan Grover as Ramashanker / Akram
• Naman Jain as Balwan / Jhangiya
• Aarav Khanna as Aflatoon
• Vishesh Tiwari as Laxman / Second Hand
• Chinmai Chandranshuh as Lucky / Panauti
• Vedant Desai as Silencer
• Divji Handa as Shaolin
• Shriya Sharma as Toothpaste

Directed by : Nitesh Tiwari, Vikas Bahl
Produced by : Ronnie Screwvala, Salman Khan
Screenplay by : Vijay Maurya
Story by : Nitesh Tiwari, Vikas Bahl
Singers : Amitabh Bhattacharya, Armaan Malik, Amit Trivedi, Tanmay Chaudhari, Arvind Vishwakarma, Firoza, Mohit Chauhan, Gaurika Rai, Keshav Rai, Jaishri Trivedi
Lyricist : Nitesh Tiwari, Amit Trivedi, Amitabh Bhattacharya, Vikas Bahl
Music by : Amit Trivedi
Distributed by : UTV Spot Boy, Salman Khan Productions

Once again filmmakers with small budget but big content have shown that all it takes to make a film is to have the right story, right direction and right acting. And maybe that's just what attracted many Bollywood celebs towards the touching yet entertaining film Chillar Party. First it was Ranbir Kapoor to tag his name to the film by offering to do an item song for free so that the film could get some mileage at the ticket windows, then it was The Salman Khan who got so pleased by the acting that he thought of co-producing the film itself. We give you an insight into what made this film such a talk of town.

As rightly mentioned in press release Chillar Party is a fillam about a gang of innocent but feisty bachcha log Jangiya, Encyclopedia, Panauti, Akram among others who lead a carefree and fun filled life in Chandannagar colony. Soon Fatka&Bhidu come into their lives and they become an inseparable part of Chillar party. The lives of these bachcha logs get difficult when Bhidu's life is endangered, thanks to a mean politician. Saathmein they fight the big bad world of politics and show that even chhotebachche can move mountain. In a world where reason outweighs emotions, Chillar party teaches everyone to feel rather than think. They prove that what seems right is not always right.

Director Vikas Bahl and Nimesh Tiwari prove their mettle in their debut film itself. The fine detailing, the humour quotient as well as the story are all brilliant. There are many endearing moments that tug at your heart. The characters are so adorable that within minutes you are drawn into their simple and innocent world and you can't help but get enamoured by their intelligence, chirpiness, ebullience and endearing naughtiness. Quite recently, Amole Gupte too tried his hands with a children film Stanley Ka Dabba, but it is Chillar Party that without doubts deserves to win the title of Best Children film so far. The first half of the film moves very quickly courtesy the excellent editing. However, the second half slackens with the overt histrionics of the kids. Even the climax appears stretched but what binds the film together and keeps the interest of the audience intact is the cuteness of the kids and their timing with each other. There will surely remain many scenes that might turn into trademark dialogues. For example, the Gandhi, tapori style dialogue mouthed by Jangiya.

The credit for bringing such a gem to light truly goes to one man - Salman Khan. One can only expect this bad boy of Bollywood to work on a brainless, slapstick Ready on one hand and produce a gem such as this on the other. Had it not been for him and his star power, Chillar Party could've gotten lost in the slew of mega starrers that make it to the theatres.

Talk about the acting and each and every kid does a brilliant job but the ones that stand out are Irfan Khan as Fatka, Sanath Menon as Encyclopedia and Naman Jain as Jhangiya. However, it's all a team effort. While acting department of this film is extremely powerful, music by Amit Trivedi also deserves a mention. Even the cinematography is good. The only thing that comes out glaring is the absence of Ranbir Kapoor's item song which comes right at the end, even after the end credits.

To sum it up, You should not miss this Chillar Party! Do watch it for its sheer brilliance!

Murder 2 (2011) - Hindi Movie Review

Cast :

• Emraan Hashmi as Arjun Bhagawat
• Jacqueline Fernandez as Priya
• Prashant Narayanan as Dheeraj Pandey
• Sulagna Panigrahi as Reshma
• Sudhanshu Pandey as Inspector Siddharth
• Sandeep Sikand as Nirmala Pandit
• Bikramjeet Kanwarpal as Commissioner Ahmed Khan
• Shweta Kawatra as a Doctor / Psychiatrist (Special Appearance)
• Yana Gupta as Jyoti, Special Appearance in song "Aa Zara"
• Amardeep Jha as Reshma's mother
• Jhuma Biswas as Hostel Warden
• Deep Jyoti Das as Criminal Lawyer

Directed by : Mohit Suri
Produced by : Mukesh Bhatt
Screenplay by : Shagufta Rafique
Story by : Mahesh Bhatt
Singers : Mithoon, Kshitij Tarey, Saim Bhat, Harshit Saxena, Sunidhi Chauhan, Sangeet Haldipur, Roshni Baptist, Mohammad Irfan, Arijit Saha
Lyricist : Sayeed Quadri, Kumaar, Mithoon
Music by : Harshit Saxena, Mithoon, Sangeet Haldipur, Siddharth Haldipur
Cinematography : Ravi Walia
Editing by : Devendra Murdeshwar
Distributed by : Vishesh Films

So the Bhatts have come up with a new product which is a sequel of their own hit film, MURDER (2004). Mallika Sherawat is replaced by Jacqueline Fernandez. But apart from Emraan Hashmi, there's nothing to compare the two films. Even the plots are poles apart. In fact, MURDER 2 could have been named any other film. It clearly shows that the title was just used to cash in on the success of MURDER.

Inspired by a Korean film named THE CHASER, MURDER 2 stars Emraan Hashmi playing ex-cop Arjun Bhagwat. He now gets his daily bread by working for gangsters and pimps. Model Priya (Jacqueline Fernandez) is in love with Arjun but he only considers her to be his sex friend. "Na mohabbat, na zaroorat; sirf aadat," are the words he uses to describe her.

A Goan pimp entrusts him the task of finding the whereabouts of his several call girls who have mysteriously gone kaput. His search leads him to a psychopath Dheeraj Pandey (Prashant Narayan), who mercilessly kills women and girls by cutting them into several pieces.

After a raunchy item number featuring Yana Gupta right in the opening credits and a love making scene between Priya and Arjun, director Mohit Suri gets to the point with the main plot of the film. The narrative (which does get gory at times) is packed with numerous thrilling moments. One wonders how the film will unfold once Arjun gets hold of Dheeraj in the first half itself. But there is enough in store to keep you entertained. However, the second half does meander for a while.

Music given by Harshit Saxena, Sangeet Haldipur, Siddharth Haldipur and Mithoon is excellent. Haal-E-Dil and Phir Mohabbat are very hummable. Devendra Murdeshwar's editing is fine. Ravi Walia's cinematography is good.

Emraan Hashmi suits the role perfectly. Actually, the role suits him. It's a typical bad-boy-with-a-good-heart role, something which we have seen Emraan portray many times in the past. Jacqueline Fernandez looks sizzling, but doesn't have a meaty role. Those expecting copious steamy scenes between Emraan and Jacqueline will surely be disappointed. Sulagna Panigrahi, who makes her debut, plays the victimised Reshma to perfection. Sudhanshu Pandey plays his part with a lot of confidence. Sandiip Sikcand acts well. Shweta Kawatra impresses in her cameo.

The film undoubtedly belongs to Prashant Narayan, who delivers a splendid performance. To give him credit, he elevates the film to a great extent. His performance is so effective that you start loathing him every time he appears on screen.

An intriguing plot supported by a superb performance by Prashant Narayan, make MURDER 2 a 'killer' film.

Deiva Thirumagal (2011) - Tamil Movie Review

Cast :

• Vikram as Krishna
• Baby Sara as Nila
• Anushka as Anuradha Ragunathan
• Amala Paul as Swetha Rajendran
• Nassar as Bashyam
• Santhanam as Vinod
• M. S. Bhaskar as Murthy
• Sachin Khedekar as Rajendran
• Y. Gee. Mahendra as Ragunathan
• Krishna Kumar as Victor
• M. R. Kishore as Nandhakumar
• Priya as Priya
• Surekha as Rajee
• Pandi as Muruga
• Karthik Kumar as Karthik (Guest appearance)

Directed by : A. L. Vijay
Produced by : Mohan Natarajan
Written by : A. L. Vijay
Singers : Vikram, Saindhavi, G. V. Prakash Kumar, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Haricharan, Maya, Rajesh, Kalyan, Navin Iyer
Lyricist : Na. Muthukumar
Music by : G. V. Prakash Kumar
Cinematography : Nirav Shah
Editing by : Anthony
Studio : Sri Rajakaliamman Medias

Call 'Deiva Thirumagal' an honest attempt once again by director A L Vijay. And, perhaps the need of the hour too. It's far from the madding crowd of commercial masala films.

With no double meaning dialogues or flashy song sequences shot abroad or 'high-voltage' stunt scenes, the film is an emotional journey between a father and daughter and their love towards each other.

The USP of the movie is immaculate performance by Chiyaan Vikram. He plays a dotting father to a five-year-old daughter. But he is not the usual dad - he is an adult with the mental maturity of a five-year-old. The actor in Vikram seems to have taken it in his stride to deliver a power-packed performance.

Matching him by scene-to-scene is young Sara who plays his daughter. The sequences involving Vikram and Sara are the major highlight of 'Deiva Thirumagal'.

Anushka as an advocate and Amala Paul besides a huge star cast that includes Nasser, Santhanam and M S Bhaskar among others have given their best on screen.

Krishna (Vikram), who has the mental maturity of a five-year-old, works in a chocolate factory in Ooty. His wife delivers a baby girl and dies. The girl, Nila (Sara) is brought up in his own way by Krishna.

He showers all his love and care on her. But fate takes a quick turn. Nila's grandfather Rajendran (Sachin Khedkar), a powerful and influential man in society, enters the scene. Fearing that his grand daughter is not safe under a mentally-challenged dad, he takes away the girl from Krishna.

His other daughter Shwetha (Amala Paul) takes care of the child. Krishna runs from pillar to post to get back his daughter. He gets acquainted with advocate Anuradha (Anushka) and Vinod (Santhanam), her junior.

They listen to Krishna's past and promise that they would do their best to get back the custody of Nila. Bashyam (Nasser), a leading advocate, appears for Rajendran. The rest is legal battle and arguments in court and who wins at last.

It is one of the best performances by Chiyaan Vikram. Right from the first scene when he is thrown on street till the last court sequence, he is there playing his part well. Anyone who watches the movie will love Krishna. Such is Vikram's performance as he brings out the innocence of the character well. As a father, friend and guide, he is scintillating.

Sarah is rare find. She is cool in her emotions and performs with ease. It's a different Anushka in 'Deiva Thirumagal'. No glamour but leaves a mark with her decent portrayal.

Amala Paul impresses in few scenes. There is Nasser, playing his part as advocate and Santhanam is good not just in humour but also in emotional scenes.

Nirav Shah's extraordinary visuals and G V Prakash Kumar's music are life and blood to the tale. Na Muthukumar's lyrics add pep to the songs. Vijay has handled things in a mature manner. He is sure to leave an impression.

With engrossing performance by Vikram, backed by strong technical team, the movie is sure to impress you, despite the fact it is predictable in parts.

Vellore Maavattam (2011) - Tamil Movie Review

Cast :

• Nandha as Muthukumar IPS
• Poorna as Vidhya
• Azhagam Perumal as Gurumurthy
• Santhanam as Kumaravelu
• Jayaprakash
• G. M. Kumar
• Singamuthu
• Mayilsamy
• Sathyan Sivakumar
• Vaiyapuri
• Alex

Directed by : R. N. R. Manohar
Produced by : Kalpathi S. Aghoram, Kalpathi S. Ganesh, Kalpathi S. Suresh
Screenplay by : R. N. R. Manohar
Story by : R. N. R. Manohar
Singers : Senthuil Das, Manikka Vinayagam, Navven Madhav, Maanasa, Malgudi Subha, Hariharan, Shruthi, Krish, Mahathi, Shaan, Anitha, Martyn
Lyricist : Na. Muthukumar, Kavivarman, Thamarai, Ezhil Arasu, Viveka
Music by : Sundar C Babu
Cinematography : Vetri
Editing by : Suraj Kavee
Studio : AGS Entertainment
Distributed by : AGS Entertainment

The politician-cop-criminal nexus takes yet another form in Vellore Maavattam. An honest, gutsy cop's effort to break the nexus and cleanse the city of the criminal elements, forms the core of the plot. It's a familiar scenario, with no effort at novelty by way of script or narration.

Director Manohar( of Masilamani) has tried to spring a few surprises in the story. But it's nothing that we haven't come across before. And it all gives a sense of déja vu.

Nandha has put in a good effort and it's evident throughout the film. He plays the role of an angry young cop. His grim no nonsense demeanour, and his whole body language and expressions, go well with the character of Muthukumar, an IPS officer. The cop,after his training, has been given his first posting at Vellore. Within a short time, he gains the confidence of the public, addressing their various grievances and meting out justice to the wrong-doers.

The kingpin of criminal elements is Gurumurthy (Perumal), a front for minister Nachiappan (debutant Neelakantan), who has a hand in every criminal activity around the place.

Ticked off by his superiors, and humiliated by the duo, a frustrated Muthukumar, at one point, even hands over his resignation. How Muthukumar bounces back after a near fatal assault and achieves his goal, forms the rest of the story. There is this scene where after suffering public humiliation at Gurumurthy's hands, an inebriated Muthukumar pours out his woes to wife Priya (Poorna). Nandha has honed his acting skills over the years, and the confident way in which he has handled this scene is evidence of that.

Poorna is totally deglamourised here. After the initial scenes of romance with the hero, she has less to do as his wife. Santhanam's comedy is totally out of place and jarring. One can pick out a few interesting moments in the film - like the one where after a shoot out at the court, Muthukumar warns Gurumurthy to be wary of his mentor and Gurumurthy nearly escaping a death trap. The cop handpicking his own team, and the betrayals he faces from some of them, are predictable 'surprises'. For the audience, Vellore Maavattam offers nothing that they haven't seen before!

Sadhurangam (2011) - Tamil Movie Review

Cast :

• Srikanth as Thirupathisamy
• Sonia Agarwal as Sandhya
• Ganesh Yadav
• Mahadevan
• Ilavarasu
• Bose Venkat
• Manobala
• Saranya Ponvannan
• Manivannan
• Sriman
• Vinodhini

Directed by : Karu Pazhaniappan
Produced by : S. S. Durairaj
Written by : Karu Pazhaniappan
Music by : Vidyasagar
Cinematography : R. Divakaran
Editing by : Suresh Urs

The long wait is over. Director Karu Pazhaniappan’s Sadhurangam has finally hit the halls after five years of waiting. Thankfully the movie looks latest though it has come late!.

Karu Pazhaniappan was working as a journalist before entering into the cine field. He has used his experience and in-depth knowledge in journalistic field in making this movie. The director, who is known for making films with a different idea hasn’t disappointed us. He has chosen to tell us the life of a bold journalist. He has done this with an engaging script.

The basic premise of the story may not be new (the eternal fight between the good and evil). But Karu has chosen a different backdrop and worked meticulously to present it with a different flavor.

The storyline goes like this: Thirupathisamy (Srikanth) is an investigative journalist in a Tamil weekly. His investigative reports and articles expose the corrupt politicians and the nexus between politicians and the business people. He also exposes the horrible status of the jails. His works create awareness and political problem. The persons affected by him woes to take revenge.

Meanwhile he falls for Indhu (Sonia Agarwal), a college student, who also likes him so much. They decide to get married but someone plays havoc in Thiru’s life. Indhu is mysteriously abducted before they get engaged.

Clueless Thiru gets raged and desperate to find his lover. He gets some lead through a phone call. His brain work and the power of fist manage to save the girl.

Karu Pazhaniappan talks about the challenges faced by a journalist, who wants to tell the truth without bothering about the consequences. The nuances of journalism are depicted in a realistic manner. The pleasant love story – a stamp of Karu – has also been told without diluting the storyline.

Pithamagan Mahadevan’s character is a surprise, as the person chooses to help the hero despite being affected by him. Karu has shown that a person with questionable reputation in his business need not be a bad person in all aspects. Karu shows Indhu’s unhappiness over the ‘unromantic’ nature Thiru. This reflects the impact of the one’s obsession towards his profession. Anyone who takes his profession with a missionary zeal is likely to lose some charm in his or her personal life. Karu has beautifully shown this in the depiction of the love affair between Thiru and Indhu. These two segments show his maturity as a creator.

Pazhaniappan’s dialogues are sharp. He takes on everything including the media.

However, the kidnap drama could have been handled better. The clichéd climax is a big letdown.

Srikanth’s powerful performance is the major strength of the movie. Sonia Agarwal has handled the romantic girl with some maturity well. Pithamagan Mahadevan, Ganesh Yadav, Bose Venkat, Manivanan, Sriman, Saranya Ponvannan have added value to the movie. Ilavarasu’s character provides some fun.

Vidyasagar’s songs have flair and the song Vizhiyum Vizhiyum sounds good. But the placement of the song mars the impact.

Overall, Karu Pzhaniappan’s Sadhurangam has come out as a neat movie depicting the life of a young and bold journalist. The movie would have been an excellent one had Karu paid more attention on the pace in the second half, the kidnap drama and the climax.

Watch it for Karu’s presentation.

Raa Raa (2011) - Tamil Movie Review

Cast :

• Udhaya as Bharathi
• Shweta Basu Prasad as Gayathri
• Ponvannan as Shivashankaran
• Adithya as Dhana
• Sathyan Sivakumar
• Meera Krishnan
• Susan George

Directed by : Sandilya
Produced by : Keerthika Udhaya
Screenplay by : Sandilya
Story by : Sandilya
Music by : Srikanth Deva
Cinematography : R. Saravanan
Editing by : S. Surajkavee
Studio : Jaeshan Studios

It might not be in the league of Madras to Pondicherry but despite its strange little title, Royapuram to Royapettai as a movie doesn’t fail you in many counts. For one, the title is delightfully suggestive of the movie’s story. And then the actors play their parts almost flawlessly without further ado. Add to that an unpretentious story and a near cliché less narrative; you get nothing less of a wining combination. Here’s one more small-timer movie that does not solely depend on the star power but only on the strength of its story and the vigor of its actors’ performance.

Royapuram to Royapettai is a simplistic love story about two people with background that is so disparate, it’s seemingly impossible for them to unite in marriage. But if they give up, where is the story for us? So they do, not before trying their best leaving no stone unturned to convince the hard-nosed, orthodox father, often conning him into believing lies about the background. Although the story reeks of good old masala movies, the director has consciously stayed away from being typecast.

Udaya is from an orthodox family, whose father Ponvannan lives by Thirukkural and the conventional principles dictated by his Brahmin clan. When Udaya falls for Shreya Basu who hails from a fishermen village, no less, all hell breaks loose. However, the couple decides to play it cool and win over the orthodox father’s heart. Do they do it is what Royapuram to Royapettai is all about.

As you can see, the script has immense potential for comedy and it’s being fully exploited. For instance, the scenes where Ponvannan is invited to the girl’s house and everybody pretends to belong to a Brahmin household. Their crude Tamil peeps in between their put up Brahmin accent and you end up smiling without a choice when the actors put up an earnest performance. And the comedy seems quite natural and not contrived. In the same breadth, when Shreya Basu’s family tries and learns Thirukkural to appease the likes of Ponvannan, it’s side-splitting.

Although Udaya as the unfortunate youngster who falls for a girl whose family is totally unlike his, delivers his role as is required, it’s Ponvannann who takes the cake for donning the role of a tough, orthodox dad with a dark past. The Thirukkural fanatic who also dictates terms at his house is also a mellow man at heart. He after all wants the best for his children. None of these emotions can be brought out this effectively by anyone other than Ponvannan. Shreya Basu is a cutey pie but she will need lessons in dialogue delivery if she wants to stick around for longer.

First half of the movie revolves in comic indulgence. Scenes of Udaya’s falling in love with Shreya, the meet up of the families and so on and so forth keep the pace of the movie. Director Santilya has efficiently laced comedy and drama and it works to an extent. Srikanth Deva has turned to melody here and the song featuring Thirukkural is a winner.

Royapuram to Royapettai is a family entertainer to put it in plain words. It has everything going for it – excuse the slackening pace during the second half and the negligible clichés – for a neat commercial entertainer, and it might not be a bad idea to spend an afternoon over the movie.

Verdict: Family comic drama!

Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge (2011) - Hindi Movie Review

Cast :

• Saqib Saleem as Vishal
• Saba Azad as Preity
• Nishant Dahiya as Rahul
• Tara D’Souza as Malvika
• Keshav Sunder as Akash
• Prabal Panjabi as Hacky

Directed by : Nupur Ashtana
Produced by : Ashish Patil
Screenplay by : Rajesh Narasimhan, Anvita Dutt Guptan
Music by : Raghu Dixit
Studio : Y-Films

The idea of social networking sites has taken a new turn with Facebook. It not only keeps you in touch with your buddies but also introduces you to new friends. Not only this I actually I have a friend whose cousin met her going to be husband via Facebook. The best thing about these sites is that one does not have to reveal his/her identity to start the talks with someone. Facebook not only introduces you to new people but also gives you an idea of persons day to-day wishes via their status updates.

Mujhse Fraandship Karoge is based on this same context where newbies Saqib Saleem (as Vishal), Saba Azad (as Preity), Nishant Dahiya (as Rahul) and Tara D'Souza (as Malvika) play the protagonists. Story takes a turn when shy Preity falls for Rahul, guy with huge fan following and Shy Guy Vishal Falls for Pretty Malvika. Liking someone is way easier than telling that person on the face and the easiest way out is Social Networking where you can pretend to be whosoever, thats the same idea that Preity & Vishal decide and come in talks with Rahul & Malvika. Now the Big Questions come; Is Preity & Vishal actually chatting with Rahul & Malvika or even the person on other side is pretending to be someone else? Secondly, what affect can this changing identities idea have on their personal lives?

MFK under the banner of YRF totally depends on their crisp script and new faces for its success. It is said that MFKs Star cast went under 1 month training before they started working for the movie and honestly it worked well for them. The movie deals with the idea of faking identities on Facebook and what effect can it have on your personal life.

Starring new faces and giving them proper training to get comfortable in their roles had actually given a fresh appeal to the flick. Having runtime of less than 2 hours and no extra dose of melodrama, gets full marks. Peppy sound track matching the pace of the movie is brilliant. So, in short Mujhse Fraandship Karoge with its fresh appeal is a good watch for this weekend.

Delhi Belly (2011) - Hindi Movie Review

Cast :

• Imran Khan as Tashi Dorjee Lhatoo
• Kunaal Roy Kapur as Nitin Beri
• Vir Das as Arup
• Poorna Jagannathan as Menaka
• Shenaz Treasurywala as Sonia
• Vijay Raaz as somyajulu (gangster)
• Paresh Ganatra as Manish Chand Jain
• Raju Kher as Zubin Mehra
• Rahul Singh as Rajeev Khanna
• Rahul Pendkalkar as Prateek Jain
• Pradeep Kabra as Brajesh
• Lushin Dubey as Sonia's Mother
• Rajendra Sethi as the Jeweller
• Shilpa Mehta as Tashi's Mother
• Anusha Dandekar as VJ Soniya
• Aamir Khan as Disco Fighter (Special Appearance)
• Sona Mohapatra as Stage Singer (Cameo in the song 'Bedardi Raja')
• Kim Bodnia as Vladimir
• Bugs Bhargava as Swapan Bannerjee
• Mansee Desshmukh as Ritu Kohli
• Zafar Karachiwala as Vivek Uniyal
• Ramesh Kannaa as Mr. Kohli
• Ashraf Ul Haq as Tito

Directed by : Abhinay Deo
Produced by : Aamir Khan, Kiran Rao, Ronnie Screwvala, Jim Furgele
Story by : Akshat Verma
Singers : Keerthi Sagathia, Shazneen Arethna, Sona Mohapatra, Aamir Khan, Ram Sampath, Tarannum Mallik, Chetan Shashital, Suraj Jagan
Lyricist : Amitabh Bhattacharya, Munna Dhiman, Ram Sampath, Akshat Verma, Chetan Shashital
Music by : Ram Sampath
Cinematography : Jason West
Editing by : Huzefa Lokhandwala
Distributed by : Aamir Khan Productions, UTV Motion Pictures

Director Abhinay Deo and producer Aamir Khan’s gleeful experiment in "Hangover"-caliber humor Indian-style delivers the laughs, and young stars.

UNION CITY, Calif. -- Its theme song, “Bhaag Bhaag DK Bose,” has already become a rebellious anthem for young Indians giddy about the expletive hidden in its lyrics.

And the first three minutes of Delhi Belly make it clear that this is not a family film: Viewers bothered by butt cracks, the F-word, simulated cunnilingus and rude behavior in burqas are advised to spend their rupees elsewhere.

But director Abhinay Deo and producer Aamir Khan’s gleeful experiment in Hangover-caliber humor delivers the laughs, and its young stars, including Khan’s nephew, A-lister Imran Khan, rise to the challenge.

The film, which is in English with a bit of subtitled Hindi dialogue, has already become a sensation in India. Now its appeal to open-minded audiences in the diaspora — and to curious viewers anywhere ready for a film that shows India in an irreverent post-Slumdoglight — seems assured.

The highjinks start when a Russian criminal gives Sonia (Shenaz Treasury of One Life to Live), a comely air hostess, a packet of contraband for her to courier. Sonia asks her boyfriend, journalist Tashi (Khan), to deliver it, but sight unseen, the lazy Tashi hands it off to his roommate Arup (Vir Das, in a sparkling comic performance), who in turn carelessly passes it along to another roommate, Nitin (Kunaal Roy Kapoor).

On the way to make the delivery, the pudgy Nitin is distracted by a streetside tandoori chicken stand of dubious hygienic standards; his ensuing Delhi belly unleashes a domino effect of misunderstandings and mistaken identities — the characters soon learn that it’s unwise to mix up one’s stool sample with a million-dollar packet of black market diamonds.

Delhi Belly’s supporting cast sparkles in smaller roles, especially Vijay Raaz as an exasperated crime boss surrounded by incompetents and New York-based actress Poorna Jagannathan as Tashi’s problematically sexy coworker.

Akshat Verma’s script is peppered with one-liners bound to become buzzwords: At the sight of a tiny Santro mini car, one character observes: “When a donkey %$#@s a rickshaw, this is what you get.”

But the script is also grounded in the realities of life in New and Old Delhi: running water that works for just two hours a day, infuriating traffic snarls, a dowry, overcrowded living conditions and the difficulty in finding a nice place to take a poo.

Where actor-turned-producer Aamir Khan’s previous two high profile releases, Peepli [Live] and Dhobi Ghat, seemed self-consciously targeted at film festivals or foreign audiences, Delhi Bellyis pure Indian. Producer (and screen superstar) Khan’s only misstep is in a comic cameo song at the end of the film: he overstays his welcome, when a momentary glimpse would have had more impact.

The soundtrack by Ram Sampath is top-notch, especially in the way he uses the hit “DK Bose” song and other Indian rock pieces to fuel the action, and cinematographer Jason West aptly captures the chaos.

By the end of the film, the bad guys (and girls) have all gone down in flames, while the good guy gets the girl. Happily, that’s one convention from Indian cinema that’s here to stay.

Bbuddah... Hoga Terra Baap (2011) - Hindi Movie Review

Cast :

• Amitabh Bachchan as Vijju Malhotra
• Raveena Tandon as Kamini
• Prakash Raj as Kabir
• Hema Malini as Sita
• Sonal Chauhan as Tanya
• Charmy Kaur as Amrita
• Sonu Sood as ACP Karan Malhotra
• Makrand Deshpande as Mac
• Vishwajeet Pradhan as Sub-Inspector Shindey

Directed by : Puri Jagannadh
Produced by : Viacom 18 Motion Pictures
Story by : Puri Jagannadh
Singers : Amitabh Bachchan, Monali Thakur, Shekhar Ravjiani, Sunidhi Chauhan, Abhishek Bachchan, Vishal Dadlani
Lyricist : Anvita Dutt Guptan, Vishal Dadlani, Swanand Kirkire
Music by : Vishal-Shekhar
Cinematography : Amol Rathod
Editing by : Shekhar
Distributed by : Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, A B Corp

Folklore has it that wherever the Big B stands, the queue begins. It’s time to queue up for a film that reads like a running commentary on the Bachchan legend. Blessed are the generations that get to see India’s most iconic and enduring screen-hero play a variation on all his most cherished roles.

And then some more. To the angry Vijay persona that the Big B created through those brilliantly-written films of Salim-Javed in the 1970 and 80s, the actor still sprightly enough to make all the bachcha-log of Bollywood look like performing midgets, adds dollops of wry cynicism that goes well with our times.

Make no mistake Telugu cinema’s most successful director Puri Jagannath is not just a Bachchan fan. He’s also a master storyteller. To the mix ‘n’ match tale of an Angry Young Man’s journey into his advancing years of unrelenting lividness and self-mockery, Puri brings a crackling contemporary commitment to telling a story that has no room for humbug…only space for hectic hijinks.

Written with supersonic dexterity, the screenplay races through numbered days in the life of a Paris-returned gangster who is called back to Mumbai by a gangster with a serious concentration problem (Prakash Raj) to finish off a particularly troublesome cop(Sonu Sood).

It’s a skilfully written yarn that doesn’t stray into the yawn zone for even a second. Every character, even the relatively minor ones like the Bachchan’s landlady who keeps jabbering to an unseen husband in Dubai, adds a sheen of zing to the shindig. Though the narration seems to leap before it looks, the director actually manages to create a controlled atmosphere of plot development within the chaos of Mumbai’s streets clogged with scampering gangsters, cops and their minions.

Jagannath Puri displays a fabulous flair for the funny and the ferocious. The comic scenes contour the mega-star’s proclivity to laugh at himself and the self-important world around him comprising gangsters, collegians, cops and other on-the-move urbanites. Vishal-Shekhar’s austerely-used music creates evolved rhythms for the Bachchan persona. You can’t miss the insistent beat.

As for the action, the camera (Amol Rathod) moves to the rhythm of the Big B’s super-controlled body language creating for the assorted villains a kind of disembodied dynamism that we see in a far cruder avatar in the South, in the cinema of Rajnikanth.

Here, it is the Big B at work. And boy, that does mean something, doesn’t it! The iconic super-hero maneouvres through his tailormade role with a devastating dexterity, creating a celluloid combustion that leaves a trail of smoking guns, screaming tyres and satiated expectations that audiences felt and experienced in the heydays of the Bachchan Raj.

The reign never ends…thank God for small mercies! “Buddah…Hoga Tera Baap” offers a pleasurable romp into the star-power of the Big B. The rapport that his character builds up through some lovely actresses of several generations (Hema Malini, Raveena Tandon, Sonal Chauhan, Charmee) is so bloody robust and funny, you are left wondering how much of the sly subtle foxy flirtatiousness comes from the star and how much of it was there in the screenplay.

Undoubtedly well-written and directed with sure-handedness that cannot hide Puri Jagannath’s boundless admiration for the Bachchan phenomenon, “Bbuddah…Hoga Tera Baap” is one of those garam-masala products that’s far clever than the outward flamboyance of the main character and execution suggest.

Cut through the blizzard of bravura that the Big B projects so insouciantly and at heart this is an emotional father-son story. See how cleverly the director moves from a kind of italicized derringdo to a clamped emotional finale…. See how skilfully the other actors support the Big B’s towering presence. Prakash Raj as the arch-villain brings a sense of madness to the proceedings while Makarand Deshpande as a quiet gangster is a glorious foil to the Big B’s repartees and rejoinders. Sonu Sood as the cop who keeps running into the old-young super-hero manages to hold his own in front of the Big B. And Raveena as the Big B’s besotted bombshell beloved from the past has herself a blast.

So do we. Right to the last frenetic shootout, we are with the director laughing cheering and saluting the star-power of this super-phenomenon named Amitabh Bachchan.

And when the Big B does a medley of all his old songs it’s time to forget that the Bbuddah has just become a grand-baap all over again. Just get up and dance to the rhythm of the Big B’s star power. Don’t waste time watching the smut. “Bbuddah…Hoga Tera Baap” is the past present and future of mainstream entertainment.

My Friend Pinto (2011) - Hindi Movie Review

Cast :

• Prateik Babbar as Michael Pinto
• Kalki Koechlin as Maggie
• Arjun Mathur as Sameer
• Shruti Seth as Suhani
• Makrand Deshpande as Don
• Raj Zutshi
• Divya Dutta as Reshma

Directed by : Raaghav Dar
Produced by : Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Ronnie Screwvala
Screenplay by : Raaghav Dar
Story by : Raaghav Dar
Music by : Ajay-Atul
Editing by : Shan Mohammed, Dipika Kalra
Distributed by : SLB Films, UTV Motion Pictures

Sanjay Leela Bhansali and UTV. Two names synonymous with qualitative films. Bhansali is a brilliant storyteller who has dealt with myriad subjects in his films. With MY FRIEND PINTO, directed by Raaghav Dar, Bhansali moves from dark and intense subjects to a light entertainer. But comedy is a tricky territory. It needs aptness, practice and of course, comic timing or else, the magic cannot be observed on screen. That's where MY FRIEND PINTO falters and falters badly.

MY FRIEND PINTO tries so hard to be a crazy roller coaster ride. The character of Michael Pinto, portrayed by Prateik, bears similarities to the iconic characters played by Charlie Chaplin and Raj Kapoor. But what comes across is an exercise in vain. The film stands on a waferthin plot and to make matters worse, the film tries so very hard to tickle your funny bone. But falls flat on its face!

Michael Pinto [Prateik] has grown up in a small Goan village, believing everyone in the world to be simple, kind and honest, just like him. When Pinto's idyllic world is shattered by the sudden demise of his mother, he decides to head to Mumbai in search of the only friend [Arjun Mathur] he knows. What happens next?

MY FRIEND PINTO suffers on various counts. First of all, it is hard to believe that someone can be so naïve in today's times. Even if one were to believe that Pinto is indeed the 'innocent' one, the film is packed with ridiculous situations and characters that make you squirm in your seat. If the intention was to make you laugh, sorry, this film doesn't! Even the music, which has been a hallmark of Bhansali's movies, is plain mediocre this time.

Prateik fails to deliver. He tries so hard to look the congenial but not worldly wise Pinto, but doesn't succeed. Kalki is an effortless actor, but she looks disinterested here. Arjun Mathur does well. Divya Dutta is passable. Makrand Deshpande is wasted. Amin and Karim are strictly okay. Raj Zutshi is effective. Shruti Seth is alright.

On the whole, MY FRIEND PINTO is a terrible waste of a terrific opportunity!

Three Kings (2011) - Malayalam Movie Review

Cast :

• Kunchacko Boban as Ram
• Jayasurya as Shankar
• Indrajith as Bhaskar Unni Raja
• Sandhya as Manju
• Ann Augustine as Ranju
• Samvrutha Sunil as Anju
• Ashokan as Ashok Varma
• Jagathy Sreekumar as Dinakaran
• Salim Kumar as K. S. Prashanthan
• Suraj Venjaramoodu
• Sreejith Ravi as Murugappan

Directed by : V. K. Prakash
Produced by : Abdul Nazar alias Jeevan
Written by : Y. V. Rajesh
Music by : Ousepachan
Cinematography : Venu
Editing by : Mahesh Narayanan
Studio : KNM Films, Trends Adfilm Makers, Innostorm Entertainment
Distributed by : Playhouse Release

'Silsila hai silsila the song Rocked the Nation last year, comes back with the Remixed version in V.K Prakashan'S Three Kings. Silsila hai silsila is remixed by Ouseppachan and Sung by one of the lead of the movie Three Kings Jaysurya.

V.K Prakashan'S back with another Comedy riot , after the success of 'Gulumal-the escape'. Three Kings will have V.K Prakashan'S lucky charms Kuchacko Boban and Jaysurya along with the Versatile Indrajith . Ann Augustine, Kathal Sandya and Samvrutha Sunil will play the lead roles.

Three kings is the story of Three cousins born to brothers of a royal family at the same time, but the family now struggling to meet ends now. But Malayalam Movie 3 Kings Review-Story- Cast and Crewthe cousins are in search of ways to make quick money. Indrajith, who plays Bhasi, also known as Bhaskaranunniraja, who is interested Cricket is trying his luck in the cricket arena, he plans are to invest in the big cricket leagues like IPL.

Jayasuriya's character is a tele-screen actor called Sankar, whose original name is Sankaranunniraja. He consider himself as actor in the league of Mammooty and Mohan lal, he is desperate to make easy money from acting in Television Serials. Kunchacko Boban plays Ramanunniraja also known as ram in 'Three Kings' who is trying to make a fast buck by participating in various reality shows on television.

But the cousins are living in no harmony; each of them makes sure that the other never succeeds in his goal. Each makes every effort to ditch the other. Three of the cousins fail in the early attempt to make quick money.

But all of a sudden things changes, there comes a ploy to get rich, the movie proceeds with how the Three cousins execute their plans. They fall for the Rich mans played by Jagathy Sreekumar , Three daughters, actually dump daughters. Kathal' Sandhya plays Bhasi's girl friend Manju, while Ann Augustine comes up as Ranju, who has a crush on Ram. Samvrutha Sunil plays Anju who is the love of Sankar.

Ouseppachan will lend tunes to the songs of three kings, highlight being the song Silsila hai silsila, which was composed in presence of makers of the Album, Jaysurya will lend his voice for The New Silsila hai silsila, and movie will also have 4 songs other than silsila

Three kings' is scripted as a complete family entertainer by Y V Rajesh, who had earlier been with V K P for Gulumaal. Rajesh had been an associate to Shafi and Bobby -Sanjay in many of their films.

Ulakam Chuttum Valiban (2011) - Malayalam Movie Review

Cast :

• Jayaram as Jayashankar
• Mithra Kurian
• Biju Menon
• Vandana
• Suraj Venjaramoodu
• Salim Kumar

Directed by : Raj Babu
Written by : Krishna Poojappura
Music by : Mohan Sithaara
Cinematography : Anandhakuttan

Ulakam Chuttum Valiban was the title of a hit Tamil film staring MGR, but now it is the title of a flop Malayalam film starring Jayaram, scripted by Krishna Poojappura and directed by Raj Babu who earlier did Chess, Kangaroo etc. The movie is based on story by Gopu babu.

Jayashankar played by Jayaram is a vegetable vendor who lives with his mother and sister Kalyani. Jayashankar gets into a financial trouble, which has a lame reason. He goes to city to meet his relative Sethu enacted by Suraj, to borrow money to straighten things up.

Padmasree Jayaram

Padmasree Jayaram should stop mocking, pretending shocked in the name of acting.

Even after 20 years into acting Jayaram is imitating himself and teasing the viewers. His expressions are getting hackneyed and audience gets haunted even after they go to their houses. This is another film with the gene of Parthan Kanda Paralokam where he does everything with out any sufficient reason and the film lacks believability. UCV proved again Jayaram’s lack of story sense.

Acting

Suraj who is flavor of the season had tried very hard in this movie but he too couldn’t help the sinking ship. Song of him imitating Rajnikanth brought appreciation. Vandana as Varsha acts as a TV channel presenter, her brother Sajan Joseph by Biju Menon is a boastful CI, who easily falls for flattery, elicits laughter.

Salim Kumar appears as a trainer for petty thieves in the film, Lalu Alex enacts IG Hameed. Also in the cast are Kalabhavan Shajon, Kottayam Nazeer, Janardhanan, Mamukoya, Pradeep Prabhakar, Kishore and Priyanka.

Technical Department

There were several good numbers in movie but the script and technical department was a big let down. Old type of takings from Ananthakuttan has affected the look of the film. Director Raj Babu delivered better in film ‘Chess’.

Impact

The film is just like an aged actress who tries to cover her age with heavy makeup but still couldn’t succeed. Poor story, film’s length, unbelievable situations, lame reasons, unwanted songs, trite villain, preaching, loose ends in story all added up its own share of disaster.

Most important thing why the film hasn’t worked out is because there was no chemistry. If the same script was done by Dileep it would have fared well. The film couldn’t replace a Dileep flick under Sibi – Udayan Script. UCV seems to wipe clean the balance from Milan Jaleel’s bank account.

Ulakam Chuttum Valiban appears to have all the ingredients of a sleeping pill and it may work for you.

Violin (2011) - Malayalam Movie Review

Cast :

• Asif Ali as Aby
• Nithya Menon as Angel
• Lakshmi Ramakrishnan as Annie
• Reena Basheer as Mercy
• Vijayaraghavan
• Jagathy Sreekumar
• Sreejith Ravi
• Chembil Asokan

Directed by : Sibi Malayil
Produced by : AOPL Entertainment
Written by : Viju Ramachandran
Music by : Bijibal, Anand Raj Anand
Cinematography : Manoj Pillai
Editing by : Bijith Bala
Studio : AOPL Entertainment
Distributed by : APOL Cinemas Release through Lal Release

Siby Malayil sure has seen better times. Violin, the latest film from the director that hit the screens this week, has an airless and stagy feel that makes it quickly topple downhill. It looks glossy all right, but the melodrama that unfolds is depthless and adheres to the Fort Cochin Movie Rulebook with all sincerity.

The lives of Angel (Nithya Menon) and her two aunts Annie (Lakshmi Ramakrishnan) and Mercy (Reena Basheer) are transformed, when Abey (Asif Ali) walks in, as their tenant. After a bout of initial resistance from Angel, romance strikes, and the two fall in love.

The obviousness that mars the script plays spoil sport time and again. There is absolutely nothing in this film that you wouldn't be able to foretell. It's almost as if the entire sequence falls into place as you have in your mind already. Where are the surprises?

Films set in Fort Cochin run the huge risk of falling into a cliché cavern and disappearing without a trace. Violin doesn't escape this danger at all. Everything from the costumes, the ambience, the conversations and the smell of a rusty lineage are maintained without fail.

And then towards the end, the story finally moves a little bit away from your plans, and you think that finally things are going to look up. Sad, because in no time you realize that predictability was better. The last fifteen minutes stretch on and on without no sense whatsoever, which makes the climax of the film a big let-down.

I have always wondered why the Violin is seen as an icon of despair in Malayalam films. Haven't we come across any number of scenes where a character plays a melancholic tune on the violin, for one last time before he blows himself off or somebody else? What has the Violin actually done to deserve this miserable fate?

The three women have been living alone for quite a while, and looks like the rest of the world is plotting against them. So they spend their lives baking cakes, going to church, and hoping for better days ahead. And to add further anguish to the despondent scene, there is the Violin as well, that Angel keeps playing every now and then, as if to ensure that they are neck-deep in trouble.

Even as things stand, I wouldn't mind watching bits and pieces of Violin once more, and the reason is Asif Ali. The charm that he fills up into the character of Abey is absolutely endearing, and this is easily one of Asif's best performances. Nithya Menon is equally good, though she has two totally strong contenders in Lakshmi Ramakrishnan and Reena Basheer. A special pat on the back for the talented Abhishek Raveendran as well, for bringing in some mirth into the proceedings.

That song that goes 'Ente Mohangalellaam..' set to tune by Anand Raj Anand is out of this world.

Violin is old fashioned to the core. It sticks to conventions and keeps you hoping that some discovery is about to be made. Unfortunately, nothing of the sort happens, and you walk out of the theatre lamenting the film's downfall.

Doctor Love (2011) - Malayalam Movie Review

Cast :

• Kunchacko Boban as Vinayachandran
• Asif Ali (cameo)
• Bhavana as Ebin
• Ananya
• Bhagat
• Aju Varghese
• Manikuttan
• Prakasaan
• Hemant
• Rajat Menon
• Shari
• Nimisha
• Vidya Unni

Directed by : K. Biju
Produced by : Joy Thomas Sakthikulangara
Written by : K. Biju
Music by : Vinu Thomas
Cinematography : Shaji
Studio : Jithin Arts
Distributed by : Maxlab Cinemas and Entertainments

'Dr.Love' is a movie primarily aimed at the youth .An interesting plot loosely inspired from the Tamil flick 'Shahjahan', this debut attempt from director K Biju is a feel-good film and though it has its share of loose ends, the outcome leaves you feeling pleased than many of the recent entertainers.

The movie has Kunchakko Boban as Vinayachandran, a struggling young writer, who is trying different ways to make a living. He has a friend in Gowry(Ananya), who is a staff in the local telephone booth. Mainly threading his plots for novels around love, Vinayachandran accidentally happens to meet Sathya Sheelan(Innocent), the P E Teacher of a college, who comes for advice to somehow fulfil his love for a fellow teacher in the college. And for that Sathyasheelan finds ways to post Vinayan as a supplier in the college canteen. Once inside the college, Vinayan instantly strikes a chord with the students helping some to reward with their first love. Instantly rechristened as 'Dr. Love- the Romance Consultant', he starts to deals with people who are affected with love and becomes the last word for youngsters in the college struck by Cupid's arrow and those who have a problem with their love affairs. The after-effects of his so-called 'guidance' and the consultant's own love story is what that takes the story forward.

K Biju in his debut screenwriting relies on the tested formula, but packs in a lot of unpredictable situations that has been smartly woven in the screenplay to make it more exciting. The movie with a unrealistic, sometimes unconvincing plot lines, is interspersed with light moments aplenty and much of them have been handled deftly. Things are smooth sailing till the emotional angle comes up, where the narrative dips a little, but the experience as an assistant to many big names of Mollywood helps Biju to manage the climax with out much chaos. Dialogues deserve special mention, as the youth are sure to identify with them!

The performances are topnotch. Kunchakko Boban seems to be riding in the best of the times in his career and here he gets ample scope to display his potential as an actor and he takes full advantage of the opportunity. Bhavana just manages to play to he demands of her Ebin, a tomboyish character who is the de facto leader of a group of friends in the college. Bhagath and Hemant are lovable while Manikuttan springs a pleasant surprise with his witty one-liners.! Ananya in another good role is completely natural with a fine performance. All others in the cast including Salimkumar, Vidhya Unni, Rejith menon and Kalabhavan Shajon come up with right performances to suit the demands of the roles they are on.

Debutante Vinu Thomas's music is more than okay with a mix of good and melodious numbers, but those that stand out are the title track 'palapoo', 'Aakasham doore' and 'Ninnodenikkulla' for their honey-sweet tunes. Cinematography by Shaji is eye-catching and the beautiful ambiance of SB College are utilized to the maximum to give that colourful, chic look of the campus flick.

All in all,' Dr.Love' has some interesting moments and the ensemble star cast pitches in real performances too. On the whole, the movie could' be an ideal popcorn flick targeted to strike a chord with the youth and those who relish candy floss and madcap entertainers. If you are not looking for wisdom and rationale in a light-hearted entertainer, We are sure you will savour this campus carnival .

Sarkar Colony (2011) - Malayalam Movie Review

Cast :

• Mukesh
• Devayani
• Jagadish
• Jagathy Sreekumar
• Ashokan
• Suraj Venjaramood
• Salim Kumar
• Narayanankutty
• Jaffer Idukki
• Kochupreman
• Adv. Chandrashekhar
• Sajan Pallaruthy
• Sinan Kodungaloor
• Geetha Vijayan
• Bindu Panicker
• Sona Nair
• Ambika Mohan

Directed by : V. S. Jayakrishna
Produced by : Rajeev Thampi, Chandrasekharan
Written by : V. C. Ashok
Singers : M. G. Sreekumar, Nayana, Afsal, Madhu Balakrishnan.
Lyricist : Bichu Thirumala, Rajeev Alumkal
Music by : M. G. Sreekumar
Cinematography : Salu George
Editing by : Manoj

‘Sarkar Colony’ has Mukesh as Shivaramakrishnan, who is a clerical staff in the PWD. As his wife (Devayani) happens to be his superior at office, he takes liberty to jump out of the office chores and engage himself in a MLM run by Jagathy Sreekumar’s character curiously named as ‘Pi Pu Pa Pi’, which promises heavy dividends. He also brings in maximum of his colony members in the various legs of the schemes, by showing the generosity of the MLM Company offering cars, tour packages and hefty cheques to their clients. His wife is heavily opposing her husband’s attempts on making easy money. And by the interval we are made to note of the devastating consequences of the MLM’s as Shivaramakrishanan and his friends are in the run for their money, and the MLM owner’ and even their websites sinking without a trace. Even after being in such calamitous consequences, Shivaramakrishanan still makes another try to prove worthy before his wife and relatives by running a kindergarten school named ‘Daddy’s day care’, which proves to be even more pathetic affair than their earlier endeavours..

The movie essentially had a good thread and message which could have itself made a good view. But the script writer V C Ashok, in his attempt to appease more families loses the plot just after the midway and it does an about-turn and touches the ebb, wandering around silly jokes and melodrama. The serious issue has been tackled sloppily, unsympathetically and amateurishly and for this reason, it comes across as an exercise in boredom. The characters appear devoid of life and the staging of the material is evident all through.

The arrival of Suraj venjaramoodu as Babykunju, the caretaker of the children adds to the woes of the narratives. The attempts to create comedy out of kids and the group dance song punched in the later half is more than bearable, making viewers to look for the exit. The very regular climax with really low surprises also adds to the pitfalls of the movie. V S Jayakrishna’s first independent affair as a director falls flat , as he hasn’t been able to crate a watchable movie from an interesting thread and even the talented actors in the cast fail to redeem the enterprise.

All the senior artists in the cast including Mukesh, Jagadheesh, Ashokan and Devayani are consistent in their regular acts, with really nothing demanding them to do any kind of diversity. The technical sides including camera work by Saloo George and music department by MG Sreekumar fails to add to the merits of the movie.

With a poor script and execution that reminds us of the movies of the nineties, ‘Sarkar Colony’ may not offer any interesting watch for general viewers. At the best, the movie may end up as an average earner at the Box office.

Snehaveedu (2011) - Malayalam Movie Review

Cast :

• Mohanlal as Ajayan
• Sheela as Ammukkutty Amma
• Padmapriya as Sunanda
• Biju Menon as SI Balachandran
• Innocent as Mathai
• K. P. A. C. Lalitha as Reethamma
• Mamukkoya as Seithali
• Rahul Pillai as Karthik
• Reeja as Shanthi
• Chembil Ashokan as Manian
• Lena as Lilly
• Urmila Unni as Nalini
• Arundathi as Rosemol
• Sasi Kalinga as Marar
• Appukutty
• Praveen Premkumar

Directed by : Sathyan Anthikad
Produced by : Antony Perumbavoor
Written by : Sathyan Anthikad
Singers : K. S. Chithra, Hariharan, Shreya Ghoshal, Rahul Nambiar, Shweta
Lyricist : Rafeeq Ahamed
Music by : Ilaiyaraaja
Cinematography : Venu ISC
Editing by : K. Rajagopal
Studio : Aashirvad Cinemas
Distributed by : Aashirvad Release, Maaxlab

In a movie like this only two people need to perform. And if they do, the rest automatically follows. With a predictable story and an even more predictable climax, the onus on the lead players is huge. And as far as Snehaveedu is concerned, they deliver.

We all know who Sathyan Anthikkad is. He is a highly successful director, who has consistently provided money spinners at the box office. And he has been peddling the same genre of cinema for about 30 years. I actually like to think that he created the ‘family cinema’ genre over here. The kind of guy the industry turns to when it is in a dire need of a hit. Though the condition of Malayalam film industry is not so dire (and not so great), Sathyan has crafted another family movie that ought to attract families to the ticket counters.

We have been waiting for a long time so as to see Mohanlal in a role that would wring, zing and bring out the best in him. And I am sorry to say that Snehaveedu does not end that wait. But the good thing being that, nor does the movie pretend to. Mohanlal portrays the role of a man who chooses to live in a village with his mother and try his hand at farming. And here too as was with Mathews in ‘Ividam Swargamaanu’ we do not see Mohanlal- the actor, we see Ajayan the farmer. After quite some time, we get to see the old brand of comedy. The one for which the triumvirate of Sreenivasan, Mohanlal and Sathyan was famous for. The non slapstick genre.

The Maestro Ilayaraaja has churned out better stuff than this. But fortunately, the background score and songs do not jar. The BGM actually gels well with the narrative and that’s all we could ask for.

Do not expect the movie to be path breaking stuff, Sathyan is just reaffirming his style of film making. But, here is a movie which guarantees you quality family time and keeps well on the promise.

Makaramanju (2011) - Malayalam Movie Review

Cast :

• Santhosh Sivan as Raja Ravi Varma and Pururavas
• Karthika Nair as Anjali Bhai and Urvashi
• Nithya Menon
• Lakshmi Sharma as Bhageerathi, Ravi Verma's wife
• Poorna
• Mallika Kapoor
• Jagathy Sreekumar as Govardhandas Makhanji, Ravi Verma's business partner
• Bala as Raja Raja Verma, Ravi Varma's younger brother
• Chithra Iyer as Rukku Bhai, Anjali's mother
• Saiju Kurup

Directed by : Lenin Rajendran
Produced by : Green Cinema
Written by : Lenin Rajendran
Singers : K. J. Yesudas, Hariharan, Sujatha, Ramesh Narayan, Anuradha Sriram, Srinivas, Sunita Menon, Manjari
Lyricist : Kavalam Narayana Panicker, K. Jayakumar Chandran Nair
Music by : Ramesh Narayan
Cinematography : Madhu Ambat
Editing by : Mahesh Narayanan
Distributed by : Sree Gokulam Films

What interests us most in Lenin Rajendran's Makaramanju is the parallel narrative - the epic story of Pururavas and Urvasi as seen through the eyes of a painter who is determined to craft his masterpiece. That apart, the film stretches and strains a bit too hard as the jerks and jolts between the two story lines get a bit too tiring after a while.

There is Santhosh Sivan himself playing the much renowned painter from Kerala, Raja Ravi Verma, who is on exile, following an innocent looking liaison with a model (Nithya Menon) that went terribly wrong. He has found refuge in the big, bad city of Bombay, where he meets wine and women aplenty.

Bhagirathi (Lekshmi Sharma), is his wife back home, who confesses that his visits once in a while that often gift her with a child, are simply not enough. She goes out of her way to seduce him, requesting him to make her his canvas and to paint her all anew.

There is talk about Theodore Jackson and the Kilimanoor Palace, and of all possible cross reverences that could be afforded. There is Makhanji (Jagathy Sreekumar) as well, who is all optimistic about the market value of the painter's works.

Ravi Verma in Rajendran's film has transformed into a rebel, and the twirled mustache is just an indication. He is forever battling with himself and those around him, and hopelessly torn apart by the pangs of love, he comes across as a terribly confused man, with flashes of a firm ideology.

The object of his affection is none other than Sugandha Bai (Karthika), a dancer who later models for him. It is to her, that he narrates the love tale of Pururavas and Urvasi, and as the painter and his model are drawn closer to each other, they realize, that the epic story is being rewritten again.

Santhosh Sivan looks remarkably confident as both Ravi Verma and Pururavas, and his highly unconventional looks add an extra charm to his portrayal of both the characters. Karthika, however, has all the amateurishness of a fresher, and goes woefully overboard at times and excessively restrained at others.

Makaramanju is a beautiful film, thanks to the remarkable frames of Madhu Ambatt. Having witnessed a naked Pururavas in the glorious moonlight, Urvasi bids adieu to her lover once and for all. And as the King looks on in amazement, she flies up to heaven, promising to meet him again someday - one of the most striking scenes in the film, thanks to an amazing cinematographer at the helm of affairs.

Makaramanju loses grip on its material half way through, and remains an elusive piece that doesn't tug at your heart strings. Which is why, you walk out of the hall mumbling to yourself that perhaps a bit more clever scripting could have made all the difference.

Indian Rupee (2011) - Malayalam Movie Review

Cast :

• Prithviraj as JP (Jayaprakash)
• Thilakan as Achutha Menon
• Rima Kallingal as Beena
• Tini Tom as CH
• Lalu Alex as Surendran
• Jagathy Sreekumar as Gold Pappy
• Kalpana
• Revathi
• Sreelatha
• Mamukoya
• Mallika
• Babu Namboothiri
• Asif Ali (cameo)
• Fahad Fazil (cameo)

Directed by : Ranjith
Produced by : August Cinema (Prithviraj, Santosh Sivan, Shaji Natesan)
Written by : Ranjith
Music by : Shahabaz Aman
Cinematography : S. Kumar
Editing by : Vijay Shankar
Studio : August Cinema
Distributed by : August Films

Indian Rupee, directed by Ranjith has Prithviraj essay a very deglamourised role for the first time. The film can be easily categorised as one of the best films of the Malayalam film industry to hit the screen this year.

Indian Rupee, unlike most of Prithviraj's film is minus any thrilling action sequences or mushy romance. Indian Rupee has Prithviraj essay a very mature and the boy next door sort of role, contrary to his previous films.

Ranjith has been regarded as one of the best film makers in Malluwood till date and with Indian Rupee, he has reaffirmed the audiences belief in him. Though the style adopted is conventional, Ranjith has managed to make a nice movie, thanks to a well written script and perfect execution.

Though one must say that some of the twists and turns and melodrama could have been avoided, Indian Rupee is a film which should not be missed.

Cinematography by S Kumar is beautiful and so is the music by Shahabaz Aman.

Story

Jayaprakash or JP as he is popularly known (Prithviraj), is a simple guy with huge dreams and aspirations about his future. JP begins his career as a sub agent in the real estate business. He is interacting with some of the bigwigs in the industry and is slowly making his presence felt in the big bad world of reality business in Kozhikode. Hameed (Tini Tom) is his best buddy who backs him all the time and helps JP make some quick bucks. The two decide to make money by selling the property owned by an old man named Achutha Menon (Thilakan). However, that never happens.

In the process, Achutha Menon becomes an inseparable part of their lives and things start falling in the right place, much to the delight of JP. Rima Kallingal as Bina plays the love interest of Prithviraj in Indian Rupee. Bina is a doctor and her parents are not too keen to get her married to JP.

JP manages to earn a commendable fortune. However, in the process, he learns some valuable lessons about the importance of money in life.

Performance

Indian Rupee is one of the best films of Prithviraj, who has not had a hit for a long time. His expressions, vulnerable look and dialogue delivery is excellent, considering it is an absolutely deglamorised role.

Thilakan is truly outstanding and undoubtedly the show stealer. His mannerism, dialogue delivery, style – Thilakan is truly amazing. He has shown that he need not be superstars like Mohanlal or Mammootty to win accolades for his performance.

Jagathy Sreekumar, as Pappachan is good too. Rima Kallingal, Mallika, Tini Tom, Lalu Alex and Mamukkoya have excelled in their parts.

Overall, Indian Rupee is a must watch film.