Author: aninditaroy444

DURGESHGORER GUPTODHAN: This movie is running for two months at the theatres and has been appreciated by all. Sonada, Abir and Jhinuk embark on an adventure to Durgeshgor and unearth a hidden treasure. The history behind the movie is depicted by colorful animation at the start and sets up the context nicely. The pace of the movie is very slow in the first half but the second half has a lot of thrill and suspense built into it. Sonada is sada single in keeping with the tradition of the Bengali sleuths. Newcomer Ishaa Saha fits in perfectly. Another newcomer Aryan Bhowmick looks promising although he is vertically challenged. Kharaj puts in a boisterous performance but is unfit as the gun-toting villain. The guy who plays Nakul (Kharaj’s accomplice) is an apt choice. Kaushik Sen as the wayward NRI brother adds to the mystery and intrigue. June Malia is wasted in a miniscule role. There is a cute kid (a Taimur Ali Khan lookalike) too. The plot is too simplistic and Sonada hits bulls eye at first attempt always. Never knew a professor can fight so well. There is some awkward product placement like MAX, Mainland China etc. The Durga Puja backdrop makes the overall movie enjoyable. CGI is quite good especially in the wild bear scene. In true Bengali movie tradition evil Mejda becomes a good fella at the end and decides to return to his roots. An enjoyable one-time watch.

BASU PARIBAR: It is interesting to see how Bengalis still throng to watch the veterans Aparna Sen and Soumitra Chatterjee who put in feisty performances in this movie. The leading pair look age- appropriate in this drama where their 50^th wedding anniversary is being celebrated. Th first half is engaging but the second half drags to death. At even 1 hour 51 minutes, the movie is a sore bore. The climax is disappointing-the story could have taken a different turn but it does not. The movie had the promise of a modern day “ Sakha Proshaka” but lacks Ray’s master touch. Director Suman Ghosh had a terrific ensemble cast but fails to utilize the star power. Paran Bandopadhyay shines as always. Rituparna and Jisshu are wasted in sundry roles. There are cursory references to crossdressing, impotency, unemployment, suicide, illicit love, marital discord and what not. After a while, it seems as if everyone has skeletons in the closet getting ready to squeal. The newcomer Sreenanda Shankar is a letdown. With terrible acting skills, ghoulish looks and unkempt hair, she is an eyesore. The movie depicts the charm of suburban Bengal pretty well and the lifestyles of the rich and upwardly mobile from a bygone era.

MANIKARNIKA: THE QUEEN OF JHANSI-Too jingoistic to the core, Kangana Ranaut’s directorial debut fails to impress. A damp squib of a first half, a clumsy warry second half -this movie despite having the explosive content of a blockbuster falls flat on the ground. The casting of Jisshu Sengupta as the Maharaja of Jhansi is not appropriate- he looks old and jaded. Kangana Ranaut exudes spunk and charisma but this movie becomes a vanity vehicle for her. Frame after frame Kangana fumes and spews venom against her detractors and the way she remains unscathed is unbelievable. The acquisition of Gwalior Fort where the Maharaja simply leaves on being asked is downright silly. The sword-yielding men of Jhansi fight back against the gun-toting British amidst shouts of “Har Har Mahadev” and ultimately succumb to defeat after Rani Laxmibai’s death. Danny Denzongpa plays an important role as Ghouse Khan and is fit as a fiddle. Atul Kulkarni is one of the recognizable faces. The screenplay is such that maximum footage is given to Rani Laxmibai and her war scenes which come as an overdose and further weigh down the movie. Kangana Ranaut rides the horse like a dream and is nimble with the sword and the shield. Her slight frame and fast as lightning movements do justice to the portrayal of the warrior queen. With some brilliant editing and a better background score and music, this movie could have been a more promising fare. The war scenes are gory and this movie is not suitable for children.

ROSOGOLLA: The sweetest of the sweets, the king of the sweetmeats, the decadent syrupy cottage cheese balls, the rosogolla and the making of it -beautifully captured for the first time on celluloid in ROSOGOLLA. Set in the 19^th century, when Lord Canning was the Viceroy of India, Ladykeni was the popular sweet amongst the upper class. Nabin Chandra Das was just another starry eyed 20 year-old “Moira” or sweetmeat maker who dreamt of making the perfect “Roser Golla” for his paramour Khirod who later became his wife. Erstwhile Bagbazar,, where Nabin’s sweet shop was, bore the look of a busy village where unpaid dues were settled by “Lethels” or armed musclemen and the upwardly mobile jostled to get the attention of the British rulers. The lazy “babus” were shown as busy with concubines and reading the newspaper daily was considered too intellectual. Aparajita Addhya made a brief appearance as a Zamindar Ginni and stole the show effortlessly. The Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 was not shown and the story remained confined to sweet shop owners, milkmen and the like. Rajatava Datta rendered a powerful performance as the rival sweet shop dealer. Subhashree made a cameo as the nautchgirl with a heart of gold (what’s new). True to tradition, girls were shown as playing with kids before marriage and were too old to be married if crossed the age of 16. The romance of Nabin and Khirod was playful and real and was evenly paced out. When happy, Nabin did a weird dance movement by clapping his hands and jumping up and down at the same time proving that Bengalis are not used to dancing naturally. Kharaj Mukherjee rendered a near perfect act as Nabin’s sweet shop helper and with his corpulent frame suited the role well. The perfect Rosogolla could be made with the help of an Englishman who had mastered the craft of manoeuvring the cottage cheese. Overwhelmed by the success of Rosogolla, Nabin went on to introduce another new sweet called Baikunthabhog and expanded his business further. It was amazing the way periodicity of the movie was maintained through and through. Shot in light sepia, the audience is able to live the movie and become part of Nabin’s pain and pleasure. Highly recommended.

SIMMBA: Alpha-male Ranveer Singh’s towering screen presence, comic timing and action Jackson avatar make SIMMBA look real and believable. Ranveer’s coming home to Deepiku these days who can safely croon “MERA BALMA HAIN TIGER, GOLI MARE JAISE SNIPER YES!!!

Ranveer is over-the-top in the first few scenes with prominent mannerisms of Akshay Kumar-the movie has shades of Dabbang and other 80’s cop movies. The SIMMBA theme song incorporating Maratha war tunes and the sculpture of Chattrapati Shivaji right in the beginning and frequent use of Marathi words set the tone of the Bollywood action drama which bears a Maharashtrian slant although the movie. There are no burning or overturning cars but there are very ably bodied cops who move in slow-mo and engage in fist fights and good old decibel matches to drive home their point. Just like a 80’s potboiler the sistah has to get raped and knocked down unconscious and eventually die in order to instil the sense of duty in SIMMBA. The second half is sloppy and predictable but it is commendable how Bollywood has come of age and happily collaborates and comes together to breathe life into a new project. The famous Aankh Marey song has Arshad Warsi gamely matching steps with Ranveer and Sara and the Golmaal team also happily chips in with a blink-and-you-miss appearance for a Rohit Shetty project. The original song sang by Mika Singh has the cover version sang by Kumar Shanu. Set in Miramar beach in Goa, this movie is a typical Rohit Shetty movie with a noteworthy display of brawn where heroes swagger and thump their chests and tote guns at the drop of a hat. The female characters are demure and acts on cues from their male counterparts. The introduction of Singham proves that even the best projects need empathetic supervisors. The climax depicts the rise of the true blue desi Tom Cruise Akki jaan as Veer Suryavanshi who is entrusted with the task of carrying the mantle of SIMMBA forward. Sara Ali Khan gives a spirited performance as a working class girl jettisoning her Nawabi adaas and looks like a cross between Amrita Singh and Soha Ali Khan. Bollywood’s obsession with rape, cops, drugs and nautch girls is legendary and this movie does not deviate from the well-tried and tested formula but the smart and sassy treatment and the one-upmanship of Ranveer Singh get the movie the kudos from the movie goers and probably these would bring in the seeti-marao repeat audience. Thank you Rohit Shetty for the elevating experience. AATA MAJHI SATAKLI Notwithstanding!!!

ZERO: An intelligent script interspersed with wit, emotional quotient, pathos and star power-futuristic in its depiction of a multi-planetary ecosystem ably supported by a bravura performance of Anushka Sharma, the bundle of energy that’s SRK, a perfect casting coup and the superb direction of Anand L Rai makes this movie an intriguing and enjoyable watch. Bauua is a vertically challenged guy with a lot of chutzpah and positive energy-he meets his match in a slightly handicapped wheelchair bound Anushka Sharma who is a NASA bred scientist. Anushka’s body language and diction are so perfect that you would stop believing that she is Bollywood star married to the invincible Mr Big (Virat Kohli, no prizes for guessing) Katrina oozes oomph in every frame -she has to don tons of kohl and sport panda eyes to portray the over-the-top disoriented, unlucky in love poster-girl to look villain-ish which is an act for the otherwise mild-mannered woman and she pulls it off with elan. Shahrukh Khan brags about his trademark dimples and ceremonializes the buttony glad eyes he makes at every female that is object of his affection. Salman Khan’s endorsement of this movie uppity ups the celebrity quotient already high with the graceful presence of Juhi Chawla, the late Srideviji, Alia Bhatt, Abhay Deol, Kajol, Deepika Padukone and Karisma Kapoor-all of them by the way sport alabaster skin from head to toe with Karisma being the only naturally fairest one. SRK does not insist on showcasing his trademark stammering skills and the outstretched hand movement that he’s been carrying off since the 90s. He does somersaults on his hands just like the Deewana days and his prosthetic makeup and energetic dance moves are an extension of his Jabra Fan act. But he should know that having a lean physique and a 30 inch waist even at the other side of fifty counts too. Right, Sid? (Sid Malhotra) The climax is well thought out and reassuring just like a Hollywood movie-I was scared that Bauua would die in the rocket shuttle but he fists back to safety and back on Mother Earth thanks to some timely intervention of the Chinese scientists. I do not know why Ranbir Kapoor including his dad Chintu Kapoor is added as a gimmick to lend spice to the proceedings which is already overladen with fun, masala and self-deprecating humor. The message of the movie is simple yet overpowering with human emotions and the timeless and binding power of love and longing. I give it four thumbs up (hands and toes together)

GENERATION AAMI: Trust Mainak Bhaumik to come up with a novel script, a stellar ensemble cast, put a new spin to the classic Apu-Dugga story of Pather Panchali and essay the trial and tribulations of the new-age youths in this smartly connected world. Apu is a lost teenager cowering under the domination of his parents. He is an average Joe in constant fear of failure and rejection, chemistry is his bete-noire, music is his passion but he plays it safe until along comes Dugga, a firebrand but misunderstood and neglected young woman who helps him find his true calling and rebel with glory. I could not find the reason for Dugga’s death when she had all the help in the world. The jumping off a terrace scene is shown in great detail but kids please do not try this at home. The escapist act of suicide is glorified unnecessarily. Apu’s emergence as Aparajito tells in his change of gait and confidence and the way he defends himself against the towering and overpowering control of his parents in the guise of affection and guidance. Poor guy gets slapped a lot in the movie but I could not help but marvel the way he holds his own against powerful actors like Aparajita Addhya and Santilal Mukherjee. Santilal’s voice is very strong and impactful but he artfully modulates his tone as he quivers his voice in shame while speaking of his demotion at work. It is indeed a delight to watch Aparajita Addhya as the possessive mother who throws a feat when Apu pierces his left earlobe. Dugga’s Delhite parents and their quest for status and prestige and their professional treatment towards their only daughter are realistic to the core. There is a funny man at the other end of the phone whose number Dugga keeps dialling to no avail and there is witty reference of a “Chotomashi” who never shows up in person or as a voice on the phone but is a integral part of the script. Lily Chakraborty plays the accepting grandmother who is content with holding a calling bell in her bedroom to seek the attention of her son who lives in the same house. It is not understood why Apu does not accompany Dugga to her medical appointments who continues to keep it silly with her incessant calls to her crush who is a “married but single” man. Mainak Bhaumik keeps it simple and sweet and the exchanges between the cousins are kept real and sans of preaching and family politics and it’s a clean movie to watch and is devoid of grey areas like incest, sibling rivalry and competition. I would have loved it if Apu caught Dugga by her hand while she jumped off the terrace and he wheelied her to the “Gaanwala” gig but alas!

An outstanding charity concert, organised by Garia Mitali Sangha and presented by Tochon Ghosh and Bonny Ghosh at Netaji Indoor Stadium featured two luminaries of the Bollywood music industry, Sonu Nigam and Sunidhi Chauhan. My middle-class ticket surprisingly provided me a great vantage point to view the sitare up close and personal with close proximity to the stage. The best part is that Sonu and Sunidhi did not Bongofy their acts and the gung-ho Bengalis still lapped it up proving the fact that Ishq-Vishq, Entertainment Mein Sabse Aage No. 1 Punjabi.

The comperes and the cover version artists did a ho-hum job. There were a group of young girls who performed to Dola Re, Ghoomar at the beginning but they were unceremoniously booed down from the stage. Sunidhi started her act with the pulsating Dhoom Machale. She was dressed in skinny black jeans, black vest and a shining silver jacket that added glamour and oomph to her Rockstar persona. She upped the tempo of the audience with Crazy Kire Re followed by Sajna Diwani, Ishq Sufiana, Aani Aani Aani Aani Loot Gaya etc in close succession. Her voice was strong and powerful and she exuded vitality and attitude akin to a teenybopper in keeping with the contemporary and upbeat numbers she belted out. She sang Main Badiya Tu Badiya from Sanju but unfortunately it was not a duet with Sonu Nigam. Sunidhi initiated an epic GIRL POWER moment when she asked all the girls and ladies in the audience to stand up and join her in her moves to Desi Girl. The she did a superb rendition of Race Sason Ki, Disco Deewane, Dil Ding Dong Ding Bole, Didar De from Dus, Aisa Jadoo Dala re and it was refreshing to watch the singing sensation perform with such energy and vibrance even for a charity show. The acoustics were at international standards and were a delight to experience. Sunidhi performed Bidi Jalai Le without paying heed to the non-smoking dictum of the indoor stadium and her multi-dimensional voice was a cross between those of Usha Uthup and Ila Arun. Her item songs were a big hit amongst the audience fed on regular doses of such fare in the music channels. Interestingly the ladies in the crowd screamed for “Sheila Ki Jawani” leaving the men bemused but turned on nevertheless. Sunidhi had a clear western influence in her choice of songs and she often used English songs as the mukhra of her Hindi songs displaying the wide range of her voice.

Sunidhi warmed up the audience considerably setting the stage for Sonu Nigam who made his entry with a lot of flamboyance amidst cheering crowds who screamed “Sonu!Sonu!”. He started off with Chalte Chalte Mere Yeh Geet Yaad Rakhna, followed by the heart-thumping Yeh Dil Hain Deewana from Pardes and the absolute crowd pleaser Suraj Hua Madhyam. He had an interactive style of singing and started each song with a mellow mukhra while petering off slowly with the antaras. He would sometimes walk towards us and then walk away and every time he did that our hearts would say “Palat”. I called it a night at 9 pm since Sonu’s was a repeat act of what he had already performed in Kolkata few months back and I needed to beat the crowds. I came out of the stadium rejuvenated and energised with Bhangra Paale Aaja Aaja ringing in my mind.

BAGH BANDI KHELA: It was a torture to be held captive at the theater watching this non-sensical movie. A collection of three stories, it is a vanity vehicle for Prosenjit, Sohum and Jeet. Sprinkled with generous doses of romance, drama, action (including dead drop from a skyscraper, overturning cars, free arm fights and what not) the movie lacks soul. The script is incoherent and the dialogues would make you cringe in your seat. Product placement is done in such an obvious manner and it would make you steer clear of the product. In one scene in Benaras, Sohum develops a runny stomach after eating the street-side jalebi and is a true depiction for once. Srabanti and Prosenjit stand out with their performances. Sayantika is an eyesore. Jeet and Sohum are ho-hum. Music is no great shakes either. A lousy movie and a substandard fare from the director Raja Chanda.

No Kavita, No Song

Had the good chance of watching Kavita Krishnamurthy Subramanium live in concert at the Verde Vista Club. Kavita is a veteran of the Hindi Film Industry with 45 years of experience under her belt. She is also fluent in Bengali having spent her early training years with Hemant Kumar and Manna Dey. She has deep regard for classical music and restricted herself to mostly soft, emotional numbers. The only peppy song was “Hawa Hawaii” followed by more upbeat songs like “Aaj Mein Upar”, “Nimbuda”, “Dola Re”. She also sang a Bengali Rabindrasangeet with equal élan. She did not sing “Jhuma Chuma De De” keeping in consideration the family audience. She was ably accompanied by Jimut Roy, a local musician who was superb in duets and solo songs. Kavita’s mellifluous voice enthralled us for two and a half hours and compelled us to remain seated for all that time. Her performance reinstated the fact that there is no equivalent to hard work, perseverance and merit.