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By Joginder Tuteja **
'Zor Lagaa Ke... Haiya' tries to deliver a serious message around environment preservation. However, the film appeals in only bits and parts and that too only in the first half. Even at the face value, the idea around an entire film centered on saving a tree doesn't sound exciting. Where exactly is the audience for such a subject? And how could even that select bunch of audience be enticed enough to walk into a theatre for a movie that doesn't really boast of any star value whatsoever?
Of course, director Girish Girija Joshi may have believed that roping in Amitabh Bachchan for a voiceover and Mithun Chakravorty as a spearhead for the film could be a lucrative enough. However, first and foremost that is not really good enough and secondly even Mithun's role hardly adds on to the relevance of the film's plot which deals with saving a tree house made by a bunch of five kids.
In fact Mithun's character doesn't add anything at all to the film's narrative and his only contribution is towards the last five minutes of the film. However, even that bit of value addition could have been extracted out of the one of the kids in the story.
The film is not a kid film and neither has it been publicised as one. In fact if one talks about the publicity and promotion, there hasn't been any at all. 'Zor Lagaa Ke... Haiya' has been released all of a sudden and the song promos featuring Riya Sen are misleading, to say the least. She appears in just 2-3 scenes and they too are short lived.
So what really works for the film? Well, a few scenes in the first half of the movie where the kids get together to encounter Mithun Chakravorty, only to become his friends as the reels progress. The sequence of events leading to the son of a construction worker (Seema Biswas in a forgettable role and performance) joining hands with the four kids and building a dream tree house are nicely done.
However, after the interval point, when the battle lines are drawn between the kids and Gulshan Grover, the drama doesn't quite pick up. Frankly, one expected a little more meat in the story around it's culmination but that doesn't really happen. While Mithun is just passable in the film, the only actor who does try to bring in some relief to the proceedings is Mahesh Manjrekar.
Overall, 'Zor Lagaa Ke... Haiya' is a barely passable affair that doesn't really warrant a big screen watch. Even on TV, there will certainly be many more exciting alternatives to explore before one ultimately settles down to watch 'Zor Lagaa Ke... Haiya'.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Lehren Movie review - Kal Kissne Dekha
By Joginder Tuteja Rating : *
There is a point in the film where you end up exclaiming - 'This character is really quite 'kameena''. And a split second after this thought crosses your mind; the villain of the piece himself takes pride on this vitrue of his and tells the hero - 'Koyi To Kameena Hai Jo Tumse Ek Kadam Aage Soch Raha Hai'. Now if not for some witty moments like these and ample thrilling sequences, 'Kal Kissne Dekha' may have just fallen flat.
Reason? Even though the film is the launch pad of two newcomers, there is no love story embellished in the screenplay. Ok, so the two kiddos - Jackky and Vaishali - meet in a campus and predictably fall in love; but there are not many romantic moments that the two share. Yes, Vaishali does sit cross legged with Jackky on a moving bike and their midnight rendezvous does catch attention as well. But sadly, such moments are far and few. Even otherwise, the love-hate saga in the campus is quite dull and though the 'friend' characters are straight out of 'Main Hoon Naa', they do not hold much excitement.
The drama begins though once Jackky saves Vaishali from a bomb which was ticking under her. Well, literally! After a rather impractical insulting session that Jackky suffers at the hands of Vaishali in full public view, he starts imaging something even worse that could happen to him and soon, he starts getting visions of a bomb, the hands that kept it and heck, even the colour of wire that has to be cut in order to diffuse it. Bomb experts be damned!
His expertise starts taking a new dimension as he now starts working on a big project where he unknowingly becomes a part of a mission that involves exploding an entire Mumbai. And once he realises this 'kal', he gets started on his own mission to save everyone's 'aaj'.
Sounds like an interesting idea, right? Of course yes, and this must have surely prompted producer Vashu Bhagnani to launch his son in a film which promised total 'masala dhamaal'. To give credit to director Vivek Sharma, thrilling portions in the film work well too. The BIG plan, the conspiracy, the use of hero's twin combo of technical and visionary expertise, a heartless villain, the chase sequences, the background score, jumping from skyscrapers - all of this gets a good adrenalin rush which makes the interval point and the last 30 minutes of the film pretty interesting.
This is why one tends to believe that if 'Kal Kissne Dekha' would have stayed on the thriller route from beginning till end, it would have been a much better outing. That's because the opening 30-45 minutes are way too stretched, the campus fights are meaningless (the villain turned friend Akshay Kapoor disappears once he has extended a 'dosti-ka-haath'), the love story is 'thanda' and there is not even any attempt made to get some comic sequences in place.
Due to this, one has to give it to Rishi Kapoor who, after getting a chance to sink his teeth into something really meaty, doesn't let go of the opportunity and thoroughly enjoys himself. He manages to show a different side of his in this youth entertainer and along with Jackky features in most of the best scenes in the film. After 'Luck By Chance', this is another extended role he gets to play if one is willing to forget 'Delhi 6'.
Which brings me to an all important question - 'Does Jackky deliver'? The answer is a firm 'Yes'. Let's not just say that he has a potential to perform. The fact is that he 'does perform'. What strikes most about his presence in the film is that he is quite confident and neither overplays nor underplays his part. Even though the film is a show reel for the young boy, a better script would only help his cause.
Vaishali's role is such that she is mainly required to be a pretty face and a good dancer. In both the aspects she does well. However, her presence in the story's scheme of things is pretty marginalised and though she does decent in whatever is offered to her, she would have to rely upon her next film to prove her calibre as an actor.
Overall, 'Kal Kissne Dekha' is a reasonably decent affair that can be given a watch mainly for it's thriller element and the twist in the tale that emerges at the interval point. Now if only the film would have remained on the thriller terrain, 'Kal Kissne Dekha' would have been a much exciting summer film of 2009.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Katrina Kaif conscious about her Skin-www.lehren.tv
Bollywood gorgeous lady Katrina Kaif whose skin is said to be more beautiful then her will not do any heavy make up henceforth. The actress has become skin cognizant and will try to shun glorified facial paints in order to save her skin from serious damage. The lady has urbanized a fear that if she continues being exposed to the routine make-up then soon she would lose her skin’s natural shine and she personally believes that her skin is lighter and beautiful then any other actress. So she will use minimal make-up during the shoots from now onwards. She makes a point that when she is not shooting at that time she will not do any make up, not even a light make up. Quite expectedly, Katrina hates sitting for hours for make-up sessions during the shoots. And she would in future avoid such sittings unless absolutely necessary.
On screen couple Kat & Akshay upset Salman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAwfKu9nRZw
Bollywood actor John cracked his leg on sets of Hook Ya Crook-www.lehren.tv
Bollywood hunk John Abraham Fractured his leg while shooting a day-long cricket match for David Dhawan's Hook Ya Crook. A close source to John says the hard ball shot straight through the air and hit into John's right foot and he heard a distinct crack. John knew something had gone awfully wrong in his foot. But he continued shooting throughout the day because he didn't want to disturb David's schedule which required special permission for outdoor shooting." The other members of crew realized when John started complaining of his severe pain in his right foot. He was not able to walk too. The foot had swollen to twice its normal size. It wasn't just a pulled muscle or a torn tendon as John had hoped. It was a full-blown fracture. And by playing cricket on the injured foot, John made it shoddier," says the friend. Hope our Bollywood Macho man gets well soon.
John-Bipasha Ad Film Shoot
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Freida Pinto wish to work with Director Madhur Bhandarkar- www.lehren.tv
Bollywood upcoming actress Freida Pinto made her first debut in the blockbuster and Oscar winning movie Slumdog Millionaire. Rumours are around that Freida will soon be working with the Director Madhur Bhandarkar’s upcoming movie. It all started when Freida in an interview to the international press said that she would do a Bollywood film only if it was a Bhandarkar film. And when asked Madhur he was totally flattered and happy the current international sensation would be any Bollywood director's dream scheme. He even said that Freida knows very well that he is women oriented and will soon be working with her.
www.lehren.tv
Freida Pinto to star in French Israeli Movie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xT5inA24HFU
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Which will be Himesh next big release?-www.lehren.tv
Bollywood singer turn actor Himesh Reshammiya first debut in the movie Aap Ka Saroor was a big success and the songs in the movie where awesome. After that his next movie release of the movie Karrz the remake of the old movie also did well in the industry. He has two of his films lined up for release and it is yet to be decided which of them would arrive first. Once the release plans for those dozen odd biggies, which were stuck due to strike and hence are already in the pipeline, become more concrete, there would be better visibility around which of the two Himesh stares would arrive first - Kajraare or Ishk Unplugged! According to the sources both Kajraare as well as Ishk Unplugged are complete and the makers of the former have made the first strike by announcing their release plans. Pakistani actress Mona Laizza will be staring in the movie Kajraare opposite Himesh Reshammiya.
Triple Himesh Reshammiya
Monday, June 1, 2009
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