Okay, That Didn't Feel Like Bollywood, But...Pukar (2000)

Watching Pukar was, for me, a little bit like watching a "pretty good" Hollywood drama from the early 90s or so. The acting was better than decent, there was an all star-cast, and the story unfolded at a reasonable pace. That's not a bad thing, and apparently worked to its advantage; the film walked away with two national film awards and a boatload of other nominations, including Best Actor for Anil Kapoor (right on!) and Best Actress for Madhuri Dixit (yeah!).

It was strange; On the one hand, I found the story of Major Jaidev Rajvansh, a well-respected and admired officer of the Indian army who is horribly betrayed by somebody closest to him, incredibly absorbing and well-portrayed by a strong all-star cast. On the other, I found Pukar sort of dull. Where was the color? Where was the creativity in the song picturizations? My inner masala child desperately wanted to know.



Anil Kapoor, looking dashing in an army suit (quite the change from the Micheal Jackson white-sock look he sported in the last film I saw him in, Mann), plays Jai, an Army officer on a short return visit to his hometown. Madhuri Dixit is Anjali, Jai's childhood friend who also happens to be in love with him, something that is clear to everyone but Jai himself. Or is it? In the beginning of the film, its hard to determine whether Jai is simply ignorant to Anjali's feelings or if he just doesn't give a care.

Either way, the whole town(including Jai's parents) seems to share the same opinion-- Anjali's so gorgeous and such a natural on the dance floor, there's no way she's not going to snag him, right? I mean, it's have to be MISS INDIA walking through the door for Jai to turn his head the other way...



Which, of course, is exactly what happens. Jai meets Pooja(Namrata Shirodkar), a.k.a. the current Miss India, and is instantly hooked. He spends most of his time trying to convince her and her parents, who are adamantly against Princess Pooja marrying an army officer, that the two should be married. The rest of his time is spent dodging Anjali whenever possible, unless she is needed for moral support (or lunch--grrr!).

After an embarrassing encounter between Jai, Pooja, and herself, Anjali is approached by a crooked man who works for a sinister terrorist named Abhrush (played by Danny Denzongpa, scarrry looking!!). In desperation, Anjali strikes a deal with said crooked man and sells her soul to the devil, so to speak, in one of the most messed up betrayals I've ever seen.



But man, it was so satisfying to watch. Things horribly backfire--no spoilers here, I'm sure you could guess that they would, and I've only just taken you into the real story--but its the characters and how their lives are affected by this one event that makes Pukar interesting. As you can see, Jai's far from a likable character in the first half of the film. Which ends up really working to the film's advantage--at first, you're like, yeah, stick it to him, Anjali! But then the second half rolls around and you get to thinking. Poor Jai. Poor unfortunate, circumstantially abused Jai (Did they really have to rip his army uniform to shreds--WHILE HE WAS STILL WEARING IT?!?)!

This is a prime example of another one of the film's strengths--the characters were so human! You loved them, you hated them, you forgave them. Even Pooja showed us Miss India could be one heartless witch!

But, ahh, did I mention how refreshing it was to see Madhuri in a role that gave her not only more to do than dazzle and dance, but also required her actions to be a pivotal piece in the plot?! I was elated! Yes, I know Mads is brimming with awesomeness, and she has to little but flash a smile and float across the dancefloor to show she's the whole package, but...she can also really act!! Note to directors---Use her!! (A moot point, it seems, since she's sort of "retired", and I realize I haven't seen enough of her films to solidify this opinion, but I love her so much to let her talent pass me by without mentioning it).



This was my first Anil/Madhuri film, and I realize, given the story, that it may not have been the most popular choice to start with. Because they were already an established pair in Bollywood, I'm guessing that most of Pukar's initial audiences were invested in Jai and Anjali ending up together from the very beginning. But not me--they had to really sell it to me. Which they did, thanks to their commanding screen presences and oodles of talent (there's a very heated argument/exchange/revelation between the two of them in the second half that literally gave me goose bumps, it was so emotionally charged).

The supporting cast was strong, including Om Puri, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, and Farida Jalal (as maa--yes!!). Most characters were given enough screen time to establish their presence in the film, but there should have been wayy more of Jai's parents, especially given the powerful encounter that follows this screenshot:



But alas, onto the negatives, of which were significant enough to mention. As I said above, there just wasn't enough creativity from a visual aspect. A dash of color or masala madness would have done the trick; After all, music was by A.R. Rahman! Yet most of the good songs seemed wasted against ho-drum deserts and waterfalls (which I normally love, as long as the settings and outfits change during the song picturizations, barely done here). The exception, of course, is "Kay Sera Sera" (Que Sera Sera?), a tune whose brilliance was done justice by Madhuri's vibrant facial expressions and graceful dance moves (along with a cameo by Prabhu Deva).



Since I expected to dislike this film (after I heard someone call it Puke-kar, lol, and you know who you are ;)), I was happily surprised to find it, for the most part, watchable, if a bit bland. Next up in Anil/Mads territory? Beta, a film I know next to nothing about and bought on a whim. Any other recommendations? I'll take 'em!

Slumdog Millionaire and Ghajini...2008 Goes Out With A Double Bang!

Ahh, its been a dreary last couple of days. The weather here in Wisconsin has been abyssmal (I'm moving when I graduate, that's it!), and there's been little more to do than watch movies and stuff my face with (now stale) Christmas cookies.

Plenty of time to head over and catch Bollywood's latest flavor of the month, Ghajini, and David Boyle's newest project, Slumdog Millionaire!

(First let me say that both of these films are equally deserving of their own posts. I only chose to combine the reviews so I could package it up in a neat little Happy New Year post like I did with HAHK and KANK).

I got so lucky this week--I enjoyed both films! How often does that happen? Anyways, let's talk about Ghajini first, since I saw that one on Monday. I'd heard various things about it, both good and bad, but I made up my mind that I was going to see it anyways. After all, I'd seen Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi in the theaters, so I figured if I could take a risk on that one, I could do the same for Ghajini. Besides, if we can't count on Aamir Khan to give us a decent film, who can we depend on?



Though violent films are never really my cup of tea, I liked Ghajini much, much more than I thought I would. I mean, I was looking forward to it because of Aamir, but I didn't expect to be completely engrossed from beginning to end. Ghajini grabbed me hook, line and sinker! Never mind the similarities to Memento or the Tamil version--I couldn't have cared less. All I know is I was pretty darn entertained, and that's what I pay money at the movies for.

Gosh, its been a good 7 years since I saw Memento, and while I remembered it being very interesting, I really had to concentrate to figure out what was going on (the entire movie plays backwards, and the story's told through the eyes of the main character, who keeps losing his memory). Not so with Ghajini, a psychological thriller/romance that plays on the same premise of short term memory loss, but does it in a less complicated way. In this film, everything is pretty much spelled out for you: You know that Aamir's character, Sanjay, has suffered some kind of violent trauma to the head that resulted in his loss of short term memory. In other words, he forgets everything and everyone in 15 minute intervals. You also know he's looking for the person responsible for all of this, and you know his name is Ghajini. Heck, you even know that he's lost someone close to him, and you know that person's name is Kalpana. All of these things are tatooed in angry scrawl over Sanjay's chest, which you get a full view of early on in the film (and what a nice chest it is otherwise--go Aamir!).



As I said, I'm not one for violence, but I can stomach it. When I walked into Ghajini, I was prepared to walk out with zero "filmi feel good" moments and a collection of disturbing blood and gore flashbacks. So imagine my surprise when, after gearing up for three hours of action and suspense, Ghajini went off on a romantic comedy tangent...And stayed there for awhile.

I was kind of taken aback at first--I had really been getting into the suspense of the film--and the unlikely story between Sanjay and Kalpana (played by Tamil star Asin, who apparently has the same role in the Tamil version) seemed a little farfetched. Yet, as it went on (and on) I really started to like it. After all, its not everyday that I get to watch Aamir fall in love--romance took a backseat in most of the films I've seen him(I haven't seen much from his earlier "hero" days). And there was just something appealing to me about the way the two leads met--Kalpana was living her life, not even looking for romance and...well, Sanjay just kind of fell in her lap. Granted, it all started with a lie--her lie---but she redeemed herself with her affinity for helping others, which I'm sure was the director's intention.

By the time the flashback paused, and we got back to the action stuff, I actually wasn't ready to leave the romance(She didn't even know his real name yet!!! That bugged me like having an itch on your back you can't scratch). But Ghajini was just getting warmed up...the story gained even more speed and momentum in the second half. All I have to say is, the scenes with Aamir and Jiah Khan (who plays a medical student bent on befriending Sanjay) were nail-bitingly good!



As we pieced more of Sanjay's background together, the film took us to another flashback. This time I embraced the switch, as I'd been on the edge of my seat for the past 45 minutes and needed a breather. And what a perfect way to calm me down "Guzarish" was, the song that had serenaded me in the background every time Sanjay looked at Kalpana. Before I knew it, I'd went from pulse racing chase scenes to prancing around the sand dunes with Sanjay as he pursued his lady love...And of course, since I'm such a sucker for stuff like that, I loved every minute of it. Its also worth mentioning that Asin maintained an appropriately relaxed facial expression during this song, which I appreciated since her character was a bit obnoxious overall.

Because I knew from the very beginning that Kalpana was going to be killed, I knew the romance would be short lived, and maybe that's what touched me even more about it. I had a lump in my throat for most of the flashback, but I was still rooting for the couple to somehow make it.

The rest of Ghajini doesn't lose steam in the second half, like most 3 hour movies do. While the focus is on revenge--and that's not a concept I like to embrace--overall the mood of the film is balanced nicely. It flits from suspense to romance throughout (and does both very well), then tops it all off with a sharp climax. But the very last scene--and I won't give it away--is extremely touching and memorable. So much so that I left the theater quickly, hastily throwing my soda cup in the garbage while blinking back tears.

I liked Asin overall, and her acting actually improved as her role got more intense. And, whoa, she's got the shiniest black hair I've ever seen! No wonder Sallu's smitten, though you didn't hear that from me...;)



Jiah Khan, who's photographs have never done anything for me (I just thought she always looked kind of creepy, but she's actually very beautiful), showed some potential. Her role was second to Asin's, but she still added something to the film. Actually, at first it annoyed me that the director (or whomever was responsible) had her all dolled up when she was doing her medical research, every black curl in its perfect place. Then I realized that I would have done the same thing at her age (and still wear hot pink eyeshadow at work--I'm a makeup artist, I can't help it!), so I shut up and stopped calling the kettle black.

Do I really need to say Aamir did a good job? Of course, he did, but we already know he can do anything and everything in filmi-land, from acting to directing and back again. And I'm really liking the good streak of films from Aamir Khan Productions... First Taare Zameen Par (which I haven't reviewed yet because I'm looking for an excuse to rewatch), then Jaane Tu... (which I'll be reviewing shortly) and now this? The only drawback to Ghajini is it's not as good as TZP, in my humble opinion. But to compare the two really isn't fair (they're both very different films), and in some ways I think critical reception for Ghajini would have been even better if it had come out before TZP. Its never an easy task to follow perfection!

I liked Ghajini, it was worth every penny I spent on the ticket, and I'll buy the DVD when it comes out, too. Let's just hope it doesn't take as ridiculously long as Taare Zameen Par did!

The next day, still riding my Ghajini high, I didn't plan on making any trips to the theater. But a surprise babysitter and crummy weather left the opprotunity wide open--and off to see Slumdog Millionaire I went!























In case you haven't heard (because it seems like everyone's talking about it), Slumdog Millionaire is a British film directed by David Boyle. It's about a young boy who lives in Mumbai and lands a spot on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Because it happens to be set in India, a lot of my friends had recommended this to me, knowing my fixation on Indian cinema. And I'm so glad they did!

At first, I was afraid of the film being another depressing story about poverty and village life in India. Why does it seem like that's the only thing that sells to the American audience (at least to the people that haven't fallen in love with Bollywood yet)? The Indian culture is more than just castes and Hindu/Muslim differences and treatment of widows. I don't mean to take those issues lightly, but can't there be a film that's set in India (that doesn't come out of Bollywood) that has a happier overtone? In other words, I just didn't think I could sit through another Brick Lane.



While Slumdog Millionaire has its own moments of dhoom and gloom, its also surprisingly witty and fun. The story follows the main character, Jamal, through his life as an orphan in the slums of Mumbai. His closest companions are his brother, Salim, and a little girl he meets along the way named Latika. Yes, things get ugly. Most of Jamal's life experiences include betrayal, poverty, and loss. Things don't look like they're going to get any better for our little hero even when he manages to land on the show, and play sucessfully. He's betrayed once again and even suspected for cheating since he's answered most of the questions correctly.



Again, the great thing about this film is that through all of this messed up stuff, there's a lot of opprotunity to laugh (including an "in" joke referencing Amitabh Bachchan!). The script was really well written, the editing was tight, and the music added a modern edge to the village scenes. The kids did an outstanding job--my favorite was the oldest Jamal--and the story was a lot more about the relationship amongst the three of them than anything else. Bravo! Whenever you tell a story about an "adult" issue (poverty, life in the mob, etc) through the eyes of a child, it puts everything in a very real perspective--Just like in Bronx Tale (a film directed by Robert de Niro about a child's relationship with a mob boss that I highly, highly recommend).



Yes, there are some Bollywood stars in Slumdog...Irfan Khan expands his rapidly growing international resume. It's not hard to see why he keeps getting picked to play these parts, since the man is extremely talented and just looks like the stereotypical Desi man (Doesn't he? I'm not supporting stereotypes, I'm just saying that he epitomizes the non-Desi view of an "Indian man").



Anil Kapoor plays the gameshow host, and, man, was he perfect for the role. He's got this way of going from smiley to sinister in seconds, and I never know if I should trust him or not. I could also see him playing a politician someday!

****Small spoiler ahead, but I don't give the ending away, I just hint at it****

Maybe I've watched too many Deepa Mehta films, but I had little faith that all would be well in the end. I won't say if it was or not, but I will say I was extremely pleased with the whole film. And there was a special treat as the credits rolled, which caused me to literally squeal with delight! Any Bollywood fan would appreciate this! I like to think David Boyle made the film his way, but included this last bit as a tribute to "the Bollywood way". There's no right or wrong way to make a movie, just two different styles that can both be enjoyed and celebrated by all. Now let's all hold hands and sing! :)

I can't believe I was lucky enough to see two films in two days--and love them both. What's amazing is that after seeing Ghajini and Slumdog Millionaire, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi is but a distant memory. That's the point I was trying to make in my review--that film wasn't awful, but it just doesn't compare when you hold it up to really good films like these.

And last but not least, Happy New Year to each and every person who reads this blog! I really love reading your thoughts and comments, and appreciate you taking the time to do so. An extra special note to my regular commenters, readers, and blogging buddies (most of whom have blogs of their own-see sidebar)! Here's to another year of blogging, Bollywood, and friendship!

Welcome

Welcome...to two and a half hours of pure torture.

















I'm kidding. Well, sort of. The new comedy starring Anil Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, and Feroz Khan wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

But it was pretty darn close.

I may not be qualified to criticize here, and I don't mean to poke fun of Hindi comedy--Something I clearly know next to nothing about. But I am beginning to think I'm simply just not wired for Bollywood comedy. After Partner, Heyy Baby, and now Welcome, I'm guessing there's something lost in the translation (which is very possible) or I just don't get it. Or perhaps it's the choices I'm making. I'd be willing to take suggestions, but for now I guess I can only judge what I've seen.













I figured I should start watching some Akshay Kumar films, since his movies all seem to do really well at the box office. I wanted to see what all the fuss was about, why people flocked to see almost anything he starred in. Unfortunately, Welcome didn't give me any answers. Although his character was likable enough, I still have yet to find one of his performances where I can go, "Oh, yeah, that's why he's doing so well!" But I don't hate him or anything...he's funny, attractive, and sweet in any role I've seen him in, including this one. Akshay's Rajiv was probably the highlight of Welcome, if you can call it that. I'm just waiting to have my own "moment" with him.

As a movie, Welcome was chaotic, as most "silly" comedies are. I wasn't impressed, but my expectations were low to begin with. It had it's funny moments (the scene where the steering wheel comes off in Akshay's hands had me cracking up), but most of the time it was, in my opinion, second rate entertainment. Welcome was almost like a bad Hollywood comedy from the 80's - with a more scatterbrained plot.



The girls were okay. Malika Sherawat seemed comfortable, and Katrina Kaif was cute paired with Akshay. I'm beginning to worry about Katrina, though...She's a lovely girl, but does she try to look and sound fake when she laughs/talks/cries? I'm no acting professional, but the poor girl makes some of the stiffest faces in Bollywood!

The music of Welcome wasn't bad, and it was nice to get a break from the "story" to watch Akshay and Katrina look like they were having some fun. Having said that, I thought some of the choreography looked borderline ape-ish, and Katrina's beach outfits made me want to jump on the ol' treadmill. Unfortunately, none of the tunes from Welcome's soundtrack stuck with me.















I also have a small proviso to this review I need to share with you. Say what you will, but I missed the last 30 minutes or so of this movie. I had to leave, and haven't felt compelled to pop it back in the DVD player since. Perhaps, for those of you who've seen the film, that makes me a poor judge of the movie.

Or perhaps Welcome just wasn't interesting enough.

Text © Copyright 2008 Nida Nazir

Salaam-E-Ishq

I'm glad I watched Salaam-E-Ishq.

No, really I am! Yes, it was about two and a half hours longer than it should have been. Yes, it was about six couples whose stories I didn't care about as much as I should have. But I saw it fairly early in my Bollywood watching days, and it gave me a huge bonus incentive-an introduction to 13 Bollywood actors I had previously never seen before.

I guess the movie was so-so. It had some cool moments(the title song) and some real yawners(most of Salman Khan's scenes). I watched it once by myself and then showed it to Ceci(Ok,and once with my mom and bro--so three times). It was way better when you had someone to laugh at the silly parts with you and join you in drooling over John Abraham.

But, sadly, the highlight for me of this film was just getting familiarized with the stars in it... So, here's a few of my first impressions...

John Abraham-Hey, isn't this the guy from "Where's the Party Tonight?" I know I've seen him before, and clearly it wasn't in real life(I wouldn't be that lucky).

Vidya Balan-She acted like her doting husband was an annoyance, even before her accident. The snottier she was to him, the more he chased after her. Hmm. Maybe I could learn a few things from Tehzeeb.

Priyanka Chopra-I don't mean to sound hung up on physical beauty here but how can you not mention beauty in the same sentence describing Priyanka Chopra? Her character was stuck up in the movie, but I hear a lot of positive things about her in real life. If she's as sweet as she seems on the inside, then some women really do have it all!

Salman Khan-I knew he was a big name in Bollywood, but I was unimpressed. He and Priyanka didn't really have a well written story, though. At least Priyanka got me to laugh a few times. Salman just reminded me of an obsessive fan/stalker.

Govinda-While I didn't see any real chemistry between him and his other half Stephanie in the beginning, by the end of the film this pair was hands-down my fave couple! Really funny and really sweet...the whole movie could have been about them(and a lot shorter) and I would have been happy.

Shannon Esrechowitz-I wonder how she got into this movie. I'm not being sarcastic, I really want to know! I mean, does she love Bollywood? Was she approached? Did her agent set it up? I liked her, but I just was curious. Anyways, they made sure to pick a girl that looked good in liquid eyeliner. They made sure.

Akshaye Khanna-He reminds me of a young Robert de Niro...And I thought his commitment phobia story was funny, a nice comic relief from some of the boring scenes. Hooray for happy endings, but he totally deserved that blow from Ayesia Takia! Speaking of...

Ayesia Takia-She seemed sweet here, but didn't have a big enough role to really show what she can do. A movie like Dor shows she is capable of much, much more if given the opportunity.

Anil Kapoor-I can't judge him from this film. He played a man going through a mid-life crisis pretty believably, so I guess that was the point. But given that I now know he's been around for awhile, I'd like to see one of his meatier roles before I judge him.

Juhi Chawla-Same as above. But why would anybody want to cheat on her? And did anybody else think the "other woman" kind of looked like Juhi anyways?

Sohail Khan/Isha Koppikar-I would sacrifice the few laughs this couple gave me to cut them from the film. Nothing personal...but in a movie that stretches almost four hours long, do you really need a "filler"?

Some extra points:

*Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this the same guy who directed Kal Ho Naa Ho? I just don't see it...But I guess he didn't write the scripts, so whatever...

*Why isn't "Babuji Deere Chalna" on the soundtrack? I know its an older song remixed...Was it a copyright thing?

*When I first saw the scene where Kkamini lists the actresses, I didn't know who any of them were...Now I know almost all! I'm so happy!

Text (c) 2007 Nida Nazir Bitten By Bollywood