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Reviews
Mahaan (1983)
Typical Amitabh Junk from the bottom of the bin
This film is an example of how to mint money from poor customers and lure them into watching a film as badly acted and directed as this. Well, there are three Amitabhs, two of them stick to his typical angry man )1 young, 1 old) routine while the third one is an over the top character that Amitabh fails miserably to play. He overacts in a lot of scenes and fights scenes are so cheesy that you can feel them slipping away. Amitabh had put on weight by this film. He is stuffed and you can see his belly hanging out in so many scenes. As bad as Amitabh is, producers roped in Zeenat Aman and Perveen Bobby to lead roles. Their input is insignificant and hardly help the story. Villains include Shakti Kapoor, Amjad Khan and Kader Khan among others. However again none of them is allowed to develop to accommodate maximum footage for Amitabh. Thankfully the film was rejected outrightly by the public back in 1983 and was a major flop in Amitabh's career. Its unbelievable how far connections to politicians can get you in Bollywood when your acting skills are are so worthless.
Dhoondte Reh Jaoge (2009)
Mildly Entertaining!!!
Film is a cocktail of Hollywood's Bowfinger and The Producers (What Bollywood film ain't??). It spoofs Lagaan, Gadar and Sholay while its own story follows Rangeela's path towards the end. To be honest there are some funny sequences and if you just drop your guard a bit then this film turns out to be very entertaining. Cast does OK but the biggest drawback is the number of songs particularly one where there is ample skin show for no reason. Soha Ali is the other weak link just like she was in Mumbai meri jan. Among others, Johnny Lever almost steals the show with his Pervez Musharaff (Ashraf) act. I say almost as the makers never really explored his character in detail. All in all, if you go with the flow you will be just fine.
Achanak (1973)
One of the most thought provoking Anti war movie of all time!!
Achnak tells the story of a soldier who returns home as a war hero. However unfortunate events unfold in his life and he is pushed to use the actions he was once taught in the army to defeat the enemy, on his loved ones. Yet the burden of his actions is too heavy to live with and he takes drastic steps to seek redemption. These actions bring him close to a horrendous death and from thereon he gets a grip on himself and tries to start afresh. The film belongs completely to the writer/director Gulzar. His direction and storytelling skills are at a zenith and there are numerous scenes that work at different levels and that stays with the viewers for a long time. The doctor's dilemmas have been presented effectively and army tactics used by Vinod Khanna bring in a realistic touch to the film. But above all, its the anti - war message that the film gives that hits home the most. The soldier who made a name killing people in the war reverts to the same actions in civil life when he comes across unforeseen events. He does not think about the aftermath and in fact starts getting haunted by his awards and medals. This is the most intelligent film making regarding a sensitive issue. Vinod Khana performs well but the supporting cast including Om Shivpuri, Iftikhar, Farida Jalal, Asrani, all deliver as well. There are no songs although songs as a means of sending messages have been used wisely. All in all, Achanak is a thorough classic film that would make anyone associated with it mighty proud. The film has got a timeless attraction and is as much relevant to the modern India as it was thirty five years ago.
Ghajini (2008)
After Memento, Bollywood should keep its hands off Prestige!!
First of all, I cant help being biased. Being an ardent fan of Memento for such a long time, its hard for me to digest a Bollywood style Memento. On top of that a guy from suffering amnesia goes on to get 8-pack body which is impossible without a personal trainer. When did he get the time to go to the gym? How did he remember his appointments and directions to the gym? Who was the trainer? All this and more will not be answered in Ghajini. Also please note that Guy Pearce had a body of a worn out slipper in Memento. He looked fatigued and that added to his character. Here Aamir seems to be enjoying the healthiest possible diet though rest of his life is in tatters, apparently. Anyway lets mover away from Memento. Ghajini in fairness starts off well, i.e. first 20mins. But then comes the mandatory song and dance routine for next one hour. Here we come to know that Amir met the girl, song, fell in love, song, married, more songs etc. Around interval girl's character comes to it logical end and this is where film tries to get back to its roots for first twenty minutes, i.e Memento. Unfortunately this is exactly where the problem starts. Memento was not a film for masses even in UK or USA. In fact in USA they had to release a special version where the film does not work backwards. Ghajini, though does not work at all, neither back nor front. Post interval it turns into a gory revenge flick that looks straight out of 80's bollywood Amitabh-mas(a)laa stuff. This is where Aamir's versatility kicks in. One minute he is traumatised amnesiac, next minute Aamir all of a sudden turns into Oldboy (a classic!!) and then stretches himself to Sunny Deol a la Gaddar. The scene I am referring to is the one where Amir pulls out a tap from ground and rams it in the head of a goon. In the next shot we see blood dripping out of the tap. It might sound gory cringy and violent, which it is, but while watching the film it makes you chuckle unintentionally. Going further into details of the storyline will probably give away a lot, although there is not much to go into post interval. The awkwardness in the first twenty minutes or so arouses interest. Post interval its just plain awkward. So if you watch it, with Memento running at the back of your head, its just about OK, if you are generous. If you watch it without prior knowledge of Memento, even then its just about average. I just hope that Bollywood's love affair with Chris Nolan finishes right here. Prestige is a gem that he directed and I have a gut feeling somebody in the good old bollywood would probably be casting an eye on that. Worse scenario, what if Shah RK and Aamir star in as Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale. NAAAAAhhhhh.... Let Ghajini be the end of that.
Phir Hera Pheri (2006)
chronic laughter attack!
i saw this film last night and when it finished it got a big clapping send off from the audience. speaks volumes!! i think on the whole, with some reservations, this is more evenly paced and humorous than the original. however it does have its own demerits namely that this time the famous trio have been reduced to cartoon characters. there is a lot more fun but at the same time they all go over the top. this was the beauty of the original. they were all simple and believable characters. but situational comedy has been replaced by sheer slapstick. another thing there are a lot of references to Brit film lock stock. that was a put off. also i think paresh rawal needs to give it a break. he is the funny man yet again and boy he is good at it, but i am sure i don't want to watch him again in a funny character in near future. on the flip side, the chemistry between the three was amazing. in fact its their constant bickering that keeps redeeming the film time after time. suniel shetty was alright, more like a catalyst for the other two superior actors do their job. akshay kumar, well, what can i say?? his unbridled zealousness raises the film by leaps and bounds. he was in his home territory and like paresh rawal will have you in splits. rest of the cast did their part well. on the whole a great film for escapism!