Tere Bin Laden: Dead or Alive

Release date- 26th September 2016

One Word which describes the film- Gibberish

Best Dialogue- 'Agar shakal acchi na ho to acting to acchi kar liya karo.'
(My advice to all the actors in this film)

Genre- Comedy

Music- Dhruv Dhalla

Producer- Pooja Shetty Deora,  Aarti Shetty

Story & Direction- Abhishek Sharma

Cast- Manish Paul, Sikander Kher, Pradhuman Singh, Mia Uyeda, Piyush Mishra

Budget- 15 Crores approximately

Tere Bin Laden was a spoof on Osama Bin Laden as well as a comic satire on America's war against terror and the realities of the post-9/11 world. The film because of the novelty factor was a hit.
After 6 years the makers decided to release a sequel based on Osama Bin Laden’s mysterious death and the controversial counter reports claiming he is alive.

Osama bin Laden, the founder and head of the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda, was killed in Pakistan on May 2, 2011. If this sequel was released in 2011 maybe out of curiosity people would have seen it. After 5 years not only the topic becomes irrelevant the story is so predictable that after 15 minutes you can guess how it's going to end.
Manish Paul is the Bollywood director from small town who has given a hit and wants to repeat the success story. ( The same concept was used in Roy where Arjun Rampal, a highly successful film maker of Guns Trilogy is waiting to find the perfect climax for the third part of the film.) There is hardly any scene in the film where you can appreciate either his acting or his comic timing.
Pradhuman Singh as Osama's look alike is cute but we have already laughed on his simplicity in the first part.
Sikander Kher plays the role of U.S agent David. He has transformed himself so much that not even his mother Kiran Kher could have identified him in that getup. He looks ugly and irritating. If there was any chance of him getting roles of hero's friend I think after this film all his hopes will be shattered.

There is a poor man's Obama too in the film who has to give a proof to his countrymen that Osama was actually killed in 2011. This Obama is haunted by the ghost of Osama so much that after some scenes we see him lying on the psychiatrist's couch.
The comedy scenes are so cliché that you wait for the film to end. That the film is just 104 minutes long is a blessing in disguise.
In a line there are 101 better ways of spending your money than watching this film.
Highly Avoidable

Loveshhuda~ Let there be Vodka and Beer!

Release date- 19th Feb 2016

One Word which describes the film- Superficial

Best Dialogue- 'Agar cheers karte samay ek dusre ki aankhon main nahi dekho to 7 years tak you will have bad sex.'

Genre- Romance/ Comedy

Music- Parichay, Mithoon

Producer- Vijay Galani, Pratik Galani

Story & Direction- Vaibhav Misra

Cast- Girish Kumar, Navneet Kaur Dhillon

Budget- 15-20 Crores approximately

Girish Kumar, son of Kumar Taurani made his Bollywood debut through Ramaiya Vastavaiya (2013). After 3 years he is back in another romantic comedy along with Miss India Winner Navneet. 
The couple look cute together but they are made to act for 2 hours in a film which has no story. It seems that Vaibhav Mishra was in a drunken stupor when he thought of this film as throughout the film he has created situations where the actors and their friends can drink and party.
The film takes us from London to Delhi to Shimla to Mauritius and still doesn't give any insight into why the characters are behaving in that particular way. The film superficially covers the journey of the hero from being single to married to single to loveshhuda. If this sounds confusing to you then guess you must stay away from the film.
There are glimpses of Hollywood film Hangover but soon Bollywood drama takes over any creativity and anyone who watches films can guess how the film is going to end.
The film has four songs where the actors are all drunk and wild, 'Total Talli', 'Peene ki Tamanna,' Chitta Kukkad and 'YOLO' which must have been played a lot in discs and weddings.

Mar Jaayen sung by Aatif is quite melodious. The film got 5% occupancy and collected just 1-1.2 crores on it's opening day. Even huge promotions and postponing the release date from 5'th Feb to 19'th Feb couldn't save this film and the producers are going to lose a considerable amount of money. Guess they should drown their sorrows in a bottle of Vodka! In a line the film is a mirror of the lifestyle of the current generation who believe that drinking and partying is the solution to all problems. Time-pass. Avoidable.

Fitoor ~ Red Alert

Release date- 12'th February 2016

One Word which describes the film- Gloomy

Best Dialogue- 'Khud se azadi to sirf maut hi de sakti hai, ya fir ishq.' 

Genre - Romance/ Drama

Music- Amit Trivedi

Producer - Abhishek Kapoor, Siddharth Roy Kapur

Story -Abhishek Kapoor , Supratik Sen
(Based on Great Expectations by Charles Dickens)

Direction -Abhishek Kapoor

Cast -Aditya Roy Kapur, Katrina Kaif, Tabu

Budget- 50-55 Crores approximately

The film is about a poor boy Noor who falls in love at first sight with the rich Firdaus. Years pass and the boy travels from Srinagar to Delhi, becomes a famous painter then travels to London and still remains obsessed with her.

The film revolves around Noor well portrayed by Aditya Roy Kapoor. He lost weight to look younger. His body language and expressions are perfect in most of the scenes.

Katrina Kaif had to play the 'femme fatale' in the film but in most of the scenes she looks confused and tensed. The child artist who plays the character of young Firdaus looked more confident and arrogant and when she tells young Noor, 'Neeche dekho' there was an authority in her voice. When Katrina tells Aditya, 'Ghoorna band karo, ab tum bacche nahi rahe' it sounded more like a request than an order. The posters show intense chemistry between the lead pair but in the film there are no such vibes which may set the screen on fire.

Tabu looks old and over dressed in most of the scenes and doesn't do justice to the character. She was supposed to be the master planner but in the film she comes out as a sulking middle aged lady who has a constant grudge with everyone around her.

The director must have envisioned a fiery, passionate love story and so there is a huge castle with hues of red, a red Mercedes and even a heroine who has red hair. The paintings made by the hero have bright red maple leaves and red backgrounds. Sadly his vision couldn't transform into reality and instead of seeing any passion we just have to do with heavy duty dialogues narrated by the hero now and then.

'Agar meri kismat mein sirf khaak likha hai, mujhe qubool hai. Agar yeh hi meri aakhri aah hai,  mujhe qubool hai. Qubool hai, qubool hai, qubool hai.'

Ajay Devgan has a 5 min role in the film and I think all his fans would like to know whether he owed something to Abhishek Kapoor that he agreed to do this insignificant role where he looked old and ugly.

The film has successfully captured the beauty of Kashmir but most of the scenes are shot in such dim light that in half of the film we keep waiting for it to come from darkness to light. 

The film got a poor opening of just 3.6 Crores and with bad reviews and word of mouth the film has turned into a losing proposition both for the producers and actors.

In a line despite creating a beautiful backdrop, the director has miserably failed in his attempt to tell a passionate love story.

Time-pass. Can be seen for the beautiful cinematography and melodious songs.

Sanam Teri Kasam ~ Cry Another Day

Release date- 5th  February 2016

One Word which describes the film- Sob story

Best Dialogue- 'Uske aasooon rokne ke liye mai mar bhi sakta hoon aur maar bhi sakta hoon.'

Genre- Romance/ Drama

Music- Himesh Reshammiya

Producer- Deepak Mukut

Story & Direction -Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru

Cast - Harshvardhan Rane, Mawra Hocane

Budget- 11-12 Crores approximately

True love stories never have endings ~ Richard Bach

The director duo must have fallen in love with this Richard Bach quote and decided to make a film on it. The only problem is they made the film too late. The film has a very 80's-90's kind of feel where the heroines were subdued, parents were strict and dominating, lovers were too shy to confess their feelings and just a glass of bhaang could make a girl all drunk and convert her from an introvert to an extrovert.

Harshavardhan Rane known for his works in Telugu cinema is making his Bollywood debut through this film. He has also shot for 'Satra ko shadi hai' which is being produced by John Abraham. Guess he is too much influenced by John as in most of the scenes he is seen shirtless showing his perfectly chiseled torso and abs. He has acting potential but the story was so simple that in most of the scenes he has to either drink or stay silent.

Pakistani actress Mawra Hocane also makes her Bollywood debut. She is a God fearing, docile and obedient daughter who works as a librarian in the film. Though how with her meagre salary she manages to buy an iPhone and rent a flat is beyond logic. In all scenes she is either sad or crying. The film is 155 minutes too long and after interval almost all characters are either teary or crying now and then. 

Music by Himesh Reshammiya is the only saving grace of the film. 'Tera Chehra' sung by Arijit Singh and 'Sanam Teri Kasam' sung by Ankit Tiwari and Palak Muchhal can be heard on loop.

The film collected just 4.55 cr in 3 days and as it won't get any screens coming Friday because of two big releases Sanam Re and Fitoor the producers are bound to lose some part of their investment.

In a line if you are a die-hard romantic and love mushy dramas then this film is for you.

Time-pass. Can be seen when aired on TV 

Review of Ghayal Once Again

Release date- 5th February 2016

One Word which describes the film - Thrilling

Best Dialogue - ' Jab ek corrupt admi marta hai to uski satta khatam hoti hai, aur jab ek saccha admi marta hai to uski satta shuru hoti hai.'

Genre - Action/ Drama

Music -Vipin Mishra, Shankar Ehsaan Loy

Producer -Dharmendra

Story & Direction -Sunny Deol

Cast - Sunny Deol, Om Puri, Narendra Jha, Shivam Patil, Diana Khan, Rishabh Arora, Aanchal Munjal, Soha Ali Khan

Budget- 50 Crores approximately

The film opens with flashbacks of Ghayal (1990). Ajay Mehra kills Balwant Rai and surrenders himself to upright cop Joe DSouza. He is sentenced to life. Upon his release he begins a new career as a reporter for an independent newspaper.

This has to be the most realistic sequel made in the history of Bollywood. Ajay Mehra is older and wiser now and though at times he is consumed with rage he still listens to logic and reason. He believes in the power of truth which makes him quite popular among the youth.

The story is simple but there are many scenes where you will sympathise with the protagonist and feel his frustration and pain.

Dan Bradley who has worked in Hollywood films like Independence Day, Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 3, The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol etc is the stunt choreographer of the film. His expertise can be seen in the 20 minutes long chase sequence just before interval which kept us rooted to our seats.

Sunny Deol and Narendra Jha have given powerful performance. Though there is no confrontation scene still a state of fear and anger is well created in the film.

The film has earned 23 crores over the weekend. There is lack of powerful dialogues and at times in an attempt to be too realistic the hero is just reduced to being a common man. With a maximum life cycle of two weeks it will be a difficult task for the film to make decent profit.  

In a line the film is a complex tale of the hardships one has to face while moving on a path of truth and justice which will definitely appeal to Sunny Deol's fans and those who enjoy action films.

Good one time watch.

Wazir ~ Not just a pawn

Release date- 8th January 2016

One Word which describes the film - Engrossing

Best Dialogue - Zindagi aur shatranj mein yahi toh farak hai. Zindagi mein doosra mauka milta nahi, yahan shatranj mein mil jata hai.

Genre - Thriller

Music - Shantanu Moitra, Ankit Tiwari

Producer - Vidhu Vinod Chopra

Story - Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Abhijat Joshi

Direction -Bejoy Nambiar

Cast - Amitabh Bachchan, Farhan Akhtar, Aditi Rao Hydari, Manav Kaul

• Budget - 35-40 crores

खेल खेल में, खेल खेल के,खेल खेल ये आ जायेगा 

हार जीत से, हार जीत के, जीत हार सिखायेगा

खेल खेल में..!

Wazir is the story of three characters and how fate brings them together in the game of life where winner takes it all and the loser has to fall.

Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) officer Daanish Ali lives a blissful life with his wife Ruhana and daughter Noorie. In a dramatic turn of events he crosses paths with a wheelchair-bound chess master named Pandit Omkar Nath Dhar and they develop a strong friendship 'Atarangi yaari'.

The jovial Pandit who believes that 'Vodka peene ke baad pandit mahapandit ban jata hai' comes as a ray of hope in the life of Daanish Ali. The moments where Panditjee tries to make Daanish laugh are so real that you can actually feel the bond the two share.

Panditjee ~ 'Upar wala poochega mujhse itni lambi zindagi di kya ukhad liya tumne, main kahunga maine ek yaar ko hasna sikha diya.' 

Amitabh Bachchan must be the only Bollywood actor who keeps experimenting with his looks and voice. His dialogue delivery has made the characters played by him immortal whether it is Vijay Deenanath Chauhan of Agnipath(1990) or Vijay Verma of Deewar(1975).

When you work with the best some of their aura is transferred to you too. Proving this statement right even Farhan Akhtar effortlessly manages to transform into Daanish Ali. He looks  lean and at the same time muscular. His pain and frustration is so real that you sympathize with him.

Aditi Roy Hydari's look and dressing is so perfect that she looks like an ethereal beauty.

"Tu Mere Paas"  composed and sung by Ankit Tewari is so melodious that you can hear it continuously on loop.

Several reviews suggested that the suspense was too lame and the film loses speed after interval. The film is just 102 minutes long and even without the not so special appearance by John Abraham there is too much going on which will keep you rooted to your seats.

In a line don't expect the film to be an Alfred Hitchcock masterpiece and you won't be disappointed.

Must watch for Mr. Bachchan's fans. Good one time watch.

Biggest Disappointments of 2015

1. Shamitabh (6th Feb 2015)

Too much was expected from the R.Balki and Amitabh Bachchan duo who gave us films like Cheeni Kum(2007) and Paa (2009). Amitabh plays the role of a shabby alcoholic who lives in a graveyard and has a grudge against the society. In the film there is a line,'Too classy, masses ko pasand nahi ayegi' held true for the film too as though the film started in a good speed after an hour it was reduced to just conversations between the three lead stars. 


2. Roy (13th Feb 2015)

Roy was directed by debutant Vikramjit Singh and produced by T Series.The music of the film was really good and Sooraj Dooba Hain and Chittiyaan Kalaiyaan became chart toppers. Initially Ranbeer Kapoor was playing a cameo in the film but the film got delayed and Ranbir's role was increased to almost a parallel role. Many people who saw the film said it was confusing and they couldn't understand who was who in the film or what the director was trying to show.

3. Mr X (17th April 2015)

After Emran Hashmi's Ek Thi Daayan, Ghanchakkar, Raja Natwarlal and Ungli failed to perform at the box office much was expected from Mr. X which was a 3D science fiction thriller directed by Vikram Bhatt. The film got negative reviews both from critics and audiences. Rajeev Masand gave 1 star calling it a singularly humourless film. Hindustan Times gave one star stating, "It's a bizarre tale of an invisible kisser ". Firstpost gave negative reviews stating "Emraan Hashmi, intelligence and talent, everything is invisible in the film.

4. Bombay Velvet (15th May 2015)

Bombay Velvet was a period drama set at a time when Bombay became a metropolis. As the story was set in the sixties, elaborate sets of Bombay's landmarks were specially mounted across various locations in Sri Lanka to recreate the ambiance of a bygone decade. The film had a weak screenplay and too many songs. There was no continuity in the scenes and after interval there was unnecessary blood shed and violence. Anurag Kashyap, despite his passion for gangster films and detailing could not give proper shape to his dream project and so with a budget of almost 100 crores  it turned into a nightmare for the producers. 


5. All is Well (21st August 2015)

I went to watch this film only because of Umesh Shukla's last directorial venture Oh My God (2012) which I enjoyed to the hilt. With veterans actors like Rishi Kapoor and Supriya Pathak and melodious songs like Baato ko teri bhula na saka and remake of Ae mere humsafar I thought the film will be good time-pass. The film turned out to be really slow and boring with bad story and worse dialogues.


6. Hero (11th Sep 2015)
Hero was the second film under the banner of Salman Khan Films after the blockbuster Bajrangi Bhaijaan and was the remake of Hero (1983) directed by Subhash Ghai so obviously there were huge expectations from the film. Suraj and Athiya made their acting debut with this film. The lead actors shared no chemistry and stayed expressionless throughout the film. There was lack of drama and good dialogues because of which the film was a big flop.



7. Calendar Girls (25th September 2015)

 Madhur Bhandarkar is known for making films with strong female characters. This film shows how the lives of the girls change after their rise to fame. The full film is about shocking truths, betrayals and artificial lives of the rich and famous which we have already seen in Bhandarkar's earlier films. Because the film had no novelty the audiences chose to stay away from it. 


8. Singh is Bliing (2nd Oct 2015)
The film was about Raftaar Singh, a happy go lucky guy who loves to spend time with his friends and according to his father has this bad habit of leaving all jobs unfinished. The film was about his journey from Punjab to Goa, then again to Punjab and again to Goa, then to Romania and finally back to pavilion Punjab. There were too many songs and dances and some comedy scenes which will make you laugh but by the end you wish that all this glamour and bling could have done better with a good story.

9. Shaandaar (22nd October 2015)

Last year Vikas Bahl was the most popular Bollywood director, winning almost all awards for Queen so everyone was eager to see what chemistry he creates between Shahid Kapoor and the current heartthrob Alia Bhatt. The film turned out to be a weird family drama with absolutely no chemistry between the lead pair and the talented Pankaj Kapoor is made to mouth stupid dialogues. 

10. Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (12th Nov 2015)

Sooraj Barjatya has directed just 6 films and except Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon (2003), all have been blockbusters. All his films have good music, show great family values and there is lot of love between all the family members. This film had a 80's-90's kind of simple plot where from the start everyone including the actors and audiences know who is good and who is bad. The events just kept unfolding at a slow pace without any thrill or drama. The music was ordinary.