total timepass...

Where do I start with? There are so many different thoughts going around in my head when I start to think about the movie, its difficult to know where to begin! First of all comes the title. Where did Vishal Bhardwaj come up with this? Its so interesting the first time you hear it and when you realize its made up of the names of the three leads of the movie, makes it sound even more cool. And makes you wonder, how will a story with someone named Mandola go? And then there is the trailer, it is so wacky and over the top its enough to peck up your interest. It makes you wonder, can something BE so random? And the movie does not disappoint. It IS as wacky as the trailer promises it to be! The setting is a village in Haryana (my des !) where all the three characters in the title reside. Mandola is the rich guy in the village who wants (by hook or crook) the farmers of the village to sell their farmland to build his factory. Matru is his driver who sides in secret (and as Mao Tse Tun...

To be frank, I had read the book 'Life of Pi' (because of all the hype the book had around it) and not liked it. And the same happened to the movie. I did not want to watch it initially but with the number of Oscar nominations it received, landed in the theatre but with the same result. The best aspect of the movie of course was all the animation and special effects. Shooting a man with a tiger, on a boat lost at sea is not an easy setting to shoot. The whole part was shown realistically and was impressive. But there was something which was missing in the movie as well as the book. I can't place my finger on it, but maybe it is realism? or a link to reality? or the link to God? I don't know what it is, but I came out of the theatre completely unmoved. Will go for 2.5 for this.

First things first, Dabbang 2 is not Dabbang but just a not-so-successful try to copy the original movie. It has all repeated ingredients: a big bang entry for Salman, a police station song, a junta song on the streets, an item song, couple of romantic songs with Sonakshi, hard-hitting and funny dialogues all along, multiple slow motioned action sequences, a villain with whom Salman plays throughout the movie and the last fight sequence where his shirt rips off! Some of the sequences are so reminiscent of the original Dabbang, the resemblance in uncanny! Frankly,  it has all the ingredients that made part 1 such an enjoyable outing and a big hit, but part 2 wasn't as creative and innovative and so falls flat. It does make you laugh though but not as loud as the last one. So what worked for the movie was Salman and only Salman. He was himself again, funny, lovable and naughty (whether playing pranks on his brother, father or the villain). His dances, his movies, his an...

First things first, I liked Talaash. Maybe because I had heard enough negative reviews to lower my expectations or maybe just that I have a low base level for Hindi movies:). Anyhow, I was very involved with the movie throughout and enjoyed it completely. Would agree that the end was a bit out of the place but the rest of it was very well crafted. The movie follows Aamir Khan's investigation into the death of a famous movie star along with his dealing with personal pain and loss. The movie is very well developed, slow at times but still bringing out the different aspects of the story very well. The acting was brilliant, both by Aamir and Rani. But for the first time ever, I liked Kareena and her acting. As the outspoken but warm prostitute, Rosie. There is pain in her eyes and looks like she has a lot to share (and hide). The music was good, always in the background and adding to the storyline. I think the only part out of place was the end. Not that Kareena was a ghost, but...

Gangs of Wasseypur is a movie which brings to my mind the word 'good cinema' which is more often than not used to refer to the artsy part of the movie business. But GOW is not just artsy, its as mainstream as possible but still maintaining its integrity and saying and showing what it wants to! I don't really know what I can write about this movie. I think its just amazing. The story is well crafted, flowing at its own pace but with a solid foundation. The pace is definitely slow, it just takes its own time to reach its end, introducing and developing all its characters on the way. It meanders all over the place but finally takes you where it wants to. The character etching is amazing, you remember each character for what he or she stands for. Sardar Khan with the i-dont-care-about-anything attitude is just so real. His acting is out of this world, and even though there are many of his dialogues which are good, what I remember him for is his dance on top of a tempo to...

Skyfall is the first Bond movie I have ever seen in the theater  Have watched some earlier ones but all were on TV and I found them all extremely mindless and entertaining:). But this one promised to be different! For one, Daniel Craig has been a different Bond, focusing not as much on the style quotient of the movie as the thought behind the man. And this one was definitely in that genre. The focus of Skyfall was on M and her relationships with the spies she trained, while also raising a question at the existence of her department. It starts with M allowing an agent to take a shot at Bond risking his life for a higher reward. But then Bond returns from the dead to save her and her department from the unknown enemy.Some sequences later turns out the unknown enemy was none other than an ex-Bond, burnt by M's betrayal in the past now looking to take his revenge on her. Its a story of delving into the depths of M's mind, 'orphans make the best recruits'. Even ...

The TV series, Yes Prime Minister has been long appreciated by all who can enjoy British humour. But once you had watch the entire series, there wasn't anything new to look forward to. So when there was an on-stage production of Yes Prime Minister playing in London (at Trafalgar Studios), I was obviously keen to see what the latest version had to offer. Of course the fact that there are not too many comedy plays running at a time also limits the choice but still I was very excited about this one:). Anyways, first things first, I was suffering from jetlag, and so could not pay 100% attention to the play. Still I think I do remember the essence! The play centered around a country Kumranistan which was doing an oil deal with England for which England had to join the EU (which of course was kept hidden from the PM). On the way to signing the deal, multiple crazy developments keep coming up including the foreign minister of Kumranistan asking for an escort! Anyways many twists a...