Na Maloom Afraad: A Movie Review

Despite living 1.5 hours away from NYC, when I heard that Na Maloom Afraad and Dukhtar would be screened at the South Asian International Film Festival, I had to be there.  Unfortunately, we were only able to choose one movie and my husband's disinterest in anything "depressing" made Na Maloom Afraad the clear choice.

So off we went to NYC yesterday (Sunday November 23) to watch this movie.  First of all, I have to nitpick just a little about the venue.  No. Stadium. Seating.  Despite the fancy lobby, the free food and free drinks (which seemed really "off" to me at the screening of a Pakistani film - but I'll leave it at that), the theater itself was incredibly "old-school."  The cramped seats and the irritating heads blocking my view of the screen were instant draw-backs, so it did prematurely cloud my mood and put me in an overly critical mind-set from the get-go.

Coming to the actual film, the movie began and my instant thought was "Oh wow, the production values seem pretty good."  Fortunately, that initial thought was not shattered.  The movie was shot very nicely.

The movie focuses on three characters, Salim (Javed Sheikh), Farhan (Fahad Mustafa) and Moon (Mohsin Abbas Haider), their difficulties and their chase to make money to pull themselves out of their misery.  Moon and Farhan are tenants at Salim Bhai's home and are equally affected when Salim Bhai is informed that his home is set to be demolished within a month.  Farhan wants to marry Salim Bhai's sister (Urwa Hocane), Moon wants to be able to provide for his family and Salim Bhai simply wants to retire peacefully in his home and start an achaar business.  Their dreams seem to be slipping further and further away when the three concoct a plan:  to be the "Na maloom afraads."  The plan itself is a little tricky and would spoil the movie for those who haven't seen it, so I won't delve into that.

Let's first start with the PROS:

I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed the movie.  For a Pakistani film, this was a treat for the eyes.  Visually comparable to a Bollywood movie, an interesting storyline and well-etched characters backed up with great performances.  It was "paisa vasool," and complete entertainment.

The CONS:

Within the first half hour of the movie, my husband grumbled "Oh no.....is this a remake of Hera Pheri?"  To which I replied "It seems more along the lines of Delhi Belly to me."  Unfortunately, it was a mix of both.  The storyline was not entirely original and it did seem like the writer/Nabeel Qureshi was heavily inspired by both these movies from across the border.

A part of me also hoped for more "depth" in the movie.  While I completely understood that it was a fun, entertaining sort of movie, I wish the "Na Maloom Afraad" title had been pushed further and put the three in a position where they actually found themselves getting caught up in the mayhem.  I know, I'm expecting a social message from a fun film.  That's just wishful thinking on my end.

And lastly, the biggest flaw.....Kubra Khan as Hina.  Is this Pakistan's answer to Katrina Kaif?  While Bollywood fans are finally breathing a sigh of relief to see Ms. Kaif's career slowly declining, are we as Pakistanis jumping on this bandwagon of allowing pitifully-accented girls to take up prominent roles in films/dramas?  Given, she was not terrible, but that was mostly because her role did not require her to speak more than a few lines at a time and she was mostly just a pretty face.  But the climax/ending sequence caused me to squirm with discomfort at her dialogue delivery.

Alright, that's the end of the cons.  Let's move on to performances:

Fahad Mustafa is a star!  He's always been a great actor in dramas, a great producer for shows and now he's proven that he's "big screen" material.  His performance was effortless and completely natural.  You wanted Farhan to succeed because he was such a likable guy.

Javed Sheikh was adorable as the bumbling Salim Bhai.  A sweet man who deserved happiness, my heart hurt with each "jhatka" his life received.  Javed Sheikh, take a bow.

Mohsin Abbas Haider was something else, in my opinion.  He was the weakest of the trio, though possibly the funniest.  The problem was his overacting.  He seemed to be trying to hard and that didn't come off as natural.  He's not a bad actor, rather an entertaining one.  But standing next to Fahad and Javed Sheikh, it simply skewed the trio a bit.

Salman Shahid was his usual, captivating, hilarious self with incredible on-screen presence.  While he was, more or less, reprising his Ishqiya/Dedh Ishqiya role, it left the viewer in splits nonetheless.  Great performance.

Urwa Hocane did her part well, acting naturally and looking pretty.  Her chemistry with Fahad Mustafa was perfect.

Kubra Khan - I think I already mentioned what I thought of her performance under "cons."  We'll leave it at that.

Amber Wajid is as natural as ever.  She compliments Javed Sheikh well and acts as the supportive wife and Bhabi.

And lastly, let's  move on to songs  Oh boy.  OK, so overall, the movie utilized the songs well and they didn't serve as a deterrent from the story.  The songs were placed and spaced out nicely and were only used in 2-3 minute sequences, not stretching out the run time by much.

I do want to take a moment to talk about.....yup, you guessed it...."Billi."  This was the "item number" for the movie.  And what an item number it was.  I'm not going to knock the song or the video by saying "Oh how cheap" or "Where were her clothes?" or any of that.  Dancers and prostitutes are a part of our society as much as they are in any other society, so I won't pretend and turn a blind eye.  That's fine.  What I do want to say is that "Item numbers" are not a part of our culture or entertainment scene.  They were never relevant in dramas, they shouldn't be relevant in our films.  At a time when Bollywood actors are sitting up and realizing what their decades of item numbers are doing to their society (desensitizing them to the treatment of women), why are we NOW starting this immoral trend?  Food for thought.

That being said, I will say that Mehwish Hayat looks beautiful, dances effortlessly, choreography is good, the song is catchy.....nothing wrong with the song visually, but it's the morality behind it that does nag at me a bit.

OK!  That's it!  The verdict is that this was a great attempt by Nabeel Qureshi to bring back Pakistani films with a bang!  Despite having many "art" type films over the last few years (Josh, Seedlings, Bol, Khuda Ke Liye, etc.), it was a Masala entertainer that was missing and probably needed to seriously kick-start the Pakistani industry again.  So I definitely appreciate the effort and came out of the theater with a smile on my face.

Highly entertaining and I'd recommend it.

Mary Kom

Directed by: Omung Kumar

Starring: Priyanka Chopra, Darshan Kumaar, Sunil Thapa

Released: 2014

My rating: destroy every copy – horrible – bad – whatever – flawed but enjoyable - good – great – amazing – experience

Before I even start with the film itself, I think I need to explain one thing: I hate boxing. I do not consider it a sport of civilized people, for it lacks what I am looking for in a sport event – team spirit or an individual stepping over one´s limits. The sole purpose of box is to simply beat the shit out of the other and you cannot tell me otherwise. That much said I have nothing but respect for Mary Kom as a woman who had to go through struggles which would weary out majority of other people (including me). In that aspect her life story is immensely inspirational and should be told. Just perhaps not the way this particular film does it.

Even without not being intimately familiar with the life of Mary Kom, all its twists and turns, I dare say it was dramatic enough to be an intriguing picture, however the filmmakers felt the need to ad lots and lots of filmi clichés, which they hoped would enhance the major points of the narrative, unfortunately they reach an absolutely opposite effect. They strike out of nowhere and leave one slightly baffled or dubious, they seem too improbable and made-up – basically they do not go with the rest of the film. The most prominent among these are scenes which show Mary in sort of mystical, mental contact with her father and later one of her baby sons, which directly influences her ability to fight. While common in fictional films, I cannot help but wonder if this bit was necessary in a biopic. The songs, too, were not needed and only diluted the story. The “villain” shares the over the top sheer nastiness reminding one of all those negative roles by Prakash Raj, and again, lacks the believable factor.

The film belongs to Priyanka Chopra. It is not her best ever performance and I still think she was a miscast. It was ironic seeing her accusing the match jury of racism, when her casting itself could be called racist. I am not saying I am a great know-it-all on the issue, but I still recall the reasoning of the makers, who stated they knowingly cast Priyanka because a new, Manipuri actress, would not be bankable. What was the intention then? To tell a story of a Manipuri woman who beat every obstacle INCLUDING negative, dismissive attitude so many have against people who look like her, or to make a bankable film? Because they did not manage to have both. I am aware Mary Kom herself was satisfied with the movie, but I do not believe her consent was the best thing to have happened to her community, which so rarely gets the deserved attention and representation in media. This was an opportunity which nobody took. That much said, Priyanka deserves heaps of credit for her incredible dedication. One can see she put her heart and soul into the role, not fearing the physical demands. I suppose much like I respect Mary but disagree with boxing I also respect Priyanka but disagree with her being the protagonist. I salute their work and dedication – and success.

Looking back the at “big” biopic of the last year, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Mary Kom fails to leave a mark. Where Bhaag Milkha managed to deal with the athlete´s haunted conscience, his inner struggle and issues, while at the same time being a good sports film, Mary Kom is a good sports-film, but the backstory is really just... a backstory. Why did Mary picked up that glove in the beginning? Why did she love box but disliked athletics? How did she feel when she started a family? We do get to see most of what happened, but hardly any of the scenes really touches the inner conflicts which must have plagued Mary once. And since the main protagonist is left without more complex feelings (as a film character, I am not saying the REAL Mary Kom does not have complex feelings!), you cannot expect more from other characters either. In case of Onler, Mary Kom´s husband, that made me almost sad. (if he is in real life the half man he was shown to be on screen, he is everything a woman could ever want!).

Mary Kom the film is not as magnificent as its subject, but it could be treated as a good way of getting some really basic knowledge on her. Decent, but less than what it could have been and deserved to have become.

Review: Happy Ending

Cast: Saif Ali Khan (Yudi and Yogi), Ranvir Shorey (Montu), Armaan (Govinda), Ilean D’Cruz (Aanchal), Kalki Koechlin (Vishakha), Preity Zinta (Divya)

Genre: Romance, Comedy

Direction: Raj Nidimoru, Krishna DK

Production: Saif Ali Khan, Dinesh Vijan, Sunil Lulla; Production Company: Illuminati Films

Music: Sachin-Jigar

Distribution: Eros International

Release Date: 21^st November, 2014

Language: Hindi

Duration: 2 hours 16 minutes

Happy Ending, is a Rom-Com film by Raj Nidimoru, Krishna DK. Deals with the story of individuals wanting to have fun of romance, but having commitment phobia. This plot has been experimented many times in the past, some have worked and some have not worked. And this movie Happy Ending lacks romance as well as comedy. It has comedy in bits and pieces, whereas romance as such is not at all felt throughout the movie.

Yudi (Saif Ali Khan) is a one-time wonder writer of a book. After writing the book, 5 ½ years have gone by and he had 8 ½ girlfriends also. He is living off royalties. He believes in enjoying life with fame, money and girls. He breaks off with the girls when they start proposing (The very first scene has Kareena proposing Saif, followed by his walking out of the relationship). Montu (Ranvir Shorey), Yudi’s friend loves to party with him, but he has to actually seek permission from his wife for the same. And there is Yudi’s alter ego synonym Yogi (Saif Ali Khan) who keeps questioning Yudi’s every action, throws words of wisdom. Vishakha (Kalki Koechlin), is madly in love with Yudi. She puts a Tracker app on his mobile so as to track his whereabouts. Yudi feels suffocated in her love and keeps avoiding her.

Yudi’s king-size life gets a blow when his vehicle is towed away by the publisher, and his contract has been given to Aanchal Reddy (Ileana D’Cruz).

Yudi is helped by his publisher friend to write a story for a film with Armaan (Govinda) in the lead. Armaan explains to Yudi that he wants a ‘Kick-Ass’ script for his movie. Armaan wants a Romedy which can become a blockbuster all over the world.

Yudi tries to flirt with Aanchal and learns that she is also commitment-phobic (who actually churns out romantic best sellers but does not believe in the concept of love). Rest of the movie revolves around, how Yudi and Aanchal approach their relationship. They also spend time together to write stories. What is it that brings Aanchal and Yudi closer (probably nothing)? What happens when two commitment-phobic people get together in life? Is there any Happy Ending in their relationship?

Happy Ending movie lacks the passion. First half is dreadfully boring. Saif Ali Khan lacked the charm he had in Love Aaj Kal, Hum-Tum. Ileana definitely looks very pretty on screen, but that is it about her performance. Kalki has done justice to her obsessive character. Divya (Preity Zinta), Yudi’s ex-girl friend has nothing much to do. Govinda gives some laughter moments with his cosmetic surgery and six pack abs scene. Ranvir is absolutely wasted. Music is not at all impressive. Movie has been mostly shot at Los Angles, San Francisco

Happy Ending lacks the punch of Happiness and Passion. Doesn’t have the depth.

Rating: 2/5 (Average)

A Batch of New Shows: Goya, Dil Nahin Manta, Khata, Day Ijaazat Jo Tu and Nazdeekiyan

While "Goya" and "Dil Nahin Manta" are essentially the only "new" shows this week, with the end of Bashar Momin, Soteli and Mere Meherban, my drama schedule opened up and left room for new additions.  Therefore, I added on a few already-running shows that I'd been neglecting - and I'm so glad!

The wait is over, the wait is over, the wait is over!  I can't even pin down how long I've been following the updates for this show, reading the cast changes, waiting for the air-date announcement and now here we are!  Osmaan's long-awaited release since Aunn Zara, Sana Javed finally front-and-center and a drama that looks refreshingly different, Did the show live up to the hype?  

Definitely!  The story focuses on Omar (Osmaan Khalid Butt), the son of tycoon Rahat Hashmi (Usmaan Peerzada).  Omar can be classified as nothing short of the rebelliously obedient son.  While Omar is heavily controlled by his father, he is always hoping to one day muster up the courage to escape his life.  Rahat closely monitors every aspect of Omar's life, hoping that this will curb any onset of bad habits.  Omar also has a stepmother (Tara Mehmood), who is not the stereotypical stepmother.  Rather, though she doesn't share much of a relationship with Omar herself, she is consistently pushing Rahat to stop treating his own son like a stepson and show him affection and leniency.  Omar also has an aayah in the form of Mrs. Imtiyaaz (Shamim Hilaali), a woman who not only loves him (and fears his father) but someone he loves like a mother.  Along with a close friend, Ali (Furqan Qureshi), this sums up Omar's restricted world.

So we are not surprised when Omar has a run-in with journalist and carefree-soul, Mohini (Sana Javed).  Sana's background is entirely different than Omar's.  Mohini lives with her single-parent, Asma (Farah Shah) and calls her mother by name.  The two are less like mother and daughter and more like friends.  They understand each other and care for each other while not interfering too much in each others lives.  This is a woman-oriented household and these women are not helpless or dependent on any man.  

When Omar meets Mohini at an art exhibit she's covering, they instantly feel the friction - and not necessarily in a positive way.  Mohini calls Omar out on his uptight nature, which leads to an argument.  It doesn't, however, come as a surprise when Omar confesses to Ali that he is attracted to Mohini.  

The acting, so far, is fairly natural and believable.  Osmaan is perfect as Omar and one always believes that his roles are written with him in mind.  Sana's role as Mohini is different from her other roles, though her chatter is reminiscent of Lubna in Pyaaray Afzal.  So far, so good!  The supporting cast is good as well.  Time will show the roles Mrs. Inaayat, Rahat and Mrs. Rahat will play.  

How Omar and Mohini end up together will be interesting to see!  Let's wait and watch!

While I am not a fan of either of the cast members, the positive reviews after the first episode encouraged me to give this show a try.  So far, so good!  Huzaifa (Emaad Irfani) and Shanzey (Sara Khan) are cousins and seem to have feelings for each other, something his mother and Khala encourage and support..  However, Huzaifa's Phupo hopes for her own niece Sohena (Amna Ilyas) to marry Huzaifa.  Sohena herself seems to be a very arrogant, over-confident girl who genuinely believes Huzaifa couldn't have eyes for anyone other than her.

The story, after watching the first episode, looks to be a tussle between Huzaifa's mother and father, a story of egos and the decision as to who's niece Huzaifa will marry.

While Huzaifa seems to be the obedient son to his mother in the hopes of making her happy by marrying Shanzey, it'll be interesting to see what twists and turns will come about to turn the story on its head!

Honestly speaking, I am not sure what the overall premise of this show is actually about.  What I can tell you is that "Day Ijaazat Jo Tu" is a light-hearted show with endearing characters and a good pace.  While I was hesitant about seeing Farhan Saeed as an actor, he's proved to be a natural in this role, complimenting Sohai Ali Abro well!

The story revolves around the love story of Sarmad (Farhan) and Ayla (Sohai).  While Ayla comes from a middle-class background with a doting family, Sarmad comes from a rich background but is distant from his father, stepmother and stepbrother.

Ayla's entry into Sarmad's life is a blessing for him and he feels his loneliness disappearing.  Sarmad and Ayla get married, much to the dismay of his stepmother and are forced to move into their own home due to her disapproval (despite having support from her family and his father).

At present, Ayla and Sarmad have a baby girl, but Sarmad's father (Javed Sheikh) has gone missing after boarding a flight and is assumed to be dead.  The show took an 8 year leap.......and has now left me wondering where the show is headed from this point onward?

Despite being confused about the show's direction, I'm happily watching this show, which is a refreshing change from the heavier shows on air these days.  Plus, Farhan and Sohai share great chemistry.

"Ek pal ki khataa umar bhar ki sazaa" sings Rahat Fateh Ali Khan in the OST and aptly so.

10 episodes in and I had very little interest in watching this show simply based on how depressing it looked from the on-set.  But when I suddenly found myself with a chunk of free time, I decided to play catch-up.  I'm glad I did, because while overall a depressing subject, the story actually pulls you in and makes you feel emotionally invested in the character of Rabia.

The story of Khataa revolves around Rumi (Shehroz Sabzwari) and Rabia (Sanam Chaudhry).  While Rumi is infatuated with Rabia, she often openly rejects his advances.  The two live next door to each other and Rumi often tries to meet Rabia on the terrace.  Rabia is highly focused on her education and making her family proud.  Rabia's father is a well-respected man in the "mohalla" and often serves as adviser on the problems of his neighbors.  While preparations for Rumi's sister's wedding are in full-swing, one day Rumi jumps over to Rabia's terrace and grabs her hand - right as Rabia's Phupo comes up in search of Rabia.  When Phupo sees the two together, she furiously goes to inform Rabia's father, but accidentally trips and hits her head, falling unconscious.  Worried, Rumi drags Rabia with him, scared that both will be murdered by Rabia's father.  Rabia protests, wanting to go back home, but is held back by Rumi.  

In a "khataa" that is entirely Rumi's fault and in which Rabia is innocent, Rabia's entire life is ruined.  Rabia is forced to marry Rumi and is labeled "bhagori" (run-away bride), something she has to hear every day from her mother-in-law and sister-in-law (who holds her responsible for her own marriage being called off).  Rabia's family shuns Rabia (despite Rabia's mother trying to reach out to her) and move away to avoid the "mohalla" talk.  Rabia is forced to endure pitiful behavior from her in-laws, despite having a loving husband (who is forever trying to make up for his mistake).

Howver, in recent episodes, Rabia began tutoring some neighborhood children, finding solace and a confidant in their mother and a friend in their chaachu.  This twist has made the show even more interesting.  

While Shehroz Sabzwari is doing a good job as Rumi, Sanam Chaudhry is phenomenal as Rabia.

Looking forward to seeing where the show is headed!

I love Vasay Chaudhary.  A lot.  I also have a soft spot for Affan Waheed.  Maheen Rizvi is a good actress.  OK, so the only not-so-strong selling point of this show for me personally is Maria Wasti.  When she wants to be good, she's GREAT.  And when she wants to be bad, she can be the most irritating thing about a show.

As soon as this show started and I heard Maria Wasti's screeching, I knew where this was headed.  I was filled with deja vu of her performance in Qarz.  I was overcome with the feeling of "Oh no, she's going to ruin this show."  And 4 episodes later, I feel I have already, more or less, abandoned this show.

The story of watta-satta is interesting, but unfortunately, it has rarely translated into something interesting to watch on-screen.  Rather, we are confronted with overly evil characters (the case of Phupo here), insulting husbands (Vasay's character here), spoiled, unlikable girls (Maria Wasti's character here) and a feeling of "Please remind me why these nice people married into this family again?" (the case of Affan and Maheen's characters here).

If a show doesn't bring about interest, but rather complete irritation, I think it's best to put it on the backburner.  Despite Maheen Rizvi's adorable performance and Vasay's on-point zameendaar act, the show has very little else going for it.

It may simply be that this show is not the sort that you can watch 4 episodes back-to-back, but I'll wait and see if I actually want to continue with this one.  

Verdict:

4/5 shows are great and I'd highly recommend them!  Goya is off to a great start, as is Dil Nahin Mnata.  Khataa is taking an interesting turn and Day Ijaazat Jo Tu is a sweet, breezy watch.  Nazdeekiyan is currently a wait-and-watch situation, so we'll see how that ends up.

Happy watching!!

And One More Show Comes to An End: Mere Meherban!

Mere Meherbaan, overall, was a brain-screw with over-the-top acting, black and white characters and irritating situations.  However, something about the show kept viewers tuning in week after week, myself included.

The character of Muskaan stayed true to her nature from beginning to end:  self-sabotaging.  From beginning to end, she refused to take full responsibility for her actions, especially regarding her attitude.  Hence, the "fate" of Muskaan was most fitting - she was left alone.  While I did not agree with the attitude of those around her, Muskaan's arrogance was incredulous right until the end!  Yes, no woman should have to deal with her husband remarrying and then expecting her to "deal with it."  I didn't disagree with Muskaan on that.  But the lack of remorse that Muskaan displayed towards her own role in destroying her home was frustrating.  Even at the very end, when she spoke to her mother about her "haal," she blamed her mother entirely for the state of her life at that present moment.  While it may have been true, it not only burned the now-reformed Shaista, but also the audience!

Moving on to the character of Iraj, I really want to stress THIS point:  Sanam Chaudhry has come a LONG way as an actress!  Iraj was the best, most "reformed" character, because not only was her pain real, her situation was believable.  A lot of this had to do with the way Sanam portrayed Iraj and enacted her role.  What's strange is that, in the past, Sanam's involvement in any drama was almost a deterrent for me.  Her role in "Aasmanon Pe Likha" was the beginning of my dislike-relationship with her, but things have changed!  Not only with her growth as an actress in "Mere Meherban," but also her great performance in "Khata" these days, I've suddenly turned into a Sanam Chaudhry fan.  Iraj's obsession over Shehryar, her confusion over how to confess, her idle behavior in going along with her marriage, her guilt eating her alive inside and ultimately, her grief felt torn between a wife of the living and Sherry's widow.....it was all very believable and the performance itself was great!

Now coming to Hayaa, our goody-two-shoes-taken-for-granted.  A character like Hayaa was a blessing for this show, only because of the way they ultimately ended her story.  While Hayaa was subservient to her once-to-be-in-laws and her own family, Hayaa's outcome and the stand she took made her a great character and a great role-model.  This should serve as a message to women as to what they deserve in life - a huge 180 from the role of Rudaba from Bashar Momin.  Hayaa was self-sacrificing, sweet, loyal, caring - but ultimately, she understood what others inflicted upon her (namely Zeeshan and Shaista) and despite caring about them, she took a decision against them and a decision that would better serve her OWN future.  Watching Hayaa accept Zeeshan would've destroyed this show entirely, therefore the conclusion was absolutely perfect.

Zeeshan made his bed and had to lie in it.  Despite feeling remorse for his behavior towards Hayaa, he was unable to get his way and had to do what was right regarding his wife and child.  What made my sympathy towards Zeeshan deter was in the moment between Zeeshan & Hayaa when, after Hayaa rejected Zeeshan's too-late proposal, we as viewers saw that flicker of anger in Zeeshan's eyes.  Unfortunately, regardless of how sorry Zeeshan may have been, he still failed to recognize how terribly he treated Hayaa and didn't feel any shame in trying to attain her once again.  Therefore, it made it so fitting that Zeeshan would now have to go back to his wife (and child) and actually work on that marriage, rather than falling on his "backup" of Hayaa.

Shaista, despite reforming her attitude and her ways, was unable to completely fit all the pieces of her life and her children's lives together entirely.  While Iraj was able to piece her life together again, Muskaan was left empty-handed and Zeeshan was forced to abandon his mother (albeit temporarily).  It was actually painful to watch Shaista in such a state.  But isn't that the point?  All wrongs cannot be made right!

It was nice to see Falah, Hayaa and Nayaara's entire family at peace at the end.  This was truly a story of "good trumps evil."  And while the "Evil" (Shaista and co.) reformed themselves for the most part, it was a long, painful struggle and one that would continue for them.

Alright, that's the end of Mere Meherban!  I had many more shows to write about, but didn't want to "messily" combine them all together.  Watch out for my next post on a batch of new shows, including Goya!

Happy watching!

(Photos Courtesy Hum TV's FB Page)

Preview of Bollywood Movies releasing on 21st November, 2014

Gollu aur Pappu, Happy Ending and Titoo MBA 

Gollu aur Pappu : It is a comedy film by Kabir Sadanand. Vir Das, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Dimple Kapadia star in this movie.

Happy Ending : It is a Romcom directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK. Saif Ali Khan, Ileana D’Cruz, Kalki are part of the starcast.

Titoo MBA : This movie is directed by Amit Vats. Nishant Dahiya, Pragya Jaiswal play lead roles. 

More Endings: Soteli and Bashar Momin!

I know, I know, I know.  I'm definitely a slacker these days and I not only apologize, but applaud you all for putting up with me.  Haha.  I promise to consciously make an effort to improve!

I was incredibly excited to watch the first episode of Goya this week!  However, I will write up my review in a couple of days rather than group it with this blog, as it deserves some attention.  Before I can give it the needed attention, I definitely need to discuss two shows that concluded.

This week, two of my shows finally came to an end.  Whether those endings were well-written, well thought-out endings or not, that's what we will discuss.

Let's begin with Soteli.

The essential premise of this show was endearing:  A little boy loses his overtly loving mother at a young age and lives his life in the shadow of that love, feeling rejected by his own father, mistreated by his stepmother and neglected due to his step-sister.  Interesting.  The performances by the little boy who played Milkoo was great!  Then, the story took a leap.

Unfortunately, where the story should have taken a turn and leaped bounds, the show moved in the opposite direction.  Rather than seeing how (naturally) Milkoo's relationship with his stepmother progressed, how she turned his father against him and how Phupo protected him, we were treated to........two love stories.

Mishaal's love story was blocked by her own mother, for reasons beyond anyone's understanding.  But then she changes her mind. OK, let's blame it all on a tumor.  Was this tumor there from the beginning?  Is this why Ayesha Khan's character was so horrible to Milkoo?  And if  that's the case, how would a tumor grow SO slowly as to being treatable?

Now if the tumor was NOT the excuse for her bad behavior, why did she have such a huge change of heart?  Milkoo always cared for her, respected her and treated her like a part of the family.  Did a few dreams simply change her mind entirely?  And if that's the case.....how silly.

We see that Ayesha's character discovers the box of Milkoo's letters.  She breaks down after reading them.  But again, why such a huge change of heart?  Was she unaware of all the things she did?  Of course not.  She knew.  The wrap-up was simply too convenient for my tastes.

And lastly, we come to the final "Put in place" moment:  The wrapping up of Milkoo's love story.  Oh my goodness, and what a love story!  The writer took a page from "Mujhse Dosti Karoge" for this final scene, almost ridiculously so.  Why couldn't a logical discussion have taken place between the friends rather than the dramatic scene?  Or was the love triangle necessary at all?  In my opinion, it did nothing to serve the actual story, which was a nice one.  Rather, it distracted entirely from the original story getting the attention it deserved.

To wrap up, Soteli was a show with good direction, good emotional content and great acting.  But unfortunately it failed to capture my interest after the leap due to throwing in too many sub-plots.  Yet another drama knocked off my shortening list of shows!

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And now let's move on to the "blockbuster" drama of this year, Bashar Momin.

I can't explain my thoughts towards this show.  I honestly can't even explain why I watched this show from beginning to end without giving it up.  My views towards this show have been blatantly clear in my blogs about it:  The show was generally an over-stylized, dragged-out, prolonged story of a thoroughly bad man who destroyed lives and used his power (and money) to dictate the lives of others.

It was only in the last two episodes that we began to see where Bashar "came from."  What was his past?  What caused him to behave this way?  What made him so hateful?  In fact, the last two episodes may have been the most interesting ones and one is left wondering why the writers and director didn't focus MORE on the back-story, Bashar's true emotions, his scars, trials and tribulations?  Instead, we were treated to 28 episodes of smoke-filled rooms, blue tinges, Faisal Qureshi's barking, Usha's timid expressions and Maheen's crooked smiles.

The episode began with Rudaba meeting Bashar in jail, the two finally connecting and declaring their love and respect for each other.  What?  Why?  How?  I don't know.  Don't even bother asking those questions, because it won't make sense any way you spin it.  When Bashar handed Rudaba that glass of juice, my insides churned and I wondered "HOW can she trust him AT ALL?"  But that logic is not for you and I to understand.  It's LOVE.  Forget that this love has transpired and materialized out of nowhere.  

We then witness a (useless) scene between Bashar and his "friends" (rivals) where he persuades them to let him go that day rather than the next, because his wife gets scared alone.  The sole purpose of this scene was to show that "Bashar Bhai still has it."  That's it.  And of course, Bashar Bhai gets his way and comes home to a waiting Rudaba.  Yay?  Sure.

We also find out that Bashar's servants were sent home before the raid, because Bashar cares SO MUCH about his servants and their well-being.  As an audience, we are supposed to forget how badly he treated these servants previously.

We are also treated to the world's most awkward family reunion!

Saira basically taunts Rudaba for not looking in on Saira and Tayyaba while Bashar was in jail, leaving them in "buray haalaat."  She also taunts Bashar for being a doormat to his wife.  If there was ANY scene in this show worth watching, it was THIS scene, because we finally got to see Saira bearing the brunt of Bashar's anger for her bad behavior.  Bashar's anger when Saira accuses Rudaba of STILL leading Buland on was actually something that was necessary for this show.  Both Saira and Tayyaba needed to hear that they were responsible for their own life situations, regardless of the hand Bashar played!  Adil's SMIRK at Saira's pain was simply the icing on the cake, as we have all seen his treatment at the hands of this family.  

In all the chaos, Tayyaba goes into labor and gives birth to Buland's child (who is completely missing in action).  

It was also nice to see Aadil give Saira and Tayyaba a much needed dose of reality - not only about their misdeeds, but their overall bad attitudes.  To hear Aadil tell Saira how "Full of herself" she is was the best moment of this show.  On the down-side,  Saira's apology and acceptance of Rudaba was completely hurried and very unnatural.  Women like Saira do not accept their flaws that quickly.

The heart-to-heart between Bashar and Buland was actually refreshing to watch, because it tied up all the loose ends and emotions of the show perfectly.  Bashar's plea to Buland to accept Tayyaba and her child for the sake of society was so beautiful to see, as he didn't want another Bashar to be created.  

The show ended happily with practically all problems being resolved and tied up.  The last episode actually provided the viewer with quality content.  If anything, this made it glaringly obvious that the rest of the show had been lacking entirely in this aspect!  One is left wondering why such quality content and writing was lacking in the other 30 episodes!  

Regardless, it was nice to see an otherwise mediocre show pick up and right its wrongs in the last episode.  Bashar Momin was an eyesore throughout for me, due to lack of emotions and content, but ended up being a beautiful, well-written last episode that ALMOST wiped out the negative thoughts I had of the show.

Alright, so now we can retire Bashar Momin and Soteli after their prolonged runs.  Here's looking forward and hoping to add more good shows to the roster!

Happy watching!

Review : Ormayundo Ee Mukham (ഓർമ്മയുണ്ടോ ഈ മുഖം)

Cast: Vineeth Sreenivasan (Gautam), Namitha Pramod (Nithya), Aju Varghese (Apoorva), Mukesh (Doctor), Soumya Sadanandan (Neetu), Rohini (Vasundhara), Lakshmi (Grandmother), Idavela Babu, Raveendran, Bhagat Manuel

Genre: Romance

Direction: Anvar Sadik

Production: Jaison Elamgulam

Screenplay:Anvar Sadik

Story : Anvar Sadik

Cinematographer: Jithu Damodar

Music : Shaan Rahman

Production Company: RJ Creations and Blue Planet International London

Release Date: 14^th November, 2014

Language: Malayalam

Duration: 2 hours 20 minutes

Ormayundo Ee Mukham (ഓർമ്മയുണ്ടോ ഈ മുഖം), is a very sweet romantic movie by Anvar Sadik. The story has been conveyed in a very simple and unexaggerated manner. One of the lead protagonist Nitya’s name and her profession of being a Sand-Artist is thoughtfully chosen. Nitya in Sanskrit means ‘eternal’. Can love be eternal? Can love be painted beautifully in the canvas of heart for ever or it is going to be one of the image drawn on the sand which can be erased completely? Anvar has melodiously told us this soft love story.

The film begins with a sand-art by Nitya followed by her accident. The aftereffect of the accident is that Nitya’s memory retention turns out to be for short-term of 24 hours. Nitya develops her own techniques to handle this memory loss.

Gautam (Vineeth Sreenivasan, MBA from UK) is supporting his businesswoman mother Vasundhara (Rohini), but is quiet absent-minded as well. His grandmother (Lakshmi) and sister also stay with him. Grandmother is absolutely modern in her thoughts and appearance, who still believes in the whole concept of love, and soul mates. Vasundhara is keen to get Gautam married to her niece but Gautam is not at all interested.

Nitya (Namitha Pramod) enters into Gautam’s life like a cool breeze. Their meeting was incidental. Both Nitya and Gautam could feel lot of comfort and enjoy each other’s company during their so called ‘first date’ but Alas! Nitya forgets every bit of those wonderful moments the next day. Gautam is determined and confident that he would be able to inscribe his face in her heart one-day. Nitya’s sister (Soumya Sadanandan) and Gautam’s friend / colleague Apoorva (Aju Varghese) also try to help Gautam in winning over Nitya’s friendship / love.

Rest of the movie projects how Gautam tries to win over Nitya first as a friend and then as his soul mate? How challenging their journey was? How Guatam tries to convince his mother about his love?

Star cast is so appropriate as per the roles. Vineeth has once again given a very good performance. He is so natural, spontaneous. Namitha is also good and brings lot of energy to the character. Rest of the cast viz. Rohini, Mukesh, Lakshmi, Soumya Sadanandan are all good. A special mention in regard to Aju Varghese and his  comical angle to the plot.

Philosophy of happy life is also discussed in the movie: to retain every good moment in the hard disk of heart/mind and leave / erase the negativities behind and start afresh every day.

Ormyundo Ee Mukham (ഓർമ്മയുണ്ടോ ഈ മുഖം), is a soft musical romantic movie which is going to leave a positive and happy impact on your heart.

Rating: 3.5 / 5 (Good +)

Review: Kill/Dil

Kill / Dil, a film by Shaad Ali for the banner of Yash Raj Films, although a clean movie with good star cast, doesn’t say a story good enough. Most of the movie is shot at Delhi/NCR location. In Gulzar’s poetry rendition, the story goes like this:

Tar-cola ki ek sadak par do saaye hain

Andhere ki nazayaz aulaad hain shayad

Ghoonth ghoonth khoon peekar dono pale hain shayad

Paaon tale zameen hai, na sar pe aasman hai

Zindagi kuchal gayi, ye unki daastan hai

The movie is about two shooters Dev (Ranveer Singh), and Tutu (Ali Zafar) who were picked up from the garbage when they were infants by Bhaiyaji (Govinda), a local gangster. As children, Dev and Tutu never got to hear ‘Lori’ but the gun shots. Both grow up to become Bhaiyaji’s henchmen who follow his every instruction blindly. Then enters into the scene Disha (Parineeti Chopra). She dropped out of MBBS to be a social worker who rehabilitated criminals. The movie moves further in the predictable format. Dev falls in love with Disha. Dev, Tutu hangout with Disha and friends (most of the hangout moments are with songs).

The trouble begins, when Dev wants to mend his ways since his dil does not want to kill any more. He has to make choice between two – Dil and Kill. What does Dev opt for? How does Bhaiyaji respond when he come to know in regard to Dev’s love for Disha? Whom does Tutu support – Dev’s love or Bhaiyaji’s orders? How does Disha get to know regarding Dev’s job? How the story moves towards its climax?

Govinda as an antagonist is good but the script could have been stronger for his character. Ranveer generally puts lot of energy into the characters he plays, but unfortunately, this character of Dev did not require the same. Still, certain scenes, where 5^th class fail Dev rushes to a college (Galgotia in Greater Noida) to enquire the meaning of LOL and other acronyms do generate laughter. Ali Zafar has maintained a very blank face in the movie whereas he generally is very expressive. Parineeti is absolutely wasted in this movie.

Gulzar’s versification is good and meaningful.

Kill/Dil is a regular predictable flick, not exciting enough.

Rating: 2.5/5 (Average +)

Preview : Bollywood Movies releasing on 14th November, 2014

Preview of 

Kill Dil, 6-5 = 2 and Garam Hawa

Kill Dil : It is a Romantic action filmdirected by Shaad Ali and produced by Aditya Chopra under the Yash Raj Films Banner. Starcast has Govinda, Ranveer Singh, Ali Zafar, Parineeti Chopra.

6-5=2 : It is a Horror movie, remake of Kannada movie by the same name. Starring Niharica Raizada, Prashant Gupta, Ashrut Jain, Gaurav Paswalia, Gaurav Kothari, Disha Kapoor. This movie tells the story of six friends who went for trekking during which they encounter bizzare incidents.

Garam Hawa : After a period of four decades, this movie released earlierin 1974, has been restored and hitting the screens again across the country. This is hailed as one of the finest feature films on the travails of Partition by M.S. Sathyu. Balraj Sahni,Farooq Shaikh, Dinanath Zutsi, Badar Begum, Geeta Siddharth, Shaukat Kaifi, AK Hangal are part of the starcast.