Rocky aur Rani kii Prem Kahaani

 Movie Review (Hindi)

Raja aur Rani kii Prem Kahaani starring Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh has been directed by Karan Johar. I have been waiting for this moment just to see him take the Director's chair once again. 

And yes, I wasn’t disappointed. Over the top, no doubt, what with Ranveer Singh playing Rocky, a very rich guy with little sophistication, it has to be. However, Jaya Bachchan provided the surprise element for me. That she can be such a wicked north Indian matriarch is a treat to watch! Shabana Azmi and Dharmendra pairing up again is something that lovers of 70s cinema would love to see. Tota and Churni, playing parents to Alia are well-known actors from Bengal, hence the Bengali household is all authentic. Alia  playing Rani, as usual is great at what she does. I enjoyed the way she speaks Bangla.

The use of hit Hindi film songs is an excellent touch. Like all Karan Johar films, the well-to-do family reuniting theme shines through.

Gully Boy

Movie Review (Hindi)

"He is just a Gully Boy" said one of the characters in the movie. But “just the Gully boy” went on to rule hearts. Ranveer Singh, playing the reticent character Murad, expresses his dissatisfaction at the way things are in his world in the Dharavi slums through poetry. The energy levels in the movie rise with the entrance of MC Sher played by Siddhant Chaturvedi, the rapper who shows Murad a way out of the mundane. Our Gully Boy then raps his way into a confident individual able to stand up to his father’s dominance.

With actresses like Alia Bhatt and Kalki Koechlin providing support, the movie is bound to do well. The characters are well etched and the edit is fast. Dharavi stands out as a world holding many, many stories waiting to be told.

Director Zoya Akhtar certainly knows how to hold the attention of ciné goers, ending with the competition. It is an age-old trick which somehow always get the right reaction to a sense of vindication. I only wish the director had risen above this and taken the movie to a different level.

 Nevertheless, I loved the statement, so pregnant with hope and aspiration – Apna time aayega!

Movie Review - Bollywood

Lootera (The Thief)
After hearing rave reviews of this Hindi movie, I decided to take a look myself. Another reason why I do not watch a movie after going through the reviews. I either have very high expectations or just don't have any. Lootera suffered because of this. The film is well shot. A lot of importance has been given to each shot which is great and a welcome change. But the story did not really work for me. It reminded me too much of Fanaa (the Kajol-Aamir Khan starrer). Boy meets girl, falls in love and then ditches her coz his line of work does not allow for love. Ditto here. Then there is more of Fanaa at the end with snowscape and the hero's death. I was really glad the writer did not get a child into the mess.
But the best of all was the use of the O. Henry short story, The Last Leaf. The artist in the story claims to paint a masterpiece at some point in his life and finally the masterpiece is the last leaf painted on a wall that helps a young woman live, while he dies of pneumonia. The story was, of course, used in pure Bollywood style in Lootera. But I thank those responsible for this tribute to O. Henry.
P.S. - Sonakshi Sinha and Ranveer Singh are good actors.