Aamir's Ghajini to cross Singh is Kinng

Aamir Khan's Ghajini is expected to set a record of sorts. While the promotion of the film kick-started during Diwali, the Indian distributors, have decided to go that extra mile and ensure that the biggies rakes in big moolah when it opens during the Christmas week.

While Singh is Kinng was released with 1,050 prints in India, Ghajini will have close to 1,200 prints in circulation in India alone.

"Ghajini will be the biggest and widest release ever, breaking the record set by Singh is Kinng, which was also distributed by us," Aman Gill, Director, Domestic Theatrical Distribution, Studio 18 divulges

Varanam Aayiram Movie Review

Varanam Aayiram - Memoirs of a heart with abounding memories

The film designed as a tribute to Goutham Vasudev Menon’s father comes across as emotions spelt out in a reserved manner and thereby proves to be a tame affair. One can understand the director’s angst at losing a parent, and trying to make a film about the loss, but then the man’s (father) enigma never takes center stage throughout the film. Probably the biggest drawback of the film.

The narration of the film has been designed to follow a ‘classic approach’. Unfortunately, all the ingredients that go into the making of a classic are missing thereby making the screenplay stagnate at times to irritable proportions. All films that have been successful in being called classics portray enduring human emotions that can be related with instantaneously. Goutham has most definitely missed the plot with ‘Varanam Aayiram’ giving more emphasis to incidents rather than connecting them well. The story follows the lead characters (the protagonist and his father) through decades. Much effort has been taken to bring out authenticity to the ‘period’ effect which is praiseworthy.

The story starts off with a senior citizen Krishna (Suriya) getting his hair trimmed in a saloon only to die after reaching home. The news is conveyed to his son, Major Suriya (Suriya) who is part of a rescue mission. With gritty determination, the young man declares he wants to go ahead with the mission. But the son in him overwhelms the Major that he is and events of his life unfold as flashes in his mind.

What a fantastic dad he had had! The story is narrated through montage sequences – the time his father had met his mother in college (as told to him by his mother) and the innovative way he had made known his love for her – his birth and the way he had always looked up to his dad as a real hero – his sister’s birth and the happy little family that they were – his peek at adolescence – his misadventures and the moment he was engulfed by the electric sensation of love etc.

Suriya’s adolescent days come across as a breath of fresh air. The antiques he indulges in once he sees Megna (Sameera Reddy) on a night train and his train of thought that goes on in his mind to woo her, gets across to the audience very well.

After the interesting introduction, the determined Suriya goes to her house to see her. Megna is surprised but then is not convinced that his love for her is true. She reveals her plans to study in America and her preparations to leave in a week’s time.

The happy-go-lucky Suriya does some business and using the gift of being a good guitarist makes money. And then he is off to America, not for a career, not for studies but to win his girl’s heart and marry her. They do meet in America and the interesting character that he is wins Megna’s heart. An unfortunate incident happens and Megna dies.

A reckless Suriya then starts smoking, drinking and becomes a horrible drug addict. His parents take care of him through these torrid times. His parents even want him to go away somewhere to find himself and come back as the person that he really is.

Suriya walks the streets of Kashmir and Delhi and even indulges in daring endeavors like rescuing a kidnapped child. Then the military bug bites him and he joins the armed forces. It is about this time that the director has made maximum usage of his good looks and the famous six-pack ab. After six years in the armed forces, he becomes a major and also has loving thoughts of a girl (Priya played by Divya Spandana) he had known for a long time but had really not given any kind of attention to. Does time wither away the association they had had?

The flashes of reminiscence stops and reality dawns….he is part of the rescue mission now, fighting terrorists….

The earthly presence of his father might have gone away forever….but will always have a home in his heart….probably thoughts that Goutham Vasudev Menon has….

Suriya the actor rocks throughout. The variety of emotions he has portrayed is very good and a strong mention has to be made about his good looks and charm. He looks unbelievably like a person in his early twenties in some sequences that require him to be so. Something very few actors can really do.

Harris Jayaraj has rendered a beautiful set of songs with this film. The Background score is good in patches and compliments the brilliant cinematography by Rathnavelu. The cinematographer needs special mention for a refreshing tone which he has infused especially in the youthful sequences.

Sameera Reddy has been casual and fits the role aptly. Simran has garnered all her experience and does justice. Divya Spandana with her girl-next-door looks performs a role that lightens up a depressed protagonist with good effect.

One gets the feeling Goutham could have used all of Suriya’s efforts with a better narration AND with all-round emotions to connect all the incidents in the script which would have made it more interesting.

Dostana Movie Review

Love triangle in Hindi movies often centre around two guys falling in love with the same girl, or two girls choosing to love the same guy. But DOSTANA is a first. It’s the first hindi film that, at the core, is a rectangle [three men loving the same woman], but two of them, guys in this case, pretend to be a couple.

Sure, DOSTANA has ample shock-value since what has been witnessed in its promos is barely a fraction of what you’d get to watch in the movie. But more than shock-value, the film offers loads of fun-n-laughter and dollops of entertainment in those 14 reels.

A word of appreciation! It requires courage to fund a project like DOSTANA. Karan Johar, the producer, deserves to be lauded for treading the untrodden path. It requires courage and conviction to swim against the tide in your directorial debut. Tarun Mansukhani, the debutante, deserves a few brownie points extra for not thinking straight. It requires courage for two A-list actors to go all out and risk their professional [and personal] lives. Abhishek and John deserve an ovation for not only agreeing to play these characters, but also infusing life in them, without making a mockery of the gay community. It’s not a serious take on homosexuality either. On the contrary, it’s a madcap comedy where two straight men pretend to be gays. Although DOSTANA is a mainstream commercial film, it dares to push the envelope in its own way. It brings homosexuality out of the closet, gives it respect and dignity and doesn’t treat gays as ‘abnormal’.

To cut a long story short, DOSTANA is not to be missed. Dharma Productions, the late Yash Johar and Karan Johar’s film production outfit, has produced several significant films in the past. Add DOSTANA to the list!

Miami is the setting for DOSTANA. When Sameer [Abhishek Bachchan] and Kunal [John Abraham] are turned down for an apartment because the landlady [Sushmita Mukherjee] doesn’t want two strapping young men to corrupt her young sexy niece Neha [Priyanka Chopra], they hatch a plan: they pretend to be gay to secure the apartment.

Over a period of time, Sameer, Kunal and Neha become buddies. When Neha’s boss Abhimanyu [Bobby Deol] enters the fray as the third contender for her affections, it gets even hotter…

DOSTANA shocks you all the while and that is its biggest USP. Don’t expect stereotypical situations or characters all through this film. Watch Abhishek cook up a romantic story between John and him in Venice. Watch Boman Irani’s interaction with Abhishek and John. Watch Kirron Kher’s dramatic entry at this point. Howlarious scenes all, they’re sure to bring the house down.

If the first hour is laced with crackling chemistry between the guys and terrific humour, things get serious towards the second half since there’s one more person vying for Priyanka’s attention — Bobby Deol. There’s humour in this hour too, but the focus is mainly on who’d get Priyanka in the end.

The length is a slight deterrent in the second half and the editor could’ve easily cut the unwanted flab to make the narration in shape. But the film works as a package! Also, the film has a shocking end and people are bound to raise eyebrows. It would have its share of advocates and adversaries. A debatable culmination, for sure!

Director Tarun Mansukhani is here to stay. He deserves kudos for choosing an offbeat story, then making a foolproof screenplay and most importantly, executing it with flourish. DOSTANA merges form and content beautifully, since the film is, technically speaking, sound. Ayananka Bose’s cinematography is top notch. The locales of Miami are a feast for your eyes. Costumes and styling are very upmarket.

Vishal-Shekhar’s music goes well with the mood of the film. It’s young, peppy and energetic. ‘Desi Girl’ and ‘Maa Da Laadla Bigad Gaya’ are foot-tapping compositions. The latter is bound to be a rage!

Both Abhishek and John are fantabulous! Abhishek pulls out all the stops and delivers one of the finest performances of his career. His comic timing is superb! John will make guys and girls drool over his amazing physique. But, most importantly, people will sit up and notice how fine an actor John is. Both Abhishek and John compliment each other so well. In fact, had the chemistry and camaraderie been missing, the story would’ve failed to look convincing. Two thumbs up for these two guys!

Priyanka looks stunning and delivers a first-rate performance. First FASHION, now DOSTANA, Priyanka is back with a bang. Bobby Deol lends the required class to his role. No other actor would’ve looked so real while underplaying this character.

Boman Irani is sure to bring the house down, the auditorium is sure to resonate with laughter in his sequences. Kirron Kher is superb as the punjabi mom. Watch her throw a fit when she learns that her son [Abhishek] is gay and much later, when she accepts John as family. She’s remarkable! Sushmita Mukherjee, as Priyanka’s aunt, is fantastic. She’s so, so funny. Shilpa Shetty sizzles in the opening track.

On the whole, DOSTANA is a winner all the way. In terms of content, it might just prove to be a trendsetter. In terms of business, the film holds tremendous appeal for the youth. The 16 to 25 age-group would go into raptures and bonkers over this film. Its business at multiplexes mainly will be amazing. In Overseas too, the film should emerge amongst the biggest draws of 2008. DOSTANA rocks… have a blast!

Jessica Alba sheds glamorous look

Hollywood actress Jessica Alba, known for flaunting her fabulous figure in Sin City and Into The Blue, is donning unflattering attire in her latest film An Invisible Sign of My Own.

According to reports, the film is the screen adaptation of Aimee Bender's bestseller by the same name. Alba plays Maths whiz Mona Gray, whose ordinary childhood comes to pieces when her father is stricken with a mysterious illness.

The film also stars Chris Messina.

Bollywood director Abhishek Kapoor’s recent hit Rock On! will open the second annual Indian Visions Film Festival to be held in Washington DC. Commencing Thursday, the festival will conclude with Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Naalu Pennungal on November 16. Set in Mumbai, Rock On! stars Farhan Akhtar, Arjun Rampal, Luke Kenny and Purab Kohli and revolves around a group of four aspiring musicians who form a rock band called Magik.

The music of the film became a rage among youngsters. Apart from Rock On! , other feature films to be showcased at the festival include Welcome to Sajjanpur (Shyam Benegal), A Wednesday (Neeraj Pandey), Mumbai Meri Jaan (Nishikant Kamat) and Valu: The Wild Bull (Umesh Kulkarni) among others. Short films like AIDS Jaago (Mira Nair, Vishal Bharadwaj, Farhan Akhtar and Santosh Sivan), Between Two Worlds (Mona Kumar), Crossing Lines (Leena Jayaswal and Indira Somani), Milind Soman Made Me Gay (Harjant Gill) and The Private Life Of Albert Pinto (Sidharth Singh) with others will also be showcased at the event.

“Our festival will present several premier films designed to educate, entertain and provoke,” Sukumar Srinivasan, executive director, Indian Visions said in a statement released here on Tuesday.

Celebrity guests attending the fest include Abhishek Kapoor, Brahmanand Singh, Ashish Avikunthak and Spandan Banerjee.

Obama's victory is DiCaprio's gift

Leonardo DiCaprio, who just turned 34, says the election of Barack Obama to the post of US president is the best birthday gift he could have possibly got.

According to reports: "People keep asking me what I want for a present so I tell them I have the best birthday gift I can possible get, and that's this new president. I'm so excited." The actor celebrated his 34th birthday on Tuesday.

He was in London to promote his new movie Body Of Lies , in which he plays a CIA agent hunting a terrorist in Iraq and Jordan.

Fiercely anti-war, DiCaprio hopes that the new president will prove to be good news for Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Barack Obama's foreign policy positions are very different from the last administration. I think we are going to see some profound changes in the United States and it's going to reverberate throughout the rest of the world.

"The good thing now is that a whole new generation of young people have spoken and have voted for change and new policies, and all we can do now is support the new president and give him the tools that he needs," he said.

Despite his forthright political opinions, it's clear he hasn't been reading up on the British politicians. Asked if he had an opinion on Gordon Brown and David Cameron, he laughed: "Not right now, no. I'm still in Barack world, still reeling from that victory!"

Shriya Saran's Hollywood debut

Her debut Hollywood film 'The Other End of the Line' is a romantic comedy.

After starring alongside Rajinikanth in 'Sivaji: The Boss' southern sensation Shriya Saran has headed to Hollywood.