Review: Desi Boyz

Verdict: Great Entertainer
"K" Rating: 3.5

Watch: Theater/DVD

 The film released in overseas markers like USA on Wednesday, November 23rd due to Thanksgiving Holiday. In India it will release on Friday November 25th.

With comedy in his genes son of veteran directory David Dhawan's son Rohit Dhawan makes his directorial debut with Desi Boyz. This flick is unlike recently comedy flicks which have thread bare story lines and just hang on one-liners with a nonsensical ending. Desi Boyz is a great entertainer with good comic timings, funny dialogues and a simple storyline.

Akshay Kumar is in top form - the king of comedy has returned with this movie. John Abraham is great as usual. After Garam Masala [2005] it is a treat to see these actors return together and light the screen on fire. Deepika Padukone looks gorgeous along with stunning Chitrangda Singh. Anupam Kher, Monish Bhel, Omi Vaidya and Sanjay Dutt are befitting in their respective roles.

Story by Rohit Dhawan revolves around two friends who get hit by recession in UK and take to being male escorts. The sweet, innocent and mad ride which follows suit forms a hilarious tale. Telepathic conversations between John and Akshay are gelastic and augment their chemistry. It has some cliched characters and situations however overall it still offers novelty interms of concept. The ending of the film seems loose ended and makes way for a sequel. Cinematography by Nirajan is great with beautiful backdrops of London. Styling of the film is very hep by ace designer Manish Malhotra.

Music by Pritam is good. Certain songs bear strong resemblance to others, case in point "Jhak mar ke" reminds one of "Uden jab jab zulfein" from the 1957 film Naya Daur. Apart from that - "Allah Maaf kare" , "Subh Hone Na De", "Title track-Desi Boyz" are exceptional and already chart favorites.

Make time this holiday season to be entertained by these Desi Boyz who bring the house down.

First Look: Thank You

Thank You is an upcoming comedy flick by Anees Bazmee starring Akshay Kumar, Suneil Shetty, Bobby Deol, Sonam Kapur,Celina Jaitely, Rimi Sen and Irfan Khan. It also has Vidya Balan in a cameo and the hot Mallika Sherawat in an item number. The promo reminds one of films like No Entry and Masti. Music is by Pritam and it has a remix version of the song Pyaar Do Pyaar lo from  the 1986 filme Jaanbaaz.Watch out for this release, post world cup on April 11th, 2011.

Review: Patiala House

Verdict: Good!

"K" Rating: 3

Watch: Theater/DVD

Patiala House is a full on family drama with sports and racial discrimination as the backdrop. It sheds light on the fact that often due to prolonged suffering/bitterness racial discrimination victims  turn around to be racists themselves. Sometimes they need a reality check, even if it means standing up to them. Patiala House conveys a strong message to its global NRI audience while exploring the  meaning of patriotism.

Patiala House is about a father-son relationship and "doing what one was born to do". A cricket prodigy Gattu (Akshay Kumar) gives up his sport and dream for his father's false pride. A strict,stubborn patriarch played by Rishi Kapoor who still harbours animosity towards the "goras".The stern "Bauji" reminds one of the likes of Chaudry Baldev Singh in DDLJ and Thakur in Sooryavansham. Together Akshay and Rishi carry the film solely on their shoulders in this formulaic melodrama by Nikhil Advani.

An old proverb says 3rd time is a charm - and it certainly holds true for Comedy King Akshay Kumar, who's last 2 attempts (8x10 Tasveer and Blue) at serious cinema failed at the box office. Akshay is back with Patiala House- his portrayal of restrained emotions, vulnerability and profound sadness are powerful and moving.Anushka Sharma adds freshness even in her chatterbox avatar. However the Anushka-Akshay track comes across as half baked. Dimple Kapadia suits well as the diligent devoted Punjabi housewife  howbeit she has little scope. Ensemble cast of the film is apt but the storyline flounders to develop its characters to be convincing. 

Shankar-Ihsaan-Loy have given memorable music to the film - apart from some hardcore Punjabi Number's like "Laungh da Lashkara",the album also has some soft soulful numbers like "kKyon main Jaagoon"  and "Aaddat Hai Vohi".


On the whole it is an entertaining drama!

Review: Tees Maar Khan

Verdict: Timepass

"K" Rating: 2.5

Watch: DVD/Theater

Tees Maar Khan (TMK) is one outrageous, over-the top, farcical comedy film by Farah Khan. Don't try and find any logic or rationale in this movie - as with any other Bollywood comedy flick. TMK is the Bollywood adaptation of the Italian film "After the Fox".

TMK has everything in excess, loud characters, lack of emotions and an outrageous script.By loud I mean, literally loud, the entire film has a high decibel level and it appears everyone is shouting at each other in the second half. The first half definitely is much better than the second. Slapstick comedy and aboriginal couplets of Akshay make up for the laughter quotient. The whole village sequence reminds one of Billu Barbar. There are references of Steven Spielberg and Manoj Night Shyamalan which cater to class audience but the masses may not get the joke. Its interesting to note that although some jokes appeal to the multiplex audience, they would disapprove of the loud and crazy drama on the other hand the masses/single screen audience would be receptive to the loud and crude drama but may not comprehend some jokes. Instead of "Jai Ho" its "Hai Ho" for TMK's incessant jokes.

Akshay Kumar has done an outstanding job as the shameless con artist Tabrez Mirza Khan, the role seemed to be tailor made for him. Katrina Kaif  as an aspiring actress Aniya, looks  fabulous and plays the role of the dumb bimbbette to the hilt. Akshay Khanna plays the Oscar-crazed superstar well. 

Foot-tapping "Sheila ki Jawani"  and Katrina's dance on it has already made history and taken the nation by storm. Sonu Nigam has sung the title track in 54 voices and Salmaan Khan makes a special appearance in the song "Walla Re Walla". Vishal-Shekhar along with Sirish Kunder  have definitely lived up to expectations and more with each track.

Final Verdict? Its a brainless comedy, watch it for timepass but definitely does not live up to the hype. Its decidedly not even close to Farah Khan's Om Shanti Om or Main Hoon Na. Yet it will recover the investment solely due to the holidays and no competition for 2 weeks. 

Preview: Patiala House

Directed by Nikhil Advani, starring Akshay Kumar and Anushka Sherma this sports drama film is scheduled to release in Feburary 2011. Set in the UK, its about British-Asian identity and the cross-generational conflict between father and son.

Review: Action Replayy

Verdict: Good Timepass Comedy

"K" Rating: 3/5

Watch: Theater/DVD

Action Replayy brings back the comedy of yesteryears - litreally. Its a simple, funny, clean comedy flick. Action Replayy tells the tale of  a young man Bunty who goes back in time to make his parents fall in love before they tie the knot, in an era where love-marriages are taboo aka the 70s. Based on a Gujrati play by the same name, this film's storyline is not its strong point.However Vipul Shah turns this Sci-fi-rom-com into a  success with the  its treatment,comic timing, and starcast. 

Akshay kumar aces in comedy  as Kitchen Kumar and sends the audience in splits of laughter with his mere appearance on screen. Aishwarya looks her stunning self in the retro avatar. Debutant Aditya Roy Kapoor as Bunty works well. Roles of Kirron Kher and Om Puri seemed to be half baked. Neha Dhupia  definately adds the oomph factor.Last but not the least, Rajpal Yadav is great as Bikhu!

Pritam's music is good,  espicially "Zor Ka Jhatka", which has already become synonymous with the movie! O Bekhabar is another good number.

Action Replayy is a mindless entertainer, so don't try and find logic in it -"Awaaz Neeche"!. Just sit back and laugh with Action Replayy this festive season.

First Look: Tees Maar Khan

Farah Khan's much awaited film after Om Shanti Om is ready for release this on December 24th,2010. Titled Tees Maar Khan stars the hit pair Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif. Salmaan Khan and Anil Kapoor will be joining the duo in an item song. Also seen in the movie will be Farah's triplets.Music is by Vishal-Shekhar.

First Look: Action Replayy

Here is the first look of the upcoming film Action Replayy starring Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in a retro avatar.The film also stars Randhir Kapoor and Neha Dhupia. Directed by Vipul Shah, Action Replayy is scheduled for Diwali 2010 release. The film flash backs into the 50's era, going with the trend of Om Shanti Om, Once Upon a Time in Mumbai.

"Zor Ka Jhatka" song has a catchy tune and funny lyrics!

Review: De Dana Dan

Verdict: Okay /Timepass .
"K" Rating: 2.8 /5
Watch: DVD

When watching comedy flicks the rule of thumb is to leave your brains outside the theater and not to find logic. This rule is mandatory for De Dana Dan as it is pure mindless entertainment which promises plenty of laughs.Just enjoy the one-liners, slapstick comedy of the 27+ confused money crazed characters. It is no Hera Pheri by any standards but its a decent attempt by Priyadarshan. The music is good, especially"Paisa Paisa" by RDB.

The biggest stumbling block of the film is its storyline. The movie starts off with an Akshay track and 1hr into the movie he disappears (gets locked up in a closet) giving way to numerous other tracks which unleash chaos and confusion. It seems the director did not have time to tie up all the stories so he literally submerses them in water (the hotel where they are floods) with an Akshay story wrap up. No doubt the credits say "Filmed" by Priyadarshan and not "Directed".

The tagline "The greatest entertainers are back" and the poster are misleading as there is no comedy scene between Akshay, Sunit Shetty and Paresh Rawal together. However the chemistry of Akshay and Sunil Shetty as friends is great.De Dana Dan boasts casting nearly all the comedians that Bollywood has to offer so all hell had to break loose on screen. Akshay, Sunil Shetty, Archana Puran Singh and Rajpal Yadav are outstanding in the film. Chunky Pandey has a notable come back.

Review: Blue

Verdict: OK, timepass adventure
Star Rating: 3/5
Watch: Dvd/Theater

"Blue" is the most awaited film of the year, and rightly so - its the first of its kind to ever hit Indian Cinema. The cinematography, scale, under water sequence coupled with breath taking locales and action/adventure will make you think its a Hollywood Flick(Fool's Gold/ The Deep). Now that said, the storyline itself isn't strong, Anthony D'Souza (director) seemed to have got side tracked from it. The ending is loose and seemed to be rather amusing. Only about 25% of the film is an under water sequence. Music is good "Fiqrana", "Chiggy Wiggy", "Aaj Dil Gustakh Hai" are already doing good on the charts. The title track at the beginning of the movie reminds one of the 007 movie tracks.

Story: Sanjay Dutt (Sethji) lost his father finding "Lady in Blue"- the treasure ship. He now works for Aarav (Akshay) in the Bahamas with his doting wife (Lara). Pan over to Bangkok

where Sam (Zayed) is a bike racer who has gangster (Rahul Dev) after him. Fate drags the brothers to the shark infested waters yet again, bringing them face to face with his fears and untold fortune.

Watch: Fantastic bike races on the Ducati's, Lara is looking her fabulous self. Katrina Kaif has an interesting guest appearance as a biker chick. Kylie Minogue's "Chigy Wiggy" song starts off good but then looses out. It could have been done better - considering the hype around it. Sanjay Dutt needs to get in shape or retire! But its definately a Blue wave this Diwali weekend at the box office.