Ek Thi Dayan Movie Review

Attempting films of different subjects is something that Ekta Kapoor is known for; right from The Dirty Picture to films like Shootout At Lokhandwala and Once Upon A Time in Mumbai, she is one producer who hasn't shied away from telling some bold stories. With Ek Thi Dayan, Ekta now adds the genre of super-natural thrillers to her reporitre of some really catchy and eye-opening movies.

Ek Thi Dayan makes you think, do ghosts exist? What exactly is black magic? Is it all a myth or does it have the power to actually work? If you really delve deep, you'd know that this country of ours is pierced with superstitions, erroneous beliefs and what not. Stories of witches and supernatural have been going on since time immemorial, here. Ek Thi Dayan actually makes you realize those rituals & practices which have existed for as long as we could remember.

Ek Thi Dayan tells the tale of Bobo (Emran Hashmi) who is India's leading magician, but he is constantly haunted and even, at times, hallucinates about his past, a childhood which holds some deep secrets. And this "secret" is unknown to even his girlfriend, Tamara (Huma Qureshi). However, inspite of all these hallucinations, Bobo moves on with his life, but just as his career seems to be going really well, the beautiful Lisa Dutt (Kalki Koechlin) enters his life and this convices Bobo that Lisa Dutt is the daayan. It remains to be seen, however, whether she is the daayan, or is it all in his mind.

This movie is unlike any other super-natural thriller that's released in the recent past. Certain things in this world are beyond our understanding and Ek Thi Dayan taps on exactly those things, and holds your attention really well. Direction by debutant director Kannan Iyer is really radical, and it's different from what we have already seen n number of times in this genre. I personally loved the portions in which the film moves onto the flashbacks (in the first hour); these portions are worth a mention indeed. But, Kannan Iyer ensures there is also a suave love story which is running at the same time to the main story, with the integrated songs and music in the narrative.

This is a movie which doesn't quite let you relax; just as you start to think that you know what's going to happen next, the movie jolts you back. And especially the climax of Ek Thi Dayan is sure to hit you like a bomb! The movie does tend to get a little slow and predictable at times, but the scare quotient and the twists which I just talked about more than makes up for the small shortcomings.

Coming to the various performances, Emran Hashmi absolutely takes the cake when it comes to playing his character. He carries the entire movie on his shoulders with aplomb and brings soul into the character. This is, without an iota of doubt, one of his finest performances till date. Another brilliant actor to watch out for is the vivacious Huma Qureshi, who, after playing a small town girl in her first two films comes with a bang to play her character (Tamara) in Ek Thi Dayan. She is oozing with confidence in this new role of hers. Kalki, on the other hand looks the role was tailor-made for her as she slots perfectly in the character. Ek Thi Dayan also marks Konkona Sen Sharma's entry into the horror genre, and this experienced actress plays her part tremendously well, and with gusto and a performance that she'd be proud of.

On the whole, Ek Thi Dayan is a film which is different from the other run of the mill horror movies produced by Bollywood every year. It talks about witches and mixes this with a sweet love story which goes on parallel to the entire film, and with a very absorbing screenplay and some brilliant performances, it's a first of its kind movie that Bollywood has churned after quite some-time. If you are into horror movies, and want to have a good times combined with a few spine-chilling moments, make sure you catch 'Ek Thi Dayan' this weekend, playing at a cinema hall near you.

Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars

Jolly LLB Movie Review

It is good to see that the Indian film industry is not afraid to make different fimls anymore. The entire theme of satire may still not be as mainstream as we all would perhaps like it to be, but rest assured Bollywood is moving down that path. Three decades after the brilliant Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, came movies like Peepli Live, Phas Gaye Re Obama and last week's Saare Jahan se Mehenga. Now, you can add Jolly LLB to that list.

Helmed by Subhash Kapoor, who came into limelight with his comment about global recession and its effects in his last movie, Phas Gaye Re Obama, Jolly LLB aims at laying bare the foibles that defines our entire judiciary system. The story revolves around Jagdish Tyagi (Arshad Warsi), better known as Jolly to friends and near ones. Frustrated with the fact that his career is not taking off in a small town like Meerut, Jolly decides it's high time he moved to Delhi. He also convices in girl-friend Sandhya (Amrita Rao) and hits Delhi's Districts and Sessions Court where is 'office' is a feelble desk perched under the wide open sky. He flounders and moves about his daily chores until the day he meets the super-successful Tejinder Rajpal (Boman Irani), arguing about the victimization of his rich client Rahul Dewan, whose Land Cruiser had run over 6 labourers on a foot-path. Suddenly, an eye-witness to the case appears, and Jolly files a PIL. 

There are a couple of blemishes in the movie which I would like to mentio here; like the song featuring  the clumsy' daaru', which was completely uncalled for, and perhaps I would've personally loved to see more of the Meerut city. But, with cracking scenes between Jolly and Rajpal and eventually Rajpal vs. the judge Tripathi (played by the brilliant Saurabh Shukla), the ongoings becomes absolutely electric. Eventually, drama builds up as Jolly mirrors the public's (aam aadmi) bewilderment and determination to fight against corruption and wrong-doings.

Jolly LLB works, and works big time because of the wonderful star-cast. Arshad Warsi as Jolly is outrightly convincing, while Boman Irani as the high-flying advocate is absolutely brilliant. And when both of them come together, each scene becomes a joy to behold. The movie also works because of its larger point - decency is absolutely worth fighting for. The movie uses satire and plot twists, and somehow manages to show corruption used against the corrupt in a way which would, I am sure, to touch the general public. It does have a wee bit weaker first half, and songs could've been done without, but what it ultimately becomes is a Jolly good show. If you think you'll enjoy a court-room drama with a twist (satire) and a certain seriousness to it, go watch Jolly LLB and have a jolly good time.

Rating: 3.5/ 5 Stars

I, Me aur Main Movie Review

There are movies which are made for pur unadulterated fun, then there are movies which are more of a coming of age cinema which has been on the minds of many a story-teller. I, Me aur Main is one such story, and is directed by first time director Kapil Sharma, has John Abraham enacting the role of an adult who is self-obsessed, narcissist, and a guy who completely refuses to accept responsibilities, be it committment or anything else for that matter.

I, Me aur Main is a story about coming of age, really. Ishaan (John Abraham) is a stylish, good looking music producer based out of Mumbai. He lives with his girlfriend Anushka (Chitrangda Singh) in her swanky apartment, and is his mother's absolute favourite child, and is always protected by her and his sister Shivani (Mini Mathur). The problem is Ishaan takes them all for granted. But, eventually, there comes a day in his life when everything falls apart. And finally, fed up of his taken for granted attitude, Anushka throws him out of her house. He, then moves onto a normal house, and his mother comes and moves in with him, his sister is also upset with him while his boss (Raima Sen) asks him to resign from the job. It is then that his male ego is absolutely shattered to the core and his confidence is shaken.

This is the time when Gauri (Prachi Desai), his neighbour comes into his life, and from her he gets to learn the actual importance of relationships in someone's life. And finally, the day comes when he needs to make a choice. This movie has several awesome scenes, which are worthy of a mention here. I loved the attitude that comes across right from the start of the movie, in John Abraham's moves, the way he speaks and walks, and in everything else. His relationship goes from bad to worse with Chitrangda Singh, and in addition to all this, there are scenes which John and Mini Mathur share which looks straight out of real life. Brilliant touches, these!

On the other hand, there are moments when the movie seemed to be running out of steam, or runs on the expected path. I did not quite understand why the relationship between John and his boss Raima gets repetitive after a point of time. Additionally, if John wanted to introduce a new singer into the market, why didn't he pursue her all the way (or atleast that's what the viewer gets, a half-baked effort on the script-writer's part). The debutant director does a decent job and there are times when his brilliance does shine through in the movie. However, the screenwriting is what leads him down at times. However, I especially appreciate the fact thatsongs has been especially been restricted in the movie, which goes with the movie, to be frank; a nice touch indeed.

John Abraham comes out of his action figure and does the job of the man-child really well. He doesn't deviate into a negative theme, but enacts the part brilliantly. Chitrangda lends a certain glow into her part, very well done indeed. Prachi adds much needed zest into the enterprise, and she shines especially in the small scenes. Mini Mathur is very natural and she shines through in her scene, so does Raima Sen. However, Sameer Soni doesn't get much scope, while Errol Peter Marks is decent.

Overall, I would say 'I, Me aur Main' is for the youth.  Had it taken the unconventional route, it would've been so much better. But then again, it is not boring, it doesn't really preach anything. A strict one time watch for entertainment purposes.

Rating: 3 / 5 Stars

Kai Po Che Movie Review

Indian film industry is evolving, and in what an amazing way, really. We are almost looking at a new Bollywood, evolving exactly as it ideally should. This 'change' that I have been talking about is something which defines this latest iteration of Chetan Bhagat's novel 'Three Mistakes of my Life'. What's more, this movie sets the stage for 3 new exciting talents who are worth a watch; actually MORE than worth a watch, really.

The above lines defines 'Kai Po Che' in a nutshell. Directed by Abhishek Kapoor, adapts 'The 3 Mistakes of My Life', best-seller author Chetan Bhagat's take of a story, mixing cricket rage with a few other notes regarding politics, religion, the confused youth, and finally coming of age. The story of the movie says what Bhagat majorly says in his book, but that is to be expected since it is the book that the story majorly follows. Like the book, the film unfolds the film's story in Ahmedabad in the year 2002, with the backdrop of the Gujarat riots. This movie cannot really be slated into a particular genre as such. It actually depicts friendship, romance, sports, religion, politics and what's more, it talks about all this in a way that is really toucing, and would really strike a chord with the audience. 

Kai Po Che tells the tale of three friends who are based out of Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The story sees a young boy in Ahmedabad, named Govind (Rajkumar Yadav) dream of starting a business. However, to accommodate his friend Ishan (Sushant Singh Rajput) ad Omi's (Amit Sadh) passion for cricket, they finally open a cricket goods and training shop. But, if you really delve deeply, you will notice the fact that the three friends have their own motive; while Govind's goal is to make as much money as he can, Ishan desires to nurture Ali who is a gifted batsma, while all Omi wants to do is stay with his friends. However, the events which take place ultimately change the lives of each of the friends in a very different ways.

With Kai Po Che, Abhishek Kapoor has proved what a fantastic story-teller he is, a fact which is clearly evident in his earlier films too, namely, "Aryan" and "Rock On". You might find a few similarities between Rock-On and Kai Po Che, but they are still very different. I truly believe that a movie like Kai Po Che is really tough to make as it just doesn't has a solid story, but also has a few sub-plots - a much bigger canvas, really. As for the sound-track of the movie,  the songs are not complicated, and fits in beautifully within the movie. More importantly, it is purely a sound-track which can be enjoyed by us all, every Indian would really find it easy to understand and perhaps even hum along, long after getting out of the theatre. Cinematography (by Anay Goswamy) is brilliant, and captures the feel of the city in a beautiful way.

The main parts, as played by three hugely gifted actors is absolutely brilliant. Sushant Singh Rajput, Rajkumar Yadav and Amit Sadh are the heart-beats of this enterprise. They are all terrific actors, and are blessed with an amazing screen presence, and pure talent. Not only are these three actors brilliant, but even the supporting cast is equally superb. 

Finally, all I can say is Kai Po Che is full of awesome content. It proves the simple fact that to make good cinema, it is not always neccessary to cast a huge star-cast. Watch Kai Po Che because movies like these need our encouragement. This movie so much deserves a standing ovation. Absolutely brilliant!

Rating: 4.5/ 5 Stars

Murder 3 Movie Review

I want to confess something before starting out with this review. Sara Loren's character in this movie (Murder 3 ) has her first dialogue which goes like, "Mujhe akele aur tanha aadmiyon ki aankhon mein aansoon achhe nahin lagtey", which means "I don't like seeing tears in the eyes of alone and lonely men." These words does say a lot about the movie, doesn't it? 

Murder 3 could have been a brilliantly done movie, but what it actually transpires into is a bland, borderline comatose and what it believes is an 'official' adaptation of the Columbian thriller "La Cara Oculta" (The Hidden Face). It shows sensuality, lip locking and almost as bad dialogues as you could ever hear from a commercial movie! 

True love is perhaps the best thing one can ever find in this life, but if you do dare to cheat on your spouse, you might end up in more danger than you could imagine. Yes, that is the main plot or the premise of the movie Murder 3, Vishesh Bhatt's latest offering in the Murder franchise. Murder 3 starts off with Vikram (Randeep Hooda), who seemed to have been dumped by girl-friend Roshni (Aditi Rao Hydari). A heart-broken Vikram starts to spend most of his time drinking in the bars, and is almost ready not to ever forgive his girl-friend for what she did to her. That is where he eventually meets Nisha (Sara Loren), who lends him her shoulder to cry. Eventually, it happens; Vikram and Nisha fall in love with each other and Nisha ends up shifting into Vikram's palatial house situated on the outskirts of the city. Soon, Nisha starts to experience things, starts to hear voices, et al from the old house, made decades ago. But, she is confused as to what is actualy is. She thinks there exists some ghost in the house, but Vikram takes her all too lightly. What happens next and what secrets does the house hold is the main plot-line of Murder 3.

Where Murder falters, for me, is the fact that it has romantic songs forced in after almost every scene. These songs do not hold any real relevance to the plot, or between them at all. It is almost as if the film-maker spoiling the grip or the suspense or the drama with these unwanted songs. Performance wise, all the leading characters do a decent job; however, Randeep Hooda doesn't really live up to the expectations that perhaps the public or his fans might have had from him, especially given his earlier strong performances. Debutant director Vishesh Bhatt, though of a directing lineage has quite a lot of catching up to do is what I felt, especially his actors are almost like the sketches of what his characters should have been.

There is a strong twist at the culmination of Murder 3 which almost saves it from a bad and predictable ending, but anyways, since it is almost a copy-paste job of another movie, the credit goes to the original content and not Murder 3 in its entirety. At the end, all I can say is Murder 3 is not really one of the best offerings from the Bhatt camps. It is a one time watch, yes, but, if you ask me, placing cameras, huge sets, and copying a story doesn't really guarantee a hit. But, that's just me I believe. Not everyone in the fraternity agrees with me.

Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars

Special 26 Movie Review

When one steps into the movie hall to watch a movie titled 'Special 26', he/ she doesn't really have gargantum expectations, to be frank. But, when you see that it is helmed by Neeraj Pandey, whose 'A WEDNESDAY' is still fresh in everyone's minds, you know that this might just turn out to be something of a special affair. On one hand, while 'A WEDNESDAY' was more about the common man, this, 'Special 26' is completely dedicated to a con-man, or rather con-men! However, inspite of being such a wonderfully entertaining movie, the main issue remains just the same - law breakers and law-enforcers. What's more, it is more of a caper, inspired by true incidents. 

Inspite of being a completely enjoyable film, one must be warned that it is not one of those run of the mill, mindless comedy/ action movies which we have all come to expect off-late, frankly speaking. You might be wrongly believed to assume that it is one given the fact that it has Akshay Kumar written all over it, and the brilliant actor is synonymous with movies like Housefull and Rowdy Rathore, amongst others like Khiladi 786. However, Special 26 is a heist drama and borrows heavily from real life incidents which makes the on-going proceedings even more interesting to watch.

Although, this movie is out and out about criminals, however the director shuns all the bloodshed or the use of coarsed language that would otherwise make the viewer a little uncomfortable. I think, actually movies like Special 26 point at the fact that movies and GOOD movies can be made without shedding blood and all, onscreen. There are a few blemishes, yes, like the romantic track that was unwanted, really, especially in a fast movie like this. All it does is slows down the pace of the movie. 

If one looks at the performances, Akshay Kumar steals the game without a doubt. He almost does a complete U-turn with this movie. Deviating from the comic/ action roles that he is known for, Akshay completely reinvents himself with this fare. This is, without an iota of doubt one of the most challenging roles that Akshay has ever played, and he comes out with elan. He does his part with flare. Not only will Akshay's fans adore him in his new avtar, even the skeptical types will applaud his superb act. 

Manoj Bajpayee has been associated with many path breaking or "different" movies. And with Special 26, he has proved what a brilliant actor he is. He delivers yet another superb performance that will be remembered for times to come. Additionally, actors like Anupam Kher & Jimmy Shergill play their part to perfection. Everyone in Special 26 is absolute firs-rate, no two ways about that. 

Overall, Special 26 is a very nicely made, and intelligently woven, slick and smart thriller with a subject matter that is inspired by true incidents that has happened in the past, which, according to me is its major USP. I am sure it would go down as one of the most interesting, and exciting heist dramas to watch on the silver-screen. It is sure to win accolades, and you make sure that you don't miss this superb movie. Special 26 has 'special' written all over it.

Rating: 4/ 5 stars