3 Idiots, a Bollywood Masterpiece

In a year, when Bollywood surprised and shocked us with Dev D, Kaminey and Rocket Singh, here comes the master blaster from director Raj Kumar Hirani.

Frankly, 3 Idiots blew my mind off--at least for some days after watching it. Probably, because we don't try to make such stuff in India.

Here is, at last, a film that throws a dynamite on our decrepit educational system and tell us to look at career choices in a different way. And Hirani does it in his inimitable way in weaving a tale (inspired by Chetan Bhagat's 5 point Someone).

He is helped by commendable performances, eye-catching camerawork (in some parts) and a background score that works well to heighten the impact.

If Aamir does a reasonably good job as Rancho, others like Madhavan, Sharmaan Joshi, Boman Irani, Kareena Kapoor and Omi (a sensational debut as Chatur Ramalingam) do justice to the script.

Right from the first frame, the film never leaves you off the hook. Hirani, who co-wrote the story with Abhijit Joshi (of Lage Raho Munnabhai fame), builds up a tempo that makes you ask for more as the story progresses. What I liked particularly about the narrative was its pacing--just the right dose of fun spiced with the heart-tugging condiments.

3 Idiots blends hard-hitting truths and humour so beautifully that the story never falls hard on the viewer. Hirani, undoubtedly, is the superstar of the film. He has set such a high benchmark for himself, that it is going to be difficult to scale a notch higher with every next film of his.

And if you are one of the many who always felt like an idiot in academics and work, this film will perhaps open your eyes and mind.

3 Idiots deserves to be seen by every parent, student and people caught in the career-trap.

Don't miss it for anything.

Rocket Singh, A Film with a Heart

I am sure each of you would have his/her favourite film(s) of the year.

But for me Rocket Singh--Salesman of the Year is somewhere on top of my favourites list. This year-end offering from Yashraj Films left me surprised, shaken and stirred. It is a film about basic values that one normally forgets (or is forced to forget) in the normal course of life, work, career and business. Wonderfully scripted, narrated and performed (minus the Bollywood frills), this film has a heart. Don't miss it..

With this film, Ranbir Kapoor once again proves that he is becoming a director's actor. For Yashraj Films, this is another high point after Chak De! (again by director Shimit Amin's and writer-scenarist Jaideep Sahni). Both these films are as different as chalk and cheese. But both of them have a high dose of positive and feel-good emotions that can inspire viewers with a thumping high.

I only hope this film has a decent run at the box office. It deserves a wider audience than those of metro cities and towns. To quote a line from the film, "even Spiderman has to take a risk, and I am just a salesman." Well done Yashraj Films, Shimit Amin and Jaideep Sahni and the ensemble cast of Rocket Singh. You took the risk, and made a film that will become a classic of sorts in the years to come.

Here Comes the VB-SRK Combo

Post Kaminey, Vishal Bharadwaj is becoming a director icon of sorts. Anything he touches has the makings of a classic. In an industry, nurtured by inanities and formulas, this man is re-scripting the meaning of cinema and success.

For me, it is great news that Vishal Bharadwaj and SRK have patched up and getting ready to work on a script. For SRK, this could be the big opportunity to let go of his old baggage of acting skills and begin afresh with a film maker who believes in breaking the rules and redefining the limits for actors. He needs to break out of the Karan Johar/Aditya Chopra/Farah Khan schools of film making, and dig deep inside to stretch the acting envelope. If not now, when?

Bharadwaj's Omkaara (adaption of Shakespeare's Othello) saw Saif Ali Khan tread new ground in playing Langda Tyagi--so much so that he stole the limelight from others in the film.

I can't wait to see the raw energy of SRK bursting on the screen under the baton of a auteur like Bharadwaj.

But till that happens, I would be waiting expectantly for Ishqiya, Bharadwaj's next venture as producer. If the trailer is any indication, this film set in rural India is going to be a riot of bawdy humour laced with profanities. I enjoy listening to asli Indian gaalis coming full blast on the big screen.

Compromise to Conquer the Box Office

Ajab Prem ki Ghazab Kahaani will go on to become Raj Kumar Santoshi's most successful film, in terms of box office returns. But I don't think Santoshi will be proud of this film. The director, who made both entertaining and sensible films (in the commercial format) like Andaz Apna Apna, Ghatak, Ghayal, Damini, Khakee, Bhagat Singh to name a few, has at last realised that it is better to make a light-hearted, hare-brained entertainer and have a rolling hit than make something more sensible and not get the big bang effect.

APGK reminds you a bit of the Andaz Apna Apna humour, but it lacks the flow of that Santoshi masterpiece. But for the all the failings in the film (script, continuity and story), there is one person who redeems the film in every frame. Ranbir Kapoor is a revelation, and a lot of credit should go to Santoshi for believing in this young actor to deliver the big P. After seeing Ranbir in APGK, I feel he is immensely more talented and spontaneous than SRK in his younger days (this comparison is going to be inevitable, even though they are poles apart in their acting styles).

APGK proves beyond doubt that Ranbit has 'acting' in his genes, but I thought I also saw sparks of Kishore Kumar and Raj Kapoor in some of the scenes. So even though Ranbir has all the makings of becoming a superstar as big as SRK (as I said in my earlier post) he will chart his own path to get there.

Three (Very Old) Idiots

Just caught a glimpse of the teaser promo of Raj Kumar Hirani's Three Idiots, based on the novel by bestseller writer Chetan Bhagat. I hope the film is fun and interesting as Hirani's Munnabhai series. But I felt sad to see Aamir Khan, R Madhavan and Sharmaan Joshi play young IIT students. This is not bad casting, it is about insulting the viewers (to have them believe that these grown-ups are engineering students). Even if the three actors manage to make us believe that they are young guys, it is bad logic on the part of the producer (Vidhu Vinod Chopra. To me, this film starts on the wrong foot with this casting blunder.

Hollywood also makes mistakes in casting, scripting and direction. But it will never have a Tom Cruise or a Brad Pitt playing a college student or a young lover (unless the story demands as in the film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button).

But our group of successful Khans are trying hard to get younger by every film they do. Take Om Shanti Om (SRK), Ghajini (Aamir), Love Aaj Kal (Saif) or Wanted (Salman. In all these films, the Khans are romancing heroines who are probably half their age. But then the public accepts the Khans in whichever way they come, as long as it is paisa vasool . In India, everything is forgiven for superstars (in his last film Sivaji, Rajnikanth romanced Shreya Saran, who is probably forty years younger to him. Before him, NTR and Nageswara Rao in Telugu, and Dr Rajkumar in Kannada did the same).

On another side, I found it funny that our media makes a big story out of a rain song featuring Aamir and Kareena in Three Idiots. Is a rain song so important in a film which has the 'Thinking Khan' starring in it. I really wonder why an actor of the calibre of Aamir has to do such a song, and also talk about it to media. Anyway, just hope that the film lives up to its expectations.

Among the few brilliant films I saw this week was the 1970s thriller classic The Getaway, directed by the maverick American director Sam Peckinpah. The film, starring the 'ever cool' Steve Macqueen and Ali McGraw, had edge-of-the-seat action, thrills and suspense right from the word go. Not only did Peckinpah show how to turn every cliche on the head in telling a crime story, he showed that good films like this one always stand the test of time thanks to a great script and narrative. I also saw Solino, a film directed by Fatih Akin, a German filmmaker of Turkish origin (I saw this on NDTV Lumiere, which is turning out to be my favourite movie channel). Solino is a story of an Italian family which emigrates to Germany in the 1970s. The film shows the parallel journeys (emotional, physical) of transition for migrants who are caught between two cultures.

Beyond Imitating Hollywood

I just finished reading a wonderful piece in the Hindu Sunday Magazine on the new generation directors in Bollywood who are going beyond cut-pasting Hollywood films. In his article, Bangalore-based film maker Vijay Nair analyses the film making styles of the Imtiaz Ali and Vishal Bharadwaj, and points out that they are tuning to the new Indian audiences by "learning to keep themselves open to a more eclectic set of influences."

In other words, even if their films are 'inspired' by literature and films of the West, they have adapted their offerings (Ali's Love Aaj Kal and Bharadwaj's Omkaara and Kaminey) to suit Indian sensibilities.

I really loved the way Nair demolished the Karan Johar school of film making for its ham-handed way of mixing and matching scenes in Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna from the original Falling in Love (starring Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep). It has taken more than 10 years for a Bollywood biggie like Johar to come up with a superior product like Wake Up Sid--and ironically, that one is not directed by him.

Talking about remakes and inspirations, Indiatimes.com has an interesting compilation of the films that Kamal Haasan copied, adapted and remade as a scriptwriter and producer. And more often than not, he has tried to prove the Urdu adage that Naqal ke liye bhi Akal ki Zaroorat Hoti Hai.

Is Ranbir the Next SRK?

Just a day left for the release of Ajab Prem ki Ghazab Kahani (APGK) and it already looks like a blazing hit at the box office. The positive buzz has nothing much to do with the fact that it is directed by the talented Raj Kumar Santoshi; nor is it about the Ranbir-Katrina chemistry. To some extent, the success of Wake Up Sid is making things easier for APGK to hit the screen running. Beyond all these factors, what truly gives the film the big pre-launch push is, what I call, the Ranbir edge.

Ranbir is suddenly beginning to look ready to steal 'the lover boy' label from Shah Rukh Khan. Though he is definitely not in the mould of SRK (the energy levels are different), he has the essential ingredients to fit neatly into that niche.

What is that wow! thing which helps Ranbir dominate the screen with a star-like shine? By Bollywood standards, he does not have the drop-dead looks of Hrithik Roshan nor does he have the brawn to flaunt around. Even his voice is not too impressive. But what works for him is that he comes across as a straightforward, no-nonsense, cool guy (and cute too) to the urban audience. The cute quotient worked for SRK, and it will work for Ranbir too. None would be more happier than Yashraj Films, which is definitely searching for an ideal, young replacement for SRK.

To get into the superstar league, Ranbir need not even do a film like Dilwale Dulhaniyan Le Jaayenge or Dil to Paagal Hai. All he needs to do is the kind of films which will get him a 'secure connect' with the youth. Quite sensibly, Ranbir is not starting off his innings as SRK did in his early years. After the debacle of Bachna Hai Haseenon, Ranbir is attempting to do slightly offbeat roles which offer him the scope for experimentation.

Riding on the success of Wake Up Sid and APGK (as it promises to be) , the young actor will be ready to deliver more aces in the coming months, most notably Rocket Singh-Salesman of the Year (from Yashraj Films). Santoshi has announced that Ranbir and Katrina would be starring in the sequel to his popular Andaz Apna Apna (and arguably one of the best comedies to have come from the Bollywood stable).

But becoming a youth superstar will still take some doing from Ranbir. More so, because SRK is still a youth icon in his 40s, despite a no-show year in 2009. And one never knows what the 'Badshah' might do to keep that crown to himself in 2010.

Ajab Pritam ka Ghazab Music!

I always thought Pritam brought that extra zing to every song he does. He has a fine sense of music arrangement, enviable knowledge of technology and a good sense of rhythm. There is no doubt that he knows the pulse of Indian GenX and makes music that sets the FM channels on fire. Of course, his detractors say he copies left, right and centre. But it does not matter in today's world, where originality is as difficult to find as water in a desert. Pritam is free to get 'inspired' as long as he packages the right mix for Indian listeners. Every song of his in the past year has been a chartbuster (Life in a Metro, Gol Maal 2, Bhool Bhulaiya, Singh is King, New York, Love Aaj Kal)--and that is evidence enough that the audience loves his kind of music.

Methinks that his score in Ajab Prem ki Ghazab Kahani is a great effort, in terms of the variety it offers. Not only are the numbers instantly catchy but some of them like Tera Hone Laga Hoon work their magic better after many listens.

Of course, Pritam has competition in the form of Bollywood's talented duo Vishal Shekhar, who keep springing up surprises like Om Shanti Om, Tashan and Dostana, but they still don't have that consistency about them. The other duo Salim-Suleiman, have shown their mettle in background scores, but still have to give more hits to establish their niche. I don't want to forget Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy who have given memorable numbers during their reasonably long stint in Hindi film music. But despite Taare Zameen Par and Rock On, I still find it difficult to place them among the pop toppers.

As of now, Pritam rules the Bollywood roost (I don't want to bring ARR's name in the race, since he is not really in the competition and is a veteran compared to these younger guys. And to many of these wannabes, he is an inspiration..) Important question: Will Pritam have the staying power to be there at the top for a long time. My answer: I don't see him disappearing from the scene in the years to come. I only hope he evolves as a better musician who can explore new rhythms and melodies to keep music lovers addicted and happy.

Waiting to see Govinda as Hanuman in Raavan

I am awaiting the release (sometime in May 2010) of Mani Ratnam's Raavan, a modern day take on Ramayana. The Hindi version has Abhishek Bachchan essaying the title role, while the Tamil actor Prithviraj will play Raavan in the Tamil version. The film has Aishwarya ing the role of Sita and Vikram as Ram, I think the scene stealers are going to be Govinda as Hanuman and Nikhil Dwivedi (a relatively unknown actor) as Lakshman. I think it will be Govinda's most important role of his life. The film, if nothing, will have spectacular photography and music (I expect a whopper from A R Rahman..the poor guy needs to surpass himself all the time..there are enough people ready to say that he is not giving his best, even though Delhi 6 happened in January.).

Salman Found Wanting in 'Wanted'

I hate to visit my blog once in a while and see it look like a dilapidated warehouse on a mountain highway. I promise to myself that I would post more frequently, even if it amounts to plain rambling. The noise in a film blog comes from raves, rants and comments, and not necessarily critiques and analyses. Let me start with my comment on Wanted, which is Salman Khan's biggest hit in the past few years. This is probably the first film after a long time, where he has attempted to act and not sleepwalk through the role. But whatever little I saw of Wanted left me wanting for something better from Salman. No doubt the crowds are lapping his performance in a film whose style and treatment is different from most run-of-the-mill masala stuff on the big screen. But I recommend that one should actually see Pokkiri, the Tamil version of Wanted. In what was a purely masala film, Vijay kept the screen on fire with his histrionics and dialogue timing. Wish Salman had borrowed some Vijay's (ada) style from him, or at least director Prabhudeva had made Salman add a bit more spice to his performance (I can hear a lot of Salman fans ready to throw brickbats at me, but I stand by what i say).

Leo is King

I wouldn't have really bothered to revive my blog but for Leonardo DiCaprio's breathtaking performance in Sam Mendes-directed Revolutionary Road. It hit me like a rude bomb on a placid night.

That Leo was the best among today's young actors was never in doubt. But in this film, he imbues his role with raw intensity, vulnerability and passion and elevates it to a new dimension. For me, Leo made a statement that he has few peers to challenge his throne as Hollywood's most versatile actor today--on a par with the greats like Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and Jack Nicholson.

The film is dark, depressing and stark as it goes about narrating a tale of crumbling relationship between a husband and wife, played by Kate Winslet. But Leo steals the show in every scene, pulling you into his world of dreams, emotions and frustrations. My heart cried out many times during the film as I watched Leo's Frank being tossed about by the whirligigs of life and marriage.

I don't recommend this film to all. But this film is a showcase for the directorial ability of the gifted British film maker Mendes (who vowed audiences with Road to Perdition and American Beauty) and the powerhouse talent of DiCaprio (Blood Diamond, Gangs of New York, Catch Me If Your Can, The Aviator, The Departed).