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.