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).

Jaane Tu ya Jaane Na

Friends, it's time to stand and applaud Abbas Tyrewala for his directorial debut, Jaane Tu ya Jaane Na. He has done it with absolute newcomers and managed to get the crowds in for 'repeat' views. A big praise to Aamir Khan for backing a venture that had no takers in the 'corporate' world of film financiers. Just goes to show that corporate India has no sense of cinema.

So what clicked in the film? I think what really mattered was an easy style of story-telling and engaging performances by Imraan Khan (Aamir's nephew), Genelia D'Souza and a host of young actors, including Prateek Babbar (son of late Smita Patil and Raj Babbar).

I felt good watching a young hero without any pretences of a he-man, minus the show of brawn. He is as ordinary and chilled-out as many of his generation are. When did we last see a hero who has not been beefed up to 'show-off' on the screen? Can't remember at all.

There is a lot of freshness in the way the story, though predictable at times, unfolds. The icing on the cake are cameos by Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah, Paresh Rawal, Sohail and Arbaaz Khan. My favourite music director AR Rahman goes one better with a youthful score that will, I am sure, scorch the charts for a long time. ARR, you please make sure that you give one album for the young generation every year--and you might end up becoming a youth icon for a number of years to come.

With this film, Aamir Khan seals his stamp as a serious producer of quality cinema in Bollywood. Aamir along with Vishal Bharadwaj seem to be people who are beautifully dovetailing art and commerce in Indian cinema. They are showing the way to making films that can surprise, entertain and leave the audience with a 'wow' effect.

Dasavathaaram--Oh what a disappointment!

It's been some time since I posted anything. But Kamal Haasan's recent release jolted me from my self-imposed inertia. What a film I had expected it to be, and what a disappointment it was. What is Mr Kamal Haasan upto--and why is he taking his self-obsession to obscene levels. Dasavathaaram is nothing but a film to showcase Mr Haasan's talents as an actor--and it fails miserably since the actor is trying to stretch himself too much in characters who don't fit in the razon-thin storyline. Even the make-up looked unconvincing--the faces (or masks, to call them) were too waxy and lifeless.

Two characters stood out (the RAW agent Balram Naidu and the Vaishnava priest), but the rest seem to be cut-and-paste jobs in a narrative that never grabs you by the neck. Come on, Mr Haasan, you talk about Indian films standing on their own in world cinema--and here you come up with a potboiler which has neither a boiling script nor a pot of cinematic riches. And please start playing your age; you look like actress Asin's father in the film. When will south Indian thespians realise that they look like used condoms in front of their young virile heroines? And how long can the masses accept such drivel on the screen.

If you want to see good Tamil cinema, then try the offbeat ones, stay away from the superstar-driven films.

SRK-Entertainer No. 1

I always believed that SRK is probably India's foremost off-screen entertainer, and I will shout from the rooftops to say that again, after watching this year's Filmfare awards ceremony. It was SRK's show all the way, even though Saif played a great second-fiddle. Anchoring the show for the second time (point out if I am wrong), both of them took over the awards programme and never let it sag even for a minute. This time, their barbs flew in all directions of the audience, sparing none. They were happy tearing apart any one they felt like--Vidya Balan (for her dresses in Heyy! Baby, Ram Gopal Varma (for the debacle of Aag, the remake of Sholay), Amitabh Bachchan (for not inviting most people from Bollywood for Abhishek-Ash wedding).

SRK is best when he is spontaneous and natural--whether in interviews, talk shows, or as anchor. Unlike films, where he usually hams in a big way, these are platforms which give him the maximum leeway to show off his creative instincts. One liners, puns, twists of phrase, black humour and whacky wit--SRK offers everything in one rollicking package. Why is he wasting his time in films when he could be doing a better job as a stand-up comic and anchor (a combination of Billy Crystal and Jay Leno) who can set the stage on fire with his sardonic wit and quicksilver repartees. SRK, television needs you, films don't.
Read: King Khan's De-risking Strategy