Can't think of one!

Indeed. Just wanted an excuse to stick up a picture of Zulfi Syed (again). You can never have too many.

Tried (and failed) to watch Fight Club. Dino Morea and Zayed Khan kept my attention for about 35 minutes but after that I couldn't be bothered and off I went. The rubbishness of the film soon outweighed their attractiveness. *sigh*

I'm sure I read somewhere that Kareena Kapoor is going to be/might be in a remake of Pakeezah. I hope I was mistaken and/or it's a bad joke. 'Tis the season of remakes and I'm just praying that they don't try and wreck another classic. Sure, take bad films and try to make them better - but why take films that are already good (nay, great!) and just rehash them?! I guess it's easier...

Talking of which, I haven't seen the new Don. Haven't seen the new Umrao Jaan. I can wait until they turn up on cable.

Punjabi Cinema Rises Again

Exciting times! I remember watching classics like Long Da Lashkara, Chan Pardesi, and Sarpanch back when I was a little 'un. Then came a decade or so where there were practically no Punjabi films of any worth whatsoever.

Things finally seem to be picking up again though :o) We've had a couple of flicks that've done quite well (The well known singer, Harbhajan Mann, starred in the first couple of films which got people into Punjabi films again). Since then Gurdas Mann has rejoined the fray (Waris Shah is out soon). The films are looking slicker and with decent music again.

One of the most exciting developments for me is the participation of actors (not singer-actors) like Jimmy Shergill, Juhi Chawla, and Manav Vij. At last we've got heroes/heroines that can attract younger audiences - no more pot-bellied types prancing about in a kurta pyjama! The glamour-factor arriveth! :o)

Parineeta

What a sweet film! Just watched it now... will spare you the story as I think I am probably the last person on the planet to see it :oP

The chemistry between Saif Ali Khan (Shekhar) and Vidya Balan (Lolita), playing childhood friends, was strong - very believable. Although that's not surprising - Vidya is stunning in a very understated way..like the heroines of yesteryear :o)

The ending was a bit disappointing, if I have to pick a weak point. Watching Saif smash through a wall with the aid of a garden ornament (yes, really) was a bit not in keeping with the atmosphere of the film - I would've preferred he just dash after Vidya in the rain or something..throw himself in front of her car..I dunno - anything but the water fountain! Still....I'd watch it again :o)

Oh yes - Sanjay Dutt had a smallish role. I kept expecting him to burst into a Munnabhai dialogue though..hehe..

Omkara - Naina

'nainon ki mat maaniyo re
nainon ki mat suniyo
nainon ki mat suniyo re
naina thag lenge, naina thag lenge...

...jagte jaadu phukenge re, jagte jagte jaadu
jagte jaadu phukenge re, neenden banjar kar denge
naina thag lenge...'


Penned by Gulzar, and sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan - this is my song of the moment. Absolutely beautiful - I've had it on constant repeat for days. Haven't seen the film yet, so I'm very curious to know how this song is used (if it's used). I love Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's voice - heavenly :o)

Munky Khush Hua

No particular reason - just that it's sunny outside and I'm still on my holidays from work!

Didn't manage to watch any flicks at the weekend - just caught the tail end of some old awards show where Shahrukh Khan led a fairly humourous tribute to Yash Chopra. He's looking a bit haggard (Shahrukh, not Yash), but then he has been around for a bit and all that c-c-c-crying, c-c-c-carrying hefty heroines about, and all those c-c-c-costume changes can't be easy on a man!

Happy Birthday to Zulfi Syed!

Yes, 'tis this lovely fella's birthday today (according to FTV anyway, but hey he has to have a birthday someday in the year so it may as well be today *cough*).

I've already reviewed his debut flick, Pyaasa (see old entries). Waiting for Chupke Se to arrive in the post (it's taking soooooo long, darn it) - seen a few songs from it and it seems like a sweet movie. Skipped Wajaah, and am impatiently awaiting the DVD release of Taj Mahal - that's something I really want to see. Overwhelmingly, the praise for Zulfi's acting has been really positive in the latter film - finally, somewhere to showcase his talent properly! Hopefully we'll see more of him now ;o)

Here's a treat - great song too :o)

Musings

Greetings. Haven't watched a film in the last few days. Karan Johar's 'Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna' is out in all the cinemas but I think I'll just wait for it to turn up on cable. I'd love to see 'Omkaara' - maybe I can drag a friend along to see it *ponders* Apparently Saif Ali Khan is seriously good in it :o)

Ordered a copy of 'Chupke Se' so I can indulge in some more Zulfi-watching (I think that should be an Olympic sport).

Hmm..maybe I'll dig out an old DVD or something. I still haven't seen all of Veer Zara (shocking, I know). I've tried watching it twice and every time I get stuck at the same spot :oS Maybe I'll be third time lucky and manage to see it through to the end!

Then again, I need something cheery to watch. It's grey outside and I think it's affecting my mood somewhat. I think this calls for - Mr India!!!!!

Pyaasa

I'm only about 4 years late :oP This came out in 2002 - I don't think it ever registered with me on any level back then, which tells you something already. The thing that kept me going (well, two things) were the male leads - Zulfi Syed (as Prem), and Aftab Shivdasani (as Sooraj). They were oh-so-great to look at. Umm. That's about it really!

The sad thing is that it all started so well - the initial plot was an interesting one; Sooraj's a kindhearted but misunderstood soul with a father who's deeply disappointed that he's nowhere near as successful as his cousin, Prem. Note - Sooraj dislikes Prem with a passion. This makes you like Prem all the more - minor detour here, but Zulfi doesn't get too much to do in this flick, but I would quite happily pay to watch him just stand in the corner and smile every now and then - say, every 15 minutes or so *drools*

Ahem! Aaaanyway - along comes Sheetal (played by Yukta Mookey) who offers Sooraj a highly paid job which finally takes him into the big league and he gets many an opportunity to go 'ner ner' in the face of Prem (who takes this very well and smiles throughout in saintly fashion). Sooraj falls for Sheetal, she leads him on but then breaks his heart when she confesses she fancies Prem (don't we all *more drooling*). Cue Sooraj having a mental and going a bit doolally. His anger increases when he finds out that Sheetal is using him to get closer to Prem, and then openly admits she is. We find out this has somet to do with Prem's father and for a bit it looks like she'll also do Prem over. But. But but but. This is where it all heads into the twilight zone :oS The next bit is like watching four hindi movies back to back on speed.

I won't elaborate too much but it goes something like this *takes deep breath*: Sooraj hates Prem but Prem loves Sooraj (as a brother, none of the funky stuff); Sheetal is taking revenge for what Prem's old man did to her's. Sheetal forces Sooraj to break up Prem's existing relationship. Sheetal pays Sooraj for this. Sooraj tries to kill Prem. Prem is still loving everyone. Sheetal confesses her love to Prem. Prem suddenly decides he loves her too. Sheetal comes to Prem's house with her father. Her father tries to kill Prem's father. Sheetal tells Sooraj what happened back in the day. Prem finds out the truth about his dad's dastardly deeds from a houseservant. Prem hands over his entire estate to Sheetal then walks out on his dad. His dad goes to Sooraj's house and asks for shelter yadda yadda. Sooraj tries to get him kicked out but his dad takes Prem's dad's side (he's the younger brother - are you still with me?!). Sooraj is now even more mad. Sheetal's happy until she gets kidnapped at gunpoint. Prem's dad appears and threatens to shoot her unless she signs everything back to him. Prem turns up to rescue Sheetal and after a bit of fisticuffs, his dad accidentally shoots him. Nice :oS Cue rushing to the hospital and along comes Prem's dad to visit his son and beg for forgiveness from the family. All forgive him (including Sheetal's dad), aside from Sooraj who loiters outside and vows to reach new levels of insanity. Prem is still smiling. Can't remember how but Sooraj gets all of Sheetal's wealth signed over to him and orders her about. The biggest order being that she has to marry him even though she's now decided she really does love Prem. Sooraj hands Prem an invite for the wedding. For the first time, Prem is not smiling. Sheetal refuses to marry Sooraj but he threatens her brothers who in turn threaten her - they'll kill Prem if she doesn't marry Sooraj. Shift to the only decent song in the entire flick - 'Dupatta Lehron Valiye', and the wedding ceremony begins. Prem is smiling again. All hail the gorgeous Saint Prem :oP Just before the final bit, Sooraj has a change of heart and drags Prem towards the mandap to marry Sheetal. Her brothers start shooting and Sooraj's dad gets shot (not fatally), but Sooraj manages to hold them off until the marriage is sealed. Then he gets shot of course; it's always the way - the one without the girl always dies - 'tis the way of Bollywood!! Cue death scene and much crying and Sheetal's brothers are back on her side again. Sooraj tells Prem he's a good lad and says his goodbyes etc etc.

*sigh* It could've been good...it could've! Sheetal/Yukta didn't help - in the bit where she's told that she has to marry Sooraj/Aftab, or Prem/Zulfi gets killed, I swear she had a smile on her face :oS The lady can't act. At all.

Final words: It was worth paying three quid for the DVD just to leer at Zulfi, but that was about it ;o)

36 Chinatown

Hmm... I'd like to have written a review about this, but I committed the sin of waiting a bit too long after having seen it. On the other hand, I only watched it a few days ago, so maybe the fact that I can't think of much to say reflects the quality of the film.

The premise was a good one - a whodunnit type of affair, with much scope for humour and tension in equal amounts. I do recall a few laugh-inducing moments. Not much recollection of any tension though. There were a few songs - none of which really stood out.

Shahid Kapur did okay, but he's no Shahrukh Khan. Akshay Kumar suited the role of the detective and had clearly spent a great deal of time in practising his eyebrow-raising. Kareena looked nice but that was about it.

If it had had a few more laughs and some decent songs I would've recommended it as a rainy-day movie (think Mr India), but alas, no!

Fanaa - A Pleasant Surpise

I didn't think that I would like this - I actually tried to persuade my friend to go and see something else. Thankfully, she persisted, and I have to say that it was quite good!

I can't recall whether I've seen Aamir Khan and Kajol onscreen together before, but there's definitely a good chemistry there. In short, Kajol plays the role of a blind girl (Zooni), who falls in love with Aamir's character (Rehan). Without revealing too much of the plot, it becomes clear that he is not quite what he seems and so Zooni must decide whether she is with him or with the ultimate good.

Most of the songs are packed into the first half, as the second half does get darker. The 'Chand Sifarish' number is done really well and the historical backdrops look great on the big screen. I was surprised to find that the one which I enjoyed the most was 'Des Mera Rangeela' - very energetic and colourful (obviously!).

It's great to see Kajol back in action - she really does have substance; that's been lacking of late within the current crop of actresses. Aamir does well - he looks quite rough and haggard, but with age he's managed to develop a far more convincing 'evil streak'. He really can look menacing when he wants to. There's a small part for Tabu, but she doesn't really get the chance to make much of an impact, and Rishi Kapoor plays the role of Kajol's father.

Overall, I don't think I'll go as far as buying the movie on DVD when it's out, but I wouldn't say 'no' if someone were to offer to take me to watch it again - even if only for the song sequences and Kajol's great outfits ;o)

Taj Mahal: The Music

'Mumtaz tujhe dekha jab Taj Mahal dekha,
Phir aaj ki aakhon se, guzra hua kal dekha..'

It's been a long time since a soundtrack has so completely moved me - and of course, who else but Naushad could weave such musical magic? Some years back, it had been the music of Maachis that had affected me so - now it's the turn of Taj Mahal.

I haven't seen the film, but the songs are so exquisite that I almost don't need to (of course, I will at some point). These are some of the highlights:

'Apni zulfein' is a beautiful ghazal sung by Hariharan - the sweeping strains of the strings at the beginning of it recreate the Mughal era in an instant. I've probably been singing this one in my sleep, I've listened to it so many times! The accompaniment is uncomplicated so that you can concentrate completely on the lyrics - which are in turn simple but so much more effective for being so.

'Mumtaz tujhe dekha' is another where you can immediately visualise the aged and imprisoned Shahjahan looking out towards the monument to his lost love. It is extremely touching, and leaves you with an aching inside - through Hariharan's voice you can feel Shahjahan's longing. How he would have swapped the creation that took over 20 years to build in an instant for the return of Mumtaz Mahal.

'Yeh kaun mujhe yaad aaya' is a classical number by Ajoy Chakraborty. It is overwhelming - completely heartrending. Best listened to at night to get the full effect (and the tears..oh yes, you'll cry). Definitely my favourite on the album because of the sheer effect it has on me. There is very little background music - just Chakraborty's excellent conveyance of separation and pain.

I've never been to the Taj Mahal - it always struck me as just another fancy building, but this music alone has forced me to reconsider that notion. I'll be reading up on the love that inspired its building for sure, and no doubt paying it a visit very soon...

Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story
Music Director: Naushad
Lyricists: Naqsh Lyallpuri and Syed Gulrez

Tathastu

Hmm. Now I have nothing against remakes of Hollywood films at all. This one is based around a potentially heartrending idea - the father (Sanjay Dutt) who has to break the law in order to save the life of his son. He's stone broke and the hospital ain't playin' ball, so to speak. It's a case of 'No dough, no show'. So, he decides to hold people hostage in the hospital in a last-ditch attempt to force the surgeon's hand (literally).

It doesn't normally take much for me to start bawling my eyes out - but at not one single point in this film was I ever in danger of needing a quiet sob. *sigh* From the moment Amisha Patel (the kid's mother) starts wailing hysterically (with dry eyes), to the point where the hostages decide to side with Sanjay and stay locked up until the operation is carried out - not a single moment of tension or tear-inducing drama was produced.

Some of the scenes with the hostages were laughable - Sanjay manages to hold a gun and solve a few of the hostages' personal problems at the same time. The guy who beats up his wife, the prostitute who beats up her pimp - it's all there. A few minutes are devoted to the resolution of each and there's also time enough for a quick 'The moral of this story is...', and a speech by Sanjay at the end.

The Sanju-The-Hero bit wasn't necessary and wasted time that could've been spent on building up some much-needed tension.

Gulshan Grover as the head cop did his usual stern staring and posturing, but seemed to switch in seconds at the end from someone who'd instructed his guys to shoot the hijacker on sight, to slapping Sanjay on the back and saying what a great father he was :oS

The whole thing was just bland. You couldn't care less about the characters - even the poor, dying boy elicited little sympathy from me...not a good sign!

Tat, indeed!