TAARE ZAMEEN PAR: Soul-stirring drama at its best

DIRECTOR: Aamir Khan
STARRING: Darsheel Safary, Aamir Khan, Tisca Chopra, Vipin Sharma

REVIEW: Refreshing and soul stirring, Taare Zameen Par dares to imagine beyond the contemporary walls of Indian cinema. Never before has a movie been as deeply immersed in the psychology of an average school-going Indian child's mind as in Taare Zameen Par.
The movie strikes the perfect chord with the viewers, and with its flawless screenplay and enlightening message, the viewers are engrossed in the amazing world of a school-boy, from the very first frame.
The movie traces the footsteps of eight-year old Ishaan Awasthi (Darsheel Safary), who is miserable in his studies and never seems to get a good grasp on the subjects taught to him. Instead, he is more of an abstract or artistic nature, and spends his time collecting fish from ponds, painting instead of completing his homework, and feeding his modest exam-results to stray dogs.
He is further demoralised by his teachers and his parents for bad performance in his studies. Also, Ishaan is also expected to follow in the footsteps of his elder brother Yohaan, who is successful in academics as well as in co-curricular activities.
He bunks his school to evade punishment one day, and roams around on the busy city roads. When this exploit is discovered by his parents, and when they learn about his falling grades, they decide to send him to a boarding school, where he is expected to discontinue his mischievious excursions. There he finds help in the form of temporary art teacher Ram Shankar Nikumbh (Aamir Khan).
What works with Taare Zameen Par is that it is in full context with the present situation of the average school child, and how she is over-burdened with her parents' and teachers' rising expectations in the field of academics as well as athletics. It is a generous cry of help by the director, that children have more to life rather than cramming their minds with formulae and tables.
Aamir Khan gives his career-best performance, both in the shoes of a dierector as well as an actor. He proves, once again, that he is the Mr. Perfectionist of Bollywood. Darsheel Safary's act is exceptionally well as the suffering and distressed dyslexic boy, and he has a bright acting future. Tisca Chopra and Vipin Sharma showcase their great acting talent as Ishaan's parents, and never for one moment can you find a flaw in their act. Also a praising word for Sachet Engineer, who plays Ishaan's elder brother. He delivers a fine acting feat.
Taare Zameen Par should be viewed obligatorily by each and every citizen of India. It is highly inspirational and in the real sense of the word, an eye-opener. This one is my personal all-time favorite. Go watch it.

RATING: A stunning 4.5/5 for flawless plot, finest acting, and a very enlightening message.

GHAJINI: A complete mish-mash of plagiarism, action, and romance

DIRECTOR: A.R Murugadoss
STARRING: Aamir khan, Asin Thottumkal, Jiah Khan, Pradeep Rawat

REVIEW: The highly anticipated, mega budget 'Ghajini', first of all, proves to be very surprising. No one might have ever seen Aamir in an image even near to which he is seen in this film. The 3 hour-plus movie is full of violent and senseless goon-bashing, which has a trademark south Indian look, apart from a couple of flashbacks, which narrate a romantic tale.
The plot is simple, and anyone expecting a twist would be utterly disappointed. It centers around once-rich business tycoon, Sanjay Singhania (Aamir Khan), who suffers from short term memory loss, which means that he can remember things only for fifteen minutes at a stretch. He contracted this disablity while encountering goons who murdered her girlfriend, Kalpana (Asin). His aim is to take revenge for Kalpana's murder, despite of his shortcomings, with the help of tattoos, Polaroid snaps, and notes. In his hunt for his girlfriend's killer, he also finds a friend in the form of medical student Sunita (Jiah Khan).
Clearly inspired by Hollywood cult classic 'Memento', Ghajini fails to hit the bull's eye. It can neither attain a cult status, nor can it be remembered as a psychological thriller.
Director A.R. Murugadoss seems to have taken the unique and innovative part of the plot from 'Memento', such as the concepts of short-term memory loss, Polaroid images, and tattoo printing, and adding the rather stale and tried and tested part, that is the romance angle, and the sheer violence.
The movie uses the flashback form of telling its story, which I personally like very much. But even the flashbacks stretch on for too long, and become highly predictable and boring after a certain limit. Apart from this, the plot has major loopholes, which have been tried to cover up by swift camera movements, and a fast moving storyline.
Songs have been badly placed, and don't lubricate the flow of the plot. Only Kaise Mujhe and Gujarish are songs worth listening. Others, sadly, fall short of songs of A.R Rehman's standard.
Logical errors in the storyline is one thing which you must be accustomed to, if you are planning to watch this film. If you leave out that little snag, then you might even be able to enjoy the film.
As for the acting department, Asin acts decently and gives a promising debut. She has a bright future, a far as her career in Bollywood is concerned.
Aamir has his usual charm as the rich businessman Sanjay Singhania. But he disappoints in the later, transformed avatar, and acts as if he not only has short-term memory loss, but also paranoia and anger related mental problems. This I say because he has been shown shrieking with anger, and pain (or both!) without any evident reason, for about hundreds of times throughout the length of the film. Nevertheless, the way he has carved his body to perfection is appreciable. Aamir's fine cut body is one of the only plus points of the film.
Maybe its not an error in Aamir's acting, but in the director's way of portraying his character on the screen. As for Jiah Khan, though she has a pivotal role in the plot, she is forgettable and fails to leave an impression on the audience's mind.
All-in-all, watch 'Ghajini' if you have 3 hours nothing else to do, and if you prefer brainless fighting and south-Indian flicks. Its also recommended for die-hard fans of Aamir Khan.

RATING: An average 2.5/5 for some quality action and passable acting.

A WEDNESDAY: A taut thriller with its heart at the right place

DIRECTOR: Neeraj Pandey
STARRING: Naseeruddin Shah, Anupam Kher, Jimmy Shergill, Deepal Shaw, Aamir Bashir

REVIEW: 'A Wednesday', directed by first-time director Neeraj Pandey, is a daring film. Short and to the point, this movie is a must-watch for every movie buff. The characters are well-developed, and ones you can relate with. It is heartening to see that directors today are making films on topics that were left untouched earlier.
The story is narrated by Mumbai Police Commissioner Prakash Rathore (Anupam Kher), on the last day of his service, before retirement. He describes a certain Wednesday, when an anonymous caller (Naseeruddin Shah) calls him up and threatens to blow up Mumbai if his demands are not fulilled. His demands: the release of four highly dangerous terrorists caught and put behind the bars by the police. The film traces all the events that follow, and how Rathore and his top policemen cope with the situation.
'A Wednesday' works because it succeeds where many others have failed: talking in context to the aam junta. The film tells of the plight and sufferings of the common man on the advent of the terrorrist attack that rip apart the lives of thousands of people every now and then. Its actually an anger-discharge of the common people on the police, on the government, as they have had enough of these atacks, and if nothing is done to safeguard them, it will be up to them to clean-up the filth.
The director tells his his story with masterly perfection. He envelopes his message inside an engrossing plot, and an otherwise excellent thriller. Neeraj Pandey is one director to watch out for in the future.
All the cast delivers top-notch performances, especially Naseeruddin Shah, who handles his character with a seasoned ease. He is one of the most talented actors of our time, and this performance only supports this assumption. Anupan Kher also follows suit, and handles his on-screen counterpart with amazing perfection. Jimmy Shergill acts spectacularly as a hardened cop, who is often misjudged and distrusted by his seniors as well as colleagues due to his Muslim tag.
The plot has minor flaws which can be neglected as they are out-weighed by the amazing performances, enlightening message and power-packed thrilling scenes. This one is highly recommended.

REVIEW: A deserving 4/5 for decent plot, great acting, and ingenious message.

JOHNNY GADDAAR: A slick, intelligent thriller

DIRECTOR: Sriram Raghavan
STARRING: Neil Nitin Mukesh, Rimi Sen, Vinay Pathak, Dharmendra, Zakir Hussain, Daya Shetty, Govind Namdeo, Ashwini Kalsekar.
REVIEW: The movie 'Johnny Gaddaar' is one on which rides the expectations of many a person involved in its making. It is a debut for the actor Neil Nitin Mukesh, and I can tell you, he does not disappoint. Director Sriram Raghavan delivers another edge-of-the-seat thriller after the superlative 'Ek Hasina Thi', and I am sure it would be adored by the audience and will be remembered as a fitting Bollywood tribute to film-noir.
The film tells the story of a gang of five shady characters, the youngest of which is Viram (Neil Nitin Mukesh), and the oldest member is Sheshadri, played by Dharmendra.
The gang has an obsession for quick money, and carries out various illegal deals in order to earn money. One such deal offers them a lot of money in return of a lesser amount of money. All the members of the gang contribute their share of the cash. However, one of them turns out to be a traitor and wants to have all the share of money for himself, leading to various mishaps and unforeseen incidents. In the midst of all this, the protagonist, Vikram, want to run away with his lady love Mini (Rimi Sen), who is, ironically, already married to another member of the gang.
The great thing about 'Johnny Gaddaar' is that the audience know the identity of the real gaddaar from almost the beginning, but still there is an aura of suspense, and the viewers remain glued to their seats, waiting for the next escapade of the protagonist. The direction is great, and the screenplay is taut and flawless. This is surely a thriller of a high standard, and a refreshing break from the masala and typical Bollywood musicals. It is a great experience for the viewers who like sensible and logical thrillers.
It pays a huge tribute to the trademark and conventional elements of a thriller, like train rides, flights, airports, and also to the suspense novelist James Hadley Chase.
Raghavan again proves that he has an awful lot of talent and tells his story magnificently. He surprises his gripped viewers by the twist in the climax of the movie.
Also, it pleases me to see that the whole movie is filmed in the Indian background, and rather than being an extravagant venture, its a full desi thriller, that must not be missed at any cost.

RATING: A strong 4/5 for a flawless plot, fine acting, and taut screenplay and direction.

RAB NE BANA DI JODI: Height of mediocrity

DIRECTOR: Aditya Chopra
STARRING: Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma, Vinay Pathak.

REVIEW: The much-awaited and highly hyped SRK starrer 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi', I daresay, does not really live up to its expectations. The basic message is, perhaps, barred somewhere beneath multiple layers of masala scenes. The movie starts-off well, with a unique premise, but the story looses its sheen even before the intermission, and the audience just waits for the movie to end.
The plot centers around a certain simpleton Surinder Sahni (Shah Rukh Khan), who is a geeky common man living in the city of Amritsar, and her not-so-satisfied-in-love wife Taani (Anushka Sharma), who is bound forcefully to Surinder as his wife, because of a wish taken by her father on his death-bed, shortly after Taani's fiance dies tragically on the eve of their wedding.
Surinder secretely loves Taani, but is disappointed on the very first day of his marriage, when Taani makes it clear that she would not be able to love him, and it is merely a compulsion for her to live with him. To woo her, Surinder then trasforms himself into the cool and flamboyant dude, Raj,with the help of his friend Bobby (Vinay Pathak).
The main problem with Rab Ne... is that it underestimates the intelligence of the audience, and rather than building up on the refreshing premise of the story, it tries to mould it into a masala story, and ends up as a disaster.
The second half simply drags on, keeping the viewers waiting for the credits. The songs are very badly placed, and act as toilet-breaks for the audience. Even some of the good dialogues and touching scenes of the movie cannot compensate for the mindless and not-so-funny sequences, such as the "fight scene" between SRK and a sumo wrestler.
Shah Rukh looks great as the calm and down-to-earth Surinder Sahni, and strikes the right note with audience. But in the role of the cool dude Raj, he seems to be over-acting, and I can say that its not one of his most memorable acts. Anushka Sharma is just OK, and her act is easily forgettable. Vinay Pathak is decent as a side-kick to Shah Rukh. Overall, Rab Ne... can surely be given a miss.

RATING: A 2.5/5 for decent acting, and a lukewarm romantic comedy.

MEMENTO: A mind-boggling masterpiece

DIRECTOR: Christopher Nolan
STARRING: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano.

REVIEW: Distinguished director Christopher Nolan comes out with his second directorial venture 'Memento', and this one surpasses every movie of its genre.
The first fifteen minutes of the movie are completely undecipherable to the viewer, as it takes time for the audience to figure out the unique style of multiple narratives and reverse story-telling used by the director. After that, though, the movie grips your senses and takes you on a suspense-filled ride, and the suspense does not end until the credits start rolling down. The climax of the movie takes you off-guard and you keep on deciphering the plot of the movie right until the way back to your home. You have to watch it at least twice to understand each and every scene and dialogue of the film.
The film stars Guy Pearce as 'Leonard Shelby', the protagonist of the movie, who is a former insurance fraud investigator. All throughout the running time of the movie, Leonard is hunting for the mysterious person who raped and killed his wife. The glitch is that he suffers from 'interograde amnesia', a situation in which a person's brain cannot store any new memories. He contracted this disorder when he was hit by the person who raped his wife, when he was trying to save her.
In order to cope with his disability, Leonard takes aid of tattoos, notes, and photographs to keep him on track of his wife's killer. He is also frequently helped by a bartender Natalie (Carrie-Anne) and a suspicious man called Teddy (Joe Pantoliano), who claims that he is Leonard's friend, both of whom who are untrustworthy.
The movie has a great concept, and a taut screenplay. Guy Pearce acts marvelously well, especially in scenes when he forgets his whereabouts and the identities of people he meets. Carrie-Anne Moss does full justice to her character, though her dialogue delivery is somewhat sloppy. Joe Pantoliano acts wonderfully, as usual.
This one is my personal favorite in the genre of psychological thriller. But that doesn't mean that it is flawless. The movie pace is generally slow, hence it might disappoint action buffs. The plot requires a slow advancement, so as to let each and every character develop deeply.
Nolan is a master film-maker, and steers the movie through the mind of the protagonist, delivering a gripping thriller. He focuses more on the mentality of the characters, rather than the physical elements of the story. It somewhat reminds me of the short story 'The Sphinx without a Secret' by Oscar Wilde.
All in all, this one is a must-watch, and your Hollywood viewing is incomplete without watching 'Memento'.

RATING: A sure 4.5/5 for mind-boggling plot, mesmerizing direction, and over the top acting.