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Tag: Mithun Chakraborty

  • ‘Kick’ …Get a kick out of it!

    ‘Kick’ …Get a kick out of it!

    MUMBAI: Other films may have done more business at the box office but 2009’sWanted created a new slot for Salman Khan; that of a walking talking killing machine, a Superman (but without his sartorial taste of wearing his underwear over his pants). Being a Hindi film hero, he also has to simultaneously carry out the tougher job of maintaining and placating a girlfriend, and sing and dance with her in garish club sets. Ever since Wanted, films are made for Salman to fit in that same mold which assures success. The planned Eid release, something which now seems like a fixed slot for Salman starrer, adding hugely to the film’s prospects.

    Salman is on a mission; he needs to find a person who, he thinks, is responsible for a certain crime despite being in high position in politics. Meanwhile, he notices Jacqueline Fernandez, a psychiatrist, when she is wearing horn-rimmed glasses and looks like a nerd—though she changes to tiny dresses when she is ready to romance and dance the jig with the hero.

    Impressed with Salman and very much in love with him, Jacqueline ‘s love story with Salman is not quite convincing and uses up most of the first half offering nothing except a few songs on the viewer. Then, Salman is taunted by Jacqueline about his monetary status. He vows to spend his time on making money and turns into a contemporary Robin Hood. It is another matter that a little later his cause for raising money is a small kid suffering from cancer. He makes raising monies for children needing medical attention his life’s mission.

    There is a little girl who is dying of cancer and, unable to meet the expenses of her operation, her parents commit suicide. Salman takes up the cause of that child and approaches the big shots of the town for help. One of the big shots (and a minister), Nawazuddin Siddiqi, along with a bunch of his sycophants, makes the mistake of insulting him by donating Rs 100 while he needs Rs 11 lakh for the child’s survival. That is a reason enough for Salman to eliminate the gang of Nawazuddin one after the other.

    Producer: Sajid Nadiadwala.

    Director: Sajid Nadiadwala.

    Cast: Salman Khan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Randeep Hooda, Nawazuddin Siddiqi, Mithun Chakraborty, Saurabh Shukla, Vipin Sharma, Sanjay Mishra, Archana Puran Singh, Kavin Dave, Sumona Chakravarti and an item number by Nargis Fakhri.

    Meanwhile, the action has shifted to Poland and an Indian cop, Randeep Hooda, is following Salman’s tracks. He is willing and ready to shoot Salman but never does so when Salman is around him because he comes in the guise of a friend, Devi Lal while the thief Hooda is chasing is called Devil (al)!. While Salman and Hooda play cops and robbers, a lot of Nawazuddin henchman millionaires back in India are being robbed. Nawazuddin is exasperated and desperate to find the culprit and add his death to his reputation.

    The film turns into a caper as Salman carries out a number of heists in varied ways maintaining his humour all the while. These missions are serious business for Salman and his romance with Jacqueline has been called off, while Hooda, who has come to Warsaw chasing Salman, happens to be her family friend and it is left to her to look after him. A sort of triangle is formed. Though predictable and seen earlier, now the sequence is such that Salman is hunting for Nawazuddin and Hooda is hunting for Salman the Devil. These are the parts that make Kick interesting as would be expected from a Salman action thriller.

    The script, as should be apparent, is a bit messy .There is nothing solid happening in the first half except a romance without chemistry. All the action is in the second half where there are some sudden jumps and locations unexplained. You don’t know whether you are in Delhi or Europe, whether one is in past or in present as the things unwind. Sajid Nadiadwala’s foray into direction considering these glitches in the script is satisfactory. What matters is that it will go down in the record books as ‘A super hit on debut’ for him. The film has competent cinematography by Ayananka Bose. The film’s music is not up to the mark and adds to the tedium of the first part. The one song which has popular appeal is ‘Jumme ki raat…’ Dialogue has the usual Salman one liners laced with humour.

    The film belongs to Salman Khan all the way and he is in full form. Randeep Hooda comes in a different role and justifies it. Nawazuddin as a maniacal villain, the kind you see in a Bond film or a super hero film, may not come across as strong enough against Salman but looks sinister enough to be slayed. Jacqueline is okay. Mithun Chakraborty as Salman’s father complements him well. Kavin Dave and Sumona Chakravarti lead the supporting cast of able actors like Saurabh Shukla, Vipin Sharma, Sanjay Mishra and Archana Puran Singh.  

    Kick has taken a thundering opening despite coming on the last Friday of Ramzan and Kavad processions in the North as a Maha Shivratri ritual. The film is expected to break first day records and enjoy a ‘10 day weekend’ at the box office and creating more records.

  • GoDaddy India unveils new camapign with Mithun Chakraborty

    GoDaddy India unveils new camapign with Mithun Chakraborty

    MUMBAI: GoDaddy, the world’s largest technology provider dedicated to small businesses, today launched its latest integrated marketing campaign featuring the three-time National Film Award winner – Mithun Chakraborty. The multi-channel campaign aims to educate small businesses in India about the real-world benefits of getting a Website, and comprisestwo television advertisements along with search, display, email and social media marketing.

    “We believe that small businesses and entrepreneurs are the driving force behind India’s economy and we are here to empower them with the right tools. Anincreasing number of small businesses in the country are turning to GoDaddy to help themeasily and affordably establish their online presence,” said GoDaddy India Managing Director and Vice President Rajiv Sodhi.  “Our creative approach for this campaign drives home the point, in a fun way, that having an online presence is essential to business success.This campaign is a reflection of our commitment to accelerate the adoption of websitesin India.”

    The two TV commercials showcase two different types of small business owners –a young bakery owner and a leather shop owner, both facing different challenges. While the bakery is devoid of customers, the leather shop owner wants to run his business 24/7.The TV commercials feature Mithun explaining to the business owner how a website can help them find more customers and operate 24/7 in his quintessential style. The commercials conclude with Mithun doing a signature GoDaddy dance move – symbolizing success and celebration – along with the shop owners whose businesses are now thriving.

    On GoDaddy’s choice of Mithun Chakraborty for the campaign, Rajiv Sodhi said, “Mithunda was the perfect choice for this commercial. He compliments our creative strategy by adding to the celebratory mood of the business owners in the ad when they taste success. His appeal spans generations and his name is synonymous with dance. He is someone who has made it solely on his own and is a role model for many – irrespective of the industry they are in.”

    Speaking ofhis work on the campaign, Mithun Chakraborty said, “When GoDaddy approached me for the commercial, I was very excited. I was enthused at the opportunity to educatepeople on what the Internet can truly do. A website offers businesses amazing possibilities toget noticed and operate around the clock.I truly believe GoDaddy can help businesses in India go to the next level of growth quickly.”

    GoDaddy enables small businesses in building a professional identity online by offering an easy to use and end-to-end suite of products ranging from domain name, web hosting, email and marketing tools. The company also offers Indian businesses its world-class, local 24/7 customer care.

    GoDaddy is based in Scottsdale, Ariz. USA. Along with offices in India and Canada, GoDaddy operates data center facilities in Europe and Asia and serves 12 million paying customers globally.

    To find out more about how to get online easily and affordably, visit: in.GoDaddy.com Connect with GoDaddy on Facebook &Twitter.    

     

  • KIFF opens amid glitz and glamour

    KIFF opens amid glitz and glamour

    KOLKATA: The 19th Kolkata International Film Festival kicked off with a bang on Sunday with actors including Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Mithun Chakraborty and Kamal Haasan gracing the show. The eight-day festival that paid tribute to 100-years of Indian cinema was inaugurated by the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at Netaji Indoor Stadium, who also announced that from its next edition, it will be a competitive affair.

     

    Other distinguished guests like filmmaker Sandip Ray, Bengali film actress Sabitri Chatterjee and Supriya Devi, Dipankar Dey and music director Dwijen Mukherjee, also participated in the lamp lighting ceremony that concluded with Big B releasing the fest’s brochure.

     

    Actors of the regional film industry Dev and Koel Mallick felicitated Big B with an uttariya (scarf) and a metal-cast memento. The other luminaries were welcomed subsequently in a similar manner.

     

    Over the next eight days, the festival will feature 189 films from 63 countries at 13 venues including Nandan-Rabindra Sadan complex, Inox City Centre 1 and Star Theatre. The festival will witness an estimated 3,000 delegates and 24 international guests. Noted Israeli filmmaker Amos Gitai is also likely to attend the film festival and also conduct a workshop for film students.

     

    Others who are expected at the event include Bollywood actor Sharmila Tagore, director Madhur Bhandarkar and Shoojit Sarkar, National Award-winning Malayali filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan, among others. Actors Sushmita Sen, Konkona Sen Sharma, Moushumi Chatterjee, Bipasha Basu and Rani Mukherjee will attend the closing ceremony on 17 November.

     

    “The film screening is going to be an enriching experience for cinema connoisseurs,” said experts present at the event.

     

    Shah Rukh Khan, who is also the brand ambassador of West Bengal, hopes that platforms like the KIFF will take Indian films to greater heights. “Creative interactions of this scale will help Indian films reach new heights, something that great filmmakers present tonight, and those who have passed away, like the wonderful Rituparno, dreamt for Indian cinema,” said Khan.

     

    Thousands of film lovers swarmed the venue to attend the glittering ceremony and get a glimpse of their favourite stars present at the event. They were mesmerised by the speech of the actors, especially Bachchan, who interspersed his speech with Bengali words and renditions of Bengali poems.

  • ‘DID 4’ invites you to ‘Dance It Out’

    ‘DID 4’ invites you to ‘Dance It Out’

    MUMBAI: In the last three seasons, it has tapped the audience’s heart with jaw dropping performances by the contestants. From introducing the Indian audience to dance forms like locking and popping, hip hop moves to “slo-mo” style, to making dance popular among all age-groups, dance reality show Dance India Dance has done it all. Now, the show is back with its season 4 with a bang. Come 26 October, it will celebrate the passion of dancing every Saturday-Sunday at 9:00 pm only on Zee TV.

    While Maruti continues to be its title sponsor, the channel has also signed a deal with WeChat and eight other associate sponsors have been roped in.

    The new slogan, “Dance It Out” is refreshing and sends out a strong message to its viewers that nothing is impossible to learn, dancing definitely not!

    Talking at the launch, Zeel content head Ajay Bhalwankar says: “DID brings in raw talent from every nook and corner of the country. You don’t need to be a star, your talent and passion for dance will say it all.”

    Produced by Essel Vision, the show will follow the format similar to the original season where 18 contestants are divided into three teams led by three masters. The masters will groom and mentor their respective teams in every episode to face the “Dance ka Tashan”.

    The show will be hosted by Jay Bhanushali and actor Mithun Chakraborty will continue as the grandmaster.

     

    You don’t need to be a star, your talent and passion for dance will say it all, says Ajay Bhalwankar

    However, what’s new this season is that besides the original three judges – Geeta Kapoor, Remo D’souza and Terence Lewis, who are an inseparable part of the DID family – the show has roped in three young choreographers in its panel of judges – Mudassar Khan, who has choreographed films like Bodyguard, Dabangg 2 and Ready; Shruti Merchant, comes from a family of choreographers and began her career as an assistant choreographer in films like Dhoom, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi among others; and Feroz Khan, started his career assisting Farah Khan and has made a name for himself with hit dance moves in songs like Maa da ladla.. and Johnny Gaddaar.

    The judges think that this time it’s not just going to be a challenge for the contestants but even them, who will have to prove their worth.

    alking about the change in format of the show, Zeel chief sales officer Ashish Sehgal says: “Change is the sign of growth. We are proud of our choices for the fresh panel of mentors this season. At Zee, we always believe in making celebrities out of deserving talent. New judges will bring new fans, making the show better and different.”

    Essel Vision Productions, producer Nitin Keni agrees and says: “Each of them come with an impressive body of work in the field of dance. Moreover, it is their passion for dance that has landed them on our panel of judges.”

    The channel is confident that the new trio will drive millions of dance enthusiasts across the country.

    The dancing fever has already gripped the enthusiasts, as the auditions that are being conducted on a large scale in 16 major cities, have received an overwhelming response from the dance lovers.  And it is not just going to be a television show this time. Zeel marketing head Akash Chawla says: “We are bringing the show parallel online. Just saying, Dance it Out won’t make sense till the time you actually bring it out in a complete manner.”

    The entire marketing strategy behind this is that ‘Dance it Out’ should not just be a slogan but a movement, says Akash Chawla

    Throughout the series, every week, the masters will give out a theme and the audience can make a video with that particular theme and submit it online. After being selected by the judges, the best videos will go on air. Adds Chawla: “The main objective is to give a platform to as many people possible in the most convenient manner. Everybody cannot qualify the auditions, but you have to do something for the people who are talented and are passionate about dancing.”

    On its marketing side, to expand its foothold, the channel is also concentrating on on-ground activities. The channel is expanding its presence majorly in ten cities, giving them a particular theme which is relevant to that city at that particular time. It will encourage people to come out and dance. “The entire marketing strategy behind this is that ‘Dance it Out’ should not just be a slogan but a movement. Since it is no longer only a television show, we need to exemplify it in a manner that people connect with it.”

    At Zee, we always believe in making celebrities out of deserving talent, says Ashish Sehgal

    So has it attracted the advertisers?  Sehgal confidently says: “DID has been the darling of all advertisers. They were very excited when we told them about our plans, as it would give them an opportunity to reach out to more people. With this new platform, advertisers have another way to reach the consumers. At the end of the day, advertisers are looking to reach out to the consumers’ doors.”

    We are aware of the numerous shows on all the channels, will DID occupying the 9:00 pm slot, affect the ratings of other famous shows on other GECs? Answers Chawla: “It is not for the first time that we have battling with the biggest shows. GEC is all about different channels launching different shows. It’s a competitive world. People who don’t like competition should retire very soon.”
    He further adds: “We love competition. We respect our competitors and if the show is good and if the communication is clear, viewers will find time to watch all the good shows. And they chose to watch the show which at that time they love the most.”

    We are confident that the new trio will drive millions of dance enthusiasts across the country, says Nitin Keni

    Since the channel is already following the ad cap rule, have the reality shows been affected? “In most of the reality shows, you always kind of adhere to ad cap, we have never over run inventory because they are high priced shows. Moreover, there are high stake sponsors involved, you cannot dilute inventory on these shows. So ad cap is not going to affect us in any manner as far as reality shows are concerned,” signs off Sehgal.

    So, what are you waiting for! Pull up your socks and be ready for the spectacular dancing talent with a renewed vigor in the latest season.

  • Not so bossy after all

    Not so bossy after all

    MUMBAI: Boss reminds you of a brand of hand mixer of the same name. It is a blend of similar films from 1970s and 80s with two brothers, a principled father and a misunderstanding where brothers are parted. Traditionally, one takes the illegal route while the other is the father’s blue-eyed boy. The brothers come together to prove blood is thicker than water a decade and a half later. How is the film contemporary? In those days, a mother slapped her elder one and threw him out, here it is done by the father; the hero does not have a childhood sweetheart pining and waiting for him to return; the music is louder and lyrics make no sense most of the time and mainly, the fight is over the villain’s sister.

    Producer: Ashwin Warde
    Director: Anthony D’Souza.
    Cast: Akshay Kumar, Mithun Chakraborty, Danny Denzongpa, Ronit Roy, Shiv Pandit, Aditi Rao Hydari, Johny Lever, Parikshit Sahni, Govind Namdeo, Sanjay Mishra

    The film starts in an old-fashioned way, trying to set the pace of the film with action by various artistes for the first 40 minutes before it introduces Akshay Kumar with yet another action sequence, a greedy one because it refuses to end! The only action hero of yore who does not have a fight scene is Mithun Chakraborty.

    Akshay Kumar, who has been banished from his home in Banaras by his father, Mithun, ends up in Haryana in nick of time to save the local don and Big Boss, Danny. Seeing honesty mixed with anger in the young lad, Danny takes him under his wing to make him his heir, and names him Boss. Big Boss’s front is as the owner of a transport fleet but otherwise he is a supari contractor. On the other side is a policeman, Ronit Roy, who wants to be the commissioner of police and to achieve this, he handles the dirty deals department for the wannabe CM, Govind Namdeo.

    It is time to work on a family story and to absolve Akshay of his childhood act which led to his ouster from home. Akshay’s kid brother, Shiv Pandit, is romancing Aditi Rao Hydari, the sister of Ronit. Ronit wants her to marry Namdeo’s son in exchange for the Commissioner’s post. Namdeo wants an outsider to kill Shiv so fingers don’t point at him. The contract to kill him is given to Akshay. At the same time, Mithun gives a contract to save Shiv to Akshay. The brothers combine to foil all the evil plans of the villains through expected twists and turns with no pretence of logic or justification. It is supposed to be old-fashioned entertainment after all!

    A remake of the 2010 Malayalam movie, Pokkiri Raja, the film maintains its south flavour in treatment and even the choice of fighters and junior artistes. It also sticks to south style of action and stunts which is too much in vogue with Hindi films lately. Action and light banter of Akshay is what the film counts on to entertain the viewers. Direction is fair. The photography is good. Some one-liners are funny, some flat. Music is a lot of noisy stuff which makes following the lyrics tough. Akshay is his usual self in the roles he plays on regular basis now; a carefree character with unbeatable energy and fighting power. Shiv gets scope to showcase his action prowess and also his romantic side. Aditi Rao Hydari is okay. Mithun seems miscast in an Alokenath kind of role. Parikshit Sahani’s presence in the film is unexplained since he just has to hang around Mithun. It is nice to see Danny on screen after a long time. Ronit makes a perfect villain against Akshay. Johny Lever and Sanjay Mishra are okay with their comic input. Govind Namdeo is the usual villain like his many such roles before.

  • Not so bossy after all

    Not so bossy after all

    MUMBAI: Boss reminds you of a brand of hand mixer of the same name. It is a blend of similar films from 1970s and 80s with two brothers, a principled father and a misunderstanding where brothers are parted. Traditionally, one takes the illegal route while the other is the father’s blue-eyed boy. The brothers come together to prove blood is thicker than water a decade and a half later. How is the film contemporary? In those days, a mother slapped her elder one and threw him out, here it is done by the father; the hero does not have a childhood sweetheart pining and waiting for him to return; the music is louder and lyrics make no sense most of the time and mainly, the fight is over the villain’s sister.

    The film starts in an old-fashioned way, trying to set the pace of the film with action by various artistes for the first 40 minutes before it introduces Akshay Kumar with yet another action sequence, a greedy one because it refuses to end! The only action hero of yore who does not have a fight scene is Mithun Chakraborty.

    Akshay Kumar, who has been banished from his home in Banaras by his father, Mithun, ends up in Haryana in nick of time to save the local don and Big Boss, Danny. Seeing honesty mixed with anger in the young lad, Danny takes him under his wing to make him his heir, and names him Boss. Big Boss’s front is as the owner of a transport fleet but otherwise he is a supari contractor. On the other side is a policeman, Ronit Roy, who wants to be the commissioner of police and to achieve this, he handles the dirty deals department for the wannabe CM, Govind Namdeo.

    Producer: Ashwin Warde
    Director: Anthony DSouza.
    Cast: Akshay Kumar, Mithun Chakraborty, Danny Denzongpa, Ronit Roy, Shiv Pandit, Aditi Rao Hydari, Johny Lever, Parikshit Sahni, Govind Namdeo, Sanjay Mishra

    It is time to work on a family story and to absolve Akshay of his childhood act which led to his ouster from home. Akshay’s kid brother, Shiv Pandit, is romancing Aditi Rao Hydari, the sister of Ronit. Ronit wants her to marry Namdeo’s son in exchange for the Commissioner’s post. Namdeo wants an outsider to kill Shiv so fingers don’t point at him. The contract to kill him is given to Akshay. At the same time, Mithun gives a contract to save Shiv to Akshay. The brothers combine to foil all the evil plans of the villains through expected twists and turns with no pretence of logic or justification. It is supposed to be old-fashioned entertainment after all!

    A remake of the 2010 Malayalam movie, Pokkiri Raja, the film maintains its south flavour in treatment and even the choice of fighters and junior artistes. It also sticks to south style of action and stunts which is too much in vogue with Hindi films lately. Action and light banter of Akshay is what the film counts on to entertain the viewers. Direction is fair. The photography is good. Some one-liners are funny, some flat. Music is a lot of noisy stuff which makes following the lyrics tough. Akshay is his usual self in the roles he plays on regular basis now; a carefree character with unbeatable energy and fighting power. Shiv gets scope to showcase his action prowess and also his romantic side. Aditi Rao Hydari is okay. Mithun seems miscast in an Alokenath kind of role. Parikshit Sahani’s presence in the film is unexplained since he just has to hang around Mithun. It is nice to see Danny on screen after a long time. Ronit makes a perfect villain against Akshay. Johny Lever and Sanjay Mishra are okay with their comic input. Govind Namdeo is the usual villain like his many such roles before.

  • BOSS teaser to hit the screens on 15 Aug

    BOSS teaser to hit the screens on 15 Aug

    MUMBAI: The most eagerly awaited action comedy of the year, BOSS, is all set to start a new trend. Well this Akshay Kumar starrer is certainly changing the ways how films are promoted nowadays.

    How many times have we heard about a teaser that announces the launch of the trailer of a film? And how many times have we seen a teaser that’s already become the big buzz in Bollywood days before it has hit the screens?

    Two days after private screenings of the teaser and it’s already become the latest rage.

    The teaser of BOSS will be released theatrically with Once Upon Ay Time In Mumbai Dobaara, which releases on 15 August. The theatrical trailer will be released with a lot of fanfare on the 27 August.

    Producer Ashwin Varde says, “This is the first time something like this is being done in our industry and we are all excited about it. The idea is to build up anticipation for the film, which hits the screens on October 16. We’re all humbled with the exceptional response to the teaser itself. It gives us greater motivation to deliver to the best of our abilities.”

    BOSS features Akshay Kumar in the title role. The film also stars Mithun Chakraborty, Shiv Pandit, Aditi Rao Hydari, Johnny Lever and Danny Denzongpa.

    BOSS is produced by Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, Cape Of Good Films and Ashwin Varde Productions and is directed by Anthony D’souza (who had previously helmed Akshay in BLUE). It is all set to release this October.

    So make way for the BOSS!!!

  • Khiladi 786 a fairly enjoyable fare

    Khiladi 786 a fairly enjoyable fare

    MUMBAI: Khiladi 786 is the eighth in the Khiladi series and as it was with earlier ones, this too has nothing in common with the other films of the same name. Khiladi is more like shorthand for Akahsy Kumar and though his character is from Punjab, the “786” in the title serves two purposes: it provides a title that is ready to use for an Akshay film and also to attract the Muslim audience.

    Besides the 786 factor, the film’s other main characters also represent communities; Himesh Reshammiya is from a typical Gujarati family while Mithun Chakraborty and Asin are Maharashtrian. Not surprising considering Western India and North make up for over 70 per cent of box office revenues.

    Since his debut film as the lead, Saugandh, every maker has made sure that Akshay’s entry scene is claptrap. Khiladi 786 keeps the tradition alive as Akshay takes on a bunch of toughies and renders them harmless at the speed of light. A claptrap narration follows: ‘Duniyamein teen cheezen hoti zaroor hai lekin kisi ne dekhin nahin … bhooton ka sansar, sacha wala pyar aur 72 Singh ki raftaar’; 72 Singh being Akshay’s character in the film.

    An equally dramatic entry scene is devised for Asin as she takes one of her suitors on a spin around town in her car at a suicidal speed to scare him away.

    Reshammiya’s family business is matchmaking. His father, Manoj Joshi has set a target of arranging 500 matches in his lifetime. However, Reshammiya plays the spoiler on most occasions as wittingly or unwittingly he gives away the lies Joshi uses to arrange matches, including manipulating horoscope charts. After one such blunder by Reshammiya, which breaks up a marriage which is already under way, Joshi has had enough and throws his son out. Reshammiya takes refuge with his friend, Sanjay Mishra, an undertaker and provider of Hindu last rites. Even as Reshammiya is venting his frustrations to his friend, Asin’s speeding car hits a pole near them. Both end up being presented in front of Mithun Chakraborty, the most feared don of Mumbai and elder brother of Asin.

    Mithun wants to marry off his sister, Asin, but she knows that looking at her brother’s background, only another goon will marry her and keeps foiling her brother’s attempts to find a match for her. In fact, she already has a beau who is serving time in jail. Reshammiya’s family business comes to the fore and he along with Mishra accepts the challenge to find a match for Asin despite a threat from Mithun that if they fail the consequences would be dire. But Reshammiya needs to prove himself to his family and he also has in mind just the person who can rein in wild Asin. That is Akshay Kumar, whom Reshammiya has seen in action on an earlier occasion.

    Reshammiya plays the matchmaker with the mantra borrowed from his father that like a pinch of salt in dough for chapattis, a little lie is okay in their business of matchmaking. He convinces Mithun to pose as a police officer since, to his knowledge Akshay’s family is full of policemen.

    As both the families come together, the fun continues till Akshay discovers that Asin has a boyfriend, the jailbird, Rahul Singh who does something foolish every time he is released and is soon picked up again. In this event, there is not much scope for romance between Akshay and Asin except for some songs in dream sequences.

    Khiladi 786 counts mainly on comedy and action. While for comedy the film has a screen full of characters, the onus of providing thrill rests mainly on Akshay’s shoulders. The film has funny sequences with dialogues to match. The songs are a plus point for the film with ‘Saari saari raat…’ being melodious, the others, ‘Balma…’ and ‘Hookah bar…’ being racy.

    Akshay is in his element in action scenes and deadpan in comic scenes. Mithun Chakraborty, seasoned artiste that he is, convincingly carries out a don caricature. Asin as an aggressive shrew is good. Reshammiya shows a marked improvement in his acting. The villain, Rahul Singh, is not a perfect choice to match Akshya’s image and character. The supporting star cast of Raj Babbar, Mukesh Rishi, Manoj Joshi, Sanjay Mishra, Rajesh Khattar, Johny Lever, Bharti Singh and Mushtaq Khan is adequate.

    Khiladi 786 opened well but the collections have varied through its first day. However, being fairly enjoyable fare, it should make up over the weekend.

  • OMG Oh My God!: Rawal takes the show home

    OMG Oh My God!: Rawal takes the show home

    Mumbai: Is there a God? are you God loving or God fearing? There have been some great character artistes in the Hindi film industry like Jayant, Iftekhar, Rehman, K N Singh, Balraj Sahni to name a few. But there were few films made for these character artistes to carry on their shoulder save for an odd Do Bigha Zameen. OMG Oh My God! is one such film in modern times resting entirely on the shoulders of a character artiste, Paresh Rawal, that too in days when even superstars draw a blank at the box office more often than not!

    Making a fictional film involving religious beliefs is a dicey idea considering how vested interests may interpret it to their benefit. (There are reports of some protests in Punjab and cancellation of screening in couple of towns in the state.)

    On that count, Oh My God is in league with the acclaimed Pakistani film, Khuda Ke Liye. Here too, the film‘s theme deals with the interpretation and enforcement of religion as it suits the God‘s self-proclaimed agents, the Godmen, Pandits, pastors or maulvees. The film is an adaptation of Gujarati play Kanji Viruddh Kanji, later made in Hindi as Krishna Vs Kanhaiya.

    Rawal is a Gujarati trader selling icons and images of gods as antiques. That is to say, cash in on people‘s blind faith. He would build a convincing background story for the items he sold and with that palm off a simple clay idol worth Rs 250 for thousands depending on how vulnerable a customer is. Rawal is a nonbeliever and laughs off the worshipers. It is Gokulashtami and Rawal‘s young son has mounted the Govinda pyramid to break the matki. The occasion is presided over by a saffron clad Pandit, Govind Namdeo. Rawal orders his son to come down from the pyramid, grabs the microphone and announces that a miracle has happened and that Lord Krishna has ordained his devotees to feed him butter and milk. The crowd disperses and the Pandit is left red-faced cursing Rawal.

    As if on cue, there is a mild earthquake and the only place affected is Rawal‘s antique shop in Chor Bazaar which has caved in. The insurance company refuses to settle the claim as the shop is not insured against the Act of God which is how an earthquake is defined in their jargon. Now Rawal is a worried man. His shop is destroyed; his house is mortgaged and how can he accept it as an Act of God when according to him God does not exist?

    Rawal decides to take on God in a court of law and claim his losses from God. This act of his is called a sacrilege by the religious leaders; a gang of three headed by Mithun Chakraborty very much in the fashion of a Mafia hierarchy. Chakraborty has all the attributes of a gay while the other two being Govind Namdeo, a full time hog gorging on food and, Poonam Jhawar who always has a manicurist in the tow keeping her prim and proper! They take on the challenge from Rawal since their existence and exploitation of the believers depends on God‘s existence.

    Rawal is branded as insane, his wife and kids leave him and no lawyer is willing to touch his case. That is when he traces down Om Puri, a Muslim lawyer who lost his both legs when he took up his own community in a legal battle. He guides Rawal to fight his own case in the court. As the sharp and cunning Rawal takes on the might of the god men he turns from an insane to a crusader and a celebrity.

    What makes OMG Oh My God! utterly watchable is this court battle against the might of people‘s faith and the self-appointed agents of God. Rawal‘s chief benefactor, however, in his fight against God is God incarnate in the guise of dashing, bike riding and keychain twirling Akshay Kumar who introduces himself as Krishan Vasudev Yadav! The myths are shattered and the god men destroyed to the watchers‘ delight. This also makes the film‘s second half gripping.

    OMG Oh My God! is a one man show all the way. It is Rawal who gets in to the skin of the character. His expressions say a lot even when he is not vocal. Akshay Kumar‘s is a cameo role and he is well restrained and almost convincing as the modern day avtar of how God could be. Puri as usual is good. Chakraborty who lets his three fingers do most of the talking is excellent as is Namdeo as the pompous Pandit. Lubna Salim, Tisca Chopra, Yusuf Hussain, Murli Sharma and Mahesh Manjrekar justify their casting. The first half offers a Govinda song with Prabhu Deva and Sonakshi Sinha for a distraction. Dialogue being the backbone of the film, has been very well penned. Production values are patchy. Direction is passable; an eye for details is missing.

    OMG Oh My God! has opened to fair opening response but with a whole lot of praise to get better over the weekend and a bonus holiday on Tuesday.

    Kamaal Dhamaal Malamaal: No maal in this fare

    Kamaal Dhamaal Malamaal is a group comedy where a one line story is an excuse to make a film and a bunch of character artistes known as comedians are let loose on the screen. But as has been the case with previous such films, the outcome is pathetic.

    In a small Catholic town, Om Puri and Paresh Rawal, two bum chums have parted over a lottery ticket. Since then, both families are enemies. While Rawal has three bullies as sons and all the monies he won from the lottery he was supposed to share with Om Puri to back him, Puri has a good for nothing son, Shreyas Talpade, and three daughters or are there two? While Puri works at the local church, Talpade generally idles around dreaming of winning a lottery as short cut to becoming a millionaire. He is such a coward that he is called bakri by the villagers. As it happens in most love stories, Talpade is in love with Rawal‘s daughter, Madhurima, and hence a regular punching bag for her three tough brothers. There are various other characters like Neeraj Vora, a coffin maker, Razzak Khan who runs a restaurant, Asrani, the priest at the church, Shakti Kapoor etc who complete the quorum for a comedy film!

    Then enters Nana Patekar who has come to the village for a purpose but he can beat up Rawal‘s three sons singlehandedly and hence Talpade uses him as his protector. At home, he introduces Nana as his long lost older brother who had left home in a huff long ago. The film ambles on aimlessly without generating any interest or comic situations. The jokes and gags are generally PJs.

    With there is nothing much to say about performances, the film is one shoddy product from Priyadarshan.

    Kamaal Dhamaal Malamaal is total loss of invested maal.

  • Housefull 2 collects Rs 720 million in 1st weekend

    Housefull 2 collects Rs 720 million in 1st weekend

    MUMBAI: Housefull 2 has reported a gross box office collection of Rs 720 million from its opening weekend, according to co-producer Eros International Media Ltd.

    The film, co-produced in association with Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment has grossed Rs 570 million in India (net collection Rs 400 million) and Rs 150 million overseas.

    Eros International Media Ltd, senior VP, India theatrical Nandu Ahuja said, “Despite releasing during the IPL cricket frenzy, Housefull 2 has opened well in theatres across India. With its strong weekend performance, we believe the film has also lived up to its name like its predecessor.”

    Housefull 2 is the sequel to the 2010 hit Housefull. It features Akshay Kumar, John Abraham, Ritesh Deshmukh, Shreyas Talpade, Asin, Jacqueline Fernandez, Zarine Khan and Shahzan Padamsee. It also features veteran actors like Mithun Chakraborty, Randhir Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor and Boman Irani in supporting roles.

    The film released on 6 April across 3000 screens.