Tag: Raj Babbar

Satish Kaushik’s last film Mirg is now streaming on Jio Cinema

Mumbai: Veteran actor late Satish Kaushik’s last film is now streaming on Jio Cinema following its successful theatrical release. The film stars actors like Raj Babbar, Anup Soni and Shwetaabh Singh in pivotal roles, each bringing powerful performances to this gripping story. Satish Kaushik’s fans who have missed the theatrical run can now turn into Jio Cinema to watch Mirg and savour one of his final performances.

Mirg is a captivating thriller that defies genre conventions and takes audiences on an unforgettable journey through the mystical forests of Himachal Pradesh.

Director Tarun Sharma shared his vision for the film: “Mirg is more than just a thriller; it’s a journey of self-discovery and a challenge to the status quo. It’s a genre-bending movie that seamlessly blends action, suspense, comedy and folklore, creating a world where myth and reality collide, offering a truly unique viewing experience”.

But why the name Mirg? Pat came the answer from Director Tarun Sharma, “We were fascinated by the rich folklore surrounding the snow leopard in Himachal Pradesh; by incorporating the legend of the ‘Mirg’ into our film, we wanted to explore the power of myth and its impact on human behaviour.”

Producer Rishi Anand added, “From the moment I read Tarun Sharma’s script, I knew ‘Mirg’ was special. Producing it independently allowed us to stay true to his bold vision and create something refreshingly different for OTT and Cinemas. If you’re looking for a movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat, ‘Mirg’ is it. It’s a genre-bending thriller that blends humour, grit, darkness, and light with a powerful message. Satish ji, Raj ji, and Anup ji bring their A-game, and the action is non-stop. Head over to JioCinema now and experience the thrill for yourself!”

Mirg follows Anil (Shwetaabh Singh), a young man bound by obedience, whose world is upended by a shocking event. Seeking vengeance, he ventures into the treacherous mountains, where he encounters the legend of the ‘Mirg,’ a mystical snow leopard tied to local folklore. As Anil’s quest for justice intersects with the myth, he must confront both his enemies and the darkness within himself, culminating in a gripping climax. With its compelling performances and a narrative that defies norms, Mirg is a must-watch for thriller enthusiasts.

jiocinema

November 12, 2024
The 100th show Juhi Babbar Soni’s ‘With Love, Aap ki Saiyaara’ celebrates 100 Indian women achievers

Mumbai: Juhi Babbar Soni, renowned for her theatre group Ekjute, founded by her parents Raj Babbar and Nadira Babbar is set to mark a milestone seldom seen in today’s screen-dominated digital era. On 28 June, at Sheila Gopal Raheja Auditorium in Bandra, Juhi and her troupe will proudly present their 100th performance of “With Love, Aap ki Saiyaara”. This captivating narrative delves into the diverse identities of contemporary Indian women.

The play features Juhi narrating the journey of Saiyaara through her book that Saiyaara has written. In the play, the book itself is titled “With Love, Aap ki Saiyaara.”

Based on a character conceived by Nadira Zaheer Babbar, the play is written, directed, and performed by Juhi Babbar Soni herself, “With Love, Aap ki Saiyaara” portrays Saiyaara as not just a character but a symbol of resilience, determination, and aspiration. The play, spanning 100 uninterrupted minutes, invites audiences to join Saiyaara on her introspective journey, described by acclaimed poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar as “Behad umda performance hai Juhi ki. Yeh play bahut kuchh ehsaas dilaata hai.” (Juhi’s performance is exceptional. This play evokes many emotions.)

Juhi has also tried a few innovative approaches that have caught everybody’s attention for this feel-good play. For example Saiyaara’s sweet and spicy take on ‘men, marketing and mores’, which is conveyed in a conversational approach with the gallery, making the audience a part of the performance!

Veteran actor Anupam Kher, couldn’t help but praise Juhi’s command over her language during the superb dialogue delivered in the play, “(It is a) Fantastic performance, beautifully written play and Juhi’s command of the language is amazing!”

Expressing her joy and gratitude, Juhi Babbar Soni said, “I am very happy and deeply grateful to my audience for their unwavering support and love. This milestone wouldn’t have been possible without them.”

Interestingly, Juhi initiated the play with an online performance during the lockdown and successfully transitioned it to the stage post-pandemic.

28th June show would be the remarkable 100th show within just 30 months of the play being performed in 35 plus cities in India and 5 cities in London.

June 25, 2024
Force 2…..Of forced action…

MUMBAI: Force 2 is the sequel to the 2011 movie, Force, which, in turn, was based on the 2003 Tamil film, Kaakha Kaakha. Force was about John Abraham, an ACP level cop, a loner who refuses to marry because that would hamper his work of chasing dreaded criminals. His department is always at war with the narcotics trade, and his life is always at risk.

However, love happens: he falls for Genelia D’Souza and marries her, only to lose her in his battle with the drug mafia. The rest is about how he avenges her death.

In Force 2, John the narcotics cop goes international. He is deputed to assist a RAW agent, Sonakshi Sinha. John’s childhood friend, Freddy Daruwala, a RAW agent along with two other colleagues has been eliminated by the Chinese while on duty there. John receives a book from his friend and concludes that his friend’s cover was blown by one of his own compatriots.

John takes it upon himself to avenge his death.

It is for John and Sonakshi to identify the traitor from among their own and then to neutralize him. Sonakshi does not think much of John, he being a cop while she represents the elite espionage force. She does not take John’s contribution seriously as she would rather go about singling out the traitor in her copybook style.

The equation changes once John pinpoints the culprit while Sonakshi is still marking the probable suspects. But, much to John’s discomfort, the hierarchy is established. John is supposed to take orders from her even though her bumbling ways and reputation of failing to pull the trigger when needed makes her look more like the hero’s funny sidekick

The villain, Tahir Bhasin, is identified but nabbing him is not easy. After all, he is also a trained spy. What follows is a chase which lasts through most of the first half of the film. The traitor is smart, always well-prepared and a step ahead of his pursuers. He has backup help from the Chinese to whom he is leaking the names of Indian agents in their country!

As John and Sonakshi catch up with Bhasin, he is always saved by his handlers. Whenever that happens, John and Sonakshi are sitting ducks for them but they, it seems, want to chase to go on!

Why would an Indian and a RAW agent at that be leaking information? He has his reasons on which the whole premise of the film is based. He is seeking revenge from someone high up in the Indian establishment. And, that is where the finale shall take place.

The film starts off on an exciting note in the backdrop of China where three agents’ cover has been blown and the way they are killed. But, no, the fight here is not with the Chinese, they are just incidental. It’s all about the enemy within and that takes away some fun to start with.

After that the action shifts to Budapest for rest of the film but, besides the change of scene as far as the location is concerned, the chases and the one-upmanship game have been seen before and get repetitive. The concept, as mentioned earlier, is based on a premise that is not familiar. Nowhere is the public privy to life of a RAW agent, let alone it being flashed on media like a local incident.

While the pace is swift as most of the footage goes to action and chases with none wasted on romance or singing and dancing, it also means the film has no distractions as in variety. The script is on predictable lines. The direction, in such an event, is all about sticking to action with little attention to script.

The climax takes the audience for granted. Dialogue, especially the lines penned for Tahir, is good. The action is well executed and John, to his credit, makes them look plausible. John also looks sincere about his role of a cop on a rebound. Sonakshi shows little variation in expressions whether she is talking about her mistake which cost five cops their lives or in any other situation. The background score is effective.

Force 2 is a below average action thriller.

Producers: Vipul Amrutlal Shah.
Director: Abhinay Deo.
Cast: John Abraham, Sonakshi Sinha, Tahir Bhasin, Adil Hussain, Raj Babbar.

Tum Bin 2….Old wine gone flat

Tum Bin 2 is a sequel to 2001 film, Tum Bin, a musical love triangle. The sequel, also directed by Anubhav Sinha, comes rather late as far as sequels go, as the idea seems to be to cash in on the current trend of sequels and also to put to use a successful franchise. Tum Bin 2 follows almost same storyline as the original.

Ashim Gulati and Neha Sharma are a pair and live an eventful life full of fun. On one of their days out skiing, Ashim meets with an accident. After attempts to trace him, all hopes are given up on his survival. Neha is devastated and withdraws from the world outside.

This is when Neha meets Aditya Seal through Ashim’s father, Kanwaljeet Singh. Aditya gets busy helping Neha out of her grief. He also gets her involved in her work. Neha gradually starts living a normal life while also getting attracted to Aditya. Just when lives of all connected seem to be hunky-dory, it takes a turn to bring in the ever so popular and old-fashioned twist.

Ashim is not dead after all. It is now a love triangle and Neha is faced with her past and present loves.

There is nothing new to the story about the past catching up and the one in a quandary is always the woman. Tum Bin 2 does not vary from its original and retains the same glitches in the script as well.

The forte in the original was its soundtrack which worked in the film’s favour. Here, the music falls short of expectation. Retaining an old Jagjit Singh number from the earlier version is not much help.

Direction is fair. Dialogue is routine. Cinematography makes the viewing pleasant. Performance wise, Neha Sharma and Aditya Seal do well. Ashim Gulati has little to do in the first half; he is okay.

Tum Bin 2 faces some tough challenges. It comes at a time when demonetisation has affected box office collections all over; the film needed stronger musical score and, the length of 141 minutes (shortened by six minutes from the original censored length of 147) is too lengthy for a love story without any known faces.

Producers: Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Anubhav Sinha.
Director: Anubhav Sinha.
Cast: Aditya Seal, Neha Sharma, Ashim Gulati, Kanwaljeet Singh.

November 18, 2016
Force 2…..Of forced action…

MUMBAI: Force 2 is the sequel to the 2011 movie, Force, which, in turn, was based on the 2003 Tamil film, Kaakha Kaakha. Force was about John Abraham, an ACP level cop, a loner who refuses to marry because that would hamper his work of chasing dreaded criminals. His department is always at war with the narcotics trade, and his life is always at risk.

However, love happens: he falls for Genelia D’Souza and marries her, only to lose her in his battle with the drug mafia. The rest is about how he avenges her death.

In Force 2, John the narcotics cop goes international. He is deputed to assist a RAW agent, Sonakshi Sinha. John’s childhood friend, Freddy Daruwala, a RAW agent along with two other colleagues has been eliminated by the Chinese while on duty there. John receives a book from his friend and concludes that his friend’s cover was blown by one of his own compatriots.

John takes it upon himself to avenge his death.

It is for John and Sonakshi to identify the traitor from among their own and then to neutralize him. Sonakshi does not think much of John, he being a cop while she represents the elite espionage force. She does not take John’s contribution seriously as she would rather go about singling out the traitor in her copybook style.

The equation changes once John pinpoints the culprit while Sonakshi is still marking the probable suspects. But, much to John’s discomfort, the hierarchy is established. John is supposed to take orders from her even though her bumbling ways and reputation of failing to pull the trigger when needed makes her look more like the hero’s funny sidekick

The villain, Tahir Bhasin, is identified but nabbing him is not easy. After all, he is also a trained spy. What follows is a chase which lasts through most of the first half of the film. The traitor is smart, always well-prepared and a step ahead of his pursuers. He has backup help from the Chinese to whom he is leaking the names of Indian agents in their country!

As John and Sonakshi catch up with Bhasin, he is always saved by his handlers. Whenever that happens, John and Sonakshi are sitting ducks for them but they, it seems, want to chase to go on!

Why would an Indian and a RAW agent at that be leaking information? He has his reasons on which the whole premise of the film is based. He is seeking revenge from someone high up in the Indian establishment. And, that is where the finale shall take place.

The film starts off on an exciting note in the backdrop of China where three agents’ cover has been blown and the way they are killed. But, no, the fight here is not with the Chinese, they are just incidental. It’s all about the enemy within and that takes away some fun to start with.

After that the action shifts to Budapest for rest of the film but, besides the change of scene as far as the location is concerned, the chases and the one-upmanship game have been seen before and get repetitive. The concept, as mentioned earlier, is based on a premise that is not familiar. Nowhere is the public privy to life of a RAW agent, let alone it being flashed on media like a local incident.

While the pace is swift as most of the footage goes to action and chases with none wasted on romance or singing and dancing, it also means the film has no distractions as in variety. The script is on predictable lines. The direction, in such an event, is all about sticking to action with little attention to script.

The climax takes the audience for granted. Dialogue, especially the lines penned for Tahir, is good. The action is well executed and John, to his credit, makes them look plausible. John also looks sincere about his role of a cop on a rebound. Sonakshi shows little variation in expressions whether she is talking about her mistake which cost five cops their lives or in any other situation. The background score is effective.

Force 2 is a below average action thriller.

Producers: Vipul Amrutlal Shah.
Director: Abhinay Deo.
Cast: John Abraham, Sonakshi Sinha, Tahir Bhasin, Adil Hussain, Raj Babbar.

Tum Bin 2….Old wine gone flat

Tum Bin 2 is a sequel to 2001 film, Tum Bin, a musical love triangle. The sequel, also directed by Anubhav Sinha, comes rather late as far as sequels go, as the idea seems to be to cash in on the current trend of sequels and also to put to use a successful franchise. Tum Bin 2 follows almost same storyline as the original.

Ashim Gulati and Neha Sharma are a pair and live an eventful life full of fun. On one of their days out skiing, Ashim meets with an accident. After attempts to trace him, all hopes are given up on his survival. Neha is devastated and withdraws from the world outside.

This is when Neha meets Aditya Seal through Ashim’s father, Kanwaljeet Singh. Aditya gets busy helping Neha out of her grief. He also gets her involved in her work. Neha gradually starts living a normal life while also getting attracted to Aditya. Just when lives of all connected seem to be hunky-dory, it takes a turn to bring in the ever so popular and old-fashioned twist.

Ashim is not dead after all. It is now a love triangle and Neha is faced with her past and present loves.

There is nothing new to the story about the past catching up and the one in a quandary is always the woman. Tum Bin 2 does not vary from its original and retains the same glitches in the script as well.

The forte in the original was its soundtrack which worked in the film’s favour. Here, the music falls short of expectation. Retaining an old Jagjit Singh number from the earlier version is not much help.

Direction is fair. Dialogue is routine. Cinematography makes the viewing pleasant. Performance wise, Neha Sharma and Aditya Seal do well. Ashim Gulati has little to do in the first half; he is okay.

Tum Bin 2 faces some tough challenges. It comes at a time when demonetisation has affected box office collections all over; the film needed stronger musical score and, the length of 141 minutes (shortened by six minutes from the original censored length of 147) is too lengthy for a love story without any known faces.

Producers: Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Anubhav Sinha.
Director: Anubhav Sinha.
Cast: Aditya Seal, Neha Sharma, Ashim Gulati, Kanwaljeet Singh.

November 18, 2016
‘Tevar’….Bad attitude!
MUMBAI: Boney Kapoor has a fancy for acquiring the rights of south Indian films, usually Telugu, and remking them in Hindi. The logic is that the film has proved itself with at least one part of India and, hence, entails less risk. What is more, this remaking business has worked for Boney in most cases. ‘Tevar’ is a remake of the 2003 Telugu hit, ‘Ukkadu’.

Early in the film, Arjun Kapoor sings a song, ‘Main tou Superman..’, and then carries that attitude through the film. He does not fly or wear cape but fights like a mean machine. He keeps himself fit by playing kabbadi.

With his three friends, Arjun, roams around his town, Agra. Unwittingly, he happens to cross paths with the ‘bahubali’ of neighbouring Mathura, Manoj Bajpayee. Manoj’s brother, Rajesh Sharma, is the state Home Minister while his cousin is the local MP, a convenient situation for him and his goons to run riot in the area; he rules over it like a tyrant.

Manoj sees Sonakshi Sinha at a dance festival and falls heads over heels in love with her. He approaches her taking his own marriage proposal and, on being refused, he becomes more determined and approaches her TV journalist brother. Her brother insults Manoj and pays with his life.

Producers: Sanjay Kapoor, Sunil Lulla.

Director: Amit Ravindernath Sharma.

Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha, Manoj Bajpayee, Subrat Dutta, Rajesh Sharma, Raj Babbar, Deepti Naval.

The only way out now for Sonakshi is to run away from the town, proceed to Delhi and go ahead with her study trip to the US. But, Manoj spots her at the interstate bus depot and forces her to go with him. That is when Arjun watches the scene and thrashes Manoj only to realise later that he has taken ‘panga’ with a don. He can either leave the town or protect Sonakshi till she gets her visa and leaves the country in few days.

What follows is hide and seek game between the Arjun-Sonakshi duo and Manoj’s goons. Manoj’s brother, Rajesh, is uncomfortable with his brother’s way of dealing with the issue open to public eyes. He decides to help. He calls the police chief, Raj Babbar, to deploy his entire police force to trace the girl. When Babbar realises that his own son has kidnapped the girl, the chase is now two fold, police as well as goons are after the couple. The director also takes the liberty to create rain during Holi season to add thrill to the chase.

Things are now becoming monotonous but soon enough, it is time for Arjun to fight Manoj’s men to finally qualify to take on Manoj himself. Of course the hero wins but he has to remain clean so, finally, Manoj has to take a bullet from Subrat Dutta, the family’s goon-in-chief, who wants to inherit Manoj’s title of ‘bahubali’.

Though the film may feel a bit lengthy at two hours and 39 minutes, director Amit Ravindernath Sharma has done a worthy job in his debut feature film. He has made sure make ‘Tevar’ more colourful than the Telugu original and has added finesse despite it having been shot in the bylanes of small cities. However, what goes against ‘Tevar’ is that it is made from a dated film of 2003 and many similar films have been made since. Also, the ‘bahubali’ business has been overused and not palatable anymore. There has been enough of one man felling 10 goons and ‘Tevar’ goes overboard with it making it repetitive and tedious.

The film has good dialogue. The music is very good with ‘Superman….’, ‘Radha nachegi…’ and ‘Joganiya…’ providing a variety. Two songs have been filmed beautifully. Arjun is getting slotted in this tapori fighter image which provides little scope for histrionics. Sonakshi fails to charm. Manoj looks spent. Raj Babbar and Deepti Naval are okay. Dutta impresses.
1. ‘Tevar’ has no prospects at multiplexes catering neither to kids or family. Single screen business will be just average at best.
January 9, 2015
From reel to real: Actors piggy ride on populist parties

NEW DELHI: When megastar Amitabh Bachchan decided in the mid-eighties to wash his hands off politics (except on screen), one expected that very few from his fraternity would dare take the plunge.

However, there were a few like Raj Babbar, Shatrughan Sinha and Sunil Dutt who entered politics. Perhaps the only notable entry from the Hindi cinema industry after that was Vinod Khanna, though several south Indian actors either joined the state or centre arena.

The love between the two magnified as many political parties, particularly Bharatiya Janata Party and Trinamool Congress went all out to woo those from the reel world to the real world. Perhaps this exposure to politics and largely the anti-corruption wave that swept the country in the wake of Anna Hazare’s movement resulted in probably the largest number of film personalities entering the fray for the 2014 polls.

The 16^th Lok Sabha elections saw as many as 40 film personalities from different states, representing different parties campaigning, and many of them surprised all by coming out with flying (party) colours.

But for the film industry, the constituencies that were worth watching were the ones where the members of the same fraternity pitted against each other.

Of the most keenly watched battles was of Kirron Kher of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Aam Admi Party’s Gul Panag. Kher was shown black flags when she first went to Chandigarh, unlike Panag and yet, Kher came out with flying colours. She defeated a veteran like Pawan Kumar Bansal of the Congress, though many from her constituency said it was more a victory of the party than of the actor herself.

Similarly, Mumbai West saw item girl Rakhi Sawant who represented the Rashtriya Aam Party battling it out with Mahesh Manjrekar who represented the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and ultimately emerged as the winner.

The not-so-‘khamosh’ Shatrughan Sinha once again successfully represented the BJP from Patna Saheb in Bihar where he faced Bhojpuri actor Kunal Singh of the Congress.

In Birbhum, actor Satabdi Roy of the Trinamool Congress successfully trounced actor Joy Banerjee of the BJP. Similarly, Singer Indranil Sen from TMC expectedly trounced Sidhanth Mahapatra of the Biju Janata Dal from Behrampur.

For the BJP, versatile singer Bablu Supriya from Asansol, senior actor Hema Malini in Mathura despite initial criticism, Hindi and Bhojpuri actor Manoj Tiwari in North East Delhi, versatile actor Paresh Rawal from Ahmedabad East, and veteran Vinod Khanna from Gurdaspur emerged winners.

Television actress Smiriti Irani from the high-profile constituency Amethi lost but with a considerably reduced margin, and others who lost included Nimu Bhowmik in Raiganj, George Baker representing Howrah and music maestro Bappi Lahiri from Serampore.

For the Trinamool Congress, glamorous actor Moon Moon Sen in Bankura, reigning Bengali star Deb (Deepak Adhikari) in Ghatal, Sandhya Sen in Midnapore, actor Arpita Ghosh in Balurghat, and actor Tapas Paul in Krishnagar reached the finishing line ahead of the others, while actor Soumitra Roy from Malda North, and former Bollywood star Biswajit (Chatterjee) from New Delhi had to face defeat.

The Congress had the largest number of star losers. They included Kannada heroine Ramya in Mandya, the high profile Raj Babbar in Ghaziabad, actor Aparajita Mohanty in Cuttack, veteran Oriya film actor Bijay Mohanty from Bhubaneswar, Hindi and Bhojpuri actor Ravi Kishan from Jaunpur, petite actress Nagma in Meerut, actor Jayasudha in Secunderabad, actor Vijaya Shanthi from Medak, and D Napoleon from Perambalur in Tamil Nadu who was a Minister in the outgoing government.

The AAP faced a similar fate with TV actress Rina Rani who contested from Maharajganj and the actor-dancer Javed Jaffery (son of former comedy actor Jagdeep) from Lucknow being shown the door.

Actor Innocent representing the Communist Party of India (Marxist) from Chalakkudy in Kerala emerged victor, while renowned award-winning director Prakash Jha representing the Janata Dal (United) from West Champaran in Bihar and former actor Jayaprada of Rashtriya Lok Dal from Bijnor had to face defeats.

Actor Murali Mohan won from the Rajahmundry seat for the Telugu Desam Party.

At present, the Rajya Sabha has Javed Akhtar, Jaya Bachchan, Mithun Chakraborty, K Chiranjeevi, Rekha and producer T Subbarami Reddy as members. Smriti Irani who lost to Rahul Gandhi also continues to be member of the Rajya Sabha.

One cannot ignore the fact that while Bollywood has generally not been very successful in north India, the southern film industry is rich with examples of film-politicians. Some of the popular names are S S Rajendran (SSR), M G Ramachandran, J Jayalalithaa , S Chandrasekar.

It remains to be seen if the film personalities will rise above to serve the people or will add glamour to the lower house of Parliament.

May 17, 2014
Amuls tasteless take on Tehelka

MUMBAI: For a brand as big as Amul, its ads too have come to be an iconic part of the country’s social-scape.

From IPL spot fixing to the allegations of corruption that once swirled around Jagmohan Dalmiya, from Laloo Prasad Yadav’s arrest in the fodder scam to Raj Babbar’s atrocious comments with respect to Rs 12 meals; Amul ads have taken an unflinching stance, driving home the point cheekily, yet responsibly while almost always leaving the reader with a smile.

This time round however, even Amul’s li’l moppet, of the polka dot fame, has been unable to save the day.

The latest ad – a take on the Tehelka scandal – shows a Tarun Tejpal-like figure being pecked by crows (incidentally the crow is Tehelka’s mascot) while sitting on a stool inside what looks like an elevator, while the Amul girl stands outside with her bread and butter sandwich. The tagline reads: “Kya Se Kya Kho Gaya! Tehelka Macha De!”

Tejpal, the editor of Tehelka, who has made a career out of his in-your-face brand of journalism, has been in the news for allegedly sexually assaulting a junior colleague, a friend of his daughter at that, in an elevator at a fest organised by the magazine earlier this month in Goa.

The Amul poster, which takes a very obvious swipe at Tejpal, hasn’t gone down well with people and social media is abuzz with comments trashing the ad for its tastelessness.

Writes columnist and writer Aseem Chhabra: “I find this Amul ad outrageous and offensive! Where is the humor in a rape case?” Tweets The Oddfather @TheOddfather1014h: “Sorry guys, just my personal opinion…I don’t think it’s very smart or creative using a molestation case in your ad #justsaying”. Posts Vijay @ohVijayJoshi3h wrote: “like idiots u came up to make fun of a sensitive topic can u do a fun ad on 26/11 & Arushi as well.. U r selling butter? Pathetic”.

Clearly, the ad hasn’t cut ice with a majority of people unlike its previous ones. Whether they think it trivializes a serious issue or is just not witty enough or whether rape is a matter that just doesn’t lend itself to jokes; one can’t really point out.

All said, adman Rahul Dacunha, the man behind all those witty Amul posters since 1993 is disappointed with people’s reaction. “Am disappointed that you see this as a joke – it’s a satirical comment about the fall from grace of a man,” he tweeted.

Ironically, Dacunha is the same guy who, in a column in Tehelka on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of Amul in 2009 wrote: “Today is Tuesday morning. Actor Shiney Ahuja makes the headlines – he may have just raped his maid. The question before the Amul creative team at Dacunha Communications is: Should Amul walk away or comment? And if we do, what angle do we take? What tone of voice? This is the dilemma we often face with Amul.”

If this is what Dacunha thought four years ago, we wonder what made him change his mind this time round…

November 27, 2013
Saif Ali Khan gets fitter for ‘Bullett Raja’

MUMBAI: Bollywood’s leading actor and fitness freak, Saif Ali Khan is all geared up for his forthcoming film Bullett Raja which is all set to release on 29 November.

Saif will be seen in a very raw and rustic avatar in the film. And for this look the actor has been working out real hard. Insiders say that the films script is very demanding in terms of action and all the sequences are done by Saif himself.

When asked Saif about his fitness in Bullett Raja he said, “I wasn’t fit when I did the Race 2 run. I was okay but I am way fitter now and it looks different. If you are fit, your body language changes. You are more agile and the kind of action you do, particularly like in Bullett Raja, it’s incredibly physically demanding. It’s a great feeling when you are fit and you are looking good when they shoot you”

With a customised workout regime the actor sports one of his best look on screen till date.

Bullett Raja which is back dropped against a mafia based in Uttar Pradesh will be a complete action packed entertainer. Produced by Select Media & BrandSmith Motion Pictures the film also stars Jimmy Shergill, Vidyut Jamwal, Gulshan Grover, Raj Babbar and Chunky Pandey.

So get ready to witness the bloody badlands of director Tigmanshu Dhulia as Bullet Raja releases this November.

September 22, 2013
Saif Ali Khan gets fitter for Bullett Raja

Bollywood’s leading actor and fitness freak, Saif Ali Khan is all geared up for his forthcoming film Bullett Raja which is all set to release on 29 November.

Saif will be seen in a very raw and rustic avatar in the film. And for this look the actor has been working out real hard. Insiders say that the films script is very demanding in terms of action and all the sequences are done by Saif himself.

When asked Saif about his fitness in Bullett Raja he said, “I wasn’t fit when I did the Race 2 run. I was okay but I am way fitter now and it looks different. If you are fit, your body language changes. You are more agile and the kind of action you do, particularly like in Bullett Raja, it’s incredibly physically demanding. It’s a great feeling when you are fit and you are looking good when they shoot you”

With a customised workout regime the actor sports one of his best look on screen till date.

Bullett Raja which is back dropped against a mafia based in Uttar Pradesh will be a complete action packed entertainer. Produced by Select Media & BrandSmith Motion Pictures the film also stars Jimmy Shergill, Vidyut Jamwal, Gulshan Grover, Raj Babbar and Chunky Pandey.

So get ready to witness the bloody badlands of director Tigmanshu Dhulia as Bullet Raja releases this November.

September 20, 2013

Rabba Main Kya Karoon: Just another wedding gone wrong

MUMBAI: Ever since films like Hum Aapke Hain Kaun and Monsoon Wedding succeeded at the box office, the Indian wedding has been a genre in Hindi films. You don’t need a story. You can collect a motley crowd and use all the colour and light you want when you make a wedding film.

However, there has to be some excuse for a story. Here goes: Akash Chopra proposes to his childhood sweetheart, Tahira Kochhar. The wedding, following an engagement ceremony, is fixed. The guests and relatives start gathering and a festive atmosphere prevails all round. But Chopra is most thrilled when his elder brother and idol, Arshad Warsi, arrives. Warsi is Chopra’s mentor. Soon Warsi learns that Chopra has been a one-woman man and not only has he not indulged in chasing other women, he is still a virgin.

Warsi has a theory that such a marriage can’t last and not cheating on one’s wife leads to a failed marriage. He decides to do something about the problem in three steps. He is determined not to send his brother to the altar a virgin man. He also plants on the wedding scene a girl who was interested in Chopra earlier to seduce him. Warsi keeps creating situations where Chopra would bump into her. This charade goes on while on the side the other characters’ traits are etched out in an effort to create funny situations.

Producer: Moti Sagar.
Director: Amrit Sagar Chopra.
Cast: Akash Chopra, Arshad Warsi, Paresh Rawal, Raj Babbar, Shakti Kapoor, RiyaSen, Tahira Kocchar,
Himani Shivpuri, Anuradha Patel,
Tinu Anand, Navni Parihar

Raj Babbar is the eldest of the family and comes across as a ‘khadus tau’ until he confesses to almost going wayward. Tinnu Anand was a muscular hulk once upon a time but has reduced to looking like a walking stick because he is always scared of his wife, Himani Shivpuri. He will learn about something wrong he did years back. Paresh Rawal plays mind games with his wife, Sushmita Mukherjee, and keeps her hooked to drugs while he keeps flirting with young girls. Shakti Kapoor likes to chase girls too as his wife, Supriya Karnik, keeps nagging him about smoking. Then there is the pair of Rakesh Bedi and his wife, Navni Parihar, who married out of love but are seen bickering and fighting all the time. These are fillers to entertain you while Warsi tries his devices to rid Chopra of his virgin status.

Finally, as expected, Warsi’s ploy backfires. Chopra’s marriage is called off as Kochhar catches him with the other girl. Warsi is foolhardy and bravely tells his wife how he was cheating on her all the time. There is no logic in Warsi’s confession to his wife except to create a little drama at the end. His wife walks out and so does Kochhar.

Chopra does well while Kochhar is okay. Warsi is his usual self. Rest fill the bill. Musically, Bari Barsi…. And Muh meetha …have some lively moments. Direction is fair.

Rabba Mai Kya Karoon may find some takers in the North. Its beginning has not been very encouraging.

Chor Chor Super Chor: May just manage to steal a few smiles

Producers: Ved Kataria, Renu Kataria.
Director: K Rajesh.
Cast: Deepak Dobriyal, Anshul Kataria, Priya Bathija, Alok Chaturvedi, Bramha Mishra, Paru Uma, Chandrahas Tiwari, Jagat Rawat, Anurag Arora, Nitin Goel, Avtar Sahani, MeghVarn Pant, ShrikantVerma, Tina, Kafil Ahemad.

Tehelka magazine introduced India to sting operations and like all fads, soon filmmakers caught up with the idea too. They found ways to add sting operations to their scripts without always understanding the essence of a sting. Chor Chor Super Chor is a sort of Oliver Twist revisited, however, with an interesting concept.

In a side alley of old Delhi, Shuklaji runs a photo studio. But that is just a façade for he actually controls a gang of young pickpockets and petty thieves. The boys have grown up under his care and are very loyal to him. One of the boys, Deepak Dobriyal, does not want to be part of such a way of life anymore and wants out. He tries to land jobs and finally gets one: to stand dressed as a Punjabi ‘samosa’ outside a savoury shop at one of the Delhi metro stations. In his earlier attempt to find a job, he has come across a girl, Priya Bathija, with whom he has fallen in love.

As luck would have it, Bathija arrives at the same metro station everyday at a fixed time to go to her job. One day, Dobriyal sees her handbag being picked. She is stopped by the station security and asked to show her ticket or else pay a fine, both things she can not do since her ticket as well as money was lost with the bag. Dobriyal uses his clout with the security man and gets her out of this tricky situation. Dobriyal knows one of his own people took it. He retrieves her bag and returns it to her the next day. The ice is broken and Dobriyal now becomes her friend. She wants to know how he got her bag back and he owns up to knowing them. She convinces him to show her the gang in operation and the smitten Dobriyal duly obliges.

Dobriyal starts dreaming of finding a house as he expects her to propose to him any moment. Instead what he gets is a solid shock. The TV is running a promo of a sting operation of a chain of pickpockets and how they operate in unison on one target. Dobriyal is the one on TV in a tell all session! Bathija was a TV reporter. She had fooled and used him. His pickpocket friends are also angry with him for giving them away. Dobriyal asks for seven days and the gang’s help to turn the tables on Bathija.

Dobriyal plans a TV reality show of his own and first prank he plays is on the very owner of Bathija’s channel. He and his ‘team’ also involve their earlier victims who were caught on Bathija’s sting. Their show is ready. It is taken to Bathija’s boss. The result is, not only is the show approved it also leads to Bathija losing her job. The film carries a side track of the kidnap of a miser diamond merchant by one of the gang members who wanted to do something big instead of petty crimes his gang did every day. That track helps the film end on an action climax.

The film ambles along initially but it starts getting interesting as it progresses and when the counter sting is happening. Direction is good. The performances are generally on the better side. With resources being limited, rest of the aspects are okay.

Chor Chor Super Chor is fairly entertaining but has had a poor opening due to lack of face value and promotion.

BA Pass: May just not pass at the box-office

The title of this film suggests nothing about its content. In fact, it is irrelevant. In the quest to make shoestring budget movies, one of the genres independent makers opting for is sex. Last week we had Nasha about juvenile infatuation with a buxom teacher. This week we have BA Pass, a film about a nymphomaniac and her eye for a variety of lovers. It is based on a short story, The Railway Aunty by Mohan Sikka.

Producer: Ajay Bahl.
Director: Ajay Bahl.
Cast: Shilpa Shukla, Shadab Kamal, Rajesh Sharma, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Geeta Aggarwal.

Shadab Kamal’s is a cursed family. When his parents die, his grandfather hands him over to his daughter (the boy’s bua), Geeta Aggarwal, to take care of him in Delhi, where she lives, so that he can finish his Bachelor of Arts degree. (It is a different matter that a BA does not mean much these days.) The reason to send a boy away from a house left with two girls and an old man makes no sense; the rest of the film does not either. Geeta, with her husband and a son, lives in the Railway Settlement and Kamal tries to fit in there.

With only four hours to spend in college, Kamal has a lot of spare time on hand. Some of this he spends with an undertaker, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, and rest Geeta makes him spend running errands or doing household chores. It is during one kitty party that Shilpa Shukla, his aunt’s friend, notices the boy. She asks Geeta to send the boy over to her house to help with some errands. There is no way Geeta can say no since Shilpa’s husband is her husband’s boss.

Right from his first visit, Shilpa initiates Kamal into sex and various ways to enjoy it. Her hunger for sex is insatiable. She helps him look more presentable and soon also introduces him to her other ‘needy’ friends. The boy has now turned into a regular gigolo and started making a lot of money. The arrangement works fine for all concerned. But, Shilpa’s wayward ways are whispered in ladies circles and have also filtered down to her husband, Rajesh Sharma, who decides to give her a surprise one day and drops in at home at an odd hour. Kamal had only come to give his life’s savings to Shilpa for safekeeping but she could not resist using his visit for one more act when Sharma enters.

Kamal’s world turns upside down. Sharma makes sure he is thrown out of his bua’s house. His plans to rent a house and bring his sisters back from hostel are in limbo since all his earnings are with Shilpa. He takes shelter with Bhattacharya and also asks him to go get his money from Shilpa, which he fails to do. Kamal vows to get his money back and breaks into her house and ransacks it but the money is nowhere to be found. Shilpa enters, he brandishes his knife, but still there is no money. The scene gets tricky as Sharma is at the door threatening to break it down. Shilpa’s attempt to trick Kamal and frame him only results in his stabbing and killing her.

Kamal can’t escape from the police for long and that is the tragic end to his life.

One may call this film a bold one but what is its purpose? The film has neither a message nor any entertainment. Why is the boy so star-crossed that nothing ever goes right for him? Some people may enjoy the film till the sex scenes are enacted sans nudity; might as well because neither Shilpa nor Kamal has a body worth the full monty. Made economically, the film has neither pleasant moments nor pleasant visuals to offer, having been shot in down market parts of the capital. Dialogue is good, especially those penned for Shilpa.

BA Pass has its chances at single screens in the North. Its content grossly limits its audience.

August 2, 2013