gauravb21
Joined Dec 2005
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gauravb21's rating
Can Raw be Gorgeous ? Well here we have for that one rare spectacular treat. Vishal Bhardwaj visualizes and presents a mesmeric manifestation out of rustic, rural, and wild backdrop. Omkara is an adaptation from Othello, one of the four great tragedies written by Shakespeare that includes Hamlet, King Lear, and Macbeth. Vishal has made all possible efforts to recreate the magic of the powerful script and he has succeeded to a great extent. However he has changed background from one that at royals in Europe to pastoral countryside in western Uttar Pradesh. The movie has an extravagant treatment and every aspect from costumes to sets and dialect to music has been designed to near exactness. The beginning takes you straight into the heartland of India where politics and power equations are bread and butter of the inhabitants. The color of muscle-power, sex, and jealously makes perfect ingredients for a Bollywood potboiler. It surely have been a laudable effort by the filmmaker after depicting his genius with Maqbool in 2003 (another adaptation from Shakespeare's Macbeth).
Omkara stays true to its spirit, (the original word is a spiritual vibration from Sanskrit) it's an impersonal and formless representation of the absolute truth. Ajay Devgan playing the lead gives the right tone and shade to the character. His intense expressive eyes and deep throat say it all. It is indeed a quantum leap over his last negative portrayal in Ram Gopal Verma's "Company". He stays in focus from the first action sequence and the title song gives him a fitting introduction on the canvas. The whole drama revolves around his emotions and his weaknesses. His love interest in the film is played by Kareena Kapoor and to say the least she has been a complete revelation to watch. She looks stunning and emotes with ease in some very delicate parts of the show. Vivek Oberoi tries his hand again on some quality stuff after a string of flops recently but unfortunately he is one of the rare weak parts of this plot. He looked very vulnerable and the character never gave him an opportunity to come to the forefront. Konkona Sen Sharma is always full of surprises and her versatility is her strength. The variety of roles she does will be envy for any actor. She plays with simple elegance for a common house villager and without a doubt impresses one and all. Another high was from Bipasha Basu, playing a sultry siren and absolutely ignites the screen with couple of dance numbers. Apart from illustrating her well toned figure there was not much of performance meat in her presence. However the most sumptuous role was bagged by none other than brilliant Saif Ali Khan. He is the fulcrum for the whole movie and he is one who raises the bar of quality for many others around him. One could essentially feel the frustration and resentment in Saif's depiction. The way he hatches the plot and then makes his wicked moves one by one develops the much needed interest for the viewer. He is very slow to start with by staying in shadows of Devgan but then came the string of frames where he outclassed the former.
Omkara should well be appreciated for its technical brilliance. With bulk of shooting at Wai and Lonavala in Maharashtra, it would have been a real big challenge to structure an authentic North Indian village. The cinematography was sheer pleasure and many shots were so aesthetic that it felt like watching mesmeric work of art in motion. The frames were large and the theme of boisterous merrymaking was captured with meticulous vividness. The script is just right and director do not waste any reels on explaining irrelevant details. Though large hearted shower of local offensive words can get jarring for some audience. Music did not have much to do in this tight screenplay and the director could have done better without couple of songs. Although "Jag Ja Ri Gudia" composition sung by Suresh Wadkar is a pure melody and the veteran made his presence felt in crop of new singers. The song has special relevance with the storyline and thus goes along well.
All accolades to the director for feasting us on an outstanding cinema. He is a showcase of the new genre of Indian film makers and he has all his fundamentals in the right place. The movie leaves us with heavy thoughts and a lot to ponder in the end. It could have been very easy for anyone to go awry with such a radiant cast line but Vishal not only develops the individual characters skillfully but also creates the magic of making Raw look Gorgeous
Omkara stays true to its spirit, (the original word is a spiritual vibration from Sanskrit) it's an impersonal and formless representation of the absolute truth. Ajay Devgan playing the lead gives the right tone and shade to the character. His intense expressive eyes and deep throat say it all. It is indeed a quantum leap over his last negative portrayal in Ram Gopal Verma's "Company". He stays in focus from the first action sequence and the title song gives him a fitting introduction on the canvas. The whole drama revolves around his emotions and his weaknesses. His love interest in the film is played by Kareena Kapoor and to say the least she has been a complete revelation to watch. She looks stunning and emotes with ease in some very delicate parts of the show. Vivek Oberoi tries his hand again on some quality stuff after a string of flops recently but unfortunately he is one of the rare weak parts of this plot. He looked very vulnerable and the character never gave him an opportunity to come to the forefront. Konkona Sen Sharma is always full of surprises and her versatility is her strength. The variety of roles she does will be envy for any actor. She plays with simple elegance for a common house villager and without a doubt impresses one and all. Another high was from Bipasha Basu, playing a sultry siren and absolutely ignites the screen with couple of dance numbers. Apart from illustrating her well toned figure there was not much of performance meat in her presence. However the most sumptuous role was bagged by none other than brilliant Saif Ali Khan. He is the fulcrum for the whole movie and he is one who raises the bar of quality for many others around him. One could essentially feel the frustration and resentment in Saif's depiction. The way he hatches the plot and then makes his wicked moves one by one develops the much needed interest for the viewer. He is very slow to start with by staying in shadows of Devgan but then came the string of frames where he outclassed the former.
Omkara should well be appreciated for its technical brilliance. With bulk of shooting at Wai and Lonavala in Maharashtra, it would have been a real big challenge to structure an authentic North Indian village. The cinematography was sheer pleasure and many shots were so aesthetic that it felt like watching mesmeric work of art in motion. The frames were large and the theme of boisterous merrymaking was captured with meticulous vividness. The script is just right and director do not waste any reels on explaining irrelevant details. Though large hearted shower of local offensive words can get jarring for some audience. Music did not have much to do in this tight screenplay and the director could have done better without couple of songs. Although "Jag Ja Ri Gudia" composition sung by Suresh Wadkar is a pure melody and the veteran made his presence felt in crop of new singers. The song has special relevance with the storyline and thus goes along well.
All accolades to the director for feasting us on an outstanding cinema. He is a showcase of the new genre of Indian film makers and he has all his fundamentals in the right place. The movie leaves us with heavy thoughts and a lot to ponder in the end. It could have been very easy for anyone to go awry with such a radiant cast line but Vishal not only develops the individual characters skillfully but also creates the magic of making Raw look Gorgeous
Remember disastrous Fiza by talented Khalid Mohamed and Hrithik Roshan, followed by Mission Kashmir of Vidhu Vinod Chopra. It seems like filmmakers are allured by the theory of an innocent Kashmiri militant and they never seem to get enough of it. Well, that was some six odd years ago and now once again Kunal Kohli tries to present the concept with bit more of melodrama. There have been more than one set of similarities between all these films, lack of concrete script, some fantastic cinematography, slow paced screenplay, strong female character portrayal ( be it Karisma in Fiza, Pretty in Mission Kashmir, and mesmeric Kajol in Fanaa ), and of course the dud endings leaving viewers bewildered.
Fanna has definitely been an attempt by the director to do something different, however I would suggest him to better stick to his foray of chocolaty films (his last was Hum Tum with Saif and Rani Mukherjee). In the nutshell, it has been a big let down to all the viewers who have been rather waiting for the movie very eagerly.
Fanaa meaning 'destroyed in love', was planned to embody the dark side of a love story in a patriotic flavor. The movie begins with the scenic New Delhi and all its historical architectures. The story grows at a painfully slow rate and thus loosening its grip in the first half itself, though there were hints of some revival towards the beginning of second half but nothing seemed to have helped the lousy screenplay. Even the poetry dialogs sprinkled wholeheartedly across the script are very jaded and sounds dated. Talking about performances, Kirron Kher seems to have perfected the art of motherhood in Bollywood after legendary Nirupa Roy, she is good in her short appearance. Rishi Kapoor still maintains those cute looks but he didn't have any major chunk to perform. The fulcrum of the film was always on Aamir and he never seems to disappoint his fans. He always gives a new dimension to any character he plays and Rehan Qadri in Fanaa is absolutely to watch out for his expressions and presentation. However the character never blossomed on screen, it looked much curtailed both in romantic and then in ruthless militant look. I still wonder at the choice of this script by the versatile actor. Tabu also jumps in with a small cameo but she looked far away from whole thing. She could hardly relate to the passion and the temperament of an intelligence officer.
Finally, all is not lost in Fanaa, the character that really looms large over the whole show is Zooni Ali Beg, portrayed to near perfection by none other than Kajol. She has everything going for her way as she looks really enticing and powerful from within. This could have been a perfect comeback movie for the actress only if the treatment would have been little better but nonetheless she has captivated the viewer's imagination with those big expressive eyes and graceful looks. She maintains the dignity of the character and even commands attention with her screen presence.
The cinematography is another delight in the dismal depiction. The picturesque locales of Poland (shown as Kashmir) are a treat to watch and would sooth few eyes in scorching Indian summer. Also the song 'Dekho Na' is sure to hang around for sometime for visuals and background score, it shows that Sonu Nigam has well graduated to a classical vocalist and he is doing all legendary singers proud. Then comes the music and Jatin-Lalit are no Rehman, they tried to work on similar lines but without much of gain. Sufi music requires a whole lot more of depth with lyrical value and it is disappointing to say the least. The songs lack the punch and repeat value in any way. They are highly situational but still fail to bind along. To add to the latest trend of remixed fast paced songs there is one by DJ Aqeel called "Fanaa for You " which has been added more for a necessity than for a requirement. To complement all, the climax has been rushed up with a frantic build up and it leaves so many tattered ends to the film.
All I can say is that its mere destruction and this Fanaa is not for you
Fanna has definitely been an attempt by the director to do something different, however I would suggest him to better stick to his foray of chocolaty films (his last was Hum Tum with Saif and Rani Mukherjee). In the nutshell, it has been a big let down to all the viewers who have been rather waiting for the movie very eagerly.
Fanaa meaning 'destroyed in love', was planned to embody the dark side of a love story in a patriotic flavor. The movie begins with the scenic New Delhi and all its historical architectures. The story grows at a painfully slow rate and thus loosening its grip in the first half itself, though there were hints of some revival towards the beginning of second half but nothing seemed to have helped the lousy screenplay. Even the poetry dialogs sprinkled wholeheartedly across the script are very jaded and sounds dated. Talking about performances, Kirron Kher seems to have perfected the art of motherhood in Bollywood after legendary Nirupa Roy, she is good in her short appearance. Rishi Kapoor still maintains those cute looks but he didn't have any major chunk to perform. The fulcrum of the film was always on Aamir and he never seems to disappoint his fans. He always gives a new dimension to any character he plays and Rehan Qadri in Fanaa is absolutely to watch out for his expressions and presentation. However the character never blossomed on screen, it looked much curtailed both in romantic and then in ruthless militant look. I still wonder at the choice of this script by the versatile actor. Tabu also jumps in with a small cameo but she looked far away from whole thing. She could hardly relate to the passion and the temperament of an intelligence officer.
Finally, all is not lost in Fanaa, the character that really looms large over the whole show is Zooni Ali Beg, portrayed to near perfection by none other than Kajol. She has everything going for her way as she looks really enticing and powerful from within. This could have been a perfect comeback movie for the actress only if the treatment would have been little better but nonetheless she has captivated the viewer's imagination with those big expressive eyes and graceful looks. She maintains the dignity of the character and even commands attention with her screen presence.
The cinematography is another delight in the dismal depiction. The picturesque locales of Poland (shown as Kashmir) are a treat to watch and would sooth few eyes in scorching Indian summer. Also the song 'Dekho Na' is sure to hang around for sometime for visuals and background score, it shows that Sonu Nigam has well graduated to a classical vocalist and he is doing all legendary singers proud. Then comes the music and Jatin-Lalit are no Rehman, they tried to work on similar lines but without much of gain. Sufi music requires a whole lot more of depth with lyrical value and it is disappointing to say the least. The songs lack the punch and repeat value in any way. They are highly situational but still fail to bind along. To add to the latest trend of remixed fast paced songs there is one by DJ Aqeel called "Fanaa for You " which has been added more for a necessity than for a requirement. To complement all, the climax has been rushed up with a frantic build up and it leaves so many tattered ends to the film.
All I can say is that its mere destruction and this Fanaa is not for you
Paint It Yellow
. Oops
.that's suppose to be Rang De Basanti
.. Well that's exactly the director tries to convey. Its about today, us and our present, yet the similarities we have from the Pre-independence era. The Gen-x who knows Mac-D but still prefers the Dhaba Paranthas with sweet Lassi. However they restrict their national values only to food and nothing more. Its not a run of the mill stuff with 6 six romantic songs, couple of foreign locales and then finally some emotional drama
.. No no no
.. Rang De
is a Cult movie. It is more of an introspection, a food for our thought process. It makes us think, as to how should we actually celebrate our freedom. I was really moved by some of the ending lines by the narrator, "I thought there are 2 types of people in the world, one who die crying and other who move away in silence but today I learned there is third genre, people who go laughing". That says it all
Rang De is definitely a very brave and innovative attempt by the director and for that matter he has selected a near perfect cast. However veterans like Om Puri and Anupam Kher looked disposed. All the characters grow gradually in the film and make you think their way. Everyone is given enough space to justify their talent. Rakesh Omprakash Mehra is a director of the new emerging Indian cinema, he always tries to bring in something very different. I was really impressed by his last attempt in 2001 for Aks (Amitabh Bachchan and Manoj Bajpai ), and he definitely has succeeded in making another fabulous master piece. The highlight of the movie is the great use of cinematography techniques. Its probably for the first time in Indian cinema that juxtaposing has been used with such a great effect. The way each character gradually immerses into scenes from the past leaves you fantasizing about the hard work that has gone in the background to create this, both technically and on the part of the actor.
The movie starts on a very high spirit reflecting today's youth mindset who believe that patriotism is something that looks good in history chapters and today's world is far ahead of all that, they would prefer to go boozing and dancing rather than thinking on any of those lines. The way the campus scenes are shown really makes everyone go down the memory lanes of beautiful college days. This is followed by some intriguing drama and events which turns the life of a group of buddies upside-down altogether.
The film grows on you gradually. The director has made sure that there is a clear message in everything he presents, even the group of boys represents different sects of society and religion. Hence creating an appeal for everyone watching it. Music is another high point of the show, its foot tapping and very much with the mood of the subject. The songs give you a sense of freedom from within, a freedom to think in one's own way. A.R. Rehman doesn't need any introductions and he is surely one of the most original music directors we have in the country.
The brilliance of Aamir Khan is something very difficult to narrate, he has proved it umpteen number of times that he is truly the most versatile actor in the industry. His comic timing in the first part is better than anything seen in recent past. He is extremely fluent even with difficult Punjabi tongue twisters and the acting prowess he has shown would be very difficult to match by anyone around. He appears so natural and his complete look with new hairstyle (which is now part of his every new movie) gives a very striking combination.
Well the most wanting part of the whole thing has been the script to certain extent, it appears very loose in the second half and at times gives a droning feel. Few new ideas presented by the author looked half-baked. However it has been the technical expertise of the director who managed to save the things with some outstanding camera work and editing.
Rang De is for sure a must watch movie, it doesn't have any preaching but still it will force you to think once. As they say it "There are two primary choices in life, to accept conditions as they exist or take upon the responsibility to change them". I believe most of us want to bring about the changes without doing anything, so its time to think again folks and take some responsibility, lets Paint It Yellow
Rang De is definitely a very brave and innovative attempt by the director and for that matter he has selected a near perfect cast. However veterans like Om Puri and Anupam Kher looked disposed. All the characters grow gradually in the film and make you think their way. Everyone is given enough space to justify their talent. Rakesh Omprakash Mehra is a director of the new emerging Indian cinema, he always tries to bring in something very different. I was really impressed by his last attempt in 2001 for Aks (Amitabh Bachchan and Manoj Bajpai ), and he definitely has succeeded in making another fabulous master piece. The highlight of the movie is the great use of cinematography techniques. Its probably for the first time in Indian cinema that juxtaposing has been used with such a great effect. The way each character gradually immerses into scenes from the past leaves you fantasizing about the hard work that has gone in the background to create this, both technically and on the part of the actor.
The movie starts on a very high spirit reflecting today's youth mindset who believe that patriotism is something that looks good in history chapters and today's world is far ahead of all that, they would prefer to go boozing and dancing rather than thinking on any of those lines. The way the campus scenes are shown really makes everyone go down the memory lanes of beautiful college days. This is followed by some intriguing drama and events which turns the life of a group of buddies upside-down altogether.
The film grows on you gradually. The director has made sure that there is a clear message in everything he presents, even the group of boys represents different sects of society and religion. Hence creating an appeal for everyone watching it. Music is another high point of the show, its foot tapping and very much with the mood of the subject. The songs give you a sense of freedom from within, a freedom to think in one's own way. A.R. Rehman doesn't need any introductions and he is surely one of the most original music directors we have in the country.
The brilliance of Aamir Khan is something very difficult to narrate, he has proved it umpteen number of times that he is truly the most versatile actor in the industry. His comic timing in the first part is better than anything seen in recent past. He is extremely fluent even with difficult Punjabi tongue twisters and the acting prowess he has shown would be very difficult to match by anyone around. He appears so natural and his complete look with new hairstyle (which is now part of his every new movie) gives a very striking combination.
Well the most wanting part of the whole thing has been the script to certain extent, it appears very loose in the second half and at times gives a droning feel. Few new ideas presented by the author looked half-baked. However it has been the technical expertise of the director who managed to save the things with some outstanding camera work and editing.
Rang De is for sure a must watch movie, it doesn't have any preaching but still it will force you to think once. As they say it "There are two primary choices in life, to accept conditions as they exist or take upon the responsibility to change them". I believe most of us want to bring about the changes without doing anything, so its time to think again folks and take some responsibility, lets Paint It Yellow