Shahid Movie Review

Release Date :

Director :

Genre : 10/18/2013 12:00:00 AM

Hanslal Mehta

Shahid

Details :

Friday, 18th October 12:00 PM IST SHAHID Is Compelling And Disturbing Tale Pluses: Rajkumar rises to the occasion and delivers a brilliant tale, Hanslal Mehta gives a pitch perfect direction, impactful background sound, compelling screenplay Minuses: Uneven editing, not such great production values Critic Rating: 4/5 Business Rating: 2/5 Verdict: Watch it if compelling realistic cinema moves you Detailed Analysis: Director Hanslal Mehta gave some interesting but half baked flop films in past i.e. 'Yeh Kya Ho Raha Hai', 'Woodstock Villa' and 'Raakh'. But this time he does the basic right - chooses a real life drama of activist, compelling material in hand and daft work. Film has so much to say which is important to the society around us and film encapsulates all in a gritty manner - 1992 riots when Shahid gets first exposure to communal violence and injustice, his fight against frame convicts and then final showdown in court about all important case. Film gives layered narration of events and takes no side in a jingoistic manner which makes it special.  Performance wise this is surely Rajkumar Yadav's big home coming as lead actor after good but smaller roles in 'Kai Po Che' and 'Raagini MMS'. Rajkumar lives the trauma and one can feel his honesty form this far. Watch out for the lock up scene, goosebumps! Mohd Zeeshan Ayub once again stands out as Shahid's brother and Prabhleen Sandhu gives natural performance as Shahid's wife. Kay Kay Menon and Tigmanshu  adds up well in small roles. Vipul Sharma, Mukesh Chhabra, Baljinder Kaur and Shalini Vatsa play their part well. Background score is big plus and lifts the mood. Dailogues and screenplay are so taut that not a second of boredom seep in proceedings. Editing is only sore point of the film and that is why it drags a bit at places. Few holes in story might confuse few but that does not disturb the big picture. Overall film should get big thumbs up form critics but will find it tough at box office though exceptional word of mouth can get it few eyeballs. Film is not looking for commercial success but box office numbers can bring such issue based cinema in spotlight!     Go for this one if you always cry about mindless cinema!

Ref:boxofficecapsule

Movie Review:SHUDDH DESI ROMANCE Is Entertaining Well Written Flick

Overall film is sure shot winner at box office and only question is how big. Film will work big time in north and among todays youth and urban audience.

 

SHUDDH DESI ROMANCE  Is Entertaining Well Written Flick

Pluses:

Sushant Singh is good but displays some rough edges, Parineeti is simply mind blowing, Vaani Kapoor is decent, Rishi Kapoor is hilarious, couple of melodious songs, exceptionally crisp and warm writing

Minuses:

Direction holds the forte in 1st half but last half an hour a bit messy, songs are good but chartbuster is missing, cinematography is too much on the face and tries too hard to make it grand, editing is uneven

Critic Rating:

3.5/5

Business Rating:

3.5/5

Verdict:

Watch it for some candid warm romantic moments, a rarity in Bollywood

Detail Analysis:

Director Maneesh Sharma directed sleeper hit "Band Baaja Baraat" and not so impressive "Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl". This time under the same production house YRF, he opts for writer Jaideep Sahni of "Chake De! India" fame instead of his favorite Habib Faisal. This is again an attempt to recreate small town love on lines of "Band Baaja Baraat".

Plot is thin and nothing extraordinary about it. A small town Jaipur, a couple living in live in relationship and here comes the triangle as guy is too casual. From there on its tipsy topsy journey full of emotions but more in light hearted manner. It is the realistic warm crisp writing which makes this journey worth a ride.

Film has not so great performances but acts are good enough to hold it all together. Sushant SIngh Rajput excelled in his debut film "Ki Po Che" and here he fits the bill. But at times his dialogue delivery and under playing the emotion work against him. Parineeti Chopra repeats herself but delivers a solid lively performance. She is here to stay. Vaani Kapoor is strictly average as she fails completely in emotional scenes. Rishi Kapoor continues his golden run with hilarious punchy dialogues.

Music is so so and only couple of songs work in the film. Title track and "Gulaabi" look good but other are below the mark. Cinematography is overdone and editing is good. But the real winner is writer Jaideep Sahni who lightens up every minute with inspired writing and genuine honesty with the pen. Watch out for climax, despite being shabbily directed dialogues leave the desired affect.

 
 

Director Maneesh Sharma delivers yet another real story after BBB but this time he is saved by exceptional writing as he tries too hard at times. In 2nd half Maneesh tries to sketch emotional trauma in very light herated way which looks a bit tacky at places. Even he fails to extract best acts from his actors.

Overall film is sure shot winner at box office and only question is how big. Film will work big time in north and among todays youth and urban audience. This is another winner from YRF ( that too with newcomers ), the master of romance!

Go for this one to feel rare breed of warm writing and real romantic moments!


Ref: boxofficecapsule

Movie Review:ZANJEER Works Only In Bits And Pieces

Overall film is a good attempt by Apporva to rehash a cult classic but looks more like a launching pad for a star son an here lies the biggest problem.

 

ZANJEER Works Only In Bits And Pieces

Pluses:

Ram Charan Teja looks menacing and intense, Priyanka adds glamor, Mahie Gill is good, Sanjay Dutt packs the punch, pulsating action

Minuses:

Prakash Raj completely misfires, insipid direction, unintentionally funny dialogues, loose screenplay, music is big letdown

Critic Rating:

2.5/5

Business Rating:

2.5/5

Verdict:

Watch it for Ram Charan and superb action

Detail Analysis:

Director Apporva Lakhia has directed hit gangster drama 'Shhotout At Wadala" and few forgettable ones like "Ek Ajnabee" and "Mumbai Se Aaya Mera Dost". This time he takes up two difficult task - launching south star Ram Charan in Bollywood and remaking cult classic "Zanjeer".

First thing first, its a remake but film has numerous changes in plot but characters remain same. There is deliberate effort in every ten minute to remind audience that its a remake. Film has been set in background of oil mafia and that seems to provide some kind of gritty feel to the theme. But its poor casting, pedestal writing and uninspired performances which spoil the dish.

Film is saved by exceptional performances. Performance wise Ram Charan Teja proves his metal and fits the bill. His intense look and energetic action lift the proceedings. Priyanka Chopra does what was expected out of her, looking glam doll. Mahie Gill overacts and Prakash Raj delivers career worst where even his signature comic villain style leaves lot to be desired. Sanjay Dutt in a role of pathan shines bright and by far the best act of this average affair. Atul Kulkarni and Ankur Bhatia are good.

Music is the biggest minus of this film where every song is boring and work best as nap break. Background score is decent and so is the cinematography. Dialogues are so unintentionally funny that you might end up scratching your head about the skill. Editing is excellent and action by Javed - Ejaaj are top notch. Watch out for action sequence in by lanes of Dharavi.
 
 


Apoorva Lakhia  succeeds as a director to an extent but shortfalls as astoryteller . He brings a compelling drama full of contemporary content but fails to give it real punch with some inspired writing. His half baked saga is saved by some towering performances and thrilling action. He builds a good finale in 2nd half but slow pace 1st half and flat romantic track did the damage.

Overall film is a good attempt by Apporva to rehash a cult classic but looks more like a launching pad for a star son an here lies the biggest problem. One might end up enjoying this if one keeps his expectation within limit but its difficult to keep that in check when film is titled 'the Zanjeer'.

Go for this one if action is what you thrive on!


Ref: boxofficecapsule

Satyagraha Movie Review

SATYAGRAHA Is Compelling Social Drama

Pluses:

Amitabh Bachchan overshadows the proceedings with towering presence, Ajay Devgn delivers another gem of a performance, Kareena looks refreshing good, Manoj Bajpai is superb and so is AMrita Rao in a small role

Minuses:

uneven editing, background score irritates, Mughda Godse sleepwalks, Arjun Rampal delivers one more wooden performance, writing is uninspiring

Critic Rating:

3/5

Business Rating:

2.5/5

Verdict:

Watch it for intense performances

Detail Analysis:

Director Prakash Jha  is champion of social cinema in Bollywood and he gave some real gems like "Mrityudand", "Apaharan", "Gangajal" and "Raajneeti". But his last two films "Aarakshan" and "Chakravyuh" suffered with run of the mill writing and not so great direction. This time he is back with ensemble cast in "Satyagraha".

Film has few caricature - stereotypical characters i.e. Amitabh as a man of Gandhian principles, Ajay as greedy businessman, Kareena as a honest journalist and Manoj Bajpayee as shrude politician. Prakash Jha borrows heavily from real life incidences especially from Anna Hazaare movement but one dimensional characters make the proceedings too dull especially in 2nd half.

Film is saved by exceptional performances. Performance wise Amitabh Bachchan is in golden touch and delivers a very genuine act with all gusto coupled with passion. He lifts the proceedings with his dialogue delivery and passionate eyes. Ajay Devgn is back with a bang in a role which suits him to the core after forgettable nonsensical entertainers like "Son Of Sardaar' and "Himmatwala". He keeps the proceedings tight and stands tall in front of megastar Bachchan. Kareena is good but she is let down by poorly written character and same goes for Manoj Bajpai who tries his best to provide some comic relief but comes out as predictable boring character.



Mughda Godse is as bad as it gets and Arjun Rampal once again irritates with poor pronounciation and zero emotion. Amrita Rao is good and Indranil Sengupta is decent in a cameo. The real culprit here is the lazy writing where everything looks so dramatic and predictable that it gets real tough to sit through 2nd half. Music has repetitive feel of "Aarakshan" and "Raajneeti" and except "Raghupati Raghav" all songs work as loo break. Editing is as lazy as writing and camerawork is decent. Background score tests the patience to the core.
 
 

Prakash Jha succeeds as a director to an extent but shortfalls as a technician. He brings a compelling drama full of contemporary content but fails to give it real punch with some inspired writing. His half baked saga is saved by some towering performances from experienced cast ad he should be thankful to them. He builds a good drama in 1st half but slow pace coupled with predictable proceedings hit audience hard in 2nd half.

Overall film is a good attempt by Prakash Jha to reflect essential social movements and current problems of country but this venture is messed up with not so great writing. But powerhouse performances by Bachchan, Devgn and Kapoor are good enough reasons to watch this social drama.


ref:boxofficecapsule

4th Week Friday Box Office Collection Of CHENNAI EXPRESS

"Chennai Express" is now sitting pretty at top of box office record of Bollywood. Film has done exceptional business and clearly surpassed everyone''s expectations by some big margin.

CHENNAI EXPRESS Still Adds Numbers To Mammoth Total "Chennai Express" is now sitting pretty at top of box office record of Bollywood. Film has done exceptional business and clearly surpassed everyone''s expectations by some big margin. Film was rock steady for 3 weeks and now in 4th week film has very few screens (400 approx) to make an impact. Film still added 60 lakhs on 4th Friday taking total to 219 cr nett plus and now good weekend will take it close to 220 cr nett . Film should end domestic run close to 223 cr nett and overseas will be around 115 cr. Film will have worldwide gross of 407 cr. Below are the collections of the film – Domestic Collection Thursday (Paid Preview) 06.75 cr nett Friday 33.12 cr nett   Saturday 28.05 cr nett   Sunday 32.50 cr nett   Monday 12.62 cr nett   Tuesday 11.50 cr nett   Wednesday 12.56 cr nett   Thursday 19.60 cr nett   1st Week Total Collections 156.70 cr nett   2nd Week   Friday 06.50 cr nett   Saturday 08.51 cr nett   Sunday 10.22 cr nett   Monday 03.80 cr nett   Tuesday 07.06 cr nett   Wednesday 04.51 cr nett   Thursday 03.25 cr nett   2nd Week Total Collections 43.85 cr nett   3rd Week   Friday 02.12 cr nett   Saturday 03.61 cr nett   Sunday 04.75 cr nett   Monday 01.63 cr nett   Tuesday 01.74 cr nett   Wednesday 02.46 cr nett    Thursday 01.56 cr nett   3rd Week Total Collections   4th Week    Friday 00.81 cr nett Total Domestic Collections 219.23 cr nett Total Overseas Collections 110.00 cr Total Worldwide Collections 329.23cr   Total Worldwide Gross 398.00 cr  ref: Box Office Capsule

ou may also like...

Movie Review:SATYAGRAHA Is Compelling Social Drama

Overall film is a good attempt by Prakash Jha to reflect essential social movements and current problems of country but this venture is messed up with not so great writing.

SATYAGRAHA Is Compelling Social Drama

Pluses:

Amitabh Bachchan overshadows the proceedings with towering presence, Ajay Devgn delivers another gem of a performance, Kareena looks refreshing good, Manoj Bajpai is superb and so is AMrita Rao in a small role

Minuses:

uneven editing, background score irritates, Mughda Godse sleepwalks, Arjun Rampal delivers one more wooden performance, writing is uninspiring

Critic Rating:

3/5

Business Rating:

2.5/5

Verdict:

Watch it for intense performances

Detail Analysis:

Director Prakash Jha  is champion of social cinema in Bollywood and he gave some real gems like "Mrityudand", "Apaharan", "Gangajal" and "Raajneeti". But his last two films "Aarakshan" and "Chakravyuh" suffered with run of the mill writing and not so great direction. This time he is back with ensemble cast in "Satyagraha".

Film has few caricature - stereotypical characters i.e. Amitabh as a man of Gandhian principles, Ajay as greedy businessman, Kareena as a honest journalist and Manoj Bajpayee as shrude politician. Prakash Jha borrows heavily from real life incidences especially from Anna Hazaare movement but one dimensional characters make the proceedings too dull especially in 2nd half.

Film is saved by exceptional performances. Performance wise Amitabh Bachchan is in golden touch and delivers a very genuine act with all gusto coupled with passion. He lifts the proceedings with his dialogue delivery and passionate eyes. Ajay Devgn is back with a bang in a role which suits him to the core after forgettable nonsensical entertainers like "Son Of Sardaar' and "Himmatwala". He keeps the proceedings tight and stands tall in front of megastar Bachchan. Kareena is good but she is let down by poorly written character and same goes for Manoj Bajpai who tries his best to provide some comic relief but comes out as predictable boring character.



Mughda Godse is as bad as it gets and Arjun Rampal once again irritates with poor pronounciation and zero emotion. Amrita Rao is good and Indranil Sengupta is decent in a cameo. The real culprit here is the lazy writing where everything looks so dramatic and predictable that it gets real tough to sit through 2nd half. Music has repetitive feel of "Aarakshan" and "Raajneeti" and except "Raghupati Raghav" all songs work as loo break. Editing is as lazy as writing and camerawork is decent. Background score tests the patience to the core.
 
 

Prakash Jha succeeds as a director to an extent but shortfalls as a technician. He brings a compelling drama full of contemporary content but fails to give it real punch with some inspired writing. His half baked saga is saved by some towering performances from experienced cast ad he should be thankful to them. He builds a good drama in 1st half but slow pace coupled with predictable proceedings hit audience hard in 2nd half.

Overall film is a good attempt by Prakash Jha to reflect essential social movements and current problems of country but this venture is messed up with not so great writing. But powerhouse performances by Bachchan, Devgn and Kapoor are good enough reasons to watch this social drama.

Go for this one if social drama is your cup of tea!

ref: BOC

'Satyagraha' Tweet Review: First day, first show

New Delhi: Prakash Jha is known to dwelve in topical issues in each of his films. From 'Gangaajal' to 'Chakravyuh'- Jha has talked about very serious issues in his films.
His latest offering 'Satyagraha' promises to be a gritty political drama where five individuals come together to protest against a corrupt system thereby starting a revolution of sorts. The film has an impressive line up of actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Manoj Bajpayee and Amrita Rao playing key roles.

While the trailers of the film lead us to believe that the film is based on Anna Hazare's movement, the makers have insisted that the film isn't and that Bachchan is not essaying Hazare's character.

Jha's films usually are thought provoking and try to find a solution to some pertinent issues prevailing in the Indian society. He also is able to get the best out of his actors in his films and with bevy of stars in 'Satyagraha' one expects the film to be high on content as well as performances.

So does 'Satyagraha' have an original story or is it based on Hazare's movement? Has Jha been able to take out the best performances from his actors? Will this film be a turning point Bachchan and his other co-stars? Shomini Sen of IBNLive.com is inside the theatre to find that out.

11:02 AM: Stay tuned for the tweet review of director Prakash Jha's 'Satyagraha'. #Satyagraha

11:08 AM: Strong views on pertinent issues. That's what #Satyagraha is all about.

11:19 AM: What conditions lead to a revolution in modern times? And how can they be avoided? #Satyagraha

11:36 AM: Good to see Bengali actor Indraneil Sengupta in a Bollywood film. Not quite sure why an issue based film like #Satyagraha needs an item number.

11:51 AM: Subtle brand promotion here and there.Amitabh Bachchan as the rightist Dwarka Anand is just perfect. #Satyagraha

12:22 PM: Prakash Jha makes a brief cameo as a gawking passerby. Manoj Bajpayee is brilliant as politician Balram Singh. His talent is hardly used by filmmakers. #Satyagraha

12:48 PM: There is an uncanny similarity to the recent people's movement that took place in the country even though makers deny it. #Satyagraha

12:53 PM: First half of #Satyagraha is taking its predictable course towards the interval. Narrative is a bit slow.

01:19 PM: Why do we need a romantic track in the middle of a serious track? #Satyagraha resorts to cliches.

01:27 PM: The role of social media in modern day revolution is highlighted well in #Satyagraha.

01:39 PM: There is something amazing that Amitabh Bachchan does every time he comes one screen. Even after so many years. #Satyagraha

02:02 PM: There are also drawbacks to a revolution. Some people do get affected. All sides of the story well highlighted. #Satyagraha

02:14 PM: Among the actors Amitabh Bachchan and Manoj Bajpayee shine throughout. #Satyagraha

02:20 PM: It documents the recent movements that the country witnessed but takes a bit of cinematic liberty while narrating the story. #Satyagraha

02:23 PM: There are cliches but the film manages to get its message across to its viewers. #Satyagraha

02:27 PM: Thanks for being with us throughout the tweet review of #Satyagraha. Stay tuned for more movie updates.

Satyagraha movie review

Cast:Amitabh Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor, Ajay Devgn, Arjun Rampal, Amrita Rao, Manoj Bajpai 
Director: Prakash Jha 

Like in Aarakshan, Rajneeti and Chakravyuh, in Satyagraha too, Jha dares to take on the well-entrenched vested interests that symbolise the current political turmoil in the country, but in equally frivolous vein fritters away the chance to capture his audience's attention with the mastery that he once showcased while steering Mrityudand, Gangaajal and Apaharan in recent times and much earlier with Damul.

When the film ends -- a good 152 minutes later -- one comes out with a feeling that Jha might have outsourced his job to somebody who was under no compulsion to do justice to his audience as well as to the film's superstar-cast.

When the film opens a train trundles into a fictitious Ambikapur station. Thereon the film trudges its length trying to bank upon such big names like Amitabh Bachchan (Dwarka Anand, a Gandhian school teacher), Ajay Devgn (Manav Raghvendra, an ambitious, wily, businessman-turned Satyagrahi), Kareena Kappoor (Yasmin Ahmed, a journalist-turned Satyagrahi) and Arjun Rampal (Arjun, a student leader).

Sadly, each one of them look out of place in roles that are half-baked and served dry. These characters look as scattered as the scenes that one gets to see in the film after a number of lathi-charges on Anand and his band of satyagrahis.

While Bachchan tries honestly to portray Anna Hazare -- there is lot of resemblance between the star cast of Satyagraha and the personalities that made Team Anna in the heydays of the Gandhian's agitation to enact the Jan Lokpal Bill in August 2011 -- in the first half of the film, past interval he gets overwhelmed by the weak script that tries to give screen time to the entire star-cast.

Ajay Devgn looks drowsy throughout the film. The ease with which he delivers his punchlines is sorely missed as he mumbles his dialogues.

Kareena Kapoor's TV journalist is all over the place. Strangely, at times she is the only journalist shown to be covering the "revolution" that engulfs the streets of Ambikapur as the 70-year old Anand slaps the district collector and gets arrested for taking on the wily Balram Singh (Manoj Bajpayee) and the system.

Arjun Rampal is so casual with his character that at times you wonder if he is taking a stroll in the garden as he shares dais with a fasting Anand, Manav and Yasmin.

On the opposite side of these satyagrahis is Bajpayee, who plays a scheming legislator from Ambikapur, and at times gets to show his venality and guile. Bajpayee does play his politician shrewdly but at times stretches his funny bone a little too much.

In an attempt to connect Anand's revolution with the twitter-generation, Jha makes abundant use of hash-tags and asterisks, tablets and laptops, but he forgets that these media can just act as catalysts to bring the revolutionaries together. These media can never substitute the real ingredient that inspires revolutions and revolutionaries. And that is a strong script, a gripping storyline and spell-binding story-telling.

Satyagraha fails miserably in all these three departments.

However, an attempt to recreate the scenes that the nation witnessed during Anna Hazare's agitation in August 2011 does create some resonance with the events India was glued to 24x7.

Music by Indian Ocean, Salim-Suleiman, Aadesh Shriivastava and Anjjan Meet fails to uplift the film's tired mood and lyricist Prasoon Joshi makes you run for shelter with numbers like Janata Rocks!

And here's why one feels that Jha seems to have outsourced his job:

Don't miss the scene when Manav explains his strategy on a whiteboard to find out pending applications of thousands of villagers from more than 200 panchayats to take on Balram Singh and his inefficient district administration.

Ahmed's cameraman keeps shooting Anand who is seated opposite Manav, instead of Manav. Such a neglect for details elicits laughter and makes you think if Jha really, really was the helmsman of this sinking ship.

Having said all this Jha must still be appreciated for making films on topics that the mainstream Bollywood producers-directors happily ignore to explore. Never mind the film's treatment, though.