BOLLYWOOD

KURBAAN is NEW YORK. But with a different set of actors. KURBAAN is also SHOOT ON SIGHT, again with different actors. The plot remains the same, the twists and turns fails to surprise you and the end is inevitable. However, here, the love story has been hyped, thanks to Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor having an off-screen romance as well. But the intensity and the love undercurrents between Katrina Kaif and Neil Nitin Mukesh, and the romance between Kaif and John Abraham that was visible in NEW YORK is missing in KURBAAN.

Technically the movie is sound; acting wise, everyone chips in with a fine performance. The look, feel and action sequences are top class, but then you are not seeing anything new that has not been shown in the recent past. The above-mentioned films are just the recent references.

Ehsaan (Saif Ali Khan) falls in love with Avantika (Kareena Kapoor). Both teach in the same college in New Delhi. Avantika is back from the US, as she had to tend to her ailing father. Six month later, she gets a call from her University to come back. Ehsaan says he does not mind sacrificing his career to join her. He is traditional he says, not selfish. So off they go to the US and manage to find a home in an Indian neighbourhood. She also manages to find him a job in her college. Their neighbours befriend the new couple and that's when things spiral out of control.

There are many loose ends. The US knows Ehsaan as Khalid the dreaded terrorist. They have his photograph. When he comes back to the US with Avantika as Ehsaan, he has just trimmed his beard to a French cut. He still looks the same, yet they cannot detect him entering Kennedy Airport!

If you believe in fairytales, you can be a part of it. This is what Hitchcock (not Alfred), but Johnny Lever's character keeps repeating. Indeed, if you believe in fairytales, this film is for you. There is no doubt about it.

It's what all fairytales are like and it does not disappoint. Forget the fact that it is a borrowed concept; a remake of Hollywood's BIG, starring Tom Hanks. Though not lifted frame for frame, producer Aftab Shivdasani, who also takes credit as the storywriter does inject his own ideas too. A decent attempt by this first time producer.

The setting is surreal and immediately gets you into a storybook mould. The characters etched are befitting the genre and you should have no complaints with the plot and premise too. Remember, this is a movie for kids, released a day before Children's Day.

Mickey is a young boy of 12 who is besotted by 22-year-old town beauty Mitika (Aamna Sharif). He has a friend in Bonny who he spends most of his waking time with. At home, his father is not too pleased with his 'out of school' activities, while his mother is always protective about him. It appears that Mickey is their adopted son and this fact is known to Mickey during one of the arguments his parents have over him. He also has a kid sister he adores.

Coming back to the plot, Mickey is desperate to woo Mitika and he is helped by Hitchcock, who, it appears, knows everything about everybody. Mickey is helped to make a wish at the wishing well, and the next morning he is BIG enough to woo Mitika. Then begins the process of falling in love and the ultimate marriage day, where Mickey (Aftab) becomes his small self.

Aftab makes an attempt to stay in character. As a 12-year-old trapped in a man's body, he is impressive. Aamna, who made her debut earlier this year with ALOO CHAAT starring Aftab alongside, gives a confident show this time. Though she has not much of a depth in her role, she does enough to impress and send out signals to filmmakers, that this here is a pretty face who can act as well.

However, considering that this is a children's film and passed with a U certificate, I wonder how the censors passed the scene where Aftab meets a 'Commercial sex worker' on the streets and brings her home for the night. It gets extremely embarrassing for parents who have come in with their kids. This for me is the only jarring point. Otherwise, it's a decent film for kids.

The deluge of July 26, 2005 is just an aberration; it's not the crux of the story. The romance began some six years ago and due to irrevocable differences between Akshay (Emraan Hashmi) and Sanjana (Soha Ali Khan), the two part ways, although intensely in love. Commitment was something Akshay was not familiar with; rather, he was wary of it.

So you have the two main leads meeting somewhere in South Africa. Cupid strikes and its love at first sight. Akshay is a struggling artist while Sanjana is a little princess, living in a palatial home and working for a magazine. The two move in to 'live in' and there in creep the differences

Akshay is fed up because he is not going anywhere with his paintings, while Sanjana is only too happy to be able to support the two. Akshay finally gets an offer as a creative head of a team and asks Sanjana to join him. She refuses and asks him to marry her. He is not ready. They part ways.

All this is told in flashback and the meeting point is the flight back to Mumbai at Heathrow Airport. They meet after six years, exchange pleasantries and when they land in Mumbai, are caught up in the storm. Here their romance is rekindled.

Soha Ali Khan is confident from frame one. This girl seduces the camera with her confident body language and easy dialogue delivery. She makes the right move at every turn adding that air of credibility to the fragility of her romance with Emraan. The 'kiss man' gets his mandatory smooch and is quite convincing as the 'desperate to make it big', loser boyfriend.

Mantra, Emraan's buddy is another actor who catches the eye. This lad has talent and essays his role with panache.

The lyrics melt with the mood and the music blends with the scenes. The story, like all Bhatt films is heavy on romance and the uneasy pain of loving and leaving. Given the backdrop of the deluge, director Kunal Deshmukh makes a valiant attempt of recreating the last moments of TITANIC. The scenes showing the floods are close to real and take you back in time when the streets became one big sea and the message at the end is 'Stay indoors when it rains.'

Though the film does manage to tug at your heart the length is a big bother, a little snip here and a big cut there would have done wonders for this film. The lead pair of Emraan and Soha is fantastic.

It is dark, distressing and deeply disturbing, like most, Madhur Bhandarkar films. After feeble attempts with TRAFFIC SIGNAL and FASHION, Madhur roars in form once again. JAIL will have you thinking.

The National Award winning director, this time focuses on the tragic lives of those behind bars. The brokenness they have to deal with, the foolishness of that 'one-second anger' that led to murder, which they are now regretting or even how the innocent battle for justice. JAIL is one such story that focuses on the innocence of Parag Dixit (Neil Nitin Mukesh) and slowly unwraps the other areas, which need to be addressed to the common man. If you have an appetite for hardcore reality cinema, 'This Is It'!

Parag is living a dream life with a good position in a multi-national and Mansi (Mugdha Godse), a girlfriend who understands his needs. One day, things take an ugly turn when his car is intercepted by the police. His roommate who is travelling with him, urges him to drive faster when he sees a cop van trailing. However, Parag slows down, while his friend jumps out and starts shooting at the police. Too shocked to understand what has happened in a split second, Parag sees his roommate being hit by a bullet and a bag full of cocaine recovered from the backseat.

It is all a daze for Parag as he is handcuffed and led to the police station and eventually to the lock-up. His only hope of acquittal is his roommate who is in the ICU. His friend had cleverly made deals using Parag's mobile, and all the while Parag thought that it was bad network that had his friend using his phone when at home. As luck would have it, his friend dies and that is the beginning of a fresh ordeal for Parag.

It is not close to what prison cells are but Madhur manages to bring the uneasiness and fear that dwells deep within the prison walls. He touches on corrupt police officials and their nexus between the underworld. But what is most disturbing is that there are many who are languishing behind bars without a proper trial. Some like Parag are even innocent.

Neil Nitin Mukesh gives a powerhouse performance. Easily, his act is worthy of the Best Actor Award in the coming year. Even in his silence, he cries out to you with a deafening roar. His body language and emotions are an absolute stunner. He lends that touch of credibility to his character portraying his vulnerability with an expertise found in veterans.

Arya Babbar as Kabir Malik, a prisoner who works for the underworld, and who scouts for potential sharpshooters in their desperate need to get out of jail is a class act. Studied, and focused, he matches Neil 'frame for frame' with his scenes. Manoj Bajpai as Nawaab, a prisoner who has found favour with the top jail authorities too chips in with a powerful performance. Between these three, they make JAIL what it is.

There are a few loose shots, like Manoj Bajpai's back-story, Ghalib's escape and an old veteran explaining how he landed behind bars despite winning many Government awards. This dilutes the focus and intensity of the film.

However, overall, JAIL is worth a watch.

Darshan Jariwala, Govind Namdeo and Zakir Husain have come up with the most unconvincing performances in recent times. Stuck with a poorly etched character, they find it difficult to move beyond first gear and stutter and stop at most times. At best, you can label their characters silly. All three are very good actors, mind you. Ranbir Kapoor, stuck with the same formula, (poorly etched character) comes up trumps. His role, too, has neither meat nor meaning, yet, he manages to blaze through on the sheer power of his acting abilities. This kid has star power written all over him. Even the silliest scenes he turns on the top of its head. You cannot help but marvel at the ease with which he consumes his lines; so much passion for even a dead role.

Yes, that's what Raj Kumar Santoshi's latest offering is. Prem (Ranbir Kapoor) runs Happy Club along with his friends. Their motto is simple; keep everyone happy and help lovers in distress. As president of the club, Prem and his gang go to any length to make sure two lovers get married. Even if it means getting the one he loves Jennifer, (Katrina Kaif) married off to the one she loves.

There are enough comic situations to justify that this is a comedy but not enough substance to validate the overemphasis on love. In the end, it's more a masala flick than a comedy.

But thanks to Ranbir, this film becomes bearable and there are moments he has you in his grasp, either with his performance or simply by his sheer presence. Katrina Kaif looks pretty as usual and has done a good job. However, I get a feeling that she has been miscast in this role. But when you look at it from the distributors and marketing point of view, this is a super jodi. I'm sure we will see more of them together.

The film swings like a pendulum; at one moment, it takes off and at another, it just drops. The track between the gangster (Zakir Husain) is uncalled for and lengthens the movie unnecessarily. As for the track with Rahul (Upen Patel), it's very, very long.

Just one question to Ranbir Kapoor and the people who have marketed this film: was it necessary to time the break-up story (if at all it is true) with girlfriend Deepika Padukone a few days before the release? I mean, C'mon, Ranbir can get the audience into the theatres on the strength of his performance. He does not need cheap publicity gimmicks to create a buzz about the film. On second thoughts, maybe Ranbir had no choice but to play to the market and make sure the film capitalized on the 'initials'. Love be damned.