TEEN PATTI MOVIE REVIEW

Labels: | at 01:24


TEEN PATTI is a cat and mouse game. What begins as a simple exercise to experiment with the theory of probability with real cash in gambling dens, takes a complex and deadly turn with greed taking the upper hand. Director Leena Yadav has scored high on casting with not a character out of place. Even though Mahesh Manjrekar, Tinnu Anand, Jackie Shroff and Shakti Kapoor appear in just two scenes, their characters leave a mark and are an intricate part of the plot. Also, Leena has used the final of the inaugural T-20 World Cup between India and Pakistan to telling effect. As Shakti Kapoor is gambling on the card table, his eyes are constantly on the television set as he monitors Pakistan chasing down India's total. With 5 balls to go and 12 runs to get for Pakistan, he changes his bets and places his money on Pakistan winning. We all know how Misbah-Ul-Haq holed out to Sreesanth at short fine leg. As the catch is pouched, he loses his card game as well! Brilliant. We have seen cricket matches as props within scenes, but this one is just too cool! It's moment like these that keeps you glued to the screen. TEEN PATTI is riveting and extremely well paced. Professor Venkat Subramaniam (Amitabh Bachchan) has cracked a theory that could redefine the laws of probability. He tries it out with a card game with a fellow professor and four students and hits bulls-eye. Professor Shantanu Biswas (R Madhavan) who has loan sharks knocking on his doors to pay off their dues sees this as an opportunity to amass quick money. He lures Venkat to try out his theory in real gambling dens. From here, their life spirals out of control as a blackmailer takes centre stage. Slickly shot, the film moves at a rapid pace keeping you guessing as to who the blackmailer could be. Venkat wants to call off the bluff, but by now, the students and Shantanu are overtaken by greed.

Dhruv Ganesh, Siddharth Kher, Vaibhav Talwar and Shraddha Kapoor who play the students caught in this game of greed are all excellent. Dhruv as Bikram, the student who needs money to fund his education plays his complex part with ease. Siddharth as Sid carries off the Johnny Depp look as well as his character effortlessly. However, it is Shraddha Kapoor, who makes her debut that steals the thunder. Confident and natural, she flits between the characters Aparna and Zeenat as though she is 20 films old. I last saw such brilliance in Farhan Akhtar the actor. Yes, Shakti Kapoor's daughter is a class apart and has announced her arrival with a bang. Amitabh has used his vast experience to let the kids hog the limelight by strategically taking the back seat. The film moves sharply between London and India and this is where Sir Ben Kingsly has been used as Perci Trachtenberg, the magician who Professor Venkat idolized. Screenplay, Dialogues and costume deserve special mention as also the music by Salim- Suleiman. The track Neeyat has been powerfully choreographed. Watch it for its casting, a young set of actors who deliver and a script that captivates. TEEN PATTI; ready for the deal?

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CLICK MOVIE REVIEW

Labels: | at 01:22


CLICK lacks substance. It also lacks a credible screenplay and script. It's more like a project put together by students for a college project. To top it, the only actor who plays her part with eerie glee is the lady who plays Sneha Ullal's mother. It's one of those films you would want forget in a jiffy, never mind if there have been a couple of electrifying scary scenes. But a few scenes like these does not a horror film make. And director Sangeeth Sivan should know that. Avi (Shreyas Talpade) is a fashion photographer and one fine day, whenever he photographs, a female shape appears in the prints. This happens only after he and his girlfriend Sonia (Sadaa) are involved in a hit-and-run one night after partying with friends. While Sonia wants to get out of the car and check the accident, Avi does not want to risk a chance. So off they drive to safety and into an ordeal that begins to unfold.
If the ghost wants to trouble Avi, why does she do so only after the accident? Why not before? This is very strange because as the story unfolds you learn that the two (ghost and Avi) have a past. Also, very interesting is a scene where one of Avi's friend commits suicide and at the morgue, there are three bodies. All his friends. But according to the scene shown, only one committed suicide! There are also scenes with Chunkey Pandey and Avatar Gill, which borders on insanity.Scenes like these spell doom for this flick named CLICK.

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MY NAME IS KHAN MOVIE REVIEW

Labels: | at 01:18


Viewed on the basis of the evaluation of Asperger Syndrome, Karan Johar has hit the nail on the head. He has handled Rizvan Khan (Shah Rukh Khan) with maturity. To top it, he has used the intelligence of Rizvan to home in on a very touchy topic and has succeeded. Islam is not about Jihad, it is about love and Rizvan in his own locked-in world unlocks the hate within from those around him. Many with Asperger Syndrome also get violent, but Rizvan freaks when he sees the colour yellow and cannot stand loud noise. Shah Rukh Khan has done a complete study of this syndrome and has delivered a terrific performance from frame one. Kajol, I dare say, is the Queen of Bollywood. All this talk of this heroine being the No.1 or No 2 is just mumbo jumbo when you see this talent explode on screen. Just natural. Pure bliss. We need to see more of you on screen, Kajol.
Karan Johar is known for his tearjerkers and he sticks to his format this time, too. But he also addresses an important issue, one that is tearing the world apart. His handling of scenes is very mature and real. The interaction between young Rizvan with his mother (Zarina Wahab) and his younger brother Zakir is poignant. Zarina's obsessive focus on Rizwan drives Zakir to the wall. The crack is easy to see; his hatred for his brother easy to accept. Rizvan, in one touching moment tells his brother that at least he is able to express his sadness through tears... as for him, it's a frustrating process all bottled within. Wanting to live his mother's dreams to lead a normal life, Rizvan leaves for America to live with his brother and wife. There, he assists his brother in selling his beauty products and meets Mandira (Kajol), already married with a six-year-old son. Their romance, which leads to marriage, is very well captured. She is a Hindu. He a Muslim. She adopts his surname and then 9/11 happens which radically changes the way the world sees Muslims, especially Americans. Tragedy strikes this happy family and Rizvan is on a journey travelling across the US to meet the president to tell him, 'My name is Khan, and I'm not a terrorist.' It is this obsessive or repetitive routine, which is the central theme of the film. He does meet the President and manages to change the views of many along the way. Karan and SRK have done what they had to for the viewers and peace at large; but in the real world, can love actually be given a chance? A beautiful movie with a beautiful message not to forget powerful performances from the jodi that stormed the screens13 years ago with DDLJ. Jimmy Sheirgill is once again proving to be a powerhouse performer. Soniya Jehan and Tannay Cheddha as the young Rizvan are fabulous. Zarina Wahab captivates with her emotions for both her sons. Yuvaan Makaar as Kajol's son is a confident actor. Go watch it. Karan has crafted a beautiful film, while SRK has authored a marketing strategy that will be hard for even Aamir Khan to beat!

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