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Reviews
Dostana (2008)
Fun, Frolic & Friendship...
2 "straight" men pretend to be a gay couple - to live-in a swanky Miami apartment & to fast-track their American citizenship.
Kudos to the debut director,producer,choreographers (loved da desi-girl),cinematographers & costume-designers.Vishal & Sekhar's music is nice & peppy but not extra-ordinare!Running shy of 145 minutes,this movie is over the top,politically incorrect & the 2nd half could have been shorter as the "gay gags" are over-done.
This movie is bound to be a Top Ten hit in the UK and could peak inside the Top 15 movies of the week in America. I'll rate it 3 outta 5 - to be viewed with an "open mind" to have a blast!
Bichhoo (2000)
Bichhoo without a sting!!!!
Professional assassin Jeeva (Bobbby Deol)relunctantly "babysits" Kiran (Rani Mukherji) who is a witness to her entire family's murder by a druglord (Ashish Vidyarthi). Unsurprisingly,he falls in love with her while under his wing.
Story-line is copied from Leon (the professional).Songs have been juxtaposed together without any relevance to the film.RM tries very hard thereby being irritating in a tomboy(tapori)role.Ashish brings a certain menance to his role. BD is at his best in the action scenes which along with the camerawork are the only saving grace for this film which lacks a sting!
Josh (2000)
Average entertainer
Mansoor Khan's "Josh" has two rival gangs - Eagles - led by Max (Shahrukh) and Bicchu headed by Prakash (Sharad Kapoor)vying for fame and property. Max's twin Shirley (Aishwarya)falls in love w/ Prakash's bro (Chandrachur).
Good perforamances from SRK;AR;and Sharad Kapoor.A pleasant music score,impressive action sequences and beautiful cinematography in Goa (India) hides the absence of a tight script and sloppy direction. Do not keep your expectations too high.
Bombay Boys (1998)
"Mature entertainer"
This movie is based on the experience of three NRI's on their first visit to Bombay.
Krishna(Naveen Andrews seen in "The Buddha of Suburbia";"Wild West";"The English Patient")from New York drama school is looking for a subtantial role in Hollywood but is forced to act in Mastana's(Naseeruddin Shah)"bummer" film,Mumbai Banditos. Xerxes, a violinist from London, is in Bombay to "find himself" while Ricardo(Rahul Bose)is searching for his lost brother.
Bombay Boys is a film with a mature message. For once it's not on how western culture/NRI's are ruining India's traditions & values (a la "Pardes";"Aa Ab Laut Chale";"Hum Aapke Dil Mein Rahte Hai" et al)but for moving with times & simultaneously salvaging India's culture.
Gifford & Bose perform well.Naveen Andrews -"Kama Sutra";"My Own Country" & Tara Deshpande-"Bada Din"& "Is Raat Ki Subha Nahin" are spectacular. However the most outrageous yet credible performance is from Naseeruddin Shah.Khaizad Gustad's direction is great.The soundtrack is worthlistening too. Bombay Boys - a must see!!!
Lal Baadshah (1999)
Painful Spoof !!!
Amitabh's reprisal of role on the lines of Robin Hood and rescues the masses from the Bad Trio (Amrish Puri and his "screen sons" - Raghuvaran & Mukesh Rishi).
Lal Baadshah has a weak storyline and scenes and songs have been joint together to make this a three-hour torture.Manisha (an insurance agent of the new generation) & Shilpa Shetty (reformed lawyer's daughter) are pile-ons.
It's disheartening to see Amitabh stooping to such a depth, after being a Hollywood icon for nearly a decade and half. Consider Lal Badshah on the lines of his career's all-time lows "Jadugar" & "Mrityudaata".
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998)
Must See Romance
This Karan Johar's debut film, is a heartwarming beautifully woven three-way love story (or is it a four-way).
Shahrukh and his best friend Kajol (Mukherjee-Devgan) are collegiates,until the principal's daughter Tina (Rani Mukherjee) enters their lives. To Anjali (Kajol) she is just a part of their clique but to Rahul (Shahrukh) she is a lot more.
Kajol is simply brilliant as a tomboyish collegiate who transforms herself to a mature woman. Shahrukh is himself. Newcomer Rani Mukherjee is bound to go places, after Ghulam & Mehndi.Cinematography is "Abfab"; choreography & music is great,costumes are very chic, supporting cast good.
Dil Se.. (1998)
"Not from the heart"
Mani Ratnam's Dil Se.. is intense yet beautiful, full on betrayal, sacrifice and terrorism.
Staggering performances from Manisha & Shahrukh, make up for a weak screenplay. Cinematography is simply brilliant, Chal Chaiyya Chaiyya & the title track are the plus points.
Aa Ab Laut Chalen (1999)
Cliched family entertainer
This movie follows the previously tested theme - western society is "badly influencing" our traditional Indian culture.
The story picks up pace once Akshaye goes to USA,but fails to live to one's expectations in the last couple of reels.
Fantastic cinematography of New York & Perth, Australia. For once Ash Rai attempts to "act". NRI (Suman Raganathan) is a stunner!! Rajesh Khanna in his comeback role is heavily "made-up". Paresh Rawal is surprisingly "different". The music is a let-down, accept for the title track.
All in all, thanks to Rishi & RK banner for attempting a family entertainer.