Reviews

Happy New Year is the latest magnum opus from Bollywood and as you can expect, it's a huge huge film. It has an incredible cast, a lofty budget and stunning locations to play with. With Farah Khan directing this, you can only expect a mas-ala bonanza. And this is what Happy New Year is. Farah has blended all the spices she could get hold of to dish out this film. It works well overall. Except, sometimes, too many spices end up spoiling the party.

How do I review this? My thoughts are all over the place. A huge film comes with big responsibilities as well. Especially when it's a 3-hour long mas-ala entertainer. You ought to have enough substance throughout. This is where Happy New Year falters. The two halves are poles apart in terms of entertainment quotient. I was well annoyed for most of the first half - which was too silly. Why would you spend a full 30 minutes introducing characters? Characters who you won't even develop properly? Characters who always end up looking like caricatures? And mind you, it's not like their introductions are worth it. Barring Charlie and Mohini, none of the ''sketches'' used to present the rest of the gang were funny or cheer-worthy. In fact, the humor of the first half was a huge letdown for me. I found the jokes forced and only chuckled at the guys learning how to dance or 1-2 one-liners.

However, it's the second half which catches you unaware. It's pretty brilliant. Everything comes together like magic. Shot entirely in Dubai, the second half in itself should have been the full-fledged film. The competition, camaraderie, chemistry, patriotism and heist scenes will win you over. There were a few futile scenes like the Jackie Chan v/s Bruce Lee scene (seriously OTT and not-needed, albeit well shot) or the random panic attacks of Tammy and Nandu - but overall, this was near-perfect, with an electrifying climax. The mash-up Indiawaale song and the whole choreographed act looked magnificent on the big screen. This works in favor of the film as you end up leaving the theater with a huge grin, wanting to enjoy the show again, blissfully forgetting the disastrous first hour.

Farah Khan, thus, is inconsistent in her direction. She doesn't come with her Main Hoon Na originality or her Om Shanti Om spunk and wittiness. She plays it VERY safe here, by ticking all the boxes, except one misses her trademark style. Along with Geeta, she does a damn good job with the choreography of Lovely, Indiawaale, Maanwa Lage and the finale version of Indiawaale. Yet, the other songs miserably fail. Nonsense Ki Night kept making me sing ''nonsense Ki film'', Satakli was OK and Dance like a Chammiyya was unintentionally intentionally absurd. :looney: I get it. They were meant to look like losers. But the makers probably wanted it to look hilarious. Well, it didn't. It was a pain watching Charlie and his angels ridiculing themselves.

On the acting front, Shah Rukh Khan, expectedly tops the list. He has the ONLY well-penned and layered character, and SRK sinks his teeth into it. He nails the intense and action portions. The romance is toned down, but his chemistry with Deepika is endearing. Surprisingly, he doesn't get to play much with comedy, as this is the only thing Farah chose to bestow on the so-called Angels. Deepika Padukone shines. Like a star. She looks flawless and there's no way she won't steal your heart. I found her irritating in the promos, but she's actually really cute in the film. It's not a role demanding histrionics, neither is it one which will add much to her resume, but nevertheless she gets to display her impeccable comic timing, has some of the best lines of the film and well... the usual - she mesmerizes the screen every time she comes on. Watch out for her in the two Indiawaale acts, especially the finale act. She'll bowl you away with her dancing.

Boman Irani and Abhishek Bachan exceed in their respective roles, mainly in the second hour. Vivaan Shah is passable but looks lost for most part. Jackie Shroff looks suave and pitches in a cool performance, although he's probably the weakest Farah Khan villain. Sunil Shetty and Arjun Rampal were more menacing.

My advice would be to stay away only if you can't stand mas-ala entertainers or SRK. Otherwise, Happy New Year is the film to watch this Diwali. It's stupid, flawed, over-stretched, tacky, over- the-top, but you know what? You just can't hate it. The film is cute and has a big heart. It's great harmless fun and has only one aim - to entertain you. And it does a damn good job at that!!

Highway (2014)

It goes without saying that when an Imtiaz Ali film releases, it's a must-watch, first-day-first- show material for me. Imtiaz described the film as the coming of age of Veera, but really, in the end, you wonder whether it really was Veera…

The film is gusty. While this is certainly not Imtiaz Ali's finest film, it's his most daring effort thus far. The appreciation will come with acceptance. It goes without saying that Highway is a good, sometimes even great effort, and that I loved it - but the film might not work for many, and that's partly due to weak screenplay in the first half. You see, the innovative plot is extremely intriguing as it is. The tale of a rich girl being kidnapped and eventually finding herself and falling for her kidnapper generated a lot of excitement. There was no real suspense in Highway, except that everyone was waiting to see how Imtiaz would unravel this storyline, and scoop the love story out. And this is where Highway lets you down. While the film spends a great deal of time on the characters' psyche and draws you into their lives, it fails at the key point where the audience needs to be sold. The screenplay towards the middle portion of the first half, where it was crucial for Imtiaz to make us understand Veera's state of mind, goes haywire, and for that brief moment, Imtiaz takes the easy way out to just present us with what he wants to show us. There's no development there. There's no time spent on why, how or when it happens. It just does, and it's up to you to accept the subsequent fold of events or not. Sadly, this is what is going to polarise the audience on Highway. The rest of the film is sheer brilliance but not if you can't overlook the temporary screenplay of convenience.

What follows is Veera explaining how she doesn't want to go back or reach her set destination, but simply wants this journey never to end. This is exactly how I felt at this point, and that really sums up my thoughts on Highway. The ride is bumpy, especially the short-cut taken at the start, but nevertheless it's beautiful. I didn't want it to end. The mesmerising tunes, the breathtaking locales, performances and characters that draw you in, Alia's infectious energy and Imtiaz's extreme confidence more that made up for what was lacking. Man, I loved Highway.

Alia Bhatt is a complete revelation. It wouldn't be erroneous to say that this is her debut as an actor, and she leaves no stone unturned to show her talent. She is Veera right from the start, and brings the character to life in way that no one else could. There's a rawness in her performance which makes it even more natural. Her character grows in synchrony with her acting, which gets better until the middle portion of the second half to the end, where she does what possibly would top any female performance of last year. She's crazy good. You have got to see her to believe in her potential. Her screen presence and command over her expressions is to watch out for. Awards on the way? Hell yes. Imtiaz has gifted her a coveted role. Randeep Hooda is adequate. He's the brooding type, with a dark history, and Randeep does well in evoking curiosity about his character, but his acting could do with some polishing. He's a bit rough at times, especially during the emotional scenes. This role had the potential to have a better impact, through a more refined actor, so it was slightly underwhelming, albeit decent.

Anil Mehta's cinematography is of highest standards. The film spends its sweet time to ponder over the mountains, valleys, rivers and nature, and you don't regret one second of it. India has never looked so delicately divine. A.R.Rahman's music complements the mood of Highway. His tunes are situational, and Imtiaz has used them to the best of his ability. Mahi Ve, my favourite, was sadly cut short, but it was an all-time high for the film to end with Mahi Ve, slowly merging with A.R.Rahman's rendition of Patakha Guddi. :D The female version brings the screen to life with the effervescent picturisation and brilliant lyrics. Sooha Saaha, Heera and Kahaan Hoon Mein, add a lot of depth to the proceedings. However, the biggest surprise was the weakest song - Wanna Mashup - which is bound to steal the show. And then, of course, you have Jonita's constant humming throughout the film, which only adds to the magic of Highway.

The second half of the film is full of highs, and the climax to the end of the film is bloody good. The editing is well done - and thankfully Imtiaz refrains from going the choppy-Rockstar-way, although the pace is lethargic. The inconsistent screenplay lets the film down, but the execution makes up for it. I'm not going to ruin the ending by mentioning my favourite scenes, but the climax that Imtiaz penned down was perfect. I can't envision a different conclusion to this tale. The emptiness the film left me with, was somehow overwhelming, and made me smile. It's going to sound terribly cheesy, but the film makes you feel free. Maybe, after going through Veera's journey, you feel her happiness.

Imtiaz Ali hasn't let me down. Highway might not be the flawless film many of us were looking forward to, but it still has a lot to offer. The film's message and deeper meanings are bound to click with its target audience. Kudos to Imtiaz for thinking out of the box and to Alia for taking on such a risky film. Irrespective of whether this works or not at the Box Office, Highway is surely going to bring a lot of appreciation and respect to the whole team.

I went in there expecting to be completely swoon over by the film; to testify all those lavish praises being showered on the film; and to truly watch a film close to perfection. And weirdly enough, this is exactly what happened. It's really rare for films to meet high expectations but Dedh Ishqiya is superlative in every possible me, making it irresistible for me.

This time, it's less crude. In fact, barring two grossly unneeded vulgar scenes, this film was clean and so, so majestic. The atmosphere created, the charm of Begum Para and Mahmudabad and the essence of the poems brought the film in a different space altogether. It almost felt like I was watching a cult-classic. This time, Babban & Khalu are more focused and more mature. This time, the whole saga actually makes sense. This time, the Ishqiya may be spice-less but it's more refined - the old charm was brought back with this film through Iftekhar & Begum Para's love track which was sheer magic. Hands down, this Ishqiya is more than 1 1/2 times better than the prequel.

Dedh Ishqiya, in many ways, is the coming of age of Khalujaan and how he discovers himself & his goals in life. Dedh Ishqiya is about how the two men happen to meet their female counterparts and the chain of events which get triggered from there on. The story starts off in a zany way to introduce the characters, proceeds very slowly to let the audience grasp everything and then changes gear to a second half loaded with suspense, romance, heartbreaks and brilliant subtle humour. The exuberant climax - albeit slightly underwhelming - works as a fine culmination.

Abhishek Chaubey seems to have worked on his flaws from Ishqiya as he churns out a very polished and superior product. In fact, you could easily believe that Dedh Ishqiya was directed by a Vishal Bhardwaj from 2006. And this is a huge compliment.

The technical aspects of the film are bloody good. So much attention to detail. Everything, right from the cinematography to the camera work to the choreography to the dialogues excel. Urdu has never sounded so royal. It was beautiful to listen to, and the Shayaaris were excellent. The music, by Vishal Bhardwaj, gels well with the film. The songs are unconventional, classical and used to their potential in the film. Kya Hoga is a personal favourite and it's utilisation gave me goose-bumps. Jagaave Sari Raina, the second dance track performed by Madhuri, works because of the Begum's unparalleled talent.

Unfortunately, no amount of praises will be able to make this film a hit. It's not made for the mass. Add to that a really slow pace and self-indulgent narrative, coupled with language barrier, I don't see Dedh Ishqiya making much headway at the Box Office. In addition, while the film has been smartly penned, the audience might be used to some more spoon-feeding. There are some smart dialogues, silent looks and unsaid things which are meant to be understood.

The flaws aside, I was hooked. Major credit goes to the actors, who all give it their best shots. It is obvious that Dedh Ishqiya was conceived keeping Madhuri Dixit in mind. This film was not just made for her, but it was made for her to shine. And she does just that. Madhuri was the scene-stealer for me. She was mesmerising and intoxicating. It's one thing that she looked so ethereal that it felt so wrong to take my eyes off her, and by default ended up appreciating her acting more than the rest, but truth be said, she truly was brilliant in this role. Just look at the volumes her eyes speak throughout the film. You can see her pain, her willingness to break free. Her little glances work like magic in a film like Dedh Ishqiya and the much-needed ada comes so naturally. Begum Para's dance in the film was magnificent thanks to Madhuri's expressions. It wouldn't be erroneous to say that right from her dialogue delivery to her posture, Madhuri moulded herself completely for the role of Begum Para to emerge as a total winner. This was one a subtle, beautifully underplayed performance which should win her laurels next year. Had Dedh Ishqiya released last year, there'd be no competition at all as far as I'm concerned. Watch out for the scene were she breaks down, and starts scribbling on her own pictures. No one can top that.

Next on my list would be Naseeruddin Shah. This man has still got it. He pitches in a perfect performance as the love-struck Khalu jaan. Huma Qureshi, the dark horse, won me over. She's a complete natural, making her acting look effortless. Vijay Raaz, as the shrewd calculating and determined nakle Nawab rocked and has some classic dialogues to mouth, almost taking away the focus from Arshad, who's in charge of the humour. Arshad Warsi is in terrific form, but somehow has less scope than in the prequel. His scenes with Muniya are brilliantly hilarious.

While this might not be everyone's idea of a nice-time out, Dedh Ishqiya truly is a cult-classic. It's poetry on celluloid. Dedh Ishqiya oozes sensuality, making it an exquisite watch. If you want to be proud of the Hindi film industry, I'd highly recommend Dedh Ishqiya. Give it time and let the spell charm you. Box Office wise, not much to be expected, but I hope the film clicks with its target audience. Dedh Ishqiya is one of those films which will transcend beyond a Hit or Flop status. The acclaim coming its way and the recognition which will hopefully follow should easily make this film one of those few films we will always be proud of.

Highly Recommended