Whose Devdas is it ?
Devdas has been discussed and mentioned in discussions on Bollywood,and in connection with jilted lovers,or failed love affairs,for over five decades now.Besides reading about him in Sharatchand Chatterjees novel,we saw him in four films, two of which went ahead to become almost immortal, the one of Dilip Kumars and the extravaganza of Leela Bhansali,and now we have another adaptation of Devdas,the DEV D. At this juncture, it becomes relevant to introspect and see as to what made Devdas, so important and famous, atleast in Indian folk lure, like Romeo and Majnu! Few pertinent questions that come to my mind are, who is Devdas, whom does he represent or infact, what is Devdas?
Devdas is no longer a character from a novel or just a hero in a movie.He has come out of these and has broken the boundaries of social classes and the norms of society.He may be a jobless slumdweller smitten by the love of the dark,sharp-featured,thinly-clad girl of the neighbouring hutment or a rich megastar in love with an universal beauty.Devdas is an emotion,a phenomenon,-may be a loser or a winner,but is love personified. Time has immortalized Devdas as an expression of silent, unexpressed love
All remakes are compared with the previous ones .and hence this is also an appropriate time ,to re-visit Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas which did well at the box-office. The megastarrer cost over 50 crore rupees., Did the silent love of Devdas,really needed such a loud and extravagant expression ?Did he actually need to heap Paro with tones of gold to highlight her helpless,or dress Chandramukhi in outfits costing 15lakhs each to bring out the sensuality or support of a nauchgirl for a jilted suffering lover ? Could the dazzling sets correctly portray the sadness in the eyes of Devdas or the darkness in his life ?The viewer probably got lost in the sets,costumes,choreography and the cinematography and missed Devdas totally. Devdas went unnoticed and unrecognized like we miss the forest for the trees . Bhansali succeeded in making a grand entertainer but failed in portraying the complexity of his simple love or the strength of his weakness
For those who have seen both the previous DevDas, the one with Dilip is remembered more, and now its time to judge, what the latest version-Dev D has in store for us
Dr Sanjay Kapoor Lucknow
Monday, February 9, 2009
Saturday, February 7, 2009
HEROES OF INDIAN CINEMA
BARE and DARE !!!!!
Movies,besides being the fashion statements for India,have always also,indicated the mood and trends of the society.The present change in the Heroes of Bollywood,from the chocolate guys to the tough he-men who bare and dare,is a reflection of the present day image of a ladies' Dream man!(Out of Flavor-THE WEEK,Feb. 8,2009)
This change from the gentlemanly heroes,to the chocolate lover boys,followed by the metrosexual males,and now the rough and tough macho men, is the story of the changing attitudes of a woman towards her man,and her expectations from him,including the changing sexual trends,over the last few decades.The petite shy woman,of sixties,feared that they may get pregnant even by holding hands,and hence the soft spoken,gentlemanly heroes like Devanand,and AshokKumar survived on the screen,From mid seventies for almost a decade and a half,the girls started getting out of their homes,and dreamt of romance and fun,giving birth to the chocolate heroes,like Rishi Kapoor who would ride a bike and sing around the trees.The liberated woman of late nineties and early twenties,graduated further,to discos and dance and invented the metrosexual males,who dressed colorfully,used make up,gelled hair,and even experimented with accessories and jewelery.Salmans,Akshays and Sharuhks were the pioneers of this league but their life span was short lived,due to several reasons . They gave the heroines a tough competion,and the women became bolder and more vocal of their desires,and demanded titillation and their share of flesh,to ogle at!
Heroes obliged,starting with Salman,to bare their chest and assets ,followed by almost all,including Akshay,Sharukh in Om Shanti,Hrithik in Kris and Dhoom,John in Dostana,Amir in Ghajini and so on,each one bared whatever he could,and some like Ranbeer bared it all in Sawariya!
The ever powerful,independent,liberated and financially empowered woman of today,wants actually a He-man, as her Prince Charming!And this drove the heroes to six pack and now eight pack Abs! If the men can ogle at women dancers,women have all right to see the men strip,to whatever extent,and these men are doing it well! And at times even going overboard,like Hritikh in Luck By Chance,where he can claim to be the male icon,of what Katy Mirza,was for women ,once!
Ask for it,and get it on a platter !why should men alone,have all the fun !
Sanjay Kapoor,Lucknow
Movies,besides being the fashion statements for India,have always also,indicated the mood and trends of the society.The present change in the Heroes of Bollywood,from the chocolate guys to the tough he-men who bare and dare,is a reflection of the present day image of a ladies' Dream man!(Out of Flavor-THE WEEK,Feb. 8,2009)
This change from the gentlemanly heroes,to the chocolate lover boys,followed by the metrosexual males,and now the rough and tough macho men, is the story of the changing attitudes of a woman towards her man,and her expectations from him,including the changing sexual trends,over the last few decades.The petite shy woman,of sixties,feared that they may get pregnant even by holding hands,and hence the soft spoken,gentlemanly heroes like Devanand,and AshokKumar survived on the screen,From mid seventies for almost a decade and a half,the girls started getting out of their homes,and dreamt of romance and fun,giving birth to the chocolate heroes,like Rishi Kapoor who would ride a bike and sing around the trees.The liberated woman of late nineties and early twenties,graduated further,to discos and dance and invented the metrosexual males,who dressed colorfully,used make up,gelled hair,and even experimented with accessories and jewelery.Salmans,Akshays and Sharuhks were the pioneers of this league but their life span was short lived,due to several reasons . They gave the heroines a tough competion,and the women became bolder and more vocal of their desires,and demanded titillation and their share of flesh,to ogle at!
Heroes obliged,starting with Salman,to bare their chest and assets ,followed by almost all,including Akshay,Sharukh in Om Shanti,Hrithik in Kris and Dhoom,John in Dostana,Amir in Ghajini and so on,each one bared whatever he could,and some like Ranbeer bared it all in Sawariya!
The ever powerful,independent,liberated and financially empowered woman of today,wants actually a He-man, as her Prince Charming!And this drove the heroes to six pack and now eight pack Abs! If the men can ogle at women dancers,women have all right to see the men strip,to whatever extent,and these men are doing it well! And at times even going overboard,like Hritikh in Luck By Chance,where he can claim to be the male icon,of what Katy Mirza,was for women ,once!
Ask for it,and get it on a platter !why should men alone,have all the fun !
Sanjay Kapoor,Lucknow
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
LUCK BY CHANCE
REALISTIC AND REFRESHING !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Heartiest Congratulations to Zoya Akhtah for her marvellous direction of LBC.It was pleasure indeed watching Luck By Chance!
The Akhtar family is proving beyond doubt that talent runs in blood and is passed through genes.Farhan and Zoya Akhtar are not only making Javed proud,but are showing great promise and potential,and one expects more of such and even better work from then in future
Though the story of LBC is nothing new,and its all heard and all seen,still the presentation is great,refreshing and revealing!The movie bares the underbelly of the harsh Bollywood industry,but subtly,emphasizing more on the struggling of aspirants in filmdom,in the ruthless city of Mumbai.and meshed in this struggle is an unsuccessful love story.Farhan Akhtar plays a struggling star,who falls in love with a small time extra artist,who is waiting for a big break ,played by Konkana Sen Sharma.While she keeps waiting,Farhan,gets a break,luckily by chance,when,a superstar,played by Hrithik,leaves a movie,and the producer ,looking for a new face grabs him.The film has very naturally and undramatically depicted the change that comes in Farhans attitude to life and people around him,where he wants to compromise with nothing that may hamper his rise,even his one time girl friend and support.
Though the plot is old,and gives glimpse of many such movies on the Mumbai Film Industry,like Khoya Khoya Chand,Mein Madhuri Dixit banna chahti hoon,Last Lair,and many more,it still appears fresh,due to the lack of melodrama and the underplaying of events.The muck under the dazzling glow of the tinseltown and the shattering blows of the venomous pangs of the dream-merchants have been portrayed naturally and realistically.LCB has vividly portrayed the struggle in the film industry,the tough competition,the long wait for a break,the false promises,shattered dreams,exploitation,long and unhealthy working hours,intolerable work conditions,bitching,politics,facade,farce,disrespect for individuals,insensitivity to feelings,man-eat-man attitude,casting couch,power game and above all the ,thee success mantra of being at the right place,at the right time,with the right person and with the right attitude!
The story and the screenplay are entertaining and in spite of the slow pace of the movie,manage to steal the attention of the audience.Cinematography and picturization are good,with excellent music and songs.The background song bagia bagia,is not only touchy but also very apt for the movie and the situation.The choreography of the dance on the enchanting number ,Jhoomo re Jhoomo re,jhoomoo reaaa,picturised on a circus theme,and performed almost as an item number by Hrhitik,is really colorful,enchanting and melodious and reminds of the folk songs of Rudali and Paheli.Rishi Kapoor has done justice to his role,as the producer of the film,in the movie,and so has Juhi Chawla,as his wife and a typical rich punju lady from Mumbai.Dimple has looked ravishing,even at this age,as the superstar of yester years and proves that old wine always tastes better! It was nice to see Sanjay Kapoor on screen after we had almost forgotten his existence.
My vocabulary fails in finding words to describe Konkna.Her performance is par excellence and she definitely deserves all the possible praises and awards for this movie.Her husky voice,reminiscent of that of young Jaya Bhaduri,gives that real perfection to Konkanas histrionic talents.She is probably the only actor,whose moods and emotions are reflected not by the face,or the look,but by the overall appearance.She actually manages to look admirably and repulsively ugly when she is sad or dejected,bringing the scene and the character almost to life,something that I think none of the Indian actresses have ever managed to do.Farhan has really looked fresh and young and has acted as a novice with seasoned expertise.Though I have already become a fan of his acting,in just two movies,I have my doubts if he can diversify his versatility later.Though Hrithik is my favorite,I was disappointed by him in LBC,since he seems to have worked very hard here,to grab the lead role in Karan Johars next film,looking quite gayish in costumes and mannerism and noticeable effeminate in his dance on ,jhoomo re,Jhoomo re.In fact Farhan has looked and danced better,in the small part of the same song done by him in the end.
Kudos to Zoya Akhtak for her great direction,which has gone a long way,in helping the movie in earning the well deserved rare reviews ranging from three and a half to four and a half stars.We look forward to more,from the Ahktars!
Col Sanjay Kapoor VSM
Heartiest Congratulations to Zoya Akhtah for her marvellous direction of LBC.It was pleasure indeed watching Luck By Chance!
The Akhtar family is proving beyond doubt that talent runs in blood and is passed through genes.Farhan and Zoya Akhtar are not only making Javed proud,but are showing great promise and potential,and one expects more of such and even better work from then in future
Though the story of LBC is nothing new,and its all heard and all seen,still the presentation is great,refreshing and revealing!The movie bares the underbelly of the harsh Bollywood industry,but subtly,emphasizing more on the struggling of aspirants in filmdom,in the ruthless city of Mumbai.and meshed in this struggle is an unsuccessful love story.Farhan Akhtar plays a struggling star,who falls in love with a small time extra artist,who is waiting for a big break ,played by Konkana Sen Sharma.While she keeps waiting,Farhan,gets a break,luckily by chance,when,a superstar,played by Hrithik,leaves a movie,and the producer ,looking for a new face grabs him.The film has very naturally and undramatically depicted the change that comes in Farhans attitude to life and people around him,where he wants to compromise with nothing that may hamper his rise,even his one time girl friend and support.
Though the plot is old,and gives glimpse of many such movies on the Mumbai Film Industry,like Khoya Khoya Chand,Mein Madhuri Dixit banna chahti hoon,Last Lair,and many more,it still appears fresh,due to the lack of melodrama and the underplaying of events.The muck under the dazzling glow of the tinseltown and the shattering blows of the venomous pangs of the dream-merchants have been portrayed naturally and realistically.LCB has vividly portrayed the struggle in the film industry,the tough competition,the long wait for a break,the false promises,shattered dreams,exploitation,long and unhealthy working hours,intolerable work conditions,bitching,politics,facade,farce,disrespect for individuals,insensitivity to feelings,man-eat-man attitude,casting couch,power game and above all the ,thee success mantra of being at the right place,at the right time,with the right person and with the right attitude!
The story and the screenplay are entertaining and in spite of the slow pace of the movie,manage to steal the attention of the audience.Cinematography and picturization are good,with excellent music and songs.The background song bagia bagia,is not only touchy but also very apt for the movie and the situation.The choreography of the dance on the enchanting number ,Jhoomo re Jhoomo re,jhoomoo reaaa,picturised on a circus theme,and performed almost as an item number by Hrhitik,is really colorful,enchanting and melodious and reminds of the folk songs of Rudali and Paheli.Rishi Kapoor has done justice to his role,as the producer of the film,in the movie,and so has Juhi Chawla,as his wife and a typical rich punju lady from Mumbai.Dimple has looked ravishing,even at this age,as the superstar of yester years and proves that old wine always tastes better! It was nice to see Sanjay Kapoor on screen after we had almost forgotten his existence.
My vocabulary fails in finding words to describe Konkna.Her performance is par excellence and she definitely deserves all the possible praises and awards for this movie.Her husky voice,reminiscent of that of young Jaya Bhaduri,gives that real perfection to Konkanas histrionic talents.She is probably the only actor,whose moods and emotions are reflected not by the face,or the look,but by the overall appearance.She actually manages to look admirably and repulsively ugly when she is sad or dejected,bringing the scene and the character almost to life,something that I think none of the Indian actresses have ever managed to do.Farhan has really looked fresh and young and has acted as a novice with seasoned expertise.Though I have already become a fan of his acting,in just two movies,I have my doubts if he can diversify his versatility later.Though Hrithik is my favorite,I was disappointed by him in LBC,since he seems to have worked very hard here,to grab the lead role in Karan Johars next film,looking quite gayish in costumes and mannerism and noticeable effeminate in his dance on ,jhoomo re,Jhoomo re.In fact Farhan has looked and danced better,in the small part of the same song done by him in the end.
Kudos to Zoya Akhtak for her great direction,which has gone a long way,in helping the movie in earning the well deserved rare reviews ranging from three and a half to four and a half stars.We look forward to more,from the Ahktars!
Col Sanjay Kapoor VSM
Monday, February 2, 2009
GAJHNI
DOUBLE IMPACT !!!!!!!!!!!!
GAJHNI left me dumb and numb,by its double impact!The softness of the romance and the harshness of the violent revenge,both were intense,touchy and effective! It was a great movie,and proved once again that Amir Khan's dictum of concentrating on quality,really gives grand results,and the movie has proved beyond doubt that any project,attached with Amir,is an outright winner!
Amir not only takes pain,in conceiving the movie,but also in the minutest details in its creation.His involvement is commendable,and he not only eats,drinks,sleeps,but actually lives,the movie or the project he has on hand,during the production.And the best part is,that his involvement doesn't stop there,his campaigning and marketing are so beautifully planned,that the masses feel as if thy are a part of the movie and the production team,even before the movie is released.I think Gajhni had one of the largest , finest and most successful launch,and it actually deserved all the hype,and may be more
The movie is a love story - a simple La Bollywood,types to start with.A small time,model,accidentally spreads the news that she is in an affair with a great business tycoon,played by Amir,who meets her as a struggling model,on hearing this,and falls in love with her simplicity.innocence and beauty.When he is about to disclose his identity,and propose,the story takes a horrid twist.The heroine while travelling in a late night train,saves a few girls being transported,for flesh-trade,by an underworld Don-GAJHNI.The heroine is subsequently,ruthlessly killed by Gajhni and before dying could reveal the name to the hero,who too,is battered badly,but escapes,with severe head injury and a memory loss,where in he can remember things for only 15 minutes! The mission of the hero for the rest of his life,and the remaining movie is to take revenge,which he finally does.What makes this second half,special or rather different is the modus operandi of the hero to take revenge,in spite of his mental disability of almost total amnesia,while living alone and to complete his mission,single handedly,with meticulously planning,photographs,tattooing,chits and an incomprehensible intricate system.Joining with him,here was a medical student,who wanted to study the hero as a case of amnesia,and gets involved in the chase.
The movie actually seems to have two complete stories amalgamated into one.Even if it ended, after the initial love story,with just a last shot,where he reveals his identity as the multimillionaire eligible bachelor and they live happily ever after,it would have been a successful complete romantic love story.And had it started with the death of the heroine,then the revenge alone would have been able to carry the movie as a hit action cinema.Its the union of both,and the stark contrast between the two half's,ranging from the poppy love to the most ghastly violence,that gives the movie its uniqueness and the stunning effect.The portrayal was so realistic,that one felt sad,at the end of the first half,at the death of a great romance!
The story,plot and screenplay were excellent and beautifully presented,to involve the audience at every moment.The Cinematography,locales and photography were exemplary and direction and editing reaching the highest zenith of perfection,at par to the best of Hollywood movies.The movie has been superbly directed and the background scores , lyrics and music reach the heart.Choreography is great,especially of the number bahka yun bahka! Amir acting is better than his best,and Asin,the south Indian actress,doing the lead,has performed excellently,in the lead role,and has not only looked,cute,beautiful,realistic and charming but has done wonders to the role,considering this was her debut hindi film.Jiah Khan,the Lolita of Nishabd,has acted well too,as the medical student.In spite of the excessive violence,probably the most that has ever been shown on Indian cinema,the movie was a double treat to watch.
After having said that,I cant resist,bringing out a few drawbacks too.Firstly I don't think there is any such medical condition,as depicted in the movie,and if it exists,it would be short term memory and not short term memory loss,as it has been repeatedly called .Giving The movie the Title on the villains name.some how doesn't appeal to me,and being a remake of a south Indian movie,deprives it of some amount of credit.and lastly,the very concept of the movie is against my philosophy.Just like I found Devdas ,a weak personality,I somehow cant accept a dynamic person,ruining his complete life,to take revenge.Without undermining his love for his fiancé,and his passion to avenge her death,I feel nothing in life,is bigger than life,to bring life at a stop !
Gajhni is a movie that has impressed , touched and moved me,like very few have done in my life,and shall always be in top list of my favorite hindi movies
GAJHNI left me dumb and numb,by its double impact!The softness of the romance and the harshness of the violent revenge,both were intense,touchy and effective! It was a great movie,and proved once again that Amir Khan's dictum of concentrating on quality,really gives grand results,and the movie has proved beyond doubt that any project,attached with Amir,is an outright winner!
Amir not only takes pain,in conceiving the movie,but also in the minutest details in its creation.His involvement is commendable,and he not only eats,drinks,sleeps,but actually lives,the movie or the project he has on hand,during the production.And the best part is,that his involvement doesn't stop there,his campaigning and marketing are so beautifully planned,that the masses feel as if thy are a part of the movie and the production team,even before the movie is released.I think Gajhni had one of the largest , finest and most successful launch,and it actually deserved all the hype,and may be more
The movie is a love story - a simple La Bollywood,types to start with.A small time,model,accidentally spreads the news that she is in an affair with a great business tycoon,played by Amir,who meets her as a struggling model,on hearing this,and falls in love with her simplicity.innocence and beauty.When he is about to disclose his identity,and propose,the story takes a horrid twist.The heroine while travelling in a late night train,saves a few girls being transported,for flesh-trade,by an underworld Don-GAJHNI.The heroine is subsequently,ruthlessly killed by Gajhni and before dying could reveal the name to the hero,who too,is battered badly,but escapes,with severe head injury and a memory loss,where in he can remember things for only 15 minutes! The mission of the hero for the rest of his life,and the remaining movie is to take revenge,which he finally does.What makes this second half,special or rather different is the modus operandi of the hero to take revenge,in spite of his mental disability of almost total amnesia,while living alone and to complete his mission,single handedly,with meticulously planning,photographs,tattooing,chits and an incomprehensible intricate system.Joining with him,here was a medical student,who wanted to study the hero as a case of amnesia,and gets involved in the chase.
The movie actually seems to have two complete stories amalgamated into one.Even if it ended, after the initial love story,with just a last shot,where he reveals his identity as the multimillionaire eligible bachelor and they live happily ever after,it would have been a successful complete romantic love story.And had it started with the death of the heroine,then the revenge alone would have been able to carry the movie as a hit action cinema.Its the union of both,and the stark contrast between the two half's,ranging from the poppy love to the most ghastly violence,that gives the movie its uniqueness and the stunning effect.The portrayal was so realistic,that one felt sad,at the end of the first half,at the death of a great romance!
The story,plot and screenplay were excellent and beautifully presented,to involve the audience at every moment.The Cinematography,locales and photography were exemplary and direction and editing reaching the highest zenith of perfection,at par to the best of Hollywood movies.The movie has been superbly directed and the background scores , lyrics and music reach the heart.Choreography is great,especially of the number bahka yun bahka! Amir acting is better than his best,and Asin,the south Indian actress,doing the lead,has performed excellently,in the lead role,and has not only looked,cute,beautiful,realistic and charming but has done wonders to the role,considering this was her debut hindi film.Jiah Khan,the Lolita of Nishabd,has acted well too,as the medical student.In spite of the excessive violence,probably the most that has ever been shown on Indian cinema,the movie was a double treat to watch.
After having said that,I cant resist,bringing out a few drawbacks too.Firstly I don't think there is any such medical condition,as depicted in the movie,and if it exists,it would be short term memory and not short term memory loss,as it has been repeatedly called .Giving The movie the Title on the villains name.some how doesn't appeal to me,and being a remake of a south Indian movie,deprives it of some amount of credit.and lastly,the very concept of the movie is against my philosophy.Just like I found Devdas ,a weak personality,I somehow cant accept a dynamic person,ruining his complete life,to take revenge.Without undermining his love for his fiancé,and his passion to avenge her death,I feel nothing in life,is bigger than life,to bring life at a stop !
Gajhni is a movie that has impressed , touched and moved me,like very few have done in my life,and shall always be in top list of my favorite hindi movies
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