Ooh La La: THE DIRTY PICTURE is here!

Rating: ****

SMASHING is the first word I had on my lips upon seeing the first rushes of The Dirty Picture's promos with a delicious Vidya Balan... and yes, I am a girl talking about a girl here, but let me make a bet that the seductiveness this chick exudes in the film does fit with every guy's fantasy.

At the centre of The Dirty Picture's plot is Silk Smitha (played by Vidya Balan), an actress who was an ultimate sex symbol in 1980s south Indian cinema. The lascivious star was a sizzling element of more than 400 Malayalam and later on Hindi Bollywood films, one of which was the famed Sadma, starring opposite Kamal Hassan and Sridevi. Smitha's success was short lived despite the wide array of films she left as her heritage, given that she passed away in 1996 at the young age of 35.

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BOL Review: Immersed in Lollywood

BOL review by Diana (Italian Cinema Hindi Blog)

Rating: ****

Bol allows us to immerse ourselves in Lollywood (Pakistani cinema has not been spared the suffix borrowed from Hollywood, taking the first letter of the capital city, Lahore, which is the main stageof the Pakistani film industry).

Zainab (Humaima Malik) is in prison, having been convicted of murder. Before she is executed she requests to be able to tell her story. She is the eldest of five daughters of a very modest family in Lahore. Her father, Hakim Sahib (Manzar Sehbai), is the sole breadwinner, whereasthe family's women remain confined within their home without being given the opportunity to study or tobecome independent, thereby becoming a financial burden. When the family finally sees the arrival of a much-desired male heir, the midwife confides in Hakim and reveals that the baby is a hermaphrodite.

A central theme in Bol is sexuality. In a conservative and repressive society, sexuality is seen as a taboo which often results in sexual phobias, morbid, violent or abusive behavior.

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ROCKSTAR: A Rebel Sings

When Imtiaz Ali's film Rockstar released its first visuals and music, I was taken by expectation. Jab We Met is one of the Indian movies I always end up recommending to friends who are not Bollywood viewers, in the hopes of engaging them to watch more. I was therefore wishing that this new film would bring back the Imtiaz Ali I had appreciated, soon recommending Rockstar to friends I gathered could get bitten by the Bollywood bug.

First and foremost... and beyond any thoughts on the film itself, Rockstar is showcases how Ranbir Kapoor's acting keeps stepping a notch up with every film of his. I have seldom found an actor in India whom I like to watch if only to observe how his/her acting is evolving with each new character. And if there was still any doubt, the camera in this particular film truly says "Ranbir is the guy"!

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RA.ONE: The Next VFX Generation - Review

Shah Rukh Khan's dream film is finally out after much expectation this Diwali 2011.

The story of Prateek, a young boy who loves to play video games and how one of these games is brought to life is a concept that, according to director Anubhav Sinha, was born six years back when he watched a commercial that featured two children using a remote control on a human being. The original idea and Shah Rukh's dream of making a film that would cross all boundaries through the bold use of VFX resulted in developing a script about a superhero that, as Khan has explained, "saves mankind from Ra.One's (a new era Raavan) torment".

Ra.One has mainly created buzz prior to its release not only thanks to its all star cast and star cameos (Priyanka Chopra, Sanjay Dutt and none other than the legendary Rajnikanth) but also because it features visual effects and stunts that are absolutely new to Indian cinema and is an ambitious project that has seen huge collaboration between Indian and international teams. A visible example to the audience is that of the Ra.One soundtrack, which was composed by Vishal-Shekhar and includes the participation of internationally acclaimed singer Akon for two of its songs, "Chammak Chalo" and "Criminal", in accordance with a sporadic crossover musical trend in Hindi films.

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MERA BROTHER KI DULHAN or BODYGUARD?

Both films pulled audiences to the ticketsale counters. Both offer solid and modern entertainment this autumn season.

Mere Brother ki Dulhan is a youthful and pacey tale of the search for the perfect modern day liberated bride, incarnated by Laila (Katrina Kaif) who lives to drink and have fun. It is utterly refreshing to see Katrina Kaif as a full-out rebel, even though her acting still requires developing her individual style more as she somehow often seems to emulate other successful actresses of yesterday and today... She is however very commendable in her role and, as a woman, I have to salute her for not being stick thin but still looking fresh and beautiful. Who wants to be size zero, I say indeed? 

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