TUM MILO TO SAHI A lukewarm meeting of souls

'Tum Milo Toh Sahi' is a film I personally placed high expectations on, mainly due to the promise of watching its veteran actors and to its central theme: generation and life differences in an ever evolving India at the height of modernization.

The film concentrates on the story of 3 Mumbaikar couples whose lives come into contact due to the greedy purchase of a traditional and cozy coffeehouse by a powerful multinational. READ MORE >>

ROAD, MOVIE: The Power of Cinema

Are you keen to watch an ode to the magic of cinema? ‘Road, Movie’ is the subtle answer. Dev Benegal, known for ‘English August’, pays tribute through this new film to the father of modern home cinema: yes sir, the good ol’ moving cinema, capable of taking fantasy, drama and laughter to India’s most remote corners.

Vishnu (Abhay Deol) sees the opportunity to drive an uncle’s old truck across the desert, in quest of anything that takes him far away, towards a life of adventure. During the course of his journey, he constantly strives to find water, both to quench his thirst and in seeking a seaside town as his destination. His travels are punctuated by encounters with those who will become his companions along the way. READ MORE >>

WANTED film review

Today we are glad to feature one of the fantastic reviews being written by the Italian Cine Hindi blog. We are thus very proud to have Diana's insightful review of "Wanted", Salman Khan's latest mega-hit film. A big hello to the knowledgeable team in Italy, with whom we are happy to be establishing a more regular collaboration. Ciao a tutte!

(The original review , written in Italian may be found here).

‘Wanted’ is the Hindi remake of the highly successful Tamil film, ‘Pokkiri’ which was directed by Prabhu Dheva, in charge of directing also the current Hindi version.

‘Wanted’ was released in September last year and may be considered as the most exciting film to be released in 2009. The audience’s acclaim immediately catapulted it to super-hit status within the first week of its release. Critical acclaim additionally ensued, resulting in ‘Wanted’ sweeping away competition from 'Dil Bole Hadippa!' which had released the same weekend. This is undoubtedly due to the film’s perfectly scrumptious mix of action, humour, music, romance and drama in true Indian style: Voilà! Bollywood in all its glorious splendour!

THE PLOT

Radhe (Salman Khan) is a professional killer working for the mafia bosses that share the control of organised crime in Mumbai. He is involved in their gangland wars but works only for money.

Amongst corrupt politicians, crooked cops and criminals, he meets Jhanvi (Ayesha Takia), young, beautiful and naïve, with the vital statistics of a pin-up girl. The two fall in love but the odds are stacked against Radhe, a killer, and the gentle Jhanvi.

‘Wanted’ is an action film with a fluid and enthralling plot. The story’s characters are well-conceived, particularly the despiteful Inspector Talpade (one would have a difficult time imagining a more smarmy policeman). The soundtrack and choreography are also very pleasant and enjoyable. The same amount of attention and care has been put into treating both the romance in the film and the inventive and enthusiastic shoot-outs and brawls. The entire cast has delivered fine performances. Humour and entertainment in spades, ‘Wanted’ is definitely a film not to be missed.

WHAT WORKS:

* Salman Khan, Salman Khan, Salman Khan: a vibrant dancer, an invincible fighting machine, a lovable but caustic boyfriend.

* Salman Khan again, who in the 33rd and 57th minute takes the flowers from a small vase and drinks the water.

* All the action scenes

* All the scenes between Radhe and Jhanvi

* The soundtrack, in particular the ‘Dil Leke’ track, which has been picturized in breathtaking Santorini, creating the perfect atmosphere for a passionate love story or a romantic honeymoon. (Note from HCB: Check out the video of the song and the lyrics, translated to English, by clicking here)

WHAT DOESN’T:

* Nothing!

Perhaps, purely for the sake of argument, the ending between the two lovers could have been more impassioned, but there is already talk of a sequel. To see more of Radhe and Jhanvi together, we will just have to be patient.

TRIVIA TIDBITS

* The picturization of ‘Jalwa’ features a nice cameo performance from Prabhu Deva, Govinda and Anil Kapoor.

* Both Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan are named in the film.

* Wanted by Prabhu Deva is the Hindi remake of ‘Pokkiri’, also directed by Prabhu Deva. ‘Pokkiri’ in turn, is a Tamil remake of ‘Pokkiri’ a film made in Telugu and directed by Mahesh Babu.

Cast
Radhe/Rajveer Shekhawat - Salman Khan
Jhanvi - Ayesha Takia (No Smoking, Dor)
Inspector Talpade - Mahesh Manjrekar (Slumdog Millionaire)
Gani Bhai - Prakash Rai
Golden - Aseem Merchant
Ashraf Khan - Govind Namdeo
Inder Kumar - Ajay
Vinod Khanna - Shrikant Shekhawat
Daniel Malik - Landlord
Mishal Mlaik - Jhanvi's Mother

Directed by Prabhu Deva


Produced by Boney Kapoor


Music by brothers Sajid (Main Aurr Mrs Khanna) and Wajid Ali (Welcome)
Buy the ‘Wanted’ soundtrack on Itunes.


Choreography:
Raju Sundaram (Kaminey)
Vaibhavi Merchant (Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi)
Rajiv Surti (Main Aurr Mrs Khanna)
Vishnudeva (Fast Forward)

Released: 2009

Distributed by Eros Enterainment
 

Written by: Diana

Edited by: Aline CineHindi

TOP 10 “WOW” MOMENTS in recent Hindi Films

by: ASHU

The lights in the theatre dim….the giant screen lights up…the sounds resonate and the colors dance…for the next 2 hours or so, I am transported into a wonderful world. A world full of song and dance, tears and smiles, horror and delight, romance and comedy…That's the magic of Hindi films!

Recently I got thinking about what are some of the moments from some recent Hindi films that have stayed on with me. Moments that have been the money's worth (paisa vasool as they say in Hindi) and moments that have made me fall in love with Bollywood even more.

Here I reproduce for you my top 10 moments…

Number 10

The title song from Om Shanti Om

Just getting the 33 stars together for a 5 minute sequence has made Farah Khan, the director, earn a place in the pages of Bollywood history. For many of us the song will serve as a bookmark in our memories of the Bollywood, as it stands today!

Number 9

The train robbery sequence from Dhoom 2

Sets your pulse racing right at the beginning of the film and is an apt teaser of the excitement to follow. Reminds you of the famous train and horses sequence from the classic "Sholay".

Number 8

The introduction scene of Hrithik in Krrish

An "a-ha!" moment for all fans of Swadesi…finally we have our own desi superhero.

Number 7

The climax of "Don"

The 'junglee billi"(wild cat) line from the older version is used so effectively to give a big twist to the tail..oops tale! Makes you start wondering about whether a Don 2 is around the corner…and now we know that it is!!!

Number 6

Guru- Climax

As Abhishek Bachchan asks a stadium full of his shareholders if they want to become the biggest company in the world, your chest swells with Indian pride. A fabulous performance by the junior B which will probably be counted among his finest but which unfortunately was ignored by film awards…

Number 5

Waheeda Rehman receiving the belongings of her dead pilot son in Rang De Basanti.

She stumbles, as if about to faint but then manages to compose herself. A wonderful scene enacted beautifully by one of the greats of Hindi cinema. Lata Mangeshkar's endearing voice in the background singing one of Rehman's best compositions till date also adds to the emotional tones of the scene.

Number 4

Munna Bhai apologizing to Circuit in Lage Raho Munnabhai at behest of Bapu

A rare poignant moment between the otherwise trigger happy comic characters which displays the strength of their bond. Also a profound take on how apologizing may not be the easiest, but is always the right thing to do

Number 3

The "70 minute" speech from Chak De

It is a somber and emotional moment as Shah Rukh Khan- the coach , tells his girls to grab those seventy minutes from anyone who has ever doubted their ability to achieve their dreams. The different stories of all girls flash before your eyes and then you realize that you want them all to win as much as their coach

Number 2

The song 'Khwaja' from Jodhaa Akbar

Never before has the essence of a song been so beautifully captured on celluloid…the expressions of the singers on screen are amazing and by the end its not just Akbar who reaches spiritual ecstasy but the audience as well…

Number 1

The Painting competition from Taare Zameen par

Probably the most natural looking sequence on Hindi film screen ever. Could be any school painting competition, anywhere… and therein lies the brilliance of the picturization. The background song adds to the mood and builds to a crescendo just like the audience's expectations… and finally the masterpieces by the teacher and student are revealed!

Post written by ASHU

MY NAME IS KHAN Film Review

'My Name is Khan' is Dharma Productions latest blockbuster, featuring "Shahjol", who all audiences were impatient to watch together once again. The film tells the touching story of a Muslim, Rizwan Khan (Shah Rukh Khan), who is all but a terrorist. It searches to portray his life with Hindu Mandira (Kajol) and her son Sameer. The story concentrates on the change that took place in Western mentalities regarding the Muslim community after the tragic events of 9/11.

The film's first part is enjoyable. The very beginning concentrates on Rizwan's childhood, featuring an excellent performance by Tanay Chheda. The story, plot and acting are bang on. Spectators are slowly pulled into what seems like a well worked independent film. The mood changes though as an adult Rizwan appears and the film begins to have a feel that is more characteristic of big Hindi film productions.

All in all, MNIK is a good entertainer. Shah Rukh Khan is endearing in a role in which his subdued charm plays its magic without him having to act as the conventional and flamboyant romantic hero, delivering what could be considered as his best performance since 'Chak De India!'. Kajol lights up the screen with her sunny presence. She is masterful in her role and her chemistry with her fellow lead actor is palpable.

The sole faults of MNIK if there are any to be pointed out, are that director Karan Johar had much to say and it is difficult to fit it all into one film (the Wilhemina hurricane sequences are in my honest opinion partly off the subject). It also has a certain repetitiveness and several incongruencies in its script that might keep the film from becoming an all out international entertainer, which is sad, because the message that the film carries is worthy of being heard by all audiences.

Script tightness is often a sure bet with foreign audiences. Despite having roped in Syd Field* as a screenplay consultant, the film's inconsistencies and shortcuts appear blatant. Why is the main character shown going through USA immigration if he has never left the country in search of his goal: speaking to the President of the United States? Why is Shah Rukh Khan acting mentally challenged in some sequences when he clearly only has Aspergers syndrome? Why is the passing away of one of the characters labelled as a racial crime if no racial slurs are heard when he is being agressed? Why is so much emphasis placed on the name Khan, if the name is irrelevant to anyone in America? Indeed, seldom any American would be able to make a difference between Khan and Khanna, not knowing that the first is bound to be the name of a person of Muslim confession.

To its merit, MNIK depicts Westerners in a more positive light than most Hindi films, even though it legitimately concentrates on pointing a finger at the West's darkest and most irrational fears regarding Muslim culture.

Karan Johar has been labelled as a universalist by some or as being in love with America by others. MNIK is his noble attempt to say that his love of all cultures will not keep him from expressing constructive criticism. The film is a fine entertainer, in large part due to its cast and suitable music, as well as many memorable moments in the script in which the director skillfully tugs at the heart's strings, making the audience sing, laugh or weep.

What is important to take home from the cinema hall is that all of us belong to humanity and are equal. All of us deserve love and respect. A positive moral for an endearing story.

Directed by Karan Johar

Writing credits:
Shibani Bathija (story and screenplay)
Niranjan Iyengar (dialogue)


Cast
Shahrukh Khan ... Rizwan Khan
Kajol ... Mandira
Steffany Huckaby ... Kathy Baker
Tanay Chheda ... Rizwan Khan as a child

* Syd Field is a renowned counselor in screenplay writing and has written several succesful books on the subject.
 
I would like to thank Joanna, who is a special needs specialist, for providing information on Aspergers syndrome, allowing us to understand Rizwan's character better.