Reader - when words fail to say it all......

There are films you love and films you loathe! And there are some which leave an indelible mark in your memory. You are left shaken by the immense power of an idea. My recent watch Reader is one such film. No wonder Kate Winslet won an Oscar for her role of a Nazi prison guard in the film. Based on a German novel of the same name, the film is a journey of love. A teenage boy falls in love with a women twice his age. He is too naive to understand the implications of this emotion and is unaware of the impact it will have on his life forever. We are suddenly made to feel that love is purely an abstract emotion. A force which has the power to completely change the way we live or act. There are these physical strings which pulls two people together. But, how do we let go of the invisible (read emotional) currents, which have the potential to make / break you? Micheal Berg's feelings for Hanna breaks him. He is unable to have a stable relationship with any one else. And Hanna's ultimate act of suicide, only adds to the emotional blizzard that Michael experiences. Kudos to the Director for making me a part of the lead character's turmoil. I almost experienced the tragedy first hand!

Emotional Atyachar worth taking!

Let me talk about Anurag Kashyap's Dev.D which i watched recently. It was a pleasant surprise to watch a realistic film, inspired and adapted from a pretty nihilistic story. The tale of lost love and the protagonist's fall from normalcy to becoming an alchoholic and his untimely demise is given a new twist. Here Dev Das ( played convincingly by Abhay Deol) is a man who makes his own choices. It is he who decides to let go of Paro. External forces are downplayed. I think today when the urban youth has all the freedom to take his / her decision, it is but natural to let go of the society-is-the-biggest-villain kind of a mindset. The lead actresses were a refreshing break and played their parts amazingly well. A must watch for all. I guess we are all amazzed at Kashyap's versatality. Who can expect that a man who does a Black Friday for his first full length feature film, will throw all caution to the wind and come up with a Dev.D! Kashyap your "emotional atyachar" is worth taking!

Jodha- Akbar Love in a different era!

Jodha-Akbar, the love story of the greatest Mughal emperor and the Rajput princess is lined up for release. Ashutosh Gowarikar is back and so is Aishwarya Rai after her brief sabbatical, courtesy marriage to one of the most in-demand bachelors in India. The film has several pluses, one the very beautiful cast(both Aishwarya and Hrithik are the 2 most good looking people in Bollywood). Then there is the music by the King of Background score AR Rahman. This is a period film and hence the audience will judge this historic love story based on the authenticity shown in every department of film-making. The matrimonial alliance of the Mughal kings was one of the tools of the used to tame the unruly Rajputs and bond with them. This was a political measure and had no romantic implications whatsoever. It will be interesting to see , how the director convinces the audience that a marriage of convenience can actually lead to love and romance in a century where battles and wars did most of the talking.

Have you seen The Break up?
It has Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn in the lead. It is such a treat to watch a couple bickering about the real issues in life. The difference in perspective of a man and a woman and how this difference can lead to miscommunication and to the ultimate outcome which is the collective nightmare of a man and a woman in love-the break up!

The new year 2008 has begun. Bollywood is playing it safe by concentrating on comedies. To start with there is Welcome which is an attempt at slap stick comedy. What's your take on Welcome ?

Guru- Impossible or I M Possible?

The purpose of cinema is also to inspire. Guru realizes this purpose. Mani Ratnam’s directorial venture with Abishek Bachhan and Aishwarya Rai Bachhan in the lead tells the saga of a school drop out who dreams and dares to achieve. The Ambani similarity only leads to increased viewer ship. For Abishek Bachhan this could simply be the role of a lifetime. Aishwarya moves beyond her wooden self and attempts to act. She succeeds in parts, especially as the older wife of the successful industrialist whose grit and determination at the time of his crisis, puts him back on the winning track. Rahman’s music is at its soulful best.

Jab we met-A fresh breeze of love

The usual girl-meets-boy story is given a new twist by making the boy suicidal and the girl, a blabbering angel. JWM connects with the audience because it has a little bit of you and me in every situation it entails.The humour is contemporary and urbane. Kareena does complete justice to the role of an almost naive, bubbly,optimistic Sikhini. Shaheed is at his career best as the brooding,depressed Industrialist who nurtures a grudge against his family.The turn around of these two protagonists is handled in a very mature fashion.
The film stands out for its refreshing take on the age-old story of love and romance between two very unusual people,forced to come together during a train journey.