Harish Film views

As the powerful role of Zoya (Ishaqzaade) is becoming the talk of the town, a brief analogy between Zoya & Muthazhagu (Paruthiveeran). Ishaqzaade is probably the most women centric film to have come out from the commercial stable.  Similar to how people associate good cinematography with flashy - oscillating shots that stands outside of the film rather than be integrated to it, women centric roles are recognized only when the protagonist bring about violence is screen. Muthazhagu (in Paruthiveeran) was recognized as a great women centric role not because that the character stood up to Paruthi in the aftermath of the interval block, but for the climactic battle & the vehement tenaciousness it portrayed to signify the love for Paruthi in the confrontation scene between Muthazhagu & her parents. Yet here is a film (and a role) which doesn’t go over the top to emphasize the stubbornness of Zoya. Baring the opening block that acts merely as a gimmick, Zoya lik...

Director: Imtiaz Ali With a title like Rockstar, it is elementary to expect a movie on rock music. But, similar to the remark that a character gives to Jordon, ‘tum gaane baja rahe ho, ya gaane pe baja rahe ho?’ (Are you playing music or playing on music?), Imitiaz has used Rockstar only as one of the many layers (a wonderful layer at that) to wrap his painful, soul stirring love story. His concentrations are more towards the relationship that his lead pair share, which will still be strong, even if this movie were to have a software professional as lead, instead of a musician. Like the character of Jordon (Ranbir), Rockstar is a film which never submits itself to be understood; instead it treads a path that brings out joy mainly by what it shows as an aftermath of the events that cause the characters to behave that way. It doesn’t care about the character’s whereabouts or how a character ends up bedridden. In other words, it has immense disregard for any and every ba...

Director: Mani Rathnam Ramayan is a very bold story which along with many knots, put forth that both the good & bad when at fault pay for their sins: a knot worth to be inspired. When you are struck by an idea you start enjoying it in different ways, like how a guy who falls for a girl will go on creating and recreating the scene of submission. As these ideas continuously follow while the creator is envisaging, his analytical mind starts working on ways to connect these random hair rising moments. You know they excited you and you know now you have to connect those points to make it into a plausible screenplay. When you start writing you have all your notes ready and you work on ways to insert them; because these notes – hand outs are the very definition of each character and motive for each & every particular hair rising moment. But the mind has this treacherous power to be excited by the high moments alone that you will want to take great care in crafting them. When you are t...

This was published in Nxg - The Hindu Director: A.R.Murgadass Tale of redemption is not new to Indian viewers, but Murugadass strikes gold by flavouring the age old tale with the idea showcased marvelously in Memento. Sanjay (Aamir) a business tycoon takes the path of revenge after his lover is brutally murdered. With only the name Ghajni as a clue, how Sanjay, now suffering from short term memory loss avenges the dead of his dearest forms the crux of the movie. Ghajini which begins as a tale of revenge shifts to romantic comedy and finally ends in typical filmy style with Aamir removing the rod with which he was stabbed in his stomach, after killing the antagonist and walking alive. The balance between realism and fantasy is maintained nicely in the action sequences while Ravi Chandran with his measured lighting creates magic. Antony deserves credit for not letting the movie sag one bit. Except some sequences Rahman elevates the movie with his background score and soundtrack. A...

This was published in Nxg - The Hindu Director: Aditya Chopra Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka, Vinay Pathak Every film doesn't' have a great concept. It takes great screenplay and direction to make a flawed concept into a great movie. Rab ne bana di jodi(RNBDJ) does have an interesting concept, but poor screenplay plays spoil sport here. Story wise it is about Surinder(SRK) who wanting to make his wife Taani(Anuskha) be happy again comes in disguise as the fun loving Raj only to make her life more complicated. Whom she chooses (or God chooses) to be her lover forms the rest of the story. Aditya Chopra forgot the most important aspect of commercial film making while writing the script: the audience should not be let to think about the movie while watching it. It is accepted that Taani can't identify her husband in disguise the first time they meet, but even after days of being together with both the characters; her inability to identify the disguise is plain stup...

This was published in Nxg - The Hindu Director: Subash Ghai Cast: Salman, Anil, Katrina, Zayed From the time the title shows the name A.R.Rahman till the end where he makes a small appearance; its Rahman's film all way. He enchants us through out with his brilliant songs and impeccable background score. But sadly the film is only an assemblage of mesmerizing tunes with poorly conceived story backed by very bad screenplay and editing; mainly in the second half. It's accepted that Subash Ghai has tried a musical here but it's so over the top and clichéd with pointless scenes thrown in, making the film sink deep. Though the witty dialogues does make us laugh and forget the atrocities that is being screened; the film doesn't work on the whole. Story wise the film is about an arrogant Devan(Salman) and spoiled brat Shanu(Zayed) scheming to get their deceased father's fortune from their autistic music-genius brother Gyanesh played sincerely by Anil. Apart from ...

This was published in Nxg - The Hindu Director: Jugal Hansraj Roadside Romeo is a rich-rag-happy ending tale of Romeo (a dog) who finds a way to live in the gutter and in the process finds love in the form of Laila and wins her over the obstacle called Charlie anna. With Road side Romeo Yashraj has found a way to make money out of their poor scripts. Remove the dogs and make actors play the roles they voiced; then Roadside Romeo will end being damp squib. One wonders if Yashraj knows anything else than DDLJ, proving yet again Chak de! India was a flash out of the pan.  All said, yet this being an animation film all the clichés and nostalgic moments which we all have gotten bored of doesn't look that bad. Look for the scene that comes after Romeo does a Raj of DDLJ by lending his hand from train; intelligent script writing.  But is there anything original in this script? The director answers that too with the game the dogs play at night to wake the humans- clever agai...

This was published in Nxg - The Hindu Cast: Amitabh, Abhishek, Aishwarya Rai, Director: Ram Gopal Varma RGV is back with his cult characters in this sequel. The movie has two inspirations backing the script; Sarkar and Godfather. Whenever the movie draws inspiration from Godfather the film impresses, but when they move under the shadows of Sarkar it looks clichéd. This time around RGV didn’t go for an elaborate story. Rather he has tried to play with the characters; their reactions and the genre that Sarkar has created. He has completely played with the enigma of the previous part in the first half. The story doesn’t seem to move at all here. The moment he shifts to Godfather mode by murdering Avantika, the movie unfolds in a rapid pace with series of twist and turns. The surprise package of them all, being the characterization of Aishwarya. Story wise Anitha(Aishwarya) CEO of Sheppard Power Plant, brings a power plant proposal to be set up in rural Maharashtra before the Nagres. ...

Movie: Tashan Cast: Akshay, Kareena, Anil Kapoor, Saif This was published in NXg - The Hindu Are the audiences becoming intelligent, or the script writers are unwilling to think out of the tested formula? This is what one asks after watching Tashan. The plot goes like this. Kareena uses Saif, a call centre employee, who happens to teach English for Don Anil Kapoor, to steal his money. Anil calls Akshay, a local gunda, to get back the money and finish them. Akshay is the only saving grace in the movie which is nothing more than an old wine in a new bottle. Akshay manages to make you laugh and enjoy throughout. He could have avoided the gravity and bullets defying stunts. Saif has nothing much to do and doesn't make use of the few chances he gets. Except skin show, Kareena has nothing else to offer. Anil kapoor tries to make us laugh but ends up making fool of him. You can't avoid noticing similarities between Tashan and Dhoom-2 , which again was a forgettable movie. Cinemato...