A Sublime (read uplifting) feeling…review of the movie ‘Nishabd’

Recently, i saw the most talked about movie ‘Nishabd’ which I am sure was made for viewing by the special class and not the mass.

As usual, Amitabh Bachchan does complete justice to the role given to him in this film too. I can never understand why and how people fall in love and aspire to give it a name. I am quite sure that everyone is in love with ‘self’ all the time. So nobody falls in love with anyone other than themselves. All relationships are need- based...simple metaphysics. An old man of 60 years wants to be young or wants to go back to his youth and seeks a relationship with an 18 year old girl when approached by her first. So, that at least speaks of his maturity as he does not initiate. All he wants to do…is avail an opportunity to be ‘young’ again’. But, he is already married for past 27 years and his daughter is as old as this girl. Love cannot be divided (thank god!) otherwise there would be chaos as many people will keep falling in and out love all the time. The movie revolves around the feelings of a 60 year old man and is basically a narration of his experience that also serves as a 'lesson' to others who wish to live like him.

I found the movie very touching especially at the end.

With tears in his eyes, Amitabh explains how his other relations got messed up because he could not control his feelings for this girl.The movie shows finally, how the 'old man' wants to end his life because his life gets in to a state of disorder because of his unwarranted feelings.

The movie is thought provoking and refreshing.

'ALL THE BEST'

A Quick review of the movie ‘ALL THE BEST’ i saw today..with my son...

On the performance front, full marks can be given to Sanjay Dutt who manages to elicit laughter every time he enters the scene. And the best thing is he has stepped out of his Munnabhai image in this movie at last and yet looks distinct. For the actor who has done action roles for more than three decades, it's commendable to re-explore himself at this stage and come out with different comic tricks everytime. Interestingly, in the movie he says, "Action to main 30 saal se kar raha hu, comedy tho ab shuru ki hai". The only problem is the actor's weight because of which he's started resembling his father Late Sunil Dutt now. Need to shape up a bit! And his teeth or missing teeth ...oh! They look awful.

Ajay Devgn (his new ‘numerolgy’ spelling in his name), the producer of the movie, has become a regular at Rohit Shetty's movies (He is a close friend of Rohit Shetty in real life) He is a natural and performs every role with an effortless ease. Beside comedy, he provides some emotional-relief too. One contact scene is where Ajay realizes that the net of deceit is affecting his personal equation with Bipasha (who's playing his wife). Here, I felt objection to the ‘suggestive’ dialoques etc. Hindi movies never change as they address the uneducated mass to get box office earnings.

Bipasha Basu is new to the comedy genre. Beginners in comedy tend to overact, but Bipasha has managed to impress with her subtle comic timing. With a little more experience in the genre, the best in her can come out. But her sensuality always shadows everything she does on screen. Unfortunately she is not able to rid of that image.

Mugdha Godse doesn't get into the skin of her character. She certainly needs a tonic to boost her energy levels and acting too!

Fardeen Khan is comfortable in his comic zone and comes out with a nice performance! At times he resembles Feroz khan, his father.

Overall, the movie is a laugh-riot ( for kids) and if you want to enjoy with your child, it is absolutely not a bad idea at all! I was more happy seeing my son enjoying the comedy in the movie. And yes. It reminded me of my stay in Goa as the shooting is done in Goa primarily.

JAWS...movie that gripped me really!

A stunning, still terrifying, movie, Jaws sucks three men down to the level of a perfect eating machine while keeping perspective upon their essential humanity. The scene is Amity Island, favourite holiday destination, and the time is summer, just before the 4th of July holiday. Early in the morning police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) gets called out, alerted to a possible drowning. The severed arm that rests among the dunes, however, rules out this avenue of thought. In his first season on the island it's exactly the sort of horror that Brody hoped to avoid by leaving New York. Still this doesn't appear to be your typical city crime; the local pathologist rates the incident as a shark attack.
It's only under pressure from Mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) that this verdict gets rescinded, downgraded to a boating tragedy. As a politician and a local, Vaughn wants the beach kept open at all costs. Unfortunately when a little kid is taken, right in front of his mother, all hell breaks loose. With a bounty on the shark's head, amateur fishermen flock to Amity like hook-happy lemmings. With them comes Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss), a marine biologist and shark specialist; he alone realises the size of Amity's unwelcome guest. Even the eccentric but experienced Quint (Robert Shaw) doesn't realise what he's stumbled into when he offers to reel in the beast for $10,000. Yet, through the wonder of procrastination, Brody, Hooper and Quint will all get to stare death in the face.
A directorial tour-de-force, with Jaws Steven Spielberg demonstrates an astounding knack for contrasting moments of sheer terror with natural feeling. Even when foreboding wraps your rib cage in a vice-like grip, there is room for touching scenes of beauty. Yet to concentrate on this aspect of Spielberg's talent is to jump the gun; throughout the first half of the film the central trio are barely threatened. In this long, never for one instant boring, build-up, Spielberg achieves two things. First, he makes us care for the three men about to be crammed together in a leaky tub. We care because these characters are endowed with separate, distinct pasts and feelings that touch on more than the immediate crisis. Second, throughout most of the film we barely glimpse the shark; instead our imagination has over an hour to dream up horrifying images and gross scenarios. These factors alone ensure that Jaws retains its dizzying impact decades after first light.
Despite this juggernaut momentum, that Spielberg harnesses and bends to his will, the leading trio of Dreyfuss, Scheider and Shaw resist with incredible strength. Without the slightest evidence of effort, all three dig deeply into their roles; from Jaws' lucky dip they drag motivation, history, phobias and destiny.
Thus Dreyfuss is a rich kid with rich kid's toys, entranced by the danger and mystery that sharks represent. He's familiar with the ocean and how to work with its power; what he's never had to do is gain a living from the sea or evade the chance of dying by its salty clutch. This is Shaw's territory. He's been scarred, rewarded, tortured and reborn, yet the waves continue to hold a deranged fascination for Quint. He's made a sailor's pact with Neptune, open-eyed to his probable fate; all Quint asks is for a shot at the best. In a remarkable change of pace, Scheider is not just a landlubber but also an island dweller that's terrified of the water. It's a crazy notion yet Scheider pulls it off with honesty, warmth, humour and a knowledge of what it's like to leave your comfort zone far behind.
Together these three provide sufficient friction to keep us entertained even as they work together for a single goal; the enormity of the challenge rivets all but the most impatient to their seat. Of course, while the dialogue sparkles and the ensemble acting is wonderful (even amongst the bit parts), these elements alone do not a classic film make. What lifts Jaws high up is the technically sure hand of Spielberg, displaying impressive maturity for one so young. Exceptional, sharp editing ensures that not a single scene is wasted; each builds on that which came before. Overlapping dialogue, such that you often get the gist of what's been said without being able to separate the words, proves wonderfully realistic. Spielberg's choice of shot is occasionally inspired, implying far more than is shown. When suspense is required, it's drawn piano-wire tight, vibrating to the slightest touch. Yes, Jaws is a quite remarkable movie, propelled by a pace that simply refuses to slacken.
Ironically then it's probably the technical limitations faced by Spielberg that forced him to make a better film than might otherwise have emerged. Saddled with a shoal of uncooperative rubber sharks, Spielberg came to rely on the unseen. For much of the time the shark is little more than a shadow or a brief glimpse of fin, the luck of being based on a naturally camouflaged monster. When the shark finally lurches bodily out of the water it's a shock, despite its rubber glory. In fact the effects inJaws still look reasonable, though this is more a result of the aforementioned directorial "choice" than due to the superiority of the effects themselves. Spielberg makes it so easy to suspend your disbelief that you've got to actively work against the film to dislike it, to see the joins. Even better, Jaws is just awesome on the big screen, gaining an impact that you don't realise is missing on television. Writ large the characters gain stature, the violence is more shocking and the tragedy greater.
When these harmonious elements sum, the result is a memorable film that stands up to repeat viewing. Spielberg plunges into the emotional currents of Jaws, forcing the camera upon his cast. Their panic, fear, anger, bewilderment and smugness rolls forth in waves. It's a remarkable directorial feat. Jaws still stands as one of Spielberg's finest, most triumphant, heart-stopping movies, which is really saying something when you consider his filmography. This is an eternal classic, badly let down by its sequels.

'Sholay' - review of all time hit Hindi Movie

One of the most analyzed movies in Indian cinema has to be "Sholay". What can one say about this film that has not already been said by thousands of others? Yet, "Sholay" is the type of film that no matter how many times is talked about or frequently played at cinemas, movie buffs never tire of it. A sign of an evergreen classic. For everyone has their own different favorite moment or scene that they recall fondly from the movie. Be it Basanti (Hema Malini) chatting away nines to the dozen but at the end claiming breathlessly, "Kyunke mujhe befuzool baat karne ki aadat to hai nahin (I am not one to engage in idle talk)". Or Gabbar Singh ‘s (Amjad Khan) booming voice philosophizing, "Jo darr gaya samjho margaya (Who ever is scared is dead)". Or the sound of the swing squeaking after the dacoits have inflicted their reign of terror on the household of Thakur Baldev Singh (Sanjeev Kumar).


The plot sounds very simple on paper. Notorious dacoit Gabbar escapes jail but he is enraged at the man who put him there in the first place- Thakur. As an act of malicious revenge, Gabbar and his henchmen kill Thakur´s entire family (except for his daughter-in-law). Now Thakur wants to bring Gabbar to justice. He is helpless because he lost his arms and he is out of the police force. Therefore, he employs the help of two brave but badmaash layabouts, Jai (Amitabh Bachchan) and Veeru (Dharmendra), to bring Gabbar to him. ALIVE. Not Dead. “Tum Gabbar Singh ko nahin maaroge! Tum yahan Gabbar ko pakarke mere hawaale karne aaye ho. Zinda! (You will not kill Gabbar! You are here to capture Gabbar and hand him over to me. Alive!)” Thakur reiterates when Jai promises that they will bring Gabbar’s corpse. For Thakur, not killing Gabbar is an important matter. He wants to mete out the desired punishment to his nemesis himself. He wants a helpless Gabbar lying at his feet, a man who would be shocked that an armless man still has the power to render him helpless.


Gabbar Singh is firmly entrenched in Indian cinema history as being a very popular villain. This is mainly due to Amjad’s tour-de-force performance but also partly due to the way Ramesh Sippy introduces his character into the film. He allows suspense to build-up through several characters’ hushed mentions of the notorious bandit. Gabbar does not make his screen appearance until after one song and a lot of scenes have gone past. Even then his face is not shown immediately at first. The sound of shoes clashing onto the rock signifies Gabbar’s entrance. The camera shows his henchmen’s terrified faces from the angle of Gabbar’s shoes. This is a comment on the power that he wields over his yes-men. He is above them and can control whomever he wants. He believes that he is as powerful as God. He has a very maniacal laugh that would not sound out of place in a mental asylum. The role was originally signed to Danny Denzongpa but fate meant that it landed in Amjad’s lap. And how he lapped it up! His dedication to his role (blacking his teeth, vigorous rehearsing, menacing eyes) is mainly the reason why his character is remembered so much today.


“Sholay” is a benchmark in the careers of the rest of the performers involved. The screen chemistry between Hema and Dharmendra sizzles. Their camaraderie and exchanges are a delight to watch. There is also brilliant chemistry between Dharmendra and Amitabh meaning that we do not need to be persuaded that these men are close friends. Sanjeev and Jaya Bhaduri (who plays Radha, Thakur’s widowed daughter-in-law) give powerfully understated performances. But one of the reasons why all the actors shine in their roles is that their characters can easily be distinguished from one another. Each of the characters possess individual traits and nuances that we can identify them with. There is the silent sarcasm inherent in Jai’s character. Veeru’s childish sense of humor. Basanti’s habit of talking too much. Thakur’s sincerity and determination. The quiet brooding of Radha. Whereas Veeru and Basanti’s relationship is steeped in a sense of loud fun and humour, Radha and Jai are united together through silence. When they meet they cannot find many words to say but they are not bothered about that, they connect just by gazing at each other. Every evening, Jai sits outside the house playing his harmonica while watching Radha walk around the building turning off every lamp. Just that rare moment of connection fills them with content. After turning off every lamp, Radha goes into her room to listen to the sound of Jai’s harmonica. Every light in the house is off but she does not turn the light off in her room. The light in her room indicates a new form of hope, a new beginning.


Silence is something that the director uses very well. It serves as a way of understating the violence in scenes where slaughter occurs. Like when the dacoits spot a boy from Ramgarh riding on his horse. They intend to capture him and bring him to Gabbar. They creep up to the boy silently. The next scene shows Gabbar squashing a fly on his arm- an act that represents the death of the boy. Very little bloodshed is actually shown. Even today, Bollywood cinema is rarely this imaginative when it comes to depicting murder or death. If there is silence in some scenes, then there is also the masterful background score by R.D. Burman. The background music is a character in itself. It is tremendous to listen to especially during the train sequence when Jai and Veeru help Thakur fend off a group of highjackers. Here, the sound is a thrilling concoction of operatic music, the thumping rhythm of the train moving and the galloping of the horses. To a certain extent, the musical numbers tend to be overshadowed by the famous dialogues and action scenes but, nevertheless, everyone has their own particular favorite. Each song has become an anthem for a certain theme. Ask someone to name a friendship song and it is more than likely that “Yeh Dosti Hum Nahin Todenge” will be mentioned. Likewise, “Holi Ke Din” is also a perennial favorite as a song to listen to on the occasion of Holi.
Basanti complains to Jai and Veeru, “Tum shaherwale samajhte ho ke hum gaonwale ka akal hai nahin (You city people think that we have no brains)”. Her thought nails the argument of city versus village that lies in the subtext of “Sholay”. Jai and Veeru are outsiders to the locals of Ramgarh. To the villagers, they represent change and the symbol for a happier and progressive future. However, they are also an antithesis to traditionalism. Basanti’s aunt refuses to allow her marriage to Veeru go ahead because he lacks any redeeming qualities from an educationary or financial perspective. Elders are respected tremendously in Ramgarh but Veeru’s refusal to accept Basanti’s guardian’s final decision shows a rebellious streak inside him against tradition. The only way he finally wins her hand in marriage is by getting drunk and making a hilarious attempt to commit suicide in Basanti’s name. In rural parts of India, widows are still stigmatized and treated as society outcastes. Jai dares to break this rule by asking for Thakur’s permission to let Radha marry again. The narrative does not let Jai see happiness by breaking this tradition. Nature intervenes and takes Jai’s life away leaving Radha broken-hearted once more. At this point, fate and nature concurs with traditionalism. Life in Indian society has its rules and it is not prepared to let Jai break those rules. He cannot be left happy through this act of rebellion. Ramgarh is happy to accept the good side of change (ie getting rid of the menace of Gabbar Singh) but it cannot bear the tampering of general society rules. Clearly, modernism does not exist in the outback of Ramgarh. This proves too much for Basanti (who shows a rebellious streak by working as a tangewali, which she herself admits is unusual for a girl) and Veeru, both who eventually leave the village so that they can live their lives as they wish in a more tolerant place.


Salim-Javed hit a creative high with their sterling work on dialogues and story in “Sholay”. To cap off this review, let’s have a look at some of the most memorable lines in this classic:
“Arre o Saambha, kitne aadmi tay? (Oye Saambha, how many men were there?)”
“Bahut yaaraana lagta hai, eh? (He means a lot to you, eh?)”
“Khota sikka to dono taraf se khota hota hai (A bad coin is bad on both sides)”
“Wohi kar raha hoon bhaiya jo Majnu ne Laila ke liye kiya tha, Ranjha ne Heer ke liye tha, Romeo ne Juliet ke liye tha… SOOSIDE (I am only doing what Majnu did for Laila, Ranjha did for Heer, Romeo for Juliet… SOOSIDE)”
“Tumhara naam kya hai Basanti? (What is your name, Basanti?)”
“Saala nautanki, ghadi ghadi drama karta hai (You’d make a fine dramatic actor)”

Eddie Macon's Run

I saw this movie quite some time back..old movie..sure worth watching...

Eddie Macon's Run

Time is running out for Eddie Macon. He’s trapped in a Texas jail on trumped up charges. He’ll do anything to make it back to his wife and child, but if he’s caught, he’ll be back in the pen for life. Carl Marzack is an aging cop who must prove he can still get his man, and his man is Eddie Macon! Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas and The Dukes of Hazzard’s John Schneider star as the pursuer and the pursued in this exciting action thriller that climaxes in a hair-raising chase through the streets of Laredo, Texas. It’s a heart-stopping 1980’s manhunt in the classic American western tradition.

Starring: Kirk Douglas, John Schneider

Dev Anand...my favourite star

Legendary actor-filmmaker Dev Anand was felicitated by the government on the occasion of his production house 'Navketan Films' completing 60 years, says....it is his fans who inspire him to continue making films.


"I humbly owe my success and fame to you (fans)," said the 86-year-old star of runaway hits like "Guide", "Baazi", "Taxi Driver" and "Jewel Thief".


Check out the films of Dev Anand Saheb in the link below

Dev Anand movies

Kal Ho Naa Ho.....

Another movie that I like to write about…I liked the title the moment I heard …kal ho naa ho…very true!

Kal Ho Naa Ho is the story of three friends whose relationship is based on unconditional love ( do you find it? ) and emotional empathy with each other. 

The setting is New York in present times. Life is quite brooding for Naina (Preity Zinta). The cause of her sober lifestyle is a family tragedy that shook her world and took her happiness away.

Her humdrum daily routine includes her chores in her half Punjabi-half Catholic household in which she has to deal with a short tempered grand-mother, has to look after her little sister and brother besides helping her mother Jennifer [well acted by Jaya Bachchan] and deal with the family's financial troubles. In short, life could not be drabber for this gorgeous belle.

But things change with the coming of Aman [Shah Rukh Khan] into the tiny Indian neighborhood where she lives.

Aman is an extrovert person who gets friendly with almost everybody and begins to win everybody’s heart with his jolly nature. When he sees the sadness in a young and beautiful girl like Naina, he sets about to bring happiness into her life.

For this he also gets help from his good friend Rohit [Saif Ali Khan], an eligible Manhattan bachelor.

After few initial failures, the two manage to bring Naina out of her dull and gloomy moods and make her genuinely happy. The three become very good friends and every thing is hunky-dory.

But this happiness is short-lived when it turns out that one of them suffers from a deadly disease. …now I stop…you got to see the movie to know what happens. I saw this movie in Goa along with a colleague of mine during one of my business trips. Good to watch this movie and I am sure you will like it including the songs.

Does anyone remember Tom Cruise in the movie "Cocktail" ?

I saw this movie in 1988 in US and for the first time i came across an actor who was so likeable on screen. quite short! ( huh!) but very charming and intelligent. I could see this movie again too.. the story of Cocktail goes like this....

After leaving the Army, Brian Flanagan ( Tom Cruise) tries to get a marketing job in New York. But without a college degree, this was not possible. He then decides to start studying for a business degree at the local City College and gets a part time job as a bartender. He realizes that its not that easy, but when his new boss Douglas Coughlin (actor: Bryan Brown ) teaches him the secrets of the bar trade and they become the most famous bartenders in town. Both Brian and Doug Coughlin want their own top class cocktail bars someday and Brian's Cocktail Bar is to be called 'Cocktails & Dreams', and in order to get the necessary money to open it, Brian travels to Jamaica to work as a bartender at a resort Tiki Bar, and the pay is good. There he meets Jordan Mooney ( very indianish look..acted by Elisabeth Shue)...a young and pretty, up and coming American artist on vacation with her girlfriend from New York, staying at the Island resort. Jordan and Brian spend some quality time together and fall in love. But when Brian takes a challenge from his old buddy, Doug Coughlin to sleep with an older woman, who is also staying at the resort... Jordan, herself the daughter of wealthy parents back in New York, leaves the Island overnight, after seeing Brian and the older woman together ... Will Jordan ever forgive Brian and will they get back together? It is a very different comedy/ romance story....if you see it you will enjoy it for sure..

Tom Cruise has starred in many successful movies like Top Gun, Rain Man, Mission: Impossible among many others. I recollect seeing him in 'Endless love' with brooke shields ...he was looking so young at that time...saw in bombay during college days..