This Student could have got a “B”
High School – the template of many a purported new age film…… KJo’s version might have new faces, “new” songs” and newer clothes but it’s the same old anorexic script in a shiny new wardrobe !!!!
In fact it could be SOTY 1992 or 2012… This is not a compliment on the timelessness of the movie rather a reflection on the datedness of the stories and ideas presented…. The centerpiece of which is the competition involving academics, dancing, a treasure hunt (yeah, seriously could have been in SOTY 1972 too) and a triathlon to prove which student is indeed the “Jackass” of all trades !!
It’s a shame because Karan Johar is one of the few directors who can elicit super performances from his actors. This time like most times he is let down by Karan Johar the screenwriter. The koffee is presented in exquisite cutlery but is very weak and definitely needs less sugar. Although hailing from the same genre it needs some spine from “Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar”, some originality from “3 Idiots” and some humour from “Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na”.
Cinema involving excessive (over)enthusiastic escapism, expressing exaggerated emotions is KJo’s forte and is amply reflected in the set design, the school and its students. The story is that of Abhimanyu Singh [Sidharth Malhotra] and Rohan Nanda [Varun Dhawan], who traverse the well-trodden path of competition, loyalty, friendship, love, envy, heartbreak, failure and triumph in St. Teresa’s High School, Dehradun (in exactly that order, and no, its not a spoiler if the whole thing is already telegraphed in the promos !!). Abhimanyu comes from a middle-class family and is hungry for prosperity, the first step to which will be the ‘Student Of The Year’ trophy, while Rohan Nanda is the son of a business tycoon , who is made to feel that winning the ‘Student Of The Year’ trophy will bag him Papa’s approval. They also compete for the affections of Shanaya Singhania [Alia Bhatt] playing the perfect naïve, innocent high-school sweetheart.
Team “Abhi” and team “Ro” in Saint T’s (in keeping with the “cool” factor) are supported by an absolutely unnecessary cast of extras which include a Barbie, a Motu, a She-man and a spoon(chamcha) and assorted bimbos and himbos speaking mumbo jumbo…… Considering the screen presence of the three protagonists this cast of extras seems superfluous and simply jars the cinematic flow. When the koffee tastes good pure it’s a waste to ruin it by adding extra ingredients. Infact the coach (Ronit Roy), the flamboyant dean (Rishi Kapoor) and the tyrant tycoon (Ram Kapoor) who have all acted very well could easily have been given more screen time than the faltu friends. But then there’s the “dude” demographic to cater to.
What’s refreshing and what will certainly pull in the teeny bopper crowds is the lead trio. The debutantes are true next-gen stars. Full credit to the styling by Manish Malhotra to make them truly photogenic. Their acting is also sublime, infact some of the “non-versations” they have show that they have grasped even the subtle nuances of their craft. Bereft of star-baggage their talent is mint-fresh and a treat to experience.
Cinematography by Ayananka Bose is sleek, under her and Karan’s touch even a rhino in the frame would be made to look like a unicorn. Dialogues by Niranjan Iyengar are lazy but yet have a youthful touch to them so they don’t look out of place. The lyrics of the songs could have definitely been better ….. “Ishqwala love” …… come on you’re just setting yourself up for the parody “Gaanewala song”. The music by Vishal-Shekhar is first rate. Not only does the score compliment the mood while you’re watching the film, it also has repeat value.
Like I said before if you ignore the story, the direction by Karan Johar is fantastic. You feel light and satisfied at the way the movie’s been presented. KJo is definitely the “king joker” maker of our generation and we need him to direct way more movies than he produces !!!
To sum up if a regular multiplex ticket costs Rs. 300 this movie is worth Rs. 200, Rs.150 for the terrific triple debut and Rs. 50 for the music videos DVD.

SAUMIL BHANSHALI

This “Heroine” overacts …….
Written (more so collected magazine clippings), directed (insincerely as if he was in a rush) and co-produced (aesthetically in the league of a DD TV show) by Madhur Bhandarkar, this movie just does not live up to its hype.
This movie professing to be true to life, lives in its own weird reality. The boyfriend, the PR agent, even the hero’s wife can get you a part as a heroine in a movie. Noone in this reality has apparently ever heard of auditions !!!! If you believe in Bhandarkar’s bottom line, a cricketer upon seeing his “mehbooba” on the big screen in the stadium gets the power to hit sixes and centuries !!!! Make her the coach !!! An MMS clip makes a movie a hit, screw the crores others spend to promote their flicks. Madhur’s material treats the audience as dim-witted suckers…. All this would have been forgiven had the movie been a parody, but this one purports to be a “slice of life” !!!! We are left wondering which weird, whacko, way-out world the people making this film inhabit. Check out especially the red-light area scene where our heroine goes to learn about the “real” people she portrays.
Starting with an expletive, the story unfolds in an episodic manner depicting a number of wrong decisions an actress can make with her life – fall in love with a married guy – tick, do a movie where she is just a prop – tick, do an arty movie which is box office kryptonite – tick, you get the point. There is absolutely no semblance of suspense or texture or layers to the plot.
Infact the movie could have showcased so many twists and turns like say a botched plastic surgery, losing one’s looks, marriage, pregnancy etc. which are much more relevant problems for an actress. But no, Mahi’s personal agenda (bipolar disorder, which men to bed, which PR person to hire etc.) takes precedence over the movie’s portrayal of her professional life. Also the screenplay is crammed with so many instances that the focus is completely lost. Add to it a lousy soundtrack (Salim-Sulaiman), zero humor and an absent editor and all that the audience is left with is 148 wasted minutes of their life.
Coming to the acting department, there is more hamming here than any pigsty in the world. Most of the character actors give cringe-worthy performances. Kareena Kapoor looks super and acts competently but this script would have made even an Oscar winner look awkward. Arjun Rampal as her obsession is ok. Randeep Hooda is below par as the other guy. (Shudders, Madhur’s next movie “Cricketer”). Then there is cleavage(Shahana Goswami), a parade of starlets, an aging Helen, a Bengali director, a faux Khan, a pushy PR person (Divya Dutta) and the entire fashion/page 3 extras cast.
The dialogue by Niranjan Iyengar comes up with gems like “Why do you take her words seriously? Because you (person C) don’t take me seriously” Are you serious ? But its not all bad, some lines which Helen says at the award function are fantastic as are the last couple of lines of the film. So that’s a perfect 10 for the dialogue………..out of more than a thousand. All the DoP, Mahesh Limaye can do is make KK(K?) look delectable. The other frames are as garish and out of sync as the script.
To sum up if a regular multiplex ticket costs Rs. 300 this movie is not worth the paper the ticket is printed on. You would demand your money back even if you snuck in free into the theater. It personifies the dictionary meaning of the term “Made for TV”.

SAUMIL BHANSHALI

LOOPER
Urban Dictionary will soon have a new meaning for “Looper”. A thrilling, thought-provoking, time-tested, talented treat….( Eg. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a great catch for any woman, he is a Looper). But seriously, Looper is that good a movie to deserve its own definition like google, muggle etc. It should be introduced in movie-making seminars as Essential Viewing 101…….
To case it in a genre would be to say it’s a blend of sci-fi, good old action and an uncommonly clever script written and directed by Rian Johnson, whose previous credits include “Brick” and “The Brothers Bloom”. He may not yet be the new Nolan, but his impressive filmography shows his speciality in crafting inventive, tightly wound thrillers which end satisfyingly.
This movie is a big idea – time travel, telekinesis, blunderbuss guns — all the good stuff, showcased on an equally big budget platform. At the same time it doesn’t just rely on its time-travel conceit (always a great concept when told properly) it humanises its characters. As a result it gets the viewer to suspend disbelief while investing themselves in the characters’ arcs. The interactions between Bruce Willis (future Joe) and Gordon-Levitt (present day Joe) are electric, sublimely acted and a throwback to the old days when movies required acting rather than special FX.
It starts with the protagonist living in the year 2044, where he works as a “looper” for the Kansas City mob. In another thirty years, someone’s going to invent time travel, but only the Mafia will have access to it. Loopers then kill whomever the mafia choose to send back from 30 years in the future. Innovative, because if there is no body, there is no evidence…. And finally in what is called “closing the loop,” his last target is his future self, 30 years down the line. This is where the two Joes come in. Its obvious to assume that the present-day Joe’s assassination of his future self goes awry…. Fitted with prosthetics to look like Bruce Willis, Gordon-Levitt connects with him in more than a physical sense, making us believe that they are infact the same person. While the first half plays out like a chase thriller, there are a number of hairpin turns later on and like all of Johnson’s movies a thoroughly satisfying conclusion.
This movie may evoke shades of “Terminator” and “12 Monkeys” and even “Minority Report” but it holds its own and is every bit as good as these classics….. Few movies pit good guy vs. good guy, both of them being the same !!!!! And both include a single mother, Sara, superbly portrayed by Emily Blunt. Cameos by Jeff Daniels as Abe, the future boss of the crime syndicate, and by Paul Dano as Seth, further enrich the film. Kudos to Steven Yedlin (DoP) and James Geralden (art direction) for making both the futures believable.
To sum up if a regular multiplex ticket costs Rs. 300 this movie is worth Rs. 600. Yes !!!! Its that good, go see it, twice !!!!

Like the name, its sweet, its simple, its soulful like a symphony but its also stretched and at times feels synthetic (particularly with the frequent flashbacks)…….. Props for being spectacularly “sui generis” (one of a kind) but brickbats for the skeletal script…..
Don’t get the critique wrong, this movie can infact hold its own in the company of some other world cinema like the Artist and Life is Beautiful.
For Bollywood this film is truly path-breaking and to use a cliché, a breath of fresh air.
No foreign locales, no item songs, no crass background score, and definitely no timepass jokes. No sir, this movie is shot in the most loving manner possible in Darjeeling. With its beauty captured perfectly on camera, every frame seems like a picture perfect postcard. Kudos to the cinematographer Ravi Varman, it’s a feast for the eyes….
At its heart , it’s a romantic film, but in the able hands of director Anurag Basu it acquires a rare complexity and depth that will definitely be appreciated by the multiplex crowd. He uses a non-linear approach to the story (in the hope that we may miss the fact that it has very little meat), which although confusing at times is a welcome change from the weekly masala we are subjected to…
The protagonist Murphy/Barfi ! (Ranbir Kapoor) is the premier prankster in his precinct.
A charmer who is deaf/mute (Surprise, surprise given the marketing blitz), he occupies all the time of a cop (Saurabh Shukla). The movie deals with his relationships with firstly Shruti (Ileana D’cruz), the upper class Bengali and Jhilmil (Priyanka Chopra), an autistic girl yearning to be recognized as a woman. We follow the emotional, leisurely, humorous and sensitive cycle (and the promos do have their share of cycle rides !!!) of love, heartbreak and joy between these characters.
Shruti, being engaged and Jhilmil, being disabled represent the obstacles our hero has to face in this heartwarming tale of finding happiness in the smallest things in life. Barfi !’s character infact reminds one of Thoreau’s quote “It is better to have your head in the clouds, and know where you are… than to breathe the clearer atmosphere below them, and think that you are in paradise” Don’t worry be Barfi ! as the films tagline suggests.
Pritam’s music is fantastic. Apt and more importantly one of the most melodious scores heard in recent times. It fills the gaps and remains with you long after the movie is over.
Coming to the performances, Ranbir Kapoor is superb. “Rockstar” and “Barfi !” have cemented his place as the next superstar of Indian cinema. Evoking shades of Chaplin and his granddad his performance “shouts” . Priyanka Chopra has proved to the critics that she has grown with every performance and this may be her best one yet. No hamming, no manipulation just Jhilmil. Ileana D’Cruz in her Bollywood debut is assured and very pleasant to watch on screen.
The supporting cast of Saurabh Shukla, Roopa Ganguly (as Shruti’s mother), Akash Khurana (as Barfi’s father) and the rest are more than competent.
Now if only the writer and the editor came to the party this would truly be a Barfi ! worth serving at the Oscars. Nonetheless unlike the 100 crore boys which are easily forgotten when one steps outside the cinema hall this movie is truly mesmerizingly memorable. A film among flicks !!!
To sum up if a regular multiplex ticket costs Rs. 300 this movie is definitely worth Rs. 400 — Go see it in the theater and then buy the DVD if for Ranbir Kapoor’s performance alone….

SAUMIL BHANSHALI