TAMASHA - Safarnama Khayalo Ka

So where do I start with today...hmm! No.No.Don't worry, the Imtiaz Ali product was not at all a blunder, rather a wonder, making my pen wander for words to write down this non-describable tale. The Ranbir Deepika duo had already pumped up enough adrenaline of the youth by their funky looks, cool locations and the hint of a beautiful romantic tale set amidst all this. Came along with it as a surprise was not only the movie's appeal to the youngsters but to a pan-Indian audience.

The story technically begins on a one-of-its-kind 'Rangmanch' and moves to flash backs moment and again without causing even a bit of what is called confusion. Fundamentally, the story incepts in the breathtakingly pleasing place, Corsica in France. The duo bumps into each other as it always happens. But what does not always happen, is what happens here.Most of those who had been allured by the promos,which had been mindfully run only to pose a cute-romance between the already popular pair and had watched the film ONLY for this content, must be disappointed.

But if you had a little acceptance of just more than silly Bollywood romance, then no less than delighted would you have been.The actual idea of the movie,as seemed to me, was finding oneself in the midst of what goes on. There was romance, but it was woven around the central theme, filling up the necessary gaps in apt balance between a message which the story delivers and the so-called happy endings which much of the viewers desire so that not to call it off at an abrupt point.So even if you were looking for a pure entertainment-no learning tamasha, you won't be disappointed.

Few days back on one of my not so regular night walks, a woman in her late thirties with whom I sometimes go out, in my neighborhood, whom I address as Aunty Ji,was talking about the new releases in the coming days. I told her excitedly that am definitely going for this one and said you may also as she mentioned going for a movie with her husband. And what she said, made my heart heavy. "No, we will watch a family movie like PRDP" :(

It is out of my basic understanding that why cannot  we change our stubborn-illogical-perception of a family movie? A few kissing scenes and short dresses, this is what people think is out of the domain of a Parivarik Picture . 

Tamasha is rather a very suitable piece of work to go and watch with your family. The neglected will of a child, the denial of parents to let him be what he wants to be, the courage to take the first alone step to pursue what you want to, the importance of a loved one's opinion about yourself and how it can bring drastic changes if taken positively, never meant to have occurred otherwise. How can you call a film like this a misfit in the family-film category?

THE SONGSsssss!!

Hit already!Rocking the charts all over the leading radio channels, numbers like Matargashti, Tum sath ho, Heer toh badi sad hai, the Wat Wat song, Safarnama have become instantly this month's favorite ones to be in the playlists of people. Fitting in the frame at the correct time, good music came along with an even better execution.

P.S : I am very much content with my idea of a family movie.

PREM RATAN DHAN PAYO!

Okay.I know.But I can't be biased towards any piece of art just for the sake that it is bad and that I know it is (lol) Being a critic you have to analyse varied specimens :D ( See some professionalism here. Eh? :p)

The Story

It's a double role celluloid drama where one Salman is a would be king and the other is our very own, loved Salman bhai as he is in all his movies. These kings I tell you! Got kidnapped by his own brother, protected by his loyal-royal servant cum patron and return to claim his throne in just four days after a deadly accident which can only leave our film stars alive and in such good shape that they not only fight but win it too. HaHaHa .And rest is a routine hustle and bustle infused with some weak humor, humongous sets, lavish Palace action and romance locations and lots of money badly spent. Aaha!

The Characters

I am not a movie virtuoso and hence my mind oscillated between average and good when it came to rate Bhai's on screen skills.But this movie if did one good thing ,then it was to let me see forthright. And here is my conclusion : Salman ko acting nahi aati!

Sonam, the very gorgeous Daddy's girl, clad in beautiful dresses that I felt for instantaneously, looked stunning. She was the Rajkumari as usual.Moving on, the supporting characters of Diwan Sahab ( Anupam Kher) ,the security head (Deepraj Rana) and Chandrika (Swara Bhaskar) and Kanhaiya (Deepak Dobriyal) did justice to their roles and to be very honest, only these people did what is supposed to be done in a film.ACT.

Remember Pappi Ji from TWM? Kanhaiya is the same guy :D

The Songs

You know what Mr.Badjatya? You incorporate songs in a movie, not wound a story around songs. There were ten songs in the 164 minute movie totaling up to a 39 min. Woah! Unlike Vishesh Productions' movies (the Bhatt family) where people enjoy the songs if not the movie, Himesh Reshamiya screwed this last 'paisa wasool' possibility as well. 

I mean who goes out singing and dancing to the sweets' shop? How can you manage to put up a choreographed football match? Does any background music play when you spend time with your siblings? And who the hell creates a song when two brothers are battling for their lives?

Though Premleela and Jalte Diye were the two bearable ones. 

The Set! The Costumes!

I had to add this extra tab. The shooting was done at Kumbalgarh Fort located in the Rajsamand district of Rajasthan is an epitome of culture and architecture. The long walls and the huge area , the beautiful carvings on the stone walls , the giant like gates of the fort everything was breath taking, though in the movie you only get a glimpse of it, still one can appreciate the beauty of what little much was shown. Being a girl I could not stop myself from wishing to have atleast one of the dresses worn by the women in the movie.

To sum it up, Bollywood films and especially these type, are categorized as a family watch. Now what do we mean by that? Those movies which will have no kissing, adult, drinking , gambling scenes I guess. So these guys take that advantage and present to you on platter a mindless mix of utterly boring and predictable multiple short stories and make one big story out of it. Until and unless we won't demand some sense from cinema, we won't get it.

And no more filmy wisdom. After all Bollywood is fun. Isn't it? :)

SHAITAN - the Devil within

'Shaitan' which means devil, is a hindi word. This movie is no horror jonor entity, rather reveals the worst of the not so best people showing the circumstances leading them to act this way.

The Script
A strong storyline, though not very innovative, still strong as the writer is pretty much clear in his idea of what he wants to show. The chaos in the life of the characters is visible on screen in such clear distinction that one can infer the clarity of concept in the mind of the maker. A mentally, more emotionally challenged girl, not a conventional mad person, but a psycho haunted by the memories of her mother's death, comes from Los Angeles to Mumbai and meets a group of boorish yet bold, spoilt yet humane gang of brats. Their trust on each other takes a toll on their lives when a corrupt police officer asks them for a humongous bribe to hide an accident case in which two people were killed. Then begins the horrible roller coaster ride, hiding and running and blaming, ultimately leaving two of them dead.

The Performance 
Novice they may be called, but each and every actor had their own aura of black charm bounding you to feel hatred and sometimes sympathy towards them. The five friends together did the weirdest, the most barbaric of the things in such a manner which makes you appreciate the beauty of the ugliness of their deeds :D Young and reckless as they are, they remain so even after the blunder they made, seems very real without any kinda 'hridaya parivartan' non-sense because it never happens. The paradox roles of Rajkumar Rao, the loathsome, creepy creature, shows the malign side of the police force whereas the honest, brave officer played confidently by Rajeev Khandelwal, have been cherry on the cake.

 The Execution
For me, this was the most vital ingredient which made this movie into what we saw on screen. Script, which was somewhere or the other a better repetition , it was the director Bejoy Nambiar's work which had put the whole thing so brilliantly.

The film did above average on the box office but what I crave is the space for making more such pictures. Under the Anurag Kashyap banner, and a few more talented artists we occasionally see four or five times an year some real wisdom in Bollywood. Not only our stars are to be blamed but us as well because we don't feel the need for intelligent entertainment.

Hey! It was a 2011 release. Why are you reviewing it almost four years later?
Being unable for whatsoever reasons to watch this movie back then I decided to watch it in this Diwali break. As far as the review is concerned, it would have been an injustice hadn't I be writing this.