Film Review: Sarbjit

Once upon a time there was Sunny Deol's dhai kilo ka haath, which uprooted a hand pump to scare off the entire Pakistan Army. Today there is Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's index finger.

To be fair, Sarbjit is not the unrelenting screamfest that Gadar was, but Deol's film came to mind as the former Miss World held up her famous slender digit to intimidate an armed Pakistani security official. She did this right after delivering a loud speech to a Pakistani mob about how Pakistanis stab us Indians in the back while we bravely fight them face to face. As expected, the gun-bearing Pakistani meekly moves aside, and she proceeds to grandly walk past him as only Indian movie stars can when up against the dreaded dushman from across the border.

Sarbjit

Director: Omung Kumar

Cast: Randeep Hooda, Darshan Kumar, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Richa Chaddha

Rating: 1.5/5

   That Sarbjit favours emotional manipulation over restraint or logic is evident at several points, but one moment in particular stands out. After years of incarceration in a Pakistani jail, Sarbjit Singh is finally to be set free. We see him emerge smiling from behind the guards at the border and cross over to the Indian side. As his sister, Dalbir (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan), wife, Sukhpreet (Richa Chadha) and daughters rejoice, he kisses the ground. Then, without any noticeable change of perspective, we see a different person standing where he was. The Pakistanis have released another prisoner in his place, Sarbjit’s still in prison, and the scene we’ve witnessed is a lie.

Based on the life of Sarabjit Singh, a farmer who was wrongfully convicted in Pakistan and died after a fatal assault inside jail, the movie Sarbjit focuses on his sister Dalbir Kaur’s fight against the system to prove his innocence.

However, given the very real context of the plot, the movie is an almost fictitious, drum-beating melodramatic saga that suffers from an overly-worked-up lead actor.

Applause is due for Aishwarya Rai Bachchan who plays the struggling Dalbir. But, in the same breath, the 42-year-old actor doesn’t manage to bring alive the character. Her lip-twisting, chest-thumping and shouting does not help either. Instead, the melodrama alienates us from an otherwise evocative character.

The constant harping on Indo-Pak relations – mostly about the sympathy people should show for innocent people, but at times digressing to more political and subtle anti-Pakistani sentiments – loses the plot. Simple humane moments focusing on the struggles of a family that has lost a member to an unfair system would’ve taken the movie much further.

It’s a movie, so melodrama and fiction is all right, but it does take some doing if the audience is expected to identify with characters using phrases like ‘Khauf ki badboo’ or burning their own effigies. Or accept the Pakistani advocate who faces attack for supporting Sarbjit (played by Randeep Hooda) and decides to join the violent crowd protesting against him! Because, apparently nobody knows what he looks like.

Randeep as Sarabjit evokes pity and sympathy. He is sweet as the brother and brings a smile on our face when he is with his family. The movie would have been much better, had director Omung Kumar given Randeep a little more space. The few sequences where we do see him make us teary-eyed, but the movie quickly moves on.

One of the rare engaging scenes is where Sarbjit’s family goes to meet him in jail. The frisking of the women in his family is disturbing and also offers a moment where Aishwarya looks authentic in the movie.

Richa Chaddha, yet another talented actor wasted in this star-driven plot, leaves her mark as the silent wife who painfully waits for her husband.

'X-Men: Apocalypse' movie reviews

There are two kinds of superhero films being made right now. The ones with the dark, gritty and 'end of the world' themes, and the good ones.

With so much superhero content out in theaters it becomes more a monthly exercise and less a 'movie event' for a film buff to watch a film from the genre.

X-Men: Apocalypse
Director - Bryan Singer

Cast - James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan, Oscar Isaac

Rating - 2.5/5

X Men: Apocalypse is yet another dark and gritty superhero film with a villain proclaiming the end of the world, but thanks to Bryan Singer's direction and some unexpected horror themes it becomes a passably entertaining watch.

The long answer is that the rights to Quicksilver lie with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is why he’s referred to by his human name, Peter Maximoff, in this, an X-Men Universe film. The short answer, of course, is that no one in their right mind should care. I’m glad they featured him in some form, because Peter is responsible for the best sequence in the movie, in which time seemingly freezes as he zips around saving people from a collapsing building. It’s an expanded version of a similar scene from X-Men: Days of Future Past—not the only borrowed idea in the movie, but done with humour and some style.

Picking up a few years after the events of Days of the Future Past, X Men: Apocalypse is both the final installment of a trilogy and the first installment of a new trilogy. Singer has probably realized that audiences are kind of tired of seeing Xavier, Magneto, Mystique and Wolverine so there's a whole new set of young mutants in this film, with an unsubtle hint towards future films with the new kids on the block.

En Sabah Nur, an ageing, ancient Egyptian mutant (hinted to be the world's first mutant) indulges in a weird occult ceremony inside a pyramid. With the help of some chants and four other mutants his soul is to be transferred to a young body. Right before the transformation takes place the pyramid collapses and the mutant is buried underground, until someone awakens him in the modern world.

Hard boiled film buffs will realize that this is the exact same plot as The Mummy. The awakened Sabah Nur rebrands himself as Apocalypse and like the Mummy, vows to destroy the entire human civilization with mystic powers.

As long as the story of Apocalypse continues, the film is a riveting watch. Horror film fans will appreciate the body horror and surprising amount of gore and brutality in the film. This is a monster film, quite different in tone from the previous X Men movies, in a good way. Apocalypse's powers are insane and his presence, despite his crappy blue costume makes an impact. He turns some teenage mutants into ninja mutants by giving them greater powers. This guy has some serious amount of power and looks invincible.

The problems arise when we're taken away from Apocalypse and back to the rusty relationship between Xavier (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Fassbender). Once again there's Magneto dealing with contrived hate for humanity, Xavier once again unsuccessfully trying to persuade him to join the good side, and Mystique once again hogging unnecessary screen time because she's played by Jennifer Lawrence.

This story has been told five times before and going back for the sixth time is a real stretch, no matter how good the visual effects are. Both McAvoy and Fassbender are terrific actors, but you can't help but wish the film focused more on other superheroes in the X Men universe.

The younger set of mutants are a bit more interesting. It's nice to see Sophie Turner (aka Sansa Stark from Game of Thrones) as Jean Grey, Tye Sheridan as Cyclops and Kodi Smith as Nightcrawler. All three characters were given lousy screen time in the previous X Men films and it looks like they'll finally get their due in the future films.

Evan Peters as Quicksilver is once again the highlight of the film. If you enjoyed his slow motion Deus Ex Machina in the previous movie you'll be satisfied with an extended version of the same trope in this one. If the makers of X Men are smart enough, they'll put Deadpool and Quicksilver in the same film some day.

Salman Khan to tie the knot on December 27

After the pictures of Salman Khan and Iulia Vantur at Preity Zinta-Gene Goodenough's reception went viral, Salman's relatives and near and dear ones started sending him congratulatory messages at his home.

Salman Khan and Iulia Vantur might have not made it official, but speculations are rife that the Sultan actor is all set to get married to his rumoured girlfriend by the end of this year. Salman's entry with Iulia at Preity Zinta-Gene Goodenough's wedding reception sent the fans into a tizzy and further added fuel to the rumours.

After the pictures of them at the reception went viral, Salman's near and dear ones started sending him congratulatory messages at his home. According to a report in Pinkvilla, the Bajrangi Bhaijaan actor's house has been filled with bouquets and gifts and he is quite embarrassed about the attention he has been getting.

There were reports that Salman has also introduced Iulia to his close friends at Preity's reception including Shah Rukh Khan and Abhishek Bachchan. The rumours of them getting married first sparked when a blind item in Mumbai Mirror suggested that Salman's mother has not been keeping well and wants him to get settled by the end of this year.

And Iulia was also recently been spotted with Salma Khan at the airport taking care of her. Salman's relationship with Iulia has been the daily fodder for the gossip mills for quite some time now. But Salman has always remained tight-lipped about his relationship status all this while.

On the work front, Salman Khan will next be seen in Ali Abbas Zafar's Sultan. The film will hit the screens on Eid this year.

source : http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/salman-khan-iulia-vantur-marriage-is-salman-embarrassed-with-congratulatory-messages/1/670308.html

Azhar movie review

If you go by the initial disclaimers (yes, there are several, filling the entire screen) you will know that what you are about to watch is a ‘kaalpanik chitra’ (imaginary film) which is based on the ‘vibhinna ghatnaon’ (many episodes) of the life of a disgraced captain of the Indian cricket team; that any resemblance to any real event is ‘matra ek sanyog’ (a mere coincidence), and that it doesn’t intend to ‘hurt’ any ‘sanstha’ (organization) or ‘corporate’.

Phew.

Why bother calling it ‘Azhar’ then? Why not Sachin or Ajay or Manoj or Ravi, or any of the other ‘imaginary’ players of the Indian cricket team, who were compatriots of the cricketer who faced a `life-time ban’ on the charges of match-fixing?

Using only first names as a dissembling tactic while referring to actual events and dates and places and times, is silly enough. Such is the extent of craven-ness on display that one of the most gripping cricketing stories of our time, featuring one of the most colourful captains of the Indian cricket team, is turned into a dull, dispirited tale.

‘Azhar’ was presumably made because it had such a controversial figure at its centre, arising out of the fixing-matches-for-money controversy itself, which had such a deep-seated impact on the game not just nationally but internationally.

You can also see that it’s been made to clear the real player’s name: a court did over-turn the ban but the whole process took so long that it became besides the point. The film remains strangely ambivalent about its hero while mouthing ‘seeti-maar’ dialogue about ‘desh’ and ‘qaum’: to have made the point the way it needed to be made, the film needed to have been braver and sharper. Alas, this bio-pic has no teeth. Oops, sorry, this ain’t no bio-pic, ‘coz, look momma, it names no names.

Not only is there a parade of Kapils and Sachins (no, gasp, Dev or Tendulkar), the eponymous hero is not, double gasp, Mohammad Azharduddin but `Azhar Mohd’ who just happens to be a Hyderabad lad, whose affections for a Bollywood starlet lead him to abandon his first wife, and whose accidental dealings with a bookie leads him into abyss.

Emraan Hashmi, usually so watchable, is buried under the inept script, which hints at shadowy dons and the guilty parties in a fuzzy, indistinct manner. But Hashmi is earnest, and the only saving grace here. Prachi Desai is rouged and demure and distressed, Nargis Fakhri as Sangeeta (not, never, Bijlani) is pouty, Lara Dutta as the lawyer for the cricket council (not, never, BCCI), is svelte but miscast, and Roy Kapur struggles with a bad wig and exaggerated accent.

This could have been a great cautionary tale about a great sport at a time when it was just becoming the arena it has grown into—full of big money and glamour, bigger endorsements and never-ending temptations: it is, instead, an inept ‘tamasha’, not very different from the stuff Bollywood churns out, the cricket just the superstructure for tired song-and-dance and melodrama, in living rooms and courtrooms.

Nope, this ‘Azhar’ doesn’t hit it out of the stadium.

Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Prachi Desai, Nargis Fakhri, Lara Dutta, Kulbhushan Kharbanda

Director : Tony D’Souza

One and a half stars.

Laal Rang review: Randeep Hooda shines with this hot topic Laal Rang

Laal Rang review: Randeep Hooda shines in this dark Haryanvi tale with this hot topic  movie

 Laal Rang

Cast: Randeep Hooda, Akshay Oberoi

Director: Syed Ahmad Afzal

Rating: 3/5

Neither the title, nor the trailer suggests anything about Laal Rang’s dark setting. So, when the macabre thriller unfolds, it manages to keep the audience engrossed. Randeep Hooda’s character Shankar spreads its charm and completely absorbs us into his blood transfusion racket where he plays both the devil and savior.

Shankar’s friendship leads Rajesh (Akshay Oberoi) into a blood bank scam run by some ambitious Haryanvi youths. It turns out to be a goldmine for poor Rajesh who wants to own latest bikes and cool shades. Like most gangster-prodigy stories, they also fall out, but their past doesn’t let them stay in peace.

Hooda owns the screen with his spontaneity and rustic appearance. His poor household doesn’t suffice for his magnanimity, but his actions do. From a heart-broken lover to a cunning fraud, he excels in every shade. His command over the local dialect and understanding of the neo-noir genre only helps his case.

It doesn’t take him a second to transform into a menacing blood theft mafia man from an affable neighbour. He cares for the people working for him, and runs a cartel that includes his former enemies. However, he won’t let out his biggest secrets to even his closest aides. In short, he is a chameleon.

Laal Rang revolves around an extremely important subject: corruption in blood banks. It is set in Karnal, Haryana, where Shankar Malik (Hooda) runs a successful blood donation racket. To make his illegal activities easier by becoming a government insider, he enrols in a Medical Lab Technology course at a government hospital.

There he meets the young and impressionable Rajesh Dhiman (Akshay Oberoi) who is so awe-struck by his charisma, his swagger, his inventive ways of making money under the table and his Yamaha RX100 (which, the film tells us, makes men irresistible to women) that he soon becomes his protégé.

Also in the picture is their straight-laced classmate Poonam Sharma (Pia Bajpai) and a late entrant into the story, Superintendent of Police Gajraj Singh (Rajniesh Duggall), the local Haryanvi boy who made it big.

The film's supporting actors are a uniformly competent lot, though a special mention must be made of Rajendra Sethi - another excellent yet underrated actor - playing one of Shankar's cohorts. Bajpai is good for the most part even though she is not entirely convincing with her fake bad English.

In what is one of the film's nicest touches, the characters in Laal Rang are not built up as menacing repulsive villains, yet they are clearly an amoral bunch who, for instance, celebrate a dengue epidemic because of the gains it brings blood racketeers like them. What the film teaches us about their underhand dealings is terrifying. It is the kind of story that will make you hesitate to ever visit a blood bank again, though of course we do not have a choice in this matter, a realisation that would chill any normal human being to the bone.

The film's undoing is what seems to be confusion over the tone it wants to achieve. And so, although large parts of the narrative have a very apt, realistic feel to them, Laal Rang never becomes as gritty as it needed to be because of its tendency to intermittently wander off into long, loud songs supplemented by stylised, slow motion shots. The insistent background score is used to underline every single emotion, twist and turn as if for fear that the audience may miss the point.

As standalone scenes and music videos outside a feature film, some of these are pretty impressive. In one passage in the film, for instance, Shankar takes Rajesh for a ride on his mobike and as the music plays and the wind blows through his hair, he seems to ask his young pillion rider to take the handlebars while he himself lets go and reaches into his pocket for a cigarette. Ooh. Neat.

While this scene works because it comes before we discover the horrid reality of the blood underworld that is Laal Rang's focus, once we settle into that theme, the repeated musical asides become an irritant.

The music is not that memorable and the plot could have been a bit pacy with a not too predictable climax. However, all said and done, Laal Rang is not a bad watch and for fans of Randeep Hooda, the film will surely be a weekend treat.

Fan Movie Review: Shah Rukh Khan is back in form

Fan Movie Review:  Shah Rukh Khan is back in form with  his finest unconventional movie

Just when you thought Shah Rukh Khan is losing his edge, he makes a comeback. And how! Going back to his early acting days, where twisted characters gave him his big break, Bollywood’s king of romance still has what it takes to give you the creeps.

Movie : Fan 

Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Waluscha de Sousa, Sayani Gupta

Director: Maneesh Sharma

Rating: 3.5/5

'Fan' is a brave attempt by Maneesh Sharma. You have to watch it for stellar performance by Shah Rukh Khan.

Though one of the better Shah Rukh Khan scripts in years, Fan is not devoid of loopholes, but it still makes for a thrilling watch. With the actor playing the two main characters in the film, especially two that are at such odds with each other, it can’t be easy to keep a smooth narrative. However, Fan may just well be an inwar journey for Shah Rukh Khan where his large celebrity persona meets the humble old him that represents the thousands of his fans.

It’s not a subject that’s new or unique. Yet there is a certain charm about the way Maneesh Sharma has scripted the film – it reflects inferences drawn from Shah Rukh Khan’s career and life. The first half zips past thanks to the engrossing screenplay. The characters of both Gaurav and Aryan are well established with each one coming with his own perspective. In fact, that is Sharma’s big triumph .

 He doesn’t give the viewer a chance to decide who’s right and who’s wrong. Directorially also, the first half casts its distinctive spell. Sharma has captured the first meeting between Aryan and Gaurav brilliantly – it’s a scene that will stay with you. Watch out also for the scene towards the climax when Aryan pretends to be Gaurav – it’s a masterstroke. It’s brave to attempt a film like Fan – with SRK playing the protagonist and antagonist both and break all the rules of commercial filmmaking by doing away with songs and any ‘relief’ tracks. As a film, Fanis dark, moody, disturbing and definitely unconventional. And this time, the lead actor’s contribution is just as much as the director’s. Shah Rukh Khan is at his finest – this is easily his best performance in recent years. He makes Gaurav’s obsession just as effective as Aryan’s restlessness. Most importantly, even though Aryan’s character is based on his real self, he doesn’t shy away from the cracks at his superstardom. The scene where Aryan is in front of the mirror checking out his aging skin is a bravura act – not many stars would have the courage to do that. As an actor, Fan is a definite game-changer for SRK.

WHAT’S NOT:

Fan succumbs badly to the second-half syndrome and that is its undoing. It’s almost like the first and the second half are two different films. Sharma (who has also written the film) leads towards a problem very well in the pre-intermission part. But after that, he goes awry when he illustrates it further. Even the obsession in Darr (from where Fan is inspired) seems far too real to what Sharma has conveyed. Everything in the second half is unbelievable – a middle-class Delhi boy travelling to foreign countries and getting the better of a reigning Bollywood superstar should have at least been handled better. Long, drawn-out action scenes will have you squirming in your seat. Aryan’s character suddenly becomes more of a caricature. The climax is exhausting and the film ends on a low, which is sad. You also miss the support of other fine actors after a point – Shriya Pilgaonkar, Deepika Amin, and Waluscha D’Souza really have nothing to offer.

WHAT TO DO:

Fan is a not a great film, it is a brave film. Watch it still for Shah Rukh Khan’s outstanding portrayal (an extra star only for him).

Shahid Kapoor first look in Udta Punjab

Shahid Kapoor surprises fans with his never-seen-before look in 'Udta Punjab

'Is that really you, Shahid Kapoor?'

That's exactly how you'll react as soon as you catch the first glimpse of his look in the much-talked about film 'Udta Punjab'.

The actor, who plays a Punjabi rock star Tommy Singh, is almost unrecognisable in long locks and thick beard.

Going by the first look that is out, he has successfully managed to transform into a character that won't be forgotten that easily.

Directed by Abhishek Chaubey, the film releases on June 17, and features Kareena Kapoor Khan, Alia Bhatt and Diljit Dosanjh.

Salman Khan Movie Sultan Official Teaser HD Watch

Auluck: Sultan Official Teaser | Trailer | Salman Khan

The movie is releasing on the famous festival EID. Alike the Salman’s movie Kick, this time also “Apni Eidi Lene Aa Rahe Hain“.

The movie story is based on a wrestler (Salman Khan) Sultan Ali Khan who has a problem in his life. He faced some problems in early about the profession and personal life.

Sultan is releasing along with Shahrukh Khan movie Raees. SRK Raees releasing date is 3 July. So, there is only three days of gap in the two Khan’s blockbuster films of the year 2016.

Recently, the Production company released the official poster and now the first teaser is also released. Take a look at the official poster of Sultan.

There are lots of Salman Khan’s Fan eagerly waiting for this movie. And I think Salman Khan is the most popular Actor of Indian film Industry at this time.

If you are a real Salman Khan fan, the do watch the first-day first show of Sultan. Don’t forget to watch the Teaser Video of Sultan.

Thank you for being with us. Hope you have liked the Teaser video of movie. Stay  tuned with us for more updates over Sultan and other Bollywood movie.

Auluck : The Jungle Book Movie review

The Jungle Book review: Thank you Disney  for this intelligent and nostalgic visual spectacle 

Director: Jon Favreau

Writers : Justin Marks (screenplay), Rudyard Kipling (book)

Stars: Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley

Rate :  4/5

The Box Office:

The Jungle Book opens in US on April 15^th courtesy of Walt Disney. It starts its overseas rollout on April 7^th in some territories before slowly expanding around the world over the next two weeks. It will be playing pretty much around the world by the weekend of the 15^th, with a Japan release set for August 11th. That’s ironically one day before the U.S. release of the next one of these Disney “live-action version of an animated film” movies, Pete’s Dragon, opens in America and much of the world.

The film is, of course, the latest in a series of live-action adaptations (or live-action sequel/prequels) of their popular animated features. It comes on the heels of Alice in Wonderland, Oz: The Great and Powerful (yes, not technically from a Disney toon, but it still counts), Maleficent, and Cinderella.

The Mouse House has been full-steam ahead in this newest little quasi-franchise, greenlighting a Tim Burton-directed Dumbo, a Bill Condon-helmed Beauty and the Beast, and new versions of Mulan, Pete’s Dragon (coming in August) and a Reese Witherspoon Tinker Bell movie along with an Emma Stone-led Cruella de Vil movie. I’m sure I missed a few, but you get the idea.

All of these films have been varying degrees of successful, and this summer’s Alice Through the Looking Glass will be a test case as to whether these films can be sequel-ized. But back to The Jungle Book. The film will open three weeks before Captain America: Civil War and six weeks before the aforementioned Alice Through the Looking Glass and hot on the heels of the unexpectedly massive Zootopia.

The film’s biggest selling point will be its world-creating animation, shot and animated not in the jungles of India but Los Angeles studios using the kind of technical wizardry that helped create the likes of Avatar, Gravity, and The Life of Pi. Pre-release tracking has this one pegged at a $60-$65 million debut weekend, and I imagine the flood of (spoiler?) positive reviews two weeks before opening will only send that figure up accordingly.

The Review:

Jon Favreau’s The Jungle Book is every bit as visually splendid as you’re hoping it would be. I could spend the next paragraph explaining in detail how the film was constructed. Just know that nearly all of what you see during its 105-minute running time is created via animation and motion-capture work. My four-year-old son was entranced from beginning to end, totally unaware (save perhaps for moments of animals talking and singing) that anything was amiss, and hell if I am going to spoil the illusion for him.

The greatest strength of this new-fangled “live-action” adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s novel (or more specifically, the 1967 Walt Disney animated version of said novel) is not just its effects work but rather the sheer believe-your-eyes achievement. Yes, there are moments where the camera goes to incredible places and gives us impossible perspectives (the opening seems like a live-action recreation of the vine surfing from the animated Tarzan), but there is just enough restraint to achieve the idea that what we’re watching is “real.” Favreau and company make the effort to maintain a hint of plausibility concerning how the picture is shot and edited.

As a result, the gorgeous (shot by Bill Pope) film feels “live action real” in as impressive fashion as, yes, Avatar, Gravity, and The Life of Pi. This is next-level wizardry, with just enough story and emotion to avoid feeling like a technical exercise. I am not going to say it’s as revolutionary an experience as Who Framed Roger Rabbit, but the fact that said all-time-classic came to mind should give you an idea of how engrossing this movie quickly becomes. It’s an unmitigated audio/visual knockout. It looks gorgeous in 3D, but I imagine it would look just as scrumptious in 2D as well.

As far as the story, well, you only get the “bare necessities” (sorry). This new film adds some attempted emotional beats and something of a hero’s journey arc that takes bits and pieces from Babe, The LionKing, and Tarzan. That will only be a (very slight) problem when Disney decides to use this technology to give us a “live-action” Lion King movie.

The story concerns young Mowgli (Neel Sethi, giving a remarkable reactionary performance as basically the only flesh-and-blood thing onscreen) as he is forced to flee his forest home after he is marked for death by the insidious Shere Khan (a deliciously cruel Idris Elba). Although initially guided by Bagheera (Ben Kingsley), he eventually finds himself in the company of a friendly (if conniving and self-interested) bear named Baloo (Bill Murray). Murray and Kingsley play off each other quite well as dueling surrogate dads and Chris Walken adds late-in-the-game charm and menace as a rather ginormous King Louie.

It was during Louie’s big scene where my son got the most frightened (a temporary and non-perilous situation), and I will admit some glee at my son having achieved the “freaked out by Christopher Walken” rite of passage. Yes, we do get renditions of the animated film’s two iconic songs, and yes the film does have its fill of exciting and intense action sequences. But despite the periodic escapes (and a blisteringly awesome climactic battle) that pepper the film, the overall feeling is more lackadaisical than a conventional action movie. The emphasis is on watching Mowgli and his animal compatriots talk with each other as opposed to fighting with each other.

There are some intense moments (the film doesn’t suffer fools regarding its PG-appropriate action and peril), but the film applies the Beauty and the Beast formula of interchanging a dark or dramatic scene with a light or comedic scene. The first act is comparatively grim as Mowgli struggles with his forced exile, but Bill Murray’s Baloo shows up right when the proceedings are getting a bit glum. Murray is this film’s comedic shot in the arm, equivalent to Robin Williams’s Genie in Aladdin or Mark Hamill’s Joker in (the obviously not Disney) Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.

All-in-all, The Jungle Book is a remarkable achievement and yet more reason to be optimistic about Disney’s “turn an animated classic into a live-action feature” sub-genre. I could quibble about the thin plot or the cribbed-from-The Lion King thematics, but the picture works precisely as intended. It’s a thrilling and visually splendid bit of popcorn entertainment that walks just enough on the wild side to make kids think they’re getting away with something.

It is also another fantasy winner for Jon Favreau who has somewhat unassumingly established himself as a genuinely successful “indie-to-blockbuster” triumph. He crafted a genuine holiday classic in Will Ferrell’s leggy blockbuster Elf and then basically created the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe with Iron Man. This one is closest in spirit to Zathura, and I mean that as a compliment. The Jungle Book works as both a fine stand-alone piece of action fantasy as well as a worthwhile companion to its animated predecessor.

Auluck: Jacobinte Swargarajyam movie review

 Jacobinte Swargarajyam movie review:Old wine in a refreshing new cocktail

Rating: 3.5/5

Family entertainers, an age old success formula of mainstream Malayalam cinema, is always a safe bet in this industry as movie makers over the years have used Malayali’s sentiments for family attachments to great successes on screen. Vineeth Srinivasan, on his fourth directorial venture ‘Jacobinte Swargarajyam’, has woven this old formula into a refreshing cinematic experience, showing discipline while handling dramatic situations in the movie.

The movie, based on a true story, follows the life of an NRI businessman, Jacob, and his family who are settled in Dubai and visualises how closely knit family relations stick together at times of crisis. The director has used his observations to good effect as the strong relationship bonds inside Jacob’s family members and their informal homely behaviour was captured with shots that impart warmth and positive vibes, like the feel of an early morning coffee.

Renji Panicker dons the title role of Jacob, a righteous business entreprenuer and an ideal family man, while Lekshmi Ramakrishnan portrays the powerful role of Jacob’s wife Sherlyn, a lion hearted woman. Nivin Pauly, other lead actor of the movie, essays the role of Jacob’s elder son Jerry while Sreenath Bhasi, Aima Sebastian and Stacen play Jacob and Sherly's other kids, Abin, Ammu, and Chris, respectively.

The growth in Vineeth Sreenivasan’s direction skills are reflected on his characters as each of them have an identity and importance in the movie. The entire cast of the movie do justice to their roles and debut actor Ashwin Kumar needs a special mention for his imposing screen presence as Murali Menon, a rude businessman.

The movie gradually progresses into more captivating situations with effects of global economic recession prompting an ungraceful fall of Jacob and his family from their financially secured happy lives to survival struggles of an ordinary human. It is at this point that Jerry, with the support of his clear headed mother, steps up in life and starts everything again from scratch to sustain their family, which forms the crux of the movie.

By glorifying the economic and infrastructural development of Dubai and simultaneously ridiculing Kerala’s pot holed roads, Vineeth Sreenivasan, the scriptwriter, seems to have ignored how the blind notions of profit motive development and corporatisation of natural resources is wrecking our natural ecosystem worldwide.

On the other hand, being cautious to avoid many scenes in the movie from slipping into over dramatic clichés, he is without doubt improving as a director with every movie. The editing team also needs to be appreciated for their crisp interventions between shots of emotional intensity, thus allowing a smooth flow to the move. The songs of the movie, composed by Shan Rehman, might not make imprints on the heart, but the movie just might.

Auluck: Love Games Movie review

Love Games : Dangerous, just too dangerous, for your mind

Love Games

Cast: Patralekha, Gaurav Arora, Tara Alisha Berry, Hiten Tejwani

Director: Vikram Bhatt

Rating: 1.5/5

Roses are red, violets are blue.

Sex can be dangerous, but love can be, too.

When a film opens with a background voice chanting sex eight times in 20 seconds, you know what you have gotten yourself into. Then life just gets more interesting when a sultry seductress arrives announcing, “I like only three things: winning, cocaine and love games.”

Titled Love Games – Love Dangerously, this film is about an adventurous woman Ramona Raichand (Patralekha) who lives on the edge. Thrill is all she wants in life, and Sam (Gaurav Arora) is her toy boy. Sam is a depressed guy who likes SH (self hurt), this is the term they use in the film. The closet couple decides to take their escapades one notch higher by playing love games. As per the rules of this game, Ramona and Sam need to find the happiest couple in a page 3 party and then seduce one of them to bed.

Then they meet a successful criminal lawyer Gaurav Asthana (Hiten Tejwani) and his surgeon wife Alisha (Tara Alisha Berry). The wife’s vulnerability against her abusive husband only helps Ramona and Sam’s cause. The proceedings take a turn when Gaurav falls for Alisha. Ramona isn’t willing to let go Sam, and their relationship becomes sour. But, is this just the beginning of another twisted love game?

Director Vikram Bhatt’s film features the interiors of Mumbai penthouses where middle class morals are unheard of. They abuse spouses in public, pour drink over each other in parties and go in with their lives, without feeling any remorse. It’s a sure shot box office formula the Bhatt camp is exploring since 15 years. What started with Kasoor in 2001 found a milestone in Murder (2004), and has now become a staple in 2016. Only they are getting more scandalous and ‘bold’ in their approach. And what do they mean by bold: Cut out the sexual innuendos and state them in as many words.

Love Games introduces us to cocaine snorting and friends with benefits within minute before providing a peep into the lonely lives of its protagonists, but then it becomes murkier. Ramona’s obsession takes the center-stage and Sam gets pushed to play a victim, but the film loses the shock value in the process. It’s not something we haven’t witnessed before. Once the surprise factor dies down, we’re left with only fast paced action, but disappointment greets us right there because Love Games is a lift-up from many similar films. Words hold no meaning after a while. Come on, we have been there, heard that.

Newcomer Gaurav Arora looks confident and has shown some potential, but it’s very difficult for anybody to stand out in a film meant to explore the uncontrollable sexual urge of its heroine.

Patralekha is a find of Love Games. She did a good job in Hansal Mehta’s Citylights, but this role demanded a certain kind of language and body movement from her. She tries her best to hold everything together, but she is all alone in her pursuit.

Vikram Bhatt is just juggling with the idea of cheap thrills without actually putting anything substantial on offer. So, it won’t make any difference if you call Love Games, Hate Story 4.

To cut the chase short:

Roses are red, violets are blue.

Hey Vikram Bhatt, what did you do?

Auluck : Fan Movie Trailer

Fan (film)

Fan is an upcoming 2016 Indian thriller film[1] directed by Maneesh Sharma and featuring Shah Rukh Khan in the lead role.[2][3] The film is produced by Aditya Chopra under the banner of Yash Raj Films.[4] The soundtrack album and original score are composed by both Vishal–Shekhar and Andrea Guerra.[5] The film is scheduled for release on 15 April 2016.

Cast

• Shah Rukh Khan as Gaurav / Aryan Khanna
• Waluscha de Sousa
• Shriya Pilgaonkar
• Deepika Amin as Gaurav's mother
• Yogendra Tiku as Gaurav's father
• Sayani Gupta

Auluck: Love Games Movie Trailer

Love Games (film)

Love Games is an upcoming Indian urban-thriller film directed by Vikram Bhatt and produced by Mukesh Bhatt and Mahesh Bhatt. The cast of the film includes Patralekha, Gaurav Arora and Tara Alisha Berry. It will be released on 8 April 2016.

Auluck : The Jungle Book 2016 Movie Trailer

The Jungle Book (2016 film)

The Jungle Book is a 2016 American fantasy adventure film directed by Jon Favreau, written by Justin Marks, and produced by Walt Disney Pictures. Based on Rudyard Kipling's eponymous collective works, the film is a live-action/CGI reimagining of Walt Disney's 1967 animated film of the same name.[2][3] The film stars and introduces Neel Sethi as Mowgli and features the voices of Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong'o, Scarlett Johansson, Giancarlo Esposito and Christopher Walken. The film is scheduled to be released in the Disney Digital 3D, RealD 3D and IMAX 3D formats on April 15, 2016.

Auluck: The BFG 2016 film

The BFG (2016 film) Movie Trailer

The BFG is an upcoming American fantasy adventure film directed and co-produced by Steven Spielberg and written by Melissa Mathison, based on the novel of the same name by Roald Dahl. The film stars Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill, Penelope Wilton, Rebecca Hall, Bill Hader, Rafe Spall and Jemaine Clement. Principal photography on the film began on March 23, 2015. The film is co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures, Amblin Entertainment, and Walden Media, and is scheduled to be released in the Disney Digital 3-D and RealD 3D formats on July 1, 2016.

Auluck: Bipasha and Karan send out their wedding invitation

Bipasha and Karan send out their wedding invitation

Few days back, it was reported that love birds Bipasha Basu and Karan Singh Grover will be tying the knot this month. Some reports claimed that the two will get hitched on April 29. Reportedly, they have started the preparations for the big day.

According to recent reports, the couple has started sending out the wedding invitation cards to their family and friends. A leading online portal has revealed the details of the events that will take place. It stated, "Karan Singh Grover and Bipasha Basu's mehendi will be held on April 28 at Villa 69, a lounge bar in Juhu, and the reception will be held at St Regis (formerly known as Palladium Hotel) in Lower Parel on April 29."

The reports also suggest that their reception will also be attended by their friends from the industry. The most certain ones to attend the reception are Shilpa Shetty, Raj Kundra and R. Madhavan. Speculations are rife that Deanne Pandey, fitness expert and a good friend of the 'Alone' actress, and designer Rocky S are the ones who know the complete details of the wedding. 

In Pics: Bipasha Basu with rumoured boyfriend Karan Singh Grover in Goa

source: Desimartini 

AULUCK: TOP Box Office Clashes Of 2016

Sarbjit-TE3N, Sultan-Raees, Rustom-Dangal: 8 Maha Box Office Clashes Of 2016

Year 2016 started with big clashes at the box office and such has been the norm across January and February. With two of the most anticipated films Sultan and Raees releasing on the same day, the box office reports are sure to be exciting. The recent most movies to join the bandwagon of big movie clashes are Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's Sarbjit and Amitabh Bachchan's TE3N. It is the first time that their movies will stand together in an arena of face off on May 20. Here are the big upcoming clashes this year.

1. Great Grand Masti, Rocky Handsome (March 24)

The adult comedy film 'Great Grand Masti' is the third installment of the popular franchise Masti which stars Aftab Shivdasani, Vivek Oberoi, Riteish Deshmukh in lead roles. It will mark the Bollywood debut of model Kangna Sharma, who was the runner-up in the Miss Maxim 2014 contest. It also features Kaanchi actress Mishti Chakraborty and Miss Universe 2015 contestant Urvashi Rautela as the leading ladies.

Rocky Handsome on the contrary is an action film starring John Abraham and Shruti Haasan. The film is directed by Nishikant Kamat.

2. Ki and Ka, Love Games (April 1)

R. Balki’s directorial Ki and Ka will feature Arjun Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor Khan on the big screen for the first time. Arjun will essay the role of a house husband, while Kareena will be seen playing an ambitious career-oriented woman in the movie. The movie will also see a cameo by megastar Amitabh Bachchan and his wife Jaya Bachchan.

Love Games starring Patralekhaa is a movie based on love, sex and revenge. The film which is being produced under the Bhatt camp also marks the debut of model Gaurav Arora. It will be a clash of two completely different genres.

3. Mirzya, Azhar (May 13)

Mirzya is Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's first love story and his next after Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. The film will launch Anil Kapoor's son and Sonam Kapoor's younger brother Harshvardhan Kapoor. Tanvi Azmi’s niece, Saiyami Kher who will be romancing Harshvardhan in the film, is also marking her foray into Bollywood with ‘Mirzya’. Set in Rajasthan, ‘Mirzya’ is an epic love story, that plays out in contemporary times, inspired by the folk tale of ‘the legend of Mirza – Sahiban’. The film is said to have heightened drama and action-packed sequences.

Emraan Hashmi will be seen playing Mohammed Azharuddin in Azhar, which is a biopic on the former Indian cricketer. Prachi Desai will be portraying the role of Azharuddin’s first wife Naureen in the film. Directed by Tony D’Souza, ‘Azhar’ also stars Lara Dutta and Huma Qureshi in pivotal roles and is slated for a worldwide release on May 13, 2016.

4. Sarbjit, TE3N (May 20)

Sarbjit is based on Sarabjit Singh, an Indian farmer who was convicted of terrorism and spying in Pakistan and was sentenced to death. He was attacked by inmates at a prison in Lahore in April 2013 and died a few days later. The film features actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who will be seen playing the role of Sarabjit’s sister Dalbir Kaur and the title role will be played by Randeep Hooda.

Also releasing on the same day will be her father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan's TE3N. The film is being directed by Sujoy Ghosh and it also stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Vidya Balan. It could give tough competition to Aishwarya Rai starrer.

5. Housefull 3, Jagga Jasoos, Raaz Rebooted (June 3)

The third installment of the successful comedy franchise 'Housefull' will see a huge ensemble cast of Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan, Riteish Deshmukh along with Jacqueline Fernandez, Nargis Fakhri and Lisa Haydon. Director Sajid Nadiadwala's previous installments Housefull and Housefull 2 were loved by all.

Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif, who have recently broken up, will be seen sharing screen space for the third time in Jagga Jasoos. After Barfi, this is Ranbir Kapoor's second outing with director Anurag Basu. The movie's shoot is still on and June 3 is a tentative date for its release.

Raaz Rebooted is another sequel to the famous Emraan Hashmi franchisee Raaz. Directed by Vikram Bhatt, it will be the fourth part of the supernatural thriller. This time Emraan will be seen romancing Kannada actress Kriti Kharbanda in the film.

6. Raees, Sultan (July 3)

This will be the baap of all clashes this year when old friends SRK and Salman's films will release this Eid making it grander than ever. Shah Rukh Khan in and as Raees will be playing a Gujarati don who comes in prominence due to his illegal alcohol trade. Shah Rukh Khan's bespectacled and bearded avatar has wooed all and connected the audience at a large level. Directed by Rahul Dholakia, the film also stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui who plays a tough policeman and Pakistani actress Mahira Khan in the lead role.

In Sultan, Salman Khan will play the role of a wrestler from Haryana, Kesari Sultan. The movie is being directed by Ali Abbas Zafar and the film's shoot has already begun in Mumbai.

7. Rustom, Dangal, Mohenjo Daro (August 12)

Akshay Kumar starrer Rustom's first look has already impressed his fans. The actor, who will be seen playing a Naval officer, is seen sporting a thin moustache. Directed by Tinu Suresh Desai, the film will release on August 12.

Aamir Khan's Dangal is also one of the most anticipated films of the year. The actor who will be seen in the role of a wrestler has worked very hard for the film and has beefed up for the role. The film has mainly been shot in Haryana. But makers have still not decided on the release date.

Hrithik Roshan will be seen fighting with tigers in Ashutosh Gowarikar’s Mohenjo Daro. The movie is an epic love story set in the Indus Valley civilization. It is being extensively shot in Bhuj and will have Hrithik romancing debutante Pooja Hegde.

8. Shivaay, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (October 28)

‘Shivaay’ is a high-octane action drama movie which stars Ajay Devgn in the lead. Sayesha Saigal, grand niece of legendary actors Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu, will be seen making her debut in the film. Apart from playing the lead role in the movie, Ajay Devgn is also directing the film and will be seen doing some high flying action sequences in the film.

Filmmaker Karan Johar's next directorial venture Ae Dil Hai Mushkil will feature Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma and Fawad Khan in pivotal roles.