Life Of Pi- The New Slumdog Millionaire?

From a first glance in the spectacular-looking trailers, Ang Lee’s latest offering, the much awaited ‘Life Of Pi’ looks like a film more in the domain of Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson. The entire film is focused on the travails of a young Indian boy caught in a raft with a splendid Bengal tiger. Sure, the tiger’s roars, lunges and snarls look real enough. But it surely looks too splendid to be real- which means that we are in for some stunning CGI work. It helps that the film will be rendered with the third dimension as well. The goliaths so far like Martin Scorsese, Ridley Scott, Spielberg, Jackson and James Cameron can take a bow for Lee in his first-ever 3D venture.

But a closer look at the scenes and a superficial look at the story reveals something else.  The cast of ‘Life Of Pi’ stars Irrfan Khan, Tabu and a young Indian boy by the name of Suraj Sharma, on whom most of the action centers. Then, isn’t it about a man narrating his tumultuous and perilous adventures of the youth? Ring any bells? In an uncanny way, this sounds more like a retread of Danny Boyle’s much-acclaimed and awarded ‘Slumdog Millionaire’.

Sure, the two films differ in tone and context. Boyle’s film was a seriously messed-up fairytale fashioned with gritty visuals of the dirty and dingy world of Mumbai’s slums and bylanes and set to a killer score by AR. Rahman. Lee’s film comes off more like a fairytale in the conventional sense. The 3D element itself suggests that we are in for some thrilling and stunning set-pieces with the animals involved in the film and that beautiful tiger will be worth-watching. But it is hard to say whether this would actually make sense. ‘Life Of Pi’ essentially looks nothing less than a Spielberg production. Lee’s real touches would possibly lie in how he builds the relationships between his characters, both human and animal.

But there is a definite similarity. Both the films are about characters, who have spent their youth and childhood in adventures that normal people would not believe in. Both the films are about such people narrating their stories to incredulous and unbelieving people and audiences. At heart, both films serve as a pompous celebration of the ordinary person. Which obviously means that like Boyle, Lee will be displaying some emotionally manipulative filmmaking, while not cutting for realism unlike Boyle.

Credit would obviously go to the writers of the stories of both films. On one hand, Yann Martel’s elegant, clever and heartfelt prose would accompany Lee’s grandiose visuals. On the other hand, there is noted diplomat Vikas Swarup painting a picture of India lying at the bottom of the heap yet showering it with a fanatical Indo-nostalgic approach, showing us a ringside of crime, films and more. This could alone mean that Lee’s wondrous approach will be more fulfilling than Boyle’s hackneyed though impressively grimy treatment of the convoluted and clichéd material.

But the similarity would extend beyond that. Both films are a part of the film-making scene centering on India as a background for exotic and real stories. There have been notable films in the past which have centered on India but some of them have landed up in controversy. 1982’s ‘Gandhi’ and 1984’s ‘A Passage To India’ were primarily British films set in the era of the British colonialism in the country. The former won a lot of praise and acclaim, while the latter was warmly received by those who had pored over the eponymous E.M Forster novel. And likes of John Huston and the Merchant-Ivory pair made films based on famous English novels as well.

But there have been some outrageous exceptions. In 1983, the Bond film ‘Octopussy’ was shot largely in India but as critics and Indians opined the film is ridden with stereotypes normally associated with India- superstitions, snakes, thugs, Indian princes, elephants and palaces. In 1984, Steven Spielberg gave us the hilarious actioner ‘The Temple Of Doom’, also with India as the backdrop but the director was forced to shift places. The government bureaucrats refused to permit Steve as they found the script full of clichés and ’offensive’ references to Indian culture and cuisine- for instance, Indian princes feasting on snakes, monkey heads and bugs as well.

Such criticisms do not matter as long the film is pure fantasy- as in both the cases. But when a film set in the real world, for instance the rundown slums and ghettoes of Mumbai ends up being flawed and stereotyped in its approach, hackles can be raised. This was what happened to Boyle’s ‘Slumdog Millionaire’. Personalities like Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Rushdie and others openly pointed out the flaws which clearly indicate that foreign filmmakers seldom do their homework when it comes to India. And this hurts when Boyle guns for so much realism in his portrayal of India.

Lee himself had declared that he considers it wrong for foreign filmmakers to miss out the realism in their films about exotic lands like India. But Lee shares the similarity with some of the recent talent in Hollywood. Like Boyle, Christopher Nolan, Sam Mendes and Mexican filmmakers like Guillermo Del Toro and Alfonso Cuaron, Lee is one of the crossovers from foreign nations like UK, Mexico and Taiwan. Like them, Lee had divided his priorities between films of his own country and films exploring the American scenario. But what would Lee do with India? Given that the film would be fantasy, people should not mind if they do find some stereotypes. But don’t we want foreign filmmakers to avoid clichés and portray as the same way they do to other countries?

Jab Tak Hai Jaan- The Monumental Marvel

            

In a way similar to that of Stanley Kubrick, Steven Spielberg and even recent Christopher Nolan, Yash Chopra’s penultimate film is all about being larger-than-life, the director gunning for nothing less than the Big Picture. From the opening shot tracking Shahrukh Khan’s dashing Major Samar Anand riding a muscular Enfield bike on the highways of Ladakh accompanied by warm-as-milk-and-honey poetry and A.R. Rahman’s elegant yet energetic background score ratcheting up to a compelling guitar piece, to the entry of gorgeous lady Katrina Kaif into the screens, sprinting in slow motion decked out in a red jacket over a glittering lehenga while powdery snow rains from the skies, to stunning songs, laughter and tears set across operatic landscapes of London and Ladakh, this is pure sensation- albeit a film which has Yash Chopra’s trademark signature emblazoned unabashedly across every frame.

It is the simple story of Samar and his intense love for the irresistibly fickle Meera (Kaif) and how this love has to go through challenges and obstacles to actually come alive. As if to justify the film’s exhilarating if ponderous scope, Chopra and his writers remind us for more than once that every love has a time and maybe it is not yet the time for their love to actually blossom.

Yet. Yet. Sometimes, it is best to leave disbelief and cynicism at the door and surrender completely to the fatal charms of a really skilled puppet-master. That is of course Yash Chopra giving us a really masterly puppet act that remains compelling throughout even when not convincing. With a practiced hand, Chopra twirls and flicks around the puppets under his hand, eliciting us to react with joy, euphoria or even pain and despair rather than asking him ‘Why’?

It is storytelling at its most confident, perhaps even most manipulative. But Chopra has always been known for making his puppets more than just frames of wood and cloth- real people facing real pain, joy and heartache. Consider the way how he treats the heroines of ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’. Meera is a fickle-minded girl, euphoric at breaking out of her inhibitions, yet strongly and vehemently clinging to her scruples. In ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’, Chopra shines a light of adoration and affection on his heroine- showcasing her drop-dead beauty, her ebullience yet also her vulnerability and her predicament. It is a master-stroke of storytelling, lending the film intimacy and warmth.

It is not just Meera that showcases the same restless spirit as the heroines of Chopra’s last films. ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’ is essentially a love triangle and Chopra’s warmth and heartfelt affection spreads to the other two dimensions as well. In Anushka Sharma’s buoyant and exuberant docu-filmmaker Akira, Chopra shows us another compelling heroine, free from clichés and yet exuding the same essence of liberation and free will. In Samar’s multiple facets- one as a good-natured odd-jobs lover-boy waltzing alternately with Meera and his guitar, the other as the stubbled and laconic defuse expert earning the name ‘The Man Who Cannot Die’- he gives us a classic Yash Chopra hero, endowed with solid virtues and with enough chinks in his armor to nail him as both heroic and real.

‘

Jab Tak Hai Jaan’ may not be as smooth as Chopra’s perennially unforgettable romances of the past but it is in many ways a solid showcase of Chopra’s obvious strength as a storyteller and filmmaker. The film is helmed with a iron-fisted determination and confidence- the director masterfully flipping from one locations, milieus and moods to create a story that leaps through the contrivances with a spirited sprint. Things do slow down a bit when Chopra wants his twists and turns to sink in our minds but this is only a minor niggle. Chopra’s storytelling has a trance-like feel to it- the film is firmly assured of performing miracles and roping us in through sheer magic.

In some striking ways ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’ is a smart mix of the old and the new- the director crucially underscoring his trademark elements with nicely subtle yet distinctive touches of post-modernism. The romance that develops between Meera and Samar is full of verve- a particularly pumped up dance sequence set superbly in London’s pop-and-rock underbelly lends the angle flesh-and-blood while the sexual and intimate frissom between the leads is explored fearlessly, but not explicitly. The parallel track- of defusing bombs in Ladakh- is treated with an alternately light and tense fashion but Chopra cleverly keeps politics out of the fray. The scenes filmed in London refute the sights usually shown to us. Instead, they shine with a resplendent feel to them. There are enough co-incidences in the premise to make us disbelieve in everything but Chopra is bold enough to ask- ‘Why Not?’. And Chopra has made it believable to an extent- his gift for nuance shining particularly in an overlooked scene when kids rush into a street that had been moments earlier sealed off for the fear of an explosion.

Yet, for all its beauty and nuance and Chopra jazzing up his trademark elements with sensuality, groove and humor, it is a flawed, if terrifically sensational, piece of work, in no small measure due to the script by Aditya Chopra and Devika Bhagat. Sure, the transitions in time, memory and space are effortlessly sweeping, but the film’s twists and turns are a bit too intentional, perhaps why the film ends up losing its logic. Also, the romantic angle is at times forsaken for hefty, though intriguing ideas and one nostalgia trip too many. Nonetheless, Chopra’s grip on the emotions is quite tough and he makes us forget the glitches eventually.

The dialogue, on the other hand, is powerful- blending the old-world charm of quotable monologues and sparky romantic conversations in vogue today. And the cast is actually good, though it is little beyond the troika. While Kaif’s Meera deserves a better performance, the gorgeous actress nevertheless does what she does best-look not just good but stunning. Clearly, here is a heroine to gape at, to admire and to desire. Sharma, in contrast, infuses her spunky part with enough enthusiasm and also achieves that fine balance between being irritating and charming. But clearly this is a two-men show, and if one is Chopra, the other has to be his quintessential hero. In what can be called one of his best performances ever, Khan has managed to bring life and soul to Samar. The actor wonderfully flips between good-natured charm, a raffish sense of humor and solid conviction that makes him a hero to root for.

A.R. Rahman’s music, with Gulzar’s unconventional wordplay, is a lovely ensemble of diverse compositions which further make the film a real audio-visual treat. Anil Mehta’s cinematography, after his beautiful work in ‘Rockstar’, perfectly complements Chopra’s dreamy style and creates spectacular moments of high drama, romance and nostalgia, which linger in your mind.

As a wrapped up gift for die-hard romantics, ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’ is a monumental marvel clocking in at 3 hours. It is all a bit too filmy to be actually real or even believable but there is something about losing your heart to the sheer magic of Chopra’s storytelling. And with his last film, at 80, he proved that he can still pull it off.

My Rating- 4 Stars.

Yash Chopra- The Legacy Lives On!

My first Yash Chopra film was 1997's 'Dil To Pagal Hai'. I remember rather clearly how we made it to the theaters a tad too late such that we ended up missing a chunk of the opening solo dance number performed by a glittering Karisma Kapoor. And even I have never been a fan of this cult-classic, it does not take much to make out every sign of the young and restless spirit that the film's young romance exudes. Splendid sets and backgrounds accompany irresistibly melodious songs, free-spirited men and women are decked out in sharp and smart tees, jeans and skirts. This was a year between Karan Johar would come up with the high-heeled and short-skirted Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. And with just such little, ravishing touches, Chopra captured the changing culture and trend of the late 90s.

Yet, Yet. There is also the story-telling to ravish. A premise that may sound in ridiculous in today's times of in-your-face realism about a guy named Rahul who wants to direct a musical centering on a female lead named as Maya and his quest for the perfect woman, perfectly littered with convenient coincidences and split-second miracles. Yet, the breathtaking sweep of the simple story, and the chemistry building up between its leads, sparkles. And the hiccups and obstacles that follow the fervor of new love are captured with jaw-dropping mastery. It is best to watch a single scene in which Rahul and his Maya can be seen rehearsing their lines and they are actually what they want to say to each other. The impact knocks us out. Whoa!

And that was Yash Chopra, a man who chose to reinvent himself every time he looked through the camera, like a suave man raconteur who chooses to be grab the attention at every party and dresses himself ideally as well. It would be wrong to dub him the Grand Old Man Of Cinema. Rather, he is a dashing debonair who remained energetic and enthusiastic throughout his career. With the confidence of a master gambler, he strode into the glitzy world of Bollywood's playrooms and without losing his cool, grabbed solid win after win.

There are few who can match upto Yash Chopra in terms of grand, good old fashioned story-telling. However, if we have a closer look at his works in the past, he has not given us cliches. Instead, he gave us path-breaking storytelling devices which tragically ended up becoming cliches as they were over-imitated. Beginning his career with a film which dealt with controversial topics like religious disparity and pre-marital sex, he chose to end it with a film which is raising some eyebrows for a much-hyped intimate scene between its star leads, showing us how conservative we still our.

Less than 24 Hours after his sad demise, as eulogies begin to pour in, I can't help ponder over the Million Dollar Question. What Was It In This Man That Made Him The Legend?

Maybe it was the warmth, that wonderful feeling of lightness that doused even the most tense and tragic moments of his films.

In his heyday, the scene was crowded with his worthy peers. The likes of Gulzar and Hrishikesh Mukherjee were making warm and credible films dealing with real issues and being alternately comic and sensitive. Among the writers, Salim-Javed gained recognition for the fiery scripts that they penned for Chopra, Ramesh Sippy and Prakash Mehra and their one-liners remain to be as crisp and rousing as they were back in the 70s. But Yash Chopra has this uncanny ability to make the tense drama light.

In the more serious of Chopra's films, the tone would be offset by a stunning surprise. It could be an introduction scene of the hero riding a bike on a ribbon of highway as in 'Kaala Patthar' or the development of quiet romance between its leads. In his romances, he simply let us suspend our disbelief. In mere minutes, Chopra took us away across time, space and geography. One moment we were in India, the next moment we were on the banks of a Swiss Lake. He can also make us filch between the mustard fields of Punjab to the extensive tulip gardens of Holland. He was a master sorcerer.

Maybe it was the way he could tell us stories.

Maybe it was how he eventually told us love stories and tense dramas with such an impressive and aggressive confidence. You have to admire how the compellingly manipulative characters were built in films like Trishul and Deewaar, how the inevitable obstacles would fall in the course of a romance film like 'Silsila' or 'Chandini'. Or how he examined the divide between generations in films like 'Kabhie Kabhie' and 'Mashaal'. And how he created unforgettable heroes and heroines out of believably simple people. Think of those rousing moments that let our actors to let go and give their best shot. Think of all those times when we guilelessly cheered for them.

Maybe it was the way how his stories looked real.

Give his 1965 multi-starrer classic 'Waqt' a proper watch and you know that this is not just a piece of fantasy. True, the plot with its convenient encounters might make today's viewers scoff. But through it all, in its sunlit moments of lightness or the more melancholic times, as chronicled in the unforgettable song 'Aage Bhi Jaane Na Tu', one can't help but admire the nuances. The svelte and shiny Studebaker sedans with their liveried chauffeurs, the women with bouffants and elegant sarees, the dashing men in their tuxedos and suits. All is in place for a grand party and the stage is also set for romantic reconciliations, and of secret plans unfolding. Ah! What storytelling!

Yash Chopra made us believe in his stories. The nuances were themselves worth looking. He chronicled the rise of Vijay in Deewar as a story of a vengeful man from rags to riches in an ambition-obsessed Bombay. He told us the catastrophic Chasnala accident of Bihar's murky mines and recast it as a story of heroism and new-found redemption. He made us believe as the heroine began to see illusions of her lover in midst of her engagement proceedings unforgettably in 'Veer Zaara'. This speaks of how well he can tell us stories, both real and fantastic.

Many feel believably sad as they lament that his demise is the end of an era. I would think that the legacy of the romance that he captured so impeccably would live on.

Maybe we can already see it in our films today. The banner that Yash Chopra founded may have both soared and stumbled but it has nevertheless given us a trail of stories which exude, to some extent, the same magic as in his films. There are those wonderful moments of tenderness, followed by the sweeping, almost effortless escapes to stunning backgrounds and exotic locations.

And that is why he is so great. He is so great that his legacy would live on even as he has left us without that solid and compelling force of storytelling and film making.

Mr Yash Chopra, we salute you. May You Rest In Peace!

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Check out this link for  Fantastic imagery  of movie posters all hand drawn .

Blue  Tinted poster of  Pearl Harbour -self drawn

Pearl Harbour

Pearl Harbour  -the story  of  Last  Japanese  surprise attack o the  naval base  in Pearl Harbour ,,,, leading to  the US bombing Japan with the  A bomb ...n

Citizen Kane

The Dark Knight Rises- A Legendary Conclusion!

Really, Christopher Nolan, we have got to hand it to you. How can he turn out to be more and more inventive and powerful as a filmmaker and a storyteller with each outing? In a year so far dominated by the tongue-in-cheek ‘The Avengers;, featuring a ragtag ensemble of Stan Lee creations and a pretty unoriginal revamp of the Spiderman franchise, Nolan continues to set his own path on a completely different route. His much-anticipated conclusion, ‘The Dark Knight Rises’, to the very compelling series that he spawned ends up being a film not just big in ambition but also in brains, brawns and, needless to say, emotions and feelings.

But we already saw it coming. So far, Christopher Nolan has set the standard high for himself, especially when it comes to the Batman franchise. Borrowing key elements and plot points from comic books, he has nonetheless reinvented the whole franchise in a whole new format that seems now near impossible to difficult to improve, or even replicate. And while the writer-director has doffed his hat at ‘Blade Runner’, in the ghettoes and looming skyscrapers in The Dark Knight Rises, his vision of Gotham City remains to be larger-than-life yet cerebral, gritty yet spectacular.

Beware For Bane Is Here.....

And he delivers bang for the buck in this stunning finale to the story that he has retold in equal power and grace. We begin on a peaceful yet cautiously murky note as the top brass of police and statesmen raise a toast to Harvey Dent, the man who once stood for the eventual end of crime and chaos in Gotham. Indeed, it is not to last. Vicious mercenary-turned terrorist Bane, a hulk and bulk of muscled terror, escapes certain capture and turns his narrow-eyed gaze at Gotham. We seem him first closing on diligent cop Gordon in the sewers of Gotham and it is indeed a shaken and desperate Gordon who first realizes that Gotham needs its Dark Knight again.

Batman Enters The Scene... Cue Applause!

But the man himself is not ready. Bruce Wayne is now a recluse and Nolan first shows him as merely a silhouette that is seen peeking at the opening tribute to Harvey Dent. He is holed up by his will inside his vast manor, with stubble and a crutch to support him. Clearly, he needs a surgery but he also needs to come back to manage both personal issues and his own obligations to the city. Sure, he does and we crow out loud with delight.

Bruce has a lot at stake this time. A slinky and suave safecracker named Selina Kyle seems to be on the prowl. It seems that Bane has been roped in to bring down Wayne Enterprises. However, Bane himself gives Wayne and the city a nasty edge of himself.

Bane Beats Batman....

But Batman Returns.....

He takes the city hostage, rampaging like a bull through its streets, sewers and rugby stadiums and leaving a formidable trail of destruction. However, this is not before keeping our own hero hostage in a dungeon which will test his will. He mounts a suitably formidable army tank and decries the very people who have saved Gotham from chaos, going on to reveal the very corruption that racked Dent. Then, he calls out loud for people to revolt against the corridors of power and wealth, while a ticking time-bomb threatens to blow everything to smithereens.

Bane Exposes The Corruption And Insanity Of Harvey
Dent To A Terrorized Crowd...

It is smashing to watch the film as Nolan takes over. He has now mastered a whole new style of filmmaking that blends a grandstanding action frame with a shattering, visceral plausibility. And nowhere is it evident with a film like this which wills the audience to submit to the force of its storytelling. It is a long ride, often in the risk of becoming choppy with so much of a story crammed up but Nolan grounds the film with an emotional resonance, while ensuring that we thrill to the clean-cut, brawny action sequences. The effect is a startlingly effective film that strikes at an emotional level.

Indeed, it is different from anything that Nolan has done before. The script, by Nolan and his brother Jonathan, packs in a whole crowd of new faces and Nolan properly invests each without losing focus on the main plot. This could mean that the story would drag but there is something to be said for Nolan’s confidence in his material and audience. The film is perfectly paced; even while it takes almost an hour for Wayne to get into character and costume, the action comes in neatly, almost incidentally, while the supporting cast lends enough stellar turns to thicken the gravy. Nolan ties up the strands with remarkable tight and the film is constantly nerve-wracking and tense.

Nolan’s finest strength is the way how he infuses minute nuances and details into the plot that make up for most of the surprises. And such fine layers of detailing add more depth to the characters and plot. There is one intense moment when Gordon, about to give a speech in honor of Dent, suddenly remembers in flashes the namesake’s insanity as a devious Two- Face. The effect is startlingly haunting and elegiac. A boy singing ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ at the start of a rugby match is unforgettably paralleled with Bane’s vicious plans unfolding; some moments later, an entire field explodes and the effect is effectively sobering. A tattered American flag suggests dystopia, while the snowy empty streets portray both claustrophobia and agoraphobia. Again, a flaming symbol shaped like a bat conveys a sense of faint optimism. The finely crafted touches linger the most in the mind, while the gritty action set-pieces take our breath away.

Batman Vs Bane In The Sewers- One Of The Most
Chilling Scene In The Film...

There is also something economical about the film. No, it is not the running time, but it is the way how Nolan fits in every piece of the puzzle without really crowding in everything. The action is judiciously placed in the film, the twists and turns coming in unexpectedly and rather neatly. The more emotional moments are handled with equal care and restraint. An argument between Wayne and his trusted butler Alfred is handled with impressive restraint while it is poignant and the romance is kept brief and incidental. The tough fist fights between Batman and Bane are adequately immediate and chilling, while the climactic chase is spectacular but lean and it smartly does not stretch. Bane’s brutality is seldom shown directly but it is rather implied and the effect is eerily Hitchcock-like. Nolan impresses by emotional balance as much he does by symmetrical artistry.

The cast is superb as well. Christian Bale, playing Batman and Bruce alternately, is a treat. His strongest card is the range that he brings to the role. At one point we see him believably vulnerable, at another we see him ready for a boardroom meeting, at another we seem him charismatically flirting with Selina, at another angry and determined. Inside the mask, he becomes convincingly creepy and chews up the action frames. It is an awesome, bravura performance.

Much is being debated about Tom Hardy as the central villain Bane. Some opine that he is nowhere near the cool malice of Heath Ledger’s Joker; some say that he is outstanding as well. I would choose a moderate line. Sure, Hardy does not quite burn up the frames the say way Ledger did and sometimes, it is difficult to make out what he actually says. Still, the rest- the bulking presence, the cold, hard-eyed expression and the comic-book villainy work quite well and he does manage to work out some of his killer lines well. He is fairly memorable, just not downright unforgettable.

Anne Hathaway Steals The Show As The Slinky And Sexy
Selina Kyle

Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman as Alfred and Fox bring in welcome dose of deadpan humor in the proceedings. The real treat of the film is Anne Hathaway. Her character Selina is a self-centered and vicious yet stunning and seductive enough to warrant enough praise and admiration. We see her first as deceptively demure but as her character develops we end up rooting for her even as she often twirls as a moral compass. Hathaway does not just look stunning. She actually makes her inscrutability work in a smashing way. She has one of the film’s finest lines- one about high heels that is really smart and her standout moment is when she mock-screams in the midst of a hard-boiled shootout- a moment that is alone worth the price of the ticket.

Joseph Gordon Levitt as the diligent John Blake is superb.

Another solidly written character in the film is Joseph Gordon Levitt as young cop John Blake. As a younger version of Gary Oldman’s subdued Gordon, Levitt gives a powerful and convincing performance, bringing in Dirty Harry-like attitude with solid restraint. He is also smart enough to qualify as a sidekick to Batman and Nolan agrees too.( here is a spoiler!)

There have been enough expectations for Nolan to conclude the saga on a rousing note. People have been clamoring for him to rise higher as a filmmaker. Yes, he does. Yes, of course, he delivers. Because, as the film proves, like his hero, Nolan always rises to the occasion. And he will save the day for our cinema.

The Film Soars Like The Bat and It Stuns Us To Silence. Christopher Nolan, Take A Bow!

My Rating- 5 Stars Out Of 5.

Will Reel-Life Salman Get Real?

The latest song promos of ‘Ek Tha Tiger’ are going viral on the Internet. Is that really surprising? Firstly, the film has Salman Khan in the lead and that statement is enough to say how popular the film has become weeks ahead of its release. Then, almost anything that catches the fancy of a largely unpredictable movie-going audience simply goes viral on the Internet, leave alone Salman Khan himself.

That said, I am equally aware of a parallel trend of people favoring the release of Anurag Kashyap’s sequel to his sleeper hit ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’. Some are even willing to look beyond the colorful and snazzy promos and posters of this Friday’s release ‘Cocktail’ and wait patiently for Kashyap to roll out his next firecracker and get it blazing.

Or maybe it is just me and a handful of others. There is no denying the sheer cult status that Salman has earned over the years, belting out blockbuster after blockbuster. When the country celebrates Eid, devoted fans celebrate the arrival of yet-another Salman Khan starrer. It does not matter if the film is essentially the same old wine served in a newly packaged bottle. The film is nothing more than a pompous, self-indulgent celebration of the male hero and what can he do and asking us, ‘Why Can’t He Do That’? Indeed, in each of his films, you see Salman shaking a leg to a new dance move that he may have ad-libbed and the rest of the world takes a cue from him, showing their adulation and blind devotion to a man who thrives simply on his star image and nothing else.

So, they quote his lines, make his songs chartbusters and do much more. But when I first cast a look at the trailer of Salman’s latest film, I ended up having mixed feelings. On one hand, I think that the movie will be little more than a montage of slick action sequences, ridiculous one-liners assigned to the leading man to pout with all seriousness, a gorgeous heroine, gorgeous locations to match her beauty and, do we need to say, those bad, ruthless and mean villains. On the other hand, I am wondering what does the plot of ‘Ek Tha Tiger’- something about Salman being a secret agent sent by India to thwart a conspiracy- has to do when such things are already there.

This also makes me feel a bit doubtful about just what the film makes of such a premise. As the ads put it, it couldn’t have come at a better time. Only today had I read an article in the papers about how India has usually sent a number of spies in its missions against terrorism. The plot, if I have been following the trailers correctly, has all the tension of a Robert Ludlum novel. Tiger may be facing a mission which he needs to complete or he may face consequences-like being discredited by his spymasters. It all sounds so familiar- one can go through Ludlum’s books or the Bourne franchise of films to get an idea. But the Bourne films and books are known for sticking to the whole seriousness of the idea, while giving us a whopping good time. On the other hand, the premise in ‘Ek Tha Tiger’ simply seems as window-dressing or a new bottle for old wine.

Kabir Khan is directing the film and I can’t help wondering if he can do the job or not. Look at his last two films. His debut ‘Kabul Express’ was a fairly promising thriller-cum-adventure set in post-war Afghanistan but the film’s constant muddling between shallow complexity and awkward writing ruined the game, making it just a visual marvel. He followed up with the more successful ‘New York’; once again, it was full of promise as an edge-of-a-seat thriller but it fizzled out thanks to its largely incompetent cast and a plot that felt derivative. But in both films, you have to admit that Khan has actually managed to weave a fairly compelling story around a premise concerning real issues. It needs to be seen if Khan can at least make something out of a plot that looks promisingly like a smart spy movie and not just escapism.

Indian films of late are finally doing a good job of being realistic. Realism in cinema is all about being convincing, coherent and convincing while never worrying about trying hard to preach something or even being trivial. Look at some of this year’s releases. ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ is set against a backdrop of coal mafia and politics in Bihar but it is also mainly a classic story of revenge told with macabre humor and this suggests how it manages to make actual sense. ‘Shanghai’ is a whodunit thriller told against the backdrop of collusion of political and business interests; ‘Ishaqzaade is a contemporary small-town love story set aptly against the country’s warped attitudes towards inter-religious and inter-cast relationships; ‘Vicky Donor’ was as much a charming and breezy romance as a light and comic look at sperm donation and infertility clinics in India; ‘Kahaani’ seemed a bit far-fetched in its suggestion of bio-chemical terrorism, in a nation still threatened by bombs and explosives but its urgent visual style, smack-of-the-real locations and gripping characters made it convincing enough.

‘Ek Tha Tiger’ may suffer from a problem. It has a lot of potential to be a film which would be convincing as well as entertaining. But there is a chance that it may not make any sense at all. It is fine. This is a Salman Khan film after all. But why does it then promise to be so portentously serious? Khan and his writers could have agreed to simply let Salman having a good time. Or maybe I am wrong. This may be Salman having a good time. It is just that we are given the same wine in a new bottle. He has been a smart-ass cop, a dead-serious bodyguard, a warrior from ballads than history textbooks. And now he is a spy against terrorism. Hurray!

But I am still feeling bad. This essentially seems like a waste of ideas, a film which would try hard to make some sense, while its hero simply beats up the bad guys with ease. Comparisons are being made with ‘Agent Vinod’ that much maligned film which sunk in no time. Indeed, Salman’s presence may make this film a bigger hit but at least Sriram Raghavan’s film does not try to be pretentious. It was modeled on a yesteryear Bollywood spy film which itself had taken a cue from the James Bond series. At least, Raghavan knew how to make it all James Bond than Jason Bourne. It is a pity that his male lead is no more convincing and the plot ended up being an uninteresting affair.

But what about Salman’s Tiger? Is he a bumbling Bourne, or a serious Bond or both? Let’s find out for ourselves.

Guide - Timeless Classic

Guide is a 1965 Hindi film starring DeV Anand and Waheeda Rehman. It was directed by  Vijay Anand  who also contributed to the screenplay. The film is based on the critically acclaimed novel, The Guide, by R. K. Narayan, and is widely considered to be one of the masterpieces and  controversial  movie of the Indian film industry .Despite  depicting the  bold lifestyle  of an Indian woman falling into  a  live in relationship with a  Guide , it  tok sometime for the audience  to accept this and make the movie a success .
Kishore Sahu  enacts  the role of  a  Archaelogist  too engrossed  in  the  study of  ruins  and   philandering leaving his wife Rosy  opt for  the Guide  arising out of sheer boredom and lack of love .
The film proved to be a box office hit upon release. The movie proved memorable for its award-winning performances by the lead actors and memorable music by S. D. Burman.
A 120-minute U.S. version was made with additional directing and writing. It was produced by Tad Danielewski.[3] The film was screened at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, 42 years after its release.

Mother India -

Starring Nargis,Rajkumar , Sunil Dutt

 

 

Mother India ( a 1957 Hindi film epic, written and directed by Mehboob Khan and starring Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar and Raaj Kumar. The film, a melodrama, is a remake of Mehboob Khan's earlier film, Aurat
(1940). It is the story of a poverty-stricken village woman named Radha
who, amid many other trials and tribulations, struggles to raise her
sons and survive against an evil money-lender. Despite her hardship, she
sets a goddess-like moral example of what it means to be an Indian
woman, yet kills her own criminal son at the end for the greater moral
good. She represents India as a nation in the aftermath of independence.
The film ranks among the all-time Indian box office hits and has been described as "an all-time Indian blockbuster" and "perhaps India's most revered film". The film won the National Film Award for Third Best Feature Film in 1958. Mother India belongs to a small collection of films, including Kismet (1943), Mughal-e-Azam (1960) and Sholay
(1975) which continue to be watched daily throughout India and are
considered to be definitive Hindi cultural film classics. The film was India's first submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1958 and was chosen as one of the five nominations for the category.

A Fascinating Piece Of Art

Movies and books have equally shared the space of my major interests in life. However, I have unwittingly taken care to keep them separate from each other. I am the kind who read ‘The Day Of The Jackal’ after watching the 1973 Fred Zinnemann production and I found the book so originally ingenious and well-crafted that the movie seemed lame. On the other hand, some of my favorite classics- the works of Doyle, Dumas and Mark Twain have been adapted into faithful films but I give them a miss. Hell, I still think the original Sherlock to be far more superior to Robert Downey Junior’s buffoon act in the recent blockbuster revamp franchise, enjoyable as the actor is.

Indeed, after watching the impeccably crafted ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’, an espionage movie that shows honorable faith to the source material in a time when James Bond is shedding its Ian Fleming flavor, I was compelled to give writer John Le Carre a go. I am yet to work my way through his best-selling Karla series but I did leaf my way through his earlier work and was dazzled by his play of Wodehouse-like language and a tight control over the narration.

In its elaborate, methodical and moody way, Tomas Alfredson’s fantastic film is more than just a damn faithful adaptation. More than the standard Forsythe adaptations in the 70s and 80s and the recent pumped-up versions of Robert Ludlum, Alfredson’s film is a dignified achievement mainly in how it captures the soul and essence of the book and not just its twists and turns. It is a film with enigma and emotion, a film that gives us a crowd of real people rather than just suspects, a convincing leading man rather than just a hero out of a spy novel.

The first scene nails it fully. Tomas Alfredson’s film begins on the low-octane tone that punctuates most of the spy novels and not the films themselves. The old-school veteran spies clad in somber colors rather than impeccable suits talk in low voices and you have got to better prick up your ears. Turn up the speakers to grab the fine lines spoken by the people in the film and you will end up applauding Alberto Iglesias’s elegiac and intense score as well.

It takes the opening scene to get used to an alternate era, a milieu rooted in the cold turbulence of the 70s and in the visual aspect as well. The camera lingers calmly and unhurriedly over the streets of Budapest as the film’s characters walk on the pavements amidst the fog and smoke from cars. And the scene set in the café, with each little sound rising to a tense tempo, the conversation halted and the mercury rising slowly but steadily, the audiences are completely gripped. It stays true for the rest of the film as well.

1973- MI6’s wizened chief known to all as Control (an authentically decadent John Hurt) issues one of his trusted men- the silent, subdued Jim Prideux (Mark Strong) to go on a mission to Budapest to get information about a possible leak in the department. The mission goes awry, Control steps out with fellow veteran spook George Smiley (Gary Oldman) and the team is reshuffled. But a year later, Smiley is brought back in the front to investigate if Control’s theories are true or not.

Those, who may be starved for gadgetry that has gone missing in the recent James Bond films, may be looking for a lot of gadgets in this one. But hold on. This is not a conventional spy film, the same way as the book was never a conventional one as well. Instead, this is a film about relationships, about nostalgia.  This is about tough men confronting their weaknesses, about men questioning their loyalties, about secret allegiances which make the betrayals and sudden twists and turns more genuinely alarming. Alfredson does an excellent job with pulling off the twists and turns with ingenuity, while the background is jaw-dropping in its seething tension. Indeed, he creates a scenario where it is safer to trust your greatest foes and be wary of your best friends. And he handles the emotional heft to make the proceedings work on a sentimental level. Talk about authentic.

And there is a great cast of actors to make it work as well. Alfredson has roped in a great line-up of actors. Almost every one of them has something special on display. Watch out for Strong as the silent and introspective Prideux; the actor gives a constantly compelling performance, one that speaks of incorruptibility and steeliness, distorted by the deception which landed him in trouble. Watch out for the dynamic and talented Benedict Cumberbatch playing the determined and idealistic young spy Peter Guilam. Watch out for the dashing Tom Hardy play a meaty role of a wild card with staggering conviction and believability. Watch out Toby Jones play the acerbic new chief Percy Allenine with a terrific edginess. And finally watch out the reliably brilliant Colin Firth play the suave Bill Haydon with his flair for old-school yet compelling histrionics.

Yet, one man outshines them all. He has to be the leading man and he is Gary Oldman. As Smiley, Oldman proves why he is one of the most respected actors in today’s times. Given much lesser lines than other people, Oldman also has to convey a feeling of cold-bloodedness, detachment and cool confidence that makes him click as a world-weary spy. And boy, he does it. He is constantly gripping as a leading man. He wears the placid face expression with tremendous ease and the weary body-language with an uninhibited confidence.

But there is more. There are times when we cringe at Oldman’s cold-bloodedness, the matter-of-factly and clinical methods he applies while investigating. Watch him gaze unfilchingly as a near-to-tears Tom Hardy tells of his feelings for the woman he was investigating and you know that here is a steely, almost callous man on a mission. And yet, there are times when Oldman’s character is forced to confront himself in the mirror. There are times when things get personal and it is here when Oldman shines with his vulnerability. One of the scenes is when Smiley recounts his incidental meeting with the arch-nemesis Karla. It is a fantastically intense scene and all praise to Alfredson for lingering on Oldman’s face as he remembers and recalls. All praise to Oldman as well for being so, so intense and unforgettable.

The script by Bridget O Conner and Peter Straughan is well-written, clever and almost perfect. When I say almost perfect, I mean it because the film works very well till the climax. Sure, the writers have done everything to place the elements in place and the twists and turns come unexpectedly. But the final part is a bit unclear; some things are a bit unexplained and the film doesn’t quite answer all the questions. Clearly, one needs to read the novel before watching the film. But then again, Alfredson does quite a neat and precise job of tying up the loose strands and the film is still quite a tight ship held admirably in one piece.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is not a perfect film. It may baffle those, who are not familiar with Le Carre’s spare style or Alfredson’s moody atmospherics. It is like a slice of bread with creamy, smooth and salted butter spread on it. And while it may be a bit indulgent, it is nevertheless slick, smooth and sharp to taste.

My Rating: 4 Stars.

Awesome Twosome

They barge their way into an extraordinarily ordinary college chemistry lab after being harried through the bylanes. They are minutes away from being surrounded by goons hell-bent on gunning them down. And the girl can still think of her chemistry exam scores. The raffish, unkempt boy looks on silently as the girl goes on to brag about how she scored full marks in previous occasions and how she is all set to win a gold medal from her college.

It is a fantastic moment in Habib Faisal’s latest film ‘Ishaqzaade’ and it sums up the blistering wit and poignancy in the entire film. One has to marvel at how Faisal keeps the focus balanced on his two leads while they fire off crackling, rapid-fire liners at each other while the clear and present danger persists. And there is some razor-sharp wit to be seen. The spunky heroine, obviously spurned by her own  father, is close to tears but she excuses herself, saying that the chemicals in the lab are irritating her.

Obviously, we all saw it coming. Faisal’s flair for ratcheting up a sparky, fiery chemistry between romantic leads is best seen in ‘Band Bajaa Baraat’, a film he scripted. And as in that film, ‘Ishaqzaade’ rumbles and crackles with red-hot chemistry between its two leads so much that we forget that they are hardly a conventional romantic pair but we end up rooting for them to go blazing. And boy, they do.

Radically different as it is from Faisal’s fantastic debut, the heartwarming ‘Do Dooni Chaar’, ‘Ishaqzaade’ still manages to fascinate mainly by Faisal’s hallmarks- his flair for meticulous detail and nuance, his smart-ass writing and his ability to elicit standout performances from his leads while infusing enough character development and detail in the backdrop.

Consider the first scene itself. After the thrilling opening credits scene, the film unfolds in elaborate leisure and compelling ease. In a scene reminiscent of a Sergio Leone western, we see a Willys Jeep emerging out of the barren, sunbaked landscape. The camera cuts to a man and a woman in charge of a wayside diesel stop. They get up as the jeep comes. Clearly, the sense of paranoia and fear is present in the frame and the way it unexpectedly ends is a knockout.

The rest of the film is rich in detail. Habib Faisal sets up the milieu with tremendous energy and skill. The harsh, raw and hot-blooded world of the film, set in the UP ganglands, is a world populated by Willys jeeps, handmade locally bought handguns and gunning motorcycle engines. The small town political atmosphere is dominated by political rivals the Qureshis and Chauhans. There are domineering patriarchs on each side who wish to stay clear from chaos so as to make it to the throne.

You can make it out that our two leads are the real trouble-makers. By the time, we are introduced to our eponymous wild couple, you know that they are as rustic as the chunky steel revolvers they carry. And like these revolvers, they are deadly.

Parma Chauhan is a brash youth, constantly reprimanded by his tough father for his errant ways. On the other hand is Zoya, a girl who is like dynamite ready to explode but she is not taken seriously by her elders.

And Faisal ratchets up the tension between this unlikely pair. The romance kicks off sure but not before rivalry explodes on the screen. However, as the romance progresses, then ends and is renewed again, it is clear that two rival families have little time or mercy for forgiving them….

Clearly, Faisal’s biggest strength is again his writing. Here, he is working on a premise often explored in the past. But Faisal cleverly keeps the pace going while building a script that glides by with speed and style. But Faisal also infuses a startling incisiveness and realism into the proceedings. The film’s plot is layered with a sharp complexity which allows Faisal to comment on the social atmosphere it depicts. The film has several undercurrents of social strife and this ends up making the film even more intelligent.

There is for instance Parma’s household. It is named by the aging grandfather as Mardon Ki Haveli and there cannot be a better description. There is Parma’s widowed mother, usually found confined to her room. Still, she is Parma’s voice of conscience and she wishes to rear him as a worthy citizen. Then, in the Qureshi household, Zoya is often sidelined by her elder brothers and her father. Faisal explores such a social undertone briskly without digressing into social commentary and this makes the film realistic in its narrative.

And then there are the lines to marvel at. There are whole wonderful pieces and chunks of dialogue to lavish over. Rapid fire one-liners mashed with profanity, the angst-ridden reprimands, humorous situations, sarcastic replies and others are packed with realism, wit and local dialect. A character is obsessed with the word ‘Samadhi’ and uses the same word in different contexts in different situations. Then, a teacher reprimands a student by saying ‘Argumenting Mat Karo’. Really clever!

But for most time, Faisal devotes his energies in getting his leads to hit off a terrific chemistry. As Parma, Arjun Kapoor gives a stellar debut performance. His presence exudes confidences right from the word Go and he impresses right till the end. It is the role of a scoundrel who has a change of heart for the girl he betrays and Arjun does it quite flawlessly, making his evil side genuinely unsettling and his transformation believable as well.

Parineeti Chopra, fresh from her knockout turn in ‘Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl’, is in the leading role now and as Zoya she proves herself a super-capable actress. Blending her girl-next-door looks with a spontaneity rarely seen nowadays, she breathes energy, soul and spunk into her character. And as for her lines, she gets them all right.

Moreover, the romance between the two blossoms unexpectedly and vividly. Zoya falls inevitably for Parma’s gruff and gritty essence and her ecstasy is wonderfully captured in the song ‘Pareshaan’, where Faisal indulges his eye for detail and wonderfully heartwarming nuance. On the other hand, Parma falls for Zoya as she reveals her affectionate side as she nurses him when the two are seeking sanctuary in a brothel. It is simply poignant stuff.

‘Ishaqzaade’ is also a film that looks beautiful in its gritty realism. Hemant Chaturvedi’s thrilling, urgent camerawork with Sham Kaushal’s action choreography nails the chases with exciting effect. And Amit Trivedi’s songs are vividly pictured on the screen with color, energy and pomp.

‘Ishaqzaade’ is a film with a story that is old wine in a new bottle. However, Faisal spices up the cocktail to make a film that is entertaining, exhilarating and definitely charming with the fantastic rapport between its leads. And that is what eventually entertains while Faisal’s finely nuanced direction is a marvel.

Movies of this kind are rare; think of Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid or maybe the more familiar ‘Bonnie and Clyde’. Both are movies with a loveable pair at the lead and there is terrific spark between the two, while the background is authentic. ‘Ishaqzaade’ is a cerebral film that ends up being remarkably close.

Hugo- The Family Film For Ages!

He is almost 70 years old but Martin Scorsese, possibly one of the most legendary and outstanding directors of the modern era, has not aged even a bit. The director still reflects that youthful dynamism, the zeal and gritty energy which had marked his early ventures back in the heyday of the 70s. In a career spanning nearly 45 years, Marty still considers himself as young in heart and mind and given how much praise has been dedicated to him over these years, it is stupendously humble of him to still rever people like Cecil B DeMilles and Satyajit Ray. Both were auteurs, who continue to inspire an auteur himself. But with Hugo, his latest film, we are seeing a director's love and full-throated admiration for the very art of filmmaking, and maybe for both the muses in his career- people, who have been sidelined tragically but who were more than mere storytellers.

'Hugo', the lates film from Scorsese, sees him at the very peak of his artistry and vision and he devotes both in a glorious celebration of life, success, individual creativity and self-discovery. This must be the most visually beautiful film that he has made in recent years but the stunning spectacle is not just why 'Hugo' works. It works because it is, above all, a Scorsese film.

Far away from the chaotic ganglands of America, 'Hugo' is set in a 1930s Paris, or for most time, within the hectic and bustling peripheries of a railway station. Before we even begin with introductions or opening credits, Scorsese tugs us compellingly into the busy world of the station in one of his most fast-paced and thrilling long-shots ever- like the unforgettable long-shots in'Goodfellas' or 'Casino', we follow the camera as it sneaks and zooms in to the hustle and bustle of passengers, florists and musicians and then follows our young hero Hugo Cabaret sliding, sprinting and crawling through a fantastic, hidden world of clockwork, metal gears and dials. It simply knocks our breath off!

But hold a minute. Scorsese is not merely a stylist. He is also a deft storyteller who can evoke the most natural and heartfelt affection for even the most vicious incongruities of people. Hugo is much like the world-weary heroes of Scorsese's early films- the fact that he is only a boy does not seem to make him different from the troubled Travis Bickle of 'Taxi Driver'. Scorsese follows his character's loneliness with a nuanced precision- see him scrambling up and down in his hidden world while fixing the giant clocks on the station walls, a wizened and gruff toy shop owner known to all as Papa Georges rebukes him after emptying his pocket full of little gears and clockdials. Hugo also seems determined to escape a loutish station inspector determined to send off orphans to orphanages. He also gazes out of the glass clock windows out to the Eifel Tower, probably desperate to break free from his mundane life.

It is all very touching and at one point, you marvel with a knowing air how Scorsese seems to have made a film in truly Dickensian fashion. Like Dickens, Scorsese likes to imagine cities as hotspots of crime, corruption and venality but Hugo's innocence makes 'Hugo' work even more distinctly as a Charles Dickens' novel. But rather that mulling over the film's sentimentalism, Scorses ratchets up the pace and imagination. As Hugo joins Papa Georges daughter Isabel and takes her for escapades to the movies and unravel a mystery revolving a battered old automaton, this soon becomes a sprightly and genuinely moving adventure filled with a child-like wonder that makes it so authentically heartfelt and compassionate.

But there is another side to the film as well. Scorsese has grown up watching films and he makes some references to the icons like Georges Melles and Charlie Chaplin. The film becomes an enchanting story of self-dicovery and it works largely because Scorsese directs with the kind of enthusiasm and whole-hearted good nature that had marked some of the very early films as well.

Scorsese has never been known for happy endings- his films usually ending in characters meeting destitution, death, despair and self-exile. But this time around, he has so wonderfully rounded up genuine emotions of redemption, self-discovery, childhood innocence and above all an innocence in the grown-ups as well, so much that we root for a happy ending. And, boy he delivers it!

The cast has been chosen with wisdom with every actor fully able to make his or her character work. The spirited Asa Butterfield plays Hugo with such an immense talent and skill for both emotion and expression. His sad, lonely existence is fully justified and poignantly acted. It is equally wonderful to see him smile or even sob with real conviction. Chloe Hertz plays Isabel with spright and child-like enthusiasm though she seems a bit like the wise and bookish Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter films. The star of the pack is however Ben Kingsley playing finally a role that confirms his extraordinary talent. His Papa Georges is a fascinating mix of a gruff, aging man, a closer genius and visionary and a man torn apart by memories. Kingsley lives up to it with a incredible mix of sly wit, vulnerability and also generosity.

Scorsese has been particularly big on visual stylish and polish. And amidst the period-era recreation, we can make out his own ingeniously original style of visual storytelling. Robert Richardson's elaborate and stunning camerawork captures the icy fog, the burned out coal smoke of engines and the incisive mechanisms and gears of Hugo's world. Scorsese also zooms into Hugo's perspective of the life and hustle and bustle in the station around him through the glass cases of the giant clocks scattered around the station. But he also leads us to the people, their amusements and their romantic aspirations. The result is that we can't help but fall in love with every character despite hir or her faults.

More than just a family film, this is a film that has something for everyone. It is genuinely heartwarming, often fast-paced and Scorsese navigates the somewhat predictable story with a real mastery over narrative, mood and mileu to entertain and captivate us. 'Hugo' is the fantsay film for ages and like last year's 'The King's Speech'. it wholly deserves all the trophies and a lot more than that!

My Rating- 4 and a half/5