The Best Of Bollywood In 2013

    
So, it is that time again. When I go back through memories of surrender to the magical delights of the silver screen, when I pick out the best films of the year, the best that Bollywood had to offer, despite all its hangovers of 100 crore clubs and item numbers and so on.
And yet, I am pretty disappointed. In 2012, we got more than a handful of genuinely stunning films by top directors at the peak of their game- this time, it all went downhill right from the beginning. Instead, it was the most unexpected names that made us sit up with attention- directors who shelled out mostly conventional fare that came out effectively good and well-done.
Still, this is a hardly a year to celebrate, despite the fact that it had nearly half a dozen blockbusters competing for attention. This time, it was even more difficult to pick out 10 proper names. I chose 9 and out of these, there may be barely 4 or 5 films which really rocked the house. The rest get credit simply for being well-intentioned efforts which did click, in fits and starts.
So, there are 9 films here but before we start, let's have a look at some of the year's worst films
1- Ghanchakkar- On the face of it, the story of Rajkumar Gupta's beguiling caper has an interesting premise- a master safecracker (Emraan Hashmi) gains amnesia and befuddles his wife and partners-in-crime. But the way how the deliberate, ridiculously over-the-top and farcical movie unfolds is terrible disastrous. From stretched-out, forcible jokes to mostly hammy acting (Vidya Balan, ugh), this film starts with a fairly hilarious robbery but then drops dead and becomes a dull mess of a film, with a climax that makes you laugh for its sheer stupidity.
2- Chennai Express- You know how, how bad Rohit Shetty's juvenile film is when you see a night-shot ripped off from Walt Disney's introduction credits (yeah, right, check it out!). This is scrappy filmmaking, neither here nor there- with the worst kind of racial stereotypes passing off as merely bad jokes, useless dance numbers and a plot which might work better in a Cartoon Network series. And all this might have been forgivable- had only Shahrukh Khan not made cringe-worthy facial expressions, had only Deepika Padukone not taken her comic role seriously and had only Shetty not indulged in much pointless car-crashing and those ridiculous action scenes which he models himself. Don't underestimate the stupidity of this one.
3- Besharam- The very fact that the otherwise dynamic and talented Ranbir Kapoor chose to do a film this asinine is worth shuddering at. Given the year's other monstrosities however, Abhinav Kashyap's no-brainer does pack in some decent laughs and there is a priceless moment when Kapoor's streetwise goon, recklessly OTT throughout, recovers his subtle acting strengths but the very fact that full-blown entertainment could be so regressive and outdated makes this otherwise harmless entertainer an unashamed disaster. Rishi Kapoor playing a Haryanvi cop for the second time this year is the only saving grace.


The 10th Place is one in which we will look at some films that tried quite valiantly enough but ended up falling short of the required mark...
'Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola' was fairly intriguing in its twisted plot of pink buffaloes, rural Communism and land grabbing but eventually succumbed to silliness than satire; 'Aashiqui 2' gave us a fair amount of old-school candyfloss romance between its leads and featured a melodious soundtrack but failed to push the envelope and ended on an outrageously embarassing note; 'Go Goa Gone' gave us extraordinarily invective-laden one liners without any hiccups, Saif Ali Khan in a killer cameo and three male leads who were far more real than most of the heroes in films but eventually became yet another zombie movie.

And now come the winners

9- Dhoom 3-

Let me quote John Lennon in brackets. 

Forget its lapses of logic and reason ('it's easy if you try'). Forget also the dysfunctional Jai and Ali pairing and the slightly slack pace in the second half ('I wonder if you can'). 
Sit back and enjoy superstar Aamir Khan take center stage as an illusionist-cum-thief-cum-action hero as he buzzes through the streets of Chicago in the intense first half and then emerges into a vengeful thief and even more. 

Sit back and enjoy, with a healthy dose of indulgence,as director Vijay Krishna Acharya go gloriously nuts with hi-tech bike daredevilry, gunning engines, police sirens, high-flying acrobats and gorgeous song sequences. And finally whistle at Katrina Kaif turn a daring acrobat act into a simmering striptease. 

Unabashedly, gloriously, lip-smackingly escapist yet endowed with a heart.

8- Bombay Talkies-

It is first and foremost a really innovative idea to come up with four nifty segments helmed by four leading Gen Y directors to celebrate the Maximum City, or more precisely, the gaudy yet glamorous sheen of its film industry- from acting aspirations to star-struck infatuation, and from addictive item numbers to the Madan Mohan tunes of yore. 

A well-intentioned and unique, if flawed, effort, 'Bombay Talkies' emerges as a fine mosaic of the mainstream and mind-challenging- four individual strands of talent coming together to stitch a vivid tribute to cinema.

A boy who models himself on Katrina Kaif, an unusual love triangle, a Simple Simon who nurses acting aspirations and a hilarious story of fanboy obsession involving a jar of murabba, each little film is lively and distinguished, even as two of them don't quite hit the mark. Eventually, it is the unconventional nuggets- coming from Dibakar Banerjee and Anurag Kashyap- that score the most and paint everlasting portraits of film fanaticism in our land- alternately hilarious and heartfelt.

7- Aurangzeb-

Atul Sabharwal's classy yet unshowy debut is a confident and self-assured throwback to the supercharged Salim-Javed and Yash Chopra yarns of the 70s, one which works better than those films with the terribly long 'Once Upon A Time' titles. 

The plot- centering on a swap of twins to bring down a supposedly illegitimate real estate empire in the sprawl of Gurgaon- is predictable yet fairly tight; Sabharwal perfectly balances emotional drama with firecracker tension and menace in a loopy script that is perfectly accentuated with intense images of the pervasive real estate development contrasted by those of the barren land that lies outside- a perfect metaphor for corruption of good and loss of honesty.

After a slightly awkward buildup, the film gains terrific momentum in the latter parts as Sabharwal ties up multiple story strands into a satisfyingly exciting scramble for power among a lineup of intriguing characters. Most of the power-packed punch comes from the stellar actors and while Arjun Kapoor struggles with a dual role and poor dialogue delivery- not to mention the bland newcomer Sasheh Agha- the rest- Prithviraj, Amrita Singh and an exceptionally vicious Rishi Kapoor steal the show.

6- Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani-

Ayan Mukerji's unashamedly escapist yet subtly poignant film is the year's most sprightly and heartwarming romantic comedies, one which is unafraid to let sparkling chemistry develop between its characters while letting us revel in the glory of unabashed entertainment- from a fun-filled hike in Manali to the wedding fiestas in Udaipur's sweeping lake palaces and from Ranbir Kapoor waltzing with a camera on the streets of Paris to Madhuri Dixit shaking a leg in a gorgeous ghagra. 

At the fun-filled core of a dead-simple plot of romance and bromance, is Kapoor's dynamic, raffish hero Bunny, a suitably bushy-tailed youngster with split-second comic timing yet with a heart, lending Mukerji's film with both hilarity and humanity.

The stellar first half packed with clever one-liners and quirky characters gives way to a slightly sermonizing second half in which Bunny, facing a definite romance to his old buddy Naina (Deepika Padukone), tries to figure out his priorities- freedom or romance and relationships? Nevertheless, Mukerji breezily wraps up everything with a flair for feel-good visuals, sparkling character rapport and more. Pritam's chartbusting songs are worth tapping to while Kalki Koechlin and Aditya Roy Kapur bring in terrific supporting turns.

5- Madras Cafe-

Shoojit Sircar's flawed yet honest and impeccably executed thriller tells a gripping tale of one of history's most gruesome chapters- the spree of Lankan terrorism that claimed many lives, including one of Congress behemoth Rajiv Gandhi. Names and titles have been changed but the story that Sircar and his team set out to tell is true nevertheless- the buildup of the heinous conspiracy and the desperate attempts of the Indian secret intelligence to uncover the truth. 

By expertly blending conventional heroics with documentary-style realism (ala Paul Greengrass), Sircar pulls off an action movie endowed with welcome insight and intelligence.

John Abraham throws in what can be called his most heartfelt, restrained and convincing performance ever whilst being amply supported by a solid cast- Prakash Belawadi nails it as the oily, suspicious Jaffna spook. While the film does falter a bit from openly revealing harsh truths and sticks a bit too much to espionage rather than politics, it is none the worse for it, builds up twists and turns extremely deftly and culminates in a terse, heartbreaking climax that impressively leaves enough room for more debate.

4- Kai Po Che!-

Most directors stick to formula when it comes to our youth films. Others try to break the barriers. And then there is Abhishek Kapoor, the director who made the glittering 'Rock On!' who superbly blends both styles into his second venture- a confident, soul-stirring adaptation of Chetan Bhagat's novel and perfectly lifts the mundane source material into a finely detailed movie about friendship and politics.

The bond between Ishaan (Sushant Singh Rajput), Govind (a superb Raj Kumar Yadav) and Omi (Amit Sadh) is captured in Kapoor's sepia-toned and vibrant visuals and is perfectly set against the simmering backdrop of cricket and communal politics in turn-of-the-century Gujarat. 

While slightly long and meandering, the film nevertheless succeeds in keeping both feel-good camaraderie and religious tensions on an even keel- the light, optimistic tone gives way to a second-half which darkens quite intensely and through it all, Kapoor handles his craft- from nuanced direction to pitch-perfect performances- with immaculate ease to nail a poignant and heartwarming film.

3- Shuddh Desi Romance-

It is nearly impossible to root a fomula cooked up by Woody Allen- of confused romance, post-coitus smoking and more- into the heat and dust of the pink lanes of Jaipur but that is what Maneesh Sharma's smooth and breezy direction and Jaideep Sahni's blazing, if episodic, script does with amazing panache. Mildly disguised as a delightfully twisty and loopy love triangle, 'Shuddh Desi Romance' actually turns out to be a bitingly perceptive, hilariously wordy and cheeky satire on romance, marriage and sexual freedom in an India that is slowly rising from slumber.

Finely contrasting warm, sizzling intimacy and spectacularly earthy romance with an endless barrage of incredibly hilarious dialogue, chatup sessions and pervasive confusion of marriage, this is the cheekiest and most ribald romantic comedy in recent times; and while the last 10 minutes can be a bit of a stretch, its biggest triumph lies in how Sharma and Sahni turn every single cliche on its head and come up trumps with a deliciously off-the-wall and comically anarchic take on relationships and romance as well as the generation gap in small-town India. 

The characters are themselves the smack of real- Sushant Singh Rajput's hapless lover-boy is perfectly overshadowed by the women in his life- the bubbly Gayatri (a spontaneous Parineeti Chopra) and the manipulative and mercurial Tara (Vaani Kapoor in a stellar debut) while Rishi Kapoor's wacky wedding planner not only makes everything hilarious but also real.

2- The Lunchbox-

It is amazing how a film centering on a simple detail- like a tiffin box delivered to the wrong address- can turn out to be smashingly stunning in its simplicity and yet universally appealing to all. Writer-director Ritesh Batra lifts the mere lunchbox detail into a multi-dimensional masterpiece- it is a stunning romance between two people who do not know each other; it is a searingly honest and extremely personal portrait of Bombay's relentless energy and unforgiving alienation and above all, it is as real as film-making can really get.

Irrfan Khan gives a world-class and nearly wordless performance as Saajan Fernandes, a mild-mannered, laconic clerk who opens his tiffin box one day to discover an Open Sesame to an unusual bond. It is from the stunningly simple beginnings that Batra sets the tune- flipping wonderfully from the odyssey of the city's famed dabbah-wallas to a distraught housewife (played exceptionally well by Nimrat Kaur) packing up lip-smacking delicacies in her husband's tiffin-box. Between the two emerges a heart-rending and soul-stirring romance that is as much a celebration of the city as it is of love that spans across age, generation and other barriers. 

Moving leisurely at its own languid pace,turning elegiac and intense by deft turns and its most humorous moments provided by the reliable Nawazzudin Siddiqui as Fernandes' slippery protege, Batra's film emerges as an ever-lasting portrait of life, with its ups and downs, without sounding even a bit preachy. And that is quite an achievement for us all.

1- Lootera-

Talk about its sheer courage. To cast two yet-untested and hardcore mainstream starlets into a film that breaks every single rule of filmmaking even as it sticks to a solid conventional romantic angle is brave enough. Yet, it is the brilliance of director Vikramaditya Motwane that makes 'Lootera' one of the finest mainstream films to have rolled out of our over-indulgent Bollywood- a finely crafted, impeccably shot and lyrically intense romance that takes an old, much-loved O. Henry short story and turns it into magnificent, mesmerizing filmmaking at its best.

The story is as predictable as it can get- a clean-cut pinup boy meets a spoilt and effervescent girl with a cloistered life in the languid 50s and as sparks fly off, there is much deception in store as well, but almost everything about 'Lootera' is deceptively simple.

Rather, what makes this a sure masterpiece is how Motwane, with a directorial hand so assured of its craft and premise, weaves the oft-told story into an entirely new yet utterly real world. This is a film that uses its staggeringly precise period detail to unprecedented limits- songs of Dev Anand starrers effectively portray transitions in time while complimenting the shifts in mood and pace while the landscapes and sets reek of texture rather than glamour- lending the film an authentically decaying and rugged feel rather than pomp and show.

Cinematographer Mahendra Shetty creates miracles out of the most minimal things- grainy sunlight, luminous mosquito nets, pale white lace curtains and the powdery snow falling on the streets of Dalhousie. Motwane seamlessly blends elements of intrigue, moral questioning and high-stakes action into the central romance while Amit Trivedi crafts a meticulous score that sometimes lends a voice to the deep silences. And then, there are the performances.

Ranveer Singh as a robber caught between his fugitive life and his love nails a solid, effectively poignant and heroic performance while Sonakshi Sinha, as his lady love, a woman on the throes of both bertrayal and certain death, gives a performance, both enthusiastically clever and heart-breakingly passionate, to mint Motwane's film as a modern classic.

Will 'Tashan' Work Today?

           

 

My last memories of watching a movie in Pinky Cinema in Andheri East (before it transformed from a run-down theatre to a slick albeit single screen revamp and eventually a MTNL office and a place for classrooms of TIME) go back to May 2008. In a sudden burst of enthusiasm, we- I, my sister and my mother- headed off in the hottest part of the usual Bombay afternoon in a baked autorickshaw to catch the much-awaited movie of the season- ‘Tashan’. Disregarding the brickbats hurled by critics and audiences, we nevertheless gave it a try, waiting in the hot sun after buying our afternoon show tickets from a battered window. After waiting next to a stall full of dog-eared copies of acclaimed books (To Kill A Mockingbird, The Pelican Brief) and colourful books with lyrics of popular Hindi songs, we went inside the theatre with lumps of chewing gum beneath our frigid seats and watched a Yash Raj films with a crowd of hooting people. But as the 2 and half hour duration ended, I was one of the few who were smiling.

To put it shortly, I was one of the few people who like Vijay Krishna Acharya’s debut film- a wild, wacky and almost nonsensical film which was unanimously voted by critics and viewers simultaneously as one hell of a disappointment. I was one of the few who gave the film a sort of cult status, even after it failed at the box office and became known, in some circles, as ‘Aditya Chopra Ki Aag’. Later, people took back their statements and agreed that yeah, Kareena Kapoor looked stunning in the bikini. And yes, Akshay Kumar was pure badass. But they all agreed that it was a film best avoided.

Let us set the clocks back at the last year itself. Despite all the achievements that some of the year’s best directors- Shoojit Sircar, Anurag Kashyap and Sujoy Ghosh- managed to accomplish, people still chat on about how mindless monstrosities like ‘Rowdy Rathore’, ‘Son Of Sardaar’ and ‘Dabanng 2’ made more than 100 crores at the box-office. And they are equally keen on watching how ‘Chennai Express’ or Salman Khan’s next venture ‘Mental’ fares at the box office.

So, if Aditya Chopra decided to re-release ‘Tashan’ in today’s 100 crore-obsessed times, will it work?

To begin with, let me defend the film itself. Acharya’s film was never supposed to be taken seriously. If audiences were honestly thinking that ‘Tashan’ will be a realistic movie, then they are really going for the wrong movie. In many ways, ‘Tashan’ seems to be a far, far better film than, say, ‘Rowdy Rathore’, ‘Son Of Sardaar’ and even the messy sequel called ‘Dabanng 2’ which spoiled all the fun that the first indulgent film brought to us.

What ‘Tashan’ had, more than these films, was a sort of balance between expensive production values and mainstream entertainment values. It starred a solid cast of performers, all of whom are A-grade actors. It had a great and even hugely under-rated soundtrack (the title song remains to be a heady pleasure). It had some spunky action modelled on kung-fu films, ‘Kill Bill’, ‘The Matrix’ and even Tamil movies. And it was shot on exotic locations- from Greece to Rajasthan, and from Ladakh’s dryness to Kerala’s backwaters. Everything is in favour of it becoming a blockbuster.

If there is a flaw, then it has to be in the plot and the writing. Acharya’s visual process is energetic, stunning and whimsical- bringing a Terry Gilliam-like daftness to the proceedings. However, unlike Gilliam’s films, what ‘Tashan’ sorely lacked was a proper plot. Even with all the tomfoolery, one feels inevitably that Acharya could have done more. Acharya, a talented dialogue writer, is best known for his blazing work in ‘Pyaar Ke Side Effects’ and ‘Guru’. And there are many notable places in ‘Tashan’ where his deftness with dialogue shows- the earthy, rustic tone that he brings to Akshay Kumar’s one-liners which is equally snappy and hilarious, or the confidence that oozes in Kareena Kapoor’s lines. But the same cannot be said for Anil Kapoor’s Hinglish mutterings- which need to be properly understood, and then subtitled. What could have been the film’s real comic punch is totally wasted and Kapoor’s caricature-like performance further ruins things.

And this is just the dialogue. Other than that, the movie is too random- it is also a bit too long, instead of being crisp. After one Robert Rodriguez-like action set-piece in a Rajasthani fort, which has one relentless moment of fast and furious gunfire, the film suddenly slackens down and becomes more interested in an elaborate yet far-fetched flashback. There is a pouty girl on a bicycle and a moustachioed adolescent guy who steals electricity by tampering with wires and love instantly happens. Obviously, it all looks visually good, even to the point of being mesmerizing. But such elegance has little to do with an out-and-out action comedy.

Yet. Yet. The truth remains that Acharya’s film, for all its rambling duration, is still way, way ahead of most of the Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn starrers in recent times. There are wonderful bits- like the brief and breezy Saif-Kareena angle, the sweet and lightly handled Akshay- Kareeena chemistry with both visuals (Ayananka Bose does a fab job) and well-crafted dialogue to match. There are also devilishly clever moments- the opening scene- with a car swerving to the alternate tunes of ‘Kabhie Kabhie’ and ‘Highway To Hell’- rivals anything that Tarantino has done with its self-referential joke underlining the culture clash superbly. And there are laugh-out loud silly moments- Anil Kapoor’s snarling villain bashes up a person with a cricket bat saying that he is a mix of Tendulkar and Lara. And there are many more, throw in randomly which are much more memorable than the foul humour that most of the action-comedy genre throws at us.

But will it work in today’s context? From what it seems, it is all a matter of marketing. Today’s producers and distributors spend millions on marketing their films and outings. Marketing is not just about generating ticket sales. It is more about creating an aura around the film. And this is how the marketers of ‘Dabanng’ and ‘Golmaal’ franchises have made the films best-sellers.

A film is marketed and promoted for the content that it would offer to people. ‘Dev. D’ was marketed as a visually path-breaking and urban adaptation of a classic done in an experimental way and that was how it was. ‘Dabanng’ and, for that matter, the ridiculously successful ‘Bodyguard’ were promoted as full-fledged action films and that was what they were.

So, maybe, Aditya Chopra needs to work out a suitable marketing strategy. He may choose to market the film’s funny bits and its star value so as to draw more crowds to the film, to create enough of a buzz. It is perhaps tragic that only the soundtrack of ‘Tashan’ made it to the promos and trailers.

Anurag Kashyap once said that if there was something that he could change about his misunderstood ‘No Smoking’, it was the way it was marketed. This is something that should be done to ‘Tashan’ as well. Because for all its flaws, this is still a film that deserves at least the big bucks that more mediocre films have notched up.

 

 

 

 

Why 'Titanic' Is Not Great Enough

'' 'Titanic' rocks'', says one of my friends. 'Titanic is so well-made, it is so emotional', says another. 'It is one of my favorite romantic movies', says my sister. 'It is really beautiful', says my father. 'But', I begin in my response but I can never really finish that sentence because I can never really convince people why James Cameron's 'Titanic' is far from being the cerebral masterpiece that everyone claims that it is.

Did I say 'everyone'? Well, then let me take back my own word and let me tell you of an alternate opinion, growing stronger and stronger by the minute which would go on to protest against the pile of accolades, acclaim and awards which Cameron's film went on to bag in 1997-1998 and let me explain well enough that I don't really hate Cameron's film. Yes, it is indeed well-crafted, which is to say that it is a piece of monumental filmmaking, blending state-of-the-art special effects, models, sets and more to make a movie that was as thrillingly larger-than-life (mostly in the visual sense) as the grand yet ill-fated ship itself. And yes, it has some truly sentimental moments, moments that make us choke in our throats and push back our tears. But a masterpiece? I am not sure.

What goes wrong in Cameron's film? I have nothing against the sentimentality; what I found particularly distressing was how unoriginal Cameron's narrative was. To begin with, this is not really a movie about how the Titanic eventually sunk into the depths, taking along its extensive treasures with it. Rather, this is more of a love story in the most conventional and predictable way possible. Aristocratic pretty girl Rose falls for the reckless, almost penniless amateur painter Jack and we almost make out how their romance would progress. There is all the usual stuff about Rose desperately trying to break out of her cloistered and civilized existence and Jack seems to be the knight for this damsel in distress; he is the one who sets her free from her gilded cage and yeah, he gets her drunk as well and they eventually fall in love.

Predictable indeed, but Cameron could still have woven a truly sensational scenario around it. It never happens. Their idea of throwing a spanner into the wheel of romance is totally ridiculous. Rose' suitor Caledon, chosen predictably by her domineering mother and played by Billy Zane, turns out to be a scoundrel, a character so ruthless that he is eventually deemed as a caricature. Throw in some more nasty looking though smartly dressed rich folks who are dead against the innocent-looking Jack and you get a romance which is more fitting of a Mills and Boons paperback than to be portrayed on celluloid for nearly three hours.

Am I exaggerating something? Well, certainly not, because even without the romantic angle, the narrative of 'Titanic' is nothing beyond the ordinary. Cameron seemed to be wrapping up the disaster movie format with the parallel romantic track. But what does he end up achieving? A film of bits and pieces- a film that goes on far too long while we wait for something to happen, which is inevitable. The ship will sink and our lovers will get plenty of opportunity to express love for each other in a number of sequences of expertly executed peril. And of course, one of them must die. Sigh!

I have nothing against exploring characters in a disaster movie and in that respect, some of our vintage disaster movies like 'Airport' and 'The Towering Inferno' did a great job, giving us a cast of interesting characters all of whom play a key role in the tumultous events that follow. So, we feel all the crucial themes of villainy, heroism, romance and tragedy coming together to make a sensational experience. Clunky as their effects look today, there is no denying that such films were equipped with tight plots and fully-fleshed characters.

Cameron meanwhile is more interested in the effects rather than characters or tension. The film is shockingly bereft of any tension and while the finale- an hour-long sequence of the ship being wrecked amidst general panic and chaos- feels genuinely stunning, the buildup is totally futile. So obsessed is Cameron with the romance that he almost forgets that his characters are actually on a ship that is all set to sink. For a briefly interesting part of the movie, the film focuses on the characters of Captain Edward John Smith, along with the honest builder Thomas Andrews and the hard-nosed, aristocractic Ismay who is more concerned about his own safety rather than that of the passengers. They all make a memorable appearance but it is the fault of Cameron and Cameron alone to altogether forget them and make just slight references to them in the film's climax. Here, even the most heartfelt sequences of death and tragedy feel artificial. When the disciplined Captain Smith retires to the bridge, almost submitting to the fury of nature, or when Andrews broods alone in a sinking room about how he could have built a stronger ship, we know that their respective ends are tragic. But we never feel the pain. We never really care. Because Cameron does not care for them, either.

What Cameron eventually cares for, other than the ridiculously predictable romance between Rose and Jack and Caledon's simmering rage, is for the ship itself. When the Titanic sails, the film acquires an almost magical quality. To begin with, the ship looks fully wondrous and larger-than-life like the actual ship itself. It also feels like a living thing and in a number of monumental scenes, Cameron, equipped with Russel Carpenter's beautiful camerawork, zooms into the steaming engines, vigorous cogs and wheels and all the hustle-bustle in the engines. And even the opulent interiors feel authentic and luxurious, so when it all crashes in truly stunning manner, we feel that this was how it actually happened.

There is no faulting Cameron for that and on any given day, 'Titanic' feels like a film that deserves a re-release in 3D format, unlike 'Jurassic Park', which got some flak because the extra-dimension exposed its technical snags. But let's not forget that Cameron is also the man behind some superb outings- 'The Terminator', 'Aliens', 'The Abyss' and 'Terminator 2- Judgment Day'. All these films are hard-core, hi-tech actioners packed with stellar special effects and action scenes but they are also films endowed with clever characterization, taut direction and perfectly placed elements of heroics, evil, romance and emotion. 'Titanic' does not even try. It remains to be more of an experiment with visual effects and grand filmmaking rather than good storytelling. And it is best if we just think of it in the same way.

Yeah, sure it has its moments- some truly sensational- like Leonardo Di Caprio's loveable loafer Jack screaming 'I am The King Of The World!' after watching the dolphins leaping up and down. Or that moment- a passionate moment at the ship's mast against the setting sun. Or even that needlessly controversial 'sketching' sequence. All such bits are fine, but they don't add up to a great whole.

There is a joke about 'Titanic'. It goes, that sinking the ship in the film cost more than the money that was originally spent on creating the original ship. It is a similar problem with Cameron's film. For all the effort and money that goes into making it, it turns to be more costly when it sinks. And yes, it hurts a lot to see such good potential going down the ocean.

25 Best Movie Characters Of All Time- Part 3

15-Leonard Shelby- Memento (2000)
Actor- Guy Pearce

A mere memory problem can make a person totally confused. But while Guy Pearce deserves a mention prematurely for portraying the confusion so, so accurately, what makes his performance more special is that we never really trust Leonard Shelby. Loosely based on Jonathan Nolan’s short story, Christopher Nolan’s ingenious brainteaser is driven solely by Shelby’s ambiguity. Between sorting out clues and solving puzzling mysteries and conspiracies, Leonard emerges fully as a character with his actions and words- he elicits our empathy at first but as the plot progresses, he turns out to be smarter and craftier than he actually looks. Pearce delivers a gutsy and totally believable performance as Leonard, capturing his predicament yet nailing it with enigma and the final twist is totally worth it.

14- Jimmy Conway- Goodfellas (1990)
Actor- Robert De Niro

Joe Pesci bagged most of the awards and attention for his loose-cannon role of foul-mouthed, trigger-happy Tommy De Vito. But everyone knows that director Scorsese and De Niro hit off the best chemistry ever. So, it is De Niro as the smart ace gangster Jimmy who makes the best impression in this superb ensemble of actors. A hitman who loves to hijack trucks among other things, Conway seems to be much calmer than De Vito and other fellow gangsters but when he really loses his temper, it is best to stay away. Despite the air of danger that he carries around him, he always remains calm, biding his time for striking when the opportunity comes. But as the brilliant film winds down to a pitch-dark ending, it is here the seams begin to show- though Conway laughs the most at most things, he soon becomes jumpy, nervous, no longer the smooth gangster he was in his heyday. It is a fabulous performance, perfectly pitched, tense and also poignant and warm.

13- John McClane- Die Hard (1988)
Actor- Bruce Willis

Action heroes have become quite lean in these days and Harrison Ford's Indiana Jones and good old Schwarzenegger deserve to be remembered for bringing wonderful warmth to their macho action roles. But for me, it is Bruce Willis who made the most impression, becoming an action hero who will be unforgettable even as he makes mistakes and one who will elicit both our praise as well as sympathy. There is a nicely subtle and understated charm about Willis' McClane as he genuinely feels like a character out of context- a LA cop in snowy New York to begin with and then caught alone in a glitzy, hi-tech skyscraper with a nasty gang of terrorists lead by the equally smart and calculated Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman). But with the right mix of physical thrills, deadpan humor and vulnerability, McClane soon settles to business and musters up enough bravado to say the now well-known line 'Yippee-Ki-Yay XXXXXX'. And even as he makes his way to the finale with bloody feet, he never loses his hilarious sense of humor as he corrects Gruber about a reference to a classic Western classic, showing how out of context Gruber is.

12- General Buck Turgidson- Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Actor- George C. Scott

'Of course, it isn't just physical! I deeply respect you as a human being!'

A simple line obviously but the way General Buck Turgidson delivers it as he is called up by his girlfriend in the midst of a tense military meeting is instantly memorable. Turgidson is not just a panicked lover, he is also a tough yet jumpy military commander who often finds his opinions dominated by the irascible President Merkin Muffley (Peter Sellers) in the War Room. Clearly exasperated with the pointless political discussions and keen on launching military action against the Russians, Turgidson comes across as a solid character, full of tireless, energy, a hot temper and endless brash charisma. Easy as it is to call 'Dr. Strangelove' as Stanley Kubrick's finest work, it is equally hard to pick out a single memorable character out of a fantastic cast. But while Sellers was superb in his three-character- role and Sterlin Hayden was compelling as the delusional general, it is Scott's Turgidson, coming 6 years before his Oscar-winning turn as General George S. Patton, that remains to be unforgettable.

11- Inspector Harry Callahan- Dirty Harry (1971)
Actor- Clint Eastwood

After 'Rawhide' album covers and Spaghetti-western movie posters, ace actor Clint Eastwood would turn to one of the most scorching characters on the big screen- the tough-as-nails San Francisco cop Harry Callahan. Dubbed sometimes as 'Dirty Harry', here is a man who won't take any bullshit. He is clearly the wrong man for any negotiations, for Harry does not believe in sparing the criminals. He takes him down, by hook or by crook. Pitted against a hellbent psychopathic sniper, Harry is equally ruthless but his nihilistic actions seem to be driven by the senseless crime happening around him. Dressed invariably in those suave herring-bone suits, Eastwood is not just an exceptionally handsome action hero- he is also a dedicated yet vigilant enforcer with a conscience. And yes, he is perfect for 'every dirty job that comes along' like rescuing a suicidal jumper from a building. Gene Hackman's hilarious and vile Popeye came the same year but Eastwood's charisma is unbeatable.

Long Live Pransaab

A TRIBUTE TO THE SHER-KHAN OF HINDI CINEMA!
MADE BY MY FATHER!

25 Best Movie Characters Of All Time- Part 2

20- Butch Cassidy/Sundance Kid- Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969)
Actors- Paul Newman and Robert Redford

Screenwriter William Goldman also wrote the Oscar-winning Hollywood script of the Bernstein/Woodward story starring Redford and Dustin Hoffman in leads. But it is his sleek, split-second, warm and funny script for this Western caper that remains to be one of the finest ever. Most notably, Goldman along with director George Roy Hill sculpted two extraordinary male leads pitted together in a hot chase after a robbery goes wrong. Fellow thieves Butch (Paul Newman) and Sundance (Robert Redford) fly the coop on foot, on horseback and eventually scoot off to faraway Bolivia along with their common lady love (Katharine Ross), all the while mouthing a constant stream of hilarious dialogues, which let off sparks between the duo. Sundance is laconic and precise, Butch is charismatic and crafty; Sundance does not know to swim while Butch merely laughs about it; Butch seduces his girl with bicycle tricks while Sundance does it with a gun in the dark. Their contrast is sharply etched and it results in some hilarious setups but as they are eventually cornered in the moving climax and end up chatting about running away to Australia, you can’t help but feel for them both.

19- Jake La Motta- Raging Bull (1980)
Actor- Robert De Niro

Yeah, there is all this hype around it- the amount of preparation that De Niro did for this mammoth performance, about how he and Scorsese were closely involved in bringing the real-life veteran boxer on the silver screen and all that. But above all, like most of their unforgettable collaborations, this one is remembered mainly as a deeply troubling and heartbreakingly honest portrait of masculinity. Jake La Motta, the Bronx Bull, the relentless champ of the ring, turns out to be almost a monster for his most loved ones. From breaking his early marriage to suspecting his new wife- several years younger than him- of infidelity and finally bashing up his brother Joey (an explosive Joe Pesci) despite all that the latter did for him, Jake is also a terror, not only on his opponents but also on himself- his gluttony leads him to gain fat while he deliberately lets rival Sugar Ray knock him down into a bloody mess- after which he says ‘You never got me, Ray’. Yet, he is also surprisingly likeable, even worthy of sympathy- when he snuggles up close to his wife, when he desperately hugs his brother to reconcile and when, in a dark cell, he cries out with shattering pain- ‘They Call Me an Animal! I Am Not An Animal!’ Simply heartbreaking.

18-Captain Hilts- The Great Escape (1963)
Actor- Steve McQueen

Long before Arnold Schwarzenegger immortalized the Harley Davidson, while playing a mean and lean cyborg, sensational Steve McQueen immortalized the motorcycle as the ultimate symbol of rippling masculinity. And no, McQueen did not have the pecs and biceps of Arnie. What he had was pure cool. As the cockiest inmate in a high-security POW camp, Captain Hilts is also the most daring, irreverent and heroic. He cares less about his life, lesser about the constantly befuddled camp commanders and even less about the rest of the prisoners. All he wants is a quick getaway but he nevertheless lends a hand to the other 250. Armed with a baseball ball, he enjoys time in the ‘Cooler’ but when he escapes, it is then the most heroic bits come. Riding across the country without saying anything, McQueen becomes the coolest action hero performing daredevilry with a bike. And when in the end, he is tangled up in barb wire, we want him to live for sure, albeit in the ‘Cooler’.

17- Mr. Blonde- Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Actor- Michael Madsen

Sometimes, a single scene can define a whole film and a whole filmmaking culture. And while Quentin Tarantino has given us more than enough of such moments, the moment that remains to be iconic has to be the one which stars Mr. Blonde in a gleefully gruesome moment. Throughout the film, till that moment, Madsen’s sinister Mr. Blonde remains in the background as his fellow color-coded thieves argue heatedly about a messy heist job. But when he gets hold of a cop and ties him to a chair, the stage is set for one of the most extraordinary moments in the film. He gets into action, with a radio and a razor blade as he tunes playfully to a pop classic and then, all of a sudden, with alarming alacrity plunges the razor on the poor cop’s face. And then watch the horror of it all as Mr. Blonde plays around with a severed ear. Surely, Mr. Blonde is nothing more than a psychopath but Madsen’s indulgently repulsive performance makes his actions morbidly delightful.

16- Amon Goethe- Schindler’s List (1993)
Actor- Ralph Fiennes

Steven Spielberg’s incredible masterpiece, a tragic story of an unlikely hero of the grim days of Holocaust, was also known for its extraordinary performances and in this aspect, it is Ralph Fiennes who makes the most impression starring as one of the most devilish characters to make an appearance. His Amon Goethe comes to represent the worst of Nazism- as the commander in charge of liquidation of the ghetto in Krakow, Goethe is so ruthless that we almost believe that he is more of a machine rather than a human being. He lusts after his maid but when she does not reciprocate, he beats her mercilessly. Goethe is not just a villain. He is pure evil. With a stony stare in his eyes and an evil grin on his face, Fiennes comes off as nothing less than Satan on earth. And it is really unforgettable and awfully dangerous. When he recites that haunting ‘Today Is History’ speech, you cannot help but feel a chill down your spine.

25 Best Movie Characters Of All Time- Part 1

They are either the most heroic, or the most villainous, either the sanest or the zaniest, either the scariest or the funniest. Here is a look at some of the most memorable screen characters of the Hollywood movies. They are a mixed up bunch of action heroes, gangsters, tycoons, villains, powerful people, cynics, freaks and more. And they are all memorable for their respective characters, performances and moments that have become truly unforgettable in every sense.

It was nearly impossible to pick out 25 names from an inevitably long line-up and I have admittedly left out a good deal of legendary heroes, villains and characters. However, while you are free to give your own suggestions, I promise that my own choices are pretty extraordinary and they are nothing short of legendary and amazing themselves.

Here is then the first part of the line-up and we begin the countdown now….

25- Colin Sullivan, The Departed (2006)
Actor- Matt Damon

As always, super director Martin Scorsese roped in a great cast for his Oscar-winning crime thriller and while Leonardo Di Caprio and Jack Nicholson bagged most of the raves, special mention should be given to Damon’s suave yet slippery Colin, as Di Caprio’s rival in this covert thriller. Starting as a clean-cut, confident cop, Colin doubles up as a less-than-efficient mole for his ‘Dad’ Costello (played by Nicholson). Torn between his promising cop career and his filial devotion to the steely Costello, Colin fumbles more than often and it is his blundering, awkward style (and implicit impotence) that give the film its real, crackling fireworks, most notably in the second half. Damon has done some great performances apart from his stellar turn as Jason Bourne but it is his role as the deceptively sleek criminal in disguise that stands out in his portfolio. He nails Colin’s naiveté with startling conviction, making his blunders look real and stark but he is also unafraid to reveal the rougher edges to his smoothness and it shows up in extraordinary sequences from a dinner with his lady love Madolyn (Vera Farmiga) to the shattering confrontation with his Dad which shows Colin at his most repulsive ever.

24- Allan Quartermain- King’s Solomon Mines (1950)
Actor- Stewart Granger

Granger, one of the more dashing heroes of the era of the 40s and 50s, has clearly never been better. He plays the archetypal adventure hero role with relish, sinking his teeth into the originally introspective character of H. R. Haggard’s exhilarating adventure novel and making him a more fleshed out person- an ivory hunter content to live in Africa yet endowed with cynical wit and enough heroic charm. We see Granger in his best when he indulges in some flirtatious banter with the pretty-yet-harried Deborah Kerr. He is clearly at ease in the wild goose chase for a husband and some diamonds while she often complains about the flies, fleas, scorpions, heat and yes, Allan himself. Effortlessly charismatic and having a great time in deciphering old legends and flirting with Kerr, Granger also makes for a convincing action hero, free from clichés as he engages himself in stellar adventure as well. You cannot help but cheer for him as he explains the meaning of an old Swahili song and then adds, mischievously, ‘Maybe I am Lucky Too’.

23-Lancaster Dodd- The Master (2012)
Actor- Phillip Seymour Hoffman

At a first glance, Lancaster Dodd, ‘a writer, philosopher….and above all a man’ seems like the dapper gentleman that his name suggests. And with a hairdo and moustache like Orson Welles in ‘Citizen Kane’, he perfectly typifies the American of the 50s. There is more to him than his sheepish smile and his glassy gaze and Hoffman, a master actor, reveals it all in his terrific and stormy portrayal of a cult leader questioned by everyone- from sceptics to his most loyal followers. Posed as a flawed Jesus Christ, Dodd is as charismatic, wise and suave as he looks but beneath the smooth exterior lays a surprising hollowness and a mercurial temper. He does not like to be doubted and yet he cannot defend his own beliefs- instead choosing to argue vehemently and even use the F word. Yet, he is also dedicated enough to help out his latest follower Freddie Quell (an awesome Joaquin Phoenix) who is simply befuddled about what to believe and what not to believe. It is a performance that makes you smile and cringe at the same time.

22-Alfred Bowden- The Prestige (2006)
Actor- Christian Bale

Between the psychopathic Patrick Bateman and the psychologically-angst-ridden Batman, there is Christian Bale’s towering, magnificent and mercurial performance as a dynamic illusionist in this Christopher Nolan masterpiece. Yeah, right, Hugh Jackman played his showy rival with great élan but it is Bowden who is a creepier character. Laconic, observant, incredibly talented and ruthlessly determined, Bowden is always the ticking bomb- more than delighted and eager to foil Archer’s grandiose plans with his stealthy ways. And yes, as the final twist of the tale approaches, you end up rooting for him for all his calculated cruelty. Bale makes the character utterly real- wonderfully playing Bowden’s sneaky tactics with great relish- best witnessed in a scene where he says out in joy ‘Pardon Me for the Intrusion’ and yet nailing him a torn-apart character full of warmth and humanity.

21- Roy Neary- Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977)
Actor- Richard Dreyfuss

If Steven Spielberg had ever intended to make his own version of Martin Scorsese’s saga of obsession ‘Taxi Driver’, then ‘CEOTTK’ could be it. Deservedly called by many as the finest sci-fi film ever, it is also a solid story of human obsession and yes, as in Scorsese’s film, it is also driven by a mind-numbing central male performance. Richard Dreyfuss plays Roy Neary, a line worker seemingly happy with his kids and wife until one starry night, when he comes in a close encounter with a glittering UFO above his vehicle. Things soon go downhill for him- he loses his job and his own new-found obsession with the things popping up in the night sky end up ruining his family life as well. Dreyfuss captures the unrelenting paranoia and obsession of his harried character with staggering conviction and under Spielberg’s heartfelt direction, proves how something explicitly wonderful can be equally devastating.
Coming soon....- Part 2

Man Of Steel- Will It Fly High?

Before I fell in love with Batman- thanks to Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale for that- I imagined myself as the Man Of Steel. Yes, with my chunky prescription glasses and my mild-mannered, introvert nature at school, I could have been Clark Kent. And when back home, I used to slip into a bright blue T-shirt with a big red S emblazoned on its chest and, with my one arm stretched and a spit curl on my forehead, I would zoom from one place to another.

Indeed, Superman, making a legendary comic book debut back in 1938, is the original Hero among heroes and it has to do with his larger-than-life origins, making even a referential presence in Salman Rushdie's magnum opus 'Midnight's Children'. Bruce Wayne was the orphaned millionaire vowing solemnly to fight crime; Peter Parker was the teen with raging hormones who got bitten by a radioactive spider. And as for the ragtag team of Avengers Assemble or the X-Men, they owe their origins to both history and mythology.

But Superman beats them all, when it comes to origins. The often-told story of how the idealistic father Jor-El sent his only son Kal-El away on a small rocket to Earth, moments before his home, the planet Krypton exploded, is nothing short of fascinating.

And right from those memorable Action Comics panels to the early TV series and movies and Richard Donner's 1978 Hollywood version- which is called sometimes the gold standard in superhero films- and its sequels down to the cheerful and humorous animated series on Cartoon Network, we have been handed the same S- bearing hero from Krypton and we have lapped up him gladly.

 Now, less than 24 hours from now, the highly anticipated reboot 'Man Of Steel' is all set to release amidst a lot of buzz and excitement. Marketed as a Warner Bros. summer blockbuster, this film already has a lot going for it. It has a new face above the red and blue outfit (even the outfit is no longer that red or blue). Henry Cavill makes for a gritty and masculine Superman who seems like a good change from the smile-happy blue-eyed Christopher Reeve and the confident-but-unremarkable Brandon Routh. It is produced by the dynamic Christopher Nolan, who gave us the extraordinary Batman reboot as well. And yes, other than the ambitious product tie-ins, this also promises to be a darker twist on the original Superman myth and already its trailers are making a lot of noise. It has all the makings of a blockbuster.

And then, one cannot help but feel a reservation. Everything might work in the favor of this summer release. That is everything, except for the director. Zack Snyder, an honest comic-book buff at heart, is the man who is in charge of this loaded ship and despite 5 feature film outings, he has still to prove that his comic book enthusiasm translates into good filmmaking. After a fairly promising debut- a remake of a George Romero horror film, Snyder has mostly stumbled- there was the mindless, juvenile yet shockingly popular '300' a film that chose to chroma-key the legendary Frank Miller comic book of the 300 Spartans against the Persians and ended up making a bloody mess out of it. There was yet another graphic novel adaptation but this time it was a clearly impossible task- 'Watchmen' the movie falls short of being as legendary and seminal as its source- the Alan Moore epic that is considered as a classic. Then came two further forgettable outings- a dull animated venture about fighting owls and 'Sucker Punch', a flimsy tale of trigger-happy ill-clad gals fighting monsters. Clearly, Snyder's abilities are dubious. And it still remains a question whether he can prove his worth with this Superman outing.

And he alone is not to be doubted. The script itself seems problematic, as does the original intention of a reboot. The story, as penned by David Goyer, who also worked on 'Batman Begins', is about the Man of Steel and his origins but it seems to be pitting the hero against the villains who also flew out of Krypton. Obviously, that means that Snyder and Goyer are mixing the 1978 movie with its 1980 sequel which was essentially more of an awkward romance between Lois and Clark, than a superhero movie. But that also means that we will not get to see what Donner's film, comics and animated series have always offered to us. Superman's biggest nemesis is, and will be, Lex Luthor, the maeglomaniac-cum-millionaire who feels threatened by Superman's fame.

If it had not been for Lex Luthor, the Kryptonian villains could not have come at all to Earth, right? It has always been Luthor who has used his wealth and influence to try and weed out Man Of Steel. And he is a compelling bad guy, nursing a grudge and desperate to win back his origina position. Gene Hackman played it memorably in Richard Donner's movie as well as the sequels, his performance wrapped up in the wig of campy enjoyment-yet he even removes it away to show his nasty side. And even Kevin Spacey made a stellar tribute with a Luthor who was creepy. Does this year's reboot has a Luthor? Regrettably, no.

Instead, there is the Krypton villain General Zod who seems to be pitted against Superman. And somehow, this means that Superman seems to be heading the territory of Thor. Like Thor, he is now against an alien from his own planet. And this gives Snyder and his actors plenty of excuses to indulge in some relentless battle of brawn, rather than battle of wits, as it happens between Superman and Luthor.

And then there is the dubious intention. In an age when superheroes are getting bigger and bigger, Snyder and Nolan seem to be more interested in cutting down the original charm and nailing Superman as a serious guy. It is all okay to address the concerns of alienation and loneliness- the prime issues that most supernatural heroes face but one should never forget having fun. It would work well for Batman, because he is after all a darker hero, more of a vigilante than a supernatural Messiah and Nolan delivered the much-needed realism and darkness to the series. But Superman is a different story. Here is a man who is confident, a man who can easily make tough metal bend, a man who can even make the Leaning Tower straight. To make things deliberately portentious is almost like robbing him of his characteristic charm. And Snyder should have known better.

Sure, it is fine to focus on issues but that requires an altogether separate project. A TV series called 'Lois and Clark' was a breezy look at the sparks between Lois Lane and Clark Kent. She tries to decipher his mystery, while he struggles to keep it hidden. Another TV series, 'Smallville' was mostly about Clark Kent's early days, learning to handle his powers at a young age. While it will be surely refreshing to see a slightly steelier Man Of Steel, the fear remains that it may end up becoming too serious.

So, will 'Man Of Steel' work? Will it really soar in the clouds and become a seminal blockbuster? Or will it go down as yet another messed up superhero origins flick, like Ang Lee's 'Hulk' or that terrible 'X-Men Origins- Wolverine'? We don't know yet. But yeah, one thing is sure. The beautiful and talented Amy Adams is just perfect as Lois Lane.

Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani- Frothy But Fun!

The opening scene of Ayan Mukerji's latest film reminds us, in its pomp and splendor, that this is most importantly a Karan Johar production. Make no mistake. This is the world of Mr. Johar, of super-rich people, super-big weddings, of gorgeous lehengas and ghagras and flawless sherwanis and so on. And, as the scene illustrates, this is also the world of perfectly round laddoos and shiny parcels. There are wealthy people, the kind of people who send invitations via FedEx to their globe-trotting buddies and send video messages as well to show off their elaborate wardrobes. Shifting seamlessly, if a bit fruitlessly, from the alternately colorful and frosty Manali (actually Kashmir) to the buzzing Paris and finally landing up on the glistening lake palaces of Udaipur, this is a rich film- a sumptous feast for the eyes and already with that beautifully enigmatic first shot, your tongue is in your cheek. So, who cares if Deepika Padukone's Naina nostalgically goes through her old memories in her room? Indeed, who cares, as long as it looks so good?

Fashioned like an epic story of love and friendship, (the trailers are suggesting it willingly), Mukerji's film might be easily called as the '3 Idiots' of the rom-com genre (the box-office numbers seem to be that big as well). As in that film, the larger-than-life feel-good factor often surprasses any real emotional relatability and much of the energy and vigor is thrown on having a lot of fun. Indeed, it is all dressed up with nowhere to go but is that really a bad thing?

My cynical nature would be inclined to agree but for most part 'Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani' clicks. It works fascinatingly as a fine piece of mainstream entertainment with characters who exhibit refreshingly modern values. There is something awe-inspiring about the feel-good flair and subtlety of Mukerji's storytelling, such that even when the film feels forced and contrived, it never stops eliciting a WOW. And that is quite an achievement itself.

Part of the film's success has to do with its characters. 'YJHD' is populated with an interesting ensemble of buddies, all of who reek of earthiness and believability rather than being cardboard cut-outs. While this is a film that displays wealth rather explicitly, the explicitly rich characters end up being the butt of most of the jokes. Our main concerns lie with a foursome of friends.

Long-legged tomboy Aditi (Kalki Koechlin) spots her best school buddy, a bespectacled and mild-mannered Naina (Deepika Padukone) and eggs her, much to the chagrin of the latter's conservative mother (a brief but superb Dolly Ahluwalia), to join her and her old buddies Avinash and Bunny for a hike in Manali. Naina, who is obviously bored with her predictable life, decides to fly the coop. But again, make no mistake. This is not really about Naina catching up with Aditi. This is about the bad boy who is there for the trip.

Mukerji is the young director who made us aware of the actor beneath Ranbir Kapoor. Before his superb performance as the South Bombay slacker in Mukerji's debut 'Wake Up Sid', Kapoor was essentially a chocolate boy, predicted to be a favorite of only big wigs like Yash Chopra and Sanjay Leela Bhansali. As in that film, it is Kapoor's character, nicknamed Bunny, that drives most of the film. We first see him shaking a leg with Madhuri Dixit in a 'Kajra Re' style track in an elaborate brothel. He prefers to be called Bunny instead of his name Kabir. 'Like Bugs Bunny' he says, at one moment, in his mischievous best to a pretty but empty-headed girl. And this Bunny is quite a trouble-maker.

Along with Avinash (Aditya Roy Kapur), Aditi and a reluctant Naina, Bunny hops on a train to the famous tourist spot. That is what he always wants to do- travel, travel and travel. But he puts it as if he has what Michael Crichton may call the 'novelty gene'. Seeking thrills, he is there for the hike but he is also there for bonding for buddies.

Obviously, with a character who seems to like travelogues rather than diaries, it means that the film will take us and Bunny many places. Before that happens, Mukerji is confident enough to let us take in the rest of the characters. Aditi is a regular tomboy, full of verve yet tender; Avinash, happy with flirting and drinking, is spendthrift as well; Naina finds herself warming up to Bunny's infectious effervescence. And Bunny...well he is happy, only that he can be happier if he travels some more.

Halfway through the film, after an hour or so of fantastically pacy writing and ribald dialogue (by Hussain Dalal) and Mukerji's deft hand at characterization, things slow down and this is where it starts getting problematic. While the first half is pumped up with priceless moments of genuine chemistry and humor (there is a fantastic scene referring to the 90s hit 'Chumma Chumma' in which the four friends give their energetic best), the second half is a mixed up one, trying to sort out the problems of the characters but eventually Mukerji only clears the air for one of them.

Bunny, as said before, loves to travel but he seems to know as well what it is costing him. After roaming through the exquisite city of Paris, he suddenly starts missing his old buddies and lands up on Aditi's grand wedding affair. Things seem to have changed- Aditi dresses up mostly in traditional attire, Naina left her glasses long back, while Avinash seems to have almost drowned in liquor and gambling.

But for Mukerji, some things don't change. The friends still find time to shake their legs to energetic dance numbers and play some hilarious gags as well amidst some beautiful and ethereal settings. In one crucial moment, when Bunny and Avinash quarrel with each other, they pause at the sight of Aditi dressed up in her traditional best and they easily apologize to each other. Really, as if it is really easy to forget everything and join in the celebrations.

Yet, there are also a notable number of times when Mukerji settles for some warmth- for some genuine signs of friendship among the leads. In one scene, Bunny offers to help Avinash with his debts, but Avinash waves them away and instead asks Bunny to join for a drink. Priceless.

Mukerji seems to be suggesting that Bunny's thirst for travel has left him deprived of warmth of his relatives and friends. It is a fine point to make and Mukerji portrays it perfectly with his emotionally balanced style, aided by warm dialogue and mesmerizing visuals. A conversation between Naina and Bunny is particularly well-handled- the two rattle off about similar things- she speaks about watching DDLJ at Maratha Mandir with popcorn while he talks about Phantom of the Opera at Broadway. The contrast between the two is perfectly depicted and it makes the rapport among the leads really special.

Still, for all of Mukerji's economy and his exuberant feel-good approach, 'YJHD' starts entering predictable territory. All of a sudden, Aditi and Avinash are shoved aside, a bit mercilessly and the film becomes too focused on Bunny and his feelings for Naina. Can he leave his passion for travel- his deepest desire-only for her? The film wobbles dangerously at this point and given that most of the fun and frolic is over, we end up letting a sigh. Thankfully, Mukerji wraps up everything smartly if a tad too conveniently. By the end, we are back to level 1, still more concerned with the fun rather than the characters themselves.

For its obvious flaws and lack of focus, 'Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani' is still quite a good film, mostly because it manages to entertain us for most of the time. Living up to the hype of being a grand summer entertainer, Mukerji's film gives us more than the usual amount of fun that we get every summer. Everything looks stylish, grand and monumental while the rapport among the leads is full of humor and energy. There is even a full-fledged comic chase in Manali which further sees our four buddies sticking together against all odds.

And then, there is the music. Pritam's chartbusting tracks are beautifully captured on the screen- fitting perfectly with the plot and pumped with a brash mix of melody and energy. V.K Manikandan's visuals are beautifully textured and bright while the locations are shot with dizzying flair. As if to resurrect the grand age of romances shot in exotic locations which seems to have been lost with the demise of Yash Chopra, this Karan Johar production delivers bang for the buck, doing what Yash Raj Films did sometime back ago (the last Yash Raj outing was a solid 70's style drama set in the not-so-bright real-estate sprawl of Gurgaon)

And the cast is quite good as well. Ranbir Kapoor, handling the reins of the film as well as his slightly unsympathetic character, delivers yet another stunning act- blending a split-second comic timing with amazing conviction to give us a genuinely flawed and believable character. His lady love, however, is nothing beyond one-note; Deepika dons the thick spectacles well enough but that is the only brave thing she does- eventually ending up the same plastic heroine that she has always been. She is not awful but it is just that her character deserves a far better performance.

Kalki, in contrast, shows her acting chops yet again- shifting effortlessly from those wide Cheshire Cat grins to tender vulnerability. Kapur, who shone as the brooding lover-boy in 'Aashiqui 2' plays it nicely here as well but his character feels a bit predictable and his problems also feel unsolved as well. Still, the young actor does it well.

Coming from the king of big-budget glitz and glamour, 'Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani' is nevertheless a considerably entertaining romp that manages to balance its emotions quite well. Ayan Mukerji has brought us a wild, wacky yet luxurious party where you brush away all your worries and troubles and join in the fun. It might not be the definitive youth movie of all times but yes, it is one hell of a party where you cannot refuse to shake a leg to a dance number or two.

Play It Again, Ayan!

My Rating- 3 and a Half Stars.