Desi Galaxy

Thoda Pyar Thoda Magic is released now and it is not doing well at the box office. But I think thats how they decided to market the movie. Since it is a fun family comedy and released during summer vacations when schools are off and children are bored playing all day. So they would tell each other about the fun new movie they watched and then other children would take their parents to theaters and thats how it will pick up momentum. A friend of mine has seen the movie and she thinks that it is a wonderful movie specially for children, families and romantic comedy lovers (I don’t trust her much when it comes to selecting my movies).

Rani Mukherjee is playing the role of an angel who is sent to earth to help Saif Ali Khan. Saif is playing the role of a busy businessman who suddenly becomes responsible for taking care of four orphan children.

There are lots of similarities between Thoda Pyar Thoda Magic and Hum Tum. Both has Rani Mukherji and Saif Ali Khan, both are filmed in bright colors at trendy locations, and both use animation. Since I haven’t seen the movie yet so I can’t say how they are using the animation, graphics and visual effects. But I think that since movie is about magic so Kunal must have used animation to create magic.

This movie is really important for Rani Mukherji’s career. Her last two movies (Saawariya, Laaga Chunari Mein Daag) were big disappiontment among the masses and the critics. Media has already started talking about her getting engaged with Aditya Chopra. Which is a sign that Rani’s career is about to touch the deadly lowest level. Same thing happened with her predecessors Madhuri and Sri Devi.

Bollywood is really progressing now. No one can rule over the box office with only good looks. One needs extra ordinary acting and dancing skills with lots of charisma to keep with the competitors.

I was disappointed to see two young actors debuting with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s mega budget movie, Saawariya. Their only claim to fame was that their fathers were super stars of Indian cinema. I thought that being a multi million dollar industry, investors in Bollywood should learn to invest their money on really talented people. I was wrong, how could I say that these two youngsters were not talented with out seeing the movie. When I saw the movie, I realized that the two new comers Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor are brilliant actors.

To be very honest Ranbir Kapoor is an ordinary looking guy with extra ordinary charms on his hand. He acted so well that I finished the movie despite the crappy script, annoying dialogues and heavy-on-eye sets. I loved the song Jab say teray Naina. It is the song where Ranbir is wrapped in a Towel and showing his beautiful, youthful and admirable body. We have seen enough of Salman’s shirtless body. Shahrukh’s abs in Om Shanti Om were sensational too. But these guys are old and they do not excite us the way Ranbir did.

Sonam Kapoor is definitely not as pretty as Om Shanti Om’s Deepika. But she is definitely a much more talented actoress. Bhansali failed to dress her up properly, he also failed to offer her some classy dance number, but he managed to show the innocence and beauty of the character. It was hard to believe that this Sonam’s first movie. She delivered her lines confidently and succeeded to fill colors in her role.

I am not saying that Saawariya is a great movie. It is neither great nor good. In fact it is Bhansali’s failed attempt to mixing up art and commercial cinema. But you can not deny the fact that Bhansali made it look beautiful. Ranbir and Sonam were the best choice. Rani Mukherjee gave a mindblowing performance as Gulab ji. But there were also many weak points. For example Salman’s mysterious character wasn’t presented properly. Dialogues were not well written, there were several holes in the script. The sets were great to portray the fictious city but the blue and green scenery became too heavy on eyes after the first hour of the movie. The role of Ranbir Raj’s grandmother Zohra Sehgal resembled a lot like Anari’s Mrs. D’sza played by Lalita Pawar.

Bhansali should realize that not all great stories meant to be filmed and converted to Hindi Cinema. There must be some really great writers with really great and untold stories available in the market. It would be great if for once Bhansali gives us a story that is not told before. He should stop mimmicking the great canvases of legendary stories with his artistic touch. Instead, it would be truly great if he shows us his work with his own canvas and his own true colors.

The music of Ta Ra Rum Pum is melodious and is definitely not going to disappoint audiences who expect great music with every Yash Raj film. Vishal-Shekhar has composed a fun filled pack of six tracks. However I had this feeling that they haven’t come out of Salam Namaste and the tunes have some similar themes.

The title song, Ta Ra Rum Pum is a happy number. It is on air to promote movie and shows animated characters dancing with the main cast of the movie. Saif Ali Khan opens the song by telling that it is a story of four people Ta Ra Ma and Pa. Ta and Ra are the children and Ma and Pa are the parents. The song is just as sweet and cute as you might expect from a feel good film like this one. Shaan and Mahalakshmi Iyer has performed their vocal magics wonderfully and to add more fun to it Sneha Suresh and Shravan Suresh sing for the two kids in the movie.

Hey Shona is a romantic song with the voices of Shaan and Sunidhi Chohan. The song is light, melodious and has a very romantic tune to it.

It is a movie produced by Yash Raj and there had to be some bhangra filled, family centered, party dance number in its music. So we have ‘Nachle Ve‘. It is a below average number but I expect that the director Siddharth and choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant would put their best efforts on the song to make it look great on screen.

Ab to Forever reminds me of ‘My dil goes mmm” from Salam Namaste. K.K., Shreya Ghoshal, Vishal Dadlani has sung the song. A nice romantic song with the energetic voice of K.K.

I would like to rate the music higher but I feel that these songs are actually tailored for the movie and rating them without watching the movie is not possible. We will have to wait for the movie and check out how the songs fit in the story and how they are presented on screen. Since this is a Yash Raj production I think the picturization of songs will not disappoint the viewers and listeners.

You can listen and download songs of Ta Ra Rum Pum from Yash Raj Music’s website.

Yash Raj films and producer Aditya Chopra come with yet another brilliant idea directed by Siddharth Anand who previously directed Salam Namaste for Yash Raj Films. The story comes from Siddharth himself but unlike Salam Namaste this time he has hired Habib Faisal to write screenplay for Ta Ra Rum Pum. Music composed by Vishal-Shekhar and lyrics by Javed Akhtar.

This is a story of a family and how they struggle together in the time of trouble to overcome the challenges of life. Our hero, Rajveer Singh (played by Saif Ali Khan) is a pit-crew worker in a racing team with a passion for driving. He gets discovered by Harry (Jaaved Jaaferi), a team manager and the same day Rajveer Radhika (Rani Mukerji), a music student who he falls for instantly. His career boosts and he becomes the car race driver for ’speeding saddles’. He marrys Radhika and becomes father of two cute kids. But after a car racing accident Rajveer’s life takes a new turn. He is no more the top car racing driver in the country and he finds him self mentally scarred. He is forced to auction his house and he moves to Bronx style neighborhood. Rajveer and Radhika now decide that they are not going to hide reality their children. Begins a new journey where Rajveer has to fight his inner demons while keeping his family together and happy like they were before the accident.

Some interesting details about the movie:

• Manish Malhotra is not designing the costumes for Rani in this movie. Surily Goel has designed the costumes for Rani Mukerji and Mamta Anand has designed the costumes for Saif Ali Khan. We don’t know for sure but it seems like Rani has abadoned Manish altogether.
• The film is shot in entirely in the United States and only a few scenes were shot in Mumbai studios.
• It is rumored that Abhishek Bachchan would make an special appearance in the movie.
• Hollywood stunt coordinator Steve Kelso was hired to do the stunts for the movie. So I think it is going to have some better stunts something more brilliant than Dhoom?

Official website: Ta Ra Rum Pum

Rani Mukherjee is celeberating her 29th birthday today. On this occassion, I came across two articles (one on now running, the other on Zee news)about the actress. Both question how this so ordinary girl has become the queen of Bollywood. The articles tell you that she is talented. But let me tell you a little more, she is not only talented on screen, she is also very talented in public relations. She has very close friendships with Karan Johar, Aamir Khan, Sanjay leela Bhansali, Shahrukh Khan, Yash Chopra and his sons. She is even dating Aditya Chopra these days. I just love her, she is chrasmatic and she knows how to act. Anyone who thinks that her husky voice is annoying is wrong, actually her voice is very sexy.

What I like most about her is that she is sincere to her work. She doesn’t do over exposing like some other actresses. I don’t remember she kissed any one on screen other than Kamal Hasan for Hey Ram. I don’t know if she avoids kissing scenes or what but its strange specially when every actress including Aishwarya Rai is ready to do such scenes to grab audience attention. She has a taste for fashion and she has Manish Malhotra, the popular designer on her list of close friends. Manish’s creations make her appear as an ordinary girl who is living her fantasies. She is just like Babli. Happy Birthday Babli.

I love this movie. I can watch and enjoy it anytime. Like many other bollywood movies, it is a love story but this one is so beautifully filmed that you totally forget the fact that you have seen movies with similar stories. You forget that it takes many elements from other movies, like it has a song ‘Its the time to disco’ that looks and sounds a lot like ‘Koi Kehay’ from ‘Dil Chahta Hai‘. A person bringing happiness to a shattered family (like in Bawarchi and countless other movies). A love triangle (A universal romantic movie formula). You forget all this and you just sit down and relax to enjoy the magic this movie creates.Nikhil Advani stepped in as a director for the first time with the release of Kal Ho Na Ho in 2003. Previously Nikhil assisted Karan Johar in Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham. The producer Karan Johar who also wrote the screenplay for this movie is to be equally credited for this movie. The Karan Johar style is very obvious in the movies in various scenes. Repeatition of theme song during the sad moments in the story and adding guest appearances by Rani Mukherji and Kajol is typically Karan Johar.

StoryThis is the story of Naina (Priety Zinta), an Indian girl who lives with her family in New York City. The story is narrated by Naina. Naina’s life is troubled. Her father committed suicide when she was young. This incident left a huge impact on her life. She is doing MBA in an evening college and works at her mother’s resturant in the morning. Naina’s mother Jennifer (Jaya Bhaduri) is a christian and her paternal grand mother Lajjo Kapur (Sushma Seth) who also lives with them in the same house is a devoted Hindu. The relationship between Jeniffer and Lajjo is that of a typical Indian Saas Baho. They can not stop arguing, the grand mother lives in a culturally isolated world and Jennifer wants her children to grow up naturally in the culture they are living in. The culture of the Indian families living in United States not that of Indian families dreaming India while living in United States. Naina has a younger brother who is unable to walk due to disability and a younger sister. Naina’s younger sister is not from Jeniffer, she was the result of her father’s discreet relationship with a white woman who left Naina’s father and abandoned the baby. Jeniffer took up the responsibility to take care of this little girl as her own daughter.

It was not just the cold war at home. Naina who is very close to her mother knows very well that their restaurant business is not doing so well and they are unable to return the money they loaned from the bank. The only little happiness Naina had in her life was her best friend Rohit (Saif Ali Khan).

Then one day a guy comes from India to live next door. Aman, (Shahrukh Khan) is a happy go lucky sort of guy. He is charming and handsome and every one loves him. Initially Aman’s friendly nature and his never ending attempts to bring happiness to other’s lives frustrates Naina. Later, Naina realizes that Aman has all the things missing in her own life, Aman knew the formula to happiness and she falls in love with Aman. However, Aman has some different plans to bring life back into Naina’s troubled life. He tries to set her up with Rohit.

The plot of movie is very simple and could be explained by the words used by Rohit in the movie “Rohit loves Naina, Naina loves Aman, and Aman… Aman has gone mad”.Cast:

• Jaya Bhaduri as Jennifer Kapur
• Shahrukh Khan as Aman Mathur
• Saif Ali Khan as Rohit Patel
• Preity Zinta as Naina Catherine Kapur
• Sushma Seth as Lajjo Kapur
• Reema Lagoo as Aman’s Mother
• Lillete Dubey as Jaswinder “Jazz” Kapoor
• Delnaaz Paul as Jasprit “Sweetu” Kapoor
• Shoma Anand as Lajjo Kapur’s Sister
• Kamini Khanna as Lajjo Kapur’s Sister
• Ketki Dave as Rohit’s Mother
• Sulabha Arya as Kanta Bhen
• Athit Naik as Shiv Kapur
• Jhanak Shukla as Gia Kapur
• Simone Singh as Camilla

Music of Kal Ho Na Ho

Music of Kal Ho Na Ho is composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. The music is just as melodious and romantic as the movie itself. The title song of the movie ‘Kal Ho Na Ho’ sung by Sonu Nigham sets the basic background theme of the movie. The song has two versions, one in the normal tone and the other is the sad version. I just totally love this song, the lyrics beautifully explain the concept and moral of the story in the movie. Video of the song is even better, shot on different locations in Central Park New York City and Toronto.The film was first going to be shot in Toronto but later Karan Johar moved it to New York. However some parts of the song “Kuch To Hua Hai” in the movie are shot in Toronto.

‘Kuch to hova hai’ is a romantic duet sung by Alka Yagnik and Shaan.

The song ‘Pretty Woman’ is a tribute to Roy Orbison who composed the song for Julia Roberts starrer ‘Pretty Woman’. Kal Ho Na Ho’s pretty woman has Bhangra music and it is a simply fantastic dance number.

‘Mahi Ve’ is a typical bollywood wedding song. Wedding songs in movies are a hall mark of Yash Chopra school of thought. You would see such songs in all movies that are made in Yash Chopra style. The entire cast of the movie would dance and celebrate the occassion in the song. Kal Ho Na Ho ’s Mahi ve is not different from other songs of this genre.

Comments

This was Nikhil Advani’s first movie as a director and it is hard to believe that this is his first attempt to entertain bollywood audience. Nikhil had a very strong support from the producer Karan Johar who also wrote the screenplay for the movie. Karan’s work, suggestions and his style is quite obvious in the movie. Kal Ho Na Ho is a typical bollywood family drama set in Manhattan New York. It shows the lives of Indians living in the United States and their problems in a light comic way. Before the release of the movie every one was expecting it to be a copy of 70’s classic Anand. There is a little similarity between the stories of two movies. However it is not a copy of Anand, it is an entirely different and original story.

Shahrukh Khan, Jaya Bahaduri, Preity Zinta and Saif Ali Khan’s excellent performances create a magical impact on the audience. Dialogues are so refined, yet so simple and powerful. Manish Malhotra designed the costumes for the movies and it was not an easy job for Manish. This was not just a bollywood movie. This movie has a different location and it tells the story of people in cultural chaos. Manish had to come up with costumes that are trendy, casual and depict the culture of Indians based in NYC.

There are rumors about the tension between Rani Mukherjee and Manish Malhotra. Media got the wind of it when they found that instead of Manish, Sabyasachi Mukherjee will be designing her clothes for the upcoming movie Baabul. Sabyasachi also worked with Rani in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s critically acclaimed movie ‘Black’. So it is not the first time Rani’s not working with Manish. Media is pretty good at making stories out of nothing. This story is a classic example of creating a clickable or readable news story.

For example they totally ignore the fact that Baabul is not the first movie where Rani is not wearing costumes designed by Manish. They also totally ignore the reality that Rani Mukherjee and Manish Malhotra are both professionals, they need creative freedom to present their work. I think such loyalties are good in a way that these combinations create a genre of their own. Just look at the movies where Rani and Manish worked together and Rani looked beautiful, fresh and stylish wearing all those nice costumes. Bounding in loyalties would affect the audience mostly as they wont be seeing other combinations and other styles. Stylizing characters in movies is totally different from what we see in fashion shows. The characters in movies are going to act freely, and in Indian movies they often get over excited and emotional on little things. Actors are not models you can dress them but it would work magic only if it works out well with rest of the ingredients.

Lets see how Sabyasachi presents Rani in Baabul, what I have gathered from the web it seems that he is quite good at Birdal Saarees. So may be they have some heavily embroided Wedding costumes for Rani in Baabul. Now the question that comes to my mind is that wether Sabyasachi Mukherjee would be able to deliver something as stunning as Kajol’s bridal lehnga in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai?

Links:
Sabyasachi’s work in Lakme India Fashion Week 2004

A Black black night. Black the critically acclaimed movie by Sanjay Leela Bhansali sweeps nine awards at the 51st Filmfare awards, including the Best Film. I don’t like filmfare for various reasons. Most importantly the powerplay involved behind the awards. Now why would they honor a POWERPLAY award to Yash and Aditya Chopras? I agree that they have made great movies and has already won Filmfare many times before but why they must be awarded even when they don’t have a movie competing for the awards? Anyways below is the list of 51st Filmfare Awards winners:

• Best Actress: Rani Mukerjee (Black)
• Best Actor: Amitabh Bachchan (Black)
• Best Film: Black
• Best Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali (Black)
• Best Performance in a Negative Role: Nana Patekar (Apaharan)
• Best Actor in a Comic Role: Akshay Kumar (Garam Masala)
• Best Supporting Actor: Abhishek Bachchan (Sarkar)
• Best Supporting Actress: Ayesha Kapoor (Black)
• Best Debut (Male): Shiney Ahuja – Hazaron Khwaishein Aisi
• Best Debut (Female): Vidya Balan – Parineeta
• Best Playback Singer (Male): Himesh Reshammiya - Aashiq Banaya Aapne (Aashiq Banaya Aapne)
• Best Playback Singer (Female): Alisha Chinoy - Kajra Re (Bunty Aur Babli)
• Best Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy (Bunty Aur Babli)
• Best Choreography: Howard Rosemeyer - Kaisi Paheli Hai (Parineeta)
• Best Lyrics: Gulzar – Kajra Re (Bunty Aur Babli)
• Critics Award: Amitabh Bachchan, Rani Mukherjee, Sanjay Leela Bhansali (Black)
• Filmfare Power Award: Yash Chopa & Aditya Chopra
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Shabana Azmi
• Fair One Face Of The Year: Vidya Balan (Parineeta)
• R. D. Burman Award: Shantanu Moitra
• Best Cinematography: Ravi K Chandran (Black)
• Best Background Score: Monty (Black)
• Best Editing: Bela Sehgal (Black)
• Best Sound Design: Bishwadeep Chatterjee (Parineeta)
• Best Art Direction: Keshto Mondal, Tanushree Sarkar and Pradeep Sarkar (Parineeta)
• Best Screenplay: Nina Arora and Manoj Tyagi (Page 3)
• Best Dialogue: Prakash Jha (Apaharan)
• Best Story: Shiv Kumar Subramanium, Ruchi Narain & Sudhir Mishra (Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi)
• Best Action: Allan Amin (Dus)

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Tags: bollywood, Rani Mukherjee