By Rohini Mohan
'Gandhi, My Father’ directed by Feroz Khan (not the actor) and produced by Anil Kapoor is based on the play Mahatma vs. Gandhi – 1998 also directed by Feroz Khan. It explores the rather stormy relationship Gandhiji had with his oldest son, Harilal. Naseeruddin Shah and K.K Menon played the Mahatma and his son respectively in the play, while Darshan Zariwala and Akshaye Khanna play the senior and junior Gandhi in the film. Continue reading
by Rohini Mohan
Sony Entertainment Television (SET) was launched on Comcast in Central and Northern California on August 8th. Comcast is very enthusiastic about the launch, which was a result of popular demand; apparently there have been a large number of subscribers for the new channel already, in the couple of weeks that the new channel has been available to viewers. Just another endorsement of the fact that South Asians in the Bay Area have a voice and that the voice is being heard loud and clear. Continue reading
By Vidya Pradhan
“A Shahrukh movie without a heroine?” was the first reaction of everybody I told about ‘Chak De India’. Certainly in recent years the superstar seems to have been stuck in his Rahul/Raj passionate lover persona, carefully crafted by the Chopras and the Johars. Even the negative roles he played early in his career were demented, obsessive, crazy-for-love characters which he performed with his customary flamboyance. Occasionally the star has veered into unfamiliar territory, but these efforts have so often been such resounding commercial failures (Swades, Paheli) that he has publicly admitted his nervousness with Chak De, which has him playing the coach of the Indian women’s hockey team. He doesn’t have one heroine, he has sixteen of them! Chak De is a traditional sports film, dealing with the issues of failure and redemption, team spirit, national integration (versus racial integration in American films), patriotism and girl power. It could have devolved into a clichéd mess, but in director Shimit( Ab Tak Chappan) Amin’s capable hands, it turns out to be a joyride of a film. Continue reading
By Rohini Mohan
Last weekend I had the pleasure of watching Manoj Bajpai in two movies; Pinjar and 1971. The two were quite different from each other, the characters being portrayed by Bajpai also diametrically opposite. If he is a good guy but somewhat lacking a backbone in one, he is a fearless leader of men, daunted by nothing, in the other. The only striking commonality is the flawlessness of his performance in both. I was watching Pinjar for the second time, so I had high expectations of 1971. I was not disappointed. A low key but powerfully told story of the Indian prisoners of war left behind in Pakistan post the 1971 India-supported struggle for Bangladeshi independence, it is well researched, tightly edited and gripping. Continue reading
By Vidya Pradhan
First Joost, now Jaman. What’s with J names and internet entertainment anyway? What piqued my interest in Jaman was a news item that the company had signed a deal with NFDC for exclusive rights to their movies. So, about a month ago, I headed over to Jaman.com to check it out.
By Vidya Pradhan
You may pooh-pooh directors like Karan Johar and Vidhu Vinod Chopra for pandering to mass appeal but, let me tell you, making an ‘entertainer’ is not easy as it seems. The alchemy that happens when the right story, dialogues and cast come together is elusive to most Bollywood directors, and sometimes even the most seasoned players are left with a product that, like a movie set, has no substance behind it. Continue reading
By Rohini Mohan
If I were on a deserted island and all I had was a DVD player and a choice of one movie to watch for eternity….. what movie would it be? I don’t need to think on that one. I would pick Sholay every time. Just as I get my son to eat paneer butter masala and acquaint him with Gandhiji, I feel the need to have him watch Sholay – to me it’s an essential part of being an Indian. Continue reading
In this genre falls “(Life in a) Metro”, a story of the intersecting lives of 4 couples in a cosmopolitan city. Though the setting is Mumbai, the city does not intrude. It could be virtually any metro and just serves as a backdrop for the extramarital adventures of the upwardly mobile and educated middle class.
Are Mr. & Mrs. Average ready for Nishabdh?
Alfie Doolittle’s theory on middle class morality is what India, with arguably the world’s largest middle class, lives and breathes. To expect this audience to digest and then appreciate a film like Nishabdh would be a real stretch. Probably why there were a total of 9 people in the theatre on a Saturday afternoon, the day after its release.
Why oh why does Vinod Chopra end his movies the way he does? Mission Kashmir lost a whole lot of its impact when the Hrithik Roshan character survived. Parineeta( which was from his production house) was a lovely period movie that, to my mind, was almost ruined by the contrived ending where Saif breaks down the dividing wall using a concrete planter( have you ever tried lifting one of those things?). My biggest, and probably only, criticism of this movie is the way it ends.
Water, No Ice 