Ra one 3rd day Box office

Author: Aamir Inayat

After creating a massive buzz on its opening and second days, Shah Rukh Khan's RA.One was greeted with open arms on its third day, and tradewallahs believe the film will create history with its growing numbers. Tradewallahs believes that the film is expected to cross Rs 15 crore on its third day.

In Mumbai, Balkrishan Shroff of Shringar Films says, "RA.One had a fabulous second-day run in Mumbai and all over India as well. Its third day will also clock strong numbers at the end of the day. On day three too, the film opened on a good note. With the weekend coming up, expectations are running high."

In the Delhi-UP territory, G D Mehta of Bobby Arts International says the 3D version of the film has been highly appreciated by the audience. "People love Shah Rukh Khan and the special effects in the film. Its third day will wrap up at Rs 3.25 crore in the Delhi-UP circuit and the film might cross Rs 15 crore in the domestic market."

In East Punjab, Surendra Saluja of Lakshya Movies says RA.One had a "decent" third day opening today but there was a dip in numbers. "Today's collections will amount to Rs 30-40 lakh in our region. But the numbers will rise again tomorrow and sustain during the weekend."

In Mysore, B H Basha of Bahar Enterprises remarks that the film had a fabulous second-day but collections dropped today. "The ticket counters are packed with Shah Rukh Khan fans. The film will collect Rs 55-60 lakh today in the Mysore circuit."

Ra.one 3rd day Box office did tremendous business in its first three days in Rajasthan, where Vasudev Chachan of Sunny Films says, "Today. RA.One earned around Rs 60 lakh at the box office. There is a slight fall in its numbers but they will pick up tomorrow."

In Nizam, Ravi Machchar Sahyog Films adds, "The collections of RA.One in 3D are colossal. Enjoying a five-day weekend, the film will experience huge success at the ticket counter. Today, the film collected Rs 1.25 crore in Nizam and all-India numbers should be cross Rs 15 crore."

Watch Indian Movie MOD 2011 Review

Author: Junaid

There are few film makers in India whose portrayal of characters are very deep and touches you heart, and nagesh is one of them...

This Indian Movie is about a girl from a village down south of India who runs a watch repair shop ,very independent in life with a caring father and sisterinlaw around and how her life takes a turn(mod) one day when she gets to meet a man ringing the bell infront of her house...beautifully depicted characters one such is her father\'s and a neighbour who loves her ...and her father\'s evening concerts(kishori mahal)....at the first place u ll fall in love with cinematography....background score could have been better overall this is another masterpiece by nageshkukunoor after aashayein and iqbal.

Watch Mod Online

Aranya lives a middle-classed lifestyle in Ganga, Nilgiris, along with her widowed father, Ashok Mahadeo, who is a devotee of Bollywood artiste Kishore Kumar.

She repairs wristwatches and clocks and also waits at a restaurant run by her friend, Gayatri Garg. One day she gets a male customer who wants his wristwatch repaired, and she does so.

He shows up again the next day with the same task, and keeps on coming daily. She finds out that his name is Andrew Raymond and he was a fellow student during her school-days. He admits that he had a crush on her and had even agreed to wait 10 years to see her.

She takes a liking to him and both hang-out together while she attempts to deal with her creditor, Gangaram, and increasing pressure from R.K. Constructions who want to build a resort. Then her world will shatter around her when she finds out that Andrew had been killed several years ago.

Mod is a heartfelt, emotional love story between two completely mismatched people.

Aranya, a 'full-of-life' 25 yr old, lives in the sleepy and idyllic hill station, Ganga. The little town is the home of many colourful characters - Ashok Mahadeo, Aranya\'s whacky father who is the head of the local fan club of Kishore Kumar, the fiery Gayatri Garg, 'GG', her aunt, friend, and confidant, who runs a ...restaurant and is a mother figure to Aranya, chubby Gangaram, the local shopkeeper who harbors feelings for Aranya and Ashok\'s music band, the ever present Kishore Bhakts.

Aranya\'s mother left to pursue bigger dreams in the city when Aranya was a little girl and both father and daughter hope that one day she will return. They wait dutifully everyday to see if the lone train that passes by their house will bring her back. Aranya runs a watch repair store, a legacy handed down by her mother to support her father and herself.

One day a total stranger, Andy, lands up at her doorstep to have his watch fixed. He is painfully shy, but keeps returning day after day to have his water logged watch repaired. As payment he leaves a 100 rupee note in the form of an origami swan. Aranya slowly warms up to this quirky stranger and through a series of meetings and against all odds they fall in love.

But who is Andy? Where is he from? And what is his past?

As Aranya discovers the truth about Andy, the film heads to an exciting and emotional climax in the strongest tradition of great love stories.

When love happens, life takes a turn...

About the Author

I love to watch movies online, Football Highlights and visiting website and sometimes love to write about them here on ArticleBase ...

Ra.One movie

Ra.One (Hindi:full: Random Access–Version 1.0) is a 2011 Hindi science fiction superhero film written and directed by Anubhav Sinha. The film, which features Shahrukh Khan in dual roles, as a game developer and his superhero look-alike G.One, also stars Kareena Kapoor, Armaan Verma and Arjun Rampal as the titular game villain Ra.One. Shahana Goswami, Dalip Tahil and Chinese-American actor Tom Wu appear in supporting roles, along with Rajinikanth, Sanjay Dutt and Priyanka Chopra making guest appearances. It is jointly produced by Eros International and Khan's production company, Red Chillies Entertainment,and was originally scheduled to release on 3 June 2011. However, due to extensive post-production work involving special effects and the 3D conversion, its release was postponed.

 Development of the project commenced in 2004 when Sinha wrote a three-page short story based on a commercial he had seen. Upon finalizing the story, pre-production work began after the release of Khan's Om Shanti Om in 2007,with principal photography commencing in March 2009.In July 2011, it was announced that the entire film would be converted into 3D.With an estimated budget of around 175 crore (US$39.03 million),Ra.One overtook Enthiran (2010) to become India's most expensive film to date.Prior to its international release of 26 October 2011, the film had multiple premieres in Dubai, London and Toronto during the period of October 24 - 26.The film released across 5,000 screens worldwide in 2D and around 600 screens in 3D,along with its dubbed versions in Tamil, Telugu and German,making it the largest Indian cinematic release in the world. Upon release, the film garnered positive to mixed reviews from critics worldwide.

Cast
*Shahrukh Khan as G.One / Shekhar Subramanium
*Kareena Kapoor as Sonia Shekhar Subramanium
*Arjun Rampal as Ra.One
*Armaan Verma as Prateek Subramanium a.k.a. Lucifer
*Shahana Goswami as Jenny Nayar
*Tom Wu as Akashi
*Dalip Tahil as Barron
*Suresh Menon as Taxi Driver
*Satish Shah as Iyer
*Rajinikanth as Chitti (Guest appearance)
*Sanjay Dutt as Khalnayak (Guest appearance)
*Priyanka Chopra as The Damsel in Distress (Guest appearance)
*Amitabh Bachchan (Voice-over)

Plot
The storyline of the film revolves around a father and son's relationship. Shekhar Subramaniam (Shahrukh Khan), a geeky gaming expert, wants to be a super hero for his son Prateek (Armaan Verma). But his young son, like all kids, thinks super villains are more cool. In an effort to impress his son, Shekhar designs a game which changes their lives. He creates the ultimate clash of good against evil by pitting a very powerful anti-hero "Ra.One" against a seemingly less potent good guy "G.One".
Marketing

Pre-release revenue
In March 2011, it was announced that the television broadcasting rights for Ra.One had been sold to Star India for a then-record sum of 40 crore (US$8.92 million), surpassing the previous record set by 3 Idiots (2009) for 33 crore (US$7.36 million).[The film's music rights were bought by T-Series for 15 crore (US$3.35 million) whilst the distribution rights were acquired by Eros Entertainment for 77 crore (US$17.17 million).The distribution rights for the film in Tamil Nadu and Kerala were bagged by Abirami Ramanathan for a reportedly record, but undisclosed price.Ra.One set a new record for total pre-release revenue earned, netting 132 crore (US$29.44 million) and surpassed the previous record held by 3 Idiots, which had netted 85 crore (US$18.96 million).
Promotions
Khan promoting the Ra.One Happy Meal from McDonald's.
The producers of Ra.One set a record marketing budget of around 52 crore (US$11.6 million), of which 15 crore (US$3.35 million) was used for online promotion, making it the highest ever for a Bollywood film.[52][53] Often described as the "longest promotion in Bollywood history", as well as "the most comprehensive and all-pervasive among people's lives",[46] the term "promotional blitzkrieg" has often been used in connotation with the project's extensive marketing campaign.[54]

Promotion of the film officially began as early as December 2010 when the first poster was published in all leading news papers across the country.[15] The film's first look was later unveiled by Khan on his Twitter page on January 1, 2011.[46] Several months later, director Anubhav Sinha announced that he would be launching two teaser trailers of the film during the 2011 Cricket World Cup, a prior nine months before the film's actual release date.[55] Asked about why he was launching the film's trailer so early, Sinha commented, "Ra.One is not a Bollywood film that [the audiences] have seen before. The kind of size and magnitude that the film has requires it to be slowly introduced to the audience and that is the very purpose why we are starting the whole communication so early."[55] The film's first theatrical trailer was released three months later to the public. As a way to promote the theatrical trailer, Khan was accompanied by the director on a five city tour, which included such places like Delhi, Chandigarh, Indore and Ahmedabad.[46] During the same event, a 3600 ft long fan mail collecting audience wishes and messages for the film was also launched.[46]

On 3 June 2011, the official website of the film was hacked by suspected Pakistani cyber criminals who stated that the act was a form of revenge to a similar attack on a Karachi press club website, three days after the launch of the page. They also left a note threatening the Indian Press Club, defacing the homepage.[56] In early September, Red Chillies Entertainment (RCE) launched a sizeable viral marketing campaign for promoting the film more effectively in the online arena.[57] The company launched the official customized Ra.One channel of the film on YouTube (a first for an Indian film) where several song and theatrical promos were released to the public, along with videos of the film's making, events and uncut footage.[46] The channel also hosts games, including the first social game from India, and contests where participants can create promos from clips, music and dialogues of the film.

"My last strategy was that I do not want any one to know what the bad guy looks like. You see it in the film. The film is called Ra.One but no one knows what [he] looks like. Last week before the film releases, we will let everyone know what he looks like. It is not going to shake the earth, but all the facets are being revealed as a picture puzzle being peeled off."
—Khan talking about the promotional strategy regarding the look of the villain, "Ra.One"
In addition to YouTube, Khan announced that the film would also subsidize through major brand ties-up worth over 52 crore (US$11.6 million), some of which included the Formula One races, Nokia, Godrej Consumer Products, Coca-Cola, HCL,Horlicks, HomeShop18 and multiple live chats conducted on Google Plus for which Khan became the first Indian film personality to utilize.Three weeks before the film's release, a mass media campaign was launched by Western Union for international promotions. Encompassing platforms such as the radio, television, print media and outdoor advertising, it was launched in the U.S., Canada, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific as a way to connect with the millions of non-resident Indians across the world.Co-producers and distributors of the film, Eros International, released an official statement stating that along with RCE, they have recovered a major portion of their investments through in-film branding, media endorsements, and other music and satellite rights.

The look of the film's titular character, Ra.One, portrayed by Rampal, was heavily guarded and kept under strict wraps, with the entire filming unit required to keep mobile phones away from shooting locations, and signing non-disclosure agreements.The first look of the character was initially scheduled to be revealed on the eve of Dussehra. According to the producers, the time was chosen to show the symbolism between Ra.One and the mythological villain Ravana (of the Ramayana), both of whom are supposedly "equally bad".Due to certain technical glitches, it was later revealed in the film's final theatrical trailer to a positive response. Commenting on the response to his look in the film, Rampal noted: "The response has been phenomenal. People have liked my look. I am glad I have not disappointed anyone as there was so much anticipation for the film. I was petrified initially, wondering if my look would be appreciated and accepted. But it has been worth the wait."

Official Google Blog: Mo-mentum: what’s new with mobile search advertising

Mobile search helps people find what they need in a snap. Whether they’re choosing between two restaurants, shopping for a new watch, or buying a movie ticket, people make better decisions when they have access to more information. Search ads are information—answers—and on mobile devices, they’re able to connect people and businesses in new, useful and relevant ways.

Today, we’re unveiling new mobile search ad formats and some new details about the ways many different businesses are benefiting from mobile advertising.

Search ads, meet mobile apps
We’re bringing the worlds of search and apps together with mobile advertising in a few ways:

• Search ads in mobile apps: Lots of mobile apps give people the ability to search for information—like an app that lets you search for a restaurant nearby. Today we’re announcing Custom Search Ads for these apps. These ads provide useful and relevant answers, for people searching within a mobile app. Custom Search Ads will also help app developers earn more money to fund their apps and grow their businesses on mobile.
  
  
  
  Custom Search Ads in mobile apps
  
  
• Click to Download: Not surprisingly, many people use Google to search for information about mobile apps. This ad format helps consumers right when they're searching for information about an app, linking them directly to the App Store or Android Marketplace to download. We’ve recently enabled app developers to includeapp icons and information about the app in their ad unit so that people can make more informed decisions about whether they want to download the app.
• Mobile App Extensions: This new, beta ad unit enables businesses to use mobile search ads to direct someone to a page within a mobile app already installed on their phone. For example, if someone searches for sneakers on a mobile device, they might see an ad that takes them directly into a cool shopping app they’ve installed on their phone.

Local search ads—so hot right now
Building local context into mobile ads makes them more useful both for both consumers and businesses. Here are a few specific examples:

• Click to Call: We introduced these ads for high-end smartphones less than two years ago and they're now driving millions of calls per week to hundreds of thousands of businesses around the world. Click to call ads have been very effective in generating leads for businesses of all sizes, across many verticals—more people can call an Enterprise Rent-A-Car near them for rentals and more potential customers can connect with ADT Security for alarm system expertise, for example.
• Hyperlocal search ads: Launched a year ago, these search ads contain useful local information like phone numbers, driving directions, a number to click and call a business directly, and also show people how far they are from specific business locations. Roy’s Restaurants’ efforts with this format led to a 40 percent increase in call volume—and lots more full tables!
• Proximity as a factor in mobile search ads ranking: The distance between a person and an advertiser’s business location is now a factor in mobile search ads ranking. This means an ad for a business with a physical location close to to a consumer may perform better in AdWords—driving more mobile traffic at a lower cost. The feature will be effective only when consumers opt in to share their device location for mobile searches. It will make our hyperlocal format more useful for businesses and users—advertisers can get started with this by creating Location Extensions for their mobile campaigns. Particularly this holiday season, when consumers are using their mobile phones to find a nearby store for last minute gift purchases, this new feature will help connect customers with storefronts.
• Circulars: We began testing this new ad format with Best Buy and Macy’s earlier this month. When someone clicks on a search or display ad (on desktop, mobile or tablet devices), they may see these engaging ads which contain photos of relevant products and special offers. With a few simple clicks, people who are at their desk can email that circular to their mobile phones, and later walk into their local store, flash their phone and redeem the offers.

Macy’s Circular ads on mobile

The exciting thing for mobile users and businesses is that the possibilities for mobile search advertising are nearly endless. We’re looking forward to helping businesses and consumers alike take advantage of this brave new (mobile) world.

Official Google Blog: Mo-mentum: what’s new with mobile search advertising

DHOOM:3 release shifted to 2013

Glamsham Editorial

The much awaited release of DHOOM:3 has now been shifted to 2013. This has been necessitated because of various production and post-production considerations.

While the shoot begins from end-November 2011, we anticipate a demanding 10 to 11 months of intense shooting with concurrent post-production, which will stretch beyond. This will probably be cutting it too fine for a Christmas 2012 release.

In view of this and keeping the interest of the audience expectations from DHOOM:3, both Aditya Chopra and Vijay Krishna Acharya (Victor) in consultation with Aamir, have decided to delay the release of the film to 2013.

Speaking about this, Victor said, "DHOOM:3 is very dear to all of us as well as to its audience who expect only the best from the franchise. While the shooting will finish in time, we expect the post-production to take much longer. We are trying our best to give one of the finest cinematic experiences to our discerning audience and therefore did not want to compromise the quality of the film just to meet the release date."

Produced by Aditya Chopra, DHOOM:3 will be written and directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya, who has written DHOOM 1 and 2. He has also written and directed TASHAN.

Both Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra will continue in their now iconic roles of Jai Dixit and Ali.

Look forward to DHOOM:3 in 2013!

More on bollywood at glamsham.com

RA.ONE: Chammak Challo and the trend of copycats in Hindi cinema

Copy cats in Hindi cinema flourish with impunity. RA.ONE's Chammak Challo has set the nation on fire and there are four different versions of the song in the film and each one of them has been rendered with finesse by Akon. It is difficult to discern that Akon, who has sung the song, does not know Hindi, but it is a fact. However, as it has been a tradition with the Hindi film industry, a successful song spawns illegal clones, so it has happened with RA.ONE's Chammak Challo as well. Akon may be fuming and even Shah Rukh Khan may not be amused by this blatant copying of his popular song, but it has been done in MILEY NA MILEY HUM and it has been made into an item song, marking the debut of sultry and sexy Shweta Tiwari on to the silver screen, before she entered into the house of Big Boss.

The lyrics have been twisted to 'Kato gilhari Chammak Challo raani', whether it makes sense or not and it has been sung by Mamta Sharma of 'Munni badnam Hui' fame from DABANGG, ably supported by Daler Mehndi.

Moot point is that the tradition of basking in reflected glory, instead of striving to create one's own space has been a problem with the Hindi film industry. Shekhar and Vishal who have given the music for 'Chammak Challo' in RA.ONE may not be amused by the attempt of Sajid- Wajid to copy their popular song, but it has happened.

The first such attempt in the history of Hindi film industry of copying a song by two three music directors simultaneously was around the time HUM was released, and the song 'Jumma chumma de de', set to score by Laxmikant Pyarelal was copied as 'Tama Tamma loge' by Bappi Lahiri in THANEDAR. It is altogether a different matter that 'Jumma Chumma' in its own turn was copied from Mory Kent's famous song 'yeke yeke'.

For the audience, it would now be a toss between a Kareena Kapoor and Shweta Tiwari to judge, who is a better Chammak Challo, as they have been given a choice to watch their performance on the screen and the reference point could be whether Shweta Tiwari is able to generate more oomph and glamour that Kareena Kapoor or Kareena would continue to dominate. In a clever juxtaposition, the settings between these two songs of RA.ONE and MILEY NA MILEY HUM have been contrasted, one set in the urban milieu while the other in a rural setting.

Audience has now to decide who is a better Chammak Challo!

More on bollywood at glamsham.com

Vidya takes a 'Dirty' fall

Vidya Balan, who was admitted to Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital on Friday, has been advised complete rest after being released, according to reports coming in on Tuesday. She has lately been maintaining a tight schedule over her ambitious upcoming film, 'The Dirty Picture'. Vidya's parents took her for a check- up because she had been complaining of dizziness and fatigue for quite a while. A series of tests were conducted, which revealed her haemoglobin count was below the acceptable level. The doctors advised her to check into a hospital and she was immediately put on drip," a source at the hospital said.

Industry insiders say Vidya has been excessively involved 'The Dirty Picture', scheduled for release on December 2. She has had to travel in and out of Mumbai over the past couple of months, as most of the shooting of film has taken place in Hyderabad. Reports coming in suggest Vidya was kept under observation at the Lilavati hospital for most of the weekend. "She was discharged early this week but the medical advice to her is complete rest for at least seven days," the source said. A seven- day rest could throw the last stint of shooting for The Dirty Picture into disarray. Plus, she has another film, Sujoy Ghosh's 'Kahaani' , coming up in January, which could also be affected. The makers of both the films have, however, said they will happily wait.

Although shooting of about a week remains for 'The Dirty Picture' , after which post-production follows, producer Ekta Kapoor and director Milan Luthria are confident the film will be ready on time for its December release. Beyond the health problem, the 33- year- old actress has otherwise been enjoying a great stint in her career lately. 

Her last releases — 'Ishqiya' , 'Paa' and 'No One Killed Jessica' — were back-to-back hits. 'The Dirty Picture' and 'Kahaani', her next two films, have garnered ample hype. And she starts shooting for Sanjay Gupta's 'Shootout At Wadala' soon. Reports coming in suggest Vidya has also been offered 'Force 2' opposite John Abraham, with whom she reportedly shared warm vibes during the shoot of 'Salaam-e-Ishq'.

"Right now, Vidya is trying to quickly recuperate at home with her parents, family and friends, so that she is ready to wrap up the remaining portions of The Dirty Picture on time," the source said. But, industry watchers feel more than the shooting, the real grind will start once the promotional activities start. We all hope Vidya will be fit and fine by then.

Poonam Pandey uploads her raunchy bathing video, not for under 18

Trust wannabe model and actress Poonam Pandey to go any length to be in headlines.

Just few months back the sexy siren had claimed to strip down and pose nude if Team India wins the World Cup and later posted some real hot photos of her on social networking sites. Now the hottie, going one step ahead, has launched her website which will have some sleazy acts.

The first video that she uploaded, Bathroom secrets, on her website shows Poonam bathing in a bikini with some raunchy poses. However the bombshell has warned all those under the age of 18 not to watch the videos.

She tweeted, "Love u All Muwwwwwwaaaah!! The First Look(Video) is Here "My Bathing Secrets". WARNING, 18 and under should not try looking up the Video.. that said i do not take responsibility for anyone under age looking this Video,"

If that was not enough the attention seeker further declared that the video was just a trailer and has many more surprises in store for her fans out there

"This Was Just the TRAILER .... Lot u will See Live24x7 on my Website .But yes i have Few more Trailer to Share!!(sic)," she added.

More on bollywood at glamsham.com

Chillar Party review

Cast: Irrfan Khan, Sanath Menon, Rohan Grover, Naman Jain, Chinmai Chandranshuh, Sherya Sharma

Directed by Vikas Bahl and Nitesh Tiwari

Rating: **

If you're here to read this review, you're either a minor or you're still stuck in your childhood, mentally. If not, you better be because this film, featuring an adolescent army, is by, for and of thekids (and may be the parents, who have to endure this film with them). And thankfully, the kids in question are remarkably unlike Bollywood kids. They're not pathetically dull, yet not over-smart like kids in TV soaps.

The movie begins with an innocent and rather grammatically challenged acknowledgment, 'For the love of dog'. While you try to imagine if the editing studio has a spell-check, we cut into a detergent commercial. Yes, a commercial after the opening acknowledgment (is still better than in-film?). Since the commercial features kids, some people in the audience will actually applaud it, assuming that the movie has begun. Sigh.

Soon, we're ushered into an average middle class housing colony in Mumbai called Chandan Nagar Society. Each kid residing here is introduced deliciously along with peculiar details that dictate their nicknames. Like the one who's always handed down his elder brother's clothes is called 'Second-hand' and the one who doesn't wear an underwear is dotingly called 'Janghiya'. Anyway, these kids are cumulatively called 'Chillar Party' (CP) by the many neighbourhood uncles, aunties and a certain man who sounds like a woman (appropriately called Googly).

The film picks up pace and interest, as there's a new addition to this merry troupe of toddlers called Fatka, a little labourer who enters the society as a car cleaner with his mutt Bhidu (not to be confused with Jackie Shroff).

Just as the kids get into the swing of things, a politician declares a new law which would make Bhidu a chief target for the dog van. Now, although this may seem like a frivolous issue, it becomes a paramount concern for the CP. And the build-up is such that their concern and stress over the silliest things will easily trickle down to you.

The team of tiny tots formulates several stunts to stir media and public attention to take notice of their humble predicament. With just the right amount of drama, this seemingly trivial film, takes a turn for the better and becomes an inspirational tale of standing up for what you believe in. Unfortunately, it can't maintain the energy till the end. And when we reach a critical juncture in the film where there is a televised debate between the politician and the CP, it ends up being a preachy moral science lecture. Yawn.

'Chillar Party' gets full marks for the background score that actually holds up the intensity of scenes which would otherwise be ignored as feeble and weak. And also the screenplay is tight enough to hold your attention, even without the lure of a recognizable star or the attraction of an earth-shattering story.

Perhaps, debut directors Vikas Bahl and Nitesh Tiwari should be lauded for trying their best (and succeeding to a large extent) in engaging us in a story which has little potential, yet a world of possibilities.

Singham review

Cast: Ajay Devgn, Kajal Agarwal, Prakash Raj, Ashok Saraf, Sachin Khedekar, Sonali Kulkarni

Directed by Rohit Shetty

Rating: **

Many will be quick to point out the similarities between 'Singham' and the numerous air-headed Salman Khan blockbusters. But low-gravity action, punches that propel bodies into mid-air ballets and cars walking on two feet, make it obvious: 'Singham' is a remake of a Tamil film (Singam) and is directed by Rohit Shetty (who is obsessed with blowing up cars in his films). And one has to be a bit lenient with remakes as they are like miniature models of famous monuments. If your little 'Leaning Tower of Pisa' is chiseled too acute, live with it, it's just a souvenir, right?

The film is about a humble village cop, Bajirao Singham (Ajay Devgn) who enforces law like a preschool moral science teacher. All accused and convicts are let off with a warning, as they're usually his friends and/or belong to the good ol' gaaon ki mitti, which is later distinguished fromshehar ki dhul through a clichéd reference.

Our docile Singham also has a sanki (Marathi for 'retarded') side that surfaces on encountering 'out-of-gaaon' outlaws. This is an elaborate affair involving gnashing of teeth, clenching of fists and is welcomed with double bass dhols beating to the title anthem, 'Singham, Singham' (can be comfortably replaced with 'chewing gum..').

Singham also flexes his perfectly sculpted body to slap-whack-smash goons who try to get fresh with Kavya (Kajal Agarwal), a family friend, who plays quite 'easy to get' and swiftly falls in love and establishes herself as the female lead.

But Singham's turning point is when he meddles with certified politician cum criminal, Jaykant Shikre (Prakash Raj), who terrifies very little, amuses a lot and loves to do the Cha-cha-cha with just his thumb. The action moves to Goa as Jaykant gets Singham transferred and conveniently enough, his lady-love, Kavya, happens to be based out of the beach state as well. Jaykant's one-liners and silly pranks have Singham flustered enough to almost break down. Naturally, like every self-respecting action hero, Singham gets into his 'crouching bandar' mode and lets his fists deliver his remaining dialogues.

The film's assumption that mispronunciation is funny makes us endure words like honest (with a loud 'h'), clean cheet (clean chit), noun-saans (nonsense) and sooocide (suicide). The dialogues are spouted with immense enthusiasm but the words defuse the intensity and make them seem trivial.

Devgn does a fair job and conveys sufficient conviction and humility through his character. Kajal Agarwal makes an unobjectionable debut and her eyes would surely inspire a few compliments. Being pitched as a clean cut action film, the fights sequences could be credited as Rajinikanth-meets-Salman-Khan-meets-Red-Bull-man.

The film's music won't be listed for the Grammys but the choreographers have surely harboured a terrible case of itching to come up with the dual-handed-scratching dance move for Devgn. With little practical utility, mastering this dance move could help chefs shape two Dim sums at the same time.

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara review

Films dealing with life-altering epiphanies are always shot in stunning locations. And Hindi films dealing with the same, need a stunning cast as well. A possible rationale: beautiful places relieve stress and bring things into perspective. And beautiful people experiencing divine realizations can hold your perspective on the screen, often resulting in a 'ka-ching' sound at the box office. 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' (ZNMD) is one such film. 

In true 'Hangover' meets Vikas-Krishna-Barcelona spirit, the film deals with a bachelor adventure marinated with stories of finding, losing and forgetting love. Kabir (Abhay Deol), an affluent construction tycoon is about to take the marital plunge. But not before he completes a much-postponed trip with school buddies, investment banker (and constantly grumpy) Arjun (Hrithik Roshan) and freestyle flirt Imraan (Farhan Akhtar).

So, the boys with biceps shoot off to Spain, a land where sunny means a summery glow and not sweaty and stinky, much like an AC studio in Mahalaxmi. Now, the deal is that each would pick a secret adventure sport and the others would have to join him at it.

The problem arises when Kabir's fiancé, poisonously possessive Natasha (Kalki Koechlin) lands up in Spain suspecting a wild orgy (don't get your hopes up, there aren't any). Soon, Kabir takes over as grumpy and Arjun finds hope underwater, as spunky skiing instructor Laila (Katrina Kaif) shows him corals and also offers morals like 'seize the day' and 'live in the moment for you could die tomorrow'. These prophetic pearls of wisdom (from the rough draft of Guzaarish 2?) pierce through Kabir and he realizes how he cherishes things besides money. On Arjun's exaggerated revelations, Imraan remarks, "Ek hi dubki mein zindagi ke saarein raaz khul gaye? Tujhe toh underwater hi rehna chahiye." But then Imraan only spends his screen presence saying and doing things that would be considered unacceptable or just down-right silly in adult society.

The film isn't as simplistic as it seems and each character has a back story and internal conflicts that surface intermittently between thrill-seeking stunts, sugary love, drunk talking and some seriously childish pranks. What is aesthetic in this film apart from the charming Spanish countryside is that scenes which would usually be served with heightened melodrama are quite well contained and subtle, yet convey the emotion.

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara trailerZindagi Na Milegi Dobara trailerThe music is hummable but the choreography usually finds Abay Deol playing the part of 'Senorita'. Farhan's comic timing is immaculate but his shayari is cocaine-infused and like a soft murmuring background score it could lull you to sleep. Kalki is deliciously annoying as her character required her to be and Katrina's performance doesn't make or break this film. The film's overall humour quotient is not very high and is mostly situational and there are usually more people laughing on the screen than in the audience.

In a tasteful manner, ZNMD has managed to do for Spain, what 'Dil Chahta Hai' did for Goa, beautifully selling the beaches, babes, tomatoes, tortillas and thrilling adventure sports. Spaniards should only be cautious that this tourism AV doesn't do to their country what the malls did to the mills of Lower Parel. Do I hear McTacos?

Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, Abhay Deol, Katrina Kaif, Kalki Koechlin

Directed by Zoya Akhtar

Rating: *** 

Rascals review

Brand David Dhawan has always urged moviegoers to leave their brains at home. It's easy to pick a hole at this suggestion, who packs to go watch a movie, anyway? But assuming this was possible, can the remaining organs collectively make his movies an enjoyable experience? This is clearly an open debate for another forum. For now, 'Rascals' is yet another from the Dhawan stable that sticks to the staple ingredients that make his films what they're known for: silly gags, women in minimal clothing and rhyming one-liners which are usually insults. Having said that, don't expect anything more or less than just that from this one. 

The film features conmen Chetan Chauhan (Sanjay Dutt) and Bhagat Bhosle (Ajay Devgn) who both spend some time conning others and then each other before landing up in Bangkok. Here, between trying to one-up each other, idiotically duping locals and some in-film branding for Pan Pacific Hotel, they bump into Khushi (Kangna Ranaut), a millionaire without a cause. Khushi's flippant attitude towards her immeasurable wealth (she keeps aimlessly signing cheques worth crores of rupees) and her perfectly toned body instantly draw our despicable duo towards her.


Naturally, our already competing rascals try every prank in the book to malign, seriously injure or ridicule each other, to win Khushi's attention and interest. The odd part of this sleaze contest is that neither of them seems to know whether they're gunning for Khushi's wealth or her vital stats. In all this, Khushi grins dementedly when flirted with/ spoken to/just like that, much like a battery-operated doll running on dodgy batteries.


A possible duplication of Govinda-Anil Kapoor's 'Deewana Mastana' is only obvious. Apart from the entire format, even elements like setting up a hooker to tarnish the other and a long exchange of dialogues involving cult B'wood actors who sacrificed their love for a friend or a brother, seem stale and tiring. Stupid humour is the nationally accepted form of humour in Bollywood. But 'Rascals' manages the incredible feat of falling below the already low standards set by this genre.

Sanjay Dutt and Ajay Devgn haven't aged well. But that is not the issue. The issue is that they have aged and they need to realise that if they don't stop playing twenty-something's now, it could just be a bit too late to play the forty-somthings. Kangna's speech therapist has done a great job but when she's excited in a scene, there's no stopping the spit from hitting the ceiling.


'Deewana Mastana' had tickled many arm pits to be memorable. This washed-up version only repeats the better gags and in doing so, ruins the fond association with the original.


Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgn, Kangna Ranaut, Arjun Rampal, Chunky Pandey, Satish Kaushik
Directed by David Dhawan

Murder 2 review

Mahesh Bhatt presents (a squirt of paan). A Vikram Bhatt production (a spew of ketchup). A Mohit Suri film (a splash of red curry). When the credits roll like this, it's not surprising that 60 percent of the film has some substitute for blood being spat on the screen. 'Murder 2' is, as you would imagine, a bloody thriller.

The film's lead hero, Arjun (Emraan Hashmi) is Goa's very own Robin Hood. An ex-cop who is now engaged in almost all illegal operations that can be managed wearing a leather jacket. He doesn't believe in God but regularly visits church to donate fat bundles of money to orphans. And yes, somewhere towards the end of the film, he does reinstate his allegiance to Christianity, inappropriately accompanied by the song 'Aye Khuda Mil Gaya'. And what transforms him into a believer is a series of painfully graphic and ridiculously illogical incidents.

Arjun's lady love, Priya (Jacqueline Fernandez) models for sleazy magazines. Naturally, in every two out of her three scenes, Priya is required to shed some part of her clothing. So, for anatomy students, it couldn't be a better way to learn the human body. Most of Priya's dialogues are lost inside Arjun's mouth as he indulges her in one smooch-athon after another. And when she does get a chance to speak, it's a bit out of sync like the late-night dubbed teleshopping ads.

But what really adds thrill and lots of screams into this thriller is a cross-dressing psycho-killer, Dheeraj Pandey (Prashant Narayanan), who loves mutilating sex workers while singing 'Bheegey Hont Tere', unmelodiously and with sadistic lyrics. Why? Because his characterization is deep fried. Oddly enough, he gets caught early in the film and even confesses to his sinister deeds. But there are so many reels left? So, Arjun is assigned the task to find clues and evidence to corroborate Pandey's confession by a bewildered cop (Sudhanshu Pandey). And just to double the excitement, he has to do all this over a night.

Will Arjun manage to flick his Little Richard bangs and save Pandey's last victim? Despite confessing to finely chopping several whores, will Pandey be let off for his odd political connections? Will Priya's lips continue moving for seconds after her dialogue completes? These questions are only rhetorical and best unanswered.

The dialogues in this film are downright tacky. An interaction between the lead pair just after a ferocious make-out session goes like this. Priya: "Khaaye, Piye, Khiskay? Arjun: "Hotel mein khaane ke baad koi baitha rehta hain kya?" But the dialogues don't even compare to the magnitude of clichés in the plot. Arjun's 'Ma-Behen-Baap' have all deceased due to poverty. Eunuchs have been portrayed as a cult that worships the devil and let's not even get into the cop with the fake Goan accent.

The film's sound effects could have you shrinking into your seat. But largely, it's less scary and more disturbing. Emraan manages a great job of letting his mouth do all the acting but his constipated expressions are only marginally different from his remaining expressions. Jacqueline is an ideal pin-up girl and those considering this film just to get a glimpse of her would be happy to overlook her lack of acting skills or ability to enunciate.

One could safely call this film as the 'Silence of the Bhatts', with Emraan almost managing the Jodie Foster hairdo. And since the penalty for several murders is the same as that for one, let's just hope the third one is a bit more premeditated.

Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Aditi Sharma, Supriya Pathak

Directed by Pankaj Kapoor

Bodyguard review

The beauty of a Salman Khan film is that it doesn't claim to be anything but just that. But when you pack in sappy melodrama, clichéd characterisation, a pathetic love story and action scenes choreographed in outer space, not even a Katrina Kaif item number can save the day.

The film is based on the life of a certain Lovely Singh (Salman Khan) who is, (as his name suggests?), a bodyguard. An unshakeable, unbreakable, fighting machine, who leaps out of a train to land on top of another zipping through in the opposite direction. David Blaine: be ashamed, be very ashamed.

Lovely's first vulgar display of power is when he swings by a certain port to rescue a group of girls being trafficked to Thailand in a container. After busting several noses and cracking a dozen skulls, one of the baddies unleashes a huge container that lands on Lovely. But our Superman without a cape is indestructible and the container carrying a million thermocol balls is smashed across. Human trafficking: understandable. Smuggling a million thermocol balls: one wild party in Thailand?

Soon Lovely is commissioned to protect the daughter of a very eminent master of the universe (or atleast of a small village in India), Sartaj Rana (Raj Babbar). Following Bollywood's guideline for clichés, Lovely has a history that has left him forever indebted to the great Rana. Anyway, the daughter in question is Divya (Kareena Kapoor) who's mostly occupied doing girly things with her live-in friend played by Hazel Keech. After much-half-hearted-opposition, Lovely is employed to protect Divya, a duty performed mostly by walking around her with shoulders arched like a lobster.

Before we know it, the emotionless Lovely turns down-right spastic as he falls in love with an anonymous girl who stalks him by calling him about 3528 times a day. An obnoxiously fat excuse for a comedian plays an odd sidekick to Lovely as passage of time becomes extremely painful. How the film concludes won't make it to Kaun Banega Crorepati's first round of questions but those who brave to sit through this can surely crack 'Who Dares Wins'.

Things about 'Bodyguard' that are incomprehensible or retarded or both: 1. Each time Lovely gets a phone call his body jerks ahead like someone has kicked his behind. 2. There is a quirky scene involving a remote controlled helicopter that is let loose on Divya. As it slashes through fruits, furniture, the special effects are tacky enough for it to seem like a housefly that can be easily swatted down.

Among the performances, Salman translates innocence with idiotic grins and expressions that can't be briefed here. Kareena's character is not important enough to be able to decide the fate of this film. Raj Babbar only reinforces the logic behind him being scarce in films, drifting between loud and controlled hamming.

The music covers the landscape, from the chirpy, 'I love you' to the full-blast disco-dhol number, 'Desi Beats'. When director Siddique said that Salman Khan will be seen here in an avatar he has never been seen in, he wasn't lying. But the pertinent question is, do we want to see Salman in an emotionally challenged, Forest Gump-ish state?

Cast: Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Raj Babbar, Asrani, Mahesh Manjrekar, Aditya Pancholi, Chetan Hansraj
Directed by Siddique

Mausam review

Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Aditi Sharma, Supriya Pathak

Directed by Pankaj Kapoor

Rating: *1/2

Mausam can have many taglines. Mausam- 'a season to snooze'. Mausam- 'come fall asleep (with or without recliner seats)'. But the original one sticks best, 'Mausam: a timeless love story…' The ellipses only reinforce that this film might just never end. A tip: carry a day pack comprising essentials when you go to watch it.

A disclaimer at the beginning says that the film doesn't depict true Indian Air Force procedures and tactics. So, dare you roll your eyes when a fighter pilot in the film prepares for an aerial raid by locking and loading his pistol into his holster (in case the missiles get jammed?).

The film opens to a charming village in Punjab called Mallukot, home to our hero, Harry/Harinder Singh (Shahid Kapoor) who is somewhere between Top Cat and village idiot. In true Punjabi spirit, every dialogue begins with 'Dekh oye!' and everyone loves saying 'Haan bhayee'. After many silly digs at the negligible collective IQ of Mallukot, our Kashmiri heroine, Aaayat (Sonam Kapoor) surfaces, seeking refuge at her Bua's (Supriya Pathak). Harry meets Aayat, romantic music plays and the two are in love.

But no Bollywood love story worth its extras is complete without separation. So, Aayat shifts base overnight to Mumbai (just in time for the 1993 riots). Then she moves to Scotland with dad, Bua and a family friend called Maharaj Krishna (Anupam Kher), fondly called Machchu.

The story takes a time leap of 7 years (which actually feels like 14 years in runtime) and the two lovers meet again. Harry, now an Indian Air Force pilot, is on an exchange program in Scotland (for real?). Twirling from ballet to ballroom, the two are inseparable until Harry is called away for the Kargil war.

 The rest of the film has about 20 respective separations and unions. The grand finale is in Ahmedabad. Yes, you guessed it, during the Godhra riots. This time, Harry takes home the cake, the bakery and the baker. He saves Aayat from a mob and a howling baby from falling off a giant wheel with his paralysed hand (his fighter plane crashed during the war). Harry also rescues an impressive white stallion trapped behind flames. "Kuch tumne khoya, kuch maine khoya, kuch iss masoom ne khoya," says Harry and they start afresh by walking towards a giant wheel with the stallion in tow.

Racial profiling is no joke but can a family be affected by terrorists attacks in Kashmir, '93 Mumbai riots, September 11 attacks in the US and the Godhra riots, all in one film?

Shahid and Sonam are both committed to their roles but their dialogues and lack of chemistry can easily make you hate this love story. The music is hummable and the cinematography is divine. But in all, they don't add up to tell a story that can keep your eyes peeled to the screen.

This film offers a one-stop disaster tour, listing most major global and local setbacks. In hindsight, if these tragedies didn't occur, our duo would never be separated. But then again, they wouldn't have met either.

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