Heroine - Wasted Time

      

Considering all the brouhaha  about the role that erupted a few years back, primarily by Kareena over not being considered for the role and then fighting for it , one expected that the movie would be something that would shake us out of our comfort zone.. however, the truth is different. 

The story starts with Kareena , Mahi, being thrown out a car and she walking into a police station, with  a dazed look, cigarette in hand and washed up make up.. this scene definitely did not tug at my heart strings. To be honest, the movie meandered onto such a confused path that writing this review is a real task.. therefore I shall cut to the chase and go to the heart of it...

Kareena as Mahi, an upcoming star, has fallen in love with another star actor - Arjun Rampal  as Angad. Predictably, Angad is married with a child and has started divorce proceedings. Mahi is hooked...line and sinker and for that is willing to go to any lengths. Angad, cant handle this and they finally (how obvious !!!) break up. She is devasted and turns to a PR  Rep(played pretty well by Divya Dutta), who as a spin doctor, gets her endorsements, openings etc.. which give her the visibility to get considered for a movie. In the meanwhile she gets hooked with Randeep Hooda - Vice Captain Indian cricket team, who is  the rakhee brother of an Upcoming Actor Abbas's wife - Abbas.. To cut a long story short, she gets the movie with Abbas, spurns his advances, he takes revenge by cutting her role to a minimun and she is devasted. She turns to a moody art film director (Well played by Ranvir Sheorey) who is going to make a movie on a prostitute to show case her acting skills .. Blah blah ...she has a moment with another actress in the film (Shahana Goswami), the film is shelved and she is again back to her self destructive ways. 

She acts in a small film Annie, which does not have enough money for promotion. She turns to Divya Dutta who tells her, that nothing can be done and only a controversey can make her film a hit. Mahi then shows her a sex clip shot by her with arjun rampal. The clip is uploaded, and the resulting controversey makes her film a big hit and she gets what she wants...

The story is not over and I will not let the viewer off the hook.. Please go and see the movie.. you will know what a bad , confused movie looks like and when a star is getting too big for his/her boots, what can happen - nothing short of a black hole. 

I expected a better movie from Madhur Bhandarkar, but I guess he wanted to sc*** kareena's film career and his own in the bargain. Boring, predictable and utter rot are some of the adjectives that can be used to describe the movie. Watch it if you suffer from Insomnia or are a Masochist.

Rating - */2

Barfi! - Review - Truly Magical !!!

There are movies with a story to tell and stories that cry to be made into movies, but rarely one comes across a movie that effortlessly transcends these boundaries and comes across as the only way to tell a story. Barfi! is all that and a lot more.

Set in the hills of Darjeeling, Barfi! is all about a boy (Ranbir Kapoor), who is born deaf and dumb but is not hampered by it. In fact, he makes it out to be a virtue. There is no sympathy asked and none given. He is one of the boys, in with a chance with the girls and what more can one say.

The story is deceptively simple, but the screenplay, direction and cinematography transport it to another dimension of emotional complexity. The viewer is transported into the simple pleasures that bring happiness to us. The basic emotions of greed, love, lust, envy are all there.

Barfi! is a love triangle wherein, a deaf and dumb Ranbir (Barfi!) manages to win the love of a gorgeous Ileana D'Cruz (Shruti ) with his carefree ways and the undying devotion and love of Priyanka (who plays an autistic/retard) with his selfless devotion and caring nature.

The characters are well defined and crisp. Ileana as the young, impressionable, fashionable about to get engaged girl is heartachingly beautiful. The cinematographer - Ravi Varman has caputured her with such admiration that her every nuance, expression and gesture conveys emotion with such sincerity that one cant help falling in love with her and empathising with her when she is too late to......
.
Priyanka is convincing and absolutely brilliant. This role is such a departure from her usual roles that its is a joy to watch her. Her expressions convey love, lust, longing, envy with such ease that one can be forgiven for believing that she is born that way.. Her look when she sees Illeana's graceful back in Kolkata and her efforts to recreate the same is so subtle but yet so defining a woman that it hits you. Her obvious defensive reaction to Illeana is so natural, the trait of possessiveness comes across loud and clear.. I may be a retard but I am a woman too.....

And what do I say about Ranbir!1 Simply brilliant. He emotes with such ease, that one is left astounded at what this young man can do. He is UP THERE and is well on his way to becoming a legend.

Ashish Vidyathi as Jhilmil's dad is competent but doesnt have much to do. Saurabh shukla is effective as the overweight and harrassed cop, Rita Ganguly as Illean's mum is suitably competent and quietly scheming. The rest of the cast ably support the lead characters.

The director, Anurag Basu's recitation of this story is fluid and carefree. His technique of running a paralllel story line (past and present together) keeps you hooked. The cinematography is vivid and the use of lighting is absolutely spot on.Another nice touch are the travelling musicians who maintain a certain soulful atmosphere throughout the movie.

Go and watch the movie for its old world charm , its lack of pretentiousness, fluid storytelling and some brilliant performances by its lead characters. The only flaw is the ending, which could've been handled better as it just dragged on a little bit. However, I can forgive that and so will you...

Rating :- ****1/2

You can read some other reviews here

Times of India Review

Hindustan Times Review

Indian Express Review