New Delhi, Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who recently met world light-welterweight boxing champion Amir Khan on a flight, says it is a “terrific sport” and its ring is “much like life”.
“Did I ever tell you that I boxed in school too? I think I did. In Boys’ High School in Allahabad and then in Sherwood College, [...]
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A wide majority of Hindi movies look at urban issues. Right from the outfits to the lingo, there’s no denying that Hindi movies also look at West for inspiration. In real life too, burgers, pizzas, sizzlers and colas have replaced sarson ka saag, dal-roti and sherbat-n-gola. But you do crave for desi food when you keep munching non-desi stuff all the while, don’t you?
The fact is, desi stories, with real characters, can never go out of fashion. In fact, a number of present-day film-makers often tell me that they look upon, besides other reputed names, Hrishikesh Mukherjee as an inspiration. On one hand you had Amitabh Bachchan, the reigning superstar of 1970s and 1980s, doing a SHOLAY and an AMAR AKBAR ANTHONY and on the other hand, doing a BEMISAAL and a CHUPKE CHUPKE for Hrishi-da.
Debutante director Rahul Aggarwal also, very respectfully, credits his inspiration to Hrishi-da and his first outing NA GHAR KE NA GHAAT KE mirrors the fact at several points of the narrative. The protagonist in the film is like any other non-descript person you set your eyes on the street, who is as helpless as you and me in a life-changing situation.
A film like NA GHAR KE NA GHAAT KE ought to have a simple, uncomplicated plotline and actors who can pull off these roles without ‘acting’ those parts. While the writing is interesting at times and wobbly at places [the climax is weak], the set of actors are more or less believable.
Final word? NA GHAR KE NA GHAAT KE may not be that small little gem that sparkles brightly even in the dark, but it’s an earnest effort from a first-time storyteller [Rahul Aggarwal] nonetheless.
Devki Nandan Tripathi [Rahul Aggarwal] is a simple, rustic man who decides to try his luck in the city of dreams, Mumbai. He gets a job at the Mausam Vibhaag. In the city, he comes across an array of people who often find his innocence amusing and comical, but Devki realises that they stick with him even in the thickest of bogs that his life hauls him in.
The very first sequence of NA GHAR KE NA GHAAT KE sets the mood of the film and you instantly get drawn into the world of Devki Nandan Tripathi. While major portions of the first hour are plain ordinary, it’s the second half that catches your eye. The sequences between Paresh and Rahul are the mainstay of the film and the subsequent arrival of the villagers to prove that Rahul and Narayani are indeed married brings a big smile on your face.
But the smile transforms into a frown as the film nears its climax. The chase and the subsequent marriage in the police station premises appears filmi and a complete compromise from the writing point of view. A better culmination to the story would’ve only enhanced the impact.
Debutante director Rahul Aggarwal knows the grammar of film-making right, but a little more emphasis on the screenplay would’ve helped enormously. Lalit Pandit’s music is strictly okay. K. Rajkumar’s cinematography is alright.
Rahul Aggarwal enacts the pivotal part with conviction. Narayani Shastri does a decent job. Both Paresh Rawal and Om Puri are first-rate. Neena Gupta is wasted. Ravi Kishan carries off the loud character very well. Ananth Mahadevan is alright.
On the whole, NA GHAR KE NA GHAAT KE is a simple film told in the most simplistic manner. Should appeal mainly to those who cherish the Hrishikesh Mukherjee movies of yore.
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New Delhi, Amitabh Bachchan will receive a lifetime achievement award at the sixth edition of the Muscat International Film Festival starting March 13.
“In a few days it will be Muscat in the Sultanate of Oman and the International Film Festival, where there shall be decoration for a Lifetime of Achievement,” the 67-year-old posted on his [...]
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New Delhi, Last seen in Yash Raj Films’ “Laaga Chunari Mein Daag” in 2007, Jaya Bachchan is back with low-budget venture “Lovesongs” and her husband Amitabh Bachchan says she has to believe in the filmmaker and the movie to take up the role.
“She has this inclination of wanting to be associated in ventures… that she [...]
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Washington, Bollywood legends Guru Dutt, Nargis, Meena Kumari, Amitabh Bachchan and Pran have been named in the list of CNN’s top 25 Asian actors of all time released ahead of the Oscar night Sunday.
With five actors listed, India tops the list featuring actors from India, China, Pakistan, Japan, Cambodia, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Korea.
“In [...]
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New Delhi, Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan, whose mother was a Sikh, says he feels drawn towards the religion and wants to visit the Golden Temple in Amritsar with his children Abhishek and Shweta but can’t because of time constraints.
“Abhishek shoots ‘Bingo’ in the holy city of Amritsar and his sister Shweta joins him to [...]
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Maths audaciously meets gambling
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Ben Kingsley, R. Madhavan, Raima Sen
Rating: 
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Mumbai, (BollywoodWorld.com) Bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan and Vidya Balan were cited as best actor and best actress respectively at the star-studded 55th Filmfare Awards ceremony here late Saturday.
Bachchan won the award for his role in “Paa”, while Vidya Balan claimed the trophy for her role in the same movie. As Bachchan was not present in [...]
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The earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed. That’s so true! Let’s face it, money is the root of all evil. When we have more, it is never enough. This is exactly what Leena Yadav’s TEEN PATTI tells you.
TEEN PATTI is not only about gambling on table, but all those gambles that we take in our life. Bearing an uncanny resemblance to the Hollywood film 21, TEEN PATTI is akin to a roller coaster ride; if there are highs, expect the lows too.
Leena Yadav’s take on greed and deception has some defining moments, but the fact is that the writing lacks clarity. Let me explain. Probability is a very interesting theory in mathematics. But the problem is, is it easy to comprehend for the average viewer? Frankly, despite Leena’s best efforts, only a handful of viewers will be able to comprehend the goings on and the theory of probability.
Besides, the narrative is such that it caters to the intelligentsia mainly. For the average moviegoer, thirsting for entertainment, it has little to offer.
The reclusive genius Venkat [Amitabh Bachchan] has cracked a theory that could redefine the principles of probability and randomness. Venkat is encouraged to test his theory in the real world by professor Shantanu [Madhavan], an ambitious colleague of Venkat.
Although Venkat has no interest in the money that could come from practicing his equation to crack ‘Teen Patti’, which could rake in all the moolah, he eventually succumbs to Shantanu’s charismatic persuasion. Soon, with the help of a few students, they explore the underground gambling dens of Mumbai.
But what starts out as an experiment between a charismatic young professor and an eccentric older one soon descends into a game neither of them can control.
It takes time to get the hang of things in TEEN PATTI. But once the two professors and the students begin their sojourn to the dark alleys, the film comes into its own from thereon.
The story moves back and forth, with Bachchan narrating his side of the story in flashbacks to Sir Ben, which is well integrated in the narrative. The intermission point - when the mystery about the unknown caller deepens - only heightens the expectations from the post-interval portions.
But there’re hiccups! The pace gets excruciatingly slow in this hour and also, it tends to get repetitive. Among the cameos - Jackie Shroff, Ajay Devgn, Tinnu Anand and Shakti Kapoor - only the ones featuring Tinnu and Shakti stand out, while Ajay’s scene seems forced.
The writing is erratic [Shiv Subramanyam, Leena Yadav], with some portions touching the peak, while a few touching the ebb. The suicide of one of the students and how it puts an end to the game is a master stroke from the writing point of view. Bachchan’s speech in the finale, when he’s bestowed with the Sir Isaac Newton Award, moves you no end. But between the suicide and the finale, the film tends to get uninteresting.
Leena’s direction shows maturity in her second outing. A number of sequences are deftly executed. But how one wished Leena would learn the art of narrating stories within commercial parameters. Aseem Bajaj’s cinematography is striking. The visuals are simply incredible. Salim-Sulaiman’s music has two catchy tracks - ‘Neeyat’ [the moves of the dancer are tantalising] and the track towards the end credits. The usage of B&W in this song is truly imaginative. The choreography of both these songs [Ashley Lobo] is superb.
Bachchan plays the role of a mathematician with remarkable ease. One cannot imagine anyone else in this character other than Bachchan. Especially noteworthy are the sequences between Bachchan and Sir Ben. Madhavan is excellent. The actor displays the grey shades most convincingly. The film introduces four new talents and each is confidence personified. Siddharth, Shraddha and Dhruv get maximum footage and they stand out. Vaibhav has tremendous screen presence, but his role lacks meat.
Raima Sen is alright. Barry John is first-rate. Anjan Srivastava is good. Mahesh Manjrekar is effective. Saira Mohan is hardly there. Sir Ben Kingsley is an amazing actor and expectedly, he’s brilliant here. It’s a treat to watch these two magicians - Sir Ben and Bachchan - perform on screen.
On the whole, TEEN PATTI is a fresh concept for Indian viewers, made well, but limits itself to the intelligentsia and big city audiences mainly.
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Mumbai, The English conversation between actors Amitabh Bachchan and Ben Kinsley in the forthcoming film “Teen Patti” has been dubbed in Hindi for the single screen audience, producer Ambika Hinduja of Serendipity films said.
The movie has been directed by Leena Yadav.
“In the movie Mr. Bachchan’s character Venkat is narrating his journey to Perci Trachtenberg [...]
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