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Indians are passionate about cricket. Am also sure you must’ve encountered a number of cricket fanatics over the years. Most film-makers dread to release their films during crucial matches, fearing that a sizable chunk of moviegoers would prefer to watch a match than a movie.

This year, we’ve had VICTORY [Harman Baweja, Amrita Rao] and DIL BOLE HADIPPA [Rani Mukherji, Shahid Kapoor] focusing on this popular sport. Prior to that LAGAAN, IQBAL and JANNAT. Now WORLD CUPP 2011. Unfortunately, WORLD CUPP 2011 neither excites you as a cinematic experience, nor does it whip up those passions.

Ravi Kapoor essays the captain of the Indian cricket team, who tanks a match with the help of his team-mates against arch rivals Pakistan in World Cup. They are banned for four years when exposed by the media. His girl-friend Soha [Manisha Chatterjee] dumps him and his family disowns him.

Cut to 2011. Ravi is given one more chance to prove his patriotism by the coach [Suresh Oberoi]. Ravi is again approached by the same bookie [Zakir Hussain] to repeat the same performance once again, but this time he turns the offer down. His girl-friend is kidnapped. Ravi goes through a crisis before he wins the World Cup trophy.

WORLD CUPP 2011 falls flat due to a weak script. The film tries to explore the unholy nexus between cricketers-bookies-underworld, besides the rise-fall-rise of a cricketer, but the writing is so amateurish that it doesn’t hold your attention. Perhaps the intentions were right, but not the final output.

Debutante writer-director Ravi Kapoor may’ve borrowed from real-life, but several portions seem unpalatable. Like, for instance, the ease with which the captain of the Indian cricket team and even the umpire interact with underworld dons while the final match is in progress seems bizarre.

Talking of acting, Ravi Kapoor has screen presence, but needs to work on his acting skills. Prem Chopra, Suresh Oberoi and Zakir Hussain are passable.

On the whole, WORLD CUPP 2011 is a weak fare.

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Mumbai, (BollywoodWorld.com) Director David Dhawan dismisses as “baseless” media reports that his film “Hook Ya Crook” won’t release in theatres but would instead arrive directly on DTH.
“Where did you hear this one now? Nothing like this is happening at all. I am not surprised by such rumours though. With so many news channels and other [...]

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Bollywood actress Amrita Rao, who had been ill due to long hours of shooting, has hired superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s trainer to get back in shape, said a source close to her.
“Amrita wants to lose weight. She has been asked to go on a complete health diet comprising fruits and boiled vegetables as she [...]

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A few questions cross your mind when you’re about to watch LIFE PARTNER…

Haven’t I watched something like this in the past? Isn’t it getting repetitive?
Haven’t I had enough of mindless potboilers?
What’s Rumy Jaffery going to serve now? A rehash of what he’s made in the past?
There’s so much negativity surrounding LIFE PARTNER, even though you don’t have a clue about its content/material. Even though you have no inkling what it has to offer. Also, the buzz is clearly missing.

But, but, but… never judge a book by its cover. To answer the questions I raised at the very outset, let me say that LIFE PARTNER isn’t innovative or ground-breaking, but it’s interesting and entertaining. One may assume that it’s a nonsensical comedy, but it isn’t. Instead, it’s a ‘family film’ [a popular term for socials/paarivaarik films within the industry]. It gives you a sneak peak into the lives of two couples — one, who believes in love marriage and the other, who believes in arranged marriage.

LIFE PARTNER also surprises you because Rumy Jaffery incorporates vignettes from real life. Most importantly, LIFE PARTNER entertains, makes you laugh [at even silly jokes] and keeps you hooked for most parts of the film. It’s only the climax that acts as a spoilsport. But more on that later!

To sum up, LIFE PARTNER carries no buzz and also the baggage of zilch expectations. But this film springs a pleasant surprise. You leave the auditorium with a smile, not a smirk!

Karan [Fardeen Khan] and Sanjana [Genelia D'Souza] are madly in love with each other. Marriage is the next step to cement their relationship. But is ‘love marriage’ the right way to be?

For Bhavesh [Tusshar Kapoor], his life partner, Prachi [Prachi Desai], comes with the approval of his family. But is ‘arranged marriage’ the way forward? Is it right to prioritize family over marriage? Does Prachi have to prove herself as a worthy daughter-in-law to qualify as an ideal wife?

Jeet [Govinda] is an accomplished divorce lawyer who does not believe in the institution of marriage. He can’t be monogamous and is often responsible for his getting his clients divorced. But is ‘no marriage’ the right policy? Will Jeet ever find a partner and accept matrimony?

LIFE PARTNER is about three protagonists struggling on the marital marathon, but on different tracks.

LIFE PARTNER is a simple story told in a simplistic manner. Director Rumy Jaffery comes to the point at the very outset and the principle characters and their characteristics are well established at this juncture. The film is laced with funny incidents initially, but gets serious as it reaches the interval point. In this case too, the interval point is a shocker and you await the second half for several reasons. The post-interval portions get more real, since the two marriages go through a crisis and the transition is depicted wonderfully.

However, the climax is a downer. Ideally, the writer should’ve come up with a better thought of conclusion, instead of the one that’s depicted now.

Rumy Jaffery shows ample improvement over his previous film. He has handled a number of scenes very well, especially the Tusshar - Prachi - Darshan Jariwala portions. Pritam comes up with an ordinary soundtrack. ‘Kuke Kuke’ is the best of the lot. Yunus Sajawal’s screenplay has several appealing moments. Niranjan Iyengar’s dialogues are first-class. Sameer Arya’s cinematography is admirable. The locales of South Africa are a visual treat. In fact, the film sports a rich look all through.

Govinda is in terrific form this time. After PARTNER, the talented actor gets a role that does complete justice to his abilities. He seems to have worked on his looks and that only enhances the impact. Fardeen Khan is very likable. In fact, the role requires him to go overboard at times and he does that so well. Genelia D’Souza is the scene stealer. She’s superb and one of the prime reasons that makes LIFE PARTNER watchable.

Tusshar Kapoor pitches a remarkable performance yet again. He looks so perfect for his part. LIFE PARTNER is yet another film that showcases his talent well. Prachi Desai showed abundant promise in ROCK ON!! and excels in LIFE PARTNER too. This pretty girl has the potential to carry off most difficult scenes with aplomb. Amrita Rao [sp. app.] doesn’t create magic. Anupam Kher is just right. Darshan Jariwala is proficient. Vikram Gokhale is good. Jagdeep is superb in a brief role.

On the whole, LIFE PARTNER may lack the hype, but this one springs a pleasant surprise. It’s aimed at the families and that section of movie-going audience should take to it gradually, with a strong word of mouth. The holidays in its opening weekend should help the film grow!

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Till quite some time back, remaking a successful film was considered a safe bet. In fact, the most reliable, foolproof way at hitting paydirt. But let’s not forget, not all stories have the potential to strike gold.

SHORT KUT, a remake of the Malayalam film UDAYANANU THANAM, written by Anees Bazmee and directed by Neeraj Vora, arrives a bit too late. Actually, it should’ve hit the screens a couple of years ago. That’s because it abounds and relies completely on clichés and which, in turn, makes you break into a big yawn.

Write your own movie review of Short Kut - The Con Is On

Sad, since the basic story of SHORT KUT had the potential to keep your attention arrested. It even starts off well, but runs out of breath soon after. In fact, the graph of the film only goes down as reel after reel unfolds.

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Seriously, you want to ask something vital to Anees Bazmee and Neeraj Vora, who have penned, even directed laughathons successfully: What kind of cinema is this? Did Bazmee and Vora lose interest while writing this one? Or did they decide to take the viewer for granted?

In short, SHORT KUT is meant to be a comedy, but is actually a tragedy for the viewers.

Set in Bollywood, SHORT KUT - THE CON IS ON tells the story of two strugglers, one who makes it big as a superstar [Raju - Arshad Warsi] after stealing a script and the other whose struggle as a director [Shekhar - Akshaye Khanna] continues after his script gets stolen.

There’s a twist in the tale when reigning actress Mansi’s [Amrita Rao] romantic involvement with Shekhar gets culminated into marriage. To add to the chaos, destiny again brings Raju and Shekhar face to face, when Shekhar is set to direct his first film with Raju. What follows now is a clash of egos.

As mentioned at the very outset, SHORT KUT could’ve turned out to be an insider’s view on the film industry. The two aspirants, their struggles, the hardships that they face to get their first break… SHORT KUT could’ve explored all that and more beautifully. In fact, a few moments do try to capture that at the very start.

But the moment the romantic track sets in, things go for a toss. The plot, suddenly, makes you feel you’re watching a diluted version of ABHIMAAN [Amitabh, Jaya]. Then, suddenly, another unexciting track surfaces — of the superstar throwing his weight on the sets. The film starts losing grip.

The post-interval portions are simply unbearable. You expect things to brighten up, but the writing is so pathetic and the climax so childish and absurd that you’re shocked. Looks like the writers must’ve gone on a vacation and entrusted the responsibility of writing the climax to some amateur types who has zilch knowledge of screen writing. It’s the worst climax undoubtedly!

Director Neeraj Vora gets its wrong completely. The writing as also the execution are archaic and outdated. Mr. Vora, which era do you belong to? As for cinematography, the DoP tries hard to make the bad product look enticing. Musically, nothing to hum about.

Akshaye Khanna puts up a sincere act, but what can the best of actors do when saddled with shoddy scripts? Arshad gets better lines, also gets a role that the masses would take to instantaneously, but he’s getting typecast. Amrita Rao exposes her anatomy freely. Chunky Pandey manages to make you smile at places. Ali Asgar looks fake. Haider Ali is alright. Siddharth Randeria is theatrical.

On the whole, SHORT KUT - THE CON IS ON is a poor show all the way. A major disappointment.

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Mumbai, She has been hogging the limelight for her dare to bare act in “Short Kut: The Con Is On” that releases Friday. But Amrita Rao says she believes in hardwork and not taking shortcuts to achieve success in life.
“My entry in filmdom was not a freak accident, it was my participation in ad films [...]

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New Delhi, She was rumoured to be dating Shahid Kapoor and then Hurman Baweja. But there is no one “special” in her life right now and she won’t think about marriage for the next 10 years, says actress Amrita Rao, who is all set to don a glamorous avatar in “Short Kut”.
“I’m not getting married [...]

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New Delhi, She was rumoured to be dating Shahid Kapoor and then Hurman Baweja. But there is no one “special” in her life right now and she won’t think about marriage for the next 10 years, says actress Amrita Rao, who is all set to don a glamorous avatar in “Short Kut”.
“I’m not getting married [...]

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New Delhi, She was rumoured to be dating Shahid Kapoor and then Hurman Baweja. But there is no one “special” in her life right now and she won’t think about marriage for the next 10 years, says actress Amrita Rao, who is all set to don a glamorous avatar in “Short Kut”.
“I’m not getting married [...]

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New Delhi, She was rumoured to be dating Shahid Kapoor and then Hurman Baweja. But there is no one “special” in her life right now and she won’t think about marriage for the next 10 years, says actress Amrita Rao, who is all set to don a glamorous avatar in “Short Kut”.
“I’m not getting married [...]

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