Mumbai, Ayesha Takia has quelled rumours that she has started wearing a burqa after marriage and that her husband’s family is ultra-conservative where acting is not permitted.
Ayesha is more amused than exasperated by attempts to put her into the retired actress’ bracket after marriage.
“I’m amazed at the games people play. The other day someone [...]
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New Delhi, Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor, who was in the capital for over a month to shoot for her upcoming venture “Ayesha”, says the film is 40 percent complete.
“We are done with 40 percent of the shooting for ‘Ayesha’ and now we will resume the rest in Mumbai,” Sonam told IANS here.
“Ayesha” has been [...]
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This is for fans and foes of Salman Khan…
Fans, rejoice, Salman is back with a vengeance with WANTED. This is his deadliest performance to date. Yes, you read it right!
Foes, sorry, you won’t be able to lash out at him or pick on him or launch a vicious tirade this time. The spate of flops should come to a grinding halt with WANTED.
Let’s get this straight. WANTED rides on Salman Khan’s star power. He may not be the best actor in town, but in a film like WANTED, in a role that seems like an extension of his personality, you can’t think of anyone else enacting this role with flourish.
A remake of POKIRI [made in Telugu and Tamil versions], WANTED is a full on masala film. Recall the successful potboilers of yore. Recall how the good guy would reduce 10 hoodlums to pulp in a fraction of seconds. Recall how heroism prevailed in the end, no matter how adverse the circumstances were or how powerful the villains would be. Recall those movies in which logic took a backseat since the focus was on entertainment… You relive those moments as reel after reel of WANTED unfolds.
A departure from candyfloss movies and diabetic-sweet characters that most Hindi movies boast of, WANTED takes you back to those days when popular cinema reigned supreme, when the sole motive of the film-maker was to entertain.
The daring hero and his herogiri, the naïve girlfriend, the corrupt cop, the dreaded don, the don’s moll, the fist-clinching henchmen… WANTED is for those who seek unabashed entertainment and relish masala films. Damn the indomitable critics, pseudo intellectuals and connoisseurs of parallel cinema, this one’s not for them. WANTED is for the aam junta.
Radhe [Salman Khan] is a hardcore gangster. A sharpshooter with a sharp brain, he works for Gani Bhai [Prakash Raj], the dreaded Mafioso, but on his own terms. Totally fearless, Radhe single-handedly eliminates Gani Bhai’s enemies one by one; making more enemies in the process.
He’s astounded when the young and pretty Jahnvi [Ayesha Takia Azmi] professes her liking for him. Inspector Talpade’s [Mahesh Manjrekar] lustful eyes fall on Jahnvi. He doesn’t know that Jahnvi has developed a soft corner for Radhe.
Whether it’s the Golden Gang or Data Pawle’s Gang, everybody wants the biggest piece of the lucrative cake that is Mumbai and the only way to get it is to eliminate whoever gets in the way. As Mumbai reels under bloody gang wars, Commissioner Ashraf Khan [Govind Namdeo] vows to make the city crime free.
Director Prabhu Dheva serves a hardcore masala fare that’s not inventive or path-breaking by any standard, but the execution of several scenes as also of stunts takes the graph of the film Northward. In fact, if at all there’s any film that competes with GHAJINI as far as raw appeal goes, it’s WANTED. Every action/stunt/chase here is choreographed with aplomb.
Watch out for the action sequence at the interval point or the penultimate half-an-hour. The climax is sure to send scores of action lovers in frenzy, as Salman bashes the evil forces black and blue. It wouldn’t be erroneous to state that the climax is worth the price of the ticket, samosa, sandwich, popcorn, nachos and cola put together.
Not that this 18 reeler abounds in mindless action. As mentioned earlier, this one’s a hardcore masala film and the narrative has its share of light moments and romantic sequences. Even the bad man here makes you laugh intermittently [when he's not spewing venom], especially in the sequence when the Commissioner of Police holds him captive in the middle of the sea. Even the romance between Salman and Ayesha charms its way into your heart. It’s very likable.
But WANTED is not without its share of flaws. The film stands on a thin storyline and the viewer can guess what’s in store next, which means that there’s not much novelty in the plot. Besides, WANTED could’ve done without a song or two, thereby keeping its length in check.
Director Prabhu Dheva has presented Salman like never before. Most actors have drifted away from roles that hold tremendous mass appeal, that cater to the desi audience, like they did in the 1980s. SRK did it in OM SHANTI OM, Aamir Khan did it in GHAJINI and Salman does it so effortlessly in WANTED. The screenplay [Shiraz Ahmed] may not be foolproof, but it has its share of shining moments. Dialogues are clapworthy, especially those delivered by Salman.
Sajid-Wajid’s music is of a mixed variety. ‘Jalwa’ is the best of the lot and the star presence of Anil Kapoor, Govinda and also Prabhu Dheva in this track will send the viewers into raptures. The remaining tracks oscillate between good and strictly okay. This review would be incomplete without the invaluable contribution by the action director. It deserves brownie points. Cinematography too is top notch.
Salman is like a ferocious lion who roars with all his might. The show belongs to the actor, who scorches the screen every time he displays the manic anger. Without doubt, Salman gives the power to WANTED. It’s his best work to date.
Ayesha Takia Azmi is very good and the pairing with Salman looks wonderful. Vinod Khanna is sidelined. He deserved more footage. Mahesh Manjrekar is excellent. He’s only getting better with every film. Prakash Raj is first-rate. The accomplished actor adds yet another feather to his cap. Govind Namdeo is perfect.
Mahek Chahal radiates oomph. Aseem Merchant is alright. Raju Mavani is effective. Inder Kumar and Sajid are okay. Manoj Pahwa tries hard to make you laugh. Prateeksha Lonkar is as usual.
On the whole, WANTED rides on Salman, Salman and only Salman Khan’s star power. A masala film that’s aimed at the masses, WANTED is backed by tremendous hype and hoopla, which will result in the film taking an earth-shattering start at the ticket window. The Idd celebrations in the coming days will only enhance the business of the film, which means that the film will have a solid Week 1. The holidays in Week 2 should also be bountiful, thereby ensuring a strong place in the ‘Hit’ category.
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Mumbai, Bollywood actress-turned-businesswomen Ayesha Takia says her 21-year-old sister Natasha Takia is all set to enter the Hindi film industry next year. She wants her younger sibling to be welcomed by the audience like Kareena Kapoor was.
“My sister Natasha who is 21 will be in films next year. Hopefully she’ll be welcomed in the industry [...]
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New Delhi, Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor, who is currently in the capital for the shooting of “Ayesha”, says she loves everything about the city except its unpredictable weather.
“I’m in love with this city. I love the food, shopping, parties and people of Delhi – they are so lively. When you watch this city on the [...]
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New Delhi, When it comes to his daughter, Bollywood actor-producer Anil Kapoor wants the best. He has roped in award-winning writer Manu Rishi to pen dialogues for Sonam’s next film “Ayesha”.
“Anil Kapoor met me and said that he had seen ‘Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!’. He also told me, ‘You’re very good’. Then he started talking [...]
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New Delhi, She earned rave reviews for her performance as a blind and deaf girl in the critically acclaimed “Black”, but 14-year-old Ayesha Kapoor says she wasn’t able to relate to her character of a conservative Kashmiri girl in her latest film “Sikandar”.
“It was hard for me to relate to my character in the film [...]
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There have been path-breaking films on the plight of children. Children affected by poverty/conflict. Films like THE CHILDREN OF HEAVEN, TURTLES CAN FLY and CITY OF GOD have left an indelible impression on millions of minds. These films, says director Piyush Jha, have also been his inspiration.
Jha’s SIKANDAR looks at the conflict in Kashmir, without taking sides. That’s because the focus is on a kid who becomes a pawn in a dangerous game played by politicians and terrorists. One has often read in newspapers and also watched television programs that highlight the fact that kids are being used in wars waged in the name of religion. SIKANDAR tackles this theme as well.
SIKANDAR has a refreshingly different story to tell, since themes like the one here have rarely been told on the Hindi screen before. But how one wishes the screenplay would do justice to the thought. For, the film holds your attention in bits and spurts, not in totality. Also, the culmination to this story falls short of expectations.
In a nutshell, SIKANDAR had the potential to strike a chord, but it leaves your hand midway.
Sikandar [Parzaan Dastur] is a 14-year-old schoolboy in Kashmir. Ever since his parents were killed by militants 10 years back, he has lived with his aunt and uncle, in a small town in Kashmir.
One day, on his way home from a school football match, Sikandar finds a gun lying on the path. Despite admonishments by his newly-made school friend, the 14-year-old Nasreen [Ayesha Kapur], Sikandar picks up the gun and thus begins a journey into the darker side of his nature. The quiet yet strong Nasreen becomes Sikandar’s conscience keeper. She tries to dissuade him from giving in to the lure of the gun.
However, all is not what it seems. Sikandar gets embroiled further and further in situations beyond his control. As layer upon layer unravels, it becomes clear that Sikandar is the innocent victim in a game being played out between the militants, the peace bartering politicians and the religious heads of the little Kashmiri town.
You realize that SIKANDAR is not the usual film on terrorism at the very outset, when a kid kicks a football and a bomb explodes. The story takes off the moment Parzaan finds a gun and the sequences thereafter keep the viewer involved, especially the scenes between Parzaan and Arunoday Singh [the terrorist]. The point at which the first half ends makes you look forward to the second hour, but it doesn’t.
The problem is that the story suddenly moves into the suspense-thriller genre and that robs the film of its originality. Even before you’re told who the culprit is, you’ve guessed it already thanks to the been-there-seen-that kind of situations that this film relies on.
Sure, a few sequences do leave an impact - like the one when a blast occurs during the pre-climax - but the screenplay isn’t cohesive at this juncture. To cite an instance, the army officer hands a gun to Sikandar to avenge his father’s death. Now this looks implausible. Also, the politician’s daughter has a change of heart in the end, which is so difficult to absorb.
What director Piyush Jha needs to be complimented for presenting the viewers the scenic beauty of Kashmir. The DOP presents some stunning visuals of Kashmir to the viewer and that’s something you carry back home.
Parzaan acts quite well, but Ayesha doesn’t work. Also, the accent is hard to ignore. Madhavan does a decent job. Sanjay Suri underplays his part beautifully. This is amongst his finest works. Arunoday Singh makes an impressive debut. Also, he’s blessed with a strong personality to carry off this role.
On the whole, SIKANDAR doesn’t quite hit the goal.
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Mumbai, From Salsa lessons to riding classes – Abhay Deol, who is back here from New York to shoot “Ayesha”, is neck deep in preparations for the film that is going to hit the floors Aug 27.
Director Rajshri Ojha direct the delayed project of Anil Kapoor’s production with Abhay and Sonam Kapoor. The film [...]
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Mumbai, He has been missing from the scene ever since his revisionist interpretation of “Devdas” in “Dev D” had his fans in a thrall. But Abhay Deol is now returning to Mumbai from New York for his new film “Ayesha” and to float his own production house.
“I’m coming back in (late) June so there will [...]
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