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Ramgopal Varma is itching to tell a new story in his movies. You may garland him for his efforts or loathe him if you feel letdown, but you need to hand it to him for picking up stories that defy stereotype.

This time, in RANN, the maverick film-maker does an expose on the games the heavyweights in the media play to further their interests. RGV goes into the newsrooms and also behind it and throws light on the politician-industrialist-media nexus. Also, it’s an insider’s account of how news channels that are greedy for ratings sensationalize stories to grab eyeballs.

On surface, you don’t want to know what goes behind the scenes and how, at times, news are ‘created’ by vested interests. But RANN scratches the surface and opens a can of worms. RANN also mirrors the fact that just like there are good and bad people in every field, there’re some rotten ones in the media too who succumb to temptations and create news to climb the ladder of success.

RANN is a serious film and RGV knows what he’s talking this time. It wouldn’t be erroneous to state that you recall RGV’s SARKAR while watching RANN, even though the two films are as diverse as chalk and cheese. You recall SARKAR because RANN is an equally powerful film that shows a world we’ve only seen from the exterior.

RANN is for those who enjoy serious cinema. It’s more for the intelligentsia, for the thinking viewer. Definitely not for those who seek refuge in frivolous masala capers.

Vijay Harshvardhan Malik [Amitabh Bachchan] is the founder of a private news channel, India 24/7. A hardcore upholder of journalistic ethics, his channel is battling for survival. Jay [Sudeep], his son, looks at his father’s news channel purely as a business enterprise that must make profits to justify its existence. He hates that his competition [Mohnish Bahl] is doing better than him.

The story takes a turn when a corrupt politician, Mohan Pandey [Paresh Rawal], decides to use the channel to his advantage by using Vijay’s son-in-law Navin [Rajat Kapoor]. Pandey aspires to be the Prime Minister and indulges in a vicious campaign against his political opponent.

Navin is the most insecure man on earth and won’t rest till he becomes the number one industrialist in the country. He, in turn, involves his brother-in-law Jay in Pandey’s game plan.

A film like RANN would fall into the pit if [i] its writing wouldn’t be razor-sharp and [ii] the choice of actors would be incompetent. RGV’s movies, generally, are embellished with competent actors who deliver super performances. In this film, every member of the cast shines in his/her role, the length of the role notwithstanding.

The writing is watertight and convincing. Besides, the subject matter has been presented in the most simplistic manner, which makes it easy to decipher. However, the episode showing Riteish’s investigation tends to get confusing at one point, but the climax compensates for the minor hiccups here and there.

Amit Roy’s cinematography is eye-catching. Dialogues are power-packed. In fact, one can identify with the well-penned dialogues. The background score plays a crucial role. It heightens the impact of various scenes.

Amitabh Bachchan is spectacular yet again, especially towards the finale. His speech and the way he delivers it are remarkable. Sudeep is terrific. To stand up to giants like Bachchan and Paresh Rawal is no mean achievement. Riteish is only getting better and better with every film. In fact, he surprises you constantly.

Paresh Rawal, seen in an RGV film after a long, long time, is at his vicious best. Rajat Kapoor is incredible. Mohnish Bahl gets the role of a lifetime and he sinks his teeth into it. This film should open new vistas for him. Gul Panag is natural and so easy on the eyes. Neetu Chandra does her part well. Suchitra Krishnamoorthy is too good. Rajpal Yadav contributes to some funny moments. Neena Kulkarni and Simone Singh are perfect for their parts.

On the whole, RANN is truly a well-made film. No two opinions on that. The film should be patronised by viewers of serious, sensible cinema. Recommended!

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New Delhi, Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt is the owner of the Sirsa Gullies cricket team for the T-10 gully cricket season 2 “Ab Har Koi Khelega”, it was announced here Sunday.
The team will see Dutt involved in all aspects like grooming of players, supporting and cheering them and getting various corporate sponsorships for the team [...]

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Surprise, surprise, surprise! Sometimes, the expectations from a movie are zilch, but what unfolds on screen is beyond expectations. It surprises you, to put it simply.

On face-value, BOLO RAAM looks like it’s straight out of 1970s cinema. A movie with predictability written all over it. A movie that carries zero hype and matches it with zero content. But BOLO RAAM isn’t archaic, isn’t the usual masala, isn’t zero content.

A remake of the Tamil film RAAM [2005; starring Jeeva, Saranya, Rehman, Murali], BOLO RAAM has an interesting plot with an engaging screenplay that compels you to look at the screen for most parts of the movie. But, of course, there’re hiccups. A few non-actors and a done to death climax could’ve been avoided.

Raam [Rishi Bhutani] is charged with the murder of his mother Archana [Padmini Kolhapure]. Raam falls into a state of shock, brief psychotic disorder, after his mother’s death and becomes silent, refusing to talk or react in any manner.

The investigating officer, Indrajeet Singh Rathi [Om Puri] is puzzled and unable to make Raam speak. He consults a psychiatrist, Dr. Negi [Naseeruddin Shah], to determine the cause of Raam’s state of mind and the reason for his silence.

Rathi interrogates various personalities for the case, questioning Raam. Every possible motive that Raam might have for murdering his mother is explored. Furthermore, Raam’s neighbours, Sub-Inspector Sajid Khan’s [Govind Namdev] daughter Juhi [Disha Pandey] and son Sameer [Krishan Khatra], are summoned by Rathi for interrogation. Will his silence solve the puzzle?

Without wasting any time, BOLO RAAM takes off from its opening titles itself. The story goes back and forth, several new characters are introduced, but the narrative stays faithful to the main plot. The best is reserved for the second half. Layer after layer is peeled with expertise. The viewer is keen to know the identity of the killer and that’s when the film fumbles and tumbles.

The culprit’s track is sloppy and a major put off. In fact, the circumstances that lead to the murder are quite amateurish and look far from convincing. Surely, the writer could’ve thought of a better culmination. Also, the one-sided love affair is functional.

Debutante director Rakesh Chaturvedi ‘Om’ makes a confident debut, although he should’ve cast some better actors for key roles. There’s not much scope for music [Sachin Gupta] in the film and hence, just one song merits mention - ‘Maa Tere Jaisa’. The background score [Sanjay Chowdhury] deserves special mention.

Newcomer Rishi Bhutani does a commendable job. He oozes confidence, despite sharing the same frame with accomplished actors. Om Puri gets into the skin of his character and is impressive, while Padmini Kolhapure is a pleasure to watch after a long gap. She is beautifully restrained. Naseeruddin Shah has a brief role and the veteran does it well. Govind Namdev is very good.

Rajpal Yadav is wasted. Both Disha Pandey and Krishan Khatra are non-actors. Manoj Pahwa does his usual act.

On the whole, BOLO RAAM has decent merits [hence those 2 stars], but the problem is its wrong release timing. It won’t stand a chance in front of a hurricane called 3 IDIOTS.

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Be forewarned. DE DANA DAN is the most bizarre film from the maharaja of laughathons, Priyadarshan. Not even in your wildest dream you’d think that Priyadarshan would place almost an entire film in a hotel and have its entire cast, comprising of 26 [or is it 27?] characters, most of them weirdos, interacting with each other. Brings back memories of BLAME IT ON THE BELLBOY? May be!

But Priyadarshan needs to be credited for pulling it off. There are times when you laugh hysterically at the most outlandish jokes and situations. There are times when a raised eyebrow or a wide-open jaw makes you break into a guffaw.

Be cautioned. DE DANA DAN is a loud film, with each and every character screaming on top of his/her voice, with the characters shouting, running, even floating and swimming in the end.

But what do you expect in a Priyadarshan film that has a title like DE DANA DAN? The promos never promised path-breaking or thought-provoking cinema that would give birth to debates and discussions. So why look for logic in this one?

DE DANA DAN makes no qualms of narrating a story you haven’t heard before. Here, the story is non-existent and it’s left on Priyadarshan to mix-n-match those two dozen characters and keep the momentum alive for the next 2.45 hours.

DE DANA DAN promises laughter and entertainment and sticks to its promise. This one’s not for the hard-nosed types, but for those who worship escapist cinema. Who want to chuckle, giggle and chortle at those mindless jokes. In short, DE DANA DAN is a pure dhamaal entertainer!

Nitin [Akshay Kumar] is a butler, cook, driver, watchman, gardener to a wealthy female industrialist [Archana Puran Singh] in Singapore. Like any young man, Nitin too dreams of a better life. He desperately wants to become rich and marry the love of his life, Anjali [Katrina Kaif], who supports him financially.

Ram [Suniel Shetty], Nitin’s best friend, also came to Singapore with the dream of striking it rich, but ended up a courier delivery man. He falls for Manpreet [Sameera Reddy], but her high society parents will never approve of marriage, not unless Ram has lots and lots of money.

In the midst of all this is Harbans [Paresh Rawal], a shrewd businessman, who’s looking for ways to multiply his income and avoid his debtors. He decides the best way would be to marry his son [Chunky Pandey] off to a girl whose parents can give him a large dowry. He is introduced to Manpreet’s parents at a function and is impressed by their social status. He introduces himself as a well-established businessman, impresses them and they decide to get Manpreet and Harbans’ son married.

With several factors working against them, Nitin and Ram soon reach a dead end in their relationships. When both receive ultimatums from their girlfriends, they realize that only a life of vice can help them out of their misery. They come up with an audacious plan to kidnap someone important and demand a ransom.

The kidnapping goes awry and both hide at a local hotel while waiting for the ransom money. But misfortune is never far and the kidnapping spirals out of control.

Meanwhile, Manpreet’s wedding reception is being held at the same hotel that Nitin and Ram are hiding in. Soon, they are joined by a motley set of characters including a Chinese Don [Asrani], a hired assassin [Johny Lever], a ACB police inspector [Sharat Saxena], a club dancer [Neha Dhupia], an ambassador [Vikram Gokhale], a young frustrated double crossing wife [Aditi Govitrikar], a letch [Shakti Kapoor], a drunken waiter [Rajpal Yadav] and a dead body nobody wants to check into the hotel.

DE DANA DAN is atypical Priyadarshan film that has the unmistakable stamp all over it. But, at the same time, DE DANA DAN is erratic and uneven - energetic at times, lethargic at places. Also, the culmination to the film is very similar to the director’s earlier works, with the entire cast running helter-skelter.

On the flip side, you miss Akshay’s presence in the second hour. He disappears [gets locked in a cupboard] for at least 20 minutes and the focus, hence, shifts to the other characters. His fans will miss his presence, for sure. Besides, the film tends to get very lengthy towards the second half and overtly verbose too.

Director Priyadarshan is synonymous with comedies and the ace storyteller promises laughter in abundance. Handling so many characters, plus making a film on mistaken identities could be very tough, but the director gets it right. Pritam’s music is alright, while the RDB track, ‘Paisa’, is the pick of the lot. Salim-Sulaiman’s background score is energetic. K. Ahambaram’s cinematography is alright.

The review would be incomplete if one ignored the dialogue writer’s [Jay Master] contribution to the film. The lines are laced with wit and soaked in humour and bring the house down on several occasions.

DE DANA DAN has so many characters that it gets difficult to pinpoint or single out any one actor. Akshay is at his best in a Priyadarshan film and DE DANA DAN proves it. Suniel is natural to the core. Paresh is incredible; he pitches in a superb act. Katrina and Sameera don’t have much to do. Amongst the plethora of actors, Johny Lever, Neha Dhupia, Manoj Joshi, Asrani, Vikram Gokhale and Archana Puransingh deserve special mention.

On the whole, DE DANA DAN is targeted at the masses and it delivers laughter in abundance. Leave your brains behind to enjoy this madcap entertainer!

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Madhur Bhandarkar is synonymous with thought-provoking, hard-hitting films. Right from CHANDNI BAR to FASHION, the expert storyteller has made movies that hold tremendous shock-value. In turn, Madhur has cultivated a rich fan-base for his films.

With JAIL, Madhur not only makes you visit a prison, but also makes you peep into the psyche of a prisoner. In the recent past, Sriram Raghavan’s EK HASINA THI [2004; Saif Ali Khan, Urmila Matondkar] and Nazim Rizvi’s UNDERTRIAL [2007; Rajpal Yadav] narrated the travails and anguish of innocents who were falsely implicated in a case. Besides, Nagesh Kukunoor’s TEEN DEEWAREIN [2003; Naseeruddin Shah, Jackie Shroff, Nagesh Kukunoor] too narrated the story of three convicts. But JAIL is different from the above-named films.

Besides watching a thought-provoking story on celluloid, one has also come to expect incredible performances in a Madhur Bhandarkar movie. And JAIL too is embellished with superb performances from its key actors.

JAIL transports you to a hitherto unknown world that most of us haven’t seen and if this is its USP, it’s also something that might go against it. Irrespective of how strong its merits are, a section of moviegoers [read families/kids], who generally tilt towards feel-good/sunshine/entertainment-filled cinema, might skip this film due to its dry [and at times depressing] theme.

In a nutshell, JAIL mirrors a reality in true Madhur Bhandarkar style. It’s hard-hitting, it’s compelling, it’s thought-provoking. The efficient storyteller has the courage to speak a new language in every film and for that very reason, JAIL should be on your agenda.

Parag Dixit [Neil Nitin Mukesh] is living a dream life — a great job and a loving girlfriend [Mugdha Godse]. However, things take an ugly turn when, after a series of unfortunate events, he suddenly wakes up in jail. Parag is perplexed. The only salvation he finds is in Nawab [Manoj Bajpayee], a convict, who believes that Parag is innocent.

Soon, Parag is left with a choice, to either live a life with hordes of broken hearts and shattered souls amidst the prison walls or hope to see freedom some day.

JAIL involves you from the very start. The inmates, their crimes, their individual stories… you get drawn into a world that’s very real. So real that you feel it’s happening right in front of your eyes.

Madhur has a knack of narrating stories and he narrates the story of Parag Dixit with razor-edge sharpness. Besides, JAIL also enlightens you of the legal process, which also acts as an eye-opener.

At the same time, the legal procedures and also the behavioural pattern of the inmates tend to get repetitive after a point and that’s when you start feeling restless. Nonetheless, the post-interval has some interesting twists-n-turns, like the convicts’ escape from the police van; prior to that Neil and Manoj exchanging stares before Neil perches himself in the van; Neil getting thrown in a dark cell, spending the next few days in solitary confinement; a convict using the garbage van as the means to escape; another convict realising that his wife is now a cop’s mistress. Also, the climax is touching and moves you.

Madhur hits the right note yet again. Madhur, Manoj Tyagi and Anuradha Tiwari’s script involves you in most parts. Raghuvir Shekhawat’s dialogues are true to life. There’s no scope for music in a film like JAIL, but the three songs are smartly integrated in the storyline. Kalpesh Bhandarkar’s cinematography is top notch. Special mention must be made of Nitin Chandrakant Desai’s prison set, where the film is entirely shot.

Not only does Neil Nitin Mukesh deliver his finest performance to date, but the performance would easily rank amongst the finest this year. He conveys the pathos and helplessness that this character demands with amazing understanding. He deserves all praise for his extra-ordinary portrayal.

Manoj Bajpayee pitches in a memorable performance. In fact, the supremely talented actor is in form after a long, long time. He’s subdued all through, which only goes to prove that he knows the craft so well. Mugdha Godse underplays her part beautifully. Also, she carries the non-glam look well.

Aarya Babbar is fantastic. This film should make people sit and notice this young actor. Chetan Pandit is first-rate. Rahul Singh is excellent, especially in the sequence when he confronts his wife. The actor who plays the part of Joe D’Souza is effective.

On the whole, JAIL is a well-made film from an expert storyteller. At the box-office, the film will appeal to those with an appetite for hard-hitting, realistic fares, but its clash with AJAB PREM KI GHAZAB KAHANI will affect its business to an extent.

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David Dhawan has always made wacky and bizarre films and his new baby DO KNOT DISTURB doesn’t push the envelope either. His critics may term his cinema outlandish and outrageous, but the fact is that his films cater to the aam junta. His mantra is simple: Haso aur hasao.

Now let’s analyse DO KNOT DISTURB, inspired by the French film LA DOUBLURE aka THE VALET [2006]. David has tackled extra-marital affairs in his earlier films like SAAJAN CHALE SASURAL, GHARWALI BAHARWALI and BIWI NO. 1. DO KNOT DISTURB also talks of a married man having a torrid affair with a supermodel, but it’s not remotely similar to his past endeavours.

Actually, DO KNOT DISTURB rests on a thin plot and David relies on gags and jokes to keep you hooked for those 2 + hours. Even though you realise that there’s not much meat in the story, even though the situations are silly, you remain glued to the proceedings because it keeps you in splits thanks to the funny jokes and the weird characters.

So what’s the verdict? DO KNOT DISTURB is sure to keep you smiling from start to end. A few portions may even prompt you to laugh aloud or break into a guffaw. If non-stop mindless entertainment is on your mind, this recipe is just for you. Do Knot miss this one!

A filthy rich businessman [Govinda], married to a beautiful and sophisticated woman [Sushmita Sen], tries to hide his extra-marital affair with a supermodel [Lara Dutta]. To save his skin, he bribes a waiter [Ritesh Deshmukh] into pretending to be the supermodel’s boyfriend. What follows is a series of mistaken identities and misunderstandings.

David Dhawan opens his cards at the very outset. The emphasis is on comic situations, while the story goes out of the window after a point. You don’t mind it purely because the motive, like always, is to keep you in splits and DO KNOT DISTURB succeeds to a large extent.

At the same time, writer Yunus Sajawal takes a long route to reach the culmination. The Ranvir Shorey dual role sequence, for instance, seems unwarranted. Also, Sohail Khan’s portions looks forced in the narrative. Even otherwise, the post-interval portions are very lengthy, although the comic scenes compensate for the deficiencies in the writing.

David Dhawan is the Big Boss of laughathons and DO KNOT DISTURB proves his supremacy yet again. You may argue that the goings-on are plain ridiculous and ludicrous, but the entertainment quotient is so high that you ignore the weak plot gradually. Nadeem-Shravan’s music is pleasant. The songs are well filmed too. Vijay Arora’s cinematography is excellent. Dialogues [Amit Aryan] are first-rate. In fact, a few one-liners actually bring the house down.

Govinda is matchless in a David Dhawan film and DO KNOT DISTURB confirms this fact yet again. In fact, there are certain parts that only he can portray and David taps that potential to the fullest. Watch Govinda when he suddenly starts speaking in a female voice during the Ranvir Shorey episode. It’s howlarious!

Ritesh Deshmukh is superb. Matching Govinda in scene after scene is next to impossible, but Ritesh stands on his feet all through. His scenes with Lara also are thoroughly enjoyable. Lara Dutta springs a pleasant surprise. Known for glamorous roles uptil now, she handles the comic act extremely well. Also, she looks sensuous in several scenes. Sushmita Sen is wonderful, though she gets limited scope to prove her mettle.

Sohail Khan’s role is sketchy, hence it doesn’t make an impact. Ranvir Shorey is excellent. Manoj Pahwa and Rajpal Yadav are amazing in their respective parts. Himani Shivpuri is alright. Rituparna Sengupta is hardly there.

On the whole, DO KNOT DISTURB is a mass entertainer that keeps you entertained and smiling/laughing in most parts. At the box-office, this one lives up to the hype and expectations and that in turn should reflect very strongly in its business.

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Mumbai, Director David Dhawan’s “Do Knot Disturb”, a comedy about marriage and infidelity, is set to release across 1060 screens worldwide Friday.
Co-produced by BIG Pictures and Vashu Bhgnani’s Puja Entertainment, the film is bringing together the hit actor-director duo of Dhawan and Govinda for the 19th time.
It also stars two former beauty queens – [...]

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Not all English films can be adapted for the Indian screen. Also, the remake may not necessarily be as interesting as the original. That’s what you realize when you watch the Hindi version of DEATH AT A FUNERAL called DADDY COOL. Sadly, DADDY COOL is just not cool. Plenty of reasons why…

One, this supposedly laugh riot fails to tickle your funny bone, barring in a scene or two.
Two, the concept is more suited for a play. Setting an entire film on one location, with the story taking place in a span of a few hours, is not too exciting.

Even otherwise DADDY COOL tries so hard to make you laugh, but falls flat on its face. The unfortunate part is, comedy in Hindi movies is now relegated to making faces on camera and that’s what most actors in DADDY COOL do.

Another factor that goes against the film is its humour. It’s crass and crude. In this film, men roam around either in shirts, showing off their underpants [Chunky Pandey] or stand on a roof with just underclothes [Aftab Shivdasani] or tell people to remove their underclothes so that they can relieve themselves in a toilet [Prem Chopra asks Jaaved Jaffery to do so].

Really, what kind of humour is this?

Chaos erupts during the funeral of Douglas [Sharat Saxena] when the grieved mourners are struck by drugs, romance, jealousy and a scandalous secret, all of which befall the family and friends.

Director K Murali Mohan Rao has helmed several interesting films in the past, but what’s this? Sure, DADDY COOL has a few entertaining moments, like the one when Rajpal Yadav reveals the secret [that Sharat Saxena was gay and Rajpal and he were lovers], but the remaining sub-plots fail to cut ice. Adding multiple sub-plots is fine as long as each sub-plot has something fascinating to say, but that’s missing here. Even the end is so bizarre, with members of this detached family suddenly professing love for one another.

There’s just one song [Raghav Sachar] at the start [a tuneful number] and one towards the end. Dialogues are strictly okay.

With a weak screenplay on hand, there’s not much the actors can do. The ones who try hard and manage are Suniel Shetty, Jaaved Jaffery, Sophie Choudry, Chunky Pandey and Prem Chopra.

On the whole, DADDY COOL fails to deliver what it promises - laughter and entertainment.

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Gift an infant his/her favourite toy and see how the toddler plays it with glee. In TOSS, the camera seems to be the toy for debutante director Ramesh Khatkar. He plays with the camera so much, experimenting with zany frames, that you get put off after a point.

TOSS has an interesting thought that the urban junta would like to watch, but the screenplay blows the story to smithereens. This thriller thrills in bits and spurts and the final outcome is least exciting.

The culprit here, like most films helmed by debutantes, is that form overpowers content to such an extent that what you get to watch is a good looking film with minimal substance to offer.

In a nutshell, the subject goes for a toss in TOSS.

TOSS tells the story of a bunch of friends who, on their way back from a vacation, stumble upon a fortune. They decide to split the money and start dreaming a king’s life. Soon, before they realize the owners of the booty are after them, the law is after them and worse, they are after each other.

After a lot of camera jugglery at the start, the director takes his own sweet time to come to the point. The concept of money being the root of all evil is enticing and the writers could’ve come up with a riveting screenplay. Sadly, the writing is so childish at times that it fails to do justice to the subject.

Debutante director Ramesh Khatkar seems to have concentrated more on making a technically attractive project, instead of telling an absorbing story. Music [Sandesh Shandilya and Siddharth-Suhas] isn’t invigorating either. Background score [Ranjit Barot] is far more effective. The visuals [DoP: Anil Akki], of course, are good and that’s what you carry home.

Amongst actors, Prashant Raj is the best of the lot, followed by Ashmit Patel and Aarti Chhabria. Rannvijay is a non-actor and even the length of the role is minimal [he's killed before the interval]. Zakir Hussain irritates. Mahesh Manjrekar and Sushant Singh are wasted. And what did Vijay Raaz see in this role? Rajpal Yadav gets no scope either.

On the whole, TOSS is body beautiful minus soul.

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New Delhi, Rajpal Yadav, known for his antics in films like “Bhootnath”, “Mujhse Shaadi Karogi”, says he doesn’t have any plans to move away from his favourite genre.
“I will stick to comedy as along as I can… I’m not allergic to serious role. But comedy is the need of the hour… it works as a [...]

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