One the most sought after couple in Bollywood Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor launched the lonely planet guide.
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My Name is Khan my bravest film: Karan Johar
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Mumbai, (BollywoodWorld.com) Putting speculations to rest, director-producer Karan Johar said that his forthcoming film “My Name Is Khan”, that has Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in main leads, has nothing to do with terrorism.
“‘My Name is Khan’ has nothing to do with terrorism. It is not a terrorism-based plot at all. It is a humanitarian [...]
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Post 9/11, there’s anger, distrust, suspicion, uneasiness all around. Not a day passes when you don’t hear of terrorists killing civilians in the name of religion.
Many storytellers have, in the past, narrated stories about terrorists and their nefarious and despicable plans. But let me state one thing categorically. You haven’t watched a more profound, a more thought-provoking, a more dramatic story on this subject before KURBAAN. It’s not just the most powerful film to come out of Dharma Productions, it’s the most powerful film to come out of the Hindi film industry this year, thus far.
KURBAAN tries to penetrate into the psyche of not just the terrorist, but also someone who has been a helpless spectator all this while. This film is sure to spark off discussions and debates, although it must also be noted that it doesn’t take sides or gets preachy.
Rensil D’Silva has chosen a burning issue for his directorial debut, which is a complete departure from Karan Johar’s earlier films. For some inexplicable reasons, parallels are being drawn with FANAA [Aamir Khan, Kajol] and NEW YORK [John Abraham, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Katrina Kaif], but the fact remains that barring the backdrop of terrorism, there’s no similarity with those films.
I’ve often felt that certain films are beyond box-office. Movies are not meant to merely entertain, but enlighten and educate as well. They need to prick your conscience and in the process, make an attempt to make this world a better place. KURBAAN does just that and for this very reason, it deserves a double thumbs up.
Final word? Drop everything else you’re doing to watch KURBAAN. Movies like these need to be made, encouraged and lauded.
Avantika [Kareena Kapoor] is a teacher at a university in Delhi. She has come back from New York where she teaches, because her father [Aakash Khurana] has suffered a heart attack. During this period, she meets a Professor called Ehsaan Khan [Saif Ali Khan]. Soon, they begin seeing each other and love blossoms.
A few months later, Avantika receives a call from her university in New York, asking her to come back. Avantika breaks the news to Ehsaan. He, in turn, tells her he doesn’t mind coming to the States with her. But first they need to get married.
Soon after the marriage, they leave to start a new life in New York. They buy a house in an Indian neighbourhood and move in. Just as they are setting up home, their conservative Muslim neighbours invite them over for dinner. The next morning, Salma [Nauheed Cyrusi], one of the women Avantika met the night before at the dinner, visits her under the pretext of gifting her sweets.
When Avantika invites her in, Salma tells her that she is in grave danger. Nothing is what it seems. Salma pleads with Avantika to help her. What follows next is a series of incidents that sucks Avantika into a vortex of danger and intrigue. As her life spirals out of control, Avantika realizes that she is a pawn in a huge game.
KURBAAN has two stories running concurrently - the love story between Saif and Kareena and the story of Islamic terrorists. Rensil sets the stage in the initial 15 minutes itself, after which there’s a twist in the tale every 15-20 minutes, which catches you completely unaware. Rensil doesn’t borrow from the past, which makes the proceedings thoroughly captivating.
The highpoint is the 35-minute climax, which leaves you spellbound. The culmination to the story shakes you completely, largely because it’s pragmatic and has been executed most logically as well. In fact, filming the climax at the various underground tube stations must’ve been the toughest challenge for the director.
On the flip side, KURBAAN caters more to the intelligentsia or the thinking viewer and might not be lapped up whole-heartedly by those who survive on the staple diet of hardcore masala fares.
Some of the finest technicians in the business are associated with KURBAAN. Hemant Chaturvedi’s cinematography is super. The film bears an international look all through. Salim-Sulaiman’s music is well integrated in the narrative. At least two tracks merit a mention - ‘Shukran Allah’ and ‘Ali Maula’. Anurag Kashyap and Niranjan Iyengar’s dialogue are superb. The lines enhance the impact of several sequences. Thrills are, again, in sync with the mood of the film.
KURBAAN is embellished with superlative performances. Saif is extra-ordinary in a role that only proves his versatility once again. If he won your heart with a winning performance in LOVE AAJ KAL a few months ago, you need to watch this supremely talented actor underplay his part so beautifully in KURBAAN. As for Kareena, KURBAAN reiterates one fact yet again: She’s the best in the business. No two opinions on that! Watch her get those emotional sequences right, it’s incredible. Here’s a performance that truly merits the highest praise and admiration, besides fetching her awards and accolades.
Vivek Oberoi is fantastic. Matching Saif and Kareena at every step, KURBAAN should be the turning point in Vivek’s career. It’s a difficult role to portray and only an actor with a wide range could’ve portrayed this part so effectively. Om Puri is top notch and so is Kirron Kher. Kirron is marvellous, especially in the penultimate scene. Dia Mirza, Nauheed Cyrusi and Kulbhushan Kharbanda lend credibility to their brief roles.
On the whole, KURBAAN is the most powerful film to come out of the Hindi film industry in 2009, so far. The film has a captivating plot, gripping screenplay, super performances and a climax that shakes you up completely. Watching this movie should be on top of your agenda this week.
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New Delhi, (BollywoodWorld.com) After delivering two back to back hits in the form of light-hearted comedies “Dostana” and “Wake Up Sid”, producer Karan Johar is set to showcase global terrorism in his forthcoming film “Kurbaan”, which is releasing Friday.
Distributed by UTV Motion Pictures, the thriller is the directorial debut of Rensil D’Silva and stars Saif [...]
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Mumbai, Kareena Kapoor says there is nothing “vulgar” about her backless shot being used for the publicity posters of forthcoming release “Kurbaan”, an intense thriller about terrorism. In fact, she says, it subtly reveals a lot about the story.
“This shot of me in a backless posture and Saif with a wound on his chest tell [...]
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Mumbai, (BollywoodWorld.com) A Kashmiri by origin, Tariq Tapa was tired of films being made on Kashmir that revolved around terrorism. Having studied filmmaking in the US, he finally made his directorial debut at the ongoing Mumbai Film Festival (MFF) with “Zero Bridge” on life and people in state.
“In recent times, every film on Kashmir has [...]
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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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New Delhi, Teenage pregnancy, terrorism, an out-and-out actioner or a spooky jungle thriller-Bollywood newcomers like Shruthi Haasan, Ruslaan Mumtaaz and Arunoday Singh are opting for different themes and strong scripts rather than being lured by big banners and typical potboilers.
Tamil superstar Kamal Haasan’s daughter Shruthi chose an unconventional debut in “Luck”, a hardcore action film. [...]
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New Delhi, Teenage pregnancy, terrorism, an out-and-out actioner or a spooky jungle thriller-Bollywood newcomers like Shruthi Haasan, Ruslaan Mumtaaz and Arunoday Singh are opting for different themes and strong scripts rather than being lured by big banners and typical potboilers.
Tamil superstar Kamal Haasan’s daughter Shruthi chose an unconventional debut in “Luck”, a hardcore action film. [...]
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