Cuckoo - Heartwarming realism

"Life is indeed tough for poor people and if you are blind, well...", my friend's words trailed off after the movie as he couldn't complete what he wanted to convey.

Shot on rail platforms, streets and inside trains, Cuckoo's sheer brilliance lies in the fact that it can be any blind man's love story. There is very little stereotyping which means there is no classical hero-villain sequence, no item number, running-around-the-trees routine, vulgar jokes, flexing of muscles, unintelligible lyrics and contrived sentimentality.

Dinesh as Thamizh and Malavika Nair as Suthanthirakodi fit the bill. Dinesh has done a commendable job for an upcoming actor. Malavika's beauty and screen presence at times makes Suthanthirakodi appear proud. I am sure her acting would take her places. In the scene where her liking for her reader is not reciprocated, she displays a sense of pride and self esteem that is remarkable. This scene also clothes a sharp rebuke on the camera-trigger and like-savvy FB generation that doesn't respect privacy.

Suthanthirakodi's brother tries hard to force his sister to marry his friend but she doesn't relent.The movie thankfully doesn't resort to vulgar violence here. Thamizh's friend and his street-performing troupe provide comic relief. For an audience deprived of clean jokes, this is a welcome change.

Music is refreshingly different with a prominent folk tilt. Strong lyrics, high pitched vocals and some absolutely stunning visuals together make a memorable treat for the eyes and the ears.My personal favorites are 'Agasatha' and 'Pota pulla'

As Kalyani Nair sings

Kannala Ethayum Kaanatha Ivathaan Kaneera Paarthaenae

Ini Nee Ennoda Azhaga Ponnaana Ulaga Unnala Paarpaeanae

any viewer's heart would melt at the vulnerability of the lead pair and the innocence of the love that wraps them together. Kudos to the music director Santhosh Narayan and lyricist Yugabharathi.

Cuckoo is eminently likeable because it redeems humanity's faith in itself. It shows that for every thieving policeman, there is a compassionate and helpful stranger. It repeatedly shows by virtue of it's script that mankind's natural inclination is to do good! Thamizh does good and wishes good for his friends and this is reciprocated in kind when he needs it most. It is realism at its best and fittingly ends with a strong glimmer of hope.That this is based on a true story makes it all the more endearing.

Eminently watchable. I'd rate it a 4.5 on 5.

Love, friendship and separation - Different languages, universal themes

Some themes are universal, the themes of love, friendship and separation for example. I have been spending evenings in my apartment room seeing some exemplary cinema. I realized when I saw the brilliant collection of foreign language movies in the Stuttgart library that, this is one world - a world that is neither hollywood nor bollywood - that I had never experienced.  I took the plunge...


Mommo (Turkish)  -

A brother and sister, at a tender age come to terms with the harsh reality of their mother's death and their father's remarriage. They live with their grandfather and suffer the torment of their father cold-shouldering them and favoring their half-brother. Mommo is heartrending, beautiful and disturbing at the same time. 


They say, the purest form of love is unselfish where two people trust each other completely. Ahmet's love for Ayse in this Turkish movie is a fine example. He does everything in his capacity to make her feel happy and cared for. The poverty of the village, the bleak future staring at them and the unceasing slander machinery of the neighborhood seem to have little effect on the boy. His answers to many of his sister's innocent questions exhibit a maturity and sense of responsibility beyond his age.


Many times during the course of this one and half hour movie, I felt a lump in my throat. 


La lengua de las mariposas (Spanish)

This story takes place just before the onset of the civil war in Spain. Moncho is apprehensive about his first day at school but in no time begins a beautiful friendship with his teacher, Don Gregario. The two make for an unlikely couple. The boy’s intelligence and curiosity and the old man’s love for nature gel together and make for delightful viewing.


Moncho’s brother Andrés is smitten by a mysterious woman while his own father has an illicit daughter in the village. These sidetracks offer rich glimpses into the Spanish society of the age. 

Of special mention is the part in the movie when the teacher quotes the Spanish poet Antonio Machado from one of his sonnets, “A deserted bed, a cloudy mirror, and an empty heart” when the boy asks his teacher about his wife.

Äideistä parhain (Finnish)

Eero crosses over to Sweden against his will along with numerous other children during world war II. Separated from his mother and having lost his father to the brutalities of the war, he walks into a home only to be received by a frigid Swede in Signe Jönsson. The boy tries in vain to escape to Finland risking his life in the process. Fortunately, Hjalmar, Signe’s husband befriends him. 

With time, Eero understands why Signe often loses her temper. The portrayal of the relationship between the child and the transformed Signe is movie making at its best. Soon a time comes when the boy has to return to his biological mother, who, by then is grappling with guilt. 

This story, at its core is about separation. The two world wars did unimaginable damage to the fabric of the European society but they also shed light on what can only be termed the tenderness of the human spirit. Classic moviemaking!

Turkish, Finnish or Spanish, the language might be different, but certain themes are universal. Movies like these also impart cultural lessons and for that single reason alone, are worth taking an interest in!

Bol - disrobes reality, shocks, angers, stuns, numbs and...

Bol by Shoaib Mansoor, the critically acclaimed director of Khuda Kay Liye, is brutally hard-hitting cinema. When movie makers choose to depict societal evils, they have a choice - either they can pay lip service and make the depiction an insignificant sidetrack or they can choose to take the bull by the horns - that is when they do real justice to their craft!

What is cinema without storytelling? When the story entertains, we appreciate it because we want to escape reality. In living our fantasies through our cinematic idols, we revel in their exploits, dance steps, riches, conquests and triumphs! When the story is closer home in its grounding, we tend to sometimes brush it aside, choosing to label it, 'not for the faint hearted/weak hearted'/ 'bold'/'hard-hitting'/'art cinema' etc. By categorizing movies as mass entertainers, we have started committing a grave injustice, injustice to the intellect of the masses. 

Set in Pakistan, in a quasi-urban landscape,Bol is the story of a single family's travails and tribulations. Hakim Saab (Manzar Sehbai) in his quest for a male child ends up with seven daughters and a hermaphrodite. The most rebellious and vociferous in the household, the eldest daughter, Zainab (Humaima Malick) confronts her father every time his ego and male chauvinism shackles the household. Child sexual abuse, the perils of growing up as a girl child in an ultra conservative and feudal environment, corruption in police ranks, prostitution, societal attitude towards hermaphrodites, their humiliations, Shia-Sunni divide, all compounded by a single man's egoism and chauvinism - this is Bol! 

Ayesha (Mahirah Khan Askari) is lucky enough to be charmed by Mustafa (Atif Aslam), the boy next door. She falls in love with him and among Zainab's many crimes in the eyes of her father, giving Ayesha's hand to Mustafa is also one. Humaima and Manzar are both excellent, the former in her restrained anger and agony, verbal barbs and jibes and the latter in his seething hatred of his eldest daughter and his inability to reconcile with his conscience. Atif gets to emote little, Mahirah is just OK and the other girls end up as helpless spectators of a charged battle. The movie disrobes reality,shocks, angers, stuns, numbs and in the end, leaves us with a flicker of hope - a hope that is beautiful in its potential to transform lives.

Cinematography in the song 'Hona tha pyar' is awesome. It manages to juxtapose the natural beauty of the landscape alongside the frail existence of Mustafa and Ayesha. Among other songs, Dil Janiya is my favorite. Mumkin hai is the very voice of hope! Shoaib Mansoor, hats off, hope this serves as an inspiration to other talented craftsmen in the sub continent.

Perhaps, it is high time, the masses too start asking themselves - do we want movies that are escapist or do we want movies that question accepted norms and ask uncomfortable questions? With the World in turmoil - debt crisis, austerity measures, Arab dissent and frustration with farcical democracies - isn't it time for cinema to become a vehicle of the collective and for the collective, in articulating their real voices for a change? The scope and potential is huge, who has the guts to take the plunge?

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara – Redefining what hindi cinema stands for!

Every journey of self discovery entails confronting and battling inner demons. All of us, with few exceptions, have problems in life that we prefer to paper over so that they take root deep in our subconscious and we end up carrying them like hidden badges! Often, the answers to one’s problems lie within us and not with others. If only, we have the courage to admit to ourselves that, day in and day out, the reason we are unhappy or the reason we are not able to strike successful friendships or relationships is, perhaps, we either think too far ahead or brood far too long in the past! We fail to “seize the day” as Katrina Kaif puts it aptly in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.

Arjun - In some cases, the problem might be fundamental, for example, it may lie in what we seek from life. If we seek money from our work instead of challenge or fun or excitement, we can never be happy, for no amount of money will ever be enough. On the other hand, if we continue working in unhealthy environments imagining that we are addressing challenges, then too, the road might lead to a dead end. The key is to strike the right pact with work – balancing priorities at every step!

Kabir - In other cases, the problem might arise if we sacrifice our happiness and joy to see someone else happy or please someone else. While this is a little tricky based on who the “someone else” is, beyond a certain point, it is better if we acknowledge upfront that, “to me, my happiness should matter more than anything else!” While some might argue that this is a selfish stand to take, aren’t we all selfish? Why the duplicity then when it comes to admitting it?

Imran – In some other cases, we attribute to ourselves, a greater ability to discern what is right and what is bad than we can actually take credit for. A most dangerous trait, this can lead to an existence in ignorance, while putting on a confident façade. Oblivious to the good judgment and feelings of our near and dear ones, in these cases, we close our ears and fail to listen.

This movie compels the protagonists to confront these problems as it takes the viewer on a fantastic journey through the length and breadth of the Spanish landscape. Conquering one’s deep seated fears also means choosing to break barriers that we have fashioned for ourselves. During the course of a road trip, our actors realize that, the reassuring presence of close friends away from familiar surroundings can be the perfect driver to be themselves. All three shed their masks, act foolish and begin doing what they truly like.

Dotted with excellent poetry oozing the class of Javed Akhtar, the movie strikes a chord with the viewer not because it is unrealistic, but because, it convincingly conveys the message that self discovery entails a journey into the very recesses of one’s mind! Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar and Abhay Deol play characters far meatier than Saif Ali Khan, Aamir Khan and Akshay Khanna in Dil Chahta hai. Katrina Kaif and Kalki Koechlin too get to play unconventional roles. This movie is also a complete ‘Watch with friends’ one, albeit of a slightly serious kind with the protagonists having to make far more difficult choices. Perhaps, the poetry in the movie is the ultimate hero – kudos to the genius of Javed Akhtar!

Yeh jo gehre sannate hain

Waqt ne sabko hi baante hain

Thoda ghum hai sabka qissa

Thodi dhoop hai sabka hissa

Aankh teri bekaar hi nam hai

Har pal ek naya mausam hai

Kyun tu aise pal khota hai

Dil aakhir tu kyun rota hai

Dilon me tum apni betabiyan leke chal rahe ho,to zinda ho tum

Nazar me khwaabon ki bijliyan leke chal rahe ho,to zinda ho tum

Hawa ke jhokon ke jaise aazad rehno sekho

Tum ek dariya ke jaise lehron mein behna sekho

Hr ek lamhe se tum milo khole apni baahein

Hr ek pal ek naya sama dekhe nigahein

Jo apni ankhon mein hairaniya leke chal rahe ho,to zinda ho tum

Dilon mein tum apni betabiaya leke chal rahe ho,to zinda ho tum

Ragini MMS - Spooky, scary and taut!

"They don't know it yet. It's a threesome", says the trailers of Ragini MMS. I wonder if such a campaign was necessary, because, even without getting cheesy like this, there was scope to create an interest among the audiences before release. 

Bollywood badly needs someone who is bold to experiment on offbeat themes otherwise it runs the risk of churning out mundane stuff. Of late, there is a serious dearth of good cinema, instead, what we get to see is either a popular star cast or just fancily packaged glamor! In the midst of this, if a movie that predominantly targets urban youth and makes no bones about its bold theme comes out, it can certainly grab attention. Based partly on a real life incident, this movie, Ekta Kapoor claims, is largely a work of imagination.

Horror is also one genre in which good movies are hard to come by, either because most of them take the cliched route or because they are too loud. Ragini MMS works; it manages to occupy a space that is very niche; it succeeds in building up enough suspense that when the background score gets dramatic for effect, the viewer really feels the jolt.

The jerky camera movements (Tribhuvan Babu) remind one of Love, Sex and Dhoka. The fresh pair (Kainaz Motivala and Raj Kumar Yadav), especially their thirst for adventure exemplified by the possibility of an exclusive weekend works in the beginning of the movie. There is a parallel moral angle that runs along the length of the movie which is perhaps the distinguishing factor - kudos to the lead pair and the director for treading that line carefully. In order not to hasten the shock component, the initial encounters with the spooky third inhabitant of the bungalow only serve to prepare the viewers for what is in store.

As the movie proceeds, helplessness, anguish, mystery, incomprehension alternate in good measure and make for a heady cocktail!! Worth a watch to get the adrenaline really pumping!

PS: Watched the movie on a single screen (REX cinema) and after a long time, it was an experience that I loved. With all the rows before us almost empty and being able to hear the screams of a bunch of girls sitting behind - 80 rupees was worth every penny!

Dhobi Ghat - Of yearning and frustrations

A song in the movie Namastey London goes like this - 

Kehne Ko Saath Apane Ek Duniya Chalti Hai

Per Chhupke Is Dil Mein Tanhaayi Palti Hai

In Dhobi Ghat, the lives of 4 characters - Arun (Aamir Khan), a painter who plays by his own rules, Shai (Monica Dogra), an investment banker on sabbatical and in love with photography, Munna (Prateik), a Dhobi, whose everyday objective is to make ends meet and Yasmin (Kirti Malhotra), leading an unhappy family life - come together on canvas to make for a commentary on human yearning and frustrations. 

The encompassing spirit of the city as an abode to millions that throng its shores, some aspirational and looking to make a mark, some, just running away from their unpleasant past, while, some others, just wanting to embrace its hustle and bustle, is brilliantly brought out through the 4 lead characters. The introductions just stand out in their simple to-the-point style. 

Yasmin tells a taxi driver, "I have been in the city for five months now, but still it feels strange". Shai tells Arun, "I have moved here for a bit, because, I guess, I needed a break from things to get new perspectives and some fresh air...". Arun lives out of "boxes" and moves often as leases run out. Munna tells Shai that he came to Mumbai to "fill his belly"

In carving out their own identities amidst a teeming microcosm, these characters try to find meaning in what they do, in an attempt to confirm to themselves, that, their mundane existence has a purpose. Their pangs of loneliness, their yearning for love and attendant frustration makes for a kaleidoscope of intense emotions. Even as they find nuggets of happiness, the viewer always experiences a taut rope, a feeling that the fragility of their lives would ultimately triumph.

Shai is exceptional - As a person hunting for realistic pictures in a city that thrives on dark realism, she impresses. Her accent just about qualifies for an outsider - accentuated words, pronounced intonation and a subtle hint of unfamiliarity with the language. Munna, unaffected by his surroundings, retains an innocence that is heart warming and immediately attracts Shai. Shai's natural curiosity is piqued by the eccentric behavior of Arun, even as he is tormented by a few videos left by Yasmin. Yasmin, always in the background, befriends her video camera and through the medium, engages in an outpouring with her brother that is sheer melancholic poetry. Kirti Malhotra has done a remarkable job!

The background music deserves an encore. It is, simply put, excellent. The sounds almost become a character in the movie. As scene after scene, in rapid succession, delves into the lives of these 4 characters, the effect, at first, a little disjointed, creates a definite impact that only random juxtaposition can achieve. Credit to Kiran Rao for achieving that! There are many unanswered questions; each character evokes enough intrigue and all along, the city provides a fitting background. 

This is a 9/10 movie that deserves applause. 

Aisha - A pleasant sojourn during a English Summer

" In the very first sentence she (Jane Austen) introduces the title character as "Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich." Emma, however, is also rather spoiled; she greatly overestimates her own matchmaking abilities; and she is blind to the dangers of meddling in other people's lives and is often mistaken about the meanings of others' actions" - Wiki entry on Emma.

When you see Aisha, you admire the canvas on which it is etched! A world far removed from life's harsh realities, much like a cloistered society where shopping and match-making are Aisha's chief pastimes. Its separation from reality is so complete with the costumes worn by the characters, in parts, transplanting them almost in the England of the 1800s. The movie's charm and appeal lies precisely in that. To be able to Indianize an old English classic, with characters drawn from Delhi's high society and do it quite well at that- that is Aisha for you.


Sonam Kapoor (as Aisha) looks good minus the heavy make-up she is made to wear for the most part of the movie. Abhay Deol (as Arjun), as he is known to, subtly underplays his part with elan, while in fact, his voice in the movie is very strong and as a character, is respected by the others including Aisha. New comer Amrita Puri (as Shefali) has lot of potential and plays a small town girl struggling to come to terms with a new identity she is forced to assume, thanks to our protagonist. 


The movie's high point is the time the characters spend camping for river rafting. A lot of analogies could be drawn from different scenes - the aerial shots as they ride the waves, as they are tossed by the ferocity of the sea, as they gleefully have fun by the seaside, as each one's egos and jealousies come to the fore in an interplay that typifies the innermost feelings feelings that, all of us, as human beings, harbor deep inside the crevices of our hearts, only to realize that they seldom do us any good! They only reveal the shallow nature of our selves, the easy conclusions we like to draw, the reductionist approaches we resort to, sometimes just to avoid facing the truth. 


Having said that, the second half is a little cyclic, with Aisha continuing to test her match making abilities until she comes to grip with the reality that, people around her can't forever bear her smugness and overlook her faults. 

Two songs stand out - 

Koi ankahi, koi ansuni
Baat dheemi dheemi keh rahi hai
Kahin na kahin jaagi hui hai koi aarzoo
Kahin na kahin khoye hue se hain main aur tu

and the title track. Extolling the genius of Javed Akhtar can only be redundant! 

A movie that can't be slotted under romance or chick-lit or comedy, it is definitely worth a watch. A fantasy you would want to be part of until you come back to reality...

Rajneeti - A commentary on the dark underbelly of Indian Politics

Violence begets violence and hate begets more hate! - the axiom on which Rajneeti is built.

 In a country, where many states from Jammu and Kashmir in the north to Tamilnadu in the South practice dynasty politics, where rhetoric fetches votes more than concrete policies and execution, where politics has appropriated prime time television's entertainment space and where the boundaries between private and public space is increasingly a blur, Rajneeti is like a mirror, a shade more melodramatic and perhaps a shade too conspicuously violent at that. At the outset, the critics seem to have lavished generous praise on what is a typical masala movie. 

What works in favor of Rajneeti?  

1. Fine acting by the star cast -
• Ajay Devghan - After Gangajal and Apaharan, we see Ajay again outperforming himself in a role that was the most difficult to play 
• Ranbir Kapoor - as a scheming brother always trying to get a "one-up" on the challenger 
• Katrina Kaif - comes across struggling in the eye-candy scenes while carrying herself remarkably well in the weighty ones
• Nana Patekar - a natural fit for the role he plays
• Manoj Bajpai - good but was something wrong with his make-up? 
• Arjun Rampal - the character you actually feel a lot of sympathy for.    

      2. The screenplay by Prakash Jha and Anjum Rajabali is pacy and raw.
      3.  A heady mix of melodrama, action and Mahabharat style rendering of story.
      4. Presenting a picture of the Indian polity as a bunch of power hungry, morally                 unscrupulous, manipulative and corrupt men.


What doesn't work?

1. The political language employed in some sequences sounded discordant with the age we live in. 
2. The see-saw battle within the family - cliches of rape and murders. 
3.  Absence of songs - for an intense movie, some songs could have been thrown in...the album has some decent numbers from multiple composers, my favorite being 'Mora Piya'.

The movie was a bit of a letdown despite the fine acting on display. For a movie based on politics, there was very little realism. The effort towards basing the movie loosely on the characters of the Mahabharata was unique and one can comfortably say, successful too especially the characters of Kunthi and Karna standing out! Deserving mention is also the fact that the movie had no real hero, perhaps because of the moral dubiousness of all the characters. The costume was hard on the eye with little variety. Overall, a watchable movie with nothing great or appreciable to take away. 


On a personal level, I went for a movie with friends after a long long time. We had good fun on the way to Mayajaal and on the way back singing some memorable numbers. The oldies again ruled. We seem to have a fascination for them, no matter how modern we consider ourselves to be!!


Continue reading at your own risk:


Now that I am about to complete the first term of the PGPM, I couldn't help thinking - 

1. Were the brand elements of the two parties shown in the movie impactful to get into the customer's (the junta here) cognitive space?
2. Wasn't internal family battle a case of 'Prisoner's dilemma' with the two sides always competing and losing more in each successive round, never for a moment, exploring cooperation?
3. From a philosophical standpoint, isn't the concept of Nyaya always more appealing than rigid Niti?

Thanks Maa - Cinema can't get any better.

"Art house cinema is typically a serious, noncommercial, independently made film aimed at a niche audience rather than a mass audience" says Wikipedia. One of the elements of such a style is "Social Realism", again courtesy the same Wikipedia article. 'Thanks Maa' squarely falls into that category. It tugs at your heartstrings, it is intense and hits you with such ferocity that after you come out of the movie hall, you feel blank and dazed and move like a zombie. Your head is so heavy and simply too many things ceaselessly run within that you have to watch your every step carefully, lest you lose your whereabouts! 

If you want cinema that is hard hitting showing the stark societal realities, as they exist and above all, if you are courageous to bear such an experience, then do yourself a favor. Watch 'Thanks Maa'. Instead if you are happy when reality is just scratched at the surface and prefer escapist entertainment, then this one is strictly not recommended. 

Coming to the story of the movie, as I have always maintained in all my blog posts, I would prefer the reader - YOU - to experience it. All I can say is that, the movie shows the predatory nature of human behavior in a manner that can't be easily described. It is not vulgar, obscene, not in-your-face kind, but at the same time, very effective. To have accomplished something like this very courageously without any stars tells something about the whole cast - the conviction in the story and the strong impulse to convey it no matter the outcome, I doff my hat. 

The language, very street like and laden with expletives works to the movie's favor. The child actors cannot be more authentic and their acting still gives me goose flesh. When Municipality realizes that he can escape from the juvenile home he is placed in and when he agonizingly cries to explain his earnestness to his friends - these are just two examples of the several high points of this movie. The background music, when the children are happy especially, makes you want to jump in joy. The costumes enhance the 'social realism' feel that you take away ultimately. 

Rarely has such an exemplary movie been made by one of our countrymen on any social evil. 'Thanks Maa' is an unparalleled experience! It is a pity that the movie hall had only 20 people. Have we all become so escapist? Something to ponder...

Image courtesy - Sulekha.com

Karthik calling Karthik - Classy experience!

First things first - No heroine on screen has ever looked as gorgeous as Deepika Padukone in Karthik calling Karthik! To quote my friend, "Deepika Padukone, for once, steals the thunder from Farhan." I would moderate that a little because Farhan has done his part like a seasoned veteran. Watch the contrasting manner in which he walks, bends and talks to know what I mean.

The movie is part romance (1st half) and part thriller (2nd half). You get to experience all primary emotions - Fear, Joy, Love, Sadness, surprise and anger in the space of a little more than 2 hours. Full credit to Vijay Lalvani for the story, screenplay and direction. Costume design and casting is just bang on. Clothes for Farhan (Karthik) - when he is diffident and when he exudes confidence reflect the same to a T! Deepika (Shonali) carries herself off adorably, delectably, sensuously and the list can never end!

The story is very realistic, laden with a lot of symbolism (the use of Rubik's cube throughout is a masterpiece I would say) and doesn't need too much masala for embellishment. The humor in the first half is very natural and the lead actors should be appreciated for their timing. The sequences in the second half are intelligent, especially Karthik's reasoning to find a solution to his woes. 

Expectations were perhaps too high from the music (by Shankar, Ehsan and Loy). If not for the manner in which the songs have been shot (especially 'Uff teri ada'), it is not great. The background score in most parts is effective (considering that it matters a lot in a thriller) but occasionally it drowns out the dialogues. Technical brilliance manifests itself in the manner in which lighting has been used.

Perhaps the sub-conscious minds in all of us really has the potential to elevate us and help us scale new heights in the quality of our lives. The phantoms of the mind are indeed very difficult to comprehend, let alone control. 

Go watch Karthik calling Karthik. It deserves a visit to the nearest movie hall...

My name is Khan - Overrated and a bad advertisement for a mature Industry

For all the great reviews, 24*7 publicity and star cast, My name is Khan didn't work for me. To get to the point straight away, why the movie fails - 

• It is not the best Hindi movie made on the post 9/11 condition. So many things are simplified, exaggerated, unrealistic and incredulous for it to work. 
• It is neither a good romantic movie. The SRK-Kajol pair has been wasted. Except for some brief sparks (the only thing that sustains the movie), there is nothing to potentially recreate their onscreen magic. 
• It is not the best advertisement for Shah Rukh Khan's acting. If you say, Vikram acted well in Pithamagan, then probably you would feel SRK has acted well too. But if an actor -because of the character's supposed limitation (autism is the reason here) - is allowed only one expression throughout the movie, then I wouldn't think there is any scope to emote in the first place leave alone doing that well!
• The narration too suffers from SRK's affliction in the movie. Able to lend neither weight nor humor, it is the weakest aspect of the movie. It doesn't move the viewer nor does it make him laugh whole heartedly. 
•  The songs - 3 of them - are by no means apt for a movie of this magnitude. The music is just average. There is nothing great about the songs for the viewer to remember. Nothing of the class of "Yun hi chala" (Swades) to take home.
• Story - It tries to be all romance in the 1st hour and after that the switch to heavier identity issues is abrupt and awkward.
• Amateurish sequences - Some sequences are too amateurish. When SRK tries to meet the US President, the tactics he uses to take an example. When a movie like New York could effortlessly use English in dialogues to lend credence, MNIK resorts to melodramatic hindi!

What works or what sustains the movie?

• Kajol's acting - If there is one reason to see MNIK, it would be Kajol's acting. When she is happy, the viewer shares her happiness and when she is grief-stricken, the viewer is moved to tears. 
• Some standout scenes - there are some scenes in the movie that stand out for their simplicity and by consequence demonstrate what could have been possible. When SRK as a child is taught about the only two communities - the good and the bad - through an example and when Jimmy shergill's wife is attacked for wearing the hijab. 

The bottom line is that critics have allowed themselves to be swayed by the star power and the hype.  It is just another Karan Johar flick, a poor one at that! 

 Watch MNIK if you have to for Kajol! Else, get a DVD of New York.

3 Idiots - Meets Expectations

Five Point someone is not a great book; by Chetan Bhagat's own admission, his intention is to make everybody want to read his novels. Likewise, 3 idiots is not a great movie; it is made for consumption by the masses.

What works in the movie?/what would make it a huge hit?

• Casting - It is as perfect as it can get. This movie will catapult Sharman Joshi to new heights. Any other actress in the place of Kareena is unthinkable. The svelte beauty bowls you over in Zoobie Doobie with a range of sweet expressions that makes her stand out as a very fine actress. What is acting without a little exaggeration when it is demanded?
• Humor - The first half is fun all the way with pranks, friendship gyan and the "All izzz well" number. Though the jokes are not quite for the prudes, their placement shifts the attention. Wise scripting!
• Friendship - In a bollywood movie with three friends taking center-stage, this is a no-brainer. Some sequences that are honest to the novel help here like the one when Aamir drives Sharman's father to the hospital.
• Music - What sounded more than average on the ear is actually excellent stuff. When songs don't sound discordant placed in context and the choreography + cinematography is very good, viewing on the big screen is a treat! Shantanu Moitra of Parineeta and Yahaan fame doesn't disappoint and neither does the lyricist Swanand Kirkire. 'Behti hawa sa' is one of the best songs of 2009.
  
• Gyaan - In small doses, with a good amount of sentiment and drama for accentuation, this is passable. In fact, the second half is a touch over the top. Sometimes, this medium in India finds the temptation too irresistible to curtail indulgence when delivering a message.
  

What doesn't make it great?

• Everyone idolizes Aamir. It works in parts but makes him less human. In Indian cinema, this is forgivable.
  
• The extreme caricatures of the rote-learning student Omi and the "Life is a race" mouthing Boman Irani.
  
• It is not Aamir's best though I love him in the movie.

Watch it for the beautifully worded songs, the humor, the college sequences and for its actors. Its message has its heart in the right place though something else that is essential is missing.

2009 had better movies for the discerning viewer but 3 idiots would score higher with the common man who wants to live his dreams and pays to get entertained.

ILPOSTINO - A lyrically sublime beauty

Mario: "How do you become a poet?"

Neruda: "Try and walk slowly along the shore as far as the bay and look around you.."

Mario: "And will they come to me, those metaphors?"

Neruda: "Certainly"

This is one of the most beautiful exchanges in the movie between the simple Italian coastal villager and the famous poet Don Pablo Neruda.

I have taken a fancy to the "International movies" section in a few shops and that is where I happened to pick this one. I must admit that whenever I buy something like this, I have high expectations and sit down to see these movies with an intention to like them and enjoy them for what they offer. So far, I have succeeded!

Coming to this particular movie, the novelty of the story caught my eye. I am somebody who gets smitten by the cover of a book or a DVD and if my instinct tells me it would be good, I would go for it. I have heard of Pablo Neruda but after seeing this movie, I am hunting online for his poems.

The movie is a sublime gem - lyrical in its setting near a coast and in its background score and beautiful because so much is so deftly understated and conveyed brilliantly. As the Wiki entry says, it is a fictionalized account of Neruda in exile for a brief time in Italy when his communist affiliation drove him out of his land of birth -
"His 1952 stay in a villa owned by Italian historian Edwin Cerio on the island of Capri was fictionalized in the popular film Il Postino ("The Postman", 1994)."

The story is simple - a villager who is unemployed gets the job of delivering mail to the famous poet. Slowly, he strikes up a conversation with the genius about poetry and metaphors. As he gets lovestruck by a local beauty, he asks the poet for help to woo the damsel. Neruda's love poems do the trick. The hallmark of the movie is the friendship that evolves slowly between the postman and the poet, their exchanges on poetry and love. The Italian youth hero-worships the poet and even decides to name his child after him.

Some scenes stand out - when he reads poetry to his love, the delight in his lover and when Neruda leaves the village, the moment of departure. Never too dramatic and the waves always forming a backdrop, this movie is something that admirers of elegance and finesse shouldn't miss!

Some lines from Neruda's 'Tonight I write' -I loved these!

"My sight tries to find her as though to bring her closer.
My heart looks for her, and she is not with me.

The same night whitening the same trees.
We, of that time, are no longer the same.

I no longer love her, that's certain, but how I loved her.
My voice tried to find the wind to touch her hearing.

Another's. She will be another's. As she was before my kisses.
Her voice, her bright body. Her infinite eyes.

I no longer love her, that's certain, but maybe I love her.
Love is so short, forgetting is so long.

Because through nights like this one I held her in my arms
my soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.

Though this be the last pain that she makes me suffer
and these the last verses that I write for her."

How true it is when Neruda says in the movie: "When you explain it, poetry becomes banal. Better than any explanation is the experience of feeling things that poetry can reveal to a nature open enough to understand it." A collection of some of his poems are available here. The movie had some references to this poem - Walking around.

Wake Up Sid - Youthful exuberance!

तुम में और दो कप चाय, यह भी तो पार्टी है ना? says Aisha Banerjee ( Konkona Sen Sharma) when Sid (Ranbir Kapoor) suggests something more conventional to celebrate the former's birthday. He then proceeds to improvise by making a 2-minute birthday cake out of bread and jam to make Aisha happy. Such is the pleasures of life that many of us envy and yearn for! Life's joys lie in such moments when friends and well-wishers make us happy by simple acts of love, warmth and affection.

Wake Up Sid celebrates the exuberance of youth - the confidence and the "we can do it" attitude that this generation has come to idealize and live by. Pampered by his parents, Sid grows up to find himself suddenly confronting life's decisive moment - what to do for a living after college? As in a fairytale, he meets Aisha in a party and the very first encounter ends with a walk in the middle of the night.

In a flash of wounded ego, Sid walks out after a tussle with his father and moves in with Aisha. This is a scene that is beautifully played out - so complete is his trust in Aisha and so assured is he of her acceptance that I was truly moved. Then begins a journey of exploration - Aisha and Sid slowly get to know each other well as destiny shows its rosy side.

Acting:

Konkona Sen stands out yet again essaying a role that is quite challenging, confident in a new city and yet vulnerable to emotions, looking for acceptance at work and initially showing a sisterly side when the boy needs it most. Anupam Kher (Sid's father) sounds a little loud and Supriya Pathak (Sid's mother), a little dramatic. I loved the part played by Sid's college friends, especially the obese girl whose smile was something so natural that it didn't look like she was acting in the first place.

Music, songs and dialogues:

The music by Shankar Ehsan and Loy is among their best fare. Not a single song sounds average on the ear. Javed Akhtar - he is a legend! I would be stating the obvious if I say, the lyrics are in tune with the youth. How he does this again and again is something that is amazing! Niranjan Iyengar seems to deliver some memorable lines with Karan Johar as this says. Watch out for the lines towards the end - something you are bound to carry home.

The package:

This movie as a package will work well with today's multiplex audience. The camera captures the interiors of the single bedroom flat very well. Lonely existence in a big city can get to the nerves and friends do a lot to make it enjoyable. I can vouch for that. This movie with its sweet romance and clean entertainment is a glimpse into the lives of two people who but for each other, would have had very different futures. I loved it!

Thank you, Mr. Ayan Mukherjee!

Kaminey - Raw and Racy!

I remember seeing Omkara and being fascinated by it. It had a rawness in the music and in the rusty setting. The story itself didn't bother about sophistication and showed all emotions unmasked as they ought to be shown for the viewer to grasp the frailty of human nature and the folly in believing otherwise. Another Vishal Bharadwaj product that I loved immensely was Blue Umbrella. It had something so pure about it that was hard to put a finger on, yet brought a charm and appeal to the innocent village life and its sweet pleasures in the hinterlands of the country.

Kaminey, though the critics seem to have a taken a liking to ever aspect - doesn't meet the expectations I had after Omkara and Blue Umbrella. It definitely depicts the gangster world and deals again with fickle minds that get swayed hither and thither by the hunger for power and money. The first half is riveting stuff. It brings out the contrast between Charlie and Guddu (the two brothers played by Shahid) very well. The songs are sincere attempts in that they sit well with the story and I should admit that in hindi cinema at least, of late, there is a marked departure from dreamy lines that serve no purpose.

Songs - the lyrics and the music - a vital part of our movies, go a long way in bringing the audience to the theatres. "Dhan ye tan" and "raat ke dhai baje" will make anybody dance with joy! The background music is also good making the viewer an integral part of the action on offer. There is hardly any story but this doesn't need a story to convey what it wants to. In terming the movie "intelligent", I would say that some critics have underestimated the audience.

The second half, save for some marathi intensive exchanges and funny dialogues with two characters trying to shoot each other disappoints in comparison with the first. Vishal Bharadwaj, quite admirably paints a caricature of the regional vote bank inclined politician and succeeds in exposing his true colors. When we know that money and power hold considerable lure to people who lead lives constantly on the edge and get excited easily, the confusion on offer with competing bids to divide loot, will, depending on perspective, draw applause or indifference. I wasn't much impressed.

Acting wise, Shahid Kapoor has proven that he can be more than just a chocolate boy and Priyanka Chopra, more than just a glam doll. Probably, the stutter instead of lending more credibility, did the opposite and I am less inclined to attribute much better adjectives to Shahid because of that. The supporting cast is good enough. What lacks in the movie is something more concrete for the viewer to take away. I would say that I have seen better cinema on similar subjects in tamil. To sum up, a raw and racy movie that could have been a little better!

Love Aaj Kal - A commentary on the changing mores

"Main Vo Hoon
Jo Chahoon Vo Paoon"

"Haaan hota hoon mein jis raste pe
Aaye khushi wohin"

Ever since the first trailers started to come, I wanted to see Love Aaj Kal. The songs had an energy and the visuals going to and fro between the past and the present, an appeal. I was not disappointed when I saw it yesterday.

As societal mores change, so do the preferences of the young. In a world which places a premium on pace, where is the time to hold on? Where is the reservoir of patience to maintain relationships as they pass through turbulent waves, get tossed and turned due to the pulls and pressures of a demanding career? The "practical" way out does seem to be "move on". That is why Love Aaj Kal starts with a breakup party. Meera (Deepika Padukone) and Jai (Saif Ali Khan) decide to breakup since Meera is going to pursue her dream in faraway Delhi.

As the movie progresses, they realize that they have shared too much with each other to forget, to take comfort in another relationship, that their time together led them to understand each other in ways that increasingly seem more natural in hindsight. I have told the story pretty much here.

Deepika apart from looking as gorgeous as ever, scores in the acting arena too. She has essayed her role with marked elan and grace. Playing a character that requires an uncanny sense of humor is not very easy and she comes out scoring pretty high. Saif Ali Khan, we know did extremely well in Hum Tum and this movie demanded something of that humor. He looks very natural and we can recognize in him a certain kind of male who at face value wants to take life as it happens, has lofty dreams, but scratch the surface and one finds that he has a heart too. (Bollywood style!) Rishi Kapoor as the reminiscing old gentleman makes one smile.

The movie's biggest plus is its music, lyrics and dialogue. All the three resonate well with the modern youth. The dialogues are fast, short and confused. The music is peppy, has some flair and sits well with the storyline. Lyrics - some quoted in the beginning - don't touch a discordant note though they aren't too deep. In funny lines, we see the characters singing for joy and yearning for distances to be bridged. Neeraj Sridhar appears to have taken up playback singing for movies full time after Billu Barber. We now know where Mohit Chauhan is a complete natural and he delivers again in "Yeh Dooriyan". All the songs are well shot and the lead pair has worked hard on their dance moves.

The first half is thoroughly breezy while there is some emotional melodrama in the second to make the package complete. I would recommend to go for this one and enjoy the fare on offer! Imtiaz Ali knows how to deliver hits that the young can identify with. I thank him for that!

Delhi 6 - A colorfully smart entertainer!

Delhi - 6 - After what seemed an interminable wait once the trailors and music were released, I finally saw the movie yesterday. At the outset, I declare that this has spoilers. Though touted to be shot in Delhi, a huge set was evidently used and the result is quite mixed. We are taken to a place where there is some kind of a time warp, especially as it is very close to the national capital. Rickshaws, cows, horses and vintage cars - this is what the scene is like and its a little hard to believe especially as the effort seems to be directed towards making all modern transportation non-existent.

The first half of the movie is an introduction of numerous characters and much of the effort goes in establishing how they interplay in a small locality. A money lender, a Muslim sweetshop owner, a family divided by a wall (Om Puri and Pawan Malhotra on either side), a photographer, a mysterious monkey man, two mischievous kids, a low caste garbage collector and an ambitious Bittu (Sonam Kapoor) - they joke, discuss the monkey man and go to see the Ram Lila with their Muslim neighbors. Roshan (Abhishek) arrives with his grandmother to this locality. He is frustrated in the beginning, gradually is drawn to the people and falls in love with Bittu in a subtly sublime fashion and with the place as a whole as circumstances pan out.The setting is complete for the second half.

The cinematography by Binod Pradhan is very good. One gets to see the numerous bylanes with sweet shops, cricket-playing kids, colorful people, the temple and the mosque -they showcase the diversity in a simple and convincing manner. The music is one of the best works of AR Rahman. The Mozart of Madras displays his versatility and even gets behind the mike for a number. The songs are already big hits with 'Masakali' and 'Maula', being my favorites. Kailash Kher and Javed Ali make the latter even more memorable. The lyrics by Prasoon Joshi are again different and innovative. 'Hey kala kala kala bandar/Bahar hai ya andar...Aao Hum shisha dekhe/Apna sandesha dekhe/Apna Ghayal Hissa dekhe/Apna asli kissa dekhe', 'Tujhe badalna na chahoon/Rati bhar bhi sanam/Bina sajawat milawat/Na jyaada na hi kaam' go the lines and they are riveting.

Social messages are conveyed throughout the movie. The struggle between superstition and modernity exemplified by the rumors of monkey man and the launch of Chandrayan, the bane of untouchability in the 21st century and the shame of forced marriages in an age when women are shattering all ceilings - this is where the movie scores high. A lot of characters at times serve to veer away the focus. Abhishek is just good and Sonam has a very good presence whenever she gets the chance.Atul Kulkarni is wasted for his potential.

In the second half, a small spark ignites a communal flare-up in the peaceful and colorful locality. The warmth is suddenly lost and suspicions abound. This shows how tensions and animosity need only a small flame to feed on. Politicians exploit the divide to gain. Things seem head for a disastrous end. Roshan explains the metaphor of Monkey Man which is all the movie is about. He nevertheless falls a victim to the unreasonable anger of the people when he saves Bittu and professes his love.

This is a movie that tries to pack a lot of things together, but ultimately leaves the viewer with some good messages to carry home. It is certainly not as good as Rang De Basanti; that doesn't mean that it should be missed. Watch it without RDB expectations and come out with a better understanding of the Kaleidoscope that is our country and the fickle and prejudiced nature that is mankind!

Luck By Chance - The Making of Success

The Hindi film industry got off to a lukewarm start in 2009 with the over-hyped ‘Chandni Chowk to China’, now threatening to derail Akshay Kumar’s style of comedy – where entertainment and comedy is confused with the perception of a dumb audience.

Luck by Chance, directed by Zoya Akhtar, with Farhan Akhtar playing the lead and Javed Akhtar wielding the pen for the dialogues and lyrics is money’s worth all the way. It wasn’t given a very wide publicity, the trailers were just ‘OK’ and the music seemed average. In spite of all this, the movie impresses for there are a number of things to be appreciated here.

When we start writing about movies, the risk is that there can be many views and many tastes. Some people want pure entertainment, some people want cinema as it should aspire to be, a mirror to the society and our way of life while some others want the right balance. Entertainment isn’t about “running around trees” alone and cinema to be commercially viable, shouldn’t demand an “intellectual” viewer. What ‘Luck by chance’ strives to achieve is the right balance.

It isn’t completely “realistic” and yet with its sincere writing and dialogues engages the viewer. Vikram (Farhan) and Sona (Konkona) are waiting for their big breaks in the land of thousand dreams – Bollywood. Their paths cross and they start liking each other, united by a common dream and nurturing mutual respect for each other’s talents. The nervous and insecure producer, the busy actor, the ever interesting crew of helpers and “manipulators”, the hints at casting couch, star parents and star daughters – one sees them all, the beauty is that they blend with the story in a rare unifying experience rather than being irritating side shows because they are the story itself and not costly embellishments.

Farhan, from the aspiring “nobody” progresses to become a charmingly “cute” fresh star, aided - as his teacher portends earlier - by luck’s generosity and his own hard work and skills of persuasive flattery. As he says, in one of the remarkable dialogues, sugar is indeed needed to sweeten up things. His object of praise is the star mother (Dimple Kapadia) of a “lucky” starlet. (Isha Sharwani)

The stereotypes are subtly shown. When the teacher says, heroines “too” need some skills to grow and when Sona in a display of understanding and disbelief, chides Vikram for failing to think about her own career – they stand out. Dialogues are the highlight with many of them carrying good impact.

The first half is the one when luck remains elusive. The last 5-10 minutes in the first half and towards the end of the movie prove beyond doubt how supremely talented an actor, Konkona is. She revels in the role. SRK, Aamir Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham, Diya Mirza and Kareena Kapoor play themselves and make fleeting appearances. Hrithik Roshan, Juhi Chawla and Rishi Kapoor have meaty parts and essay them with élan though Rishi and Juhi necessarily overplay as demanded. Isha Sharwani in playing the role of a girl, who can’t act, acts well.

The second half is clearly the better one when Vikram and Sona begin to doubt each other. Vikram doesn’t want to ruin his future when the heroine shows a keen interest in him. Sona is let down by the producer she trusts for too long and realizes her folly in the end.

The movie is a sincere attempt and deserves a hands-up. Only when such efforts are appreciated, can we look forward to see more noteworthy attempts. It deserves the 100 bucks I spent on it for the acting, direction and dialogues.

Hazaron Khwaishein Aisi - Brilliant chronicle of a turbulent time!

"Not every story has a happily ever after, Vikram!" - Geetha played by Chitarangda Singh says during a lighter moment in this movie. Reality is indeed harsh and cruel and does not provide room to vent out every passion. History is seldom presented to interest the young; more often than not, it becomes a victim of the victorious and the governing...

Lucky are the boys and girls who learn history the way it ought to be learned; teachers and text books can do a lot more in this area. When they fail, it is up to movies and literature to fill in the void. How many of us know the import of the naxalite movement and the emergency? I don't remember reading it in my history texts. I however loved the manner in which Rohinton Mistry told a story of epic proportions set during the emergency.

Ever since hearing about it, I wanted to catch this movie and that wish got realized this weekend when after a discussion on Slumdog Millionaire with my friend, it veered towards हजारों ख्वाहिशें ऐसी. I have never been so moved by the way a movie can convey a story.

This movie is a story of three youngsters Vikram, Siddharth and Geetha played respectively by Shiney Ahuja, Kay Kay Menon and Chitarangda. Geetha and Siddharth like each other and Vikram likes Geetha. Siddharth is moved by the Naxalite movement and feels he can make a difference and bring a change in the "world order". Vikram dismisses this as worthless and is bent on amassing wealth and moving up the influential ladder. Geetha is torn between Siddharth and life's practicalities.

As Siddharth gets sucked in to the movement, he becomes just another participant and Geetha, caught in a marriage she begins to find increasingly uninteresting, abandons it and moves to a village in Bihar with Siddharth. As they navigate the turbulent times, Vikram moves up, yet he longs for his first love. He is ready to do anything for Geetha.

The movie does not try to educate the public, rather it shows how lives are affected by the times; how isolation and indifference are not easy choices to take. It is in this aspect that the movie towers and delivers. Its impact is as some critics have put, "hard-hitting". Some have went on to say that its a political epic. Both are true. It has been made not for the masses but for the discerning viewer who yearns for quality.

The strongly entrenched caste based subjugation, the authentic portrayal of rural India and the undercurrent of political relevance all along shine out. All the three central characters have done great justice to their characters with some finest acting. Director Sudhir Mishra who has co-written the movie, has delivered a gem. Though it would require some knowledge of the times in general, there is sufficient room to appreciate if the viewer is indulgent and receptive to detail.

The dialogues carry a lot of substance. When Siddharth says, "Because I am sick of people like you who sit and pontificate about India, its problems, the oppressive political and social systems and do nothing about it...", in response to a question on his motivation, his passion is all too evident. When later in the movie, he says,"The World hadn't changed in ways that I had wanted it to", its gravity is enormous. The same applies to Geetha when she says, "It is as if this place doesn't exist. Still, people here laugh some times".

Overpowering is the presence of Geetha whose solid characterization and stunning beauty will remain with the viewer long after the movie is over. Her struggle to come to terms with her own self is remarkable. Vikram's fall is very steep. The transformation of the youngsters from college to adulthood stands out for its authenticity. The music is very apt and the lyrics of the songs, especially the "Bavre mann dekhne chala ek sapna", exemplary.

I can go on praising...

It is a pity that the larger public wasn't able to appreciate a movie like this for all its worth. Yet, it will remain one of the finest achievements of Hindi cinema in the decade so far!

Slumdog Millionaire - A tribute to innocence!

The appeal of a movie lies in mirroring a society truthfully and providing food for thought. Of late, Bollywood has been trying to realize its potential. This movie sets the standard for our film makers to emulate.

Based on a novel, 'Q & A' by Vikas Swarup, this movie celebrates the innate good nature of the human spirit. Russian master Dostoevsky said "I cannot and will not believe that evil is man's natural state". After reading Mr. Adiga's 'The White Tiger', one would almost come to believe that "good" is the last thing on a poor slum dweller's mind. Slumdog Millionaire, having won 4 golden globes (for best motion picture, best director, best original score and best screenplay) is a simple story told in a most beautiful manner. I remembered another book - City of Joy - as I was watching the movie and cannot help but feel that abject poverty does not make devils out of human beings.

Coming back to the movie, it operates at different levels. At one level, it is the story of 3 children and how they struggle through life into adulthood. At another level, it is the triumph of the metaphoric good over evil, innocence over ruthlessness and scheming. It is also the story of the slum dweller - how unimaginably poverty-stricken and innocent a childhood, the children in the movie have. They are poor, but they partake of life's fragrances in their own sweet ways.

The first half of the movie stands out as it records the growth of the three children, one innocent and guileless, one forced by circumstances and hardened by life's challenges and the other child resigned and full of vibrant life. All the 3 child actors have done a remarkable job in this aspect. Traveling by trains and as guides, they steal the show. If one remembers the movie, it is largely because of their act where the innocence is established.

"If it wasn't for Ram and Allah, I would still have a mother.", says Jamal played by Dev Patel. It is loaded with meaning, capturing the futility and waste of human life when communal tensions and animosity run high.

The second half is just above ordinary, save for some brilliant dialogues that elevate the underdog. "When somebody asks me a question, I tell them the answer"! Irfan Khan is again impressive and acts his part effortlessly. Anil Kapoor looks the part and talks the part most importantly.

The touch of a brilliant director is in managing to make a simple scene excellent and the English director, Danny Boyle shows this all along. A.R Rehman stamps his class and authority and is now deservedly getting the due credit. As the momentum builds up towards the end, the viewer roots for the Slumdog and more than anything, wants the lead pair to unite. Freida Pinto, playing Latika emotes grief and incredible joy as demanded by the role.

If one thinks that, this is another movie made to showcase India's poverty to the west, one cannot be more mistaken. It is a sweet, tender triumph of human spirit and watch it to see India in all its colors. In the near future, its success story will be featured in many columns and I wish that more such movies are churned out...