Current tune: Sau dard hai….sau raah pe (Jaanemannn)

Heard the two new Anu Malik albums Jaan-e-Mann and Umrao Jaan. Loved the music of Jaanemann. All the songs are very very different from the current fare that is going around. My personal favorite of the album is “sau dard”. Anu Malik seems to have done a decent job but the million buck question is if he borrrowed these tunes from somewhere far far away, or sometime ages ago! Gulzar’s lyrics is Aone as usual and Sonu Nigam in most of the song is excellent as usual – again best in my personal fav – sau dard.

And for some reason I dont seem to be listening intently to any songs of Umrao Jaan except “Salaam”. Actually I havent heard any songs completely except Salaam. I am just stuck right there. Saw the previews! I am not an ardent fan of Aishwarya’s but I have to say that she look stunning in the promos. I don’t like her and I certainly don’t like her attitude, giggles, and immature comments on international shows. But she definitely is a stunner in Umrao Jaan. Abhishek Bachchan is the other stunner in the movie. Cannot wait to watch it.

Until then I am looking forward to watching Don and still awaiting the music of Dhoom 2! Life has been very hectic so there has not been much free time, but I spend whatever I get of it listening to music or catching up on movies I missed. One such movie I watched while I was on a “catching up” session was Lage Raho Munnabhai – but that is another post. Another day.

Previously titled “Blue Film”, I thought Kalyug was going to be another skin-flick by the Bhatt clan. So with a remote in hand, wary eyes, and after making sure no one was home, I sat down to watch this movie!

The first half surprisingly is void of any skin-show at all and the story begins like any other love story of a simple boy and girl. The build-up of this innocent love story makes one wish the best for this couple while “jiya dhadak dhadak” plays in the background. Just when you think they are on their way to a happy life together forever, their lives are disrupted by the brute charges of making a pornn film and distributing it on a popular Indian pornn site. The girl cannot bear the humiliation and commits suicide. Although the love story is very sweet and could keep going forever, the pace of the film really picks up here when the boy (Kunal Khemu) decides to get to the bottom of this web of lies and deception that surrounds him and probably thousands of other innocent couples. The quest takes him to Zurich, Switzerland where a major porr industry flourishes under business magnate Simi Roy ( Amrita Singh).

The Bhatts have come up with something very believable this time. From the simple life of a Kashmiri boy to the brutal truths about life and the billion dollar porn industry, Kalyug will keep you hooked on till the very end. Scenes in the movie, especially the second half are very well executed and handled properly! The theme of the film, human trafficking is handled deftly, is very believable, and could happen to any one of us. The hunger for power in Simi Roy, the helplessness of the porn star Annie (Deepal Shaw), the lecherous acts of a porn dealer (Ashutosh Rana), and the “dard” and anger within Kunal, all combined make for a perfect “tamasha”..all right in sync with the film’s tag line “Kisi ek ka dard kisi aur ka tamasha ban jaata hai”.

There is no unnecessary skin show in the film and the songs are also well placed. They are well used and do not seem out of place at all. From the sweet, lovable tunes of “jiya dhadak jaaye”, to the painful “aadat” and the very erotic “dheere dheere” the music and lyrics of all the songs are completely in sync with the narrative! The highlights of the film are the arrest of Kunal and Smiley, the scenes between Amrita Singh and her daughter, Kunal’s meeting with Ali (Emraan Hashmi), Annie’s story, and the climax – very well shot and apt! The dialogues are very effective, crisp, and have a lasting effect,especially when they are executed in crisp tones by Amrita Singh in silent rage. The theme of the story is such that had it not been handled well…it could have potentially been all skin, and no show! Full points to director Mohit Suri for being an amazing story teller and executing a very sensitive issue almost perfectly!

Amazingly, the director was able to extract stellar performances from the complete cast and crew as well! The girl (Smilie) is allright in her small role. Deepal Shaw, although ugly, is very competant with her acting skills while Kunal Khemu is an actor to watch out for. Sure, Khemu is crude at times in the movie but with time this guy will surely polish his acting prowess and is one to definitely bag some debut awards this year! All three newcomers, although not much eye candy are definitely skilled and will go a long way.

Amrita Singh is the stunner and is absolutely terrific with her negative shades!Never does she twitch her eyebrows, nor raise her voice, in fact there is a glossy wetness in her tone as if underneath there is a fathomless emotional ocean (which there is as we see in the film), yet she conveys the menace, the sinisterness in an impeccable manner that leaves the audience shuddering in her cold, clammy deathly stare. A character of strength and notoriety, she exudes immense power even till her downfall – and when she does so, it is with dignity befitting the stature of her negativity, quite akin to a Shakespearan character!. Rocking the screen everytime she appears, Amrita Singh is sure to bag nominations in the best negative role category this year.

Even the girl who plays her daughter gives a splendid performance. The biggest surprise of the film for me was “bheege honth” boy Emraan Hashmi. Although, in a small role (thankfully), Hashmi delivers a performance befitting his character and does it with ease. Yes yes, do not faint, I liked Hashmi in this film! And like DJ said, “the director didn’t let loose a female in front of him, so the viewers were saved that way”.

The film is very refreshing, leaves you stunned and thinking, and ofcourse is a welcome change from the previous sleaze show associated with the Bhatts and Emraan Hashmi! Different from the Chopra and Johar love recipes, this one might not be appealing to all but will surely find an audience and carve its own niche. A perfect blend of a believable theme, a good script, crisp dialogues, skilled direction, good music, smooth narrative, and excellent performances, Kalyug is easily one of the most underestimated films ever.

Even if you are still skeptical about this film, earlier titled “Blue Film”, dont be! It is surely worth watching. It might just break all your preconceived notions about a movie on human trafficking.

Thanks Deepak for helping me out with this post!

Saw Kabhi Kabhi today for the first time. Unbelievable isn’t it? I was so accustomed to all the songs of the film that I just assumed that I had seen the movie and for some reason, I always confused it with Silsila. My confusion is justified! I mean think about it….when my kids grow up and they watch DDLJ, KKHH, K3G….I swear to god they will be confused among all those movies, what with Shahrukh and Kajol in all of them. I can so see that happening

Anyways back to the movie. A classic in its time, a superhit! We all love the songs and music and the characters and the performances! I do too Loved it but honestly, couldn’t help laughing at all the criss cross of lovers. A very complicated look at relationships. Each one with its own past. I couldn’t help but laugh at how AB and Rakhee had a history and then Rakhee was married to SK, and then AB to Waheeda Rahman. To top that, Waheeda Rahman has a child from a previous relationship and for some time I was wondering if Rishi Kapoor would turn out to be Rakhees and ABs son and that she hid the fact from everyone. Then there was the rambunctious daughter of AB and WR! Phew! For a simple brain like mine, all this criss cross in relationships and pasts, and qurbaanis can get a little too overwhelming.

Rakhee was the ideal lover, daughter, wife, and mother. The ideal lover, very beautiful, loving, the one who sings her lovers song at her wedding night, the ideal daughter who marries another man to keep her parents happy, the ideal wife who forgets all things good from the past and loves her husband unconditionally providing him with all his needs and love, and the ideal mother who brings her son up with all love and care and worries about him all the time. If that was not enough, she also turns out to be ideal in her now lost relationship with AB. She tells him to “remember her but think of her happily”.

Then there is the ideal husband and father Shashi Kapoor who even when he finds out about his wife’s past relationships salutes the sacrifices they have made.

Then there is our dear AB! He hates his wife for hiding her past relationship and her “paap” with the man she was betrothed to who died and it was no fault of hers. She did what was right and forgot about it ofcourse not telling her husband about it. Her husband however is really pissed off at her and is disgusted that she has a daughter from before whilst he still loves his old love away. He apparently feels “betrayed” by his wife for not telling him but does not feel he did anythign wrong by not giving his wife the love that she deserved. Male chauvinist pig I say.

The wife, demure old lady that she is, is heartbroken and decides to leave the house.

Then there are the three children, the guy who is totally spoiled by his father and crazy about this other girl, this girl who is confused and wants to see her real mother, and this other crazy girl who wants everything.

Towards the end there is this wild goose chase after this goose who has gone wild because she saw the guy she loved in the arms of another woman and because her father slapped her, the obnoxious child that she is! Two horses chased by a car which is in turn chased by a man on his bike while there is dynamite exploding all over the place. To make things better, one of dynamites creates fire instead of just sand all around and that fire lights a twig which in turn lights a forest on fire. They all go in the fire following that stupid girl who after this HOUR long chase starts crying and miraculously becomes a very understanding girl and hugs her now “sister”. When Rishi Kapoor and “her” are in the woods, the understanding horses run outside only to be brought back in by AB and SK. AB brings rishi and his daughter out and SK brings his future daughter in law out.

After this chase, AB suddenly remembers he has a wife that he needs to love desperately. He again rushes to his house and lo and behold, the wife that he had forgotten to love all these years is all of a sudden the love of his life that he cannot live without. In the end the two old lovers are family friends and the two crazy kids get married and the obnoxious little girl is happy smiling showering flowers at them.

My favourite characters were the doctor and his wife Simi Garewal! They brought this girl up, gave her all the love and in the end told her what the truth was and then got her married.

Nice parents they were.

OKay okay those raring to have a go…I said I loved the movie..but wondered what I would have written if I hadnt liked it..so this came out