Ruslaan (2009): Movie Review

By Taran Adarsh, September 11

Times have changed, but certain film-makers are still stuck up in the era gone by and that reflects in their cinema. That’s what you realise when you watch RUSLAAN.

The film highlights a terrorist act that shook the nation a few years ago and how the life of an innocent goes topsy-turvy when he’s falsely framed as a terrorist [KHUDA KAY LIYE and more recently NEW YORK also depicted this]. But the gravity of the situation doesn’t come across on the screen because the writing is amateurish and the execution, childish.

Ruslaan [Raajveer] lives with his parents and a younger sister. He’s in love with Samaira [Meghaa Chatterjee]. One day, a series of blasts occur at various railway stations of Mumbai and the cops arrest Ruslaan for this act of terror.

Director Mohan C. Sharma looks at a serious issue [train blasts in Mumbai], but there’s nothing in the film that moves you or makes you think. In fact, the love story [between Raajveer and Meghaa] is also under-developed and the terrorist track is poorly written as well.

Why is Ruslaan picked up by cops, is never explained. Also, Ruslaan is thrown in a lock up, but the execution is such, it gives an impression that he’s a petty thief, not a terrorist. Seems like no detailing whatsoever has gone into the scripting [writers: Brahma-Dhruv]. Music [Raees Jamal Khan] is the sole saving grace. ‘Maula Maula’ is the pick of the lot.

Raajveer tries hard to infuse life in his role, but, surprisingly, is relegated to the backseat in the second hour. Meghaa should’ve faced the camera after proper grooming. Asrani is as usual. Shahbaaz Khan and Ganesh Yadav are as usual. S.M. Zaheer and Smita Jaykar are okay.

On the whole, RUSLAAN is a weak fare.

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Blue (2009): Music Review

By Joginder Tuteja, September 14

EXPECTATIONS

One doesn’t quite comment upon expectations when a product gets together forces like A.R. Rahman and Akshay Kumar in a project which is touted to be one of the costliest ever to have come out of Bollywood. One just plain and simple puts on the album and waits with bated breath to check the kind of variety in store from the seven songs to follow (with thankfully no remixes thrust in).

MUSIC

The most awaited song of the year, ‘Chiggy Wiggy‘, marks the beginning of the album. Why most awaited? Because it not only has Kylie Minogue singing a song for a Bollywood film but has her making a dance appearance while shaking a leg with Akshay Kumar. During the shooting of the song there was quite some frenzy created about her arrival in Mumbai. No wonder one expects nothing but outstanding in Abbas Tyrewala written ‘Chiggy Wiggy’.

What one gets to hear is a song which is a departure from a Rahman composition. That’s because while the first half of the song, where Kylie is heard in her pop avtar, ‘Chiggy Wiggy’ appears to be a Pritam tune with all the peppy effects thrown in. This is not all as the moment Sonu Nigam jumps into the fray; well literally, it suddenly turns into the kind of tune that one associates with Sajid-Wajid or Anand Raj Anand. ‘Bhangra’ mood takes over and while the final result is indeed massy and ensures a ’seeti-maar’ outing, one waits to hear what Rahman has to offer in songs to follow.

It isn’t a long wait as Sukhwinder Singh gives a subtle kick start to ‘Aaj Dil’, a love song set on a beach. Just like dozens of Rahman songs heard in the past, this one takes its own time to register with the listener. Not at all an easy song to have been composed, written and sung, one can well imagine the kind of effort that lyricist Mayur Puri and singers Sukhwinder Singh and Shreya Ghoshal would have put in this song that has a slight Western touch to it. In the first few hearing ‘Aaj Dil’ appears to be a late 90s style composition by Rahman but after a dozen odd hearing, the song just sits pretty much in your head and it is impossible to get rid of this addictive tune.

The song that carries a chartbuster appeal to it though is ‘Fiqrana‘. An amazing composition that has a terrific ‘mukhda’ followed by an equally effective ‘antara’, ‘Fiqrana’ has Vijay Prakash at the helm of affairs who makes most of the opportunity provided to him. He has sung quite a few songs in the past but this one is going to be his ticket to fame for sure. This is also a loss of opportunity for Farhan Akhtar who was the first choice as a singer for the song. An urban contemporary number that boasts of a catchy tune that takes just a couple of listening to be registered, ‘Fiqrana’ is all set to be a hit up the sleeves of Akshay Kumar on whom the song is picturised. Watch out for the song once it arrives on screen.

Rashid Ali, the man who made a terrific impression with his song ‘Kabhi Kabhi Aditi’ [Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na] last year, gets another solo for himself in the form of ‘Bhoola Tujhe‘. One would have expected the music of a thriller like Blue to be all fun and frolic but ‘Bhoola Tujhe’ surprisingly turns out to be a slow and sad number about the protagonist who is wondering aloud about things that went wrong in his life. A core situational song with a Western base to it which can’t be expected to go beyond the narrative of the film.

It’s a lot of metal and rap and reggae with the arrival of ‘Blue Theme‘. Written by Raqeeb Aalam and Sukhwinder Singh, this one is a quintessential Rahman number that can’t be expected to be replicated by any other composer. There are quite a few variations in this theme track that boasts of number of unconventional voices like Blaaze, Raqeeb Aalam, Sonu Kakkar, Jaspreet Singh, Neha Kakkar and Dilshad. Together, this ensemble gathering ensures that the track has good enough spunk and energy to play during multiple points in the film.

After a vociferous ‘Blue Theme’ comes a soft and sober outing in the form of ‘Rehnuma‘ which has it’s start reminding of ‘Khuda Hafiz’ [Yuva]. However, the similarity ends soon after with the background suddenly coming close to that of the Bond theme. Nevertheless, this Abbas Tyrewala written song doesn’t see any shift in momentum and the mood continues with Sonu Nigam joining Shreya Ghoshal. This is yet another track that requires quite a few listening for the tune to be finally grasped by the listener. In terms of production values though, there is definite sophistication that ‘Rehnuma’ carries.

There is a complete departure though in ‘Yaar Mila Tha‘ that is an out and out fun-n-naughty number. In fact one wonders why did the song have to arrive so late in the day since it carried enough potential to be there at the top of the album. It is refreshing to hear Udit Narayan in this number that has Madhushree sounding so close to Alka Yagnik that one is tempted to check the credit details on the album cover. A fun outing between a married couple, ‘Yaar Mila Tha’, which is written by Abbas Tyrewala, has a complete Indian appeal to it and just like ‘Chiggy Wiggy’ which kick started the album, this one too hardly sounds like a Rahman composition even though the background vocalists follow his school of composition.

OVERALL

Blue is a good album and has all in it to make a good impression at the music stands. In a way, the album comes at just the right time when there is quite some variety in store this Diwali. While All The Best has a rock base to it and Main Aur Mrs. Khanna boasts of a melodic outing, Blue practically mixes up genres and ensures at least four popular songs in ‘Fiqrana’, ‘Chiggy Wiggy’, ‘Yaar Mila Tha’ and ‘Aaj Dil’.

OUR PICK(S)

‘Fiqrana’, ‘Chiggy Wiggy’, ‘Yaar Mila Tha’, ‘Aaj Dil’

Ratings:

Music: (4/5)

Lyrics: (3/5)

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Daddy Cool (2009): Movie Information

Banner
Big Pictures
Maruti International

Status
Completed

Color
C

Release Date
August 28, 2009

Language
Hindi

Genre
Comedy

Producer
Ashok Thakeria
Indra Kumar

Director
K Murali Mohan Rao

Star Cast
Sunil Shetty…… Steven Lazarus
Aarti Chhabria…… Nancy
Ashish Chowdhry…… Brian
Tulip Joshi…… Maria
Aftab Shivdasani…… Michael
Javed Jaffrey…… Carlos
Kim Sharma…… Jenny
Sophie Choudry…… Ayesha
Rajpal Yadav…… Andrew
Chunky Pandey…… Harry
Suhasini Mulay…… Mrs. Lazarus
Vijay Patkar…… Pinto
Prem Chopra…… Uncle Murphy
Vrajesh Hirjee…… Jim
Sharat Saxena…… Douglas “Daddy Cool” Lazarus

Cassettes and CD’s on
Big Music

Lyricist
Aditya Dhar

Music Director
Raghav Sachar

Cinematography
T Surendra Reddy

Art
Jeena Shetty

Editor
Sanjay Sankla

Screenplay
Tushar Hiranandani

Sound
Chiranjeevi Nanda

Dialogue
Farhad
Sajid (1)

Media Relations
Parag Desai
Universal Communications

Story / Writer
Tushar Hiranandani

Characters:

Aftab Shivdasani: Michael
Maria’s fiancée who is shit scared of her father. Instead of impressing him, he ends up by embarrassing just about everybody, including himself, by accidentally consuming a drug that makes him wildly delusional, stupidly suicidal and contently tearful!

Tulip Joshi: Maria
She’s defied her wealthy and autocratic father for Michael’s sake. Now she can do nothing but watch haplessly as Michael carries on from one disastrous situation to another in his drug induced state.

Sunil Shetty: Steve
Not too bright, but always wanting to do right, he is the good son who stays with his parents, trying to bring peace between warring wife and mother and now struggling manfully to bring some semblance of dignity to a funeral that’s degenerated into a farce.

Aarti Chhabria: Nancy
She loves her good hearted, but ineffectual husband, but just cannot stand his perfectionist, over critical mother-in-law. She thinks her father-in-law’s death is the best chance she has of getting out of the family house and away from a sharp tongued mother -in -law.

Ashish Chowdhry: Brian
He’s the younger son who’s gone away and gained fame and fortune as a novelist. He is self-centered and indulgent and rarely gives a thought to anybody but himself till he’s confronted with a crisis that can tear the family and his father’s spotless reputation completely.

Sophie Chowdhry: Ayesha
This wannabe model is desperate for a break and willing to go to any lengths to get it. As a result, she finds herself trying to do a steamy seduction number in a house full of astounded mourners.

Javed Jaffrey: Carlos
Henpecked by wife, bullied by all, he’s expected to do all the hard and dirty work. He does it too, muttering under his breath and watching helplessly when the credit is taken by somebody else!

Kim Sharma: Jenny
Carlos’ suspicious wife who’s so convinced that her husband is cheating on her, that she’s taken to following him around wherever he goes and eavesdropping on him whenever he talks.

Chunky Pandey: Harry
Maria’s good for nothing brother is as jolly as a junkie can be. It’s thanks to him that hallucinogenic drugs get into a bottle marked Relaxo and get consumed by the unlikeliest of people!

Prem Chopra: Uncle Murphy
He may be an invalid, bound to his wheelchair but his abuses are extremely robust as are the painful prods from his cane. Woe betide anybody who dare cross him or try to care for him. The consequences can be dreadful to say the least.

Rajpal Yadav: Andrew
Last but not the least he’s the joker in the pack, the cat among the pigeons. His small size belies his larger intentions and the kinky secrets he has up his sleeve are enough to bring the lately deceased Douglas Lazarus’ sons to their knees.

Synopsis

So, what can happen at a funeral? Even, if it’s the funeral of Daddy Cool Douglas Lazarus? It’s in Goa, tears, sad speeches, melancholia… right? Wrong! When… The coffin makers deliver the wrong body.

Good Son Steven Lazarus (Suniel Shetty), an aspiring writer tries to give his father a decent funeral by delivering a eulogy…that includes a description of the rivers of Goa. Having flown in first class younger brother Brian (Ashish Chowdhry), suave, successful and much admired writer from Mumbai, not ready to share responsibility for his mother, saying “He barely has money to support himself and his dogs.” A rather “comfortable” estate agent Pinto (Vijay Patkar) tries to close a house deal for Nancy (Aarti Chabria) Steven’s wife who is trying to get away from her mother-in-law Mrs. Lazarus (Suhasini Mulay) , who though just bereaved, lives up to her title admirably.

A prospective groom Michael (Aftab Shivdasani) to a cousin, Maria (Tulip Joshi), nervous about meeting father-in-law to be (Naseer Abdullah ) comes in completely spaced out because of a hallucinogenic drug given to him out of Maria’s junkie brother Harry’s (Chunky Pandey) bottle of “Relaxo.”

A knife-wielding suspicious Jenny (Kim Sharma) finds her husband Carlos (Javed Jaffrey) pleading forgiveness from the red- hot model Ayesha (Sophie Chodhry). While the model, told to bestow her favours on a man in a black suit, in order to feature in an ad film, finds herself in a room full of potential employers.

A repulsive spit on hands and flick back hair, Roadside Romeo kind of aspiring boyfriend, Jim (Vrajesh Hirjee) thinks that even a funeral is an opportunity to impress Maria.

A doddering old Uncle Murphy (Prem Chopra) in a wheelchair believes in practicing “rapchick” to get the girls…

And then enters a “Blackmailer” Andrew (Rajpal Yadav) who has a scandalous secret about the deceased Douglas “Daddy Cool” Lazarus (Sharat Saxena).

So what does happen is complete melange of madness, chaos, and a laugh a minute! So is it a ‘fun’eral? Or should we say the fun is real?

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