Emraan Hashmi makes Jannat work
Arjun, a typically cinematic stubbly young scamster, looks bored as he tries to palm off fake merchandise to a boutique store. Negotiations are on in full swing when he catches sight of a pretty girl with pricetag-induced frowns. Abruptly, unthinkingly, he walks off and follows, ending up shattering a plate-glass window just to get her attention. And her name.
Security guards dragging him away, he smiles beatifically. Nothing else matters in the world now that he has her name, and it is this smile that we buy into -- this goofy, silly, childish grin smattered on the face of the otherwise streetsmart fixer -- and instantly realise just how appropriate Emraan Hashmi is for this part.
Sure, Hashmi can be criticised as a one-note actor, and it may well be true that this is the only 'kind' of role he can do: morally ambiguous, frequently fornicating, clever as often as romantically beguiled. Yet this particular persona is one he slips into with great comfort, inhabiting a swarthy everyman skin and making it believable.
Newcomer Sonal Chauhan plays Zoya -- yup, that is the aforementioned smile-provoking name -- and while the girl might look like yet another assembly-line Bollywood clone and a more striking version of Amrita Rao [Images], she does pretty alright. The film, despite all talk of match-fixing and Bob Woolmer , is, at heart, this couple's tale, and so this pair manages to make it watchable.
Emraan HashmiJannat, directed by Kunal Deshmukh, is essentially fobbed off from the 2005 Al Pacino-Matthew McConnaughey starrer Two For The Money and given the full Vishesh Films treatment: those generic, mostly likeable whoa-whoa-whoa songs from Pritam; slick-looking editing that is all but economical; some hurried conflict around the intermission point; and an over-melodramatic climax that makes you cringe.
Having said that, for the most part, it coasts along smoothly without really boring you -- and that's more than can be said for most of the stuff in theatres these days.
In sum: Arjun is a ridiculously lucky compulsive gambler with an uncanny ability to predict cricket, right down to every single ball. He falls in love with Zoya, who is -- it must be said -- more than a bit of a golddigger, leading Arjun to grand gestures of ill-conceived extravagance. To justify this, he starts spreading his arms wider and becoming a bigger player, but weren't we always taught crime doesn't pay?
It's the kind of simplistic storyline that could have been wrapped up in half the time. Honest, you could have rolled end credits at the interval and it wouldn't make any difference whatsoever to the overall narrative. Sure, there is talk of cricket and match-fixing, but the sport is just a backdrop for Emraan's platitudes, or slight gimmicks like a dead coach or a cricket captain with a fondness for Rolexes -- taking over from US football in the original film. And while it is all surfacially stuck-on, it's handled deftly enough to keep the film flowing along.
Sonal Chauhan and Emraan HashmiThe supporting cast isn't bad. Vipin Sharma, poor man, goes incredibly from playing Darsheel Safary's father in Taare Zameen Par to Hashmi's dad here (!!) and does okay, while Samir Kochar is solidly effective as the cop on the hero's trail.
Jawed Sheikh makes a good baddie, and is particularly menacing while mixing thick chicory in a cup while sitting on a white sofa set, not least because he might spill some coffee.
Vishal Malhotra, however, plays Arjun's sidekick and hams with such glee it's as if he was stabbed with a soap-opera injection.
So while the 'broke to blood-money' template doesn't offer any surprise, Jannat all comes down to the romance. The girl is a callcenter executive who doubles up as a stripper? The guy is a hardcore pro but bawls like a baby to make another bet? It is the unpredictability these two promise that makes Jannat interesting, even if ultimately a bit of a con job. Heaven can wait.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Emraan Hashmi makes Jannat work
Abhi and Ash's first meeting
Abhi and Ash's first meeting
It's RGV's most anticipated film of the year. Abhi-Ash's first film together post marriage and one of Amitabh's best roles ever, yes Sarkar Raj. Incidentally, Ramu wanted that the scene they first shoot after marriage should be the scene where Abhi and Ash are striking a conversation for the first time and trying to know each other.
Truly, RGV knew exactly what he wanted and got it. The scene where they were to interact with each other for the first time was to be done with tentativeness and they were to weigh each other as people. Since they were shooting for the first time after marriage, there was newness to their relationship and they were a bit conscious in front of the entire unit... this worked exactly as per the demand of the scene.
Sarkar Raj talks about an intense political drama and is essentially a study of power; it explores the politics of development and takes a fresh look at the tradition versus modernity debate.
When Anita Rajan (Aishwarya Rai - Bachchan), CEO of Sheppard power plant, an international Company, brings a power plant proposal to set up in rural Maharashtra before the Nagres, insightful Shankar (Abhishek Bachchan) is quick to realize the benefits the power plant can bring to the people. After convincing Sarkar (Amitabh Bachchan) who is against it for various reasons, Shankar undertakes a journey along with Anita to the villages of Maharashtra to mobilize support from the masses.
However, things are not what they seem to be and Shankar's dream project gradually becomes a political minefield. It is in this backdrop the evil forces mightier than ever, mushroom and gang up to bring down the regime of Sarkar and obliterate Shankar's name from the political horizon.
Sarkar Raj is definitely not a sequel to Sarkar but a new story with the same characters. Well, let's hope RGV won't have to go into hiding after this film.
'Yash Raj Films is home for me'
'Yash Raj Films is home for me'
Bollywood Trade News Network
Who would think that 13 years had passed since the first time this jodi came together? At that time, the director was merely the scion of a great filmmaking family and the star was best known for taking on negative roles that no one else would. Then the magic they conjured up in their first film together, redefined Hindi cinema and set them on their respective paths to the heights of glory.
Now 13 years after DILWALE DULHANIYA LE JAYENGE first took the country by storm, and eight years after MOHABBATEIN, the jodi of Aditya Chopra, superstar director, and Shah Rukh Khan, superstar actor were together again, this time for the latest from Aditya Chopra as director, RAB NE BANA DI JODI with newcomer Anushka Sharma who joined in on the first day of shoot. And it was evident that Shah Rukh Khan was approaching this new role with his old comrade, with as much gusto and passion as ever.
"Starting the first day of shooting is what still gives me goose bumps like nothing else", said King Khan. "And to make films with Yash Raj, that too when Adi is directing, is an experience that is more than 100% exciting. Yash Raj Films is, and will always be, home for me and who doesn't love coming home? Yash ji and Adi have always given me roles that have gotten me love and appreciation from fans all over the world. And this time Adi has again written a character for me to play that I think will become as beloved as Raj of DDLJ was. I am going to be trying as usual to hit it out of the park with RAB NE BANA DI JODI."
And with these words, Shah Rukh Khan signed off from the first day of shooting, conveying to the world that something special was in the air, the most awaited film of the year was rolling as planned, and the Aditya Chopra - Shah Rukh Khan jodi were again creating that little bit of magic! Newcomer Anushka Sharma who was eagerly looking forward to this day ...the first day of shoot, for her the dream has just begun!
Yash Chopra was also present on the sets of RAB NE BANA DI JODI on the first day of shoot to bless his son and the unit at the onset of this new production.
From Bahu To Babe
Prachi Desai is no more just another television actress. The mini screen's beloved Bani is all set to rock the big screen with a new look that has transferred the once domicile on screen Bahu to a sizzling big screen babe. Prachi makes her Bollywood debut opposite Farhan Akhtar in Rock On which is being directed by Abhishek "Gattu" Kapoor and also marks the debut of Farhan's acting career. Well her new look has really worked wonders for her as even before the release of her debut film, Prachi has already bagged her next film. She has been signed as one of the female leads in Abbas Mustan's home production Life Partner to be directed by Rumi Jaffrey. The film also stars Fardeen Khan, Govinda, Tusshar Kapoor and Genelia D'Souza. This is the same film for which Abbas Mustan had approached Bipasha post Race, but she turned down the offer as soon as she realized that the duo were only producing the film and not directing it and hence Prachi has stepped into Bipasha's shoes. When we asked Prachi for a confirmation on replacing Bipasha she said, "I am not at all aware about this news, but if this is true I must say that I have got a big leap in my career at a very initial stage". With two big banner films on hand, looks like Prachi is all set to kick start her Bollywood career with a bang.
Karan Bails Out SRK
The old saying about 'A friend in need is a friend indeed' seems quite true for the friendship that exists between Shah Rukh Khan and his buddy Karan Johar. Karan proved it again, that he is a true friend of SRK.
It seems that for the forthcoming episode of Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain, actress Madhuri Dixit was scheduled to make an appearance along with Rani Mukherjee. Apparently, when the date for the shoot arrived, Madhuri was not traceable. The production tried to rope in Juhi Chawla in desperation, but that too did not work out. Finally, SRK stepped in to save the day. One call and his buddy Karan was there to shoot the episode with Rani. Of course, it was a reunion of sorts with SRK, Rani and Karan on the sets of the show together. If reports are to believed, then the Karan Rani team won Rs 50 lakhs on the show and promptly went ahead and donated their share to a hospital.
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