RAAM LEELA : movie review

Bhansali is a mad director! But there is synchronized methodology to his madness.So even though the film is over populated with rowdy humorous ‘below the belt’ jokes, some lame dialogues (‘You are a lover, I m a killer’) and some brain hammering bullets and fire shots amidst cramped lanes and alleys, you are bound to your seats because Bhansali keeps the film spectacularly engaging with its opulence until the end.

His eye for detailing and his sheer aestheticism deserves applaud, for instance, the inner quarters of the women folk are heavily inspired by Ketan Mehta’s ‘Mirch Masala’, the scenes between the lovers are elegant keeping the Indian exotica on mind like the cawing peacocks perched on the tree branches of a Victorian style garden and balconies where the lake shining in the moonlit night is adorned by the blooming lotuses (ref : Romeo-Juliet, the famous Balcony scene, Act II, Scene II), an earthen diya emitting sensuous arousal smoke prequel to the passion play, (but mind you, the director doesn’t get over indulgent with the love making scene!)

Ravi Verma’s paintings (sp. Vindyavaasini and the ‘bored housewives’) embellishing the chamber walls, Gujarat’s sweeping picturesque landscape(do not miss the early morning beautiful shot of the Kutch), some hauntingly beautiful gujrati folk songs in the background (‘Mor Bani Thanghat kare’ deserves special mention), and the delight of watching the intricate detailing that has gone into the costumes, jewelries (top notch) , the art design and of course the cinematography (courtesy Wasiq Khan’s dazzling sets and Ravi Varman’s blazing camerawork), the use of textures, multi chrome glass frames, colors (thankfully, he refrains from using black and blue this time!) keeping the individual shots in mind, the eternal carnival of songs and dance (some brilliant garba steps).

Bhansali brings the best out of all his supporting actors and few scenes are noteworthy specially the meeting between the two clans with Leela as the mukhiya. With Bhansali on the director’s seat you know you cannot get away with a faulty performance, so that’s top notch here from all the actors, but a very very special mention to Supriya Pathak. She is stunning!! As the fearless madame of the house, a lady ogre in all her jeweled, kohl-eyed glory, at times hilarious with her broken English with the ‘accent’ and at times the ruthless woman who does not refrain from breaking her own daughter’s finger by using a Betel nut cracker with relish, she is a delight onscreen! Same goes for Richa Chaddha, as the widowed sister in law, she’s all fire and feisty (a bit more detailing into the molestation act could have been better!)

The problem with the film is that with most of the screen space being reduced to the clannish, outrageous violence between the Rajadis and Sanedas, the love story which should have been the focal point here(specially when we are inspired by Shakespeare!) takes a complete back seat. The director didn’t give much time for the lovers to develop their romance on you. So you might enjoy their corny antics, because they don’t look into each other’s eyes and talk about stars and moons and living together for the next 7 births, instead, sans any personal heart-to-heart connection, they infuse more physical comfort in enacting their furious intimacy! hence, somehow you won’t shed a tear for this tragic couple at the end! ! Once they meet amidst guns and colors, their eyes connect, they swing to an impromptu garba, and the next you know, our skirt chasing Romeo whose only source of income is via a neon-lit porn film video parlor , finds his way straight into the inner chambers (read antarmahal!) of our damsel Juliet! Its always a pleasure to watch an SLB film,he still remains one of my favorite film maker of our times, but somewhere i terribly, terribly missed another Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Khamoshi or a Devdas!!

Priyanka's Raam leela!

 Priyanka Chopra dressed in a white choli and dhoti-skirt in perfect contrast with the shimmering red 'aalta' and the gorgeous ankle bracelet,buttoning her ah well! almost non existent blouse and tucking in the skirt, sporting a tattoo above her waist makes her look sensual, but the non-stop pelvic thrusts for 10 long seconds mars the going ons.Also, Bhansali has been quite particular about one signature step with most of the songs in the film it seems,let's call it 'PUTTING THE GUN IN THE POCKET' step, which is so annoying. Otherwise, Bhansali's obsession for hugely mounted interiors, colors, long, chiffon curtains, pastel shades, glimmering diyas and mirror works remain intact. Priyanka does her best to bring out the seductiveness with as much as raunchiness as possible but the choreography still somewhere,lacks the punch!

P.S. : check out the hilarious improvisation of the 'maar-daala' step from 'devdas'!!

Shuddh Desi Romance : To commit or not to commit..!!

 Struggling in a domain somewhere in between Love, Commitment and Matrimony, writer Jaideep Sahani gives us a refreshingly real middle-class India where marriage needn't be the prime ambition for young Indian girls,where women can move on with their heads high,live independently,raise their voice and carry on with life despite having been ditched at the altar by a confused Romeo.

Jaideep Sahani, known for his penchant for small town India, pens down a love story with stark realism without making it overdose with desi melodrama, instead, he flamboyantly indulges his desi characters in pre marital sex, girls smoking and drinking in public and couple living together posing as siblings!

Sushant Singh Rajput as Raghu Ram perfectly represents a segment of today's youth whose passions and confusions mirrors their phobia for commitment and the actor essays the part with a cute nervousness, at times stupid, charming demeanour. Parineeti Chopra (at times, reminds me so much of the earlier days of Rani Mukherji) is as always, effortless with her no nonsense attitude and Vaani Kapoor is good. The actor's take on their quirky behaviour works because it’s outrageous and funny. Also,as if in a Woody Allen movie, they sit across the camera and explain to the audience why they behaved so. Few scenes which are worth mentioning are : a) the first awkward kiss between Raghu and Gayatri on a moving bus b) the couple living together posing as siblings c) Sexual attraction is often the prime key to a couple's equation these days, and the film doesn't shy away from it d) the conversation between Gayatri and Tara in the bus. Also interestingly, slowly and steadily Yash Raj films getting rid of its designer bursts, swiss Alps, elaborate wedding dramas and hopefully..SRK (soon)!!

The Conjuring : Typical horror fare that scares you nevertheless!

It's a a must watch flick for every horror genre lovers.Go get scared out of your wits while passing through the 3 demonic stages of infestation, oppression and possession!

After a long time, a horror film that meticulously succeeded at the box office grossing over $220,166,000 worldwide (as of Aug 25,2013) and still going strong!

The film works majorly because it doesn't stick to the conventional mumbo jumbo scheme or hi tech gizmos. Also, instead of some sad looking priest, kooks or weirdos,we get two dedicated professionals,Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga (superb act!) whose expertise in the paranormal make them popular speakers on the local college circuit, conductors of paranormal seminars/conferences and subjects of occasional newspaper articles. They also make haunted-house calls and keep a relic room of “possessed” objects they’ve removed from malevolent situations. A very well crafted (with good performances) haunted house thriller where the long eerie tracking shots,the dramatic silences,behind the door spookiness, creaking of the doors, the hide-and-clap sequences and the sudden scares are really impressive, though similar on the lines of The Amityville horror and The exorcist, it charms and shocks you nevertheless!

22 Female Kottayam : Good attempt but lacks finesse..!!

 Love stories with brutal endings.Almost similar to Sriram Raghavan's 'Ek Haseena thi' and Sidney Sheldon's 'If tomorow comes' in its narrative and treatment, the film actually strikes a much wider chord because of the love story that emerges with a beautiful pace eventually turning out to be quite lethal and shocking! Also, instead of making it too much of an 'action revenge saga', the narrative blends in with the brazen reality. The ending is actually more impactful and the twist in the climax would get lots of eyebrows raised. So instead of the protagonist killing the antagonist, the victim (being deceived, cheated and raped by a maniac being hired by a pimp of a boyfriend) leaves the deceiver with his genital organs surgically removed by her (Oh yes! she's a nurse!). The jail sequences doesn't make much of an impact and looks pale in comparison to Matondkar's 'Ek haseena thi' stints. Actress Reema Kallingal is just ok! She lacks the confidence to carry off a role like this,while the best comes out of actor Fahaad Faasil,portraying a complex character with such ease and fine precision, bringing out perfectly the dramatic transformation from a handsome lover boy to a cruel villain.

The Essence of Shringar Raas!!

 This one particular pic has stayed with me forever, i feel,it actually summarizes the entire context of Shringar Raas! Come to think of the Shringar Raas, the eternal love story of Sri Radhika - Krishna remains symbolic to it. Eternal lovers, both earthy, erotic as well as divine, they have given music, dance, poetry and art an endlessly fascinating subject. Krishna, with his magic flute and peacock feather, his ability to flirtatiously swoon both men and women alike (perhaps poets needed an icon around which they could weave the spell of Shringar Ras!) The same goes for Sri Radhika, who appears gloriously as a well-rounded naayika (heroine).What’s wonderful about their romance is that nature is fully integrated within them..dark, billowing clouds, prancing peacocks,love struck parrots, branches laden with blossoms, writhing snakes and curving rivulets are as lovingly portrayed as the human figures.

Set in beautiful, marble palaces, with fountains and well laid out gardens, the symbolic betel leaf rolled into the customary 'paan',mosaics, flowers, pigeon messengers and poisoned chalices, both Krishna and Sri Radhika paved ways for the lives of generations of suave young men and beautiful women in swirling, silken skirts and diaphanous chunnis and scarves,casting sideward glances from behind fans, screens and latticed windows.