JaniBcn Blog: 2014

Mumbai: Newcomer Daisy Shah, who will be seen in Salman Khan starrer `Jai Ho`, says she regretted saying no to the superstar for his hit film `Bodyguard`.

"I regret only about one thing and that was saying no to Salman. I think whether you work with Salman or not, his presence in your life is more than enough. In that way, I felt I lost out on him. I look at him as a hero, as my hero in real and in reel life. I am fond of him, I am romancing him (in the film)," Daisy told PTI in an interview.

Daisy was offered to play Kareena Kapoor Khan`s best friend in `Bodyguard`, but the role did not excite her.

"I was not convinced with the part that I was offered to play. I was shooting for a south film and dates were also a problem. I couldn`t put that project on hold, I had to concentrate on one thing, I chose to do south film," she said.

But it took her sometime to explain to Salman the reason for saying no. "I took time to give an answer to him. I was preparing myself for 7-8 days how to say no to him. I feel anything done half heartedly is a waste," she said.

When she rejected the role, Salman just said ok, but did not take it well. She said during the shooting of `Jai Ho`, Salman said he was angry with her for not doing the role.

NASEERUDDIN SHAH, ARSHAD WARSI, VIJAY RAAZ, MANOJ PAHWA, RAVI GOSAIN, MADHURI DIXIT, HUMA QURESHI

SYNOPSIS: Khalujan (Naseeruddin Shah) and Babban (Arshad Warsi), work for a local gangster Mushtaq. Both of them stole a necklace from a jeweller and then while escaping from police they get separated. The necklace is with Khalu and Babban is on a search for him, as gangster Mushtaq starts harassing Babban to get the necklace. While, searching him, he lands up in Mahmudabad and finds that Khalu is there for a celebration, conducted by Begum Para (Madhuri Dixit), in which she will choose her husband. Well, he is there to take back Khalujaan, but falls in love with Muniya (Huma Qureshi) a confidant of Begum. But, even Muniya has a plan to kidnap Begum and capture her property. What’s next? With whom Begum will get married? Will Muniya succeed in kidnapping Begum? This is the rest of the story.
STORY, SCREENPLAY AND DIALOGUES: The story of the film ’Dedh Ishqiya’ is set in Uttar Pradesh like its prequel ‘Ishqiya. Protagonist Khalujaan and Babban are same as in the first part and they take the story forward along with new characters Begum Para and Muniya. The story of the film doesn’t impress much, but the twist in the tale which takes place before the climax, holds the audience to exit from the theatres. The screenplay of the film which is written by Vishal Bhardwaj and Abhishek Chaubey is jerky in first half, but in second half it moves smoothly, however the pace is very slow which makes the audience yawn. Dialogues of the film are quite good at some places.
PERFORMANCES: After the disaster of ‘Aaja Nachle’, Madhuri Dixit makes her come back with ‘Dedh Ishqiya’ and unfortunately the actress fails to impress. Although she tries hard, but seems that she has forgot how to act. Naseeruddin Shah is an excellent actor, but he is also just ok in this film. Huma Qureshi has done a good job and the actress shines in few scenes. Arshad Warsi entertains and he is the only relief point in the film and delivers some funny lines. Vijay Raaz is excellent in his part. Manoj Pahwa gets wasted in his small role. Rest of the cast is just ok.
DIRECTION, CINEMATOGRAPHY AND EDITING: Abhishek Chaubey had done a wonderful job in the prequel of this film and the expectations were very high from him, as ‘Ishqiya’ was critically as well as commercially successful. But, this time somehow he fails to meet the expectations of his audience. Most of the scenes are very lengthy and there are hardly any moments which brings laughter. A. Sreekar Prasad could have done editing better and Abhishek should have asked the editor to edit the length of the film, while Setu’s cinematography is good.
ACTION, BACKGROUND SCORE AND MUSIC: Action in the film is strictly ok. The music of the film is given by Vishal Bhardwaj and it’s a big letdown. Abhishek being the director of the film could have asked Vishal to give a better music.
CHOREOGRAPHY, LOCATIONS AND PRODUCTION VALUE:Choreography by Birju Maharaj and Remo D’souza is good. The locations of the film are ok and the production value is normal.
OUR VERDICT: Over all If you have enough of time to watch a movie which has never ending climax and poor & artificial performance by Madhuri, you may watch it. Otherwise this film won’t work. It’s an average movie.

SYNOPSIS: Khalujan (Naseeruddin Shah) and Babban (Arshad Warsi), work for a local gangster Mushtaq. Both of them stole a necklace from a jeweller and then while escaping from police they get separated. The necklace is with Khalu and Babban is on a search for him, as gangster Mushtaq starts harassing Babban to get the necklace. While, searching him, he lands up in Mahmudabad and finds that Khalu is there for a celebration, conducted by Begum Para (Madhuri Dixit), in which she will choose her husband. Well, he is there to take back Khalujaan, but falls in love with Muniya (Huma Qureshi) a confidant of Begum. But, even Muniya has a plan to kidnap Begum and capture her property. What’s next? With whom Begum will get married? Will Muniya succeed in kidnapping Begum? This is the rest of the story.

STORY, SCREENPLAY AND DIALOGUES:
The story of the film ’Dedh Ishqiya’ is set in Uttar Pradesh like its prequel ‘Ishqiya. Protagonist Khalujaan and Babban are same as in the first part and they take the story forward along with new characters Begum Para and Muniya. The story of the film doesn’t impress much, but the twist in the tale which takes place before the climax, holds the audience to exit from the theatres. The screenplay of the film which is written by Vishal Bhardwaj and Abhishek Chaubey is jerky in first half, but in second half it moves smoothly, however the pace is very slow which makes the audience yawn. Dialogues of the film are quite good at some places.

PERFORMANCES:
After the disaster of ‘Aaja Nachle’, Madhuri Dixit makes her come back with ‘Dedh Ishqiya’ and unfortunately the actress fails to impress. Although she tries hard, but seems that she has forgot how to act. Naseeruddin Shah is an excellent actor, but he is also just ok in this film. Huma Qureshi has done a good job and the actress shines in few scenes. Arshad Warsi entertains and he is the only relief point in the film and delivers some funny lines. Vijay Raaz is excellent in his part. Manoj Pahwa gets wasted in his small role. Rest of the cast is just ok.

DIRECTION, CINEMATOGRAPHY AND EDITING: Abhishek Chaubey had done a wonderful job in the prequel of this film and the expectations were very high from him, as ‘Ishqiya’ was critically as well as commercially successful. But, this time somehow he fails to meet the expectations of his audience. Most of the scenes are very lengthy and there are hardly any moments which brings laughter. A. Sreekar Prasad could have done editing better and Abhishek should have asked the editor to edit the length of the film, while Setu’s cinematography is good.

ACTION, BACKGROUND SCORE AND MUSIC: Action in the film is strictly ok. The music of the film is given by Vishal Bhardwaj and it’s a big letdown. Abhishek being the director of the film could have asked Vishal to give a better music.

CHOREOGRAPHY, LOCATIONS AND PRODUCTION VALUE:Choreography by Birju Maharaj and Remo D’souza is good. The locations of the film are ok and the production value is normal.

OUR VERDICT: Over all If you have enough of time to watch a movie which has never ending climax and poor & artificial performance by Madhuri, you may watch it. Otherwise this film won’t work. It’s an average movie.

Saturday, January 4, 2014

'Sholay 3D' review - Classics never pale

If as William Shakespeare told us, a rose by any other name smells just as sweet, then `Sholay` in any format -3D, 4D or whatever, would remain just the same.

An inviolable classic, timeless, as it is timely. The new version, spruced up with flying bullets and thundering hoofs, comes to us at a time when "Dhoom" is trending. So it`s "Sholay 3D" weighed against "Dhoom: 3".

Undoubtedly, the current films that seem to make so much money seem to pale into flamboyant insignificance when weighed against the hefty impact of "Sholay".

As many as 38 years have passed since "Sholay" and its astonishing lines (Salim-Javed at their pithiest) created immediate and enduring history. Yes, the film opened badly. But then Rome and Amitabh Bachchan`s career weren`t built in a day.

With each viewing of "Sholay", I come away wiser and richer. Yes, this is what `Bollywood` entertainment should always be but seldom is. Rich in drama, vivacious and vibrant in its characterisations, "Sholay" about one armless man`s two-men army and their battle against a sadistic dacoit (Amjad Khan) spawns innumerable eras of cinematic experience.

It is the most well assembled screenplay ever.

With the passage of time, we can view the film in episodes - the stunning train robbery sequence at the start, the massacre of `Thakur` Sanjeev Kumar`s family by Gabbar and his ragged henchmen, Dharmendra`s `suicide` drama from atop a water tower, `Jai` Amitabh Bachchan`s marriage proposal on behalf of his buddy `Veeru` Dharmendra, `Gabbar` Amjad Khan`s Russian roulette in the ravines with his trio of petrified henchmen, `Rahim Chacha` A.K. Hangal`s son`s poignant death scene, the widow `Radha` Jaya Bhaduri`s flashback into a colourful Holi when she accosts her future father-in-law with incessant chatter (Radha could have been Basanti), Jagdeep`s Soorma Bhopali and Asrani`s `angrezon ke zamaanein ka jailor` episodes.... each of these and many others, have a throbbing autonomous life of their own.

And yet, here lies the magic of a monumental classic - all the accentuated episodes come together in a compelling cohesive screenplay which blows your mind.

This is a revenge story with a supremely sustained momentum. The characters show no sign of aging with time. Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan`s Veeru and Jai are to this day roguish mercenaries who seem to convey an endearing amorality in their conduct even as they emerge as unlikely heroes in the Thakur`s fight against an oppressively cartoonish outlaw.

There are two romantic tracks navigated by two very contrasting female characters. While Basanti (Hema Malini) never stops chattering, Radha (Jaya Bhaduri) seldom speaks.

They are portraits in contrasts done up in colours that have acquired deeper shades and relevance with the passage of time.

Dissertations, thesis, textbooks and essays have been written on the impact of "Sholay" on commercial Indian cinema. Does the narrative show any signs of wear and tear? Never! Except when monetary amounts meant to be astronomical in 1975 are mentioned.

Thakur Baldev Singh hires the services of Jai and Veeru for a princely sum of Rs.50,000. That in today`s economic context would amount to close to Rs.10 crore. And if you have actors as exceptionally charismatic as Amitabh and Dharmendra playing Jai and Veeru, then the characters seem priceless.

Has there ever been a better celluloid illustration of male bonding than the Jai-Veeru jodi in "Sholay"? Amitabh and Dharmendra came together once again as Ram and Balram in Vijay Anand`s film. But the same chemistry was missing.

No one can encore the magic of Ramesh Sippy in "Sholay". Not even Sippy himself. And what a team of technicians Sippy had! Dwarka Divecha`s cinematography, M.S. Shinde`s editing and R.D. Burman`s background music will never cease to take our breath away.

I always found R.D. Burman`s songs in "Sholay" to be relatively weak. I still do. But that`s a very small quibble in a film that defies all analyses.

So does the 3D format affect "Sholay"? I`d say "Sholay" in any format is..."Sholay"! Incomparably gripping, flawlessly cast and impeccably mounted, this is the mother of all Bollywood classics.

John Abraham gets hitched to girlfriend Priya Runchal

By Bollywood Hungama News Network, January 04, 2014 - 11:40 hrs IST

After a web of controversies post his break-up with Bipasha Basu, it took quite some time for John to be open about his relationship with girlfriend Priya Runchal. And now after being haunted with speculations for more than a year, it is confirmed that John recently tied the knot with Priya at a rather private ceremony in Los Angeles this New Year.

John's dad, an architect by profession, revealed that this wedding was pre-planned and that the two preferred a simple court marriage that does not involve too many rituals and traditions. While none of his friends from the industry have been a part of this wedding, they took on to twitter to wish the actor. "Congrats @TheJohnAbraham .. Wish u and Priya all the happiness in the world!! God bless..Lots of love! :)" tweeted Sophie Choudry.

Shoojit Sircar, one of John's closest pals too wasn't a part of the wedding but was aware of the developments. He also claimed that John and Priya are private people and hence preferred to keep their wedding a low key affair.

Priya is an investment banker and financial analyst and is currently in the U.S. pursuing higher studies.

Why is Ajaz Khan thanking Salman Khan?

The Bigg Boss 7 contestant became popular after his stint inside the glass walled house

Ajaz Khan was flattered by the love that he received once he came out of reality show Bigg Boss 7. He credits Bollywood star Salman Khan for making him popular among the audience when he was inside the Bigg Boss house. “Salman Khan is the man who has put me in the hearts of the audience. I first made a place in his heart and only then could I enter the people’s hearts,” Ajaz said here Friday at an acting institute Livewires.
“When the public saw their idol Salman appreciate me, they thought if he can, then even they can love me. Salman is responsible for placing me where I am,” added the actor, who was the second runner up of Bigg Boss 7.
Ajaz further praises Salman for being a good human being. “Salman bhai is a very good man and that is why he is in the hearts of so many people. He is not like ‘I am a superstar and stay away from me’. He never misses a chance to appreciate someone and there is hardly anyone in the industry who does it,” Ajaz said. Ajaz, who has already done some films in the south,

JACKPOT Director Kaizad Gustad’s comeback venture

SYNOPSIS: Director Kaizad Gustad’s comeback venture ‘Jackpot’ is about Maya (Sunny Leone) and Francis (Sachin S Joshi) who are cons. But now they are tired of doing small cons and opt for something big. So they land up to a casino boat for the card game and plan to fly away with the jackpot money. But, that’s not easy for them as they have to face the Boss (Naseeruddin Shah) of the casino. Will Maya and Francis be successful in their plan? Will they get the Jackpot? This Is the rest of the story.
STORY, SCREENPLAY AND DIALOGUES: Writers Kaizad Gustad and Amol Parashar come up with yet another most annoying and disappointing film ‘Jackpot’. Similar kind of scripts and films have been witnessed in the past like ‘Johnny Gaddar’ which was brilliantly made, but this one is rather confusing with pathetic presentation of the narrative. The most lamest progression ever seen with this kind of a script which had good scope, but really mishandled in a brutal way. The writers should have at least copied from some of the Hollywood movies and written the screenplay which could have saved the audience from the torture. Dialogues are not at all impressive and with a bad taste.
PERFORMANCES: Performance wise a brilliant actor like Naseerudin Shah has been terribly wasted, the actor has tried to do his part but is badly let down, due to the lame script. We should say to Naseer Sir that at this point of time in his career, he should not make such blunder mistakes which could affect the rapport of his brilliance in acting skills. Sachin Joshi has previously managed to torture us a lot with his pathetic performances and this time he comes with more ridiculous performance, we suggest him to leave the industry and spare us from this sufferings. Sunny leone is only good for what the makers are keeping her for and that is skin show, but the audience has already had an overdose of her skin show and would not spend to watch it on big screen. We suggest she should focus on what she is best at and do not act in future. Makrand Deshpande is also wasted and gives a very mediocre performance.
DIRECTION, CINEMATOGRAPHY AND EDITING: After giving the disastrous movie ‘Boom’ decade ago, Director Kaizad Gustad comes with his latest offering ‘Jackpot’. The director has disappointed us a decade ago and has wasted legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan in his film ‘Boom’, he should have never had the guts to repeat such a brutal act again, by giving the audience such a bad taste of film making. It’s a kind request to the director kindly don’t even dream of making another film after this. Cinematography by Artur Zurawsky is very shady and Editing by Yasser Abbas could have been more sharp as per the scripts demand.
ACTION, BACKGROUND SCORE AND MUSIC: Action by Mehmood Khan is very ordinary. Musically a below average album with no hits on the chart.
CHOREOGRAPHY, LOCATIONS AND PRODUCTION VALUE:Choreography by Bosco Ceasar is just okay. Locations and sets are fine. Production Values are of a low standard.
OUR VERDICT: Overall ‘Jackpot’ is a total waste and torture, please don’t go to get a severe headache after watching it, rather stay away from it and chill out with your family with some other entertainment options. Strictly not recommended.

SYNOPSIS: Director Kaizad Gustad’s comeback venture ‘Jackpot’ is about Maya (Sunny Leone) and Francis (Sachin S Joshi) who are cons. But now they are tired of doing small cons and opt for something big. So they land up to a casino boat for the card game and plan to fly away with the jackpot money. But, that’s not easy for them as they have to face the Boss (Naseeruddin Shah) of the casino. Will Maya and Francis be successful in their plan? Will they get the Jackpot? This Is the rest of the story.

STORY, SCREENPLAY AND DIALOGUES:
Writers Kaizad Gustad and Amol Parashar come up with yet another most annoying and disappointing film ‘Jackpot’. Similar kind of scripts and films have been witnessed in the past like ‘Johnny Gaddar’ which was brilliantly made, but this one is rather confusing with pathetic presentation of the narrative. The most lamest progression ever seen with this kind of a script which had good scope, but really mishandled in a brutal way. The writers should have at least copied from some of the Hollywood movies and written the screenplay which could have saved the audience from the torture. Dialogues are not at all impressive and with a bad taste.

PERFORMANCES:
Performance wise a brilliant actor like Naseerudin Shah has been terribly wasted, the actor has tried to do his part but is badly let down, due to the lame script. We should say to Naseer Sir that at this point of time in his career, he should not make such blunder mistakes which could affect the rapport of his brilliance in acting skills. Sachin Joshi has previously managed to torture us a lot with his pathetic performances and this time he comes with more ridiculous performance, we suggest him to leave the industry and spare us from this sufferings. Sunny leone is only good for what the makers are keeping her for and that is skin show, but the audience has already had an overdose of her skin show and would not spend to watch it on big screen. We suggest she should focus on what she is best at and do not act in future. Makrand Deshpande is also wasted and gives a very mediocre performance.

DIRECTION, CINEMATOGRAPHY AND EDITING: After giving the disastrous movie ‘Boom’ decade ago, Director Kaizad Gustad comes with his latest offering ‘Jackpot’. The director has disappointed us a decade ago and has wasted legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan in his film ‘Boom’, he should have never had the guts to repeat such a brutal act again, by giving the audience such a bad taste of film making. It’s a kind request to the director kindly don’t even dream of making another film after this. Cinematography by Artur Zurawsky is very shady and Editing by Yasser Abbas could have been more sharp as per the scripts demand.

ACTION, BACKGROUND SCORE AND MUSIC: Action by Mehmood Khan is very ordinary. Musically a below average album with no hits on the chart.

CHOREOGRAPHY, LOCATIONS AND PRODUCTION VALUE:Choreography by Bosco Ceasar is just okay. Locations and sets are fine. Production Values are of a low standard.

OUR VERDICT: Overall ‘Jackpot’ is a total waste and torture, please don’t go to get a severe headache after watching it, rather stay away from it and chill out with your family with some other entertainment options. Strictly not recommended.

Shah Rukh to Arshad Warsi: 5 under-performing Bollywood detectives

New Delhi: Detectives were always a trend setter in the Hindi film industry. From Dev Anand to Saif Ali Khan, the spectators have seen many detectives who were suave, sophisticated and capable of cracking tough cases. However, there were detectives who got so much entangled in the case that they forgot about the real culprits and why they are out of their offices. We have compiled a list of 5 such detectives who failed to solve their cases.
Chatur Singh Two Star: Sanjay Dutt's early 90s looks were tailor made to play a detective on-screen, but he didn't play it then. He played a detective in 2011 film 'Chatur Singh Two Star' where his character was called James Armani. He was more interested in romancing girls than solving the case. Nobody knows much about his detective career after the film's two days run at the box-office.
36 China Town: Akshay Khanna was an inspector who was assigned the task to crack the mystery of a casino owner's death. His style, mannerism and body language very loudly pronounced that he is trying to be the hero of the film. Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor were in the lead roles, so Akshay Khanna had to refrain himself. Some people still don't believe that '36 China Town' was directed by Abbas-Mustan.

Shah Rukh Khan to Arshad Warsi: 5 under-performing Bollywood detectives

Sanjay Dutt played a detective in 2011 film 'Chatur Singh Two Star' in which his character was called James Armani.

Thank You: Akshay Kumar emerges as the last hope for Sonam Kapoor who is tired of her unfaithful husband Bobby Deol. As you know, if Akshay Kumar is there then the director neds to create some space for action. So, Akshay Kumar plays a wannabe spy in the film who keeps a check on the activities of philandering husbands.
Baadshah: It was Shah Rukh Khan's turn to play a detective, but the guy was so good hearted that he couldn't help falling in love with the heroine. His den was full of amazing things and gadgets that were 'serious' in nature. His did everything right except accomplishing the task he was originally expected to do.
Mr Joe B Carvalho: The latest actor to join the bandwagon of spies is Arshad Warsi. He doesn't try to hide the fact that he is on a mission, it's just that he has a funny name and nobody takes him seriously. He operates alone and doesn't care much about the trails he leaves behind, but then he is a Bollywood detective. These detectives don't need to work for a livelihood.

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

I would rather be happy than successful: Arshad Warsi

Monday, December 23, 2013 12:49 IST

Arshad Warsi is best known for his comedy roles in superhitmovies such as the Golmaal and Munnabhai series, although the actor has portrayed his fair share of serious roles with elan
However, stupendous success has always eluded this talented actor, who insists that he prefers a happy life overa successful one.

Excerpts from the interview:

After a string of comedies, what convinced you to do another funny film, Mr Joe B Carvalho?
I love its straight-faced comedy, that is not vulgar. The industry is full of loud and sexual comedy; we are still harping on that. But I like witty and funny lines which are difficult to write. We have gone far away from clean films like Chashme Buddoor (1981). I hope people like Mr Joe B Carvalho so I can act in Part two and three.

Though you play a detective here, the film is a comedy. Can we not have a serious detective film?
We are scared people who want to play safe. We think people will come to see the film if it's funny.

After almost 20 years in acting, would you say your career has consisted of more ups or downs?
There have been more downs than ups. I should not complain though ... and I generally don't. But honestly, careerwise, I needed to be in a better place than this. I am good at the job and I deliver. I play it more than the writer has scripted without overdoing it. But in life, I am comfortable and happy.

What didn't work out?
Sometimes it is luck and sometimes your connections. But God has balanced it. I like a happy life compared to a successful one. God 'karmically' asked me what I wanted and in my subconscious, I chose this life.

Why do you say your life is a happy one?
I am able to spend time with my children. I don't want to suddenly see my kids not looking the same one day - I don't want my kids to grow up without me. You have to take time out for your family. My wife Maria doesn't have to manage too many things. She is a working woman and is writing a book also. I have never stopped her from doing anything.

Have you developed cold feet after producing Hum Tum Aur Ghost?
I am a good producer but a bad businessman. I splurge a lot. I need to hire somebody who can look at the business side while I manage the creative side. I want to direct and do lots of films.

Though you have done serious roles, only your comedy roles stay in the minds of the audiences.
I am better off in serious roles than in comedy. Doing serious roles is a piece of cake. But I scrape through when it comes to funny characters. Comedy is far more difficult than drama. But I have been fortunate. I don't stress about my work or scenes when I get up in the morning.

Your next film Dedh Ishqiya has Naseeruddin Shah. Can a good co-actor act as a catalyst to your performance?
It helps to make it better. I enjoyed Ishqiya because it had Naseer saab. Javed Jaffrey, who is part of Mr Joe B Carvalho, is also tremendous at blending into different characters. And Mr Joe B Carvalho also stars Soha (Ali Khan), who is attempting something new here.

You have acted with everyone in Soha's family. Between Soha, Kareena, Saif and Kunal Khemmu, who has the best comic timing?
(Ponders) Kareena. She can be very funny and hilarious. She would crack me up. Saif has his own cool and bizarre sense of comedy.

Mr Joe B Carvalho is releasing on the same day as the 3D version of Sholay. Do you think that's tough competition?
I had never imagined that this would happen. I had started my career with Amitabh Bachchan's production Tere Mere Sapne. Somewhere down the line, the young generation that has heard a lot about Sholay will probably go for that film. Many may go in for the 3D experience. You can't argue with Sholay but I would like people to come and watch our film too.

The title of your film is a pun on jo bhi karwa lo. Is there anyone in your life you can say this to?

Sangram Singh was my toy, says VJ Andy

Thursday, December 26, 2013 11:55 IST

By Subhash K Jha, Santa Banta News Network

Former VJ and aspiring Bollywood actor , Bigg Boss semi-finalist Andy is out of Bigg Boss, much to the surprise of viewers who thought he had the potential to be a winner.

In a surprise move Andy was evicted on Tuesday night.

Says Andy, `I was out at 1 am. The very kind Bigg Boss team offered to put me up in a hotel for the night. But I preferred to drive back to town to be with my brother and my best friend who lives with me.`

Andy says he wasn't disappointed at having come so far and then being evicted. `You are seeing the glass half-empty. But I always see the other side. Think of it this way. I actually went up to being among the 5 finalists. Which was quite an achievement for me? I didn't think I could survive in there for so long. The first 6 weeks were great fun. There was laughing and joking, fun and banter....Then the bullying started. Suddenly I was the victim of a lot of ganging-up and bullying. I just couldn't take it.`

A psychiatrist had to be brought in to calm Andy down. `After a point, I just wanted to leave. But Bigg Boss got me to speak to someone. And that calmed me down. I was able to sleep peacefully . I was the master-chef in Bigg Boss. So if nothing else, I've come away a better cook than ever before,` says the British Asian vj-actor whose mom, brother three sisters, nephews and nieces are the anchors of his life.

And who were Andy's friends inside Bigg Boss?

Sighs Andy deeply, `Listen, I'd like to think of everyone in there as friends. Yes, there were cowardly double-standards and mistakes were made. But at the end of the day, we are all human. And I'd like to only focus on the good things that happened in there. I made friends with Shilpa Saklani. In the initial weeks she made me feel at home in there. When she left I was devastated. Tanissha too in spite of her discernible dithering, was a friend. Sangram Singh was my teddy bear. We slept together. But let's get this straight-ha ha-we shared a bed as brothers.`

Andy has only words of gratitude for host Salman Khan. `I'd looked forward to every Saturday when he spoke to me. It was my reality-check in a bizarre unnatural situation. He was very kind to me. And he would admonish those bullies in there who went belligerently after me. He'd tell the a..holes to back off.`

Andy reiterates he has no regrets about not winning Bigg Boss. `I never expected to win. I think Gauhar or Tanissha stand a good chance of winning. As far as I am concerned I was right there till the end. I was evicted only three days before the grand finale. So I feel as good as victorious. I've come away a lot more patient and appreciative of the good things in life. When I came out of Bigg Boss my brother gave me a chocolate biscuit. Nothing has ever tasted so good. And hey, my Hindi has improved. Meri Hindi kafi sudhar gayi hai.`

Future plans for Andy include a career in Bollywood. `I don't mean I want to play the hero. There are so many roles to play in today's Hindi cinema. I am a trained actor. I've done theatre in London. I've also done choreography and dancing for 15 years. Mumbai has been my home for 10 years now. I am not going anywhere.`

Movie Review: 'Dhoom 3' conveniently surpasses your expectations

Friday, December 20, 2013 20:20 IST

By Ankur Karan Singh, Santa Banta News Network

Star Cast: Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif, Abhishek Bachchan, Uday Chopra, Jackie Shroff

Directed By: Vijay Krishna Acharaya

Rating: ***1/2

After creating loads of hullabaloo, finally one of the most anticipated action packed cine chronicle of the year has made it to cineplexes. Ever since this pleasurable cine-tale and its star-cast was announced, the curiosity of millions of 'Dhoom' fans started tossing in the hope of something grand in the offering.

Ever since its inception each and every edition of 'Dhoom' franchise has succeeded in not only raising the bar, but also in leaving an impact with what they offer on the celluloid. Be it high octane action, those classy vrooming bikes, or gravity defying stunts of those who perform them on the celluloid, every-time brand Dhoom has thoroughly succeeded in offering something grand to its fans.

Marking the onset and continuing with a movie franchise is no longer an oblivion practice in Bollywood. With numerous production houses continuing with the brand name of some of their best selling products, have not only offered an unadulterated entertainment to cine enthusiasts, but have proved their entertaining potency too.

Be it Krrish, Dabangg or the recently released Dhoom 3 belonging to YRF's Dhoom franchise, each of these best selling cine products of Bollywood have not only succeeded in charming the masses, but at the same time have secured for themselves a repute of being massive cine charmers with loads of entertainment stuffed in them.

Anyhow coming to one of the most anticipated movie of the year "Dhoom 3", the movie starring Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif, Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra, as per expectations opened with cent percent occupancy.

Although so far we have witnessed that cine cantata belonging to "Dhoom" franchise primarily dealt with action theme and a sort of cop and thief chase. But this edition of "Dhoom is somewhat different, because of an emotional tale flowing beneath its conspicuous current.

Premise of "Dhoom 3" is settled in Chicago and narrates the tale of Sahir (Aamir Khan) an acrobat who see his father (Jackie Shroff) committing suicide due to his inability in clearing a bank debt and saving his circus "The Great Indian Circus" from auctioning. As the frames proceed ahead it showcases how Sahir, who otherwise own a social persona of a circus acrobat, in order to avenge the death of his father starts robbing all the branches of "Western Bank of Chicago" one after the other, which he feels is primarily responsible for the death of his father.

In order to prevent the situation from getting worst, ACP Jai Dixit (Abhishek Bachchan) of Mumbai Police along with Ali ( Uday Chopra) is roped in by Chicago police and from there begins an action packed chase saga. And keeping in view the curiosity of the fans associated with "Dhoom 3" here I would like to mention that, saying anything further about the premise of "Dhoom 3" may dent the excitement of the cine enthusiasts. So guys to know whether Jai Dixit succeeds in his intent, or is it Sahir who has the last laugh watch "Dhoom 3".

While penning down the premise of 'Dhoom 3' Vijay Krishna Acharya and Aditya Chopra has quite adroitly managed to keep the basic spirit of Dhoom franchise i.e. high octane dare devilish stunts, alive. But at the same time they have not forgot to give this action packed tale a human touch. As stated above that unlike its prequels, "Dhoom 3" certainly has got an emotional element brewed in its premise which somewhere down the line gives it an edge to it over its prequels. And besides impressive feature pertaining to Dhoom 3's narration is which emerges as an stand out feature of it is that it is a standalone cine delight, independent of any association with its prequels, which is usually the case with other franchises of Bollywood.

In the first half, premise certainly takes somewhat extended time span to unfurl fully, but once it does, it keeps all your neurotransmitters glued to the onscreen proceedings. After presenting a well structured narrative in the first half, the story of "Dhoom 3" get a bit indolent in the post interval part, but this meager flaw pertaining to the movie is undoubtedly passable.

As far as screenplay is concerned then throughout its run time which is almost of 3 hours "Dhoom 3" nowhere leaves any scope for distraction and woolgathering. From the very first frame, the flow of narration of "Dhoom 3" not only proceeds like a smoothly flowing stream, but also succeeds in keeping the attention of the viewers focused on the celluloid.

Be it the action sequences designed by Conard Palmisano and Sham Kaushal or the dauntless screenplay of Vijay Krishna Acharaya, everything pertaining to "Dhoom 3" is so engrossing that you don't feel like taking your gazes off the silver screen. Even on the cinematographic front, Sudeep Chatterjee, has magnificently kept all the necessary gen intact, and besides that it's the top notch editing of Ritesh Soni which further magnifies the entertainment coefficient of "Dhoom 3".

In music department, with "Dhoom 3" YRF has once again succeeded in dishing out some of the mesmerizing aural delights, but this time with a difference. Be it "Malang" song or "Kamli", both these songs dabbled in the treacle of Sufism, with their absolute recall value, completely possesses your psyche.

Before starting with the performances analysis of the protagonists, it is pertinent to mention here that "Dhoom 3" is completely Mr Perfectionist Aamir's show. Although in the movie, Aamir's character is something in absolute contrast with his previous avatars, but in-spite of that the ace performer has conveniently succeeded in coming up with his one of the praise worthy performances. Despite Aamir's being the antagonist in "Dhoom 3", it will be wrong to deliniate his character in absolute terms, but one this which can be said with an absolute surety is that, with his action packed performance and acrobatic skills, the man has once again proved that there is no such genre of movie making in which he can't excel.

On the other hand, if we talk about the lady on the center stage, Katrina, then despite having a confined screen presence, Kat firmly succeeds in astonishing the masses by her performance and especially the acrobatic skills. Abhishek as ACP Jai Dixit has been no different from his previous performances, but whatever he does in "Dhoom 3" he does it with full gusto to make it one of his praiseworthy acts. And if we talk to about Uday Chopra then all that could be said about this Chopra scion is that, this time he has been very less irritating and up-till some extent succeeds in charming the audience with his witty one-liners that too without saying "Kya Mummy" as he did in the past.

Jackie Shroff has been in a somewhat cameo, but this time he has proved that when it comes to getting under the skin of his character then he surely knows the art of doing so.

Well talking about the earning potential is something irrelevant, when it's about brand 'Dhoom', so nothing much to say about that, but yeah keeping in viewi the prevailing legacy of of brand "Dhoom" and Aamir's stature the movie is expected to emerge as one of the biggest BO grosser of the year.

To sum up, with an engrossing plot, high octane action sequences and an apt and magnificent star-cast, "Dhoom 3" has got all the relevant variables, which makes it a good watch and at the same time thoroughly meets the expectations of the fans, who were eagerly waiting for this "high on entertainment" cine delight. Hence keeping in view the entertainment coefficient,content in the offering, prevailing legacy of Aamir and "Dhoom" franchise, I am going ahead with three and a half stars for this this stupendous cine marvel of YRF.

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