Kaminey --- Movie Review

Hmmm , where do I start ?? ...Some films are not easy to review because an experience has to be experienced , it is actually hard to put it on paper . This is exactly what Kaminey is , an experience . Lets start from the beginning . The film doesn't take time out for introducing the characters one by one , they get introduced by themselves , by default . By the time titles would begin you would get engrossed in the film and the people who generally make noise during the beginning of the film in the cinema hall would get silent by the end of it .

Kaminey begins on a comic cum thrilling note . The comic side belonging to Guddu (the stuttering Shahid) and the thrilling side belonging to Charlie (the F ko F bolne waala Shahid - the lisping one) . Priyanka aka Sweety , the marathi mulgi , does her job well in the begining itself and director Vishal manages to give film an almost perfect start (have to say almost perfect bcoz there is no such thing as perfect :) ) . The lisping and stuttering would make you laugh at the characters but still establish that connect with them . One by one all the characters come into play and start getting connected with one another through a Guitar and a Girl . The girl being Priyanka Chopra .

Making life what it is(Kamini) around Guddu , Sweety and Charlie are characters like Bhope Bhau , Tashi , Mikhail , Lobo and Lele . All of them unique and all entangled in a complex world of chrime, money and power . The cultural diversity in the film is one thing to watch where Mikhail and his brothers are Bengali , Tashi and Lobo are Christians , Guddu who is actually Sanjay Sharma is a Hindu and Bhope Bhau and Sweety being Marathi .There are also some foreigners in the film .Bhope Bhau who is a true Marathi Manus and against all north indians has been briliantly played by Amol Gupte . He has done full justice to the character and has played the part of an aspiring politician who uses this "Marathi Manus Ideology" for getting a ticket to contest in the elections . His character has maximum weightage in the film apart from Shahid and Priyanka . The film is made up of these so many different Characters and it completely belongs to them . All characters are important and everyone of them has a mean(kamini) side . The director has even gone ahead and shown the mean side of a small Kid who also plays a very small and comic part in the film . Every character has been perfectly casted and it is these characters that make the film so strong .

Kaminey for its maximum length belongs to Shahid and it won't be wrong to say that it is completely his film . It is his best and most mature performance till date and his hard work comes across on the screen . He has worked really hard for both of the characters and has put up a fabulous performance . The two characters being completely different , Shahid has got a rare opportunity to express all different shades of a personality on-screen . His is the toughest part and to act that well shows his progress as an actor . He has already become the new superstar and now his acting skills would also get appreciated which would further increase his stardom for sure . Pankaj sir will be so proud of him after watching the film . Vishal has given him ample space to perform and he has delivered according to his expectations . Though Priyanka's part in the film was small but certainly a very important one and one that required great efforts from her too . She also has equally worked hard and given her best . She is just fabulous in the film and her chemistry with Shahid is something to watch out for . She plays this part of a crazy marathi girl effortlessly and would certainly make you smile . She is adorable and for that matter both Shahid-Priyanka as a couple are also adorable and look cute . They both are stars and of the type who can also act . Chandan Roy is also good as Mikhail .

I am trying to avoid myself from letting out the plot details because it is pretty exciting to watch them unfold one by one . The comic caper genre that Vishal has attempted in the film has worked like wonders . It is officially now first of its kind , opening the gates for many other Directors to attempt this genre also . The story is different to an extent but what is best is the treatment that Vishal has given to the story . The screenplay is great and there are several memorable sequences in the film . Some of them that come immediately to my mind is the sequence between Bhope and Mikhail(Charlie's Friend) , then there is one with the kid , the interrogation sequence and last but certainly not the least the climax sequence . The climax of the film is what you call 'climax' exactly and it is this part which decides the fate of the film . It is this part that will please the majority of the audience and would make it a sure shot hit .

Techinically also its a very strong film and the cinematography by Tassaduq Hussain is top notch . Several locations of mumbai have been shown in a never before manner and the sequences with Rains have also been shot perfectly . I have a thing for shots in the heavy rain and I just loved them in the film .The steady-cam shots which are on the move have also been done in a beautiful manner and are technically sound . The film's story spans just within a complete day and hence it moves at a rapid pace which is another plus point about the film .The editing department has done a great job in this respect . The music of the film is no doubt great and it also adds a lot to the film . Its a dark film but still is not that dark and suits the taste of Indian audience . The dialogues of the film are just great and have been written very well . The actors have very well delivered them too in the way they should have been .

I am trying my best not miss out any of the positive points from the film because there are just so many and this is also the reason that from the release of Omkara till date I have not written anything about the film because its tough . Regarding the negatives from the film , the only negative that I thought was that why very less time was given to fabulous characters like lobo, lele , tashi and mikhail . They were such interesting characters and the actors were also brilliant and could have given so much to the characters . The only explanation to this would possibly be the length of the film which had to be kept minimal for the general audience . One request to the producers and director , please release a Director's Cut of the film(at least on DVD) so that I can enjoy these characters at a full length .

Lastly comes Vishal Bhardwaj , the captain of the ship . Absolutely fabulous job ! kudos to him ! This one is a completely different film from Omkara and he has again done a great job . Omkara is a classic and it is hard to get over such a film . But he has not only managed to do that but also given this film a completely fresh feel , the only common thing being the characters which are so real and so on ground . Vishal Sir , please don't ever think of the censor certificate and keep making films as real as possible and let the censor board change itself . He has managed to do something that many have tried to attempt before but have messed up somewhere . He is an actor's dream director now for sure . Please continue working like this and bring such good and entertaining stories for us on celluloid . By the way the film also qualifies for the "Paisa Vasool" kinda audience and they will also love it .

Go watch it . Forget the swine for some time !!! :)

One personal opinion that I want to put forward in this review is that Omkara was more of Vishal's film than Kaminey is . It had so much more on the psychological level that had to be handled by him only and he did that in a way that actually bowls me over every time I watch that film . But I don't want to take anything away from him and Kaminey beacause the two are completely different kind of films .

Movie Rating : Four and Half Stars out of Five ; don't even think of missing it and Mumbaikars and Poonawaalas please wait and don't resort to piracy .

Kaminey --- Music Review

Dhan Te Nan , the music is out and the first song is already a big hit . Expectations are on a high , regarding both , the film and the music . The Dhan Te Nan has left people asking for more and now we finally have the entire album . Vishal last worked on "U Me aur Hum" which was a long time back and music lovers like me would love to see more of him . He has always given an outstanding score for his own films and his jodi with Gulzaar works like something . After Omkara the expectations are really high from the duo for this one . Well this one is a completely different album and I also tried to give it an unbiased view keeping the past completely out of my perspective .

The soundtrack opens with a blockbuster track "Dhan Te Nan" by the super-hit machine Sukhwinder along with Vishal Dadlani . Do I even need to say anything about this track which is already a big hit . The music on this one is probably the best on the entire album and Vishal has done a fabulous job for this track . Sukhwinder sings in his impeccable style and Vishal backs him very well . Both of them together have sung it almost perfectly . The thing to notice is the lyrics that are there in this song . Its really amazing how Gulzaar Sir comes up with these wacky lyrics nicely blending english with hindi . He has written the songs in today's language of India , the Hinglish . I mean take a look at this :

"Aaja ki One Way Hai
Yeh Zindagi ki Gali
Ek hi Chance hai

Aage Hava hi Hava hai
Agar saans hai to
yeh Romance hai"

This is just the first song and there is much more to come in the later tracks where his lyrics simply bowled me over . I mean this is the man who has written some of the finest Hindi songs ever and he can still come up with something new for our generation . Truly Brilliant . Overall , its a great track and has that 70's music element to it .

Next comes a completely different track "Pehli Baar Mohabbat" by Mohit Chauhan . This one is soft romantic song which has a bit of Rock feel to it . As a result it also has a western feel to it and it makes nice use of various musical instruments in it . Mohit sings this one in his usual style, the only difference being that he has never sung a song earlier which had a bit of rock feel to it . He does his job great and Vishal has also done his job good . The lyrics here are also very beautiful and innovative . A bit different but a good different . The song in all has a good combination of melody and lyrics and has been sung well by Mohit . Would look great in the film backed up by the chemistry between Shahid-Priyanka which is evident even in the still pictures from the film .

Then comes a song "Raat Ke Dhai Baje" which is in a way extension to the prior track and has a whole lot of singers in it . It has a more commercial tune and is completely different than the previous track . It has been sung by Sunidhi,Rekha,Suresh Wadekar and Kunal Ganjawala . The entire soundtrack is pretty much male dominated and if last time both Sundihi and Rekha got some great tracks in form of Beedi and Namak , this time they had to settle for this very average track which also had two other male singers in it . This song is more commercial in nature and has nothing much to offer . It would probably make much more sense in the film . This song is there in a wedding sequence probably as far as I could make out from the album graphics .
There is also a remix version of the same track towards the end of the soundtrack which is also pretty much the same with some more beats and effects in it .

Then comes a track which completely blew me and now I am thinking that why no one thought of this concept before , especially the NACO (National AIDS Control Org.) . This song , "Fatak" , talks about AIDS and in a way that is so creative and appealing . By the way the "Fataak" is the sound of the whip that symbolises how people need a whip sometimes to understand some things in life. Gulzaar sir has once again proved in this track that he is a true genius and he deserves a special award for this track alone . The entire track refers to AIDS as a 'Bhanwra' which comes in and doesn't leave so easily . Take a look at these lyrics :

"Jitna Bhi Jhoot Bole Thoda hai ,
Keedon ki basti da Makoda hai"

It also makes the use of the famous quote by Ghalib - "Yeh Ishq nahi aasan ... ek aag ka dariya hai ...aur dub ke jaana hai" . Gulzar sir has modified this famous shayari of Ghalib and made it into a social message of having safe sex ."Ek the Ghalib aur ek hai Gulzaar Saahab , dono ka koi jawaab nahi " . The modified version goes something like this :

"Yeh Ishq Nahi Aasan
Aji AIDS Ka khatra hai
patwaar pehan jaana
yeh aag ka dariya hai"

The music in the song is also great and it very well encapsulates the lyrics and the "Fatak" does its job well .Kailash Kher and Sukhwinder Singh sing it in a style which makes sure that the message goes out loud . Last time they were together was for the track in Mangal Pandey (Mangal Mangal) in which they did wonders along with Rehman . Here also they both do the same alongwith Vishal . Both Vishal and Gulzaar need to be complimented for coming up with such an innovative and socially relevant track .

Then comes the title track Kaminey by Vishal Bhardwaj himself . He alongwith Gulzaar have used the word "Kaminey" which is usually considered as a curse word in a really beautiful way . The lyrics might sound funny to a few but they have a very serious meaning to it . Vishal has composed this song beautifully and there is a part (from 4.15 to 4.40) in the song which is symphonic in nature and has been done beautifully by Vishal . I am wondering how this particular part would have been done on-screen . The entire song is a bit symphonic in nature but I loved this specific part the most . This track is also amongst the best on the album . Vishal is also a good singer apart from being a great music composer and director .

Then comes a theme music by the name of "Go Charlie Go" which is a full version of the "Dhan Te Nan" in the first track . It is a nice bit of music which would look great in the film . Since this is the main theme of the film it would play a vital role in the film and it is good enough to do the job . It is a fast upbeat music with all the "Dhan Te Nan" which gives it a Seventies feel very well .
The last time I heard a similar music was in Johnny Gaddar where Sriram Raghvan made a fabulous use of it .

Then lastly comes a remix version of "Dhan Te Nan" which has been done in a nice and different way . It is not like usual remixes and sounds really good . It has been remixed by Aftab Khan who does a great job . There are some extra English lyrics in this remix version towards the end which are by Dominique Cerejo who does a good job singing them too .

Overall , the album has delivered according to expectations and apart from "Raat Ke Dhai Baje" all tracks are good . One of the songs is already popular and some others would soon follow . Vishal and Gulzaar duo has worked again and this time it is a completely different album from the last time which sends a good signal that people need to move on from Omkara and give Kaminey a complete fresh look .

Album Rating : Four out of Five ; a very fresh and innovative soundtrack .

Kaminey Trailer --- Fu**in Awefome

Its been a long time since I have seen a crazy comedy and looks like this fummer my wish will come true through Kaminey . If you have not watched the trailer , watch it ASAP before someone else spoils the sun , oh I mean fun . After watching the trailer the one line that came to my mind was "Isko kehte hai Trailer" . I just loved the whole of it . Whether it was the music , Dhan Tadan Tan , or the look of the various characters , everything is so damn "sunny" . Just loved the way Piggy Chops said "to kya Rape kiya meine tumhara" . Watched the trailer so many times but her dialogue still makes me laugh . And who thought Amol Gupte could act . He is Bhope Bhau and certainly looking like one . All the names of characters are also quite unique and funny sounding , Charlie , Guddu , Sweetie , Mikhael , Lobo , Lele and Tashi .

The tag line of the film "Difcover your Mean Fide" is also quite funny and I just loved the way they changed every S into F . Now that the trailer has raised the expectations , I hope Vifhal Bhardwaj delivers the Goodf . Shahid and Priyanka are looking great and looks like they are going to blaze the screen with their chemiftry .

Can't wait for the film now and again its UTV and Ronnie Fcrewwala :) who is the producer of what looks like an another good film . Ronnie has the best in his kitty and looks like Yashraj need to learn something from him .

Top 10 - Kids Movies ???

Bollywood has always stayed away from films based on kids with very few exceptions . Those who dared to go into this lane got lost somewhere and ended up at a dead-end . I looked back in Film history & I could not find many good films whose central theme was based on kids . The number of such films is so less that it can be counted on fingers . Whereas on the contrary in Hollywood there have been numerous films that are made just for kids . In India some of the kids movies which have been made are just so pathetic and are so much inspired from Hollywood that it is even hard to watch them once . Indian film makers don't give any importance to such cinema whereas greats like Steven Spielberg have also made it .

I am glad that Aamir has ventured into this stream that too in his debut movie as a director . I would like to appeal to all the biggies who make so many melodramatic films but don't even think about Indian kids and just work for Money . They can risk a little bit money in this direction and they should , to start a new trend .

Still there are some films that have been made in India which are worth a mention . Here's my top 10 list of kids movies :

1. Mr. India : The best movie which is made for kids by far . It is not only first science fiction film of India but also a great movie for Kids . The emotional portrayal of Arun by Anil Kapur as the uncle of so many orphan kids is very moving .The legendary character of Mogambo (Amrish Puri ) creates a place in every kids mind . The kids that were selected for this movie by Shekhar Kapoor were just fabulous and they acted very naturally without any effort . The movie also sends out a message not only for kids but also adults . The science fiction element serves as a food for imaginative and creative minds of Kids . I have seen this movie well over 30-40 times as a kid and I still enjoy it . The best part in my opinion is the originality of Script . This movie deserves more applause than it has got .

2.Makdee: Directed by Vishal Bhardvaj this is a good kids movie which revolves around two twin sisters , Chunni and Munni . One sister in simple and the other one is naughty. This is a fun filled movie with some scary scenes for kids . Pure and healthy fun and also gives a good message to kids in the end. The songs are also quite good . Vishal Bhardvaj , I think is the only mainstream director who has made films for kids but this one was made before Omkara which got him fame . Shabana Azmi has given a splendid performance in the role of Makdee , the witch .

3. Koi ... Mil Gaya : This movie in my opinion is not a pure Kids movie but I had to put it in the list because there are very few such movies . Still Hrithik's fabulous performance as mentally underdeveloped kid and Director Rakesh Roshan's sense of Direction make this movie worth a watch for every Kid . This movie does not send any message to the kids but some of the scenes are quite moving . Though the sequel is not at all a film for kids , this one has some elements of it . As a Director I think Rakesh Roshan can make a big budget full length feature film for kids .

4. Jajantaram Mamantaram :
This movie made under i-Dream production by Soumitra Ranade is a good attempt as a movie for kids . Based on the old Gujarati fable of Bakasur, which tells the tale of a sleeping giant who wakes up only to eat people. The film is also inspired by Gulliver's Travels . The stories of Bakasur and Gulliver have been adapted to a contemporary situation. Aditya (Jaaved Jaaferi), a Mumbaiite, reaches Shundi, a mythical island. To his surprise, he finds the inhabitants to be much smaller than him. Though initially the villagers feel that Aditya is there to harm them, they soon make friends with him. However, danger is lurking in the background. Chattan Singh (Gulshan Grover), the army chief, has with him a magical contraption with which he creates Jhamunda, a giant. Jhamunda terrorises the village. He coaxes the villagers into giving him children from time to time for food in return for a promise that he will not plunder the village. The movie didn't work due to little loose screenplay and boring songs in between . Yet it is a good attempt and worth a watch if you are a kid

5. Blue Umbrella : This movie recently won the National Award for kids film . Again , Directed by Vishal Bhardvaj Blue Umbrella is a screen version of Ruskin Bond's short story Blue Umbrella. It is about a young girl Binya (Shriya) who trades her superstitious lucky charm of bear nails in return of a Japanese Blue Umbrella with tourists. Instantly she becomes a center of attraction of the villagers. A small trader Nandakishore (Pankaj Kapoor) eyes of the Blue Umbrella and tries all ways of get the umbrella. When Binya's umbrella is stolen – the police raid Nandakishore's shop. Facing this humiliation and to show that he too can afford or buy an umbrella, Nandakishore orders a similar Japanese Red Umbrella. Once the Red Umbrella comes, he gains back popularity and respect from everyone in the village. The movie is well directed and just perfect portrayal of Ruskin Bond's story . Vishal is an excellent director and he should keep doing such projects . He also said in an interview that kids films are rarely made in India whereas films like Harry Potter are breaking Box Office records worldwide.

Oops!!! I ran out of movies , my Top 10 has just gone half way and thats it , I can't think of any other movie which is made for Kids . Well this is how pathetic the condition is . There were several unsuccessful attempts like "Raju Chacha" & "Chain Kulli ki main kulli" but I still would like to applaud their producers for at least attempting to make one .

So its high time that Indian Producers & Directors pay heed to my sincere request -- " Guys Please Make some more movies for Kids of India , they should not need to watch towards the Hollywood !!! "

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NO SMOKING -- Music Review

Kudos to Vishal Bhardwaj , good soundtrack with an entirely new feel and some quite very smooth tracks . Vishal apart from Film Making also knows his Music quite well and no need to say anything about legends , I mean, Gulzaar Saab .

The first track "Jab Bhi Cigaret - Jazz " is really in my opinion the finest Jazz attempt in Indian Music Ever . The jazz in the song sounds like it is straight from the some jazz club of America . The song is sung by none other than Adnan Sami who I think is perfect for any Jazz Song . Jazz is all about "smoothness" in sound and both music and voice of adnan deliver it perfectly .

Then comes another great track "Phoonk De--Female" which is very stylishly sung by none other than Rekha Bhardwaj ( " Namak Isk Ka - Omkara " fame) . The song is sung in such a style and flow that it has to work among the masses apart from the splendid music in it . She has a different sound and style and so are her songs. The song has a unique combination of club beats and desi dhol beats.

There is another version of the same song by Sukhwinder Singh which is entirely different from this version and is also different on Lyrics part . The song can work in a rapid moving sequence in the movie . Sukhwinder has sung in his own style and is definately not a remix of previous version , yet Rekha's version is better .

After these there is "Kash Laga " which I think would work only if played in background of the movie . I mean if the story would keep running along with the song then the song would work else it would fail and may prove to be a distractor while watching the movie. The song is sung by some new singer I believe. It has a sufiana-qawalli type touch in it which sounds a little good .

" Ash Tray " is a not appealing in any case . The only lull in the entire album .

At the end comes there is another fast version of " Jab Bhi Cigarette " by Sunidhi Chauhan who sings in typical sunidhi style but one thing is quite interesting is that the lyrics of the song are the same that are sung by male voice . I mean to say she says " Peeta Hoon " instead of " Peeti Hoon " which I think is done on purpose considering Cigarette being not so popular among the opposite sex as the male & the Director didn't want to put any Ideas in the head of Public .

On a whole the entire soundtrack is quite good with some great singing by Rekha & Adnan and a different feel to music is worth a "listen" . Here's Wishing best of luck to
Anurag Kashyap ( Black Friday ) . May his film be as good as the previous one & not a longer version of the short story of " Darna Mana Hai ".

Music Rating -- ***

Best Tracks : Jab Bhi Cigarette (Jazz) & Phook De (Club Mix )