3 Idiots

3 Idiots
EXPECTATIONS The moment name Aamir Khan is seen in the credits, the word ‘quality’ comes naturally. Such has been the brand value Aamir has made around him that everything else, whether it is the director, composer or the co-star, comes secondary. Of course with names like Rajkumar Hirani, Kareena Kapoor and Vidhu Vinod Chopra involved, one can’t discount the overall package affair that 3 Idiots turns out to be. Still, when it comes to the music of the film, one can’t really claim to have huge expectations. Reason being that the composer at the helm of affairs is Shantanu Moitra who hasn’t had a single commercially successful album other than Parineeta. Yes, he has been critically acclaimed but due to the kind of music he has created and the genre he has explored, mass acceptance has still eluded him. Even a Lage Raho Munnabhai showed some good sales once the movie turned out to be hugely successful at the box office. This is the reason why one plays 3 Idiots (that has lyrics by Swanand Kirkire) with reasonable, rather than extraordinary, expectations in place - Aamir Khan notwithstanding. MUSIC It’s a gradual beginning to ‘Aal Izz Well’ that gives a clear indication of what the film is all about. Arriving with the theme of ‘care-a-damn’ attitude, ‘Aal Izz Well’ is completely different from dozens of campus tracks that have been heard over the years. Swanand Kirkire’s lyrics make an instant impression while Shantanu’s rhythmic treatment ensures that the song would be played in many a campus festivals and student get togethers from here on. Catching the pulse of youth, whether from today, yesterday or tomorrow, this Sonu Nigam and Shaan sung track, which also appears in a deserving ‘remix version’, belongs to chartbuster variety. One wonders though that why did Shanatanu have to croon like Anu Malik for an interspersing piece? Only song in the album featuring a female voice comes in the form of ‘Zoobi Doobi’. The chosen one here is the obvious name without whom not a single A-list album gets completed today - Shreya Ghoshal. A song-n-dance affair that almost spoofs the conventional rain tracks that have been heard and seen in Bollywood over the decades, ‘Zoobi Doobi’ combines melody with rhythm with Sonu Nigam joining the show. Belonging to the 50s and 60s variety in the way it has been composed, ‘Zoobi Doobi’ (which too has a ‘remix version’ for itself) is good though its longevity would depend upon the way it has been choreographed and the extent to which the film succeeds. From this point on, the album takes a situational turn, as visible in ‘Behti Hawa Sa Tha Woh’ which comes next. Starting on a pensive note, the number is about a couple of friends (Madhavan and Sharman Joshi) who are searching for their lost partner (Aamir Khan). The number has a distinct Bengali music touch to it, whether in terms of the way it has been orchestrated, arranged and even sung. With minimal instruments in the background, this number sung by Shaan and Shantanu Moitra describes the character played by Aamir and how he carried a carefree and lively persona. With a hint of sadness to it, ‘Behti Hawa’ is primarily for the screen. Just like it’s predecessor, ‘Give Me Some Sunshine’ too has a slow beginning with Sharman Joshi narrating a line about youth being allowed to live life the way they want. Soon after Suraj Jagan starts singing this track about how kids are deprived of their innocence in the world of education that dictates what they should be doing rather than them making a choice. Meanwhile, Sharman keeps interspersing the song with anecdotes from the childhood (experimenting with chemistry, forced to get 99% marks etc…). Yet another campus track, though softer in mode and tone this time around, the song has its high point every time the line ‘Give Me Some Sunshine’ comes on the forefront. The finale is interesting with Sonu Nigam coming up with one of his best renditions in recent times. He changes the pitch of his voice extraordinarily well in ‘Jaane Nahin Denge Tujhe’ which again appears to be the set in a mood where the friends are rooting for each other and making sure that they don’t fail in their pursuit for a better life ahead. After singing two popular tracks ‘Shukran Allah’ [Kurbaan] and ‘Don’t Say Alvida’ [Main Aurr Mrs Khanna], this is yet another quality outing for Sonu Nigam who hits just the right notes. Special mention to Swanand for his words that should make a definite impact in the film’s narrative. OVERALL 3 Idiots is a good quality album that has two super strong tracks - ‘Aal Izz Well’ and ‘Jaane Nahin Denge Tujhe’. Both are poles apart though because while former is for mass audiences, latter should find a perfect placement in the film’s narrative. ‘Zoobi Doobi’ is nice while ‘Behti Hawa’ and ‘Give Me Some Sunshine’ would be known more after the film’s release. Immense curiosity value around ‘3 Idiots’ would ensure that in the initial days, the album disappears quite quickly from the music stands. After that, it would be the strength of the film and its run at the box office that would do the talking for the album as well. OUR PICK(S) ‘Aal Izz Well’, ‘Jaane Nahin Denge Tujhe’, ‘Zoobi Doobi’ [Play Songs]
Source: www.bollywoodhungama.com


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De Dana Dan

De Dana Dan
Be forewarned. DE DANA DAN is the most bizarre film from the maharaja of laughathons, Priyadarshan. Not even in your wildest dream you’d think that Priyadarshan would place almost an entire film in a hotel and have its entire cast, comprising of 26 [or is it 27?] characters, most of them weirdos, interacting with each other. Brings back memories of BLAME IT ON THE BELLBOY? May be! But Priyadarshan needs to be credited for pulling it off. There are times when you laugh hysterically at the most outlandish jokes and situations. There are times when a raised eyebrow or a wide-open jaw makes you break into a guffaw. Be cautioned. DE DANA DAN is a loud film, with each and every character screaming on top of his/her voice, with the characters shouting, running, even floating and swimming in the end. But what do you expect in a Priyadarshan film that has a title like DE DANA DAN? The promos never promised path-breaking or thought-provoking cinema that would give birth to debates and discussions. So why look for logic in this one? DE DANA DAN makes no qualms of narrating a story you haven’t heard before. Here, the story is non-existent and it’s left on Priyadarshan to mix-n-match those two dozen characters and keep the momentum alive for the next 2.45 hours. DE DANA DAN promises laughter and entertainment and sticks to its promise. This one’s not for the hard-nosed types, but for those who worship escapist cinema. Who want to chuckle, giggle and chortle at those mindless jokes. In short, DE DANA DAN is a pure dhamaal entertainer! Nitin [Akshay Kumar] is a butler, cook, driver, watchman, gardener to a wealthy female industrialist [Archana Puran Singh] in Singapore. Like any young man, Nitin too dreams of a better life. He desperately wants to become rich and marry the love of his life, Anjali [Katrina Kaif], who supports him financially. Ram [Suniel Shetty], Nitin’s best friend, also came to Singapore with the dream of striking it rich, but ended up a courier delivery man. He falls for Manpreet [Sameera Reddy], but her high society parents will never approve of marriage, not unless Ram has lots and lots of money. In the midst of all this is Harbans [Paresh Rawal], a shrewd businessman, who’s looking for ways to multiply his income and avoid his debtors. He decides the best way would be to marry his son [Chunky Pandey] off to a girl whose parents can give him a large dowry. He is introduced to Manpreet’s parents at a function and is impressed by their social status. He introduces himself as a well-established businessman, impresses them and they decide to get Manpreet and Harbans’ son married. With several factors working against them, Nitin and Ram soon reach a dead end in their relationships. When both receive ultimatums from their girlfriends, they realize that only a life of vice can help them out of their misery. They come up with an audacious plan to kidnap someone important and demand a ransom. The kidnapping goes awry and both hide at a local hotel while waiting for the ransom money. But misfortune is never far and the kidnapping spirals out of control. Meanwhile, Manpreet’s wedding reception is being held at the same hotel that Nitin and Ram are hiding in. Soon, they are joined by a motley set of characters including a Chinese Don [Asrani], a hired assassin [Johny Lever], a ACB police inspector [Sharat Saxena], a club dancer [Neha Dhupia], an ambassador [Vikram Gokhale], a young frustrated double crossing wife [Aditi Govitrikar], a letch [Shakti Kapoor], a drunken waiter [Rajpal Yadav] and a dead body nobody wants to check into the hotel. DE DANA DAN is atypical Priyadarshan film that has the unmistakable stamp all over it. But, at the same time, DE DANA DAN is erratic and uneven - energetic at times, lethargic at places. Also, the culmination to the film is very similar to the director’s earlier works, with the entire cast running helter-skelter. On the flip side, you miss Akshay’s presence in the second hour. He disappears [gets locked in a cupboard] for at least 20 minutes and the focus, hence, shifts to the other characters. His fans will miss his presence, for sure. Besides, the film tends to get very lengthy towards the second half and overtly verbose too. Director Priyadarshan is synonymous with comedies and the ace storyteller promises laughter in abundance. Handling so many characters, plus making a film on mistaken identities could be very tough, but the director gets it right. Pritam’s music is alright, while the RDB track, ‘Paisa’, is the pick of the lot. Salim-Sulaiman’s background score is energetic. K. Ahambaram’s cinematography is alright. The review would be incomplete if one ignored the dialogue writer’s [Jay Master] contribution to the film. The lines are laced with wit and soaked in humour and bring the house down on several occasions. DE DANA DAN has so many characters that it gets difficult to pinpoint or single out any one actor. Akshay is at his best in a Priyadarshan film and DE DANA DAN proves it. Suniel is natural to the core. Paresh is incredible; he pitches in a superb act. Katrina and Sameera don’t have much to do. Amongst the plethora of actors, Johny Lever, Neha Dhupia, Manoj Joshi, Asrani, Vikram Gokhale and Archana Puransingh deserve special mention. On the whole, DE DANA DAN is targeted at the masses and it delivers laughter in abundance. Leave your brains behind to enjoy this madcap entertainer!
Source: www.bollywoodhungama.com

Ice Age: The Meltdown
The kids really enjoyed this. At first, “Ice Age: The Meltdown” looks like the inevitable sequel to the famous 20th Century Fox animated blockbuster, trying to cash in the success of the previous movie but that wasn’t the case. This new adventure of the prehistoric mammals manages to stay on its own legs and delivers […]

The kids really enjoyed this. At first, “Ice Age: The Meltdown” looks like the inevitable sequel to the famous 20th Century Fox animated blockbuster, trying to cash in the success of the previous movie but that wasn’t the case. This new adventure of the prehistoric mammals manages to stay on its own legs and delivers nothing but great fun becoming a worthy sequel. That alone is an achievement in its own right.

“The Meltdown” continues with the style of its predecessor both in humor and animation, so those who fell in love with the original will love the sequel too. The difference however, is in the fact that now Manny is our main character. We get to know more about this character apparently anti-social and cynic, but who in the inside feels very lonely after the loss of his family. Sid and Diego make good sidekicks in this adventure and while their roles in the film are somewhat diminished, they still are very well-developed characters. Scrat, the nut-obsessed squirrel is back too in his constant quest for his lost nut, giving slapstick humor of the finest type in every scene he is in.

It is always hard for sequels to live up to the expectations, specially in family-oriented animation films, but director Carlos Saldanha and his team manage to make a funny movie that never gets boring or tiresome (something vital as it is a movie mainly oriented for kids).

While probably the story is not exactly original or complicated writers Peter Gaulke and Gerry Swallow make up for it with good character development and funny one-liners that fit the movie tone very good. Two new characters, the young possums Crash (Sean William Scott) and Eddie (Josh Peck) are a welcomed addition to the family, as well as Ellie (Queen Latifah), the lost mammoth.

Ellie, Manny and their relationship is a very important subplot in the movie, and one that was perfectly handled by the director and his crew. While Diego’s subplot was also interesting and served as basis for very good jokes, it didn’t had enough screen-time; a shame in my opinion, but overall the movie was very good. The only problem I had with it was the language and innuendos. Yes, the PG rating warned of that, however it is a cartoon and maybe we need to let the movie producers know that we don’t have to have foul language and sexual innuendos to make a movie good.

To summarize, fans of the first “Ice Age” won’t be disappointed by “The Meltdown,” and it also breaks the “sequel’s curse” this film is entertaining on its own right.

Source: www.bestfilms.info

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