Teri Meri Kahaani music review

2 / 5

Movie: Teri Meri Kahaani

Cast: Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra

Director: Kunal Kohli

Lyrics: Prasoon Joshi

Music: Sajid – Wajid

‘Teri Meri Kahaani’ is set to hit the screens this weekend. The film has Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra, a super happening pair for sure. Directed by Kunal Kohli and set in 3 different eras, this movie has been generating enough buzz in the media thanks to the 2 stars. Composers Sajid &Wajid look to extend their success run following ‘Housefull 2’ and ‘Rowdy Rathore’. Have they managed to score with this one too? Read on to find out

Mukthasar … THUMBS UP

Wajid

This is a nice melody song that has foot tapping beats as well. It has been sung in a very involved manner. The passion of the singer captures you as the song plays on. The peppy nature of the song will make sure that this song will make the rounds in clubs as well. Even though it is a nice blend of melody and beats, the tune is not very indigenous

There is a remix version as well and given the fact that the original itself is heavy on the pep factor, the need for a remix is questionable. Both the tracks sound similar to the title track of ‘London Paris New York’.

Allah Jane

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan

This is a soft ‘desi’ number from Rahat Fateh Ali Khan with slight ‘sufi’ touches. Knowing the singer’s reputation this song is very typical of his style. It is melodious for sure but sounds too similar to ‘Tere Mast’ from ‘Dabangg’. If only the tune had been a bit new, this song could have created a greater impact, given Rahat’s caliber. 

Jabse Mere Dil Ko Uff

Sonu Nigam and Sunidhi Chauhan

The song begins notoriously similar to the opening theme music of ‘Pulp Fiction’. The retro feel dominates in this song giving us a feel of the 60s/70s. The singing style is cheerful and the instrumentals also match that era. It is an energetic dance number that will showcase Shahid’s superior dancing skills. The song has been deliberately created to give a retro feel and to that effect, this one is a winner thanks to the 2 gifted singers.

Humse Pyar Kar Le Tu

Wajid, Mika, Shabir Brothers and Shreya Ghosal

Another number that has a very heavy ‘Dabangg’ hangover (remember ‘Humka Peeni Hai’). It is a ‘qawalli’ style celebratory number and should be a good one to watch on screen with all the color around. Can strike the right chord with the audience once the movie hits the screens. Mika’s rustic delivery style stands out.

There is a remix version of the same song which is expectedly heavily mixed with loops, just to suit the dance floors. Guess this remix obsession in Bollywood will never die down

That’s All I Really Wanna Do

Shaan and Shreya Ghosal

This is a typical Bollywood duet that is aimed at the city slickers and the NRIs. It is totally urban in style and lyrics. Sounds too soft and mushy but the instrumentals before the ‘anupallavi’ add some spark to the song. There is a small trace of ‘Mukthasar’ in this song as well.

VERDICT: As a total package, all the songs are listen worthy. But they are neither outstanding nor downright bad. An average effort from Sajid-Wajid

Rowdy Rathore review

2.5 / 5

Following the massive success of Housefull 2, Akshay Kumar is back in action with Rowdy Rathore, the remake of Vikramarkudu which was also made as Siruthai in Tamil. The trailers met with good response from the general masses. Whether this film directed by Prabhudheva (yes that is how he spells it now) and produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali in association with UTV, does provide the expected entertainment quotient? Read on to find out.

Shiva (Akshay) is a petty thief who is an expert conman along with his partner in crime, 2G. He makes a lot of money out of this and also succeeds in bowling a girl over (Sonakshi as Paro) with his dubious charm and antics. But after the entry of a little girl (Chinki) into his life who calls him as her father, things turn upside down for Shiva. Certain people are behind his life while certain people swear by his side. The reason for this is Vikram Rathore, a perfect lookalike and a daredevil, proud and larger than life cop.

We come to know of Vikram’s unfinished business in a village called Devgarh which is tormented by three goons, Baapji, Munna and Titla. How Shiva gets involved in finishing the job started by Vikram is the remaining part of Rowdy Rathore.

There is no point in comparing this movie with the original as it is more or less a faithful remake. The essence of the original is not lost though as comedy, action, sentiment and masala are there in correct doses.

Akshay Kumar is in home territory as funny antics, punch dialogs, clumsy body language, atrocious dressing sense etc. are so easy for him. He pulls it off convincingly though a proper mustache would have helped his looks much more than the artificial mustache. Sonakshi Sinha dresses properly as the mandatory eye-candy in a commercial movie though the scenes involving her waist give us doubts whether they are graphically enhanced. The villains are all loud, inclusive of the seasoned Nassar as Baapji.

Among the songs, ‘Chinta Ta’ is a universally likeable number with special appearances for Vijay, Kareena and Prabhudheva himself. They are all ‘blink you miss’ type cameos. The other songs will appeal to the masses though placement of these numbers has been done randomly. Costumes for the songs are pretty crude and could have been toned down. Action choreography by Arasu Kumar has the necessary punch what with Akshay’s proven prowess at martial arts.

The mother sentiment element in the movie might be laughable for the youth but, will appeal in the heartland of the country.  Ultimately, this is a movie that will give critics a lot of fodder to pan the fact that this is a mindless commercial movie. But, this is escapist cinema and it is meant to be enjoyed. Just switch off your analytical mind and you will find yourself clapping and whistling happily at many points in the movie

To conclude, Rowdy Rathore in all probability will join the list of blockbusters (Bodyguard, Ready, Singham, Wanted) remade from Southern super hits. This will also give that much needed solo hit for Akshay Kumar who has generally been riding on multi-starrer comedies for the past few years. This being another cop movie based on the South, after Singham, Force and Wanted is another coincidence.

VERDICT: Proper masala fest guaranteed to please the average movie goer

Tezz review

Genre: Action Thriller

Prolific director Priyadarshan has decided to try out some thrills and spills, leaving behind his favorite comedy genre. Senior statesmen Ajay Devgn and Anil Kapoor are part of the cast which includes some more bankable names in Boman Irani and Sameera Reddy. Made at a generous budget of 40 crores, Tezz released in close to 2000 screens. Does it provide the expected adrenaline rush?

An Indian immigrant (Aakash Rana) with a maligned past suddenly lands up in London after a 4 year exile and decides to plant bombs in a  goods train and more importantly in the London – Glasgow bullet train. Expectedly the railway network and the police force are forced to take the requisite measures. What forced Aakash to take this step, what happens to the bomb & the 500 passengers and whether he unites with his estranged family are certain questions for which the answers may be found in a theater near you where Tezz is playing.

Though the actual trigger that makes Aakash do what he does, is not very convincing, the action on screen and the pacy screenplay make you forget such glitches. There are all sorts of terrific action blocks featuring Parkour, bike stunts and river rafting. The cinematographer Tirru must be given major credit for the superior cinematography and the aforementioned pulsating action fest.

On the performance front, Anil Kapoor and Boman Irani compete for the cake. After a long time, Anil is intensity personified and really turns in a solid show as the investigating cop. His working style is reminiscent of the legendary Harry Callahan. Boman Irani also keeps the tension going with his proactive moves as the railways traffic head. Ajay Devgn doesn’t have much scope as the lead other than looking grim, manly and speaking some serious lines. Zayed Khan must be a proud man for all the Parkour stunts that have been credited to him, thanks to the stunt double.  On the ladies front, Sameera Reddy has an action packed role in which she excels while Kangana Ranaut is crying most of the time in her artificial style. Mohan Lal in a cameo as the cop looks pretty stuffed and there isn’t much required out of him.

Technically, the movie is superior thanks to some stunning cinematography by Tirru. His aerial shots of the bullet train are captivating. The songs by Sajid-Wajid pop up at odd times including the totally unwarranted item number by Mallika Sherawat right at the beginning of the movie. But, despite these speed breakers, Tezz mostly gallops to the finish line.

If only the setup to why Aakash decides to plant these bombs had been convincing and the needless songs had been chopped off completely, this movie would have been more taut and riveting.

To conclude, Priyadarshan has come out with an action thriller that is convincing to a large extent inspite of the obvious inspiration from ‘Speed’, that classic Keanu Reeves action thriller.

VERDICT: Save a few minor glitches, this one fittingly lives up to its title

2.5 stars

Housefull 2 movie review

Another Akshay Kumar multi-starrer comic caper has released and it is by the same director who gave us the 2010 hit ‘Housefull’. Sajid Nadiadwala has produced this movie and it has music by Sajid-Wajid. Almost entirely shot in London, ‘Housefull 2’ has kick started the lineup of big budgeted Hindi releases for this summer. It has taken on the IPL bravely. The plot which is heavily inspired by Crazy Mohan and Kamal’s brand of comedy goes like this

2 step brothers (Daboo and Chintu) are always at loggerheads with each other. While Daboo calls his family, Kapoor and son, Chintu calls his family, Kapoor and ‘real’ son. Such is the level of their nonsensical rivalry.

Their wives and daughters (Bobby and Henna) can’t stand one another too. The only goal of these 2 brothers is to get their daughters married to the son of the richest man in London, which happens to be JD, a former dacoit. Jolly is his only son who is pretty scared about his uptight father. Jolly is in love with J Lo. 2 useless loafers, Sunny and Max are lured into this comedy of errors and mistaken identities & both of them are paid to act as Jolly. While Sunny goes to Chintu’s house and woos Henna, Max goes to Daboo’s house and woos Bobby.

This drama is initiated by Jai who wants to get even with Chintu for his father’s ill health. Jai is in love with Parul.

In the climax, all the people who were merely behind money reform and all is well, according to typical Indian cinema rules. There is some stupid drama in the climax which tests our patience. The jokes work at places while at other places they are downright silly. The episodes at the island are entertaining while the scenes with the crocodile and snake are absurd to say the least.

Chunki Pandey as the marriage broker and Johnny Lever as JD’s assistant add value to the movie with their silly laugh-cracks. The veterans Rishi, Randhir, Mithun and Boman play their requisite parts which require them to be loud. John Abraham tries too hard to succeed at comedy. Shreyas and Ritesh don’t have the screen presence and they also try too hard like John. Akshay is a riot and he is a past master at such comic roles. His one liner “kyuu takrei” and his “eeeii” gesture are his USPs in this movie.

The girls are all hot and look picture-perfect. Asin looks super chic and has really spiced up her clothes with her generous necklines, micro-minis and hot pants. The other 3 girls, Shazahn, Jacqueline and Zarine, have even more miniscule roles but look good as expected. 

3 of the songs are real winners – ‘Anarkali’ featuring the ever-hot Malaika, ‘Papa Toh’ and ‘Right Now’. The girls make sure all the songs aren’t just mere excuses to go out for a smoke. The frames are picture perfect like all big budgeted Hindi films. No compromise on the production values.

The single screen audiences will really love this one while the multiplex counters should also keep buzzing over the next week or so. Akshay Kumar can bank on this one for a hit after a pretty lean patch.

VERDICT: Leave your brains at home for some mad fun which is silly yet entertaining too.