Zanjeer Review

**This is a repost from original on Bollyspice.com**

 

The biggest hurdle that a remake has to cross is the passion of the fans of the original. Zanjeer 1974 was no ordinary film. There was so much to this film that made it extraordinary: classic in status, the Angry Young Man icon for Amitabh Bachchan, the genre shift from romance to action with story-telling and let’s not forget Mona Darling. Pretty hefty stuff if you think about it. Nevertheless, the fresh team for Zanjeer 2013 headed by Apoorva Lakhia, has had a debut, a comeback of sorts and enough off screen drama to give a bit of original hype to the remake. But hype doesn’t make up for audience impact nor an entertaining story. Ok so the original film was of the same simple story of revenge and action and yes, it had a bigger hand in Amitabh’s life than played by Ram Charan. But in the end, the fact that this remake falls prey to being a poorly made remake shows that not all films can be adapted to the times and times have changed.

 

The story has been seen enough times for anyone to pick a screenshot and know what is to happen next so no attempt to bore with the details will be made.

 

Most people will tell you that doing cliche is no rocket science, something this writer too has done in the past. Yet it comes back to one thing. The era of films have changed. The audience has changed. So yes, Zanjeer is your typical masaledaar fest with enough throwback to show respect to the original but enough ingenuity to pack in its own garam quotient. However it all falls flat on the questionable writing skill of Suresh Nair and Apoorva Lakhia. There is no suspense, no build up to the climax, not even a smoky effect of ‘expect the unexpected’. Everything just goes by the checklist and like the dialogue, makes no bones about being crass. Right from the Shaqila Bano item number to the logic-lessness.

 

Yet the good versus evil caper has its moments and that is thanks to the cast and their performance. Namely evil Sanjay Dutt turned good Sanjay Dutt and the two junior artists that play Amar and Prem. Playing the Pathan ‘Sher Khan’ is like cheesecake for Sanjay and he turns out to be the only one that stays in character for the entire film. Right from lead Ram Charan, who goes from being strict and stern as Vijay Khanna then comical when Amar-Prem turn up for rib-tickling, to Prakashraj, as he goes from being nothing but evil with confidence Teja in one scene to an old guy with a penchant to rhyme everything he says. Even Atul Kulkarni, playing a street-smart journalist with integrity Jay Dev, has a blonde moment.

 

But also, even with the cast, one has to wonder what was going on in the minds of the makers. Fair enough, Ram Charan steps back into the newbie-ville he catapulted out of with his Telugu film Magadheera, with his Hindi debut and the actor does try very hard. But when it comes to acting, if your face is motionless, your voice plays a huge role in saving you and his dubbing voice simply falls flat. A decision that cost Ram Charan crucial brownie points. Not to mention it was barely in sync with his lip movement. Priyanka Chopra was probably having starter troubles with the return to leading lady or was too preoccupied with her music career to notice how ridiculous her ‘simple NRI ladki role was, even if it was fleshed out more than Jaya Bachchan’s in the original. Mahi Gill was only there for shock value and a few funnies but there was no shock to add value.

 

It’s not to say these people aren’t talented since each has their respective filmographies does show it and that may be the reason for Gautam Parvi for casting them. But what happened, Apoorva? Resources to make worthy return to direction after 5 years, and we get nothing. Lack of vision maybe. Due credit should be given and in this case, the cinematography by R.J. Gururaj is crisp. Editing or production design by Chintu Singh and Sunil Nigevkar respectively werent half bad but for dollar value floating in the rumour mill, one would have expected much more. Yet when the ships captain is directing you into the iceberg, it doesn’t matter if the Titanic looked good.

 

Final call for Zanjeer boils down to simple things. Noone could undo self inflicted shackles. And Sanjay Dutt is the savior among the slaughtered.

Our rating:

 

Rascals Review

**This is a repost of the review on Bollyspice**

Oh dear. Where to begin with the film, Rascals. Sometimes the level that our writers go to recreate a hit can be baffling. Ok, so we have the amazingly talented Ajay Devgn and Sanjay Dutt as the Rascalsin question. And yes you are expected to leave your brain at home but this is nowhere near what you would expect from them or director David Dhawan. This is one of those films that regardless of what or whom you see on screen, your brain and possibly your whole being will object. Expecting a comprehensive story would be naive but it isn’t too much to ask for some funny and innovative proceedings, is it? Apparently so.

So if you are prepared to take the plunge after seeing the trailer, there really isn’t much more to it. Bhagat Bhosle [Ajay Devgn] and Chetan Chohan [Sanjay Dutt] are your typical con men that incidentally pull one of the same guy, Anthony Gonsalves [Arjun Rampal] on the same day. To escape him, they both fly out to Bangkok where they meet. Now instead of becoming comrades, the two become instant rivals as they try to out-con each other for the major prize. To marry the rich, well-settled and beautiful multimillion dollar heiress, Khushi [Kangna Ranaut] for her money. Unfortunately for us, what was supposed to be a gag fest of one-upmanship turns into a lame excuse to recreate some classic slapstick comedy that Dhawan had created in the past.

Literally the only thing is pleasing to the eyes is the cinematography by Vikas Sivaraman and the initial reels of cartoons. And that’s about it. Right from when the two leading men are introduced and the location of Bangkok is established, it comes crashing down like a pack of cards. Seriously speaking Ajay and Sanjay have their hearts in the right place but neither stood a chance up against the ridiculous writing. Ajay’s blind major act may have been plausible enough to accept but what the writers were thinking when they wrote Sanjay’s “social worker/swamiji” type act, it beyond this writer. Arjun Rampal is also sincere in his attempt and while he is probably one of the more serious characters in the film, he doesn’t get much to do. Kangna has the role of being the ditsy billionaire that flaunts her assets [pun intended]. Not really a role that requires in depth acting or precision. But even then, she hams more than SPAM. Lisa Haydon has an amazing figure and clearly that was all that was required for her “role” of Dolly. Satish Kaushik is back on screen after a while but it is sad to see him wasted. Chunkey Pandey really needs to get better roles.

Yet no matter how much the actor’s try, when you are stuck with shoddy writing, saving the film is next to impossible. But the disappointment isn’t just in the writing. Music by Vishal-Shekhar isn’t a title card you would expect for Rascals when you walk out of the film. ‘Shake It Saiyyan’ may linger the charts a little longer but pretty much every song is forgotten by the time it’s over. The forgettable film’s editor Nitin Rokade may be talent as an editor and while you wish… nay, beg he had used his scissors more often; you can’t blame him since his material wasn’t the best. Fine, David, you want us to forget about logic and just watch the film for what it is. But this is ridiculous even by your standards! I mean the twists in the film are so obvious, you could see them at the beginning of the film. [Well sort of, but you catch my drift.]

So while Sanjay Dutt Productions in conjunction with Rupali Aum Entertainment and Venus Worldwide Entertainment, may have had the right intentions, but the audience won’t be conned by Rascals.

Our Rating:

Double Dhamaal Review

This is a repost of the Double Dhamaal review from Bollyspice.

When you get a hit film out of a jodi, you are bound to see them again on screen. In some cases, the magic returns in abundance and sets a new standard for the said jodi. But sometimes it doesn’t, leaving you with mixed feelings. With Dhamaal, it was a hit combo of 5 actors, Javed Jaffrey, Arshad Warsi, Ashish Chaudary, Ritiesh Deshkmukh and Sanjay Dutt, tickling the funny bone in a mad-fun game of cat-and-mouse. So doesDouble Dhamaal, the sequel to the 2007 hit flick, bring back the madness? Read on.

We begin with brothers Manav [Javed] and Adi [Arshad], Roy [Ritiesh] and Boman [Ashish] back to their good-for-nothing ways, still dreaming of the good life without a care in the world. They are still together and still trying to get rich fast and failing miserably each time until they run into their old foe Kabir [Sanjay Dutt]. Now an ex-cop, he is living the life they want, with Mercedes cars, mansions and a missus to boot. All too familiar with their antics, Kabir promptly gets rid of them when they approach for positions in his company; only to be followed by them straight home. Here the quartet find out Kabir isn’t the straight shooter he seems to be. So in a game of double cross, the quartet devise a plan to blackmail Kabir but little do they know, they are on Kabir’s court and he is the master of the game.

There’s no denying the lead cast and their capabilities of acting, especially in a comedy, but this is definitely not their best. Taking into consideration that this is a gag based comedy film, the quartet try their best to bring back the giggles in an over-acting fashion. But in all honesty, potty jokes, mimicry and even their multiple get-ups don’t work this time around. At the same time, due credit must be given to their multiple gettups, since each actor shines more in their act within an act than their “normal” selves, with Ritiesh leading, Arshad following and Ashish and Javed tying at the end. However, one doesn’t fail to notice that Javed has a less meaty role in the film. Sanjay Dutt plays Kabir like cakewalk but even he isn’t able to lift the film. Of the leading ladies, Mallika Sherawat makes an effort and creates an impact. Kangana isn’t in her element and really struggles after Tanu Weds Manu and Game.

The music by Anand Raj Anand is plausible. Cinematogrpahy by Aseem Bajaj is fine, but how one wishes Sanjay Sankla had a little more control over his editing. It’s only natural for a sequel to have a few gags from the first film to be inserted just to tie the films together. But when you have them repeated as much as they are in Double Dhamaal, your patience is tested to maximum capacity. You may get the giggles initially but in no time, boredom seeps in. Indra Kumar tries desperately to make a somewhat cohesive script within this comedy caper but he fails at the hands of screenplay writer Tushar Hiranandani where even the gags are drab. Add to that, the hint of a third instalment and we already dread what may come. Coming from a director that has undercurrent comedies like Ishq under his belt, this is a poor show and major disappointment.

Yes, you laugh at some instances but when you’re expected to turn off your brain and relax to a nice guffaw fest film, you know you’re heading the wrong way if your brain switches on again.

Our Rating: