Best Of Bollywood Awards 2015 By Me

We saw various genres of quality movies this year. Among them, the ones that deserve awards are as follows :-

1) Best FILM - MASAAN or TALVAR 

2) Best DIRECTOR - Soojit Sircar (PIKU) 

3) Best ACTOR - Nawazuddin Siddiqui (MANJHI) 

4) Best ACTRESS - Kangna Ranaut (TANU WEDS MANU RETURNS) 

5) Standout Performer MALE - Ranveer Singh (BAJIRAO MASTANI) 

6) Standout Performer FEMALE - Deepika Padukone (PIKU) 

7) Most Entertaining ACTOR - Salman Khan (BAJRANGI BHAIJAAN) 

8) Most Entertaining ACTRESS - Kangna Ranaut (TANU WEDS MANU RETURNS) 

9) Best SUPPORTING ACTOR - Nawazuddin Siddiqui (BAJRANGI BHAIJAAN) 

10) Best SUPPORTING ACTRESS - Priyanka Chopra (BAJIRAO MASTANI) 

11) Best Entertaining FILM - TANU WEDS MANU RETURNS 

12) Best Thriller FILM - DRISHYAM 

13) Best Romantic FILM - DUM LAGA KE HAISHAA

14) Best Action FILM - DILWALE 

15) Best Stylish FILM - DIL DHADAKNE DO

16) Best JODI - Ayushman & Bhumi (DUM LAGA KE HAISHAA) 

17) Best SONG - Janam Janam (DILWALE) 

18) Best SINGER MALE - Amaal Malik for 'O Khuda' (HERO) 

19) Best SINGER FEMALE - Monali Thakur for 'Moh Moh Ke Dhaage' (DUM LAGA KE HAISHAA) 

20) Best LYRICS - Mann Kasturi Re (MASAAN) 

21) Best MUSIC - Pritam (DILWALE) 

22) Best Actor in Negative Role - Nawazuddin Siddiqui (BADLAPUR) 

23) Best Actor in Comic Role - Deepak Dobriyal (TANU WEDS MANU RETURNS) 

24) Best Debutante Male - Vicky Koushal (MASAAN)

25) Best Debutante Female - Bhumi Pednekar (DUM LAGA KE HAISHAA) 

26) Best Debut Director - Neeraj Ghaywan (MASAAN) 

27) Best STORY - PIKU 

28) Best SCREENPLAY - TALVAR 

29) Best DIALOGUES - BABY

30) Best ENSEMBLE - DIL DHADAKNE DO 

31) Best Child Actor - Harshaali Malhotra (BAJRANGI BHAIJAAN) 

32) Best Cinematography - TAMASHA

33) Best Choreography - Shaam Shaandaar (SHAANDAAR) 

34) Best Special Effects - BAJIRAO MASTANI 

35) Best Costume Design - BAJIRAO MASTANI

36) Best Background Score - BAJIRAO MASTANI

37) Scene of the Year - The Climax Where Two Different Investigation Agencies Interact (TALVAR) 

So this is my personal choice on movies that should win the abovementioned awards.

Thank you!

Shah Rukh Khan : A Global Megastar & The Pride Of India!

I would like to put some vital and unavoidable data &  infos regarding One of India's Biggest, Cult and Most Celebrated Cinematic Stars, Shah Rukh Khan.

Do you know, he is the :

1.Only Indian to have a Statue in Grevin Museum, after Gandhiji.
2.Only Indian to win UNESCO award for charity/Social work.
3.Only Indian Actor to be among100 most influential Muslims in the world.
4.Only Indian to be at No.1 at Top Ten Greatest Actors Worldwide.
5.Only Indian to be the 2nd Richest Actor in the world, more richer than Hollywood giants like Johnny Depp, Tom Cruise (after doing all his Charity).
6.Only Indian to have a residential palace in Palm Jumeira alongside Bill Clinton.
7.Only Indian to have a name on a moon crator.
8.Only Indian whose name has been given to a special flower in Singapore.
9.Only Indian who is honoured with the prestigious Brand Laureate Legendary Award for his unmatched contribution to the world cinema by Malaysian government.
10.Only Indian after Amitabh Bachchan to be crowned by Moroccan king.
11. Only Indian to be invited at Yale University, USA.
12. In 2010 he was invited to ring the opening bell of NASDAQ stock exchange, USA (world's biggest stock exchange) in New York
13. Only Indian actor to have name in Guinness book of world records as the  highest earning superstar of India.
14. Only Actor along with Dilip Kumar to win most no of Filmfare 'Best Actor' Awards.
15. He is the only actor to register his name as a brand having value of 6550 crore rupees .
16. James Cameron : I only want to come to Mumbai for an autograph of SRK.
17. He is the most popular superstar in those places where Indian movies don't even release.
18. He has the most expensive house cum palace named Mannat in Mumbai, coming from a middle-class family with no parents or godfathers to support him.
19. He currently holds the record of giving the longest running movie of Indian Cinema, i.e, DDLJ
20. He Donated 2.5 million Indian rupees to the then PM, Manmohan Singh for Tsunami Relief camp.,In NDTV's Greenathon event of 2009, he adopted 5 villages and adopted further 12 villages in 2012 event.
21. Government of France awarded him both the Ordre desArts et des Lettres and the Légion d'honneur. The greatest honour of France like Bharat Ratna in India.
22. He was honoured with UNESCO's Pyramide con Marni award in 2011 for his support of children's education.
23. He was honoured with Rajiv Gandhi Award for "Excellence in the Field of Entertainment" in 2002.
24.He was conferred the honorific Datuk title by the head of state of Malacca in Malaysia in 2007.
25.He was also honoured with an honorary doctorate in arts and culture from Britain's University of Bedfordshire in 2009.
26. in 2008, SRK named by Newsweek as one of the 50 most powerful people in the world.
27. In 2015 He became the 2nd Indian who got awarded with an honorary doctorate by the University of Edinburgh after DR. APJ ABDUL KALAM
28.In 2013 SRK Appointed as goodwill ambassador by the government of South Korea
29. In 2014 He was Honoured with Global Diversity Award at the State Room of Britain’s House of Commons. Britain’s Parliament honoured the king khan
30. He was awarded the Best Indian Citizen Award in 1997 by the government of India
31. And also the PadmaShri,India's fourth highest civilian award from the Government of India in 2005
32. In 2007 – His lifelike wax statue was installed in London's Madame Tussauds wax museum. Due to high demand Additional versions were installed at Madame Tussauds museums in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, and New York in 2010.
33. In 2009 He was given a BlackBelt Honorary in taekwondo by the South Korean government.
34. Also in the same year 2009 He was awarded with an honorary doctorate in arts and culture by the University of Bedfordshire. 
35. In 2010 He became the first Indian actor to be given the rare honour of signing the guest book at Berlin's Town Hall.
36. In 2011 He became the first Bollywood actor to be featured on the cover page of Los Angeles times he has also been featured on time Magazine's cover page twice. 
37.He was also invited to Harvard university for giving a lecture to its students. He is also world's "first" actor to be invited at Google and Twitter headquarters.
38. He donated all the prize money KKR won in 2014, 15 crs rupees to the children hospital in Kolkata and Mumbai.

39. In 2009, he adopted five villages in Bhitarkarnika National Park, Kendrapara (Odisha) to provide them with electricity. 

40. US President Obama hailed him as the Pride of India in 2015.

Many other incredible facts can be stated about Shah Rukh Khan sir. He makes our country proud worldwide. He has inspired us since two decades now. And his iconic stature is indelible which will be lauded forever.
Yet despite all these glorious aspects, some section of people, politicians n others target, abuse and bully this most loved superstar. Some even try to sabotage his movies. Some ironically, question his patriotism.
So to those i just request, before lashing out at or badmouthing SRK (just because he's a Muslim or not your favorite actor), please  go through all the above mentioned facts and get in your mind what he actually has done for our cinemas n most importantly for our nation. A fan of his or not, no issues, but give him respect and adulation. He deserves all this to the core. If still you disrespect him, sadly you don't deserve to be called as a man. 

Thanks!!! :)

By - A True Indian & Proud SRK Fan 

My Take On BAJRANGI BHAIJAAN - "Consistently Engaging And Deeply Satisfying"

Bajrangi Bhaijaan directed by Kabir Khan reflects the relationships that India and Pakistan share. It tells us about love being the most powerful source for both the countries to maintain brotherhood and live happily sans any war or conflicts.  Now this concept is hardly new as we have seen several movies being made on the reality of Indo-Pak on & off association. But here the storyline deals with an honest innocent 'Hanuman' Bhakt helps a 6 years old little mute child in sending her back to her home in Pakistan.  During this eventful journey he faces many hiccups but ultimately he manages to fulfill his promise. There are a lot of shining moments we see throughout this moving film. I would like to express the film's merits.

Highpoints :

1) The story is sweet, simple and mainly believable thanks to the earnestness and sincerity in storytelling. Good job in direction by Kabir Khan who brings real emotions out of the film's central characters. All the performers look genuine and endearing.
2) Heartfelt performances we see from the casts. Salman Khan does very well and comes up with an emotional act. His sparkling screen presence was always there but in this one we finally see the actor in him and doesn't disappoint. Nawazuddin Siddiqui proves once again that he can do wonders in any part he portrays. As a loyal supporting fiddle to Salman's character, he gives us an extraordinary performance. Kareena Kapoor Khan in a brief role wows. And last but definitely not the least, Harshali Malhotra, the adorable little girl emerges as the biggest triumphant amongst all. She wins us totally with her sheer cuteness, lovely smile n heartening expressions. She doesn't have a dialogue yet she is delightfully amazing.
3) Meaningful dialogues and good music also benefit this movie.
4) The movie charms also due to many touching moments and a lovely bonding seen among the three main characters in the film. They make us laugh and cry at the same time.

These plusses however seldom get ruined by occasional loopholes.

Lowpoints :

1) The film could have been short by 10-15 mins if it was better edited. Some portions in the first half were unnecessary i feel.
2) The climax is flawed, way too dramatic and a bit exaggerated even though it was well intentioned.

But despite these problems, BAJRANGI BHAIJAAN works as its made with heart and executed almost perfectly. Its far better than Salman's number of baseless typical masala blockbusters. Infact i would rate this one among his best films if not the best. With a noble subject coupled with heartwarming presentation and likeable performances, this is indeed a must watch for all.

My Rating - 4/5 (****)

This Bhaijaan accompanied by an angelic kid worth your time and will stay in your hearts.

My Take On DIL DHADAKNE DO - "Far From Perfect Yet Worth Watching"

Zoya Akhtar's Dil Dhadakne Do is a true reflection on the life saga of rich high class people who lead luxurious lifestyle and show off to the world how happy and united they are but in reality things are just the opposite. Here in the movie, we meet Kamal Mehra (played by Anil Kapoor) , a self made business tycoon who is pompous and arrogant , doesn't produce a good bonding with his wife (Shefali Shah) , son (Ranveer Singh) and daughter (Priyanka Chopra) . None of them is happy or satisfied with the way their life is going on. They go on a cruise along with friends and relatives to celebrate the 30th Marriage Anniversary of Mr & Mrs Mehra. So in this film , the storyline deals with the problems faced by rich classy people . Its about the diverse mentality & thinking of parents and their wards. The script offers genuine laughs and emotions at some portions but the movie drags and slips occasionally post intermission.
Lemme point out its plusses first.

HIGHPOINTS :

The film is breezy and feel good for the most part thanks to some wonderful scenes, amazing dialogues, crisp direction and top notch performances. There are some really funny moments as well as melancholic bits. Directed sharply by Zoya Akhtar, this movie is packed with solid acting by its ensemble cast. Particularly worthy of mentioning are Anil Kapoor who fabulously portrays Kamal Mehra. He is in full command and plays the role of a careless and selfish hubby & father with sheer panache. Shefali Shah is perfectly casted as an innerly broken wife who pretends to be jolly all the time. As a mother, she is fine too. Priyanka Chopra as Ayesha Mehra is terrific. She skillfully performs her part which is quite vulnerable and chaotic. Ranveer Singh is splendid totally. He not only has a boyish charm but delivers a credible performance playing a character which is childish and who wants to live life his own way. Other characters in supportive roles also do well. Anushka does a good job in few moments which explore her to shine. And then there is Farhan Akhtar in a short role who hardly disappoints. I wish he had a longer screen presence.
Talking about film's other merit , cinematography has to be praised. Its beautifully shot.

However the movie is flawed and i would like to state its drawbacks.

LOWPOINTS :

1) Editing could have been done smartly as the length of this film is almost 2 hours 45 mins which wasn't necessary at all.
2) Screenplay is problematic which jars the film by becoming over dramatic and a bit sloppy especially in its second half that includes a fatuous climax.
3) Music of the film is strictly average. Among its soundtracks, only Lalla Goodiyan track is enjoyable and Pehli Baar is passable.

Thus overall, Dil Dhadakne Do isn't a great cinema yet for its above stated plusses it worths your time. Its a film that may not satisfy you fully but it won't make you feel terrible either.

My Rating - 3/5 (***)

Don't raise your expectations high and you won't dislike it.

My Take On TANU WEDS MANU RETURNS - "Also Return Fun, Jolliness And An Extraordinary Kangana Ranaut"

Anand L Rai, who successfully directed endearing hits like Tanu Weds Manu Returns & Raanjhanaa has come up with sequel to the former, a feisty and heartening romantic comedy called Tanu Weds Manu Returns. Four years post their marriage, both the leads have formed incompatibility with each other and decided to live separately. Twists and turns occur in their lives, but love remains intact which wins ultimately. What works is the storyline goes breezily which consists of some crazy characters thus resulting in total fun even though its predictable. Hardly there is any dull moment or something that's unexciting.
I would like to mention the reasons why i find this a delightful experience.

Highpoints :

1) The biggest merit of this entertainer is its leading lady or ladies i should say, Kangana Ranaut. Once again after her heartwarmingly flawless performance in Queen, she is stellar as both Tanu & Datto here. These are two diverse roles yet the actress has sunk her teeth into both the characters marvelously! She makes us believe in Tanu as well as in Datto. She brings great emotions to her parts and makes us feel for them. Get ready for next year Miss Ranaut , you will again triumph best actress trophies.
2) Also impressive performances have been delivered by Madhavan who does well, he's earnest underplaying a chaotic Manu, Jimmy Shergill is alright and so is Mohd Zeeshan Ayub. Swara Bhaskar is very good but the best amusement among the supportive players has been given by Deepak Dobriyal as Pappi who is completely hilarious.
3) Director Anand L Rai competently has made this movie a joyous watch. Credit goes to him as his script despite loopholes offers jest with an emotional touch that will connect to the audiences.
4) A thumbs-up to its funny dialogues & one-liners that are penned by Writer Himanshu Sharma.
5) Music by Krsna Solo & Tanishk Vayu is very likeable.
6) The film is also benefited from nice editing and beautiful cinematography.

And if i say about the film's flaws , predictability and a bit dramatic in picturization are somewhat worrisome.

But these are minor avoidable problems in an otherwise crackling and pleasant rom-com. Tanu Weds Manu Returns will definitely become a box office delight and also at the same time it will make a place in its viewers' hearts. Watch it to have a fabulous two-hours plus time and if not for anything else, watch it for Kangana's superlative act. For her alone, this movie can be watched numerous times.

My Rating - **** (4/5)

My favorite film of the year has changed from Piku to this one now. Its that much fun!

My Take On PIKU - "Sweet, Relatable And Moving ; Its A Must Watch"

A movie that imparts both smile and tears to the audience is seldom marked in today's time. Fortunately, Piku directed by Shoojit Sircar and written by Juhi Chaturvedi(the team that earlier gave us Vicky Donor) is one such rejoicing experience. Its the saga about a father daughter relationship that one can relate to at once. We meet an old bong father suffering from constipation who becomes over burdened on his hot headed yet caring daughter. The latter feels she's living a liberty less life as the former regulates it as per his own convenience. Their bonding has both sweet and bitter moments. Its in these parts, fun lies and so does the emotional touch. We also witness a travel agent owner who abruptly gets involved in the father-daughter journey. The storyline has been treated with utmost genuineness and that's where Piku charms totally. Real characters, real performances, real emotions all add to strength of this moving, delightful entertainer. Its all quality!

HIGHPOINTS -

1) As i just said, the storyline is filled with utter authenticity which is touching and relatable.
2) Natural acting empowers the film. Amitabh Bachchan as the hypochondriac annoying old man stamps his supremacy aptly and gives us a remarkable performance. He's exceptional while being funny and irksome. Deepika Padukone as his daughter Piku stands out. She's immensely satisfying in her portrayal of the titular character. The best way to describe her stellar act is that she didn't play her part rather she became so. And that leaves us to the invariably brilliant Irrfan Khan who yet again is first rate. His conversations with Bachchan provide great laughter. He's joy to watch. Infact all 3 leading performers are wonderful. Also the film is boasted with solid supporting players be it Jishu Sengupta, Raghubir Yadav or Moushami Chatterjee.
3) Credit goes to Soojit Sircar and his writer Juhi Charurvedi for making this film funny and moving at the same time. Dialogues are spot on. Direction is awesome too.
4) Music is very fine and pleasurable. Thumbs up to its background score as well.
5) Nicely edited and beautifully picturized.

To be fair , i didn't find any problem while watching or enjoying (i better say) this lovely heartwarming picture so no point of mentioning drawbacks of this one.

Thus, PIKU is a marvelous family film. An engaging, feel good drama that succeeds in entertaining you. It will make you laugh , bring tears in your eyes and in the end you will be deeply moved. Its a must watch! Don't miss it!

My Rating - 4/5

My favorite film of the year so far. And i 'm sure once you watch it, it will be yours too.

My Take On DETECTIVE BYOMKESH BAKSHY! : "This One Is Purely Meant For All Intellects"

Detective Byomkesh Bakshy, a periodical saga of the Calcutta's famous fictional detective 'Byomkesh Bakshi' created by Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay during pre Independence era. Its a journey of this agile, courageous and flamboyant private investigator whose first case has been shown in the movie. The case is a murder mystery which our protagonist gets committed to and works ardently in his own way to solve it. He however faces a lot of obstacles thanks to the situational occurrence of various twists and turns throughout his detection. To be honest, i don't know much about this spirited detective's career and life history. As a movie viewer, i experienced whatever director Dibakar Banerjee showed us about the titular character and his intriguing initial case. And as i said, its quite a jig jag journey that Byomkesh Bakshy faces while solving his first case. The storytelling is too complex and you have to be patient enough to enjoy this wittily crafted thriller. Its boasted with several merits. Such as :

HIGHPOINTS -

1) It has a story that's robust and keeps you on your toes. Finely written scenes and dialogues with unpredictable twists and turns are worthy of praise.
2) Acting by all is commendable. Sushant Singh Rajput as the leading man is amazingly believable. He gives his blood and sweat to the character of Byomkesh Bakshi and comes up with a striking, nuanced performance. He does his job very very well. Well done!
Also other actors like Anand Tiwari and especially Neeraj Kabi are spot on. They played their roles with utmost perfection. Swastika Mukherjee and Meiyang Chang do total justice to their parts too.
3) The movie is benefitted greatly from Banerjee's skillful direction although his storytelling could have been made easier for most people to get in.
4) Fascinating cinematography and stellar background score work.
5) Although adapted, its original in nature with realistic treatment.

Despite all these plusses, Detective Byomkesh Bakshy suffers from problems that could and should have been avoidable.

LOWPOINTS -

1) The movie runs at a snail pace for the most part and that makes it niche and even a bit monotonous.
2) There are loopholes in the screenplay in some areas. They seem uninspiring and unclear.
3) The movie lacks perspicuity. It becomes too hard to be understood at some point. Storytelling could have been better, i mean simpler.

So eventually, Detective Byomkesh Bakshy is a thriller not all will like as its not everyone's cup of tea. But credit goes to the entire team for backing this old, unconventional project and creating the same into a unique, different experience. It's intelligently made with arresting acts. A film that you all should watch with your eyes & mind wide open just to witness what clever cinemas are all about. Afterall, quality scores over fatuous entertainment.

Rating - 3.5/5

Keep patience and do give it a try and you won't regret!

My Take On DUM LAGA KE HAISHA - "A Wonderful Rom-Com That Takes Us To The Magical 90s Era"

Set in Haridwar during mid 90s, Dum Laga Ke Haisha tells the story of a silly, matric fail guy who runs a cassette store and also happens to be an ardent fan of Noted Singer Kumar Sanu. How his life takes a turn when he forcefully gets hitched with a plump yet responsible girl. He never quite becomes cosy or happy with his spouse because of her weight factor. Thus their marital life doesn't seem to work at first but things variate when they fall for each other ultimately. Its their journey which goes through several rough patches & fun moments and these are shown beautifully in the film. All credit goes to writer-director Sharat Katariya who has made this light hearted love saga of an odd pair with pure heart. It's filled with strong merits.

HIGHPOINTS -

1) Storyline has real feeling, genuinely interesting characters which make this movie amazingly entertaining and totally engaging.
2) The 90's backdrop is beautifully shot. It pleasantly brings smile and takes us to the era which we all still love.
3) Talking of the melodious 90's era, the film's music is its another winning aspect. Kumar Sanu's touching voice captivates hearts yet again with lovely tracks like 'Dard Karara' and 'Tu' superbly composed by Anu Malik. Sanu-Malik's combo proves that they can still do wonders. 'Moh Moh Se Dhaage' is an incredible rendition too.
4) Ayushman Khurrana is in great form and delivers a performance that stands big and high. He is surely a fine actor and that's very much evident from this movie. Similarly, his leading lady, Bhumi Pednekar is delight to watch. She's extremely believable and thoroughly likeable in her debut outing. She's effortless. And together this leading pair looks fantastic. They make us laugh, they make us cry and compel us to root for them throughout. Its hard not to love their heartening chemistry.
5) Also actors like Sanjay Mishra and Seema Pahwa do first rate acting in supporting parts.
6) Direction is inspiring and deserves appreciation. Sharat Katariya makes an ideal debut with this simple yet charming rom com.
7) Kumar Sanu has a fascinating cameo.

There are hardly any shortcomings in this movie to talk about.

Dum Laga Ke Haisha, thus overall is a joyful, heartwarming 90's style love story that should be watched to be unanimously loved. It rarely fizzles and mostly sizzles. Small in budget but big in content, this rom com will make you feel happy. Surely the best thing to come out in 2015 so far.

Rating - 4 / 5

Its a treat that should be rejoiced. An adorable 90's reminiscent!

My Take On BADLAPUR - "This Skillfully Made, Well Acted Thriller Can Be Very Much Watchable"

Badlapur, a neo noir revenge saga, directed by Sriram Raghavan is sharp, edgy, unusual and unpredictable thriller which is far from our regular Bollywood masala thrillers that have over the top actions, tacky dialogues, too many cliches and loud performances. This one is more of a real, twisted drama and director Raghavan succeeds in making us engaged and captivated for the most part. The mixture of violence, sex and maniac like characteristics due to a sudden grief of our hero plus the weird yet humorous nature of the antagonist works here.

Highpoints -

1) Unpredictability, crisp twists and turns in the screenplay are appreciable.
2) Solid script consisting of clever humour and deep sorrows backed by neat direction deserves applause.
3) Exceptionally well acted by the film's two leads - Varun Dhawan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Varun, just in his fourth film, has shown tremendous growth in acting. He successfully portrays the very complexed role with both sincerity and maturity. Its a crazy, wicked character which Varun does complete justice to. Meanwhile, the vastly skilled Nawazuddin yet again impresses with a striking performance. He's funny, cunning and even likeable as the baddie 'Liak'. Its a sheer pleasure to watch him on screen.
4) Among the supporting performers, Huma Quereshi is wonderful. Divya Dutta does well. Vinay Pathak is alright.
5) Music of the film is nice. Jee Karda is a terrific number. Others are passable too.
6) Editing and background score are good.

With all this going in its favour, Badlapur is still flawed and problematic.

Lowpoints -

1) Sluggish pace and chaotic moments at several places will make you bore.
2) This crisp thriller is letdown by an unconvincing climax that has no spark, surprise.
3) There is no great suspense in the film. If you are expecting a nail biting suspense from this flick, you will be disappointed.

Thus Badlapur on the whole, is a smart attempt to the thriller genres. Its off beat nature may not be liked by all but no doubt this is a skillfully directed revenge tale boasted with two spectacular performances. Its mainly for all the intellectual movie viewers.

Rating - 3.5/5

Watch it friends. Its mostly watchable!

My Take On SHAMITABH - "Far From Perfect, Yet A Pleasant Experience That Deserves To Be Seen"

Shamitabh, a smart movie directed by R.Balki of Cheeni Kum & Paa fame takes on the inner and outer world of our cinema, tells the story of a mute boy dreaming big of establishing himself as a Hero cum Superstar in film's line one day. His initial struggles never seem to be stopped as he's dumb, a handicapped. But when he gets his voice courtesy an ageing drunkard, his fate alters and starts blossoming. So the dumb Hero DaniSH's acting combines with the old drunkard AMITABH Sinha's voice(dubbing dialogues) and together they become SHAMITABH. Everything goes nicely until their ego clash brings disturbance in their personal and professional lives. Now this is quite an interesting storyline where Balki's presentation is both unique and inspiring. But there are several problems in the script that are hard to accept.
However, looking into the film's plusses we have.

HIGHPOINTS -

1) The initial plot may be indifferent but the idea here is new and commendable.
2) Terrific bonding between the 2 central performers that gives you joy and warms your hearts.
3) Remarkable performances by both Amitabh Bachchan and Dhanush boost the film greatly. Big B hits all the right notes and shines through out as expected. Dhanush meanwhile is the heart of the film with an absolutely striking act as the mute hero. Its tough to take your eyes off both the actors when they are on screen. They empower the film.
4) Young Akshara Hassan impresses too in her debut Hindi outing.
5) Balki's direction & storytelling hardly looses sharpness or control.
6) Some really good dialogues and touching scenes work well.
7) First rate cinematography and alright music. Piddly song is amusing.

But even with the above stated merits, the film couldn't become a great one due to the following drawbacks.

LOWPOINTS -

1) After a top notch first half, the film dips and drags post interval.
2) Melodrama to make it excess emotional doesn't work as it looks unconvincing. For e.g, the poignant climax no doubt will make u melancholic but it comes out sudden and abrupt that it fails to justify the movie properly.
3) Lack of logic that's unacceptable in the screenplay dents the film. Like how can a mute actor and his voice artist hide their secret to the whole world for so long. Its not possible in today's technological universe.
4) Editing could have done tightier as repetitive scenes seem monotonous.

So in the end, Shamitabh is a cleverly conceptualized and superbly enacted film that despite flaws is rare in Bollywood. Its a pleasant experience to watch 2 robust actors delivering their best to make this movie pretty much likeable. Yes its likeable if not perfect.

My Rating - 3/5

Give it a view friends!

My Take On DOLLY KI DOLI - "Joy In Parts Only, Watch It For Just Timepass"

Dolly Ki Doli a con comedy directed by newcomer Abhishek Dogra has its moments that provide genuine laughs and keep you engaged but halfway down the film, it starts jarring thanks to an amateurish script that seems lame and often becomes predictable.

Anyway, the movie has certain merits.

Highpoints :-

1) Con scenes are quite enjoyable.
2) The film is filled with some perky comic portions that work in its favour.
3) Rajkummar Rao is fantastic once again, shines in both funny and emotional moments.
4) Varun Sharma is a revelation whose comic timing is nothing short of perfect.
5) Sonam Kapoor too does a fair job even though her character is puzzled and muddled.

However, it suffers from several drawbacks.

Lowpoints :-

1) Sordid and inconsistent screenplay harms the film badly.
2) Emotional bits hardly connect or hit the right notes.
3) Mediocre music doesn't help in the film's cause either.
4) The direction sadly also isn't greatly inspiring that could have lifted the film from its flaws.
5) Sonam's central character is half baked written. Its chaotic and thus the actress couldn't come up with a winning act.
6) Pulkit Samrat is ineffective and so are the rest of supporting characters.

Thus, Dolly Ki Doli as a whole can be called as a moderate entertainer. Had there been a tighter script occupying real fun and well oiled crisply written characters, this film could have emerged as a full on joyous experience. Ultimately in reality its mere average at best.

My Rating - 2.5/5

Watch it when you have free time with least expectation, you won't be disappointed then.

My Take On BABY - "A Striking Thriller That Works Mostly"

Neeraj Pandey, who earlier directed terrific films based on real events, A Wednesday & Special Chabbis, has shown enough competency in his latest espionage venture, BABY. His story is both gripping and powerful which focuses on a mission taken up by a team termed as BABY, an Indian Security Agency to protect India from terrorists across the border. Its crisp pacing coupled with fast actions and engaging thrilling portions work in favour of the movie. And although, its not exactly perfect, there are so many things in the film that deserve praise.

HIGH POINTS -
* Smart and Tight Storytelling
* Several Edge of the seat moments
* First rate performance by Akshay Kumar who rises up once again after Special Chabbis, in delivering a hard hitting, compelling act.
* Impressive enactment by veterans like Danny Denzgoppa and Anupam Kher
* Some genuinely quirky humorous moments
* Fabulous cinematography and action scenes
* Moreover, Director's solid command over the entire film. Its commendable!

BABY however slips occasionally.

LOW POINTS -
* The movie falters towards the climax in the sense that its suspense doesn't enthrall much. It could have been better.
* A bit lengthy second half which could have been neatly edited.
* Not a complete ensemble show as apart from Akshay primarily and Danny & Anupam to some extent, no other actors have that significant role to excel. Particularly, Fine actor like KK Menon has nothing much to do.

Thus barring these few loopholes, BABY is an arresting thriller that succeeds in making you feel amaze. Its an another striking flick(although not as good as his previous 2 gems) from a brave and intellectual filmmaker. Also it happens to be Akshay Kumar's superlative effort, easily amongst his finest works. Hope he does films like Special Chabbis and BABY more over forgettable sloppy entertainers.

My Rating - 3.5/5

Its worth watching for sure!

Best Of Bollywood 2014 Awards By Me

We saw some various genres of good movies last year. Among them, the ones that deserve awards are as follows :-

1) Best FILM - Tie between QUEEN & HAIDER
2) Best DIRECTOR - Vishal Bhardwaj(HAIDER)
3) Best ACTOR - Shahid Kapoor(HAIDER)
4) Best ACTRESS - Kangana Ranaut(QUEEN)
5) Best Entertaining ACTOR - Aamir Khan(PK)
6) Best Entertaining ACTRESS - Rani Mukherjee (MARDAANI)
7) Best SUPPORTING ACTOR - Irrfan Khan(HAIDER)
8) Best SUPPORTING ACTRESS - Lisa Hayden(QUEEN)
9) Best Entertaining FILM - PK
10) Best Thriller FILM - Tie between MARDAANI & UGLY
11) Best Romantic FILM - HASEE TOH PHASEE
12) Best Action FILM - HOLIDAY
13) Best Stylish FILM - HAPPY NEW YEAR
14) Best JODI - Varun & Alia (HSKD)
15) Best SONG - Indiawaale (HAPPY NEW YEAR)
16) Best SINGER MALE - Arijit Singh (Muskuraane - CITYLIGHTS)
17) Best SINGER FEMALE - Shreya Ghosal (Hangover - KICK)
18) Best LYRICS - Gulzaar (Bismil - HAIDER)
19) Best MUSIC - Vishal Bhardwaj (HAIDER)
20) Best Actor in Negative Role - Tie between Riteish Deshmukh(EK VILLAIN) & KK Menon(HAIDER)
21) Best Actor in Comic Role - Abhishek Bachchan(HAPPY NEW YEAR)
22) Best Debutante Male - Tahir Raj Bhasin(MARDAANI)
23) Best Debutante Female - Patralekha(CITYLIGHTS)
24) Best Debut Director - Vinil Matthew(HASEE TOH PHASEE)
25) Best STORY - UGLY
26) Best SCREENPLAY - QUEEN
27) Best DIALOGUES - HAIDER
28) Best ENSEMBLE - UGLY
29) Best Children Film - HAWAA HAWAAI
30) Best Child Actor - Tie between Partho(HAWAA HAWAAI) & Parth(BHOOTHNATH RETURNS)
31) Best Cinematography - HAIDER
32) Best Choreography - Bismil(HAIDER)
33) Best Special Effects - HAPPY NEW YEAR
34) Best Costume Design - HAPPY NEW YEAR
35) Best Background Score - HAIDER
36) Scene of the Year - Haider's Monologue Act(HAIDER)

So this is my personal choice on movies that should win the abovementioned awards.
Thank you!