I won’t describe the plot of the movie in detail here because its already been done by the other reviewers. But in brief, this is the story of the legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, portraying how a young boy who considered Mahatma Gandhi to be his hero get disillusioned with Gandhi’s way of the freedom struggle, and gradually create his own highly effective way of fighting for India’s freedom.
The movie casts Ajay Devgan in the title role of Bhagat Singh, Sushant Singh as Sukhdev, and Santosh as Rajguru. They are supported by Raj Babbar, Farida Jalal, and Amrita Rao. Ajay Devgan, as usual, was quite convincing in his portrayal of the title character. The character of Chandrashekhar Azad, played by Akhilendra Mishra, however, lacked the charisma that we have come to associate with this another legendary freedom fighter. Overall, although most actors did well, I don’t think any of them is going to win an oscar for their role.
The thing that I liked most about this movie was its direction. Rajkumar Santoshi has done an excellent job of keeping the movie focussed on telling the story without getting distracted by emotional hijinks, as most Bollywood movies are apt to do. No extraneous, melodramatic scenes. The movie moves at a very swift pace. Every scene in the movie has significance to the story. Well, almost! The song and dance sequence where Bhagat Singh’s fiancee (Amrita Rao) is dreaming was totally out of place - I can’t think of any reason for that sequence except to bring another great Rahman song to us!
The scene that, in my opinion, was the most powerful is the one where Bhagat Singh convinces Jatin da (I hope I got the name right - its been a while since I watched the movie) to join their efforts - how he convinces that their style of violence is not violence per se, but self-defence. A highly effective portrayal of Bhagat Singh’s true mettle! It sure did convince Jatin da and it sure did make a lot of sense to me.
The music for this movie has been scored by none other than A.R.Rahman. Needless to say, it is once again outstanding. In addition to the new songs, the movie also features a couple of well known songs associated with Bhagat Singh, Mera Rang De Basanti Chola and Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna but with new tunes. Desh Mere should be a welcome addition to any connoisseur of desh bhakti songs. Its good to hear Rahman produce music which has such a punjabi flavor to it - very different from his past music. It just goes to show what a versatile composer he is.
To sum it up, this is a must-see movie for everybody.
(Originally posted on MS on June 5, 2003)
Friday, April 6, 2007
Disappointing showcase of talent
(Note: This is a dated review. Some of the wording that was relevant when this was first written, may not be relevant any more. However, the main message still holds.)
I did not have the opportunity to watch the original SaReGaMa that was conducted by Sonu Nigam, but I heard very good things about it. And I did see an occasional episode here or there and I was really impressed by it. So, I was very excited to hear about the new series SaReGaMaPa that was being presented by Shaan. But after watching the new series for a few months now, I am afraid to say that I have been quite disappointed by the show.
I am sure there is a lot more talent in our youth than this show seems to present. Most of the contestants on the show have been rather mediocre. Of course, there have been some exceptions too - Nihira Joshi, Saandeep, Gopal, Richa (Mukherjee?), to name a few. But overall, the quality of the singing has been less than pleasing. I believe the contestants need to put in more practice into their singing and try to improve their performance.
However, the bright point in the show’s history was the children’s special. Those young kids performed superbly and were far superior to the regular college age contestants.
The less said about the judging the better. The decisions have mostly seemed to be very arbitrary, and the scoring excessively generous. It is one thing to encourage youngsters in the development of their musical abilities, but quite another thing to overlook their flaws and pretend that they are awesome. Unfortunately, most of the judges have been doing the latter. A good judge would not only point out what the singers did wrong but also make suggestions on how they can improve themselves.
Overall, although I think the show is a brilliant idea to showcase the musical talent of our youth, the execution of this current series has failed to harness the real talent that continues to remain hidden from the world. In my opinion, this show is simply promoting mediocrity among our youth, instead of spurring them on to achieving greatness.
I know I am going to make some enemies by being so critical of this highly acclaimed show, but this is what I honestly felt on seeing the show. However, I still continue to watch the show regularly because the occasional good singer who does come on the show just makes the wait worth it all.
(Originally posted on MS on April 23, 2003)
I did not have the opportunity to watch the original SaReGaMa that was conducted by Sonu Nigam, but I heard very good things about it. And I did see an occasional episode here or there and I was really impressed by it. So, I was very excited to hear about the new series SaReGaMaPa that was being presented by Shaan. But after watching the new series for a few months now, I am afraid to say that I have been quite disappointed by the show.
I am sure there is a lot more talent in our youth than this show seems to present. Most of the contestants on the show have been rather mediocre. Of course, there have been some exceptions too - Nihira Joshi, Saandeep, Gopal, Richa (Mukherjee?), to name a few. But overall, the quality of the singing has been less than pleasing. I believe the contestants need to put in more practice into their singing and try to improve their performance.
However, the bright point in the show’s history was the children’s special. Those young kids performed superbly and were far superior to the regular college age contestants.
The less said about the judging the better. The decisions have mostly seemed to be very arbitrary, and the scoring excessively generous. It is one thing to encourage youngsters in the development of their musical abilities, but quite another thing to overlook their flaws and pretend that they are awesome. Unfortunately, most of the judges have been doing the latter. A good judge would not only point out what the singers did wrong but also make suggestions on how they can improve themselves.
Overall, although I think the show is a brilliant idea to showcase the musical talent of our youth, the execution of this current series has failed to harness the real talent that continues to remain hidden from the world. In my opinion, this show is simply promoting mediocrity among our youth, instead of spurring them on to achieving greatness.
I know I am going to make some enemies by being so critical of this highly acclaimed show, but this is what I honestly felt on seeing the show. However, I still continue to watch the show regularly because the occasional good singer who does come on the show just makes the wait worth it all.
(Originally posted on MS on April 23, 2003)
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Excellent but irresponsible movie
1947 Earth is not a love story. Yes, it has some of the essential ingredients of a love story - a woman, two men, and a love triangle. But the story of their love and its consummation is only a medium to tell a greater story. A story which is not just about the emotions of these three individuals but about the emotions of a host of other men and women who lived (and perhaps died) during those rough times of the partition of India in 1947. A story about humanity or inhumanity, about savagery, about anger, and about hatred. But not really about love.
Set in 1947 as is obvious from the title, this disturbing tale revolves around three individuals - two men, Dilnawaz and Hassan, played by Aamir Khan and Rahul Khanna, and a woman, Shanta, played by Nandita Das. Both men are in love with Shanta (its a triangle after all). However, she reciprocates to only one of them (naturally), and the unrequited love of the other man spurs him to certain heinous deeds in the latter part of the film. But its not just because of unrequited love alone. To truly understand what motivated him, one also has to understand the circumstances that he found himself in in 1947, the emotional state of his mind upon witnessing the atrocities of hindus and muslims upon each other, the interaction between his friends who at one time used to live harmoniously, but saw their friendship run into doldrums because of rising communal tensions. Does that justify what he did? Certainly not. But it gives a glimpse into his mind and his mindset.
Technically, this movie is excellent. But therein also lies the problem. It is also an irresponsible movie, broaching a theme that most of us are trying to put behind us in these troubled times. We all know what happened in the post-independence India. But showing it in graphic detail is only going to sow seeds of communal hatred amongst the generation who were fortunate to have not had to witness the 1947 riots first hand. There are other movies which have touched similar themes, but most are lame commercial films like Gadar. On the other hand, 1947 Earth is a highly effective movie and has a huge impact on the viewer.
Deepa Mehta is a terrific movie maker, but she should also think about the impact her movies can have on the general masses. I am still trying to figure out exactly what message was she trying to send through this movie.
On the more mundane aspects of the film, the acting by all is par excellence. Aamir Khan lives up to his reputation by delivering a solid performance, somewhat reminiscent of his role in Raakh. Rahul Khanna is impressive in his debut, and certainly less Bollywood hero like than his brother, Akshay. Nandita Das shows a lot of promise, and if she keeps choosing her roles carefully and does not get distracted by the glimmer of Bollywood masala cinema, she can rise to impressive heights in the years to come. The main cast is well supported by Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Arif Zakaria, Kitu Gidwani, and Raghuvir Yadav, to name just a few.
The musical score by A.R.Rahman is absolutely top notch. Not only the songs in the movie, but the background score too, enhancing the effect of each and every scene. The romantic numbers Rut Aa Gayi Re and Dheemi Dheemi are pleasing, and the lyrics of the pensive Yeh Jo Zindagi Hai make you ponder what lies in store for each of us in the future. But the hidden gem of the movie is Ishwar Allah, which was supposedly set to music by Rahman in less than 24 hours. If only everybody pays heed to the questions this song asks! Sadly, the song comes in the movie a little too late (during the end credits) and so most movie watchers would miss the song entirely. I surely did the first time I saw the movie.
To sum it up, an absolutely brilliant movie by Deepa Mehta. But the big question that lingers in my mind is ’’WHY?’’
Should you watch this movie? My recommendation: Don’t, unless you like to be reminded of something terrible that you already know and are trying to forget.
(Originally posted on MS on June 5, 2003)
Set in 1947 as is obvious from the title, this disturbing tale revolves around three individuals - two men, Dilnawaz and Hassan, played by Aamir Khan and Rahul Khanna, and a woman, Shanta, played by Nandita Das. Both men are in love with Shanta (its a triangle after all). However, she reciprocates to only one of them (naturally), and the unrequited love of the other man spurs him to certain heinous deeds in the latter part of the film. But its not just because of unrequited love alone. To truly understand what motivated him, one also has to understand the circumstances that he found himself in in 1947, the emotional state of his mind upon witnessing the atrocities of hindus and muslims upon each other, the interaction between his friends who at one time used to live harmoniously, but saw their friendship run into doldrums because of rising communal tensions. Does that justify what he did? Certainly not. But it gives a glimpse into his mind and his mindset.
Technically, this movie is excellent. But therein also lies the problem. It is also an irresponsible movie, broaching a theme that most of us are trying to put behind us in these troubled times. We all know what happened in the post-independence India. But showing it in graphic detail is only going to sow seeds of communal hatred amongst the generation who were fortunate to have not had to witness the 1947 riots first hand. There are other movies which have touched similar themes, but most are lame commercial films like Gadar. On the other hand, 1947 Earth is a highly effective movie and has a huge impact on the viewer.
Deepa Mehta is a terrific movie maker, but she should also think about the impact her movies can have on the general masses. I am still trying to figure out exactly what message was she trying to send through this movie.
On the more mundane aspects of the film, the acting by all is par excellence. Aamir Khan lives up to his reputation by delivering a solid performance, somewhat reminiscent of his role in Raakh. Rahul Khanna is impressive in his debut, and certainly less Bollywood hero like than his brother, Akshay. Nandita Das shows a lot of promise, and if she keeps choosing her roles carefully and does not get distracted by the glimmer of Bollywood masala cinema, she can rise to impressive heights in the years to come. The main cast is well supported by Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Arif Zakaria, Kitu Gidwani, and Raghuvir Yadav, to name just a few.
The musical score by A.R.Rahman is absolutely top notch. Not only the songs in the movie, but the background score too, enhancing the effect of each and every scene. The romantic numbers Rut Aa Gayi Re and Dheemi Dheemi are pleasing, and the lyrics of the pensive Yeh Jo Zindagi Hai make you ponder what lies in store for each of us in the future. But the hidden gem of the movie is Ishwar Allah, which was supposedly set to music by Rahman in less than 24 hours. If only everybody pays heed to the questions this song asks! Sadly, the song comes in the movie a little too late (during the end credits) and so most movie watchers would miss the song entirely. I surely did the first time I saw the movie.
To sum it up, an absolutely brilliant movie by Deepa Mehta. But the big question that lingers in my mind is ’’WHY?’’
Should you watch this movie? My recommendation: Don’t, unless you like to be reminded of something terrible that you already know and are trying to forget.
(Originally posted on MS on June 5, 2003)
Saturday, February 10, 2007
What am I doing?
I wish I knew!
But for now, I am just planning to post some of my old reviews that once used to live on MS. (If you don't know what MS is, consider yourself blessed. After all, there was a reason why I pulled my reviews from there!)
So, hold your breath.. here comes the scourge of earth!!!
BTW, would it be illegal if I were to copy people's comments on my reviews from MS and paste them here?
Grean
But for now, I am just planning to post some of my old reviews that once used to live on MS. (If you don't know what MS is, consider yourself blessed. After all, there was a reason why I pulled my reviews from there!)
So, hold your breath.. here comes the scourge of earth!!!
BTW, would it be illegal if I were to copy people's comments on my reviews from MS and paste them here?
Grean
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
