Fim Review: Happy New Year, Paisa Vasool Masala Cracker

Film Review: Happy New Year

Cast: Deepika Padukone, Shah Rukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Boman Irani, Vivaan Shah, Jackie Shroff and Anupam Kher, Malika Arora Khan, Vishal Dadlani & Anurag Kashyap in guest appearances.

Music: Vishal-Shekhar

Director: Farah Khan

Producer: Gauri Khan/Red Chillies Entertainment

Wanna go on a bumpy and roller-coaster ride? If, yes! Read this review at your own risk..oops! my bad! Risque! It's for the haters of 'meaningful' brainless flicks and kick ass comedy that tickles the heart to happiness. A word of caution to intellectual critics, swearing by meaningful cinema, it's a sugar-coated appreciation of Happy New Year and don't blame me for giving you a heart attack 'kyon ki saala Kismet bada kutti cheez!'....'Haaro to Haaro, Ijaat Mat Uttara'...'Nandu manjhe Dimaag mein Khide'...

Happy New Year belongs to the masses. Stunning visuals of Dubai captured to perfection, mass appeal, Jhakaas dance moves, super entertaining songs and lovable performances. It's no secret that Farah Khan belongs to the Manmohan Desai's school of cinema whose one-liner should remain buried in our head, 'If you want to enjoy my films, leave your brains at home.' I know, the intellectuals must be fuming coz HNY has done to them what 'Mere Brains Ko Aanda Kisne Maara.' Happy New is a typical 'Masale dhar' movie, a bit stretched perhaps as it hits almost three hours, that will woo and make you laugh your lungs out. What works for Farah's is the dialogue baazi, after all what's a Hindi movie without mazedar dialogues?

Happy New is the story of six losers in Dubai, Charlie (SRK), Mohini (Deepika), Nandu (Abhishek), Tammy (Boman), Jag (Sonu) and Vivaan (Rohan). A team of six underdogs who are hell bent in seeking a revenge by making the biggest diamond heist. In turn, they captivate the hearts of million across the globe and not just Rs 100 crores worth star-studded diamonds.

Shah Rukh Khan as Charlie, the Boston University topper, is endearing and proves why he is one of the biggest superstar in the country. Perhaps, HNY is the film where he packed an action storm that would make the rest of his movies fade in comparison in terms of Maar Dhaar. He exudes charisma whether in funny situations, action, romance and emotions. The rehearsing of his old filmy bazzi dialogues that won him hearts and wooed his audience remains the movie's forte. Captivating.

The surprise package of HNY is Abhishek Bachchan. In case you haven't watched this roller-coaster ride, grab your tickets and you'll know why. Abhishek as Nandu Bhide excels in comedy and HNY will certainly be one of his most loved character after a spate of bad movies. He is hilarious when he does a repeat of Amitabh Bachchan, 'I can talk in English and Walk in English.' Junior Bachchan scores big time in this one with his hatke, tapori style, 'Nandu Bhide Dimaag Mein Khide' which the fans will love to no end. In one word: Brilliant. People will identify with the character Nandu that re-defines Abhishek as an actor.

Deepika Padukone as Mohini is live poetry in motion. Her entry is fantastic in the 'Lovely' song and the kind of energy she displays, hitting the octane level like a volcano is breath-taking. She has improved a lot as an actor and in every movie, she raises the bar a notch higher which leaves her contemporaries far behind. Certainly, Deepika proves in HNY that she is the most accomplished and versatile actor who gives her fans something new in every film. Whether it's the romantic scenes with King Khan and comedy or emotional scenes, she shines throughout. She adds credence to her character whether getting ensnared by English the Phunny language or doing a spoof of Kabir Khan in Chak De India. Deepika as Mohini is endearing.

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It's an education watching Boman Irani as Tammy and one wonders how he pulls his characters so effortlessly. An endearing performance by one of the most talented actors in the Hindi film industry. Sonu Sood as Jag performs competently while Naseer's son Vivaan Shah plays his part well as the loser Geek. A potential to watch out for. Jackie Shroff is competent and suave as the villain.

Farah Khan as a director is fully attuned to the taste of the masses and is a maven on making films injecting the right dose of , 'Masala.' However, two back-to-back songs towards the interval seems repetitive and tad boring. Plus, the films drags a bit with its nearing three hours which could have been chopped to make the screenplay more crisp.

On the whole, credit goes to Farah Khan for packing the right punch of action, comedy and emotions to make Happy New Year, the real winner in terms of entertainment.  The right dose of striking a hilarious route coupled with a subdued text of patriotism in the climax makes Happy New Year a flick that carries repeat value coupled with gripping narrative and blockbuster with the right ingredients. Plus, the friendly appearances of Anupam Kher, Vishal Dadlani, Dina Morea and Anurag Kashyap is the extra Mithais.  Truly Team India! Happy New Year has come to make the perfect Diwali gift like the jalebis, mouth-watering Gulab Jamuns and Rasgoolas. Plus, the music by Vishal-Shekhar is captivating and catchy. Another musical high.

What I like with Farah Khan is how she always gives credit to the whole crew in the end. A special gift by Shah Rukh Khan how he presented his cute son, AbRam and of course, Farah's triplets. It's lovely to see Gauri Khan shaking a leg. Reasons for you to watch HNY.

PS: Breaking with the tradition of giving stars to HNY and just go, munch the pop corn and enjoy the ride. To nay-sayers, I am your average blogger and no, SRK, Farah, Abhishek and Deepika have not paid me for the review. So shut up and stop cribbling.

Ra. One review: Entertainment at its best

Kareena sizzles in Chamak Challo and showed her oomph factor

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

SRK as G one

 Rating: Four stars

Ra.One released on Diwali amidst immense hype. The movie, however, has lived up to the expectations and is a sure shot winner. It is the perfect Diwali gift as it has all the necessary ingredients in terms of script, performances, special effects and spectacular action.

We’ve had Koi Mil Gaya, Krish and now Ra.One has taken the ‘superhero’ to a higher level. Ra.One is the story of Shekhar (Shah Rukh Khan) who designs a new video game (Ra.One) to make his son (Armaan Verma) happy. However, Ra.One decides to get out of game mode and start to control the lives of the main protagonists.

This is when the good robot (G.One) comes into play. Ra.One is also the story of triumph of good over evil where good always wins.

In terms of performances, Shah Rukh Khan as Shekhar and G.One has acted after a long time. It feels good to see him play a character and not himself like he has in several movies. Whether as an endearing father, lovable husband or G.One, he should be given credit for giving a performance that will be remembered for a long time. It’s one of his better films, if not the best.

Kareena Kapoor, despite not having an author backed role delivers on every count and shows that she is one of the best actors among the current crop. She sizzles in Chhamak Challo, which is already a rage among music lovers. Child artiste Armaan is lovable as kid who is fascinated by villains. Many children will find themselves in him.

Ra.One works at every level. The spectacular action scenes, the fights between Ra.One and G.One, special and visual sequences, particularly the chase scenes on Mumbai local trains are a sheer delight.

The entry of Rajnikanth as Chitti (his character in Robot) is one of the highlights of the film and he shows that even in one scene he can be the show stealer. The voice over by megastar Amitabh Bachchan in one scene gives Ra.One a royal touch. The music by Vishal-Shekhar is soulful and Akon’s rendering of Chhamak Challo is addictive.

However, the film lacks the emotional quotient, particularly in the relationship between G.One and Kareena. The sequence of cars flying like pans and falling almost everywhere is simply ridiculous. It should have been chopped at the editing table. Most importantly, the experience would have been magical and perfect if it was shown in 3D. The theatres will hopefully take this factor into consideration next time.

Despite all this, Anubhav Sinha must be credited for extracting the best from Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal. The film that spells magic and visual experience should appeal to everyone. Ra.One should not be missed for its special effects that are in line with international standards. India has got its superhero.

NB:

I am not a fan of SRK because I think this guy plays himself and rarely acts. However, this time he didn't over acted and gave a decent performance. I viewed the film in its entirety and whatever review I gave is based on the film merit. Please let's not compare it to the stuffs made in the west. It's the victory of the creative minds behind the film and let's acknowledge that.