Bollywood News and Stories From India

"Param Sundari" was a delightful watch! The energy in the cinema was fantastic. It was one of those rare times when you feel like the whole crowd is on the same page, just having a good time. This movie is a pure feel-good romantic comedy entertainer, and it's exactly the kind of break you need on a busy weekend. Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor are the heart and soul of this movie. Their on-screen chemistry is absolutely effortless and infectious. You can tell they had a blast filming this, and it translates beautifully to the screen. Janhvi's character, with her strong Kerala roots, is charming, and while there's been some talk about her accent, she completely owns the role. Sidharth's performance is charismatic and adds a fun, breezy touch to the film. The story is a familiar north-meets-south trope, but it’s handled with a lot of heart and humor. The first half is packed with witty banter and charming moments that keep you hooked. The second half gets a...

Animal, Sandeep Reddy Vanga's most recent film, is a blockbuster with over ₹700 crore in global earnings. The Indian box office has been dominated by the film. But beneath the eye-catching numbers is a film that is just as fascinating and discordant. So, does Animal merit all the excitement? Let's examine its murky corners and find out what viewers and critics think.      It is a Story of twisted Bonds and Dark Descent: Animal tells the tale of Arjun (Ranbir Kapoor), a young man engulfed in a web of revenge and twisted familial ties. The movie looks into themes of violence, betrayal, and the innate desire for vengeance as it examines the darker side of human nature. Vanga doesn't hold back when displaying the cruelty of this world, which makes Animal an arresting visual treat that is frequently unsettling. Image of Ranbir Kapoor from the film Animal, showing his intense eyes.  Ranbir Kapoor gives a raw and powerful performance. Without a doubt, Kapoor is the show...

Something I wrote about BAJIRAO MASTANI holds true for PADMAAVAT as well… “It’s a pre-requisite to possess a mega budget, have exhaustive knowledge of the subject matter, possess nerves of steel to handle the gigantic cast/crew and last but not the least, the vision and fortitude to bring a historical to life on celluloid in today’s times. You can face instant rejection from the paying public or face controversies and protests for deviating from facts. The film-maker has to walk a tight rope.” PADMAAVAT – everyone’s aware – has made it to the front page of newspapers and on prime time news on national television. It’s the most talked-about, voraciously discussed and hotly debated film of our times. The mileage it received – nationwide and internationally – has only enhanced the curiosity. Everyone’s curious to watch, examine, evaluate and scrutinize PADMAAVAT. The stakes are high and so are the expectations. The moviegoer in me is enthralled by historicals and mytholo...

After wondering if cars, robots, toys and -- even emotions -- are emotional, animators have now turned to cattle. Ferdinand, Munro Leaf’s little big bull from his 1936 book, is the subject of 20th Century Fox’s glossy new film by the same name. The pacifist bovine won hearts back then as well, and was loved by Mahatma Gandhi himself. With this movie, he attempts to do the same with a new generation of millennials and their kids who undoubtedly need a lesson in pacifism in these testing times. While Ferdinand doesn’t really do much to gain a healthier perspective on life, it does promise a swell time for the kids and a moral lesson to go with it -- Don’t be a bully, defeat hatred with love, and stand chest-out when a matador wants to pierce through you. Okay, maybe not take the last one too seriously. Ferdinand is a sweet calf that lives with his bull-fighting dad in a farm. Much like the Viking’s son who wanted to train dragons rather than slay them, this calf here want...

There’s something about films based on gangsters, criminals and underworld… Have often wondered, why are several film-makers across the globe so fascinated by this genre? Though I am not a huge fan of this genre, I must confess, I have thoroughly enjoyed a number of crime sagas made in Mumbai: DEEWAAR, DHARMATMA, PARINDA, AGNEEPATH, SATYA, VAASTAV, GANGSTER, SHOOTOUT AT LOKHANDWALA, ONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAAI… Helmed by some of the best names in showbiz, these films have tremendous recall value and left giant footprints on the sands of time, besides leaving an indelible impression on my mind. There’s tremendous speculation about RAEES… That the story is inspired by true events… That it’s based on a real-life character… Frankly, I am not the right person to comment on the authenticity of characters/episodes depicted in the movie or verify the speculations, but as a moviegoer, I must confess, RAEES did transport me to its world. A majority of films that highlight the lives o...

Kaabil movie review: Hrithik Roshan is out for revenge Kaabil movie review: Even in a Hrithik Roshan, Yami Gautam film, it can't be all song and dance. This time, Hrithik is out for vendetta but can the Sanjay Gupta film be true to its visually-challenged protagonist? He is a dubbing artiste, she is a pianist. They are both happy-go-lucky with a thirst to live life to the fullest. They are both blind too but the way Hrithik Roshan and Yami Gautam play the leads of Kaabil, it is more incidental than the central focus of the film. It is as if the love that envelopes them is enough to defeat the odds life has thrown at them. They romance on Rajesh Roshan’s songs, prove their dancing chops in Mon Amour and Hrithik even gets to play Amitabh Bachchan for a bit. Kaabil is a Sanjay Gupta film, and in his films, the perfect cannot last for too long. The idyllic world of Hrithik and Yami is destroyed once Rohit Roy and Ronit Roy’s baddies enter it. Yami’s Supriya will fade...

16 Bollywood films to look forward to in 2017 Despite a couple of pathbreaking films, 2016 couldn’t be called a great year for Bollywood films. But hopes are really high for this year’s releases. Let’s take a look at what Hindi cinema has to offer the audiences in 2017. Here is the list of movies which are set to release this year: Raees: It’s going to be an acting battle between Shah Rukh Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. The film is directed by National Award-winner Rahul Dholakia and is set to release on 25th January 2017. Kaabil: Shah Rukh will have to face a stiff opposition from Hrithik Roshan whose Kaabil is releasing on the same day. It’s directed by Jazbaa fame Sanjay Gupta. Rangoon: NGE’s Rangoon is a romantic drama set against the war backdrop. It marks the first time coming together of Sajid Nadiadwala and director Vishal Bharadwaj. Starring Saif Ali Khan, Kangana Ranaut and Shahid Kapoor in lead roles, Rangoon is set to hit theatres on February 23. ...

Dangal movie review: Aamir Khan, his Phogat girls show how blood, sweat, tears make champions Dangal movie cast: Aamir Khan, Sakshi Tanwar, Fatima Sana Sheikh, Sanya Malhotra, Zaira Wasim, Suhani Bhatnagar, Ritwik Sahore, Aparshakti Khurana, Girish Kulkarni Dangal movie director: Nitesh Tiwari Dangal movie rating: Three stars There comes a time when a star gives in to the demands of a role which he knows will make him not-pretty: as a wannabe wrestler past his prime, Aamir Khan is squat, with a heavy belly, a deliberate gait, and a grizzled beard in Dangal. Only his jutting ears are familiar: the rest of him is pure character. We are going to have to measure Aamir Khan’s future performances with this one: as Mahavir Singh Phogat, failed wrestler, rough-hewn authoritarian, but caring husband and father of four girls, he scales it up to a point where you can see the star take on a character, try it for size, and make it his own. That was crucial for us to believe in Dangal, whi...

Dangal Cast: Aamir Khan, Sakshi Tanwar, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Girish Kulkarni, Aparshakti Khurrana, Sanya Malhotra Director: Nitesh Tiwari Rating: 4/5 First they ignore you, Then they laugh at you, Then they fight you, Then you win. The 2010 Commonwealth Games are years away. Geeta Phogat has just returned to Balali, her village in Haryana, after months of preparation at the National Sports Academy in Patiala. Something about her has changed. She isn’t exactly the same girl her father, former wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat, trained. She is confident, ambitious, better skilled and ready to take on the world by storm. On the other hand, the rustic Mahavir wants to keep things simple. The tough patriarch wants his daughter to remain focused on the elusive international wrestling medals. He doesn’t like the way Geeta has been sucked into the new training regime. He thinks his methods are better than the coach’s at the academy. This is the beginning of a war that’s surprising...

Movie Review of 'Dear Zindagi' Starring Shahrukh Khan and Alia Bhatt 'Dear Zindagi' U/A; Drama, Romance Director: Gauri Shinde Cast: Alia Bhatt, Shah Rukh Khan, Kunal Kapoor, Ali Zafar, Angad Bedi, Aditya Roy Kapur Rating: 3 stars for 'Dear Zindagi' Don't know whether the script's been through several redrafts, or there were too many second thoughts while shooting or editing this film. Throughout, it does seem like the filmmakers are holding back from saying something more. Or they just say it, and step back anyway, making it look ever so slightly clumsy, and patchy in parts then. But let's get into that later. The point of a review (for whatever it's worth) is to set expectations (for better or worse), rather than tell you what to do (watch or not). Here's what you should be careful about right away — which is to not get too carried away by the cast headlining this film, chiefly Shah Rukh Khan, although Alia Bhatt, by all means, is...

Singh Is Bling grossed 18.25 crore Business nett on day one. It is the second highest first day collection of the year though if it was not a holiday the collections would be lower than ABCD 2 and Welcome Back. In the all time list the film is 15th highest ever with similar numbers to films like Krrish 3 and Jai Ho. It is the highest ever for an Akshay Kumar starrer. The film has collected well though ideally a 29 crore nett plus number was needed so that the second day we could have stayed around 14-15 crore nett which would have been good. It can still happen but if its the normal drop after such a holiday then it will be hard. The film was very good in Delhi / UP, East Punjab and Rajasthan, good in CP Berar, CI, Bihar and Gujarat / Saurashtra but elsewhere business was just decent and on a holiday that is not good enough. The film is going to find it hard to work in dome areas due to the very Punjabi content but a strong hold in Delhi and Punjab is important because if these d...

There are two questions that need answers, after you've watched Singh is Bliing — what the hell does Akshay Kumar eat for breakfast to fuel the insane energy he brings onscreen and where was Lara Dutta hiding her comedic talent all these years? Singh is Bliing's opening credits roll against a remixed version of Sneha Khanwalkar's fantastically peppy "Tung Tung". We see a delirious Kumar cracking out bhangra moves with such gusto that you might just feel your muscles ache on his behalf. There's only one word to describe Kumar's performance as Raftaar Singh: octane. Whether he's being the stereotypical empty-headed sardar or busting out dance moves or fighting bad guys, his energy is phenomenal. Kumar is proof that ageing is a wondrous thing. He didn't have even a fraction of this onscreen charm when he was in the prime of his youth. It's not just that Kumar looks infinitely better — the death of the Nineties' mullet has been a boon i...

Talvar movie review: The film is as real as a constructed-for-the-camera document can be, with its portrayal of the professional rivalries between the investigating teams, and insatiable media persons. In ‘Talvar’, the 14-year-old girl killed in her bed in the dead of night, is called Shruti Tandon. But we know that it is the thinly-disguised story of Arushi Talwar, whose murder still remains the foulest of them all: her parents Rajesh and Nupur, both doctors with a flourishing practice, were convicted and sent to jail. The double murder of Arushi and the Talwars’ live-in male servant Hemraj shook us all. Because it involved people like us : respectably middle-class, solidly professional, living with other middle-class professionals. Children from that sort of background go to good schools and graduate from good colleges, not found with their throat slit, opening up a Pandora’s box of swirling salacious rumours about sexual proclivities (theirs’ as well as their parents’). Wide...

SPOILERS ALERT It could be argued by some that a fantasy epic is by definition infantile and it should, therefore, be treated purely as a fun outing. But even if one were accept that line of thinking and allow the film some leeway, Puli, directed by Chimbu Deven, is unconscionably puerile. The paucity of depth and genuine originality robs it of any possibility of being regarded as a success. Puli has numerous quirky creatures, including a talking bird, a wise tortoise, a shiny green frog with an uncanny sense of direction and an entire clan of invisible midgets straight from the isle of Lilliput. At one point, the dwarves capture the hero and tie up him up a la Gulliver only to realise that he is harmless. No sooner is he set free than he breaks into song and dance with his erstwhile captors. The size of the midgets in relation to the protagonist fluctuates all through the number but nobody seems to care. This is a fantasy after all! Much of the action in the second ha...

Okay, WE ARE FAMILY is the official adaptation of Chris Columbus' STEPMOM [1998] and lots of us have already watched this Julia Roberts - Susan Sarandon starrer. Even otherwise, the story of a woman, diagnosed with a terminal illness, entrusting her kids to the 'other woman' before she does the final salute, gives the feeling of deja vu. But WE ARE FAMILY is not a tear-jerker. Sure, it has dollops of emotions, but also integrates the light moments wonderfully in those 12 reels. In the good old days, in the 1960s and 1970s specifically, well-made family films struck an instant chord with viewers across the spectrum. But with the changing times, the quantum of well-made socials made a rapid decline. WE ARE FAMILY belongs to the Rajshri gharaana and tells the story of a family facing two life-changing developments: The woman of the house is diagnosed with a terminal illness and two, there's a stepmom on the scene. A difficult subject to handle, without doubt. Click Here Fo...

Movie: Aashayein Director: Nagesh Kukunoor Cast: John Abraham, Sonal Sehgal, Anaitha Nair, Girish Karnad, Farida Jalal, Prateeksha Lonkar Practically every new-age filmmaker wants to attempt a real story on celluloid. Stories which are straight out of life. These stories generally strike a chord with the audience if narrated convincingly and, most importantly, narrated within commercial parameters. Nagesh Kukunoor has been a frontrunner as far as choosing and narrating real stories are concerned. Aashayein, too, seems like 'our' story. Here's a man who suddenly discovers that he has a few months to live. The indomitable spirit of living life to the fullest, under all circumstances, is what you expect from him. But Aashayein gets so bizarre and abstract that you feel anesthetised after a point. Sadly, you don't react to the characters, you don't react to the film either. Like Kukunoor's previous attempts, Aashayein is sensitively told and has several poignant ...

Film Review of Aisha starring Sonam Kapoor and Abhay Deol Recall the age-old adage: Marriages are made in heaven. Consummated on earth. But haven't we encountered lots of people in real life who try to set things up between friends/acquaintances? In fact, they take upon themselves to make matches and meddle in other people's affairs. That, in a nutshell, is the plotline of AISHA. Let's get one thing straight. You are not exploring virgin territory with AISHA. 'Emma', the Jane Austen novel, has been adapted on film and television in the past. Although first published in 1815, almost 200 years ago, director Rajshree Ojha and writer Devika Bhagat transport the characters from this novel to present-day New Delhi. But the essence remains the same: A simple plot and an equally simplistic love story. Unlike most love stories that we’ve witnessed on Hindi screen, there’s no heavy-duty dramebaazi in AISHA, no major hurdles to cross, no parental opposition to encounter, n...