India Masala
Bollywood and culture in an emerging India
Yuvvraaj: A brilliant score let down by a lacklustre script
Setting out to create a Bollywood blockbuster? Just make sure you have all the right ingredients — big budget, famous actors, foreign locales, fabulous music.
Wait, something’s missing — yes, the script.
Unfortunately for Subhash Ghai, the era of formula films has long gone and even the most ambitious project can’t afford to take it easy in the writing department.
And that’s where “Yuvvraaj”, the 18th film by a director known as Bollywood’s ‘Showman’, fails despite liberal doses of Ghai’s trademark opulence and grandeur.
Essentially the story of three brothers, “Yuvvraaj” revolves around the free-for-all that ensues when a London-based billionaire dies, leaving behind his fortune to autistic son Gyanesh Yuvvraaj (Anil Kapoor).
Dostana: A spectacular first half but nothing great overall
‘Dostana’ is a path-breaking Bollywood film alright. Maybe not for gay rights but certainly the number of times the word ‘gay’ has been used in a single film.
Indians hoping for a “Brokeback Mountain” may do well to stay away from this slapstick comedy about two men pretending to be a gay couple in order to lay hands on a top-notch condo overlooking the sun-kissed sands of Miami.
Dasvidaniya: A bittersweet slice of middle-class life
If you were expecting Vinay Pathak’s latest film to be a comic caper, you are in for a surprise.
“Dasvidaniya” is a bittersweet comedy about a man diagnosed with cancer and how he spends the last three months of his life.
EMI : A relevant message in a not-so-good film
I am about to take the first loan of my life next month. What with the
credit crisis and uncertainty all around, I am having second thoughts.
On the other hand, a newly married acquaintance celebrated Diwali by
buying her a pair of diamond earrings — bought on credit she
tells me, proudly showing off the studs.
I felt a bit old-fashioned. Here I was fretting about taking a loan and
this young girl is so much at ease buying a luxury item on credit.
Bollywood star power ‘ads’ up
Hey, did you know Saif and Kareena had a fight? And that Shah Rukh intervened? And an apologetic sms was sent?
OK, so this didn’t happen in real life. It’s the storyline of a new television ad starring the trio for mobile operator Airtel.
Golmaal Returns – Don’t expect any sense in this sequel
There are some things you don’t want to make sense of, instead preferring to just go along with the flow. You’d be well advised to do exactly the same with “Golmaal Returns”.
The sequel to the 2006 comedy “Golmaal” stars the trio of Ajay Devgan, Tusshar Kapoor and Arshad Warsi, with Sharman Joshi choosing not to reprise his role.
Fashion — clichéd, but watch it for Priyanka
Fashion is suddenly a huge part of our lives. Models, fashion shows, haute couture, prêt and wardrobe 
malfunctions are dominating news headlines and beauty contests are springing up even in small towns across India.
That is why Madhur Bhandarkar’s “Fashion”, which makes an attempt to take a long hard look at the world of fashion, with its pressures and pitfalls, is a topical film.
Roadside Romeo — Doggy tale gone wrong
When you find the villain of the film more endearing than the hero and even 90 minutes seem like a lifetime, there has to be something wrong with the film.
That’s right. Charlie Anna, the heavy, farting and bespectacled bulldog with a south Indian accent, who throws a spanner in Romeo’s plans, is way more entertaining and funny than the protagonist of Roadside Romeo
Karzzz: A remake that shouldn’t have been attempted
Midway through what seemed like the umpteenth time Himesh Reshammiya
had burst into an extra-nasal, nonsensical song, the couple sitting next to me in the theatre got up and walked out. And it wasn’t even interval yet.
I wanted to follow, but professional duties beckoned and I sank back resignedly in my chair, reconciled to the fact I would have to wait till the end credits of ‘Karzzz’ rolled.
Tracking the Big B through thick and thin
A perfect Saturday afternoon beckoned me. An early lunch was had, the house was quiet and the prospect of dropping off into an uninterrupted sleep was enough to make me smile.
One phone call changed all that. Amitabh Bachchan is on his way to the hospital, a source said and he is sick. The first thing that registered in my mind was “I hope he is ok” and then the journalistic instinct kicked in.
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The Wall
