Toon Time

Everyone loves animated movies… the good old cartoons! On a gloomy day, nothing cheers me up more than a nice Disney/ Pixar movie. I greatly admire the creativity of the movie makers who put so much into making every character life-like. Of course there is a lot of fantasy involved, but then where’s the fun in life without a wild imagination! As they say, there’s a child in all of us, and Disney movies definitely bring that out. These films are meant for kids of all ages – zero to infinity.

There are so many characters that have become immortal over time….be it Simba (Lion King), Mr. Potatohead (Toy Story), Toll Mater (Cars), or Donkey (Shrek), to name a few.

Some of my most favorite Disney/ Pixar movies include Toy Story, Cars, Madagascar, Horton Hears a Who, Ratatouille, Finding Nemo, and the Shrek series.

To cut the long story short, animated movies rock!

Marathi Paaul Padte Pudhe...

Welcome to the golden age of Marathi cinema where film makers are not afraid to experiment with different plots and ideas, and deliver excellent quality products. Right now, the Marathi movie industry is at its peak. In the recent past, we have seen so many good films, of so many genres…from thrillers like “Checkmate”, “Chakwa”, and “Savarkhed – Ek Gaav” to full-on fun films like “Pak Pak Pakak”, “Aga Bai Arechha”, “Kaydyacha Bola”, and “De Dhakka” and from timepass comedies like “Jatra”, “Hyancha Kahi Nem Nahi”, and “Navra Majha Navsacha” to serious films like “Dombivali Fast”, “Nital”, “Shwaas”, “Uttarayan”, and “Saatchya Aat Gharat”.

I remember the days when the Marathi movies were ruled by the awesome foursome of Sachin, Ashok Saraf, Lakshmikant Berde, and Mahesh Kothare. Majority of the mainstream films featured permutations and combinations of these four actors. As a kid, I enjoyed those movies tremendously, be it “Ashi Hi Banva Banvi”, “Thartharat”, “Dhadakebaaz”, “Eka Peksha Ek”, to name a few. Although excellent (and some of them are my all-time favorites), those films were somewhat limited in their scope, and focused primarily on comedy. Things were sort of repetitive, as the theme, genre, and most of the times actors were the same.

Things have changed dramatically over the past few years. Even today actors are repetitive, but the films are not. Although some of the movies that become superhits are modeled on the lines of popular Hollywood hits, they have a distinct hint of a “Marathmola” flavor. Today’s awesome foursome in my opinion is Sanjay Narvekar, Makrand Anaspure, Ankush Choudhari, and Bharat Jadhav.

Here are some films from the past 4-5 years that I absolutely loved:
1. Pak Pak Pakak
2. Yanda Kartavya Ahe
3. Kaydyacha Bola
4. Checkmate
5. Aga Bai Arechha

All in all, this is a great time for the Marathi film industry, and for an enthusiast like me for whom movies are like food, and watching an amazing Marathi movie is like a feast.

Hats Off To Hats Off!

In the era of saas-bahu sagas, shows from ‘Hats Off Productions’ are like a cool breeze. There are no far-from-real characters, or baseless and TRP-oriented plots. These shows are as close as it can get to real life; real life of ordinary people like you and me.

One can identify with the characters. They don’t seem unreal; rather, they are much like people we encounter in our day-to-day life. Be it the simple and straightforward Arvind (Baa Bahu Aur Baby) or the pakka businessman Shailesh (Jassuben Jayantilal Joshi Ki Joint Family); ziddi Baby (BBB) or ever-so-cooperating Aarti (JJJKJF); arrogant socialite Maya (Sarabhai vs Sarabhai) or char-chopdi fail Godavari (BBB); and the list goes on and on..we've been or at least seen some of them at some point in our life.

The factor that makes these shows special is the honesty and realism of the characters. They are not people born with golden spoons in their mouths, with a readymade family business, which runs by itself, (well, people in typical daily soaps usually spend all their time and effort in sorting out their overly complex personal life, and hardly seem to have any time left for making money..and yet they seem to have a never ending supply of it!). But, be it BBB, JJJKJF, EPU (Ek Packet Umeed), or SVS (Sarabhai), or any other hats off show, characters are like real people with real jobs. They have genuine and close-to-life problems, which are not limited to a troublesome saas, a vamp (usually a jethani or devrani), or an external troublemaker saut. Since the characters are so close to actuality, one tends to get involved in their family and day-to-day activites, their joys and their sorrows.

Here are some of my hats off favorites:

Top 5 hats off shows: (in this order)

1. Ek Packet Umeed (EPU)
2. Baa Bahu Aur Baby (BBB)
3. Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai (SVS)
4. Khichadi
5. Jassuben Jayantilal Joshi Ki Joint Family (JJJKJF)

Top 5 male characters: (no particular order)

1. Praful (Khichadi)
2. Rosesh (SVS)
3. Pravin (BBB)
4. Babuji (Khichadi)
5. Arvind (BBB)

Top 10 Female Characters: (Could not narrow down to top 5!) (no particular order)

1. Meenakshi (BBB)
2. Maya (SVS)
3. Baby (BBB)
4. Paroma (EPU)
5. Hansa (Khichadi)
6. Monisha (SVS)
7. Pravina (BBB)
8. Jayshree (Khichadi)
9. Sundari (EPU)
10. Pankor Baa (JJJKJF)

I used to be a big-time tv watcher when I was in India. With time, my filtering system became more powerful, and now, all I watch is hats off shows. They have all the elements necessary for a full package of entertainment; a perfect blend of drama, comedy, joy, and sorrow.

In conclusion, the only thing I would like to say is “three cheers to hats off”. As Aamir Khan said in Dil Chahta Hain, “Perfection ko improve karna mushkil hota hai”…but I’m pretty sure that at the rate that hats off is going, it will keep giving us fans better and better quality of television.

The Grapes Are Not Necessarily Sour – It All Depends On The Perspective!

Honestly, I happened to watch the movie “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” simply for the reason that I was getting bored and there was nothing else to do! But, I loved it, and wondered how I had never heard about this movie before.

This film states a simple fact of life in a very effective manner. The gist of it is: ‘It is not always about making yourself happy, or doing what you want to do. Think about what you can do for your near and dear ones..that satisfaction is a simple way to your happiness!’

It is the story of a family; a family consisting of an extremely overweight and consequentially bitter and irritating mother (Darlene Cates), Gilbert Grape (Johnny Depp), who has to “take care” of the family, being the sole breadwinner, Amy Grape (Laura Harrington), the elder sister who takes care of all the “motherly” duties in the house, Ellen Grape (Mary Kate Schellhardt) , a typical teenager, often too frustrated about the day-to-day family problems, and Arnie Grape(Leonardo Di Caprio), an 18 year old with the brain of a 10 year old, who believes that his brother is the greatest person on the planet.

As the plot progresses, we can see how life goes on, despite all the problems and obstacles. Gilbert is caught between his family members, and his personal ambitions, and doesn't realize when the two things become one…he lives for his family. When asked what his ambitions are, all he can think of is what he wants for his mother, sisters, and brother, and all he wants to be in life is a “good person”. It really made me think whether there are any people like that in real life..people who don’t want any superficial and material things, and who just want to be “good”.

I was never a fan of Johnny Depp, and quite disliked Leonardo Di Caprio. In this film, Johnny looks like a “chocolate boy”, and is extremely adorable, and sincere as Gilbert Grape. Leonardo is brilliant as the mentally challenged Arnie..very genuine, and never falters. Darlene Cates portrays the mother brilliantly. The other supporting cast is apt. Especially worth a mention is Juliette Lewis who plays Becky, Gilbert’s girlfriend and buddy.

Watch this movie for Depp and Di Caprio..they are indeed a treat of sweet grapes!

Dus Kahaniyaan: Sirf Kuch Khaas..Baki Sab Bakwaas!

I finally got a chance to watch “Dus Kahaniyaan” yesterday. I was really waiting to see how this venture had turned out, especially after disastrous ensembles like “Darna Zaroori Hain” and “Salaam-E-Ishq”. I must say that this one was not as bad. It was quite entertaining. Out of the dus, I loved a couple, liked a few, and simply hated the rest.

Here’s my 2 cents worth about each of the kahanis.

Kahani 1: Matrimony Rating: 3/5

Director: Sanjay Gupta

Actors: Mandira Bedi, Arbaaz Khan, Sudhanshu Pandey

The story idea was pretty good, but extremely “ghisi peeti “and predictable. However, the acting was up to the mark, and overall it was not as bad as some of the rest.

Kahani 2: High on the Highway Rating: 0/5

Director: Hansal Mehta

Actors: Jimmy Shergill, Masumi Makhija

This was definitely the worst of the lot. I wonder why it was even there! It was sheer torture. As it was just the second story out of the 10, it made the viewer wonder if there were worse nightmares to come!

Kahani 3: Pooranmashi Rating: 4/5

Director: Meghana Gulzar

Actors: Amrita Singh, Parmeet Sethi, Minissha Lamba

The plot was interesting, and very well executed. Acting was spot on. For a change, I actually liked Amrita Singh. This was definitely one of the top 3 stories.

Kahani 4: Stranger in the Night Rating: 3/5

Director: Sanjay Gupta

Actors: Neha Dhupia, Mahesh Manjrekar

When the story began, it seemed like a typical case of adultery. The twist was quite unexpected, and kinda weird! But this story was one of the ok ones.

Kahani 5: Zahir Rating: 3/5

Director: Sanjay Gupta

Actors: Manoj Bajpai, Dia Mirza

The storyline is average, but the climax is unexpected. Good job done by both the actors.

Kahani 6: Lovedale Rating: 2.5/5

Director: Jasmeet Dhodhi

Actors: Aftaab Shivdasani, Neha Uberoi, Anupam Kher, Anuradha Patel

This is a clear case of being totally predictable. You can pretty much guess every single thing that is going to happen, right after the first 2-3 minutes. Acting-wise, it was alright, but nothing new as such.

Kahani 7: Sex on the Beach Rating: 0/5

Director: Apurva Lakhia

Actors: Dino Morea, Tarina Patel

This one competes with the “High on the Highway” story for the “Worst story” award. Don’t go on the title…apni akal lagao. Total bakwaas story.

Kahani 8: Rice Plate Rating: 5/5

Director: Rohit Roy

Actors: Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah

For me, this one definitely takes the cake. I simply loved it. It is a simple story, very well narrated. Brilliant acting, and direction.

Kahani 9: Gubbare Rating: 4/5

Director: Sanjay Gupta

Actors: Nana Patekar, Natassha, Rohit Roy

Quite a predictable story, but really nicely portrayed. I guess it’s the “Nana factor” that makes it special.

Kahani 10: Rise and Fall Rating: 2/5

Director: Sanjay Gupta

Actors: Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty

In my opinion, this was a waste of time for an actor like Sanjay Dutt. Strictly ok story, nothing likeable about it.

All in all, Rohit Roy bags the first prize, Meghana Gulzar and Sanjay Gupta share the second, and the others pretty much stink!

"Click" Clicks!

I love watching Adam Sandler movies; although they are similar in their comic content, they always leave you feeling happy in the end. However, “Click” is a complete non-Sandler. If you are looking for a comedy movie with a goofy Adam Sandler and Rob Schneider thrown in, you will be disappointed and won’t like this movie at all. However, this is in my opinion one of the best Adam Sandler films, some of the others being “Billy Madison”, “Happy Gilmore”, “Big Daddy”, “50 First Dates”.

It starts off as a comedy, and after a while the plot takes a swerve and gives you lessons in living life to the fullest. What would happen if you had a universal remote control, and you could control everything around you with the click of a button? Wouldn’t you feel empowered, having the ability to pause, rewind, and fast forward various aspects of your life? That’s precisely what a workaholic architect Michael Newman (Sandler) obtains from the “Beyond” section of a Bed Bath and Beyond store. The film depicts his journey with the magical remote control, and how things get out of hand when the remote takes over his life!

The film teaches a valuable lesson that family, friends, and other aspects of your life are as important or at times more important than your work. It teaches you the true meaning of the adage “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. Overall, a wonderful film.

Poignant and Powerful!

“A Mighty Heart” is probably one of the most powerful films of 2007. The director Michael Winterbottom has successfully painted the true picture about the brutal beheading of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in Karachi, Pakistan in the year 2002. The film is based on the book “A Mighty Heart: The Brave Life and Death of My Husband Danny Pearl”, written by Mariane Pearl.

The story opens with the life of Daniel and Mariane Pearl, both journalists, posted in Pakistan. One day, Danny leaves the house to meet a religious leader, never to return back! And what follows is intense drama, with emotions running high. An extensive search for Danny begins, with clues and links scattered all over Pakistan. Friends, colleagues, and the police try their best to find out about Dan’s whereabouts. Unfortunately, there is bad news in the end.

The most striking part of the movie is the sincerity of all the actors. They get into their characters so well that they recreate the tragic incident effectively on screen. This is one of Angelina Jolie’s best performances in my opinion. I am not much of a fan of her work, except for ‘Girl Interrupted’ and now this one. She portrays the character with utmost genuineness, including the look, and the accent. She captures the love, sadness, frustration, tension, and all other facets of Mariane’s emotions perfectly. She does not falter even once! The other cast, that includes Dan Futterman as Daniel Pearl, Irfan Khan as the police captain, Archie Panjabi as Asra, Denis O’Hare as John Bussey, Will Patton as Randall Bennett, has done a great job.

All in all, a very moving film, with heartfelt performances!