Talaash

Genre: Crime/Thriller/Drama

Director: Reema Kagti

Cast: Aamir Khan (Srujan Singh Shekhawat), Kareena Kapoor (Rosy), Rani Mukherji (Shreya Bondre), Nawazuddin Siddiuqi, Raj Kumar Yadav (Devrath Kulkarni)

This movie grips you firmly, keeps you hooked through the first half but loses you totally flat face near the end and that is where it fails.

I must admit that direction is good, acting by all lead actors is fantastic but what makes or breaks a thriller is the script and trust me guys when I say SCRIPT is WEAK for the film. Just to draw up something unexpected, it kind of ends up betraying its own genre and becomes extremely predictable by the end. One ends up saying, “Ye to Kuchh bhi tha..!!”.

This story is about an inspector Surjan Singh Shekhawat, who is facing difficult times on a new high profile case of an actor meeting an accident which clearly seems like a murder. Troubles not only surround him professionally but personally as well. He is facing lack of emotional comfort at home and the thought of losing his son due to his negligence is eroding him from inside. In this complex scenario, he meets a prostitute while solving the case, who helps him to solve the case as an informer and comforts him emotionally as well. Then slowly, the pages turn to reveal the connections and how the case helps Shekhawat with his personal turmoil also.

No doubt that the direction is just too good with great use of Bombay Locals to intensify the thrill. Narration has been fantastic as well which doesn’t allow one to take eyes away from the screen for even a single second. Great performance by Aamir as the frustrated police officer. Rani Mukherjee does justice to her role as a supporting house-wife. Kareena Kapoor is unbelievably genuine in her act and easily keeps the mystery quotient high on-screen. Background scores and songs add to all the drama and are well placed.

The only point (being the most important point…) where it fails is the finale of the script. Not only can u predict it easily but it goes way beyond the unexpected limits and ends up somewhere totally out of the scope for such kind of a formula thriller movie. Can’t give you any spoiler though, so experiencing it yourselves would be better…  he he he.

My Rating :- 3/5, could have easily given it above 4 for the great over-all performance of actors and crew, but the finale keeps me from doing so.

Jab Tak Hai Jaan

Genre: Romance/Drama
Director: Yash Chopra
Cast: Shahrukh Khan (Samar Anand), Katrina Kaif (Meera Thapar), Anushka Sharma (Akira Rai), Anupam Kher (Meera's Father), Rishi Kapoor (Imran)

More than a film its a Vintage Yash Chopra Romance…

Amazing cinematography, breath-taking shooting locations and emotionally-loaded sequences take the viewers to the days of romantic cinema when films like DDLJ, Dil To Pagal Hai and Veer-Zaara ruled. Completely owned by YashJi, this movie is a tribute to the legendary romance that Bollywood was ever known for, before being over-taken by circus-style action genre.

It is a story about Samar Anand, an Indian army bomb diffusion specialist whose life has been a rough road. In his initial struggling days as a singer in London he meets Meera Thapar and they fall in love with each other. But, just to keep a promise made to God she backs out from this relationship. The high-tempered and unforgiving Samar couldn’t accept this fact and ends up carrying the hatred against Meera in his heart. He leaves his career in mid-way and goes back to Kashmir to become a bomb diffuser for Indian Army. There he meets another high spirited Discovery Channel reporter, Akira Rai who after accidentally reading Samar’s diary falls deeply in love with him. She requests him to come back to London and Samar agrees. There due to some circumstances he ends up facing Meera again and seeing no space in Samar’s heart, Akira leaves the two together. Meera ends up quitting her promise and comes back to Samar.

Script is weak but the magic is in the screenplay and the way the scenes are made heavy with emotions. Acting performances have been great. Katrina Kaif seemed to have finally learnt to act and it’s the first movie she has proved true to her profession. SRK has seriously worked on his over-acting and has redefined his emotions as a stubborn soldier incredibly. No amount of praise can do justice to Anushka’s acting in this film. She has won the show on all squares. Her lively presence on screen helps one to glide through the second half effortlessly and still she carries out the emotional scenes very naturally. (Kudos to all who believe she deserved the best debutant instead of Asin, the over actress… :D).

Finally, the star of the film is Yash Chopra himself who has managed to deliver a typical romance with wonderful cinematography and exquisite locations. His direction wasn’t upto the mark, I must say but he managed to keep the emotional quotient high.

My rating :- 3/5, a faster narration and increased sensibility could have made the film a much better experience. A fine end to a great film-maker. He will always be missed.