Chutki Bajaa Ke (2012) Review by Shivom Oza – Magic Tale Gone Awry

1.5/5 Stars

There are some films which enthral you and deport you into another world, that of vivid imaginations. Even if they are made for kids, they have the ability to hold the attention of audiences of all ages, just because of the conviction their makers show in their product.

Sadly, Dharmraj Films' fantasy film Chutki Bajaa Ke possesses none of the aforementioned qualities. An orphan christened Chottu (Ishant Indaliya) wanders from place to place looking for menial chores, fighting for his survival. He gets chucked out of the house, where he was a servant, being accused of theft (falsely). He gets humiliated at a restaurant, where he is tripling up as the waiter, a help and the delivery guy. The manager of the restaurant taunts him, beats him and refuses to give him food or money. You heart goes out to the kid, but even more so to the audience who is bombarded with inane dialogues, silly scenes and an even more horrific soundtrack.

The kid faces a reversal of fortunes, when he finds a taveez (necklace), which upon wearing, can make him swap his appearance with anyone else in the vicinity, just by snapping his fingers. Thus, life changes for Chottu, who can now enjoy all the pleasures of life that he missed out on, teach his detractors a lesson, and help nab the villains in the end.

The music of the film composed by Raaj Aashoo-Rajeev Tanvi is in one simple word, abominable. If the scenes itself don't put you to sleep, the songs definitely will. They would have been better off with no music at all.

The script keeps faltering after regular intervals and there are hardly any high points in the film. The story is a very predictable one, riddled with clichés. In spite of that, there are many films that have fared well, thanks to good performances and able direction.

The makers have also incorporated a few scenes about the issue of child labour. However, even these supposedly serious sequences start seeming obnoxious, thanks to some preposterous acting by the adults in the film. Yes, you heard it right.

In this film about 'Child Labour', the adults are the biggest let-downs. The makers, the technicians, the bunch of senior actors, including an actor like Mukesh Tiwari, fail to contribute anything to this film. The child actors, Ishant in particular, do their job well. If only the director (Vedant Vishnoi) had kept away with the clichés and the shenanigans with which we used to associate the films of the 90s, Chutki Bajaa Ke would have been a good product.

The reviewer gives 1.5 stars, just for the kids! (First Posted in MSN)

Shivom Oza

MLA – An Inside Intruder (2012) Review by Shivom Oza – Landslide Defeat For This MLA

1.5/5 Stars

The film is about a small town called Bhaglipur in Madhya Pradesh, where the local MLA Pratap Singh (Mukesh Tiwari) calls all the shots. He gets people killed, controls the police, scandalizes women, and rants. Alongside him, there’s always a caricaturized version of a secretary Sukhiram, who is more like a sidekick, present to get work done through a phone call and incur the wrath of his boss if and when he goofs up. The duo mouth typical lines about power/satta/khursi and what not, thus exposing the ineptness of the dialogue writers (as many as 4).

In the same town, we have a wealthy businessman Kamal Kushwaha, who is called KK throughout the film. KK wants to do something good for Bhaglipur, so decides to build a milk factory over there for the welfare of the villagers. Chaitanya Naidu, who plays KK, is expressionless through most of the film. Even his (inspirational?) speeches in the film sound laughable thanks to the limited acting acumen of the actor. You can sense that a lot of earnestness is put into the performance, but sadly it does not translate on the screen. Same goes for the girl who plays KK’s love interest Ana (Ana Kanandadze). The propensity of ham-acting displayed by the actress reduces, what were supposed to be intense and dramatic scenes to mediocre levels. Although her nationality is never revealed, she plays someone who has returned from Georgia, U.S.A. However, she can neither pull of the Hindi dialogues properly, nor English.
It’s not as if the entire cast lets the film down. The fault lies with the script and the dialogues, which probably leads to the actors performing so poorly. One would have expected actor Omkar Das Manikpuri to shine, following his stupendous performance as ‘Natha’ in ‘Peepli Live’. However, he too disappoints. He plays the villager Shankar who supports KK in his endeavours but ends up being targeted by the corrupt politicians. Onkar doesn’t have much to do in the first half of the film. His role builds up towards the end of the movie, but the actor fails to live up to his footing.

Even the music of the film (composed by Sandesh Shandilya) is forgettable. There are a couple of ‘forced’ item numbers in the film. I say forced, because there is nothing noteworthy about them, not the song, neither the picturization. The romantic number too, fails to impress. Overall, the music along with the background score was average failing to uplift the film.
There are good moments in the film, but they are too few and far in between. There is a sincere message embedded within the film, but it gets lost within the faulty script and below-par acting. Director Shiv Dube has tried to mix too many elements within the film, making it difficult for the audience to sit through for 2 hours.
The reviewer gives it 1.5 stars. You wouldn’t miss out on much if you don’t watch ‘MLA – An Inside Intruder’. The film makes the audiences seem like intruders! (First Posted in MSN)

Shivom Oza

Namak Halaal (1982) Review by Shivom Oza - They Don't Make Them Like That Anymore

3.5/5 Stars

Prakash Mehra and Amitabh Bachchan forged a pair that was known to shell out one hit after the other. Zanjeer, Hera Pheri, Khoon Pasina, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Laawaris, Namak Halaal and Sharaabi are films that defined an era of filmmaking. Although Mehra's films never impressed the critics, they went on to become mammoth successes at the box-office. Namak Halaal was one of them.

The film is about a rich businessman, Raja (Shashi Kapoor) who is under the false impression that his foster mother Savitridevi (Waheeda Rehman) is plotting to kill him for his wealth. Arjun Singh (Amitabh Bachchan) Raja's loyal servant wants to prove his faithfulness by saving his master from every attack attempt made to his life. Meanwhile, Girdhar (Satyendra Kapoor)and his son Ranjit Singh (Ranjeet) try every possible method to eliminate Raja and seize his wealth. What binds them together is an incident that occurred 15 years ago, that led to the deaths of Raja's and Arjun's fathers. What follows is a series of revelations, murder attempts, kidnappings and emotional reunions that make the film Namak Halaal a cult film.

The film, in a nutshell represents the ideal Hindi masala film which has action, romance, comedy, thrills, suspense, drama, emotion, rain songs, family reunions and all the shenanigans that you would associate a typical commercial potboiler with. If you consider the actress Waheeda Rehman as one of the most graceful and elegant mothers in Hindi cinema remember, this was one of the first films where she played a mother. She plays the sacrificing, enduring, emotional, caring and protective mother who would go to any extent to safeguard her adopted son (Raja) even if it is at the cost of giving up her biological son. She is not a melodramatic mother per se, which we've often seen on the silver screen all these years. She can lend subtlety even to the emotional moments, which is what makes her so endearing.

Shashi Kapoor who plays the rich spoilt businessman, shows flashes of brilliance and is at his effervescent best while enacting the jovial scenes as well as those of emotional outbursts. Kapoor manages to hold his own in this film that comprises a bunch of stellar performers.

Poonam (Smita Patil) who plays Arjun Singh's love interest shines in this film despite having a limited role. Her chemistry with Amitabh Bachchan in the rain number Aaj Rapat Jaaye is intense and playful at the same time. The success of the song lies in the fact that the two actors made such a great pair on screen. Nisha (Parveen Babi) plays the singer/dancer at the hotel owned by Raja. She looks stunning in her two numbers Raat Baaki Baat Baaki and Jawani Janeman (both of them sung impeccably by Asha Bhosle) which wouldn't be half as successful if they wouldn't feature the gorgeous Parveen Babi.

Coming to the antagonists played by Satyendra Kapoor and Ranjeet as the scheming father-son duo. The two are conniving in some parts, caricaturized in some, yet manage to look and act menacing in the roles that they play. Om Prakash who plays the adorable 'Daddu' is exceptional, doing the comic and the emotional scenes with Élan. His charming performance will leave you with a smile after you finish watching the film.

Prakash Mehra brings together a good script, great music and an even better cast in this 3-hour entertainer. The film engages you, enthralls you, entices you and most credit should go to the director Prakash Mehra, who manages to bring out spectacular performances from his actors and gives us a film that we would cherish for decades to come. The music by Bappi Lahiri is amazing with chartbusters like the ones mentioned above in addition to Thodi Si Jo Peeli Hai and Pag Ghungroo Bandh. The singers Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle have sung tracks which are not only remembered after all these years, but listened to, reprised and re-mixed as well. The songs represent the nostalgia and the rebelliousness of the 80s and still continue to remain popular. The music of the film is a big reason why the film is a 'more-than-one-time' watch.

Coming to the most important reason why you should watch the movie! It is the inimitable, the irrepressible, the immaculate and the icon of Hindi cinema, Mr. Amitabh Bachchan. Not just does he have the best role and the best lines in this film, but the best performance as well. He plays the affable Arjun Singh, who can talk English, walk English and laugh English because English is a very 'phunny' language. He captivates the audience as he manages to pull off the comic, emotional and action scenes with ease. Bachchan can make you laugh as easily as he can make you weep.

This film has earned its right to be referred to as a true classic in Hindi Cinema. The film is worth multiple watches and the reviewer gives it 3.5 stars.

Watch 'Namak Halaal' for they don't make such films anymore. (First Posted in MSN)

Shivom Oza

Waqt (1965) Review by Shivom Oza – A Timeless Classic

3.5/5 Stars

Waqt is an iconic film in Hindi cinema for various reasons. Firstly, it was one of the first Hindi films that comprised a multi-starrer/ensemble cast. It pioneered the concept of 'lost and found' films which set the trend for countless others to replicate. Besides just giving the viewer, unforgettable dialogues and legendary songs, the film also gave director Yash Chopra his first big success in the industry.

The film set in post-independent India of 1960s, begins with Lala Kedarnath (played by the brilliant Balraj Sahni) and his family reveling in the success of their business fortunes. Kedarnath is a hard-working man, who started out as a laborer and has prospered, thanks to his diligence and dedication and not owing to luck and fortune. He slights astrology saying nothing can come between a man and his mission, not even fate. He is a happy-go-lucky man who wishes the best for his family, wants his three sons (Bablu, Raju, Munna) to become a barrister, a businessman and an engineer, and serenades his beloved wife (Laxmi) with all the love he can, sings for her too!
Fate plays a cruel game with the Kedarnath family as an earthquake strikes their town and their world comes crashing down. Everything that Lala Kedarnath had built in all these years has vanished in a jiffy; what's more, he loses his family too! The film is about how the separated members of the family move on from this travesty and several years down the line, how their lives strangely reconnect with each other.

Balraj Sahni, who plays Lala Kedarnath acts brilliantly throughout the film. Having to play a flourishing businessman, a prison-inmate, a homeless man and a troubled father/husband in the same film is indeed a challenging proposition and Sahni truly does justice to his character. His chemistry with Achala Sachdev in the song Ae Meri Zohra Jabeen is marvelous, and has an old-world charm about it. 

Sunil Dutt, who plays the adopted son(Bablu/Ravi) in a well-to-do family shines in his role, playing the effervescent charmer in some scenes, acing the lover-boy act in some and eventually bringing out an intense dimension to his character in the courtroom scenes.

Raaj Kumar, who had won a Filmfare award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of the conniving Raju/Raja, steals the show. Akhtar-ul-Iman, the dialogue writer has given Kumar the best lines. Kumar has performed with abandon and the all-consuming swagger that he was always been associated with. Shashi Kapoor plays the reticent Munna/Vijay Kumar with such sincerity that even with an understated role; he manages to excel despite the limitations.

One thing the film should be lauded for is its representation of women. Fortunately, no stereotypes exist in the film. There are no instances of a housewife being troubled, a rich girl throwing tantrums or any scene that show women to be the weaker sex. The women in the film, be it the mother Achala Sachdev or the leading ladies Sharmila Tagore and Sadhana, are independent, confident and strong willed, besides all of them look breathtakingly beautiful. They have been given powerful characters and are not sidelined in the film. The supporting characters in the film too have given brilliant performances hence uplifting the quality of the cinematic experience.

The editing by Pran Mehra is crisp. There's barely a lull moment in the movie. The music composed by Ravi Shankar Sharma is melodious and some of the numbers in the soundtrack are still instilled in the minds of the viewers. The song Ae Meri Zohra Jabeen has become one of the most memorable romantic songs of all time. Composed by Ustad Abdul Ghafoor Breshna from Afghanistan, crooned by the brilliant Manna Dey and enacted by the outstanding histrionics of Balraj Sahni, the song has become a cult in the annals of Hindi cinema. The script penned by Akhtar Mirza is entertaining and thought provoking at the same time. The only flaw the reviewer could possibly find with the plot was there are simply too many co-incidences in the film. However, without them Waqt would not be the stroke of genius as it is, so the leaps of faith are well and truly, acceptable.

Finally, the star of the show is beyond doubt, the director Yash Chopra who manages to bring together this eclectic group and delivers a cinematic genius that has been marveled for decades and will continue to be for many more to come. This film has everything in it - comedy, drama, romance, suspense, good music and more importantly a message. Words said by Lala Kedarnath in the final few moments of the film, Waqt Hi Banaata Hai Aur Waqt Hi Bigaadta Hai give the viewer so much more to think about. This film is for the archives and merits a more-than-once viewing. The reviewer gives Waqt 3.5 stars and recommend it as a must watch. 

Waqt is your time, well-spent! (First Posted in MSN)

Shivom Oza