Soundtrack (2011) Movie Review

Storyline

Arriving in Mumbai with just a backpack and a guitar, Raunaq Kaul hooks up with Surinder Bhan, who introduces him to Charlie, the owner of 'Charlie Tango' nightclub. This is where Raunaq makes his start and achieves phenomenal success as a composer virtually overnight. He quickly regresses to a life of illicit drugs, including Charas, Cocaine, Ganja, smoking, and alcohol. Unable to perform, he goes for a medical check-up with Dr. Manu Rishi Kaul, and is told that he has lost his hearing in the right ear, while the left one is only partly functional. In order to avoid deafness, he must avoid loud music as well as try and keep off drugs, alcohol and smoking, and wear a hearing-aid. Unable to focus on his work, he alienates himself, gets into an argument, which results in an accident - taking away his hearing altogether. Depressed, refusing to communicate with anyone, he prepares a padded sound-proof room with hopes of recovering his hearing...

Review

Highly recommended!!

In recent times, Bollywood has witnessed many melodramatic remakes (most of them, remade from South Indian movies). Soundtrack, though a remake of Canadian movie It's all Gone Pete Tong (officially mentioned in the end credits of the movie), is thankfully not over-the-top.

Rajeev Khandelwal as Raunak Kaul is just marvelous. He is thoroughly in sync with his character and he has proved his versatility with this movie. He transits well from a DJ hunk to a deaf musician. Mrinalini Sharma is unbelievably hot. Soha Ali Khan acts well (yes, you read it right). Both the ladies represent contradictions in Rajeev's character. Mrinalini makes you go high in first half and Soha makes you feel dry in second. 

Soundtrack, has very good music but the background score of the movie sounds a bit pale. Two songs, Naina Lagey and Banao are placed wrongly in background score, which can't be digested in a musical drama. The "Johnny Joker" element added to make it a bit artistic movie, is appreciative, but not needed.

Camera works is fancy. Cinematography is brilliant.Dialogues are fresh, crisp and hap devoid of any melodrama, which is commendable. Direction is good, not excellent.

The movie could have been narrated in a heroic way but the director chooses a subtle and documentary kind(not to misinterpret as a mediocre way) of narration giving it an artistic touch rather than commercial appeal. 

Don't trust the reviewers that rate Bodyguard as first class, and do go for this movie. You won't be disappointed.

WATCH FULL MOVIE On-line IN THE ATTACHED VIDEO LINK(YOU TUBE).

Director: 

Neerav Ghosh

Writers: 

Neerav Ghosh, Rajiv Gopalkrishnan (co-writer)

Stars:

 Rajeev Khandelwal, Soha Ali Khan and Mrinalini Sharma

Cast

	Rajeev Khandelwal	...	Raunak Kaul
	Soha Ali Khan	...	Gauri
	Mrinalini Sharma	...	Shonali
	Mohan Kapoor	...	Charlie (as Mohan Kapur)
	Yatin Karyekar	...	Surinder Bhan
	Ankur Tewari	...	Banjo (as Anku Tiwari)
	Siddharath Coutto	...	Biscuit (as Sid Coutto)
	Manu Rishi	...	ENT Spealist Dr. Manu Rishi Chadha (as Manu Rishi Chadha)
	Jyamin Ali	...	Musician at Kathak Dance
	Angie	...	Drunk PYT
	Aqeel	...	Himself (as DJ Aqeel)
	Bani	...	Herself (as VJ Bani)
	Harjit Soni Bhoondpal	...	Charlie's Angel 2
	Anisa Butt	...	Charlie's Angel 3 (as Anisa Bhutt)
	Sagar Chavan	...	Photographer at Press Conference

Ghost Rider : The Spirit Of Vengeance (2012) Movie Review

Storyline

As Johnny Blaze hides out in Eastern Europe, he is called upon to stop the devil, who is trying to take human form.

Review

A sequel to the immensely entertaining 2007 box-office hit Ghost Rider, 'Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance' turns out to be a fairly decent sequel, that has terrific action-sequences & brilliant 3D effects working on its advantage. But, 'Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance' is Strictly Popcorn Entertainment! 

'Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance' is fairly entertaining. Though the Screenplay Written by Scott Gimple, Seth Hoffman & David S. Goyer does offer some interesting moments, it gets lazy in the second-hour. It relies too much on Special Effects & Action-Sequences. Neveldine/Taylor's Direction is fair. Special Effects/3D Effects & Action-Sequences are Magnificent. Cinematography & Editing are passable.

Performance-Wise: Academy-Award-Winner Nicolas Cage returns as Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider, and, like always, he is sincere & honest. Johnny Whitworth is functional. Violante Placido & Fergus Riordan support well, while Idris Elba & Christopher Lambert leave a strong impact.

On the whole, 'Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance' is Strictly Popcorn Entertainment.

Directors: 

Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor

Writers: 

Scott M. Gimple (screenplay), Seth Hoffman(screenplay)

Stars:

 Nicolas Cage, Ciarán Hinds and Idris Elba

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
	Nicolas Cage	...	Johnny Blaze / Ghost Rider
	Violante Placido	...	Nadya
	Ciarán Hinds	...	Roarke
	Idris Elba	...	Moreau
	Johnny Whitworth	...	Ray Carrigan
	Fergus Riordan	...	Danny
	Spencer Wilding	...	Grannik
	Sorin Tofan	...	Kurdish
	Jacek Koman	...	Terrokov
	Anthony Head	...	Benedict
	Cristian Iacob	...	Vasil
	Christopher Lambert	...	Methodius
	Jai Stefan	...	Krakchev
	Vincent Regan	...	Toma Nikasevic
	Ionut Cristian Lefter	...	Young Johnny Blaze

Khel Mandala (Song) Lyrics

खेळ मांडला

गीत : अजय

Singer : Ajay Gogavale

चित्रपट  : नटरंग (२०१०)

तुझ्या पायरीशी कुणी सान थोर न्हाई

साद सुन्या काळजाची तुझ्या कानी जाई

हेय..तरी देवा सर ना ह्यो भोग कशा पाई

हरवली वाट दिशा अंधारल्या धाई

वावाळूनी उधळतो जीव माया बापा

वानवा ह्यो उरी पेटला

खेळ मांडला

खेळ मांडला

खेळ मांडला.. देवा..

खेळ मांडला..

सांडली ग रीत भात घेतला वसा तुझा

तूच वाट दाखीवगा खेळ मांडला

दावी देवा पैल पार पाठीशी तू रहा उभा

ह्यो तुझ्याच उंबर्यात खेळ मांडला

हे..उत्सवाला गण गोत सारं आधार कोणाचा न्हाई

भेगाळल्या भुई परी जीव अंगार जीवाला जाळी

बळ दे झुंजायला किर्पेची ढाल दे

इनाविती पंच प्राण जेव्हारात ताल दे

करपला रान देवा जाळला शिवार

तरी न्हाई धीर सांडला

खेळ मांडला

The Spiritualist By Megan Chance : Review

Book Description

Publication Date: May 27, 2008

Sometimes truth is the greatest illusion of all. 

In a cold January morning in 1856, Evelyn Atherton’s husband is found murdered after attending an exclusive séance. Having “married up” into New York society, Evie herself is the immediate suspect. Ostracized and vulnerable, she knows that to clear her name she must retrace her husband’s last steps. And so, joining forces with her husband’s best friend–and the only Manhattan lawyer who will accept her case–Evie dives into the mysterious underworld of the occult. 

Before long, the trail brings them to a charismatic medium, Michel Jourdain. Evie’s instincts tell her the smooth-talking Jourdain is a charlatan–and her only hope for exoneration. But getting close to Jourdain means embracing a seductive and hypnotic world where clues to murder come through the voices of the dead. 

Caught in a perilous game in which she is equal player and pawn, predator and victim, Evie finds there is no one to trust, perhaps not even herself. As her powerful in-laws build a case against her, and with time running out, Evie must face the real ghosts of her past if she is to have any hope of avoiding the hangman.

Reviews

“The Spiritualist sweeps the reader into the richly detailed world of upstairs/downstairs New York City of the 1850s. The heroine's life and sanity are at stake in this unique murder mystery, and compelling characterization and clever plot twists abound. There's not a ghost of a chance that Megan Chance's enthralling story will let you put it down.”

—Karen Harper, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Boleyn

“[The Spiritualist is] a suspenseful tale of dark obsession and erotic mysticism…Intricate plotting and elegant characterizations will keep readers turning the pages faster and faster toward the startling, unexpected conclusion.”

—Kristin Hannah, New York Times bestselling author

"The Spiritualist is darkly mesmerizing historical suspense infused with a fabulously seductive supernatural atmosphere and riveting authenticity.”

—Amanda Quick, New York Times bestselling author

Review 

Book story sets in winter 1857 in New-York. About Evelyn Atherton a fabulously beautiful women and the widow of Peter Atherton who got murdered one night when they both went together to the one of the sitting of the club where the people comes to talk with their dead relatives where a medium named Micheal Jordan who has a very attractive personality. Suddenly Evelyn is a prime murder suspect as Peter gives all his property to her in his will.After the case and bale Evelyn comes to Benet where Jordan satys and The case is now in the hand of Benjamin Rapling the business patner of Peter. Benjamin promice Evelyn that he will do all that things which is necessary to make Evelyn out of that case. Here in the Benet mansion Evelyn turns into a good medium for spirits and she begins to see some things which always disturbing for her..But she has to find the original murderer before times runs out.Will she able to do so?? She has to go through the evil spirits of past to know the Truth...the story line is very good and it gives us the flavor of like true story. The all characters are really very brilliantly described . The environment generated by description is brilliant. By the story line writer puts hand into the dark and bright side of woman thoughts very impressively. The sexual desires of a woman is described very sophisticated manner.The story goes from very shocking turns and the end will be also shock you if you dont guess the murderer correctly... As in my condition i guess the murderer in the middle of book that make the end little not surprising but yes the climax is very interesting..You cant put book away until you finish it.... undoubtedly .-

 Satyajeet Patil

दमित इच्छाएं और गंद का बाजार

अनेक कहावतें जानवरों की प्रवृत्तियों को देखकर गढ़ी गई हैं। दरअसल सारे ज्ञान का आदि और अंत प्रकृति से ही होता है। मनुष्य ने जंगलों का अधिग्रहण किया है। समुद्र किनारे की जमीन को पाटकर उस पर इमारतें बनाई हैं। जानवरों ने इस मायने में मनुष्य के संसार में प्रवेश किया है कि उनकी प्रवृत्तियां मानव स्वभाव का हिस्सा बन गई हैं। हमारे बसाए हुए सीमेंट के बीहड़ों में चहुंओर हिंसक जानवरनुमा इंसान स्वच्छंद घूमते हैं।

बहरहाल ‘भेडिय़ा धसान’ फिल्म जगत में खूब प्रचलित है, अर्थात किसी सफलता को दोहराने का प्रयास कल्पनाहीन फिल्मकार करते रहते हैं। देश-विदेश की फिल्मों की नकल के साथ ही सफल फिल्मों को थोड़ा-सा परिवर्तन करके बनाने का प्रयास किया जाता है। विगत वर्ष एकता कपूर और मिलन लूथरिया की ‘द डर्टी पिक्चर’ की तर्ज पर कुछ करने की बेचैनी कई लोगों को है।

सस्ती सनसनीखेज अश्लील-सी बी-ग्रेड फिल्में बनाने का काम कांति शाह करते रहे हैं। उन्होंने मिथुन चक्रवर्ती के साथ ‘गुंडा’ नामक एक्शन फिल्म भी बनाई थी। ‘रॉकस्टार’ के दर्शकों को याद होगा कि फिल्म की मनमौजी युवा नायिका ‘जंगली जवानी’ नामक अश्लील फिल्म देखने जाती है। हर शहर की किसी संकरी-सी गली में एक ठाठिया सिनेमाघर होता है, जहां इस तरह की फिल्में प्रदर्शित होती हैं। ऐसी फिल्मों के असंख्य दर्शक भी हैं, अन्यथा इस तरह की फिल्में बने ही नहीं। बाजार में माल बिकता है, इसलिए बनाया भी जाता है। 

बहरहाल, एक फिल्मकार कांति शाह के जीवन से प्रेरणा लेकर एक काल्पनिक फिल्म बना रहा है, जिसके नायक का नाम उसने शांति शाह रखा है। स्पष्ट है कि इस ‘शाहनामे’ के नाम पर कुछ ऐसी अश्लील-सी चीजें फिल्म में होंगी, जो सेंसर की सुई की नोंक से निकल जाए। सिल्क स्मिता के जीवन से प्रेरित यथार्थ के नाम पर ‘डर्टी’ क्लीन होकर निकल गया। इसके कुछ संवाद सुनकर कांति का चेहरा भी शर्म से लाल हो जाता। यह रास्ता अनेक लोगों ने अपनाया है।

शेखर कपूर ने यथार्थ चित्रण के लिए फूलन देवी प्रेरित फिल्म में अपशब्द और अश्लील को भी श्रेष्टि समाज द्वारा स्वीकार करने योग्य बना दिया था, जिसे उच्च न्यायालय ने भी हरी झंडी दिखाई थी। बहरहाल, शेखर कपूर की फिल्म में बहुत गहराई थी, परंतु वह देखी गई ‘उत्तेजक दृश्यों’ के लिए, जो दरअसल विद्रूप जगाते थे। इस तरह की फिल्म के लिए कांति शाह की भूमिका के लिए नामी कलाकार लेना जरूरी है। 

‘द डर्टी पिक्चर’ में मल्लिका शेरावत या राखी सावंत होती तो उसे अधिक दर्शक नहीं मिलते, परंतु पारंपरिक छवि वाली विद्या बालन के आते ही ‘अनदेखे को देखने’ की जिज्ञासा दर्शकों में जगी। इसी तरह दक्षिण के बुढिय़ाते सुपर सितारे की भूमिका में गंभीर चरित्र चित्रण के लिए पहचाने जाने वाले नसीरुद्दीन शाह को लेना भी फिल्म के प्रति लगाव पैदा करने में सफल हुआ। 

मनोरंजन उद्योग में स्थापित छवि को भुनाने के साथ ही छवि के विपरीत भूमिका करना भी दर्शकों में उन्माद जगाता है। फॉर्मूले की मशीन में इस तरह का तेल समय-समय पर डालना ही पड़ता है। कांति शाह ने किसी और उद्देश्य से धर्मेंद्र पर फिल्माए एक दृश्य को अपनी ‘जंगली जवानी’ नुमा किसी फिल्म में ठूंस दिया। सनी देओल ने इस धोखाधड़ी से दु:खी होकर कांति की जमकर पिटाई कर दी। सुना है कि इस प्रस्तावित फिल्म में इस तथाकथित तथ्य को डाला जा रहा है।

दरअसल धर्मेंद्र अपनी बिंदास दरियादिली में कुछ निर्माताओं को अतिथि भूमिका करके उपकृत करते थे। बहरहाल, इस प्रस्तावित फिल्म के निर्माता मिलन लूथरिया से इस कदर प्रभावित हैं कि न केवल उनकी ‘द डर्टी पिक्चर’ का पुरुष संस्करण बनाने का प्रयास कर रहे हैं, वरन् फिल्म का शीर्षक ‘ये है मुंबई’ भी मिलन की ‘वंस अपॉन ए टाइम इन मुंबई’ से प्रेरित लगता है। ‘भेडिय़ा धसान’ भी इस प्रयास का नाम हो सकता था। दरअसल सफलता की कोई डुप्लीकेट मशीन नहीं होती और न ही कोई जेरॉक्स कॉपी चलती है। जनता की अदालत में मूल दस्तावेज दिखाने पड़ते हैं। 

अब अगर विद्या बालन भी ‘डर्टी’ को दोहराएं तो सफल नहीं हो सकतीं। सच तो यह है कि विद्या बालन ने ‘नो वन किल्ड जेसिका’ में बेहतर अदाकारी की थी, जबकि पटकथा रानी मुखर्जी की सहायता कर रही थी। मनुष्य की दमित इच्छाओं और कुटैव ने बाजार को कई दुकानें प्रदान की हैं।

बेगम पारा: अपने युग के तापमान से ऊंचा था उनका पारा

संजय लीला भंसाली की रनवीर कपूर अभिनीत फिल्म 'सांवरिया' की नायिका सोनम कपूर की दादी की संक्षिप्त भूमिका बेगम पारा ने अभिनीत की। बेगम पारा की बहन की बेटी रुखसाना सुलतान खुशवंत सिंह के छोटे भाई शाविंदर सिंह की पत्नी थीं और उनकी संतान अमृता सिंह सनी देओल की 'बेताब' की नायिका थीं और सैफ अली खान से उनका विवाह हुआ था।

बेगम पारा दिलीप कुमार के भाई नासिर खान की बीवी थीं और उनका पुत्र अयूब खान छोटे परदे पर आज भी सक्रिय है। फिल्म उद्योग में सफल कहानियां थोड़े परिवर्तन के साथ बार-बार बनाई जाती हैं और यहां रिश्ते भी खूब घूम-फिरकर सामने आते रहते हैं। 

कुछ वर्ष पूर्व सलमा आगा ने धूम मचाई थी और वे कपूर परिवार की शाखा से थीं। प्रेम अदीब के साथ बेगम पारा ने पहली फिल्म 'चांद' १९४४ में प्रभात फिल्म कंपनी के लिए अभिनीत की थी। आधा दर्जन प्रेम कहानियों में काम करने के बाद बेगम पारा ने खुरदरे एक्शन हीरो शेख मुख्तार के साथ तीन सफल फिल्में दीं- 'दादा', 'दारा' और 'उस्ताद पेड्रो'।

बेगम पारा कभी शिखर सितारा नहीं बन पाईं, जिसके तीन कारण थे। पहला तो यह कि पारंपरिक मूल्यों के उस दौर में वे बिंदास जीवन शैली वाली बाला, फिल्मी दावतों में खुलेआम पुरुषों के साथ बैठकर उनके बराबर ही पी सकने की क्षमता रखती थीं। 

कुछ क्षेत्रों पर पुरुषों का अधिकार माना गया है और जब फार्मूला सोच और ढांचों पर कोई नारी आक्रमण करे, तो मर्दों के पैर के नीचे से जमीन या कहें तथाकथित श्रेष्ठता का कालीन खिसक जाता है। अपने युग के तापमान से ऊंचा था पारा उसका। दूसरा यह कि आज जिन साहसी पोशाकों को पहनकर- करीना, कटरीना, प्रियंका इठलाती हुई आधुनिकाएं कहलाती हैं, वे सब बेगम पारा उस जमाने में पहनती थीं।

तीसरा यह कि बेगम पारा की जबान तल्ख थी। वे जैसा सोचती थीं, वैसा ही बोलती थीं। उस जमाने में कपड़ों में घूंघट की तरह, जबान में भी परदेदारी रखनी पड़ती थी। बेगम पारा जालंधर में जमीन-जायदाद वाले परिवार में पैदा हुई थीं। उनके पिता मियां एहसान उल हक जज थे। उनके भाई एम हक की पत्नी प्रोतिमा दासगुप्ता थीं। उनके खानदान में कुछ नामी क्रिकेट खिलाड़ी भी हुए हैं। बेगम पारा की तस्वीर 'लाइफ' पत्रिका में छपी थी और सरहदों पर तैनात जवान उसे सिरहाने रखकर सोते थे।

The Adventures of Tintin (2011) Movie Review

Storyline

Having bought a model ship,the Unicorn,for a pound off a market stall Tintin is initially puzzled that the sinister Mr. Sakharine should be so eager to buy it from him,resorting to murder and kidnapping Tintin - accompanied by his marvellous dog Snowy - to join him and his gang as they sail to Morocco on an old cargo ship. Sakharine has bribed the crew to revolt against the ship's master,drunken Captain Haddock,but Tintin,Snowy and Haddock escape,arriving in Morocco at the court of a sheikh,who also has a model of the Unicorn. Haddock tells Tintin that over three hundred years earlier his ancestor Sir Francis Haddock was forced to scuttle the original Unicorn when attacked by a piratical forebear of Sakharine but he managed to save his treasure and provide clues to its location in three separate scrolls,all of which were secreted in models of the Unicorn. Tintin and Sakharine have one...

Review

Riding and Remembering the shivers of an adventurous childhood.

When about a year ago, at the supermarket, I saw on the Empire magazine's cover the 3D reproduction of one of my childhood's toon-idols my eyes popped out. 'WHO is directing WHAT???' - the question that echoed in my mind: It was a bit of shock finding out that one of my favorite directors was working on a movie from a character I considered buried under the dusts of time. The astonishment was soon replaced by excitement and I made the way back home from the supermarket hopping and smiling.

Today I decided to take an adventurous break from my dull academic life and went to the cinema to watch it. No wonder the room was almost full, despite the fact that the movie will be officially released tomorrow. As soon as the opening credits appeared on the screen I felt a shiver of excitement running through my spine as I was visually meeting an old friend from my childhood again; to my pleasure I felt the same sensations I would feel when I was a child. That's one of the VERY good points of this production: the spirit of Herge's Tintin, in Spielberg's movie, remains UNALTERED. There are some cases, though, in which the characters are even better and more deeply characterized than in the comic strips.

OK, let's release now all the excitement about this movie. If I had just five short seconds to say how I think this movie is I'd chose 7 words: Mesmerising from the beginning to the end. That's quite true if you consider that even the opening credits are little shining pearls of direction and creativity.

The general impression you get from this movie, talking about direction, is that nothing could have been better. Spielberg's direction is, in this case as well, a real warranty of general great quality. Three things I particularly appreciated: -The movie flows perfectly; it is kind of a pleasure for your eyes and for your brain to follow the adventure. -There's literally a STORM of brain-waves (and here comes the Spielberg's touch); especially, in the connection phases between one scene and the other the director totally expresses his genius, turning the open ocean into a pond, making two shaking hands become dunes in the desert and so on (you'll understand what I mean when you'll watch the movie) -The 'camera's movements' literally pull you into the movie and you can't help feeling excited or scared according to the situation.

You can tell it's a Spielberg's movie even just looking at these things.

Although all the things I have listed until now are enough to candidate the movie as the best movie of the year (in my opinion) there's still something I must remember: The quality of animation. I really could not find a proper term to define my astonishment when my eyes approached the beautiful places and landscapes shown in the movie. They look perfect, shining and bursting with emotions, sensations; they almost look like paintings: For instance, there's a sunset in the movie that I will hardly forget. It's the same with the CGI models: you can see the wrinkles on the character's faces, even their sweat.

Furthermore, some words about the actors: Bells and Serkis are maybe the sole two living beings who could have given birth to the cinematographic version of the two main characters. The first succeeds in the hard challenge to provide the audience with a convincing and faithful interpretation of the beloved protagonist (he did A GREAT job indeed), the second is a delightful surprise again, with a funny Scottish accent and a very good interpretation.

One last word goes to one of the best composer alive: Sir John Williams. There's nothing to do, every piece of music he creates is able to touch the deepest strings of our hearts. With a soundtrack (already bought at the HMV store) that ranges from the epic tones to the mysterious ones he gives us another example of his limitless genius, because he still remains one of those composers able to make us cry.

Finally, Tintin - The Secret of the Unicorn, is one of the greatest surprises of the year. Another great adventure in the archive of the most spectacular stories of humanity, told by a MASTER story-teller (Spielberg). A movie you will hardly forget.

Cast

	Daniel Craig	...	Ivanovich Sakharine
	Jamie Bell	...	Tintin
	Simon Pegg	...	Inspector Thompson
	Andy Serkis	...	Captain Haddock
	Cary Elwes	...	Pilot
	Toby Jones	...	Silk
	Nick Frost	...	Thomson
	Sebastian Roché	...	Pedro
	Tony Curran	...	Lt. Delcourt
	Mackenzie Crook	...	Tom
	Kim Stengel	...	Bianca Castafiore
	Daniel Mays	...	Allan
	Gad Elmaleh	...	Ben Salaad
	Mark Ivanir	...	Afgar Outpost Soldier
	Phillip Rhys	...	Co-pilot

Directed by
Steven Spielberg

Writing credits
Steven Moffat		(screenplay) and
Edgar Wright		(screenplay) &
Joe Cornish		(screenplay)
Hergé		(comic book series "The Adventures of Tintin")