Tag: Saif Ali Khan

Movie Review: Happy Ending

Posted on by anshubhojnagarwala

Happy EndingI will confess something. Last week I had watched Kill/Dil. In spite of it being a decent enough film, I couldn’t draw up the enthusiasm to write about it. But with ‘Happy Ending’, as soon as the film started rolling, the words also started flowing on their own.

Saif Ali Khan as Yudi Jaitley (I so loved the name ‘Yudi’. It’s hatke – different) is an author of a one-time bestseller book. Also, he is a classic case of Peter Pan Syndrome; thirty-something but refuses to grow up. It’s been more than 5 years since his lone book was published but he is still high on its name, fame and money. He loves women, and apparently women love him back. But no sooner one of them utters the dreaded L-word than he starts having panic attacks. Soon his fame withers away and so does his money, and he is forced to find work again. Yudi is called upon to write a screen play for a romantic Bollywood movie by none other than Armaan (Govinda). A hit with the masses, Armaan now wants to conquer the heart of the elite too and for the same he needs a ‘kickass’ script. Yudi has no option but to take on the assignment. But as Yudi doesn’t believe in sweet romance and love forever, he finds it difficult to write a romantic script. Enters Aanchal Reddy, a budding romance novelist whose first book is a roaring success. Yudi strikes a friendship with Aanchal to learn writing romance. Aanchal is also quite like Yudi; doesn’t believe in eternal loves either. But during a crazy fun-filled week, Yudi and Aanchal realise how alike they are. Will they confess their love? Will they live happily ever after? There’s no suspense, guys. The title of the movie says it all.

Saif Ali Khan as Yudi is convincing. But his double role as Yudi’s alter ego Yogi is the one to watch out for. Yogi with his unkempt hair, protruding belly and short pants is sharp and hilarious. Ileana as Aanchal is quite good. She is not your sweet girl next door. She is the free-spirited woman of today who at one end believes in love with-no-strings-attached but at the other also relishes in the old world chivalry of a man opening the car door for her. Ranvir Shorey as Yudi’s only friend Montu delivers his part with aplomb. Kalki Koechlin as Yudi’s annoyingly obsessed lover is a delight. Sadly, she has but a cameo. But the surprise package is Govinda. He has played the role of a self-obssessed actor to a T. He eclipses everything and everyone with his witty dialogues and quirky mannerisms, and proves once again why he is still the ‘King of Comedy’.

The soundtrack of the movie is decent with a few hit numbers like ‘G phaad ke’, ‘Pussy Cat’ and ‘Meherbaan’. The cinematography by Chase Bowman is a visual treat especially where he has captured the energy and essence of LA. Dialogues are fresh and thankfully devoid of clichés. The film could have done with a sharper edit. 20 minutes or so shorter and the film would have been crisp.

My Verdict: If romcoms are your genre, Happy Ending will certainly keep you happy.

Agent Vinod

Posted on by anshubhojnagarwala

Agent VinodAgent Vinod: Movie Review: What comes to your mind when you see a handsome brooding man looking dapper and suave in a slim black suit, next fighting with gun-toting Taliban and Russian mafia, and then zipping across one country to another before you can even say “Rasputin” in a bid to save the world? Of course, there is only one name that one can think of. Bond. Yes, this is no other than our desi Bond, Raw Agent, Vinod (sans the cool gadgets and Q).

Actor turned producer, Saif Ali Khan, has left no stones unturned to make this slick spy thriller a commercial success. Shot in beautiful international locales; girls (even a blonde) in skimpy outfits, décolletés and (OMG!) a bikini no less; terrorists and; songs and dance (even a mujra number from Kareena) to woo the public. Movie is very gripping till the interval (I didn’t even take a ‘washroom’ break), but post-interval, the movie loses its agenda and becomes mediocre with the same terrorist formula done to death. Overcrowded with a medley of actors, the film drags after a certain point. Looks like the scriptwriter was underpaid and the editor dozed off on the chopping board. Saif looks athletic and rugged (as a spy should be) and does justice to the role. For Kareena, less said the better.

Still, thumbs up for a nice attempt, Chhote Nawab!

Cocktail

Posted on by anshubhojnagarwala

cocktailWatched the movie on Monday night, late night show, in one of the first multiplexes of Ahmedabad (or rather India) of which I have quite a few fond memories.

Now coming back to the movie review, I can sum up the entire film in one word but I don’t think it would be fair to my readers.

The film revolves around the lives of three people, Gautam Kapoor (Saif Ali Khan), Veronica (Deepika Padukone) and Meera (Diana Penty). It’s a sheer coincidence that their lives intersect and they start living together. Gautam is an incorrigible flirt and womaniser who believes marriage to one woman is a stale concept. Veronica, a rich spoilt kid with heart of gold, lives in an urbane locale of London where booze, drugs, parties and sex are the norms of life. And Meera is a demure conservative girl from Delhi who comes to London looking for her husband, Kunal (Randeep Hooda) who she comes to know later had married her for the dowry. Veronica takes the pretty waif under her shelter. Next, enters Gautam oozing his charm and within no time he moves in with Veronica in a ‘’no-string’’ relationship. Meera is not very comfortable with the situation but takes it in her stride. So now the three of them live under the same roof, eat, sing, and do masti. Next, we know Gautam falls in love with the simpleton Meera while Meera realizes her feelings for him. To make the matters worse, Veronica wants to mend her ways and bite the forbidden apple of marriage with Gautam.

After this point, the movie becomes a too-hot-to-handle hot pot of confused and melodramatic emotions with Gautam oscillating between the two girls, Veronica playing the perfect bitch (sorry for the language) and Meera ready to sacrifice her love for her best friend Veronica (for God’s sake guys, move over the histrionics of 70s).

Saif is good and convincing in his role of a womaniser, caring friend and helpless lover. Diana is very pretty and good in parts. But the news guys, Deepika can act. Yes actually, the wooden face did show some expressions. This should be her best movie so far in terms of acting. Dimple provides a welcome commotion while Boman Irani and Randeep Hooda are completely wasted.

The songs in the movie save a few (daaru desi, tum hi ho bandhu and jugni) fail to impress much. And for the dialogues, when Meera threw a line like “main apni friend ko dhokha nahi de sakti, Gautam. Tum mujhe bhool jaao”, I nearly went into hysterics.

It could have been an enjoyable drama had the complex feelings and emotions been subtly and deeply portrayed. What could have been a heady cocktail lost its fizz somewhere in the middle.

And though movie tickets are sinfully cheap in Ahmedabad, I could feel my money going down the drain with each passing minute.

Verdict: Watch the movie at your own peril.

And now for that single word that wraps up the film, ‘’BAKWAS’’.