ABCD-2 - Any Body Can Dance 2

     And one of the awaited films released today. For a guy like me, two girls had asked me in advance to watch this film with them individually. I mean, this movie could really do wonders. However, I went to the film alone to have my uninfluenced opinion after watching it.

     Before taking up any legitimate education about film-making; before meeting anyone who could pour the quotes about film-making in my head, when I had only decided to make films for the life-time, I knew one basic thing about films - Story, Screenplay and Dialogues are the most important aspects of any film. They are like the Heart, the Brain and the Intelligence of any film.

     ABCD2, the 2nd installment of the ABCD series an abbreviation for 'Any Body Can Dance' by Remo D'souza is a film heavily dependent upon Dance and Dancers and choreography, and Dance and Dancers, and choreography, and dance and dancers.

Based on a true story of a dance group of Nalasopara, Mumbai; This film has a plot of a group of dancers who were humiliated at a Television dance show for performing a copied dance performance from the internet streaming video and to gain back their respect, they go to Worlds Hip-Hop Competition at Las Vegas and prove their worth representing India.

     If I were a pervert or a sex addict, and to take out all that I want to do with the opposite sex, I would have made an intense sexually psychotic film and I would have made the protagonist, who would be representing my alter-ego, do all that, what I would want to do to someone. But Remo D'souza is not a sex addict (I would like to think that he is not), He is a choreographer and a student of dance. Hence, he wanted a platform where he could choreograph everything that is there in his mind, the way he wants it and to show off his talent.

     The dances are stunning and breath-taking, they keep you glued and they make your eyes pop out. He has put in all his heart and mind in the dances.
Prabhudeva's entry in the song - Happy Hour, is something very good.
Dharmesh's audition dance is impressive.
Punit Pathak (as Vinod) is impressive too, his fingers have more footage than his steps in the overall film. At one point of time I felt that Remo wants to kill him in this film as well.
Raghav Juyal (as Raghu) is very impressive in his acting. In fact Raghav Juyal is the only person who acts well in this film.
Lauren Gottleib (as Olive) is Hot. Super hot. And dances even hotter than she looks. Varun Dhawan is impressive as a dancer but has a bad choice and that is clearly understood when he chooses Shraddha Kapoor over Lauren. That also explains why did he sign this film altogether.
Shraddha Kapoor is very impressive as the dancer. Really, she has worked very hard and it is seen that her efforts will give her a long life as a dancer.

     Compared to ABCD, ABCD2 is bigger and gigantic. The money is poured in for choreographing the dance pieces and on the lights and cinematography. The film looks richer and much better.

     Music is like what starts at the 1st minute of the film, slows down at 'Sunn Sathiya' and resumes back to the same genre till the Vande Mataram Song and ends with a Synth cord. Still, praises for the efforts and hard work of the musicians and the arrangers for finding and putting in all sort of sound effects, bass, reverb and EQ and all weird sounds that can be produced.

     The title sequence is an experimentation but a better version is available at Ramoji Film City, that too Live entertaining and much awesomely choreographed.

Plot twist at the interval is interesting, but then the cracker doesn't burst in the 2nd half.

'Bezubaan Phir se' has something good in it.

     Remo has tried very much to create artistic something in the beginning with the contemporary dance by Varun Dhawan. However, the impact of this "contemporary" is very temporary. There is no reason for the film to be in 3D.

     Having said everything, I would say that everyone has done this film with a lot of passion and heart. But that's to impress and not express because they know that the film will earn.

Over all I would rate this film 6/10. Good effort by the whole team. Masses would like the film.

     Right after the initial title sequence, there is a 30 seconds performance of Jackson5...something worthy.

P.S. - Good dance and Good Film are two very different things.

P.S.1 - If ever I make a sexually psychotic intense film, It will surely have a lot of sense as well.

P.S.2 - Story, Screenplay and Dialogues are the exact things that this film lacks in, apart from direction, acting, concept and sensibility.

P.S.3 - 'Life is all about the next step.' a quote by Remo, is what this film ends with, you get that? A BAD NEWS - they are making a part 3. #sick

P.S.4 - Yes...Sony Play Station 4 [PS4]. Install a PS4 and play video games instead. Spending 12,000 is much better than wasting 120.

#unbiasedreview.

Tanu Weds Manu Returns

            Well it is too late to write about Tanu weds Manu Returns(TWMR), as it is already in praises and loved by the people who have seen it. They have their opinions made and I do not think I might have any different opinions than theirs. So here is not a review, but a few praises for the film.

            All I can say about myself is I am too adamant and that's why unfortunate due to that. In the talk with one of the person of the production of TWMR, I had asked for being a part of the direction team. But the person said that it is chosen by the director, but are you interested in production? And I replied, No, I really want to focus particularly on direction only. There... a year later I sit in a back row and watch the incredible film made by the team of "Tanu Weds Manu Returns." Being a person who is fascinated by the cinema, I could not help but love this piece of entertainment.

            Anand L. Rai, has impressed me by a very distinct direction. He had done so much in Raanjhana, which is still his best according to me, that was epic love story for me. Here, he knows the experiments he is doing and he knows how well to execute them. Writing (by Himanshu Sharma) was fabulous as many character tracks were super-well built, added and included...and very well intertwined in the screenplay of confusion. Another best part of direction is, no character changes it's root-characteristics in any situation, making the haywire looking - crazy twisted situations that are brought-up - believable and happen-able. What his characters will, do, react and behave was so well clarified in the head of this master director is clearly seen and felt.

            Music is well used. The degradation from A.R.Rahman (Raanjhana) to Krsna Solo & RDB, is understood by our ears but not by our eyes and mind while watching the film. The music suits the film in a very presentable manner, but not all tracks can be played to change your mood without the film playing.

            A few scenes are decorated and choreographed very well. The scene where Manu (R. Madhavan), Pappi (Deepak Dobrial) and Manu's father are discussing Manu's problems and Manu's mom is being cranky in the background. The scene where Manu sees Kusum(2nd role of Kangana Ranaut) for the first time and calls up Pappi to continue his lecture. Ofcourse, and the Initial title sequence is very well choreographed, It had quite a chance to go either on the opening sequence of the Vikas Bahl directed, 'Queen', or the marriage sequences in Gangs of Wasseypur, but somehow this one manages to stand out. All the songs are splendidly captured and they add a great value of awesomeness to the film - 'banno tera swagger', 'move on' and ' ghani bawri' are very good. But, the 'old school girl' and "ja ja ja Bewafa' from Guru Dutt's 'Aar Paar' are the pinnacle of use of good music. Plus the way "Ja ja ja Bewafa" is shot, it has a tinge of Guru Dutt's way of lighting a scene. Thoroughly studied and well attempted.

            Madhavan, Swara Bhaskar, and Mohammad Zeshaan Ayyub were fabulous. Just super nice to be the side actors. They live the person written on the script while playing them. Better and way better than them was Deepak Dobriyal playing Pappi. I mean 'waaah!' Even after having two fantastic Kangana Ranauts in the film, this guy is equally remembered. And the King of the film, who got the 2nd role coz of the 'Queen' Kangana Ranaut. (Anand L. Rai said to Kangana, that only you can compete yourself. Source-IMDB) She is just not her. She is turning out to be the actress who will be remembered for long coming years. Fearless to experiment and confident to carry whatever she is been given. Kangana fulfills everything that director wants her to give on the screen spiritually and technically. I do not know how does she do it, but as Kusum/Datto, she must have developed a psychology for that character, the expressions and the traits of that character are well defined. She is impressive than ever and have pulled of a great task. And Yes, "Banno...tera swagger does lage sexy!"

            For the genre of it and the cinema over all I would rate it 8.8/10.  All of it consisting the maker, the actor and the musician. Hats off! 

Dil Dhadakne Do - Review

     There are 4 Film Stars of Bollywood, whom I just never liked. Maybe I might have liked some of their performances in a film or two, but that would only be an exception. However, I never felt like going to watch a film just because these people are starring in it. In fact I found reasons Not to watch them. They are Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra, Anushka Sharma and Ranveer Singh. Incidentally, 3 of 4 are in this film, and Deepika was in Piku whom I did like in that film.

It was a big reason for me to not watch this film. Nevertheless, the bigger reason to watch this film was it's Director, Zoya Akhtar.

     A Family of four, oops, five, called MEHERAs, who are an elite family in Delhi, owning a big company called Ayka, go on a cruise to celebrate the 30th Marriage anniversary of Kamal Mehera (Anil Kapoor) and Neelam Mehera (Shefali Shah), which is organised and pulled on by their elder daughter Ayesha Mehera (Priyanka Chopra) but with their Younger Son's, Kabir Mehera's (Ranveer Singh), name on the invitation card; establishing that the parents prefer their not so capable heir, the son, over their self-made, successful and deserving daughter who was married away at her age of 21 to Manaav (Rahul Bose). And it begins with the differences in the family and gossips about them in the relatives, colleagues and friends of the family. Kabir doesn't know what he wants to do as he is always been called as the Heir to Ayka Company and Ayesha on the other hand is not very happy with her married life. She has a past which comes back on the cruise, Sunny Gill (Farhan Akhtar, in special appearance) and Kabir falls in Love with a Dancer on the cruise called Farah Ali (Anushka Sharma). The fifth person of the Mehera family is Pluto Mehera, their Pet Dog who narrates (voice by Aamir Khan) the whole film through a neutral perception by looking at Humans as the most complicated Animal.
The film is a tangled story of the elite family & it's thinking, their ethics, morals, about freedom of choices and about the people who are rich but helpless.

     The Story and Screenplay is written by Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar together as it has always been. Most of the Legacy of Excel entertainment continues even here with Javed Akhtar writing Lyrics and narration, Shankar Ehsaan AND Loy doing the Music, Bimal Parek & Co. being their CAs and the dear brother of Zoya, Mr. Farhan writing the Dialogues. The film is written very well. Just too well as all of Zoya's films are written, it is weaved in too well. So well that you do not get a single chance to get bored. Yes few lines are clichéd, but then If you have to say - I want to Jump, You say that I want to Jump, not necessarily every line written should be a novelty. About the Dialogues, I loved them.

     As refreshed you feel from the first frame of the film to the last, the cinematographer, Carlos Catalan, has done a more than amazing job. He made the film look much more elite than we think it must be, but that has been for good. The best part is- The one-shot song - Gallan Goodiyan. You see the canvas of that amazingly choreographed family dance number and then imagine how much of a task it must have been for this guy. The film is not too long and not too short. It is just how much you need it, just how much a feeling of watching a MOVIE should be. Even for the audience and so for the maker, the movie suffices both the requirements and limitations, and the credit for this goes to the editor duo, Manan Mehta and Anand Subaya.

     I have been listening to the Music since it's launch and My first impression was not very good, however, by listening to it again, I had started kind of liking it and today when I saw the music on the screen (YES...SAW the music on screen, coz it is not just a playback, it is a kind of music that this film requires) I loved the way they are filmed.

     The Background Score is one of  the amazing parts of the film. I do not remember the single piece of it, but then while watching it, you are so engrossed in the film and that music is creating so much of impact on what you are watching. It's too indescribable to explain how much it's complementing the scenes. However, the background score is not the old school music, it is experimental and it worked more than well. It is done by Shankar Ehsaan AND Loy & Another upcoming musician, whose name I missed. Sorry Mate but you were good.

     The Casting is Perfect and the Production Design, Costumes and the overall styling has a superb finishing and class. These departments have done a remarkable job.

     And coming to the performances, I predicted before watching the film that Ranveer Singh is going to make an impression on me and he does. He has rocked in the film. He is too good as the innocent son of a Khandaani Family who has more heart than the brains, but who still fits in the "kinda cute" category.  Priyanka Chopra impresses me with the subtle performance, she did impress me in 7 Khoon Maaf and Kaminey but here too she plays a good role. Farhan is simply good as he always is. Anushka should definately put the NO-CLOSE-UP shots thing in her clause as mentioned in my last review. She was not as good as any of them, Yes she looks Good, but that's how God has made her, still she lacks in the rest of the things that makes an ACTOR. Shefali Shah... Maybe someday I will meet her and bow my head for being the most consistently superb as an actress since Satya for me. There are more than 25 important people in the film who have done well, much well than Anushka atleast, ya a few exceptions are there where a some girls do nothing else than looking pretty, but then, those are the extras.
And the KING of the film, Anil Kapoor. This Guy is becoming so much as an actor, he is like never before and within 5 minutes of the run time we forget that we are watching Anil Kapoor, all we know is he is the over-proud entrepreneur  Kamal Mehera, the father of two youthful children and Neelam Mehera's husband. He makes a long lasting impression. And there is an only school girl on that cruise who speaks ruthlessly the innocent truth. (just like I innocently jumbled the ruthless words).

     About Zoya  and her Direction. She has done it again. She is stuck in this Genre but I do not Mind. Rather, I would want her to stick to it, even though she can make something else better. She pours in the magic of emotions in her films, she very well knows what to capture and what to keep in the editing. She knows what she wants from her actors and which of the people in the industry who claim themselves to be one can give it to her. She knows the food, she knows the places, she knows the clothes, she knows the tendency, she knows the hypocrisy + duniyadaari of the society. She is the part of it too, but she knows to put in on the paper and tell everyone how to bring it on the screen.  She is too much of a reader of the people around her and the world she lives in.

     Dil Dhadakne Do is a film that everyone will connect at some or the other point. Everyone of us are either of the characters which are sketched by Reema and Zoya. Sometimes we are more than one character and sometimes we are just the Dog. But everyone knows what's happening in the film and with the people in it.

     The movie does makes your Heart beat in a healthier way.

It covers many problems that we generally come across but do not face. The film has a lot to give if you have an acceptance to take it.

Maybe some general public wont like the End, or would feel that there is a lot of time-pass done, or maybe they won't like it because there is not a single thing to point out and complain about.
Or
Maybe they won't like it coz the Movie actually makes Sense.

My Verdict is 9.6/10.