Jugaad

Starring: Manoj Bajpai, Hrishita Bhatt, Vijay Raaz, Govind Namdeo and Sanjay Mishra
Director: Anand Kumar
Rating: ***

The film revolves around the infamous sealing issue that had been a hot issue in India's capital city, Delhi in 2007-08. It tells the story of Sandip Kapur (Manoj Bajpai) who heads an advertising agency.

He is already facing a demanding life when to add more trouble to his life his agency is sealed by the Muncipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

Sandip fails to reinstate his company, despite his attempts and efforts. Eventually, he finds himself alone on the road, along with his team.

Now desperately wanting to re-establish his agency, Sandip opts for 'Jugaadbaazi', a technique that people nowadays believe in more than anything else.

What it all leads to and how he succeeds in getting together the property dealers, power brokers, politicians and senior officers involved into it forms the rest of this satirical comedy.

Anand Kumar who made a flop debut with Delhi Heights (2007) makes a solid comeback with an interesting comedy which makes you laugh out loud and yet make you think.

Once again basing his film Delhi just like his debut film, Anand makes a sincere attempt to unfold the real situation that prevailed in Delhi when MCD's sealing drive was underway.

Shot mostly in Delhi and Gurgaon, the film has tried to give a realistic scenario of the sealing drive. Anand also succeeds in showing the true never-say-die attitude of the Delhiites.
The dialogues are extremely funny at places and the narration technique of the maker is good too. What also make the film more fun is the characterizations. The only weak department of the film is the music.

Manoj Bajpai doing a comic role is a revelation. He shows he is as good doing funny roles as he is in intense ones. Hrishita Bhatt playing the female lead doesn't have much to do but she looks pretty nonetheless.

Vijay Raaz brings the hall down with his antics and brings a smile on your face whenever he comes onscreen. Sanjay Mishra is another actor who is simply hilarious in the film.

Jugaad is a harmless entertainer and though it may not be another Khosla Ka Ghosla it is one of those rare good satirical comedies made in Bollywood. Definately a better option than watching those mindless comedies that have been regularly hitting the screens off late.

8x10 Tasveer

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Ayesha Takia, Sharmila Tagore, Javed Jaffrey, Girish Karnad, Anant Mahadevan
Rating: *1/2

Nagesh Kukunoor enters a new zone with 8x10 Tasveer: Suspense-thriller. His choice of the genre and subject material is also right. Yet, 8x10 Tasveer goes wrong, horribly wrong.

Now what was that? This is one question that haunts you at the end of the show. And, seriously, you want to direct this question to Kukunoor, who is also credited as the writer of this film.

Okay, let's dissect... The concept is interesting. The atmosphere is perfect. The mystery deepens with each passing minute. Just when you thought that Kukunoor had pulled it off, a twist in the tale pulls the carpet off your feet. The film crumbles and the impression generated by some brilliantly executed sequences evaporate into thin air.

For any whodunit to succeed, it ought to hold your interest till the very last frame. Most importantly, the answers raised in the screenplay have to be convincing and justified.
To cut a long story short, this tasveer is out of focus!

8x10 Tasveer is about Jai (Akshay Kumar), who possesses supernatural powers. Jai is of Indian origin who works as a forest ranger in Canada. His life is shattered by a loss of an important person in his life - his father (Benjamin Gilani). This personal tragedy leads him to use his unique supernatural powers to unravel the mystery.

Now let's get to the root of the problem: The discrepancies in the script. Of course, 8x10 Tasveer is a whodunit and it would be sacrilege to reveal the end or the identity of the killer, but the reasons that compel the murderer to commit crime after crime are unbelievable and far from convincing.

The moment the truth is out in the open, from that point onwards, the writer doesn't have convincing answers to offer. There are so many gaps that remain wide open till the end.

Ek Se Bure Do

Starring: Arshad Warsi, Natassha, Rajpal Yadav, Tussha, Vijay Raaz and Govind Namdeo
Director: Tarique Khan
Rating: *

The first half of the year 2009 shall be always remembered as the worst in terms of content for the Bollywood films released in this period. Just when we thought you can’t get more bad films than what we were subjected since last few weeks – Lottery, Kisse Pyar Karu etc, here comes the long stuck in the cans – Ek Se Bure Do.

This apology of a film as its name suggest is literally double trouble. The makers have tried to en cash on the ensemble cast of character actors who have most of the time left the audiences impressed but forgot to add a good plot.

The film is an attempted comedy of errors as two crooks played by Arshad Warsi and Rajpal Yadav create chaos leading more trouble for the audience and the film’s characters alike.

The two heroines Natassha aka Anita Hassanandani of Ekta Kapoor’s serials fame and the other new comer Tussha are portrayed as dimwit babes whom our heroes shown flirting with.

Adding to the existing chaos are Govind Namdeo, Vijay Raaz (in good form yet again), Yashpal Sharma and Snehal Dhabi who complicate it all further. The proceedings get so irritating after a point of time that you wish to stage a walk out.

Bad production values, jarring music, non- existent direction and script, tasteless dialogues you name it and you get it all in this pathetic film. Agreed the film is aimed at the masses but even they will give a thumbs down to such idiotic entertainer. The only thing you perhaps remember is the hot item song shot on dusky beauty Brinda Parekh.It seems Arshad must have signed this film quick in the wake of his Munnabhai MBBS success as he finally got a leading man offer in this one.

But now as years have passed he too must have realized its no point promoting this film. As we see the film we realize why Arshad and even Rajpal Yadav (who for the second time after Rama Rama Kya Hai Ye Drama seems to have been given the lead role) were embarrassed to promote this film.

Natassha with her over the top acting makes us hope she remains trapped in the idiot box and doesn’t appear on the big screen. Tussha is just about passable.

Amongst the huge horde of character artists the only ones to impress are Vijay Raaz and Snehal Dhabi. Rest all simply shriek in the name of comedy.

Just don’t even dare to think of wasting your precious time, money and energy on this one.

Pal Pal Dil Ke Saath

Starring: Ajay Jadeja, Rimpy aka Mahie Gill, Vinod Kambli, Chabi, Satish Shah and Sushma Seth
Director: V Krishna Kumar
Rating: *

It is at times like these that I really hate my job. On a public holiday getting oneself to a cinema hall and watching two back to back movies, both extremely unbearable is definitely the worst torture that one can inflict upon oneself.

It was even a big task convincing the multiplex staff to play the show of one of these films as they were canceling it for lack of audience So saw this film with just two more people.

They were actually a couple seeking some solace in a crowd free environment enjoying the cool comforts of air-conditions. Wow how confident they were about the number of people that may come to see this trash.

Okay coming back to the movie, the film tells the story of a doting grandmother (Sushma Seth) and her laadla pota played by Ajay Jadeja.

His parents have died and it is his rich grand mom who has raised him with lot of care and love. But a tiff leads him to leave her house in a jiffy and go away.

Taking advantage of this situation the villain company straight of the 60-70s South inspired paarivaarik films start polluting her mind against her misunderstood grandson and further even go to the extent of killing her and grab all her huge property.

What happens when her dear grandson comes to know all about this forms the rest of the film.

This film, was originally titled Pal Pal Dil Ke Saath and was well ready in the year 2003 but due to some financial problems could not see a release till today.

Finally adding an extra ‘s’ to it’s title the makers have released it a good six years later as Pal Pal Dil Ke Ssaath.
This film, a remake of a South hit film, is completely stuck in the 60s n the 70s brand of cinema. High pitched melodrama, scheming minds wanting to grab wealth, misunderstood grandson, over dotting grand mom and a jigri dost forever ready for help, all these things have now long been discarded.

The only just about okay thing about the film is its locations of North India and a few tuneful numbers by music director Abhishek Ray.

Ajay Jadeja should be banned from acting. Not only is extremely wooden with just an idiotic smile forever pasted on his face, he simply cannot express any different emotion.

Mahie Gill credited here as Rimpy plays Ajay’s romantic interest doesn’t get much scope and is there to provide pure eye candy. She acts awkwardly though and doesn’t carry the same confidence or ease she displayed in Dev. D and Gulaal.

Vinod Kamble another bad actor however manages a few laughs which are actually unintentional and come out for his lack of acting skills. Satish Shah is okay. Sushma Seth seen after ages is good though. Newcomer Chabi has still a long way to go as far as acting is concerned.

We request the censor board not to pass such films which star cricketers as heroes and save our time and money.