Cast: Shreyas Talpade, Lena Christensen, Vijay Maurya, Naseeruddin Shah; Director: Nagesh Kukunoor; Rating: **

For every one of us who’s come to expect original and sensible entertainment from Nagesh Kukunoor, his latest film, Bombay To Bangkok will prove to be a disappointment.

Come to think of it, it’s exactly the kind of picture you don’t expect from him because it’s predictable, the casting’s all wrong, and in the end it just seems like a complete waste of time. In fact, I’m willing to bet Nagesh’s heart wasn’t in this film at all.

Bombay To Bangkok stars Shreyas Talpade as a cook who sets off to start a new life when he chances upon a purse stuffed with US dollars. When he discovers the money belongs to a local don, he takes the next flight out of the country and lands up in Bangkok, slipping his way into a group of Indian doctors on a charitable mission. He loses the purse soon enough, and ends up falling hook line and sinker for a Thai massage girl, which is of course a polite way of saying Thai prostitute.

Now problem is, he doesn’t speak any Thai, and she doesn’t speak no Hindi, so their communication is limited to whatever little English the two of them can muster up. Before they know it, they’re on the run from the angry don’s son, a struggling rap artiste by the way, who’s been instructed by his dad to bring the money back and fix the fellow who had the nerve to steal it.

Betrayed by a script that’s full of flaws, Bombay To Bangkok is unimaginative and indifferent for the most part, and doesn’t once suggest that it’s the brainchild of the same filmmaker who gave us such gems as Hyderabad Blues, Teen Deewarein and Iqbal.

The humour here is of the slapstick variety, and that may not have been a bad thing, except that none of the jokes are original, you’ve seen them all before.

At best a few scenes really work – my favourite being the one in which the rap-artiste chhota don visits Shreyas’ mother to find out where her son is hiding, and comes away confused to say the least. It’s an outstanding scene and undoubtedly the only clever joke in the film.

What’s missing from this film is Kukunoor’s very distinct brand of everyday wit. The kind of humour that set apart films like Hyderabad Blues and Rockford and even Bollywood Calling. Or even his little moments which stay with you forever. Like that scene in Iqbal in which the deaf-mute boy’s mother threatens his mentor at the gate of her house, warning him that she’ll kill him if he doesn’t make sure her son excels at the game.

  Or that absolutely lovely scene in Dor, in which Ayesha Takia, Gul Panag and Shreyas Talpade dance so uninhibitedly to the beats of Kajra Re in the desert. These are the moments that define Nagesh Kukunoor’s films, and I’m sorry to say Bombay To Bangkok is sorely lacking in such memorable moments.

The fundamental requirement for any romantic comedy to work is a crackling chemistry between its two leads. But Shreyas Talpade and his leading lady, Thai actress Lena Christensen, couldn’t look more disinterested in each other even if they were paid together.

Much of the problem with Bombay To Bangkok in fact, lies in the miscasting of the female lead. She’s vapid, has less than three expressions to speak of, and has terrible dialogue delivery – even though you’re not meant to understand most of what she’s saying, since she’s speaking in Thai, of course.

It’s the supporting leads whose romance you’re happier to embrace instead – Vijay Maurya as the rap-artiste don and the prickly psychologist he loses his heart to. Naseeruddin Shah, popping up in one single scene, is expectedly effective as the Senior Don whose idea of torture involves twisting his son’s navel piercing.

But the only saving grace of this film, also the only reason it’s even remotely watchable is Shreyas Talpade who plays his part so convincingly, that you’re embarrassed at how he’s been wasted in such a pointless film. Uninhibited and spontaneous, he keeps you transfixed every time he’s on screen.

Ironic, that for a film whose most popular song goes “we are same, same, but different”, Bombay To Bangkok is actually the same kind of nonsense you’re used to seeing in abundance at the movies, and sadly very different from what you’ve come to expect from Nagesh Kukunoor’s films.

With its shoddy camerawork, indifferent direction and weak writing, Bombay To Bangkok can’t even deliver what the film’s heroine offers the hero when they first meet – “make happy” – well, no, this film doesn’t “make happy”.

I’m going with two out of five for director Nagesh Kukunoor’s Bombay To Bangkok, it’s his most disappointing film yet. We can only hope he’s back in form the next time round because it would be such a shame if Kukunoor’s gone cuckoo!

Cast: Ajay Devgan, Vidya Balan, Pankaj Kapoor; Director:  Rajkumar Santoshi; Music:  Sukhwinder Singh, Vanraj Bhatia; Rating: ** 

When Sameer Khan (Devgan) refuses to testify in a murder he has witnessed, his conscience begins to prick him. He tries hard to assuage his guilt by paying off the victim’s sister but realises that he has to come clean and expose the sons of two powerful men.

Sameer who hails from a small town makes it big in Bollywood but at the cost of his integrity and honesty. So much so he even justifies his philandering ways to his wife Sneha (Vidya Balan) and the lack of social commitment to his teacher Sidhu (Pankaj Kapur).

But finally when he has to make a choice between the hollow showbiz life he has built for himself and the values he once abided by, he chooses the former.

Little does he realise however that his decision will cost him not just his reputation but also endanger his life and that of his near and dear ones.

Sure enough what follows is an ugly witch-hunt spearheaded by the politician (Darshan Jariwala) and liquor baron whose sons are responsible for the murder.

Sooner than later however, the estranged Sameer finds that he isn’t alone as his wife and guru rally beside him. But the war is far from over.

Halla Bol has some classic Raj Kumar Santoshi moments, which any hardcore Bollywood film viewer would enjoy. For instance there is a scene where Ajay goes to Darshan’s house and is infuriated by the blatant show of wealth. He is told about the rug from Persia, Ming vase from China, sofa set from Germany. In response he relives himself on the rug and says, “This one’s pure Indian. And you don’t need paisa, power or public for this. You need balls.”

Concept-wise too Halla Bol is strong. If you had no issues with Rang De Basanti’s concept, chances are that Halla Bol will work for you too.

And Vidya Balan may not excel in the two-bit role. But she certainly stands her own ground

Subhash K. Jha: I’ll be honest. Apart from a few exceptions, I don’t think 2007 delivered any outstanding films. I mean, I really liked Sriram Raghavan’s noire film “Johnny Gaddar”, but finally it wasn’t that one piece de resistance I was looking for, until the yearend when Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Saawariya’ wrote poetry on the screen with the calm controlling measured paces of historical engravings.Every one was a bit befuddled by the film’s bluesy mood and studio-confined romanticism. But as Preity Zinta, who recently saw the film in Toronto and raved, “It takes a while, but once you get into the pace you’re completely sucked in.”

I’ll have to go with that. I sincerely believe “Saawariya” is destined to be a retro-classic like Guru Dutt’s “Kaagaz Ke Phool” and Raj Kapoor’s “Mera Naam Joker”. Was it just a coincidence that the “Saawariya” lead reminded people of Waheeda Rehman and Raj Kapoor?

My second favourite film of the year was also slammed by the learned critics of Mumbai. But to me Pradeep Sarkar’s “Laaga Chunari Mein Daag” about a simple Varanasi girl’s journey into prostitution in Mumbai was a lyrical and evocative piece of art, echoing Ritwik Ghatak’s “Meghe Dhaka Tara” and K. Balachander’s neglected “Aaina”.

So there! And then comes R. Balkrishnan’s “Cheeni Kum”. The chemistry between the 60-plus chef Amitabh Bachchan and the 30-plus whatever Tabu was harnessed into a romantic comedy that lost its fizz in the second-half. Never mind. “Cheeni Kum” is still a modern classic.

Bhavna Talwar’s “Dharm” about religious bigotry and atonement in holy Varanasi was a timeless tale told with verve and virility. The key to the film’s tantalising tone was the knack of incorporating a critical social comment in an enormously watchable film.

You may have missed “Dharm” on release. But catch it on a DVD, and re-live a golden chapter of Hindi cinema in 2007.

Golden in its own right was Mira Nair’s “The Namesake”. Though strictly not desi stuff, it was so Indian at heart it put our contemporary Bollywood tales about hot dames and cool dudes to shame. Simplicity was never such a prized virtue.

Mira, take a bow.

The two qualities that made Imtiaz Ali’s “Jab We Met” so special were the disarming simplicity and the great outdoors. Imtiaz shot this artless love story about a mismatched couple in the remotest corners of India. Interestingly, “Saawariya” shot its romance completely inside a studio. Between the two films we have the two scintillating ends of the same spectrum.

I loved Anurag Basu’s “Life In A Metro” and Madhur Bhandarkar’s “Traffic Signal” for their ensemble cast of known, unknown and don’t-wanna-know. The portrayal of life in Mumbai as seen through two totally antithetical perspectives in the two films reminded us that between the elite and the street crowds, there’s the world that the creative artiste could inhabit if he or she wishes.

Shimit Amin’s “Chak De! India” was undoubtedly one of the year’s most spectacular achievements. Imagine a film on a female hockey team with India’s biggest superstar playing a burnt-out coach? Nah! Not work.

“Chak De! India” didn’t just run it, the movie breezed across all competition and assumed a cult status. It set the benchmark for all sports films in India.

The funniest film of the year was… no, not “Bhool Bhulaiyaa” (god forbid!) but another NRI film. “The Loins Of Punjab Presents” was Manish Acharya’s feisty, tasty, racy look at contestants in a reality show with the show’s highlight being Shabana Azmi crooning “Chura liya hai tumne”.

Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Nana Patekar, Arjun Rampal, Aftab Shivdasani, Viveik Anand Oberoi, Arbaaz Khan, Rohit Roy, Bipasha Basu, Tanushree Datta, Mandira Bedi, Neha Dhupia, Anupam Kher, Jimmy Shergill, Sammir Dattani, Sudhanshu Pandey, Tusshar Kapoor; Director: Vishal Bharadwaj, Apoorva Lakhia, Hansal Mehta, Sudhir Mishra, Jasmeet Dhodi; Rating: *

The most basic problem with Dus Kahaniyaan, the omnibus film featuring ten short stories, is that there is no common theme, nothing at all really, that merits these ten stories to be slapped together as one collection.

Unlike Ramgopal Varma’s Darna Mana Hai or its follow-up Darna Zaroori Hai which were both omnibus films whose short stories centred around one common premise — fear, there is no logical explanation or criteria for the ten shorts in this film to be assembled together.

Now you’re probably wondering why that matters — why should there be a common take-off point for all stories as long as they’re all interesting stories, right?

Well, that’s just it — with nothing at all to rein them in, no boundaries whatsoever to work within, several of the stories turn out bizarre, abstract and pretty much pointless, if you ask me. Had every one of them at least come with a twist ending, you’d have something to look forward to, but barring a handful that do, the rest are either predictable or plain boring.

Let’s talk first about the stories that work. Matrimony, directed by Sanjay Gupta, featuring Arbaaz Khan and Mandira Bedi as a married couple in a tale about faith and betrayal is an enjoyable watch, and comes with a surprise in the end that’s both clever and obvious in retrospect.

Meghna Gulzar’s Pooranmaashi starring Amrita Singh and Minnisha Lamba as mother and daughter in a story about unconditional love, is my favourite of the ten shorts, because it’s such a heartbreaking tale with such a real and solid dilemma at its core.

And Sanjay Gupta’s Manoj Bajpai-Dia Mirza starrer Zahir works because it’s a relatable story, it’s remarkably well shot, but most of all because of that shock ending. Three good stories out of ten, is hardly a report card to be proud of, and honestly it’s not enough to keep your interest alive in Dus Kahaniyaan.

Of the stories that don’t quite cut it is Hansal Mehta’s High on the Highway, a wildly indulgent and completely incohesive tale of two drugged-out lovers starring Jimmy Shergill and Masumeh Makhija, both performing way off-key.

Also Sanjay Gupta’s Neha Dhupia-Mahesh Manjrekar starrer Strangers in the Night, a cheap gimmick of a story that’s even more stupid when you go back and think about it, because if you ask me, the twist in that story is an offensive idea that’s disguised as a noble thought.Let’s talk first about the stories that work. Matrimony, directed by Sanjay Gupta, featuring Arbaaz Khan and Mandira Bedi as a married couple in a tale about faith and betrayal is an enjoyable watch, and comes with a surprise in the end that’s both clever and obvious in retrospect.

Meghna Gulzar’s Pooranmaashi starring Amrita Singh and Minnisha Lamba as mother and daughter in a story about unconditional love, is my favourite of the ten shorts, because it’s such a heartbreaking tale with such a real and solid dilemma at its core.

And Sanjay Gupta’s Manoj Bajpai-Dia Mirza starrer Zahir works because it’s a relatable story, it’s remarkably well shot, but most of all because of that shock ending. Three good stories out of ten, is hardly a report card to be proud of, and honestly it’s not enough to keep your interest alive in Dus Kahaniyaan.

Of the stories that don’t quite cut it is Hansal Mehta’s High on the Highway, a wildly indulgent and completely incohesive tale of two drugged-out lovers starring Jimmy Shergill and Masumeh Makhija, both performing way off-key.

Also Sanjay Gupta’s Neha Dhupia-Mahesh Manjrekar starrer Strangers in the Night, a cheap gimmick of a story that’s even more stupid when you go back and think about it, because if you ask me, the twist in that story is an offensive idea that’s disguised as a noble thought.The most ridiculous of the ten stories however, is Rise and Fall starring Sanjay Dutt and Sunil Shetty in the kind of stereotypical roles you’ve seen them play in so many films before. They rattle off lines so indifferently, you can barely hear them as you struggle to make sense of this absurd film that’s all style and no substance.

Wide-angle lenses, sepia-toned photography, sharp cuts. But what the hell is going on? A fair question, I think, to Sanjay Gupta and Hansal Mehta, the two directors it took to come up with this nonsensical short. With six out of ten stories that sorely disappoint, Dus Kahaniyaan isn’t exactly pleasurable viewing.

And then there’s Rice Plate which is an easy watch purely on the strength of its performances. Shamelessly plagiarized from the celebrated short film Lunch Date which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 1990 for best short, also an Academy Award the following year, Rice Plate stars Shabana Azmi as a bigoted Tamilian Brahmin woman in a story about prejudices and fear.

Shabana delivers an incredible performance, and is complemented perfectly by Naseeruddin Shah who only appears in two scenes, but it’s the film’s director Rohit Roy who proves that even the finest material in the hands of an incompetent filmmaker can be reduced to nothing much.

He rips off the entire premise of that thought-provoking short film, replacing that film’s classic element — silence — with unnecessary spoon-feeding. The subtlety, the little nuances, the easy charm of the original film is lost under Rohit Roy’s third-class direction where everything must be spelled out.

In the end, how do you judge a film like Dus Kahaniyaan? It’s an interesting experiment, no doubt, but by no stretch of the imagination a successful one.

Look at the delightful portmanteau film Paris Je t’aime, a collection of some 18 shorts centred around the themes of love and Paris, directed by some of the most acclaimed directors from across the world — that film works because you enjoy each director’s individual interpretation of the same theme.

By the same yardstick, Dus Kahaniyaan is dull and boring because for one, there is no common premise, and also because barring maybe two films, there’s very little difference in the shooting or editing of most stories.

All things aside, judged very simply for the entertainment it’s able to provide, I’ll go with one out of five for Dus Kahaniyaan, watch it only because it’s a new format and enjoy the handful of stories that do entertain. For the most part though, prepare to be seriously bored.

A ‘comeback’ film always holds significance. Dilip Kumar [Kranti], Amitabh Bachchan [Mrityudatta], Vinod Khanna [Insaaf], Dimple Kapadia [Saagar], Mumtaz [Aandhiyaan] and Kajol [Fanna] are names you cannot erase from your memory since the celebrated actors returned to the big screen after a hiatus.

With Aaja Nachle, Madhuri Dixit, who reigned supreme, is back to the studios with the Numero Uno production house of the country. Does the actress still possess the charisma to ignite fire in water? Also, does the vehicle she chooses to make a comeback with, have the fuel to reach the winning post?
Sadly, Aaja Nachle is below the mediocre mark and doesn’t meet the humungous expectations that you associate with the Yashraj - Madhuri combo. What’s the problem? Without a doubt, the script! What starts off as a story that seems real and identifiable becomes a fairy tale in the latter hour. Also, with a title like Aaja Nachle and the story harping on music, the songs had to be chartbusters. That’s just not the case here!

In short, Aaja Nachle fails in the two vital departments — writing and music. The film doesn’t make your heart go dhak-dhak, nor does it prompt you to break into a nach at the end of the show.

After nearly a decade, an unexpected phone call shakes Dia [Madhuri Dixit] out of her dance rehearsal in New York. Makarand [Darshan Zariwala], her guru, is dying and she must return to Shamli, a town in India. The town where she grew up, the town where she learnt to live and to dance. Also the town she left on an impulse, severing ties with her parents and her people.

It is a poignant and troubled return; not only has her guru passed away but the institution that he so lovingly nurtured is in decay and under threat of demolition. Ajanta theatre, the once vibrant hub of the community, the place where Dia’s fondest memories are embedded, must now be brought down because the local political authorities feel it a waste of prime real estate.

With the help of Doctor [Raghuvir Yadav], the caretaker of Ajanta, Dia sets out on a mission to prevent the destruction and resurrect the spirit of Ajanta. In an atmosphere of mistrust, ridicule and active hostility, Dia picks up the gauntlet and agrees to achieve the near impossible task of putting together a theatrical production. She must also ensure that every member of the production is from Shamli town. She has only two months to prove her point or the bulldozers will be waiting.

Bearing a striking similarity to the Brazilian film XUXA REQUEBRA, Jaideep Sahni’s screenplay is the biggest culprit here. The protagonist [Madhuri] knows that there would be hurdles galore on her way, as she embarks on a journey to realize her guru’s dreams. But she hardly struggles to achieve the impossible. Even the corrupt politician [Akhilendra Mishra] or the shrewd businessman [Irrfan], who could’ve proved to be tough nuts to crack, give in so easily.

Besides, the goings-on get too unbelievable. The first question that crosses your mind is, how does Madhuri raise the funds to put up this spectacular event [the set design in the penultimate song is marvellous]? Okay, that’s a cinematic liberty, but, seriously, there should’ve been at least some reference to where the money would flow in to fund this mammoth, lavish and extravagant event. What starts off as a ‘real’ film, drifts into a ’surreal’ world as it moves ahead.

Debutante director Anil Mehta knows the importance of frames/visuals since he’s an accomplished cinematographer. But Mehta ought to know by now that it’s the content that does the talking eventually. The writing is too commonplace to make any impact whatsoever. In an effort to strike a balance between believable and make-believe, Aaja Nachle falls like a pack of cards.

Salim-Sulaiman’s music is another minus point. You expect the songs to linger in your memory even after the show has ended… that’s what makes a musical tick, right? It’s not the case here. Dialogues are wonderful at places, especially the ones delivered by Akshaye Khanna and Madhuri. Cinematography [Mohanan] is splendid.

Madhuri has always delivered qualitative performances and the fire continues to burn to this date. She’s top notch, but how one wishes the script would’ve done justice to her talent. It doesn’t offer her a pedestal to take that big leap. The loyal Madhuri fans would surely feel disillusioned and saddened.

Akshaye Khanna is tremendous. In fact, it’s a treat to watch Madhuri and Akshaye together, after a hiatus. Kunal Kapoor is likable; he enacts his part with natural ease. Konkona is nice, but when compared to her previous work, it’s definitely not in that league.

Irrfan, in a brief role, is okay. Divya Dutta too is relegated to the backseat. Ranvir Shorey is first-rate. Ditto for Raghuvir Yadav. Darshan Zariwala does a fine job. Yashpal Sharma is alright. Vinay Pathak and Sushmita Mukherjee are adequate. Akhilendra Mishra is as usual. Jugal Hansraj gets no scope. Vinod Nagpal and Uttara Baokar, as Madhuri’s parents, have nothing much to do. Felix D’Alviella [as Steve — Madhuri’s lover] is passable.

On the whole, Aaja Nachle disappoints big time. At the box-office, the film has embarked on a poor start and coupled with weak merits will only emerge as one of the major disappointments of the year.