'We are Family' Movie Review

Okay, WE ARE FAMILY is the official adaptation of Chris Columbus' STEPMOM [1998] and lots of us have already watched this Julia Roberts - Susan Sarandon starrer. Even otherwise, the story of a woman, diagnosed with a terminal illness, entrusting her kids to the 'other woman' before she does the final salute, gives the feeling of deja vu. But WE ARE FAMILY is not a tear-jerker. Sure, it has dollops of emotions, but also integrates the light moments wonderfully in those 12 reels.


In the good old days, in the 1960s and 1970s specifically, well-made family films struck an instant chord with viewers across the spectrum. But with the changing times, the quantum of well-made socials made a rapid decline. WE ARE FAMILY belongs to the Rajshri gharaana and tells the story of a family facing two life-changing developments: The woman of the house is diagnosed with a terminal illness and two, there's a stepmom on the scene. A difficult subject to handle, without doubt.

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But debutant director Siddharth P. Malhotra surprises you constantly. Casting the best available talent for two pivotal parts and doing complete justice to their roles is tough. Very tough. But the ease with which he handles the tense moments between the women and also the emotional finale shows he has learnt his lessons well from his peers.

Final word? WE ARE FAMILY is for the family. It is well acted, deftly written, entertaining and broadly appealing drama. Watch it with someone you love!

Maya [Kajol] is the perfect mother. Her life revolves around her three children, Aleya [Aanchal Munjal], Ankush [Nominath Ginsberg] and Anjali [Diya Sonecha]. Despite being divorced from her husband Aman [Arjun Rampal], Maya has ensured that everything runs smoothly in her house, under her watch, and that they continue to remain a happy family unit.

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When Aman introduces his girlfriend, Shreya [Kareena Kapoor], a career-oriented woman, the situation takes an unexpected turn. However, Maya is diagnosed with a terminal illness and circumstances bring the two women under the same roof. Can two mothers make a home?

With a plot like this, you expect WE ARE FAMILY to be an out-and-out serious outing. However, the film has its serious moments, but the director ensures that it doesn't come across as a gloomy and serious fare. In fact, the generous dose of light moments in the narrative keeps the drama fluid. There's an inherent sensitivity that the director brings in, which keeps you involved for most parts.

On the flip side, the film tends to stagnate in the middle of the second hour. One expects the story to move forward, but there's not much movement here [thankfully, the film picks up wonderfully towards the penultimate reels]. Also, the music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy is a complete letdown. You feel it all the more because Dharma is synonymous with excellent music. The only redeeming track in the enterprise is 'Let's Rock', which is high on energy. S-E-L need to reinvent themselves by experimenting a little more.

Director Siddharth P. Malhotra handles the dramatic portions best. The tense moments between Kajol and Kareena, the confrontation between the two and also the cold stares that they exchange time and again have been captured very well. The gradual transformation in Kajol's looks, from striking and energetic to pale and morose, is also well projected. The finale is the best part of the enterprise and can be best described in one word: Outstanding. However, like I pointed out earlier, the writing could've been tighter towards the second hour.

Mohanan's cinematography is eye-catching and the locales of Australia only enhance the look of the film. Niranjan Iyengar's dialogue are decent at places, but a few lines are amazingly real. The background score [Raju Singh] is first-rate.

WE ARE FAMILY gives the two popular actresses an opportunity to sink their teeth into strongly drawn, juicy, challenging and interesting female roles that move beyond the normal stereotypes. The scene stealer is, without doubt, Kajol. She expresses the gamut of emotions brilliantly and speaks a million words even when silent. This is yet another incredible performance from an actor par excellence. Kareena excels yet again and her sequences with the kids are a delight. In fact, casting Kareena as the stepmom is just right, since she's the only actor who can stand up to Kajol in high-voltage scenes and that's because Kareena is a powerful actor herself. Arjun continues to surprise. ROCK ON, HOUSE FULL, RAAJNEETI and now WE ARE FAMILY indicates the growth of this actor. He handles the emotional moments well too. The kids - all three of them - are superb. In fact, the casting of the kids [done by Shanoo Sharma] is an ace.

On the whole, WE ARE FAMILY is a perfect family film with a good mix of emotions and humour. Plus, a brilliant climax, which will ensure that the film grows with a strong word of mouth. The last film which came close to being a family outing was PAA. Before that, the only quintessential family film was BAGHBAN. WE ARE FAMILY is the kind of film that should work instantly with ladies and when ladies watch such films, they bring their spouses and children along. Recommended!

Aashayein Movie Review

Movie: Aashayein
Director: Nagesh Kukunoor
Cast: John Abraham, Sonal Sehgal, Anaitha Nair, Girish Karnad, Farida Jalal, Prateeksha Lonkar


Practically every new-age filmmaker wants to attempt a real story on celluloid. Stories which are straight out of life. These stories generally strike a chord with the audience if narrated convincingly and, most importantly, narrated within commercial parameters.

Nagesh Kukunoor has been a frontrunner as far as choosing and narrating real stories are concerned. Aashayein, too, seems like 'our' story. Here's a man who suddenly discovers that he has a few months to live. The indomitable spirit of living life to the fullest, under all circumstances, is what you expect from him.

But Aashayein gets so bizarre and abstract that you feel anesthetised after a point. Sadly, you don't react to the characters, you don't react to the film either.

Like Kukunoor's previous attempts, Aashayein is sensitively told and has several poignant and heart wrenching moments, but the story strays from realism and ends up being a fantasy, which leaves a sour taste in your mouth. The entire Raiders of the Lost Ark track, with John imagining himself in Harrison Ford's boots, is weird.

Final word? Aashayein just doesn't meet the aashayein of the viewer.

At a party to celebrate his big win at gambling, Rahul [John Abraham] proposes to his girlfriend Nafisa [Sonal Sehgal]. Within minutes of announcing his engagement, he collapses on the floor. After a medical diagnosis, Rahul discovers that he has only a few months left to live. He is diagnosed with lung cancer.

A distraught Rahul learns of a hospice and, without sounding off his girlfriend about it, packs his bags and leaves in the middle of the night. He meets a number of people at the hospice, who may have failing health, but have unfailing spirit.

For millions of viewers worldwide, Hrishikesh Mukherjee's classic Anand [Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan] remains one of the best films on the matchless spirit of a person diagnosed with a terminal illness. The person in question [Rajesh Khanna] knows he doesn't have much time on hand and decides to spread light and cheer all around.

Though Aashayein has nothing to do with Anand [although there's a reference to the film], the least Kukunoor could've done was to narrate the story without getting into the fantasy zone. When you talk of matters as serious as death, you can't deviate from the topic.

Even the hospice looks more like a small-town resort where people have come for a vacation. The seriousness is clearly missing!

On the brighter side, the sequences between John and Anaitha Nair are wonderful. Ditto between John and Farida Jalal. Salim-Sulaiman's music is in sync with the mood of the film. The song filmed on Shreyas Talpade is the pick of the lot.

Sudeep Chatterjee's camera captures the outdoors well. But the writing is imprecise and the culmination to this story is difficult to decipher.

Kukunoor is a master when it comes to extracting performances and Aashayein also boasts of sparkling performances by each and every member of the cast.

John puts a whitewash on his previous works and comes up with an honest and sincere performance. In fact, this film makes you forget that he's blessed with a striking personality. Instead, you notice the fine actor beneath the good looks and that's what makes you relate to this character for most parts.

Anaitha Nair is pure dynamite. Fiery, feisty, someone who can light fire in water. She's sure to make people notice her talent after this film.

Sonal Sehgal is efficient. Girish Karnad, Farida Jalal and Prateeksha Lonkar are perfect. Ashwin Chitale [as Govinda] is natural to the core. Vikram Inamdar [as Xavier, John's friend] is alright. Sonali Sachdev [doctor] is adequate. Shreyas Talpade appears in a song.

On the whole, Aashayein falters and fails on the writing level. Not much aasha from Aashayein. Nonetheless, the film has been made on a shoe-string budget and, therefore, the recovery from non-theatrical avenues would keep its distributors safe, although the returns from theatrical business would be disastrous.

Rating: One and a half stars - Taran Adarsh/IndiaFM

Aisha Movie Review.

Film Review of Aisha starring Sonam Kapoor and Abhay Deol

Recall the age-old adage: Marriages are made in heaven. Consummated on earth. But haven't we encountered lots of people in real life who try to set things up between friends/acquaintances? In fact, they take upon themselves to make matches and meddle in other people's affairs. That, in a nutshell, is the plotline of AISHA.

Let's get one thing straight. You are not exploring virgin territory with AISHA. 'Emma', the Jane Austen novel, has been adapted on film and television in the past. Although first published in 1815, almost 200 years ago, director Rajshree Ojha and writer Devika Bhagat transport the characters from this novel to present-day New Delhi. But the essence remains the same: A simple plot and an equally simplistic love story.

Unlike most love stories that we’ve witnessed on Hindi screen, there’s no heavy-duty dramebaazi in AISHA, no major hurdles to cross, no parental opposition to encounter, no major conflicts to solve. The director and writer remain faithful to the novel, which prompts you to ponder, wish the relationships were so uncomplicated in today’s times.

But there's a flipside as well. The film runs a little longer [although the running time is 2 hours] and gets painfully slow in some portions. Besides, AISHA lacks the depth of passion and that could be because the makers were trying to make something lighter and breezier. Sweeping the minor complaints aside, AISHA is watchable for two factors mainly: Neat performances, especially by Sonam Kapoor and Amit Trivedi’s super musical score.

Final word? The romantic buried inside all of us may respond to AISHA well.

Aisha [Sonam Kapoor] is a girl with a simple diktat -- everyone's business is her business. Arjun [Abhay Deol] is a boy with even a simpler set of beliefs -- Aisha should mind her own business. Caught in the Delhi upper class world with its own set of social rules, Aisha navigates her world with a great sense of style and even greater optimism.

Caught in her web are her best friend Pinky [Ira Dubey], the small-town girl Shefali [Amrita Puri], the West Delhi boy Randhir [Cyrus Sahukar] and the hunk Dhruv [Arunoday Singh]. Aisha will make sure everyone dances to her tune. And all Arjun wants to do is disentangle that web and get Aisha out of an impending sticky mess.

Director Rajshree Ojha and writer Devika Bhagat introduce the principal characters at the very outset and within minutes, you know their traits as well. The entire first hour is filled with the assorted characters interacting with one another and technically speaking, there's hardly any movement in the story. In fact, the first hour is more of a collage of incidents and moments put together on a beautiful canvas.

But the wheels start moving towards the post-interval portions, when the lead characters [Abhay, Sonam] suffer from pangs of jealousy and the remaining characters find themselves at crossroads as far as relationships are concerned. From this point onwards, AISHA gets more and more engaging. Note the confrontation sequence between Sonam and Amrita, which leads to a bitter outburst by the latter. Note the sequence when Sonam professes love for Abhay at a marriage reception, only to realise later that she had walked into a wrong venue. Note the finale, which is very Mills & Boon type of culmination. Well penned and well executed sequences!

Director Rajshree Ojha has handled several moments well, but how one wishes she would've spruced up the proceedings by coming straight to the point, instead of depicting Abhay and Sonam in sulking moods in several sequences of the second hour. Also, from the writing point of view, Cyrus and Ira Dubey suddenly realise that they are made for each other. Why this sudden pyaar? Didn’t they detest each other? Loving the same musician doesn't imply you are made for each other! There had to be a scene or two to indicate that they are drawn towards each other.

The production design [Shruti Gupte] is impressive. The film bears a striking look all through. The styling of all characters is up to the mark. The costume designers [Pernia Qureshi and Kunal Rawal] deserve full marks for choosing/making the trendy outfits. Diego Rodriguez’s cinematography is appealing. Music composer Amit Trivedi is in form, displaying his versatility in various numbers such as ‘Shaam’, ‘Suno Aisha’ and ‘Gal Mitthi Mitthi Bol’.

AISHA is sure to open eyes to the talent of its leading lady Sonam Kapoor, who gives face, form and expression to Aisha. She displays the essential characteristic of an actress who has the ability to shift quickly and effectively from one emotion to another. She can cry, look wistful and deliver a biting line with equal believability. Abhay Deol is a complete natural and the fact comes to the fore yet again as you watch AISHA. Although Sonam has an author-backed role, Abhay underplays his part well and registers a strong impact in several scenes.

The film is supported by a fine [read talented] cast. Also, one of the delights of the film is the cleverly written supporting roles. Ira Dubey is spunky, a damn good actor. Amrita Puri is a revelation, a powerhouse of talent. Cyrus Sahukar is first-rate. Arunoday Singh acts his part well. Lisa Haydon [as Aarti] is underused in a small role. Anuradha Singh is classy. M.K. Raina [Aisha's father] is efficient. Anand Tiwari [as Saurabh] is competent. Sameer Malhotra and Vidhushi Mehra [Aisha's brother-in-law and sister, respectively] have nothing substantial to do.

On the whole, AISHA holds appeal for the youth mainly and there is a strong likelihood that this segment of movie-going audience will fall for its charms. From the business point of view, the makers have recovered a big chunk of their investment from the sale of Satellite Rights and Music Rights and recovering the balance amount from India theatrical, Overseas and Home Video should be a cakewalk.

Source: indiafm.com

Movie Review of Kites

The bigger the budget... the bigger the names... the bigger the hype, hoopla and razzmatazz... the bigger the expectations from the film. KITES has some of the biggest names in the business - Rakesh Roshan, Anurag Basu and Hrithik Roshan, to name a few - and the film, therefore, carries this gargantuan responsibility on its shoulders. It has to soar higher than the hits delivered by this trio. Anything less will just not do!

The million dollar question is, does KITES fly high? Let me hit the nail on the head: The film has some terrific moments and of course, Hrithik Roshan's star power to cast a spell, but it has plenty of low moments. In fact, KITES could've been a cult film, but its writing relies too heavily on clichés and formulaic stuff and that, frankly, throws a spanner.

KITES is visually stunning and makes a sweeping impact, but it totters in its writing department. The story bears an uncanny resemblance to K. Balachander's EK DUUJE KE LIYE, Tony Scott's REVENGE and Rakesh Roshan's very own KOYLA. Also, the story hardly moves in the first hour, but gets into the groove towards the second hour. Of course, you might grumble that the film gets very 'Bollywoodish' at times, but the negatives and blemishes get camouflaged, at times, by that one name that spells magic: Hrithik Roshan.

Final word? KITES will meet with diverse reactions, but the one unanimous thing that it will gather in abundance would be the immense praise for this matchless actor called Hrithik Roshan. He alone is worth the price of the ticket and more. Wish I could say that for the film in entirety!

In the harsh terrain of the Mexican desert, a wounded man is left for dead in the heat of the desert sun. This is J [Hrithik Roshan], once a street-smart, carefree, young guy and now a wanted man. The only thing that keeps him alive is the quest to find the love of his life, Natasha [Barbara Mori]. A woman, engaged to another man, but surely destined for J. A woman, who comes into his life like a bolt of lightning and changes it forever.

KITES is stylish and slick, filmed like any international film. In fact, I am dead sure, the intention is to go beyond the diaspora and cut across to an audience that still thinks that Bollywood is the usual song-n-dance routine merely. The film has an eclectic first hour, even though the pacing is sluggish and there's not much movement in the story. But the post-interval portions are erratic; it keep you hooked at places, it slips at times.

KITES is desi at heart, but also takes a few steps that might be considered risky by Bollywood standards. The leading lady speaks in Spanish and the makers have used sub-titles for people to comprehend. This, very frankly, might not go down too well with the traditional audiences. The second aspect that catches you completely unaware is the finale, which, though amazingly shot, will have its share of advocates and adversaries. Some may like it, while some may argue, not done!

But without revealing much, I admit that the end is not formulaic at all. Given the fact that Bollywood wants to play safe all the while, most storytellers tend to follow the tried and tested rules of the game, but the finale is truly emotional and befits a love story by all means.

Anurag Basu has proved his mettle in the past and although this may not be the most cohesive script he has worked on, there's no denying that KITES keeps you involved at places. Note the sequence when Hrithik sets his eyes on Barbara for the first time. Or the intro of Kangna's bro Nicholas Brown. Or the finale, of course.

But the writing could've been tighter. Kangna has a half-baked track. The culmination to Nicholas Brown's track looks convenient. There's no mention of Kabir Bedi - the most influential man - after a point. The couple's encounters with the American police look ludicrous. These weigh the film down, honestly.

Rajesh Roshan's music is strictly okay. The score isn't a patch on this combo's [Rakesh Roshan and Rajesh Roshan] earlier works. However, Salim-Sulaiman's background score compliments the style and composition of sequences and truly appears as an international score. Ayananka Bose's cinematography is splendid. The chase sequences are awe-inspiring, especially the one when car after car is smashed into smithereens.

Hrithik is unbeatable and that's the truth. Very few actors can rise above the script and Hrithik is one of them. He's the lifeline of this film. Barbara Mori looks perfect for her part, but appears slightly mature at places. Nonetheless, the chemistry between Hrithik and Barbara is electrifying. Kangna is wasted. Kabir Bedi does a decent job. Nicholas Brown, as Kangna's brother and Barbara's fiancé, is top notch and adds a lot of freshness to the film.

On the whole, KITES has style, visuals and Hrithik Roshan as its trump cards, but its content leaves a lot to be desired. The film has evoked tremendous curiosity, which will translate into great numbers in its initial week. The wide release, the number of shows at every cineplex and lack of any film opposition will help the film set new records initially, but the huge costs on the other hand will play a spoilsport.

By Taran Adarsh [Bollywoodhungama]

Housefull Movie Review

Housefull Movie Poster

At the very start of the film, Sajid Khan pays his respects to several notable names of the 1970s and 1980s, who redefined Hindi commercial cinema. And that gives you ample idea of what to expect from HOUSEFULL, which, very frankly, stresses on wholesome entertainment like those wonderful entertainers made by Manmohan Desai, Prakash Mehra, Feroz Khan, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, K. Raghavendra Rao, Narendra Bedi, Ravi Tandon and Brij. No wonder, films made by these icons have tremendous recall value even today.

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Photos of Akshay Kumar-Twinkle Khanna's Son Aarav

The two things you expect from HOUSEFULL are non-stop laughter and non-stop entertainment. That's because the promos of the film have already given you an inkling of what to expect from this film. Besides, Sajid Khan swears by wholesome entertainers, so it's only natural to expect HOUSEFULL to bring the house down.

We loved Manmohan Desai and Prakash Mehra's movies because they transported us to a world of make believe, into a fantasy world, keeping us thoroughly entertained for those 3 hours. Obviously, we never questioned the logic then because we knew that entertainment was the keyword. HOUSEFULL takes the same route.


HOUSEFULL entertains majorly at places, but it's an uneven ride. Uneven, because the pace dips at several places. It's not a rip-roaring laugh-riot or a non-stop laughathon that one expects it would be, since the focus is on emotions and drama as well. Even the climax, I am sure, will meet with diverse reactions. It will have its share of advocates and adversaries.

Final word? The actors are top notch and so are their performances. Wish the script would've been equally super. Yet, despite the hiccups, HOUSEFULL should be lapped by moviegoers in a big way because the audience is starved for that solid entertainer with big stars for more than two months now.

HOUSEFULL narrates the story of Aarush [Akshay Kumar], the world's unluckiest man. Being jinxed, he believes his bad luck can vanish if he finds true love. In this quest for true love, he gets married to the daughter [Jiah Khan] of a wealthy businessman Kishore Samtani [Randhir Kapoor]. But there's a twist in the tale…

Enter Sandy [Deepika Padukone], who falls in love with Aarush. But complications follow thereafter as Sandy's brother, Major Krishna Rao [Arjun Rampal] and Hetal's [Lara Dutta] father, Batuk Patel [Boman Irani] enter the scene. How Aarush and his buddy Bob [Riteish Deshmukh] come out of this mess forms the crux of the film.

Like HEYY BABYY, HOUSEFULL has a story to tell as well. It's not merely an assemblage of funny sequences or a mere montage of comic scenes. But some of the funny sequences are sure to make you flex your facial muscles wide. Note Akshay's intro, or the sequence involving the vacuum cleaner, or Akshay getting a pet home, or the entire Chunkey Pandey track in Italy. Simply howlarious!

Sajid balances the dramatic moments well. The Jiah Khan sequence soon after the marriage is very interesting and so are the sequences in the second hour, when Arjun and also Boman land up at the mansion. The comedy of errors is truly funny at times and also the gay angle, which has been injected in this half. It may not be as memorable as the Kantaben track in KAL HO NAA HO, but is funny nonetheless. Talking of dramatic sequences, the ones between Akshay and Arjun are fantastic, especially the lie detector test, which is amongst the best sequences of the film.

Director Sajid Khan knows his fundas right. He packs just about everything to entertain you for the next two hours, but the screenplay could've been tighter. While the pacing is slow in the first hour, it's the second half which has a lot to offer. Overall, Sajid jumps into the big league of film-makers who make films for the masses and successfully at that!

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's music is pleasant. Vikas Sivaraman's cinematography is top notch. The locales of Italy are mind-boggling.

Every actor in this film takes the film to the next level. Akshay underplays his part beautifully. All those who felt that the actor tends to get loud or needs to be controlled will change their opinion with this film. He's the soul of HOUSEFULL. Riteish is incredibly natural. I've often felt that Riteish is one actor who doesn't give you an impression that he's 'acting'. Though the story primarily revolves around Akshay, Riteish stands shoulder to shoulder with Akshay in this one. Arjun Rampal is fantastic. Post OM SHANTI OM and ROCK ON!!, HOUSEFULL is yet another film that taps Arjun's talent to the maximum.

Deepika is a surprise. She carries her part with amazing confidence and again, post OM SHANTI OM and LOVE AAJKAL, HOUSEFULL is the film that would make people notice her talent as well as beauty. Lara is a seasoned player when it comes to comedies and she's too good yet again. Her scenes with Riteish in particular and also with Boman are first-rate. Jiah is a revelation. Although she doesn't get much scope, she manages to register an impact nonetheless.

Randhir Kapoor is very good. Boman Irani is excellent and is amongst the driving force of the second hour. Chunkey Pandey is sure to bring the house down. He is exceptional. Lilette Dubey is competent, as always. Malaika Arora Khan is alright.

On the whole, HOUSEFULL is not a complete laugh-riot, but is an entertainer all the way, targeted at the hardcore masses. What really works for the film is its massive star cast, gripping second half and also the skilled performances by each and every member of its cast. The audience is starved for a good commercial entertainer and HOUSEFULL should bring HOUSEFULL boards back outside cineplexes.

Rating: 4 Stars
Taran Adarsh [Bollywoodhungama]