Kai Po Che

I watched Kai Po Che as part of a new meetup group that I had joined. Based on the highly popular Chetan Bhagat novel 'The 3 mistakes of my life,' it is a powerful tale of friendship, love and emotions. Although Chetan Bhagat may not be the best literary writer in the country, he understands the pulse of the Indian middle class and has a talent of creating simple, heartfelt stories that instantly connect.

The film follows the life of 3 friends-Ishaan, Govind and Omi played by newcomers Sushant Singh Rajput, Rajkumar Yadav and Amit Sadh. Born in a middle class Gujrati family, the dreams, aspirations and struggles of the trio is beautifully captured by director Abhishek Kapoor.

What really works for the film is the middle class characters to which the masses can relate to. Whether it is the miser yet grounded Govind, the selfless, passionate and hot headed Ishaan,  the bubbly Vidya or the loyal yet confused Omi, every character is well sketched out and each actor slips into their role with ease. The surprise package for me in the film was Sushant Singh Rajput. He plays Ishaan with utmost sincerity and is highly convincing.

There are no unnecessary songs or cliched dialogues. There is not a single dull moment in the entire film and the director knows how to keep the audience engrossed. The love story between Vidya and Govind is subtle and believable. The portrayal of the earthquake and the riots is also underplayed without taking away from the impact it was intended to create.

Music by Amit Trivedi is very refreshing especially the 'Manjha' song which fits in very well with the mood of the movie.

The dramatic climax is unexpected and leaves the audience emotional and makes Ishaan even more endearing.

Overall, this film has all the ingredients that are an integral part of middle class Indian life-emotions, drama, love, religion, politics and cricket. The writer and director have done a great job of blending these together to produce this brilliant film without succumbing to the danger of becoming an over the top Bollywood masala movie.

Special 26

I just got back home after watching 'Special 26' with 2 of my new friends. To put it simply, I loved the movie. After having read glowing reviews about the film, I had high expectations and boy was I impressed!

Brilliant script, tight screenplay, perfect comedy, superb acting and outstanding direction.

The film is set in 1987 and based on true incidents. It narrates the story of four con men who loot businessmen and politicians posing as CBI or Income Tax officers. It beautifully recreates India of the 80s. Akshay Kumar plays the lead while Anupam Kher, Manoj Bajpai and Jimmy Shergill are the supporting cast. Divya Dutta and Kajal Agarwal-the only two female characters in the film are wasted.

I personally liked Manoj Bajpai's performance as the upright (real) CBI officer. The dialogues are a winner and keep you in splits even during intense scenes. Akshay Kumar, who is known for his over the top acting in films like 'Rowdy Rathore' and 'Singh is King' is at ease and convincing as the smart and subdued 'Ajju.' Needless to mention, Anupam Kher brings life to his 'Sharmaji.'

The surprise twist at the end leaves the audience in shock. If you give it more thought (which one shouldn't considering this is a Bollywood film) one can see a few loopholes in the plot but those do not take away from the gripping narrative.

The love story between Akshay and Kajal is a major distraction and adds no value to the film. Even the bhangra number could have been eliminated.

This movie proves that you can make an entertaining film without being ridiculous. It is easily one of the best films in recent times. 

Vishwaroopam: Movie Review

After all the controversies related to the movie and V's interest in it, there was no way I could have missed watching it. It has been one week after its US release and is yet to be released in Tamil Nadu.

To be honest, I wasn't quite impressed by the trailer but went to watch the movie to find out for myself what the hullabaloo was all about.

Written and directed by Kamal Haasan, who plays the central character, this film is a treat for all his fans. We see him essay three different looks in the film-the effeminate Kathak teacher, the cool spy and the terrorist in Al-Qaeda camp. It's amazing how he transforms from one character to the other with ease and is highly convincing in each one.


The action scenes are stunning and I would say are the highlights. Some scenes are gory but are handled well and contribute to the mood of the film. Meticulous research has been done for depicting life in Afghanistan and the operations of the terrorist camps. The sets, costumes, and the use of dialogues in Pashto add a great degree of realism to the scenes. No unnecessary songs to interrupt the flow of the film. Having said that, it is a delight to watch the opening Kathak dance sequence.

Despite all these efforts, there are a few loose ends. The cheating wife suddenly getting attracted to her now transformed husband, she being allowed to accompany the FBI during the dangerous operation in the climax, the nuclear oncologist proving her knowledge by stating the atomic number of Cesium look a bit too silly and out of place in an otherwise strong movie. I wasn't too happy with Rahul Bose either. He did not have a strong screen presence and didn't look like the menacing terrorist he was supposed to portray. Andrea's role could have been better developed.

It is sad that a few people vying for political mileage have managed to delay the release of the film. There is nothing remotely controversial or capable of hurting any religious sentiments. 7 cuts for no apparent reason is rather unfair.

Overall, it is a stylish and entertaining spy thriller with a mediocre climax.