Movie Update + Movie Review
MOVIE UPDATE
Years after Damini, director Raj Kumar Santoshi is planning another social film titled Saamna with Ajay Devgan, Akshay Kumar, Aishwarya Rai and Nana Patekar. With contemporary politics as the backdrop, the film deals with how people are exploited in the name of caste and religion. Shooting for Saamna will start once Santoshi finishes with Family starring Amitabh Bachchan and Akshay Kumar. Meanwhile, Santoshi's Prithviraj-Sanjukta film with Ajay and Aishwarya is on hold for lack of finances.
Expatriate Gujarati filmmaker Kruti Majmudar's first feature film The Memsahib has East-meets-West as its theme. The New York-based filmmaker was in her native state recently shooting for the movie which she hopes to release worldwide in October this year. The lead pair is played by Parveen Dabas of Monsoon Wedding fame and the Britain-based actor Emily Hamilton.
Come June-end and a unique movie titled Yaad Rakhenge Aap (You will remember) will be released. The film aims at boosting the memory of viewers and will render a better understanding of the memory and its principles, according to Biswaroop Roy Chowdhury, an engineer by profession whose brainchild it is. Chowdhury claims that Yaad Rakhenge Aap "will help the audience to enhance their learning skills of vocabulary, memorising lists including shopping list, remembering the calendar of 2005, 2006 and 2007 and memorising GK!" The film which has Chowdhury himself as the lead actor, stars Sonali Goswami and the long forgotten Ayesha Jhulka.
The Sushmita Sen-Mithun-Anuj Sawney starrer Chingari is slated for a June-July release.
Indian cinema's maverick filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, is now going to be the subject of a mainstream movie being made by producer-director Vinta Nanda of White Noise fame. She says her film will not be a docudrama, but a commercial movie with songs and dances. The search is on for an "actor of substance" to play the role of Mahesh Bhatt.
Sukh, produced by Govinda and directed by his brother Kirti Ahuja, is complete and ready for release. It stars Govinda, Chunky Pandey, Preeti Jhangiani and Aarti Chhabria. Govinda and Chunky Pandey hope to revive their Aankhen magic through this family drama with a message. Meanwhile, the much delayed Govinda-Preity Zinta starrer Khullam Khulla Pyaar Karen finally saw the light of day in April.
Juhi Chawla will soon be seen in a comedy 71/2 Phere. In the film, Juhi plays Asmi Ganatra, an intelligent, but confused girl, aspiring to become a director. Produced by Nimit Modawal, the film, co-starring Irrfan Khan, is written and directed by Isshaan Trivedi.
MOVIE REVIEW
Waqt: The Race Against Time
Starring: Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Priyanka Chopra
Director: Vipul Shah
Music Director: Anu Malik
Amitabh Bachchan and Akshay Kumar sure are becoming the most popular father-son screen jodi. After Ek Rishta, they come together again in this Vipul Shah's adaptation of a Gujarati stage play and don't let down their fans. The film is full of heart-warming episodes between a rich father Ishwar (Amitabh Bachchan) and his spoilt son Aditya (Akshay Kumar), who learns to be a responsible man the hard way.
The first half is racy and entertaining. The comic verbal duels between Amitabh and Boman Irani (Priyanka's dad) make you laugh and chuckle, while the second half wrenches the heart with melodrama handled with care. The script is the hero here. Well crafted scenes and sensitively penned dialogues (Aatish Kapadia) help the cast reach great histrionic heights.
Bachchan is not as innovative as a Black allowed him to be but one more time he more than delivers the goods. A wrinkled, weary and aging Akshay Kumar may not exactly convince as a wannabe film star taking part in talent hunts but he emotes well enough to move the viewer. Priyanka Chopra could do well with more such roles that don't bank entirely on her oomph and let her display other talents. The director's wife Shefali Shah is one underrated, unnoticed actress who makes a mark. Rajpal Yadav as the exasperatingly daft domestic servant is terrific. Boman Irani of course has become the king of comic brilliance in Hindi films.
If there is anyone who disappoints, it is Anu Malik who comes up with a musical score that's not half as stirring as the film. And yes, how you wish the director had avoided those never-ending duets and festive songs that make Waqt look like a blend of Kabhie Khushi Kabhi Gham and Baghban.
Nevertheless, while you have waqt, do go and see the film.
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