Movie Update + Review
MOVIE UPDATE
The Shah Rukh Khan-Kajol starrer Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge has broken all records to become the most successful Indian film ever. It recently completed 500 weeks of continuous run in a Mumbai theatre and is still going strong.
Rajat Kapoor's next film Mixed Doubles will feature Konkona SenSharma as a wife whose marriage with Ranvir Sheorey has lost its physical sparkle after 10 years. There's a twist in the tale when partners get accidentally exchanged with another couple played by Koel Purie and Rajat.
Rajat made his directorial debut with Raghu Romeo, which was selected as the best Hindi feature film at the 51st National Awards in 2003. However, the film did not quite make an impact at the box-office.
Kajol's sister Tanisha, who was to work with Sammir Dattani in Chicago-based producer Masood Ali's film mid-June, has changed her mind at the last minute and opted for a role opposite Uday Chopra in another project. She will now go to Vancouver, Canada, for the Yashraj Films production.
A movie based on famous author Ruskin Bond's novel is set to hit theatres. Chatri Chor, the Hindi adaptation of Bond's The Blue Umbrella is directed by music director-turned-producer Vishal Bharadwaj who directed the children's film Makdee. Many years ago, Junoon had been made by Shyam Benegal which was based on Bond's The Flight of Pigeons.
US-based Indian filmmaker Manan Singh Katohora's directorial debut Arya fetched him a best director nomination by the Desi Club's South Asian Movie Awards along with Mira Nair and Manoj Night Shyamalan. The film starring Samrat Chakrabarti, Manvi Dhoopar, Sheetal Shah, Tirlok Malik, Sonny Suri and Manan, is a psychological thriller scheduled for a global spring release this year. The 29-year-old Katohora has a diploma from New York University.
An Indian wrestler and a sub-inspector in the Punjab police makes his debut as an actor in a soon to be released Hollywood film The Longest Yard. Dalip Singh plays a prison inmate in the film co-starring Adam Sandler, Chris Rock and Burt Reynolds to be released in North America. One of the tallest men in wrestling history, Dalip, also known as Giant Singh, has won numerous wrestling titles in Japan, where he is currently a very popular figure. Dalip won titles of Mr. India in 1997 and 1998 and has trained as a wrestler in the US in 1999.
MOVIE REVIEW
Nazar
Starring: Ashmit Patel, Meera, Koel Purie
Producer: Mahesh Bhatt, Sevy Ali
Director: Soni Razdan
Music Director: Anu Malik
Despite its pre-release hype over the controversial smooch, Nazar turns out to be a damp squib. Quite literally, because the heroine is generally shown soaked and gyrating wildly over rocks and beaches. As for the kiss, did we miss it or was it much ado over nothing? Having said that, Meera has sizzled enough by Pakistani standards. But sizzled too little by Indian standards!
This action thriller with a dash of the paranormal, is about a successful dancer Divya (Meera) whose life changes when one day she comes across the murdered body of a woman lying on the road. A body that miraculously comes back to life, grabs her hand and says Help me? From then on, Divya starts having bloody visions of young women being mercilessly slaughtered, desperately crying out for help. The effect of all this? The lady herself begins to shriek for help! Ashmit Patel is the ACP on the case and the spunky Koel Purie his co-cop, who wears shirts two sizes too small!
Debutante director Soni Razdan maintains the flow till interval but after that things start going out of hand. What seems weird is to place a hot wet romantic number immediately after a scene where the main protagonist is under emotional stress. Though well directed, the film lacks in a good and taut screenplay. The other problem with Nazar is that it reduces the heroine to a whimpering, helpless woman who spends the entire second half of the film crying.
In the ultimate analysis, the shoddy screenplay killed this much?awaited Indo-Pak collaborative venture. Or was it the hype that killed it? A million dollar question!
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