Once Upon A Time In Mumbai

Lets get straight, if you think Once Upon A Time In Mumbai is a biopic, you're wrong. A police officer(Randeep Hooda) who once traced the changing face of the Mumbai Underworld narrates all his experiences and all his unintentional mistakes which affected everything. Almost every movie-goer has a fascination for gangster movies, and yeah it does not disappoint(almost).. It recreates the era which so many of us have left behind and those who arrived on this planet after 80s.

Once Upon A Time In Mumbai is a story that talks about the entry of mafia for the first time in Mumbai and things unfolded in course of time. It talks about the rise and subsequent fall of the King, and the emergence of the Prince as the super power.  It talks about the dialogues which ruled 70s era. It talks about the chic retro look which was the trademark of that era.

The plot does resemble with lives of Haji Mastan(allegedly played by Ajay Devgn) and Dawood Ibrahim(allegedly played by Emraan Hashimi) but whatever is, the screenplay is engrossing and keeps you hooked until you feel about complaining for the length when things get slow in the second half and gradually in the end. But, the dialogues do get lots of claps and whistles in not few but many scenes. Recreating the bygone era is tough and the director, the writer and the art director deserve brownie points for giving the film that authentic feel.

As for acting, Emraan is sure to break free from his lover boy image with this film. This is his finest performance to date. Ajay Devgn has become repetitive, his dialogue delivery and expressions betray you many times, although his character is very strong and he has played it effectively. There was nothing much to do for the ladies(Prachi and Kangana), but they managed to portray their roles 'beautifully'. Randeep Hooda, too, performed well. Pritam's music( in spite of the fact the music is never really 'his') is an ace. But, it was the background score which left an lasting impression even when the movie ended.

When the screenplay is powerful and engaging, direction has to be brilliant. Milan Lutharia successfully recreated that era and his work is exemplary. There should be a special note of the dialogues, also written by Rajat Arora( screenplay) which are fantabulous.

To conclude, I would just say, go for it if you really are interested in the dialogues which no longer have there existence these days(of course allegedly)

My Rating: 7/10

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INCEPTION

What is the most resilient parasite? An Idea! Yes, Nolan has created something with his unbelievably, incredibly and god-gifted braniac idea which will blow the minds of the audience away. The world premiere of the movie, directed by Hollywood's most inventive dreamers, was shown in London and  has already got top notch reviews worldwide and has scored maximum points! Now the question arises what the movie has that it deserves all this?

Dom Cobb(Di Caprio) is an extractor who is paid to invade the dreams of various business tycoons and steal their top secret ideas. Cobb robs forcefully the psyche with practiced skill, though he's increasingly haunted by the memory of his late wife, Mal (Marion Cotillard), who has a nasty habit of showing up in his subconscious and wreaking havoc on his missions. Cobb had been involved so much in his heist work that he had lost his love!

But then, as fate had decided, a wealthy business man Saito( Ken Watanabe) hands over the responsibility of dissolving the empire of his business rival Robert Fischer Jr.(Cillian Murphy). But this time his job was not to steal the idea but to plant a new one: 'Inception'

Then what happens is the classic heist movie tradition. To carry out the the task, Cobb's 'brainiac' specialists team up again with him, Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), his longtime organizer; Tom Hardy (Eames), a "forger" who can shapeshift at will; and Yusuf (Dileep Rao), a powerful sedative supplier.  

There is only one word to describe the cinematography, the set designs and the speical effects, and that is Exceptional! You dont just watch the scenes happening, you feel them. The movie is a real thrill ride. The action scenes are well picturised and the music by Hans Zimmer is electronically haunting. Never, in the runtime of the movie, you will get a chance to move your eyes from the screen to any other object.


Leonardo, who is still popularly known for Jack Dawson played by him in Titanic, should be relieved as his role as Dom Cobb will be remembered forever. His performance may or may not fetch him an Oscar but it will be his finest performance till date. The supporting cast too did an extraordinary work. Christopher Nolan, ah! what a man he is. His work is nothing less than a masterpiece and he deserves all the awards in the 'Best Director' category. If "Inception" is a metaphysical puzzle, it's also a metaphorical one: It's hard not to draw connections between Cobb's dream-weaving and Nolan's film making, intended to seduce us, mess with our heads and leave an ever-lasting impression.

To conclude, I would just say before your life ends, do yourself a favor by experiencing this exceptionally lucid classic created by Nolan!


My Rating: 10/10

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I Hate LUV Stories

The title was attractive.. So was the treatment and the hype.. Both, who love and who hate love stories were excited.. But, we adore love stories, don't we? So how can anybody possibly hate love stories.. That was supposed to be the main theme of the movie.. But.. things went wrong right from the beginning.. Full of clichés and predictable storyline the whole setup of the movie failed..

Imran a typical Casanova works as an assistant to a director who is famous for making blockbuster love stories.. Incomes Sonam who is an art director for the same movie in which Imran is working.. Imran hates his job and love stories but Sonam lives in fairy world where love stories are made in heaven and she has already got a perfect match for her who is just like a typical love story hero.. As usual they are totally anti towards each other and gradually grow liking and Sonam already being engaged falls for him and he rejects... Then as the time passes Imran finds himself as a changed man and he doesn't enjoys his life as he used to be.. His friends convince him that he has fallen in love but he isn't ready to accept the fact but like all the old stories he gets to know that he is in love with Sonam and after all the tedious drama they meet and live happily ever after!

Now, I don't need to say anything on the storyline provided you already have made your opinion after reading the above para.. Then comes the acting.. Imran Khan is as always very consistent.. No actor can act as badly as he does.. Neither he accepts this fact and nor he tries to improve upon.. His dialogue delivery is worse than Bruna Abdullah(yeah, she too is present in this film)and like always he is expression less throughout the movie and dances like a douchebag! Sonam is strictly OK..! Kavin Dave as Imran's friend is the show stealer and takes the lime light in not few but in many scenes.. Samir Dattani is decent.. Aamir Ali is good as an individual but his pairing with Pooja Ghai is irritating.. Samir Soni is OK in some parts and good in some.. The only saving grace if the movie is the music.. Vishal-Shekhar are in top form.. Styling by Manish Malhotra is top notch.. Cinematography is enjoyable too.. The worst part is the direction.. Debutante Punit Malhotra should be backed for trying a different theme but he should be thrashed for failing miserably..

To conclude, I would suggest the movie only to those who have a strong affinity for usual love stories.. Yeah the movie had its few hilarious moments but thats not what you expect from a movie made under Dharma Productions banner..!

My Rating: 4/10

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