Aditya Chopra’s first film, DDLJ, as we know, was a major blockbuster, and is still running in theaters to this day. Five years later, his second film, Mohabbatein, though not on the same level as DDLJ, was a big hit. And now, 8 long years later, we get Adi’s third film, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. Can it live up to the earlier two movies, especially DDLJ? A film like DDLJ in today’s time might not have worked like it did 13 years ago. But does Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi work in 2008?

It does, because Aditya doesn’t try to make the movie something that it’s not. RNBDJ isn’t a celebrated love story with boy meeting girl, both falling in love, facing a few conflicts, and living happily ever after with a few songs in Switzerland thrown in. It’s the simple story of Suri and Taani, and how unforseen circumstances throw them together. It’s how Suri looks at his bride with such love, infatuation, fascination. And how she can be his wife, but can’t love him. How tragedy in her life has basically forced her to marry someone she thinks she will never be able to love. And when she does love again, it’s to someone she thinks is totally different from her husband.

RNBDJ is different because this movie very well would have worked in the late 90s. But it’s also a good enough movie for this time as well. In an industry full of fast cars, motorcycles, half-naked women, style over substance, RNBDJ is a refreshing change. It takes on the story of an ordinary man, a “nerd”, and puts him and his feelings center-stage. And it makes us feel his emotions, happy or sad. You are on an emotional roller-coaster throughout the whole film, and you’re rooting for him in the end.

Surinder Sahni isn’t a typical Bollywood movie leading man. He’s usually one of those background character actors who people laugh at, make fun of, is the best friend of the main actor, etc etc. Adi takes his chance and makes Suri his leading man. And he makes us love him. He may not be conventionally handome, he may not have a great body, but that doesn’t make him any less of a man. He’s caring, loving, honest, and only wants the best for his wife. You feel for Suri in this movie even if you don’t want to. When Taani tells him that she will never be able to love him, he doesn’t get mad, he doesn’t tell her to leave. He tells her that he doesn’t even know what love is, so it’s ok. He tells her that she did enough for him by not embarassing him in front of his friends. Even though he loves her with all his heart. He’ll keep it inside for her sake. She tells him “I want to kill the old Taani”. Instead of pleading with her, saying no, I love the old Taani, he stays quiet. For her sake. Because he knows she’s already decided what she needs to do.

He’ll do anything for her. He has a pani puri eating competition with Taani as Raj, but doesn’t expect a full meal when he gets back home as Suri. But Taani made biryani for him, and he can’t disappoint her. He’ll explode, but he will eat all of the biryani that she gives him. And it’s not just a little bit. She piles it on the plate, and all he can do is smile nervously. “A-one” he says as he struggles to force the food into his mouth. Suri practices to dance when Taani does, so he can do a bit better for her. To help her win the competition. He lives two lives, just for this woman who already says she won’t return his love. This is the mark of a true Bollywood hero. Follow your heart, no matter what. And Suri’s heart followed Taani everywhere.

Now Raj Kapoor is another story. He’s rude, he’s a flirt, he’s loud, he’s pretty annoying. But Suri’s life has been nothing like this. He doesn’t know how he’s supposed to act, what’s cool and what’s not. Bobby is his only indication of “cool”, and we know how that is. So Raj acts like an idiot, only as Suri knows how to act. He is over the top, but this is all through Suri’s eyes. Suri’s probably never worn jeans and shirts so tight. It’s a big adjustment for him, so he must adjust his jeans whenever possible. He has to wear huge sunglasses and spike his hair, all for Taani. And he was only planning to do it once, so he figured he would give it a shot. But he realizes that he can get closer to Taani, and circumstances make him become Raj night after night. He’ll do it happily. He gets to see the side of Taani that he fell in love with.

Taani is also not a typical BW heroine. Adi brings back some old-time story lines, like a whole wedding precession dying on the way to the wedding, and a fathers last wish to see his daughter married to someone who he knows will take care of her. Many girls would go ahead and marry whoever they wished, but Taani is different. She marries Suri for her father’s sake. This man that she has only met once, the man who her father always talked about. She feels it is the right thing to do. That’s why I buy it at the end that Taani sees Suri as her Rab. After all she went through, the one constant was Suri. He was always there. He took care of her. When she first sits down on the bed in her new home, she looked at the two pillows side by side. Then, in the next moment, Suri stuffs that pillow into his box with all his clothes, and tells her that the room is hers. No hesitation, nothing to talk about, he just packs up and goes to the attic. He’s not expecting a thing.

When she talks to Suri on the terrace, she’s not trying to hurt him. She’s just being honest. She’s not mad at him, she’s mad at God. But she doesn’t want him to keep his hopes up either, so she gives it to him straight. She’ll be his wife, and that’s about it. But she is a young woman. She needs her escape. The movies Suri takes her to are fun, but she needs more. So when she meets Raj, at first she’s annoyed, but she softens. Raj is a flash of lightning in her mundane world. And she combines her passion for dancing with this guy who makes her feel alive, who makes her laugh, and uses it as her escape. She doesn’t realize it, but she’s slowly falling in love again.

I didn’t expect her to recognize Raj. For one, it is a pretty big change from Suri to Raj. And second, how many times did Taani really look at Suri? I mean a really good look? Take away the glasses and mooch, and would you really recognize him? In such a radically different avatar? When you’re not expecting anything like it? For all Taani knows, her husband is working overtime. She’d never even think about who Raj really is. She does show Suri that she cares though. She tears into him after the Sumo fight, knowing he could have really hurt himself. She apologizes and personally delivers his tiffin, which puts Suri on top of the world. But she can’t love him. She can be there for him, but not love him. As for Raj…

When she agrees to run away with Raj, my heart just broke. The look on Raj’s face, like his whole world had just been shattered, was very powerful. And for a moment, you don’t like Taani. She’s basically cheating on her husband, and is willing to leave him for another man. But then you think about her life. Here’s this man that she could only dream about, right in front of her, willing to run away with her. She makes a rash decision, which she later backs out of. And again, the look on Raj’s face when she does back out is priceless. Filled with surprise, relief, love.

And that brings us to the dance competition finals, with Taani waiting and hoping that Raj will come back one more time and dance with her. When Suri shows up, she’s dumbfounded. First, wondering what the hell her husband is doing there. And second, when he starts dancing, realizing that Raj is in fact Suri. It ends on a beautiful note, with Taani correcting the MC. “It’s Mr. and Mrs. Surinder Sahni”. Perfect.

I can’t comment about the end credits yet. We had enough problems with the theater anyway (started 15 minutes late, intermission didn’t last long enough), but for the end credits, they let it run for about 1 minute, then cut the sound. So we couldn’t hear a thing that was being said. I’ll comment on em if I get to hear it the second time around, otherwise I’ll have to wait for the DVD. Sad

Lots of funny moments in the film. My two favorites are Suri searching for his Pepsi straw, and forgetting that his USB drive was still connected to his laptop. He’s so flustered that his wife actually wants to talk to him, that he completely forgets about it. Also, the way Suri just gazes at his first tiffin. Just looking at it with so much love. The Dhoom sequence was entertaining too, with ‘macho’ Raj sitting on the back, holding on for dear life.

On to my gripes. The first one that stood out for me was Taani not being mad at Suri at the end. He’s been lying to her for months. Yes, it showed just how much he loved her, but a bit of initial anger would have worked a bit better in my opinion. Also, the Sumo wrestler scene drags on. Quite a bit of that could have been cut, or another route could have been taken to show what Suri would do for her. The YRF references also got a bit old. I understand the Dhoom one, that was cute, but the rest were just overkill.

Shah Rukh again walks away with the accolades. He’s brilliant in both roles. Anushka is a very pleasant surprise. I loved her. She matched SRK step for step in their scenes together. Her smile lit up the screen, she was just gorgeous. Vinay Pathak was hilarious as Bobby, and also great in the emotional scenes. He was a great friend.

RNBDJ was worth the wait. 8 years from Adi, and 1 year from Shah Rukh. But the final product makes up for it.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Lets start out with some honorable mentions. Songs I liked, but not enough to make my list. And, I will admit, I wanted to put more Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi songs on the top 10 list, but I figure that’s because the songs are so new. So, I’m restraining myself.

Honorable Mentions - Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta, Dance Pe Chance (Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi), Rock On!!, Socha Hai (Rock On!!), Mannata (Heroes), Tu Meri Dost Hai (Yuvvraaj), Zara Sa (Jannat), Talli (Ugly Aur Pagli), Move Your Body, Bakhuda Tumhi Ho remix (Kismat Konnection), Jaane Kyun, Maa Da Laadla remix (Dostana), Dil Haara, Tashan Mein (Tashan), Bachna Ae Haseeno, Aahista Aahista (Bachna Ae Haseeno)

Ok, on to the list:

10. Mit Jaaye [Kidnap]

Imran isn’t really convincing as a bad boy, especially after Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, but he looks quite good in this video. I love the song, though it’s a bit faster on the album than in this video, and the singer sounds different.

09. Khwab Dekhe [Race]

One of my guilty pleasures of 2008. I constantly complain about English lyrics, and this song includes “Sexy lady, makes me crazy, be my baby, give me all your lovin now…”. Definition of cheezy, yet the song is so damn catchy that I listen anyway. Damn Pritam and his catchiness.

08. Haule Haule [Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi]

I didn’t like this song when I first heard it, but it grew on me. Really nice song, great singing by Sukhwinder. Such a different song from what we’ve been getting lately.

07. Khuda Jaane [Bachna Ae Haseeno]

Such a gorgeous song. Vishal Shekhar prove that they are not all about rock. They can make a beautiful love song as well. This song has a haunting quality about it. KK is just perfect. Shilpa Rao’s voice becomes a bit jarring during her voice, you can’t completely understand what she sings. But overall, lovely.

06. Sinbad The Sailor [Rock On!!]

The video really makes this song. I liked it just from the soundtrack, but the video makes it so much fun. Watching Farhan run around the stage and sing his heart out, the crowd everywhere, and Arjun making his appearance. Also love the slow-down at the end, with ‘Tum Ho Toh’. Nice ending to a great song.

05. Tu Hai Meri Soniye [Kismat Konnection]

More English. But not bad. It works. More Pritam catchiness. And Shahid dancing. Can’t beat that.

04. Kabhi Kabhi Aditi [Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na]

Didn’t like initially. Gave it another try, and it shot to the top of my most played list. It’s short and sweet, doesn’t go on too long, and Rashid Ali’s voice is really nice, I hope we hear more of him. Too bad it’s a song about a cat.

03. Jogi Mahi [Bachna Ae Haseeno]

I love love this song. I love hearing Shekhar sing, I love the beat, Sukhwinder makes his appearance, and Himani Kapoor sounds wonderful in her part. She should get more songs like this, it really suits her voice. And aww at Kunal in his turban.

02. Desi Girl [Dostana]

This is such a fun song. An instant hit. Shankar’s voice works perfectly for songs like this. The dancing in the video is kinda weird, but probably because they had to cater to John’s skills. Hehe poor guy. But overall an awesome song.

01. Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte [Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi]

No video for this yet, so it’s just a random pics in the above video. I absolutely adore this song. It’s so creative, being able to mix old tunes together into a whole new tune is no easy task. Salim-Suleman seem to do it effortlessly. It all seams together so well. And Sonu just brings a whole new element to the song. The singer does make a big difference, I think only Sonu could have pulled this off so good. The picturization will surely be a treat.

So, there we go. Coming soon, Top 10 Soundtracks of 2008 and, after RNBDJ and Ghajini release, Top 10 Movies of 2008. That may be pushed in to 2009, b/c Ghajini releases so late.

BTW, my thoughts and prayers go out to all those families who have been affected by the senseless attacks in Mumbai. RIP to those who lost their lives for no reason, and I pray for those injured to get better soon.

This movie was always going to be a big deal. The topic of homosexuality is a touchy subject anywhere, not just India. And there really hasn’t been a movie of the sort in Bollywood. They didn’t go all the way, and have a big name star actually play a gay character, but this is close enough for the moment.

Sam and Kunal (Abhi/John) pretend they are a gay couple, in order to rent a beautiful apartment. They must pretend because the landlady doesn’t want any guys chasing after her niece, Neha (Priyanka, who I must say, looked absolutely gorgeous in this movie). So, they lie, they get the apartment, and they move in. And what follows is obviously the comedy, where both men must keep up the act that they are in fact a couple.

A lot occurs that they must endure, like Sam’s mother (Kirron Kher) finding out her son is gay, Neha’s gay boss (Boman Irani) being invited for dinner, and the dance party that ensues, and Sam and Kunal faking a fight, where one blames the other for cheating, and the other retorts back with…well, you have you see it.

I like the route the movie took. A gay comedy could have gone completely wrong, offended a number of people, but Dostana does neither. Yes, the movie drags as the drama kicks in, but the movie can’t always be funny. There are issues that come up within in the movie, like both Sam and Kunal falling in love with Neha, Neha falling in love with another man (Bobby), a child being involved, etc. Things are handled well, I think, and it makes for an enjoyable movie.

Abhishek Bachchan completely steals the show. His comic timing is perfect. His acting in the ‘how did you meet’ scene is just brilliant. You never stop laughing when he’s on the screen. And the perfect foil to Abhi is John Abraham. He has his funny moments, but he’s the sane one in this couple. Though he does play along a few times, which makes for a lot of laughs, like when Sam’s mom accepts him as her bahu.

Priyanka really impressed me in this. She looks gorgeous, and her acting was really good. In fact all of the acting in this movie was good. The threesome of Sam, Kunal and Neha was just perfect. Their chemistry on screen was great, it looked like they were best friends in real life. They looked very comfortable with each other, which really helps the movie.

Kirron Kher and Boman Irani are perfect in their roles, although they both seem a bit short. I would have liked to see more of them. Bobby Deol is really the only person I had a problem with. He just looks weird, and you don’t believe that Neha would pick him over either of the other two. Though I guess he was the only honest guy around in the end. But someone like Arjun Rampal would have worked better in this role, in my opinion.

The music is great as well. Vishal-Shekhar make a perfect soundtrack, each song fits. Desi Girl is my favorite, and none of the songs seem to come out of nowhere. Even Maa Da Laadla. I like the remixed version at the end of the movie also.

Overall, Dostana is a must-see film. The comedy will keep you laughing, and the drama is just about good enough to keep you interested.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

01. Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai - Roop Kumar Rathod: We start out the album with a great song. Roop Kumar Rathod’s voice perfectly suits the song, and the lyrics are very nice. This one might have been even better as a duet, but as it is, it’s a gem.

02. Haule Haule - Sukhwinder Singh: The first song we heard. A nice, simple song. The verses could have used some work, and the word Haule repeated over and over does get to be a bit much, but overall, Sukhwinder does his job and makes his a soothing and well composed track.

03. Dance Pe Chance - Sunidhi Chauhan, Labh Janjua: I cringe at the title. But then I listened to the song. Sunidhi’s voice is always great, I like the music used, and my favorite part is when Labh Janjua sings. It all just works. I can deal with English lyrics when it’s needed, and I suppose it’s needed here. Not a bad song at all, though I have a feeling it’s at the bottom of most people’s lists.

04. Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte - Sonu Nigam: The Deewangi Deewangi of RNBDJ. This is the track where Bipasha, Rani, etc will be making guest appearances. The song is a mix of oldies, with a line or two being used from each song. It’s an incredibly creative track, where the lyrics have been kept in tact, but the tune has been completely changed to fit. It’s a pleasure to listen to, especially with Sonu Nigam behind the mic.

05. Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai (slow) - Shreya Ghosal: A beautiful track. It’s a female version of the first song, but much shorter. This is probably used during a sad part during the movie, and going by the way the song is, I’ll be bawling in no time. I wish this was a full song, it’s wonderful.

06. Dancing Jodi - Instrumental: This is an instrumental medley of most of the tracks. I like medleys, so I like this one. Not much else to say about it.

Overall, it’s a good album. If you’re expecting another Om Shanti Om, you’ll be disappointed. OSO basically made VS. Salim-Suleman had the same chance with RNBDJ. If they delivered, they would have been set. They get close, but instead of amazing, we got good. Nothing wrong with it, but I think we’ve been spoiled with some wonderful SRK soundtracks lately (OSO, KANK, Don, etc). RNBDJ is a good album, and the music will grow on you. Probably even more after you see the movie. Many of these songs are situational, so you have to understand what’s going on to get the song. I just saw the Dance Pe Chance promo, and it makes sense now why it is how it is. So, just give the music a chance. You’ll end up liking it, I’m pretty sure of that.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

As I’m sure everyone knows by now, BAH involves three ladies, meaning three different stories. We will start with story one, Ranbir Kapoor/Minissha Lamba. We’re subjected to lots and lots of DDLJ references during their journey, which got a bit annoying after a while. But we’re also treated to ‘Aahista Aahista’, which I love. Lucky Ali’s voice just rocks.

The second half of this story is the part I like. Kunal Kapoor was just adorable, I felt bad for him. I felt it kind of hard to believe that Mahi would be that hard hit with what had happened to her, that she kept it with her this long, but I haven’t had that kind of experience, so I guess I can’t say. Jogi Mahi was awesome, I loved it.

Next, Radhika (Bips). I liked this intro, how they came to live together, what kind of lives each one wanted, without marriage. The ways that Sachin (Raj’s friend) gives Raj to break up with her are funny, but the way Raj leaves her just really made me mad. It was such a horrible thing to do. The scene with Bips sitting in the rain is really sad. At this point, I wasn’t liking the movie, because of how much of a jerk Raj was.

Part 2 was better, with Radhika changing her name, being a big star, and making Raj wait on her hand and foot. She said she was never going to forgive him for what he did. Which is totally understandable, I mean leaving her like he did was just cowardly and unforgivable. Which is why the scene at the airport seems forced. I feel they could have left that story how it was.

Enter Gayatri (Deepika). Who really got screwed in this movie. She has the least amount of screen time, the least amount of character development. She’s a taxi driver, and Raj falls for her. Her breaking his heart sets off the second half of the movie, but her sudden change of heart doesn’t make sense. And we also get no indication of why she refused to marry. It seems they just wrapped up that part of the story after Raj gets back.

Though I must say, I hate Deepika. She’s just so gorgeous. She needs to just give me an ounce of what she has, and I’ll be happy.

Performances. Ranbir does an amazing job. I admit, I don’t find him attractive at all, though he does have his moments. But he can certainly act. He does a good job as a jerk in the first half, and as an apologetic fool in the second. Minissha and Bipasha do good in their roles. As I said earlier, Deepika just isn’t given enough screen time or development for her to do anything worthwhile. Maybe the third time will be the charm for her. Supporting cast is also good.

Overall, good movie that could have been better. Though the great music really helps.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

I loved Sarkar. I thought it was very well made, all the actors did an incredible job. It’s one of my favorite movies. So I was excited to hear that RGV was making another one. I’m not a big fan of RGV’s movies, but since I loved Sarkar so much, I figured this one had to be along those lines.

And it was, kind of. The same premise, kind of the same storyline. But something just wasn’t right. I know RGV has a way of showing weird camera angles, closeups and all that, but it just seemed too much in Sarkar Raj. We’ll see a close up of Abhishek’s face for a good 2 minutes. And then zoom to Amitabh’s face. And they sit there and say nothing. There’s lots of empty moments in this movie. Moments where nothing is happening. This causes the movie to get boring in so many parts. There’s also a big monologue by Amitabh at the end, and we did end up fast forwarding through most of that.

Even some of the camera tricks, like moving the camera quickly on to someone else, zooming in on someone then zooming out, it all gets old after a while. You just want to see the film properly, and leave all those tricks behind.

Past that, the movie had potential. Like I said, it was kind of similar to Sarkar, but then after a while, it’s too much like it. You get a ‘been there, done that’ vibe. You know something’s going to happen to the family, and it’ll play out almost like the first one does. There is a big twist, which I did not see coming, but did not like at all. It really ruined the whole movie for me.

Performances were good. Amitabh did great. Abhishek on the other hand, had one expression throughout the movie. I think he smiled one time in the movie, and then once his reason for that smile is gone, he’s back to frowning. He looks like he wants to take someone’s head off for the entire movie.

Aishwarya seemed to be wasted, like the women in the first movie were wasted. The only difference here is Ash wears a suit, not a sari. Also, the love story seems forced. Not from her side, mainly from Abhishek’s side. Spoiler ahead He starts showing feelings for Ash what, days after his wife and child are killed? They really tried to force it just because they are a real life couple. Spoiler end

Overall, it’s a long, drawn out movie, with a twist that I did not like. And please, no Sarkar 3.

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Rock On!! stars Farhan Akhtar in his first acting role, Prachi Desai of ‘Kasam Se’ in her first Bollywood role, Arjun Rampal, Luke Kenny, and Purab Kohli. Music by SEL, lyrics by Javed Akhtar. It’s a movie about 4 friends, and we go back and forth between present day and 10 years ago, when they formed a band called “Magik”.

It’s a simple story, but these days, execution means everything. And Abhishek Kapoor, the director, gets it so right. He’s said that the casting was very important to him, he wanted his lead actor to sing his own songs, he wanted the backups to play their own instruments. He wanted to give his movie a real life feel, and he’s certainly succeeded. There’s a realness, and freshness to the movie. You feel like it’s a real band, struggling, rocking the stage, going through their ups and downs.

The conflict in the movie (because there always is one) occurs when the guys sign their first contract. They aren’t given the liberties that they expected, and this bothers them, especially Joe (Arjun). He blows up when Adi (Farhan) is given more face time in their first music video. They were all young, immature, and this really destroys the band. It’s by chance that they are reunited, but all of their lives have changed, and not necessarily for the better.

We’re promptly taken in, seeing why Adi’s so withdrawn from his wife, why he freaks out when she uncovers his past, how Joe struggles to make ends meet, how KD (Purab) is still his crazy self, and Rob (Luke) trying to keep music in his life. It may get a bit predictable towards the end, but as I’ve said before, what movie isn’t?

One note about Luke Kenny’s character, I don’t like the direction it took towards the end. I feel that could have been completely avoided, and don’t really see the need for it. If anyone has any insight, or something I missed that makes it fit, please let me know.

Performances you ask? Farhan Akhtar knocks it out of the park. Way out. He’s brilliant as Aditya Shroff. He plays the character to perfection. He sounds great singing as well. Such a unique voice, even in the slow ballad. He definitely fits the role of a rocker.

Arjun Rampal has impressed me two straight times now. He’s finally getting his due as an actor, and he’s delivering. This is his best performance since Tehzeeb, and I really hope he keeps it up. He’s got great potential, and with those looks combined with extraordinary talent, he’ll be unstoppable. One thing though, his long hair bothered me. And that mooch, it must go.

Purab Kohli was cute, though I wish he had some funny lines thrown in, so we see his personality a bit more. I loved his ‘I will survive’ routine, don’t miss it. Luke Kenny was great as well. Prachi Desai makes a great transition from TV to movies, and she does her role well. I just hope she doesn’t get typecast as ‘Bani’ from TV, because she could have an equally successful career in movies. Sahana Goswami also makes her debut as Joe’s wife, and she’s equally as good as Prachi. Both women have different circumstances, therefore the performances are different, but both make their presence felt in every scene they are in.

Abhishek Kapoor has really impressed me. I read the interview he did for BollySpice, and really loved his answers. You can tell he’s put a lot of work into this movie, and the critics seem to appreciate it. They’ve all loved the movie, it’s the best reviewed movie of the year so far. And it’s well deserved, if you put the work in, you’re bound to succeed.

SEL do it again, producing music that’s perfect for the film. Their tracks are all rocking, perfect fits in the movie. I love Sinbad the Sailor the most, and seeing it picturized like it was was a treat.

It’s the best movie of the year, by far. Rock On!! is a must see, please don’t miss it.

And, a parting shot…

Awwwwww Arjun…

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

It stars a newcomer, Rajeev something. Apparently he’s a TV guy. It’s also the director’s debut. Don’t remember his name at the moment, too lazy to look it up. It starts out with a bunch of shots of the city (not sure which city, but someplace in India), then we see our main guy on a plane, returning from London I think.

He gets hassled going through customs, because of his name. He asks “If my name was Amar, would you give me this much trouble?”. Then, he gets a cell phone thrown into his hands outside the airport, and the story takes off from there. I won’t go into it, or things will get very spoilery.

Hard to believe, but it’s a very slow moving story, even though it’s only 90 minutes long. I guess they couldn’t have gone much faster, or it would have finished in an hour. I had a few problems with the shots too, they spent a lot of time showing a meat market, which got a bit monotnous after a while.

I also didn’t like the fact that the villain was actually shown, and given a face. I’d rather he just be a voice, only being able to hear him through the cell phone. Or even seen, but not his face. I feel it would have made things more real.

Overall, it’s a movie with a powerful message, and definitely worth a watch. It’s hard to tell that this is a debut director working with a debut actor.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Up next: Mere Baap Pehle Aap

You have to go in not expecting a Jab We Met. That movie was made with its dialogues. KiKo doesn’t have many great conversations in it, but that doesn’t make it a bad movie. I’m going to use the old cliche, and say it was really good timepass. When you start watching, you’re completely into the movie. Maybe because they used the best intro ever. Shahid in the shower. Can it get much better? And it’s not even a split second scene. He’s in there for a good minute, and even after, he walks around without his shirt. Can’t get much better for a Shahid fangirl.

Ok, getting past all the superficial stuff, it’s an enjoyable movie. The ’story’ unfolds, we meet Hiten (Vishal Malhotra as his joyful self), we meet Priya, we meet Priya’s boyfriend. Of course, boy loves girl, girl loves other boy, other boy does something bad, girl loves first boy, happy ever after.

Aziz could have changed the names. Raj and Priya? Please. Use some fresh names Aziz, not the exact ones you used in your last movie.

Up until the release, we heard about how the Shahid/Vidya pair wouldn’t work, Vidya looks too old for him, blah blah. Well honestly, I thought they looked pretty good together. Vidya didn’t look too old for Shahid in my opinion. Shahid’s looks have really matured, so I think they looked great.

*Spoilers ahead*

One of my favorite scenes was the one on the boat, when Priya finally decides she loves Raj. The whole “he has to be this tall” thing, and then Priya standing on the railing to check Raj out, and then the adorable little hug, awwww. It was the perfect way to play out the scene IMO.

There are a lot of unanswered questions. Where were Raj’s parents, and why was he living in such a big house if he had no job? On the same line, where were Priya’s parents? Two tiny scenes about the parents for each would have been helpful. How does everyone in Toronto know Hindi? I wish someone would take the time to look at these things, because it seems to happen in every movie. Everyone you talk to knows Hindi, like it’s become the universal language.

The dubbing seemed a bit off to me as well. Maybe it was just me, can anyone confirm? Sometimes they characters mouths were moving before the words were even said, which gets annoying.

Shahid and Vishal are great together. They seem so comfortable with each other, and this shows on screen. I think it’s the first time they are working together again after Ishq Vishq, and I hope to see them together more often.

The supporting characters really stand out, especially Himani Shivpuri as Om Puri’s wife. She was hilarious every time she was on the screen. Om Puri was barely there, but he was good. That new guy, Dev, kinda creeped me out though. Maybe it was his hair or something, but whenever he was in a scene, I looked elsewhere. He did a good job acting though, I think he comes in a TV serial.

Priya’s boyfriend was shady from the first time you see him, so you know something would happen with him. Boman’s role was short but sweet. Juhi was really cute, but at times, a bit weird. I liked seeing her again, but the role seems a bit beneath her. I guess it was a favor for a friend.

Very nice hearing SRK’s voice to the voice-over at the beginning.

One thing that really bothers me is the choreographers used for Shahid’s movies. The man can dance, and he can do it very very well. Yet every time he’s dancing, the moves are so basic or stupid. Let Shahid dance. The moves in Aai Pappi were not bad, but in Soniye Ve and Move Your Body Now, they were just horrible. Like someone was choreographing for Amitabh Bachchan. And it happens all the time. Argh.

Aai Pappi’s picturization was nice, but it really came out of nowhere. Bakhuda was a rehash of Mitwa from KANK, Soniye Ve was an excuse to show off Shahid’s arms (I’m not complaining), and Move Your Body Now was an afterthought, because of the horrible clothes and dancing. Is This Love was ok, but the random blondes coming in to dance was…weird.

Overall, I really liked it. I’m sure Shahid had a lot to do with that. So, go in expecting nothing, and I think you’ll enjoy it.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I have a huge crush on Imran Khan. He’s so adorable. Though he does have a lot to live up to. Being Aamir Khan’s nephew, he at least has to know how to act, right?

The movie is a basic college romance. Jai and Aditi (Genelia) are best buddies, but love? No way. Her parents suggest marriage, and the two think they are crazy. Even their friends can’t believe that they don’t want to marry. But they don’t, so they decide to find each other a spouse. And so starts the story.

It’s a well told story, but it’s not really anything new. You pretty much know how things are going to end up, it’s just basically how they get there. Both find other people, and then realize they want each other.

The special appearances are great. At first, I didn’t like the two guys on the horses, but by the time you get to the end, you love them.

One thing I didn’t really like was what happened with the two people Jai and Aditi go out with. There shouldn’t have been something ‘wrong’ with both of them. Jai and Aditi should have realized themselves that these people weren’t the one for them. Jai feels put off by Meghna’s family, and realizes that she lives in a dream world. And Aditi sees the real side of Sushant. I felt those things could have been left out. They should have been normal, likable people who seem perfect for Jai and Aditi, and let them two figure things out.

Did that make sense?

Performances are quite good. Best of the lot is Smita Patil’s son, Prateik Babbar, as Aditi’s brother. He ruled every scene he was in, and I wish we could have seen more of him.

The group of friends are also top notch, which is quite rare these days. Usually the non-main characters barely make it through the movie, but all the other people really did a good job, including Aditi’s parents, Paresh Rawal, Jai’s mother, and the smaller appearances.

Imran does well. Nothing groundbreaking, but a nice debut. He does seem to be pushed to the background during the movie, where Aditi’s character takes over. Genelia also does a nice job, though she did get on my nerves in a few parts.

Overall, it’s a cute movie, I recommend it.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars