A Wednesday

The message is loud and clear — the aam admi (common man) is angry with serial blasts. Debutant director Neeraj Pandey’s A Wednesday maybe fictitious but it draws inspiration from the realities of our time.

The film concentrates on the strange encounter Mumbai’s Commissioner of Police Prakash Rathod (Anupam Kher) has with a frustrated common man with no name, played by Naseruddin Shah.

Shah plants four bombs and demands the release of four dreaded terrorists, all of whom are languishing in jail after being convicted for various blasts across the country.

Shah plays his game through a mobile phone and a laptop from a rooftop and makes the police believe that he wants the freedom of the terrorists.

However, when the police comply to his demand he does something which surprises all.

As for the casting, Shah, Kher and Jimmy (as a die-hard policeman) are all convincing, but Deepal Shaw as TV reporter Naina Roy looks totally out of place. If one looks carefully into the set you will also notice certain flaws, like the wireless phone antenna being up in one scene and then pulled down in the next.

However, the best part of this film is that it makes you think as to who this common man is and what are his real intentions. Finally, unlike many typical Bollywood film A Wednesday gives you the opportunity to reflect and be your own judge when it comes to terrorism.
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Hindi (U/A)

Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Anupam Kher, Rajpal Yadav, Jimmy Shergill, Aamir Bashir, Deepal Shaw, Gaurav Kapoor nklageDirector: Neeraj Pandey

Highway To Trouble

Among the many things not running smooth in Manipur, India's Jewel, are the roads. The transport system in this north-eastern state for more than a decade, has been a matter of concern for most Manipuris, especially the Hmar tribe living in Tipaimukh sub division of Churachandpur district. With the impending 'Mautam' (famine due to Bamboo flowering) in the region, villagers in the sub division are a worried lot as there are practically no government office functioning in the area to turn to.

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(Written on December 16, 2007)

Righteous Kill

The promo of the film runs like this: ‘Most people respect the badge. Everybody respects the gun’. It should have been ‘Most people like to see big actors. Everybody prefers a good film.’

In what could be a passable film of the year, two NYPD veterans confuse the department while trailing a serial killer.

Turk (Robert De Niro) and Rooster (Al Pacino) who have worked as partners for 30 years are pushed to work with young detectives Perez, Riley and CSI Karen Corelli, when a serial killer starts killing bad guys after courts let them free due to ‘lack of evidence’.

But when all fingers point to Turk himself to be the killer, Rooster begins playing his own game.

As the suspense continues Jon Avnet shows us Turk’s confession through a grainy video which somewhat lacks credibility, only to know later that it is a part of the film’s climax.The supporting cast is good enough especially when you see Carla Gugino as a sex-crazed detective.

Leguizamo and Wahlberg are convincing as the young cops who believe Turk is behind the killings.

Though Righteous Kill is not the best it still has got the right ‘masala’ — big actors and a brilliant promo — to get you to the theatre.
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English (A)
Cast: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, 50 Cent, Carla Gugino, John Leguizamo, Donnie Wahlberg
Director: Jon Avnet

Mamma Mia!

The storyline of Mamma Mia is simple: A daughter who is all set to marry feels she missing is a very important person in her life — a father who will give her away on her big day.

So, she sends an invite to three of her mother’s ex-partners with the hope of finding her real father. Guess, what, all the three turn up and that’s when things begin to go awry. Will she get to know her true father? How will her mother reacts when she meets her former beaus-of the ABBA era? Will she get her Greek fat wedding? All these questions will be answered in Mamma Mia.

A big cast in the form of Meryl Strep as Amanda Seyfried’s mother, is supported Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth.
The screenplay truly fictionalises the story and sets an aura of a desirable fantasy world.

As far as the musical part of this film is concerned you just can’t prevent your feet from tapping or hum along with Swedish band ABBA’s evergreen songs like Mamma Mia, Money Money, Supper Duper, I Have a Dream, etc., which are well choreographed. Though some times, the film lacks the punch of the stage musical, you can’t just let down the infectious songs of ABBA.

As the film also celebrates mother-daughter relationship and friendship it would be wise to take along your friends, to truly enjoy the movie.
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English (U/A)

Cast: Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Amanda Seyfried, Colin Firth

Director: Phyllida Lloyd