99 (2009)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Directors:

Krishna D.K.
Raj Nidimoru

Writers:

Krishna D.K. (story)
Sita Menon (story)

Release Date:

15 May 2009 (India)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Part Fact, Part Fiction, Pure Fun

Plot:

99 is an original story inspired by real events - well, very liberally inspired - it is more fiction than fact...

Plot Keywords:

Briefcase | Freeze Frame | Film With Ambiguous Title | Chase | Shot In The Hand

Cast

Kunal Khemu	...	Sachin
Boman Irani	...	Rahul
Soha Ali Khan	...	Pooja
Cyrus Broacha	...	Zaramud
Simone Singh	...	Jahnavi
Mahesh Manjrekar	...	AGM
Amit Mistry	...	Kuber
Vinod Khanna	...	JC
Sudesh Berry	...	Sunil Mehta
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Pitobash Tripathy	...	Sales man

Runtime:

135 min

Country:

India

Language:

Hindi

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:PG (British Columbia) | India:UA

Filming Locations:

Delhi, India

Trivia:

Director Cameo: [Krishna D.K.]The guy in the meeting room when the character Rahul is first introduced

Goofs:

Anachronisms: 99 is set in the year 1999 and early 2000. CNG auto-rickshaws were introduced in Delhi around 2001-2002. But the movie still shows the green three-wheelers (though not the CNG label on them).

99 - A joy ride

Imagine I asked you to describe what your life was like a decade ago... Right, me neither - so instead, Imagine I asked you to make up a story of your life based on key events that happened to you 10 years ago but fill in the rest as you like... Now imagine how much harder it would be if I asked that the story you were creating also had to bridge to the current day events back then

It is a daunting task and one which the writers of 99 have done with flair and function. The script is whip-smart in the way it combines popular trends (cell phones, bhojpuri movies, the onset of cafes) of the time with the news making events (y2k, cricket match fixing) of the time to narrate a truly innovative story. All this while adding twists and turns to the main plot that will keep you buckled to your seat for the 2hr ride.

The casting was genius - Especially true of, Soha Ali Khan (as the girl next door that you want to take home to mom) Kunal Khemu (as 'NOT the bigger-than-thou hero who doesn't need your rooting for him to make a century'), Amit Mistry (as the lil guy with a big stick - aka dimple) and Boman Irani (as the most frustrating, gambler-husband-who-you-love-nevertheless ever).

Kunal is a natural born actor and in Amit, a star has just been born.

Why you will love it : Sharp dialogues, sharper delivery, excellent acting all round, awesome cinematography, fantastic music Why you might settle for liking it : The movie is in a genre that is new to Bollywood - "What, I don't have to be awed by the hero's machismo and the heroine's svelte body?", "What, the lead characters are the underdogs that I will want to root for, rather than supermen who drive Lamborghinis and live in palaces?", "what, I will hope that the hero escapes from the bad guy rather than making mincemeat of the villains face?".

The genre is called a 'crime caper' but 99, refuses to be boxed neatly into a category and insists on being a comedy-historical fiction-and-much-more

This movie wont change your life - don't expect to leave the movie inspired and moved. It will be more like you stepped off a roller coaster ride and you want to go back to the end of the line again.

Ladies, It would be like eating a perfectly whipped chocolate mousse - Enjoy!