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'I am going with a generous 2 out of 5...' - Rajeev Masand.
1. RAJEEV MASAND
Anyone can have an opinion. But it takes God-gifted talent to have opinions like Rajeev Masand's. Sitting in God's auditorium, munching popcorns, the movie geek is judging a movie. Upon God's call, he is sent to the Earth as His agent to guide the awesome but often directionless audience of India. One man cannot single-handedly bring about a revolution but he can influence people.
'I want people to equate quality cinema to my name.' - Himself.
2. AAMIR KHAN
The master of perfection. The innovator. He has worked with the system to change the system. I live my life on this philosophy.
'He's cocky, he's funny, he's eccentric, he's egocentric, but that's the man - Sanjay Leela Bhansali.' - Prince Adam
3. SANJAY LEELA BHANSALI
The master of opera and emotions. He has always been a trend-setter instead of a follower. People advised him to start his career with an easy masala movie; he came up with 'Khamoshee: The Musical'. It turned out to be a box-office disaster despite winning critical accliam and awards. Everybody thought his career was over, and then he made 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam', and conquered people's hearts. He decided to make 'Devdas' when people told him it was a mistake to remake a classic. Even though it turned out to be his weakest work, yet it had his stamp of elegance and conquered box-office, and hearts and souls of masses. People told him it would be a huge mistake to make 'Black' after a colourful and musical 'Devdas'. He chose his passion and captured everyone's mind, soul, and heart. Following 'Black' he decided to explore his innocence with 'Saawariya' and hence, started a new chapter in the history of Indian cinema by launching two of the most talented youngsters ever: Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam. Unfortunately, 'Saawariya' proved to be too much for the audience and suffered as a result. There is, however, no doubt that it will get its due appreciation in future and it will be regarded as a classic like Guru Dutt's Pyasa and Kagaz Ke Phool.
Some of my inspirations:
1. Company 2. 1947 Earth 3. Lagaan 4. Pather Panchali 5. Gangs of Wasseypur 6. Black 7. Full Metal Jacket 8. Saawariya 9. Ijaazat 10. Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na 11. Blue Velvet 12. Pulp Fiction 13. Andaz Apna Apna 14. Taare Zameen Par 15. 3 Idiots 16. Dabangg 17. Gulaal 18. Toy Story 19. Dangal 20. Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander 21. Padmavat 22. Snatch
Some of the people I admire:
1. Noam Chomsky
2. Anurag Kashyap
3. Anurag Kashyap's disciples
4. 'Ayatollah' Ruhollah Khomeini
5. Aamir Khan
7. Sanjay Leela Bhansali
8. Justin Bieber
I believe in the power of love. I believe in today's Young Breed. I believe in Myself.
Reviews
Dhobi Ghat (2010)
Dear To All The Muses
Lo and behold, there's a new talent on the director's chair. Take a bow, Kiran Rao, this is one of the best directorial debuts ever.
Dhobhi Ghat is a scholar's (Kiran Rao) dedication to its muse (Mumbai). A savoury ode to one's fetishes. A philosopher's view of the contradictions of our civilization. And a guiltless acceptance of one's harmless pursuits. There is no scepticism in Rao's love for the city. It's pure and unconditional. That is why she chose "Dil tadap tadap ke keh raha hai aa bhi ja" as the song to describe her feelings.
He meets her, she meets him and he meets Yasmin. There's no beginning. There's no end. There's a journey that goes, ripping the obstacles around it, while walking, sipping a cuppa tea, smelling the fragrance of flowers and hacking the caustic forces in form of cruel changes before they suck our passion.
The editor's chopping table called for a sacrifice; as a result, the fifth character, that of the labourer, went away. One may call it a mistake, but perhaps it was influenced by the ruthless impatience of today's young breed.
We all know Prateik had talent. We all saw how he turned an unlikeable introvert from Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na into a lovable character. This time he submits himself to his character of Munna, a ghetto boy. Never do you feel that he is the MTV-watching yuppie. The ode to Salman Khan, the Khan of all seasons, is a masterstroke. How could Munna be a fan of anyone else, other than the 'Bhaijaan' of the Hindi film industry? Monica Dogra is impressive. She underplays herself so well. We need to see more of her. Kirti Malhotra (Yasmin) is a talent to watch out for.
Now on to the biggie: Aamir Khan. He is the only mainstream actor, a man of the classes and the masses, who'd have the guts to be a part of a cinema like this where he is basically a supporting character, free from any starry traits. This character is the opposite of what he played in Ghajini. There he played it to the gallery with aplomb. Here he's restrained, virtually immersed in the background. He talks less, thinks more. For those not used to subtle acting, this performance of Aamir warrants a repetitive viewing to get the notes correctly.
Here lies a cathartic passion of finding one's inner-self in Mumbai Diaries. In many ways, it's a kind of a love story where one doesn't realises that one is in love till years go by -- an unchanging soul of one's life. It grows on you like a fine malt.
Dhoom:3 (2013)
The master does it again.
I haven't been a big fan of the Dhoom series. So I wasn't sure how better it could be from the other two. My instincts told me that I had to trust the master's instincts, for the master has an incredible knack of getting the best out of his directors. After all, he has delivered every time in different conditions as in '1947 Earth', 'Ghajini' and '3 Idiots'. A little tentative, I finished my cigarette and walked into the auditorium. To my surprise, I found myself transported to an amazing fantasy world. There are inescapable nods to the larger than life aerobatics and fanciful feats of Salman Bhai and Rajnikanth.
I am surprised that naysayers are calling it a copy of The Prestige. Didn't the same people call Ghajini a copy of Memento and Munnabhai a copy of Patch Adams? The real rip-offs are movies like Bheja Fry, Criminal (copy of The Fugitive), Zeher (from Out of Time), Emraan Hashmi's The Train (copied from Derailed) etc.
How can I end the review without commenting on the master's look? His physique is well-chiseled and toned in need of the character -- a big nod of approval from our generation of fitness freaks. His hairdos are always talked about and this time he keeps it subtle, yet a well-groomed look.
As an actor, Aamir shines and he shines well. It sounds like a cliché but he gives another career-best performance. His passion for his craft is highly commendable. Uday Chopra is cheery and respectfully renders himself to the sidelines. Abhishek Bachchan broods a little too much but is okay at times. He doesn't have the pull to make a 'massy' entry on rickshaw. The young lad Siddharth Nigam is brilliant. It's a treat to see Jaggu Dada (Jackie Shroff). He fits in so easily to his character. As much as I enjoyed the first time, on the second viewing it got even better. All is indeed well.