Main Tera Hero Reviews from Now Running!

The movie is mixture of some slapstick comedy, drama and few times action-packed and a romantic, reminding you of the comedies that were yieled in the 90's genre like Coolie#1 Hero#1 and Biwi#1, Oops sorry all #1 sagas, trying not to be Funny.

After being restricated by his professor in college, Sreenath Prasad aka Seenu (Varun Dhawan), the very smart boy Ooty decides to take matters to hand and moves to Bangalore to purse further studies. Like a normal activity of every college starter Seenu falls for Sunaina (Illeana D'cruz) the most dreaded girl in the entire college for she has an obsessive lover Angad (Arunoday Singh) pursuing her like since forever and has threatened every boy in sight to never so much as even look at her.

As Seenu tries to tackle Angad comes another problem - Ayesha (Nargis Fakhri), daughter of a dreaded gangster (Anupam Kher), who is completely smitten by Seenu ever since he saved her from goons and wants him at any cost. How he tackles both Angad and Ayesha to work his way towards Sunaina is what follows through the rest of the plot.

David Dhawan who teamed best with Govinda and Salman Khan making audiences chuckle with funny characters, personality traits of people, situations and his famous one liners and PJs struggled in between with his comedies either being borrowed from the West or simply unfunny. However, with Main Tera Hero he redeems himself and reinstates that he still is the King of Comedy. It's as if he was saving his best for the movie with his son.

While daddy dearest puts up a movie that has all the masala for a commercial blockbuster right from romance to action to drama and above all some rib tickling comedy, son Varun too complements his father's efforts well with a performance that actually establishes him as the future superstar. Varun blends so well in David Dhawan's style of filmmaking as if he is Govinda's newage version only highly upgraded. This Govinda version 2.0 not only is extremely confident onscreen but has dancing skills and acting abilities to vie for. The young star outshines even the seasoned actors like Sourabh Shukla an d Anupam Kher who are hilarious in their own way.

What's best about Main Tera Hero is that you don't see any actor being wasted. Even the likes of Rajpal Yadav are involved in the script meticulously. Arunoday Singh, Nargis Fakhri and Illeana D'cruz too act well and play their parts convincingly but all get over shadowed by Varun Dhawan.

Music by Sajid-Wajid is frosty and foottaping especially songs like Besharmi ki height and Shanicar Rati which have already become #1 in chartbusters.

Since longtime after this has been a film with complete with all elements of a commercial caper and yet not tripe or boring. A thoroughly entertaining film, Main Tera Hero is a must watch.

Rating:***1/2

Dishkiyaoon Reviews from Now Running!

You know you aren't needed back in the industry when you disappear and aren't remembered by anyone. As rude as this sounds but we wish it could've been made clear to Mr. Harman Baweja who hardly shows any sign of improvement in his comeback film after a long haul -Dishkiyaoon.
The movie happens to a maiden production venture by Shilpa Shetty which also stars Sunny Deol and except for the latter's presence there's hardly a reason why one should watch a apology of a screenplay as Dishkiyaoon.

Dishkiyaaoon Pictures   17 Pictures

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Following an edgy childhood, Viki Kartoos (Harman Baweja) wants to make it big in the underworld. Under the mentoring of Mota Tony (Prashant Narayanan) Viki enters the underworld and aims to be known as the number one gangster in India. The movie traces his highs and lows of Viki Kartoss in the underbelly of Mumbai.
Directed by Sanamjit Singh Talwar, Dishkiyaoon still has a first half that may hold the attention of junkies of gangster flicks. The first half does depict an innovatively shot interaction between Sunny Deol and Harman Baweja as we are taken in the early life of Viki Kartoos, his psyche, his traumas and his indulgences, all while the two are inside bars much against your knowledge. But it's the second half which meanders into paths so meaningless that you are left exasperated.
It's high time filmmakers understand, going by the current trend at least, that the audience has actually become quite choosey about the films they watch and content is the key. Dishkiyaoon is an example of good packaging with shallow product which also is the case with its lead actor Harman Baweja who focuses more on highlighting his chiselled torso than his expressions.
Sunny Deol who attempts a Haryanvi character for the first time tries hard to do justice to a character that suffers mediocrity while debutant actress Ayesha Khanna lacks promise and appears to have only been kept for songs and all the commercial trappings.
Throughout the film Viki Kartoos keeps reiterating his mantra that being smart is enough for him in his field, only if the makers could stick to the story in a similar fashion we would've had a far better film than Diskiyaoon. A complete shot in the dark.

Rating: *1/2

Praise the Lord Reviews from Now Running!

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Paul Zacharia's 'Praise the Lord' put forward pertinent questions on faith, belief and love, and has been much discussed in literary circles for its sharp witticism. The cinematic version though, does not manage to transfer this allure on to the big screen, and merely manages to scrape through, with minimum damage incurred in the process.

Joy (Mammootty), a Pala based planter has been living a blissful life with his wife Ancy (Reenu Mathews) and their two kids. Until, Sunny (Mukesh), his best friend asks him for a favor. On Sunny's behest, Joy and Ancy agree to offer refuge to a young couple that has eloped from Delhi. When Samkutty (Ahmed Siddique) and Annie (Akanksha Puri) arrive, Joy is tremendously excited at having grabbed the opportunity to watch a real life romance in action.

The novelette 'Praise the Lord', as interesting as the insights that it provides, does not have the prerequisites of a full length feature film. At best, it could have been transformed into a sweet short film, with the messages in it delivered crunchy and crisp.

The film does have a few pleasant moments, but they are simply not enough to be stretched out into more than a couple of hours. Which is why, the initial build-up takes longer than usual in the film, and the end looks all too abrupt.

Joy is pictured as a man in his forties, who has perhaps stuck to the conventionalities that are expected of him as a devoted husband, who never ever has crossed those border lines of decorum. We get to see him trying hard to have a few private moments with his wife during daytime, and his Goa escapade further accentuates this fact.

'Praise the Lord' holds no surprises for the viewer, and even for those of you who have not actually gone through the literary work, the denouement should remain as obvious and clear as in broad daylight. Which reemphasizes the fact that it would always remain better in print.

All said and done, it should also be stated that 'Praise the Lord' is never a boring film; in fact, dull moments are indeed rare. However, it does lack that very special verve that makes you reach out to the characters in a film, which is why, it does not leave a lasting impression on the viewer's mind.

As funny as it may sound, Joy finds himself in a quandary aka the friends in the much lauded Tamil film 'Nadodigal'. The striking similarity in the theme that lies at the core of these works of art is plain apparent. The guardians of love, in both these cases, are left appalled as the love birds throw open the gates of their prison and fly away to glory, albeit in opposite directions.

Mammootty is adorable as Joy, and shares an amazing screen chemistry with Reenu Mathews. This is their second film after 'Emmanuel', and they do make a real good on-screen pair. Ahmed Siddique and Akanksha Puri offer a study in contrast with their respective portrayals of the young ones in love, and are up to the mark. Shibu Gangadharan's 'Praise the Lord' is doubtlessly devoted to its material, and yet remains a lumbering affair. Almost inexplicably, it struggles to blow life into a few charming characters that had appeared so lively on print, and which surprisingly come across as bloated on screen.

Rating:**1/2

Vallinam Reviews from NowRunning!

All Sports in India is ruined by the power of capitalist and political interference. Very few privileged people get the opportunity to represent their country. Sport depicts struggle of each sportsman in their respective sports and hardly get recgnised anytime and some don't even get an opportunity, this also highlights the discrimination between sports and sportsmen and shows how a certain sport like cricket has been glorified, Although it might not be as powerfully engaging as Bollywood movie "Chak De! India", the film has the spirit to celebrate sportsmanship.

Director Arivazhagan's second directorial "Vallinam", which while addressing the aforementioned points. It turns out with an accident basket-ball player Krishna(forces) in an inter-collegiate basketball tournament, this leads to quit playing the game for good and relocate to another city. In short he moves from Trichy to Chennai, hoping to forget the past incident and exercise himself to perfect life. But call it destiny or fate; he's forced to play again, but this time to stop his college management from destroying their basketball court to make way for the extension of the cricket ground for the upcoming national level cricket championship, to be hosted by the college.

The tension that's accentuated through these moments is testimonial to the fact that the film has succeeded in entertaining the audience. But what's worrisome is whether the film will be embraced by all, irrespective of the fact that it has a college campus as backdrop and it's quite natural to assume it's made for college students. You can find inspiration from films such as "Lagaan", "Chak De! India" and several sports-based dramas of the recent past in "Vallinam", but it manages to maintain some originality in the execution. It might not be a great film, but considering the fact that we don't have many sports-based films in Tamil, this is a great effort. Even with a jagged screenplay that only gains momentum in the second half, the film manage keeps you hooked for the most part of the running time.

In this process, it gets little preachy at regular intervals with dialogues that are purposely written for commercial reasons, but it is understandable from the point of a view of catering to the masses. "Vallinam" never tries to convince us that basketball is a better game than cricket. It reminds us that cricket is not the only sport that deserves to be celebrated in a country where we have other equally popular sports as well. You root for the film when you realize that the actors took the effort to get trained in basketball, portraying the commitment with which they have prepared. Some of the best moments of the film unfold in the court, in between the game and when the ball spins in slow motion on the rim of the basket.

For a change, Thaman's music doesn't make you cringe in your seats. His background score syncs well with the second half, while Bhaskaran's celluloid captures the best shots during the basketball games. Nakul gives his career's best performance. He proves himselfs to hero can step out of the commercial zone and take up roles that can still be liked by audience. Debutant Mrudhula will shine with proper guidance while the rest of the cast members are good in their respective roles.

Overall, "Vallinam" attempts to galore the classifiation of one sport from another in our country.

Rating:***

Om Shanti Oshana Review from NowRunning!!

Girl falls in love with boy. Boy does not reciprocate. Girl persists. Boy relents.
That pretty much sums up 'Om Shanti Oshana' for you. Pooja Mathew (Nazriya Nazim), the sole daughter of Dr. Mathew (Renji Panicker) runs into Giri (Nivin Pauly) at Veegaland, where he rescues her from a bunch of hoodlums who have been busy twisting her hand. She doesn't think twice before deciding that he is the man, and follows him around like a dutiful puppy.
If you ask me about the best scene in 'Om Shanti Oshana', I would say that it's the one that precedes the film. There is the customary statutory warning against tobacco use here as well, and it's way too good. Way too good.

Om Shanthi Oshana Pictures   90 Pictures

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The film kick starts in the late 90's and spans a couple of decades, and the girl transforms into a lovely woman from the gawky, wide eyed teenager that she once was. Her love for the man remains steadfast throughout, and 'OSO' underlines the fact that many an Indian film had emphasized time and again - true love NEVER fails.
The video cassette shops, the contessa car and the Nokia 3310 all suggest those years that were long gone; and yet there are several other things all around that point out without doubt that the year is 2013. The straightened hair, the watches, the swish spectacles, the drapes, the interiors and the slim fit jeans and attire - all are out there as if on an anti-vintage campaign.
The light hearted moments that occur at a regular pace keep you focused on the proceedings, and the young lecturer at the Medical College (Vineeth Sreenivasan in a cameo) is part of quite a few of them. It doesn't require an Einstein brain to find out where the doc has got his sight fixed, and with all those twists and turns that we have been witness to, the observant viewer puts two and two together in a jiffy.
There are a few other characters that grab your attention, David Kanjani (Aju Varghese) being one among them. Pooja's despicable cousin brother who spends more time in exile than otherwise, is a man who brings about a smile to our face, with the antics that he is upto. There is also a beautiful lady by the name of Thennal (an even more beautiful name) floating around, albeit in a few scenes, and Nikki Galrani sashays in and out like a real breeze.
Despite being a film that belongs to its heroine, I should say that it's the male lead who scores big time here, with an assured performance. Nivin Pauly looks every bit the almost ascetic youngster who is way too practical and clear headed to be lured into an unrealistic romance. Nazriya hams it up (especially in the few initial scenes) when she has to be the tomboy, declaring vehemently through her maneuvers that she is way too feminine to be one. But when her Bambi-esque eyes brim up with tears, you forget everything and reach out to her, hoping that everything ends up well in her world. Renji Panicker is a man whom I would love to see on screen more often and the screen dad that he plays is near perfect.
'Om Shanti Oshana' works no wonders when it comes to the tale that it narrates. And yet, if it manages to leave an impression, its courtesy the uncanny moves that it makes in the account, some of which leave you surprised and pleased as punch, and a few stray ones missing the mark by a mile. 

Rating:**1/2

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Ezhu Sundara Rathrikal review from Nowrunning!

As you watch Lal Jose's 'Ezhu Sundara Ratrikal', you cannot but help wonder over the lack of emotional frisson that is evident throughout. For every enlightening moment of jagged insight in the film, there's an infinity of inane smiles, bumpy conversation and awkward glances lying scattered all around.

Aby (Dileep) is happily engaged to Ann (Parvathy Nambiar) and is eagerly looking forward to his wedding. On the spur of a moment, he decides to invite his ex-lover Sini (Rima Kallingal) to his marriage, and on walking into her apartment, finds that she has the perfect family life that anyone can dream of. 

Ezhu Sundara Rathrikal Pictures   64 Pictures

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If after the first half an hour, 'Ezhu Sundara Ratrikal' fails to hold your interest, it's simply because it does not have anything worthwhile to tell. Yes, the twists are definitely there, but when the disclosures are made one after the other, you wonder what the hullabaloo was all about.

When Sini soon makes the revelation that all isn't well in her marital life, you anticipate what is to follow, and Tyson (Murali Gopy), her boxer husband turns out to be the insensitive, uncaring brute that you expect him to be. What you do not really foresee is the golden heart that beats somewhere inside. Phew!

There is a subplot that involves Franco (Tini Tom) and his doctor wife Daisy (Praveena), and it takes a while to connect the two parallel narratives together. And of course several other characters spring up here and there, like the police officer in love with Ann (Sreejith Ravi), the mysterious lady bike rider (Krishnaprabha), the restaurant owner (Suraj Venjarammoodu) and Baijuraj (Anil Rajgopal), who add further complexity to the account. 

Sometimes it so happens that in a particular scene, there comes by someone who is expected t be lurking in the background, and yet who grabs all the limelight and walks away without as much as a word. As an anxious Aby waits for Ann's call, a group of merry kids brush past him, as they scamper out of the house on to the courtyard. And then you see someone scurrying after them, a toddler in a diaper, who just seems to have mastered the art of walking, who spreads mirth all around.

And the last half an hour is an extreme drag, and you wait for the inevitable to happen. When the wedding bells finally ring for Aby, and the end credits start rolling, you realize that a bit of truth could have saved us a lot of time. But then, if that was the case, this film wouldn't be here at all.

There are a few hilarious moments here and there, without doubt, in the film, but that does not relieve you of the monotony that is to follow. The animated sequences that are expected to be side-splitting at times hit the mark, and at other fall short by a mile. 

Dileep is perfectly cast as the man who finds the seven nights prior to his marriage messed up beyond repair, and Rima looks gorgeous and lends ample support. Parvathy Nambiar makes a fine debut, while Anil Rajgopal turns out to the scene stealer in the film, with his compelling presence and self-assured performance. 

Losing out around midway, and never quite recovering after that, Lal Jose's 'Ezhu Sundara Ratrikal' fails to generate any sensitivity beyond the baffling squabbles that are playing out on the screen. It's this prevailing bleakness that drags the film down, despite having a gifted director and an impressive cast at its helm.

Rating:**

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