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

BhootNath Returns Review from NowRunning!!

This is the sequel to the 2008 BhootNath, like the predecessor it showed a lots promises to be funnier and entertaining. Since this is the second to the comedy ghost series released this year and look to working out with the general audiences in Hindi cinema. This is only to be released from Gang of Ghosts, a supposed comedy cum satire on the growing commercialization of India and this is second of horror comedy satire with the sequel BhootNath Returns.

Released in between Indian Election League(IEL) which is bigger heat that has gripped as a fever to everyone over India, BhootNath Returns is the story of a disappointed and embarrassed ghost Bhootnath (Amitabh Bachchan) who gets mocked in the Bhoot World for not being able to so much as even scare a child.

In his defense, he states that it was their flaut that the child could see him and demands another chance to redeem his lost reputation. He gets a chance to prove himself by scaring at least ten children and is sent back on Earth. However, sadly enough, he is too simple a ghost for children to be scared of him and what's sadder is that yet again, another child, Akhrot (Parth Bhalero) this time, can see him. Together they agree to help each other and their friendship sees them get involved in a cause that is bigger than they had ever imagined. To move ahead they will need to take on one of the country's most powerful and corrupt politician Bhau (Boman Irani). In a world, where a common man is afraid of politics, will a common man's ghost overcome his fear to stand up for what's right and fight against injustice?

Director Nitesh Tiwari couldn't have chosen a better time to come out with a film that revolves around Politics and urges people in its own satirical way to vote. However, what starts out as an entertaining fair turns into a drag preachy dialogue which neither caters to the young minds nor to adults.

The movie starts off interestingly. The concept of a Bhoot World and the idea to send Bhootnath back to regain the fear that's required to be a "Bhoot" is refreshing and interesting. Even the point where Bhootnath decides to contest for elections for there isn't a rule anywhere that the candidate needs to be alive and the way he works his strategy around is all very interesting. However, the filmmaker stumbles in taking it all the way. Half way into the film and you are put through enough sermons and election advertisement urging you to vote for a change. That's when not just the pace of the film slumps but also your interest in it.

Music by various composers including Yo Yo Honey Singh and Meet Bros is average at best with only a song or two standing out.

The film works primarily for the entertaining pair of Big B with the little wonder Parth Bhalero. The little actor is spot on with his mannerisms, dialogues and acting. And it wouldn't be wrong to say that he outshines even Amitabh Bachchan in a few scenes. However, needless to mention that Sr. Bachchan too is perfect in his part. Boman Irani too adds to the much needed comic relief but his portion is more evil this time than comic.

To sum it up, Bhootnath Returns is not as witty or humorous as it appears from its trailers. A film that could be entertaining all the way had it not lost its plot.

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

Queen Review from Now Running!

Queen is intransitive story very much too similar to English Vinglish with how it has the central character's nervousness on embarking on a journey all by herself and later breaking the shackles of their reservations and reveling in the new found confidence but the two women chart their own journey.

Living a Life's by a book and where it takes this in the life of Rani is which focused on this movie. Rani (Kangana) learns her lesson much too late almost when she got dumped by her fiance Vijay (Rajkummar Rao) just a day before her wedding. Having yearned to witness her D-Day going perfectly, Rani is left shattered as her world comes crashing down. She unshackles herself in her room, hoping to escape the situation and the pain of being dumped. And her escapism only makes her stronger, she decides to go the unthinkable, set off for her honeymoon to Paris and Amsterdam alone. What initially turns out to be a nightmarish idea, turns into a journey of self-discovery as the free spirited Rani tastes independence for the first time.

For a woman laced in the Indian garb, one who's saved herself for her husband and is proud of her virginity, Paris is a culture shock and just the contrast she is looking for to leave behind her life. However, the city turns out to be incomprehensible, ruthless and unaccommodating till she holds on to her reservations and miseries and the moment she lets go of it all, all thanks to her new found friend in Paris Vijaylakshmi (Lisa Haydon), she discovers a whole new life.

Vikas Bahl's Queen is an uplifting, bitter-sweet story that transports you into the film to become one with the author-backed character. The filmmaker doesn't work too much on the story but on the character and her experiences for that forms the backbone of the film. The way Queen simply addresses the stereotyping of women in India and chauvinistic behavior of men and the social pressures is commendable. It's that very innocence of her character that's infectious and strikes a chord with the masses.

Rani stands tall all thanks to the many characters that come along in her story. Right from her family including the likes of her father, mother, younger brother and grandmother, all of whom might just be exactly like your parents to the ebullient, full of life Vijay-lakshmi, all the characters aide Rani towards self-discovery. Lisa Hayden is a complete surprise package who not only looks jaw-dropping gorgeous in her Indo-French role but also plays her part to the T. Rajkumar Rao though in a bit role is spot on. All the other actors who Rani meets on her journey too absolutely flawless.

There's never a dull moment in the film and though the movie treads on the predictable path in few instances it's the actor again that keeps you watching but what's also impressive is where you expect it to go the typical filmy way it beats you and gives an ending that's very befitting the plot.

Queen Pictures   34 Pictures

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 The ace in Vikas Bahl's Queen is the Queen of course. Kangana Ranaut sinks completely to become one with her character. She breathes life into Rani, a character that has the power to make you laugh or cry. Her innocence mixed with the childlike inquisitiveness to try anything new is infectious. There couldn't be a better Rani than Kangana Ranaut who gives a pitch-perfect portrayal.

The music actually plays an important part in the film and refreshingly so, doesn't get used for the sake of it, Music by Amit Trivedi deserves a special mention for composing tracks like London Thumakda, Ranjha and remixing the yesteryear track Hungama Ho Gaya.

To sum it up, Queen is one of the finest films this year that with all its simplicity strikes a chord with the mass. The movie deserves not one but repeated watch

Rating:****

http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/11351/bollywood.hindi/queen/4591/review.htm

Dedh Ishqiya Review from Mansa Rastogi!!

One of the biggest formulas being applied over and over again in cinema over the last few years is that of converting a hit film into a franchise by dishing out sequels one after the other only to cash in on the success of the first. Now whether those sequels have anything to do with the first one or are even closely as good as the original is a redundant query. Some of the cerebral filmmakers too have fallen into the money spinning trap so it's no surprise that you see producer Vishal Bhardwaj too doling out the sequel to his 2010 superhit Ishqiya. But does his sequel live upto the standards? Let's find out.

Dedh Ishqiya Pictures   52 Pictures

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Partners in crime, Khalujaan (Naseeruddin Shah) and Babban (Arshad Warsi) are back to their silly misadventures. The setting again is the badlands of North India although with a decadent feudal system. 

Mahmudabad is the land of decrepit, crumbling Nawabs, each covering up for the bankruptcy with a sham of grandeur. Begam Para (Madhuri Dixit), an ageing widow of the late Nawab of Mahmudabad has a task at hand - to fulfil the last wish of her late husband that of re-marrying. A "Jalsa" is organised for all Nawabs, competitions held that of sher-mushairas, guns and ghazals. Enters Khalujaan under the garb of Nawaz of Chandpur followed by his Khadim Babban; the agenda - to ransack the wealth of Begam Para. Tables turn the moment Khalujaan lays eyes on Para and his heart flutters. He forgets the objective while trying to woo her only to know much later in the course, that Begam Para too, along with her aide Muniya (Huma Qureshi) has a plan up her sleeves.

The film scores ace on the laudable story of Darab Farooqui, painstakingly written screenplay of Abhishek Choubey and the saucy, witty and hilarious dialogues of Vishal Bhardwaj.

The story is extensive, there's ample back and forth, the characters are complex, each with a grey shade but it's Abhishek's master direction that doesn't leave any depiction rushed. He takes his time to establish the backdrop, that of the dying era of Nawabs. He interestingly captures their failing attempts of the few leftover Nawabs to latch on to the Nawabi royalty and its perks. He evolves his characters smartly as their real agenda blend brilliantly with the proceeding storyline. 

It all goes very good in Dedh Ishqiya till the penultimate moment and the film goes awry from thereon. It's Vishal and his protege's fascination for Tarantino that reflects in the end there the screenplay goes completely berserk and there's mindless gun-totting and bloodshed. Also the later portions of the second half appear extremely stretched and could well be edited for a crisper screenplay.

Both Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi once again form the heart of the film. Their antics and banter make for an enjoyable watch. However, this time around it's Arshad who supersedes Naseeruddin Shah's performance. 

Madhuri Dixit is luminates in her comeback film and is as graceful as ever. There are dance portions of the actress which are extremely delightful and beautifully shot. Huma on the other hand remains underutilized and hence, may be the only sore thumb in the list of actors.

Among the many character actors in the film, the one that outshines is Vijay Raaz. Not only does he get a meaty part to play but also the right director who taps his potential as an actor and extracts commendable display of acting prowess. 

To sum it up, Dedh Ishqiya falls just a step short of being flawless and that's only because of the Tarantino-esq climax. But in the rest of the portions, the film, as promised, "Dedh" (One and a half) times the fun of the original.

Rating:***

http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/10000/bollywood.hindi/dedh-ishqiya/4519/review.htm

Rajjo Review From now Running!

Rating:*(Poor)

There can only be two reasons for Kangana Ranaut to have taken up a film like Rajjo:

1 - She was drugged while signing it.

2 - The producers were happy to offer her heaps of money that too during her lean phase in which this desperate-for-work-actress took up films like Rascals, Double Dhamaal etc.

There can be no other reason why an actress who has immense potential and acting talent would take up a film which has no script, skewed thought and tattered execution.

Rajjo Pictures   52 Pictures

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Rajjo takes off with the introduction of Mumbai's infamous seedy lanes of dance bars and bar girls. With a garish introduction on equally jarring background score, clearly making you brace yourselves over what's to follow throughout the film, comes the dramatic entry of Hande Sahab (Prakash Raj - who repeats his creepy-cum-funny act for the zillionth time). He wants Rajjo (Kangana Ranaut) at any cost and hence comes to the doorsteps of Begum (Mahesh Manjrekar) to take her away. However, we are told that Rajjo had eloped with her lover. What follows is a predictable flashback of how a curious 21 year old young boy Chandu (Paras Arora) lands into a brothel in a bid to 'turn into a man' but falls in love instead with the most popular courtesan. How the two unite throughmarriage but yet face societal rejection is the rest of the plot which tries to find its way whilst getting squashed into multiple pointless sub-plots.

IAS Officer cum collector turned filmmaker Vishwas Patil may have intended to pass a social message with his film hence the gritty subject, however, the film instead of doing any good only makes matters worse for the audience is sure to come out angry at the poor representation of events. 

The main plot, though highly predictable, is a simple one liner where a young boy falls in love with a star courtesan and wants to rescue her from the ruthless world by marrying her. However, it's the disjointed sub-plots throughout the film that makes a mess of a predictable storyline too. 

There are characters in the film and their back-stories, for example, the suspendedinspector and his encounter tales, which have no relevance to the main story but yet takes up ample screen time. Half way into the film it appears the filmmaker doubted he'd get another chance to make a movie hence stuffed everything into one film without doing justice to any plot.

Kangana Ranaut, who just won ample appreciation for her performance and dialogue delivery in Krrish 3, is at back to her faulty self again in this film. It's partly her character sketch and the flawed director and partly her imperfect dialogue delivery that makes one hate her throughout the film but rest assured she is still the best thing in the film. Her efforts in gyrating to the mujra beats can be seen. 

Patil tries to make a hero out of his male lead Paras Arora and it's the inexperience of the newcomer that makes his performance over the top. 

The production quality of the film may be the worst this year. The sets throughout the film appear garish and gaudy. Some parts literally remind you of low budget regional films. 

Music and background score is hackneyed and horrible. The songs which are in plenty sound very old and dated while the background score highly melodramatic. Even the '60s phase sounds new-age compared to this trite album.

Rajjo has many shortcomings making is an easy skip. Filmmaker Vishwas Patil not only fails to extract performance from an actress like Kangana but also fails miserably in putting together a film which can be watched.

http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/12258/bollywood.hindi/rajjo/4465/review.htm