Singh Saab The Great by Taran Adarsh!

There's a spate of desi entertainers of late. All starring top league actors and helmed by reputable names. Now Anil Sharma, whose body of work consists of desi entertainers like HUKUMAT, ELAAN-E-JUNG, FARISHTAY, TEHELKA, GADAR - EK PREM KATHA, APNE and VEER, helms yet another big ticket film with a desi angle to it -- SINGH SAAB THE GREAT.

When Anil Sharma joins hands with Sunny Deol -- the jodi has delivered one of the biggest hits of Hindi cinema in GADAR - EK PREM KATHA -- one expects the duo to recreate the epic success in their new outing. Clapworthy dialogue, fiery confrontations, hi-octane drama and of course, Sunny's dhaai kilo ka haath to vanquish the oppressors... the mandatory requirements have to be in place. And SINGH SAAB THE GREAT has it all in trademark Anil Sharma style.

SINGH SAAB THE GREAT narrates the story of Singh Saab [Sunny Deol], an honest Collector, who believes in carrying out his duties diligently. However, the crooked and shady Bhoodev [Prakash Raj] falsely implicates him in a case of bribery and gets him imprisoned. Even though Singh Saab is seething with anger, he decides to settle scores with Bhoodev differently, by bringing about change instead of revenge [badla nahin badlaav]. The ground is set for a confrontation between the honest and corrupt forces…

With not much to look to forward to in the storyline, the challenge lies in making the screenplay captivating and spellbinding and Anil Sharma and writer Shaktimaan attempt to package the film with ingredients that connect instantly with the masses. The character portrayed by Sunny is like any other character we may have witnessed in several films, but when Sunny roars, bashes the villain black and blue or pulls a tree with its roots, it appears bona fide. The larger than life character suits him and Anil Sharma and Shaktimaan make sure they capitalize on this actuality.

Anil Sharma's movies, generally, have an undercurrent of emotions. In fact, his biggest victories have stressed on emotions [his directorial debut SHRADDHANJALI, GADAR and APNE in particular] and SINGH SAAB THE GREAT too maintains an iron grip on emotions and sentiments. Like GADAR, the emotional chord is between the couple [Sunny-Urvashi Rautela] and also between the brother-sister [Sunny-Anjali Abrol] this time. But what weighs the film down is the conflict with the antagonist. It's predictable and one feels that the issue of an honest citizen waging a war against the corrupt has been done to death. Sure, a few confrontations are fiery, especially the one when Sunny and Prakash Raj meet for the first time or the one when Sunny throws Prakash Raj in the fire, but the sting operation and the fight to finish towards the climax tend to get monotonous. Besides, the intimate scenes between Sunny and Urvashi look odd after a point.

SINGH SAAB THE GREAT overstays its welcome by a good 10/15 minutes. A crisp, concise edit would've only facilitated a solid punch. The soundtrack tilts heavily towards the Punjabi flavor, with the theme song staying on your lips. It's full of vigour and vivacity. 'Daaru Bandh Kal Se' [which has surprise cameos by Dharmendra and Bobby Deol] is hummable and gels well in the context of things. Dialogue are sure to be loved by the strata of audience they are targeted at [the masses]. In fact, the single screen audience in particular will relish and applaud the jibes and retorts for certain.

Sunny Deol looks most fitting for the part. Also, the certainty and conviction with which he interprets his character is worthy of note. In addition, like I stated earlier, he looks most apt for roles where he has to illustrate muscle power. The masses should go into raptures as he delivers dynamic dialogue in his distinctive trademark style. Enacting the role of a news reporter, Amrita Rao manages to leave a strong impact, despite the fact that the film belongs to Sunny. Urvashi Rautela looks photogenic and though she's a first-timer, she seems confident in several sequences. Post WANTED and SINGHAM, Prakash Raj seems to be getting typecast in similar roles. Not his fault, but I wish to add that the gifted actor enacts his part with gusto and fervor. He matches Sunny at every step. Anjali Abrol does well.

Johny Lever is as lively as ever. Rajit Kapoor, Sanjay Mishra, Yashpal Sharma and Manoj Pahwa don't get much scope to put across their talent. Shahbaaz Khan appears in a cameo. The kid enacting the part of Sunny's nephew is cute.

On the whole, SINGH SAAB THE GREAT is atypical Sunny Deol film that a section of the audience still enjoys. The clapworthy dialogue, the raw appeal, the undercurrent of emotions and of course, the dhaai kilo ka haath should appeal to those who relish desi fares, especially the single screen audience.

Rating:***1/2

http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/moviemicro/criticreview/id/549451 

Gori Tere pyar Mein Review from Now running!

The tagline of the film says only 'Only love can bridge the gap'. No, there isn't any sub-textual deep meaning behind this. A hoity-toity self centered man Sriram (Imran Khan) chases his love of life Dia (Kareena Kapoor) all the way till a village and the only way he can get her to come with him is to make a bridge!

The story of the film is as little as the synopsis or even the tagline could've sufficed for the actual story of the film but the second time director Punit Malhotra stretches it to 2hours and more adding banal plots and sequences to add weight to his script.

Gori Tere Pyar Mein Pictures   37 Pictures

29 More Movie Stills. Click to View All

You literally have the first half of the film establishing how selfish his main protagonist is with repetitive instances, an image which could be earned for Sriram in a montage sequence itself. Similar is the case of his love story too, there's enough screen time given to establish that both Sriram and Dia have contrasting personalities.

What's worse, to a plot which is threadbare, the maker forcefully inserts a non-linear narrative with the insertion of Shraddha Kapoor's character in the film.

If you think it's only the story that leaves you in a comatose position then you're wrong, this reviewer has been through much worse - Imran Khan. The actor comes back to the genre he started with, rom-com, but fairs much worse than his prior films as well. He desperately tries to act funny or emotional throughout the film but fails at both. Kareena on the other hand tries to cover up for the lack of her co-star and ends up acting doubly.

In terms of production quality too Dharma Productions film disappoints this time around for the set up of the village appears highly caricaturish and the film also has continuity flaws.

This review could go on and on about the shortcomings for Gori Tere Pyaar Mein which clearly was made with fun, frolic and laxity but it should suffice to state that the film is one of the weakest from the Dharma camp in a long while and an easy skip too lest you are Imran or Kareena fans.

Rating *

http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/11999/bollywood.hindi/gori-tere-pyar-mein/4471/review.htm

Singh Saab The Great Reviews.

Rating:**

Let's get one thing straight. If you haven't been a fan of Sunny Deol superhits like Ghatak, Ghayal, Gaddar and more, if you don't have his famous dialogues right from dhai kilo ka haath or tareek pe tareek memorized or if you don't like the high-octane raw, brawny action drama then Singh Saab The Great isn't a film for you.
The movie revolves around the morally upright government official Saranjeet Singh (Sunny Deol) who works as a collector in a small town of UP. Being a proponent of good deeds, Saranjeet Singh always stands in the way of corruption and takes on corrupt officials who are plaguing the nation. He goes to all lengths to restore truth and honesty even if it means putting his and his family's life at stake.

Singh Saab The Great Pictures   32 Pictures

23 More Movie Stills. Click to View All

Singh Saab The Great scores purely for rooting for our desi hero. Instead of adapting or being inspired by the Hollywood action flicks, the movie brings back the times of an underdog rising to fight for his, his family and his nation's pride.
There couldn't have been another actor more befitting to this story than Sunny Deol. His comeback to the action mode is brilliant. But the actor fails in emoting romantic sequences as endearingly as he used to in the past. The rust on his acting prowess, owing to the gap that came about, can easily be seen. Having a teenage debutante (Urvashi Rautela) opposite him only makes matters worse for the gap in age makes for a bad cinematic experience.
It's after long that one finds Prakash Raj playing a negative role menacingly and not making it appear like the million others he has played in the formula films of Bollywood. The battle between both Deol and Raj has its gripping moments.
Amrita Rao as a journalist who is chronicling the life of Singh Saab is average at best and doesn't add any value to the story.
SSTG has it all going for it except that the film (treatment-wise) comes a few years delayed for its time. Despite having its moments, there are portions in the film which remind you of '80s cinema. Even the production quality is jaded and gives the film a tripe feeling. Filmmaker Anil Sharma takes a very old school approach in story-telling which is decorated garishly with loud background score and melodramatic sequences.
To sum it up, Singh Saab The Great is a complete single screen film for Sunny Deol fans who are yearning to see him back in action. For the others it's just another masala entertainer.

http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/10910/bollywood.hindi/singh-saab-the-great/4472/review.htm

Singh Saab The Great Rediff Review.

Sunny Deol is reason enough for most of us to watch Singh Saab The Great, writes Paloma Sharma.

It must be understood that Singh Saab The Great is Sunny Deol's comeback vehicle. So if you're not a fan of the dhai kilo ka haath, this film is not for you.

However, if you (much like myself) have the entire tareek pe tareek dialogue memorised, then you will regret missing out on Singh Saab the Great. It was nice to watch a Bollywood film that's not a Hollywood film in disguise, starring an Indian star cast. One can appreciate that the director of the film, Anil Sharma, at least had a vision for his film -- even if it was a confused one. Singh Saab The Great attempts to tell the tale of a collector, who valued his honesty, integrity and pride more than anything else, and the price he had to pay for telling the truth.

The film starts off quite well. Amrita Rao, who plays a pesky, truth-seeking journalist, documents her experiences with Singh Saab (Sunny Deol).

Singh Saab is a social worker of sorts, who is spearheading an Anna Hazare style movement called People's Beat and trying to change things at a grassroot level.

While touring villages in North India, Singh Saab comes to a quaint little hamlet ruled by the ruthless Bhudev, where some dark secrets of Singh Saab's past are buried.

Singh Saab's character finds strong roots in Sardar Shivsingh from Premchand's Sajjanta ka Dand and Deol brings great intensity to the role. However, it becomes a tad awkward to watch him romance his teenage bride Minnie (played by Urvashi Rautela).

Rautela, on her part, does nothing but glance seductively, laugh at her husband's silly attempts to woo her and get mad at him for pretty much everything. She also makes sure she's showing enough back for Deol to kiss every two minutes in the first half of the film. Although she's the motivation behind all of Singh Saab's trials, she gets reduced to a glamourized prop.

Amrita Rao's Hindi heartland accent is downright annoying.

For the first time since Singham, Prakash Raj has shown that evil spark. Although his character Bhudev is very similar to Jaykant Shikre, he brings a different flavour to it. Bhudev is absolutely despicable but you soften up to him when you see his attachment to his daughter.

The first half of Singh Saab the Great is enjoyable but overshadowed by the loud, sometimes nonsensical music. The other half is unnecessarily gory and overshadowed by even louder and more nonsensical music.

Although I appreciate that the makers of Singh Saab the Great tried to make a socially conscious and relevant film, they got pulled into giving a sermon instead.

Singh Saab the Great's tragic flaw is that it preaches against crimes that stem out of the two things out of which its morals stem -- religion and patriarchy.

On one hand, Singh Saab beats the living daylights out of villains who adulterate food, and on the other, he tells a man who was about to disfigure a girl's face with acid to woo her with love if he truly loves her. So your friendly neighbourhood acid attacker goes scot free.

Meanwhile, Singh Saab who slaps Bhudev for suggesting that Singh Saab's sister, Guddi/Simar, go into prostitution, Singh Saab has no issues dancing with (and how I hate to use the word) an item girl to a song with lyrics that go something like 'khaike palang tod paan tune le li meri jaan'.

But it's not over yet.

Brace yourselves for a long-ish soliloquy about religion and righteousness as the hero slays the villain.

Singh Saab the Great has its moments. But more importantly, it has Sunny Deol and that is reason enough for most of us to watch this film.

Rediff Rating: **

Actual Review

Gori Tere Pyaar Mein Rediff Review!

Gori Tere Pyaar Mein is essentially two different films separated by an intermission, writes Paloma Sharma.

On the poster of Gori Tere Pyaar Mein, Imran Khan and Kareen Kapoor Khan sit on opposite sides of an unfinished bridge with the words ‘Only love can bridge the gap’ written below them. If only the director had been able to perform the same function.

Gori Tere Pyaar Mein is essentially two different films separated by an intermission, with a few, weak common threads between the two.

Sriram Venkat (Imran Khan) is a US-returned architect who cares about no one but himself. He has no ambitions in life other than living comfortably.

Dia Sharma (Kareena Kapoor Khan) is a Punjabi 'charity worker,' who has devoted her life to bettering the world.

Sriram is shallow. Dia is an inch away from enlightenment. Their paths cross.

But is it meant to be?

The first half of the film begins with some glycerin-induced tears and less than two minutes later, your senses are assaulted by Imran Khan and Esha Gupta (yes, random famous people also show up here) making out in a club to the lyrics of a song so absurd that I won’t care to repeat them.

The torture continues.

Sriram’s parents decide to marry him off in order to make him more responsible (because, hey, that’s the sensible thing to do). This is where Sriram goes from architect to serial flashback-er. He tells his bride-to-be, Vasudha (Shraddha Kapoor), about his relationship with Dia -- which is a most appropriate thing to do, especially since Vasudha is in love with someone else.

The flashbacks go on and on, even though they weren’t needed. An hour and half into the film and you’re still waiting for it to start.
However, if you can survive the first half of it, you’re in for a time-pass treat.
The second half of the film is like Karan Johar’s version of Lagaan -- villages are pretty, villagers are prettier and everything is sparkly clean. However, at least the story is intriguing, even though it does remind one of Ramaiva Vastavaiya.
Despite being a little corny, Sriram’s transformation and his search for a deeper meaning to his materialistic existence is an enjoyable watch. Add to that a couple of gags here and there, Anupam Kher as a corrupt collector and the lovely Naina, sung by Neeti Mohan and Kamal Khan, and you have an entertaining combination.
The trouble with Gori Tere Pyaar Mein is that this film seems like you’ve seen it somewhere before. It feels like a spin-off of Ek Main Aur Ek Tu with a different setting but similar characters and a similar story.
Imran Khan plays Imran Khan (again) and not Sriram Venkat. Khan is awkward unless he’s giving you his chocolate boy smile or looking forlornly into the distance.
Kareena Kapoor Khan is several shades better. She’s believable for the most part except when, being an activist, she does a dance number whose lyrics describe how lovely her derriere is in quite a few analogies.
Anupam Kher is fabulous, as usual, as is the little boy who kept trying to steal Sriram’s sunglasses every chance he got.
The soundtrack, especially the lyrics, is best not spoken about except for Naina (which I’m playing on loop ever since I’ve watched the film).
Gori Tere Pyaar Mein is two hours and 28 minutes long and follows a non-linear narrative. This was absolutely unneeded. Despite all the flashbacks, the story was predictable and the first half could have been cut down significantly. This film is a case of shoddy editing, writing and direction.
Gori Tere Pyaar Mein’s saving grace is that it is a love story and the second half will manage to melt your heart, if only slightly. It’s the classic opposites attract story and hey, if you’re into that kind of thing, this might be your kind of film.
Rediff Rating: **1/2

Actual Reviewer 

Irandam Ulagam Review from Rediff!

amil film Irandam Ulagam is a visually stunning fantasy story set in an imaginary world that describes a love that transcends human understanding of time and space writes S Saraswathi.

Be it Kadhal Kondein, 7G Rainbow Colony or Mayakkam Enna, romance has always played an integral role in director Selvaraghavan’s films and he has always approached it with his own distinctive style, ignoring the time-tested formula.

With a tagline that reads ‘How far will you travel for love’, his latest film Irandam Ulagam, starring Arya and Anushka Shetty, has been generating a lot of buzz.

And just as the tagline suggests, the film is all about a love that transcends time and space, exploring the possibility of a parallel world.

The music too has been creating quite a sensation. Harris Jayaraj handled the initial soundtrack, while later Anirudh Ravichandar was signed to compose the film's background score. Vairamuthu has penned the lyrics.

Irandam Ulagam, which is dubbed in Telugu as Varna is produced by Param V Potluri for PVP Cinema and is also being released in other languages such as Hindi, Georgian, Russian and Turkish.

Irandam Ulagam revolves around two love stories simultaneously occurring in two parallel worlds. One is the real world we know and understand and the other is a fantastical world filled with mythical creatures, enchanting forest, mysterious hills, and majestic views of the horizon.

In the real world, Anushka plays Ramya, a doctor, who is in love with Madhu Balakrishnan (Arya), a college professor. While in the fantasy world, she plays Varna, a high spirited, warrior-like character who deeply values her freedom. She is desperately pursued by Maruva (Arya again), who is madly in love with her.

Alternating between both worlds, the story progresses smoothly, like your average love story, until just before the interval, when the director introduces a dramatic twist.

The visual experience created by cinematographer Ramji is truly spectacular. He deserves full credit for bringing to life a beautiful new world, a magical place shrouded in mystery and filled with brilliant colours.

The music heightens the atmosphere and Anirudh has done exceptionally well. The songs, the lyrics, the picturisation as well as the vocals, everything fits beautifully.

Both Selvaraghavan and Arya are known to experiment with their films and characters and have been quite successful. In fact, 2013 has proved to be a great year for Arya, who had two back-to-back box office hits, Raja Rani and Arambam.

Anushka not only shares equal screen space with Arya, but also plays quite a significant role. In fact, the story revolves around her and she has performed admirably.

Though a lot of effort and hard work has been put in by the entire team, the result is not quite what you expect.

The film has an unreal fairytale-like quality that prevents us from feeling the intensity, passion and pain of the characters. It seems more like a child’s bed-time story.

Everything from the unique costumes, make-up and body language gives the film a storybook and dream-like quality.

Irandam Ulagam is an ambitious project by a director who always strives to give a different and unique experience to his audience.

Rediff Rating: ***

http://www.rediff.com/movies/review/review-irandam-ulagam-is-a-mystical-love-story/20131122.htm