I watched quite a few movies these last few weeks. Instead of doing individual posts I thought I’d share them all at once. (This post is a little late, I was supposed to do this post a while ago!)
So without further ado these are the movies I watched:
1. Rascals (2011) – Directed by David Dhawan; Starring Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgn, Kangana Ranaut, Arjun Rampal, Lisa Haydon, Chunky Pandey, Satish Kaushik
My better sense told me not to go for this movie. It seemed like one of those comedies that was just incredibly stupid. But I was bored, & this was the only decent film playing at the local Cinemax (the other one was a terrible, lewd looking Marathi film. And I know this because I was forced to see an extended trailer during the interval). So I ended up going for this film. BIG MISTAKE. To call the film terrible would be an understatement. The film was terrible. Almost all the acting was shitty. For Sanjay & Ajay it was their terrible so-called comedy acting. Kangana Ranaut played a terribly air headed, dumb, bimbo (as far as stereotypes go she might as well have been blonde). Still, her acting was not any worse than what we’ve come to expect from her. Lisa Haydon played a high class prostitute. Lisa, I am disappointed in you. I know everyone wants to make it in Bollywood & that you can’t be too choosy. And it’s not like I dislike prostitues in films, Kalki Dev.D & Patricia Arquette in True Romance were both awesome. But playing a prostitute/item girl in a comedy as bad as this? Are you really that desperate? I thought Chunky Pandey, Arjun Rampal & Bharti Achrekar were the only ones who acted pretty decent. Chunky Pandey was good. I actually didn’t recognize him.
Looking back I cannot believe how bad this film was. I don’t even think I chuckled. And my friends know that’s it’s rather easy to make me laugh. I don’t know what I was thinking, going for a film like this. I’d rather get a lobotomy than see this film again (or another film as bad as this).
Rating ★☆☆☆☆ (1 Star. And I still think I’m being generous).
2. My Friend Pinto (2011) – Directed by Raaghav Dar; Starring Prateik Babbar, Kalki Koechlin, Arjun Mathur, Shruti Seth, Makrand Deshpande, Raj Zutshi, Divya Dutta, Amin Hajee & Karim Hajee
I had seen a few promos for this film a couple of months ago (a music video, I think) and remember thinking that it seemed like an interesting film. The day it released I checked out the reviews. Prateik plays an innocent, Goan boy in the film. And the review commented that he & Kalki did a good job at Goan/Catholic accents. And they did! I’m Goan, don’t have an accent as I’m born & brought up here in Bombay but the broken hindi they spoke in the film is actually quite like mine! (:
Accents aside, I wasn’t very sure where the film was going at first but 10 minutes or so into the film I really started to enjoy it. Just about everyone played their characters well, even if they had small parts. The basic plot of the film is how the main protagonist, Michael Pinto is kinda clumsy but very sweet & naive. He gets into a lot of trouble but touches so many lives. This was quite the fun, feel good film. The soundtrack was pretty good too. I really left the cinema with a spring in my step. Am definitely gonna get this on DVD too.
Rating ★★★☆☆ (3 Stars)
3. Scenes from the Big Chair (1985) – Directed by Nigel Dick; Starring Curt Smith, Roland Orzabal, Ian Stanley, Manny Elias, Nicky Holland, Andy Davis, William Gregory.
OK I am not going to be reviewing this per se. Scenes from the Big Chair is a documentary on Tears for Fears made at the height of the band’s global success after their multiplatinum album Songs from the Big Chair was released (the same album I’m proud to say I have on CD! Yep my Dad picked it up on his travels in 1985. I don’t think he liked it that much but I bet he would have been psyched to know that his daughter who was going to be born 7 years later, would discover it at age 18 & fall in love!) But but but I disgress. About this documentary, it features Curt Smith & Roland Orzabal (founders, & most constant members of Tears for Fears, Ian Stanley & Manny Elias (who was born in India, just FYI), temporary members of the band, & Nicky Holland, Andy Davis & William Gregory (who contributed to a few songs & supported Tears for Fears on their big chair tour). So this documentary comprises of some performances from their ‘The Big Chair’ tour (both onstage & off), a few of their music videos including some behind the scenes footage of the Head Over Heels video (I love that video! It’s hilarious & awesome at the same time!) & of course Curt, Roland & Ian talking a bit about what went into their music, the naming of their album etc. It was great to gain some more insight into their workings as a band, as well as hearing their non singing voices. To sum it up I love Tears For Fears & this just made me love them a little more!
Rating ★★★★★ (5 Stars. I admit to this being completely biased, I fricking love that band).
4. Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge (2011) – Directed by Nupur Asthana; Starring Saqib Saleem, Saba Azad, Nishant Dahiya, Tara D’Souza
My better sense, again, told me not to see this but I went anyway. Main reason I didn’t want to go is because it’s a Yash Raj film & their films are almost always sappy, chessy, bullshit love stories. However this is made under new new production banner Y-Films which is targeting the younger generation. One thing notable about this film is that it stars all newbies. About the film itself. There was a lot of somewhat crass college humor that I identified with & found pretty funny because, hey! I’m a college student. (:
The plot too wasn’t so bad, it was kinda refreshing despite some glaring plot holes. The soundtrack was pretty good, I found myself enjoying the songs & humming along. It did get kinda cheesy at some points but I’d still say it was pretty ok, I definitely enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
Rating ★★☆☆☆ (2 stars)
So that’s it for now. Gonna watch some more movies & maybe write some more reviews. I’m making the most of my free time, eating, sleeping & playing AOE III. I must confess that I don’t have so much of a social life right now, I feel like I’m away from all my good friends. But I am sure enjoying kickin’ it at home. And I am aiming to do a post every alternate day because I have so much to say.
I’m kinda excited & happy about some stuff at the moment.

love,