The world's movie capital is not Hollywood but Bollywood. Bollywood is the nickname for the Indian film industry located in Bombay (now known as Mumbai, though Mollywood hasn't quite caught on.)
Indians are in love with movies, even though most films follow a similar format called masala (the word for a collection of spices). Movies are three to four hours long (and include an intermission), include dozens of songs and dances (featuring 100 or so choreographed dancers), top stars, the story between the songs of boy meets girl (without any kissing or sexual contact), lots of action (though no bloodshed), and always - a happy ending.
Fourteen million Indians go to the movies on a daily basis (about 1.4% of the population of 1 billion) and pay the equivalent to the average Indian's day's wages (US $1-3) to see any of the over 800 films churned out by Bollywood each year. That's more than double the number of feature films produced in the United States.
Although American-made films have been edging into India, only the blockbuster Titanic has ever made India's top five list. One hundred and fifty U.S. films arrived in India in 1998. However, Indian films have become somewhat of an international obsession.
Bollywood films are being shown in American and British theaters on a more and more frequent basis. These theaters have become community foci for the South Asian communities around the world. Though separated by a vast distance from home, South Asians have found Bollywood films to be a great way of staying in touch with their culture and their fellow South Asians.
Since India is a country of sixteen official languages and a total of twenty-four languages spoken by over a million people each, some portions of the film industry are fragmented. While Mumbai (Bollywood) leads India in film production, its specialty lies with Hindi movies. Chennai (formerly Madras) produces films in Tamil and Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) is the Bengali movie capital. Neighboring Pakistan's Lahore calls itself Lollywood.
Bollywood's film production center is a government-owned studio facility known as "Film City" in the northern suburbs of Mumbai. Bollywood traces its start to 1911 when the first silent Indian feature film was released by D.P. Phalke. The industry boomed and today there are over 250 theaters in Mumbai alone.
The stars of Bollywood are very popular and highly paid, considering the budget of the films. The lead star in a film often receives as much as 40% of the US $2 million budget for the typical masala film. Stars may be in such high demand that they're working on ten films at once. Photographs of Bollywood stars grace shop windows and homes throughout the country.
Providing three to four hours of escapism is the primary objective of Bollywood and it's a recipe done well. Indian movies are becoming more and more popular around the world so watch for them in theaters and video stores near you.
IMAX President Greg Foster Talks 'Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol'
samarth | 04 December, 2011 22:38
Now that Thanksgiving weekend - traditionally a tremendous box office frame for everyone involved in the film industry - is over and done with, all eyes are on the big Holiday releases that Hollywood prepares to unleash upon the masses. Perhaps the biggest and most-anticipated of them all is Paramount's Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, the fourth entry in Tom Cruise's blockbuster spy saga. As massive as the three previous films in the series have been, this one promises a scale and scope nearly unmatched by anything that has come before it, and part of that is due to the use of IMAX cameras. Director Brad Bird shot numerous sequences for the movie in the plus-sized format, and anyone who has previewed footage can tell you that it's remarkable.
So what does the IMAX Corporation think about having such a heavy presence in what is sure to be one of the highest-grossing films of the year? Greg Foster, Chairman and President of Filmed Entertainment as well as its biggest fan, can shed some light on what's so special about seeing Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol in IMAX, why the premium price pays off for exhibitors, movie studios and audiences, and how the stars aligned to make the new Mission the best yet.
Paul Dergarabedian: So Greg, what exactly do you call this advanced release of Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol? This is a new release strategy so it seems we're kind of in no-man's land...
Greg Foster: It’s being referred to as previews. In IMAX, it’s coming out five days early in the U.S. and Canada. In other territories, it’s coming out a variety of days early depending on the market, and the opening date internationally.
PD: What does the advanced release of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol mean for IMAX? Just how different is this from anything you have done before?
GF: Well, we certainly have never done anything like this before in the U.S. We actually have done it on a test case basis in several international markets, including Russia, France, the Netherlands, Mexico, etcetera. And it has worked quite well. Our theatre network is large enough to make a positive marketing and financial impact on the film. The 300 IMAX theatres that will open on the 16th will act as an extra boost of marketing energy for the film and theaters that are going to get the movie five days later on the 21st. And once the film opens wide on our entire 500 screen network, those theatres will only further compliment the film’s overall release. It’ s a “win/win” scenario. It only really works if you’re working on a film that is legitimately unique and differentiated, like Mission: Impossible is, with IMAX. This is not a plug-and-play movie. We have been involved in the design and making of this movie with the filmmakers for the last two years. So, about thirty minutes of the film is shot with our cameras. Brad Bird is a complete IMAX showman. You met him in ShoWest, so you know.
J.J. Abrams and his partner and our good friend Bryan Burk, at Bad Robot, are also big IMAX supporters. We’ve done several movies with them, including Star Trek and Super 8. And, so, when you take that and combine it with Tom Cruise, who we have a long relationship with—he narrated one of our films, and has been a big supporter of ours—you’ve got filmmakers who love us and get us, you have approximately thirty minutes of the film shot with our cameras and you have a bigger aspect ratio in IMAX than you do in the other non-IMAX locations. So, you have something that really puts the film and the filmmakers’ best foot forward. Not to mention, Mission: Impossible has a definite franchise fan appeal. So, there are going to be people in line, going crazy at midnight on the 15th, waiting for the screening to start at 12:01 on the 16th. And they’re going to actually be able to truly see something unique that they won’t be able to see anywhere else. And that’s why doing this organically makes so much sense.
PD: It’s going to be in IMAX first. So, if people want to see this movie early, they have got to come to IMAX. That’s huge for your company, and doesn’t it speak to the exclusivity, value and prestige of the format? GF: It is. It’s obviously a thing that we are very happy about. We’ve been working extremely hard on making this happen. Again, it’s not a coincidence that it’s happening on this particular movie. With that said, it’s the first time it has happened in the U.S., and we’re going to see how it goes. We’re a part of the exhibition/distribution community. We’re looking to bring people in to see the movie. And if we succeed and everyone else doesn’t, we still lose. Our partners are exhibitors. So, 300 of these screens are going to have the IMAX version on December 16th. But we want the movie to be incredibly successful on December 21st everywhere. We want it to have strong legs, and play for weeks and weeks—not only in our theaters, but in other theaters as well. I won’t pretend that it’s not a really terrific thing for us, but at the same time, we hope that we are a small piece of Mission Impossible’s huge success.
PD: That’s very well put. And also, I would imagine that putting the movie’s best foot forward by going out in IMAX will prime and excite audiences to see it in the regular format as well. So, it seems like a mutually beneficial situation.
GF: It’s almost as if it’s a limited release. You have a movie, and obviously Mission: Impossible is a completely different type of movie, but like The King’s Speech. Or Midnight in Paris. And it comes out in a limited number of locations. The word of mouth builds. Everyone realizes, “Hey, this is a terrific movie.” And then it starts widening its release, and they cast a much bigger net. Because the ambassadors who saw the movie early have fed their constituency of other moviegoers, and said, “Hey, I saw this movie, you should really check it out.” So, I hope that, and expect that, this is what will happen on December 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th in IMAX. People will see the movie, have great things to say about it, and pass it on.
PD: I think, like you said, it’s good for everybody, but I think you may get some people—are there people out there who have never been to an IMAX presentation?
GF: Sure.
PD: [Will they] come to this and see the light in terms of how great that experience is?
GF: When we open a movie, we usually represent somewhere between 1% and 2% of the number of screens playing the film. As you know, we usually do somewhere between 10% and 15% of the opening weekend box office, which means that somewhere between 85% and 90% of the opening weekend box office isn’t coming from IMAX. And there are still people who haven’t been to an IMAX show. There are not any big cities that don’t have IMAX, but there are some big towns that don’t have IMAX. And so, we grow our network through our digital projection system and our expansion. This will be the widest release we’ve ever had, and hopefully three or four months from now we’ll have an even wider release. And the biggest one will likely be in 2012 as we have several huge movies on our slate. It will be The Dark Knight Rises, and it will be The Hobbit, the new Spider-Man, etc. But the point I’m making is, as we begin to expand into various markets, markets that you wouldn’t have thought of necessarily as IMAX locations five years ago, we’re now finding tremendous demand for our premium experience. For instance, we have one theater that opened less than a year ago in Wichita, Kansas. It’s a Warren Theatre. Bill Warren is the exhibitor. It has been open since Tron: Legacy, less than a year ago. And I’m not kidding you: the IMAX screen has done approximately $3 million in ten months. One screen!
PD: To quote Keanu Reeves, “Whoa.”
GF: This one location. When a movie plays there that is IMAX, that movie complex usually ends up being in the top twenty in the country.
PD: Why is that? Why there?
GF: Because Bill Warren gets it and is a showman like you can’t believe. It’s got huge IMAX signage. But more importantly, he took a market that really doesn’t have a lot of destination-based movie theaters, and made this the epicenter of movie-going in Wichita. So, there was an example that Phil Groves, our global head of distribution, found the other day that I thought was really telling and interesting. Thor and Captain Americahad very similar opening weekends, and similar ultimate grosses. Both came out in the summer; one in the beginning of the season and one at the end. The difference between the two movies: one was in IMAX (Thor), one wasn’t (Captain America). When Thor came out in Wichita, that complex was in the top fifty. I don’t remember the exact number, but it was in the top fifty. When Captain America came out in July—again, about the same box office opening weekend as Thor—four hundred something was its ranking. So, this guy had figured out, this is the way to become the destination of movie-going in smaller markets. And that is something that we’re focused on. I presume you haven’t seen the 17 ½ minutes of Mission: Impossible footage yet?
PD: No.
GF: Just wait until you see it.
PD: I saw the initial trailer. It blew me away.
GF: Just wait until you see this footage. You’ll understand what all the fuss is about. It’s something special.
PD: Now, can you talk about something that’s sort of interesting to me? Brad Bird seems like a very unique choice for this. Why Brad Bird? When you think about it, it makes brilliant sense. But on the face of it, you go, “This guy is an animation director.” How does his sensibility bring something unique to Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol? How does that translate on the giant IMAX screen?
GF: Well, he is a major IMAX maniac. Brad is a big believer in the theatrical experience. He’s not a guy who believes that movies should come out on television screens at the same time as they come out theatrically. He is from the old school in that when he designs and makes a movie, he makes it for those big, giant show palaces that we all grew up going to. I remember where I was when I saw Star Wars. I remember where I was when I saw The Lord of the Ringsfor the first time. That’s how Brad Bird’s mind works. He’s all about this big, giant experience for a big, giant movie. And so, when he was approached to do this film by J.J., Bryan, Tom and Paramount, he did so under the auspices of not wanting to make a fourth version of Mission: Impossible that isn’t something unique and special. He had a vision for this movie. And everything about this movie is big. They go to the tallest building in the world. It’s the biggest shutdown of the Interpol, basically, ever. Ghost Protocol and the CIA. It is shot with our cameras—the biggest cameras out there. It’s on our screens. And he’s very focused on film. He didn’t shoot the movie digitally; he shot it with film cameras. So, Brad came to it with an approach of, “I want to do this. I want to make a cool, hip, fresh movie, but I want to make it the old fashioned way.” So, that worked! The good news is that it’s with Paramount, and we love working with them. Paramount has just been an amazing partner, and has embraced this unique release strategy in IMAX, and we’re thrilled by that.
Last year around this time came a movie Band Baaja Baaraat which turned out to be the surprise hit of the year. A major part of the credit forthe success went to the music of the movie. There were at least 3 hit songs namely Ainvayi Ainvayi, Dum Dum and Tarkeebein in an albumwhich consisted of 6 original tracks. Mind you the other 3 were also very much likable hence, turning BBB into a complete album.
The same team re-unites for Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl. This time, thanks to the success of BBB soundtrack, there are a lot of expectations from the music of LVRB, means that extra burden to bring an album better than the previous. So what does Salim - Sulaiman have in store this time?
The album opens with the already popular Aadat Se Majboor, sung by the Salim Sulaiman favorite Benny Dayal. The song oozes with freshness and is instantly likable. The opening tune of the song takes away thecake and Dayal's singing is the cherry on the top, Ranveer's rap is the extra cream. While the song defines Ricky Bahl's character, it is gives us a pretty good dance number to shake a leg. Salim Sulaiman have composed a winner first up. The remix version is routine making it sure that you listen to the original all the time.
If it was Tarkeebein for Ranveer, it's Jazba this time for Anushka Sharma. Yes, the song reminds you of Tarkeebein in premise but is completely different in terms of execution. Again like Tarkeebein, this song has a fun mood and some heavy lyrics punched with few english words here and there. Shilpa Rao has total command over the song. Overall, a good number. The remix version turns it to a club number hence, adding another dimension to this song.
Vishal Dadlani joins hands with Shweta Pandit to come out with Thug Le. Talking of the lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya, looks like he is let loose again to come up with lines like "Mauka taadte hain, Chauka marte hain" and much more. A truly amazing dance number, you can play it again and again. Again the song does not blast off, it has a smooth pace. The youth will simply love it. Salim-Sulaiman have lived up to the expectations till now.
They continue their good work with Jigar Da Tukda. There are a few similarities when Salim Merchant and Shraddha Pandit sing "Hoga re hoga re jahaan, my jigar da tukda" with "Saara badal de nazaara, jagaa le tu jagale jazba" crooned by Shilpa Rao. Yes, this does not mean that Jigar Da Tukda is not original, it truly is, but only that few seconds of similarity in tune provide a deja vu experience. Apart from that this song will be a bigsuccess in North India thanks to the Punjabi feel and sutble Bhangra arrangements beautifully amalgamated with the western culture . If promoted well this song can spell magic.
Finally, the composers take over from here with a musical piece in Fatal Attraction. This sums up the amazing talent that this duo have.
The composers have done everything they could to give something better than BBB. The lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya has gone that extra mile thanks to the awards he received for Ainvayi Ainvayi last year remember "Chai mein dooba biskut ho gaya".
The album does not have even one slow or romantic number, it's youthful, peppy and full of fun. Great successor to BBB, keeping up with the tradition of hit music albums from the YRF banner.
Ricky Bahl strikes, this time with melody, ladies watch out.
Review: 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 1'
samarth | 02 December, 2011 12:42
That believable moment is during the wedding scene, when Bella begins her walk down the aisle. Anyone can get cold feet, but this young woman is about to commit to a permanent case of cold feet by marrying Edward, her vampire lover, then becoming just like him ... undead! Director Bill Condon's camera catches terror in her eyes; 100 pages of subtext in an instant. It is the most truthful moment of "The Twilight Saga" series thus far.
Then, there's the rest of the movie.
Wow.
Awful. And practically unwatchable. The good news, such as it is, is that some scenes are so bad, they're funny.
"The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 1" is in trouble from the start. We see Bella's mother receive an invitation to her daughter's wedding. She seems surprised. Why? Did we miss something? Is it explained in the book why she doesn't seem to know she'll be getting an invitation to her daughter's wedding? If so, why isn't it explained in the movie?
At the wedding itself, Edward springs Jacob on Bella as a wedding present. Huh? Oh, I get it -- it's the mythology of Edward, the quiet, sensitive, understanding monster who's confident enough to allow his new wife to hang out with a guy who desperately loves her, and to whom she in turn is attracted. This scene alone drives a stake through the heart of the movie.
Bella continues to give Jacob mixed signals. Jacob continues to be more interesting than Edward. Edward continues to sulk. My eyelids continue to grow heavy.
The apparent intention of "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 1" is to sweep us up in the romance of Bella and Edward's honeymoon. Not happening. If you've already been sucked into this love story via the book, then perhaps you'll be interested in whether or not Edward can make love to his new wife without killing her. If you've just come to know these two through the movie, you're hoping the projectionist throws the switch and shows Texas Governor Rick Perry's most recent campaign meltdown instead. At least that was entertaining.
Giving credit where it's due, Bella's pregnancy is brilliant on paper. On celluloid, it's a joke. Again, Stewart out-acts the laughable dialogue but that makes it no less unbelievable.
There's no pleasure to be had in pointing out how simply bad "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 1" is. It's actually quite disheartening. It's tough when bad movies happen to good people, and there are a lot of good people involved in this franchise. When it comes to Part 2, here's hoping they TWI harder.
Young Star Enchants Fans, Fellow Stars & the Music Business Alike
samarth | 02 December, 2011 10:26
Taylor Swift made a rather large statement about her status in the music business during 2011 by simply placing a request. Entranced by Nicki Minaj's hit single "Super Bass," she invited Minaj to come out to the Staples Center in Los Angeles and perform the song in a surprise appearance during Swift's concert in August. In the aftermath, Justin Bieber asked if he could do a guest spot with Swift. In short order, the singer/songwriter was lining up musicians in many of the major markets to add a little local flavor to the night: Jason Mraz in Los Angeles; Usher and T.I. in Atlanta; Shawn Colvin in Austin; Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World in Phoenix; Ronnie Dunn, Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney and Paramore's Hayley Williams in Nashville; and Selena Gomez and James Taylor at Madison Square Garden in New York, as her 2011 tour concluded.
Billboard's Women in Music 2011 Hub
"I'm just as shocked by it as all the fans are in the audience," Swift says of her guest stars, "the fact that they would spend their evening coming out and playing for free for my fans."
That gesture, made by artists across a variety of genres in numerous cities, speaks volumes about Swift's influence on pop culture in the five years since she arrived with her self-titled debut album on Big Machine Records at the age of 16.
On Dec. 2, Swift accepted Billboard's Woman of the Year award during Billboard's Women in Music event at Capitale in New York. At 21, Swift is the youngest artist ever to receive the honor.
The annual award celebrates the achievements of a trailblazing female recording artist during the past 12 months and acknowledges her overall success and leadership in the music business.
For Swift, the honor comes at the close of a year in which she earned the entertainer of the year award from both the Academy of Country Music in April and the Country Music Assn. (CMA) in November. In May, Swift also won Billboard Music Awards for top country album, top Billboard 200 artist and top country artist.
For most of the past year, Swift has been on a worldwide tour supporting her 2010 album "Speak Now," with dates in Asia, Europe and the United States. The trek has been captured on the newly released Speak Now World Tour Live album and DVD, the former selling 28,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Her 2010 album Speak Now arrived with debut-week sales of 1 million units and has sold more than 3.7 million.
Worldwide, Swift has achieved album sales of more than 20 million and digital track sales of more than 40 million, according to Big Machine Records.
And Swift has donated more than $1 million to charity in the past year. Her efforts have raised money and awareness for causes including clean water, literacy and disaster relief.
The guest artists on Swift's tour stops testify to both her business and personal achievements. On a business level, they recognize the size of her audience and the media splash a guest artist will enjoy by sharing the stage with her.
But those moments are also a testament to Swift on a personal level. While undeniably a superstar, she is likable, inviting, savvy and talented. And she has managed to grow up in public while remaining both sweet and classy.
In October, when Alan Jackson was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Swift was one of just two acts asked to perform his material for the A-list music business crowd. Swift sang Jackson's 9/11 memorial ballad, "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)," in a manner that balanced the song's emotionalism with a perfectionist's attention to detail. With Garth Brooks, Lynn Anderson and John Oates among the celebrities in attendance, Swift rendered the song as if it were her own, providing a dynamic arc to many of the lines and coaxing a standing ovation. It was just one more moment when Swift proved how she makes sparks fly.
Swift, who turns 22 on Dec. 13, was in the closing weeks of her current U.S. tour when she took time on a day off to speak with Billboard.
Congratulations on being Billboard's Woman of the Year.
Thank you. It is pretty cool.
Just a few weeks ago was the five-year anniversary of your first album, released when you were 16. Now you're Woman of the Year. Where do you see yourself on that scale of girl and woman?
Growing up in this position, making music, writing songs and having everyone hear what I'm going through since I was about 16 years old, now I'm 21 about to be 22 -- I wouldn't have had it any other way. On a scale of being a girl or teenager or woman, I never tried to be the one to label myself which of those three I was. I've just tried to grow up in the most natural and gradual process that I possibly can and make choices I feel are right for me and my fans. Whether I'm a woman now, or whatever, is up to my fans to decide, not for me. I really haven't felt the need to make some bold statement of maturity or make the "dark" record yet.
Given the Woman of the Year honor, what women do you consider to be your role models, and why?
I have a lot of role models. Faith Hill is a big role model. Reese Witherspoon is a role model of mine-she's not in music, but I love everything she stands for. Shawn Colvin is a huge model for me. Her writing has been consistently great and thoughtful and wistful and beautiful. And also-[he's] not a girl-but Kris Kristofferson has been a big role model for me. When I look at people who I feel have really lived their lives and recorded their lives in music so beautifully, those are my role models. They've all taught me lessons just by example.
Two friends, Akshay Kumar and John Abraham, find themselves jobless due to the economic downturn. To tide over the difficult times and to fulfil the dreams of their loved ones, they turn to the oldest profession in the world. What happens then? Read the review of Desi Boyz for more.
Business rating: 3.5 / 5 stars
John Abraham, Deepika Padukone, Akshay Kumar in Desi Boyz Movie Review
Star cast:Akshay Kumar, John Abraham, Deepika Padukone, Chitrangada Singh, Sanjay Dutt, Anupam Kher, Omi Vaidya.
What’s Good: Performances; several comic punches; the music.
What’s Bad: Emotional scenes are a bit hurried; some scenes are repetitive in the second half; climax looks a bit incomplete.
Verdict:Desi Boyz is a feel good entertainer.
Loo break: None.
Watch or Not?: Watch Desi Boyz for the music, comedy and performances.
461 Votes
Eros International’s Desi Boyz (A) is the story of two friends, Jerry alias Jignesh Patel (Akshay Kumar) and Nick Mathur (John Abraham), who live in London and who are hit hard by recession. Jerry does odd jobs for a living as he is an undergraduate but Nick has a white-collar job. However, both find themselves jobless due to the economic downturn. Jerry has a little, school-going nephew (Master Virej Desai) to look after as the child has lost both his parents. Nick is to marry his girlfriend, Radhika Awasthi (Deepika Padukone), who dreams of a lovely wedding, a great honeymoon and a wonderful house to live in after marriage.
Out of job, Jerry finds it difficult to even pay the school fees of his nephew because of which the government is on the verge of giving the custody of his nephew to a foster family. Nick fears, he won’t be able to fulfil the dreams of his to-be wife. It is to tide over the difficult times that Jerry and Nick turn to the oldest profession in the world. They become male escorts, fulfilling the costume fantasies of girls and ladies. Ironically, Jerry can’t ultimately prevent his nephew from being sent to a foster home; and Nick loses Radhika when she learns of what he has been up to while she is away in India. Frustrated, Nick blames Jerry for forcing him into the profession and asks him to move out of his house and life.
Nick now tries hard to win Radhika back and help comes from the most unlikely source – Radhika’s father (Anupam Kher) who has come to London with her. Meanwhile, Jerry registers in college again to complete his graduation so that he can earn enough money to get his nephew back home. In college, Jerry meets Tanya Sharma (Chitrangada Singh) who used to be his over-sized classmate and is now a hot and a sexy professor in the same college. Sparks fly between Jerry and Tanya.
What happens thereafter? Is Jerry able to pass his examinations and get a degree? Does he get a job? Does Radhika forgive Nick? Or does she settle down with Ajay (Omi Vaidya), a lawyer-friend of hers? And what about Jerry’s nephew – does he unite with Jerry?
Desi Boyz Review: Script Analysis
The story, penned by Rohit Dhawan, is quite fresh as topics such as recession and friendship have not been used the way they have been in this film. Also, the two main male protagonists of the drama turning to the profession of male escorting is a new twist in the tale. Rohit Dhawan and Milap Zaveri’s screenplay is also fresh and moves at a fast pace most of the times. The best part of the screenplay is that it treats the subject of recession, break-up of friendship, heartbreak, and family drama in a light-hearted manner and keeps the audience entertained throughout. Perhaps, the only two places where the screenplay is found wanting are the portions when Nick is trying to woo Radhika back and in the emotional drama of Jerry and his nephew. The track of Nick trying to make up with Radhika gets a bit repetitive till Ajay arrives on the scene (which portion is really interesting).The emotional impact of Jerry and his nephew’s separation and the scenes of the nephew in the foster home should’ve been far greater and dramatic. The climax looks a bit incomplete. However, in spite of these shortcomings, the fact remains that the drama is engaging and entertaining. Comedy evokes laughter at many places. In particular, the track of the owner of the Desi Boyz Club (Sanjay Dutt), the sequences of Ajay and Radhika and then in the court, the sequence of Jignesh’s mother (Bharti Achrekar) and the sequence of the job interview of Jerry after his graduation and how he embarrasses the boss (Satish Kaushik) in the interview are highlights. Dialogues, written Renuka Kunzru, are excellent.
Desi Boyz Review: Star Performances
Akshay Kumar, known for his fantastic sense of comic timing, does remarkably well in the comic role. He is also suitably restrained in the emotional scenes. This film will help him resurrect himself after his recent spate of flops and average grossers (except Housefull). His dances are delightful. John Abraham spring a pleasant surprise with a free-spirited performance. He has improved tremendously in comedy. He is also quite free in dances. Deepika Padukone looks glamorous, exudes sex appeal and acts with effortless ease. Chitrangada Singh is another surprise, having made a confident and smooth transition from art to commercial cinema. She looks sexy and acts well. Sanjay Dutt is a highlight and leaves a mark whenever he comes. The background music which accompanies his arrival is a masterstroke. Omi Vaidya is just too cute and delivers a wonderful performance. Master Virej Desai is lovable. Anupam Kher entertains with a natural performance. His dialogue about getting ambitious is interesting and enjoyable. Mohnish Bahl leaves a mark for his dignified acting. Bharti Achrekar is extraordinary and makes her presence wonderfully felt. Satish Kaushik is very good. Suparna Marwah is nice as the judge.
Desi Boyz Review: Direction & Music
Rohit Dhawan makes a confident debut as director. He knows the art and craft of filmmaking and credit to him for extracting good performances from his cast and also not letting the drama dip in entertainment value. He, however, needs to treat emotional scenes with a little more dexterity. Pritam’s music is a major plus point. All the songs are delightful. The title track is the best number. Subah hone na de, Allah maaf kare andJhak maar ke are also entertaining songs. Let it be appeals in its own way. Lyrics (Kumaar, Irshad Kamil and Amitabh Bhattacharya) go well with the mood of the film. Song picturisations are very eye-filling, thanks to Bosco-Caesar’s choreography. Nataraja Subramanian’s camerawork is splendid. The foreign locations and the actors have all looked beautiful. Sets, erected by Sukant Panigrahi and Helen Jones, are lovely. Production values are rich. Technical aspects are of a high standard.
Desi Boyz Review: Komal Nahta’s Verdict
On the whole, Desi Boyz is an enjoyable entertainer which will keep its producers, distributors and exhibitors happy. Its business in the bigger cities will be better.
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find. Why we are using this age-old Biblical adage? Because we craved for a musical cadeau and Imtiaz Ali and A R Rahman have fulfilled our yearning. Yes, Rockstar is a musical film in the swarm of masala capers, so who else than the maestro himself to compose la musique.
Teaming up for the first time for Rockstar, the director-music composer duo has some memorable, melodious tunes up their sleeves. Now, we will get on to what makes the Rockstar album truly rocking.
Music enthusiasts who know nothing but Bollywood music are also reveling in the music of the tracks Kun Faya Kun, Saadda Haq and the recently releasedTum Ho, which are not tangy in tradition of hit Bollywood ditties. But let us tell you, it’s just the beginning; the rest of the songs will take you on a new journey, like the hero of the film Ranbir Kapoor, who explores himself in exile.
Ready to dive in! The album bustles with fourteen original sound tracks, and oh! goodness, no remixes.
The first track in the album is Phir Se Udd Chala. The song instantly clicks with you because of its zingy music and its frequent high and low notes. The song is unpredictable in its composition and in the latter half there is a sudden outburst of energy with Mohit Chauhan’s voice touching the pinnacle note. When the song ends, you can feel the void within, while music nourishes your senses.
The next track is an acoustic treat for the music listeners as well as players.Jo Bhi Main is on the lines of Indi-rock songs with a smattering of classical singing. Mohit Chauhan’s subdued vocals reek with emotive appeal.
Straight from Punjab la-la land is ding-a-ling-ling! The album introduces a female voice, finally. Here is the immensely popular track Katiyan Karoon in the voice of Harshdeep Kaur and Sapna Awasthi. We know you people have had enough of it, as the romantic song is being extensively used for the promotion and also to portray the romance between the lead pair Ranbir Kapoor and Nargis Fakhri amidst snow and flowers. Though the folksy number starts slowly, it takes hardly a second or so to grip you with its frisky tune. Did you ever embrace the bright morning standing in an open field and looking at the rising sun? The song is like a wisp of fresh breeze, rejuvenating you with its mellow tune.
Here is the music for your soul and not just for ears. Kun Faya Kun, the Arabic phrase which means ‘Be! And it is’. One will feel a better person when Kun Faya Kun plays; soak in its spirituality and immerse yourself in pure music. Isn’t this experience priceless? Rahman along with Javed Ali and Mohit Chauhan have together weaved the magic in this song with their unique and versatile voices. Many may compare this track of Rahman withKhwaja Mere Khwaja from Jodhaa Akbar or Arziyaan in Delhi 6, but the number is in a different league because of its earthiness and it spellbinds you with its light music. It’s easy on ears and even a pedestrian can relate to the song.
With a hint of pop music, Sheher Mein sounds like one of the pop songs Indian singers were busy churning during the golden days of pop albums. But there is a difference; since it is created by Rahman, the varied sounds in the track tug at your heart creating a psychedelic effect.
Hear Hawaa Hawaa and sense the drama, and tension. At the start it is mellifluous like a festive Spanish jingle but soon the track transforms into a pensive song. The haunting high-pitched note in the latter half of the song gives you an eerie feeling. One might get the feel of watching a dance-drama in a theatre.
The song Aur Ho comes with a Bosnian connection. Singer Alma Ferovic of Bosnia, who is famous for her track ‘Srebrenica’, teams up with Rahman and sings alongside Mohit Chauhan to deliver Aur Ho. The song which expresses pain and anguish is strictly a situational track but created with profound thoughts. Up for some instrumental piece? The album has Tango for Taj with a western-classical influence.
You can hear Kavita Krishnamurthy after a long time in a Bollywood song as she croons with her impressive voice the song Tum Ko. The song has other variant in the voice of Mohit Chauhan. Both the songs establish Rahman’s expertise in creating soulful romantic numbers. But a sense of déjà vu creeps in as the music of the song sounds similar to the once popular track Tu Hi Toh Mera Dost Hai from the film Yuvvraaj. But, for the lost-in-love souls, a romantic number like Tum Ho is no less a souvenir for keeps.
The Rockstar album is not without its rock blues. The flight of a fledgling and its homecoming, Nadaan Parinde is a dynamic composition with crispy blues. You can listen to it again and again.
At last, the two fabulous tracks of the album - Tum Ho and Saadda Haq: if one is fanciful, the other is fantastic. Both the songs are relatively different but will leave you in whirlwind of emotions. Saadda Haq is feisty and fiery and also introduces the wonderful young guitarist Orianthi from Australia, who is also a musician and song-writer. Now you know why Saadda Haqbowled you over!
As Shakespeare once penned, “if music be the food of love, play on…” Alas! even the excess of it is not going to satiate the craving.
We won’t pick the best, as the whole album is an experience. Savor it.
'Kolaveri Di' tops charts, with more than 10 million hits online. Dhanush's popularity in wielding the mike is sky rocketing. The actor's unassuming voice is creating magic from children to senior citizens who are enjoying the latest song 'Kolaveri Di' crooned by him. Set to tunes by new comer Anirudh in AishwariyaDhanush's '3.'
This particular number 'Kolaveri Di' has created a rage in Tamil Nadu as well as outside the state, as far as Bollywood. The song recently crossed 10 million hits that too in less than two weeks after it released.Dhanush's down-to-earth voice and the casual attitude with which he approaches a song has created a new trend in film music.
'3' sees Dhanush sharing on-screen space with Shruti Haasan. Right from the word "go" the film has been garnering attention for the names associated those who are behind and in front of the screen. The film is a breezy romantic entertainer with a fresh and a realistic take on romance.
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Now that Thanksgiving weekend - traditionally a tremendous box office frame for everyone involved in the film industry - is over and done with, all eyes are on the big Holiday releases that Hollywood prepares to unleash upon the masses. Perhaps the biggest and most-anticipated of them all is Paramount's Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, the fourth entry in Tom Cruise's blockbuster spy saga. As massive as the three previous films in the series have been, this one promises a scale and scope nearly unmatched by anything that has come before it, and part of that is due to the use of IMAX cameras. Director Brad Bird shot numerous sequences for the movie in the plus-sized format, and anyone who has previewed footage can tell you that it's remarkable. 
