'Turning 30' Movie Review

The Indian woman today is different. No more is she expected to be a slave to her domestic responsibilities, sacrifice her ambition and live a life for her family. And as for marrying by a respectable age? Well, that entire idea can easily be kicked out the door. However, what can one do with social pressures? The life of a 30-year-old single woman in a city of Mumbai is never looked on as being one of the biggest taboos in India. It is exactly this idea that debutant director Alankrita Shrivastava has touched upon with her film, Turning 30. Starring Gul Panag and Purab Kohli, the film follows the life of a young girl who is desperately trying to figure out her apparently complicated and unmarried life as she glides towards her 30th birthday. The director claimed that the film is a complete urban chick flick which is bound to create waves. Question is, does it?

29-year-old Naina (Gul Panag) has the perfect life. Dedicated boyfriend Rishab (Siddharth Makkar), great job and a fabulous life in the city of dreams: Mumbai. However, as she looks to her 30th birthday, her friends remind her of the negatives aging brings to life ala the biological clock et al. It is just then her life turns around. Dumped by her boyfriend for a younger girl, she realizes her life needs a swift change. At around the same time, she bumps into old friend Jai (Purab Kohli). He turns out to the just what the doctor ordered as she quickly indulges in a rebound relationship with him. But Jai isn't looking to be a boy toy; he wants a real relationship. Naina is forced to reexamine her life, choices and whether turning 30 is really at fault.

The main problem with this self-declared chick-flick is that it promises to be entertaining and fails. Really, in this day and age, turning 30 is hardly a big deal especially since 40 is considered the new 30. And that said, another major flaw with the film is that it is predominantly in English which ultimately limits the audiences it will attract. Add to that a pretty bland plot with desperate attempts to create humor, and what you get is a mid-life crisis in the form of a film. It just doesn't work. While the main character is clearly confused, the plot is equally as perplexed. It tends to go nowhere with no angle, no direction and definitely no fun. As for it being a chick-flick, the film falters in that area too. I have all of 2 years to go before I turn 30, and I can hardly relate to the situations that Naina deals with. None of them!

Gul Panag does the best she possibly could have in a film that does nothing for her acting talent. However, that said, her casting in the film is close to perfect as she fits the urban gal with utmost ease indicating that she understands the psyche of a "turning 30" Mumbai residing woman. She manages to bring the forced humor to a script that really is blah in the funny department. Purab Kohli, who happens to be a personal favorite of mine, is lost and wasted in Turning 30. I'm not quite sure what they were trying to do with the nonstop scarf changing but it didn't work. No style statement was made or understood. The rest of the cast do well to play the stereotypes they were bestowed with - the cheating husband, homosexual lover and a lesbian. Yeap, they are all there.

Look, the film has its moments and then for the most part you are left pondering over whether turning 30 is really all that bad. I highly doubt any on-the-brink-of turning 30 year-old will walk out identifying with the character of Naina. Today's Indian woman is hardly worried about her biological clock ticking, hello in-vitro and adoption; nor is she concerned about marrying for age. She would much rather lead a life of happiness. And that is one feeling you don't walk out with after Turning 30.

Yamla Pagla Deewana

Dharmendra production of “Yamli Straw Deewana starring the father-son trio hit theaters today. This film is the biggest hype of all the post Deol film” Apne “.

The film was to have a success story, and finally break the bad weather the Deol brothers face for years.

Although the cast of the film leaves no stone unturned to promote their films, has not received as much attention as the first theatrical promo received.

Even the songs, dialogues and dance are not too impressive and not the brand. Since the launch of “YAML Paglo Deewana” is a massive opening should be fine.

This film marks the Bollywood veteran actor Dharmendra 50 years in the film industry. The film stars Dharmendra, Sunny, Bobby Deol, Nafisa Ali, Anupam Kher and Mukul Dev, Johnny Lever, Puneet Issar and rookie Kulraj Randhawa.

The film begins in Canada and travel to Varanasi and ends in Punjab. Directed by Samir Karnik and co-produced by Nitin Manmohan film’s story is based on a father-son relationship.

The story revolves around Sunny Deol visiting India all the way from Canada to seek his father Dharmendra and brother Bobby Deol, who was separated from him in his childhood.

Hostel Mvie Review

In my college, ragging used to be an innocuous activity. In fact, our very own professors would ask our seniors to rag us. We were made to sing songs and dance on benches. And everyone (including our professors) used to have a merry time! This was basically done to break the ice between the seniors and us.

Even in our films, ragging is portrayed in a very humorous way. MUNNABHAI M.B.B.S and 3 IDIOTS didn't depict ragging as a very grim issue. But there is a flip to this, and Manish Gupta (THE STONEMAN MURDERS) attempts to address the issue as a menace.

It's the story of Karan (Vatsal Sheth) who takes admission in an engineering college in the interiors of Maharashtra. He stays in the college hostel, where he's subjected to unimagined torture in the name of ragging. Some people from the college administration are also involved, but the spineless principal refuses to take any action. Karan's only support in this turmoil is his girlfriend (Tulip Joshi).

Manish Gupta's narrative stars promisingly with some hard-hitting moments. But it soon fizzles out as it becomes humdrum. You just have Karan being tortured in different ways, which doesn't take the story ahead. Some of the cheesy dialogues are cringe worthy. The romantic track intended to provide some relief, in the otherwise gloomy film, lacks spunk. Even the climax, doesn't provide any solution to the issue of ragging, making you wonder why this film was actually made in the first place.

Dhobi Ghat Movie Review

Kiran Rao brings in the poetry of Mumbai, the trauma, the turbulence, the aloof yet friendly, harsh still beautiful Mumbai as the fifth protagonist of the film that talks about the lives of four people Munna (Prateik), Shai (Monica), Yasmin (Kirti) and Arun (Aamir). But as the audience one needs the patience to let the film grow into you.

‘Dhobi Ghat’ is a film that will either make the audience fall in love with it after it ends or make them sigh in relief that it’s over. The first half an hour of the film is too problematic and slow as Rao develops her characters. Moreover, Aamir Khan seems to be burdened with being part of an art-house film. The fine actor catches on a different pitch for performance which is not in semblance with the others.
Prateik on the other hand is the eye catcher of the film whose makes you ache for Munna and debutant Kirti is bright enough to outshine others. The music of the Gustavo Santaolalla, the Academy Award winner just adds that needed zing to the story if the film.

There are some rally awe-inspiring and breathtaking small moments in the film that gives one the idea to eye of detailing that the debutant director has. With cinematographer Tushar Kanti Ray, Kiran Rao just creates the collage of Mumbai where the city becomes the primary character overtaking the actors of the movie.
For those who have the eye and the patience to be part of a film that is different, it’s a worthwhile watch.