adasrules Reviews

Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000)

It's what audiences are looking for

[8/10 · 26 September 2000]

The new year 2000 is almost over and looking back at the year on the Hindi film industry - it hasn't been hot at all. Only 1 Superhit so far, way back in January! The year will be remembered of course for the debut of an actor named Hrithik Roshan who was a nationwide phenomenon in India. And in a nation of 1 billion people - that is a HUGE phenomenon.

It was a case of a great looking guy who entertained people - good promotional advertising on the producers part and partly due to the dismal performance of the Khans' films that Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai did that well. Kuch Kuch Hota Hai is leagues better and it would be criminal to compare this film to DDLJ (ah...the shudder of perfection). It's not that good.

The plot is simple and nothing we haven't seen before folks.

On vacation in New Zealand, an emotionally upset Sonia laments over the loss of her boyfriend Rohit; rich girl, poor boy scenario. But there is something familiar about the yuppie rich kid Raj, whom she meets at a dance club - an excellent scene made only more powerful by Lucky Ali's music track. A fast pace and 2 plot twists keep the movie highly entertaining and above average fare. The film is a bit of a thriller but mainly an entertainer, and I'm happy it does it's job here. Love stories don't always need a moral - we just want to have a good time. ( No, I won't call 'Believe in Love' a moral)

Director Rakesh Roshan manages to showcase all of his son's talents in this film: body build, dancing moves, a range of emotions and a knack for acting - something most actors in the industry today, lack.

Amisha Patel isn't given a lot to do here and thankfully does it well. She is very easy on the eyes - but of course! This is of course Hrithik's movie - the one that shot him into the the pre-adolescent hearts of every girl in the country, and their mothers too! He's under the spotlight 24/7 and a role model to many adolescent boys.

Hrithik's made a great first impression, but in an industry as whimsical as ours where you're only as good as your next movie he needs to diversify his roles (if that's possible in our industry) and keep the hits coming. I've got my fingers crossed for this guy - please don't be a one hit wonder.

Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha (1998)

Very cute flick

[8/10 · 26 September 2000]

A very nice remake of 'French Kiss' for Indian Audiences. Excellent on screen chemistry between the leads, real life lovers Kajol and Ajay Devgan who were married later that year A romantic soundtrack only added to the films' impending success. It would have swept the awards if not for another film called 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai'.

Ajay Devgan plays Shekhar a small time crook who's only helping Sanjana (Kajol) at first because he's trying to steal back an item she accidently picked up from him. In the end he tries to help her win back her crooked fiance who is having an affair with someone else. Wouldn't you know it, the kids fall in love. Great visuals, songs and comedy make it a treat though.

Character development is somewhat weak - Shekhar stealing because he needs the money for a family member's operation. Om Puri does an excellent job providing comic relief at times as a cashew chewing cop hot on Shekhar's trail.

Mentionable Scenes: Hostage Situation in the mall and the climax.

Josh (2000)

ShahRukh Khan needs good directors.

[8/10 · 26 September 2000]

Reaching a career high with DDLJ, SRK has managed to bring us a string of above average movies including Mega-hits Dil To Pagal Hai and 1998's Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. The years 1999/2000 saw 'King Khan' make some seriously trashy films - the forgettable Baadshah (SRK ego booster) and the overhyped PBDHH; an inexplicably bad movie, and the 'unable to find an audience cause it was an art film', "Hey Ram".

Shahrukh Khan is a talented actor and I still rate him above one hit wonder Hrithik Roshan. The fact is he needs to dump Aziz Mirza and Juhi Chawla - his chosen heroine for these awful films, and team up with some good directors. The 'Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman' and 'Yes Boss' char aren't working.

Mansoor Khan's 'Josh' is an example of what I'm talking about. Shahrukh's character is more of an antihero and it allows him to tap into the intense badboy streak in him he, gave up on, in films like 'Daar', because he was worried about becoming typecast - see Ashutosh Rana. Mansoor Khan lets SRK bring out his character and tune it to perfection. Since the film took 4 years to make there is a maturity in his character.

Max, is one half of Max and Shirley, the movie's 2 protagonists. He's arrogant, rude, violent, bitter and laid back. He oozes with attitude and charisma. SRK makes Max someone the audience sympathize with one minute and then hate the next. She's the cute mischievous girl next door, in awe of her brother but slowly coming into womanhood herself.

Eventually, Shirley finds herself having to choose between the man she loves and her domineering brother's intense hatred for him. Aishwarya Rai pulls off one of her greatest performances ever - sans make up and designer outfits. Actress wannabes, this is acting!

On screen chemistry with Aishwarya Rai is brilliant, especially as they play siblings and not love interests. On screen rivalry with Shard Kapoor is the basis for an otherwise passable love story. Similarities with Romeo and Juliet and Mansoor's earlier QSQT are apparent.

Eventually it is a case of actors outperforming a film. As the opening credits appear with a mean soundtrack, Josh instantly struck a chord with every testosterone charged male out there. If only the end had not been so disappointing. I guess after Kaho Naa...Pyaar Hai, the audience was expecting more. Mansoor, what happened? The first half of the film was excellent. Set in a quaint sea town in Goa, where gang wars spill out onto the streets everyday. The west side story take off visible in the opening number 'Sailaru, Sailare'.

The film loses steam in the second half with a property deed subplot but picks up to an above average climax and then losing balance altogether to come crashing down to a ridiculous anticlimax. I guess even good directors run out of ideas. At least the film did well at the box office - I suppose with 2000 being the year it's been so far, producers are lucky just to break even.

SRK - you were spot on with this film. Give up producing and stick to acting...none of us need another ABCL debacle. You will be remembered as someone with dignity and persona.

As to the film itself - it's worth watching once. Skip the end if you want to, but the microcosm of Max and Shirley's world in the first half is reason alone to watch it. Something to watch on a Sunday afternoon I guess. A poor ending lowers this to average fare.

PS: This was the first time I saw SRK scared in a movie, and I loved it.

Back to the Future (1985)

Timeless

[15 April 2000]

I'm not going to divulge the plot of this film to you. Chances are you've already seen it and know how wonderful it is. All I'm going to say about the film is that it stands out as being one of the most visually and iconoclastic movies about the 80's. Attitude, Walkman's, Skateboards, Van Halen, Rock bands, sports cars and Toyota 4x4's. Visually clashing with the apparent 'innocence' that was the 1950's, sans Marty's hormone driven mother. This film remains a 'time piece' of the teenage view of a decade that has come under a lot of flak. Speaking as a teenager reflecting on the end of the last decade, Back to the Future reminds us that the 80's weren't all that bad right? Right?