Countdown 2012 II

Some of the films made this year were very offbeat, most of them didn't even have bankable stars and yet they managed to make a mark at the box office. It made me wonder whether there is a substantial audience for these kind of films, and if there is its a very good sign for the Indian Industry.

The best film list ranges from films with simplistic treatment to ones with complex screenplays.

An extremely difficult list to make, i have done the best i could.

Here's presenting you the pride of Indian cinema in 2012..

Best films of 2012

5. Vicky Donor

A sweet and simple film directed by the usually serious Shoojit Sircar had MTV man Ayushman playing a typical delhi-ite who after a chance encounter with Annu Kapoor, a fertility specialist, becomes a sperm donor. Thrown into this is his love story with bengali girl Ashima and the fierce cultural rift that ensues.  Smartly written and laced with quirky characters, this film drew you in from the word go. Sometimes keeping it simple is the best option

4. Barfi!

If there was ever any doubt about the talent of Ranbir Kapoor, it all evaporated with this wonderful, bittersweet film. Barfi traces the life of a deaf and mute over 40 years highlighting his failed yet not so failed love story with a pretty bengali girl and his understated,special bond with an autistic girl. Agreed, the film seemed to be dragging in the second half, but RK and Anurag Basu had infused enough charm into this one. Ranbir Kapoor has landed in the best actor favourites list of many awards functions, and it wont be too much of a surprise if he sweeps it all. Priyanka chopra too pitched with an exemplary performance.

3. Gangs of Wasseypur I&II

 

Anurag Kashyap's two part epic set in the badlands of India was a tale of vengeance between generations of gangsters. A heady combination of violence, lust and greed, tinged with humour and a thumping score this starless film scored big time at the box office. Evenly paced and gut wrenchingly funny in parts, GOW introduced to us the crackling talent of Nawazuddin Siddique. At 5'4 the man commanded the camera from the first frame in which he enters. Gritty performances from Manoj bajpai and Tigmanshu Dhulia also helped. 

One of the most commercial ventures undertaken by Kashyap, this bullet ridden saga was a winner. 

2. Kahaani

Sujoy Ghosh peaked with his debut film but lost his spark with no brainers like Alladin. He regained his name and fame with this deliciously taut thriller that the entire nation took notice of. A story of a pregnant woman who comes to Kolkata, the city of joy, in search of her missing husband kept us on the edge of the seat as it traversed many twists and turns. An ensemble cast featuring some of  the best talents of Bengal, the nation got a peek of  what actors from Kolkata are capable of. Whether it was Parambrata or Kharaj or Saswata (whose Bob Biswas became a legend) everyone aced their roles. Never has Kolkata looked better on screen. The solid storytelling of ghosh helped the film immensely. Shot in noir-ish style in a time of festivities in Kolkata, Kahaani was a display of strong performances and an even stronger direction.

1. Paan Singh Tomar

Irfan Khan is synonymous with versatility, add to that a director of Tigmanshu Dhulia's stature and you are sure to have fireworks. It is the amazing yet true story of a national athlete forced to turn into a dacoit. Shot with a rustic style, it potrayed an India not many of us can claim to know. Moving and amusing in equal measure, Irfan Khan keeps you hooked to this one. The man can express so much with his eyes. I was happy to see that this film did well at the box office. films of this kind need to be appreciated. As for me, this is undoubtedly the best film made this year. 

Others who failed to make the cut (but are amazing nonetheless)...

   

Talaash                                        Shanghai                       English Vinglish

The Countdown - 2012

For the past two years , i have been writing this article. I have never had much trouble finding the five best and worst films of a year. You always have that dedicated bunch of filmmakers who will serve you trash in the name of entertainment. Again, you always have a set of skilled filmmakers who give you your money's worth.
But 2012 is different for the simple reason that i had a huge list to edit (for the worst and best films). While you had renowned directors make a fool of themselves, you had newbies raising the bar. And of course the really bad ones who cant make a film to save their lives were also there (read shirish kunder).

Here's presenting you the shame of indian cinema in 2012.

Worst films of 2012

5. Jism 2

Pooja bhatt could have simple made a porn flick without taking the trouble of turning it into mainstream cinema. The most unintentionally funny film in recent times, the sequel to the Bipasha basu sizzler had an intelligence officer hire a pornstar to seduce a terrorist (!), although the entire world knows where he lives. The fact that a very busty Sunny leone was roped in for the movie was no plus, for obvious reasons...we've seen enough.

4. Joker

Shirish Kunder was seen going all guns blazing on twitter and talking about how a cvertain 150 cr flick lacked quality. Seems he forgot his filmography (which includes the preposterous jaaneman). A no brainer from the start to end, Joker had absolutely nothing in it. It was obvoius that it was a vain attampt by a star choreographer turned director to get her out of work and unskilled husband a job. Although Akshay kumar pitched in with a restrained performance, Joker had lost the game at its scrpiting stage itself.

3. Housefull 2

Sajid Khan famous for his big words and obnoxious taste in cinema (The man is remaking Himmatwala for god's sake) delivered his third film and has managed to appear for a third time in my worst films countdown. As i said some directors remain consistent. Unfunny, lacking logic and downright boring Housefull 2 much like many films of its kind roared at the box office garnering a cool 100 crores. But for those who have lived through this ordeal of a film know and understand the familiar hindiproverb  - "Paise paani mein bahaana".

2. Department

Sometimes i wonder what made RGV, maker of slick gangster flicks like satya and corporate, go drown the drain. There are confusing, this one makes you feel nauseous. A pointless film about gangsters, cops and politicians Department was a total disaster. And whats the deal with his bloody camera ?!. The most irritating   

feature in this film was the camera angle - which ranged from the item girls backside to sanjay dutt's armpit. 

1.  Rowdy Rathore 

Looking to continue the trend set by some elite bollywood personalities of remaking southern flicks Prabhudeva and his leading man Akshay Kumar forgot the one essential thing - the script was so bad that it was not ewven entertaining. Arguably the worst film to have been made in the past coule of years Rowdy Rathore had all the worng things - Over the top villains, laughable dialogues (Jo socha main mar gaya, woh saala arthi pe ghar gaya...seriously ?) and a hammy lead pair. What is most disappointing is that the film had such an impressive pedigree - Sanja Leela Bhansali as producer, Akshay Kumar as the hero, Prabhu deva as director and Nasser as the villain. 

If you have watched this one, my condolences.

If you havent, thank the lord.

Special mention - Players, Agent vinod, Raaz 3.

You will have the best five in another 24 hours. Watch this space for more.

Dabangg 2 (2012)

Directed By - Arbaaz Khan

Starring - Salman Khan, Sonakshi Sinha, Vinod Khanna, Arbaaz Khan, Prakash Raj

Before I start i would like to make it clear that i took all the necessary precautions needed for a Salman Khan film. I left my logic and brains in the hostel, ignored my knowledge of the laws of physics, did not expect a storyline. Frankly i just needed to enjoy myself after a rough week. And despite all this i did not get the one thing i WAS expecting - uninhibited entertainment. Isn't that the promise/excuse all Salman films come wrapped in?

Picking up from where the prequel ended. Chulbul-Robin Hood- Pandey has taken a voluntary transfer to Kanpur hoping to make big name for himself in a big city. He has his father, his wife and his brother by his side. Life from a professional as well as personal viewpoint is good for Pandey. But Kanpur is a crime ridden city, under the rule of Mafioso turned politician Baccha Bhai (Raj) who along with his brothers terrorise the city and have no regard for the law whatsoever. Quite expectedly Chulbul comes face to face with his adversary in a style reminiscent of the earlier film - he hates crooks and the man at some level hurt's Pandey's ego.

As both sides lay out their cards, the fight turns personal and what Chulbul does next (which truthfully isn't rocket science) is what the rest of the film is about. 

While Dabangg 1 wasn't close to being a great film it was wholeheartedly enjoyable. The unpredictability and rustic style of Abhinav Kashyap is what attracted the audience and gave Salman his resurrected image. This is where Dabanng 2 fails big time. I was never expecting a storyline (I Swear!) but this film completely lacks direction. Arbaaz does not know what he wants to do with film. His obvious intention is trying to turn Dabanng into a franchise (like Indiana Jones or James bond) and you are reminded of the earlier blockbuster in a number of ways - comic characters like the camera guy and the phone guy returning, to the mention of 'between two legs' to flashbacks dedicated to the prowess of Salman or slapstick sidekick cops. So you have random unplanned songs popping up here and there and fight scenes involving slo-mo shots to show the impact of each blow. Those smart one liners are there but few and far in between also the standard item song       

featuring a very sexy Kareena Kapoor-Khan is present. Now one asks me despite the standard ingredients whats wrong with the film?. The problem is, while Arbaaz knows what he wants to show he does not know how to show it. As a result the songs seem forced, the humor seems untimed   (except a select few scenes) and the actions lack the thrills of the earlier, film, or for that matter any Salman Khan film. You are thrown off track with the screenplay continuously changing directions and cant seem to concentrate on important moments- which, frankly, was the strength of its predecessor. But despite all this (in all honesty) there times when you find yourself enjoying during the film - like the scene in which he kills the villains brother(according to me the best scene in the film) or when he playfully teases his father or his banter with his strong willed wife. But in a 129 minute film, these moments are precious little. What Arbaaz does correctly though is to allow his elder brother to take center stage and the film(like any other) focuses solely on Salman - a demand against which Salman fans will not hear a word.  

But where Khan jr loses out, the elder Khan takes on the responsibility of taking the film forward. Appearing in a role that has Salman Khan written on it from start to finish, Salman picks up effortlessly from the earlier film. The attitude is pitch perfect, the body is tighter than ever and the aura is present in every scene. Salman delivers exactly what is expected from him - entertainment without any excuses. He is once again fantastic as the honest-yet-not-so-honest cop and delivers a sincere performance.But sadly this time its a thumping act in a not even remotely thumping film. What is also a major deterrent to the film is the lack of a good villain. Prakash Raj who has become B-Town's favourite bad man is saddled with a sketchily written role.He is nowhere as mencaing as Chedi Singh (Sood) and is reduced to a nose flaring, eyes popping caricature.

All in All.Dabangg 2 has Salman and despite whatever happens its a sure shot winner at the box-office (sometimes i wonder i should just make a collage of salman pictures and distribute it to theatres...it would be an easy 100 crores). It has the correct ingredients but not in the correct measure. Salman delivers yet another time with a great performance but his brother just makes a yawn inducing recipe of the rest. Watch it  only if you are major Salman khan fan. And lord (and possibly the entire world) knows i am not.

Rating - 6.2/10

Talaash (2012)

Directed By - Reema Kagti

Starring - Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Rani Mukherjee, Nawazuddin Siddique, Shernaz Patel

Talaash starts with a montage of scenes bathed in a noir-like moodiness and it clearly proves that it is not your average cheap thrills laden movie to showcase a reigning star's crowd pulling power. Coming back to the first scene, Its a leisurely shot of Mumbai after the dark depicting scenes we get to see everyday but dont really think about. Urchins taping on car windows, workers returning home exhausted, red light areas brimming with prostitutes hopeful of a customer. Its the neglected underbelly, which should matter but doesn't. An opening scene basically potrays the maker's intention and Kagti's intention is quite clear. Talaash might be a juicy suspense on the surface but is layered with various other levels. Its a story of coping with loss, its story of people who 'dont come in the count'. Its a story of questioning the obvious.Therein lies the beauty of this film

The story kicks off with Film star Armaan Kapoor's car nosediving into the sea. While it seems to be an accident, Investigating officer Surjan Shekhawat (Aamir Khan) believes otherwise. For starters the man was not drunk and had no reason to suicide moreover the road was absolutely empty so there was no need to swivel the car. On the other side, Shekhawat is himself a troubled man. The death of his 8 year old son has not only left him to fight with his ever growing guilt but has also brought his marriage with Roshni (Mukherji) on the brink. As a coping mechanism he nosedives deep into this high profile case. When nothing seems to come his way, he meets Rosy (Kapoor) a hooker with a golden heart who might have the link to the missing puzzle. Also a chance meeting with a pimp's right hand guy Taimur (Siddique) leads him to unearth a blackmail conspiracy. As Shekhwat is troubled by his inner demons, the problem seems to be much larger than meets the eye. (No spoilers, dont worry!)

As stated earlier Kagti's film works on various levels. On the surface its a taut thriller, but Talaash is as much about grief and surviving great loss. Its a story about relationships. Various subplots (Siddique's relationship with an aged hooker, Kareena and aamir's relationship) go on to show that Talaash has that rare human touch. Also unlike other suspense films, Talaash goes ahead at a leisurely pace. Some might call it a lack urgency that should be there in films of the genre, i call doing things differently. For the people who know they know that i am one of the biggest fans of the noir genre, and Kagti's treatment reminds one of famous noir films like Taxi Driver (which by the way is one of my favourite films). Despite packing in so many themes, Kagti makes a film which is consistently accesible. The twist in the end is great and requires a bit of 'thinking out of the box' like my roommate did. For seasoned suspense watchers (like my father) the twist might not be so difficult to grasp but it has the potential to keep you guessing for a long time.

What also works for the Talaash are crisply written characters. Shernaz patel shines in a small as the seemingly crazy psychic. Nawazuddin Siddique is fantastic as Taimur. This is one man whose talent have been recognised years earilier. Rani Mukherjee is great as grief stricken wife trying to cope with the loss of not only her son but at some level her husband. Kareena Kapoor is one the best things about Talaash, She shifts effortlessly from brazen to understanding. She never lets it turn into a caricature and invests her heart into the role. But the film (not so surprisingly) rests with Mr perfectionist Khan. On paper, Surjan Shekhawat is a complex character. A man ridden with guilt and trying to shy away from it by drowning himself in his job. Aamir Khan brings volumes of depth to the troubled man making the role his own. Its ample proof that here is a man who never allows himself to be tagged with stereotypes. Who is always ready to explore virgin territories unlike most of his contemporaries who never seem to show an inclination or capacity to break out of the 'mould'. There is a reason why Aamir Khan is way beyond the 100 crore club and 'the greatest khan' fight. It is because here is man who treats cinema as an art and not a business. Aamir khan is without doubt the best we have on this side of the world

Kagti delivers a film that is rich in atmoshperics and mood. Ram Sampath's haunting score is a plus. 

All in all, Talaash is not your everyday suspense film. Its a film with depth, its a film with a solid heart.

Backed by superlative acts and an even more superlative direction. Talaash is a must watch.

Rating - 9.0/10