Conversations with Mani Ratnam (Book Review)

There is a good chance that an avid film watcher in India would have seen at least one film by Mani Ratnam at some point of his/her life. Mani Ratnam has long been an integral part of Indian cinema making movies in varied languages, at regular intervals, and taking on issues and stories that are equally thought-provoking and entertaining.

My first experience with a Mani Ratnam film was Anjali. Although it wasn't till recently that I realized the film had been directed by him, it is one of the few films that has stayed in the back of my mind ever since I watched a dubbed version in the early 90s. It might have been that the story revolved around kids, but there are scenes that still linger in my mind even after two decades from this film, something that I cannot say about certain films that I have seen this year.

Baradwaj Rangan, in his book Conversations with Mani Ratnam, takes a somewhat new approach at tackling the filmography of this prolific director. Avoiding the route of a memoir, Mani Ratnam opens up to the author/critic/editor about his love for cinema before taking the reader on an inside look at the workings of film from the time the idea of the story germinates to the time the film is finally released. The success of the book lies in the fact that the author is equally passionate about Mani Ratnam's films as is the director about cinema. This passion, shared by both individuals, is what forms the crux of the book.

Conversations with Mani Ratnam features a step by step look at the films that have defined this director. Rangan is meticulous  with his research as he questions Mani Ratnam linking characters from different films or talking about certain elements, like trains, that have been explored on a regular basis in his films. Mani Ratnam remains one of the most fascinating directors of the last few decades because he has had the inclination and opportunity to direct in many different Indian languages over the years. Discovering his regional, non-Hindi, films, I had a strong urge to venture into a side of the director that was till now unknown to me. The book in that respect manages to pull the reader into the world of Mani Ratnam that is full of music, stories, and above all a sense of honesty and the want to show society a mirror through his films.

Mani Ratnam and Baradwaj Rangan, both stay clear of any scandals and name callings during their conversations. That for me makes the book stand out, for it remains true to the art of cinema, forgoing the need to sell more books by using gossip as an instigator. Instead what it focuses on is the various collaborations that Mani Ratnam has had over the years in the field of photography, music, and even story writing. What this also means is that on the outset the book is mainly going to appeal to film enthusiasts. In its defense, the book is presented in an easily readable fashion and helps the reader relate more to the films by giving a short synopsis of each film being discussed. My initial hesitation lied with the fact that I had no knowledge about Mani Ratnam's regional films, but once again the conversations flow so seamlessly between the director and the author that it doesn't matter too much which film is being discussed because the reader is just immersed in the power of cinema being discussed by two avid fans.

One of the most interesting aspects of the book for me was realizing, in reading the conversations, that sometimes critics or the audience dissect a scene so much that they see a certain meaning behind it all. It can range from character studies to certain scenes to the music being used. What Mani Ratnam does is break this thought by suggesting that at times a scene is a scene and there really is no hidden meaning behind it all. Questioning Baradwaj Rangan on this very topic in my interview with him, he is quick to counterpoint saying that it's not always necessary what the director wanted or did not want, but at times the audience can take away a lot more from the film than what was initially intended by the filmmaker.

Conversations with Mani Ratnam is a book not only about a director who lets his work speak for him. It is about the power of films and tremendous amount of hard work that goes behind each film being made. Most importantly, the book is about the passion for cinema, a passion that is shared by the author, the director, and each and everyone who is likely to pickup the book up and read it.

        

Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi (Hindi)

It's important for people to realize that just because their father/mother/sibling/wife/husband is a popular actor/director doesn't mean that they too have the same artistic gene in them, just like me starting a film blog doesn't mean I am a professional film critic. There obviously is no harm in trying, for we all must try, but when you have backing and experience at your disposal, you just might want to make the most of it in your attempt.

Bela Bhansali Segal, sister to ace director Sanjay Bhansali, tries desperately to present a charming film that revolves around the Parsi community with an unconventional love story at the heart of it. The problem is that although the Parsi community is full of eccentricities and charm, the quirkiness just doesn't explode on the screen. If you really want to watch a film that truly gives an insight into the Parsi community of India watch the underrated Little Zizou. As for the supposed unconventional love story between the mid 40s couple, it isn't anything new as there have been numerous films in the recent past that have revolved around a similar topic.     

Starring Boman Irani and Farah Khan as the couple in love, the film never really amuses or entertains. The comedy is so juvenile that I sat in amazement thinking what really was going through the head of the makers and the actors when they filmed the scenes. Mind you, the film is not really meant for kids, so they can't pass the comedy on that either. Boman Irani gives a good performance, but doesn't bring anything new to the table. Farah Khan, officially acting for the first time, is wooden with her dialogue delivery and try as she might just doesn't have any grace during the song and dance numbers either, of which there are many. The supporting cast that comprises mostly of character actors like Daisy Irani are probably the only saving grace, but once again they are given such absurd situations and comic moments that they too find it hard to give their best performance.

Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi is a feeble attempt at new-age cinema, such as Khosla Ka Ghosla and Do Dooni Char, that has been relatively successful. Unfortunately a poor and predictable storyline is its biggest downfall making this two hour film unwatchable.

Rating 1/5      

Bol Bachchan (Hindi)

For the longest time I have been a huge supporter of Abhishek Bachchan's acting. While most people had given up on him after his first few movies, I actually thought he could carry certain roles really well, especially the ones in multi-starers. For the first time ever did I find him lacking real acting talent as I watched him play the role of Abbas Ali/Abhiskek Bachchan in Bol Bachchan. It might have been the film, or that he was surrounded by actors like Archana Puran Singh and Krishna Abhishek who pretty much duplicated their childish acts that can be seen on those comedy stage shows that run all the time on TV, but Abhishek Bachchan could be seen finding it hard to produce good comedy. What is truly ironical is that during the end credits there is a brief moment when Abhishek talks to the director Rohit Shetty and says "I told you I was made for this role"... I strongly disagree.

Bol Bachchan is a rather poor copy of the classic Hrishikesh Mukherjee film Gol Maal. What Rohit Shetty has done is tried to add his trademark Golmaal-ism to the film in the hope that he would end up with a winner. Unfortunately, that is not the case. For those of you who are confused, as are most of the characters in the film Bol Bachchan, Rohit Shetty has the GolMaal series (nothing to do with the classic film except for the name) to his credit and it can be considered his claim to fame.

Now that I have the school-play acting rant out of my system we can move to the numerous unnecessary subplots and characters that bring absolutely nothing to the story of the film. The comedy is so crass that I often wonder who is it that the film is targeted to. Okay, I do admit there were a couple of instances, in a movie that ran for two hours, where I did laugh out loud, but then again I never said my comic sense is all that great.

The supporting cast does exactly that, try and support a film that is weak from the get go. Ajay Devgan might change his name to Ajay Devgn and also call his production house Devgn FFilms, but it's high time everyone realizes that it takes a lot more than playing with letters to actually succeed. His role is similar to what he has been doing lately, i.e. tough guy who can beat an army of men with one punch. Abhishek Bachchan, thanks to his gay act in Dostana, seems to have found a character that everyone making the film thought was worth repeating, but once again his comic timing is simply atrocious. Asin and Preeti Desai are there to be the damsels in distress and give the two heroes an excuse to showcase their emotional venerability.

As for the direction, it is very Rohit Shetty like. I actually have no problem with the kind of slow-motion fight sequences he usually directs and thankfully they are just about the right amount of fight sequences in the film. The songs seem to be popular right now on radio, but I do not think they are memorable.  

Bol Bachchan was one of the biggest disappointments of 2012. It lacks originality or even class. What it worse is that with Bachchan being in the name of the film Abhishek should have stood out, but the film for me is his worst performance till date.

2/5 Rating.

  

Asli-Naqli (1962) (Hindi)

Dev Anand is a legend in Indian cinema and in Asli-Naqli he gives one of his most underrated and subtle performances. Staying away from his usual larger-than-life roles, he plays the part of a spoilt brat, Anand, coming to terms with reality when one day after fighting with his rich grandfather he decides to spend the night in a park. Here he is taken home by a small factory worker Mohan (Anwar Hussain) who gives him food and shelter. Unbeknownst about Anand’s true identity Mohan along with his sister Shanti (Sandhya Roy) and the rest of the bastigive Anand support and love as the former playboy discovers the harshness of life and learns the all important lesson of being happy with whatever little he has.

Asli-Naqli (Real-Fake) is a film with a message. It signifies the ever growing diversity between the rich and the poor and their resulting thoughts about each other. The film is from a time when the middle class was nonexistent and thus the difference between the rich and the poor was a lot more stark and visible. As Anand goes about living in the basti he meets Renu (Sadhna) who teaches him about selfless love and the power of sharing education and helping someone without expecting anything else in return. As love blossoms between both Anand and Renu, the past catches up and it is at this point that Anand rises up to the occasion of breaking down the boundaries that exist between his former life, that he detests, and a simpler life that he has come to appreciate.

Dev Anand, while he has played varied roles throughout his career, and while some of his trademark acting traits are omnipresent in the film, still gives a commendable performance and stands out amongst the rest of the cast. The remainder of the cast takes on their characters rather well with Anwar Hussain and Sandhya Roy making the most of their supporting roles.

No Indian film is complete without songs and Asli-Naqli is not without the classics like "Tera Mera Pyar Amar" and "Tujhe Jeevan Ki Dor Se". The title song, which comes midway in the film, is especially memorable as it is in tune with the theme of the movie and the lyrics talk about how the rich people, busy accumulating wealth, are the ones who are at a loss and the poor, who might not have money, have hearts big enough for everyone.

Hrishikesh Mukherjee, one of India's most versatile directors, manages to capture the frustration of Anand really well. In his earlier life, Anand besides having everything one could require has a certain hollowness he feels in his heart. Now, living with people who give him love without expectations, he struggles to find or keep a job. What really is noticeable in the direction and the story is the abundance of humor, a trademark of Mukherjee that he explored much later in his career. It is these clashing moments of high tension emotion and comedy that bring alive the reality of life as it is.

Asli-Naqli is a film full of emotion, and does drag a little in between, but it is a film that preaches a simple lesson, one that encourages everyone to enjoy the simplicities of life and not just take everyone they meet at face value.

Rating 3.5/5

DVD Information:

Title: Asli-Naqli

Running Time: 145 Minutes

Format: Black & White

Distributor: Shemaroo

Price: Rs. 149

       

Tees Maar Khan? More like Tees Thapad Kha!

Tees Maar Khan



Right then! You know Tees Maar Khan (TMK) is a stupid movie the moment is begins. But what you don't expect is that the movie is more than that. It's as if stupid was tied to a chair and lobotomized to make sure that no sign of intelligence is left.

Let's take a few example;
We start the movie with a baby being able to view TV from inside her mothers womb and learn the art of conning and martial arts and what not.



The introduction to the title character in which he escapes from a couple of nincompoop police officers is so over the top that the people involved in the scene must have been high on something. Oh! and one look at the set, inside of a plane, clearly suggests that no one from the film unit had ever laid eyes on a plane, let alone go inside it.



Now, the story has loads of potential. It's basically a heist film of sorts wherein the protagonist enlists an entire village to rob a train at the pretext of shooting a movie. Since the villagers are unaware of the situation and go about the robbery thinking it is just a part of the movie, there was ample opportunity for good comedy. Unfortunately the movie lacked everything. The acting was below par. None of the performances stood out. The song "Sheila is Jawani" is probably the only point of interest in the entire movie.



Akshay Kumar once again is seen in a comic role that is over the top, loud, and nonsensical. Katrina Kaif is simply eye candy and underused. Akshay Kumar who apparently received a lot of praise for playing an Oscar hungry Indian film actor seemed like he was acting in a school play. As for Rajiv and Raghu who decided this to be their debut into Indian Film Industry, what in the world were you thinking? In fact, the entire film was as if a bunch of talentless school kids were given a whole lot of money and told to do whatever they fancied. As for the director, Farah Khan, can we please simply say overrated. But then, I honestly have not liked any of her movies since she debuted with "Main Hoo Naa".



Complete and utter waste of time and money. I am going to give 1 star out of 5 to this movie and that too for "Shiela Ki Jawani".


Raghav

Location:Gurgaon, India

Before or After ... It's simply Bad!

Break Ke Baad ( After the Break )


Okay! I don't understand this, so help me a little will you ...

Why is it that in order to make a character look "cool" and "hip" I presume, she has to call her mother by her name?

Also if Aaliya (Deepika Padukone), our leading lady, is a smoker, then why is she unaware of the fact that you cut/bite off the tip of a cigar before you puff it?

How is it that our hero is able to fly to Australia at a days notice (ever heard of standing in line for a visa?), but then at the spur of the moment decides to stay in Australia, and then also work multiple jobs (Manual labor, Taxi Cab Driver, Roadside Food Stall). I mean seriously didn't he get one of those stamps on his imaginary visa where it says he cannot work or even the maximum duration of his stay (as he ends up staying for more than a year).

Why is it also that when our leading lady gets a job as an actress, signs a contract, she is able to simply walk out of it, then come back and get it again a few weeks later, and then towards the end (of this movie, not the one she is making) leave filming and head back to India?



It is obvious that for our leads all that matters is the ups and downs of their relationship, and everything else can pretty much be skipped. The movie is all about life between two childhood friends and lovers and what happens once they decide to take a "break" from each other. The first half is all about getting to the point of the Break! So in a way (I'm sure it was planned) Break Ke Baad happens After the Break (Interval). Unfortunately, there is nothing to the story. The cracks in the relationship arise over mundane and shallow reasons and at times you feel like giving both the characters a slap and telling them to grow up. Most of the supporting characters (Sharmila Tagore, Shahana Goswami, Navin Nischol, Yudhishter Urs) as always remain undeveloped and pretty much come and go just to provide humour or pass on their philosophy of life which to be honest has been done to death in a number of films. The only supporting character that stands out is Pammi played by the much underrated Lillete Dubey. We have Imran Khan, playing Abhay, who is stuck in a dead end job running his fathers cinema. Raise your hands if you have seen other coming of age movies where the hero doesn't know what he wants from his life and is stuck in a unsatisfying job. Here in place of the parents we have a girlfriend who eventually (because of the break-up) makes him realize his talent in guess what? ... Cooking! (I love it when the story tries to act original).



Imran Khan has reached a point in his career where he needs some solid character driven movies as he no longer can ride on the success of his debut. As for Deepika Padukone, I am yet to understand the film industries infatuation with her being the next "IT" girl. Her role/character in the movie is very similar to the one in Love Aaj Kal or Bachna Ae Haseeno.


Okay I'm going to stop now and abruptly end this review by rating the movie a 2/5. Why so abrupt?... Because no story, no characters, no dialogue, nice music makes a movie that is Baad (pun intended) before and after the Break.


Raghav

Location:Gurgaon, India