THE AIDS JAAGO Short Films Part 1

The following is the first part of a 2-part review of a set of short films made by 4 of the best directors India can boast of, in a bid to spread awareness about AIDS among the people.These are 4 20-minute films which are available for free viewing on www.jaman.com.

Under the auspices of Mirabai films and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the AIDS 'Jaago' Project presents four short dramatic films by cutting-edge Indian directors Mira Nair, Vishal Bharadwaj, Farhan Akhtar and Santosh Sivan that aim to dismantle myths and misconceptions about HIV/AIDS.

1. BLOOD BROTHERS:

Dir.: Vishal Bharadwaj

Cast: Sidhhartha (of Rang De Basanti fame)

Ayesha Takia

Pawan Malhotra

Pankaj Kapur

BB starts off in a mysterious fashion, with Arjun Dutt (Siddhartha) following Pawan Malhotra everywhere, right upto the building he lives in. Pawan Malhotra smells something fishy and confronts him. From then on begins the story of Arjun, how he was leading a happy, marital life before he is diagnosed with HIV. How this one revelation changes his life forever, as he just leaves everything, out of the blue. How another discovery again turns the course of his life forms the rest of the plot.

Vishal Bharadwaj nicely builds it up like a thriller in the initial 3 minutes. The sequences leading up to Arjun's diagnosis and the reason which he initially believes that led to his state are very engaging and seem very real and probable, especially when viewed from the urban perspective. However, what happens thereafter, with Arjun just running away from everything because of the lack of enough strength to face his wife, and the sequences thereafter leave you a bit puzzled. What actually happened there?? is what you think. Even Pankaj Kapur's character is an enigma. But, things become clear in the concluding minutes when Arjun discovers something which shocks him and how that changes his life.

Short films are the arena where directors get the chance to prove their mettle. In a 3-hour movie, the director has all the time in the world to come to the point and then drill it in the psyche of the viewer( though in no way is that an easy job), but in a 20 minute feature, the contraint of time restrains a build-up. Vishal Bharadwaj, for once, moves away from his literary adaptations which has been his fetish for his last 3 films, and puts it in an urban setting. Except for the portions where Arjun leaves home and wanders around befuddled, virtually in drunken stupor, which confuses the viewer, he is in form yet again this time. The way he drives home the point in the last few minutes, gives hope, like the light at the end of the tunnel, even though that light is from the fire which burns on a candle which is about to melt down, informing the viewers that AIDS does not mean a 'dead end' to the road of life.

Performance-wise, the spotlight is on Siddhartha who delivers a very honest performance. See him in the scenes where he realizes the blunder he has committed and the expressions of guilt and sadness on his face, when he lacks the guts to face his wife, and you realize that Rang De Basanti was not a fluke. Hopefully, we see more of him in Hindi cinema.

Pawan Malhotra comes up with another dependable performance, especially in the last few minutes. Ayesha Takia and Pankaj Kapur are adequate in their parts. Pankaj Kapur, I feel, was wasted in his part, though his character still had that spark which he has shown in the performances in his earlier films with Vishal Bharadwaj.

Overall, a good film which does drive home the point and also clears some misconceptions about HIV and AIDS.

My Rating: ***

Watch it here: http://www.jaman.com/movie/Blood-Brothers/0HsYuptHveNs/

2. POSITIVE

Dir.: Farhan Akhtar

Cast: Boman Irani

Shabana Azmi

Arjun Mathur

There are certain films which you watch and forget. And there are certain films which linger on in your mind even after the show is over. Cinema entertains and enlightens. But on a more deeper level, the most powerful films are those which establish that soul-to-soul connection with the audience. It is that emotional connect which impels people to follow what a film preaches, and shining examples are films like Lage Raho Munnabhai and Rang De Basanti. Another one in that list is Positive.

Positive catapults Farhan Akhtar into a different league altogether. Praises have been showered on him after Dil Chahta Hai and Lakshya. But this one's very very special. This is, in my honest opinion, his finest work till date. With no 'stars' to boast of here, as compared to the rest 3 which had known lead actors, Positive weaves a poignant tale around 3 lives, who are hit, in varying degrees by this deadly disease.

Positive begins with events narrated from the eyes of a child, whose mother is a home-maker and father, a fashion photographer. The family looks the quintessential happy family, but inside there is something not-so-right about it. The child looks on at his father, puzzled and bewildered, seeing his father flirt with his female model clients. His insecurities increase seeing his parents fighting, when he tells about this to his mother. As the boy becomes a teenager, negativity between him and his father reaches such a level, that he flies off to South Africa for further studies. A few years later he comes back when he gets to know his father has contracted AIDS.

The film starts off well, in a nice, subtle and child-like manner, with events unfolding in front of the tender eyes of a toddler. The confused expressions of the child are noteworthy when he does not understand his father's weird behaviour towards the models. As a viewer, you know what is in store, even though the father tries to talk his way out of a home fight. And then , the most touching portions begin when the teenage son sees his father, helpless, on the hospital bed. The sequences thereafter force out that odd tear out of your eyes, they are so touching. From start to the finish, the film flows like a breeze, with at no point, looking like the director's skill has been constrained by the time factor.

Farhan Akhtar shows that rare maturity, which some directors imbibe after directing atleast 10 films. The way he has handled the entire plot, hats off to him. Every scene, every shot, every camera angle is loaded with the stamp of a creative genius. The film is like a soulful song: it has a poetic start, a meaningful body and metaphoric finish, with the tone reaching its crescendos at crucial points in the film, with the film hammering-in the point in the human psyche that AIDS does not affect a person, it affects those who love him as well, and their suffering is no less than the patient himself.

Performance-wise, each and every actor gives a heart-tugging performance. Boman Irani as the father, gives the performance of a lifetime here. Give this man a script like Positive and then see him fly. Undoubtedly, one of the finest actors in the country today, Boman Irani proves that there is an ocean of talent inside just waiting to be tapped. BRILLIANT!!

Shabana Azmi plays the mother, and gives yet another restrained performance. She is as usual, extremely good.

Arjun Mathur as the teenage son, is a discovery. He is just awesome!! Watch his outburst in the hospital lawns when he tells his father that he has sold his camera. The unrestrained flow of emotions sweeps you along with it as well. Hoping to see more from this fantastic actor.

Overall, a must watch film, be it for the message or for the treatment.

My Rating: ****

Watch it here: http://www.jaman.com/movie/Positive/0Xx3EGJchtzo/

THE AIDS JAAGO Short Films Part 2

3. MIGRATION

Dir.: Mira Nair

Cast: Shiney Ahuja

Raima Sen

Irrfan Khan

Sameera Reddy

Vijay Raaz

It is a very noble gesture on the part of these 4 well-known directors to educate people about HIV and AIDS, more so because people ,still, have a lot of misconceptions about these topics. But when you set out to make a film, the plot should be something that the viewer can identify with, or atleast relate to. The plot goes for a major toss in Migration, and the end product is plain ridiculous.

Migration sets out to inform the audience that AIDS is not an 'urban' disease; it affects people from all strata of the society, be it rural or urban. Shiney Ahuja and Raima Sen are a married couple living in poverty in their village. To gain that extra buck, Shiney comes to Mumbai to work as a labourer. One such assignment sees him getting sexually entangled with the lady(Sameera Reddy) of the house where he works, whose husband(Irrfan Khan) is homosexual. How that one lusty moment turns a nightmare for both Sameera and Shiney forms the plot.

The plot tries to put every social taboo into one film, which is to last only 20 minutes. Everything from homosexuality to infidelity is dealt with in this film. This is where the film falters. Had it been just a single track storyline, the viewer could've easily concentrated on one point. What happens is the viewer is confused what exactly is the issue that the film addresses (or does it even address an issue). Another flaw, and, according to me, the most ridiculous one , is when the worker and the lady have that sexual encounter. How can you ever buy that???!!!... this is the most unreal and the most incredible thing in the movie. After that the film just nose-dives. In the end, you have no sympathy for any of the characters because you realize midway that these things are unimaginably fictitious and can happen only in films.What comes out is completely bland and vapid, and hardly does anything to convey the message. Absolutely not what you expect when Mira Nair's name is associated with such a project.

Performance-wise, all the actors were adequate for their parts, getting more or less, equal screen-time, though Irrfan Khan performed a notch above the rest.

Overall, deeply disappointed. The weakest short film of the quartet.

My Rating: **

Watch it here: http://www.jaman.com/movie/Migration/0mPGmGr2oVoU/

4. PRARAMBHA(The Beginning) (Kannada)

Dir.: Santosh Sivan

Cast: Prabhu Deva

This one's a dream come true for me. My first review for a South-Indian film, in its true form, unspoiled by the incongruous dubbing in Hindi( the subtitles helped me there).

Prarambha, directed by Santosh Sivan, tells the story of Kittu, a 6 or 7 year old boy, going to Mysore, in search of his mother, who had abandoned him to live with his grandmother. He hitchhikes a ride in Puttuswamy Gowda's (Prabhu Deva) truck, following an interesting encounter, and Gowda takes it upon himself to make the little boy meet his mother. On reaching Mysore, he is shocked to find out that Kittu's mother is in a hospital, on the last stage of AIDS, and also that, Kittu also has contracted AIDS during his birth. Kittu further reveals that he is shunned by his schoolmates and expelled from school, because their parents are scared that their kids may contract the disease from him. Gowda,then, sets out to clear the prejudices among the parents and the teachers and re-admit Kittu.

Southie movies have always been more colourful and a bit louder than their Mumbai-made counterparts. But therein lies their charm. Prarambha is the most commercial out the four movies in the quartet, because it has that outgoing character in itself; a character which people (atleast down South) can easily identify with and relate to. Once that relationship is established, the message is conveyed effectively without being too preachy.

Santosh Sivan is an ace cinematographer. But this film showcases his directorial skills too. He is well-known to extract excellent performances from children in his films, be it Halo or Tahaan. He again succeeds in building a character like Kittu and then extracting an extremely endearing performance from the child actor.

The script and the execution is very simple yet effective. The tension factor, which was prevalent in the other 3 movies, is, thankfully, not present here. The entire movie has a feeling of joie de vivre, and doesn't tax your mind one bit. But, the script is not without its share of flaws. The entire issue of AIDS awareness is handled so effortlessly by a truck-driver, that it looks very unreal. Then, again, how quickly, the parents and teachers rid their misconceptions is also very questionable. The ease with which Gowda accomplishes his task, does inject that feeling of fiction in the movie. But you tend to forgive the script-writer and overlook these errors, as the movie culminates, leaving a smile on your face.

Prabhudeva is absolutely delightful in the role of Puttuswamy Gowda. But the show belongs to the child actor who plays the role of Kittu. He is just brilliant. His mannerisms and expressions (especially his confused look when Gowda calls him his 'son') are perfect. Not for a moment does he give you an impression that he is acting. All the other actors adequately perform their portions.

Overall, a nice, breezy film with a wonderful message, told in the most friendly and amiable way.

My Rating: ***
Watch it here: http://www.jaman.com/movie/Prarambha-Beginning/0PAwG7iB4je0/

If I were to rank the movies according to their content and style of story-telling, and their overall impact, my list would be:

1. Positive
2. Prarambha- The Beginning
3. Blood Brothers
4. Migration

MOVIE REVIEW: WELCOME TO SAJJANPUR

When the promos of this film first came out, one got the feeling that this would be different from the run-of-the-mill kind of productions being churned out by our own Bollywood every Friday. A modest setting, a bunch of interesting, colourful characters with that rustic awkwardness and introducing all of them, Shreyas Talpade. But what was shocking was the name of the director: Shyam Benegal.

Shyam Benegal and his association with the rural life is as pronounced as that of Yash Chopra with the Swiss Alps or JP Dutta and the desert. Right from his early films like Ankur and Manthan, to his recent ones like Hari Bhari, he has vividly highlighted the life and the plight of villages and how people are still living there, trying to make ends meet. Moreover, Shyam Benegal has always been associated with serious cinema, cinema that impels the viewer to think, to get out of his comfort zone and see the grass on the other side which is far from being green. So, with his name associated with a comic venture, there is some curiosity to see how an ace director like Benegal proves his mettle in a hitherto unventured genre.

WTS tells the story of a small hamlet, Sajjanpur, and the people living there from the eyes of Mahadev Kushwaha (Shreyas Talpade), a BA graduate, who dreams of becoming a renowned writer someday, but currently, he writes letters for the people living there. His crafty play of words in his letters has mesmerised all his fellow villagers, who flock to his 'office': a table, chair and a bunch of postcards, all set up below a tree, and pay him to write. The rest of the film introduces a number of characters, all with their own personality quirks and idiosyncracies, superstitions and prejudices: the village goon contesting for elections, the eunuch who is his competitor, the young widow, her retired army man father-in-law and her compounder lover, the superstitious lady who is hell bent on marrying her daughter to a dog, just because her horoscope has a 'problem' and other sundry characters. How their lives are intertwined with our letter-writer's, forms the plot.

It is an extremely tough job to review a film by Shyam Benegal, especially for an amateur reviewer like me. His films are not that straight-forward and linear like that of some of the mainstream dream merchants, so as to pass off a judgement midway through the film. Be it Mammo or Sooraj ka Saatvaan ghoda( these are the only films I've seen of Benegal, apart from, of course, WTS), they have a unique quality, something je ne sais quoi that stops one from jumping onto a conclusion or a judgement. These films require a solid, well-read and researched mind of a connoisseur to understand the nuances he brings to each film of his (that is the reason I've still not been able to write a review of Sooraj ka Saatvaan Ghoda). However, I'll try my best.

WTS isn't a conventional comedy, i.e., you definitely do not (or should not) expect the slapstick style of humour, nearly patented by the likes of David Dhawan and Anees Bazmee.The film is the kind of feel-good, slice-of-life, sunshine cinema that strongly reminds you of the films made by Basu Chatterjee (like Rajnigandha, Choti si Baat, Baaton Baaton Mein and Khatta Meetha). There is no deliberate attempt to raise a laugh, but the simplicity and the earthiness of the characters do make you chuckle. The protagonist,Mahadev,  who also doubles up as a narrator introduces you to the people of his village, calmly, carefully and steadily unfurling their insecurities or strengths, and how each of them, whatever be their situation, comes to Mahadev for his skills. So, there is nothing there to call a solid story as there are 4-6 parallel stories packed into a single one, each having its own sweet moments, before the scene shifts to another one, the common thread in each being Mahadev. As has been mentioned in all the reviews written about this film, the films reminds of Malgudi Days , with the setting and the style of narration. There are no overtly dramatic points, nothing that makes you shed buckets of tears, but at certain points, the simplicity and the earnestness of emotions do tug the strings of your heart.

Talking about the technical aspects, starting with the art direction, the village setting of the film looks very authentic. A special mention has to go to Ashok Mishra, the screenwriter and the dialogue writer. His dialogues are extremely witty and acidic, carrying the rustic fragrance of the fields.Dialogues are the lynchpin, which makes a comedy comic, and here, they are excellent.Characterizations are another asset. Every character, though being of the same village, is clearly made as distinct as possible from each another. The characters are colourful but not caricatured, they are very human and identifiable. The music by Shantanu Moitra is of OK quality. 

Focussing on the negatives, the presence of songs act as a speed-breaker. They do not move the story forward. If they had been shortened to just a minute, the film would have been a lot crisper. The editing too sags at a few places, but this is only a trivial flaw. Moreover, as the entire film is based in the village, the sets are very few. So seeing the same settings over and over does create that bit of impatience and build a slight boredom in the viewer.

Moving on to the performances, all I can say, when you see a Shyam Benegal film, you don't see it for the performances, or lets say, the performances are so real, you don't admire the histrionics of the actors; the focus is completely on the work of the director.Therefore, never ever will you call Manthan, a Smita Patil movie or Mammo, a Farida Jalal movie. Shyam Benegal films are known only for Shyam Benegal. Coming back to the actors, as the protagonist Mahadev, Shreyas Talpade carries the film on his shoulders effortlessly. His character, though being central to the film, does carry some grey shades, and Talpade makes them look endearing to the viewer. Although, in certain scenes, you do get the feeling that he is overacting or putting on an act or deliberately trying to sound dehaati, he is pretty good overall. Amrita Rao, playing the role of Kamla, who hasn't seen her husband for nearly 4 years, and who is also the object of affection of Mahadev, gives a good account of herself. Underplaying the role to suit the character, she bowls you over with her simplicity. Also, her rustic diction is near perfect.

Among other actors are Shyam Benegal regulars like Rajeshwari Sachdev Badola (adequate) as the young widow, Ravi Jhankal (Fantastic, literally a live-wire on screen, with a character which has the liberty to go over the top, he wonderfully restrains his performance, packing in all the prerequisites needed for the role) as the village eunuch Munni bai and Ila Arun (Very endearing and lovable)  as the superstitious mother. Yashpal Sharma delivers a strong impact as the village goon; he is both likeable and despicable at the same time.Ravi Kishan is also very likeable, in a brief role, as the compounder in the village hospital.Divya Dutta hardly gets any screen time. Rajit Kapur and Kunal Kapoor make friendly appearances.

Overall, this is a film which fills you with a feeling of joie de vivre after it finishes. Watch it for the sheer easy awkwardness and superstitions, that maybe still prevalent in our villages even today,or the nostalgia of writing a letter to a loved one in this age of e-mails and SMSes, or the smart quips delivered by its characters, bringing a smile to your face. This is a worthy addition to the list of films made by this celebrated director.

My Rating: ***

AD REVIEW: Aamir Khan's TATASKY Ad

I can't believe myself that I am reviewing an ad!!! What can you review in a 20 second clip?? it starts and before you notice what's happening, it finishes. Moreover, all of them, nowadays, have started looking the same.... similar concepts, similar locations, and more often than not, the same old Big B or SRK, or now , the current hot favourite endorser, Mahendra Singh Dhoni. How can you expect to find novelty in something so predictable??

But one ad has not only forced everyone to sit up and take notice, but also compelled me to write a few comments of own about it, here.

Finally an ad which revives memories of the golden age of advertising: the 80s. Aamir Khan's TATASKY commercial is, of late, one of the finest commercials to come out on Indian television. Finest, because it does 3 things:

1. Hits home the point about the brand 

There have been multitude of ads which do everything else other than promote the brand. In the end, it's the ad that people remember and not the brand behind it.[ Case in point being the ad featuring a gal called Tulika Sharma, who gifts a big car to her dad.... I still can't recollect which insurance company's ad was it]

2. For the first time, a star's presence has been justified

This is arguably, the first ad on Indian TV, where a star has been used most effectively to convey the point. Frankly speaking, all the other ads featuring the biggest star brands of India (SRK and Big B ) have just used them as caricatures, as mere props, thinking that their mere presence with their product would boost sales. What comes out is something completely bland. When you have the biggest stars at your disposal, you better well use them intelligently( and this is where I feel the biggest loser is Pepsi. For the past 10-15 years, Pepsi has enjoyed the company of the biggest stars of the country, be it Big B or Sachin Tendulkar or SRK, or the recent ones like Ranbir Kapoor and MS Dhoni, and have continuously dished out substandard ads, which try hard to evoke mirth but fail miserably).

3. The simplistic genius of a concept and deft execution by a class performer

Ads don't have to be grand. Grand ads may fetch you a Lion at Cannes, but does hardly anything to market your product well ( as was the case with Happydent White gum.... a multi-crore elaborate ad, which although was recognised for its execution, but still was criticised as too much labour had gone into selling a product worth 50 paise). The TATASKY ad has a simple premise, no elaborate settings and ... Aamir Khan. 

Aamir Khan once again shows what a creative genius he is. If you start analysing his performance here, it is better than any film role he has ever done. Being a man and a woman side-by-side means, changing your expressions, mannerisms and modulating your voice all at one go. Have a look when Aamir Khan, the man, is making love to Aamir Khan, the woman("tussi na bade shararati ho ..... aaa to shararat karne toh de!!!") : his expressions change from being the shy bride to the naughty groom... all in one turn of his body.

All in all, This ad delivers one hard blow to TATASKY's nearest competitors'( DishTV) campaign: if they made King Khan chant the word "Santusht" in his characteristic starry manner, then this one shows the world who is actually the Ace!! 

MOVIE REVIEW: BACHNA AE HASEENO

A star is born!!... that's the first feeling you get after coming out of the theatre after watching BAH. For a long time, nearly close to 2 decades, the Hindi film industry has been rules by the Khan trio. The start of the new millennium saw the addition of Hrithik Roshan to that list. Well, 2008 sees a new addition to that list : Ranbir Kapoor. More on his performance , later.

Coming to the movie, Bachna Ae Haseeno is Sidhharth Raj Anand's third venture, after Salaam Namaste and Tara Rum Pum. SRA is known to tackle themes with which the Gen X can relate to. If Salaam Namaste dealt with the theme of live-in relationships and Tara Rum Pum with that of the carefree youth splurging money, leading ostentatious lifestyles, without any future planning, BAH deals with yet another young theme: lack of commitment.

The films tells the story of Raj Sharma (Ranbir Kapoor), who is a self-proclaimed "killer": a no-holds-barred casanova, who loves falling in love but hates a long term relationship ("Yeh hamesha wala 'HAMESHA' nahin, sirf 3-4 hafte wala 'HAMESHA tha"). The story tracks 3 separate times of his life, when he has flings with 3 girls: Mahi (Minnishha Lamba), Radhika (Bipasha Basu) and Gayatri (Deepika Padukone). The first two are unceremoniously dumped our "killer", but he falls hard for the last one, who dumps him. This makes him realize what a cad he had been to the previous 2, and as atonement, he sets off to plead forgiveness from them. What happens when the loverboy meets them and how they forgive him forms the rest of the plot.

BAH is a true Yashraj film: from the pristine Swiss locales to the fields of Punjab, everything which Yash Choprafilms are associated with, they are all there.A few romantic scenes here, a few romantic songs there and polishing it down with some light emotional scenes with a happy ending for dessert, the popular Yashraj thaali is served for the viewers to relish.

Even though SRA has dealt with young themes, his style of storytelling has been very simple to comprehend for an average movie-goer. He packs in enough commercial masala in the movie to keep the front-benchers happy, but side-by-side, is able to tell his story effectively. BAH is no different. The movie starts off with a rocking number (Bachna Ae Haseeno remixed), with Ranbir setting the dance floor on fire, with 3 "WOW" dolls ensuring that the temperature is maintained at oven temperature. After that, the narrative moves in an episodic manner, giving full attention to one fling at a time. The first half flows like a breeze. However, things start to shake a bit in the second half. The sheer effortlessness with which he gains Mahi's forgiveness is a bit hard to digest. Again, how quickly scorned-for-being-wronged Radhika forgives Raj is also unpalatable. But you still try and gulp it down.But the last 10 minutes of the movie are a shocker. SRA has this habit of trying to emulate Priyadarshan style climaxes, in which something drastic happens, events take place so quickly that you can't help but laugh. But this has been his biggest weakness... so much so that the graph of the film just nose-dives to such an extent that it may change the whole audience opinion of the movie. He did it in Salaam Namaste, he does it again with BAH. Cut it out of the movie, and the movie does look much better.

Cinematography and art-direction deserve brownie points here. Sharmishtha Roy, who has been responsible for giving that rich ambience in all of Yashraj movies post Chandni, is at work again. You become nostalgic when you see Switzerland and the references to DDLJ, and the beauty of Mumbai, Sydney and Capri is captured quite amazingly by the camera. Dialogues by Anvita Dutt Guptan deserve a special mention: they are very fresh, very today's lingo, and minimal on the conventional hindi film stuff.

Musically, Vishal and Shekhar have done a decent job, though being a Yashraj film, a chartbuster of an album was the need of the hour. The absence of that one song which sends the audience into raptures is very strongly felt.


Now to the performances:

Ranbir Kapoor shows that he has arrived. He promised a lot in Saawariya, and he fulfills them in BAH with a near perfect performance in a dynamic role. The sheer effortlessness with which he plays an 18 year old, a 25 year old and a 30 year old, all in the span of 2.5 hours displays the range he possesses as an actor. A special mention is when he has that naughty glint in his eyes during the Bipasha Basu episode in the first half--- he truly lives the average GenXer's ultimate male fantasy. Add to that, the sheer charisma and the powerful screen presence he has. He just blazes on the screen: he is graceful dancer, his comic timing is near perfect and he also shows his depth in romantic and emotional sequences, he fulfills all requirements of the typical Yashraj loverboy. A very judicious and intelligent choice of films will most definitely catapult him into super-stardom. A STAR's PERFORMANCE is all I can say!!

Bipasha Basu delivers a knockout performance. If she sizzles as the sexy neighbour in the first half (May God bless all us bachelors with neighbours like that!!), she perfectly justifies the saying "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned"in the second.

Minnissha Lamba gives a very sweet, adorable, and endearing performance as Mahi, who searches for her "Raj"(of DDLJ). The sincerity that she brings to her role as Mahi, forces the viewer to empathize with her when Raj breaks her heart.

Deepika Padukone suffers because of a badly written character. There was nothing there in the role to justify her presence in this film. Add to that, a badly scripted climax. She should forget this film in a hurry.

Overall, a good family entertainer; a film where you can leave all the stress of your life and enjoy a good 2 and a half hours, and go out of the hall with a smile.


My Ratiing: ***