Mirch

A young script writer is at his wits end when he finds it impossible to sell his script to a producer. In desperation he starts weaving tales from the ancient yore of the Panchatantira. Soon an omni-bus of scripts unfold as the producer wants a couple more with a modern touch. The film reads like a set of short stories with sexual undercurrent that one would enjoy when in their early teens. The highlight might be what comes closest to a sex scene in mainstream Indian cinema (yes, do not expect anything more that). That and Boman Irani!

Rating: * +

Well Done Abba!

Armaan Ali (Boman Irani) takes a month's leave from his chauffeuring and shows up for work three months later. His boss's exasperation sees no end but Armaan convinces him to hear out his story. Armaan Ali then takes on a ride that starts with him returning to his village to find a husband for his daughter. The yarn runs in to corrupt government officials and politicians when Armaan decides to dig a well using a government scheme. Throw in a little love story and you have a packed film in your hands. However, Shyam Benegal has used this light hearted comedy to poke some serious fun at the pitiful state of Indian government and its official. A decent watch but the film could have been made shorter.

Rating: * * +

99

A gambler, the don, his gundas and supposed damsels in distress on the backdrop of match fixing makes up the key points of this film. With a cunning script and right treatment, this make up could conceptually turn in to a brilliant film. Alas just a concept it remains as we are dragged through 2 hours of drudgery which seemed like a life time. Boman Irani  the gambler, like Sachin Tendulkar in the 90s toils away in isolation trying to keep you hooked to the happenings. Kunal Khemu and Cyrus Broacha play the gundas and after a while Khemu trying to be a certain Amir Khan tires you out. Soha Ali Khan and Simone Singh roles are dubious and makes you wonder why they are in the movie till you remember the need for eye candy. Now to make things worse space has been wasted on the cloud for this piece of toilet paper used by the devil. Hopefully it will at least stand as a warning to others...

Rating: *

3 Idiots

Finally a realistic portrayal of engineering college life has been splashed on the screen by Rajkumar Hirani based on a book by Chetan Bhagat. There is a bit of everything in the movie... ragging, comedic teachers, pranks, love and some melodrama. Well make that a whole lot of melodrama with so much ghee and sugar that some of the desi sweets would be put to shame. A film that shaped to be the second coming of Dil Chahta Hai but over the course of its viewing, morphed in to a middling Hindi comedy.

Rating: * *

Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd

Another pot smoking young director's debut: about some 6 couples - and their different takes on how they got together - take a honeymoon bus to Goa. The director has a Superman fixation which comes across as a ridiculous side story than an outrageously funny one. Ofcourse there is Boman Irani, Shabana Azmi and Kay Kay Menon, but it doesnt really matter.

Rating: * +

Eklavya

Like many of Vidhu Vinod Chopra's recent movies, Eklavya is a stylishly made movie with a competent cast and a reasonably engaging story line - makes it a fair watch. Though the melodrama does jar a bit - but that goes with mainstream Indian commercial fims, the performance of Big B, Boman Irani and Saif Ali Khan makes it relatively smooth to handle.

Big B who has been the longstanding chief guard at a castle in modern day Rajasthan finds himself in a moral dilemma - as a few evil shennigans invade the relative peace of the princely household. And in the end it boils down to the question of the traditional dharma (duty) vs. doing whats right.

Rating: * * +

Khosla ka Ghosla

This should have been the movie going to the Oscars; instead of the other UTV over-rated-piece-of-dog-piss production, Rang De Basanti. Glad to see more such real & funny mainstream movies making its way into the theatres. There slowly appears to be a core group of actors regaling in the freedom of making non-larger-than-life-fucking-bullshit cinema: a throwback to the early 80s indie film movement. Boman Irani as an evil land grabber is certainly one of them.

Rating: * * * +

Being Cyrus

The movie is definitely worth a watch - with another brief, but, stellar performance by Boman Irani. Deadly bugger this fellow is - clearly one of the best we have around these days. It seems he is increasingly becoming a favourite for most mainstream movie makers - which is good, as it will ensure some level of quality amidst the usual trash. Some other performances of note by Mr. Irani - 'Lets Talk', bit role in 'Darna Mana Hai'.

Overall, an impressive directorial debut from a pot smoking, South Bombay, rich Parsi boy. Got a good, easy-going feel about the movie and much of the credit for the movie and the way its turned out must also go to Saif Ali Khan. Who in my mind is clearly emerging as an actor, who performs on his terms and is focussed on creating an unqiue identity for himself. Probably, in some wierd way, losing some of the baggage in his personal life has been cathartic.

Rating: * * +