Murder 2 Movie Review

Its yet another Friday and yet another sequel strikes the silver screen with weight of expectations lingering over it. This time its Bhatt Camp's Murder 2 the sequel to their earlier venture Murder which turned out to be a sleeper hit when it released. Mohit Suri has taken the reins from Anurag Basu which forces us to keep our expectations in check seeing what he had done to Raaz franchise in Raaz 2 that was not even a patch on its prequel. So is the result akin to his previous attempt or has Mohit Suri regained his touch glimpses of which were visible in his debut Kalyug? Lets find out!

The movie only takes the name from its prequel  without taking any character forward as it deals with the serious issue of serial killings which has hardly been explored before in bollywood. It is an edge of a seat chase between cops and the killer whose victims are mainly prostitutes. The film though boast of being a thriller lacks the shock value that is affiliated with such flicks but is somewhat saved by the high emotional quotient that is woven to make the audience connect with the protagonists.The fact that the plot of serial killing is still new to bollywood  works in its favor.

The sequences that leave the maximum impact on its viewers are:-
- The intoduction scene of Prashant Narayan and his interaction with Sulagana
- The scene when Emran Hashmi catches Prashant followed by a chase sequence.
-Interrogation scene between Prashant and the psychiatrist  is mesmerizing to say the least.
- Scene where Emran realizes that he landed Sulagana in trouble and feels guilty.
- The finale where Emran rescues Jacqueline.

Technically also the film scores brawny points with cinematography capturing the beauty of goa supported by some unique camera angles adding the required spine to the movie. Background music is topnotch which takes the horror element to another level. Music surprisingly is a mixed bag with only Haal-e-dil and Phir Mohobbat being chartbuster material while others failing to leave the desire impact.
Direction by Mohit Suri is tight and is ably supported by  crisp editing and engrossing  screenplay.

Performances are a delight to watch and keep the viewers glued to the proceedings.Emraan Hashmi once again excels in a dark role that has now become his forte.The guilt on his face on knowing he has been responsible for victimizing Sulagana has been efficiently portrayed by him adding depth to his character.
Jacqueline Fernandes raises the film's sexual quotient adding to the oomph factor and shares a crackling chemistry with Emraan.She takes the sensuousness  one notch higher when compared to Millika Sherawat in prequel.  But the role does not demand any histrionics from her. Sulagana makes a confident debut showing the crisis of family pressures with utmost conviction and sincerity.But the real scene stealer turns out to be Prashant Narayan who pitches in one of the most fiery and riveting portrayal of a psychopath to have embrace the marquee. The screen just lits up whenever he appears  and makes even the routine scenes worth watching due to his sheer charismatic acting. Its disheartening to see such talent being underutilized in bollywood and this film will act as a wake up call for others and make them notice his humungous talent.Others lend able support in their respective roles.

Murder 2 is indeed a worthy sequel and deserves to be seen for its unique story, tight script and refreshing performances of Emraan and Prashant Narayan . Though not a perfect movie but packs enough punch to keep the viewers engaged  as it blends eroticism and chill in a manner which is rarely seen in bollywood and the director needs to be applauded for that! Watch it if such movies are your cup of tea, you wont regret your decision!


Rating:- ***

Delhi Belly Movie Review

Coming from  Aamir Khan Productions a banner that has its own market value and trust circle among its patrons, Delhi Belly is yet another hatke endeavor in the truest sense. Its pole apart from Aamir's earlier works and does have a shock value up its sleeve that might not be everyone's cup of tea! The biggest strength of the movie is the use of language that is sure to leave the Gen-x in frenzy.Also film being only 90 minutes  works wonders for films with such themes.

So is Delhi Belly another master-piece from the ace khan ? I am afraid its not but it could have been if the movie didn't rested on the wafer thin plot and was able to bring some novelty in its story as it offers nothing new to its viewers and that is the biggest drawback of this otherwise skillfully presented movie.

The movie is basically about the a gang of smugglers running behind our protagonists in search of their package which gets replaced by mistake. How the three Imran, Vir Das and Kunal Kapoor escape from these thugs and resolve this confusion forms the crux of the story.The story is not refreshing enough and boast of certain cinematic liberties.But these blemishes are to some extent overpowered by witty dialogues,tight screenplay and able direction.

The scenes that forms the highpoint of the film and are sure to arouse laughter are:
- The stomach endeavors of  Kunal Kapoor where he uses orange juice instead of water in the loo is sure to bring the house down.
-The interchange of the package with Kunal's stool and Vijay Raj's expression on that were hilarious .
- Vijay Raj interrogating the three for package.
- Vir Das's burkha scene at the jewellery shop where they take the package back.
- Amir's item song at the end credits that work as a value addition.

Technically the film was average with cinematography failing to capture the beauty of the city.Music by Ram Sampath deserves browny points for its sheer novelty and innovation. Screenplay and dialouges are real hero of this movie. Direction by Abhinay Deo is top notch and works wonders for a weak story.

Performance from the cast is good and all are in sync with their characters. Imran Khan was efficient in shedding his chocolate boy image and played his part with sincerity. Vir Das showed good comic timing and was an apt choice for this part. But its is Kunal Kapoor that surprisingly turns out to be a scene stealer and walks away with maximum claps and applauds thanks to his stomach disorders.Performance from the female leads Shenaaz and Poorna Jagganath are also good and provide able support to the male brigade. Vijay Raaz as gangster is a delight to watch as he usually excels in such roles.

Aamir Khan should be appreciated for walking a path that no other producer would have dared to and going all out in support of the product he believes in and giving it an excellent platform to show its histrionics.Can you remember any film that had such cuss words and still be passed by censor without any cuts!? Can you name any film that was showcased without intervention? The answer is no and kudos to Aamir for that!

So yes, Delhi Belly is different in terms of use of language, music, dialogues  and cinematic execution .
But is it right to term it as a new age cinema? I would say no  as it  is been there done that kind and  deprived of  originality.  As far as new age cinema is concerned give me a Udaan or a Dil chahata Hai over Delhi Belly any day!

Rating-: ***

Small Gems That Struck Big!

What is one thing that strikes one’s mind the moment he/she thinks of cinema? The big canvas, lavish sets, reigning superstars, extravagant costumes and many other similar movie assets. Right! But cinema in recent times has gone under a drastic change with many small budget movies making their mark both critically and commercially. These may lack the grandeur and ambiance but are richer in content and script sense which the big budget flicks seem to have lost amidst all glitterati! The limited cost of production in these films make them commercially viable thus reducing the radar of producer’s risk.

 Now people mainly the classes ,have understood the fact that content is  king and they can no more be fooled by those ever so luring potboilers that defy logic. The success of such films should be credited to the multiplex era that has infused life in them and given them a platform to showcase their histrionics.

So let’s take a look at such films that gave shallow magnum opuses a run for their money by carving a niche for themselves and many other similar flicks that would grace the silver screen in coming years.

Bheja Fry

This film can rightly be termed as pioneer of such films as it was a first movie to break the barriers of bollywood monotony and gave Vinay Pathak a new lease of life . It was a welcome change from the slapstick  n crass humor that audience was forced to see due to dearth of good comedies. The movie sans any superstar managed to  struck a chord with its viewers and was the surprise hit of the year . The amount of profit this flick gave its makers prompted them to go ahead with its sequel. Thus this film will be remembered for its rare success and as a stepping stone for others to follow.

Khosla Ka Ghosla

The film about the helplessness of a middle class family against the cunning and money minded builder also grabbed eyeballs for its realistic and simple approach. The movie was a perfect example of a situational comedy and never went overboard in its treatment. It may have not raked the same moolah as Bheja Fry but was not behind in terms of extracting respect and received a cult status once released on vcd/dvds. Certainly a film to cherish with your entire family which is a rare feat in today’s sinareo. So kudos to Dibaker Bannerjee for that!

Band Baja Baraat

Though  it had got the backing of Yashraj Banner, the movie was poles apart in terms of story telling and cinematic treatment when compared to their earlier works. Can you remember any Yashraj flick where protagonists preferred career over love? The friendship between them not confused with love? Well that’s the beauty of this small budget flick that served as launching pad for Ranveer Singh with Yashraj’s new found muse Anushka Sharma. The film will be remembered for its toungue in cheek dialogues and Yashraj’s courage for deviating from their path of churning star oriented read Srk flicks. Way to go!

Do Dooni Chaar

Directed by Habib Faizal , the movie depicted the day to day encounters of a middle class family with utmost realism and precision that people actually felt themselves being part of their journey. Touted as a comeback vehicle of Neetu Singh and Rishi kapoor Jodi, the film won heats for its tight screenplay, witty dialogues and riveting performances. The film winning the National Award is the testimony of the sheer entertainment it provided on silver screen. Its success though a small, rekindled the faith that such movies are here to stay.

Taare Zameen Par

Coming from Aamir Khan Productions the film garnered immense appreciation for its approach of handling a complex story of dyslexic child with rare perfection and sincerity. The story touched the hearts of millions leaving them moist eyed and in awe of the child’s plight against this ruthless and competitive society. This movie despite having a child as its lead protagonist achieved a blockbuster status which is a kind of miracle these days. The credit for this goes to the man with a Midas touch Mr. Aamir Khan for having the audacity to go ahead with such a movie.

The main reason for the success of above films is that they were able to connect with the audience making them part of their proceedings which the big budget candy floss movies failed to achieve. They provided them sense of belongingness and gave them real account of themselves without being unnecessary over the top or extravagant in their treatment. This way the audience never felt cheated as they were delivered exactly what was promised in the promos which sadly not the case in most of the big budget flicks. The resounding success of these movie should pave way for more such movies as cinema is not only about providing enjoyment to viewers but also giving them something worth learning and keeping them closer to reality.

Top Ten Songs For July 2011

10. Saathiya- Singham













9. Go Meera Go- Bbuddah hoga tera baap

8. Switty Switty- Delhi Belly

7. Tai Tai Phish- Chillar Party

6. Haal-e-Dil- Murder 2

5. Jalebi Bai- Double Dhamaal

4. Sooraj Ki Baahon Mein- ZNMD

3. Bhag Dk Bose- Delhi Belly

2. Phir Mohabbat- Murder 2

1. Ik Junoon- ZNMD