People who have seen brilliant gangster movies like Nayagan, Company and Satya and expecting this to be in the same league will surely be disappointed. The movie starts off well and the happenings do keep you glued to the seats but still you feel something is seriously missing. Now let’s analyze what actually went wrong.

The story is about Mumbai and a gangster named Sultan (Ajay Devgn), who used to control the entire city but with utmost care and principled behavior. He loved Mumbai as much as he loved himself and that makes him a messiah among the locals. But when a police inspector’s son Shoaib Khan (Emraan Hashmi) joins the gang all hell breaks loose as he starts to fiddle the principles of Sultan. But due to the rift between two people Mumbai pays the price.

The story is quite interesting and the narration style seemed to work quite well at first but when you start off with a story you should end it too. If it’s the point of view of AC Agnel (Randeep Hooda) one should continue to be in his point of view and should not drift away to other’s, but Luthria fiddles around the logic and tries to sell us a story which is actually not there. There are several stories unfinished, like – what happened to Agnel? What happened to Mumtaz and Rehana? If you think with the story of the protagonists it is interlinked, why start it parallel? There are several problems in the movie but at the same time the movie for most of the part entertains you but again a half baked and hurried up climax lessens the impact. The movie would have been much better if there were brutal murders and some visual violence.

The biggest strength of the movie is its strong performance line up, with Ajay Devgn being in supreme form after a long time. His performance has depth and the characterization spot on. Finally, a perfect role to feed this brilliant actor. Emraan Hashmi looks convincing as an evil prince who is trying to take hold of an empire. He is an extremely talented person and the role gives him ample opportunity to use his histrionics and he delivers. Randeep Hooda is a treat to watch as the strict and cunning ACP. Both the female leads, Kangana and Prachi impress, with Kangana taking brownie points with her sensuous 80s costumes. The rest of the crew has no problem whatsoever to showcase their talent.

The crew has done a fabulous job with Aseem Mishra’s capable cinematography, award worthy art direction by Nitin Chandrakant Desai, decent editing by Akiv Ali and a spectacular work by music director Pritam and an even better work by him for BGM. One of the finest BGM work in years.

Overall, a movie that has its moments but in no way in the same league of Company or Satya, but it’s an entertainer never the less.

Verdict – Mass more than class – Rating : 2.5/5

original article courtesy behindwoods.com

The first question I asked myself once the movie got over was, what’s the story? Okay, okay, neither did Priyadarshan’s last few films had a story to tell, but when you attempt a satire, when one talks of the hardships faced by the common man, when one talks of corruption in society, there HAS to be a story in place. That goes without saying!

Khatta Meetha raises a finger at the corruption in government establishments, but what it tries to say, or expose, has been witnessed over and over again. In fact, it’s the writing – sorry, the absence of it – that makes matters worse. The beginning is good, the middle falters and the end is exasperating.

Final word? This one’s far from being meetha. It’s a khatta experience!

Struggling road construction contractor Sachin Tichkule (Akshay Kumar) is doomed. There is no chance that his dreams will ever come true, simply because he has no money to bribe. To make matters worse, the new Municipal Commissioner turns out to be his ex girlfriend (Trisha), who now hates him.

The film reveals the extent of corruption and bribery rampant in the system and the ingenious means you have to adopt if you want to survive in today’s times.

Khatta Meetha attempts to say a lot many things in those two hours and forty minutes. Oh yes, its running time is a problem, more so because the narrative lacks the power to keep you hooked to the proceedings.

Okay, coming back to what I wanted to say, Khatta Meetha is more of a collage of isolated incidents encompassed in within its duration. The collapse of the bridge, the consequent murder of Tinnu Anand, the constant bickering in the house, the tu-tu-main-main between Akshay and Trisha, the sister’s track, the corrupt netas and government babus, the payment issue of workers… several sequences are a repeat of what you watched barely minutes ago or an hour ago.

While the romantic track is the weakest link (half-baked; the songs are forced down your throats, without valid situations whatsoever), the flashback portions depicting Akshay Kumar as a college student, is just hard to digest. Even the end is worn out and doesn’t give the feel of contentment that one expects at the conclusion of a film.

Priyadarshan’s handling of the comic sequences is noteworthy especially in the first half of the film. The repair-and-paint sequence at Asrani’s mansion is sure to bring the house down. Ditto for the conversation that Asrani has with multiple people, in person and also on phone. Also, the road roller sequence is a laugh-riot and prior to that Johny Lever’s sequence of repairing the road roller is truly funny. But a few isolated sequences aren’t enough. The veteran storyteller ought to know the importance of a watertight screenplay by now.

Cinematographer V Manikandan’s lens captures the exteriors with flourish. Pritam’s music is easy on the ears and two songs are extremely popular as well. But the placement of songs in the narrative acts as a roadblock. Dialogues are funny at times, especially the one-liners.

Akshay Kumar plays the common man with gusto. He looks his part and more importantly, not once do you feel that he’s repeating himself. However, he goes over the top in a few sequences.

Trisha carries the Plain Jane look well, but fails as an actress. The fiery attitude, so vital when you’re enacting the role of the Municipal Commissioner, is missing. Rajpal Yadav is in terrific form yet again. What a splendid actor!

Urvashi Sharma is awkward. Makrand Deshpande is wasted. Tinnu Anand is hardly there. Even Aroona Irani is sidelined. Kulbhushan Kharbanda is first-rate. Asrani is excellent. Manoj Joshi screams too much. Ditto for Neeraj Vora. Milind Gunaji is okay. The actor playing the role of Urvashi’s husband does a good job.

On the whole, Khatta Meetha is a major letdown from the accomplished director. It’s not a full-blown comedy. It’s not a full-scale satire either. Hugely disappointing!

Rating : 1.5/5

credits moviebuzz sify.com

Smiling, are you? That, in a nutshell, is Tere Bin Laden, a wicked comedy with an out-of-the-box concept that offers laughter unlimited.

What gives Tere Bin Laden an edge over other comedies is that it’s not the slapstick humour that keeps you entertained. This one has a story to tell as well, which also delves deeply into the minds of today’s youth.

Final word? Grab a popcorn, sip your cola and get ready to laugh non-stop for the next two hours. You will love Osama Bin Laden, for a change!

Tere Bin Laden is a tongue-in-cheek comedy about an ambitious young news reporter from Pakistan [Ali Zafar], who is desperate to migrate to the US in pursuit of the American dream. His repeated attempts to immigrate are shot down as his visa is always rejected.

However, when things just couldn’t look worse, he comes across an Osama Bin Laden lookalike. Ali then hatches a scheme to produce a fake Osama video and sell it to news channels as a breakthrough scoop.

Unfortunately, there are serious ramifications as the White House gets involved and dispatches an overzealous secret agent on Ali’s trail.

Although Tere Bin Laden uses a surname that’s known across the globe, there’s not one serious moment in the film. Even the modus operandi of the Americans to nab Laden [which, frankly, could've turned the film serious] is so juvenile and crazy that you can’t help but smile at the sequence of events.

Again, in a film that has Osama Bin Laden playing the central role, you’re curious to know what its culmination will be like. Whether debutant writer-director Abhishek Sharma would settle for a realistic conclusion or an open ending. Thankfully, the film doesn’t get preachy at all, nor does it get serious in those penultimate moments. It’s as funny as the rest of the film.

Director Sharma takes an offbeat story and gives it an interesting twist. Who would’ve ever thought of making a film on Osama Bin Laden and that too a comedy? This guy sure has courage to swim against the tide. Besides writing a crazy film and decorating it with madcap characters, Abhishek also does justice to the subject by handling it well.

The first-time director also deserves credit for recreating Pakistan in Hyderabad in India. Right from the look to the language to the costumes to the artefacts to the typical truck that you see in Pakistan, Tere Bin Laden gets it right.

Santosh Thundiyil’s cinematography is good. Dialogues are witty and the one-liners specially evoke mirth. The review would be incomplete if I didn’t highlight the invaluable contribution by its music composers Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. Ullu Da Patha is already a rage, while I Love Amreeka is foot-tapping as well.

Casting new, confident and most importantly, talented actors gives the film the right push. Ali Zafar is a star, no two opinions on that. The youngster is a package of good looks, super talent and the right screen presence. He charms his way into your heart with a confident performance and I strongly feel that there’s no stopping him after this film. In fact, Tere Bin Laden heralds the arrival of a new star in Bollywood.

Pradhuman Singh is a replica of Osama Bin Laden and is in terrific form in the film. In fact, the film would’ve fallen flat had it not been for the actor enacting this part so convincingly. Piyush Mishra is exceptional, like always. Sugandha Garg [as Zoya] is first-rate. Nikhil Ratnaparkhi [as Gul, the cameraman, Ali's partner in crime] is very good. Rahul Singh [as radio jockey Qureshi] is perfect. Barry John [as Ted] is competent. Chirag Vohra [as Lateef, who writes the lines in Arabic language] supports well. Chinmay Mandlekar [as Barry John's sidekick] is decent. Rajendra Sethi [travel agent] is natural.

On the whole, Tere Bin Laden is a fun ride that makes you smile constantly and even laugh outrageously in those two hours. A thorough entertainer.

Rating: 3.5/5

Courtesy and Credits MovieBuzz at Sify.com

Poignant, unsettling and disturbing, Udaan is a brilliant take on an adolescent who has stepped into his teens and how he faces a tyrannical father, a step brother he never knew existed and how he eventually breaks the shackles and frees himself from a world that’s slowly suffocating him.

Udaan mirrors the real life and although the plotline is simple and uncomplicated, I must add that simple stories are extremely difficult to narrate. However, debutant director Vikramaditya Motwane remains faithful to the written material and handles the characters in the film with tremendous care, understanding and maturity. Udaan borrows something from everyone’s life, and that’s what makes it an absorbing watch, especially its defining finale.

Final word? This one’s a must-see for every parent, every child. This coming-of-age story is unique and speaks a universal language.

After being abandoned for eight straight years in boarding school, Rohan [Rajat Barmecha] returns to the small industrial town of Jamshedpur and finds himself closeted with an authoritarian father [Ronit Roy] and a younger half brother who he didn’t even know existed. Forced to work in his father’s steel factory and study engineering against his wishes, he tries to forge his own life out of his given circumstances and pursue his dream of being a writer.

The best thing about [most] first-time directors is their ability to narrate a new story without bowing down to market diktats. Udaan is realistic to the core, so much so that the viewer becomes a participant after a while and feels that he’s getting a first-hand account of what the troubled teen is enduring.

A number of sequences leave a stunning impact. But I’d like to single out a few that continue to stay with me, even while I write this review. Note the sequence between Rajat Barmecha and his step brother, when they meet for the first time. Also, the one when Ronit Roy and Rajat Barmecha have a confrontation at the dinner table, when the talk veers to Rajat’s plans for the future.

Another sequence that caught my attention was the heated argument between the brothers [Ronit, Ram Kapoor]. And, of course, the finale, which will have its share of advocates and adversaries.

Actually, all through the second hour, I was very keen to know how Motwane and co-writer Anurag Kashyap would conclude the story. But Rajat Barmecha’s breaking-free sequence, a redemption of sorts, is simply brilliant. On the flipside, the pacing is very slow towards the second hour. Besides, the length could’ve been sharpened by at least 10/15 odd minutes.

If director Vikramaditya Motwane deserves distinction marks for narrating a slice of life film with aplomb, he along with co-writer Anurag Kashyap deserves the highest praise for handling the delicate and sensitive relationships lucidly. Every character in this film – there are four principal characters – is well etched and so identifiable.

Casting the right names must’ve been a tough call for its makers, especially casting the two kids in pivotal parts. The seniors [Ronit Roy and Ram Kapoor] are accomplished actors with years of experience to their credit. Yet, Udaan explores a new facet of both Ronit and Ram. Ronit is super as the bully, semi-neurotic father with demons of his own to battle, while Ram underplays his part with rare understanding.

The two kids, Rajat Barmecha and Aayan Boradia, are the real stars of this enterprise. Rajat seems to have got a tailor-made role and he sinks his teeth into it. Aayan, the child actor, displays his vulnerability beautifully. His tender expressions and soulful eyes convey so much!

On the whole, Udaan is a simple, straight-forward film that doesn’t need to be explained. It needs to be experienced.

As Lamhaa unfolds, you realise that Dholakia may’ve borrowed a few incidents from life, but as it moves forward, it comes across as a typical Bollywood enterprise that harps on being real, but ends up being a masala film that we have witnessed over and over again.

The catch line, in my individualistic opinion, is quite misleading.Dholakia seems to have researched extensively on the issue and Lamhaa does boast of some razor-sharp moments, but the viewer is keen to have an insider’s viewpoint on Kashmir, something that we haven’t read/seen earlier, which Lamhaa just doesn’t provide.

Just one word for this film: Disappointing!

The Military Intelligence gets a whiff of a plot that is likely to disrupt and possibly paralyse Kashmir. Vikram [Sanjay Dutt] is sent to investigate this highly confidential mission and he assumes the identity of Gul Jehangir. The same day he lands in the valley, Haji [Anupam Kher], a top separatist leader, survives a blast. Is there a connection between the blast and the operation?

To solve this conundrum, Vikram teams up with Aziza [Bipasha Basu], Haji’s young, aggressive and outspoken protégé. The intensity of their beliefs and their will to survive against all odds creates a special bond between them. They embark on a journey to uncover the truth.

First things first! Lamhaa has been filmed in Kashmir and you’re awe-struck by its beauty, with DoP James Fowlds doing a splendid job in capturing the scenic locales on celluloid. The constant shaking of the camera also gives a real feel.

Unfortunately, Lamhaa, though controversial in nature, merely touches the tip of the issue, instead of going all-out and narrating a story that offers reasons and, perhaps, a solution to the crisis.

The problem clearly lies in its scripting, the written material [screenplay: Raghav Dhar, Rahul Dholakia]. Like I pointed out earlier, Dholakia should’ve stuck to realism, instead of trying to strike a balance between realism and make-believe.

The viewer is told at the very outset, and also at regular intervals, that ‘something big [read destructive] is going to occur’. But the entire conspiracy comes across as too trivial during the final moments of the film and, therefore, the impact is missing.

Honestly, Lamhaa comes across as a disjointed effort, in terms of writing. It’s more of a collage of several isolated incidents, which explains why the screenplay lacks the power to keep you engaged.

Sure, a few sequences are attention grabbing, but showing the heroic side of Sanjay Dutt [rescuing Bipasha all the while - from the cops, from Rajesh Khera's henchmen, from a lecherous Yashpal Sharma] appears very filmy. Even the finale – Sanju busting the conspiracy – comes across as child’s play.

One expects a lot from Dholakia, but he lets you down completely in Lamhaa. The politicians wanting a bigger piece of the pie or children getting trained for jehad or their bodies being stuffed with bombs is not an eye-opener anymore.

What one is keen to know is the mindset of Kashmiris, which, frankly, this film doesn’t really project. In the end, if you recall the visuals, not the content, it means something is seriously wrong with the film and Lamhaa, sadly, is right intentions gone wrong.

Even the dialogue [Sai Kabir, Ashwath Bhatt], like the screenplay writing, tries to strike a balance between real and filmy. Mithoon’s music is easy on the ears, but acts as a speed breaker in the narrative.

Sanjay Dutt tries hard to look the character, but I just couldn’t connect with it. The rugged look, the sunglasses and the trendy attire made me feel that Sanju had strolled into the sets from an ad film shoot.

Bipasha, again, doesn’t look her part, although I must add that she has put in a lot of effort to stay true to her character. The sequence when she’s attacked by the women workers of Anupam Kher’s political party is simply brilliant.

Kunal Kapoor is royally sidelined in the first hour, but has a few interesting scenes in the second half. His speech in the finale is flat and devoid of the required emotions. Anupam Kher is the lone actor who actually looks the character he has been assigned to portray.

Mahesh Manjrekar is wasted. Ditto for Yashpal Sharma. Vipin Sharma is effective. Jyoti Dogra stands out. Murli Sharma is perfect. Shernaz Patel is decent. Rajesh Khera, Yuri Suri, Vishwajeet Pradhan, Asif Basra, Denzil Smith and Ehsaan Khan are okay in their respective parts.

On the whole, Lamhaa just doesn’t work.

Rating: 2/5 – Avoid if you can

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A shootout scene between the police and the Naxals in a school is particularly compelling. The ruthlessness of both sides is evident. The police chooses the school as the location for hiding weapons thinking they won’t be attacked there, and the Naxals prove equally cold-blooded in their reply.

When an innocent child is killed in the cross-fire, you are shaken up and saddened at a world where a child is the victim in a war where both sides seem villainous. And then, of course, you wonder at the fruitlessness of any violence. But that’s taking the easy way out. No point espousing philosophy without understanding why the violence takes place in the first place.

In explaining this, the film gives us superficial knowledge just like other movies based on the Naxalite movement like Lal Salaam (2002).

We see Velu Anna’s team rescue a woman who was gang-raped by the police. She is encouraged to fight back and train in combat. The team functions on the philosophy that this is as much a woman’s fight as a man’s, and both genders are made to contribute equally.

When asked about Naxals being anti-development, Velu Anna replies they have returned rightful land to poor owners, put schools and hospitals in five villages and so on. Through this knowledge, the film informs us that Naxalites are far more idealistic and evolved that they are given credit for. But the film doesn’t take a stand.

Red Alert suddenly adopts a politically cautious stance. We see Narsimha hunted by both the police and his troupe. He rues the fact that being a part of the gang made him kill so many people. He decides he wants to end it all. The violence that is, and decides to eliminate the group’s top brass.

In fact, the film equates the Naxal movement with Islamic jihad ending with a quote by Osama Bin Laden’s son saying, ‘Find another way’.

Saturated by information, speaking for and against Naxalites, most Indians are confused and don’t know what to make of this movement that one half calls a revolution and the other half, terrorism. Unfortunately, for a film made entirely on this subject, Red Alert doesn’t offer any fresh perspective.

But director Anant Mahadevan, with an engaging script by Aruna Raje, makes an interesting enough film. There are some truly immersing moments like the discovery of a mole within the group, and the human rights activists questioning the police gunning down innocent villagers.

The actors are delightful. The cinematography is edgy. The songs are great.

You’ll enjoy the gritty tale if you can forgive the lack of depth and the film shirking from taking a stance.

Rating: 3 stars

The story is about Kareena waiting for Mr. Right, Shahid Kapoor posing to be Mr. Right falls in love with Kareena. Shahid becomes Mr. Right but its too late, Kareena is long gone leaving away a trail – a fifty rupee note with Shahid’s name and phone number and Kareena’s name and phone number in a book which is being passed on from one old book stall to another. And now it’s left to Destiny (read – the Director) to reunite them. Can it?

Satish Kaushik, a brilliant actor, is not an accomplished filmmaker by any standards. He has found few successes but the success rate ratio is pretty low. And this one too is a losing venture from the very first frame. The story is outdated, acting – overdone, comedy – crass, screenplay – lackluster. And when I sit and wonder about the plusses and minuses of this movie, there seems to be dominance of the latter as I hardly could come up with one or two in the former side. So the Satish Kaushik’s cameo and the rare glimpse of Aarti Chabbaria’s sexy body seemed to be the only plusses and the rest (which is almost 97% of the movie) is forgettable.

Kareena Kapoor looks dead throughout the movie; she looks uninterested from the second reel. Shahid looks fresh but overacts in almost all the scenes. Delnaz Paul is her usual quirky overacting self, Satish Shah and Kiron Kher has only one emotion throughout – the first being happy and cheerful and the second giving a mysterious smile. Satish Kaushik does a cameo effectively; Aarti looks hot but has no role.

Technically, the movie looks as old as floppy drives, S Sriram’s cinematography may have looked good if the movie had released three years ago as it was supposed to, and the same can be said about the rest of the crew too. Himesh comes up with a real bad score with not even a single song is hummable or presented well.

Overall, Boney Kapoor, not even in the wildest of imagination, would have thought Shahid and Kareena would break up as due to that the movie had been in the cans for quite a long time. And the producer would have just expected that both will surely Milenge Milenge, if only life can also be controlled by Satish!

Verdict: Outdated beyond belief

The pleasant surprise came in the first reel itself when the hero narrates why he hates love stories having a particular cliché. And all over the movie it has several satire’s and spoof on such movies but at the end of it all by having all the cliché added in a different way the director wants to state that such reel cliché can actually happen in real life.

Jai (Imran) is the assistant director to one of the most successful romantic directors in India, Veer (Sameer Soni). But unfortunately Jai hates love stories reel or real and especially movies of Veer, but he needs to be there for he wants to become a director. The work place is filled with people who loves fantasizing and loving each and every single cliché Veer comes up with and to top it all the new art director the young and beautiful Simran (Sonam) idolizes Veer’s movies. Simran wants to be in such a fairy tale life only to be turned topsy turvy by Jai. Simran who has a perfect love life with Sameer Dattani slowly falls for the care-free, independent and Casanova or in short term, imperfect Jai. But Jai Hates love stories and never ever wants to be in one. Can Jai fall in love with Simran? But this film being what it is, can it be any other way?

For most parts the movie seemed to be a parody of the cliché and that makes the movie a complete fun to watch. The movie had an under-base of comedy and it has worked well for the movie. The movie does move quite slow in the first half and doesn’t quite shift gears in the second but still overall you do come out of the theatres with a smile on your face and the first timer- Punit Malhotra should be patted on the back just for that. A non-melodramatic rom-com which is sure to be lapped up by the youngsters. All the scenes of the sarcastic mother of Imran are a laugh worthy. There are loads of continuation problem though, how can Imran’s Mother in Delhi be having a lunch get-together when Imran is in Mumbai taking a night flight? So much of a time difference between Delhi and Mumbai? Well, Its Bollywood for crying out aloud, anything is possible.

Imran is cute but somehow he is just not right for emotional or romantic roles. He just couldn’t pull it off but as a Casanova he carries off the comic lines with exquisite timing. Sonam Kapoor is not a great actor herself, but she has improved quite a lot from her Saawariya days. Her laugh looks artificial and her dialogue delivery forced but she is pretty convincing as a dreamer and looks ravishing in modern wear. Even though their acting prowess is highly debatable Sonam and Imran Jodi clicks as they posses a powerful chemistry. A chemistry which was electrifying! Anju Mahendru as Imran’s mother was brilliant, unlike any Bollywood movie’s before(not that I can remember of) she is the sarcastic kinds and she kindles the love inside Imran which makes all the difference and so is the very cute and lovable Kavin Dave(The sprite guy) who makes you smile whenever he comes on screen. Sameer Soni as Veer is brilliant as the eccentric and vibrant celebrity director. The rest of the crew is just about fine.

Technically the movie looks as rich and sophisticated as any Dharma Production with an exceptional contribution behind the camera by T. Ayananka Bose. The editing looks neat with no major glitches. The soundtrack is young and vibrant and who else could have made it this trendy than the talented young duo Vishal-Shekar? Salim Sullaiman’s background worked quite well with the mood of the movie. Art direction was brilliant as well. Dialogue written by Punit himself is the high-point of the movie. Costumes by Manish work wonders for the movie too.

Overall it’s the same old wine in a bottle which states the fact quite clearly that it is the old wine over and over again. The movie would have fallen flat if not for the quirky and brilliantly penned dialogues, scintillating chemistry from the lead and some amazing tunes by music wiz duo. Go for it with an open mind and come out smiling.

Verdict: A perfect Valentine’s Day movie. Go for it. – RATING : 4/5 DO NOT MISS

Reliance Big Pictures loses money on ‘Kites’ and ‘Raavan’

Big sold the satellite rights of Kites to Colors, initially for Rs 54 crore and then it came down to Rs 40 crore.

This huge loss might affect the company’s production plans for the future. Vajir Singh, Executive Editor, BoxOffice India, confirms, “I don’t think this would be a huge setback for a company like Reliance. But they might go a little slow on production right now. Two failures, though huge ones, can’t be such a huge setback forthe company.”

If Raavan picks up in the second week, the losses might be cut back a little.And amidst all this the screening of Mani Ratnam’s Raavan has resumed in eastern Sri Lanka despite threats by an unidentified group demanding the boycott of the bilingual film, starring Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai.

A cinema hall planning to screen Raavan was torched last week by the group, which is protesting Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya and director Ratnam’s decision to stay away from the IIFA awards held in Colombo after South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce called for a boycott of the event.

But the National Film Corporation here said theatres in Batticaloa resumed screening Raavan despite the warning by the group, which has asked the theatre owners not to screen films produced in Tamil Nadu in a move to hit back at Indian film stars who boycotted the IIFA awards ceremony in Colombo.

The show was stopped after a giant screen at the Shanthi Cinema in Batticaloa was torched a day before the Tamil version of Raavan was to be shown.

The group had sent hand bills to cinema owners, saying that the boycott of the IIFA event by Indian artistes had brought disrepute toSri Lanka and therefore retaliation was just and appropriate.

However, a film corporation official said necessary precautions have been taken to prevent a repetition of such incidents, the Daily Mirror reported today.

“The group, which threatened the cinema owners in Batticaloa, has been arrested after we intervened in the matter,” the Film Corporation official said.

“When the incident occurred, I informed the Kathankudi police (in Batticaloa) and Film Corporation about what happened,” the manager Kandasamy Murugesu said.

Amitabh Bachchan, son Abhishek and daughter-in-law Aishwarya, had given the glitzy event a miss, citing work commitments. The Bachchan family’s decision to skip the event had raised many eyebrows as the mega star is the ambassador for IIFA.

The event was boycotted by the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce as a mark of protest against the alleged mistreatment of Tamils inSri Lanka.

The film industry in the state of Tamil Nadu, which shares close cultural and religious links with the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka, stayed away from the event with superstars Kamal Haasan, Rajnikanth and Ratnam also giving it a miss.

Taking the story-line from the mythology is not new for Mani and he has come up with quite a beautiful way of presenting it. But where he falters is in the pacing of the script. Can the movie be any different if it was not a non-linear screenplay? Will it be any different if the climax was compelling (not that it was bad), if Mani hasn’t taken so many logical liberties? Well, it could have surely made the experience better. The movie starts off fine but the pace drops considerably and until interval the movie goes in a more sluggish manner. Added to that the unnecessary slow motions. The second half picks up pace but the climax might get mixed reactions from the audience. The reason for that is, we don’t know who is right and who is wrong. Is Dev the bad guy? Yes, according to the movie he might have been, but morally he is right. The movie lacked chemistry between Vikram and Aishwarya Rai, their relationship demanded more screen time for the audience to feel the connect. Our heart never went out to Vikram and that might have been the reason the movie doesn’t completely pull it off. But there are several brilliant scenes in the movie which does make a trip to the theatres necessary.

Abhishek Bachchan as Beera was good but not great, he lacked the toughness he showed in Yuva. But overall he did manage to carry the movie forward in his able shoulders and his hard work for the role did show. Aishwarya Rai as Ragini was looking gorgeous and acts like a pro. It’s a shame that only a few directors are able to get the actor out of her. Vikram as Dev, looks a tad overweight but as always reliable with his emoting. Govinda as Sanjeevani is good but if only he had smarter and wittier one-liners, the effect would have quadrupled. Priyamani was sensational in a cameo. Nikhil Dwivedi is competent enough for the role of Dev’s side-kick (supposedly Lakshman). Ravi Kissan is a revelation as Beera’s brother.

Technically Raavan stands out; every frame in the movie is picture perfect. Manikandan and Santosh Sivan have out done themselves. The camera goes in the most unlikely places to make the experience spellbinding. Editing by Sreekar Prasad is good but could have worked more in the first half. Music & Background by Rahman is a treat. Its awesomeness taking the form of chords. Action sequence choreographed by Shyam Kaushal and Peter Hein is mind-blowing but just because they are in the crew sending almost all the characters off the cliff is a little bit over done. Dialogues are well written but nothing sensational about it to quote.

Overall, Raavan is a visual spectacle, a modern day Broadway musical of Ramayana which might get mixed reviews from the audience but take this in, it’s in no means a bad movie. We expect greatness from Mani Ratnam, and maybe the expectation is at fault. But don’t miss this in the theatres, for its visual poetry by Santosh Sivan and Manikandan.

Verdict : Raavan- looks great but lacks heart

Rating : 2/5 – Need more to impress layman’s idea about movies

Credits to Moviebuzz at Sify.com