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

“I will ask the National Commission for Women (NCW) to look into the matter if she [Dimpy] lodges a formal complaint with us. Domestic violence in no way is acceptable,” Tirath said.

Dimpy married Rahul, son of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pramod Mahajan, on the Imagine TV reality show Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayega in March this year.

“Rahul beat me up early Thursday morning after waking me up to know the contents of a message that had beeped on my phone. When I asked him to go back to sleep, he flew into a rage and began hitting me. He punched, kicked and dragged me by the hair,” the 22-year-old Kolkata-based model told a TV channel.

Rahul has been accused of domestic violence for the second time. Earlier, his first wife Shweta Singh had accused him of physically abusing her. They separated in 2008.Celebrity couple Rahul Mahajan and his wife Dimpy Ganguly seems to be heading for a split after Dimpy walked out of Rahul’s home alleging abuse.In an interview to Mumbai based tabloid, Mumbai Mirror, Dimpy alleged that Rahul beat her up regularly and also pointed a gun to her head in one of their fights.

Dimpy left Rahul’s home after a brawl with him on Thursday morning.

Rahul’s secretary however denied the allegations. “Our lawyers will send a legal notice to dimpy regarding this,” he said.

Rahul met Dimpy on a reality show, Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayega after which they got married in March 2010.

At that time, Rahul told rediff.com, “This wedding is a second birth for me.” Rahul was earlier married to his long time girlfriend Shweta Singh who divorced him in August 2008 alleging that he beat her.

When asked why he chose Dimpy out of 16,500 applicants, Rahul said, “From day one itself, Dimpy and I were very comfortable with each other. We are good friends now. I have always believed that a good friend will make a good wife, and that is what I saw in Dimpy. I can talk to her about everything. I don’t have to be careful about my words or the way I talk. She is only 21 but is really matured for her age. She is always smiling. I love her for that.”

However in four months the marriage seems to be cracking.

The first signs were visible last week when Rahul started sending sms to actress Payal Rohatgi who was his house mate on the reality show Bigg Boss.

Payal in an interview to a tabloid said that she did not wish to be in touch with Rahul because he was already married.

When Mumbai Mirror contacted Rahul, he denied the story and said, ‘It is not true at all. I just had dinner with Dimpy’s father.’

We tried contacting Rahul on his cellphone, but our calls went unanswered. Dimpy’s cellphone on the other hand was switched off.

Neither of them had a clean slate when they met. And in spite of knowing each other’s infamous past they decided to get married, which of course everyone thought was a point of benefit for both Rahul Mahajan and Dimpy Ganguly.

But if sources are to be believed suddenly Rahul Mahajan has a problem not only with Dimpy’s past but also with her “frivolous” attitude.

During the swayamwar, Dimpy vowed that Neil Shah was her past and that she doesn’t have any intentions to keep in touch with her ex-boyfriend. Since Rahul was also linked with Payal Rohatgi and Monica Bedi, he decided to giver her a chance.

But no sooner they came home from their honeymoon, she started chatting with him on Facebook. Thinking its harmless, Rahul chose to ignore. And if that wasn’t enough Dimpy decided to take part in a upcoming summer bikini photo shoot without informing him.

Taking into consideration his political background, Dimpy’s decision didn’t go down well with him. And he has given her a final warning to mend her ways.

Dimpy on the other hand claims that it’s Rahul who has not changed and that he still keeps in touch with Payal and a few other girls he dated including Nikunj Malik. Being a “self-respecting” person, it’s she who has decided to file for a divorce.

article courtesy : idiva.com and bharatchronicle.com for originals

Now the women decide to take the risk but everything doesn’t fall in place the way they would have liked. A wily moneylender (Nedumudi Venu) and an honest cop (Lal) make things difficult for them.

T A Razack has managed to come up with a decent script, based on Ranjith’s story. But even then, several questions remain unanswered and as a result, the viewer tends to leave the theatres not absolutely convinced with what they have seen. Like, the way the investigations are heading or the source of the money involved and so on.

One gets the feeling that a more modern style would have taken this film to an altogether different level. Of course, we cannot discuss more now and play spoilsports for all those who are yet to see the film.

Forget the flaws and even in its current shape, the film has its fine moments, which takes you along with the narrative. The director has succeeded in packaging the story in a decent way for the screen. Sanjeev Sankar’s camera and M G Sreekumar’s music suits the mood.

It is indeed an achievement that those behind the making of this film went ahead without going for any of the so-called “saleable stars” or the usual comedy gangs. The intelligent use of the supporting cast, most of them launched in Ranjith’s Paleri Manickyam, is to be appreciated as well.

Revathy, KPAC Lalitha, Swetha Menon, Nedumudi Venu and Lal have done their roles with great involvement. Vishnupriya and Kailash have to play the romantic pair, which they have done in a nice way as well.

Penn Pattanam could have been more interesting with a tighter script, but the earnest and noble approach by everyone involved in its making needs to be appreciated. Thumbs up, for this one!

Director – V M Vinu
Music – M G Sreekumar
Cast – Revathy, Swetha Menon, KPAC LaLitha, Vishnupriya, Lal

Verdict: Watchable – Rating : 3/5 – Kudumbashree Re-Invented

credits to MovieBuzz at Sify.com for Original Article

Preeminent straight man Paul Rudd (Role Models, I Love You Man) plays Tim, an ambitious young investment banker on the verge of joining the elite ranks at his firm. But in order to be fully inducted into the executive inner circle, he must first participate in a peculiar ritual called the “Dinner for Winners,” a monthly event hosted by his boss, Lance (Bruce Greenwood), to which each attendee is charged with bringing a high-functioning dimwit for the rest of the guests to ridicule. More than just a company tradition, it’s an opportunity for high-climbers like Tim to prove their mettle in an area crucial to the success of stereotypically cutthroat businessmen: exhibiting callous disregard for those who exist on the fringes of society. Needless to say, attendance at the dinner is not optional.

Tim believes he’s found the ideal dinner guest when he literally runs into Barry (Steve Carell), a clumsy, bespectacled IRS employee whose great passion in life involves staging elaborate dioramas with taxidermic mice. Several of Barry’s exquisitely strange creations, dubbed “mouseterpieces,” are depicted in the film’s opening sequence, which proudly nods to the intricate quirk of Wes Anderson. (Its soundtrack even apes his musical tastes, playing an obscure song from a legendary rock band: the Beatles’ Fool on the Hill, a melancholy little number that cost a paltry $1.5 million to license.)

That’s where the comparisons to Anderson’s work end. As a director, Roach’s greatest asset has always been his ability to assemble a group of talented comic actors and hand them the reigns, trusting that they’ll produce enough funny material for him to sow together into a relatively cohesive piece. It’s what fueled Roach’s better works, like the first Austin Powers flick, and it’s ultimately what saves Dinner for Schmucks from falling victim to the director’s less admirable qualities, namely, a penchant for contrived and predictable situational humor, an over-reliance on cheap physical and sight gags, and a general disregard for plot and pacing.

Carell has carved a lucrative niche for himself playing charmingly oblivious goofballs of varying levels of competence, and he earns every dime of his reported $15 million paycheck in this film. Rudd’s character, for all his caustic wit, isn’t nearly as manipulative or amoral as his French counterpart; we never truly believe him capable of deliberately humiliating an innocent like Barry, even if he does drive a Porsche.

But they labor heroically to make the most of their suboptimal comedic circumstances, forming an amiable, intermittently hilarious odd-couple dynamic as Tim struggles to contain the chaos wrought by Barry. That, combined with the efforts of Jemaine Clement and Zach Galifianakis, both sublime in supporting roles, are what ultimately what elevate the film above its meagre material. These are guys who could send us into hysterics reading a grocery list, which in this case would constitute an upgrade over the Dinner for Schmucks screenplay.

RATING : 3/5 More of a healthy snack than a full meal, but still plenty satisfying. – Credits to Hollywood.com original writer Thomas Leupp

Pemmena (Kamalini Mukherjee) arrives at the police station where Sranku’s body was kept, next. She came into the life of Sranku, when he was actively involved with a Chavittunatakam troupe led by Loni san (Suresh Krishna), who was her brother. She was attracted to Sranku, but he always ignored her romantic advances.

It was Kali (Meena Kumari), a mute woman, who stole Sranku’s heart with her selfless love. She was regarded with contempt by all but Sranku realized her virtues. She was pregnant with the man’s child by the time she came to identify him.

At just over two hours and fifteen minutes Kutty Sranku takes its own leisurely pace to unveil but then the film has its genuine moments. Still, you feel the film does make only a limited impact on the minds of the viewers, even when the end credits start rolling. Though the director has linked the three stories well, none of them makes much of an effect and narrating the stories one after the other in turn makes it mechanical to some extent.

But director Shaji N Karun has got things under control and has succeeded in giving an authentic feel to the whole film. The story steams ahead in a nice way but one gets the feeling that a tighter script could have made the film look more engrossing. The visuals by Anjali Shukla are attractive and the music by Isaac Thomas Kottukappilly suits the mood generally. The graphics, however, often looks out-of-place.

Though he has only limited dialogues, Mammootty comes up with an endearing performance and makes his mark with his subtle and restrained acting style. He looks genuinely handsome and that justifies why the women lose their hearts to his character so easily. All the three heroines have done their roles in an impressive way. Watch out for a scintillating show by Suresh Krishna, who has given his heart and soul to his character, Loni Asan.

The film touches your heart mostly with its earnest approach. In these times when trashy stuff is being marketed as spectacular films, Kutty Sranku is certainly different and is a great relief, no two ways about that. The film may not be perfect, but then it is at least worthwhile for any serious movie buff to sit and discuss about the merits or shortcomings of such sensible movies instead of wasting time on damp squibs. Watch this one!

Verdict: Good – 3/5

COURTESY : MOVIEBUZZ AT SIFY.COM

District collector Sekharan IAS (Nedumudi Venu) had brought up his kid sister Shyamala (Urvashi) with great affection, but is shattered after she eloped with a government clerk Vasudevan (Sai Kumar). Now, they are neighbours but the brother and sister can’t see eye to eye.

Shyamala has great plans for son Akash (Kunchacko Boban) and hopes to get some huge money as dowry from the parents of some ‘American girls’. Meanwhile, after some dramatic turnarounds which will surprise you with its inanity, Shyamala joins politics, win an election and becomes the revenue minister!

The whole film is limited to a couple of characters but the problem is when the collector and the minister have no other agenda other than to continue with their petty family feuds in public. Akash’s romance with a fiery channel reporter named Vandana (Bhama) is also happening in between.

The incidents happen in the story, as if episodes from a serial and if you are not comfortable with that format, this could end up as a horrifying experience, no less. With a flimsy premise that is not worthy to be made into a film, director Radhakrishnan Mangalath and scenarist Krishna Poojappura questions the intelligence of the viewer in a big way. The visuals and music are just about fine.

In a role where she mimics even her sister Kalpana’s style at times, Urvashi surprises the viewers with her over-the-top mannerisms and hamming. It is rather curious why such amazing actors like Urvashi and Nedumudi Venu try desperately to evoke humour with silly actions and loud dialogues!

Kunchacko Boban and Bhama have to play the romantic pair and look pretty, which they do in a fine way. Suraj Venjarammood and Jagadeesh try to make people laugh with their usual tricks but even the comedy situations have nothing new to offer.

If you are not searching for logic from what you see on screen and are ready to accept pedestrian comedy as entertainment, this one may perhaps qualify as a watchable film. For the rest of the world, why waste two hours and fifteen minutes of your life on this amateurish misadventure?

Rating : 2/5 – I Dont know what to say about the movie still some of you might like it,watch it for fun….

COURTESY MOVIEBUZZ AT SIFY.COM

Thillalangadi is about a young man Krishna (Ravi), who is restless and seeks something in life which he himself is not sure of. He gets kicks out of doing things extraordinary. He cannot stay in a job which fetches him a lakh of rupees for more than a month because it gives him the kicks to throw his job away. Normalcy is his pet peeve and he goes to any extent to just enjoy the ‘KICK’; in the process baffles and miffs people around him. His parents Prabhu and Suhasini understand him and leave him to his destiny knowing very well that Krishna will never go astray.

The film opens with a generous footage of Nisha (Tamannah) doing yoga in a sexy avatar in all possible angles in Malaysia. (A surprise for a Jayam Raja film!) Her parents bring forth an alliance for her and she is asked to meet a boy in a train. She agrees with much reluctance and meets the boy Krishna Kumar (Shaam). The story starts unfolding with Nisha narrating how she met Krishna (Ravi) and parted her ways with him.

Nisha’s first meeting with Krishna itself is an excited event wherein she tries to help her friend (MLA Nalini’s daughter) who wishes to elope with her driver Das (Sathyan). Krishna being a friend of Das appears to double time the couple in love only to get them married off. From then on, it is fiery encounters between the lead couple that oscillates between love and hate. When Nisha completes her story, it is Shaam’s turn and he divulges the real reason for his Malaysian visit. The rest of the film is about Nisha and Krishna’s love, misunderstanding and Shaam’s mission with some predictable and some unpredictable events.

Thillalangadi is almost scene by scene replica of the original Kick. Raja’s narration is interesting but is way too long. In fact, the second half is tediously lengthy to the point of exhaustion. The ‘family’ feel which is generally present in Raja’s films is missing in Thillalangadi. That apart, he has dealt with a subject that is a wee bit unusual in his own style. The film, in its first half is ridiculously silly and asinine in some parts but slowly warms up later.

Vadivelu plays a significant role to up the laughter quotient and he is aided by Santhanam, Mansoor Ali Khan, Radha Ravi, John Vijay and others in the rest of the film. Ravi looks dashing; dances well, fights energetically, emotes brilliantly but his voice is a major let down especially when he tries to mouth macho dialogues. Tamannah does what is expected of her. Looks like the lady has relaxed her rules about costumes and her glamorous avatar in the film is bound to be a hit with youngsters. Shaam looks stunning and delivers well too. It is a pity that this actor’s potential has not been completely utilized in Tamil films. The other cast members are adequate.

The locations are good and there is a ‘beauty’ feel to the entire film. Everybody is clothed in vibrant colors, courtesy Nalini Sriram. Her choice and color of costumes are trendy and noticeable. Major support to Thillalangadi comes from the music department where Yuvan Shankar Raja and Thaman come to the fore. All the songs are hummable and the much talked about ‘Sol Pechu Ketkaada Sundari’ is interesting with five Tamannahs and ten Rajas. However, in the second half, Pattu Pattu Pattampoochi (sung by Silambarasan) is a total misfit in terms of mood and is forced. The song follows a heavy mood from the lead pair but the dance sequences are chirpy. And when you thought the film is nearing completion, the Thothu Ponene number comes up reminding clearly of the Telugu connection.

There are many logical loopholes, which can be conveniently forgiven, as this film is not about any serious stuff. Thillalangadi has comedy, action, romance, glamour, sentiment and all the pertinent ingredients in perfect concoction and is a jolly good ride. It has something for everyone!

Verdict – Enjoyable entertainer! – Rating : 3/5

courtesy behindwoods.com

It is a nice sweet story, and seems like it’s been tailor-made for Suneel. With the filmmaker revealing the storyline much in advance there is hardly anything to expect. The director does away with popular comedians and allows the situations to bring in comic relief but that is too sparse. The highpoint of the film is the climax in which the story gets dramatic and the lead pair drown you in a whirlpool of emotion.

Suneel as usual never disappoints with his dances and always cashes in on any opportunity to display his ease in foot work. The song ‘Ammayi Kitiki Pakkana’ makes a pleasant watch. So Suneel succeeds once again in wanting to be something more than just a comedy guy, he might get more chances of doing more serious roles. Saloni makes a refreshing return, dishes out a convincing performance and Nagineedu as the villain is just apt for the role. The supporting artistes help in showing that the story other than having a whole heap of running, has some real characters though they threaten to be clichéd and prosaic.

Brahmaji comes out with his character effectively, his work as a man in dilemma, doubt, hesitation has been sincerely portrayed. Because of the nature of the plot, the movie tends to look long, there is nothing that thrills or excites you..it’s just a good story that follows a formula with the director consciously avoiding missteps instead of making an extra effort to figure out what’s missing. With less sheen, shine, cheer, excitement and absence of star power, the filmmaker banks on his story and it needs to be seen if it ticks at the box office. Technically, nothing to complain about, the film is nothing more than an average watch.

RATING : 2/5

Cast : Suneel, Saloni, Nagineedu, Brahmaji, Rao Ramesh, Supreet, Venugopal, Prabhakar, Kaanchi, Anuj Gurwara, Jayavani, Sandhya, Anithanath, Baby Rishika, Master Saathwik and Others.
Action : Peter Hein.
Art : S. Ravinder.
Banner : Arka Media Works.
Cinematography : Ramprasad.
Editing : Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao.
Music : MM Keeravani.
Story : SS Kaanchi.
Stylist : Rama Rajamouli.
Producer : Prasad Devineni, Shobhu Yarlagadda.
Director : Rajamouli.
Release Date : Today (July 23, 2010)

But flash is one thing Salt never lacks for. Its breathless cat-and-mouse game hits full-throttle almost from the outset, when a former KGB officer named Orlov (Daniel Olbrychski) stumbles into a CIA interrogation room and begins spilling details of a vast conspiracy. Back in the ‘70s, hardline elements of the Soviet regime launched an ambitious new front in the Cold War, flooding the western world with orphans trained to infiltrate the security complexes of their adopted homelands and wait patiently — decades, if necessary — for the order to initiate a series of assassinations intended to trigger a devastating nuclear clash between the superpowers, from which the treacherous Reds would emerge triumphant.

The Soviet Union may have long ago collapsed (or did it? Hmmm…), but its army of brainwashed killer orphan spies remains in place, and if this crazy Orlov fellow is to be believed, they stand poised to reignite the Cold War. It’s a preposterous — even idiotic — scheme, but no more so than any of our government’s various harebrained proposals to kill Castro back in the ‘60s. As such, the CIA treats it with grave seriousness, even the part that that pegs Salt, who just happens to be a Russian-born orphan herself, as a key player in the conspiracy.

Salt bristles at the accusation, but, suspecting a set-up, she opts to flee rather than face interrogation from her bosses Winter (Liev Schreiber) and Peabody (Chiwetel Ejiofor). A former field agent, she’s been confined to a desk job since a clandestine operation in North Korea went south, leaving her with a nasty shiner and a rather unremarkable German boyfriend (now her unremarkable German husband). She’s clearly kept up her training during while cubicle-bound, however, and in a blaze of resourceful thinking and devastating Parkour Fu, she fends off a dozen or so agents of questionable competence and takes to the streets, where she sets about to clear her name and unravel the Commie orphan conspiracy before the authorities can catch up with her. That is, if she isn’t a part of the conspiracy.

The premise, which aims to resurrect Cold War tensions and graft them onto a modern-day spy thriller, is absurdly clever — and cleverly absurd. But Kurt Wimmer’s screenplay isn’t satisfied with the merely clever and absurd — it must be mind-blowing. Salt is one of those thrillers that ladles out its backstory slowly and in tiny portions, every once in a while dropping a revelatory bombshell that effectively blows the lid off everything that happened beforehand. No one is who they seem, and every action, every gesture, no matter how seemingly trivial, is imbued with some kind of grand significance. The effect of piling on one insane twist after another has the effect of gradually diluting the narrative. When anything is possible, nothing really matters.

But spy thrillers, by definition, trade in the preposterous, and the principal function of the summer blockbuster is to entertain. In that regard, Salt more than fulfills its charge. Noyce wisely keeps the story moving at pace that allows little time for asking uncomfortable questions or poking holes in the film’s frail plot. And he has an able partner in the infinitely versatile Jolie, who, having already exhibited formidable action-hero chops in Wanted and the Tomb Raider films, proves remarkably adept at the spy game as well.

It’s well-known that Jolie wasn’t the first choice to star in Salt, joining the project only after Tom Cruise dropped out, citing the story’s growing similarities to the Mission: Impossible films. But she’s more than just a capable replacement; she’s a welcome upgrade over Cruise, not least because she’s over a decade younger (and a few inches taller), than her predecessor. Should Brad Bird require a pinch-hitter for Ethan Hunt, he knows where to look.

RATING : 4/5

COURTESY : HOLLYWOOD.COM FOR THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE

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