Tom's Random Reviews

[Tom]

Thanks. I ordered Black and Fanaa.

Good choices
Black stars Rani Mukherji, my favorite Bollywood actress, in one of her best roles. It also stars another Bollywood regular, Amitabh Bachchan.
Fanaa stars Kajol, another favorite of mine. She is also starring in "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge". Fanaa also stars Aamir Khan. If you like him here, then I recommend to check out "Ghajini", in which he also stars.

I hope I can read some Bollywood reviews here soon 

[Tom]

Title: Love Aaj Kal
Year: 2009
Director: Imtiaz Ali
Rating: FSK-6
Length: 123 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35
Audio: German: Dolby Digital 5.1, Hindi: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: German

Stars:
Saif Ali Khan
Deepika Padukone
Rishi Kapoor
Rahul Khanna
Florence Brudenell-Bruce

Plot:
After Break up with Meera pandit, Jai Vardhan Singh tries to be stable on his strategy of Love, but Veer Singh tries to keep him on while recollecting his Love life at his age.

Awards:

Filmfare Awards	2010	Nominated	Best Actor	Saif Ali Khan
Filmfare Awards	2010	Nominated	Best Actress	Deepika Padukone
Filmfare Awards	2010	Won	Best Choreography	"Chor Bazaari": Bosco-Caesar
Filmfare Awards	2010	Nominated	Best Dialogue	Love Aaj Kal
Filmfare Awards	2010	Nominated	Best Director	Imtiaz Ali
Filmfare Awards	2010	Nominated	Best Film
Filmfare Awards	2010	Won	Best Lyricist	"Aaj Din Chadheya": Irshad Kamil
Filmfare Awards	2010	Nominated	Best Music Director	Pritam Chakraborty
Filmfare Awards	2010	Nominated	Best Playback Singer - Female	"Chor Bazaari": Sunidhi Chauhan
Filmfare Awards	2010	Nominated	Best Playback Singer - Male	"Aaj Din Chadya": Rahat Fateh Ali Khan
Filmfare Awards	2010	Nominated	Best Screenplay	Love Aaj Kal
Filmfare Awards	2010	Nominated	Best Story	Love Aaj Kal

Extras:
Deleted Scenes
Music Videos
Poster
Production Notes
Scene Access
Trailers

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed the scenes in the past. I thought that love story was more fun. But I also came to like the present, after I got over Saif Ali Khan's character being rather unlikable. The music was also good.

Rating:

[Tom]

Title: Om Shanti Om
Year: 2007
Director: Farah Khan
Rating: FSK-12
Length: 162 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35
Audio: German: Dolby Digital 5.1, Hindi: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: German

Stars:
Shah Rukh Khan
Deepika Padukone
Arjun Rampal
Kirron Kher

Plot:
In the 1970s, Om, an aspiring actor, is murdered, but is immediately reincarnated into the present day. He attempts to discover the mystery of his demise and find Shanti, the love of his previous life.

Awards:

Filmfare Awards	2008	Nominated	Best Actor Award	Shah Rukh Khan
Filmfare Awards	2008	Nominated	Best Actress Award	Deepika Padukone
Filmfare Awards	2008	Nominated	Best Director Award	Farah Khan
Filmfare Awards	2008	Won	Best Female Debut Award	Deepika Padukone
Filmfare Awards	2008	Nominated	Best Movie Award
Filmfare Awards	2008	Nominated	Best Music Director Award	Vishal Shekhar
Filmfare Awards	2008	Won	Best Special Effects Award
Filmfare Awards	2008	Nominated	Best Supporting Actor Award	Shreyas Talpade
IIFA Awards	2008	Won	Best Lyricist	Javed Akhtar

Extras:
Scene Access
Commentary

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed it. At first I was tending to give one rating lower, but the second half was great fun.

This movie has some great Bollywood parodies. When they were doing the Filmfare awards and are showing the best actor's entries, they make a fun parody of the Dhoom film series (Annoucer: "Dhoom 5: Now without Abhishek Bachchan" - Abhishek Bachchan: "WHAT!?"). Shah Rukh Khan's character's two entries have they title based on real Shah Rukh Khan movies.
And as far as I can see, all of Bollywood's A-list makes a cameo in this movie.

Rating:

[Tom]

Title: Bend It Like Beckham
Year: 2002
Director: Gurinder Chadha
Rating: FSK-6
Length: 108 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85
Audio: German: Dolby Digital 5.1, English: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: German

Stars:
Parminder Nagra
Keira Knightley
Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Anupam Kher
Archie Panjabi

Plot:
Of East Indian origin of the Sikh faith, the Bhamra family have been settled in Great Britain for several years. They have two daughters, Pinky and Jessminder. While Pinky is in the process of getting married, Jessminder is preparing to play football - which is not acceptable to her parents. But Jessminder knows she is good at the sport, and she does receive considerable encouragement. Her parents are clearly uncomfortable with their daughter running around in shorts, chasing a big ball, instead of being clad in a traditional salwar khameez, and learning to cook East Indian recipes. Jessminder must now decide what's important for her. To make matters worse, a football tournament is arranged on the very day of her sister's marriage. Will Jessminder be able to play, or will her dreams be shattered?

Awards:

American Cinema Editors Awards	2004	Nominated	Best Edited Feature Film – Comedy or Musical	Justin Krish
BAFTA	2002	Nominated	The Alexander Korda Award For The Outstanding British Film Of The Year	Deepak Nayar, Gurinder Chadha
British Independent Film Awards	2002	Nominated	Best British Independent Film
British Independent Film Awards	2002	Nominated	Most Promising Newcomer	Parminder Magra
Empire Magazine Awards	2003	Nominated	Best British Actress	Keira Knightly
Empire Magazine Awards	2003	Nominated	Best Newcomer	Parminder Nagra
Empire Magazine Awards	2003	Nominated	Sky Movies Best British Film
European Film Awards	2002	Nominated	European Film
European Film Awards	2002	Nominated	The People's Choice Award for Best European Actress	Parminder Nagra
Golden Globe	2003	Nominated	Picture - Musical or Comedy	Gurinder Chadha, Deepak Nayar
National Board of Review Awards, USA	2003	Won	Special Recognition
Online Film Critics Society Awards	2004	Nominated	Best Breakthrough Performance	Keira Knightley
Satellite Awards	2004	Nominated	Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Comedy or Musical	Shaheen Khan
Satellite Awards	2004	Nominated	Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
Writers Guild of America Awards	2004	Nominated	Best Original Screenplay	Gurinder Chadha, Paul Mayeda Berges, Guljit Bindra

Extras:
DVD-ROM Content
Featurettes
Production Notes
Rezept Aloo-Gobi
Scene Access
Trailers

My Thoughts:

I haven't watched this move for a while. I still enjoy it very much. This was the first movie I saw Keira Kneightley in, and it is still my favorite performance by her (granted, I haven't seen many movies with her). Parminder Nagra also did a great job. The only other thing I saw her in is as a minor role in "Ella Enchanted" (I never watched ER).
Originally it was supposed to feature a lesbian romance between Jess and Jules, but the producers chickened out. But there still is a hilarious subplot where Jules' mother thinks those two are in a relationship.

I have this movie in my Bollywood category in my collection, because it is directed by an Indian born director (who also directed "Bride & Prejudice) and has a big Indian cast. Now that I have watched it after watching some real Bollywood movies, I still think it belongs in that category. It has a real Bollywood movie feel to it.
Jess' father is played by Anupam Kher, a famous Bollywood actor I already saw in a bunch of movies. I almost didn't recognize him here, because he is playing a Sikh this time around.

Rating:

[kahless]

I like that movie! 

 When I watched it the first time, I was not aware that this is supposed to be a bollywood film! 

[Tom]

When I watched it the first time, I was not aware that this is supposed to be a bollywood film! 

It isn't. But it is for me. It's just that the director is Indian and brings a lot of Indian flair into it.

[Jon]

In that case, have you seen East Is East?

Also, the director of Bend It Like Beckham has done a lot of other British/Indian films.

[kahless]

When I watched it the first time, I was not aware that this is supposed to be a bollywood film! 

It isn't. But it is for me. It's just that the director is Indian and brings a lot of Indian flair into it.

I think it is not very easy to make a clear definition of a bollywood movie. Maybe it's the music?! I have some movies (e.g. Naresuan) what could be categorized as bollywood if there would be more music. 

Anyway - a good movie does not require a category! 

[kahless]

In that case, have you seen East Is East?

Also, the director of Bend It Like Beckham has done a lot of other British/Indian films.

She also directed Bride & Prejudice. A really nice movie!  

Liebe lieber indisch

[Tom]

I think it is not very easy to make a clear definition of a bollywood movie.

It is very easy, if you take the official definition: Movies produced in Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay) are Bollywood movies. There are other movie industries in India. These wouldn't be called Bollywood movies.
So I am stretching the definition very far, when I even include movies produced in UK 

[kahless]

I agree! Thanks for clarification! 

[Tom]

In that case, have you seen East Is East?

No, I only heard of it.
Now that would be stretching the term Bollywood further, if I include British movies with Pakistanis in the main focus. And featuring Urdu and not Hindi as a language  

Also, the director of Bend It Like Beckham has done a lot of other British/Indian films.

Yes. As I mentioned, she did "Bride & Prejudice" which I also reviewed here. And I have "What's Cooking?" in my unwatched pile. I tried to watch it a few years ago but couldn't get through it. I will have to give it another chance some day. This movie would be for my lesbian movie marathon.

[Jon]

True, but it's clear that you would enjoy the British style of comedy, so the extension is valid. East Is East is at least (horrible sentence!) an extension of the same culture clash you enjoyed in Bend It.

[Tom]

Title: Chak De! India
Year: 2007
Director: Shimit Amin
Rating: FSK-6
Length: 143 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35
Audio: German: Dolby Digital 5.1, Hindi: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: German

Stars:
Shahrukh Khan
Vidya Malvade
Tanya Abrol
Chitrashi Rawat
Arya Menon


Awards:

Filmfare Awards	2008	Won	Best Actor Award	Shah Rukh Khan
Filmfare Awards	2008	Won	Best Cinematographer Award	Sudhip Chatterjee
Filmfare Awards	2008	Nominated	Best Director Award	Shimit Amin
Filmfare Awards	2008	Won	Best Editing Award	Amitabh Shukla
Filmfare Awards	2008	Nominated	Best Movie Award
Filmfare Awards	2008	Nominated	Best Supporting Actress Award	Shilpa Shukla
Filmfare Awards	2008	Won	Critics Award for Best Movie
IIFA Awards	2008	Won	Best Actor	Shah Rukh Khan
IIFA Awards	2008	Won	Best Director	Shimit Amin
IIFA Awards	2008	Won	Best Movie

Extras:
Scene Access

My Thoughts:

I guess I first have to stress the fact, that there are no song and dance numbers in this one. Seems to be important for some people 
If you enjoy movies about underdog sports teams, I think you will enjoy this one. It's about the Indian national women's hockey team. Interesting about it are the difficulties they are facing. For one thing they have to fight for their place because in India women are not supposed to be playing hockey but are supposed to be housewives. The other big issue is, that these women come from different parts of India. Not only do the character clash, but the trainer also has to deal with the cultural prejudices the team members have against each other. So the movie is more serious than similar movies I know.
Shah Rukh Khan stars as the trainer. He did a great job. He plays it rather low key, which is not something I know SRK to do.
I am usually do not like to watch sports games, but I have to admit that I was on the edge of my seat in the final match of this movie.

Rating:

[kahless]

Title: Chak De! India

A perfect review, Tom!  (as usual  )

Due to the fact that this movie does not contain the typical bollywood ingredients (such as a lot of music, dancing and romance) I think this movie could be a kind of missing link to other movies for all people who are a little bit concerned about watching bollywood movies!