Elaan Review - March 2005

2 Stars. Elaan (Challenge). Directed by Vikram Bhatt. With Mithun Chakraborthy, Rahul Khanna, John Abraham, Arjun Rampal, Amisha Patel, Lara Dutta. At Ster Kinekor Cavendish, Cinema Nouveau. Mehboob Bawa reviews.

A Vikram Bhatt film is often, at best, a mediocre offering. This is, after all, the same director who made Aitbaar, a dud which couldn’t even be saved by the prescence of the Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan. Suffice to say, Bhatt has had few successes at the box office. In fact, you can count them on one hand and still have quite a few fingers unused. It was with this in mind that I approached Elaan with a feeling of trepidation. The fact that the film is being released in Cape Town months after being shown in other parts of the country also had me concerned. It is quite pleasing then, that while watching Elaan, I was entertained. Let me clarify, this is no masterpiece and has its fair share of glaring holes in the script, continuity errors and hugely over the top acting. But Bhatt doen’t take the film seriously, it’s all done pretty tongue in cheek, so you’ll even be entertained by the mistakes. On the positive side though, the acting is quite good and the international locations are a major asset.

The basic story premise is simple. An underworld don is wreaking havoc amongst the elite of the Mumbai business world by threatening their lives in order to extort money. He operates from a foreign country that has no extradition laws with India and therefore is untouchable. When he orders the death of a prominent businessman who dared to stand up to him, he incurs the wrath of the businessman’s adopted son, who swears revenge. The son teams up with a former police officer to carry out his plan. They bust a former member of the don’s gang out of jail to help them in their quest. On the way they are joined by a television reporter who fancies the son and the jailbirds’ girlfriend. Together this motley crew attempts to bring the don back to India to face justice.

Elaan marks the first major Bollywood appearance of Rahul Khanna who plays the adopted son Karan. Khanna has carved a niche for himself in the crossover Indian film market with films like Bollywood Hollywood. His Bollywood debut is a credible one, but to my mind he bears an uncanny resemblance to David Schwimmer (Ross in the TV series Friends) and this tends to distract when he tries to emote in a serious scene. The film also heralds the comeback of Mithun Chakraborty, a one time leading man in the 1980’s and early 90’s. He plays the don, Baba Sikander, and performs well as the chief villain, despite poor characterisation. Arjun Rampal as the police officer and John Abraham as the jailbird are surprisingly good. But Abraham, as he is wont to, does tend to overact in emotional scenes. The females, Amisha Patel and Lara Dutta, are really just there for window dressing and don’t add much to the film.

The major stars of the film though, are undoubtedly the international locations which include Venice, Munich and parts of Austria and Switzerland. Unlike other Bollywood films that merely shoot song sequences in foreign countries, important scenes of Elaan are set in the aforementioned locations and that adds to the stylish quality of the film.

Elaan doesn’t make for challenging viewing, but offers two hours of mindless entertainment.

Bewafaa Review - March 2005

1 star. Bewafaa (Unfaithful). Directed by Dharmesh Darshan. With Anil Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor, Sushmita Sen, Manoj Bajpai, Shamita Shetty, Kabir Bedi, Nafisa Ali.

The producers of this dud, Boney and Sridevi Kapoor really are on a losing streak. This is their fifth flop in a row. To make matters worse their co-producers this time around is Sahara One, touted as one of the big players in Bollywood. I’m not sure how long they’ll be playing in the big leagues if they continue to produce films like Bewafaa.

On face value the film has potential. It features a fine cast, good music by Nadeem-Shravan and exquisite location cinematography by veteran director of photography W.B.Rao. But it’s failing is the script. The problem with many Bollywood films, acknowledged by Indian filmmakers, lies in the poor quality of the screenplays.

While I realise that most Bollywood films are steeped in fantasy and require audiences to leave their brains at the door, I do feel that they should still be credible. Bewafaa strains all levels of credibility from the first frames and the blame falls firmly at the feet of the director Dharmesh Darshan.

In the opening scene we are introduced to a husband and wife played by Kabir Bedi and Nafisa Ali. It is obvious that he is Indian, she is foreign and they have been married for a long time. But yet after their morning prayers he asks if she understands the meaning of the prayer he recited. Now if they were newlyweds, I could understand this scene, but they are not and in any case she is able to explain the prayer in detail. What’s up with this Mr. Darshan? There are many other scenes, which are as incredulous. Kareena, in her first scene, is woken from her sleep by her Mom, yet her face is fully made up and she looks like a million dollars. Perhaps she sleeps on a Sealy!

The story had potential, but the poor handling spoils it all. Anjali (Kareena) and Aarti are sisters. Aarti, the older sister, is married to Aditya (Anil), a successful businessman and stays in Delhi, India. Anjali stays with her parents in Montreal, Canada and is secretly seeing Raja (Kumar) a struggling musician. Aarti dies giving birth to twin daughters and Anjali is asked to marry Aditya and raise the children. She does this and breaks off her relationship with Raja. But despite her sacrifice, Aditya cannot forget his wife and ignores Anjali throughout the early years of their marriage. By the time he realises what he is doing, Raja is back in Anjali’s life and they have an affair. Does Anjali leave Aditya or does she stay with him for the benefit of the children? If you really must know the answer to this question, then watch Bewafaa. But you are better off avoiding it.

Darshan takes Bollywood back to the Stone Age with this offering and simultaneously does immense damage to the major stride women have made in Indian cinema. Bewafaa is an insult to the intelligence of all moviegoers.

What is sadder is that it is a big budget film shot on foreign locations with top stars, but the money has been wasted, and the box-office potential of this film looks bleak. Faithful Bollywood movie fans will certainly spurn this one, once word gets around that the makers of Bewafaa have not been faithful in their promise to offer a well made love story.

Bollywood on SABC 3 - February 2005

The Bollywood reruns continue on SABC 3 today with the award winning Raja Hindustani being screened at 2pm and the mediocre Shakti – The Power at 11.30pm.

Raja Hindustani is certainly the pick of the two and if you haven’t yet seen this tender love story starring Aamir Khan and Karisma Kapoor, check it out this afternoon. The director, Dharmesh Darshan, is on familiar ground with this tale of a poor taxi driver who falls in love with a rich girl and the trials and tribulations of their relationship. The film has all the requisite Bollywood trimmings including over the top drama, searing emotion, lots of songs and exotic locations. But it also features an award winning performance by Aamir as well as the much publicised “kiss” between him and his leading lady Kapoor.

I met Aamir in 1992 during his visit to Cape Town where he was performing in a stage show with other Bollywood stars, including Salman Khan. Even then he exuded warmth and professionalism, unlike his fellow actor Salman. These are attributes he still possesses today.

Aamir is a consummate actor who started his career as a child star with the mega hit Yaadon Ki Baraat in 1974, but his first major success as an adult actor came with the blockbuster Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak in 1988. He then went on a signing spree and accepted every offer made to him resulting in loads of flops. But he resurrected his career with the hit film Dil, two years later. Since then he has learned his lesson and become far more selective when accepting projects. In fact in an industry where it is common for actors to be working on numerous films at a time, Aamir strives to keep his assignments to a minimum. He ensures that all the films are different and takes a personal interest in all aspects of the production. This has led to many of his films achieving great success.

Some of the memorable ones are Dil Hai Ke Maanta Nahin (1991), Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander (1993) and Hum Hai Rahi Pyar Ke (1994). His transition from teen idol to a mature and sensitive actor came about with the Bollywood adaptation of Kramer vs. Kramer in Akele Hum Akele Tum (1995). Rangeela and Raja Hindustani (1996) allowed him to continue developing his craft by playing two very similar characters in completely contrasting films.

An important aspect of his success is the fact that he has thrived on carefully chosen characters and films. He has backed unknown names such as Ashutosh Gowarikar (Baazi and Lagaan) and John Matthew Mathan (Sarfarosh), creating exciting projects with them. Aamir has even worked with a mediocre director like Vikram Bhatt and given him one of his few hits with Ghulam.

In 2001 he reached another milestone in his illustrious career, when his maiden production Lagaan was nominated in the Best Foreign Film category at the Oscars. The film was a labour of love for Aamir who invested much of his own money in it.

Currently he is anxiously awaiting the release of his period drama, The Rising. Based on the life of the freedom fighter Mangal Pandey, the film is reported to be one of the most expensive Indian films produced to date.

He has also just launched two new films that will go into production in this year. Once again the stories will be fresh and different for an actor who constantly tries to re-invent himself.

Bollywood Buzz February 2005 - Indian Filmmakers visit South Africa

Indian Filmmakers visit South Africa


The much-talked about and long awaited visit by film producers from India, which has the largest film industry in the world, has finally materialised.

A delegation of high profile producers led by Amit Khanna, the chairman of the Film and Television Producers Guild of India, arrived in South Africa last Sunday with Cape Town being it’s first stop before visiting Durban and Johannesburg.

Indian film producers have shot in the Cape since 1996, primarily using our scenic locations for the popular song and dance sequences that proliferate many a Bollywood production. However, as Bollywood becomes a global force, its producers are keen to promote co-productions with foreign film companies.

Apart from Khanna the delegation comprises Manmohan Shetty - chairman of Adlabs Films, Pravin Nischol – CEO of Entertainment One, producer/director Ramesh Sippy of Sippy Films, producer Shabbir Boxwala of Sahara One and production executive Uday Singh of Cinevistaa.

Shetty is highly regarded in the Indian film industry. He started the concept of multiplex cinemas in India, owns the largest film laboratory, Adlabs, as well as the world’s largest Imax Dome cinema which is situated in Mumbai.

Nischol is based at Entertainment One, a production company formed by Shetty at the end of 2003 with the launch of ten films, each to be directed by a leading Bollywood filmmaker. One of the biggest films is Marigold. Starring Bollywood heartthrob Salman Khan opposite Hollywood actress Ali Larter (Final Destination 1 and 2), it is an Indian American co-production to be directed by Carroll Ballard (The Black Stallion).

Sippy has the distinction of directing Sholay, the longest running Bollywood film ever made. Produced in 1975, it is still playing in Bollywood cinemas today. He has launched four films this year, one of which will mark his return to directing after ten years.

Boxwala is the only one who has worked in Cape Town. A significant portion of his film, Dil Ka Rishta, was shot in various outdoor and indoor locations in the city. A great supporter of the city, he intends shooting his next film here as well.

Singh’s company is a family run business headed by his father and uncle. Their main focus is commercials, but they have produced two feature films. Their second venture, Garv, was a big hit last year.

The handling of this visit, organised by the South African High Consul in Mumbai, South African Airways, South African Tourism and the various film commissions, certainly leaves a lot to be desired. A week prior to their arrival, this writer wasn’t able to get any information about who the final list of delegates were, their itinerary or program during their stay in Cape Town. Phone calls to the organisers proved fruitless and Jennifer Mphylala of SA Tourism is yet to return a call placed two weeks ago.

According to Boxwala, he received his invitation a week prior to the departure date. This is unacceptable when dealing with such high profile industry leaders. Surely more thought could have gone into the planning of the trip. At this stage it’s not clear at whose feet the blame should be placed.

The arrival last Sunday at Cape Town International Airport was a comedy of errors. A lone Cape Film Commission official armed with a poorly marked signboard welcomed the obviously tired travellers who had to cart their own luggage battling through the hordes of other passengers. Did anyone think of arranging the VIP lounge and a welcome in keeping with our guest’s stature in the film industry? And the cherry on top? Being bundled into a Kombi with some having to keep their luggage on their laps!

When you only have one opportunity to make a lasting impression, then this is not the way to go about it.

Full credit to Cape Film Commission Marketing Manager, Bianca Mpahlaza, for playing the perfect hostess and ensuring that the rest of their stay was hassle free, although they were perpetually carted around in the Kombi.

Unfortunately a planned meeting with Premier Ebrahim Rasool, himself a strong supporter of the city’s film sector, never took place. But the delegation met his economic advisor, Tahir Salie, who assured them that their visit was appreciated by the Premier and he will reciprocate by visiting Bollywood when he goes to India later this year. Salie also said that the Premier will assist in any way possible to ensure that Bollywood filmmakers enjoy a memorable experience when filming in the Cape. These sentiments were echoed by the chairman of the Cape Film Commission, Laurence Mitchell, who seems keen to maximise the opportunities that Bollywood offers.

The most important aspect of the trip for the Indian delegates is creating business opportunity. While they enjoyed the city tours they were more interested in discussing potential co-productions and investment opportunities. In the words of Nischol, “ We are prepared to put up 50% of a mutually beneficial project. Bring us your 50% and let’s make movies.” These producers are serious about their industry and have the financial clout to make things happen. They are keen to effect change in our industry by working with filmmakers from the disadvantaged communities on Bollywood productions that will appeal to a global audience.

Black Review - February 2005

4 stars. Black. Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. With Amitabh Bachchan, Rani Mukherji, Ayesha Kapur, Shernaz Patel, Dhritiman Chatterjee, Nandana Sen. At Nu Metro, Canal Walk. Mehboob Bawa reviews.

When one hears the name Sanjay Leela Bhansali, words like epic, colorful and majestic come to mind. His films like Devdas, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Khamoshi were all filmed on that scale. Black, while reatining some of his trademark style is a more personal and smaller film.

Bhansali tells the story of Michelle Mcnally (played by Rani Mukherji and Ayesha Kapur at different ages) who is born blind and deaf, therefore developing a speech impediment as well. The film focuses on her relationship with her teacher Debraj Sahai (Amitabh Bachchan), whose mission it becomes to integrate her into society in order to live as normal a life as possible. As the years pass by, the two become intertwined in each other’s lives and develop a deep and meaningful relationship. When Sahai succumbs to Alzheimer’s disease, it is Michelle’s turn to ensure that he is stll able to live a life filled with dignity. If you do not shed a tear at the pain and suffering shared by Michelle and her family due to the lack of understanding of her disablities, then you have a heart of stone. Unlike other Indian film directors, Bhansali does not manipulate you into feeling sad, but rather lets the realism of the situation take centre stage.

Black is infused with a fairy tale like quality, replete with characters who despite being realistic are also larger than life, a story that despite depicting a life filled with sorrow also shows us that life can be lived with love and joy, no matter our situation. Bhansali always paints images on a large canvas and here he is at the top of his game, ably assisted by cinematographer Ravi K. Chandran in filling each frame with the finesse one is accustomed to when watching his films.

His one failing though, which is evident in his other films, is not being able to restrain himself or his performers from going over the top. While in this film it is less so , it is distracting nevertheless. Bachchan, in particular, is guilty of this in his opening scene, but more than redeems himself as the film progresses. The art direction by Omang Kumar is excellent. The film is set in the late 1940’s or early 1950’s, Bhansali doesn’t make a clear reference to a specific year, but it is definitely a period film. Here again, Bhansali errs in making the film too picture perfect. While the Indian town of Simla is amazingly recreated, the sets look pristine clean as if the town had just been built, which is obviously not the case. This too is a distraction. Some of the scenes look very theatrical, as if we are watching a filmed play, which also takes away from the overall enjoyment. Finally, the relevance of making Michelle walk in a Charlie Chaplin like manner is lost on me. Bhansali even goes as far as showing her walk past a cinema playing a Chaplin film, just to make sure the reference is not lost.

While this critique might seem like nitpicking, it is important to note that Bhansali is a talented filmmaker and therefore one expects that when he makes a film as fine as this one, he should not commit basic errors.

This is no Bollywood film, on the contrary, it is an Indian film with no songs, with a running time of less than two hours and a liberal smattering of English dialogue. But let that not put off die hard Bollywood fans. Watch this film, if only to see the Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan in a role that he has described as his best performance ever (I agree) and the talented Rani Mukherji perform in a way you’ve never seen her do before. Watch Black and be mesmerised at the talent of the young actress Ayesha Kapur, who outshines the experience of the aforementioned actors. Watch Black and appreciate the artistry of Bhansali, errors not withstanding, unfold on the screen. Black is a film the Indian film industry can be proud of and is certainly a classic in its own right.

Kisna Review - January 2005

2 stars. Kisna. Directed by Subhash Ghai. With Viveck Oberoi, Antonia Bernath, Isha Shervani, Amrish Puri, Sushmita Sen, Om Puri, Rajat Kapoor, Vivek Mushran, Hrishita Bhatt. At Ster-Kinekor Cavendish Nouveau. Mehboob Bawa reviews.

A film from director Subhash Ghai is always keenly awaited. He is known as the “Showman of Bollywood” as his films are always mounted on a lavish scale and so it was with great expectations that I watched his latest magnum opus.

But alas, Kisna does nothing to elevate Ghai’s status as a force to be reckoned with in the Indian film industry. Despite the film being panned by most film critics, I can’t agree entirely with their point of view. Yes, the film had loads of potential, which Ghai never fulfills, but there is a lot to savour as well.

The film is set, for the most part, in 1947. Viveck Oberoi plays the title character Kisna who, as a child, develops a friendship with Katherine (Antonia Bernath), the daughter of a ruthless British Deputy Commissioner. Katherine’s father is totally opposed to this friendship and despite her mother’s pleading sends his daughter back to London to finish her schooling. On her return she rekindles her friendship with Kisna. The third party in this triangle is Laxmi (Isha Shervani), Kisna’s childhood friend who is deeply in love with him. Her grandfather arranges her marriage to Kisna, despite his seemingly lack of interest in getting married.

Kisna’s brother belongs to a group of freedom fighters that are battling to be free from British rule. Their fervour is used to serve the selfish needs of Kisna’s uncle (the late Amrish Puri), who wants the British Commissioner killed in order to lay his hands on his land. Despite the announcement that independence is imminent, the British Commissioner and his family are attacked by the freedom fighters led by Kisna’s brother and uncle. As a result the commissioner is killed. Katherine and her mother are split from each other. Kisna finds Katherine and shields her from the mob hunting her. His mother orders him to take Katherine to a place of safety in New Delhi. This he has to do, despite his wedding taking place in a few days and knowing that this will pit him against his elder brother. However, he readily accepts, as the bond he shares with Katherine is extremely strong.

The rest of the film traces their journey to New Delhi with the mob in pursuit as well as Prince Raghuraj (Rajat Kapoor), a friend of the Commissioner, who wants to make Katherine his bride, but ends up raping her.

While the first half of the film is good with Ghai taking his time to set up the characters and their motivations, the second half is a dismal failure. The only bright spark being the quawalli (classical music) sequence featuring former Ms. Universe Sushmita Sen and Om Puri.

What makes the film weak is the screenplay, which is extremely poorly written. A team of four writers, including Ghai himself couldn’t come up with anything better than rehashing scenes from the infinitely better Hollywood film The Last of the Mohicans. While looking towards Hollywood for inspiration is common for Bollywood filmmakers, one expects more from a director of Ghai’s calibre. He has also edited the film and that is another of it’s weaknesses – scenes are totally disjointed and there is a complete lack of tension in the dramatic sequences.

Oberoi as Kisna is weak, not knowing if he should play the romantic hero or the warrior. He hams it up on both accounts. The supporting cast are average, but it is disappointing to see the recently deceased Amrish Puri cast in a role not becoming of his stature in the industry.


The best aspects of the film is the excellent performance of debutante Antonia Bernath, the agility of Isha Shervani, the sumptiously rich musical score by two great Indian composers, A.R.Rahman (Taal and Swades) and Ismail Darbar (Devdas), as well as the exquisite production design and impeccable casting of the women over the years.

But the cherry on top and ultimately the saving grace of the film is the breathtaking cinematography of internationally renowned director of photography Ashok Mehta. A favourite of many top directors, he has been a long time collaborator of Ghai and the showman can thank his lucky stars that he hired Mehta to work on Kisna. Shot on location in the mountain region of Uttaranchal in Northern India,Mehta ensures that each frame is lit and framed impeccably, making Kisna a joy to watch. It’s like visiting an art gallery and viewing one stunning picture after another. One could very easily pause any frame of Kisna and think that you’re looking at a painting. I don’t have enough adjectives in my vocabulary to do justice to Mehta’s work on Kisna. It’s worth seeing for this fact alone.

It seems as if its back to the drawing board for Ghai, a once great director who has failed to the deliver the goods yet again.

Vaada Review - January 2005

1 Star. Vaada (Promise). Directed by Satish Kaushik. With Arjun Rampal, Zayed Khan, Amisha Patel, Rajesh Vivek. At Nu Metro, Canal Walk.

I ended my Bollywood viewing last year on a disappointing note, so I suppose it’s only to be expected that I should start 2005 in the same vein. The rest of the year does hold lots of promise though, but the less said about this mismash of a disaster the better.

As with the last film I saw in 2004, we have an experienced director who can’t make up his mind about the content of his film. Is it a murder mystery, a love story or a bit of both? Well I suppose the latter would be the most apt description. The convoluted story revolves around the relationship between the scheming Rahul (Arjun Rampal), his wife Pooja (Amisha Patel) and her seriously deranged ex-lover Karan (Zayed Khan).

Rahul is blinded in a car accident and shortly afterwards meets Karan on an overseas trip, not knowing that he was Pooja’s ex-lover. When Karan sees Pooja again his feelings for her overcome him and he tries to resurrect the relationship. She refuses his advances, but Rahul sees them together and thinks that his wife is being unfaithful. Pooja ends up dead and the prime suspects are Rahul and Karan. That in a nutshell is what the movie is about.

Satish Kaushik is a mediocre director at best and he is all at sea with his latest venture. Rumi Jaffrey’s weak screenplay doesn’t help much, neither does the hit and miss cinematography by Johney Lal. His location photography in France and Singapore are picture postcard perfect, but his studio work leaves a lot to be desired with many shots out of focus. The music by Himesh Reshamiyya, normally a competent composer, is extremely disappointing.

A far as the performances go, Rampal comes out best as Rahul. Patel doesn’t have much to do, which is a good thing as she can’t do much anyway and Zayed follows up a good performance in the blockbuster Main Hoon Naa with a shocker in this one. He seems to have been inspired by his co-star in his earlier film, Shahrukh Khan, as his performance appears to have been inspired by Shahrukh’s crazed lover in the hit film Darr. Except that Zayed hams it up completely.

Ultimately, this was probably one of those occassions when everything just went horribly wrong.

Thankfully, the film clocks in at just about two hours, a rare feat for a Bollywood movie. But, it’s still two hours best spent doing something else. My advice; wait for a better Bollywood movie to come your way. There are some top titles lined up for release in the coming months. Many of which are going to be infinitely better than this one and that’s a promise.