Movie Review: Singham is for Ajay Devgn fans only

Ratings:

Aseem Chabbra feels that the real star of the film Singham is its sound team.

In Rohit Shetty's mass-masala movie Singham, Ajay Devgn plays an upright, honest and do-gooder cop who goes way beyond the training and duties of a regular Indian Police Service officer.

He will stop to push a cart if its wheel is stuck in the mud; play with little kids; become a part time no-interest loan financier to settle a dispute between two people in his village, especially if someone is about to get married and it is their 'izzat ka sawal'.

Devgn's Bajirao Singham is almost the village panchayat, who is blessed by hundreds of drum beating men. His ritual bath in the village pond at night is accompanied with a beautiful display of floating lit lamps, and people dressed in red costumes praying, perhaps for his well-being.

After the bath, Singham walks bare-chested with mysterious smoke rising behind him, subtle dramatic lighting, to the beat of drums and what sounds like Hindu shlokas. He sometimes walks in slow-motion -- that means he is cool. And sometimes leaps at the bad guys -- that means he has lion blood flowing throwing his veins.
Singham is followed by a continuous soundtrack -- mostly the melody of the title song sung by Sukhwinder Singh. But in the second half of the film, when he decides to finally take on the evil Jaykant Shikre (a very loud and over-the-top Prakash Raj), Singham's personal soundtrack changes to religious shlokas -- as if his forthcoming actions, beyond what is allowed by the laws of the land and his training at the IPS academy, are justified and sanctioned by something above everything else -- God, Hinduism, its texts and its hymns.

Remake of a hit 2010 Tamil film, Singham is critical of the Indian politics and society. Time and again, the film's characters make observations against India's flawed and corrupt system.

The film's three writers: Hari, Yunus Sajawal and Farhad Sajid seem to be disappointed with the way India has shaped out to be. They have little faith in the law. Most cops in the film, baring Singham and a couple of his subordinates when he is posted to Goa, are shown to be corrupt or at least have an attitude that do they not give a damn.

The politicians are the guilty party. As Shikre says toward the end of the film -- from 1947 to 2011 no minister has been arrested in India for crime and corruption.
The film makes it very clear -- without the existence of Singham, the good cop, India has no hope. I wonder why no has thought of making him the president or the prime minister of the country!
The film opens with the big dramatic dance sequence celebrating our hero -- it feels like it is Holi, but it is not, as Devgn and the backup dancers strike a pose with as their hands becoming the claws of tigers.

The first half of the film takes its time in establishing Singham's character, his world, his romance with Kaavya Bhosle (Kajal Agarwal, a chirpy, but weak actress, who has a bad habit of rushing through her lines and strangely enough bears a slight resemblance to Devgn's wife Kajol).

In a long fight sequence, Singham beats up a fat bad guy who has snatched Kaavya's green dupatta. And she is so shamed by the dishonour that she wraps herself in a black dupatta.
There is the parallel story about Shikre, who makes money kidnapping rich people and has the protection of the Goa's top cops and politicians. But Singham and Shikre's path do not cross, until almost the intermission.
In the second half, Singham is posted to Goa -- as a punishment, where he is now in the world run by Shikre. He is frustrated and almost gives up hope. But just when he decides to leave, a depressed and overweight kid looks at Singham and begs him to stay back. "Uncle aap nahin hongey to yeh mummy ko marengey," the kid pleads with Singham.

The kid's mummy is Megha Kadam (Sonali Kulkarni), whose husband committed suicide in the opening sequences of the film, but all of that is too complicated to explain here.
Finally, Singham walks up to what looks like the entire Goa police force gathered with their families for a reception. He asks each of those cops to look into the eyes of their family members. Burdened with a sufficient sense of guilt, the reformed cops take off on 'mardon wallah kaam' to deal with Shikre, who by now has been elected for the political office. The method they chose to deal with Shikre may be unethical according to the Indian laws, but then it goes fine with the film's near anarchist attitude.
The dialogues are often hilarious, sometimes unintentionally. Singham to Shikre: "Tu corruption sey paiday hua gandi nalee ka keeda hai."

Shikre to Singham: "Yahan mera music system bajta hai!"

A jaded junior cop to Singham: "Main bhi yahan angry young man ban key aya tha. Lekin in logon ne mujhey Gandhi Ji ka bandar bana diya - na dekho, na bolo, na suno!"

The performances have Bollywood written all over them. Devgn is mostly a caricature of an action hero. His best moments are when he is really angry, gritting his teeth and cracking his knuckles as he gets ready to beat up the bad guys.
The real star of the film is the sound team. Singham is packed with a lot of bone crunching sounds, and loud action moments. Gone are the days when Bollywood films just featured dhishum-dhishum in the fight scenes. Now there is every possible jarring loud sound one hears, as Singham whips up the bad guys with his belts and smashes their bodies on the ground, against walls,.

The fights are long, painful and yet fun to watch. But I never understood why with all the beating they take from one man, none of the bad guys are even slightly injured. There is no bone broken, no cut, not even a bruise. There is violence and yet no after affect of violence. And I am sure that is fine for the Indian censors.

Movie Review: Don 2 looks seriously slick

It's a bit perplexing to see just how young, fit and fresh Shah Rukh Khan looks in the promos of his films.

We saw the glaring gulf between the way he looked in the Ra One promo earlier this year and the way he looked on TV with Karan Johar or supporting his IPL team, and now we see him again, looking lethal in the first trailer for Don 2. Maybe those who do makeup and CGI for Rajnikanth are working their magic in SRK's films, or maybe King Khan only saves up his shininess for when it counts
the most.

Either way, the Don 2 trailer looks pretty darned sharp.
We see a speedboat slice through verdant green waters as Khan, in over- baritoned voiceover, tells us
that his enemies thought he was dead and now he's back and ready for more.

We catch peeks of Khan in tattooed longhaired Bangkok junkie/underpaid chinesevan waiter mode, both of which make sense as a disguise while the wounded tiger licks his wounds. A word about the voice, though: in a sequel to a film where he stepped into Amitabh Bachchan's shoes -- which seemed a couple sizes too big for him at the time -- this voiceover seems to be yet another tribute from Khan, trying to sound a bit like that man who keeps proving he'll never be too old.

And then, just as he uses up all the gravel in his throat mouthing the 'remember who I am, I'm the Don' lines from that classic song used smartly here as dialogue, he smiles and says 'boom', a car explodes on cue, and then it's Shah Rukh all the way.

The rest is standard blockbuster fare, explosions and slow motion turns to the camera, maximised for dramatic effect. But there's absolutely no mistaking the fact that this film looks very, very slick indeed. Clearly Farhan Akhtar's out to prove a point, and so far, he looks like he knows what he's doing. Wish they didn't throw in the weird Khan smirk at the very end, though.

What do you think of the Don 2 trailer? Do you think SRK will give us the year's biggest blockbuster with Don 2 or Ra.One? Do you think director Farhan Akhtar, who has given us unforgettable films like Dil Chahata Hai and Lakshya, and Don will be fourth time lucky?

Don 2 Trailer

Movie Review: Chillar Party is enjoyable

A motley group of kids. An endearing
canine companion. A waif busy washing
cars to earn a living. Middle-class families
who are insensitive to both human beings
and animals. Politicians acting in an inane
and obtuse manner. And kids who feel
they can take on the world. All the
ingredients necessary to create a
melodramatic potboiler have been sourced
and secured into the script. Is this one
more 'childrens' film with morals woven
into the script hoping to see the audience
in tears?
Thankfully no. Chillar Party may not be free
of the obligatory good versus evil theme
which persistently makes its way into this
genre (at least in Bollywood) yet it aims at
generating laughter, without punching
you in the gut.
Starting with the ubiquitous nicknames
sometimes provided by parents or colony
mates, Mumbai's [ Images ] Chandan Nagar
Society has its band of bratty boys named
as encyclopedia, secondhand, panvati etc.
The reason for these names could be as
varied as a personality trait to the family's
financial status. A white Pomeranian
owned by a cranky senior citizen turns
them into dog-haters for the rest of their
life. In this scenario enters Phatka, a skinny
lad with determination and attitude. Both
traits imperative for children who work on
the streets of Mumbai and survive by their
wits alone. His only companion and friend
in the entire world is Bhidu a lovable black
and white pariah.
Phatka survives largely on a diet of tea and
glucose biscuits and keeps to himself. He
sports a ragged yellow t-shirt, doesn't
crave for anything but he's devoted to his
pooch. The kids direct their anger on both
Phatka and Bhidu, but Phatka remains
resilient not wanting to give up this job --
his only means of survival.
Then the bratty middle-class kids realize
the extent of their nastiness and try hard
to make amends. But Phatka isn't a
pushover. Will he relent? Or is this
senseless feud likely to continue?
Our protagonist Phatka played by Irrfan
Khan [ Images ] doesn't have much to say
for himself. When he speaks it's 'tapori
language' picked up from watching the
latest movies. Even as one laughs at his
philosophies about life it's the expressive
brown eyes which speak volumes about
his anguish and loneliness. One sequence
when he fears his beloved pooch has
disappeared he breaks down but with
quiet restraint.
The rest of the brats are on the verge of
adolescence; where they're old enough to
question their parents, too young to rebel
openly. Pre-pubescent, their lives revolve
around cricket and not the opposite sex.
They're real (unlike the kids we've seen in
YRF and Dharma productions), they
grimace, they grumble, but they remain
kids.
The co-directors Nitesh Tiwari and Vikas
Bahl successfully recreate a poignant and
touching tale about the bonds children
forge among themselves, their casual
indifference towards school, parents and
academics and their ability to stay focused
when somebody they deeply care for has
become the casual victim of an adult's
manipulations.
The film has a few really fun moments,
especially when a chance remark such as
'Toh chadddi mein ghoomu kya' invokes a
'chaddi march' with a few hundred kids.
Or the shameless way they manipulate
their parents sans any qualms.
Many 'values' and 'morals' have been
woven into the script. Such as how people
employ child labour without batting an
eyelash. Or how there is no respite for a
daily wage earner even when he's
shivering with fever. Although it could
have been handled in a subtler fashion, but
it forms an integral part of the film.
If the screenplay suffers it is due to the so-
called climax (is any kiddie film complete
without it) which seems foisted. The
children morph into young adults abruptly.
As they mouth dialogues which don't seem
to come from their heart, they lose their
charm which is what attracted us to them
in the first place. The politician and his
goon don't just appear absurd to a child,
they are bizarre villainous caricatures who
ideally should have induced fear but they
turn into mere irritants.
Chillar Party is an enjoyable film with plenty
of laughs. Do watch this, unless of course
you hate kids.

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara Cast Set To Go On A Road Trip

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara Cast is all set to Go On A Road Trip from Mumbai to Delhi by a vanity van. The cast will take first break in Surat to have lunch and then they will head towards Delhi. Aggressive and innovative marketing
strategies have become common in
Bollywood these days. And the cast and
crew of Zoya Akhtar's Zindagi Na Milegi
Dobara are taking such strategies to the
next level.
The actors, along with their director and
producer, are all set to undertake a road trip
to Delhi this Thursday.
The idea for this journey is obviously
inspired by the film, in which Hrithik Roshan,
Farhan Akhtar and Abhay Deol hit the road
in Spain.
Katrina Kaif, Kalki Koechlin, Zoya Akhtar and
Ritesh Sidhwani too, will be accompanying
the three actors on their way to the capital.
At the end of their drive, the actors will
perform a live concert at a mall in Gurgaon,
Haryana.
Interestingly, apart from the men, the
women too, will take turns on the wheel.
Confirming their journey, Ritesh said there's
a lot to explore in India, too. "So we decided
on this plan as it will also help us connect
with the audience along the way," he
pointed, adding that they will stop at Surat,
Baroda, Ahmedabad, Udaipur, Ajmer and
Jaipur before reaching Delhi on Sunday and
then performing in Haryana.
"There's so much to see in these places, so
they're important stops for us to interact
with the people along the way," he added.

DELHI BELLY gets a terrific opening, a huge success

Aamir Khan Productions and UTV's co
production DELHI BELLY, which released last
Friday, has become a huge success.
The sixth venture of Aamir Khan Productions
is a mass grosser in India. It opened with
7.15 crore on Friday, 1st July. Saturday
collections went up to 8.50 crore and
increased to 10.75 crore on Sunday, giving a
sum total of 26.4 crore business only over
the weekend. With films opening to merely
10% to 40% maximum in the recent past,
this seems like a new wave that has hit the
Indian cinema.
The overall cost of the film is 24 crore which
includes production, print and publicity as
well. So, recovering is already done and the
business in the coming days will also be
something to watch out for given the terrific
start of the film and also the revenue it is
expected to generate from non-theatrical
avenues. It opened across 1200 screens
with major occupancy in multiplexes across
the country.

Delhi Belli is mainly about these days students and their life, enjoyment, girls, internet, sex and all other adult activities. The film is full of abuses and vulgar words. Even Aamir Khan said that this movie is not for young ones. But adults are enjoying it to the most.

Delhi Belly soaring high, Rs.15.65 crore on its first two days

Aamir Khan's home production Delhi Belly has broken the dry spell at box office by earning Rs.15.65 crore on its first two days despite being an adult comedy, while Amitabh Bachchan's family entertainer Bbuddah...Hoga Terra Baap (BHTB) is at Rs.4.26 crore.

The opening collection for AB Corp's Rs.10 crore Bbuddah...Hoga Terra Baap was Rs.1.91 crore, but it picked up on Saturday by grossing Rs.2.35, said film critic Taran Adarsh on his Twitter page.
"Bbuddah HTB would've collected double/triple of what it has, had it averted clash with other films. Would've got more screens also," he wrote.

Anant Verma, director and business head, DT Cinemas told IANS that both the films are doing great, "however, Delhi Belly is slightly better as it has more shows than Bbuddah..

"Moreover, it caters to the young crowd, while Bbuddah.. is meant for family. Delhi Belly has an interesting concept and it has been promoted in such a way that the audience know what to expect from it," said Verma.

Made at a budget of Rs.25 crore including print and publicity, Imran Khan-starrer earned Rs.7.15 crore friday and Rs 8.50 crore on Saturday.
While Bbuddah... is about a flamboyant Paris-returned gangster, played by Amitabh, Delhi Belly captures the urban, money-is-everything, foul-mouthed India with Imran Khan, Vir Das and Kunal Roy Kapoor in the lead roles.

However, considering the budget and genre of the two films, both are doing well.

In fact, in some multiplexes Bbuddah... is giving neck to neck competition to Delhi Belly.

"The response has been good. All the shows of Delhi Belly and Bbuddah.., are going houseful. Yesterday Delhi Belly was 99 percent while Bbuddah was 98.5 percent," said Rakesh Warikoo, general manager (operations) Spice Cinemas, who are running 18 shows of Delhi Belly and eight shows of Bbuddah... Hoga Terra Baap.
Yogesh Raizada of Waves Cinemas sees Delhi Belly doing well in the long run and suggests "Bbuddah... is a complete masala film and a family entertainer. It is Amitabh all the way. All the performances are also good. It makes for an enjoyable watch," he said.

"Delhi Belly cannot be watched with parents due to its language. However, the film is likely to run for long time, although it is true, with the release of Murder 2 next week, the business will get affected to some extent," he added.

Movie Review: Delhi Belly

<< A still from the movie

Cast: Imran Khan, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Vir Das, Shehnaz Treasurywala, Poorna Jagannathan, Vijay Raaz Director: Abhinay Deo

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 1 hour 36 minutes

Rating: ****

Story: Three young professionals who happen to be roommates -- Tashi (Imraan Khan), Nitin (Kunaal Roy Kapur), Arup (Vir Das) -- inadvertently become couriers for a cache of diamonds, smuggled in by a Russian gangster. The diamonds have to be delivered to a local gangster, Vijay Raaz. Unfortunately, a strange mix-up causes a weird package to be delivered to him instead. This is the beginning of the troubles of the happy-go-lucky threesome which obviously has no experience in tackling Delhi's crazy underworld.

Movie Review: So who's the real hero of the film? Is it writer Akshat Verma who has given Bollywood one of its smartest scripts to hit the horizon since a long long time? As a comedy, Delhi Belly is such a refreshing change from the run-of-the-mill Hindi film laugh riot which almost always borders on the juvenile. The humour is all situational, beautifully woven in the script and never having to depend on a banana peel skid. Grow up all you comedy filmmakers who insist on treating your audience as retards!

Is it director Abhinay Deo who tells a story peppered with the most unusual incidents in a down-to-earth, matter-of fact way which works wonders for the film? Mercifully, there is no desire on his part to shock and awe you or send you into hysterical bouts of laughter, simply because the events are so bizarre, they shock and awe you by their very nature and keep the laughs coming relentlessly. Certain sequences almost bring the house down: Vir Das and his exploits with the burqa, Kunaal Roy Kapur and his exploits with orange juice, Vijay Raaz and his encounter with the contraband packet.... Too many to enlist!

Is it the performances: all set pieces and fine examples of how to underplay and over-impress? If Imran Khan pitches in his best act till date as the journalist trapped between fleeing from death and floundering in love's dilemma, then newcomer Kunaal Roy Kapur is the funkiest victim of the accursed Delhi belly. His gripes, groans and loo exploits are the stuff classic comedy is made of. Vir Das delivers his usual competent clown act without trying too hard: quite a scene-stealer. Vijay Raaz as the gangster is a scream while the girls blend in with ease.

And finally, is it the Censor Board which displays such maturity in passing the film with no cuts? For the first time, we get a film where characters actually speak the language real young people speak. And no, nobody's morals get corrupted. One of the highlights of the film is its screenplay, brimming over with cuss and swear words, which themselves add to the fun factor of the film. Ram Sampath's audio score with quirky lyrics like Switty, DK Bose and Chudail are an added bonus.

All in all, Delhi Belly is a fine example of how the brightest and the boldest, when they pool in their talent, can create a film that is guaranteed to give you your money's worth, even as it re-writes all the moth-balled rules of an ageing industry.
Enjoy the experience.

Preview: 'Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap'

In 'Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap', Amitabh Bachchan essays the role of a retired Hitman settled in Paris who comes back to India to do "one last job". During the course he comes face to face with his past and that gets him to change his motive for the 'hit'.

Directed by Poori Jagannath, the movie stars Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Minissha Lamba, Sonal Chauhan, Sonu Sood, Prakash Raj, Charmi, Mahie Gill and Raveena Tandon.

See the slide show here

'Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap' will be released on July 1.

IIFA Awards 2011 Performances in Pictures

A soulful tribute to Michael Jackson performed by his brother Jermaine Jackson and Sonu Nigam.

Jermaine and Sonu perform amidst a Michael Jackson soaked ambiance.

Two years after the King Of Pop's unfortunate death, the memory still lives on.

Dia Mirza dazzles all with a shimmering wave of jhatkas.

A very captivated Dia, flowing through the enchanting performance.

From fiery pinks to vivid yellow, Dia works the colors along with the moves.

A very animated Mallika Sherawat, strutting her best stuff. Jalebi Bai act?

Amidst a dreamy backdrop, Mallika enraptures all.

The looks that win us everytime

Indian singer Sonu Nigam performs during IIFA Rocks, part of 2011 International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards, in Toronto, Ontario, on June 24, 2011.

An all-black Sonu Nigam does what he is best at

Indian singer Shankar Mahadevan (C) performs during IIFA Rocks, part of 2011 International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards, in Toronto, Ontario, on June 24, 2011.

Indian singer Shankar Mahadevan performs during IIFA Rocks, part of 2011 International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards, in Toronto, Ontario, on June 24, 2011.

Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy rocked to the rhythm of Jhoom Barabar Jhoom.

Performers dance on the stage during IIFA Rocks, part of 2011 International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards, in Toronto, Ontario, on June 24, 2011.

IIFA AwardS 2011 Winners

Salman Khan's blockbuster Dabangg has bagged a slew of awards at the ongoing IIFA Awards in Toronto. Along with Best Film, Dabangg won Sonu Sood's best performance in a negative role, to Sonakshi Sinha's best debut, the film has also won Abhinav Kashyap and Dilip Shukla the best screenplay award.

But the film didn't win Salman his best actor award. Instead, Shah Rukh Khan was presented the award for best actor for his role in Karan Johar's My Name Is Khan. The film also brought home the best director award for Karan Johar.

A pleasant surprise was Anushka Sharma winning in the best actress category for Band Baaja Baaraat.
Mamta Sharma won the Floriana IIFA Award for best playback female singer for her song Munni badnam hui... from Dabangg.

"I love you so much...Lalitji I love you so much...Shah Rukh I love you much... Toronto I love you so much,'' said Mamta Sharma, as Arshad Warsi announced the award at the show co-hosted by Boman Irani, Ritesh Deshmukh and Shah Rukh Khan.

The award for the best playback song went to Rahat Fateh Ali Khan for Tere mast mast do nain... from Dabanng.

For music direction, the award went to Sajid-Wajid and Lalit Pandit for Dabangg.

For lyrics, the IIFA award went to Niranjan Iyengar for Sajda.. and Noor-e-Khuda.. in My Name is Khan. The award was accepted by Karan Johar on his behalf.

My Name Is Khan also bagged the Best Story Award for Shivani Bhatija.

The complete list is as below:

• Best Film: Dabangg
  
• Best Actor (Female): Anushka Sharma, Band Baaja Baaraat
  
• Best Actor (Male): shah Rukh Khan, My Name Is Khan
  
• Best Director: Karan Johar, My Name Is Khan
  
• Best Actor In A Comic Role: Riteish Deshmukh, Housefull
  
• Best Performance In A Supporting Role (Male): Arjun Rampal, Raajneeti
  
• Best Performance In A Supporting Role (Female): Prachi Desai, Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai
  
• Best Performance In A Negative Role: Sonu Sood, Dabangg
  
• Achievement In International Cinema: Irrfan Khan
  
• Best Debut (Female): Sonakshi Sinha, Dabangg
  
• Best Debut (Male): Ranveer Singh, Band Baaja Baaraat
  
• Hottest Pair 2011: Anushka Sharma and Ranveer Singh
  
• Outstanding Achievemnet in Indian Cinema: Sharmila Tagore
  
• Best Screenplay Award: Abhinav Kashyap, Dilip Shukla, Dabangg
  
• Best Playback Singer (Female): Mamta Sharma, Munni Badnaam Hui (Dabangg)
  
• Best Playback Song: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan Tere Mast Mast Do Nain (Dabangg)
  
• Best Music Direction: Sajid-Wajid, Lalit Pandit, Dabangg
  
• Best Lyrics: Niranjan Iyengar, Sajda and Noor-e-Khuda (My Name is Khan)
  
• Best Story Award: Shivani Bhatija, My Name is Khan
  
• Best Costume Designing: Niharika Khan, Band Baaja Baaraat
  
• Best Action: S Vijayan, Dabangg
  
• Best Makeup: Banu (For Rajinikanth), Robot
  
• Best Background Score: Shankar, Ehsaan, Loy, My Name Is Khan
  
• Best Song Recording: Vijay Dayal, Ainvayi Ainvayi (Band Baaja Baaraat)
  
• Best Choreography Award: Farah Khan, Munni Badnaam (Dabangg)
  
• Best Editing: Namrata Rao, Band Baaja Baaraat
  
• Best Sound Recording: Pritam Das, Love, Sex Aur Dhokha
  
• Best Sound Re-recording: Leslie Fernandes, Dabangg
  
• Best Cinematography: Sudeep Chatterjee, Guzaarish
  
• Best Art Direction: Sabu Cyril, Robot
  
• Best Special Effects: Indian Artists, Robot

IIFA Awards 2011 Winners in Pictures

Best Performance In A Supporting Role (Male): Arjun Rampal, Raajneeti

Best Performance In A Supporting Role (Female): Prachi Desai, Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai

Best Performance In A Negative Role: Sonu Sood, Dabangg

Best Debut (Male): Ranveer Singh, Band Baaja Baaraat

Best Debut (Female): Sonakshi Sinha, Dabangg

Hottest Pair 2011: Anushka Sharma and Ranveer Singh

Achievement In International Cinema: Irrfan Khan

Outstanding Achievement in Indian Cinema: Sharmila Tagore

Bollywood casts its spell on IIFA awards

Romantic comedy "Band Baaja Baarat" and action drama "Dabangg" scooped up three early honours each at the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards in Toronto that packed three days of film, song and dance culminating in Saturday's awards ceremony, often referred to as the Indian Oscars.

The IIFA Rocks, a Bollywood-inspired concert and fashion show bonanza, also paid a nostalgic tribute to late pop star Michael Jackson in a moving concert by Jermaine Jackson, elder brother of the King of Pop, to mark his second death anniversary. Singer and composer Sonu Nigam joined him in the performance.

Nigam's 'Thank you for the legacy' set the tone on Saturday in the city's ultra-modern Ricoh Coliseum, jampacked with more than 25,000 people.

IIFA Rocks started the awards portion of the weekend by giving away some technical film awards in between some high-energy musical performances by Mallika Sherawat who danced to 'Arabian Nights'.

Shah Rukh Khan gets a King's welcome

Actor Shah Rukh Khan landed in Toronto amid huge fanfare as screaming fans greeted him at the Royal York Hotel. Around a hundred fans, who waited to catch a glimpse of the actor at the hotel lobby were delighted as he broke into an impromptu little jig despite his knee injury.

Virtually the whole of Bollywood, including actor Anil Kapoor, veteran stage and film star Anupam Kher and Bipasha Basu has descended on the Coliseum to entertain Toronto. The four-hour-long IIFA Rocks show was conducted by Karan Johar and Anushka Sharma.

Namrata Rao won the IIFA award for editing, Naharika Khan for costume and Vijay Dayal for best song 'Ainvayi ainvayi' in 'Band Baaja Baaraat'.

Pritam Das for best sound recording in 'Love, Sex aur Dhokha', Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy for background score in 'My Name in Khan', Leslie Fernandes for re-recording in 'Dabanng', and Sudeep Chatterjee for cinematography in 'Guzaarish'. Sabu Cyril won the award for art direction in 'Robot', which also won the IIFA awards for special effects and make-up.

Dia Mirza performed a dance medley of hit numbers such as 'Pyar Do, Pyar Lo,' 'Parda Hai Parda,' and 'Aapka Kya Hoga.' Nigam enthralled the audience with his cocktail of qawwali and rock.

The cheering was so raucous when the venue's camera monitors' flashed on Bollywood superstars sitting in their seats that it sometimes drowning out the hosts, that "When we're speaking, please don't put close-ups of big movie stars on the screen," joked co-host Karan Johar, drawing laughter from the crowd.

Johar and co-host Anushka Sharma alternated between English and Hindi throughout the evening.

Sharma was treated to a hug by Shahrukh Khan, often referred to as "King Khan," whose close-ups on the monitor screens drew the loudest cheers.

"I'm tired of girls giving me a hug. I want a deep passionate kiss," said Khan.

"You're forgetting what would happen at home if that happened," smirked Johar.

Khan retorted, "We're thousands and thousands of miles away. What happens in Toronto, stays in Toronto." But in the end, he played it safe with a big bear hug for the bombshell Bollywood actress.

Much of the evening's music was provided by Shankar Ehsaan Loy, a musical super group consisting of Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa, who also won an award for best background score for their work on "My Name is Khan," starring Shahrukh Khan.

But the real musical superstars were British-Canadian bhangra trio RDB, whose energetic performances with singer Veronica and two players of the drum-like dhol, got the audience shaking their shoulders in their seats and cheering excitedly.

The IIFA provides the climax for three days of moviegoing, dancing, fashion, music and a business forum aimed at strengthening ties between India and Canada -- something event organizers hope to do around the world, too.

With an expected worldwide TV audience of 700 million viewers tuning in to watch the show, tickets were scooped up in less than 10 minutes. Some 22,200 faithful, Bollywood fans hope to get a closer look at many of their favorite stars.

Debuting in 2000 in London, the IIFA's have been held on four continents in cities including Dubai, Bangkok, Colombo, Singapore, Macau and Johannesburg but never in India.

Nominees for IIFA

Awards in 15 categories are up for grabs at Saturday's green carpet event.

The larger-than-life gangster film "Once Upon a Time in Mumbai" leads the pack of movie contenders with an impressive 12 nominations, including best film and best leading male role for Ajay Devgan, solidifying him as one of Bollywood's premier actors.

"Dabangg" is a close second with 11 nominations. The corrupt cop thriller broke box office records in its debut week in theaters and is the highest grossing Bollywood film of all time, It earned a best male role nomination for on screen tough guy Salman Khan.

"My name is Khan" goes into the IIFAs with four nominations. The film looks into the struggles of a Muslim family in the US following the September 11 attacks. The film earned Bollywood heavyweight, Shah Rukh Khan, a best actor nod in his role as a man with Asperger's Syndrome who travels across the country telling people he is not a terrorist.

Rounding out the category for best picture honors is "Ishqiya" nominated for nine IIFA awards while the romantic comedy "Band Baaja Baaraat" and the political thriller "Rajneeti" each have eight.

Movie Review: 180 is a cliche

180 is one of the most stylish films of the year, but the plot is extremely predictable.

Right from the beginning Sathyam Cinemas' and Aghal Films' 180 (or Nootrenbathu, as it's called in Tamil) is certainly among the most stylish films made this year. Not very surprising, as it's the debut movie of veteran ad-maker Jayendra of Real Images. The production values are brilliant, Balasubramaniem's camera-work is spotless, Sharreth's music is easy on the ears while V Selvakumar's artwork is all cool -- shapes, high-rise apartments and quaint Chennai homes.

Then you come down to the story, penned by writers Subha and Jayendra himself. And you wonder exactly how and where it goes, or if it's even going anywhere which ends up being even more of a suspense than the plot-twist itself.

Not that the beginning is quite so dismal, even if you're able to guess its direction within minutes: a somber Mano (Siddharth) rises from the waters of the Ganga in Varanasi (the droplets flowing off him most artistically), and watches various families perform the last rites of relatives. He's disturbed about his life, until a young boy apparently gives him direction (and incidentally, his name).

From then on, it's a happy-go-lucky journey for Mano, who aimlessly drives round in an auto until he reaches a home in T Nagar; makes friends with a garrulous paperboy, runs around the city doing odd jobs like ironing, selling sundal and thus attracting the attentions of a very pretty photojournalist Vidhya (Nithya Menen) who works at the newspaper, Bharatha Mithran.

Vidhya, perky and enthusiastic, promptly tracks the elusive Mano down and arrives at his home, asks various probing questions and then, promptly falls in love with him. Her attraction increases, as he never volunteers information about himself and sets up a fund for newspaper boys' education in a jiffy.

Naturally, you're given tantalising glimpses of Mano's life: he was, not too long ago, Ajay Kumar, a doctor with the Sunway Medical Centre, San Francisco, where he met the love of his life: Renuka Narayanan (Priya Anand). The two are instantly attracted and enjoy the NRI life, before getting married. In this, they have a solid friend, Sambasivam aka Sam (Sricharan). And then, things start to happen.

Siddharth is much the same he's been in many movies before this; playing the cheerful guy who has secrets up his sleeve is a cakewalk for him. He's one of those actors who can carry off the role of the urban male convincingly, and he follows the pattern.

Priya Anand is sweet, sympathetic, but doesn't quite manage to pull it off during the angst sections. Part of it is her attire: she actually wears towering heels and perfectly coordinated dresses during the most sorrowful moments!

Nithya Menen gives her excellent competition with her own sweet, unsullied looks. She actually manages to carry her viewers with her, despite the faltering Tamil accent.

Sricharan looks the part of the scruffy, concerned best friend and plays it convincingly. Mouli, Geetha et al do their parts well.

The biggest stumbling block, though, is the screenplay. Surprisingly, Subha's dialogues don't really gel, while the story, after a promising beginning, meanders all over the place. The romantic situations of the first half, meant to be heart-warming, turn cloyingly sweet but the second half is actually disappointing. The big twist leaves you gaping with surprise, largely because it's completely predictable.

180 is a visual feast, no doubt about it. Sadly it falls prey to clichés and lagging pace.

Rating:

Bollywood congratulates the SrBachchan and JrBachchan

 As soon as Amitabh Bachchan revealed the news of daughter in law Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's pregnancy, wishes started to pour out for the family.

Actress Priyanka Chopra was one of the first celebrities to wish. 'CONGRATS SIR @SrBachchan and @juniorbachchan...awesome news!! lets make way for the legacy to go forward...' she tweeted.

Abhishek Bachchan's friend Riteish Deshmukhwas also happy to hear the news. '@SrBachchan Congratttttuuulationnnnnnssssssssssss- superrrrr superrrrrr happppppyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy,' he tweeted.
Abhishek's Dum Maaro Dum co-star Rana Daggubati wrote: '@juniorbachchan is soon to be Daddy Bachchan. Congrats and lots of love.'

Neil Nitin Mukesh wrote: 'Amazing! Congrats soon to be dadujaan! @SrBachchan and big bro @juniorbachchan & Ash bhahi ! love n happiness to u always ! Yipeeee !!:D :)'

Genelia D'Souza feels the kid is going to be extremely good looking. '@juniorbachchan congratulations ab,, super super happy 4 Aish n u,, one things 4sure d kid vl b one hell of a good lookin kid ☺ congrats agn,' she updated.

Deepika Padukone too tweeted her wishes. '@juniorbachchan,Aishwarya, @SrBachchan,Jaya aunty and Aishwarya's parents...CONGRATULATIONS!!!lots of love...X' she updated.

Dostana director Tarun Mansukhani tweeted: '@juniorbachchan... Congrats AB... So happy for you and ash! Loads of love and a big big hug!!! :)'

Whereas Raveena Tandon recalled her experience with Aishwarya. 'so so happy with the news on Ash gonna be a mamma! godbless! I remember, she and me together on flights, going for concerts, chatting, long hrs away, then too she dreamed of a happy settled family life.. She's another scorpion whose moulded her life into exactly what she wanted!!A loving husband! a good family, successful career and now babies!' she wrote.

Dia Mirza, Ranvir Shorey, Celina Jaitly and Divya Dutta also wrote their congratulatory tweets to Big B.

As for Amitabh Bachchan, he thanked everyone with this tweet. 'No words to express my gratitude to all those that wish us on the coming of a new born in the family .. I am humbled, honored, happy,' he wrote.

Now, you can wear D K Bose

The lead actors of Delhi Belly -- Imran Khan, Kunal Roy Kapoor and Vir Das -- were present at the National Textile Fair in Goregaon, a western suburb of Mumbai, on Monday to launch a Delhi Belly T-shirt collection.

The film's promos, especially the songs have become quite a rage with youngsters all across the country and as if acting on cue, the makers decided to launch merchandise to cash in on the film's rising popularity.

 

Imran Khan sported a tee with DK Bose written all over it while Kunal was seen in a tee that had Switty -- another song from the film -- written on it.

Imran also revealed that it was mama Aamir Khan's brainchild to create T-shirts. The merchandise will be available in the market shortly.

Aamir had launched a similar promotional drive for his film Ghajini. Hope it works for Delhi Belly too.

Amitabh health scare

Amitabh Bachchan has been working around the clock promoting his Puri Jagannadh film, Bbuddah Hoga Tera Baap and it has affected his health adversely. He has been travelling non - stop to do talk shows on TV and radio plus press conferences.

The almost 70 star had to slow down when he suffered from a sore throat and a congested chest. His doctor has put him on antibiotics to control the infection and has told him to take it easy.

The veteran reassured fans that it was nothing to worry about and nothing more than a minor ailment. He reports that he is feeling better and is waiting to resume work on Aarakshan, his next film with Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone.