Films are my bread and butter: Akshay Kumar

Bollywood star Akshay Kumar credits the film industry for all the name, fame, accolades, adulation, lifestyle and luxury that he has garnered in over two decades, saying filmdom "means a lot" to him.

Ever since he started with Saugandh in 1991, he has never looked back and the career graph of the 45-year-old has always spiralled up.

"This is my bread and butter. This is where I started... I am very thankful to the industry. It means a lot to me. In fact, it means everything to me," Akshay Kumar told IANS in an exclusive interview.

Tagged as "one of the most profitable actors", he delivered mega hits Housefull 2 and Rowdy Rathore last year, with both the films entering the Rs.100-crore club.

Asked about the new title, pat came the reply: "Who wouldn't want to be an actor who gives profits to all his producers and exhibitors?"

In the same breath, he added: "I feel honoured with this compliment. Thank you very much for it."

There is a lot of talk about the quality of content in films, but box office numbers are important for survival, he said.

"It is important for you to survive. It is important for the distributors and exhibitors to be happy. At the end of the day, these are the people who matter to you. The box office does matter, no matter what everyone says," he explained.

As a beginner, he earned the tag of an action star after the hit "Khiladi" series including "Khiladi" and "Main Khiladi Tu Anari". Subsequently he moved to drama and comedy with "Waqt - Race Against Time" and "Hera Pheri".

With Khiladi 786 and Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai Dobara, he is back to the action genre and confesses: "I enjoy action with comedy."

"But this film ('Once Upon...') is about romance and action. It is a deadly combination. I have enjoyed working in it. It is a different kind of genre. I am looking forward to the release," he said.

Milan Luthria-directed underworld drama "Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai Dobara" , would release Aug 15 to take advantage of the Independence Day holiday. It also stars Imran Khan and Sonakshi Sinha.

Asked about the box-office prospects of the film, he said: "I have worked hard in the film. I don't know whether I will achieve it or not, but I am very confident that people will like it and that is more important. I have been very honest with my work."

He attended the India-Pakistan Champions Trophy match in London on Saturday to promote his film.

"I don't know if it will help or not. It surely helped me to have fun and that is what I went for," he said.

Hectic shooting schedules and endorsements keep Akshay, who is married to actress Twinkle Khanna, on his toes. Therefore, he keeps his free time for his children - Aarav and Nitara.

"I play with my children in my free time," he said.

Don’t want 'Raanjhanaa' to be compared with '3': Dhanush

Dhanush says there is no similarity between ‘Raanjhanaa’ and ‘3’.

Except for a few scenes in school uniform, there is absolutely no similarity between Raanjhanaa and Tamil romantic-drama 3, clarifies Tamil actor Dhanush. He urges viewers not to compare the two movies.

"3" was an unsuccessful directorial debut of Dhanush's wife, Aishwarya Rajinikanth, while "Raanjhanaa" marks his debut in Bollywood.

"I don't want these two films to be compared because they bear no similarity except for a few scenes in school uniform. Both films have different storylines and are quite different from each other in so many ways," Dhanush told IANS.

Aishwarya's "3" tracks the love story of two students from class 12 to the stage when they tie the knot to become a couple, whereas "Raanjhanaa" focuses on the relationship between a Muslim girl and a Hindu boy.

Although "3" was a box office dud, the song "Kolaveri Di" from the film made Dhanush a global name.

Directed by Anand L. Rai, "Raanjhanaa", which is releasing Friday, is produced by Eros International. It also features Sonam Kapoor, Abhay Deol and Swara Bhaskar in important roles.

Whoa! Salman Khan to start shooting for ‘Kick’

It seems Salman Khan can’t wait to start Sajid Nadiadwala’s film Kick. The movie was supposed to go on the floors by the year end, but thanks to the star, the movie will start rolling soon, much in advance. As per reports, at Salman Khan’s behest, the movie will now go on the floors next month instead of the initial schedule of October or November. Salman has even allotted his dates. Earlier, it was said that actor is busy with his brother’s film Mental, and doesn’t have time to commit to any other film. “A few days ago Salman called Sajid and told him that the film would now go on the floors in July instead and even allotted him dates,” a source is quoted as saying. The film, which is going to be helmed by the producer Sajid Nadiadwala himself, will begin its first schedule from July 24 onwards. Sajid too has confirmed that he is “looking forward to the schedule in July.” The movie will also have actor Randeep Hooda in a pivotal role. Sajid has already finalized Salman Khan’s leading lady for the film. Actress Jacqueline Fernandez will be seen romancing the ‘Dabangg’ Khan for the first time in Kick. The producer and his team have already started working on the details as July 24 is nearing. Some major action sequences are being planned on the streets of London for which action directors will be flown in from LA. Sajid has even met the Mayor of London, who has promised his full co-operation to him. Kick is the Bollywood remake of the namesake 2009 south hit, starring Ravi Teja and Ileana D'Cruz. The movie was one of the top grossers that year, and the makers of its Hindi remake are sure that the movie will mint money at the BO. Considering it’s a Salman Khan film, we don’t have doubts.

Aatma Review – Bipasha Basu

One thing that strikes about ‘Aatma‘ (and actually stays largely consistent) is that it doesn’t rely upon clichés (for most of it’s times) to keep its narrative engaging. This means that props like doors, windows, bulbs, candles, elevators or more are done away with by director Suparn Verma. Good, because all of this and more has been done to death by dozens of horror movies in the past. After all, for how long can audience be expected to stay engaged with long drawn shots of a woman walking in the corridors and the furniture in the house conspiring to scare all involved, whether those behind or on the scene.
This means that while the stage is set in the first 10 minutes of the movie itself (thankfully there are no tangents thrown here and there for character establishment), you known that as a single mother (Bipasha Basu) who has just survived an abusive relationship would see her husband (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) return from the dead as an ‘aatma’. With the promos pretty much making it quite clear that he wants his daughter (Doyel Dhawan) back into a ‘doosri dunia’, you are sure that Bipasha won’t allow that to happen. How she manages to succeed by doing something that only a mother can forms the film’s crux.

Aatma Review

This is where one does feel that with some more unexpected twists and turns in the film along with some major surprises in the offering, ‘Aatma’ could perhaps have gone to the next level and turned out to be a truly different experience. Reason being that with a psychological thriller aspect to it, ‘Aatma’ could well have traversed further boundaries and played around with the mind of a viewer. In this case though, the engagement is there but the kind of tension that could have played on a viewer’s mind is pretty limited. You are glued to the proceedings but heart stopping moments are far and few.
So while the beginning portions of the film do hint of ‘Bhoot Returns’ (which was again about a girl child who could see an ‘aatma’ with the mother – Manisha Koirala – terrified of what was happening to her), the film takes its own course after the interval point. Instead of the focus being on the girl being possessed, there are various tangents thrown in as well, most interestingly being Nawaz’s chilling presence that indeed makes you wonder what he would do next.
This can be evidenced in some of the very well written scenes that appear in first as well as second half of the film. (Spoilers ahead) Class teacher’s encounter in the rest room, scene in the kitchen where knives start flying around, a witch warning Bipasha about Nawaz’s return, the point where Doyel stands on the edge of the parapet, the horrifying moment where Bipasha’s friend is killed, Shernaz Patel’s (playing Bipasha’s mother) scene at the parking lot and most interestingly (and original too!), the culmination to Darshan Jariwala’s episode are all done well. Also, a special mention to the VFX which is seamless here!
However, and as mentioned earlier, it is the edge of the seat moments and most importantly, the scare quotient, is what one feels could have been a tad stronger. So while the film stays away from the clichés, which means loud background score and the elements generally associated with a ‘bhatakti aatma’ are out, one does feel that in an attempt to keep the film crisp and short, the kind of gradual tension build up at points could have made ‘Aatma’ an all the more engaging affair. Moreover, the film’s culmination, though interestingly thought through, is way too quick as well. An extended treatment could have helped.
The film does score on certain key points. First and foremost, Suparn brings to fore a tale that is told a tad differently. Secondly, he is supported by some good performances. Bipasha is the lifeline of the film and she plays her part very well, while conveying the pathos of a mother who would cover any distance to safeguard her daughter. Doyel is good and in an extended screen part, she forms a good connect with the audience. Nawaz has limited screen-time but his presence is thoroughly felt. He is particularly brilliant in the scene at the judge’s office. Jaideep Ahlawat as a cop does well in his part which has limited scope.
Overall, Suparn does well to bring a screenplay which can at least be termed as different. Of course some standard elements like a character possessed, presence of a medium, a cop on the hunt, a bunch of friends not quite willing to believe the ghostly tales, a series of characters meeting a chilling death and more are peppered into this crisp 90 minutes affair which, in it’s second half, has a lot more meat to offer. No pun intended. Also, to Suparn’s credit, he at least tries to project these scenes differently on screen, despite predictability hovering large.

Rating:

Inkaar Movie Review

Producer: Viacom 18 Motion Pictures
Director: Sudhir Mishra
Starring: Arjun Rampal, Chitrangada Singh, Vipin Sharma
Music: Shantanu Moitra
Lyrics: Swanand Kirkire
Singers: Swanand Kirkire, Shantanu Moitra, Papon, Shahid Mallya, Suraj Jagan, K.Mohan, Monali Thakur
Number of Songs: 7
Album Released on: December 2012

Movie Rating: ***1/2 (3 1/2 Start)

There’s something special about Shantanu Moitra’s music but perhaps his music is only appreciated by a niche audience. That’s why Sudhir Mishra has always preferred him as music director for his films. Well I’m delighted to say that after a longish hiatus Moitra returns to give us the soundtrack to Mishra’s forthcoming thriller Inkaar. On top of that the lines are penned by Moitra's favorite lyricist, Swanand Kirkire. Together these two have produced some of the finest songs in the last 10 years…let’s see if we can pick out any more gems?

The purity of “Darmiyan” has Moitra written all over! The relaxed but playful music is a rendezvous to his brilliant soundtrack Khoya Khoya Chand(2007) that supported a setting from the 1960s era. So guitars and drums are the focus of attention during the early part of the song but later Moitra introduces a tabla to create a beautiful melody. Swanand Kirkire’s dulcet tone suits this song really well and he must have enjoyed the experience having written some meaningful lines once again. This song is heaven for Moitra fans!

The music in “Maula Tu Malik Hai” serves a different purpose to the opener and moves a lot faster particularly during the chorus section so it requires a different mood to appreciate. Moitra uses peppy beats here to create a foot-tapping melody but listen closely and you will still catch some fantastic instruments in the interlude such as a saxophone. Both Moitra and Kirkire join forces to sing here and do a solid job. Very enjoyable.

The lines in “Zindagi Ka Karobar” get a little too film-related so it’s difficult to appreciate without seeing it on screen first. The soft rock music is clearly aimed as a background song to the film so doesn’t ever explode into life but K Mohan sings with gusto and does his career no harm…alas the song is too short! However fear not as Moitra brings in the electric guitars for the next song, the more hardcore sounding “Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai”. Again the lyrics are clearly written for the film’s narrative but the music in tandem with the singing by Suraj Jagan is simply mind-blowing! If you like your rock music then check this out for sure, you will not be disappointed!

Moitra’s soundtrack ends with a lovely instrumental “Inkaar (Alaap)” where Monali Thakur provides a haunting alaap. Again this one is for those who can spot the beauty in the detail.

Unusually for Sudhir Mishra and probably a first concerning a Moitra soundtrack, he felt the need to add another theme song for his film so he asked another composer to help out. But who can stand up to the challenge? Well here it fell to Shamir Tandon and he produces the song of his career for “Inkaar Theme (Hindi)” . Using a very simple acoustic guitar he weaves magic into the song alongside drums and later a haunting viola…The pathos is amplified by the superb singing where Papon provides low octaves against the backdrop of strong feelings stirred by Shahid Mallya's highs. The effect is rich and full of emotions. The song is so touching and heartfelt that Sudhir himself decided to pen some English lines for an alternative version “Inkaar Theme (English)” where Papon is replaced by Monica Dogra. It too works extremely well.

In a soundtrack like Inkaar, it’s hard to fathom how Moitra is outdone by a fellow composer but the title track by Shamir Tandon is so good you just have to give credit where it’s due! It’s all courtesy of Sudhir Mishra’s vision and taste for quality. Inkaar oozes that ingredient but sadly is likely to be ignored by all except the discerning listener

Race 2 Movie Review

Producer: Ramesh S. Taurani Ronnie Screwvala Siddharth Roy Kapur
Director: Abbas-Mustan
Starring: Anil Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, John Abraham, Jacqueline Fernandez, Ameesha Patel
Music: Pritam
Lyrics: Mayur Puri
Singers: KK, Yo Yo Honey Singh, Shefali Alvares, Atif Aslam, Sunidhi Chauhan, Benny Dayal, Shalmali Kholgade
Audio On: T Series    Number of Songs: 6
Album Released on: December 2012
Movie Rating: *** (3Star)

Whilst the original Race was a pretty pointless and dire film, the music was actually a decent effort from Pritam with a host of thumping dance tracks which supported the sizzling female cast of the film along with a fab romantic “Pehli Nazar Mein” featuring Atif Aslam. Perhaps the music helped the film somehow achieve hit status? In any case that was enough moolah to convince the producers to continue the franchise and as far as the music is concerned, Race 2 follows on the same pattern as the original with 2 dance tracks, one romantic outing featuring Atif Aslam and a rendezvous for the title track “Race Sanson Ki”. With some remixes thrown in for good measure fans are surely in for some quality tunes particularly as Pritam finishes on arguably one his best ever years in Bollywood (2012).

First up is the mind-numbing club tune “Party On My Mind” which features a hot Deepika and Jacqueline dancing away. Won’t even begin to discuss the music which has crass and yawn written all over it. K.K., Yo Yo Honey Singh and Shefali Alvares have the pointless task of singing some dire lines (by Prashant Ingole) and frankly if you get to the end you have done well. Seriously, Bollywood needs to move on from this club theme - it’s getting very boring!

“Be Intehaan” is the pleasant romantic song featuring the unique vocals of Atif Aslam with support by Sunidhi Chauhan. Some nice guitar strumming used here by Pritam as well. Make what you want of the singer but he sings good songs particularly for Pritam and his vocals here are the USP, very soulful indeed! Mayur Puri pens the lines. Well worth a listen this one but still not on the level of “Pehli Nazar Mein”.

“Lat Lag Gayee” is another club tune this time featuring only Jacqueline and Saif. The beats in this one are more bearable as they have a better groove and the song feels fresher thanks to some youthful vocals by Benny Dayal and Shalmali Kholgade. Lyrics by Mayur Puri again. Just don’t expect miracles otherwise. There’s a couple of remixes here but if the originals aren’t up to scratch what chance of the remix?

Overall the music to Race 2 feels empty and shallow and is a massive flop as far as a standalone soundtrack is concerned. Even though it works better on screen it’s way behind on the quality of the original from over four years ago and judging by the outcome, even Pritam has given up on this franchise before it’s even started. The message is clear: STOP IT NOW. As for Pritam he will be back in 2013 for sure.

Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola review

Cast: Pankaj Kapur, Imran Khan, Anushka Sharma, Shabana Azmi, Arya Babbar

Direction: Vishal Bhardwaj

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 2 hours 40 minutes

Rating: 2 1/2* (2 and half star out of 5)

Movie Review: Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola (MKBKM) mirrors the dangers of self-indulgence - of texting and ghee, alcohol and directorial profligacy. The film is based on a little gem of a story - a drunken Haryanvi feudal Harry Mandola (Kapur) wants to sell villagers' lands but is challenged by daughter Bijlee (Sharma), assistant Matru (Khan) and surprisingly, his own drunken self that turns softly socialist at the pour of a peg.

Some lines are dazzlers - "Bachpan se dekh raha hoon, tum dono ki jodi jaise Mukesh aur Nita Ambani!", Matru growling at Bijlee, "Apne andar ke jaali saaf karle - haunted house lagne lagi hai,", sinister CM Choudhary Devi (Azmi) chiding brainless beta Badal (Babbar), "Yahi farak hai tum mein aur Rahul, Sachin aur Jyotiraditya mein!" Indeed, lines like gulabi bhains, sapnon ka Lokpal and the say-no-more pancho-pancho tickle you outside the theatre too. Quite like Kapur's performance, as comfortingly elegant as a velvet dressing gown, his comedy silken as mumbling, drunken Harry, his anger tight like a cord as sober Mandola who dreams of money and won't let reality stand in his way - even if that means pledging his darling Bijlee to a loveless life with baba-log brute Badal (Babbar, delivering to the dot).

But here's my angst - this movie could have been so much more. Like champagne gone flat, the film's left lying about for too late, its plot meandering everywhere (including a plane ride through moon-lit clouds, ending in a Maoist meeting), the director so determined to have fun that often, the viewer doesn't. Sure, there are hilarious moments involving pink buffaloes and deep wells, Shakespeare and Sheila Dixit, even a laal rang ka kachcha, and it's all very clever - but where's the self-control? With its intellectual foundation and dramatic potential, MKBKM needed disciplined direction, not wandering shots, predictable banter or dull crudity.

On the upside, Azmi's performance is effortlessly evil until the last swig. Anushka plays her now-familiar loud-spunky-sexy babe, unconvincing but attractive as an eccentric rustic. But despite her Pond-girl entry in see-through top and teeny shorts, Mandola's heart-throb is Imran Khan who's red-hot (literally), stubble and a sardonic air pumping his sex-appeal. With its Trilbys and tractors, malls and Maoism, its stretch limo and smart-boy! lines, MKBKM could have been such a fun ride. But sadly, director ka bhi man dola, rather too often. 

Table No.21.

Cast: Rajeev Khandelwal, Paresh Rawal, Tena Desae

Direction: Aditya Datt

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 1 hour 50 minutes

Movie Rating: 3/5 (3 star out of 5)

Rajeev Khandelwal, takes on the sach ka saamna game sportingly, using his intensity and good-looks, in some parts; he portrays the much needed despair and desperation, but this isn't a full-blown performance for an actor of calibre. Paresh Rawal is not the most charming game-show host, but he's not supposed to be. He's pulls off this one in his usual style (experimenting only with his look), and gives his best shot at the end. Tena Desae, has a good screen presence and enacts well in high-drama scenes.

For a story that stays focused on the lead couple, and a game-show on an island, Aditya Datt has done a good job of entertaining, serving some suspense (intriguing, if not nail-biting) and dishing it out with some hard reality bytes. The first half is slow-paced, as a thriller it has its flaws, the direction isn't really superlative, but post-interval it spins into another zone and the climax hits home.

If you're looking for a different taste for your cinema palates (minus the mirch masala), book a seat for Table No. 21. Bon appetit!

Dabangg 2 Movie Review

Producer: Arbaaz Khan
Director: Arbaaz Khan
Starring: Salman Khan, Sonakshi Sinha, Prakash Raj, Arbaaz Khan, Vinod Khanna
Music: Sajid-Wajid
Lyrics: 
Genre: Action
Film Released on: 21 December 2012

We all know Dabangg 2 is a masala entertainer and don’t expect a great story or award winning performances. The sequel of any successful franchise will have higher expectations because it is expected to be bigger than the first one one. Whilst Dabangg 2 fails on these expectations it still manages to entertain and more importantly for the producers, it will be a mega hit at the box office!

Dabangg was an action entertainer but we expected bigger, higher voltage action. However the action scenes we get in Dabangg 2 look recycled from the first film. The original Dabangg also had great music but the quality of the songs fall in the sequel. “Munni Badnam” is far superior to “Fevicol Se”. Salman Khan as ‘Chulbul Pandey’ act is entertaining but sometimes over the top. He is good at comic and action scenes. However fans would now like to see Salman Khan in a different avatar. The action in his films is fast becoming stale. Perhaps he should try a romantic or comedy or thriller or horror film.

Arbaaz Khan has done a decent job as the film maker. He has taken a safer route by simply recycling the original model. He made sure that he added all masala to make his first film hit and for his advantage Salman Khan is in best phase of his career in Box Office. There should have been some surprise element in the film. The script could have much crispier. Some of the dialogues in the film will surely receive a lot of whistles.

Sonakshi Sinha doesn’t have much to do but there is still a cute chemistry between married couple Chulbul Pandey and Rajjo. Prakash Raj had more interesting roles in Wanted and Singham than Dabangg 2. Chedi Singh is missed. Prakash Raj should have much more prominence in the film. It is understandable that the film is running on Salman Khan shoulders but other characters in the film should also be well written and add value to the story.

Overall Dabangg 2 is an entertaining film but has a lot of familiarity to Dabangg. The character of ‘Chulbul Pandey’ should have been developed further and the audience should have seen another side of him. Salman Khan needs to experiment in his roles and try different genres of film. We don’t want to see him going the way of Dharmendra and Mithun Chakraborothy doing only action flicks. If he is doing action flicks, the action has to be bigger and of international standards. So whilst Dabangg 2 entertains it fails to live up to the expectations of the successful franchise of Dabangg.