Ajab Prem v/s Amar Prem: Beating the flop

Once there was a boy named Raj. He was just like any other boy who liked to play with his toys and eat his mother's cooking... and dirt when no one was looking. Just like his name, he was quite tiny, but true to his last name, he dreamed big. His last name was Santoshi.  

There's a middle name in there somewhere but it's as banal as 'Kumar'... Oh wait, it is Kumar!

Now that I have wasted TWO WHOLE PARAGRAPHS on a dude's name, I think I'll move on, because, as usual, there is a purpose.

2009 has not been a great year for me as a lover of the talkies. It's been one disappointment after another, and it's almost as if all the promising directors from just a few years ago, or even last year, have gotten up from their chair, and taken a walk. Little Raj is one of them.

Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani (and I'll only type this once) is a movie set in a make believe town with a talking statue and a Filmcity-like studio backdrop. There's a guy and a girl who have much in common - goodness, love of God, vegetarianism, a stutter, and so on. They're like totally MFEO (I say to myself, pretending for a second that I'm Paris Hilton)! ICK!

Anyways, the plot is the same. There are parents, politicians, henchmen, not to mention 40 year old men, playing buddies to Ranbir. This is what really gets me though... Why are there scenes that the director just puts in to remind you of the fact that he is indeed the same guy who made Andaz Apna Apna??? I mean, we already know that, and it's why we're watching this crock of s*^t! 

You go in thinking that the guy who has made Ghayal, Damini and AAA (hands down, one of the funniest movies of all time) will have something up his sleeve. But no, you are given the same stale staple that has drowned the fate of many a film this year. It's all accessorizing, packaging, prettying... But the box is empty. Imagine getting a beautifully gift wrapped box, ribbon and everything, that you open up, only to find a vacuum inside it! How painful! First the build up, and then the absolute pain of disappointment! 

Here's the shocker though... AAA is one of those amazing classics, that in it's time was a flop in spite of the star cast. It was way ahead of its time, just like 'Mera Naam Joker'. As the years passed, it became a cult classic, and a definite entry on any Hindi film watcher's top 10, or at least top 20. I think it was one of those unintentional sixers, that took a while, but went straight out the field!

APKGK... It is clear that the director is trying to make an AAA, with a love angle. He doesnt succeed, but the film is a hit! Awhhh that Ranbir is so funny, oohhh that Kat is just sooo pretty... Maybe it is a generation thing, but I don't get it...

I noticed that even Love Aaj Kal, which I thought was crap, was liked by a lot of other people. And so was Ghajini. And so was Wanted. I think the bar is falling... It's almost as if it is OK to make a mediocre film if there's enough good songs in it, and well dressed protagonists and a few punchlines. When did this happen? Have we lost the plot or have our films? It is a mad mad world where excellence gets a bah! bah! and mediocrity a rah! rah!

Too many questions, no answers... Just a frustrated and saddened individual with drooping shoulders walking away from a movie hall after spending generously on tickets, caramel popcorn, half a 12 ounce glass of coffee (that should be filled a little more by the way) and overpriced bottled water... 

Instead, sit at home and watch 'Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist'. It's sweet, it's funny, it's cool... And it's worth the build up! That's a lot more than can be said for Indian cinema this year... Even if 'born with it-it's in his blood-superstar' Ranbir is kick ass and can do imitations of Shammi Kapoor and Charlie Chaplin (ek hi picture mein!!!). He needs something to rise to, you know, and so far, there's been no challenges. 

Love Aaj Nahin

Or better yet, Lacklustre Aaj Kal.

I like the second title better because it's a blanket statement... Not just in reference to one film. It says 'I don't know what is going on with 2009, probably with the lowest count of good Hindi movies, ever since the 80's'.

It means that I have not seen a single 'fantastic' or 'great' or even 'good' movie since 'Dev D'. And nothing 6 months before or after worth talking about. 'Dostana' was OK I guess, but it wasn't anything to take home with you. And that too, only once you made your peace with the fact that it was supposed to be stupid.

It means that all these movies that come out prostitute the media so beautifully that they actually get away with multiple stars or just a couple, when all they deserve is a shrug as you walk past disappointed... Again. What is it with the Hindi film industry? These so called 'directors' give one 'superhit' and then get so caught up in trying to promote themselves and their next movie, they forget to make the movie. I guess I should have seen it coming once Aamir Khan sold out and made Ghajini, probably one of the worst hits of all time in the history of world cinema. It's no surprise then that we kept trying to claim 'Slumdog Millionaire' for ourselves!

I went for Love Aaj Kal last night and I have to say, the media is just full of ridiculous liars! I read somewhere that the dialogues are good. THEY SUCK! This film hinges on the phrase 'Mango People'. It's the lifeblood of the film, desperately trying to keep it together. And yet, the joke is delivered without any build up and not funny. That's not all! The last song with the end credits has this huge lit up sign reading 'Mango People' right next to 'Pratigya'. What the hell?

I also read that Saif was really good in the movie. I think they substituted the word 'old' for the word 'good' everywhere. Least they could have done is caught onto a younger chap to deliver the silly dialogues.

And what is with the repetition? Are we stupid? Can we not retain information obtained from a dim-witted 3 hour movie? The scenes and dialogues are constantly repeated practically word for word. If I hear the word 'logical' again, I might shoot myself.

And what happened to the Imtiaz Ali that we love? Is there some kind of quicksand that sucks these guys in and replaces them with idiots? How could he do this after 'Socha Na Tha' and 'Jab We Met'? I'm just going to assume someone put a gun to his head.

FINALLY, did Neetu Kapoor really have to show up in the end? I mean, really? Only Karan Johar should be allowed to get away with crap like that!

Please spare us the bullshit! We tend to expect less in any case, knowing it's a Hindi movie we are paying for, but did you have to make me pay Rs.500 bucks for 2 tickets to a Mangofest? At least, give me a couple of Alphonsos to take back!

My Harry Potter

This post is so titled because of all that the HP series has meant to me... J.K. Rowling might have revolutionized the concept of reading and have become one of the richest women in the world, but to me, she is someone who has given us Harry.

I started off reading the books much later than the rest of the world, getting a dirty look here and there for being the most clueless muggle of all time. In fact, I think I saw the first movie on HBO having nothing better to do that night, liked Daniel Radcliffe and the then-Albus Dumbledore Richard Harris, and proceeded on to ravage the books...

Last night I saw the 6th instalment of the films, Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince. The act was preceded by months of waiting, rereading books 1,6 and 7 multiple times, renting movies 3,4 & 5 and cursing Warner Brothers for postponing the movie's release from November 2008 to July 2009 just so they could make more money from it.

Today, I sit here writing this and I am happy to say that this film is not just a 'version' of the book, it is sort of like a tribute, and not a bad one. It dares to introduce additional matter not even in the book, and delete the portions that might be considered of extreme importance. My personal favorite is the one where Rufus Scrimgeour (not even in the movie) tries to convince Harry to play PR Agent for the Ministry of Magic and when refused, accuses him of being Dumbledore's man through and through. Later, Harry relates this incident to the eccentric headmaster, acknowledging that he was indeed Dumbledore's man, and the two sit in each other's awkward presence, uncomfortable because of the young boy's earnest confession of his love for his teacher, rendered teary-eyed by the simple admission.

The penseive trips are limited, and not all of Voldemort's memories collected by Dumbledore are shown, nor are the elves Kreacher & Dobby, or Harry's annoying relatives who Dumbledore gives a piece of his mind to much to my delight. But what you do get to see is a sometimes goofy, sometimes awkward, sometimes 'comfy as home' relationship between Harry and his two best buddies, blossoming love between Harry & Ginny & Ron & Hermione, Horace Slughorn's character amazingly projected by Jim Broadbent and a brooding Malfoy, who is truly in some deep trouble with the Dark Lord! The film is dark, hormone-ridden and neatly put together as a stand alone piece of work, though well connected to the previous films. The opening sequence where Harry stands with Dumbledore in front of hundreds of photographers pulls you in right away.

I don't see why this movie wasn't released last November as it's not your typical wham-boom-bang summer movie anyways. There's some action, yes, but it's boldly sidelined by some genuine acting and very engaging scenes. In any case, it's bound to work it's magic yet again and lead triumphantly onto the next two films.

The magic is in this... Harry Potter is just a boy. He's had an unhappy childhood, and sometimes does things (read 'magic') without knowing why. He's lonely and clueless about who he is and where he comes from thanks to his moronic uncle and aunt. Yet, one day, he finds out that he has a place in the world after all, albeit a different one. And slowly but surely, he goes on to earn the success and praise, which he was born into without understanding why. Along the way, he learns some very precious lessons, about the importance of certain magical acts, about leaving the past behind, about loyalty, about eventuality and about bravery. And in the end, he learns how to audaciously ask the devil himself to try and feel remorse.

It is the fact that he would rather face his archenemy in a graveyard where his friend has just been killed, that saves him, for his wand would never have met Voldemort's if he had tried to make a run for it. It is the lack of desire for glory that makes him give Godric Gryffindor's sword to his best friend Ron to destroy the third horcrux, for only the person who finds the sword must use it against the enemy. It is his sense of loyalty that makes him dig a grave for Dobby, a mere house elf to many, but an old friend to Harry, that makes a sceptical goblin decide to help a mere human break into an institution of his own people. It is the fact that he walks towards death with his head held high, thinking of the last horcrux still left to destroy, that releases him from the torture of having a part of Voldemort's soul attached to his. Such is the nature of bravery. Such is the power of goodness. Such is the magic of Harry Potter.

'No Country For Old Men' emobodies cinema in a way that no other film has for me. Some basic facts - it is based on a book of the same name, it has been made by the Coen brothers, it has an excellent star cast, it is one of those movies that gets pegged as an Oscar forerunner the minute it comes out and is waved like a flag at all the major film festivals it graces.

Apart from all of this, it truly is something to be studied as a brilliant piece of film making. When you watch a movie made by the Coen brothers, you may expect dark humour and a keen insight into the simple yet complex question mark called life. But this film creates an aura that pulls you in. You are aware that the movie is grounded in reality becuase of the concepts of morality, eventuality, death, cynicism and sadness that envelop it. However, at the same time, the directors seem to create a parallel universe with this film, and while watching the movie, you are aware that it's a movie, but more like a separate world created especially for the characters in it, that it is rooted in realism but not real, but it's so all-encompassing that you have to get affected by it. If it's possible to create a film that transports you and yet leves you to stare at it from afar, this one's it.

I can't think of anything to say about it's major characters that hasn't been said already. They are simply superb. It is Tommy Lee Jones who really does it for me, as an ageing Sheriff who is watching the world go by and lamenting the state of things as they are, with the knowledge that the time when things were within his comprehension has slipped past him and there's nothing he can do about it.

A landmark film and a favourite for a long time to come... It has left me speechless. Hence this one's probably my shortest post to date.

Things to do instead of watching Delhi 6

1. Get a Root Canal and some kind of corrective surgery - without anaesthesia
2. Watch TV on loud volume and switch between India TV's latest idiotic/sick breaking news, a Saas Bahu serial & Baba Ramdev doing the Yoga with a little Travel and Living thrown in as the only light entertainment
3. Clean your bathroom, all the corners and EVERYTHING... Then clean someone else's bathroom, all the corners and EVERYTHING
4. Ask someone to bite your hand... HARD
5. Have a conversation with George W Bush about the recession and listen to him tell you why he's not responsible for any of it and how much he loves his daddy
6. Get stuck in a time warp where all you can hear are conversations between Ram Gopal Varma, Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Subhash Ghai, Aditya Chopra and Kunal what's his name who made Fanaa defending themselves as they explain why they feel they have not lost the plot and Bollywood is actually far better than Hollywood because Bollywood can shake the booty far better than Hollywood... Basically defend all the crappy movies they've been making recently
7. Listen to Himesh Reshammiya's Tandoori Nights on the loudest possible volume while ducking as the people around you toss their shoes your way and narrowly escape your head
8. Eat something dreadfully stale with relish
9. Spend a day with a nagging someone who has the habit of saying 'I told you so' every 3 minutes
10. Wrestle with the person you think has the worst BO on the planet

In case I'm not saying it right, this movie sucks. There's too many thoughts and not enough sense. There's everything in the movie from a monkey controversy, to communalism, to Indian Idol-ism, to yawn yawn Ramayan-ism, to American Desi comes home-ism, to family feud-ism, to boy meets girl love story-ism to media hype-ism to Delhi tourism. But there's not a smidgen of soul.

And the part where the Big and Little B's meet is inspired... wait... no... STOLEN from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It was obvious. And very very irritating.

In all of this, I just feel bad for Little B... Just can't catch a break, can he?

How is it possible that this came from the same person who gave us Rang De Basanti? I don't know... (ASS)K THE MONKEY.

And I want my money back.

Wow!

To combat the sense of loss I am feeling reading all the reviews of Delhi 6 (I'm just wondering why Abhishek can't seem to catch a break) I rented Tropic Thunder, to lift the spirits a bit. What I got was much more than I bargained for, 'cos this was something else!

Irreverant being the operative word, this movie is silly in parts, but the zany dialogue, a totally cuckoo Jack Black and an awesome awesome awesome Robery Downey Jr. make it a must watch! The dialogues are just ridiculously funny and I am actually reading them off IMBD right now. Don't expect depth from this film, but for what it is, it's far better than what one expects.

Downey Jr.... Oh my God! I was ecstatic as I saw just how fabulous he was. How lucky we are to have him back from what I can just refer to as the 'dark place'. This guy is TALENT! He's uproariously funny playing the actor who stays in character right up until the DVD commentary's out. He's crazy, crazy, CRAZY!!! I think he should win the Oscar. I know he won't but hell, I'm definately putting him on my list.

Did I mentioned Tom Cruise??? Oh my god, he is what delivers this film to the next level! I didn't know he had it in him, I gotta say... I guess half the impact of having him around would have been lost if it wasn't for the 'F' word, but still, he is IN FORM!

I can't wait to watch this movie again... You have to got to have this as part of your collection! Ben Stiller, you are the man!

Oscar Season

I love the movies. I love going to the movies. I love renting movies. I love talking to people about movies. I love talking at people about movies. Basically, give me an existence with just a bunch of DVD's and I am sorted! How sad is that?

Anyways... Come award season when it's all about the big race between the underdog movie, the ashes to glory movie, the dark horse movie, the special effects reinvented movie, the heart of gold movie, etc, etc, I have my own thoughts and analysis which come into play and two lists - my list of 'the adored who should win' and another list of winners based on trends and forecasts. Sometimes, they actually match. It's official business, this!

I've said my piece about 'Slumdog Millionaire' and 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button', undoubtedly the hot favorites this season. I loved them both and for different reasons. I am torn between the two but they remain my two top movies this season, after having watched 'Milk', 'Doubt', 'Revolutionary Road', 'The Changeling', 'Frost/Nixon' and the thoroughly entertaining 'Vicky Christina Barcelona'.

While 'Milk' was extremely well made and the performances by Sean Penn, Josh Brolin and James Franco were truly very superior, it was Emile Hirsche who stole my heart. I wonder if this role came to him after Penn directed him in 'Into The Wild' which was a very interesting and a very moving film. Sean Penn is, of course, the master of his art. His role as Harvey Milk just made me want to give him a peck on the cheek. Many well deserved nominations for this movie, but I felt like it would be way more appreciated by the people whom it was focusing on and extend to perhaps San Francisco lovers, or to the liberal United States public. But it left me watching a movie as opposed to having an experience. I think that is probably because the subject isn't close to my heart. Sometimes, you see pain and suffering and resolve, but it's never as good as when you experience it first hand. Kudos to the torch bearers though!

Now 'Doubt' on the other hand was totally my cup of tea. It seemed to me like an excellent movie adaptation of a play, and then as it turned out, it was! A Pulitzer winner too! Excellent performances and fantastic dialogues made this a thought provoking film that really made me 'feel' the subject. My brain whirred on and on as I watched this somber yet compelling film that engulfed me in a state of tenseness thanks to it's riveting storyline and backdrop to match. The colours and locations all seem to convey a certain sense of gloom and the atmosphere is detatched and cold. Everything comes together to convey Meryl Streep's closed mind and obstinate refusal to acknowledge uncertainty until she is forced to in the end. The actual thing that is doubted is not the point, it is the doubt itself that holds the entire film together. A treat for an agnostic like me and for anyone who enjoys good dialogue!

Watch Revolutionary Road only if you can handle a little depression. The film explores the lives of a couple in American suburbia trying to come to terms with just how similar and just how different they are from the others. You really feel for Kate Winslet initially as she portrays a willful and spirited April, but towards the end you can't help but sympathise with the practical yet confused Frank, played by Leonardo Di Caprio, who starts off wanting to be anything but this father, only to realize that he's not as different as he thought he was. The stillness of the backdrop with its perfect home, well pruned backyard, white picket fence and clean everything juxtaposes brilliantly against the turmoil the couple is going through. One of the final scenes in which a bleeding April stains the carpet seems to represent a kind of shift... The outside has been 'spoilt' but the inside is freed or relieved in some way of the weight it carries. If you are undaunted by gloom, watch the movie for its art direction and intense scenes.

More thoughts as and when they surface...

A hero lost...

There are 2 India's. One likes Himesh Reshamiyya and his cap. The other detests him and simply does not get why his cap is such a phenomenon, or gets it but feels like they live in a world gone terribly wrong. I have a point...

Aamir Khan used to make movies for India no. 2 earlier. With Ghajini, he seems to have switched. I cannot call it a bad movie. It is what a masala movie is I guess. In fact, it delivers South Indian filmmaking a tribute of sorts with it's filthy looking villian and his filthier looking henchmen, saccharine sweet heroine who is annoying and over the top and killing you with kindness all at once and hero that breaks necks and kicks the shit out of baddies at the slightest provocation. Everybody happy and Himesh has another remake option!

But what happened to Aamir Khan? I love the fact that he wanted to make a commercial action flick. That he worked so hard to make his body like it's never been before. That he created a whole new look with his bald head and ripped physique. But as I have come to realize, that's about all you get even after watching this movie. The rest of the film is a combination of violence and stupidity. The violence is OK to a certain extent (one can argue that it was 'required'). But the stupidity? Luckily, Aamir Khan saves the day. He's an actor par excellence and basically carries the movie. The only reason why you don't stop watching it is because he's in it.

So what's stupid? Well, let's start with the heroine. She has neither style nor class and all she does is tries to act cute. She comes off as unnatural and completely over the top with her 'save the people and then torture them with giggles' attitude. She's ok when sober but that's a rare occurence. Now comes the other heroine. She's basically a poodle in woman's clothing. Either that or just someone in need of a haircut. Desperately in need. The storyline is action-oriented as opposed to dialogue slash action-oriented even though the subject is interesting and could have been handled intelligently. Memento is far superior even though the protagonist in it goes by the name of 'Guy' in real life!

I got a little tired of hearing about this movie because it was too much in the news. I kept thinking 'it's going to be great, but all of Aamir's other films have been so why is this being hyped to death???'. I think Aamir Khan realized that the movie needed to make up in marketing what it lacked in content. He's way too smart and has gone all out becoming the new friendly poster boy version of himself, but doesn't that make him just like his counterparts? It is sort of sad... He truly get his art and has been a part of exceptional films, be it Lagaan or Dil Chahta Hai or Rang De Basanti or Taare Zameen Par. So what the hell is this? There was only one honest review I read about this movie and that was by Mayank Shekhar in the Mumbai Mirror. I thought he was being a jerk, having great faith in Aamir Khan and all... But he was right! The movie stinks and even Aamir Khan's stellar performance does not salvage it from the B grade fare that it is.

I think India no. 1 accepted this movie the way they accept Indian television sitcoms and India no. 2 used to have a silent poster boy but he seems to have gotten too confident having jumped over the fence into India no. 1's territory. The difference between them is grand, and yet all that seems to stand between them is a cap. Aamir Khan was exactly the sort to condemn the cap. Now he's wearing it too.

Swept Away

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is the Forrest Gump of 2008. It has everything an Oscar front runner would require and is armed to the hilt for battle with its concept (given more respect being inspired by a short story by Fitzgerald), backdrop, historical significance, cinematography, tragic love story, and above all else, the underdog protagonist.

Yet, you forget about these things when you get immersed in this saga of love, loss, redemption, loneliness and the struggle to find peace within. While the premise is simply of a man who ages backwards, this movie is more about the relationships that the man develops and of the simple notion that never leaves him - that he is getting younger as others get older, and that he will see them age before him and eventually lose them. It is about a man who loves completely and is forever fascinated by the opposite sex, almost in awe and so very respectful. Be it the woman who adopted him or the one who he slept beside, he seems to treat them with a quiet dignity.

This movie is like an object that demands your full attention, and I could not help but give it just that. It is long and one must be patient, but this is the sort of cinema that sweeps you away. The journey has a sense of melancholy, but nonetheless also possesses the romance that often accompanies tragedy. I'd watch it again just to get inspired. To see how a child proclaimed a devil at birth touches the lives of so many people and how he learns from them and how much he gives them in return.

We live in tumultuous times. Everything is fleeting. I don't quite know if the world will end in my time, or a more wrecked version of it will be there for my children to see. Or if I will be proved a pessimist and things will actually get better. It is heartening to place yourself at the disposal of cinema that transports you out of your current frame of mind and takes you someplace else. You drown yourself and you emerge a little better than before, having been touched by the beauty of people you may never meet and lives than will never cross your path. Ironic? Well, such is life...

The Will of Smith

I was up until 4 am last night (or should I say this morning). After a sumptuous dinner, finger licking dessert and the perfect drink to compliment the former, a blanket is usually all I need. But to stay up for over 2 hours watching a movie that's just about average and so intense was a feat possible only thanks to my unending fascination for that visage, those expressions, that body language... The man who can burn a hole in your heart with his magic gaze, Will Smith.

Seven Pounds is slow and painful to watch. It's not a great film by any standard... Just about OK. Plus, the subject itself is depressing (especially for Blackberry). The story, once you get into it, takes a lot out of you, but doesn't give back as much in terms of an excellent film or an experience of a lifetime. It demands way more than it delivers.

In the midst of all this comes along the talented Mr. Smith. He brilliantly glides through the movie carrying it on his steadfast shoulders and everything else fades into the background. The depth of his pain are apparent even though we have no idea what exactly is going on in his head until the very end of the film when it all comes together. His slow movements and smiles that look like he has to pull them out of his past life add to the overall aura of a man who looks like he's constantly at war with himself.

I guess this movie is only worth watching if you like Will Smith. I obviously do! But he is far superior than so many of his colleagues and seniors, and not just because he is a box office dollar machine. Whether Ali or I Am Legend, this guy is so dependable that even a deplorable film like Hancock can rise to the top of US Box Office. And so rich in his portrayal of fictional and real life characters that tired and weary eyes refuse to rest because a real presence has entered the room. He is truly legend.

The persistence of innocence

The beauty of India lies sometimes in its absolute ignorance of it's own reality. We are obsessed with the West and create one award show a year (one for each actor who needs to be pacified) in an effort to achieve Oscar-dom. We send reporters running towards the white men and women from Hollywood who visit our country. We go abroad to buy goods branded by couture houses on the other side of the Atlantic. Their replicas find their way to local markets where a Diesel buckle is interestingly placed on a Gucci print. And we create a national controversy over a film that takes India onto an international platform.

Amidst the crazy talks of 'how dare they call us dogs', and 'who has the guts to insult Lord Ram', I am confused about whether we deserve any credit for Slumdog Millionaire as a nation. Yes, it was filmed here, yes there are local actors that are a part of it, but all everyone seems to want to do is talk about how this movie misrepresents India on one hand and how it could have been made by any ballsy Bollywood director on the other. Truth is, if it wasn't for A.R.Rahman, I don't think we'd deserve any part of the credit this movie is getting. And no, Bollywood could not have made this film. Unless the protagonist was called Rahul and his slum was a studio set with lace curtains and designer shorts.

The resilience of the protagonist Jamal and his never ending search for his childhood sweetheart Latika form the crux of the film. Inspite of having seen death, poverty, abuse and rejection so up close, Jamal sticks to odd jobs like distributing tea to the employees of a call center instead of taking to crime like his older brother Salim. He keeps searching for his lost love and even manages to score a trip to game show land. His bang on answers surprise the egocentric host, who engages and entertains the audience but is a petty man at heart, who won't let yet another underdog after him stand a chance.

This is definately not the best movie ever made. But it's a fantastic film about love and hope and innocence. These are basic human qualities that draw us to each other in a world that is jaded of its own accord. And they are beautifully represented in a film that is neither sad not preachy. It's about everlasting hope and the miracles that it can bring about. It is also about the power of choice. Two brothers and two very different roads. There's my sentimental take on it.

Objectively, there are holes (I don't like the way the word bhaiyya is literally translated into brother in the dialogue) but the movie has such an excellent pace and is so energetic that all other thoughts are swept aside as you let go and lose yourself in this whirlwind of a movie. Cinema is escapism to a certain extent and this movie reinforces exactly this notion whilst portraying the everyday realities of a city where riots and violence are part of one's daily routine and so is hero worship, so hilariously portrayed by the shit-covered little boy who will go to any lengths (and does) to get the Big B's autograph only to be cheated out of it by his older brother.

Let's all admit that we are very happy because all eyes out west are on us. Our music, our city, our many cultural oddities. Let's stop ruining the moment just to fill up news space or try and rake in some attention or moolah out of this. Let's bask in the glory a bit and celebrate this film as an expression of one man's vision of a pulsating city and a glorious take on the power of persistence. Jai ho Danny Boyle!