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1921 Movie Review: A tried and tested sequel

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Vikram Bhatt returns with a horror as ordered by the schools of Bhatts in this box office driven follow up of the hit 1920 that re-hashes all the tried and tested techniques seen in Bollywood spooks.

Amazingly 1920 that came in 2008 has a tagline – a decade after 1920 and the sequel 1921 actually opens up in 1927.. forward thinking..!!

Anyways let’s get back to the ‘Raaz’ behind 1921 beginning in 27.. and here it goes. It’s circa 1927 England, a sloshed pianist Ayush (Karan Kundrra – his spelling not mine) has attempted suicide before a grand performance. Flashback to 1921, piano prodigy Ayush gets a chance of his lifetime courtesy – his guru Wadia (Vikram Bhatt). Wadia sponsors Ayush’s studies in England provided he also takes care of Wadia’s stately home in Yorkshire.

The guesthouse of the Victorian era has some eerie happenings, we have spirits flying across the lawn, or jumping around with those scary eyes seen umpteen times. Time for the modern face of horror and erotic thrillers – Zareen Khan to enter and she does. Her name is Rose and she can communicate with ghost. Naively she asks one “ why don,t you show your face” (the reason might be those horror filmmakers due to which yeh bechara bhoot kahin mooh dikhane ke kaabil nahi raha), anyways getting back to 1921, Rose admires Ayush’s music obviously agrees to help.

So, as the romance between Rose and Ayush blossoms, the hovering spirits start making their presence felt with those tried and tested smoke effects, shadow figures and all.

There is a degree of eerie feelings during the first half for the diehard bollywood horror buffs but shockingly, the second half is cursed. Mongolian plague, holy reference all pop in but the eerie sweep is missing.

Performance wise, the less said the better. Technically it looks picturesque but please don,t ask about the detailing of the Victorian era in production designing and costumes.

This is not the end and probably 1921 won’t be the end of the series though it deserves to be.

Salman Yusuf Khan choreographs ‘Bigg Boss’ finale acts

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Choreographer-actor Salman Yusuff Khan says he is enjoying the entire process of choreographing the acts for 'Bigg Boss 11' finale.

"'Bigg Boss' is a huge platform and I am enjoying the entire process of choreographing the act for Season 11 finale. I have worked really hard in the ideation part and, with the help of all the contestants in the house, we are surely going to entertain the audience," Salman said in a statement.

"I have followed the entire season to incorporate the mannerism of each contestant and their characteristics and equation with each other. It's a great feeling that people are looking forward to it," he added.

Hosted by Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, the show 'Bigg Boss 11' is aired on Colors TV. The top four include Hina Khan, Vikas Gupta, Puneesh Sharma and Shilpa Shinde. The finale will air on Sunday.

Evicted contestants like Arshi Khan, Hiten Tejwani, Luv Tyagi and Priyank Sharma will be coming back to perform in the finale episode.

Salman Yusuf Khan choreographs ‘Bigg Boss’ finale acts

0

Choreographer-actor Salman Yusuff Khan says he is enjoying the entire process of choreographing the acts for 'Bigg Boss 11' finale.

"'Bigg Boss' is a huge platform and I am enjoying the entire process of choreographing the act for Season 11 finale. I have worked really hard in the ideation part and, with the help of all the contestants in the house, we are surely going to entertain the audience," Salman said in a statement.

"I have followed the entire season to incorporate the mannerism of each contestant and their characteristics and equation with each other. It's a great feeling that people are looking forward to it," he added.

Hosted by Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, the show 'Bigg Boss 11' is aired on Colors TV. The top four include Hina Khan, Vikas Gupta, Puneesh Sharma and Shilpa Shinde. The finale will air on Sunday.

Evicted contestants like Arshi Khan, Hiten Tejwani, Luv Tyagi and Priyank Sharma will be coming back to perform in the finale episode.

Ken Ghosh reveals why he chose Kashmir’s backdrop for ‘Haq Se’

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Director Ken Ghosh, who has helmed web series 'Haq Se' which has Kashmir as the backdrop, says that he chose the place because they wanted a cold place and one which had "constant tension".

At an event here on Thursday to promote the show, Ghosh was asked why he chose Kashmir as the backdrop.

He said: "In this project, I came in when scripting and most of the casting was already done. It was set in Kashmir and I agreed to it because we have adapted this show from Louisa May Alcott's novel 'Little Women', which was set in a cold place.

"It is because when an external environment is cold, then the family comes together to create warmth. So, that was a very layered thing and the second thing is that 'Little Women' is set against the civil war of America, so we needed a place which had constant tension and Kashmir had that."

Has he attempted to show the socio-political scenario of Kashmir though his web series?

"This is more of a story of four sisters. It's an emotional family story and the politics of Kashmir is only the backdrop of the show. We are not commenting that this is right or that is wrong. Our journey is about the people of Kashmir and what they go through, the people who want to live a full and proper life and it's about a family of four girls and their mother and what they do."

Ghosh's directorial debut was ISHQ VISHK.

Talking about the difference in shooting a web series and a film, as well as about the emergence of the digital medium, Ghosh said: "The major difference is in writing, because in films, you have one interval but in a web series, after each episode, there is one interval.

"But even for a web series, our approach towards it was that of a film. I feel both are fun. You can have fun shooting a film as much as in a web series. I feel you don't have control over fate of your final product but at least the process should be fun. I feel digital medium is not future, it's the present. Digital is here to stay."

'Haq Se' stars Rajeev Khandelwal, Simone Singh, Rukhsar, Surveen Chawla, Pavail Gulati, Aanchal Sharma and Nikeesha Rangwal. It will air on the ALT Balaji platform from mid-February.

Ken Ghosh reveals why he chose Kashmir’s backdrop for ‘Haq Se’

0

Director Ken Ghosh, who has helmed web series 'Haq Se' which has Kashmir as the backdrop, says that he chose the place because they wanted a cold place and one which had "constant tension".

At an event here on Thursday to promote the show, Ghosh was asked why he chose Kashmir as the backdrop.

He said: "In this project, I came in when scripting and most of the casting was already done. It was set in Kashmir and I agreed to it because we have adapted this show from Louisa May Alcott's novel 'Little Women', which was set in a cold place.

"It is because when an external environment is cold, then the family comes together to create warmth. So, that was a very layered thing and the second thing is that 'Little Women' is set against the civil war of America, so we needed a place which had constant tension and Kashmir had that."

Has he attempted to show the socio-political scenario of Kashmir though his web series?

"This is more of a story of four sisters. It's an emotional family story and the politics of Kashmir is only the backdrop of the show. We are not commenting that this is right or that is wrong. Our journey is about the people of Kashmir and what they go through, the people who want to live a full and proper life and it's about a family of four girls and their mother and what they do."

Ghosh's directorial debut was ISHQ VISHK.

Talking about the difference in shooting a web series and a film, as well as about the emergence of the digital medium, Ghosh said: "The major difference is in writing, because in films, you have one interval but in a web series, after each episode, there is one interval.

"But even for a web series, our approach towards it was that of a film. I feel both are fun. You can have fun shooting a film as much as in a web series. I feel you don't have control over fate of your final product but at least the process should be fun. I feel digital medium is not future, it's the present. Digital is here to stay."

'Haq Se' stars Rajeev Khandelwal, Simone Singh, Rukhsar, Surveen Chawla, Pavail Gulati, Aanchal Sharma and Nikeesha Rangwal. It will air on the ALT Balaji platform from mid-February.

Manjari Fadnis: THE COT addresses problems many Indians experience

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Actress Manjari Fadnis, who essays the protagonist in the short film THE COT, says it addresses problems and situations that many people in India experience.

THE COT is a humorous story that revolves around the relationship of a newlywed couple and their dilemma of not being able to consummate their marriage as their bed makes a noise every time they try to get intimate.

Manjari told IANS over the phone: "The story of the short film is something that so many people in India live through or experience. When they are living with their in-laws, in a joint family… Especially in small families.

"There are so many issues… Consummating a marriage becomes stressful because you don't know who is outside, somebody would be hearing… This happens so much. It is a humorously written script on the same."

However, Majari says when the film was being made, there was no such message that was meant to be given out in an outline.

Manjari has also worked in the short film KHAMAKHA in 2016.

On the feature film front, Manjari, who has worked in films like JAANE TU…YA JAANE NA, FALTU, MUMBAI SALSA and will soon be seen in NIRDOSH which also features Arbaaz Khan, Ashmit Patel, Maheck Chahal and Mukul Dev.

Manjari Fadnis: THE COT addresses problems many Indians experience

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Actress Manjari Fadnis, who essays the protagonist in the short film THE COT, says it addresses problems and situations that many people in India experience.

THE COT is a humorous story that revolves around the relationship of a newlywed couple and their dilemma of not being able to consummate their marriage as their bed makes a noise every time they try to get intimate.

Manjari told IANS over the phone: "The story of the short film is something that so many people in India live through or experience. When they are living with their in-laws, in a joint family… Especially in small families.

"There are so many issues… Consummating a marriage becomes stressful because you don't know who is outside, somebody would be hearing… This happens so much. It is a humorously written script on the same."

However, Majari says when the film was being made, there was no such message that was meant to be given out in an outline.

Manjari has also worked in the short film KHAMAKHA in 2016.

On the feature film front, Manjari, who has worked in films like JAANE TU…YA JAANE NA, FALTU, MUMBAI SALSA and will soon be seen in NIRDOSH which also features Arbaaz Khan, Ashmit Patel, Maheck Chahal and Mukul Dev.

KAALAKAANDI Movie Review: Saif Ali Khan excels in a baffling mad caper

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The best thing about KAALAKANDI apart from Saif Ali Khan’s terrific performance is that it proves perfectionist Aamir Khan is more human then we think and humans are bound to make mistakes.

After watching KAALAKAANDI, Aamir may have never laughed so hard after DELHI BELLY but here is what I felt after watching the fabulous writer of DELHI BELLY –Akshat Verma’s debut as helmer in KAALAKAANDI – a baffling mad caper. I hardly laughed after a while. Let me tell you why.

DELHI BELLY was a riot and this raises expectations from Akshat Verma. Akshat in his debut moves from the lanes of Delhi to the dark nights of Mumbai – a city that never sleeps. We are introduced to a typical white collar Saif Ali Khan (the character name is disclosed much later) who on the eve of his brother Angad’s (Akshay Oberoi) wedding on a rainy Mumbai night discovers that he is suffering from stomach cancer and has a couple of months to live.

The white collar bank employee matlab Saif decides to enjoy the rest of life to the fullest and the bucket list is highlighted by red star an acid drug that takes him to a psychedelic world.

And that’s not all, Akshat’s KAALAKAANDI – A Marathi slang which means when everything goes horribly wrong, is episodic in structure and part stoner, part hipster, part mad caper in nature.

There are other two tracks, where the life of a student (Sobhita) and her boyfriend played by Kunaal Roy Kapur changes after a hit and run accident. And in the third and the last track two contract killers – Vijay Raaz and Deepak Dobriyal decide to steal the booty and become the gang lords.

The problem with KAALAKAANDI is that the movie falls prey to the phenomena called loosing in transformation. The script idea is brilliant but the execution lacks the zest and apart from Saif Ali’s episode, the sex with a transvestite, Saif’s scenes with Sheela (Nyari Singh), the shooter with a quirky name omelet, nothing much pushes the button of wild, quirky fun. Though Deepak and Raaz are outstanding in their acts individually, the other tracks fail to tighten the loose ends though the dig on police has its share of laughter.

Angad (Akshay Oberoi) is okay, the fling scene is a disaster. Due to these interruptions the striking episode of a dying man Rileen (Saif Ali Khan name) is left wanting for more.

Saif Ali Khan is terrific and utterly convincing, flying dolphins, sex with a transvestite (that’s unique) is entertaining. As said earlier Deepak Dobriyal and Vijay Raaz are first rate.

Technically, the background score gives full justice to the genre and mood. Rest is nothing to shout about.

If you love Saif Ali Khan than anything else and have the patience to experience the occasional fun in the entire lunacy that runs for one hour and fifty two minutes then go ahead.

Samir Soni: Karan Johar suggested me to direct MY BIRTHDAY SONG

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Actor Samir Soni, who is making his debut as a director with MY BIRTHDAY SONG, says it was filmmaker Karan Johar who encouraged him to helm the film.

Asked if shifting gears from acting to direction is a natural progression, Samir told IANS: "I have always had an interest in suspense thriller and dark, intellectually stimulating stories. I wrote one of them and my friends said that it is a good story.

"Being a realistic man, with the interest to know the opinion of industry people, I narrated the story to Karan (Johar) and at the end of the story, the first reaction that came from him was, 'Samir, direct the film'. Though he mentioned that Dharma Productions cannot produce the film because it is a dark film, he encouraged me throughout."

However, he found his producer and actor of the film when he went to one of his friends, filmmaker Sanjay Suri.

Samir said: "Since Sanjay also said that I should direct the film, I asked him if he is interested to play the role in it. Surprisingly, he was not only ready to act in the film but also to produce it. Our sensibility matches so well and it is a very exciting project."

While Samir found it quite a challenging and interesting process to write a thriller, according to him, "this is the genre where the story plays the real hero".

"If the plot is good and engaging, the film will work. Yes, of course, it is very tough to crack the deal and perhaps that is why in our country, thrillers are so few and far between," said the fanboy of filmmakers like Alfred Hitchcock and Christopher Nolan.

Interestingly, most of the experimental content is coming up on the digital space. Why then did he choose the medium of cinema instead of a web-series?

Samir said: "You see, a film can be available on digital platforms, but a web series cannot be available in a theatre. Since the medium of digital entertainment is new, I am yet to understand the pulse of the audience there. I have seen some of the really bad Indian content on the web too.

"When it comes to the story of my film, it is already a risky genre, thriller. After working for 20 years in cinema, because I know the audience of this medium, I think it is better to put it out on a conventional medium of cinema rather than the web. If the film fails, at least I would be sure it is for the story and not for the medium," said Samir.

The film MY BIRTHDAY SONG, also featuring Nora Fatehi, is releasing on January 19.

Samir Soni: Karan Johar suggested me to direct MY BIRTHDAY SONG

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Actor Samir Soni, who is making his debut as a director with MY BIRTHDAY SONG, says it was filmmaker Karan Johar who encouraged him to helm the film.

Asked if shifting gears from acting to direction is a natural progression, Samir told IANS: "I have always had an interest in suspense thriller and dark, intellectually stimulating stories. I wrote one of them and my friends said that it is a good story.

"Being a realistic man, with the interest to know the opinion of industry people, I narrated the story to Karan (Johar) and at the end of the story, the first reaction that came from him was, 'Samir, direct the film'. Though he mentioned that Dharma Productions cannot produce the film because it is a dark film, he encouraged me throughout."

However, he found his producer and actor of the film when he went to one of his friends, filmmaker Sanjay Suri.

Samir said: "Since Sanjay also said that I should direct the film, I asked him if he is interested to play the role in it. Surprisingly, he was not only ready to act in the film but also to produce it. Our sensibility matches so well and it is a very exciting project."

While Samir found it quite a challenging and interesting process to write a thriller, according to him, "this is the genre where the story plays the real hero".

"If the plot is good and engaging, the film will work. Yes, of course, it is very tough to crack the deal and perhaps that is why in our country, thrillers are so few and far between," said the fanboy of filmmakers like Alfred Hitchcock and Christopher Nolan.

Interestingly, most of the experimental content is coming up on the digital space. Why then did he choose the medium of cinema instead of a web-series?

Samir said: "You see, a film can be available on digital platforms, but a web series cannot be available in a theatre. Since the medium of digital entertainment is new, I am yet to understand the pulse of the audience there. I have seen some of the really bad Indian content on the web too.

"When it comes to the story of my film, it is already a risky genre, thriller. After working for 20 years in cinema, because I know the audience of this medium, I think it is better to put it out on a conventional medium of cinema rather than the web. If the film fails, at least I would be sure it is for the story and not for the medium," said Samir.

The film MY BIRTHDAY SONG, also featuring Nora Fatehi, is releasing on January 19.