LATEST RELEASES-Time for some entertainment!

BOLLYWOOD:

CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA-"Not shot in China actually"

Nikhil Advani's dream of making the first Bollywood film in China could only be partially realized. After a major part of the shooting, the director and his entire crew had to hastily leave China and look for an alternative place to shoot the rest of the film. If New York is being shot in Philadelphia, Chandni Chowk To China has been shot in Bangkok. And for good reasonSays Nikhil, "It was the year of the Olympics in China and it became impossible beyond a point to shoot in the country where our film is based. Maybe a quieter less flamboyant film, but not the kind of action that Akshay has shot."

MEERABAI NOTOUT-"Run out at the box-office"

Rating: *1/2

It's often said that cricket and Bollywood are two major passions of Indians. Director Chandrakant Kulkarni's Meerabai Not Out narrates the story of a cricket enthusiast who goes to the extremes -- even on the day of her engagement -- to watch a game of cricket.But interesting ideas don't necessarily translate into interesting films. Meerabai Not Out suffers because there's not much meat in its script. It's only during the penultimate moments that things begin to move, but that isn't enough to salvage the situation.Also, though the film talks of cricket, there's not much excitement for a cricket fanatic either. A sports-based theme works only if the viewer becomes involved in the proceedings, when he/she becomes a participant. In Meerabai Not Out, you're just a mere spectator. This one's more of a love story, actually!

DIL KABADDI-"Assemblage of assorted sequences"

Till sometime back, the three-letter word, sex, was considered taboo on the Hindi screen. But it's out of the closet now. Dil Kabaddi goes a step further -- it takes you inside the bedroom of two couples and makes you listen to the bedroom chat that they indulge in, bringing the sex lives out in the open.Heavily inspired by Woody Allen's 1992 film HUSBANDS & WIVES, Dil Kabaddi is bold and piping hot for the Indian audiences. The question is not whether Indian audiences are ready for a theme like this. The question is, does the script hold your attention for the next 2 hours? Sadly, it doesn't!

Dil Kabaddi has no plot as such and debutante director Anil Senior adopts an abstract style of storytelling. It's more of an assemblage of assorted incidents and individualistic sequences. At several times, the characters keep talking to the camera, talking of their feelings, fantasies and thoughts.Dil Kabaddi works in bits and spurts, but not in totality. The script suffers mainly because there's no beginning, no middle, no end. Just assemblage of assorted sequences!

KOLLYWOOD:

MAHESH SARANYA MATRUM PALAR-"A delicate love story"

Mahesh, Saranya Matrum Palar is a delicate love story; but the love story assumes prominence and value owing to its crackling family backdrop.

Mahesh (Sakthi) returns from the city to his ancestral home and large joint family when the wedding arrangements of his younger sister Kalpana (Charanya Mohan) are being finalized. Here, pleasantly excited by the elated and celebratory mood, Mahesh reveals his own affair with a sprightly young girl named Saranya (Sandya) to each and every member in the close-knit family. The family members do not show any signs of opposition but they do not take him seriously either. When Kalpana's wedding arrangement is final, both families, taking advantage of the mutual comfort level developed between them, decide to enter into another alliance, one between Mahesh and the groom's only sister (Keerthi Chawla). Shocked, Mahesh refuses to accept this proposal, insisting he will marry only Saranya. His refusal estranges the two families; as a result of his blunt refusal, Kalpana's wedding gets cancelled.And the story drifts towards an exciting end.
Director Ravi has indeed worked well on his storyboard. Except some parts where the narrative sags a bit, the film moves smoothly and logically. To top it all, the climax that rings with definite clarity is absolutely convincing. Vidyasagar's music, particularly the re-recording, is top-class.
Realistic and devoid of unnecessary spin-offs, Mahesh, Saranya Matrum Palar strikes an emphatic chord with audiences.
  

VAARNAM AAIYIRAM-"The combo clicks again"
Gowtham Vasudeva Menon is one of the brightest talents in Tamil cinema.Any film directed by him is hot in the Tamil market. And his latest offering, Varnam Aayiram becomes even hotter as he and Surya are coming together again after the hugely successful Kaakha Kaakha.

Surya too is flushed with the success of his last film, Vel starring Asin. 

TOLLYWOOD:

YAMADONGA TOPPER DESPITE THE NEW TELUGU RELEASES!
The top five Telugu films:

1. "Yamadonga" - The Film is still running in over a dozen theatres after a month of its release. Despite unfavourable reviews, the films is doing good business and director S.S. Rajamouli and actor N.T.R. Jr. certainly have reasons to smile at its success. The music by Keeravani continues to be on the audio charts.

2. "Raghavan" - A dubbed Telugu version of "Vettaiyadu Vilayadu", the film seems to have impressed the audience. The film is a good effort by director Goutham Menon. It has brilliant acting by Kamal Haasan and Jyothika. Some of the good Tamil films dubbed in Telugu are doing brisk business at the box office.

3. "Yamagola Malli Modalaindhi" - This rib-tickling comedy is still running in the theatres and doing average business. Some good performances seem to have made a difference.

4. "Chandamama" - Director Krishna Vamsi's film is a simple entertainer set against a rural backdrop and has made it to the list. "Chandamama" is reportedly going well with the audience.

5. "Lakshyam" - A decent entertainer, the film continues to do well, auguring good times for actor Gopichand. 

MOLLYWOOD:

TWENTY TWENTY-"stars studded"
Yes, Twenty Twenty is simply that.    A movie for a cause by the stars of a film industry – 20:20 is already applied for it’s place in Guinness Book of World records.     It is a film made to help the financially struggling film actors and actresses who had to struggle in their later life.    Showing our face in a cinema is something everybody takes pride of.  However, after some time - from the moment you are not in current films - your shadows will be forgotten by the people.   We cannot blame the audience where they got new set of shadows.   Once out of shadow, each actor/actress has to live own burden.   TV channels brought many sympathetic pictures of silver screen idols virtually starving and living in sick conditions - without getting proper food, shelter or treatment.     May be the families they forgot when they dedicated themselves to the shadows must have forgotten them.    May be that is part of society’s lifestyle.  In any case AMMA, the organization of Film actors/actresses of Kerala made a film to support such helpless people.   I would have endorsed this cause with any stupid film for its cause.  However, 20:20 proved its merit in presenting a commercial story involving the maximum number of casts in it, including the rivals Mammootty & Mohan Lal. 

The story is around a rape, murder and revenge.   I cannot give a plot where the leading stars make their entry very late and without connecting their characters there is no story.

 

PAKAL NATSHATIRANGAL-"A Pretentious one"

We know that every creative process is an exercise in self- indulgence; the degree may vary from person to person. But rarely do you come across something that indulges in "intellectual exhibitionism".

Yes, you read it right; while watching the Malayalam film Pakal Nakshatrangal, you feel that the team behind it is interested in just showing off their intelligence without bothering to make an "intelligent" film. They dabble in esoteric themes like mysticism, sexual freedom, death, the after-life and such things, as an act of show off. It is written by Anup Menon and Rajeev Nath is credited with the concept (whatever that means) and direction.