Archive for the ‘Movies’ Category
Sardar – the movie
Among the stalwarts of independence movement in India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is a forgotten figure. Even I didn’t know much about this man except for the fact that he is the ‘iron man of India’ and that the National Police Academy is named after him, ironically situated in Hyderabad, the erstwhile province which was one of the last states to cede to the Indian Union after being coerced to join by Sardar! This was until I happened to see Ketan Mehta’s 1993 movie – ‘Sardar’, which primarily picturises his life between the period 1945 to 1950. For those interested in the history of the creation of the Indian Union, this award winning movie is must watch. Tight screenplay, good research, appropriate casting, astute direction and some good performances make this movie a treat to watch. But for those who are not interested in history, this might seem like a bit of a drone. As far as historical movies about India’s independence go, this one is as good if not better than the oscar winning, Richard Attenborough’s 1982 movie, – ‘Gandhi’. It captures the true essence of those momentous years when 565 princely states were just waiting for the British to leave so that they could declare independence of their own. In one of the scenes in the movie, Paresh Rawal – who plays the Sardar, speaks of the enormity of the moment. He says,” I hope I am taking the right decisions. My biggest fear is, if our decisions are wrong then future generations will curse and condemn us; if our decisions are right then we will be hailed as heros. But, they wouldn’t understand under what circumstances we took these decisions. They will just want to know – “where is my share?” ” He makes this remark right after the congress agrees to the two nation theory. The movie not only potrays the strong personality of Sardar Patel but also captures the political fervour of those days. Do watch this movie if you get a chance, it is a must see movie. A nice review is available here at mouthshut.com
Da Vinci @ box office
Hyderabad, 22nd May: Some termed the ‘Da Vinci Code’ a sacrilege, yet others devoured it; it was factually incorrect in many places, but it did not prevent the book from being one of the hottest selling ones in recent years. Now its screen adaptation is well on the way to imitating the success of the Da Vinci code. The movie opened with a bang over the weekend. It opened to the second largest film opening yet ($224m) in spite of discouraging media glare, opposition from certain sections and bad reviews. Well, good or bad, I don’t think I would want to miss it.
Rang de Basanti
I went to watch Rang de Basanti yesterday with Divey, Sriram, Hari and Vasu in Prasadz movie complex (finally, after 2 weeks of wait to get a ticket). Incidentally, if you ever visit Hyderabad, this one will be the first recommendation you will get on weekend hangouts.
With so many reviews on the blogs floating around, mine is too late. That will not prevent me from airing my view on the movie anyways 
.
The movie is definitely a “different” movie for once. The music is energetic and complements first the surging euphoria and then the angst in the movie. The plot, although predictable after a point, manages to hold your attention. The acting by Soha, Kunal, Atul, Maddy, Siddharth are laudable. Of course, Amir delivers as usual, but this time his age shows. The style in which the movie is made is also interesting. Although, there seem to be patches which see-saw between early twentieth century India and now, the director manages to draw a single thread through them. The depiction of self-discovery, and patriotism in today’s youth is commendable. But the messages in certain scenes could have been delivered more subtly.
Outside of the movie team, the Air chief, defence ministry and the CBFC all deserve an applause for not using the scissors to cut the film short. What’s my final take? It’s a great attempt. Do watch it, but keep your expectations tempered; you wouldn’t be disappointed.
