2007 : The Year that Was

2007 was full of surprises some pleasant ( like Taaren Zameen Par, Manorama & Johnny ) and some not so pleasant ( like JBJ, LCMD & Aaja Nachle) and though it was not as good as 2006 , still some new trends were set . The high point for year was no doubt , the never before media frenzy and publicity of the Diwali releases and low point was the acting of Mega – stars in Script-less movies like CASH & Jhoom Baraabar Jhoom .

Talking of stars , some were created (Deepika & Ranbir) , some were re-born ( SRK with 6-pack) and some got recognised ( Akki with 3 blockbusters ) . The year belonged to SRK with the Years two biggest hits Chak-De India and OSO . SRK’s luck shined at anything he touched whether it is Hey Babby or the 20-20 Finals .Though SRK did not do much to publicise his better ” Product “, Chak-De , it still stood up on its own . The Award Trophies are waiting for SRK’s fingerprints .

Enough of SRK , the other Big star of the Year was undoubtedly Akshay Kumar with three Back-2-Back hits . He has proved that apart from SRK & Hrithik , he too sells big-time . Among female stars the year belonged to Katrina Kaif with three good films at box-office ( Namaste London , Partner & Apne ) . Rani’s throne has fallen with LCMD and she would be seriously thinking of marrying and settling . And talking of partners both Salman & Ash found one . Ash got AB baby and Salman got Govinda ? The marriage of the year goes to Ash-Abhi with “Out-standing” performance by Media . Father in Law AB senior was more in news for wrong reasons ( Land Acquisition and Rifts with stars like SRK , Aamir and Hrithik & not to forget romancing young girls) . Hrithik took a break with no movie releasing this year and did only Ad-campaigns .

After stars come Directors & Producers . Mani Sir’s GURU did better than his last movie and AB got something to cheer about . Two Big Directors ( both being one of my favourites) RGV and SLB got self absorbed and carried out ” Mann-Maani ” and paid the price . RGV got burnt in his own Aag and SLB didn’t found his Saawariya . Over-confidence can kill anybody . Aditya made wrong decisions through-out the year and worked more on budget rather than scripts . SONY got peanuts for their first Indian Film and ADLABS & EROS bought films like vegetables. Vidhu Vinod Chopra made Eklavya with stunning visuals but again weak story killed it . He got happy with american reviews and comments . Brother-Sister , Farah – Saajid got richer and made dozens of stars dance in one song each . And before the year ended one more Director surprised in the form of Aamir Khan . He is also now a PDA ( Producer,Director & Actor) . Mahesh Bhatt rightly said in a recent interview that he pushed this decision too long , he should have gotten into it quite early . I wonder , if this movie would win awards who will take it , Aamir being the PDA , probably the kid.

For me the best part of year was the variety of cinema I got to see whether is it a sports movie in Chak – De or a gripping suspense-thriller in Manorama & Johnny Gaddar . Not to forget the movie based on kids – Taare Zameen Par which is also one of the best in the year . Comedies like Partner & Bheja Fry both released in a year and did well . OSO with all the 70’s drama and glitter and Khoya Khoya Chaand with all the Nostalgia .There was something for youth of today also , in form of Mp3 , Dil Dosti etc. & Mumbai Salsa . Nice to see movies like Jab We Met and Shootout doing well than Saawariya & Salaam-e-ishq. Big disappointments in form of Cash & Traffic Signal . Films like Aapka Suroor did better than excellent cinema like Black Friday & Manorama . I feel for the producers . Anyways the big releases of this year were not as good as last year but the small ones made for it .

Music wise the year was quite good with GURU in the beginning and Khoya Khoya Chaand in the end . Every album had at least one song worth listening and some albums had it all , like Metro & OSO . Tara rum pum ’s songs did better than the movie . Saawariya’s 11 songs made the movie fall even low and Partner’s numbers didn’t make sense yet minted money .

Aamir has got into Direction and Blogging ( like me ) and looks like he is going to do it all with utmost perfection . Hrithik has new agent in the LA and is ready to breach the international screens . Ash is doing Pink Panther and Mallika is also ready to go to the express way . Shilpa found Big-Brother and no husband yet . Oscar buzz surrounds Irfan & Tabu and Indian films and stars knocking the world’s door .

The final nail in the coffin is my list of the best & worst of year which has many categories just like any Indian award “show” . Here it goes :

Best Films (Popular) :

1. Om Shanti Om .
2. Chak De India.
3. Partner.
4. Guru.
5. Heyy Baby & Bhul Bhulaiyaa.

Best Films (Critical Acclaim & overall):

1. Chak De India.
2. Taare Zameen Par.
3. Guru.
4. Johnny Gaddar.
5. Manorama Six Feet Under .

Best Trailers (new category):

1. Saawariya – Teaser Trailer.
2. Bhul Bhulaiyaa – Teaser Trailer.
3. Gandhi My Father – Trailer .
4. Jodha Akbar.
5. Khoya Khoya Chaand & JBJ-teaser .

*Guru and Salaam-e-Ishq trailer not included because they released in 2006.

Best Songs (Popular):

1. Chakde – Chak De India.
2. Dard-e-disco-OSO.
3. Its Rocking – Kya Love Story Hai .
4. Soni De Nakhre – Partner.
5. Hare Ram – Bhul Bhulaiyaa.
6. Move Your Body – Johnny Gaddar.

Best Songs ( Lyrically):

1. Tere Bina – Guru.
2. Baatein Kuch Ankhahi Si – Life in a… Metro.
3. Maula Mere – Anwar.
4. Main Jahan Bhi Rahoo – Namaste London.
5. Jab Se tere Naina – Saawariya.
6. O re Pakhi – Khoya Khoya Chaand.

Rotten Eggs Of the Year :

1. Jhoom Baraabar Jhoom.
2. Cash.
3. RGV ki Aag.
4. Fool n Final.
5. Aapka Suroor – The Movieeee .

Some other films like Saawariya , Nishabd and Shaka laka Boom Boom gave good competition to these films .

That would be it for now , some more will come soon , keep checking .

Here’s wishing all my readers a Merry Christmas and Happy and Prosperous New Year . I hope the New-Year resolution for big banner producers would be to work on good scripts along with the commercial ones .

Taare Zameen Par — Movie Review

There are some films that while watching you forget that you are watching a film and start feeling that what you are watching is something that was always at the back of your mind and it is just been taken out from there . Taare Zameen Par is one such film . Aamir Khan is known to be among the brightest man in the industry but what came out was an another Aamir khan that dreams and feels those dreams very passionately . Direction has brought out a piece of Aamir who has always been media shy . He kept on saying in the interviews that he felt for the story and hence decided to direct it , and after watching TZP I feel that he was damn serious about it .

Talking of the film , its an experience and you need to watch it for yourself to feel it . The movie is not at all for kids though it revolves around kids . It is more for the parents who groom kids and also for a little mature kids who can understand and feel what is shown . The best thing about TZP is that it is shown through the eyes of a kid . It very clearly puts across the fact that how creative the children are when they are young . They see things and think about it with a free mind , without any constrains . But today , parents are putting constrains to that free mind and soul . And it is this thought that whole movie brings out .

The film starts in a very unique and creative way . The title credits are itself a creative master-piece . All credit to Pankaj Khandpur of Tata – ELXSI & his team who worked on all the graphics and visual effects of the film . The special effects added to the creativity of film .

The film revolves around a child of third standard – Ishan Awasthy , who is very weak in studies and despite of all the punishments he doesn’t study .He is very creative and makes beautiful paintings of whatever he sees and feels . He has an elder brother , Yohaan Awasthy who is very bright in studies and always stands first in class . Yohaan is a bright student but he is not very proudy about it and this very trait in his character is what moved me . He supports his brother throughout the movie whenever he is able to do so and doesn’t make fun . He acts very maturely according to his age . After being fed up of complaints and failures , the angry father – Vipin Sharma , sends Ishaan to a boarding school so that he learns discipline and starts studying . Ishaan unwilingly gets admitted to the school and gets very sad . There he is constanly beaten by the strict teachers . He makes a very good friend over there who is himself suffering of polio yet he is brightest in his class. Ishaan shows no progress and the same story starts repeating , scolding and beating but no one understands him . Being lonely and sad he stops painting also .

Then comes a new art teacher Ram Shankar Nikumbh (Aamir) who has a very different style of teaching . He sets children free and makes them think freely just like Robin William’s character in Dead Poet’s Society , only difference he deals with small children . His character has no similarity to Robin’s except the distinct style of teaching and free thinking philosophy . He comes across Ishaan and gets concerned for him . He does a little bit of research onhim and realizes that he suffers from a disorder called Dislexia (unability of understanding alphabets and characters ) . He then undertakes Ishaan and grooms him and makes him get over his problems . He also teaches his parents a lesson or two and makes them think like him . Then slowly – slowly everything changes and Ishaan’s love for painting gets recognised by evryone and applauded . The movie ends with the end of term and Ishaan showing remarkable iprovments in his Progress Report . His painting also gets published on cover page of school Year-book .

The acting by all actors is just top notch with Darsheel Safary (Ishaan) being the best . He has acted just like a child should and brought out the emotions perfectly . He deserves an award . Aamir is as usual perfect and all the other cast is also brilliant . Tisca (Ishaan’s Mom) is beautiful and graceful .

The music is very good and melodious with the song “Maa” that can move any damn soul that exists on this face of earth . The music is very simple and sweet and melodious matching the movie’s feel . Shankar Ehsaan Loy and Lyricist Prasoon Joshi do a great job .

There are many-many small moments in the entire film that will not only make you emotional but teach you a thing or two . It is these moments that make it so special and watchable . I am so glad that year has ended with such a excellent piece of cinema . I am more happy for Aamir who has delivered more than what was expected from him .

Movie Rating : Four Stars , for fantastic acting by Darsheel & excellent direction . If you want to end your year on a right note , go and watch it . Take your kid along .

Aamir if you read this then I would like to tell you that when I was watching this movie , there was a young couple sitting next to me who had a very small baby . I heard the wife say -” We will buy a DVD and keep watching the movie so that it reminds us that how we should be to our children .” Do you need anything more ?

One more thing Aamir , the scene where you make the small boy who works in a restaurant eat and drink from your cup , hit me the most . I don’t know how many but there will be at least one preson who would copy that in real life and imagine how happy the kid would get . Great start to an exciting new career . This one surely stands a chance at the Oscar .