Guru hoja shuru

Over the past few days I have heard a lot about the film Guru. Went to watch it this evening. It's a well made film. Mani Ratnam in his element. Open secret being that it's a film on the life and times of Dhirubhai Ambani. It's about how a village boy Gurukant wants to make it big and builds a huge empire. It's about how a man didn't let the rules stop him in his quest for success.
Abhishek Bachchan has done justice to his role as Guru and Aishwarya Rai has also done a good job. The last time I thought about Ash doing a good job was for her role in Kandukondein Kandukondein. The cinematography is really breathtaking.
A few small things that strike a wrong chord are that in the songs picturised there is a south indian ambiance rather than a gujarati one. Especially in the song "Tanna re".
After a long time one saw Mithun da in a role in which he could get his acting prowess to the fore rather than his pelvis. It's good to know that the talent didn't get lost in all his disco dancer roles.
Though seen in a cameo Vidya Balan stands out. This girl is real good. She's a natural. R. Madhavan was good too. Mallika Sherawat does an item in this movie.
On the topic of Mallika... I recently watched the film Pyar Ke side effects. Mallika Sherawat and Rahul Bose star in this movie. I really liked it. It's humour has the bite of say "When harry met sally" (which incidently is one of my most fave films). I guess these movies work more with urban audiences. Rahul Bose is a good actor but I guess his personality is such that he is more suited to this kind of cinema. This film is about a live in relationship and how things change when the couple get engaged. The doubts on the part of the man. The girl wanting the 3 tiny words. The break up and the coming back together. This movie has given Mallika a chance to act and she has done a good enough job. For once she isn't the "item" in this one. Theres another "item". Someone called baby doll who spoke as if she had difficulty mouthing her dialogues ..... well I don't know her name and didn't have the urge to find it out either.
Talking about "item" reminded me of the film "Dhoom2". Technically a well made film. What exactly Bipasha was doing in the film is open for debate. I guess one can't say no to Yash Chopra. I mean I didn't understand what one Bipasha was upto and imagine she had a double role. Abs amazing! This film had just about everything..... thrills/emotion/comic relief.... all put together on a cinematographically beautiful canvas.... but it was just that! Abs cold! They all looked good... did their job well and even then it wasn't the best movie I have watched. Even the much hyped kiss between Ash and Hrithik was just that..... like the director saying...... the script needs a kiss here... so lets put it there. The story reminded me of the Mandrake comic i had read as a kid. I still remember there was a story wherein the thief who if I remember right was called Camel and he would leave a small camel as his signature at the place of the theft like Hrithik leaves an A. He too was an ace at disguise. I think Yash Raj films have shifted focus from Mills and Boon to Mandrake.
I like watching Marathi films as well. Though there has been a dirth of good Marathi films in recent times. So this film came as a surprise. "Yanda Kartavya Aahey". When I started watching the film I thought that I was watching a wedding video. The story is about arranged marriages. In this film the hero has to get married because his granny is ill and she wishes to see him married. So he has an arranged marriage. The adjustments that the couple has to make. This film has a lot of innocence and middle class values which are completely lost in todays times. In hindi movies today no one bats an eyelid when the hero and heroine live together. The psyche of the urban Indian has changed and thats why this movie came as a surprise. Which showed how delicate the relations are and how a strong bond is forged between the married couple. How the focus shifts from the father being the most important person in a girl's life to her husband taking that place. The only jarring note in this film being the songs. Some are def not required. I feel the director shouldn't get into the rut of trying to fit in the songs ..... they just don't! All in all a nice CD to watch on a dreamy sunday.