Daily Entertainment News

Now Hindi remake of British comedy ‘The Infidel’

Indo Asian News Service — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 17:38:00 +0000

Cross-cultural comedy “The Infidel”, about a British Muslim caught in an identity crisis, is set to get a desi twist. India-based marketing company Trigno Media has acquired the rights for a Hindi remake of the film.

The 2010 film featured Omid Djalili as a Muslim family man who discovers he is adopted and Jewish. It also had actors Richard Schiff, Archie Panjabi and Matt Lucas in the cast.

The Hindi version will focus on India’s two main religions – Hinduism and Islam.

“People are terrified about race and religious issues, especially issues surrounding Muslims and Hindus, and when people are terrified, what they really should do is laugh,” Sajjad Chunawala, director, Trigno Media, said in a press statement.

“‘The Infidel’ is a hilarious story of a man caught between his religion and his conscience and is a story that has immense relevance to India and is a fantastic and important film that is waiting to be made,” he added.

“The Infidel” has released in over 22 territories globally. The film’s original producers Uzma Hasan, Arvind David and writer-producer David Baddiel will executive produce the Hindi project.

“It’s been incredible to watch ‘The Infidel’ resonate with audiences across the globe; I’m excited to see it reinterpreted in one of world’s most richly diverse nations,” said Hasan.

The Hindi remake of “The Infidel” will be the first production by Trigno Media, co-founded in 2011 by Chunawala and Shariq Patel. It is aimed at marketing independent films.

Meet Vidya Balan’s hero in ‘Kahaani’

Indo Asian News Service — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 17:17:24 +0000

On seeing Sujoy Ghosh’s stunning Kolkata-based suspense-drama “Kahaani” your attention is immediately caught by quietly accomplished Bengali actor Parambrata Chatterjee, who plays Vidya Balan’s saviour in the film.

Parambrata, Param to friends, plays Vidya’s distressed spouse-searching character’s cop-saviour who breaks protocol, rules and conventions to get her to her goal and somewhere down the line becomes subtly attracted to her.

Parambrata conveys his growing affection for his leading lady with a silent eloquence.

So yes, Parambrata is the hero of “Kahaani”.

“Wrong! ‘Kahaani’ already has two heroes, Vidya and Kolkata. I’m the film’s heroine,” he quips mischievously from Shanti Niketan where he’s shooting his new Bengali film as mobs threaten to disrupt the shooting.

Last year’s Bangla superhit “Baise Shrabon”, which starred Prosenjeet and Parambrata, became a blockbuster and turned the latter into a Kolkata superstar.

Now “Kahaani”, hopes Parambrata, would make him a familiar figure in Bollywood, though he admits he’s happy being a star in West Bengal and doesn’t crave for acceptance in Bollywood.

How the role in “Kahaani” happened makes an interesting story.

“I was abroad in Amsterdam with my girlfriend when I received a call from Mumbai. Before I could introduce himself to Sujoy Ghosh, he showered the choicest expletives on me asking me to return to India to start shooting for his film. He had seen my work in Anjan Datta’s ‘Bong Connection’ and felt I was right for the role,” he said.

“From Amsterdam, I was supposed to go with my girl to Paris and Rome. Paris, I couldn’t wriggle out of. But Rome I cancelled and returned to India for ‘Kahaani’. That’s my kahaani,” he added admitting that he had to work hard on his Hindi, but not so hard on establishing a rapport with Vidya.

“You know, by a strange coincidence Vidya and I both did our first film ‘Bhalo Theko’ in Bengali, together. We hadn’t met since then. But the minute we were together for ‘Kahaani’, it was just like old times. Vidya is a huge star but absolutely hassle free. She takes her work dead seriously. But is a bundle of fun off camera,” he said.

Parambrata is in a long-distance relationship with a Dutch girl.

“Her name is Ike Schouten. And we’ve been seeing each other for two years. She spends some months of the year with me in Kolkata. And I fly down as frequently as possible. Ike is too kicked about ‘Kahaani’, not only because I’m in it but because it was shot in Kolkata. She can show all the places that he loves in Kolkata to her friends in the Netherlands.”

Live Chat: Shazahn Padamsee on Mar 14 at 1600 hrs IST

soikot — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 17:00:53 +0000

This cute and bubbly actress debuted opposite Ranbir Kapoor in Rocket Singh: Salesman Of The Year. She then was seen opposite Ajay Devgn in Dil To Baccha Hai Ji and is now all set for her next big releaseHousefull 2. Yes, we are indeed talking about the pretty and talented Shazahn Padamsee.
Shazahn will be live on Bollywood Hungama‘s video chat talking about her forthcoming film on Wednesday, March 14, at 1600 hrs IST. Don’t miss!

Source: bollywoodhungama

Zareen Khan turns princess again

soikot — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 16:54:12 +0000

Once a princess always a princess. This could well be the adage for Zareen Khan (yes, that’s the way she is spelled now, and not Zarine Khan) who has gained an entry into a period drama all over again. After being seen as the princess who fell in love with the ‘veer’ Salman Khan, she is now going further back in time with yet another assignment which is on the similar lines.

“Yes, she is playing a princess all over again. This would be for the Tamil film called Karikalan. It is a step in the right direction for her as this one is a biggie with a multicrore budget. Also, she is the leading lady opposite Tamil superstar Vikram who was seen as Ram in the Hindi version of Mani Ratnam’s Raavan. She has already finished one schedule of this film and would soon be resuming shoot after the release of Housefull 2“, informs a close friend of Zareen.

For Zareen it was a tough decision though to step into yet another costume drama. After all, Veer wasn’t quite the kind of start that a quintessential Bollywood heroine takes. While she had limited opportunity to show the glamorous side of hers, the below par run of the film meant that she had to bide time before she could step into an item number ‘Character Dheela‘ [Ready] and then play one of the four heroines inHousefull 2.

“However the makers of Karikalan were insistent that she was the best choice for the role due to her prior experience of playing a princess in Veer“, adds a source, “Compared to many other Salman Khan heroines who have been seen as mere eye candy in his last few films, Zareen at least had a role to speak of. Moreover she had performed decently in her debut outing, the makers felt that she had the potential of justifying the faith shown in her.”

Zareen did discuss the opportunity with her close friends and industry confidantes and finally consented to playing the role. However this too came with a pre-condition that she won’t put on any excess weight, as was the requirement in Veer.

Laughs Zareen, “Yes, this time around I wasn’t accepting chocolates and sweets on a platter, something that was the case in Veer. At that time everyone made me eat as much as I wanted since I was required to put on weight. I was sure not to repeat that in my new assignment. Moreover there are other Hindi films to look at as well where I have to be slim and fit. Thankfully the makers agreed as well so it turned out to be a win-win situation for me.”

Source: bollywoodhungama

Kahaani

soikot — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 16:45:26 +0000

Released On: 9 Mar 2012

Directed By: Sujoy Ghosh

Starring: Vidya Balan, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Indraneil Sengupta, Dhritiman Chatterjee, Saswata Chatterjee, Shantilal Mukherjee, Kharaj Mukherjee, Collen Blanche, Nitya Ganguli, Master Ritobroto Mukherjee, Pamela Bhuttoria, Kalyan Chatterjee, Master Ridhi Sen, Darshan Jariwala

The rules of entertainment are altering rapidly. Moviegoers, in the present day, are diffident about a film wholly centered on grim societal subject matters. Nor are they enthused about a conventional mainstream motion picture. What works for the discerning spectator in the current scenario is an evenhanded permutation. So does KAHAANI encompass the all-important blend? Let’s explore…

This is indeed a favorable moment for a Hindi movie heroine, unlike in times of yore. She is being looked up to as an actor with strengths, limitations, failures and accomplishments. She is geared up to conduct experiments, equipped to explore uncharted territories. This also goes for one of the most proficient actresses of our times, Vidya Balan. The famed actress has persistently ambled the untrodden path vis-a-vis her choice of movies, PAA, ISHQIYA, NO ONE KILLED JESSICA, THE DIRTY PICTURE and now KAHAANI…

Come to think of it, the Hindi film industry is branded for creating movies from a male perspective. The women’s stories are not really exemplified conscientiously. But, out of the blue, the souk of women-centric flicks is fast turning out to be a bankable genre. KAHAANI is a commanding story, has an authoritative central character, has several dominant and thought-provoking moments, which makes it an all-persuasive film.

Vidya Bagchi [Vidya Balan] arrives in Kolkata from London to find her missing husband. Seven month pregnant and alone in a festive city, she begins a relentless search for her husband. With nothing to rely on, except fragments from her memories about him, all clues seem to reach a dead end when everyone tries to convince Vidya that her husband does not exist. She slowly realizes that nothing is what it seems. In a city soaked in lies, Vidya is determined to unravel the truth about her husband — for herself and her unborn child, even at the cost her own life.

A woman on her way to be a mother… it’s the biggest changeover in the life of a lady. And when her spouse vanishes at this crucial juncture, how do you come to terms with the fact that he has gone missing? People you approach to seek help assert that there exists no such entity. But you are certain that this individual exists and that you are carrying the proof of his existence: his child. The concept is truly striking and attention-grabbing.

Sujoy, with the skills of a master storyteller, amalgamates a human story in a thriller format. There is a certain uninhibited genuineness in Sujoy’s direction. Besides, the writing is outstanding [story: Sujoy Ghosh, Advaita Kala; additional screenplay: Suresh Nair, Nikhil Vyas]; one seldom witnesses such aptitude and deliberation to specifications. Without doubt, Sujoy gives it his best shot with gleaming sincerity. Positioned alongside an intimidating environment of Kolkata’s tapered side streets and constricted alleyways, the setting is ahead of credence in its realism.

KAHAANI is a captivating recount from its commencement to conclusion. Sujoy has fashioned enough scenes around the plot that keep the viewer on the edge. Besides, fragments of tongue in cheek humor pop up when you least anticipate to liven up the solemn plot. Yet, the storyteller never deviates from the fundamental somber remise. His attempt in infusing drama and pace in the narrative makes the movie accessible to the mainstream spectators. Just one itsy bitsy snag: Had the culmination been lucidly elucidated in a more simplistic fashion for the common man to decipher, the film would have created an even stronger impact.

Vishal-Shekhar’s music is addictive. The title track is akin to an excursion of the City of Joy, while Amitabh Bachchan’s rendition of ‘Ekla Cholo Re’ is mesmeric. The cinematography is arresting. The DoP [Setu] captures the essence of Kolkata magnificently on celluloid.

Post THE DIRTY PICTURE, the admiration for the National Award winning actress Vidya has scaled woozy altitudes and let me affirm, the supremely talented actress delivers a performance that’s at par with her former accomplishments. She, very nonchalantly, re-evaluates screen acting in KAHAANI. She arrives with yet another enlivening, commanding character in this film and her portrayal of an expecting, frantic lady on a mission to trace her husband’s inexplicable vanishing in an unfamiliar land is sure to win laurels by assessors and cinegoers uniformly. This is indeed Vidya’s most eye-catching act. Her body language, her confidence, her vulnerability, her fury, her grief, all fall upon wonderfully.

Parambrata Chattopadhyay, as Rana, is a revelation. What a tremendous actor. His sequences with Vidya are truly wonderful. Nawazuddin Siddiqui, as Khan, proves yet again that he’s an exceptional performer. He makes a stunning impact. Dhritiman Chatterjee is, as always, efficient, Saswata Chatterjee is effective and Darshan Jariwala is perfect. Indraneil Sengupta is splendid in a challenging role. The two child actors [the boy at the lodge and the boy at the tea stall] are a complete natural.

On the whole, KAHAANI works big time because Vidya Balan makes it come alive. It is several notches above the stuff we’ve been subjected to in the past. The movie triumphs in evoking emotions. You experience compassion, resentment, defenselessness and triumph at a variety of stages. A wonderful movie-going experience, you come out feeling a sense of pride, pleasure and fulfillment after having watched KAHAANI. Just do not miss it. Hugely recommended!

Source: bollywoodhungama

Chaar Din Ki Chandni

soikot — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 16:36:55 +0000

Released On: 9 Mar 2012

Directed By: Samir Karnik

Starring: Tusshar Kapoor, Kulraj Randhawa, Anupam Kher, Om Puri, Mukul Dev, Johny Lever, Anita Raaj, Sushant Singh, Chandrachur Singh, Rahul Singh, Farida Jalal, Shruti Sharma, Rana Jung Bahadur, Sudhir Kumar, Hemant Pandey, Manav Vij, Lokesh Tilakdhari

Be forewarned: Don’t look for logic here! Escapist cinema or films that suspend logic, but entertain, are often at the receiving end of assessors and evaluators. Movies helmed by Rohit Shetty, Sajid Khan, veterans like David Dhawan, Priyadarshan and Anees Bazmee, besides the recent box-office bonanzas featuring Salman Khan, have had to face vicious and destructive criticism. Despite this, films fitting in the genre [escapist fares] have found colossal consent from spectators across the board, primarily because they serve the purpose of keeping you entertained in those two hours. It’s like choosing fast food from one of those popular joints. You may argue, it’s low on nutritional value, but it does satisfy your taste buds nonetheless.Riding high on the success of the runaway hit YAMLA PAGLA DEEWANA, Samir Karnik comes up with CHAAR DIN KI CHANDNI, a film that makes no pretensions of rewriting the rules of the game. Following the footsteps of his peers, this one’s aimed at the masses and not the inflexible critics who rarely give their approval or high ratings to these hardcore entertainers. The sole mantra of these movies is to make you grin/chuckle/giggle at the most inane jokes, most frivolous situations… logic be damned.

CHAAR DIN KI CHANDNI is not a movie to be taken seriously. Neither does it boast of an intensely ingenious tale. Nor is there an intellectual appealing screenplay in place, right from commencement till the very conclusion. But what keeps the film going are some ridiculously comical sequences. Despite the emphasis on barmy and wacky situations, despite the jokes being puerile and infantile, the movie keeps you entertained for most parts, especially in its second hour. The motive, therefore, is served.

CHAAR DIN KI CHANDNI is set against the backdrop of Rajasthan, during the course of a four-day wedding. It orbits around a Rajput family unit [Anupam Kher, Anita Raaj, Chandrachur Singh, Mukul Dev, Sushant Singh, Tusshar] and a family from Punjab [Om Puri, Farida Jalal, Kulraj Randhawa]. Tusshar is a Rajasthani who loves Kulraj, a Punjabi. But the patriarch of the family [Anupam Kher] is a staunch Rajput, which prompts Tusshar to hide Kulraj’s identity. All hell breaks loose when the truth is out!

Like YAMLA PAGLA DEEWANA, CHAAR DIN KI CHANDNI has a plethora of actors essaying over the top characters. Also, like his previous film, Karnik reserves the best for the second hour. In fact, the first hour doesn’t quite work. The humor appears forced, the jokes are corny, the one-liners are plain gibberish, the double entendres are unsavory. Most significantly, the laugh-out-loud moments are lacking. The sequences featuring Kulraj with Chandrachur Singh, Mukul Dev and Sushant Singh are humdrum and only slacken the tempo. A lot many films lose spark post interval, but not in this case. It’s a zany and madcap ride from the interlude spot, replete with humorous gags, daft situations and uproarious dialogue. The entire Pappi Sardar episode, though asinine, is amusing nonetheless. You only yearn that some of the gags were even more side splitting. The conclusion, a replica of YAMLA PAGLA DEEWANA, is chaotic. Nonetheless, it makes for one crazy viewing.

At heart, CHAAR DIN KI CHANDNI is a love story, but Karnik sprinkles the plot with ingredients that tantamount to entertainment in the lexis of the hoi polloi. Also, this wild-ride is smartly paced, with one episode following another in quick succession. But Karnik could’ve done with a superior script. The film falls short of remaining connected consistently, while the hilarity quotient varies from riotous to humdrum. CHAAR DIN KI CHANDNI has multiple music composers scoring the music, but the tracks that stand out are ‘Kangna Tera Ni’, ‘Chandni O Meri Chandni’ and the track in the end credits. The cinematography is alright, while the dialogue are witty at times.

Tusshar is at his boisterous best here. In fact, the actor strikes a right balance between understated and animated, getting the wit of the character just right. Besides, there’s a lot of verve in his character; he is vibrant, energetic and is likely to endear himself to the viewer, especially when he enacts the part of Pappi Sardar. Kulraj is a livewire and reminds you of Preity Zinta on several occasions. She performs very well. The film has a strong supporting cast and while veterans Anupam Kher and Om Puri, expectedly, dominate the show, it’s a pleasure to watch Chandrachur Singh after a hiatus. He’s proficient. Anita Raaj too makes an appearance after a gap and she’s simply wonderful. I’d like to single out Rahul Singh. He excels. Farida Jalal gets no scope. Mukul Dev and Sushant Singh try too hard, while Johny Lever is wasted. Ditto for Harish.

On the whole, uninhibited and naughty, CHAAR DIN KI CHANDNI is an enjoyable madcap comic caper with adequate frenzied moments to keep you in your seats. A good laugh is assured!

Source: bollywoodhungama

‘Talaash’ postponed to November

soikot — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 16:31:50 +0000

This development is sure to raise eyebrows and is sure to be talked-about by avid moviegoers within and outside the film industry. And, as always, Bollywood Hungama has it first!

The keenly awaited Aamir Khan starrer TALAASH, which was slated for release on 1 June, has been postponed. Yes, you read it right. Though the film is complete and the post-production would also conclude much before the due date, the producers, Ritesh Sidhwani, Aamir Khan and Farhan Akhtar, have decided to push the release of the film ahead.

What’s the reason for rescheduling the release date? “Aamir is occupied with his television show, which is starting around the same time. The perfectionist and uncompromising person that he is, Aamir will be left with little time on hand to promote TALAASH. Since TALAASH is the actor’s next big release after 3 IDIOTS, we mutually decided to push the release of the film forward. Besides, Aamir will have sufficient time on hand to promote the film,” producer Ritesh Sidhwani confirmed to this writer.

So what’s the new release date of the film? “It’s 30 November. We are looking at releasing the film after Diwali,” Ritesh divulges.

Latest Update: With ‘Talaash’ slated for 30 November, UTV & Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Akshay Kumar – Sonakshi Sinha starrer ‘Rowdy Rathore’ to release on 1 June.

Update: Kunal Kohli’s Shahid Kapoor – Priyanka Chopra starrer most probably releasing on 1 June. First trailer with ‘House Full 2′.

Source: bollywoodhungama

Anushka Sharma named brand icon of the year

Indo Asian News Service — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 16:25:54 +0000

Anushka Sharma’s rising popularity in Bollywood is there for all to see, but the actress is also making waves in the brand endorsement arena. The “Band Baaja Baaraat” girl was named the brand icon of the year at an award function here Monday night.

Anushka, who forayed into Bollywood with “Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi”, was honoured as the celebrity endorser Reliance Communications Limited at the NDTV Good Times Gadget Guru Awards Monday.

Anushka was appointed the ambassador for the brand in 2011. As part of the association, she featured in four fun-loving television commercials. But she wasn’t present to collect her award at the event, held at the Kingdom Of Dreams in Gurgaon.

The event, hosted by NDTV’s tech gurus Rajiv Makhni and Vikram Chandra, along with actress Gul Panag, saw awards being given across 18 categories for the most innovative and clutter breaking gadgets and gizmos in 2011.

So what if Anushka wasn’t present. The bit of Bollywood quotient was added by Rishi Kapoor, Randhir Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandes, Asin Thottumkal and director Sajid Khan, who came to promote their forthcoming film “Housefull 2″, releasing April 5.

Also present at the event was Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Kapil Sibal.

Kahaani Music Review

FH Stuff ! — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 19:03:35 +0000

Since scorching the screen as Silk in The Dirty Picture, Vidya Balan takes on another challenging role as a pregnant mother in Sujoy Ghosh’sKahaani. Vidya plays an expectant mother looking for her husband in the vast and bustling city of Kolkata. Vishal and Shekhar have been one the most consistent musical duos in the past year with the brilliant Ra.One. Yet here they take over gritty territory as the music reflects the tone and feeling of the movie so well. Like the city itself, the soundtrack makes balances many genres and shows unexpected layers within the music, which begs a repeated listen!

Aami Shotti Bolchi starts the album with a rollicking bang, as the jazzy score hooks you in with the arresting cello chords and all the orchestration around it. With Kolkata’s great chanteuse Usha Uthup at the helm, the song just pulls you in with the provocative lyrics. Aami Shotti Bolchi, which means I’m telling the truth, is such a great track that details the almost schizoid dualities within Kolkata. Uthup’s voice sounds just wicked on this track, as she sounds completely at home with the jazz sound and she keeps up when the heavy metal kicks in. The heavy metal sounds in the chorus are so addictive, and unusually it’s Shekhar growling like a long-lost member of Slipknot on this fabulous track! The powerful guitar riffs during the chorus lines just implore you to start head banging along. Definitely one of my favourites on this album.

Another absolute gem on this album is, Piya Tu Kaahe Rootha Re sung by the inimitable Javed Bashir, who you just long to hear more from. The haunting manjheera laces the track throughout and all the street sounds during the song come together in such an interesting and beautiful fusion. Bashir sounds just resplendent, varying his voice for the antaras and making this tune, one that will stick with you. The aggressive guitar riffs complement the tabla beats so well, and it works so well in creating a sinister mood for Kolkata, which is likely its own character in the film. The lyrics too are lovely, and Bashir conveys thedard and desperation. The album works so seamlessly as a concept album, conveying the mood of the title character and reflecting the bustling energy of the city.

Next up is the rather ordinary, Kahaani, which is sung by KK and Vishal in the main version of the song. However, what makes this track worth savouring are the innovative lyrics, which involve detailing the noises of ‘taxi ke baawre’ and ‘tram ki ghanti’ of the city. Certainly, the lyrics work in highlighting how noisy and bustling Kolkata is to Vidya’s character. As a situational tune, it works very well but the simple composition may make this one a tad ‘blehh’ on such an otherwise boisterous album. Shreya Ghosal sings the female version of the song. The new trend these days on albums to feature acoustic and minimalist arrangement is definitely a welcome addition in this case. Ghosal sounds so succinct and lovely. Out of the two versions, the unplugged one begs a repeat.

Tore Bina features a splendid Sukhwinder Singh at the helm. It begins with a lovely folksy intro and accompanied by acoustic guitars, which merge impeccably. The way the guitars and arrangement peaks around the chorus is just so addictive and will have you singing along imminently. Singh sounds so wonderful here and his voice is so flawless on this track that when he reaches the quieter parts he just sounds so tender. The bridge of the song, with the humming and backbeat kicking in just makes the composition something to praise and savour. The lyrics too are eloquent and it complements the overall tone of the album so well.

Concluding the album we have, Ekla Cholo Re, Vishal and Shekhar’s superlative version of Rabindranath Tagore’s famous poem. At the mike, we have Amitabh Bachchan who sounds so good in this slower version of the poem. The choir that sings in the chorus often act as translators of the gist of the poem in English are melodious and haunting. Thankfully, the English here is not too bogged down with fancy wordplay and is succinct which aids in the song’s overall message. Bachchan always sounds lovely when singing slower songs, and in this gem, he is tender and sombre as well as keeping his characteristic verve.

Kahaani is truly one of Vishal and Shekhar’s best albums of their career. It conjures up a wonderful tribute to Kolkata and works seamlessly in creating a mood for Vidya’s character caught up in this foreign place to her. The music is accompanied by innovative and poetic lyrics, which makes this an album to savour and enjoy for a long time.

Source:bollyspice

Jodi Breakers Movie Review

soikot — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 18:40:10 +0000

Unusual pairings often involve a big risk. They may work, they may not. And affect the movie big time. This week’s release, Jodi Breakers, brings together the sweet, chubby Madhavan and the sexyBipasha Basu as the professional couple to are out there to help troubled couples.

Sid (R.Madhavan), a recent divorcee, thinks marriage is a one way ticket to ruin your life and helps breakup the marriages of those who think so too. Enter Sonali (Bipasha Basu), who though with an opposite view, teams up with him to break the jodis of unhappy couples as painlessly as possible. All’s well until a case they take up ends wrongly and they take it upon themselves to fix the mess they created.

If you look at the basic storyline closely, it pretty much resembles the 2010 sleeper hit Band Baaja Baaraat. Boy and girl come together as business partners – only here it’s to breakup marriages and not make them – they do well, celebrate, get drunk and end up having sex, girl in love but boy is not, they breakup the partnership but come together to do that last one deal. Having said that, Jodi Breakers is not even close to Band Baaja Baarat in terms of story and execution. It’s one of the movies which has potential but doesn’t quite make it. Ashwini Chaudhary, whose earlier work was the disaster Good Boy, Bad Boy, definitely improves in terms of direction but still it’s quite messy. The movie doesn’t stick to one genre which works against it. It’s not fully a rom-com, not a drama nor a sex comedy. It just hangs somewhere in between. The movie works in bits and parts but never as a whole. As a writer, Ashwini hasn’t exactly added anything new although the twist before the interval does make the movie more interesting. Dialogues are funny, often too filmy. Music by Salim-Sulaiman is decent although the picturizations of the songs are really tacky. Kunwara, which is one of the favorite peppy numbers of everyone is ruined by the way the song has been filmed. Cinematography by Arun Varma is good especially the way Greece has been captured.

Coming to the performances, the Madhavan-Bipasha Jodi somehow doesn’t work. You just can’t point out what is exactly wrong but something, somewhere there’s definitely a miss. Maddy has always been a wonderful actor and he shines in this movie as well. I just have one teensy problem. Why did a cute guy like him have to be all pudgy and double-chinned when he could have looked the sleek suave guy his character definitely is? Bipasha as usual, well, looks sexy
although unlike her many recent films, she plays a simple sweet girl. Manages it pretty well most of the times however some scenes – like the drunk sequences – you know she has to improve. Omi Vaidya (playing Nano), I have one request for you. Please get yourself a new gag and try to do so before you are stereotyped. It is not funny anymore. Omi tries a 3 Idiots-kinda speech which though not half as hilarious is the only scene which comes out funny. Milind Sonam and Dipannita Sharma play their parts decently and surprisingly come across as a realistic couple. Mrinalini Sharma as the vamp delivers what she could in her limited role, Helen as the stern grandma is adorable and the support cast is passable.

Overall, Jodi Breakers could have turned out to be a pretty hilarious ride. However due to faulty writing and direction what you get is a half-baked meal. A one-time watch.