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All of a sudden, cars have caught the attention of film-makers this side of the Atlantic. Last year, FERRARI KI SAWAARI, more recently MERE DAD KI MARUTI and now HUM HAI RAAHI CAR KE have automobiles playing a significant part. Strangely, to me and to many others who recall that lovely Aamir - Juhi film, the title of HUM HAI RAAHI CAR KE brings back memories of HUM HAIN RAHI PYAR KE. Needless to add, the similarities end there!

Veteran Jyotin Goel, who dabbled with an animation film in 2010 [BIRD IDOL], attempts a zany rom-com for the first time. The film is special for yet another reason... It marks Jyotin's son Dev's debut as an actor, besides starring Sanjay Dutt, who has featured in Jyotin's earlier ventures INAAM DUS HAZAAR, ZAHREELAY and SAFARI.

HUM HAI RAAHI CAR KE has its moments, but, frankly, what could've been a comic saga with pulse-pounding adventure and thrills loses its sheen soon after a promising start... sorry, runs out of fuel would be more appropriate for this 'car'naama...

HUM HAI RAAHI CAR KE narrates the story of two friends [Dev Goel and Adah Sharma], who embark on a road-trip from Mumbai to Pune on New Year's night. But the journey, which should've taken a couple of hours, ends up being an all-nighter, with bizarre events unfolding on the road and upsetting their plans of reaching the city.

Like I stated earlier, the film starts off with gusto, it has a lot going for it since one can relate to the theme, but the barrel of laughs ought to be chock-a-block to sustain audience interest. In this case, the laughs become scarce and sparse after a point and though the makers and the on-screen characters do make a sincere attempt to make you grin or break into a guffaw, you don't!

In addition, the sequences are stretched for no particular reason and the episodes that thwart the couple's plans of reaching Pune on time are so ludicrous that it's unbelievable. Right from the time the duo encounter a gorilla or goons on a secluded road to the tryst in the hospital to getting even with a politician's son and his cronies to saving the life of a scientist by cracking the password, the writing lacks the power to keep you glued. However, there are times when the sequences do bring a smile on your face [the second hour has its moments], but the outcome is way below the mark.

The soundtrack has a variety of compositions, which you

Romance is the most favored genre in Bollywood, but love stories have undergone a metamorphosis in the recent past. Films like EK MAIN AUR EKK TU, LOVE AAJ KAL, WAKE UP SID, LONDON PARIS NEW YORK and COCKTAIL have redefined romance in our movies. The anguish which germinates from heartbreak, the outburst of emotions when matters of the heart fail and making peace with oneself and the loved one eventually... the storytellers are in a mood to push the envelope further.

ISHKQ IN PARIS is yet another addition to the new-age, urban setting love tale. The film is significant because, besides its theme, it marks Preity Zinta's tryst with film production, besides signaling her return to the big screen after a hiatus. Bearing an uncanny resemblance to the romantic fare BEFORE SUNRISE [Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy], ISHKQ IN PARIS also brings back memories of LONDON PARIS NEW YORK, which released a year ago. Needless to say, ISHKQ IN PARIS is different from the above-named films in terms of story development and execution.

When an entire film centers on first getting acquainted and then going separate ways, it puts enormous pressure on the storyteller to make every sequence vital. He/she needs to glisten relentlessly. Even accomplished writers/directors find it most demanding to portray a couple falling in love and drifting apart within a few hours of meeting each other... Prem Soni does have a tough task on his shoulders to depict the wobbly relationship between the protagonists.

Prem borrows the attitude from BEFORE SUNRISE and BEFORE SUNSET films, but he makes sure he affixes those delicate touches that appeal to the Indian cineastes. Since the film is chatty in nature, there are times when weariness sets in and the lines seem contrived [the first hour is strictly okay!], but, eventually, this one springs a pleasant surprise!

ISHKQ IN PARIS narrates the story of two strangers, Ishkq [Preity Zinta] and Aakash [Rhehan Malliek], who meet on a train from Rome to Paris and end up spending an evening in Paris. Sparks fly, the two share some wonderful moments before they go separate ways... only to meet again!

What goes in favor of ISHKQ IN PARIS is the vibe and the chemistry between its lead actors. The love story has its moments, the humor is subtle and believable and the writers [Preity Zinta, Prem Soni] make sure they spike the narrative with energetic episodes

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Bollywood has dabbled with ghosts, spirits and paranormal movies aplenty. Besides, the supernatural and horror genre is fast gaining popularity with dream merchants, after a hiatus. Now, storytellers in Mumbai are geared up to take the genre to an altogether new level, introducing the spectators to zombies. GO GOA GONE, directed by Raj and DK, is India's first 'zom-com'.

Romance, action and comedy continue to be the most privileged genres in Bollywood, but the past few years have witnessed a number of experiments catching the audience eye. Fear and hilarity are opposite sides of the coin. To amalgamate them in a movie script requires a truly fertile mind because you don't anticipate humor and horror to go hand-in-hand. The expectations from GO GOA GONE are, evidently, colossal, in view of the fact that something like this hasn't been attempted on the Hindi screen earlier, although cineastes have witnessed zombies in Hollywood films. A zom-com can pave the way for movies of similar genre in times to come, if it finds an audience…

GO GOA GONE is looked forward to for varied reasons: The zom-com aspect, zany look of the film, Saif's bleached getup [he plays a zombie killer in the movie], wicked one-liners and enticing music… But the challenge lies in educating the spectator about zombies, since there's no zombie folklore to enlighten them thus far. Let's face it, making a zom-com means treading into untried, alien territory. It's always a peril if you think out of the box, when you offer something innovative to the spectator. At the same time, a subject like this offers ample opportunity to its maker to break rules.

But Raj and DK pull it off with flourish! A film like GO GOA GONE pushes the envelope and that, without beating around the bush, needs to be lauded!

Hardik [Kunal Khemu] and Luv [Vir Das] tag along to Goa with their best buddy, Bunny [Anand Tiwari], on his office trip. Luv comes across Luna [Puja Gupta], who invites him to an exclusive rave party on a remote island. The party is the brainchild of Russian mafioso Boris [Saif Ali Khan] to launch the ultimate party drug. But the party goes horribly wrong… All of a sudden, they are accosted by zombies!

GO GOA GONE comes across more as an adventure flick than a conventional horror film. Sure, it has its share of violence and gore, besides some cuss words, rave party et al, but the fun quot

TAARE ZAMEEN PAR. STANLEY KA DABBA. CHILLAR PARTY... Several prominent film-makers have made films that transport you to your early days. Now Karan Johar takes you back to your teenage years with GIPPI, directed by first-timer Sonam Nair. While this is Karan/Dharma's first film with a lady director, it also marks the production house's foray at narrating a story minus 'stars'. The focus, obviously, is on kids here, but let me add in the same breath, the confidence that these kids emanate easily equals most skilled actors of our times.

We're often asked, which have been the best years of our lives? As one reflects on the years gone by, one realizes that the years spent in school were the best, for sure. Of course, one didn't value it as much then, but the truth dawns upon you in the latter years of life. GIPPI takes a leaf out of our lives to recount an account that one can relate to.

Frankly, Gippi's could be yours, mine, anybody's story. Many of us go through a phase that's between teens and adulthood. Films like GIPPI talk to every parent, every child since kids, generally, at that age, don't know how to deal with situations and challenges that life throws at them. The feeling of insecurity, anxiety, edginess that one experiences during those years is delightfully captured through the various kids in the film.

Gippi [Riya Vij] is a 14-year-old living in Shimla with her single parent [Divya Dutta] and younger brother Booboo [Arbaz Kadwani]. She's plump, self-conscious and doesn't know how to handle the changes in her life. In school, she's constantly bullied by Shamira [Jayati Modi]. At home, she's waking up to the fact that her father [Pankaj Dheer] is all set to walk down the aisle with another woman.

During the engagement ceremony of her father, Gippi is introduced to Arjun [Taaha Shah], a senior in the school. She's attracted to him, but mistakes his friendship for love. However, the love story comes to an embarrassing end at Shamira's party, who's quite a snob. Gippi decides to take life in her hands and contest the school elections against Shamira…

I've often observed, several films that attempt to address teen issues neatly appear exasperating and phony. Not GIPPI. This one's well done, captures the emotions sensitively and is packed with anecdotes that make this motion picture pleasurable. Sonam does complete justice to the written materi

It's a fact... Cinema and cricket are pursued with religious fervor in India. Cinema connects us. Cinema unites us. Cinema is indeed the predominant influence on our lives. Cinema is, without doubt, an integral part of every movie lover... Indian cinema, which completes its 100th year this year [RAJA HARISHCHANDRA, the first full-length feature-film made by Dadasaheb Phalke, was released in 1913], ought to be commemorated. What better way than four avant garde film-makers combining forces to pay respect to cinema -- Karan Johar, Zoya Akhtar, Dibakar Banerjee and Anurag Kashyap. Backed by Viacom18, the four prolific film-makers set out to narrate stories that are unconventional, borrowed from real life, about the common man. Also, each of those stories has a reference to Indian cinema/stars.

The four stories in BOMBAY TALKIES -- made at a stipulated budget of Rs 1.5 cr each, the duration not exceeding 20/25 minutes -- are entwined in one film. Of course, experiments like this, when one or multiple raconteurs join hands to narrate distinctive stories, aren't new. Recall DARNA MANA HAI [2003; Prawaal Raman narrated a series of six stories in one film], DARNA ZAROORI HAI [2006; seven directors narrating seven different stories], SALAAM-E-ISHQ [2007; six love stories helmed by Nikhil Advani] and DUS KAHANIYAAN [2007; ten stories narrated by six directors]...

A film like BOMBAY TALKIES gives an opportunity to film-makers to step out of their comfort zone and try to create something novel. It's a podium that does not necessarily cater to the box-office or the diaspora alone. Also, it helps the film-maker to tap the latent talent that he/she possesses, but it's never nurtured due to commercial constraints. The challenge lies in not merely narrating a story within a budget, but also narrating a tale effectively encompassing myriad emotions…

Karan Johar
Plot: All's well between an urban couple [Randeep Hooda, Rani Mukerji] till the wife meets a colleague [Saqib Saleem] at work. It changes their lives forever.

Think of Karan Johar and you can't help but recall larger than life movies, music, dances, emotions, drama, grandiose sets, stunning locales, chic outfits… But Karan does an about-turn with the story in BOMBAY TALKIES. Of course, in films like KABHI ALVIDA NAA KEHNA and MY NAME IS KHAN, Karan did make an attempt to push the envelope, but with the short sto

Gangster flicks -- especially the ones depicting the underbelly of Mumbai -- aren't new. Films like DEEWAAR [Yash Chopra], PARINDA [Vidhu Vinod Chopra], AGNEEPATH [Mukul S. Anand], DAYAVAN [Feroz Khan], SATYA [Ramgopal Varma], COMPANY [Ramgopal Varma], VAASTAV [Mahesh Manjrekar], GANGSTER [Anurag Basu], SHOOTOUT AT LOKHANDWALA [Apoorva Lakhia] and ONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAAI [Milan Luthria] have left an indelible impression on the minds of cineastes. Now Sanjay Gupta enters the dark alleys of 1970s and 1980s with SHOOTOUT AT WADALA, which is partly based on a book ['Dongri To Dubai', penned by Hussain Zaidi]. It chronicles the lives of gangsters, gang wars and also talks of the first encounter killing of a gangster.

Not surprisingly, while Gupta retains the essence, he ensures he adapts the book delightfully, adding layers and fictionalized episodes, so that the outcome isn't dry, dark or depressing. Nor does it come across as a documentary. SHOOTOUT AT WADALA primarily focuses on that one man [Manya Surve] who took on the powerful gangsters in his prime. Much has been written about the dominance of several gangsters. But not much is known about Manya Surve. SHOOTOUT AT WADALA is his story. His rise to power. His dominance. His death.

Although Gupta has attempted volatile subjects in the past, SHOOTOUT AT WADALA is his most accomplished work as a raconteur. He finds his voice with this film. He returns with a vengeance after a sabbatical of almost eight years [after ZINDA in 2005, although he directed a couple of short stories in DUS KAHANIYAAN in 2007, SHOOTOUT AT WADALA is his next full-length feature]. The saying, 'Form is temporary, class is permanent' holds true for Gupta, as he makes a scathing statement with his newest venture, taking rapid strides as a storyteller, coming up with a fare that balances form and content admirably.

SHOOTOUT AT WADALA narrates the story of Manya [John Abraham], who gets implicated in a murder case and is sentenced to life imprisonment. Manya flees the prison, returns to Mumbai and forms his gang. The cops launch Operation Manya Surve to curb his dominance…

Besides encapsulating the rise and fall of Manya Surve, SHOOTOUT AT WADALA talks about the lesser-known aspect of his life: His love interest. And it is this attribute in Manya's personality that sets it apart from other gangster movies. It brings to the fore the humane

More and more telly actors are setting their sights on the big screen. Hussain Kuwajerwala, a popular name on television, takes the big leap from TV to movies with SHREE. But unlike most big screen debuts that tilt towards rom-coms, Hussain's big screen debut is a sci-fi thriller.

Rajesh Bachchani, who has several television shows to his credit, opts for an unconventional premise that had the potential to be intriguing and nerve-racking, but like most Hindi films, captivating ideas on paper don't translate into absorbing movies. So where does the problem lie? Well, the storyteller ought to know that narrating a story with utmost simplicity is of paramount importance. In addition, the screenwriting fluctuates constantly between attention-grabbing and unadventurous, which is its biggest shortcoming...

Shree [Hussain Kuwajerwala], an ordinary man, works at a telecom company. He's in love with a girl [Anjali Patil], but needs to be financially secure before he settles down. Randhawa [Rio Kapadia], a wealthy businessman, zeroes in on Shree as his last guinea pig. Shree is the last piece of puzzle of a scientific experiment, devised by a scientist, supported by the commissioner of police and funded by Randhawa.

Randhawa offers Shree Rs 20 lakhs for participating in an experiment which will last for 12 hours. Shree trusts them and trades 12 hours of his life. But as soon as the time starts, he realizes that his life has turned upside down. He's accused of murdering the commissioner of police. Shree, an ordinary man, is now the most wanted man in the city...

To give the credit where it's due, the thriller -- filmed on authentic locations -- stays a step ahead of the audience initially. It has the elements of thrill -- it gets intense and spine-chilling at varied occasions. The raconteur builds up the plot smartly, encompasses several twists during the course of the film which are wonderfully tied together, but he blows it all up before he reaches the finale.

SHREE is a well-meaning film, but the impact it ought to make is lost due to its lopsided writing. Unfortunately, the film never reaches the stage where the spectator would exclaim, 'Wow! What a spine-chilling cat and mouse game!'. The drama that envelops dishonesty, treachery and viciousness doesn't hit you with sufficient force.

Hussain has an imposing screen presence and he displays the my

Since the past couple of years, Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt's Vishesh Films has only invested in sequels: JANNAT 2, MURDER 3, RAAZ 3... but it's after a really long gap, of 23 years to be precise, that the premier production house and Bhushan Kumar [of T-Series] revisit one of their triumphant stories -- AASHIQUI. A film that revolutionized the music industry then...

First things first! AASHIQUI 2 is *not* a sequel. Nor is it a recreation of the successful film. Nor does it set in motion from where the first part concluded. So why opt for a title like AASHIQUI 2? Follow-up of winning titles are easy to market for the reason that a victorious franchise bestows the film-maker that thrust, a certain brand value with a popular title, besides guaranteeing a potent start at the box-office even if it stars relative newcomers [like in this case]. Talking of AASHIQUI 2, this one's positioned in the current times and the only resemblance it has with the earlier part is that it's a true-blue romantic saga.

After having watched AASHIQUI 2, I wish to clarify a pertinent point: AASHIQUI 2 is *not* the present-day avatar of Hrishikesh Mukherjee's cult classic ABHIMAAN [1973]. That film was all about jealousy and ego clashes between a married couple, who are playback singers, while AASHIQUI 2 is entirely different. AASHIQUI 2 brings back memories of A STAR IS BORN, which was made thrice in Hollywood -- in 1937, 1954 and 1976. The Hollywood film/s is regarded as one of the most riveting heartbreak dramas to hit the silver screen. However, it's important that AASHIQUI 2 lives up to the mammoth expectations, since AASHIQUI had worked for two significant factors -- splendid music and strong emotional quotient.

Is Mohit Suri's take on the lives of two singers as enchanting? Let's analyze...

AASHIQUI 2 traces the journey of a young couple and the turbulence in their lives... Rahul [Aditya Roy Kapur], a singing sensation, falls in love with the voice of Aarohi [Shraddha Kapoor], who aspires to be a singer and sings at lowly joints. Rahul takes it upon himself to make Aarohi a singing star, builds her confidence and even arranges for her audition with the music baron [Mahesh Thakur]. Gradually, Rahul and Aarohi fall in love...

Aarohi's career continues to sky-rocket, while Rahul's career spirals downwards. Aarohi decides to give up her career to be with Rahul, to help him come

Ek Thi Daayan. Read full details

Recall actors who started as antagonists, but switched to positive characters effortlessly... Several decades ago, Vinod Khanna and Shatrughan Sinha portrayed negative roles at the onset of their respective careers. Much later, Shah Rukh Khan acted in a series of career-defining [grey] characters, before he got labeled as the romantic icon of Hindi cinema. Now Vidyut Jammwal, who made his debut with FORCE, undergoes an image makeover with COMMANDO. He's cast as the conventional Hindi film hero after acting in FORCE and a couple of South Indian films as 'villain'. He fights an army of baddies single-handedly in COMMANDO. Also romances the heroine in his second Hindi outing...

COMMANDO is expected to change the action landscape of Bollywood, with Vidyut partaking in never-witnessed-before action sequences, hand-to-hand combat, mid-air splits and somersaults, extreme acrobatics et al, all done *without* body double or cables, but by the actor himself. In that respect, COMMANDO takes action in Hindi movies to another level. The skeptics may argue, we have seen it all in movies starring Tony Jaa, but COMMANDO is, perhaps, the first Hindi movie that attempts to showcase a series of death-defying, high-octane stunts performed by the lead man himself. Naturally, Vidyut is being peddled as the new action hero of Bollywood.

Karanvir Dogra [Vidyut Jammwal], a commando with the Indian Army, crashes into the Chinese territory. After being detained for a year in China and labeled an Indian spy, Karan escapes from the Chinese side and crosses into Himachal Pradesh. As Karan crosses into Punjab, India, he runs into Simrit [Pooja Chopra], who is escaping from Amrit aka AK47's [Jaideep Ahlawat] goons. Amrit wants to forcibly marry Simrit.

Karan bashes up the goons and in turn, invites the ire of Amrit. Together, Karan and Simrit escape into the jungles, when cornered by Amrit and his cronies. Thus begins a cat and mouse game between Amrit and Karan in the deep forests... Director Dilip Ghosh stays true to the essence of the premise and promises never-witnessed-before action in COMMANDO. Having said that, I wish to add that COMMANDO isn't a film that merely celebrates action or attempts to portray Vidyut's expertise in martial arts. Also integrated is a [subtle] love story, besides drama of course. In addition, the makers punctuate the mandatory songs to spice things up. But its biggest

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