After watching Kaminey, I have become sure of one thing – you can trust Vishal Bhardwaj.

After sitting through New York and enduring Love Aaj Kal, I had become wary of the kind of movies Bollywod was offering these days. However, with Kaminey, the trust has returned. The movie is the sixth directorial venture of Vishal Bhardwaj, and I daresay that it lives up to his reputation of being one of the leading filmmakers of India.

The movie tells the story about twins Charlie and Guddu (Shahid Kapur, each ) on the run. While Guddu seems the quintessential good boy who stutters, Charlie is someone who believes in taking fotcuts to earn money. And then there is Sweety (Priyanka Chorpa) too, who is Guddu’s girlfriend, who gets pregnant while flaunting her knowledge of Home Science, and tries to marry him in a hurry.

Guddu is a social worker, Charlie is a horse-race fixer and Sweety is the sister of a corrupt and powerful politician. Once, Charlie gets embroiled in an incident involving cocaine and lots of money, and manages to make a reasonable amount of enemies for himself. As luck would have it, Guddu gets caught in the controversy too – owing to his resemblance to his bad-boy twin. What happens next is a mixture of fate, politics and quick thinking. It so happens that the two brothers are at loggerheads with each other, and haven’t come face-to-face ever since their father died. However, as the circumstances bring them together, they must help each other to be able to survive.

Perhaps the best thing about the plot is that there are no extras. No parallel storylines, no endless roundabouts, and no wavering from the central theme. Everything happens in a spate of a day, and to be able to make a full length movie out of it is indeed remarkable. The director receives full points on that front.

Plus, the movie comments on various issues that are occupying the centrestage in India these days in a very unobtrusive way. While the character of Guddu makes an entrance in the film singing about AIDS awareness, Sweety’s on-screen brother Bhope Bhau (Amole Gupte) is a Raj Thakery-ish politician who detests everything non-Maharashtrian. The director has also dared to comment on the murky business of politics. The way these current issues are made an integral part of the plot is again, remarkable. Also, the movie is quite secular. We have Bengali characters and we have Punjabi characters. We have Marathi characters and we have African characters. These characters have no qualms about speaking in their mother tongue either.

Notice the way humour is injected in the story and you will want to applaud the man who did that. It happens spontaneously, without effort. You laugh at Sweety’s comic dialogues, but you don’t do that when Guddu stutters or Charlie lisps. You laugh at the situation, but never laugh at the characters, or even actors, for that matter. There are no forced jokes, and the humour is dark.

Talk about performances, and Vishal Bhardwaj still gets full marks. Seriously speaking, I haven’t seen Shahid Kapur act so well before; and I didn’t have a clue that Priyanka Chopra has got a terrific comic timing; and that the person who wrote the emotional story of Taare Zameen Par (Amole Gupte) would fit into a role of corrupt Marathi politician so effortlessly. These performances have spoken for themselves and made Kaminey a fine-tuned product.

And this film has memorable dialogues! Here are the few samples:

Life badi kutti cheef hai. Aur iff duniya mein kutton ka baff, ek hi jawaab hai…

Politics bhi pesha; power aur parivaar. Purn Viraam.

Par mere paas toe kapde bhi nahi hain dhang ke.

I toe like you without clothes only…

I have seriously forgotten when was the last hindi movie I was compelled to remember dialogues of. This is some real good news. Trust Vishal Bhardwaj to write them!

The cinematography by Tassaduq Hussain is snazzy. And though the narrative of the film is a hybrid of linear and non-linear, it is something an average viewer can easily follow without losing a beat. Vishal Bhardwaj has experimented with the background score with excellent results. (Take for example, the fight scene in a hotel room is shown over the sound of a 70’s hindi track!) The music is excellent too, with Dhan Te Nan already being the chart topper for a while, and Pehli Baar Mohabbat Ki Hai being a number you can’t stop listening. You can easily guess who the music director is. Vishal Bhardwaj again! And hence, Full Marks again!

The climax, however, did not appeal to me as much as the rest of the movie. There is too much blood and gore – way greater than required. Too many people kill and get killed in the free-for-all scenario. Still, after so many killings, it remains a happy ending movie.

With Kaminey, Vishal Bhardwaj has made sure that most of the major film awards of 2009 will come his and his film’s way. You just have to watch this film, there’s no other option!

Go for it, you will enjoy the dark humour.

With Love Aaj Kal, director Imtiyaz Ali of Jab We Met fame returns with another romantic comedy; or so it seems. Starring Saif Ali Khan (who also doubles up as the producer) and Deepika Padukone in lead roles, the movie revolves around the life and times of Jaywardhan Singh and Meera Pandit. The duo is in love with each other but cannot continue the relationship for supposedly practical concerns. Long Distance Relationships don’t appeal to them, apparently.

The premise of the movie is understandable, if not apparent. It is about the trials and tribulations of a new age couple and the seemingly innocuous way they treat the feeling of ‘love’. It is about the stark comparison between love stories of the past and the present. It is about the notion that love needs to be taken care of beautifully, and not be treated like waste paper — throw away when you’re done with it. The title is apt, for one.

With Love Aaj Kal, the director aims to communicate that the olden (and perhaps, golden?) brand of love still exists. That people actually want to fall in love and share the whole of their lives with their loved ones, even in this fast paced world. That the virtues of affection and longing are still present, only that they are buried deep down.

The only glitch is that Imtiyaz Ali fails to tell the audience anything like that.

The screenplay is abrupt and disconnected. The director wants to follow a non-linear storyline, and there is nothing wrong with that. However, I would have liked it better if he took it slower. In the opening credits itself we are presented with incoherent scenes from the film, leaving us bewildered to say the least. As the movie progresses, we are presented with the worst-est (yes, doubly superlative!) dialogues we have ever heard in any recent movie (I haven’t seen Kambakkht Ishq though!). As the story builds up and things finally start making nonsense (some kind of sense, at least), we are presented with an overly obese Veer Singh (Rishi Kapoor in his sardar avtar), who becomes a kind of Love Guru to Saif.

Veer Singh narrates his love story to Jay (and that’s where the blast from the past comes), who listenes with rapt attention — not exactly mesmerized, but intrigued nevertheless. Having just broken up with Meera (and throwing a party to celebrate the occasion), he gives an impression that nothing has changed. He is happy and she is happy, problem over!

However, for we can never trust a Bollywood movie to come up with something ever so simple, complications arise. Jay and Meera get into separate relationships while still remaining in contact — never apparently realizing that they actually love each other, even after the break up!
Throughout the movie, Veer Singh keeps Jay in good humor by reminiscing parts of his love story in frequent intervals, completing it just before the climax — which is as unconvincing as the rest of the film.

As far as the actors are concerned, Rishi Kapoor is in fantastic form and Sail Ali Khan acts well. Deepika Padukone would want to brush up her dialogue-delivery skills before signing up for another film. The supporting cast has performed their roles with apparent ease.

Music is perhaps the best thing to happen to Love Aaj Kal. I certainly liked the sound of Chor Baazari and the lyrics of Ye Dooriyan. However, since it is given by Pritam, it will turn out to be plagiarized from some foreign album sooner or later.

By the looks of it, Love Aaj Kal could be one of the best Indian movies ever made with its unconventional story and equally unorthodox way of storytelling. However, it fails to leave a mark. The screenplay has too many faults to overlook and Deepika certainly disappoints. I would not recommend any of you to go and watch the movie if I had my way. Even Bachna Ae Hasino was better than this, and that’s saying something!

Three actors, each a heartthrob in his/her own right. A love triangle. Treading the grounds of terrorism. Giving out a social message. No extraneous song-and-dance routines. Yash Raj Banner. No big ticket cricket season to distract the moviegoers…

By the looks of it, director Kabir Khan’s New York was the kind of blockbuster Bollywood needed to relinquish itself from the economic recession and the two month long standoff between the producers and the multiplex owners. Except that it has failed to bust any blocks, yet.

Samir Sheikh a.k.a Sam (John Abraham), Maya (Katrina Kaif) and Omar Aijaz (Neil Nitin Mukesh) are the three, seemingly protagonists of the movie. They are the undergraduates studying at the New York State University, and classmates of each other. Sam is the sporty, attention seeking and intelligent guy who believes in enjoying life to the fullest. Maya is equally vivacious, and proudly proclaims that her mother will readily elope with Shahrukh Khan given the slightest chance. Omar, on the other hand, is a shy, “good boy” kind of a person who is new to the American brand of life, having moved in recently – all thanks to a scholarship. Both Sam and Omar secretly like Maya. And Maya secretly likes Sam. The two meet, get married, have a son, and they are off. Omar, on the other hand, is reduced to the sidelines – never to return in the lives of two of his best friends. Or is it?

Years afterwards, Omar – who still lives in the city, gets some unexpected visitors. The FBI, out there to arrest him. Agent Roshan, played by now stereotyped Irrfan Khan, wants him to act as an undercover agent for them, because they suspect that Sam is running a terror camp in New York.

Omar, having reluctantly agreed, enters into the lives of Sam, Maya and Daaniyal (their son) yet again. And a curious turn of events follow up.

The story, written by Aditya Chopra, is intriguing – but the buck stops there. The first half of the movie, dealing with college, love, friendship et al, is almost weird to watch. There are too many awkward moments and the screenplay falters frequently, as if being paid to do that. You get sick of Hai Junoon, for it plays continuously for the first half an hour! John Kat and Neil are just too old to play collegiates. Further, the story keeps jumping up and down nine years apart, and this hasn’t been done tastefully, to the likes of, say Rang De Basanti.

The music is as good as Pritam can give you. As I’ve said, there are no song-and-dance routines in the film. The track tune jo na kaha is good, but I think that its a matter of time before someone unearths its original – if you know what I mean There are no tracks worth remembering, and certainly no tracks which strike a chord.

As far as the performance goes, John and Kat have done their usual, mediocre stuff, but Neil has done loads better. He brings out the inner conflict raging inside him superbly. However, he looks very childish in his avtar as a college student. Irrfan Khan has portrayed his role as an FBI officer well, owing to the fact that he has played a lot of similar roles (Slumdog Millionaire, A Mighty Heart to speak of a few). Like the music, there are no performances worth remembering, and certainly no performances which strike a chord.

On the whole, the movie has its strong points, but the weak and the mediocre ones clearly outstrip them. Watch it only if you are sick of waiting for movies to release, or if you are a really big fan of Irrfan Khan

The premise of Delhi 6 is not the journey of an ailing grandma back to her roots, nor it is the love story between one Roshan Mehra and one Bittu Sharma. It isn’t about the Hindu-Muslim harmony either. Delhi 6 is actually about the culture that manifests itself in the long and narrow corridors of Old Delhi. It is about the multiplicity of characters that live there — their triumphs and tragedies, and their habit of finding happiness in the minutest details of life.

Abhishek Bachchan plays the NRI Roshan Mehra, who accompanies his cancer-suffering grandmother (Waheeda Rahman) back to Delhi, where she wishes to die a peaceful death. He has never been to India before, and therefore he is amazed by everything he sees over here — the people, the system, the works (obviously!). ‘Circumstances’ (read: the Ramlila) led him to meet Bittu, played by Sonam Kapoor, who is a wannabe Indian Idol living in a family who is sick and old-fashioned. Both of them, as you have already guessed, are desitned to fall in love.… Sigh!

It so happens that Roshan and his grandma’s visit to Delhi coincides with that of Kala Bandar, who is creating havoc all across the city. The film tightly integrates the chain of events as they happen, and ties up the loose ends creatively — using the Ramlila as the metaphor, and ends up telling an unusual tale in an unusual sort of way!

This being Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s film, comparisons with Rang De Basanti are bound to crop up — and rightly so. RDB tackled patriotism and disillusioned youth, Delhi 6 tackles communal harmony in times of a crisis. There are many parallels in the two films — the city of Delhi, the multiple varied characters, the youthful story, the fabulous music score, the snappy cinematography — the Rakeysh Mehra style of filmmaking is highly visible.

As the director himself puts it — “Delhi 6 is not a subject oriented film. It is a people oriented film — and that is what makes it difficult.” Every character is etched out brilliantly, and each one has a unique part to play. There are no showpieces, which becomes apparent as the movie chugs along. The outdoor shooting across Chandni Chowk is done brilliantly. In fact, a Chandni Chowk regular won’t feel that he is sitting inside a movie theatre watching a film — he will feel that he is ambling inside those jam-packed lanes!

Even though Delhi 6 sports an ensemble cast, every actor has played his part well. Abhishek Bachchan plays the NRI lad quite convincingly, though his American accent seems artificial. Sonam Kapoor tries to be oh-so-cute, with a fair degree of success. Rishi Kapoor as the effervescent Ali Uncle is very nice, and Divya Dutta as the untouchable Jalebi really stands out. Cyrus Sahukar the photographer disappoints, but Vijay Raaz the policeman more than makes up for that. And then there are Prem Chopra and Om Puri too!

Delhi 6 celebrates the spirit of Delhi. Watch it, if you are a proud Delhiite, or even if you aren’t!

You are a good man. No seriously, you are a genuinely good man. I like the way you tell stories. I liked Lagaan, simply loved Swades, and found Jodhaa Akbar really good. According to Wikipedia, you are seen as an actor’s director, and this is not a false statement either. I like the characters you etch out in your movies, especially that of Mohan Bhargava — the protagonist in Swades. I could not believe that somebody like Shah Rukh Khan, who generally plays himself in his movies, could do such a simple yet powerful role in such a convincing way. For Jodhaa Akbar, I’ll have to quote Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: “We have a classic in our hands”. When it comes to realism, you are the big daddy.

Your films have won you and your team great accolades as well. You have won critical acclaim, and awards in every possible category. And you have in your share a couple of firsts too. Lagaan was the first Indian film in recent times to be nominated for the Academy Awards. Swades happens to be the first film to be shot at NASA. Jodhaa Akbar might be the first big-budget film in India (yes, I haven’t verified the facts). You have tasted Box Office success too, with Lagaan and Jodhaa Akbar.

The way you handled the controversy surrounding Jodhaa Akbar is commendable too. You stood by yourself, refusing to apologize to those who were protesting its screening at the behest of its apparent wrong depiction of history.

The above facts reiterate my statement in the opening sentence. You are a good man.

If so, then what happened to you recently? I saw the spat between you and Sajid Khan at the recent Star Screen Awards. Did you forget your goodness?

What made you take Sajid’s statements so seriously? He’s a comedian after all! Its his job to poke fun at people. And he’s not alone, a lot of people do that! And they are comedians too!

An actor works very hard to hone his talent. You cannot insult a star at this PODIUM. These were your words, isn’t it? What do you mean to say exactly? Actors are hardworking, so it is wrong to poke fun at them. I’m lazy, so it becomes right if Sajid’s victim is me instead of Harman Baweja. Is it?

Don’t you say that it is very easy to laugh at other’s expense. Sajid and his sister, Farah, laugh at themselves too. Have you seen Om Shanti Om? Farah directed that one. Have you seen the end credits? Everybody, and with everybody I mean everybody, gets to walk the Red Carpet — including the Accountants and the Spot Boys — except Farah Khan herself. Others arrive in fancy cars, she herself arrives in an autorickshaw — at a time when the red carpet is being rolled off. Disgusted, she then runs after the autorickshaw which had gone away.

See? These people can laugh at themselves. You don’t seem to possess this quality, sadly. You can learn something from them perhaps? Besides, you are in show business (I mean, you don’t really show yourself off, but still you belong to Bollywood, isn’t it?) The bollywood reporters that have mushroomed all over have a habit of writing about the personal lives of stars. Do you plan to sue them because they poke fun at hardworking actors? Also, where were you when Shah Rukh and Saif were hosting the Filmfare Awards last year? They almost said that critics are bastards! (Because it was a family show being broadcast on TV, the prolonged baaaaas… became baskets of knowledge) Remember them? They made fun of Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan and the likes. You didn’t say anything to them? Were you scared of Shah Rukh?

Have you seen any standup comedy shows that are currently a favorite on TV? The amount of sarcasm that is dished out to movie stars (esp. Mallika Sherawat)! Just watch an episode. Going by the events you will be in a fit of rage in no time! And you are no Amitabh Bachchan, so you won’t get the prayers of millions of your fans out there.

Why take such things seriously? You have to take some things with a pinch of salt (or in Farah’s words, with a big sack of salt!) C’mon now, smile!! And forget about it, ok? You are a good man. Remember that!

And yes… Congratulations for the Best Director Award you won at the said Award Function.

Yours Truthfully,

A fan of yours.

Disclaimer — This post contains some major spoilers. If you want to preserve the fun, do not proceed!

I still cannot bring myself to the fact that I actually went and saw Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. SRK does his share of Champu-panti in this movie, and I recommend this to you *only* if you like a crappy story!

Alright, so here we go. SRK plays Surinder Sahni, an ordinary middle class guy who proudly carries a bag with “I work for Punjab Power” written on it. Circumstances lead him to marry Taani (played by Anushka Sharma), a much younger, full of life girl — who happens to be the daughter of Surinder’s former teacher. This mismatched marriage leads to some funny, and some not-so-funny consequences.

The first half of the movie is utter crap and highly predictable. However, SRK’s portraral of a common man is quite enjoyable — like the way he laughs,  the way he speaks… The audience is compelled to laugh at such situations!  But his champu panti becomes far too much sometimes.

As the story progresses, we see Taani declaring to Surinder that she’ll strive to become a good wife, but will not be able to love him. (Apparantly, Taani was to be hitched to his boyfriend, but couldn’t because he died in an accident. Her father had a heart attack, and requested Surinder, who was his favorite student, to marry his daughter. Seeing her father on his deathbed, Taani also agrees.) Hence, Taani cannot love Surinder.

However, Taani was a love at first sight for Surinder. He doesn’t openly say this to her, but is dismayed by her declaration. He seems to be very happy when she makes lunchboxes for him.

One day, Taani sees a poster of Dancing Jodi, a dance competition taking place in Amritsar. Surinder readily accepts that she participate, because he wants her to be happy.

Enter Bobby (Vinay Pathak) — Surinder’s childhood buddy, and a stylist. He gets to hear the complete story. Surinder feels that he is too boring for his wife, and asks him to make him trendy. Now comes SRK’s second avtar — the flirtious Raj — who becomes Taani’s dance partner in the dance classes. In a typically bollywood style, Taani doesn’t realise that Raj is actually Surinder. Back home, SRK becomes champu again. Next day in dance class, he is back to being Raj — you get the idea!

With Raj, Taani is back to her old self — the bubbly, vivacious girl, with whom Surinder had fallen in love. At this point of time, Surinder is faced with a dillemma — if he continues to be Raj, with whom Taani is very comfortable, that will make her forget Surinder. However, he does not need to be Surinder ever again — after all, both Raj and Surinder are the same!

He takes a bet. As Raj, Surinder proposes to Taani (The style of which, is highly interesting! He takes Taani to the highest point of Amritsar, from where the whole city can be seen. He then instructs his collegue on phone to do as he had instructed before — cut the power of the whole city, except certain areas, which say — I Love You). Taani is frightened, if not devastated, at the proposal. She had come to like Raj, after all!

Taani loses her concentration after that. She scolds Surinder even when he fights a sumo wrestler to win two tickets to Japan (yes, it does happen!). After Raj’s proposal, Taani starts to think that she is unhappy with the marriage. At a vulnerable moment, Raj asks Taani to elope with him. She agrees. Surinder is dismayed. He starts to think that he has failed the test of a husband…

Again, in a typical bollywood fashion, Taani reconsiders her decision — thinks about the time when Surinder held her hand when she was all alone, about how he effortlessly married her, knowing that she does not, and will not love him, and blah blah blah!

She tells Raj that she won’t be coming with him. Shahrukh’s character is now filled with mixed emotions.. Surinder as a husband won over Raj as a lover!

This is followed by the lengthiest climax ever! The Grand Finale of Dancing Jodi, the disappearance of Raj, and his reappearance as Surinder… Taani’s realisation that Raj was actually Surinder… Their performance, with Anushka all dressed up and SRK being a champu… And their spending their honeymoon in Japan…

***

As you can see, RNBDJ does not have anything to share as far as the story is concerned. When I was inside the movie hall, people were making an exit with half an hour’s movie still left to be seen — because everybody had by then predicted what was going to happen next! What makes it stand apart is SRK’s performance, and its music (to some extent). SRK’s champu panti gives rise to some awesomely hilarious situations, especially in the song Haule Haule. Even Anushka manages to treat audiences with her share of laughter, in her sequence on a sports bike. Vinay Pathak’s character is written to be humorous as well as sensitive. The music is good, with some interesting tracks thrown in. No misplaced song and dance sequences here. Plus you get to see Kajol, Bipasha, Lara, Rani and Preity making special appearances.

And the credits roll is just awesome! Don’t miss it, even if you sleep through the story! SRK narrates the story of their Japanese honeymoon, which is supplemented by pictures, and contains some memorable lines — “This is my first public kiss to Taani ji.” “Yeh hamaare bedroom ki kuch intimate moments. Taani ji bahut naughty ho rahi hain yahaan.” “Yahaan hum ghoome fire, khaaya piya, aur dance bhi kiya. Ab toe aata tha na!” And things like that.

Watch the movie *only* if you are a die hard SRK fan, and want to see his flawless performance. In any other case, look out for some other releases!

The Bhandarkar brand of filmmaking is well established — hard hitting cinema with an overdose of realism, coupled with a very efficient handling of the subject. Fashion falls in the same league.

It is the story of Meghna (Priyanka Chopra), a small town girl with big ambitions. It is the story of Shonali (Kangana Ranaut), an arrogant and drug-addicted Supermodel. It is the story of Janet (Mugdha Godse), a veteran struggler in the modeling world. It is, the story of female bonding in this topsy turvy world of Fashion, where everything can change in an instant.

Meghna comes to Mumbai with big dreams, and a certain confidence that she is better than the rest. She makes friends, finds love, and quickly climbs up the fashion ladder. Within no time she she finds herself at the top. However, can she handle success? Perhaps not. She falls prey to her mentor, loses her love, distances herself from her friends, and even takes to drugs. Ashamed of herself, she takes the road back to her so called ‘small’ town. The story hereupon acknowledges her phoenix like rise as a model again. This time, however, she’d be careful!

Fashion is a bold film, not just because you get to see sex and wardrobe malfunction scenes, but because the subject is handled in a way it should be. When a gay designer proposes to her college mate, she agrees. When a struggling model finds her once rival stranded on streets, she takes her home and gives her all the love and care. When the parents see their only daughter distraught by the perils of modeling, they encourage her to go back and start from scratch. The story is crafted in utmost perfection.

Director Madhur Bhandarkar has tried to cover all aspects of the Fashion world — be is plagiarism “Made in Bangkok? Arrey yaar, label toe hata dete!”; rivalry (its Meghna v/s Shonali); social stigma (Meghna gets kicked out of her uncle’s house at four in the morning).… the list goes on. And the result? Fuckingly awesome!!

Priyanka might be the protagonist, but the movie really belongs to Kangana. Surprised? Well.. this is one of the few movies she is looking, and acting good. Her portrayal of a disturbed drug-addict demands applause, as well as laurels. It might sound weird, but you have to watch the movie to believe it.

Did you hear me? You have to watch the movie!

• Bunty Aur Bubli

A 2005 movie starring Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukherji and Amitabh Bachchan. Also starring Aishwarya Rai in a special appearance. The film is about Bunty (Abhishek) and Bubli (Rani), who are exepert conmen. They steal, but with a style! Starting off by stealing a few thousands from a small businessman, they go on to sell off the Taj Mahal. Amitabh Bachchan plays Dashrath Singh, a police officer who is after Bunty and Bubli.
The songs in the movie are pretty OK, with one exception — Kajra Re, which almost became the youth anthem of the country! The song, featuring Aishwarya Rai along with Abhishek and Amitabh Bachchan, became a huge hit, and still has a fan following. The movie’s music was given by Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy.

• Dil Chahta Hai

This 2001 movie, by Farhan Akhtar, is about three guys — Akash (Aamir Khan), Sameer (Saif Ali Khan) and Siddharth (Akshaye Khanna), their individual relationships and the effect that these relationships have on them. The movie also stars Preity Zinta, Sonali Kulkarni and Dimple Kapadia.
The songs, again, are pretty OK, and not one of them became the youth anthem. However, they can easily sound differently if you listen to them when you relax. The title track is nicely rendered by Shankar Mahadevan. Also, tracks like Kaisi Hai Yeh Rut and Tanhayee can be quite relaxing.

• Guru

This film is based on the life and times of Dhirubhai Ambani, and stars Abhishek Bachchan as Gurukant Desai. It discusses the explosive rise of the business tycoon during the decades of ‘50s and ‘60s.Other than Abhishek Bachchan, it stars Aishwarya Rai, Vidya Balan and R Madhvan, among a host of others.
The soundtrack is by AR Rahman, and is his finest work ever. Tracks like Aye Hairathe Ashiqui and Tere Bina certify this. Barso Re is a popular number, along with Maiyya Maiyya, in which the audience is treated (?!?!) with a guest appearance by Mallika Sherawat.

• Jodhaa Akbar

A recent film by Ashutosh Gowarikar, starring Hrithik Roshan as Akbar (why??) and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as Jodhaa Bai. I haven’t seen the movie, however, it has been a hit.
The Music is by AR Rahman. Not very convincing though. Azeem-o-Shaan Shehenshah is good, by the way.

• Jhoom Barabar Jhoom

This 2007 movie by Shaad Ali Sehgal and starring Abhishek Bachchan, Preity Zinta, Bobby Deol and Lara Dutta .. .. .. is NOT a movie. Maybe it is an extended music video, maybe something else. I don’t know what the filmmakers were thinking when they made the movie. It was a BIG FLOP. Sadly. The storyline lacks finish. They had a good concept, but erred in turning it into a film.
However, as far as music is concerned, it has been done well by Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy. I have a soft spot for it, personally. I listen to the album pretty frequently. The tracks are peppy, especially the three versions of the title track, namely JBJ, Jhoom and Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. Ticket to Hollywood sounds very differently, while Kiss of Love is an example of really bad lyrics. However, the star of the album is Bol Na Halke Halke, sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, and a personal favorite of Shankar Mahadevan’s wife. (She once confessed it in a reality show on TV).

• Jab We Met

It was a surprise hit of 2007. The film, starring Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapur, is a romantic comedy with a heavy dose of over acting by Kareena. The concept might not be unique, but it has been executed the fun way. You cannot stop laughing during the movie. A must watch, I must say.
Jab We Met’s music is given by Pritam, and includes some very good tracks, like Aao Milo Chalo, Tum Se Hi, and Aaoge Jab Tum. Tum Se Hi, sung by Mohit Chouhan, is a favorite among my friends even today. Aaoge Jab Tum, sung by Ustaad Rashid Khan and Aao Milo Chalo by Shaan are my personal favorites.

• Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna

A Karan Johar movie, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Abhishek Bachchan, and Rani Mukherji, is about extra maritial relationships. SRK fans call it his worst movie ever. Understandably. I won’t go into details now. Those who have seen the movie know why. Those who haven’t, don’t need to know.
The music, by Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy, is good. They have done the title track quite nicely. Mitwa is another favorite of mine.

• Lagaan

An Ashutosh Gowarikar movies, starring Aamir Khan and Gracy Singh (her debut movie). The film is about the inhabitants of a small village in Gujrat affected by drought. They are offered a waiver in their tax if they defeat the Britishers in a cricket match. The movie won rave reviews and was nominated for the Oscars.
The music is by AR Rahman, and is pretty descent in my opinion.

• Partner

A David Dhawan film. Starring Salman Khan, Lara Dutta, Govinda and Katrina Kaif. The movie is bad. Thumbs Down! Salman Khan plays a Love Guru for Govinda, to help him win the heart of Katrina. Shouldn’t it be the other way round??
The music is by Sajid-Wajid. Not much to say about it, because the soundtracks lack finish. They have been quite popular, however. During its days, every DJ at every Night Club was playing Soni De Nakhre and Do You Wanna Partner. If people love the songs, they become good, isn’t it?

• Salaam-e-Ishq

This film by Nikhil Advani, was a mess. Starring as much as 12 actors, and six parallel storylines, you were bound to get confused. He loves her, she in turn loves some other. Another thinks he is in an extra-maritial relationship. They are newly married, and comic. She loses her memory, and makes a new start with her husband. The guy’s an NRI, getting arranged married to an army person’s daughter, whose boyfriend left her but wants to come back. Uff.. You got the idea. The biggest dissapointment is that it is a Nikhil Advani movie, who gave us Kal Ho Na Ho earlier. Did success get him?
The Shankar, Ehsaan, Loy soundtrack can get you started, though. The title track is melodious. Ya Rabba can make you think about love. Other songs are all goody-good. No negative reviews here.

• Taare Zameen Par

It marked Aamir Khan’s directorial debut, and we all know he did well. This film, starring Darsheel Safary as Ishaan Awasthi and Aamir Khan as Ram Shankar Nikumbh, tells the story of a young child who suffers greatly in school until a teacher identifies him as a dyslexic. The child (Darsheel) is a brilliant painter but has a difficulty in learning. He is looked down upon by his own father, and is packed off to a boarding school. There, his art teacher, Ram Shankar Nikumbh, identifies his talent and his dyslexia. He then trains Ishaan to be at par with the others. A heart rendering movie. Brings you to tears.
The soundtrack excells not just due to Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s music but also by Prasoon Joshi’s lyrics. Taare Zameen Par, Kholo Kholo, Mera Jahan, Maa, Bum Bum Bole — all are brilliant tracks. The lyrics are the best. The music is minimalistic. The songs are soothing. And I have memorized the lyrics of all of them! Five Stars and High Fives!

• Tashan

I cannot tell you the story. Because I don’t know about it.!.! I haven’t seen the film. I can just tell you that it was made by Vijay Shankar Aacharya and stars Kareena Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Akshay Kumar and Anil Kapoor.
The music is by Vishal-Shekhar, and is quite popular. (Good?? I can’t say. Ask yourself.) Chaliya and Dilhaara are not bad, but Dil Daance Maare is! Look at its lyrics.. Outright Preposterous!

So these are the films and songs on which I based my poll. Wanna look at the results? Here they are:

Guru Wins! Closely Followed by Partner and Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. My friends have a good liking for music, isn’t it?
Enjoy your music…
Do you want to differ with the results? Let me know in the comments section.