Thursday, May 12, 2016

Dinesh Kamath’s column ‘New movies released in Navi Mumbai’ (Azhar, Criminal, Khel To Abb Shuru Hoga, Dear Dad, Buddha in a traffic jam, Money Monster, Pele, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 and Chudail Story) that was published in Newsband


New movies released in Navi Mumbai
By Dinesh Kamath
Azhar

Azhar is a sports drama film written and directed by Tony D'Souza. Based on the life of Indian cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin, the film is produced by Shobha Kapoor, Ekta Kapoor and Sony Pictures Networks, and it features Emraan Hashmi, Prachi Desai and Nargis Fakhri in the lead roles. The film has generated controversy prior to its release over a storyline that absolves the protagonist Mohammad Azharuddin from charges of fixing matches in return of money.
The movie ‘Azhar’ is based on certain well known and highly talked about incidents and facts of the former Indian international cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin and captain in the 1990s. Donning the role of former Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin in biopic “Azhar” is a challenge for Emraan Hashmi as the movie chronicles the former Indian skipper’s take on match-fixing scandal. On November 27, 2000, Azharuddin was found guilty of the match-fixing, and after eight days the former cricketer-politician was banned from the game for life by BCCI. In 2012, the Andhra Pradesh High Court lifted the ban. The movie not only depicts what is happening on the field but also what happens in the locker rooms, hotels, corridors conversations of cricketers and their relationships, how they get into match-fixing scandals etc. Azharuddin shared with the filmmaker all the anecdotes related to his personal and professional life in “Azhar”.
The film has Emraan Hashmi as Mohammad Azharuddin, Prachi Desai as Naureen, the first wife of Azharuddin, Nargis Fakhri as Sangeeta Bijlani, the second wife of Azharuddin, Lara Dutta as a lawyer, Karanvir Sharma (actor) as Manoj Prabhakar, Gautam Gulati as Ravi Shastri, Manjot Singh as Navjot Singh Sidhu, Kunaal Roy Kapur as a lawyer and Rajesh Sharma as M.K. Sharma.
The soundtrack of Azhar has music composed by Amaal Mallik. Pritam and DJ Chetas have composed one song each as guest composers. Lyrics are penned by Kumaar, Manoj Yadav and Rashmi Virag. The background score has been composed by Sandeep Shirodkar. The Album consists of four Original songs by Amaal Mallik & Pritam and one Recreation by DJ Chetas.
The film has songs like "Bol Do Na Zara", "Itni Si Baat Hain", "Oye Oye", "Tu Hi Na Jaane" and "Jeetne Ke Liye".

Criminal

Criminal is a 2016 American action thriller film directed by Ariel Vromen and written by Douglas Cook and David Weisberg. The film is about a convict who is implanted with a dead CIA agent's memories to finish an assignment. The film stars Kevin Costner, Gary Oldman and Tommy Lee Jones, in the second collaboration between all three following the 1991 film JFK.
In a last-ditch effort to stop a diabolical plot, a dead CIA operative’s memories, secrets, and skills are implanted into an unpredictable and dangerous death-row inmate (Kevin Costner) in hopes that he will complete the operative’s mission. Criminal is an action-thriller with a science fiction twist. To the extent that its purpose is to energize and involve an audience, it succeeds. The premise, however, which involves transplanting the memories of a dead man into the mind of a living one, is underutilized. The movie doesn’t venture into esoteric or philosophical territory. It doesn’t examine the ethics of attempting this nor does it explore any deeper implications of what happens when a mind is occupied by two radically different personalities. However, as a race-against-time, Jason Bourne-inspired adrenaline cocktail, Criminal offers a couple of hours of popcorn-munching entertainment. Kevin Costner, who has recently resumed his career after more than a decade flying under the radar, plays Jericho Stewart, the titular character. As a result of an underdeveloped frontal lobe, Jericho has no sense of right or wrong and this has led him to do some very bad things. He is flagged as a good fit for an untested experiment being run by Dr. Franks (Tommy Lee Jones) that involves transplanting memories. CIA agent Bill Pope (Ryan Reynolds) was murdered in the field with key knowledge that the Agency needs to avoid a worldwide catastrophe, so honcho Quaker Wells (Gary Oldman) pressures Franks into performing the operation. Jericho emerges from the anesthesia with a headache, fragmented memories he can’t put into place, and a bad temper. After dismissing the experiment as a failure, Wells commands some underlings to “take out the trash.” Before they can dispose of Jericho, however, he kills them and goes into hiding at Pope’s house - terrifying the dead man’s wife (Gal Gadot) and daughter. Meanwhile, a terrorist who goes by the name of The Anarchist (Jordi Molla) also wants Jericho’s knowledge, so the fugitive becomes the target of two manhunts - one by the CIA and one by the bad guys. At times, things get a little silly but that never prevented viewers from enjoying any of the James Bond movies, many of which were more farfetched than Criminal.

Khel To Abb Shuru Hoga

Khel Toh Ab Shuru Hoga is an Indian thriller chase-comedy film directed by Marathi filmmaker Kunal Singh and produced by Mahesh Narula. The film’s story is about a bank robbery in which actor Ruslaan Mumtaz who plays the role of a bank security guard ultimately robs the bank. Actress Devshi Khanduri is playing the character of a Muslim girl. Actor Rohit Pathak is playing negative role in the film.
Thus Khel To Abb Shuru Hoga movie is a fast-paced thriller that is bound to keep you on the edge of your seat. Starring Ruslaan Mumtaz in the lead, the film is filled with action, drama, romance and unexpected twists. Breaking the ‘chocolate boy’ image, Ruslaan in never-seen-before avatar. Ruslaan Mumtaz plays the role of a Bank thief. Actress Devshi Khanduri will be seen playing his lady love.
The film has Ruslaan Mumtaz as a bank security guard, Devshi Khanduri as Muslim girl, Rohit Pathak as negative lead and supporting cast consisting of Hazel Crowney, Khushi Sharma in a negative role and Shushil Parashar.
Bollywood singer Altamash Faridi has recorded a sad song in the film. The song is directed by Bubly Haque and lyrics are written by Abhendra Kumar Upadhyay.

Dear Dad

Dear Dad is a period drama film written and directed by Tanuj Bhramar, which has been simultaneously made in Hindi and Tamil. A remake of Manjrekar's 2012 Marathi film Kaksparsh, Dear Dad is based on a short story by Usha Datar and depicts the tumultuous events in a Tamil Brahmin family, set around 1930–1950 in Konkan.
Dear Dad is a bittersweet coming of age story; involving a father-son duo – 14 year old Shivam, and his 45 year old dad Nitin Swaminathan. The father-son duo embarks on an impromptu road trip from their home, in Delhi, to Mussorie (Uttarakhand), where Shivam attends boarding school. Unexpected confessions, weird strangers, accidental meetings, a drunken escapade and singing in the rain – all these add up to a complicated and sweet tale.
The film has Arvind Swamy, Himanshu Sharma, Ekavali Khanna, Aman Uppal and Bhavika Bhasin.

Buddha in a traffic jam

Buddha in a Traffic Jam is an autobiographical film based on its writer & director Vivek Agnihotri's life. Based on true life incidents, it's treatment is that of a new age political drama with an unique chapter wise approach to relevant topics leading to its climax. Its ensemble cast comprises Arunoday Singh, Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, Mahie Gill and Anchal Dwivedi. The film also takes on various themes of corruption, campus politics, moral policing, crony socialism and the aspirational India wiping it clean of its middlemen. It probes deep into the relevance of socialism and capitalism in a poverty and corruption ridden India seeking to become a superpower.
The movie has an interesting plot. Vikram Pandit (Arunoday Singh) is a happy-go-lucky management student from a business school in India. He becomes an overnight sensation after a successful social media campaign against the radical fundamentalism of moral policing in India. Little did Vikram know that he was about to become a part of a plot that would risk his life and the nation. He gets entangled between two facets of India – Socialism and Capitalism, both of which are deeply rooted in isolated corners of the country. Somewhere deep within the jungles, flagrant conspirators were gearing up to maim the Country. They had established links with the patrician society. Vikram’s internet campaign pulls him into a very deep web of conspiracy. The film revolves around Vikram’s survival in the sinister designs of establishment. It resolves the age long conflict between Capitalism and Socialism and defines the much-needed revolution for the contemporary India. The film uses a real life incident of moral policing in Mangalore where young girls were beaten up in a pub and later on they protested under an impromptu Pink Chaddi campaign. In the film it’s called Pink Bra Campaign, which highlights the atrocity of moral policing in India.
Thus the film has Arunoday Singh as Vikram Pandit, Mahi Gill as Charu Siddhu, Anupam Kher as Professor Ranjan Batki, Pallavi Joshi as Sheetal Batki, Vivek Vaswani, Anchal Dwivedi and Gopal K Singh as Naxal chief.
The music of this film has been created and curated by independent artists/musicians coming together as a mesmeric band “Swaang”. Buddha pays tribute to the legendary Faiz Ahmed Faiz. His poetry has been beautifully interwoven with the music and it creates create some unfailing moments in the Film. ‘Yeh Galleon ke awara paagal kutte’ has been sung in A Capella style. ‘Chand Roz’ is sung by Pallavi Joshi.

Money Monster

Money Monster is a 2016 American thriller film directed by Jodie Foster and written by Alan Di Fiore, Jim Kouf and Jamie Linden. The film stars George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Jack O'Connell, Dominic West and Caitriona Balfe. It follows a TV personality, Lee Gates, and a viewer, Kyle Budwell, who takes Gates as a hostage after losing his family's money on a bad tip by Gates.
The film has an interesting plot. Financial TV personality Lee Gates, who offers up stock advice on his hit show "Money Monster", is held hostage by a viewer, Kyle Budwell, who lost all of his money, following a bad tip from Lee during his show. In other words, Lee Gates (George Clooney) is a bombastic TV personality whose popular financial network show has made him the money wiz of Wall Street. But after he hawks a high tech stock that mysteriously crashes, an irate investor (Jack O’Connell) takes Gates, his crew, and his ace producer Patty Fenn (Julia Roberts) hostage live on air. Unfolding in real time, Gates and Fenn must find a way to keep themselves alive while simultaneously uncovering the truth behind a tangle of big money lies.

Pelé: Birth of a Legend

Pelé: Birth of a Legend is an upcoming American biographical film about the Brazilian footballer Pelé. The film is directed and written by Jeff Zimbalist and Michael Zimbalist. The film stars Kevin de Paula, Vincent D'Onofrio, Rodrigo Santoro, Diego Boneta and Colm Meaney.
Pelé - a name known around the world, a sports legend who changed soccer forever, and a national hero who carried the hopes and dreams of a country on his back. But before he was an icon, he was a kid from the slums of São Paulo, Brazil, so poor that he couldn’t afford a real soccer ball.
The film has Kevin de Paula as Pelé, from age 13 to 17, Leonardo Lima Carvalho as Pelé at age 10, Vincent D'Onofrio, Rodrigo Santoro, Diego Boneta, Colm Meaney amd Vivi Devereaux.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 is a 2016 American romantic comedy film directed by Kirk Jones and written by Nia Vardalos. The film stars Vardalos, John Corbett, Lainie Kazan, Michael Constantine, Andrea Martin, Ian Gomez and Elena Kampouris. It is the sequel to My Big Fat Greek Wedding, which was released in 2002.
After spending most of their time focusing on their troubling teenage daughter, Toula (Nia Vardalos) and Ian (John Corbett) are facing marital problems while also having to deal with yet another Greek wedding – this time, even bigger and fatter. The story picks up nearly two decades after Toula (Vardalos) and hubby Ian (John Corbett), a high school principal, tied the knot. Their marriage has been unwittingly back-burnered. Toula is otherwise preoccupied. If she’s not focused on her aging eccentric parents Maria and Gus (Lainie Kazan and Michael Constantine), she’s dealing with kooky Aunt Voula (Andrea Martin). Or Toula’s helicoptering around 17-year-old daughter Paris (Elena Kampouris). The girl rightly feels suffocated. Her raccoon-lined eyes are a subtle form of rebellion. Eyeliner’s her defining trait — in this movie, every character gets just one. While searching the family tree, Gus realizes he and Maria were never legally married. As plans are made to remedy that on the double, everyone — husbands and wives, parents and children — takes stock of their relationships. Among the lessons learned: marriages need tending and distance can make people closer. Not earth-shaking, but harmless. Like this sequel.

Chudail Story

 ‘Chudail story‘ is a horror flick. The story of the film revolves around a seductress witch, who kills men. The film stars Preeti Soni, Menaka Lalwani, Amal Sehrawat, Sunny CharlsNidhi Nautiyal, Sorab Rajpurohit and Akash Rathore.

‘Chudail’ is a popular form of female ghosts familiar through many generations in India. The popularity of the character ‘Chudail', especially in rural areas, is unarguable. However, everyone knows bits of the myth, almost no one knows everything. The most interesting thing about these stories are; if you start telling a story, another one quickly jump starts their own stories. Further, these countless legends in our traditional culture are available in various forms of pulp fiction books, folklore and oral tradition; like the succubus of western lore… Dracula, Vampire. But ‘Chudail Story’ promises to be different.
(Visit Dinesh Kamath's Blog: dkamath.blogspot.in)

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