Kidnap Movie Review

Sanjay Gadhvi's KIDNAP is all about a game played by the kidnapper, Kabir (Imran Khan), and Vikrant Raina (Sanjay Dutt). The poor viewer is caught in this senseless sequence of events that oscillates from silly to preposterous as the demands of Kabir borders on insanity to say the least.

There are some sequences, which are not expected from the director of the DHOOM series. Picture this: Vikrant is asked by this young kidnapper to enter a jail to release a prisoner. The prisoner is a puny little guy and the entire operation is a joke on the security system of the jails. Needless to say, Vikrant manages to whisk away the prisoner. Another sequence is when Kabir asks Vikrant that his last job is to shoot someone in a crowded pub. He keeps a gun in an ice bucket and it manages to stay there. There's also one sequence, a chase, where Vikrant is in pursuit of Kabir up and down an under construction tower. While the sequence is well shot, how can one believe that Kabir can fly like spider man? More so, even Vikrant, a tad heavy, matches the fleet footed Kabir, 'leap for leap'. There's even a bath under a waterfall, complete in white, straight from the Mandakini era.

Towards the end, after the kidnap drama is over, Kabir meets Sonia (Minissha Lamba) at a party and tells her he came here to say sorry to her, for what he did to her. What about us, dude?

It so happens that Sonia is kidnapped on Christmas morning by Kabir. When the phone rings late in the evening, Dr Mallika (Vidya Malwade) is obviously tensed. But the kidnapper tells her that he will deal only with her husband, Vikrant. Then unfolds the 'problem'. The writing is weak, there is no meat in the plot and the kidnapper is a gentle boy who it appears wants to teach Vikrant a lesson for something he did to him when he was a kid.
What had actually happened was that Kabir, an orphan, one day rushed into the bungalow of Vikrant to steal his car to drive his injured friend to the hospital. Note: Kabir was just eight years old then. Sonia, sees the boy, jumps into the car and asks him to leave. Boy drives with the girl and in the ensuing scuffle meets with an accident. Girl is at death's door and her father tells the cop that the boy has to be branded a kidnapper and put in prison. The boy is shocked, so is the cop who tries hard to make Vikrant see reason. Any Dad in Vikrant's position would have behaved the way he did. Kabir is thrown in prison. Surprisingly, he has bears no telltale traits of what 'living with criminals' would justify. He is a cool kidnapper who you would love to take to Momma!

Imran Khan gives off yet another good performance. However, in terms of body language, he could have done better. Minissha Lamba has finally hit the viewers 'eyeballs'. When she is dressed down to the bare minimum, she heats up the screen. Sanjay Dutt's weight issues fluctuate, understandably so because of the break in shooting due to his personal problems.

Thanks to Imran's successful debut and Sanjay Dutt's presence, this film will do brisk business for the first few days. After that, the message will reach the audience... Watching Kidnap is like being held to ransom!

Rating - 1/5
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Dostana — Music Review

Its been a long time since last film of Dharma Production has released and music from them is always great , no matter how the movie is . Their last film , KANK , though didn’t do well but still its music is one thing that shows one quality of Dharma Productions , that they have a great taste and knowledge of music and even if the movie is below expectations sometimes , music is always at par . So they are back with Dostana which will hit the theatres soon . This time though its Karan’s assistant Tarun Mansukhani in the director’s chair . If we consider that Karan didn’t interfere in the Direction then as a producer he at least would have definitely sat in Music seatings for the film . The music this time though has been given by Vishal Shekhar instead of SEL and Lyrics are by Anvita Dutt Guptan and Kumar . The film as we all know by now is based on story of three friends with hopefully some pleasant twist .

Lets talk of the music now . The album consists of Six Original tracks and no Remixes(Thank God!!) . The first song on the album “Jaane Kyun” though is not the title track but very well puts up the entire theme of the film . The song very well portrays the feeling of friendship and has a very nice tune attached to it . The song has been sung by Vishal Dadlani himself and has lyrics by Anvita . Anvita does a good job and has put up a nice blend of Hindi and English Lyrics . Vishal also does a nice job in singing and the duo have also composed it quite well . The tune basically is pretty much western and so is the entire feel of the song . No Indian tunes or pieces in it . Vishal has also sung it in a different fashion . Overall , the song is a nice blend of music and lyrics and backed by good singing . This song would get most popular from the entire album and hence is my Pick of the album .

The second track on the album is “Desi Girl” which is a trademark Vishal-Shekhar track which has Desi-Videsi Cocktail . I am personally not a fan of such tracks and we already got a taste of such tracks in Tashan and Bachna Ae Hasino soundtracks . Such tracks are not meant to be listened , you can just dance on them without listening them . Still , the tune is not one of those that can make anyone and everyone sway to it . The lyrics byKumaar are an average affair and quite commercial .Shankar and Sunidhi do their usual in Singing dept. I don’t know how this song will feature in Miami where the whole film is set-up . I hope they don’t have a situation where everyFirangi is doing a Bhangra with our leads .

Next comes a Punjabi Track (one of the Four Pillars of a Bollywood Soundtrack) , “Maa Da Ladla ” . This Punjabi track has some modern Bass Beats of a Disco and no Dhol in it . A modern Punjabi track with average piece of Lyrics . The lyrics in-fact have nothing to offer and neither they are that catchy . But you never know , if “Bhootni Ke” of Singh is Kinngh can work so can “Ma Da Ladla” of Dostana . Saleem who sings the song has a nice Punjabi voice and sings it well . Overall , a track that I would prefer to listen in the movie itself . Nice pacy tune for dance lovers .

The fourth song on the soundtrack is “Shut Up and Bounce ” . If you have seen the first trailer of the movie then you would probably remember the groovy music it had . Well , that was from this song . I must say that when I heard the music in the trailer I was pleasantly surprised but I was quite disappointed when I heard the song on the CD . The whole music is really good but the lyrics have nothing good to offer . I can say that a very good tune probably wasted due to improper lyrics by Anvita . One more thing to notice is that apart from the piece that was in the trailer the whole song has very average music and some basic beats only . In any case , the song is good only to an extent and probably would be liked by people at large due to the bass in it . Another disco track and has some nice singing by Sunidhi Chauhan . Overall , the track is good but could have been much better .

The next track on the album ” Khabar Nahin ” is a little on the slower side and also on the romantic side . The song has very nice guitaring through out by Sanjay Divecha but apart from his guitaring the tune is pretty much basic and nothing so great about it . The lyrics by Anvita are good and Vishal again does a good job singing . He has been very well supported by Shreya and Amanat Ali . The song in all is a nice one and has some nice guitaring in it . The guitar lovers would like the guitaring in it .

The last rack on the album is again a slow soulful track “Kuch Kam” . It stars off with very less music on Piano and then later slowly some basic music beats are put in it . This one again is a Romantic track which gives a hint that the movie would start off with all the fun and masti and would finally end on a Romantic Note . This song has been composed well by Vishal-Shekhar and they have kept it pretty basic . Shaan sings quite well as usual and his fans would love this track .

If you have noticed , I’ve repeatedly used word “Basic” in the entire review . I don’t know , the tunes and lyrics made me use that word . I found the entire album pretty much basic stuff and nothing extraordinary was there in the entire album . Only the first song “Jaane Kyun” is a winner all throughout . The two slow songs in the end are good but not extra-ordinary . The other songs are good for parties etc. I was expecting a lot since it is an album from a Dharma Productions film . Well , those of you who don’t know , there is a special appearance of Shilpa Shetty in some song probably . I couldn’t figure out which song it would be . But one thing I couldn’t understand , what is Abhishek , the flabby , doing in between all these hot people (Piggy,John and Shilpa) ? No offence Abhishek , I like your acting but dude try to look like your contemporaries . Even your seniors (Shilpa) look much younger than you.

Overall , its a nice album and can be listened to . Jaane Kyun and Khabar Nahi are the pick from the entire album . Good part is that the album won’t damage the film and would give it some boost only .

Album Rating : Three out of Five , Jaane Kyun being the best and all songs being good.
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Drona Movie Review

Big wind, loud thunder, no rain! This in short describes Goldie Behl's DRONA the best. The film drags, over two continents, and how! It can be best described as a costume drama. The producers might have spent huge monies to get the costumes and sets in place, not to forget the special effects, which are very, very good. But what is the use of special effects and good costumes if there is no script? DRONA lost the battle at the writing table itself.

To quote the makers, ''DRONA is rooted in the vibrant tapestry of Indian mythology. DRONA is the compelling modern tale of one man's spectacular voyage through the labyrinths of mystic myths and legendary legacies. It is a journey that will force him to face his fears and make him the hero he was born to become.''

DRONA is Abhishek Bachchan. For the first half of the movie the director is getting him to realise who he is; during the latter part of the second half, he realises who he is. And towards the end, he accomplishes what he is supposed to be by eliminating big bad Riz Raizada (Kay Kay Menon).





DRONA also has Priyanka Copra as Sonia, his bodyguard. One look at Priyanka and you want to give a hug to make-up artist Mickey Contractor who has done a fabulous job. Priyanka looks gorgeous. Will Madhur Bhandarkar be able to go one up on DRONA as far as her look is concerned in FASHION? That is for another review!

The huge hype will pull in the crowds, but it will be another task to keep them in during the course of the movie.

You go back with just one thought after watching DRONA, a colossal waste!

Rating - 1/5
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Introducing the DRONA family Part II

Here is our second and concluding part of an exclusive inside view of the characters from the world of DRONA. Once again its straight from the horses mouth, Jaydeep Sarkar, the script and dialogue writer of DRONA.
Sonia (Priyanka Chopra):–

Sonia is the one character that went through the most changes, as we were writing. Sonia's character plays out at various levels and layers in the film. At one level, she is following in the legacy of her forefathers who have laid down their lives in the service of the DRONA and at many other levels, she is DRONA's only companion in this magnificent journey, she is the one person who introduces him to aspects of himself he never knew he had. It was a complex character, of a woman in supreme control yet living her life in the service of the DRONA.

Priyanka helped us find Sonia, even as we were writing. Sometimes, when you are writing a character for a particular actor, the actor's persona itself can be inspiration enough. And for me, Priyanka, was the inspiration for Sonia. Sonia, is a fantastical interpretation of the modern Indian woman. A woman in charge, a woman in control. A woman who is headstrong, vivacious, charged up and won't stop at anything.

Everyday, before we shot a scene, Priyanka, Goldie and I would read out the scene and much like her character in the film, Priyanka would explore areas in the scene and her character that were beyond the obvious. Her questions would only make us address nuances of the scene and make the scene even better. And it was not just about her character, but the entire dynamics of the scene. Sometimes, we would reinvent a scene; polish it, even a few moments before we were meant to shoot it. There was always an infectious energy on the sets. Priyanka brought with her, a rush of adrenalin, which put us all in top gear.

And that, in itself, is Sonia! She is a bundle of energy, who will grab you by your arm and take you along on this fantastic journey.
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Abhishek invites Raj Thackeray to watch Drona

There's absolutely no friction or ill-will about the disturbances that erupted earlier this month over Jaya Bachchan's remarks that triggered off a chain of hostility in Raj Thackeray and his MNS workers, as Abhishek, cool as a cucumber on the eve of the release of his poshest project to date, turns around to say, "I'd love Raj Thackeray to watch Drona.

I hope he does. And I hope he enjoys it. I know he will. He loves watching good films. And I'd like to think Drona is a good film."

There is widespread speculation that Mr Thackeray would be invited to the Drona premiere to be held in Mumbai on 1 October.

Abhishek is neither confirming nor denying this eventuality.

One presence that he's looking forward to at the premiere is that of his wife Aishwarya Rai who is apparently flying down just for the day from Brazil where she's shooting, to be in Mumbai by her husband's side on his big day.

Abhishek nearly falls off his chair with amusement.

"It sounds very romantic to say my wife is flying down specially to be at my premiere. But sadly, it is not true. Her schedule for Shankar's Robot was supposed to wrap up a week before the premiere, and it did.

So she was going to be in Mumbai for the Drona premiere anyway. Having said this, let me add, she'd have come back to Mumbai for the occasion from any part of the world even if she was shooting."

Abhishek has been asked in a television interview what it felt to be overshadowed by his wife at the Cannes film festival. "Although the intention behind such questions is obviously not honorable I don't get rattled at all.

It's a pleasure to be overshadowed by the most beautiful woman in the world. I had a ball doing the Unforgettable concerts with Aishwarya.

I know I'll have a great time shooting Mani Ratnam's film with her. Right now I'm looking forward to her return early next week."

At the moment Aishwarya has flown off to Paris to shoot the latest L'Oreal ad. The Big B and Jaya were also in Paris this week.

"Yes they were, " admits Abhishek. "Unfortunately Ma and Pa left a day before Aishwarya arrived in Paris. Pa had to be back to shoot a television programme to promote the Unforgettable concerts in India."

Yes, the Unforgettable concerts are now going to be staged in India, beginning with Mumbai.

"We're in the process of working out the venues and dates. There'll be more time for all this once Drona is released," says Abhishek.
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I don't mind being overshadowed by Ash:Abhishek

Abhishek Bachchan, who is all geared up for the release of "Drona" this week, says he doesn't mind being overshadowed by his wife Aishwarya Rai.

At this year's Cannes Film Festival attended by him and his wife, Abhishek was repeatedly asked how it felt to be overshadowed by his wife.

"Although the intention behind such questions is obviously not honourable, I don't get rattled at all. It's a pleasure to be overshadowed by the most beautiful woman in the world. I had a ball doing the 'Unforgettable' concerts with Aishwarya, " Abhishek told.

After "Guru", the actor is teaming up with his wife once again for Mani Ratnam's next film.

"I know I'll have a great time shooting Mani Ratnam's film with her. Right now I'm looking forward to her return from Brazil, " he said.

Aishwayra was in Brazil shooting for Shankar's "Robot". Abhishek said he was looking forward to Aishwarya's presence at the premiere of "Drona".

"It sounds very romantic to say my wife is flying down especially to be at my film's premiere. But sadly, it is not true. Her schedule for Shankar's 'Robot' was supposed to wrap up a week before the premiere, and it did. So she was going to be in Mumbai for the 'Drona' premiere anyway.

"Having said this, let me add, she'd have come back to Mumbai for the occasion from any part of the world even if she was shooting."

Aishwarya was recently in Paris to shoot the latest L'Oreal ad. Both her in-laws, Jaya and Amitabh Bachchan, were also there, but they couldn't meet her.

"Yes they were there. Unfortunately ma and pa left a day before Aishwarya arrived in Paris. Pa had to be back to shoot a television programme to promote the 'Unforgettable' concerts in India."

"Yes, the 'Unforgettable' concerts are now going to be staged in India, beginning with Mumbai.

"We're in the process of working out the venues and dates. There'll be more time for all this once 'Drona' is released, "said Abhishek.

Directed by Goldie Behl, "Drona" also stars Priyanka Chopra and Kay Kay Menon.
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Mujhe Maaf Karo: Saif Ali Khan

Recently there have been reports in the news that Saif Ali Khan had a tiff with photo journalists in Patiala during the shoot of his home production directed by Imtiaz Ali.

According to the report, " Some photo journalists were trying to click photographs of Saif at the railway station where the shooting of his home production was on.

Two photo journalists--one belonging to a newspaper and the other to local TV news channel--were trying to take shots of the shooting of the movie when Saif objected to this.

It has been alleged that the security staff of Saif allegedly reacted and took away the cameras of the photo journalists. A police complaint has been filed by Saif's production and later by the press persons" Since then the matter has snowballed into a controversy and the actor is deeply disturbed by this.

A source close to the actor reveals on exactly what transpired. " Two photo journalists were trying to click pictures of the film without the production's permission.

They were told not to do that as the look of the film is being closely guarded. But because they still continued doing so they were reprimanded. The security staff got into an argument with the photographers and it resulted in a fight. The actor was not even aware of this.

The news finally reached him and then the production decided to file a complaint against the two press photographers. But inspite of this Saif is very disturbed about what happened as he shares very cordial relations with the media"

Saif Ali Khan sets the record straight in his press statement that the actor has personally issued from Patiala. Says Saif who is still shooting for his home production in Patiala, " Patiala is a lovely place and our shoot has been going really well.

The crowd has also been very co- operative. As an individual I was not present at the time of the incident so I don't know the details.

But as a producer and on behalf of Illuminati Films, our company, I would like to apologize on behalf of our security for any inconvenience caused to the local press. Shooting can get pretty chaotic and crowded in small towns and some pushing and shoving normally happens in a crowd situation.

It happens all the time. So if anyone has been offended I would like to apologize to them personally and also on behalf of our production."

Commenting on the charges of assault and man handling leveled against him he says, "That is completely completely false and baseless. I was not even around. Anyway like I said before, I would still like to apologise to anyone who was offended."
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Goddess Katrina Tussi Great Ho!

After being touted as the goddess of luck in a recent successful ad campaign of Nakshatra jewellery, Katrina Kaif is undoubtedly the goddess of B Town.

In the survey conducted by Screen 'Weekly Katrina bagged the highest number of votes as the changing face of Bollywood. Katrina scored the highest number of votes.

In a poll conducted by Filmfare recently Katrina was declared as the sexiest pin up in Bollywood. Katrina was earlier voted by FHM magazine world wide where she was declared the sexiest Asian.

With international magazines lapping up her for their cover and filmmakers making a beeline for her to cast her in their films, Katrina's film seems to have zoomed far ahead. Kats spells success today.

Surely Goddess tussi great ho!
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