Are you ready for an expose on the fashion industry? Where designers pass off 'Indira Market, Bangkok' stuff as their own creation. Where ad agency/fashion mag honchos call the shots. Wild lifestyles, backstage dramas, wardrobe malfunction, casting couch… ouch, ouch, ouch!Madhur Bhandarkar, the undisputed king of realistic fares, comes up with yet another hard-hitting film that enlightens you, moves you, motivates and deflates you, even shocks and surprises you and of course, entertains you.
The solid reason why FASHION works is because Madhur brings alive everything you've read in newspapers or watched on TV as an outsider, to the big screen. And that works and how!
But let's not give the subject material all importance, for Madhur's handling of the subject is exemplary. Madhur dresses up his mannequins well, but most importantly, infuses life in those prime bodies. A number sequences leave you tongue-tied [more on that later].
But there's a hitch. And this problem tones down the impact considerably. The running tine of almost 2.40 hours makes you restless, especially the penultimate 25-odd minutes. Yet, all said and done, FASHION has all it takes to be the showstopper this Diwali!
FASHION tells the story of a small-town girl with a dream and the determination to make it a reality. Meghna [Priyanka Chopra] is ambitious, she wants to attain the status of a supermodel. She realises her dreams and rises to walk the ramps for leading designers across India. But Meghna has to pay the price for her fame and her journey to the top. Her career starts sliding downwards. In this journey of Meghna, she encounters a number of people. Most importantly, Shonali [Kangna Ranaut] and Janet [Mugdha Godse]. Also, Abhijit Sareen [Arbaaz Khan], a tycoon who controls the fashion industry.
CHANDNI BAR, PAGE 3, SATTA, CORPORATE, TRAFFIC SIGNAL -- every Madhur Bhandarkar film has a new story to tell and he tells it most convincingly. In fact, Madhur strikes a fine balance between realism and entertainment in every film. Given the fact that FASHION is all about the fashion industry, the narrative is inevitably filled with lots of glam-n-glitz moments. The fashion shows, the stunning models, the superb styling, the vibrant colours and the behind the scenes drama is worth every penny spent on the ticket.
But it's not just ramp shows and style-n-fashion here. There's a story running concurrently -- of three models. One, the rise of an unknown into a supermodel. Two, the fall of a supermodel to dust. Three, the ambitious model not achieving success, but opting for a marriage of convenience.
While Madhur has handled the theme as if he were an insider, this review would be incomplete if you ignore two major sequences that are simply outstanding. One, Kangna's wardrobe malfunction and two, when Priyanka exposes Arbaaz to his wife [Suchitra Pillai].
Mahesh Limaye's cinematography captures every aspect of the fashion industry to the fullest. The screenplay [Madhur Bhandarkar, Anuradha Tiwari, Ajay Monga] is perfect, except for the penultimate portions. Niranjan Iyengar's dialogues are fantastic. Nitin Chandrakant Desai's production design is truly upmarket. The costumes and styling are top notch, a feast for the eyes. Salim-Sulaiman's music is well synchronised as well. 'Mar Jaava' and 'Jalwa' are lilting creations. Madhur places immense trust on Priyanka and she is remarkable all through, more towards the second hour. Post AITRAAZ, FASHION is another medal that shines the brightest when you look at her body of work. But the real star is Kangna. Her role may not be as lengthy as that of Priyanka, but the actress pitches in an awesome performance. Her confidence at the very start is infectious and her overall performance deserves an ovation.
Mugdha Godse is, again, supremely confident. She has dum. Arbaaz Khan is first-rate. Arjan Bajwa does well. Harsh Chhaya, the gay designer, stands out with a realistic performance. Ashwin Mushran, Priyanka's confidante, is top notch. Samir Soni is good. Suchitra Pillai and Kittu Gidwani are effectual. Raj Babbar and Kiran Juneja are seasoned in such roles.
On the whole, FASHION has tremendous curiosity value and also shock value for the Indian audiences. Its subject -- the behind the scenes working and drama of the fashion industry -- is its USP. At the box-office, the pre-release hype and buzz will ensure a successful run for the film. Its business at multiplexes mainly should be bountiful. However, trimming the film will only help; not only will it enhance the film, but also its business. Must watch!
Two years ago, Rohit Shetty came up with a breezy entertainer GOLMAAL, which, most people agree, is the capable director's finest work to date. The comic scenes hit the right notes and buttons. Perhaps, that must've prompted its producers [Shree Ashtavinayak] and Rohit to continue with the GOLMAAL series.
Gopal [Ajay Devgan], who lives with his wife Ekta [Kareena Kapoor], sister Esha [Amrita Arora] and brother-in-law Lucky [Tusshar Kapoor], gets stuck in a yacht after saving an attractive woman Meera [Celina Jaitly] from some goons. Both end up spending the night on the yacht and when he comes home the next day, his painfully suspicious wife, who is also a hardcore fan of the saas-bahu serials, smell fish. 
Writer Yunus Sajawal takes an interesting premise, but instead of upgrading it, only downgrades it with lacklustre situations. The writing is so weak, so lifeless that after a point you sit motionless, looking at the goings-on mechanically, instead of being a participant. 
Kareena Kapoor has just signed on with Pepsico's Kurkure for an amount in the vicinity of Rs 7 crore. This will be Kareena's eighth endorsement this year. The actress, effectively, has become the highest paid B-Town actress in the ad world.
Stepping into the world of Bollywood from the world of modeling is not something that hasn't happened before. Although there's a vast difference in both the worlds, it's nothing new for super model Mugdha. Even after entering Bollywood from the world of fashion, she's still a part of 'Fashion'.
Q – According to you, your character Janet is quite different from Mugdha. But is there something which happens to be common in both?
A – No, this didn't happen with me or with them either. These are just plain rumors. On the contrary, I was surprised to see the organized way in which people were working on the sets. I had often heard that there are many obstacles while making a film but we had none of this here.
Very recently, Kangna shocked the industry when she made the bold declaration that 'she never felt like being a part of a hardcore Bollywood commercial film because she had no respect for such cinema'! We caught up with Kangna on the eve of the release of Fashion for a candid conversation.
Once upon a time, Kangna was a simple girl from Manali with big dreams. Has the world of glamour allowed that simplicity to remain?
Pooja Bedi's 11-year-daughter Aaliya walked the ramp for designer Pallavi Jaipur at the Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai. An excited Pooja Bedi said, "It was her first solo experience and memorable one too. Aaliya was dressed as a Rajasthani princess. Such memories stay with you for life."
In the on going race of Bollywood stars to using TV medium as a platform to come in front of their fans, a new name has joined in, Mahima Chaudhari. For the reality show begining on 2nd November, Jalwa One Two ka Four, Mahima will appear as a co-judge alongside filmmaker Satish Kaushik.
It's a quiet Diwali for the Nightingale at home with the family. No special plans after the celebrations earlier during the week when her brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar turned 72 on Sunday.
Due to the recession in the share market, not only the share brokers but also the common man has to suffer a lot. It's result can be seen directly on the market.
Bollywood’s perfectionist actor Aamir Khan is all praise of Asin, who’s working in his upcoming movie Ghajini.
John Abraham will not only be acting in filmmaker Abbas Tyrewala's second venture "1-800-Love" after the hit "Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na", he will also be co-producing it.
Vikram Bhatt is searching for Ms. Right not for himself but for his next film.
Govinda seems to be doing whatever it takes to turn into a happening hero.
In Madhur Bhandarkar's "Fashion", actress Priyanka Chopra will be seen in an unbelievable 137 outfits in the film!
Celina Jaitley will never ever forget her last Diwali experience. Last year's Diwali was the craziest for Celina Jaitley.
The lion roars and the roar is deafening. The lion here is none other than Aamir Khan. The actor, known for enacting a wide variety of roles in his illustrious career, is ready to traverse into a new territory with GHAJINI. In fact, every time an Aamir starrer is about to release, it turns into an event.
Priety Zinta has created customised salwar-kurtas bearing the Kings 11 logo for her women supporters for the IPL test matches that are expected to begin soon. A source close to the actress informed, "Priety discussed with her designer and created customised salwar kurtas bearing the Kings 11 (her team) logo for her supporters."
What do you get if you cross desi lines with a firang? Well, the answer is The Other End Of the Line. If the title doesn't 'ring' a bell, then, maybe the names of actors like Shriya Saran, Tara Sharma and Anupam Kher will, as they star in the forthcoming Hollywood film, The Other End Of the Line.
Actress Soha Ali Khan, who boasts of a strong educational background and sound work experience in the corporate world, has no qualms in saying that actresses in Bollywood are smarter and more intelligent than their male counterparts.
The hot Shilpa Shetty is all set to Shut Up and Bounce. Yes that's the song of Tarun Mansukhani's Dostana that will hit the air soon. Director Karan Johar said that Tarun and he and his entire team brainstormed tossing names of actresses who would be apt for the item.
Yes, there have been several rumors about Rani Mukherjee's role in YRF's next directed by Anurag Singh. But the truth is finally out. Looking at the pictures above, you must've guessed by now that Rani disguises herself as a Sardar in the film.
Aamir Khan launched his much awaited film, Ghajini's first teaser promo amidst a media gathering at a suburban Mumbai multiplex. We caught up with the actor -director at the event.
Cast: Irrfan Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Lara Dutta, Om Puri, Rajpal Yadav, Asrani, Jason Mehta
Tusshar Kapoor had made his debut as a leading man with Kareena Kapoor in smash hit Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai a few moons back. Seven years down the line, the two are appearing as siblings in Rohit Shetty directed Golmaal Returns. Isn't that a step back for the romantic 'jodi' which couldn't create the same magic though in Jeena Sirf Merre Liye.
Cast: Anil Kapoor , Salman Khan , Katrina Kaif , Zayed Khan, Aushima Sawhney, Amie Maghera, Javed Sheikh, Boman Irani
Meghna Mathur (Priyanka Chopra)
Designer extraordinaire and a visionary talent amongst young Indian designers, Rahul makes no compromises with both his fashion designs and his lifestyle.
A former beauty queen, Anisha Roy runs the most successful modeling agency in Mumbai - Profile - India's answer to Elite. She is a tough as nails business woman who has a keen eye for spotting talent and molding it into a success story.
Ever ambitious and bright with stars in her eyes, even as a girl with a conservative background, she dared to dream of bright lights and the big city.
Lara Dutta seems to have got completely carried away by the new found hot image and the comparisons with 'the sexiest women in the world' Megan Fox, on the sets of 'Blue'.
