Aladin - Movie Review

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Riteish Deshmukh, Jacqueline Fernandes, Saahil Khan, Ratna Pathak Director: Sujoy Ghosh Rating: *** "I am still a teenager", says Amitabh Bachchan right at the beginning of "Aladin", setting the mood for the film to follow. Young at heart and fresh in treatment, "Aladin" wouldn't have been possible without him. Playing Genius - The Genie could have gone either way since he is expected to be whacky, quirky, a little eccentric, a bit mad and hugely lovable. The narrative is clearly divided into two sections. If the first half is more children friendly, the second half has a lot going for teenagers and above. There is some fun in store for children with a donkey's head replacing Riteish's, his guitar turning into a frog and him being thrown in the air after being turned into a balloon. The funny antics that follow may not have grown ups rolling with laughter, but should surely keep the smiles on. Amitabh's 'Yo dude' act keeps the fun going. He adopts a completely different body language as the flamboyant genie, who is happy moving on with the times, and could give the younger generation a run for its money. Meanwhile, Sanjay Dutt's Ringmaster character makes on and off appearances, though one would have expected to see more of him. The entire past about Aladin and the Genius gets a little confusing. The real fun begins in the second half with the battle between good versus evil. Sanjay becomes more prominent on screen, the past is unearthed, action and thrills take centrestage and the best of VFX is unveiled. The visuals belong to the never-seen-before variety, especially the ones where Big B is shown repenting about his misdeeds. The flashback sequence is extremely well done too. Sujoy Ghosh does well in conjuring the imaginary world of 'Khwaish' that gives the film a visual appeal. This is further enhanced by the presence of newcomer Jacqueline Fernandes. Riteish is likeable as the young man who gets superpowers towards the film's end, hence keeping an option for a sequel. Sanjay is good but how one wishes that he had at least a couple of dramatic scenes with Amitabh. However, the film completely belongs to Amitabh who totally steals the show. Watch him in "Genie Rap" and you'll know why. The story of "Aladin" is legendary and Genie and Jasmine are known worldwide. This is why it requires courage for a filmmaker to set the film in contemporary times and come up with his own take on a well loved tale. Ghosh does exactly that as he lets his imagination go wild and spins a tale that ends up relating the past, present and future of these characters. This VFX filled entertainer is just the right recipe if one is looking for a family entertainer.

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What is Sanjay Dutt doing in Aladin?

Sanjay Dutt didn't require much convincing or cajoling to come on board for Aladin.

The moment he heard the film's concept, genre and they way it was envisioned to be brought on screen, he agreed to do the film pronto. He was impatient about the film going on floors. His character is like that of evil magician Jafar in the Disney version of Aladin.

Says a source associated to the film, "Sanju baba actually became quite childlike when he was narrated the concept of Aladin. He hasn't worked in a film belonging to this genre before, the kind that involves fairytale elements embellished in a narrative that is set in today's times. The legend of Aladin and Genie is known worldwide and Sanju baba didn't require much thinking to be a part of the project. As a fun loving villain, who was capable of showing the mean side of his at any given moment, the character was tailor-made for him and he connected to that instantly when the part was explained to him."

Incidentally, it was Amitabh Bachchan himself who first had a word with Sanjay Dutt about his role of Ringmaster in Aladin.

Confirms Sujoy Ghosh, "Yes, after I had an elaborate narration of Aladin with Mr. Bachchan, we were discussing who could play the role of Ringmaster. We agreed that it had to be Dutt saab and I was supposed to contact him the next day. However, to my surprise, before I could speak to Dutt saab, Mr. Bachchan had already spoken to him. When I met him, he mockingly pulled me for not speaking to him directly. I explained that I had all the right intentions to do so but didn't have any clue that Mr. Bachchan would himself take the first step."

Kicked about the entire idea, "I still remember it was year 2006," Sujoy gets nostalgic here, "Dutt saab was so excited about donning the hat of Ringmaster. Pun intended."

Sanjay Dutt had a condition though before saying yes. "Yes, he didn't want anyone to fiddle around with his look," laughs Sujoy, "His only condition was that he wanted the moustache of Ringmaster to be kept intact. Of course, we had no reason not to agree."

Aladin releases on October 30.

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Aladin - Music Review

Singers: Shankar Mahadevan, Shaan, Amitabh Bachchan, Shreya Ghosal, Sudesh Bhosle, Vishal Dadlani, Shekhar Ravjiani, Anushka Manchanda, Sunidhi Chauhan and Sanjay Dutt Lyricists: Vishal Dadlani and Anvita Dutt Guptan Music Directors: Vishal-Shekhar Rating:*** The soundtrack of the much-talked about Amitabh Bachchan-starrer "Aladin", a contemporary take on the classic fairy tale, is racy and energetic. Composer duo Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani have tried to go beyond their usual tunes and beats. "Aladin" contains six originals and two remixes. It opens with "Genie rap", where Amitabh turns rapper along with Anushka Manchanda. The song seems to be a situational number and doesn't interest much. "Genie rap" has a remixed version too by DJ Suketu. This version is faster and has more beats. Up next is "Tak dhina din", the title track. Sung by Shankar Mahadevan and Shaan, the song starts with a bang and is full of energy. The tempo is maintained all through. Then we have a complete shift of genre with "O re saawariya". It has a soft start but picks up pace later. It's an entertaining piece with a mix of classical and rustic influences. Sudesh Bhonsle, Shreya Ghoshal, Shaan and Amitabh have lent their voice to the song. "O re saawariya" has a remix version again by DJ Suketu. It is foot-tapping and adds more colour to the original song. Next in line is the only soft number of the soundtrack "You may be", which has composers Vishal and Shekhar behind the microphone. A love ballad, it has a mix of English and Hindi lyrics. Soothing to the ears, "You may be" is a pleasing song. "Bachke o bachke" sung by Shankar, Shaan and Sunidhi is another upbeat, foot-tapping number that has a long prelude. Initially the song seems just average, but it grows on you slowly. Finally, there is "Giri giri", a different track sung by Sanjay Dutt. Sanjay doesn't do justice with the song and adds no vocal quality. It is an average number, even though the music is interesting. On the whole, Vishal and Shekhar have composed fast-paced, high on beats songs and most of them are enjoyable.

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