Balak Palak - BP

Language: Marathi
Cast: Subodh Bhave, Madan Deodhar, Anand Ingale, Kishore Kadam, Prathamesh Parab, Supriya Pathare, Rohit Phalke, Shashwati Pimplikar, Bhagyashree Shankpal, Amruta Subhash, Vishakha Subhedar, Sai Tamhankar, Satish Tare, Avinash Narkar,
Producer: Riteish Deshmukh, Uttung Hitendra Thakur
Director: Ravi Jadhav
Music Director: Vishal-Shekhar
Cinematographer: Mahesh Limaye

Balak Palak is Ravi Jadhav's third movie after successful movies Natrang and Balgandharv. So I was eager to watch his next movie. And then the subject movie is very intriguing. It pulled me to the theatre and I had to watch this movie.

Although protagonists of the movie are all the kids mainly, it is not a kid’s movie. Movie talks about very important issue of sex education for kids which is still a taboo for many parents. It shows how If it is not addressed at the right time and with right approach, it could lead kids to wrong doors for answers.

I will highly recommend this movie to everyone not only for Marathi audience but also to non Marathi speaking people. One thing for sure this movie will make many of us nostalgic. All of us gone through this phase and we have a story tell, secret to hide. So BP will take you back to those days.

Movie has amazing content, good story, god screenplay. Movie is funny but it is not a mad comedy. It never sidetracks from the core message the movie wants to convey. Ravi Jadhav proves ones again he is one of the best directors in India. I can’t wait to see his next movie. As for actors, they all gave amazing performance. Not only seasoned actor like Kishor Kadam but even all the young actors did brilliant job. Movie was also a good visual experience, thanks to good work by Mahesh Limaye. Music by Vishal-Shekhar was refreshing. It distinctly sound different from the music we here in Marathi movies. I don’t know what part Ritesh Deshmukh played in making this movie but it was good start for him in Marathi Film industry.

If I have to rate this movie, I will give it 10 out of 10.

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ANAND

Anand(1970)- (Hindi)

Director: Hrishkesh Mukherjee

Producer: N.C. Sippy

Starring: Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan

Music by Salil Choudhary

Reasons to watch this movie before you die,

·         You can live life two ways either keep cribbing and complaining about what you don’t have and how unlucky you are or utilize whatever you have and enjoy the life to the fullest. Anand is a story of such a man whose days are numbered due to deadly cancer. But rather than crying over it he chose to fully utilized and enjoy every moment of his remaining life. He spread joy, pure Anand till his last breath.

·         This is Late Rajesh Khanna’s best acting performance. Rajesh Khanna was first Superstar of Bollywood. When he did this movie he was at pinnacle of his career.

·         It was also one of the best performances of Amitabh Bachchan. Amitabh was next superstar after Rajesh Khanna, who ruled Hindi film industry for decades. But when he did this movie he was just a starting off his career. He played supporting kind of second lead role in the movie but made his presence felt with his performance.

·         Hrishikesh Mukherjee is one of my favorite directors. I would say each and every movie of Hrishikesh Mukharjee is a must watch. He was legend in Bollywood whose contribution to the industry was immense.

·         And lastly but not least at all, watch this movie for the soulful and timeless music by Salil Chaudhary. Be it,

‘Zindagi kaisi hai paheli’, ‘Maine tere liye hi’ or ‘Kahin door jab din dhal jayen’

Melody of the songs, the lyrics and rendition of the song will touch your heart.

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Must Watch Movies .......... Part 11

101. Saransh - Hindi (1984)

Director: Mahesh Bhatt

Writers: Mahesh Bhatt

Stars: Anupam Kher, Rohini Hattangadi, Soni RaZdan and others

102. The General's Daughter - English (1999)

Director: Simon West

Writers: Cristopher Bertolini, Nelson DeMille (Novel)

Cast: John Travolta, Madeleine Stowe, James Cromwell, Timothy Hutton Leslie Stefanson and others

103. Jerry Maguire - English (1996)

Director: Cameron Crowe

Writers: Cameron Crowe

Cast: Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., Rene Zellweger, Kelly Preston, Jerry O'connell, Regina King, and others

104. Mumbai Pune Mumbai - Marathi (2010)

Director: Satish Rajwade

Writers: Satish Rajwade, Parag Kulkarni

Stars: Swanil Joshi, Mukta Barve

               

105. My Cousin Vinny- English (1992)

Director: Jonathan Lynn

Writers: Dale Launer

Stars: Joe Pesci, Ralph Macchio, Marisa Tomei, and others

106. Die Hard With Vengeance – English (1995)

Director: John MacTiernan

Writers: Johnathan Hensleigh, Roderick Thorp

Stars: Bruce Willis, Jeremy Irons, Samuel Jackson and others

107. Die Hard 4.0 – English (2007)

Director:Len Wiseman

Writers:Mark Bomback

Stars: Bruce Willis, Justin Long, Timothy Olyphant, Maggie Q, Cliff Curtis, Mary Elizabeth Winestead and others

108. The Hangover – English (2009)

Director:Todd Phillips

Writer: Jon Lucas, Scott Moore

Stars: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifiankis, Justin Bartha, Heather Grahm and others

109. Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 1 – English (2010)

Director: David Yates

Writers: Steve Kloves, J.K. Rowling (Novel)

Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Bonnie Wright, Ralph Fiennes and others

110. Pandharichi Wari – Marathi (1988)

Director: Ramakant Kavrekar

Stars: Jayashree Gadkar, Raja Gosavi, Ashok Saraf, and others

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Movie Reviews: Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows - Part 2

Movie Review “Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows – Part 2” (2011)

Genre: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy

Director: David Yates

Language: English

Writers: Steve Kloves (Screenplay), J. K. Rowling (Novel)

Star Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fiennes, Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham Carter and others

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, is the final adventure in the Harry Potter film series. The movie series we all following for about 10 years now, have ended with this movie. In this epic finale, we will see the battle between the good and evil forces. The whole wizarding world is at war. Harry Potter may have to sacrifice himself to finish Lord Voldemort. But one thing is for sure ‘It all ends here’.
This is final movie based on J.K. Rowling’s novel series. I am huge fan of Harry Potter literature but some of the movies were not up to the mark. But last two parts of these movies are excellent. Deathly Hallows – Part 1 was my favorite of this series till I saw the second part. This part has everything action, emotional drama, mystery and very well managed special effects.
Overall the movie series was really entertaining and satisfying. The success of this movie series was in it casting. Each and every character was perfectly casted and each one of them gave brilliant performance. But the casting of Harry Potter, Harmione, and Ron was absolutely brilliant so was their performances along with Lord Voldermot.
The Art directors, costume designers, Special effects Designer and all the technicians made these movies wonderful experience. But ‘It All Ends Here’.

If I have to rate this movie I will give 9 out of 10.

www.TheAmitabh.com

Ocean's Eleven

Ocean's Eleven

Directed by: Steven Soderbergh

Produced by: Jerry Weintraub

Cast: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy García, Julia Roberts, Bernie Mac, Don Cheadle, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Elliott Gould, Eddie Jemison, Shaobo Qin, Carl Reiner Music by: David Holmes

Cinematography: Steven Soderbergh

Release date: December 7, 2001

Running time: 116 minutes

Language: English

 

Ocean's Eleven is a 2001 comedy-crime caper. It is a remake of the 1960 Rat Pack caper film of the same name. The 2001 film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and features an ensemble cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Andy García, and Julia Roberts. The film was a success at the box office and with critics. Soderbergh directed two sequels, Ocean's Twelve in 2004 and Ocean's Thirteen in 2007.

 

After being released from prison, Danny Ocean (George Clooney) breaks parole and travels to Los Angeles to meet up with his former partner in crime and close friend Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt) to propose a scheme he has in mind. The two go to Las Vegas to pitch the plan to wealthy friend and former casino owner Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould). The plan consists of robbing the Bellagio, The Mirage, and the MGM Grand casinos. Tishkoff's familiarity with casino security makes him very reluctant to get involved, but when he begins to think of it as a good way to get back at his rival, Terry Benedict (Andy García), who owns the three casinos, Tishkoff agrees to finance the operation. Because the casinos are required by the Nevada Gaming Commission to have enough cash on hand to cover all their patrons' bets, the three predict that, on the upcoming night of a highly anticipated boxing match, the Bellagio vault will contain more than $150 million. Ocean and Ryan recruit eight former colleagues and criminal specialists, including Linus Caldwell (Matt Damon), a young and talented pick-pocket thief. Several of the team members carry out reconnaissance at the Bellagio to learn as much as possible about the security, the routines and behaviors of the casino staff, and the building itself. Others create a precise replica of the vault with which to practice maneuvering through its formidable security systems. During this planning phase, the team discovers that Ocean's ex-wife, Tess (Julia Roberts), is Benedict's girlfriend. Ryan urges Ocean to give up on the plan, believing Ocean incapable of sound judgment while Tess is involved, but Ocean refuses. When the plan is put in motion, Ocean goes to the Bellagio in order to be seen by Benedict, who, as expected, has him locked in a storeroom to be beaten by a bouncer called Bruiser. Ocean, however, knows Bruiser, and he allows Ocean to leave through a ventilation shaft, to meet with his team in the vault. Linus Caldwell poses as a gaming commission agent, confronts Benedict on hiring Frank Catton as an ex-con, and in the process lifting the security code to the vault from Benedict. From there Caldwell and Catton staged a faux confrontation to allow Linus to slip away into the vault after the incident. Yen is smuggled into the vault by the Malloy brothers, to assist in triggering the explosive from the inside. Saul Bloom sneaks explosive into the casino vault by posing as an international arms dealer needing especially secure safekeeping for his valuables, and then stages a heart attack that was treated by Ryan posing as a doctor.

 

The team activates a stolen pinch device to temporarily disrupt the casino's electrical power, allowing them to breach the vault undetected. As Benedict attempts to restore order following the power outage, Ryan anonymously calls him on a cell phone that Ocean had earlier planted in Tess's coat. Ryan tells him that the vaults are being raided, and that all the money will be destroyed if Benedict does not cooperate in loading half the money into a van waiting outside. Benedict observes video footage of the vault that confirms Ryan's claims, and complies in moving the money, but orders his men to follow the van after it departs, and calls a S.W.A.T. team to secure the vault. The S.W.A.T. team's arrival results in a shootout which causes the incineration of the half of the money left in the vault. After assuring Benedict that the casino is secure, the officers depart. Terry realizes that the vault video feed was faked when he notices that the floors shown in the video lacked Bellagio logos, which had only very recently been added to the floors in the vault. The men following the van discover that it is being driven remotely, and that, instead of money, it contains duffel bags full of flyers advertising prostitutes. A flashback reveals that Ocean had used the vault replica to create the fake video Benedict had seen; the rest of the team posed as S.W.A.T. officers, and took all of the money in the vault when responding to Benedict's call for police assistance. Benedict then returns to the room where he left Ocean and finds him still there, leaving him with no way to connect Ocean to the theft. Ocean offers to assist Benedict in finding the money on the condition that he give up Tess, to which Benedict agrees. It is then revealed that his team had routed live footage of this conversation to Tess's suite. Angry at being used by Benedict, she leaves him and returns to Ocean. Benedict tips off the police, who arrest Ocean for violating parole, and Ocean spends some months in prison. When he is released, he is met by Ryan and Tess, and the three drive off, closely followed by Benedict's bodyguards.

 

Ocean's Eleven had a budget of about $85 million. On its opening weekend, it grossed an estimate of $38 million and was the top box office draw for the weekend. The film grossed $183,417,150 in the United States and grossed $267,311,379 overseas leaving a worldwide gross of $450,728,529.

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Movie Review: "BAND BAAJA BARAAT"

Movie Review “Band Baaja Baaraat”(2010)

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Director: Manish Sharma

Language: Hindi

Story: Maneesh Sharma

Screenplay: Habib Faisal

Star Cast: Anushka Sharma, Ranvir Singh

Banner: Yashraj

“Band Baaja Baaraat” is one of the better films in 2010. Bollywood always sucks in romantic comedy genre compared to Hollywood movies. But BBB is exception to it. Director Maneesh Sharma presented very refreshing and entertaining flick. For last few years bollywood movie stories are moving towards north India. It’s not about either Mumbai or Switzerland anymore. Delhi is on radar for all the filmmakers now. The over the top filmy characters you can find in Delhi, you won’t get it anywhere and this movie is excellent example of the same. Director Maneesh Sharma and his team captured the Delhi perfectly.

As far as the story is concerned it is about Shruti Kakkar played by Anushka Sharma. She is very ambitious, go-getter type of girl. She wants to start her own business of wedding planner. She started to work towards her dream while studying in college. At the same time there is Bittoo Sharma played by debutant Ranvir Singh. He is a laid-back guy with no aspiration in life. His only ambition is to run away from his father and his family business of farming. Bittoo happens to see Shruti and falls in love with her. He tries to woo her but ambitious Shruti tells him, she has no time for love and tells him her business plan to start a wedding consultancy ‘Shadi Mubarak’. Bittoo convince her somehow to make him partner in ‘Shadi Mubarak’. Then how they struggle at the start, then find the success. Fall in love, then breaks up and make up. That is a story of BBB.
I am really impressed with directoe Maneesh Sharma. Movie had brilliant screenplay written by Habib Faisal. As for acting Anushka Sharma did her part with ease, so did the newcomer Ranvir Singh. Both of them were brilliant. Music of the film by Salim-Suleiman makes the movie even better experience. The first half of the movie was excellent, flawless but the second half starts lagging. And the climax could have been better.

If I have to rate this movie I will give it 8 out of 10.

www.TheAmitabh.com