The Indian Panorama

Tag: DEEPIKA PADUKONE

  • MOVIE REVIEW – Chennai Express

    MOVIE REVIEW – Chennai Express

    Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Sathyaraj
    Direction: Rohit Shetty
    Genre: Action
    Duration: 2 hours 23 minutes
    STORY:
    A 40-year-old Punjabi man is on a mission to immerse his grandfather’s ashes down South. Enroute he meets a young Tamilian girl who has eloped. Their lives entwine and his journey takes an altogether different route. REVIEW: In an ode to his own cinema-read Golmaal series, Bol Bachchan, Rohit Shetty ishstyle, the director, who has grossers in Bollywood’s 100-crore club, ups the scale for his Eid offering. Chennai Express (CE) is a magnificently mounted film.

    Never having been strong in the story department, CE too has a guillible plot line. Rahul ( Shah Rukh Khan) is asked by his dadi (Kamini Kaushal) to drop his granddad’s ashes in Rameswaram, the southern-most tip of India. He boards the Chennai Express to hoodwink granny but has secretly planned a getaway with his guy friends to Goa. Alas, in Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge fashion, a damsel in distress, Meena ( Deepika Padukone) asks for his outstretched hand as he stands on the footboard.

    And his Samaritan act changes his destiny. He discovers she’s the daughter of a Don from a South-side village and her accompanying cousins (hulks in pony tails) want her to return home. Her father wants Meena to marry another hulk (Niketan Dheer) from a nearby village, so he can then rule two villages. Meena resists and insists to her father (Sathyaraj) that it is Rahul who has her fancy.

    The father relents but the other hulks resist. From here on, Rahul constantly tries to outsmart the South Indian mob. And as expected in Indian mainstream cinema, he breaks into song-and-dance, gets drunk, blows up jeeps and does a Jim Carryish over-thetop act to get guffaws from a captive audience. For what is primarily a Hindi film, there’s too much spoken Tamil.

    There are cleverly written lines that ask you not to underestimate the south because it even plays a crucial role in the coalition government, but for the rest of India, a lot of the dialogue is lost in translation. Subtitles would be in order. After Cocktail and Yeh Jaawani Hai Deeewani, Deepika is once again in superlative form. Shah Rukh’s attempts at comedy go from convincing to convoluted. But, for the most part, he lights up the screen with his effervescence.

  • MOVIE REVIEW – Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani

    MOVIE REVIEW – Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani

    Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Aditya Roy Kapur, Kalki Koechlin
    Direction: Ayan Mukerji
    Genre: Romance
    Duration: 2 hours 41 minutes

    STORY: Four friends take off for adventure sport and discover little-known personal aspects of one another. Years later they reunite and this time the equation is even more combustible. Youth is a many splendoured thing. An alive, fresh vibe dominates Ayan Mukerji’s Yeh Jaawani Hai Deewani invigorating you through it’s entire run. The story is not novel, but the treatment is A-grade. Ranbir Kapoor(Kabir Thapa aka Bunny), Deepika Padukone (Naina), Kalki Koechlin (Aditi) and Aditya Roy Kapur (Avi) go on a trek.

    While Bunny, Aditi and Avi have always been close, Naina, the staid, studious girl is a last minute addition to the group. The group just wants to live life king-size. Early enough in the film, Bunny announces—marriage at 25, children at 30, retirement at 50 and then waiting for death—is not how he sees his life playing out. He wants to travel the world, he wants to be free. Aditi and Avi share his thinking to a degree. But Naina is different.

    She is studying to be a doctor, believes in family and is a rooted young lady with traditional values. The first half of the film is a fun-ride. Watching Madhuri Dixit do a ghagra number with Ranbir is a ceeti-moment. At intermission point, the film rightly leaves you yearning for more. The first twenty minutes of the second half is mundane. But the action comes together again at Aditi’s wedding. Against the backdrop of the big, fat Indian wedding in picturesque Udaipur, the friends unite for the festivities.

    But the chinks in the armour show by way of their mixed ideologies and changed priorities. Of course there’s no battle big enough that friendship cannot surmount. So, between tears and cheers, Bunny, Naina, Aditi and Avi forge equations that are more real with one another and with the audience. Ranbir is delectable and a true-blue superstar. This pedigreed actor dances like a dream, looks terrific and emotes effortlessly. Watch out for the scenes with his father Farooque Shaikh. Deepika is first-rate as is Kalki. Evelyn Sharma and Kunal Roy Kapur provide humour.

  • Amitabh Bachchan turns 70

    Amitabh Bachchan turns 70

    MUMBAI (TIP): It was dance, music and masti galore at Amitabh Bachchan’s 70th birthday bash, says Shah Rukh Khan who shook a leg with the “birthday boy”. Vishal Dadlani called it a “stellar party” and for Karan Johar it was a beautiful blend of nostalgia, reverence and legendary.

    Bollywood celebrities can’t stop raving about the fun they had while ushering in Amitabh’s 70th birthday at the Reliance Media Works, Film City, Goregaon.

    Here`s what the guests have to say:

    SALIM MERCHANT: Nice speeches by the family, Yash Chopra especially Javed Akhtar’s speech was heartwarming! Karan Johar was a fab master of ceremony. And it ended with a mashup of Bachchan’s biggest hits on the dance floor! I’ll always cherish this party.

    SHAH RUKH KHAN: Danced with Amitji and Jaya aunty to all the songs I have grown up listening. Too much fun. Thanks Abhishek, Aishwarya and Aaradhya for the warmth.

    KARAN JOHAR: The B70 bash was a beautiful blend of nostalgia, reverence and legendary acknowledgement… SrBachchan has a legacy of abundant goodwill….

    VISHAL DADLANI: Feet hurt, voice hoarse, heart full of love for Amitabh Bachchan, Mrs. (Jaya) Bachchan, Abhishek, Aishwarya and Aaradhya! Stellar hosts, stellar party! Happy Birthday Sir! There can only ever be one ‘Amitabh Bachchan’! Much love and respect, always!

    MADHURI DIXIT: Had an amazing time at Amitji’s party. Was a re-union of sorts. Got to spend time with so many of my friends! It was great seeing everyone! It was an honour to be in the presence of so many talented people. It brought back so many amazing memories. Looking forward to more!

    RITEISH DESHMUKH: Love and respect to the entire Bachchan family for hosting such a gracious function last night, specially Jaya aunty. everything was mesmerizing.

    KAILASH KHER: What an epic birthday bash… a true larger than life kind of experience… God Bless you sir.

    SANJAY GUPTA: Sir Happy Birthday and thank you for a fantabulous party. Wishing you health and happiness.

    ARSHAD WARSI: Mr Bachchan`s party last night was absolutely amazing, it was great to see the entire film industry under one roof….

    RANGANATHAN MADHAVAN: The most wonderful evening yesterday… Whatever the Bachchans do has to be classy and this was right up there. Met the industry after the longest time, but the highlight was to realise that I was part of
    the industry as the same time as Mr. Bachchan.

    KUNAL KOHLI: What a great party.Party is the wrong word. Event. To celebrate Bachchan`s bday. Honoured to be there. He`s a legend. He`s the ultimate hero. He`s Amitabh Bachchan.

    RAJ KUNDRA: Many many happy returns of the day sir. Thank you for a lovely party. Love and respect.Who was present

    Who attended the party? Everyone who is anyone! Well, everyone except for the three Khans, who seemed conspicuous by their absence. Celebrities like Karan Johar and mother Hiroo, business tycoon Mukesh Ambani’s mother Kokilaben, late actor Shammi Kapoor’s wife and son Aditya Raj Kapoor and others arrived to the main gate in a golf cart-like vehicle. Shashi Kapoor came on a wheel chair.Shah Rukh Khan arrived with wife Gauri Also present at the bash were Vinod Khanna, Hema Malini, Pran, Jeetendra, Waheeda Rehman, Prem Chopra, Randhir Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor with wife Neetu, Moushmi Chatterjee, Aruna Irani, Yash Chopra with wife Pamela, Sridevi with husband Boney Kapoor, Subhash Ghai, Jeetendra, Ashutosh Gowarikar, Priety Zinta, Vidya Balan, Bipasha Bau, Sanjay Dutt, Madhuri Dixit with husband, Ajay Devgn, Kajol, Juhi Chawla, Anil Kapoor, Deepika Padukone and Govinda.

    Apart from the film industry, others who came to greet the actor included Anil Ambani, Aditya Godrej, Kumar Manglam Birla, Mulayam Singh Yadav with son Akhilesh, Chaggan Bhujbal, Uddhav Thackeray with wife and son.

    Wishes for Big B

    He has everything. But I have all my love for him – TABU

    Blessings – WAHEEDA

    May God wish him good life and good health – RAJINIKANTH

    Well, we’re all here, the whole city’s here to wish him – ANIL KAPOOR

    I’ve just come for the love of Amitji – SHILPA SHETTY