M. Rishi Reviews

Jodi No. 1 (2001)

A very entertaining film, but don't expect a superb story

[10/10 · 15 April 2001]

Jodi No.1 is entertaining all the wayyyyyyyyyyy.

Govinda as Veeru is simply excellent. His voice, expression, comic timing is really good.

Sanjay Dutt doesn't lag far behind his co-star. Just like the Jai of Sholay, his character is also serious with comedic touch to it. He has more comedy scenes than in HMJ, and performs well in them. What's surprising about Dutt is that he matches Govinda step by step in all the songs. Unlike HMJ, in Jodi No.1 Dutt manages to hold on his own. Dutt got a much better deal than in HMJ. I think the role should keeps his fans like me happy.

Twinkle and Monica Bedi doesn't have much scope to perform, except look sexy and glamorous. I wasn't too keen on first when I heard Monica was cast opposite Dutt, but she wasn't that bad. She looks very pretty if she gets some good roles, she might make it in Bollywood. Pooja Batra does well in her cameo song.

Anupam Kher, Ashish Vidhiyarti, Mukesh Rishi, Siyaji Shinde, Shakti Kapoor, Sanjay Narveraker (Dedh Phutia of Vaastav) lend good support.

Don't expect a superb story in a DD film. Entertainment wise I give the Jodi No.1 a 8.5 out of 10.

Mission Kashmir (2000)

Best Hindi Film of 2000: Much hyped action thriller tackles terrorism.

[10/10 · 9 December 2000]

Rating: 8.5 out of 10 Reviewed by: Mohammad Ali Ikram

There are certain movies that are inherently difficult to rate. I know I have had this dilemma in the past with movies like Ishq and Dil Kya Kare. The former because the glamour, comedy and the performances were just too fun that I initially forgave all the melodrama and the beaten-to-death story-line. (On repeated viewings, I usually skipped the post-interval proceedings.) The latter suffered from a commercial-look wannabe syndrome, but the performances and the hard to comprehend motivations of the characters were most enticing. Now, Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Mission: Kashmir puts me in the same boat again. Undoubtedly, this is a very good film from one of our top directors, but Chopra's choice of story to complement the magnificence of every other aspect of his movie, brings the film down a few rungs from Classic status.

So first the down-side. The tale commences with Inspector Inayat Khan (Sanjay Dutt) and his wife, Neelima (Sonali Kulkarni) living in eternal bliss amongst the beauty of the disputed territory. Or so it seems until their only child dies of a domestic accident because no doctor is willing to medically attend to him as a result of a fatwa by a radical separatist (Puru Raajkumar). The Inspector is expectedly angered and troubled by his son's "murder" and in his police force's mission to eradicate the separatist clan, they unfortunately let loose also on a family of innocents. Altaf (a young Hrithik Roshan), is orphaned and traumatized in the police act, and Neelima insists Inayat and she adopt the young child to fill the void in their own lives. (And to compensate for the Inspector's guilt.) So far, so good. There's trouble in paradise (pun intended) when Altaf quickly discovers the identity of his family's killer and devotes the rest of his life to the cause of eliminating Inayat Khan from the planet. He joins forces with Hilal Kohistani (Jackie Shroff), a materialistically minded terrorist, who will help the bachcha in exchange for Altaf spear-heading Hilal's treaturous Mission Kashmir, a plan to enable Kashmir become an Independent State.

Now you hopefully see my problem. The movie lapses too quickly into the sub-plot of terrorist without a cause and it dwells on it too long. For a movie about Kashmiriyat, the narrative focus on terrorism is too much. (Yes, terrorism is undoubtedly a problem in the region, but other recent directors have already tackled this topic numerous times in Roja, Maachis, Dil Se, Hu Tu Tu and most recently, Fiza.) So if you can forgive the familiar story-line, you're in for a major treat elsewhere. Vinod Chopra uses enough other pawns to keep you glued to your seat for each and every minute of his ode to Kashmiriyat.

First witness, the unparalleled technical quality of the movie. Symbolism and metaphors (courtesy screenplay assistance of a US university professors and novelist) compliment the visuals, serving as blessings in disguise to the numbed brains of commercial film-goers such as myself. Of course, Binod Pradhan's cinematography of each and every breath-taking crevice of Kashmir helps demonstrate how we South East Asians are destroying one of God's greatest gifts to mankind.

The editing is sharp and quick in The Matrix-inspired action sequences, yet soft and transitory in the more dramatic and emotional moments of the movie. (The action sequences are a major highlight, particularly the awesome and stylized climax-based ones.) And the music, above all, is apparently authentic Kashmiri-folk. (The dances are unique, though I will admit I found some of them a bit too unusual to my naive tastes.) Shankar-Ehsaan and Loy know how important it is to use musical background themes to enhance a scene's mood and punctuate the dialogues.

Performances too, are first rate. I have never seen Sanjay Dutt give such a raw and heart-felt performance. He is the true star of the movie. (Here's an actor who has learned that it is never too late to defy convention and type-casting in his acting career.) Hrithik is raw and effective, excelling most in the action sequences (but most will notice how this role is almost an extension of his angry young man act from the recent Fiza.) Preity Zinta is gorgeous and disarming as always with her natural effervesence in the supporting role of Altaf's childhood love, Sufiya Parvez. And Jackie excels in a brooding and menacing performance which is unfortunately underwritten. (Then again, Jackie always steals the scenery in Vinod's films.) Only Sonali Kulkarni disappointed. What I found distracting about her talent is that her face and body language is most emotive, which is a rare aptitude for even the biggest talents, but her voice is stunningly wooden. She needs a quick course in voice modulation.

What then to conclude about Mission Kashmir? Yes, it is a must see, and likely one I will watch at least a half-dozen times more in the future. And so it will grow on me, a rare quality for movies which usually fade in their appeal over time. I must commend Vidhu Vinod Chopra for always making films from the heart. The problem remains for him that the average filmgoer wants instant gratification, not a movie that takes time to sink into your system. Let's see if this Mission proves me wrong.

Chal Mere Bhai (2000)

Good performances by the entire cast, especially Sanju Baba

[10/10 · 17 July 2000]

Complete Cinema (FilmTvIndia):

Neha Arts Presentation's CHAL MERE BHAI is a breezy, light hearted, rib-tickling comic caper, revolving around the strong bond shared between two brothers and their predictable, falling head over heels in love with the same stunning lass. So there is Mamaji (Shakti Kapoor) an over ambitious, over enthusiastic theatre artiste, Mamiji (Himani Shivpuri) a mad hater of her hubby's not-so-funny antics and in between them is their Pune returned Bhanji, Sapna (Karishma Kapoor) who has landed up in Mumbai in search of a job. She is a bumble bee to the core, who always ends up doing the wrong things, but unintentionally at the right time. Once on her way to give her interview she wrongfully bumps into Vicky Oberoi (Sanjay Dutt) a la Mere Mehboob style, only this time the dropped books have been replaced with the dropped files. Since Vicky happens to be the M.D. of the Oberoi group of companies, she dosen't get the job. But on her way out she mets Pa Oberoi (Dalip Tahil), chairman of the company, who gets carried away by her pools of tears and hires her. Next the damsel in distress Sapna forcibly grabs a lift from Vicky's younger brother Prem Oberoi (Salman Khan), the theatre buff of Mamaji's group, to reach on time on the first day of her job. Slowly and steadily Vicky gets drawn towards Sapna, not to be left behind, Vicky and his Dadimaa's (Sushma Seth) grandson Prem discovers that he too has fallen head over heels in love with Sapna, who reluctantly reciprocrates his love. Now Pa and Dadimaa wants Sapna as the bride of the Oberoi mansion, by marrying Vicky. Vicky says yes, Sapna is confused, Prem adds to the confusion confounded until...And then how the sacrificial jigsaw puzzle is abruptly solved, forms the substance of this 'savior de f aire '. Production values have substantial glitz and glamour. Technically apt. Cameraman Harmeet Singh seems to have been literally in a holidaying mood, so he has beautifully captured the new scenic locales of Cine Tirol region and Salisberg - Austria, where nothing else but only the songs have been canned. Editor A.Muthu has been hampered by the hackneyed story, screenplay, dialogues of Rumi Jaffery, Ikram Akhtar, Yunus Sajawal and even their constant take-off on senior actors like Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan was not in very good taste. Musically the Anand-Milind - Sameer combo leaves much to be desired, with only the title song sung by the principal actors,'Chori chori sapno mein aata hai koi' and 'Meri neend jaane lagi hai' that are worth humming.

Performancewise Sanjay Dutt excellent as usual and exudes a tremendous screen presence. Salman Khan too matches his senior co-star especially in the comic sequences. Karisma Kapoor successfully displays her comic forte, apart from portraying all the nuances of her well defined role. On the other hand Naghma, Sonali Bendre and Twinkle Khanna's gutsy, guest appearances are just about okay. Shakti Kapoor and Himani Shivpuri impress, and the rest of the cast pass muster.

Directorially David Dhawan has done a fair job, but he is handicapped by oft-rehashed subjects.

Super Cinema (FilmTvIndia):

Neha Arts' CHAL MERE BHAI is a comedy with a love triangle. Sanjay Dutt and Salman Khan play two brothers. They are sons of industrialist Dalip Tahil. Sanjay is the elder brother and he manages the business. Salman is not interested in family business. He wants to be a great actor. He works on the stage with Shakti Kapoor as his director. Shakti's neice Karisma Kapoor comes to the city for a job. Dalip gives her the job as the secretary of Sanjay. Karisma is a blundering worker and Sanjay does not like her. Sanjay is injured in a fight. Karisma takes him to a hospital and Sanjay's life is saved. Sanjay's father Dalip and grandmother Sushma Seth are impressed with Karisma and they want Sanjay to marry Karisma They don't know that Salman and Karisma are in love. Sanjay also agrees to marry Karisma. Now one brother has to make the sacrifice.

Production values are good. Harmeet Singh's cinematography is pleasing. Technically okay. Ganesh Acharya's choreography is good. Anand-Milind's music sounds nice in the theatre, but there are too many songs. Two songs 'Meri neend jaane lagi hai' and 'Chori chori sapnon mein' are hummable.

The first half is a breezy comedy. Tempo slows down in the second half and the story runs on predictable line. A major drawback of the film is that the basic story has been repeated in many films, and recently in "Dillagi" and "Pyar Koi Khel Nahin."

Performance-wise, Sanjay Dutt impresses. Salman Khan is natural. Karisma Kapoor is lively. Shakti Kapoor, Sushma Seth, Dalip Tahil, Himani Shivpuri and Asrani provide able support.

As the director, David Dhawan again shows competence as a maker of light comedy. The drawback is that David and his team of writers are running out of ideas. They are only repeating situations seen in other films. Dialogue writer Rumi Jaffery is able to provide occasional punches.

Vaastav: The Reality (1999)

Sanjay Dutt steals the show with one of the best performances of his career, better than Naam, Kabzaa and Hathyaar.

[10/10 · 3 June 2000]

Vaastav has the Mumbai underworld as its backdrop. This subject has been dealt with before many times in Hindi films. But rarely is it handled properly. Satya is probably the best underworld film to come out Bollywood in recent years. Vaastav is not flawless like Satya, but it has a gripping storyline, good direction and characterizations, and most importantly - Sanjay Dutt.

This is probably the best role Sanjay Dutt has got his hands on since Khal-Nayak, and he takes full adavantage of it. Sanjay Dutt does an excellent job as the guy gone astray. He is as superb as the good-for-nothing lad in the initial reels as the dreaded man of the underworld in the latter ones. Namrata Shirodkar gets very limited scope and gives a fair performance. Shivaji Satam shines as Sanjay Dutt's father. Reema, as Sanjay's mother, also delivers a praiseworthy performance. Mohnish Bahl is wonderfully natural. Sanjay Narvekar , as Dedh-Phutiya, is mind-blowing. Here's a guy who is talent personified! Mohan Joshi is able. Paresh Rawal is likeably restrained. Ashish Vidyarthi gets less scope but does well. Depak Tijori leaves a mark. Usha Nadkarni is excellent. Ektaa, Himani Shivpuri, Jack Gaud, Achyut Potdar, Sunil Shencle, Ganesh Yadav, and Kashmira Shah (in a special appearance) lend average support.

The film is very well directed by the debutant Mahesh Manjrekar. Being his first film, he is excellent. Production values are not very high; anyway the film does not require pomp & showbiz, as it's so close to the ultimate truth. The film belongs to Sanjay Dutt all the way. Sanjay justifies the faith of his director and carries the film on his shoulders, ably supported by others. The only drawback of the film can be the songs, which are not so catchy. To sum it up Mahesh Manjrekar has a winner on his hand and Sanjay Dutt will get lots of accolades for this film.

A Silver Jubilee (25 weeks run) HIT. One of the Top Ten Hits of 1999.

Khoobsurat (1999)

Khoobsurat - Be Dazzled by the Beauty of Love

[10/10 · 3 June 2000]

Khoobsurat is a clean family comedy. The story is not new but the film succeeds in entertaining the movie lovers. It's almost a remake of the old classic Bawarchi.

Sanjay Dutt has given another good performance. This is Sanjay's second film in a row, which has potential to become a hit. His last film Vaastav has been doing great at the Box office. The pleasant revelation is that Sanju Baba has matured tremendously as an actor. If Vaastav, his last film, presented him as a Mumbai don, here he comes up with a convincing portrayal as a con with a soft heart. He breezes through the antics of Sanju Shastri who enters a familyhold with the main aim of robbing them. His flair for comedy, last seen in Haseena Maan Jayegi , is exploited by the director. Urmila Matondkar looks beautiful and plays her part of an innocent girl well. Paresh Rawal is at his best as the villain with a penchant for using punch lines from popular ad campaigns. Johnny Lever in his guest appearance is okay. The film also has former Channel (V) veejay Sophia Haque who sings the "I am a flirt" number with Sanju. Besides Sanjay Dutt's solid performance and the beauty of Urmila, the sweet music by Jatin-Lalit is another highlight of the film. Songs like Mera Ek Sapna Hai, Bahut Khoobsurat and Aye Shivani sung by Sanjay Dutt himself are worth mentioning.

Overall, Khoobsurat is a fun-filled movie with some good songs. It is bound to entertain movie lovers.

First the movie struggled at the box-office. But eventually did end up as Silver Jubilee HIT.

Khauff (2000)

Good Performances, Average Storyline and Direction

[8/10 · 3 June 2000]

Storyline: Neha (Manisha Koirala), who lives with her grand-father and young sister, lands a job as an Air-hostess in an international Airline and comes to Mumbai. She stays with her friend Ritu who is engaged to a police inspector (Sharad Kapoor). However, when returning from Ritu's engagement party, Neha witnesses the murder of a senior police officer by a Mafia Don's son Parmeet. In order to silence Neha, the Don hires a dangerous killer Babu (Sunjay Dutt), who unwittingly falls in love with her. How Babu prevents Neha from naming the accused and how the truth finally triumphs forms the rest of the story. Performances: Sanjay Dutt has really metamorphosed into one of the best actors of the country, not to mention his phenomenal screen presence. The role of the action hero suits him to the T. Manisha Koirala too stands out, especially in the emotional scenes. Sharad Kapoor impresses. The story is racy and keeps you on the edge of the seat. However, too much violence could be rejected by a part of the audience.

Overall Director Sanjay Gupta again shows his competence as a director. His use of close-ups is very effective at places. Sanjay Gupta is let down by his own story and screenplay.