Manoj's thoughts on Endhiran/Robot

Place:Cinemax ,Sion,Mumbai (2.45 pm)

It is incredible and at the same time shameful of a Hrithik fan to have never seen any of his movie(or any movie for that matter) on the first Friday itself.But Endhiran was a wait I just could not resist.The promos had been promising,the music was catchy but let me tell you the promos are just 10-20% of what this experience is really about!

I cannot think of any one else but the highly talented and imaginative Shankar who could make Endhiran such a cinematic experience.That Shankar is an engineer is reinforced in the way he delineates his passion for science and the gadget-world.It demands only and only Shankar who could materialise his imagination in the way he does and knows how to use every penny to optimal effect.

Caption This

I guess title says it all, and what better pic than this to start this game? ;)

Endhiran songs (updated)

(Scroll down for more)

Raavan - Movie review thread

Please post all the media movie reviews of RAAVAN on this thread.

Nikhat Kazmi's review from Times of India

Critic's Rating: 3.5

Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Vikram, Govinda, Ravi Kishan

Direction: Mani Ratnam

Genre: Drama

Duration: 2 hours 6 minutes

 

Story: Cop Dev Pratap Sharma (Vikram) has just one mission in his life. He wants to capture the local outlaw, Beera (Abhishek Bachchan) who may be a Robin Hood for the tribals around, nevertheless, he is a law breaker. More importantly, he has kidnapped the cop's beautiful wife, Ragini (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) to avenge a personal grouse and has escaped into the dense jungles. Turn ofevents: the kidnapper falls in love with his trophy victim who too gets indecisive about where her loyalties lie....

Movie Review: The epics return again to contemporary cinema. After a re-telling of the Mahabharata against a political backdrop in Prakash Jha's Raajneeti, cineastes can now feast their eyes on a modern-day rewrite of the Ramayana, against a cops-and-robbers canvas.

Feast? Yes. The high point of Mani Ratnam's film is primarily its visual opulence. The film is literally a work of art where one luminescent frame follows another as the scenes keep shifting from one wet and rocky landscape to another misty mountainscape. You can't seem to get enough of the montages that leave you breathless with the excellent camera artistry by Santosh Sivan and Manikandan. From the opening sequences where Beera (Abhishek) smashes his boat into wide-eyed Aishwarya's canoe, to the fleeing, flinging, fulminating visage of Aishwarya, captured against wild waterfalls, turbulent tidal rivers, crumbling trees and silken drizzle, the film is a string of breath taking images. So much so, you seem to forget -- and almost forgive -- the fact that the first half hardly has any story. It is essentially just one prolonged chase, where cop Dev (Vikram) relentlessly pursues criminal Beera (Abhishek Bachchan) in order to rescue his wife (Ragini) and book the fugitive who garners great local support.  

The paper-thin plot in the first half, does get you somewhat restless, despite a seminal scene where Sita-esque Aishwarya suddenly discovers a strange new emotion for a Raavan-esque Abhishek. After having labelled him beastly and brutish, a complete low-life when compared to her devta-like husband Dev, she finds herself being involuntarily drawn towards her kidnapper, despite his muddy visage and his gory past. And herein lies the second hook that draws you to the film: it's revisionist tale of a Sita-like heroine flipping for a Raavan-like anti-hero, even as the traditional hero gets imbued in grey tones.... The anti-hero has always remained an alluring figure in cinema lore and Mani Ratnam carries his charisma forward with Raavan.


The second half of the film does get a semblance of story, with adequate twists and turns which reflect the Surpanakha legend (again revised), the Hanuman-Sita encounter, the Agni-pariksha demand (re-interpreted again as a polygraph test) and the film moves from sheer visual to visceral too. There are enough punches in the second half to keep the momentum going, but by and large, the film scores mostly on art and aesthete. Everything seems to be geared to make Raavan an object d'art, including the music (AR Rahman and Gulzar create a few foot-tapping numbers), the stunts, the cinematography and the no-make-up and heavily-made-up look of Aishwarya and Abhishek respectively. However, a little more attention to the narrative was desperately needed in Raavan.


In terms of performance, Aishwarya stands out as the lead actor, with her competent rendition of a woman who is torn between her love and loyalty towards her husband and her attraction towards a misunderstood brigand, with a heart of gold. Vikram, by and large remains a side hero: somewhat undefined and formless while Govinda's Hanuman-like rendition of the forest guard is flippant. Which brings us to Beera: Abhishek Bachchan is immensely watchable, but he fails to lift the character of the anti-hero to another level altogether. Maybe, a less of multani mitti (mud packs) and `bagad billa' antics would have allowed the natural actor in him to surface and bloom. Also, his other two outings with Mani Ratnam -- Yuva and Guru -- definitely tower above Beera.


But hey, Raavan is chicken soup for the senses. Go, indulge yourself.


A word about:


Performances: Aishwarya leads, Abhishek follows, Vikram lags behind, Govinda's going nowhere.


Story: The screenplay by Mani Ratnam needed more substance and bite.


Cinematography: Absolutely riveting! The camera artistry by Santosh Sivan and Manikandan is the heart and soul of Raavan.


Music: AR Rahman and Gulzar create an interesting audio track, although Rahman's earlier associations with Mani Ratnam remain unforgettable. Numbers to watch out for: Beera, Behne De and Khili Re.


Styling: Sabyasachi Mukherji's costumes are apt, blending modernity with tradition, just as the film tries to do. Aishwarya's no-make-up look is a winner.


Inspiration: The film is a modern day, revisionist adaptation of the epic, Ramayana.

LINK

Raavan - Movie review thread

Please post all the media movie reviews of RAAVAN on this thread.

Nikhat Kazmi's review from Times of India

Critic's Rating: 3.5

Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Vikram, Govinda, Ravi Kishan

Direction: Mani Ratnam

Genre: Drama

Duration: 2 hours 6 minutes

 

Story: Cop Dev Pratap Sharma (Vikram) has just one mission in his life. He wants to capture the local outlaw, Beera (Abhishek Bachchan) who may be a Robin Hood for the tribals around, nevertheless, he is a law breaker. More importantly, he has kidnapped the cop's beautiful wife, Ragini (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) to avenge a personal grouse and has escaped into the dense jungles. Turn ofevents: the kidnapper falls in love with his trophy victim who too gets indecisive about where her loyalties lie....

Movie Review: The epics return again to contemporary cinema. After a re-telling of the Mahabharata against a political backdrop in Prakash Jha's Raajneeti, cineastes can now feast their eyes on a modern-day rewrite of the Ramayana, against a cops-and-robbers canvas.

Feast? Yes. The high point of Mani Ratnam's film is primarily its visual opulence. The film is literally a work of art where one luminescent frame follows another as the scenes keep shifting from one wet and rocky landscape to another misty mountainscape. You can't seem to get enough of the montages that leave you breathless with the excellent camera artistry by Santosh Sivan and Manikandan. From the opening sequences where Beera (Abhishek) smashes his boat into wide-eyed Aishwarya's canoe, to the fleeing, flinging, fulminating visage of Aishwarya, captured against wild waterfalls, turbulent tidal rivers, crumbling trees and silken drizzle, the film is a string of breath taking images. So much so, you seem to forget -- and almost forgive -- the fact that the first half hardly has any story. It is essentially just one prolonged chase, where cop Dev (Vikram) relentlessly pursues criminal Beera (Abhishek Bachchan) in order to rescue his wife (Ragini) and book the fugitive who garners great local support.  

The paper-thin plot in the first half, does get you somewhat restless, despite a seminal scene where Sita-esque Aishwarya suddenly discovers a strange new emotion for a Raavan-esque Abhishek. After having labelled him beastly and brutish, a complete low-life when compared to her devta-like husband Dev, she finds herself being involuntarily drawn towards her kidnapper, despite his muddy visage and his gory past. And herein lies the second hook that draws you to the film: it's revisionist tale of a Sita-like heroine flipping for a Raavan-like anti-hero, even as the traditional hero gets imbued in grey tones.... The anti-hero has always remained an alluring figure in cinema lore and Mani Ratnam carries his charisma forward with Raavan.


The second half of the film does get a semblance of story, with adequate twists and turns which reflect the Surpanakha legend (again revised), the Hanuman-Sita encounter, the Agni-pariksha demand (re-interpreted again as a polygraph test) and the film moves from sheer visual to visceral too. There are enough punches in the second half to keep the momentum going, but by and large, the film scores mostly on art and aesthete. Everything seems to be geared to make Raavan an object d'art, including the music (AR Rahman and Gulzar create a few foot-tapping numbers), the stunts, the cinematography and the no-make-up and heavily-made-up look of Aishwarya and Abhishek respectively. However, a little more attention to the narrative was desperately needed in Raavan.


In terms of performance, Aishwarya stands out as the lead actor, with her competent rendition of a woman who is torn between her love and loyalty towards her husband and her attraction towards a misunderstood brigand, with a heart of gold. Vikram, by and large remains a side hero: somewhat undefined and formless while Govinda's Hanuman-like rendition of the forest guard is flippant. Which brings us to Beera: Abhishek Bachchan is immensely watchable, but he fails to lift the character of the anti-hero to another level altogether. Maybe, a less of multani mitti (mud packs) and `bagad billa' antics would have allowed the natural actor in him to surface and bloom. Also, his other two outings with Mani Ratnam -- Yuva and Guru -- definitely tower above Beera.


But hey, Raavan is chicken soup for the senses. Go, indulge yourself.


A word about:


Performances: Aishwarya leads, Abhishek follows, Vikram lags behind, Govinda's going nowhere.


Story: The screenplay by Mani Ratnam needed more substance and bite.


Cinematography: Absolutely riveting! The camera artistry by Santosh Sivan and Manikandan is the heart and soul of Raavan.


Music: AR Rahman and Gulzar create an interesting audio track, although Rahman's earlier associations with Mani Ratnam remain unforgettable. Numbers to watch out for: Beera, Behne De and Khili Re.


Styling: Sabyasachi Mukherji's costumes are apt, blending modernity with tradition, just as the film tries to do. Aishwarya's no-make-up look is a winner.


Inspiration: The film is a modern day, revisionist adaptation of the epic, Ramayana.

LINK

CANNES: Mani Ratnam’s ‘Raavan’ – the first Pan Indian film?

LINK

Director Mani Ratnam’s on to a new genre: Pan Indian.

The director, known for making brilliant films in the Tamil (Southern Indian) language, has also directed four Hindi-language Bollywood films. But in his latest action-drama, “Raavan,” Ratnam has bridged the two genres, making it a Pan-Indian film.

“Raavan” features Ratnam’s muse, Aishwarya Rai, and her husband Abhishek Bacchan, and it was shot simultaneously in two languages – Hindi and Tamil. Produced by Ratnam’s Madras Talkies, Reliance and IM Global, the film is set for a worldwide release in 58 countries on June 18.

Ratnam and his longtime music collaborator A.R. Rahman were absent from the press conference at the Majestic hotel Monday. They are in India doing the final cutting of the film. But Ratnam was represented by his wife Suhasini Ratnam, who not only is a writer and co-producer on this film (and some earlier Ratnam films), but is also an accomplished actress and a film critic on television. She was joined by Rai, Bacchan, actor Vikram and Reliance’s Amit Khanna and Prasoon Joshi.

Dubbing the new genre Pan Indian, Suhasini clarified the difference between Hindi (Bollywood) cinema and regional. “It’s like the difference between Hollywood and French cinema,” she said. Commenting on “Raavan,” she said it’s the first time that a filmmaker has attempted to blend the two.

Since Indian culture is so steeped in mythology, it’s only natural that films from this country use this rich source as inspiration. In the scripture Ramayana, Raavan, the 10-headed demon-god, abducts Lord Rama’s wife Sita, and to get his consort back Rama has to hack off all ten heads of the ferocious demon.

In Ratnam’s spiritual/mythical film, the story is set in a time that is both ancient and contemporary. The filmmaker explores not just the good and the evil, the hunter and the hunted, but also the grey area. The film questions that Raavan may not be all that bad, he may have some redeeming qualities.

“Raavan has ten heads and ten conflicting thoughts, so there’s a bit of conflict and Raavan in all of us,” says Suhasini.

Rai, who started her acting career with Ratnam’s “Iruvar,” recalls that she jumped into films with no experience. “But you know you’re protected and guided by Mani,” she said.

The three actors shared their experiences on the physically grueling shoot, from swishing in streams to dangling from trees and cliffs. “You’re drenched from 6 am to 6 pm, trekking, hiking–moment to moment was physically challenging,” says Rai. The majority of the stunts were done by the actors themselves.

The five-minute promo clip we saw revealed some pretty impressive locations in remote rural and rustic parts of India. “We had to lay roads in the jungles and sometimes the sets would be washed away by a raging river,” recalls Bacchan.

Aish and AB (as the star couple is fondly dubbed) have worked in four films together. But still the question is always asked: How is it working as a married couple, especially on this physically taxing film? To which Aish answers, “When I’m on the set delivering a scene, I’m not looking at him as my husband – and he is nasty to me in this film. But after a long day you come back home and you have each other.”

CANNES: Mani Ratnam’s ‘Raavan’ – the first Pan Indian film?

LINK

Director Mani Ratnam’s on to a new genre: Pan Indian.

The director, known for making brilliant films in the Tamil (Southern Indian) language, has also directed four Hindi-language Bollywood films. But in his latest action-drama, “Raavan,” Ratnam has bridged the two genres, making it a Pan-Indian film.

“Raavan” features Ratnam’s muse, Aishwarya Rai, and her husband Abhishek Bacchan, and it was shot simultaneously in two languages – Hindi and Tamil. Produced by Ratnam’s Madras Talkies, Reliance and IM Global, the film is set for a worldwide release in 58 countries on June 18.

Ratnam and his longtime music collaborator A.R. Rahman were absent from the press conference at the Majestic hotel Monday. They are in India doing the final cutting of the film. But Ratnam was represented by his wife Suhasini Ratnam, who not only is a writer and co-producer on this film (and some earlier Ratnam films), but is also an accomplished actress and a film critic on television. She was joined by Rai, Bacchan, actor Vikram and Reliance’s Amit Khanna and Prasoon Joshi.

Dubbing the new genre Pan Indian, Suhasini clarified the difference between Hindi (Bollywood) cinema and regional. “It’s like the difference between Hollywood and French cinema,” she said. Commenting on “Raavan,” she said it’s the first time that a filmmaker has attempted to blend the two.

Since Indian culture is so steeped in mythology, it’s only natural that films from this country use this rich source as inspiration. In the scripture Ramayana, Raavan, the 10-headed demon-god, abducts Lord Rama’s wife Sita, and to get his consort back Rama has to hack off all ten heads of the ferocious demon.

In Ratnam’s spiritual/mythical film, the story is set in a time that is both ancient and contemporary. The filmmaker explores not just the good and the evil, the hunter and the hunted, but also the grey area. The film questions that Raavan may not be all that bad, he may have some redeeming qualities.

“Raavan has ten heads and ten conflicting thoughts, so there’s a bit of conflict and Raavan in all of us,” says Suhasini.

Rai, who started her acting career with Ratnam’s “Iruvar,” recalls that she jumped into films with no experience. “But you know you’re protected and guided by Mani,” she said.

The three actors shared their experiences on the physically grueling shoot, from swishing in streams to dangling from trees and cliffs. “You’re drenched from 6 am to 6 pm, trekking, hiking–moment to moment was physically challenging,” says Rai. The majority of the stunts were done by the actors themselves.

The five-minute promo clip we saw revealed some pretty impressive locations in remote rural and rustic parts of India. “We had to lay roads in the jungles and sometimes the sets would be washed away by a raging river,” recalls Bacchan.

Aish and AB (as the star couple is fondly dubbed) have worked in four films together. But still the question is always asked: How is it working as a married couple, especially on this physically taxing film? To which Aish answers, “When I’m on the set delivering a scene, I’m not looking at him as my husband – and he is nasty to me in this film. But after a long day you come back home and you have each other.”

Aaj ki taaza khabar - NEWS!

AKON and Ra.one

Not so long ago we told you how Akon was doing a song in Ra.One absolutely free (read Akon to sing for SRK for FREE!) as he was fond of Shah Rukh Khan. Now we hear that Akon is singing yet another number for the album. Apparently he had so much fun recording the first track that he decided to do a repeat. Looks like SRK’s charm got to Akon as well.

I really dislike this singer - rightly called Reshamiyya of the West

Spoofing old songs
Sonam, Imran, Katrina, Akshay and Aishwarya spoof old songs

It looks like this is going to be the year of spoofs. Few of the most awaited films like I Hate Luv Storys, Action Replayy and Tees Maar Khan will spoof Hindi film sequences of the past. Sonam Kapoor, Imran Khan, Katrina Kaif, Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai will all be aping the songs of the '70s and '80s.

YAWN

Big B and Katrina in Jha's next

Amitabh-Kat in Prakash Jha’s next

It seems that director Prakash Jha has been maha impressed by Katrina Kaif’s histrionics in Raajneeti. So much so that he has already earmarked her for his next project. Amitabh Bachchan has also been reportedly cast in the project and so is Jha’s favourite Ajay Devgn. The film is reportedly based on the reservation politics and how it affects the common man’s life.

BIGGER YAWN

Aaj ki taaza khabar - NEWS!

AKON and Ra.one

Not so long ago we told you how Akon was doing a song in Ra.One absolutely free (read Akon to sing for SRK for FREE!) as he was fond of Shah Rukh Khan. Now we hear that Akon is singing yet another number for the album. Apparently he had so much fun recording the first track that he decided to do a repeat. Looks like SRK’s charm got to Akon as well.

I really dislike this singer - rightly called Reshamiyya of the West

Spoofing old songs
Sonam, Imran, Katrina, Akshay and Aishwarya spoof old songs

It looks like this is going to be the year of spoofs. Few of the most awaited films like I Hate Luv Storys, Action Replayy and Tees Maar Khan will spoof Hindi film sequences of the past. Sonam Kapoor, Imran Khan, Katrina Kaif, Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai will all be aping the songs of the '70s and '80s.

YAWN

Big B and Katrina in Jha's next

Amitabh-Kat in Prakash Jha’s next

It seems that director Prakash Jha has been maha impressed by Katrina Kaif’s histrionics in Raajneeti. So much so that he has already earmarked her for his next project. Amitabh Bachchan has also been reportedly cast in the project and so is Jha’s favourite Ajay Devgn. The film is reportedly based on the reservation politics and how it affects the common man’s life.

BIGGER YAWN

Manmohan Singh, Sachin Tendulkar, Chetan Bhagat & Aishwarya in Time's 2010 Top 100 (The World's Most Influential People)

COMPLETE LIST


Manmohan Singh
By Indra Nooyi

The long history of India boasts many great leaders. But the much shorter history of Indian democracy is already creating its own heroes, and Manmohan Singh, 77, is one of them.  

As India's Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996, Singh realized that India had everything to gain by opening up to the world. Through his tireless efforts to cut bureaucracy and open markets, he released India's potential for the benefit of its people.

Now, as Prime Minister, he is guiding India into the ranks of the great powers. India today is a critical engine of global growth, a vital partner in global security and a model for democratic development. Perhaps more important, Singh is ensuring this progress is not enjoyed by a chosen few; he realizes that economic development is the best antipoverty program a government can design. Albert Einstein said, "Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value." In endeavoring to lift India's people to prosperity and stability, Singh has achieved both.

Nooyi is chairwoman and CEO of PepsiCo

Sachin Tendulkar

By Deepak Chopra

 

In the history of cricket, only one man has scored a double century — 200 runs — in a One Day International match, and his name is Sachin Tendulkar. To millions of Indians and countless fans around the world, this act, which caps a career of record-breaking feats, arouses a sense of awe.

Cricket casts the tiniest shadow on the American sports scene, but globally it stokes the fire in people's souls. Inherited from imperial England, the world's second most watched team sport has become a symbol of beating the colonials at their own game. Sports heroes such as Tendulkar, 37, stand for national dignity in a way that perhaps only a postcolonial nation can understand. And feel grateful for.

Chopra is a New York Times best-selling author

Chetan Bhagat

By A.R. Rahman

 

Many writers are successful at expressing what's in their hearts or articulating a particular point of view. Chetan Bhagat's books do both and more. A former investment banker, Chetan, 36, broke out as a writer with his novels One Night @ the Call Center and Five Point Someone, which inspired the film 3 Idiots, the biggest Indian hit in history. His latest book is about his marriage and the obstacles he and his wife faced coming from different regions of India. Many families go through this — I went through it — and Chetan conveys so well what happens when two worlds meet. The customs may be uniquely Indian, but the story is universal.

I've seen the effect Chetan has on his readers. He often writes about following your dreams and not bowing to others' expectations. That isn't easy in India, where family opinion matters and some professions are regarded as more serious than others. I run a music school, and people have quit their jobs to study music. It's great to see brave young people giving their dreams a chance. Chetan's writing inspires that kind of bravery.

Rahman, a composer, won two Academy Awards for Slumdog Millionaire

Aishwarya Rai

Tell us about a book or film or work of art that has influenced you.
The Alchemist was my favorite book, but I want everyone to read it for themselves and take their own journey and make their own discovery. 

Who is the person who had the most effect or influence on you when you were growing up?
It must be two people: certainly my mother and father. My mother taught by example. She is smart, caring for others, loving and always supportive of me. My father is strong, funny, loving and the best listener in the world. With their support I always feel there is nothing I cannot accomplish.

 

Manmohan Singh, Sachin Tendulkar, Chetan Bhagat & Aishwarya in Time's 2010 Top 100 (The World's Most Influential People)

COMPLETE LIST


Manmohan Singh
By Indra Nooyi

The long history of India boasts many great leaders. But the much shorter history of Indian democracy is already creating its own heroes, and Manmohan Singh, 77, is one of them.  

As India's Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996, Singh realized that India had everything to gain by opening up to the world. Through his tireless efforts to cut bureaucracy and open markets, he released India's potential for the benefit of its people.

Now, as Prime Minister, he is guiding India into the ranks of the great powers. India today is a critical engine of global growth, a vital partner in global security and a model for democratic development. Perhaps more important, Singh is ensuring this progress is not enjoyed by a chosen few; he realizes that economic development is the best antipoverty program a government can design. Albert Einstein said, "Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value." In endeavoring to lift India's people to prosperity and stability, Singh has achieved both.

Nooyi is chairwoman and CEO of PepsiCo

Sachin Tendulkar

By Deepak Chopra

 

In the history of cricket, only one man has scored a double century — 200 runs — in a One Day International match, and his name is Sachin Tendulkar. To millions of Indians and countless fans around the world, this act, which caps a career of record-breaking feats, arouses a sense of awe.

Cricket casts the tiniest shadow on the American sports scene, but globally it stokes the fire in people's souls. Inherited from imperial England, the world's second most watched team sport has become a symbol of beating the colonials at their own game. Sports heroes such as Tendulkar, 37, stand for national dignity in a way that perhaps only a postcolonial nation can understand. And feel grateful for.

Chopra is a New York Times best-selling author

Chetan Bhagat

By A.R. Rahman

 

Many writers are successful at expressing what's in their hearts or articulating a particular point of view. Chetan Bhagat's books do both and more. A former investment banker, Chetan, 36, broke out as a writer with his novels One Night @ the Call Center and Five Point Someone, which inspired the film 3 Idiots, the biggest Indian hit in history. His latest book is about his marriage and the obstacles he and his wife faced coming from different regions of India. Many families go through this — I went through it — and Chetan conveys so well what happens when two worlds meet. The customs may be uniquely Indian, but the story is universal.

I've seen the effect Chetan has on his readers. He often writes about following your dreams and not bowing to others' expectations. That isn't easy in India, where family opinion matters and some professions are regarded as more serious than others. I run a music school, and people have quit their jobs to study music. It's great to see brave young people giving their dreams a chance. Chetan's writing inspires that kind of bravery.

Rahman, a composer, won two Academy Awards for Slumdog Millionaire

Aishwarya Rai

Tell us about a book or film or work of art that has influenced you.
The Alchemist was my favorite book, but I want everyone to read it for themselves and take their own journey and make their own discovery. 

Who is the person who had the most effect or influence on you when you were growing up?
It must be two people: certainly my mother and father. My mother taught by example. She is smart, caring for others, loving and always supportive of me. My father is strong, funny, loving and the best listener in the world. With their support I always feel there is nothing I cannot accomplish.

 

Bhene De Trailer : Raavan

Bhene De Trailer : Raavan