Twi-fi – Whose awards will they be?

Awards season has begun in Mumbai and the chamiyas and chailas are practicing their dance numbers for the stage shows. In the meantime a twitroots revolution is slowly building up. Twitter will have its own awards and the jury will be journalists who write about movies and a few selected bloggers (based on a Twitter vote). The jury will nominate, and the twitterati at large will vote, to select winners! More details can be found at links http://twifi2010.in/ and http://on.fb.me/hN2jpp #TwiFi
There are two immediate problems I notice. Twi_Fi has about 1400 followers so more grass needs to grow in this grassroots revolution, and quickly!

The best, the worst and the in between - adieu 2010

The year is racing to a finish, and it is time to look back at what went by, or rather whizzed by. I wish I could have read more, seen more films, traveled more places – and eaten less
Films: There were some really good ones and there were some really bad ones, and then there was mostly a lot of stuff in between. After a hiatus from Bollywood I went back to watching a lot of BW films (mostly what released in theaters here), while picking my HW films with care and caution! Here is a HW list:
1. Inception – loved the film, the mind-bender that kept us thinking and discussing for days on end. Leo DiCaprio did not disappoint and Marion Cotillard was luminous.

Haraamzaadi ka ishq, UP ishtyle – Ishqiya!

WARNING - this is a spoiler ridden review. By now you have either seen Ishqiya or never will, but still it is fair to warn you.

There used to be the Ram Gopal Varma factory, where assistants eventuallygot to be directors, and create wonderful films. But now the factory is defunct and missed. Into this vacuum have stepped Vishal Bharadwaj and his former AD Abhishek Choubey. Choubey directs Ishqiya in a gritty style that may seem heavily influenced by Bharadwaj's. Except that what once seemed real in Bharadwaj films is rendered a little stagey after one sees Ishqiya. East UP and Gorakhpur can only be this real if you actually get off a bus into town! And the setting never overwhelms the film, it just makes everything more genuine. In Omkara, which I happen to love, there is scene in an alley when Vivek Oberoi loses his cool, compare it to the alley scene where the kidnapping goes nearly awry, or where Babban (Arshad Warsi) and Krishna (Vidya Balan) stalk the kidnapping victim. Or the rural setting of the jalsa (Beedi sequence) in Omkara to the setting where Iftekhar (Naseer) is on a mission to steal a vehicle and sits drinking chai in a dhaba. The atmosphere is palpably real in Ishqiya and showcases a story that is full of surprises but in a most understated way - to the point that some missed the whole point and called Ishqiya pointless!

Two guys on a run with stolen money (it is neither important nor stated how or why), being chased by the big underworld boss baddie Mushtaaq Bhai (Salman Shahid - who happens to be the jeeju of one of the criminals), find shelter in the home of a widow. Vidya plays Krishan, a cultured and near sophisticated rustic, one who is into music, sings divinely (who would not if you had Rekha Bharadwaj providing the voice!), and she allows them to stay with her. Babban and Iftekhar are both immensely taken with the lady, though demure and seemingly very chaste she does (unintentionally?) beckon in a beguiling way! Then Mushtaaq Bhai catches up with them, there is a replay of the drama of the phone call from the wife, our petty criminals go looking for the hidden money and find it is GONE! Given a short time to get the money and with they lady under threat from the goons, she helps them devise a kidnapping scheme to recoup the money. The victim is an unlikely one, except he has money and a mistress on the side! As soon as he is captured we begin to see the real Krishna emerge from behind the cultured facade! Is she a femme fatale playing one man against the other? Why was this man picked for the kidnapping? What is the reason for all the gas cylinders in every room, while KrishnaJi cooks on a wood stove? What is her motive? Is it simply self-preservation? Chaubey takes us through these thoughts at a dizzy pace, and while we are still wondering what on earth is going on, he reveals Krishan's motive! Hell hath no fury as that of a woman scorned - and that is the pillar the story rests on. Without giving us much time to adjust to this, the film careens to its explosive climax and then the truth behind all the femininity, demure and coy beckoning dawns on us. The Haraamzadi has her own game plan and she plays it extremely well, it is all for Ishq after all, that of a deadly variety. And then to end the film Chaubey gives wink to a Casablanca like ending with Mushtaaq Bhai telling his wife he is still on the look-out as he watches the criminals walk away, he is too fond of the cat and mouse game to actually deal with the mice!

The story is simply wonderful, told at a languid pace at the start and then building feverishly, keeping us lulled into the comfort zone of this being yet another treasure and chase film. The locales are wonderful, and the part-urban part-rural milieu of Gorakhpur is stunningly presented. Yes the language is rustic and epithets fly from all characters, but yet the dialogs have a restraint that Omkara lacked. The music is divine and hear the Guru does not let the Chela down. Vishal's compositions are stunning, and showcase the most brilliant lyrics in a LONG LONG while (well since Gulaal!). Only a man of years who has lived and loved would write the way Gulzar does "Umr saari baras ke sufaid ho gayi, kaari badri jawani ki chat ti nahin"!! And the ghazals by Rekha are stunning. The music interweaves with the narrative and enriches it, making a heady mix.

Read more here

Haraamzaadi ka ishq, UP ishtyle – Ishqiya!

WARNING - this is a spoiler ridden review. By now you have either seen Ishqiya or never will, but still it is fair to warn you.

There used to be the Ram Gopal Varma factory, where assistants eventuallygot to be directors, and create wonderful films. But now the factory is defunct and missed. Into this vacuum have stepped Vishal Bharadwaj and his former AD Abhishek Choubey. Choubey directs Ishqiya in a gritty style that may seem heavily influenced by Bharadwaj's. Except that what once seemed real in Bharadwaj films is rendered a little stagey after one sees Ishqiya. East UP and Gorakhpur can only be this real if you actually get off a bus into town! And the setting never overwhelms the film, it just makes everything more genuine. In Omkara, which I happen to love, there is scene in an alley when Vivek Oberoi loses his cool, compare it to the alley scene where the kidnapping goes nearly awry, or where Babban (Arshad Warsi) and Krishna (Vidya Balan) stalk the kidnapping victim. Or the rural setting of the jalsa (Beedi sequence) in Omkara to the setting where Iftekhar (Naseer) is on a mission to steal a vehicle and sits drinking chai in a dhaba. The atmosphere is palpably real in Ishqiya and showcases a story that is full of surprises but in a most understated way - to the point that some missed the whole point and called Ishqiya pointless!

Two guys on a run with stolen money (it is neither important nor stated how or why), being chased by the big underworld boss baddie Mushtaaq Bhai (Salman Shahid - who happens to be the jeeju of one of the criminals), find shelter in the home of a widow. Vidya plays Krishan, a cultured and near sophisticated rustic, one who is into music, sings divinely (who would not if you had Rekha Bharadwaj providing the voice!), and she allows them to stay with her. Babban and Iftekhar are both immensely taken with the lady, though demure and seemingly very chaste she does (unintentionally?) beckon in a beguiling way! Then Mushtaaq Bhai catches up with them, there is a replay of the drama of the phone call from the wife, our petty criminals go looking for the hidden money and find it is GONE! Given a short time to get the money and with they lady under threat from the goons, she helps them devise a kidnapping scheme to recoup the money. The victim is an unlikely one, except he has money and a mistress on the side! As soon as he is captured we begin to see the real Krishna emerge from behind the cultured facade! Is she a femme fatale playing one man against the other? Why was this man picked for the kidnapping? What is the reason for all the gas cylinders in every room, while KrishnaJi cooks on a wood stove? What is her motive? Is it simply self-preservation? Chaubey takes us through these thoughts at a dizzy pace, and while we are still wondering what on earth is going on, he reveals Krishan's motive! Hell hath no fury as that of a woman scorned - and that is the pillar the story rests on. Without giving us much time to adjust to this, the film careens to its explosive climax and then the truth behind all the femininity, demure and coy beckoning dawns on us. The Haraamzadi has her own game plan and she plays it extremely well, it is all for Ishq after all, that of a deadly variety. And then to end the film Chaubey gives wink to a Casablanca like ending with Mushtaaq Bhai telling his wife he is still on the look-out as he watches the criminals walk away, he is too fond of the cat and mouse game to actually deal with the mice!

The story is simply wonderful, told at a languid pace at the start and then building feverishly, keeping us lulled into the comfort zone of this being yet another treasure and chase film. The locales are wonderful, and the part-urban part-rural milieu of Gorakhpur is stunningly presented. Yes the language is rustic and epithets fly from all characters, but yet the dialogs have a restraint that Omkara lacked. The music is divine and hear the Guru does not let the Chela down. Vishal's compositions are stunning, and showcase the most brilliant lyrics in a LONG LONG while (well since Gulaal!). Only a man of years who has lived and loved would write the way Gulzar does "Umr saari baras ke sufaid ho gayi, kaari badri jawani ki chat ti nahin"!! And the ghazals by Rekha are stunning. The music interweaves with the narrative and enriches it, making a heady mix.

Read more here

'Ishqiya' elbows out 'Rann' at box office

 

Vishal Bhardwaj has done it again. After the success of "Kaminey", his rustic "Ishqiya" has beaten the Amitabh Bachchan starrer "Rann" at the box office, thanks to its appealing content.

Both movies released Friday and had star-studded red-carpet premieres in the capital Thursday, but "Ishqiya" took the cake with almost 80 percent collections in the opening weekend. "Rann" got only around 30 percent collections.

"'Ishqiya' has got a strong opening in both Delhi and Uttar Pradesh in both multiplexes and single-screens. It has got around 80 percent business over the initial weekend," Yogesh Raizada, corporate head (cinemas) of Wave Cinemas, told IANS.

"The dialogue delivery in the movie is very good and it is a typical masala movie but the drawback is that everyone might not like it because it has its own class. While 'Rann' is gripping but has managed only around 30 percent opening. There has been no initial for this one. It has its own class but no mass appeal," he added.

Delhi-based distributor Joginder Mahajan also echoed the same.

"'Rann' has fared very poorly thanks to its subject. 'Ishqiya' on the other hand has been average vis-a-vis 'Rann'. It is an ordinary affair with local appeal. Though the masses are watching it but the film is not for everyone because some are finding it a bit cheap," said Mahajan.

"Surprisingly, 'Ishqiya' is performing better in multiplexes and not in B and C sectors. We are expecting it to earn an average Rs.2 crore overall in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh," he added.

Distributed in India by Boney and Sridevi Kapoor's film and television entertainment company BSK Network and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, "Ishqiya" has been co-produced by Shemaroo Entertainment and Vishal Bhardwaj.

The directorial debut of Abhishek Chaubey, the movie has actors like Naseeruddin Shah, Vidya Balan and Arshad Warsi.

"Rann" on the other hand has been made at a budget of Rs.30 crore and is primarily about the conflict between business and conscience in the electronic media. It features megastar Amitabh Bachchan along with Riteish Deshmukh, Gul Panag and Paresh Rawal.

Read more HERE. 

'Ishqiya' elbows out 'Rann' at box office

 

Vishal Bhardwaj has done it again. After the success of "Kaminey", his rustic "Ishqiya" has beaten the Amitabh Bachchan starrer "Rann" at the box office, thanks to its appealing content.

Both movies released Friday and had star-studded red-carpet premieres in the capital Thursday, but "Ishqiya" took the cake with almost 80 percent collections in the opening weekend. "Rann" got only around 30 percent collections.

"'Ishqiya' has got a strong opening in both Delhi and Uttar Pradesh in both multiplexes and single-screens. It has got around 80 percent business over the initial weekend," Yogesh Raizada, corporate head (cinemas) of Wave Cinemas, told IANS.

"The dialogue delivery in the movie is very good and it is a typical masala movie but the drawback is that everyone might not like it because it has its own class. While 'Rann' is gripping but has managed only around 30 percent opening. There has been no initial for this one. It has its own class but no mass appeal," he added.

Delhi-based distributor Joginder Mahajan also echoed the same.

"'Rann' has fared very poorly thanks to its subject. 'Ishqiya' on the other hand has been average vis-a-vis 'Rann'. It is an ordinary affair with local appeal. Though the masses are watching it but the film is not for everyone because some are finding it a bit cheap," said Mahajan.

"Surprisingly, 'Ishqiya' is performing better in multiplexes and not in B and C sectors. We are expecting it to earn an average Rs.2 crore overall in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh," he added.

Distributed in India by Boney and Sridevi Kapoor's film and television entertainment company BSK Network and Entertainment Pvt Ltd, "Ishqiya" has been co-produced by Shemaroo Entertainment and Vishal Bhardwaj.

The directorial debut of Abhishek Chaubey, the movie has actors like Naseeruddin Shah, Vidya Balan and Arshad Warsi.

"Rann" on the other hand has been made at a budget of Rs.30 crore and is primarily about the conflict between business and conscience in the electronic media. It features megastar Amitabh Bachchan along with Riteish Deshmukh, Gul Panag and Paresh Rawal.

Read more HERE. 

Ishqiya - A fun watch

Like other Vishal Bhardwaj films, Ishqiya too is a very bold film. No surprise, as it is directed by Abhishek Chaubey who used to assist Vishal Bhardwaj in his earlier films. Set in the rural areas of UP, near the border of UP- Nepal, it hardly shows any good thing about UP. Instead UP is shown as a state where most of the criminal and terrorist activities take place like manufacturing guns and selling them.

The narrative of the film is based on multiple story lines coming together in the end. We see two thieves played by Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi trying to escape their boss after stealing money. They take asylum in Vidya Balan’s home, she is a widow after her husband died in a fire explosion in their house. Both Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi fall in love with Vidya Balan. But their boss finds them and to add to their problems, the money too is stolen. Vidya Balan then proposes a plan where they can steal money from a rich person by kidnapping him. And both of them are left with no option but to accept the plan because of their problem and love for Vidya Balan. Once they agree to the plan, the entire thing showed prior to it becomes a MacGuffin. What is a MacGuffin? –

A MacGuffin (sometimes McGuffin) is “a plot element that catches the viewers’ attention or drives the plot of a work of fiction.”
Sometimes, the specific nature of the MacGuffin is not important to the plot such that anything that serves as a motivation serves its purpose. The MacGuffin can sometimes be ambiguous, completely undefined, generic or left open to interpretation.
The MacGuffin is common in films, especially thrillers. Commonly, though not always, the MacGuffin is the central focus of the film in the first act, and later declines in importance as the struggles and motivations of characters play out. Sometimes the MacGuffin is even forgotten by the end of the film.

It is very much similar to Psycho directed by Alfred Hitchcock where a girl steals money and tries to run away from the boss, but that is hardly something to do with the basic plot of the film. Similarly in Ishqiya, the two thieves running with the money has hardly anything to do with basic plot.

The problem in Ishqiya is that the plot of the film was very paper thin and is based on one word – ‘TWIST’. The entire film is constructed around that very word. Of course, I can’t reveal the twist here as it would spoil the film for those who haven’t seen it yet. Although a few smart things, like the old woman with a fire torch and every room having a cylinder, that are very significant in the end were added in the film, but overall the plot wasn’t very well handled and I felt the director should have made more effort in developing the plot if twist was the word Abhishek Chaubey had in his mind.

Set in a rural background like Omkara, Ishqiya is yet another very bold film from Vishal Bharadwaj’s camp. Though it isn’t directed by Vishal Bharadwaj, Abhishek Chaubey ensures that just like Vishal Bharadwaj, even Ishqiya doesn’t make any compromise in the language or the scenes to make it a family watch commercial film. However, this time unlike Omkara, the cusswords are added to the film for the purpose of comedy rather than them actually suiting the film and the situations. In Omkara, the abusive words sounded apt according to the situations, but here in Ishqiya, we see them just to add the shock value to the film. It was slightly disappointing to see that happen. But the film had some genuinely good funny moments apart from the abusive humor which they relied on a lot.

Read more from HERE

Ishqiya - A fun watch

Like other Vishal Bhardwaj films, Ishqiya too is a very bold film. No surprise, as it is directed by Abhishek Chaubey who used to assist Vishal Bhardwaj in his earlier films. Set in the rural areas of UP, near the border of UP- Nepal, it hardly shows any good thing about UP. Instead UP is shown as a state where most of the criminal and terrorist activities take place like manufacturing guns and selling them.

The narrative of the film is based on multiple story lines coming together in the end. We see two thieves played by Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi trying to escape their boss after stealing money. They take asylum in Vidya Balan’s home, she is a widow after her husband died in a fire explosion in their house. Both Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi fall in love with Vidya Balan. But their boss finds them and to add to their problems, the money too is stolen. Vidya Balan then proposes a plan where they can steal money from a rich person by kidnapping him. And both of them are left with no option but to accept the plan because of their problem and love for Vidya Balan. Once they agree to the plan, the entire thing showed prior to it becomes a MacGuffin. What is a MacGuffin? –

A MacGuffin (sometimes McGuffin) is “a plot element that catches the viewers’ attention or drives the plot of a work of fiction.”
Sometimes, the specific nature of the MacGuffin is not important to the plot such that anything that serves as a motivation serves its purpose. The MacGuffin can sometimes be ambiguous, completely undefined, generic or left open to interpretation.
The MacGuffin is common in films, especially thrillers. Commonly, though not always, the MacGuffin is the central focus of the film in the first act, and later declines in importance as the struggles and motivations of characters play out. Sometimes the MacGuffin is even forgotten by the end of the film.

It is very much similar to Psycho directed by Alfred Hitchcock where a girl steals money and tries to run away from the boss, but that is hardly something to do with the basic plot of the film. Similarly in Ishqiya, the two thieves running with the money has hardly anything to do with basic plot.

The problem in Ishqiya is that the plot of the film was very paper thin and is based on one word – ‘TWIST’. The entire film is constructed around that very word. Of course, I can’t reveal the twist here as it would spoil the film for those who haven’t seen it yet. Although a few smart things, like the old woman with a fire torch and every room having a cylinder, that are very significant in the end were added in the film, but overall the plot wasn’t very well handled and I felt the director should have made more effort in developing the plot if twist was the word Abhishek Chaubey had in his mind.

Set in a rural background like Omkara, Ishqiya is yet another very bold film from Vishal Bharadwaj’s camp. Though it isn’t directed by Vishal Bharadwaj, Abhishek Chaubey ensures that just like Vishal Bharadwaj, even Ishqiya doesn’t make any compromise in the language or the scenes to make it a family watch commercial film. However, this time unlike Omkara, the cusswords are added to the film for the purpose of comedy rather than them actually suiting the film and the situations. In Omkara, the abusive words sounded apt according to the situations, but here in Ishqiya, we see them just to add the shock value to the film. It was slightly disappointing to see that happen. But the film had some genuinely good funny moments apart from the abusive humor which they relied on a lot.

Read more from HERE

Ishqiya movie review by Nikhat Kazmi

Film: Ishqiya
Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Arshad Warsi, Vidya Balan
Genre: Crime
Direction: Abhishek Chaubey
Duration: 2 hours

Critic's Rating:

Story: Two crooks, Mamujan and Babban are on the run from another crook they have duped. They seek refuge with a friend's widow who turns out to be as crooked as them. The threesome hatch a plot to get rich quick. But, do they succeed?  

Movie Review: Ishqiya is a zany little black comedy that may be completely desi in its idiom, its lingo, its landscape. Yet, when it comes to drama, it is totally Hollywood. Debutant director Abhishek Chaubey tells his story with a panache that falters only in the end. Ironically, if he hadn't faltered in winding up this delectable little tale of a wicked trio, with nothing to lose not even their morals -- he would have created a masterpiece. But the last few reels are so much of a rumble-tumble, they leave you both confused and somewhat dissatisfied.

But till you reach the slipshod resolution of the story, Ishqiya is pure delight. Both in terms of the narrative that moves from one tangy twist to another; and in terms of the performances, which are so zippy, they fill you with beans. Naseeruddin Shah lives and breathes the role of the wily and somewhat wizened Mamujan who doesn't balk at falling on his would-be assassin's feet, begging for mercy. Nor does he see anything amiss in colouring his beard black, when the wily widow, Krishna (Vidya Balan) sets his testosterone in play with her seductive song and guile. But Arshad Warsi doesn't want to be left behind as Babban, the rustic rogue and matches him crooked step for step. And the duo are totally bindaas as rivals in love, ready to beat each other to pulp for the charms of Krishnaji. As for Krishnaji: Vidya Balan truly deserves another wow after her scintillating show in Paa. This time, she does a complete volte face to her Parineeta image, flashing her eyes, sucking thumbs and setting out the details for a kidnap plot, with unbridled glee. Truly, this ones a magical threesome that sets the explosive backdrop literally on fire with their everything's-fair-in-love -- and petty crime -- principles.

 

Read the rest HERE.

Ishqiya movie review by Nikhat Kazmi

Film: Ishqiya
Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Arshad Warsi, Vidya Balan
Genre: Crime
Direction: Abhishek Chaubey
Duration: 2 hours

Critic's Rating:

Story: Two crooks, Mamujan and Babban are on the run from another crook they have duped. They seek refuge with a friend's widow who turns out to be as crooked as them. The threesome hatch a plot to get rich quick. But, do they succeed?  

Movie Review: Ishqiya is a zany little black comedy that may be completely desi in its idiom, its lingo, its landscape. Yet, when it comes to drama, it is totally Hollywood. Debutant director Abhishek Chaubey tells his story with a panache that falters only in the end. Ironically, if he hadn't faltered in winding up this delectable little tale of a wicked trio, with nothing to lose not even their morals -- he would have created a masterpiece. But the last few reels are so much of a rumble-tumble, they leave you both confused and somewhat dissatisfied.

But till you reach the slipshod resolution of the story, Ishqiya is pure delight. Both in terms of the narrative that moves from one tangy twist to another; and in terms of the performances, which are so zippy, they fill you with beans. Naseeruddin Shah lives and breathes the role of the wily and somewhat wizened Mamujan who doesn't balk at falling on his would-be assassin's feet, begging for mercy. Nor does he see anything amiss in colouring his beard black, when the wily widow, Krishna (Vidya Balan) sets his testosterone in play with her seductive song and guile. But Arshad Warsi doesn't want to be left behind as Babban, the rustic rogue and matches him crooked step for step. And the duo are totally bindaas as rivals in love, ready to beat each other to pulp for the charms of Krishnaji. As for Krishnaji: Vidya Balan truly deserves another wow after her scintillating show in Paa. This time, she does a complete volte face to her Parineeta image, flashing her eyes, sucking thumbs and setting out the details for a kidnap plot, with unbridled glee. Truly, this ones a magical threesome that sets the explosive backdrop literally on fire with their everything's-fair-in-love -- and petty crime -- principles.

 

Read the rest HERE.

Ishqiya Movie Review (Taran Adarsh) 4/5

Get ready for tangy, pungent, sizzling and spicy stuff. Be forewarned, ISHQIYA isn't the fluffy, candyfloss, saccharine sweet story of lovers breaking into songs in mustard fields. In ISHQIYA, you just don't know what turn the story may take next. Not just the story, even the characters here are so impulsive and unpredictable.

You need to have a strong stomach to absorb ISHQIYA. It's high on drama, it's wild, it's real. But it's not dark, it's not sleazy, it's not crass. Frankly, you don't expect debutante director Abhishek Chaubey to make a stereotypical fare thanks to the tutelage by his guru Vishal Bhardwaj, who loves to swim against the tide and undertake risks in film after film.

You could call ISHQIYA a distant cousin of OMKARA. Set in Gorakhpur in North India, the film has a rustic feel, depicts characters that may make you uncomfortable and is laced with saucy lingo. Yet, it's different than OMKARA.

Final word? You can't help but fall in ishq with ISHQIYA. Tired of sherbat? Try this spicy jaljeera for a change!

Two thieves, Khalujaan [Naseeruddin Shah] and Babban [Arshad Warsi], are on the run from their boss, Mushtaq. They seek refuge at a friend's house, but instead meet his widow, Krishna [Vidya Balan]. The time spent together draws the duo to her, Khalu with his tinted vision of old-fashioned love and Babban with his lustful eye. But the past catches up with all three!

There's no denying that the promos had prepared me of the journey ahead, yet it took me a good 15-odd minutes to get into the world of Khalujaan, Babban and Krishna. But once you get sucked into their world, the blurred images start getting clearer and clearer and you become an active participant in their journey.

The first hour passes in a jiffy, but the story actually gets dramatic and volatile in its second hour. It's at this stage that things start getting more and more unpredictable. The story does a somersault every 10 minutes and by the time it reaches its finale, you're curious to know how the debutante director would conclude this saga. The end, of course, will have its share of advocates and adversaries, but the fact remains that it's offbeat.

Abhishek Chaubey is a welcome addition to the ranks of avid storytellers. His choice of the subject and also handling of the material is what makes this film so eminently watchable. Not once do you feel that ISHQIYA has been helmed by a first-timer. Note the change of events in the song 'Dil To Bachcha Hain Ji' or the kidnap drama and the heated argument that follows thereafter. Even the passionate lovemaking sequence between Arshad and Vidya has been dexterously canned.

Read more from HERE

Ishqiya Movie Review (Taran Adarsh) 4/5

Get ready for tangy, pungent, sizzling and spicy stuff. Be forewarned, ISHQIYA isn't the fluffy, candyfloss, saccharine sweet story of lovers breaking into songs in mustard fields. In ISHQIYA, you just don't know what turn the story may take next. Not just the story, even the characters here are so impulsive and unpredictable.

You need to have a strong stomach to absorb ISHQIYA. It's high on drama, it's wild, it's real. But it's not dark, it's not sleazy, it's not crass. Frankly, you don't expect debutante director Abhishek Chaubey to make a stereotypical fare thanks to the tutelage by his guru Vishal Bhardwaj, who loves to swim against the tide and undertake risks in film after film.

You could call ISHQIYA a distant cousin of OMKARA. Set in Gorakhpur in North India, the film has a rustic feel, depicts characters that may make you uncomfortable and is laced with saucy lingo. Yet, it's different than OMKARA.

Final word? You can't help but fall in ishq with ISHQIYA. Tired of sherbat? Try this spicy jaljeera for a change!

Two thieves, Khalujaan [Naseeruddin Shah] and Babban [Arshad Warsi], are on the run from their boss, Mushtaq. They seek refuge at a friend's house, but instead meet his widow, Krishna [Vidya Balan]. The time spent together draws the duo to her, Khalu with his tinted vision of old-fashioned love and Babban with his lustful eye. But the past catches up with all three!

There's no denying that the promos had prepared me of the journey ahead, yet it took me a good 15-odd minutes to get into the world of Khalujaan, Babban and Krishna. But once you get sucked into their world, the blurred images start getting clearer and clearer and you become an active participant in their journey.

The first hour passes in a jiffy, but the story actually gets dramatic and volatile in its second hour. It's at this stage that things start getting more and more unpredictable. The story does a somersault every 10 minutes and by the time it reaches its finale, you're curious to know how the debutante director would conclude this saga. The end, of course, will have its share of advocates and adversaries, but the fact remains that it's offbeat.

Abhishek Chaubey is a welcome addition to the ranks of avid storytellers. His choice of the subject and also handling of the material is what makes this film so eminently watchable. Not once do you feel that ISHQIYA has been helmed by a first-timer. Note the change of events in the song 'Dil To Bachcha Hain Ji' or the kidnap drama and the heated argument that follows thereafter. Even the passionate lovemaking sequence between Arshad and Vidya has been dexterously canned.

Read more from HERE

'Ishqiya' gets 'A' certificate with no cuts

Ishqiya' with all its colourful expletives and sexually charged visuals was passed without any cuts with an 'A' certificate.

Says the film's director Abhishek Choubey: "Frankly, I expected I'd be asked for some kind of an explanation for the language and content and why they were necessary. I had gone prepared with dossiers on every graphic word and shot. To my surprise I wasn't asked for any explanation. I was given an 'Adults' certificate with no cuts at all. I guess it's a sign of how far censorship has come in our country."

The censor board apparently balked at some of the expletives. But finally saw reason. The film was passed by the board Wednesday.

Says the film's director: "I never claimed the film was for children. The content is adult. So I've no problem with the 'A' certificate. I feel the profile of the audience is changing swiftly."

Abhishek also hastens to add that the language is not as strong as people seem to think. "It's not about creating shock value. It's the way these people in the small North Indian towns live their life."

The film, produced by Raman Maroo and Vishal Bharadwaj, stars Arshad Warsi, Vidya Balan and Naseeruddin Shah in the lead roles.

SOURCE - MID-DAY

'Ishqiya' gets 'A' certificate with no cuts

Ishqiya' with all its colourful expletives and sexually charged visuals was passed without any cuts with an 'A' certificate.

Says the film's director Abhishek Choubey: "Frankly, I expected I'd be asked for some kind of an explanation for the language and content and why they were necessary. I had gone prepared with dossiers on every graphic word and shot. To my surprise I wasn't asked for any explanation. I was given an 'Adults' certificate with no cuts at all. I guess it's a sign of how far censorship has come in our country."

The censor board apparently balked at some of the expletives. But finally saw reason. The film was passed by the board Wednesday.

Says the film's director: "I never claimed the film was for children. The content is adult. So I've no problem with the 'A' certificate. I feel the profile of the audience is changing swiftly."

Abhishek also hastens to add that the language is not as strong as people seem to think. "It's not about creating shock value. It's the way these people in the small North Indian towns live their life."

The film, produced by Raman Maroo and Vishal Bharadwaj, stars Arshad Warsi, Vidya Balan and Naseeruddin Shah in the lead roles.

SOURCE - MID-DAY

Vishal Bharadwaj's reply to Censor Board

Vishal Bharadwaj was upset with the Censor Board of India for having problems with the word 'Sex' in the line 'Tumhara Ishq Ishq and Hamara Ishq Sex' and the Ishqiya team had to replace the word 'Sex' with a beep sound for the promos that were shown on television.

He/They reply back to them by making a contest on that very line. The contest is called "Hamara Ishq Ishq Aur Aap ka Ishq KYA ?" Good one VB.

Vishal Bharadwaj's reply to Censor Board

Vishal Bharadwaj was upset with the Censor Board of India for having problems with the word 'Sex' in the line 'Tumhara Ishq Ishq and Hamara Ishq Sex' and the Ishqiya team had to replace the word 'Sex' with a beep sound for the promos that were shown on television.

He/They reply back to them by making a contest on that very line. The contest is called "Hamara Ishq Ishq Aur Aap ka Ishq KYA ?" Good one VB.

Gulzar makes Ishqiya unforgettable - Raja Sen

Isn't it great to wake up to fantastic music? The last year was a lackluster one for Hindi cinema on the whole, but the last week of December ended with the promos of Dil To Bachcha Hai Ji from Abhishek Chaubey's Ishqiya, and hope was rekindled.

Once again Gulzar [ Images ] and Vishal Bhardwaj [ Images ] have conspired to give us a soundtrack to marvel at, that one intoxicatingly warm song leading the way.

It kicks off the album, it does. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan [ Images ] nails soulful words better than most, and the singer imparts a yearning quality to the phenomenal words. Gulzar's in top form here, speaking of how the heart never ages and masochistically carries on, incorrigible and invulnerable.

'Dil sa koi kameena nahin / koi to roke, koi to toke / Iss umar mein ab khaoge dhokhe' (There isn't a scoundrel like the heart, someone stop him, interrupt him, how can you bear pain at your age.') Magnificent.

Next up is Ibn-E-Batuta, a glorious roadtrippy take on history as the lyrics take on the Moroccan traveller and chronicler before heading into cheerfully morbid territory. Sukhwinder Singh [ Images ] and Mika get a smashing vibe going, and put their heart and soul into the churrrr and phurrrr the song demands, the hook of the song that'll really catch on. A firecracker, this one.

'In the village of the eye, at night dreams come and visit.' Sublime words are turned into goosebumps as Rekha Bhardwaj takes them on in Ab Mujhe Koi, imparting just the right measures of languor and elegy. It's a slow song, one that spirals around the listener, making for a dreamy cocoon. A song, in short, to be listened to on loop.

Read more from HERE

Gulzar makes Ishqiya unforgettable - Raja Sen

Isn't it great to wake up to fantastic music? The last year was a lackluster one for Hindi cinema on the whole, but the last week of December ended with the promos of Dil To Bachcha Hai Ji from Abhishek Chaubey's Ishqiya, and hope was rekindled.

Once again Gulzar [ Images ] and Vishal Bhardwaj [ Images ] have conspired to give us a soundtrack to marvel at, that one intoxicatingly warm song leading the way.

It kicks off the album, it does. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan [ Images ] nails soulful words better than most, and the singer imparts a yearning quality to the phenomenal words. Gulzar's in top form here, speaking of how the heart never ages and masochistically carries on, incorrigible and invulnerable.

'Dil sa koi kameena nahin / koi to roke, koi to toke / Iss umar mein ab khaoge dhokhe' (There isn't a scoundrel like the heart, someone stop him, interrupt him, how can you bear pain at your age.') Magnificent.

Next up is Ibn-E-Batuta, a glorious roadtrippy take on history as the lyrics take on the Moroccan traveller and chronicler before heading into cheerfully morbid territory. Sukhwinder Singh [ Images ] and Mika get a smashing vibe going, and put their heart and soul into the churrrr and phurrrr the song demands, the hook of the song that'll really catch on. A firecracker, this one.

'In the village of the eye, at night dreams come and visit.' Sublime words are turned into goosebumps as Rekha Bhardwaj takes them on in Ab Mujhe Koi, imparting just the right measures of languor and elegy. It's a slow song, one that spirals around the listener, making for a dreamy cocoon. A song, in short, to be listened to on loop.

Read more from HERE

Ishqiya Song Promo - Phurrrrrrrrrr

Ishqiya Song Promo - Phurrrrrrrrrr