REVIEW: Rahul Bose's Antaheen

Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury proves himself as a great emotional story teller

If you have seen Anuranan, you'll probably know what to expect from this filmmaker – the unexpected! And Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury doesn't fail to deliver on that aspect with his new film Antaheen.

Antaheen – the journey of a handful of Sisyphian characters

Antaheen literally translates to 'unending' and the film successfully brings to life that basic existential aspect of love and relationships. The story is woven around one man Abhik Chowdhury (Rahul Bose) and his household – consisting primarily of his unmarried aunt Pishimoni (Sharmila Tagore), his brother Ronno (Kalyan Roy) and Ronno's estranged wife Paromita (Aparna Sen). While superficially, they live satisfying lives, inside…they are as unsettled and confused as a two-year-old.

Abhik (Rahul Bose) is an IPS officer. He is honest, hardworking, famous but unknown to the realm of love. Orphaned at childhood, the only source of love and affection in his life is his unmarried aunt. She is the only steady and calming factor in this young man's life and probably the entire film considering the other characters are always in a state of emotional flux living out the myth of Sisyphus.

Paromita and Ronno are separated yet too attached to severe ties. They live in a constant state of denial and live to prove just the opposite with their actions. In this mundane scenario of these four lives bursts in Brinda Roy Menon (debutant Radhika Apte). She acts as the catalyst to get Abhik, Ronno and Paromita's life moving slowly… if not at a break neck speed.

Abhik and Brinda bond over the internet, obviously not as Brinda and Abhik but as 'raat jaaga tara' (a star of the night) and 'the boy in the box' – their chat names. This 'chat friend' genre however old and clichéd serves as the perfect platform to depict what we call the 'intimate stranger' syndrome. Both Abhik and Brinda start depending and believing on their 'virtual' friend more than real life flesh and blood individuals. Their relationship also stands out as the most 'sorted' of them all.

The filmmaker forgets about the 'too many cooks' problem

Though in the first half a lot of sub-plots and sub-sub-plots might confuse you and everything might seem like a collage of events, the basic existentialism of the story and characters will never fail to strike you almost with desperate cruelty. Here's where the brilliance of the filmmaker comes into focus. Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury like in his last film Anuranan steers away from the expected right when you start believing the film is just another rehash of overdone ideas.

In the second half, Aniruddha keeps his focus on the four main characters making it easier for us to not only grasp but also feel for them. Chances are, you as a viewer might end up crying for them towards the end.

What takes away from this otherwise good piece of work is the inclusion of too many characters. Whoever said 'too many cooks spoil the broth' was probably expecting Roy Cowdhury to pay heed to this. And these 'too many' characters all happen to be exceptionally strong and impressionable ones. What's more, the actors are brilliant. It was probably a director's nightmare justifying all their roles.

For instance, Sharmila Tagore, a brilliant actress was almost wasted in the film. Her steady character however necessary to contrast the other 'unsettled' ones in the film did not merit an actor of such stature. Primarily because when it's Sharmila, we as the audience expect more out of her than just bringing 'jasmine tea' to her nephew Rahul Bose.

Shantanu Moitra delivers an unnecessary yet brilliant score

The soundtrack of this film made news even before the songs were perhaps written. Shantanu Moitra (of Parineeta fame) makes his big debut in Bengali film music in this one. And hats off! Shantanu not only perfects the art of contemporary Bengali music but passes the test with flying colours. But like 'too many cooks', at times even too many songs can take away from a film (best example: Himesh's Karzzzz). Some of the tracks were interwoven with the plot but most of them were unnecessary - more so when the film is being released for the non-Bengali speaking audience as well.

Do we need to tell you how Aparna Sen, Sharmila Tagore, Rahul Bose and such big actors performed? They are brilliant as usual. Sharmila even in a small role shines through with her performance. And that was not a surprise, mind you! After all, one doesn't expect any less from a multi National Award winner. The one who does come as a surprise, however, is newcomer Radhika Apte. The dusky, sultry actor delivers a convincing performance as an upcoming journalist. She fits the bill too to the 'T' with her appearance and getup as well.

Thus, with brilliant performances, and the filmmaker's special touch, the movie though not flawless, manages to shine through as a good depiction of existential relationships. (The best till date in the genre was made by Satyajit Ray, my personal favourites being Seemabaddha and Kanchenjunga).

Also the drama transcends the barrier of language even without the perfect subtitles. The subtitles fail to do total justice to the songs… which are best understood in Bengali!

VERDICT: If you crave to watch emotional dramas, go for this one. Chances are you wouldn't have seen such a well made film in a long time!

RATING: 3.5/5

DVD Recco: Ceylan's Three Monkeys

Award winning director Nuri Bilge Ceylan delivers a gripping and introspective storyline through spectacular visuals in Three Monkeys, originally titled uc Maymun (Turkish).

The film depicts a very basic human phenomenon – the forced need of not saying, hearing or even seeing things at times. Aptly titled Three Monkeys, the story deals with a family of three who pretend not to hear or see things that happen around them to avoid ugly situations. It all starts with a small, seemingly unimportant road accident, a case of drunk driving. The person involved, Servet (played by Ercan Kesal) happens to be a very important man who's running for the forthcoming elections. Not wanting to ruin his reputation at such a delicate moment, he asks his driver Eyup (Yavuz Bingol) to take the blame and offers him a lump sum in return.

In the nine months Eyup spends in prison, his wife Hacer (Hatice Aslan) and son Ismail (Rifat Sungar) see their entire world changing around them. While Ismail fails his exams and gets involved with the wrong kind of people and ends up getting beaten badly in street brawls, Hacer in order to straighten her son's life and indulge her fantasies falls prey to Servet's sexual advances.

Everything pours out when nine months later, Eyup comes back. The pent up feelings, misunderstandings, words that were once not said… everything comes out in the open. But they all still remain unsaid. The situation becomes heavy with underlying tension and stored up anger and emotions.

What's special, however, about the film is the subdued reactions of the characters in these situations. For example, Ismail's outburst on finding out about his mother's relationship with his father's boss can hardly be called an 'outburst'. He slaps his mother twice, but even then the reaction (however physical) doesn't do justice to the anger that is so visible in the character.

The father Eyup's reaction after learning about his wife's affair is more pronounced. Even then, watching it, you get the feeling that somewhere, there's anger still bottled up. Un-uttered words, un-told emotions choke up the characters who go through life feeling and looking heavy.

The director, Ceylan uses dark shades to depict an atmosphere of constant gloom making the underlying tension in the film more pronounced. But despite the grey shades which surround the grey characters in the film, every frame of the film is like a breath of fresh air. With exquisite camera work, the film can also be described as a painter's dream come true. The angles, the settings make for beautiful pictures both thought provoking and emotional throughout the length of the film.

Three Monkeys, a film which won the Nuri Bilge Ceylan the Best Director Award at Cannes 2008 and a nomination for the Golden Palm at the same ceremony, is definitely worth a watch. It's one of those films that make you think but does not depress you in any way. And if you like photography, or painting, or just appreciate plain art, watch it for the pure visual delight.

Three Monkeys is available on Excel Home Video

REVIEW: Maruti Mera Dosst

A children's film that starts with a blue cake, flowers and a marriage proposal might not sound appetising. But to give it to Manikya Raju (director), the film is not all that bad as it looks at the very outset.

Maruti is another name for Lord Hanuman. And thanks to the posters of the film, one doesn't really need to have a three digit IQ to figure out that the film is essentially about the same mythological character.

The story of the film is narrated through flashback where one of the four friends (the girl at the receiving end of the marriage proposal mentioned above) starts talking about her friend Maruti and how he has helped her ever since she was a little girl.

The story: A basic Cinderella plot where the Lord Hanuman replaces the fairy godmother

The young girl Rameshwari played by Ritika Shrivastava witnesses an episode where the stone statuette of Lord Hanuman in a temple comes to life after a saadhu instigates it. Since then, Rameshwari becomes a believer and takes Lord Hanuman as her 'best friend'. The motherless little girl troubled at home by her stepmom's mother finds happiness with Lord Hanuman who by now has again gone back to being a stone statue.

One day, Rameshwari while going home falls prey to evil spirits residing in the forest she has to pass. Needless to say, this Cinderella too is saved by her fairy godmother – Lord Hanuman who now takes the human form of a little boy called Maruti (Erik A Nanda).

The usual Cinderella story follows where Maruti (fairy godmother prototype) keeps helping Rameshwari while the villain – her stepmom's mother, the evil witch Kokoi played by Sushmita Mukherji Bundela keeps planning on how to kill the little girl.

The film: A very good attempt

What makes this one better than the zillion other Cinderella renditions passed off as B'wood Children's films is the obvious effort that has gone behind it. The computer graphics look quite good (though why Lord Hanuman had to be greenish blonde we had no clue). The sets look well thought out. For example, the house where little Rameshwari lives looks extremely garish but is well suited for the characters that live there.

The young actors outshine the older counterparts

The young actors Ritika and Erik deliver convincing performances as the two main protagonists of the film. They almost outshine their older counterparts save for a Sushmita Mukherji who by now has mastered the art of playing the quintessential Cruella De'Vil prototype.

Chandrachur Singh delivers a good enough performance in his so called 'comeback' venture. He plays Rameshwari's father and suits the role of a quiet, unassuming good man.

The music is sweet but is not as catchy or energetic as a children's film perhaps demands.

Maruti Mera Dosst comes across as a children's film and not a mytho that is preachy or boring. It also comes across as a project made with a lot of heart and effort. But then again, the film is extremely weak on 'star power' or 'glitz'. The Indian audience, however film starved for the past few months due to the producers-multiplex owners’ dispute would probably like to spend money on something with a little more glam quotient.

VERDICT: Take your kids if they are not already watching the many Disney DVDs at home.

RATING: 2/5

REVIEW: Zor Lagaa Ke...Haiya!

Due to too many unnecessary subplots, a brilliant thought becomes 'just another film'

The first that came to my mind while watching Girish Girija Joshi's Zor Lagaa Ke...Haiya is the fact that thankfully, unlike most 'children’s films' made in India, this one actually had kids as the 'heroes'. There was no Hanuman, Lord Shri Krishna or even a Krissh to help them out.

Having said that, let me also add that Zor Lagaa Ke... is no Harry Potter. It's not even a Spy Kids for that matter. It is a moralistic tale after all. The film somewhat reminded me of the good ol' didactic docu-features on Doordarshan… maybe just a bit glossier.

The film deals with illegal cutting of trees in cities such as Mumbai. There's a stereotypical bad man, a builder played by Gulshan Grover who is after one tree he wants to get cut. And the heroes, the ones who finally save the tree from this wicked builder are a bunch of kids and an old beggar played by Mithun Chakraborty.

It's quite endearing to watch the kids and the beggar work up one naughty trick after the other to save their tree. The exaggerated mannerisms of the villain Gulshan Grover and his side kick played by Mahesh Manjrekar also gives the film a fairytale-like appeal.

In fact, as far as performances are concerned, the actors put together a perfect show. Gulshan Grover and Mahesh Manjrekar look and behave exactly like a villain in a children's film should. They exaggerate. They scream. They shout. They roll their eyes comically. And live up to the proper Cruela De'Vil image.

Mithun Chakraborty as the beggar Raavan is great. One realises exactly why this Dalaal actor had already bagged three National Awards. It was definitely not for his disco, and he proves it in the film.

The children are sweet and though their act looks a little put on, its fun watching them on screen. Ashwin Chitale as the poor construction worker's son is perhaps the sweetest kid of the lot. He depicts the trials and tribulations of being a poor kid with big dreams to the 'T'.

Even the dialogues are well thought of. The kids for instance don't talk about childish tales and fantasies only. They present their childlike view of adult matters which is both sweet and very very real. I mean c'mon, how many times have you really come across a 10-yr-old talking about Alice and the Chesire cat? Chances are they will talk more about Paris Hilton and her pet chihuahua. The kids in the film, do exactly that.

Even the way the story is presented is quite different and appealing. Whenever the kids face a problem, they transform themselves into fictional dream characters to find a solution. While in one sequence they become Superman, Batman, Spiderman and Catwoman; at another instance, they become RGV's Sarkar, Mona Darling and such filmi characters.

But someone somewhere probably wanted to turn this didactic children's film to a multiplex masala entertainer…and there goes all the charm!

Unnecessary subplots, and songs that could very well have been done without takes away from the charm of this story which could have turned out to be a fun watch if not exactly a money-spinner. For example, Riya Sen in a promotional music video is good. But introducing her in bits and parts into the film for no apparent reason except to increase the glam quotient by a decimal degree is unnecessary and unforgivable. Also, Seema Biswas as the construction worker was kind of a waste considering she has only about one and a half scenes in the entire film which could have been done without as well.

Thus what could have been a charming film ends up being a mish-mash of nothing. The good performances are surely noticed. But too many unnecessary threads spoil the fun of this kiddie flick.

VERDICT: Kids may like it. You may want to take them to this one on a Sunday afternoon.

RATING: 2.5/5

REVIEW: Teree Sang

Both kids and adults should avoid this 'kidult' love story

You may think that when actors like Anupam Kher, Rajat Kapoor, Satish Kaushik, Neena Gupta and Sushmita Mukherjee come together, the film has GOT to be good. Think again! Teree Sang is a social message which should have remained just that – a message and not have transformed itself into hell-of-a pathetic film.

It's really not that tough to guess what the film is all about. From the promos, you might have gathered, the film is all about under-age pregnancy. But unlike Juno (a film with the same social message), this film falters in almost every scene. Starting from the one night that well, entails the rest of the film to the parents' reaction to the kids trying to brave hardships to have their baby, everything is extremely superficial and unconvincing.

What happened to Satish Kaushik? Why did he come up with a film with un-required humour, silly jokes scattered a bit too generously and an inane stream of sequences will forever remain a mystery.

And hey, these are not the only things that go wrong in the film. A film that could very well pass for an extended condom ad (We wondered why Nirodh had not sponsored it) was edited in a way that would put even sixth graders to shame. The worst happened of course when Neena Gupta had to shut up in mid-sentence (probably because even the makers realised the inanity of it all) and the film was hurriedly moved on to another scene.

Also the music. God the music! If you could only hear the Delhi Rap that comes within the initial half hour of the film you will know what I mean. Hearing it I felt sorry and my heart cried for every single self-respecting Delhiwallah.

Coming to the hero and the heroine of the film, Ruslaan Mumtaz is cute. Sheena Shahabadi is also ok. We do not write bad things about little kids. It might break their hearts.

VERDICT: Adults may talk to their kids about safe sex, condoms and being responsible and all of that at home. Kids just pay attention in your sex education classes. To learn all of the above, you do not have to punish yourselves with Teree Sang.

RATING: 1/5 (For the thought)

SRK has bad habits: Milind Soman

The word Body, Mind and Milind Soman together can create havoc to any woman's imagination. So just imagine when he talks about the secrets of his body and also reveals parts of his mind on camera! So here's something for all those women who have always drooled over the original hunk in India and the men who have wanted to be like him.

Excerpts from the interview:

Hi, Milind, after a long time you have been the ambassador for some product. You are championing the cause of 'fitness'... Why?

Fitness is important to me and I know a lot about it at least concerning myself. I would like to share my experiences, the philosophies that I have formed over the last 34 years. And I think I am fit. I just ran a full marathon. I have nothing to prove.

What about people who smoke? Can they be fit?

People who smoke do not understand what it is to be a non-smoker. And the reason I know that is because I used to smoke 30 cigarettes a day!

What's your fitness mantra?

My fitness mantra basically is 'use your brains'! (smiles)

How do you feel being the original sex god of India?

Did you just say 'sex god'? (laughs, blushes, laughs again)

Yeah, Sex God!

Well, I definitely enjoy people saying nice things about me. And if somebody likes me...what's wrong with that. I love it!

Does the obsession with six-packs and eight-packs matter to you?

Professionally yes. But to the person I am they don't matter at all. I like the body I have. It's an athletic body. But it's not over done. It performs well. I never had a six-pack. People always thought I did. I never had one, I still don't have one.

Which Bollywood actor do you think is the fittest?

All the slim actors look fit. Akshay Kumar of course heads that list. Because again, he has a functional body. Shah Rukh Khan also looks very very fit to me. Of course he has a lot of bad habits. He smokes a lot, he talks a lot (smiles). But apart from that, he is very very fit. If he chooses to poison himself then that's ok.

Ok, now give our viewers, three tips on fitness

It doesn't take a lot of time to achieve a level of fitness. The second thing is, choose an activity you enjoy. And the third thing is...never diet!

REVIEW: Quick Gun Murugun

We thought it would be a fun film. Stupid stupid thought! The tale of the original Indian cowboy, inspired by the quintessential 'Bawliwud Ishtylish' hero, Quick Gun Murugun is light years away from being anything funny.

Actually Quick Gun Murugun is like a plate of grossly overcooked pasta. It is not the usual fare and could have been tasty if cooked right. But instead ends up being a bowl of unpalatable sludge. And we can only blame the filmmakers for that. A spoof is a spoof – no logic, no storyline just a short while of mindless fun. Try turning that into a film, stretch it for 90 tedious minutes and this is what you'll end up with – sludge!

The story begins with QG Murugun dying. It is right about then that you'll realise how the makers are trying too hard to be extraordinarily 'cool' – something which in the nineties would have been referred to as extremely 'Yo!'. Chitragupta for example is a Gujarati man named C Gupta. And 'yamlok' is called the Ministry of Death. Things that would have been funny... in Class II.

Come interval, and you'll still be waiting to laugh. Really laugh. Some names here and some actions there might be funny. For example, a song sequence with Murugan (Dr Rajendrakumar) and his Locket Lover (Anu Menon aka Lola Kutty) dancing around trees is cute. It incorporates all the '60s Bollywood clichés right from flowers touching each other to depict an intimate (read kissing) scene to the quintessential park bench romance. However, most of the first half is too violent (for no apparent reason) to be fun.

Second half brings in the other character you might be waiting for – Mango Dolly. Rambha as the blonde-haired, bar dancer cum gangster's keep cum Miss India aspirant cum a lot of other things is good. But it's tough for even her to help sustain a film that stretches beyond measure. Her romance with Quick Gun is the only highlight of this half of the film. The extremely corny scenes and dialogues between them is good fun.

To give it to the actors, they have really lived up to their exaggerated characters. Dr Rajendraprasad is brilliant as Quick Gun Murugun. He doesn't laugh. He can't look at semi clad women. He winces when he sees Mango Dolly dance. Good! Raju Sundaram's portrayal of Rowdy MBA is also worth a mention. The two women Anu Menon (aka Lola Kutty of Channel V) as Locket Lover and Rambha as Mango Dolly live up to their characters as well.

With rich, vibrant colours and well executed special effects, the film has a very comic strip effect. The background score only adds to the effects. Every character has their unique musical track which plays when they enter or exit a scene. The same goes for similar situations. The songs however are nothing worth mentioning. And we could have lived without them.

Quick Gun Murugun thus, is a great character. He could have been the Indian Don Quixote. It's a pity, he ends up being an immense bore.

Verdict: What you've already seen of Quick Gun in trailers, is all that's worth seeing. Don't even bother watching the film. It will only spoil the character already created by Shah Rukh Khan in OSO years back.

RATING: 1.5/5

REVIEW: What's Your Rashee?

Twelve super sexy Priyankas. One Guinness book entry. One award winning director. And lots of publicity. Nothing can salvage this headache generator. Maybe the configuration of the stars was just not right!

So what's What's Your Rashee? all about?

Remember Mr Yogi on Doordarshan? Years back Mohan Gokhale had successfully lived this character on our telly screens - A NRI who comes to India to get married. And in each episode, Mr Yogi visits a different girl. Add a little bit of nonsensical, illogical twist of the Zodiac to this, and you'll get Gowariker's all new recipe for disaster – What's Your Rashee?

Harman (Hurman S.) Baweja plays Mr Yogesh Patel. He lives in Chicago. Studies MBA at the University, works part time at a firm and is a DJ by the night. His family lives in Mumbai. And when in trouble, they summon Yogesh back home.

Now Yogesh has to get married within 10 days. So, the boy decides to meet only 12 girls – one from each Rashee (Zodiac sign). Don't ask me why. Just go and get your hands on this book that Yogesh reads. Titled 'What's Your Rashee?' this book apparently preaches that women can be broadly categorised into 12 groups (the 12 zodiac signs). Impractical? Laughable? Wait! There's more!

So now Yogesh Patel, a seemingly normal and practical guy starts looking for a wife. And there's a story in every meeting. Filled with bittersweet emotions, every episode is meaningful. Some bring hope, some touch your heart and some are just plain funny or outrageous.

So why does the film give you a headache?

Try watching 12 episodes of Mr Yogi back to back in a crowded theatre, with the AC in full blast and oh did I forget to mention, at least one song in each episode. You will want to wash your face, fast forward bits and parts, pause it in the middle to make a cup of tea and so on and so forth. Unfortunately, with What's Your Rashee? you can't do any of those.

The film is over three-and-a-half hours long and has too many songs which the audience could have lived without. In fact the song and dance sequences however nicely done will begin to pi** you off towards the end.

After two hours of the first half, numerous songs (by that time you have given up counting) when you finally get to breathe fresh air, chances are you will also want to leave the building. Because deep down you know that when you go back, nothing much is going to change. Yogesh Patel will still meet the other six girls and something or the other will happen in each case. The only thing that might get you inside is the curiousity to know which girl he finally marries.

But even that, I must warn you, is not incentive enough. Primarily because the moral of the story makes the so called 'choice' irrelevant. It takes out the zing from what could have been the most attractive part of the film.

Other things you might look for in the film…

Most of us will start identifying with our Rashee involuntarily as soon as the film starts. We'll wait till that particular Priyanka appears on screen. To tell you the truth, most of us might just end up being disappointed. Every Priyanka is a different woman under different circumstances – it has nothing to do with her Rashee!

The second thing we'll all look out for is Priyanka. 12 roles. 12 different characters. And Priyanka puts life to each and every one of them. Whether it's the strong independent Libra girl or the meek, submissive 15-yr-old Capricorn, Priyanka brings out their mannerisms extremely well. Even in a song where all Priyankas dance together, she brings out their basic characteristic by doing the same step in 12 different ways. Awesome work!

Harman, poor Harman. Something must be awfully wrong with his Rashee. The boy is a good actor, has great screen presence, is good looking and his dance moves can surpass even Hrithik Roshan's. This film is all his. It's his story that we see on screen. He is the hero of this picaresque story. And hey, he justifies the character pretty well. He obviously can't be Mohan Gokhale (Mr Yogi will always be him), but Harman in his own way gives life to this sweet, simple, funny and at times pathetic Yogesh Patel. Despite all this and more, the actor has ended up with a hat-trick (2050, Victory and now this). SIGH!!

Rashee is no Jodhaa Akbar. It is not even Lagaan. So don't expect Gowariker to build lavish sets where it's not required. Rashee is more like a Swades in that way. It's about simple everyday people who live in simple flats in Mumbai and visit the marine drive or Haji Ali at the most. No Neeta Lulla designs or Tanishq special collection jewellery to steal your breath either.

At times one may feel that Gowariker is better off doing period films that require a big scale production. Everyday films are just not his cup of tea. The problem? He makes it too normal. Too 'everyday'. There's a tale. But there's no twist to it. There's a heart. But it doesn't have erratic BP. Rashee is too simple… almost mundane like everyday life.

VERDICT: It's too long. Too inane. And at times, very boring. Buy the DVD, in parts if possible but there's no way you can sit through it in the theatre.

RATING: 2/5

REVIEW: Main Aurr Mrs Khanna

Salman Khan is a good man. He stood by his brother Sohail forever. And finally, FINALLY, his efforts seem to be paying off. With Main Aurr Mrs Khanna, Sohail Khan manages to negate all the silly cameos in disastrous productions (Hello, for example) he made his brother, Salman do for him.

Unexpected – is how I would describe this Salman-Kareena-Sohail starrer. I mean, what do you normally expect from a film with Sohail Khan in the lead? Silly jokes. Unrecognisable sounds/grunts. Corny dialogues. Sohail's overdone and so-not-funny antics. This film has it all. YES! But, despite all that, the film is good.

Well, maybe it's not as entertaining as Salman's last film Wanted, but Main Aurr Mrs Khanna, with Salman's 'extended special appearance' (whatever THAT means) is meaningful. Without being too pretentious or soppy, the film brings out some basic emotional problems that, if given a chance, Yash Chopra would have turned into a 3-hour musical saga! (Not that I don't like soppy or YRF)

For example, when Sohail sees Kareena for the first time, his friend asks whether it was 'love at first sight'? Sohail answers back saying, it wasn't. Because 'love' doesn't happen at first sight. It's probably 'lust' at first sight. But hey, hold on love might just follow. When you hear it for the first time, it sounds outright corny. More so because it was Sohail Khan saying it. But think back, and you'll realise how true it is.

Okay, now for the story.

Main Aurr Mrs Khanna is about Mrs Khanna settled in Melbourne, Australia. It's her life through her eyes. Mrs Raina Khanna (Kareena Kapoor) narrates the story of her life from a juncture when her marriage seems to be falling apart. She takes us back to the first time when she met Mr Sameer Khanna (Salman Khan) and tells us how from being an orphan without a surname (which here refers to identity/roots/sense of belonging) she becomes Mrs Khanna.

Her husband Sameer loves her but currently without a job, feels frustrated and trying to keep his wife out of his troubles, keeps her at a hand's distance. Raina feels lost. She follows her husband, supports him and agrees to everything he does or says without an opinion of her own. Sameer decides to relocate to Singapore and leave everything in Melbourne behind to make a successful career. Raina being herself follows him without a word (though she has her own circle of friends and a job in the city).

Raina is shaken when she realises that Sameer has arranged for her to go back to his parents' place in Delhi and move to Singapore alone without even asking or telling her. The fact that she has found an identity – Mrs Khanna, but no individuality strikes us as much as it strikes the character in the film. No drastic fight scene follows. There is no jarring music. No old uncle comes to give Raina a shoulder to cry on. However, Raina's silent tears tell us how it must feel when the only stable factor in one's life is removed.

So Mrs Khanna for perhaps the first time in her life takes a decision for herself and her marriage. She would wait for her husband where he left her. And meanwhile, she would get a job.

In comes Mr Sohail Khan as Akash. Silly, corny, stupid and an extremely normal guy Akash. He is no Romeo reincarnate. He likes good looking sexy women. Needless to say, he gets attracted to Mrs Khanna. But then again, he is no Gabbar either. He does not try to grope or physically molest Raina. He tries hard to make her fall in love with him but is just as happy being her friend.

And so, with a few twist and turns (nothing drastic) the story unfolds…

As for the performances…

Salman Khan has come a long, loooooong way from the days when he could only remove his shirt and crack silly jokes in a film. Last time he cried on screen sprawled in a desert (and also in a opera house in the same film) we laughed! I had then decided that maybe, Salman was better off doing silly roles. Remove shirt, we drool, who wants anything else, right? WRONG!

Salman it so appears, doesn't need to cry anymore. With his extremely expressive and moist eyes, body language and face, he doesn't even need words to make you realise how much it hurts when the one you love is in pain. And more so when you are the cause of it. As Mr Khanna, Salman Khan excels himself (and we are comparing him to his last film only). He doesn't talk in an accent. He doesn't strip. He doesn't make funny faces (maybe just a little in one song). He slips into Mr Khanna's character with complete ease.

There were rumours that many actresses had refused to do this film. Why did they? Well, good for them! And good for Kareena. She doesn't only look nice in the film but does her character total justice. Mrs Khanna is the central figure of the film. Its her story. It's her emotions we experience. Kareena Kapoor only makes it easier for us.

She looks great with Salman. Their chemistry is just right for a married couple. They are comfortable. The love obviously shows. But there's no excessive display of affection. Also, Kareena's wardrobe of extremely expensive but non-flashy (unlike Kambakkht Ishq) sleeveless but mostly high-necked dresses that fit her beautifully also fits her character Mrs Khanna well.

The surprise package however is Sohail Khan. He finally acts! Of course he grunts, makes funny faces and does silly antics too. But that only adds to his character and the film. He could very well have been a serious-faced, over emotional character who rushes to make Mrs Khanna's life a dream. But Sohail sticks to being just Akash. He is no magician. He is no superhuman. He is just a normal boy driven by hormones but also with his heart at the right place. And Sohail carries out his role perfectly. As a friend very aptly pointed out, Sohail is no Naseeruddin Shah. But then he's not bad. And he's definitely better than himself in any of his other films.

Yash Tonk is Akash's friend Harsh. And the guy is good! While Sohail Khan's silly antics look… well, silly! Yash Tonk's funny remarks are actually laughable and cute. And this actor is a natural. He should stick to comedy.

Then there's Preity Zinta. The much publicised 'item' number which the director did not want to call 'item' number was actually not required. Preity Zinta herself was not really required in the film. But well, it does help the male eyes a bit. And the song is fun!

Well, believe it or not, there's Bappi Lahiri! As a store owner and employer of Mrs Khanna, Bappida is cute in his own way. He sings. He moves his bulk around. Though at times unnecessary, his character does bring a smile to your face.

So does it work?

I say, it does. The film has a good subject. It's well shot, Though the spelling errors are appalling – I mean 'Someday's later'? (Please note the apostrophe) What does that MEAN? I would like Sohail Khan to please stand up and explain. When one is making a film, good or bad, one should at least try to keep such glaring, obscene mistakes under control. Totally NOT ALLOWED!

Some may even find a few dialogues a bit silly and slightly corny. But hey it's Bollywood! At least they have not created small rivulets of tears on the sets by being soppy. It's a nice story of a simple girl told in a plain un-exaggerated way.

Less than two hours, the film has its pace and does not bore you with too many unnecessary songs. Though, maybe, it could have been shortened further by cutting out some of the corny dialogues, the extended scene with Preity Zinta before her item… oops! 'dance' number. Also the surprise in the end was nice. But what was the point of killing it by extending it for full two minutes?

And should you watch it?

If you find laughing your guts out and rolling in your seats entertaining, Main Aurr Mrs Khanna is NOT for you. If you don't mind watching a neat little story about a girl which won't leave you laughing but might make you smile, go for it!

Also, if you are in love with Salman Khan, try to keep yourself from killing Katrina Kaif after you have watched the film. If you are not in love with him, go for it, you'll end up falling in love with Mr Sameer Khanna.

VERDICT: Main Aurr Mrs Khanna is not entertaining in the accepted sense of the word. But it's a neat little film which teaches a lot about life. It's not fun, it's meaningful. It definitely isn't Oscar material, but it (and I'll use this much abused phrase here) has its heart in the right place.

RATING: 3/5

Did Michael Jackson really die?

Mr Kenny Ortega can't be thanked enough for such a wonderful tribute to the King Of Pop. For recreating the magic in millions of hearts across the globe. For showing us the good part of Michael Jackson's death after all the rotten rumours and controversies – This Is It!

Michael Jackson was coming back on stage LIVE after 12 years. There was anticipation. There was hope. There was madness. There were millions of fans who fought for that one entry to London's O2 arena. This was Jackson's 'final curtain call'. This was his chance to prove himself, yet again! This was any fan's dream come true. This was what memories are made of. This was historic. But then the King himself died.

What followed was anything but music. There were accusations. There was a lot of fight over money. Not even his kids were spared. Was he gay? Was he impotent? Was he in debt? Everybody wanted to know what killed Jacko. Nobody bothered about the one thing that kept him alive – Music!

Thank god for Kenny and the team who were to perform for this historic concert. They remembered!

And now, months after MJ's death, they have brought the King back to life. And this time, to live forever. We can never thank them enough!

It was not just us who were waiting for this concert to happen. Kenny and his team show us how much it mattered, what it meant, what it could have been for Michael Jackson himself. Through This Is It, a compilation of Jacko's rehearsals for the big event, Kenny says it all.

Jacko shouldn't have died. Sure. But since he had to take his leave, there couldn't have been a better time than this. It was the year of his final concert. It was time for him to retire from music. And what is Michael Jackson without the music? Just a bag of rude accusations, controversies, dirty divorce battles… It was music that made MJ beautiful. This Is It tells us just that.

It not only shows us what we could have seen at the O2 arena. It tells us a story. The story of Michael Jackson and his men. The story of his fight for revival. The story of a man who had no clue these were his few last moments. And it makes you want to yell.

It brings to life some of the biggest Jackson hits in a bigger and better way. It tells you how much Jackson wanted this concert to work. This shows you how much he loved music. This tells you what Michael Jackson really was. And if you aren't a MJ lover already, this makes you fall in love with the man forever!

MJ cannot die! Many fans wish it. The film proves it.

This Is It is so energetic it defies death. He danced for God's sake! Jacko made it to every rehearsal, put his life in every step, every pelvic thrust. The feature shows us how MJ, however ill, pushed himself harder everyday to make his final curtain call bigger than ever.

Thank you, Kenny for making his wish come true. Thank you for making his death beautiful. For telling the world there's not just a bunch of controversies that make Jackson. For showing us what really defined Michael Jackson. If there had to be a fitting tribute to the King Of Pop, This Is (definitely) It!