Bollywood Wave

In this reviewer’s humble opinion, there is a fine line between having your own sound and being repetitive.

A R Rahman is one of the few music directors in Bollywood — or for that matter anywhere — who can tread that line.

– rediffNews 3/5

‘Guru’ leaves quite a classy impression. On one side there are some lovable songs like ‘Barso Re’, ‘Bin Tere’ and ‘Mayya’ while on the other side there is a track like ‘Jaage Hain’. Though ‘Ay Hairathe’ would invite mixed response, ‘Ek Lo Ek Muft and ‘Baazi Laga’ would have to depend a lot on the way they are presented on screen.

– indiafm 4.5/5

Vivah (romance)
Cast: Shahid Kapur, Amrita Rao, Aloknath, Anupam Kher
Direction : Sooraj Barjatya

There’s something about Sooraj Barjatya. Something uncanny. The man ostensibly tries to talk about the beauty of Indian traditions, customs, rituals, morality, chastity, purity, spirituality, virginity, family, clan, nation…Ostensibly, everything’s that good and great, needed and wanted. Then why do we end up feeling that all these hallowed words are actually a synonym for ‘regressive’.

Sample this. Midway between his murmurings (yes, Shahid Kapur literally murmurs through the entire film, and we’ll tell you why later), the groom-to-be realises that he is always talking, oops murmuring, about himself. Why don’t you tell me about yourself, about your feelings, your mindset, he asks his betrothed (Amrita Rao). Hm! Good observation. Well, the betrothed opens her eyes (yes, she keeps them closed whenever the guy talks to her), clears her throat and says: “Today, while serving pakodas to chachaji, I felt like crying!” That’s the first time she talks about HER feelings. Need we say more.

So, as we pointed out, Sooraj Barjatya actually has noble intentions. He wants to make a film about the sanctity of arranged marriages in an age when marriage — of all kinds — is becoming an endangered institution. But we, the poor janata end brainwhacked with endless hosannas to the ‘ideal’ jodi: a guy who mumbles because his bride-to-be might faint if he spoke in normal tones (can you imagine what she’d do if he behaved like a normal new millennium dude?) and a girl who doesn’t think it’s right to communicate with her fiancee neither through SMS nor e-mail. The rest, let’s just leave unsaid. Specially since, her most intelligent statement is about how one should not drink iced water during a cold. Like his earlier films, the film serenades the small town girl once again as the epitome of virtues as opposed to the contrasexual cosmo gal. But unlike his earlier films, which somehow managed to ride on the charisma of Madhuri and Salman, Vivah almost suffocates you with it’s holier-than-thou attitude.

More importantly, the film has no story whatsoever and is just a plain and simple documentation of something as banal as an engagement to a vivah , interspersed with the usual picnics and clandestine rooftop trips. All this unfolds against a ‘divya vatavaran’, (spiritual environment) as the hero puts it, with the heroine serving umpteen glasses of ‘jal’ to the sundry chahchaji , chahchijis , bhabhijis …

For those who still like their cinema smelling of Savlon, Vivah is a one-call stop.

TimesOfIndia

Subhash K Jha on the upsides and flipsides of Umrao Jaan - IndiaFM

For creating an Umrao who stays in our hearts and for giving Aishwarya Rai her fifth memorable role(after Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Devdas, Chokher Bali and Provoked ) J.P. Dutta must take a bow.

This is a film that does the Movie Moghul and Hindi cinema proud.

Umrao Jaan - Endless Tragedy of Errors - IndiaGlitz

I felt totally sapped at the end of this endless saga and I even stopped sympathizing with the miserable misery of the protagonist. Now, how can I ask you to go through the same suffering! Watch Ash in ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’ (if you wish to feast on her beauty and music) instead.

Umrao Jaan: Plastic-Beauty-Isn’t-A-Joy-For-Sure!

Rating: **

Umrao Jaan Review by Nikhat Kazmi of TOI

Aishwarya as Umrao? Aha! Now that’s a toughie. Let’s just say, she’s riveting in places, diligent throughout and tries so hard to recreate a lost world of grandeur that your heart almost goes out to her. Specially when somewhere under your breath you keep calling out for Rekha Jaan and her ‘aankhon ki masti’ that mesmerised you, not so long ago.

Umrao Jaan stumped at the box-office

J.P. Dutta, the war-film specialist, failed with his courtesan drama of the 19th century. The opening day collections of Umrao Jaan were much below average and the going will get even tougher. Adlabs had released the film world-wide.

Umrao Jaan lacks the ada

Though comparing the film with the 1981 magnum opus is not fair, what does one do with a baggage of incredible weight? One simply remembers it again and decides to go back to it once more. For its poetry, beauty, charm and history. One goes back to it for its ada. One wants to return to Umrao Jaan.

Rating: **

Umrao Jaan opens to a lukewarm response in city

Umrao Jaan Ada, it seems, could not cut much ice with the youth of the city, while the middle-aged and elderly couples appreciated the film on its opening day today.