Singam - Hindi Movie Review

Action Packed Flick with Powerful Performances

I had watched the Tamil version of this movie while I was in the US and knew the plot pretty much. Then the much promoted Hindi movie released when I landed in Bangalore and I thought I should take a look and see what Ajay Devgan has done. Whether the Hindi version was better or the Tamil one was more entertaining. Well after watching the movie I must say I enjoyed the Hindi version better, simply because I understood what was being said and the superior technical details. Performance wise the stars in both languages have delivered equally well.

The story is a typical Good cop versus corrupt police department and their political and rowdy henchmen. A honest inspector has a tangle with a politically well connected underworld don and that starts off an ego issue between them. The cop gets transferred to the big bad city where every one in the police department is corrupt and hand-in-glove with the thugs and politicians. The rest of the story is about how the cop combats his frustrations and eliminates the rowdy elements of the big city.

There was no need for a heroine in this movie and I don't know why good film makers see the need to include a pretty face even though the script doesn't demand one. If only Indian film makers were to see the potential of movies without song and dance routines, and heroines showing off their curves and skin I am pretty sure the industry would be able to attain new heights. But I guess right now the industry is still not mature enough... maybe the audience isn't also...

Movie Review: Raakshasa

Story of an Honest Cop

When I was in India I rarely watched movies, and when I did I preferred to go to English, Hindi, and Kannada movies in that order. After coming to the US I have watched more Kannada movies than ever before. Probably because I don't want to lose touch with the language that I was raised talking. Here I rarely speak my mother tongue - Kannada.

Anyway coming back to the movie under review, I stumbled upon this movie quite by accident while searching for something to watch on Youtube. This movie according to the producer/ director is based on real incidents. The film centers around the exploits of ACP Harish Chandra (Shivrajkumar) who constantly puts his life in line to perform his duty. He kills the younger brother of underworld don Shabbir Khan while trying to arrest the latter. Khan swears revenge and tries to eliminate Harish Chandra and family, but succeeds in killing only his wife and son.

ACP Harish Chandra returns to police force with a vengeance and is made the head of the Anti-Rowdy squad in which he successfully eliminates notorious miscreants in the state. Meanwhile Shabbir Khan returns to India from Dubai to settle scores with ACP Harish Chanddra and regain control over his underworld empire. The story ends with a different type of ending, once again displaying the broadminded nature of Kannadigas.

I must say that this movie is one of the few fast paced movies that doesn't bore the viewer. I only fast forwarded the songs. Ruthika the heroine looks good but has no role in the movie, if the songs and unnecessary drama were cut out the movie would probably be comparable to any fast-paced Hollywood movie. I guess Sadhu Kokila the director should think about making a fast paced narrative story like this without songs and unnecessary drama.

Bottom line is that Kannada film industry is moving forward and making better movies. Cinema that is watchable and entertaining.

Apaharan Movie Review

How Criminals are Made?

This is one of the movies based on real incidents that took place in India. The name of the movie Apaharan meaning "Kidnap" itself indicates the theme of the film. The movie is about the rampant kidnapping that used to take place in one of the most lawless regions of India.

Three main themes dominate the storyline of Apaharan: the controversial and ubiquitous nexus between politicians and mafia; greed for position and power inherent in political leaders who will stoop to any levels to retain them; and finally how innocent youth caught in this anarchic could easily get disillusioned and resort to crime.

The movie centers around two main characters: Ajay Shastri (Ajay Devgan) and his father Prof. Raghuvansh Shastri (Mohan Agashe). The other main character in the movie is Tabrez Alam played by Nana Patekar. The heroine played by Bipasha Basu is more like a guest appearance than a heroine, she pretty much doesn't have any role in the film.

Ajay Shastri and his father share a tumultuous relationship. While his father is fighting against corruption, Ajay is running from pillar to post trying to land a job in the police department. In between Tabrez Alam, sitting MLA is running his own kidnapping mafia on the sly. Ajay gets drawn into the kidnapping mafia when he borrows money to bribe the bureaucrats for a police job. This involvement makes him the right hand man of Tabrez Alam and the leader of the mafia.

Meanwhile a journalist Akash Ranjan (Anup Soni) threatens to expose all the corruption to public. Ajay is given the assignment to eliminate Akash Ranjan by Tabrez Alam but at the last moment he finds out that it is none other than his father Prof. Raghuvansh Shastri who is behind the corruption expose. This makes Ajay realize his fault and he decides to turn himself in and with the help of an honest police officer he makes a statement against all involved including Tabrez Alam. Corruption wins and instead of getting punished Tabrez Alam becomes a minister.

The movie shows how legislative, executive and judiciary branches of the government are manipulated by self serving politicians in India.