Movies/Entertainment
hindi MOVIE PREVIEWS
“Piku” Starring Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Irrfan Khan; directed by Shoojit Sarkar; music by Anupam Roy.
The award-winning director of “Vicky Donor” and “Madras Café” brings this quirky drama about the relationship of a Delhi-based father and daughter. Deepika Padukone plays the independent Piku, an architect who runs a small business while taking care of her 70-year-old father Bhashkor Banerji, played by Amitabh Bachchan. Bhashkor spends most of his time obsessing about health issues and demands Piku’s attention 24/7 leaving her with little time for much else. Personal pursuits don't seem possible. While they are deeply attached to each other, both are stubborn and don’t back down when dealing with the other's idiosyncrasies. After Bhashkor convinces Piku to take a trip from Delhi to Kolkata, the owner of the local cab service Rana, played by Irrfan Khan, must drive them himself since none of his drivers want to deal with Piku or her eccentric father. During this road trip, they learn to deal with each other's moods and habits as they return to their Kolkata roots. A strong mix of motion, emotion and commotion follows.
“Bombay Velvet” Starring Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Karan Johar, Kay Kay Menon; directed by Anurag Kashyap; music by Amit Trivedi.
From the groundbreaking director of “Gangs of Wasseypur,” this 1960s period drama is based on the book “Mumbai Fables,” by historian Gyan Prakash, which tells the story of how the city of Mumbai came to be a metropolis. Ranbir Kapoor stars as Johnny Balraj, a street-fighter struggling for success who joins the construction business and becomes a tycoon. Paired together for the first time, Anushka Sharma plays Rosie Noronha, a vibrant jazz singer, Johnny’s love interest. Filmmaker Karan Johar dons his acting cap to play the villainous role of Kaizad Khambata, a flamboyant, sharp, media mogul, Johnny’s arch rival. Kay Kay Menon portrays Inspector Kulkarni. The makers describe the story as an “ordinary man who goes against all odds and forges his destiny to become a 'big shot' and how one man's dream becomes every man's nightmare,” against the backdrop of love, greed, violence and jazz. Much effort has been made to capture the look of the era with the hairstyles, makeup and costumes. The film was extensively shot in Sri Lanka where the city of Mumbai was recreated. Ravenna Tandon makes a special appearance.
“Tanu Weds Manu Returns” Starring R. Madhavan, Kangana Ranaut, Jimmy Shergill, Deepak Dobriyal, Swara Bhaskar; directed by Aanand L. Rai; music by Tanishk-Vayu, Krsna.
If you enjoyed the 2011 original, you’ll be looking forward to this sequel, which picks up where the earlier film ended. Kangana Ranaut and R. Madhavan reprise their lead roles. Fresh off her National Award-winning performance in last year’s “Queen,” Ranaut plays a double role as both Tanu and Kusum, a spirited athlete. Dr. Manoj Sharma and Tanuja Tiwari are married and now settled in London. A few years later, problems arise but he stays committed to the relationship while she doesn’t. He keeps occupied with his work, she is not and a split seems inevitable. Tanu flies back home and her beloved hubby putting his practice on hold soon follows. In India, Manu meets and falls in love with her doppelganger, Kusum, a bindaas Haryanvi athlete. Reports say Ranaut trained extensively for the part and learned how to triple jump. The highly underrated Jimmy Shergill also returns as Raja Awasthi, Tanu’s first love. The makers say the script is the hero here and have tried to make part two better than the original. The vibrant soundtrack is sure to climb the charts.