BOLLYWOOD PREVIEWS
HINDI MOVIE RELEASES EXPECTED THIS MONTH
Sridevi goes to class in “English Vinglish.”
“English Vinglish” Starring Sridevi, Mehdi Nebbou, Priya Anand, Ross Nathan, Rajeev Ravindranathan; directed by Gauri Shinde; music by Amit Trivedi.
After a 15-year break and to the delight of her fans, Sridevi is back on the silver screen in this light-hearted comedy, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September to sold-out crowds and rave reviews. “English Vinglish” is the directorial debut of Gauri Shinde and produced by her husband R. Balki, director of “Paa” and “Cheeni Kum.” Shinde also wrote the story, which she says was inspired by her mother. Sridevi plays Shashi, a devoted mother and wife and also a great cook living in domestic contentment in Pune. She has one reason for insecurity, her husband and children often tease her because of her poor English skills. When Shashi has to travel to the United States to help her niece prepare for her upcoming wedding, that concern grows even more serious. Shashi keeps facing the limits of her language skills and is judged by society because of it. While her niece attends classes, Shashi explores Manhattan and soon begins a transformational journey after she enrolls in an English language class. Circumstances make her determined to overcome her insecurity and teach the world a lesson along the way. Most of the film takes place in New York, capturing the struggle of people from all over trying to learn a new language. Amitabh Bachchan is featured in a cameo.
Rani Mukerji and Southern actor Prithviraj
stir the pot in “Aiyyaa.”
“Aiyyaa” Starring Rani Mukerji, Prithviraj, Nirmiti Sawant, Satish Alekar, Subokh Bhave; directed by Sachin Kundalkar; music by Amit Trivedi.
This quirky comedy about a Marathi girl falling for a Tamil guy is a love story with the backdrop of a Marathi-Tamil culture clash. Rani Mukerji plays Meenakshi Deshpande and depicts her story. Meenakshi has an eccentric family, her father, played by Satish Alekar, is a simple person but her mother played by Nirmiti Sawant is just the opposite as she is loud and funny. And then there’s her brother and grandmother to add to the pandemonium. The Deshpande family is worried about Meenakshi’s marriage as she has grown up and they are hunting for a suitable groom for her. Meenakshi often gets lost in her dream-like Bollywood fantasy world. She gets a job at an art college where she meets many prospects on her groom-hunt mission. That’s where she finds the one, a Tamil art student named Surya, played by South star Prithviraj, making his Hindi film debut. She finds him attractive for an unusual reason. But Meenakshi’s family doesn’t want to accept Surya as her groom because of his Tamil culture. Watch for a lavani dance by Mukerji.
Arjun Rampal and Esha Gupta battle
Naxalites in “Chakravyuh.”
“Chakravyuh” Starring Arjun Rampal, Abhay Deol, Om Puri, Manoj Bajpai, Kabir Bedi, Esha Gupta, Deep Raj Rana; directed by Prakash Jha; music by Salim-Sulaiman.
“Chakravyuh” is a political thriller and social commentary on the Naxalites, who recently have been named the most serious internal threat to India’s national security, told through the story of two best friends. Arjun Rampal plays Adil Khan, a decorated police officer, posted to Nandighat, after a massacre of 84 policemen. He discovers that the Maoists have control of the area. Manoj Bajpai plays their ruthless leader, Rajan, who manages to thwart most police efforts. That’s when old friend Kabir, played by Abhay Deol re-enters Adil’s life. A wanderer by nature, Kabir’s only anchor is his loyalty and friendship with Adil. To help his friend, Kabir proposes to infiltrate Rajan’s group an informer to help smash the organization. The plan succeeds and soon Rajan is captured. But Kabir begins discovering a different reality, the helplessness of the rural poor, displaced in the name of development. Their land and water snatched by the government to allow big business to exploit the area. Kabir also can’t help but get close to the activists, especially Juhi, a dedicated revolutionary with a tender heart. The confusion in Kabir’s heart increases. Who does he support and who does he fight? He finds himself in a chakravyuh from which there is no retreat.