Mp4walas

After attempting the shockingly real AAMIR and fight-for-justice human drama NO ONE KILLED JESSICA, both grim and gritty celluloid offerings, Rajkumar Gupta now tiptoes into an unfamiliar terrain with GHANCHAKKAR, his first light-hearted entertainer with a twist in the end.
As a matter of fact, GHANCHAKKAR is one of those rare films that attempts to marry crime and humor. But the film, which does boast of a fascinating premise, goes awry after an attention-grabbing start. Reasons? The screenwriting lacks meat, the pacing is sluggish and the culmination, which should’ve been the icing on the cake, is an anti-climax.
In a nutshell, the winning combo — Gupta-Vidya [NO ONE KILLED JESSICA] and Emraan-Vidya [THE DIRTY PICTURE] — misfires this time!
Sanju [Emraan Hashmi] decides to team up with two criminals, Pandit [Rajesh Sharma] and Idris [Namit Das], to commit one last heist. A bank robbery that will ensure he doesn’t have to worry about money again. Everything goes according to plan. Sanju is entrusted with the responsibility of hiding the money till things cool down and the booty can be split. Two months later, Pandit and Idris return to collect their share of the loot, but Sanju refuses to recognize them. He claims to have lost his memory. Has he? Or is he lying?
With a plot that had the potential to transform into an engaging and outrageous entertainer, GHANCHAKKAR gets repetitive and tedious after Gupta introduces the four pivotal characters. Everything’s fine till Emraan, Rajesh and Namit pull off the heist, but the writers run out of ideas after this point actually. Ideally, the film should’ve sky-rocketed after the goons return to collect the loot, but what unravels seems repetitive and cyclic. To make matters worse, the episodes are unexciting, humdrum and monotonous.
The post-interval portions have their moments, but they are few and far between. The spectator gets immersed in the narrative, albeit briefly, when the finger of suspicion points towards Vidya. But the culmination to the tale throws a wet blanket. It would be unfair to reveal the twist in the tale, but all I can say is that the film should’ve ended on a terrific note, but it doesn’t.
Gupta carts the burden of over expectations on his shoulders, since his last two endeavors had met with critical commendation and commercial success. Will he outdo himself with GHANCHAKKAR, the vital question crosses your mind before the commencement of the film. But the writing lets him down and how! With a bland and lackluster screenplay on hand, there’s not much Gupta can do to salvage the show. The soundtrack [Amit Trivedi] too is below the mark. ‘Allah Meherbaan’ looks completely forced, while the title track [end credits] is functional. Cinematography is passable.
The four actors [Emraan, Vidya, Rajesh and Namit] put their best foot forward. Emraan makes an earnest effort to deviate from his on-screen image and he does exceptionally well. It’s indeed refreshing to see Emraan go full throttle to get the part right. Known for choosing qualitative films, Vidya delivers a knock-out performance yet again. Playing a Punjabi housewife, Vidya sure knows how to entertain. Frankly, it’s a new Vidya that you get to see in GHANCHAKKAR, who gets the comic timing spot on.
Rajesh Sharma, who impressed the audience in NO ONE KILLED JESSICA and LUV SHUV TEY CHICKEN KHURANA, is in super form. Namit Das has grown tremendously as an actor, since WAKE UP SID. He’s another talent to look forward to. Parvin Dabas is satisfactory in a cameo. The actor [who appears in the final stages of the film] lacks fervor.
On the whole, GHANCHAKKAR has splendid performances by its principal cast, but the bland and tedious narrative plays spoilsport. This one disheartens!

After attempting the shockingly real AAMIR and fight-for-justice human drama NO ONE KILLED JESSICA, both grim and gritty celluloid offerings, Rajkumar Gupta now tiptoes into an unfamiliar terrain with GHANCHAKKAR, his first light-hearted entertainer with a twist in the end.
As a matter of fact, GHANCHAKKAR is one of those rare films that attempts to marry crime and humor. But the film, which does boast of a fascinating premise, goes awry after an attention-grabbing start. Reasons? The screenwriting lacks meat, the pacing is sluggish and the culmination, which should’ve been the icing on the cake, is an anti-climax.
In a nutshell, the winning combo — Gupta-Vidya [NO ONE KILLED JESSICA] and Emraan-Vidya [THE DIRTY PICTURE] — misfires this time!
Sanju [Emraan Hashmi] decides to team up with two criminals, Pandit [Rajesh Sharma] and Idris [Namit Das], to commit one last heist. A bank robbery that will ensure he doesn’t have to worry about money again. Everything goes according to plan. Sanju is entrusted with the responsibility of hiding the money till things cool down and the booty can be split. Two months later, Pandit and Idris return to collect their share of the loot, but Sanju refuses to recognize them. He claims to have lost his memory. Has he? Or is he lying?
With a plot that had the potential to transform into an engaging and outrageous entertainer, GHANCHAKKAR gets repetitive and tedious after Gupta introduces the four pivotal characters. Everything’s fine till Emraan, Rajesh and Namit pull off the heist, but the writers run out of ideas after this point actually. Ideally, the film should’ve sky-rocketed after the goons return to collect the loot, but what unravels seems repetitive and cyclic. To make matters worse, the episodes are unexciting, humdrum and monotonous.
The post-interval portions have their moments, but they are few and far between. The spectator gets immersed in the narrative, albeit briefly, when the finger of suspicion points towards Vidya. But the culmination to the tale throws a wet blanket. It would be unfair to reveal the twist in the tale, but all I can say is that the film should’ve ended on a terrific note, but it doesn’t.
Gupta carts the burden of over expectations on his shoulders, since his last two endeavors had met with critical commendation and commercial success. Will he outdo himself with GHANCHAKKAR, the vital question crosses your mind before the commencement of the film. But the writing lets him down and how! With a bland and lackluster screenplay on hand, there’s not much Gupta can do to salvage the show. The soundtrack [Amit Trivedi] too is below the mark. ‘Allah Meherbaan’ looks completely forced, while the title track [end credits] is functional. Cinematography is passable.
The four actors [Emraan, Vidya, Rajesh and Namit] put their best foot forward. Emraan makes an earnest effort to deviate from his on-screen image and he does exceptionally well. It’s indeed refreshing to see Emraan go full throttle to get the part right. Known for choosing qualitative films, Vidya delivers a knock-out performance yet again. Playing a Punjabi housewife, Vidya sure knows how to entertain. Frankly, it’s a new Vidya that you get to see in GHANCHAKKAR, who gets the comic timing spot on.
Rajesh Sharma, who impressed the audience in NO ONE KILLED JESSICA and LUV SHUV TEY CHICKEN KHURANA, is in super form. Namit Das has grown tremendously as an actor, since WAKE UP SID. He’s another talent to look forward to. Parvin Dabas is satisfactory in a cameo. The actor [who appears in the final stages of the film] lacks fervor.
On the whole, GHANCHAKKAR has splendid performances by its principal cast, but the bland and tedious narrative plays spoilsport. This one disheartens!

RAANJHANAA narrates the story of Kundan [Dhanush], who falls in love with Zoya [Sonam Kapoor] the moment he sets his eyes on her. The story takes a turn when Zoya goes to Delhi for further education. There, she falls in love with a budding politician [Abhay Deol]. But there are complications in this love triangle…
Initially, RAANJHANAA manages to hook you with the atmospherics, but the ingenious narrative and worthy performances win you over gradually. The romance, the simplistic lines, the heartbreak… the film transports you to a different zone altogether. The dream-like world gives the impression of being pure and unadulterated initially, but this illusory world is soon shattered by reality [read corrupted by greed and power] as the plot thickens.
There are times when you feel Aanand might borrow from romantic movies of yore — most storytellers take the tried and trusted course to appease the spectator — but the plot changes relentlessly as it advances. Let me add, it’s not the customary love yarn we spectators are habituated to watching on the Hindi screen. The sequences between the lead pair are humorous and endearing, with some distinctive moments. There are heartrending and distressing flashes too and also sequences that astonish… that’s when you put your hands together for the screenwriter and also the director for being so unconventional, so original, so innovative.
Aanand elicits the conservative/old school middle class setting wonderfully well. The milieu and narrative wholly absorb you, making you believe that you’re as much part of the goings-on. Furthermore, the director uses only expressions — without resorting to heavy-duty dialogue in few sequences — delightfully.
The sole hiccup is that the film deviates in the middle of the second hour, when politics takes precedence, while romance takes a backseat. That’s when you start feeling fidgety. But these portions are vital to the plot as it leads to an explosive climax, which comes across as a shocker. In fact, the sequences before the wrap up are the highpoint of the movie and you can’t help but applaud the writer as well as the director for thinking out of the box.
The DoP capture the stunning locales of North India exquisitely. The radiant colors explode in every sequence, getting you enthralled at numerous junctures. Dialogue, befitting the milieu and characters, are interspersed dexterously in the sequence of events.
A.R. Rahman’s musical score fits into the scenario admirably. The music — the songs as well as the background score — augment the impact on several occasions. The quality of music is supreme and each of the compositions has the distinctive Rahman stamp of uniqueness and exclusivity. Sure, like all Rahman compositions, the soundtrack of RAANJHANAA takes time to grow, but you listen to it once, you feel like hearing it persistently.
Dhanush, who makes his Hindi film debut with RAANJHANAA, is simply outstanding. To state that he’s the mainstay of the film would be most appropriate. You take back his innocence, his dedication for his beloved, his emotions as you exit the auditorium. Here’s a performance that deserves an ovation! The actor in Sonam was waiting for a role that would make the spectator sit up and notice it and the one in RAANJHANAA gives her that opportunity. The headstrong and emotional persona comes across so well in this film. In addition, like DELHI 6, she’s devoid of makeup and that makes the character so appealing. This film is a huge leap frontward for Sonam as an actor. Abhay Deol is understated, but effectual in a special appearance. It’s a superior act, something you’ve come to expect from the talented actor.
The supporting cast is unblemished and each of them pitches in a superior performance. Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub is a talent to watch out for. He’s remarkable as Dhanush’s friend. Swara Bhaskar is equally fab in a role that offers her plenty of scope to display histrionics. Kumud Mishra is first-rate. Vipin Sharma is adequate. Sujata Kumar is first-rate as the scheming politician.
On the whole, RAANJHANAA encompasses romance and myriad emotions most wonderfully, besides bravura performances and a popular musical score from the maestro. A film that touches the core of your heart. A film that’s definitely worthy of a watch. Not to be missed!