After a long time, this is one movie others recommended me to watch. I had missed it due to other commitments, but many had watched it and found it great fun! And well, I am thankful they did recommend it, coz it was good fun…… mostly.

 Shoojit Sircar is back after a long time and it’s good that his film has got acclaim. It’s good that small films, with relatively unknown actors and good stories are being appreciated. Not that Ayushman needs introduction in the youth circles…

So this movie touches the VIRGIN territory of Sperm Donation and Infertility, which is great. What’s even better is the treatment of the issue. At no time, does a movie about SEX feel CHEAP. Which is a great thing because most Hindi movies turn Family entertainers into Cheap films with inane sexual innuendos.

Now, the movie is based in Delhi and rides on the funny, large hearted Punjabi traits, like many many films in the recent past. But Ayushman, his mom and his grandmother give it such a brilliantly refreshing angle that you just strap onto your seats and laugh out loud. Ayushman is flawless when it’s all fun. He is extremely likeable and seems at ease in front of the camera. Anu Kapoor, as the Infertility Doctor, does a great job at carrying the message through and Yami Gautam does a praiseworthy job.

The first half of the film is breezy, likable and infact, great fun. The Punjabi dialogues are sprightly and the scenes crisp. The Bengali-Punjabi faceoff is fun too, though not completely refreshing or novel. But things start going horridly wrong 3/4th way through. Sircar looks in control in the fun bit, but loses it towards the serious bit. The film suddenly jumps into a completely different terrain and Sircar just loses grip! There are unlimited songs forced in and the screenplay suffers. It actually gave me a pretty bad headache, which is sad because I loved the first half.

Infact, Ayushman also shows the lack of depth he has as an actor and Yami hams in the difficult bit. It’s Anu Kapoor who holds fort and carries the film through. It’s like Sircar loses fertility half way through and his film ALMOST DELIVERS!!! Nonetheless, it’s a fun movie that must be caught on DVD if not the theatre. A one time watch for sure. Vicky Donor deserves a hand !!! but not more….

Rating: 5 / 10   

Ok, first of all let me say that it feels great to have watched a movie after almost 3 weeks! Yep… I have been out of Mumbai the last 2 weekends and have been really busy! And whenever I did get time for myself, I lazed…. By the end of this week, I was really WIRED UP.. you know the kind of feeling an addicts body has when he/she stays away from Narcotics!! And a friend jolted me off my slumber with a mail… Thanks Sid…

Now, I must say that I have always felt that MARVEL’s Avengers are no match for the MUCH MUCH MUCH cooler bunch of Superhero by DC “Justice League”. I mean, Superman and Batman… Need I say more… But I have a new found respect for the Avengers… Bcos they are a bunch of Heros that are not self motivated.. They are like a ticking bomb together and they have their quirks.. Plus, the INCREDIBLE HULK!

 MARVEL has been setting up for this movie for a long time now. With their spate of SUPER movies that introduced each of their Super Heroes – IRON MAN, THOR, Black Widow, INCREDIBLE HULK, CAPTAIN AMERICA and the relatively unknown ARCHER ( Correction - Hawakeye!! - Thanks Andy :P ) . Now, they bring them together, with the help of a one-eyed conniving S.H.I.E.L.D agent “Nick Fury”. But they don’t gel well… They are like a rather combustible set of elements put together for a chemical explosion worth its weight in Gold!

The movie starts off with THOR’s cruel brother “LOKI” attacking Earth. He is set to destroy this earth and the only men who can save the world are Super Men who cannot stand each other. Downey’s IRON MAN makes it rather difficult for them! Though the movie takes its time to gather some momentum, but after that it is an absolute treat.

 IRON MAN hits as many punch lines as punches. THOR struts his Godly self and hammer with panache. And the other’s give them good company. But the one who steals the show with limited dialogue and some furious bashing is THE INCREDIBLE HULK. Though I love Edward Norton, now I cannot imagine anyone except Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk. He absolutely owned it! And to think that it was his first movie as the HULK, it’s incredible.

Actually, more than Ruffalo himself, it is the brilliant writing that conquers. To make a movie that is choc-a-block with heroes and to give them equal punch is the biggest triumph. Josh Wedon (director of the hit TV series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) does a special job as not just a director but story and screenplay writer. Special mention to the Dialogue writers… It’s sparkling!

So, what are you waiting for? If you are a Fantasy/Super Hero movie junkie, this is a classic… But even if you are not, this is one hell of a ride! MARVELous indeed… but takes a little time to gather momentum…

Rating: 7 / 10

p.s.: Officially, the HULK rulezz……& Just for comparison "X-Men First Class and Dark Knight" were much better in terms of complexity and execution...