Raj and DK are back. After 2 good movies – 99 and Shor in the City, they bring to India the first ZOMCOM! And well, it’s one timepass film...

3 roomies that have the most clichéd characterization ever – 1 A Doper who cares a fishes eye for anything (Khemu), 2 A hopeless romantic (Vir) and 3 A sincere bread earner ( Anand) – go to Goa, follow a hot girl ( Pooja Gupta) onto an island and get stuck in a Zombie mess brought on by a deadly drug. And yeah, there’s Boreees (Saif) to help them Keel the Living Dead!

Things that work for the film: Khemu is in terrific form. His is by far the best performance in the film. He hams with such finesse that he makes you laugh in anticipation whenever he is on screen. Anand Tiwari rocks too in his support role, while Vir Das does good enough. Pooja Gupta is like the trophy she was meant to be, and just that. The writing is quite good and Raj /DK extract laughs from many set pieces throughout the film. But most of the comedy is elevated by the excellent timing of its prime actors. Saif does well in his cameo and his wacky role almost works! Even the background score is energetic and keeps the pace high.  

Things that go wrong: The film might work more for the uninitiated in terms of Zombies. For us, who have seen films like Zombieland/Shaun of the Dead and countless other Zombie films, this seems like a Low Budget Indie Zombie film that depends on gags from other zombie films to work. The production value is surprisingly poor, considering it’s an ILLUMINATI film. A little bit of work in post production might have elevated the mood of the film. Also, we have a long long way to go in terms of showing gore and I have even seen many extremely low budget films from Taiwan that have better makeup and execution of Gory scenes. Even though the film is small, it still gets repetitive after a while and depends on one joke after the other to keep going. If not for Khemu, this ride would seem even more stretched. Also, they go a little overboard in terms of Expletives. Though this is much better than the forced stuff in “Shootout at Wadala”, some stuff like direct references to the male genitalia are completely unnecessary and only put to get some cheap laughs.

So should you watch it? Yes, it’s a fulltoo timepass braindead film to watch with friends. It’s better than watching IPL at home. Seriously... Babaji ki Booti is worth it if you can handle some gore, but yeah, keep your expectations low, coz “No Zombieland this”!

 Rating: 5.5/10

Some Franchises define Sci-Fi as a Genre and Star Trek is on the top of that list. So it is really heartening that the new Movie Series is turning out to be #EPIC! The 2009 REBIRTH of the series was undoubtedly one of the best sci-fi films ever made and J.J.Abrams had a lot to live up to! And what do you know, he has come up trumps.

Star Trek Into Darkness works on various levels, most importantly because it's written and directed brilliantly. And then there is the cast. What made the first film so amazing was the chemistry between the 2 leads - Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto), and well, that is what makes the second one tick too! There's a scene towards the end between the 2 - between a reckless man  & a vulcan who refuses to feel, that simply moves you. And then there is the amazing "Benedict Cumberbatch" who plays the principal antagonist. 

J.J.Abrams fills the film up with so much visual splendor and stunning scenes that you leave the theater wanting more. Surprisingly, the 3D really works this time - unlike Iron Man 3! The screenplay is brisk and there is so much purpose in it that you do not feel bored even though the film is quite long. The tension builds and you want to know what would happen next. The only problem with the film might be that the story has it's ups and downs, and the pace slackens sometimes. It is not as good as the first film, but what the hell, it's one journey to space I would like to take again and again.

So get ready to let your imagination zoom at Warp Speed and strap in for a long one, coz this franchise will LIVE LONG AND PROSPER for sure. Go for it, it's fun to infinity and beyond..


Ratings: 7.5/10  

So, Mr.Sanjay Gupta is back after 5 years with his second Shootout and you thank God for those 5 years - after you watch this film! 


Shootout at Wadala is the perfect example of exploitative B Grade cinema, that purely focuses on Vulgarity, Crass Dialogues and Gore in the name of entertainment. There are masters like Roberto Rodriguez and Tarantino who can make even Exploitative Cinema look aesthetic, but throbbing prods like Sanjay Gupta can make even a Nun look like a whore.

So what is S.A.W – about? Well, you know it’s the story of the rise and fall of a gangster named Manya Surve in Mumbai. Based on one chapter of the book Dongri to Dubai, it is 2 and half hours of Mind-Hump which you can barely tolerate.

And it won’t be surprising to know that it was written by some horny nerd with the help of an algorithm.

1)     Start
2)   Add - Bunch of Cheap Dialogues, Crass Language and Constipated faces with impactful music in the background.
3)     Remove – Clothes of Heroine or any other Pretty looking chick around.
4)     Add – Item number with heaving bosoms, plunging cleavages, and a bunch of drunk idiots gyrating around them singing songs that have lyrics written for the Clinically Brain-dead.
5)      Remove – Clothes of Heroine and Hero.
6)     Add – Steamy, wild kisses and humping under the covers, that has no use nor consequence to the storyline.
7)     Add – More Crass Dialogue with a gory action sequence.
8)   Add – a Mindless Conversation with an overly Hirsute Cop and a disturbingly bulky but clean-shaven Gangster!
9)     If <Not the End> Go back to 2)
10) Else <End Credits>
11) Stop … Oh god! Please Stop!!!

Now, if the Story algorithm wasn’t bad enough, you have some pretty bad acting at display. Every one is going over the top, except the likes of Bajpai and Sonu Sood. Anil Kapoor keeps barking one tardy line after the other.
Sample this “Police ke Revolver main itna loha hota hai ki agar Thok diya toh tujhe kabhi Iron ki kami nahi hogi!!”  or “Aaj mujhe pataa chalaa Vardi ka colour Khakhi kyon hota hai. Kyonki koi bhi Hagg ke chalaa jaaye, toh pataa naa chale!”

Do one exercise, sit for 5 minutes and try writing such a dialogue. I am sure you will come up with atleast 5. Example - “Sanjay Gupta ke bheje main itna GOBAR hai, ki sochta bhi hai toh GANDH aati hai!”. The dialogue writer wouldn’t have taken anything more than a drunken hour over the shitpot.

And the film goes on and on for an intolerable 155 Minutes! Watching it is truly an exercise in futility – except if you are looking for a headache. Truly man, iss film ne mere Dimaag ki thok di.

Rating: 2/10 - (for some brilliant acting by Sunny Leone!! :P )

Indian Cinema has completed 100 years and this was made as a celebration of the same. Frankly, I don’t think it was. It’s more like an afterthought to fit it as an ode. Plus, it's Bollywood’s brute way of misleading us to think that this is a celebration of 100 years of Bollywood! There aren’t any regional stars added into the mix, neither in the movie – nor in the song at the end. Sad.

Anyways, back to the film. Let’s forget for now the ODE to Indian Cinema, because it could have been released as an ODE to Bombay and the dreams it sells too. 4 Directors, 4 breezy shorts, 1 good film.  

Karan Johar surprises with the format, not with the theme. It’s a Love Triangle with a twist. The primary protagonists are the film’s strength - Rani, Randeep and Saqib. The problem is the characterization of Saqib, who is gay and tries to woo Rani’s husband. There is no internal conflict in his mind about his orientation, but he seems confused of what he wants to do. The film is bold, but tries too hard to be it. Nonetheless, is refreshing to see Karan make a film sans Mansions and Helicopters. Clearly, hecan make films. – The only Bollywood connect -> Randeep loves old filmy songs and a young girl sings “Ajeeb Daastan hai yeh” on a Mumbai overbridge.

Zoya Akhtar’s short is about a Cross dressing kid. (Instantly reminds you of another Hindi film “Pankh”) But it is more than that. It is about ambition. A kid wants to be a dancer, but his middle class father wants him to be good in sports – a manly thing to do! But his sister understands. It’s a decently well made film without any fluffs. It scratches the surface and leaves it at that. Hope Bollywood makes more films about Kids, their angst and their ambitions. – The only Bollywood connect -> Katrina Kaif is the boy’s idol and she inspires him to follow his dream.

Anurag Kashyap’s film is a tragicomedy worth its weight in Murabba. Brilliantly acted by Vineet Kumar Singh, it’s about a man trying to fulfill his father’s last wish. So his father is a big Amitabh Bachchan fan and wants his son to get his idol to have a bite of a Murabba. As absurd as it may sound, he believes that it will help him survive a little more. So the son sets out to do the same. What really works for the film is its absurd script, its primary protagonist and the Bachchan factor. The aura of this Super Star is unbelievable and you can totally believe someone being so desperate to meet him.  Anurag, after a long time, does not try to do too much in a film. No fancy camerawork, no brash “Show-offing” ( if I may say so) of skills learnt around the world! And the end makes you smile.  

And finally, the short by the finest filmmaker in Bollywood (at present) – Dibakar, with one of the finest actors in Bollywood – Nawazzudin. Based on a Satyajit Ray tale, it’s about a failed actor who is struggling to make ends meet in Bombay. But a fortuitous day in his life, rekindles his love for acting. It also tells him not to cry at his fate, but seize the initiative and make amends. What stands out in this short, is the sterling direction. Dibakar has a kind of peaceful approach to filmmaking. He doesn’t hurry things. His shots linger for sometime, for you to seep in the emotion, the feel of the scene. So, you see Nawazuddin sleep in his balcony that fraction of a second more, you see him practice his lines from 200 meters away as a bystander. It’s not IN YOUR FACE cinemaking! It’s subtle, it’s classy. And, Nawaz gives another brilliant performance. Check out the nuances in his acting when he gives a shot within the film. One long shot, but so well done!

Anurag may be more talked about as a filmmaker, but Dibakar definitely has the most control of his craft.   

Should you watch it? Watch it, coz it has 4 half an hour films and you definitely won’t get bored. Plus, it has some great performances. It’s an odd ODE to Bollywood, but quiet an even film!

Rating: 6.5/10
P.S.: The Song in the end is atrocious. It has the Who's-Who of Bollywood, but is one boring song! Not fit for such a big occasion. The Murabba song is much much much better!