Sorry, I lack blogspiration nowadays. Better than nothing, isn't it?
51. Yuva (2004) - Probably the second Mani Ratnam film I ever watched and while it definitely has its good points (Abhishek, Rani-Abhishek, music), it felt like a disappointment by the time I was done. I assumed that once the storylines of the three heroes (Abhi, Ajay Devgan & Vivek Oberoi) would come together, the movie would more or less end. Well, it didn't. It goes on exceedingly long and it's just kind of, hmm, dull?
52. Hum Aapke Hain Koun...! (1994) - Damn, ain't sugar great? I remember watching this and just thinking what a perfect piece of fluff it was. The Rajshri megahit is just about two Indian families coming together, Salman and Madhuri's characters teasing each other, falling in love to the sounds of a million songs and it's all cushioned edges and niceties. They do mix in a little drama but it's nothing like the melodrama in Maine Pyaar Kiya (review here) or even the godawful follow up, Hum Saath-Saath Hain. HAHK is a fluffy classic. I really should rewatch. I yearned for more drama on my first (and only) watch but nowadays I think I might be more fine with no sharp edges and candyfluff.
53. Ishq (1997) - If you're sane, you hate Ishq. If you're lucky, you love Ishq. I love Ishq. Yeah, it's a wasted opportunity for a great 90's multistarrer (Aamir, Juhi, Kajol, Ajay), it's way too over-the-top, but it's so-bad-it's-good, and it's mind-boggling and every now and then I gotta youtube or pop in the DVD for the songs. It doesn't get more ballistic than this. Seriously.
54. Lamhe (1991) - This is one of those films where everything seems fine but where I can't get over the premise, where Anil Kapoor loves both Pallavi (Sridevi) and Pallavi's daughter (also Sridevi), after Pallavi died during delivery. Based on what I watched, it seemed like quite an okay film but once I realized what was coming I had to turn it off. I still feel kind of guilty about it, because it seems like a popular movie but eh there you go.
55. Nandha (2001) - I like Nandha but it is sadly my least favourite Bala film. For the purposes of keeping this short, here's my original review of it.
56. Doli Saja Ke Rakhna (1998) - Ohhhh boy. I talked about it here previously (in 2008!) and since I haven't rewatched it, my thoughts haven't changed. It's an okay Akshaye Khanna movie - which is saying something, but knowing the career of poor Akshoo, it's still not saying a lot. And Jothika is a shadow of the spunk she shows in her Tamil films. Oh and it's directed by Priyadarshan. Fantastic soundtrack, though, do youtube the songs!
57. Inkaar (1977) - Vinod playing policewallah detective proper in a 70's thriller I will discuss more during Khanna Week so ..til then!
58. Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006) - Blaaaahhhhhhh. Blaahhhhhhhh. Blahhhhhh. This whole movie is like my relationship with Karan Johar in a nutshell. He spends one half of the movie building something I might enjoy and the second half tearing it down in the most ridiculously melodramatic manner possible. The less I can talk about this movie the better so --
59. Main Hoon Na (2004) - God I'm going to come off as such a party-pooper but okay, please sit down, take a deep breath, you calm? Okay. I'm not a fan of Farah Khan. I really am not. I like her movies but I don't get the excitement others have for them. I think the parodying aspect is fun, but it doesn't make me develop any sort of emotional attachment to the characters, and when she rams up the emotional moments, it just feels so fake. So that's the kind of attitude I have towards both MHN and OSO. Fun watch, maybe rewatch for some scenes.. (Also, I have an irrational annoyance towards the fact she's a female director who does absolutely nothing with her female characters, they're mostly there to look gorgeous and glam.)
60. Swades: We, the People (2004) - Mini-review triple whammy for Shahrukh! Swades is quite a good picture. It suffers from the usual Ashutosh Gowariker trait of being a little too overly long and I think some people found Shahrukh's NRI character a little too sermonizing. But on my first watch, I really enjoyed. It has very little repeat value, though, I've discovered. Still, fab soundtrack - one of the first ones I ever got into.
11 comments:
I hope you'll expand your Akshaye Khanna review for the upcoming Khanna-o-Rama.
I did not like Yuva. I may not - gasp! - but a Mani Ratnam fan as Dil Se, Guru and Yuva each did not float my boat.
Ishq looks so 90s-tastic, I may find a copy just for all of those bad hats alone (esp. Aamir's throwback to Crocodile Dundee.)
I loved KANK. What is it about that you didn't like? I thought all the characters were well-explored. I liked it a lot, and it's my fave KJo film.
Main Hoon Na sucked, OSO rocked. I don't know what my status is w/Farah Khan. Tees Maar Khan may rock my socks, but Akshay and Kat? Probably not.
Swades was a waste of film. I don't know how you finished it. Gayatri is gorgeous, though. What happened to her?
Haha I really love KANK and I adore OSO - not a big fan of Main Hoon Na though. Each to their own though, there's enough glorious filmi goodness we can all have different stuff we passionately love and hate.
Because you know what? I can't believe I'm gonna admit this...but...despite the seemingly universal adoration for him...I really don't like Shashi Kapoor. HE'S IRRITATING. Give me Rishi or Ranbir anyday.
Yaaay for someone else who doesn't screech "What the hell is this?" for ISHQ! I remember going to the cinema to see this when i was a wee 7 year old and being entranced by that silly climax scene where they click pictures of kajol and aamir together! It was the silliest of things to drive a wedge through them all but heyy I'm a sucker for any song thats called MR Lova Lova!
I didn't watch Yuva but I did watch the Tamil version Ayutha Ezhuthu. I loved it a lot. I find it, in a strange way, very touching/inspiring...
I watched Hum Aapka Kaun Hain too. Not that it's bad. But I just kept fastforwarding when I watched it.
And, thanks for recommending Bala's movies. I watched Naan Kadavul. Now I'm finding his other movies (or I should say having trouble looking for his other movies...)!
Oh, you watched Yuva! :) We pretty much agree on it...Mani can get it so right sometimes...but this one is clearly not the case!
http://anisha-lalaland.blogspot.com/2010/02/yuva-or-mani-ratnam-can-do-and-has-done.html
HAHK - I LOVE it. I love the whole slow, sugary, happy feel of it. There's nothing like HAHK to cheer me up and make me believe there are still nice simple people left in the world.
KANK, MHN, Swades - hehe, my SRK-love won't let me comment without bias, so I'll pass. :D
We're both doing Inkaar for Khanna-o-rama!! How funny is that?! :D
I'm starting to wonder if there's something really sick about me because, other than Rum, I haven't read a review for Lamhe that DIDN'T get held up on the premise. I love that movie.
Ishq has always seemed pretty dysfunctional, on the other hand, and the synopsis on BollyWHAT didn't do it any favors, but I'm a fan of all the principles so I might have to check it out regardless.
Cute reviews. Ishq is such a fun what. One of my first films in a cinema as a kid. I remember being so excited. Aamir is such a hoot in the movie and the dialogues till date are so memorable! Plus am a huge fan of Ajay and Kajol jodi and I just love the scene where he gets all mesmerized by her haha..
anon - I've already reviewed that film at a greater length, and it's not good enough to rewatch, sorry!
I'd rather not go into what didn't work for me in KANK since it was just about everything. :)
Ness - Hey, I ain't one of the Shashi fanatics - largely because I've only seen one film of his so far. Different minds, it's all cool.
Rum - Ishq is so much fun. I've rewatched it so many times, and youtubed the songs sometimes when boredom hits.
Sonia - Glad you enjoyed Naan Kadavul. And yes, the Tamil version of Yuva is much better. I actually have that one on DVD.
Anishok - Yeah, I think HAHK would appeal to me more now, the older I get the less cynic I can be.
FG - *high five* :D
ajnabi - You are not alone, based on the Bollywhat thread on the movie. Ishq is a damn stupid movie but as a stupid movie it is highly enjoyable. Just when you think it can't get worse, it does, gloriously so.
Prathna Tiwari - Yeah, Aamir is hilarious in that film. I love it when he does loud comedy.
"If you're sane, you hate Ishq. If you're lucky, you love Ishq. I love Ishq." Hahah.
That pretty much sums up that movie, doesn't it? I never thought I would see a movie that made Johnny Lever seem normal (by comparison to the other nutty things going on). Then I watch Ishq.
I'm so excited for the Khanna-o-rama. May we join? I've watched enough movies with Akshaye, that's for sure . . . Maybe I'll do Naqaab or Aap Ki Khatir or some other pathetic movie that I only watched because Akshaye is one of the most adorable guys on earth. Actually there are tons of choices . . . .
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