Breaking Dawn-The Twilight Saga Review  |

'The Breaking Dawn Part 1' melodramatic, sloppy -  The reason why the 'Twilight' series captured our imagination a few years ago was the originality of its idea and execution. Watching the penultimate film in the series, you will be stuck with a series of dejà vus.  You won't have to rake your head hard to figure out where you had seen bits and pieces of "The Breaking Dawn" for it literally takes inspiration from and shamelessly copies the execution of almost every single TV soap-opera and their Indian avatar - the saas-bahu sagas. Isabella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson) finally get married and Edward unwittingly gets Isabella pregnant. As the fetus grows rapidly, it threatens Bella's life. But she is unwilling to abort the baby despite the urging of everyone around. Afraid of the half-human, half-vampire baby growing inside Bella, the wolves plan to kill her even as the Cullen family and Jacob (Taylor Lautner), fight to save her. The only originality the film hold is in its combination of cliches of multiple genres. Thus you have an exotic woman in possession of an ancient wisdom (from the monster movie genre) calling Edward a monster. You have once again a jealous friend in Jacob who mouths cheesy lines (teenage romance genre) and you have a understanding and protective family speaking dialogues straight from soaps (family drama genre)...the list goes on. It even begins with 'the' teenage cinematic marriage sequence of the millennium. As the jealous best fried Jacob runs off in anger, the couple is married in a dream marriage that even Prince Charles and Diana could not have dreamt of. This and the honeymoon is slow and long, but has enough oomph for girls with romance in their eyes to lap up. There is no point commenting on the acting department which actually relies on the inability of its actors to act, and their abilities to look either pale and white, expressionless or perennially angry. "The Breaking Dawn" is good only for the die-hard fans of the franchisee, or teenage girls with fairy tale romance lighting up their eyes or fans of Mills and Boons. Others beware of a headache.

The Dirty Picture Review  |

The Dirty Picture reiterates that bold is beautiful. A ballsy entertainer that deserves a watch! -  There's one type of film that attracts audience by titillating them with item numbers, then there's one that cheekily slips in some skin show in a bid to provide some 'entertainment' and then there's one that revels in its boldness and unabashedly celebrates blatancy and serves itself in a steaming hot platter ready to be devoured! The Dirty Picture is one such film.  The pre-release buzz numbers of this film are so high that even while this review is being written there might by thousands of tickets being booked in advance to catch the first day first show. So let's find out whether this sizzler actually provides for some substance or not. Inspired from the life of south siren and '80s dancing star Silk Smitha, The Dirty Picture (TDP) is the story of Reshma (Vidya Balan), a small town, poor and tackily dressed woman with fire in her belly to make a name in the South Film industry. She can do anything to quench her thirst for becoming a successful star and despite repeated demeaning rejections it's her passion that keeps her going on. She eventually breaks the jinx by unabashedly choosing to make a 'compromise' and that's it. From there begins the rise of the sex siren Silk who wooed all men making them move to her tunes and left everyone panting and lusting for more with each film of hers. But just as quickly as this sensuous diva rises to stardom and success, she falls as steeply into anonymity. Known for her in-your-face attitude that even reflects in her films, Ekta Kapoor has surely redefined Hindi cinema with ballsy films like Love Sex Aur Dhoka or Ragini MMS. A dialogue in the film 'Picture chalti hai sirf teen cheeson se, entertainment, entertainment, entertainment!' is one statement that aptly defines Ekta's films as she brings in a perfect blend of realism, boldness, masala and storyline. But as they say a producer is only as good as a money machine and a film eventually lies in the hands of a director. Milan Luthria who snatched a roaring success with his last release Once Upon A Time In Mumbai this time around takes his filmmaking expertise to another level. He handles a bold topic in its boldest avatar without crossing the line of vulgarity and gives ample amount of entertainment. The entire first half is highly entertaining making you clap, hoot or whistle every five minutes. The biggest take away of the film are its dialogues. Writer Rajat Arora has done an exceptionally brilliant job in penning some of the wittiest double entendres that were never heard before. The repartees, the below the belt jokes or even the one liners of Silk make you guffaw, clap and whistle. The second half slumps considerably with the love angle between Abraham and Silk and even the downfall of Silk appears a little superficial. The editing of the film could be tight to make for a crisp experience. The prelude to the end appears too stretched making you restless. However, if there's one thing that can cover all the flaws or even more if there were any it's Vidya Balan. With The Dirty Picture she unleashes a wild and bold side of hers that has never been seen before. TDP is a Vidya Balan film all the way. She delivers a crackling performance that of an unapologetic sex siren. Her buxom and voluptuous avatar and all the seductress moves are spot on and unblemished. She not only celebrates the boldness of her character but even brings out the vulnerability of Silk brilliantly. Vidya's performance couldn't be praiseworthy if it weren't for the contribution of acting legend Naseeruddin Shah who yet again delivers an outstanding performance as the South Superstar of the '80s, Suryakant. One can only be jaw-dropped, gaping at the energy and versatility of an actor who from doing offbeat films can switch to running around trees grooving with his leading lady. Kudos to Naseeruddin for bringing in the right masala to TDP. Tusshar Kapoor's role remains too small and doesn't quite come out well while Emraan Hashmi acts well. Music by Vishal-Shekhar is exceptionally well and has already become a hit among the masses. To sum it up, The Dirty Picture reiterates that bold is beautiful. A ballsy entertainer that deserves a watch!

Rockstar Review  |

Rockstar may not be one of the finest attempts but is definitely worth a watch for its pleasing first half and the ace performance of Ranbir Kapoor. - A large crowd queued up outside Verona Arena, Italy, one of the most renowned places of Italy, eager fans awaiting for the concert of Jordan to start, and amidst all this a dishevelled and unkempt looking rockstar breaks through the clout of cops after a fight into the arena showing complete disregard to his fans, storms onto the stage with a rage and croons to his hearts content.  Cut to the past, Janardhan Jakhar (Ranbir Kapoor) a simple haryanvi boy from Pritampura Delhi who yearns to become a big singer someday falls prey to multiple suggestions from people like a gullible person, most intending only to cause mockery. One of the many suggestions is to undergo a heart break or inhabit a pain in the heart because as Khatana, the canteen owner (Kumud Mishra) says, "toote dil se hi sangeet nikalta hai". Janardhan thinks he hasn't seen bad times and to come to the stature of Jim Morrison he has to do something about it. That's it, enters Heer Kaul (Nargis Fakhri) a PYT of the Stephen's College. While the entire college ogles her, Janardhan keeps proposing her for her to humiliate him and in turn give a much needed heart break. That doesn't quite happen, but in the process they both become friends and soon after Janardhan gets coined Jordan and through many highs and lows of his life (read heartbreak), the simple gullible boy turns to an angry Rockstar! You might want to blame your memory for reminding you of Mausam but Rockstar to some extents treads the same path. The film traces the journey of the lead actors from Delhi to Kashmir then to Prague and back to Delhi while each time their love each other remains unrequited. It takes nearly 3 hours to establish the birth of a raged sensation who traverses from wishing he could get away with showing his middle finger as a salute just like Jim Morrison to actually doing it in a fit of rage. Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali who gave Hindi cinema one of the most celebrated romantic films Jab We Met showcases his prowess brilliantly in the first half as he slices and dices the cuts from past to present and back to past. The is simply perfect. The pace is breezy, enjoyable and most importantly relatable and believable. It even gives you glimpses of Jab We Met. However, just when your expectations are hightened with the first half and you look forward to the second you are in for a huge disappointment. As that's when the trite Bollywood cliches seep in. So much to your agony you have a reasonable sick and bed ridden Heer who gets better only when she meets Jordan. He has some apparent "magic" in him to be curing her just by sight so much so that she starts walking, going places and even her medical condition magically improves. And in his absence she again goes back to being sick. The characters too are unevenly sketched. So while on one hand you have the backdrop and characters of middleclass Delhiites perfectly established on the other you see the Kashmiris appearing very caricaturish. They wear kashmiri outfits, despite being in Delhi, their living style is completely like that so much so that you think that if there were no cars in Delhi, you must just find them roaming in Shikaras! Ranbir Kapoor excels in his acting and gives a crackling performance. Nargis appears conscious and has a very distracting pout that makes her appears as if she is overacting! Piyush Mishra as Dhigra is perfect and Kumud Mishra does a swell job throughout the film. A special mention of Shammi Kapoor who lights up the screen in his cameo which can also be called his last appearance on the celluloid. A pleasure and delight to see Shammi Kapoor in complete glory! Music by AR Rahman needs no mention as it already has the nation tuned to it. Cinematography by Anil Mehta is commendable while editing by Aarti Bajaj could be better or remain consistent just as it was in the first half. Over all, Rockstar may not be one of the finest attempts but is definitely worth a watch for its pleasing first half and the ace performance of Ranbir Kapoor.

Ladies vs Ricky Bahl Review  |

Ladies Vs. Ricky Bahl may not be another Band Baaja Baaraat but undeniably calls for a good one time watch! -  There's a lot that's come as a package this time around with Ladies Vs. Ricky Bahl - the Yash Raj Banner, the successful trio Maneesh Sharma, Anushka Sharma and Ranveer Singh that gave Hindi cinema a cult hit Band Baaja Baaraat, and the formula plot of conning along with a dash of girl-boy bashing. However, despite that the trade buzz of the film has been very average. Let's find out whether the film too turns out to be an average affair or do the mass get yet another BBB? The film opens with a loud, brazen and brash Delhi kudi Dimple Chaddha (Parineeti Chopra) excited about showing her cleavage sheavage to her gym instructor turned boyfriend Sunny Singh. She regales in calling herself red hot and is head over heels in love with Sunny but even before their love graduates to something serious Sunny sweeps away a fat sum of 20Lac from her father and vanishes in thin air. While Dimple nurses her heartbreak, somewhere in Mumbai the conman is locating his next victim - Raina Parulekar, a calm and stoic corporate woman who has to comply to her boss's whims and acquire a MF Hussain painting in just 72 hrs. Enters Deven Shah, an art curator and dealer who has exactly the painting she is looking for. So while Raina thinks herself to be smart enough to acquire a painting that wasn't even for sale initially, Deven sweeps away a staggering 60Lacs cash from right under her nose. A conning of such a level calls media attention and Raina gets posted on national TV owing to which she gets connected not only with Dimple but also Saira and we are introduced to yet another master plan of the conman. Iqbal Khan, a coy businessman from a small town moves to Lucknow to find buyers for his goods. Saira (Aditi Sharma), a shy young widow, gets attracted to Iqbal and decides to help him with an order of worth 10Lacs! The three forces get together eventually to avenge themselves. And in a bid to seek revenge hire Ishita Desai, a hardcore sales girl who can even sell spectacles to a blind man, to con this conman. Whether Ishita succeeds in doing so or gets conned in return follows through the rest of the plot. Filmmaker Maneesh Sharma's biggest asset has been his fast paced direction. Never for once in the entire first half does he leave room for the audience to breath or think in order to analyze the plot. He packs his first half with razor sharp editing, exceptionally well written dialogues and outstanding acting. The second half however takes a beating by falling into the John Tucker Must Die mode with an addition of love track, romance and melodrama and also a traditional and tripe end. The film can easily be reviewed and rated in a compartmentalized format and each and every aspect about it is distinguished. 1 complete star to Parineeti Chopra, this girl is a real revelation from the YRF banner. Her act of a loud Delhiite is a complete winner and also forms the best chapter of LVRB 1 star for Ranveer who proves with this film that he definitely isn't a one film wonder. The Goa portions of the film that have a chiseled Ranveer oiled and sizzling will surely attract hoards of female frenzy at the theaters. 1 star to the storyline that despite being run of the mill provided a much needed entertainment quotient. Anushka Sharma's portions in the film are well shot but she doesn't take the cake this time around. Although her bikini clad avatar will definitely win her excessive male attention. Over all, Ladies Vs. Ricky Bahl may not be another Band Baaja Baaraat but undeniably calls for a good one time watch!

Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol Review  |

'Mission Impossible 4' - thrilling action, disappointing cinema -Satyen K. Bordoloi    Fri, 16 Dec 2011 Visually, two things that instantly transcend the immediate boundaries of a viewer's intellect to land straight inside are sex and violence. Thus brands that can no longer appeal to your intellect, or are too lazy to try, resort to either or both. That brand can either be a product or a movie star. This is indeed a trend observed among male movie stars. Ageing stars, who no longer have the confidence of their youth, resort to movies that have an overdose of sex and violence. If you have followed Tom Cruise's selection of films lately, you would have observed an over-reliance on action at the cost of other factors. "Mission Impossible 4" is no different. He unabashedly stays within the confines of done-to-death cliches to give you not a film, but a roughly stitched collage of some very well done action sequences. Thus, what is sacrificed at this altar of dreary cliches are story, characterization, plot, subplots... basically everything that makes a film a fun watch. The story of "Ghost Protocol" is simpler than the elaborate charades you made up as kids. Smoked out of a Russian prison, Ethan Hunt and his renegade team, have to hunt down a Russian scientist with launch codes for nuclear warheads and save the world. Along the way there are some lame dialogues, some pretences at making up subplots and a star way past his prime, trying desperately to hold on to the action genre like his character hangs to the ledge of a building. After seeing "Ghost Protocol" as a discerning viewer, you'll realize that Tom Cruise has lost the plot, figuratively and literally. All his recent films have been shoddy excuses in the name of cinema, but had very good action. The Church of Scientology does not seem to be helping our star. He needs to enroll himself in the church of cinema. The action scenes do not disappoint. They are elaborately conceptualized, beautifully shot and adeptly edited to make you sit at the edge of your seat. Tom Cruise might have forgotten other things, but he hasn't forgotten the art of choosing the best action team in the industry. The film thus ends up being a never-ending action ride from the windows of the world's tallest building, to the tunnel under the world's worst prison to the streets of Mumbai and into a parking lot apparently located in India, but which you know will not exist in the country for the next few decades. If you want to watch the film for it being shot in India, and for Anil Kapoor, you'll be sorely disappointed. Only two minutes of actual India make it to the film. The other shots thought to be filmed in the country, have actually been shot in Indian localities of North America. Kapoor barely has a few minutes' role as a lecherous business tycoon. It's not enough either for his fans or his detractors. The mission impossible for a star is thus actually mission simple. If you indeed choose to accept mission stardom you get to date beautiful women, hobnob with the richest men and pretend as if your existence mattered. Sadly, cinema, in such pursuit of name and fame, becomes a necessary evil to be shot, chased and exploded out of a film just like its villains.

Underworld 4: Awakening Review  |

'Underworld: Awakening' - slick rebooting of the franchise - The "Underworld" franchise has never been about great cinema. This unselfconscious series has been about a credible story backed by good special effects riding on the fighting skills of a latex-wearing lead femme fatale.  Though seemingly this isn't such a hard deal to maintain, the series had indeed been lurching on the edge, ready for a nosedive. "Underworld: Awakening" skews the balance in its favour, delivering a good action packed special effects ride that does not seem like a waste of money on stupid special effects. The discovery of vampires and Lycans in their midst lead humans to hunt them down. Serene (Kate Beckinsale) and her Lycan-hybrid lover try to escape but are separated by a human attack. Serene wakes up 12 years later to find a changed world where the vampires and Lycans are almost extinct. Or so everyone thinks, till she discovers two secrets: one about their species and the other about herself. There is nothing original in either the story or its progression. Yet, directors Måns Mårlind and Bjorn Stein know their craft enough to ensure that the film does not go over the top or be self-consciously pretentious. In evenly playing out the story, they give the film a credibility and emotion that seem to have been missing in the last installment. As it had been from the start, this too is Kate Beckinsale's film. Cinematic sister of the latex-wearing Carrie Anne Moss in "Matrix", Kate looks as young as she did in the first part nine years ago and as ferociously vulnerable. This part does a few interesting departures for the fans of the series. Humans, who had so far been excluded from the fight, feature in this. In that sense, the film brings the war between vampires and werewolves into the foreground from the underground with humans playing both enemies and allies to them. The writers were also obviously referring to their series while naming the film "Awakening". From going into the history of the past in the last two films, it finally comes back to the present, thus rebooting the franchise with some interesting friends and foes thrown into the picture. There will obviously a fifth part in 2015. After all we have had one "Underworld" film every three years. For action and gore junkies, there's enough of both to salivate them. A decent Hollywood action film is expected to have typically conceptualized shots that make the audience hold their breath and which often involves the protagonist making creative use of his/her guns. This one has a spectacular one with a lift and other well choreographed scenes. Throw into that a little bit of motherly emotion for good measure, and the film manages to be just the ride dope for the lovers of irreverent, unselfconscious and often pointless action films.

Agneepath Review

Much against some flaws, Agneepath deserves to be lauded for performances and should be encouraged for a very convincing remake to a cult classic. -  34 All eyes have been set on Agneepath for this year hasn't really quenched the thirst of cinegoers who are yearning for a good film. Karan Johar's ambitious venture has all going for it, great cast, great and not to mentioned safe plot, roaring item number and ample publicity to not escape the eyes of anyone. However, the risky part comes with the alterations in the storyline. So does the newage Agneepath manage to please the audience? Let's find out. A revenge saga, Agneepath, set in Mandwa, is the story of Vijay Dinanath Chauhan (Hrithik Roshan), who's sole purpose of living is to take avenge his father's death. But to take down Kancha (Sanjay Dutt), a ruthless and ferocious man, Vijay must grow to his stature and he does so under the wings of Rauf Lala (Rishi Kapoor) the biggest drug mafia of Mumbai. How eventually does Vijay maneuvers his way to seek revenge from Kancha follows through the rest of the plot. One of the prerequisites for watching Karan Malhotra's Agneepath version 2012 is that one comes with a clear and open mind as after the initial 20 odd minutes that match up to the original version, the film takes its own course and establishes a new plot, which too mind you, has its own potent standing in the main plot running in the backdrop. One cannot completely eliminate the comparisons this film will draw from its original counterpart and many might still sigh for missing the heavy kohl eyed Amitabh Bachchan mouthing dialogues in his deep baritone and moving around with his contagious swagger, newage Agneepath takes its own time to create Vijay's character and bring him to a point where you begin to yearn along with him for the revenge he seeks. The developments made in the story of new Agneepath work for the good as well as the bad. The shock value of the film has been increased to grip the audience further more into the story. The entry of Rauf Lala's character works completely in favour of the film and provides a very convincing change in the plot. Moreover, the exceptionally brilliant portrayal of the character by Rishi Kapoor engulfs the audience into the brutality of the world Vijay breathes in. The negatives to the film come in the name of Priyanka Chopra's character Kaali which is a complete waste and by no means adds any bit to the film. Even the initial portions of the movie appear highly fragmented and structured haphazardly. Director Karan Malhotra gives glimpses of brilliance but fizzles them soon enough with the repetitive errors he makes in direction. Despite having a potent plot running along, the story meanders meaninglessly into sub plots that are needless and only eat up screen time. Some of the highlights of the film lose their impact owing to the fragmented execution. However, the portions where Karan excels deserve special mention. The credit goes to him alone to create a dark world, envision an evil character such as Kancha and give him that brutal ruthlessness or even grow Vijay's character to a level as that of Kancha. Some of the scenes that stand out are the execution of Dinanath Chauhan, the introduction of Rauf Lala, the fight between Rauf Lala and Vijay and eventually the climax. Although there are minor flaws, for example, the stab wounds on the stomach of Vijay disappear the moment his shirt rips off to showcase his chiseled eight pack abs giving a very '90s feel where the hero never dies, it's the execution of the fight sequence between a huge Kancha and a daring Vijay that keeps the audience at the edge of their seats. Right from the first promo itself the unanimous opinion remained that Sanjay Dutt would easily overpower Hrithik Roshan in this film. However, Hrithik proves everyone wrong and outshines in his portions. Sanjay Dutt too does a brilliant job. Priyanka as mentioned before gets wasted. Zarina Wahab and Om Puri are decent in their parts. Music by Ajay-Atul, except Chikni Chameli that sets the screen on fire, is passable. Cinematography and dialogues are average at best. The film could've been made crisp by slick editing. Much against some flaws, Agneepath deserves to be lauded for performances and should be encouraged for a very convincing remake to a cult classic.

Bollywood Hot New Moms In Town

It’s mommy-time in Bollywood! Many actresses are now joining the list of brand new moms and are enjoying this beautiful phase of their lives.
Lets see which all hotties have recently joined the mummy-licious club !

1. Lara Dutta Ex-Miss Universe Lara Dutta, who had married ace tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi last year, became a glowing mother of a baby girl (reportedly named Saira Bhupathi) on January 20, 2012. 2. Aishwarya Rai This one was the most followed celebrity baby birth. After much speculations and bettings, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan gave birth to a beautiful baby girl on November 16, 2011. Abhi-Aish got married in April, 2007. The official announcement of the baby’s name is still due, until then she is being called Beti B. 3. Kiran Rao Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao got married quietly on on December 28, 2005. And they have now been blessed with a baby boy, aptly named Azaad Rao Khan. Due to medical complications, the baby was born through IVF-surrogacy on December 01, 2011. Daddy Aamir absolutely elated and is busy spending all his free time with the perfectionist junior. 4. Konkona Sen Sharma National award winner Bengali Beauty Konkona Sen Sharma who’d married actor Ranveer Shorey on September 3, 2010 gave birth to a baby boy on On March 15, 2011. Konkona, like her western counterparts, even flaunted her baby bump on a magazine cover during pregnancy. The baby has been christened Haroon (meaning protector). 5. Mandira Bedi Mandira has transitioned beautifully from ‘Shanti’ to the noodle-strapped cricket anchor to a mother. Mandira Bedi and her husband producer Raj Kaushal joined the league of brand new parents on June 17, 2010 as she gave birth to a baby boy and named him Vir Kaushal. We hear, she’s already back to her fabulous figure! 6. Preeti Jhangiani The Mohabbatein star Preeti Jhangiani who couldn’t really make it big after a superb debut married model-actor Praveen Dabas on March 23, 2008 and gave birth to a baby boy on April 11, 2011. Apparently, Preeti is trying to come back to full-fledged acting very soon. We hope her son proves to be her lucky charm.

Kangana Ranaut Bikini Photos

Ranaut was born to Asha, a school teacher, and Amardeep, a businessman. She did her schooling in Dehradun. After a few months of college, she moved to Delhi to become a model and joined the Elite Modelling Agency.

Kangana Ranaut then took a bold step and came to Mumbai to try her luck in films. She decided to re-locate to Bombay, and lived in a flat in Yari Road, Versova. Her attempts at acting in Bollywood movies were unsuccessful. It happened in September 2005, when Kangana was drinking coffee with one of her friends at a cafe in Mumbai. Filmmaker Anurag Basu, who had already directed a successful film, Murder , was keeping an open eye for the heroine of his next movie Gangster. So now she is superstar and here we are publishing top hot photos ever by Kangana Ranaut:

Lisa Haydon Hot Pictures & Wallpapers

By kris1911 on January 28, 2012 | From bollygraph.com

Lisa Haydon was born on 17^th June 1986. Her actual name was Elisabeth Marie Haydon and she is of Indian origin as her father is Malayali and her mother Australian. Lisa was born in Chennai, India and had been living in United States and Australia before coming back to India to become a model.
Lisa Haydon is a model turned actress by profession. She started her modeling career in the year 2007 and since then has been very popular. She has done everything from ramp walk to Kingfisher calendar shoot, from ad commercials to films. She has been the face of some of the big brands in the cosmetic industry such as Lakme.
She has been the cover girl of many popular magazines like that of Femina and FHM. She is regularly seen as a part of the Kingfisher calendar models, which brought her a lot of fame and popularity.
She made her Bollywood debut in the movie ‘Aisha’ which released in the year 2010. She played a small but important role in the movie. She them was seen in an item number in the 2011 release ‘Rascals’. Her dance moves were liked by all as she swayed like a dream in the song.

She will next be seen in a Telugu movie called ‘Rachaa’ which will release sometime in 2012. She has a special appearance in this Telugu flick. Lisa Haydon is dusky, with stunning features and is regarded as one of the best models we have in India today.