Star Trek Into Darkness, 2013

For die-hard fans of the Star Trek franchise, this latest offering by famed director JJ Abrams will be viewed as a fun and engaging continuation in the series of intergalactic adventures by the Starship Enterprise.  For others, it might be a curiously entertaining offering with plenty of super-hero style action and sci-fi imagery.

Regardless, it does not disappoint.  Granted many of the themes and plots are a re-hash of the old television series, yet there is a freshness to the quality of the story even while certain themes are invariably as old as the hills such as the tension between Kirk and Spock, or seen more fundamentally, between reason and emotion.  This latest installment of the series establishes that the human part of Spock has undoubtedly won out over his Vulcan heritage, and we can’t help but cheer on and feel an incredible sense of relief over that realization!

Chris Pine’s Kirk is a continued amazing tribute to the original Kirk of Shatner, and Pine, incidentally, ought to be nominated for a list of the world’s most beautiful men, if he isn’t already.  Likewise, Zachary Quinto’s Spock is a worthy successor to the original Spock of Leonard Nimoy. 

The dialogue is dry, witty and occasionally brilliant; the acting, terrific. You may not remember the storyline, but you’ll remember with fondness the characters.

Well worth the price of admission, and then some.

The Great Gatsby, 2013

“You can’t repeat the past.” Nick Carraway, played strikingly by the doe-eyed Tobey Maguire, says to his neighbor and friend Jay Gatsby—who answers with the famous line, “Can’t repeat the past? Why of course you can!”

Turns out it really isn’t that simple and easy to repeat the past, no matter how devilishly detailed one may wish to arrange things.   Which is, of course, what Gatsby attempts to do with each lavish party that he gives.  Alas, if it were only so simple.

But for a man who wishes to repeat the past, he is certainly selective about the parts that he wishes to repeat.  There are parts of his deep and dark past that he would do anything not to repeat, and in this we see the dexterity with which Baz Luhrmann’s movie is a terrific adaptation of the Fitzgerald classic that succeeds not only as a work of cinema but also, wonderfully, as proof of the novel’s greatness. 

This is Hollywood at its finest:  presenting the glitz and glam of 1920s Manhattan, one is awe-struck by the sights and sounds of the Jazz Age even as it is contrasted to the teeming poverty within the bowels of the city itself.  All the solid themes of the book that include old money vs. new money, regret and remorse over poor choices of one’s youth, being a victim of circumstance, pining for that which is not to be, denial and desire, misplaced longing, deceit and betrayal, and of course, the pursuit of the great American dream are all contained and portrayed skillfully and entertainingly in this spectacular rendition.  Oh, and did I mention love?  That too.

Prepare to get on an amazing roller-coaster with every party that you are privy to at Gatsbys, and prepare for a most entertaining ride.  Along the way, you’ll also make the acquaintance of one of Bollywood’s big names—Amitabh Bachhan—as a creepy gangster in a cameo role. 

DeCaprio, you have arrived, certainly, and I’ll bet good money that this might be as defining a role for your legacy, perhaps even eclipsing your Titanic one.  Bravo, all around! 

Taken 2, 2012

Now here’s an action hero who is so inspiring, he is textbook, like they say.  A former CIA operative in his sixties, he inspires awe in the way he talks, walks, and even looks at you. 

The sequel doesn’t disappoint, although the plot is pretty straightforward with not too many surprises.  Lots of car chases and foot chases in beautiful Istanbul. 

Liam Neeson delivers yet again.

Iron Man 3, 2013

The third time’s the charm! Actually, the first and second weren’t too shabby, but this third time around, Tony Stark is positively charming through and through.  With his gruff charm, he captures our hearts, even as he gets a solid one that works really well despite the fact that he’s given it up for every good  cause including, of course, to Pepper Potts.

Pepper has evolved over the three movies from a beleaguered assistant to the woman running Tony’s company and sharing his life as an equal. The stories have roller-coasted from teenaged fantasy into sophisticated comedy as Tony has come to recognize her worth, in business as well as his emotional life.

There’s action, there’s comedy, there’s subversive evil forces, and there’s more action.

Thanks, Tony, I’d depend on you in a heartbeat any day!

Rakesh Sharma’s Final Solution: A Film on the Study of the Politics of Hate in India

Looking forward to seeing this film this week:

Final Solution is a study of the politics of hate. Set in Gujarat during the period Feb/March 2002 – July 2003, the film graphically documents the changing face of right-wing politics in India through a study of the 2002 genocide of Moslems in Gujarat. It specifically examines political tendencies reminiscient of the Nazi Germany of early/mid-1930s. Final Solution is anti-hate/ violence as “those who forget history are condemned to relive it”.

Director’s Statement

Post-911, we live in a world where politics of hate and intolerance has gained mainstream acceptance, even grabbed centrestage. The right-wing seems to be tightening its stranglehold across Europe and USA, a nationalism being fuelled by the anti-immigrant/anti-Moslem rhetoric. The ‘War on Terror’ dominated the electoral discourse in the US presidential elections, with both candidates promising to hunt ‘em and kill ‘em better than the other. In a world where it has become legitimate to use fictitious intelligence to justify the bombing of innocents in Iraq, where it has become acceptable to launch precision bombs and rockets against non-“embedded” journalists, where shameless politicians divide up oil wells and farm out reconstruction contracts for their $ 36 million bonuses, where babies are killed and mutilated as acceptable “collateral damage”, where suicide bombers and terror attacks claim hundreds of innocent lives, we face a challenge greater than ever before.

We have earlier lived through many dark periods in history, often justifying our barbarism by using similar rhetoric. Hate, despair, destruction and tragedy can not possibly help create harmonious societies and a democratic world.

During the making of this film, I noticed shocking parallels between India 2002-2004 and Germany of the 1930s – State-supported genocidal violence against Moslems in Gujarat and its continuing impact – segregation in schools, ghettoisation in cities and villages, formal calls for economic boycott of Moslems and attacks on intelligentsia by right-wing Hindutva cadres.

Unchecked and unchallenged, the rapid rise of politics of hate and intolerance could very well be the forerunner of a 21st century Endlosung – the Final Solution.

More about the Film

Part 1: Pride and Genocide deals with the carnage and its immediate aftermath. It examines the patterns of pre-planned genocidal violence (by right-wing Hindutva cadres), which many claim was state-supported, if not state-sponsored. The film reconstructs through eyewitness accounts the attack on Gulbarg and Patiya (Ahmedabad) and acts of barbaric violence against Moslem women at Eral and Delol/Kalol (Panchmahals) even as Chief Minister Modi traverses the state on his Gaurav Yatra.

Part 2 : The Hate Mandate documents the poll campaign during the Assembly elections in Gujarat in late 2002. It records in detail the exploitation of the Godhra incident by the right-wing propaganda machinery for electoral gains. The film studies and documents the situation months after the elections to find shocking faultlines – voluntary ghettoisation, segregation in schools, formal calls for economic boycott of Moslems and continuing acts of violence.

Final Solution was banned in India by the Censor Board for several months. The ban was lifted in Oct.’04 after a sustained campaign (an online petition, hundreds of protest screenings countrywide, multi-city signature campaigns and dozens of letters to the Government sent by audiences directly).

A Pirate-and-Circulate campaign was conducted in protest against the ban (Get-a-free-copy-only-if-you-promise-to-pirate-and-make-5-copies). Over 10,000 free Video CDs of the film were distributed in India during this campaign, which ended in Dec. 2004. Final Solution was offered free to Anhad for their campaigns; it was included in their anthology titled “In defence of our dreams”. Subscribers of several journals/mags also got a copy of the film free of cost. These included Communalism Combat (Ed : Teesta Setalvad and Javed Anand), Samayik Varta (Ed : Yogendra Yadav), Janmat and several smaller journals.

Final Solution was rejected by the government-run Mumbai International Film Festival, but was screened at Vikalp: Films for Freedom (http://www.freedomfilmsindia.org), organised by the Campaign Against Censorship. Rakesh Sharma has been an active member of the Campaign since its inception.

Rakesh has been working on distribution of the film on a full-time basis since March 2004. Formally, about 21,000 video CDs and 4,000 DVDs of the film have been distributed. Informal circulation estimates ( post the pirate-and-circulate campaign) put the number somewhere between 40,000 to 100,000 copies. The film is now being dubbed in Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada and Tamil. An additional 25,000 video CDs of the language versions are expected to be released soon.

The film has been screened on BBC, NHK, DR2, YLE and several other channels. It is yet to be shown on Indian television.
Awards

Wolfgang Staudte award & Special Jury Award (Netpac), Berlin International film festival (2004)

Humanitarian Award for Outstanding Documentary, HongKong International film festival (2004)

Montgolfiere d’Or (Best Documentary) & Le Prix Fip/Pil’ du Public (Audience award), Festival des 3 Continents at Nantes (France; 2004)

Best Film, Freedom of Expression awards by Index on Censorship (UK; 2005)

Silver Dhow, Zanzibar International film festival (2004)

Best documentary, Big MiniDV (USA; 2004)

Special Jury Award, Karafest (Karachi; 2004)

Special Jury Award, Film South Asia (Kathmandu; 2005)

Human Rights Award, Docupolis (Barcelona; 2005)

Special Jury Mention, Munich Dokfest (2004)

Special Jury Mention, Bangkok International filmfest (2005)

Nominee, Best Foreign Film, Grierson Awards (UK; 2004)

Best Documentary/Short Film, Apsara Awards(India;2006)

Special Award by NRIs for a Secular and Harmonious India (NRI-SAHI), NY-NJ, USA (2004)

Special Award by AFMI, USA-Canada (2004)

Special Jury Award, Worldfest 2005 (Houston)

Special Jury Award, Mar Del Plata Independent film festival (2005; Argentina)

Screened at over 80 international film festivals.
About the Director

Rakesh Sharma began his film/TV career in 1986 as an assistant director on Shyam Benegal’s Discovery of India. His broadcast industry experience includes the set up/ launch of 3 broadcast channels in India: Channel [V], Star Plus and Vijay TV. He has now gone back to independent documentary film-making.

His first independent film Aftershocks: The Rough Guide to Democracy won the Best documentary film award at Fribourg, Big Mini-DV and Jeevika (India) and won 8 other awards (including the Robert Flaherty prize) at various festivals in USA and Europe during 2002-03. It has been screened at over 100 international film festivals.

Both Final Solution and Aftershocks were rejected by the government-run Mumbai International filmfest (MIFF) in 2004 and 2002 respectively.

Press

Interview with Rakesh Sharma
Berlinale Catalogue

“Post-Godhra, hate still threatens: Filmmaker”
Hindustan Times, Apr 15, 2004

“Indian movie shines at Hong Kong festival”
Times of India, Apr 15, 2004

“Polling strings”
Shanta Gokhale, Mid-Day, Feb 17, 2004

“A miss at MIFF, accolades at Berlinale”
Kalpana Sharma, The Hindu, Feb 17, 2004

“Mumbai reject finally shines in Berlin”
Times of India, Feb 17, 2004

“Rakesh Sharma’s film wins accolades at Berlin film fest”
IndianTelevision, Feb 16, 2004

“Women from minority community still traumatised”
Piali Banerjee, Times of India, Dec 16, 2003

“The ride is less bumpy”
Shubhra Gupta, Sep 29, 2003, The Hindu Business Line

Print Downloads

Synopsis (PDF)

Press Blurbs (PDF)

© Rakesh Sharma. All Rights Reserved. 2004-2005. Site hosted by ektaonline.org

 

Saheb Biwi aur Gangster Returns, 2013

This is a sequel that offers a vivid, vibrant, dramatic, savagely tragic and unexpectedly funny story with a cast full of powerful performances.  It is a story of modern politics and the dynamics of human relationships trapped in an eerie game of one-upmanship within a feudal mindset. 

As if the world of politics is a refuge, these one-time princes of pre-Independent India try desperately to redeem their lost pride and dignity by running for public office.  Alas, it turns out there isn’t much to be redeemed after all, and the characters populating and copulating throughout are emptied-out by their own ambitions.

A delicious sequel, it is as hilarious as it is shocking and sobering.  Perhaps one of the most memorable performances is that of the slimy politician caught watching porn on his laptop first thing in the morning even as he is visited in his office by a goon masquerading as a journalist. While the self-important politician’s predicament is funny and disgusting all at once, his hypocrisy raises the more sobering issue about a country’s attempts at governing itself that is anything but funny.

Watch it for the powerful performances, the unabashed splendor and old-world charm of the culture and times of the nawabs that lingers to this day, and for the often mysterious, bizarre and inexplicable ways of the human condition.

For my review of the first movie by the same name two years ago, see:  http://smritidisaac.wordpress.com/2012/07/10/saheb-biwi-aur-gangster-2011/

Inkaar, 2013

I found it quite disappointing that a movie that invoked my hometown Saharanpur on and off throughout the story would start out with such a promising bang but end in so confused a whimper. After all, how can one not have high hopes when you know that a town like Saharanpur has produced the likes of you!

Well, that aside, the story attempts to address the somewhat unusual theme of sexual harassment in the workplace—which is probably a lot more common in India—but instead of bringing it to a sensible resolution, it fizzles into a classic Bollywood ending.  ‘Nuff said. 

Watch it for the pretty people living the high life both personally and professionally, but no guarantees for satisfaction.

Vishwaroop, 2013

Quite the departure from the usual Bollywood masala movie, the Hindi version of the much-acclaimed new movie by Kamala Haasan is quite engaging in its style, story, and delivery.  I’m not sure what the international fuss has been all about concerning the ban on the movie in India and such, because the theme is one that has become quite a common one, especially in our post-9/11 world, and shouldn’t really come as much of a shock or even surprise.

And so, having become somewhat desensitized to the topic of global terrorism, we sit and watch plots and subplots unfold on how terror cells are held together and infiltrated.  And what better location for such drama to occur than New York city itself.

The first part of the movie holds one’s attention quite well, and we are fascinated to witness the double lives that come with such territory.  Along the way, we’re also witness to one of the most compelling of all human relationships:  marriage.

Also, watching Kamala Haasan back in action was quite refreshing.  The man knows his oeuvre and wields it with skill.  I would give him good marks, especially since he’s ​wearing ​multiple caps of writer, director, producer, and actor.

A little affected of a performance at times, but one is quick to forgive, especially when the other talented and seemingly unknown actors seem to compensate quite well.

Race 2, 2013

Highly stereotyped in every sense, prepare to be beaten over the head with clichés of dialogue, location, and plot twists in this most recent action thriller from Bollywood. 

Forget about examining the storyline for integrity; focus instead on all places, people, and things that glitter and glimmer—to perhaps compensate for the lack of a coherent plot.

The landscapes of the rich and famous in Turkey and other exotic locales are supposed to make you gasp, even as you see our streetfighter-turned-casino owner in the likes of John Abraham play a round of roulette in an opulent casino with his luscious sister Deepika Padukone in tow.  Oh, and there’s plenty of other eye-candy in the garb of delicious-looking young men and women who enter and exit each scene to play fiddle to these two, or to the other protagonist in the garb of Saif Ali Khan. 

The other well-recognized face in this smorgasbord is Anil Kapoor, whose hairless chest and back rivals that of a seal.  In fact, all the men have rippling muscles and have the most incredibly hairless chests and backs that glisten in the Mediterranean sun, while the women try hard to convey a sultry attitude even as they balance imposing pieces of jewelry on their scantily clad bodies.

There’s twists and more twists until one begins to lose count and that forces one to focus wholly and solely on the song-and-dance routines.  Which is what one ought to have been doing right from the very start, anyway!

Soul of Sand Pairron Taley, 2012

The title might be cryptic, but this is a powerhouse of a small independent film that has shades of Tarantino and the Coen Brothers written all over it.  And that’s a high compliment, really.  Because it’s hard to find a standard bearer from Bollywood of the type of genre this movie falls into. 

No masala, no fluff, no song-and-dance routines here.  Just the facts, as they stand and unfold to the point of insanity personified with bone-chilling precision by the entire cast, especially the watchman and his wife.

If Delhi has been christened the rape-capital of India, it probably isn’t too far behind to earning other equally revolting titles if stories such as these are said to be more common than actually reported.  While avarice is a universal human emotion, there is still a certain brand of avarice that surpasses all understanding when seen in the light of filial relationships.  

But above all, this is story that offers a glimpse into the face of utter poverty and powerlessness in the urban sprawl of Delhi, and the powers that be that abuse, nay, rape (in every sense of that word) the poor, senseless.

Prepare to be shocked and outraged, even as you prepare to be heartbroken.

Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola, 2013

Zulu dancers and pink buffaloes juxtaposed with Maoist propaganda spearheaded by a scruffy Haryanavi driver and an absent-minded zamindar and his tattooed daughter, are some of the quick symbols and imagery of this quirky movie with the funny name. 

A cross between a political satire and a romantic comedy, this must be in a genre of its own, because while it might not get high marks in either genre, it would certainly fare well in that peculiar hybrid genre where the theatre of the absurd is played to a tee.

High marks to Pankaj Kapur who despite his diminutive stature lacks nothing in dominating every scene he is in.  Likewise, Shabana Azmi holds her own as a very charmingly evil mother and mother-in-law to be, and reminds me terribly of M from the Bond movies.  Anushka and Imran make a decent enough pair although the sparks don’t fly all that frequently, but with Imran’s shaggy looks and Haryanavi accent, and Anushka’s skimpily-clad tattooed limbs, it’s fair to say that you’ll get your money’s worth.

Speaking of Anushka, the girl is talented, no question about it, but she is rapidly gaining a stereotypical reputation for being a bubbly air-head.  Here’s hoping she’ll get a break to prove her mettle in the days to come.

But back to the storyline: this is a half-baked political satire that takes off splendidly but gets lost somewhere around the “addhha” mark– which is exactly the term used to describe the intermission of the film.

Dabangg 2, 2012

There is a certain genre of Bollywood movie that doesn’t require written reviews, simply because no analysis is really necessary.  Why, you ask?  Well, because attempting any analysis would be a fool’s errand—because there is nothing to think about, reflect upon, dissect, deconstruct, or make sense of. 

Dabangg 2 falls into this very genre.  You watch it to take in the sights of a very buff Salman Khan going about his business of being the circumspect policeman with a pretty wife in tow, doing good everywhere he goes and making short work of the bad guys, one bad guy at a time.  Along the way, you clap along to every song and dance and laugh at all his jokes, no matter how lame.

Because doing anything else is would be a sheer waste of time.

 

Les Misérables, 2012

This is an epic story that recounts a familiar, reassuring story of oppression, liberation and redemption with themes rooted deep in Christian theology.  For those who relish revenge as a dish served cold, there isn’t any to be had here.  Instead, there is mercy in lieu of justice, and forgiveness instead of punishment. 

Oh, and Hugh Jackman can sing.  As can Anne Hathaway, who can both act and sing.  Having never seen the Broadway show, I cannot use that as a frame of reference, but having read the voluminous tome by Victor Hugo, and having seen the first movie adaptation of it that featured the inimitable Liam Neeson, I think I can draw some conclusions.

The raw emotion portrayed by Hathaway’s Fantine is palpable throughout her scenes, and she devours the showstopper song ‘I have a dream’ when she opens her mouth.  Russell Crowe, on the other hand, although circumspect in his role of Javert, somehow fails to deliver that certain quality of overreaching determination in his quest to capture Jean Valjean.  Hugh Jackman, on the other hand, delivers quite the phenomenal performance in his role of Jean Valjean, and again, the man can really sing!

Talaash, 2012

Aamir Khan, Bollywood’s blue-eyed boy is sporting a mustache in his latest thriller, and I guess that’s the genre this movie is being slotted into, but being the Bollywood thriller that it is, there’s plenty of family drama along the way as well.

Some of that family drama is offered by a very talented and versatile Rani Mukherji, and as for the non-family drama, Kareena Kapoor seems to be perfecting the sex-bomb role.

Part expose to Mumbai’s underside and part an exploration of the supernatural, the story might not be the most radical one, but it is certainly presented with conviction and style.

Oh, and did I mention that Aamir is certainly rocking that ‘stache?

Son of Sardar, 2012

Even if you have too much time on your hands– on say, a long holiday weekend– do not bother to slip this one into your DVD player.  Do not, because you’re better off getting bored in any other way than sitting through this movie.

And if you’re anything like me, you’ll give it a chance, but only long enough to know that you cannot intentionally waste your life away, and will therefore, hit the stop button on the remote thirty minutes into the movie.

Yes, gentle reader, this is a review of a movie that I haven’t even half-watched, that’s how bad it was.  An utterly idiotic and totally moronic story and acting, if it can even be called that. 

 

Life of Pi, 2012

A masterfully told story of survival, this is the stuff our worst nightmares are made of. 

Featuring an international cast, this is quite the fantastical story directed by Ang Lee, known for another feature film that featured a tiger—at least in the name—Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. 

The theme of the story is not a new one:  we know of Robinson Crusoe and Tom Hanks’ survival story in the film Castaway, but a story of survival on the Pacific ocean with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker gives new meaning to every human emotion, chief among them, fear.

Irrfan Khan does a fine job playing the adult Pi.  There is not much acting involved, given that he engages in a monologue for the most part to convey the flashbacks of his life’s journey, but even this, he does with conviction.  The younger Pi—who actually negotiates the vagaries of the ocean and the tiger—is played by the very competent Suraj Sharma, who also via a series of monologues must portray the fear and resolve to survive.

Beyond the theme of survival, there is also one other theme of religion, or the diversity of it, especially in a land like India where religion is so in-your-face at all times, that Pi’s father warns him with these words, “If you believe in everything, you will end up not believing in anything at all.”   And this piece of wisdom  seems to ring true in that Pi embraces religion without quite taking it seriously, and thereby actually believing in nothing at all.

The very sophisticated digital mastery of creating the 3D experience for the viewer is nothing short of brilliant, and the cinematography of the beautiful landscapes of Pondicherry, a sleepy town in the southern part of India is sublime. 

Also, a quick nod to Tabu, the Indian actress who plays the role of Pi’s mother with much grace and realism.

Lincoln, 2012

I was both hugely thrilled and disappointed with this much-awaited Spielberg film featuring the very talented Daniel Day-Lewis in the role of Abraham Lincoln.  I was certainly thrilled to see Day-Lewis personify Abe Lincoln with such panache and conviction, I can’t imagine anyone doing it better or differently, but I was also disappointed somewhat in realizing that the focus of the story was nothing more than a civics lesson in the three branches of government in general, and the executive and the legislative, in particular.  The legislative process in the United States which is characterized by a system of checks and balances can be a long-drawn out and messy one and can be an exercise in gridlock, compromise and division.

This is well demonstrated throughout the story which features lengthy stretches of deliberation and dialogue aimed to persuade the members of the opposing Democratic party to cross over to the other side in order to pass the historical 13th Amendment that officially abolished slavery in the United States.  We see the full weight and scale of this mission in Lincoln’s dedication to achieving this no matter the consequence of a prolonged civil war.  Democracy  is difficult and messy and uncertain. This, we understand and can relate to even to this day in how the current Congress continues to struggle in reaching compromise.

But I didn’t just want a civics lesson, I wanted to understand why slavery was so terrible a concept and the toll that it was taking on American lives– both white and black.  I wanted to see how this affected Abraham Lincoln himself, and how his personal views might have shaped his political views.  This was sorely lacking.  It was also a disservice to portray Black women in slavery to being happy mistresses of white men.  From what little I do know about slavery, I don’t believe it was the case, and if anything, was anything but.

And so, while the story rightfully places slavery  as the real reason for the Civil War, it doesn’t pause long enough to explain the impact of this horrendous practice on the sixteenth president of the United States. 

Regardless, it is still a thoughtful movie that gives voice to perhaps one of the most important pieces of history in the course of human civilization:  the abolition of slavery.

Jab Tak Hai Jaan, 2012

A story about unrequited love is fascinating and worthy of awe and thrills only when you know that the separation is involuntary and perhaps even imposed upon them.  But it doesn’t work when there is no compulsion upon the couple to be separated.  It looks simply ridiculous, almost bordering on stupidity.  Well, that’s only one large gaping hole in this movie; the others, were I to count them all, would rival the cheesecloth in my kitchen drawer.

What we have here is a poorly written story and screenplay that is a poor replica of many of Mr. Yash Chopra’s creations, only this time, all semblance of anything identifiable to the viewer has been circumspectly removed.  This is a most improbable, implausible, and unrealistic story.  Not that there is much realism that is expected, but hey, if you’re going to try to portray a “love that cannot die” could you perhaps show a little more passion in a kiss?

Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif cannot kiss to save their lives, and the lovely and talented Anushka Sharma is plain annoying with her “soldier-this, soldier-that” refrain throughout.  There is absolutely no chemistry between the two, and Ms. Kaif’s smile and tone are as passionless as her kiss.  Seriously, if you’re going to show this kind of intimacy on screen, do it right, or don’t do it at all!  And what’s with your ultra-botoxed mouth, Ms. Kaif?  Hasn’t someone said anything to you about it already?

Self-inflicted vows of denial are hailed as the ultimate test of true love and juxtaposed alongside the supposed modernistic young sexuality as portrayed by Ms. Sharma who openly claims she wishes to sleep with lots of men with different accents.  If these are the only two extremes of love, I want none of it, and find it to be hilarious at best.  By the way, the whole concept of having her embedded in an army base camp as a journalist is not a new one, but having her openly swoon over Mr. Khan who turns her down with a chaste kiss on her forehead gets high marks for more ridiculousness.

By the way, Ms. Sharma’s claim to fame to this movie has to be her skimpy bikini shot into the frigid lake in Ladakh, which wasn’t bad at all, but entirely pointless.  And speaking of pointless, the initiation of Ms. Kaif into London’s club scene was just that– quite pointless, because she appeared to be fully in control of every dance move and needed no one to show her the ropes on how to have a good time.

Oh, and did I mention that the music was most forgettable? I couldn’t hum a single tune after having stepped outside the theatre.  The cinematography is the only thing that is worthy of mention about this movie, although, I dare say that Londoners must not be too thrilled to have their city portrayed as a most dangerous place for having frequent traffic accidents right in the heart of the city! 

I thought the only acceptable performance in the entire movie was presented by the real-life duo Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh who come off as quite genuine in the role of older maverick couple living and loving each other in the countryside.