NOW PLAYING:
JUNE:
Raavan (June 18th)
Mani Ratnam's latest Hindi offering has been in the news for months due to the all-star cast and the many (many) problems encountered during film. The film is supposed to be a modern take on the kidnapping of Sita by Raavana with the twist that real life married couple Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan are playing Sita and Raavana respectively.
Why I'm excited: I usually really enjoy Mani Ratnam films and the cast for this is really something else. Along with the aforementioned Aishwarya Rai, Mani got guaranteed scene stealers Govinda and Ravi Kishan. Plus Tamil Hero Vikram (aka Kanthaswamy himself) will be playing Sita's husband Ram. Romance, mythos, violence, and a score by A.R. Raman - what's not to be excited about?
Why I'm not excited: Abhishek Bachchan. The man is capable of light comic roles (Dostana, Bunty aur Babli, his cameo in Om Shanti Om) but his other two personas (i.e. the constipated 'cool dude' of Bluffmaster and Dhoom/2 and the 'serious actor' of Guru) really turn me off.
Raavanan (June 18th)
The Tamil version of Raavan was shot at the same time but has a different cast and, for my money, should be the better film.
Why I'm excited: The same reasons as I'm excited for the Hindi version but also because of VIKRAM! More specifically, Vikram playing bad.
Why I'm not excited: Raavanan will almost certainly be more difficult to see than Raavan - from a smaller distribution to a lack of subtitles. Still, fortune favors the bold!
Also releasing in June - Twilight: Eclipse! (What? I'm only human!)
JULY:
I Hate Luv Storys (July 2nd)
Set in Bollywood itself and starring Imran Khan and Sonam Kapoor as a pair of bickering friends, this film should be a breezy by-the-books romantic comedy.
Why I'm excited: The film is set against a background of Karan Johar style romance and I do love filmi in jokes.
Why I'm not excited: No amount of filmi in jokes will save the film from two of my least favorite things - a dead eyed heroine and self-centered Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na romance. I'm not saying that the film has either of those but judging from the trailer alone, it is very possible that it does.
Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai (July 9th)
BYBH is rumored to be inspired from another Filmi Girl favorite My Cousin Vinny and stars Govinda, Lara Dutta, Sushmita Sen, and Tabu.
Why I'm excited: Did you see the part about My Cousin Vinny and Chichi? Plus, Sushmita Sen and Tabu can class up even the silliest of films.
Why I'm not excited: Lara Dutta. I'd say more (*cough* rhymes with smokesmore) but it would just be mean.
Milenge Milenge (July 9th)
We finally milenge with the film that none of us knew we wanted until Jab We Met became a super-smash hit just as Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor broke up. Their final outing was delayed for years but Kapoor and Kapoor have come together (separately) to finish dubbing and give the Kapoor-Kapoorjodi a swan song.
Why I'm excited: I have seen Jab We Met something like ten times and we all know that I have a huge crush on Bebo and a new found appreciation for Shahid.
Why I'm not excited: Actually, even if this film is more 36 China Town than Jab We Met, we are guaranteed some good dancing and snappy one liners. There is no downside to Milenge Milenge!
Lamhaa (July 16th)
Set and filmed in Kashmir against a background of terrorism, Lamhaa is going to tackle politics, power, and terror. Sanjay Dutt and Bipasha Basu are the main couple but Kunal Kapoor is going to have a supporting role.
Why I'm excited: The terromance genre is my absolute favorite and Bipasha Basu and Kunal Kapoor should turn in nice performances. Plus, the scenery and art design look amazing.
Why I'm not excited: Sanjay Dutt has recently made a habit of lazy performances and if we're all very unlucky, he could turn in something similar to Saif's botoxed Kurbaan fiasco.
Tere Bin Laden (July 16th)
The film debut of Pakistani rock star Ali Zafar, Tere Bin Laden is a small budget/high concept comedy parodying the media hysteria surrounding Osama Bin Laden and all things "Islamofacsist."
Why I'm excited: Basically, everything about this film looks highly entertaining.
Why I'm not excited: I can almost guarantee it won't be arriving in any theater near me at any time in the near future, which means I'll have to wait for the DVD.
Khatta Meeta (July 23rd)
Akshay Kumar's second release for 2010 is of a much different tone than his first - Housefull. Director Priyadarshan lends his light touch to a remake of his 1989 superhit Malayalam film Vellanakalude Nadu, a rural comedy about road development.
Why I'm excited: AKSHAY KUMAR! I will literally go and see every Akki movie - this includes such dire fare as 8 x 10 Tasveer - because I adore the man. Plus, Priyadarshan usually hits the mark with me.
Why I'm not excited: Trisha is kind of hit or miss for me but I'm going to keep my hopes up!
Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai (July 30th)
Set in the 1970s, this period film is loosely based on the life of Haji Mastan and delves into the growth of the underworld.
Why I'm excited: Everything! The cast includes such Filmi Girl favorites as KANGANA RANAUT (!) and AJAY DEVGN (!!) and the trailer emphasizes the vintage 70s esstyle of the film which promises big hair, thick eye make up, and copious amounts of briefcase exchanging.
Why I'm not excited: My expectations are so high there is every chance that I could be disappointed but I choose to look on the bright side.
Also releasing in July: The Anurag Kashyap produced Udaan looks good but intense - plus a score by Amit Trivedi!
AUGUST:
Aisha (August 6th)
Sonam Kapoor stars in this modernized remake of Jane Austen's Emma. Abhay Deol is to be her Mr. Knightly.
Why I'm excited: I do love a good Jane Austen adaptation and if Aisha borrows from Clueless, then we'll all be in for a good time!
Why I'm not excited: Emma is my least favorite Austen novel and is easy to ruin by a vapid lead actress (see: Gwyneth Paltrow's Emma).
Peepli Live (August 13th)
The Aamir Khan produced dark comedy tackles farmer suicides.
Why I'm excited: The buzz surrounding Peepli Live has been pretty intense but the Aamir Khan name is (usually) a mark of good quality. Plus, I kind of can't resist rumors of the alleged feud between Aamir and the director of the film.
Why I'm not: Since it did show at Sundance, there might be some horrible American press coverage and reviews that call it "Slumdog but with farmers."
Also releasing in August: an all-star art house cast including Atul Kulkarni and Naseer should make Allah Ke Banday worth a watch.
1 comments:
well Aman, i dont agree with your take on Abhishek's performance...it was par excellence in Guru! Who told u he cant carry off a serious role?? according to me he is one of the most honest actors in the industry.
P.S. Pls stop copying others' blogs and make them your own...i got bored after a point and gave up reading! mo offense! cheers
Post a Comment