The fourth...or is the fifth...in the Khiladi series, Khiladi 420 is yet another action-packed thriller starring the 'Khiladi' Akshay Kumar with Mahima. This film also marks the debut of actor-writer Neeraj Vora. Dev (Akshay Kumar) is a conman. He traps rich girl Ritu (Mahima Choudhary) into marriage. But before the marriage he kills her father ensuring the money is all in her possession now. Thankfully for Ritu, she realises the truth on her wedding night itself and there begins a cat and mouse game with him trying to catch her and she trying to escape. Finally in the skirmish, she kills him. But unknown to her is a guardian angel who is just waiting to jump in the fray to protect her. Dev's twin Anand who comes for the marriage, realises what his bother has done, realises what Mahima has done to his brother and quickly decides that she needs to be saved. So he decides to become the husband and even gives himself up to the police for killing her father. Strange twists in the tale continue interspersed by some fabulously shot action sequences. As usual Akshay excels in the action scenes but it's when he has to act that there is a big problem. The film is watchable only because of the action scenes and a very pretty Mahima.

After a long time, a film that is really different. An out-of-the-ordinary story, tight direction and some super performances. The only thing that really goes against the film is the fact that it has been in the making for several years and this perhaps shows. Barring that it's a film that is really worth a dekko. Tabu is married to Nirmal Pandey and Karishma Kapoor is her sister-in-law, her husband's sister. But Pandey is a creep of the first order who had only married Tabu so that he could get her to his bed. Now, a few years into marriage, his interest has waned and he ill-treats her all the time. His only interest is to increase his business interests and enjoy his hunting. Suddenly one day, a big-time businessman enters his life and destroys his business. When he tries to outsmart him by inviting the businessman to a shikar with the idea of killing him, he realises too late that it was the worst move of his life. Nirmal Pandey is killed. The shrewd businessman is Govinda who now makes insiduous forays into Tabu's and Karishma's lives. Soon Karishma falls in love with him. Together they set about trying to find her brother's killer. Little does Karishma know that her lover is actually the kiler. A couple of other murders also happen. She isn't still any wiser. Till one day, she realises that it is not her that he really wants after all. There's a mission to his his madness and once that is revealed, all hell breaks loose.

The more you see of Salman Khan these days, the more you're convinced that he's going the Govinda way. The same masti-filled performance, the similar bonhomie attitude. One would say good for us because it means that now Govinda has stiff competition and we as the audience have two Govindas! In Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye, directed by K.Murali Mohan Rao, and which incidentally, has been largely based on The Wedding Singer, Salman proves that given half a chance he can be as good an entertainer. The film is on Prem (Salman Khan) a wedding singer, living with his sister (Kashmira Shah), her husband (Mohnish Bahl) and their two kids. They live in a huge house, live a very fancy lifestyle, but no one really knows what the source of the family's income is. Right across the street lives Mona (Pooja Batra) and her cousin Priya (Rani Mukherjee). In the periferee of the film's characters is also Tiger (Jackie Shroff), playing Salman's best friend. There's also Prem's fiancée Nisha (Raveena Tandon). Prem and Nisha decide to get married but on the wedding day, Nisha ditches him. Of course she's not all black, she left him because he didn't have much money and she needed to marry money because she had an ailing brother. Though why she had to wait till the last minute to tell him this is grist for another story by itself. Prem takes to the bottle with a vengeance. Soon though he bounces back to normal, mainly because of the tender, loving care given by his family members and friend Priya. He now falls in love with Priya, but Priya is already engaged to an NRI. This doesn't mean that she is not attracted to him. She is, she also manages to fall in love with him, but a whole sea of misunderstandings have to be crossed first and once all that is done, naturally the lovers meet. On the way though, they and the rest of the cast gather up quite a few laughs.

FIZA, is the story of a young girl in search of her brother who disappeared during the communal riots of 1992-93 in Mumbai. FIZA revolves around the relationship between a widowed mother (Jaya Bachchan) living in the hope that her son (Hrithik Roshan) will return one day, and her daughter (Karisma Kapoor) who, fed up with living with uncertainty, resolves to go in search of her brother. Nishatbi, the widowed mother of Fiza and Amaan, is more than optimistic that happiness will once again re-enter their homes. The mother and daughter stride to lead their lives normally, but are always beset with one important question... Where is Amaan? Refusing to come to terms with his absence and after making every effort to trace him, Fiza sets out to determine whether Amaan is dead or alive. Using various methods... be it through the media, politicians or the law enforcement agencies... Fiza embarks on her mission that brings her into contact with various characters and situations. The first half of this eagerly-awaited enterprise establishes the plot rather convincingly and manages to keep the viewer's interest alive. But the very next scene after the interval, when Karisma gets Hrithik home, the story comes to a screeching halt. What follows thereafter is the romantic track between Karisma and Bikram Saluja, which does not excite the viewer one bit. Besides the romantic track, the political scenario that is thrust upon the viewer is totally unwarranted, thereby confusing the viewer. Even otherwise, why Manoj Bajpai wants to kill Hrithik in the end, is not explained. Khalid Mohamed seems to have set out to make a middle-of-the-road film and strike a balance between commercial and parallel cinema, but alas! The film would neither appeal to the hoi polloi, nor the 'Balcony Class' audience. FIZA failed in its faulty screenplay that has several loose ends. The story runs on too many tracks in the post-interval portions, thus diluting the essence of the story. As many as three songs in the second half makes the viewer restless. The title track 'Fiza', 'Aankh Milaaongi' and 'Na Leke Jaao' seem forced in the screenplay. The 'Aankh Milaaongi' number is totally out of sync with Karisma's character, who is all through the film shown in a typically Muslim character but, suddenly, gets into a trendy leather outfit. It gives an impression of being a forced commercial ingredient. The film lacks in light moments and the sole comedy scene... involving Johny Lever... also gives an impression of being included in the plot to enhance the commercial value of the film. Khalid Mohamed's direction is an absolute letdown. Despite the presence of successful and talented names in the cast and accomplished technicians (cinematographer Santosh Sivan and editor A. Sreekar Prasad), the outcome is below the mark. Santosh Sivan's camerawork is brilliant in patches, but out of focus at times. Even otherwise, it lacks the finesse normally associated with his films. The background music could've been better. Action scenes are well composed and look realistic. Editing is one of the biggest culprits. How one wishes the editor would have used the scissors more effectively! Anu Malik's music is a saving grace. The film has two gems 'Mehboob Mere' and 'Mahiya'. The picturisation of both the songs is top class. The A.R. Rahman-composed song 'Piya Haji Ali' leaves a lot to be desired. Dialogues (Javed Siddiqi) are well worded and sound natural. The mainstay of the film is undoubtedly Hrithik Roshan. His body language, his diction, his expressions, his overall persona deserves great praise. All said and done, the show belongs to Hrithik, who saves FIZA to a major extent. A brilliant performance undoubtedly! Karisma Kapoor is bound to win all the accolades and laurels. Her role demanded desperation and the honesty with which she approaches her character, is extremely effective and should fetch her all the awards in the coming months. This is undoubtedly her best performance to date. Jaya Bachchan comes up with a seasoned performance. Neha and Bikram Saluja have no roles to talk of. Manoj Bajpai fails to impress in an insignificant role. He deserved a better role. Asha Sachdev is just about okay. Sushmita Sen sizzles in the dance number.

DHADKAN tells the story of Dev (Sunil Shetty) and Anjali (Shilpa Shetty), who are in love with each other. Anjali's parents (Kiran Kumar and Anjana Mumtaz) are against this match as Dev is not only poor but also a child out of wedlock, while Anjali belongs to the upper crust. When Anjali leaves Dev to marry Ram (Akshay Kumar), Dev is heart broken. His worries multiply when his mother (Sharmila Tagore) also dies, shocked to hear about her son's split with Anjali. However, Dev continues to hope for Anjali's return. Dev feels that he lost Anjali to Ram because he had nothing to offer her in this materialistic world, so he decides to become rich and get her back. In the meantime, Ram and Anjali are anything but a perfect family. After all, Anjali's heart yearns for Dev, but she slowly starts loving and respecting her husband, Ram, whose love for Anjali knows no bounds. Enters Sheetal (Mahima Chaudhary), a sophisticated girl from London, who falls in love with Dev, knowing fully well that Dev is in love with an already-married woman. DHADKAN is a modern-day love story that talks about the lengths an obsessed lover can go to, to win his love. His obsession knows no limits; winning back his love is all that matters. The second half has its share of strengths and weaknesses. The intense sequences between Sunil and Shilpa have been handled with maturity, but the screenplay leaves several questions unanswered, firstly from a humble beginning to a millionaire overnight, Sunil's rags-to-riches story has not been explained at all; secondly Sunil's partnership with Mahima and how they got to know each other, also remains a mystery; thirdly for a man who is obsessed with Shilpa, his willingness to marry Mahima in the end seems a bit far-fetched too. Was he planning to enter into a relationship (with Mahima) on a rebound, is the feeling the viewer gets at the end. The ending also leaves the viewer confused. Anpam Kher is introduced as Mahima's father and when she talks about her plans of marrying Sunil, Anupam gives a not-too-happy look at the mention of Sunil's name. But a minute later, the film ends abruptly. But one has to acknowledge the fact that Dharmesh Darshan succeeds in melting the heart at several places. The entire marriage song-sequence in the initial reels, prior to it the scenes involving Sharmila Tagore, Sunil's portions in the second half, clearly indicate that the director knows his job well. He relies more on close-ups to capture expressions, which is the hallmark of a seasoned technician. Nadeem-Shravan's music is another asset. The film has haunting tunes and the ones that linger in your memory are 'Dil Ne Yeh Kaha Hain Dil Se', 'Aksar Is Duniya Mein' and 'Dulhe Ka Sehra Suhana Lagta Hain', rendered by the late Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, which is undoubtedly the best song of the film lyrically as well as impactwise. The only song that throws a spanner in the smooth sailing of the film is 'Na Na Karte Pyar', which conveys Shilpa's feelings for her husband. However, Shilpa's change of heart would've had a better impact had it been revealed as part of a scene, with dialogues, rather than this song. W.B. Rao's cinematography is top class yet again. The film is rich in visuals and the outcome is splendid. The background music (Surender Sodhi) is very effective. Dialogues are first-rate. They sound fresh to the ears and elevate the emotional scenes considerably. And about the performances... the life of the enterprise is undoubtedly Shilpa Shetty, who looks good, delivers her lines effectively and emotes with utmost conviction. Akshay Kumar shows vast improvement as an actor. He is very controlled and handles this difficult role with sincerity. Sunil Shetty scores yet again! His role has shades of grey and he handles this complex role with flourish. An actress of Mahima Chaudhary's calibre deserved a better role. Her characterisation is not well defined. She is wasted in an inconsequential role. Sharmila Tagore leaves an impression in a brief role. Kiran Kumar is superb as Shilpa's doting father. Anjana Mumtaz is equally nice. Sushma Seth tends to get loud at places. On the whole, DHADKAN is targeted at the gentry, not the masses, which will restrict its prospects to a major extent. Trimming the film in the second half is a must.

DEEWANE is a love triangle, but with a difference. Sapna (Urmila Matondkar) and Inspector Vishal (Ajay Devgan) are in love, but fate plays a strange game with them. His enemies shoot Vishal and he slips into a coma. To maintain the terror in the eyes of gangsters, the Police Commissioner (Shivaji Satam) plants a look-alike of Vishal, Arun (who is actually a petty thief!), in Vishal's place. Arun is trained to be a hard cop, like Vishal, and also has two difficult roles to portray that of a loving son (to Reema Lagoo) and a lover to Sapna. As luck would have it, Arun falls for the charms of Sapna, who is unaware of Arun's true identity, mistaking him to be her Vishal. The story again takes a turn when Vishal gets cured and walks back to his house. The Commissioner reveals the true identity of Arun to the entire household, including Sapna, who is shocked to learn the truth. But as time passes, Sapna realises that her heart yearns not for Vishal, but Arun. The initial twenty minutes of the film are laced with sequences that are outright predictable. But with Vishal slipping into coma and the look-alike stepping in his (Vishal's) shoes, the film gains momentum. The scenes that follow, specially the ones between Arun and Sapna, are truly romantic and in sync with the theme of the film. The film adopts an unexpected path when the Commissioner reveals the crook's identity soon after the interval. Normally, in most cases, the twist is always revealed towards the climax, but not at this juncture. And that's exactly the reason that sustains the viewer's interest. The film has several is very strong in few points like the performances of Ajay Devgan and Urmila Matondkar; the special effects involving the two Ajay Devgans; Sanjeev-Darshan's melodious music; and the panoramic locations of New Zealand and Australia, which add to the visual appeal. The climax, which catches you unaware, has been stretched too much. What could've been conveyed in a few words and less footage has been unnecessarily stretched like a rubber band. Director Harry Baweja's work is inspiring at places, mediocre at times. The romantic scenes are noticeable, but the villain's track falls flat. The villains look more like buffoons and even their menacing act fails to terrorise. Otherwise, Harry handles the dramatic scenes with maturity, displaying a flair for subjects that have ample scope for romance and emotions. Sanjeev-Darshan's music is ear pleasing. The numbers that make pleasant listening are 'Qayamat' and 'Jogiya'; the latter is the best song of this enterprise. The picturisation of both the songs deserve special mention. Dialogues are poetic and go well with the mood of the film. Cinematography is first-rate. The locales of New Zealand and Australia make the film rich and add gloss in its visual appeal. In a role that was difficult to portray, Ajay Devgan takes to both the characters, Vishal and Arun, like a fish takes to water. He enacts both the roles without going overboard and giving a certain distinct identity to each character. These are the signs of a refined performer. Urmila Matondkar springs a pleasant surprise. She looks great, dances with grace and gives the right expressions throughout. Mahima Chaudhary's role is supposedly a special appearance, but she is there from the beginning till the end, making you wonder what exactly a special appearance means. In a second lead again (besides DHADKAN), Mahima gets hardly any scope to display histrionics. Like always, Johny Lever plays to the gallery, endearing himself to the masses. Paresh Rawal, Pramod Moutho, Gulshan Grover and Aasif Sheikh fail to impress. They try hard to infuse life into their comical characters, but fail to evoke mirth. On the whole, DEEWANE has a decent plot that is well told, but the clash of two big releases (DHADKAN and DEEWANE) in the same week, will eat into each other's pie, thereby throwing a spanner in their box-office prospects.

Remake of the Telugu hit PELLI CHESKUNDAM, with Venkatesh and Soundarya in lead roles, HAMARA DIL AAPKE PAAS HAI, directed by Satish Kaushik, is a well-made family entertainer that offers you value for your money! The film opens with a scene showing Anil Kapoor (Avinash) and Aishwarya Rai (Preeti) with two kids. The audience is led into believing that theirs is a happy and complete family but a couple of reels later, the truth is revealed. Anil and Ash are no man and wife and the little boy and girl are not their kids. Ash is a rape victim, spurned by her family and secluded by society. Her rape (by Puru Raaj Kumar) was the result of her stand against a 'goonda' (Mukesh Rishi) in other words, a result of her stand on a matter of principle. Anil, who had met Ash briefly before her rape and rejection, offers her his home to live in. With nowhere else to go, Ash starts living with Anil. The two kids are Anil's step-brother and sister. Anil had learnt of his father's (Anang Desai) extra-marital affair from the dying mother of the two innocent children and he had confronted his father to give the two kids their rightful place in society. Scared to own up his waywardness, Anil's father had point-blank denied any alliance with any woman, which had led the principled Anil to leave his home and stay separately with his step-brother and sister. It is in this home that Ash lives with the trio. Anil slowly begins to love Ash, but the latter holds him in too high an esteem to even think of marriage with him. Enters Sonali Bendre (Khushi), who vows to bring back Anil to his parental home and woos him to win his heart. Ash starts feeling jealous of Sonali and it is then that she realises that she is in love with Anil. Though the basic plot of this enterprise tends to get serious at times, the director has laced the film with moments that tickle your funny bone. The film has a line up of character artistes essaying comedy roles (Anupam Kher, Johny Lever, Jaspal Bhatti, Razzak Khan, Himani Shivpuri, Upasna Singh, Rana Jung Bahadur and a look-alike of a top star) and must say, the light moments are very funny a factor that would appeal to the hoi polloi. There are several scenes in the film that prove the director's command over the audience. Firstly the outburst of Ash's father after she has been raped; secondly Anil's mother, Smita Jaykar, confronting Ash in the pre-climax; thirdly the climax of the film, which is extremely well shot. Sanjeev-Darshan's musical score is another asset. The film has three songs that linger in your memory even after the show has ended the title track, 'It's My Family' and 'Shukriya Shukriya'. The picturisation of all the songs are a visual treat, since the locations are hitherto unexplored. The only flaw is the film's excessive length in the second half. The song picturised on Anil and Sonali can easily be deleted for it serves no purpose in moving the story ahead. Also, the comedy scenes need to be trimmed slightly for better impact. The performances in HAMARA DIL AAPKE PAAS HAI are of a high order. Anil Kapoor essays his part with utmost conviction, giving cent percent to his role. Anil is with the character, not going overboard absolutely. Aishwarya Rai is a pleasure to watch. She delivers the right expressions, her dialogue delivery is flawless and of course, she looks ravishing, a compliment she has learnt to live with. Sonali Bendre does go overboard at times, but looks good otherwise. Amongst the host of character artistes, Anupam Kher, Johny Lever, Himani Shivpuri and Jaspal Bhatti stand out. Puru Raaj Kumar is a welcome addition to the list of talented villains. Smita Jaykar gets just one scene to prove her mettle (in the pre-climax) and she emerges with flying colours. Mukesh Rishi is just about okay. Javed Akhtar's lyrics deserve a special mention. Kabir Lal's camerawork is a feast to the eyes. Dialogues are excellent. Production values are rich; a lot of money has been spent and it shows on the screen. On the whole, HAMARA DIL AAPKE PAAS HAI has all it takes to emerge a rewarding experience for its producers, distributors and everyone associated with it. A film that is targeted at the family audience, this one is a must-see!

Remember the Hollywood film Picture Perfect? Tera Jadoo Chal Gaya is an imperfect copy of that touching film. Those who have seen the original will be deeply dejected and prefer to avoid the completely forgettable Bollywood potpourri. Pooja Sinha (Kirti Reddy), is an aspiring director working in an ad agency, fantasizing about getting awards for her work. The agency is owned by a Mr. Oberoi (Kader Khan), with startlingly long tresses. The combined creativity of the duo would put a Piyush Pandey to shame! Pooja dreams of a fairy tale hunk who is suave and filthy rich and goes off to Agra to attend a friend's marriage. Now there seem to be only two things which are mashoor in Agra, lanky Kabir (Abhishek Bachchan), is one of them apart from the Taj Mahal! He is video shooting the wedding and in the process, Cupid naughtily shoots one of his arrows at him. And he is dizzyingly in love with Pooja who unwittingly encourages him. Kabir lives with his friend Gafoor (Paresh Rawal), who is also his mentor and guide. After some duets Pooja leaves for Bombay, leaving Kabir misty-eyed. Back in Bombay, she lies to Mr.Oberoi that she is engaged to Kabir to escape his ire (she has defaulted on her leave). Meanwhile she has fallen hook, line and sinker for Ravi Oberoi (Sanjay Suri), her flamboyant new boss who seems to be a bit wary of her supposedly marital status. Meanwhile the whole scenario becomes grim when Kabir comes down to Bombay to express his love for Pooja. He saves Mr.Oberoi and impresses him. When Kabir learns that Pooja doesn't love him, he is heartbroken and decides to bring together the lovelorn girl and her dreamboat Ravi. The film then unsuccessfully delineates his sacrifices for the unresponsive girl…..but Jeeves, one just can't go on any further! A.Muthu seems to be totally unaware of how and where the film is going; it is full of cliched situations and hackneyed plots. The director just doesn't seem to have any coherent vision while the cinematography and editing are as average as can be. No kudos for music either, Ismail Darbar just fails to deliver. Abhishek appears to be the only saving grace of the film, though he should be a bit more demanding about his scripts and ensure that he works on films that suit his persona. For instance, he seems distinctly uncomfortable while doing those zingy dance numbers. He excels in dramatic sequences and emotes from the guts. His eyes speak where words fail. Kirti Reddy is hopelessly wooden and appears to be sleepwalking through the film. Johny Lever fails miserably as Pansy Maggie. Sanjay Suri is impressive in a brief snappy role, while Paresh Rawal does a total rip-off on Omar Sharif from the Pakistani Play Bakra Rishta Pe.

Karobaar is the story of a middle class man, Amar (Rishi Kapoor), who has just finished law and lives with his stepbrother and sister-in-law. His sister-in-law constantly complains about the financial problems the family suffers because he continues to stay with them. The only saving grace in the family is his young niece. Amar meets Seema (Juhi Chawla), who is a convent-educated, middle class girl who takes cookery classes. The two fall in love and all seems to be going well till they meet Rajiv (Anil Kapoor), a rich businessman who believes that everything and everybody has a price. Rajiv was Amar's classmate in school and helps him secure a modeling job in the advertising company he owns. Rajiv, with his wealth, has always had girls swarming around him. When Rajiv meets Seema, he tries to impress her too but is rudely rebuffed by her. She tells him that she is in love with Amar, and as his friend he should respect and accept this fact. Rajiv, who has never been turned down by a woman, retreats with injured pride but only to emerge determined to possess Seema. He pursues her and even throws a challenge to Amar that he will prove to him that there is no such thing as love and vows to get Seema one day. Feeling threatened, Amar and Seema get married, thinking that they will escape from Rajiv's designs once he hears of their marriage. Rajiv continues his pursuit of Seema and the day comes when fate compels her to approach him for help. Rajiv helps Seema, only to learn that it has caused a misunderstanding between the husband and wife who later separate.

This is probably the quickest film ever made in the industry-barely six months, and definitely the fastest film ever made starring Govinda. Govinda plays Ganga, a rustic character that has been the mainstay of his success. Simple, honest, God-fearing and a believer that all human beings are good people. He lives in a small village with his parents. Loved by the villagers, he is positively adored by Sawri, a mischievous beautiful village girl. But one day his world comes crashing down as he realises that the idyllic world that he lives in is not so wonderful after all. The parents whom he adored were not his parents at all. His real parents are in the city and they are filthy rich. What's more, he even has two brothers, Milind Gunaji and Ankush Chaudhary. This should have been a period of doubled happiness what with a twin set of parents and newfound brothers but life's not fiction. When Ganga reaches the city, a nasty pot of revelations are waiting for him. In the city he also meets Tina (Rinke) who instantly falls in love with him. Life is a series of learning experiences for him. Kuch khatta, kuch meetha, with everyone trying to make fun of his naivete. But with his innate sense of goodness, Govinda manages to get the better of them every time. Of course, the real crux of the story is why do his parents treat him differently from his other brothers?

There are shades of every good cop ever played on the Hindi screen. An honest to goodness police officer who lives and works in a corrupt society but is determined to turn the tide in his favour. For Manoj Bajpai, this may seem like a story that was visited only recently by him. Remember Shool? But this one is more on the lines of a thriller as its director Akashdeep has often said during its making. It’s a story of trust and betrayal. Manoj plays Krishna Patil and Tabu, his girlfriend who works within the legal system to make things work in the right way too. Complete with some last minute patch-up work.

He’s not Shah Rukh Khan, but nonetheless it’s nearly the same situation that he finds himself in. Abhishek Bachchan in Dhai Akshar Prem Ke. A young man in the middle of a bustling, hyper-active family whose lives revolve around their pretty daughter of the house: Aishwarya Rai. So how does he manage to become a part of this family? Very simple. The pretty daughter is also a mite foolish. While in college away from her hometown she decided to spin a white lie and told her family that she was married. Naturally the family wasn’t too happy. She was unceremoniously told that’s he is no longer a part of the family. Depressed, she looked for the closest suicide point, found it and made a dive for it. Thankfully for her a young army officer was closeby. He rescued her, heard her story and even took her to her home with the assurance that he’d speak to her rents. Of course he didn’t do anything of the sort. He just got more and more sucked into the family vortex. Because he got mistaken as the groom. What’s more, the pretty girl had fallen in love with him. But there was another pretty girl waiting for him. Finally he manages to extricate himself and leaves the house in the dead of the night leaving behind a trail of broken hearts. Little does he realise then, that he had by then fallen in love with her too. But he reaches his goal, finds that she is already married to another, meanwhile can’t forget the girl he has left behind and so returns. But now he is faced with a fresh problem. For that, you need to see the film!

What happens when you start making a modern day version of Meet John Doe about an ordinary man and his nasty brush with the media and end up doing something else altogether.Wonder really how many takers Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar will have. Seems at first watch an extremely shoddily amde film. Ramsaran (Manoj Bajpai), a garage mechanic from Jaunpur, UP falls in love with a journalist. Ms Kaamya Lal (Tabu), ambitious who smokes, drinks and sleeps with the boss-- yes very different from the regular Hindi film actress. But when she meets Ramsaran she is so impressed by Ramsaran's honesty and innocence, that she writes a series about him. Film director Mahesh Bhatt picks up the character for a film, and within no time, the film is made, released and awarded a Filmfare trophy! Kaamya looks upon him as a friend, but for a small town boy, he soon mistakes her friendliness for something else. Finally when he turns on the charm on her, she rejects him. In turn, he becomes a criminal. Again, he is so successful, that soon he goes to Dubai and becomes a don. Peppered in this whole masala, are several tracks. Like the one involving Ramsaran's friend Gaitonde (Saurabh Shukla - also writer of the film), and his wife (Divya Jagdale) and a Dubai-returned guy called Tito (Aditya Shrivastav.For once, Manoj Bajpai seems like a ham. As for Tabu, one wishes she hadn't done this kind of film.

Yash Chopra's films are known for their great picturesque locations, mostly shot abroad. If they are far-fetched from reality, nobody really cares, the sights are so prety and appealing. In his films, everything is out of a fairy tale. Poor people live in luxurious houses,wear expensive clothes and go to foreign locations at the drop of a hat. Aditya Chopra's second film after Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Mohabbatein is also set in just this kind of a background. A Gurukul is set amidst the sprawling green of the English countryside. The principal of the Gurukul is the strict Narayan Shanker (Amitabh Bachchan). Right next to this Gurukul is girl's college. In this school are the new entrants, Vicky (Uday Chopra), Sameer (Jugal Hansraj), Karan (Jimmy Shergill) and a music teacher Raj Aryan (Shah Rukh Khan). If Shankar Narayan is a strict disciplinarian, Raj Aryan is an easy-going man who loves to break rules. There is a background to this. Raj was in love with Aishwarya Rai, the daughter of the Principal, but Shankar Narayan was so against the marriage that he'd rather his daughter die than marry Raj. And she dies. Raj encourages the fun and frolic in the Gurukul and does all he can to unite the young boys with their girlfriends Shamita Shetty, Kim Sharma, Preeti Jhangiani, respectively. The idea was to showcase the youngsters, but the seasoned performers like Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan stole the show-especially the former who brings immense dignity to an ill-conceived role.

One more film on terrorism. Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Mission Kashmir, is set in the state torn apart by terrorism. Supercop Inayat Khan (Sanjay Dutt) accidentally kills the family of young Hrithik Roshan (Altaf). Aghast, he tries to make up by adopting Altaf. Years pass and Altaf grows up to love Khan and his wife Neelima as his own parents. But one day he discovers the truth and all hell breaks loose. He runs away from hoime and joins a militant outfit. Ten years later he returns as Hrithik Roshan now, the right hand man of a Afghan mercenary Hilal (Jackie Shroff). Hias mission ois to kill Khan but when he reaches there, he plans get a bit diffused as he meets his childhood friend Preity Zinta and falls in love with her. Meanwhile Hilal, along with three other men has planned a major mission to destabilise Kashmir. Of course he wants Hrithik to play a key role in this operation, but somewhere along the line, Hrithik's hatred for Sanjay Dutt changes and he 'sudhraoes'. Both Sanjay Dutt and Hrithik have put in super performances, unfortunately the film doesn't really pass muster.

After a long time, a film that is really different. An out-of-the-ordinary story, tight direction and some super performances. The only thing that really goes against the film is the fact that it has been in the making for several years and this perhaps shows. Barring that it's a film that is really worth a dekko. Tabu is married to Nirmal Pandey and Karishma Kapoor is her sister-in-law, her husband's sister. But Pandey is a creep of the first order who had only married Tabu so that he could get her to his bed. Now, a few years into marriage, his interest has waned and he ill-treats her all the time. His only interest is to increase his business interests and enjoy his hunting. Suddenly one day, a big-time businessman enters his life and destroys his business. When he tries to outsmart him by inviting the businessman to a shikar with the idea of killing him, he realises too late that it was the worst move of his life. Nirmal Pandey is killed. The shrewd businessman is Govinda who now makes insiduous forays into Tabu's and Karishma's lives. Soon Karishma falls in love with him. Together they set about trying to find her brother's killer. Little does Karishma know that her lover is actually the kiler. A couple of other murders also happen. She isn't still any wiser. Till one day, she realises that it is not her that he really wants after all. There's a mission to his his madness and once that is revealed, all hell breaks loose.

Very rarely does one get to see a fast-paced thriller that packs in great visuals, a taut script and good performances. So, when Ram Gopal Varma s Jungle opens on screen with a promise of being all this and more, there is a sense of eager anticipation. It s an empty promise though. Varma needs to be berated for allowing a possible victory into this wimp of a film that he has finally made. Jungle is a disaster. Bad script, puerile cinematography and lacklustre direction just about sums up the reasons for it being unable to live upto expectations. The film is hinged on love story between an ordinary boy Siddhu (Fardeen Khan) and the rich Anu (Urmila). The girl s family go for a holiday to a jungle resort, where a surprise awaits her. Her prospective groom as selected by her family is also there for a holiday with his family. Luckily for her, Siddhu also trails them and unknown to the family, their romance flourishes further in the wilds. It is fun time-jungle time till one day when the group is out on a safari, bus load of tourists is kidnapped by outlaw Durga Chaudhari and his team of unkempt men and one women. For some strange reason, Siddhu stays back. Chaudhuri is a dreaded criminal who lords over the jungles and is wanted by the police of four states. He keeps the tourists hostage and demands the release of one of his chief lieutenants. When Siddhu hears of the kidnapping, he rushes headlong to the commando unit headed by Sunil Shetty who are negotiating the release of the hostages. Initially, the government refuses to give in to the demand. In return they are sent the head of a woman-one of the hostages-as an example of what can happen to the rest of the hostages if the demands were not met. The government buckles under the pressure. The exchange is made, the hostages comes back, but without Anu, who catches the eye of Durga and is kept back. Naturally, the enraged Siddhu tears into the jungle to rescue his lady love, followed by Sunul Shetty and his team. A fairly simple story that could have been handled with some elan. But the audience should be so lucky. Just what is the outlawed gang s business apart from chopping heads and dancing joyously in the jungles is not clear. Though there are enough indications to base Durga s character on the real-life sandalwood smuggler Veerappan of the South, there is no attempt to explain just what is it that keeps them in the jungles. The film has its moments but they are short-lived. Urmila does her share of wide eyed a fear and endless sniffles but fails to leave any lasting impression. On the contrary Fardeen Khan in his second film is impressive with his sensitive understanding of the role. Sunil Shetty is cool. The film is anything but hot. Ram Gopal Varma needs to read up some more books on credible filmmaking.

Finally, the much hyped film Refugee is here. The launching pad of the son of the greatest superstar of Indian cinema. Presumably the film that will announce the arrival of the new superstar. Well, at the onset, even before the review of the film, let s first say what everyone wants to know. Is Abhishek Bachchan any good? The answer is a resounding yes. He is still a little rough around the edges, but that only adds to his screen charisma. He certainly has the potential to be a star. Ditto with Kareena Kapoor. There are times in the film that she reminds you of Karishma Kapoor, but not as a copy...just something about her that s a bit familiar. But with Abhishekh, the legacy of his father is huge. Ans believe it or not, also his mother in one or two scenes. Refugee is the name of Abhishek, given because he is an orphan without any clue of who his parents were. He lives with Anupam Kher and his family (wife Reena Roy and son Shadab) and acts as a courier--taking and bringing people and things (from RDX to guns to terrorists)for a price. Like a courier, he does not know what his package contains. His job is only to transport the stuff safely through the scary Rann of Kutch, and hiding from the eyes of the security forces on both sides of the border. Kareena Kapoor plays Naaz, a Muslim girl who along with her family have clandestiely moved from Bangladesh through India and with Refugee s help to Pakistan. The two fall in love. Many trials and tribulations later--including several terrorist attacts, they are together finally---at midnight between 14th and 15th of August--on the border of the two countries--India and Pakistan, aided by the respective army officers--Jackie Shroff and Sunil Shetty. Hackneyed? You bet. And that where J P Dutta s film goes all wrong. Rather unfortunate,because while it remains a film that far above most other films made here, it still does not manage to touch the required marking needed to be called an excellent film.