Don your boxing gloves

Movie: James
Reviewed by Sandhir Flora/Borivali
Dir: Rohit Jugraj Cast: Mohit Ahlawat, Nisha Kothari

When a factory goes in for mass production, rather than the quality it is the quantity which takes over. Same is the case with The Factory-an RGV production house.

Debutant director Rohit Jugraj has put all his efforts to make this film as a pure action-packed, adrenalin rich violent saga. The result is it has moments which will be loved by action film buff but for others it's yuck.

The film rather belongs to both stunt coordinators Peter Hain and Parveiz Fazal Khan, and together they choreographed some terrific action which will make you sit on edge of the seat. Good job by them as well as by cinematographer.

Also, the director did not diverted from his single track which is 'eye for an eye' rather than complicating narrative with other superfluous characters or events. The negatives-several! There is no concrete storyline.

Songs come as a complete distraction. The tempo slackens when there is no action sequence and the build up towards the climax is dragging.  Both the lead actors need a crash course in acting and the villains evoke more laughter than terror.

When nothing else is happening, the leading lady gets into an Urmila M hangover, addressing all those seductive gestures of a PYT to the gallery. Can't we do away with such things, please.

There are strong influences of Ramu's first Hindi film-Shiva (1990). Weak script and characterisation is another blotch here. In the climax, the rain rather than adding to dramatic element, completely nullifies the revenge as the audience can't observe the expressions when the hero kills the main villain. Mediocre products don't run a factory.  It is high time our producers realize this!

 

One helluva ride

Movie: Chocolate
Reviewed by Dhiren Amin
Dir: Vivek Agnihotri Cast: Suneil Shetty, Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan, Emraan Hashmi, Arshad Warsi, Tanushree Dutta, Sushma Reddy

Finally, a genuinely gripping thriller from Bollywood, a movie with a script that is stronger than its lead characters.

Chocolate tells the story of five friends who form a band: PP, Rocker, Devaa, Chip and Sim. The movie begins with the supposed death of one of the main protagonists on a boat blast in London.

On the same day, a 20 million pound heist has taken place. The police find the photo of PP and Sim near the body and they are rounded up. The local police as well as a journalist link these two events.

Krishna Pandit (Anil Kapoor), an extremely successful lawyer, takes up their case. How the story unravels from this point on forms the crux of the movie. What happens next is for you to see and comprehend.

Irrfan Khan, Anil Kapoor and Emraan Hashmi bag top honours for their acting prowess while Suneil Shetty is a let down. Suneil Shetty has an interesting role but his performance is flat.

Tanushree Dutta has the role of a lifetime which she conveniently messes up. Sushma Reddy as a journalist is inconsequential in the movie and does not do anything substantial to prove otherwise.

The music is peppy and does not hinder the script, which is important. The cinemtography is fantastic. A special mention must be made of the signature "Chocolate" tune which is very catchy. Full marks to the director.

When nothing works...

Book: And Nothing Has Ever Happened
Review by Dr PV Vaidyanathan/Chembur

Man is often confronted with questions regarding one's existence, purpose of life, life's problems, and the end of life itself. It is at this stage that most individuals turn to philosophy, either in the form of books, discourses or organisations. One such book to turn to is Gurudev's 'And Nothing Has Ever Happened'.

Swami Chaitanya Bharathi, or Gurudev as he is popularly called, is one of the foremost disciples of Osho. He lived with his master for long years practising meditation and contemplating on self.

In 1974, when Osho stopped conducting meditation camps personally, he appointed Gurudev to conduct them on his behalf. Now in his sixties, Gurudev lives in Pune and continues to conduct meditation camps with undiminished energy and commitment.

In this book, which is a collection of discourses he gave at two of his meditation camps, Gurudev takes one on a journey of self-realisation. His main thrust throughout is about one's ego, and how to passively see to it that the ego dissolves and disappears.

He tries to take the reader on a journey where one can discover oneself. Gurudev also tries to make the reader see the foolishness of the many conditionings that one is subjected to, right from childhood.

The book is well written, and is not in the least complicated or intimidating. Even an average reader looking for inner meaning and solace will benefit by reading it. And being unconventional in his approach, Swami Chaitanya Bharathi wins over your heart and soul of the readers, within the first few pages itself. The only thing you may lose after reading this book will be your ego.