Skyfall Trailer

Daniel Craig In Skyfall Movie

The 23rd Bond film stars Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Dame Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney, Naomie Harris, Bérénice Marlohe and Ben Whishaw. The film is directed by Sam Mendes, screenplay by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan, and produced by Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.

Skyfall releases in India in late 2012.

Ishaqzaade Movie Poster

A clear hit, Ishaqzaade has also sustained itself in its second weekend, hence ensuring that a Rs. 40 crore milestone is in the offing. This would make it one of the best starts for a newcomer which is next only to Imran Khan who had seen better collections for his Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na (over Rs. 50 crore). Nevertheless, with one single strike, Arjun Kapoor has managed to make his entry into the youngster club and while his immediate competition is Ranveer Singh (who is again a Yash Raj discovery), industry bigwigs are pitching him as someone who can be considered in the league of Ranbir Kapoor, Imran Khan and Emraan Hashmi.

The film has also raised stocks of Parineeti Chopra who can now be expected to be inundated with offers from the top production houses. She played second fiddle to Anushka Sharma in Ladies V/s Ricky Behl but was the most noticeable of the lot in that film. Now in Ishaqzaade she has managed to hold fort in a central act and with the film turning out to be successful, industry has gained yet another star-actor.

As for Yash Raj Films, they have managed to keep their hit run intact and the horrors of 2007-2008 when five of their films (Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, Aaja Nachle, Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic, Tashan) had failed in quick succession are well forgotten.

Dangerous Ishhq Movie Poster

On the other hand Vikram Bhatt and Karisma Kapoor would wish to forget their misadventure called Dangerous Ishhq. The film sustained on a lower side during the weekdays but such poor were the collections in the opening weekend that it didn’t really add much to the final outcome. At a little over Rs. 6 crore, the film is a box-office disaster and while Vikram is expected to bounce back with Raaz 3, one waits to see whether Karisma would be looking at continuing her stint with Bollywood in months to come.

Cocktail Trailer

Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone, Diana-Penty In Cocktail Movie Poster

The film is directed by Homi Adajania and produced by Saif Ali Khan and Dinesh Vijan.

Cocktail will release in July 2012.

Salman Khan In Ek Tha Tiger

“Since Salman himself is doing a slick urban entertainer like ‘Ek Tha Tiger’ and the last South remake that he would now do is ‘Kick’, he is all set to take Bollywood into a different direction,” says an insider.

This is apparent from the fact that Ek Tha Tiger is not just Yash Raj Films’ most expensive offering till date, it is also one film where Salman would be getting into an avatar like never before. Though one does expect him to stay on a man of the masses, the very fact that he is playing a RAW agent and would be seen in a globe trotting avatar would be enough for makers of ‘desi’ films to wonder if they would have to get inventive all over again sooner than they would have thought.

“As of now the only film that is expected to have a free run is ‘Rowdy Rathore‘ since it would be released before ‘Ek Tha Tiger’. Also, Akshay is being seen in this avtar after ages so it still carries good level of excitement. Ditto for Ajay Devgan who is doing ‘Himmatwala’ remake. However don’t expect top stars to continue on the South bandwagon,” the insider adds.

Kahaani, Vicky Donor, Jannat 2 and Ishaqzaade Movie Posters

On last count, at least half a dozen south remakes are in the pipeline and another half a dozen have the casting process in progress. However the trend isn’t expected to last long if the success of films like Kahaani, Vicky Donor, Jannat 2 and Ishaqzaade is anything to go by. With new subjects back in vogue and Ek Tha Tiger making a strong announcement as well, looks like Salman would pretty much pull down the curtains for the very trend that he started.

Ferrari Ki Sawaari Music Review

Rating: 3/5 stars (Three stars)

Though Ferrari Ki Sawaari is from Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s production house, one still feels that the film needs to be marketed better to facilitate a wider reach. Moreover listening Pritam’s music for the film, one is further led to believe the film requires an added push to make its presence felt.

Ferrari Ki Sawaari Music Review: Maara Re

Sports, being a key element of the movie, reflects in the album as well. It begins with the song Maara Re which can be considered as an anthem in the movie. Sung by Sonu Niigaam, Rana Majumdar, Aishwarya Nigam and Ashish, it has the capability to turn into a ‘hit of the month’, keeping in mind the IPL fever and the love towards cricket in our nation. However, blame it on the poor marketing but that hasn’t quite happened.

Ferrari Ki Sawaari Music Review: Rusy’s Theme

Album moves forward with an instrumental Rusy’s Theme. It’s a pleasant surprise to see a track like this so early in an album. The music has a Spanish tone to it as it transports you to the lanes of Spain and Italy. A very sweet melody, it would be quite interesting to see it’s picturisation in the film given its theme.

Ferrari Ki Sawaari Music Review: Mala Jau De

Next in line is Mala Jau De. It has a traditional Marathi Lavani touch to it and is sung by newcomer Urmila Dhangar who has been able to do justice to the lyrics (by Guru Thakur). She has a very authentic Marathi accent which goes well with the song’s playful mood. Pritam has kept it traditional and given a song which is a welcome change for the Marathi listeners. Also, he along with the lyricist have interspersed the theme of ‘Ferrari’ quite well. Moreover, it would be fun to see Vidya Balan in a Marathi avatar.

Ferrari Ki Sawaari Music Review: Ae Mere Mann

Ae Mere Mann is the next rendition in the album. It reverberates with the protagonist’s state of mind to achieve something in life. It’s a slow, smooth and soothing number which is very situation based. Sung by Shyamantan Das with lyrics by Swanand Kirkire, it could have been a popular inspirational song. However it lacks the punch to reach the distance. The inspirational mood continues with Good Night, a sweet lullaby sung by a mother for her child. Priyani Vani Pandit has done a good job and it’s her voice that keeps you glued on to the song.

Ferrari Ki Sawaari Music Review: Chal Ghoomne

Chal Ghoome (Ferrari Ki Sawaari) is the next song in the album. Sung by Shaan, Bomal Iraani and Aayush Phukan, it is quite fun filled song and depicts the film’s theme extensively. Shaan sings this one in a Kishore Kumar-esque manner and has done reasonable justice to it. Boasting of the kind of tune that one doesn’t really get to hear very often these days, the song has a certain charm to it. Not to mention Amitabh Bhattacharya whose lyrics are pretty much the driving force of the song.

Ferrari Ki Sawaari Music Review: Life Yeh Mausambi Si

Amitabh continues his uniqueness of lyrics in the last song of the album Life Yeh Mausambi Si. Sung by K Mohan, it is the highlight of the album. Though while listening to the song you would assume that it is sung by silky voiced Mohit Chauhan, a closer hear makes you correct yourself. It’s a song that has in it to be played on long drives in the hills with a listeners humming along. Moreover, even the lyrics are sure to be liked and especially appreciated by the young ones.

Ferrari Ki Sawaari Music Review: The Last Word

All in all Ferrari Ki Sawaari is an album which could have been better though it has some sparks in it like Life Yeh Mausambi and Mala Jau De which would make one pick the album. However it isn’t quite a superhit attempt from composer Pritam, who is otherwise known for catching the pulse of today’s listeners. One more fact that cannot be denied is that songs have always been an important part of Vidhu Vinod Chopra films and are mostly woven with the theme and script. Ferrari Ki Sawaari should be no exception to the rule either and perhaps after the movie plays on screen; the songs may end up staying with the audience.

For the album and Pritam’s sake, let’s hope it does happen.

Mere Dad Ki Maruti Movie Poster

Set against the backdrop of a loud Punjabi wedding in Chandigarh, MDKM is about a boy who sneaks his dad’s fancy new car out to impress the college hottie. But when he loses his dad’s car, all hell breaks loose!

Roped back from Mujhse Fraandship Karoge, Saqib Saleem stars in this Y-Film as well. It also marks the directorial debut of Ashima Chibber who has been an Assistant Director on Ab Tak Chappan, Chak De! India and Rockstar.

The story of the film gives us the feel that it might be eerily similar to Dude, Where’s My Car? and Hangover. We hope they’ve learnt their lesson from Luv Ka The End.

Hunter – Gangs Of Wasseypur

Gangs Of Wasseypur

Gangs Of Wasseypur releases on 22 June 2012.

Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax Movie Review

Rating: 3.5/5 stars (Three-and-a-half stars)

Voice Cast: Zac Efron, Taylo Swift, Danny DeVito, Ed Helms, Betty White and Rob Riggle

What’s Good: A story with a message; the colourful, imaginative animation; the ability to connect with any age group.

What’s Bad:Repetitive gags; fans of the book might find it too glossy; The Lorax himself isn’t around in the movie for too long.

Verdict:It is a joy ride with moral values for kids and adults alike.

Loo Break: None at all.

Watch or Not?:Recommended for kids; adults will like it too, if they wish to revisit the good old, colourful, imaginative fairy-tale days.

We already get packaged drinking water, imagine what would happen if we have to buy packaged air as well (It’s just an imagination)! In Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax, greed gets the better of The Once-Ler (Ed Helms) and he sets out to destroy every single tree in his own Thneedville. His little friend (oops, acquaintance), The Lorax (Danny DeVito), who is the protector of trees, tries in vain to stop this madness.

Now Thneedville is a completely different place to live; with artificial trees, artificial ponds and artificial just about everything, it has become a plasticky place to live where everyone is comfortable with this fake world. But Audrey (Taylor Swift) is different; she wishes to see the real trees at least once in her lifetime. Ted (Zac Efron), who is madly in love with her, decides to make her wish come true. Love makes people do crazy things and Ted is ready to go to any lengths to win Audrey’s affection. His Grammy Norma (Betty White) and The Once-Ler himself help Ted in this task.

Does he succeed? Can he bring back the real trees? Can he fight the greedy ruler Mr. O’Hare (Rob Riggle), who survives on this plastic world and sells the air which should be ideally free? Well, to find all that out, you will have to take the journey into the land of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax.

Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax Review: Script Analysis

The story is very easy to understand with a clear statement to teach a moral lesson while entertaining the kids. It is simply a wonderful way to play with children’s imagination and at the same time make them understand lessons like the importance of environmental protection, greed is bad, never break promises, etc. Along with kids, it gently tries to nudge the adult conscience showing us the kind of fake world we are headed towards. The screenplay is tight and we get as much interested in Once-Ler’s story, as Ted. But despite all this, the main problem with the script is that there is a certain lack of the fun element in terms of dialogues. With a little addition of funnier, wittier dialogues and situations, this one could’ve been a through-and-through entertainer. The 3D glasses make the bright colours a little dull and the 3D itself is not so necessary; nevertheless, it adds that extra flavor to the movie.

Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax Review: Voice Cast & Direction

The voice cast has done justice to the beautiful animated characters but none of the voices stand-out in particular. Zac Efron can be said to be the best voice amongst all. Also, the singers who give the voices for the little fishes and teddy bears are cute.

Director Chris Renaud could’ve added more fun elements in the film rather than let it turn a bit preachy. John Powell’s music is fabulous though, and it adds a lot of cheer to the already cheerful and colourful movie.

Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax Review: The Last Word

Overall, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, is a breezy, fun movie to watch with your kids or younger siblings. It will be a bit difficult for the Indian audiences to connect with The Lorax but it is still a visually beautiful, fun ride… worth taking at least once!

Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax Trailer

Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax releases in India on 18 May 2012.

Ajay Devgan and Abhishek Bachchan In Bol Bachchan

From the looks of it, Ajay Devgan is up for a macho role while Abhishek Bachchan has two avatars: a Dostana type one and a moustachioed hero. Since the film is inspired from Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s comedy Gol Maal, Abhishek will be seen switching a lot between his moustachioed and minus-the-moochlook in the film.

Ajay Devgan and Abhishek Bachchan In Bol Bachchan

Bol Bachchan also stars Asin and Prachi Desai. The film will hit theatres on July 6.

Department Movie Review

Rating: 2/5 (Two stars)

Star cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Rana Daggubati, Vijay Raaz, Abhimanyu Shekhar Singh, Madhu Shalini, Deepak Tijori, Nathalia Kaur.

What’s Good: The raw action; a few scenes with Amitabh Bachchan.

What’s Bad: The ordinary and boring screenplay; the poor video quality and weird camera angles that distract the viewer; the loud background score.

Verdict: Department is a below-average fare.

Watch or Not?: Watch Department only if you are interested in another unconventional film by Ram Gopal Varma.

Ram Gopal Varma Productions, Uberoi Line Productions and Viacom 18 Motion Pictures’ Department is an action thriller about the tug of war going on between the police, gangs and politicians in Mumbai.

When police officer Mahadev Bhosale (Sanjay Dutt) is asked by his bosses to form a hit squad to take on the Mumbai underworld, he recruits Shiv Narayan (Rana Daggubati), an honest and brave police officer who had been suspended for an encounter killing.

Together, Mahadev, Shiv and others in the ‘Department’ take on Sawatya’s (Vijay Raaz) gang. Sawatya, in spite of many exhortations by his number two, D.K. (Abhimanyu Shekhar Singh), and D.K.’s feisty girlfriend, Naseer (Madhu Shalini), does not hit back at the police.

There is another rival gang, lead by one Mohammad Gauri.

There is also the gangster-turned-minister, Sarjerao Gaikwad (Amitabh Bachchan), who takes Shiv under his wing after Shiv saves his life at a public rally. Mahadev warns Shiv that Sarjerao is just using him. After a certain turn of events, it is exposed that Mahadev is actually working for Mohammad Gauri and is, at the ganglord’s behest, finishing off Sawatya’s gang.

While Shiv declines to be a part of Mahadev’s corrupt world, and Mahadev agrees to let him be, things start falling apart between the mentor and the apprentice when Shiv starts taking on a sub-gang formed by D.K., under Mahadev’s protection.

What happens next? Do Mahadev and Shiv come to loggerheads? What about the Sawatya and Mohammad Gauri gangs? What role does Sarjerao play in the final outcome of all this? The rest of the drama answers these questions.

Rana Daggubati and Sanjay Dutt in Department.

Department Review: Script Analysis

Nilesh Girkar’s story delves into the inner workings of Mumbai’s underbelly but this subject has been handled much better by many other films before. More importantly, besides a few punch-filled dialogues, Girkar’s screenplay offers little new insight into the workings of the underworld or the police-underworld nexus. Besides, the plot is surprisingly devoid of context.

The narrative is riddled with several boring scenes and sequences; especially those with D.K. and Naseer make no sense at all! Yes, the interactions between Sarjerao Gaikwad and Mahadev Bhosale on the one hand and Sarjerao and Shiv Narayan on the other have been well-written, but there is little else to keep the viewer engaged. Action junkies will, of course, find their fill as the drama provides for many fights and gun fights – most of which have been well-executed.

In fact, the screenplay cannot be blamed beyond an extent because of the manner and format in which the film has been shot – on various digital cameras; using unconventional, and often jerky camera movements – which often distract the viewer rather than engage him.

Department Review: Star Performances

Amitabh Bachchan (as Sarjerao Gaikwad) is the pick of the lot; he acts with a swagger as is required of his character of a wily political mastermind. Sanjay Dutt, as Mahadev Bhosale, manages to look earnest enough but he needed to be more mean and menacing. Rana Daggubati, as Shiv Narayan, puts in an earnest effort. He is good in the action scenes and raw in others. His Hindi diction often seems out of place. Vijay Raaz, as Sawatya, performs with gusto but his scenes are, at times, unintentionally funny. Abhimanyu Shekhar Singh, as D.K., hams away to glory. Deepak Tijori, as Dhanajee, is fine. Laxmi Manchu, as Mahadev’s wife Satya, does an alright job. Nathalia Kaur is okay in an item song. Debutante Madhu Shalini fails to impress as D.K.’s moll, Naseer.

Department Review: Direction & Technical Aspects

Ram Gopal Varma’s experimentation breaks the film. What otherwise could have been an average cop thriller is turned into a volley of unconventional shot takings which distract the audience to such an extent that it forgets that there is story going on in the film. The digital quality print, which often means that several frames appear pixellated, is also something that won’t be appreciated by many among the paying public. Unfortunately, Ram Gopal Varma does not focus on narrating the story in an interesting manner; he gets caught up with the unconventional camera and editing techniques.

The music of the film, composed by Dharam Sandeep, Bappa Lahiri and Vikram Nagi, is average. The background score is ear-piercingly loud. Lyrics, penned by Vayu, Shabbir Ahmed and Sandip Singh, are alright. Choreography, by Ganesh Acharya and Shabeena Khan, is passable. Action, by Javed Eijaz, is good.

Department Review: The Last Word

On the whole, Department is a below-average fare that will appeal only to a few audiences who will like the action, in spite of the ordinary script and the irritating narrative style.

Department Trailer

Department releases on 18 May 2012.

Amitabh Bachchan and Sanjay Dutt In Department

“Well, I won’t say that it took too long; it’s just that the canvas was really big,” says RGV, “In the recent past I have been concentrating on thrillers and psychological dramas and they don’t take so much time. However ‘Department’ is different from other movies. Even ‘Sarkar’ was big and had huge stars but then it was shot in 30-35 days because it was more of a dramatic outing.”

Meanwhile it was no less a challenge to fit in all stars into his big budgeted affair and it is quite apparent that the core story of the film revolves around a setting where cops Sanjay Dutt and Rana Duggubati lead the show. One wonders though how exactly does the character played by Amitabh Bachchan add on to the film’s plot.

“Mr. Bachchan is playing an ex-gangster who has left underworld and now turned into a politician,” Ramu divulges, “His background is quite intriguing since for people out there, he is still the same man who once had criminal connections, even though now he has become a public figure. This very setting invokes a lot of curiosity. Of course as I have mentioned earlier, comparisons with the likes of Arun Gawli are mere speculations and when you would see the movie, you would realise that it is just a fictional character who might have inherited shades from real life or people.”

We would love to see how the drama indeed unfolds and if the year long wait for Department was indeed worth it!

Shah Rukh Khan

After his recent spat at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai, Shah Rukh has dug himself deeper in the pit of infamy. The actor allegedly abused MCA officials after a cricket match. Earlier, it was news of SRK getting detained at the airport that made headlines. And news of the Khan hitting filmmaker Shirish Kunder is still fresh in public memory.

Remember the time when it was Salman who was in trouble for hitting his girlfriends or running over people or hunting down animals? Then it was the Salman versus Shah Rukh duels that used to be the biggest talk of town, but while Salman manages to keep his head low now, luck seems to have run out for this 46-year old star.

While film writer Mushtaq Shiekh has spoken up for SRK, “Somebody physically pushed Suhana for playing! Any parent would have done what @iamsrk did! Why wouldnt he be angry? If a parent stands up for his child…how does it become hooliganism? Can the press explain what’s all this negative reportage on @iamsrk ?”, Twitter.com seems mostly bereft of support for Shah Rukh.

Enough of all the bad publicity. Will Shah Rukh finally get his act together?

But was the wait worth it? We beg to differ. As hot as she looks in the sari, she looks slightly out of shape and the music is very so-so.

The song is sung by Urmila Dhangar and composed by Pritam.

Mala Jau De – Ferrari Ki Sawaari

Vidya Balan In Ferrari Ki Sawaari

Ferrari Ki Sawaari releases on 15 June 2012.

The Raven Movie Review

Rating: 3/5 stars (Three stars)

Star Cast: John Cusack, Alice Eve, Luke Evans, Sam Hazeldine, Brendan Gleeson and Kevin McNally.

What’s Good: Interesting plot; witty dialogues and decent acting.

What’s Bad:The beginning is slow; the blood and gore are too much to take at times; lack of depth to the plot.

Verdict: An interesting watch if you are a fan of a different take on historic events.

Loo Break: Not really.

Watch or Not?: Watch it if you love suspense and dig ingenious takes on history.

Intrepid Pictures’ The Raven is an ingenious web of fiction and history, based on the life of poet and author, Edgar Allan Poe.

“It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of Annabel Lee”

Edgar Allan Poe is the name that will ring in your ears when you hear these words. But what is amazing is that with the lucidity that he wrote such poems on love, life and death; he wrote grotesque and murderous short stories with the same ease.

Edgar Allan Poe (John Cusack), a poet, a short story writer, an alcoholic, a loner but desperately in love with Emily Hamilton (Alice Eve), has stopped writing murder mysteries for a while. Unaware of the happenings in the world around him, he drowns himself in alcohol and the hope for a future with Emily. A double murder has suddenly brought attention to Poe’s stories and Detective Fields (Luke Evans) summons him for questioning. Soon another murder takes place in the exact fashion as described in his story. On one hand, Poe’s stories form the basis of a killer’s murders; while on the other hand, the very stories turn out to be clues for the investigators to catch the psychopath.

Soon the killer decides to make Poe’s involvement more obvious and asks him to follow his lead if he ever wishes to see the love of his life, Emily, alive again. Helpless, Poe starts taking clues off of the bodies of the victims of the murderer. Each murder leads him one step closer to Emily. It is Poe and Detective Fields responsibility to stop each and every story of Poe from turning into a gruesome reality. Can they stop this lunatic? Can Poe save Emily? More importantly, can Poe ever forgive himself for writing such brutal murders and giving inspiration to a sick man? These questions are answered as the mystery unravels.

The Raven Review: Script Analysis

For the non-literature fans, this is just another murder mystery waiting to be solved. But the title The Raven, the symbolic ravens flying all over the place, the poems, the poet: everything will make sense only to an ardent Edgar Poe fan. The beginning of the movie is a bit slow and the lack of drama initially might bother you, but with the entry of Detective Fields, the movie picks up pace.

Although the entire drama is a fiction, it has been put forth very craftily making it almost believable. The only point of contention would be in case of the blood and gore as those scenes raise the argument whether they were absolutely necessary in the movie or not.

The Raven Review: Star Performances

John Cusack is good as Edgar Allan Poe although his dialogues often tend to be inaudible. His overall performance is pretty decent. Luke Evans’ character of Detective Fields a bit clichéd but he has done well. Alice Eve has a brief but an impactful role as Emily Hamilton. Sam Hazeldine as Ivan, although has the smallest role, has made his mark. He is perfect for his role. The rest of the cast offers good support to the thrilling mystery.

The Raven Review: Direction & Technical Aspects

James McTeigue’s direction is pretty engaging although at times it does give a very Sherlock Holmes movie-feel, it is satisfying in the end. Screenplay writers Ben Livingston and Hannah Shakespeare though, could’ve taken a more in-depth view of the entire story. Some parts were more highlighted than the others making the story abrupt at times. Like the part where the murderer asks Poe to write a story after each murder hasn’t been clarified well. The sets, the costumes, the music and the cinematography are worth appreciating.

The Raven Review: The Last Word

For those who cannot stomach blood and gore, The Raven is better avoided. But for the rest, The Raven is like a mystery novel which will keep you on the edge of your seat.

The Raven Trailer

The Raven releases in India on 18 May 2012.

Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra In Teri Meri Kahaani

“It could well have been a walk of thorns for Kunal but he just went ahead,” informs a source, “Everything about the film including the script and various looks of Shahid and Priyanka had been locked and there was no going back. Meanwhile Kunal was convinced that the changed equation between the youngsters won’t put him in any lurch. He didn’t have to go and have any specific conversation with the duo, he just continued with the flow and once there was confirmation from both the actors about being on board, he concentrated on putting together the film instead of worrying about the liaison between them.”

Thankfully for Kunal, his film emerged unscathed once the principal shoot was through and now that the on-screen chemistry between his pair is making heads turn; he is elated with the decision that he took.

“I didn’t face any hindrance during work and that was good enough for me”, says Kunal, “Shahid as well as Priyanka were very professional on the sets and that helped. Honestly speaking, beyond that whatever happened off the sets was their own problem and I was not inclined to poke my nose into it.”

Guess we would have to talk to Shahid and Priyanka to get those stories.

Nathalia Kaur In Department

What goes in the favour of Department though are two major factors and they are Ram Gopal Varma and Sanjay Dutt. RGV is going back to his familiar territory with cops, gangsters and guns, something that has time and again worked for him as well as his audience. On the other hand Sanjay Dutt has found a renewed interest generated around him since the release of Agneepath. Ideally, these two factors should have been the driving force of the entire promotional campaign and that would have helped it take a much better start than what it may take now.

As of now, it would be a pleasant scenario for the film if it manages to take an opening in the range of 50%. That would be a fair result for the film which is basically aimed at the gentry instead of family audience. While single screens should take a better start than the multiplexes on the first day, weekend could sing a better tune provided word of mouth is good. What makes the stage set for Department is the fact that there is no other big film in the running in and around that while the week of 25 May doesn’t have a single notable release. This gives Department a chance to rake in moolah, provided the product is good.

Mr Bhatti On Chutti Movie Poster

Alongside Department, there is another film releasing – Mr. Bhatti On Chutti. It would be a miracle if the films manage to get more than two shows per multiplex and that too across the country. A delayed film, it doesn’t stand any chance whatsoever at the box office, more so as it is releasing without any promotion.

Rekha

While we’ve still not tired of the ‘Hema, Rekha, Jaya aur Sushma…’ joke, Rekha joins other stars like Shatrughan Sinha, Chiranjeevi and Jaya Bachchan in the Upper House of the Parliament. Speaking of which, it was a bit surprising that even the RS cameramen went a little wild when Rekha arrived at the podium and swung the cameras to Jaya to note her reaction. It would have been even wilder if they had gone the ‘Award Function’ way and used older footage of Jaya making faces or swearing, but we guess that was enough of an adrenaline rush for the RS broadcasters for one day (Plus, it’s a live event).

Oddly enough, Mrs. Bachchan didn’t give any filmy reactions. But it was old Amar Singh whose comment was the icing on the cake, “Its Jaya Bachchan’s own ‘Silsila’.”

And for those wondering who Rekha’s lucky neighbour would be, it’s a bit of a dampener for guys as social activist Anu Aga gets the seat.

Got any wisecracks on this? Share them with us in the comments section below: