When the Awards season are all set to crown in the best actors of the year going by almost, we at Koimoi.com take that special initiative to choose from the Best Actors who Delivered Stunning Performances with an Added dash of difference. Completely unique in characterization and their choice of films, some of these names are huge stalwarts when it comes to reasonable but less profitable low budget films.

Let’s take a look at our picks before we open the polls for the same.

Manoj Bajpai in Gangs of Wasseypur I :

Manoj Bajpai in a still from Gangs of Wasseypur I Movie

An actor par excellence, one who made the nation scream to his dialogues when he debuted with Ram Gopal Verma’s Satya and immediately bagged away numerous awards for the Best Actor-Critics section, with a scintillating stint with Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs Of Wasseypur, a poltical chronicle of sorts this year, Manoj Bajpai easily found his way transforming from the gentle, megalomaniac womanizer to the feisty and brutal murderer, we just went Wow!

Nawazuddin Siddiqui in Gangs of Wasseypur II:

Nawazuddin Siddiqui in a still from Gangs of Wasseypur II Movie

The Undisputed Rising Star of B-town, Nawazuddin Siddiqui has left the audience awed, longing for more. From the strict and calculative top cop act in Sujoy Ghosh’s Kahaani to the first edition of GOW establishing his actor prowess, it was Gangs Of Wasseypur 2 which prominently put him as one of the biggest names today in the world of unconventional actors. His limped Tehmur in Talaash added the cherry on the cake and how!

Irrfan Khan in Paan Singh Tomar:

Irrfan Khan in a still from Paan Singh Tomar Movie

One actor who had created ripples with his brilliant performances in even the scariest flops right at the onset of his career, Irrfan Khan had always shown promise. With a striking performance as the athlete in Paan Singh Tomar biopic; he hopped from one film festival to another, basking in all the glitter and glory. Plus, the effective metamorphosis of Irrfan in the film from the gold medal winning athlete to the violent, vindictive bandit carved a milestone in the history of Indian cinema. We agree!

Sharman Joshi in Ferrari Ki Sawaari:

Sharman Joshi in a still from Ferrari Ki Sawaari Movie

A disastrous debut with a lack luster script might have stolen B-town cool dude Sharman Joshi’s much desired stardom but what infused life back into this fading star was a certain Vidhu Vinod Chopra. It was the average opener Ferrari Ki Sawaari that brought his acting credibility to the fore. Emoting aptly as a troubled loving father all set to fulfill his son’s desires, Sharman slipped into the shoes of the character with a stunning amount of comfort.

Emraan Hashmi in Shanghai:

Emraan Hashmi in a still from Shanghai Movie

Famous or rather infamous for sticking to a particular genre of films: the bold and gutsy actor had always taken the seductive route to Fame. But when he did, he nailed it with aplomb. A vengeance-imbibed-director in The Dirty Picture to Dibakar Banerjee’s Shanghai where he underplays the adult film maker with an effective amount of passion, Emraan Hashmi has definitely held up the banter proving all his critics wrong and giving all his ardent fans reasons to rejoice.

Paresh Rawal in OMG Oh My God!:

Paresh Rawal in a still from OMG Oh My God! Movie

A superlative script, powerful dialogues and an extraordinarily talented versatile genius in the form of Paresh Rawal were key ingredients in racing away Akshay Kumar produced OMG Oh My God! to super success. And what a marvelous and effortless performance by this otherwise soft speaking gentleman, who has donned all roles: from a supporting hero to a comedian to a villain with equal panache. In the war between God and Kanjibhai, Paresh Rawal definitely took his character on a victory march.

Abhay Deol in Chakravyuh:

Abhay Deol in a still from Chakravyuh Movie

With oodles of grey cells, this young Deol is high on intellect and independence. Since the inception, Abhay Deol has been categorically specific about the films he decides to be  a part of, the directors he chooses to work with, and that’s what adds to his on screen persona. Abhay’s  Kabir from Chakravyuh stand as an embodiment of strength, determination and grit: three adjectives that amplifies Abhay’s personality too. With an otherwise compelling act of producing the political sabotage and nationalistic ideas so magnificently on screen, we bow down to you, Abhay!

3 Bachelors Movie Poster

Rating: 1.5/5 stars (One-and-a-half-stars)

‘3 Bachelors‘ is a movie which had started long back but did not see the light of the day for long. With Sharman Joshi and Sen sisters (Raima, Riya) in the lead roles, the film has music by Daboo Malik. The album has three original tracks which go with the romantic comedy genre, especially the lyrics. However, since the movie has been in the making for a long time, even the music has an old time feel.

3 Bachelors Music Review: Dil Dag Mag Dag Mag

Album begins with ‘Dil Dag Mag Dag Mag’, a fun romantic number sung by Shaan and Sunidhi Chauhan. Though the song’s title is interesting and catchy, the tune as a whole is quite average. It has the best of the singers but even they are not able to revive the song and make it a hit since the basic tune lacks melody or anything unique. However, since the film is a romantic comedy, the picturisation and acting by the lead pair may revive the song to some extent and perhaps add to the texture.

3 Bachelors Music Review: Dhoom Dham

Second track in the album is a traditional track ‘Dhoom Dham’ rendered by Kalpana and Arvinder Singh. It has a Rajasthani folk touch in the lyrics penned by Rekha Mistry as well as the beats. The song doesn’t have too much to offer to the listener, hardly makes an impression and barely falls in the tolerable category. Kalpana has tried to give a twist in her way of singing but doesn’t succeed in accentuate it to anything memorable.

3 Bachelors Music Review: Shankariya Shankariya

Last but not the least is ‘Shankariya Shankariya’. It’s a song which brings some spice in the album. Sung by Vinod Rathore and Mou Mukherjee, it’s a foot tapping number which would make you dance. Lyrics are penned by Praveen Bhardwaj and he has used interesting words, just like his previous one ‘Dil Dag Mag Dag Mag’. Certain beats at the beginning do remind of ‘Chamma Chamma’ [China Gate] but post that the song takes its own course.

3 Bachelors Music Review: The Last Word

In all it’s a short and to-the-point album. Normally, in a movie of this genre there are lot of songs to lift the movie; however that’s not the case here. Daboo Malik is back after a long time but fails to make a memorable impression. Here is hoping that the movie would do better than the music.

Ferrari Ki Sawaari Movie Poster

Of course given the size of its release, it had the potential to garner a much bigger moolah. However one has to keep in mind that if one discounts the fact that the film has been backed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, the film had hardly any face value. In that aspect it has done quite well and while it would be between Chopra and the distributors about how big or small the profits would be, the fact remains that for Sharman Joshi, this film has turned out to be his biggest success.

Having said that, the film isn’t quite making the kind of waves that would have turned around its fortunes entirely. It has been appreciated by the ‘junta’ but that hasn’t quite resulted in word of mouth resulting in enhanced footfalls. The second weekend has been decent, though not extraordinary, while the continued run of ‘Rowdy Rathore‘ as well as new releases ‘Teri Meri Kahaani‘ and ‘Gangs of Wasseypur‘ have also dented it’s business to some extent.

The film should cross 30 crores now and be happy with the fact that it has done far better than much bigger budgeted films like ‘Tezz‘, ‘Players‘ and ‘Dangerous Ishhq‘, three of the most notable loss making ventures of the year.

On the other hand collections of ‘Qasam Se Qasam Se‘ and ‘Chakradhaar‘ were barely in lakhs and are not in the running anywhere.

Ferrari Ki Sawaari Movie Poster

This wasn’t shocking though since the film wasn’t expected to take a big opening and relied primarily on word of mouth. In that aspect, it did well for itself as there was good growth evidenced with every passing day. With over Rs. 12 crore coming in the opening weekend, the film found itself in a safe zone at the least and now is staring at a respectable total.

Rowdy Rathore Movie Poster

However, one can’t expect a Kahaani, Vicky Donor or an Ishaqzaade in the making here since the weekday collections have been just about okay and not that great, something that this well made film actually deserved. Yes, there is decent to good word of mouth and not a single soul has called the film bad. Still, the film has its own limitations, as highlighted last week (average promos, no hit songs) which has further proved to be a spanner in the plan. Moreover, Rowdy Rathore is still doing quite well which means Ferrari Ki Sawaari is actually getting impacted in the mass centres at the least.

Eklavya Movie Poster

As of now, a Rs. 20 crore total is definitely on the cards, which would be still better than what Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s last directorial outing Eklavya, a multistarrer with the likes of Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt and Saif Ali Khan, had garnered years ago. However, given the clout that his banner carries today and the expectations one had from the film, this is definitely not a heartening outcome for this small film with good merits.

Qasam Se Qasam Se and Chakradhaar Movie Posters

The other two releases of the week, Qasam Se Qasam Se and Chakradhaar, couldn’t even boast of such relief since the films failed to even get a proper release for themselves. Entirely non-star cast affairs with zero promotion and nil backing, the films weren’t even reviewed by most. Disasters even before their release, the films struggled to survive even a weekend in theatres.

Ferrari Ki Sawaari Movie Review

Rating: 2.5/5 stars (Two-and-a-half stars)

Star cast: Sharman Joshi, Boman Irani, Ritvik Sahore, Paresh Rawal.

What’s Good: The heartfelt characterisations; the performances.

What’s Bad: A few weak portions of the drama; the slow pace of the second half; the track of the Marathi leader which does not add much value.

Verdict:  Ferrari Ki Sawaari is a well-intentioned drama which entertains in parts.

Watch or Not?: Watch it because of the fine performances and the lovely characters.

Ferrari Ki Sawaari is about an honest, middle-class father’s effort to get his only child into a cricket training camp in London.

Rusy (Sharman Joshi) is the head clerk at the regional transport office in Mumbai. He stays in a Parsi colony with Kayo (Ritvik Sahore), his young, school-going son, and Deboo (Boman Irani), his cranky, old father. Rusy practices complete honesty and teaches his son to emulate him.

Kayo is a budding cricketer with lots of promise, but Rusy cannot buy him enough equipment because of his meager income. However, when a camp in Lords, London is announced at Kayo’s school, Rusy decides that his son will attend the camp, in spite of the hefty fee of Rs. 1.5 lakh. Deboo — who thinks that Kayo wastes his time in playing cricket — warns Rusy against sending the kid to London. But Rusy tries every trick in the book to put the money together. But all his efforts come to naught.

Rusy then gets a chance to make one-and-a-half lakh rupees by somehow arranging for cricketer Sachin Tendulkar’s swanky Ferrari car for a couple of hours, on the occasion of the marriage of a Mumbai politician’s son. Although he thinks twice, Rusy takes the bait when the opportunity presents itself.

What happens next? Is Rusy able to get the money and send Kayo to London? Or does he fall foul of the law? What about Deboo?

Sharman Joshi In Ferrari Ki Sawaari Movie Stills

Ferrari Ki Sawaari Review: Script Analysis

Rajkumar Hirani’s story is unusual and interesting. The concept of an honest man turning to dishonest means for a seemingly noble purpose might not be new, but to his credit, Hirani treats the subject in a refreshing way. Rajesh Mapuskar and Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s screenplay takes off very well. The characterisations of the son, father and grandfather are well-etched and enjoyable. The conflict is neatly introduced into the drama, keeping the viewer engaged.

However, the second half fails to an extent because several scenes drag out unnecessarily and do not seem relevant to the main plot. The track of Sachin Tendulkar’s servant and watchman searching for the Ferrari is comic but drags on and irritates. The same applies for the track of the wedding of the Mumbai politician’s son. Another problem with the narrative is that the scenes where Kayo is shown playing cricket do not inspire the viewer or get him to applaud. Emotional scenes are effective but don’t make the viewer cry at any point.

Dialogues, penned by Hirani, are excellent at places and good at others.

Ferrari Ki Sawaari Review: Star Performances

Sharman Joshi does an extremely convincing job as Rusy. He underplays beautifully and makes the film watchable to a large extent. Boman Irani is in his element as the Parsi grandfather. He shines in several scenes, especially in the one with Paresh Rawal. Ritvik Sahore does a fine job as Kayo. Paresh Rawal is natural in a short role. Satyadeep Mishra is okay as coach Vilayat. Vidya Balan does well in an item number. Seema Pahwa, as the boisterous marriage consultant, does a wonderful job. Nilesh Divekar, as the politician’s son, is very good. Deepak Shirke, as the watchman, makes the audience laugh. Aakash Dabhade, Vijay Nikam and others offer adequate support.

Ferrari Ki Sawaari Review: Direction, Music & Technical Aspects

Director Rajesh Mapuskar makes an impressive debut. Although he is let down by the script to an extent, he makes the father-son relationship very heartfelt, which, in itself, makes the film worth a watch. Music, by Pritam Chakraborty, is soulful and adds to the narrative. Swanand Kirkire, Guru Thakur, Amitabh Bhattacharya and Satyanshu and Devanshu Singh’s lyrics are alright. The background score is nice. Cinematography, by Sudhir Palsane, is appealing. The production design is okay. Deepa Bhatia’s editing is sharp.

Ferrari Ki Sawaari Review: The Last Word

On the whole, Ferrari Ki Sawaari is a well-intentioned and nicely made film that entertains in parts.

Ferrari Ki Sawaari Trailer

Ferrari Ki Sawaari releases on 15 June 2012.

Ferrari Ki Sawaari, Qasam Se Qasam Se and Chakradhaar Movie Posters

In a way, this Sharman Joshi starrer is arriving without any competition whatsoever. The releases alongside would hardly get an all-India release (more about that later) while at multiplexes (where its target audience lie), Shanghai won’t really pose any huge challenge. This way, Ferrari Ki Sawaarihas an entire week lying in front of it to make merry and it’s time for some actual content to do the talking.

Sharman Joshi Ferrari Ki Sawaari in Movie Stills

Well, it is this very factor, content, that would hold fort because from opening perspective, Ferrari Ki Sawaari can’t be expected to do any wonders. The promos have been good, not exceptional, while the music hasn’t caught up either. Yes, it has an unconventional plot but that factor will be a strength from word of mouth and sustainability, not opening footfall. Of course it is a given that performances would be good and the film may well turn out to be a heartening affair as well, considering the fact that someone like Rajkumar Hirani is associated here. Still, it is pretty much a wait and watch situation here.

With expectations of a 30%-40% opening here, Ferrari Ki Sawaari can enjoy a decent haul for itself over days and weeks to come since it is not the kind that comes and disappears over the weekend. However it may well be the case for the other two releases, Qasam Se Qasam Se and Chakradhaar, which actually appear like ‘come and gone’ cases. With hardly any promotion to boast of and nothing much of the lead actors despite these being their launch affairs, neither of the two films are expected to take any opening whatsoever or subsequently last for long.

First things first Sharman, and even though this may sound a little clichéd, is this one ‘sawaari’ that you have enjoyed most in life?
Definitely, yes. In terms of the role given to me and sheer challenge that it brought along, it has been quite a ride. It has definitely put me on an edge as an actor. I needed to push myself to reach the depth of this character and that has made this special for me and the movie as well. This movie is for sure one rollicking sawaari of my life.

Sharman Joshi In Ferrari Ki Sawaari

It must have been quite challenging to get into the shoes of a father…
Well, from the physical aspect perspective, it wasn’t actually. Most of the facial things were taken care of by the makeup team. My noise was sharpened and I also put on some weight, which again, was no big deal. The challenge though was to get the emotional aspect of what (director) Rajesh Mapuskar had envisioned. He knew what he wanted and I needed to get there. In Rajesh’s mind, the character was etched out very clearly and for me to get to that level was very exciting and challenging.

How exactly?
To begin with, the gentleness, ever smiling persona, honesty and the loving/caring nature of this guy were some of the traits I had to absorb. In fact it took me some 30-40 auditions to really become this character. Initially even Rajesh was not so convinced of me, mainly because of the age factor. He had a mind block that I was too young to play a father in the movie. He was not sure of that and that was something that I had to prove to him. It took me a couple of months and many workshops to convince him.

R. Madhavan, Aamir Khan, Sharman Joshi in 3 Idiots

Did your earlier relationship with Vidhu Vinod Chopra help? After all, you have done his 3 Idiots.
See, the core philosophy of Mr. Chopra’s production house is that a director is the captain of the ship and it is in his hands to decide whom he wants in the film or not. When Mr. Chopra saw my auditions, he told me that he would put a good word to Rajesh but ultimately the director’s decision would be the final. Thankfully, Rajesh too was convinced after a while and I was on board.

Raima Sen and Sharman Joshi in 3 Bachelors

While this would of course been quite exciting for you, how about your long pending film 3 Bachelors? It was kick-started almost a decade ago. Isn’t it disheartening to see its sudden announcement?
Well, I am not in touch with the producer of 3 Bachelors or anybody else from their unit. Mr. Ajai Sinha has directed the film and it’s very unfortunate that it couldn’t release earlier. However, I have moved on and am looking forward to my upcoming outings.

Ferrari Ki Sawaari Trailer

Ferrari Ki Sawaari releases on 15 June 2012.

The song, composed by Pritam, is sung by Shaan, Boman Irani and Aayush Phukan.

Ferrari Ki Sawaari Title Song

Sharman Joshi in Ferrari Ki Sawaari Movie Stills

Directed by Rajesh Mapusskar, Ferrari Ki Sawaari releases on 15 June 2012.

Sharman Joshi in Ferrari Ki Sawaari and 3 Bachelors Movie Poster

“This film happens to be 3 Bachelors which was completed way back in 2003″, informs a source.

In fact late last year there was an announcement from the makers (director Ajai Sinha who had last made Khap) that the film was ready for release. New promotional material of the film was also released but none of that could help it from making any headway. Now with plans being confirmed for Ferrari Ki Sawaari, talks around 3 Bachelors have started again.

“However Sharman’s concentration is primarily on the Vidhu Vinod Chopra film. How can you expect him to even talk of 3 Bachelors when he is an altogether different league altogether,” questions an industry insider, “That film is over and done with. There is no point raking the past when the future looks bright.”

On contacted, all that Sharman was willing to say was, “Yes, it is unfortunate that the film got delayed due to various production related reasons. Ab kya kar sakte hain!”

As of now, Ferrari Ki Sawaari arrives on 15 June and 3 Bachelors releases a fortnight later on 29 June.

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.

Vidhu Vinod, Chopra Sharman Joshi, Raju Hirani

At the launch of the song Maara Re, director Rajesh Mapuskar, dialogue writer Hirani and Sharman revealed that the actor who played the role of Sharman’s son in the movie looked like Sachin Tendulkar in his growing years. “He will appear only after the film is released,” added Vinod.

Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Raju Hirani

Rajesh started off as Rajkumar Hirani’s assistant director in Lage Raho Munna Bhai and 3 Idiots. Over a couple of drinking sessions, Raju promised to write the dialogues for his directorial film. And that is how they ended up working together for Ferrari Ki Sawaari.

Bhushan Kumar, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Sharman Joshi, Raju Hirani

Raju said, “I ended up spending six months on it,” to which Vinod jokingly replied, “I thought you did it for the love of your assistant!”

Ferrari Ki Sawaari also stars Boman Irani and has an item number by Vidya Balan. It is slated to release on 15 June.

Maara Re: Ferrari Ki Sawaari

Maara Re – Ferrari Ki Sawaari

Sharman Joshi In Ferrari Ki Sawaari

Ferrari Ki Sawaari releases on 15 June 2012.

Ferrari Ki Sawaari & Rock Of Ages Posters

“This is really brave on the part of Chopra since it is a known fact that Hollywood releases have started making a huge impression across the length and breadth of India as well. No big film can be taken lightly, especially when it features someone like Tom Cruise”, comments a trade source.

It is after much deliberation though that Ferrari Ki Sawaari has decided a release date for itself. Over the last few months there have been a couple of instances when the film seemed ready for release. However there was never a concrete announcement from Chopras.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol Poster

Meanwhile Rock Of Ages is expected to open huge as well Tom Cruise has traditionally been quite popular in India. Moreover his Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol had taken a record breaking start when released last year. With Catherine Zeta-Jones, another hot favourite amongst Indian audience, giving good company to Cruise and making it a further star studded affair, it can be definitely stated that Sharman Joshi and Co. have good competition ahead.

An industry insider has the final word here, “If Chopra believes that his ‘Ferrari Ki Sawaari’ is carrying enough ‘dum’ to take on such mighty competition then he must be really sure of the content in the offering. He isn’t new to creating magic and ‘Ferrari Ki Sawaari’ could just be one of those magical affairs waiting to be unveiled.”

We hope so as well.

Sharman Joshi in Ferrari Ki Sawaari movie poster

At Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s recent film festival celebrating his completion of 30 years of cinema, he expressed his excitement for Ferrari Ki Sawaari and added that he was proud of director Rajesh Mapuskar. The Sharman Joshi starrer, FKS was set to release on 11 May but will release after IPL 5. Instead, YRF’s Ishaqzaade has taken the slot for 11 May and will release their film a week earlier.