Singh is Kinng… reviews begin….
Tring Tring…
Who’s That?
Taran
Taran Who?
Taran Adarsh, the one in the whole of India who always publishes the first review for any Bollywood release.
So the first review comes in. Now Singh is Kinng is supposed to be complete masala – that is a given. I’m looking forward to it.
Sadly the first review comes in from Taran Adarsh and it almost kills the movie, even though he praises it.
Out of his entire vocabulary of 12.5 words, Adarsh begins his review like this
Just a word of caution before you watch this film: SINGH IS KINNG is not for the intellectuals or those pretending to be one. It’s not for the hard-nosed critics either.
Hole 1: Not for intellectuals, hard nosed critics (check Adarsh’s past records where every second review of a big flick will have this line)
What does this mean? SiK is for idiots or those who pretend to be an idiot? Frankly this is quite an offensive repeatedly used statement by someone who pretends to be an intellectual. Wait a minute. Shouldn’t he be one of the first to stand in the line of people who should not watch the film since it is not for those who pretend to be an intellectual.
I did not know that doctors, engineers, artists, philosopher, professors do not like leave-your-brains at home kind of movies. If that be the case Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Basu Chatterjee and even of the current lot like Dibankar Banerjee should have been working in sewing and knitting mills rather than film studios.
Vipul Shah. Anees Bazmee. Akshay Kumar. Katrina Kaif. Four names for whom success has become a habit. That makes SINGH IS KINNG the most awaited movie of the season. Must add, the wait was worth it!
Hole 2: Ass kissing, “Success has become a habit”, “wait is worth it”
A year ago, Mr. Adarsh must have dispatched his worthwhile assistant to the public library to find new quotes. And the assistants obliged. Using statements again and again in his reviews like “Success has become…” and “wait is worth it”… has now become Mr. Adarsh’s habit since the last year.
Why kiss ass, and then talk about the movie in your review? We all love (hopefully) the producers, directors and the actors, but we don’t put up billboards expressing our love for them. What is this?
You know the rules when you watch a hardcore entertainer: Just don’t look for logic
Hole 3: Rule Rule Rule. Where the hell do these rules come from in Mr. Adarsh’s reviews. Somebody please pass me the Rule Book.
Now I did not know that there were two types of entertainers. Hardcore and Softcore. It’s quite Porncore reminder. And who the fuck created the “rule that hardcore entertainers don’t have logic”…
Anees Bazmee’s films are very high on entertainment. The plotline may be paper-thin, perhaps ludicrous and farcical, but when did Bazmee ever promise a SCHINDLER’S LIST or a SAVING PRIVATE RYAN? SINGH IS KINNG works because it delivers what it promises: Full on entertainment!
Hole 4: Why compare masala to classics? Why not compare Masala to Masala? How about Daddy Day Care, Blue Streak, Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and such?
Bazmee has the knack of making immensely watchable fares that cater to the aam junta.
Hole 5: One dimensional views. But we can’t blame him, cause when one kisses ass, one does not care about the bad.
Bazmee is also the writer of Aaj Ka Goonda Raaj, Mr. Azaad, Hulchul, Andolan, Prithvi, Raju Chacha, Mujhe Meri Biwi Se Bachaao, Karz – The Burden of Truth, Deewangee, Sandwich etc.
Bazmee is also the director of Hulchul, Sandwich, Benaam, Welcome…
No offense to Bazmee’s filmography. He is in there earning his bread and butter. But we never heard Mr. Adarsh EVER mention “Bazmee has the knack… watchable fares” until Bazmee achieved much success in the recent years. If Adarsh feels Bazmee has the knack of making watchable fares for the “aam junta”, where was the aam junta when most of the movies listed above were released?
I would love to know Adarsh’s definition of the “aam junta”. Then I would love to ask him, based on his definition, whether he includes himself in the “aam junta”. Adarsh’s definitions change as and when it suits him it seems – cause if he is an aam junta, I am happy that the aam junta in India today, wears, designer suits, glasses and rubs shoulders with the film people who saw some major success last Friday.
But, wait, SINGH IS KINNG isn’t a foolproof product.
Hole 6: “But, wait”… he’s used this so often, that the fucking expression has lost it’s surprise element .
The final word? SINGH IS KINNG is a delicious and scrumptious pav-bhaji served in the finest cutlery. Your taste buds are sure to relish it… and ask for more!
Hole 7: If you remove Singh Is Kinng and put any other movie title he has reviewed in appreciation, the whole review will have no effect on the change. Check out his past reviews. The pav-bhaji and finest cutlery phrase is now old and needs to be changed to something else… like Champagne and Lalooji’s promoted Kulhad.
Lakhan Singh aka Lucky [Sonu Sood] is the King of the Australian underworld,…
Hole 8: Copying and pasting the film’s publicity text in a review does not make it “YOUR” review
This is one major gripe I have about this chap. He pastes the publicity material of the movie to tell the story and then adds on to it by giving the rest of the story not mentioned in the original material.
And I mean in plain verbatim when I say “the rest of the story”. Meaning if he has not kissed the producers, directors and actors asses in his review till this point, he is going to tell you the entire story. What are we? Kids waiting for Uncle Adarsh to tell a story so we can go to sleep?
Here too he reveals a few things but stops revealing the climax. Remember the ass kissing condition?
The problem with Adarsh is he has lost any out of the box perspective towards cinema and movies. I’m not even sure if he ever had such a perspective in the first place.
Which leads to a bigger issue here? When the quality of reviewers has gone to the lowest depths as those defined and lived by, by the likes of Taran Adarsh, shouldn’t it raise a big red flag of the type of filmmakers and films which will follow from the same environment?
And even though Adarsh tries to pass some hidden punches by purportedly pointing to words like “not for intellectuals”, “hard nosed critics”, “aam junta” – who is he trying to fool?
The 80s till the mid 90s too had movies in Bollywood made for the “aam junta”. And this aam junta were the front benchers who drove entirely the economy of the film industry, for the middle class had disappeared from the theaters for two reasons (1) Quality of theaters and the rowdy crowd that began to occupy the seats (2) The septic pool quality of movies made.
So does the middle class of the 80s and 90s get segregated and made to stand in the corner based on Taran Adarsh’s supposed definition of the “aam junta” who were primarily the front benchers in Lower Stalls of the 80s?
Adarsh is quite a cunning chap when it comes to picking up coined words from other sources and then defining them, re defining them and changing the definition as and when it suits him.
Today the “aam junta” for Singh Is Kinng will be all those who go and see and enjoy the movie. Adarsh has placed his bets, for anyone to see, that the film will be a Super Hit. Which I am positive it will. “Aam Junta” equates to a hit film in Adarsh’s books. Had he any doubts that phrase would never had made it in his review.
And that is quite tragic. With a reach and power with filmmakers, the man has, the sense of honest and sincere responsibility was a burden never to be carried on his shoulders. For that remains the burden of the “aam junta”… on the whole…
Tags: Singh IS Kinng, Taran Adarsh
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
okay forget to add the bottomline………….oz dont diss people who say masala fare and ‘aam junta’fare should be judged on standards set by good or classic movies…its the same medium!!!!
and taran adarsh take up some film appreciation courses or summat….
mayank shekhar is probably the most unbiased reviewer in town
forgot*
The idiot’s also mentioned a couple of spoilers in the review which u might’ve seen ;)
Ozbhai,gud to read something with ur trademark wit
I agree.It is really irritating to read Taran’s reviews.This guy seems to be on payroll of big commercial film producers.I have never seen him give a honest review.How could a sane person praise mediocre stuff like partner,welcome,Kabhi Alvida Na Kahna to skies?
Akkkkiiiiiiii z the KING…NO KHAN…NO KAPOOR…
considering in your comments you mentioned you’re looking forward to this movie, I wonder about your taste. ;-)
@ Abhay – the thoughts were NOT towards masala fare and the phrase “aam junta” but the misuse of it
@ Vikram, thanks
@ Sharath – I don’t think he’s on anyone’s payroll. After all he runs a respected trade magazine. I am though aghast at his taking sides and writing reviews as if he’s a politician speaking from the Red Fort on Republic Day.
@Pook – I’ve stopped wondering a long time ago. I’ve loved Partner, found The Dark Knight to be good but too overrated and hope Singh is Kinng does live up to its title.
agree completely with you oz.
but amidst all this one thing beats me..
when will people on pfc stop trashing taran and his reviews?
i guess everyone here knows that he ‘kisses asses’. but whats the point in reading his reviews religiously and making it a point to trash them?
Akash..its fun, anger, cringe all mixed together..hence..people pn pfc write about taran
just the way..though we know a movie is going to suck..we still watch it and vent out our anger..its all in good stead, though :-)
I am eagerly waiting for “Singh is Kinng” and I strongly fele that this would be yet another super hit in his career of Akshaya Kumar.
Oz,
Hulchul was directed by PriyaDarshan and not A_Baz. A_Baz directed No Entry.
Taran Adarsh has the privilege of watching the movie in advance and in return he favours with 4 stars.
there are two Hulchuls… or even more. Hulchul with Akshaye directed by Priyadarshan. And Hulchul with Ajay directed by Aneez
Oz, you know what I felt most sad about today while watching Singh is Kinng? I felt that people are not liking the movie but after all the marketing hype for the last two months, they are all in “B Positive” mode and trying to laugh at the non-existent funny lines. It’s like they are not even realising how bad the film is because they are meant to like it… It’s quite an incredible situation! Pay 200 for a ticket, buy food worth 200 and man, I have to like this film!
i wish they would let me enter the theater just so that i can watch that Katrina song in that pink dress and then go away…..
ANYWAYS, ON THE WHOLE taran adarsh is a _________
and i cant believe as a kid i used to watch his reviews on bollywood bazaar and judge a movie based on it….i pity myself
@Shawshank, it’s an old Hulchul that Bazmee did
@Pratim, Ho Gaya Kalyan. Just like today we look back at the 80s and call it the worst period of Hindi cinema… how will this decade appear to us 15-20 years from now? We can’t even make good comedies anymore?
@rick, well he is read widely. the difference is I used to read Khalid and Iqbal Masud in the 80s, their reviews were entertaining and provided me knowledge about movie making. Adarsh’s reviews are dumbed down versions and perhaps represent the state of our times.
Paia Bolta Hai.. I think TA had given 4 stars to movies like K3G, so you can imagine the quality of the movie.
Anyways, just returned from the movie, nothing great.. 2nd half was bad.. 1st half was good.. worth around 2.5 stars out of 5.
The movie should work well in UK and metros in India. (Specially Punjab).. I think superhit to ho jayegi due to promotions and all those things..
cheers
Deep
Duh…it’s all politics. I hate TA’s reviews though I religiously read them as the joke of the week to get a good laugh. However, I must say that if all the other “honest” reviewers on the internet were in his position, with privileged access to the bollywood community and the need to get these stars on your talk show, they wouldn’t be so blunt with their reviews. Ah, but would they stoop so low???
Man I agree with this SO much that I just had to comment. I’ve noticed so many times that Taran re-uses phrases in his reviews. He knows nothing about cinema, forget critiquing it!!! Most good films in the last few years, he has given a horrible rating to and the bad ones he seems to love. Of course he adds, “This film is not for intellectuals!” What kind of society does he see India as? EVERYONE should be intellectual, so he’s basically calling everyone stupid.
I wish he could read this!!! Great job oz.
Qn. How do you make Taran Adarsh out of job?
Ans. Stop taking him seriously.
You don’t want to write a blog about him, unless you really want to see how much people really hate him. Need to say more?
yeah stop taking him seriously…he is truly just an ass kisser. even before the movie released all u see on his website were promo articles about the movie…
a critic cannot change his standards for good cinema every friday and segregate movies for aam junta and the classes. Its either an excellent,good,average or bad movie regardless of genre, filmmaker, stars and target audience.
Yes. Fully agree with JRV @19
I have come 1st time on this website and surely is the last time also. For all the people who hate Taran Adarsh’s review of the movies dont read it. Its commonsense but as they say “commonsense is not common”. Why u all waste ur time. If u dont like it DONT READ IT. The “reviewer of the review” (:P) has used a lot of foul language and thats utterly disgusting and pathetic.
@ Deep, yes it is destined to become a neat hit. I’m quite eager to see it first thing tomorrow here in California.
@ Grumpy, they lose the “reviewer” status once the knife gets blunt
@ Aly, I think there is some kind of inferiority complex and defensive approach applied here whenever the word “intellectuals” is mentioned
@ JRV, Or rather than keep quite and blow silent anger… blog about what you think.
@ Kunal, He has an esteemed reputation (and rightfully so cause of his trade mag) in Bollywood and I came to know recently – the most read reviewer in India. I am told that Films die or float because of his review since it is the first that hits the web/print/television media – I am told. Hence you can’t sit back and just watch.
@Abhay, Thank you. That’s exactly what I dream of. Emulate Taran Adarsh and have intellectuals read my shitty posts.
Oz,
I will not go to the extent of calling Taran Adarsh in some one’s payrolls..(I think even you have not mentioned it in your post). But I agree with what you have said..he does not have perspective.
My personal opinion is he is not worth reading. I have stopped reading him for about a year now. Same with Raja Sen.
Like RGV said, we should not take reviews very seriously..but reviews of Taran, Raja Sen, Bhama Devi(TOI Chennai) really puts one off. Why unnecessarily spoil our day by reading their reviews.
Anand
Oz, professional reviewers notwithstanding (among which you happen to be one)…what about actual filmmakers letting the world know what they think of the various professionals who have worked with them in the past, and the real, behind-the -scenes creation of any particular film…? Shouldn’t RGV’s blog comments on Kashyap, Shukla, Bajpai and others then take precedence over any self-proclaimed cinematic authority out there…whether it’s Oz, Adarsh, Sen or anyone else ?
@ Anand, the problem is not whether it is worth reading or not (and if “you think” I’ve not called Adarsh on anyone’s payroll you need to read my post again to make sure). Adarsh has every right to say what he wants to. The catch is – why and how he says it in the role of a professional reviewer.
@Zoomin, me a professional reviewer? Are you from the IT – and I mean Income Tax not Information Technology. With the number of movie reactions (not reviews) that I’ve written, if i were a “professional reviewer” I should have quit my job and sipping martinis on the Pacific coast. Nobody takes precendence over nobody. My post does not and should not stop Adarsh’s freedom of speech… to say what he wants to as do the rights of Kashyap, Shukla (who?), Bajpai (Atal or Manoj?)…
@ Anand
What don’t you like about Raja Sen’s reviews? I feel he is among the better ones today, who know good cinema from bad. He may make some howlers here and there but at least I have rarely felt disppointed after watching a movie that he has praised and end up agreeing with him about the movie which he trashed…
‘I did not know that doctors, engineers, artists, philosopher, professors do not like leave-your-brains at home kind of movies. If that be the case Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Basu Chatterjee and even of the current lot like Dibankar Banerjee should have been working in sewing and knitting mills rather than film studios.’
i may be digressing, but really, do you think the films made by the above three, are of the ‘leave-your-brains at home’ kind?
not that i dont like such movies ( i do enjoy them..) but i think there are other directors one would associate them with.
your thoughts?
dazed&confused, I am not worried about a reviewer’s likes and dislikes, he may not agree with my view, I am balanced enough to handle that. Many times I have not like a film which Raja sen liked and vice versa..but the point is the way he writes the review is incomplete, inconsistent. It does not work for me.
I like Baradwaj Rangan the best. In the current crop he is one guy whose reviews are ‘professional’.
Professonal reviewers are a nch of prejudiced people..their prejudices shift corresponding to lot many domains.You may like a reviewer one day, the other day when he doesnt think the way you think..he is a bad guy.Why do we need professional reviewers?Whats the reason?Is it inform people or influence people.They are not needed.You cannot write shit in national dailies.Although national dailies have become shit themselves.We do not need them.But they need us..they need us to read their views.
Taran’s is IT manager’s delight. The way he reuses his review template is amazing.
But I think he is not a reviewer per se, he is more of a trade guy who will predict the commercial fate of the movie.
And on that front, he has very rarely been wrong.
But when he becomes Two-Face-Ass-Licking-T-A thats where the problem arises.
I am not supporting Taran here. Frankly speaking, I like his review when he writes good about a movie that I like and disses a movie that I hate. Conversely, when he praises movie like Hey Baby and SIK, it boils my blood. Khoon Khaul raha hain :-)
RGV has said best..he says reviews are meant for entertaining people!!
Thats why TV reviewers are more popular and people like Mayank Shekar and Sudhish Kamath are also flocking to TV.
I find Rajeev Masand very entertaining(Egg on Aag was icing on cake!!) and to some extent Anupama Chopra.
Suhasini is absolutely boring.
Hole 3: Rule Rule Rule. Where the hell do these rules come from in Mr. Adarsh’s reviews. Somebody please pass me the Rule Book.
i used to use this argument when i was in the third standard ^_^
Nowadays every Director seems to have a problem with the reviewer. But ask Raj Kumar Hirani if he has such problem with any of them. His reply will be a resounding NO!!!! And vice versa if you were to put the same question to the reviewers.
The thing is Hiroo Bhai knows his job and craft, the others are all dumb asses looking to blame others for shamelessly putting forth their shameful excuses of films, masala or otherwise.
Can’t get simpler than this…
Did anyone read Raja Sen’s review on rediff ,looks like he is the king of Ass kissing brigade in Bollywood ,first OSO and then this , 3.5 stars to both of them ,unbelievable .
Its strange that Singh Is King is following the Om Shanti Om trend..
For OSO
First Taran came out with 4 stars – same for SIK
Then it was Raj Sen with 3.5 – same for SIK
And now Glamsham 4 stars
Singh is King had a good first half, boring second.. OSO was pathetic..
ajay brahmatmaj review of singh is king
http://chavannichap.blogspot.com/2008/08/blog-post_08.html
@28 akash – completely agree, i have the same question for oz
@oz – i am really surprised by that comment, clubbing those 3 and above all hrishi da in “leave-u’r brains at home” genre????
how many of hrishi da’s movies you have seen????
even to talk of comedies – which of his comedies were close to that genre????
its unfortunate….but untill tht comment i regarded your knowledge of cinema quite high!
i hate to sound judgemental….but I simply worship Hrishikesh Mukherjee….so felt a bit hurt!! (not to suggest in the least tht i don’t smtimes enjoy “leave-u’r-brains-at-home” kind of movies!!)
Well “WELCOME” was so deplorable, that i have to give this movie a miss(since same makers, movies based on NOTHING). I remember they banked 20 minutes in the climax of “WELCOME” on a bee or some goof ups like that. When a director starts giving screen time to bees(Its the right time to swear to never watch their movies again)….
Anyways, this movie is high on hype. How did someone miss one line from TA (”paid reviews”) he mentions in the last paragraph.
I read someone arguing NO the reviewers are not paid(I think in PFC only, a year or so back). If TA himself mentions the word he does mean it.
r e yaar Taran Adarsh talking about the “intellectuals” like you!
:P
oz,
What ever the reviews may say the marketing hype has been so much that every one i have met and enquired from is geared to see the movie atleast once..And that takes care of the so called initial at the box-office(And initial matters the most–with 2000 prints released worldwide money is sure shot recovered in first weekend only)..And that will make the movie certainly a hit..Now if Taran Adarsh says it will be super-hit it is no big deal..Any dumbo could have foreseen the outcome..We don’t need intellectuals for that..So Taran Adarsh as such is a non-issue imo.
You know this trend is very frustrating.I’m afraid its follwoing he same path of those Amitabh films in early 1980’s(Namak Halal,Lawaris,Mard,Andha Kanoon)which ruined the entire decade.Even masterpieces like Kalyug,Junoon,Vijeta…efforts by Shashi Kapoor to produce quality films failed thanks to all larger than life films by AB.The situation is much different now but the problem with our industry is that,”If something works big time it is done to death”.I am afraid if that happens there are more Namaste Londons and Singh is King’s waiting for us which is scary because quality films will be looked upon as “intellectual films” and will suffer.Pray to god that does not happen.
hello all of you
forget the debates I have seen the movie
want to entertain your self go and see it seriously
i mean some movies are for fun and this one is surely the one
enjoy pop corn
if you liked om shanti om then this is much better than that
This Singh is a (expletive) pauper.. This is most definitely 2008’s ‘Hey Baby’.. Such scatological humour.. Inane, vapid, insipid are the words, which might sue my socks off, if i use to review this movie.. This is a truly pathetic film.. However, there is one scene in the movie where all the sardars discuss chandrachur singh and sanjay dutt.. Guess schlock needs schlock to inspire it..
I have noticed that Taran Adarsh is very good at predicting the box office results of a movie–he’s probably right 95% of the time. It seems like he uses that to control the tone and rhetoric of the review.
He isn’t saying a movie is good or bad, he’s merely predicting whether people will like it or not. I don’t think he realizes that is the job of a trade analyst (which he is), and NOT of a reviewer (which he tries to be, but fails). A reviewer should really only provide their opinion of what works and what doesn’t, not what the “aam janta” will like and what the ” hard-nosed critics” will like.
hi there
i went thru the review on the websites of prominent newspapers and all of them dissed the movie big time, but then i read a review by Taran Adarsh and i just cudnt get why he had so much of positive things 2 say bout a movie that was dissed left right and centre. i completely agree that the reviewing style of Taran Adarsh is so arcane and so boring, i mean what on earth does he mean by the start of his review.
will have 2 c da movie to put fwd my views.
take care
ciao
I agree that singh is kinng is not worth the hype.The movie is silly and brainless and atleast for me a total waste of 200 rupees.
“Vipul Shah. Anees Bazmee. Akshay Kumar. Katrina Kaif. Four names for whom success has become a habit”. Katrina Kaif???? What does she have in herself to make a film hit? It all happened to her coz of the movie, actors she acted with, directors, and the project she was assigned to. She is not a good actor nor a dancer. Request you to reconsider her name in the above list.
What is the dope on Katrina? How to explain that accent?
I’ve met many a US and UK by way of Hong Kong in my time, and that’s not what they sound like.
She sounds more like a ghar ki murghi trussed up as chicken a la Kiev. Total digression, I know, but I’m curious.
That was the koooolest review of a review I’ve read recently … RGV’s take on the reviewers for Sarkar-Raj (as described in AB’s blog) was nice … but this one is even better since it doesn’t pretend to be politically correct and comes direct dil se :P …
Btw, hope you aren’t Mr. Masand in guise ? :D :D …..
JODI ACHI HAI
Hello Oz,
Seriuosly I had predicted Taran Adarsh’s review one week before the movie released. He is become a predictable yes man and golddigger. He is a typical opportunist.He has double (maybe multiple) standards.For some movies(low profile ones which doesnt have stars in it) he says that this is a predicatable 90’s cinema and pans it to extreme lwevels. And the next week he will be praising yash raj cinema or other movies which will have same story but saleable stars in it and then he will justify the filmamakers by saying that he never promised schindlers list…..blah blah.
He doesnt review movies but he reviews people.
Th only thing we can do as an audience which appreciates good movies is by not going to his website and giving him hits on his webpage.
@ akash & Love-being-here : about Hrishi-da and leave-your-brains-at-home statement in the post above: That came out of something from the horse’s mouth. It was around the time that Golmal had released and got much flak from a section of the press. It is then Hrishi-da laughingly mentioned in an interview that you have to keep your brains at home before your come to watch my movie. It was one of the first times for me to hear that phrase.
The problem of blind worship and raising a mere mortal with extraordinary capabilities – to the heights of God Worship by every next generation is quite common. You coming out to defend Hrishida is quite heart warming and nice to see that even the generation after GenX (assuming both of you were born in the late 80s) loves Hrishida’s works. But assumptions made on a lot of articles and quotes about any legend leads to many a times forming the God like status of that legend – one, who now in your belief, can do no wrong.
Hrishida is and will remain the legend that he is. The point to note deeper in my statement is: he made very illogical situations in his stories, infusing believability in them. Examples of such situations are abound and we could talk about this in a separate post.
@ Love-being-here, I may not have seen many Hrishida movies, but this guy who I know quite well has seen all his works
check him out 
So guys, don’t be hurt. There have been people around when the legend was making movies. There is a more realistic memory of that legend than the ones built by those who followed.
@ Zia, those are quotes from Adarsh’s review, not mine.
@Dewi, don’t have any dope. I think you’re being too harsh on her.
@Nitesh, or by voicing your opinion in your own way. I don’t know if he is a yes man or a golddigger. My point was based on what he writes which is just not right in my view – repeat phrases, sucking up to stars etc… and I just voiced what I felt. In all probability Adarsh may be a very good man in real life, it’s just that, this characteristic of his has yet to come out in his writings.
No, no – you misunderstand me. I’m not judging her in the least. She’s a pretty girl who deserves her success because she very ably fulfills the slot of a regular Hindi commercial film heroine.
No, I’m just really curious about the accent. She just doesn’t sound like she was raised in Hawaii or London, where she claims she grew up.
yes oz my bad . I should have judged his writing and not his persona. I apologise. I was just frustrated with the way he eulogizes a certain section of the film industry and then just pans out some films which dont have stars.
To my mind the masses have been so much ‘moronized’ by the entertainment industry (read Bollywood) on the one hand, and utterly silly news channels who have no news to offer except who kissed whom, whose going around with whom, whose breaking up and whose patching up, who is king today and who will be tomorrow, who hates whom, who earns what, whose quarreling, who’s making amends…and all this centered around a handful of ’stary’ figures of Bollywood!
The masses forever live in a feudal set-up and will not breathe without their Shahenshas, Badshahs and Kings which need to be repeated ad nauseum…(what if they slip out of the masses’ memory?). Where will Bollywood’s big bosses, the media barons, the publicity spongers and the huge marketing apparatus be if suddenly the torrential crowing about celluloid heroes stops? No wonder the bollywoodization of TV is complete…and no wonder Bollywood spares no expense at shouting from the housetops about how ‘international’ it is now…(knowing very well that its so rich financially that it can keep the publicity tap open 24/7…and that certainly has nothing to do with ‘quality’ of product)…it’s not the aliens who will invade us, it’s these filmy images that have already penetrated every nook and corner of our consciousness…with the blitzkreig organized and put into action by the full combination of the Allied Brigade of Film, TV, Press and now the net.
What’s really funny in all this is just this–man’s insatiable craving for showing off and lust for fame of even the most illusory and fleeting kind where, knowing in his heart of hearts that it’s just hot air, yet cannot resist making a spectacle of himself for whatever scraps of praise and flattery he can extract day after day without end.
To wrap up these above reflections…real fame is one which has not one act of ’self-publcity’ in it, but simply comes out of itself due to the quality of the accomplishment…like the fragrance of flowers…while there couldn’t be more ACTIVE self-publicists than our tinsel Shahenshahs, Badshahs and Kings and their courtiers…who waste not hours to remain in the limelight…scared perhaps that if their names are not heard today…tomorrow will be too late! So they make umpteen darshans here there and everywhere, give instant interviews wherever the press has hounded them, judge shows of the most trivial kind, keep the journalists happy (we all know how), appear at big and small events where they can prove who is the ‘real celebrity’, and if all this was not enough…they make mock-quarrels, declare their love, write outsized blogs,show their divine selves in commercials, express opinions by the dozen…and of course, there’s still the movie to promote…months ahead. One can but only wonder if they manage to grab some sleep.
One can also keep wondering–What kind of fame is this? Shouldn’t we ask the ‘moronic’ masses, i.e., us?
Mayank Shekhar is the currently the best reviwer in my opinion …
Simply bcoz uske aur mere vichaar bahut milte hai …
baaki sabhi … jaise Nikhat azmi(I hate her for giving Swades a 2 * rating), khaled muhammad(Ramu has already done what I want to write here), masand, pasand etc are all ass lickers …
Mayank Shekhar looks educated, sophisticated and talks sense most of the times .. This guy is going to make a name for himself …
What can u expect from a person whose knowledge about film-making is so fu***n poor that epic movies like Lagaan and Dil Chahta hai get 2 and 3 stars respectively in his reviews and stuff like Welcome n others get 4 stars !!
@avi – mayank shekhar gave 3 stars to both hey potty and shit is king!
@ phoenixnu…..
does liking hey baby and singh is kingh makes mayank a bad critic…..hmm m not sure abt that..
he does comes across as unbiased….
and some of his editorials too are good to read……..
@ Avi – I havent come across any movie reviews by Mayank Shekhar but read a few of his articles right now (in MumbaiMirror). This guy indeed writes well. His writing is very incisive, mincing no words about what he says…Quite surprising he isnt that well known – I mean like the Masands, Kazmis and Muhammads..
@avi..i never said he is bad or good. the choice u make defines u and i wud not like to read more from a guy who rates shitty potty films with 3 stars. thats my choice.
@arthi..he is quite well known. have been reading his reviews/columns n everything else written by him since last 3-4 years and he just sounds fake to me.
Hi all
I saw the movie today. I don’t know how I made it through the full movie. After watching Welcome and Singh is Kinng, I can safely say that Anees Bazmee’s movies are for people with cattle-class brains.
All the hype before the release of Singh is Kinng made one feel that Anees might have made a good film and that Welcome was an abberation.
Now I am sure that he only makes movies as per his IQ level and for people of the same IQ level. Which probably means most of the paanwallah, rickshawallah class.
You won’t catch me dead in this idiot director’s films again.
These are the kind of movies that retards watch. Movies like Aamir, Taare Zamin Par, Chak De India are what we call movies, that we can showcase to the world. Not 50-crore turnips like Singh is Kinng.
Singh is Kinng???
Actually, Singh is a completely f*&#ed-up movie full of a cartload of shit.
Sorry, someone has to say that the Emperor has no clothes.
Yours truly
Amitava Misra
I was shocked to read TA review of Rang De Basanti. He trashed that movie may be because at the time of his review he could not make out that RDB would be a hit and would be considered a cult.
I am yet to watch Sing is Kinng but I did not dare because I could not tolerate Welcome even for 45 mintues and walked out.
It was a pity that veterans like Anil Kapoor , Freoze Khan and Nana agreed to work in that crap.
Now media is so hyper of making Akshay appear better than SRK that they can go to any extent.
Akshay is larger than Salman and Govinda am not sure if he can carry off something like Chak De … or TZP. And He never claims to do that. But this media frenzy is beyond compreshnsion.
In 80s and 90s people tried watching movie on VCR and hence those who went to theaters belonged to mostly lower middle class and thats when great Jitendra / Mithun /Chunky Pandey / Dhram Pa ji had a great time. Big B was out too for some time.
THE WORSTTTT MOVIE EVERRRRR…..
how n why wud anyone call this movie HIT or even worthy enuff to spend time n money to watch this piece of crapp..
this movie is so embarassin im ashamed of it..
Please write the truth..
Please do not misguide..
i am appalled..
i find these comments hot. i’m out for my dhandaa cos it’s all so true and I hate my life – why didn’t I think of all this first??!! :’(
but thank you!