Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Dumb and Dumber 2

Jeff Daniels was beyond thrilled to win the Emmy for Best Actor on Sept. 22, but what really excited us was when he admitted exclusively to HollywoodLife that he was heading to Atlanta to begin filming ‘Dumb & Dumber 2!’

It’s a super busy time for Jeff Daniels. While season two of The Newsroom just wrapped, where he portrays anchor Will McAvoy, he’s now heading back to his roots to play Harry Dunn, in what he says will be a sequel to top the original.

Jeff Daniels: ‘Dumb & Dumber’ Won’t Compare To Our Sequel......



Dumb and Dumber 2













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Blacklist

Even if you're not a James Spader fan, you can have a wonderful time watching him carry NBC’s intriguing new drama “The Blacklist.”

Spader plays Raymond Reddington, a former government agent and con man who 20 years earlier disappeared into a world of ubercriminals.

These are, he explains, the people who really run crime — the outlaws so powerful, smooth and skilled the government doesn’t even know they exist.

you can find more below........




Blacklist













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Saturday, September 21, 2013

pinkvilla - Phata Poster Nikla Hero







Phata Poster Nikla Hero Movie Reviews


Phata Poster Nikla Hero Movie Reviews
Here are the movie reviews for 'Phata Poster Nikla Hero':
Ratings:3.5/5 Review By: Taran Adarsh Site:Bollywood Hungama
PHATA POSTER NIKHLA HERO brings back memories of old-fashioned comic entertainers. There's not much of a plot here, but you go with the flow without making much effort. You laugh, celebrate the silly gags and by the time the story reaches its conclusion, you realize that the film has won you over with its unfussy plot and basic characters, who don't have a serious bone in their body. On the whole, PHATA POSTER NIKHLA HERO is an entertainer all the way. If you relished AJAB PREM KI GHAZAB KAHANI from the team of Taurani and Santoshi, chances are you will also lap up this vibrant, kaleidoscopic, light-hearted entertainer.
Ratings:2.5/5 Review By: Karan Anshuman Site:Mumbai Mirror
Phata Poster Nikhla Hero is a caper comedy that rides on pop culture and, in full awareness, cliches. Rajkumar Santoshi tries to put an original spin on the South-Indian film remake formula that Bollywood is besieged by. He attempts to mock it by getting rid of all "serious" elements and keeping it firmly in the comic zone. Unfortunately, it stops being funny after a while. Essentially a gimmicky two-star film that entertains in bits, a half star extra for Salman Khan's epic, self-deprecating cameo.
Ratings:3.5/5 Review By: Madureeta Mukherjee Site:Times Of India (TOI)
The first half offers loads of cackles, chuckles, witticisms and spoofy scenes. Post-interval the comedy collapses for a bit with forced OTT drama, khaali-peeli action, and too many songs breaks, but makes a comeback with delightfully funny moments. This one's worth it for the 'howlarity' of it all. And Shahid in his element. Note: You may not like this film if you don't have a taste for silly humour & mindless gags!
Ratings:-- Review By: Komal Nahta Site:Zee ETC Bollywood Business
Rajkumar Santoshi’s story is quite routine and the same can be said about his screenplay. But several comic sequences are hilarious and will bring the house down with laughter.The screenplay adopts the easy way out – because in the film, anything seems to be possible to do, that too, anywhere, anytime, anyhow.On the whole, Phata Poster Nikhla Hero is an entertaining fare and will keep the audience as well as the distributors smiling. But its dull start will affect its final tally. Its business in single-screen cinemas will be better than in the multiplexes because the classes would not approve of the cinematic liberties like the masses.
Ratings:1.5/5 Review By: Shubhra Gupta Site:Indian Express
And you hope that this spirit will colour the rest of the film, about a fellow who wants to be a film hero, and whose mother wants him to be a cop. Alas, that doesn't happen. On this one- liner of a plot, Rajkumar Santoshi has built a two-and-a-half hour film which is meant to make us laugh, but ends up making us groan instead.
Ratings:2/5 Review By: Sukanya Verma Site:Rediff
PPNH tries too hard to impersonate both Andaz Apna Apna’s flaky sense of humour and Ajab Prem’s loony energy but cannot conceal its urge to include a dated brand of soppy sentiments. The upshot is a film with a multiple personality disorder.Occasionally, I half-smiled at the laboured silliness put forth by this clean but clichéd farce. Only the darn poster is, ultimately, too phata, purana for anything to come out of it except disillusionment.
Ratings:1/5 Review By: Saibal Chaterjee Site:NDTV
Phata Poster Nikhla Hero is the kind of dim-witted comedy that might leave the hardiest of Bollywood junkies in tears. The agony of being subjected to this tattered bag of stale tricks can indeed be excruciating, when it is not outright numbing. Andaz Apna Apna is history. Phata Poster Nikhla Hero is not even Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani. Stay away from this film if you value your time and money. And if you still insist on giving it a shot, do remember that there is no refund on the ticket. That is what you will be asking for well before the joke winds up.
Ratings:2.5/5 Review By: Mohar Basu Site:Koimoi
Watch or Not?: Rajkumar Santoshi has stuffed his vast knowledge of commercial cinema well in Phata Poster Nikhla Hero. It is another formulaic film with a rather simple story at its core. If entertainment is all you expect from films, this one won’t hurt much in its first half. It has a hero who smashes, thrashes and makes you laugh all with equal ease! I won’t call it a must watch since the film becomes a drab post-interval with its dwindling laughter and story going haywire but nevertheless you can give this one a shot. It won’t be entirely regrettable!
Ratings:1.5/5 Review By: Mayank Shekhar Site:Dainik Bhaskar
Shahid Kapoor, he is trying hard enough to seem his whole career depends on this film. At the end of it, he even lists for the audience all the things he’s done in the movie: basically fought with the villain, danced with the item girl, romanced the heroine, done comedy, gone through emotional scenes, bashed up the goons, even saved the city... Truly, what else do you want? A headache pill will help.
Ratings:-- Review By: Simantani Dey Site:Firstpost
While the first half of the film is at least filled with dialogues aimed at making audiences laugh out loud, it seems Santoshi, who wrote the film, forgot that he was writing a comedy when he got to the second half. There are barely any scenes in it that make you chuckle. To make things worse, the chaotic climax is so similar to Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani
Ratings:-- Review By: Sneha May Franics Site:Emirates24By7
Rajkumar Santoshi’s movie is a joke, only it’s not the kind that tickles us, but one that leaves us thoroughly exhausted. Rajkumar, who dons many hats –of director and writer -- could’ve probably redeemed himself if he had exercised his moviemaking acumen and invested in a story instead of relying purely on a handful of dated jokes, a few pleasing tunes, a handsome bloke and a pretty woman. But, that’s exactly what he does. In fact, he sticks to the formula that had surprisingly won him box-office (and critical acclaim) for his earlier blockbuster ‘Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani’.

India Today - Phata Poster Nikhla Hero







Movie review: Phata Poster Nikhla Hero

Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Ileana D'Cruz, Padmini Kolhapure, Sanjay Mishra, Saurabh Shukla, Darshan Jariwala.
Director: Rajkumar Santoshi
Ratings: 4 Star Rating: Recommended4 Star Rating: Recommended

Shahid Kapoor is a 32-year-old actor. Despite being talented, he hasn't had much luck at the box office and subsequently fallen behind in the rat race of the next Bollywood star. Watching Phata Poster Nikhla Hero, you'll understand why Kapoor chose Raj Kumar Santoshi's film over Yash Raj Films' Shuddh Desi Romance. Phata Poster is a Shahid vehicle out and out. He dances, fights an army of men, gets to do lots of comedy and dialogue-baazi, and briefly indulges in drama and romance. This is Shahid Kapoor announcing that I am a contender too. For most part, he succeeds and gets audience's attention.

Narrative takes a backseat for contrived comic situations in Phata Poster Nikhla Hero. Vishwas Rao (Shahid Kapoor) has dreamt of being an actor since he was a kid but his mother (Padmini Kolhapure) is hell-bent on seeing him as a honest, diligent police officer. When Mumbai beckons Vishwas, he hopes to finally achieve his dream to be a reel-life hero. But Mumbai is not just home to Bollywood but even the big bad underworld. Thanks largely to an overenthusiastic social worker (Ileana D'Cruz, with little to do) who mistakes Vishwas for a cop and runs to him with reports of wrongdoings, Vishwas is forced to become a real-life hero. But when mommy finally sees through his deceit, things go wrong.

There's no space for threat in Santoshi's hunky-dory world. Even the so-called antagonists are a source of amusement. It is one of the reasons why Phata Poster struggles in the second half as it heads into serious and dangerous territory. The pace slackens, the twists and turns become predictable and the climax a drag. Even the songs - shot like music videos with the actors dressed as models in fashion catalogues - provide no respite.

Kapoor revels in the OTT comedy routine. Watch out when he suddenly turns into an angry young man in front of a director or breaks into a 1960s ladylike jig in a bar. But he is also occasionally guilty of going overboard with the animated faces. Some of the best humour comes when Kapoor shares scenes with experienced professionals such as Sanjay Mishra, who essays the role of a struggling screenwriter, Saurabh Shukla, the harmless don, and Darshan Jariwala, the joint commissioner of police.

Santoshi's zany humour comes from turning police officials into caricatures. He also makes references to many Hindi films such as Don and some of his own like Andaz Apna Apna. Salman Khan's cameo is a fun, surprising touch, taking back viewers to the memorable Aila! Uima! days. There are instances when Phata Poster Nikla Hero slips into a Rohit Shetty film with all the airborne bodies and slomo action sequences. But as Chennai Express' box office figures suggest, it's a successful ingredient to lure viewers. With Phata Poster Nikhla Hero, Kapoor demonstrates that he is capable of pulling off the popular action comedy avatar with ease.

One India - Phata Poster Nikla Hero







 
 
Salman Khan's Family At Phata Poster Nikla Hero Screening Posted by: Namit Uniyal Published: Friday, September 20, 2013, 14:22 [IST] Ads by Google Watch Movies Now Anytime, Anywhere Instantly! Watch Free Movies Online Now. Get Access Boxtv.com/Watch-Movies-Now BHEL Openings Sept '13 Exp: 3 to 10 Yrs, Sal: 7L to 25L PA Apply Now & Get Multiple Interviews TimesJobs.com/BHEL-Hiring-Urgent Shahid Kapoor's Phata Poster Nikla Hero is releasing today in the theaters and the movie is expected to be a good family entertainer. The movie has been directed by Rajkumar Santoshi whose last movie, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, starring Ranbir Kapoor was a huge hit.Shahid is paired opposite Ileana D'Cruz in the film,where he plays an aspiring actor who is mistaken for a super cop. A special screening was held in Mumbai for Phata Poster Nikla Hero and was attended by many bollywood stars including the family of superstar Salman Khan. Salman is also playing a cameo in the movie. In attendance were Salim and Salma Khan with Helen who is Salman's step-mother. Also present were Alvira and Atul Agnihotri. Yesteryears actresses such as Waheeda Rehman and Asha Parekh also made an appearance. Salman was nowhere to be seen as he is busy shooting for his upcoming Mental. Sangeeta Bijlani, Salman Khan's former ladylove was present at the event as she is said to have a real close relationship with Khan clan. Sangita had also attended the Ganesh Visarjan a few days back at Alvira's place. At the premire she was seen having a really good time with Salman's mother and the emotional bond between the two was quite evident. Go through the slides to check out the pics from the event.

Read more at: http://entertainment.oneindia.in/bollywood/features/2013/salman-khan-family-attend-phata-poster-nikla-hero-screening-120335.html

bollywoodlife - Phata Poster Nikla Hero







Phata Poster Nikla Hero movie review : Shahid Kapoor fails as an actor, succeeds as a mimic!

Phata Poster Nikla Hero movie review : Shahid Kapoor fails as an actor, succeeds as a mimic!

The trailer was great fun, so we were looking forward to seeing the entire film and the hijinks that Shahid and Ileana D’Cruz got up to, but were left short of being entertained

Shahid Kapoor certainly had a lot of hope riding on his new film Phata Poster Nikla Hero. So did I, until that moment when he actually appeared onscreen. Was I disappointed? Not totally, but PPNH isn’t exactly the ‘comeback’ we expected after his last dud, Teri Meri Kahani, co-starring Priyanka Chopra. So, there you see Shahid as Vishwas Rao, a wannabe Bollywood actor obsessed with the Dabangg Salman Khan. He travels to Mumbai to make it big in tinseltown. First by chance and then by design he becomes a corruption fighting cop, which helps him not only fulfil his mother Savitri’s (Padmini Kolhapure) dreams, but also helps him win the love of his life, Ileana. However, Vishwas’ bluff is called when his mother learns the truth about her son and his ambitions to become an actor.
While Shahid manages to show off glimpses of his talent – for acting, we mean – in some scenes, especially when he tries to convince a filmmaker that he can act, it is Sasha as a mimic who is more strong in Phata Poster.… He entertains with his dialogue delivery, dances like a crazy man, delivers dialogues with panache…but fails to tickle that oh-so-important funny bone.
Director Rajkumar Santoshi disappoints. Not only does this film carry the hangover of his last hit with Ranbir Kapoor-Katrina Kaif, Ajab Prem ki Gazab Kahani, but also seems like Santoshi has sought inspiration from David Dhawan’s mindless comedies and Abhinav Kashyap’s Dabangg, especially in the action scenes. The filmmaker uses a half baked, done-to-death plot where even the romance between the film’s lead pair fizzles due to a lack of build-up. The chemistry between Shahid and Ileana is almost non-existent. Ileana was promising in Barfi!, but she isn’t impressive as ‘Complaint Kajal’ – blame it on her bad dialogue delivery or the director’s caricaturish presentation of the film’s characters. Darshan Jariwala (as Commissioner of Police) and Sanjay Mishra (as Guruji) are good, but haven’t been properly used. Saurabh Shukla is wasted, but Salman Khan’s guest appearance is perfectly set into the movie.
The film’s music is impressive and its saving grace; however, the picturisation harks back to that of Ajab Prem…, whether it is the Agal bagal song that has shades of Prem ki nayya or Mere bina tu, modelled on Tu jaane na. We have to wonder if Santoshi is sticking to a set pattern or some kind of formula, because the film lacks surprises – so much so that even the twists are predictable. Nargis Fakhri’s item song is a jump in the bumpy flow. Is this a film made in the factory of a man who gave us cult comedy like in Andaz Apna Apna? We expected more, or at least something different, for sure.
Shahid Kapoor looks great, especially in a cop avatar – he can be tough competition for Salman Khan and is perfect hero material, but as an actor this isn’t his best work. But it is an indication of a possible new career for the actor who doesn’t seem to be able to find his filmi groove these days – if PPNH fails to bring the very good looking Shahid Kapoor back into the race for best actor title, he could always host a stand-up comedy show or even a little hatke mimicry event or four. SK’s diehard fans might not object to latest movie. But we are not thrilled with it and you may not be either. Our suggestion: treat this one like a Govinda film – a no-brainer – and have fun. Or else watch The Lunchbox.

International Business Times - Phata Poster Nikhla Hero







'Phata Poster Nikla Hero" Poster
This week's big release "Phata Poster Nikla Hero" has received mixed reviews from critics. The film starring Shahid Kapoor and Ileana D'cruz has been panned for its messy storyline and half-baked characters.
The film, which falls in the genre of action comedy, is directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, who has earlier delivered hits like "Ghayal", "Andaz Apna Apna" and "Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani".
The film is about an aspiring actor, played by Shahid, who gets mistaken for a police officer. [Photos of Salman Khan's Family at 'Phata Poster Nikla Hero' Special Screening]
"Dabanng" star Salman Khan is playing a cameo role in the film and model-actress Nargis Fakri has been roped in for an item song. The film also features Saurabh Shukla, yesteryear actress Padmini Kolhapure and Sanjay Mishra in supporting roles.
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Check out the critics review here:
Simanthi Dey of Firstpost said: "The most fun moment in Phata Poster Nikla Hero is the one in which Salman Khan makes a cameo appearance. It lasts for just about two minute, which means for hours, you just sit there wondering what on earth you're watching. And then comes the film's climax, which will confuse the hell out of everyone who saw director Rajkumar Santoshi's last film, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani because you think you've bought a ticket to see the Shahid Kapoor-Ileana D'Cruz starrer Phata Poster, but what's playing on screen seems to be from Ajab Prem. If Phata Poster is meant to be a comedy, it isn't funny. If it is an action film, then it's so last decade. What it definitely is, is a disappointment.
Sneha May Francis of Emirates 24/7 said: "Rajkumar, who dons many hats -of director and writer -- could've probably redeemed himself if he had exercised his moviemaking acumen and invested in a story instead of relying purely on a handful of dated jokes, a few pleasing tunes, a handsome bloke and a pretty woman. But, that's exactly what he does.  In fact, he sticks to the formula that had surprisingly won him box-office (and critical acclaim) for his earlier blockbuster 'Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani'.
"Rajkumar banks on his winning strategy. He borrows famous dialogues from earlier hits, hires a sultry item girl, randomly ships his lovers to exotic locations for a soundtrack, and even gets Salman Khan to step in for applause. 
"For a filmmaker who has made movies like 'Lajja', 'Damini', and 'Ghayal', this one is a let-down. And, with hints of a sequel for his classic comedy 'Andaz Apna Apna', we'd just hope it just doesn't end up in a mess, like this one."
Subhash K Jha of IANS said: "Let's get one thing straight. This isn't what you want to see a super-gifted filmmaker like Rajkumar Santoshi do when he gets together with a talented star-actor like Shahid Kapoor.
"Come to think of it, PPNH is not even an all-out zany comedy of errors like Santoshi's 'Andaz Apna Apna'. So what is it? After painful pondering over the over-punctuated parodic material in PPNH, I'd say it's a mongrelized mirth machine. A sort of "Dabangg" mated with Santoshi's last very successful comedy "Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani" which evidently taught Santoshi a lesson: farcical frivolity and lengthy titles translate into big bucks.
"If you think Shahid is one of the more interesting star-actor's of the current generation, then PPNH is a frenetically fashioned farce fest with excessive energy oozing out of every saturated pore. Shahid's songs and dances, especially the zanily unpredictable "Agal bagal" number are the highlight of the humour-hamper. "
Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama said: "Let's get this straight! There's nothing in PHATA POSTER NIKHLA HERO that you haven't watched before. It has a standard theme, several clichés that you may have encountered in earlier films, but what works is the fact that the journey to the destination is full of amusement and entertainment. Although Santoshi has helmed comedies earlier, the humor in PHATA POSTER NIKHLA HERO is more unabashed, in your face, goofier and physical. The sole similarity between Santoshi's earlier works and this one is that the wit and humor is just hard to disregard.
"On the whole, PHATA POSTER NIKHLA HERO is an entertainer all the way. If you relished AJAB PREM KI GHAZAB KAHANI from the team of Taurani and Santoshi, chances are you will also lap up this vibrant, kaleidoscopic, light-hearted entertainer."

Hindustan Times - Phata Post Nikla Hero







 
Phata Poster Nikla Hero
Big package in a small dabba
Film:
The Lunchbox
Cast: Irrfan Khan (last seen in D-Day), Nimrat Kaur (last seen in Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana; 2012), Nawazuddin Siddiqui (last seen in Bombay Talkies), Bharati Achrekar (last seen in Chashme Baddoor) and
Lillete Dubey (last seen in Chashme Baddoor)
Storyline: A soon-to-retire widower and a lonely housewife find solace in each other when they start exchanging hand-written notes via dabbas.

Director Ritesh Batra (Feature film debut) He has previously written, directed and produced a few short films. Ritesh has also been credited as an actor in a short film that he produced.

MusicMax Richter (original music)
The movie recently made news for using the title track of the Sanjay Dutt-Madhuri Dixit film, Saajan (1991), in a scene. 

Controversies/stuntsDrama king, director Karan Johar came on board to present this film that has been co-produced by Anurag Kashyap, Guneet Monga and Arun Rangachari. Although the film wasn’t embroiled in any controversy, Nawazuddin’s absence from a few promotional events led to speculation regarding him being sidelined.

Marketing/hypeIt has already received great reviews at film festivals internationally. Along with Anand Gandhi’s Ship Of Thesues, The Lunchbox was also recently called a winning option for the Oscars. It premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and won the Critics Week Viewers Choice Award at the Cannes Film Festival. There’s no escaping the positive buzz around this movie.

Our assessment After watching the film, Salman Rushdie tweeted: “I loved The Lunchbox, big hit at Telluride Film Festival, best Indian film in a long time. Strong foreign film Oscar contender, in my view. (sic)” Rarely do Hindi films earn such praise. We can’t think of many reasons why this film won’t earn more fans. Unless potboilers are all the public likes to consume. Tales of an aspiring actor Film: Phata Poster Nikhla Hero
Cast: Shahid Kapoor (last seen in Teri Meri Kahaani; 2012) and Ileana D’Cruz (last seen in Barfi!; 2012), Darshan Jariwala (last seen in Commando), Saurabh Shukla (last seen in Jolly LLB)
Storyline: An aspiring actor, who poses as a police officer for some reason, gets misunderstood as a real cop. Then, while he gets entangled in a series of funny action situations, he finds the love of his life and makes enough time to sing numerous songs for her.
Director
Rajkumar Santoshi (last directed Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani in 2009) Starring Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif, the film was a big hit at the box office for reasons still unknown to cinephiles. It received some very negative reviews.

Music
Pritam
Some numbers like ‘Hey Mr DJ’ and ‘Khali peeli rokne ka nai’ have gained popularity, but none of them have earned the positions that Pritam’s tunes usually occupy.
Controversies/stunts
Cricketing ace Sachin Tendulkar somehow decided to endorse the film by posting a message about it on his Facebook page. He called September the Phata Poster month. Shahid, of course, made sure he further spread the word on Twitter.
Marketing/hype
The film’s lead actors have been going around town promoting the film. Shahid has even gone ahead and called this part an “out and out masala” role, adding that he has never done a masala action comedy in his career. Meanwhile, Nargis Fakhri makes her debut as an item girl with a special number called, Dhating naach, in this film.
Our assessment
It’s still hard to believe that this director is the one who made a film as iconic as Andaz Apna Apna (1994). But then, it’s equally tough to believe that Shahid is still trying to entertain audiences with his comic skills. The promo does nothing to alter either of those beliefs.
For the final verdict: Look out for Anupama Chopra’s review tomorrow.

Indian Express - Phata Poster Nikla Hero







'Phata Poster Nikla Hero' - 'Phata Poster...Nikla Salman!'

Published: 20th September 2013 12:12 PM
Last Updated: 20th September 2013 12:12 PM
Film: "Phata Poster Nikla Hero"; Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Ileana D'Cruz and Padmini Kolhapure; Writer-Director: Rajkumar Santoshi; Rating: **1/2

Let's get one thing straight. This isn't what you want to see a super-gifted filmmaker like Rajkumar Santoshi do when he gets together with a talented star-actor like Shahid Kapoor.

But what to do? Everyone wants a good laugh! It makes us forget about the troubles outside. Never mind the trouble that humour seems to encounter on screen each time someone makes a comedy.

To his credit, Santoshi deftly delivers the dynamics of drollery. No two ways about it. Unlike last week's lewd laughter in "Grand Masti", "Phata Poster Nikla Hero" (PPNH) avoids vulgarity like the plague.

Dirty word plague....sorry wordplay is firmly eschewed. What we get is an earthy robust over-accentuated tribute to Salman Khan's Chulbul Pandey act from "Dabangg", with Shahid Kapoor stepping into the khaki uniform with the same wonky elan as our dear Chulbul Khan.

Shahid has confessed it is easy to play a Salman Khan fan. The young actor who has so far not revealed his comic chops and has in fact shown dramatic synergy to be his forte, pulls out all stops to play an imposter cop, a role that makes him a Chulbul Pandey twice-over because Salman's cop-act was underlined as a spoof in the first place.

So what we get in PPNH is a khaki-clad clown impersonating a cop who is actually impersonating Salman Khan in "Dabangg".

Does that make sense? Even if it doesn't, it's just fine. Don't sweat over it. This is not one of Santoshi's seriously-intended films. For that, please refer to this wonderful director's "Lajja" or "Halla Bol". And if you are looking for hardcore gut-spilling action, go to Santoshi's Deol-driven juggernauts "Ghayal" and "Ghatak".

Come to think of it, PPNH is not even an all-out zany comedy of errors like Santoshi's 'Andaz Apna Apna'. So what is it? After painful pondering over the over-punctuated parodic material in PPNH, I'd say it's a mongrelized mirth machine. A sort of "Dabangg" mated with Santoshi's last very successful comedy "Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani" which evidently taught Santoshi a lesson: farcical frivolity and lengthy titles translate into big bucks.

"Phata Poster..." gives poster-boy Shahid Kapoor a custom-built opportunity to get seriously comic. He digs deep into the very slim plot, ferreting out meager meat from the skimpy material. I must think that Shahid has a ball doing the droll act for the doll Ileana d'Cruz who abandons her serious sari-clad audacious wife's role in "Barfi!" to play the kind of "social worker" who brings a bad name to all charity work.

Didn't Katrina play a similar busybee's role in Santoshi's "Ajab Prem..."? Didn't Ranbir do the goofy Chaplin-meets-Kondke act for the commodious camera in that film? Shahid seems comfortable doing the irrepressible comic impresario. But he's far more at home in the more sensible sober scenes he shares with his screen-mom Padmini Kolhapure, who looks too young to play Shahid's mom. But then at least her talent is being aired.

Come to think of it - everyone in this over-the-top comedy seems to be in it for the sake of getting into a massy mode. The art direction is kitschy. The camera wallows in the carnival mood. In the endeavour to enroll enthusiasm into the rom-com, the film succeeds. But be warned: the writing is repetitive. The scenes all end in exclamation marks and italics... like an essay by a schoolboy who is out to impress his favourite teacher. The humour jumps out of the screen like an eager 5-year old brat which must get your attention at any cost.

If you think Shahid is one of the more interesting star-actor's of the current generation, then PPNH is a frenetically fashioned farce fest with excessive energy oozing out of every saturated pore. Shahid's songs and dances, especially the zanily unpredictable "Agal bagal" number are the highlight of the humour-hamper. And that's not such a good thing. Shahid gets to share camera space with some accomplished actors like Saurabh Shukla, Mukesh Tiwari, Darshan Jariwala and Sanjay Mishra. And that's a good thing.

At least we are ensured that the slender pretext for laughter is bolstered by hefty actors.

Oh yes, and the real Salman Khan shows up.

DNA - Phata Poster Nikla Hero







Phata Poster Nikla Hero review: Shahid Kapoor fails as an actor, succeeds as a mimic!

Friday, Sep 20, 2013, 17:39 IST | Agency: Bollywoodlife.com
A still from the film
A still from the film
The trailer was great fun, so we were looking forward to seeing the entire film and the hijinks that Shahid and Ileana D’Cruz got up to, but were left short of being entertained

Shahid Kapoor certainly had a lot of hope riding on his new film Phata Poster Nikla Hero. So did I, until that moment when he actually appeared onscreen. Was I disappointed? Not totally, but PPNH isn’t exactly the ‘comeback’ we expected after his last dud, Teri Meri Kahani, co-starring Priyanka Chopra. So, there you see Shahid as Vishwas Rao, a wannabe Bollywood actor obsessed with the Dabangg Salman Khan. He travels to Mumbai to make it big in tinseltown. First by chance and then by design he becomes a corruption fighting cop, which helps him not only fulfil his mother Savitri’s (Padmini Kolhapure) dreams, but also helps him win the love of his life, Ileana. However, Vishwas’ bluff is called when his mother learns the truth about her son and his ambitions to become an actor.

While Shahid manages to show off glimpses of his talent – for acting, we mean – in some scenes, especially when he tries to convince a filmmaker that he can act, it is Sasha as a mimic who is more strong in Phata Poster.… He entertains with his dialogue delivery, dances like a crazy man, delivers dialogues with panache…but fails to tickle that oh-so-important funny bone.

Director Rajkumar Santoshi disappoints. Not only does this film carry the hangover of his last hit with Ranbir Kapoor-Katrina Kaif, Ajab Prem ki Gazab Kahani, but also seems like Santoshi has sought inspiration from David Dhawan’s mindless comedies and Abhinav Kashyap’s Dabangg, especially in the action scenes. The filmmaker uses a half baked, done-to-death plot where even the romance between the film’s lead pair fizzles due to a lack of build-up. The chemistry between Shahid and Ileana is almost non-existent. Ileana was promising in Barfi!, but she isn’t impressive as ‘Complaint Kajal’ – blame it on her bad dialogue delivery or the director’s caricaturish presentation of the film’s characters. Darshan Jariwala (as Commissioner of Police) and Sanjay Mishra (as Guruji) are good, but haven’t been properly used. Saurabh Shukla is wasted, but Salman Khan’s guest appearance is perfectly set into the movie.

The film’s music is impressive and its saving grace; however, the picturisation harks back to that of Ajab Prem…, whether it is the Agal bagal song that has shades of Prem ki nayya or Mere bina tu, modelled on Tu jaane na. We have to wonder if Santoshi is sticking to a set pattern or some kind of formula, because the film lacks surprises – so much so that even the twists are predictable. Nargis Fakhri’s item song is a jump in the bumpy flow. Is this a film made in the factory of a man who gave us cult comedy like in Andaz Apna Apna? We expected more, or at least something different, for sure.

Shahid Kapoor looks great, especially in a cop avatar – he can be tough competition for Salman Khan and is perfect hero material, but as an actor this isn’t his best work. But it is an indication of a possible new career for the actor who doesn’t seem to be able to find his filmi groove these days – if PPNH fails to bring the very good looking Shahid Kapoor back into the race for best actor title, he could always host a stand-up comedy show or even a little hatke mimicry event or four. SK’s diehard fans might not object to latest movie. But we are not thrilled with it and you may not be either. Our suggestion: treat this one like a Govinda film – a no-brainer – and have fun. Or else watch The Lunchbox.