The Malik Strikes Back!

Karan: I know what you're looking for - me!
Sanaa: (sarcastically) Mh-hmm...

Karan: I'm smart. I'm DEFINITELY sexy!
Sanaa: (mockingly) Oh!

Karan: I can make you laugh; I'm strong. Bas woh pyaar-vyaar ka thoda problem hai. But I've come around.

Sanaa: Ha-ha! Stop it, Karan!

Karan: Come on... it's the truth...

Sanaa: Stop it!
Karan: It's the truth, you know it!

Thus begins Track 4 - Sach Kehnaa - of Anu Malik's glorious return to Bollywood, Love Story 2050. Each of the nine tracks in this futuristic love story begins with a small clip from the film which may or not actually be a part of the song as presented in the film. The opening scene in Sach Kehnaa seems to be one of the few which is. Director Harry Baweja (Deewane, Main Aisa Hi Hoon) is introducing his son Harman Baweja in this film also starring a rock star named Priyanka Chopra. I am delighted to say that the choreogrpaher will be no other than the revolutionary Vaibhavi Merchant. The lyrics are by none other than Javed Akhtar.

The album begins with the dance track Milo Na Milo. Sung by Shaan, this song is one of three dance vehicles for Harman whose dancing style is similar to Hrithik Roshan's but more unassuming and less self-satisfied. The music is typical club song, containing no futuristic sounds except for a robot-sounding voice that has a few lines it repeats throughout the song. This is appropriate because the background dancers are robots. Finally! The lyrics are catchy, especially the robot's. 7/10. Good opening!

Next, we have a sweeping love song. I consider them to be Anu Malik's forte: Mere Humsafar, Humein Jabse Mohabbat, Pyaar Bharaa Geet Koi, Baazigar O Baazigar, Behka Diyaa Humein, Churaake Dil Mera, just to name a few. His instrumentations in Meelon Ka are divine and simple, creating a good atmosphere for romance...for Sanaa and Karan. Alka Yagnik and Kay Kay sing this song perfectly. A.R. Rahman will always be Alka Yagnik's best composer but Anu Malik is no stranger to the anatomy of her voice. She overshadows Kay Kay with her gloriously flawless rendition. Javed Akhtar's lyrics are the most beautiful in this song, especially in the second verse. 10/10. Wonderful!

(Teri Meri Yeh) Love Story is given the unfortunate task of coming after Meelon Ka. This Shaan solo holds its own but just barely. The music is typical Anu Malik but since it's been so long, typical is almost welcome. The lyrics are again exceptional and the one thing that gives this song repeat value. (I'm beginning to think that Harry Baweja was really and truly smart to rope in a poet like Javed Akhtar.) Shaan's rendition is sweet but he brings nothing new to the table. 7/10. Could be better

Now we have the fourth song, known to the public as Sach Kehnaa and those of you who are paying attention will remember that this is the very same song I discussed (albeit very briefly) in the beginning . This song is a lot better than it wants you to think it is. Anu Malik provides really original music. I hear some Spanish guitar, Indian classical alaaps, clapping, electric guitar and of course Kunal Ganjawala's stellar, stellar rendition. Harman Baweja's dancing is also good. Check it out on YouTube. Lyrics are unboringly and cleverly familiar. Just a great number! I also love the ending of it. 10/10. One of the best!

Only Alisha Chinoy can sing a song called Lover Boy. Chinoy, whose motto is "forty is the new twenty," relishes in singing (and pulling off) songs that are at least fifteen years her junior (SHUT UP! ...And kiss me...). When I first heard this song, I hated it! I felt like it had no purpose to exist in the world. The lyrics were banal, the music was lacklustre and the singing atrocious. I heard it more, however, and it grew on me. Now it's like the best song ever. I absolutely love trashy songs (especially those with videos starring B-list or C-list actresses). I'm still debating whether this song is trashy or not because Priyanka has class. The song is progressive because... it, at the core, is about patriarchy not existing in 2050. Or am I taking this too far? Well, Anu Malik's bizarre and probably ripped-off music has to grow on you. The main line (Hey you lover boy! / Will you be my toy?) is sung 19 times during the song. 8/10. Gradually likable!

Mausam Achaanak is instantly lovable for its catchy melody, beautiful lyrics and stellar musical arrangments. It's one of those question-and-answer songs. "Mausam achaanak yeh badla hai kyun? / Rut ki yeh aadat hai--aur kya kahoon?" This song is breezy (and not in a neurotic way like Monica's crazy message on Richard's machine). Shaan and Alka Yagnik have a good vocal chemistry but yet again Ms. Yagnik takes the cake and overshadows everything in the number. I mean, whenever Alka Yagnik sings, my knees just turn to jello. 10/10. Glorious!

The last original track is also the last of the dance numbers. Aa Gaya is the most futuristic of all the songs, creating a techno blend with Indian sounds. Unfortunately, the radical novelty of the music does not continue with the lyrics. They do not sound like Javed Akhtar. They're not bad but they're not original. Kay Kay's rendition is also what he usually does. Don't get me wrong - this song is a good listen but considering what else this album has to offer, this just doesn't raise the bar. I do like the "you have fallen in love, oh stranger, oh stranger" line. 7/10. Enjoyable.

At this point, if you wanted to go back to Track 1 and listen to the first seven songs, I wouldn't blame you. Both Meelon Ka and Love Story are reprised but in a sadder and shorter version. Meelon Ka offers some interesting new arrangements and the song is listenable. 8/10. Love Story is just a sad song and it seems odd that they chose to end on such a low note. Like I said, if you don't want end the album depressed, end with Aa Gaya or even the Meelon Ka reprise. 5/10.

The dialogue bits mean little outside of the context of the film but they're enjoyable. Priyanka and Harman are cute together (I'm DEFINITELY sexy!).All things considered, this is a highly enjoyable album that is worth many repeats. Harman Baweja is having a dream debut of sorts: great soundtrack, talented co-star, terrific choreographer and a novel idea.

Love Story 2050 rates a 72/90.

A Not So Wonderful Ghai in Black & White

As I watched Subhash Ghai's latest film, Black & White, I reflected upon his successful career and its recent rockiness. I realized that Subhash Ghai never once attempted meaningful cinema. He always catered to the masses by giving them what they want: music, pretty and talented faces, action, comedy and melodrama. And this formula worked. I guess Pardes and Meri Jung are the closest he got to poignancy but Pardes lost all of its credibility to its gargantuan bias against the West and Meri Jung fell victim to Rock and Roll and large pianos. I reflected upon the failures of Yaadein and Kisna-The Warrior Poet. Both of them suffered from weak storylines, something fans of Subhash Ghai found weird. No matter how much he packed his films with formulas, they always had an emotionally charged story, unlike those two. With B&W, the powerful story returns. I'm not saying that this new film is perfect and flawless--far from it!

Starring Anil Kapoor, Shefali Shah and Habib Tanvir, the film is the vehicle for debutantes Anurag Sinha and Aditi Sharma. The superb soundtrack is by Sukhwinder Singh. This is the 17th film directed by Subhash Ghai.

Mehmood (Sinha) is a suicide bomber convinced that India is the villain against Islam. He is assigned to become a martyr for Allah by bombing the Red Fort in New Delhi on Independence Day (August 15th). He assumes the identity of Numair Qazi, an man whose parents were burned alive in Gujurat by Hindu extremists. Two weeks before the 15th, he goes to Chandni Chowk to live with the grand-uncle of his alias Gaffar Chahcha (Tanvir), a poet. He meets Professor Rajan Mathur (Kapoor), an Urdu professor who is known throughout Chandni Chowk as a professor of peace also. His wife is Roma (Shah), a firecracker of a woman who can't stand to see any kind of injustice and lets the world know that. Shahgufta (Sharma) is Gaffar's neighbor with whom Numair falls in love. During his two week stay, Numair gets to know the Mathur family and they introduce color into his "black & white" world. He then must make the decision to go ahead and bomb the Red Fort or choose to live with love, peace, joy and color.

I applaud Subhash Ghai for making a film with a sensitive premise. His other films are larger than life and rarely get to examine the conscience of the human mind and heart. Showing Numair/Mehmood's past in black and white is a cliched, but effective, device. Actually the cinematography is exceptional; Chandni Chowk looks gorgeous. Also, the music is catchy and meaningful but when did a Ghai film ever have bad music? These songs are not chartbusters but they're thoughtful and sweet and very traditional. Jogi Aaya is my favorite. Peer Manaava is choreographed well. I like it when the dancing isn't too intricate (especially in this kind of film) because it makes everything more realistic. Haq Allah is typical but a good composition. Yeh Hindustan Hai is of the annoyingly patriotic variety. Main Chalaa is sung exceptionally by Sukhwinder Singh.

Like I said earlier, however, the film suffers from a weak script. The actual events are kind of boring and cliched. Subhash Ghai just doesn't take it far enough. Numair's slow entrance into the peaceful, happy lives of the Mathurs is just that--slow. Not gradual, but slow. The script takes its sweet time to change Numair/Mehmood but by the time he does, it is surprising. He still exhibits his extremist/traditional character until late in the picture when it is too late for both the characters and the film itself.

Of course, none of this is helped is by Anurag Sinha who is completely lost in the picture. His classical training was either a lie or a joke because all he does is stare coldly. Yes, he plays a cold character but there seems to be no beating heart; he is just a statue. Also, Ghai has him do some ridiculous things. Anytime he gets angered, he shoots the culprit. A better actor could have made this chilling but Sinha makes it laughable. It would be a fun drinking game for those over 21. Take a shot whenever Numair shoots someone!

Aditi Sharma is a waste of time. Though she is mildly pretty, her performance is ultimately lacklustre. I don't blame Ms. Sharma, however. I blame the Showman himself for doing Shahgufta an injustice. Ghai's films almost always contain strong women essayed by strong actreeses (even Yaadein had Kareena Kapoor's strong turn as Isha) but Ms. Sharma isn't allowed anything.

Perhaps the team felt that Shefali Shah filled the quota for strong women. She is an explosion in her every scene and never hesitiates to pull out all the stops. Her chemistry with all the actors is high and her body language is stellar. Shefali Shah is the one thing in B&W that is gloriously brilliant.

This brings me to Anil Kapoor, whose name I once chose as my middle name ("Call me Manish Anil Kapoor Mathur!"). He is as much as a fire as his onscreen wife. Of course, we all knew that. Anil Kapoor has done many, many films with Subhash Ghai and each is better than the last. His passions, his monologues, his restraint--just marvelous. Anil Kapoor gives a performance for the ages.

The supporting cast is good and is filled with names unfamiliar. Habib Tanvir is a stage actor of India and his performance is also noteworthy. Everyone else is fine except for the woman who plays Mehmood's mother or sister. I couldn't stand her during her one scene.

I would reccomend this film to anyone who can appreciate a film's message despite its flaws. Also, parts of Anurag Sinha's performance need to be seen to be believed. Jokes apart, Anil Kapoor and Shefali Sinha save this film from being barely tolerable. Oh, yes, I forgot something really important about the cast as a whole. The fact that they can say or respond to the name Shahgufta without sounding awkward or laughing is really commendable. Black & White rates a 6.5/10.