Movie Review: PK

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Director: Rajkumar Hirani

Release Date: December 19th, 2014

Genre: Comedy Drama

Well, Bollywood, what a way to end 2014! PK, in my opinion, is one of the best films we have seen lately in Bollywood. As expected, Aamir Khan delivers an outstanding performance. Without giving much away, this movie is about “PK,” an alien who lands in the deserts of Rajasthan on a mission to learn about human life. Unfortunately, his remote gets stolen within the first few minutes of the movie. This remote is his only way to communicate with his planet to return home. He spends his entire time on Earth trying to find this remote, learning that he must pray to “God” to get it back.

The positives:

  1. Everything that may make you “cringe” about religion is openly discussed in this movie. PK’s child-like innocence sheds a light on the hypocrisies humans have created in order to practice their individual religious beliefs.

2. Anushka Sharma was fabulous in this movie: spunky, fun, and absolutely suited the part. Her short hair gave her a fresh, new look however I was not a huge fan of her lip-job…

anushka-unveils-new-poster-of-pk-12_th3. Supporting actor Sushant Singh Rajput (debut film: Kai Po Che!) was attention-grabbing for sure – but why was he wearing the same outfit the entire movie?? Check him out in the song, “Chaar Kadam.”

  1. Supporting actor Sanjay Dutt was entertaining as usual and perfect for his role. Fun fact: he was scheduled to go to jail on the last day of his shoot for this movie!

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  1. This comedy family-film will likely spur some philosophical discussions amongst moviegoers. It is interesting to hear the differences in perspectives on PK amongst grandparents, parents, siblings, teachers, friends and especially religious leaders.

The negatives:

1. The soundtrack is not the highlight of the film. Other than “Tharki Chokro” (which I love), it was clear that “song and dance” were not the focus of this film. “Love is a waste of time” was, a waste of time.

2. PK was a 2.5 hour long film, the average length for a Bollywood movie. I don’t mind 2.5 hours if there are glamorous song/dance sequences…however this was not the case. The movie did drag in the middle – but overall this did not outweigh the positives!

On the whole, PK is a must-see film for everybody at home. Don’t be late to the theater – the first scene is hilarious!

Acting: 5/5
Story: 5/5
Costumes: 3.5/5
Choreography: 3/5
Film Sets/Location: 3.5/5
Songs: 2.5/5
Eye Candy: 3.5/5
Length of Movie: 2.5/5
Overall: **** (4/5)

Key:
* = flop, don’t even bother
** = time pass, you’ll live if you don’t see it
*** = worth a watch
**** = A hit, see it in the theater!
***** = Bollywood Blockbuster

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Bollywood Movie Previews – Fall 2014

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Let’s be honest…the Bollywood film industry gave us a pretty boring summer 2014. There were very few decent films or blockbuster releases. Not to worry though…there are a handful of potential “hits” with big name actors coming out in the next few months. Here is a glimpse!

Film: Mary Kom
Genre: Drama
Cast: Priyanka Chopra, Minakkshi Kalitaa
Director: Omung Kumar
Production: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Release date: September 5th, 2014

“Mary Kom”, is based on the true story about the Indian Boxer and Olympic Bronze medalist Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom. Priyanka Chopra plays Mary Kom in this much-awaited Sanjay Leela Bhansali production. The movie depicts Mary Kom’s struggles of life and her journey in pursuit of her passion: boxing. “Mary Kom” Trailer!

 

Film: Finding Fanny
Genre: Comedy
Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia, with Ranveer Singh in cameo role.
Director: Homi Adajania
Production: Maddock Films/Fox Star Studios
Release date: September 12th, 2014

Now this looks like an entertaining one – an off-beat light-hearted comedy story about five oddballs who set out to Goa to find Stefanie Fernandes (Fanny). Throughout their journey, they discover love and friendship in one another. This is an English short-film you don’t want to miss! The director, Homi Adajania, is well known for his films “Cocktail” and “Being Cyrus.” “Finding Fanny” Trailer

 

Film: Happy New Year (HNY)
Genre: Action-Comedy
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachan, Boman Irani, Vivaan Shah, Sonu Sood, Sarah-Jane Dias and Jackie Shroff. Possible cameo appearance: Prabhu Deva and Malaika Arora Khan
Director: Farah Khan
Producer: Gauri Khan Production: Red Chilles Entertainment Pvt.
Release date: October 23, 2014

Get ready for this “masala” film with a stellar cast, releasing Diwali 2014! Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone return as co-stars once again after their blockbusters “Chennai Express” and “Om Shanti Om”. Judging from the trailer, this seems to be a story about con-artists and bank robberies (quite the common theme). With Farah Khan as the director, we can expect some much-needed Bollywood ‘naach-gaana’ flare!
“Happy New Year” Trailer