Saw the trailer last weekend. The trailer was quite interesting

http://us.rediff.com/movies/2004/jun/09look.htm

Now you see me! Now you don't!

Varma Corporation Ltd and K Sera Sera's new film, Gayab, directed by Prawaal Raman is about a man who turns invisible.

Buzz is that the film is loosely inspired from Hollywood's Hollow Man, starring Kevin Bacon and Elisabeth Shue (that adorable girl you saw in Adventures In Babysitting).

Originally titled Vishnu Prasad Gayab Ho Gaya, the film features Tusshar Kapoor as Vishnu Prasad, a guy who is extremely low on confidence. Antara Mali plays his elusive dream girl. Raman Trikha plays her over-possessive boyfriend.

Doesn't the plot sound similar to the 'stop' storyline in Darna Mana Hai, which featured Aftab Shivdasani and Isha Koppikar? Maybe because Raman directed the film with 'six stories and one ending'.

Tusshar's last release Khakee got him good reviews. Will Gayab, which has him in the central role, do the trick for him?

We'll find out on July 2 when the film hits the theatres.

I dont think, ALONE or in COMPANY will do any TRICKS for him!!

YEH LANGOOR GHAYAB HI RAHE TOU BOHAT ACHA HAI!

Dissapointing . I was hoping for a better film
http://us.rediff.com/movies/2004/jul/16gayab.htm

Gayab: 15 reels of invisible entertainment!

Sukanya Verma | July 16, 2004 00:44 IST

A still from GayabGayab. One word. Five letters.

What does it mean? It means disappeared. Invisible.

What is it about? I have some theories.

It could be a loser's fairytale.

It could be the making of a superhero from a superzero.

It could be about psychoanalysing the behaviour of a social outcast.

Actually what it does is superficially skim past these topics.

It all begins one morning. You are led into Vishnu Prasad's (Tusshar Kapoor) indifferent, clumsy, insecure existence through cinematographer Pietro Zuercher's imaginative lens. Indifferent because no one notices him. Clumsy because he can't do anything steadily. Insecure because everyone can trick or tease him and get away with it.

In 15 minutes, director Prawaal Raman ensures he has established Vishnu's 'unwanted' status on screen and ample public sympathy off it.

Why is Vishnu Prasad so nervous? It's not his fault. It's hereditary. Scientifically speaking, he is a cross between an irritatingly dominant (mother, played by Rasika Joshi) and a painfully recessive (father, played by Raghuveer Yadav) gene. Miraculously enough, all the recessive genes fell into poor Vishnu's share.

Why does he turn invisible? Rejection. He has a crush on Mohini (Antara Mali), the girl who stays in his samne wali khidki (opposite window). Mohini apes the JLo brand of fashion, hangs around coffee shops and music shops, watches movies in multiplexes, surfs the TV, reads fashion magazines, and zooms in a Rover with her equally vain 'US returned' boyfriend Sameer (Ramman Trikha).

Vishnu accidentally winks at Mohini and predictably invokes Sameer's wrath. Unable to bear the humiliation of being insulted in front of his dream girl, Vishnu bursts into tears.

A still from GayabA crying Vishnu heads for some godforsaken beach only to bump into an enchanted statue. "Gayab kardo mujhe [Make me invisible]," he wails, holding the enchanted statue. Voila! Mr India is reborn. At first he hates the idea. But then he realises that turning invisible means lots of power. He doesn't give a damn about the advice Spider-Man got from his uncle: with great power comes great responsibility. He becomes super irresponsible and gets back at all those who troubled him.

Thereon, both Vishnu and the film lose focus.

When a character becomes invisible, you obviously expect tons of gags. In Gayab, no such thing happens. There's just one constant gimmick — objects flying in mid-air, which leads to a gaping bystander. Another minus is Amar Mohile's background score, which is a distraction and doesn't quite gel with the screenplay. Even during a funny scene, the background insists on being dramatic or thrilling.

While on negatives, here's more: It is hard to digest Mohini's unnatural change of heart from a vain creature to a sensible girl resolving to save the city. Also, Vishnu's excessively obsessive behaviour is vaguely justified towards the climax, making no sense.

What appeals is Tusshar Kapoor. He makes Vishnu Prasad come alive. He exudes vulnerability. He wears failure on his face, till he is endowed with superpowers, without looking conscious. He conveys the desperation and madness post-invisibility equally well.

A still from GayabHis co-star Antara Mali does not impress. Her facial expressions are always exaggerated while her dialogue delivery has a 'put-on' tone to it. She also goes overboard with her scanty wardrobe. Truth be told, most of the exposure is quite unnecessary unless the idea is to make Vishnu come across as lecherous.

Gayab is an extension of the short story 'Stop', featuring Aftab Shivdasani and Ishaa Koppikar, in Darna Mana Hai. Both were directed by Prawaal Raman. Why Stop worked and Gayab doesn't is because of the duration. The latter doesn't have enough meat to hold its viewer for two and a half hours. The former made for an interesting 30 minute episode.

All said and done, Gayab offers 15 reels of invisible entertainment.

CREDITS
Cast: Tusshar Kapoor, Antara Mali, Raghuveer Yadav, Rasika Joshi, Ramman Trikha, Govind Namdeo
Director: Prawaal Raman
Producer: Ram Gopal Varma and K Sera Sera Productions
Music: Ajay Atul and Amar Mohile

http://www.indiafm.com/reviews/04/gayab/index.shtml

Gayab

By Taran Adarsh, July 16h, 2004 - 1400 hrs IST


A genre like the one attempted in GAYAB has not been witnessed with rapid regularity in Hindi films. Of course, there has been MR. X IN BOMBAY, MR. INDIA and the two desi versions of GHOST, MAA and PYAAR KA SAAYA, in the past.

And now GAYAB.

But novel ideas don't necessarily develop into path-breaking films. GAYAB has its share of engrossing moments, but they're few and far between. Unlike MR. INDIA, which appealed from age group 6 to 60, GAYAB neither completely satiates the kids, nor those looking for wholesome entertainment.

Somewhere, as it progresses, the screenplay gets gayab and what you carry home are a handful of deftly executed sequences. But a handful of high-quality scenes are no compensation in a 2-hour flick!

Let's just say, GAYAB was ripe with potential that succumbed completely to trite and tepid Bollywood convention.

Vishnu Prasad [Tusshar Kapoor] is a loser in life. He lacks self-confidence and the attitude to lead a normal life.

Having an unmatched knack of attracting problems, his life doesn't get any easier, courtesy a nagging mother [Rasika Joshi], who takes pride in beating up Vishu given the slightest opportunity.

His father [Raghuveer Yadav], a henpecked husband, is petrified to raise a voice, let alone take his side. Mohini [Antra Mali], the love of Vishnu's life, doesn't even know his existence and her boyfriend [Raman Trikha] wants to break his bones.

Disappointed and frustrated with life, he prays to God to make him gayab… And the wish is granted!

An original piece of work? Nope! Flashes of THE INVISIBLE MAN [1933] and the more recent HOLLOW MAN [2000] cross your mind as you watch GAYAB. Unfortunately, GAYAB is an interesting idea gone haywire. When stretched into a 2-hour film, it just doesn't hold.

GAYAB has its moments of glory. And these moments come in the initial reels itself. Depicting the protagonist as a loser at the very start of the film was the proper way to set in motion the story. The turning point in the tale, when Vishnu becomes invisible, though not having a strong impact, still keeps the viewer's interest alive.

But the film goes haywire in the latter part. The focus suddenly shifts to the one-sided romance and how Vishnu wants to possess the girl. Nothing wrong with that, but the way screenplay writers Kona Venkat and Prawaal Raman go about it makes you only realize that a sound idea can go awry with amateurish writing.

Whatever little impression the film makes in the first half, it blows it away in the post-interval portions. The thrill and excitement associated with an invisible man movie is completely missing in this half. If the effort was to make you laugh, sorry, it doesn't. If the endeavour was to pull your heartstrings, it doesn't either.

The car-bike chase in the second half and to an extent the scene when Tusshar and Antra meet in a secluded mill is worthy of mention. But the climax is a complete letdown from the writing point of view. Antra's sudden change of heart [towards Tusshar] is difficult to absorb. Even Tusshar surrendering himself to the law [he continues to be invisible till the very end!] looks plain ridiculous. Frankly, one does miss some surreal scenes and a nail-biting finale.

Another drawback of the film is its music [Ajay Atul, Amar Mohile] and the placement of songs. In fact, the songs only seem like an excuse for a generous display of skin show, which is only a forced ingredient in a film like this.

Director Prawaal Raman has yet to grasp the art of writing the screenplay and giving it an interesting form, thereby mesmerizing the viewer for the next two hours. In fact, GAYAB also looks like a 2-hour version of one of the six stories of DARNA MANA HAI, featuring Aftab Shivdasani and Isha Koppikar. Besides, it lacks terror and suspense - so vital in a film like this!

Cinematography [Pietro Zuercher] is consistent. Special effects [Huzefa Lokhandwala] are decent at times, but tacky at most places. Even otherwise, great special effects do not a great movie make.

Tusshar looks the character he has been assigned to portray and he does it well. Antra Mali just doesn't deliver. Raman Trikha is adequate. Govind Namdeo and Raghuveer Yadav are as usual. Rasika Joshi tends to go overboard at times, but stands out due to her characterization.

On the whole, GAYAB is strong on hype, but weak in content. The USP of the film is the invisible factor in the story, but an amateur screenplay ruins the show. At the box-office, GAYAB might attract the multiplex audience for a day or two thanks to its aggressive promotion, but after the word is out, the drop in its collections will be inevitable. Business in Mumbai should prove to be slightly better, but in most circuits it will face an uphill task!

Rating:- * ½.

RGV recently gave a lousy reason for not making direct movies in Telugu. Will be stop making in Hindi too if viewers don't receive his films well?

Didn't his Telugu films simply stink? That's what I have heard, though I have not seen any of them.

No. They were excellent. Everyone still thinks his first movie Shiva is his best till now. Kshana Kshanam is regarded as one of the best action/comedy films ever. Raatri(Raat) was well appreciated. The rest of his films were also good though only in parts. I personally like Govida Govinda (dubbed as The Great Robbery into Hindi)

The problem was only urban audiences appreciated his films. He also produced some good movies like Money

He also introduced numerous artistes to the industry. As they say there is a Ramagopal Varma school of technicians in telugu now.

"Didn't his Telugu films simply stink? That's what I have heard, though I have not seen any of them."

"Shiva" was great (though far from his best) but "Kshana Kshanam", "Antam" and "Govindha Govindha " were all garbage.. I have yet to see the rest

About "Gayab"...

The trailers look great but they take the score directly from Control Machete's Si Senor from "Amores Perros". Hopefully, this is just for the promos. At least in "Ab Tak 56" they slightly changed Morricone's "Untouchables" score whereas here it is completely lifted

Either way, I am definitely going to check this out

Perhaps the difference in opinion is because of a lot of dependance on nativity in the films. Shiva was supposed to reflect the state of affairs in some colleges at that time. Kshana Kshanam relys a lot on the intricacies in telugu dialog.

You are probably right Jag

Though the plots for the films I mentioned were really lame and the pace of these films were poor..

KK seemed like the original "Daud" - another RGV film which I thought was garbage
GG was a really bad "Golden Child" rip off
"Antam" was a like a few films thrown together..

I am about to see "Gaayam" and "Prema Katha" soon, hopefully those are good

Well I dont know whether you watched the same Kshana Kshanam. The pace was excellent and if you search the web, its on the top 10 lists on many people personal lists. "Garbage" is a extremely strong word. The only RGV movie that deserves that is "Daud". Of course IMHO

Well you can skip Premakatha. Gayam is is great message oriented film

You thought "Kshana Kshanam" was good while "Daud" was garbage?!?

They were practically the same film

As far as the interview is concerned, i didnt feel anything wrong with that. Do u expect a director to make a movie only for the masses (like ur usual stuff samarsimhareddy style)? The main reason for his quitting was, he wanted to include a scene in Govindha Govindha, where Balaji is stolen from the temple, He filmed it so beautifully that everyone thought its really happening or it can be done in this way. The scene was cut by the censor (reason being "it will hurt the sentiment of the people") and varma had to go without that scene. He was very angry with that and as u see in Govindha Govindha the make up scene doesnt have any effect at all. Hence the fury of Ramu on telugu industry, why to make a film if u are not allowed to express ur opinion and at each and every step, you are goverened by the axes of the censor.



KK was a class movie in itself, where can u get the directors who have used such a simple storyline and made wonders out of it. All the actors performed very well and believe me people were awed by the robbery scene at that time (ofcourse not now).
Antam, its a dark kind of movie and GG i explained why it sucks.

I am not a great Fan of RGV, but certainly he is one of the good directors remaining. As, atleast he doesnt flush out those simple happy go lucky-no sense romantic movies. He tries his best to work on different subjects, though his way of story telling is somewhat Grim. [/quote]

I need to rent Gaayam and Shiva. What about Anaga Anaga Oka Roju (I think that's right)? Was that good?

No they were not. One had excellent screenplay and the other petered into an aimless road movie. the premise may be the same but the treatment was different as night and day.


Look at the review of Kshna Kshnam by Gudipoodi Srihari a respected film reviewer. These days he writes review for "The Hindu" and they occasionally appear at the idlebrain site http://www.idlebrain.com


Gudipoodi Srihari's bio http://www.idlebrain.com/celeb/intervie ... poodi.html

This is available at the RGV site at http://www.geocities.com/rgv_shiva/rgvfilmreviews.htm. This page also has a review of Daud which provides the contrast between the two movies

Here is an excerpt from the review of Kshana Kshanam

"Kshanakshanam is truly one of the best Telugu films ever made, The important part of the film is it starts the previous night, followed by next night and ends by next day evening . Very rarely you find such a kind of movie which just spans 2 days ( 48 hours). In fact the whole credit of such film goes to none other than Ram Gopal Varma, the director, who made it at the standards of Hollywood, where films run on tight screen play and not much melodrama. A must see movie, a movie raved for its technical excellence. The music of the film is superb, on the whole the movie is recommended for everybody, Venkatesh and Sridevi enact their roles well. Screenplay by Ram Gopal Varma is excellent. On the Technical side, Cameraman, S Gopal Reddy deserves a special mention. He has really come out with some good angles. The audiography is very different and exciting. "

I cant imagine someone calling it garbage but I guess people have opinions that are in a wide spectrum