EROS just Worth barely Worth renting only!

...and my bro Arsh will make sure that he rents a dupe eros dvd even the orignal isn't worth renting is that not so bro !!!

Well Bro maza karo, Dekho, pehle din, pehla show!!mere asif miyan!

Believe me, if I would be believer of piracy, wont even piss on eros dvds!! THEY R SO BAD!!

wELL, ANOTHER REVIEW:

'Main Hoon Na' - Soulless!
By Prema K. ©2004 Bollyvista.com


Credits
Producer/s: Gauri Khan, Ratan Jain
Director: Farah Khan
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Zayed Khan, Susmita Sen, Amrita Rao, Suniel Shetty, Boman Iran, Kirron Kher, Satish Shah, Bindu Zaveri, Murli Sharma, Nasir Abdullah, Rajiv Panjabi, Rakhi Sawant, Praveen Sirohi, Kunal Kumar, Kabir Bedi, Naseeruddin Shah (Spec. Appear.)
Music: Anu Malik
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar



Another film that does not live up to its hype! And yes, it is another one of Shahrukh Khan productions that revolves around him (especially the second half) in an attempt to showcase his histrionic abilities. He is our superhero; the perfect son, lover, brother, friend, charmer, dancer, and action hero (does the last bit sound like some kind of joke?)

The film begins with a television interview of the Indian General (Kabir Bedi). All hell breaks loose in the studio when his ex-colleague cum friend Raghavan (Suniel Shetty in a weird looking wig and getup) decides to gun him down. The reason being, Raghavan opposes (someone please tell us why!) the General's attempt at creating peace between India and Pakistan. In the bargain, our superhero, Army Major Ram Sharma's (Shah Rukh Khan) father (Naseeruddin Shah) is gunned down. Before he breathes his last, he tells his son about his wife (Kirron Kher) and son, Laxman (Zayed Khan, who looks like he is straight out of the zoo).

Is that why Ram joins college and pretends to be a college student? The reason is more than personal. He has been assigned the duty of protecting the General's daughter, Sanjana (a cute and wild looking Amrita Rao), who is also studying in the same college with Laxman. Lucky, as Laxman is known on the college campus is one of those cool dude sorts whose attention every girl vies for (including our petite Sanjana).

The first half of the film is fun especially the confrontation scenes between Ram-Lucky. Had the film stuck to the college campus romance and comedy, and mother-son emotions, it would have certainly been more enjoyable fare.

The entire Indo-Pak element, with predictable dialogues takes away from the film. It would be foolhardy to look for flaws in the film. One could write volumes on that. But a couple of points are worth mentioning. The chemistry teacher, Chandni (Sushmita Sen who dresses up like she is hell bent on sparking off chemistry in the classroom with her students) looks mismatched opposite Ram. There is no chemistry at all between the two. It's time Sushmita realized that she is inept at playing a coy, in-love kinda girl. She has a very overpowering screen presence for that. She is expressionless and her romantic scene with Ram lacks emotions.

Amrita looks perky and Zayed is good fun as the brash college kid with a rock star hangover. This film would have been a better debut for him. In fact he steals the show from Shah Rukh in the first half. Suniel Shetty makes no impact. Satish Shah and Bindu are funny. But the man who really deserves mention is Boman Irani as the absent-minded college principal. He is simply superb!

Action by Allan Amin is first rate although slightly over the top at times. The songs are catchy and well-picturized (that's the least Farah can do, considering her impressive track record as a choreographer) and have a fresh look about them. On the one hand while Farah Khan has to be lauded for being the first Indian female director to make a film that is nowhere close to being woman-oriented, on the other hand she deserves brickbats for spending lavish amounts to churn out a typical commercial masala film that we have been enduring since times immemorial. 'Main Hoon Na' is best forgotten as soon as it is over. The second half is a drag and hats off to all those who dare to sit through it!

** (TWO STARS)

*****WHERE IS THAT kiss ass SRK, aBID, ??? FOR BOLYVISTA!! BHAII, TERE SRK KI PREM NE AISI TESI BAJA DI!!

Boxoffice India says, " and more importantly the audience reaction is excellent"

http://www.boxofficeindia.com/

Main Hoon Na has opened to a bumper response all over and more importantly the audience reaction is excellent.The initial is better than all Shahrukh Khan films except K3G.After giving many metro hits in the past few years Shahrukh Khan seems to have got a clean universal hit.Although its a bit too early to say the film is set to prove that Shahrukh Khan is the biggest star in India by far. Main Hoon Na may not cross the first week gross of K3G but it looks set to have the best print average ever.

First Day All India Average Initial

Main Hoon Na 95-100%

As only 325 prints released in India (Khakee, LOC, etc released with 500 prints in India), it may not cross the first week gross record of the past, but it's certain to record best print average ever just accounting the Advance Bookings.
Plus, it released with 175 prints overseas, so expect many times more from overseas.
Seems like they are considering Overseas as 'A' centres and India as 'B' centre. As Overseas prints become free from smaller centres in Overseas, they mey be added to Indian circuit.
This way they can maximize collections, just on hype. Plus, as Boxofficeindia reported that audience reaction is excellent.

I have seen the film. If you can't
stomach another one of these split
family must be reunited stories
peppered with action, comedy and
India versus Pakistan politics/terrorism stay at
home. If you want to see a new Shahrukh
stay at home as well (he's his usual self). But there are also
reasons to not wait for the DVD or
skip it altogether, such as
- technically solid film
- quite entertaining, works best in
some comedy scenes
- Sushmita Sen has several yummie
appearances
- Zayed Khan and Amrita Rao are ok
- the dance routines are well done
(as expected)
- Kirron Kher, a fine actress
- clever end credits
- high tech showpieces are pretty
well done

Michel Hafner

I agree with mhafner. This film was pretty wacky and all-inclusive stylistically, even by Bollywood standards. My friends and I agreed that "Main" had everything except for kids (even though you could possibly count the college students), animals, and ghosts. What really worked was Farah Khan's sheer force in fusing together so many different plot threads and formulas (political thriller, family drama, romance, collegiate comedy, etc.). Western audiences tend to get their entertainment in set formulas, so it's refreshing to try wrapping your brain around the sudden and constant tonal shifts. It's more unique and that may be the thing that can bring in a crossover audience. That said, Shahrukh was great, as usual, with a solid supporting cast. The dance numbers were well executed with some great cross-generational musical styles (check out that prom number and even the incidental music used periodically in the film, esp. with Sushmita Sen's character intros!)...the action scenes were appropriately over-the-top and fun to watch...and even the "Matrix" style special effects were better than normal for Bwood (and delivered with a wink, no less). The pro-India/Pakistan angle was refreshing after some recent anti-Pakistani pictures. You had some bad scenes, some good scenes, and some excellent scenes...literally everything put together. It's way too much fun with the nice credit sequence at the end...I love when films acknowledge their crews as well.

I would like to c SRK get out of his GAYLORD HOLE/CLOSET and do some ACTION, I liked him in ONE TWO KA 4 too.

But generally audience DONT respond well to SRK as ACTION hereo, e.g BADSAH, ASOKA, ONE TWO KA4 were all REJECTED!

He charms audience more in his ROUTIENE kinda sissy ways..a la KHNH..I differ though, to me it is DISGUSTING!

I hope it is better than CC that imho was awful

if M ALI IKRAM liked/Enjoyed it..I'll certainly do too

Producer: Gauri Khan
Director: Farah Khan
Starring: Shahrukh Khan, Suneil Shetty, Sushmita Sen, Zayed Khan, Amrita Rao, Kirron Kher, Boman Irani, Bindu, Satish Shah, Special Appearances by Naseeruddin Shah, Kabir Bedi & Tabu (blink, and you miss her)
Music:Anu Malik
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar

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Genre: Action
Recommended Audience: Parental Guidance
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Released on: April 30, 2004
Approximate Running Time: 3 hours, 15 minutes Reviewed by: M. Ali Ikram
Reviewer's Rating: 8.5 out of 10
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Cumulative Rating: 7.65 out of 10
Rated by: 298 unique users
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There´s something about Bollywood choreographers, and their ability to make decent film directors. The late Kamal (Chahoonga Main Tujhe) and B.H. Tarun Kumar (Nayee Padosan) have already proven that a "dance master" can also direct a semi-tolerable movie. But super-successful young´un Farah Khan, with her first foray behind the megaphone, trumps both the dudes with a wallop. Her " Main Hoon Na" is like a David Dhawan and Manmohan Desai superhit, with all the drama, comedy, music, romance, panache and mind-numbing twists in the tale to match. That any person can make it all mesh together in a package this entertaining is applause worthy.

If you´re looking for any semblance of realism though, be prepared to be disappointed. (Actually, if you like realism, why are you watching commercial Hindi cinema at all?) It is geared fully at the ten-year old in you, so if you scolded him/her to a corner of your brain not seen in donkeys´ years, you will hate Main Hoon Na with a passion. The story line is so clearly the brainwave of a soul who has seen a million too many Hindi and English movies in her life. The dying wish of Major Ram Sharma´s (Shahrukh Khan) father is that he search out and reunite with his "family", a stepmother (Kirron Kher) and stepbrother (Zayed Khan). (Why do film characters only remember the important stuff when they are about to kick the bucket?) You see, over 20 years ago, Sharma Senior (Naseeruddin Shah) had committed a "Masoom" affair and Ram was the product.

At the same time, it is Ram´s duty to infiltrate the college of his commanding officer´s daughter, Sanjana (Amrita Rao), and protect her from the clutches of evil Raghavan (a masked Suneil Shetty). Raghavan is trying at all costs to destroy the Indian Army´s plans to create friendship with Pakistan, as he believes the neighboring "enemy" killed his son years earlier. Ram must enter Sanjana´s high fun, little study college incognito as an elderly student trying to complete his studies. Mohabbatein style though, he imparts the message of love to all and sundry. And with the Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge style deceit of a live-in board, he tries to win back the love of his mother and brother. Sharma "Junior Junior" (aka Lakshman) just so happens to study at the same institution as Sanjana. (It is such a SMALL world after all.) Will Ram or Raghavan succeed?

If the story appeals to you, you need to introduce yourself to the world of literature and intelligence. But on a visual level though, Farah Khan will surprise you with how interestingly and enjoyably she unfolds it all on the big screen. Ms. Khan has obviously learnt a lot of very important lessons from her years in the industry.

First, she knows the audience hates old wine in an old bottle. Familiar territory is fine, but it needs to be presented in a different fashion for us not to get annoyed. Hence, the screenplay is pretty crisp. There are no otherwise expected reuniting family sermons for forty minutes at the end of the tale. And she makes sure the Pakistan and India message is one of comraderie instead of battle. (It is a nice effort even if it is a paradox for brainless cinema such as this.) And the college sequences and characters are quite different than the ones we have witnessed before.

Second, she gives credit where it is due. The over-the-top Matrix fighting (with a hilarious bodily fluid gag), Sholay with Basanti and Dhano cycle chases, Yash Chopra style heroine look, and odes to R.D. Burman tunes are all done with respect and class. The very novel format of the credits at the end, in particular, is testament of Farah´s acknowledgement that she alone has not contributed in making the venture a success.

And finally, she keeps the pace quick enough that you have little time to question the nonsense and childishness. The violins and uncontrollable singing whenever Ram sees Chandni (Sushmita Sen), the academic failure cum "role model" of the college, Hindi teacher who spouts anything but Hindi to her students, and the clowny, forgetful principal. It may make no sense, but you cannot deny it is barrels of fun. Along with the story, where Farah fails (like many others in the past) is the self-indulgence and inordinate length. There´s no real message to justify the three plus hours with our butts glued to the seat. Clearly, Ms. Khan could have avoided some of those zillion flashback sequences and character back-stories. All the scenes are enjoyable, but come on, the audience is not so dumb that we need explanations for everything.

The cast and crew though, largely, helps the director recover. Shahrukh Khan has not given this good a performance since Dil Se (1998) or Pardes (1997). I can´t help but feel he is at his best when he is suitably restrained, because any non-actor can succeed with roles requiring monkey like behaviour (Chalte Chalte or Kal Ho Naa Ho), but few are good in roles demanding composure and histrionics with the eyes and voice. As Major Ram Sharma, I will happily concede, Shahrukh Khan proves he is an acting talent that is wasted by most other directors. It is one of his career´s best performances.

Zayed Khan is okay, and suits the weird guy in the first half of his role, but is often too awkward in his delivery. (The fact that the ladies in the audience kept screaming "ewww" every time he came on the screen also, does not bode well for his long-term career prospects. For Zayed´s sake, he better hope they were grossed out because of the greasy long hair and girly styling instead of just him.)

Amrita Rao is great as the real female lead for the movie, but don´t you get the feel that she is a copy of the more gorgeous Mahima Chaudhary in terms of personality and acting style. (Their voices, too, also match to a tee.)

With all due respects and love to my gorgeous wife, Sushmita Sen is ethereal in her all too brief role. The fact that this enormously talented and stunningly beautiful woman has never gotten her due from Bollywood will remain a mystery for centuries to come, but each time she does a movie, she delivers a performance different from the one she last gave us, and each time it´s a pleasant surprise. In the video for "Tumhe Jo Maine Dekha", Ms. Sen´s sex appeal had my jaw drop to the ground, burrow itself through the earth´s core, and shoot out the other side of the planet. I´ve got my face back together now, but the worms, dirt and molten ash are still stuck between my teeth.

The success for the songs and look for Ms. Sen, should also be given to music director Anu Malik, Farah as choreographer, cinematographer V. Manikandan, costume designer Manish Malhotra and the set designer, who deliver consistent excellence for the rest of the movie.

It was a true pleasure to watch a good masala pot-boiler after such a long time. For a while there, it seemed like Bollywood had forgotten how to make these staple brainless movies which were a dime a dozen in the seventies and eighties. Of all people, it took a woman like Farah Khan to revive the genre. Let´s just hope her talent and movies continue to get better from here.

Saw this film today on 'Big Screen Big Sound' theatre.

As expected, its an upscale PBDHH & KKHH. Action cinematography is Matrix like at places.

Good Entertainment.

Rana

Me too!!! PRINT was CRYSTAL CLEAR( EROS released themselves) DD sound was great! Surrounds not much!(btw, film did have DTS though)

Any one? was theatre projection from print or DIGITAL? I saw kinda pixelation occasionaly?

My VERDICT..NO BRANIER/SUPERFICIAL/HEAVY MASALA/CROWD PLEASER..OVERALL..7-7.5/10.NO DEPTH in MULTI TECK story!!!!!
FILM drags in first ONE HOUR till ENTERY of Sushmita Sen!

HIGH LIGHTS:

MUSIC/SONGS..WINNER(I think, ANU finally gets POPULARITY award this year)

JAW DROPPING, SENSUALITY, SEXUAL APPEAL, of SUSHMITA..WOW what a REVEALATION She make u DROLL!!!

SOME FUN COMEDY.

END CREDITS..of course.

DEVIATION from DDLJish, KKHHish formula with GAYLORD SRK, REPETITIVE of SAME ROLE in SAME FASHION, he is a bit RESTRAINED here.( OVER ALL, not in PARTS and PARCELS)

Inclusion of some SFX/ACTION( unnecessarily most the time though)

FRESH CAST!!! huge factor( I would hate to see, RANI/KAJOL with SRK, and POOO/HRITHIK as SUPPORTING/SECOND PAIR, JAYA BACHAN as MOM, AMITABH as COL BAKSHI, ANUPAM KHER / TEACHER BARGANZA, as PRINCIPAL/TEACHER JODI)..continued.

RATHER than using PAkistan Bash, as their BACK BONE to get applaud from MASSES!using POSITIVE NOTE of PEACE.

GOOD performance by AMRITA RAO..Who fits like T, GLOVE to her role, appears convincing/authentic, confident in her performance as ever..she dances well, looks good, acts well, speaks well( I PREDICTED years ago..that she will MAKE BIG one day after watching her in AB KE BARAS)

*** There is SO MUCH, mixture from different sources(simillarity of characters/scenes from last 30 years of films and television, that I can dissect each scene and find a comparative scene)

SRK, Amrita Rao, Zayed, Sunil Shetty roles were primary roles and Sushmita was just an Add On. Still, she stole the show.

Rana

Well, now u asked for ROLES..

SRK..of course, his role was MIXTURE of his PREVIOUS, MESSIAH, FIX EVERY THING, MHN kinda roles, FROM, MOHABTAEN, KHNH, adding ONE TWO KA FOUR(in action scenes, he just looks like coming from ONE TWO KA FOUR), add kinda RAMBO to it.(MOST DEVELOPED ROLE, MAX Screen time)

Sushmita's ROLE, is WORST WRITTEN /LEST DEVELOPED role in the entire film, right next to Sunil shetty( well, she is Combination of Hema from Dillagi, and Simi Garewal from MNJ...Sh is there for OOMPH and NO DOUBT she BRINGS that HEAVY..as JANE from TARZAN, and UNDER THE WATER FALL, lifted from RTGM...

AMRITA RAO..role is SECOND BEST ROLE..her ENTERY is SUPERB, she GELLS extremely well( her role is inspired from, Kajol in KKHH, and herself from ISHK VISHK)
She has been SOLID since his DEBUT in AB KE BARAS, to LOBS, to Ishk Vishk, to MHN..I think she is in mASTI too..Next will be DEEWAR!

ZAYED KHAN..his role is well written too..he has some moments, generally..SISSYY APE/LANGOOR!!

SUNIL SHETTY..was MOST OVERLOOKED role..HIS role should have been equally CREDIBLE like SRK, but ALAAS it was written as a LOST CAUSE..IMHO, VILLIAN like JACKIE in MK, or DENNY in PUKAR or AJAY in KHAKEE would do EXCELLENT to the film..

NASEER is Totally WASTED..

BOOMAN and MAM KHAKKAD(BINDU) come from KKHH/MOHABTAEN etc as PRINCIPAL/MISS BARGANZA, RECYCLED.

SPITTING PROFESSOR, comes from DISNEY's THATs RAVEN comedy.

FARAH KHAN Takes STORY on 4 different LANES, going in 4 different directions:

1.SRK as ILLIGITIMATE CHILD, trying to UNITE FAMILY( The first part as child with Naseer is INSPIRED from MASOOM)

INDIA/PAK/TERRORISM

SANJU, disowned daughter by COL Bakshi.., kinda POOJA BHATT Film.TAMANA.

SRK, LOVE STORY with Chemistry teacher( inspired from DILLAGI)

In the LONG RUN, she SPENDS more time on FIRST rushiong through the others! imho....

Not cosidering YRF/JOHAR films..

MHN

It is LESS STUPID/IDIOTIC than BADSHAH.

More Entertaining than PBDHH..that was a LOST CASE some where..

I liked/enjoyed JOSH too...DVD is PRETTY GOOD..

I still prefer MHN to CC.That was LAME!

DUPLICATE, I liked SRK as BAD GUY better with SONALI, giving AMPLE OOMPH!

***BTW! I think, it is TIME for SRK to start concentrating on HIS TEETH, before he becomes like DEVGAN!

Going slightly Off Topic:

Ottawa theatre had excellent projection on humongous screen. Sound was top notch DD as well. Theatre had only 10 rows of seating. Theatre was about half full for 12:00 PM show; a lot better than English films.

I wonder about 2 things:

1) Theatre had only 10 rows, so obviously viewing distance was not that far. Despite that, on a huge screen, how was the PQ so clear??

2) Half full theatre had a much better attendance than any main stream Hollywood films (Mean Gilrls, Passion, etc). Still, Main Stream Cineplex theatres don't consider it good attendance??

Rana

I was sitting 2/3rds down, and I must say PQ was excellent too/..look at my top post? Re print vs Digital???