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What does one wait for from a film which comes with a title Halla Bol. Expectations are mostly centered on hearing a few theme tracks along with situational numbers which come as a part of the film’s background score. Of course, one can’t expect love songs or item information in this Rajkumar Santoshi social which boasts of an impressive lineage of actors like Ajay Devgan, Pankaj Kapoor and Vidya Balan. With Sukhwinder Singh at the helm of work along with Sameer and Late Shri Dushyant Kumar handling the writing department, one looks forward to a dramatic soundtrack.

As expected ‘Jab Tak Hai Dum’, the opening track of the album, takes an anthem route. Sukhwinder Singh himself comes behind the mike for this track which also has chorus singers making their presence throughout the 6 minute duration. A number about people coming together and bring around a revolution in the most adverse of circumstances, ‘Jab Tak’ is high on orchestra and should appear throughout the narrative to enhance the dramatic plea of the film. This is why it is not really unexpected to find the ‘Theme Music’ based on ‘Jab Tak Hai Dum’ to come at the very end of the album.

Now this one comes as a welcome surprise. Even though the market for ‘Shabd Gurbani’ would be quite miniscule, especially those who pick up a Bollywood music album for a song-n-dance routine, it is a soothing route that Sukhwinder Singh takes for this devotional road. very easy on ears and serene, ‘Shabd Gurbani’ moves at a leisurely pace and makes you feel at peace with yourself throughout it’s play. Hear it when in mood for some introspection!

Album takes 180 degrees turn with ‘Is Pal Ki Soch’, a night club track that has Sayali Bhagat making some sensual moves. Harsh Deep, who has been around for a while now in addition to has been making a consistent impression, sings ‘Is Pal Ki Soch’. The song has a 70s cabaret feel and though it is not a chartbuster in the making, it is decent enough to keep you engaged as it plays on screen.

A dissimilar team comes together for ‘More Haji Piya’ which has Mehboob Kotwal as the lyricist, Amjad Farid Sabri from Pakistan as the singer and Vanraj Bhatia as the composer. An enjoyable track set in a sufi mode, ‘More Haji Piya’ is yet another devotional track to arrive in the album after ‘Shabd Gurbani’. The track has a feel similar to that of numerous such sufi numbers though it would be interesting to see how ‘More Haji Piya’ is set in the film.

‘Barsan Lagi’ is the last track of the album and gets into an altogether different terrain. Based on folk music, this extremely slow moving number with a Punjabi flavor has Sneha Pant coming behind the mike with Sukhwinder Singh also being heard faintly in the background at a place or two. The number incorporates a semi-classical touch to the proceedings as well and at best works as add on to the background score.

Halla Bol isn’t the kind of album that makes a splash at the music stands either on their release or even after the release of the film. At maximum, the soundtrack would work for the film seeing that the scene unfold in the narrative but that’s about it. A decent compilation of songs for the situations.

Story &Direction

Even if you recognize nothing of Juno going in, it’s easy to pick up on the fact that the movie’s voice is unlike any you’ve heard in a while—it’s totally fresh, in every sense of the word. That’s because a brand new writer, Diablo Cody, and a new-ish director, Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking), are the brains behind the operation. Cody, whose past as a Minnesota stripper has been well documented/exploited, is most responsible for the greatness that is Juno. It’s one of the best debut scripts in recent memory, fearless for refusing to conform where other first-timers err on the side of conservatism. Cody doesn’t just elect not to go the conventional route; she gives it the finger! At the same time, Cody is unconcerned with maintaining the movie’s sheer coolness, as evidenced by Juno’s soft-around-the-edges second half. And then there’s Reitman, who sits back and lets the writer work her untapped magic—to a certain extent. Where the sophomore director shines is not just visually and audibly (the best soundtrack of the year features Moldy Peaches and lead singer Kimya Dawson quite prominently, as well as Belle and Sebastian, Cat Power and others), but tonally. He weaves Cody’s superb script, which could’ve taken a completely different turn in the hands of another director, into a simultaneously upbeat and downbeat near masterpiece. Reitman also plays no small part in the incredible performances turned in by the cast.

Story about Juno pulls no tricks, opening with teenage sex that leads to pregnancy, which would be a shocking climax for most movies. And Juno (Ellen Page) pulls no punches: The offbeat Minnesota teen and unexpectedly expectant mother simply cannot bite her acidic tongue. But as Juno comes to terms with her pregnancy, she softens. The terms of her pregnancy—that is, after deciding against “procuring a hasty abortion”—are that she will give her newborn to a baby-deprived married couple, Vanessa (Jennifer Garner) and Mark (Jason Bateman), from upscale suburbia. And helping Juno come to said terms are her father (J.K. Simmons), stepmom (Allison Janney), best friend (Olivia Thirlby) and, from a distance, the dad-to-be, Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera), who himself doesn’t look too far removed from infanthood. But Juno soon discovers that these nine months won’t pass by without physical and emotional pain—pain for which her icy-exterior defense mechanism is no match—and that some grown-ups still want to be children.

Acting

Twenty-year-old Ellen Page (Hard Candy) is an age chameleon as the title character: Physically, she passes for Juno’s age of 16 with ease, and whether Juno acts like a late-‘70s/-punk-era throwback or a plain old 21st century teen, Page has no problem. But it’s her range of emotion as Juno that is most impressive. Page first endears you with her ability to shoot off quick, rhythmic sarcasm at an astonishing rate—she’s hilarious, if initially a tad sitcom-y; it’s her vulnerability as the movie progresses, however, that is even more endearing and will move you beyond what you thought possible given the way Juno begins. Such an astounding yet believable transformation is what makes this possibly the year’s best performance from an actress (even the Academy might be forced to agree). There’s a major drop-off in screen time for the other actors, but not in quality. Neo-geek god Cera (Superbad) understands what makes comedy funny as well as anybody, but he throws the occasional, and totally effective, curveball at us with scenes of tenderness; Garner, in true “Who knew?” fashion, gives a superbly delicate, against-type performance; Bateman, reuniting with his Arrested Development son Cera and The Kingdom costar Garner, is typically flawless in his small but crucial role; and Simmons (HBO’s Oz) and Janney are pleasant surprises, casting-wise, as Juno’s free-spirited voices of cause.

Story &Direction

With Pride & Prejudice and now Atonement, director Joe Wright may have just established himself as the new James Ivory (of Merchant/Ivory fame). Wright is a real visionary for the romantic period piece, expertly delivering truly spectacular vistas. From set design to costumes to cinematography, the look of Atonement is at once verdant, welcoming and then startlingly grim. The first half of Atonement, at the Tallis’ country home, is certainly the film’s most defining, peppered by an effective musical score, which uses the sound of a typewriter like a metronome. Through a soft lens, Wright displays the general idleness of summer day at a country home like a sunny, floral motif that belies an undercurrent of sweating bodies, wilting flowers, stagnant pools–and an imminent tragic event. Then, once Wright moves with Robbie into WWII, he actually paints an even more grim view of war then maybe seen before. The one continuous shot of the historical Dunkirk–a French beach on which thousands of British soldiers were forced by the Germans and then waited to be evacuated–is absolutely stunning and surreal. Atonement does drag ever-so-slightly in the middle, especially as Briony trains to be a nurse in London, but overall, this is a film Academy voters eat up with a silver spoon. Expect to be hearing about it in the months to come.

Based on Ian McEwan’s equally stirring novel, we begin the story in 1935, on the cusp of WWII. Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan), a 13-year-old fledgling writer, lives with her wealthy family in their enormous English country mansion, and on one hot summer day, she irrevocably changes the course of three lives, including her own. It seems the housekeeper’s son, Robbie Turner (James McAvoy), carries a torch for Briony’s older sister Cecilia (Keira Knightley). And on this warm day, it becomes clear she feels the same way; their love ignites. Little Briony, who harbors her own secret crush on Robbie, witnesses the beginnings of this love affair, and not understanding its meaning, feels compelled to interfere, going so far as accusing Robbie of a crime he did not commit. He is arrested and whisked away, eventually forced into the British army, but thankfully, the two lovers have a moment before he goes to war to reconnect. Cecilia promises to wait for him, urging him to “come back” to her once the madness he is about to become immersed in is over. Meanwhile, Briony (played in adult years by Romola Garai and Vanessa Redgrave) has grown up regretting every single moment of that fateful day, and in desperately trying to seek forgiveness, finally finds a path to understanding the power of enduring love.

Acting

The performances in Atonement are nothing less than captivating, beginning with the young Irish rose Saoirse Ronan (who is also set to play the lead in Peter Jackson’s The Lovely Bones). Since it is primarily Briony’s story, Ronan must make the first, most indelible impression and set the tone for the rest of the movie–and she succeeds on every level. From the moment you see Ronan’s pale face, clear-blue eyes and steadfast gait, you immediately recognize Briony’s need and determination to make everything in her life just so. Indeed, Briony is a strongly focused child, and Ronan so embodies the character, an Oscar nomination is almost a certainty. As the 18-year-old Briony, Garai (Dirty Dancing 2) does the best she can, following such a tough act as Ronan, but can never quite match the same intensity. On the other hand, Redgrave, who comes in at the very end as the much older Briony, nails it right away, adding her own nuances to a character who has lived a full life. Of course, Knightley and McAvoy are no slouches either, vividly capturing the passion bubbling up between Cecilia and Robbie, then turning around and showing the heartache as their love is ripped apart. McAvoy is particularly effecting, as his Robbie must also witness some truly horrific wartime scenes. Actually, Oscar nods should come fast and furious for everyone in Atonement.

Acting

But don’t let the little-girl act fool you. As played by the lovely Richards in her debut performance, Lyra is one tough cookie, seemingly unafraid of the confront she faces, including confronting a 12-foot-tall polar bear charging at her, among other things. Much like Daniel Radcliffe before her, the plucky actress is quite a find and should The Golden Compass trilogy continue, she’ll be an indelible part of it. As will Kidman and Craig, as the yin-and-yang parental figures in Lyra’s life–particularly Kidman, who doesn’t stretch much but is effective as Mrs. Coulter. The enchanting lady, whose daemon is a nasty golden monkey that doesn’t talk (fits the character perfectly), really does have ice water flowing through her veins. Also good are Sam Elliott as Texan aeronaut Lee Scoresby and Eva Green as the ethereal witch Serafina Pekkala. But the character who makes the biggest impression, both literally and figuratively, is the armored ice bear Iorek Byrnison, an exiled prince from his homeland of Svalbard who is looking for a little retribution. As voiced by Ian McKellen (who else?), Iorek is definitely a force to be reckoned with every time he is on screen. His bear-on-bear battle with the reigning Svalbardian king, who kicked him out, is one of the film’s best moments. Love the character names, too.

Direction

There’s a lot going on in The Golden Compass, which might confuse the smaller ones in the audience. Pullman’s books are dense, much like the Harry Potter series, and one must stay pretty focused to follow all the film’s plot points–some of which will, with any luck, make more sense further down the line. And it is also, at times, hard to stay emotionally involved in the spectacle of it all (the exception is definitely the ice bears). But still, if you allow yourself to be immersed in this fantastical, purely make-believe world of gadgetry, grandeur and austerity, much like the worlds of Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia, then you shouldn’t be too disappointed with Golden Compass. Even more amazing is the director who came up with the film’s vision: Chris Weitz, best known for helming the little British dramedy About a Boy. Maybe not the first choice, but it’s clear the director is passionate about the material, as he covers as much ground as possible in the first installment. Probably the most fascinating part are the daemons, who are the animal manifestations of their human counterparts, interconnected in all ways. Some have smaller, domestic animals such as dogs, cats, mice; some, like Lord Asriel, have big animals such as snow leopard; some even have insects. It gets your mind wandering about what yours might be.

Story

Based on the first of Philip Pullman’s bestselling fantasy trilogy, The Golden Compass follows along the same lines as the Harry Potter series. It is set in a parallel universe very much like our own, but not quite, in which there are witches who fly the skies, armored ice bears who rule the north, and individual animal spirits called “daemons” who are intricately joined to their human counterparts. And of course there is also the whole good vs. evil milieu. The bad guys in this scenario are the Magisterium, a group of high-minded intellectuals running the joint who want to control all of humanity by basically eliminating free will. Our heroine is 12-year-old Lyra Belacqua (Dakota Blue Richards), who turns out to be the Magisterium’s greatest threat because she is the child destined to possess the last remaining Golden Compass, a truth-telling device. Still with me? Her uncle, the scientist Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig), is captured by the Magisterium, while a benefactress, Mrs. Coulter (Nicole Kidman), takes Lyra under her wing–mind you, not for benevolent reasons. Escaping Mrs. Coulter’s clutches, Lyra sets out to find her loyal friend, who has mysteriously joined the hundreds of children currently disappearing without a trace. Her adventure takes her over sky and ocean to the north, and with her band of friends and allies–and the power of the Golden Compass–Lyra will need all her skill and courage to stop the war that’s coming. Whew, that’s a tall order to fill for one little girl.

To restructure the bygone era is not only strenuous, but a challenging task as well. It’s equally arduous to imprison the essence of Bollywood of 1950s and 1960s with precision on celluloid. In that respect, Sudhir Mishra’s KHOYA KHOYA CHAND succeeds in transporting the viewer to the golden era.

Even though the story doesn’t focus on any person in particular or highlight any incident or event, the director drops enough hints to draw parallels with real life characters. So far, so good!

Wait, you can’t turn a blind eye to the deficiencies… KHOYA KHOYA CHAND looks like an assemblage of smartly executed sequences. You remember KHOYA KHOYA CHAND not because of its stirring and spellbinding storyline and the impact it creates in totality, but the recall value is thanks to the individualistic scenes.

Write your own movie review of Khoya Khoya Chand

Also, the pace dips at several points and what also goes against it is its length. The film goes on and on, testing the viewer’s patience towards the second hour. Ideally, Mishra should’ve shortened the account by 20 minutes at least. Besides, the execution of the subject restricts its appeal to those who tilt towards offbeat cinema.

To sum up, KHOYA KHOYA CHAND does not hold universal appeal. It’s for a niche audience with an appetite for unconventional movies, catering more to the festival circuit and a tiny section of moviegoers.

Set against the Hindi film industry in 1950s and 1960s, KHOYA KHOYA CHAND is the tumultuous story of Nikhat [Soha Ali Khan] and Zafar [Shiney Ahuja]. Nikhat, a fledgling actress, becomes a big star with the help of superstar Prem Kumar [Rajat Kapoor]. But in return of favours.

Zafar helps Nikhat get free from the iron grip of Prem Kumar. But the relationship is short-lived.

Sudhir Mishra captures the behavioural pattern of stars, budding actors and film-makers to perfection. Note the tantrum-throwing heroine or the finicky producer who’s more of a ‘Yes Man’ to the superstar or the heroine’s mother and her companion who live off the heroine’s money — only an insider who knows Bollywood inside out or has watched them from close quarters would get it right.

Mishra’s execution of a number of scenes is exemplary. But the grip to keep you hooked non-stop, from start to end, is missing. The film dips at regular intervals in both the first and second hour. Also, the culmination to the story is abrupt.

Shantanu Moitra’s music is in sync with the old-world charm. The title track is lilting, while ‘Ye Nigahen’ is equally exuberant. Sachin Krishn’s cinematography is striking. The production design [Gautam Sen] is first-rate. Ditto for the costumes [Ashima Belapurkar and Niharika Khan].

It would be erroneous to give the credit to just one actor, when the fact is that all three — Shiney, Soha and Rajat Kapoor — deliver sterling performances. Shiney is a complete natural, expressing the anguish through his eyes. Soha is a revelation. This film exhibits her potential to the optimum. Rajat Kapoor is only getting better with every film. Sonya Jehan is effective. Saurabh Shukla is in terrific form. Sushmita Mukherjee deserved more footage. Vinay Pathak is excellent. Dipannita Sharma is okay.

On the whole, KHOYA KHOYA CHAND has some interesting moments, but the impact it ought to create as also its slow pacing and excessive length dilute the effect. At the box-office, the film caters to a tiny section of moviegoers, but that’s not enough!