Masoom-1983 flim

Masoom is a 1983 Indian film and Shekhar Kapur's first directorial venture. The critically acclaimed film starred Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Supriya Pathak and Saeed Jaffrey, as well as child actors Jugal Hansraj and Urmila Matondkar. The screenplay and dialogues were written by Gulzar and the music was contributed by R.D. Burman. The plot was broadly based on Man, Woman and Child written by Erich Segal. Shekhar Kapoor the director of the movie went on to make several other internationally acclaimed movies in the future like, Bandit Queen and Elizabeth.

Through the medium of the film, the director makes a strong statement that eventually it is the unwanted child who is the real victim of an extra-marital affair. Hence the title of the film, for Masoom means the innocent one.

This Hindi social drama stars Naseerudin Shah as a family man whose everyday domestic life is turned upside down when he discovers that he has an illegitimate child (Jugal Hansraj) from an affair with a past mistress. When the boy's mother dies, he is sent to live with his father. The child's father attempts to hide the truth from his own daughters, but the past eventually catches up with him.

The director opens the film with a brief backgrounder of the boy Rahul whose mother has died and an old headmaster is the only one who this boy can call his own. After the credits have rolled, the second shot is actually the stealer where the family portrait of Naseer’s family is lying on a table and a stray puppy comes and breaks it. This shot establishes the premise of the film. One outsider can disturb the harmony of the this family.

Naseeruddin Shah is a brilliant actor. Shabana’s act of a Punjabi south Delhi housewife Indu Malhotra is par excellence. Many would know by now, the children played by Aradhana (Mini), Urmila Matondkar (Pinky) and Jugal Hansraj (Rahul) completely thaw your heart. These are children, people our age can relate to.

My Name Is Khan

My Name Is Khan is an upcoming 2010 Indian drama based upon a true story. It is directed by Karan Johar, co-produced by Johar and Shahrukh Khan, has a screenplay by Shibani Bathija, and stars Khan and Kajol. The other actors and actresses who had performed in the film include Jimmy Shergill, Bilal Khan and others. Shahrukh Khan had done a splendid job once again.

Cinematography is by Ravi K. Chandran. Khan is a Muslim who as a child (Tanay Chheda) grew up with his mother (Zarina Wahab) in the the Borivali section of Mumbai in India. As an adult, Khan (Shahrukh Khan) falls in love and marries Mandira (Kajol). Khan suffers from Asperger syndrome which impacts social interaction abilities.

Khan is arrested as a suspected terrorist in post - 9/11 Los Angeles after authorities mistake his disability for "suspicious" behavior. After his arrest, he meets Radha (Sheetal Menon), a therapist who helps him.

The music is given by Shankar –Ehsaan –Loy and the music is impressive just like any other films of Karan Johar. The performance of the character artists in the film is very impressive. Although Shabana Azmi left the role of the mother of Shahrukh Khan after being cast initially, Zarina Wahab did do well in the film.

In a nutshell it can be said that the film is going to be a big hit inspite of the negative factors.

Sorry Bhai

Sorry Bhai is about the complexities of relationships seen and felt in real life. That subtle tug or snap in relationships when people are drawn towards or pulled away from each other. These very moments captured with a telling effect provide the soul to ‘Sorry Bhai’ even though the film gets a little too tangled in the second half.

At the centre of the movie is a slowly developing love story between a woman and the younger brother of the man she is about to marry. Sanjay Suri as Harsh is set to marry Aaliya (Chitrangada Singh). His family comprising of a young, shy scientist brother Siddharth ( Sharman Joshi ), a disapproving mom ( Shabana Azmi ) and a chilled-out dad ( Boman Irani ) come to Mauritius to attend the wedding. While Harsh doesn’t seem to have much time for his family, Siddharth and Aaliya develop a bond that turns into mutual attraction. The duo fights this attraction.

More than just a romantic story, ‘Sorry Bhai’ taps on the bonding between two brothers, and between the two women in the story. Shabana Azmi and Boman Irani who charm you completely with their crackling chemistry and their natural act as urbane parents.

In a movie like ‘Sorry Bhai’, it’s more appropriate to judge the actors’ job from viewpoint of the chemistry between them rather than individual performances. Sanjay Suri is relegated to the background for a substantial part, but he too gets his moments. Boman Irani is superb in a relatively smaller but homour-filled role.

The film, with its above average music and eye-pleasing cinematography, has a somewhat boring ending preceded by a couple of sequences where you feel the director either lost his grip over the plot or became too self-indulgent.

But at the end of the day, ‘Sorry Bhai’ gives you a faint smile and doesn’t make you feel sorry for the money and time spent on the flick.