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Topic: laqe raho munnabhai:review (Read 410 times)
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bharath
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laqe raho munnabhai:review
« on: September 01, 2006, 11:42:24 AM »
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By Taran Adarsh, August 31, 2006 - 14:15 IST
Munna and Circuit are back! The lovable goons embark on their new adventure with LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI. The first part [MUNNABHAI M.B.B.S.] was a mesmeric experience and it's indeed a tough task to come up with a worthy sequel/follow-up. Will LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI meet the monumental expectations? Will Munna and Circuit's escapades and antics in LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI supersede the adventures and frolics in MUNNABHAI M.B.B.S.?
Producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra and director Rajkumar Hirani have a tough job on hand and a major responsibility on shoulders. But there's good news… Like its predecessor, LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI is a sparkling example of qualitative cinema. LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI not only entertains, it also enlightens. LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI is forward-thinking, but also makes you recall your roots. It promises lots of laughs and also a heartwarming message.
Director Rajkumar Hirani strikes a fine balance between humor and emotions. The comic portions are executed with panache, the drama is attention-grabbing and the emotional quotient is strong enough to turn you moist-eyed. The marriage of humor and emotions as also technique and content is what drives LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI to the winning post.
There are movies aplenty, but very few remain etched in your memory and possess recall value. LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI is one of those films. Indisputably and undeniably, this Munna-Circuit outing is worth the price of the ticket and more.
All you want to tell Chopra and Hirani is, Lage raho with the Munna-Circuit series!
Munna [Sanjay Dutt] is in love with the voice of popular Radio Jockey Jhanvi [Vidya Balan]. Her effervescent greeting of 'Good Morrrrning Mumbai' on her daily radio show makes Munna's heart skip a beat each time he listens to her.
Life is beautiful for Munna. His 'dadagiri' business is flourishing and he listens besottedly to the radio for hours every day, he dreams of marrying Jhanvi. There is just one minor problem: Jhanvi thinks Munna is a 'Professor of History'.
And in all her innocence, Jhanvi even invites Munna to give a history lecture to her family. Poor Munna! What should he do?
As Munna tries to sort out this minor entanglement in his otherwise perfect life, Circuit [Arshad Warsi] comes up with a bright solution. And then, the most unusual thing occurs in Munna's life. He comes face to face with Mahatma Gandhi.
LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI is one of the best-constructed, funniest and most clever comedies to grace motion picture screens in recent years. It's pretty evident that Hirani and his team of writers [screenplay-dialogues: Hirani and Abhijat Joshi, screenplay associate: Vidhu Vinod Chopra] have invested ample time on this script. LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI doesn't bear any similarity to any released film [Hindi or Hollywood] and that's such a welcome relief. In fact, the USP of the film are portions between Mahatma Gandhi and Munna, which is a brilliant stroke from the writing as well as execution point of view.
But there are minor aberrations in this otherwise smooth journey. Munna's transition to a radio jockey and playing the role of a counselor seems a little far-fetched. However, one must add that despite this oddity, the sequences between Sanju and Jimmy-Pariksh*t Sahni and also with Dia Mirza subsequently keep you glued to the screen, not as much for the writing, but due to Hirani's master execution.
Similarly, the focus in the post-interval portions suddenly shifts to the love story between Munna and Jhanvi and you sorely miss the maddening conversation between Munna and Circuit. Again, the romantic portions are well executed, so you don't really mind this glitch.
Hirani's command over humor, drama and emotions is exemplary. Note the sequence when Munna slaps Circuit and tenders an apology after Mahatma Gandhi tells him to; it brings tears to your eyes instantly. The sequences between Munna and Circuit are, of course, the mainstay of the enterprise. Some of the sequences -- Munna readying to participate in the radio-quiz, Munna-Jhanvi's meet in the college campus or Munna-Circuit landing up behind bars -- are hilarious. Moreover, the entire track between the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi and Munna is exceptional. To his credit, Hirani treats the second installment of the Munnabhai series with as much flourish as he treated the first.
Shantanu Moitra's music is soothing. 'Samjho Ho Hi Gaya' and 'Bole To Bole Kaisi Hogi Hai… Lage Raho Munna Bhai' are the best tracks, but what elevates the tunes is their picturization. Both the numbers are full of vibrant colors and imaginatively filmed. 'Pal Pal Har Pal' also comes at the right place and even its filming is eye-catching. Cinematography [Muraleedharan C.K.] is first-rate. Dialogues are wonderful and those between Munna-Circuit abound in wit and hilarity.
The characters populating LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI are strongly written and effectively portrayed. Sanjay Dutt lives the character of Munna. He gets the best of lines and delivers them with relish. His is a wonderful, larger-than-life performance and he knows just how to present Munna best. Watching Sanju's tour de force is one of LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI's chief pleasures.
Arshad Warsi is superb. There are very few actors who have an unmatched timing for comic scenes and Arshad ranks prominently in the list. Even a smirk or an exclamation makes you flex your facial muscles. There's no denying that Arshad matches up to Sanju at every level, in every sequence.
Boman Irani proves yet again that he's an actor with an infinite range. He's at crossroads with Munna in the second installment as well; this time he plays the conniving person who wants to usurp a mansion. He's excellent.
Vidya Balan is only getting better with every release. If she was confident in her debut film PARINEETA, she acts like a complete pro in her second outing. Also, she looks extremely photogenic in a glam role. Jimmy Shergill has a brief part and he does it well. Ditto for Dia Mirza; she's perfect. Abhishek Bachchan, in a cameo, adds to the star quotient.
Dilip Prabhavalkar [in the role of Mahatma Gandhi] is up to the mark. However, the makeup could've been better. The six senior citizens are lovable, especially the actor enacting the role of a Parsi gentleman. Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Pariksh*t Sahni and Saurabh Shukla are appropriate.
On the whole, LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI is a sparkling follow up to MUNNABHAI M.B.B.S. Its strength lies not just in Munna and Circuit's chemistry, but also reliving the teachings of the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi. Qualitatively, it's a worthy sequel and not to be missed and even at the box-office, LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI will march towards the winning post in the next few days.
rating****
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bharath
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LYKES: +129/-493
Posts: 578
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Re:laqe raho munnabhai:review
« Reply #1 on: September 09, 2006, 01:01:25 AM »
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Sequels, besides being a rarity in Bollywood, have hardly ever lived up to people’s expectations. So when an innovative producer like Vidhu Vinod Chopra, who hasn’t really believed in or followed a formulaic approach towards filmmaking, decides to go ahead with a sequel, eyebrows are bound to be raised. After all, sequels in Bollywood, whenever made, have usually been devoid of even the closest hint of novelty. But as I walked out of the theatre after witnessing Munna Bhai’s second coming on the big screen, I was convinced that if done right, sequels in Bollywood can actually be highly entertaining.
Sanjay Dutt’s Munna Bhai became a household name when he challenged Dr. Asthana’s authority by entering his medical college in a bid to avenge his old man’s insult in the hilarious, yet wonderfully crafted “Munna Bhai MBBS”. So what is the new chapter in Munna Bhai’s life really about? It’s about Munna’s obsession with a spunky, vivacious radio jockey, Jhanvi (Vidya Balan) whose voice brightens his days and rules his nights. In a bid to win her love, Munna yet again has to rely on his ubiquitous henchman Circuit (reprised by Arshad Warsi) to aid him in his testing mission. And what’s more, he even gets help from a reappearing Mahatma Gandhi who returns from the past, decides to take matters in his own hands and sets out on a mission to instill some discipline, morality and responsibility in our otherwise-untroubled hoodlum. What follows is one lie, some confusion, inspirational, yet non-preachy pep talks by Gandhi and a lot of big, genuine laughs.
Although the second chapter too, revolves around Munna’s conquest of love, the similarities with the first film end right there. Writers Hirani and Abhijat Joshi have treated the sequel as a second chapter completely disconnected from the first one - a strategy that would have backfired had it not been penned properly. Usually, it becomes difficult for audiences to connect with a sequel where there’s a lack of continuation from its predecessor. However, in the case of “Lage Raho Munna Bhai”, Hirani and Joshi have cleverly kept the major essence of the first movie intact with the two protagonists (Munna and Circuit) being their usual selves. In fact, the excitement of experiencing the reunion of our two beloved thugs is so overwhelming and the outcome so engrossing that at the end it becomes very easy not to question the lack of continuity between the two movies.
The sequel has an underlining message nicely wrapped with wit and humor. The movie addresses the deviation of a common Indian from the very principals of humanity represented aptly by Gandhi. In fact, Hirani and Joshi have smartly incorporated Gandhi’s character into the narrative to symbolize forgotten morals and ethics – a move that works wonders not only for good onscreen humor but also provides an opportunity to convey relevant, ethical and social messages with sublime subtlety. But the fact that “Lage Raho Munna Bhai” carries a serious social message doesn’t stop the movie from being uproariously funny. It’s got extra laughs and more amusement than its predecessor with a constantly pumped up supply of humor that keeps the viewer completely hooked - so much so that the interval only acts as a disruption. Though it does tend to get larger than life at times with the songs not really needed, it still ends up being far more sensible, identifiable and enjoyable than the usual leave-your-brains-at-home comic flicks that Bollywood has lately become synonymous with.
Extremely well-directed, “Lage Raho Munna Bhai” will be instrumental in establishing Hirani as a highly sought after name in Bombay’s Tinsel town. Already having excelled with the pen, Hirani successfully turns his high-on-content script into an absorbing movie – an effort proving that the director in Hirani is as competent as the writer in him if not more. Hirani’s directorial prowess is further enhanced by the exceptional work of his two lead actors – Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi. If you think that Circuit is yet again playing second fiddle to Munna, you’re wrong! This time around, the droll duo plays joint-protagonists. The fact that Arshad has been given almost the same screen time as Sanjay, reinforces the director’s faith in his abilities. While Warsi’s brilliant portrayal of Circuit gets the wittiest lines of all, overshadowing Munna occasionally, Dutt brilliantly exhibits Munna’s confusion, agony and tenacity. Vidya Balan, though relegated to the background mostly, flashes her intoxicating smile, shows off her trendy wardrobe and mouths her lines with the right emotions. Boman Irani, as Lucky Singh, yet again shows off his immense versatility and provides ample reasons to tickle one’s funny bone. Besides the lead characters, the supporting cast are more than competent and contribute aptly.
Sequels rarely match up to their forerunners. However, in the case of “Lage Raho Munna Bhai”, not only does the sequel live up to colossal expectations but also manages to outsmart and outwit its precursor. When people discuss the movie and repeat jokes from it on their way back home once the show over, you can easily tell that the movie served its purpose of entertaining its audience. When the whole audience gives a standing ovation to a movie when the end credits roll, you can safely assume that they enjoyed the past two and half hours. This is a movie that remains true to itself and its audience by entertaining them, making them cry and getting its point across. Enjoy it while you can as Dutt is only getting older with time and it shows. But something tells me, this might not be the last we have seen of Munna Bhai and Circuit!
Maamoo, Bolay Toh Aik Dum Raapchik picture hai kya! Bolay Toh Aik Dum Jhakaas!
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