Ek Tha Tiger | Movie Review

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In the prologue chase-sequence where he is introduced as an intelligence officer on assignment in a foreign country, Salman Khan escapes his opponents by splurging money in an open market and subsequently camouflages in the crowd that is busy pouncing on the currency. Be rest assured that what follows would be 'paisa vasool' entertainment.

Tiger (Salman Khan) is an Indian intelligence officer who's sent by RAW to Dublin to keep an eye on a science professor. There he comes across Zoya (Katrina Kaif) and expectedly falls for her. Until it turns out that even Zoya is on an undercover mission. Now Tiger has to choose between duty and love.

Aditya Chopra sketches his story on the unusual premise of what would happen if an Indian intelligence officer falls in love with a Pakistani spy. The conflicts in the love story come quite naturally through the animosity between the two neighbouring nations, prevalent for decades. On a broader level the film implies how love can overpower all inherent differences. Yet it never makes a very conscious attempt to sound preachy or positive about the state-of-affairs between the countries. Chopra's story is credibly crafted into a riveting screenplay by Neelesh Misra and Kabir Khan.

At first instance, it seems like the love story is barging in the spy-drama. Until you realize that Ek Tha Tiger, largely, is a love story on the backdrop of an espionage thriller and not the other way round. Once we realize that, the romance track is never a hindrance. Rather the Indo-Pak spy couple lends the love story its uniqueness. Nevertheless there is no compromise on the spy setup of the film either. Director Kabir Khan commendably balances the love story and the spy drama, with each element taking precedence at different junctures in the film as per the requirement.

The beauty of the film is that, though the protagonist goes against his establishment for a girl from a rival country, you still root for him. Their integrity towards each other makes you overlook the fact that the two spies went rogue. Thereby Ek Tha Tiger is more of a rooted romance tale over a mechanical spy-thriller. Where it scores above most Indian espionage flicks (including the recent Agent Vinod) is that fact that though it frequently changes geographical boundaries, the narrative never wanders aimlessly.

Unlike most desi actioners where the stunts are often exaggerated, convoluted and commonplace, Ek Tha Tiger boasts of some imaginative action sequences smartly choreographed by Hollywood stunt coordinator Conrad Palmisano. It isn't of the existing variety where a dozen goons go flying in the air by hero's one kick. Kabir Khan strikes a perfect balance between heroism and realism in this department. So the background score or editing patterns don't have to be overblown for the impact. The tram sequence in first half and the freeway chase in the second is sure to invite applause in cinema-halls.

Despite a serious spy setup, the film has a very cool sense of humour. The tongue-in-cheek lines often make you smile even in the most unusual circumstances. Aseem Mishra's cinematography lends the film a grace that the genre demands, as he captures the essence of Ireland, Cuba, Istanbul and other countries with elan.

Salman Khan carries an urbane charm and looks uber-cool dressed in formals. He is resourcefully restrained sans his customary buffoonery. His acting ability is best exploited in this film after a long long time. Katrina Kaif is gorgeous as always and puts in a confident act. Her agility in action sequences adds to her conviction. And more importantly she shares terrific chemistry with Salman Khan, something that was missing in all their earlier pairings. Ranvir Shorey as Salman's associate makes for a good supporting cast. Girish Karnad and Gavie Chahal lend decent support.

Ek Tha Tiger, by far, is Salman Khan's most entertaining and accomplished works in recent times. Hope he takes the correct cues from this film and stays away from mediocrity henceforth.

Verdict: Very Good
Director: Kabir Khan
Cast: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif

Released On : August 15,2012

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Jism 2 | Movie Review

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Directed by Pooja Bhatt, Jism 2 is the sequel to the 2003 hit Jism starring Bipasha Basu and John Abraham. The first film was easily one of the most sensual films of it’s time and this time around, with Canadian porn star Sunny Leone as the major-attraction, the makers promise a double doze of erotica.
Story: Jism 2 is about Izna (Sunny Leone), a prostitute by profession. One night, she sleeps with Ayaan (Arunoday Singh), an intelligence officer, who convinces Izna to help nab her ex-lover Kabir (Randeep Hooda). They travel all the way to Sri Lanka to get hold of the secret data, that helps Kabir kill several prominent politicians and other security officials.

Most of you would be wondering – If Jism 2 is one of the most erotic films to come out of Bollywood and if Sunny Leone, on debut, delivers as an actress?
Well, apart from the fact that it stars an adult actress, Jism 2 wouldn’t be considered ‘bold’ even if it released early last decade. Infact, the 2004 blockbuster ‘Murder’ was far more erotic and sexier. If titillation is sole reason for watching Jism 2, don’t bother. Apart from a few aesthetically shot love-making scenes and Leone’s cleavage revealing act, the film has little else to offer.
The pace is agonisingly slow. The story is non-existent and hardly ever moves. If you decide to watch the first 20 minutes, take a nap and watch the climax, you wouldn’t miss much – nothing at all actually, apart from a few beautiful songs and the stunning scenery of Sri Lanka.
As for Sunny Leone, she looks sexy and beautiful, but has a long way to go as an actress. It was a complex role to play – throughout the film Sunny’s character required her to pretend to be in love with someone else, while her real intentions were different.

I have loved Randeep Hooda’s performances in some of his recent releases like Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai and Jannat 2, but here he’s good initially but hams in the second half, when his character suddenly goes psychotic. Arunoday Singh can’t act. When he was crying, the audience were laughing!
Also, several questions remain unanswered (spoiler warning). When exactly does Arunoday’s character fall in love with Sunny? Why does Randeep Hooda reveal his true identity so late? Why does Sunny believe Arunoday blindly? Who does she love?
Sunny’s character is flawed and confused. Since she keeps kissing both men, the audience is left confused too. The climax doesn’t work primarily for this reason – you don’t feel for any of the characters in the film.
Overall, Jism 2 has very little to offer apart from a bikini-clad Sunny Leone, couple of good songs and the seductive beaches and greenery of Sri Lanka. At the box-office, Jism 2 should do well in the first weekend and then drop from Monday.


Director: Pooja Bhatt
Producer: Pooja Bhatt, Dino Morea
Music: Arka Mukherjee, Mithoon, Abdul Baasith Saeed, Vicky Goswami, Rushik
Main Cast: Randeep Hooda, Sunny Leone, Arunoday Singh, Imran Zahid…
Genre: Drama, Romance, Thriller, Adult, Crime
Banner: Fisheye Network Production, Clockwork Films Private Limited

Released On : Aug 03, 2012

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