Housefull

Medium : Hindi
Starring : Akshay Kumar, Ritesh Deshmukh, Arjun Rampal, Bomman Irani, Deepika Padukone, Lara Dutta, Jiah Khan
Director : Sajid Khan
Music : Shankar Ehsaan Loy, Sandep Chowta (bg)


Akshay Kumar is not enjoying successful days, as some of his recent projects like 'Blue', 'De Dena Dun', 'Kambaqt Ishq', '8 X 10 Tasweer', 'Chandni Chauk To China' etc bombed at the box office. Now he has once again chosen a comedy subject (with Ritesh Deshmukh as his partner), named 'Housefull'. It is directed by Sajid Khan ('Hey Baby' fame), the younger brother of choreographer turned director Farah Khan. Sajid Nadiadwala, the producer has also got the credit of the story of this film. It is shot in the foreign locations of London and Italy.

Aarush (Akshay Kumar), finds himself as an unlucky person. Due to this, his lover leaves him. Being frustrated, he reaches the house of his friend Bob (Ritesh Deshmukh), who stays with his wife (Lara Dutta). Bob took his friend to his work place and met the owner (Randhir Kapoor). Aarush is being impressed by the rich man and he decided to arrange his daughter's (Jiah Khan) marriage with the former. Marriage happens, but his wife went to her old lover soon, leaving Aarush. At this time, Sandy (Deepika Padukone) arrives, hearing the tragic story of Aarush, she started loving him. Bob's father-in-law (Bomman Irani) reaches abroad to see his daughter's baby. He misunderstands Aarush as his son-in-law. At the same time, Sandy's brother (Arjun Rampal) visited them to arrange her sister's marriage with Aarush. The first lover of Aarush, who left him, happened to be the elder sister of Sandy. There starts the cat and mouse game and how Aarush and Bob manages the situation, is the theme of 'Housefull'.

Though 'Housefull' is shown as a comedy subject, you don't experience big laughing here. The similar situations has been told many times in the past through films like 'All The Best', 'Hey Baby', 'No Entry', 'Garam Masala', 'De Dena Dun', 'Kaathala Kaathala' (T) etc. The confusions and misunderstandings along with the hiring of house, baby, lovers etc are the same in almost all the projects.

The first half of 'Housefull' contains many intolerable and amateur scenes. The confusions and the comic scene happening in the road in the beginning, as a result of the lover leaving the hero is not created realistically (It is shown well by Priyadarshan many times), The way in which the hero destroying the whole room using vacuum cleaner and the behavior of the the friends, affected by electric shock, shows the non professionalism of the creator. Bob's father-in-law being beaten by his mother is another area of childishness. The relevance of tiger inside the house is not communicated properly. Chunkey Pandey, who comes as the hotel owner gave a horrible performance and the scene in which he invites the media to watch the suicide of the hero is another area of wastage of time. The reason told for telling lies by all the characters are too repetitive. The lie detector equipment used by the military officer looks like a toy only and last but not the least, the climax created in Buckingham palace, where the crowd along with the Queen laughing as an effect of the nitrous oxide gas, exceeds the limit of tolerance.

Akshay Kumar did his role in his style. Ritesh Deshmukh is over acting in many areas. Arjun Rampal is serious. Deepika Padukone and Lara Dutta are charming in their outfits. Music directors Shankar Ehsaan Loy gave some fast songs. Cinematography by Vikas Sivaraman is colorful. Songs has been glamorously choreographed by Fara Khan.

The movie 'Housefull' is colorful, but it can't create a house full environment in the theaters as it is not having that much realistic laughing situations as you expect.


Rating : 4.5 / 10

Blue

Medium : Hindi
Starring : Sanjay Dutt, Akshay Kumar, Zayed Khan, Rahul Dev, Lara Dutta, Katrina Kaif
Direction : Antony D'souza
Music : A.R.Rahman


The biggest news happened in this year as far as our film industry is concerned will be the representation of the Indian films in the Oscar Award ceremony. A.R.Rahman was thus lucky enough to grab two music awards and Rasool Pookkutty also got one for sound designing in the English film, 'Slumdog Millionaire'. Hence those films that are done by these guys, after such an achievement will not be treated ordinary by their fans. A film that caught special attention and is placed in such a category is 'Blue'. Though I am not interested in such a kind of extra publicity regarding any personalaties in the film field, as we are a witness for whatever happens in front of us, I can't keep mum. Another media hype related to this film was that majority of the portions of the film is being shot inside the deep blue sea and also the stars were given special training and in some scenes they were asked to swim even in the middle of big sharks and sword fishes. Anyway such a news can't create big expectations about the film in me; I decided to watch it as a part of the normal procedure only.


The film has got the opening scenes in a boat in the middle of the sea at Bahamas where Sanjay and Akshay are shown fishing and when the latter's cap fell into the water, both of them dives, get it back and a shark is freed from a fishing net. When Akshay asks about the treasure ('lady in blue'), Sanjay gets angry. We are also shown a romantic song on the beach sands featuring Sanjay with the two piece girl, Lara. At the same time Zayed, who is Sanjay's brother and a bike racer, gets into trouble in a foreign country. He reaches his brother's place to hide after a bulk loss of money. Finally as per Zayed and Akshay's request, Sanjay is willing to take the treasure in the underwater area. In the climax, the cheating is revealed. (to be honest, the cheaters here are the makers of the film and the real victims are viewers like us!!!)


Sanjay Dutt is shown shaven head in some scenes followed by the hairy head; his character loses continuity here and there. The way in which he describes his father's past looks like a documentary. There is no depth in the characterization of all the stars. Maybe in one line the story is good; but the way in which the director treated the film shows the immaturity of the scripting side also. The underwater scenes are good; since that portion didn't have much dialogue as the situation demands, sometimes it feels boring. The bike race and the chasing by the villains might have been used as the fillers to make up the length.


Cinematography by Laxman Utekar is good; especially the underwater scenes are notable. A.R.Rahman's style is different from the usual pattern of the hindi music directors. Here you don't have any memorable surprises from the Oscar winner; the background score is also not the best. Rasool Pookkutty, who did an excellent job in the film, 'Keralavarma Pazhassiraja' didn't used the opportunity to the best level here.


'Blue', as expected is not upto the mark. With such a theme, they should have done a better job.


Rating : 4 / 10