Blockbuster Friday: Ishqiya, Harishchandrachi Factory hit theatres

Bollywood has a lot to offer this weekend. Some of the most awaited movies have got released. You have the option to check out Vishal Bhardwaj's former assistant director Abhishek Chaubey's debut Ishqiya featuring Vidya Balan, Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi. Ram Gopal Varma-Amitabh Bachchan duo are back once again with Rann, a satire on Indian media. Much acclaimed Marathi movie Harishchandrachi Factory is also playing at theatres now. Hollywood just has a single release this week, Sandra Bullock starrer The Blind Side. 

Bollywood-New Releases

Ishqiya

The good part of the narrative is that it doesn’t get pretentious with make-believe romance tracks. Rather from the very start, it comes clean in communicating that Vidya Balan is conning both the males. And despite that the plot doesn’t get predictable and holds you through an intriguing climax. Indiatimes

This is the kind of film that wouldn’t have mass appeal, but it is nevertheless gripping cinema. Chaubey makes a very assured debut and every frame appears to be very carefully thought out. The film has a brisk pace and a short run time of two and a half hours ensures that you are hooked at all times. Reuters Blog

On the whole, ISHQIYA is definitely worth a watch. The film has a riveting plot, great performances, soulful music, an absorbing story and skilful direction to make the viewer fall in ishq with it. It should appeal to the hardcore masses as also the multiplex junta. Taran Adarsh

View trailer here

Rann

Rann had the potential to be powerful drama but Varma and his writer Rohit G.
Banawlikar fritter away the opportunity with cardboard characters and feeble plotting. There aren't any flesh and blood people here, just types with one defining trait. So Malik senior and Purab are good, Pandey and the oily businessman Naveen played by Rajat Kapoor are bad. NDTV.com

Ram Gopal Varma not only manages to grab eyeballs from the beginning to the end with his taut narration, he orchestrates a veritable treat when it comes to performances from his ensemble cast. Leading the pack is Amitabh Bachchan, lending gravitas with his restrained portrayal as the media chief, making him almost noble and kingly. The Times of India

Ok, the film tells you how news on television is manipulated to suit the needs of politicians and about the abuse of the media's power to mislead the aam janta. Point noted. But the one-sidedness of the script makes you question if the film is supposed to be a realistic depiction or merely a punching bag for the electronic media, which has faced enough flak in the past already. DNA India

View trailer here

Harishchandrachi Factory

Harishchandrachi Factory is a delightful treat for trivia buffs and cinema connoisseurs, offering a huge bank of factoids through detailed research of the era. Thankfully the trivia is not restricted to being a docudrama depiction but is collated and imaginatively sketched into a riveting screenplay. Indiatimes

Finally the film works largely because of the compelling and convincing portrayal of Dadasaheb Phalke by Nandu Madhav. As an eccentric, workaholic man bursting with confidence, he is extremely poised and confident in his performance. The Economic Times

Mokashi seems to have a detailed study on both Phalke and Harishchandra and restages scenes and anecdotes. Period look is detailed. The lingo used, the costumes, and the colour tone everything is in sync with the era. India Glitz
View trailer here
 

Road to Sangam

Road to Sangam is a docu-drama that tries to merge reality with fiction. The movie has attempted to applaud a simple act of patriotism made by a mechanic in a small town. A lot of events are scripted with an effort to not let go off a realistic feel. India Forums

A simple, thought-provoking story, ROAD TO SANGAM has some brilliant moments and also some sequences that you carry home. But what could've been told in a concise format seems stretched after a point. Screen India
View trailer here

Hollywood- New Releases

The Blind Side

The Blind Side inspires you but also depresses you for it also poses a question to the society, including yourself as to how do you contribute towards the betterment of the underprivileged. Indiatimes

What ensues is the kind of entertaining uplift Hollywood does best, its dramatic elements leavened by frequent moments of comedy (mostly at the hands of Leigh Anne's precocious youngest son, played by Jae Head) and stirring sports sequences. Washington Post

The movie itself is a little bit too long, and loses its way slightly in the middle, but it doesn't overstay its welcome. Hancock has a nice way of letting scenes unfold without dragging on too long, and he wisely avoids the traps that most movies of this ilk fall into by not letting things get sickeningly sweet. It's a very warm and pleasant experience, but it never gets too feel-good for its own good. Denofgeek
View trailer here

DVD Recommendation

Incase you are planning to laze around and be a couch potato, we have something for you too. Stuff India recommends Pixar's animated movie Up.

Up

Ever started a Pixar movie and thought, ‘Maybe this one isn’t as good as the other ones’? Well, with Up, you’d be wrong. Yes, the big P has done it again. But the one thing that’s different, and also most endearing about Up is its protagonist, a cantankerous old man who sets out on an unbelievable (hey, it’s animated!) adventure to fulfil his dead wife’s dream. It does sound a little bit sad, but thanks to fancy and lovable characters scattered across the movie, Up leaves you feeling very cheerful indeed. (Recommendation by Yooti Bhansali, features editor, Stuff India)

View trailer here