36 China Town: Movie Review

Rating: 2/5

First thing First; ‘36 China Town’ is no way comparable to 1974 cult classic suspense potboiler ‘Chinatown’ starring Jack Nicholson. 36 China Town isn’t even a thriller. 36 China Town is at best a moderate masala film with a medley of songs, comedy, romance, murder, suspense, bikinis and bums.

Abbas-Mastan who gave us hit like Khiladi, Baazigar, Soldier, Humraaz have a strange habit of dishing out half hearted attempts like Daraar, Baadshah and more recently Taarzan: The Wonder Car. At 36 China Town, loaded with an atrocious script they again find the going tough, try too hard and eventually mess it all up. (more…)

Mallika Sherawat’s latest release ‘Shaadi Se Pehle’ might not be getting good response at the box office but it hasn’t been able to affect the actress name and fame. The sex siren is soon going to play the Goldie Hawn’s role from Private Benjamin in a plum Hollywood remake project produced by Ravi Walia.

Being a comedy, the film is aptly titled ‘Fauj Mein Mauj’ and will be directed by debutant Murli Nagavalli, who so far has been assistant to Priyadarshan. Mallika will again play the role of a sex bomb in this film too.

The director confirmed, “Yes, I’m directing Mallika in Fauj Mein Mauj.” Talking about his inspiration from Hollywood flick he said, “It has been changed to suit the Indian audiences. The film is a comedy along the lines of the Police Academy series, but set in the army it’s a story of what happens when a sexy young woman joins the army.” On a note of caution he added, “I’m not making fun of anyone, but just making a humorous film. It’s a fictional story.” (more…)

Versatile actor Paresh Rawal is fed up doing mostly comic roles and want filmmakers to offer him serious roles. He is also upset with the poor state of comedy in Bollywood and thinks it is heading towards doom.

You have yet another comic release coming up.

I have just returned from shooting for Ahmed Khan's 'Fool and Final', which is another caper. I'm seriously fed up. I won't touch anything dubious. But 'Malamaal Weekly' was enjoyable. The flavour is not farcical. It's not just a comedy, or a family film or a thriller. The pleasure of working with Omji (Om Puri) in an entire film is rare. It gave me a chance to rejuvenate myself as an actor. I am his fan. It's very rare to come across actors who aren't selfish.

But your director, Priyadarshan said there was healthy rivalry between you and Om?

Oh yes, it was great fun improvising between the two of us, and to see who would get the last word in. There are only a few people in the film industry that I admire as actors and human beings. Omji is one of them. He is such a sweetheart. (more…)

Om Puri has dismissed rumours of friction with Paresh Rawal during the shooting of ‘Malamaal Weekly’, saying the two actors have gone far beyond such issues.

Om Puri upbeat about the box office success of Priyadarshan’s Malamaal Weekly.

Priyadarshan and I go back a long way. He has given me a role in most of his Hindi films, including his last 'Kyon Ki', which wasn't a very happy experience for me or the audience. But I feel 'Malamaal Weekly' is going to work. It's an out-and-out comedy about a lottery winner in a village. I play a milkman. Paresh Rawal and I had a ball shooting the film. And I hope that enjoyment shows on screen.

No ego problems between the two veteran actors - Om Puri and Paresh Rawal. (more…)

Malamaal Weekly – no maldar comedy

Director: Priyadarshan
Credited cast: Riteish Deshmukh, Rimi Sen, Om Puri, Paresh Rawal and Arbaaz Khan

Comparing Priyadarshan’s previous track record (Hera Pheri, Hungama, Hulchul, Garam Masala) of hit comedies, Malamaal Weekly fails to tickle your funny bones. The story of the movie is very confusing as the sub plots keep interfering in the main plot. Also, apart from some funny dialogues, which are mainly kept for Paresh Rawal and Om Puri, the rest of the movie seems plain. The movie that is stuffed with comic maestro such as Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav, Om Puri and upcoming comic actor Ritesh Deshmukh (Bluffmaster, Masti, Kya kool Hai Hum), has featured below par performances of each actor.

Story:
Malamaal Weekly starts with sutradhar Naseeruddin Shah’s narration of a small drought affected village where people are fighting for survival from poverty, poor harvests and a Thakurani called Karamkali (Sudha Chandran) and her brother Baijey (Rajpal Yadav) who harass the poor illiterate villagers by squeezing excess interest from them. These people are barely able to make ends meet. (more…)

Priyadarshan is gearing to make another laugh-riot titled Bhaagam-Bhaag and this time he is bringing comedy professor Govinda and action cum comic star Akshay Kumar. Both will be joined by Lara Dutta and Paresh Rawal in this comedy to be launched this June.

The director is inspired from English movie as he told, “it’s a totally crazy comedy of errors like Stanley Kramer’s It’s A Mad Mad Mad World.”

He added, “It involves characters in a theatrical group from India who have to perform in London. The actors in the group include Akshay Kumar who is the villain in the play. Govinda is the hero while Paresh Rawal owns the repertory. The story unfolds when the play’s heroine, fed up with Akshay’s and Govinda’s antics, refuses to turn up. So, once in London they’ve on the look-out for a new heroine. It’s a crazy film.” (more…)

Director: Priyadarshan
Credited cast: Shahid Kapur, Kareena Kapoor, Isha Sharvani, Neha Dhupia, Sunil Shetty, Paresh Rawal, Om Puri, Rajpal Yadav

Directed by Priyadarshan and starring hot couple Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapur, the movie is a feel-good romantic cum comedy of errors and mistaken identities. The story revolves around Jeetu (Shahid Kapur) an unlucky but good hearted young man, who finds himself faking his own death to escape his various creditors and free his family from disgrace.

Jeetu hails from a small town. He is constantly harassed by creditors, whom he owes a lot of money but just can’t seem to pay of his debts. His father Jayved Prasad, and fiancee Pooja (Neha Dhupia) are also targeted by the debtors. (more…)