Reviews

Going into the theater to watch Singh is Kinng, I really did not know what to expect. Would it live up to the hype? Would it make me laugh?

The answer to both questions is the same: a resounding YES!

The story revolves around Happy Singh, a turbaned Sikh youth, who travels to Australia to bring his relative Lucky Singh, and his entourage, back home to their village in India. However, the story is multi-layered, as Happy also attempts to reform those who have wandered off the path of good. There is also a romantic element to the film. Suddenly, the plot becomes multi-faceted and interesting on more than just one level.

Singh Is Kinng is a laugh-riot all the way until the end. It's not an intellectual movie, nor does it try to be. It is a comedy all the way, and this is apparent from the opening minutes. The movie is filled with hilarious situations and well-written dialogues. The music of the movie is also well produced since it flows very well with the entire movie and does justice to the Punjabi theme of the film.

Akshay Kumar can now easily be called the King of Bollywood Comedy, without any objection. Kumar has mastered comic timing and easily fits into the role of Happy Singh, a happy-go-lucky young man. This movie definitely proves that Akshay is one of the top actors. Not only can he make you laugh, but he also makes Happy Singh a lovable character. It was a huge risk on Kumar's role to do the whole film wearing a turban, something which is rarely done in Bollywood cinema; however Akshay Kumar pulls it off wonderfully. He stays in character throughout the entire film, mastering the Punjabi dialect. Happy Singh will definitely go down as one of his most memorable characters yet.

The supporting cast is also superb, in particular Sonu Sood and Om Puri. Sonu Sood proves to be a scene-stealer yet again, after Jodhaa-Akbar. Sood, as Lucky Singh, is extremely effective in playing the role of a stylish Australian gangster. His role even allows him to showcase his acting prowess in a range of different types of scenes, ranging from violent to hilarious. Om Puri is a veteran actor, and needless to say, does a tremendous job playing Rangeela. The rest of the cast is also superb, and do justice to their roles. Katrina Kaif is adequate, as her role does not require her to do much, besides looking pretty.

This movie draws from Punjabi, and in particular, the Sikh culture. Although the movie is a comedy, it does not once disrespect either of these communities, which is extremely commendable and note-worthy.

If you are looking to relax, and enjoy an endearing, comedic film, then this is the movie for you!

Wrongly accused men trying to prove themselves as innocent...realize that they are merely pawns in a larger scheme....sounds a lot like Prison Break, doesn't it? ABC's TRAVELER revolves around 2 intelligent graduate students, Tyler and Jay, who have been wrongfully accused of blowing up New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. The show pretty much revolves around the two boys trying to clear their names, finding out why they were involved, and finding out what their "friend" Will Traveler has to do with it all.

I think that after realizing the huge fan base that Prison Break has, a show aired on FOX, ABC realized to pick up a similar show, hoping for the same popularity. However, the show does share many similarities to Prison Break, and this will only hinder its fan base growth...common get an original idea! Other than the fact that the are using an already popular storyline, the directors have done a great job in filming, with crisp shots and nice cinematography. The storyline is good, and does keep you guessing. The 2 main actors are also likable, and make the show a pleasure to watch.

Namastey London, tells the tale of British-Indian young lady, named Jasmeet (Katrina Kaif), who is taken to India by her parents to marry a nice, Indian man, Arjun (Akshay Kumar). However, this marriage is in trouble from the get-go, due to the fact that Jasmeet (or Jazz as she likes to be called), is in love with another man. The movie is a mixture of mainly two other films, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam,and Purab Aur Pachhim. However, despite the fact that this movie carries similarities to these other films, it has the ability to hold its own ground, and this is primarily due to four factors: the acting, the cinematography, the Indian patriotism, and the humor.

The majority of actors have done their jobs well. Akshay is relaxed and comfortable in his role, as usual. Rishi Kapoor, is a stand-out in his role of a very loving, yet traditional father. However, it is Katrina Kaif's acting which is the problem. Katrina looks beautiful, and her physical acting is well-done, but her voice and diction still need serious work. In this movie, she was allowed to do her own voice-over, despite the fact that her Hindi is poor. The director thought that since she plays a British girl, this would be fine. I disagree. Even NRI's can speak Hindi well to a certain extent, but Katrina's Hindi is horrendous, and after a couple minutes of the movie, becomes very annoying.

I have to give Gurinder Chadha full credit for one thing: she was able to bring a huge amount of Indian culture to the international forefront with "Bend It Like Beckham". Not only did she create a movie that was funny, but she also brought a message to Hollywood: Indians are just as good at making good movies.

However, unlike many other film fanatics, I must say I didn't really like this movie. As a Sikh girl, I must say that this movie succeeded in creating even MORE stereotypes about Punjabi families and their values. There are many ignorant people in this world, that have the idea that most Indian families are like the family shown in this film. This isn't true. Yes, Ms.Chadha did address some stereotypes about Indians and proved that they weren't true, but she also helped in creating several others.

For example, a couple months ago, a fellow student came up to me and asked me "So you don't wear shorts because it's against your culture, right?". Well that kind of annoyed me, because me not wearing shorts had nothing to do with my beliefs or my family. I don't wear shorts because I think they make my thighs look fat. However silly my reason might be, it is a reason altogether. This is just one example of a stereotype that was promoted by "Bend It Like Beckham".

Gurinder Chadha failed to show that not all Indian families are like the one she depicted in her film. Not all Indian families have village accents, are suspicious of their children's' every moves, place the most regard on their "status", etc. She failed in letting the general audience know that, although her film is one with a message, it isn't categorizing Indians as one type: strict and weird.

The truth is, that yes there are some families like the one in this movie, but most others are just as "normal" as any other family. A Sikh family, like any other family, provides endless love and care for their children. So enough with the stupid and weak jokes.

What a boring film! To sum it all up, its was basically just Nana Patekar beating up his daughter-in-law Karisma Kapoor, while she tried to flee from the village, with her son. Can someone say BORING??? The concept wasn't too bad, but it was poorly executed. The Canadian locales, and some of the village scenes were nicely shot. However, overall the cinematography came up short. The story could have been great, but the movie just seemed to drag on. There is only so much stupidity a person can take, let alone three bloody hours of it.

The best part of the whole movie was the song "Ishq Kamina", and that was only five minutes long. Other than that, this movie was a piece of crap.

This movie was a landmark film, in terms of Bollywood cinema. I remember watching it and loving every second of it. Yes, it is a melodramatic film, full of colourful song and dance numbers, but it also offers more than your average Hindi film. Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (Something Happens) is the type of movie that one can never get tired of watching. The jokes are fresh,the concept is new, and the characters are unforgettable.

The characters are unique and very entertaining. Shahrukh Khan is at his best, and Kajol steals the show. Rani Mukherji was given a chance, by Karan Johar, to prove herself, and she certainly rose to the occasion. Farida Jalal, as the witty grandmother, is adorable, and so is little Anjali.

Overall, this is a wonderful movie. I would recommend it to anyone who would like to see a fun and sweet movie about true love.