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Movie Review: Tere Bin Laden
Osama Bin Laden. Just Google this name and I am sure, the results would be amongst the highest on the web. Post 9/11, terror has a new name and also a face. Now imagine Osama Bin Laden running a poultry farm and also running behind chickens. Imagine Osama Bin Laden ogling at a makeup woman. Imagine Osama Bin Laden urinating outside a television studio, but ready to hand-over his business card to the person urinating on the other side. Imagine Osama becoming a business partner in a tacky salon.

Smiling, are you? That, in a nutshell, is TERE BIN LADEN, a wicked comedy with an out-of-the-box concept that offers laughter unlimited. In fact, I don't think I've flexed my facial muscles in any other film in the recent past as much as I did while watching this satirical comedy. What gives TERE BIN LADEN an edge over other comedies is that it's not the slapstick humour that keeps you entertained. This one has a story to tell as well, which also delves deeply into the minds of today's youth.

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Final word? Grab a popcorn, sip your cola and get ready to laugh non-stop for the next two hours. You would love Osama Bin Laden, for a change!

TERE BIN LADEN is a tongue-in-cheek comedy about an ambitious young news reporter from Pakistan [Ali Zafar], who is desperate to migrate to the U.S. in pursuit of the American dream. His repeated attempts to immigrate are shot down as his visa is always rejected. But when things couldn't look worse, he comes across an Osama Bin Laden lookalike. Ali then hatches a scheme to produce a fake Osama video and sell it to news channels as a breakthrough scoop.

Unfortunately, there are serious ramifications as the White House gets involved and dispatches an overzealous secret agent on Ali's trail.

Although TERE BIN LADEN uses a surname that's known across the globe, there's not one serious moment in this film. Even the modus operandi of the Americans to nab Laden [which, frankly, could've turned the film serious] is so juvenile and crazy that you can't help but smile at the sequence of events.

Again, in a film that has Osama Bin Laden playing the central role, you're curious to know what its culmination will be like. Whether debutant writer-director Abhishek Sharma would settle for a realistic conclusion or an open ending. Thankfully, the film doesn't get preachy at all, nor does it get serious in those penultimate moments. It's as funny as the rest of the film and makes you wonder, kaash, the solution would be as simple in real life.

Debutant director Abhishek Sharma takes an offbeat story and gives it an interesting twist. Who would've ever thought of making a film on Osama Bin Laden and that too a comedy? This guy sure has courage to swim against the tide. Besides writing a crazy film and decorating it with madcap characters, Abhishek also does justice to the subject by handling it so well. Making people laugh is a herculean task and maintaining the tempo is, perhaps, the biggest challenge. One continues to smile from Scene A to Z and in two sequences specifically, I ended up laughing hysterically. One, when Piyush Mishra falls in the drain and lands straight on the hot seat and the second, when a bomb explodes inside the studio. Outrageously funny sequences, both!

The first-time director also deserves credit for recreating Pakistan in Hyderabad in India. Right from the look to the language to the costumes to the artefacts to the typical truck that you see in Pakistan, TERE BIN LADEN gets it right. Santosh Thundiyil's cinematography is good. Dialogue are witty and the one-liners specially evoke mirth. The review would be incomplete if I didn't highlight the invaluable contribution by its music composers Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. 'Ullu Da Patha' is already a rage, while 'I Love Amreeka' is foot-tapping as well.

Casting new, confident and most importantly, talented actors gives the film the right push. Ali Zafar is a star, no two opinions on that. The youngster is a package of good looks, super talent and the right screen presence. He charms his way into your heart with a super-confident performance and I strongly feel that there's no stopping him after this film. In fact, TERE BIN LADEN heralds the arrival of a new star in Bollywood.

Pradhuman Singh is a replica of Osama Bin Laden and is in terrific form in the film. In fact, the film would've fallen flat had it not been for the actor enacting this part so convincingly. Piyush Mishra is exceptional, like always. Sugandha Garg [as Zoya] is first-rate. Nikhil Ratnaparkhi [as Gul, the cameraman, Ali's partner in crime] is very good. Rahul Singh [as radio jockey Qureshi] is perfect. Barry John [as Ted] is competent. Chirag Vohra [as Lateef, who writes the lines in Arabic language] supports well. Chinmay Mandlekar [as Barry John's sidekick] is decent. Rajendra Sethi [travel agent] is natural.

On the whole, TERE BIN LADEN is a fun-ride that makes you smile constantly and even laugh outrageously in those two hours. A thorough entertainer, this film has all it takes to not only make its viewers laugh in the aisles, but also its investors laugh all the way to the bank.
Review: Tere Bin LadenRelease date : Jul 16, 2010
Cast : Barry John, Ali Zafar, Chirag Vohra, Nikhil Ratnaparkhi, Piyush Mishra, Rahul Singh, Seema Bhargava, Sugandha Garg
Director : Abhishek Sharma
Writer : Abhishek Sharma
Tere Bin Laden is a complete contrast to all your expectations. As the name suggests, its story revolves around Osama Bin Laden. But this most wanted man on earth is doing everything except terrorizing you. For starters, he owns a poultry farm and half of his life is spent running after chickens.
Next, he is looking lecherously at a make up lady. Then, he is peeing outside a television studio but sporting enough to extend his business connections to the person peeing on the other side. And to top it all, he is made a business partner in a shabby salon.
If you find this hilarious then wait to have a real good laugh during this movie because this is not even half of it. Tere Bin Laden offers a refreshing change from the mindless comedies we are usually offered because it has substance and gives the young generation something to dwell upon.
Tere Bin Laden is an ironic comedy focused on Ali Zafar, a young ambitious reporter from Pakistan who is really eager to go all the way to the USA but is unable to do so as his visa is rejected by the authorities each time he makes an attempt. This is when he meets an Osama look-alike. Ali comes up with a plot to make a fake Osama video and then sell it to the news channels in an attempt to break away from all his unsuccessful attempts.
But his actions have a serious effect as the White House gets involved and send an over excited secret agent to trace Ali.
This 9/11 mastermind is all set to shake you with laughter. The attempt of the Americans to catch hold of him makes you further roll with laughter.
Abhishek Sharma, the debutant writer-director has not resorted any flashy endings. He has kept it simple yet effective. This first time director seems a pro in the show business.
Abhishek also deserves kudos for making Hyderabad look like an authentic Pakistan which would have been impossible without the excellent cinematography by Santosh Thundiyll. The dialogues are especially funny and not to forget the music, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy have done a real good job. "Ullu Da Patha" is already making news and "I love Amreeka" is also good to listen to.
And actors like Ali Zafar are an icing on the cake. He is a young promising actor with a very bright future. Pradhuman Singh shares a striking resemblance with Osama Bin Laden and has convincingly played his role. Piyush Mehra knows his work. You tend to notice every character from Sughanda Garg playing Zoya and Nikhil Ratnaparkhi playing Gul, the cameraman for the video shoot. Even Barry John casted as Ted and Rahul Singh as radio jockey, Qureshi have turned out well. Lateef, the character who writes in Arabic language played by Chirag Vohra is a good support. Rajendra Sethi, the travel agent and Chinmay Mandlekar are worth a notice.
To sum up, Tere Bin Laden comes across as a comedy through and through. It ensures you a respite from slapstick comedies and have a roller coaster laugh ride during its two hours.
TERE BIN LADEN Movie Ratings: 3.5/5

Rajneeti – Movie Review
 
Starring: Ajay Devgan, Nana Patekar, Ranbir Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Katrina Kaif, Manoj Bajpai and Naseeruddin Shah
Director: Prakash Jha


It is said that the epic saga of Mahabharata contains all the stories that exist in this world, be it lies, deceit, lust for power, revenge. In short all those that can make a solid impact. Prakash Jha taking a cue from this has set his big canvass film Rajneeti against an Indian political backdrop. But then at the same time he has merged dollops of The Godfatherwithin it. Nonetheless, the end product makes a compelling watch.
Cousins Veerendra Pratap Singh (Manoj Bajpayee) and Prithvi Pratap Singh (Arjun Rampal) are heirs of a powerful political party. But when Prithvi is appointed to take the lead, an angry Veerendra teams up with the backward class leader Sooraj (Ajay Devgan) to plot against Prithvi and evict him from the party. Prithvi’s younger brother Samar (Ranbir Kapoor) who is studying abroad and has no political aspirations gets sucked into the political rivalry between the families. Under the mentoring of senior party and family member Brij Gopal (Nana Patekar), Samar takes charge of the conniving affairs of state to start their own political party, gather funds and get Prithvi contest against Veerendra. What unfolds next as the battle shifts ground to the elections forms the rest of the film.
Like mentioned above, as the film mixes in elements from the Mahabharat, Veerendra’s character is a modern day Duryodhan where as Sooraj is Karan, a valiant soldier but on the wrong side. Brij Gopal played by Nana Patekar is like Krishna, the passive participant of the war who takes Ranbir Kapoor’s Arjun like character to victory with his guidance.
The film is a valiant effort by the master story teller, the multi-time National Award winner filmmaker, Prakash Jha who is at his home ground while making films of political drama genre. Here he is as ably aided by script writer Anjum Rajabali weaving just the right story and screenplay packing in all the treachery and deceit involved with Indian politics. What makes Rajneeti an engaging watch is also the fact that the makers have succeeded in narrating the story like a thriller format.
Jha doesn’t waste time in showing lip synced songs and incorporates them well in the narrative playing them in the background. Camerawork by Sachin Kumar Krishnan is simply superb. The way he has captured those vast mass shots deserves a bow. Although the running time of the film is close to three hours, it doesn’t matter much while watching the film and the credit for it goes to the editor Santosh Mandal. The sound design carries a good impact as well.
Absolutely brilliant performances by every single actor of the mammoth cast, also including those with smaller parts. As expected Naseeruddin Shah, Nana Patekar and Ajay Devgan are at their best. Arjun and Ranbir manage to match up to them as well and deliver a power packed punch. Katrina impresses with her uninhibited act. Sara Thompson as Ranbir’s foreigner girlfriend also leaves an impact in her relatively smaller part. But a performance that may win some awards for sure has been delivered by Manoj Bajpai. He is menacingly good. Shruti Seth, Vinay Apte, Kiran Karmarkar, Chetan Pandit and Nikhila Trikha lend able support.
Rajneeti is an important film in today’s times. It is not to be missed by connoisseurs of good cinemas well as those who forever complain that Hindi cinema offers nothing different.
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