Hey Japan! Get Some BANG BANG! For Your Yen Next Month!
Siddharth Anand has built a noticeable resumè for himself over the years, though for me his sixth film, Bang Bang! will always be my north star going forward.
Siddharth Anand has built a noticeable resumè for himself over the years, though for me his sixth film, Bang Bang! will always be my north star going forward.
Director James Mangold’s 2010 action spy romcom, Knight & Day, was nothing special when I went to see it, but it nonetheless guaranteed a considerably good time at the movies. Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz worked awesomely together in the story formatted from Patrick O’Neil’s script, and so to see it remade via Bollywood, while nothing new in this day and age, still drew my curiousity. Hence, Siddharth Anand‘s 2014 adaptation, Bang Bang! arrived, and it’s actually my first dig at a film like this from an Indian production, music videos and all.
The film takes its cues from its 2010 predecessor here with actress Katrina Kaif as the meek and stoic Harleen, dealing day-in and day-out with the woes of being a lovelorn and single bank receptionist. Following this, she desperately arranges an online date at a restaurant in order to find true love, and instead, greets a man she mistakes for her date, and just moments later, a chance moment of romance veers into a series of life-and-death decision-making situations; Rajveer, played by Krrish franchise star, actor Hrithik Roshan, is an international criminal wanted in connection with the theft of the Kohinoor, a priceless Indian jewel from London, one being sought after by the elusive terrorist, Omar Zafar, played by Danny Denzongpa, after escaping government captivity.
With the Kohinoor in Rajveer’s possession and both sides of the law hot on his tail, Harleen is unwittingly swept into a globetrotting cat and mouse game with Rajveer as her own means of protection, dodging bullets and often taking baddies out with them, much to Harleen’s chagrin. As their journey together progresses, Harleen struggles with questions of trust that weigh-in heavily on her unsure feelings about just who Rajveer is with relentless government official, Zorawar, played by Pawan Malhotra, in close pursuit. Soon enough though, Harleen’s own intuition brings her closer to unraveling the mysteries of Rajveer’s past, a move which not only draws her further in danger with the odds ever increasing, but at long last brings Rajveer closer to completing the true nature of his daring mission.
Being my first rodeo into Bollywood territory, I found myself enjoying this a lot more than I expected. The story is packed with a spectacular sweeping views of global locales headlines by a very charming on-screen romance between Roshan and Kaif along with their shared and respective musical numbers.
Much like the film’s numerous glam shots of sexy actress Kaif and a shirtless Roshan for good measure, the film wastes almost no time showcasing Denzongpa’s compelling performance as the film’s nefarious villain along with Javed Jaffrey opposite actor Jimmy Shergill‘s cameo, setting the tone just perfectly for the rest of the film. The principle action, while in its modest share of moments more sillier than others, was far more fantastic than expected, and delightfully performed by Roshan who reportedly trained immensely for his stunts, even upon overcoming an on-set injury prior to surgery to remove a blood clot from his head.
The film is well acted by its supporting cast, namely actress Kamlesh Gill in the key role of Dadi, Harleen’s grandmother. Herein lies the core of much of the story’s comedic impetus as it segways into Harleen’s rollercoaster romance and pantomime with Rajveer between the drama and action, all leading up to a dramatic and explosive finale that does a sure bit of justice to its earlier precursor from Mangold.
As far as the musical interludes are concerned, those didn’t bother me much. Point in fact, out of the two or three there were, my favorite song from the film is its first track, “Tu Meri” in which Rajveer initially romances his way into Harleen’s heart following a pertinent and intimate conversation about living each day like it was the last – a subtext that plays applicably well throughout the film. All in all, Bang Bang! was a blast for me and I recommend it to anyone who genuinely loves a good action movie musical.
It’s fruitful to see the good guys win in a lot of military and espionage action thrillers, which brings a bit of peculiarity to Bollywood director Kabir Khan‘s latest induction into the genre. Loosely ripped from the grim headlines is the new film, Phantom, from UTV Motion Pictures and Nadiadwala Grandson with actor Saif Ali Khan and actress Katrina Kaif in a story that will otherwise grant sheer uncertainty to a compelling plot with plenty of intense and explosive sequences to boot.
SYNOPSIS:
Phantom is a political thriller set in the volatile climate that exists in South Asia. Constant terror attacks against India have left the Indian people feeling vulnerable and angry. The Indian government and security agencies are helpless as the masterminds of the attacks are out of reach. When an infiltrator with plans to attack India is caught, the Head of India’s security agency and his team take matters into their own hands. The film follows the protagonist Daniyal, whose journey to seek justice takes him to India, Europe, America and the volatile Middle East. Local assets in various countries help Daniyal, including Nawaz Mistry who works for an American security agency. Daniyal and Nawaz are drawn into a battle of wits with a shrewd and ruthless enemy. With the enemy hot on their heels, Daniyal and Nawaz against all odds try and finish the job they had set out to do. Along the way they find out that in a mission like this there is always a price to pay, in this case a very personal price.
Make note of the taglines indicated by the latter two posters in the album beneath the first official trailer below. August 28 is the date!
PHANTOM Posters
Director Siddharth Anand is looking to set the benchmark for Bollywood action, and the latest trailer for his newest film, Bang Bang!, is every indication. The film was a global production aimed at remaking helmer James Mangold’s 2010 action comedy, Knight And Day, featuring action star Hrithik Roshan and actress Katrina Kaif.
Filming delayed midway after location shoots in Thailand, Greece and Phuket when Roshan underwent surgery to remove a blood clot from his brain before wrapping up production in Abu Dhabi, and now the upcoming long-awaited Hindi action thriller will hit cinemas on October 2. As such, the trailer has since gone viral this week and courtesy of Hollywood stunt veteran Andy Armstrong, Bang Bang! marks the latest significant move as Hollywood and Bollywood merge closer and closer with every film, showcasing immense spectacle and promise.
Check it out, below!
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