Lyrics: Sayeed Quadri, Kumaar

The original RAAZ was a breakthrough film for models turned actors Bipasha Basu and Dino Morea. Seven years later Mukesh Bhatt decides to reinvent the mystery thriller with RAAZ: THE MYSTERY CONTINUES with their camp’s poster boy Emraan Hashmi, Kangana Ranaut and Adhyayan Suman. Though the new release shares the same name, by no means is it a sequel according to Mukesh.

Ever since Bhatt’s first venture in JURM (1990) his composers have been of the plagiaristic variety (Bhatt himself is no saint, a majority of his films are “inspirations”, but that’s a different story). Renowned music directors Rajesh Roshan, Anu Malik, Nadeem-Shravan, Jatin-Lalit and of course the maharaja himself Pritam “I need Tarkan to make more songs” Chakraborty come to mind.

Instead of opting for one primary music composer, RAAZ: THE MYSTERY CONTINUES follows the trend of almost every other album released these days and adopts tracks from four different composers/combos.

Maahi (Singers: Toshi; Music: Sharib-Toshi; Lyrics: Sayeed Quadri) – After singing various Sukhwinder songs on Amul STAR Voice of India Toshi makes an intense breakthrough with ‘Maahi’. The composition from the brothers Sharib and Toshi Sabri has lounge written all over it. However, Toshi’s explosive voice tells another story. Without over exuberating himself Toshi instills a haunting feel, making ‘Maahi’ arguably one of the best tracks of the year! Sayeed Quadri’s vocabulary remains somewhat simple, though his style compliments the message of longing being portrayed by the singer.

Soniyo (Singers: Sonu Nigam, Shreya Ghosal and Neeraj Shridhar; Music: Raju Singh; Lyrics: Kumaar) – After a powerful opening number, the album goes to a more conventional romantic duet. There’s absolutely nothing…again nothing original in terms of the composition, the lyrics or the singing. Unfortunately, Sonu Nigam doesn’t offer anything fresh. With his song count dwindling to one in every three or four movies one would expect greater quality. Shreya Ghosal comes towards the end for about 30 seconds. Neeraj Shridhar seems to be lost as he babbles about love in English with a heavy accent.

O Jaana (Singers: KK; Music: Raju Singh; Lyrics: Sayeed Quadri) – Reverting back to ‘Maahi’, KK comes out swinging in ‘O Jaana’. Unlike Toshi’s opening piece, this goes for a more lounge-pop route. KK carries the entire song on his vocal chords, while Raju Singh fails to provide a better composition for the singer. After a few listens ‘O Jaana’ steadily starts to fade. A remixed version is featured at the end of the album by DJ Suketu.

Kaisa Ye Raaz Hai (Singers: KK; Music: Pranay M. Rijia; Lyrics: Sayeed Quadri) – KK starts to relax a little in ‘Kaisa Ye Raaz Hai’, putting aside his aggression from the pervious track. Pranay Rijia’s effort fits perfectly with the tone and subject of the film. KK spreads out his range of emotions and eventually goes full throttle at the end. Quadri, Rijia and KK all do a fantastic job at expressing the feeling behind the film making this a highly enjoyable situational number.

Bandaa Re (Singers: Krishna; Music: Gourov Dasgupta) – Dasgupta is exceptional in providing a climatic song as Krishna’s singing holds strict authority  in a music heavy number. The entire song vindicates the struggle on whomever the song is picturized on, as the hook hints at an optimistic result where the specific “Bandaa” has overcome the resistance. This will without a doubt augment the message once seen on the screen.

Soniyo (From The Heart) (Singers: Krishna; Music: Raju Singh; Lyrics: Kumaar) – In an odd combination Krishna is at the helm of an even softer rendition than the original. Unlike the Sonu Nigam version, Singh handles this one with the utmost care with simple instruments and an even simpler arrangement.

Maahi (Rock With Me) (Singers: Toshi; Music: Sharib-Toshi; Lyrics: Sayeed Quadri) – If you thought Toshi was done at the beginning, think again. The brothers completely revamp ‘Maahi’ transforming it into a well polished Rock piece. Toshi’s singing backed with heavy power chords is far from a remix. It sets a good precedent for the progression of Rock in mainstream India. At the end, this track fills out the “3 A’s” used to regulate a good Rock number. Attitude. Angst. Aggression.

Overall, the journey of this soundtrack is bumpy. The mark set by ‘Maahi’ fails to get recaptured by any of the other original songs, but a few hold their own. With a slow start in music this past year, RAAZ 2 is a great way to end it. Also one must applaud the Bhatt camp for not having their music scrutinized for plagiarism (yet) as was the case in past films. Key Tracks: ‘Maahi’, ‘Maahi (Rock With Me)’, ‘Soniyo (From The Heart)’ and ‘Bandaa Re’.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Lyrics: Jalees Sherwani, Shabbir Ahmed

Sajid-Wajid are to Salman Khan what ‘aloo’ is to ‘chaat’. Unfortunately it’s the frozen ‘aloo chaat’ you need to microwave and rarely tastes good. Three of the four moves the brothers composed for this year have ironically starred or had traces of Salman “Angry-immature-childish” Khan. GOD TUSSI GREAT HO and HEROES failed to leave an impression, HELLO was the only above average album.

KHALLBALLI brings Jalees Sherwani and Shabbir Ahmed’s lyrics to another Wajid and Sajid film (they’re trying to break Anand Bakshi and Laxmikant-Pyarelal’s record). Also the film does not star Salman Khan. Matter of fact the movie is drenched with junior artists and comedians from older Govinda movies (how can you go wrong with Aasif Sheikh and Rakesh Bedi?).

The movie offers an “unlimited” amount of “fun” so one cannot expect a masterpiece that may forever be etched in the halls of Indian Music.  The duo start with the title song ‘Khallballi’ with Wajid and Neeraj Shridhar on vocals. The singers do an exceptional job but are drowned with a music heavy track, neither Neeraj or Wajid stand above the composition. The catchy riff and fast pace make it a very enjoyable listen.

In trying to relinquish any hopes of forming a successful album, ‘Zhala Menu Zhala’ fits in perfectly! A number reminiscent from an old Mithun movie has a healthy dose of Marathi mix and some newer arrangements. The song is no way a plea to bring back this type of genre, but rather a nice throwback to the good ole’ days of the 80s. Wajid, the lone singer, seems to be having more fun than the listener.

‘Bhuri Bhuri’ brings out the romantic side of the unlimited masti filled soundtrack. Neeraj Shridhar and Sunidhi Chauhan remain calm through the length of the song, giving a more sensuous, R&B feel. In contrast to the singing, the rhythm stays somewhat fast. Sounds like something out of a Justin Timberlake CD, but not as good. Some of the added rap is inane and comes as being comical rather than “kool” (…we gonna have fun, keep it bangin’, you can ride on me like a sturdy wagon…?). It’s okay I’m fine in my beat up wagon.

Consisting of a bigger arsenal than the Russian nuclear program is the hidden stockpile of qwwalis titled ‘Yeh Ishq Ishq Hai’ (thanks a lot Sahir and Roshan). Sukhwinder along with Shadab Sabri and AD Boyz lend their voices for this qwwali number. Sukhwinder’s rich voice works well with the composition, but in the end the track only comes out to be a little better than average.

To lighten up the mood and to keep with the consistency of the film, ‘Zari Di Kurtiyan’ sounds more forced rather than spontaneous. Lyrics such as ‘Disco Dandiya’ (somewhere a producer is probably planning to make a film by that title) don’t exactly keep you roped in for the entirety of the piece. Once the king of playback singers, Udit Narayan must agree to songs only when sober. Khajida Haider fades quicker than the memory of this song after the four minutes and twenty-seven seconds.

Since everyone these days is a club hopper, remixes are the appropriate way to fluff up albums. RBN.COM remixed ‘Bhuri Bhuri’ and ‘Khallballi’. To alleviate the curiosity RBN.COM is indeed a website but not the remixer’s (unless if the people who did the remix were lawyers…you never know with Bollywood).

In a nut shell the album went from ‘good’ to ‘hmm okay’ to a very sarcastic ‘wow’ to ‘hey look Sukhwinder’ to (a more sarcastic) ‘wow’ to remixes. Overall, there’s no substance and Sajid-Wajid disappoint once more after HEROES. Key tracks: ‘Khallballi’

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

Lyrics: Rajat Arora, Shaily Shailender, Kailash Kher, Bohemia

Though CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA’s main cast, director, music directors and producers are Bollywood’s very own. Publicity for the film suggests otherwise. Promos are even making their way on hulu.com! It helps when Warner Bros. is one of the leading banners. What possible reason could the producers have for targeting a Bollywood flick (attracting mainly Indians) to those darn outsiders? Perhaps your “Gora” friends, who feel proud every time they say “Chicken Tikka Masala” at a restaurant, can see it? Or maybe they’re trying to target audiences in China? After all why see a well executed action movie when you can watch a shoddy display from Bollywood? It’s really a win-win for everyone!

So many questions so little time, all those will be answered once the movie releases worldwide on January 16th.

Despite the international feel, the music is all Desi. In keeping with the consistency of almost every other album there are only five original compositions, spread over four music directors/combos. Lyrics coming from Rajat Aroraa, Kailash Kher and Bohemia.

‘S.I.D.H.U.’, the opening track, introduces the listener to the movie’s main character portrayed by Akshay Kumar. Something straight out of a 1970s film about a small “Gaon”, Kailash Kher, Paresh and Naresh keep the arrangements simple complimenting Kher’s unique singing style with simple tablas and dholaks. By no means is it a chartbuster but will flatter the storytelling during the movie. If there’s nothing else you take from this song, at least you’ll know how to spell “Sidhu”.

The title track takes its turn next, ‘Chandni Chowk To China’. After the release of ROCK ON!! the listener is delighted to finally see a Shanker-Eshaan-Loy composition. That excitement however is short lived. The trio use a repetitive formula that’s been stretched since the ‘Mitwa’ days. Neeraj Shridhar and Anushka Manchandra sustain a moderate pace through the song, and out of no where comes Shankar Mahadevan backed by some power chords. Neeraj doesn’t showcase any sort of originality, making him a breeze that enters one window and leaves through another. Anushka displays subtle versatility, leaving the listener refreshed. Not too high pitched and not too husky.

Bapphi and Bappa Lahiri re-vamp an old hit from AAP KI KHATIR ‘India Se Aaya Tera Dost’. The composition is lifted with more contemporary music, but Bapphi’s dull singing doesn’t leave any sort of impression. Like the album opener, this will be better suited for the purpose of the film rather than the charts.

Shreya Ghosal makes her mark in yet another romantic ballad accompanied by Shanker Mahadevan, ‘Tere Naina’. The trio opt for a very calm and soothing sound while Shanker contains his explosive style. The true winner is by far Shreya. A pure essence of beauty can be sensed through her soft rose pedal laden voice. However Shreya is not enough to keep this track afloat, the composition fails to captivate the listener. Also the lyrics from Rajat Aroraa don’t exactly put him up for the best lyricist category, decent but not great.

To amp things up Kailash-Naresh-Paresh come together again for a bhangra/rock number, ‘Chak Lein De’. The music diverts from the typical Kailash style and goes straight for pop as opposed to the usual folk. A highly enjoyable sound from both the singing aspect and from the music. The usage of the electric guitar only adds more attitude.

Akshay Kumar’s intentions are starting to become clearer as each movie passes. He wants to become a rapper! Listeners first saw him tread in these waters on the SING IS KIING soundtrack, now he teams up with successful producer/rapper of the Indo-Urban community in ‘CC2C’. Kumar’s amateurish effort follows the same path as 99.9% of artists pertaining to this genre…rapping about themselves! Thanks for being original! This will mainly appeal to those hip hop kids who cruise around in their tricked out Hondas with 14 inch hub caps.

To enhance the “kool” factor, remixed versions of ‘Chandni Chowk To China’ and ‘Chak Lein De’ by DJ Amyth are featured as the closers. Next time you’re at a party make sure to tell the DJ about these, absolutely mind blowing! Actually they’re not…that was a lie. It’s the typical rotation of a faster beat, some disk scratching here and there and synthesizer effects with excessive repetition.

Overall there’s too much emphasis on trying to be cool and not enough on the product. Only one song holds your attention for more than four minutes, ‘Chak Lein De’. The lyrics are not on a ground breaking path, then again CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA is a comedy and that was never the intention. Shanker-Eshaan-Loy’s two song effort was dismal after their surprise hit ROCK ON!! (regardless of the fact that the album was too peppy and nowhere near the rock genre). Key Tracks: ‘Chak Lein De’

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma, Vinay Pathak

Forget London, forget Prague, forget Miami and forget any other locale your travel agent can take you. Instead let’s go deep into the heart of India itself, more specifically the heart of Punjab, Amritsar. Where an “…extraordinary love story is in every jodi”. Who knows, that random couple walking down the street were once Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma, whose best friend happened to be Vinay Phatak (that truly is extraordinary).

One of the most elusive directors in the business, Aditya Chopra, wakes from a deep hibernation period for only his third film over the last 13 years. His first was a little unknown picture by the name of DILWALE DHULHANIYA LE JAYENGE (I’m sure most have already forgotten it by now) starring none other than Shah Rukh Khan. His next, MOHABBATEIN, again featured King “Raj” Khan. Appropriately so, RAB NE BANA DI JODI goes for the hat trick.

Expectations are high, and with no other real competition (GHAJINI is still two weeks away) the thirst from the audience is there.

The film starts with our peppy heroine, Taani (Anushka Sharma) losing her soon to be husband in a tragic accident. Wanting to see his daughter happy and married, Taani’s father asks Surinder Sawhney (Shah Rukh Khan) a former student of his to whom he took a keen liking to. Taani agrees and of course so does Surinder, after all it’s hard to say no to someone on their death bed.

Surinder (the shy and nerdy hero) is already infatuated by Taani, unfortunately Taani reveals that she will remain a loyal housewife, but will never love him. Surinder responds by letting her know he too does not expect “love” especially since he’s never loved in his life or even talked to another woman. Taani soon attempts a life of normalcy by entering a dancing class. Wanting to see her practice, Surinder with the help of his friend Bobby (Vinay Pathak) transforms himself into a cool looking dude with tight clothes, gelled up hair and awesome shades!

Our hero is forced to participate in the dance sessions and ironically gets matched up with his leading lady. Unable to recognize him, she buys into the new Surinder, er rather Raj.

The biggest plus of the entire experience is its simplicity. The simplicity of the cast (only three main characters), the simplicity of the location and of course the realness of Shah Rukh Khan’s innocent shy character. The idea of “ordinary” cannot be stressed more.

The biggest flaw is the one “extraordinary” twist Aditya Chopra attempts…Raj. This is the typical character that’s been in almost every Yash Raj production. A handsome social butterfly with a heart of gold, who shows the heroine a new way to live. There’s a keen interest in the hero from the get go, but is lost once his neurosis kicks in.

Performances from the three lead actors were carried out very well. Shah Rukh’s dorky book worm character was loveable and charming, though the Raj character was overplayed too many times. Anushka Sharma is definitely the Deepika Padukone of this year and displayed maturity in only her first feature film. Vinay Pathak’s role is limited (after all its not his love story) but effective as Surinder’s best friend.

The movie goes into the right direction in the first 45 minutes. Surinder’s interaction with Taani is very entertaining. However, as soon as Raj steps in, the film strays into the path of every other Shah Rukh film. Also the climax at the dance contest is a little too convenient.

Overall the movie is limited to the first hour and a few scenes in the middle, other than that it’s two and a half hours of a weak storyline. The Khan-Chopra tagline will catch one like wildfire and the monetary return will favor the distributors, but don’t expect this to be a DILWALE DHULHANIYA LE JAYENGE or even a MOHABBATEIN.

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Lyrics: Prasoon Joshi

After the release of DIL CHAHTA HAI Aamir Khan became extremely selective in the roles he was offered. Since the 2001 release he’s only been seen in four movies! All of them creating massive curiosity at the box office and raking in a hefty amount.

GHAJINI will be no different. Promos already swamping television sets with one minute teasers are starting to create buzz all over. That and an A. R. Rahman song accompanied with Aamir’s questionable choice of wardrobe (better suited for a film such as DOSTANA) don’t exactly fulfill the entirety of the upcoming release.

AR Murugadoss is redirecting his earlier Tamil film also titled GHAJINI which incidentally was “inspired” from Christopher Nolan’s MEMENTO. Nolan’s highly acclaimed masterpiece from 2000 follows the story of a man with short term memory loss who attempts to find the killer of his wife.

With this type of premise one may expect to see more writing on the back cover of this album. Unfortunately, Rahman only delivers six tracks, where five are originals. Prasoon Joshi teams up with him for the second time since RANG DE BASANTI for the lyrics.

The album starts with Javed Ali joining forces once again with Rahman in ‘Guzarish’. Oddly enough Sonu Nigam is also featured on the track, must have been a previously recorded humming session considering the American resident has no reason to fly over to Chennai for such a small sample. A typical Rahmanish composition, both Javed Ali and Prasoon Joshi work well with Rahman. The composition isn’t too “experimental”, there’s a strong melodic tone reminiscent that of ‘Saathiya’ (though not sampled or inspired from). Highly effective, yet simple. Hopefully Javed Ali will gain even more success than his previous venture with A. R. in JODHAA AKHBAR.

Straying away from a soft romantic number, Rahman goes back to his basics with an instant foot tapper in ‘Aye Bachchu’ with Suzanne as the lone singer. The power chords in the background help ensure a pop rock feel, with a Rahman stamp. This 180 from the opener makes for an enjoyable track mainly appealing to the younger crowds. The lyrics are definitely not the highlight, they do suit the style of the song however.

‘Tu Meri Dost Hai’ was appropriate exposure for Benny Dayal into a stream of hit songs. Yet the duo of Shreya Ghosal and Benny in ‘Kaise Mujhe’ does not meet the mark. With an extremely slow pace and Dayal’s lack of control on high notes makes this almost six minute song unbearable. Shreya’s role on the track is unfortunately limited and comes towards the end, forcing the listener to hear Benny’s obnoxious voice. Joshi’s lyrics are somewhat innovative, but fall under that cheese ball of every other romantic Hindi song. An instrumental version is presented as the album closer and makes for a better listen (there’s no Benny Dayal!).

Following a similar tempo as ‘Guzarish’ Rahman throws caution to the wind and goes all out in ‘Bekha’. There’s no constant rhythmic structure, rather a more jazz/blues feel. The pseudo-improvish composition contains itself without going overboard. Just when you think Rahman is pulling off an Igor Stravinsky, he ropes the listener back in with the initial verse that’s more conventional. Karthik is rarely seen as the lead of any song, let alone being the only singer. His calm and cool voice only enhances the experience. Let’s hope Rahman’s grooming will give him more exposure for the future.

If a music director can only offer five original tracks then at least show some versatility so the listener may have a feeling of fulfillment. ‘Latoo’ is another fast paced number along the lines of ‘Aye Bachchu’ but with less originality. Shreya Ghosal (normally known for her romantic duets) shows us a different side, but leaves no lasting impression.

It’s disappointing to see only five tracks for one of the most awaited soundtracks of the year. However there is quality attached to at least three of these songs. Below par on Rahman’s standards, yet decent in comparison to rest of the films. Key Tracks: ‘Guzarish’, ‘Behka’ and ‘Aye Bachchu’.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

The new Yash Raj favorites Salim-Sulaiman hope to make this a landmark soundtrack in their portfolio; Jaideep Sahni again comes together with his favorite composers for the lyrics. After the success of previous Shah Rukh and Aditya movies DILWALE DULHANIYA LE JAYENGE and MOHABBATEIN the expectations are sky high.

After the mega hit of ‘Maula Mere’ from ANWAR, one would have expected more quality from Roop Kumar Rathod, but his attempts after the 2006 album have remained below the radar. In hopes of changing that he starts off the list with ‘Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai’. Reliable as ever, the seasoned singer goes about his routine, but no way near the caliber of ‘Maula Mere’ or some of his previous successes.  In an attempt to attune the music around Rathod’s simplistic style, Salim-Sulaiman keep the music a little too simple. This is a typical Yash Raj track but everything remains flat, the music, the overplayed lyrics and singing. Imagine a Campa Cola with no fizz. Shreya Ghosal’s later rendition is slower and far more effective, unfortunately its less than the two minute mark.

Slowly inching his way back onto the charts, Sukhwinder jumps on the backs of this deadly duo and shines once again in a very different light.  After ‘Chak De’ and ‘Fashion Ka Jalwa’ our Lucky Kabootar makes it a hat trick with ‘Haule Haule’. Relying heavily on the harmonium throughout the song, the brothers are in strong form with a melodic yet simple up beat tune (something they should have considered for the previous number). Sukhwinder cranks down his projection by a few notches to better compliment the track.

If you’ve ever wondered why there are no songs that teach you how to dance, then stop praying your answer is here with ‘Dance Pe Chance’. A track that would fit better with the progression of the film, Sunidhi Chauhan’s instructional video will probably feature the heroine teaching the footloose Shah Rukh how to shake what his mamma gave him. Lab Janjua is also featured but serves no purpose with the repetitive Punjabi verse used throughout the song (might as well have used a struggling wannabe Bhangra singer, chances are they would have paid to be on the album). Barring any originality in terms of the music, there’s no inclination to keep this playing in your iPod.

As a tribute to the oldies, ‘Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte’, Sonu Nigam blends a few lines from classics such as ‘O Haseena Zulfon Wali’, ‘Pyar Hua Ikraar Hua’, ‘Jeena Yahan Marna Yahan’, ‘Dil Ka Bhawar Kare Pukaar’, ‘Jab Pyaar Kisise Se Hota Hai’, ‘Pal Bhar Ke Liye’…and so on. Aside from the utter randomness that’s allowed to ensue, there’s absolutely nothing to be inspired from the song. However, it is a good reminder to go through that “Golden Era” 20-CD set you reluctantly bought.

Salim-Sulaiman’s strong suit are instrumentals. With years and years and a couple months of composing background music, they’ve honed their skills well. Yet this remix/medley of all the tracks on the album, ‘Dancing Jodi’, is far below their standards. Definitely not a good way to end the soundtrack.

When it comes to Shah Rukh Khan films, people will follow him off a cliff. The hype will be reason enough for most to purchase this sparkly and well designed cover layout. One song stands out, the rest in a deep slumber. Another album with hype, another disappointment! Do the producers even bother listening to their finished product before allowing it to be released in the public? Dismal performance from the CHAK DE brothers. Key tracks: ‘Haule Haule’.

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

Director: Tarun Mansukhani

With everyone knocking around gay marriage these days, why should Indians be left out all those gay issues? It’s not as if being gay was illegal in India or anything…right? Appropriately enough Karan Johar (it’s only appropriate because he’s been responsible for other romantic comedies, not because he’s ambiguous about his sexuality) presents this romantic comedy between Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham and Priyanka Chopra (I’m confused already, who’s dating who?). Lets be honest, it was only a matter of time; has anyone ever noticed the wardrobe changes in film songs (tight leather pants for everyone!)?

A trend that’s blessed Bollywood of late has been a surge of first time directors making quality pictures (Neeraj Pandey – A WEDNESDAY, Abbas Tyrewala – JAANE TU YA JAANE NA and Rajkumar Gupta – AAMIR). Tarun Mansukhani, also the screenplay writer for DOSTANA, has a finished product that most veteran directors never achieve let alone by a first timer (then again most veteran directors spend their time watching basic cable television and stealing movie ideas).

Though never openly talked about in Indian cinema or even in the general public, this notion of gay relationships has always remained a taboo. Aside from all the seriousness, it is a topic that incites humor, especially when our leading lads are straight.

DOSTANA follows two dashing  young men living it up in the heart of Miami (where the nights are wild and Cuban immigrants are free). Upon meeting each other by sheer coincidence after coincidence Samir aka Sam (Abhishek Bachchan) and Kunal aka Kunal (John Abraham) find themselves interested in the same flat. The only problem is that the heroine’s Mausi aka Baby (Sushmita Mukherjee) does not want two bachelors living in the same place as her beautiful niece, Neha aka the hot magazine editor (Priyanka Chopra). Samir devises a plan to where him and Kunal can pretend to be a gay couple, so the aunty would allow them to stay. The two finally catch a glimpse of Miss World and go head over heels. Still vying for the apartment the two keep up their charade and eventually are allowed to stay.

Complications arise when Sam must confront his mother aka the mother (Kiron Kher) who without any knowledge is fooled by the “couple’s” shenanigans. Her conservative views come to a crash as soon as she pictures her son in a bahu’s veil. Her limited role was one of the biggest highlights of the film, she carried herself very well.

With a kamaal item cheez like Neha strutting around, the two were bound to fall for her. And after a KUCH KUCH HOTA HAI montage bigger complications arise for the two Village Boys when a third (not gay) character comes into play, Abhimanyu aka Neha’s boss with a heart of gold (Bobby Deol). Three Men and a Really Hot Baby, who does Neha choose?

The film gains full marks on every element. Tarun Mansukhani juiced out a strong performance from every character, whether it be the old white man on a hospital bed or the leading stars (for once the white Americans didn’t sound like cheaply dubbed British actors!). He allowed enough time for the characters to give us some background themselves without disturbing the flow. Normally that’s where most director’s falter, too much time spent on the characters and not enough commitment in the editing room. Mansukhani’s comedic situations were not in the cliché market (for all those who saw GOLMAAL RETURNS), his timing with the actors was brilliant.

While watching such disasters as DRONA and a good chunk of Abhishek Bachchan flicks, he was the runaway champion in DOSTANA. Someone throw him in jail, he robbed every actor that shared a scene with him. His comedic execution was beyond perfect, especially in the scene where he describes the first meeting between Kunal and himself. John Abraham too had his moments, but was overshadowed by Abhishek. Both truly excelled more when interacting with each other.

Priyanka Chopra was not responsible for creating any funny moments, but watching her getting pushed aside and knocked down by a glass door were unexpected, creating for a more comical circumstance. She filled her shoes well as the girl next door (in this case the girl living in their door). Bobby Deol is the trump card! If the silliness from the first hour wasn’t entertaining enough, Deol’s performance in the second half only solidified the plot. He may however want to do something about those bags underneath his eyes, its either a lack of sleep or a lack of AA meetings.

Overall Tarun Mansukhani’s DOSTANA is a winner all the way! The subtlety in comedy and the pace allow this to be a hilarious bout for the entire two plus hours. The only deterrent are the hardcore conservatives who won’t even bother to acknowledge that same sex genders can form a relationship. The film will appeal and will be understood by the younger crowd and NRI’s. It may be one of those typical love stories, but execution is everything. Tarun Mansukhani, feel free to stay.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

California Lieutenant Governor of John Garamendi addressing the attendees at the luncheon.

MANTECA - Lieutenant Governor of California John Garamendi attended a luncheon in Manteca for the Indian American community. During the luncheon the local community came together and addressed their concerns about the current state of California to Lt. Governor John Garamendi.

Lt. Governor John Garamendi praised the Indian American community for its contributions to America.

“As I drove along the highway from Sacramento I passed by all the trucks and gas stations. Each truck carrying a part of our economy, guess who they were owned or operated by? Mostly Indians. Those are industries essential to the progress of America and for the recovery from the current financial crisis,” said Garamendi.

Lieutenant Governor of California John Garamendi explaining California's budget situation.

Many senior citizens from the local community came together to voice their concerns about the cutbacks in the state funded Medi-Cal program due to the budget cuts. Garamendi explained how various cuts were made during the budget talks but democrats have worked very hard at keeping as many state programs active as possible.

“Unfortunately we [Californians] are faced with a very serious economic situation, during the budget talks both Republicans and Democrats came together to solve this matter. Lawmakers from both parties proposed various cuts in spending and unfortunately some cuts were made in the Medi-Cal program. Democrats always fight for the needs of the working class and we will continue to fight for not only the Medi-Cal program but also other programs needed by the working class,” explained Garamendi.

John Garamendi also reminded the attendees of his bid for California’s Governor.

“I could do a lot more for the working class if I were the Governor. Vote for John Garamendi during the upcoming California gubernatorial elections in 2010.”

Nirvail Singh, the luncheon organizer, speaking at the event.

Nirvail Singh the event organizer promised his and the support of the Indian Americans.

“We need to support candidates who will work towards improving California. John Garamendi is one the best people currently in office and we should support him in his run for the office of Governor,” said Nirvail Singh, a well known real estate agent.

John Garamendi also discussed the need for energy independence and the need for alternate energy sources, such as solar and wind power.

Indian Americans alongside Lieutenant Governor of California John Garamendi at the luncheon.

Vijay K. Taneja, 47, of Fairfax, Va., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with a mortgage fraud scheme involving his company, Financial Mortgage Inc. (FMI), which originated and sold mortgages on residential properties in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.

According to court documents in support of the guilty plea, before FMI sold its mortgages to financial institutions as long term investors, FMI utilized another group of financial institutions (referred to as “warehouse lenders”) to temporarily fund the mortgages before they were sold.

Beginning in 2001, FMI began defrauding a series of warehouse lenders and eventually two other financial institutions serving as long term investors, causing an accumulated loss of at least $33 million to four financial institutions by the time FMI filed for bankruptcy in June 2008.

The financial institutions were First Tennessee Bank, Franklin Bank, Wells Fargo Bank and EMC Mortgage Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of JP Morgan Chase & Co.

Taneja accomplished the scheme by creating fictitious loans with bogus loan closings; selling the same legitimate loan to multiple investors; and pocketing the proceeds generated from refinancing loans, when the bulk of those proceeds were intended to payoff prior mortgages on the same properties.

Court documents state that for at least part of the scheme Taneja conspired with the owner of TitlePro, a Fairfax title company. The company went out of business in May of 2008.

Prosecutors, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Learned, told the judge that Taneja invested millions of his mortgage proceeds in Indian films and theatrical productions through one of his companies, Elite Entertainment, and that they are still trying to untangle the financial web.

The guilty pleas announced following the plea before Judge Claude M. Hilton. Taneja and his attorney, Robert P. Trout, declined to comment.

“He has millions of dollars unaccounted for, there’s so much money, and it’s difficult to figure out where it all went,” said U.S. Attorney Stephen Learned.

Taneja faces the maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit money laundering, 20 years prison and a fine of $500,000. His sentencing is set for Jan. 30, 2009.

He was the producer of Himesh Reshammiya’s debut movie, Aap Kaa Surroor - The Real Luv Story in 2007 and Bobby Deol, Amisha Patel, and Arjun Rampal starrer Humko Tumse Pyaar Hai in 2006.

According to Elite Entertainment, he had promoted shows for Shahrukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, John Abraham, Shahid Kapoor, Zayed Khan, Malika Sherawat, Kareena Kapoor, Esha Deol, Jagjit Singh, Gurdas Mann, Hrithik Roshan, Karishma Kapoor, Aftab Shivdasani, Arjun Rampal, Sunil Shetty, Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, Urmila Matondkar, Ravena Tandon, Sunjay Dutt, Aishwarya Rai, Rani Mukharjee, Madhuri Dixit, and many more Indian artists.

The investigation involving FMI was conducted by Special Agents of the FBI and the IRS.

Director - Madhur Bhandarkar

Beauty, attitude, cigarettes, alcohol, promiscuous sex, cigarettes, drugs, gay guys and more cigarettes! Those are the elements of the Indian Fashion industry. Madhur Bhandarkar’s FASHION is another homage to powerful women in high positions (anyone else sense the Freudian under tones?). This time around he takes all that Maybelline mascara off of this cut throat, no hold bars world and exposes the wrinkly and saggy side.

Regardless of the popularity achieved by Ashwariya Rai, Lara Dutta, Sushmita Sen, Dia Mirza and of course Priyanka Chopra in all those Miss Whatever pageants, Mumbai still doesn’t hold its own when it comes to fashion cities such as Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Milan and Prague. The closest contribution India has to the fashion world are all those Calvin Klein button up shirts with a “Made In India” tag.

This three hour expose/documentary/film/mockumentry tells the story of a small town girl from Chandigarh (population is close to one million, not exactly a small town) Meghna Mathur (Priyanka Chopra), who dreams of going to Mumbai and becoming a successful super model. Once in Mumbai she instantly befriends Rohit Khanna (Ashwin Mushran) who helps her with the do’s and don’ts of the industry. You know the saying, behind every successful woman there’s a gay fashion designer.

Day by day our Barbie doll is exposed to the “fake-shion” world of drinking, smoking and going to parties as an escort girl. Her ambitions remain strong but her patience starts to wear thin. She works hard for minor modeling gigs (Even as a lingerie model. Gasp! Oh no someone please help this poor innocent girl) to scrape enough cash for a high caliber portfolio. During these troubling times she gets to know a handsome (straight) struggling model Maanav Bhasin (Arjan Bajwa). They both eventually share a flat due to financial constraints, but aren’t married (This movie is destroying the fabric of Indian values! Effigy!).

While slowly inching her way towards catwalk shows our heroine meets the mogul himself, Abhijit Sarin (Arbaaz Khan). His fixation with this fresh face opens up new opportunities for Meghna, she even becomes Sarin’s number one model replacing the previous number one Shonali Gujral (Kangna Ranaut). Soon the princess of posh watches her career soar to new heights only to see it come crashing down due to her arrogance and stubbornness. Her bottom of the barrel moment comes when she wakes up in bed with a random black guy (You know that saying, once you go black you realize all your failures as a person). She runs away from this awful world and goes back to mommy and daddy.

The film does an excellent job at showing logistics behind the fashion duniya, it surely takes the mask off of the industry as a whole. However, what is depicted in the film that the general public may not already know? There were some provoking dilemma’s Meghna Mathur and Rahul Arora (Sameer Soni) had to face but the entire concept remains a bit simplistic.

Bhandarkar should have re-examined his strategy and perhaps gone with the story line of Shonali Gujral, a drug using junkie with an abusive boyfriend (also her dealer). That’s a story with some serious potential. An innocent “small town” girl goes to the big bad world and gets engrossed in it…overcooked, check please I’ll just grab some junk food on the way home.

The performances were a mixed bag of hot, mild and ketchup. This was by far Priyanka Chopra’s most meaningful role and she was effective, but was unconvincing as an arrogant super model who had no care for anyone around her (maybe she’s too nice of a person). Arbaaz Khan can’t seem to make a facial expression besides a smirk stretching from ear to ear. He was out of place and in no way comes off as the mastermind of the biggest fashion house in India. It seems as if he wandered on the sets and was lost throughout the entire three hours. Newcomer Mugdha Godse had the finest performance of any first time female actress this year. She was not a victim of over acting and did not over exuberate herself as is the most common mistake by new heroines. The runaway champion was Kangna Ranaut! She dictated her manic personality very well and gave you a front row seat at her struggles with alcohol and drug abuse. Its unfortunate Kangna’s plot was not the main one, there was a deep well to be explored here.

Overall the film takes you on a journey, gets you familiar with the characters but nonetheless is excruciatingly long. Sameer Soni’s side story of a closet homosexual could have been completely avoided, had Bhandarkar attached that plot line to Ashwin Mushran’s character. The movie should make a hefty profit, supposedly half of the investment has already been recovered in endorsements. But the shear curiosity and anticipation will attract the younger movie goers. Drugs, alcohol, sex and an explosion of gay fashion designers (maybe not in that order), you can’t go wrong. Definitely worth taking a look.

Rating - 3 out of 5 stars