No One Killed Jessica : by Rajkumar Gupta

No One Killed Jessica is the real life account of the famous Jessica Lal case which saw closure April 2010 , after 11 years of unrelenting trial for Jessica's family.

The script is written by Rajkumar Gupta , critically acclaimed director of the film 'Aamir' , which he claims is partly facts partly fiction.

The year is 1999 , Jessica is bar tending at an elite Delhi party , where Manu Sharma , son of a Congress politician shots her dead on refusal to serve drinks.

Sabrina Lal played by a restraint Vidya Balan is all & shattered. She supports her family and sees herself in the web of dirty politics and power game.

On the flip side , Meera , feisty news reporter played chirpily by Rani Mukherjee , is least interested in the open & shut case and takes the end result for granted.

Manu is acquitted in 2006 , Sabrina is devastated , Meera has her foot in the mouth at justice being denied!

NDTV reporter takes the pledge to bring in support from the nation on the shocking verdict , leading to the reopening of the case. Intense public & media pressure lead to the subsequent life imprisonment of Manu.

It is a story of perseverance and faith in justice , proving the saying Good prevails over Evil.

Acting skills are on a display , leading the way are the two female actors , Rani and Vidya , both are laudable.

Rani is on a comeback trail and how , with a hard hitting performance. Vidya has scored a hatrick post Paa & Ishqiya. She plays Sabrina with lot of grit and vulnerability at the same time.

Music from Amit Trivedi is pleasing with the right mix of soothing number like Dua to head banging Dilli! .. He surprises us with every film from Dev D to Aisha.

No One Killed Jessica is an emotional roller coaster ride which gives a sense of triumph! ..

Worth a Watch!

Rating : 3.5/5.0

Phas Gaye Re Obama : by Subhash Kapoor

Phas Gaye Re Obama .. an intriguing title for a film will always generate a certain kind of buzz.

I have tremendous respect for actors from theater , and the ensemble in this film boasts of stalwarts.

The backdrop of the movie is against the meltdown originating in US.

Om Shashtri played by Rajat is badly hit by global recession and is on the brink of bankruptcy.

He is on the verge losing his home in a failed attempt to pay the mortgage.

With the goal of accumulating money to save himself and his family , Om travels to his ancestral home in India in a bid to sell it off.

The comedy of error follows with small time village goons capturing a supposedly pot of gold ( NRI , Om Shashtri ).

The performances from the ensemble is unexcelled. Manu Rishi brings the house down with his so un-english punches. Rajat is as usual effective & Amol Gupte is one notch up from Kaminey.

The film belongs to Sanjay Mishra who plays "Bhai Saab" , the leader of the goons gang. He is confused yet tyrant and sinks his teeth into the role.

The screenplay takes off in the second hour , laughter galore, crackling dialogues & consistently engaging!

Kudos to another debutant director 'Subhash Kapoor' ... a serious talent in filmmaking!

Rating : 3.5/5.0

Band Baaja Baaraat : by Maneesh Sharma

 

"Band Baaja Baarat" ... I had very little expectations from this flick coming from the stable of YRF.

With a new filmmaker at the helm , a not so good looking debutant and a novice actress.

God knows , what was in store!!

The film kickstarts with Shruti Kakkar played by Anushka Sharma has a dream of having her wedding planning setup in upmarket Delhi locality with a high turnover business.

She convinces her parents to pursue her dream and in the process meets Bitto Sharma , a haryanvi college dropout, good-for-nothing , notorious chap.

In an attempt to avoid going back to his village to pursue agriculture farming , he decides to join Shruti in her 

 b(us) iness , as typically pronounced by Bittoo.

The premise of the film is fresh and the pair look charming to the core.

The screenplay in the first hour is simply outstanding with the protagnanists moving slowly and steadily towards their dream of managing weddings in Delhi's Sainik Farms for the elite.

I must say , fell in love with apni Dilli all over again ... the nuances shown by the director are copybook Dilliwalla's.

The music just uplifts the mood of the film with chartbusters like "Ainvayi Ainvayi" sung by Salim himself.

The performances are exemplary particulary from Anushka who plays the ambitious mitthi churi Shruti Kakkar , a typical  Dilli  Punjab Wali from Janakpuri. She effortlessly plays the character to the 'T'.

The surprise package was Ranveer Singh , a dream start to his career. He brings a smile with his charm and wit. With no acting background , Ranveer Singh is knee-deep into Bitto Sharma and brings out the best in him!

Maneesh Sharma should be given due credit for coming up with a real to reel concept & it deserves an applause.

Fultoo Paisa Vasool!

Rating : 4.0/5.0