Haah !!

Had promised myself not to post anything else before I got back frrm home, but noo ! Kaiko hoyega aisa !! Went and saw Mangal Pandey, and in a single word, it is disastrous...after 4 years in hibernation, We expect better from you, Amir !

Well, I agree I had heard a couple of negative reviews about the movie, but then people had panned the utterly wonderful Swades as well, hence, I was not too much bothred by them. But, as the 3 hour spectacle unfolded, me and my friend, went the whole arc from disbelief to pain at seeing the amount of money that must have been wasted on this mindless extravaganza.

Ketan Mehta (Maya Memsaab, O Darling Yeh Hai India) was anyways a dubious choice for directing a movie, but here he tries to handle too many subjects at the same time, the Indian subjugation at the hands of British, Slave Trade **Technically subjugation, but put as a separate sub-plot**..cliche romances...sati...Untouchability and the list goes on...and sadly, he loses all of them. Even the beautiful Rani Mukherjee is just reduced to playing a caricature of a role, which makes absolutely no sense to be in the movie in the 1st place. And what the hell was the awful Amisha Patel doing !!! After her okayish debut in Kaho Na Pyar Hai the only way for her has been downhill, and now even her bosom-heaving crying gestures have lost their steam and only draw mirthless laughter from the crowd.

And, then comes something, which totally aggrieved me, something totally out of place and character, and which had me squirming in the seats. Can you believe it, Mangal Pandey HAS CLEAVAGE, and shit-loads of it...Infact "exposure" is littered all over the place, and you really really think what was the director really thinking, haan ? And in a song called "Rasiya", there is infact an absymally vulgar bordering-on-lesbian dance, and please donn tell me it was Art, I hate that euphemism when applied so blandly.

And then there is the small matter of totally abusing Amir, he has almost been portrayed like a fanatic, and it hurts, really hurts, when he flinches and hams..when Amir Khan hams..I never thought I would live to see that day.

On the better side, Toby Stephens (okay, the villain in Die Another Day) has done a great job, and I hope to see him in some more period flicks. And, the director has been able to capture the Hindu-Muslim solidarity as well as the British-Indian relationship that existed prior to 1857 decently, but again he gets it wrong at places as it is with the whole movie, watch out for the dialogue by Tantya Tope of all people, "Yeh Angrez Hindu-Muslim mein foot daal ke"..Whoever heard of a Hindu-Muslim riot prior to 1857 ?

Amir, please, you have a Bachanesque following and people practically rever you. And after four years, you give us this ? Not done :((

Am really repenting why din't I watch No Entry over MP, which was playing next door. Atleast I would have had something more interesting from the evening than the amazing bike ride from my dorm to the theatre and back !!