In real life, if you feel your colleague is far more superior to you in intelligence, talent, charisma, efficiency, chances are you might feel the heat. Jealousy, generally, stems from there. In the process, the best of relations get strained. LONDON DREAMS, directed by Vipul Shah, talks of two musicians, thick pals actually, and how jealousy drives a wedge in their friendship. Let's clear a few myths before discussing the positive and negative factors of this film. LONDON DREAMS is not BAIJU BAWRA. LONDON DREAMS is not ROCK ON!!, ABHIMAAN, YAARANA or SAAJAN either [a section of the industry wants us to believe that]. The truth is, LONDON DREAMS borrows from Milos Forman's brilliant film AMADEUS [1984], which was based on Salieri and Mozart's life. In fact, Suneel Darshan too had made a film based on AMADEUS called SHAKALAKA BOOM BOOM [2007; Bobby Deol, Upen Patel]. LONDON DREAMS is a complete departure from Vipul Shah's earlier outings, AANKHEN, WAQT, NAMASTEY LONDON and SINGH IS KINNG [produced by Vipul, directed by Anees Bazmee]. This film is about relationships and tends to get very real and intense, in the post-interval portions specifically. The scale of LONDON DREAMS is gigantic and the execution of concerts [it's about a band] sweeps you off your feet. In terms of execution, it wouldn't be erroneous to state that LONDON DREAMS is amongst Vipul Shah's most accomplished works to date. Also, it boasts of incredible performances by Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn. But there are hiccups too and it's these deficiencies that bog the film down! They were childhood friends. But they had little in common except their family's connection with music. While Arjun's [Ajay Devgn] life was consumed by a passionate drive to get on stage and realize his grandfather's unfulfilled dream, Mannu [Salman Khan] was content with remaining a child at heart with no higher ambition than enjoying the good things in life. As Arjun forges a band with Zoheb [Rannvijay Singh], Wasim [Aditya Roy Kapur] and Priya [Asin], a music enthusiast from a conservative South Indian family, far away in Punjab, music becomes a survival tool for Mannu, who takes to playing in wedding bands in his village. Arjun gets Mannu to London and makes him a part of the band, but soon realizes he's created the biggest threat and obstacle to his own ambitions. Mannu, with his inherent musical gift, becomes an instant darling of the crowds. Arjun's unbearable pangs of jealousy and insecurity only worsen when Mannu also unwittingly woos and wins his secret love, Priya. As he battles his inner demons, Arjun slowly devises a sinister plan to destroy his best friend. It takes time to get into Ajay's world [its Ajay who's narrating the story here]. The film moves back and forth and it's only when the two buddies, now adults, meet that you realize where the story is headed. The first hour depicts the two extreme characters - Ajay, who's an introvert and who cannot think of anything but his goal and Salman, a happy-go-lucky guy, laidback and fun-loving, least focused. The narrative has some interesting moments in the first hour, but the actual story unravels only towards the second half. The first half, frankly, only sets things up for the explosive drama that is to follow. The wheels start moving when Ajay plays a vicious game and hatches a conspiracy to ruin his buddy's career. It's the second hour that does the trick. You can't help but carry several sequences in your heart, even after you've made an exit from the auditorium... Note the scene when Salman makes four different tunes from the original tune created by Ajay. Note the scene when Ajay meets an inebriated Salman and professes revenge, while Salman is completely clueless about Ajay's sinister plans. Note the scene when the band arrives in London after a 3-city concert and they're received by aggressive mediapersons. But there're roadblocks too. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's music is a downer. LONDON DREAMS is about a rock band, about music, about concerts and the music had to be the soul of the film. Unfortunately, it's not! The songs have been filmed in the most energetic fashion, but how one wishes the music was one of the strengths of the film. Also, the film could've concluded when the two friends re-unite at the station. Adding one more song thereafter only dilutes the impact of the emotionally correct sequence that has just been witnessed. Besides, the song in question hasn't been promoted either, so it only comes across as an aberration. Prior to that, Ajay's outburst at the end of the concert is far from convincing. The film has a real feel, real characters and real situations, but the outburst looks unreal and is one of the drawbacks, from the writing point of view. It's just not convincing! Besides, Ajay's childhood character is shown fleeing from the airport and making it big in a foreign land [London], without any support whatsoever. It's unpalatable! Vipul Shah has handled this intricate subject well, but the writing could've been tighter. Sejal Shah's cinematography is super. Brownie points for capturing the concerts brilliantly. Salim-Sulaiman's background score matches international standards. Both Salman and Ajay vie for top honours. Salman has a role that the junta would take to instantly and the actor too endears himself to the viewers. He's stupendous. When it comes to displaying intensity on screen, very few can live up to the standards set by Ajay. To state that he packs in a power-packed performance would be an understatement. They, in fact, compliment each other wonderfully well. Asin is admirable and pairs off very well with Salman. She is sure to have a new name after this film - Chennai Express [that's how Salman addresses her affectionately, all through the film]. Om Puri has a brief role. Aditya Roy Kapur is very good and registers an impact. Rannvijay Singh doesn't get much to do, except throw nasty looks at Salman. Manoj Pahwa provides some funny moments. Brinda Parekh is okay. On the whole, LONDON DREAMS has superb performances from its principal cast and several emotionally-charged sequences as its two trump cards. But its biggest drawback is its climax and also the music, which is the weakest link of the movie. At the box-office, the film should appeal more to the multiplex audience than the masses. Business at big centres, especially at metros, should be better, but mini-metros and towns will be a contrast.

FRUIT & NUT, directed by Kunal Vijaykar, is one of those films that succeed in making you giggle intermittently. But how one wishes the film had a strong story in the first place. This one is a senseless comedy and the sad part is, the absurdities here are not too amusing. FRUIT & NUT is about Jolly Maker, who is a simple, hard working middle class struggling bachelor in search of love, money, friends and success. He works as a clerk/accountant in the office of a greedy and corrupt builder named Khandar. He is typically nerdy and un-stylish. He is also accident-prone and leaves a trail of disaster behind him. Write your own movie review of Fruit & Nut One fine day, Jolly Maker's beautiful, sexy, smart and snobbish colleague, Monica, gets mysteriously kidnapped. Through a roller coaster ride and series of comical mishaps, Jolly Maker finds himself in the middle of a plot that has been hatched by an insane Ex-Maharaja to destroy Mumbai. Whether the poor, adorable, accident-prone Jolly Maker finally falls in love or not, gets his girl or not and above all, is able to save Mumbai or not, makes for rest of the film. Director Kunal Vijaykar tries hard to keep you entertained, but the writing is just not captivating. Sure, you do laugh at a few jokes/situations, but there are times when the jokes aren't too funny and also tend to get repetitive. The performances are over-the-top, but go well with the mood of the film. Boman Irani glides into the character effortlessly. Cyrus Broacha is perfect. Mahesh Manjrekar is first-rate. Dia Mirza does a fine job. On the whole, FRUIT & NUT has some funny moments, that's it! A film like this holds very limited appeal.

FRUIT & NUT, directed by Kunal Vijaykar, is one of those films that succeed in making you giggle intermittently. But how one wishes the film had a strong story in the first place. This one is a senseless comedy and the sad part is, the absurdities here are not too amusing. FRUIT & NUT is about Jolly Maker, who is a simple, hard working middle class struggling bachelor in search of love, money, friends and success. He works as a clerk/accountant in the office of a greedy and corrupt builder named Khandar. He is typically nerdy and un-stylish. He is also accident-prone and leaves a trail of disaster behind him. One fine day, Jolly Maker's beautiful, sexy, smart and snobbish colleague, Monica, gets mysteriously kidnapped. Through a roller coaster ride and series of comical mishaps, Jolly Maker finds himself in the middle of a plot that has been hatched by an insane Ex-Maharaja to destroy Mumbai. Whether the poor, adorable, accident-prone Jolly Maker finally falls in love or not, gets his girl or not and above all, is able to save Mumbai or not, makes for rest of the film. Director Kunal Vijaykar tries hard to keep you entertained, but the writing is just not captivating. Sure, you do laugh at a few jokes/situations, but there are times when the jokes aren't too funny and also tend to get repetitive. The performances are over-the-top, but go well with the mood of the film. Boman Irani glides into the character effortlessly. Cyrus Broacha is perfect. Mahesh Manjrekar is first-rate. Dia Mirza does a fine job. On the whole, FRUIT & NUT has some funny moments, that's it! A film like this holds very limited appeal.

Bollywood rarely produces mythological movies. But movies like HANUMAN and BAL GANESH do encourage film-makers to present stories from mythology in an animation format. BAL GANESH 2, directed by Pankaj Sharma, encompasses three different stories, all pertaining to Lord Ganesha, in one film and the outcome is gratifying. For the viewer, BAL GANESH 2 is not merely an interesting cinematic experience, but enlightening too. Also, when compared to the first part [BAL GANESH], BAL GANESH 2 is a step ahead, in terms of content and animation. BAL GANESH 2 updates you with what you witnessed in its first part: The birth of Lord Ganesha and the confrontation with Lord Shiva; Lord Kubera's invitation to Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati and Lord Ganesha and Lord Ganesha's voracious appetite; Lord Ganesha taking the round of His universe, His parents... Then three different stories unravel: The first story pertains to a cat and how Lord Ganesha plays a prank on it. Much later, Goddess Parvati gives an invaluable advice to Lord Ganesha... The second story pertains to Sage Vyasa. Lord Ganesha not only writes the entire book, but also translates it while writing it... The third story pertains to Lord Ganesha fighting it out with a powerful demon, Gajmukhasur... BAL GANESH 2 grows more and more interesting with every story. The best is reserved for the finale, when Lord Ganesha battles the demon and emerges victorious. As mentioned at the outset, the film is stronger in content and the animation quality is also superior this time. The voiceovers are perfect. On the whole, BAL GANESH 2 should appeal to kids from 6 to 80.

We love drama. That's the staple diet of Bollywood films. Even television shows, till a few months ago, relied too heavily on dramatic moments and twists-n-turns, especially the saas-bahu shows. Of late, the reality shows rely on drama to boost the TRPs. MAIN AURR MRS. KHANNA, directed by debutante Prem Soni, could've been an interesting story had the drama quotient been a bit stronger. What comes across is too simple and ordinary. Actually, the problem lies in its writing. It wouldn't be erroneous to say that Prem Soni, the director is letdown by Prem Soni, the writer. The writing gyrates from interesting to ordinary to unconvincing and that bogs the film down. The inconsistency is evident all through. Final words? This Mr. and Mrs. Khanna won't live happily ever after! Raina [Kareena Kapoor], Samir [Salman Khan] and Akash [Sohail Khan] are three people whose lives get entwined at an international airport. Samir has to decide whether he wants to stay in the same city [Melbourne] that gave him so much and then took away everything or fly away to a new city [Singapore], to a new life. Raina has to decide whether her love and loyalty for her husband Samir, who left her to pursue success, is more justified than her faith and trust in her new-found friend, while Akash has to decide whether what he feels for a married woman is lust or true love and whether he's justified in trying to win her at all costs, even at the cost of her marriage. Now let's analyse… MAIN AURR MRS. KHANNA makes a promising start. The cracks in the relationship are evident when the husband starts facing problems on the professional front. He tries to re-locate to Singapore, but decides to send his wife to Delhi, to his parents' home. Convincing! The wife decides to stay back in Melbourne and suddenly meets an 'angel' [Sohail Khan] and a friend's friend [Mahek Chahal], who gets her a job at the airport [within hours of meeting her] and a few scenes later, Mrs. Khanna shifts into a palatial mansion. Wowwwww! How can she afford a palace-like home in Melbourne from the salary that she gets, while working in a shop at the airport? Not convincing! The wife and angel become friends. The angel is well aware of her marital status, yet loves her dearly. The woman trusts him as a friend. Convincing! The husband re-surfaces [very quickly]. He's now settled in Singapore, has even bought a house there, he returns to Melbourne to fetch his wife back. Complications arise when the marriage registration letter surfaces. Not convincing! The question is, why didn't the wife confide in her husband about it? That she had to do it for the work permit? Of course, she states subsequently that she didn't want to complicate things further, but didn't she ever realise that the truth would be out sooner or later? Also, when the husband is in Singapore, there's scant or zilch communication between the couple, which looks so unreal. There's just one sequence of the wife calling her husband, but the husband isn't responding to the call. Again, not convincing! The ending is interesting, but the surprise appearance of Deepika Padukone looks forced in the script. Perhaps, it was incorporated so that Sohail doesn't come across as a loser. Strangely, Deepika's name is also Raina [also Kareena's name in the film] and she too was in a relationship with a Samir [also Salman's name], which looks fake. Prem Soni has handled a few scenes well, but the writing is ineffectual. Dialogue, also by Prem, are wonderful at places. Sajid-Wajid's music is tuneful. 'Don't Say Alvida' and 'Rabba' are melodious compositions. The cinematography is striking. The locales of Melbourne give the film a perfect romantic setting. Salman handles his part with maturity, but it's a Kareena show all the way. She is remarkable and delivers a winning performance yet again. Sohail contributes to some light moments. Yash Tonk is alright. Mahek Chahal is perfect. Nauheed Cyrusi doesn't get any scope. The film has several star appearances: Deepika Padukone, Preity Zinta [okay], Dino Morea [hardly there for a few minutes] and Bappil Lahiri [yes, the veteran music composer has a proper role in the film]. On the whole, MAIN AURR MRS. KHANNA is weak in merits. At the box-office, the BLUE wave, followed by another strong opposition in ALL THE BEST will sideline MAIN AURR MRS. KHANNA completely. It's a non-starter!