quatrain #1

Been there, done that.
And what did I find?
No price is too fat
For an unchained mind.

2008: The Year of The Greenhorn

For a change, the barrage of new faces this year actually had some talent to back them up. Some of them, in no particular order:

Farhan Akhtar in Rock On: Not only was Abhishek Kapoor's directorial debut one of the most genuinely heartfelt attempts this year, he surprised all by casting the director of Dil Chahta Hai, who in turn surprised us with a display of pretty credible acting talent. His voice wasn't great, but since when was rock more about vocals than screaming guitars? (Aside, Rock On's music didn't really hit the mark - there was still the unmistakeable Bollywood touch in the lyrics and some of the music.) His next outing is in sis Zoya Akhtar's Luck By Chance, starring the amazing Konkona Sen, which sounds promising.

Oh, and he looks really good with his shirt off. Rawr.

(At this point, there's no way I can get his wife to chop off my hair instead of my head.)


Prachi Desai in Rock On: I am not a fan of soaps, especially Ms. Kkkapoor's saas-bahu cringe-inducers, so I had no idea she existed. Well, turns out she breathes life into her character as well. Good job, and hopefully good riddance to the mad, mad TV world.


Shahana Goswami in Rock On: Talk about Alpha Females - WHOA.This woman was by far the best actor in that film. Her character was force to reckon with - independent and intimidating but still vulnerable and hurting. Buenos.


Rajeev Khandelwal in Aamir - Another one of those gorgeous hunks who were previously lost to us because of ridiculous TV scripts. A smashing debut in what can safely be called one of the best films of the year that makes us want more.

(Aside, there was another yummy TV guy, Eijaz Ahmed, in Meerabai Not Out. I say YAY for the recession, reality shows and flop serial scripts if it means a steady supply of sexy boys to 70 mm.)



Folks to watch out for in 2009:

Deepika Padukone: Doe eyes, check. Dazzling smile, check. Dimples you can serve ice-cream in, and we're ready to go! This "Dreamy Girl" was the best thing in Om Shanti Om (SRK who?) but her act alongside Ranbir Kapoor in Bachna Ae Haseeno was a downer. Let's hope she does a Kung-Fu Panda in Chandni Chowk To China.

(EDIT: The movie released in the time-lag between the writing and the publishing, and as it turns out, Padukone is not the Dragon Warrior. She's still impossibly cute, though, so I'll be benevolent and leave her on this list.)


Abhay Deol: Three things.
a. Dimples.
b. He looks like his uncle, who was one of the best-looking men of his time (and Jaya Bachchan's dream man in Guddi, no less.)
c. He's a Deol who can ACT. Manorama Six Feet Under, and now the whimsical Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye! I just hope his upcoming drunken act in Dev D won't turn out to be a rip-off of his uncle's act famous "BASANTI!!!" act.

(Okay, Dharamji did put in a number of good performances, but that was pre-Sholay.)


Folks who made a comeback:

Shreyas Talpade in Welcome to Sajjanpur: After being relegated to a side role in Om Shanti Om, he made a splendid comeback with this film, sharing a sparkling chemistry with Amrita Rao and other co-stars.


Aamir Khan: First a smashing directorial debut that made us cry throughout, then a home production starring his nephew which became a surprise hit, then his scary eight-packs in Ghajini at age 42... Aamir Khan shows every time that he's the ambush expert, with a deadly arsenal of focus, acting skills and oodles of talent. And he's a pro at marketing, as well.


Arjun Rampal in Rock On: Okay, he isn't good enough yet, but this role worked for him. Anyway, he's still the hottest papa in Cine-maa (though Farhan is catching up) and his Freddie Mercury mustache and flowing hair was the je ne sais quoi that made us all want to be screaming groupies. Proving that sometimes, mooch nahin to kooch nahin.


Jimmy Shergill in A Wednesday: The usually mild-mannered Shergill scored with this one. I loved him in Yahaan, and this was another good performance. His "angry young man" act had us all rooting for more, especially in these terrorism-infested times.


Madhuri Dixit in Aaja Nachle: The script, though tailor-made for her, was a bit of a letdown, but the Dhak Dhak girl still has her weapons intact: the million-watt smile, astonishingly svelte figure and probably the best dancing skills of anyone in Hindi cinema.


Folks who let us down:

Kamal Hassan in Dasavatharam: Honestly, this was a film that could have been - the script was technically taut enough and fairly interesting, and the film was well-paced. What completely ruined it was Hassan's ridiculous move of playing not one, not two, but TEN roles in the film, including George "Dubya" Bush! It did nothing for the film; in fact, the excessive layers of prosthetic make-up completely robbed Hassan's face of all expression, which is a tragedy considering his phenomenal acting talent. I cry for every one of his performances because they're so moving - but this time I almost cried out of sheer despair. Really, Kamal sir, stop with the excessive narcissism and stop taking the ulaganayakan title so literally.


To end things on a positive note, here's a final YAY for:

Aging actors/ actresses getting good roles: Yay for elderly actors like Naseeruddin Shah, whose spine-chilling baritone and smooth, effortless acting made A Wednesday a pleasure to watch. They can kick their younger comrades' asses any day.

Yay for the ever-bubbly and ever-gorgeous Juhi Chawla, who has left her contemporaries behind and is still rocking with meaty roles every year. (I forgive her for that crappy Bhootnath.) You go girl!


Rocking scripts: FINALLY, Indian cinema has come of age. Rather, it's the audiences who have matured. They're now smart enough to know that the presence of a star cannot guarantee a good film.


This is only for Hindi films, which I am more familiar with - I'm sure a similar trend was observed in regional cinema as well. It's paving the way for more skilled jobs in the industry, more talent, and better quality entertainment.

The recession has made this winter especially biting, but spring seems to have arrived in the world of Indian Cinema.