Vijay Raaz Movies
- 2008
- NR
A quick trip from the USA to India turns into a life-altering journey of self-discovery for a man traveling with his ailing grandmother. Upon arriving in Delhi with his grandmother, Roshan (Abhishek Bachchan) begins to experience an inner transformation that he never anticipated. The ancient walled city is a character unto itself -- embodying the chaos of the Indian people, their beliefs, and their religion -- and before his trip is over Roshan will have fallen deeply in love with Delhi. The pin code of Delhi is 110006, though the locals affectionately refer to it as "DELHI-6." ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Abhishek Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor, (more)
- 2006
In India, "Hijras" are eunuchs, or transgendered people who resemble men but have the sexual characteristics of both genders. While hijras are widely regarded bearers of good luck and are often asked to bless weddings and newborn children, they are also often discriminated against and often live on the outskirts of society. The drama Shabnam Mousi was inspired by the true story of one hijra who overcame prejudice to launch a successful career in politics. Shabnam (Ashutosh Rana) was born to a wealthy and privileged family, but when a band of eunuchs came to bless him not long after he was born, they discovered he too was a hijra, and the infant was sent to live with others of his kind. Shabnam still has the love and support of his family, but not all the other hijras are so lucky, and one of the members of the group (Vishwajeet Padhan) kills Shabnam's brother in a fit of rage. Shabnam is blamed for the crime, and goes underground, relocating to a town where he comes to the rescue of a woman being sexually assaulted by a group of men. Shabnam's heroic act makes him a minor celebrity in the village, and he decides to use his new recognition to help drive a corrupt politician (Govind Namdeo) from office in an upcoming election. But will Shabnam's new life in politics raise questions about his old life as a fugitive? ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ashutosh Rana, Vijay Raaz, (more)
Political parable meets tragic love story in Matrubhoomi director Manish Jha's tragic tale of a sensitive Muslim who finds his love for the beautiful girl next door unexpectedly thwarted by a jealous Hindu boy. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sidharth Koirala, Nauheed Cyrusi, (more)
Directed by Mani Ratnam, Yuva follows three very different youngsters: idealistic student and aspiring politician Michael (Ajay Devgan); Arjun (Vivek Oberoi), who dreams of immigrating to the United States; and Lallan (Abhishek Bachchan) from the wrong side of the tracks. The three cross paths after an accident on a local bridge, and before any of them realize what has happened, they've embarked on a life-altering exchange of ideas, perspectives, and far-reaching life experiences. The film features Abhishek Bachchan, Ajay Devgan, Vivek Oberoi, Rani Mukherjee, Esha Deol, and Kareena Kapoor. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ajay Devgan, Rani Mukherjee, (more)
A rare attempt to marry the widely appealing standards of commercial cinema with the decidedly darker elements of realistic cinema, director Krishna Vamsi's bleak drama explores the horrific results of a marriage haunted by violence and dishonesty. A Canadian Indian orphan who resides with her two uncles, Nandini (Karishma Kapoor) is quickly caving in to her uncles' constant requests to find an appropriate suitor and marry. An unexpected proposal from orphan friend Shekhar (Sanjay Kapoor) soon results in marital bliss, and, as the years pass, the couple has a child named Raja (Jai Gidwani) and everything seems perfect. When Shekhar is troubled by televised reports of turmoil in India, pangs of guilt force him to reveal to his wife that, although he does indeed have a family, they are a family at constant war and he had escaped their bloody feud in order to make a better life for himself. Revealing little to no specific details to his unassuming wife, the family is soon packing their bags for India and a visit to Shekhar's mysterious family. Troubled by the constant attempts on Shekhar's life and the violent actions of her dangerous father-in-law Narsimha (Nana Patekar), Nandini is determined to return to Canada despite the desperate pleas of Shekhar's mother. When Shekhar is brutally murdered and Nandini attempts to escape India with Raja in tow, Narsimha proves that he is willing to undertake drastic measures in order to ensure that his sole remaining heir remain by his side as the unending battle rages around them. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nana Patekar, Karishma Kapoor, (more)
This Bollywood gangster movie stars Vivek Oberoi as Chandu, a young man who dreams of finding fame and fortune and escaping the slums of Bombay. By chance he meets and becomes friends with the dashing Malik (Ajay Devgan), who turns out to be the rising star of a criminal syndicate. Chandu joins the gang and the two friends soon become rich and move their operation to Hong Kong. Their life of luxury is soon destroyed by jealousy and anger, and the two become bitter enemies. Chandu flees to Nairobi, but Malik soon locates him, and their feud escalates into a full-scale gang war that forces each of them to question their loyalties and decide how far their mutual hatred will take them. ~ Tom Vick, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ajay Devgan, Vivek Oberoi, (more)
Following up on her controversial erotic drama Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love, Mira Nair directs this charming family drama about a very chaotic Indian wedding. Lalit Verma (Naseeruddin Shah) is a wealthy father who is trying to see that his daughter Aditi's wedding goes off without a hitch. Though familiar with Western ways, he has little patience with them and is dead set on seeing the nuptials done properly and traditionally. Disillusioned with her long time relationship with Vikram -- a man who is almost twice her age -- Aditi (Vasundhara Das) suddenly agrees to submit to an arranged marriage with Hemant, an engineer from Houston. Yet as the ceremony nears, she gets cold feet and returns to see her former lover -- even though it could spell disaster for everyone involved. Meanwhile, Aditi's comely 17-year-old cousin Ayesha is coming to terms with her blossoming sexuality and has her sights set on Rahul, another relative who is a college student in Australia. Then there is Rai -- also Aditi's cousin -- who has a shocking revelation to make. This film was screened at the 2001 Toronto and Venice Film Festivals. At Venice, Monsoon Wedding won the prestigious Golden Lion award. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Naseeruddin Shah, Lillete Dubey, (more)
