Anupam Kher
- 2008
- PG13
- AddThe Other End of the Lineto Queue
Jesse Metcalfe, Shriya Saran, and Anupam Kher star in director James Dodson's lightweight romantic comedy concerning an employee at an Indian call center who travels to San Francisco to be with the man she has fallen in love with over the telephone. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jesse Metcalfe, Shriya Saran, (more)
Academy Award-winning director Ang Lee adapts this Eileen Chang story set in World War II-era Shanghai that details the political intrigue surrounding a powerful political figure named Mr. Yee (Tony Leung) in Japanese-occupied Shanghai. Spanning the late '30s and early '40s, the movie introduces us to Hong Kong teen Wong Chia Chi (Tang Wei), a shy college freshman who finds her calling in a drama society devoted to patriotic plays. But the troupe's leader, Kuang Yu Min (Wang Leehom), isn't just a theater maven -- he's a revolutionary as well, and he's devoted to carrying out a bold plan to assassinate top Japanese collaborator Mr. Yee. Each student has an important role to play, and Wong puts herself in a dangerous position as Mrs. Mak; she befriends Mr. Yee's wife (Joan Chen), and slowly gains trust before tempting him into an affair. While at first the plan goes exactly as scripted, things suddenly take a deadly turn and Wong is emigrated from Hong Kong. Later, in 1941, the occupation shows no signs of ceasing and Wong is simply drifting through her days in Shanghai. Much to her surprise, the former actress finds Kuang requesting that she resume the role of Mrs. Mak. Now, as Wong again gains intimate access to her dangerous prey, she must struggle with her own identity in order to pull off the performance of a lifetime. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Tang Wei, (more)
- 2007
A mere mortal gets the unique opportunity to try his hand at being the creator in director Rumy Jaffery's heavenly comedy. Arun Prajapati (Salman Khan) has just experienced what he believes to be the worst day of his life, and as the sun begins to set he rails against God for making his life a living hell. When God responds by taking human form (Amitabh Bachchan) and challenging Arun to see how well he fares at carrying out the divine duties, the awestricken mortal responds with childlike zeal. The result is a series of hysterical disasters that threaten to spiral into a cosmic calamity. Arun thinks that by granting everyone their deepest wishes he can make the world a better place, but it doesn't take him long to realize that God's job is tougher than it looks. And while the love of Arun's life (Priyanka Chopra) is genuinely impressed with his newfound confidence, will she still have the same feelings for him once his powers are gone? ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, (more)
- 2007
Six directors converge to film an ensemble epic detailing the love and companionship of two friends torn apart by the cruel mechanisms of fate. When a writer makes a shocking discovery about the woman he loves most, the grip of madness takes hold of his fragile psyche. Later, when an underworld don and his best friend attempt to navigate their way through a potentially explosive internal conflict, five friends find that the fictional stories they weave seem to have a profound and unexpected effect on reality. Sanjay Dutt, Sunil Shetty, Arbaaz Khan, and Dino Morea star in a film from directors Jasmeet Dhodi, Hansal Mehta, Meghna Gulzar, Rohit Roy, Apoorva Lakhia, and Sanjay Gupta. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sanjay Dutt, Sunil Shetty, (more)
- 2007
Director Rahul Rawail teams with screenwriter Anand Sivakumaran for this cutting black comedy about greed, corpses, cold hard cash, and funerals. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Om Puri, Anupam Kher, (more)
- 2007
- AddLaaga Chunari Mein Daag - Journey of a Womanto QueueAddLaaga Chunari Mein Daag - Journey of a Womanto top of Queue
Pradeep Sarkar's Bollywood drama Laaga Chunari Mein Daag concerns two sisters who learn that life is not nearly as simple in the big city as it was when they grew up in a loving family in their rural home. Soon both of them make compromises that lead to a loss of innocence. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jaya Bachchan, Rani Mukherjee, (more)
- 2006
The primal forces of religious animosity pit a fledgling Muslim photographer and a retired Sikh Colonel from the Indian army on a dangerous collision course in director Tanuja Chandra's simmering post-9/11 drama. The setting is New York City, and the year is 2001. Colonel Oberoi's son has been killed in the September 11 terrorist attacks, and now the ageing military man has focused his rage onto Muslim Ali Siddiqui. Siddiqui is an honest man whose sole transgression was falling in love with Colonel Oberoi's widowed daughter in law. In an era where religion seems to divide the masses more than ever before, does love have the power to triumph over tragedy? ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anupam Kher, Mahima Chaudhry, (more)
- 2005
From director Manmohan Singh comes this Bollywood romance about two lovers who struggle against the odds. Navdeep and Harman weren't looking to fall in love, but when it happens, her father disapproves of the union, as it goes against family tradition. Despite the objections and insistance that Harman's marriage be arranged, the couple are determined to stay together. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
Director Paul Mayeda Berges adapts author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni magic realist tale about an enchanting Indian orphan who has leaned to harness the magical properties of spices. Orphaned by regional strife in her homeland of India, Tilo (Aishwarya Rai) is subsequently kidnapped by a vicious gang of bandits. A daring escape is quick to follow, and soon after washing up on mysterious shores the traumatized girl is sheltered by a benevolent old woman (Zohra Segal) who reveals to her the remarkable powers of common spices. Later, after moving to Oakland, California and opening her own spice shop, Tilo is compelled to follow three strict stipulations is she is to retain her ability to harness these magnificent powers: she must never use the powers for her own gain, she can never venture outside of her store, and she must never make contact with the skin of another person. When a handsome architect (Dylan McDermott) crashes his motorcycle just outside of the shop and the kindly proprietor rushes to his aid, the instant chemistry between the pair soon finds Tilo's resolve put to the ultimate test. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Aishwarya Rai, Dylan McDermott, (more)
Bollywood bad-boy Salman Khan stars in screenwriter/director Shirish Kunder's romantic tale of two men who share an intense love the same woman, but just can't seem to find the words to express their heartfelt feelings. Suhaan (Khan) is the kind of college stud that every woman on campus longs for; a wannabe rock star whose smooth way with words can melt hearts, he longs to be with the beautiful Piya (Preity Zinta). But Suhaan isn't the only man on campus with eyes for the Piya, because loveable dreamer Agastya (Akshay Kumar) also harbors deep feelings for the girl. Though the fun-loving trio is virtually inseparable on campus, neither the ultra-smooth Suhaan or the lovably nerdy Agastya can muster the courage to make their love known to the unassuming object of their affections. Ten years after college graduation, Suhaan has become a famous singer and Agastya a highly-respected astronaut; yet despite their success in life, both men's for Agastya still goes unspoken. When fate brings the long-separated trio together once again on an idyllic afternoon, fond memories rapidly resurface and an undying love soon underscores the happy reunion. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, (more)
A star-crossed love affair has political as well as emotional repercussions in this Bollywood romantic drama. Veer Pratap Singh (Shah Rukh Khan) is an officer and pilot in the Indian Air Force who one day meets a beautiful Pakistani heiress, Zaara Hayaat Khan (Preity Zinta), as she travels to a small Indian village to scatter the ashes of one of her family's loyal servants. Veer has family in the village, and while most Indians show no affection for Pakistanis, his aunt and uncle are willing to take Zaara in for the night. It isn't long before Veer finds himself falling for her; however, Veer learns that Zaara is engaged to another man, Raza (Manoj Bajpai), a cruel and humorless Pakistani. A friend of Zaara contacts Veer and tells him that Zaara wants out of her engagement and has strong feelings for him, but when he comes to her rescue, matters take a turn for the worse and Veer winds up in jail. Twenty years later, Veer is still behind bars, and finds that his case is being given a new trial, but while he has a new chance at freedom, he discovers his lawyer will be going up against a state attorney who has never lost a case. Veer-Zaara was one of the first Indian blockbusters to open in India, the United States, and the United Kingdom at the same time. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukherjee, (more)
The very British sensibilities of Jane Austen are introduced to the exotic flavors of the Bollywood musical in this romantic comedy with songs from the director of Bend It Like Beckham, Gurinder Chadha. Lalita Bakshi (Aishwarya Rai) is the lovely and eligible daughter of her socially ambitious mother and father (Nadira Babbar and Anupam Kher). Mother and father want to be sure that Lalita, the most beautiful of their four daughters, settles down with a man worthy of her, but she has proven resistant to matchmaking, announcing that she will choose her own husband, and will choose him for love. While mother is keen on the profoundly annoying Kholi (Nitin Chandra Ganatra), Lalita has had her head turned by a handsome vagabond from England, Johnny Wickham (Daniel Gilles). But while attending the wedding of a friend, Lalita meets Will Darcy (Martin Henderson), a college buddy of family friend Raj (Naveen Andrews) who is the son of a wealthy hotel magnate. Lalita finds that Will makes a strong impression on her -- she can't stand him, but she also can't get him out of her mind. Will feels the same way about her, and as they inadvertently chase one another over three continents, will morbid fascination grow into true love? Bride and Prejudice marked the first English-speaking role for Aishwarya Rai, who had firmly established herself as India's leading female star when this film was made. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Aishwarya Rai, Martin Henderson, (more)
