Paresh Rawal Movies
Bollywood actor Paresh Rawal remains one of the few film performers in India with an outspoken level of disdain for the craft of moviemaking -- one who has long publicly insisted that he only accepts movie roles for the fiscal gain and that his true undying love lies on the stage. A disciplined thespian known for the impressive versatility with which he can slip into roles, and the subtlety that enables him to avoid melodramatics and to naturalistically evoke characterizations onscreen, Rawal arrived in film by way of the theater. He commenced theatrical roles in 1973, when school instructors gently guided this born mischief-maker into drama as an outlet for his restless energy. Rawal moved into more serious and disciplined theater in university-level productions, and was in turn inspired to enter films by the impassioned work of Bollywood celebrity actor Naseeruddin Shah. Rawal's big career break then came at the hands of producer Karim Morani, who caught his performance in the Hindi-language play Arjun and saw, in this upstart, India's newest cinematic sensation. Role after role followed, with Rawal amassing over 200 screen assignments, in a wide spectrum of genres, by the late 2000s. Additional film projects included the 1993 Sir, the 1996 Bandish, Hera Pheri (2000), and Aitraaz (2004). In 2008, Rawal joined co-stars Sunil Shetty and Tusshar Kapoor for the lightweight crime comedy One Two Three, directed by Ashwani Dheer. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide- 2008
The life of one of India's most acclaimed artists inspired this period drama from writer and director Ketan Mehta. In the late 19th Century, Raja Ravi Varma (Randeep Hooda) is a famous but controversial painter who is celebrated by critics for his warm, earthy realism and condemned by Hindu clerics for his nude studies and portraits of deities personified as beautiful women. Varma's favorite model and greatest source of inspiration is Sugandha (Nandana Sen), a beautiful woman who gives him love and support, and his celebration of her beauty has helped to make his work popular with the masses, who eagerly buy reproductions of his works. But Varma's popularity has not earned him any favor with authorities, who have declared some of his nudes obscene, or the religious figures who consider his canvases blasphemous; a framing story set in the 21st Century finds his work still generating strong opinions in the present day. Adapted from a book by Ranjit Desai, Rang Rasiya (aka Colours of Passion) also stars Paresh Rawal, Rachna hah and Jim Boeven. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paresh Rawal, Nandana Sen, (more)
- 2008
A valuable cache of diamonds have been stolen from a dangerous mafia boss, and as a pair of incompetent henchmen set out to recover the jewels a quick-tempered policeman makes it his mission to jail every offender who crosses his path. The three misfits who immediately draw his suspicions are an aspiring mafioso who needs to make his first hit in order to truly become part of the family, an M.B.A. from Darjeeling whose success in life is largely a result of his well-honed ability to suck up to the boss, and a wealthy underwear salesman who has recently opened a factory he plans to one day hand down to his son. Paresh Rawal, Sunil Shetty, and Tusshar Kapoor star in a colorful crime comedy from director Ashwani Dheer. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tusshar Kapoor, 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
A man in the autumn of his years finds love with a woman three decades his junior in this romantic comedy-drama. Buddha Gupta (Amitabh Bachchan) is a man in his mid-Sixties who has devoted his life to running the most celebrated Indian restaurant in London. Buddha puts his professional life before his personal needs, and has only two close companions -- his mother (Zohra Sehgal), who lives with him and still bosses him around, and a young girl (Swini Khara) who is suffering from a terminal illness. One evening at his restaurant, Buddha encounters a customer who has the nerve to send back a dish, saying it isn't spicy enough, and he meets Nina Verma (Tabu), an attractive and self-assured woman in her thirties who refuses to be intimidated by the restaurateur's reputation. While their first meeting is less than cheerful, fate keeps bringing Buddha and Tina together, and in time they realize they've fallen in love and decide to get married. When Tina learns her father Omprakash (Paresh Rawal) is in the hospital after a heart attack, she flies to India with her fiancé in tow; Buddha, who is several years older than Omprakash, tries to break the news of the coming nuptials to him by asking the father for Tina's hand in marriage. Buddha's respect for tradition leads to a difficult situation when Omprakash refuses to give permission for the May-December lovers to wed. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amitabh Bachchan, Tabu, (more)
- 2007
When the ancestral palace of the Brahmin family becomes the site of some seriously unsettling events, it's up to a psychiatrist from America to determine if the house is truly haunted in this comic thriller from director Priyadarshan. Badri is the family patriarch who presides over the sprawling family estate. When Badri's nephew Siddharth and his wife Avni return to their native village following an extended stint in America, it begins to appear that the rumors about their family palace being haunted are true. Soon everyone is wondering if there is a more logical reason for the strange events unfolding, and suspicions fall upon Badri's adopted daughter Radha. Later, Siddharth's friend Dr. Aditya arrives from America on a mission to solve the supernatural mystery and reveal the culprit responsible for the bizarre ruse. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, (more)
A woman in jeopardy has to deal with a growing number of men who've fallen in love with her, as well as a pair of thugs who want her dead, in this Bollywood musical comedy. Tanya (Rimi Sen) is a beautiful young woman who is in love with Karan (Shahid Kapoor), a sweet and handsome boy who happens to live down the street. However, when Tanya stumbles upon some information about a pair of local gangsters, she finds herself in great danger and must leave town for her own good. Tanya sets out for Dubai, but it isn't long before Karan misses her so much that he decides to find her. Not knowing where she's gone, Karan hires a private investigator, Rocky (Akshay Kumar), to follow her trail, but while Rocky is able to find Tanya easily enough, when he sees her he immediately falls head over heels for her and isn't especially interested in handing her over to Karan. Sanju (Suniel Shetty) is another young man who carries a torch for Tanya, and after she goes away he also sets out to find her; when he discovers Rocky wants to make her his own, he is determined to stop him, even though he's handicapped. And is this the end of the parade of men falling for Tanya? Not by a long shot. Deewane Huye Pagal was shot on location in India, Dubai, and Las Vegas, NV. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty, (more)
Intertwined lives serve as the springboard to raucous comedy in this lively effort from director Priyadarshan. A seemingly intentionally confusing comedy that layers cliché upon cliché in almost absurdist fashion, the story begins with the introduction of Nadu (Aftab Shivdasani), an aspiring singer who has come to strike it big in Mumbai. Although Nadu is quick to land an apartment, a catch comes when the landlord reveals that she only rents to married couples, a situation that is somewhat remedied when he meets Anjali (Rimi Sen), the village vixen in need of some quick cash and a place to stay. As various colorful characters stumble in and out the picture, it's obvious that things are going to become more complicated than Nadu had anticipated. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Losing his job after assaulting a cashier whom he witnessed cheat a longtime customer of 100 rupees, schizophrenic bank employee Vijay (Amitabh Bachchan) decides to get revenge on his superiors by robbing the bank he had dedicated his life to serving. Vijay blackmails teacher Neha (Sushmita Sen) to train three blind accomplices for the task at hand -- Vishwas (Akshay Kumar), Arjun (Arjun Rampal), and Ilias (Paresh Rawal) -- who begin rigorously training for the complex heist. Though the robbery proves an extremely difficult task, the aftermath poses an even greater danger for the criminals as a series of double crosses finds thier already shaky alliance crumbling at the foundation ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, (more)
