Saurabh Shukla Movies
Two stars find their paths rising and falling within the Bollywood studio system in this nostalgic musical drama from director and screenwriter Sudhir Mishra. It's the mid-Fifties, and Nikhat (Soha Ali Khan) is a lovely young woman who dreams of a career in the movies. When Nikhat meets Prem Kumar (Rajat Kapoor), a well-known actor whose career is starting to go into decline, he helps her land a small role in a film, and soon Nikhat becomes the protégé of studio chief Khosa (Saurabh Shukla). As Nikhat rises to sudden fame, another new face becomes a force to be reckoned with at the studio -- Zafar (Shiney Ahuja), a successful and well-respected playwright who discovers he has a knack for writing movie scripts. After penning a handful of hits, Zafar becomes an important director, with his close friend Shyamol (Vinay Pathak) as his right-hand man. As the studio's leading actress and best director, Zafar and Nikhat become Bollywood royalty, and it surprises no one when the two fall in love. However, in the grand tradition of show biz romances, Zafar and Nikhat's relationship runs into a rough patch when she becomes an alcoholic and he falls from favor with Khosa and his associates. Khoya Khoya Chand (aka Lost Moon) received its American premiere at the 2008 Palm Springs Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shiney Ahuja, Soha Ali Khan, (more)
Accused of cheating and desperate to prove his innocence, an eighteen-year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai reflects back on his tumultuous life while competing to win 20 million rupees on India's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in Danny Boyle's inspirational drama. Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) may not have a penny to his name, but that could all change in a matter of hours. He's one question away from taking the top prize on India's most popular television game show, but as with everything else in Jamal's life, it isn't going to be easy. Arrested by police under suspicion of cheating, Jamal is interrogated by the authorities. The police simply can't believe that a common "slumdog" could possibly possess the knowledge to get this far in the game, and in order to convince them of how he gained such knowledge, Jamal begins reflecting back on his childhood. As young boys, Jamal and his older brother, Salim, lived in squalor, and lost their mother in a mob attack on Muslims. Subsequently forced to rely on their own wits to survive, the desperate siblings fell back on petty crime, eventually befriending adorable yet feisty young Latika as they sought out food and shelter on the unforgiving streets of Mumbai. Though life on the streets was never easy, Jamal's experiences ultimately instilled in him the knowledge he needed to answer the tough questions posed to him on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. And though Jamal makes a convincing case for himself, one question still remains: why would a young man with no apparent desire for wealth or fame be so determined to win big on a national game show? Of course, it won't be long until everyone finds out the answer to this burning question, because as Jamal sits down to find out whether he will be rich beyond his wildest dreams, 60 million viewers remain transfixed to their televisions eager to see if he'll correctly answer the final question. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, (more)
- 2007
Mixed Doubles star Ranvir Shorey stars as an actor seduced into the notorious Indian underworld after being approached to impersonate a major crime kingpin in modern-day Mumbai. Much like the hundred of thousands of other aspiring actors hoping to strike it big in Bollywood, our ambitious protagonist is used to playing small, insignificant parts. But this actor possesses one unique trait that the rest of his fellow-actors do not - he's the spitting image of a major mafia heavy. Now forced to assume the persona of a wanted man with a fearsome reputation, the actor greets his challenge with Oscar-winning ambition. But his new existence is based entirely on a lie, and while the situations he becomes involved with are merely comical at first, they quickly take a hard turn into far more deadly territory. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Naseeruddin Shah, Ranvir Shorey, (more)
Six couples, all from different parts of the world and different walks of life, are all brought together by destiny, fate, and the power of love in director Nikhil Advani's heartfelt tale of romance. Tehzeeb (Vidya Balan) and Ashutosh (John Abraham) have been married for two years and are still deeply in love. When Tehzeeb is involved in a tragic accident, Ashu finds her devotion to her husband put to the ultimate test. Raju (Govinda) is a New Delhi taxi driver who has picked up passengers from the international airport for 15 years, all the while waiting for the appearance of his blonde-haired dream girl. When the woman finally does emerge from the bustling airport one day, Raju finds just how different fantasy and reality can truly be. Every day is the same for London-based PR worker Vinay Malhotra (Anil Kapoor). Awakening sunrise after sunrise in a picture-perfect suburban home, and always returning to a family that is happy to see him at the end of the day, Vinay discovers just how unpredictable the world can be when the beautiful and capricious Anjali (Anjana) determines to seduce the devoted family man and teach him the true definition of passion. Kkamini (Priyanka Chopra) is the bad girl of Bollywood cinema. Upon deciding to change her image for the better, this beautiful young actress finds her plans suddenly thwarted by the mysterious Rahul (Salman Khan). When consummate New Delhi bachelor Shiven (Akshaye Khanna) realizes that he is about to make the ultimate commitment in just ten days, the panic that follows finds him weighing the coming commitment against his much-valued freedom. Finally, newlyweds Ramdayal (Sohail Khan) and Phoolwati (Isha Koppikar) are eager to fulfill the lust that has been gradually building in each of them for years, yet their quest to satiate their driving desire is steadily thwarted by a series of tragicomic events. Eventually, each couple will come together to discover just how the purity of love can make even the most mundane of events both magical and ethereal. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vidya Balan, John Abraham, (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)
- 2002
Sanjay Gadhvi's romantic comedy Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai is about an attempt to undo an upcoming wedding. Uday Chopra plays Sanjay Malhotra, a young, successful man with lots of luck with the ladies. He discovers that his childhood friend Anjali (Sanjana) is going to marry. He leaves his model girlfriend Ria (Bipasha Basu) and attempts to wreck the ceremony. When her family welcomes the fiancée with open arms, and takes an immediate liking to him, the situation becomes more complex. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Uday Chopra, Jimmy Shergill, (more)
Bandit Queen, based on the true story of legendary female warrior Phoolan Devi, is a confrontational epic that paints a far different picture of India from other arthouse productions. Devi (Seema Biswas) is married at age 11, abandoned by her husband when she resists his advances, and turned into a social outcast who, at one point, is gang-raped by the upper-caste men of one village. She later gets her revenge by organizing a massacre that leaves 20 villagers dead. Devi ultimately leads a band of latter-day Robin Hoods on bold raids against landowners in Central India during the late '70s and early '80s, often taking their spoils and redistributing them to poor tenant farmers. By the time she is arrested in 1983, Devi has become a folk hero, especially to the women who live in rural India's brutally patriarchal society. A full-fledged commercial production, handsomely produced and directed by talented Indian filmmaker Shekhar Kapur (who emerged from the country's vaunted "Bollywood" system), Bandit Queen painfully exposes a controversial aspect of Indian culture, while providing a triumphant portrait of female empowerment. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Seema Biswas, Nirmal Pandey, (more)
