Good Shot

Here are a few of my unforgettable on-screen moments based on some recent releases:

The one with the 7 helicopters and Manhattan skyline: I don't know why the audience rejected Jaan-e-Mann. I quite liked the treatment of the film especially debut director Shirish Kunder's storytelling style through the medium of a song. Yeah, it was quite Broadway and that's what stayed in my mind. But another image just refuse to leave my mind space and that was when 7 helicopters were used to spell out New York. I think it was a fantastic gimmick to depict that the action has shifted to New York. It created an impact and was nothing short of a spectacle. No wonder they call it showbiz with the emphasis on show!!

The one where the Big B plays footsie with Lolita: It was the defining moment of Ram Gopal Varma's Nishabd. A 60-year-old man (Amitabh Bachchan) is having dinner with his wife and his daughter's friend (Jiah Khan). Everything seems routinely normal and polite except the fact that the daughter's friend is an 18-year-old vixen who is naughtily playing footsie with her friend's father who can't control his laughter. Both the protagonists portray just the right balance of sexual tension, awareness, mischief, fear and delight of the forbidden. This one crackles with energy!

The one where Ash n' Abhi are in bed: The mock fight that Abhishek and Aishwarya indulge in that scene in Guru successfully dispelled all those about their thanda on-screen chemistry. The scene adds just the right touch of intimacy, fun and comfort. Everybody in the cinema hall had a smile on their face when the actors were playing this one out.

The one where Rishi Kapoor has the last laugh: The entire rugby sequence in Vipul Shah's Namastey London was masala entertainment at its best. Taking it from where Lagaan left, the scene successfully evoked humour and patriotism. Didn't we all cheer for Akshay and his army to defeat the goras in their game and on their turf? Now that's kitschy! But the
piece de resistance was what followed after. Rishi Kapoor's unbridled laughter at the dinner table when he's reminiscing about the great victory is a great touch. And when Akshay and Katrina join in the laughing binge (the latter does it quite grudgingly) the scene is stamped with that something special.

The one with the pigeon: The scene where a blindfolded Amitabh Bachchan in the garb of Eklavya aims to separate a ghungroo tied to the leg of a flying pigeon is in my opinion the image of the film. The impact, in one word, is breathtaking. Everything works in the scene: the background music, the camerawork, the art direction, the performances and the direction. The dramatic effect of the sequence is made even more riveting when the ghungroo gets stuck on a ledge. Vidhu Vinod Chopra shoots the scene like a ritual especially when Eklavya is required to get into the pool to catch the ghungroo . It's like a painting!

The one where Eiffel Tower was in the background: I love the way Farhan Akhtar shot the introduction sequence of Shah Rukh Khan in Don. The whole attitude of the film was reflected in that little montage when SRK is on the phone, in his cool black car, while the Eiffel Tower is blurred in the background. The message was clear: Paris and Eiffel Tower were just incidental, Don had much more important things to do than moon about the most romantic city of the word. I liked the arrogance and attitude in the shot.

The one with unhinged disco ball: This one makes the mark for its sheer absurdity. I can't recollect the last time I saw a film with a more bizarre climax. Suneel Darshan's Shaka Laka Boom Boom was touted as a desi Amadeus but the film ended up as an unintentional comedy and that too of a pretty low order! I mean, can you imagine a disco ball falling on the protagonist's head as the conclusion of a film? It was hilarious, especially the demon dance in Bobby Deol's mind that followed soon after. People actually write this kind of stuff, shoot it and expect us to enjoy it? Sigh!

The one when Raima's saree came off: This one shot of Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd when Raima Sen's saree comes off when she's on a parachute is symbolic to the core. There she is, the free spirited Bengali housewife enjoying her freedom in the sky without bothering about her saree. And there on the ground, is her conservative Bengali husband ready to burst a blood vessel because he can't bear to watch others see his wife in her petticoat and blouse. The scene brings out the contrasts between the couple so effortlessly. Good fun!