The director Sanjay Gadhavi after directing some hit movies like Dhoom and Dhoom 2 definitely has faltered with the plot in Kidnap. Kidnap also does find parallels to the flick Zinda in terms of kidnapping theme. The movie Kidnap ignites intial interest, gets on to the waning mode with a lax plot, only to bow out without any fizzle.

The story begins with Sonia (Minnissha Lamba) a defiant and headstrong teenager who stays alongwith her divorced mother Dr. Mallika ( Vidya Malavade) and grand mother ( Reema Lagoo). Just before her eighteenth birthday she is kidnapped, the kidnapper Kabir Sharma ( Imran Khan) does not want ransom, instead he wants to play a game of negotiation with Sonia’s father Vikrant Raina ( Sanjay Dutt). Raina the richest Indian with a net worth of 51.7 billion dollars finds his world shattered. A man not used to taking orders is required to be on the run, follow the kidnappers orders and complete a series of tasks, each of which holds the clue. Each task completed is the only hope of keeping his daughter alive. With the kidnapper practically watching over his every move, one task incomplete and he would lose his daughter forever. All he can do is, try and connect with the clues to find out why this game of one on one. Kabir is a victim of Raina’s ruthless decision when he was 14 years old, which labels him as criminal. Years later Kabir masterminds series of events that force Raina to commit crime. At the end Kabir asks Raina a question, “Does committing a crime make you a criminal”

The director Sanjay Gadhavi has done all with his realms to get the movie going on, but has been let down by the scripting. The writer Shibani Bathija after a promising start has just has deteriorated the storyline to be unexciting and drabbing. The tasks required to get to the clues could have been much better and ditto for the climax. Cinematography by Bobby Singh is awesome. Pritam’s music is not quite there, the songs ‘Mit Jaye’ and ‘Hey Ya’ are okay.

Imran Khan has comfortably eased into the role of the steely kidnapper, emerging a clear winner. Sanjay Dutt has been in the on and off mode, at some places he stands out and at some ….need I say. Minnissha Lamba has done a fair job, but her costumes are a let down considering the fact of her been kidnapped. Vidya Malavade has given a stoic performance. Rahul Dev has been under-ulitised. Reema Lagoo was really not required.

The movie Kidnap definitely has a good theme, starts off well but doesn’t keep up to the expected levels that it possibly could have reached as a movie and also on the box office.

Rating: 2.25 out of 5

It is the Eid holiday on a weekday and after a long time I got the opportunity to catch a FDFS* at Ramakrishna Gliteratti, in our very own Abids, Hyderabad. I had to choose between three films, Chinthakayala Ravi, Drona, and Kidnap, and in spite of warnings from my friends I choose Drona. My friend, K-Man, and me share a joke that Abhishek Bachchan is a Iron Leg of Bollywood (any film he stars will either flop or suffer) and the idea of him being a superhero was all the more funny. The guy just can’t act for nuts…just look at him trying to be serious in the posters of Drona and you know he is trying real hard. Anyways, FDFS was running khulla…no buzz at the theater and tickets available in plenty (same was the case for Kidnap right next door at Ramakrishna 70mm). Anyways, Drona is a total waste film.

The film begins with young boy Aditya (Abhishek Bachchan) as an adopted son to a family where the mother is ill-treating him at the cost of showing love to her own son. Reminds me of Harry Potter, but I forget which installment of the franchise though. Everytime he is dull or sad (it is hard to tell cuz Abhishek Bachchan always looks dull and sad) a violet color leaf lands near him. His father tells him that one day he will understand why he is special (we never hear from him again). And now introducing the most annoying and embarassing performance of the year, Kay Kay as the evil magician Riz Raizada. Riz is an asur/rakshas who wants to obtain the amrut that was first distributed by the Gods and finally secretly stored in Planet Earth under the protection of a special warriar clan called Drona. It turns out that the latest installment of Drona is our sad-boy Aditya and now Riz is after him. However, Drona is always protected by some people without his knowledge and the main person dedicated to his protection is Sonia (Priyanka Chopra). Much to the dissapointment of his clan memebrs, Aditya is unwilling to accept that he is indeed the Drona until his mother is turned to stone by Riz untill the whereabouts of the amrut are told. So just before the interval just when the audience are going mad, Aditya decides to become Drona to his mother back.

And then begins a painful journey in the second half in search of the amruth. I am not sure how exactly the film ends because myself along with 5 others whom I don’t know from the Bolcony walked out 30 minutes before the show ended. I have never done this ever before. We could take it no more and one of the guy coming out exclaimed to the theater manager “yeh ek film hai?!…” The film is boring, slow, and just doesn’t move on. The special effects are silly—they either remind you of old Mogambo style special effects or that of Mummy. The SFX don’t matter if the film is so bad. Kay Kay is made to deliver one of his career’s most embarassing performances. It just sucks! And after this film, producers and financiers who beleive in superstitiions will shudder to take Priyanka Chopra in any fantasy film. she too is becoming an Iron Leg for such films. Abhishek Bachchan can now stop hoping to make it to the big league. He must have thought that Drona will be his ticket to stardom and a mass fan following, but hard luck. The screenplay is bad. Songs are pathetic and they come in at wrong times. He is just fake and with that kajal in his eyes he looks silly. Abhishek Bachchan has no Star Power whatsoever. In Hyderabad-Nizam area, a key center for Hindi movies that contributes as the fourth biggest revenue earner for Hindi films, Abhishek has no buzz. There was absolutely no response in the theater when Abhishek made an entrance.

Also, why does the film have to be based in some foreign country? I know, the Lullas of Eros International have invested money and they need this money in the first 3 days from the Overseas market. As for the writers and the director, Goldie Bhel, they deserve an award and recognition for making a film that can be used as a guide on ‘How Not to Make Superhero films‘. Move over Love Story 2050, Drona now tops the Pathetic Films List for 2008. There is nothing in this film for kids either–no magic and no masti. So don’t waste your hard earned money at a multiplex and don’t bother seeing it at a single screen either. Not even worth a DVD rental nor a view on the cable. Just skip this one.

*First Day First Show

The fourth season of reality show, Indian Idol 4 would kick start from today on Sony Entertainment Television. Now what remains to be seen is whether the fourth edition of Indian Idol 4 would be able to recreate the magic of Indian Idol 1..

REALITY SHOWS and small screen have become synonymous with each other. In fact, reality shows have left the televisions soaps far behind to rule the television rating points (TRPs). With an excellent combination of drama and reality with music, humour, thrill and glamour, reality shows have made a special place in almost every home of the nation. At the same time, Bollywood stars use the reality shows to promote their upcoming movies. Nowadays, every television channel has its reality show and by hook and crook the producers increase the viewership.

Trend of reality shows started couple of years back with Indian Idol and it has now become the lifeline of television. Sony Entertainment Television partnered with production house - Miditech Private Limited and international company - Fremantle Media to produce the Indian Idol.

Indian Idol provided a platform for the youths of the nation who dare to dream, have the ability to chase their dreams and bring these to life. Continuing this trend, Sony Entertainment Television is bringing the fourth edition of Indian Idol to be telecast from September 19. Indian Idol- 4 will be telecast every Friday and Saturday at 9.00 pm exclusively on Sony Entertainment Television.

Indian Idol, an adaptation of the blockbuster ‘Pop Idol’ format and also the Indian version of ‘American Idol’ was launched in the year 2005. In its inaugural edition, the show became the most popular television programme and broke several records. Abhijeet Sawant, a middle class Mumbai boy clinched the title of first ever Indian Idol and won the contract of one crore from Sony. With the win in Indian Idol, Sawant became the hero of the nation. Very soon Sawant cut an album for Sony and also got the chance for playback singing. Success of Indian Idol started a new trend in Indian small screen and almost all entertainment channels began their own reality show.

Sony Entertainment Television itself was highly excited over the huge success of Indian Idol 1. The channel decided to roll out the show every year. However, Indian Idol 2 and 3 did not become as popular as the first edition. Winners of two editions, Sandeep Acharya (Indian Idol 2) and Prashant Tamang (Indian Idol 3) could not create magic like Sawant. Their contract albums with Sony were also flop and hardly anyone remembers them as idols.

Meanwhile, the viewership of the Indian Idol also dropped. The old format of the show was one of the reasons behind the poor viewership. Hence, the producers of the show changed the format to make the show interesting. The punch line of the show has also been changed from ‘Bharat ki Shaan’ to ‘Yeh style, Yeh music, Yeh world humara hai’.

Deepali and Chang, the last season participants would return to the stage as the new hosts for the audition phase, while popular television star and last year host Hussain Kuwajerwala will host Indian Idol 4.

In addition to its regular judge, music director Anu Malik and lyricist-poet Javed Akhtar, the show features two new jury members – Sufi singer Kailesh Kher and actress Sonali Bendre.

According to the channel, Indian Idol 4 will address the aspirations of ‘Young India’ this season. With Indian Idol 4, the channel promises to bring alive the wave of enthusiasm among the youth and also expects to create a record in the history of television viewership.

Let us see, whether the show will be able to create the magic among the country’s youths or not. So, gear up and fix yourself before your television screen today evening at 9.00 pm to enjoy the fun and drama on the screen.

source: http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=141612