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This is an archive article published on February 25, 2011

Pocket Size blockbusters

In 2010 small was the new big. Success of films like Udaan (which also took home the Karbonn Mobiles 17th Annual Star Screen Best Film award),Tere Bin Laden,Peepli [Live,Do Dooni Char and Love Sex Aur Dhoka heralded a refreshing trend. In the New Year,just a month down we’ve had Dhobi Ghat and Yeh Saali Zindagi. There’s a buffet of more such small gems round the corner. Who knows one of these films might be this year’s Udaan.

In 2010 small was the new big. Success of films like Udaan (which also took home the Karbonn Mobiles 17th Annual Star Screen Best Film award),Tere Bin Laden,Peepli [Live,Do Dooni Char and Love Sex Aur Dhoka heralded a refreshing trend. In the New Year,just a month down we’ve had Dhobi Ghat and Yeh Saali Zindagi. There’s a buffet of more such small gems round the corner. Who knows one of these films might be this year’s Udaan.

Tanu Weds Manu
The unconventional casting of R. Madhavan and Kangna Ranaut has the zing factor. The promos look promising,the humour is fresh and the music is a good listen. Anand L Rai is attempting a romcom with a strong desi flavour.

Just for the fact that we get to see Kangna in a non-suicidal avatar makes this film on our to-watch list. As for Madhavan,it’s high time he got the lead role. He’s too good for those thankless supporting turns.

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Chalo Dilli
The first production of Lara Dutta and Mahesh Bhupati also veers in the unconventional casting zone with Lara teamed up with Vinay Pathak. The romcom has Lara shimmying in rain on top of a train. Lara’s Andaaz co-star Akshay Kumar has essayed a pivotal cameo. Sounds like a lot of fun.

That Girl In Yellow Boots
The patron saint of indie cinema,Anurag Kashyap directs girlfriend Kalki Koechlin in a slick thriller. The film was well received at the Venice International Film Festival. Koechlin plays a British girl who comes to India in search of her father. The story gets all twisted when she gets involved with drug junkies and gangsters and ultimately she is pushed into working in a seedy massage parlour. It’ll be interesting to see Kashyap’s treatment of the story.

Shagird
Tigmaanshu Dhulia and Nana Patekar is a combination worth checking out. Dhulia writes crackling stuff and Haasil showed that he has the chops for direction. Patekar in a cop film is always a good idea and it’ll be interesting to see what Dhulia brings to the genre. Anurag Kashyap is also acting in it,which should not be a bad thing.

Delhi Belly
The teaser with its no-holds-barred toilet humour disgusts you initially but the damn thing sticks in the mind.

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The farts and groans of Kunal Roy Kapoor as he sits on a toilet only to have the flush crashing on his head is quite an image. Aamir Khan sure knows how to make his productions stand out. So we are curious to see what this whacked-out comedy about three guys who get entangled with the underworld is about. Imran Khan fans will get to see him break out of his romcom groove.

Paan Singh Tomar
Tigmanshu Dhulia features again on the list. This one has been in the making for long and hopefully producers UTV will release it soon. It’s a biopic of a steeplechase runner who becomes an outlaw. Touted as Irrfan Khan’s best performance to date,

it’ll be worth a watch.

Kachcha Limboo
It’s been a long wait for director Sagar Bellary’s next after Bheja Fry. Kachcha Limboo is about 13-year-old Shambu and his relationship with his friends,teachers and parents. Bellary wanted to debut with Kachcha Limboo. The success of Bheja Fry made it possible for him to make a children’s film without any compromises. From a budget of Rs 50 lakhs for Bheja Fry to Rs 5 crore,this is a huge leap for Bellary.

I AM
Onir weaves four separate vignettes,which deal with social issues like homophobia,displacement,child abuse and the Maoist crisis. The star cast is top notch: Nandita Das,Juhi Chawla,Manisha Koirala,Sanjay Suri,Rahul Bose and Abhimanyu Singh. Film-makers Anurag Basu and Anurag Kashyap are also lending their support through cameos.

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Happi
We’ll take Pankaj Kapur in any role. And when it’s a Chaplinesque comedy about a common man and he’s written it then we are already sold. Kapur teams up with his Dharm director,Bhavna Talwar,for Happi. Nobody does comedy like Kapur so this one is going to be worth the wait. We hope.

Teen Thay Bhai
Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra produces newbie director Mrighdeep Lamba’s film. Shot entirely in Gulmarg,the movie stars Om Puri,Deepak Dobriyal and Shreyas Talpade as three brothers who can’t stand the sight of each other. Sounds delicious.

Raagini MMSEkta Kapoor treads the small risqué route once again after Love Sex Aur Dhoka. This one’s a paranormal romantic thriller said to be inspired by a real- life incident.

Bheja Fry 2
And finally the sequel. The idiot is back and this time he’s going abroad. Vinay Pathak reprises his cult role and for company he has Minissha Lamba,Amol Gupte and Kay Kay Menon. Encore sounds good.

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