movie in the middle of the week!! and here is the review! shootout at lokhandwala ,

when the protector kills to protect, he crosses the line that separated him and the killer. or is it? this rather sums up shootout at lokhandwala. based on true rumours, the film is a gripping docu-drama in the commercial mode.

but the facts first- the movie is an attempt to dramatise an incident that took place on 16th nov 1991. 6 people 5 gangsters and one of their kidnapped victim , encountered by the mumbai police's ATs men, in the longest encounter in mumbai police's history. 6 men , who were unarmed , outnumbered by the police who were 400 strong , but were gangsters nevertheless. in an enquiry that followed the incident, the ATS honchos were left free of accusations of violations of human rights.

now the film- with an issue like this at hand, its easy to take sides,, u are either with or against the police/gangsters. to the director apoorva lakhia's credit, the movie treads the middle path.

it shows both the turmoil, the pressure a policeman is under , his broken family and order of duty, while also bringing forth the gangsters humane side. no character is balck or white.
if sanjay dutt as the ATS head and media's encounter specialist hero, is shown giving shoot to kill orders for 6 men who could have easily been arrested, the gory killings by the mobsters too get equal footage.

the movie opts for a documentary-style of weaving the yarn, using actual tv images of the incident from news records with fictional reconstruction based on rumours and hearsay.where the records go silent, the story writer and his imagination fill the gaps efficiently.

facts , yet unprooven , are rpesented unbiased. ATS says it got information about the 6 men hiding from an informer. the media said Dawood tipped them off to settle personal score. both of this is presented without shying away from the truth. its scenes like this that push the movie above the banal guns and goons bollywood rigmarole.

the performances are good. the macho brigade of sanjay dutt and sunil shetty is supported by an in-form viveik oberoi( seems like leaving the Ash-baggage works wonders for her ex-men) . tusshar kapoor though, looking like a lamb lost among a pack of wolves, is miscast as the baddie.

the movie is gruesome, gory , and unflinchingly to - the - point, both in the well executed sction sequences , as well as in throwing up questions.

was the police right in violating human rights so grossly? could the 6 men not have been arrested alive? is encounter the route to end crime? and what differentiates an encounter specialist from a contract killer? watch shootout at lokhandwala and decide for yourself!

chalo har friday ek review atleast ka idea aaya hai ! so aaj se hi shuru karte hain!
boys take time to grow into men! sometimes 64 long years too!! says neena to buddha!!
for a man marriage is a license to sex , while sex is the price a woman pays for marriage , and this is the deep philosophy of life! says buddha to neena!!
well cheeni kum is all this and more!!
a delightfully sugar less yet sweet movie , tackilng an awkward issue with elan!
the story line is simple, buddha is a chef at an indian eatery in london , and he gets into a fit of rage over an extra ounce of sugar in hyderabadi zafraani biriyani, which neena returns in his hotel after ordering it! and seeing neena he also falls in love with her! the mutual feeling of love is evident , but in comes neen's dad who is against the relationship! stale ?? wats new u ask??
aaah!! the catch here is neena is 34 yrs old, while buddha , at 64, is 6 yrs elder to neenas dad!!!

tabu , as neena, is magnificent. a worthy followup to her act in the namesake, she lives up the epithet of the thinking man's sex symbol! yeah she plays the role to the hilt!amitabh , yet again , is out to break all taboos in bollywood as far as age is concerned,( as if there are any left tat he alredy hasnt!) and packs in a punch! paresh rawal is competent but the script lets him down!
debutant director balki does a neat job , but the writer in him needs some homework, as the movie though had a great idea, at one point it did seem to sag! a much tauter script could have immensly added to its fortunes at the box ofice!

the movie proudle espouses the fact that life can begin for some at 60 , while juxtaposing this with the small girl who is dying of cancer , for whom life never is gonna reach beyond a few more years. the irony works and does not take away from teh overall sweet feel of the film. and also watch out for witty one liner's and the tongue in cheek remark on police not arresting satyagrahi's if they sit on hunger strikeas!! some groups are gonaan wreck their heads on tat one for sure!
overall a treat to watch, this sugar free desert is a delight!!