Life Ki Toh Lag Gayi (2012) Movie Review | Storyline | Plot

Life Ki Toh Lag Gayi (2012) Movie Review

Films with the Mumbaiya flavor have, quite often, found acceptance and approval by viewers of Hindi movies. IS RAAT KI SUBAH NAHIN, PARINDA, SATYA, VAASTAV, RANGEELA, HERA PHERI, ONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAAI are some prominent paradigms that come to my mind instantly. Furthermore, each week, the spectators are greeting additional films that are exceedingly factual and significant, with content that is relatable. LIFE KI TOH LAG GAYI follows the footsteps of IS RAAT KI SUBAH NAHIN, but the problem is that it appeals in flashes. It holds your attention in bits and spurts. Yet, there’s no denying that debutant director Rakesh Mehta has filmed a number of sequences with expertise. Sadly, it’s the writing that lets him down. Had the writing been cohesive and editing sharper, LIFE KI TOH LAG GAYI would’ve been notches above what it is right now.

LIFE KI TOH LAG GAYI is a one-day journey of different people struggling in the city of Mumbai. They eventually end up at one place and find their ways… A tense Salman [Kay Kay Menon] is looking for the murderers of his parents, a humiliated cop ACP Chautala [Manu Rishi] is looking for four Nigerian drug peddlers with 24 hours deadline on his neck, a desperate lover Amol [Ranvir Shorey] comes to rescue his beloved girlfriend who has got married to some millionaire, a runaway girl from Chandigarh Dolly [Neha Bhasin] wants to go back home, but not before she recovers all the money she has lost in attempt to become a top heroine of Bollywood. Ajoy [Pradhuman Singh], the Bengali rockstar, advises his close friend Amol to commit suicide. All this happens in a single day in Mumbai.

It’s tough to have a start, a middle and an end for a single story, but the storyteller attempts to narrate as many as four stories in a single film. Now that’s an achievement. But, like I mentioned earlier, the stories take a long time to reach the conclusion. Also, the lethargic unfolding of the narrative is a deterrent, besides a few sequences that tend to get repetitive.

LIFE KI TOH LAG GAYI has an ensemble cast, with every actor trying to put his/her best foot forward. Ranvir Shorey is competent, while Pradhuman Singh goes over the top. Neha Bhasin catches your eye and wins your confidence. Manu Rishi is excellent, as always. He adds so much value to the film. Kay Kay Menon sparkles in his role, mainly in the final sequence when he settles the scores with the antagonist. Sharat Saxena doesn’t get much scope.

The film has a host of known actors in supporting roles, including Jackie Shroff, Shakti Kapoor, Asrani, Razzaq Khan, Neeraj Vora, Rukhsaar and Tom Alter.
On the whole, LIFE KI TOH LAG GAYI has a fascinating concept, but the writing plays the spoilsport.

Tezz (2012) Movie Review | Storyline | Plot

Tezz (2012) Movie Review

The story of TEZZ is uncomplicated… A team of Asians place a bomb on a high-speed train. The authorities receive an anonymous threat that a triggered bomb has been planted on a bullet train operating between London and Glasgow. If the train decelerates or loses speed below a certain tempo, it will be destroyed along with its many passengers, unless a ransom is paid. The police want to stop the bombs from exploding, while the railway authorities want to save the lives of the passengers and they soon find themselves in a disagreement under the frantic pace set by these dramatic circumstances.

Does the plot sound familiar? Yes, I am sure, it sounds recognizable. But a vital clarification, before I proceed further. It’s widely discussed that TEZZ is generously inspired or a replica of the 1994 Keanu Reeves starrer SPEED. It’s also said that SPEED was a recreation of the Japanese thriller SHIKANSEN DAIBAKUHA [1975], which was also known as THE BULLET TRAIN. Reportedly, even the Thai film industry got inspired by the Japanese movie in 1977 and made a movie called 1 2 3 MONSTER EXPRESS. While the Japanese movie had the plot set on a high-speed train, SPEED was on board a bus. Without giving the plot away, I’d like to say that TEZZ does seek inspiration from the above-mentioned films, but is no replica or a duplication of the above-mentioned movies.

TEZZ is a good looking thriller filmed with expertise. Loaded with an ingenious premise, thrilling moments and action, Priyadarshan has curved it into a tremendously well-executed motion picture. The film’s sole objective is to keep moving at a feverish pace, keeping the spectator completely immersed and entertained with the on-screen occurrences. Sure, there are some unwarranted moments [more on that later!], but the pacing is so breakneck and the cinematography so superior that it’s easy to overlook the few unreasonable moments.

Shot across England with action sequences like none other, one scarcely pauses to take a breath. If you’ve ever travelled on the lightning fast bullet train, you know how terrifying the thought of an accident is. If you enjoy panic movies with ultimate action and edgy thriller suspense, then TEZZ should do the trick for you.

On the flip side, the back story of Zayed and Sameera vis-à-vis their camaraderie and solidarity with Ajay could have been more persuasive and better elucidated for a stronger impact. Only then would the episodes involving Zayed and Sameera and what prompts them to risk their lives to support Ajay in implementing his plans appear compelling. Similarly, the portions involving Ajay and Kangna, towards the latter half, appear synthetic. The eagerness and zest of a couple uniting after five years is evidently amiss. Ditto for the final moments. The hand to hand combat scenes between Anil and Ajay adds value, but appear unwarranted and only stretch the narrative inanely. Besides, the visual effects could have been a wee bit superior.

But these are trifling discolorations. The plus points effortlessly prevail over and outnumber the deficiencies here. Though there are ample thrilling moments in the enterprise, I’d like to single out two chase sequences that are simply outstanding — the first involving Sameera and the second featuring Zayed. Besides, the film lives up to its title, with the plot unraveling at a feverish pace. Last but not the least, the performances by the principal cast is a big plus.

Action choreographers Gareth Milne and Peter Pedrero, who previously worked on several international films, pool resources with Priyadarshan for high-quality action on screen. They do a remarkable job. Tirru’s cinematography deserves special mention. This must’ve been an intricate film to shoot, but the outcome is at par with any international film. The car stunts, the chase sequences and of course, the sequences in a moving train are filmed with precision. Sajid-Wajid’s musical score is satisfactory. The Mallika Sherawat track at the very outset sets the ball rolling, while the romantic track between Ajay and Kangna is smartly interwoven in the narrative.

It’s a treat watching Anil Kapoor on screen. Though the actor has been an integral part of so many movies in the past, you can never accuse him of repeating himself. Besides, he may be in his early 50s, but that hasn’t deterred Anil from performing the high-octane action stunts with flourish. Ajay Devgn excels yet again. The actor has the perfect demeanor, attitude and physical appearance for the character he portrays. Also, those who felt that Ajay had cut down on action roles of late are in for a treat. Ajay’s character has an emotional side, but it’s the action portions, which he handles like a complete pro, that makes his character even more appealing.

Kangna is an integral part of the film, but the screen time is limited. Nonetheless, her sequence with Anil towards the final moments catches your attention. Zayed doesn’t get ample scope, but he’s fantastic in the chase sequence towards the second hour. Sameera gets to do some daredevil stunts and also gets a couple of interesting sequences to leave a mark and she clutches the opportunity with both the hands. Mohanlal, an actor par excellence, gets minimal scope. Boman Irani is fantastic. One can easily rate it amongst his best works. Mallika Sherawat sizzles in the ‘Laila’ track.