99 by Nikhil

Link: www.99thefilm.com

Verdict: Part boredom(70%), part fun(30%).

Yawn!: Well, after a long break, i was eagerly looking forward to returning back to the cinemas, and I felt that probably this time around the movie is going to have it easy; that no matter how bad the film might be, the long, mean break would ensure I end up enjoying the film… But it was not meant to be.

I saw the movie a little late, and by then, had heard some positive talk about it, from a couple of (now labelled ‘unreliable’) sources, one of whom is my fellow critic :). My fuelled expectations actually contributed to the increased disappointment with the film.

The directors have tried to pull out something on the lines of ‘Khosla ka Ghosla’, using a real-life premise, that of betting in cricket, to put together a story. Of that of an incorrigible gambler (Boman) losing out on money over cricket betting with two small time crooks (Kunal and Cyrus) out to recover money from him, and the comic situations that ensue from there on. The story thought interestingly thought out, is marred by the amateurish talent of the directors and their team. For a start, the movie is too slow for its plot. And the laughs are scarce and too spaced out. The moments in between are way too many and filled with such inconsequential details such that one is left looking around in the theatre what to do! At certain places, it feels as if the team forgot to put in a background score, especially in the first half. The women in the movie, both Soha and Simon are wasted, primarily because their characters are of no consequence to the plot. Many situations, between Soha and Kunal, and Simon and Boman, seem unnecessarily concocted to add the essential "emotional" quotient to an Indian film. The songs add to the irritation as well, and the revelation at the end is more or less expected. It could have been a far better movie, had the directors tried to build a tighter plot or/and had more funny moments to include. With both Delhi and Mumbai as part of the plot, they definitely had a chance to do the latter, which they partly lost out on. Hoping for something better the next time around.

Cool!: Certain moments and characters in the film definitely stand out. The mobile phone, a relatively new entity at the time period in which the movie is based, has been intelligently used for humour. Few of the conversations and situations are very funny; I personally found the antics of ‘Khuber’, the Delhi based criminal, the funniest. Boman Irani is appreciable for his effort, and the subtle nuances added to his character of a compulsive gambler, are insightful. Vinod Khanna as the bookie does well as well. Nevertheless, the movie though surely to be appreciated for such elements, aint worth being called ‘paisa-wasool’.

'99' by Ashim

Rating ***1/2



It has been about 5-6 Fridays! I was missing my nachos and cheese salsa. I was missing the aroma of popcorn, the hustle bustle of a movie hall and that enclosure of the air-conditioned dark auditorium! 99 released this Friday and being an avid movie buff, I was dying to hit the theatres and have a blast for 2 and half hours. Guess what? It was certainly worth my wait!!

‘99’ takes you down the memory lane to the Y2K era (around 1999). Mobile phones were a new concept and gaining popularity in India along with the internet cafes. It was the time around which the notorious bookies were betting in full throttle. Hansie Cronje, Nicky Boje, Herschelle Gibbs and our very own Mohd. Azharuddin and Ajay Jadeja were in news for match fixing.

With good performers and an interesting storyline on screen, you expect nothing but a qualitative product and ‘99’ is definitely one! The directors of 99 know how to package an interesting story with top-notch performances and entertaining moments with aplomb.

For me the best feature of the film is the look and the treatment of the film. It looks chic and stylish right from the innovative casting to the last half an hour which has several interesting twists. The journey from scene A to Z is well structured. The writing is intelligent with ordinary, real life characters and direction is gripping. The plot is not slapstick! It rather has a light hearted, spicy and tongue-in-cheek kind of mood. It ensures you feel good moving out of the theatre. Apart from these pluses, a major highlight has to be the performances in the film.

Boman Irani plays an interesting character of a compulsive gambler who has a lot of fundas on luck and stakes almost everything he has if he believes it’s going to be his day. He stands out and was 100 on 100 for me in 99. Amit Mistry as Delhi recovery agent with his giant chamcha ‘Dimple’ were simply side-splitting together. Other commendable performances were that of Mahesh Manjrekar as the bookie and Vinod Khanna as the billionaire gambler.

Kunal Khemu is a really good actor and gets better and more confident with every movie. The role was perfectly suited for him and he does justice to it at the same time. Cyrus Broacha as his friend/partner as expected, was damn funny with very witty dialogues though he would want to work upon his acting skills and Hindi pronunciation. Soha too is evolving into a fine actress but gets sidelined in this plot. Gorgeous Simone Singh does look beautiful but got less scope to perform.
Romance and songs do not have a lot of scope in the story and director thankfully is intelligent enough to understand that! The background score is peppy though inspired somewhat from Pulp Fiction sound track. The dialogues are well penned too.

Treat this film as an entertainer and sit through it without taxing your brains. You'd enjoy the film! On the whole, ‘99’ works in two ways. It'll appeal to those who enjoy light entertainers and also those who like some thrill in the story line. With no opposition and being the only biggish release after a long break, the film should have a blissful ride at the ticket window as well. You should grab your ticket today!