Boys and their toys
MINI ANTHIKAD-CHHIBBER
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Dhoom 2, which opens today, is a celebration of the testosterone-fuelled guy film.
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As six men walked across abreast in slow motion in Sanjay Gupta's `Kaante,' the world (at least that part of the world that watches Hindi films) was seduced by a dizzying new cinematic grammar. We were sick and tired of the candyfloss romance and marriage video films. So when Gupta's version of Quentin Tarantino's `Reservoir Dogs' hit the screen, it was welcomed with open arms.
Sheer magnetism
The film also saw the birth of an actor in Sanjay Manjrekar. His foul-mouthed tethering on-the-edge-of-sanity character was incendiary and burnt up the screen with sheer animal magnetism. The guy film is all about boys and their toys. The colour palate favours blue, steel grey and black. Sleek cars and flashy bikes zoom across the screen on pure adrenalin. The girls are always babes - they are on screen solely as eye candy. Following `Kaante's success, there was Gupta's `Musafir,' which elaborated on `Kaante's successful template. Sanjay Dutt again played the be-ringed underworld don, there was Anil Kapoor, complete with stubble playing the nowhere man Lucky, there were the cars, the long ride to nowhere and the babe to beat all babes, the luscious Sameera Reddy. Manjrekar played the perverted Luca and the movie was high on guns, gals and gadgets.
Anil Kapoor also appeared in `Chocolate,' which is of the same genre. A remake of Bryan Singer's `Usual Suspects,' the film had the requisite curly storyline featuring a murder, double cross and triple cross till you are dizzy trying to figure out which is which and who is who. Shot in London, the film featured excellent cinematography and mind-bending editing.
And it is not only movies about criminals that make the cut. There are movies like `Dus' and `Qayamat,' which follow the same rules with protagonists distributed equally on both sides of the Law. `Qayamat' is a remake of `The Rock' and practically the only thing you remember about the film is the men's rocking hairstyles! Ajay Devgan, Sanjay Kapoor and Arbaaz Khan all sport streaked locks and walk into the frame in slow motion looking like total dudes. The city is going to be bombed or some such thing and people yell cryptic things into the radio but never mind they all look very cool and ooze attitude from every frame.
Fantasy adventure
ALL SET TO ZOOM: Dhoom 2
Then there was the fantasy adventure film `Rudraksh.' Bipasha Basu made a very attractive scientist - it did not matter what mumbo jumbo she spouted, as she looked delicious.
And what happens when the king of the chick flick decides to bankroll a guy film? Our ears are still resonating with the sound of success of `Dhoom.' Aditya Chopra discussed making a film featuring sports cars with up and coming director, Sanjay Gadhvi.
Gadhvi, a die-hard biker, convinced Chopra to replace the cars with bikes as there is nothing cooler than the lead actors zooming around on souped up bikes. Chopra agreed and Abhishek Bachchan got a big time makeover. Opposite him was John Abraham with his drool-worthy six pack and his dimple as the bad guy. Esha Deol was suddenly transformed into a sizzling pataka, Uday Chopra provided the laughs and the film created box-office history.
And now comes the jolly news of the sequel that is opening today where the dude and glam girl quotient has been upped what with Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai and Bipasha Basu all set to the screen on fire. Is that hot or haute?
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