Baazaar Reviews and Feedback - Page 2

As the saying goes, Mumbai never sleeps. That's almost true. Almost, because it doesn't let many sleep either. Rohan Mehra aka Rizwan Ahmed, a dreamer from Allahabad, makes his way into this chaotic Baazaar. Is it an over boundary, or is he just another loser, booking his train back home?

To begin with, Saif Ali Khan's latest outing may get too technical for many. The film intensely revolves around the stock market, its rise, fall and impact. That, in turn, directly influences a number of sub-plots and relationships. This might prove to be a con, especially in smaller cities. Rizwan, who succeeds at the task to convincing his dejected father, finally escapes to Mumbai and wants to work with business tycoon Shakun Kothari (Saif Ali Khan). But that's what thousands of stock brokers like him dream of doing. He begins with small steps, which are just as big for him anyway. On the way, he stumbles upon Priya Rai (Radhika Apte) who begins as a colleague and ends up being his romantic interest.

First and foremost, Rohan Mehra's character is unconvincing. He is a small broker from a small town who arrives in the dream city, rents a room for Rs 15,000 a month, stares at a high rise building from his balcony and mutters, main yahan struggle karne nahi, settle hone aaya hoon. That's not the best spirit in which you want to sketch a character that has left home banking only on his ambitions. He then lands this job because his boss spots him waiting outside the very glamorous and kind of intimidating corporate office. Later he lands his first client because well, lady luck was kind at that particular moment. How convenient!

It does get a little more interesting when Saif Ali Khan enters the scene. He comes with a background story (of being a smart child from a humble family, meeting the right mentor and wooing his beautiful daughter for his own interest, his ideas of right and wrong), a rather cold marriage with Mandira Parekh (Chitrangada Singh) and uninterrupted love for his daughters, both of who aren't sure if their father is a good man or a bad man. There are plenty of layers to Shakun Kothari. You might find him cunning, but you can't entirely dislike him.

Saif Ali Khan is dark and delicious. Both his Gujarati accent and his defeating grins are a winner. Baazaar really struggles to drag itself forward at times. But Saif almost pulls it off alone. We love how he has dived into the bottom of being Shakun Kothari, and truly becomes one. As a result, Rohan Mehra is often meek and overshadowed. Mehra does his try best, though.

The two people this film entirely underutilizes are its actresses. Radhika Apte, who has a major twist to play at the end, is nowhere near her signature self here. Anyone else could have done what she does. Chitrangada, on the other hand, looks gorgeous but has been given very little to do apart from feeling sorry about being a cunning businessman's wife and putting up with too much including her husband's liking for other women.

Gauravv Chalwa's direction has all the right intentions, all of which do not work out. Baazaar often loses out on its pace and grip.

However, after Sacred Games, if you were yearning to get a good show of Saif Ali Khan on the big screen, this one is for you. Or else, giving Baazaar a miss won't hurt!

'Paisa uska joh dhanda jaanta ho, aur main hoon dhando no gando chokro'. That's Shakun Kothari (Saif Ali Khan) for you! A self-made Gujarati billionaire who is shrewd, manipulative and unscrupulous. In what is one of the most powerful scenes of the film, during a religious ceremony in an auditorium, Shakun stages a hostile takeover on an established business family as chants of repetance resonate in the hall.

The man is revered and loathed in equal measures. While Shakun is busy playing dirty in the world of stock trading in Mumbai, elsewhere in Allahabad is a young stock broker Rizwan Ahmed (Rohan Mehra) who worships Batra and aspires to be like him. He believes that his small-town mentality' can't keep him from making it big like his idol.

Soon, Rizwan lands in Mumbai. But his motto is clear. He's here not to struggle, but to settle. With the help of his colleague and lady love Priya (Radhika Apte) who also happens to be a seasoned stock broker, Rizwan comes under Shakun's radar and manages to win him over.

Both the men are different as chalk and cheese. Shakun notably mentions at one point, "Tu emotions pe chalta hain, main maths par." But that doesn't stop these two from joining hands. Slowly as events unfold, Rizwan realizes that his appetite to rise above the rest comes with a cost.

While Baazaar borrows heavily from the 1987 Michael Douglas-Charlie Sheen film, 'Wall Street', Gauravv K. Chawl adds a local flavour to it to cater to our very own Dalal Street. The movie comes with its own shares of ups and downs. The first half of the film is a total crackler. However post interval, things take a convenient turn before it plummets towards the climax. Unlike the sensex, you can easily predict the twists coming in your way. Nevertheless, Saif gets to mouth some whistleworthy dialogues.

Baazaar is Saif Ali Khan's show all the way. As someone who has a voracious appetite for power, the actor brings in the right amount of ruthlessness and craftiness. Debutant Rohan Mehra still has a long way to go. But, the young lad proves why he is no 'one film wonder'.

Speaking about the girl power, Radhika Apte gets to flirt with different shades in her character and emerges victorious. Chitrangda Singh as the trophy wife does what's expected of her.

Shruti Gupte's production design is slick and perfectly captures the familiar Mumbai milieu. Swapnil Sonawan's lens work wonders. The editing sails with the narrative.

In the music department, barring 'Kem Cho', none of the songs stay with you and instead takes away the intense built-up of a scene.

At one point in the film, Saif's character Shakun says, "Haar aur jeet mein ek hi pharak hota hain, bhook." The same holds true for Baazaar. While Gauravv K. Chawl's hunger to dabble with an exciting topic of stock trading is evident, the film misses hitting the bullseye by a whisker. But, it still manages to hold your attention for 140 minutes and the credit largely goes to Saif's streaks of grey. I am going with 3 stars here.

he movie Bazaar, begins with a guy named Rizwan Ahmed (Rohan Mehra) standing at the terrace looking all pale and sweaty. Cut to Shakun Kothari played by Saif Ali Khan praying and saying Micchami Dukadam', meaning- may all the evil that has been done be fruitless'. The story goes in a flashback where Rizwan Ahmed is a guy with big aspirations but is struggling in a small town', Allahabad. The key plot to the film is the balance between greed for money and human relations. Rizwan Ahmed books a flight ticket using Paytm, and flies down to Mumbai. Like a boy filled with dreams, he stands outside the buildings of the people he admires- Shakun Kothari.

On the other hand, Shakun Kothari revels in hostile takeovers and playing dirty. The film is set against the murky world of stock trading. The plot can be compared to Saif Ali Khan-starrer Race, with a lot of twists and turns. How human relations can also be a plot sometimes, is carefully crafted in the film.

The film moves at a decent pace in the first half but the second half is riddles with a few turns. A very odd thing about the film was a Yo-Yo Honey Singh song set in the middle of serious plot.

Talking about performances, Radhika Apte is impressive as a corporate young woman while Chitrangada Singh seems to be trying really hard to make her presence felt. It is only towards the end, when her character makes an impact. Though their characters are not as full fledged as men's but they aren't reduced to a trophy wife or girlfriend either.

Gems like "I rely on maths, you rely on emotions are constantly doled out by Khan's character.

You may be at the edge of your seats to figure out who wins in the end- Shakun Kothari or Rizwan Ahmed but the film makes for a riveting watch if you haven't watched the Hollywood film, Wall Street.

Rating: 3.5/5

Shakun Kothari's introductory sequence in Baazaar takes place in a religious set up; a stark contrast from the person that the ruthless Gujarati businessman is. Within a span of just ten minutes - accompanied by a witty childhood story - we are well acquainted with the corrupted mastermind who owns an empire worth Rs 5000 crore. It's this scene which sets the ball rolling for Gauravv K. Chawla's Baazaar.

Baazaar is the story of a protg and his guide and the rise to the top in the business world, by any means necessary. On one hand, we have Rizvan Ahmed (debutant Rohan Mehra), a small-town lad with big Mumbai skyline dreams. His aim is to meet and become one with his idol, Shakun Kothari (Saif Ali Khan), a Gujarati businessman with tricks up his sleeves so convincing that even a SEBI employee is easily obliged by his menacing charm. Rizvan finds love and an accomplice in Priya Rai (Radhika Apte), a seasoned broker who matches Rizvan's ambition and is heaps ahead of him. We also have Mandira Kothari (Chitrangda Singh), Shakun's trophy wife and investment deal. Rizvan uses his small-town mentality fused with emotions to win over his mentor and becomes an ally who doesn't just shake hands with Shakun but hugs him too. Rizvan is then welcomed into the top rung of the ladder, Kothari style but with every high, there is a major downfall and only one can come out on top - the guru or the chela.

When Saif Ali Khan is given an eccentric and unconventional character, the actor delivers and as Shakun Kothari, he delivers strong. Shakun is filled with 50 shades of grey and with a believable Gujarati accent fused with whistle-worthy oneliners, Saif steals the show hook, line and sinker. Rohan Mehra, son of late veteran actor Vinod Mehra, makes an earnest attempt as the calculated Rizvan. He isn't completely flawless, but more of a work in progress. However, his likeability factor is a plus point for the newcomer. Radhika adds spunk and glamour to a limited role and stands on her own right. On the other hand, just like in Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 3, Chitrangda plays second fiddle to the main character, i.e. Shakun.

It's obvious that Gauravv and the screenplay writers Nikkhil Advani, Parveez Sheikh and Aseem Arora were heavily inspired by the Hollywood movie, Wall Street (1987) starring Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen. However, the inspiration was for the positive as they added a desi twist to the stock market. It's the editing which is the true king of the jungle thanks to Maahir Zaveri and Arjun Srivastava. Maahir and Arjun perfectly balance the art of maintaining two different storylines of Shakun and Rizvan, without losing focus on either and also breaks the fourth wall with finesse.

When we come to the negatives; Baazaar almost hit the 'Bullseye' but just about missed the mark in the last thirty minutes. When you have a crisp start and middle, it needs to end with a bang! Creative liberties were aplenty with the writers, who chose convenience during many plot points but to look on the bright side, the ending line of the film makes up for the shoddy ending. Then there was the soundtrack which seemed irrelevant and timed at a place when the action had just gotten interesting. But, Kem Cho will surely be stuck in your head post leaving the theatres.

Ultimately, is the Baazaar stock worth investing in? I'd say go all out with this thrilling roller-coaster ride!

Rating: ****(4 Stars)

I can't recall a single notable(or even non-notable) Indian film based on the plunging dips and giddying highs of the stock market.

Do you remember Harshad Mehta? How could you forget the podgy stockbroker who made thousands of Indians rich overnight and then it all ended in a financial mess in no time at all.

Saif Ali Khan's Shakun Kothari's destiny run on the same lines. Except that Saif as the wily ruthless Machiavellian stockbroker is everything that Harshad Mehta would have wanted to be. This is Saif's most gloriously written and performed part, meaty witty and wicked. He chews into it exposing a sacred hunger that I didn't notice in his last over-hyped outing .

Saif as Shakun is a trueblue Gujju who won't let neo-affluence corrupt his cultural integrity. He slips into Gujju-ficationswith the unrehearsed cuteness of a tycoon who has long ceased to be cute to everyone including his own wife and children.

When debutant Rohan Mehra enters the plot as Rizwan there is no Shakun Kothari around. We know Rizwan idolizesShakun and wants to be like him.That's a very dangerous ambition to have. And who knows this better than Rizwan's wifeChitrangda Singh who in a role severely conscripted by the plot's bristling sinewiness, manages to find her redemptive moment in the grand finale.

There is no redemption for Shakun. He is showman a ball of fire hurling down an abyss, and enjoying every moment of it. The film takes great pride in being clued into the inside workings of the stock market. Yet it never lets the tone of know-all selfcongratulation come in the way of telling us the story of When Shakun Met Rohan'.

My quibble with the riveting script(Nikhil Advani, Parvez Sheikh, Aseem Arora) is that it takes its time in bringing the mentor and protge together. Saif and the very fine and confident debutant Rohan Mehra don't have enough scenes together. In fact Rohan builds a better bond with Saif's screen-wife Chitrangda Singh in just one scene where the teary-eyed protegee tells his mentor's wife that sometimes you just need to give the one you love a tight slap.

The written word seldom gets to be conveyed with such unvarnished directness in commercial Hindi cinema where everyone either talsk florid or over-casual.In Baazaar the emotions are tightly reined-in as caustic vitriolic conversations are let loose with not a care about who's eavesdropping.

My favourite line, and the one that says it all about Shakun Kothari is the one in the run-down Gujarati bhojanalaiya. "You think I come here because I love the food? No ,the food is terrible! But it helps me never forget where I came from .

The blazing brilliance of the line is never forgotten in a morality tale that never pushes its righteousness into our face. In fact I suspect the very assured debutant director Gauravv K Chawla actually enjoys his grey protagonist's amorality. Saif's blustering warmth keeps Shakun Kothari from falling apart even when the stakes are heavily weighed against him. While some of the other supporting performances just don't match up(the ever-brilliant Manish Choudhary struggles in an underwritten role) Radhika Apte as Rizwan's go-getting colleague makes space for herself.

In a way she tokenizes the film's morality. In today's times you have to push you way into attention.