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By Taran Adarsh, October 12, 2007 - 16:43 IST

It's like traveling back home. You know the route, you know the signal, you know the lane, you know the speed breaker and you know the destination.

That's applicable for LAAGA CHUNARI MEIN DAAG too. 10 minutes into the film and you know what the story is, you can even guess the twists and turns the story may take and you can [successfully] read what the climax would be. Predictability -- that bogs LAAGA CHUNARI MEIN DAAG down.

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Sure, it isn't blasphemous if a new product bears a striking similarity to themes that have been translated on celluloid several times in the past. But the grip -- so vital in a film that has a story to tell -- is clearly missing here.

LAAGA CHUNARI MEIN DAAG appeals in bits and spurts. It's well shot and is backed by striking performances, but the graph of the film lacks uniformity. It holds your attention, then it doesn't.

To sum up, LAAGA CHUNARI MEIN DAAG fails because of its writing. It has an oft-repeated theme and coupled with inept writing, the chances are very dim!

Badki [Rani Mukerji] and Chutki [Konkona Sen Sharma] live a fun-filled life in Banaras, playing pranks, sneaking off to see a forbidden mujra [Hema Malini, in a special appearance] and soaking up all the excitement that goes on the ghats of the Ganga. Badki is aware that the family is in dire straits, but she and her mother [Jaya Bachchan] protect Chutki at all costs.

When things get worse, Badki decides to go to Mumbai and seek a living for the family. Alone and unsupported in the midst of the urban jungle of Mumbai, Badki battles with dark forces, keeping her focus on her purpose to support her family and continue Chutki's education. She deliberately morphs into someone else, leading a secret life full of murky compromises.

When Chutki comes to Mumbai to work, things take a dramatic turn. Badki's life turns into a minefield, as she has to hide her secrets from Chutki. Chutki finds success at work and love that delights her heart. Badki finds the magic of love, but lets it slip away before it can blossom, as she believes it's not in her destiny. She battles menace and blackmail alone, not letting these dark shadows fall on Chutki or her family.

But her dual life is revealed and the two sisters are face to face, in a confrontation neither had expected. And when love beckons Badki again, the whole family is thrown in a tumultuous storm. Everything threatens to explode in their faces, destroying all of them.

LAAGA CHUNARI MEIN DAAG has a promising start. Portions depicting the financial difficulties plauging a family are convincingly depicted. Everything's in control till Rani decides to become an escort. The question here is, when Suchitra Pillai is giving Rani a makeover, why does she encourage her to become a high class hooker? Why not a model? Or why doesn't she goad her to hone her skills [learn English, computers et al, since those are the reasons why Rani is refused job after job]? Why encourage her to be someone when the pure soul is just not convinced about? Why? Doesn't it send out wrong signals to people who face roadblocks in life? Is that [prostitution] the only alternate profession you can take to in crisis?

The film dips further when Rani, now a polished, angrezi-speaking mem, meets Abhishek in an aircraft and the [one-sided] prem kahani begins. And then the treacherous cousin [Sushant Singh] arrives in Mumbai, blackmailing her. Hello, how did he, sitting in Benaras, know Rani's 'rate for a night' and her 'profession'. No explanations are offered!

The second hour is interesting in parts. The sequence when Konkona catches Rani red-handed is excellent. Also noteworthy are the portions when the two sisters return to Benaras. Things start looking up, but, suddenly, Abhishek re-emerges on the scene and the Abhishek - Rani prem katha re-ignites. Nahin, maza nahin aaya. Also, the treacherous jodi of Tinnu Anand and Sushant Singh comes back, but this track looks forced. The duo is used as mere props.

Pradeep Sarkar knows how to make the frames look beautiful, but how one wishes he would've opted for an absorbing story and most importantly, stuck to the principal characters, instead of adding sub-plots [romance, songs, relatives]. Cinematography is splendid. Dialogues deserve special mention. Shantanu Moitra's music is a mixed bag. 'Hum To Aise Hain Bhaiya' is the best of the lot.

Rani excels yet again. It's a pleasure watching her in an author-backed role yet again. Konkona is fantastic. In fact, she lends a lot of freshness to her character. Jaya Bachchan is superb. Her work is truly admirable. Abhishek Bachchan's extended special appearance makes no impact. Kunal Kapoor is likable. Anupam Kher is alright. Tinnu Anand and Sushant Singh suffer due to ill-defined roles. Kamini Kaushal, Murli Sharma, Harsh Chhaya, Tarana, Suchitra Pillai and Ninad Kamat enact their parts well.

On the whole, LAAGA CHUNARI MEIN DAAG stands on a shaky script and has all chances of slipping, not consolidating its position. At the box-office, given the inconsistent content on one hand and the poor opening on the other, the film will prove a major setback.


http://indiafm.com/movies/review/13370/index.html

sounds like a rubbish film i wont bother watching it 😆

i expected the movie to be bad

Laaga Chunari Se Bhaag Raja Sen

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	Rani Mukerji and Konkona Sen Sharma

October 12, 2007 17:42 IST

Ah, so few films are fun anymore. I saw one where the ensemble cast was spot-on, with some standout performances, the script clever enough to evoke authentic laughs -- a genuine rarity in Indian cinema today, sadly -- and, while some of the plot was stuck in been-there-done-that predictability, there were a couple of sparkling moments of true wit.

Oh, how I wish I could keep writing about Loins Of Punjab Presents. Unfortunately, after sitting through a half-full theatre on opening day (my regular ticket-blacker laughed, pointing me to the opening counter minutes before the first show) for Pradeep Sarkar's Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, I'm forced to agree that movie too merits a review. And you certainly deserve a warning.

When big-budget filmmakers try to go all junta, and try to tailor their multiplex-honed sensibilities towards a 'mass market,' trouble is inevitable. Smug in the thought that the heartland needs old-school, they merrily churn a shinily-wrapped packet of something unforgivably, frighteningly regressive. Laaga, ladies and gents, is this year's Vivah [Images].

It's as if a music label with a catchy song signed on Subhash Ghai [Images] and Sooraj Barjatya to co-create a melodramatic weepfest, and two decades after they made the movie, handed it to a Balaji Telefilms [Get Quote] editor, briefing him to trim all the happy bits to a minimum. Imagine Ram Lakhan minus Anil Kapoor [Images], Madhuri Dixit [Images] and Jackie Shroff [Images]. Oh, and Gulshan Grover [Images].

That's what we have in Laaga, a dispirited take on Mumtaz-starrer Aaina, with a mother sitting in a mammoth haveli and stitching petticoats while the father, given to deathbed-dwelling, coughs ominously in the background.

And they're super self-centered. With parents like these, who needs enemies? Those, however, are around too, a villanous former-junkie uncle with obvious designs on the haveli, and his son, a mustachioed lout with the gall to sing non-Yash Raj songs. Oh, the horror. And so while mother sobs and sews, and father fumes futilely at clerks, neither of these former-rich now penniless peasants even envision giving a room or two for rent, or even giving in to the creepy uncle's demands. Nonsense, they have pride.

This, of course, is why the elder daughter goes to the city -- ooh, big bad Mumbai's never looked quite this lecherous this quickly -- and becomes a call-girl. Come off it, you knew this from the promos. And so it is that Rani Mukerji [Images] becomes the pride-less joy of the family, sending in bushelfuls via her unbelievably lucrative livelihood. 'You wanted a son, daddy? I'm a disappointment, daddy? Well, a son wouldn't have been able to do this, would he? Well, not unless he was in Bangkok, anyway.'

Don't be misled by the warm Hum To Aise Hain Bhaiyya opening song, there is no other merriment in this film. Rani is hardly allowed to flash that smile -- the one that usually works despite the film around it -- as she weeps copious tears and calls herself Natasha, after combating off sleazy call-centre bosses, the kind who keeps 30k in banknotes in his desk drawer.

Also crying -- possibly for starring in this film -- is Jaya Bachchan, here playing an absurdly caricatured Rakhee role, skewed to make it entirely unlikeable. I'm stunned she didn't hysterically cry 'meri betiyaan aayengi!' or lose her eyesight like Nirupa Roy in Mard.

Konkona Sen Sharma [Images] is good, but that's simply because she's a fine actress, told to act irrepressible. And so she thankfully bursts onto the screen and lifts the gloom away, proving to be much-needed respite between long sections aiming singularly at your tissue-box. Koko's character and dialogues are also badly written, especially when she's in conversation with one of the other women, but she's natural enough to make it a likeable character. No small ask, this.

The men are hardly there in the film, and surely they're all glad. Anupam Kher [Images] hams it up as an ailing old man (isn't that why he's unemployed in the first place?) who turns remarkably chipper at the end. Kunal Kapoor [Images] spills mayonnaise on his shirt, kisses Konkona and has a couple of songs, grinning happily at being in such a big-budget movie, and Abhishek Bachchan [Images] goes through virtually the same motions (a cameo, either way you look at it), feeling intense samosa cravings within one day of leaving Mumbai, and minus the Rani-kiss. Having Ma on the sets must be hard.

Stereotypes wheel around the film at every turn, the first half working like a lavish, long soap episode (I doubt Ektaa Kapoor would bankroll such a hackneyed project, though) while the second, momentarily salvaged by Konkona's brightness, rushes hurriedly towards an ending so dreadfully convenient. Ah, we meet again, Pradeep Deus Ex Machina Sarkar.

Laaga is a painful film, trying to feel socially relevant but eventually turning a very simplistic eye towards an immensely serious basic issue. And for a director like Sarkar, fine with detailing and arranging his milieu, there are too many fundamental flaws, especially with the script.

At a point when the film actually comes to a head -- when Konkona is finally about to learn about her sister's Natashaism -- there is the desperate need for sharp, well-handled dialogue, for subtlety. What we get is a conversation between her and a hotel executive drowned out by muzak. It's a film too lazy to even try, and would rather focus on another tiresome song sequence.

Laaga Chunari Mein Daag takes us back to a kind of cinema we thought we were done with. Indian cinema threw off the dupatta just a little while ago; let's not shackle it back down.

Rediff Rating:

http://inhome.rediff.com/movies/2007/oct/12laaga.htm

Originally posted by: Fashion_2005

The question here is, when Suchitra Pillai is giving Rani a makeover, why does she encourage her to become a high class hooker? Why not a model? Or why doesn't she goad her to hone her skills [learn English, computers et al, since those are the reasons why Rani is refused job after job]? Why encourage her to be someone when the pure soul is just not convinced about? Why? Doesn't it send out wrong signals to people who face roadblocks in life? Is that [prostitution] the only alternate profession you can take to in crisis?

thats very true,I agree.dont show this kind of things but its reality afterall n really sick mentality.though I want to c this movie for Rani n Konkona,they both are superv actress.

BBC ASIAN NETWORK TEAM MEMBER REVIEW:
Sheetal

Hi guys, saw the movie last night as did a few others from the team and it's fantastic. A quality production, amazing acting from all principle cast members and a good story. Definitely recommended...let me know what you think if you watch it tonight or over the weekend.

Also, Raj and Pablo spoke to Rani yesterday, and we'll play the interview on tomorrow's show...some really nice insights into what she thinks about all the rumours concerning her.

members feedback on LCMD:

A.Ghosh (London)
A great Movie. Specially, rani Mukherjee is fantastic, georgeous. Her role is mervallous.

saumil (india)
fantastic movie

anu (india)
this moive is very good. and abhishek looking nice

Abdul kalam (India)
good story, but quite melodrama, not enough depth. Abhi is the weakest link.

hamza (pakisyan)
good movie

source NDTV

REVIEW: Laaga... is full of surprises!
This film must be viewed for some excellent performances
Preeti Arora | Buzz18

What's it about:

The plot is trite and hackneyed. Young village damsel arrives in the city and tries her best to survive. When everything else fails she resorts to the age-old profession of selling herself. But like the proof of the pudding is in the eating, the success of a story depends on the way it has been told. And Pradeep Sarkar is fairly competent storyteller. The film opens in a middle-class household in Benares. A respectable and once prosperous family has fallen on hard times. Badki (Rani) being the older sister and unable to handle the financial stress on her parents (Anupam Kher and Jaya Bachchan) chooses to come to Bombay. Here she is unable to find work so she establishes herself as a high level escort, and her family back home suddenly begins to prosper. In the course of her 'chosen career' she finds herself attracted to Rohan (Abhishek Bachchan), but shuts herself off, as she does not see any possibility of the relationship going any further.

Meanwhile her sister Chutki (Konkana Sen Sharma) comes to Bombay and Rani takes great care to conceal her 'true profession' from her sister. Her sister finds both professional success as well as the love of her life, Vivaan (Kunal Kapoor). Even as Chutki struggles to accept the reality behind her sister's newfound wealth, she wonders whether her relationship will survive the harsh realities. And will Badki be able to salvage her lost relationship with Rohan.

What we like:

Konkana and Kunal Kapoor have delivered excellent performances, sharing screen space with Rani and yet they do not allow themselves to get overshadowed. The ethos of a small city has been captured very well. Rani is very convincing in the second half of the film. Although Abhishek Bachchan appears on screen for a miniscule amount of time he and Rani still retain their Bunty aur Babli chemistry. In fact, his onscreen chemistry with Rani reminds us of the equation shared by Amitabh-Rekha in the good old days. The cinematography is good and the lighting is handled in a competent and adroit fashion. Hema Malini as a mujra dancer has delivered a great performance.

What we didn't like:

Jaya Bachchan's performances these days are restricted to two or three tried-and-tested expressions. Wonder why all roles offered to her these days are those of a long-suffering martyr? The music (Shantanu Moitra) is mediocre and so are the lyrics. Pity because there is a lot of scope for the music. Abhishek's role is more of a guest appearance. One gets the feeling his role has been indiscriminately chopped. The loss is entirely the viewer's as it is a treat to see them together. The film could have been shorter and the dialogues lack punch.

We recommend:

Watch it, but the film does drag at two or three places.

Rating: 3/5

http://www.buzz18.com/news/movies/review-laaga-is-full-of-su rprises/21351/0

Pradeep Sarkar's Laaga Chunari Mein Daag has your regular run of the mill plot with excellent presentation and a predictable end.

In short the movie has a lot left to be desired. While visually Laaga Chunari Mein Daag is a treat to watch with the colours, performances et al, it's the story and length that falters. Notwithstanding the ensemble star cast, this one fails to leave an impact.

The movie starts with a punch and establishes situations well. However, somewhere down the line, it loses pace in places.

The story goes thus… Badki (Rani Mukherji) and Chutki (Konkona Sen Sharma) live a fun-filled life in Banaras with their parents played by actors Anupam Kher and Jaya Bachchan.

While Badki is aware that the family is in desperate need of money, the younger one is carefree and is also protected from the family's woes. However, when things take a turn for the worse, Badki decides to go to Mumbai and seek a living for the family.

Desperate and without any backing, she fails to land a decent job due to her lack of education. In the end she succumbs to pressures and becomes an escort girl for select high class 'clients' and that too was told to take that route by a well wisher (Suchitra Krishnamurthy).

And then the simpleton from a small town turned into a swan in the big bad city and became a sophisticated call girl. Soon thereafter Chutki lands herself a job in Mumbai in an advertising agency and comes to live with her sister. This leads to a series of lies and secrets from Badki's end to protect her new identity from her sister.

The younger one finds love at work in Vivaan (Kunal Kapoor) and decides to get married. In the meanwhile, the older one too had a chance encounter with a stranger – Rahul (Abhishek Bachchan) in one of her trips abroad with her boss but didn't pursue it further keeping in mind her situation in life.

What follows are secrets being unveiled and hearts being broken but all culminating in a happy ending.

On the whole, thanks to the stellar cast, the performances are good throughout the film. Jaya Bachchan truly excels in her role. Her portrayal as the hapless mother who unknowingly pushed her daughter into the ugly world of prostitution is commendable. She brings out the emotions well and leaves you teary eyed. While Anupam Kher doesn't have too many dialogues, he does manage to emote well and fits well in the role of a typecast father who wished he had a son and doesn't think too much of his daughters' capabilities.

Rani does justice to her role and never falters whether as a simpleton from Benaras or as a sophisticated girl. She slips into these characters with ease and panache. Konkona manages to hold her fort too. She delivers well in the confrontation scene with her sister near the river side after knowing the truth. The chemistry between the two sisters is brilliantly captured.

Abhishek's performance in the film is effortless since he doesn't have too many scenes in the first place. Add to that the fact that his character sketch is devoid of any hard core emotions or drama and hence it is not really worth a mention.

Kunal Kapoor comes across as a pleasant surprise. After Rang De Basanti, performance wise this is one of his better films. Hema Mailini in her cameo as a courtesan looks beautiful and stunning.

The typical villains in the film - Tinnu Anand and Sushant Singh are reduced to being mere puppets not to mention a laughing stock in the end. The actors surely get wasted in the film as they veer directionless. Their threats and scares come across as lame. One thinks, there was no place for them in the first place since their roles were so limited and didn't contribute much to the storyline.

After Parineeta, expectations certainly were high from Pradeep Sarkar but as has already been mentioned, the movie has a lot left to be desired. Moreover, since the subject of the film is centered on women, the film had immense scope for drama and emotions, which was not dwelt upon or utilized well.

While Konkona and Kunal look good on screen together, Sarkar fails to capitalise on bringing out the chemistry between Rani and Abhishek. This more so because Bachchan has a very limited screen presence and hence his love for Rani - despite all odds - stands out like a sore thumb and is unconvincing. This plot could have been carved better as one would have loved to see more of them together.

What's more, the film's biggest problem is the climax, which turns out to be a damp squib sans any drama and confrontations. To cut a long story short, it was flat and boring.

The length of the film needs trimming too as the full three hours tends to get a bit tedious along the way. A much crisper storyline could have worked in favour of the movie. Cinematography and camera movements are well crafted. The music of film is good and pacy but the background score is not anything to write home about.

All in all, it's worth a one time watch just for the actors. While they will manage to bring in the crowd, word of mouth may not help better the film's cause at the box office.

Laaga Chunari Mein Daag Review

Introducing Laaga Chunari Mein Daag:
Produced by Aditya Chopra 'Laaga Chunari Mein Daag - Journey of a Woman' is the second directorial venture of Pradeep Sarkar of the critically acclaimed film Parineeta (2005) fame. Sarkar saw great success with his musical love story Parineeta, an adaptation of the 1914 Bengali novella by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. After a two year long hiatus he is back with yet another unique script. How far has he succeeded in describing the journey of a woman?


Laaga Chunari Mein Daag Story:
Laaga Chunari Mein Daag deals with one conservative relatively poor family who live on the banks of the river Ganga in Banaras and talks mainly about the eldest girl who takes up the responsibility of protecting and supporting her family financially.

The family consists of Shivshankar Sahay (Anupam Kher) an ex-pensioner, his wife Sabitri (Jaya Bachchan) whose work on the stitching machine is the only source of income to the family and his two daughters Badki (Rani Mukherjee) and Chutki (Konkona Sen Sharma).

Badki always gets hurt when her father keeps wishing they had a son. When dark days seem to take upon their family happiness she decides to take the stride. She soon finds herself battling in the cruel and ruthless city of Mumbai but she tackles her life with great courage. She pays the highest price in an attempt to not let the dark shadows fall on her family. Will she always lead a life full of murky compromises? What will happen if her secret life gets exposed?

Laaga Chunari Mein Daag Movie Review:
Pradeep Sarkar is no doubt a proficient story teller. He has managed to bring to light the struggle of a woman to make a living in the cruel and demanding society with maturity and precision. The first half of the movie is told crisp but it gets a little dramatic in the second half. The transformation in Badki's character evolves with time and reason. Not only that, Badki's character is expressed in the most convincing and touching way that we tend to care deeply for her. Especially when her mom asks her not to visit home because the town would end up speaking ill of them, made me feel deeply for her. Cinematography is first-rate. The locale of Banaras is shot beautifully. Music is excellent blending well with the storyline and comes from the same team of Parineeta.

The movie has its share of negatives too. The romance between Konkona Sen Sharma and Kunal Kapoor appears forced. The second half of the movie gets over dramatic at times and gets weak on the plot line.

Laaga Chunari Mein Daag Performances:

Rani Mukherjee is matchless. She delivers yet another award winning performance. Her best performance since Black. The role gives her immense scope to exhibit a gamut of emotions and she carries it out outstandingly.

Konkona Sen Sharma looks dazzling in the movie. Her performance in the movie was top-notch and is sure to fetch her good reviews and lots of praises. Jaya Bachchan is flawless. Anupam Kher is first-rate.

Kunal Kapoor as Vivaan is good. He manages to perform his act well and appears natural. Abhishek Bachchan as Rohan is just OK.

Indicine.com Laaga Chunari Mein Daag Verdict:
Overall, Laaga Chunari Mein Daag is delivered effectively. At the box-office, Akshay Kumar's Bhool Bhulaiyaa would make a dent in the LCMD collections.

http://www.bollywoodworld.ca/reviews/reviews.php?subaction=s howfull&id=1192236654&archive=&start_from=&ucat=&