FILM REVIEW :
MEERABAI NOT OUT
The film was supposed to be released earlier during the Cricket World Cup, but since India fared badly, it was postponed. According to film leading lady, Mandira Bedi, many films have been made on sports like LAGAAN, GOAL, CHAK DE INDIA, but very few films have been made on SPORTS FANS, and MEERABAI NOT OUT is once such simple film about a die hard cricket fan of cricketer Anil Kumble, to such an extent that she misses her engagement while watching a cricket match, which goes over the top and looks unbelievable, but anything is possible in films.
Story revolves around Mandira Bedi, who is a typical middle class deglamorised be-spectacled Maharashtrian (Shivaji Park) lady Meera Achrekar with spectacles. She, is a Mathematcis teacher who teaches Maths using Cricket Statistics and is a cricket fanatic, with madly in love with cricketer Anil Kumble. She is a favourite among her students and even other teachers are jealous of her and make fun of hers. Mahesh Manjrekar, to be seen after a long time, plays her brother and Vandana Gupte her mother. Her family wants her to get married, since she is becoming old but cricket is her only passion.
Film male lead is Dr. Arjun Awasthi (Eijaz Khan), who falls in love with Meera Acharekar. Soon she is transformed, with contact lenses replacing her glasses and also behnji type oily hairstyle gets converted into hip hop trendy one. But
She is soon converted to contact lenses and trendy hairstyle, but her passion for cricket remains same. Meera and Arjun are soon to get married, but her madness for cricket lands her into trouble, when she fails to turn up on her engagement day, while watching a cricket match, can you believe it. You will have to and hence she becomes an eye sore for her to be father-in-law Mr. Awasthi (Anupam Kher).
Rest is how their problem gets solved…
I liked the 1st half of the film which is good and interesting. Plus some funny scenes make you laugh like Anil Kumble getting hiccups everytime Meera remembers him and the cricket match between her brother & boyfriend. And also the scene in which Meera is compared to Mandira Bedi. But the film lets you down in it’s 2nd half, where it becomes a bit overstretched and drags.
About the performances, Mandira Bedi has done a good job with some lively expressions. But the viewers will miss her noodle straps blouses which brought her to limelight during World Cup commentary on TV. Eijaz Khan is OK, but not a hero material; good for a supporting actor. Mahesh Manjrekar and Anupam Kher are good too and do justice to their roles. But Vandana Gupte as Mandira’s mother has done a wonderful job. Anil Kumble is so so, but adds to the film
Director Chandrakant Kulkarni, from theatre and Marathi films has perfectly depicted the middle-class Maharashtrian environment. But the script is suitable for a TV sitcom series, but not good enough for a full length 2 hour feature film.
There is nothing to talk about the Music of the film, except for the sole promotional track in the start of the film.
Well, some films are not fit for big screens, they look better while watching them on your television set, in the comforts of your living room and MEERABAI NOT OUT is one such film, so guys wait for the DVD to come.
One can well foretell the film’s fate, and the testimony to this is that there were around 20 people in the first day first show which I watched, with some young couple, who understandably were more interested in their usual activities, rather than the film.
I will give 1 out of 5.
TITLES
Banner : Pritish Nandy Communications
Producer : Rangita Pritish Nandy, Pritish Nandy
Executive Producer / Co-Producer : Bobbie Ghosh
Released on : December 5, 2008
Language : Hindi
Genre : Sports
Director : Chandrakant Kulkarni
MEERABAI NOT OUT
The film was supposed to be released earlier during the Cricket World Cup, but since India fared badly, it was postponed. According to film leading lady, Mandira Bedi, many films have been made on sports like LAGAAN, GOAL, CHAK DE INDIA, but very few films have been made on SPORTS FANS, and MEERABAI NOT OUT is once such simple film about a die hard cricket fan of cricketer Anil Kumble, to such an extent that she misses her engagement while watching a cricket match, which goes over the top and looks unbelievable, but anything is possible in films.
Story revolves around Mandira Bedi, who is a typical middle class deglamorised be-spectacled Maharashtrian (Shivaji Park) lady Meera Achrekar with spectacles. She, is a Mathematcis teacher who teaches Maths using Cricket Statistics and is a cricket fanatic, with madly in love with cricketer Anil Kumble. She is a favourite among her students and even other teachers are jealous of her and make fun of hers. Mahesh Manjrekar, to be seen after a long time, plays her brother and Vandana Gupte her mother. Her family wants her to get married, since she is becoming old but cricket is her only passion.
Film male lead is Dr. Arjun Awasthi (Eijaz Khan), who falls in love with Meera Acharekar. Soon she is transformed, with contact lenses replacing her glasses and also behnji type oily hairstyle gets converted into hip hop trendy one. But
She is soon converted to contact lenses and trendy hairstyle, but her passion for cricket remains same. Meera and Arjun are soon to get married, but her madness for cricket lands her into trouble, when she fails to turn up on her engagement day, while watching a cricket match, can you believe it. You will have to and hence she becomes an eye sore for her to be father-in-law Mr. Awasthi (Anupam Kher).
Rest is how their problem gets solved…
I liked the 1st half of the film which is good and interesting. Plus some funny scenes make you laugh like Anil Kumble getting hiccups everytime Meera remembers him and the cricket match between her brother & boyfriend. And also the scene in which Meera is compared to Mandira Bedi. But the film lets you down in it’s 2nd half, where it becomes a bit overstretched and drags.
About the performances, Mandira Bedi has done a good job with some lively expressions. But the viewers will miss her noodle straps blouses which brought her to limelight during World Cup commentary on TV. Eijaz Khan is OK, but not a hero material; good for a supporting actor. Mahesh Manjrekar and Anupam Kher are good too and do justice to their roles. But Vandana Gupte as Mandira’s mother has done a wonderful job. Anil Kumble is so so, but adds to the film
Director Chandrakant Kulkarni, from theatre and Marathi films has perfectly depicted the middle-class Maharashtrian environment. But the script is suitable for a TV sitcom series, but not good enough for a full length 2 hour feature film.
There is nothing to talk about the Music of the film, except for the sole promotional track in the start of the film.
Well, some films are not fit for big screens, they look better while watching them on your television set, in the comforts of your living room and MEERABAI NOT OUT is one such film, so guys wait for the DVD to come.
One can well foretell the film’s fate, and the testimony to this is that there were around 20 people in the first day first show which I watched, with some young couple, who understandably were more interested in their usual activities, rather than the film.
I will give 1 out of 5.
TITLES
Banner : Pritish Nandy Communications
Producer : Rangita Pritish Nandy, Pritish Nandy
Executive Producer / Co-Producer : Bobbie Ghosh
Released on : December 5, 2008
Language : Hindi
Genre : Sports
Director : Chandrakant Kulkarni
Star Cast :
Anupam Kher - Dr. Awasthi
Mandira Bedi - Meera Achrekar
Mandira Bedi - Meera Achrekar
Eijaz Khan - Arjun Awasthi
Mahesh Manjrekar - Manoj Anant Achrekar
Vandana Gupte - Meera'a Mother
Prateeksha Lonkar - Neelima
Anil Kumble & Charu Sharma
Music on : Sony Music
Singers : Sukhwinder Singh, Shaan, Sandesh Shandilya, Sunidhi Chauhan, Kunal Ganjawala, Neeraj Shridhar, Vijay Prakash, Neha Kakkad
Singers : Sukhwinder Singh, Shaan, Sandesh Shandilya, Sunidhi Chauhan, Kunal Ganjawala, Neeraj Shridhar, Vijay Prakash, Neha Kakkad
Music Director : Sandesh Shandilya
Cinematography : Rajeev Jain
Choreography : Piyush Panchal, Sonia Jhaffar, Ravi Botalje
Screenplay & Story : Soumik Sen
Cinematography : Rajeev Jain
Choreography : Piyush Panchal, Sonia Jhaffar, Ravi Botalje
Screenplay & Story : Soumik Sen
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