De Taali
wogma rating: Add to that never-watched 'To Watch' list (?)
A 2.5 hour long movie. With about an hour's worth of smiles, laughs and hard-core laughter filled in. All because of fresh dialogue and awesome comic timing. You have to be willing to tolerate the many out of place songs and the "sheeeeesh" climax though.
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Of course, the theme of friends having fun together is hardly new or "different". But if the gags are intentionally funny, fresh or presented with freshness, devoid of toilet humor, and fairly non-adult, I'm in.
Doesn't mean that De Taali doesn't have such quips or has a water-tight script. Hardly! Its just that there are "other" really funny situations and jokes too. Also, at most times, the humor is situation driven rather than a situation being forced in to accommodate the lines. Another round of applause for the writer because he actually made the girls relevant and funny in the comedy genre. If only they could have sewn it together into a coherent plot.
Anyway, the thing about laughing out loud and so hard-n-long that the neighbor gives you a long stare is that you begin to let go your requirements of "good cinema". First you suspend your disbelief, then you put your brain to the proverbial rest for a couple of hours, then you give in.
Give in to the silliness of it all. Give in to the eccentric side characters and their comic relief sub-plots. It doesn't happen to me too often, but when it does even a couple of those hearty laughs make the movie worth it. However the completely haywire last half hour and the abrupt, casual and ridiculous climax is absolutely unforgivable. Also references to a particular support group are in bad taste and don't go with the otherwise sensitive tone of the movie.
Ritesh Deshmukh who plays a-new-plan-a-minute Paresh Gurudev is as good with his comic timing as ever. He actually looks slimmer and sleeker than Ayesha Takia playing the loving, caring Amrita. But being on the "chubby" side with almost constantly braided hair makes her character more adorable, more girl-next-door, more "identifiable with" type. Its nice to see a female lead not oozing her sexuality on us.
Aftab Shivdasani is a pleasant surprise. He is the affluent Abhishek who falls in true love with every other girl he meets. The man actually has the potential to make you smile! In order to bring out contrast between Amrita and Kartika's mysterious character, Rimi Sen is given a tanned, sexy look. She is a revelation too. It is amazing how the women in De Taali show that all they need is a reasonably well written character.
I actually liked the fact that we were not entertained to a whole lot of back-story of all the characters. Only that much was revealed about their background as was necessary to move the plot forward. But, this has its own drawbacks. Whenever a particular plot point is disclosed, your mind travels back to when the relevant piece of information was told to you first, and in a way you feel manipulated.
I know, it sounds like I'm asking for just the right amount of information that "I" want. But doesn't the art lie in making the movie so engaging that these thoughts do not come to my mind while I'm watching it? Overall though, I enjoyed being with the here-and-now of the characters. Especially considering that a possible alternative would be a voiceover reading out each character's resume to acquaint us with them.
Yet, I'm sure the movie could've been liked by many more if it had been a good 30 minutes shorter. And though the foot-tapping numbers have decent lyrics and are set to some cool choreography, they are still out of place. Any day, I would prefer fewer songs to a 2 hour+ movie.
- meeta, a part of the audience
Thumbs up, by Harshita Kohli, indya.com : ...Especially his scenes when he falls hopelessly in love with his girlfriends is hilarious... full review
Thumbs up, Movie Talkies : ...The performances are great and for a change all the lead actors seem to be in their element.... full review
Thumbs up, by Swati R Chaudhary, Rediff : ...Riteish is lovable as the impish Paglu. Watch out for the scene when he takes potshots at Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag.... full review
So-So, by Fatema H Kagalwala, Business of Cinema : ...The film shifts gears too fast... full review
So-So, by Khalid Mohamed, Hindustan Times : ...And when Ayesha Takia mimics Mr Deshmukh, she’s a delight; her laughter and smile are infectious.... full review
So-So, by Rajeev Masand, IBN Live : ...However the film meanders mindlessly in its second half, digressing from the basic premise... full review
So-So, by Siuranjana Nandi, M TV : ...it's probably the same boring dal chawal you've grown up eating – but you know that it never goes out of style.... full review
So-So, by Sonia Chopra, Sify Movies : ...The humour in the film is omnipresent and not loud and crass like other comedies of late.... full review
So-So, by Lasapriya Sundaram, Times Now : ...De Taali is let down first & foremost by a weak script. However, it is saved by the performances... full review
Thumbs down, by Nikhil Kumar, Apun Ka Choice : ...‘De Taali’ has fine performances from the leading cast, who, at moments, even rise above the mediocre script to hold a viewer’s interest.... full review
Thumbs down, by Baradwaj Rangan, Blogical Conclusion, The New Sunday Express : ...De Taali is a sprawling, shambling, and rather strange mess that gets going, most unexpectedly, with a few sharply shaped observations on how friendships evolve over time.... full review
Thumbs down, by Daliya Daspurkayastha, Bollywood Mantra : ...Riteish Deshmukh has again showed his prowess in handling comedy genre.... full review
Thumbs down, by Martin D'souza, Glamsham.com : ...Riteish Deshmukh is adorable.... full review
Thumbs down, by Taran Adarsh, IndiaFM : ...E. Niwas doesn't get in right this time.... full review
Thumbs down, by Gaurav Malani, indiatimes : ...The film seems to be shot and edited in patches and the continuity lapses clearly show... full review
Thumbs down, by Mayank Shekhar, NDTV : ...Everything merely goes berserk only in the latter half, really.... full review
Thumbs down, by Subhash K Jha, Now Running.com : ...The jokes on Alcoholics Anonymous are hopelessly inadequate and better left alone.... full review
Thumbs down, by Hanumant Bhansali, Radio Sargam : ...De Taali lacks the punch, the fun, the pace, the dialogues and most importantly the script... full review
Thumbs down, by Nikhat Kazmi, Times of India : ...The film gets too long and repetitive, even though it has its funny moments... full review
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Plot Summary
Paresh (Ritesh Deshmukh), Abhishek (Aftab Shivdasani) and Amrita (Ayesha Takia) are real good friends who have not a worry on their mind. The lovable, cozy equation is in danger of changing with changing circumstances.
What Worked
- References to some movies and actors. Some of the situations are actually like giving visuals to the words of movie reviewers.
- I loved the way Paresh's and Amrita's relationship turns out.
- Underutilization of Anupam Kher and Saurabh Shukla. Better this than having them do antics that don't suit them.
- Rimi Sen's Janice-like laughter!
- Little things like Big B's fan is named Abhishek are not highlighted but are left to the audience to figure out. If they get it, good for them, if not - too bad seems to be the writer's idea.
- I liked the way Rimi Sen was being seductivein "behaiya si raatein" but at the same time was not, giving us a hing that she means serious business and is doing this to score a point.
- The torture scene is one of the most hilarious one I've seen in recent times.
- "Hafta hafta" is a cute song. I think it would have worked wonders if it was woven into the story.
- Use of soft lighting for the last couple of scenes
What did not
- The characters singing to the camera in the title song played during the opening credits. It felt as if there were four friends, not three - the fourth one was the camera!
- In the same song, why was there a few black and white shots!? Why such random usage?
- "mhaari teetri" was the most out of place song of them all. And how come Paresh is lusting for a woman suddenly, when he's been behaving like a good boy all along?
Nitty-Gritty
- Tch-tch-tch...the paper that is burnt by a match-stick is visibly dipped in some igniting liquid, as if Abhi knows its going to get burnt.
- That's one huge coffee!!!
- How come Rimi Sen's make-up never wears off!?
Parental Guidance:
- Violence: A slap here, a punch there. Nothing that would keep me from taking my 4 year old.
- Sexual content: One song with the lady seducing the man. A couple of songs in a bar with skimpily clad women.
- Concept: Its about friendship and how they reach out for one another. But, it all revolves around the love life of one of the characters.
- General Look and Feel: It’s a cheerful, keep-up-your-spirits kind-of a movie. Even the saddest, most emotional moments are laced with humor. But, the humor is not necessarily the kind that a child below 10 would get.
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Comments (5)
Review - De Taali...
A 2.5 hour long movie. With about an hour's worth of smiles, laughs and hard-core laughter filled in. All because of fresh dialogue and awesome comic timing. You have to be willing to tolerate the many out of place songs and the "sheeeeesh" climax t...
[...] Taali, and yet she feels that it is a tad longer than she would like. She finds it is filled with “smiles, laughs and hard-core laughter” but rates it as a “wait for the video”. It seems like one of those “total time [...]
De Taali - Review » without giving the movie away...
De Taali - Review » without giving the movie away...
Fine review...the movie was okay..screwed up in the end with an overdose of characters. By the way...Maari Teetri song was good.as mentioned in my review..it was the only time, where the characters looked grown-up. It was seriously a movie for 7-12 year olds.
read my review on de taali at http://bollywoodtrends.blogspot.com
Nice detailed review. Leaving aside the asinine climax, the movie was good. Ayesh Takia is just brilliant (I love her ;-)). Riteish is getting more and more confident in the comedy genre now.
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