Review: What’s Your Raashee?

What’s Your Raashee? Here’s my review!

Saw hottie Priyanka Chopra at the press show 000h

Priyanka Chopra can expect a dozen or so popular awards this time around for playing a dozen Gujarati girls in Ashutosh Gowariker’s What’s Your Raashee?, a film in which a young Gujarati NRI gets into a hell of a predicament because of his funny brother Jitubhai (Dilip Joshi, Jethalal from Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashma). A whole bunch of characters add their bit and the already thick plot spreads well. Darshan Jariwala (coolest matchmaker ever) and Rajesh Vivek (astrologer!/ spy!!/ photographer!!!) provide several hilarious moments. Anjan Srivastav plays dad to Harman Baweja, and his mom is the sweet lady who was Amol Palekar’s sister Ratna in Gol Maal. No, YOU google it.

Priyanka Chopra displays enough talent and gives all the Priyanka Chopras in What’s Your Raashee? unique personalities and Harman Baweja can breathe easy. What’s Your Raashee? gives him a nice, solid break and he takes it up really well. Baweja slips into his role from the beginning and is totally likeable as Yogesh B Patel, the nice Gujju boy who must select a bride and marry her in 10 days to get cash from his grandfather to bail his brother out of a mess. Don’t get too confused now, the story will suck you right in. For a change, no one’s trying to make you cry and feel for any of the characters and there’s some very neat choreography to look out for.

Too long, tooooo long!

Ashutosh Gowariker’s directing is well thought-out and makes the film convincing, but the songs start to irritate after awhile no matter how situational they may be, and the finger-cutting bhai should’ve just been mentioned of and not shown. Also, the Gujjuness of the film might be too much for some non-Gujjus to handle. Well, tough shit – it’s a refreshing change from the Punjabi munda-kudi bhangra routine that’s plagued Bollywood since a very long time. The first half of What’s Your Raashee? doesn’t have a single dull moment, but you wish the second half of the film would hurry itself up. For those who feel screwed by Ashutosh Gowariker, there’s worse news – he doesn’t let you climax. But you have to give it to the man (I just can’t seem to stop with the double-entendres), he’s done a fantastic job and I love his way of convincing the audience – that even the perfectly alright Harman Baweja at first can’t seem to get over how all the Priyanka Chopras look the same and later gets used to it – let me say it clearly – excellent story – great script – outstanding direction.

VERDICT

Ashutosh Gowariker’s What’s Your Raashee? is a light film that wears heavy thanks to almost four (3½?) hours of running time. Watch it for Priyanka, Harman and the laughs. And of course, making 12 Priyanka Chopras act in the same movie is the best thing anyone has ever done for mankind.

RATING: 2.5/5
MOVIE REVIEW: Wanted

World’s Greatest Pick-Up Artist

People just won’t let some things remain underground. I don’t usually talk about this stuff but an article in today’s Mumbai Mirror forces me to speak up. Having read the works of several seduction masters, it enrages me every time someone with zero originality takes credit for it. It’s like Sceptre behaving like they wrote Enter Sandman. Pissing off, yeah? Yeah. The Sceptre thing is just laughable, you say? Okay.

For those interested in reading material on alpha male behaviour/seduction routines/pick-up tactics/body language or anything of the sort, I suggest you check out the work of original pick-up artists.  I know downloading  (okay, STEALING)  doesn’t help the creators of the ultimate badass material one bit, but here’s stuff to Google: John Alexander, Carlos Xuma, David Deangelo, Mystery, Tyler Durden.

This isn’t all of it (ha!) but should give you a great idea of things. I was already hopping mad at askmen.com for ripping off and repackaging this stuff, and thanks to Mumbai Mirror I know about this Shiva fellow.

Pick-up artist he may have become, but seduction guru he is certainly not. Making money off other people’s work…not very alpha, is it?