Jannat Review

After postponing and re-postponing, finally Jannat has been released. The movie that has cricket every where but deals with the ugly world of betting and match fixing. Mahesh Bhatt stands out from other Bollywood film makers because he makes movies on serious subjects. For example, Footpath, Murder, Gangster, Kalyug, Zeher, The Killer, Awarapan and now, Jannat. The first significant thing about the movie is its title. Till now, all the movie titles of Bhatt production revealed the dark subject the movie is dealing with(Footpath, Murder, Gangster, Kalyug, Zeher, The Killer, Awarapan). For the first time, he has chosen an exceptional title Jannat. It is like a pseudo title.

Alright, by this time you all have come to know about the story of the movie; the story of Arjun Dikshit (Emraan Hashmi) and Zoya (Sonal Chauhan). They meet, they fall in love, and then the lady comes to know the ugly side of her lover and delivers him to justice. So far, Jannat is an okay movie but not so good.

Taran Adarsh is very much impressed with Jannat. In terms of story telling, the first half is ordinary “Chalta hai” staff. Boy meets girl, go crazy and does crazy things and stuff. Things start to become serious after intermission. India FM reports:

Honestly, you don't take to JANNAT instantly. The initial portions - the love story - are strictly chalta hai stuff. But the best part is, JANNAT takes a step forward every 10 minutes. The film actually takes off when the characters reach Cape Town, South Africa. The portions thereafter are akin to a roller coater ride.

Right from the interval point to a hair-raising, pulse-pounding climax, JANNAT is another journey altogether. The end, especially, hits you like a ton of bricks [it wouldn't be right to reveal what happens to the characters].

The strong point of Jannat is the making of the movie, the story and script. The script is written by Kunal Deshmukh and Vishesh Bhatt and directed by Kunal Deshmukh who showed great maturity as a debutante director. Though Emraan Hashmi is famous as a kisser this film will change his image. He played the character of Arjun very well. He is the heart of the movie.

Since Mahesh Bhatt is highly influenced by Hollywood movies, rumor came out that Jannat is a rip off of Two for the Money, a 2005 movie by Al Pacino and Matthew McConaughey but it is not true; rather, it has a shadow of Mahesh Bhatt’s early movie Naam where the central character was played by Sanjay Dutt. Naam comes with the ultimate message that once you get into crime there is no way out. Jannat has a similar message. In an interview, Mahesh said that Jannat is Emraan Hashmi’s coming of age movie. It is the Naam of Emraan Hashmi.

The movies story telling style is not liked by all. The first part of the movie is fine and shows that the story is movie to the right direction but then in the second part the story loses its focus and becomes abrupt. Ravimoosad writes:

The love at first sight of the lead pair and Arjun’s quick success is not taken convincingly. Also it is unbelievable that Zoya was completely unaware of Arjun’s real business. The first half of the movie is good and the audience will get a feeling that movie is going in the right direction. But the second half disappoints and leads finally to a weak and oft-repeated climax. Imran is very good as Arjun and has done well especially in song sequences. Sonal as Zoya has given convincing performance and so is Javed Sheikh and Samir Kochchar. Like any other Imran Hashmi movie from Bhatt camp, this movie too has good music which is a great relief.

The second interesting thing about Jannat is ring significance. The story starts with a diamond ring and ends with a diamond ring. Buzz 18 reports:

At its very heart, Jannat is a story that begins and ends with a ring. Arjun and Zoya meet because of the ring. They fall in love and Arjun goes all lengths to make sure that the ring finds its rightful place.

But with each passing moment the weight of ring starts bearing upon his conscience (yes, our very own Frodo from Lord of The Rings!). The ring continues to be a major part of the film, till even the climax scene where by its very being it shapes the future of our lovebirds.

The story telling of Jannat some how resembles with children’s story. What seems to be great story turns out to be the same old boring thing repeated time and time again. Although Jannat does not directly mention the name of any cricketer it gives many indirect references. The movie already started a serious controversy. Some Pakistani showbiz personalities are saying that the movie showed Pakistani and Pakistani players as corrupt people. Buzz 18 further says:

If the gem on the ring does not impress you, the ones in the dialogues will. Zoya is justifying her handing Arjun over to the police. In a fit of desperation she yells out – "I love you, so I got you arrested." Now, that's unconditional!

Then there's another where Arjun catches one of his players eyeing a good looking girl. Cheekily he says, "I know on the ground you like fielding at fine leg and off it you like looking at fine legs. But let me take you to a place where you will not only find fine legs but also gullies, slips and deep cover." Profound.

There are some very clear references to certain cricketers and real-life incidents. Those who follow the game would probably find many parallels between this movie and real life. There are clear references to Azharuddin, Shahid Afridi and of course Bob Woolmer throughout the 140-odd-minute long movie.

By itself, a film on cricket would have made for great viewing. But as the narrative unfolds, the movie loses its focus – after the girlfriend comes in, there's the father and finally also a child.

Cricket used to be a family game, but not any more. And as far as we know neither is betting or fixing. So the whole family connection somehow is lost on us.

The Economic Times review says that Mahesh Bhatt could not depict the match-fixing or betting in detail. It says:

The Bhatts have as much (or rather as minuscule) knowledge about match-fixing and cricket-betting as much as any average audience. So do not expect a fine-tuned screenplay detailing the intricacies on the misconduct of cricket or revealing the modus operandi of the sport malpractice. The Bhatts are no Bhandarkar. Rather be prepared for a superannuated story sketched not even around but on the external periphery of the theme of match-fixing.

In the end, I would like to say that Jannat is a movie worth watching. May be the story is not well organized, may be the film skips many details, may be the dialogues are cliché but compared to big production movie like Tashan that has no substance but masala, Jannat is far better. It does not matter whether you are a fan of Emraan Hashmi or not you should see the movie.

Related articles:

India FM (1)

India FM (2)

Ravimoosad

Buzz 18

Without giving the movie way

Economic Times

jannat

emraanhashmi

sonalchauhan

cricket

indianpremiereleague

Cricketers are PROSTITUTES!

Before you get too excited about the title let me make it clear it is not what I meant. In Mahesh Bhatt’s upcoming production Jannat Emraan Hashmi played the character of a match fixer who says in the film that there is no difference between prostitutes and cricketers; they are same. One India reports:

What's more, the censor board saw nothing objectionable on the world's poshest profession being compared with the oldest. Says a character in Jannat, "Dekhiye Sir. Cricketers aur prostitutes ke beech zyada farq nahin hota. Donon ki jawani khatm to kahani khatm."

In fact producer Mahesh Bhatt is supremely gung-ho about this latest eyebrow-raising tryst with controversy."Yes, those are the exact words in Jannat.

Cricket is THE MOST popular game in India. People are crazy about cricket and the cricketers are revered more or less like gods. Top cricketers make millions of Rupees from ad campaigns and various other activities. In such a country, comment like this could create lots of controversies but Bhatt is known for making films that deals with uncommon subjects. In Jannat, he sheds light on betting and match fixing in cricket . Jannat tells the story of an ambitious person who wants to make fast money and eventually takes the illegal path. In the process, he ends up becoming a match fixer.

Related article:

One India

Jannat observed a successful premiere in Pakistan

Emraan Hashmi’s Jannat is the first movie to be premiered in both India and Pakistan. So far, the Pakistan premiere had been very successful. In Pakistan, the premiere was held at Gulistan cinema, Lahore. Almost 2,000 people came to see the movie. Along with Emraan Hashmi, Sonal Chauhan, Mahesh Bhatt, Mukesh Bhatt, and Kunal Deshmukh attended the premiere. Apun Ka Choice reports:

"I will never forget the love I got from the people at the Lahore airport," Hashmi is quoted as saying.

During his stay in Lahore, many things caught the attention of Emraan’s roving eye, particularly the "beautiful buildings and the stunning girls" of Lahore.

The incorrigible serial kisser of Bollywood also witnessed immense fan adulation at the premiere of ‘Jannat’ at the famous Gulistan cinema hall on Tuesday. The number of fans was so large that it caused a traffic jam on a nearby road.

The premiere itself was a star-studded gala attended by many Lollywood celebrities.

Two major Pakistani cricketers: Imran Khan and Wasim Akram also came to the premiere. Emraan received a royal treatment during his stay. The actor is quite popular in Pakistan. He even appeared in a cellphone ad.

Related articles:

Rediff

NDTV

Jannat is not a Hollywood rip off

Mahesh Bhatt and Pritam have something in common; both of them are good in copying. The way, Pritam takes music from different songs, Mahesh Bhatt also takes his stories from different western movies. Mahesh Bhatt himself admitted that he is heavily influenced by Western films. Jannat is the next movie from Mahesh Bhatt's production.Before the shooting started, rumors spread out that Jannat was a rip off of Two for the Money. Upon hearing this, Emraan Hashmi, the lead actor of the movie was very surprised. Sify.com reports:

"Which is this movie Two For The Money?” asks Emraan Hashmi. “Isn't it a film about a bookie and his mentor, and the conflicts they face in their business? Sorry to disappoint those who believe they have managed to crack the code, but Jannat in not even remotely similar to the Hollywood film."

"Jannat deals with a different aspect altogether. We have tried telling everyone, time and again, through the promos that the film is not just about bookies and betting. It is a story about a young couple—the guy is a go-getter and wants to give his girl everything she desires. For that he is even willing to take an illegal route."

This time, I also agree with Hashmi that Jannat is not a rip off of Two for the Money. I watched Two for the Money and true that it deals with the subject of betting but in a different manner. In USA, betting is legal and there are many companies that make money on gamblers. These companies hire specialists in particular games to make predictions who would win. Matthew McConaughey played such a character. It is totally different from what Jannat is all about.

Related article:

Sify.com

India FM

Jannat: Emraan proposes the Bhatts disposes

Emraan Hashmi wants his picture to be shown on the poster but Mahesh Bhatt and Kunal opposed his idea. Emraan thinks that now he has the capability to pull the crowd but Mahesh Bhatt and Kunal thinks otherwise. They want the story of the movie to be highlighted on the poster. One India reports:

Emraan says, "Yes, Bhattsaab and I did have an argument over the posters but such things happen in every organisation. I had an idea of what I wanted for the first poster and Bhattsaab wanted a particular feel of the film, so we had entirely different ideas. Finally all of us came around and we are all happy with the final product."

Kunal admits, "Jannat is my first film. I am giving it my all, but I got caught in the crossfire between the Bhatts and their blue-eyed boy Emraan. Emraan wants only himself on the posters as he looks at himself as a solo hero, but I want the story to come across in the posters. Jannat is not a sports film but deals with cricket-betting and match-fixing in the backdrop of a love story. These kind of creative arguments will always happen.

Two posters were designed by Atmanand for Jannat. In one poster, Emraan Hashmi, the hero, is sitting against the stadium and the other was Emraan standing wearing a black leather coat and money is raining from the sky. Emraan liked the first one but the Bhatt brothers and Kunal went for the other one because the strength of the movie of the Bhatt films is not the characters but the story. Finally, both the posters are used for promoting the film.

Related article:

One India

Jannat shows glamorized betting office

In Jannat, the betting has been glamorized. Betting is illegal in the sub-continent, and the whole betting process is controlled by the underworld. So it is natural to guess that this whole thing is conducted in a secret place. Naturally, the office from which this whole thing is controlled would not have big lights or display boards or held in an open space. In Jannat, the betting office where the bookies sit and contact are glamorized but this is done for the sake of the movie. Glamsham reports:

So how do these 'addas' come across on the big screen? Are they in the same mould as the shady underworld centers where a few TV screens have the match on while dozens of phones keep ringing in unison?

Reveals Emraan, "Well yes, the 'addas' play an integral part in the film's narrative and it is quite obvious that quite a few TVs are on display with the match on. Also, landlines as well as mobile phones are constantly engaged with number of bookies continuously engaged in placing bets. It is a mad world out there."

The films directed or produced by Bhatts always have strong story and authentic characters. In order to infuse reality in Jannat the producer and director worked very hard. Jannat deals with betting and match fixing. It was very important to show the characters as much real as possible. Even Emraan Hashmi had to do a lot of homework to prepare for his character. This is director Kunal Deshmukh’s first film. According to him, this film is something very new, one that is made for the first time in India and for this reason, he and Emraan worked very hard to make every thing look 100% convincing.

Related article:

Glamsham

Jannat: Bookie demands Rs. 5000 from Kunal

In order to get a better understanding of the character of a bookie, Jannat director Kunal Deshmukh invited one of his bookie friends on the set. The bookie spent a whole day on the set. Before leaving, he asked for Rs. 5000. At first, Kunal thought that his friend was kitting but it turned out to be real. This was a big shock for director Kunal Deshmukh. Planet Bollywood reports:

As every one knows Emraan Haashmi is playing a bookie's role in this film. Director Kunal invited his bookie friend to the actual 'Jannat' shooting spot in Mumbai for Emraan Hashmi to get an idea of the body language and typical words used by bookies usually. The bookie spent almost his entire day on location. When he was leaving the spot, simply he asked Kunal for Rs. 5000. Initially Kunal thought, his bookie friend might be joking with him, it was almost a shock treatment to Kunal, when he realised that he is serious. It took a while for poor Kunal to understand that 'No one is a friend, when it comes to 'M' factor –the money'.

Well, I do not think this is unfair. It is not like he demanded the money for nothing. He spent a whole day and gave valuable information. So, in a way he deserves the money. Besides, I do not see any reason for Deshmukh to be upset. It was very small amount. His friend did not ask for Rs. 100,000 or 1 million. I think the problem with people is they want everything for free; that is so unfair.

Related article:

Planet Bollywood

Jannat: Does Emraan love cricket?

In Jannat, Emraan Hashmi played a cricket bookie but does he love cricket? Well, the answer is no. In real life, Emraan Hashmi does not like cricket. Hindustan Times reports:

Though real life cricketers play in the field in "Jannat", they do not represent any individual cricketer. Does Emraan get on the field at all?

"Actually, I don't like cricket at all. I don't play it and hardly ever watch it. Fortunately, I play a bookie. So, I don't have to play in Jannat," he mumbled sheepishly like a brat, who has not done his homework.

In Jannat, Emraan plays the central character, Arjun, who is addicted to gambling. In the beginning, he used to make money playing card games but then he becomes a bookie and starts to work as a match-fixer under a mafia boss. Sonal Chauhan, the female lead of the movie is a debutant actress. Emraan is very happy to work with her. According to Emraan, she is the 14^th girl to be launched with him. Rishi Kapoor in his heydays launched many actresses and now Emraan on the same path. So next time, you see any girl kissing Emraan, it is not just kissing but also LAUNCHING!!

Related article:

Hindustan Times

Jannat: Emraan breaks his vow for Kunal Deshmukh

Emraan Hashmi’s own image has become a major problem for him. In Bollywood, he is known as the ‘serial kisser’. After his marriage, he pledged not to do any kissing on the screen but he had to break his pledge at last. In Jannat, he did two kissing scenes with Sonal. According to Emraan, director Kunal Deshmukh persuaded him to do one kissing scene but after doing the first one he became greedy and told him to do another one. Hindustan Times reports:

"But then my director Kunal Singh got greedy. He first persuaded me to do one kiss, then another," Emraan, whose kissing scenes in movies like Murder and Gangster - A Love Story made headlines, told IANS.

The actor, who turned 29 on March 24, was quite tired of kissing and cutting cakes.

"I had already cut four cakes post-midnight, the first one of course with my wife," he rattled off dutifully. "Then my friends had dropped in and we had a private get-together. The next morning, I was on the sets and doing it all over again."

"I can't say I did not enjoy all the attention on my birthday. But if I really had one wish granted on my birthday, it would have to be no shooting! Sadly, that is what I did," Emran good-humouredly complained.

Producer Mukesh Bhatt said that Emraan is a professional actor and he may have vowed not to do intimate scenes but when the script demands it he would never shirk away but he would never do something just for the sake of doing it either. Mukesh is very happy with Emraan’s performance in Jannat. He said that after this movie Emraan will become one of top actors in Bollywood.

Related articles:

Sify

Hindustan Times

Jannat: Official website review

In the background, there is the picture of a cricket field and pavilion filled with spectators. Money is falling from the sky and Emraan Hashmi spreading his hands moving side by side. Looking at the homepage you will understand that Jannat is a movie about betting and match-fixing. The title song ‘Zara Sa’ has been used as the background sound. On the lower left corner of the homepage, you will see an offer from Cricket.com. Jannat Le Chalo contest. The winners will watch the IPL finals and meet Emraan Hashmi.

Address: http://jannat.visheshfilms.com/

Stills: There are 19 movie stills. All you have to do is click and the slide show will start.

The making: Here you will see 15 pictures from the shooting of Jannat. The pictures are arranged like pages in the book. Clicking on the left corner of the picture will turn over the pages.

Synopsis: Tells you about the story of the movie.

Trailer: This section has not been updated yet.

In the news: It contains a link to 107 the bee.

Download: This section contains two movie posters of Jannat.

Corporate: Contains the link to the official website of Vishesh films.

The major problem of the website is that some of the pages load slowly on my computer. I think it is related to the internet speed. The background sound has some problem. After few minutes the homepage is loaded, the background song starts.

Jannat's new release date

Producer Mukesh Bhatt has decided to push the release date of Jannat further forward. Earlier, the movie was supposed to be released on May 2; now, its release date has been moved to May 16. Mukesh Bhatt does not want his movie to clash with the release of other big budget movies. Last year, Awarapan did not do well at the box office because of Apne and Aap Kaa Surroor - The Real Luv Story.Apun Ka Choice reports:

But now producer Mukesh Bhatt and presenter Mahesh Bhatt have decided to postpone the film by two weeks.

The Bhatts haven’t yet forgotten what happened to their film Awarapan which released alongside two big films, Aap Ka Suroor and Apne , both of which went on to do good business at the box-office, leaving ‘Awarapan’ sandwiched.

In Jannat, Emraan Hashmi will be seen with Sonal Chauhan, a debutant actress. Emraan has an impressive ‘KISSING’ reputation in Bollywood and in this movie, the viewers will not be disappointed. There are two kisses.

Related article:

Apun Ka Choice

Jannat in search of Heaven

Title: Jannat in search of heaven

Producer: Mukesh Bhatt

Director: Kunal Deshmukh

Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Samir Kochhar, Sonal Chauhan, Vishal Malhotra, Javed Sheikh (Pakistan)

Synopsis: The story is losely based on Pakistan’s coach Bob Woolmer’s death but it does not directly depict the coach or any other cricketer. Cricket is the most popular game in the Indian subcontinent. Indians are crazy about cricket. Betting and match fixing is an open secret now. Jannat deals with this subject. The movie’s central character, played by Emraan Hashmi, is an ambitious young man who wants to make money as quickly as possible. He is addicted to making money in card games. His ordinary life turns topsy-turvy after he meets Zoya. Now, more ambitious, Arjun becomes a bookie and then starts to work as a match fixer under a mafia boss. Arjun finally gets what he wants but it comes at a price. Now, he has to chose between his love and money.

A Special Program on the Upcoming Movie Awarapan will be on Channel [V]

Mukesh Bhatt produced and Emraan Hashmi acted movie Awarapan will be released in Bollywood on 29 June. On the occasion of release of the movie, Channel [V] will showcase a special program on the movie. Shriya Saran and Mrinalini Sharma will appear in the movie in two pivotal roles.

Business of Cinema reported:
The film is produced by Mukesh Bhatt and stars Emraan Hashmi, Shriya Saran and Mrinalini Sharma. On [V], viewers will get a sneak peak behind the scenes and exclusive interviews with the cast and crew of the film.
Awarapan is the story of man called Shivam (Emraan Hashmi) who searched for joy but found nothing but pain and loneliness. It is the journey of a godless heartbroken lover who in order to escape from the ghosts of his tragic past dedicates himself to serve his gangster boss Malik who runs a chain of hotels in Hong Kong. The film is scheduled to release on 29 June.

Channel [V] has a lot of fans and it will surely be a good promotion for the movie. So, producer feels happy that they are going to get some free promotion from the Channel V. Emraan Hashmi has already came into limelight due to his on screen kissing scenes. So, it is yet to see what will happen in the movie Awarapan.