Yuva

What else would you call a movie that has a little bit for everyone -- Yuva is an entertainer first -- of course it has a lot of firsts as well..the structure, for example, is something that is unique...all the 3 story lines start on Howrah bridge and how the director comes back to the Howrah bridge accident to take of to one of the 3 stories is poetic.. Songs add lustre to this painting and is very inherent to the flow. Anurag's dialogues are a huge plus -- I loved Om Puri's Bengali dialogues --"paranthu lekin" As far as the cast goes -- Ajay did really well as did Abhishek -- Among the ladies, I loved Esha. The Tamil version was not as engrossing as the Hindi version was, and I think that was primarily because of the cast. Mani is Mani...awesome movie.

Anurag Kashyap did a awesome job. Dialogue were tremendous. I would say Abhishek bachchan's best acting. Ajay is awesome in high performance. All female actress we're good.

Sonu sood did a good job.

Okay so when the music of this movie came out, I was hopping around in hopes that Mani Ratnam will finally be successful in the Hindi film industry. But of course the film released and tanked at the box office. I was quite depressed afterward and unsure of whether to watch the film, but recently, upon a friend's recommendation, I rented it. After watching it, all I have to say is that box office says absolutely nothing about the merit of a movie (I'm sure a lot of people knew that already). Bottom line: YUVA is awesome.

Sure it isn't perfect, and not near most of Ratnam's tamil movies, but it is definitely worth watching. The story is about 3 young men who come from vastly different backgrounds and schools of thought. One incident on a bridge brings them together, changing their fates forever.

Abhishek Bachchan is definitely come into his own with this role. His "Lallan" is both menacing and pitiable (like the song Kabhi Neem Neem, Kabhi Shahed Shahed aptly describes). Its quite unreal how he gets into the skin of his character. He not only picked up the mannerisms but managed to capture the volatility, anger and ambition that defines Lallan. Rani Mukherji has really become my favorite actress these days. Her performance as Shashi (Lallan's wife) really compliments Bachchan's and together they make their story the most interesting and compelling aspect of the movie.

Ajay Devgan and Vivek Oberoi are decent and do their jobs. Its not really their fault that Bachchan got the strongest part. Esha Deol and Kareena Kapoor don't have roles big enough to impact the movie in any way. Ajay's story as a student leader is good but might have been better. Its not super powerful but at the same time, that aspect makes the story a lot more real. Ajay's "Michael Mukherjee" doesn't overdue the preaching and the patriotism, he simply believes that his country can do better and he wants to lend a hand. Vivek Oberoi's Arjun is a simple soul until he crosses paths with Michael. Arjun's transformation from a carefree youth to someone finding a cause is not particularly powerful and could have been expanded a little. But again, this only makes it a little more real. Nobody makes that transformation overnight. Sure he found a purpose, but he's not immediately going to become the second coming of Michael Mukherjee. The scene where he quietly volunteers to stand elections with Michael is very subtle but made me think of how other directors might have dealt with that situation. You would get Arjun shouting patriotic verse at the top of his lungs with tears in his eyes. Just a tad unrealistic.

I wholeheartedly recommend this film to everyone not only because its worth your time but also so we somehow send a message to Ratnam not to get discouraged. Please continue to tell your stories (in Hindi). We are listening.

Yuva is a great comeback for Maniratnam as a Hindi film director after the unsuccessful Dil Se. His earlier regional language films like Velu Nayakan, Anjali, Roja, Bombay, Iruvar and many more have been highly successful all over India. Yuva is a thrilling story of three young guns of Calcutta whose stories get connected by a road mishap. The film is based upon college. Ajay Devgan (two time National Award winner) has given a fantastic performance as a college leader along with Vivek Oberoi. The actors are aptly casted and the film is technically very good. Cinematography is just out of this world. But the limelight is stolen by Abhishek Bachchan who has given the performance of a lifetime. His role of a street-side malefactor will surely win him awards. HATS OFF TO YUVA & MANIRATNAM!!!

The problem with the Hindi Film Industry has been low life Johnny-come-lately directors and actors who has taken over the Industry with the help of the Media pied piper morons and they have been put on the pedestal and worshiped as if we need these morons. Here comes Mani Ratnam (Ram Gopal Varma, Vikaram Bhatt,etc) who know talent when they see one (Esha Deol and exception) and cast them irrespective of the the Box office predictions. This is one tightly packaged and past paced movie with some great dialog, acting and direction. Abishek performance should make his papa proud. This kid has come a long way and he is even beginning to look like his old man. Next comes Rani, Vivek. Of course the Veteran Om Puri, is a delight to watch no matter what he does. Esha Deol cannot act-period. Ratnam or a Varma cannot extract any acting from this lasse-it is like trying to get juice out of a scotch tape. The stories run parallel and concurrently which adds a mystery like quality to the narration and one of the staple of a good cinema-the dialog is superb. The action scenes are very authentic and not the cheap variety seen in the decadent and discrepit Sharukh Khan and Salman Khan films. Mani Ratnam and Ram Gopal Varma have elevated the Hindi Cinema to the level that an Indian should be proud of, in fact this film sounds like a fast version of a Satyajit Ray film and that is a compliment for a filmmaker.