99

A brave and an honest attempt. Its indeed a fresh concept which deserves to be applauded. Easy pitfall for the Gen-X for the film-makers to go overboard and end up with a product thats shares similarity to a text- book. In simple words it ends up being a GM fruit/ veggie. The director duo manage to retain the natural "flavour" to the proceedings.

Ө Kunal Khemu:: He was good in most parts and does need to polish his skills. The character was a bit "too posh" for his background.

Ө Cyrus:: Either his character was bad or Cyrus is a bad actor (owing to which his role got massacred on the editing table). Regardless, should have taken inspiration from Circuit.

Ө Soha:: As usual, nothing was expected out of her or the character. So its "status-quo". Neha-Pooja reference was good.

Ө Boman Irani:: Well can be safely said that the entire movie rests on him and he manages to bear the weight effortlessly. The name Rahul was a bit too modern for the character.

Ө Simone Singh:: The role could have been safely purged from the plot. There is nothing the character contributes to the storyline.

Ө Vinod Khanna:: Well, what can be said of Mr. Suave. He is suave in the role.

Ө Mahesh Manjrekar::Infuses life into the character owing to which manages to draw good laughs. And very authentic look indeed.

Ө Amit Mistry:: Make way for this fresh talent, he is surely to stay and give tough fight to Rajpal Yadav (similarity in size too!).

99 can also be classified as a period film as it attempts to recreate the 1999-2000 scene (mobile, betting, Clinton's visit & the out-of-the- box idea of Coffee shop). There are a few goofs which can be safely ignored.

Clearly evident is the inspiration from Pulp Fiction. Gentlemen the "rabbit-out-of-hat" is no doubt Tarantino'ism.

When the audience were practically dying of starvation owing to the multiplexes strike, wonder why "99" wasn't lapped up as manna from heaven. Beats me!

Bottomline:: This John Doe deserves more recognition.

"Chakka kisine Maara...Paisa kisine haara" -- haunts me even after a day of watching this super thriller...I could so well relate to Rahul -- the Hansie Cronje, if you will, of the movie -- A character you could only pity. Boman for me was the highlight of the movie.

Cricket is such an integral part of the movie that you have a 'reel' Sachin with a 'reel' Dravid (although a fatso) -- Keeps Sachin good company throughout the movie -- much like the Sachin, Dravid partnerships that we are accustomed to on the cricket field. Kunal is impressive and seems to have taken his acting to the next level from his previous movies. Cyrus evokes enough laughter to keep you engaged. Soha, as her role demands, was very suave and subdued.

Import-Export business king Kuber is another highlight -- his one-liners are bound to become popular in bollywood cinema in the years to come -- "Checking"..."Cut Again"..."Give Respect" etc..much like Vivek in Flavors, if you remember, -- "You Grow Up"...Accompanying him is "Dimple", taking me back to "Michael Madana Kama Rajan's" Kamal-Bheem combo.

Talking of one-liners, there's no dearth of those in the movie -- be it AMG leaving a 'message' after the 'beep' OR the wannabe in the hotel lobby threatening to buy the 5-star hotel or the popular theory about how cell phones would hurt your entire body, heck I even liked the dude on the street giving TV interview of what he saw of the culprits.

Another aspect of the movie was the subtlety with which certain things are shown -- be it the kids flaunting their bounty hunt on the road or Rahul's "oh!" at the fall of a wicket on a match he bet on, while in the Y2k meeting room -- the directors quality of letting small events tell a story of its own shows up as a highlight.

Although not having songs interrupt the story flow is a welcome change -- having listened to the music album, you almost wish that you see the full version of the songs play out..most people stay in the theater through the credits because of the "What's up" song...come to think of it...shouldn't't "Whats up"? song be the opening credit as a way of the débutant directors saying Hello to Bollywood? may be they are setting us up for a sequel, who knows...LoL..

Background score is slick and cocky and suits the mood..

This "99" is bound to cross Lara's 400 and become a "trend-setter" for future Bollywood generation.

99 is a success! First time main steam directors DK and Nidimoru pull off with great intelligence this smart witty new age comedy. The movie engrosses you from the opening scene with a rip roaring chase that builds upon the background of this masterful story line. The plot takes on so many twists and turns that viewers will be kept guessing throughout the film. The beauty of this story is that it weaves fiction into fact using the India's cricket scandals back in 1999 as the background scene. It is intelligent, smart, and entertaining.

The casting is superb with Boman Irani, Mahesh Majrekar and Kuber Mistry. Boman Irani is perfect in his portrayal as an addicted gambler. It is easy for the viewer to feel the full plight and depth of his situation as he digs himself into deeper and deeper holes. Kuber Mistry steels the comic scene of this movie with his hilarious antics. His dialogs are delivered with expert precision that it is hard to believe he is only acting the part. Expect to see this actor in many more movies to come. Kunal Khemu and Cyrus Broacha, the heroes of the film, are pure fun and their characters get into a sticky situation from the start of the movie. Both draw the viewer in making you root for them to succeed in their plight in the end no matter what happens. I do not want to ruin the ending of this movie, but be prepared for some surprises. Trust me, as strange as it sounds, they will have you rooting against Indian cricketers too.

99 is a solid film that should do well in the box office. It is definitely not a movie that should be missed. I rate it a thumbs up and give it 5/5.

The first question I have for Krishna DK, Raj Nidimoru and Anupam Mittal after watching "99 (2009)" is: "Why did you starve us for 6 long years since your last epic "Flavors (2003)"?".

Like their previous work, "99" is pure brilliance with a tight plot, jokes that work and pop-culture references that make you go "A-ha!". In other words, a MUST WATCH. The packed house at PVR on a weekday late-night show is testimony to that.

Kunal Khemu is an under-rated actor in the mould of Abhay Deol. Luckily, the latter has found his groove with the last couple of releases. Kunal is still stuck at 99 (pun intended), despite excellent nuanced performances in some excellent but forgotten films like "SuperStar (2008)". He has an easy charm and superb comic timing. At the same time, his vulnerable eyes poke through your heart during the tragic scenes. I really hope he breaks the jinx of successful child actors (like Urmila Matondkar, probably the only success so far).

This movie also enjoys the acting talent of powerhouses like Boman Irani (who started in similar Indy films like "Let's Talk (2002)" but now needs no introduction), Mahesh Manjrekar, Amit Mistry (a bonafide superstar at Bombay's Prithvi Theatres) and Cyrus Broacha. All these guys have significant theatre experience and it shows in their comic timing, body language and diction. In smaller roles, the bhojpuri actor and the sidekick provide many laughs with their natural presence. Among the ladies, Soha and Simone are important to the plot but don't have any spectacular scenes where they get to shine.

So here is my second question to Krishna DK, Raj Nidimoru and Anupam Mittal: "Why didn't you repeat the ravishing and very funny Pooja Kumar from Flavors, in the role of (who else?) Pooja?". She'd be so purrrfect-- and a treat to watch.

The production is very well designed. The movie is set in 99-2000 and it almost feels as if that is when it was shot. Be it the film hoardings across the city (imagine "Kaho Na Pyar Hai (2000)" blocking the skyline, for chrissakes!), the mobile phone models they use, the cars they drive or their amazement at the advent of "cyber cafes"--- this could well be one of India's first period films (NOT about the Freedom Struggle)! If anything, that's one award it deserves for sure. The background score is also well used and adds to the tension/fun of the chase.

As for the story itself, this is a chase/heist movie in the genre of what Guy Ritchie does. The two losers are on the run from everyone, with their IOUs adding up faster than Sachin's centuries. Their misfortunes and bravado makes for some very comic situations, without resorting to any toilet humor (well, almost) or Priyadarshan style confusion-climax. The audience kept laughing and clapping all through. Especially loved were the Bombay versus Delhi references (the cities are known for their cultural rivalry and pride). The movie is peppered with cricket metaphors, delivered in Cyrus's inimitable style. Cricket forms an important part of the plot and it is made by true lovers of the game.

Even though it reminds you of many Hollywood films, it is not a copy but in their genre. This slight difference sets it apart from the 99% junk that Bollywood ends up celebrating annually with the likes of Anees Bazmee, Priyadarshan, David Dhawan and Hansal Mehta. So here's my third question for Krishna DK, Raj Nidimoru and Anupam Mittal: "Agli picture kab bana rahe ho?"

I never expected that the film will be such a great experience but film was great with great background score and great direction and acting the film is a must watch...