Hello

Based on a bestseller "One Night at a Call Center" by Chetan Bhagat, the movie is a good example which teaches that we need to do a lot of changes and additions on the scripting stage if we want to make a movie on a novel. In "Hello", the director has made some additions, but the add on's are there only to sell the movie and grab attention of the audiences. By only taking Salman Khan for few scenes and shooting a catchy number with shirtless Salman, does not mean that you can ignore the other important aspects of movie making. Sadly "Hello" becomes the culprit of the same thought.

Last week, I noticed and mention it for "Kidnap" and this week we have the same drastic mistake repeated in "Hello". I cannot simply understand that "How can a movie start straight away with a four-five minute song?" As the viewer excitedly sits to watch the movie, he is simply served a song at the start. This is a definite indication that you are going to watch a mediocre product. And as the time passes, you know that the outcome is not what you were expecting.

An interesting and novel idea gets spoiled with a very poor script and execution. It was hugely promoted as a movie in which a phone call is made by "The God" himself to some call center employees. And the greatest flaw of the movie is that the phone call comes after almost half the movie is over. You keep on waiting for that but the director, Atul Agnihotri is more engrossed in giving scenes to all his characters and in describing the tragedies they are facing. Suddenly the phone call sequence comes and also finishes off in minutes. You don't feel excited while the call is being attended by the characters on the screen. The scene is not capable of generating any extraordinary thrill in the viewer. And as the "Call from the God" sequence ends, you also end having any interest in the movie. Morevoer, you also don't find any great results in the movie, even after the God has called.

Performance by the entire cast is simply professional like they are just doing another film. So nothing special is there to write about any specific actor. Only Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif seem to be more interested in contributing to the movie than all others. They both are there enacting "a special appearance" in order to provide a star element to the movie. A catchy title song with Salman, is good to watch, but it should have been there in the end titles instead. The special and heartily efforts of Salman & Katrina are not able to save the movie which is unexpectedly a poor product based on a best-selling novel.

It's nice to see that we are again picking up good books and novels for the stories in our movies. This practice was done way back in the Black and White era and in later years too by some great film-makers India has seen. But in the current and fast changing times a lot has to be re-shaped and re-written to transform a successful book into a Hit movie. Unfortunately, "Hello", fails in doing that.

Based on the book called One night at the call centre, the film centres on the events that happen to an eclectic array of characters over one night at an Indian call centre. I've not read the book but the movie is absolutely atrocious. The rubbish drama was so boring that I had a sore head & I felt like ripping my arm out and constantly bash my head with it. There were no different events and situations and was far from entertaining & beyond boring. At the start Salman's character was not told that who is he but instead they put a stupid song Bang Bang.

Then out of nowhere Katrina Kaif came and was telling him the outrageously boring story and she is completely crap. Neither she knows acting, language (her voice is always dubbed for her), dance and always fails to impress. I do not like her one bit and its better off that she is kicked out of Bollywood and never comes back again. Even all of her movies suck (except Race). In the story the Americans where calling the Indian call centre to get help and the film was showing that the Americans were stupid and Indians are smart (I mean how daft a film can get??). If I was in Salman's place then I would've ran away as soon as I can and said "Bye Bye" instead of Hello.

I was more interested in the film's ending not because the twist or anything would be revealed in the last reel but because it would mean the end of discomfiture.

Hello, the movie, is loyal to its source 'One Night@ Call Center". Thats where the issue lies. Let me explain. Hello is the story of 3 Men and 3 Women working at a call center, their lives, their work and above all their relationships. Without dwelling much into the very well known and popular story I can safely say that the story is very loyal to its source. Its so loyal that it forgets that reading a piece of Literature and watching the same thing on-screen are two completely different experience. The Novel is so popular that most Indians are very familiar with the story and how it ends. When they go to watch the same thing on-screen it becomes very predictable. It actually becomes boring to he movie-goer even though the acting and the character developments are well enough to match the novel. But then again, when filming a novel of such popularity a direction just would not dare to twist the story to an extent where the original becomes separable from its copy on celluloid. So, if you have read the novel, you have seen the film too. Regarding the acting, the only thing awful in this movie is Mr. Khan. He should stop playing characters which are suitable for actors 20 years younger than him. Specially 'paired' with an actress as young and beautiful as Ms. Kaif. One of the comments on IMDb objects to the movie calling Americans Dumb. Agreed, they are definitely not. But it is a well known fact that in call centers in India the '35=10' rule is followed. It is to ensure that no agent is rude to the 'general' customers (who are, in most cases, 'relatively dumb', regardless of which country they belong to) and not to poke fun at any country. Also, racist calls are rampant in call centers. In all call centers. Not just those serving US clients/customers. Overall - 7/10. Strong recommendation: Set your expectations right before you see this movie IF you have read the book.

Of course. Agree to that fact that, even though you cant judge a book by its movie and movies cant live up to the book at all. (except Godfather and Gone with the Wind). What if you make a movie out of a _________ book (fill in the blanks) that has gained enough popularity un-necessarily. The only good thing about this "one night @ a call Centre" authored by Chetan Bhagat is that i could finish the book straight three hours. No more comments on the book anymore.

On top of that you have the author of the book being the scriptwriter, then this got me thinking, why would i purposely spoil my own product?? As the author would be thinking "Dont i love what i am creating, I have already created a book which people have not liked too much, and some people have. Now I will write for the movie too. Make it even worse and look at the box office figures the audience loves it." Clearly, not one of my best movies that i watched, but the experience of watching this movie Hello was good, because I watched for some Rs. 60 /- balcony where people the audience was actually directing Sharman Joshi what exactly to be done in the car with Gul Panag, during a censor board certified sex scene in the movie.

Gul Panag is not any more counted as one of my favourite actress. Post Dor, it was her performance that bowled me over. But after this movie, it was just about nothing.

The casting department has done a wonderful job of selecting the right person for the role.

¤ Sharman Joshi:: The devil's advocate part was crass.

¤ Gul Panag, Isha, Amrita Arora:: Apt choice for the role.

¤ Sohail Khan:: Restraint is the keyword dude.

¤ Sharat Saxena:: Apt choice, however should the role should have been more resilient as in the book.

¤ Dalip Tahil:: Apt choice but should have been honest to his character in the book by using more management jargon's.

¤ Suresh Menon:: Oh just shut up and go away!

¤ Salman Khan & Katrina:: Pass.

Conversation with God:: A more powerful voice would have apt. And since it forms the crux of the movie, should have been fleshed out better.

The costumes could have been paid more attention. Visually aesthetic in "live" isn't necessarily on-screen as well.

It is a rarity to see a book effectively translated to screen and needless to say this attempt tanks. The execution plays truant and and to a certain extent screenplay is to be blamed too. The movie appears to be Cut-and-paste of 15-minute chunks. In addition, there was no need incorporate everything in the book (Bridget Jones Diary should be a good moot point!)?