Superstar

I watched this movie coz I recorded it off a TV channel. I didn't expect much from it, but was VERY pleasantly surprised! This movies stars mostly "non major actors", and relied on the plot and story more than the star power of any individual to make the movie a success.

This movie had it all, drama,romance,action,and emotion. Music was good. Loved "Mann Tu Talbat", will be listening to it again. This movie had a moral message as well as being entertaining. It showcases the greed of people at the top and how they use their power to exploit.It also showcases ambition, and how the price of success can sometimes be higher than what we are willing to pay for it.

What I loved about the movie were the poignant moments it had.....

The scene where Karan is sad because only the housekeeper remembers his birthday,(we see how lonely he is even surrounded by people) the scene when Bharka realizes that the man she is with is Kunal and not Karan. (Her single tear shows us her pain without making a big production out of it). Another memorable scene was the one where Kunal realizes that he is trapped and cannot be with the women he loves, or his family and friends anymore. (followed by the song "Mann Tu Talbat") The movie was made of some really beautiful scenes like this which are a compliment to it's director. Hats off! The star of this movie is undoubtedly Kunal Khemu. He carried a dual role with great confidence! (I was surprised to realize I had seen him in old movies as a child star!). The performances by actors playing his parents, Bharka and also Tulip Joshi were good.

All in all, this movie was a departure from your usual Bollywood fare and I highly recommend it! Watch this movie, you wont regret it, I certainly did not. Want to see more of Kunal Khemu. He bares a resemblance to the late Heath Ledger who was one of my favorite actors. Hope Kunal has the same acting chops too. Good luck Kunal! Also watch for the cameo by Sanjay Dutt. Was good.

Rohit Jugraj, the same man who had given us the horrible "James (2005" was directing this one and it had Kunal Khemu whose last few releases (Dhol, Traffic Signal, Kalyug) failed to impress me, so I had almost written him off as just another child star who failed to make it. However, the only thing that made me watch this film was the fact that Tulip Joshi had signed it and her choice of scripts have never let me down (Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai, Matrubhoomi, Dhokha)... so I gave this one a try! And my oh my! This movie totally surprised me! It has everything you'd want in an entertaining film, and more! The storyline is in fact very clichéd and had it been directed a weak director, this movie would've headed to where it belonged- the trash bin, but Rohit Jugraj really proves himself by raising the bar of a film whose script wasn't very refreshingly original. Super Star is undoubtedly one of the better films to have come out of Bollywood this year (2008). It's a pity that not many people watched it probably because it didn't have star value or it was poorly promoted. Whatever the reason be, I'm sure this movie has breathed a new life into Khemu's career that almost crashed.

Coming to the performances, Sharat Saxena (best known for his performance in Ghulam) really really shines in this one. Reema Lagoo, Tulip Joshi and Aushima Sawhney do their parts well. Vrajesh Hirjee and Darshan Jariwala are a great combo but at the end of it, this is Kunal Khemu's movie! In fact, I feel this movie marks the arrival of Khemu as a leading man. Everything you could complain about him has been put to test in this film and boy oh boy! He's passed 'em with flying colors! Music-wise too, Shamir Tandon does a brilliant job. I liked his work in Page 3 too but this one has a much better soundtrack. "Don't I love you" is a decent number. "Ajnabi" is a beautiful song, but its "Mann Tu Talbat" (which is arabic and means "I love you") by Hamza which is my most favorite track from this movie, been on my playlist ever since it got released. Kudos to all for giving such a refreshingly entertaining flick!

PS: Watch out for the tribute to "Sin City". Crazy stuff!

Kunal(Kunal khemu) is an aspiring Bollywood actor who is struggling to get a break. One day, he wakes up hearing the news that he is getting a big debut film and the whole apartment people congratulate him. But, kunal is unaware of this and approaches the production house. He is shocked to know that its not him but the producer Saxena's son karan(kunal khemu) is being launched whose face resembles of kunal. This devastates kunal thinking that his career is over. On the other hand, saxena is finding hard to make karan work in the film, as the latter can't act, dance or do stunts on his own. That time Saxena's manager(Vrijesh hirjee) remembers kunal and approaches him. Kunal is given the chance to play the role of karan in the film with keeping his identity a secret. Karan and kunal slowly develop a bond but while they were driving, both meet a car accident and kunal is found dead and his body is given to his parents. In hospital, when the other one wakes up, he reveals him to be kunal and its karan who died in the accident. A shocked saxena, decides to continue the film's production and forces kunal to play the role of karan offscreen too otherwise he will frame him for murdering karan. Will kunal continue playing karan forever? Will he give up his dreams of becoming a superstar to live with his loved ones? To know that watch superstar.

The biggest plus point of superstar is its story which is very unique coming from a bollywood film. Kunal khemu plays both the roles well. Darshan jariwala as saxena was brilliant so is sharad saxena as kunal's dad. Only minus, i felt was the music. If it had some chartbuster music then it would have been a success. On the whole, superstar still remains an underrated gem in Bollywood.

So i ended up with the DVD of this movie rolling on TV. I didn't really have the will to watch this flick. I knew Kunal Khemu was in it..the cool dude from Kalyug. I was really looking forward to his following releases, Traffic Signal and Dhol. Both were awful and i really gave up on him. I thought he would drown into the many of fellows trying their luck in bollywood. I started watching the movie and gosh i don't know how my time flew by...!! The story is very different, i don't know whether it is a rip-off or something but i do know this is very awesome! U keep watching because the direction is very awesome. Thumbs up for Rohit Jugraj. He handles scenes with total control.

The performances - Sharat Saxena is very effective, he has done numerous fatherly roles and does this one with full power again. Reema Lagoo, again an actor that played a mother in so many movies, she is awesome! Darshan Zariwala, i didn't know this dude, did see him in a few TV-commercial and then in Aaja Nachle.. he rocked in that and he rocked even more in this movie! Tulip Joshi, didn't have much scoop but was there.. setting a decent performance. Aushima Sawhney, this lady has some screen presence man!!! I liked every scene featuring her in it. She not only looks gorgeous, but is very confident (Not overconfident!), that is why she gives a wonderful performance. And last...but ABSOLUTELY not the least...Kunal Khemu..The man of the movie. This guy seriously rocked. Double thumbs op for him. His good looks, his acting talent, his dialogue delivery, his humour level, his dance performance, his fighting sequence .. EVERYTHING is awesome! Im watching forward to his next release.

The music is okay, the most catching songs are ; Don't I Love and Ajnabee. These songs are better then Shamir tandons last releases (Traffic Signal, Umar etc).

In a nutshell.. If ur looking for awesome entertainment. Awesome performances! A great visual treat! And talent everywhere in this low-mid budget movie. Go for it! U wont regret... Go superstar!

Kunal is so underrated that these beautiful movies are never talked about. Emotions were very well crafted. Rohit Jugraj can handle a heartless James, a ridiculous Arjun Patiala & at the same time an emotional Superstar. 2000s is all about great scripts & this is one of them.