Everybody Put Your Hands Together...

By MovieTalkies.com, 20 June 2008 3 / 5

Finally a film about friendship which is not melodramatic, not a tear jerker and ok, it's also not nearly as path breaking as Dil Chahta Hai but is close to being just about as entertaining. De Taali has a simple intention, to entertain , and it succeeds whole heartedly in that intention. Abhi, Paglu and Amu are best friends and most importantly, they are regular, normal people, something that audiences will easily be able to relate to. The only real irregularity is in Abhi's life as he seems to have a knack for falling for the wrong women and hence has already broken up with 32 girlfriends. Paglu and Amu help him get over his most recent break up by making him realize that every woman he has fallen for has been slightly abnormal; one was obsessed with fire, another was a kleptomaniac, one was into drugs and the most recent was into spirituality and awakening the dead. Amu convinces him that he needn't change for any woman, as the perfect woman will love him for who he is. The fun really begins when while Paglu is explaining to Amu why he feels she is actually the right woman for Abhi, Abhi finds the perfect woman, Kartika, who for once, seems to be quite normal...or is she? De Taali is not meant to be a logical film, nor is it meant to be great cinema. The main characters are very normal, but of course the situations are slightly abnormal as are a few of the other characters, like Kartika's family and of course Paglu's landlord. But what works is that the dialogues are very "non filmy", youthful and fresh. Everyone has had best friends and so they will be able to relate to the equation Abhi, Paglu and Amu share and what happens when a new person enters. The film is shot well showcasing places like Dubai and Cape Town, and the film's length has also been kept tight, a very needed element for a film of this genre although atleast two of the songs could easily have been cut out along with the alcoholism support group sequence. Another drawback is that the film could have been even funnier because although Abbas Tyrewala has done a great job in the writing department, but there are places where the scenes could have been a bit more comic. Even though the subject of the film is not novel, the treatment is because it saves us from all the emotional melodrama you expect when a character experiences heartbreak in a film. The performances are great and for a change all the lead actors seem to be in their element. Ritesh is superb as clearly comedy is his forte. But the best thing about Ritesh's performances is that he ensures the comedy is not over the top, loud, or slapstick; he makes the character real in spite of some bizarre situations. His expressions and delivery are perfect. Surprisingly it is Rimi Sen who impresses even a little more than leading lady Aeyasha Takia. After all it is the first time, maybe since Hungama, that we are seeing Rimi in a role which actually requires some acting and not just looking pretty, and she delivers. Comedy seems to be a strong point for her as well as her expressions are just perfect and she is the apt choice for Kartika. Aeysha Takia is also very likeable in the film and although her expressions are perfectly restrained throughout, at times her dialogue delivery is a bit pretentious. Yet what impresses is how easily she has managed to pull of the casual jeans and t shirt, sweatshirt with a hood look. She has lost oodles of weight and is looking young. Aftab plays the man who wears his heart on his sleeve convincingly and all four actors together are a pleasure to watch. If you want to watch a film just for fun, De Taali is a good choice as it entertains and doesn't bore and so its paisa vasool for the audiences!

Leaves You Craving For More

By MovieTalkies.com, 24 May 2008 4 / 5

Director E Niwas is back with De Taali, which boasts of a cast consisting of Aftab Shivdasani, Ritesh Deshmukh and Ayesha Takia. The film promises to be a frothy, young, fun film about love, life and friendship. At least, that's what the music of the film indicates. The music which has been composed by the very talented Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravijani, with lyrics by Vishal and Abbas Tyrewala, is youthful with a lot of froth, fun and some whimsical shades as well. The album begins with a number called 'Everybody put your hands together', sung by Sunidhi Chauhan, Anushka Manchanda and Shaan. The song is a fitting prelude of things to come. It is definitely one of your foot tapping numbers. The beat of the song is quite infectious and it has been sung very well indeed the vocalists. 'De Taali,' the title number, is the second number of this album, with lyrics written by Abbas Tyrewala. The song has been sung superbly by Sunidhi and Shaaan , who impart give it a feisty rendering. The song captures the fun filled mood of the film, as one of the lines in the song aptly says, 'life is just a holiday.' The song has been very cleverly penned by Tyrewala, who manages to etch an entire philosophy of life in the most unconventional manner. His choice of words are so unexpected and unconventional yet so apt. Vishal Shekhar's music does full justice to the song. There is good mix of Indian and western elements in the song, which is extremely catchy. The chorus' rendering of 'De Taali,' which appears in the beginning and at the end of the song, is specially endearing. Shaan's voice is just perfect for the song. Sunidhi provides a perfect foil for him in this song. This is Shaan's song and he really gets into the mood of things here. The Clap Trap mix by Nikhil Chinappa, DJ Naved & Zoheb is quite interesting as well. The mood shifts dramatically with 'Aaj Main Boon Hoon' sung by Shreya Ghoshal and Shekhar Ravijani. Shreya is a wonderful singer and she does a perfect job with this number which has lovely, languorous, romantic feel to it. Shekhar sings his bit very well too. But the number to really watch out for is 'Hone Lagi' sung by Anushka and Shekhar. This is by far the best number in the album along with De Taali. Anushka has a voice which has not been heard much and that is a pity. But kudos to Vishal Shekhar to use her voice for this song. She lifts the number to a truly another level with her husky, whimsical rendering. It is a love song and Anushka's voice carries all the promise of love. There is an endearing playful quality about the song and the music and she brings that quality out in her rendering as well. Shekhar provides good support. The remixed version, Jump Into Bed Mix by Chor Bazaar. The remixed version has the same enticing quality about it as well. 'Maari Teetri' or The Butterfly song' has been sung by Raja Hasan. It has its roots in the Punjabi genre but still manages to sound different. The singer does a great job. 'Tooti Phooti' or 'She's Gone' sung by Sunidhi, Shaan & KK is again a so called 'sad song' but again with a difference. There's heartburn here as well and the language used is very contemporary and yet very poetic. There is an understated quality about the song, which makes it very endearing. All three singers, Shaan, Sunidhi and KK do a very good job. The music of De Taali is one of the better music albums to have come out in recent times. It is one of those rare albums where all three elements, the lyrics, the music, and the rendition, all complement each other superbly. The musical idiom makes an attempt to break out from the conventional, and so does the manner in which the lyrics have been worded. The singers, specially, Shaan and Anushka, take the good work forward, with superb renditions. The singers are able to make it all come alive with their spirited singing, catching on to every subtle change in lyrics and music. Full marks to Vishal Shekar for creating something which sound so different and so wonderful. It leaves you craving for more.

Thanks for your review.