Starring : Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Anjana Sukhani, Rana Daggubati

Music : Dharam Sandeep

C.B.F.C Rating : A

Genre :  Action, Crime

         Rating : 2/10

HOW IS IT..?

WHATS IT ABOUT..

When police officer Mahadev Bhosale (Sanjay Dutt) is asked by his bosses to form a hit squad to take on the Mumbai underworld, he recruits Shiv Narayan (Rana Daggubati), an honest and brave police officer who had been suspended for an encounter killing.

Together, Mahadev, Shiv and others in the ‘Department’ take on Sawatya’s (Vijay Raaz) gang. Sawatya, in spite of many exhortations by his number two, D.K. (Abhimanyu Shekhar Singh), and D.K.’s feisty girlfriend, Naseer (Madhu Shalini), does not hit back at the police.

There is another rival gang, lead by one Mohammad Gauri.

There is also the gangster-turned-minister, Sarjerao Gaikwad (Amitabh Bachchan), who takes Shiv under his wing after Shiv saves his life at a public rally. Mahadev warns Shiv that Sarjerao is just using him. After a certain turn of events, it is exposed that Mahadev is actually working for Mohammad Gauri and is, at the ganglord’s behest, finishing off Sawatya’s gang.

While Shiv declines to be a part of Mahadev’s corrupt world, and Mahadev agrees to let him be, things start falling apart between the mentor and the apprentice when Shiv starts taking on a sub-gang formed by D.K., under Mahadev’s protection.

What happens next..? Do Mahadev and Shiv come to loggerheads..?

Analysis..

“I used five matchbox-sized digital cameras to shoot Department… I didn’t know which camera is capturing what…,” said Ram Gopal Varma in an interview, adding that he’d figure it out on the editing table. We wished to figure out a lot more sitting through this extreme pain and abuse-inducing film on the senses. We should have known what we were signing up for.

The best acting chops are displayed actors’ crotches, coffee mugs, newspapers, spectacles, carom board and striker, dumbbells, earrings, wigs, moustaches, ash trays, tables, the list goes on. RGV’s favourite topic, the politician-police nexus forms the crux of Department.

Rana Daggubati as the gun-wielding, remorseless renegade policeman, who seems to have a knack for shooting unarmed people, is an unadulterated waste of talent. That’s it, nothing more for the actor who so charmed us with his act in ‘Dum Maaro Dum’.

Cut to Sanjay Dutt. For his viewers his Kancha Cheena glory might be behind him, but for the actor it seems a tad too hard to shed the scary wrinkled eyebags. Thank heavens that he’s finally decided to let go of the eyebrow ring. The maverick paunchy Sanjay Dutt is given the gift of a licence to kill as far as the underworld is concerned, and is ordered to round up the toughest and fiercest of all cops for the task – and hence The Department comes into being. With a half-dozen cameras zooming on the actual act of shaking hands, the official birth of The Department is an affair that can hardly be missed. And once it has been engendered, the film walks, jogs, runs and flies into territories which are – simply put – absurd.

Amitabh Bachchan is known to have single-handedly shouldered the responsibility of acting in films. Several of his movies in the recent past bear strong testimony to that fact. In ‘Aarakshan’, for example, Bachchan alone was the person who steered the film towards its incomplete completion. Past glories aside, Big B’s talent too, is brutally wasted in the film. Ram Gopal Varma’s numerous cameras rob him of his acting skills and focus on his cup of tea or semi-sucked kulfi – to a level that is nothing short of ridiculous.

Abhimanyu Singh and Deepak Tijori are actors put into the film only to add to its pool of wasted skills. Abhimanyu Singh’s awful clothes might have set a trend in fashion elsewhere, but he just isn’t a fashionoclast. And as far as RGV’s cameras are concerned, they don’t waste a moment not focussing on least important things.

And somewhere in the middle of things stands the attractive Lakshmi Manchu, delivering dialogues as if reading off a Hindi teleprompter.

An experiment this may well be, but it is a pointless one. Uninspired scenes are slowed down and fed to us through staggered shots in wildly varying resolution — one shot showing you every hair on a flabby chest in hideous detail and the next looking like it were shot with a cellphone — and while it must be liberating for Varma to not worry about storyboards (or even stories), this cannot possibly be taken seriously.

Ram Gopal Varma’s experimentation breaks the film. What otherwise could have been an average cop thriller is turned into a volley of unconventional shot takings which distract the audience to such an extent that it forgets that there is story going on in the film. The digital quality print, which often means that several frames appear pixellated, is also something that won’t be appreciated by many among the paying public. Unfortunately, Ram Gopal Varma does not focus on narrating the story in an interesting manner; he gets caught up with the unconventional camera and editing techniques. The background score is ear-piercingly loud.

Bangnext says..

Watch ‘Department’ if you have been missing your headaches for a long time.

Watch ‘Department’ to see the way in which brilliant actors can be wrung dry and left skill-less.

And above all,

Watch ‘Department’ if you are an ardent Ram Gopal Varma fan. And then leave the theatre cursing yourself for watching this brilliantly crafted piece of – well, by now – you know what.

But it’s believed that they didn’t get the necessary permissions to shoot in the Ahmedabad suburb that is home to Mahatma Gandhi’s iconic Sabarmati Ashram. But what James Bond couldn’t achieve seems to have been attained by the Kai Po Che! team.

Director Abhishek Kapoor’s crew has received the permission they need to shoot in Sabarmati. They may also shoot around Gandhi’s famous ashram. Apparently, a sequence involving a cricket match will be shot at Sabarmati stadium.

“Our line production team got the requisite permissions within a few days of applying for them. We were very keen to shoot there. Since the story is set in Ahmedabad, what’s better than Sabarmati to show the rich culture of the state?” asks a unit insider.

Kai Po Che! is an adaptation of Chetan Bhagat’s best-selling novel, The Three Mistakes Of My life.When contacted, Manish Hariprasad, creative director, UTV (the producers of the film), confirms: “Yes, we will be shooting in Sabarmati, in the stadium as well as in other places in Gujarat. The administration has been very supportive in giving us permissions to shoot in the best of the locations. Besides, the locals have been helpful and welcomed us as their own guests.”

The film stars TV show Pavitra Rishta’s Sushant Singh Rajput, Amit Sadh of TV serial Kyun Hota Hai Pyar fame and Rajkumar Yadav of Ragini MMS fame.

SRK-MCA
The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) officials have lodged a police complaint against Kolkata Knight Riders’ co-owner Shah Rukh Khan for his alleged misbehaviour at the Wankhede Stadium. They have even decided to ban him for life from entering the premises.

“He misbehaved and abused the MCA security personnel as well as MCA officials, including our president Vilasrao Deshmukh, after the IPL match,” said MCA secretary Nitin Dalal.

SRK-Salman Khan
There was an time when Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan called each other brothers. But now the rivalry between the two is out in the open. While Salman says “SRK and I can never be friends,” SRK thinks “Salman and I don’t talk which is absolutely right.” So what went wrong? Things apparently got ugly at Katrina Kaif’s birthday bash in 2008. It is believed that SRK made inappropriate comments about Salman’s ex-flame Aishwarya Rai Bachchan which annoyed him.

King Khan in an interview had said that Salman got angry because he turned down a cameo in Main Aur Mrs Khanna (while Salman agreed to do a guest appearance in Om Shanti Om). Salman in turn said he never offered him the film, adding, “Shah Rukh was like my brother. He used to call me sir, sir during his struggling days.” In 2011, on Koffee With Karan, SRK publicly apologised to the actor saying: “If Salman is angry with me, it is 100% my fault.” However, Salman retorted saying SRK’s apology was for TRPs.

At Mukesh Ambani’s bash in Sachin Tendulkar’s honour, Salman took a dig at SRK saying: “Sachin ka record todna mushkil hi nahi namumkin hai. Aur yeh Don nahi main bol raha hu.” King Khan reacted saying: “I get numb by the kind of stories I keep hearing about myself. I try not to take them seriously or comment about them.”

SRK-Priyanka Chopra
Family man Shah Rukh Khan has found himself in a link-up controversy for the first time in his career. While SRK is maintaining a dignified silence over the issue, PC isn’t taking it too well.

At a camera launch event, when a reporter asked her about her alleged link-up with SRK, the Fashion star lost it and said with a straight face: “By being extremely loud, doesn’t mean I’ll answer your questions sir. Thank You.” At the first look launch of her upcoming film Teri Meri Kahani opposite Shahid Kapoor, Priyanka denied SRK was the man who made her blush. “I never said anything of that sort,” she retorted. However, she had admitted it on Karan Johar’s talk show Koffee with Karan. Shahid and the filmmaker had even teased her with SRK’s name.

She is reportedly not on good terms with his wife Gauri Khan and his pal Karan Johar because of these rumours.

SRK-Gauri Khan
The fact that Gauri Khan is missing from the IPL action is creating a strong buzz about a trouble in paradise. Although SRK’s team Kolkata Knigh Riders is performing well this season, Gauri isn’t there by her hubby’s side to cheer and support the team.

The Don star was recently spotted with his sister Shenaz and his children Aryan and Suhana at a nightspot in Mumbai sans Gauri Khan.

Is SRK’s link-up with PC the reason? Who knows!

SRK-Aamir Khan
During a promotional event of his TV debut Satyamev Jayate, Aamir Khan praised his colleagues who made it big on TV like Amitabh Bachchan (Kaun Banega Crorepati), Hrithik Roshan (Just Dance) and Salman Khan (Dus Ka Dum). He simply forgot to mention SRK, who has hosted shows like KBC, Zor Ka Jhatka and Kya Aap Panchvi Paas Se Tez Hain. When asked about SRK, he ignored the question.

Aamir Khan had also reacted to SRK’s recent detention saying: “I have never faced such problem.”

Aamir had earlier posted on his blog that a dog called Shah Rukh was licking his legs: “Shah Rukh is licking my feet and I am feeding him biscuits every now and then. What more can I ask for? Now, before you jump to any conclusions let me add that Shah Rukh is the name of our dog. And before you jump to any further conclusions let me add that I had nothing to do with naming him. In fact Shah Rukh is the dog of the caretakers of our house.”

Incidentally Aamir is quite close to Salman!

SRK-Shirish Kunder
The RA.One actor allegedly assaulted Farah Khan’s husband and filmmaker Shirish Kunder at Sanjay Dutt’s Agneepath bash. Farah Khan also SMSed reporters saying: “Shahrukh has always told me that physical abuse is the worst way 2 sort out a problem, n that its means the person who’s hitting has either a personal or professional crisis going on, n it saddens me 2 see him doing the same (sic).”

However, the truce happened after Shirish and Farah, along with latter’s brother Sajid Khan and their common friend Sajid Nadiadwala, went to SRK’s home, Mannat.

SRK-Abhijeet Bhattacharya
Another addition to SRK’s enemy list is Abhijeet Bhattacharya. The singer recently blasted SRK in an interview saying the actor should apologise to him for not giving him due credit in Main Hoon Na and Om Shanti Om.

When asked by a tabloid to comment on what Abhijeet said, SRK quipped: “Isn’t it a coincidence that whoever doesn’t want to work with me becomes famous?”

SRK-Airport: Part 1
In August 2009, SRK was detained at the Newark Airport in New Jersey for nearly two hours because of his last name.

The actor was visiting the country to attend a South Asian event where he was the guest of honour and was released after Congress MP Rajiv Shukla spoke to the authorities in the US.

SRK-Airport: Part 2
King Khan was detained again in April at a New York airport by immigration officials after arriving from India in a private plane with Nita Ambani, to address students at Yale University. While Nita, wife of Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani, and the rest of their group were cleared immediately, Khan was stopped and was given immigration clearance only after about two hours.

He laughed it off with a generous dose of sarcasm. “Whenever I start feeling too arrogant, I always take a trip to America. The immigration guys kicked the star out of stardom,” Khan said, addressing the students at the Yale University where he was honoured as a Chubb Fellow.

SRK-Shiv Sena
SRK faced the ire of Shiv Sena after he stated that he would like Pakistani cricketers to participate in the third season of Indian Premiere League. The political party even threatened to stall the release of his film My Name Is Khan.

SRK reacted on Twitter saying: “Sad my statements are seen as a stand against a group instead of a stand for myself and my individuality. Differences in ideology should be grounds for debates & discussion. A must for freedom of thought. To see it any other way is so unfortunate.”

“It won’t change my life if I am not allowed into the stadium,” SRK said.

He said: “Yes, I was abusing as they were insulting me. I will not deny the fact that I abused, was provoked when someone abused me in Marathi.”

Shah Rukh Khan on Thursday faced a lifetime ban from entering the Wankhede Stadium after allegedly turning up drunk at the ground and misbehaving with security guards and cricket officials.

The incident took place on Wednesday night after his team beat Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League match at the stadium.

Shah Rukh and his entourage wanted to celebrate after the presentation ceremony but he was not allowed to do so, officials said. He allegedly misbehaved with an elderly guard and pushed him. When Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) officials intervened, he is said to have abused them.

“This is a grave matter. I have called for an urgent meeting and we shall discuss the matter following which we will decide the future course of action,” Union minister and MCA president Vilasrao Deshmukh said.

A decision on a lifetime ban would be taken only after the meeting of all members from the managing committee of MCA next week, MCA Joint Secretary Nitin Dalal said.

Giving details, MCA treasurer Ravi Sawant said: “He pushed the security guard and misbehaved with him. He also used bad language with security officials. When we tried to intervene, he yelled out expletives at us.”

Sawant said Shah Rukh, flanked by his bodyguards, went to the players’ dressing rooms to congratulate them. He then came down and started going towards the ground.

“When the security personnel told him that he cannot do so, he abused the guard and his men manhandled the security personnel.”

Assistant Commissioner of Police Iqbal Shaikh agreed that the actor was drunk and said police were looking into the matter.

“Shah Rukh was drunk. He was smelling of alcohol but he was not drinking at the Wankhede stadium. But it is not an offence. He was also abusing and threatening the MCA and BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) officials,” said Sheikh.

What irked Shah Rukh was that MCA officials switched off the floodlights.

Sheikh, who is also a member of the MCA managing committee, was present at the ground on match duty and had to rush to prevent the situation from turning ugly.

“I took him out and separated him because the incident was turning ugly. While being taken away he was showering abuses on MCA and BCCI officials. We are investigating the matter,” said Sheikh.

MCA filed a complaint with Mumbai’s Marine Drive police station.

As the controversy swirled, IPL Chairman Rajiv Shukla said a decision would be taken only after getting the versions of all those involved.

“So far no decision has been taken on the ban,” Shukla, who is also vice president of BCCI, said in New Delhi.

He added that he would be talking to the MCA as well as Shah Rukh.

The scuffle is unwelcome news for the star, who was in the spotlight in January this year for slapping director Shirish Kunder at a party hosted by Sanjay Dutt.

Shah Rukh’s colleagues in Bollywood appeared to be strangely quiet at this latest controversy with no immediate reactions.

The director, who will be attending the 65th Cannes International Film Festival this month with his two-part movie Gangs of Wasseypur andPeddlers, spoke about having to struggle to make his name as a filmmaker.

Speaking to the Hindustan Times, he said: “I have more support from outside than from here (Bollywood). For me, my way was outside-in, because inside people didn’t support me.

“People who could have fought for me did not. So I had to go outside to come here.”

The 39-year-old went on: “Noted filmmakers abroad stood by me. And my films are now going to the non-diaspora audience, which for me is a big achievement. That sustains me. I get funding from outside. I am less and less dependent on Indian studios.”

He added: “Danny Boyle is completely with me in whatever I do.”

The Slumdog Millionaire director is producing Kashyap’s next film, Bombay Velvet, which reportedly stars John Abraham, Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan.

Peddlers and Gangs of Wasseypur have been chosen for screening as part of the Directors’ Fortnight programme for Critics’ Week.

Kashyap described the Cannes selection as ‘a huge moment of pride’.

I was shocked: Palash

For the last few days, Palash Sen has been receiving calls from many of his fans who told him that the tune of the anthem of Aamir’s show, Satyamev Jayate, was the same as Euphoria’s song, which was also called Satyameva Jayate.

“The trailers and the anthem of this show have been running on television for quite a while, but I had not seen the videos. When I heard it, I was shocked. In 2000, Euphoria released its second album Phir Dhoom, and one of its songs was named Satyameva Jayate. And the chorus of composer Ram Sampath’s version of Satyamev Jayate is exactly the same as the chants in our song. They’ve basically used the same refrain. Jo baaki ka gaana hai, that has different words and tune. But the mainstay of the song – the chorus – is ours. Which is why I’ve sent a legal notice to them,” says Palash.

Listen to Amir Khan’s Satyamev Jayete Song I Listen to Palash Sen Euphoria’s version

He adds, “It was the first Indian non-film song that was composed on the thought and phrase of ‘satyameva jayate’. We used to play that song extensively at our concerts about a decade ago. That song is not as popular as Maaeri (from the same album) because we did not make a video for it. But I believe that is the point – if one takes a 12-year-old song and picks up its chorus, most people won’t know about it, barring a few passionate fans who instantly recalled it and called me up.”

I’d have given permission

“They could have asked me and I’d have agreed at one go. I wouldn’t have asked for money. I would have just asked for a small credit to the band for the song,” says Palash.

“A lot of times, I see Euphoria’s tunes, catch-phrases, etc, in many Bollywood songs, but since that was not full-fledged copying, I didn’t raise any objection. I admire and respect Ram, and I remember how he fought for copyright issues when his own song was lifted and used in Rakesh Roshan’s Krazzy 4, hence the shock is even greater. The problem is that today, in the industry, copying is so frequent that people don’t even care about the original contributor’s objections.I want the audience to hear Euphoria’s Satyameva Jayate and decide on their own,” says Palash.

In 2008, Ram was involved in a similar copyright controversy, but back then, he was the one accusing the Roshans of not giving him credit for the music of Krazzy 4. He ultimately won the case and got 2 crore as compensation.

No comment: Ram Sampath

When contacted about Palash’s allegations, Ram Sampath, composer of the anthem for Aamir’s TV show, said, “I don’t have any idea about what you are saying. Nobody has said anything of this sort to me yet. So, I refuse to comment.”

Ditto: channel

When we spoke to Star India, they refused to speak on the matter. “No comment”, said the official spokesperson. Another official, though unwilling to be quoted, told us, “We don’t deny that we have received a legal document on this. But before we take any action or revert on this, we’ll check the authenticity of the allegation. We will not simply accept what someone is shouting from one corner of the world. We need some time to check what the issue is about.”

Starring : Emraan Hashmi, Randeep Hooda, Prachi Desai, Esha Gupta, Imran Zahid

Music : Pritham

Running time : 2 hour 18 Minutes

C.B.F.C Rating : A

Genre :  Crime, Thriller

         Rating : 5.5/10

HOW IS IT..?

WHATS IT ABOUT..

Sonu Dilli (Emraan Hashmi) is a street-smart, small time arms dealer in Delhi who has the gift of gab. When he is interrogated by a tough cop, ACP Pratap Raghuvanshi (Randeep Hooda), he turns informer for the latter.

Although helping ACP Pratap puts Sonu in jail for a little time, he continues to purvey the ACP with information about illegal arms racket as he has no other choice. But when Sonu falls in love with a doctor, Jhanvi Tomar (Esha Gupta), and manages to woo her, he wants to leave the life of crime and settle down. ACP Pratap, who is hell bent upon finding who the leader of the arms racket is, persuades Sonu to continue being his informer by promising him protection and a good life afterwards. Sonu, unknown to his wife, joins a bigger gang of arms traders.

Sonu’s world is shaken to the core when he realises, after his marriage to Jhanvi, that Jhanvi’s estranged father, Mangal Singh Tomar (Manish Choudhary), is also the leader of the arms business in Delhi. However, Sonu manages to convince Mangal that he is a corrupt and shrewd person who will be of use to his gang. Mangal embraces Sonu as his next in command.

ACP Pratap, who knows this, blackmails Sonu to give him information on upcoming arms deals, so that he can catch Mangal Singh red handed. Sonu, caught between the devil and the deep sea, starts playing a double game. He neither gives information to the ACP, nor tells Mangal the truth about him being a police informer. Secretly he plans to run away with Jhanvi, so that he can live a peaceful life with her.

What happens then..? Is Sonu able to get away..?

Analysis..

Amidst informers and double-crossings and deals gone sour, the makers of this film lay the groundwork for a promising underworld thriller, but fail – particularly in its second half – to deliver any edge-of-the-seat moments. Post intermission the film falls into a predictable rut, and you spot both plot twists from a mile away.

Still, Jannat 2 isn’t all bad; in fact there are portions that are eminently watchable. Hashmi and Hooda play off nicely against each other, and their scenes together are particularly strong, occasionally laced with humor. The film also has at least two thrilling foot chase scenes, including one in the first half between two sets of cops and criminals that’s almost comical. The second chase, filmed in the crowded lanes of a dargah has an urgent breathless feel to it.

Shagufta Rafique’s story is interesting. Her screenplay, with all the twists and the turns, makes for a very good watch, especially in the first half. In the port-interval portion, the pace of the drama slackens a bit, particularly in the scenes between Sonu and Jhanvi. However, the excellent performances and the witty and expletive-laden dialogues, penned by Sanjay Masoomm, keep the audience involved in the drama to a great extent.

The narrative has the stamp of the Bhatt camp but it also makes sure that the language and mannerisms of Delhi are incorporated, making the drama more authentic. The scenes of the interactions between Sonu and ACP Pratap are the highlight of the film, given the tenuous but friendly relationship between the two.

On the flip side, the drama does seem a little convenient at places – especially in the part where Mangal Singh easily accepts Sonu as his own without questioning his motives. The climax is predictable and abrupt.

Esha Gupta’s sizzling on-screen presence adds to the glamour of the film, and one wonders whether the debutante will be able to make it big in Bollywood. Or will she, like the many other Vishesh Films’ discoveries before her, vanish into oblivion. Only time can reveal that.

The soundtrack and the background score of the movie deserve a standing ovation. Emraan Hashmi has done it yet again. He has proved that his presence in a film can do wonders for its music – notwithstanding the place where his movies ultimately end up going to!

Emraan Hashmi, who is the protagonist and narrator of the movie does justice to his role, and carries the film forward with a not-so-believable portrayal of a typical dilli boy. In a particular scene, Pratap tells Sonu, “Saans toh lele. Bolta hai toh bolta hi chala jaata hai.” This rightly portrays Emraan’s dialogue delivery in the movie, in his bid to play a (well-tried, yet unconvincing) crook. The actor somehow looks more convincing when he is not busy trying to be a typical Delhi lafandar.

Randeep Hooda proves yet again that he is worth all the compliments in his previous films. His convincing portrayal of a grief-driven cop is noteworthy. Randeep’s stellar performance is the most positive point in the film.

Esha Gupta adds glamour to an otherwise fiery and somewhat-impetuous tale as she switches between magnetic and the next-door-neighbour looks. The alluring model-turned-actor, (whose similarities to Lara Dutta are remarkable) may land up being another one of Vishesh film’s ‘rare discovery’ which never saw a career in Bollywood beyond their first film.

Kunal Deshmukh’s direction is praiseworthy as he is able to make the drama engaging for the most part. Cinematography, by Bobby Singh, is eye-filling. Sets, by Pradeep Redij, are good. Javed Eijaz’s action choreography is realistic. Editing, by Devendra Murdeshwar, is sharp.

Bangnext says..

It could’ve been better, but it’s not a terrible way to spend an evening out.. Its your call..

Bollywood celebrities too joined in and posted their short reviews on the show. Here are some of them.

• Dia Mirza: Satyamev Jayate. I always wanted something like this on TV. Thank you Aamir for stirring a people that sundays are ‘lazy’ 4 n ‘others’ problems r not theirs.
• Farhan Akhtar: Satyamev Jayate. A show with a heart.
• Preity Zinta: Watching Aamir Khan on Satyamev Jayate discussing Female Foeticide ! I love this effort from him & thank him as a Woman !
• Boman Irani: Good Show Aamir!
• Vishal Dadlani: Aamir coulda made 3 Cr. a day for any kinda TV show. He CHOSE to make his airtime worthwhile. May his tribe increase.
• Neha Dhupia: Aamir Khan address the unreal problems of real india … I’m a fan as always! Respect
• Zoya Akhtar: Aamir Khan proves that being a real hero is about affecting change and not about 6 packs and sexy backup dancers. Respect
• Shabana Azmi: Watching Aamir Khan’s TV show on female foeticide. SUPERB. Bravo Aamir.. What a huge service you are doing. Bless u. Jeete Raho. Khush raho. Aamir Khan’s show can bring a revolution. Thoroughly researched covers all aspects touches emotional chord and forces us to re-examine ourselves.
• Madhur Bhandarkar: Now Television will no longer be called an idiot box,the VISION of Television broadens up with Satyamev Jayate
• Kiran Bedi: Aamir’s Satyamev Jayate on Star Plus is an expression of power of media + inherent potential of society in resolving its own created problems. I would give full marks to Aamir Khan’s Satyamev Jayate, very creative, evidence based and emotionally connecting, inspiring!
• Mandira Bedi: A reality show in its truest sense. Some stirring & troubling realities of our times.. I applaud.
• Pritish Nandi: Aamir Khan has finally integrated the media and entertainment industry with Satyamev Jayate

The reviews from others were equally good too

• Harsha Bhogle: I absolutely loved Satyamev Jayate. At least Aamir is doing what all of us only talk about.
• Anupama Chopra: In Seoul, watching Satyamev Jayate on YouTube and weeping copiously. Well done Aamir!
• Vir Sanghvi: Congrats Aamir and Uday for proving that stars need not only do silly Game shows. It took guts but u have pulled it off
• Mitali Chatterjee: The concept of Female Foeticide ..needs every voice it can get .. thank you Aamir
• Nitish Kumar: Will we see phenomenon like KBC/Ramayana days? Will there be those empty streets? The hype worth it?
• Pratik Trivedi: Aamir Khan is truly an inspiration n idol. Satyamev Jayate a Super show,Eye opener n deals with all imp social issues. Hats off to Aamir!!
• Dinup Parajuli: It was worth effort for watching #SatyamevJayate … Hard-hitting matter addressed so well.. Beginning of a revolution
• Nish: The obstacles Indian women face on a daily basis prove they are amongst the strongest race in the world
• Mohd Atif: He changed the meaning of Word Idiot. Now he has changed the Idiot box. Well done Aamir.

But there were some people who got disappointed too..

• Apar Dham (Media Expert): Aamir Khan trying to be the Indian Oprah! Disappointing. He is so fake
• K Himaanshu Shukla of Scrutiny blog: Aamir Khan’s emotional atyachaar, I was expecting something different

So what do you people think about the show..??

One however, can’t ignore the flip side that the topics or examples or even its futuristic predictions are something any literate person, ideally would be and ‘should be’ aware of. The first episode dealt with female foeticide, which is a basic socially concerning topic. In fact, quite similarly, reality shows like Crime Patrol or Bhanwar have turned out to be successful in staging the emotions perfectly on small screen.

But, difference surely lies in the treatment. The superstar anchor excels at maintaining the suspense element throughout the show. He, like a true entertainer builds a plot that gets intriguing with every passing moment. Like for instance, the idea of introducing the topic, without giving a hint about what will follow next is very commendable. The surprises are followed by tremendous shock value, which take the show to another level.

We’d say, the show gains real momentum only after the third break, where it becomes evidence based. From sting operation footage to warrant speakers like lawyers and experts discussing it with supportive illustrations (a roadside poor family with a newborn baby girl and Rohtak’s gang of unmarried men) also showing pros and cons, adds on to the glee. Statistics shown get full marks!

How is Aamir in the show..

As far as Aamir as an anchor is concerned, he, surprisingly, looks overtly-expressive and in no time, the genuineness of his conversation and interest in the topic is lost. It’s something like Aamir Khan becoming the Indian Oprah Winfrey, just that this show has a longer duration and a wider curiosity factor. He tries to bring everything under one-roof. “Aamir Khan trying to be the Indian Oprah! Disappointing. He is so fake,” posted Apar Dham on a social networking site. He has studied media. K Himaanshu Shukla of Scrutiny blog says, “Aamir Khan’s emotional atyachaar.” He posted a status message saying, “I was expecting something different.”

But not everyone is skeptical of Aamir’s ‘crusade potpourri’. Filmmaker Ramesh Taurani is all praises for the actor on his Blackberry Messenger, calling him ‘The best’.” Abhigyan Jha, the producer of the online show Jay Hind, says that the show reminded him of the days when he ‘sat writing Rajani with the belief that it would change the country.” He added on Twitter that he wasn’t a fan of Aamir, but thought it is a show ‘well done’. “If I were him, I would have tried to do a similar show. Some things have to be done,” adds Abhigyan.

“Satyamev Jayate is the Naya Bharat after Mahabharat,” wrote producer Manish Goswami. “Hats off to Aamir Khan for walking the road less travelled and attempting to serve humanity by inspiring millions,” said film exhibitor Akshaye Rathi on Facebook.

Coming back to the technicalities of the show, which at some places lacks genuineness, like the intrusion of tear-jerking emotional faces, when they are not even required. Also, if the show becomes repetitive in terms of content, it may lose on to the loyal audience in the weeks to come. What adds to the misery is the question- whether the audience will continue to be receptive towards such hard-hitting shows, when they like to relax on weekends?

Bangnext Says..

Overall, Satyamev Jayate is a like old wine in a new bottle, but with Aamir Khan as its USP, it has a tremendous potential to create a stir all over.

“Fortunately, I have got such a script. It is still in the pre-production stage and it has not been announced yet, but it is for universal audience,” he added.

The 33-year-old was speaking Sunday at a promotional event for his upcoming film Jannat 2.

Emraan, who was last seen in The Dirty Picture, says that he values audience opinion more than the critics.

“There is an adulation that you get from audience. I never really give too much importance to critics or any awards. So for me, audience’s acceptance is my yardstick for success,” said the actor.

Directed by Kunal Deshmukh, Jannat 2 is set for a May 4 release. It also marks the debut of model Esha Gupta in Bollywood. Emraan said even after nine years in filmdom, Fridays make him jittery.

“For me as an actor, as a performer, it’s a high, a positive sign for me that there is an adrenaline rush when the film releases Friday. I still wonder how the film is going to work, how will it be appreciated. This is fun, but scary too,” he said.