ManiakJiggy This is How Movies Should Be Made

Beystiman It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Hayleigh Joseph This is ultimately a movie about the very bad things that can happen when we don't address our unease, when we just try to brush it off, whether that's to fit in or to preserve our self-image.

Aparna Gangopadhyay Cheeni Kum – Could have been a really sweet film! Had the lady been 50 Plus in the film – played by may be Dimple Kapadia or Revathi – then the falling in love at an old age could have been made to present rather sweetly!In the film Tabu is 34 and Amitabh is 65! Yuk! It was a rather paedophilic approach! Amitabh was even shown to be older than her father...which meant that Tabu was kinda game with her father's contemporaries also! That means Tabu's father's friends – whom she must have been addressing as uncles...were not really safe in her presence...anytime she could have seduced them in the charms of her youthful body! No wonder why aged ladies are so unconfident to leave their husbands in presence of young girls....the aged males are not at all safe with such girls! Now had the film shown someone like Hema Malini or Dimple Kapadia – as some 50 plus lady – maybe a widow or a divorcée or even a spinster – then the film could have been really really sweet! Every soul has the right to love and express love and share their life with a good eligible companion! This psychology of Bollywood directors and producers is very understandable though! They are having more than thousands of young girls (belonging to crass and greedy pig families) ready to undress and even dive on bed with any old dilapidated male structure – just to earn a role in their film – so the aged film directors try to market the ecstasy of having someone as young as the grand daughter as your sex-partner. But this is India ...we, the people, are real tough nuts who are not very easily convinced...thus they have to come up with such concepts where basically they are trying to tell common women that aged common males like to beep with younger females so they should better not interfere in their affairs and just let them be – not to nag and bicker! Also sometimes the bolly bullies go through pangs of guilt – since they are having a good time with younger females whereas their contemporaries are left with the same old and haggard wife to spend the entire life with! Thus the Bolly bullies give them ideas and dreams that they too may get young females at ripe old age to jump on bed with!......with this dream the 'meagre brained' debauch old males get beaten in parks and allies for eve-teasing when they try to approach a lady half their age!

jmathur_swayamprabha Zohra Sehgal has passed away. She truly deserved to live for more than a century. The great artist who was an icon of vivaciousness. She left for her heavenly abode on 10.07.2014 after spending 102 years on this planet with each one of them brightening with her never-say-die spirit. The really bold lady who was much ahead of her time and a true symbol of woman-lib was a multi-talented artist. She was a stout pillar of Indian theatre, a dancer-cum-choreographer-cum dance teacher par excellence, a great cine-actress and what not! She lived her life on her own terms and always maintained the true spirit of living a meaningful and energetic life - 'Never say die'. Interestingly, she had acted in a TV series titled as 'Never Say Die' only which was a comedy and was telecast on a channel in U.K. during the late eighties.Her first movie as an actress was Dharti Ke Laal(1946) by Khwaaja Ahmed Abbaas whereas her last movie as an actress was Saawariya(2007) by Sanjay Leela Bhansaali. While paying my tribute to this brave woman born in a Muslim family a century ago who went ahead to live a life full of vigor and vivacity, drawing respect from all the quarters of the society, I am reviewing a movie which was one of her final movies. It's Cheeni Kum(2007).Cheeni Kum(less sugar) is a comedy whose story is true to the spirit of Zohra Aapa. Here she plays the role of a very aged woman Mrs. Gupta whose son Buddhadev(Amitabh Bachchan) is a bachelor even during his sixties. He runs one of top restaurants of London and rolls in money but lives without a woman in his life much to the anguish of his mother. Destiny brings him into contact with an Indian tourist Neena(Tabu) and he falls for the charms of a girl thirty years junior to him in age. After initial teasing and 'no-no', Neena also falls in love with this man who is old by age but young by heart. Buddhadev's mother readily agrees for their marriage because it's something she's been waiting for decades but making Neena's Delhi-based father Mr. Varma(Paresh Rawal) consenting for this marriage is a Herculean task because the aspirant groom is older than the hoped-for father-in-law. The movie concludes on the desired note after some interesting twists and arranging not only rib-tickling but also heart-piercing and sentimental moments for the audience.The title of the movie has been kept as Cheeni Kum(sugar in little quantity) because the first encounter of the lead pair starts with the preparation of Zaafraani Pulaao in the hero's restaurant for the heroine who is dissatisfied with the dish prepared on her order and then the hero who considers himself as a great chef, tells her that Zaafraani Pulaao is to be prepared with a little amount of sugar only because it shouldn't be very sweet. Perhaps the filmmaker has taken this recipe to his heart and he has also not presented an out and out comedy. There is an ample dose of sentiments also through the character of a little girl fondly called as Sexy (Swini Khera) and her sad demise leaving the lead characters especially the Mrs. Gupta and her son as soaked in grief.The movie is undoubtedly very interesting without boredom at any place and that's the victory of the writer-director R. Balki whose maiden effort in the form of this movie is highly laudable. And the novel story idea combined with the entertainment value being the USP of this movie, it got box office success also. At places, the movie appears to be an adult comedy and is in danger of crossing the boundary line of decency but the talented director has not allowed it to go like that and kept this issue under check.All the technical aspects are up to the mark. Musical score prepared by Illayaraja is completely in sync with the mood of the movie.Both Amitabh Bachchan and Tabu are highly talented actors and they have sparkled in this movie right from its opening to its conclusion. Their on-screen chemistry is amazing and heart-conquering. They have proved that the director has chosen the perfect cast for his story. Paresh Rawal, child artist Swini Khera and all the supporting cast members have delivered admirable performances.And finally, Zohra Sehgal. Zohra Aapa's vivacity, openness and a desire to live every moment of her life to the full sans knowing any bounds for her has found its expression in her role in Cheeni Kum also. During her lifetime, she used to assert quite boldly without any fear that it's sex which always kept her going. In this movie also, she's shown as fond of watching sexy movies, never mind her (highly) advanced years. She has done superbly and instead of acting, has lived her role. Alongwith others, she is also one reason to watch this movie.While paying my tribute to the Grand Young Lady of the world of art, I recommend Cheeni Kum as a very entertaining movie made on a novel theme to all the movie buffs. I do not term this movie as something great or classic. All the same, it's fair to say that it's a different as well as a very well made movie.

Srinivas G Phani Cheeni Kum boasts of a peculiar tagline 'Sugarfree Romance', the never paired Tabu and Amitabh Bacchan and also Illayaraja's superb music. Cheeni Kum is one of finest works till date with superb performances, good storyline and everything one wants in a perfect entertainer. Comparisons with RGV's Nishabd make no sense at all. That one is completely different.34 year-old Neena Verma (Tabu) meets the 64 year-old short-tempered chef of an Indian Restaurant in London, Spice 6 - Buddha Dev Gupta (Amitabh Bacchan). Love blossoms between them and Buddha travels all the way to Neena's residence in Delhi and asks her father (Paresh Rawal) for his daughter's hand. But there's one problem – Neena's father is just 58, six years younger than Buddha.The story promises lots of laughs, drama and fun. The screenplay is superb. A number of sequences catch your attention in the first half – 1. Zafrani Pulao incident and Amitabh telling sorry to Neena. 2. Neena introducing Jesin as her boyfriend and the birthday party. 3. The relation Amitab shares with his mother. 4. 9 year-old cancer affected neighbor, Sexy's interest for Adult movies and the way she talks like grownups. But the second half of the movie is not as indulging as the first. But still the movie is fine there too – for instance, Buddha looking out for different chances to ask for his daughter's hand. The end is a bit stretched but still, it is perfect. The film could have been edited by at least 15 minutes for better impact. But the situations described in the film are quite hilarious.Coming to the performances – Tabu stands first. She is superb. Her camera presence is bound to be noticed. She teases Amitabh throughout the film and deserves mention for that. She is under the skin of Neena. Despite having a dominant actor as her co-star she makes her presence felt. Amitabh gets a fair chance to prove himself too. He plays the character of 'angry old man' this time. He mainly does well in the final reels. He and Tabu make a good pair. Waiting to see more of them. Zohra Sehgal as Buddha's mother is first-rate. The sequence where she talks with Tabu for the first time is well filmed. Swini Khara as Sexy is equally good. Her expressionless face works. She delivers dialogues with tremendous ease (though I doubt if she actually knew the meaning of what she spoke in the film). Paresh Rawal as Neena's father is too good. He enters in the second-half and dominates it mostly. Paresh Rawal delivers something new in every film and is very true to the work appointed. Other supporting cast is adequate.Debutante director R. Balki shows his expertise in directing. The direction is very good and so is the production design. Cinematography is good. The posh locales of London and Delhi spice up the goings-on. Background music by Illayaraja is too good. The theme music deserves applause. Songs are good too but they take a backseat. Baatein Hawa Hai is hardly there while Cheeni Kum comes now and then in the background. Sooni Sooni's only first two lines are featured towards the end. Jaane Do Na is the only song that is actually there. The costumes are perfect – especially that of Tabu are a treat to the eyes.On the whole, Cheeni Kum is a decent entertainer. Must watch it at least once.

Ganesh Salian Cheeni Kum,is a fresh movie,in term of its story for the Indian Audience and R.Balki has beautifully narrated the story. The first hour is very good and its the second hour which rocks. The locales of London are well captured. The music is soothing to ears. Performance wise-Amitabh Bachchan is outstanding.I am sure no actor less them him, could done this role wit ease.Tabu is also too good.Paresh Rawal is hilarious.Zora Sehgal is both cute and humorous.This 98 year old woman must be appreciated for the way she acts.She is so confident and energetic.The child enacting Sexy is good.On the whole Cheeni Kum is a must watch.