Dabangg 2 - Movie Review

This Christmas, I watched Dabangg 2 at a PVR cinema in Delhi. I know my film review of the movie is a bit late, but I thought I'll post it anyway, for all those who may still wish to watch the movie. So, here is my film review of Dabangg 2....let me know what you thought of this movie too!

Movie Review of Dabangg 2

'Dabangg 2' is an Action Comedy film, and I'd give it a rating of 6.5/10 or about three stars. Dabangg 2 stars Salman Khan (Chulbul Pandey), Sonakshi Sinha (Rajjo), Arbaaz Khan (Makhi), Prakash Raj (Baccha Bhaiya) and Vinod Khanna. Here goes my film review of it:

Movie Poster of Dabangg 2

The movie is a sequel of Dabanng, which was released in 2010. I'd say the first Dabangg was better than Dabangg 2, mainly because of Sonu Sood's character Cheddi Singh. Prakash Raj is good as a villain, but I thought Sonu Sood was a more unique villain, with better acting and facial expressions.

In Dabanng 2, Salman Khan's character Chulbul Pandey takes a transfer to the larger city of Kanpur, and goes about tackling the goons and trouble-makers in that city. Baccha Bhaiya (Prakash Raj) is a local politician in the city, who with his two brothers (Gainda and Chunni) is involved in dirty deals. The movie is about Chulbul Pandey stopping them, and getting revenge for the hurt they have caused to members of his own family.

Salman Khan and Sonakshi Sinha in a still from Dabangg 2

All in all, Dabang 2 is an action-packed movie, with amazing fight scenes. The story and dialogues have a bit of humour in them, and the movie can be considered a paisa vasool film.

Positives of Dabangg 2:

• Some social messages like getting yourself insured to protect your family. However, Salman should have recommended term insurance, rather than ULIPs, which rarely benefit people. 
• Showing a village lady who is interested in doing courses and taking up a job, for supplementing her family's income (character of Nirmala, Chulbul's bhabhi).
• The south-Indian style action sequences, and stunts. 
• Salman Khan's cute peck-on-the-cheek kisses with Sonakshi Sinha. It was much better than Shahrukh Khan's flat lizard kiss with Katrina Kaif in Jab Tak He Jaan. 
• Sonakshi's acting is better than that of most other new actresses, and Salman seems to have some chemistry with her (at least he seems to like her a bit). Salman usually acts in a very brash, uncaring way with his other female co-stars (and it shows), except for Preity Zinta, of course. 

Negatives of Dabangg 2: 

• Too much violence and revenge. I don't like the idea of revenge, and this movie showed Chulbul Pandey as being far too aggressive than the situation warranted. 
• Too many in-film advertisements. The Fevicol one was of-course very prominent in the song. It was obviously sponsored by Fevicol, unlike the Zandu Balm song of the first Dabang, for which Arbaaz Khan got sued. There were also in-film ads for a money transfer service and a mobile phone. 
• Repeating scenes from Dabanng 1 in Dabangg 2, like the mobile phone scene, and repeated references to the first film (which I couldn't remember). I had to run a Google search, to find out that Tinu Anand's character was Nirmala's father. People who missed the first film would definitely not get any of these jokes. 
• Recycled music. No song stands out, and all are similar to various songs in the first Dabaang movie. 
• Showing Salman Khan visiting a prostitute (Kareena Kapoor) with his brother, when Rajjo is pregnant, and his brother's wife is in the village. 

Did you like this Dabanng film review? Have you watched Dabanng 2? What did you think of it? Does this movie review make you want to see Dabanng 2 or avoid it?

Vidya Balan’s Mehendi Ceremony Photos

Vidya Balan’s mehendi ceremony was held on 11th December 2012, at her home in Khar in Mumbai. Only her family members (father, mother and sister), and some close friends from school and college were present at Vidya Balan’s mehendi ceremony. After the mehendi function, a small sangeet ceremony was also held. Here is a video and some photos of Vidya Balan’s mehendi ceremony.

Video of Vidya Balan's Mehendi Ceremony

For the mehendi function, Vidya Balan wore a yellow sari with red and gold border, draped in the Bengali fashion, with the pallu hanging down the front. This sari was designed by fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee. She also wore about three long gold necklaces around her neck, heavy gold earrings and a matha tikka. On Vidya Balan’s wrists were matching beaded wedding bracelets.

Vidya Balan’s Mehendi Design

Unlike other celebrities who go in for intricate Rajasthani or Arabic Mehendi patterns, Vidya Balan chose to have the simple South Indian round dots as her mehendi pattern. Here is a photo of her showing off her simple mehendi design to the media waiting outside her home.

Vidya Balan with mehendi on her hands

I remember when I was in school, I used to see Punjabi girls with beautiful mehendi designs on their hands. When I told my mother that I too wanted mehendi designs, my mother took some mehendi paste and made similar blobs on my hand. I was surprised and a bit disappointed. She said that was the way mehendi is to be applied, and seemed to have no idea about the fancy mehendi designs girls in North India apply.

The only celebrity who attended Vidya Balan’s mehendi ceremony was Rekha, who came wearing a green sari. Rekha was also wearing sindoor, for ornamental reasons, even though she is a widow. Rekha has always been fond of Vidya Balan, who is of the same Iyengar caste as her.

Rekha wearing sindoor 

Vidya Balan was looking cute at her mehendy ceremony. However, she seemed to have gained some extra weight, and was looking quite fat and flabby in her yellow sari.

What do you think of Vidya Balan’s look in her mehendi photos and video?

Other Celebrity Marriages

• Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan
• MS Dhoni - Sakshi Rawat
• Sania Mirza - Shoaib Malik
• Aishwarya Rai - Abhishek Bachchan
• More Celebrity Weddings

Raphael’ ‘Head of An Apostle’ Sketch - World’s Most Expensive Drawing

Italian Renaissance painter Raphael’s drawing named the ‘Head of an Apostle’ sketch has become the most expensive sketch in the world, after it was sold for $48 million at an art auction. This art auction was the Sotheby’s sale of ‘Old Master and British Paintings’, which saw the sale of numerous other rare sketches and paintings.

Raphael's sketch 'Head of an Apostle'

Born as Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, Raphael became famous for his renaissance paintings and sketches in the 1500s. His artwork is admired by connoisseurs for its clarity of form and ease of composition, and for the Neoplatonic ideal of human grandeur, which it portrayed. Raphael had a large painting studio, and made many drawings and paintings during his short life span: he died in 1520, at the young age of 37. As everyone know, paintings and artwork become more valued upon the death of the artist...mainly because high demand and scarcity push the price up...and so did the price of Raphael's work.

Raphael’s ‘Head of an Apostle’ Sketch

The ‘Head of an Apostle’ sketch by Raphael is a study drawing, for his last painting which was called the ‘Transfiguration’. This painting is currently exhibited in the Vatican Museum in Rome. Raphael’s ‘Head of an Apostle’ sketch features one of the apostles of Jesus Christ, with his head slightly turned away, to shield the bright light emitted during the Transfiguration of Jesus.

Raphael's Transfiguration masterpiece painting

However, when I viewed Raphael's Transfiguration painting, I could not find the apostle with his head turned to one side, as shown in the sketch. Maybe Raphael modified the apostle's head later, so that it looks different. Artists do that all the time.

This 48 million dollar sketch measures around 15 inches by 11 inches, and is drawn in black chalk. It came from the majestic art collection at Chatsworth, the ancestral home of the 12th Duke of Devonshire. Proceeds from the sale are expected to be used to maintain the Duke’s estate, and his other paintings and art pieces.

Sotheby's staff moving the frame with the expensive drawing

Many renowned art collectors and billionaires were present at this art auction, and bid for this Raphael sketch. In the past, another sketch by Raphael, titled ‘Head of a Muse’ was sold for $47.9 million in 2009.

What do you think of Raphael's sketch? Would you pay $48 million to own a masterpiece sketch or painting like this one?

From: Independent