Movie Review: Nishabd

First things first - Nishabd is not a remake of Lolita. The only similarity lies in the lollipop and 60-18 age difference. Nishabd is more on the lines of American Beauty.

Having said that, I must say Nishabd is a great opportunity gone total waste. When you have one certain Amitabh Bachchan ready to give such a terrific performance, one hottie Jiah Khan, and a somewhat novel premise half the battle is won. And that's exactly what went wrong with Nishabd. Ram Gopal Varma did not perform his duties for the other half of the battle - which he should know is more important - Screenplay!

This movie does not move. It has a 2 min story line strectched to 2 hours and with no good scenes. Seems the same reel is repeating again and again. It's shown in the first frame itself that the two lead characters are in love (or better - lust, rightly said Sunil). So, what next? Nothing...and that's precisely why Nishabd disappoints big time.

As in the movie J writes her poem only for herself, RGV has made this movie only for himself - without caring about the audience. If this is his attitude towards movie making, God save Sholay!

Nishabd is not Amitabh's failure, you punk. It's a piece of crap from Ramu. It's Ramu's failure. And Shaan, if you think SRK is a better actor than Amitabh, you are a bigger idiot than Ramu.

Nisabdh is another movie which makes the difference between Big B and SRK crystal clear.

Big B's controversial movie, Nisabdh cannot even command 30% audience attendance on its opening day, whereas SRK's controversial movie, KANK breaks opening week's records (It went on to be the biggest bollywood grosser, domestic plus overseas).

Seems like Big B is bent on eroding the last vestiges of his credibility. Soon he will reappear once again sans his dignity in a movie with Tabu called " Chaddi Kum, Banyan Zyada". As opposed to Nisabdh, in this movie, it is Big B who will be shown wearing a long Under Shirt and and a very very micro mini underwear trying to seduce Tabu.

BTW. for more on the difference between Big B and SRK goto www.shaan-khan.blogspot.com

Forgot to mention, add one more flop to Big B's record. For those that still don't get it, this increases his flop %age. Personally I think we should just add "Chaddi Kum Banyan Zyada" also to the flop column. After "Nisbadh" that movie does not have a snow ball chance in hell.

The proof is in the pudding my friend. Bull Shit walks while achievement talks. Tell me oh enlightened one, how come Don is a hit whereas Ek Ajnabee is a flop ? Tell me why KANK has broken records whereas Nisabdh is running empty ?

The truth will set you free.

You have a blog on differences between SRK and Big B? You need many many years of therapy my friend.....first of all who cares who is better.....they are both making millions of dollars and here you are talking like a 15 year old punk who it seems lives in a fantasy world.....anyways don't want to waste my breath on you.....but seriously man....consider calling a shrink

btw review is spot on....the movie fails because of RGV's self indulgence and self proclaimed status of the best director in Bollywood....Big B's fault is that for whatever reason he chose to do this movie.....but then all great actors make mistakes.....

I saw this movie after reading the rediff review http://www.rediff.com/movies/2007/mar/02nishabd.htm
and I am so pissed.....it seems that ram gopal verma either paid the reviewer or had a gun pointed at him to write that review.....or it could be that Raja Sen is as big an idiot.....anyways I did waste my money on this piece of shit....

your review is great....there is nothing in this movie....worst movie of Amitabh's career....

Aslam, you have stated a very interesting concept. According to you one should not be held responsible for the choices one makes. Very interesting.

They should be held responsible.....but one mistake doesn't wipe out the great legacy that someone has developed over the years.....if people didn't forgive SRK for Raam Jaane and PBDHH he wouldn't have gotten a single movie.....so its true for every human.....

Aslam, granted that one swallow does not make summer, but this guy has become a serial bungler. Yes we all make mistakes (once in a while), but this guy's whole second innings has been one long mistake. He has eroded all the brownie points he accumulated during his first outings. Perhaps what he got in the first place came too easy. There was no competition from cricket, television, internet etc. Movies was the sole avenue of entertainment. Big B got it easy, on a silver platter. Even then movies had to be rigged to make Big B look better. Unfortunately it is a new era, the era of Shah Rukh Khan. Today one has to survive in a sea of competition. No one gives anything for nothing. It is time Big B just said a polite farewell. It hurts to see him like a lame horse struggle to cross the finish line. Nishadh was pathetic. Unfortunately his double cross backfired so badly that now even "Chaddi Kum Banyan Zyada" is in jeopardy. Moreover, RGV's Sholay may suddenly find no buyers.

Honestly Shaan I don't really care what he does in his professional or personal life. As an audience I expect good movies whether it is from Amitabh or Shahrukh or Asrani.....I agree with you though that someone who is his fan would feel disappointed by what he has done in Nishabd. Whether he needs to bow out and go away is his personal decision....he didn't ask anyone before joining the film industry so he should'nt bother what others say....having said that no matter how crappy Nishabd was, it still won't make his earlier films less enjoyable.....

Aslam, as a fan one has to care. Even as a former fan of the big bad Bachchalan I care. It has got very embarrassing. It is almost like seeing one's own father or a family elder making a fool of himself in public. At this rate he is very likely to become as irrelevant as Dev Anand. I rather see him fade away with some dignity. It is hard to see him hit a new low on a daily basis. If Nisabdh was not bad enough soon we will have to see him once again in almost the same movie, "Chaddi Kum Banyan Zyada". Soon thereafter we will see in a a weird getup (have you seen those photos) in JBJS. Finally RGV's Sholay which will set a yet another new low.

guys, I got a big question - having grown up mostly in the South, I have been greatly enthralled by the intelligence of a creator like Kamal Hassan - am not sure how many of you have seen his non-Hindi classics like Mahanadhi, Anbae Sivam, but here is my question: i know Bachan is a big star, perhaps the most popular, but, having seen many of his films, it is my impression, that there are certain blemishes in his character portrayal - as a fully rounded actor, Kamal edges him out, since he brings in a lot of intelligence and integrity into his performance, Pushpak being a simple example

I would like to know others views!

Yes, the movie is not so good, though one could look at the symbolisms in the movie, when Jiah sucks a lolipop, does it signify an intent for something else- ha ha
and as for Big B - SRK comparisons, I wouldnt even start, comparing an old man with a middle aged one is not particularly nice, though yes, some of the Big Bs movies in the second innings were disasters like Boom. But then All of SRKs movies (apart from a very few) have been disasters. And the ones like Don where he has acted as a smudged copy of B, he has himself proved that he can only be a very poor copy of B.

Theme of this movie is really nice but story line is hopeless. Direction, story, actors - everything is horrible. Ramu is totally failure to figure out these kind of relations in front of audience. Jiah khan doesn’t possess ignorance, beauty and charm –what all are required in an 18 years gal for this movie.

Foodsy, How come Big B's Don did not change the fortunes of its producer, Nariman Irani or its director, Chandra Barot ? I am sorry if the question has got  you  tense. Please do not strain yourself, allow me to provide the answer to that question also. The truth is that Big B's Don took on a legendary status only after SRK & Farhan short listed it for a re-make. SRK & Farhan took an average film (but one that they personally liked) and turned it into a super cool, a super hip, hit movie. Together SRK & Farhan basically showed to the whole world how it should be done. Unfortunately the ever bitter and ever conniving Big Bad Bachchalan got the whole world to trash it (like he tried unsuccessfully once again with KBC) so that he could score an unearned victory and salvage his dwindling credibility. Nonetheless, inspite of the fabricated negative stories, and inspite of a over hyped big movie, viz J-E-M, inspite of everything DON became a major hit. It is such a super success that its producers can now afford to take risk that they could not take before. It has finally given Farhan his first universal hit (all over India plus overseas too)  and established him in the top league where the likes of Karan and Adi reside. The difference is plain as daylight for all to see. SRK's Don has achieved what Big B's Don could not even dream of.  For more differences between SRK and Big B goto www.shaan-khan.blogspot.com

NISHABD is plain bad cinema in many ways! I agree that Indian cinema should progress beyond its mishmash of candyfloss love stories, boring gangster dramas, star-driven junk stuff etc - but are movies like NISHABD actually providing quality variety fare? is it logical by any standards to assume that a 64 yrs old man would ‘fall in love’ with a 19-year old ? and that too when the 19-year old is shown as someone strutting around with her long legs and skimpily clad ? two things can possibly happen -either the 64-yr old man would ask the 19year old to behave herself, or, he would be strongly driven by his testosterone! in Nishabd, neither happens and the feelings that AB feels are showcased as poetic love! the trauma that AB’s Vijay undergoes is sheer lust, period, a desire trigerred by seeing something young, tender, juicy and supple, and not something platonic at all - but RGV wants us to believe it that way, which is like serving a very well-cooked polythene bag of basmati rice, instead of the rice itself! this simply is not the direction Indian cinema should be taking - being unconventional is fine and is very much welcome, but being illogical is taking the intelligence of an average filmgoer for a big ride! all those 60plus oldies travelling in buses in metro cities dont ‘fall in love’ with young dames, they just plain oogle at young dames - nor is there anything even remotely platonic about oldies desiring to be in the company of younger women - lack of courage to show things as they are is where our filmmakers fail - and to top it all, the dumb tagline, “some love stories are not meant to be understood” - how about this “some stories are not meant to be made into movies, if they dont have logic in them” - that would be more appropriate - not just RGV, it is AB too, who has taken all of us for a clean dumb-s*ckers ride - in one interview he says “senility is not the end of desire”, thus making “desire” the central issue of this movie, while all of our critics go gaga over this not being about ‘desire’ but about ‘emotions/love’ - give us all a frigging break! at this rate, we will never ever get out of the rut of filmmakers making bad cinema in the name of intelligent cinema, while movies like NISHABD insult our intelligence

enigmatic nicely put....that was exactly my problem with the movie.....and infact you used the words I wanted to use to end my review....that this was actually an insult to our intelligence.....

I saw an interview of Amitabh Bachchan after I watched the movie and he was defending the movie and I thought.....what a sellout!!

Dont even compare SRK and Big B. SRK is a god sent massiah, a power house of acting, dimples and agless romance packed with energy, pink romance, giggles and st(ammering)unning dialog delivery.
The Indian film industry has been blessed with SRK so that he can show the world how things can be done rightly - Don, KBC or even anti malaria campaign for that matter. Amitabh Bacchan can not be even half good as SRK when it comes to something like KKHH, Mai hun Naa or anyting that involves energy, pink romance, giggles and stammering.
Don wouldnt have been such a hit if not for SRK. Neither would KBC. Sholay without SRK??? HA HA HA...and who is directing it???RGV....that looks like aplot for a David Dhawan film. I suggest KJo remakes sholay with SRK...and will be a top grosser...all aroud the universe.
There is one quote of SRK that always reminds me of what an "actor" he is, he says in an interview "I dont play a character like how it would be, I play it like how Shahrukh Khan would be" .

Laukik:
Image a Monet without the typical Monet characteristics. Or a Rembrandt that does not posses anything that will tie it to Rembrandt’s other works. Do you think such paintings will fetch a decent price in the free market?
It has been said that as much as a work of art is valued for its the absolute “art” content, it is without a shadow of doubt valued more so for the signature propensities of its creator. Michelangelo was a painter, sculptor, architect, poet and engineer. Nonetheless there is a common thread that runs through all his work. We see Michelangelo in his works and thus it is valued (not just for its artistic content).
Shah Rukh Khan is a modern day Indian Michelangelo, a Monet, a Rembrandt. True he is a very good actor. No actor in the history of Bollywood has been able to captivate our total attention the way Shah Rukh has. When he is on the screen, Dilip Kumar said that one forgets that anyone else exists. Even in roles where he played a character with a sand paper personality (i.e. KANK) he made the audience feel his pain and cry out for him. He know that the party, the action, is wherever he is. Even in his silence he managed to upstage great actors (Veer Zaara in the police station while being confronted by Manoj Bajpai) just on the basis of his facial expression. Nonetheless as great as his acting ability is, his value lies in giving a little something of himself to his roles. That is what makes him the best ever star-actor that Bollywood has ever produced. If SRK totally disappeared into his role, he will win a small battle but loose the larger war. The box office collection will also disappear. No Hollywood star actor either has been able to do justice to his producers and his financial backers by totally disappearing in a role. It is counter productive. A has been like our own very irrelevant Big B can afford the luxury of jerking off on the screen and calling it art. But an star actor has to the lead anchor. He has bigger responsibilities and cannot afford to be absent. The requirement is to be convincing, to be very good, and yet to be the star. SRK has played more varied roles than a lot of actors, he played negative roles when leading actors did not dare play a negative role. He played a brother to his leading lady. He has played a role of an in competent looser (Devdas). In all his roles he has done well but you bet cha he has always been the star attraction.
Hence I ask you again Laukik, will you buy a Mercedes Benz that does not drive like a Mercedes Benz ?

I think Amitabh should gracefully retire. He is old and looks sick. His time is over and a wig can not make him young again. I I LIKE TO SEE HOW HE LOOKS WITHOUT THE WIG). How can anyone watch a movie with an old guy like that. I almost vomited when I saw his getup in Eklavya. Spare us AB, please take up another hobby or do something else.

i want to watch this movie,
if you know from where i can download this moview,, please tell me,
salam...

I am speechless after seeing this film.
Wonderful cinematic masterpiece. Must watch for all those who want a hell break from escapist idiotic love stories.
Bachchans performance-there is no words to describe this man-He is a true beauty!!! This is undoubtedly the best in his career. His expressions, his dialogue delivery, his body language, why even the movement of his eyes-marvelous! This will make Bachchan fans really proud. He is the God of Cinema not for no reason.

About AB-SRK comparisons, dont belittle a legend like Big B by comparing him with an actor by fluke-SRK.

KBC with Big B-TRPS's sky-rocketed
AB's Don-Blockbuster. A gem in Bachchan's crown.

KBC with SRK-Flop-TRP's rocketing downwards
SRK's Don-Panned by crtics, just a semi hit not even remotely close to the success of the original.

Amitabh's greatest films:Aanand, Abhimaan, Deewaar, Sholay, AAA, Kabhie Kabhie, Saudagar, Silsila, Mili, Don, Trishul, Shakti, Bemisaal, Namak Haraam, Sharaabi, Agneepath, Hum, Aks, Aankhen, Baghban, Black, Sarkar, Virruddh, Eklavya and now Nishabd among many others.

SRK's good works: a handful only- Baazigar, Darr, Swades.

There is no denying the fact that Amitabh is the emperor. SRK sucks

just shut up please. Amitabh is sexy post sixty and is the hottest, most handsome even today.
Indian cInema with/out Amitabh-hell with it

I havent seen the film , I dont think i wil. But Amitabh is still my favourite actor. Agreed Shah Rukh has charm and all, but he is not a well rounded complete actor. How many solo movies of his have actually been hits???He is a hit when he is with Karan Johar(I think RGV should make a movie on their relationship, it will certainly attarct a certain crowd).

When ever he acts with directors other than KJ or Yash Chopra his movies flop. Swades with Ashutosh - flop, Dil Se with Mani Ratnam - flop to name a few.

Amitabh is now free to do roles that satify him as an actor, he has made mistakes and may continue to do so, but that should in no way affect his standing in the industry. Im sure Shah Rukh too would like to be in a similar positin in his sixties(that is if he is as active at sixty, he already looks like a burnout now)

Any way all said and done Amitabh has got his money, Shah Rukh is raking the moolah too. They are least bothered about these blogs. Shaan Khan you love Shah Rukh but he gives a f***k about you so save your words and your time to do something more fruitful.

I have not seen the movie but am looking forward to watching it. Comparing a subject like "Nishabdh" to Karan Johar's merry-go-rounds is like comparing a middle school reading passage to grad school material.

KANK is a juvenile, immature attempt at best. I hope Nishabdh won't dissappoint in it's handling of such a mature content. It is always amusing to experience public reaction to topics which explores beyond the obvious.
Some claim" this is not love"!!! Aha, so after centuries of trying, we humans finally have a definition of love, is it? Hail to you my friend...you should leave the comforts of your home and become yet another saffron-clad enlightener.
In a country with such a rich tradition, a dynamic flow of passion, intellect and all that, how can we become so blockheaded when it comes to tapping into the deeper layers of human psyche?

Maybe all those who criticize Nishanbdh for content, still needs thier shoelaced tied by thier mothers while they ogle at an item number.

Funny!!!

T.

T why don't you watch the movie first and then judge others for being blockheaded.....its a lot of fun to pass comments being anonymous and safely judge people.....

of all the comments I've read on this post and others I don't think anyone's stuck in the 70s here....and  yeah we still haven't figured out what love is.....but we do recognize a bad movie when we see one....

Item numbers are good because they don't pretend to be anything else.....they are item numbers period......I have a problem when people try to pass on a B minus product by wrapping it as intellectual and subtle and all that crap.....we are all educated enough to read between the BS.....just because you are tackling a difficult topic doesnt make it a good movie.....you still have to make a good movie to be accepted by everyone otherwise you are doing the doubters (of the topic) a favor because now they have a reason to say " I told you so a movie about a grandpa loving a teenager aint gonna work"......It could have worked if RGV hadn't exchanged his brains for arrogance and made this a truly good movie....

let's talk when you've actually seen the movie and not talking out of your stereotypical bias about your fellow countrymen

have not seen nishabd. haven't seen a good hindi movie in a long time. if i remember correctly
the last one was "sahib bibi aur gulam" in the sixties. that says a lot about the immature hindi
film scene. all the great hindi film directors are dead now. there are no directors worth watching.
now about the acting talents(!) of shar rukh khan and amithabh bachhan, if there is a film acting
school, they should show their films to students in the beginning as bad acting examples, teach
them how not to act. they are both bad.

I agree, not a great review, but seems like RGV hasn’t FULLY screwed up either.

I agree, not a great review, but seems like RGV hasn’t FULLY screwed up either.

I agree, not a great review, but seems like RGV hasn’t FULLY screwed up either.

wtf guys get a life ..... there are better things to do other than discussing some stupid movie.

It is very sad to see that a movie of this cailbre and quality can be percieved so poorly by audience. We start looking at movies from a social perspective and not from a personal perspective wherein an individual (played by Amitabh) falls for a younger girl. This is not a socially acceptable concept - agreed but how do we know if this never happens in our society or we just try to hide behind a farse that this can never happen. People have also said that the movie has a very negative connotation. I disagree with that. The movie, towards the tail end shows how the person ends up when they break the unsaid rules which govern our society. This is a movie which makes you think and RG should get a kudos on bringing such a controversial concept to the surface.

Once again to clarify....because a lot of you misread my review....I never said the concept is a problem...I am okay with what he's trying to show and I know it's a difficult subject....but my problem is the way this movie was made and the way ideas were conveyed.....

there was another movie sometime back Joggers Park which had a similar theme....but was presented in a subtle manner that was fitting the theme of the movie.....however in this movie the way the camera tracks Jiah's body (read Amitabh's eyes) that is just pure lust and nothing else....and again if that's what it is I have no problems watching a story about a lusty old guy....(I loved Shaukeen)....but then don't come out and call it a love story because that's what its not.....and if that's what RGV wanted to make....then I am sorry to say he's failed miserably....

I really had high hopes with this movie because I still am a big fan of Amitabh and I have loved some of RGV's movies and was hoping this would turn out to be a classic....

Hi Ram gopal varma

Im surprised to see THAT YOU COIPED THIS HOLLYWOOD MOVIE "BLAME IT ON RIO" BY MICHEAL CAINE IS THE LEAD....

OH MY GOD...

U R COPY CAT...

GIRIJA

ITS COPY OF THE MOVIE"BLAME IT ON RIO" BY MICHEAL CAINE

ITS SURPRISING THAT BOLLYWOOD NEVER HAS ORIGINAL IDEAS.RAM GOPAL VARMA IS NO EXCEPTION HE IS COPY CAT

This is exactly what I had thought when I saw this movie. Why the hell don't they have their own ideas? They don't lack actors. This is not the reason. Then still, copying from other movies and copying it badly and not bringing it to the point and then suggesting it to be a love story, is a crime in my eyes. I am sorry but I really don't understand why Amitabh Bachhan let himself being persuaded to act in a movie like this one.

sharukh khan is the best actor becuase if you watch kal ho naa ho it makes you cry aswell thats how real it makes the story feel to you now nobody can make you feel like that better than SRK so anybody who thinks amitabh bachan is better actor than SRK, well you need brain surgery, SRK is also a very good human being who respects others.

regarding the comparison b/w amitabh and sharukk i would say india is very lucky to have an actor like amitabh. it takes long time may be 100, 200 years to have actor like amitabh. if somebody understands what acting is probably he can feel. watching movies does not mean u know about acting. a film is hit not only for the actor but also for the story, direction and so many things. imagine what an old man of 64yrs doing. to compare someone with 64 yrs old actor you have to be 64. sharukh does not dare to make more than one movie in a year while amitabh makes many movies. where is the variation of acting of sharukh. indeed sharukh is good actor but never compare with amitabh, people will think either you biased or u do not understand anything about acting. i assume oneday amitabh will get oscar.

dude guess you either biased or dont understand anything about acting. comparing amitabh with sharukh- you are asshole.