May 6, 2004

FILM
They say that imitation is the best form of flattery. That should make Adrian Lyne, who directed Unfaithful feel good because Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt’s latest production Murder is heavily “inspired” (are they even calling it rip off anymore?) by Lyne’s film. Granted that the film has probably been “altered” to make it more palatable for Indian sensibilities but the plot remains more or less the same. Its contentious subject of adultery seems to be doing the rounds in Bollywood as we saw in Tum and Hawas.

This time too, it is the woman who is having the extra-marital affair so it’s a bit of a relief to see something where the woman isn’t the weeping pathetic doormat that she’s made to play time and time again although whether us South Asians are willing to buy that she can ditch her husband for a good time is another story. Murder is also generating much attention for its starlet Mallika Sherawat’s display of flesh in the movie.

This shouldn’t detract women from watching her put in an above average performance as Simran, the wife who runs into her former lover Sunny (Emraan Hashmi) while living in Bangkok with her husband Sudhir (Ashmit Patel). How and why the affair begins are irrelevant details but worth watching unless you’ve actually seen Unfaithful in which case you’ll be rolling your eyes at the scenes that have been directly lifted from the Hollywood blockbuster. But it’s a bad copy because there are plenty of places in the first half of the film where it drags and true to Bollywood form there are lots of nonsensical elements to it too.

Its cinematography is commendable and the music by Anu Malik is stuff that one has come to expect from him but had some songs not been filmed against the erotic backdrop, they may not have caught the attention that they do here. All three actors put in an above average performance but it’s clear that Sherwat is going to go places after this film, and not just for her ability to ooze you-know-what appeal.—The Review(Khusro Mumtaz returns next week)

SINGLE
Next to It’s The Time To Disco, Superstar by Jamelia is the song to get the party started. Fun and infectious, the track has a killer hook and is taking over the dance floor. The backbeat is fly and Jamelia’s attitude fresh and winsome. When the UK songstress released her debut album Drama back in 2001, she made a few ripples with her dance track Money but then quickly faded out of sight. After taking off a couple of years to raise her baby girl, she returned with Thank You and surprised everyone with the addictive first release Superstar.

Superstar has all the right ingredients to establish the young Brit urban singer as an act to watch. The lyrics are memorable and simply made for karaoke: “I don’t know what it is/that makes me feel like this/I don’t know who you are/but you must be some kind of superstar/coz you got all eyes on you no matter where you are.”

With such an upbeat groove and a runaway charm, Superstar may just establish Jamelia as a British R&B staple along the lines of Craig David and Ms. Dynamite. —T. U. Dawood

ALBUM
There’s something to be said for young and hungry. When 80s pop icon George Michael was half of pop duo Wham! and desperate for success, he created some of the best and most timeless music produced at that time, including the incomparable Careless Whisper. He continued in this vein throughout the 80s and early 90s with such gems as Faith, Father Figure, Freedom 90 and Too Funky. He earned more money than he claimed he could ever need and has been through highly publicized police and political (Shoot The Dog) scandals. Older and wiser, he even released an album entitled Older reflecting his maturity. His latest and long-awaited album is Patience.

Unfortunately, the album is definitely not worth the wait. Pedantic and soporific, the tracks — particularly debut single Amazing — are perfectly acceptable, melodic pieces of music, but they do not reflect the artist’s talent or capabilities. They do cover a range of topics, however, such as death (My Mother had a Brother) and a tribute to a partner who has left (Please Send Me Someone).

Nonetheless, while the lyrics can be poignant at times and Michael’s voice always spot-on, the tracks are overall forgettable. Maybe Michael should have taken a longer hiatus.— T. U. D
 

WEBSITE
As Mother’s Day approaches, one website to visit is http://tinyurl.com/2su36. This website comprises of an extremely thought provoking article on the celebration of this day. It starts by an interesting historical account of when, where and how Mother’s Day began to be celebrated, and what was the whole concept behind it. It goes on to explain the Islamic teachings pertaining to the esteemed position of a mother and the respect she commands from her children. In the end, the article analyzes a very critical question: should mothers be honored only for one day in a year, or is every day supposed to be a Mother’s Day? Food for thought.— Hafsa Ahsan
 

OR
If you are searching for answers to your queries related to medicines and medical issues then log onto www.medicalweb.com, where you can read in detail about the health issues in different phases of life. By integrating the latest health news and medical information with the secure network of online doctors, this site offers the opportunity to learn about, understand, and make an informed decision about your physical and mental health. The ‘Main categories’ section provides articles on health topics of man, women and elderly people. The ‘General health’ section features articles on some common health concerns of every day life. The ‘Drug Library’ contains information about different drugs. The ‘Ask the doctor’ section provides clear answer to your medical questions. Also you can get yourself updated with the latest health news. So log onto it and be healthy.— S.M. Aamir