ABCD - AnyBody Can Dance - An unfettered joy of movement |
Vishal Verma, [Friday, February 08, 2013] |
What is it all about Its time to boogie woogie on screen.. Indian cinema which is rich and famous for its songs and dance (and should always remain to be) celebrates its centenary year with flashy explosions of certified youth energy in rhythm with the new 3D technology that has just enough smarts, sweat, legs and swagger steps that you can't help but move your feet. UTV Spot Boy and Remo DSouza who after the success of 'Faltu' goes beyond youth to the 'young' at heart by claiming 'Anybody can dance' in this dance flick. Having dancing legend Prabhudeva in the centre stage of this story of TV dance shows and its glory in 'ABCD' where the dancing works early and often with emotion that takes a 3D pleasure in taking a technological step forward. The Story Definitely not a 'step up' in bollywod plots, ABCD team of writers Remo, Tushar Hiranandani (screenplay) and Bhanu Pratap Singh (associate) derive a reliable guilty pleasure that takes a dramatic step backward in this technological step forward. Vishnu (Prabhudheva), widely regarded as India's best dancer, dance is more than a passion - it's the reason he lives! So when he finds himself thrown out from the swish dance academy JDC he himself set up, by his manipulative business partner Jahangir (K.K. Menon), it feels like the oxygen has been sucked out from the air he breathes. Heart-broken, Vishnu decides to give up dance and leave Mumbai forever. However the night before his departure he witnesses a most amazing sight - a group of dancers lead by Salman Yusuf Khan and Dharmesh Yelande preparing for the upcoming Ganpati Dance Battle - an annual festival that pits Mumbai's best dance groups against each other. Watching the raw talent of these amazing dancers helps Vishnu arrive at a decision - he will take this disparate group under his wing, help them overcome their personal rivalries and past demons and turn them into India's best dance squad! What to look out for How many dedicated dance flicks have you seen in bollywood .. Subash Babbar's (B.Subash) 'Disco Dancer' (1982) which contributed immensely in making 'Mithun Da' the legend he is today immediately comes first to your mind.. After that u will have to search.. Remo and UTV Spot boy's ABCD oozes a considerable amount of energy and has its heart at the right place.. bang on target right from the first shot where we see the finales of a popular dance we are 'in' it knowing what it can offer as a dance flick.. the impression is maintain as K.K. Menon as the shrewd manipulative owner of a popular dance academy gives a brilliant performance.. the characters are identifiable in Remo's simple and easy narration which gains considerable heights by his choreography that puts all its heart in those dancing feet's. the dance looks really fantastic where Remo uses 3D to full effect, holding the viewer in complete attention when the dances are on either on stage or in rain.. The jumps are high, the movements sharp and the choreography heart-pounding.. Though cliche there are some emotional high as well during the process where 'Lagaan' meets 'Chak De' to give a mind-blowing final dance finale with spectacular use of props and lights. The 'Ganapati' final dance finale is the major highlight and full of generous exuberance.. The dance India fame dancers who turn actors here are impressive especially Salman Yusuf Khan and Dharmesh Yelande who deliver from feet and face as well. The 'So You Think You Can Dance' fame American import Lauren Gottlieb is gorgeous and it's a treat to see her move with those legs. Saroj Khan is fine. The Junkie, the south Indian fan and Ganesh Acharya give adequate support.. last but not the least Prabhudeva the Indian dance legend may have a Tamil accent to his Hindi but he is in command over here..his solo dance just before the interval is a 'paisa vasool' moment for those who love to Technicalities are up to mark where Vijay Kumar Arora does a spectacular job with his lenses and Manan Sagar's editing gives it a sharp and crisp feel to the film. Sachin Jigar's music keeps the dancers and the viewers on its feet. What not Why Remo who is a popular dance guru on small screen kept himself out from the dancing floor action.. He is the helmer but he could have easily placed himself in the plot as a dance guru from the rival JDC dance school from where Prabhudeva gets thrown out.. though he appears during the end credits... a dance involving Prabhudeva and Remo in the main feature could have added more commercial value to this dance flick and given it a new high.. some innovations in the plot would have been better.. the romance is missing.. And there is no popular hit dance number to hum along while you dance. Conclusion: ABCD is worth a ticket for its high-energy spectacular dancing that gets better with 3D and those emotional points it delivers and has a considerable 'Beign young'at hear t and feet appeal. Go for it. Rating ***and 1/2 |
Critic's Rating: Cast: Prabhudeva, Ganesh Acharya, Kay Kay Menon, Lauren Gottlieb, Salman Yusuff Khan, Dharmesh Yelande, Punit Pathak Direction: Remo D'Souza Genre: Dance Film Duration: 2 hours 23 minutes Avg Readers Rating: |
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ABCD - ANY BODY CAN DANCE's biggest strength lies in the variety of dances that Remo presents to the spectators. Where the film falters is in its skeletal plotline, although writer Tushar Hiranandani comes up with several knockout sequences. But there's no denying that the screenwriting deviates into the conventional and foreseeable zone in the second hour. The curse of the second half [most films run out of steam in the post-interval portions] looms large here too, as Remo resorts to clichs to carry the story forward. Besides, the film is stretched by at least 15/20 minutes. Thankfully, the narrative gathers steam once again towards the closing portions and the dance competition in the finale is simply breathtaking.
If only they also had the services of a functioning screenplay and not just been saddled with half-baked plot contrivances to hang their acts on, ABCD might have gone beyond just those first four letters of the alphabet.
There is no denying that the film has its share of infectious energy and that the newcomers in the cast do go about their roles with commendable enthusiasm. It is the sluggish pace of the story-telling that prevents ABCD from rising to any great heights as an entertainer
Prabhu Deva's atrocious Hindi will shock you! However, the man lives up to his legendary status as a stalwart of dance. Incomparably brilliant, his dance has a mesmerizing quality. He does falter at the emotional scenes and his poor diction makes it visible a little too nakedly. But a five minute solo dance sequence by him just before interval strikes is enough to wash out all his flaws.
For a movie with a story-line so predictable and frail, it comes as a pleasant realization that the messages put across through it, blatant as they are, spread a strong sense of positivity and speak of wonderful strivings. It supersedes the mere framework of dance and tickles the society's lethargic attitude towards dance and art. It puts forward values of trust, faith, and synergy among other things, all of which are used to metamorphose a locality and, by extension, could change society. Kudos to Remo for that.
The dancing (and the dancers) should have made up for all of this. That's what dance movies are for. But the dancing is not spectacular. The dancers mostly look as if they've wandered off the many TV shows that revolve around similar themes. A few are given back stories but they are not interesting enough. Neither is the choreography. A couple of numbers are competent, but there's nothing heart-stopping or jaw-dropping. I saw the 3D version, which does amp up the film a bit, but it also darkens it because of those silly glasses.
Technically and production-wise, ABCD, howsoever the title may sound silly, punches you hard. Niftily edited dance sequences, a chase that is a mix of dancing and eye-popping jumps, make ABCD the Dabangg of dancing. The dance numbers are brilliantly executed and the thrill quotient is highly enhanced as you watch the movie in three dimensions.
Remo and UTV Spot boy's ABCD oozes a considerable amount of energy and has its heart at the right place.. bang on target right from the first shot where we see the finales of a popular dance we are 'in' it knowing what it can offer as a dance flick.. the impression is maintain as K.K. Menon as the shrewd manipulative owner of a popular dance academy gives a brilliant performance.. the characters are identifiable in Remo's simple and easy narration which gains considerable heights by his choreography that puts all its heart in those dancing feet's. the dance looks really fantastic where Remo uses 3D to full effect, holding the viewer in complete attention when the dances are on either on stage or in rain..
With India's first 3D Dance film, Remo puts his best foot forward. The film lacks dramatic-density, but the minute dance breaks in, all hell breaks loose. This isn't a 'step-up' from anything you've seen before. The 3D impresses in parts with predictable routines, but he pitches the emotional tempo towards the end. The grand finale act is spectacular, better than all reality shows strung together.
ABCD is an unapologetic dance film and it stands true to every sense of its claim. Remo D'Souza painstakingly infuses some never before dance sequences in the film and elevates the film viewing experience. His true innovations and expertise get showcased in the way he brilliantly captures the acts that leave you tongue-tied and gobsmacked! It's easy to say that no other filmmaker could do a better job than this in directing astounding portions of ABCD.
The fact that the script is so clichd, and honestly we would have overlooked all that if the acting, if not decent, was less filmi. A concept that's done to death in Hollywood is churned out with a desi touch to it. Apologies to Prabhdeva fans- but his thespian skills aren't as good as his booty shaking talents.
Special Chabbis Improves ABCD
Solid
Friday 8th February 2013 19.30 IST | |
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Special Chabbis has seen an improvement in collections in the late afternoon but still first day will not be as strong especially for a film of its size. The best collections are in the South Delhi and Gurgaon area.
ABCD opened very well at most places and is keeping the pace. The film opened very well in Mumbai which is rare for a non star cast film.
Both films should collect in the same range which should be 5 crore nett plus but Special Chabbis is playing on 500 screens more which makes its opening below par going by screens and cost while ABCD has done very well to get better occupancies and even match first day collections with a star cast film despite 30-35% less screens. |
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