Interviews

The sixth installment of the Harry Potter series begins right where The Order of the Phoenix left off. The wizarding world is rocked by the news that "He Who Must Not Be Named" has truly returned, and the audience finally knows that Harry is "the Chosen One"--the only wizard who can defeat Lord Voldemort in the end. Dark forces loom around every corner, and now regularly attempt to penetrate the protected walls of Hogwarts School. This is no longer the fun and fascinating world of magic from the first few books—it's dark, dangerous, and scary.

Squadron Leader Veer Pratap Singh is a rescue pilot with the Indian Air Force, who risks his own life to save the lives of others. One day, on duty, he comes across a stranded girl from Pakistan, Zaara. Zaara, a carefree, sprightly girl has come to India to fulfill her surrogate grandmother's dying wish. She meets with a bus accident leaving her stranded in a foreign land. Veer saves her life... and his life is never the same again... Twenty-two years later, Saamiya Siddiqui, a Pakistani lawyer on her first case, finds herself face-to-face with an aging Veer Pratap Singh.

"Be Italian!" comes the thundering command from one of the catchiest songs in Nine, and the movie version of this Broadway musical hit is undeniably solid on that point. It's drenched in cool cars, glamorous Italian threads, and cozy Roman neighborhoods, all circa 1962. That, you will note, is the vintage of Federico Fellini's classic film 8 ¬Ω, the source for both the stage show and Rob Marshall's frantic musical picture.

It has been a while since I sat through a film that made me smile, and at times even break into a hearty laughter. Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na did both. The film, by Aamir Khan Productions and directed by Abbas Tyrewala, is about love. Jaane Tu, in fact, is a very bare bones film that you know the story of: young people growing up, growing apart and growing in love. So we have Jai (Imran Khan) and Aditi (Genelia D Souza), who love each other, but lack the insight and maturity to accept it.

This is what happened to Surinder Sahni (Shahrukh Khan) - a simple, clean hearted, honest man working for Punjab Power, leading a humdrum life, when he meets his total opposite and finds love in the flamboyant, fun-loving, vivacious - Taani (Anushka Sharma) for whom the whole world is her canvas and she paints her own life with the colours of rainbow all until unforeseen circumstances changes it all and brings them together. What follows is a journey filled with laughter, tears, joy, pain, music, dance and a lot of love.

Unquestionably one of the most beloved Indian films ever to come out of Bollywood. This Yash Raj comedy, romance, drama stars the incomparable Shah Rukh Khan and the beautiful Kajol as two young British Hindustani's, Raj and Simran, who meet during a one month European vacation. Things do not start out well for the two, but slowly the ongoing banter of dislike and ridicule between them transforms into friendship and finally so much more.

In the China of 1908, respecting one's teacher is a sign of breeding, and avenging his murder a sacred duty. When a martial arts master (Bruce Lee) learns his revered kung fu instructor has been murdered, his shock turns first to disbelief, then to anger. Determined to wrest vengeance from the gang responsible, he travels to Shanghai to hunt down the killers - and ends up facing some of his most dangerous opponents. A combination of power, grace and humor, this action-packed thriller is a Bruce Lee classic. Also known as "The Big Boss".

A pure old-school martial arts movie, beloved by aficionados, that also appeals to nonfans simply as a rousing action film. The often-imitated fact-based plot (see The Karate Kid) centers upon the rigorous training process undergone in the mid-19th century by the anti-Manchu Chinese patriot San Te (Gordon Liu). It's depicted as a grueling voyage into the unknown.

If you can give The Astronaut Farmer the big, bounding leap of faith it requires, you'll probably enjoy this good-natured film about the importance of holding on to your dreams. The title character (and the dreamer in question) is Charlie Farmer (Billy Bob Thornton), a Texas ranch owner and former aeronautics engineer who's got a homemade rocket in his barn and a dream to blast into space.

Political movies about backroom negotiations need not be dry or heavy-handed, as Charlie Wilson's War delightfully proves. Based on the true story of playboy congressman Wilson's efforts to fund Afghanistan's defense against the Soviet invasion of the 1980s, the film is borne along on breezy attitude and a peppery script by West Wing scribe Aaron Sorkin.