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 | | The film was really well executed. eveything including dance to dialogues to animted characters were really well crafted. eveything was good, but charli anna was exceptionable...even at the age of 21 he is has become my best character whatsoever.......and i have gone crazy behing charrrrli annnaa | | Amit Dubey |  |
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| | I just watched roadside romeo it was the best movie I have watched.If u have not watched roadside romeo watch it and enjoy it!!! | | Shefa | |
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| | Roadside Romeo is probably the best movie Disney has made to date. It will be as ground breaking as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs which was their first movie.
The song on the rooftop is amazing and haunting. The songs in the movie have a different feel to your normal bollywood music. The movie is a breath of fresh air to the Indian movie industry. Kudos to Yash Raj Films & Walt Disney for a fantastic job.
| | Prashanth (London ) | |
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| | Hi. My name is Colleen and I am writing to let you know that I saw Roadside Romeo and I thought it was a great romantic movie. I really loved all the romantic scenes with Romeo and Laila. I really love all the songs in the movie. | | Colleen (USA ) | |
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| Finally, we have got an Indian animation film that matches the international standards. At last we have an animation film which is not meant for a particular age group. Hopefully, after a long wait Yash Raj banner has got a success story up its sleeve. And after all Jugal Hansraj has found a vocation where he could be a success. Yes, Jugal has played safe. He has woven a story which has all the elements of a Bollywood pot boiler. A smart dog, who has to rely on his wits ra ther than size. He falls in love with a cabaret dancer, Laila. All is well, until Romeo discovers the don of dogs, Charlie has an eye on the dancer. We know that simplicity is the most difficult thing to achieve on celluloid. Jugal scores with his characterisation and dialogues. They are laced with measured humour and the desired punch drawn from hit dialogues of Bollywood. There is never a missing link between the expressions, the voice over and the import.
Saif Ali Khan has given his inherent cockiness to Romeo. Kareena has layered Laila with her chutzpah. And Jaaved Jafferi has made Charlie as over the top as possible. Credit to the voiceovers that for a moment you forget you are watching a tale of dogs.
Generally, you have only one adjective to describe a good animation film: cute. Here you will find many options. You really look forward to how Romeo will smooch Laila on a full moon light! Or what do the street dogs think about us. Salim-Sulaiman’s music has given the moments that extra zing. The support cast is strong enough to add muscle to the storyline. Charlie’s sidekick, Chainu (Remember Shatrughan Sinha in “Mere Apne”?) has almost walked away with all the glory. The icing on the cake is the pace of the film. There is never a dull moment. The animation by Tata Elxsi is much better than what we have seen till date, but there is still a gap to fill to achieve Hollywood standards. Again the Yash Raj banner has fallen for narcissistic tendencies and has used the film as a vehicle for the promotion of its glorious past. Thanks to Jugal, for a significant portion it is part of the scenery.
Watch it with somebody you love. It need not necessarily be kids.
| | The Hindu | |
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| Yash Raj Films and Walt Disney Pictures come together for an animation film, whose story is completely filmy as we know it. And the product works. It has a typical Hindi film story, lovers, villains, love triangle etc, but it also has a certain loveable quality which works in its favor tremendously, despite the animation not being of the quality of, say, The Lion King, Shrek or Finding Nemo. But it is still the best seen in India, so far. Debutant director, Jugal Hansraj manages to finally make it, at least as a director.
However, the script penned by him is clichéd to say the least, with hardly anything special or novel to say. But it still works. A lot of it has to do with the animation itself, the dialogues and the voiceovers, which have been done by Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Javed Jaffrey. The stars do a fantastic job and really lend a certain distinction to their characters. Besides them, actor Sanjay Mishra as the villain's sidekick also does a terrific job in the voiceover department.
The story is hardly novel and one is not sure whether it is really kid's fare as it seems to be a straight lift from a regular Hindi masala film. Romeo (Saif) is a roadside English speaking dog, who falls in love with a poodle like Laila (Kareena Kapoor), who sings at the local bar. Also in love with Laila is Charlie Anna, the neighborhood don, who collects hafta. Romeo refuses to pay the hafta and dares to eye Anna's girl. This sets the scene for a conflict between the two, with Romeo relying more on his wits than force to outwit his adversary. Both have their sidekicks, who prove to be quite entertaining.
The only problem with the movie is that one feels the director is confused about his target audience. He is not sure whether he is targeting the kids or the adults. Some of the scenes, dialogues and the 'Chule Na' song seem quite out of place in a kiddies' film. The climax is, however, lifted from Yash Raj's evergreen Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, and goes down well. The music of the film could have been peppier one feels. However, the film does begin on a very peppy note and there is never a dull moment throughout its duration. The dialogues are punchy and the characters have been very well delineated.
Hence, despite the film's story giving one a sense of having seen it all, in totality, Roadside Romeo is a very endearing and entertaining film.
| | Yahoo | |
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| It had to be happen – and it’s done so not a moment too soon. Roadside Romeo is India’s first world-class 3-D animation film – and we are not talking only about the calibre of animation in it.
Look at it tangentially and it’s a spoof on the old-style formula Hindi film with a contemporary touch. We have a hero, a heroine, the hero’s friends, a villain and his sidekicks. We have drama, comedy, romance, songs, fights, emotions and even a cabaret!Or flip your thoughts around and welcome Disney’s tribute to the Hindi film classic – a recognition of the classic Hindi film.
So entire a world of dogs where currency means bones and human beings are either Mumbai’s municipal dog-catchers or people whom the dogs like to disturb at night for kicks. And meet Romeo, a canine used to the good life till his owners leave the country and dump him with a servant who in turn disposes of him in the back-alleys of Mumbai.
Romeo takes a while adjusting to a tough life of hard work and no luxuries, but finds it easier when he cultivates a gang of street-dogs and even a cat who wants to be one of the ‘gang’. Love blossoms when he encounters the beautiful Laila, who lays down the condition that Romeo should dance with her when she performs at her usual haunt – the local pub. Romeo, for whom it is love at first sight, agrees, not knowing that local goon Charlie Anna is besotted with her and can never tolerate anyone else coming close to Laila.
And Romeo and his gang have faced trouble from Charlie Anna before, because like any Mumbai mafioso he must get his hafta (commission) from anyone operating a business, and Romeo and his friends have been operating a dogs’ beauty salon without even informing the don.
The crisis part comes in quickly in the first half, and the second half becomes even more enjoyable right to the final twist, which is perfectly in sync with a kiddies’ animation genre, the Walt Disney ethos and – come to think of it – even some of the Hindi classics of yore! And we are not talking just happy endings!
Writer-director Jugal Hansraj emerges as a volcano of talent and his writing is first-rate (though it is clear that a lot of one-liners must have been contributed by Javed Jafferi) and direction exceptional. The animation by Tata Elxsi, with Shrirang Sathaye and Suhail Merchant as Animation Directors, is world-class, and special mention must be made of the lighting (Sherry Bharda), sound design (Ali Merhant) and even the choreography of the songs.
The editing (Arif Ahmed) and cinematography (Anhul Chobey) are outstanding, the songs completely in sync (Jaideep Sahni’s lyrics are wonderful) and Salim-Sulaiman score more in the very international-yet-Hindi cinema background music.But apart from the technical aspects and the content, it is the voiceovers that lifts the film to another dimension – Saif Ali Khan as Romeo and Javed Jafferi as Charlie Anna tower over the rest and Kareena Kapoor as Laila, Tanaaz Currim as Mini the cat, Vrajesh Hirjee as Guru and Sanjay Mishra as Chhainu are superb too. Suresh Menon as the Hindi cinema-crazy Interval is aptly funny imitating our top stars.
The film deserves special brownie points, in addition to all its virtues, for three more aspects – the end credit-titles (an ingenious concept), the attention to detailing in the streets of Mumbai and the spoof of the last sequence of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.
Entertainment 2008 has a new name – Roadside Romeo. Miss this, especially in this festive-cum-vacation season – at your own peril.
| | Rajiv Vijayakar (www.rajshri.com) | |
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| Desi mutts leave you in splits
India’s done it. We have arrived. The same week we blasted off a spacecraft to the moon, we also made our first animation feature film that lives, breathes, laughs and throws some seriously raunchy pelvic thrusts at Shrek and his friends.
The animation of this Yash Raj-Walt Disney collaboration is fabulously world-class. Full marks to Jugal baba, Yash uncle and friends at Disney for creating a quintessential Bollywood masala flick that’s wicked, funny, daringly desi and inhabited by ekdum eccentric doggie-log.
The story is simple. Rich, happy dog Romeo (Saif Ali Khan) becomes homeless after owners move to foreign lands. He encounters street dogs, befriends them, gives them stylish makeovers, launches a successful business and falls in love with a pirouetting white-as-snow lady doggie Laila (Kareen Kapoor). Who, by the way, is an item at the local doggie bar.
Enter docks-ka-king Charlie Anna (Jaaved Jaffrey). He loves Laila and won’t allow anyone to dance with her, forget smooch her. Romeo does both and gets into serious lafda.
The movie’s context could be any rasta in India, but one which lives with the happy hangover of Raj, Simran and their many friends from Dhoom.
The movie’s heart is not in its story, nor is it in its two main characters. It beats and lives with Charlie Anna, his scraggy side-kick Chhainu (Sanjai Mishra) and Romeo’s gang of three tapori dogs and a fully satkela cat.
Charlie Anna, with three ass-kicking Charlie’s Angels, is a farting, flea-munching much-feared gang lord. Anna... Hmmm... He’s sort of Rajnikanth-meets-P. Diddy, learns a move or two and becomes amazingly light-footed. He has Kallu Mama’s girth, Kittam Kittu’s accented Hinglish and Rajni sir’s ishtyle. Whatever the inspiration, Charlie Anna’s middle name, embossed in bling, is ‘Jaaved Jaffrey.’ This bull dog with gum-disease is a star. An icon.
The story is told with a light touch and lots of laughs. You fall in love with all the galli ke kutte. They speak your language and are almost human. So you squirm when Anna pulls out squidgy wax from his ear, you worry for Romeo when he defies Anna to salsa with Laila, and you seriously ponder how the censors' scissors missed a fully-adult smooch.
You leave the hall with a huge grin and a heartfelt desire to hug the next mangy dog you see limping around.
So seriously, the next time your Canada cousins’ kids come visiting, proudly slip in Roadside Romeo’s DVD and hand them a popcorn ki tokri. They’ll have a blast. If not, they can always play frisbee with the Shrek DVD.
| | The Asian Age | |
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| Indian animation has finally come of age. Roadside Romeo, the first Walt Disney-Yash Raj roll-out is a barrel of fun: bole toh, ekdum jhakaas, baap.
It combines the best aspects of both studios—Disney’s expertise in creating animated figures which live and breathe, and Yash Raj’s forte in frothy romance: What better than getting Romeo and Laila voiced by real-life lovers Saif ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor?
Romeo is a one-time pampered pooch, now abandoned on the mean streets of Mumbai. Laila is a saucy, red-scarf-around-her-dainty-neck dancer, who only has to bat her impossibly large eyelashes for Romeo to start panting. Trouble looms in the shape of the pug-ugly Charlie Anna (Jaaved Jaaferi), who rules with a ruthless paw, and a bunch of louts. He fancies Laila, and woe is any Tom, Dick, or Romeo who comes in between.
The alacrity with which the characters break into song-and-dance shows that Disney or no Disney, Bollywood rules. Whether style-bhai Romeo is kicking up his heels with his canine pals, or looking for a likely spot to pee (“Yahaan koi toilet nahin hai kya? Man, what a dump”) you can actually see Saif, who does cool like no else. And when sexy Laila shakes her charming rump, breathily coming on to her besotted beau, you know that’s Kareena. Both sizzle up the screen.
Where debutant director Jugal Hansraj falters is with the villainous Chaaaarrrlie Anna: Jaaferi is made to growl incomprehensibly and break wind more often than getting a chance at being a riot. He does make you guffaw, but only once in a while, and for someone of Jaaferi’s goofy brilliance, that’s not enough.
But we can live with this Charlie. In his words, he’s our chappie, so he makes us happy. We can also handle the strong resemblance our Mumbai-curs have to Disney-style American doggie-doos, because we know that given a chance, they will open their mouths to utter a desi ‘bhow bhow’ rather than the westernised ‘bow wow’. Roadside Romeo is Hindi cinema’s first stylish, slick animated feature, which pulls off the toughest feat - appealing to both adults and children.
That’s, like, cool, dude.
| | Indian Express | |
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| "Welcome attempt to kickstart a new genre in indian cinema"
"Enjoyable doggie style massala cartoon romcom"
Is Disney barking mad to delve into Bollywood with an animated Hindi movie featuring talking, singing and dancing dogs? Street-wise stray Romeo (Khan) dreams of a better life and winning the heart of his white bitch Laila (Kapoor). In order to do so, Romeo must first defeat Laila’s suitor Charlie, a fat, farting bulldog.
We root for this underdog from the outset especially as this pooch ain’t no sweet Lassie. Whilst this may lack the inventiveness and class of Pixar’s recent creations, it is a welcome attempt to kick-start a relatively new genre in Indian cinema. Non-bolly fans will miss the constant references to top actors, but tots of all races will enjoy this unchallenging, doggie-style massala cartoon romcom.
| | Time Out (London) | |
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| Oh Romeo Romeo , wherefore art though? Forget Shakespeare and all his spinoffs. Forget even Baz Luhrman's Romeo & Juliet on steroids.
Roadside Romeo is the coolest wham. What's it about? Well….it's a bout of a pout and a bit of a kick , a wacky whammy romance between two savvy wunder-dogs thrown our way in a casual chic manner that makes the animation characters seem like replicas of their potboiler avatars from feature films.
Maybe the plot should've been less formulistic to go with the innovative format and genre. Nonetheless this has got to be the most urbane and coolest take on the rites and wrongs of that thingy called love-shove.
First things first. So far animation films in India have been mainly restricted to revisionist interpretations of the mythologicals.
In Roadside Romeo director Jugal Hansraj goes for the jugular, and the jocular. The story of a rich no-thank-you-mansion-not canine from the well-to-do part of the city and the slum(and need we add, slim since it's Kareena behind the mike?) seductress Laila is peppered with every ingredient that makes an alluring entertainer.
The main voices are used to telling advantage. Saif scores subtle points over Kareena whose dubbing tends to veer towards boredom. But then she is the blasé seductress,isn't she?
But it is Javed Jaffry a seasoned voice-ouevre brings great vigour and vivacity to the slum-lord's role.
There are the non-primary characters too, giving the central romance a catchily cute spin without taking the slim narrative to an over-the-top stratosphere.
Most important of all, the quality of animation and the detailing that has gone behind its execution are exemplary. We really haven't seen anything like this in Hindi. The songs, dialogues, action and reaction add up to quite a fun-filled festival of swirling colours and dancing divas , devas and devils.
Roadside Romeo is a smartly-executed piece of slip-in-slip-out cinema . Ideal popcorn-khao-ghar-jao enterainment during this festive season which kids will enjoy and the grownups will giggle about.
| | Subhash K Jha | |
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| Something about the finesse in the promos, which began showing almost six months ago, told me that this film would rescue the Yash Raj banner. And this is something I committed myself to going on record in print in the Financial Chronicle (October 3, 2008) issue. It's scary today to predict the fate of a film based on promos alone. But there was something about the characterisation in this animated film that stood out. So, I guess, I was not wrong. ROADSIDE ROMEO does live up to the finesse in its promos.
In association with Walt Disney, this is the first animated film from the Yash Raj banner.
Debutant director Jugal Hansraj has dished out a quality product worth spending our bucks on. The story is simple, but the characterisation is elaborate, with due pains taken to suit the voice of the animals (mainly dogs) to different actors. Be it the voice of Saif Ali Khan for Romeo, Javed Jafferi for Charlie Anna, Vrajesh Hirjee for Guru, Suresh Menon for Interval, Kiku Sharda for Hero English, Tanaaz Irani for Mini or Kareena Kapoor for Laila. Their voices and its modulation are spot on that gives the film a rich feel. The music and the sets too, are vibrant.
Romeo is a dog who once lived in luxurious surroundings. Unfortunately, for him, his owners decide to migrate to London and he is left at the mercy of the servant of the house, who dumps him on the street. Left to fend for himself, he is soon cornered by the local 'goons' who tell him that this is their 'domain'. Poor Romeo does not know the street lingo and is at a loss for words at first, but then turns his charm around to win these very strays as his close pals. Together, they set up a business. Everything goes on fine with a big queue outside their salon.
Then comes Charlie Anna's chamcha to collect hafta and business goes for a toss. Charlie Anna is the 'Don' to who every dog has to pay protection money in the form of bones! Here again Romeo's wit and presence of mind saves the day for him and his buddies who are being beaten by Charlie's Angels!
In walks, Laila and Romeo is in love. To win her love, Laila tells Romeo that he has to dance with her in front of everyone at the Moonlight Club where she performs. Romeo is game. After all, this is such a silly request. But he then realizes it's not as easy as it seems because Charlie secretly desires Laila and anyone who even dares go near her is dealt with severely. But Romeo braves the odds and dances with Laila to win her heart. Love blossoms. Enter villain. Romeo is terrorized; he promises Charlie that he will win Laila for him (Charlie).
Romeo does not intend to lose Laila but has plans for deflating Charlie's ego. He is caught two-timing by Charlie's chamcha and all hell breaks loose. In the end, however, love triumphs. There's a scene where Romeo shows off his left hand with Laila's names tattooed on it and another, straight out from DILWALE DULHANIYA LE JAYEGE, the famous train shot.
All in all, an enjoyable fare. ROADSIDE ROMEO will have many for company this Diwali. The kids will just love him.
| | www.glamsham.com | |
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| ‘Roadside Romeo’ hopes to bring a barking good time
As the much-lauded animation co-production between Walt Disney Pictures and Yash Raj Films - ‘Roadside Romeo’ hits screens, it’s time to gear up and watch B-town’s most celebrated couple Saif and his Bebo set off the romantic sparks in their doggie avatars.
With Saif playing the much-sophisticated dog and Kareena the sassy street item female dog, ‘Roadside Romeo’ is one recommended watch this weekend.
However, if you are the typical masala flick buff, who wards off animation flicks as mere kids’ affair, let us enlighten you with the story line of the flick that seems to have every element that goes into the making of a Bollywood blockbuster.
The film has lovers, a villain and great humour - the ultimate essentials for a Bollywood caper.
The movie is the story of Romeo (Saif Ali Khan) the quintessential lover dog, who has everything going for him. A palatial mansion to stay in, hot chicks to party with, money to splurge and etc. But one bad day in the dog’s life and everything goes wrong with Romeo as the family that he is staying with decides to abandon him after they move to a new house. Romeo is left alone in the big bad mean street world.
It’s there that he encounters real life problems. The street dogs show their mean streak to him. But he has the knack of smooth talking and he soon makes friends with them. Soon enough he bumps into the love of his life, Laila (Kareena) who happens to be a nightclub performer. Besides falling in love, the biggest mistake Romeo commits is having rubbed Charlie Anna (the Don) the wrong way. With a villain to combat and love to win over, the film is all Romeo and tons of heart.
| | www.zeenews.com | |
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| Everybody sit up and take notice! Jugal Hansraj has just delivered what can rightfully be called the first out-and-out Bollywood animation flick, and he definitely wasn't barking up the wrong tree. With the hottest couple in tinseltown Saif and Kareena, and the ultra-talented Javed Jaffrey, a fun story and Bolly-based dialogues, could Jugal possibly go wrong?
Romeo (voice of Saif Ali Khan) is a dog – and a rich, spoilt one at that. He is abandoned on the streets of Mumbai and doesn't know where to go and what to do. He meets a gang of other dogs – all uniquely weird in their own ways. One is Guru (v.o. Vrajesh Hirjee), the second is Hero English (Kiku Sharda). Hero has a habit of talking in Hindi and then translating the sentence into English. Number three is Interval (v.o. Suresh Menon), who is a mimic and loves mouthing Bollywood dialogues, hence the name. Oh yes, the fourth member of the gang is Mini (v.o Tanaz Irani), a cat who speaks tapori lingo!
They run an open-air salon (adorned with a Dhoom 2 poster) and charge bones as payment. Of course, they don't get to keep all the bone-y money they earn, as the local goon is a bulldog who goes by the name of Charlie Anna.
Now Charlie Anna (v.o. Javed Jaffrey) is a ferocious and ruthless south Indian dog, who shows no mercy to those who fail to pay him the hafta (extortion money) he demands. Charlie has three bitches (heh!) aptly named Silk Sunitha, Nylon Nandini (or was it Nanditha?) and Polyester Padmini, who kill at his bidding. Being south Indian, Charlie has a strong south Indian accent and calls the trio Charlie's angels (get it?)!
One fine night, Romeo hears melodious singing and ventures on to other streets to find out who the sweet voice belongs to. It is none other than Laila (v.o Kareena Kapoor), a pretty female dog, singing on a rooftop. He dances with her and tries to kiss her, unsuccessfully.
To win her over, he goes to the nightclub called Moonlight, where she performs regularly. He dances with her onstage and thus invites the wrath of Charlie Anna, who has a crush on Laila. About to be finished off by Charlie's angels, Romeo promises to set Charlie up with Laila, and is set free…
The second half of Roadside Romeo is far more enjoyable than the first, as this is where things really pick up. Saif and Ka, um, Romeo and Laila hook up without too much courting, and Chainu (v.o. Sanjay Mishra), Charlie’s gofer, spots them enjoying a kiss. Yes, what we have here, this liplock, is Bollywood’s best smooch ever. Charlie Anna is furious and decides to do away with loverboy Romeo once and for all.
Meanwhile, Romeo and gang keep trying to find their way out of this mess, while avoiding municipalty vans that catch stray dogs…
The first thing that has to be said here is the animation is fantastic! The computer graphics are really good, and make Roadside Romeo a pleasure to watch. The second thing that needs to be mentioned is the film is as short as a Hollywood film, even with songs, which is great.
No one person from the cast can be pulled up here, everyone has delivered a splendid performance!
A minor complaint – during certain scenes, the background score gets irritating and interferes with the dialogue. The dialogue by Abbas Tyrewala is perfect for this Hindi animation film, with lines from every prominent personality thrown in at perfect timing! Which Bollywood buff would not love this?
Jugal Hansraj has written a story that is really sweet, although at times, one would suspect he came up with it just so he could weave all those filmy dialogues and Bolly-situations around it…but hey, no one’s complaining!
While the story is good, the direction is very, very good…the scenes are great, the songs are a lot of fun to watch, and the characters are great! You may get up to leave at the end of the movie, but you will not leave the theatre till the credits have finished rolling, and that is a guarantee!
VERDICT: Jugal Hansraj and his team have put in a great effort and it shows. Bollywood has just got its first totally lovable and enjoyable animation flick that deserves to be seen on the big screen. Whether you’re a kid, or a fan of Hindi films or animation, Roadside Romeo is worth your time and money. Go for it!
| | www.buzz18.com | |
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| In every sense one is glad Indian animation has come such a long way. It would be wrong to say that so far we have been doing an inferior job in comparison to our Hollywood counterparts. However the quality hasn't been at par. With Roadside Romeo, Indian animation films have taken a giant leap forward and kudos to Yash Raj Films and Walt Disney Studios for being the one to raise the bar up by many notches.
Bottom line is the fact that Roadside Romeo is ultimately a movie that has stemmed from the land of masala films, so expecting anything different is sheer blasphemy. The film has lovers, a villain and great humor - the ultimate essentials for a Bollywood caper. But then being animated and convincing is what whisks this film away from clutches of the inane Bollywood film monster.
Romeo (Saif Ali Khan) the quintessential lover dog is thrown onto the streets, where he meets newly found best mutts. Soon enough he bumps into the love of his life, Laila (Kareena) who happens to be a nightclub performer. Besides falling in love, the biggest mistake Romeo commits is having rubbed Charlie Anna (Javed Jaffrey) the wrong way. With a villain to combat and love to win over, the film is all Romeo and tons of heart.
One can’t stop gushing over the fact that Yash Raj Films and Disney have brought to India what can be called India's first world class animation film. It's not perfect, but nonetheless still great. Had the movie been made into a live acton one, perhaps it would not have worked. Even story-wise the film is extremely light. But it is exactly these aspects that make Roadside Romeo lovable. The film is entertaining, funny and light. There is little that your mind needs to work on and it's escapism at its best.
The characters are well chalked out, which is a delight. No character is seen treading on a tangent and the film flows without any hiccups. The voices further enhance each character, barring of course the annoying little cat. Somewhere the film feels like an amalgamation of most adored toons and actions. Having said this, the film is not a rip off of any film and neither is it taken in parts it's just that the characters are adorable and make you go 'awww'.
The dialogues are well scripted and the one-liners backed with the character emotions and corresponding voices bring laughter to any face that has borne the brunt of watching all the distressing movies that released in the past few weeks.
While the first half is enjoyable, there are few areas when the pace slackens, but post the interval the film is up and running again. With a film like this everything just seems to have fallen in place to converge into a quality product.
Having said all this, yes there are a few areas where the film could have been worked on. A city with barely any humans (six-seven people make no difference) and hardly any movement, is hard to digest. Shuttling between a two legged walking dog and a dog on all fours again is a hassle. But that's precisely the point; all these are extremely trivial matters that would have perhaps catapulted the film to being better.
Even the editing cannot be termed as the best. It's good no doubt but lacks the slickness. The textures on the characters and backgrounds are praiseworthy. The overall work done on the characters and the environment, including movements, coloring and shadows is exemplary. The songs come at right points and help pick the pace of the film, even managing to bring a smile to your face.
Khan as Romeo nails it. It's what you call a perfect fit, extremely well done. Kareena though brings to Laila a sensual quality; her voice in many points' sounds restrained, while the animated character's actions are anything but that. Charlie Anna, the villain, is the character you walk out loving the most, courtesy Jaffrey. Jaffrey has proved yet again that versatility lies not just in his performances but in his tone of voice as well. Irani as the cat (Mini) is OK. For the first time, though animated additional characters add volumes to a film. In this regard it's Kiku Sharda, Sanjai Mishra, Vrajesh Hirjee and Suresh Mennon who do an outstanding job. Kudos to them!
In a surreal manner, one can only hope that this spirals other filmmakers and production houses to value audiences and give them a well made product. Roadside Romeo deserves a watch, simply because it's a quality product and should be supported. Do yourself a favour; watch India's first world class animated film.
| | www.businessofcinema.com | |
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| Roadside Romeo doesn’t have pedestrian portrayal of animation. For Gods sake the genre has finally overcome mythological boundaries and the animation has upgraded over the Amar Chitra Katha variety. In fact this animation is at par with any modern-day Hollywood flick and the spirit is true-blue Bollywood to the core. That’s how this dog delivers the best of both worlds.
The story is fashionably filmi. Romeo (Saif Ali Khan) was once a pet dog with all the luxuries of life but is now abandoned by his master. Loitering across the mean city streets, he is bullied by a pack of strays. Soon he befriends them with his charm and together they start a salon.
In trademark Bollywood style, its love at first sight for Romeo as he comes across ladylove Laila (Kareena Kapoor). The only stumbling block in his path is the dreaded don of the dogs, Charlie Anna (Javed Jaffrey) who also has a huge crush on Laila. Romeo has to win Laila and simultaneously save himself from the wrath of Charlie Anna.
The storytelling is simple and swift and it’s delightful to see the dogs groove to our desi dance numbers. The film scores big-time for its imaginative animation and wacky characterizations. The dogs are hilariously humanized to Bollywood effect. Like there’s a madcap movie buff (Suresh Menon) who imitates everyone from SRK, Sunny Deol to Sachin Tendulkar and another (Kiku Sharda) who translates every English line to Hindi in literal sense to utmost comical consequence. There’s a cute cat (Tanaaz Currim) who is hell-bent to gain recognition as a wannabe dog and a crude and uncouth stray (Sanjay Mishra) who’s an assistant to Anna.
Jugal Hansraj has very wittily worked on the dialogues to correlate with the dialect of the dogs. An understated notable example is the salon signboard that reads ‘today bone tomorrow loan’. Hansraj has also worked very sensibly on the screenplay incorporating subtle satires at several suitable situations. What would have otherwise appeared as clichéd elements in a regular film have been smartly spoofed through animation to amazing outcome. There are takeoffs on films like Sholay, Karan Arjun, Amar Akbar Anthony, DDLJ and a lot more. You indeed have to be a perceptive movie buff to catch the finer nuances of the spoofs.
Amongst the most inspired spin-off in the film is the one on Anna’s escorts of South Indian origin and aptly titled as Charlie’s Angels. They even indulge in Matrix style Arial martial arts. But the most side-splitting spoof of the film is Charlie Anna’s romantic encounter with Laila on backdrop of an SP Balasubramanium song number.
The animation is superlative and consistently three-dimensional throughout. The radiant colour schemes and the frame rotations give the film a very real-life feel. Each dog is innovatively designed and wins a distinct identity. The format and content compliment each other marvelously, thereby allowing maximum exploitation of the animation genre
The dubbing of the film is done with extreme precision, as each voiceover captures the exact emotion and expression for their respective characters. Saif Ali Khan takes up to the title character very naturally and Romeo is never overshadowed by Saif – the star. Kareena alternates between being sweet and seductive as Laila. However the scene-stealer is Javed Jaffrey who not just dubs but as good as enacts Charlie Anna with a South Indian accent. Sanjay Mishra gets the best of one-liners, has flawless comic timing and is impressive in his Bhojpuri parlance. Suresh Menon and Kiku Sharda perform most of the mimicry but seem to be underused. Tanaaz Currim is cute as the cat and Vrajesh Hirjee is fairly good.
There is practically nothing to ‘bitch’ about this dog flick. Roadside Romeo is the most ‘faithful’ entertainer of the season. Absolutely ‘howl’arious!
| | www.indiatimes.com | |
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| It is time to blow up the trumpets and set out the red carpet to welcome a thoroughly entertaining film from the house of Yash Raj after a real long time!
The film tells the story of Romeo (Saif), a dog who was used to living a luxurious life in a huge mansion. He had the works - a mansion to live in, chicks to party with and the cars to be driven around in, until one day, the family he was the favourite pet of, decided to move and left him back, abandoned on the mean streets of Mumbai.
Poor Romeo now faces situations he has never been in before. He ends up encountering a gang of four ruffians that comprises of three dogs – Guru (Vrajesh Hirjee), Interval (Suresh Menon), Hero English (Kiku Sharda) and cat Mini (Tanaaz Currim). They first scare the living daylights out of him with their ‘bhaigiri’ but the smart dude Romeo convinces them about how he can be an asset to their team by showcasing his hair cutting skills. They all become friends an open a salon called Romeo’s salon. Their business starts running briskly in a short span of time. But hey also end up facing the wrath of the local dreaded don of that area – the fat bull dog, Charlie Anna (Jaaved Jaffrey). But Romeo outsmarts him as well. Then one full moon night Romeo encounters Laila (Kareena) practicing her dance steps atop a roof. He falls for her instantly and tries unsuccessfully to woo her. She lays him a condition that to win her love he should and dance and propose to her at the Moonlight Club where she performs every night. Romeo goes on to that only to realize that Charlie Anna has a soft spot for her and has been trying to woo her for long. Charlie captures Romeo and is about to kill him for attempting to get closer to Laila when Romeo manages to convince him that he would manage to win Laila’s heart for Charlie. Charlie spares his life. Now Romeo is in a fix. He has to hide this deal of his with Charlie Anna from Laila and at the same time save his life from Charlie Anna. How Romeo manages to come out of this tangle forms rest of the film.
Full marks to actor turned director Jugal Hansraj for his fun filled screenplay and amazing direction that never lets you experience a single dull moment throughout the film. Jugal’s dialogues are also the mainstay of the film which have you in splits throughout. Some sequences that manage to stand out are Charlie Anna’s introduction scene, the rooftop dance between Romeo and Laila, the Moonlight Bar dance number, Mini’s fooling Charlie Anna posing as Laila and the climax. Animation is top class matching world standards. A special mention also needs to be made of the choreography given to animated characters.
Saif Ali Khan manages to bring in the cool dude attitude with his voice for the Romeo’s character. Kareena too brings in the perfect elegance required for Laila. But one who towers above them both is Jaaved Jaffrey whose Tamilian don makes the film memorable with his dialogue delivery style. A lot of young children will definitely watch this movie twice over just for Jaaved Jaffrey’s Charlie Anna.
During the present times of glum all around thanks to the market slow down, Roadside Romeo is the perfect antidote to keep you entertained and bring out that big wide smile from you. It is the kind of a film which both children and adults will enjoy equally.
| | www.zimbio.com | |
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| | Hello this is FENIL, 17, from Mumbai. I wish you guys all the best for ROADSIDE ROMEO. The characters are too cute and I am sure the film will rock! Thanx for giving the viewers such an interesting film!
| | FENIL (Mumbai) | |
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