June 03, 2011
Cast: Salman Khan, Asin, Paresh Rawal, Mahesh Manjrekar, Sharat Saxena, Akhilendra Mishra
Director: Anees Bazmee
Earlier this week while interviewing Asin, I joked to her that it was probably futile on my part to ask about her role in Ready. She said she was relieved I wasn’t taking the film too seriously: “It’s an Anees Bazmee film, I play the female lead opposite Salman Khan. What else is there to say?” Not much, you reckon as you sit there in your seat watching Ready, and waiting for a joke – any joke, even half funny – to draw a laugh out of you.
Ready is strictly for die-hard Salman Khan fans (are there any other kind?) who’re willing to forgive the fact that this tasteless, senseless film has no plot to speak of, yet lazily unfolds over two hours and thirty minutes. Director Anees Bazmee asks very little of his charming star: flash a few adorable smiles, romance the girl, beat up the bad guys, and don’t forget to take your shirt off. It’s an indifferent performance from an actor who showed us only last year that he can be riveting if he so much as makes the slightest effort. Remember Dabangg?
The problem with Ready is that the film doesn’t even try. It’s depressing to think that Salman would use his considerable star wattage to get such a lousy film made, which in turn only tarnishes his own brand. This film’s wafer-thin story involves Salman falling in love with Asin, then trying to reconcile her two criminal uncles who have fallen out with each other. You’re expected to laugh in a scene where little boys line up on a balcony and pee on the villains; and dialogues like “Main kutta hoon, yeh meri kuttiya hai” are meant to be funny.
To describe this film as paisa vasool or time pass is to confess that you really don’t have a life. Because apart from two energetically filmed songs – Character dheela hai and Dhinka chika – this film offers little by way of entertainment. Salman Khan fans, I assure you that reruns of his Dus Ka Dum episodes on Youtube are more likely to make you smile than this agonizingly boring film that wastes the charm of its immensely charismatic star.
I’m going with a generous one-and-a-half out of five for director Anees Bazmee’s Ready. Salman Khan deserves better than this. And so do we!
(This review first aired on CNN-IBN)
mind u ur reviewwont effect the b.o collection of ready 🙂
Comment by ash — June 6, 2011 @ 7:14 pm
Hi Rajeev. It is really funny to see that some of your critics keep coming back only to write snide things about you. If they dont have confidence in your review then so be it. This forum is meant for people who take interest in your opinion about a certain movie and not otherwise.
Comment by Shreya — June 6, 2011 @ 8:08 pm
What the hell ? If you dont trust Rajeev’s judgement then dont read them . Stop whining & complaining about them already 🙁
Comment by amy — June 7, 2011 @ 9:30 am
Mr. Masand u are the best…..Ready was not worthy to be called a movie..
Comment by Sahil — June 7, 2011 @ 11:50 am
@Shreya who declared that this forum was for only appreciated darling?? Get some sense!
Those who disagree can very well say that..atleast don use that line when we r talking abt a critic (so to say)..
nyway..Rajeev herez sth u shud read..
http://www.twitlonger.com/show/auv46d
I found it sooo much fun to read! lol..
Secondly, collections of ready speaks fr itself!
Are the janta a fool?? or r u too smart??
Comment by Aashima — June 7, 2011 @ 1:50 pm
liked your reviews 2-3 years ago, now i guess ur a big shot n play politics n its less review more crap. paisa vasool = no life?? wtf. u hv lost touch. last time i read ur reviews. (ps: u pissed that salman didnt give u interview??)
Comment by vishal — June 7, 2011 @ 7:40 pm
how the hell did you even give it 1.5??????
same as pyar ka punchnama???
later was far better…
this one deserved only 1 or .5
Comment by AK — June 9, 2011 @ 2:21 am
Looks like you have some problem with Salman’s Movie always going against his movies never a healthy crirtic….rajev masand GROW UP.
Comment by a — June 10, 2011 @ 11:28 pm
The all time top opening worldwide weekend are as follows. Ready is in third place after Dabangg and Three Idiots. All Figures are GROSS.
1. Dabangg – 76.69 crore
2. Three Idiots – 69.20 crore
3. Ready – 66 crore approx
WHO CARES ABT UR REVIEW..
Comment by a — June 10, 2011 @ 11:30 pm
Dear Rajeev,
I am a big fan of you…i dont know, but i think the same way as you think, i mean in terms of making such harsh comments for bad work and smooth for nice ones…may be one day my comments will also get posted like you…wish u very gud luck…
Comment by Anish — June 11, 2011 @ 11:29 am
Dear Ashima !!
Well I assuming that you have heard something about being ‘decent’ on a public forum! One may probably not concede to what Rajeev has to say about a particular movie but that certainly does nt give any of us the license to use derogatory language against the person concerned! Hope this makes some sense to you..!!
Oh btw the ‘janta’ dsnt just comprise of Salman Khan fans. So speak for urself alone and dont tag people who are not interested in brainless movies!
Comment by shreya — June 12, 2011 @ 3:29 pm
whom are you writing your reviews for? whom do you want to share your own understanding and awareness with? what percentage of the total population do they fall in? and you doing this, does it really matter? are you trying to change the way people think about indian cinema? your most obvious answer will be- “no matter how small is the number of people who empathize with me, im still telling you the truth, what i feel.” think over this again. and then perhaps you’ll get stuck with a question in mind – “does my opinion matter? it does sometimes, at other times it doesnt. what the point? im not trying to revolutionize people’s way of thinking, am i?”
Comment by someone — June 12, 2011 @ 7:40 pm
no offense. just expressing myself like you always do. i hope you will understand.
Comment by someone — June 12, 2011 @ 7:41 pm
why Salman take such insulting roles
Comment by Ajber — June 13, 2011 @ 12:07 pm
Remember , Indian cinema will never grow up til salman is here….
Comment by ravi — June 13, 2011 @ 11:32 pm
MR.Rajeev…
I’M very shocked..U r a very experince bt Ur review of READY R LUKING KIDDISH..
as u know it is a remake of south movie then why r u expectng any changes..
u cant expect dat every movies will have a social messag,a packed script
Sum movies made for fully entertaing & READY is one of them..
U should categorizd ur reviews accordng to the film
Comment by mkamal — June 14, 2011 @ 7:15 pm
Dear Mr Masand your review seemed very negatively biassed..it seemed you were hell bent upon influencing people about not seeing the film..but people thought otherwise..you already know that the movie has become a blockbuster..
Comment by Deb — June 14, 2011 @ 10:02 pm
Mr. Rajeev , I think u like movies such as chandlers list type… but u should know star wars/avatar/salman khan movies are something ppl crave.. we dont like to watch those cliche dark noir..whatever shit that comes out… everyday ppl are stressed in life and they dont want to see serious types… i know ready was patchy.. but i loved it.. families loved it.. i have noticed thing..u always give high ratings to SRK/Aamir/anurag kashyap movies… are u biased?!.. i think u dont like salman khan personally… ur comments seem to be personal… btw ready has grossed the magical 100crore mark.. u and anupama should stop imposing millions of viewers ur views with out of the world reviews!.. or is it ur trying to have 15 mins of fame?!..LOL.. maybe u guys are no better than filmistars!!!!!
Comment by giri — June 16, 2011 @ 12:20 am
Well, I also thought the review was a little harsh. So what if the film was not intelligently made. Sometimes its good not to see sense and sensibilities in films. Thats a very westish concept.
But to each his own. I respect your views.
Comment by Nitin — June 18, 2011 @ 10:28 pm
[…] defense of the critics’ panning of “Ready”, Salman Khan asked an outraged, rhetorical question – “Are my fans […]
Pingback by Popular Is Not Always Good | Mavrix — June 20, 2011 @ 6:10 pm
why only salmans fan liked the movie uuuu think that.
but u dont know the fact that all of people sitting in theatre were clapping, laughing, whisting & enjoyiong the movie
salman rocks – a complete entertainer & paisa wasool
Comment by ravi — June 21, 2011 @ 12:36 pm
i went to see this movie coz of only 1 reason..shaitan was housefull..n barely 20 minutes into the movie me and my friends were regretting the decision..big time..(we really should have read this review)
later that night i went for shaitan too and believe me , after seeing ready i was inclined to give an OSCAR to shaitan..
ready is a stupid movie only for salman khan fans (not even for all of them)
..and RAVI i really couldn’t find anyone clapping or whistling during the movie..but i did see many breathing a sigh of relief after the movie was over..salman does rock but after dabbang i expected a lot more..
Comment by Abhishek N — June 22, 2011 @ 9:36 am