Taal (1999)

Wonderful Movie

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

And the show goes on..... The maverick director in Subhash ghai proves again the title of showman given to him.. Be it his direction, performances, music, lyrical quality, costumes n visual appeal, the show, the exhibition of hues , the rainbow of bright colors keeps the screen filled up!!. As he was himself quoted as saying that he would had changed the movie title to something else , if it had not been for the stirring music n background score from the hidden treasures of the magician, the Mozart from Chennai.. He got worldwide recognition after "jai ho" but fair skinned guys did miss out on his gr8 compilation in dis flick!!!.. One can simply sit spellbound or groove to the times he composed for the movie, capturing the varied moments of the lead characters.. Only two directors, both show-mans of our industry, have succeeded in bringing out the beauty in ash, the other being sanjay Bhansali in hum dil DE chuke sanam.. I still Recollect how I sat speechless on looking at this demi goddess , sans any makeup in first half, so fresh, so charming, so very true, its really tough getting your eyes off her, I must say!!! Man, if first half belonged to the lady mentioned above n her simplistic, refreshing chemistry with dependable actor in akshaye sat against the majestic mountainous areas, then 2nd half was in Toto kidnapped by an actor who can portray any act in the book with so much ease n reality, an actor who is not less than any of the khans but for the perception of the masses!!!. One got to watch him assert his authority, rules, or jealousy on screen n not for morning he garnered so many awards for the act.. Ably supporter by not to be seen nowadays, akshaye.. He may not have the looks or the guilt but given his limited expertise levels, still gives a controlled performance.. Ably supporter by alok nath, the quintessential father to so many on screen daughters.. Visually appealing by good can.takes n splendid costumes n sets .. In all, for a visually n auditory enchanting experience n good acts by all the actors, plus a direction that keeps you entertained till just before the ending, its a winner.. Good effort sir, more expected from you, the lost sheen , in future...

I have loved Subhash Ghai's movies since I was a young child, Saudagar and Ram Lakhan being my favourites from him. Yaadein was his worst but in my opinion his work was starting to get strained way before then,Pardes I found average at best but Taal is a bore and very overrated. The story is very unoriginal, boy and girl fall in love, then he jilts her and she finds someone else but then in a strange twist of fate they meet again. The plot strand has been used before in movies like Amar Prem,Chandni,Ghar Ka Chriag and Dewaana. Taal is almost saved by some excellent songs, my favourite being Taal se taal or Nahin samne. I have a feeling that the only reason Taal is so highly regarded is because of the songs but take the songs out and what you're left with a mediocre movie.

I liked this movie a lot, but the first hour drags and is pretty darn silly. When the story moves to Bombay it takes off, and there's hardly a letup in interest and music video dazzlement until a rather slow and awkward conclusion. The female lead is astonishingly beautiful, I could stare at her for hours, not unlike the male lead's behavior in the first hour or so. (I'm not sure if I'm getting close to spoilers here, so I've checked the option just to be safe).Anil Kapoor is a wonderful supporting character, though his "change of heart" seems a bit weak. But it's the music, singing, and dancing that makes this movie work. Two quibbles, though: first, the choreography of the "chorus line" or backup dancers was very boring and routine except for a few gymnastic feats; second, when the female lead and her father stumble into the middle of a musical number, the editing got pretty annoying, giving you a constant flip-flop between the performance and "reaction shots" of the two characters. I understand that this was supposed to be a significant moment for them, but there should have been a smoother way to "sell" this without chopping the performance into half-second "takes." I've only seen about four Bollywood films, so I can't say too much about how this compares. Certainly you could see a lot of money on the screen in sets, costumes, and stage effects; that was impressive.I watch these films for the music, dancing, and beautiful women, and this film has these in abundance. Good.Alan Nicoll

This movie is certainly what is claims to be, a good musical, and is definitely worth watching, even if it lacks a sound and substantive story-line, as some people claim.As far as the distinction between purely art-films and purely commercial-films goes, there can be hopelessly bad art movies and critically acclaimed commercial ones. Subhash Ghai belongs to the genre of movie makers who wish to bring good art to the masses, possibly trying to make it more accessible to them, and in that sense breaking that barrier.How well he succeeds in his efforts, only time will tell.After all a movie is a timeless work of art and some movies are ahead or rather not of their time. Apparently it was a flop in India, but met with approval in the U.S. To me, this does say something about the quality of the movie, since I do believe that the majority of the immigrant Indian's are more educated and more discerning.