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Aladin (2009)

Director: Sujoy Ghosh

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From Time Out London

This Bollwood take on the classic ‘Arabian Nights’ tale fails to cast a spell. Bullied boy Aladin’s (Deshmukh) life is transformed when his magic lamp releases Genius (Bachchan), a singing genie who grants him three wishes. Will Aladin defeat the evil Ringmaster (Dutt) and live happily ever after with his pet frog and his lady love Jasmine (Fernandez)? Swamped with impressive visual effects, the pedestrian script is desperately illogical, gushingly sentimental and embarrassingly unfunny. Bachchan hams incessantly; he abandons his trademark toupee for a curly grey wig in order to convey his character. Vishal-Shekhar’s disposable ditties frequently interrupt the patchy proceedings. Kids and parents alike will find this masala blend of live action and Disney-style animation a fantastic failure.

Author: Anil Sinanan

Time Out London Issue 2045, Oct 29 – Nov 4 2009


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Cast & crew

Director: Sujoy Ghosh

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Ritesh Deshmukh, Sanjay Dutt, Jacqueline Fernandez

Rated: PG

Duration: 125 mins

UK Release: Oct 30 2009



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