Woodstock Villa Explained

Woodstock Villa
Director:Hansal Mehta
Producer:Sanjay Gupta
Ekta Kapoor
Shobha Kapoor
Starring:Sikandar Kher
Neha Oberoi
Arbaaz Khan
Gulshan Grover
Sachin Khedekar
Music:Anu Malik
Bappi Lahiri
Cinematography:Vikas Nowlakha
Mahesh Aney
Editing:Bunty Nagi
Distributor:White Feather Films
Runtime:94 minutes[1]
Country:India
Language:Hindi
Budget:[2]
Gross:[3]

Woodstock Villa is a 2008 Indian Hindi-language neo-noir mystery thriller film directed by Hansal Mehta and jointly produced by Sanjay Gupta and Ekta Kapoor. Loosely based on the 2000 Japanese film Chaos,[4] it features Sikandar Kher and Neha Oberoi in their debut roles[5] alongside Arbaaz Khan, Shakti Kapoor, Gulshan Grover and Sachin Khedekar. Sanjay Dutt makes a guest appearance in a song sequence.[6] The soundtrack was composed by Anu Malik. It was filmed in Mumbai and Mauritius. The film follows an unemployed man who helps a woman plot her own abduction in order to test her husband's love and dedication towards her.[7]

The film, released in India on 30 May 2008, underperformed at the box office.[8] Kher's performance found praise, while the song placement was criticized.[9]

Plot

Zara Kampani (Neha Oberoi) meets Sameer (Sikandar Kher) in a pub and lands in his flat asking him to kidnap her so that she can test her husband, Jatin's (Arbaaz Khan) love. Sameer can't refuse because he is in desperate need of money. He hasn't paid his rent for months and has to return a huge sum of money to a relative (Gulshan Grover).

Zara takes Sameer to Woodstock Villa, the location of the kidnapping. Sameer orders Jatin to hand over 5 million to him. After returning, Sameer discovers Zara is dead. An anonymous caller then threatens that he has only 30 minutes to bury the body and clear up all the evidence. He disposes of her body in a forest and returns.

To be on the safe side, he goes to Bangalore. Sameer sees Zara's video on television and heads back to find the truth. He finds Zara and convinces her to tell him the truth. Zara reveals that she and Jatin truly loved each other. Once in a fight, Jatin's real wife, Zara, accidentally died and as her and Zara's faces were quite similar, she played the role of Zara. The kidnapping plan was hatched by Jatin and his girlfriend to get out of this murder and trap somebody else. Sameer calls Jatin to Woodstock Villa with the money and he pays his rent and loan.

He goes to the airport while Jatin gets caught by the police. Jatin tells the police that he was not the only one to commit the crime. Sameer gives a bag to Zara but there is no money inside that bag; he had taken the real bag of money. The ball was in Zara's court. If she boarded the plane, Sameer would have trusted her. She decided to cheat Sameer and got cheated herself. Sameer's flight takes off while Jatin's partner gets arrested.

Cast

Production

Sikander Kher had several expectations from the media on his debut film.[11] Although his family name would provide recognition, he chose to have his only his first name listed on the credits.[11] Sanjay Gupta, the producer of Woodstock Villa, is the uncle of the other newcomer, Neha Oberoi, who found it exciting and challenging to play the role of a kidnapped wife.[12] Gupta offered Mehta the opportunity to direct the film at the point where the latter was out of work.[13]

Release and reception

The film had its world premiere in Mumbai on 30 May 2008.[14]

Times of India gave the film 3.5 stars out of 5, calling it a stylish thriller and praising the Kher's screen presence, cinematography and songs.[15] On the other hand, Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave the film 2 stars out of 5, feeling the film would have left a stronger impact without having any songs, which he stated were like obstances and "unwanted guests". However, he praised Kher along with the subject treatment, screenplay, dialogues, cinematography and background score.[16] Khalid Mohamed of Hindustan Times gave the film 1 star out of 5, terming it a purported noir thriller and a "killer waste" of one's time and physical tolerance.[17]

Soundtrack

Reviewing the soundtrack, Joginder Tuteja from Bollywood Hungama gave it 3 stars out of 5, terming it a "welcome relief" since it stood up for itself in spite of a fresh star cast. He noted that while it did not bring with it what one may term as conventional Bollywood score, Woodstock Villa soundtrack came with the kind of variety which kept the listener engaged.[18]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Woodstock Villa. British Board of Film Classification. 1 November 2023. 1 November 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231101150423/https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/woodstock-villa-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zode2ndy. live.
  2. Web site: MNIK earns 100 crore before release . All India Today . 14 February 2010 . 3 December 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131203003101/http://www.allindianewssite.com/5797/shahrukhs-my-name-is-khan-already-made-rs-100-crore/ . live .
  3. Web site: Top Worldwide Grossers ALL TIME: 37 Films Hit 100 Crore . Boxofficeindia.com . 3 February 2012 . 5 February 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120205213224/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/arounddetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=3997&nCat= . dead .
  4. Web site: Woodstock Villa (2008) & Kaosu / Chaos (1999). BObbytalkscinema.com.
  5. Web site: 'Woodstock Villa' to unveil. Bollywood Hungama. 9 May 2007. 18 June 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210618054105/https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/bollywood/woodstock-villa-to-unveil/. live.
  6. Web site: Sanjay Dutt shoots a music video for Woodstock Villa. Bollywood Hungama. 22 January 2008. 18 November 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221118070427/https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/bollywood/sanjay-dutt-shoots-a-music-video-for-woodstock-villa/. live.
  7. Web site: Woodstock Villa. BBC. 16 May 2008. 3 August 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090803143027/http://www.bbc.co.uk/shropshire/content/articles/2008/05/16/bollywood_previews_woodstock_villa_feature.shtml. live.
  8. Web site: Woodstock Villa - Movie. Box Office India. 1 November 2023. 1 November 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231101151228/https://boxofficeindia.com/movie-story.php?movieid=211. live.
  9. Web site: Woodstock Villa Review by Manish Gajjar. BBC. 6 June 2008. 14 November 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231114171508/https://www.bbc.co.uk/shropshire/content/articles/2008/06/06/bollywood_reviews_woodstock_villa_feature.shtml. live.
  10. Web site: Ramani. Nithya. Sikander does well in Woodstock Villa. Rediff.com. 26 May 2017. 30 May 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20170612030415/http://www.rediff.com/movies/2008/may/30wood.htm. 12 June 2017. live.
  11. News: 2 June 2008 . Sikander Ka Muqaddar . 2 June 2006 . Nair . Rajeev . MSN India. https://web.archive.org/web/20080603093637/http://entertainment.in.msn.com/bollywood/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1429288. 3 June 2008. dead.
  12. News: 2 June 2008 . Dad stays away from Uberoi's premiere . https://web.archive.org/web/20080605000053/http://sify.com/movies/bollywood/fullstory.php?id=14685634 . dead . 5 June 2008 . 2 June 2006 . Sify.com.
  13. Web site: Ekta Kapoor ‘sacked’ Hansal Mehta from daily soap after just 15 days: ‘It’s looking too much like a film, please leave’. Indian Express. 19 June 2024.
  14. News: 30 May 2008 . 'Woodstock Villa' premier held . 30 May 2008 . Sahara Samay . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080604073657/http://www.saharasamay.com/samayhtml/Articles.aspx?NewsId=99904 . 4 June 2008.
  15. News: 2 June 2008 . Woodstock Villa – Hindi movie review . 30 May 2006 . . Kazmi . Nikhat . 2 June 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080602060917/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/moviereview/3086663.cms . live .
  16. Web site: Woodstock Villa Review 2/5 | Woodstock Villa Movie Review | Woodstock Villa 2008 Public Review | Film Review. Bollywood. Hungama. Bollywood Hungama. 18 November 2022. 18 November 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221118063419/https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/woodstock-villa/critic-review/woodstock-villa-movie-review/. live.
  17. News: 2 June 2008 . Out of stock villa . https://web.archive.org/web/20080828161326/http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=b6010bfe-7d97-4a7c-8cac-74cf7bab7e99&ParentID=8dc54409-2bea-47d3-a6f0-02cf935def4d&MatchID1=4688&TeamID1=4&TeamID2=1&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1182&PrimaryID=4688&Headline=Review%3A+EMWoodstock+Villa%2FEM . dead . 28 August 2008 . 30 May 2006 . Hindustan Times.
  18. Web site: Woodstock Villa Music Review. Bollywood Hungama. 6 June 2008. 13 November 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231113164021/https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/woodstock-villa/songs/music-critic-review/. live.