The Darjeeling Limited Released

"Photo Credit: James Hamilton L-R_ Jason Schwartzman, Adrien Brody and Owen Wilson in THE DARJEELING LIMITED."

Following its recent win of the Golden Lion Cub Award and nomination for the Golden Lion Award at the 64th annual Venice Film Festival, director Wes Anderson's new comedy, The Darjeeling Limited, opened across the United States last week.

In The Darjeeling Limited, three American brothers who have not spoken to each other in a year set off on a train voyage across India with a plan to find themselves and bond with each other -- to become brothers again like they used to be. Their "spiritual quest", however, veers rapidly off-course (due to events involving over-the-counter pain killers, Indian cough syrup, and pepper spray), and they eventually find themselves stranded alone in the middle of the desert with eleven suitcases, a printer, and a laminating machine.

At this moment, a new, unplanned journey suddenly begins. Starring Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman, this is an emotional comedy about the three brothers reforging family bonds. The eldest, played by Wilson, hopes to reconnect with his two younger siblings by taking them on a train trip across the vibrant and sensual landscape of India.Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, and Jason Schwartzman star in this film about their adventure and their friendship.

As with the entire body of Anderson's work - Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Bottle Rockets - the reviews are mixed. O. Scott wrote in the NYT "The Darjeeling Limited" amounts finally to a high-end, high-toned tourist adventure. Anderson's eye for local color — the redorange- yellow end of the spectrum in particular — is meticulous and admiring. His stated debt to "The River," Jean Renoir's film about Indian village life, and his use of music from the films of Satyajit Ray represent both an earnest tribute to those filmmakers and an admission of his own limitations. He is an intriguing and amusing director because he tirelessly elaborates on a world of his own making."

In Entertainment Weekly, Lisa Shwarzbaum wrote: "This is familiar psychological as well as stylistic territory for Anderson after Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums. But there's a startling new maturity in Darjeeling, a compassion for the larger world that busts the confines of the filmmaker's miniaturist instincts. I don't know which came first - inspiration provided by the beauty and complexity of India, or an attraction to India because of a wiser heart." On Salon, Stephanie Zacharek wrote that The Darjeeling Limited "is the first of Anderson's movies that has elicited even the mildest scrap of affection from me: I feel warmly toward it, although I reserve the right to remain wary of its aging-hipster gimcrackery."

In USA Today, Claudia Puig said , "the cinematography is stunning, the soundtrack is engaging and some moments are tenderly observed. Still, the story lacks some substance and character development. Published: September 28, 2007"The Darjeeling Limited" is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian) for sex, drug use and profanity.

- By Ritu Pandey

"SAAWARIYA"

Sony Pictures Entertainment and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali are presenting SAAWARIYA, the first Bollywood production from a Hollywood studio. This epic musical love story features the debuts of Ranbir Kapoor (son of Rishi Kapoor) and Sonam Kapoor (daughter of Anil Kapoor) alongside Indian superstars Rani Mukherjee and Salman Khan. After directing the Shah Rukh Khan-Aishwarya Rai blockbuster "Devdas" and the critically acclaimed and award-winning drama "Black" starring Mukherjee and the legendary Amitabh Bachchan, Bhansali returns to the big screen with SAAWARIYA which will be released in theaters worldwide on November 9 for the Diwali holiday weekend.

SAAWARIYA is a timeless story of two young star-crossed lovers whose passions almost consume their will to the brink of selfdestruction. In this eternal tale of an ode to romance, stand two lonely souls whose childlike innocence and candor only obscures their inner turmoil, anger, anxiety and desperate wait for love. An artist, a free spirit, an idealist and dreamer, Raj, is certain that he has found his ultimate dream when he arrives at a quaint picturesque town. A place surrounded by mountains, shrouded in mist and enveloped in beauty, mythical enough to be a painter's vision or a poet's memory. However, destiny paints a different picture for Raj…

One silent bright and starry night, he spots a mysterious girl draped in black, standing alone at a bridge. This chance encounter introduces him to Sakina, a shy and quiet, melancholic and enigmatic girl who continues to intrigue him. Thus follows the beginning of a new friendship, where Raj with his most charming ways and an undying spirit tries to win Sakina's heart. Raj is unable to accept her haunting past and their friendship pulls him into a whirlwind of desire, madness and romance.

Through Raj and Sakina's journey together, we are reminded of the fragility of the human heart. In the couple's anguish and test of faith, is revealed the power of unconditional love through a thousand layers of tumultuous emotions. {Based on the story of Fyodor Dostoevsky's 'White Nights'.}

"Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali - Starring Ranbir Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Rani Mukherjee and Salman Khan. Opens Worldwide on November 9"