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News:
An Indian wave sweeps through Hollywood
Jackie Shroff plays a villain in Mission Kashmir and Farz
An Indian Idyll, Filmed in Switzerland, of Course - NYTimes
Action hero Sunil Shetty joins software bandwagon
Bollywood actress Manisha Koirala will be the ambassador of UN body
Ex-Miss Universe Sushmita Sen adopts a baby girl
Bachchan may switch channels
Father to son, a success story
Veteran comedian Johnny Walker's son Nasir Khan to make debut on silver screen as a comedian
Amitabh receives death threats, writes to home minister L K Advani
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News
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An Indian wave sweeps through Hollywood
It took the Dalai Lama to lure Pierce Brosnan to India, but there's no chance that you will see him singing duets and prancing around trees in a Bollywood flick. But if the buzz is to be believed, apna Hrithik Roshan has reportedly signed a Hollywood film. While the star himself is tight-lipped about it, his fans aren't surprised at all.
India is finding a lot of mention in Hollywood these days. For starters, one of the current box-office hits in the US is The Cell, directed by Indian-born Tarsem Singh. It was the turn of Manoj Night Shyamalan last year to be toasted by Hollywood, thanks to the stupendous success of The Sixth Sense. And the year before that, it was Shekhar Kapur who poured out all his Bollywood expertise onto Elizabeth, and became one of the most sought after film-makers in the West.
The interest in India seems to be growing, considering Jackie Chan not only graced an Hindi films awards function with his presence, but even jokingly confessed his desire to act in a Hindi film. But more recently, Tony Kaye, the controversial director of American History X, was in India to shoot an adfilm. Not only did the country intrigue him to the point of planning a film set in the subcontinent, but Kaye even went back home with several dozen DVDs of Hindi films. He is expected back in the country later this year to cast his film.
Meanwhile, Om Puri won rave reviews for his performance in East is East, one of the most successful British comedies of all times. Now, the actor has an agent abroad who sources him good roles in international cinema. But, the actress who will probably become a household name in the West is Ayesha Dharker, who has been signed by George Lucas for his next sequel to the ongoing Star Wars opus. "It's a small part," explains Ayesha, who caught the eye of Lucas' casting director with her intense performance in The Terrorist.
Santosh Sivan, who directed The Terrorist, has also been offered several international projects. Even he's acquired an agent in Los Angeles. But Sivan is very clear about his role on the global stage. "I want to make Indian films with international appeal," says the cinematographer, who is currently filming Ashoka The Great.
For the last few years, the Chinese wave has been sweeping through Hollywood, with film-makers like John Woo and Ang Lee, and stars like Jackie Chan and Chow Yun Fat, wowing Western audiences. But, it may just be the time for India to ensure that its reach exceeds way beyond the Indian communities that have turned Hindi films into overseas gold.
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Jackie Shroff plays a villain in Mission Kashmir and Farz
Jackie Shroff is now concentrating on doing negative roles rather than being the main lead in some of his forthcoming movies.
In Mission Kashmir, he plays a famed guerilla fighter named Hilal Kohistani who is all set out with a mission to change the map of the subcontinent. In Raj Kanwar's romantic thriller Farz, co-starring Sunny Deol and Preity, he plays a villain. He will also be doing similar roles in Rajkumar Santoshi's Lajja and Firoz Nadiadwala's Aawara Paagal Deewana.
The whole acting career of Jackie can be described in just 4 words : From HERO to VILLAIN, right ?
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An Indian Idyll, Filmed in Switzerland, of Course - NYTimes
LENK, Switzerland - In take after take, Preity Zinta pivoted into the arms of Sunny Deol, bringing to life the heroic tale of an Indian policeman's struggle to win the love of his life. A 30-member film crew hovered protectively to make sure that this musical dream sequence, integral to Indian cinema, was captured in perfection.
The outdoor scenes for the movie, "Farz," which means duty, were filmed in the Bernese Oberland in central Switzerland, a tourist paradise of Alpine peaks and lakes. Many of the 800 to 900 films produced annually by the Indian movie industry are filmed at such spectacular scenic Swiss locations.
The audience for these long, lavish odes to romance with diaphanous singing interludes is enormous, with millions of Indians flocking to their village cinemas regularly for a few hours of romantic escape. The movies are also exported abroad for an estimated 25 million expatriate Indians.
Most of the films are considered wholesome family entertainment because they have no sexually explicit scenes and usually have happy endings. They are known as masala, a combination of spices, for their blend of song-and-dance routines, glamorous stars, romance and stylized action sequences.
They draw so many expatriate Indians in the United States and Britain that some theaters show Indian films exclusively. In Bern, the Swiss capital, a movie house opened recently to cater not only to immigrants but also to a growing number of Indian tourists who travel to Switzerland to take in the scenery that has become so familiar on the movie screen.
A half-dozen movie crews can be found at any one time in the Swiss Alps starting in late April or early May, when snow remains on the mountains but the roads are passable. Typically, the crews film for a week or two, mostly at ski resorts like Lenk, Gstaad, Interlaken or St. Moritz.
Mr. Deol, a screen idol in India, is best known for his roles in the action films "Border" and "Ghatah." Ms. Zinta has acted in films for just three years but already has traveled to Switzerland for five movies, among them "Dil Se," described in The Sunday Telegraph of London as a " terrorist action musical adventure film," and "Kya Kehna," atypical in that it centers on an unmarried pregnant woman who decides to have her baby.
The latter two films spent longer on the Top 10 movie list in Britain this year than "Battlefield Earth" with John Travolta and "Saving Grace" with Brenda Blethyn.
Like most Indian films, "Farz" is a modern-day tale focusing on the hopes and trials of middle-class people.
Why pack off a crew of 30 and two stars to Switzerland, one of the most expensive countries in the world? "We can't get proper glaciers in India, or proper facilities or weather," said N. R. Pachisia, a co- producer of "Farz." "It's often too humid there."
He added: "We're not so comfortable going to Kashmir," the disputed mountainous border region between India and Pakistan.
Yet Vikram Bhatt, in Switzerland to direct an as-yet-unnamed drama about a couple fleeing what is now Pakistan during the partitioning of British India, said that filming in Switzerland was cost-effective.
"India is far more costly because travel is more expensive," he said. "Certain areas are difficult politically and mountains are far."
In shooting picturesque village scenes, Indian producers rely on local Swiss companies to obtain the necessary visas and government approval, then negotiate with individual farmers or villages.
"Its not very bureaucratic here," said Mr. Bhatt, who is filming near Gstaad. Swiss companies ferry crews around, provide Indian food, attend to medical needs and, for Mr. Bhatt's movie, provide train rails. The actors were filmed with the rails in the background as if they were walking by while a train was stopped. Scenes with a 1947 train were added later in a Bombay studio.
It is estimated that "Farz" will cost about $3 million; if it is a hit it will net $5 million, a small amount by Hollywood standards but a comfortable cushion that will encourage the Indian production company to pursue other foreign locations.
Indian moviemakers are starting to film stories with scenes in locations that are obviously not Indian, and Bern and London are becoming especially popular sites.
But most of the masala films offer resolutely beautiful fantasy and outdoor scenes, leading to the question of whether the audience knows that what is being shown a different country.
"It's meant to be happening in India, but audiences know it's not," said Raj Kanwar, director of "Farz." "Switzerland is the most fantastic place from the pictorial point of view. It looks just like Kashmir."
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Action hero Sunil Shetty joins software bandwagon
Film star Sunil Shetty has set up Popcorn Entertainment Limited, which
will produce film and television software, establish entertainment
centres, multiplexes, and a series of theme restaurants. The company
has been floated as a tripartite venture with Shetty and two of his
friends. The venture has already commenced operations, Shetty said.
Sources said the company will also establish a B2B internet venture.
"We are setting up a Bollywood site www.popcornindia.com for online
film distribution and supply chain management," they said. The company
may also produce game shows for television. "We have been approached
by several television channels to produce programmes based on the game
show format," Shetty said.
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Bollywood actress Manisha Koirala will be the ambassador of UN body
Manisha Koirala is poised to become the latest Hindi film actress to
get on to the cause bandwagon, with the United Nations Development
Fund for Women (UNIFEM) about to name her its goodwill ambassador. She
will focus on the issue of trafficking in women and children,
particularly in India and Nepal. Her new role will require Koirala to
talk about the various aspects of the problem of trafficking, its
fall-out on women and children and also to urge governments and social
organisations to do their bit in dealing with in tackling the problem.
To begin with, Koirala will be the star campaigner at a fortnight-long
programme planned by UNIFEM next month which will focus primarily on
trafficking in women and children in South Asia. This issue is
increasingly grabbing world attention as horror stories of women and
children being sold as "sex slaves" are becoming quite commonplace.
According to UNIFEM regional programme advisor Chandni Joshi, Koirala
walked into their office and declared, "Use me .. I am willing to help
you in any way possible". The actress, according to Joshi, had been
deeply touched by the stories of Nepalese women who are smuggled into
India and finally land up in the brothels of Mumbai and Calcutta.
Since Koirala also comes from Nepal, she could really empathise with
the plight of these women, says Joshi. Koirala will also travel to her
home country to talk about this issue which, says Joshi, will lend
credibility to their campaign.
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Ex-Miss Universe Sushmita Sen adopts a baby girl
At last Ex-Miss Universe Sushmita Sen kept her promise. Sushmita Sen
was threatening recently to adopt a baby girl and was in search of the
right one for some time now. The good news is that some days ago, she
completed the formalities and has actually brought the baby home and
is busy cuddling her and cooing over her, even taking her around
everywhere. But the people are already bitching that it is now that
she thought of bringing home the baby because even after winning all
the supporting actress awards going for "Sirf Tum", her career hasn't
been shining too much.
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Bachchan may switch channels
Everything looks picture perfect at the Bachchan household, or so it seems.
Amit and Jaya were seen falling all over each other at the Fiza premier party. Son Abhishekh refused to leave mom alone to the prying eyes and tongues of the media. He even brushed a journo lightly when the latter tried to come too close to his mommy.
Apart from this, Bachchan is doing magnificently as the quizmaster in KBC. But his contract with Star Plus ends this December after KBC completes 138 episodes. With other leading channels, especially Zee planning to air similar programs with more prize money (Rs.10 crores) the star is contemplating a channel switch.
Bachchan has come a long way since his ABCL days. He learnt from his mistakes and making extremely calculated moves. Today his business acumen stands sharpened and he will pick up things that give him big bucks straightaway, without any hassle.
Zee has already approached the superstar and is waiting for his response.
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Father to son, a success story
After a marathon and marvelous feat for his debut film "Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge" (DDLJ) which celebrated its 250th week recently, the young filmmaker Aditya Chopra is all set to release his next product "Mohabbatein" starring superstars Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan among others.
Unmindful of the outstanding success of the earlier film Adi straightaway ventured into his next project ignoring temptations for celebrations with pomp and splendor as is in the case with young filmmakers. He didn't say a word about the film when he was making it. He never made a show of silver jubilee and golden jubilee, platinum jubilee of his film. He doesn't believe in hype which is the fashion today.
The elder son of Yash Chopra, veteran of many a films, Adi is madly in love with films making it a point to see every film on the first day of its release in the first show, whatever the film, whoever the stars and whatever people and critics said about the film.
Talking about his son's success, a proud Yash Chopra said, "first of all I must thank God for blessing my son, me and my company with such unprecedented success in every way. I can still not imagine that my son would make one of the biggest hits of all times. He has broken all my records and if God is still on his side he will break many more records.”
“He made a beautiful film after putting in a lot of hard work, sincerity and passion and it appealed to the masses in such a big way. I have never seen people reacting so overwhelmingly to my own films or any other films. I have never seen any of my films making so much money. I have never seen so many people all over the world applauding the film so unanimously. There are times when I find it difficult to believe that Aditya had done all this at this age but facts and figures prove that he has and he has in an unbelievable way," the senior Chopra told a film magazine.
How deeply knitted the young director is with the film world and his commitment to the profession can be ascertained by the fact that years ago he had told his father that he wanted to narrate a subject. Yash knew that something like this was coming but not that
it would be coming so soon. He finally gave him time one day and what he heard surprised him, delighted him, almost made him leap with joy and he gave the green signal.
The film, shot mostly in London and Punjab, had the fragrance and the feel to appeal to all Indians and specially the NRIs and earned laurels to Yashraj Films.
After earning laurels for the first film, the master filmmaker asked his father to buy all the latest infrastructure to move with the times. He sought equipments even for designing and planning the company's publicity. He also asked his father to plan their own studio, a major plan which is now under consideration. They opened their own distribution offices first in Mumbai, then in London and will soon open one in America too.
"I have tried my best to understand this young filmmaker who is my son but have failed miserably. It is my good fortune that Adtiya has launched himself in such a grand manner and made a name for himself all over the country and even abroad. He is seen as the hope for tomorrow. The making of "Mohabbatein" has naturally made him a better and mature director, says a beaming Yash Chopra.
The Big B, who agreed to act in "Mohabbatein", after hearing the script just once, says Aditya Chopra is a man to watch for the future.
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Veteran comedian Johnny Walker's son Nasir Khan to make debut on silver screen as a comedian
Nasir Khan is playing a comic role of a drunk in Rajkumar Santoshi’s forthcoming film ‘Lajja’. For quite some time, Nasir stayed away from Bollywood and preferred the small screen instead. Even here he started with humble beginnings like veejaying and then graduated to TV serials. Today he is a known face on the idiot box and one inevitably comes across his face while channel surfing.
On hearing the news of his cameo role in ‘Lajja’, one can’t help but recall his father veteran comedian Johnny Walker whose ‘Sar Jo Tera Chakrae Tail Malish Chumpy’ song is remembered till today. Especially, Nasir’s debut as a comedian with ‘Lajja’ compels one to draw parallels between father and son. But the way Nasir has gone about his career one tend to feel he will emerge as a bigger winner as compared to his father.
Nasir did not jump on to the film wagon aspiring to be casted as a hero. He patiently established himself as an actor on the small screen first and has shown similar patience in doing the cameo role in ‘Lajja’. Looks like slow and steady Nasir is to also establish himself onto the silver screen, as he looks forward to doing character roles which give him a good scope to act.
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Amitabh receives death threats, writes to home minister L K Advani
Superstar Amitabh Bachchan has been receiving death threats since a couple of days on his mobile phone. But neither has he informed the Police nor the state government about this. Instead, he has preferred to approach the centre. In a letter addressed to Union Home Minister LK Advani, Bachchan has expressed his concern regarding the death threats and the safety of his son Abhishek and wife Jaya.
It should be recalled that just recently, posters of Abhishek Bachchan were being spoilt and an agitated producer, Vashu Bhagnani had spelt a rat saying “someone was trying to sabotage Abhishek’s career”.
Besides, the death threats soon follow South superstar Rajkumar’s abduction by sandalwood smuggler Veerapan. Rajkumar is still held a hostage and will be released only after Veerapan’s huge demands including release of 121 TADA inmates will be fulfilled.
There seems to be this new trend emerging where now anti social elements and terrorists find this the most lucrative way to dictate their terms. Soon after Veerapan’s demands for the release of 121 TADA inmates were being considered by the Tamil Nadu and Karnataka government, the Muslim League in Maharashtra threatened the state government with a similar move. They demand the release of all those imprisoned under Tada, and if not, warned of dire consequences. Dilip Kumar’s name figured first in the list of celebs who will be held hostage if the demands are left unattended.
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