TV's god of fortunes to play god Indra in film
Mumbai: It's the most talked about cast of the year. Amitabh Bachchan
as Hindu god Indra. Jackie Shroff as a head priest, Raveena Tandon as
his wife, Nagarjuna as the head priest's jealous rival and Prabhu Deva
as a demon in a film based on an episode from the Indian epic
Mahabharata.
Well-known Bangalore-based stage director Arjun Sajnani has pulled off
a casting and thematic coup in his directorial debut. Sajnani's
feature film entitled 'Agni-Varsha' is currently being shot in Hampi in
Karnataka with the fascinating cast.
Why a film set in an unverifiable past and that too based on a
mythological subject? "I was passionately moved by the story," said
Sajnani who directed the stage version of the play written by
actor-writer Girish Karnad. What fascinated Sajnani about Agni-Varsha
was the contemporary mood of the ancient drama.
Since the mixture of periodicity and modernity worked wonderfully on
stage, Sajnani decided to take the English language play to a wider
audience by converting it into a Hindi film.
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Mihir: In Shah Rukh's Footsteps
A nation held its breath when Mihir Virani of the popular soap Kyonki Saas
Bhi Kabhie Bahu Thi was suspected to be dead... and exhaled only when he was
miraculously brought back to life. While this is said to have done wonders
for the TV serial's ratings, it also worked magic for the career of Amar
Upadhyay, the actor who plays Mihir. He was even felicitated as the 'TV
superstar' at a recent function.
Now the actor wants to do a Shah Rukh Khan (who began with TV serials like
Circus) and segue to films. And he has been fielding offers from several
directions. "I am very excited about the bunch of films that I have signed,"
he says. "I am doing Raman Kumar's Aur Phir which will co-star Bipasha Basu
and Abbas. There's also Lawrence D'Souza's Kuch Tumne Kaha Hota opposite
Premnath and Bina Rai's granddaughter Akanksha; Dinesh Gandhi's new film, a
film made by Satyajit Ray's erstwhile assistant Gopal Malhotra and one for
Ekta Kapoor's Siddhivinayak Films for which Esha Deol has been more or less
finalised to play the heroine opposite me."
Flush with the success that has fallen into his lap ever since he essayed
the role of Mihir, Amar is thinking of switching his name to Mihiir. The
extra 'i' is at the advice of his astrologer, AS Jumani. "I am seriously
considering this change because he is the person who suggested to Rakesh
Roshan that he add an 'a' to the Naa in Kaho Naa Pyar Hai; and told Ektaa
Kapoor to add a Kyonki to Saas Bhi Kabhie Bahu Thi. And look how successful
these projects were." Looks like somebody up there is being meharbaan on
Mihir right now.
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Ritu Shivpuri gets engaged
"I can't believe this is happening to me," yelled Ritu Shivpuri over the phone when congratulated on her engagement to long time friend Hari Venkatesh. She added, "We knew each other since past eleven years but it's been only eleven months that we seriously began going steady! He asked me if I was serious about him and if we should officially get engaged and I just nodded. He's sensitive, understanding and a great companion." When asked about the D-day they'd tie the knot she said she'd marry by the yearend, "by then I hope to continue working. Not that I will stop working after marriage. In fact Hari has been more than cooperative asking me to sign films even after marriage!"
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Jackie-Anil Team Up Again
They were one of the most popular examples of male bonding in the 80s with
films like Ram Lakhan, Karma and Parinda. And now Jackie Shroff and Anil
Kapoor are all set to star together once again in Anupam Kher's Om Jai
Jagdish where Jackie plays Anil's best buddy. "I am looking forward to
working with Jackie again," declares Anil. "It's always a pleasure to work
with friends and here both Jackie and Anupam are good friends of mine.
Jackie and I have done some great films together and I am sure we can
continue to do so."
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Shotgun Sinha, Jayaprada star in film on Kashmir
MUMBAI: The reel-life stars turned real-life MPs are doing what they have
been known to do well -- acting. Rajya Sabha members Jayaprada and
Shatrughan Sinha are acting in a Bollywood production with a storyline based
on Kashmir. The film Bharat Bhagya Vidhata will highlight the good work the
government has done to restore peace in the Valley.
Incidentally, Jayaprada belongs to the Telugu Desam Party and Shatrughan
Sinha is a member of the BJP.
With the movie Bharat Bhagya Vidhata, Jayaprada also makes a comeback to
Bollywood after a gap of four years.
"Although I was working for regional films, return to Bollywood gives me a
nice feeling," Jayaprada told reporters here on Tuesday during the shooting
of the movie, produced by T P Agarwal.
The actress, who portrays the wife of the home minister, played by Sinha,
said she would like to play more woman-oriented roles in the future.
"South Indian cinema was mostly hero-oriented but now the trend is
changing," Jayaprada said.
Heroine of yesteryears Vidya Sinha also stages a comeback in the film,
directed by Osho Raja.
Chandrachur Singh, Puru Rajkumar and Shadaab Khan, son of late Amjad Khan,
also star in the movie.
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Australia invites Bollywood down under
SYDNEY: Australia's trade agency Austrade is working with its film industry
movers and shakers to persuade India's Bollywood to follow Hollywood -- by
switching some of its production to Australia.
Capitalising on the local industry's success at promoting Australia as a
lower cost venue for Hollywood productions, Austrade has turned its sights
on India, which produces around 1,000 films a year to satisfy the appetites
of 20 million Indian filmgoers.
The message is that if Hollywood chooses to make some of its big budget
movies in Australia -- largely to save money while making use of top-class
crews -- then it might be in the best interests of the Indian film industry,
Bollywood, to do likewise.
Sydney's movie facilities like Fox Studios have been used recently in the
shooting of spectaculars including "Mission Impossible" with Tom Cruise,
"Moulin Rouge" with Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor and "Matrix."
"Down and Under", a car chase spectacular rumoured in the industry to be
among the biggest budget films ever made in Australia, is currently being
shot in Sydney and due to move to the Northern Territory next week.
Numerous television movies including the US sci-fi series "Farscape" are in
production here.
Already 40 Indian films have been shot in Australia since 1998 but the film
business believes there's potential for many more.
Austrade last week held a series of Australian Film Capability seminars for
leading Indian film and television producers, technicians and film stars
from the main production centres in Bombay and Madras.
Austrade trade commissioner and consul general to Bombay, Shabbir Wahid,
said from Bombay that Australia was currently competing with Germany, New
Zealand, Switzerland and France for the Indian movie business.
But Australia was appealing for its ability to provide attractive locations
plus skilled crews, quality production, animation and special effects at a
competitive price, he said.
"The ongoing demand for new material presents huge opportunities for
Australia which is fast becoming a preferred destination for Indian film, TV
commercials and music video producers," he said in a statement.
"There is also immense potential for the Australian tourism industry with
film locations playing a major role in establishing a strong image of
Australia as an attractive, sophisticated and very exciting travel
destination to an ever escalating Indian middle class population."
Austrade is working with the Australian Tourist Commission and Australian
state film commissions in the India project.
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Madhuri: 'I Can Pick And Choose Now'
Madhuri Dixit, of late, seems to on the lookout for only challenging roles. Take Deepak Shivadasani's 'Yeh Raaste Hain Pyaar Ke' or Sanjay Leela Bhanshali's 'Devdas'-she is all set to redefine the actress in her in her through these roles. She talked to Smashits recently on the sets of 'Yeh Raaste Hain Pyaar Ke' in New Delhi:
Maduri, what are you looking for in your coming films? Do you still have some hidden ambition?
(Laughs) I still love acting very much. I never said that I would retire after marriage. Acting is still very much among my priorities. I still look out for good roles and at present I am doing films that have substantial roles for me. Now I am in position where I do not have to be in films to remain in the limelight. I can pick and choose, and I am enjoying it.
Which are the films you are currently working in and what are your roles?
There is this film by Deepak Shivdasani, 'Yeh Raaste Pyaar Ke', the shooting for which is currently on. In this film I play the character of a rich industrialist's (Ajay Devgan) wife. I play a woman who is not mentally mature, who behaves like a child although she is grown up. Apart from this I am also doing a film for K.C.Bokadia with Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan. Then there is 'Lajja' with Raj Kumar Santoshi and 'Devdas' by Sanjay Leela Bhanshali.
Did Sanjay Leela Bhansali invite Birju Maharaj to choreograph some of the dance sequences in 'Lajja'?
Yes, Birju Maharaj has choreographed some sequences in this film. To dance with him was a unique experience. Sanjay also put in a lot of labor. As far as the composition referred by you is concerned, it was by Birju Maharaj. But the song you will listen to in the film will have music by Ismail Darbar. The bandish of the song goes something like this: `Kahe Chhede Mohe Garva Lagaye=85'
Bhansali has been saying that he penned Chandramukhi's character in this film keeping your persona in mind. Are you satisfied with Sanjay's vision of his heroine?
I can only hope that Sanjay will prove true to his words. I have not been told this thing of Sanjay's persona for me. I have only read about it a lot.
There have been two other films with the same character, by P.C.Barua and Bimal Roy. Have you seen them? What was your homework for this role?
To the first part of your question, the answer is a humble 'no'. The reason for this was that I did not want to be influenced, even subconsciously, by the portrayal. So I decided to ignore the performances and zero in on all the literature on the subject.
Will you confine yourself to only the projects you took up before marriage or will Madhuri go on from there?
There have been too much speculation about my marriage and my projects. I took a break from work immediately after marriage, as any other girl would have done. I do not have any limitations imposed by my husband. I am flooded with a lot of offers but will do only selective films in future.
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Q & A with Vidhu Vinod Chopra
Here's a Q & A that was published on zulm.net from Vidhu Vinod Chopra
talking about new digital mediums, DVDs, Internet and video piracy;
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Q. Comment on which technical aspects of your new work Mission Kashmir that
you feel most excited about?
A. Well, technically I think the climax was most exciting, though there were
many new techniques used in other parts of the film, like the use of the
double focus lens, which use to be operated way back in the forties & the
fifties in Indian films, it took us days to clean it! It's a great lens,
allowing you to focus an object in the fore & simultaneously one at the
back.
In the climax, I wanted to convey with lot of emotion, the anguish, which
Altaf [Hrithik] had been carrying for years, when he hits Khan [Sanjay]. We
played with the Camera speed there constantly, it's called Ramping. So when
you see Altaf's hand movement, it doesn't run the usual 24 frames per
second, sometimes it's moving at 100 f/s and sometimes we ramp it to 8 f/s.
That was really interesting. Also in the climax when Altaf [Hrithik] comes
down to kill Khan [Sanjay], the sun gets covered with the idea that he is
going down into the dungeons of his soul. It was done with the camera tied
to a rope going down through the staircase, technically a very challenging
shot.
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Q. The DVD to Mission Kashmir is being ready for release soon, what are your
thoughts on the DVD medium for watching Indian movies?
A. I personally feel that cinema should be seen in cinema halls. But if you
missed a film on Mono in a bad theatre, then it's a good idea to buy your
own copy of DVD & watch it on a nice sound system at home. The sad part is
Hindi films are seen in third-rate cinema halls in US, Canada. Maybe its
because they believe we make third rate cinema and we deserve third rate
theatres. I totally & strongly protest against such thinking. In New York we
ran the premier of Mission Kashmir in a Dolby Digital theatre and I don't
see why that should not happen all over US.
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Q. Comment on the impact of new digital mediums: DVD, digital
filming/broadcasting and the Internet on Indian films?
A. Its great to see all the digital mediums and the Internet, now really
happening in India. Finally, what we crave for is communication. These
mediums are a boost; they make everyone more aware, communicative and
inter-links the globe. You know, its something like, I am sitting in my
house and communicating with people all over the world and vice-versa,
whether through my films or Internet. I think such facility is commendable
and most exciting. With new digital mediums, now are opportunities for the
new comer's and the old goers in film making, to experiment and state
boundaries, with negligible financial risks and pressures to hold back. I
think digital mediums open-up a whole new world for film makers in India to
explore.
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Q. Is there a cause or a film that inspired you to make your first film?
A. Not really, film making for me was a childhood fantasy, which later
developed into a passion. I let my passion overrule my rational senses. I am
glad I did that. And I keep doing it again & again.
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Q. Many people know your work from the post-Parinda days that won much
critical acclaim and you took the 'Indian film' to another level. Comment on
which technical aspects of the film that you felt had been excelled? Were
they the same aspects that you won acclaim for?
A. It's very difficult for me to say which technical aspect of Parinda I
excelled in; I think it's the viewer's prerogative to decide where I excel
and where I fail. In Parinda, the fact that I shot on three consecutive
years on every New Years Eve, just to complete one sequence in the film with
lakhs of people, was the most challenging.
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Q. Would we see your pre-Parinda films on DVD in the future i.e. Satyakatha,
Sazaye Maut and Khamosh?
A. I would love to see a good DVD of Satyakatha, Sazaye Maut, Khamosh. in
fact of all my films. I don't own a DVD of these movies, because they are
all pirated & so bad that you can't watch them. I hope that after Mission
Kashmir, DEI gets inspired to put my movies on DVD and hopefully gift it to
me, so that I can see my movies at home.
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Q. On the subject Parinda was Kishan's role authored with Jackie Shroff in
mind? Was the role written with someone else in mind?
A. In Parinda Kishan's role was not authored for Jackie Shroff, it was
authored for Amitabh Bachchan. Amitabh had doubts as usual, so it went to
Naseer-u-din Shah. Naseer felt that the film belonged to Anil Kapoor, though
I tried hard to convince Naseer, he told me it was a "side-e role" and I am
coming to him because he was the only actor who could do such a role and
asked me if I could make "Jackie Shroff" act and then he would know how good
I am as a director. That was a challenge I took and the rest is history.
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Q. Parinda is personal zulm.net favourite film and as much a brilliant film
it is, if it was to be criticized it would be for the soundtrack score that
was so called 'inspired' from major Hollywood productions which also seems a
growing trend in Indian films to remake to 'inspire' scenes and ideas from
across the Atlantic - what are you thoughts on this?
A. No, it was not 'inspired' from any major Hollywood productions; I had
used a lot of western classical music in Parinda. The idea behind was, that
I used 'Indian instrumentation' as the love- track, between Karan{ Anil }and
Paro{ Madhuri } and I used 'western classical music' .primarily Beethoven,
Holst-the Mars ; Vivaldi etc.. to convey the violence of Bombay city.
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Q. Are there other filmmakers anywhere in the world that you would care to
mention from the point of view that you may like their work? Which aspects
of their work do you like?
A. From India, I would love to mention the names of Guru Dutt, Bimal Roy,
Mehboob Khan, V. Shantaram and early Raj Kapoor. Internationally, I would
like to mention Fedrico Fellini who is my all time favorite, Jean'luc Godard
who I really respect, Francois Truffaut was really breezy, Michaelanglo
Antonioni was very inspiring. Well these were the filmmakers I grew-up on.
Of course not to forget the father of all, Akira Kurosawa. An amazing man, I
was fortunate enough to have a personal meeting with Kurosawa, when he came
to India for a film festival. He was truly the Guru of Cinema, I feel.
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Q. The people like your imagination, if you had a multi million-dollar
budget and three years to make an all-star Indian film, what kind of film
would you make?
A. It would be absolutely fascinating to do such a film. Well I could do
many things if I had a multi-million dollar budget & three years to make. It
would be something like Crouching Tiger.. from India and it would show the
rest of the world what a good Indian director could do, like what Ang lee
has done from China. I think its time that people with multi-million dollar
budgets look here, maybe Zulm.net could ask its people to contribute 100$
each and raise such a budget.., we can have some fun with that kind of
money, it will be great.
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Q. What can you tell us about your next project?
A. I am working on two film projects. First one is a English language film
called Chess. I am going to Austin, Texas in USA for almost 4-6 weeks to
research for this film. This film is based there and deals with a Governor
who becomes the president of America. It's an exciting project to do, since
its targeted for the world audience. My second project is a Hindi language
film, tentatively named "1 + 1" which I am currently writing. It's a film,
which deals with mind-games and conflicts in our heads.
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Q. Our zulm.net forums have touched on the controversial subject of piracy
in the Indian video market and in particular the DVD market - what are your
thoughts on this?
A. I would like to ask all the people who appreciate my cinema, to hang the
pirates if the law permits them. I think the piracy of video markets by
baniyas in India and the US, selling our movies with absolute immunity, as
rotten vegetables!! which can never taste good, is totally criminal. It's a
hideous crime; they should be ashamed of what they are doing i.e. if they
have any shame. We make these movies, working days into nights for years, to
attain the quality, which we want our audience to enjoy. My message to the
people who go to these grocery stores is that they should realize they are
buying third-rate products with terrible sound & visuals. The Grocery store
people are ruining the experience of watching a Hindi movie at home. So burn
and destroy all the pirated copies, as they are immoral and unethical apart
from being sux to watch.
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Movie Preview : Albela-Releasing this week
No gory fights, no loud melodrama, no mindless violence in this film. Is this Bollywood's commercial offering for real? You bet! Albela is that rare species that will keep you chuckling through the film and long after its over!
Albela is set in Malaga, a picturesque town in Goa. It features Tony (Govinda) as a happy-go-lucky tourist guide who enjoys his passion and all that comes with it. He hams his way through life, taking each day as it comes and making the most of it.
All this changes when an astrologer tells him that a light-eyed princess from across the seven seas will change his life forever on meeting him.
Well, as you know, astrologers are never wrong! And sure enough he bumps into Sonia (Aishwarya Rai) while waiting at the airport for prospective customers.
The stunning Ash has just landed from abroad and she has light eyes (obviously)! Tony zeroes on her as his princess and appoints himself as her tourist guide. But catch is that Sonia has not come to Malaga for a vacation; she is actually in Goa to search for her mother's grave.
Tony is only too happy to escort her gorgeous princess around town, helping her in her quest. The only unhappy person is Nina (Namrata Shirodker), who has always loved Tony from childhood. Sonia while enjoying Tony's amusing and charming company is blissfully unaware Tony actually loves her.
In course of their tramping across Malaga, Sonia comes to Tony's house and notices a frame holding the pride of place on the wall. The frame is an article about Tony, the Albela guide written by a journalist named Prem (Jackie Shroff).
Sonia is astonished. It is like a lighting strike and instantly her entire world turns upside down. Trying hard to keep control she asks Tony to meet this Prem. And Tony, true to his character, happily agrees. He can never deny his princess anything.
And suddenly the film takes an unexpected and delightful turn.
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