Archive for September, 2006
Priyanka..Kareena rift
Sep 27th
As per rumours Bollywood sweet lady Priyanka Chopra is fuming over her ‘Don’ co-stars Kareena and Isha Kopikar, because they are getting more importance than her in the films publicity campaign.
However in a recent interview, Priyanka dismissed the rumour saying it baseless.
She totally refused the buzzed feud between her and Kareena. “The rumor is absolutely meaningless and silly,” said Priyanka. “I really wish people would stop creating fire when there’s none,” fumed the sensuous actress.
indiatarget.com
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Zayed turns chef
Sep 27th
Guess what Zayed Khan loves to do in free time? Cook meals. Don’t believe us? Ask the unit of CASH, currently being shot in Cape Town, South Africa. “Zayed makes fantastic chicken. I haven’t tasted such scrumptious food in my life,” Zayed’s co-star in CASH Ritesh Deshmukh tells me. In fact, after director Anubhav Sinha announces pack-up every evening, Zayed heads straight to the kitchen and cooks a new dish every night, not just for himself, but for the entire cast of CASH.
And what does Ritesh like to do in free time? “I love to catch up on political developments [Ritesh’s father is the Chief Minister of Maharashtra]. I keep track of political happenings,” he smiles. Meanwhile, Ritesh will be sporting a muscular look… this isn’t for any role in particular. In fact, he’s currently being trained by Satya [of the famed Barbarian Gym], who has trained stars like Hrithik, Saif, Zayed, Shahid and Esha.
by: sify.com/indiafm
Popularity: 8% [?]
Kerala sways to the magic Lage Raho Munnabhai
Sep 27th
‘Gandhigiri’ seems to have worked well for the Sanjay Dutt – Vidya Balan – Arshad Warsi starrer Lage Raho Munnabhai in Kerala.
‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’ is well on its way to becoming one of the biggest Bollywood grossers in Kerala this year.
Though not as big a hit as Krrish , starring Hrithik Roshan , ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’ has done better business than the star studded Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna , according to trade sources in Kochi.
A few cinema halls in bigger cities such as Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram are the only ones to screen Bollywood films on a regular basis while smaller towns do not have many takers for Bollywood.
After ‘Krrish’, ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’ has also broken this barrier and the movie is now being screened even in smaller centres such as Thrissur, Kottayam and Kothamangalam.
Even in places like Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, most Bollywood films are taken off from the cinema halls after a week, with only a few lasting for two weeks. Yet, ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’ has been on the screens for almost a month, running to near full houses on most days.
Sources say that while ‘Krrish’ did a business of nearly Rs 50 lakh in gross collections all over Kerala, ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’ has touched almost Rs 30 lakh.
While this is not a patch on the ‘Onam hit’ ‘Kirtichakra’ in Malayalam, which could gross upto Rs 90 lakh in the first week alone, it is a big amount for a Bollywood film, sources add.
While comedies generally go down well with the audience in Kerala, which has a vibrant film industry of its own, ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’ seems to have worked because it combined comedy with sensitivity.
The movie has especially appealed to the youngsters. The school and college students could be seen applauding enthusiastically whenever the tenets of ‘Gandhigiri’ worked – whether it be to reform a betel juice spewing neighbour or a corrupt official.
by: apunkachoice.com
Popularity: 8% [?]
Hrithik Roshan dons many guises
Sep 27th
It is a common knowledge that Hrithik Roshan plays a clever conman in Dhoom 2 . What is little known is that he will sport many different looks in the film.
The movie buffs are eager to see Hrithik stepping into the shoes of a thief who remains ever elusive for the cops (played by Abhishek Bachchan and Bipasha Basu ) in the Yash Raj Film’s much-awaited venture ‘Dhoom 2’.
It is a role for which Hrithik has trained extensively in dangerous sports like roller-blading, sand boarding, snow boarding, sky diving and bike stunts also.
And if this was not enough, speculation is rife that Hrithik will be seen in as many as 15 different guises in the film. The movie’s theatrical promos already show Hrithik in 3-4 different get-ups. And the buzz is that Hrithik also guises himself as a dwarf and as a woman in the film.
He adopts all these different looks to mislead the police.
Hrithik says the stunts he has done for ‘Dhoom 2’ are far more dangerous than the ones he did in his last release ‘Krrish’. Just for one action sequence in the film, Hrithik had to train for two months under the guidance of experts.
The movie’s climax features a dangerous stunt sequence inside a tunnel.
Stylist Anahita Shroff has given a very zany look to Hrithik in the film. While Anahita has worked on his entire wardrobe, Blunt parlour has designed his hairdo.
Sanjay Gadhavi, the film’s director says the basic idea is to make Hrithik look “very hot and sexy”.
‘Dhoom 2’ is slated to hit the theatres in November.
by: apunkachoice.com
Popularity: 8% [?]
Amitabh.. Designing future
Sep 27th
Amitabh Bachchan will be seen in a futuristic role for the new Reid & Taylor commercial. The ad will feature Big B in a futuristic commercial for the international brand.
Big B will be seen standing in front of a grand futuristic city. As he waves his hands, he will create his own designs for suits which will then actually transform into real suits.
While Big B is designing the destiny of many a directors of Bollywood, here is one ad that takes his role as the designer of futures a step further.
by: b4utv.com
Popularity: 8% [?]
Neha for Police
Sep 27th
Neha Dhupia has joined the brand endorsement bandwagon. And she has done it in style. Neha has been nominated as the brand ambassador for the international watch and sunglasses brand Police.
Giving her company as fellow brand endorsers are the likes of Bruce Willis, George Clooney and David Beckham. The brand is the right fit for Neha as both stand for youth and being proactive and hip.
And with such luminaries as company, she sure has arrived on the endorsement scene.
by: b4utv.com
Popularity: 8% [?]
‘Rang De Basanti’ India’s entry for Oscar
Sep 26th
New Delhi, Sep 25 (IANS) Producers of Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra’s blockbuster “Rang De Basanti” (RDB), India’s official entry for the best foreign film category for Oscar 2007, are ready with strategies to lift the coveted award, and they are banking on Aamir Khan’s “Lagaan” experience too.”We have offices in Los Angeles and New York and Aamir is an experienced person. It’s a matter of strategising and going about it,” Ronnie Screwala of producer UTV said soon after the film as officially selected as India’s entry for Oscars.
“It needs a lot of money and we are ready to make the financial commitment. I have asked lots of other studios for help. Its basically about the exposure,” Screwala told IANS on phone from Mumbai.
For campaigning, Screwala is depending on Aamir, who did a lot of legwork while promoting his film “Lagaan” which was shortlisted in the same category in 2002.
“Rang De Basanti” has beat “Munnabhai Lage Raho” and “Omkara”, among other Oscar contenders, in the race.
Screwala agreed that the competition for the Indian entry was tough but “Rang De Basanti” had a universal appeal.
“‘Rang De Basanti’ is truly an international film and it has an universal appeal too. It is not just about crime. It is about liberating the youth and it has appealed to the youth all over the world, because everywhere the same problem is being faced,” Screwala said.
Talking about the other films in the reckoning, he said: “This year has been pretty good for Indian cinema. New genres of cinema have come about. There have been a lot of excellent films. They have broken the mould. So, the competition was tough.
“This film is very dear to my heart. We screened it at many international platforms and it was hugely appreciated.”
The film starring Aamir, Siddharth, Sharman Joshi, Kunal Kapoor, Soha Ali Khan and Alice Patten revolves around a young British filmmaker, Sue (Patten), who comes to India to make a film on the revolutionaries – Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru – who had left an everlasting impression on her grandfather who was a jailer.
The film depicts the awakening of the young generation, inspired by the legendary freedom fighters.
Shyam, the executive producer of the film, is quite upbeat about its prospects at Oscars.
“When we screened the film at the Golden Globes, it got a standing ovation. And after the screening many people came and congratulated Rakeysh for making such an excellent film.
“The film broke the language barriers across the country and I don’t think anybody has done that. It was a great job by Rakeysh. We were not sure that it will be nominated as India’s official entry but we were sure it is worth it,” said Shyam.
He feels that the film stands a good chance at Oscars.
“I know we are competing against some of the great films but we stand a good chance. Like when ‘Lagaan’ didn’t get an Oscar, we were disappointed but after watching ‘No Man’s Land’ people realised why ‘Lagaan’ lost it.
“Having said that, there would be nothing like getting an Oscar, but if we make it to the best five films list, it would be a great honour for us.”
This year only nine filmmakers submitted their films to the Film Federation of India – Rakesh Roshan’s “Krrish”, Karan Johar’s “Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna”, Naseeruddin Shah’s “Yun Hota To Kya Hota”, Rajkumar Hirani’s “Lage Raho Munnabhai”, “Rang De Basanti”, Vishal Bharadwaj’s “Omkara”, Madhur Bhandarkar’s “Corporate”, Marathi film “Bhook” and Telugu film “Amma Chepindi”.
Which movie do you think should have been India’s entry for Oscar? Comment below!
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Why Priyanka Chopra is angry
Sep 25th
The former Miss World and the sexiest Asian actress Priyanka Chopra is nowadays angry at some media reports.
Priyanka has denied rumours that she is miffed over co-stars Kareena Kapoor and Isha Koppikar getting more prominence than her in the promotional campaign of their forthcoming film Don .
Lashing out at reports published in a section of the media quoting ’sources’ and ‘birdie’, Priyanka has clarified that the rumour is absolutely baseless and silly.
“I’m so proud of ‘Don’. It was a great opportunity to work with such a fantastic bunch of professionals like Shah Rukh Khan , producer Ritesh Sidhwani and director Farhan Akhtar . I hope to work with them again. The film is among the highlights of my career,” she said in a statement.
Commenting on the media reports, Priyanka said, “I really wish people would stop creating fire when there’s none.”
‘Don’, a remake of the Amitabh Bachchan starrer Don (1978) releases on October 20, 2006.
Priyanka is the main female lead opposite SRK, the role played by Zeenat Aman in the original, Kareena is cast in Helen ’s role, in which she dances to ‘Yeh Mera Dil…’, while Isha plays the character of Anita who is first to recognise that SRK (whom the police prop up as Don after the gangster is killed in the first half of the film) is not Don.
During the music release function last month, Farhan had revealed that in his film, the length of Anita’s character is long.
by: apunkachoice.com
Popularity: 8% [?]
Saif.. Rani and I are not at loggerheads
Sep 25th
It’s 3 am in New York and Saif has just packed up after a hard day’s shooting of Siddharth Anand’s Tara Rum Pam. “It’s going really well. I think Siddharth has another winner on his hands after Salaam Namaste. It feels wonderful to be part of cinema so different from one another, like Omkara and Tara Rum Pam.”
If as an actor Saif couldn’t look more well-placed there’s always that dollop of darkness to dissipate the pleasure. “What’s this about a showdown with Rani Mukherjee? Am I mad to have a showdown with her? I mean , come on! Rani and I have shared a cordial professional relationship ever since we did Hum Tum together. That film will always remain special to me. It was my first solo-hero hit. I won’t say Rani and I are close friends. But we connect really well on the sets. We do our work together and move in different directions after-hours.”
So where did these rumours come from? “I’ll tell you their probable origins. When I arrived in NY I stayed with the rest of the Tara Rum Pam unit in the same hotel. But then when Rosa joined me I wanted us to live in an apartment . I feel that’s that’s the only way to get to know a city. I’ve stayed in London and I know how much difference a private place makes to your connectivity with a city. That’s it.
As soon as Rosa and I moved into an apartment news spread that Rani and I were staying in separate hotels. That’s truly dumb, man. The last thing we need on a foreign location is the principal lead’s tantrums. And do you think we can get away with a showdown in front of the whole unit? We’d have had the details of the slaps and punches pasted on the internet.”
Humour intact, Saif gets into grimmer ground. “I’ve heard rumours about Rosa and I splitting, and that she has gone back home to Mumbai before me because of our fights. For Chrissake, we’re doing well for ourselves as a couple. Do we need these rumours to come and spoil things between us? I guess every relationship conducted in the limelight is subjected to such scrutiny. I can take that. But it gets a bit annoying when we need to time our comings and goings according to the way people would respond to our movement. We can’t help it if people think our relationship is in trouble. The fact is, we’re very happy together.” So where are the rumours coming from? “Search me! Probably from people who need to get a life.”
by: sify.com/Subhash K Jha
Popularity: 8% [?]
Umrao Jaan is about the woman
Sep 25th
Umrao Jaan , which stars the gorgeous Aishwarya Rai in the lead role, will focus on Amiran, the woman, and not Umrao Jaan.
This was stated by the director of the movie J.P. Dutta himself. Dutta said his film will focus on “Amiran, the woman, and not Umrao Jaan, the courtesan that the world saw”.
“I was sure that I wanted my film to be about Amiran, the woman, and not Umrao Jaan, the courtesan that the world saw. I wanted to showcase the ‘person’ rather than the ‘persona’. In fact, for the longest time, I was debating on calling my film Amiran…,” he said and added that women were his “target” audience.
He said the poignancy that swept through was enough to motivate him. “After all when one chooses a film to make, one has to live with it for almost a year, if not more. So one has to be fascinated by the subject.”
Dutta said that he was “moved” by Umrao’s story. “The emotional journey of this one character overwhelmed me. A common small town girl Amiran is abducted from her home and sold in the ‘bazaars’ of Lucknow. It so aptly fit with famed lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi’s telling lines, ‘Aurat ne janam diya mardon ko, mardon ne use bazaar diya’ (woman gave birth to man and man sold her on the streets).”
He said his version was different from the earlier three – ‘Mehndi’, ‘Zindagi Aur Tufan’, and the third ‘Umrao Jaan’ – though all four are based on Mirza Hadi Ruswa’s book titled ‘Umrao Jaan Ada’.
It was the third in which Rekha portrayed the role of the courtesan.
In the movie, Ash enacts the role of Umrao Jaan, Abhishek Bachchan portrays Nawab Sultan, “a Pathan, a rebel with a passion for beauty and poetry” and Shabana Azmi plays ‘khanum’, Dutta said.
‘Umrao Jaan’ is scheduled to release on October 20, 2006.
by: apunkachoice.com
Popularity: 8% [?]
Awards have not changed me.. Shiney Ahuja
Sep 25th
Tremendous critical acclaim for his debut film and a heap of awards in its wake may have catapulted Shiney Ahuja into the big league in Bollywood, but he says that they have not changed him.Talking to a news agency on the eve of the release of his films Woh Lamhe and Zindagi Rocks , Shiney said the series of awards he had won for ‘Hazaaron Khwahishein Aisi’ and success of Gangster had not changed him.
‘’Awards have not changed me. Rather, I am the same person as I was before ‘Hazaaron Khwahishein Aisi’. The only thing that has changed is the attitude of the people and the industry towards me- while earlier nobody knew who Shiney Ahuja was, now post ‘Hazaaron Khwahishein Aisi’ and ‘Gangster’, the people and the industry are talking about the same person,’’ Shiney said.
The surprise success of Anurag Basu ’s ‘Gangster’ this year, following close on the heels of the host of awards for ‘Hazaaron Khwahishein Aisi’ on the Indian film circuit, including the Critics Award for Best Debutant at the Screen Awards, have firmly placed Shiney on the Bollywood skyway, establishing a niche for him as an actor to reckon with.
However, despite the tremendous accolades and the heightened industry focus on him post ‘Hazaaron Khwahishein Aisi’ and ‘Gangster’, Shiney Ahuja is not celebrating yet.
‘’Winning awards is definitely encouraging more so for a newcomer like me. However, I feel that rather than let this acclaim sweep you off your feet, it is important to stay focused on one’s work and work harder to meet future challenges. I remember, the director of ‘Hazaaron Khwahishein Aisi’ Sudhir Mishra telling me when I went to him after winning the critics award for best debutant for the film that ‘after this award, you are no longer competing with the debutants but now are in direct competition with the big league of stars’. Therefore, for me it is important to now concentrate harder on my work,’’ Shiney says.
Admittedly, after the success of ‘Gangster’, Shiney is on a roll. From being an ‘also ran’ actor about three years ago who did bit roles and cameos in films like Karam , Shiney is now basking in the attention of the industry with a number of filmmakers offering him lead roles.
So, while in Tanuja Chandra ’s ‘Zindagi Rocks’, he plays the lead role opposite Sushmita Sen , in ‘Woh Lamhe’ too, a film on the life of yesteryear actress Parveen Babi , he plays the male lead opposite Kangana Raut . Further, he has also bagged a key role in Priyadarshan ’s next, which also stars Akshay Kumar and Vidya Balan .
However, one wonders whether films like ‘Zindagi Rocks’ and ‘Woh Lamhe’ would offer any scope for Shiney to display his histrionics/acting skills as in ‘Zindagi Rocks’, the entire focus seems to be on Sushmita, while ‘Woh Lamhe,’ based on the life of late Parveen Babi, would invariably revolve around Kangana.
“Even in the case of ‘Hazaaron Khwahishein Aisi’ and ‘Gangster’, I was told that the women in the film would hog the limelight. However, in both the films, my roles have been highly appreciated. In ‘Zindagi Rocks’ too, I have an important role and am confident it will be noticed by the audiences,” Shiney said.
As an actor, Shiney may have well and truly arrived in Bollywood but one cannot but observe that most of his films till now, as well as those ready for release, have him playing realistic roles rather than that of a typical mainstream hero of Hindi cinema who indulges in melodrama, comedy or action.
“Earlier, when I did ‘Hazaaron Khwahishein Aisi’, people asked me why I was doing a realistic film. Now that I have done commercial films like ‘Gangster’ and am doing others like ‘Zindagi Rocks’ and ‘Woh Lamhe’, I am being asked why I am doing realistic roles. I want to state that I am open to song and dance kind of roles if an offer for such a role comes to me. In fact, I would love to do an emotional, melodramatic role or a comedy,” Shiney said.
Shiney said all the roles he had done till now comprised a wide variety of characterisations. “While in ‘Hazaaron Khwahishein Aisi’, I played a scheming money-minded extrovert person, in ‘Gangster’, I played a person who had been forced by circumstances to become a gangster and whom the weight of his problems had made him go into his shell. In my forthcoming ‘Zindagi Rocks’, I play this introvertish workaholic doctor who falls in love with a woman who is totally opposite of him. After meeting this woman, he experiences a 180 degree change in himself,” Shiney said.
Born and brought up in Delhi, Shiney did some training in theatre with Barry John before landing the role in ‘Hazaaron Khwahishein Aisi’. However, Shiney says the long waiting period before the release of ‘Hazaaron Khwahishein Aisi’ was frustrating.
“So many times, I was told that the publicity of ‘Hazaaron Khwahishein Aisi’ was about to start soon. But in the next six months, nothing would happen. Waiting for more than three years for the release of the film was a stressful experience for me. Even after the release of the film, it was always like I wanted to make up for all those lost years by wanting do only work and more work, which made me go into my shell. However, I now feel that I need to be more chilled out,” he says.
Among Shiney’s dream roles are the ones played by mega superstar Amitabh Bachchan in Ramesh Sippy ’s ‘Shakti’ and the one essayed by Brad Pitt in ‘Seven’.
Popularity: 8% [?]
Padmini passes away
Sep 25th
Padmini (74), the yesteryear actress passed away at the Apollo Hospital in Chennai on Sunday midnight (Sep 24) following a heart attack. In fact, the Tamil film fraternity was shocked to hear the news as she was the guest at the Nehru Indoor Stadium in the city on Saturday night where Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi was felicitated(see pic).
Padmini has acted in over 250 films in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi in a career spanning over two decades from 1949. She started acting at the age of 17 and has acted opposite some of the legends in Indian cinema like MGR, Sivaji Ganesan in Tamil, Prem Nazir and Sathyan in Malayalam, Raj Kapoor, Raj Kumar, Ashok Kumar, Dev Anand in Hindi. Her films with Raj Kapoor like “Jis Desh Mein Ganga Bahti Hai” and “Mera Naam Joker” were all time classics.
She was born in Poojapura in Thiruvananthapuram in 1932 and was the most successful among the three sisters. Her elder sister was Lalitha and younger sister was Ragini and together they were known as “Travancore sisters”. All of them were trained classical dancers under the famous Guru Gopinath the Kathakali exponent and now all of them have passed away.
Padmini was married to late Dr K.T.Ramachandran and was settled in New Jersey. She started the “Padmini school of fine Arts”, one of the well-known dance schools in US. She is survived by her only son Prem Anand
Her last films in Malayalam was the Fazil directed “Nokkethadoorathju Kannumnattu” in 1984 , “Vaasthuhara” and “Dollar”. Danseuse and actress Shobana is her niece and Sukumari is her cousin.
By: sify.com/Moviebuzz
Popularity: 8% [?]
Movie Review: Dor
Sep 25th
Film: “Dor”; Starring: Gul Panag, Ayesha Takia, Shreyas Talpade; Director: Nagesh Kukunoor; Rating: **** 1/2How far would you go for love? That’s the question the narrative of “Dor” softly raises.
How far would you go to see this film? That’s the question every movie-enthusiast should ask loudly.
Very frankly, “Dor” takes you by complete surprise. Of course you expect a certain aesthetic and technical finesse in a Nagesh Kukunoor creation. But nothing he has done so far – neither the under-rated “Teen Deewarein” nor the hugely-feted “Iqbal” – prepares us for the luminous spiritual depths and the exhilarating emotional heights of “Dor”.
The stunningly original screenplay sweeps in a caressing arc, over the separate yet bonded lives of two women – Zeenat (Gul Panag) in the snowscapes of Himachal Pradesh and Meera (Ayesha Takia) in the parched deserts of Rajasthan.
The picaresque pilgrimage of one woman into the life of another is charted in the resplendent rhythms of a rather zingy symphony played at an octave that’s at once subdued and persuasive.
“Dor” could any time lapse into being one of those tedious works on women’s emancipation. Kukunoor controls the emotional tide with hands that know when to exercise restrain and when to let go.
“Dor” flies high and effortlessly in an azure sky, creating elating dips and curves in the skyline without ever letting go of the thematic thrusts that take the director as far into the realm of realism as cinematically possible. He never loses out on that wonderful quality of cinematic splendour that separates poetry from sermons.
Join Zeenat then on her bizarre impossible quest to find a young newly widowed woman whom Zeenat has never seen, met or even heard of until her husband’s sudden tryst with crisis.
The way Kukunoor weaves the two unconnected lives in contrasting hinterlands is not short of magical.
The eye for detail is so keen that you tend to stare not at the screen, but at feelings and emotions that aren’t visible. Sudeep Chatterjee, Munish Sappal, Sanjeev Dutta and Salim-Suleiman have done a marvellous job through their cinematography, art direction, editing and music.
From the initial scenes of tender bonding between the two women and their respective spouses, to the indelible sisterhood between the two bereaved women that constitutes the end-notes of this sublime celluloid symphony…Kukunoor’s world of wistful peregrinations is as fragile as it’s powerful.
The quality of fire-and-ice provides a subliminal text to the narrative’s inner world where ideologies and ‘isms’ fade, only pain, hurt and betrayal remains.
There are moments of unbearable poignancy in the film. The sequence where the child-woman, who is transformed to a wan widow from a bright bride in months, opens her dead husband’s suitcase is remarkable and creates a disturbing sense of spatial disharmony.
The frailty of the widowed girl is weighed against the huge expanse of the crumbling room containing that one tiny accusing blue suitcase that symbolises her shattered world.
Scenes of female bonding between Ayesha Takia and her dead husband’s grandmother (Uttara Baovkar) convey a familiar yet refreshing genuineness.
But it’s the Takia-Panag sisterhood that sustains the narrative. Both the actresses are huge revelations, with Takia winning more sympathy votes for the sheer poignancy of her character’s predicament. Scenes such as the one where she falls unconscious while hearing the news of her husband’s death over the only cell phone in the village, or the one where she furtively dances to “You’re my sonia” stay etched beyond the frames.
However, one wishes that Kukunoor hadn’t introduced Shreyas Talpade’s character. He adds nothing to the central theme of female bonding. In fact Talpade’s drunken confessions of love to Panag in the wilderness, and Kukunoor’s obtrusive appearance as an engineer who has designs over Takia, are somewhat embarrassing.
It’s not as if such things don’t happen in real life. It’s just that these situations don’t belong to a world that Kukunoor has built out of the finest threads of human compassion and empathy.
Is “Dor” one of the most poignant films in recent times? Most probably it is. When it comes to portraying a forlorn yet undefeated sisterhood it stands tall and stately right up there with Deepa Mehta’s “Water”.
BollywoodEntertainment.com.au Rating: 3
Watched this movie? Post your review by commenting below!
Popularity: 8% [?]
Celebrity Interview: Anu Malik
Sep 24th
By IndiaFM News Bureau
The man is back with a vengeance. His Jaanemann is rocking the charts and so are his other albums including Jai Santoshi Maa and Zindaggi Rocks. We spoke to the busy music director Anu Malik whose next music release will be Umrao Jaan. The man seemed high on the success of his albums and is eagerly awaiting his forthcoming compositions.
The music of Jaan-e-mann has opened to great reviews and is already topping on the charts. How does it feel?
It feels great. One feels elated that something for which you worked really hard is recognized by people who love good music. I have got news that the music is on top of the charts. I feel good for myself and good for my producer Sajid who has always had faith in me right from the days of Judwaa and Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega and this film as well. Also for the fact that I did not let my director Shirish Kunder down because this is his first film. Another reason is that Salman Khan and I have always been good for each other. It’s an emotional feeling because I have been working really hard on my music for the past 2 years and when the results come out and give you not just an ‘A’ but an ‘A+’ it really feels good.
Tell us something about the music of Jaanemann.
The music of Jaanemann is not something that you would put in any genre like alternative music or hip-hop or jazz. According to me it is just plain great music. What is important for the listeners to understand is that the music director should understand the script of the film and give the music. The script of Jaaneman is very good. It is an emotional film and has a lot of new things to offer. After hearing the script I told Shirish that there should be great melodies that haven’t been heard from me so far. The song ‘Ajnabee Shaher Hai’ has caught the fancy of the audience. There is another emotional number ‘Sau Dard Hai’ and there is a very dancy number for Salman ‘Ud Jana’. There is also a marriage song as well. When you say marriage song you expect it to be a very typical marriage song but it is not. It is a very out of the box song. I was ably assisted by Gulzar saab. When you have someone like him things really take a turn for the better. So it’s melodic, not only in terms of mukhdas but also in terms of sound production, in terms of the way I have composed the antara, the way my singers have sung. It is one music that stays in your heart and you don’t want to let go of it. There are many ways to describe Jaanemann but I wouldn’t say that I have stuck to one genre. I believed that I must stick to the script. You have to move with the script and deviate from it. The results are mind-boggling and I think I have lived upto my director’s expectations.
How involved was director Shirish Kunder in the music of the film
I have come to know in all these years of my work that when you have a director who understands music it makes your task all the more easier. Shirish Kunder is one director who knew from day one what he wanted. He knew the situations by heart mainly for the reason that he wrote, directed and edited the film. He is very focused and doesn’t let go of his emotions. You don’t even know what he is thinking. There was a time when I used to record 15 tunes for him. He never reacted but just put it in his laptop and came back telling me what he liked and what he didn’t. He wasn’t the guy who goes like ‘wah wah kya gaana banaya’. I felt that he relates to a great melody and I grew to understand him once as time passed. He always said that he wanted a new sound. He said that he wants something that will be Anu Malik’s music but will be different at the same time. Therein lies the beauty of the director when he knows what he wants. He knows what melodies to take and what not to touch. I am very happy to work with Shirish and especially for his first film.
JP Dutta isn’t a guy who goes like ‘wah wah kya gaana banaya’ He said that he wants something that will be Anu Malik’s music but will be different at the same time.
How is it that you always come up with a chartbuster album for Sajid Nadiadwala?
I think it is a Karmic connection. Sajid and I have a beautiful understanding. He has a keen sense of music and we understand each other. We are there for each other and look out for each other.
Another filmmaker with whom you have never gone wrong is JP Dutta. Are you expecting another National award with Umrao Jaan?
For me J.P. Dutta is not just a producer or a director. For me he is more than family. If I look back in the situation I was in, the only person who stood by me was him. He backed me and believed in my music whether it was Border, Refugee or LOC. Umrao Jaan takes the cake as far as believing me is concerned. He said that he is planning Umrao Jaan and that I was the music composer. That really hit me. The earlier Umrao Jaan had some great melodies in the film and the time when he chose me was the time when people were rethinking about Anu Malik. Moreover Dutta never mentioned the earlier Umrao Jaan. He wanted it to be Anu Malik’s Umrao Jaan and the way I would want to compose it. I hope I come 5% closer to the earlier Umrao Jaan then I will be blessed.
From a contemporary, youthful composition in Jaanemann to a classical composition in Umrao Jaan, you have two extremely different genres of music releasing back to back. Do you think u can deliver the best in both worlds of music?
This proves that I can give all kinds of music. For example, people thought that Anu Malik was a man who could only compose a Judwa but they forgot that I also composed a Josh. There was a time when I was working on Virasat, Josh, Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega and Border at the same time. This time also I was composing for Jaaneman and doing Umrao Jaan as well as judging for Indian Idol 2. It did take the beating out of me but I also felt this was a test for a composer to prove that you are not just making a song which is to be played in clubs. The music has to become popular and take the film forward.
The music of Zindaggi Rocks has also released and is doing well for itself.
I would stress on the fact that Tanuja Chandra has a keen sense of music. I especially like the number Humko Choone Paas Aayiye and Lets Rock the Charts Baliye. There is another song which has not been mentioned but is a big hit called Ek Din Fursat Mein. Zindaggi Rocks music is absolutely justifying the word Rocks. Its meant to rock. But I didn’t want any music which was loud. I wanted a combo of rock sound and melody. So there is a perfect balance of rock and melody. The music is selling very well and the song Meri Dhoop Hai Tu is a hit. When you hear the music of Zindaggi Rocks you realize that the music grows on you. Also the movie is amazing and has been made very well. So the music gels with the film.
Jai Santoshi Maa is also on the charts. Don’t you think Anu Malik and a devotional album don’t go together?
I feel deeply honoured and lucky that I have been chosen to compose for Jai Santoshi Maa. There are numerous composers around so why me? As a kid I grew up listening the music of Jai Santoshi Maa and let me tell you something – I have seen the film and it is beautifully made. It was a challenge making the Aarti as the earlier Aarti was a huge hit. People who have heard my Aarti loved it. So I am very excited about the music of Jai Santoshi Maa and I see the blessings of Maa because this will be my first film to release followed by Jaanemann, Umrao Jaan and Woodstock Villa. So I have a lot of films coming up.
You are composing the background score for a film after a long time with Umrao Jaan? What convinced you to do that? Why had you stopped composing
I was always busy with composing music. I’m a guy who composes music but J.P Dutta insisted that I not only compose the music or arrange it or just record the songs. He wanted me to be totally committed to the project. When I was doing the third song I too felt that I should do the background song and so I also hinted a bit and J.P saab said that I must do the background music of Umrao Jaan. He said that he needs 100% commitment the way I gave him commitment when I was composing. I finished the background and I worked equally hard on it. There was a different tune for Abhishek and Aishwarya and the whole gamut of great actors in the film. So I am open to doing the background score for movies but you need the motivation and the time from some one like J.P saab.
So I am open to doing the background score for movies but you need the motivation and the time from some one like J.P saab.
Your daughter Anmol has sung for the film. Was it your idea? Does she plan to take singing or music as a full time profession in the future?
Anmol is not only a natural born talent but has also been learning music from a very young age. She loves learning and creating. She writes her own songs in English and leans more towards western music. Actually she is capable of speaking about herself more than me. J.P. Dutta heard her when we were in London. He kept that in mind and told me that he wanted her to sing for the young Aishwarya. I asked her if she would like to sing it and she was all game. She finished the song in 16-17 minutes. It is a very tough song for a young girl.
There are great singers around and you cannot compare and I am not saying this as a father, I’m speaking purely as a composer when I say this – she has a very pure tone – a tone that touches you. She has a lot of expressions and warmth in her voice and that is what I love. She sings with a lot of heart and feel. When Javed Akthar heard the song he burst into tears. He loved her voice as well as the composition. I think that is a great composition for my daughter and I hope with the blessings of the people watching and reading this interview that Anmol becomes a great singer one day and makes a bigger name than her father.
You have also composed music for some English films like Bride and Prejudice. How different is it as compared to composing for a Hindi film? Any more English projects on hands?
Well, it depends on director to director. Gurinder Chadha has her own style of digging out music. It was a wonderful experience working with Gurinder. It was something which was a learning and a humbling experience. Bride and Prejudice music had a different flavour. If you remember songs like No Life without Wife or the marriage song or the song Show me the way, take me to Love. Every song had a beautiful flavour to it. Apart from that film, my song Chamma Chamma was included in the Hollywood film Moulin Rouge starring Nicole Kidman. So these are great highs in my life and I really thank God for it.
Today you are undoubtedly one of the most prominent and prolific music composers of Bollywood. But not many might know that you had debuted in around 1980. Do you remember the first film that you composed for? My first songs lyrics went as ‘Zulmo Sitam Par Itranewale’ from the film Tu Bhi Toh Ek Din Mit Jayega. This was sung by Ashaji (Bhonsle). She was a great help and she was the one who motivated me in my early days. She agreed to sing and I was lucky because today she is huge and those days were her hey days. I’m blessed that she sang my song. Later on I went onto do the film Ek Jaan Hai Hum. Ashaji was in the film again. Then there was Dil Chahe Aasman Pe Likhdoon Naam Tera which was followed by Yatri which was a big hit and then came Soni Mahiwal.
Now it was a big thing then because I was just 18 or 19. There was Manmohan Desai’s film Mard starring Amitabh Bachchan. These are my landmark films. I then sang a song Julie Julie which became a huge hit as well. Others include Ganga Jamuna Saraswati and Toofan. And then things didn’t work out and I didn’t have any work. I would say my comeback vehicle was in the form of Mahesh Bhatt’s Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayi. This album too turned out to be a huge hit. Then again something went wrong and again I didn’t have much work. Then came Baazigar. The film became a huge hit and so did the music. I got my first Filmfare award and from then on again I had my highs and lows. Again the last two years things started going wrong for me again. New people came on the block and producers who I had given the best for ran away to something that was new. And it was a huge fight back for me this time that I had to give something unusual. Like they say good is not enough anymore especially when you have many players in the market. I worked my heart out and the result is there – Jaaneman became a huge hit. I would say that this is a huge innings start for Anu Malik. Jaaneman’s music has taken the world by storm. I have been getting calls from overseas and lots of messages as well. So this is a new beginning for Anu Malik starting with Jaanemann.
Your father Sardar Malik was a renowned music composer of his time. Did the music bug come into you through him?
Not only the fact that he was a composer but also had the fact that I was brought up in an atmosphere where music was always there. I inculcated the sense of melody from my father and that has stayed with me till today. My father always told me ‘Be Sureela’ and come out with a song that you can hum. The fact that he never made it was a hurting thing for me but also a motivating thing. I told him that when I grow up I will become big and the industry’s top producers will work with me. Apart from God and very few people like J.P. Dutta, I am a self made man with a little bit of success. Whatever bit of success I have gotten is through my own efforts.
My father just passed away last year after being sick for about a year before that. I was all alone in the last two years and there was a father-son sense in there. No one could understand the pain I was going through. I saw my father slowly die and instead of breaking me I took a vow that dad I won’t let go. Two things can happen to you – one you can break down and completely get lost. Two you can submerge out of it and become a stronger person. Like the saying goes – when the going gets tough the tough gets going. I really pulled up my socks and I knew this was it. This is what my father would want me to do. This is what he would expect me. When he was extremely sick he could sense the pain I was going through when things started going wrong professionally for me. He could sense it and always gave me the thumbs up sign. He would catch my hand and say don’t worry. I think that stays back with me and I have learnt my music from him. I have learnt how to be a stronger person and today when I have Jaanemann which is doing very well I’m sure he is around listening somewhere. He is not gone but he is hearing my music.
I told my father (Sardar Malik) that when I grow up I will become big and the industry’s top producers will work with me. You had been composing very good and popular tunes throughout the 80’s. Still you got your first film award very late in 1993 with Baazigar. Do you think the industry took a long time to give you your due recognition as a good music director? I don’t blame the industry. I think ‘bhagya’ (fate) is a very big thing. The industry has been kind to me. It has always been with me someway or the other. Look at it this way. Awards or no awards, the fact that producers signed me up right from the earlier days was a big thing. We go back to F.C. Mehra to Harmesh Malhotra to Mahesh Bhatt to the Venus family who gave me Baazigar to audio companies like Tips or T-Series. They were always there for me.
I think my producers and directors want me to give in my best. When they saw me not on my best they started running away and now they have started coming back. Awards came a bit late but they did come to me. I look at the positive side of life and don’t grumble. There are people who did great work and have been ignored. I got 3 Filmfare awards, 2 Screen awards and 1 National award for Border. I just thank God and say that I want to work and work harder.
Which musicians from the past have really inspired you? Who are your all-time favorite musicians?
The best thing about me is that I don’t live in the past. When I was a kid I was a fan of The Beatles and Elvis Presley. When I grew up I got inspired by Shankar-Jaikishen and then I fell in love with R.D. Burman’s music. As time passed I started hearing other people. I was really inspired by the movie ‘The Sound of Music’ and I really liked the music The Bee Gees created for John Travolta’s ‘Saturday Night Fever’. That was huge and in terms of melody and harmony you cannot define it. And now there are many groups from the west as well as over here. Music is something which you take and learn. I’m a great fan of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. I listen to him in times of stress and I think he is fabulous.
I’m a great fan of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. I listen to him in times of stress and I think he is fabulous.
Who from the current lot of music composers in Bollywood do you think is good at his work?
Let’s put it this way. When I entered the industry there were 5 composers. You can count the greats on your fingertips. Laxmikant-Pyarelal, R.D Burman, Kalyanji-Anandji to name a few! Today there are 50 thousand composers and I think each and every composer is doing a marvelous job. I can’t pinpoint and say this particular music director is my favourite.
Who are your favorite singers male and female?
On certain occasions it’s K.K, on certain occasions it’s Shaan and on certain occasions it Sonu Nigam. When they sing for my song at that time they become my favourites. I don’t play the favourites game. I do believe that when I record a song I want the song to be sung very well because it is my baby. I want it to be nurtured well
Source: 
Popularity: 9% [?]
Movie Review: Khosla Ka Ghosla
Sep 24th
By Subhash K. Jha, Indo-Asian News Service
Film: “Khosla Ka Ghosla”; Starring: Anupam Kher, Boman Irani, Parveen Dabas, Tara Sharma, Ranveer Shorey; Director: Dibakar Banerjee; Rating: ****
“Khosla Ka Ghosla” tells you that sometimes you need to lose the plot to gain it.
When Kamal Kishore Khurana (Anupam Kher) loses his precious plot of land in Delhi’s rapidly degenerating concrete jungle, he gains a son who was about to leave for greener pastures (US).
Lucky Khosla! But we, the viewers, are even luckier. In Khurana’s loss and gain, there lurks a hugely rewarding morality tale for us.
If “Lage Raho Munnabhai” goes Gandhian with a vengeance (no pun intended), “Khosla Ka Ghosla” tells us, through delicious tongue-in- cheek satire, that it’s okay to use unfair means to get what’s rightfully yours.
“Khosla Ka Ghosla” is a very rare, tender and life-giving plant that needs careful nurturing for it to yield its optimum fruits. The film is straightforward in its depiction of the working-class stress (done earlier in works as varied as Mahesh Bhatt’s “Saaransh” and Raj Kumar Santoshi’s “Ghaatak”).
It is done so simply that you tend to miss the immeasurable amounts of unassuming talent that underline almost every scene of this remarkable film.
Jaideep Sahni’s writing talent is put to exceptional use. The narrative captures the muddle and poignancy, irony and humour of Delhi’s middleclass through a storytelling device where less is always more. A delectable understatement underlines almost every character’s propulsion in this film about how to lose the plot to gain a much larger plot.
The real estate isn’t the real asset of this robustly populated mellow-drama. The human values that one discovers in Khosla’s journey from loss to redemption make the film several notches above your run- of-the-mill morality tale.
Debutant director Dibakar Banerjee fills the narrative with sharply cut incidents and episodes of an ordinary family caught in an extra- ordinary crisis. Apart from a few deliberately thrust thematic songs, Banerjee economises on the drama to focus on the characters and their quirks.
Khosla’s dismayed realisation that his dream-house, into which he has invested his life’s savings, is in the danger of being razed to the ground even before construction, brings to the surface the disturbing question of the fragmentation of the joint family.
Besides bringing father Kher and son Dabas together, this heart- warming film also brings other characters together in unlikely ways. The Muslim travel agent (Vinay Pathak) and the Khosla heir who prepares to fly off to America come together to plot the defeat of the real- estate shark (Boman Irani replicating to some extent his “Lage Raho…” act).
While the narrative preserves the blithe spirit to bring out the crises of the working-class, there are numerous moments that bring a lump to your throat.
Admirably, the story of humanism and victory of the human spirit gets progressively dramatic without losing plausibility. Scenes where a drama group led by a frazzled Navin Nishchol help Khosla regain his plot are done in an endearingly dare-devilish spirit.
After “Lage Raho…” this is the second film in a month to make us feel so positive about the pitfalls of urban existence. The credit must go above all to the writer and the actors for infusing an effortless candour into the working-class satire.
Every performer, from Anupam and Boman to Parveen and Tara Sharma, blends into the film’s mottled fabric. Watch Tara give spunk, substance and sensitivity to the potentially trite girlfriend’s role.
But for Anupam, this film is a special triumph. He puts an extra amount of heart into Khosla’s character making him more real than almost anything the actor has done lately.
On the journey to Khosla’s happy ending, we encounter characters who seem like our next door neighbours – Khosla’s Sardar friend, the cunning tout who cheats Khosla, the stage actress who smokes her way through the plot to hoodwink Boman. Every character seems like someone you’ve met in that long and cumbersome journey called life.
Thank God for stopovers like “Khosla Ka Ghosla”.
BollywoodEntertainment.com.au Rating: 3
Watched this movie? Comment below to post your review!
Popularity: 8% [?]
Celebrity Interview: Sushmita Sen
Sep 24th
By Arpana, Indo-Asian News Service
Mumbai, Sep 23 (IANS) Sushmita Sen is eagerly awaiting the release of her new film “Zindaggi Rocks”, a film she enjoyed shooting due to the predominantly all-women crew.
“‘Zindaggi Rocks’ is a rocking film with women at the helm of affairs. If Anurradha (Prasad) is the producer, Tanuja (Chandra) is the director and Moushumiji (Chatterjee) and I are the actors.
“In fact Moushumiji has played a double role for the first time in her career stretching almost three decades. I could learn a lot after observing her at work at close quarters,” Sushmita told IANS.
The actress goes into raptures over Tanuja Chandra’s directorial skills.
“Tanuja is one of our intelligent filmmakers who likes to project realism in her films even while maintaining the format and the idiom of commercial mainstream Hindi Cinema.
“What I like about Tanuja is the fact that she is a very obedient teacher who picks up the colloquial dialogues, which we tend to use in our day-to-day life. The comfort level I had as an actor was very evident when I worked with Tanuja in ‘Zindaggi Rocks’.”
The film, which is slated for a worldwide release Oct 6, is about the love story between a rock star Kria, played by Sushmita, and doctor Sooraj Rihan (Shiney Ahuja).
Sushmita eulogises Chandra: “I think ‘Zindaggi Rocks’ is Tanuja’s finest work till date. If you as an actor have a personal equation with Tanuja, half the battle is won on the sets. Tanuja is a very good actor too and is very clear about what exactly she wants as a director from you.
“Technically Tanuja is quite a progressive director and sets out to juxtapose between close ups as well as cuts. Her strength is to give you several layers when you perform even when the scene is a silent one.”
The actress also gives full marks to the producer for giving Tanuja a free hand to extract the best out of all the performers in “Zindaggi Rocks”.
“Anurradha is an experienced producer even though this is her first film as a producer because she has to her credit several quality TV serials.
Sushmita admits that she could identify herself with the character of Kria to a large extent. Kria, according to Sushmita, is loud, mad, pathologically friendly, a musical genius, an extremely popular singer and also a woman who does not take “no” for an answer.
“Zindaggi Rocks” can be described as a mature love story between Kria – a rock singer with the responsibility of bringing up her 12-year-old son, who is smarter than men twice his age – and doctor Sooraj Rihan.
Sushmita confesses that all that she did to get into the skin of her character was to question her director and follow her instructions besides, of course, using her natural instincts.
“Whenever I tended to go off the track, Tanuja used to bring me back to the nuances of the character of Kria. Kria isn’t just a rock-star because to her, being a rock star is just a way of life. Life is a celebration for her and the film has been narrated from the point of view of the doctor.”
Sushmita seems to have consolidated her position among women filmmakers in Bollywood. She has earlier worked with Meghna Gulzar in “Filhaal”, Farah Khan in “Main Hoon Na” and Kalpana Lajmi in “Chingaari”.
Popularity: 9% [?]
Celebrity Interview: Vidya Balan
Sep 24th
By Swati R. Chaudhary, Indo-Asian News Service
Mumbai, Sep 23 (IANS) From a sari clad woman in her debut vehicle “Parineeta” to a hip radio jockey in “Lage Raho Munna Bhai”, it has been quite a transition for Vidya Balan.
Vidya gives credit to her costume designer Sheena Parekh for her glamorous look in “Lage Raho Munna Bhai”, reports Bollywood Trade.
“I want to be able to portray different images. I want to be versatile and don’t want to restrict myself to any particular genre.
“Sheena asserted that I could look perfect in western clothes too. Personally, I am more comfortable in this look and I am very much like this in real life too.”
She bowled over her fans with her stunning performance as RJ Jhanvi in “Lage Raho..”
However, she says, she never expected “Parineeta”, which was directed by her mentor Pradeep Sarkar, to receive such an overwhelming response.
“I’m glad I got an opportunity to be a part of such a great film, that too at the very onset of my career. I hadn’t expected ‘Parineeta’ to be such a huge hit. I gave it my best shot and I’m grateful to god that it happened to me. (Laughs) And now to top it all, I have ‘Lage Raho…’.”
Vidya and Sarkar go back a long way.
“I’ve done around 90 ads out of which I did four to five with him. I’ve also done three music videos with him (Euphoria, Shubha Mudgal and Pankaj Udhas). He is truly my mentor and I really look up to him. He had faith in me and that reinforced my faith.”
She describes Vidhu Vinod Chopra as her extended family.
“I respect him and we share this warmth and affection. I know if I ever need him, he’ll always be there.”
When asked about her co-stars Sanjay Dutt and Saif Ali Khan, she said: “I’m fortunate I started off with great actors like Sanjay and Saif. They are lovely human beings too. Saif prepares for his role and probably Sanjay doesn’t but both of them are very focused and extremely natural. Sanjay is versatile and effortless I feel. I’ve learnt a great deal from both of them.”
She talks more enthusiastically about Abhishek Bachchan with whom she is working in Mani Ratnam’s “Guru”.
“It was a lovely experience. Abhishek is a live wire and I had a blast shooting with him. We were laughing and pulling pranks on each other.”
Talking about Aishwarya, she said: “Aishwarya is by far the most dignified woman I’ve ever met in my life. She is humble to the core. I play a small but an important role in the film.”
Right now Vidya is working in Nikhil Advani’s “Salaam-e-Ishq”.
“It is not yet complete and will release in January. It is the story of six couples from different walks of life. Nikhil and his group are a bunch of young, energetic people. I had great fun shooting with them. I am paired opposite John Abraham. We were constantly laughing and teasing people. He is a great co-star. I guess this probably incited the vile rumours.”
So do they affect you?
“Not at all! There’s no truth in it. John and I just laughed about it. People who matter to me know the truth so I really don’t care. The day I’m seeing someone, I’ll happily announce it to the world.”
Apart from “Salaam-e-Ishq”, Vidya is working in “Eklavya”, “Hey Baby” and “Chandramukhi”.
“‘Eklavya’ is Mr. Amitabh Bachchan. I’m playing the female lead in the film. I’m paired opposite Saif Ali Khan. It’ll release some time in January.
“We haven’t started shooting for ‘Hey Baby’ so it’s too premature to talk about it right now. It also stars Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh and Fardeen Khan.
“As for ‘Chandramukhi’, I’m playing a normal girl and I have a classical number in the film.”
So far Vidya has played a sweet and loving girl but has no apprehension about accepting negative roles.
“If I’m convinced I’ll certainly do it. Moreover, I have not set any limitations or parameters. So, it’s not about positive or negative, I just want to play good characters onscreen.
“I am here to do good work. My agenda is to enjoy my work and go home feeling satisfied with my day’s work. Every role that I do should be someone else’s dream role.”
Popularity: 9% [?]
Bollywood Music Top 10 Chart
Sep 24th
Indo-Asian News Service
New Delhi, Sep 23 (IANS) “Main hoon Don”, which made an impressive entry on the music charts, has been pushed to second place by “Tere bin” from “Bas Ek Pal” in this week’s rankings.
The top 10 Hindi film songs of the week are:
1. “Tere bin” – Film: “Bas Ek Pal”; Singer: Atif Aslam; Music: Mithoon. The film didn’t get much of a response at the box office, but music buffs have loved the blues song and made it number one this week.
2. “Main hoon Don” – Film: “Don – The Chase Begins Again”; Singer: Shaan; Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. The stylishly shot song, which has lyrics by Javed Akhtar, has slipped one notch from its top position.
3. “Kya mujhe pyaar hai” – Film: “Woh Lamhe”; Singer: K.K; Music: Pritam. One of the best songs in the album, it has taken a big leap and landed at number three position this week.
4. “Pal pal” – Film: “Lage Raho Munna Bhai”; Singer: Vinod Rathod; Music: Shantanu Moitra. It is a treat to watch this well-choreographed song, which is slowly but steadily climbing up the list.
5. “Aap ki khatir” – Film: “Aap Ki Khatir”; Singer: Himesh Reshammiya; Music: Himesh Reshammiya. The film didn’t receive encouraging reviews and the song is already losing its sheen.
6. “Pyaar kar ke pachtaye” – Film: “Pyaar Ke Side Effects”; Singer: Labh Janjua; Music: Pritam. The film has received rave reviews, which has boosted the popularity of the song.
7. “Kabhi alvida naa kehna” – Film: “Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna”; Singers: Alka Yagnik and Sonu Nigam; Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. Both the film and the song failed to enthral the audience.
8. “Bidee” – Film: “Omkara”; Singers: Sunidhi Chauhan, Sukhwinder Singh; Music: Vishal Bharadwaj. “Bidee” seems to have become a permanent fixture on the charts.
9. “Chand sifarish” – Film: “Fanaa”; Singers: Shaan and Kailash Kher; Music: Jatin-Lalit. This naughty and romantic number has been on the charts for many months.
10. “Junoon” – Film: “Rocky – The Rebel”; Singers: Amrita Kak and Himesh Reshammiya; Music: Himesh Reshammiya. The rocking number, which was not on the charts last week, has re-entered the list.
(Source – The Music Shop, Khan Market)
Popularity: 8% [?]
Music Review: Jai Santoshi Maa
Sep 24th
By Joginder Tuteja, IndiaFM
In an age where different subjects are being tried out practically every passing week, there are some film makers who are opting to remake the yesteryear hits, albeit in a contemporary manner. While the world is aware about Farhan Akhtar remaking ‘Don’ and Ram Gopal Verma going ahead with his version of ‘Sholay’, not many are aware that Percept Picture Company and director Ahmed Siddiqui have gone ahead and wrapped up ‘Jai Santoshi Maa’, remake of the 1970s superhit, and are all set to release it this festive season. Starring Rakesh Bapat and Nushrat Bharucha in the lead, the film has music by Anu Malik [who sees a third straight musical release after 'Zindaggi Rocks' and 'Jaan-E-Mann'] with lyrics by Swanand Kirkire, whose songs in ‘Lagey Rahe Munnabhai’ are now making waves.
There are umpteenth devotional albums that arrive at the stands [especially in the interiors of India] every week. Will the music of ‘Jai Santoshi Maa’ turn out to be a cut above them? Not really, though it does sail through well!
Pair of Sonu Nigam and Alka Yagnik, who have been heard together in dozens of romantic numbers, are heard in a different avtar when the title song ‘Jai Santoshi Maa’ begins. Elaborately choreographed with good picturisation, this devotional song is about the appreciation of ‘maa’ by the lead pair of the film. Paced on a slower note with ‘dandiya ‘ beats forming its musical base, the result is just about alright though it starts playing on your mind after repeated hearings. As expected, both the singers are good in their rendition while singing at a low pitch.
Orchestra at the beginning of ‘Bigdi Bana Do’ creates a haunting effect but soon settles down with Alka Yagnik coming to the scene. A sad track with the female protagonist praying before the Goddess to intervene in the time of her need, it has Vijay Prasad reciting the ’shlokas’ intermittently. Primarily for the situation, it is extremely slow and doesn’t really impress much. Karunya sings the male version of the song which is even slower and is set in a classical mode. One wonders if audience of today would really be patient enough to give it a hearing other than watching it during the film.
Its nostalgia time with two songs from the original film resurfacing, though sans any remix/rearrangement! First to come is Usha Mangeshkar’s legendary track ‘Main To Aarti Utaaroon Re’ which was written by Kavi Pradeep and set to tune by C. Arjun. Well, what can one say about this track which can easily be cited as the MOST POPULAR devotional number ever composed. It was a rage when it was released in the 70s and is still a hot favorite in the Navrataras more than 3 decades after it was heard first. Beautiful rhythm coupled with some authentic rendition makes this a superb track to hear all over again.
Suresh Wadkar, who has been on the musical scene even today, was a youngster when he sung ‘Yahaan Wahaan – Apni Santoshi Maa’ for the original film. The song is revived from the classic and it makes for a beautiful hearing once again. The song still sounds so fresh with and even youngsters can easily identify with it since it is still heard often in the ‘jaagrans’ that are a common feature at least in the North belt of India.
After the nostalgia, it’s time to return to the present with Anu Malik returning with his compositions. Lataji, who makes select appearances, is heard after a long time in ‘Aisa Vardan’ which has a nice built-up to it. The song is a clear take off on ‘Itni Shakti Hamein Dena Daata’ and there are no pretensions of hiding the source as well. That’s the reason why it doesn’t take much time to identify with the song since one has already appreciated the tune since years. Its celebration time for Lataji’s fans as they hear her again in ‘Laal Chudiyan’, which is again a popular number from the past and is based on folk music from the North West. No wonder, it is a nice hear again!
Well, this is not all from Lataji as she creates a hat-trick with ‘Na Chitthi Aayee’ which comes soon after. A painful track about a woman waiting for some message from her loved one and looking at ‘Maa’ as the only hope, it is again situational and follows the same route as ‘Bigdi Bana Do’ in terms of feel and the impact it creates on the audience. An average sounding number.
Hari Om Sharan, who is a known name in the world of devotional music, is heard in ‘Taro Taro’ which has a good rhythm attached to it. The track would be immediately picked up by his followers, especially women, who are traditionally known to love such style of compositions. The track indeed has a serene feel to it, mainly due to Hari Om Sharan’s vocals which create a great impact. Anu Malik and Swanand Kirkire create a good devotional number that makes for a worthy inclusion in the album.
A couple of ‘aartis’ come towards the end of the album in the form of ‘Jai Maa Santoshi (Maha Aarti)’ and ‘Maa Santoshi Ki Aarti’. Usha Mangeshkar is roped in for the former while Shaunak Abhisheki croons the latter which is based on an eternal ‘Om Jai Jagdish’ theme and hence comes quite easy on ears.
There is a surprise in store as a love duet is heard before the album is wrapped up. Sonu Nigam and Alka Yagnik are roped in for ‘Suno Suno’ which tries to be extra mushy by following the mush approach with a slow pacing but the overall result is quite ‘thanda’. It is just a rehash of many numbers belonging to this genre composed by Malik earlier and hence doesn’t really impress much.
One factor which was clear much before even playing on the first song of ‘Jai Santoshi Maa’ was that its genre restricted its demand to a select audience only. In Indian households [especially in the interiors] where devotional tracks are still sung and heard on festive occasions the album may still have some reach but apart from that the songs would be heard mainly in the film. While the 2 songs ['Main To Aarti', 'Yahaan Wahaan'] are still the best part about the album, the remaining original tracks do well to make the rest of the album a decent hear.
Rating: 2.5
Source:
Popularity: 8% [?]
Box Office Summary
Sep 24th
By Taran Adarsh, IndiaFM
In the 1970s and 1980s, when television hadn’t made inroads in India, feature films were the prime source of entertainment for most Indians. In those days, three/four/five films would open week after week and a good number would fare well at ticket counters. Of course, the practice of releasing films simultaneously across all circuits never existed then. Piracy too didn’t exist, till video came to India.
But the scenario has changed over the years. Round-the-clock entertainment on television, rampant piracy of films and exorbitant ticket rates at movieplexes are impediments if a film carries negative reports. Also, with multiple films every week, it’s truly the survival of the fittest.
The four medium-budget films [SHIVA, PYAAR KE SIDE/EFFECTS, BAS EK PAL and KACHCHI SADAK] that opened on Friday faced dual oppositions — the ongoing cricket matches and of course, from each other. The business was clearly divided. SHIVA had an edge at single screens at some centres, while PYAAR KE SIDE/EFFECTS had a decent start at multiplexes. In fact, the opening day numbers of all films, barring PYAAR KE SIDE/EFFECTS, were below par.
Have you noticed, the trend has tilted towards big-budget films with solid content this year? In fact, a number of medium-budget films, with a novel story to tell, have found few takers at the box-office. The volume of business has increased by leaps and bounds, but for big- budget films only.
Back to the current releases! PYAAR KE SIDE/EFFECTS had an average plus weekend at multiplexes, thereby ensuring a recovery of its investment. The urban theme has gone down well with the audiences and the film should also fetch its producers [P.N.C.] substantial revenue from non-theatrical rights.
On the other hand, SHIVA hasn’t found acceptance from the paying public. In fact, RGV has not tasted success for a while now, although people were hopeful that SHIVA would do the trick since the accomplished storyteller is seated in the director’s chair this time. As for BAS EK PAL, it cut a sorry picture everywhere. Even the popular track ‘Tere Bin’ couldn’t save this venture from sinking.
THIS WEEK IN 2005 [Weekend: September 16-18, 2005]
The Friday gone by witnessed the release of four prominent films, all directed by first-timers: CHOCOLATE [Vivek Agnihotri], JAMES [Rohit Jugraj], KAL – YESTERDAY & TOMORROW [Ruchi Narain] and SAU JHOOTH EK SACH – THE UNINVITED [Bappaditya Roy]. But one more commonality surfaced on their opening day: All proved non-starters at the box- office.
Not much was expected from KAL – YESTERDAY & TOMORROW and SAU JHOOTH EK SACH – THE UNINVITED anyways, so their poor show at the turnstiles didn’t really come as a surprise. But the non-performance or let’s say the dismal opening of CHOCOLATE and JAMES did come as a jolt. Both CHOCOLATE and JAMES were supported by a strong publicity blitzkrieg, but the near-empty halls that greeted the two films came as a complete shocker.
THIS WEEK IN 2004 [Weekend: September 17-19, 2004]
After PHIR MILENGE, RAKHT, HUM KAUN HAI? and DIL NE JISE APNA KAHAA [all opened to an alarmingly low response], EK SE BADHKAR EK followed a similar pattern throughout the country. Its opening ranged between 10% and 20% at certain cinema halls across the nation.
Despite being sold at throwaway prices, this comedy only proved to be a tragedy for its distributors!
Source:
Popularity: 8% [?]