Bollywood Hungama

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Sunny Deol's ailing back doesn't weigh him down. His back has always been a handicap and it has hampered his career but the jat that he is, he takes everything in his stride. "Everyone knows that I've been unwell for a long time. My back has been a hindrance but I've learnt to live with it. This is the reason why the audience hasn't seen much of me lately," says Sunny.

"It's my ambition to do good, entertaining and meaningful films thereby contributing to Indian cinema", adds Sunny.

He is working on lot of scripts currently and says that he has lost interest in awards. "Today awards don't focus on ones work and talent. Audience appreciation is what matters to me."

His forthcoming film APNE directed by Anil Sharma is very close to his heart. He has developed an emotional bonding with the film. "APNE is about the joint family system. It is about the issues and happenings in a joint family. Some bitterness cropping up in the family doesn't mean that people don't love each other. It has boxing as its backdrop," he divulges.

And what's next on the cards? "There's FOOL and FINAL, KAAFILA and CHALLENGE coming up," he signs off.

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Chitra Palekar's film strikes a chord at Toronto


For first-time director Chitra Palekar her film "Maati Maay" - that premiered at the 31st Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) a couple of days ago to a strong critical response - is more than a mere piece of cinema.

The film, she suggests, is a reflection of life itself, with all its raw brutality, sad anomalies and eventual humanity. "Maati Maay" is a sensitive and deeply moving study of the predicament of a woman trapped in a web of social mores and familial obligations.

"I had read the Hindi translation of Mahasweta Devi's well-known Bengali story about a woman grave-keeper Bayen. But I chose to make the film in Marathi because that allowed me to set the story in a milieu I was familiar with," says Palekar.

"Maati Maay", featuring Nandita Das, Atul Kulkarni, a child non-actor that Palekar picked from Amravati in Vidarbha and several local theatre actors, is now due to travel to the London Film Festival after its release in Pune Oct 6. "It will open in Mumbai in November," she announces.

Palekar had the story in mind for nearly five years. "It was first meant to be adapted for the Marathi stage but somewhere along the way it took the form of a screenplay," says the writer of critically acclaimed films like "Kairee" and "Dhyasparva".

Wasn't she worried that Bayen would be a difficult story to film, especially considering that this was going to be her first directorial venture? "I hadn't worked for nearly seven years. So it was difficult to get started. That is perhaps why 'Maati Maay' took me two years to plan and execute," says Palekar. "But once I got into the swing of things, it all came back to me." Palekar wrapped up the shoot in 25 days.

"Maati Maay" is the story of Chandi (Nandita Das), whose family has traditionally looked after a children's graveyard. When her father dies leaving behind no male heir, the young low-caste woman inherits the job and performs it as a sacred duty. But when she gives birth to her own son, the last rites of little children become increasingly painful for her. But can Chandi - as so many other women of her ilk around India and indeed the world - ever hope to escape her lot?

The film, says Palekar, has struck a chord with its audience in Toronto because of its universality. "I was expecting questions seeking clarifications about the setting and the rituals," she says. "I was surprised to realise that people related to the plight of the characters, Chandi, Narsu and Bhagirath, effortlessly."

Palekar asserts that language is never a barrier to the comprehension of a film. "I did not in any case treat 'Maati Maay' like another regional language film meant for limited circulation," she says. "I designed and shot it keeping international standards in mind."

Judging by the response the film has evoked in Toronto, Palekar seems to have achieved that benchmark.

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Hi MPVs,

this is a great article...check it out...

A Hong Kong based Indian filmmaker recently made a unique documentary on the one film wonders of Bollywood where some make it to the top even after their debut films are flops whereas some sink into oblivion even though the their debut films are super hits. Shoma A Chatterji gives an interesting glimpse into workings of the unpredictable box office.

Hong Kong-based Komal Tolani's 54-minute documentary Sunset Bollywood is devoted to one-film wonders in tinsel town. Tolani, a Drama, Film and TV graduate of Bristol University, was inspired to make the film when she saw her teenage-heartthrob Rahul Roy on a television re-run of AASHIQUI.

"I wanted to convey the true reasons why people fade out of the limelight. These actors are usually dismissed as one-hit wonders, but often, as my documentary reveals, there are other reasons why actors and actresses bow out of the industry early," explains Tolani.

Is it a hare-and-tortoise race between has-beens who made it to the headlines with their first film and stars who churned out one flop after another but rose to big heights and stayed there for years and years? Bollywood offers an interesting script along these lines.

Bollywood is generously dotted with one-film wonders and first-film stars. One film wonders are newcomers whose first film was a thumping hit but who never really could take a joyride on the success of that film to lead up to sustained stardom. They simply faded out, at times, vanishing without trace. First-film stars are those whose first film brought them stardom but whose subsequent forays into cinema were so marginalized that people forgot they existed at all. A classic example of the former is none other than Bhagyashree while Rameshwari offers an illustration of the latter category of actors. Both of them were talented, had a strong screen presence and interestingly, made their debut in Rajshri Production films. Bhagyashree starred in one of the biggest hits in Hindi cinema - MAINE PYAR KIYA. Rameshwari, armed with a diploma in acting from the FTII, stepped into films with the delightful family entertainer, DULHAN WOHI JO PIYA MAN BHAAYE in 1977. Over the past three decades, Rameshwari has done not more than 24 films. Though she did the female lead in some of her earlier films, all of them flopped. We saw her last in BUNTY AUR BABLI. Prem Kishen, son of Premnath, did the hero's role opposite Rameshwari but disappeared from the large screen afterwards except in itsy bitsy negative roles in a few films.

Bhagyashree turned down every single offer that came her way after the success of her debut film. She even rejected an offer of Rs.10 lakh for a film, an astronomical sum in those days for an absolute newcomer. She had strings attached - the producer had to take her brand new husband Himalaya as her hero. Producers refused to comply. One did a few years later, but was left bankrupt because Himalaya was no screen material and Bhagyashree was no longer a craze.

Rajendra Kumar was called Jubilee Kumar because most of his films ran for 25 weeks at a stretch in theatres. He launched his son Kumar Gaurav in LOVE STORY, one of the biggest hits. It was a delightful entertainer with a new girl, Vijayeta, in the female lead. But the father who launched his son also destroyed his budding career. He out-priced his son in the market so much so that producers gradually shied away. He re-launched his son several years later opposite Madhuri Dixit in PHOOL. But Kumar Gaurav was finished as an actor for all time to come. Vijayeta too, could do little to save her career.

Rahul Roy created headlines with his debut in Mahesh Bhatt's AASHIQUI. This too, was a hit but though Rahul did some more films, none of them could bring him back the limelight he experienced with his first film. Salma Agha, the singing actress, made a stunning debut in B.R. Chopra's NIKAAH (1982.) She was beautiful, talented and could lend voice to her own songs. But her unprofessional attitude and wrong choice of banners and films did nothing to sustain that sparkling debut. Mandakini's much-touted debut in Raj Kapoor's RAM TERI GANGA MAILI was a big hit, wet saree and all. But it did nothing to further the career of the youngest Kapoor heir Rajeev Kapoor, whose launch film this was supposed to be. Mandakini acted in 36 films till 1996, including ones like TEZAAB and DANCE DANCE, but she could not impress and vanished with her name tainted with alleged mafia link for good measure. The same applies to Zeba, the beautiful lady from Pakistan who starred in the title role of Raj Kapoor's HENNA (1991.) Though the film was a hit, Zeba went away for good and we never ever saw her again.

Bollywood is a better playfield for the tortoise than for the hare. There are exceptions of course, but by and large, the slow learners have turned out to be the biggest winners in the race. Rajesh Khanna's first film AAKHRI KHAT (1966) was a flop. But he was noticed and got offers despite the film's failure. Dharmendra, who has acted in nearly 250 films over the past 45 years, offered a turnip at the box office with his debut in DIL BHI TERA HUM BHI TERE (1960). The following two years, he kept up his record of flops with SHOLA AUR SHABNAM, BOYFRIEND and SOORAT AUR SEERAT (1962). His first hit came with UNPADH in 1962. He was cast opposite Mala Sinha in the film and being a heroine-centred film, his role was secondary to the heroine's. But his career was made and he can still pick and choose his roles if he wishes to.

Few who saw K.A. Abbas's SAAT HINDUSTHANI (1969) would recall one of the seven Indians who was shot and killed while trying to crawl through an iron fencing at the then-colonial Goa border. The lanky young man with hollow cheeks was none other than Amitabh Bachchan. But SAAT HINDUSTANI was a flop and hardly anyone recalls the lanky young man today. In BOMBAY TALKIE (1970), a Shashi Kapoor production, Amitabh was not even mentioned in the credits of the film. After all, he was one of the mourners at a funeral within the film! In Sunil Dutt's RESHMA AUR SHERA (1971), Bachchan played Chhotu, a bit role purportedly sans dialogue! And look where he finds himself today!

Hema Malini's much-touted debut film SAPNO KA SAUDAGAR opposite Raj Kapoor was no great shakes at the box office. But she was showered with roles after the film. No one remembers Rekha's Hindi debut film today. But that does not change her status quo in the film industry. Dimple Kapadia on the other hand, could never recreate the magic she defined in BOBBY. Nor could Amrita Singh the way she did in BETAAB, her debut opposite Sunny Deol. Aesop was right.

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Director Ram Gopal Varma has pooh-poohed rumours that Ajay Devgan asked him to change the script of "Sholay".

Devgan plays Veeru and Mohit Ahlawat Jai in this remake.

Denying the rumours Varma told IANS: "Ajay did not ask me to make changes in the script. We've worked together before in 'Company' and 'Bhoot' and there's no problem at all."

Talking about the delay in the project, he said: "It may seem like a delay because we started shooting in September. But it was meant to be shot in September."

Varma is quite optimistic about "Sholay".

"Except for Mr. Bachchan as Gabbar there's no other casting in 'Sholay' that can determine or destroy its prospects. I don't know why people seem so hell-bent to see the project go down. I'm sorry to disappoint the doomsday prophets.

"I'm wrapping it up by year-end to start 'Sarkar 2' with Amit-ji and Abhishek and then another project with Amit-ji early next year."

Varma directed Amitabh in "Nishabd".

"I don't want to sound boastful but I feel Amit-ji has given his career's best performance in 'Nishabd'. While watching the film I feel he has completely surpassed everyone's expectations, including mine."

The shooting of "Sholay" has started but Varma's search for Basanti is still on. Though Katrina Kaif has been cast to play widow Radha's role.

"Why is everyone so keen to know who'll play Basanti? Let me confess the character won't be the same Basanti as Hema-ji in the original 'Sholay'.

"This is a different 'Sholay' that will reflect a new sensibility and acontemporary reality. We can't have Gabbar Singh on a horse and a Basanti on a tonga any more. My 'Sholay' transposes the milieu and the characters to a more contemporary setting."

In fact, all the original characters may not have the same names.

A report that Karisma Kapoor may stage a comeback with Varma's "Sholay" has the enterprising director baffled.

"I've no idea where that came from. Very honestly, I haven't thought of Karisma in any film for the last five years. I don't know from where her name cropped up."

Right now the maverick director has shot 40 percent of his new film "Darling". This musical-romantic thriller stars Fardeen Khan, Bipasha Basu and Esha Deol in the main leads.

"It's not a love story. It's a romantic thriller-comedy. It's very difficult, almost impossible to define its genre. It's unique in its content and treatment. I've shot with Fardeen before. But never with Bipasha and Esha."

Varma's other directorial venture "Shiva", starring Mohit in the title role, is releasing Friday.

"I was tied up with solving my production problems. There was no control on the creative or financial level. I lost control over my projects. That's why I had stopped the release of all my films.

"Now my house is in order. I'm again ready to start releasing my films. Ram Gopal Varma production has four releases till September end. 'Shiva' is complete. 'Darling' is on the floors. I'll do a bit of shooting and then start again full force in November."

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Seema Parihar - the dreaded bandit who ruled the Chambal ravines for nearly two decades - is now set to cast her spell on Bollywood.

"Wounded" is a film on Seema's life and she essays the role herself to ensure that the portrayal is realistic.

Directed by Krishna Mishra "Wounded" has been exclusively shot on real locations like Seema's ancestral village and the areas ruled by her - Bihad and Bawine.

Mishra's film received the Critics Award at Leicester Expo Film Festival 2005, Britain, for realistic portrayal of the 13-year-old who becomes a dacoit.

Seema is optimistic about the film.

"I think everybody will like the film and it will be a success. Whatever is shown in the film is based on facts - my gang leader Lalaram's attitude towards me and the fact that I dumped my first husband Nirbhay Gujjar because he was a womaniser," Seema told IANS.

Seema, who reigned over Chambal after the surrender of Phoolan Devi, decided to play her part because she did not want the director to take any cinematic liberties.

"I didn't want the director to distort facts about me and my life in Chambal as was done with 'Bandit Queen'."

Seema was not happy with Shekhar Kapoor's "Bandit Queen" because the portrayal was incorrect.

"In 'Bandit Queen' the people of Behmai strip Phoolan and parade her. And then she takes up arms to seek revenge. This is not true. Phoolan hailed from Jalaun district not Behmai. There is no connection between the two places."

Seema also condemns atrocities committed by Phoolan Devi.

"I was a bandit for 18 years and I know how things work there. One or two people can inform the police but not 23. I think Phoolan should not have killed innocent people," she said.

Seema was a member of the Lalaram and Nirbhay Gujjar gang and surrendered in June 2000. She is facing a trial in over a dozen cases registered at different police stations in Etawah, Auraiya and Jalaun.

Seema laid arms for the sake of her son.

"My life was wasted but I could change my son's, so I surrendered. Sagar was a little over a year old when I surrendered. He is now six. I am trying to provide him good education and a good life. I want him to be a doctor."

"Wounded" shows Seema as a moralist who never attacked innocent people.

When asked if she was trying to change her image through the film, she said: "Not at all. Everybody knows who I am. There may be some who don't know me by face but most of the people are familiar with my name. So, I am not trying to change my image through this film."

However, Seema is not apologetic about her life as a bandit.

"I used to accompany them on all missions - kidnappings, murders... I wasn't scared. I don't agree with people who say that men are stronger than women. If my gang-mates faced problems, I also went through the same and never complained."

Talking about her first husband Nirbhay, Seema said: "I broke all ties with him and threw him out of the gang."

Did he every try to get in touch with you?

"No. He never tried to join us. Initially, he worked with other gangs and later formed his own gang. When he was killed, I went to see him. His family was not getting his body so I helped them out.

"I spoke to the senior superintendent of police and district magistrate. After that his body was handed over to his family. I tried to fulfil my responsibilities," said Seema, who later accepted Lalaram as her companion and became the mother of his child.

Seema thinks she is lucky that she is getting so much attention and adulation in spite of her dreaded past.

She now lives with her family in her native village. "We are into farming. People can't seem to believe that this is the same Seema Parihar who used to be a synonym of terror.

"But I feel bad for my family who went through difficult times because of me - they were jailed and beaten. I feel they would not have suffered had Lalaram not kidnapped me."

"Wounded" is scheduled to hit cinema halls a few days after Diwali.

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DON sells popcorn around Mumbai!

Shah Rukh Khan, the Don, can even sell popcorn! Surprised?

The makers' innovative introductory formula for kick-starting the promotion of his forthcoming Shah Rukh Khan-starrer has almost worked wonders. Innumerable cinema houses around Mumbai have been flooded with sleek cardboard popcorn covers sporting SRK's silhouette image against a backdrop of the Malaysian twin towers from the forthcoming DON. The gimmick has paid off so well that the producer's office has been taking requests from other theatre chains around the country for providing more of such unique publicity packages. Now that makes it more interesting to see how much of popcorn people will munch while watching the DON in nail-biting action coming this Diwali / Eid.

DON is being distributed internationally by UTV.

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The DON's 'gang' misses Malaysia!

Everyone knows that a large portion of the forthcoming Shah Rukh Khan-starrer DON has been shot in sizzling Malaysia. Producer Ritesh Sidhwani and director Farhan Akhtar ensured that the shoot was a holiday of sorts for the entire cast and crew, so that everyone ended up "enjoying" their work, and the results surely show on screen!

Laughs producer Ritesh Sidhwani, who remains known for DIL CHAHTA HAI and LAKSHYA, "The crew of DON enjoyed itself in Malaysia. It was a big party. We made sure everyone got a weekly off and played every possible game. We organized volleyball between the crew from India and crew from Malaysia every weekend, and ended up winning the match most of the time, perhaps because Malaysians play football and not volleyball!"

Apart from playing real and virtual games, the crew would party together almost every weekend!

"We would either party or go for fun dinners. We would also frequent the local bars," adds Ritesh. "Once back, everyone started missing on the fun they had. Though we were glad to be back home after a gap, just after a week, everyone started complaining about how they were missing Malaysia."

Interestingly, the popular YEH MERA DIL and KHAIKE PAAN BANARAS WAALA songs from the film are also based in Malaysia!

UTV is releasing DON internationally.

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Aishwarya Rai does a Tata Young now


Can the audience imagine DHOOM 2 without a music video? Especially after the huge success of the 'Dhoom Machale' in DHOOM which saw Tata Young gyrating to the racy track along with John Abraham and Abhishek Bachchan. The riot causing chartbuster made waves and caught everyone's attention. Well the audience seems to be in for yet another treat.

If the grapevine is to be believed, Arjun Sablok has been roped in to direct the promotional video starring Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai in DHOOM 2. Director Aditya Chopra has even had a hush hush meeting with Arjun whose directed films like NA TUM JAANO NA HUM and NEEL N NIKKI earlier. The music video will be choreographed by none other than Shiamak Davar and the film releases on 24th November.

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Sushmita to launch a nightclub in Kolkata?

Sushmita Sen has been in the news for the unfortunate mishap on the sets of ZINDAGGI ROCKS and her daredevil cobra story where she courageously drove the cobra away. But her big break post injury helped her with some serious business it seems. Well the latest is the actor is all set to launch a nightclub in her hometown Kolkata, near Victoria Memorial.

She has been seriously contemplating of a business venture for quite some time, she informed a tabloid. The nightclub will also have a lounge bar and a restaurant. The club will be called 'Ssshh' and the lounge bar- '8'.

Sush is planning to expand it all over India gradually. Her sister Neelam will assist her along with her business partner Mr. Dalmia. The stunning rockstar of ZINDAGGI ROCKS plans to launch the nightclub in November.

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Award winning foreign language films now in India

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By Subhash K. Jha, IANS


Award winning foreign language films other than English can now be viewed on the big screen in India.

Sunil Doshi has formed two companies, Handmade Films and Forum Films, which will be releasing such films for Indian viewers.

This is an unusual phenomenon because foreign language films, in languages such as Japanese, Italian or French, were not available to cine buffs on the large screen except during film festivals.

"We plan to change that. We want to bring new foreign films into India for large-screen viewing," said Doshi, who runs a celebrity endorsement company in Mumbai that looks after the advertisement assignments of Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra and Rani Mukherji among others.

"We're starting with the French documentary 'March Of The Penguins' directed by Luc Jacquet which has just won an Oscar. It's a prized acquisition," Doshi told IANS.

"And Amitabh Bachchan has agreed to do the Hindi voice-over in place of the original commentary by Morgan Freeman. I don't think this kind of an experiment has been attempted before," said Doshi, who last week married his French girlfriend Anna.

Doshi's companies are also releasing the Belgian-French co-production "L'Enfant", directed by Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne, which won the Palm d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival 2005 as well as Dominik Moll's "Lemming", which was the opening film at Cannes the same year.

"We're now in negotiation with several Oscar nominated foreign films," said Doshi.

Handmade Film has produced three Hindi films -- Santosh Sivan's "Terrorist" and "Navarasa" and Rajat Kapoor's "Mixed Doubles".

"We're very happy with the way 'Mixed Doubles' has performed at the box office. It was never designed as a blockbuster. It was a small naughty comedy and it has more than earned back our investments.

"We've now completed a second film with the same team called 'Bheja Fry'. It's even zanier and saucier than 'Mixed Doubles'. It has Konkona SenSharma and Ranvir Shorey in the lead and Rajat Kapoor as director. He also plays a role."

Doshi said Handmade Films and Forum Films were not looking at short-term gains.

"I won't look at the accounts sheet after every foreign release or after every film I produce. The idea is to look at long-term creative benefits. If some financial profits are shown at the end of the year or two years, we're happy. Otherwise, the companies will continue to release and distribute the films it believes in."