Archive for the ‘bollywood’ Category

फारूख शेख साब, सलाम

Posted: December 28, 2013 by moifightclub in bollywood, cinema, RIP
Tags: ,
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आम हैं, अशर्फियाँ नहीं

“अरे और लीजिये! आम भी कोई गिन के खाता है क्या? आम है, अशर्फियाँ नहीं.” फारूख शेख साब हमें अपने गुजरात के बगीचे के आम (जो बहुत ही कायदे से छीले और बराबर चौकोरों में काटे गए थे) खाने को कह रहे थे और मुझे लग रहा था जैसे मिर्ज़ा ग़ालिब कलकत्ता में हुगली किनारे बैठ कर, किसी बोर दोपहरी में अपने किसी दोस्त से बात कर रहे हों.

यह हमारी उनके साथ पहली मुलाक़ात थी. हम माने चार लोग – जिस बंडल फिल्म को उन्होंने ना जाने क्यों हाँ कह दिया था, उसका डायरेक्टर, उसके दो संवाद लेखक (मैं और राहुल पटेल), और एक प्रोड्यूसर. हम चारों का कुल जमा experience, उनके बगीचे के बहुत ही मीठे आमों से भी कम रहा होगा लेकिन उतनी इज्ज़त से कभी किसी ने हमें आम नहीं खिलाये थे. और जब मैं यह सोचने लगा कि यह ‘किसी ने’ नहीं, फारुख शेख हैं – ‘कथा’ का वो सुन्दर कमीना बाशु, ‘चश्मे बद्दूर’ का पैर से सिगरेट पकड़ने वाला सिद्धार्थ (Ultimate मिडल क्लास हीरो – थोड़ा शर्मीला, थोड़ा चतुर, थोड़ा sincere, थोड़ा पढ़ाकू, और थोड़ा male-ego से ग्रसित), ‘गरम हवा’ का छोटा बेटा ‘सिकंदर’ (जो कुछ नहीं जीतता), ‘जी मंत्री जी’ का वो बुद्धू-चालू मंत्री, और ‘गमन’ का वो ट्रेजिक हीरो जो चित्रहार में अक्सर उदास से एक गाने में भी मुस्कुराहट की कगार पर दिखता था – तो वो आम और उसके साथ की इज्ज़त बहुत बड़ी हो गयी.

अगले कुछ हफ़्तों में हम उनके घर तीन बार और हाज़िर हुए. हर बार वही सुन्दर कटे आम, और फारुख साब का खुश मिजाज़, जिसमें बहुत से पुराने किस्से और बहुत सी ज़हीन शायरी बात-बेबात निकल आती थी, हमें मिलते रहे. जितनी तमीज़ और तहज़ीब उनके सिनेमा किरदारों में २०-२५ साल पहले दिखती थी वो पूरी की पूरी अब तक मौजूद थी. उनके घर में, उनके आस पास रह के, लगता था किसी और सदी में जी रहे हैं. इत्मीनान और ज्ञान एक साथ, एक ही बन्दे में, और वो भी बंबई की इस कीचड़ से भी बदतर फिल्म इंडस्ट्री में मिलना जादू ही था.

एक दिन बात चली passion की तो उन्हें याद आया कि अपने ज़िन्दगी में पहली फिल्म शूटिंग जो उन्होंने देखी थी वो थी ‘मुग़ल-ए-आज़म’ की. वो बच्चे ही थे जब उनके पिताजी (जो बंबई में वकील हुआ करते थे) उन्हें ‘प्यार किया तो डरना क्या’ गाने की शूटिंग और शीशमहल दिखाने ले गए थे. उन्होंने थोडा उदास हो के कहा वो एक हद्द थी जिस तक हम कभी नहीं गए. फिर एक बार उन्होंने बताया कि कैसे जब अमिताभ बच्चन को पहली फिल्म की तनख्वाह मिली थी तो वो फारुख साब को ‘treat’ देने मरीन ड्राइव ले गए और दोनों ने Gaylord (जो अब भी वहीँ है) में १० रुपये का खाना खाया था. उनके इस किस्से को मैं ध्यान से सुन रहा था और इंतज़ार कर रहा था एक ठंडी आह का या एक bitterness की झलक का – लेकिन ना ये आई ना वो. Honestly, शायद उस दिन मैं थोडा disappoint भी हुआ था. फारुख शेख बचपन से हमारा खुदा था. सईं परांजपे हमारी सलीम-जावेद और मनमोहन देसाई rolled into one, और फारुख शेख हमारे बच्चन. बचपन से घर में ‘साथ साथ’ और ‘बाज़ार’ का combo-pack सुनते-सुनते और दूरदर्शन पे अनेक बार ‘कथा’ देखते-देखते वो दिलो-दिमाग में घुस गए थे. पता नहीं कहाँ से ‘आर्ट और पैरेलेल सिनेमा’ का कीड़ा लग गया था या शौक था दोस्तों को दिखाने का कि हम फ़ालतू फिल्में नहीं देखते. दिक्कत यह थी कि ज्यादातर पैरेलेल फिल्में उदास कर के छोड़ देती थीं. लेकिन जब ‘चश्मे-बद्दूर’ देखी तो लगा कि हाँ ये वाला पैरेलेल सिनेमा ज्यादा मिलता है हमारे temperament से. और इस तरह के, थोड़े हलके लेकिन फिर भी गहरे सिनेमा को फारुख शेख से हसीन brand ambassador नहीं मिल सकता था – भोलेपन और urbane-ness का ज़बरदस्त मिश्रण. ‘किसी से ना कहना’ का होटल हनीमून को होटल हनुमान में बदला देख वो subtle reaction, ‘पीछा करो’ का भयंकर वाला पागलपन, और उमराव जान का अति-ज़हीन नवाब – सब आसानी से कर सकने वाला achievable God.

इसलिए जब उस दिन देखा कि फारूख शेख को अमिताभ बच्चन से कोई गुस्सा नहीं है – ना comparison, ना ही वो हलकी सी टीस ‘वो कहाँ निकल गए, हम कहाँ रह गए’ वाली जो इस शहर में अक्सर टीवी एक्टरों को भी होती है बच्चन साब से – तो मुझे थोड़ा बुरा लगा. वैसा जब आपको किसी फिल्म में अन्याय होने के बाद भी हीरो के अन्दर गुस्सा ना देख के लगता है. लेकिन यही बात थी फारुख शेख की. उनके अन्दर बस acceptance था, और जैसा कि हमने जाना, उनकी दुनिया और बहुत सी दिशाओं में फैली हुयी थी. थियेटर, शायरी, सोशल वर्क, पढना और लिखना, खाना पकाना और खिलाना, और ना जाने कौन-कौन सी खिड़कियाँ होंगी जिनमें हमने झाँका नहीं. वही उनका सबसे बड़ा treasure और achievement था – इत्मीनान और contentment. अपने आप से, अपने career से.

फिल्म की शूटिंग के दौरान उनसे फिर २-३ बार मिलना हुआ. शूटिंग के आखिरी दिन उनसे डरते डरते नंबर माँगा और उन्होंने बड़े दिल से कहा – फोन ज़रूर करना जब कोई अच्छी स्क्रिप्ट हो.

उसके बाद मैंने २ स्क्रिप्ट लिखीं, जिनमें कुल मिलाकर ४ साल लगे. दोनों में ही फारुख शेख साब के अलावा कोई और सोचना मुश्किल था. बल्कि एक स्क्रिप्ट तो निकली ही इस वजह से थी कि मैंने सोचना शुरू किया कि अगर ये किरदार फारुख शेख साब करेंगे तो कैसा होगा. हर सीन, हर संवाद लिखते हुए वो दिमाग में रहे. यह कहना गलत नहीं होगा कि ४ साल मैं अक्सर उनके साथ रहा. २ फिल्में, जो मैंने अपने ज़ेहन में बनायीं, दोनों में वही स्टार थे. ये कहानियां मैं उनको कभी नहीं दिखा पाया. दूसरी वाली शायद अगले महीने ही दिखाता, लेकिन अगला महीना अब अगला ही रहेगा हमेशा.

उनसे आखिरी बार मुलाक़ात हुयी इस साल ‘चश्मे-बद्दूर’ की री-रिलीज़ पर. तो एक तरह से उनसे पहली मुलाक़ात (जब मैंने उन्हें बचपन में टीवी पर देखा होगा) और आखिरी मुलाक़ात दोनों एक ही फिल्म के ज़रिये हुयीं. उनको और दीप्ती नवल को एक साथ सामने से देखने का बहुत बड़ा सपना पूरा हो गया. मिहिर पंड्या की किताब (‘शहर और सिनेमा वाया दिल्ली’) उन्हें देनी थी क्योंकि उसमें ‘चश्मे बद्दूर’ पर एक बड़ा सुन्दर चैप्टर है इसलिए किताब लेकर उनके पास गया. उन्होंने कहा ‘आप घर पहुंचा दीजियेगा, यहाँ तो इधर-उधर हो जायेगी.’ मैंने उन्हें याद दिलाया कि उनकी एक बहुत ही वाहियात फिल्म के डायलौग मैंने लिखे थे. वो बोले ‘ऐसे कैसे याद आएगा यार. मैंने तो बहुत सारी वाहियात फिल्में की हैं!” मैंने कहा ‘नहीं सबसे वाहियात शायद. Accident on Hill Road.’ उसके बाद हँसते हुए उन्होंने एक बार और हाथ मिलाया.

थोड़ी देर बाद हमने बड़े परदे पर ‘चश्मे बद्दूर’ देखी. फारुख शेख और दीप्ती नवल और राकेश बेदी के साथ, एक ही हॉल में. वो दिन, उस दिन भी अद्भुत था, लेकिन अब जब फारुख साब के साथ दुबारा कभी बैठने को नहीं मिलेगा, उस दिन की याद और भारी हो जाती है. अब फारुख साब और रवि बासवानी साथ में देखेंगे जो देखना है. हम रह गए यहीं, उनकी उस मीठी मुस्कान और हमेशा ज़रुरत से आधा-इंच लम्बे बालों वाले चेहरे के aura में. उनके lazy charm, grace, और एक नए writer को दी गयी पूरी इज्ज़त की रौशनी में.

– @Varun Grover

(Pic courtesy – MidDay)

Best of 2013 – Script of Abhishek Kapoor’s Kai Po Che!

Posted: December 28, 2013 by moifightclub in bollywood, cinema, film, Screenwriting, Scripts, Year end special
Tags: , , , , , ,
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As we have done in the past, this year too we are trying to source the scripts of some of the best films of the year. As most of you know, the scripts of Hollywood films are easily available online, even the unreleased ones. But we don’t have any such database for Hindi or Indian films. So that has been the primary reason for this initiative. And it has been possible because some of the filmmakers have been very supportive about it. It’s only for educational purpose and much like the spirit of the blog, is a complete non-profitable exercise.

So thanks to Abhishek Kapoor for sharing the script of his film, Kai Po Che! It’s easily one of the finest and best reviewed films of the year. And unbelievable because many of us have such disdain for Chetan Bhagat’s books that we could never imagine such a good film coming out from there. But it happened and proved us all wrong.

Sharing three drafts of the script of Kai Po Che! The first draft, the revised version of first draft and the final draft. Read, share and have fun.

Film – Kai Po Che!

Story – Based on Chetan Bhagat’s 3 Mistakes Of My Life

Screenplay and Dialogues – Abhishek Kapoor, Pubali Chaudhuri, Chetan Bhagat, Supratik Sen

2013 Rewind : 14 Bollywood songs we played in non-stop loop

Posted: December 27, 2013 by moifightclub in bollywood, cinema, music, rewind, songs & videos, Year end special
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If you missed our earlier post in this 2013 flashback series, here’s the list – 20 Things We Learnt At The Movies and 13 Unanswered Questions is here, Top 10 Musical Gems We Discovered This Year is here, and 15 Film Fanatics on 17 Terrific Films That Have Stayed With Them is here.

In this post, Rohwit looks back at some of the best bollywood tracks that we looped this year.

Amidst the 100 crore musical disasters, few albums and some songs tried to stand tall, and that wasn’t tough even for a slightly above average song because thanks to the automatic tunes that come pre-fed in some expensive keyboards owned by some music composers, the ‘average’ bar is pretty low in Hindi films these days.

Here is our pick of 14 songs (ok 16! ok 17!) that made us sit up and sway! The order below is not in a ranking form. Some of the points contain 2 songs. So what? We cannot make up our mind. Yes, we get confused. Music does that to us.

 

1. Yes, it is based on a Beethoven symphony. Yes, it has a very ‘अरे ये पहले सुना है’ feel. Still, I haven’t heard a spookier lullaby in 2013. So take a bow Kumaar for penning this superb song and take a bow Sangeet Haldipur for singing it beautifully! Yes, it is one of the best songs I have heard this year. We are indeed referring to Aaja nindiya raina beeti jaaye rey from Aatma.

 

2. Khamakha hee-Badal Uthiya (Prem Dehati version) – from Matru Ki Bijli Ka Mandola. It took a local Harvanyvi singer (who hasn’t appeared on the again after this album by the way) Prem Dehati to mesmerize us with raw talent and touching melody. Not many songs have the longevity to survive in playlists these days but this song will be there for a long time.

In fact it was Prem Dehati’s splendid participation in Khamakha that lifted the already superb song to a level very few could match this year.

 

3. Manjha (Kai Po Che!) – Every Time A.R. Rahman’s music is about to hit the scene, there is so much anticipation and Amit Trivedi enjoys the same effect on music lovers at large. So it wasn’t a surprise when this splashed all across and we were treated to this song.

Swanand Kirkire has penned one of the best songs this year in Manjha. Simple lyrics, exquisite arrangement and we cannot get tired of Amit Trivedi’s studio singing. The other two songs were no less but somehow Manjha shall always be played before the other two.

 

4. Tum hi ho (Arijit Singh) – So it turns out that Arijit singh is turning everything into gold just by singing it! Easily a much better film to look at than it’s first part, Aashiqui 2 had this mother of a song that was overplayed to the extent of irritation. But can you dismiss it as being one of the stickiest song of 2013? No! Why is it featured on the list? Ask yourself if you don’t like humming it. We know some of you are humming it right now.

 

5. Khoon choos ley (Go Goa Gone) – There is a lot of Monday hatred (or so it seems on all social media platforms), so a Monday song was long overdue. The song in my view was wasted in the film Go Goa Gone and even the half-hearted music video wasn’t promoted well. Still, this has to be one of the best ‘I hate to wake up and go to work’ song we have heard in Hindi films. The nasal start, the ‘rrrrrrrrrrr rrrrrrrrrrrrrr’ part and splendid lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya makes this one a treat!

 

6. Badtameez Dil (Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani) – More than anything, we cannot get over the fact that Amitabh Bhattacharya used ‘dhimka falana’, ‘paan mein pudina’ and ‘moorhi bhaat’ so effortlessly! While the song belonged to RK on the screen (deservingly so), Benny Dayal is no less a rockstar to sing this with so much zest that even people with two left feet were seeing dancing at the mere mention of this song. Kudos to the brass band and Pritam for this one!

7. Raanjhnaa hua main Tum Tak (Raanjhanaa) – Yes. While many of us (including yours truly) started out disliking the million ‘tum taks’ in the song, the second half of the song, the shehnai (and the excellent use of manjeera) redeems this  song and how!

Be it the faint guitar riffs or excellent Jasvinder Singh (who made a guest appearance in the song), the title song of raanjhanaa had all going for it. More so, the emperor ARR was at his yearly best in this album as a whole.

 

8. Ghanchakkar babu (Ghanchakkar) – Amit Trivedi was heard having a ball in this one. While the album was not bad at all, this song stood out (and was on the loop for a long time) thanks to excellent arrangement and superb back up vocals. Trust Amitabh Bhattacharya to give an insightful touch to ‘Nala Sopara’! Top class song! Muuuuuuuuuuwaaaaaaah!

 

9. Monta Re (Lootera) –  The ‘chik chiki chik’ whispers by Swanand Kirkire, the quiet atmosphere, exquisite lyrics and a delicate presentation. This is easily the best song of the album that sounded more like Udaan part 2 than anything. We mean it in a good way. No. Really.

 

10. Mera Yaar – From the fantastic album Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. Javed Bashir was given a song that was right up to his comfort zone and he hit it out of the park. We loved the entire album (without the ‘andar kaala bahar kaala PAR sachcha hai sala’ part) and were relieved that Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy are back to making good music, just like the good old days.

11. D-Day – A fantastic album overall. Be it the definitive Qawwali ‘Murshid khele holi’ or the heart breaking ‘Alvida’,  the album even made Mika tolerable when he attempted Dama dam mast kalandar. (Rekha Ji, सुन रही हैं ना आप?)

 

12. Shudh Desi Romance – Be it those tiny musical bits with Rajasthani sound or those lovely songs, Jaideep Sahni and Sachin Jigar served us a musical treat with  an adorable marriage of contemporary words and folksy-dinchik arrangement. Our pick from the album will remain ‘Tere mere beech mein kya hai’

 

13. Ram Leela – Though the album was filled with grand arrangement and excessive noise throughout, we really liked the adaptation of ‘Mor bani thangat karey’ and Lal Ishq (without the excessive noise towards the end).

 

14. Dil ki toh lag gayee (Nautanki Sala) – As an album, it had a distinct ‘townie’ sound to it (much like Bluffmaster). However, what blew the socks off the senses is Saba Azad’s super hot singing in ‘Dil ki toh lag gayee’. Ignore the horrible presentation of the song on screen though. A fantastic effort, insanely melodious at all times and very very saxxxay! Sing more Saba, we are listening!

We also enjoyed :

– Early morning (Chashme Baddoor) A lot of us debate where is Sonu Nigam and why isn’t he singing more. While we do not have anything to add to that, but we loved the way Mr. Nigam was having fun singing this wonderful song from a not so wonderful remake of a classic.

– ‘SPB ho ho!’ part from the title song of Chennai Express. There are very few occasions that compare to SP Balasubrahmanyam having fun in a song.

– Ajnabi (Madras Cafe) The songs were wasted in an otherwise brilliant film but the whispering voice of Zeb left it’s mark. It’s a pity that this song went unnoticed.

 

Very Very Special Mention :

Padmanabh Gaikwad for singing Sapne rey sapna (from Ek Thi Daayan) . A fantastic voice that resonates innocence. We are way too tired of Gulzar saab doing splendid job every time he sits down to pen a song, so we won’t even stress the fact that we are in love with the ‘Bhoore bhoore baadalon ke bhaalu, Loriyaan sunaaye la ra ra ru’ part of the song. Hope to hear more from Padmanabh.

So which songs you looped this year? Let us know in the comments.

Why the Fuck Can’t You Spoof Dhoom 3?

Posted: December 18, 2013 by moifightclub in Bolly Jokes, bollywood, video, VOTD, WTF
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Or for that matter any bollywood film? Spoofing is a serious art and a good one needs much more than the combined acting talent of Uday Chopra, Abhishek Bachchan and Katrina Kaif. That’s a big problem with bolllywood – they don’t know how to take a joke. As me and many of my friends have faced similar situation many times in the past because of our tweets or blog posts, it’s hardly surprising anymore. Here’s the latest story. This one is about YRF and Dhoom3.

https://twitter.com/thetanmay/status/413237245936562176

https://twitter.com/thetanmay/status/413237520491483136

https://twitter.com/thetanmay/status/413237669561253888

https://twitter.com/thetanmay/status/413237761030623232

https://twitter.com/thetanmay/status/413238022163808258

https://twitter.com/thetanmay/status/413238228208996352

Here’s the kickass video by AIB guys which completely pwns YRF.

2013 Rewind – 20 Things We Learnt At The Movies and 13 Unanswered Questions

Posted: December 15, 2013 by moifightclub in bollywood, cinema, rewind, WTF, Year end special
Tags:
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It’s that time of the year again. And like ever year, we are starting our Rewind (year end post) series. So we (the usual suspects who contribute here) sat together, poured some drinks, discussed, poured some more, fought, pondered, poured some more, looked back, debated, poured some more, and concluded the 20 things which we learnt at the movies this year. Also, 13 questions that baffled us all through the year.

This was our 2012 list. At first glance, Deepika Padukone and Tigmanshu Dhulia have made it to the list again.

sonaspa-1b

1. Deepika is Padu-Khan – 4 blockbusters. From just a beautiful face with weird ghataan accent and shaky acting chops to commanding the screen with her presence and talent, this has been quite a marathon.

2. Vacuous Versova – The film filmmaker made Versova world famous on FB and Twitter. It started here, and made headlines here.

3. Kahe ki tu hi hauw…..Hum tohre bin ab rah na sakiley….Jaani tui soodhuyee…saathi tui soodhuyee….Confused? Here.

4. Nawazuddin might be the flavour of the season, but Irrfan Khan is still the baap. Saajan Fernandes of The Lunchbox, Wali Khan of D-Day and Umber Singh of Qissa – those eyes that stare blankly into space should be counted as a school of acting. If he is pledging his eyes to be donated after death, they should go to a film/acting school for further research.

5. The password for script of Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola was the colourful abuse used in the film. GUESS.

6. Tigmanshu Dhulia is the most unreliable director. He swings from one extreme to other. On the scale of burn-the-reels-of-Shagird to awe-fucking-some-terrific-Paan- Singh-Tomar, he can fluctuate anywhere.

7. To be completely politically incorrect and if you can pardon this look-ist tweet, the rickshaw-walla-dikhne-wala-south-ka-hero can deliver a hit in Bollywood- Raanjhanaa.

8. Sonakshi Sinha CAN act. Lootera. Now, if only someone tells this girl that life and cinema exists beyond filthy remakes of South films or regressive masala overdose. Dabangg, Rowdy Rathore, Joker, Son Of Sardar, Dabangg2, Once Upon A Time In Mumbai Dobara, Bullett Raja, R…Rajkumar – nobody has ever been so consistent in picking up the same desi buxom bimbo roles again and again.

9. Aaloo bhaath, moordi bhaath in Badtameez Dil. Thanks to Amitabh Bhattacharya for getting these in Bollywood dictionary. Ask your bengali friends to explain.

10. Shah Rukh Khan needed a Rohit Shetty film. The theatrical trailer had the full filmography of Shetty.

11. “Sex and Shah Rukh Khan always sells” is passe. Sex with Shilpa Shukla sold. B.A Pass.

12. Northern-isation of Prakash Raj is complete. He played the villain opposite Deol paaji in Singh Saab Sunny Paaji The Great.

13. Motormouth Sajid Khan finally fell flat on his face. And has gone into hiding since Himmatwala crashed faster than the rate at which he abuses critics.

14. Uday Chopra says good bye to (his non existing) acting career. At least as a profession.

15. You can convert Chetan Bhagat’s unreadable book into a good film. Kai Po Che!

16. ABCD – Any Body Can Dance. AFCBH – Any Film Can Become Hit. Latest one : ABCD – A for Aao re aao, B for Bhaao na khaao, C se Chilla ke gaao, D se Daaru peete jaao. AACSKMP – Aao And Can Someone Kill Me Please.

17. Aftab Shivdasani, Vivek Oberoi and Ritesh Deshmukh have delivered one of the biggest hits of the year. DIGEST.

18. Milap Zaveri saved all his money on rent because he spent the entire year at Gaiety-Galaxy getting hard on watching audience’s reaction to Grand Masti and Shootout At Wadala. Also, every show was house full, on every show people danced, threw coins, and left cum on the seats. (courtesy – Milap’s live tweeting)

19. Tagore + Acid = Tasher Desh. Who would have thought? Q is the A.

20. Sona Spa is Inception redux. No, we are not joking. It’s the definitive cult film of this generation. If you haven’t seen it yet, WATCH.

Screen Shot 2013-12-15 at 8.52.57 PM

13 Unanswered Questions

1. Where is Rajeev Khandelwal?

2. What was Hansal Mehta smoking post Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar and pre-Shahid?

3. What’s the final box office collection of Chennai Express and Krrish 3?

4. Who earned the real Jackpot – Kaizad Gustad, Naseeruddin Shah or Sunny Leone? This is the only good thing about acting aspirations of rich kids.

5. what’s R…..?

6. What did the FFI committee see in The Good Road?

7. How did Ramaiyya Vastavaiyya make more money than D-Day and better TRP than most films? And it seems to be true.

8. What’s the real Milkha Singh story? Here

9. Why KRK is the last man standing with balls of steel giving out the right box office numbers?

10. Why is Raj Kumar Yadav (Rajkummar Rao or whatever he has become now) not a bigger star? who else can match up to his acting chops in the new generation?

11. Who directed Dabangg? Yes, that was 2010. But Besharam is 2013.

12. What murabba has Kashyap fed to Bachchan and KJo?

13. Were they really spoofing Bachchan as a chimpanzee in Yamla Pagla Deewana 2? Why Dharam paaji with Chimpanzee?

What have you learnt or discovered at the movies this year, do let us know in the comments. Also, if you have more questions or answer to any of our questions.

VOTD : Garima-Siddharth’s RamLeela

Posted: December 12, 2013 by moifightclub in bollywood, cinema, video, VOTD, writing
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It’s not every day that a new writer gets to write a film for Sanjay Leela Bhansali, and even manages to deliver a big blockbuster hit. But exactly that’s what happened with Garima and Siddharth. In this video, the writer duo talk about the film RamLeela, their writing process and working with SLB.

Xclusive : Excerpt from “Gangs Of Wasseypur – The Making Of A Modern Classic”

Posted: November 28, 2013 by moifightclub in bollywood, books, cinema, Excerpt, film, News, Xclusive
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“Gangs Of Wasseypur – The Making Of A Modern Classic” by Jigna Kothari and Supriya Madangarli is finally out. Interestingly, the book also has the screenplay of both the parts of the film. Jigna tells us more about the book, and scroll down to read an excerpt from it. And if you find it interesting, have also given links below it from where you can order it online.

Gangs of Wasseypur cover_3The book captures director Anurag Kashyap’s organised chaos during the making of this darkly comic tale of alley gangsters and their absurdities and idiosyncrasies. As the film traverses a fine path between myths and memories, fact and fiction, the book delineates these elements and introduces the men and women who inspired their celluloid counterparts.

It also shares the director’s exploration of his roots while making the film, and looks at the components of the director and crew’s vision of the design, soundtrack and songs, and most importantly, the locations that give the film its sense of time, and at times, irony.  The final pieces of the puzzle are blended in drawing upon narratives and anecdotes from crew and cast of the film.

Beginning with Anurag Kashyap’s foreword, and ending with the screenplay of GOW Part I and II, the book is divided into seven chapters and has some on location pictures as well. The seven chapters are as follows –

  1. Three Streets and a Saga
  2. Between Fact and Fiction
  3. The Not-so Stars
  4. How Anurag shot his Movie
  5. There will be Blood
  6. Wrap up
  7. In First Person: Anurag Kashyap

(On location pic from the book)

WY0K1975

Excerpt from the book

– You can order the book from Flipkart (click here) which is giving 25% discount (Rs 299) or from Infibeam (click here) which is giving 27% (Rs 291) discount. The book is priced at Rs 399.

Ram-Leela is Bhansali at his honest best – Gujju, loud, masala and raunchy

Posted: November 17, 2013 by moifightclub in bollywood, film, movie reviews, reviews
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ramleela

The early reactions from previews of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s new film, Ram-Leela, clearly seems to be divisive. For any new film, i always find that exciting.  Now that i have seen the film, it’s easy to understand why. You might like it, fall in love with it too, and it’s entirely possible that you felt like gouging out your eyeballs. And every reaction can be justified. But one thing you can’t do – dismiss it completely. Because there’s just too much packed into this one – you can just pick one thing and easily indulge in it like its director.

I feel this is Bhansali’s coming out film. Coming out as a loud Gujrati masala filmmaker. Few weeks back, he even confessed that he is a “loud Gujarati” at heart. Well, that fits in perfectly with the film’s promotions too. But one can’t fake it so much. And when one fakes it, one delivers films like his last three – dead, plagiarised and bloated Guzaarish, boring and claustrophobic Saawariya, pretentious and ham-fest Black. It’s always good to be back to own’s roots. With apologies to Swades, apne hi Gujju colours me ghul jaana Bhansali ka muqaddar hota hai.

Though Khamoshi still remains his best work – the raw emotional chord strikes the perfect balance with a great soundtrack. He made his mark with his blockbuster Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam set in his home terrain. He used a similar canvas to re-paint Devdas. And now, he is back to his home turf again and has gone the whole hog. The language is not sanitised Hindi of HDDCS. Here everyone speaks in thick Gujju accent and sometimes it’s difficult to follow the dialogues. His keywords have remained the same – big and beautiful – every scene, every frame, every drape. There’s some typical Bhansali wizardry in the silent scenes – my favourite is the one when the lovers meet for the first time in the background of bright colourful gulal flying all over, and interestingly, the last time they meet, it’s in similar pose. Aha, beauty.

He has just added a new one – passion raunchiness. There was never so much lust and physical act in any of his films and it’s a refreshing change. From hyper-objectifying the hero’s body to dialogues filled with sexual innuendos, pelvic and booby thrust to passionate kisses between the lead pair. It’s all done with certain degree of aesthetics that one can expect in a SLB film, but it’s all a new colour on his old canvas. It’s fun to see that a filmmaker who has always wanted to be taken seriously and strictly positioned himself in a certain way, is going on this route. And with all his indulgences.

Like his most films, it’s also set in some strange Bhansali-land. And i have made peace with the fact now. But this time we see mobile phones, porn films, gun business, ports, and characters talk about social media too. The times they are a-changin’, in Bhansalipur too.

I also felt this film bring backs the bonafide bollywood masala genre. With every filmmaker trying a Southie remake and calling it the “masala” film, all my senses have retired hurt. Race2, Once Upon A Time In Mumbai Dobara, Besharam, Himmatwala..the list is long. Some of the films don’t even have a single scene which is well written and directed. I will better pick Ram-Leela – action hai, emotion hai, drama hai, gaane hai, ma hai, bhai hai, behen hai, suhaag raat hai, khoon kharaba hai, holi hai, diwali hai, aur (attempt to) rape bhi hai.

The two jarring aspects of the film are its duration and the screenplay. The basic story is adapted from Romeo-Juliet with elements of Ram(ayan), but the screenplay became too much of hotchpotch in the second half. The first half flows smoothly with Siddharth-Garima’s playful dialogues, and Ravi Varman’s lush photography capturing every grand set, authentic props and flashy colours meticulously used by production designer Wasiq Khan. They are in perfect sync. Add to that the combustible lead pair of Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone. Were they in love when they started shooting? Or Bhansal egged them on to get the best result on screen? Because it’s difficult to be so comfortable and uninhibited in intimate scenes, especially on Indian screen. And those long, passionate kisses just added to the magic. When was the last time we saw something so real in our films? Like that scene where they kept kissing each other in quick succession, that’s new on desi screen. So candid, so much at ease, and really that’s how lovers kiss. Also, has she been lit from inside? With Gulshan Devaiah, Richa Chadda,  Abhimanyu Singh and Supriya Pathak strongly supporting the second rank of characters, Sharad Kelkar and Barkha Bishit get noticed even in small roles.

And Dear Deepika, whatever are you smoking, please pass the joint to the bimbos of bollywood. It feels so good to know that finally we have an actress who can act and look hawt, is on top too. *sings ये लाल इश्क़, ये मलाल इश्क़, मेरा नाम इश्क़, तेरा नाम इश्क़, मेरा नाम तेरा नाम*.

Just another small complain – my favourite and that bhakti-bhaav-se-bharpoor composition yeh laal ishq just doesn’t get enough screen time. Even though the film felt long, i waited for the entire end credits just for the song.

– @cilemasnob

(PS – If you are still googling to know who or what is Lady Popo, the one who is mentioned in the opening credits of the film, well, let me inform that Lady Popo is SLB’s pet doggy. Ooh la la! Which other filmmaker has given so much credit to his Doggy? Jejus, Agle Janam Mujhe Doggy Hi Kijeo)

Sholay 3D Trailer – Blasphemy! Blasphemy!

Posted: November 8, 2013 by moifightclub in bollywood, cinema, WTF
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Not the trailer. Or the 3D conversion. But the credit plates in the new trailer of the film for it 3D release.

This is the first credit plate that appears in the new trailer.

Sholay

WOW!

And there’s more.

Sholay3Sholay2

Wondering what happened to G P Sippy, Ramesh Sippy, Salim-Javed and R D Burman? Well, take out your microscope and see if you can find their names. This one appears after the one at the top.

Sholay4

If you still haven’t seen the trailer, here it is.

So what do you call it?

  1. Moronic
  2. Mistake
  3. Pettiness
  4. Travesty
  5. Bizzare
  6. Surreal
  7. Lack of respect
  8. WTF
  9. GREATEST FUCK UP IN THE HISTORY OF CINEMA
  10. All of the above

Strange. Someone clearly thought “PEN” is mightier than THE Sholay.

A really sad day in the history of Indian cinema.

 

VOTD : Why Kangana Ranaut is the coolest Bollywood star currently

Posted: October 23, 2013 by moifightclub in bollywood, Interview, VOTD
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This is bit old news. But since people are still discovering Kangana Ranaut’s latest interviews, am posting it here. I saw her interview with Anupama Chopra, and then the one with Rajeev Masand. In both the interviews, she comes across as smart, candid, funny, and articulate. Honest confessions on life, films, career choices, Bollywood, National Awards, and more. Rare qualities in a bollywood star.

Watch it if you haven’t.

Dear Kangana, whatever you are drinking, please distribute it to your fellow actors too.

Anupama Chopra’s interview

Rajeev Masand’s interview

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