Archive for the ‘News’ Category

An Open Letter to Shekhar ‘Bollywood’ Kapoor

Posted: May 11, 2011 by moifightclub in Bolly Jokes, bollywood, Film Festival, first look, News, Trailer
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As far as my limited cinema knowledge goes, I think there is a big difference between a trailer and a montage. And as the trailer of Bollywood – The Greatest Love Story Ever Told (Who thought about this title?) was out, it was a perfect #Facepalm (for lack of better expression) moment. It even forced Screeny to come out of his slumber and puke out this rambling post. Read on…

Respected Sir,

I’m a Big fan of Mr India, Masoom & Bandit Queen. Have been following your blog on and off. Untill today when I saw the trailer of the documentary which has been produced by you and co, and directed by the “acclaimed director” (have seen him at conferences and am sure he regards himself as one, for having gifted the people of this country THE seminal film – Rang De Basanti) Mr Rakyesh Omprakash Mehra.

Needless to say, I was thoroughly, thoroughly disappointed.

Why? Because the trailer (so is the film I’m sure) is- as usual- selling Bollywood exotica la-la land to the west. The incestous, celebratory, mutual admiration society which regards Aishwarya Rai and Katrina Kaif as ‘icons’ who will talk about Hindi Cinema to the “goras” and tell them in effect – “One billion people are enjoying this. See, this is so special. This is India! This is Indian Cinema! Come, Watch it. And fall in Love. NAMASTE. Achcha Lagta Hai.”

The first half is virtual showreel for the Bachchans, another attempt to sell Aishwarya to the west. The same song and dance routine which we are (in)famous for. The DDLJ clip, the rain, the matrix style shots, the same ghisa-pita bakwaas.

And of course, it contains generous footage from the magnum opus Rang De Basanti. After all Rakeysh (Is the spelling correct? Am a bit confused) Omprakash Mehra is the co-director & UTV is the producer. And the exact same clip when people land up at the India Gate with candles in their hands (the prophetic subtitle below is “This country will change. We will change it”). Yes sir, we will.

I wish you had produced a 2 hour documentary on Kerala or Goa Tourism instead.

Or helped produce any of the films from the “new wave” of Indian cinema, which I’m sure you must be more aware of than me.

At a time when Indian Cinema is taking baby steps towards maturity, and managing to gain a foothold in the international arena, slowly changing “their” perception of “our films” by coming up with IN COMPETITION FILMS like Udaan, Peepli Live, Dhobi Ghat, Harud, Gandu, Shor in the City, Gabhricha Paus, Aranya Kandam, Paruthiveeran, Subramanipuram, the new Wave Tamil & Marathi Cinema; this self congratulatory AV on Bollywood films actually is taking us two steps back, reinforcing the stereotypes. Forcing us to be still perceived as the audience which enjoys 3 hour long musicals embellished with the garangutan setpieces, laughable action sequences & antics, titillating item numbers and melodramatic rejoice.

I was hoping to find some echo in the comments section of this post but clearly, I’m the minority here.

http://shekharkapur.com/blog/2011/04/bollywood-the-greatest-love-story-ever-told-at-the-cannes-film-festival/

I shudder to think how I would react if I would ever meet a “gora” who sees this film and recognises by my skin tone, that I’m an Indian. Will he be overjoyed at what I’m embarassed at ? Will he be like the Japanese tourists from Munnabhai who only want to shoot “dirty, hungry, poor Indians” ? Will I be asked to dance at the Visa interview if (and when) I travel to Europe ?

My nightmarish thoughts aside, I request you to read a post written by you, Sir. Your blogpost on Black Friday and why it is the film which should have gone for Oscars submission instead of Paheli.

http://shekharkapur.com/blog/2005/10/oscar-hoo-haaa/

Yours disappointed,

Screeny

(PS1 –  Have you heard about a documentary film called Videokaaran? Watch it.)

(PS2 – Screeny forgot to mention that if the film turns out to be any good, he will be the first person to say it and will apologise for the post.)

(PS3 – Screeny’s previous posts can be read here, here and here. )

First Look : Bheja Fry 2 (Poster, Trailer and Synopsis)

Posted: May 9, 2011 by moifightclub in bollywood, cast & crew, film, first look, News, Poster, songs & videos, Story / Plot / Synopsis, Trailer
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The first one was a straight lift, (The Dinner Game)and it turned out to be a surprise hit. Here’s the second one. Poster, official synopsis and the trailer.

Directed by Sagar Bellary, Produced by Mukul Deora, it stars Vinay Pathak, Minissha Lamba, Kay Kay Menon and Amole Gupte. Sharad Kataria and Bellary have written it. Here’s the official synopsis..

Good hearted but not worldly-wise, the rolly-polly tax inspector, Bharat Bhushan (Vinay Pathak) is back to fulfill his long cherished dream of becoming a singer. To further his media ambition he enters a game show hoping to win a cash prize with which he can make his own music album. Eventually Bhushan goes on to win the competition which also gifts him a free stay on a cruise ship. It is on this cruise that he meets Ajit Talwar (Kay Kay Menon), an acrid tongue sadistic business tycoon, who is taking sheath on the cruise to flee from the Income Tax department. Close on his heels is tax inspector M.T.Shekharan (Suresh Menon), who is trying to unearth the identity of a financial scamster who has been elusive since long.

On the cruise when Ajit Talwar learns about Bharat Bhushan’s profession, he alerts his subordinates to keep a watch on him and in due course, get rid of him. However, on being introduced to Ajit Talwar, Bhushan finds out of his media investments and is out to impress him. The cruise becomes a perfect rendezvous for Bharat with the presence of Ranjini (Minnisha Lamba), a sweet and straight- forward media executive who Bhushan met on the game show. Everything seems perfect in his life with her company and positive future prospects of developing contacts with Ajit Talwar and his clique. The presence of a disguised M.T.Shekharan further excites the plot and a string of oddball occurrences owing to a mistaken identity finally wind up Ajit Talwar and Bharat Bhushan stranded on a deserted island.

It is on the island that Ajit realises what a pain Bharat Bhushan is. His stupidity drives Ajit up the wall. And if that isn’t enough, Bhushan’s folly lands them hostage in the hands of an eccentric reclusive photographer (Amole Gupte). As fate would have it Bhushan’s colleague M.T.Shekharan comes and rescues them exposing the sly Ajit Talwar and making a shocked Bhushan realise that Ajit was trying to get rid of him all the while on the cruise.

The photographer Raghu Burman, M.T.Shekharan and Bharat Bhushan bond with each other with the thought of an idealist utopian state, free of crime and based on social justice. Their bonding is short-lived as they manage to blow off the very house they are in. In the wee hours of morning, a completely harrowed Ajit Talwar is rescued by his business associate Kapoor (Rahul Vohra) and his loyal lieutenant which puts an end to his nightmare.

The story comes a full cycle with Bharat Bhushan realizing what a great friend he has in M.T.Shekharan and a proud Ajit Talwar being punished for his arrogance and high-handedness.

Tagore Stories on Film (6 Dvds – 5 Films + 2 rare docus) to be out soon

Posted: May 4, 2011 by moifightclub in cinema, News
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On 7th May, 2011, it’s the 150th birth anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. And to celebrate it, Ministry of Culture and Ministry of I & B in association with NFDC will release a commemorative dvd pack called Tagore Stories on Film.

“Tagore Stories on Film”, is a collection of 6 DVD’s and is a rare compilation of five classic stories written by Tagore and filmed by different talented directors. It also includes  2 documentaries as bonus features based on Tagore’s life. These films, the material for which was acquired from various sources in India and abroad, have undergone both picture and sound restoration.

The five films are…

1. National award winning film from Tagore’s classic story ‘Khudito Pashan’ (Hungry Stones) by Tapan Sinha, 1960 in Bengali.

2. Teen Kanya (Three Daughters) directed by Satyajit Ray, 1961 in Bengali, based on three of Tagore’s stories – The Post Master, Monihara and Samapti.

3. Critically and commercially successful ‘Kabuliwala’ directed by Hemen Gupta in Hindi, 1961 featuring Balraj Sahni.

 4. Cannes Film Festival Golden Palm Nominee film, a 1984 classic, Ghare Bhaire (Home and the World) by Satyajit Ray based on women’s empowerment.

 5. A poignant comment on the adverse effects of nationalism and a nuanced interpretation of Tagore’s novella, Char Adhyay (Four Chapters), directed by Kumar Shahani, 1997 in Hindi.

6a) The silent film Natir Puja is a compilation of the footage available of the film that was directed by Rabindranath Tagore. A picturization of the dance-drama Natir Puja, this partial but restored film forms a landmark in Indian Cinema being the only film where Tagore was directly involved in production. Shot over four days on the occasion of Tagore’s 70th Birth Anniversary on 1932, the film also features Rabindranath Tagore in an important role.

6b) The second documentary was made by Satyajit Ray in 1961 to celebrate Tagore’s Birth centenary called ‘Rabindranath Tagore’.

If you want to know more about the films, keep on scrolling…

Disc 1. Khudito Pashan (Hungry Stones). Tapan Sinha.  1960. Bengali.  106min. B&W

A classic by every standard, this National Award winning film, originally the story of a tax collector who moves into a haunted mansion in a small town and falls in love with a beautiful ghost, finds a unique, visual interpretation from an ardent Tagore Fan – Tapan Sinha.

Disc 2. Teen Kanya (Three Daughters). Satyajit Ray. 1961. Bengali. 161 min. B&W

Satyajit Ray’s neorealistic style of filmmaking found an ally in Tagore’s stories of ordinary folks. Teen Kanya is based on three of his stories – The Post Master, Monihara and Samapti, and tells the story of a young village girl taught by a city-bred postmaster, a woman’s obsession with her jewels and a tomboyish girls who changes after marriage.

Disc 3. Kabuliwala. Hemen Gupta. 1961.  Hindi. 140 min. B&W

A critical and commercial success, Kabuliwala is the tender story of a widower Afghani Pathan, played evocatively by Balraj Sahni, compelled to leave his daughter in Afghanistan and relocate to India. He misses his daughter and showers his affections on a young girl in this emotional memorable film that tugs at the heart of audiences.

Disc 4. Ghare Baire (The Home and the world). Satyajit Ray. 1984.  Bengali.  138 min.  Color

This Cannes Film Festival Golden Palm Nominee film is one of the most telling statements on women’s empowerment. Encouraged by her Bengali Noble husband Nikhil, Bimala takes her first step to emancipation, only to fall for the hypocritical, but charismatic nationalist leader Sandip.

Disc 5. Char Adhyay (Four Chapters). Kumar Shahani. 1997. Hindi. 110 min. Color

A poignant comment on the adverse affects of nationalism and a nuanced interpretation of Tagore’s novella, Char Adhyay is the story of Ela, loved by armed revolutionaries of the Indian freedom movement as a mascot for the country, who questions this blind indoctrination after falling in love with Atin.

Bonus Features:

Disc 6

 1. Natir Puja l Rabindranath Tagore | 1932 | Silent with Commentary in English | 20 min | B&W

Natir Puja is a landmark in Indian cinema being the only film where Tagore was directly involved in production. Shot over four days on the occasion of Tagore’s 70th birth anniversary in 1932, this partial, but restored film written by Tagore also features him in an important role.

 2. Rabindranath Tagore l Satyajit Ray l 1961 l English l 52 min l B&W

Made by Satyajit Ray in 1961 to celebrate Tagore’s birth centenary, this dramatized documentary features some deft cinematic touches of a master filmmaker that sets it apart from most biographical documentaries in the world.

12 Indian projects selected for Locarno’s Open Doors co-production lab

Posted: May 3, 2011 by moifightclub in cinema, Film Festival, News
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Locarno Film festival has announced the projects selected for the Open Doors Co-production Lab this year. From over 200 projects submitted, in 18 different languages, from 30 regions in India, these are the 12 finalists which will participate in Open Doors, the Festival del film Locarno’s co-production lab.

The selected projects are:

–  Aharbal Falls by Ajay Raina

–  Ajeeb Aashiq / Strange Love by Natasha Mendonca

–  Arunoday / Sunrise by Partho Sen-Gupta

–  Burqa Boxers by Alka Raghuram

–  Char, The Island Within by Sourav Sarangi

–  Jat Panchayat / The Judgement by Satish Manwar

–  Lasya / The Gentle Dance by Anup Singh

–  Samaadhi / The Penance by Sidharth Srinivasan

–  Sebastian Wants to Remember by Vasant Nath

–  The Trapper’s Snare by Shanker Raman

–  Thread / Le Fil by Lilium Leonard

–  Vidhvastha / Devastated by Ashish Avikunthak

Supported, since its inception in 2003, by the Swiss Foreign Ministry’s Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Open Doors aims to assist the directors and producers of the selected projects to find co-production partners, to complete their film. It is organised in close collaboration with the Festival’s Industry Office and enjoys support from the following partners: ACE (Ateliers du Cinéma Européen), EAVE (European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs), EPC (European Producers Club) and Producers Network Marché du Film (Festival de Cannes).

At the end of the three-day workshop a prize of 50,000 CHF (approx 39,000 euros) is funded by Open Doors. A second prize of 7,000 euros is financed by the CNC (Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée) and ARTE will award the International Relations ARTE Prize of 6,000 euros.

The Open Doors co-production lab will take place August 6-9, 2011 as part of the 64th edition of the Festival del film Locarno.

To know more about the projects and the directors, do click here.

Xclusive – Coke Studio is coming to India!

Posted: April 25, 2011 by moifightclub in music, News, songs & videos, Xclusive
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Yes, it’s true! Cent percent true! So all your lovers of Coke Studio, get ready for some more music. The news has been doing the rounds for quite sometime but now the shoot is going to start soon. And here are some of the details that we have managed so far…

– The show will be on MTv and will start  by May-June. MTv? Do they still play music? Well, may be this will compensate for all the Roadies.

– The non-fiction division of Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment is producing the show in India.

– Like the Pakistan edition, this one will also have episodes of 1hour each and the idea is to get one new and young talent with an established name. They are still trying to sort this out.

– Talks are on to get Shafqat Amanat Ali to open the first season of Coke Studio India. He will be the only Pakistani singer in this season.

– And now the most important thing – the singers. Here’s the first list…..

  • Shankar Mahadevan
  • Kailash kher
  • Raghu Dixit
  • Shaan
  • Sunidhi Chauhan
  • KK
  • Richa Sharma
  • Bombay Jayashri

Talks are on to get few more. Can we please have Rabbi Shergill and Indian Ocean too?

And till then, dum ghutkoon….ghutkoon…

To know more about Coke Studio@MTv, click here and here – two posts written by Rohit.

Bollywood at Cannes – Nothing official about it

Posted: April 23, 2011 by moifightclub in bollywood, cinema, Film Festival, News
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We don’t like Olive branches. Fest films don’t make money in India. We are still not sure about how to say it – is it Cann, Kans or Cannes? French people are rude. There are enough excuses for not making it to the official Cannes list. Or as Balki put it here, “There are no Cannes films in India! Ask why? The day one of those films will be enjoyed by us, our films will be enjoyed by them.” I wish Balki had seen the ruckus during the screening of Biutiful at MAMI last year. And  the organisers were forced to have  two more shows of the film. “Our” number might be less but that’s no reason to be so dumb and dismissive about it. Not that we ever had any doubts about Balki’s take on cinema (Kill a kid, let the lovers unite – Cheeni Kum/Paa), but this reason puts him in a different league all together.

What’s on the Cannes menu this year?

Well, Aishwarya Rai, Sonam Kapoor and Freida Pinto will walk the red carpet, not for any film but for L’Oreal Paris. This is the perfect combo – an almost has been actor who never earned any points for her acting skills, a daddy’s girl who was last seen in Anees Bazmee’s atrocious Thank You, and the third one whose middle name should be ladyluck. Apart from the brand that they are endorsing, there is only one common factor that all three share – lack of any acting talent. Imagine someone talking to Sonam Kapoor at the fest – So, what was your last release? That’s True Grit.

Blame it on the Fest too? They are all about stars, about sponsors, about big money, but they are also about cinema. About finding that independent and unique voice and putting it on the world cinema map. Even with all the goss and the glamour, you can’t deny that credit.

What else?

Mallika Sherawat has also been thereatening to make her presence felt like she did last year and the year before that. Peek a boo-b with some Hisss and you will always get some pics clicked. BTW, have you noticed her twitter handle – it’s MallikaLA. Conspiracy theorists believe that she is trying hard to belong “there” and detach from here. She even got a pic clicked with Barack Obama (Ssshhh..she has new film coming up called Politics Of Love. But it might go direct to dvd. Oops) Or is that just good ol’ photoshop? So MallikaLA, how about changing the handle to MallikaCannes?

Films in competition?

Someone please help me here. When was the last time a desi film made it to the competition section of Cannes? Ok, let’s make the base wider. Competition section of any of the top six (Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Sundance, Toronto, Locarno) film fests?

Vikramaditya Motwane’s Udaan was in Cannes Un Certain regard section last year. Bit of googling and you will know that all those countries which are so small that they are difficult to locate on a world map and with names which are difficult to pronounce, even they are  making that Cannes cut.  Why and how? Blame it all on our bollywood musical and melodrama? Or go back to Balki’s bolly-gyaan.

Bollywood – The Greatest Love Story Ever Told?

And this isn’t helping much. If we can’t qualify, let’s make a film for them. According to official release….

Bollywood – The Greatest Love Story Ever Told, is the title of a feature film produced by Shekhar Kapoor exclusively for the Festival de Cannes. It will be screened out of competition during the 64th Festival that runs from the 11th to the 22nd of May.

 It all began with a conversation with ShekharKapoor, a member of the Cannes Jury in 2010. Why not make a film that brings together the most beautiful moments in the history of Indian musical films, with all their moving pageantry and dance? A few months later, there was Bollywood, The Greatest Love Story Ever Told. It is a swirling and poignant montage in which Shekhar Kapoor, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra
 and
 Jeff Zimbalist pay tribute to this cinema genre that has contributed to establishing India’s identity in the eyes of the world and to making Mumbaione of the world capitals of film history.

 “We love it. We hate it. We see it as regressive. We see it as modern. We need to breathe it to feel alive. Some say it is the only culture that holds India together. Some say it gives identity and individuality to 25 million Indians that have left her shores and who’s third generations that are still addicted to it. That’s Bollywood!”

( Direction Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra
 et 
Jeff Zimbalist. Production : Shekhar Kapoor &
UTV Motion Pictures with Ronnie Screwvala and Trishya Screwvala. India, 2011, 81mn)

That’s Bollywood! Well, that’s the baggage too. At a time when filmmakers are trying to find their voice, trying new ideas, this montage/documentary/film will reinforce every cliche attached to the cinema of Bollylalaland.

Shekhar Kapoor has written a post about it on his blog – How it started, why and where. And i still can’t sense anything substantial in it except for some razzmatazz on the beats of dola re dola. The intention must be honest, but how about championing a film next time at the Cannes?

( PS – Dear Shekhar, have you seen Aaranya Kaandam?)

WTF : Rascals & The Hangover – Separated at birth?

Posted: April 16, 2011 by moifightclub in bollywood, film, first look, News, pics, plagiarism, Poster, WTF
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Tip – Ssshhhh….

First Look : Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s production My Friend Pinto (Trailer)

Posted: April 13, 2011 by moifightclub in bollywood, cast & crew, film, first look, News, songs & videos, Trailer
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The trailer of Sanjey Leela Bhansali’s production My Friend Pinto is finally out. It’s directed by debutant Raaghav Dar, and stars Prateik, Kalki Koechlin, Arjun Mathur, Divya Dutta, Raj Zutshi and Shruti Seth. Raaghav and Arun Sukumar have written the story and screenplay, it has music by Ajay and Atul and Amitabh Bhattacharya is the lyricist.

Also, this is the first Bhansali production which is not directed by him. Instead of melancholic blue, Bhansali going for complete madness. Have a look.

The poster of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara is NOT original!

Posted: April 8, 2011 by moifightclub in bollywood, film, first look, News, pics, plagiarism, Poster
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You don’t need too much talent to put three guys on the poster. You surely don’t need talent to decide who should be shirtless if it’s a competition between Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar and Abhay Deol. And may be, you need bit of talent to decide that their faces should not be entirely visible. Just cut at the right point. Have you seen the poster of Zoya Akhtar’s Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara? Do check out.

And strangely this poster looks quite similar to the poster of Lords Of Dogtown. And the similarity is more than just the three guys on the poster. Do check it out.

What do you think? Do comment.

Tip – Gobbledyspook

First Look : Stanley Ka Dabba (Trailer & official synopsis)

Posted: April 7, 2011 by moifightclub in bollywood, cast & crew, cinema, first look, News, songs & videos, Story / Plot / Synopsis, Trailer
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Amole Gupte, the writer and creative director of Taare Zameen Par, is ready with his directorial debut titled Stanley Ka Dabba. The film is distributed by Fox Star India. Amole has not only written and directed it but has also composed one of the songs, written the lyrics and has acted in it. It also stars Divya Dutta and Divya Jagdale.

Here’s the first trailer of the film…

And here’s the official synopsis..

Imagine this boy in your mind’s eye. He arrives in school much before any of his classmates to drum away his blues on empty benches. He stuffs himself with water instead of the nutritious food that his schoolmates relish during the lunch break. He covers up for his lack of social rank with the finesse of the most seasoned diplomat. Who is this child? What is he like? Why is he anything like he is? Wouldn’t you like to know? Meet Stanley, the protagonist of the much awaited ‘Stanley Ka Dabba

‘Stanley Ka Dabba’ is the latest offering from the insightful writer-director, Amole Gupte that throws light on the everyday life of a school going child. The character, Stanley, tugs at your heartstrings with his indomitable spirit, while warding off the hostile world he is surrounded by at all times, everywhere. The film reveals how this is child-soldier, rises above his choking real life situation on the way setting a template for all whiners to learn from, even emulate.

Like most others his ilk, Stanley loves to be amongst friends and win the appreciation of his peers and colleagues. He uses his sparkling wit and innocent wisdom to impress everyone he touches. At times spinning-a-yarn amongst friends about his mother’s flight, while on occasion conjuring some heartfelt poetry to impress the lovely English teacher, Rosy Miss (Divya Dutta). There are though teachers like the pungent Science Madam, Ms Iyer (Divya Jagdale) whose rigid beliefs smother Stanley’s innovative science experiment with all the contempt at her disposal. Then there is the gluttonous Hindi master, Verma Sir (Amole Gupte) who emerges as the catalyst in helping the boys bond for Stanley’s dignity and rightful place in the school.

The camaraderie between the boys comes to the fore when they thwart Verma Sir’s desperate attempts to polish off their dabbas with all the guile at their disposal. The gang makes the ‘invincible’ Verma show his true vulnerable self for once as he marches from one possible hideout to another in the school premises trying to binge upon their home made food.

Stanley, the little protagonist of Amole Gupte’s, latest film ‘Stanley Ka Dabba’ shows how, like the proverbial lotus, can one rise above all the filth around and make the world a better, beautiful place to live in.

The way he goes about bringing cheer to his colleagues and his little friends is what makes him the Stanley we all need to be in today’s day and age. Wise and sensitive, loving and mischievous: living every moment as if there is no tomorrow.

Dear Amole, open the Dabba soon! Can’t wait. All the best.

( PS – Geetanjali Rao has done the opening credits for the film )

( PPS – According to Vishal Bhardwaj, if that was Taare Zameen Par, this one is Chand Zameen Par)

Click here to know more about the film.

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