Archive for the ‘News’ Category

If you are a filmmaker based in India and are looking for participation in the 67th Venice International Film Festival but dont know where to look and what to google, here is all that you need to know. Read on.

What – Call for participation in 67th Venice International Film Festival. 1st-11th September 2010

Who – Marco Mueller (Director – Venice Film Festival) & Cecilia Cossio (Indian Cinema Programmer – Venice Film Festival) will be in Mumbai from 10th – 16th March 2010, for preview and selection of films for the coming 67th Venice International Film Festival 2010 (1st – 11th September, 2010).
 
Where – They will be screening films at the NFDC office in Mumbai.
 
Eligibility/How – To be eligible for entry, all films should have been…

1.  Produced during the twelve months preceding the festival and…

2. Should be offered as world premieres alone (only in special cases, a derogation to the regulations will be possible – limited to films not having been released elsewhere than their country of origin).
 
3. Interested Producers/World-Sales and International Distributors/Directors are kindly  requested to send the Digi Beta tapes/ DVDs (duly subtitled in English) for the selection and a press-kit….. 

4. OR Documentation, including synopsis, cast and crew and other infos about the film’s content and the filmmaker’s vision should be joined to the print or tape, to the following address:
 
Address – National Film Development Corporation Ltd.
                       Discovery of India Bldg., 6th Floor
                       Nehru Centre, Dr. A. B. Road
                       Worli, Mumbai – 400 018. 

Contact Person – The contact persons at NFDC is  Ms. Leena Khobragade. Her email is leena@nfdcindia.com . Phone : +91 22 2492 3027. We cant give out her mobile number here. If you are interested do mail us moifightclub@gmail.com . Will reply with the number. All the best!

Stars do strange things for film promotions. And during the pre & post-release they are also asked to be in their character! Say, see, act, behave, believe in what your character does in the film. And so Shah Rukh Khan had to bear the baggage of Rizwan Khan for My Name Is Khan. He could not go against it. The controversy followed and now it seems there is no end in sight.

The latest one involves the other Rizwan. Remember Rizwanur Rahman. He was married to Priyanka, Ashok Todi’s daughter and the Todi family was against the marriage. Few days later, his dead body was found near the railway tracks. The promoters of Lux Cozi innerwear, owned by Ashok Todi, were accused in abetting the suicide of Rizwanur Rahman.  Here is the wiki link to the complete story of Rizwanur Rahman. And more here. Also you can visit www.rizwanur.com . Do read.

And here is the connect. Shah Rukh Khan is the brand ambassador of Lux Cozi. Lux was supposed to sponsor the uniform of SRK’s team Kolkata Knight Riders. So, Rizwan’s team would wear uniform sopnsored by Rizwanur’s murderers ? And you expect Bongs to accept it and cheer for the same team! Unlike the intelligentsia in Maharashtra whose voice we havent heard much on the marathi manoos issue, thank God, even with their laziness, Bengali intelligentsia hasnt lost their sane voice! Amidst protests, Shah Rukh Khan has decided to call off the cozy deal. Great!

But if we are not wrong (we would be happy to be proved wrong though), Lux will be part of KKR’s off field merchandise. Come on Mr Khan, why play hide & seek ? You can easily let go few crores! For all the gyaan that you spread and the books & authors names you rattle off at 5am in the morning, does all this boils down to only business ? You surely can do better!

Ah, they have done it again! One more and its a hattrick. Last time it was the IPL Karmayudh video which was copied from the Yankees Ad. If you dont remember click here to see the original, the copied and filmmaker Prasoon Pandey’s reaction to plagiarism allegations.

And here is the new one from Indian Plagiarised League! Those who are following all the IPL buzz must have already seen the “red carpet” launch video of IPL 2010 on SetMax. If you havent, click on the play button.

And here is the original one. The Coke TV commercial for China Olympics.

In the desi one, they have just added saare jahan se accha, hindustan hamara. And believe it or not, but try this. Freeze the first video (IPL) at 01:03 and the second one (coke) at 01:37. Looks like they went out on recce looking for similar locations and shot in the same way. And how can they let go the great visual of snow-capped mountain? As Dhoni says, toh aur bolo ?

And can any enlightened soul tell us who is the culprit this time ? Is it Pandeyji again ?

When there is a new Pepsi/Coke campaign on air, you know that summer is near. Coke launched its new campaign with a new brand ambassador – Imran Khan. This is the first brand endorsement deal of Imran Khan. And he follows the footsteps of Mamujaan Aamir Khan who has been endorsing Coke since last few year.

Imran stars with Kalki Koechlin in the new Tv commercial. The new campaign “Open Happiness” has been conceptualised by the creative team of McCann Erickson that includes Prasoon Joshi, Ashish Chakravarty, Tirtha Ghosh and Nakul Sharma. And the film has been directed by Dibakar Banerjee. If you havent seen it yet, click the play button.

In an interview to LA Times, Vidhu Vinod Chopra has revealed the plot of his new film Broken Horses. Its his first Hollywood film which he has been threatening to make for quite sometime. To quote from the feature…..

His English-language directorial debut about two brothers, one a violinist in New York, the other a hired gun, set against the drug war on the U.S.-Mexico border.

As Chopra points out, “there is nothing Indian about the movie except the director. The heart of the movie is the relationship between these two brothers, but within that is a story about how we destroy what we love. It’s about the choices we make in life.”

This sounds exactly like Vishal Bhardwaj’s Kaminey! Ok, not exactly but lot of similarities. Two brothers (Ok, not twins), there is gun, there is violin (not guitar), drug and war too! How we destroy what we love ? Its about the choices we make in life ? We might be reading too much between the lines and the words but doesnt it all sound like Guddu & Charlie’s world.

Ofourse everything else will be different. But we could not resist connecting the dots. Its written by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Abhijaat Joshi and Jason Richman is the script consultant ( Swing Vote, Bangkok Dangerous). To give you the mood & feel of the film, VVC has already cut a trailer from the recce footage. Go to www.vinodchopra.com , click on the pic of Broken Horses and select trailer.

And to read the complete feature published in LA Times, click here. In a separate interview to Hindustan Times, he has clarified that 64 Squares and his ambitious project Talisman to be directed by Ram Madhvani is NOT happening. Other two projects, Ferrari Ki Sawaari to be directed by Rajesh Mapuskar and Paachisvi Saalgirah are in development. Click here to read the full interview.

Nirmal Pandey. Not sure when was the last time we heard the name. Every friday a new actor is born somewhere and human memory is quite short. Once you start missing your friday attendance, you slowly start vanishing. And then suddenly we heard the news today afternoon that Nirmal Pandey had a heart attack.

A gradute from Delhi’s National School Of Drama, he made his mark as Vikram Mallah in Bandit Queen. Long curly hair, pointed nose, sharp features and quite tall – you could not miss him easily. Soon there was Sudhir Mishra’s Iss Raat Ki Subah Nahi, Amol Palekar’s Daayra, Train To Pakistan and Godmother. After that he slowly started missing his friday roll call. Soon it was almost zilch. Not sure what happened.

Its a cut-throat world here. You dont even realise when, how and where you get replaced. We all now know that Nirmal Pandey is dead..not sure how many of us knew how was he alive..the irony of bolly life continues!

RIP. More here. And Imdb list here.

Here is an absolute favourite song featuring him, from Sudhir Mishra’s Iss Raat Ki Subah Nahi…chup tum raho…

First look of two new films are out. Priyadarshan’s Bumm Bumm Bole and Mahesh Manjrekar’s City Of Gold. Have a look.

Bumm Bumm Bole is an official adaptation of Majid Majidi’s acclaimed film Children Of Heaven. Its produced by Percept Picture Company and stars Darsheel safary. The Remake Master continues remaking.

Mahesh Manjrekar’s City Of Gold is set in Mumbai’s mills era. Here is the official synopsis of the film…

Today, there is hardly anyone who hasn’t visited the swanky shopping malls, nightclubs, lounge bars, clubs and other such lifestyle destinations that sprung up across the centre of Mumbai. However, very few know that buried deep below these glittering edifices to consumerism lies the dark, dirty and painful reality of many thousands of mill workers who once worked the cotton mills in this very same area. Rising and toiling to the wail of the mill sirens each and every day, seven days a week, these workers embodied the true unbridled zeal and unflagging spirit of the city and played a pivotal role in the evolution of Mumbai as the modern day business capital of India.

And then it suddenly was as if they never existed. Following the mill workers strike in the mid-80s, these mills began closing down rapidly and the mill-workers mysteriously disappeared. What happened to them, and where they went is one of the most shameful secrets that the city of Mumbai will have to bear for generations, one that until now has always been spoken about in hushed whispers.

City of Gold – the story of these long-forgotten masses – not only explores the apathy of these mill workers narrated through the story of one such family, but is also a take-no-prisoners account of the birth of the true underbelly of organized crime in Mumbai.

The film traces the birth of the politics of greed in Mumbai and exposes the unholy collusion between the triumvirate of big business, the political establishment and the trade union leaders who ostensibly were charged with protecting the rights of the mill workers. In the two decades that followed, the entire landscape of Central Mumbai was changed forever. Land became the currency of growth, and this began the systematic extinction of mills in Mumbai. In a matter of just a few years, hundreds of thousands of workers lost their means of livelihood. Having worked in these mills from generation to generation, this was the only vocation that they knew.

Many left Mumbai and went back to their ancestral homes, some others chose to stay back and fight what they soon realised was a losing battle, some took the extreme step of ending their miserable lives, and still some others took to a world of crime.

Truth… as is said, is stranger than fiction. But the truth that the film uncovers is not just stranger but darker and dirtier than any mind has ever imagined. Produced by DAR Motion Pictures and from the Director of dark and realistic films like Vaastav – Mr Mahesh Manjrekar, ‘City of Gold’ takes another trip down memory lane…. just that this time around the result is a much more heart wrenching, soul stirring and shocking film about human avarice and apathy.

The film doesn’t provide any direct solutions. Yet it shatters many a myth and raises many a question which only the passage of time will provide answers to.

To know more about the film, click here for the official website.

16th Feb 2010.

To The Honorable Minister of HRD, Mr Kapil Sibal.

Dear Sir,

I would like to bring to your notice a number of articles which appeared in the media in the past few days.

One appeared on Sunday the 14th of Feb in Mid Day, Mumbai, titled “Bollywood A-List Actor Allegedly Plots Copyright Amendment Sabotage”. (this article does not seem to be available on the net so I will send you a scanned copy by tomorrow), another appeared today 16th of Feb again in the Mid Day http://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/2010/feb/160210-aamir-takes-on-javed-akhtar.htm  and the third appeared today, 16th of Feb, in Mumbai Mirror.  http://lite.epaper.timesofindia.com/getpage.aspx?pageid=25&pagesize=&edid=&edlabel=MMIR&mydateHid=16-02-2010&pubname=&edname=&publabel=MM.

(the links to the articles are attached for your reference).

Sir, it seems to me that there is an attempt by certain people to attack me in public by printing lies about me, thereby turning the attention away from a genuine debate about copyright issues.

I am grateful to you for inviting me to be part of a committee to discuss the various issues regarding amendments to the Copyright Act. However in light of these public attacks on me I don’t think I am comfortable to be part of this committee.

Sir, I take great pride in my honesty and integrity, and attach an enormous amount of value to my sense of justice and fair play. Monetary achievements have never excited me. If they had, I would have acted in many more than one film a year, thereby being financially much richer than I currently am. Had I been driven by monetary achievements I would not have produced films that challenge the mainstream and break new ground, films like Lagaan, Taare Zameen Par and Peepli Live, that most producers would hesitate to produce.

I believe that what I have earned is the love and respect of my colleagues and my audience. And this I have done through my work and through the manner in which I work. This is why such public attacks are most damaging to me emotionally and leave me crippled.

In the past 26 years of my involvement with the film industry I may have made mistakes, but never have I knowingly been dishonest or unfair in my dealings, whether as an assistant director, actor, producer or director.

I feel I have a lot to contribute to the ongoing debate but I cannot make any meaningful contribution in this atmosphere. Aggression of this type leaves me feeling very disillusioned and sad and I am unable to function.

Therefore I request you to accept my resignation from this committee and please appoint another person in my place.

I believe that amendments to the Copyright Act are long overdue and I am so happy that a person like you is spearheading this movement. I believe that the changes that you are bringing about in the sphere of education are so dynamic, progressive and positive, that I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that you will do the same in the field of copyright.

Yours sincerely,

Aamir Khan.  

(PS – Writer-director Saket Chaudhary who was also present during the meeting have been tweeting that the reports have been mostly Mid-Day/Mirror made! It was interesting discussion where every party put out their views strongly. Its the issue that matters, not the faces who are involved.)

And if you are intersted to know more about this intiative by HRD, click here.

As if one Shah Rukh Khan wasnt enough, now we have a doggie version too! Awwwww…wwwwful! Or is this the Aamir’s doggie who was named after King Khan ? Koochi Koochie Hota Hai is the animated (read doggie) version of Karan Johar’s Kuch Kuch Hota hai.

Its directed by Tarun Mansukhani and has voiceovers by Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Rani Mukherjee, Sanjay Dutt, Riteish Deshmukh, Simi Agarwal, Anupam Kher, Uday Chopra and Sajid Khan. Guess who is not here ? Salman Khan. Missing In Action. And you dont need to be genius to guess the reason.

And whoever thought about the “Koochie Koochie” title, needs to get into doggie avatar soon. Woof teri ada, woof tera badan, woof woof tera ya title! The trailer looks, sounds and feels terrible! And more so, because in a year when UP makes it to the Oscar nomination in the Best Film category, we are still rewinding back to Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Spare us. We are not buying the tickets! Feels like its made for Under-5 category! Take a look.

  

Its filmy friday. Its Khan-day! Karan Johar’s big budget film My Name Is Khan is the release of the week, starring Shah Rukh Khan & Kajol. So, does its score or not ? Lets check out.

Anupama Chopra (NDTV)My Name is Khan is a film made with sincerity and sweat, ambition and conviction. It grapples with the most urgent and fraught issue facing humanity: religion. It features a striking performance by Shah Rukh Khan – 3/5

Raja Sen (Rediff) – Karan Johar’s finally made his first grown-up film, and made it well. It could have been the stuff of much more, but let us leave that for another day. This is a film that will inspire, make aware, make happy. And for now, let us celebrate how the man whose name is on the marquee just proved why he deserves that crown he so often boasts of  – 3.5/5

Rajeev Masand (CNN IBN) – The film shamelessly tugs at your heartstrings and on more than one occasion wallops you to weep. Aided by solid camerawork, tight editing and a layered story, Johar crafts an engaging, stirring saga that is earnest and noble. With this message movie in the mainstream format, the director takes a step in the right direction. Watch it for its star who doesn’t miss a beat – 3.5/5

Kaveree Bamzai (India Today) – In khushi or gham, Karan Johar always wants to please. He stuffs his goodie bag with so many little bon bons that the viewer finds it difficult to look away. It’s the same with My Name is Khan – 3.5/5

Mayank Shekhar (HT) –  Forrest Gump in its scope, Rain Man in its approach, slightly convenient in its ‘Bollywood opera’, world-class in its photographic treatment (Ravi K Chandran), more sorted than Kurban (from the same producer, along a similar theme); you can sense, throughout, honesty in the film’s purpose – 3/5

Taran Adarsh (Indiafm) – On the whole, MNIK is a fascinating love story, has an angle of religion and a world-shaking incident as a backdrop. It not only entertains, but also mesmerises, enthrals and captivates the viewer in those 2.40 hours. At the same time, a film like MNIK is sure to have a far-reaching influence due to its noble theme. I strongly advocate, don’t miss this one – 4.5/5 

Gaurav Malani (Indiatimes) – Like his placard that reads ‘Repair almost anything’, Shah Rukh Khan makes up for every minor inconsistency in the film. My Name is Khan is worth a watch on his name alone – 3/5

Nikhat Kazmi (TOI) – It’s Khan, from the epiglotis (read deep, inner recesses), not `kaan’ from the any-which-way, upper surface. In other words, it’s the K-factor — Karan (Johar) and Khan (Shah Rukh) — like you’ve never seen, sampled and savoured before. My Name is Khan is indubitably one of the most meaningful and moving films to be rolled out from the Bollywood mills in recent times. It completely reinvents both the actor and the film maker and creates a new bench mark for the duo who has given India some of the crunchiest popcorn flicks – 5/5

Sukanya Varma (Rediff) – The verbose nature of the script doesn’t leave much scope for gestures. Although the image of Khan standing on a deserted highway with a sign board that reads ‘Repair almost everything’ is true to the soul of this film. Even if it’s the only one of its kind – 3/5

Khalid Mohamed (PFC) – At the end of 18 reels,  you do carry something precious  home – SRK and Kajol. They are absolutely electric. Undoubtely, they don’t make’em like that anymore. And never will, which is why MNIK is absolutely compulsory viewing. You may have problems with it. Yet it is a must-must-see – 4/5

Shweta Parande (Buzz18) – One of the important films of Hindi cinema. Although it messes up its length, there are some touching scenes not to be missed. My Name is Khan has many messages and not just an ‘Autism Alert’ and ‘Terror Alert’. Go for it and enjoy interpreting – 3/5

Phelim O’Neill (Guardian) – It’s stunningly shot, on mostly US locations, and tackles plenty of hard topics – its deceptively light touch gets heavier as things progress. It’s a shame that much of the intended audience will not see this well-intentioned, slickly constructed and just plain likable film, for reasons that are very little to do with the film itself – 3/5

So, the verdict is between 3 and 5, scoring 3.5, 4, 4.5 and 5 too! Seems like much better than KANK which had quite extreme reactions.