what we are reading – EightandHalf
It’s raining trailers and how! The two new theatrical trailers are of Ajay Devgn’s Singham and UTV’s Chillar Party which is directed by Nitesh Tiwari and Vikas Behl. Salman Khan has come on-board as the co-producer of the film with his new banner Salman Khan Being Human (SKBH) Productions. Check it out.
(PS : Was Singham shot on the sets of Golmaal ?)
Naah, we are not talking about Himesh Reshammiya. Delhi Belly and Shaitan – the two most exciting soundtracks of the season. New sounds, new singers, innovative arrangements and the not-so-mahi-way lyrics. The combo is deadly at places.
One more strange thing has happened with the album of Shaitan. Not sure whose idea was it, or if it was just an accident, but Shaitan has made it possible to catch the culprits who downloaded the songs (btw, who doesn’t?) instead of buying it. But the worst is that it seems even the music critics are doing so. How? Well, one track is missing from the album which is available online. But if you buy the album, there is one extra track – the Hawa Hawai remix. And since most people downloaded the songs, most of them have missed it. Check out Shaitan’s music reviews.
Got to know about it when i played the album on www.gaana.com and have been playing it non-stop since then. With a strange twang in her voice, Suman Sridhar gives it a complete makeover. Not sure who is the composer behind the remix as there are four music composers in the album. Here it is…
BTW, remember the new version of “tum jo mil gaye ho” in Coke’s tvc featuring Imran Khan? That’s also Suman Sridhar. Gimme more!
Delhi Belly also has a track which is a kind of experiment with the nasal twang. The immensely talented voice artist Chetan Shashital does a Saigal number and it’s called Saigal Blues. The music director is Ram Sampath. Do check it out.
And if it’s a remix, this is the way to go. No point in buying the rights of a popular classic number and kill it with an item number. Isn’t it all about the sound first? Even Bally Sagoo and Leslie Lewis will agree.
Bhaag, DK Bose.
The first song promo for Delhi Belly is out and it looks pretty quirky and interesting, though a little more OTT than we would have liked (and yes, the Hangover hangover remains, like in the poster). Still, the song is pretty catchy and the film looks promising; looking forward to this one.
Take a look.
(The theatrical trailer, which was launched today should be out soon too. Also, you can read the synopsis of Delhi Belly right here.)
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.
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…..
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.
UPDATE – 21/04/2011
The original trailer of Shaitan is finally out. And it looks gorgeous! Check out.
The first trailer of Anurag Kashyap’s production Shaitan is out. Though Anurag claims that this is not the final one, it’s been leaked out and even the font is different in the final trailer.
The film is directed by debutant Bijoy Nambiar and stars Rajeev Khandelwal and Kalki Koechlin in the lead.
Tip – Mihir Fadnavis
UPDATE
The official synopsis and the first poster of the film is also out. To quote…
The story is about Amy – Amrita Mathur. She is a 17 year old and has all the teenage angst and rebel attitude that go with that age. Amy makes some new friends in Bombay- the ultra rich KC and gang. One night of living on the edge ends up with them brushing against the law. A cop blackmails them to cover up the case. In order to pay up Amy stages her own kidnap with help from KC and gang. A simple plan which goes completely haywire forms the rest of the story. Intertwined with this we have a story of a cop – Tavde; who is put on the case to track Amy and the others. The cop is forced to deal with a personal crisis while he is on the case. How he manages to resolve it and simultaneously crack the case carries the story forward.
Paanch REDUX?
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.
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.
On July 3, 2003, Deepanker Gohain, the 23-year old student of the College of Visual Arts, Baroda (India), committed suicide, which shocked the campus.
What saddened the students was the way the college authorities handled the matter, shielding the facts from the media.
Deepanker’s batch-mate Amitabh Pandey witnessed the suicide, capturing all of it on his Handycam. Pandey came from a well-connected political family. When college sided with him on this incident, the other half of the story got buried in police records.
Watch it.
F.i.g.h.t C.l.u.b 