what we are reading – EightandHalf
We know its the time to play the music of 7 Khoon Maaf in loop, but if you need a break, try it. Room In Rome – We haven’t seen the film but a friend posted this musical promo of the film. Gorgeous vocals, beautiful visuals, lots of nudity and lesbianism. NSFW and we are addicted!
The song is by Lourdes Hernandez aka Russian Red. To know more about her and for the lyrics of the song, click here.
And that’s what you call a perfect timing! Dhobi Ghat, pitched as a first art house film from Aamir Khan Productions, released on Friday, and now the announcement that Aamir Khan will be one the jury of Berlin International Film festival 2011. It’s among the top five International film festivals worldwide and to be on the jury is quite an honour.
The seven-member jury will be headed by Italian-American actress Isabella Rossellini and the festival will run from 10th to 20th February, 2011. The other jury members include Australian film producer Jan Chapman, German actress Nina Hoss, Canadian film-maker Guy Maddin, British costume designer Sandy Powell and Iranian director Jafar Panahi. But Panahi’s place on the jury will be left symbolically empty.
The competition section includes 22 films, 16 of which will be competing for the awards. In addition there will be two special screenings: In solidarity with the convicted Iranian director Jafar Panahi, his film Offside will be presented on February 11, the anniversary of the Iranian Revolution. Also, the European premiere of Werner Herzog’s 3D documentary Cave of Forgotten Dreams will be shown as a special screening in the Berlinale Palast.
The international jury will decide the following prizes –
– The Golden Bear for the Best Film (awarded to the film’s producer)
– The Jury Grand Prix (Silver Bear)
– The Award for Best Director (Silver Bear)
– The Award for Best Actress (Silver Bear)
– The Award for Best Actor (Silver Bear)
– The Award for Best Script (Silver Bear)
– The Award for an Outstanding Artistic Achievement in the categories camera, editing, score, costumes or set design (Silver Bear)
– The Alfred Bauer Prize – in memory of the festival founder – for a feature film that broadens the horizons of the art of filmmaking.
Berlin Fest will also have three films from India in Panorama section. To quote from the official release…
On a grand scale Vishal Bhardwaj tells of an intimidating female character who moves between the religions and their male proponents in 7 Khoon Maaf (7 Sins Forgiven), while young director Q has angry young men set out – unfiltered and raw – to find a place for themselves in the world in his film debut Gandu (Asshole): “Words are burning inside us. Rap is a way to say them.” British filmmaker Phil Cox lets viewers experience the city of Calcutta up close in The Bengali Detective: it takes you to the darkest corners of the metropolis with private detectives whose businesses are booming because the police can no longer be trusted.
Filmmaker Prashant Bhargava’s feature Patang (The Kite) has also been selected to be screened as part of the 41st Forum in this year’s Festival.
And Dear Aamir,
If you still haven’t been able to understand Memento, we are more than willing to offer our services. Do let us know. And we also hope that you don’t talk about Ghajini there. Be careful. Or you might end up getting caught, like it happened with Bipasha Basu recently.
Team FC
Mumbai Mantra, the film division of Mahindra Group, seems to be in a defunct state currently. But it seems there is a genuine attempt to reinvent the division now and so they have tied up with the Sundance Film Institue.
It all sounds good but am bit skeptical about it. Earlier Mahindra tried to do the same here, started a screenwriters lab and selected 12 scripts for mentoring. Anjum rajabali, Sriram Raghavan and Anurag Kashyap were mentoring the scripts and one of us was part of the lab. They spent money on script development but didn’t venture out to shoot a single feature from the 12 final scripts. Well, the good thing is , they have returned the scripts to the writers now, and without any conditions attached or exercising any buy-back option. Hopefully this time it will work out in a better way. Read on for more deatils…
WHAT : The collaboration will see the establishment of the Mumbai Mantra|Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab which shall become an annual event in India, and the Sundance Institute|Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award will be awarded annually at the Sundance Film Festival. Sundance Screenwriters Lab has been mentoring scripts since last few years and many landmark films have come out of the lab.
HOW : Four filmmakers from around the world will receive a grant, attendance at the Sundance Film Festival for industry meetings, mentoring from Institute staff and creative advisors, participation in a Feature Film Program Lab, and year-round support. This initiative will extend over a three-year period, benefiting 12 awardees. Beginning in 2012, one out of the four directors will be an Indian.
WHEN : Recipients of the 2011 Sundance Institute | Mahindra Global Film Making Award will be announced January 25.
And there is more. From 2012, the inaugural Mumbai Mantra|Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab will provide an opportunity for six-to-eight filmmakers from India to develop their works under the guidance of accomplished Creative Advisors.
DATE : Hard copies of application materials must be post marked by June 1, 2011.
CRITERIA : 1. All Indian nationals as well as Indians, living overseas people of Indian origin and mixed Indian parentage are eligible to apply.
2. Only those who are working on their first or second feature film project shall be eligible. However, they may have worked on documentaries, shorts, advertising films in the past.
LANGUAGE : The screenplay can be for a film in any Indian language including English. However, the synopsis and the first 5 pages that you should send by June 1, 2011 must be translated in English.
Application Form: Click here for the official website of Mahindra’s Mumbai Mantra and you can download the application form from there.
Those of you who religiously follow the movement of film scripts in blogosphere, must be aware that the script of QT’s Inglourious Basterds was out almost a year before its release. And that’s not a rare case. There are blogs and websites dedicated to script reviews/news/sales. And since last few years they have the Black List too.
Compare this to the script scenario here. Writers/directors guard it as if it’s life and death scenario. Almost scared to give it out to anyone to read. The fear of bad (or honest) feedback is too much to bear! If only someone can explain it to them that you cant hang your film on your drawing room walls like you treat your paintings! Plus, there is no concept of professional readers.
Even after the film has released, there is no way to source the script online. So we are trying to change the scenario with a small intiative. Asking directors of all the best reviewed films of 2010 to share their scripts with us. Its purely for non-commercial and educational purpose.
The first in the series is the script of Vikramaditya Motwane’s Udaan – the much loved and one of the best reviewed films of 2010. You can read it and download it too. We have attached three drafts – shooting script (in Roman Hindi ), the second one is slightly polished draft ( In English – 2004/2005) and the last one is the very first raw draft ( In English – 2003 ).
We will soon be putting out the script of Goal too. It’s also written by him and has always baffled us that how can a filmmaker go so wrong with a sports genre film! Till then, enjoy Udaan.
Shooting draft –
Slightly polished draft –
First raw draft –
PS – We are also trying to source the scripts of LSD, Peepli Live, Ishqiya, Do Dooni Chaar, Phas Gaye Re Obama, Striker, Band Bajaa Baarat, Tere Bin Laden and more. If you have the script and want to share it with our readers, do write to us at moifightclub@gmail.com. This is stritcly for non-commercial purpose.
It was film industry’s inside joke. IIFA – The International India Film Academy, yeah, it’s made to sound too pompous, but actually the A in IIFA is all about Amitabh (Bachchan and family). Nobody knows what actually the Academy does or how it’s even an Academy ? Just to make it sound authentic like the Oscars, an event management company decided to do yet another Bollywood awards and formed the Academy.
It roped in Amitabh Bachchan as its Brand Ambassador. Yes, an awards ceremony with an actor as the brand ambassador. Is that first of sorts ? Will someone please care to enlighten us ?
Not very long ago Vikram Bhatt wrote a cover story on HT Cafe asking about IIFA’s aim “to promote Indian cinema globally”. What has it done in the last ten years ? And how it was promoted “Indian cinema” ? It goes to those countries where NRIs would pay obscene amount of money to see their favourite stars do chiggy-wiggy and it’s all strictly Bollywood. There is nothing “Indian cinema” about it.
Like every other awards in this country, stars go, dance, get awards, get money and come back. Last year it was in Sri Lanka. Amitabh Bachchan went there to announce it but skipped the main event. And not only him, the entire Bachchan family skipped the IIFA for the first time. It was all about Raavan factor. Many groups were against Bachchan’s participation in the Sri Lanka IIFA and there was a fear that Raavan might face more backlash. Click here to read all about “Raavan” factor.
And today, in reply to a fan’s query, Bachchan posted the following tweet about this year’s IIFA at Canada..
And the worst part, he re-tweeted another tweet posted by some Praveen Kumar –
@SrBachchan WAT? u not at IIFA?? wats iifa without u???where can i contact those IDIOTS(iifa organisers) please
Well, that’s an old trick. Instead of expressing your concerns directly, express it through someone else. You are endorsing it but indirectly. In reply, IIFA has also issued a clarification from their side..
Due to unexplainable reasons, after announcing the event Brand Ambassador, Mr. Bachchan couldn’t participate in the IIFA Weekend Sri Lanka last year. Following this, IIFA aborted the concept of a Brand Ambassador. Keeping in mind the huge respect that Wizcraft and IIFA have for Mr. Bachchan and the deep relationship that we’ve always shared, we are not having anyone replace Mr. Bachchan. The Bachchan family has been an intrinsic part of IIFA every year, and in this regard we have already shared with them a proposal about their participation this year too. Mr Bachchan’s reason for non-participation is best known to him. IIFA and Mr. Bachchan are inseparable. We will continue to pursue his participation for this year too.
You don’t need to be too smart to read between the lines. Abhishek’s career is going nowhere. Aishwarya doesn’t have much films in hand and if they entertain only the Bachchans, they cut out the rest of the industry. The scenario might have been different if Raavan, KHJJS, Guzaarish and Action Replayy had turned out to be hit. But when you can get Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan to dance and make some more money, why would you settle for just the A or the B.
Aha, quite a long header. Let’s tackle it one by one. And not sure if it deserves a SPOILER ALERT because its all in the official synopsis.
Synopsis – The romantic misadventures of Susanna Anna-Marie Johannes, a beautiful lass who over the course of thirty-five odd years, gets married seven times due to the untimely and mysterious deaths of half a dozen of her hapless husbands. The strange circumstances of their deaths, makes Susanna a prime accused. Did the husbands deserve to die? Were the murders out of necessity or pure blood-lust? Does Susanna ever find her one true love?
Key Word – Half a dozen.
And check out the six new character posters. And 7th one is again missing!
Character Details :
Susanna Anna-Marie Johannes (Priyanka Chopra) – She is a beautiful lass who over the course of thirty-five odd years, gets married seven times due to the untimely and mysterious deaths of half a dozen of her hapless husbands. The strange circumstances of their deaths make Susanna a prime suspect. Enigmatic and irresistibly charming in equal measure – Susanna is the kind of woman any man would die for! Literally!
Key word – Half a dozen.
Neil Nitin Mukesh (Edwin Rodriques) – A young and beautiful Susanna falls in love with The Major, who’s oh-so-dashing in his uniform. Yes, he’s a bit too old for her, and he likes giving orders. But love is blind.
John Abraham ( Jimmy Stetson) – Soon thereafter – very soon – Susanna decides to marry Jimmy, whose good looks and musical talent sweep her off her feet. She invests in him, but she has no idea what lies in store.
Irrfan Khan (Wasiullah Khan) – As a romantic soul. Susanna is susceptible to beautiful poetry. Hence it is that she discovers and marries Wasiullah Khan A.k.a Musafir, by day a gentle poet and by night… something else.
Aleksandr Dyachenko (Nicolai Vronsky) – Growing older but no wiser. Susanna next marries a Mr. Vronsky from Moscow and almost re-enacts her very own Anna Karenina love story.
Anu Kapoor (Keemat Lal) – All these dead husbands! The police take an interest, especially Officer Keemat Lal, who is helpful to the extreme. He not only persuades Susanna to marry him, he makes it impossible for her to say no.
Naseruddin Shah( Modhusudhon Tarafdar) – By now our Susanna is suffering from melancholy, not to mention indigestion. Along comes her savior, Dr. Modhusudhon Tarafdar with a healthy answer to both problems: a strict mushroom diet.
The 7th Husband – It turns out that Dr. Mushroom isn’t Susanna’s last savior. She marries yet again, and finally it’s for good.
Hmm. The 7th Husband is played by Naseeruddin Shah’s son Vivan Shah. So is it just 6KM ? And is there more to the 7th one ? If you have seen the theatrical trailer of the film, you must have also noticed that the last few seconds of the trailer has Vivaan Shah in a contemplative mood with Priyanka Chopra in the other corner. Your thoughts ?
Not very long ago we had put this post on filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh and his changing avatar. And now he has gone a step ahead. Check out the slide show.
It shouldn’t matter much to a film buff but when he is flaunting it all, how can you not notice! And it seems he is exploring gender and sexuality with his films too. Once, twice and more! Click here to read the complete interview published in The Telegraph, where he talks about his new passion, his new film Chitrangada: The Crowning Wish and how he is preparing for it.
Pic Courtesy : The Telegraph
From Mumbai Meri Jaan to John Meri Jaan. Remake of Khaka Khaka. John Abraham, who looks like Arjun Rampal. Title that sounds infinitely boring. And a gun that points to, umm, the gun. Bound by duty, Unleashed by love. And so the twain meet at the crotch ? Till love found him….where are we heading ? Sincerely hope that not in the direction of the gun. And this is just the first communication message of the film.
Though the music is still not out but a new song promo (Bekaraan) of 7 Khoon Maaf has been released. It opens with Irrfan Khan reciting two lines, which beautifully sums up the mood of the main character of the film – Ek baar to yoon hoga, thoda sa sukoon hoga…Na dil me kasak hogi, na sar me junoon hoga.. Who else but good ol’ Gulzar.
F.i.g.h.t C.l.u.b 
