KAUFMAN - "Or cramming in sex, or car chases, or guns. Or characters learning profound life lessons. Or characters growing or characters changing or characters learning to like each other or characters overcoming obstacles to succeed in the end. Y'know ? Movie shit."
Kaufman is sweating like crazy now. Valerie is quiet for a moment - from "Adaptation".
We are all about CINEMA. That movie shit.
NOTHING is sacred.
NOBODY is spared.
Because we talk about films, dammit.
Not your sex life.
Films, fests, unsung, indies, undiscovered - all that and some fun. If you have dope on anything related to cinema or you would like to share something, do write to us at moifightclub@gmail.com.
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Neeraj Ghaywan’s debut feature Masaan (Fly Away Solo) is premiering at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival. Written by Varun Grover and starring Richa Chaddha, Sanjay Mishra, Vicky Kaushal and Shweta Tripathi, the film is competing in Un Certain regard section of the fest. Click here for the official synopsis, cast and crew list.
Kanu Bahli’s Titli premiered at Cannes Film Festival in Un Certain Regard section. Here’s all the buzz from the Cannes.
(click on any pic to start the slide show)
An enjoyable, character-driven Indian yarn about an emotional family of criminals gets better as it goes on…. Behl shows talent directing a largely non-pro cast, situating them carefully in the squalor of their Delhi surroundings. The family’s cramped apartment is the theater of many domestic dramas but also symbolizes the close ties that bind everyone together, like the humorous intimacy of their noisy tooth-brushing.
All the technical work is top quality. Namrata Rao’s editing keeps the rhythm flowing, while sound effects and music (uncredited) are used to great effect to pump up the mood.
– From The Hollywood Reporter. Full review is here.
To Behl’s credit, as wretched, repulsive and disgusting as his characters often are, it’s impossible to ignore them, because there is a spark of human grace even in the least appealing ones. His cast, mostly consisting of inexperienced actors, instill lots of fiery passion in their respective roles, with a couple of remarkably intense scenes between Arora and Raghuvanshi standing out among others.
Thanks for all those films and everlasting images, sir.
From the melancholy mood of 36, Chowringhee Lane to aridness of Bandit Queen, and from nostalgia-soaked Ijazzat to razzmatazz of bollywood, Ashok Mehta captured it all gorgeously and gave us memories to cherish. They not only pleased the eyes but touched the souls as well – that was some magic with camera!
And for a change, he’s in front of the camera in the following pics. Captured by Amit Ashar.
Thanks to TIFF, few stills of Hansal Mehta‘s new film Shahid is finally online. Also, the official synopsis and the cast and crew list. The film is going to have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in its “City To City” programme where “Mumbai” is in focus this year.
The stills look stark and powerful and creates a deadly mood. And now the official synopsis of the film…
Shahid is the remarkable true story of slain human rights activist and lawyer Shahid Azmi, who was killed in 2010 by unidentified assailants in his office. From attempting to become a terrorist, to being wrongly imprisoned under a draconian anti-terrorism law, to becoming a champion of human rights (particularly of the Muslim minorities in India), Shahid traces the inspiring personal journey of a boy who became an unlikely messiah for human rights, while following the rise of communal violence in India. This story of an impoverished Muslim struggling to come to terms with injustice and inequality, whilerising above his circumstances is an inspiring testament to the human spirit. Starring Raj Kumar, Prabhleen Sandhu and Baljinder Kaur.
And here’s the cast and crew list…
Director: Hansal Mehta
Language: Hindi
Runtime: 123 minutes
Exec. Producer: Jai Mehta, Kunal Rohra
Producer: Sunil Bohra, Shailesh Singh, Guneet Monga and Anurag Kashyap
Production Co: Bohra Bros Pvt. Ltd. and Anurag Kashyap Films Pvt. Ltd.
Principal Cast: Raj Kumar, Prabhleen Sandhu, Baljinder Kaur, Tigmanshu Dhulia, K K Menon, Yusuf Husain, Prabal Panjabi, Vinod Rawat, Vipin Sharma, Shalini Vatsa, Paritosh Sand, Pavan Kumar, Vivek Ghamande, Akash Sinha, Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub, Mukesh Chhabra
Blame it on that thing called life, we have been bit irregular with that other thing called cinema, and so the updates have been missing. Here’s a fresh start with a new film called Prague.
Prague is the directorial debut of Ashish Shukla. And since Ashish is a good friend, we might be bit biased. But that doesn’t take away anything from his talent and his previous works which we have seen and loved. And hopefully you all will agree soon. Here’s the first look of Prague – an interesting poster and some stills from the film.
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And here’s the official synopsis….
A city with a history of heritage, myth and superstition. A passionate architect with hang ups and delusions about love and life. A Czech gypsy girl looking for her identity and love. Add to that a mean friend you can’t get away with and can’t trust. And a left out- left over of someone who isn’t really there but doesn’t leave you alone. All of them come together, interfering, manipulating, coaxing and torturing each other as their search for peace, freedom and love continues.
This film is a psychological thrilling ride which takes you to the darkest corners of your mind, the shut down alleys of your soul and the graveyard of your heart.
– It stars Chandan Roy Sanyal, Arfi Lamba, Mayank Kumar, Sonia Bindra, Elena Kazan, Lucien Zell & Vaibhav Suman.
– Interestingly, it’s the debut feature for most of them which includes the Producer, Director, DP, Composer, Cast (Arfi Lamba, Sonia Bindra, Mayank Kumar), Costume Designer, Production designer.
Other credits and details are as follows….
Title : PRAGUE
Language : Hindi/ Czech/ English
Duration : 105mins
Genre : Psychological Drama, Romance
Songs : Background Scores/ OST
Shooting Locales : Prague/ Mumbai/ New Delhi
Produced by : Rohit Khaitan, Sunil Pathare
Executive Producer : Bombay Berlin Film Production
Cinematographer : Udaysingh Mohite
Editor : Meghna Manchanda Sen
Sound : Sanjay Chaturvedi
Music : Atif Afzal, Daniela Fojtu (Czech original Score)
Lyrics : Varun Grover
Concept : Rohit Khaitan
Story : Ashish R. Shukla
Screenplay & Dialogues : Sumit Saxena & Ashish R. Shukla
– The film will have its world premiere in the “Indian Competition” section of the Osian’s Cinefan Film Festival. For more details, click here and here.
Vasan Bala’s debut feature Peddlers premiered at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival in the International Critics’ Week section. This post is to track all the buzz from the Cannes – pics, videos, interviews, reviews and more.
PICS
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Latest REVIEWS
– An early review in French is here. Rated it 3.5/5 and to sum it up – I think this is a young director who can go very far if he continues this way. (Thanks to Google Translate)
– Bikas Mishra of DearCinema.com has reviewed the film here. Bikas is also on the Critics Week jury this year. To quote the last line few lines, Sidharth Diwan’s restless camera adds amply in capturing the life in the megapolis. Prerna Saigal’s editing is worthy of a special mention.
Vasan Bala’s Peddlers marks a very promising debut. I would be looking forward to his next.
– Another French review is here. To quote from the review, Bombay shines here in all its ambiguous charms , angles sometimes hard, dry, and always flattering that one has rarely seen. ( Again, via Google Translate).
– Film critic Christain Jungen tweeted his rating 3.5 stars. And calls it an atmospheric gangster movie from Mumbai, half Hollywood halfway Bollywood.
– Saibal Chatterjee reviews the film for The Sunday Indian. Click here. To quote from the review, Vasan Bala is clearly a talent to watch. The way he handles the characters, paces the narrative, uses music and creates the dark and disturbing backdrop against which the film plays out reflect the kind of grasp that augurs well.
The deft touches that he brings to the table lift Peddlers well above the level of run-of-the-mill gangster flicks. It isn’t, to begin with, a gangster flick at all.
– Another French review is here. This one is mixed.
UPDATE – 23/05/2012
– New French review which rated it 15/20 and to quote, That said, the director shows a sense of rhythm and creativity in the staging that might interest the Jury of the Camera d’Or. Peddlers is an Indian film that has nothing in Bollywood and is the work of a director in search of gallons, but already talented.
– To quote another review, Peddlers is located in-between a relative novelty in Indian cinema, somewhere between the sweet and colorful to a Bollywood film and the roughness of a gangster movie. Efficiency is “quasi American,” but the exceptional photography and the use of music we bring in a definitely Indian.
Latest NEWS/FEATURES
– The Hollywood Reporter interview is here – on How ‘Peddlers’ Reflects the Indie Spirit (Q&A).
– In Variety’s Spotlight on India cinema. Click here.
– VIDEO – Excerpt from Rajeev Masand’s interview for CNN IBN. Click here.
What we know – Ashim Ahluwalia’s debut feature Miss Lovely is going to Cannes in Un Certain Regard section this year. The film is set in Bombay’s B/C grade film industry and it stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Niharika Singh and Anil George.
What we don’t know – what does the film look like? No stills/clips/trailer available on the net so far. What’s it all about?
And so we have got it all. The official synopsis and some stills from the film.
OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS
Bombay, 1988. Vicky and Sonu are brothers and partners in crime. They produce “C” grade films in the lower depths of Bollywood – lurid horror films, erotic bandit pictures, sleazy social dramas. From a humid one-hour hotel, amidst spilled whisky and bouts of womanizing, Vicky churns out illicit titles like “Dolly Darling” and “Lady James Bond” for India’s small-town picture houses. He leaves the donkey-work to Sonu, his withdrawn, dim-witted younger sibling, who often cleans up after him.
Returning exhausted from a sales trip peddling erotic reels in the hinterland, Sonu encounters a mysterious girl on the train and is drawn to her fragile beauty. She’s only just arrived in Bombay and her vulnerability soothes his own sense of despair. Her name is Pinky and she appears to be a struggling actress.
Vicky dismisses the girl as a gullible piece of flesh but Sonu is desperate, bewitched by Pinky’s silent radiance. He knows that only she can save him; make his emptiness disappear.
As the seasons change, Sonu begins to resent his hard-edged brother. He no longer wants toslave for Vicky’s lawless operation and decides to make a film of his own, with Pinky in the lead. A double debut – producer and star. It’s a reckless, nihilistic venture with no story and no crew in place. But he has a title – the film will be called ‘Miss Lovely’ and Sonu will do whatever it takes to make it.
But nothing is what it seems in this garish underworld of shifting alliances, double dealing, and quivering flesh. Out on the streets three years later, Sonu realizes that his whole world has turned upside down.
A baroque tale of betrayal and doomed love, the animal instincts of the struggling actress prove to be the most cutthroat of all. As paranoia and violence spiral out of control, brother turns on brother, and blood spills like water. Sonu, now alone and abandoned, aimlessly wanders the streets, junkyards and film studios, aching for one last glimpse of Pinky.
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Click here to read an interview of Ashim on the making of Miss Lovely.
Sunny Deol will soon be seen in a new film titled Bhaiyyaji Superhitt and will be essaying a double role for the first time in his career.
Bombay Times “Exclusively Unveiled” the first look of the film on Monday. Have a look at this picture.
All good, right? Well, now take a look at this picture of Johnny Depp. It’s from GQ cover.
If you are smart, then photoshop can do wonders. But you don’t commit blunders like this. Nobody expects any great journalism from Bombay Times but the least you can do is to verify the pics and the info. You just don’t put Deol’s head on Depp’s body. As the popular contest goes, now spot the 10 differences in the next picture.
This is one film we are eagerly waiting for – Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Paan Singh Tomar starring Irrfan Khan & Mahie Gill. Some on locations pics of the film are out on the internet. Check it out.
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And here is the official synopsis of the film…
Paan Singh Tomar is an untold true story of a simple farmer, a loyal soldier and a champion athlete who became one of India’s most dreaded dacoits!
Paan Singh was a small town lad who went on to win the steeplechase at the Indian National Games for 7 consecutive years! He broke the national record, a feat that was unsurpassed for 10 years! A series of life changing events however forced Paan Singh to give up athletics, pick up the gun and become the scourge of the infamous Chambal valley in central India. Filled with deep emotions and fateful twists, Paan Singh Tomar is a gritty, no holds barred action adventure set in the heart of India’s gangland, Chambal.
And if you are more interested, click on the play button to check out how Irrfan Khan trained for the role…
And there is some more! Click here to read a damn kickass interview of Irrfan Khan, done by GQ’s Iain Ball, on the sets of Paan Singh Tomar.
Kiran Rao’s directorial debut Dhobi Ghat is going to have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). It stars Aamir Khan, Prateik Babbar, Monica Dogra and Kriti Malhotra. Some new pics of the film are out…check it out…
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And here is the official synopsis of the film…
In the teeming metropolis of Mumbai, four people separated by class and language are drawn together in compelling relationships. Shai, an affluent investment banker on a sabbatical, strikes up an unusual friendship with Munna, a young and beautiful laundry boy with ambitions of being a Bollywood actor, and has a brief dalliance with Arun, a gifted painter. As they slip away from familiar moorings and drift closer together, the city finds its way into the crevices of their inner worlds.
And to read what Cameron Bailey, Co-director of TIFF, thinks about Dhobi Ghat, click here.
F.i.g.h.t C.l.u.b 