Now this one is supposed to be big. Really BIG! And why not? After all Jodhaa Akbar has:
a) Ashutosh Gowarikar’s labor of love finally getting ready to be unveiled after going through grueling shooting schedules,
b) Hrithik and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan coming together again after Dhoom 2, albeit in a different avatar,
c) A.R. Rahman and Javed Akhtar saab collaborating with Ashutosh for the third straight time after Lagaan and Swades and
d) A true historical being brought to celluloid after ages.
Write your own music review of Jodhaa Akbar
No wonder, everything about this film is expected to be flawless and studied to the minutest details. This is why one looks at the music with great expectations. However, it all turns out to be anticipation in vain as Jodhaa Akbar turns out to be the first major disappointment of 2008.
In the praise of Shahenshah Akbar comes the opening track ‘Azeem-O-Shaan Shahenshah’. High on orchestra, the track has ‘grand’ written all over it and deserves an opulent treatment to it. Crooned by Mohammed Aslam, Bonnie Chakraborty and Chorus, the track hails Akbar for creating an empire where there is peace, harmony, and great life all around. The song doesn’t belong to the kind which could be sung around or played loud at home but would do well when seen on the big screen, provided the picturisation is as lavish as Rahman’s efforts.
Javed Ali, who has been trying to make his mark over last 3-4 years, gets a big break in the form of ‘Jashn-E-Bahaaraa’. Sounding quite close to Sonu Nigam, Javed does well in his rendition of this slow track that is in complete contrast to ‘Azeem-O-Shaan Shahenshah’ in its treatment. Javed Akhtar saab’s poetry is in full flow for this love song which comes close to the style of 60’s in it’s tune and flow.
However, one misses the kind of punch as expected from the first romantic song of the album and the final outcome turns out to be little lackluster with not much in the song pulling a listener for a repeat hearing. Towards the album’s end, a ‘Flute Instrumental’ version of the song is heard as well, which works better as a core background piece which could be enjoyed with lights switched off.
Kashif written ‘Khwaja Mere Khwaja’ is a devotional track, which is strictly for Rahman fans. Rendered by Rahman himself, it has the kind of arrangements as heard in ‘Kehna Hi Kya’ [Bombay]. With minimal instruments in play, ‘Khwaja Mere Khwaja’ has its strength lying in it’s lyrics but that too has minimal target audience due to the track’s genre and setting. Overall, a situational piece that seems like an unlikely candidate to make much headway into current crop of audience. An ‘Oboe Instrumental’ piece for the same track comes at the album’s end and yet again has the kind of treatment, which hardly promises a popular reach out.
‘In Lamhon Ke Daaman Mein’ that comes later turns out to be most laidback of all and just doesn’t ignite the kind of spark that one had been hunting for in this soundtrack so far. It’s one thing to be slow and another to be just plain and simple drag (if boring is too harsh a word here)! By this time, one seriously starts wondering if Rahman was asked to work on the album really-really hard or did he actually finish the job in a jiffy? In spite of presence of Sonu Nigam and Madhushree, the song just doesn’t click at all and in the end what one gets to hear is a number which fails to impress and ends without making any impression.
On the lines of ‘O Paalan Haari’ [Lagaan] (genre wise) comes ‘Mann Mohanaa’, which is yet, another devotional track after ‘Khwaja Mere Khwaja’. This time around, it is Bela Shinde’s turn to sing a number for Lord Krishna as the character of Jodha played by Aishwarya Rai turns over to God. Just like the rest of the album, this one too doesn’t go any further than being ordinary and ends without creating any place in the heart (or the music collection) of the listener.
Special attraction of the music album of Jodhaa Akbar is a bonus DVD that includes a 4-minute long theatrical trailer of the film along with a few posters, story and cast and crew details of the film
The album kicks off well with a high adrenalin title song but beyond that there isn’t much to look forward to. Jodhaa Akbar would work with a miniscule segment of audience and that too only in certain big cities. It is expected to take a good start at the stands due to high credentials involved but a sustained stay at the charts may only be possible only if the film is a success.
Jodhaa Akbar disappoints, and how! Though the music of Lagaan was good (catching on more after the film’s success), Swades was always a few steps behind. However, Jodhaa Akbar does not have much to cheer about and fails to go an extra distance.
Source: Indiafm.com
The bad news is that all the Pongal releases are average or total write-off!
Pongal CBO- Jan 15 to 20
MovieBuzz
This week we are carrying a special six-day Pongal CBO, as Chennai was totally shut for the festival season. The bad news is that all the Pongal releases are average or total write-off! The cricket crazy Chennai youth audiences were more glued to television as history was being created at Perth, while the ladies had a feast of Pongal programmes on Tamil channels including movies like Vettayadu Vilayadu, Veyil, Manmathan etc! Among the lot Bheema took a decent opening and is the clear number one, and way down in the second position is Kaalai and in third position is Billa now confirmed as Ajit’s biggest hit, Taare Zameen Par is steady in the fourth position while Pazhani is in the fifth place.
Bheema became one the longest awaited Tamil movies of recent times not just for the hype it created but also for the time it took, from completion to release. And when a movie is usually this delayed, the hype and hoopla surrounding it fizzles out, but Bheema only became bigger with expectations rising with each passing day. There are several reasons for this: One, this is Vikram’s first movie after two years. Two, Vikram and Trisha pair up for the first time since the extremely successful Saami. Three, Bheema is Lingusamy’s follow-up to the stupendously successful Sandakozhi. And four, Harris Jeyaraj’s soulful songs. But here’s the lowdown: in spite of all the above reasons, the movie doesn’t quite live up to its colossal hype.
In Bheema, Vikram plays a man who has, since childhood, idolized Prakashraj, a gangster with a heart of gold. Vikram grows up to become a no-nonsense, street smart, powerful young man. Impressed with his courage, Prakashraj embraces him, inducting him into the gang. And with Vikram as his right hand man, Prakashraj gradually becomes the godfather of the city. He even outrivals his archrival, Raguvaran. Filled with rage, Raghuvaran and his two sons attempt to kill Prakashraj and take back the city. But with Vikram by his side they are unable to touch the newly crowned godfather. Meanwhile, Vikram falls in love with Trisha, and he becomes so lost in love that he loses focus and concentration on the job, nearly threatening the life of his idol. Vikram is now forced to choose between work and love. What Vikram will choose forms the rest of this tale.
On some level Bheema bears a striking resemblance to Maniratnam’s Dalapathy. As director, Lingusamy succeeds in provoking riveting performances from all the actors, but as scriptwriter he’s not as successful in keeping us involved. From the first reel to the last reel Bheema is packed with the sound of gunfire and fisticuffs – the wirework and action scenes are stunning but as the movie winds down, the relentless violence gets to you. The first half is full of incident but the pace slackens in the second half, no thanks to some inappropriate song placement that spoils the fun. Bheema is full of style but little substance. As in all our masala entertainers, logic takes a back seat. A gravity-defying stunt in a shopping mall restroom is close to being preposterous. However, when Bheema is not about gunfire and fisticuffs, Linguswamy handles several scenes deftly. The scene where a very drunk Vikram spoils a birthday party and talks back to the police commissioner is unforgettable for Vikram’s magnificent acting and some well penned dialogues.
Prakashraj, as always, comes up with a topnotch performance. His role is well etched and this versatile actor makes the most out of it. Vikram once again stuns us with his subtle body language, incendiary acting and skillful dialogue delivery. Trisha’s role is bubbly and this talented heroine makes the most of it, looking cute all through the film and ravishing in the song sequences. Raghuvaran delivers that slick, sly villain he is so well know for. Thalaivasal Vijay is competent, reminding you of the Iyer role Delhi Ganesh played so well in Nayagan. As the police commissioner, Aashish Vidyarthi is superb.
Technically, Bheema is brilliant. RD Rajasekhar’s cinematography is a treat for the eyes, especially the Mudhal Mazhai song, which is shot ravishingly. His camera work here is certain to win him laurels. Anthony’s editing is terrific except in a few places where it is not always seamless. The stunts by Kanal Kannan will be a major draw, particularly the fight sequence in the market place where slow motion is used to great effect.
Ahmed Khan’s choreography is understated and tasteful. Harris Jeyaraj’s music, of course, is very good. Unfortunately, some of his songs are inappropriately placed in the film, taking away some of the luster. However, “Oru Mugamo” and “Ragasiya Kanavugal” are memorable numbers that are also shot beautifully. For pure lovers of action, Bheema might just be the Pongal movie they are looking for, but those expecting an action movie with a strong story will be disappointed.
Verdict: Too much action, too little story
NG-3 Rockssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
Top 5: ‘Welcome’, ‘T.Z.P.’ continue to lead!
Rank Film Producer Verdict Average per print (rs.) Last Week
1 Taare Zameen Par Aamir Khan Super Hit 5,22,699 1
2 Welcome Firoz A. Nadiadwala Blockbuster 4,15,434 2
3 Return Of Hanuman Percept Picture Company, Toonz Animation Flop 63,499 New
4 Om Shanti Om Gauri Khan Blockbuster 32,987 5
5 Jab We Met Shree Ashtavinayak Cinevision Ltd Hit 31,175 3
THE REST
6. Aaja Nachle
Producer: Aditya Chopra
Verdict: Flop.
Average per print: 19,370
7. Showbiz
Producer: Mukesh Bhatt
Verdict: Flop.
Average per print: 17,225
(Ratings are based on the box office collections and the cost of the film)
Devgan…Kapur..Santoshi…damn this looks AWESOME!
Panchgani ka super taara
—Shridevi Keshavan
MUMBAI: The scenic beauty of Panchgani has a very special meaning in Aamir Khan’s life. We all know he got married there and it was also the place where he got romantically involved with his now wife Kiran Rao, during an outdoor schedule. And the actor never misses an opportunity to reconnect with his favourite getaway. Please not that even the boarding school in his film ‘Taare Zameen Par’ was set in Panchgani.
So it came as no surprise that Aamir together close friends and family for an extended party at his Panchgani house — as much a New Year celebration as it was a success party for his directorial debut . It was not a filmy-do with hardly any industry people. Stretched over four days, the celebrations included special performances, a cricket match and even trekking expeditions, among other things. All the guests were put up in hotels though most of the time, they were all hanging at Aamir’s place. Musicians Shankar and Loy were part of the do and so was actor Kunal Kapoor and lyricist and adman Prasoon Joshi.
“It was a warm party, very comfortable and Kiran is such a sweet person. Along with Aamir Kiran, she is also great friends with everybody now,†says a source who was at the party. In fact, even Kiran’s family had come down to be part of the celebrations.
Musicians Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy are apparently also working on Aamir’s next production, an international project called ‘Delhi Delhi’. “Aamir’s not acting in the film but it’s an out-and-out international project and we are working on it. We will be going to Panchgani to start work on the creatives soon,†said Shankar Mahadevan.
Despite several women-centric movies becoming huge hits and women directors like Mira Nair and Deepa Mehta having demolished an old male bastion, perceptions persist that women-centric films do not a hit make. Maybe Farah Khans blockbuster OSO will bring in the much-needed thought change, says Reema Moudgil
It had to happen. In 2007, when a female director has given Shahrukh Khan, possibly the biggest hit of his career and 16 unknown girls propped his second big hit of the year Chak De, the wagging tongues are claiming how impossible it is for women to make an impression at Bollywood turnstiles.
And all because, Aaja Nachle with Madhuri Dixit as its She-ro did not crackle at the box-office. “Women-centric films don’t work with the audience,†say the trade analysts forgetting that Chak De, despite the presence of Shahrukh Khan, was centred around women. Forgetting also that in every era, Hindi film heroines have helmed women-centric hits.
Be it the Fearless Nadia genre of films to operatic moments like Mother India, to intimate portrayals of the female psyche in films like Kalpana, Bandini, Sujata, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, Guddi, Khoobsurat, Umrao Jaan, Arth or the Ram Aur Shyam role reversals in entertainers like Seeta Aur Geeta and Chaalbaaz. It is never the gender that works or fails at the box-office. It is always the film. If the overpaid heroes of today could guarantee hits, none of their films would fail but no one targets a Jaan-E-Man or a Mangal Pandey or a Paheli.
A fact that theatre person Keerthana Kumar rues, “I think the energy and grace Madhuri brings to the screen is fabulous. To target her in such a petty way is just symptomatic of the sexist society we live in. The glass ceiling in cinema however is no different from glass ceilings in any other field.
For me, it is exciting to see women making strides in any field, despite the odds. What interests me is what kind of a unique genre female directors will create. I am told Farah has brought a lot of ironic flavour to her film. Maybe that will be known as her genre.’’
Director Kavitha Lankesh has blurred the line between art and commercial cinema in the Kannada film industry with her critically applauded Deveree and commercial hits like Preethi Prema Pranaya.
Resistance
She recalls, “I remember facing a lot of resistance during the release of Preeti Prema Pranaya because a big hero’s film was releasing on the same day. I was told to hold my film back because it was presumed that my film was an `art’ film and would not be commercially successful. The perception was that I make films only for awards! I held my ground and the film reached the audience and that has been my only goal though I will accept awards if they are given to me! Tomorrow, I may want to make an action film. I refuse to be categorized either as an art, commercial or a female film maker. I am a director and that is how I want to be known.’’
Gender-obsessed
Padmavathi Rao, actor and theatre director, chips in, “I liked OSO and I hope it inspires aspiring women directors to dream. But I doubt if it will make things easier for them because films require manpower, machinery and funds and that does not come by easily. ’’
Mohena Singh, television director, also warns that one lone ranger does not a caravan make. She says, “It is too early to say that doors will open for other women directors because of the success of OSO. Farah Khan is not just another director. She is the personal friend of Shahrukh Khan, has access to all the top stars.
If I were to land at Shahrukh’s home tomorrow and say that I have the most fantastic script for him, I don’t think I will be allowed to put my foot in his door even edgeways! But l hope, things change.’’ But undoubtedly, this year belongs to a woman director who has not only got her foot in the door of the all-guy, Bollywood locker room but who can play a high-pressure game with the big boys, beat them nonchalantly and leave them smarting like Sanjay Leela Bhansali.
It belongs to Farah Khan who vanquished the notion first with Main Hoon Na and then with Om Shanti Om, that a woman director can only handle small-budget films with a niche audience.
That a female director cannot make a universal entertainer. In a telling scene in the film, a pretentious director is taking the names of Bengali masters like Sen and Ray in vain and is told by a producer that unless he is inspired by the cinema of Manmohan Desai, he will not make a superhit.
That is finally the mantra that Farah Khan has chanted audibly through both her films. Entertainment is the reigning deity she worships unabashedly in her films.
So much for the gender-obsessed carping that dismisses female directors as not mainstream enough. But if films had a gender, her films would be slotted as testosterone-oozing celebrations of the quintessential Bollywood male. Of the hero who can do anything. Chase a SUV in a rikshaw, go from being a junior artiste to a top star waking up in a white, Yash Chopra bedroom, someone who wins a Filmfare trophy after a lifetime of longing…
Macho director!
Farah joked in assorted interviews recently that (despite being a lady) she is the only macho director who makes friend and muse Shahrukh Khan play macho roles! She is someone who has with single-minded ambition and without taking herself too seriously, demolished the idea that women directors can make films only about women, can win awards but not crack the box-office.
A very long time back when Sadhana had been credited with the direction of Geeta Mera Naam, derisive titters had greeted the film.
Sai Paranjpai made modest box-office and critical successes like Chashme-Baddoor, Sparsh, Katha and more but when this writer spoke to her a few years ago, she was still far from the fruition of a dream to direct a big-budget musical.
Aruna Raje once made ripples with her sensationally bold film Rihaee. Revathi made Mitr-My Friend and Phir Milenge, Meghna Gulzar has Filhaal and Just Married to her credit, Reema Kagti made the delightfully quirky Honeymoon Travels, Tanuja Chandra’s last film Zindaggi Rocks did not rock the box-office, Leena Bajaj sleep-walked through Shabd, Pooja Bhatt is in the fray with Paap, Rog, Holiday and Dhoka, Sharbani Deodhar made an unfortunate Silsila Hai Pyar Ka, Kalpana Lajmi followed Rudali with some seriously bad films and Zoya Akhtar is on the verge of directing.
Bollywood never acknowledged the brilliance of Aparna Sen and the international acclaim garnered by Deepa Mehta, Mira Nair and Gurindhir Chaddha. What the male-centric industry lacked was a woman who could take on Bollywood’s dreamsmiths without being conscious of her gender and make big money. Om Shanti Om may be Shahrukh Khan’s biggest hit yet. But no one can take away the fact that a woman has directed it.
[To all Akshay Kumar Fans]
What will make Akshay Kumar survive 2008? Sincerity to his job and a loyal fan base, writes Derek Bose
Akshay Kumar has become omnipresent. He is everywhere ~ sprinting across billboards on terrace tops, popping out of magazine covers, grinning on television screens, gliding about on bus panels, scowling from roadside posters, peering out of Press ads… There’s no way you can escape him these days. In fact, no Bollywood star in recent times has enjoyed the amount of sustained visibility over past one year, the way this young man is experiencing.
And why not?
In 2007, Akshay pulled off a string of back-to-back hits ~ Namastey London, Heyy Babyy and Bhool Bhulaiya. The momentum set by this hat trick enabled a below-average and otherwise non-starter, Welcome to stand up to the far more endearing and power-packed Aamir Khan-starrer, Taare Zameen Par. Now, all eyes are on the release of Singh is Kinng and Tashan.
Akshay’s victory run actually began a year earlier with Bhagam Bhag and Phir Hera Pheri, both mindless rib ticklers from the Priyadarshan stable. Their success not only eclipsed the flops he turned out in 2006 (such as Humko Deewana Kar Gaye, Jaan-E-Mann and Mere Jeevan Saathi) but gave him the opportunity to relocate into the comedy space. It was a defining year for the actor headed for a mid-life crisis ~ he was not getting any younger to continue as action hero nor had he become old enough to play character roles like Om Puri and Amitabh Bachchan.
To me, however, what makes Akshay Kumar a fascinating subject is that he is one senior actor who has not aspired for Bollywood’s top slot. At age 41, he may now be considered a threat to the quartet of Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir and Hritik Roshan. But right from the beginning of his career in the nineties, even as he had everything going for himself and was cast repeatedly in the first lead, playing the title role in several films, never did he try competing with any of the reigning superstars. Instead, he has accepted roles they rejected and appeared in mediocre double-hero films time and again. Like Dharmendra and Jeetendra in the past, he remained content being part of the second rung of heroes in Bollywood.
The price he has had to pay for being so easy-going and accepting is there for all to see. His first film, Saugandh in 1991 clearly established that with his looks, physique and training in the martial arts, he could outclass other action heroes of the time like Sanjay Dutt, Sunny Deol and Ajay Devgan. He proved his backers right with Mr Bond (1992) and most significantly, with the Khiladi series ~ Khiladi (1992), Main Khiladi Tu Anadi (1994), Sabse Bada Khiladi (1995), Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi (1996), Mr & Mrs Khiladi (1997), International Khiladi (1999) and Khiladi 420 (2000).
There were several other such action flicks ~ from Ashaant (1993) and Mohraa (1994) to Insaaf: The Final Justice (1997), Aflatoon (1998) and Hatya: The Murder (2004). Any other actor would have sedulously consolidated his position solely on the strength of these recurrent hits, but Akshay frittered away his chances. During this most productive period of his career, he was making news for his string of off-screen dalliances ~ from Pooja Batra to Raveena Tandon to Rekha to Shilpa Shetty…
Another intriguing facet about this actor is that he has never really belonged to any clique or camp within the film fraternity. Even when he was new to Bollywood ~ fresh from his stint as dishwasher in some Hong Kong restaurant ~ he did not seek out a godfather. He chose to be the proverbial lone ranger instead. Today, much as he can walk into any of Bollywood’s powerful camps, be it Yashraj Films, Mukta Arts, Dharma Productions or Red Chillies Entertainment, Akshay is happy working with a bunch of middling producers like Dharmesh Darshan, Vipul Shah and the Nadiadwala Brothers. Tomorrow, it could be a completely unknown producer he might opt for. In that sense, he is one star-actor who has retained his independence and takes his chances, regardless of the consequences. This is rather unusual at a time when everyone in Hindi cinema is looking for the safety of numbers and the security of support systems.
Yet another factor that sets Akshay apart is his choice of roles. No actor, with any aspiration of becoming a superstar, would willingly demolish the image once created in the minds of the public. Akshay Kumar’s abiding image has been one of an action hero. Yet, he has periodically tried to negate that image by dabbling with romantic potboilers (Dhadkan, Dil To Pagal Hai, Namastey London…), family dramas (Bewafaa, Waqt: A Race Against Time…), patriotic sagas (Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyon…) and a host of off-beat thrillers like Dillagi, Aitraaz, Ajnabee and Khakee. He simply does not cease to surprise. Clearly, he holds an agenda bigger than being just another bankable star. By showcasing his versatility, he is essentially extending his shelf life. He knows that he cannot live by action dramas or syrupy romances alone; a time would come when he will have to explore other genres. Rather than start all over again from scratch and compete with his contemporaries at that stage, he decided to sink his teeth in a variety of roles whenever he got the opportunity. And the best part is that he has been able to make a success of most of them.
But does that make Akshay Kumar a good actor? Now versatility is one thing and pulling off a credible performance, quite another. For instance, Naseeruddin Shah is a good actor, but not versatile (ask him to prance around trees and you would know!). Akshay, in contrast, can dance, kick, box, perform dare-devil stunts and more. But he does not abide by a recognizable school or style of acting. He has a weak smile, a weaker voice and more often than not, lets his fists do the talking. The articulation of his limbs and other parts of his body is severely limited to just that. Charisma? It is just not there. Ditto for the ruggedness that is supposed to go with his persona. So what makes him so hot?
It is the conviction he brings to every role he does that has made him such a hit. He is not a thinking actor and would never question a director even if he had to make love to a lamppost, so to speak. For him it is a job to be done and he better do it with all sincerity. This is why we see him so often in utterly absurd situations and he is able to sail through them with incredible panache and confidence. But through it all, you can detect that the joke is not so much on him or on his acting ability as on the audience that wants more of such inanity.
Bollywood needs a performer like him.
Video parlours are biggest threat to Indian film industry
5 Jan, 2008, 0001 hrs IST, TNN
No, there are no solutions to the problem. This is what you realise when you look at the number of film-makers fighting lawsuits across the globe and follow the statements from industry veterans like Yash Chopra who despair at the business loss.
Yet, there have been some individual attempts at curbing, if not stopping, the piracy menace. Take the case of Atul Patel — who is a converted man today. He welcomes the 120 cine fans who enter his air-conditioned video parlours for each show with a smile on his face. He collects approximately Rs 20,000 a day if all his four shows go full at an average of Rs 40 a ticket. Till a year ago, Patel’s collections were not even a few thousand. Till a year ago, his parlour was among the 200 video parlours in Varacha which showed pirated VCD/DVDs.
In Gujarat where video parlours are pretty much common, they are allowed to operate after paying a nominal entertainment tax of Rs 2,000 a week. Most are located in remote areas of a city where access to theatres is difficult.
Patel now coughs up as much as Rs 25-30,000 for the rights of a movie and has also invested Rs 2.5-3 lakh in equipping his parlour to be digital. Of course the lure is the higher lucre which comes from better prints. Patel controls six of these parlours in his area and is now actively trying to convert the rest. He needs to or else they will eat into his business. “He acts as the ideal control factor now, as he does not want to be out priced,†says Atul Goel, CEO, E-City which has converted 12-14 video parlours from pirated driven to legitimate businesses which have a license.
Is digital cinema the saviour?
Does this mean that piracy has found a solution and a saviour? The rate at which digital screens are growing, (UFO Moviez alone has got 950 screens across more than 50 towns while E-City has 115 and there are more players getting in) the industry is looking towards it as the fastest way to meet pent-up demand.
Besides, for the franchisee or licensee, investment in digital does not need deep pockets as the capital expenditure comes from the equipment guys who are the big boys with the deep pockets. “It is a basic demand and supply situation. Our films advertise to all India audience but release the same movies in about 200-400 cinemas, what will the rest do but turn to pirated merchandise,†says UFO Moviez CEO Rajesh Mishra who is targeting 2,000 screens by March ‘09.
Besides the low comparative cost of digital cinema, (one-tenth), Mishra re-inforces the fact that not only do they encode and encrypt the film, there is no human intervention between their office and the theatres, movies are directly delivered via satellite to theatres, elimination the act of duplicating the films. “Let’s say UFO has contributed 25-30% contribution to a movie’s collection and in at least 20% markets which were not covered earlier,†adds Mishra. Goel adds that since E-City digitized the video parlours, their contribution to the industry over the last year and a half has been around Rs 1.5 crore.
Head, media and entertainment, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Timmy Kandhari sums it up well: “For one it enables the widest possible release for a movie, day and date so it lessens the effect of piracy and allows the film maker to maximize his revenue, which sets the tone.â€
The digital form while a saviour in some forms, can also be the threat. According to M M Satish, head, T-Series Public Performing License (TTPL), who has been very active in raiding cable operators, video parlours, others like video operator Sadaf says that threat of the future is digital. “I call it white collar piracy where the you digital downloading is done by almost any commercial establishment from hotels to coffee chains, restaurants who all play film music or videos or even show movies without paying us licence fees, and I see T-Series alone losing at least Rs 100 crore here,” says Satish.
Or Home video?
The alternate answer is also the home video market, which is growing phenomenally and with players like Moser Bear with its aggressive pricing things could change dramatically. “Enforcement. is not a solution. The pricing difference between the original and the pirated is so wide which is why the consumer goes for the pirated. Also the time between release and home window must come down ideally to 2-3 days, so that the film-maker can maximize what he otherwise loses to the pirate who is out with a duplicate in 24 hours,†says Harish Dayani, CEO, Moser Bear.
Biggest pirate of ‘em all
The biggest trouble comes from Pakistan. Sadaf, for example, is funded by the underworld and willing to cough upto a crore for a good master print of a single film as the market in Pakistan runs into crores. “Hindi movies are popular in Pakistan and we lose thousands of crores there.
During the release of Krrish, we battled it and managed to stop thousands of pirated VCDs,†says Satish who even faced threats to his life. So, what if Pakistan were to go legit? Kandhari puts it simply. “The US industry grew because it concentrated on growing its markets and so Pakistan, being a big market would be critical market.†In fact, Satish is so keen on battling the Pakistan piracy menace he is looking at opening an anti-piracy office there!
The long hand of the law
The Central government has promised to focus on violations. Various state governments have played their own roles, from the Goonda Act in the South and Punjab. The antipiracy cells in these states have codes on the prints of the films, which can be traced on the seized VCDs and DVDs. Company then tally these codes and trace the theatre house where the piracy took place.
The market is not just India but also the Diaspora across the globe. “The loss of business due to piracy, is immense and almost incalculable. In Europe in particular, on the second day after the release of Fanaa, almost 100,000 DVDs of the film were being imported into Germany and France by pirates through their regular network. This menace can only be resolved with the co-operation of local governments as well as by releasing our films much earlier in various countries. This is an on-going process,†said Yash Chopra speaking at a platform in Germany last year.
And we all fall down?
The Motion Pictures Association (MPA) have, through their raids, made 2,143 arrests between 1994 and 2006, across burners, DVDs, VCDs. This is an organization where all the six studios of Hollwyood have formed to fight the cancer of piracy. “We conduct these raids for our films but almost 70% of the content is local and we pick up everything. We have requested the industry here to join us but so far there has been no support,†says Chander Lall, all India Legal Counsel for MPA.
In 2005, more than 43,000 raids were conducted worldwide; as a result more than 81 million illegally-manufactured discs were seized and 100 high-profile Internet piracy facilitator sites were shut down. So, the Indian film industry has to decide if this battle just for some or for the protection of the rights of millions who work for India’s film industry. The answers lie with them.
South Indian film industry has learnt to live with piracy
5 Jan, 2008, 0015 hrs IST,D Govardan & Thanuja B M, TNN
Exactly one year ago, there was pandemonium on the streets Thiruvananthapuram. The reason was simple. Their reel life heroes had come off the screen onto the streets. Superstars like Mammootty and Mohanlal marched along with thousands of members of the Malayalam film industry to the state secretariat in appreciation of the government’s crackdown against piracy.
Taking action against film piracy has been a long-standing demand of the Malayalam film fraternity. Since the Achuthanandan government gave a green signal to the police to check piracy in December 06, nearly 30,000 video libraries have been reportedly been closed down. This was exactly like when the Goonda Act enforcing strict action against piracy came into force in Tamil Nadu.
Now let’s talk reality. It will not be totally wrong to say that in spite of all this the South Indian film industry has learnt to live with the menace of piracy.
When people want to watch the latest movies of these stars, they are available in DVDs/CDs at a throw away price, either for rent or to even to buy. And all these within a couple of days of the movie’s release. For lesser known stars, the pirated copies are available even before the first official show in the theatres! Of course, officially, the police authorities may not accept it.
As far as the Tamil Nadu and Puducheri region, the major hubs for production of pirated DVDs/CDs are basically Madurai and Puducheri, with Chennai too thrown in. Every big movie from the South, as well as those from the North, is freely available in the market.
Soon after the previous Jyalalithaa’s Goonda Act, almost all DVD/VCD lending parlours in a city like Chennai stopped stocking Tamil films, even age-old movies. Because of police harassment, yet today most of them are back in business with the latest movies. “As a policy we do not rent out Tamil movies, as we are targeting audience looking for global cinema and we cater to a niche audience and not the mass market,” says Santosh Gopal, managing director, Cinema Paradiso India.
Piracy is still rampant. and the film industry knows it. Even in the film crazy market of Andhra Pradesh, where boisterous fans of big stars used to act tough with piracy players, it has become a thing of the past.
But upmarket chains like Cinema Paradiso, RIC Video and Tic Tac mostly keep away from stocking Tamil films. Though Moser Baer has entered the scene recently, to fill the gap by pricing its official Tamil DVDs/VCDs at a very low price, it is hampered by the non-availability of new movies, legally.
One of the cinema industries in the South most affected most by piracy and which has nearly seen its closure is the Karnataka film industry. Says H D Gangaraju, distributor and former president of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, “The Kannada film industry is seeing lot of losses because of piracy. Almost 80% of the producers and distributors have problems.â€
While other states may have not seen action post the Goonda Act in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu Gangaraju has faith in it and is sure that if Karnataka, which has passed it, also implements the Act, it will help people who deal in pirated cassettes to get booked.
Another change is the problem has become so deep-rooted that pirated CDs are now sold on the footpaths while they used to be sold in shops under cover earlier.
S P Road and National market in Bangalore are the main markets for audio, video, music, video games and software piracy. According to sources, 10 people operate at the top level, where they copy the movie in bulk and are sold across the state. In association with distributors and marketers, pirated CDs are distributed to audio-video libraries in Bangalore. Small video libraries will deal with only one distributor, while big ones have three to four distributors. Would Ranjinikant and Chiranjeevi taking to the streets help fight piracy? Let’s keep a watch on Hyderabad and Chennai’s streets.
Rajnikanth unseats SRK to swing Robot
5 Jan, 2008, 0208 hrs IST,D Govardan, TNN
CHENNAI: Digging for gold appears to have become superstar Rajinikanth’s favourite pastime. As if the Rs 80-crore blockbuster Sivaji, The Boss was not enough, filmdom’s money spinning hero has now signed up for India’s costliest movie.
Pegged at Rs 100 crore, director Shankar’s Robot, a science fiction film, will see Rajni replace King of Bollywood Shah Rukh Khan as hero. London-based Ayngaran International, in which Kishore Lulla-owned Eros International picked up a controlling stake last July, is to produce the film.
Robot will be released in five languages for a global audience. This dream project of Shankar was also to be produced by SRK’s Red Chillies Entertainment. In fact, last year, the film had been planned featuring filmdom’s other cash king Shah Rukh Khan.
However, owing to differences between Shankar and SRK on the creative front, as acknowledged by the latter in recent statements, the film was dropped about two months ago. Observers say, given Shankar’s penchant for large canvas presentations the cost of production of Robot could even cross the Rs 100-crore mark, setting a new Indian record.
“Ayngaran and Eros Multimedia will be jointly producing Robot featuring Rajinikanth and directed by Shankar. The formal agreements will be signed soon,†Ayngaran International CEO Rohan Manickavasagar told ET on Friday from London.
Eros and Ayngaran had together distributed Sivaji globally, which is said to have grossed between Rs 150 crore to Rs 170 crore from both the domestic and overseas markets. “Robot will be a joint production. The film will take anywhere between 18 to 24 months for completion and will be produced at a cost in excess of Rs 100 crore,” Mr Manickavasagar said.
The film will be made in Tamil, but will be released in five languages, including Hindi and Telugu, besides a couple of other regional languages. “It will also have stars from Bollywood. But these finer details will be finalised in due course,†he added.
Shankar had originally wanted to do Robot with Kamal Hassan over five years ago for Media Dreams, the now defunct film arm of Chennai-based Pentamedia Graphics. Somewhere down the line, even Hritik Roshan’s name came up for serious consideration. But Rajini appears to have swung it yet again.
With Rajinikanth becoming a national phenomenon after Sivaji, which also generated interests in international markets, Robot is expected to be marketed in a big way overseas too. Tamil films have a huge market in the UK, USA, Canada, France, Germany, Norway, Switzerland, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Australia and the Middle-East.
Copycats turn smart, dodge copyright
5 Jan, 2008, 0117 hrs IST,Kumar Anand, TNN
AHMEDABAD: Call them copycats. But challenge them on copyright issues in the court of law, and you might lose. Film producers betting their fortunes on remakes of blockbusters or lifting popular mythological characters and turning them into mega money-spinning animation flicks are getting more than cautious on the legalities involving copyright issues. While Bollywood movies are frequently getting into trouble, there are very few instances where they are actually punished. Even when it comes to making sequel or creating a similar character or story-line, film-makers turn smart enough not to lose money on a movie venture.
Instances where producers have been hauled up in the court of law on the issue of infringement of intellectual property rights have come up in the recent years. Take the latest animation film Return of Hanuman. The producers of the film, released on December 28, were challenged by the makers of the 2005 hit animation movie, Bal Hanuman. However, the movie, challenged in a Vadodara local court, managed a release on the grounds that the character of Hanuman was shown in a modern setting as one going to school and wearing shorts as against mythological Hanuman in earlier version.
“The makers of Bal Hanuman claimed the character of Hanuman in the latest movie was a copy of the earlier version. However, Return of Hanuman partially succeeded in the release by convincing the high court that the character was different,’’ said the patent and trademark attorney JY Trivedi, the counsel for the Precept Picture Company, which produced Return of Hanuman. “But with the rise in animation movies, there will be instances of clash of similar characters and other issues involving IPR issues. Unless film-makers act smart, IPR might land them in trouble,’’ Mr Trivedi added.
With huge money getting pumped into movies, large production houses are facing threats on IPR issues. This ranges from charges of trademark violation to copyright infringement. Creative production houses, however, are treading cautiously. They involve IPR consultants who cross-check a movie before signing up, and if at all anything is repeated, it is played down smartly.
Agreed Pritish Nandy, chief executive officer of Pritish Nandy Communications: “Commercial film-making is all about turning creativity into commercially viable form. But with huge money and more exposure, movie-makers are more vulnerable to getting into such traps. So, even if we get inspired, we make sure not to copy in a manner as to get into trouble, like when making a sequel, enough care is taken so the idea or character do not clash.’’
Karan Johar’s Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna landed in trouble in 2005 when a production house AK Films filed a suit in the Delhi High Court claiming the title of the movie as trademark protected before being picked up for use by MR Johar. The high court gave a go-ahead to Johar’s film on The grounds that the suit was filed too late till which time an investment of Rs 45 crore was already made.
“From small film producing companies to Hollywood production houses, Bollywood is being cornered by one and all on IPR issues. Of late, the number of cases has increased. But production companies are playing with caution. We sign up films after expert consultation and reaching agreement in the initial phase with film-makers so that no such trouble erupt at a later stage,’’ said Mukta Arts chief executive officer , Ravi Gupta. Mukta Arts produces around 4 movies annually involving more than Rs 70 crore.
Take some more examples. Ram Gopal Varma’s Nishabd was dragged to Delhi High Court for allegedly copying title from a Bengali award-winning movie of the same name. However, Nishabd escaped loss again as the suit was filed in March 2006. Till then, RGV Films had already spent Rs 8 crore on the movie. The court said the plaintiff took time to approach the court and thus lost the case.
Hit Bollywood comedy Partner, co-produced by Eros and K Sera Sera had to face allegations of direct lift from Hitch, co-produced by Overbrook Entertainment and Sony Pictures Entertainment. However, the case did not go forward after it was found that the Hindi movie had made changes in the Hitch story idea.
Frowing Glory: Saif goes for the royal look.
Charm Hair: Ranbir looks as cute as ever in his stubble.
Gangsta look: Akshay Kumar matches his shades with his beard.
Baal Baal Dekho: Neil Mukesh gets extra brownie points for his brown stubble.
MumBhai: Viveik still sticks to his Shootout get up.
Unruffled: Abhishek Bachchan looks smashing as ever in his always there stubble.
Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor
Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor
Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif
Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone
Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Even more exciting is that fans will get a chance to vote for their favorite pair! Just register at www.indya.com/starscreenawards/indyajodi.asp and pick the jodi that made your heart go thump!
My Vote goes to Shahid-Kareena
While choosing the ‘Star Of The Year’ has been an easy choice for us in past years (Hrithik Roshan in 2006 with Aamir Khan as first runner up and Kajol as second, Amitabh Bachchan in 2005 with Rani Mukerjee as first runner up and Abhishek Bachchan as second), this year was a much tougher pick due to the emergence of Akshay Kumar as a box office champ.
2007 saw Shahrukh Khan’s Om Shanti Om (65%) surpass the collections of his other starrer, Chak De India (71%), to be the biggest grosser of 2007. Because of that, we have named Shahrukh Khan as 2007’s Star Of The Year due to the fact that he had the two biggest grossers of 2007 as it ended (although Akshay Kumar’s Welcome (52%) may surpass both films collections in a few weeks).
It has been somewhat of a comeback year for the King Khan, as the last few years have been underwhelming for a star of his stature.
2004 saw the King Khan deliver a hit in Veer-Zaara (69%), however the film didn’t live up to expectations at the box office. That was followed up with Swades (67%), which flopped despite faring well with critics. 2005 was poor as his only release, Paheli (61%), failed at the box office. In 2006, Khan delivered average hits in Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (65%) and Don – The Chase Begins Again (58%), with neither film being in the top 5 grossers of 2006.
However, this year Om Shanti Om showed that if you put the King Khan in the right type of film, you are guaranteed a huge hit. Coupled with the fact that Chak De India became a super hit despite having an offbeat theme and no heroine, and you have 2007 being a huge comeback of sorts for Shahrukh.
2007 also saw the emergence of Akshay Kumar as a box office megastar. While Shahrukh had the 2 biggest grossers of the year, Akshay had 3 of his 4 releases in the top 10, while his fourth, Namaste London, was at # 11. Akshay’s Welcome only released 2 weeks ago and is already the 5th biggest grosser of the year! Another point is that all of Akshay’s films had good to great openings at the box office. While Om Shanti Om was expected to be a huge hit from the start and had many things working in its favor, Chak De India’s opening was disappointing and picked up only by word of mouth over its opening weekend. The pre-release booking for the film was the worst for a Yash Raj production since Neal N Nikki (35%) in 2005. Not to mention, both Om Shanti Om and Chak De India’s were good films as they both featured in our Top Films of 2007.
However Akshay Kumar has done what no actor since Amitabh Bachchan has done since the 70’s and 80’s, and that is make a series of average to above average films and make them hits! Despite not working with the biggest production houses and directors, Akshay keeps churning out hit after hit! As a matter of fact, Akshay Kumar’s best reviewed film this year, Heyy Babyy, has the same rating of Shahrukh Khan’s worst reviewed in the past 3 years, Don – The Chase Begins Again (also at a 58%). And none of Akshay’s releases this year made it into our Top 20 Films of 2007
All of Akshay’s films this year have scored in the 50’s range (which is Average to Above Average) with Heyy Babyy faring the best with critics at a 58% (Above Average), with Namastey London next at a 56% (also Above Average), Bhool Bhulaiyaa in third with a 52% and finally Welcome at a 52%. Despite the average reviews from the critics, all four films were hits, with Heyy Babyy and Bhool Bhulaiyaa being super hits, and Welcome on its way to being a super hit!
Meanwhile coming in third was a toss up between Aamir Khan and Abhishek Bachchan. Abhishek started the year off strong with a huge hit in Guru (72%) which earned critical acclaim for both the film and Abhishek’s performance. However, Abhishek’s next, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom (50%), flooped at the box office and his extended appearance in Laaga Chunari Mein Daag (44%) failed to impress. Meanwhile, Aamir Khan finished off the year strong with an amazing directoral effort in Taare Zameen Par (77%), a film in which he starred in. Despite it being his first film as a director, the film is already the best reviewed popular film of 2007 and it has picked up at the box office, despite a slow start. Because of that, Aamir Khan finishes third this year.
Congratulations to Shahrukh Khan, Akshay Kumar and Aamir Khan for their fantastic 2007’s and here’s hoping they have a great 2008. Here is our official list of 2007 Star Of The Year:
Star Of The Year Of 2007
Shahrukh Khan
Runner-Up #1 – Akshay Kumar
Runner-Up #2 – Aamir Khan
Past Winners
Star Of The Year Of 2006 – Hrithik Roshan (Runner-Up #1 – Aamir Khan, Runner-Up #2 – Kajol)
Star Of The Year Of 2005 – Amitabh Bachchan (Runner-Up #1 – Rani Mukerji, Runner-Up #2 – Abhishek Bachchan)
33 children who had undergone heart surgery met actor Vikram with their family on Jan 1, 2008 at Hotel Green Park Hotel, Vadapalani in Chennai.
All India ‘Chiyaan’ Vikram Fans Welfare Association had funded this noble cause. While the seed amounts for most of the surgeries were provided by the actor, the association also mobilised funds through newspaper advertisements and other initiatives
Said Vikram: “It all started due to my wife Shylaya who is the moving spirit and M.Suryanarayanan. He thanked doctors M.S.Ranjit, J. S. N. Murthy and K. R. Balakrishnan of SRMC.
Added Vikram: “Doctors did not wait for the total amount to reach them. They performed the surgeries as per the child’s condition. This understanding between us mattered,â€
Vikram interacted with each and every family, patiently posed with them for photographs and sang songs with them. For those like Tarun a five-month-old baby and his parents Munusamy, a daily wage labourer in Tiruttani and his wife Rekha all this meant a lot, as they went home smiling.
SRMC General Manager S. Srikumar who was present at the function said that it was the collective effort of the doctors, the involvement of Vikram and his wife Shailaja and his fans association that made all this possible.
Great work indeed. We at Sify.com salute Vikram and his wife Shailaja on this noble cause.
(again Mahesh Babu should really be doing multiple films every year.. one is too little..)
Mahesh next film
Telugucinema.com
Friday, 04 January , 2008, 09:08
Mahesh Babu is back in town. After spending New Year and holidaying in Goa, he has reached back.
Sources close to the superstar inform that he has Okayed director Trivikram’s script. The buzz is that Trivikram and Mahesh recently met and finalized this project which will be Mahesh’s next release.
The duo – Trivikram and Mahesh Babu had delivered blockbuster Athadu earlier. Trivikram is said to have narrated a one-line story to Mahesh and he gave the nod to go ahead. There have been many speculations but this film is finally going to take off. It will start sometime in April but before that there will be a formal pooja.
`Bheema` censored!
By Moviebuzz
Tuesday, 01 January , 2008, 10:48
Good News for Kollywood on the first day of the New Year- ‘Chiyaan’ Vikram’s long-in-the making, Lingusamy directed Bheema has been censored on December 31 evening by the regional censor board in Chennai.
The censor board has issued an “A†certificate to Bheema for some “violent scenes essential to the theme of the filmâ€. But nobody is complaining as those who saw the film say it is going to be a “landmark movie, technically chic with stunning story telling.â€
Late on Monday night, Vikram speaking from an undisclosed location somewhere deep in a forest area in south India, where he is celebrating his New Year with family and friends, told sify.com: “ I’m the happiest man in the world, as another New Year dawns on us and hearing the news that Bheema has been censored. I have always been telling you that Bheema is going to be an awesome movie.â€
A corporate is in the final stages of a negotiating a deal with producer A.M Ratnam for releasing Bheema this Pongal. Now let us hope that A.M Ratnam will call for a meeting with his creditors and sort out all the financial issues regarding the film in the next couple of days.
We at sify.com hope that Bheema will finally make it to the screens on Friday, January 11 to get the full benefit of the long Pongal weekend.
Madhur Bhandarkar finally finds his gay!
Endangered Species
Srinivas N
I am sure most of you must have heard these magic words “Dus ka Bees…Dus ka Bees†once in your lifetime. These are those magic words that helped you when you reached the theatre late just to see the “Housefull†board but you did not want to go back home without watching that just released movie of Amitabh.
These are the words that helped you impress your girl friend with your ability to procure the first day matinee show tickets of Rajesh Khanna’s latest movie.
From “Paanch Ka Dus†to “Pachaas ka Sauâ€, and sometimes even “Pachaas ka Panch Sauâ€, these black marketeers have become a part of our life. But the days of our good ol’ black wallah are numbered. With multiplexes taking over and thousands of prints flooding the market, there seems to be absolutely no shortage of seats anymore. At least in the metros.
Many years ago, we used to compare and calculate our favorite hero’s box office standing at the price his movie tickets were sold in black. “Our Amitabh’s ticket were sold at 1000 rupees on first day! Your Shatrugan Sinha’s was a mere 100!!â€
Many politicians and gangsters started their career by first becoming a black marketeer so don’t underestimate this profession.
I was a movie buff and I had to watch every movie that released, whether Hindi or Telugu. The release of a Chiranjeevi movie was like a Sankranti festival for his fans. Most of the major theatres in Hyderabad were in RTC X roads and every Friday, this area wore a festive look with devotees thronging to the theatres to watch their hero in action. So even if you had influence, sometimes getting tickets was almost next to impossible. Most of the Telugu productions were based in Chennai at that time so there was no preview show route for me, except for my holidays when I used to visit my parents in Chennai.
I was almost like a known face to all the theatre staff in every theatre due to my regular visits there. Well, I was also a known face to black marketeers! It was very rare that I go without advance booking but for one movie, I went to the theatre hoping to meet the manager and somehow get in. But sadly, they wouldn’t even let me meet the manager that day. So I was standing outside wondering what to do when this man who had polio and used to sell black tickets smiled at me and asked me if I wanted any tickets. I said I wanted two and asked him how much they are for. He again smiled and said that since he keeps seeing me there regularly, he will give them to me for the normal ticket price! I could not believe what he was saying! From that day, a bond was born between that black marketeer and me.
For this particular theatre, I never bothered about advance booking anymore. Whenever I needed tickets, he was always there, with his walking stick and a great smile. Imagine what this did to my popularity amongst my friends? ïŠ It soared, obviously!
A black marketeer usually does not operate alone. The theatre staff is often involved with this racket. Most of the time, even the police are in cahoots with the whole operation. So if you think that these guys made a killing every Friday, not exactly.
In Mumbai, except Gaiety Galaxy and 24 Karats, I haven’t noticed black marketeers anywhere. Maybe in the distant suburbs and single screen theatres. If you are at the Gaiety Galaxy, watch out for the Anil Kapoor look alike. He is the master mind behind the black tickets and the whole of management is involved in this racket.
At 24 Karats, you will find these guys selling black tickets right in front of the counter. Last time I remember buying a ticket in black was for Ramgopal Varma’s Company at 500 rupees a ticket in some theatre in town.
But slowly, I am sure most of the black ticket sales will slowly vanish, closing a glorious chapter in Indian cinema.
So next time you see someone selling tickets in black, savor and enjoy the moment. Those guys are endangered species. Politicians and thugs need to find another springboard to kick start their career!
While last year was a huge year for Bollywood at the box office, this year was a great one as far as content is concerned. This year 19 films crossed the 60% mark, while only 14 were able to cross that mark in both 2006 and 2005. However, when all was said and done, Black Friday (80%) emerged as the Best Overall Film Of 2007, while Taare Zameen Par (77%) emerged as the Best Popular Film of 2007.
Black Friday was the best reviewed film since 2006’s Lage Raho Munnabhai (81%). The film, about the Mumbai bomb blasts in 2003, was both dark and violent, however was extremely well made and lauded by critics. Although the film failed at the box office, the reviews were very good, as with 33 critics reviews the film received, 32 were positive and 1 was negative. Director Anurag Kashyap was unable to follow up the quality of Black Friday as his later films, No Smoking (32%) and Hanuman Returns (54%), didn’t fare near as well with the critics.
The best reviewed popular film of 2007 was released only two weeks ago! Directors who have been directing for years and years could not match Aamir Khan’s directoral effort in Taare Zameen Par. The film, which has picked up at the box office after a slow start, beat out Guru (72%) and Chak De India (71%) to be the best reviewed popular film of the year. With 45 reviews in for the film, 42 have been positive, 2 have been average and 1 has been negative.
Here is our official list of 2007’s films of the year:
Best Overall Film Of 2007
Black Friday (80%)
Runner-Up #1 – Taare Zameen Par (77%)
Runner-Up #2 – Parzania (74%)
Best Popular Film Of 2007
Taare Zameen Par (77%)
Runner-Up #1 – Guru (72%)
Runner-Up #2 – Chak De India (71%)
Past Winners
Best Overall Film Of 2006 & Best Popular Film Of 2006 – Lage Raho Munnabhai (81%)
Best Overall Film Of 2005 & Best Popular Film Of 2005 – Black (79%)
HALLA BOL is a big-budget venture!
No Bharat Ratna for 7 years, doesn’t India have one?
New Delhi: It’s that time of the year again, when the civilian honours’ list to be announced on Republic Day is being finalised. Everyone is earnestly looking forward to it, however, there is one disappointment and that is the country hasn’t found a deserving person for the highest honour, Bharat Ratna in the last seven years.
The question that crops up is whether a nation of more than one billion people does not have one eminent person who we can call a jewel or is the Central government just playing safe to avoid controversies?
Committees formed by the ruling party confer such awards. They usually give awards to those loyal to them.
Bharat Ratna is awarded for exceptional service towards art, literature or science. It is also given in recognition of outstanding Public Service. State governments can recommend names for the award, however, the final decision rests with the Central government.
Should the Bharat Ratna be conferred to a younger person like Sachin Tendulkar instead of just going for the obvious?
“If you are talking about Sachin, then why not Shah Rukh Khan. I think we should go for a person who has a long and distinguished track record rather than just go by the celebritydom of an individual,†says Manini Chatterjee, Editor, The Telegraph.
However, if we can confer the Bharat Ratna on controversial people like MG Ramachandran and former president VV Giri, then why not on our own cricketers? After all nobody has entertained the whole nation like cricketers.
Mumbai, Jan 4 (IANS) The film fraternity has condemned the molestation of two women in Mumbai by a mob on New Year’s Eve.While actress and social activist Shabana Azmi feels that surety of punishment for offenders can be an effective deterrent, Bipasha Basu says it is a “collective responsibility to keep the city clean and common people should try to help in such a situation”.
S
habana Azmi: Take Back The Night was a slogan coined by a women’s movement to demand basic security for women. Every rule of civilised society demands that security should be provided to women. We used to pride ourselves on Mumbai being a safe city. Surety of punishment for offenders is a more effective deterrent than the severity of punishment.
Sushmita Sen: It’s a repulsive incident. I feel very violated and upset when human beings relinquish their human qualities and behave like beasts. It’s not a question of Mumbai alone. It’s not a geographical issue. Disgraceful people like these molesters make the world an unsafe place. I pray these offenders are caught and punished severely. My heart goes out to both couples.
Malaika Arora: I’ve always considered Mumbai a safe place for women, but not any longer. I’m sure most women in the city feel the same way after the shocking barbaric incident.
Vaibhavi Merchant: Going to any public place on December 31 is scary, especially in Mumbai. This incident only verifies my worst fears about the city. Only the cops can keep the city safe. It’s sad that the incident went unnoticed. However, Mumbai cannot be called unsafe because of some hooligans. This incident should serve as a wakeup call.
Hema Malini: I thought Mumbai was the safest city in the world. This incident has shocked me. Those men should be punished right away, and that too in public. How did the cops allow it to happen? I feel parents with daughters should be careful on nights like these when men are drunk.
Amrita Arora: I think the New Year night is pretty unsafe. People are drunk and behave in a weird manner. There must be more cops and security in crowded places during such occasions.
Bipasha Basu: Those dirty hooligans who molested two women on New Year’s Eve should be punished so severely that no pervert ever tries these dirty ugly acts again. The offenders should be tracked down and disciplined publicly.
I’ve been a single woman in Mumbai and used to be proud of the city. But cheap and filthy men like these are destroying the city’s safe reputation. And why should only cops be responsible for law and order? Even the man on the street should help in such a situation. Ultimately, it’s the people who define a city.
Raveena Tandon: I wouldn’t say Mumbai is completely unsafe, but it’s getting there. The authorities should punish the offenders so severely that it sets an example. No one should dare to do what happened with those two women on New Year’s Eve.
Nisha Kothari: That such a thing can happen in Mumbai is shocking. One always thought the city was safe for girls. But I don’t feel that way any more.
Mahesh Bhatt: Mumbai has always been unsafe. My wife was once molested way back in the 1980s and had to fight her way out of a mob. The media is now turning the spotlight on the average Indian’s repressed sexuality.
Arbaaz Khan: Mumbai is surely one of the safest cities in the world. However, some recent incidents are alarming and cause for worry.
When Karan Johar sobbed like a baby04th Jan 2008 16.32 IST
Watching Aamir Khan ’s film Taare Zameen Par turned out to be an emotional experience for Karan Johar .
Karan, who loves to make the audiences moist-eyed through his films, was himself overwhelmed with emotions while watching TZP.
He did not see the film at a special screening but at a Mumbai theatre with a regular crowd.
“I couldn’t move from my seat for ten minutes after the show. I just sobbed like a baby,†Karan is quoted as saying in a media report.
Though he is single and hasn’t been looking forward to marry, Karan says now he wants to be a father after watching TZP.
Karan adds it is hard to believe that TZP is Aamir’s first film as a director. He was also bowled over by Darsheel Safary ’s acting in the film.
After the show, Karan called Aamir and complimented him.
testing 
test 
I'd like to say what really cool people say on seeing really cool things: Yeh toh bada toing hai. 
Thank God! the banner is gone now. People won't fight for which star is there and who not. :) 
Looks Nice.
Probably users want smiley plugin :) 
nice - very nice. congratulations rohit/rks.
rohit - where are the models ;-)
rks - dont worry yaar - ek baar ...
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Let me be the first to comment in the fully loaded, all new NAACHGAANA.
Mark my words, this year NG will ...
The Indiaglitz review is very good on the other hand:P! 
just saw this site; when is it going to be fully functional and how long the previous one 2.0 will ...