‘YAADEIN…’ 100 DAYS

Mukta Arts’ Yaadein… completed combined 100 days’ run on 3rd November in matinee shows at Novelty, Bombay. Produced, directed and edited by Subhash Ghai, the film stars Jackie Shroff, Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor, Rati Agnihotri, Amrish Puri and others. It has story by Subhash Ghai, screenplay by Subhash Ghai, Aatish Kapadia and Anuradha Tiwari, and dialogues by Subhash Ghai and Amrik Gill. Lyrics of Anand Bakshi have been set to music by Anu Malik.

Yaadein… holds the record for being the biggest grosser so far among Hindi films released in the US this year. It collected US $646,800 in its debut weekend there. Till date, it has collected over US $2.8 million from Overseas.

LATEST POSITION

Pre-Diwali is taking its toll on the box-office.

Indian is doing very well in the circuits but is not up to the mark in major cities. 2nd week Bombay 44,41,831 (53.03%) from 15 cinemas (9 on F.H.), total for 2 weeks 1,10,30,046; Ahmedabad 10,17,013 from 9 cinemas (5 unrecd.), Rajkot 2,20,000, Jamnagar 1,18,756 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee); Pune 12,30,378 from 5 cinemas, Solapur 2,71,836, Satara 1,63,438 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee); Delhi 25,99,696 from 10 cinemas (4 on F.H.); Kanpur 5,02,483 from 3 cinemas, Lucknow 6,18,699 from 2 cinemas, Agra 3,25,000, Varanasi 2,83,659, Allahabad 2,13,271, Bareilly (6 days) 1,13,914; Calcutta 19,22,914 from 17 cinemas; Nagpur 3,73,371 from 3 cinemas, Balaghat (3 days) 26,701, Amravati (6 days) 1,84,607, Akola 1,56,367 (68.10%), total 3,81,166, Raipur (6 days) 2,10,170, Jalgaon 2,47,633, total 5,35,003, Wardha 65,610, Chandrapur 1,47,727, total 4,17,164, Yavatmal 78,300, total 2,45,282; Indore 1,26,000 (3 on F.H.); Jaipur 4,28,215 (73.18%), Ajmer (gross) 1,71,463; Hyderabad (gross) 9,05,970 from 4 cinemas; 1st week Davangere 2,87,436.

Asoka 2nd week Bombay 42,77,800 (69.18%) from 11 cinemas (6 on F.H.), total for 2 weeks 1,02,91,168; Ahmedabad 11,11,543 from 5 cinemas, Jamnagar 46,000; Pune 11,56,620 from 3 cinemas, Solapur 1,17,137, Satara (gross) 74,395; Delhi 30,29,884 from 11 cinemas (4 on F.H.); Kanpur 3,24,978 from 3 cinemas, Lucknow 3,88,177 from 2 cinemas, Agra 2,42,000, Allahabad 1,15,700, Bareilly (6 days) 66,780; Calcutta 10,43,415 from 7 cinemas; Nagpur 2,87,754 from 2 cinemas, Amravati (6 days) 68,052, Akola 75,277, total 2,28,123, Raipur (6 days) 49,586, Jalgaon 97,578, total 2,70,136; Indore 73,000 (2 on F.H.), Bhopal 88,000; Jaipur 6,58,124 (77.71%), Ajmer (gross) 1,04,308; Hyderabad (gross) 11,82,367 from 4 cinemas.

‘TERA MERA SAATH RAHEN’: EMOTIONS APLENTY

Producer Babloo (N.R.) Pachisia hosted a party at Le Meridien on 6th November to mark the successful completion of his film, Tera Mera Saath Rahen. Due for release next week, the film is about two brothers. It is directed by Mahesh Manjrekar.

An impressive promotional trailer of the film, shown at the party, gave an indication that the film abounds in emotional scenes. Ajay Devgan plays elder brother to a 12-year-old mentally challenged boy. Sonali Bendre and Namrata Shirodkar are the leading ladies.

NON-BAILABLE WARRANTS AGAINST ‘LAJJA’ TEAM

A court in Kanpur has issued non-bailable arrest warrants against the director of Lajja, Rajkumar Santoshi, and actresses Rekha, Madhuri Dixit and Manisha Koirala. An additional district sessions judge ordered the four to appear before the court on 26th November after they failed to respond to a notice issued to them before Lajja was released in August this year. It was the result of a petition filed by one Ram Swaroop from Bhawanipur (Kanpur district) alleging that Lajja was based on a true incident of gang-rape and brutal murder of a 42-year-old Dalit woman in Bhawanipur village. The petitioner’s counsel claimed that the screening of the film on the subject was tantamount to contempt of court.

A counsel for Santoshi and the actresses argued that the film is not based on the Bhawanipur incident and that the petition is entered with a view to blackmail the unit.

‘LAGAAN’ FOR OSCAR

Aamir Khan Productions’ Lagaan has been selected as India’s entry for the Oscar awards. The film will compete in the ‘foreign film section’ of the awards in March 2002. Written and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, it has music by A.R. Rahman and lyrics by Javed Akhtar. It stars Aamir Khan and Gracy Singh.

NEW CINEMA IN BHOPAL

A new cinema, Shri Ram Chitra Mandir, will open on 16th November in Bhopal. Madhya Pradesh chief minister Divgijay Singh will inaugurate the air-cooled cinema which is equipped with modern sound system. It has 401 seats in balcony and 100 in dress circle. Nett capacity per show is Rs. 7,436.55, while for 28 shows, it is Rs. 2,08,223.40. Phone: 243636.

‘LAGAAN’ TAX-FREE IN MAHARASHTRA

The government of Maharashtra has exempted Aamir Khan’s Lagaan from entertainment tax for a period of 5 months, from 31st October, 2001 to 31st March, 2002.

‘MUJHE KUCCH KEHNA HAI’ SILVER JUBILEE

Puja Entertainment (India) Ltd.’s Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai entered 25th week of its combined run in Bombay on 9th November. Produced by Vashu Bhagnani and directed by Satish Kaushik, the film marked the debut of Tusshar opposite Kareena Kapoor. It co-stars  Rinke Khanna, Dalip Tahhil, Vrajesh Hirjee, Hemant Pandey, Alok Nath, Himani Shivpuri and Amrish Puri. Anu Malik has provided music to Sameer’s lyrics.

CINEMAS TURN INTO VIDEO PARLOURS

Ajay Talkies, Pipliamandi (C.I.) has been converted into a video cinema. Anand Talkies at Agar (Malwa, C.I.) is likely to be converted into a video hall.

CENSOR NEWS

Dharma Productions’ Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham… (length 5760 metres in 21 reels) was applied on 7th.

Ratan International’s Tera Mera Saath Rahen (social), seen on 5th, has been issued C.C. No. CIL/1/66/2001 (U) dt. 7-11-2001; length 4078.49 metres in 18 reels (no cut).

Puja Entertainment (India) Ltd.’s Deewaanapan (social), applied on 2nd and seen on 5th, has been issued C.C. No. CIL/1/68/2001 (U) dt. 7-11-2001; length 4383.44 metres in 19 reels (cuts: 93.58 metres).

V. Creations’ Abhay was given C.C. (in Madras) No. CIL/3/2829/2001 (A) dt. 24-9-2001; length 4872.59 metres in 16 reels.

DO YOU KNOW?

* The Indian posts and telegraphs department will commemorate late V. Shantaram in his centenary year by bringing out a stamp of the great filmmaker. The stamp will be formally released at the hands of IT minister Pramod Mahajan on 17th November at The Regent in Bombay.

3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment

Kabhi Khushi…..

The all-India distributors of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham… were invited to Bombay and treated to its songs and some scenes on 9th November at Empire Audio Centre. Producer Yash Johar made arrangements for their stay at Hotel Sun N Sand. The screening swept the distributors off their feet. Remarked C.I. distributor J.P. Chowksey, “The film abounds in emotions. Karan Johar has grown phenomenally as a director from the days of his first film, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, which itself was a super-hit.” Commenting on Karan’s capabilities, Chowksey concluded, “The formidable star cast notwithstanding, the film belongs completely to the director.”

…..Kabhie Gham

If the distributors were thrilled after seeing excerpts from K3G, they are also a bit ‘sad’ because Yash Johar has decided to give the distribution rights on flat commission basis. He is reported to have told his distributors yesterday (9th November) in Bombay that the star-studded film had cost him a bomb to make and the only way he could hope to recover his money — after release — was if the distributors only charged commission all through. Of course, the distributors, who see a virtual gold mine in the film, are not exactly thrilled with the offer but then, they realise, they have no other alternative. Obviously, they would have been far happier if they had had a chance to share in the overflow. On a conservative estimate also, overflow can easily accrue to its distributors in the first month itself even if the MG price were assumed to be Rs. 4 crore per major territory. The Bombay distributor would’ve been able to give overflow to Yash Johar after the first week itself since the offer for sub-distribution rights for Gujarat alone is more than the assumed MG royalty price of 4! But then, all this is notional because the film is being offered on commission basis only. Of course, the commission itself could be huge. It is not for nothing that K3G is called the most eagerly awaited film of the year — or is it the decade?

Meanwhile, the music sales of the film are reaching dizzy heights. But just wait for the film to release! Audio and CD sales will shoot up further!!

Man Of Action

Action director Sham Kaushal is on could nine these days. His battle and other action scenes in Asoka have come in for praise from the cinegoers. Sham’s first film as an independent stunt director was a Malayalam one made by Santosh Sivan. From then on, Santosh and Sham have worked like a team. Not just Santosh, several other directors have repeated Sham Kaushal after working with him once. For a guy from a tiny village in Hoshiarpur district of Punjab, Sham has come a long, long way. Ask him if he spells his name as Sham, and not Shyam, due to numerology, he laughts, “No, no, it has nothing to do with numerology. From the beginning, my name has been spelt like that. God has given me so much, I don’t need to change my spelling or anything.” Quite a refreshing change from our superstitious lot!

INFORMATION MEETS

“Today, ninety-five percent of film producers are only surviving on borrowed money.”

– N.R. Pachisia

RAJ VAIDYA

All along, Babloo Pachisia used to consider action films as safer bets. Which is why, he stuck to making only dishum-dishum fares. Till he met Mahesh Manjrekar who narrated him a subject which had no room for action. The emotional story of two brothers touched Babloo so much that he changed tracks — from making action dramas to producing a sentimental tale of relationships and love. Babloo and Manjrekar’s labour of love, Tera Mera Saath Rahen, hits the screens next week. In this interview, the free and frank Pachisia talks about the film and other things:

The obvious question first. Why did you decide to stray from action films — your forte till date?

Agreed that I have made about 7-8 films so far and they have all been action films, but it was the subject of Tera Mera Saath Rahen which fascinated me. I personally believe that it is a very strong subject. I look at it this way: spending money isn’t everything — it is the subject that must be convincing. Although today I am faced with the scenario that the general market movement has changed (during the making of the film), it still doesn’t mean, I start thinking that there’s something wrong with my film or its subject.

Tera Mera Saath Rahen may be a social film, but it is also a very entertaining film. It is a commercial product, but on a different note of commercialism. I agree that my kind of commercial cinema has so far been about blowing up cars and all that and, in that sense, Tera Mera Saat Rahen is a different film. But I was fed up with action for the time being although I will get back to it later. Doing what you have been doing all along is okay, but one must also attempt to do something different.

Tera Mera Saath Rahen is a film which is very close to my heart. It is a very interesting and neat-and-clean film about human relationships. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if it goes on to do very well. It is like a dark horse, a project that is underestimated by everyone.

Surely, your all-action track-record must have weighed heavily against TERA MERA SAATH RAHEN when it came to finding buyers for it?

Not at all. All my regular distributors are with me in this film, too. This is so because they believe in me. All of them — barring, may be, one or two — have continued to repose their faith in me because they know, what I am doing is right. Some of them have, in fact, been pillars of strength for me.

How do you rate the chances of its success?

See, the failure or success of a film can be decided only after its release. It is the common man who decides its fate. But today, a pro-industry atmosphere is prevailing. My film may not have been ‘hot’ earlier, but let me tell you, since the past few days, it has become ‘hot’. I am getting a lot of enquiries for Gujarat, Saurashtra and Maharashtra. I have got the best chain in Bombay for my film. People have now started asking about the film. Obviously, Tera Mera Saath Rahen has firmly registered in people’s minds.

And how’s that?

For the last two days (this interview was taken on 5th November), I have been feeling that things are now moving on track. The mad rush of Diwali releases has also reduced. As a result, the terms offered by the distributors are also more lucrative now, as I saw in the few deals I concluded recently. I can see the difference. So, now I feel, I will be able to manage well.

Kisi aadmi ko khaane ke waqt agar chaar subzi mile, to kaun-si subzi khaani hai, yeh toh woh khud taye karega. Main uske munh mein meri-wali subzi to thhoons nahin sakta, na? Similarly, earlier the distributors had a bigger choice of Diwali releases, but it is no longer so. What also goes in Tera Mera Saath Rahen‘s favour is — no matter what people say –it has some star-value. What’s more, the actual star-value of the film has also gone up, now that fewer big films are coming this Diwali. Baaqi, hum to pehli baar Diwali ki subzi kha rahen hain, ab dekhen, paet bharta hai, ya nahin!

Your choice of Ajay Devgan is surprising, given the fact that he hasn’t really found acceptance in emotional roles so far…

I agree with you one hundred per cent on that. See, if your product turns out good presentation-wise and has substance in it, then having a good actor in the cast adds to its overall appeal. However, I concede that it makes a difference business-wise if you have an in-demand star in your film…

…So you do agree that it would have been better had you signed a star who could guarantee the film a better opening…

…But that is precisely the reason why I am releasing the film on Diwali. May be, my film will take a better opening, considering that it has a relatively bigger cast than other Diwali releases.

I also know, I am taking a risk as far as the Ramzan period is concerned. Pichhle paanch-chhe saal se main dekh raha hoon ki, wahi chaar-paanch bade producers Diwali ki kha rahen hain! Woh itne bade log hain ki unke saamne apni film laane ki koi himmat nahin karta. But this year, they are playing it safe because of the Ramzan period. Consequently, producers like us have an opportunity to avail of the Diwali benefit. Shaayad un bade logon ki taqdeer hum mein aa jaaye!

Agreed. But still, what made you and director Mahesh Manjrekar decide on Ajay?

Firstly, with Ajay, I had the availability of an actor — I just had the chance of having the call-sheet of the actor. Circumstantial tha ki hum ko Ajay ka call-sheet mil gayaa, after which we narrated the story to him. He was overwhelmed by Mahesh’s subject and agreed to do the film. So, when the actor, producer and director are  convinced, why not make the film?

See, in our industry, everyone is known by his last film. If a couple of films of a particular hero don’t do well, then those failures affect his next film. I have a first-hand experience of this. We had so many difficulties when we started Ziddi with Sunny Deol because a couple of his films had flopped before that. Jab hum ne Farz lagayee, tab log humse practically katra rahen thhey. But had we released the same film post-Gadar, aaj wohi log neeche baithe hote aur hum kursee par hote!

Generally in our industry, producers engage themselves in more than one production at a time, whereas a director prefers to work in a single project at a time because of the creative demands of his job. The reverse is true in your and your director, Mahesh Manjrekar’s case. How come?

Mahesh may be working on several films at a time, but let me tell you, he is a very hard-working person. He is also very committed to each and every film that he makes. He has made Tera Mera Saath Rahen exactly as he narrated it to me, so where is the cause for complaint? He was present on every date that we had finalised and has generally been very cooperative throughout the making of the film, so I have absolutely no grievance against him on the count that he is very busy.

As far as I am concerned, I make one film at a time because mere se hota hi nahin ki main ek se zyada filmein banaaoon. Na hi mere pass itna paisa hai! I do not possess such a stout heart either, nor am I greedy. Having come up the hard way, I believe that the slower I expand my work, the better it is for me.

Besides, today, artistes ask for so much money to do a film. Tell me, where do I get the money to pay them from? And, mind you, mine is not an isolated case. Today, ninety-five per cent of film producers are only surviving on borrowed money, isn’t it? Paise hain nahin aur sab turnover par zinda hain!

Yes, and the crashing of the Overseas and the audio markets have dealt a further blow…

Very true. They say, the market is down by 30 and 40%, but, according to me, the market is down by an alarming 50% overall.

Today, there must be hardly two or three films, deliveries of which are being effected on time. As for the rest, problems at the delivery time have become the order of the day. To make matters worse, there are two separate prices for a film nowadays — one which the distributor has agreed upon and the other, at which he will take delivery. These things have become extremely common with even the corporates reducing film prices by 25 and 30%! The music companies, too, are doing the same. And what can the producer do to salvage the situation? Nothing. These are the reasons why I say that it is much better working on one film at a time.

The problem these days is: I spend an ‘x’ amount of money on my project. By the time the film is released, it has become a ‘z’ amount. The gap between ‘x’ and ‘z’ is too big today. This is the biggest problem facing the producers at present. In the last three months, except for the biggies, every film has run into deficit. Everybody is surviving by transfers of some sort or the other — by shifting money from one film to the other. But somewhere, this rolling has to stop, na! Then, what do you do?

Are you saying that things will never improve?

See, it’s a cycle, after all. The public pays the exhibitor who, in turn, pays the distributor. The latter gives money to the producer who then pays the actors. The cycle has now stopped from the bottom level itself. The public is not frequenting cinemas. It is about time, we sought a way out of this mess.

And any eleventh-hour jitters before your film hits the screens?

(Laughs) None whatsoever. I am too commercial to worry in that manner. It’s a different matter that I have made a social film this time, but I have been very commercial about it. Success and failure are a part and parcel of your business, yaar! You have to take it in your stride. As far as I am concerned, I have tried my best. Meri film ko main jitna pyaar se bana sakta tha, maine banaya hai. Ab usey dulhan ki tarha sajaa ke, sanvaar ke, bhejunga. Aage toh phir ladki ki kismat pe depend karta hai. Aakhir har beti ki apni taqdeer hoti hai, na!

LATEST POSITION

Pre-Diwali dullness is affecting the box-office rather badly.

Indian started to drop mid-week but was still very strong in East Punjab, U.P., West Bengal and Bihar. Should prove a commission earner in some circuits and will fetch overflow in others. 1st week Bombay 65,88,215 (74.43%) from 15 cinemas (8 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 21,44,366 from 9 cinemas (5 unrecd.), Rajkot 2,93,050 (1 unrecd.), Jamnagar 1,98,292 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee); Pune 18,51,824 from 5 cinemas, Solapur 5,31,833 from 2 cinemas, Satara 2,03,161 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee); Bijapur 2,38,000; Delhi 68,26,371 (63.20%) from 14 cinemas (4 on F.H.); Kanpur 7,90,541 from 3 cinemas, Lucknow 8,88,288 from 2 cinemas, Agra 4,35,000, Varanasi 3,24,581, Allahabad 4,12,319 from 2 cinemas; Calcutta (9 days) 54,06,895 from 20 cinemas; Nagpur 12,61,719 from 5 cinemas, Amravati 3,17,177, Akola 2,24,799, Jalgaon 2,87,370, Wardha 1,46,958, Chandrapur 2,69,437, Yavatmal 1,66,982; Indore 2,52,440 (3 on F.H.); Jaipur 13,64,095 (77.71%) from 4 cinemas, Ajmer (gross) 3,95,164; Hyderabad (gross) 29,41,549 from 9 cinemas (4 unrecd.); Vijayawada (gross) 2,95,000.

Asoka has found very limited appreciation. Should fetch commission in Bombay but is either average or losing in most other circuits despite its low price of 1 crore. 1st week Bombay 60,13,368 from 11 cinemas (6 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 20,07,178 from 4 cinemas (1 unrecd.), Jamnagar 1,06,514, Adipur 1,38,293, Bhuj 3,25,566 from 2 cinemas; Pune 12,31,862 from 2 cinemas, Solapur 1,76,544, Satara (gross) 1,37,608; Delhi 60,69,605 (58.49%) from 11 cinemas (4 on F.H.); Kanpur 5,93,747 from 3 cinemas, Lucknow 7,72,849 from 2 cinemas, Agra 3,45,000, Varanasi 2,29,880, Allahabad 2,46,140; Calcutta (8 days) 27,77,216 from 9 cinemas; Nagpur 5,43,542 from 2 cinemas, Amravati 1,86,815, Akola 1,52,846, Jalgaon 1,72,558, Chandrapur 1,15,976; Indore 1,55,000 (3 on F.H.), Bhopal 1,61,000 (1 unrecd.); Jaipur 9,58,924 (65.11%) from 2 cinemas, Ajmer (gross) 2,04,154; Hyderabad (gross) 26,06,467 from 7 cinemas (1 in noon); Vijayawada (gross) 3,96,795.

Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein drops further. 2nd week Bombay 15,47,348 (36.71%) from 10 cinemas (1 in matinee, 6 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 4,57,174 from 3 cinemas; Pune 5,11,180 from 4 cinemas (1 in matinee), Solapur (matinee) 28,760; Delhi 5,90,140 from 6 cinemas (1 on F.H.); Kanpur 85,260 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 2,67,923, Agra 59,000, Varanasi 58,566, Allahabad 71,871; Calcutta 3,83,206 from 2 cinemas; Nagpur 1,22,635 from 2 cinemas, Akola 1,23,734, Yavatmal (4 days) 14,214; Jaipur 74,290 (11.62%); Hyderabad (gross) 3,87,757 from 3 cinemas (2 in noon).

SUSHAMA SHIROMANEE CHAIRS SELECTION PANEL

Senior vice president of IMPPA, Sushama Shiromanee, has been appointed chairperson of the Film Federation of India’s selection panel to consider Indian entries in the best foreign language film category of the Oscar awards. The screening of films for this purpose is in progress at B.R. preview theatre from 30th October.

The ten films which have been/are being seen for selection of one from among them are Lagaan, Asoka, Aks, Gadar Ek Prem Katha, Zubeidaa, Ek Rishtaa The Bond Of Love, Bawandar, Monsoon Wedding, Bariwali (Bengali) and Pandavan Bhoomi (Tamil).

‘EK RISHTAA….’ SILVER JUBILEE

Shree Krishna International’s Ek Rishtaa The Bond Of Love this week entered 25th combined week of its run at Sharad cinema, Chembur, Bombay. Produced and directed by Suneel Darshan from his own story, the film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Raakhee, Juhi Chawla, Akshay Kumar, Karisma Kapoor, Mohnish Bahl, Simone Singh, Ashish Vidyarthi, Shakti Kapoor, and Naghma and Sunil Shetty in guest appearances. It has screenplay by Robin Bhatt, and dialogues by K.K. Singh. Sameer’s lyrics have been set to tune by Nadeem Shravan.

LATA, ASHA, OTHERS HONOURED AT CINTAA AGM

The 43rd annual general meeting of the Cine & TV Artistes’ Association was held on 28th October at Holiday Inn, Juhu, Bombay. Waheeda Rehman was the chief guest while Sunil Dutt was the guest of honour.

Amrish Puri, president of the CINTAA and secretary of the Welfare Trust, gave an account of the activities undertaken in furtherance of the interest of cinema and TV artistes. Eminent cardiologist Lekha Phatak assured members of subsidised medical aid in cases of cardiac ailments.

Several artistes were felicitated for their stellar achievements. Lata Mangeshkar was felicitated for being awarded the Bharat Ratna while Asha Bhosle was honoured for bagging this year’s Dadasaheb Phalke award. Asha Bhosle received both the trophies at the hands of Waheeda Rehman. Padma Bhushan awardees Pran and Amitabh Bachchan, and national award winners Anil Kapoor and Raveena Tandon were also felicitated. Veteran film artistes Dara Singh, Joy Mukerji, Biswajit, Feroz Khan, Sujit Kumar, Asha Parekh, Begum Para, Shubha Khote, Sandhya and Moushumi Chatterji were honoured for their outstanding achievements. Ram Mohan received the Manmohan Krishna award. Late artistes K.L. Saigal, Yakub and Raaj Kumar were honoured posthumously. Among the TV artistes honoured were Kanwaljit, Bharat Kapoor, Asha Sharma and Savita Bajaj.

Asha Parekh, Feroz Khan and Madhuri Dixit spoke on the occasion.

PRADEEP KUMAR PASSES AWAY

Well-known actor Pradeep Kumar, who starred in several Hindi and Bengali films, passed away at a Calcutta hospital on 27th October, following a massive heart attack. He had been admitted to the hospital on 22nd October with a cerebral-vascular problem. Subsequently, he suffered multiple organ failure. He was 76 and is survived by a son and three daughters, including actress Beena.

Pradeep Kumar began his film career in the ‘forties in Calcutta and shifted to Bombay in the early ‘fifties. He was accompanied to Bombay by his favourite director, Hemen Gupta, who was called to direct Filmistan’s Prithviraj Kapoor and Geeta Bali starrer Anandmath. Pradeep Kumar rose to stardom in 1953 with the musical hit, Anarkali, which co-starred Bina Rai. His prince-like demeanour soon made him a hot favourite for historical films although Noor Jehan, co-starring Meena Kumari, was the only other historical starring Pradeep Kumar, which proved successful. Nevertheless, his career as an actor continued for a long time. His leading ladies during his stint as hero included some of the top names like Nargis (Raat Aur Din), Vyjayanthimala, Mala Sinha, Meena Kumari and Nutan. Nagin (1954) was one of Pradeep Kumar’s biggest hits. Aarti, Kajal, Dil Ek Mandir, Grihadaho (Bengali) and Jagte Raho are among his better known films.

Pradeep Kumar later turned producer and made a number of films including Ek Jhalak and Ek Shola, directed by his brother, Kalidas.

A prayer meeting in Pradeep Kumar’s memory will be held on 6th November (Tuesday) at Satyashray, 8/B, West Avenue, Santacruz (West), Bombay.

ANUPAM KHER HEADS NSD

President K.R. Narayanan has appointed Anupam Kher chairman of the National School of Drama (NSD). The versatile actor, who has worked in over 100 dramas, besides films, is an alumnus of the NSD.

Anupam Kher expressed happiness over his appointment, saying, it could not have come at a better time. The actor was congratulated by many film and drama stalwarts.

METALIGHT OPENS DISTRIBUTION OFFICE

The distribution office of Metalight Productions Private Limited in Naaz Building in Bombay was inaugurated on 26th October (Dassera). Kamal Kumar Barjatya cut the ribbon while Jackie Shroff cracked the auspicious coconut. The concern’s film distribution activities have commenced since September in North Karnataka, East Punjab, Nizam and Bombay. It is also actively involved in film production, both, independently and through joint ventures with production houses such as Padmalaya, Popcorn Entertainment and Pinnacle Entertainment. The last-named is co-producing Metalight’s maiden venture, Dil Vil Pyar Vyar, which is scheduled for release next year. Metalight’s film exhibition activities include acquiring cinema halls on lease, among others. It plans to continue negotiating leases so as to reach a target of 300 cinemas in 5 years.

According to senior vice president Anil Pandit, the main objective of Metalight is to produce, distribute and exhibit films in a vertically integrated manner. Says Ajai Shanghavi, executive director, “We plan to undertake all film production-related business activities under one roof in a fully transparent manner.”

YOU ASKED IT

The audience these days seems to be averse to Hindi remakes of South Indian hits. Comment.

– It is hardly so. A large part of the audience doesn’t even know when watching a film that it is a remake. The public likes to view a well-made film, whether it is a remake or not. In the recent past alone, the success of MUJHE KUCCH KEHNA HAI has amply proved this. So, if you are going by the failures of NAYAK, YEH TERAA GHAR YEH MERAA GHAR and REHNAA HAI TERRE DIL MEIN, you are greatly mistaken as they failed not because they were remakes, but due to flaws in them. 

I want to start a film which will be released in November-December next year. What kind of film will run at that time? What should I make?

– Good films will always run. Therefore, rather than thinking about whether to make an action or romantic film or a family drama or comedy, plan a good film.

Which film is your preference for being sent to the Oscar awards as the Indian entry?

– Aamir Khan and Ashutosh Gowariker’s LAGAAN. 

DO YOU KNOW?

* INDIAN has collected an extraordinary 91,000/- in 1st week (21 shows) at Asha, Mehemdabad.

* INDIAN has created a record by collecting 1,84,371/- in 1st week at Bharti, Navsari.  

* INDIAN has collected an extraordinary 3,53,271/- in 1st week at Krishna, Padra.

* INDIAN has created a record by collecting 2,48,000/- in 1st week at Vaibhav, Vyara (Gujarat).

* INDIAN has collected an extraordinary 1,89,000/- in 1st week at Vasant, Asodar.

* INDIAN has created a record by collecting 4,12,000/- in 1st week at B.K., Mehsana.

* INDIAN has created a record by collecting 2,19,416/- in 1st week at Cine Plaza, Ankleshwar.

* INDIAN has created a record by collecting 1,54,000/- in 1st week (21 shows) at Naaz, Kheda.

* INDIAN has created a record by collecting 1,40,000/- in 1st week at Navratna, Cambay.

* INDIAN has created a record by collecting 2,05,638/- in 1st week (21 shows) at Alankar, Amboli.

* INDIAN has created a record by collecting 5,68,551/- in 1st week at Chanod Cine Park, Vapi.

* INDIAN has created a record by collecting 1,09,000/- in 1st week at Santosh, Rajpipla.

* INDIAN has created a record by collecting 2,38,269/- in 1st week at Mahesh, Ahmednagar. 

* INDIAN has created a record by collecting 2,66,000/- in 1st week at Chandan, Belgaum.

* INDIAN has collected an extraordinary 1,25,000/- in 1st week at Sangam, Dharwad.

* INDIAN has created a record by collecting 2,28,000/- in 1st week at Apsara, Bijapur. 

* INDIAN has created a record by collecting 1,28,000/- in 1st week at Arjun, Karwar.

* INDIAN has created a theatre record by collecting 3,91,368/- in 1st week at Vasant, Ghaziabad.

* INDIAN — which is being screened at Gautam and Darpan cinemas of Allahabad with a single print — has created an all-time city record by collecting 4,12,319/- in 1st week from the two cinemas. 

* INDIAN has created a record by collecting 3,25,202/- in 1st week at Payal, Dehradun. 

* INDIAN has created a theatre record by collecting 3,24,581/- in 1st week at Saraswati, Varanasi.

* INDIAN has created a theatre record by collecting 2,62,892/- in 1st week (26 shows) at Surjit, Aligarh.

* INDIAN has created a theatre record by collecting 2,94,376/- in 1st week at Darpan, Saharanpur.

* INDIAN has created a record by collecting 1,76,908/- in 1st week at Khilona, Jhansi (U.P.). Twenty-six shows were full.

* INDIAN has created a theatre record by collecting 1,61,746/- in 1st week at S.C. Palace, Shamli (U.P.).

* INDIAN has created a record by collecting 1,53,272/- in 1st week at Chandra, Muzaffarnagar (U.P.).

* INDIAN has created a record by collecting 1,76,668/- in 1st week at Sangam, Baraut (U.P.).

* INDIAN has created a theatre record by collecting 3,76,471/- in 1st week (29 shows) at Lakshmimandir, Jaipur. It has also created a theatre record by collecting 2,33,902/- at Lata, Jaipur in 29 shows.

* INDIAN has created a theatre record by collecting 3,95,164/- (gross) in 1st week (29 shows) at Mridang, Ajmer. 

PRODUCTION NEWS

‘Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage’ 10-Day Schedule

A further 10-day shooting schedule of Mohan Kumar and Emkay Films (P.) Ltd.’s Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage commenced on Nov. 2. It is being shot at SNDT University, Fantasy Land and Sports Stadium (Pune). Hrithik Roshan and Amisha Patel are participating alongwith Ali Asgar, Hemant Pandey, Jasbir Thanda, Suchet Yadav and stuntmen. The film is being produced by Rohit Kumar and directed by Vikram Bhatt. Music: Rajesh Roshan. Story-screenplay: Robin Bhatt and Sanjeev Duggal. Dialogues: Girish Dhamija. Lyrics: Dev Kohli and Ibrahim Ashq. Cinematographer: Pravin Bhatt. Dances: Raju Khan and Ganesh Acharya. Art: R. Varman. Editor: Amit Saxena. Sound: Murari Krishna. Gautam Kumar presents the film.

‘Na Tum Jaano Na Hum’ Nearing Completion

An 8-day shooting spell of PFH Entertainment Ltd.’s Na Tum Jaano Na Hum in Jaipur and Delhi was completed on Oct. 24. Saif Ali Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Esha Deol, Rati Agnihotri, Smita Jayakar, Anang Desai, Rajashree Solanki, Sonali Kapadia and Bhavana Ruparel participated. The film is nearing completion. Being directed by Arjun Sablok, it co-stars Moushumi Chatterji, Alok Nath, Ashima Bhalla, Achla Sachdev, Ameerzyade and Umesh Kariya. Music: Rajesh Roshan. Lyrics: Anand Bakshi. Editor: Shrish Kunder. Cinematographer: Manoj Soni.

‘Deewangee’ 8-Day Shooting Spell

An 8-day shooting spell of Neha Arts’ Deewangee began on a prison set at Filmalaya Studios on Oct. 29. A song and scenes are being picturised on Ajay Devgan, Urmila Matondkar, Vijayendra Ghatge, Akshaye Khanna and Seema Biswas who has recently been added to the cast. Being produced by Nitin Manmohan, the film is directed by Anees Bazmee who has also written the story and dialogues. Screenplay: Humayun Mirza, Neeraj Pathak and Anees Bazmee. Music: Ismail Darbar. Lyrics: Nusrat Badr. Cinematographer: Pushan Kripalani. Choreographer: Vaibhavi Merchant. Sound: Jagmohan Anand. Action: Bhiku Verma and Pappu Verma.

At Last, Kanpur Has Something To Rave About!

Kanpur will never be the same again. On 25th October, the eve of Dassera, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the city’s first multiplex — Rave 3 — promoted jointly by the Guptas of Dainik Jagran newspaper and Vikram Kothari of Rotomac Pens.

For a city which boasts of only four air-conditioned cinemas, the cineplex, constructed on a plot of land admeasuring 1,30,000 sq. ft., comes as great news. Rave 3, sponsored by Coca-Cola, has three screens, all of which were thrown open to the public on 26th. While Asoka is the opening attraction in two auditoria, Indian is the debut film of the third one. The screens have 263, 266 and 272 seats.

To say that the multiplex is extraordinary would be to understate its grandeur and beauty. A huge foyer with waterfalls on either side is just the beginning of the exhilarating experience of the entertainment complex. Besides the three auditoria, the cineplex houses a shopping mall, a banquet room, food courts, discotheque, bowling alley and other games parlour. The biggest store in the shopping mall is that of Pantaloon. Besides clothes, the mall has shops selling sports items, music equipments, computer items etc.

Rave 3, which derives its name from the children of the two promoters — Ravi, son of Vikram Kothari, and Vedant, son of Shailesh Gupta — has cost over Rs. 26 crore to come into its final beautiful shape. The idea for a multiplex took birth in Shailesh Gupta’s mind three years ago after which, as the 30-plus young Gupta says, “I made a 360-page project report. I put all my education into those 360 pages.” In a little less than two years after its construction began, the cineplex is ready and running!

Situated on the upmarket Parvati Bagla Road, the exterior of Rave looks majestic in all its yellow, red, blue and green colours. Fully air-conditioned, the entertainment complex also houses an HDFC ATM counter, coffee shop, cake shop etc.

The auditoria are as beautifully done up as the rest of the multiplex. Plush push-back seats with plenty of leg space between two rows make cinema viewing a pleasure! In fact, so comfortable and cool are the auditoria that if a film is boring, one can easily go off to sleep in peace! Jokes apart, the screens have Xenon projection, wide screens and the impeccable Dolby digital sound. Little wonder then that admission rates are Rs. 70 and Rs. 100. In each of the auditoria, there’s one (last) row which has king-size sofas. The rate for that row is Rs. 150 per person.

Vehicle parking can often be a problem in a cinema but not at Rave. Parked at Rave for the curtain-raiser function for the inauguration, on 24th October, were Twinkle Khanna, Pooja Batra, Sukhwindara Singh, Micky Narula, Sujata and Abu Malik’s troupe. They presented a musical programme, regaling invitees. Ruby Bhatia compered the show in her inimitable style. As if the evening of songs and dances was not enough, there was a splendid show of fireworks too when chief guest A.P. Verma, chief secretary, government of Uttar Pradesh, switched on the lights to give a glimpse of the exterior of the multiplex less than 24 hours before the chief minister inaugurated it formally. CBDT member Raj Narain was the guest of honour at the curtain-raiser function on 24th. Both, A.P. Verma and Raj Narain, praised the efforts of the Guptas and the Kotharis for building such a lavish multiplex in Kanpur. At last, Kanpur, which was so far mostly known for its IIT campus, has something more to be proud of. Why, Rave 3 has some trees in the lobby, specially brought from Thailand.

Yes, Kanpur will never be the same again!!

– Komal Nahta

INDIAN

Sunny Super Sound’s Indian (UA) is an action film on terrorism. An honest police officer (Sunny Deol) is out to wipe out terrorism and terrorists and, in this fight, he fears nobody. In his relentless battle against the modern-day menace, he even sacrifices his own father-in-law (Raj Babbar) who is his senior but who, he realises, is hand-in-glove with terrorists (Danny Denzonga and Mukesh Rishi). Even as he is on a hot trail of the enemies of the nation, his wife (Shilpa Shetty) decides to divorce him when she learns that her own husband had murdered her father. For such a duty-conscious police officer, fighting to finish the evil-doers is his mission in life.

Remake of the Tamil hit, Vallarasu, the film has a brilliant screenplay in the first half. Although the story offers nothing new, it is the triple blend of fast-paced screenplay, splendid dialogues and a heady combination of action (fist-to-fist fights) and intelligent games of one-upmanship which makes the film extremely interesting to watch. The pace drops at places in the post-interval portion mainly because there are too many tracks on which the story moves. Yet, the second half also has its share of glorious moments of action and intelligent games of the mind. So good are those that the viewer doesn’t really mind the minor weaknesses.

Some scenes which deserve special mention in the film are: when Sunny uses the ploy of a bomb scare to save his friend in distress (this is, perhaps, the most exhilarating experience for the audience); when Sunny orders the commandos to take an about-turn and shoots down the terrorist’s stooge; the way Sunny masterminds the bringing of all BEST buses to a halt; the masterplan of killing Danny’s son; Sunny’s passionate outburst about the reputation of police personnel in the public eye. The introduction of one new character after another through the film is yet another major plus point. Court-room dialogues are great! Even otherwise, the patriotic dialogues as also the witty ones draw tremendous applause from the viewers.

Besides Sunny Deol, director N. Maharajan, dialogue writer Sanjay S. Masoom and action co-ordinators Rocky, Rajesh, Paul and Western are the heroes of the film. On the minus side are lack of: (i) novelty in subject, and (ii) hit music score. Besides, the approach to checking criminal activity appears too simplistic at times. However, the pluses are far more than the minuses. Comedy is less but the sequence in which Sunny bashes up two political leaders is very funny and also novel. The scene in which Shilpa’s mother slaps her has good appeal for ladies.

Sunny Deol does an exceptional job as the upright police officer. He acts wonderfully and is mind-boggling in dare-devil stunts. The best part about his persona and acting is that he makes everything so believable. Clearly, one more great performance from the hero of the masses! Shilpa Shetty looks sexy and acts ably. Although she gets limited scope, she leaves a mark in dramatic and emotional scenes. Danny Denzongpa is superb as the villain and lends a lot of credibility to the terrorist drama. Mukesh Rishi is also very effective. Raj Babbar leaves a mark with a restrained performance. Sanjay Narvekar shines and will become a major mass attraction in the film. Rahul Dev is pretty impressive. Om Puri entertains in his inimitable style. Rajat Bedi looks handsome and acts well. Pramod Moutho, Shakti Kapoor, Salim Ghouse, Balwinder Singh, Reema, Shiva, Vivek Shauq, Rana Jung Bahadur, Surendra Pal, Anil Nagrath, Rakesh Pandey, Viju Khote, Avtar Gill, Raj Tilak, Ankush Mohit, master Lakshya Lathar and baby Drishti Mohite lend creditable support. Deepak Shirke is lovely. Siddharth Ray is effective. Malaika Arora and Sophiya Haque provide sex appeal in a dance.

N. Maharajan’s screenplay and direction complement each other beautifully. Considering that this is his first Hindi film, it is a praiseworthy effort. Maharajan lets himself go wild in scenes catering to the masses, and the result is simply splendid. Anand Raaj Anand’s music is fair. Had the songs been better, the film could have proved a big hit. Nevertheless, ‘Deewana main na tha’ and ‘Thhaat nawabi’ are fairly good. The theme song has lyrical value. Action scenes are not just fresh and novel, they are also simply marvellous. Camerawork (A. Ramesh Kumar) is splendid. Editing (B.S. Vasu and Saleem) is crisp. Background music (Louis Banks) deserves special mention. Other technical aspects are of top standard. Production values are rich.

On the whole, Indian, which intelligently and effectively exploits the patriotic feelings of the audience, is a winner all the way. In circuits like Delhi-U.P., East Punjab and Rajasthan, it can do A1 business. In the rest, overflow is assured but possibility of proving class A is not ruled out. The film has repeat value.

Released on 26-10-2001 at Novelty and 22 other cinemas of Bombay thru Sunny Sounds P. Ltd. Publicity & opening: excellent. …….Also released all over. Opening in North India was sensational.

ASOKA

Arclightz & Films’ Asoka (UA) is a fictionalised account of the eventful part of the life of the legendary Samrat Ashoka. Grandson of Chandragupt Maurya, Ashoka ascended the throne of Magadha in 3rd century B.C. In his quest for more and more power, he waged one of the bloodiest battles ever with the neighbouring kingdom of Kalinga, killing thousands of innocent people. When realisation about the futility of such power dawned upon him, he renounced the path of violence and embraced Buddhism to spread the message of peace across the world.

It is this reality about the life of Ashoka that’s juxtaposed with a fictionalised account of his love story. In the film, Ashoka falls in love with a pretty girl, Kaurwaki, who is the daughter of the king of Kalinga. Without knowing her identity and also without revealing his own, he marries her, but circumstances separate the couple. Unaware of his real identity, Kaurwaki searches for him but remains unsuccessful. Meanwhile, Ashoka gets news of his wife’s death and loses interest in life. Slowly but surely, he comes out of his depression and is forced by circumstances to marry another girl. After his marriage to her, his step-brother hatches a plot to kill his unborn child, but his mother is killed instead. This infuriates Ashoka so much that he kills all his step-brothers and eventually launches the war against Kalinga. After this war, he meets his first wife in the battlefield, now a land strewn with corpses of people of Magadha and Kalinga.

Though the film has a contemporary feel, thanks only to choreography and music, the film’s subject dates too far back in history to make an impact on the young generation of today, which forms a large chunk of the audience. Although the success of the recent historical, Lagaan, has no relevance to this film, it must be pointed out that Lagaan had a very contemporary game (cricket) woven into the main (historical) tale set in pre-Independence India.

Coming back to Asoka, the screenplay (Saket Choudhary and Santosh Sivan) has several weak moments. The pace is so leisurely that it tests the viewer’s patience. Although a good part of the film’s first half is devoted to the romance between Ashoka and Kaurwaki, the magic doesn’t work. The film looks more like a stage-drama, which is its biggest undoing. While paying too much attention to camera angles and shot compositions, director Santosh Sivan has missed the soul of the romance. He has not been able to get into the psyche of Emperor Ashoka, which, therefore, defeats the very purpose of making a film about the legendary figure. It could as well have been made as any other love story. Coming back to the romance, because the love between the two is not intense, their separation does not draw emotions in the post-interval portion. Yes, a couple of scenes do tug at the heart-strings, but they are too few and far between to make much of an impact. The impact of Ashoka’s renunciation of worldly pleasures fails to move the viewer. Abbas Tyrewala’s dialogues, though not of the kind one expects in a historical, are well-written and add to the drama let down by a weak screenplay.

Shah Rukh Khan does very well in the title role, living his character and delivering an extremely restrained and natural performance. However, he sporting long hair for a good part of the film will not be liked by many of his fans. Kareena Kapoor looks bewitching and seductive. She is simply mind-blowing as far as her acting goes. Whether in romantic or emotional scenes or in the action scenes during the battle, Kareena is absolutely mesmerising. Suraj Balaji, as Kareena’s kid-brother, is superb and natural to the core. Ajit does a fair job as Shah Rukh’s ambitious step-brother. Danny Denzongpa, in a different role, is very effective. Rahul Dev impresses a lot. Hrishitaa Bhatt has a brief role but leaves a mark. Johny Lever, Raghubir Yadav and Suresh Menon are alright in humorous parts. Shweta Menon, Subhasini Ali, Gerson da Cunha and the rest lend excellent support.

Santosh Sivan’s camerawork is not just better than his direction but is also of international standard. The cinematography leaves the viewer asking for more, so captivating is it! However, Sivan’s narration has elitist appeal and his treatment is of the kind that’s more suitable for a stage-play. The slow pace gets irritating after a while.

Anu Malik’s music is lovely. ‘San sanananan’, ‘Raat ka nasha’, ‘Aa aa taiyyar ho ja’ and ‘O re kaanchi’ are superbly tuned numbers. Their picturisations (Farah Khan, Brinda and Geeta Kapoor) are also very appealing and sexy. The picturisation of ‘Roshni se bhare bhare naina tere’ also has tremendous sex appeal. Action in war scenes is effective. Background score (Sandeep Chowta) adds tremendously to the narrative. Sets (Sabu Cyril) are wonderful. Production values are so-so.

On the whole, Asoka, based on the life of Ashoka, is a shocker. It will appeal to the class audience while the masses will like the songs, Kareena Kapoor and the sex in the film, but not the film itself. Despite a reasonable price, the strange combination of war and sex will not yield the desired box-office results. A film for metropolitan cities and parts of Overseas only.

Released on 26-10-2001 at Metro and 16 other cinemas of Bombay thru UTV-Shringar Films P. Ltd. Publicity & opening: excellent. …….Also released all over. Opening was superb in Delhi but not up to the mark in some circuits.

LATEST POSITION

The bumper opening of INDIAN all over has brought happy tidings on the festive occasion of Dassera.

Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein has not found any appreciation in spite of appealing music. 1st week Bombay 30,71,243 (52.38%) from 11 cinemas (5 on F.H.); Pune 7,92,423 from 4 cinemas (1 in matinee), Solapur 1,09,721; Bijapur 75,000; Delhi (6 days) 33,16,717 (33.94%) from 11 cinemas (1 on F.H.); Agra 1,23,000, Bareilly (6 days) 53,569; Nagpur 2,84,254 from 3 cinemas, Amravati 89,987, Akola 74,240, Raipur (6 days) 61,222; Indore 90,104 (1 unrecd.); Jaipur 2,40,521 (19.46%) from 2 cinemas, Bikaner 60,657; Hyderabad (gross) 11,27,975 from 6 cinemas (2 in noon).

………….

Yeh Teraa Ghar Yeh Meraa Ghar crashes further. 2nd week Bombay 20,15,328 (31.83%) from 11 cinemas (6 on F.H.), total for 2 weeks 64,95,956; Pune 4,80,887 from 2 cinemas, Solapur 39,470; Delhi (6 days) 7,47,268 from 7 cinemas (1 on F.H.); Agra 58,300, Bareilly (6 days) 14,461; Nagpur 1,09,851 from 2 cinemas, Jabalpur (6 days) 22,268, Amravati 49,087, Raipur (6 days) 36,100; Indore 52,041; Jaipur 1,30,936 (16.52%); Davangere 1,29,618.

Chandni Bar 4th week Bombay 19,35,163 (32.59%) from 10 cinemas (7 on F.H.), total for 4 weeks 1,11,11,624; Pune 85,126; 1 week Bijapur 79,580; 4th week Delhi (6 days) 5,14,666 from 5 cinemas; Agra 36,500; 1st week Jalgaon (6 days) 58,440; 3rd week Jaipur 77,474 (9.24%) from 2 cinemas; 4th week Hyderabad (gross) 1,72,985.

Ajnabee 5th week Bombay 2,63,180 (28.49%; 6 cinemas unrecd., 3 on F.H.), total for 5 weeks 1,75,64,834; Pune 1,82,565, Solapur 51,465 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee); Delhi (6 days) 1,67,706; Agra 92,000, Bareilly (6 days) 28,152, Jaunpur 7,000; Nagpur 34,975, 3rd week Jabalpur (6 days) 52,815, 5th week Amravati 34,545, Akola 35,100, total 4,71,500, Raipur (6 days) 34,008; Jaipur 92,297 (15.77%); Hyderabad (gross) 2,66,193 from 2 cinemas (1 in noon); 2nd week Mangalore 1,87,349.

BAN ON HINDI FILMS IN MANIPUR

On being informed by the Eastern India Motion Picture Association of a ban on Hindi films in the state of Manipur, the Association of Motion Pictures & TV Programme Producers has dashed off letters to the Prime Minister, home minister, union I & B minister and the Manipur chief minister, decrying the same. The ban has been in effect since over a year now. Manipur has a total of 11 cinema halls.

NO NEW FILMS ON CABLE TV?

A meeting of the committee, set up by the ministry of information & broadcasting to find out ways and means to control cable piracy, was held recently. At the meeting, representatives of the cable operators assured the committee that no new film would be broadcast on cable for one year after its theatrical release. The modalities for the implementation of the same are being worked out.

The film industry representation on the committee includes Guild and AIFPC president Amit Khanna, Guild and AIFPC vice president Yash Chopra, and Yash Johar. Anjuly Duggal, joint secretary to the I & B ministry, is the convenor of the committee.

YOU ASKED IT

How did Asoka take such a good start in cities like Bombay and Delhi despite giving the impression of an art film?

– Anu Malik’s hit music, the lead stars (Shah Rukh Khan and Kareena Kapoor) and Shah Rukh’s promotion of the film did the trick. Besides, the trailers suggested that the film has a lot of sex.

What is the sanctity of a lien letter if a producer sells prints, taken out for another territory, to a distributor for a circuit on which there is a lien of a financier?

– In such a case, the financier finds himself helpless because the laboratory has not given delivery of the prints to the distributor, but yet, the latter can release the film in his circuit. Producer Mansoor Ahmed Siddiqui recently sold the prints of his DIL NE PHIR YAAD KIYA to his Nizam distributor who did not need to go to the laboratory. Needless to add, there was a lien on the Nizam territory, but the financier holding the lien letter now finds himself cheated by Siddiqui who did not take an NOC from him (financier).

If hit music is so important for a good opening, how did Indian take a bumper start all over?

–  Hit music is not as important in an action fare like INDIAN as, say, in a love story. The music of GADAR, another action film, was also not hit when the film was released. Yet, GADAR took a terrific start. 

3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment

Long & Short Of Circuits

A producer is always concerned about the various circuits. Before release of his film, it is the prices which it will fetch from the different circuits that are his constant worry. After release, it is how the film fares in every circuit which gives him cause for anxiety/nervousness/excitement. But for producer-director Rakesh Roshan, it was neither the all-India circuits nor the Overseas circuit that was at the back of his mind before the launch of his Koi…Mil Gaya this week. Rather, it was a short circuit which affected not just Rakesh Roshan but the entire Roshan family. An electric short circuit in Roshan’s house on Friday last (19th October) had the entire family shift to the nearby Sun N Sand Hotel for the weekend. Circuit alright, but a short (and not sweet) circuit, this!

Starting In Right Earnest

Metalight Productions, a new distribution office which opened in Bombay on Dassera day, has acquired the rights of Vashu Bhagnani’s Deewaanapan and Om Jai Jagadish for Bombay distribution with Raksha Distributors. Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein is also being distributed by Metalight with Raksha. Besides Bombay, it also has offices for East Punjab (released Yeh Teraa Ghar Yeh Meraa Ghar and has acquired Aamdanni Atthani Kharcha Rupaiya and Kyaa Dil Ne Kahaa), Nizam (released Sai Baba) and North Karnataka (Nayak and Kyo Kii… Main Jhuth Nahin Bolta). Metalight plans to produce films too — 12 films in five years.

Dutta-Devgan Deal

Ajay Devgan has bought the distribution rights of J.P. Dutta’s new film too. After releasing Dutta’s Refugee in Bombay, Devgan’s distribution company has now acquired his multi-starrer, L.O.C.. The war film was launched last week and is planned to be released next year.

Sunny Days Are Here Again

So at last, the bad spell in the industry has been broken. The bumper opening of Sunny Deol’s Indian on Dassera day set hearts aflutter in the industry as the drought of hits appeared to be nearing its end. The audience response in cinemas across the nation was absolutely wild, with people clapping and applauding Deol and his dialogues and stunts. Almost 100 years after the swadeshi movement of pre-Independence India, when the freedom fighters gave a call of ‘Be Indian, buy Indian’, the slogan seems to have changed to ‘Be Indian, see Indian‘.

INFORMATION MEETS

“It is the subject that comes first. You can hire a good action director and add stunts to your film, but the basic script should be good. I believe in content.”

– SUNNY DEOL

RAJ VAIDYA

He takes on an entire army of Pakistan single-handedly in Gadar Ek Prem Katha and still makes the audience believe in the film. The mere raising of his finger is enough to send a chill down the spines of the terrorists in his Indian. Sunny Deol today has come to represent the patriotic youth of India as his starrers, dealing with the themes of desh bhakti, are being lapped up by classes and masses alike. He may not be a great dancer but in 2001, this actor, who debuted in Betaab in 1983, has danced his way into the hearts of the people like never before. Audiences in Punjab, Delhi, U.P. and Rajasthan in particular go into raptures in cinema halls whenever this Deol bashes up a baddie or screams his lungs out at a scamster. But in real life, Sunny is a shy, introverted guy. He has come a long way from the Sunny of the ‘eighties and early ‘nineties when he used to carry his temper on the tip of his nose. Today, he is more restrained and cool. Rather than extending his screen persona in real life, this Deol prefers to laugh off banter about him if it is not complimentary of him. He conserves all his lung-power and muscle-power for the camera.

This interview with the shy Sunny was taken three days prior to the release of his Indian, in his spacious cabin on the fifth floor of his Sunny Super Sounds. And so, some super sounding quotes from Sunny, the patriotic puttar from Punjab:

How did you come to buy the rights of the Tamil hit, VALLARASU, for remaking as INDIAN?

Actually, I had worked with N. Maharajan, the writer-director of Indian, in Zor and Champion. He was involved in the writing of those two films. After those films, he wrote and directed Vallarasu. He told me, he wanted to remake it with only me. I’m thankful to him for that.

It was actually the subject of Indian that caught my attention rather than its action. The emphasis in my film has always been on content, more than anything else. It is the subject that comes first. You can hire a good action director and add stunts to your film, but the basic script should be good. I believe in content. The most difficult thing in filmmaking is to get the right subject.

Is it true that one of the reasons for your doing GADAR was a dialogue which ultimately was never there….

No, no. No such thing happened! (Laughs) You know how it is. They say all kinds of things… Take Maa Tujhe Salaam, for instance. The publicity of the film centres around this one line, purported to have been spoken by me in the film — Doodh maangoge toh kheer denge, Kashmir maangoge to cheer denge… The reality is, this is not my line in the film. In fact, that dialogue is mouthed by Shahbaaz Khan! Anyway, I don’t really mind that because one dialogue is not the whole film, right? So, I believe, these things don’t really make or mar a film.

How different is Sunny of the pre-GADAR days from Sunny after GADAR?

There is no difference really. I am the same person I was before Gadar happened. People have changed. It is just that the perception of people around me has changed. There is more looking up to me now. Of course, there are some who will also bitch about me more, now that I am more successful. (Laughs) You know how it is, if they can’t get you, they will merrily bad-mouth you.

How do you cope with this back-biting?

I just laugh it off when I hear of what these people have to say. I don’t bother much about them simply because the people who constantly bitch are the people who aren’t really doing much work. Their energies are wasted on all these things. Jo kaam karte hain, unko toh sirf kaam se matlab hai.

Stars are generally surrounded by people who’d never like to hurt their feelings. Then, what mechanism do you have to ensure that you get authentic reports about your films?

I believe that you can gauge the outcome of the film only after it has completed a week’s run. Before that, you get conflicting views about the film from people everyday. So, I usually wait for a week after the release of my film to get the true picture.

Don’t you see your films with the public?

I’d love to, lekin chhupke toh koi cinema mein ja nahin sakta, na! Once the audience around you know that you are there, then, obviously, the reaction you get from them is different from what it should be. In any case, the major reason why I don’t see my films with the public is that I am basically a shy guy! (Laughs)

What about your brother, Bobby’s career? Do you get the time to look after it?

Bobby is my younger brother, but now he handles everything by himself. If there is anything that he is not clear about, he comes and speaks to me, as any young brother would. I try and advise him in the best way I can.

Are you working on any film to be directed by yourself?

No, right now, there is nothing going on, at least as far as film direction is concerned. As it is, I get such little time from my acting assignments. When I direct, I can only do one film at a time. But, at present, I have several commitments as an actor, which require my attention. I fail to understand how people manage to direct more than one film simultaneously. If I had my way, I wouldn’t have directed Dillagi too. However, I was forced by circumstances then to do it. I chose to do it because I had no other option at that time. I had to postpone several of my other films because of that, which is not the best thing to have happened.

What about your film on Bhagat Singh?

The project is definitely on. Bobby will play Bhagat Singh in the film and I may or may not play Chandrashekhar Azad. In fact, I haven’t even decided whether I’d play a role in the film.

I want to make Bhagat Singh with the same standards as Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi — at least as far as authenticity and the look of the film are concerned. Of course, I am making the film for the Indian audience, unlike Gandhi which was more for the international audience.

But are you keen to make the film even though there is at least one more film on Bhagat Singh being planned by Rajkumar Santoshi and Tips?

I don’t know about others, but I have been working on this project for two to three years now. Actually, I fail to understand why anybody else is making a film on Bhagat Singh because it is common knowledge that I have been working on the subject since a couple of years. It will be directed by Guddu Dhanoa. Since it is a historical, my unit wasn’t sure whether it should be made at all although I have always wanted to make a film on the life of the great martyr. It was only after the super-success of Gadar that my people felt, we could go ahead with the project.

So it was the success of GADAR that inspired your confidence in BHAGAT SINGH?

Actually, I was always sure of the potential of Bhagat Singh. It was really the people around me (associates) who were scared because it is a historical. And we work as a team.

Given the fact that there is another film being made on Bhagat Singh, besides yours, do you feel, the one that releases first will have a distinct advantage over the other? Of course, this is not to say that quality bears no weight.

It all depends on how each film shapes up. I know one thing, this is a subject that is very close to my heart, and I am making this film with all my conviction. What I am trying to do is to make a film where the audience get completely immersed in the story, in the character. Yeh nahin ki log bolein, yeh shot achchha tha, ki yeh crane ka use achchha hai. They should say, it is a good film to see.

Going by the current trend, one would have expected you to hike the price of INDIAN after the success of GADAR…

There was no question of it. We had already got from our distributors what we wanted. We were happy with that.

What is your take on the trend of hiking the price of a film if the hero or director of that film has delivered a hit in the recent past?

Dekhiye, yahan koi sadhu-sant toh hain nahin! This is true for the entire industry and I don’t want to comment on it. See, when the distributors get their chance, vey producer ki left-right le lete hain. Likewise, when the producer has an upper hand, he extracts the most out of the distributors. So, it works both ways. Iss industry mein, sab Ravan hi Ravan hain! Koi Ram nahin hai!!

Being a producer and an actor simultaneously must be taxing….

Yes, it gets very exhausting and stressful. I am always trying to be more and more organised in my work because that is the only way one can cope with the two roles.

Besides BHAGAT SINGH, are you planning to produce any other films in your home banner?

There’s Gandhi already, which Guddu Dhanoa is directing. Then, we will shortly launch my cousin, Abhay Deol’s film which is being directed by a newcomer, Imtiaz. I am also toying with the idea of making a film with my dad and Bobby together. This one, I hope to produce along the lines of Hollywood films. Then there will be one more with just me.

So many films at a time?

Yes, we want to work like the studios in Hollywood work.

Any plans of taking your company public?

Not really. I don’t understand the corporate culture, so there’s no question of going public. Besides, filmmaking is a creative profession and I strongly believe, a creative person shouldn’t have to be answerable to anyone about the creative decisions he makes. Also, I don’t think, it is really necessary to know how corporate firms function, to run a successful film production house. Jin logon ko computers nahin aata, vay log bhi kaam toh karte hee hain, na? What I am trying to do is imbibe the good points from both, the corporate and non-corporate ways of functioning. Then, it makes no difference whether you are a corporate or non-corporate entity as long as you consistently come out with good products.

There is a constant charge against you that you take too long to complete assignments other than those made by your home banner…

No, I don’t agree. My only handicap is my back problem. Every once in a while, I have to take one or two days’ bed-rest so that the problem doesn’t aggravate. If I don’t do that, it gets so bad that I have to be bedridden for a month, to become alright again. Now, this is a problem I can’t do anything about. All my producers know this and are extremely cooperative about it.

About my outside films getting delayed, I do concede that when I was making Dillagi, I got bogged down by financial difficulties. At that time, I did ask my producers to cancel their shootings. But that was then. Sometimes, producers, too, are incapable of finishing their films on time. Now, what do you say to that?

But there are so many instances of films getting delayed due to the unprofessional attitude of the stars.

To that, I’d say, why take such stars for your films? A star is a star because the public likes to watch him on screen. A producer makes a film with a star because he wants to profit monetarily from the star’s popularity. In return, he pays the star his price. Now, after paying the price, if the producer cannot get his star to behave, then who is at fault? The problem with our producers is, they do not know how to behave like bosses.

But how can they, when the stars won’t let them? You are a star. Tell us, would you tolerate being pulled up when, say, you report late for a shooting?

Of course, if I am wrong, I am wrong. Likewise, if any star has made a mistake, he can’t argue. He must be sorry for his wrong action. He must admit to his mistakes. If you are wrong, you should have no qualms in accepting that.

But then there are also producers who will come to you and beg of you to sign their film even if you don’t have dates to spare. If you try to explain, for example, that you can allot dates only next year, they plead for just a week or a couple of days in the current year so that they can start their film. Is the actor responsible in such cases? A star doesn’t go to the producer, it is the other way round. If a star is unprofessional, don’t sign him.

Changing tracks now… Rajkumar Santoshi has lodged a complaint against you with the Film Makers Combine for non-refund of the signing amount he paid you for acting in LAJJA.

I don’t really want to comment on this. If I went around making counter-claims, wouldn’t I be stooping down to his level?

Still…

Well… See, I admit that the artiste must return his signing amount if he chooses to walk out of a project. However, if the producer, after giving the signing amount to the actor, drops him or abandons the film due to his own reasons, then the artiste is not liable to refund the signing amount. I didn’t even know, I wasn’t doing Lajja.

If you are asking me whether I am hurt by all this, my response would be — what can I expect of someone who was my friend and, yet, reduced me to being a mere production controller (during Barsaat)? Thankfully though, people in the industry are wise enough not to always believe people who have a way with words.

Finally, what makes the angry young man of films angry in real life?

I hate it when people lie. I used to get very angry with liars. Over the years, I have mellowed down and learnt how to control myself when I get angry…

…And does the toughie cry in real life?

Whatever an actor does on screen, somewhere, he is that in real life, too. We all cry, laugh, get angry… No, I don’t cry when my film flops. That is no reason to cry. Yes, I feel very bad that something for which I’ve worked hard hasn’t worked, but that doesn’t make me cry. No way…

REHNAA HAI TERRE DIL MEIN

Puja Entertainment (India) Ltd.’s Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein, remake of the Tamil film, Minnale, is a love story with a difference. A girl is to get married to a boy living in the US, whom she hasn’t seen after their childhood. Another boy, living in India, falls head over heels in love with her. When he learns that she is about to get engaged to the US-settled boy, he impersonates that boy, comes into her life, woos her and wins her love in five days. Things are rendered easy for him as the girl doesn’t at any point of time even dream that the boy she is moving around with and falling in love with is not the match selected by her parents for her.

All hell breaks loose when the US-settled boy comes to India and meets the girl. Obviously, the lover-boy’s game is up. The same day, unaware of the developments, the boy decides to reveal his true identity to the girl, but she obviously is breathing fire against him for having cheated her and having won her love by what she calls fraudulent means.

Rather than retreat, the lover-boy tries harder to make her see reason — that although his way of expressing his love for her was dishonest, his love itself was true. He is spurred on to do all this, also because the girl, on her part, had expressed her love for him. The boy even threatens the groom-to-be who turns out to be his sworn enemy of college days. He finally gives up when everything for him fails. Ultimately, the US-settled boy realises that his wife-to-be loves the impersonator and, therefore, lets her marry him.

Although the story-line is good and quite different, the film’s undoing is that the love of the boy never really touches the audience’s heart. Likewise, the girl falls in love with the boy without much actually happening. In short, the romance between the lover-boy and the girl simply doesn’t appeal. Consequently, the viewer doesn’t pine for the two to ultimately unite. That is to say, because there was no joy or pleasure in their romance, there isn’t pain in their separation. And what is a love story of this kind without pain or suffering? The girl’s dilemma, whether to marry the boy of her parents’ choice or the impersonator, has not come across half as well as it should have. So, on the one hand, the audience’s heart doesn’t go out to the girl, on the other, it also does not bleed for the lover-boy because there’s no sorrow or regret on his part for having adopted the wrong means to express his love. Had he, for example, been shown to have mellowed down (from being a ruffian) and become a responsible guy because of the love of his life, there would still have been some sympathy for him. But what he does after being exposed is only to continue with the wrong ways. He admits in words that he was wrong, but his actions, till almost the end, do not suggest his repentance for his wrong deeds.

Emotions, which should have occupied a pride of place in the story, are conspicuous by their absence.

Screenplay writer Vipul D. Shah’s comedy and light scenes in the first part of the film are pretty entertaining but he falters terribly in the conception and writing of the romantic scenes. Unfortunately though, romance is the soul of the subject. His dialogues are laced with a lot of wit and humour in the first few reels but, like his scenes in the romantic part, his dialogues too are bland and devoid of fire there. Climax offers nothing new and is, in fact, predictable.

R. Madhavan makes a brilliant impression in his debut Hindi film. There’s a boyish charm and certain vulnerability about him, that’s immensely endearing. While he is constantly superb in his acting, the two places where he deserves applause are the scene with his father in the pre-climax when he is trying to hold back his tears and the Sach keh raha hai song sequence. Madhavan, however, needs to shed a little weight. Diya Mirza makes an ordinary debut as the heroine. She dances well but falls grossly short of the demand of the character she plays. She needs to improve a great deal in emoting. Saif Ali Khan is very likeable as always. He gets into the skin of the character of the US-settled boy and performs with amiable ease. Vrajesh Hirjee is excellent as Madhavan’s well-meaning friend. He raises many a laughter. Kabir Sadana, as another friend, is very natural. The other two friends, Ravi and Siddharth, are okay. Anupam Kher does well as Madhavan’s father but he has been seen in such roles earlier. His character, therefore, leaves you quite unaffected. Tanaaz Currim gets very little scope. Navin Nischol, Smita Jayakar, Maya Alagh, Reshma Modi, Hemant Pandey and the rest lend average support.

Director Gautham Menon’s handling of the comic scenes is very good but the romance portion is devoid of the sensitiveness it required. Climax again doesn’t have the desired impact if only because of the weak middle. Music (Harris Jayaraj) is very good and has the potential to become hit. ‘Sach keh raha hai’ is an excellent song and it would not be wrong to say that it holds at the crucial point in the film at which it comes, only because of the superb melody and Madhavan’s emoting. ‘Churaya churaya’, ‘Mujhe kehna kehna tujhse hai kehna’, ‘Kaise main kahoon’ and ‘Dil ko tumse pyar’ are also entertaining. ‘Zara zara’ has a lot of lilt but breaks the narrative and will, therefore, not be liked in the film. The first two songs (‘Oh Mama Mama’ and ‘Bolo bolo’) have too much of a South Indian flavour and, therefore, appeal less. Song picturisations are stylish.

Camerawork (Johny Lal) is good. Foreign locations are splendid. Action scenes are fairly thrilling. Background score is very effective. Production values are rich. Editing is loose and the film’s length could do with trimming by at least 10 to 15 minutes.

On the whole, Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein has neither the joy of togetherness nor the pain of separation, both of which are absolutely necessary for a love story to work. Therefore, despite a good story-line, the film fails to strike a chord. Looking to the disastrous opening and lack of appreciation almost everywhere, it will not make any place whatsoever in people’s hearts. The ongoing dull period will mar its business prospects. However, collections in Bombay have a chance of becoming steady due to the film’s lovely music.

Released on 19-10-2001 at Minerva, Metro (matinee) and 14 other cinemas of Bombay thru Raksha Distributors. Publicity: excellent. Opening: below expectations. …….Also released all over.

LATEST POSITION

Expectations of a success story may be fulfilled next week. 

Yeh Teraa Ghar Ye Meraa Ghar is poor at places and pathetic at others. 1st week Bombay 44,80,628 (55%) from 13 cinemas (6 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 15,93,942 from 5 cinemas, Jamnagar 62,500; Pune 11,73,011 from 3 cinemas, Solapur 1,08,430; Delhi 32,47,593 (31.99%) from 10 cinemas; Kanpur (6 days) 1,41,761, Lucknow 3,60,649, Agra 1,18,000, Allahabad 75,000, Bareilly (6 days) 39,830; poor in Calcutta; Nagpur 3,16,313 from 2 cinemas, Jabalpur (6 days) 42,470, Amravati 1,31,616, Akola 79,690, Raipur (6 days) 80,812, Jalgaon (5 days) 1,23,753; Indore 1,41,000 (1 on F.H.), Bhopal 1,33,467 from 2 cinemas; Jaipur 3,83,877 (26.39%) from 2 cinemas, Bikaner 37,093; dull in Hyderabad.

Kasam is also disastrous. 1st week Bombay 8,07,346 (40%) from 5 cinemas (3 unrecd., 6 on F.H.); Jamnagar 65,104; Pune 3,31,608 from 3 cinemas, Solapur 81,280 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee); Jaipur 2,16,818 (19.91%) from 3 cinemas, Ajmer (29 shows, gross) 89,507, Bikaner 1,52,646.

………….

Chandni Bar is good in Bombay. 3rd week Bombay 19,14,257 (66.50%) from 6 cinemas (6 on F.H.), total for 3 weeks 91,76,461; Ahmedabad 2,84,467 from 2 cinemas; Pune 4,33,303 from 3 cinemas (1 in matinee), Solapur (matinee) 15,760; Delhi 6,05,611 from 4 cinemas; 2nd week Kanpur 26,641, 3rd week Agra 35,500; 2nd week Calcutta 2,12,501; 3rd week Nagpur 1,05,396 from 2 cinemas, 1 week Raipur (6 days, gross) 77,924; 2nd week Jaipur 39,204 (10.03%); 3rd week Hyderabad (gross) 2,38,489.

Ajnabee 4th week Bombay 18,23,918 (41.43%) from 10 cinemas (7 on F.H.), total for 4 weeks 1,73,01,654; Ahmedabad 2,98,663 from 4 cinemas; Pune 3,59,214 from 3 cinemas, Solapur 75,190 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee); Delhi 7,73,636 from 7 cinemas (5 on F.H.); Kanpur 1,21,520 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 2,30,164, Agra 1,73,000, Allahabad 85,787, Bareilly (6 days) 41,678, 3rd week Jaunpur 18,000; 4th week Calcutta 3,48,774 from 3 cinemas; Nagpur 60,008, 2nd week Jabalpur (6 days) 85,000, 4th week Amravati 56,311, Akola 46,169, total 4,36,433, Raipur (6 days) 50,579, 2nd week Gondia (5 days, gross) 35,602; 4th Jaipur 1,75,830 (18.65%) from 2 cinemas, Ajmer (gross) 87,355; Hyderabad (gross) 3,62,435 (2 in noon).

Kyo Kii… Main Jhuth Nahin Bolta 4th Bombay 6,91,391 (34.95%) from 4 cinemas (3 on F.H.), total for 4 weeks 78,95,596; Ahmedabad 35,505 (4 unrecd.); Pune 2,22,279 from 3 cinemas (1 in matinee), Solapur (matinee) 31,335; Delhi 4,50,852 from 4 cinemas (1 on F.H.); Kanpur 56,418, Lucknow 2,35,134, Agra 1,15,000, Allahabad 65,790, Bareilly (6 days) 40,655, Jaunpur 6,000; Nagpur 47,605 from 2 cinemas, 2nd week Jabalpur (6 days) 81,710, 4th week Amravati 56,311, Akola 58,283, total 4,08,086; Indore 56,656; Jaipur 42,493 (10.34%), Bikaner 55,000; Hyderabad (gross) 2,09,146.

………….

‘K3G’ MUSIC: EXTRAORDINARY!

Make no mistake, exhibitors! The music of Karan Johar’s Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham… is a smash hit.

The title song has a divine quality to it, heightened in no mean measure by the purity of rendition by Lata Mangeshkar. Sameer’s lyrics are masterly and Jatin Lalit’s music, very simple.

‘Bole Chudiyan’ is already on air on the promotional trailers of the film on various satellite channels and its peppy flavour will make it a hit at marriage functions. This dance, picturised on all the six lead artistes viz. Amitabh, Jaya, Shah Rukh, Kajol, Hrithik and Kareena, will have the audience scream for more in the auditorium.

Sandesh Shandilya has scored the music for three songs in the film. ‘You are my Soniya’ has an exceptional beat and the use of English words in the song will only serve to make this disco number a RAGE with the youth. Just wait for a while! The other Shandilya song, ‘Suraj hua maddham’, is remarkable. It is melody at its peak! A song which will be played for months to come. ‘Deewana hai dekho’ also has English words thrown in generously. This one appeals more for Kareena Kapoor’s comments in English and Hindi, in between the lyrics.

‘Yeh ladka hai Allah’ also has Jatin Lalit in great form. As for Aadesh Shrivastava’s ‘Shava Shava’, it will have the audience jump out of their seats in the cinema halls — to give company to Amitabh, Jaya, Shah Rukh, Kajol and Rani Mukerji. The song ends on a note which can easily be expected to bring the house down — that is, if it is already not down! And what is the final note? No, we won’t give any hints, please!

The title song has the sublime beauty of a bhajan/aarti and may well go on to become a bhajan/aarti in praise of parents who are God on earth. Today, this comment may sound preposterous but it will ultimately turn out to be true.

A word here for the sad version of the title track. Sonu Nigam’s rendition of it is truly remarkable.

All in all, a sensational album to bring cheer to music lovers. This one is a straight blockbuster for Sony Music — no questions asked! The sales figures of the audio cassettes and CDs of K3G have the potential to reach dizzy heights in the weeks to come. This album is khushi and only khushi!

DADASAHEB PHALKE AWARD FOR ASHA BHOSLE

Asha Bhosle has been named the recipient of this year’s Dadasaheb Phalke award. The award, the highest honour conferred on film personalities by the government of India, comes in recognition of her contribution to film music in a career spanning over half a century. She has, till date, rendered 12,000 songs, in almost every Indian language.

THE MAKING OF ‘ASOKA’

Producer-actor Shah Rukh Khan, producer Juhi Chawla and author Mushtaq Sheikh read excerpts from the book, The Making Of Asoka, at a session on 17th October at the Regent in Bombay.

Excerpts from Asoka were also shown. The film, due for release next week, is capturing the attention of cinegoers in cities across the country.

KANPUR’S FIRST MULTIPLEX

Rave, a new state-of-the-art multiplex, will open in Kanpur next week with Indian and Asoka. The 3-screen cineplex is owned by the Guptas of Dainik Jagran. It will be the first multiplex in the city.

NEW CINEMA

A new cinema with a seating capacity of 600 is being built at Haveri (Bombay Karnataka). The cinema will screen Kannada films only.

TWO MORE SCREENS AT IMAX ADLABS

Two new screens will be opened at IMAX Adlabs at Wadala, Bombay on 26th October with the release of Asoka and Indian. The screens will have a seating capacity of 351 each. The admission rates will be in the range of Rs. 60 – Rs. 80. With the new screens, IMAX Adlabs will have a total of 3 screens, including the existing IMAX dome. Two more screens, with seating capacities of 351 and 251, are expected to come up in the future, bringing the total to 5 screens.

NITIN JOSHI NO MORE

Nitin R. Joshi, partner in Jayshree Talkies, Bijapur, passed away on 15th October at Sangli due to brain haemorrhage. He was 38. Three shows at Jayshree Talikes on 15th were cancelled after the demise.

‘LAGAAN’ AT SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

After being screened at the Toronto and Chicago film festivals, Aamir Khan’s Lagaan has been entered in the 21st Sundance Film Festival in the US, to be held between 10th and 20th January, 2002. It will be the concluding film of the festival.

PM TO INAUGURATE MANGESHKAR HOSPITAL

Prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee will inaugurate the state-of-art Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital and Research Centre in Pune on 1st November. The hospital, being built by the Lata Mangeshkar Foundation in memory of Lata’s late father, will offer free treatment to 30% of the patients. Lata said at a press conference in Pune on 17th October that the hospital was her mother’s dream.

ATTEMPT ON AAMIR’S LIFE FOILED

Four men belonging to the underworld, who were carrying out a plan to murder Aamir Khan, were shot dead by the Bombay police on 13th October. The men, a couple of whom were sharp-shooters, had hatched a plot to kill, besides Aamir, Ashutosh Gowariker and Jhamu Sughand, the director and presenter of Lagaan respectively.

According to reports, a special police squad laid a trap for the hitmen near Patwardhan Park at Khar, Bombay, following a tip-off. The suspects reportedly arrived on two motorcycles at 2 a.m. and opened fire at the police when they were asked to surrender. The police opened fire in retaliation and shot the men dead. Reportedly, the underworld was looking to extort money out of the Lagaan makers.

Ironically, Aamir was away in a Lagaan promotional tour to the US and Canada at the time.

SANTOSHI FILES COMPLAINT AGAINST SUNNY DEOL

Rajkumar Santoshi’s Santoshi Productions has filed a complaint with the AMPTPP against Sunny Deol. The concern has alleged that the actor is not returning its Rs. 50 lakh paid to him by way of signing amount after fixing his remuneration at Rs. 1 crore to appear in Santoshi Productions’ Lajja. The banner claims that Sunny demanded more, which is when Santoshi Productions dropped him from the film and asked for the refund.

NAVAL DAMANIA PASSES AWAY

Bombay exhibitor Naval F. Damania, partner in Moti Cinema, Bombay, passed away on 19th October in Bombay. He was 80 and had been keeping unwell since the past few months. The last rites are being performed today (20th) at Doongar Wadi, Kemp’s corner, Bombay.

DO YOU KNOW?

* That Vashu Bhagnani’s MUJHE KUCCH KEHNA HAI had pulled the industry out of the woods this year has still not been forgotten by exhibitors of C.I. Despite the release of two big films, INDIAN and ASOKA, next week, Vashu’s REHNAA HAI TERRE DIL MEIN this week has managed to get the best line-up of cinemas in C.I. In Indore, it is Sapna and Manmandir. Raj in Bhopal, Roxy in Gwalior and Nirmal Sagar in Ujjain are also screening RHTDM. Lokendra Talkies of Ratlam, Daya Mandir of Mandsaur and Jagat Darshan of Guna are the other cinemas showing the film. “And,” informs distributor Harish Janiani (Sunil Enterprises), “all the cinemas have been booked at favourable (for us) terms!”

* GADAR EK PREM KATHA has become the first film in the history of Multai (Betul district, C.P. Berar) to complete 50 days’ run.

YOU ASKED IT

Despite such extensive publicity campaigns, why did Vashu Bhagnani’s Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein not take even an average opening at most places this week?

– Although the publicity was extensive, it did not have enough time to make a lasting impression on people’s minds. Besides, although the film’s music is good, it did not get a chance to grow. Had the film come after one month, the story about its opening would have been quite different.

What is the ratio of J.P. Dutta’s L.O.C.?

– It has not been announced as yet. May be, the ratio has not even been finalised by J.P. Dutta himself. 

Without seeing Karan Johar’s Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham…, what is your prediction about its business?

– It is heard that even after seeing the film, one will not be able to predict its historic business. Then how can I predict it without seeing the film?!?

CENSOR NEWS

Sunny Super Sound’s Indian (action) was give C.C. No. CIL/2/33/2001 (UA) dt. 17-10-2001; length 4878.98 metres in 18 reels (cuts: 1.67 metres).

Puja Entertainment (India) Ltd.’s Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein (social) was give C.C. No. CIL/1/62/2001 (U) dt. 12-10-2001; length 4606.35 metres in 16 reels (some deletion in sound only).

MAHARASHTRA CM LAYS FOUNDATION STONE FOR MUKTA ARTS’ TRAINING INSTITUTE

October 18 was a red-letter day for the Indian film industry. For, it was on that day that Mukta Arts Limited embarked on its ambitious plan to build the country’s first full-fledged non-government-owned film institute. Called Whistling Woods International (WWI), the training school will come up in Bombay’s Film City on a wide expanse of land admeasuring about 4 acres.

Although the Maharashtra Film, Stage & Cultural Development Corporation has allotted about 20 acres of land in Film City for the institute, the building can come up only on “3 to 4 acres”, according to Govind Swarup, principal secretary of the ministry of cultural affairs and managing director of Film City. “The rest of the land will have to be utilised by WWI for landscaping,” he added.

The foundation stone of the institute was laid on 18th at the hands of Maharashtra chief minister, Vilasrao Deshmukh, in the presence of top personalities of the film industry, besides a fair sprinkling of political bigwigs. From the arena of politics were Kripashankar Singh, minister of state for home, and MPs Amar Singh and Rajeev Shukla. Among the industry bigwigs present were Dilip Kumar, Saira Banu, Yash Chopra, Surinder Kapoor, Santosh Singh Jain, Subhash Chandra Goel, Vijay Anand, Rajkumar Barjatya, N.N. Sippy, Pravesh Sippy, Govind Nihalani, Manmohan Shetty, Rakesh Roshan, Jacike Shroff, Madhuri Dixit, Manisha Koirala, Pahlaj Nihalani, Tina Munim and Anil Ambani, Amit Khanna, Ramesh Taurani, Abbas, Mustan, Hussain Burmawala, Anil Sharma, Kiran Shantaram, Pradeep Guha, Satish Kaushik, Tolu Bajaj, Mrs. Shatrughan Sinha, Roshan Taneja, Randhir Kapoor, J.P. Chowksey and others.

Subhash Ghai explained that the institute, when operational, would offer courses ranging between six months and two years, in acting, music, editing, cinematography, script writing and other related subjects. He said, the institute would be of international standard and would have visiting faculties from across the world. He added, the training school was his way of repaying the film industry and the nation for what they had made him today, 25 years after he made an entry in the world of films.

Yash Chopra, in a brief speech, pledged his support to the institute. Amit Khanna recalled that Subhash Ghai had nursed a desire to build a film institute since many years. Vijay Anand confessed that Subhash Ghai had stolen a march over all the other filmmakers by starting the construction of a training school. Rajkumar Barjatya went down memory lane and recalled one of his first meetings with Subhash Ghai in 1967 when Rajshri was making Taqdeer and Ghai was an actor in it. The producer said, a young Subhash had then asked him whether his future in the industry was secure. Barjatya had at that time told Subhash Ghai that it would take three to four years for him to know what the future had in store for him. Govind Nihalani complimented Subhash Ghai for the great work he had undertaken. Subhash Chandra Goel also praised Ghai and added that the entertainment industry was growing by leaps and bounds and, therefore, an institute was the need of the hour. Dilip Kumar, who was the guest of honour, said, “Subhash had always had this dream and today, it is a reality…. Subhash is a man of people, a man of passion, honesty and dedication with a lot of talent.” The thespian gave proof of his faith in the training school when he said, “I am sure, Whistling Woods international will change the future scenario of Indian entertainment.”

Maharashtra CM Vilasrao Deshmukh admitted that the Film & Television Institute of India in Pune, started by the central government, was in a bad state. “Our job, we’ve realised,” added the CM, “is to provide infrastructure for running an institute, not to run it.” He said, he did not have an iota of doubt that Mukta Arts, under the stewardship of Subhash Ghai, would make a grand success of the institute.

Olivia Augustine, the faculty chief of WWI, outlined the aims and objectives of the institute.

Govind Swarup proposed the vote of thanks.

SWITCHING NAMES

Subhash Ghai and Subhash Chandra Goel of Zee TV share a common first name. At the bhoomi poojan of WWI, Ghai revealed that while he addressed Subhash Chandra as “Subhash Ghai”, he himself was called “Subhash Chandra” by the Zee big boss!

When Subhash Chandra was called on the dais to speak a few words, he, in fact, addressed Ghai as “Subhash Chandra”.

NO REAL CONTROVERSY

“There’s no controversy over Mukta Arts’ film institute proposed to be built on land in the Film City,” clarified Govind Swarup, MD of Film City, referring to reports in a section of the press to this effect. “The Film, Stage & Cultural Development Corporation, which is an autonomous body in charge of Film City, has the powers to allot land for the institute in Film City. No permission of the state government was required because neither government money nor transfer of land was involved. The training institute is a commercial venture in which the FS&C Development Corporation is a partner in profits.” It is learnt that WWI and the Corporation will share profits in the ratio of 85:15 for all times to come. 

Said Swarup to Film Information, “Subhash Ghai’s credibility, dedication and vision are par excellence. We have only done our duty of providing infrastructural facilities to an industry we refer to as a sunrise industry.”

POLITICIANS, THE REAL ENTERTAINERS!

Politicians can entertain better than the entertainers of the Bombay film industry. This was amply clear at the bhoomi poojan of Subhash Ghai’s Whistling Woods International training institute on 18th October in Bombay. Three men from politics stole the limelight from right under the nose of top film people when they took to the mike. All the three laced their speeches with a lot of wit and humour whereas the film people generally made serious speeches.

Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh recalled that it was he who had some years ago performed the bhoomi poojan of Adlabs at the same Film City where the institute was now being built. “Since Adlabs is minting money, Subhash Ghai decided to call me for his bhoomi poojan too,” quipped the CM as the guests burst into laughter. Deshmukh later asked Subhash Ghai not to be tense about anything as the Maharashtra government was with him in the realisation of his ambitious dream. “Learn from us,” the CM exhorted Ghai, adding, “We are never tense. Right from the day we’ve formed the government, the press has been writing that we won’t survive, still, we are never tense!” Laughter.

Minister of state for home, Kripashankar Singh, while giving all the credit for Subhash Ghai’s success to his wife, Mukta, remarked, “Log toh mukti ke liye bhaagte hain per Subhash Ghai ke paas to swayam Mukta hai.”

MP Amar Singh predicted that once the institute would open, it would exist for times immemorial to impart training to students. “Don’t think, I am doing propaganda of my name, Amar, when I say the institute will become amar,” quipped the MP amidst peals of laughter from the audience.

YEH TERAA GHAR YEH MERAA GHAR

Ripple Picture Entertainment’s Yeh Teraa Ghar Yeh Meraa Ghar is a social comedy. A young and simple man, living in a village and burdened with liabilities, has one hope left — to liquidate a house of his late father, in the city. He comes to vacate the tenants — a widow, her two daughters and a son — from the house but finds them unwilling to quit. He does all he can to get them out — and this includes filing a case in the court; entering his own house by force and living therein; troubling the tenants by creating nuisance at times and by using musclemen to threaten them at other times; using his police-friend who, later, changes sides when he falls in love with the elder daughter of the tenant. He even tries to arrange the marriage of the police officer with the daughter so that she and her family could stay with the police inspector and thus vacate his house. The marriage, however, is stalled by the cop’s sister. Ultimately, the village simpleton himself decides to marry the tenant’s daughter and shift with his mother and sister to the house in the city.

The comedy is farcical most of the times. The problem of tenancy is typical to cities like Bombay and Delhi and, therefore, the whole drama of the tenants refusing to vacate the premises will not be appreciated by audience in most parts of the country. Even otherwise, the story is too thin for a full-length feature film and it moves on a single track only. The treatment of the subject is of the kind which would appeal to the city audience only.

While the first three or four reels are quite hilarious, the drama deteriorates as the film progresses. The track of the police inspector’s romance with the tenant’s daughter sticks out like a sore thumb. Worse still is the track of her past in a mental asylum. If the war of words and action scenes between the village youth and his tenants do not have the desired impact consistently, it is because it looks like an unequal fight. And this is so as there’s no male member on the tenants’ side, the only males being the little son of the widow, and her neighbours. In that sense, the youth, who is the hero, fighting with the ladies looks bad even if it is in a comedy film. As such, Neeraj Vora’s writing leaves plenty to be desired. Climax has the least impact. The film is completely devoid of romance and emotions. Dialogues, however, are brilliantly witty and punch-packed.

Sunil Shetty acts very well in an out-and-out comedy role. Mahima Chaudhry is brilliant as the elder daughter of the tenant. She breathes fire in dramatic scenes of confrontation with Sunil Shetty. Paresh Rawal, as the police officer, may not be exceptionally funny but, nevertheless, evokes laughter with a performance that is as natural as it could be. Saurabh Shukla does a fair job. Sanjay Narvekar is simply superb. Neeraj Vora also does an exceptional job. Suhasini Mulay fails to impress. Usha Nadkarni acts wonderfully. Kishore Nandlaskar excels. Asrani leaves a mark. Radhika Menon and Geeta Vijayan are okay. Naghma, in a special appearance, is good in a dance number. Master Adit does a fair job.

Priyadarsan has restricted the film’s appeal to the class audience only, not just by his choice of subject but also by its treatment. While he handles the first few reels with aplomb, he falters at a good number of places in the remake of a Malayalam hit. Anand Milind’s music is nothing to dance about although ‘Saraswati, yeh tere ghar’, ‘Aala re aala’ and ‘Hansaate ho’ are well-tuned songs. Camerawork (Jeeva) is captivating. Action scenes (Thyagarajan) are well-composed. Sabu Cyril’s sets are praiseworthy. Production and other technical values are fair.

On the whole, Yeh Teraa Ghar Yeh Meraa Ghar has not taken an encouraging start and, with its restricted appeal, will find the going tough despite its reasonable price.

Released on 12-10-2001 at Metro and 18 other cinemas of Bombay thru Shringar Films P. Ltd. Publicity: good. Opening: average. …….Also released all over except in Bengal. Opening was poor almost everywhere.

KASAM

Manish Films’ Kasam (UA) is a revenge drama. The story is set in a village where the people are forced to live under the evil shadow of a notorious dacoit (Sadashiv Amarapurkar) who is aided by the zamindar’s son (Sharat Saxena), in his perpetration of terror. The saviour of the villagers, however, soon arrives in the form of a noble-hearted truck driver (Sunny Deol). The truck driver’s father, a police officer (Parikshat Sahni) was killed by the dacoit when he (the truck driver) was only two years old. At the time, his mother, who had vowed to destroy the dacoit, had left him in the care of a kind-hearted truck driver (Ranjeet).

Over the years, there have been situations in which the hero protects his own mother without both knowing how they were related to each other.

Meanwhile, a police inspector (Naseeruddin Shah) and a thief (Chunkey Panday) land up in the village. While the inspector is looking to nab the dacoit, the thief seems to have arrived for no particular reason at all. The police inspector dons a disguise and mixes with the villagers. He is soon able to win their confidence. The thief falls in love with a young girl (Neelam) whom the truck driver also loves.

When the zamindar’s son is put behind bars for attempted rape, the dacoit comes to his rescue and gets him released with the help of a few corrupt police officers. The evil duo soon unleashes a new wave of terror. The timely arrival of the truck driver on the scene, however, puts a spanner in the works. He manages to save not only his beloved but also the thief from the clutches of the villains.

In the climax, the hero and his mother, now reunited with each other, set the dacoit afire, losing their own lives in the process.

The screenplay is written in such a way that only action scenes appear every now and then. There is no drama which can even interest a child. So important are action scenes in the film that links between successive scenes often get lost. As a result, the story lacks any logical progression. Dullness creeps in in the early reels itself and stays for the most part. The audience gets very little respite from boredom in a few light scenes — like the police inspector and the thief fooling each other; and the police inspector tricking the zamindar’s son. The action scenes, though many, singularly lack thrill. Climax is long-drawn. The last 20 minutes or so in the film have the semblance of drama. The film has been delayed a long time in the making and it shows in the final product.

Sunny Deol gets his usual quota of action scenes and performs well. Naseeruddin Shah succeeds in regaling the audiences with his comic punches. Chunkey Panday is fair. Neelam hardly has anything to do except appear in a few songs and dances. Sadashiv Amarapurkar looks too tame as the dacoit. Sharat Saxena, as the zamindar’s son, is average. Hemant Birje, Parikshat Sahni, Anjana Mumtaz, Paintal, Ranjeet, Sonu Walia, Tej Sapru and others fill the bill.

Shibu Mitra’s direction is too ordinary to be true. Only one song, ‘Meri dafli teri payal’ appeals, that too, only to some extent. Cinematography is just about passable. So are the other technical and production values.

On the whole, Kasam, with its stale look and run-of-the-mill story, holds no promise at the box-office.

Released on 12-10-2001 at Dreamland and 13 other cinemas of Bombay thru Gola Brothers. Publicity & opening: so-so. …….Also released in East Punjab, C.I. and Rajasthan.

LATEST POSITION

The openings of both the releases of this week were as expected — dull.

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Chandni Bar is doing fairly well only in Bombay and Hyderabad. 2nd week Bombay 37,34,520 (69.13%) from 9 cinemas (7 on F.H.), total for 2 weeks 72,62,204; Ahmedabad 84,972 (1 unrecd.), Rajkot 64,000; Pune 8,10,603 from 4 cinemas, Solapur 69,200; Delhi 5,65,236 from 3 cinemas (1 unrecd.); 1 week Kanpur 92,792, 2nd week Agra 52,000; 1st week Calcutta 2,85, 890; 2nd week Nagpur 86,805 (1 unrecd.), Amravati 49,220, 1st week Yavatmal 42,717; Jaipur 1,51,591 (22.89%); 2nd week Hyderabad (gross) 3,55,248.

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Ajnabee 3rd week Bombay 27,28,981 (47.74%) from 13 cinemas (8 on F.H.), total for 3 weeks 1,54,77,736; Ahmedabad 2,35,709 from 4 cinemas (4 unrecd.), Rajkot 1,21,580, Jamnagar 39,005; Pune 8,73,999 from 4 cinemas, Solapur 1,34,530 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee); Delhi 21,53,659 from 11 cinemas (3 on F.H.); Kanpur 2,29,348 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 3,29,441, Agra 2,02,000, Allahabad 1,42,000, Bareilly (6 days) 55,469, 2nd week Jaunpur 40,000; 3rd week Calcutta 4,24,877 from 4 cinemas; 1st week Jabalpur (6 days) 1,96,182, 3rd week Amravati 84,630, Akola 73,581, total 3,90,264, Raipur (6 days) 65,436, Jalgaon 83,000 (2nd week 1,32,624), 1st week Chandrapur 1,79,380; 3rd Indore 57,000; Jaipur 2,89,420 (27.16%) from 2 cinemas, Ajmer (gross) 1,29,469, Bikaner 95,788; Hyderabad (gross) 4,28,795 from 2 cinemas; 1st week Davangere 1,89,437.

Kyo Kii… Main Jhuth Nahin Bolta 3rd week Bombay 8,20,897 (43.59%) from 4 cinemas (9 on F.H.), total for 3 weeks 72,04,026; Ahmedabad 2,16,981 (5 unrecd.), Jamnagar 38,100 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee); Pune 3,88,768 from 3 cinemas, Solapur 47,755; Delhi 8,07,068 from 5 cinemas (4 on F.H.); Kanpur 2,04,924 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 2,98,179, Agra 1,78,000, Varanasi 86,927, Allahabad 1,03,161, Bareilly (6 days) 49,044, Jaunpur 10,000; Calcutta 1,40,474; Nagpur 56,687 (1 unrecd.), 1st week Jabalpur (6 days) 1,34,349, 3rd week Amravati 84,184, Akola 89,560, total 3,50,702, Raipur (6 days) 42,736, Jalgaon 55,687 (2nd 75,055), Wardha 37,385, Yavatmal 20,260; Indore 85,000 (1 on F.H.); Jaipur 1,02,184 (16.91%), Ajmer 37,258, Bikaner 65,700; Hyderabad (gross) 3,97,922 from 2 cinemas; 1st week Davangere 1,37,814.

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Nayak 5th week Bombay 6,06,975 (49.53%) from 3 cinemas (4 on F.H.), total for 5 weeks 1,11,80,666; Ahmedabad 2,31,435 from 3 cinemas (4 unrecd.); Pune 2,51,008 from 3 cinemas (1 in matinee), Solapur 86,511; Delhi 2,34, 939 from 2 cinemas; Kanpur 69,732, Lucknow 1,32,083, Agra 1,16,000, Varanasi 50,510, Allahabad 61,738, Jaunpur 15,987, total 1,89,617; Calcutta 72,593; Nagpur 73,774, Jabalpur (6 days) 24,000, Amravati 80,223, Akola 53,400, total 5,82,825, Dhule 42,647, Raipur (6 days) 48,873, Jalgaon 68,452 (4th 84,111), Chandrapur 60,074, total 7,38,337, 4th week Yavatmal 37,443.

Gadar Ek Prem Katha 17th week Bombay 1,81,144 (26.39%), total for 17 weeks 5,98,68,970; Pune 60,145 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee), Solapur 23,600; Delhi (TF) 14,02,859 from 8 cinemas (1 on F.H.); Kanpur 97,333 from 2 cinemas, 2nd week Lucknow (revived) 1,46,503, 17th week Agra 61,000, Varanasi 45,102, Allahabad 63,347, Bareilly 29,509; Indore 33,206 (1 on F.H.), Bhopal 50,050; Jaipur 52,699 (19.44%); Hyderabad (gross) 24,700.

CINEMA REOPENS

Ramchandra Cinema at Dombivli (a distant central suburb of Bombay) re-opened on 12th October with Kasam. The cinema has been fully renovated.

PAHLAJ NIHALANI ELECTED IFEA PRESIDENT

Pahlaj Nihalani was unanimously re-elected president of the Indian Film Exporters Association at the first meeting of its newly elected council of management, held on 10th October in Bombay. Ganesh Jain was elected vice president while Chandrakant Mehta and Hirachand Dand were elected hon. secretary and hon. treasurer respectively.

Earlier, on 6th October, at the IFEA’s 37th annual general meeting, the following members, besides the aforementioned, were declared elected to the council of management: Amar Asrani, Sunder F. Rai, Rajinder Singh Hora, Arjan Lulla, Mohan Chhabria, Jhamu Sughand, Gordhan Tanwarni and Kumar Taurani.

Vashu Bhagnani, S. Narayanan and P. Parameswaran (NFDC) were co-opted to the council.

B4U TELEVISION NETWORK LAUNCHES B4U MOVIES

B4U TV officially announced the launch of its movie channel, B4U Movies, in India, at a press conference, held at Sidewok, NCPA, Bombay on 11th October. The new channel will show films from B4U’s vast library. It also has an array of film-based programmes under two categories — filmi specials and vignettes. Filmi specials include a series of half-hour programmes every day, on different aspects of Bollywood. Vignettes are fillers.

AMRISH PURI INJURED BADLY

Amrish Puri sustained serious injuries on his head and hands on the set of Vinod Shah’s Jaal – The Trap in Manali on 10th October. He was pillion-riding on a motorcycle with Sunny Deol for an action scene of the film at Rohtang Pass when the motorbike skidded. Sunny had a miraculous escape, sustaining a minor injury on his hand, but Amrish Puri was hurt badly. He was rushed to Willingdon Hospital in Manali where stitches had to be administered on his head. He was flown to Bombay on 11th and is recuperating at home.

The shooting schedule had to be packed up mid-way following the accident. Said Guddu Dhanoa, director of Jaal, “It was a terrible sight. The motorbike was tied to the car in which the camera was placed and we were sitting. While the car and motorcycle were in motion, a sharp curve came and the motor cycle skidded. I knew, we wouldn’t be able to continue the shooting schedule and we cancelled it forthwith.”

The shooting spell began on 2nd October and was to go on till 20th.

GUILD MEETS STATE MINISTERS OVER NEW ST

The Film Producers Guild of India organised a meeting of a representation of the entertainment industry with Maharashtra finance minister Jayant Patil and revenue minister Ashok Chavan on 9th October at Sahyadri Guest House in Bombay. The ongoing issue of the 4% sales tax, levied by the state government on the turnover of sales in respect of the transfer of rights to use any goods, being made applicable to film transactions was discussed. The representatives of the entertainment industry once again cautioned the ministers about the adverse impact of the levy which would force them to shift the industry to another state. The finance minister asked the delegation to suggest other alternative areas within the industry from which the government could collect revenue. If the cabinet approved the suggestions, the 4% sales tax could be abolished, he said. The menace of video and cable piracy was also discussed at the meeting.

The entertainment industry delegation comprised Guild and AIFPC president Amit Khanna, AMPTPP president Pahlaj Nihalani, CCCA president Santosh Singh Jain, IMPDA president N.N. Sippy, Guild vice president Tilak Raj Magan, Yash Johar, Gordhan Tanwani, Shyam Shroff, Vijay Lazarus, Ganesh Jain, Vijay Singh, Shashi Gopal, Suresh Thomas, Harish Dayani and Ronald D’Mello. Govind Swarup, principal secretary to the state culture ministry, and FFI secretary Supran Sen were also present at the meeting, besides the commissioner of sales tax, Maharashtra.

NO EXTRA CHARGES TO LABORATORIES

At the first meeting of the newly elected executive committee of the Indian Film Exporters Association, held on October 10, it was unanimously resolved that no exporter would henceforth pay to laboratories any extra charges including the charges for dupe negative/DTS, unless the agreement with the producer provided for such extra payment. Accordingly, the respective laboratories will be requested to charge only Rs. 3.50 towards print processing inclusive of wastage.

YOU ASKED IT

Which, according to you, will be the next blockbuster?

– Let at least a success come first. Then, we can look out for a blockbuster. 

In which years were Prithviraj Kapoor and Raj Kapoor given the Dadasaheb Phalke awards?

– Prithviraj Kapoor bagged it in 1972, and Raj Kapoor, in 1988. Incidentally, this is the only father-son team to have got the award.

You’ve been writing such hard-hitting editorials since so long. But is the situation improving?

– Corrective processes take years to yield results. You can’t expect a miracle so soon. But, don’t worry, people are at least thinking seriously.

DO YOU KNOW?

* Actor-producer-director Vikram has decided to now be known as Vikram Makandar. 

* Mira Nair’s award-winning film, MONSOON WEDDING, has been picked up for all India by Idream Productions. The concern is new to the film industry, only recently having produced a film, 16TH DECEMBER.

* Gurudev Productions’ HUM HAIN BHARATWASI is doing very well in C.I. Tax-free in Madhya Pradesh, it has yielded good shares in special shows for children only, at the following stations: Mhow (10 shows) 25,000/-; Rewa (8 shows) 25,000/-; Ujjain (13 shows) 40,000/-; Betma (1 show) 3,000/-; Ratlam (4 shows) 12,000/-; and Nagda (4 shows) 8,000/-.

* Yash Raj Films’ ploy of giving away free audio cassettes of MOHABBATEIN to patrons during the 50th week of its run, at Bombay’s Novelty Cinema (matinee) has worked wonders as all 7 shows were full in advance! Earlier, too, the ploy had produced a similar result in the case of Yash Raj Films’ DDLJ in its 300th week at Bombay’s Maratha Mandir (matinee).

3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment

Blockbuster Of Epic Proportions

If the 11-minute promotional trailer, screened at Sony’s press conference for the music release of Karan Johar’s Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham at The Taj on 9th October, was any indication, a blockbuster of epic proportions is on its way. To say that the film has a rich look to it is an under-statement. But the grand sets, beautiful locations, exquisite costumes of the characters and the colourful look of the film apart, the promo gave an insight into what the film is all about. If the comic punches and fun scenes will have the audience laugh their guts out, the emotional ones will have them weep in cinemas. May be, tissue paper manufacturers could do brisk business in cinemas across the world, screening this potential record-smasher.

The film’s music has been composed by Jatin Lalit, Sandesh Shandilya and Aadesh Shrivastava. In one word, Sony has a true winner on its hands.

Such Keh Rahen Hain……..

Producer Vashu Bhagnani did it again on 10th October. Besides holding a special screening of the songs of his Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein for the trade at the Cine Planet cinema in Bombay, he also put up a big screen in its compound for the public to see excerpts from the songs. The janata had a double treat — they caught glimpses of the songs as also of the lead stars of the film in person. Madhavan, who is a name to reckon with in Tamil cinema but whose first Hindi film RHTDM is, and Diya Mirza, who makes her screen debut with the film, were present. Madhavan has a cute boyish charm about him, which makes him an endearing face on the screen. Diya Mirza too looks promising in the songs. The Kay Kay number, Such keh raha hai, is a brilliantly rendered and composed song and, according to the film’s director Gautham Menon, “The song is a part of the climax when, usually, songs do not hold, but in the Tamil version too, of which RHTDM is a remake, a song in the climax went very well with the audience.” The four versions of the title song were also screened. It is out of these that Vashu intends keeping one in the film. Which one? “The public will decide,” is Vashu’s reply.

A Hit In Seven Days

He is only 28 years old and already has one blockbuster to his credit. That’s Gautham Menon, the director of the Tamil super-hit Minnale, which was also his first film. The guy nervously awaits the public verdict on his second film which is the Hindi remake of Minnale. About the remake he says, “Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein is almost like the original except for a few scenes here and there.” He recalls how he had approached Madhavan for his first film when the latter was shooting for Mani Rathnam’s Alai Payuthe. “Madhavan liked the subject and we also clicked as friends. He recommended Vipul D. Shah’s name to me for the screenplay, and Vipul, Madhavan and myself completed writing the screenplay in a room of Hotel Sun N Sand here in Bombay in seven days flat,” explains Menon. Incidentally, the Vipul D. Shah of Minnale and RHTDM is different from writer Vipul Shah who is also currently directing the Amitabh starrer, Aankhen. Vipul D. Shah has written the television series, Dekh Bhai Dekh. Like Gautham’s, Vipul D. Shah’s first film assignment also was Minnale, and the second is RHTDM.

A Brave Effort

Not many may be aware that Sudhir Phadke’s Veer Savarkar has been made with only financial assistance from friends and well-wishers. The first donation to Savarkar Darshan Pratishthan (Trust) to make the film came in the form of gold bangles from a lady. It is a laudable effort, not just by Sudhir Phadke but also by director Ved Rahi. Shailendra Gaur, who has played the title role in the film, has done a superb job as the revolutionary freedom-fighter. It is good, the Maharashtra government has exempted Veer Savarkar from entertainment tax. Such a worthy effort deserves similar assistance from other states too.

‘MOHABBATEIN’ GOLDEN JUBILEE

Yash Chopra’s Mohabbatein, the second directorial venture of Aditya Chopra, entered its 50th week at Novelty (matinee), Bombay on 5th October. Starring Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai (guest appearance), Jugal Hansraj, Jimmy Shergill and newfinds Uday Chopra, Shamita Shetty, Preeti Jhangiani and Kim Sharma, the film has music by Jatin Lalit and lyrics by Anand Bakshi.

In a gesture similar to the one that marked the 300-week celebrations of its DDLJ, Yash Raj Films is distributing a double cassette of dialogues and songs of Mohabbatein as souvenirs, among the audience at Novelty in its 50th week.

Mohabbatein has become the second highest grosser, after DDLJ, of Yash Raj Films. Yash Raj Films has also released a double DVD set of Mohabbatein in Overseas where it is ranking among the highest-selling Hindi film DVDs.

‘MISSION KASHMIR’ GOLDEN JUBILEE

Producer-director Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Mission Kashmir entered 50th combined week at Dreamland (matinee), Bombay on 5th October. The film stars Sanjay Dutt, Hrithik Roshan, Preity Zinta, Jackie Shroff, Sonali Kulkarni and Puru Raaj Kumar in a guest appearance. It has story and screenplay by Abhijat Joshi, Suketu Mehta, Vikram Chandra and Vidhu Vinod Chopra, and dialogues by Atul Tiwari. Lyrics of Rahat Indori and Sameer have been set to tune by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy.

LATEST POSITION

Chandni Bar is excellent in Bombay but poor elsewhere. 1st week Bombay 35,27,684 (91.39%) from 7 cinemas (4 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 1,00,267 (1 unrecd.), Rajkot 88,000; Pune 8,36,256 from 3 cinemas (1 in matinee), Solapur 88,050; Delhi 10,58,896 (33.08%) from 6 cinemas; Agra 85,000, Varanasi 40,223, Allahabad 40,000; Nagpur 1,30,023, Amravati 62,993, Akola 47,117; Hyderabad (gross) 3,94,410.

………….

Ajnabee dropped quite badly almost everywhere. 2nd week Bombay 52,88,675 from 15 cinemas (7 on F.H.), total for 2 weeks 1,27,48,755; Ahmedabad 3,81,983 from 3 cinemas (4 unrecd.), Rajkot 1,83,540, Jamnagar 71,124 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee), Adipur 1,27,640, Bhuj 1,10,000; Pune 14,02,458 from 4 cinemas, Solapur 2,10,500 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee); Bijapur 62,987; Delhi 54,63,428 from 13 cinemas (2 on F.H.); Kanpur 3,05,658 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 4,38,315, Agra 3,60,000, Varanasi 2,03,416, Allahabad 2,00,455, Bareilly (6 days) 99,536, Dehradun 1,82,000, 1st week Jaunpur 1,05,000; 2nd week Calcutta 14,37,782 from 12 cinemas; Nagpur 2,89,147 from 2 cinemas, Amravati 1,34,610, Akola 1,01,313, total 3,16,683, Raipur (6 days) 1,10,052, Durg 81,637, Jalgaon 1,32,624 (1st 2,46,161), Wardha 32,511; Indore 1,08,972 (2 on F.H.); Jaipur 4,32,047 (57.19%) from 2 cinemas, Ajmer (gross) 2,26,562, Bikaner 1,52,552; Hyderabad (gross) 9,72,787 from 3 cinemas (1 in noon).

Kyo Kii… Main Jhuth Nahin Bolta is steady in U.P. 2nd week Bombay 23,85,722 (49.02%) from 8 cinemas (9 on F.H.), total for 2 weeks 63,83,129; Jamnagar 78,645 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee); Pune 5,59,558 from 3 cinemas, Solapur (matinee) 53,705; Bijapur 54,787; Delhi 23,88,601 from 9 cinemas (3 on F.H.); Kanpur 2,82,648 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 3,74,190, Agra 2,22,000, Varanasi 1,25,366, Allahabad 1,21,327, Bareilly (6 days) 67,409, Dehradun 93,797, Jaunpur 20,000; Calcutta 5,04,705 from 4 cinemas; Nagpur 1,86,300 from 2 cinemas, Amravati 1,03,289, Akola 1,04,758, total 2,61,141, Raipur (6 days) 59,502, Jalgaon 75,055 (1st 1,16,257), 1st week Gondia 80,458, Wardha 53,495, 2nd week Yavatmal 40,943 (1st 76,499); Indore 93,300 (3 on F.H.); Jaipur 1,44,856 (23.97%), Ajmer 49,568; Hyderabad (gross) 4,11,563.

………….

Nayak 4th week Bombay 9,02,266 (40.04%) from 5 cinemas (7 on F.H.), total for 4 weeks 1,05,73,691; Ahmedabad 2,57,862 from 2 cinemas, Rajkot 74,000; Pune 1,92,255 from 3 cinemas (1 in matinee), Solapur 1,11,011; Kanpur 1,10,701 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 1,58,278, Varanasi 60,859, Allahabad 65,733, Bareilly 35,927, Dehradun 38,284, Jaunpur 18,411, total 1,83,548; Calcutta 1,07,768; Nagpur 1,17,688 from 2 cinemas, Jabalpur (6 days) 30,060, Amravati 1,07,359, Akola 61,594, total 5,29,425, Dhule 55,725, total 4,28,030, Raipur (6 days) 71,736, Jalgaon 84,111 (3rd 96,928), Wardha (5 days) 21,956, Chandrapur 93,178, total 6,78,263, Yavatmal (4 days) 24,727; Jaipur 98,352 (17.75%); Hyderabad (gross) 2,51,486 (1 on F.H.).

Lajja 5th week Bombay 3,67,362 (31.55%; 5 on F.H.), total for 5 weeks 1,33,41,381; Ahmedabad 62,561 from 2 cinemas (4 unrecd.), Rajkot (matinee) 11,870; Pune 2,51,433 from 3 cinemas, Solapur 27,200; Delhi 2,23,665; Kanpur 94,673 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 2,13,142, Varanasi 70,954, Allahabad 54,000, Bareilly (6 days) 21,000; Calcutta 68,177; Nagpur 1,10,490 from 2 cinemas, Jabalpur (6 days) 88,151, Amravati 83,497, Akola 53,869, total 6,24,110, Raipur (6 days) 1,00,506, Jalgaon 51,800, total 5,68,189; Jaipur 5,29,877 (62.57%); Hyderabad (gross) 1,87,895.

Gadar Ek Prem Katha 16th week Bombay 2,19,625 (32%), total for 16 weeks 5,96,87,826; Pune 83,031, Solapur 26,200; Delhi (TF) 16,24,817 from 8 cinemas (1 on F.H.); Kanpur 1,24,469 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 2,10,125, Agra 58,000, Varanasi 54,686, Allahabad 12,352, Bareilly 28,000; Nagpur 47,310, Jabalpur (6 days) 63,230; Indore 52,053, Bhopal 63,000; Hyderabad (gross, noon) 32,008.

PAHLAJ NIHALANI RE-ELECTED AMPTPP PRESIDENT

Pahlaj Nihalani was re-elected president of the Association of Motion Pictures & TV Programme Producers at the first meeting of its new governing council, held on 29th September in Bombay. Shyam Benegal, Shabnam Kapoor, Gordhan Tanwani and Mahesh Kothare were elected vice presidents. Kamal Kumar Barjatya and Yash Johar were elected honorary treasurers, while Ratan Jain and Jimmy Nirula were elected honorary general secretaries.

Earlier, at the 10th annual general meeting of the AMPTPP, the following members were also elected to the governing council:- Ramesh Sippy, Ramesh Taurani, Manmohan Shetty, Manish Goswami, Salim Akhtar, Harmesh Malhotra, Subroto Bose, Jhamu Sughand, Babubahi Thiba, Subhash Ghai, Sushil Kumar Agarwal, G.P. Sippy, N. Chandra, Vashu Bhagnani, N.D. Kothari, Markand Adhikari and Zafar Abid.

ENTRY DATE EXTENDED FOR V. SHANTARAM AWARDS

The date for sending entries for the V. Shantaram Awards for the years 1997 to 2000 has been extended to 10th October. Forms for the entries can be collected from Rajkamal Studio, Parel, Bombay or from the offices of the film associations.

SAMRAT KHAN PATHAN DEAD

Samrat Khan Pathan (Khan Sahab), owner of Shalimar Cinema, Shahalam (Ahmedabad), expired on 30th September in Ahmedabad.

AHMEDABAD EXHIBITORS DECRY AMC’S
HIGH-HANDEDNESS

The Ahmedabad Theatre Owners Association has issued a public statement, clarifying its stand in the wake of news reports which state that the city municipal corporation is contemplating taking stern action against nine local cinemas for failure to pay property taxes. According to news reports, the cinemas viz. Shree, Natraj, Shiv, Roopalee, Rupam, Ashok, Advance, Relief and Kamal owe the AMC a total of Rs. 3.28 crore by way of property taxes.

According to a newspaper advertisement, issued on 21st September by the ATOA, collector Z.A. Sancha has assessed the taxes in an arbitrary manner. The Association claims that over the last two years, the municipal commissioner repeatedly declined to allow the cinema owners to plead their case in person. Moreover, the municipal corporation cut off water supply and sewage connections in various cinemas for non-payment of taxes, besides issuing public notices naming the defaulting cinemas. The cinema owners have had to suffer loss of reputation due to the AMC’s pathetic attitude, states the Association.

After much persuasion by the cinema owners, the commissioner finally consented to meet them on 14th September. However, at the outset of the meeting, claims the Association, the commissioner gave a taste of his high-handedness by declaring that he alone had the authority to decide on the matter and that he would not consider the opinions of either Ahmedabad mayor Himmat Sinh or the chairman of the tax committee. According to the cinema owners, the commissioner gave them an ultimatum to pay a reduced amount of Rs. 1.40 crore as tax or face action, at the meeting. The meeting had to be called off abruptly when the official called exhibitor Biharilal Shah a criminal in reaction to the latter’s appeal for an equitable application of the existing tax laws, concludes the Association’s statement.

TAX EXEMPTION FOR ‘VEER SAVARKAR’

Veer Savarkar, produced by Savarkar Darshan Pratishthan, has been exempted from entertainment tax in Maharashtra.

‘JODI NO. 1’ SILVER JUBILEE

Time Films International’s Jodi No. 1 completed a combined silver jubilee run at Naaz (matinee), Bombay this week. Produced by Dhirajlal Shah, it is directed and edited by David Dhawan. It stars Sanjay Dutt, Govinda, Twinkle Khanna, Monica Bedi, Anupam Kher, Ashish Vidyarthi, Mukesh Rishi, Sayaji Shinde and Shakti Kapoor, with Rajat Bedi and Pooja Batra in special appearances. It has story-screenplay by Yunus Sejawal and Imtiaz Patel, and dialogue by Rumi Jafri. Lyrics: Dev Kohli, Sudhakar Sharma and Pratik Joseph. Music: Anand Raaj Anand.

‘ALBELA’ SILVER JUBILEE

Tips Films’ Albela entered 25th combined week of its run at Edward, Bombay on 5th October. Directed by Deepak Sareen for producers Kumar Taurani and Ramesh Taurani, the film has story-screenplay by Honey Irani, and dialogues by Javed Siddiqi. It stars Jackie Shroff, Govinda, Aishwarya Rai, Namrata Shirodkar and Saeed Jaffrey. It has music by Jatin Lalit and lyrics by Sameer.

AMPTPP UP IN ARMS AGAINST NEW TAX
RESOLVES NOT TO PAY ST ON COPYRIGHT

In an important development, the AMPTPP has passed a resolution whereby none of its producer-members will pay a single paisa by way of sales tax on copyright, to the Maharashtra government. It may be recalled that the Maharashtra government’s recent decision to levy sales tax on all transactions of transfer of copyright has come under heavy fire from the film industry. The AMPTPP’s resolution was passed during its 10th annual general meeting, held in Bombay on 29th September. It was also decided that in the event of the Maharashtra government pursuing with the imposition of the new tax, the AMPTPP will urge its members to shift the entertainment industry to another state.

Among the other resolutions passed at the meeting were:

(i) To persuade Maharashtra government to reduce entertainment tax to 15%;

(ii) to not deliver any film to members of the Orissa syndicate because the syndicate insists, its members will buy films on outright basis only;

(iii) to act on a priority basis on complaints of non-payment by TV channels to producers;

(iv) to take up registration of concepts, stories and scripts etc. in favour of its members;

(v) to ratify the arrangement with the Indian Music Industry in order to stop illegal telecast of films and TV serials, and song clippings on satellite channels;

(vi) to not align with any other body in its day-to-day functioning; and

(vii) to implement the member-to-member arrangement with the Federation of Western India Cine Employees.

AMPTPP PERSUADES FILM CITY TO LOWER CHARGES

The Film City authorities have bowed down to the AMPTPP’s demand for lower charges for shooting. Under the revised rates, the producers will be charged a flat sum of Rs. 8,000 per day for shooting at any location at the Film City. Moreover, producers of 16mm Hindi films as well as of regional films will be given a 25% discount on the charges. The new rates will be applicable on 24-hour basis only if the producer makes a specific booking of a location. In case the producer chooses to use only the available location (without booking any specific location), he will be given 25% discount on the charges.

DO YOU KNOW?

* THE CBFC seems to be having a problem with Tarzan films. The third revised version of LADY TARZAN has been refused certificate. Another film, JUNGLEE TARZAN, has been refused certificate by the revising committee. But ‘Night’ films have had a clear passage in recent times. HER NIGHTS and DARK NIGHT (revised version) were both passed for adults this week. 

* Rakesh Roshan’s KOI MIL GAYA will be launched with a song recording this month. 

3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment

Entertainment Tax In Maharashtra

The total annual entertainment tax collected by the Maharashtra government has more than doubled in the past seven years. While the total recovery was Rs. 80.21 crore in 1994-95, the figure rose to Rs. 179.02 crore in 2000-2001. A total of Rs. 860.97 crore has been collected by the revenue department as entertainment tax in the 1994-2001 period, against a total budget estimate of Rs. 890.50 crore. In the current financial year, the recovery of entertainment tax stands at Rs. 77.18 crore in the April-August period, as against the annual budget estimate of Rs. 206.08 crore.

The year-wise break-up of entertainment tax collection:- 1994-95 – Rs. 80.21 crore; 1995-96 – Rs. 88.73 crore; 1996-97 – Rs. 100.02 crore; 1997-98 – Rs. 123.76; 1998-99 – Rs. 134.46 crore; 1999-2000 – Rs. 154.77 crore; 2000-2001 – Rs. 179.02 crore.

Entertainment Tax From Cable TV Operators

The Maharashtra government may not be very adept at keeping cable piracy in check, but it sure knows how to recover entertainment duty from the cable operators. The state government’s recovery of entertainment duty from cable television operators has more than trebled in the past three years! In rupee terms, the government has collected a whopping Rs. 36.11 crore from cable operators catering to over 17 lakh connections in the year 2000-2001. The figure stood at Rs. 12.82 crore (10.5 lakh connections) in the previous year. In 1998-99, the tax collection was Rs. 11.02 crore (9.57 lakh cable connections).

Producers, Distributors, Beware!

Producers are treading a dangerous path by announcing so many releases this Diwali. They must understand that this Diwali will not be like the Diwali of earlier years because the advantage, to the box-office, of the festival of lights will, to an extent, be offset by Ramzam. Still, there are at least half a dozen films lined up for release on 16th November: Boney’s Koi Mere Dil Se Pooche, Vashu’s Deewanapan, Babloo Pachisia’s Tera Mera Saath Rahen, Tutu’s Khullam Khulla Pyar Karenge, Kamal Haasan’s Abhay, and Sudhir Phadke’s Veer Savarkar. Phew!

Musical Notes

The highest-selling music album of this year is Lagaan. Next on the list is Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai. Audio sales of Gadar picked up phenomenally after the film became a blockbuster. Otherwise, the pre-release sale of Gadar music was quite dull. Music of Lagaan also picked up after the film’s release. Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai started on a slow note but once the Rabba mere Rabba song was aired on trailers in satellite channels, the album sold like hot cakes. Another album which did brisk business in 2001, although it was released in 2000, was Mohabbatein. Despite the hit Bumbro song, Tips lost a lot of money in the music of Mission Kashmir. It also lost heavily in the music of Yaadein….

Yeh Topical Hai

Anand Raaj Anand’s music in Yeh Mohabbat Hai is quite melodious. Although the film, directed by Umesh Mehra, stars newcomer Akanksha and Rahul Bhat, corners have not been cut in the song picturisations. The film, according to Prem Kishen and Umesh Mehra (two of the three producers, the third being Sunil Mehta), is topical because it is a love story against the backdrop of terrorism.

SHOOTING COVERAGE

ESCAPE TO FREEDOM

The scorching heat (38 degrees Celsius) and the miles and miles of sand land at Jaisalmer in the desert state of Rajasthan couldn’t have got worse. The reflectors only add to the misery of the unit engaged in the picturisation of an action scene, no less! Imagine Shah Rukh Khan having to fight goons with lathis, roll in the burning sand, ‘bleed’ because of being shot at…. And Karisma Kapoor having to run in the desert terrain, with her 3-year-old child in her arms, bleeding in the face, looking tired and scared and with only Shah Rukh and hope on her side. She has to escape from her villainous father-in-law (played by Nana Patekar) from a village (which Jaisalmer is supposed to be) even as another gang of villains is trying to kill her and her little son because the tiny tot’s grandfather had killed their leader’s son. The gang leader’s son had been done away with by Nana because his own son (Karisma Kapoor’s husband, played by Sanjay Kapoor) had been gunned down by the gang leader. Family feud, you see. Phew! Is that too much of maara-maari? That’s exactly why Karisma wants to flee the village. She doesn’t want her son to grow up to become a gang leader like her pa-in-law who only understands the language of guns and goons. And so, the lady is trying to board a train to wherever it can take her, in her escape from the wily villains, the sound of gun-shots and the land where the law of the jungle still prevails.

WELCOME TO THE HEAT & DUST

That’s Boney Kapoor’s untitled production venture being shot in the desert region of Jaisalmer. Despite the heat and dust, Shah Rukh, Karisma and director Vamsi (who had also directed the original Telugu hit, Anthapuram, of which Boney’s film is a remake) are cool as cucumbers and never miss an opportunity to crack jokes on the sets. Like when Boney Kapoor comes on the set in the afternoon, having obviously overslept in the comfort of his airconditioned hotel room, Shah Rukh, who has been shooting since 8 a.m., says with a straight face, “Welcome, Boney-ji, you look very tired. You’ve been working very hard, I think.” Or, when it is time for Boney to depart for Bombay, leaving the unit, including Khan, Kapoor and the others to the care of his executive producer, Trilok Malhotra, Shah Rukh jokes, “Boney-ji, you’ve pampered me so much that I’m a spoilt actor now. I’ve always come to the location with you and returned to Bombay with you. How can you leave without me? My wife just telephoned to say, ‘Jaisalmer is a border area and with the fear of a war breaking out, go where Boney goes. If he leaves for Bombay, it means, it is not safe to stay back in Jaisalmer. So you too leave with Boney.’ I’m coming with you, Boney-ji.”

Karisma Kapoor, like Shah Rukh, is in a fantastic mood. She welcomes a newcomer, like yours truly, on the sets with a warm smile (nothing to do with the temperature) and the words, “Welcome to the heat and dust.”

OH! FOUR!!

Jokes apart, Boney has to leave for Bombay as the shooting of his other film, Khushi, starring Fardeen Khan and Kareena Kapoor, is in progress there. There’s also the post-production work of Koi Mere Dil Se Pooche that is on in full swing, not to talk of the shooting of Boney’s fourth venture, Company, which he is making jointly with Ram Gopal Varma. Gosh! Four at a time, that’s Boney for you, or B4U!

DREAM BOY SHAH RUKH

Coming back to the untitled film. Besides cracking of jokes, there’s plenty of work also being done, what with shooting beginning at the crack of dawn or almost so, every day and going on up to 10 and 11 p.m. sometimes. So fast is work progressing that after this film, Boney may well join the list of producers who complete their films fast. For, this film was started in February 2001 at Khejarla, near Jodhpur, and, after eight months, all that remains to complete the shooting is, as Boney informs, “one song on Shah Rukh Khan, and a couple of scenes.” Incidentally, Shah Rukh makes a special appearance in the film. His entry is at a very crucial stage in the film. He plays a Bihari who is always in an inebriated state and who lives with the dream of going to Dubai. When he is not day-dreaming about Dubai, he dreams of spending quality time with beauty queen Aishwarya Rai. Shah Rukh’s dialogues, spoken in Bihari accent, are fun to hear. Trust the guy to add his two bits in the dialogues. Like, for instance, when Karisma’s train chugs out of the railway station, Shah Rukh mutters, “Aaj train time par ja rahi hai, phaar (for) a change!” Or when he bids adieu to the train, he says, “O.K., tata, bye-bye,” and adds impromptu, “Horn pleaje (please),” to sound like the message written on the back of trucks on the roads.

Talking about his character, Shah Rukh explains, “I play a person without any emotions whatsoever. I help Karisma escape only because she gives me dollars which will help me realise my dream of going to Dubai. It is not as if I feel sorry for her or her three-year-old child. I don’t even look at the child, so heartless am I.”

“SRIDEVI DESERVES THE BEST”

Shah Rukh’s reason for doing the special appearance role in the film is quite noble and thoughtful. Says the top actor, “Kajol was to have earlier played the heroine in the film and it is she who told me to do the film. Karan (Johar) also liked my role and goaded me into doing it. But what actually prompted me to accept the offer is that the film is the first production venture of Sridevi whom I admire as an actress. I feel, after having given so much to the industry for so many years, she deserves to have the best in her film. I couldn’t say ‘no’ to her when she approached me.”

BLOOD AND SWEAT

In the original version, Nana Patekar’s role was essayed by Prakash Raj, for which the actor bagged the National Award for the best performance in a supporting role. Director Vamsi wanted Prakash Raj to do a small role in the Hindi remake too and so you have the South film actor, clad in jeans, fighting it out with Shah Rukh. Prakash Raj plays a contract killer in Boney’s film. In one fight sequence, Shah Rukh’s stick hits the award-winning actor under his left eye so hard that he begins to bleed. This blood is for real, the doctor is called and he recommends stitches. Action director Alan Amin intervenes, “Doctor, I shall not allow stitches to be administered. He will be alright after a while. At the most, you may give him an antiseptic injection,” Sure enough, Alan’s recommendation works and the flowing blood from Prakash’s vein reduces to a trickle! The actor comments in a lighter vein, “So, I too have given my blood for this film.” Make that blood and sweat! Alan Amin, who has supervised the action sequences in a number of Hollywood films, besides Hindi films, explains later that he is himself a half-doctor, having done stunts for so many films. Vamsi reveals, “Shah Rukh had a sixth sense that he may inadvertently hurt Prakash Raj. In fact, just minutes before his stick hit Prakash, Shah Rukh had told him to be careful as he was scared, his stick may injure the actor.”

SHAH RUKH’S ‘BONE’Y PROBLEM

Just a day before Prakash Raj was injured, Shah Rukh had hurt two fingers of his left hand when they were caught on the window sill of the train on which they were picturising the action scene, with the window coming crashing down on them. The doctor had to bandage the swollen fingers. The actor was in pain but managed to do his stunts with the injured fingers. Every morning thereafter, his make-up man had to apply make-up on the white bandages also, colouring them to match the actor’s skin tone. The pain persisted all through Shah Rukh’s stay there. “I think, there’s a problem with the bone of the middle finger,” said Shah Rukh. A ‘bone’y problem, this! The actor then revealed how he had hurt every part of his body during shootings. “I never feel pain at the time I get injured,” he explained, adding, “which is why my injuries get aggravated.”

NANA’S HAAN-HAAN

Coming back to the role that fetched Prakash Raj a National Award. Nana Patekar is quite sure, the film can get him also a National Award. In fact, that may have been the reason for Nana’s haan-haan for the role. Not just an award, the talented actor, after his shooting at Khejarla (near Jodhpur), also gave an indication of his confidence in the film itself when he wrote in Boney’s diary, ‘Pannas saptah’, implying thereby that he thought, the film had the merits to enjoy a fifty-week run in cinemas. Nana has some firebrand dialogues in the film, penned by his favourite writer these days, Kamal Pandey. Isn’t Kamal apprehensive of the censors? Pat comes the reply, “Nana’s character is such that he can only speak rough language. He is a man of the soil, uneducated and uncouth.”

THREE GENERATIONS

Sanjay Kapoor plays the educated son of the uneducated Nana and the docile Deepti Naval. Docile she may be in the film but the actress is bold and brash in real life. While at Khejarla in March, she hurt her lower lip in a car accident, and found it difficult to laugh or even smile. Thank God, Shah Rukh wasn’t around when Deepti was shooting.

Three-year-old Jai Gidwani plays Sanjay and Karisma’s son in the film. The cute child bears a striking resemblance to Karisma; he even has green eyes like the actress. “Yeah, he looks so much like me,” agrees Karisma. The child is the unit’s darling, at both, Khejarla and Jaisalmer. In the Jaisalmer stint, Karisma is required to run with the kid in her arms. Says she, “I used to joke with Jai, telling him to go on a diet because it was difficult to run in the sand with him in my arms. Poor child, he used to tell his guardians, ‘Karisma aunty told me not to eat.’ The kid was quite traumatised when Nana used force to stop Karisma from running away. He used to start crying for real at Khejarla. Then, he would go around, telling one and all, “Mujhe chup karao!”

Jai had company in Boney and Sridevi’s daughter, Jahnvi, during the first shooting schedule at Khejarla. Jahnvi’s birthday had been celebrated on the film’s set with the cutting of a huge cake. In all probability, Jahnvi will cut her next birthday cake to coincide with the film’s release next March. Nana is due to start his dubbing shortly. But before the release, the film will have to be titled. Boney, Sridevi and director Vamsi are frantically in search of a suitable title. Vamsi explains, “The title should speak of a woman’s power. The story is about the victory of a woman in her fight to save her child from the evil influence of her father-in-law.” Any suggestions?

SMILES AND TEARS

In the film, if Karisma and the child’s emotions manage to strike a chord in people’s hearts, it will be difficult to stop them from crying in the cinema halls. But the film is not just a weepy story. To try and make it a wholesome entertainer, the makers have added a comedy track with Jaspal Bhatti and Tiku Talsania. Well, they may also have to add one scene with Shah Rukh Khan. The suggestion has come from Khan himself. Revealed Boney in Bombay, “Shah Rukh feels, we must shoot one more scene with him. Although he is playing a special appearance, look at his involvement. Otherwise, why would he have suggested anything to us? I am very impressed with his sincerity.”

LIVING THE MOMENT

Shah Rukh himself says about his acting, “I try to live that moment while I am acting. I don’t like to rehearse too much. I am appalled when I see some actors give so much importance to how they look or how their hair are even in an emotional scene in which the audience won’t be bothered about anything but the performance. Such actors lose out on the scene because of their priorities lying elsewhere.”

GOODBYE TO THE HEAT & DUST

After the shooting on 27th October, Shah Rukh’s priority is to be driven from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur in time to board the flight to Delhi and from there, to hop on to a connecting flight to Bombay. Even as he is preoccupied with the release plans of his Asoka, he wonders what an appropriate title for Sridevi’s film can be. The thinking mind never rests.

– KOMAL NAHTA

LATEST POSITION

While AJNABEE took a very good start last week, collections dropped at many places as days passed. KYO KII… was poor from day one.

Ajnabee 1st week Bombay 74,60,080 (92.82%) from 14 cinemas (11 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 32,72,415 from 8 cinemas, Rajkot 3,10,652, Jamnagar 1,43,193 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee), Adipur (gross) 2,44,723, Bhuj (gross) 1,87,214; Pune 20,11,148 from 4 cinemas, Solapur 4,08,294 from 3 cinemas (1 in matinee), Satara 2,08,163 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee); Bijapur 1,40,700; Delhi 91,38,743 (71%) from 14 cinemas (2 on F.H.); Kanpur 5,35,811 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 6,02,096, Agra 6,00,000, Varanasi 2,86,141, Allahabad 2,92,690, Bareilly (6 days) 2,05,864; Calcutta 29,42,570 from 19 cinemas (14 on F.H.); Nagpur 8,41,214 from 4 cinemas, Jabalpur 2,40,000, Amravati 2,54,623, Akola 2,15,370, Raipur (6 days) 1,97,128, Jalgaon 2,62,761; Indore 2,13,000 (3 on F.H.); Jaipur 8,16,343 (64.37%) from 2 cinemas, Ajmer (29 shows, gross) 3,69,749, Bikaner 3,67,238, Kota 2,40,000; Hyderabad (gross) 43,60,306 from 15 cinemas. Total 3,73,68,229 from 107 cinemas.

Kyo Kii… Main Jhuth Nahin Bolta is a disaster. 1st week Bombay 39,97,407 (59.29%) from 11 cinemas (7 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 2,25,310 (4 unrecd.); Pune 8,51,262 from 5 cinemas (1 in matinee), Solapur (matinee) 59,220; Belgaum 87,918, Bijapur 82,180; Delhi 36,68,712 (45.70%) from 11 cinemas (3 on F.H.); Kanpur 3,48,836 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 3,98,158, Agra 3,25,000, Varanasi 1,34,079, Allahabad 1,50,000, Bareilly (6 days) 89,811, Jaunpur 50,000; Calcutta 7,07,958 from 5 cinemas; Nagpur 4,87,827 from 4 cinemas, Amravati 1,43,155, Akola 1,56,383, Raipur (6 days) 65,699, Jalgaon 1,16,257, Chandrapur 1,04,181 (32.35%); Indore 95,000 (3 on F.H.); Jaipur 3,52,019 (31.33%) from 2 cinemas, Ajmer (29 shows) 60,802, Bikaner 1,40,367; Hyderabad (gross) 17,50,789 from 9 cinemas. Total 1,46,48,330 from 66 cinemas.

…………

Nayak 3rd week Bombay 11,09,359 (49.12%) from 5 cinemas (8 on F.H.), total for 3 weeks 96,71,425; Ahmedabad 2,52,607 from 2 cinemas (3 unrecd.), Rajkot 10,800, Jamnagar 37,971 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee); Pune 4,10,222 from 4 cinemas (1 in matinee), Solapur 1,41,329, Satara 61,390 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee); Delhi 3,03,193 from 4 cinemas (2 on F.H.); Lucknow 1,95,430, Agra 2,53,000, Varanasi 78,645, Allahabad 82,178, Jaunpur 28,283, total 1,56,138; Calcutta 1,33,073; Nagpur 1,40,301 from 2 cinemas, Jabalpur (6 days) 65,780, Amravati 1,37,098, Akola 77,810, total 4,67,831, Dhule 67,135, total 3,27,360, Raipur (6 days) 72,815, Jalgaon 96,938 (2nd 1,62,913), Chandrapur 1,16,184, total 5,85,085; Jaipur 1,96,090 (24.74%), Bikaner 21,655; Hyderabad (gross) 2,41,838 (1 on F.H.); 1st week Mangalore 1,76,987.

Lajja 4th week Bombay 4,74,383 (40.74%; 4 cinemas unrecd., 8 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 3,83,311 from 6 cinemas (3 unrecd.); Pune 2,74,582 from 4 cinemas (1 in matinee), Solapur 37,443, Satara 39,964; Delhi 2,47,318 (2 on F.H.); Kanpur 1,18,998 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 2,62,210, Agra 72,300, Varanasi 85,992, Allahabad 90,500, Bareilly (6 days) 26,249; Calcutta 1,22,755; Nagpur 1,46,934 from 2 cinemas, Jabalpur (6 days) 88,308, Amravati 1,04,354, Akola 64,092, total 5,70,240, Raipur (6 days) 1,11,231, Jalgaon 52,749; Jaipur 6,13,393 (72.43%), Ajmer 31,561; Hyderabad (gross) 1,81,461.

Dil Chahta Hai 7th week Bombay 15,58,867 (45.14%) from 9 cinemas (2 on F.H.), total for 7 weeks 3,36,71,349; Ahmedabad (7 shows) 32,518 (1 unrecd.); Pune 5,74,675 from 3 cinemas, Solapur 16,250; Delhi 3,38,237 from 2 cinemas; Lucknow 1,79,311, Allahabad 27,000; Calcutta 1,11,481; Bhopal 30,797, total 7,99,286; Jaipur 46,605 (8.41%); Hyderabad (gross) 1,45,753 from 2 cinemas (1 in noon, 1 on F.H.).

Gadar Ek Prem Katha 15th week Bombay 4,33,017 from 3 cinemas (5 on F.H.), total for 15 weeks 5,94,68,201; Pune 88,856, Solapur 40,884 from 2 cinemas (1 in mg. shows); Delhi (TF) 14,70,258 from 8 cinemas (1 on F.H.); Kanpur 79,355 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 84,314, Agra 74,000, Varanasi 53,399, Allahabad 27,800, Bareilly (6 days) 38,000; Nagpur 52,643, Jabalpur (6 days) 47,568, 2nd week Karanja 77,657, total 1,75,125, 15th week Amravati 33,732, Akola 57,101, total 20,62,782, share 15,36,623, Raipur (6 days) 24,835, Jalgaon 56,988, total 24,32,839; Indore 57,100, Bhopal 51,967, total 28,84,726; Jaipur 56,660 (14.50%).

I & B MINISTER SETS UP GROUP TO REPORT ON CABLE PIRACY

Union I & B minister Sushma Swaraj had a long meeting on 28th September in Bombay at The Club with representatives of the film industry, cable operators and broadcasters. The issue of discussion was the problem of cable piracy.

A sub-group was formed in the meeting to report its findings on the menace and arrive at solutions. The sub-group consists of Yash Chopra, Yash Johar and Amit Khanna from the film industry; and Roop Sharma, A.K. Rastogi and Hingorani from the cable industry. Anjali Duggal, joint secretary, I & B ministry, is also a member of the sub-group which will submit its report soon.

PADMINI KOLHAPURE’S COMEBACK FILM

Deoyani Movies Pvt. Ltd.’s Chimni Pakhru (Marathi; tax-free), which was released at several stations of Maharashtra this week, marks the return of Padmini Kolhapure to the big screen. She is paired opposite Sachin Khedekar in the film, directed by Mahesh Kothare.

SMITA THACKERAY IS IMPPA CHIEF

Smita Thackeray was unanimously elected president of the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association (IMPPA) for 2001-02 at the first meeting of the newly constituted executive committee, held on 22nd September at IMPPA House. Sushama Shiromanee and Vinay Kumar Sinha were elected senior vice president and vice president respectively. Satish Khanna was elected hon. treasurer.

Earlier, on 21st September, the following 17 members, besides the four aforementioned, were elected to the executive committee: K.D. Shorey, Pawan Kumar, Jyotin Goel, A. Krishnamurthi, Dimppy Ramdayal, Saawan Kumar Tak, Shiv Kumar, Anil Ganguly, Madan Mohla, Babloo (N.R.) Pachisia, B.S. Shaad, Rono Mukerji, Kulwant Jaani, Thakur Tapassvi, Dara Singh, Anand Girdhar and Johny Bakshi.

VIJAY ANAND APPOINTED CBFC CHAIRMAN

Vijay Anand has been appointed chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification. He took over charge from the outgoing chairperson, Asha Parekh, on 26th September.

DILIP KUMAR RECOVERING

Thespian Dilip Kumar was admitted to Lilavati Hospital at Bandra, Bombay on 26th September after he complained of uneasiness. He was at Lonavala and was rushed to Bombay. He was diagnosed to be suffering from urine infection. His condition is now stable.

CINEMAS OWE AMC RS. 3 CRORES IN TAXES

According to a news report, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) is considering taking strict action against nine city cinemas which owe a total of Rs. 3.28 crore in property taxes. Reportedly, Shree Cinema owes the highest amount (Rs. 76.36 lakh), followed by Natraj (Rs. 56.03 lakh), Shiv (Rs. 52.84 lakh), Roopalee (Rs. 38.86 lakh), Rupam (Rs. 26.97 lakh), Ashok (Rs. 23.35 lakh), Advance (Rs. 23.99 lakh), Relief (Rs. 22.54 lakh) and Kamal (Rs. 8.19 lakh). Apparently, the AMC had this year applied a new formula whereby the total due tax amount had been reduced to Rs. 1.4 crore. However, theatre owners had refused to pay even the reduced amount, says the report.

‘GADAR’ BONUS

In celebration of 100 days’ run of Gadar Ek Prem Katha at Vasant Cinema, Akola, the management gave the employees as well as representative Anil Gawande 15 days’ salary as bonus.

AMIT KHANNA ELECTED GUILD PRESIDENT

Amit Khanna was unanimously elected president of The Film Producers Guild of India Ltd. for the year 2001-02, as its 47th annual general meeting held on 27th September at The Club, Bombay. Yash Chopra and Tilak Raj Magan were elected vice presidents, and Kiran Shantaram and Kamal Kumar Barjatya were re-elected honorary treasurers. Other members elected to the council of management were Surnider Kapoor, J. Om Prakash, Ramesh Sippy, Harmesh Malhotra, Prakash Mehra, Sandeep Singh Bedi, Ravi Chopra, Rajkumar Kohli, Rakesh Roshan, Ram Dayal, A.G. Nadiadwala, Yash Johar, Dr. Ramanand Sagar and Pramod Chakravorty. Kiran Shantaram and Randhir Kapoor are permanent members while G.P. Sippy, Dr. B.R. Chopra and F.C. Mehra were made members emeritus.

At the meeting, a sub-group to interact with the Federation of Western India Cine Employees was set up. It comprises Yash Chopra, A.G. Nadiadwala and Yash Johar. Another sub-group to interact with distributors, comprising Yash Chopra, Kamal Kumar Barjatya and Rakesh Roshan, was also set up.

The Guild appreciated the work being done by the FICCI for the film industry.

FIRE ON ‘DEVDAS’ SET 

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas set was once again in the news this week when a fire broken out on it on the night (9 p.m.) of 24th September and gutted a godown where all the props used in the film shooting were stored. Three fire engines and a jumbo tanker took more than two hours to control the fire, the cause of which is unknown. No one was injured.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S FILM FESTIVAL IN MARCH

The 24th International Women’s Film Festival will be held at Créteil in South-east Paris from 15th March to 24th March, 2002. The festival aims to promote films directed by women on subjects of their choice, and to allow for better understanding of the situation and evolution of women and their cinema in each country represented. The last date for sending the entry forms is 15th December, 2001. Application forms are available at Audiovisual Attaché, French Embassy, 2 Aurangzeb Road, New Delhi-110 011.

AKOLA DEOL FANS CLUB CELEBRATES ‘GADAR’ 100 DAYS

The Akola Deol Fans Club celebrated the completion of 100 days’ run of Gadar Ek Prem Katha in Akola by distributing free food to over 500 poor people.

LANDSLIDE VICTORY FOR SANTOSH SINGH JAIN
Re-Elected CCCA President

Santosh Singh Jain was unanimously re-elected president of the Central Circuit Cine Association (CCCA) for 2001-03 in Jaipur on 25th September at the first meeting of the newly elected executive committee. The panel of Santosh Singh Jain had a landslide victory with all 16 of its candidates being voted to power in the elections held the same day at Ravindra Manch. Vijay Rathi was re-elected vice president. S.K. Surana was elected hon. general secretary while Vinod Malhotra was elected hon. treasurer.

Polling began at 1.45 p.m. A total of 705 votes were cast, of which 46 were invalid. There were, therefore, 659 valid votes.

The victorious were as follows:-

C.P. Berar Distribution: Bharat R. Khajanchi (polled the highest number of votes – 619), Dilip G. Mudliar (575 votes), Ramkisan Kasat (509) and Bhagwandas (Laloo) Kabra (455).

C.P. Berar Exhibition: Vijay Rathi (578 votes), Mahendra Jain (552), Azad Laddha (500) and S.K. Surana (492).

C.I.V.P. Distribution: Santosh Singh Jain (515 votes), Vinod Malhotra (380).

C.I.V.P. Exhibition: Uttam Chand Nahar (408), and O.P. Goyal (389).

Rajasthan Distribution: Mohan Godha (386), and Nandkishore Jalani (382).

Rajasthan Exhibition: Trilok Singh (382 votes), and Kishanchand Jain (376).

The opposition, led by Ramesh Sureka, faced complete defeat with not a single of its candidates making it to the committee. The names of the vanquished are:

C.P. Berar Distribution: Vinod Bhandari (254 votes), and Premchand Sah (224).

C.P. Berar Exhibition: Vishnuprasad Agrawal (262), and Rajnish Purohit (252).

C.I.V.P. Distribution: Hemant Vyas (258 votes), and Mahesh Sharma (165).

C.I.V.P. Exhibition: Ramesh Sureka (344 votes), and Azizuddin Jameeluddin (177).

Rajasthan Distribution: Chandrashekhar Choudhary (271), Satyavan Pareek (204), and Rakesh Sabharwal (129).

Rajasthan Exhibition: Kishinchand Janiani (287), and Sandeep Bhandari (273).

Ramdhan Mamoria from Rajasthan, Pramod Munot (C.P. Berar) and Inder Chand Dhariwal (Chhattisgarh) were co-opted on the new committee.

Earlier, on 24th September, the open session, which followed the 48th annual general meeting of the CCCA, was a fairly heated affair. Opposition members questioned the working of the ruling group of Santosh Singh Jain. They also demanded annual elections as against the biennial elections being held.

Eighty-five members, who’ve completed more than 50 years in the CCCA, were felicitated in the annual meeting.

LUCKY MASCOT!

* Is O.P. Goyal the lucky mascot of the Santosh Singh Jain panel? Seems so! In 1984, Goyal contested the CCCA elections as part of the Jain Panel for the first time. Although the Jain Panel had a tough opposition in the R.R. Khajanchi panel, it won all the 16 seats.

Again this year, O.P. Goyal contested the elections from the Jain Panel. Once again, the panel bagged all the 16 seats. Interesting to note that in 1984 as also in 2001, the elections were held in Jaipur and on a Tuesday!

MADE FOR EACH OTHER

It is not for nothing that the CCCA and its president of 35 times, Santosh Singh Jain, have become synonymous with one another. Members of the biggest association of the film industry swear by Jain Sahab’s name, and the majority of them can’t imagine the CCCA without Santosh Singh Jain at the helm of affairs. Although way over 70 years of age, Jain is so active that he could give a 16-year-old a complex.

Santosh Singh Jain’s memory is razor-sharp and his eagerness to solve problems has won him admirers galore, not just among members of the CCCA but also among the production sector.

YOU ASKED IT

Will Shah Rukh and Kareena starrer Asoka take a good opening?

– Yes, if its music (which is very good) is promoted (by Sony) with a vengeance and if the producers succeed in the next 20 days in wiping out the impression from public minds that the film is just a historical. ASOKA has a love story, emotions and plenty of sex in it.

Is Sony closing down its Overseas distribution operations for Hindi films?

– May be, because Sony has gone back on its commitments for Overseas distribution to Yash Johar (KABHI KHUSHI KABHIE GHAM) and Shah Rukh Khan (ASOKA).

Does the flopping of Kyo Kii… Main Jhuth Nahin Bolta mean, it is the end of the road for the Govinda-David Dhawan team.

– One flop cannot take away from them the great work the two have done together. So, relax!

3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment

‘Asoka’: The Rate

Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla have decided to bring out a book on the making of their second production venture, Asoka. Harper Collins has actually contracted to publish the book which will be brought out in two editions — coffee table and paperback. Shah Rukh, for one, is as excited about the book as he is about his film. For, nobody in India has so far attempted to release a film and a book on it simultaneously. Of course, M.F. Hussain did it in Gaja Gamini but then, the film was so horrific that nobody heard about the book that came with it! Another thing Shah Rukh is really happy about these days is the rave reviews his Asoka got in the international press. “One critic gave the film four out of five stars. Another gave it two thumbs up,” smiled the actor.

Ask him if he is confident about the film’s performance in India and pat comes the reply, “The film is not just a historical. It has a love story, plenty of emotions including those involving a child, a lot of sex, though not vulgar, and action in the last few reels. So it is like a normal commercial film.” A very sensible thing the actor-producer has done is to sell the film to all his distributors at the ratio of Rs. 1 crore. “I paid my stars much less than their market price because I had told them, I’d be selling it cheap. I’m keeping my promise to them.” Actually, there was a time during the film’s making when Shah Rukh thought, he’d earn a table profit of some crores at the time of release. That was when Sony’s Kunal Dasgupta promised to buy its Overseas rights for a good amount. An excited Shah Rukh even told his artistes that since he would be making a profit in the film, he would pay them all more than their contracted prices. But with Sony backing out of the commitment at the eleventh hour, not only have the artistes not got anything more than the contracted monies, Shah Rukh’s production company has also suffered a table loss of a few crores in the film. But Shah Rukh isn’t complaining because he has immense faith in his film.

Juhi Chawla’s New Role

If you thought Juhi Chawla is on her way to retiring from films, stand corrected. Even though the actress does not have too many acting assignments, she has found ways to keep herself creatively involved in films. Currently, Juhi is neck-deep in the post-production work of Asoka, produced by Archlightz, a company owned jointly by Shah Rukh and herself. So what if Juhi doesn’t star in the film, she is going about her job as a co-producer of the Shah Rukh-Kareena starrer with admirable zeal. She was stationed in Madras for most part of this week, alongwith Aziz Mirza, supervising the background music recording of the film. Her unit people, in fact, are quite scared of Juhi’s temper because she is quite a perfectionist as a producer too. Whoever said, beauty and brains don’t come together?

Beginning With A Bang

The audience reaction to the second theatrical trailer of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham is fantastic. This trailer shows excerpts from the title song of the film. Looking at the huge assemblage of stars in the trailer, the public is going ecstatic in cinemas which began screening the trailer this week.

Helpful Rajasthan Govt. 

The Rajasthan government looks very keen on attracting producers and directors to the state for shooting their films. Not only is a Film City coming up in Jodhpur (and not near Jaipur, as originally planned) but visiting units are also accorded all assistance for carrying out their shootings smoothly. Boney Kapoor’s unit has been in Jaisalmer since two months, shooting an untitled film starring Nana Patekar, Karisma Kapoor, Sanjay Kapoor and Shah Rukh Khan in a special appearance. Their experience with the authorities has been great, says Trilok Malhotra, executive producer of the film. The collector of Jaisalmer, Kuldeep Rana, is scheduled to meet with the production people today (29th September) in Jaisalmer to know what more the state government can do so as to make shooting there a pleasurable experience. Tourism, art and culture minister Bina Kak’s secretary will also attend the meeting. Ms. Kak sure meant business when she said, her government was keen to make Rajasthan a hub of film activity. Now, if only films shot majorly in the state could also be granted entertainment tax exemption in Rajasthan, as is done by the Uttar Pradesh government, it would be the perfect icing on the cake.

Incidentally, Babloo Pachisia is planning to shoot his Tera Mera Saath Rahen early next month in Jaisalmer.

AJNABEE

Film Folks’ Ajnabee (A), inspired by the English film Consenting Adults, is the story of two young Indian couples settled abroad. Being neighbours, they become friends and go to Mauritius on a picnic. The wife (Bipasha Basu) of one of the friends (Akshay Kumar) seduces the other guy (Bobby Deol) even as he shuns her. As if that were not enough, the friend (Akshay) puts forth a proposal to the other (Bobby) to swap their wives for one night. This disturbs the other friend so much that he snaps all ties with the couple for their behaviour but doesn’t reveal the reason to his wife (Kareena Kapoor). On their return, the couple apologises and the friendship blossoms once again. One night, the friend again puts forth the same proposal of exchanging wives for that night and twists things in such a way that the other guy, in an inebriated state, ends up sleeping with the former’s wife. In the morning, he is shocked to find himself in bed with the friend’s wife. A greater shock comes when it is revealed the same day that the friend’s wife (who he was supposed to be sleeping with) had been killed the very night they were together. The needle of suspicion for murdering his friend’s wife obviously points to the guy.

While it is clear that the guy has been framed for murder of his friend’s wife, the victim has no proof of his innocence. Even while his trial is on, he runs away from the foreign court to gather evidence to prove his innocence. From then on, it is a game of revelation of the suspense. Ultimately, the murderer is found but that is not the real suspense because all along, it is quite clear that it is the friend himself who has killed his own wife. The suspense is why and, to an extent, how he murdered her.

The suspense thriller has several plus points and several minus points, too. On the plus side is a novel angle (of swapping wives) to a suspense murder drama. But this very point has such shock value that when one considers ladies and family audience in small centres especially, it could be construed as a minus point.

Among the other pluses in the film are the huge canvas, excellent foreign locations, plenty of sex and youthfulness, superb camerawork, entertaining comedy and lovely music.

The main drawback, however, is that the story doesn’t hold the interest of the viewers for long, mainly because of inherent flaws. The second half, in particular, is quite boring. A major negative point is that other than the novel angle (which itself has a plus and a minus side to it), the film is a routine suspense thriller which has been burdened with extravagant spending (cost). There are also several flaws in the screenplay (Robin Bhatt, Neeraj Vora, Sanjeev Duggal and Shyam Goel). While several of these flaws reveal lack of effort on the part of writers and a recourse to writing according to convenience, some also give a feeling that the story (Neeraj Vora) has purposely been made confusing so that the suspense solving becomes more intriguing. An example of the latter: Akshay Kumar gets married to one girl (Mink) but gives the impression that another girl (Bipasha Basu) is his wife. Ultimately, while Mink is murdered, the world believes Bipasha to be dead. Considering that the entire murder is master-minded and planned meticulously by Akshay’s genius brains, wouldn’t it have been far, far more sensible to have not brought Bipasha in the open at all till Mink was murdered? But what Akshay does is, flaunt Bipasha while keeping Mink away from the world. Why? This point jars because the suspense begins to unfold only because of the knowledge about two girls in Akshay’s life. So one gets the impression that Bipasha Basu’s presence in the whole drama is only to make matters more complicated and to ultimately arrive at a starting point for the resolution of the mystery.

Bobby Deol’s statement in the court (before he flees) that he did go to his friend’s wife in an inebriated state, although not to sleep with her but to inform her of her husband’s indecent proposal (of swapping wives) seems ridiculous for two reasons: (i) By going to his friend’s wife, he allowed his friend, in turn, to go to his own wife. Wasn’t he concerned about his own wife’s safety? (ii) Why did he need to complain to the friend’s wife when she herself was hand-in-glove with her husband, a fact known to Bobby Deol? This appears like a clear case of convenient writing since the drama of framing Bobby begins only because he had rushed to his friend’s wife. The reason for his rushing to her should have been more solid or, in the alternative, he shouldn’t have gone to her. He could have only been shown to have slipped into sleep (due to sleeping pills mixed in his alcohol) and transported to the bed of the friend’s wife.

Therefore, the murder drama begins only because of a weak link in the story. The suspense also begins to unfold only because of another weak link in the story.

Bobby Deol’s imagination of an entire song sequence showing the bedroom romance between Kareena and Akshay has been handled a bit too casually. Intercuts of Bobby in the song make it look unintentionally funny. A better option would’ve been to show the entire song (which, otherwise, has tremendous sex appeal) in a flow and the revelation that it was in Bobby’s imagination, only at the end of the song.

The climax involving use of computer, password, English language etc. is too classy to evince the thrill that should have come with it. Dialogues are very good at places. However, lack of fiery dialogues between the two heroes in the second half dilutes the impact and the thrill of the drama to an extent.

Akshay Kumar looks very handsome and does a fine job. Bobby Deol also looks pleasing and acts naturally. Kareena Kapoor has performed ably. She also exposes uninhibitedly. Bipasha Basu makes an impressive debut and exudes abundant sex appeal. She doesn’t get much scope for acting and does well in what is required of her. Johny Lever is excellent in a comic role. He is ably supported by Narendra Bedi, Amita Nangia and Sheela Sharma. Dalip Tahhil, Sharat Saxena, Mink and the others lend the desired support.

Abbas-Mustan’s direction is good and very stylish. The film has a lot of gloss and a very snazzy look. Of course, the flaws in the script and some lesser-handled scenes do irritate. Music (Anu Malik) is hit. Almost all the songs have excellent tunes. The pick of the lot are ‘Mehbooba mehbooba’, ‘Meri zindagi mein ajnabee ka intezaar tha’, ‘Mohabbat naam hai kiska’ and ‘Kasam se teri aankhen’. Song picturisations are superb. Camerawork (Rajan Kinagi) is par excellence. Action (Kaushal-Moses) is thrilling. Editing is sharp. Background score is effective. Technically, brilliant. Production values are grand.

On the whole, high-priced Ajnabee relies more on style than substance and will, therefore, do well in cities mainly. For its distributors of Bombay and South, it will prove a rewarding experience. For the rest, it will be an average fare, at best. A long run for the heavy-on-initial film is a far cry.

Released on 21-9-2001 at Liberty and 24 other cinemas of Bombay thru Devgan Entertainment & Software Ltd. Publicity & opening: excellent. …….Also released all over. Opening was very good everywhere.

KYO KII… MAIN JHUTH NAHIN BOLTA

Shri Siddhivinayak Films’ Kyo Kii… Main Jhuth Nahin Bolta (UA) is a comedy inspired by the English film Liar Liar. A young lawyer is in the habit of speaking lies. He uses the easy way out to become a rich man by marrying a famous and top lawyer’s daughter. For wooing the girl, he resorts to lies and only lies, but all long gives the family the impression that he is a very self-respecting man. His dream of becoming rich is smashed to the ground when his wife, in a bid to respect his ideals in life, refuses to take anything from her father as dowry. Frustrated, the young lawyer accepts a challenge to save the brother of an underworld don, involved in a murder case, from the clutches of law. He succeeds (by talking lies in the court) and the don gives him all the luxuries of life. In the meantime, he also gets physically attracted towards the don’s moll.

One fine day, his little son prays to God to free his father from his habit of speaking lies. The boy’s wish is granted and the lawyer finds himself talking the truth and only the truth, whether in or outside the court. This lands him in trouble in a case in which he is representing a widow against the don. For, he had (before he began talking the truth) promised the don (for a fee) to actually plead the case of the don even while representing the widow. Now choosing to speak the truth, he ends up pleading the widow’s case! Having become honest, he exposes the don and ultimately helps the widow win the case. He also gets rid of his girlfriend because of his honesty. His wife, who was on the verge of giving him a divorce, comes back to him following his change of heart.

The film suffers on account of a weak and faulty screenplay (Younus Sejawal and Imtiaz Patel). Even the characterisation of the hero is not uniform. He is shown as a funster and crook of the highest order, but suddenly becomes serious at the interval point. In all his seriousness, he even vows to become a big man soon, presumably, without taking recourse to unfair means. Post-interval, the same funster and crook hooks a girl and has an extra-marital affair with her. Since that was never his character, the entire track of the other woman sticks out like a sore thumb in the drama.

Again, the young lawyer is shown to be so brainy that he could have made it big by his sheer genius. He comes up with a solution in a murder case when even his would-be-father-in-law can’t think of one despite being a top lawyer. He wins the case of the don’s brother also so easily that the viewer gets the impression that either he is super-intelligent or the law is an ass. If the guy is very intelligent, the whole drama looks false; if law is an ass, the drama again falls flat albeit for a different reason — for, in such a scenario, the young lawyer does not need to hoodwink people.

The top lawyer’s (father-in-law’s) character is also weird. He behaves more like a buffoon than a respectable lawyer he is shown to be.

Too much emphasis on courtroom dramas makes the film dull and very technical, even confusing at times.

While the portion when the young lawyer starts speaking the truth is quite funny, even hilarious at times, the same cannot be said of the entire film. Although designed as a laugh-riot, many jokes in the film fall flat and some of them evoke half-smiles rather than loud laughter. Yes, there are some hilarious scenes too but the thread of hilarity breaks ever so often that the comedy begins to jar. Dialogues are very witty but only at places.

Climax is not at all satisfying. The silliest part is when the hero runs to the court with a video cassette and asks the judge to watch its contents and rely on them even though he himself doesn’t have the faintest idea about what is there in the video cassette. It is scenes like these which make the viewer feel that the writers and director are under-estimating his intelligence — something which no viewer likes!

Govinda does an excellent job and, despite a faulty characterisation, manages to shine in almost every scene. The guy is truly a genius but even a genius needs a cohesive drama to make a film work. Sushmita Sen acts ably but she is no match for Govinda in comedy as also energy. Rambha is so-so. Anupam Kher does not behave like a top lawyer. Satish Kaushik, as Govinda’s friend, is first rate. Satish, like Govinda, has a super-fantastic sense of timing and is just too lovable. Sharad Kapoor is fair. Kiran Kumar, Mohnish Bahl and Ashish Vidyarthi lend average support. Razak Khan and Nilofer add their bits of comedy. Shahbaaz Khan, Ananth Mahadevan, Jaya Bhattacharya, master Jibraan Khan, Ram Mohan, Ajit Vachhani, Ghanshyam, Guddi Maruti, Brij Gopal, Amit Behl, Vikas Anand, Mahavir Shah and the rest pass muster.

David Dhawan has tried to pack the film with comic punches but the imperfect script plays the villain. The lack of effort on David’s part also shows in some scenes as the director may have realised his helplessness due to poorly conceived scenes. Anand Raaj Anand’s music is good. ‘Ek ladki chahiye’, ‘Main kee karaan’ and ‘Sajan re jhooth mat bolo’ are very well-tuned numbers. Song picturisations do not have much variety. Camerawork (K.S. Prakash Rao) is very good. Action scenes are functional. Production values are of a high order.

On the whole, Kyo Kii… Main Jhuth Nahin Bolta is a comedy that will make its distributors cry. A heavy loser.

Released on 21-9-2001 at Minerva and 17 other cinemas of Bombay thru Raksha Distributors. Publicity: fair. Opening: below the mark. …….Also released all over. Opening was poor everywhere.

LATEST POSITION

The lovely opening of AJNABEE gladdened the heart but the dull initial of KYO KII… saddened the trade.

Ittefaq bombs miserably. 1st week Bombay 27,49,834 (40.61%) from 13 cinemas (6 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 4,36,416 from 6 cinemas (3 unrecd.); Pune 4,72,386 from 4 cinemas, Solapur 1,22,860 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee), Satara 82,723 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee); Delhi 9,32,571 (25.49%) from 6 cinemas (2 on F.H.); Kanpur 1,17,962, Lucknow 1,55,246, Agra 1,50,000, Varanasi 1,25,828, Allahabad 70,665, Jaunpur 50,000; Calcutta 3,99,798 from 6 cinemas; Nagpur 75,367 (3 cinemas unrecd.), Jabalpur (5 days) 58,680, Amravati 89,401, Raipur (6 days) 46,402, Jalgaon 77,611, Wardha 44,000; Jaipur 3,16,292 (23.38%) from 3 cinemas, Ajmer (29 shows) 40,629; Hyderabad (gross) 7,64,581 from 5 cinemas (6 on F.H.).

…………

Nayak drops badly. Will entail losses of about 50 to 75 lakh per major territory. Is not as bad in Bombay. 2nd week Bombay 35,54,933 (58.77%) from 12 cinemas (5 on F.H.), total for 2 weeks 85,62,066; Ahmedabad 5,92,307 from 3 cinemas (4 unrecd.), Rajkot 1,96,000, Jamnagar 80,591 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee); Pune 9,97,252 from 5 cinemas (1 in matinee), Solapur 2,89,895 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee), Satara 1,02,637 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee); Bijapur 90,800; Delhi 20,03,496 from 9 cinemas (2 on F.H.); Kanpur 3,00,255 from 2 cinemas, Agra 3,26,000, Varanasi 1,65,744, Allahabad 1,63,430, Jaunpur 40,075, total 1,27,856; Calcutta 3,03,570; Nagpur 2,77,844 from 2 cinemas, Jabalpur (6 days) 85,049, Amravati 2,24,727, Raipur (6 days) 1,42,083, Jalgaon 1,62,913 (1st 2,32,151), Wardha (5 days) 55,143, Chandrapur 2,06,179, total 4,68,900, Yavatmal (5 days) 49,375; Jaipur (6 days) 3,37,664 (49.71%), Ajmer (gross) 1,06,661, Bikaner (5 days) 1,23,168; Hyderabad (gross) 3,54,830 (1 unrecd.).

Lajja also drops further. Is quite good in C.P. and Eastern U.P. 3rd week Bombay 13,45,379 (49.87%) from 5 cinemas (4 unrecd., 10 on F.H.), total for 3 weeks 1,24,99,636; Ahmedabad 2,88,212 from 3 cinemas, Rajkot 1,07,150, Jamnagar 34,445 (1 in matinee unred.); Pune 5,39,353 from 3 cinemas (1 in matinee), Solapur 85,720 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee), Satara 85,202; Bijapur 26,531; Delhi 19,36,602 from 9 cinemas (2 on F.H.); Kanpur 2,40,509 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 4,04,423, Agra 1,25,000, Varanasi 1,34,785, Allahabad 1,82,470, Bareilly (6 days) 61,060; Calcutta 5,35,079 from 4 cinemas; Nagpur 2,57,000 from 2 cinemas, Jabalpur (6 days) 1,15,119, Amravati 1,66,524, Raipur (6 days) 1,82,892, Durg 58,298, Jalgaon 92,075, Wardha 45,344, Rajnandgaon (6 days) 40,000, Yavatmal 47,481, total 2,62,792; Jaipur 6,48,915 (76.63%), Ajmer 50,286, Bikaner 71,299; Hyderabad (gross) 5,81,963 from 2 cinemas.

Dil Chahta Hai dropped in Bombay too. 6th week Bombay 29,71,796 (49.62%) from 13 cinemas (3 on F.H.), total for 6 weeks 3,21,12,482; Ahmedabad 1,36,495 (1 unrecd.); Pune 11,33,448 from 5 cinemas, Solapur 57,700; Delhi 20,95,794 from 7 cinemas; Lucknow 2,26,491, Varanasi 38,722, Allahabad 1,70,005, Bareilly 21,000; Calcutta 4,00,482 from 2 cinemas; Amravati 52,391; Bhopal 53,201; Jaipur (6 days) 56,196 (10.85%); Hyderabad (gross) 5,09,515 from 3 cinemas (1 in noon).

Gadar Ek Prem Katha 14th week Bombay 6,04,332 (37.06%) from 4 cinemas (5 on F.H.), total for 14 weeks 5,09,35,184; Ahmedabad 58,149 from 2 cinemas, Rajkot (matinee) 12,800; Pune 1,22,063, Solapur 24,581; Delhi (TF) 23,06,068 from 9 cinemas (1 on F.H.); Kanpur 1,19,135 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 1,60,972, Agra 1,05,000, Varanasi 67,871, Allahabad 38,000, Bareilly 49,732; 2nd week Puri 100%; 14th week Jabalpur (6 days) 50,369, Amravarti 42,990, Raipur (6 days) 29,887, Jalgaon 60,330, total 23,75,870; Indore 71,379, Bhopal 85,193; Jaipur 1,35,657 (23.18%), Ajmer (gross) 1,01,768; Hyderabad (gross) 1,87,161.

RAJARAM CHAVAN DEAD

Rajaram B. Chavan, proprietor of Sheetal Cinema at Kurla, Bombay, passed away in a city hospital on 19th September. He was 73 and had been ill for a short time. The cinema remained closed on 19th and 20th.

Rajaram Baburao Chavan’s other business interests included Bombay Motor Training School & Automobile Mechanical Institute.

TAX-FREE SERVICE CHARGE DOUBLED IN CHHATTISGARH

The tax-free service charge per ticket sold by cinemas in Chhattisgarh state has been doubled with effect from 21st September. The Chhattisgarh Cine Association, Raipur, led by its president, Inderchand Dhariwal, had been pressing the government of the newly-formed state to increase the service charge from the present Re. 1.

The government finally heeded the trade’s request and hiked the charge to Rs. 2 per ticket.

ADNAN SAMI WEDS

Singer and music director Adnan Sami got married to Sabah on 15th September in Dubai. The couple is currently on honeymoon.

‘LAGAAN’ UNAUTHORISED PRINT SEIZED

Acting on a written complaint by Radhika Films, Amravati, the SDOP (Harda) on 10th September raided Priti Talkies, Khirkiya (C.P. Berar) and recovered an unauthorised print of Lagaan being screened there. Upon investigation, it was discovered that the cinema management had procured the print from Indore. The cinema has been sealed indefinitely and a case has been registered against the management in Harda police station. The proprietor and the staff of the cinema have been absconding.

It may be mentioned here that Priti Talkies, not being a member of the CCCA, has reportedly been screening illegal prints of new releases on a regular basis. Not only that, the cinema hall also advertises the film being screened there in local newspapers!

The menace of no. 2 prints has been assuming killing proportions, eating into business of legitimate distributors.

ACTOR YOGRAJ SINGH IN JUDICIAL CUSTODY

Punjabi film actor Yograj Singh, facing criminal charges in model Jessica Lal’s murder case, was on 19th September remanded to judicial custody for five days by a Delhi court for his repeated failure to appear before it. The court rejected Singh’s appeal for cancellation of warrant and remanded him to judicial custody till 24th September.

AIFEC PROTESTS LIMITED QUOTA AT IFFI

The All India Film Employees’ Confederation has, in a strongly-worded statement, decried the allotment of only 200 technician-delegate cards for this year’s International Film Festival of India. The AIFEC, which has been clamouring for an independent quota for some time now, had been assured this year by I & B minister Sushma Swaraj that its demand would be granted at the ensuing festival. Till now, it is the FFI which gives 200 passes to the AIFEC for its members from out of the 1,200 received by it.

The AIFEC has returned the packet containing forms for the IFFI to the FFI and informed the Directorate of Film Festivals of the same.

‘LAGAAN’ RELEASED WITH POMP AND SHOW

Lagaan opened this week at Sangeet Cinema, Bhopal after being screened at other city cinemas. The cinema management held a puja to mark the release. Grand publicity has been done at the cinema. The film’s banner in the cinema premises was garlanded on the opening day.

‘GADAR’ 100 DAYS

Zee Telefilms’ Gadar Ek Prem Katha entered the 100th day of its run today (22nd September) at scores of cinemas all over. Produced by Nitin Keni for Zee and directed by Anil Sharma, the film stars Sunny Deol, Amisha Patel, Amrish Puri, Lillete Dubey, Vivek Shauq and others. It is written by Shaktimaan and has Anand Bakshi’s lyrics, set to tune by Uttam Singh.

‘LAGAAN’ STRIKES A TON

Aamir Khan Productions’ Lagaan entered the 100th day of its run today (22nd September) in Bombay and some other stations. Directed by Ashutosh Gowariker for producer Aamir Khan, the film stars Aamir Khan, Gracy Singh, Rachel Shelley, Paul Blackthorne, Suhasini Mulay, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Raghuvir Yadav, Rajendra Gupta, Rajesh Vivek, A.K. Hangal and others. It has story by Ashutosh Gowariker, screenplay by Ashutosh Gowariker, Kumar Dave and Sanjay Dayma, and dialogues by K.P. Saxena (Awadhi) and Ashutosh Gowariker (English). The lyrics of Javed Akhtar have been set to music by A.R. Rahman.

YOU ASKED IT

Why did Jeetendra’s Kyo Kii… Main Jhuth Nahin Bolta not take even a fairly good opening?

– Its publicity was insipid, its music was not promoted to the desired level (three songs are good) and Govinda has lost his popular appeal quite a lot, after the TV game show, JEETO CHAPPAR PHAAD KE, which he hosts. Further, Govinda appearing in down-market TV commercials has also adversely affected his standing among the gentry audience. 

Were songless films made in the good old days too?

– The first film without songs was J.B.H. Wadia’s NAUJAWAN, released in 1937. There were no songs as the film was meant to be a thriller. A special trailer was made to explain this to the audience.

If a good opening is half the battle won, what is a poor opening?

– 75% of the battle lost! 

LATEST POSITION

The bad phase in the industry continues.

Nayak is poor except in Bombay, parts of Maharashtra and U.P. 1st week Bombay 50,07,133 (75.61%) from 13 cinemas (9 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 5,19,478 from 2 cinemas (4 unrecd.), Rajkot 2,26,616, Jamnagar 99,762 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee); Pune 12,35,331 from 5 cinemas, Solapur 3,63,911 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee), Satara (matinee) 44,521 (98.53%); Hubli 2,53,053 from 2 cinemas (1 in noon), Belgaum 1,93,111, Dharwad 1,33,256 from 2 cinemas (1 in noon), Nipani 71,819, Bijapur 2,30,276; Delhi 38,47,242 (52.35%) from 11 cinemas (2 on F.H.); Kanpur 4,13,170 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 6,43,459 from 2 cinemas, Agra 3,54,000, Varanasi 2,38,343, Allahabad 2,11,367, Jaunpur 87,781; Calcutta 11,12,107 from 7 cinemas; Nagpur 7,59,321 from 4 cinemas, Jabalpur (6 days) 1,39,451, Amravati 3,00,536, Akola 2,26,154, Dhule 1,86,030, Raipur (6 days) 1,79,897, Bhilai (6 days) 1,22,314, Jalgaon 2,32,151, Wardha (4 days) 90,280, Chandrapur 2,62,721, Yavatmal (4 days) 69,937; Jaipur 7,03,555 (44.78%) from 3 cinemas, Ajmer (gross) 1,85,701; Hyderabad (gross) 29,65,981 from 10 cinemas (1 in noon). Total 2,17,09,765 from 87 cinemas.

………….

Lajja drops everywhere. 2nd week Bombay 43,56,579 (59%) from 11 cinemas (9 on F.H.), total for 2 weeks 1,11,54,257; Ahmedabad 2,70,691 from 2 cinemas (6 unrecd.), Rajkot 1,79,000, Jamnagar 72,678 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee); Pune 10,35,374 from 5 cinemas (1 in matinee), Solapur 1,31,887 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee); Bijapur 61,808 (1st 1,20,686); Delhi 43,42,607 from 12 cinemas (1 on F.H.); Kanpur 3,54,449 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 6,31,510 from 2 cinemas, Agra 2,11,000, Varanasi 2,04,233, Allahabad 2,41,500, Bareilly (6 days) 84,718; Calcutta 8,21,338 from 5 cinemas; Nagpur 4,40,571 from 3 cinemas, Jabalpur (6 days) 1,70,825, Amravati 2,05,257, Akola 1,44,814, total 3,91,065, Raipur (6 days, gross) 2,29,445, Bhilai (6 days) 96,206, Durg 91,891, Jalgaon 1,35,286 (1st 2,36,279), Wardha 79,667, Yavatmal 77,590, total 2,15,311; Indore 1,37,000 (3 on F.H.); Jaipur 6,77,556 (80.01%), Ajmer 69,286, Kota 1,55,000 (1st 2,18,000); Hyderabad (gross) 4,79,080 from 2 cinemas; 1st week Davangere 2,13,768. Total 1,64,02,614 from 68 cinemas.

Dil Chahta Hai 5th week Bombay 42,60,526 (63.20%) from 14 cinemas (6 on F.H.), total for 5 weeks 2,91,40,686; Pune 11,24,775 from 3 cinemas, Solapur 60,340; Delhi 22,36,386 from 6 cinemas; Kanpur 37,192, Lucknow 2,73,078, Agra 1,25,000, Varanasi 48,212, Allahabad 45,000; Calcutta 4,76,987 from 2 cinemas; Amravati 58,427, Raipur (6 days) 41,451; Bhopal 69,663; Jaipur 72,770 (12.04%); Hyderabad (gross) 5,70,604 from 3 cinemas (1 in noon; 2 on F.H.); 1st week Mangalore 1,87,318.

Gadar Ek Prem Katha 13th week Bombay 4,75,856 (46.29%) from 3 cinemas (6 on F.H.), total for 13 weeks 5,84,30,852; Ahmedabad 52,108 from 2 cinemas (2 unrecd.); Pune 2,97,691 from 4 cinemas (1 in matinee), Solapur (matinee) 30,900, Satara (21 shows) 21,411; Delhi (TF) 21,43,391 from 9 cinemas (1 on F.H.); Kanpur (6 days) 1,38,930 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 1,60,903, Agra 1,22,000, Bareilly 60,918; 12th week Calcutta 61,856; 13th week Nagpur 97,684 from 2 cinemas, 5th Kamptee 39,684, total 3,62,812, 13th week Amravati 53,667, Akola 64,689, total 19,54,780, share 14,96,683, Raipur (6 days) 39,528, Jalgaon 65,363, total 23,15,569; Indore 81,500, Bhopal 92,771; Jaipur 1,34,005 (22.90%), Ajmer (gross) 88,250; Hyderabad (gross) 2,05,690.

EIGHT INDIAN FILMS FOR CAIRO FETE

As many as eight Indian films have been selected for the 25th Cairo International Film Festival to be held between 9th and 20th October this year. The films, to be screened in various sections at the fete, are Tapan Sinha’s Daughters Of This Century, Aamir Khan’s Lagaan, Ashok Mehta’s Moksh, Yash Johar’s Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Jayaraj’s Shantham (Malayalam), M.P. Sukumaran Nair’s Sayanam (Malayalam), Raja Sen’s Atmiyo Swajan (Bengali) and M.T. Vasudevan Nair’s Oru Cheru Punchiri (Malayalam). The selection of the eight films was made by the festival authorities after previewing a total of nine films recommended by the fete’s Indian representative and jury member, R.A. Jalan (of Gaurang Films, Calcutta). Actress-danseuse Mamata Shankar has also been invited to be a part of the festival’s jury panel.

AMPTPP DECRIES INCREASE IN FILM CITY CHARGES

The AMPTPP has written to Film City authorities, asking them to reconsider their decision to enhance the rates of shooting charges separately for each location as well as for outdoor locations, together with electricity and air-conditioning charges per shift. Earlier, on 14th January ’99, during a joint meeting of producers’ associations and Film City authorities, it was decided that the latter will charge a flat rate of Rs. 6,000 per day to shoot on any location in Film City. However, the Film City authorities unilaterally decided on the rate enhancement.

3 DIE IN CRASH IN CALCUTTA CINEMA

Three people were crushed to death and over 30 injured when a 1,000 square feet front roof of Society cinema in Calcutta collapsed on 10th September. The people were waiting under the roof as it was raining heavily. Nearly 100 people were under the roof but most of them managed to run to save their lives when it gave way.

The second show was coming to its end when the roof crashed. The panic-stricken audience had to be escorted out through the emergency gates. Snarled rescue effort took time to take off and several people were trapped under the debris for over five hours. The injured were moved to two hospitals.

AMPTPP, IMI, PPL SIGN MOU

The Association of Motion Pictures & TV Programme Producers (AMPTPP), India Music Industry (IMI) and Phonographic Performance Ltd. (PPL) signed a memorandum of understanding on 11th September, in an effort to prevent unauthorised screening of film clips, usually containing song sequences, on satellite channels. Under the terms of the MOU, PPL is authorised, on behalf of film producers, to administer the rights in the film clippings in respect of their use by the satellite channels. PPL is also authorised to issue permissions and licences to the channels as well as to fix the terms and payment for such use.

All revenue collected by the PPL will be shared 50:50 by the AMPTPP and PPL. It may be noted that non-film music videos produced by IMI/PPL members have been excluded from the purview of the MOU.

‘AJNABEE’ SONG: LYRICIST CRIES FOUL

Lyricist Taabish Romani has alleged that the song ‘Mohabbat naam hai kiska’ from Film Folks’ Ajnabee, credited to Sameer, has been plagiarised from a song written by him in 1991. The song had been registered with the Film Writer’s Association in the same year, he claims.

AMPTPP WRITES TO CULTURE MINISTRY

The AMPTPP has, in a letter dated 10th September, proposed various concessions which the Maharashtra government’s ministry of cultural affairs can grant to the film industry. They are as follows:

(i) The government to provide electricity and water to studios, laboratories, recording centres, cinema halls etc. at industrial rates and not at commercial rates as at present.
(ii) The government to provide more benefits in terms of free or low land lease, tax-exemption, loans and subsidies to boost the production sector’s efforts at creating necessary infrastructure for film production in Maharashtra, thereby eliminating the need to go to other states.
(iii) The 5-year tax-holiday scheme for multiplexes be made applicable to existing single-screen cinemas if they renovate and convert to at least 2-screen cinemas.
(iv) Lowering the minimum limit to avail of the above multiplex policy to 2 screens instead of 4 as at present.
(v) Removal of sales tax on copyright.
(vi) Local government bodies to be urged to provide all assistance to film and TV serial crews while shooting.
(vii) A stringent implementation of the Copyright Act and Cable TV Act.

M.P. GOVT. HONOURS MAHENDRA KAPOOR

The Madhya Pradesh government has conferred the annual Lata Mangeshkar award on veteran singer Mahendra Kapoor. Besides a scroll of honour, the award carries Rs. 1 lakh in cash prize. The function to felicitate the singer will be held on February 17, 2002.

CINEMA REBUILT AFTER FIVE YEARS

Sapna Cinema in Ulhasnagar (Thane district), which had been shut down nearly five years ago, will reopen on 21st September with Ajnabee. The cinema has been entirely rebuilt and is situated between the 3rd and 5th floors of a shopping complex. The seating capacity is 470 (balcony – 143; stalls – 327). The admission rates are Rs. 60 and Rs. 40.

Santosh Singh Jain Panel Set To Sweep CCCA Elections In Jaipur

With just a little over a week to go before members of the Central Circuit Cine Association descend upon Jaipur to attend its 48th annual general meeting on 24th September and biennial elections the following day, some heat has been generated. A total of about 800 members are expected to cast their votes this time despite the lack of much heat. Giving a meek competition to Santosh Singh Jain’s panel of contestants is the opposition led by Ramesh Sureka.

The following nominations had been received and found in order till 10th September, the last date for filing them:

C.P. Berar Distributors (4 seats):- Anil Kumar Rathi, Bhagwandas (Laloo) Kabra, Bharat R. Khajanchi, Chandrashekhar Choudhary, Dilip G. Mudliar, Girdhar Solanki, K.D. Sonar, Mohan Godha, Premchand Sah, Ramkisan Kasat and Vinod Bhandari.

C.P. Berar Exhibitors (4 seats):- Arjundas Bhateja, Azad Laddha, G.N. Ganediwal, Inderchand Dhariwal, Mahendra Jain, Milapchand Jain, Munshiram Upveja, Rajnish Purohit, S.K. Surana, Vijay Rathi and Vishnuprasad Agrawal.

C.I. Distributors (2 seats):- Dinesh Sharma, Hemant Vyas, Jitendra Jain, Mahesh Sharma, Nandkishore Jalani, O.P. Goyal, Santosh Singh Jain and Vinod Malhotra.

C.I. Exhibitors (2 seats):- Arvind Joshi, Azizuddin Jameeluddin, Dhanraj Oza, O.P. Goyal, Ramesh Sureka, Shiv Kumar Jaiswal and Uttamchand Nahar.

Rajasthan Distributors (2 seats):- Akhilesh Ramdeo, Chandrashekhar Choudhary, Kishan Puri, Kishinchand Janiani, Mohan Godha, Nandkishore Jalani, Narendra Singh Baid, Rakesh Sabharwal, Ramdhan Mamoria, Satyavan Pareek, Subhash Burad and Sudhir Puri.

Rajasthan Exhibitors (2 seats):- Chandrashekhar Choudhary, Kishanchand Jain, Kishinchand Janiani, Kishanchand Bansal, Liyakat Ali, Madhusudan Pareek, Narendra Sharma, Ramesh Chand Jain, Ramdhan Mamoria, Sandeep Bhandari, Trilok Singh and Vedprakash Goyal.

There seems to be no competition in the C.P. Distributors’ as well as Exhibitors’ section. Members of the Santosh Singh Jain panel are poised for a cake-walk victory. In the Distributors’ section, the most likely winners are Bharart R. Khajanchi, Ramkisan Kasat, Dilip Mudliar and Bhagwandas (Laloo) Kabra. In the C.P. Exhibitors’ section, the balance of scales seems to be titled in favour of S.K. Surana, Vijay Rathi, Azad Laddha and Mahendra Jain.

The fight, if any, will be in the C.I. and Rajasthan territories. CCCA president Santosh Singh Jain’s victory from the C.I. Distributors’ section is, of course, a foregone conclusion. In the C.I. Exhibitors’ section, there may be a tough fight between Santosh Singh Jain’s Uttam Nahar and O.P. Goyal and the opposition’s Ramesh Sureka and Azizuddin Jameeluddin.

The Rajasthan Distributors’ section may also see both candidates of Jain’s group — Mohan Godha and Nandkishore Jalani — winning. Trilok Singh’s victory from the Rajasthan Exhibitors’ section is almost a certainty.

All in all, at least 13 or 14 members of the Jain panel are bound to romp home victorious. It should not be a surprise even if all 16 of the panel are declared elected.

A total of 85 CCCA members and workers, who have completed more than 50 years in the industry, will be felicitated at the annual general meeting this year. The names of the members to be honoured at the hands of MPA (Delhi) president G.S. Mayawala are:

C.P. Berar Region (total 51 to be felicitated): Sharad Chandra J. Malpani, S.B. Agrawal (Jhunjhunwala), Bhalchandra Keshaorao Garud, S.A. Hussaini, S.B. Patil (Nana Saheb), V.P. Solanki, Laxminarayan C. Bhandari, Shikharchand Jain, Vasant Pundlik Pande, Syed Mehboob Syed Moiuddin, Jagannath Narhari Dusane, C.K. Mahajan, Jagannath H. Pandya, N.B. Kazi, Kashinath Dattatraya Sonar, S. Mohan Singh, Dattatraya Eknath Naik, Dhondu Vithoba Lanjulkar, Sudhakar Anandrao Saikhedkar, H.G. Daga, Manohar K. Aware, Keshrimal Lunkad, Yahyabhai Taherali, Sukhwant N. Killor, P.V. Oza, N.D. Kabra, D.K. Goliwale, G.E. Naik, S.D. Palkar, N.P. Phalak, Chintaman Choudhary, Dwarkadas C. Bhate, Saitwal, M.B. Patil, Pundlik Narayan Patil, Vasant Rao Bhikaji Patil, Nagarmal Premraj Sharma, P.A. Kulkarni, Ramanlal H. Bhatia, Naunital H. Bhatia, Vinayak Vishnu Upasani, G.M. Pardesi, M.N. Bhosekar, P.G. Gujrathi, P.S. Patil, H.S.P. Rao, B.G. Dave, Vishwaraj Singh, Kashiram Asaram Sawale, F.H. Sisodiya, Vishwamohan Tiwari.

C.I. Region (total 26 to be feted): Santosh Singh Jain, Dayanand Kapoor, Lachhmi Narain Kapoor, Shantilal C. Jain, Pukhraj Nahar, Babulal Wani, Brijmohan Saraf, M.L. Jain, Nayan Ranjandas, Surendra Parekh, Harisingh Dularelal Mukharya, Joharilal Jhanjharia, Devdutt, G.S. Gupta, S.M. Kothari, V.K. Joshi, C.S. Lunkad, Radheshyam Gupta, H.R. Malhotra, Manohar Vishnu Kapde, Asaramji Saboo, B.B. Chaturvedi, P.J. Agrawal, B.P. Jhanjharia, Ramjilalji Sharma, S.S. Jogdand.

Rajasthan Region (8 to be feted): Gaurishankar Pandia, S. Krishnamurthy, Luqman Hussain, Gopaldas Purohit, Dhanpat Singh Bengani, Chandanmalji Baid, Sunderlal Devpura, Laxminarayan Sharma.

YOU ASKED IT

What are the definite releases this Diwali?

– With two months still to go, there will be several changes in the release position of films. So there’s no sense in hazarding a guess now.

What is the price of one roll of Kodak film positive?

– Rs. 2,050. There is a discount available for bulk purchase.

Is it true that Sunny Deol is demanding 5 crore as his fee for a film.

– If a star is not interested in working in a film, the best way to say this is to ask for the moon.

CENSOR NEWS

Arclightz and Films P. Ltd.’s Asoka (historical) was given C.C. No. CIL/2/26/2001 (UA) dt. 11-9-2001; length 5048.25 metres in 17 reels (cuts: 6.47 metres).

Sri Siddhivinayak Films’ Kyo Kii… Main Jhuth Nahin Bolta (social), seen on 7th, has been issued C.C. No. CIL/2/27/2001 (UA) dt. 12-9-2001; length 4317.91 metres in 18 reels (cuts: 8.85 metres).

Film Folks’ Ajnabee (social), seen on 6th, has been issued C.C. No. CIL/3/81/2001 (A) dt. 13-9-2001; length 4525.95 metres in 18 reels (minor deletion in sound only).

DO YOU KNOW?

* Mukesh Khanna has written to the Guinness Book of World Records, asking for the inclusion of his SHAKTIMAAN in the Book as the longest running TV serial. The serial, produced by his Bheeshm International, has entered the fifth year of its run on DD1.

* GADAR has created a record by fetching a distributor’s share of 55,93,487/- in 13 weeks at Milan, Delhi. Total collection for 13 weeks: 85,18,487/-.

* GADAR has created a city record by collecting 81,310/- in 12th week at Anand, Jabalpur. 12 weeks’ total: 25,41,930/-.

* GADAR has created a Khandesh record by collecting 65,363/- in 13th week at Chitra, Jalgaon. Total for 13 weeks: 23,15,569/-, Khandesh record. 

* GADAR has created a city record by collecting 19,54,780/- in 13 weeks at Vasant, Akola. Share: 14,96,683/-, city record. 

* GADAR has created a city record by collecting a total of 3,62,812/- in 5 weeks at Shree Talkies, Kamptee (C.P. Berar). 5th last week’s collection was 39,684/-.

* KANASUGARA (Kannada) has fetched a share of 22,00,000/- in 6 weeks from Sujata, Hubli and Mahalaxmi, Gadag. 

3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment

Distributor: Speak No Truth!
Producer: Hear No Truth!

Ever wondered why the producer of a film is the last to know that his film has bombed? Firstly, because he doesn’t want to believe that it has flopped. Secondly, his distributors will not let him know so. Distributors are a funny lot. Even if a film, released by them, seems obviously heading towards becoming a disaster, they would not risk breaking the news to its producer. Rather, many distributors do the opposite — while insulating their producer from the genuine (bad) reports, they praise the film sky-high before the producer and even tell him of an excellent public reaction which actually doesn’t exist. If the film has opened to full houses, they substantiate their claim with box-office figures. But if the initial is poor or ordinary, they’ll support their concocted public reaction by saying that the film will soon pick up and that the producer should not worry at all.

Why this strange behaviour of all distributors — or almost all? Are they such an insecure lot that they fear, the producer will not give them his next film if they speak the truth? In the first place, would they be interested in the producer’s next? Also, are producers so vain that they don’t want to be told the truth for as long as possible?

New Zeal In Promotion

Producer Vashu Bhagnani has done what no producer has done so far. He released the music of his forthcoming film, Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein, in New Zealand earlier this week. For the grand release, he flew not just members of the fourth estate but also some leading dealers of HMV, the music company which will market the audio cassettes and CDs. Vashu was to have launched the music in India by releasing it in five or six cities of the country on the same day. For this, he wanted to charter a plane which would fly his guests and unit to the different cities for the audio release. But when the airlines authorities pleaded their inability to arrange for cabin crew for the flight that would be chartered, due to staff shortage, Vashu decided to instead fly his unit and guests to New Zealand.

Malaysian Malady

Film industry people are a superstitious lot. So trust them to dig out information like the one that follows.

Malaysia has proved to be a very unlucky shooting spot as far as the box-office fates of films shot there go. To substantiate their claim, they throw names of such disasters as One 2 Ka 4, Yaadein…, Aks, Yeh Raaste Hain Pyar Ke and Aaghaaz as the films which have been shot in the Asian country. More recently, Shankar had taken his unit to Malaysia for Nayak. Not just Hindi films, even Telugu films shot in Malaysia have bombed. But there are two exceptions in Telugu, at least. D. Rama Naidu’s Preyasi Raave and S.V. Krishna Reddy’s Telugu film did well after being shot in Malaysia. Of course, two films out of 20-odd shot there is not much of a consolation. So while the Malaysian tourism department would like to promote the country for Indian film shootings, with the catchline ‘Malaysia – Truly Asia’, the more discerning (read that superstitious) producer would like to cry ‘Malaysia – Truly Unlucky’. Howzzat?!?

South African Shivers

Like Malaysia, another country that has translated into bad luck for Hindi film producers is South Africa. Some of the films shot in SA and which, on release, proved to be duds at the box-office are Khel, Karobaar, Kartoos, Prem Granth, Mast and Hera Pheri (it did very well in Bombay only).

NAYAK

Sri Surya Movies’ Nayak is a political thriller and a crusade against corruption, with a novel concept of a one-day chief minister. A simpleton TV news reporter, in the course of his job, interviews the chief minister of his state who challenges him (reporter) to take over as the CM for a day and show what he can achieve. The reporter accepts the challenge and, during his one-day stint as the chief minister, not only dismisses the corrupt in the government, but also manages to collect a grandiose amount as sales tax in a single day. In the end, he also gets the corrupt chief minister and other ministers arrested. The people of the state see a hero in the one-day CM.

As the government of the corrupt CM falls, mid-term polls are announced and the one-day hero is forced by the public to contest elections. He relents after a lot of persuasion, and is elected the new chief minister. He continues his crusade to expose the corrupt and bring them to book but has to face a lot of hurdles in the way, including the murder of his parents. Ultimately, he masterminds a plan to bring to book the ex-chief minister who has made life miserable for him.

The film, a remake of Tamil blockbuster Mudhalvan, has novelty for the audience but the drama has been handled in so simplistic a manner that although it gives thrill when it is happening, it looks rather unbelievable once it is over. Firstly, to show that a CM can achieve so much in a single day is far-fetched and unrealistic. Even if that were taken as a cinematic liberty, the CM issuing dismissal orders to all and sundry raises the obvious questions: who will fill the vacant posts and what is the guarantee that the new incumbents will not become corrupt? So while the entire drama of dismissing the corrupt is extremely enjoyable, the film offers no permanent solution to the problem of corruption. Had the punishment for corruption been shown to be frighteningly severe, it would have made a more dramatic impact on the viewer. Mere dismissal looks too minor a punishment in the scheme of things.

After the TV hero becomes the elected chief minister, the only worthwhile new thing he does is the putting up of complaint boxes in every area, a scheme that becomes very successful. Although he continues his fight against corruption, the impact then is far lesser and less exciting than what it was when he was the CM for a day. In that sense, the crescendo has been reached in the first half while the latter half pales in comparison. The second part of the film becomes a personal vendetta drama more than a fight against corruption which the film professes to be.

This is not to say that the film has no positive points. On the plus side are: The concept and scenes of the one-day CM; the sequence showing the dilemma of the one-day CM when he is approached for contesting elections and the (excellent) final resolution of the dilemma; his elevation almost to the status of God (his abhishek — people bathing him with milk because there’s no water at hand); his parents’ death in a bomb explosion and his emotional outburst thereafter. Several scenes are worthy of evoking claps from the audience. But it is also a fact that while the first half is very enjoyable, the second half has several dull moments.

Coming to individual sequences, one of the most important sequences in the film — the live interview of the CM — could have been handled more artistically. Politicians are adept at handling difficult questions smartly and this CM also does so, but after giving himself out completely. While all this can be explained as exaggerated reactions, they gel less with the mood of the film because the issue is too serious to be treated with such frivolity. Yet another unbelievable aspect is that the TV reporter manages to get sound bytes of the CM so easily — sound bytes which any reporter would die to get! Furthermore, to expect the CM to be so naive as to openly reveal his evil designs to the conscientious police commissioner during the chakka jaam sequence is rather strange. More so because on the one hand, the CM is shown to be terribly corrupt (he has assets worth Rs. 500 crore) and on the other, he is shown to be almost an idiot! No shrewd and corrupt guy can be so idiotic.

The film’s biggest drawback is, therefore, that while some things are too realistic, others are just as unrealistic and unbelievable. So, while the film claims to present reality and tackle real issues, it takes too many liberties wherever and whenever convenient.

Climax is abrupt and the lack of action in it is jarring. Dialogues are fantastic at places.

Anil Kapoor does a splendid job as the reporter-turned-chief minister. He looks every inch the character he plays and shines in emotional and dramatic scenes. Rani Mukerji acts ably but has a small role. Amrish Puri makes an effective villain but he too gets limited scope. Paresh Rawal is superb. His simplicity is his biggest asset. His dialogues are very effective. Johny Lever’s comedy entertains till it becomes repetitive. Saurabh Shukla does a fair job. Shivaji Satam is natural. Pooja Batra has no scope. Neena Kulkarni is fabulous as Anil’s mother and so is Anil’s father. Sushmita Sen and Ahmed Khan impress in a dance. The rest of the cast lends admirable support.

Shankar’s direction could have been better at places. His inept handling at times becomes conspicuous as unrealistic and unbelievable things happen in this serious issue-based drama. Music (A.R. Rahman) is a major minus point of the film. Except for ‘Mitwa’ and ‘Shakalaka’ songs, the other numbers are too boring to be true. Although song picturisations, especially ‘Saiyyan’ and ‘Tu achchha lagta hai’, are heavenly and also novel, the impact is half-lost due to the boring tunes. Both the songs can easily be cut to half their size. Action scenes (Kanal Kannan) are well composed and look rich. The mud fight has special appeal. Computer graphics are superb. K.V. Anand’s camerawork is marvellous. Background score is effective. Production values are just too grand. Editing is loose at places. The film could do with deletion of at least 10 to 15 minutes’ length. Other technical values are of a good standard.

On the whole, Nayak will score in Bombay (excellent), Maharashtra, U.P. and Bihar on the strength of mass patronage mainly. But in the other parts, especially in Gujarat, Delhi, Punjab, C.P. Berar (Madhya Pradesh part), C.I. and Rajasthan, it may not do the trick even if it picks up after the average start since it does not have enough entertainment value for everyone (ladies and families). Considering the high price at which it has been sold, it will put many of its distributors to losses. The lack of political awareness and disinterest in politics among the general public will further mar its prospects.

Released on 7-9-2001 at Novelty and 21 other cinemas of Bombay thru Raksha Distributors. Publicity: excellent. Opening: very good. …….Also released all over. Opening was very good in U.P., Bihar, parts of C.P. Berar and South, but below the mark in Gujarat, Delhi, Bengal, C.I. and Rajasthan (also affected adversely due to change in show-timings, forced by shuttling of prints which were in short supply).

LATEST POSITION

Lajja has done well initially in parts of Maharashtra, U.P., East Punjab and Bihar and in Rajasthan but is not up to the mark in other circuits. 1st week Bombay 67,97,678 (78.59%) from 12 cinemas (9 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 21,28,018 from 6 cinemas (3 unrecd.), Vapi 7,75,624 from 2 cinemas, Rajkot 3,25,061 (1 in matinee unrecd.), Jamnagar 1,37,964 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee); Pune 16,06,753 from 5 cinemas (1 in matinee), Solapur 2,71,653 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee); Delhi 83,11,476 (66.74%) from 14 cinemas; Kanpur 6,33,072 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 9,65,025 from 2 cinemas, Agra 4,04,090, Allahabad 3,10,000, Bareilly (6 days) 1,77,063; Calcutta 27,57,371 from 11 cinemas; Nagpur 9,39,069 from 4 cinemas, Jabalpur 2,50,251, Amravati 3,14,406, Akola 2,46,250, Raipur (6 days, gross) 3,23,975, Durg 1,25,322, Jalgaon 2,36,279, Wardha 1,33,496, Rajnandgaon (6 days) 1,15,877, Yavatmal 1,37,721; Indore 2,35,465 (3 on F.H.); Jaipur 12,67,669 (63.17%) from 3 cinemas, Ajmer (29 shows) 1,41,114, Bikaner 2,08,352; Hyderabad (gross) 34,98,143 from 10 cinemas. Total 3,37,74,237 from 91 cinemas.

………….

Dil Chahta Hai continues its victory march in cities of Bombay circuit. 4th week Bombay 56,41,564 (80.14%) from 15 cinemas (7 on F.H.), total for 4 weeks 2,48,80,160; Pune 15,50,492 from 3 cinemas, Solapur 93,218; Delhi 30,27,892 from 9 cinemas (1 on F.H.); Kanpur (6 days) 93,316 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 3,68,023, Agra 1,60,000, Allahabad 62,500; Calcutta 2,52,034; Nagpur 31,887, Jabalpur (6 days) 31,447, Amravati 63,026, Akola 34,418, total 2,78,902, Raipur (6 days) 50,617, 2nd week Yavatmal 40,806; Bhopal 80,468 (1 unrecd.); Jaipur 1,04,879 (17.36%); Hyderabad (gross) 5,81,398 from 3 cinemas (1 in noon).

Gadar Ek Prem Katha 12th week Bombay 14,14,270 (55.21%) from 7 cinemas (10 on F.H.), total for 12 weeks 5,79,54,996; Ahmedabad 1,64,915 from 3 cinemas, Vapi 1,02,736, Rajkot 80,580 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee); Pune 6,20,125 from 4 cinemas, Solapur (matinee) 42,660; Delhi (TF) 34,35,408 from 14 cinemas (1 on F.H.); Kanpur (6 days) 1,37,555 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 2,02,749, Agra 1,55,000, Allahabad 59,700, Bareilly 80,895; 11th week Calcutta 56,302; 12th week Nagpur 70,842, Jabalpur (6 days) 72,971, 4th week Kamptee 46,540, total 3,23,128, 12th week Amravati 55,738, Akola 77,223, total 18,90,090, share 14,66,140, Raipur (6 days) 49,418, Jalgaon 71,990, total 22,50,205, Chandrapur 45,081, total 17,78,484, share 13,00,000; Indore 95,471, Bhopal 1,05,600; Jaipur 1,32,285 (22.61%), Ajmer (gross) 1,05,737.

50TH ANNIVERSARY OF LAXMI, BHOPAL

The 50th anniversary of Laxmi Talkies, Bhopal was celebrated this week by its managing director, Jaikishan Lalchandani. Mayor of Bhopal, Bibha Patel, was the chief guest. She lit the traditional lamp to inaugurate the function and was assisted by Congress leader Rajkumar Patel. The last show of the day of Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai was thrown open to the public for free. The film’s print was supplied by J.P. Chowksey.

BHAPPI SONIE PASSES AWAY

Well-known Hindi film producer and director Bhappi Sonie passed away on 5th September in Bombay. At the time of his death, he was on the operation table, undergoing a heart bypass surgery at Nanavati Hospital. He was 73 and is survived by his wife, son Shakti and daughters Sagarika and Malvika.

Bhappi Sonie made his directorial debut in 1960 with the Sunil Dutt – Waheeda Rehman starrer, Ek Phool Char Kante. His notable films include Janwar (1965), Brahmachari, Jheel Ke Us Paar, Pyar Hi Pyar, Tum Haseen Main Jawan, Bade Dil Wala (1984), Sasti Dulhan Mahenga Dulha, Khoon Ka Karz and Nishchaiy. The last two named films were only produced by him. His last film, Tere Pyar Ki Kasam, starring Sanjay Dutt and Sunil Shetty, is currently under production. It is being directed by Mahesh Manjrekar.

His chautha is being held this evening (8th September) between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. at Arya Samaj, Linking Road, Santacruz (West), Bombay.

SURINDER KAPOOR FINE

Producer Surinder Kapoor, who had been recently discharged from hospital, was admitted to Nanavati Hospital in Bombay again, earlier this week. He was discharged on 6th and is recovering at home. His test reports are normal.

IMPAA AGM, ELECTIONS

The annual general meeting of the Indian Motion Picture Producers Association will be held on 21st September in Bombay. At the conclusion of the AGM, a new executive committee will be elected. Sixteen members will be elected in the Ordinary Class while 5 members will be elected in the Associate Class-I. The nominees, numbering 22, in the Ordinary Class are A. Krishnamurti, Anil Ganguly, B.S. Shaad, Dimppy Ramdayal, Jyotin Goel, K.D. Shorey, Kulwant Jaani, Madan Mohla, Mahendra Bohra, N.R. Pachisia, Pawan Kumar, Priti Sapru, Rono Mukerji, Saawan Kumar Tak, Sayed Waris Ali Rizvi, Sharukh Mirza, Shiv Kumar, Shiv Kumar (Lala) Damani, Smita Thackeray, Thakur Tapssvi, Vinay Kumar Sinha and Vinod Kumar Verma. The nominees in the Associate Class-I (total 12) are Anand Girdhar, Dara Singh, Darshan Sabharwal, Dimppy Ramdayal, Johny Bakshi, Kant Kumar, Nilu Gavankar, Saakshi Thakur, Satish Khanna, Shakti Samanta, Surjit Aujla and Sushama Shiromanee.

Dimppy Ramdayal will contest either from the Ordinary Class or the Associate Class-I. He will withdraw his nomination from the Class from which he will not contest.

NO CUSTOMS DUTY ON EXPOSED NEGATIVE

Following a representation made by the AMPTPP, the union finance ministry has, vide notification dated 3rd September, abolished customs duty on (i) cinematographic films, exposed but not developed, and (ii) recorded magnetic films used for producing TV serials, with retrospective effect from 1st March, 2001. It may be recalled that Bombay customs had been levying customs duty on exposed film brought back by Indian units after shooting abroad.

Those who’ve paid the duty can claim refund under the said notification.

CINEMA RE-BUILT

Huma Talkies at Kanjur Marg, Bombay reopened on 7th September with Nayak. The cinema has been completely re-built. The new seating capacity is 150 and the admission rate is Rs. 50.

Two more cinemas are likely to come up in the same complex in the near future.

VINOD KHANNA APPOINTED SHIPPING BOARD CHAIRMAN

Vinod Khanna has been appointed chairman of the Shipping Board by prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. The post has the status of a minister of state.

YOU ASKED IT

Do you think, Kamal Haasan’s Abhay will get a good opening? The film’s advertisements in newspapers look attractive?

– If the audience is as observant as you are, the film should take a good initial!

Hema Malini, Rekha and Jaya Prada from South India made the Bombay film industry their main work station. But now, Hindi film heroines are in demand in the South. Any specific reason?

– The world is becoming a much smaller place and exchange between states is common. It is just a coincidence that a South Indian actress is not making it in Bombay filmdom, but Aishwarya Rai is a South Indian. 

How has a religious film like Shirdi Sai Baba been released during the shraddh period considered inauspicious?

– Only Sai Baba can answer that question!

MIX MASALA

SLEEPLESS!

Over the past two weeks, one has heard nothing but distributors complaining of losing sleep. And not because they have lost heavily in their recent releases of the last 90 days — that’s a nightmare that comes later. The reason that is turning the distributors into owls at night is the delivery hassles that the past two weeks’ releases have run into. Some of the distributors of Lajja were last week stationed in Hyderabad to take delivery from Rainbow Lab and could not sleep for two nights due to the tension. This week, some prints of Nayak were not ready and the affected distributors had to spend at least two sleepless nights! Said one harassed distributor, “Meri to bilkul neend hi haraam ho gayee hai. Ab yeh delivery ho jaaye to bas aesa sounga ki 18-20 ghante uthoonga hi nahin!” Yawn!

DO YOU KNOW?

* GADAR collected 73,662/- in 1st week at Galaxy cinema, Naroda (Ahmedabad) after running for 10 weeks in the nearby Anand cinema. It collected 33,846/- in 10th last week at Anand, Naroda. The handsome collection at Galaxy, which is at a walking distance of just 5 minutes from Anand, was, perhaps, because the cinema is air-conditioned and has a good sound system. 

3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment

Delivery: The Real Pain

As if the delivery hassles for distributors of Lajja last week weren’t enough, distributors of Nayak, too, had to face problems this week. The trouble this time arose not because of any fault of the producer or laboratory but because the quantity of prints that had to be made was increased at the last moment, thanks to demand for more prints from distributors of the various circuits. Prasad Laboratory in Madras was not geared up for this sudden order for additional prints, totally numbering over 40. The positive stock also was not available in Madras at short notice. To compound matters, the printing machine in the laboratory developed a snag. All this led to the cancellation of the film’s release in several cinemas on Friday (7th September). Some cinemas managed with shuttling of prints. Most of the cinemas, which did not get the prints, will now start screening Nayak from Sunday (9th). West Bengal distributor Sanjay Roy flew to Madras with Boney Kapoor (who helped sort out matters, having been the person who looked after the business of Nayak) and was there on Friday too, waiting for his prints, unlike the other distributors who were not in Madras but who were, all the same, waiting for their prints.

Sanjay Roy — The Real Hero

Sanjay Roy must have created a record of sorts this week. All the three films released on 7th September have been distributed in West Bengal by Roy. While Nayak and Shirdi Sai Baba opened in his circuit on Friday, Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya is due in West Bengal next week. After the stupendous success of his Gadar Ek Prem Katha, Sanjay Roy is the hottest buyer for West Bengal. Of course, the three aforesaid films were all prior commitments.

The Roshan Show

Rakesh Roshan completed 52 years of age on 6th September and he celebrated his birthday with a grand party at Athena. The invitees were all close friends and must say, the attendance was fabulous. The birthday boy, his wife, son Hrithik and daughter-in-law Sussane played perfect hosts, looking after the guests who had a ball of a time, wining, dining and dancing.

Javed ‘Wins’ A Home 

Javed Akhtar is not just a good writer and lyricist, he is also an exceptionally wonderful speaker. With his honest speech last week in Bhopal, the man of words moved the people of Bhopal to tears! Javed, who had his college education in the capital city of Madhya Pradesh, had been invited by the people of Bhopal and felicitated there recently. In the course of his speech, he recounted his years in college and confessed that he didn’t have a home to live in in those days in Bhopal. So emotional was his narration that several in the audience had tears rolling down their cheeks. MP chief minister Digvijay Singh, who was present at the felicitation function, was moved in a different way. After Javed Akhtar’s emotional speech, the chief minister offered him a house anywhere he desired in Bhopal. That was Digvijay Singh’s way of repaying Javed for having brought fame to Bhopal and also of making good Javed’s feeling of homelessness then. Needless to add, while the chief minister made this announcement, it was the writer’s turn to become emotional.