AGNICHAKRA

Jyoti Art Production’s Agnichakra (UA) is the usual story of good versus evil. An honest and upright police officer is killed by some terrorists whom he is out to exterminate. A new officer is appointed in his place to complete the unfinished task. There is also the murdered officer’s younger brother who swears revenge against the culprits. The third group of revenge-seekers comprises a co-officer of the murdered police officer, his beloved and another young man.

The story has absolutely no freshness whatsoever. Screenplay cares little for continuity and is a hopeless attempt at writing. Dialogues are commonplace. The film has taken many years in the making and it shows not only in continuity jerks but also in the appearances of the stars who come in varying shapes and sizes in different scenes.

Govinda does well in the first half. He, however, doesn’t impress thereafter and also gets less scope after interval. Naseeruddin Shah acts with a lot of sincerity. Dimple Kapadia passes muster. Vishal Khanna does not impress. Anupam Kher is okay. Pramod Moutho does an average job and so does Satish Shah. Raj Kiran, Beena, Brando Bakshi, Soni, Ruhi Sawant, Bindiya Gill, Somy Ali (she springs up from nowhere in a song sequence), Manmoujee, Birbal and the rest don’t add anything to the dull proceedings.

Direction is so-so in the first half but in the second, the aim seems to have been simply to complete the film any which way. Music is a letdown like the rest of the film. Photography and other technical values are average. Action scenes look outdated.

On the whole, Agnichakra is a poor fare.

Released on 26-9-’97 at Shalimar and 7 other cinemas of Bombay thru Solanki Movies. Publicity & opening: dull. …….Also released all over except C.P. Berar. In Calcutta, the film could not open on Friday due to the non-arrival of prints. It is likely to open there today (27th September).

DHIRUBHAI SHAH ARRESTED UNDER COFEPOSA

Music company owner, video distributor and producer Dhirubhai Shah was arrested under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange & Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (COFEPOSA), 1974 on 23rd September night for his alleged involvement in a Rs. 22-crore hawala racket. The Bombay city police detained him for alleged violation of foreign exchange regulations. He has been committed to the Yerawada jail in Pune.

The order for his detention and committal was issued in April 1996 but Dhirubhai had been absconding since then. A metropolitan magistrate had proclaimed last month under the Criminal Procedure Code that his property be attached. Dhirubhai was also questioned by the crime branch of police in connection with the recent murder of Gulshan Kumar.

ANOOP KUMAR DEAD

Actor Anoop Kumar passed away on 20th September at 4.15 a.m. following cardiac arrest in a hospital at Juhu, Bombay. He was 72 and is survived by four daughters and a son. He had been ailing since almost two months.

Anoop Kumar belonged to the famous Ganguly family and teamed up with brothers Ashok Kumar and Kishore Kumar in Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi. He played the role of the eccentric brother who keeps popping into the frame with funny one-liners.

He made his debut in Zaraa Palat Ke Dekho in 1950. He also acted in Firdaus, Dekh Kabira Roya, Junglee, Prem Pujari and the recent Rock Dancer. He had also produced Aansoo Ban Gaye Phool in 1969. In 1991, he produced the TV serial Bhim Bhawani, featuring himself and Ashok Kumar.

SC ASKS SUBHASH GHAI TO PAY PENALTY

The Supreme Court on 22nd September asked producer Subhash Ghai to pay an additional Rs. 1 lakh as penalty to the Archaeological Survey of India for damaging the Fatehpur Sikri monument during the shooting of his Pardes there. According to the court, the producer had violated certain conditions of the agreement with the ASI for location shooting inside the monument at Agra. Ghai had already paid Rs. 1 lakh to the ASI.

A bench of Justice S.B. Majmudar and Justice S. Saghir Ahmad passed the direction on a public interest litigation by residents of Fatehpur Sikri, alleging that damage had been done by the film’s unit during the shooting. The court said that the additional amount of Rs. 1 lakh would be utilised by the ASI for the upkeep of the monument.

LABOUR STRIKE IN TWO BOMBAY CINEMAS

Regal and Capitol cinemas of Bombay are closed for three days since 26th September following a strike call given by the Bombay Labour Union to which the workers of the two cinemas owe allegiance. The main demand of the workers is for a hike in wages. The cinemas are owned by Sidhwas (Globe Theatres P. Ltd.).

‘BORDER’ 100 DAYS’ PARTY AT RAJKAMAL, AKOLA

A dinner party was hosted on 24th September at Rajkamal cinema, Akola, to mark the 100 days of Border. The cinema owners, Suresh Joharle and Vitthal Rathi, invited the proprietors, managers and staff members of all the cinemas of Akola and the entire Akola trade. The C.P. distributors of Border, B.N. (Laloo) Kabra (Vishwajyoti Films, Bhusawal) and Narendra Agrawal, could not attend the function as they were in Jaipur to attend the annual general meeting of the CCCA. A month’s salary as bonus was also distributed to the staff of Rajkamal, Akola as well as to A.V. Gawande, local representative of Vishwajyoti Films, Bhusawal.

Santosh Singh Jain Re-Elected CCCA President

Santosh Singh Jain was re-elected president of the Central Circuit Cine Association for 1997-98 at the first meeting of the newly elected executive committee held on 25th September in Jaipur at Ravindra Manch. Vijay Rathi was re-elected vice president. S.K. Surana and Ramesh Surekha were elected hon. secretary and hon. treasurer respectively.

Earlier in the day, at the elections to the executive committee, a total of 450 votes were polled. Of these, 48 were declared invalid. The following members were declared elected:

C.P. Berar Exhibition: Azad Laddha (polled 373 votes), S.K. Surana (368), Vijay Rathi (340) and Mahendra Jain (312).

C.P. Berar Distribution: The following were declared elected unopposed: Bharat Khajanchi, Ramkisan Kasat, B.N. (Laloo) Kabra and Dilip Mudliar.

C.I. Exhibition: Uttam Nahar (380 votes) and Ramesh Surekha (346).

C.I. Distribution: There was no polling and the following two were declared elected unopposed: Santosh Singh Jain and Vinod Malhotra.

Rajasthan Exhibition: Kishanchand Jain (267) and Mohan Godha (265).

Rajasthan Distribution: Nandkishore Jalani (354) and Mohan Godha (305).

Liyakat Ali was the most notable loser. Having contested in the Rajasthan Exhibition sector, he polled only 153 votes.

All the 16 candidates elected belong to the Santosh Singh Jain panel. Actually, Liyakat Ali was the lone strong opposition candidate, the other candidates in the fray standing bleak chances of winning. Ramdhan Mamoria and Rajendra Mamoria had withdrawn from the battle.

O.P. Goyal, Ramdhan Mamoria and Pramod Munot were co-opted to the executive committee.

Earlier, on 24th September, the CCCA’s annual general meeting was held at the same venue — Ravindra Manch — in Jaipur.

Both, the annual general meeting and the elections, were ‘cold’ affairs. Since there was no opposition worth the name, no heat had been generated this year in the CCCA elections. There was, therefore, a record low turnout for the AGM and elections.

BATTLE OF WORDS BEFORE ELECTIONS

At the luncheon party held on 24th September at Ravindra Manch, there was a heated exchange of words between Rajendra Mamoria and Naraindas Mukhija. The latter had allegedly secured withdrawal letters from Ramdhan Mamoria and Rajendra Mamoria (both opposition candidates) on the pretext that one’s letter would be deposited with the CCCA and the other would be taken on Santosh Singh Jain’s panel. But both, father and son, were kept out of the panel, which hurt Rajendra no end.

Rajendra blamed Sethji (Naraindas Mukhija) of playing games and resorting to dirty politics for no justifiable reasons. Of course, ultimately, Ramdhan Mamoria was co-opted on the committee on 25th. Maybe, he would not have been co-opted had it not been for the tantrum thrown by son Rajendra.

LUCKY LIYAKAT, UNLUCKY LIYAKAT

Liyakat Ali’s defeat in the elections came as quite a shock. More than the defeat, it was the huge margin by which he lost, that shocked the trade.

Just a fortnight back, Liyakat Ali had met with a terrible accident near Bikaner when the brand new Maruti Zen car, in which he was travelling, had a head-on collision with a truck. Although the car was smashed into a thousand pieces, Liyakat and Satyawan Pareek, who was travelling with him, had a Providential escape. This, incidentally, was the third accident Liyakat met with in the last three years.

So while Liyakat was lucky in personal life, he remained unlucky in public life.

WORRIED LOT

The mood at the AGM and elections of the CCCA was anything but upbeat. With films falling like nine pins, distributors and exhibitors were a worried lot. S.K. Surana, distributor and exhibitor of C.P. Berar, lamented that box-office attendance was declining because the benefit of reduction in entertainment tax was not being passed on to cinegoers. Rajasthan distributor and exhibitor O.P. Bansal remarked, “Artificial film prices had to come down to the real level. We will now hear of film prices being reduced at the time of delivery every week.”

LUNCH & DINNER

Dinner for the delegates at the CCCA elections on 25th September was hosted by Rajasthan distributor and exhibitor O.P. Bansal. CCCA president Santosh Singh Jain held a lunch party on 26th for a select gathering at his Jaipur residence.

PRODUCTION NEWS

‘Banarasi Babu’ Complete

With the conclusion of a 5-day stint in Bangalore recently, the entire shooting of Sapna Arts’ Banarasi Babu is complete. Govinda, Ramya, Asif Sheikh, Sanam, Shakti Kapoor and stuntmen participated. Directed by David Dhawan for producer Nandu G. Tolani, the film co-stars Bindu and Kader Khan. Writer: Rumi Jafri. Music: Anand Milind.

‘Dus’ Director Not Finalised So Far

Nitin Manmohan has clarified that no director has as yet been finalised to complete Neha-MAD Film Combines’ Dus which was being directed by late Mukul Anand.

YOU ASKED IT

When distributors, due to cut-throat competition, give several lakhs more than the price they originally offer for a film, why do they feel sad to increase a couple of thousands in cinema rentals?

– Perhaps, because they realise that they’ve paid too high a price for the film and, therefore, want to save as much as possible thereafter.

Why is there no heat in the elections to any trade association this year?

– Trade associations are becoming less and less important in a member’s life. Therefore, there’s no urge to serve the industry by getting elected to the executive committee of any association.

For a ‘hot’ film, how much can a producer cover from sale of theatrical rights for the various circuits in terms of percentage of a major circuit?

– Upto 550 to 600% (including Overseas rights and excluding audio rights).

Laughter, The Best Medicine

With Sanjay Gupta not having made it even with Hameshaa, a film about punar-janm (reincarnation), a wag remarked: “Now Sanjay Gupta must take a punar-janm, figuratively speaking, by changing his style of filmmaking if he wants to succeed.

* * *

Raveena Tandon has recovered from brain fever (meningitis). Before that, Neelam had also suffered from brain fever. So we have proof that at least two of our heroines have brains.

* * *

Q: What did Arshad Warsi tell Chandrachur Singh after the debacle of Betaabi?
A: “Chandrachur, tere mere sapne ho gaye chur-chur!”

* * *

After the release of Main Solah Baras Ki, Dev Anand will launch Main Ek Sau Solah Baras Ka. Dev himself will play the central character in the film.

* * *

Q: Why did Mere Sapno Ki Rani not fare well at the box-office?
A: Because the audience felt, Urmila was too heavily covered with clothes.

* * *

Q: Then why did Daud flop?
A: Because the audience felt, Urmila was too scantily dressed.

* * *

Q: Why are two films of David Dhawan (DD) being released together, on 10th October?
A: One film is DD1 and the other is DD Metro!

* * *

Q: Why are all big (cost-wise) films re-edited after release?
A: Because before release, the makers think of only their money spent on filming the scenes and songs. After release, they have to think of the bored public’s money.

* * *

Q: What did Rishi Kapoor tell his hero (Akshaye Khanna) and heroine (Aishwarya Rai) in the USA (where he is shooting) after the debacle of …Aur Pyar Ho Gaya and Mohabbat?
A: Aa ab (India) laut chalen!

* * *

Points To Ponder

What happened with the makers of Hameshaa two weeks back and with the producers of Mohabbat last week is suggestive of an emerging trend. We may now hear of more cases of distributors of one or the other circuits pleading inability to take delivery of the film at the contracted price. This is because film prices are false today and they have been so for the past two or three years. Producers made their money in these three years, now it’s their turn to panic. To panic because their share of profit has declined, not because they are making a loss. Not as yet, at least.

* * *

It’s good that Ishq has been postponed, although the reason why its release has gone ahead by four weeks (from 31st October to 28th November) isn’t good. Aamir Khan hurt his leg and hand while shooting for Mela, and since a song, which remains to be picturised for Ishq, would require the participation of Aamir (besides Ajay Devgan, Juhi Chawla and Kajol), the same (song picturisation) has had to be postponed. In a way, it’s good because there was too much of a rush on Diwali. There are now four confirmed releases on Diwali, viz. Dil To Pagal Hai, Ghulam-E-Musthafa, Grahan and Bhai. Incidentally, while on the song of Ishq, this same song was to have featured Amitabh Bachchan too. Why, Sudesh Bhosle even imitated Amitabh’s voice beautifully in the Mr. Lova song which, by the way, should soon become a hit with the masses.

* * *

Amitabh Bachchan’s next release will be K.C. Bokadia’s Lal Badshah, Amitabh himself said this, earlier this week in Jaipur when he was chatting with the press which had gone there to cover the films’ shooting. His Major Saab, he added, will be released early next year, after Lal Badshah.

* * *

Ram Gopal Varma has changed the leading lady of his new film, Satya. Pardes girl Mahima Chaudhry is out and in her place has come Urmila Matondkar. Don’t ask why — it could start a whole new controversy, and the industry has had more than its share of controversies in the last two months.

* * *

Plus Channel had unwelcome visitors on the morning of 26th September. The income-tax department carried out raids on its premises. I’m sure, they must have found Plus in minus.

* * *

The Meri Awaz Suno finals were held last week at a well-organised function at St. Andrews auditorium at Bandra, Bombay. Like last year, two participants — a girl and a boy — were declared winners. This television show, produced by Metavision, kept its promise last year when an audio cassette of the winner (male), Pradeep Somasundaram, was released by HMV recently. A solo cassette of the female winning voice, Sunidhi Chauhan, is due for an early release. Sanjeev Kohli, the active partner in Metavision, deserves praise for arranging an enjoyable evening where the finalists regaled the invited audience. While Annu Kapoor, who has been compering the show for the last two years, makes an excellent host, he must guard against shedding tears in front of the camera. The guy even cried (tears of joy?) in the finals function but, let me tell you, nobody was moved one bit. Hold back your tears, Annu, you are more appealing without them.

* * *

Producers and distributors should do some re-thinking on the topic of releasing films on Thursday in some circuits and on Friday in other circuits. If the public report of a film is poor on Thursday, exhibitors and sub-distributors, who usually wait till Thursday afternoon for making payments to distributors of the circuits in which the film is due for release on Friday, start making excuses. This lands the distributors into trouble. Why not release films on the same day in all the circuits — whether on Thursday or Friday.

– Komal Nahta

3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment

Two Together

After a fairly long break, producer D. Rama Naidu will now start two Hindi films — the first in January ’98. Anil Kapoor has so far been finalised to play the hero in the first venture which will be a remake of the Telugu blockbuster Pavitra Bandham. The heroine is still to be finalised but, to quote Suresh, the dynamic young son of Rama Naidu, “That shouldn’t be a problem. It’s the kind of role any heroine would yearn to do. We have some heroines in mind and we’ll finalise the one who can give us priority dates.”

Four-Week Delay For ‘Ishq’

Producer Gordhan Tanwani has postponed the release of his Ishq by four weeks. Instead of Diwali, it will now come on 28th November. The reason for the rescheduling is the picturisation of a song which still remains to be done. Aamir Khan has hurt himself and will, therefore, not be able to participate in the picturisaton of that song. Yes, this is the same number in which Amitabh Bachchan was to have featured. But the latest news is that the makers will not be featuring Bachchan in the song which will be picturised on the four lead players — Aamir Khan, Juhi Chawla, Ajay Devgan and Kajol.

Well, actually, this seems to be a bad season for the community of artistes. A few days back, Raveena Tandon was hospitalised. A couple of months back, Rajesh Khanna burnt his legs rather badly in Delhi when a container of boiling hot water fell on them. Khanna had to undergo skin grafting to treat the burns.

Flop? Who Cares?!?

Believe it or not but Chandrachur Singh has no dates to give for at least a year. And the price he is quoting is too phenomenal to be true. This was before the release of Betaabi. After its debacle too, the scene hasn’t changed. That’s how the film industry functions!

Good Reports

A Bombay distributor recently visited pilgrim place Shirdi. He had undergone some blood tests, the reports of which showed that everything was normal. Said he, “These days, film reports are never good. Therefore, a good blood report is enough reason to visit Shirdi and thank the Lord.”

The Bigger Bombs

And to end this column with a joke.
Q: How did Plaza cinema in Bombay survive the bomb blast in 1993?
A: It had screened bigger bombs than the bombs of 1993 — that’s how!

MOHABBAT

Dashaka Films’ Mohabbat is a love triangle with an element of suspense. A girl and boy fall in love with each other and their romance is even approved by the girl’s guardian (brother). But the boy’s young boss is also in love with the same girl, although he cannot get himself to express his love to her. The suspense angle follows; there’s tragedy and more tragedy. Ultimately, one guy gets the girl.

The film reminds of Saajan which also had one girl and two boys. Although there’s no blind love as in Saajan, the resemblance does remind one of the film. The first half of Mohabbat is light. The drama and tension begin in the post-interval portion which also has a couple of emotionally moving scenes. While some of the light scenes in the film are very enjoyable, at least one dramatic scene — that in which the identity of the sacrificing boy comes to the fore — in the second half draws instant applause. However, a couple of reels immediately after interval are dull. Similarly, the last reel is predictable. Another drawback is that in the entire second half, the heroine has no dialogue as she loses her voice. Nevertheless, the character of the boy (boss’ employee) is so lovable that it does make up for some drawbacks.

Madhuri Dixit does a good job. She has a look that’s quite different from her past films. Her introduction dance is very good. But she does not have a single dramatic scene in the film. Sanjay Kapoor springs a surprise with a restrained performance that is good. Akshaye Khanna is the darling of the drama. He looks very handsome and delivers a performance that’s truly brilliant. Within minutes of appearing on the screen, Akshaye endears himself to the audience and has them craving to see more of him. His dances are simply superb. Farooque Shaikh is fair. Farida Jalal and Saeed Jaffrey are good. Tej Sapru is miscast. Shiva, Sulbha Arya, Ashwin Kaushal, Dimple Ghosh, Guddi Maruti and Bob Brahmbhatt lend able support.

Reema Rakesh Nath makes a confident debut as director. Although her script is not too novel, her narration of the same is impressive. Music comprises one hit number — ‘Don’t break my heart’ — and a couple of fairly hummable numbers. But a song or two are quite boring. Song picturisations (Saroj Khan) are superb, the best being ‘Don’t break my heart’ and ‘Main hoon akela’. The dance steps of these two songs are fabulous and both, Madhuri and Akshaye, are at their graceful best. Foreign locations, on which the songs have been picturised, are beathtaking. Rajan Kinagi’s camerawork is wonderful. Editing is very appropriate. Dialogues should have been more fiery.

On the whole, although Mohabbat does remind of Saajan, it has fair merits and some freshness to fetch returns to its distributors.

Released on 19-9-’97 at Liberty and 20 other cinemas of Bombay thru Metro Films. Publicity: excellent. Opening: average. …….Also released all over except in West Bengal. Opening was very good in Delhi-U.P. and C.I. but not up to the mark in C.P. and Rajasthan. It opened in Malegaon on 16th (Tuesday) where it collected 100% on first 2 days.

ENT. TAX DOWN IN KARNATAKA

The Karnataka government has reduced entertainment tax for non-Kannada films from 110% to 70% with effect from September 20, 1997.

TWO FILMS, ONE TERRITORY, ONE STORY

It happened last week in Bengal. And it has happened this week too — in Bengal again.

Sri Ramdevji Art International, the West Bengal distributors of G.P. Sippy’s Hameshaa, did not honour their commitment of the delivery amount and thereby pleaded inability to take delivery of the film. As a result, Hameshaa could not be released in West Bengal. Going by its disastrous fate in the rest of the country, it is likely that the film will now never be purchased by any distributor for West Bengal. But that is not the point. What is shocking is that this should have happened to a film produced by G.P. Sippy, who has given films like Sholay.

This week, the same story has been repeated in the case of Rikkoo’s Mohabbat. It was acquired less than a month ago by one Kesri Pictures for West Bengal. The concern had, prior to this, released Vijeta in West Bengal. Having reportedly acquired the film at 37.5 lakh MG royalty, the distributors pleaded inability to meet their commitment at the time of delivery and announced that they just had 30 lakh for payment towards MG royalty, prints cost and publicity! The producer declined to effect delivery at the new reduced price and so this film too could not be released in West Bengal.

CAA ASKS POLICE TO SHOW RESTRAINT

The Cine Artistes’ Association has taken strong objection to the lack of restraint shown by police officials who leak information to the press, of the names of stars who are going to be interrogated by them in the Gulshan Kumar murder case. As a result of this, the stars, feels CAA, are subjected to humiliation by the media which projects the news as if the interrogation had something to do with the crime (by using words such as ‘so-and-so star grilled’), although the stars are actually merely co-operating.

The CAA has requested the deputy commissioner and the commissioner of police of Bombay to instruct their officials to exercise restraint and avoid unnecessary depiction of its members.

PURU RAAJ KUMAR CONVICTED

Puru Raaj Kumar, son of late Raaj Kumar, was convicted by metropolitan magistrate K.H. Holambe Patil of Bombay’s Bandra court on September 15 for running over a group of persons sleeping on a pavement at S.V. Road, Bandra, three years ago. He has been directed to pay Rs. 90,000 each to the next of kin of the three deceased, and Rs. 5,000 each to those who were seriously injured. For committing driving offence, he has been fined Rs. 2,000, to be deposited in court.

SINGER NOOR JAHAN HOSPITALISED

Melody queen Noor Jahan has been hospitalised in Islamabad with serious heart problems. The 78-year-old Noor Jahan, who rendered thousands of songs in Urdu and Punjabi films, besides highly popular national songs, started her career in India before the 1947 Partition.

NADEEM ARRESTED IN LONDON, RELEASED ON BAIL

Music director Nadeem, prime accused in the murder of Gulshan Kumar, was arrested by Scotland Yard on the morning of 17th September in London. According to the Scotland Yard, the police invoked the Interpol alert and got in touch with the music director who agreed “to give himself up”. The police surrounded his sister’s house at Kingsbury in north-west London, where he was staying.

Nadeem was produced before the Bow Street magistrate the same morning and released on conditional bail. The conditions say that he will not leave Britain, make himself available for questioning by the police and surrender his passport which has been revoked.

The Indian authorities have since started extradition proceedings against Saifi Nadeem Akhtar and the same will come up for hearing on 24th September.

Nadeem, who has retained a top London law firm, Henri Bradman & Co., told the magistrate that he had every intention of responding to the arrest warrant issued against him by a Bombay court, but required time as his wife was ailing in London.

MUKESH THAKKAR KILLED IN ACCIDENT

C.P. Berar distributor Mukesh Thakkar (Mukesh Films, Amravati) was killed in a road accident on 16th September near Karanja. He was returning to Amravati in a luxury bus from Nagpur where he had gone to attend the reopening of a cinema, Bharat, in which he was a partner. The bus overturned, killing two persons of which one was 40-year old Mukesh.

Mukesh Seth, as he was fondly called by the C.P. trade, was the son of will-known film agent Shyamsunder Thakkar. He had recently released Kaun Sachcha Kaun Jhootha, Muqadar and Chudail in C.P. Berar. He had acquired China Gate and Aankhon Mein Tum Ho for distribution.

The Amravati trade remained closed on 17th as a mark of respect to Mukesh. He is survived by his father, three brothers, wife, a son and a daughter.

His funeral was held on 18th September.

The Amravati film trade, under the chairmanship of Vijay Rathi, paid homage to Mukesh Thakkar at a meeting on 18th September in Amravati. The trade remembered him as a sincere and devoted worker and paid glowing tributes to him. The Raipur cine trade also paid homage to him in a condolence meeting held on 17th September at the office of Raj Pictures, Raipur.

COURT RESTRAINS ZEE TV

The Bombay high court has restrained Zee TV (Essel Vision) from telecasting five films of producer Gobindram Ahuja and has appointed a court receiver in respect of the said films with a direction that in case Zee TV seeks further telecast of the said five films, the court receiver will seek permission of the appropriate court and, at that time, appropriate directions will be passed with regard to the said films.

Satellite telecasting rights of nine films of Ahuja were given to Zee TV in 1994 with the express condition that each film was to be telecast for a maximum of five times in India. Gobindram Abhuja alleged in his notice of motion that in violation of the agreement, three of his films had been telecast more than five times. Two other films had been telecast five times, and four others had been telecast less than five times. The court, therefore, appointed a court receiver in respect of the five films which have been telecast five or more times in India.

Ahuja has further alleged that despite the court order, Zee TV has continued to violate the terms and conditions of his agreement for which contempt of court proceedings are being launched.

N.N. Sippy Re-Elected IMPDA President

N.N. Sippy was unanimously re-elected president of the Indian Motion Picture Distributors’ Association for 1997-98 at the first meeting of the newly elected executive committee, held on 19th September. This is N.N. Sippy’s twelfth consecutive term as president. Indravadan Shah was elected vice president, and Kantilal Mehta, hon. treasurer. Devendra Shah and Haresh Bhatia were elected hon. secretaries.

Earlier, the following members were declared elected to the executive committee on 18th after the 58th annual general meeting of the IMPDA at Birla Kreeda Kendra, Chowpatty, Bombay: Ordinary class: Ayub Selia, Balkrishna Shroff, Devendra Shah, Guru Shenoy, Haresh Bhatia, Kantilal Mehta, N.N. Sippy, Ramesh Sippy, U.A. Thadani, Tolu Bajaj, Vijay Choksey and Vinod Kakkad. In the Associate class, the following were declared elected: Indravadan Shah, Mohan Susania and D.Y. Pattani.

There were no elections this year as there were as many nominations and sitting members in both the classes as the number of seats. Gulshan Rai and Sharad Doshi, two sitting members, did not offer themselves for re-election. In their place, Ramesh Sippy and Tolu Bajaj were declared elected. Four others — Dilip Dhanwani, Manoj Khivasara, Pradeep Singh, Tekchand Anchal — had filed their nomination papers in the Ordinary class but withdrew the same before elections. The nomination of the fifth member, Sanjay Chaturvedi, was rejected on technical grounds.

Gulshan Rai Feted

Gulshan Rai, a senior member of the IMPDA, was felicitated at the annual meeting. He was presented a shawl, a shriphal and flowers.

Anti-Video Piracy Cell

Bombay distributor Shyam Shroff suggested at the meeting that a separate cell to combat video piracy be set up by the IMPDA. His suggestion met with a favourable response and it was agreed that an anti-video piracy cell be formed soon.

A cocktail dinner party was held at Garware Club on the evening of 18th September.

PRODUCTION NEWS

‘Lal Badshah’ In Rajasthan

Writer-producer-director K.C. Bokadia will start a 25-day shooting schedule of B.M.B Productions’ Lal Badshah on Sept. 21 in Jaipur, Udaipur and Bikaner. Many scenes and songs will be picturised featuring all the artistes. After this last outdoor spell, the film will be almost complete. Starring Amitabh Bachchan, Manisha Koirala, Shilpa Shetty, Shakti Kapoor, Mukesh Rishi and Amrish Puri, it is presented by M.S. Combines (P.) Ltd. Music by Aadesh Srivastava and dialogues by Anwar Khan are the other major credits.

‘Sarfarosh’ Forges Ahead

A 10-day shooting schedule of Cinematt Pictures’ Sarfarosh will be held from Sept. 21 to 30 on Bombay locations. Dramatic and action scenes will be picturised. The film stars Naseeruddin Shah, Aamir Khan, Sonali Bendre, Mukesh Rishi, Govind Namdeo, Akhilendra Mishra, Akash Khurana, Smita Jaykar, Sukanya Kulkarni, Rajesh Joshi, Makrand Deshpande, Salim Shah, Ahmed Khan, Pradeep Raut and Ali Khan. It is being produced and directed by John Mathew Matthan. Music is scored by Jatin Lalit. Lyrics: Sameer. Action: Abbas Hanif.

25-Day Initial Stint Of ‘Champion’

A 25-day shooting schedule of Shree Shiv Bhakti Films’ Champion will start on Oct. 1 in Hyderabad. Sunny Deol, Raveena Tandon and Rahul Dev will participate in this first schedule. Producer Sujit Kumar and director Padma Kumar have just returned from a tour of England, Hungary and Czechoslovakia, where they had gone to finalise locations for the film. It has music by Anu Malik, lyrics by Javed Akhtar, cinematography by Thiru, screenplay by Maharajan, and dialogues by Sanjay Masoom.

MIX MASALA

BABA BOY

Indra Kumar, who is directing Ishq for Baba Films, was blessed with a baba on 9th September. The ace director earlier had two baby girls and no baby boy. With the third child being a baba, it’s now a complete family.

IN & OUT OF BOMBAY

Mr. Ravi Machhar of Sahyog Films, Secunderabad, and Abhinay cinema, Aurangabad, left Bombay for Vaishnodevi on 18th September and will return to Bombay on 24th.

Producer-director Subhash Ghai left for the USA on 18th September and will return to India after a month.

Mr. Manohar Kankaria of Musical Films P. Ltd., Calcutta, is in town (388-4190/ 387-5393/98210-47403).

Mr. Ajit Singh of Ajit Films, Delhi, is at Hotel Ramada Inn Palm Grove and will return to Delhi on 22nd September.

DO YOU KNOW?

* Efforts are on to find a suitable director who will complete the unfinished DUS of late Mukul Anand. J.P. Dutta and Priyadarshan are reportedly being considered.

* Rajiv Babbar has launched his fifth film and, like his previous four (CHEETAH, JALLAAD, MUQADAR and the under-production SHAPATH), this one — SHER-E-HINDUSTAN — also stars Mithun Chakraborty.

* PARDES (tax-free) has created a theatre record by collecting 3,35,737/- in 6th week at Rahul, Pune. Also creates a theatre record by collecting 79,634/- in 6th week at West End, Pune.

* PARDES is showing a marked improvement week by week at Triveni, Bangalore, where it collected 2,25,000/- in 4th week, 2,46,000/- in 5th week, and 2,70,000/- in 6th week.

* THE LOST WORLD (Hindi) has created an all-time record by collecting 4,19,619/- (nett) in 1st week at Prem Prakash, Jaipur.

* THE LOST WORLD (English) has created a record by collecting 2,54,693/- in 2nd week at Smruti, Nagpur.

It Happened In Bangalore

The song being picturised at the Capitol Hotel in Bangalore for Pardesi Babu is truly catchy. ‘Paaon mein payal, haathon mein kangana, ho maathe pe bindiya / It happens only in India’ go the lyrics.

If the song reminds you of the ‘I love my India’ song of Pardes, it’s nobody’s fault. For, this number of Pardesi Babu is not inspired from that song of Pardes. In fact, the Pardesi Babu song was recorded six months back.

Anyway, it is being picturised on 10th September in Bangalore. Govinda and Shilpa Shetty, both good dancers, are in great form and we suspect, it has something — rather, a lot — to do with the catchy lyrics and the catchier tune. Both are the work of Anand Raaj Anand.

In fact, so involved is Govinda that he gives as many as 10 and 12 retakes for one difficult step. Why, even after dance director Chinni Prakash has okayed the shot and is very happy with it, Govinda pleads for another retake and another and another….. Chinni and director Manoj Agarwal are thrilled with the devoted actor’s commitment. A beaming Kulbhushan Gupta (producer) says, “It is this involvement of his which more than makes up for Govinda’s latecoming on the sets.”

Well, Govinda has actually arrived a day late in Bangalore. We are informed that it was his revolver (which Govinda carries these days for security reasons) which was not allowed on the fight and because of which Govinda preferred to miss the flight the previous day . But when Govinda does reach Bangalore, he informs that it was his allergy which held him up in Bombay. Saying thus, he asks his Man Friday, Gauri Shankar, to scratch his itching back.

If Govinda is a day late, the film’s other heroine, Raveena Tandon, hasn’t showed up at all. And how could she? The poor girl was laid up in bed in a hospital in Bombay, suffering from meningitis. Thankfully, she’s alright now. Rather than waste the dates of the other artistes, the director decides to shoot the scenes and the song involving Govinda with Shipa Shetty. “Our script is completely ready,” informs Kulbhushan, “and so we could do this.” Therefore, what’s being picturised in Bangalore was to have actually been shot in Bombay.

Besides the hotel where the song picturisation was completed in four days (Govinda shot the whole night on the last shooting day as the following day was a holiday being the second Sunday), the film was shot on a set erected at Abhay Naidu Studios as also in a garment store — Twinkle — in a shopping complex.

Twinkle is owned by the brothers-in-law of the film’s presenter, Chetan Avlani, and it was the stars who were twinkling in the shopping complex that night. Chetan, too, participated with Govinda and Shilpa Shetty, playing the cashier of the shop. But while he received cash in the shot, off-screen Chetan has, obviously, not been at the ‘receiving end’, having had to shell out crores for this expensive project.

Lavish the film might be. But equally lavish are Govinda’s praises for director Manoj Agarwal. In fact, it is on Govinda’s recommendation that Manoj has been signed by producer Vimal Kumar to direct his next. This is the same film which was to have been directed by David Dhawan. David being busier than the proverbial ‘D’ — sorry, bee — Vimal has decided to make the film with another of Govinda’s favourite, Manoj.

Satish Kaushik plays a Sardar in Pardesi Babu and, as Kulbhushan puts it, “He will be the highlight.” Satish’s name in the film is Happy Singh but in the film, he is anything but happy. Rather, he is always tensed up about something or the other.

As we are tense about our return flight to Bombay. Unconfirmed seats on the Indian Airlines flight don’t get confirmed so easily and we, therefore, return from the airport to the hotel. Even though we are jittery, Kulbhushan is ‘kool’ as a cucumber. He is the Happy Singh on the sets — and in the true sense of the term. Raveena’s illness, Govinda’s latecoming, Kulbhushan’s wife’s hospitalisation even while the schedule is in progress — all this, besides the regular production hassles, and even then, ‘Kool’bhushan is not one bit tense.

Perhaps, that’s why he can produce three films at a time. His Vidroh with Akshay Kumar is on the completion stage. The third project is Shivam, with Raaj Kumar’s younger son, Panini.

– Komal Nahta

3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment

Aftermath Of Shoot-Out: Decline In Shootings

The murder of Gulshan Kumar last month and the string of threatening telephone calls from underworld dons to leading producers, actors and financiers have started telling on filmland activities. Not only have lavish film parties stopped, even film shootings have reduced. Yes, film finance is hard to get these days, with several financiers having pulled out from the game for the time being and some others having decided to take it easy. It will not be wrong to say that the number of film shootings has declined by 30 to 40%. According to director K. Ravi Shanker, who has an equipment division, “The decline in shootings is to the tune of 40% to 50%.”

Unimaginable Prices

Gujarat and Saurashtra have become heavenly sub-territories for the Bombay distributors of big films. Star cast and big-banner films are fetching even more than a crore from Gujarat, and half that price from Saurashtra. Why, so ‘hot’ are these sub-circuits that one big film, due for release on Diwali, is simply not being offered for sale in the sub-circuits. Another big film, due again for Diwali release, is being offered for sale at over 2 for Gujarat and over 1 for Saurashtra! Yes, 2 crore and 1 crore!!

Eastern Circuit Ratio Needs Redefining

It is baffling how the Eastern circuit is considered almost the same as Bombay circuit in the fixing of a film’s ratio/price. Businesses of almost all films reveal that the returns in Bombay circuit are greater than in the Eastern circuit. At times, business of a film in Bengal is just about 70% of that in Bombay. Sometimes, it is even less than that. Of course, the distributors of Eastern circuit do save in print costs because the number of prints they take are invariably much lesser than that taken out by a Bombay distributor. Even the publicity costs of the two circuits are very different, being much higher in Bombay and comparatively lower in Bengal. But despite these savings, the ratio of the Eastern circuit needs to be not more than 75 to 80% of that of Bombay.

Partners Abroad

Aditya Chopra and Bombay distributor-exhibitor Anil Thadani have opened a distribution office for the United Kingdom, in London. Of course, the new company’s — not named as yet — first release in the UK will be Yash Chopra’s Dil To Pagal Hai. Aditya and Anil had released the former’s Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge in Bombay circuit through their concern, A.A. Films. With Dil To Pagal Hai, Yash Chopra has opened an independent distribution office for Bombay.

For The Small Screen, Of Course

Romesh Sharma’s experience with his first TV serial, Ajnabi, has been so rewarding that he has commenced yet another serial, Usool. Like Ajnabi was made as a film more than six years ago (a film which no distributor was prepared to touch even with a barge-pole) and then ‘converted’ into a money-spinning serial, Usool too was planned as a film. To be telecast on Sunday mornings at 10.30, beginning 28th September, on the national network of Doordarshan, the ambitious serial, produced and directed by Romesh Sharma from his own story and screenplay, stars Danny Denzongpa, Parikshat Sahni, Tinnu Anand, Tom Alter, Shashi Sharma, Neena Softa, Deep Dhillon, Virendra Saxena, Siddharth Ray and Romesh Sharma himself. It is mounted on a colossal scale, and a major part of the serial is shot in Mauritius.

HAMESHAA

Sippy Films’ Hameshaa (UA) is a reincarnation story. It narrates the tale of two lovers whose love story comes to a tragic end because of the machinations of the boy’s best friend who is a prince. The prince, who loves the same girl, envies his friend because while his own love is unrequitted, that of the friend is reciprocated by the girl. His jealously prompts him to nip the love affair in the bud by killing his own friend so that he can marry the girl. But the girl, rather than reciprocating the prince’s love, commits suicide. The two dead persons are reborn and destiny brings the prince (who has become middle-aged by then) and the two reborn persons (who look similar to what they looked in their previous lives) together. The girl tries to remind the guy of their previous lives even as the prince once again tries to woo her and win her over. The lovers, who could not unite in matrimony in their previous lives, finally unite in their new lives but only after exterminating the prince.

A reincarnation tale of this kind should have had romance that would have moved mountains, music that would have mesmerised the listener, and revelation of the past lives that would have drawn claps and applause from the audience. But unfortunately, the romance is half-baked, unexciting and tame, music is far from haunting, and the revelation of the past lives has been treated childishly, to say the least. Nothing has been established properly with the result that the incidents fail to involve the audience or move them. Screenplay is more an assemblage of scenes which have been seen earlier. In fact, there’s no attempt whatsoever to give the audience anything new. Dialogues are ordinary. Tempo is slow at several places.

Saif Ali Khan does an average job. Aditya Pancholi is so-so except in dramatic scenes where he looks ill at ease. Kajol gives an impressive account of herself. Aroona Irani has been hopelessly wasted in an inconsequential role. Her character seems to have been defined to add an unnecessary eerie and suspense angle. Laxmikant Berde is hardly comic. Ishrat Ali’s comedy is irritating. Kader Khan gets no scope. Tej Sapru is good in a minuscule role. Achyut Potdar and Satyen Kappu lend fairly good support. Milind Gunaji has a worthless role in a special appearance.

Sanjay Gupta’s direction is as immature as his scripting. No care has been taken to knit a cohesive story or make the narration exciting or even tolerable. It often appears that the director was in a hurry to simply can scenes. When the romance in the lovers’ first lives itself does not come across as intense, one can’t imagine it to appeal in their rebirths. Although some songs — in particular, ‘Rang tadi rang tadi’, ‘Neela duppatta’ and ‘Hamesha hamesha’ — are well-tuned, Anu Malik’s music does not have the haunting quality which was necessary for a reincarnation subject. Picturisations of ‘Neela duppatta’, ‘Rang tadi’ and a couple of other songs are very eye-pleasing. Kabir Lal’s camerawork is very good. Action is routine. Background music should have been more effective. Mixing (Dolby sound) is appropriate. Production values are quite nice. Opticals and special effects are good.

On the whole, Hameshaa is a poor reincarnation drama with no hopes at the box-office.

Released on 11-9-’97 at Metro (matinee) and on 12-9-’97 at Maratha Mandir and 14 other cinemas of Bombay thru Sippy Films. Publicity: very good. Opening: dull. …….Also released all over. Opening was poor everywhere. 1st day Indore about 27,000/- (against a capacity of 1,55,000/-), 2nd day 20,000/- (capacity 1,42,000/-).

JUDGE MUJRIM

Shivshakti Production’s Judge Mujrim (A) is the story of a very fair judge who is led to give a wrong judgement which, if carried out, would result in an innocent young man being hanged to death. The wrong judgement is the result of a vengeful plan of an underworld don whose brother has been sentenced to death by the honest judge. The don, in order to belittle the judge, traps him into believing that a murder seen by him (judge) has been committed by the young man when actually it is committed by his look-alike. As a result, the judge sentences the innocent man to death but he soon realises that he has been misled. He then goes all out to save the innocent man who also happens to be his sister’s lover. For saving the man, the principled judge even adopts unlawful methods.

The story had the germs of a good suspense drama but the screenplay is quite shoddily written so that its impact is poor. The introduction of the look-alike in the story kills the excitement that could have come with the suspense angle. It looks rather too simplistic. Not only is the drama dull, even performances of most of the artistes don’t rise beyond the average level. Minimum justice has been done to the characterisations. For instance, the heroine (judge’s sister), who is a police inspector, gets to show her bravery only in the climax. For the rest, she looks like a dummy. The judge’s wife is an advocate but she has practically no role worth her while.

Romance is absent and comedy is weak. Action scenes are average. Dialogues are ordinary.

Jeetendra does well as the judge. Sunil Shetty is good in action scenes but routine in dramatic ones. Mukesh Khanna is alright. Kiran Kumar’s villainy is fair. Ashwini Bhave and Sujata Mehta have been wasted. Johny Lever, in a triple role, fails to make people laugh. Ashok Saraf, Surendra Pal and the others provide average support.

Jagdish A. Sharma’s direction is as poor as the script. Bappi Lahiri’s music is also barely passable. ‘Hum tum donon mil gaye’ is about the only hummable song. Picturisations of the songs are commonplace. Photography and other technical aspects are below the mark.

On the whole, Judge Mujrim is a dull fare but the low price it has fetched from distributors is quite a positive factor.

Released on 12-9-’97 at Ganga Palace and 18 other cinemas of Bombay thru Param-Anand Pictures. Publicity & opening: fair. …….Also released all over.

DASARI NARAYANA RAO SURRENDERS BEFORE MAGISTRATE

Director Dasari Narayana Rao on 9th September surrendered before the additional chief metropolitan magistrate in Madras trying economic offences, V. Periyakaruppiah, in a case for wilfully failing to file his income-tax return for the assessment year 1985-86. The income-tax department had registered a case against him under section 276C of the Income-Tax Act on 22nd March, 1989.

As Dasari did not appear in the court for the trial, the economic offences court had issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against him on February 6 last year.

BONUS FOR CINEMA STAFF ON 100 DAYS OF ‘BORDER’

Vishwajyoti Films, Bhusawal, the C.P. Bear distributors of Border, have announced 15 days’ salary as bonus to the staff of two cinemas — Rajkamal, Akola, and Rajlaxmi, Amravati — where the film will celebrate 100 days on 19th September. The respective cinema owners will also pay 15 days’ salary as bonus to their staff members.

NO ELECTIONS FOR IMPDA

The 58th annual general meeting of the Indian Motion Picture Distributors’ Association on 18th September will not be followed by elections to the executive committee as there are 11 members in the fray in the Ordinary class for 11 seats, and 3 in the fray in the Associate class for 3 seats. All the members will, therefore, be declared elected unopposed.

Dilip Dhanwani, Guru Shenoy, Manoj Khivasara, Pradeep Singh and Tekchand Anchal, who had filed their nominations, have all withdrawn. Of the sitting members, Gulshan Rai and Sharad Doshi have opted out of the elections this year. In their place will come Ramesh Sippy and Tolu Bajaj, the only two new members who’ve filed their nominations and not withdrawn them.

In the Associate class, since all the three sitting members are eligible for re-election and no new member has filed his nomination, the three will be declared re-elected.

The annual general meeting at Birla Kreeda Kendra, Chowpatty, Bombay, on 18th will be followed by a dinner party the same evening at S.S. Hall, Garware Club, Bombay.

Asia’s Biggest Film City Inaugurated

Ramoji Film City, Asia’s largest film city, was inaugurated in Hyderabad on 11th September. Owned by press baron and film producer and distributor Ramoji Rao, the Film City is the best in Asia and is equipped to handle a hundred film productions at a time.

It has all production and post-production facilities so that a producer can walk in with the script and walk out with the print.

The Film City, located on a 1,000-acre plot of land, has 40 studio floors, scores of locations, properties, set designing and construction facilities, state-of-the-art equipment for post-production work, a sophisticated processing laboratory, digital audio work-stations for dubbing and sound editing. The Film City also houses hotels, dormitories, bank, travel agency, communication and business infrastructure, a power station etc. It is professionally planned and also professionally managed.

Mukul Anand No More

Director Mukul Anand died of a heat attack in Pune on 7th September at 5.30 a.m. at the Army Hospital. He was 46 and had just returned from the USA after a long shooting schedule of his ambitious project, Dus. Mukul is survived by his wife, a daughter and a son.

A technical wizard, Mukul had directed a total of 11 Hindi films and one Gujarati film. Although none of his Hindi films was a major hit, every film was technically brilliant. Whether it was his maiden Hindi venture, Kanoon Kya Karega, or Amitabh Bachchan starrer Hum, his films had a distinct technical finish. Besides Hum, he directed Bachchan in Khuda Gawah and Agneepath. Amitabh bagged the National Award for his acting in Agneepath. Mukul’s other films were Main Balwaan, Aitbaar, Insaaf (Vinod Khanna’s comeback film), Sultanat (which introduced Juhi Chawla), Khoon Ka Karz, Maha-Sangram and Trimurti. The Gujarati film he directed and which was his very first attempt was Kanku Ni Keemat.

Mukul Anand was also an accomplished ad film maker and the Pepsi (Yehi hai right choice baby, aha!) ad was one of the many, many advertisement films made by him. His ad film company was called MAD — short for ‘Mukul Anand Directs’.

He was very enterprising and had a positive approach to his work. Sincere in what he did, he never bothered about the results and concentrated on his work. Mukul was forward-looking and never cried over spilt milk.

Educated in an army college, he was a disciplinarian who was awake every morning at 6 o’clock. He was jolly by nature and always enthusiastic about his work.

Mukul’s funeral was held in Bombay at midnight on 7th because even though his body arrived from Pune in good time, his daughter, who was at a boarding school of Mussoorie, reached Bombay only around midnight. But even that late an hour did not deter his hundreds of friends and fans from the film industry from attending the funeral. The chautha ceremony on 10th September was also largely attended.

The Jolly, Good Fellow Is Gone

News of Mukul’s death came as a shock to me as it must have to everybody else. Mukul was so full of life that it is difficult to believe that he could have died so suddenly and silently.

I became friendly with Mukul when he was directing Main Balwaan for Pranlal Mehta. We struck an immediate rapport and I found him extremely warm as a person, zestful and energetic. He was always full of ideas and believed in what he did. He loved to joke and fool but was never malicious in his jokes.

I still remember when he was shooting Main Balwaan at Hotel Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur and I had gone to cover the shooting. Power-cuts were frequent in Jodhpur and there was one such power failure while the shooting was on, and I was on the set. Back in Bombay, Mukul was picturising a song for the same film on a set at Film City. I had visited the set and, as bad luck would have it, the power failed the moment I entered the set. Mukul immediately co-related the power failure of Jodhpur with the one that day and jokingly conveyed to Pranlal Mehta that my presence on his set always resulted in holding up the shooting due to power failure. Believe it or not, the third time I visited Mukul Anand’s set at some studio in Bombay (I don’t member the film’s name), there was power failure again (and this, when power failures aren’t common in Bombay) and Mukul and I burst out laughing. For a few years after that, electricity and power used to be one point of discussion between us whenever we met. Mukul used to invariably tease me about being the dushman of producers for holding up their shootings by ‘causing’ power failures and, in fact, he used to keep his fingers crossed when I was on his set.

Years passed by. Mukul moved on to bigger and bigger projects and became extremely busy. Our meetings became less frequent but whenever we met, he exuded the same warmth, the same affection. His infectious smile was intact, his jokes never ceased. I was happy that he hadn’t changed.

Then came Hum, his first of the three films he made with Amitabh Bachchan in the lead. Mukul had shot Hum extensively in Mauritius and it was he and producer Romesh Sharma who had given me the list of places I should visit when I went to Mauritius for my honeymoon in 1991. In fact, Mukul had come to my house a few days before I left for Mauritius and had, in his own handwriting, listed down the places I should shop at, the beaches I should see and the hotel I should stay in and eat at. Hum was released in the same week as I got married and on my return from Mauritius, the controversy between Amitabh Bachchan and Film Information started. The controversy went on for a fairly long time and that’s the time Mukul and I drifted apart. But even in the breaking of our friendship, there was no bitterness from either side. In that way, the breaking of our friendship was, so to say, graceful. He was angry with me, I presume, for not classifying Hum as a hit and superhit, and I resented a comment he made in Stardust vis-à-vis the Hum controversy.

The first time I saw Mukul after that was many months later, at Amitabh Bachchan’s party at Go Bananas when he (Bachchan) bagged the National Award for the best actor for Agneepath. I must admit that both, Mukul and I, acted childish that evening when we came face-to-face but refused to shake hands or even acknowledge each other’s presence. Obviously, I missed his jokes, his loud laughter and his backslapping that day.

Just as suddenly as we had drifted apart, Mukul and I became friends again. It was at some shooting of his that we exchanged pleasantries and it didn’t take more than a minute to strike the same rapport. Although I found him jolly even then, I noticed that Mukul had become a serious businessman too. By then, he had started his ad film company, MAD, and he spoke to me about the turnover of the ad film world being much more than that of the feature film world. Our ‘continuity joke’ about power failure had been forgotten by both of us by then.

The last time I met Mukul was at his office at Worli, Bombay, where Neha-MAD had organised a party on 19th July to brief the press about his Prithvi. Mukul, energetic and zestful as ever, spoke to me about his ad films, about his company having diversified into event management and about his latest passion, Dus.

Mukul was full of ideas and plans that day as he was always. Little did I know then that that would be the last time I would be meeting Mukul.

Call it an uncanny coincidence or whatever but just a few hours before Mukul must have been taken to the Army Hospital in Pune on 6th/7th September after suffering a heart attack, there was a power failure on the road on which I live. No, I did not meet Mukul or laugh with him over the power failure of 6th night. But the following morning, I received the tragic news of Mukul’s death in Pune.

His smile, his jokes, his laughter, his plans, his zest for life, his sincerity for his work — all came to my mind as memories. Mukul, a friend, became a memory on Sunday, the 7th of September. A memory that I will cherish forever.

– Komal Nahta

CCCA AGM, ELECTIONS ON SEPT. 24 IN JAIPUR
No Heat, No Excitement

Elections to the executive committee of the strongest trade association — the Central Circuit Cine Association — for 1997-98 will be held on 25th September in Jaipur. The annual general meeting will be held a day earlier.

There doesn’t seem to be much heat this year on the election front. Although there are 22 nominations for 8 seats in the Distributors’ section, and another 22 nominations for 8 seats in the Exhibitors’ section, the possibility of last-minute withdrawals and adjustments is not ruled out. There is a likelihood that consensus candidates are selected in advance and the others may withdraw their nominations. As it is, no strong opposition group seems to have emerged to lock horns with the ruling group of Santosh Singh Jain. As C.P. Berar distributor Mohan Kasat beautifully summed up the scene, “It is ice-cold.”

The valid nominations of the Distributors’ section are as follows:

C.P. Berar Distributors (to elect 4) (valid nominations 9): Anil Rathi, B.N. (Laaloo) Kabra, Bharat Khajanchi, Dilip Mudliar, K.D. Sonar, Mohan Godha, Pramod Kumar Munot, Ramkishan Kasat and Vishnuprasad Agarwal.

C.P. Berar Exhibitors (to elect 4) (valid nominations 10): Azad Laddha, Amit Jaiswal, H.D. Bagga, Loonkaran Pareekh, Mahendra Jain, Milapchand Jain, Pramod Kumar Munot, S.K. Surana, Vijay Rathi and Vishnuprasad Agarwal.

C.I. Distributors (to elect 2) (valid nominations 5): Mohan Godha, Nandkishore Jalani, Santosh Singh Jain, Sunil Choudhary and Vinod Malhotra.

C.I. Exhibitors (to elect 2) (valid nominations 4): O.P. Goyal, Ramesh Sureka, Shiv Kumar Jaiswal and Uttam Nahar.

Rajasthan Distributors (to elect 2) (valid nominations 8): Chandrashekhar Choudhary, Kishanchand Jain, Mohan Godha, Nandkishore Jalani, Ramdhan Mamoria, Santosh Singh Jain, Sandeep Bhandari and Sunil Choudhary.

Rajasthan Exhibitors (to elect 2) (valid nominations 8): Chandrashekhar Choudhary, Kishanchand Jain, Liyakat Ali, Narendra Kumar Sharma, Rajendra Mamoria, Rameshchand Jain, Ramdhan Malhotra and Trilok Singh.

DO YOU KNOW?

* A little known fact about late director Mukul Anand is that he had started his directorial career with a Gujarati film, KANKU NI KEEMAT, which he directed for producer Romesh Sharma.

* The Nargis Dutt Memorial Foundation, set up by Sunil Dutt soon after the death of Nargis, has over the years donated medical equipments worth Rs. 7 crore to 18 centres in India, dealing with cancer patients. The Foundation also has centres in Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago and several other cities of the USA, Canada and Europe, and they help raise funds for Indian medical centres.

YOU ASKED IT

What do you think of three big films being scheduled for release on Diwali?

– Besides DIL TO PAGAL HAI, ISHQ and GHULAM-E-MUSTHAFA, there is BHAI also being planned for Diwali release. Of course, it isn’t the right thing to do but then nobody wants to sacrifice the festival period.

Does Gulshan Kumar’s Super Cassettes not have the rights of any forthcoming film which has music by Nadeem Shravan?

– It does. The music of Boney Kapoor’s Hindi remake of the Tamil film KAADHAL KOTTAI is scored by Nadeem Shravan, and its audio rights vest with Super Cassettes.

Why are films flopping one after the other? Have people stopped frequenting cinemas?

– Don’t blame the people alone. If a film is good, there is no dearth of audience. When the recent releases themselves have been bad, how can you expect them to run?

3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment

150-Crore Insurance Cover For Amitabh Bachchan?

Amitab Bachchan is negotiating with the Life Insurance Corporation for a personal life insurance policy of Rs. 150 crore under the ‘Key man insurance policy’ scheme. This policy is quite popular these days and is meant for the person who heads a company and whose role in the day-to-day functioning of the company is indispensable. If the policy goes through, it will be the biggest LIC policy cover for any individual in the country. And yes, Abhishek, son of Amitabh Bachchan, will be the LIC agent for Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Ltd. which will have to pay Rs. 16 crore premium annually for 16 years. The payment of premium will be considered a company expenditure and will be tax deductible.

Killing Rumours…

The false news that Shah Rukh Khan had been shot dead by an unknown person literally spread like wild fire on 11th September. Newspaper offices were flooded with phone calls to verify the news. Film Information office itself must have answered over 800 calls from different cities, states and even countries! Actually, this was the third or fourth occasion that Shah Rukh Khan had been ‘killed’ in the past month or so. But never was the rumour of the actor’s murder so strong. A day earlier, there were rumours that Amitabh Bachchan had been shot dead.

…And Grilling Rumours

The way in which the Gulshan Kumar murder investigations are being reported by the national press is shocking, to say the least. Even news of insignificant or negligible news value is blown out of proportion by several newspapers. Perhaps, the most wrongly used term in such reporting is ‘grilled’. Newspaper reports day after day make a mention of stars, producers, playback singers, music directors etc. being grilled. But the fact is that not many of them have been grilled, they have only been interrogated. The dictionary meaning of ‘grill’ is ‘subject to or undergo torture or great heat’; subject to severe questioning (esp. by police)’. The least the police can do is to issue a clarification that they are interrogation sessions and not grilling sessions that they are holding with various film people. Or is it that even the Bombay police is enjoying and deriving some kind of sadistic pleasure in the press reports about grilling of important personalities?

Plaza To Reopen

Finally, Plaza cinema at Dadar, Bombay, will reopen on Dassera — actually, a day earlier — with Deewana Mastana. The cinema, which was a target of the serial bomb blasts in Bombay in March ’93, has remained closed for three-and-a-half years now. There were rumours during this period that the cinema would never reopen. But all those rumours will finally be put to rest once late V. Shantaram’s Plaza reopens on 10th October.

BETAABI

S.P. Creations’ Betaabi is a love story of two boys and two girls. A rich and vain girl has two boys proposing marriage to her and she sets both of them against each other by giving counter-proposals to them. She challenges one of them to kidnap her if he wants her hand in marriage and tells the other to stop the kidnapping if he wants to marry her. Both the guys accept the challenges and what follows is a chase. There are other angles and diversions too.

The drama looks too frivolous to be enjoyed for two-and-a-half hours. While the portion immediately after interval is entertaining and enjoyable, the first half of the film and the latter part of the second half are quite boring and, at times, even get irritating. In particular, the puppy scene and the action scene between the college ruffians and the Sardarjis are two highlights. The base of the story — the rich girl’s challenge to the two boys — is very weak and, therefore, what follows doesn’t create much of an impact. Dialogues are good at places but the same cannot be said of the screenplay (Akash Khurana and Robin Bhatt) which seems to have been written without much thought having been given to the overall impact.

Chandrachur Singh does well but he needs to open up more and get into the skin of the character. Arshad Warsi endears himself to the audience with a free and lively performance. His dances are eye-pleasing. Anjala Zaveri is fair. Mayuri Kango is okay. Both the girls need to improve in dancing. Shakti Kapoor (loud at places) and Gulshan Grover (in a special appearance) are so-so. Rakesh Bedi is effective in a double role. Shadab Khan does a fair job. Reema is natural. Himani Shivpuri is wasted. Amrit Pal, Shama Deshpande, Ankush Mohit and the rest lend good support.

Rajesh Singh makes a reasonable debut in direction but he should have selected a more substantive drama for his launch vehicle. Even otherwise, he needs to understand the importance of a good script-sense and able screenplay writing for a director. Vishal’s music is good but a comic love drama such as this, with not-too-exciting happenings, needed hit music. ‘Tum mere ho’, ‘Jhoothi moothi’ and ‘Gungunati hui’ are quite good songs. ‘Hai hai hai hai’ is well choreographed but the other songs don’t really stand out as far as their picturisations go. Sham Kaushal’s action is quite good. Camerawork is fair. Production values are alright.

On the whole, Betaabi has some chance in some major cities only, where light dramas are liked. Barring Bombay (where it may sail safe), its business prospects in most of the other circuits are bleak.

Released on 5-9-’97 at Dreamland, Liberty (matinee) and 17 other cinemas of Bombay thru Devgan’s Entertainment. Publicity: very good. Opening: fair. …….Also released all over. Opening was dull in Delhi-U.P. and Rajasthan and very poor in C.P. and C.I.

JODIDAR

Kudasaa’s Jodidar is the story of an elephant which avenges its master’s murder. The elephant, after the death of its master, is awarded to a local fighter. The new owner is agitated when he learns that his elephant has murdered two persons but when he gets to know that they were the murderers of the elephant’s earlier boss, he supports it in its mission to kill the third and last murderer.

The story is routine, and the screenplay is no better. About the only entertaining parts are the work of the elephant and some comedy scenes. A part of the comedy is totally unrelated with the main story. Dialogues are dull.

Mithun Chakraborty should do something about his looks, makeup and costumes. His performance in the film is average. Mantra is no heroine material and is also average as an actress. Aditya Pancholi (special appearance) is okay. Prem Chopra, Johny Lever (friendly appearance) and Paintal raise occasional laughter. Punit Issar, Tej Sapru and Vishwajeet Pradhan pass muster as the three villains. Anjana Mumtaz fills the bill. The elephant has been well exploited but not the dog and the monkey.

T.L.V. Prasad’s direction is ordinary. An insight into the thinking of the director can be gauged by a scene in which a group of rapists start punching and kicking (!) an elephant when it comes to the rescue of the girl about to be raped. He could have created sentiments of the animals, but fails to do so. Music is a letdown. Camerawork and other technical aspects are ordinary. Production values are average. Action scenes should have been more thrilling.

On the whole, Jodidar has ordinary merits and its low price is its biggest advantage.

Released on 5-9-’97 at Super and 11 other cinemas of Bombay by Vimal Agarwal thru R.M. Ahuja & Co. Publicity: average. Opening: fair. …….Also released all over.

THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK
(Dubbed)

Paramount Films of India Ltd.’s The Lost World: Jurassic Park (UA), dubbed from the English film of the same name, is a sequel to Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park. But the novelty of Jurassic Park is almost completely missing in the sequel. Many scenes are similar to those seen in the earlier film.

A lady paleontologist, whose mission is to study the extinct dinosaurs, goes to Isla Sarna island to investigate if any dinosaurs have survived the hurricane which hit the island. Her fiancé follows her, alongwith his team, to save her. There is another group in the island whose main aim is to trap dinosaurs for keeping them in the zoo for commercial gains. However, the dinosaurs make their lives hell and kill many of them.

Director Steven Spielberg has mostly repeated what he offered in Jurassic Park. Of course, a few scenes are novel and send chills down the spine. The recreation of the dinosaurs is splendid but not exciting enough. Dialogues are too verbose, and dubbing is not upto the mark. Background score is very effective. Photography is extraordinary.

Julianne Moore as Sarah, Jeff Goldblum as Ian, and Pete Postlethwaite as Roland have done well.

On the whole, The Lost World: Jurassic Park will appeal to and thrill more those who’ve not seen Jurassic Park but since that was a runaway hit, the sequel will not match its business. All the same, it should bring in returns to its distributors, but in some circuits only.

Released on 5-9-’97 at Jamuna Palace and 15 other cinemas of Bombay thru Param-Anand Pictures. Publicity: extraordinary. Opening: so-so (affected due to excessive number of prints). …….Also released all over. Opening was very good in Delhi-U.P. and encouraging in C.P.C.I.

‘SARDARI BEGUM’ TAX-FREE IN MAHARASHTRA

Plus Films’ Sardari Begum has been granted perpetual exemption from payment of entertainment tax in Maharashtra.

ANJAAN DEAD

Veteran lyricist Anjaan passed away on 3rd September at Nanavati Hospital in Bombay due to a heart attack. He had not been keeping well since almost two years. Besides other complications, he was also suffering from paralysis.

Lalji Pandey alias Anjaan had to struggle for many years before he could make a mark as a song writer. Premnath’s Prince Of Golconda was among his first few films but the real recognition came much later with Sippy Films’ Bandhan. Soon, Anjaan came to be associated with Kalyanji Anandji, and he wrote the songs of a number of films, music of which was scored by Kalyanji Anandji. He was also the lyricist of many of Prakash Mehra’s films. One of Anjaan’s most popular songs was the catchy Khaike paan Banaras wala from Don. Among the other films for which he penned the lyrics were Muqaddar Ka Sikander, Godaan, Disco Dancer, Namak Halaal, Dalaal, Baharen Phir Bhi Aayegi etc.

Anjaan is survived by, among others, his lyricist-son, Sameer, and publicist-brother, Gopal Pandey.

AHMEDABAD DRIVE-IN ENTERS 25TH YEAR

Sunset Drive-In cinema of Ahmedabad entered its silver jubilee year today (6th September). Paramount has tied up with Pepsi and Mirinda, whereby free cold drinks will be distributed today to patrons at Drive-In in the show of Paramount’s The Lost World: Jurassic Park (Hindi).

BATTLE BEGINS

Following the dishonour of the cheque of Bombay distributors ABC Pictures Pvt. Ltd. to Jai Girnar Films in payment of the refund of the under-production monies paid to the former by the latter for the Gujarat sub-distribution rights of Prithvi, following the IMPDA’s award that the monies be returned, ABC Pictures Pvt. Ltd. have been declared as defaulters by the IMPDA.

According to Manoj and Sanjay Chaturvedi, directors in ABC Pictures Pvt. Ltd., the cheque was dishonoured intentionally.

“We are not happy with the decision of the IMPDA as we feel, it is totally wrong and partial and so we’ve decided to go against the order in the court. That is why we stopped payment of the cheque.”

May the party with honest intentions win!

‘VIRASAT’ 100 DAYS

Mushir-Riaz’s Virasat completes its 100 days today (6th September). Directed by Priyadarshan, the film stars Anil Kapoor, Tabu, Pooja Batra, Milind Gunaji, Govind Namdeo, Tiku Talsania, Neeraj Vora, Satyen Kappu, Dilip Dhawan, Sulbha Deshpande, Anjana, Reena, Dev Sharma and Amrish Puri. Dialogues by Vinay Shukla, music by Anu Malik, lyrics by Javed Akhtar, art by Sabu Cyril, dances by Farah Khan, and cinematography by Ravi K. Chandran are the other major credits.

RUMOURS GALORE

The volatile situation in the film industry following the murder of Gulshan Kumar and threatening calls to industry folks from the underworld have given rumour-mongers a field day.

Rumours are born by the minute, and some evening papers of Bombay, which specialise in sensationalism, are adding to them. All through the week, there were rumours of different artistes being arrested or shot dead. Why, two vernacular eveningers even ‘made’ Bombay distributor and producer Manoj Chaturvedi a financier of Dawood Ibrahim gang and reported that he had been arrested in Delhi on 4th September. Of course, Manoj was –and is — in Bombay, attending to his work.

RAVEENA TANDON HOSPITALISED

Raveena Tandon was admitted to Nanavati Hospital, Bombay, on 2nd September for meningitis. She is recovering and should be discharged in a couple of days. She will have to take rest for at least ten days.

‘PARDES’ TAX-FREE IN MAHARASHTRA

Subhash Ghai’s Pardes has been granted tax exemption in Maharashtra for a period of one year with effect from 1st September.

GULSHAN RAI RE-ELECTED IFEA PRESIDENT

Gulshan Rai was re-elected president of the Indian Film Exporters Association for 1997-98 at the first meeting of the newly elected council of management, held on 3rd September in Bombay. Sunder F. Rai was elected vice president, and Chandrakant Mehta, honorary treasurer. Manohar Bhatia was elected honorary secretary.

Earlier, on 30th August, at the 33rd annual general meeting of the IFEA, the following (besides the aforesaid) were declared elected to the council of management: Rajinder Singh Hora, Gordhan Chhabria, S.C. Mittal, J.K. Mittal, Shiv Laungani, Hirachand Dand, Amar Asrani and Mohan Chhabria.

Four persons viz. Amit Khanna, Arjan Lulla, Malati Tambay-Vaidya and S. Narayanan were co-opted to the council of management.

Nadeem Named Prime Suspect In Gulshan Kumar Murder Case

Passport Revoked, Arrest Warrant Issued

Music director Nadeem has been named the prime suspect in the Gulshan Kumar murder case, by the Bombay police. According to the police, the music director arranged the killing of the music magnate for a price because he felt, Gulshan Kumar was harming his career.

Claiming that they have clinching evidence to support their allegation against Nadeem, the police have said that he had hired the services of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim’s aide, Abu Salem, to carry out the murder. The music czar was killed in broad daylight on 12th August outside a temple in Versova, Bombay, where he had gone to offer prayers. The U.P. police, which had provided protection to the slain music baron, has also claimed that Gulshan Kumar had a fear that Nadeem would cause him harm as he had threatened to do so.

Nadeem was in London when the police announced his name as the main suspect, at a hurriedly called press conference on 1st September in Bombay. He was to have returned to India on 4th but, according to the music director himself, he would be able to come only next week as his wife has had a miscarriage and is quite serious. The passport of Nadeem has been revoked and an arrest warrant, issued in his name. Interpol-India on 3rd September sent an urgent message to its counterpart in London, asking the authorities there to detain Nadeem.

In the meantime, the Bombay police investigating the Gulshan Kumar murder case, are interrogating a number of film people in this connection. Overseas, Bombay, Delhi-U.P. and Rajasthan distributor and producer Bobby Anand was picked up for interrogation last week and is in police custody. A whole lot of artistes, producers etc. including Shah Rukh Khan, Aditya Pancholi, Chunkey Panday and Boney Kapoor have been questioned. Many others are likely to also be interrogated.

Even while the Gulshan Kumar murder case has not been solved, and the industry has not yet recovered from the shock of the extortion bids and attempts on the lives of Subhash Ghai and Rajiv Rai, another actor, Dilip Kumar, has received threats, allegedly from the Arun Gawli gang of Bombay. Security has been beefed up for the thespian and his family.

The industry is in a state of unprecedented panic. Morning papers are read and news on the various television channels, heard with a lurking fear of who would be the next name from the industry.

MUSIC INFORMATION

Amitabh Bachchan Releases Music Of Dev Anand’s ‘Main Solah Baras Ki’

Amitabh Bachchan formally released the music of Dev Anand’s Main Solah Baras Ki on 30th August at Holiday Inn. Pen Audio, the company marketing the cassettes, held an elaborate function to mark the audio release. A dance by four dancers, on the film’s song, preceded the release.

Main Solah Baras Ki has music by Rajesh Roshan and lyrics by Amit Khanna.

IMPDA Elections

No Entry For Outsiders In Executive Committee: Is That A Request Or An Order?

How much can one be in love with the chair? The ensuing elections to the executive committee of the Indian Motion Picture Distributors’ Association (IMPDA) show how much.

Dilip Dhanwani, Sanjay Chaturvedi, Pradeep Singh, Manoj Khivsara and Tekchand are five distributors who aren’t presently members of the executive committee of the IMPDA but who decided to contest elections to the committee this year. All the five of them, therefore, filed their nomination papers with the Association for the elections on 18th September. But even before the last date for withdrawal of nominations (15th September), a group of five sitting members — U.A. Thadani, D.Y. Pattani, Vinay Choksey, Ayub Selia and Guru Shenoy — visited the offices of the five new contenders and ‘requested’ them to withdraw from the fray. “What is the sense of wasting the money of the Association in unnecessary elections?”, they asked each of the five persons and concluded their drama with, “So, why don’t you withdraw your nomination so that there is no need for elections?”

The move of the five sitting members was shocking but what was more shocking was that out of the five persons approached, four obliged and signed their withdrawal letters. Of course, the reason for it was unmentioned pressure. U.A. Thadani, D.Y. Pattani and Vinay Choksey are all influential exhibitors whose cinemas are in demand. Had they not complied with their ‘request’, the four feared, they would be troubled when they would need the cinemas controlled by the three. Sanjay Chaturvedi told Information, “They came in such a big group and almost forced me to sign. I was keen to contest elections this time, especially after I was let down by the executive committee so badly in the Prithvi case. The IMPDA has become a mere tool in the hands of a few committee members and I wish I could contest the elections this time. Today, IMPDA is nothing but dirty politics.” Dilip Dhanwani also expressed unhappiness over what had happened. “This is not done,” he said, referring to the way in which he was asked to withdraw from the contest. Pradeep Singh, at first hesitant to reveal his displeasure, minced no words after he was coaxed into speaking. “What do they mean by asking us to withdraw from the fray?”, he questioned. “IMPDA is the monopoly of a few and I wanted to break the monopoly. But there is something as respect for my elders. That is why I bowed down to their request. After all, we are all in one building, so why fight? But if elections are held, I’d love to contest them.” Manoj Khivsara was not available for comment. Tekchand did not heed the request of the sitting members and he will be contesting the elections.

Suresh Vora, also a member of the IMPDA, lamented that such established persons as U.A. Thadani and D.Y. Pattani should go and beg of newcomers to withdraw. “Are they scared of losing the elections? But that does not give them a licence to bully others to withdraw,” thundered Suresh Vora.

Two pertinent points come up here. The first deals with the question of money. Election is a democratic process and to say that it entails wasteful expenditure is ridiculous, especially when the IMPDA is not exactly loved for its functioning by one and all. Secondly, if the sitting members were so keen on saving the Association’s funds, why didn’t four of them withdraw from the contest to make way for the four new ones? When contacted, Vinay Choksey and Guru Shenoy denied that they had exerted any sort of direct or indirect pressure on the new contestants.

Sitting member Gulshan Rai will not be contesting this time for health reasons, and Sharad Doshi may not contest as he is out of India. In their place, the committee is desirous of taking in Ramesh Sippy and Tolu Bajaj, both of whom have also filed their nominations.

In the meantime, it is understood that the withdrawals have not yet been filed with the Association. Of course, there are nine more days to go before the withdrawals can be filed but should they be filed at all? Why not let there be free and fair polls? It will at least bring some excitement in the otherwise dull industry.

– Gautam Mutha

3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment

Selling Nightmares, Not Dreams

Calamity has befallen the film industry. No film released in August, expect Pardes to an extent, is doing well at the box-office. Even Pardes isn’t a hit or anywhere near it. As if the failure of films wasn’t enough, the underworld threats to film people, Gulshan Kumar’s murder in broad daylight, and the news that an industry person — Nadeem — had himself got Gulshan Kumar murdered have all created an unprecedented situation and fear-filled atmosphere in the industry. Nobody is talking business these days. Where films and figures should be the topic of discussion, trade circles are only talking about the crisis in the industry due to the current state of affairs. A couple of producers have put off plans to shoot their films abroad and are instead shooting in India at places like Khandala. Filmmakers are supposed to sell dreams. But themselves haunted by nightmares, how can they sell dreams? Nightmares, yes!

Record Initial Order

The initial order for audio cassettes of Dil To Pagal Hai is a whopping 15 lakh. This must be an all-time record. Yash Chopra has reason to celebrate then.

Incidentally, Chopra has not sold his film to distributors at the ratio of 3 crore, as mentioned in a news item in our issue last week. Although distributors would be more than willing to pay 3 after Chopra’s earlier Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, he has opted to sell the film at a much more reasonable price. Creditable, isn’t that?

Hopes For Bright Diwali

Diwali this year may be one of the best in recent times. Three films are definitely due on Diwali and all the three give hopes of hitting the bull’s eye. Although nobody has seen anything of Dil To Pagal Hai, one expects a lot from it for the simple reason that it is a Yash Chopra film. Its title song is already on its way to becoming a craze. Trials of Ishq and Ghulam-E-Musthafa have been held and trial reports of both are extremely good. Let’s keep our fingers crossed. For, if the three films really do click, it will be a repetition of the 1974 Diwali when three films were released and all three had proved to be hits. The hits: Roti Kapada Aur Makaan, Roti and Bidaai.

Sought-After Cinema

Metro cinema seems to be the most sought-after in Ujjain. Distributors vie with each other to release their films at this cinema which boasts of fair dealing and has a good sound system, besides being well-furnished. The cinema owner — Gupta-ji or Dada as he is lovingly called — is such a simpleton that it is a pleasure to deal with him. For Diwali, Dil To Pagal Hai and Ishq have both been booked at Metro. The C.I. distributors of the two films — Bharti Film Distributors and Shri Baleshwar Films — are, of course, upset with the cinema for booking both the films. It is now to be seen which film is censored first as that will get preference at the cinema, as per CCCA rules.

Reliable Youngsters

With every new exciting release, the distributor and exhibitors concerned are flooded with requests for tickets of the films, often from film people themselves. The most reliable names in Naaz building for arranging tickets are said to be Rajesh Thadani and Shravan Shroff. These young boys (sons of exhibitor-distributor U.A. Thadani and distributor Shyam Shroff respectively) invariably keep their promise for tickets and even go out of their way to arrange for the same. As against these two, there are some distribution offices who treat requests for tickets from other film people so carelessly that one is left high and dry. Perhaps, they could take a cue from Rajesh and Shravan.

IT’S 3 CRORES

The audio cassettes of Yash Chopras’s Dil To Pagal Hai have been released by HMV. And Yash Chopra has revealed the price at which he is selling the film to its distributors. It is reportedly 3 crore per major circuit.

LATEST POSITION

The initial excitement of DAUD gave way to dejection as the week progressed and saw its collections coming down drastically day by day. Even the energetic performances of Sanjay Dutt and Urmila Matondkar couldn’t salvage the film.

Daud, after a flying start, crashed from 4th/5th day onwards. Even trimming mid-week couldn’t better its weak sustaining power. It will entail heavy losses to distributors and exhibitors. 1st week Bombay 40,86,371 (89.89%) from 12 cinemas (11 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 11,70,782 from 8 cinemas, Vapi 2,39,621, Padra 1,52,476, Rajkot (matinee) 52,888, Jamnagar (matinee) 36,530; Pune 11,77,417 from 6 cinemas (1 in matinee), Solapur 3,18,461 from 2 cinemas, Satara 1,89,472 (80.13%); Hubli 100%, Belgaum 100%, Dharwad 100%; Delhi 39,53,387 (83.89%) from 10 cinemas; Kanpur 4,06,546 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 2,46,637, Agra 3,51,360, Allahabad 1,66,000, Meerut 2,03,371, Bareilly 1,47,932 (67.37%), Dehradun 1,40,000, Gorakhpur 1,36,000 (74.62%), Varanasi 1,79,246; Calcutta 22,16,086 (56.32%) from 26 cinemas; Nagpur 6,03,041 from 5 cinemas, Amravati 1,70,523, Akola 1,65,055, Bhilai 1,59,129 from 2 cinemas; Indore 2,59,092 (2 on F.H.), Bhopal 3,53,153 from 2 cinemas; Jaipur 8,52,217 from 4 cinemas, Jodhpur 2,25,000, Bikaner 2,13,244; Hyderabad 56,81,026 from 25 cinemas, share 31,00,000; Vijayawada 5,33,000 from 3 cinemas, Guntur 1,10,000 from 2 cinemas, Venali 97,000, Ongole 1,53,000, Eluru 98,000, Bhimavaram 1,10,000.

…Aur Pyar Ho Gaya will entail losses to the tune of a crore and more per major circuit. 2nd week Bombay 14,41,452 (65.49%) from 5 cinemas (8 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 1,22,202 from 2 cinemas (1 unrecd.), Baroda 1,09,921, Jamnagar 66,814; Pune 3,87,185 from 4 cinemas (2 in matinee), Kolhapur 60,226, Solapur 60,844; 1st week Hubli 1,06,956 (69.20%); 2nd week Delhi 26,39,886 from 10 cinemas (1 on F.H.); Kanpur 1,52,202 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 1,70,770, Agra 1,10,380 (1st 2,18,711), Meerut 87,434, Dehradun 70,152, Gorakhpur 69,000, Varanasi 91,758; Rohtak 15,756 (1st 29,238); Calcutta 3,41,052 from 2 cinemas; Nagpur 51,540, Jabalpur 1,08,563, total 2,93,485, 1st week Akola 84,329, 2nd week Bhilai 36,400; Indore 1,24,225, Bhopal 1,38,601 from 2 cinemas; Jaipur 1,85,480, Bikaner (26 shows) 86,732; Hyderabad 4,41,034 from 3 cinemas (2 in noon).

Mere Sapno Ki Rani is steady on mediocre collections in parts of Maharashtra and Bihar, but is a total loss in North. It will entail heavy losses to third parties/exhibitors who paid handsome terms. 2nd week Bombay 7,09,095 (53.87%) from 4 cinemas (5 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 86,930 from 2 cinemas, Vapi 98,998, Rajkot (14 shows) 94,828; Pune 2,63,357 from 3 cinemas (1 in matinee), Solapur (matinee) 55,476; Hubli 37,845 (32.67%, 1st 70,990); Delhi 1,74,940 from 4 cinemas (2 on F.H.); Kanpur 34,703, Lucknow 39,586, 1st week Agra 71,384, 2nd week Allahabad 24,000; Calcutta 1,89,014; Nagpur 84,215 from 2 cinemas, Amravati 87,282, Akola 41,000, Bhilai 38,167, Durg 41,722, Jalgaon 53,700, Wardha 27,501; Indore 63,272, Bhopal 62,902 (1st 79,089); Jaipur 52,153; Hyderabad 2,06,118.

Pardes, as predicted three weeks back, will prove to be a commission-earner in most circuits and average in a couple of them. 3rd week Bombay 20,11,463 (83.78%) from 7 cinemas (8 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 3,78,403 from 2 cinemas (1 unrecd.), Vapi 2,03,016, Bharuch (gross) 1,72,640, Rajkot 1,78,000, Jamnagar 78,760, total 2,36,811; Pune 4,54,935 from 3 cinemas (1 in matinee), Kolhapur 1,60,000, Solapur 1,45,000, Satara 92,783; Delhi 20,07,281 from 7 cinemas; Kanpur (6 days) 1,89,365 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 2,37,768, Agra 1,28,460 (2nd 1,85,714), Allahabad 93,500, Meerut (6 days) 1,40,712, Bareilly (6 days) 63,788 (2nd 1,31,303; 50.53%), Dehradun 1,12,000, Gorakhpur 75,000, Varanasi 1,11,397; Calcutta 5,73,196 from 4 cinemas (1 in noon); Nagpur 1,67,567 from 2 cinemas, Jabalpur (6 days) 96,485 (2nd 1,44,532), Amravati (6 days) 85,917, Akola 1,00,651, 2nd week Dhule (6 days) 57,383, 3rd week Bhilai (6 days) 64,401, 2nd Jalgaon 1,12,083; 3rd week Bhopal 1,01,151, Ujjain 42,293; Jaipur 1,83,243; Vijayawada 1,95,533, total 7,90,651.

…………

RAJAT RAKSHIT DEAD

Director Rajat Rakshit died of acute asthama on 27th August at Cooper Hospital, Irla, Bombay. He was 55 and a bachelor.

He had directed Damaad, Bin Phere Hum Tere, Rakt Bandhan, Yahan Wahan, Naya Khoon, Meri Biwi Ki Shadi, Ruswai and Faraib.

MAJOR RENOVATION AT GANGA-JAMUNA CINEMAS OF BOMBAY

Ganga and Jamuna cinemas at Tardeo, Bombay, are being extensively renovated by owner Gul Achhra. They will be equipped with Dolby digital sound and will be now called Ganga Palace and Jamuna Palace.

Jamuna Palace will screen The Lost World: Jurassic Park (dubbed) from 5th September, and Ganga Palace, Judge Mujrim from 12th September. Both the films are being distributed in Bombay (the former in Bombay city & suburbs only) by Gul Achhra himself.

The cinemas have a facility for parking about 150 cars.

IN DEFENSE OF STARS

A large number of national and regional newspapers and periodicals have written a lot about the nexus of film people and the underworld. Mumbai politicians and police officers are blaming the film industry for taking finance from the underworld. The truth is that most politicians have close links with the underworld, and police is deliberately overlooking the unholy alliance between politicians and criminals. Police have no courage to accept that they have been under tremendous pressure. An old allegation against the film people is that some of them have been friendly with Dawood and they used to sing and dance in his parties held in Dubai. Photographs of the stars with Dawood, taken at Sharjah cricket stadium, have been repeatedly published. It is a fact that most stars have to pose with strangers and it is part of their profession. Today, it is being conveniently forgotten that once there was a video cassette depicting top politicians and police officers hobnobbing with notorious criminals. The most horrifying truth is that every small town has a don, and most people pay their respects to the local don. The street goondas also get respect and money from their area. In every small town and village, criminals are patronised by politicians. It is a well-known truth that politicians were the first to make use of criminals in election campaigns. Top people from the Election Commission have deplored the nexus between politicians and criminals. There are criminal cases against forty Members of Parliament. Criminals have invaded every aspect of life, and India has become a haven for criminals. There is an excellent scene in Rajkumar Santoshi’s Ghatak where Sunny advises his brother to fight for the shop in Mumbai. The elder brother wanted to go to his native place to cultivate land. Sunny says that there are criminals in the native place also. “If you do not fight against them in Mumbai, you will not be able to fight against them at Banaras.” The naked truth is that the entire nation is in the grip of fear. Everyone feels the presence of the invisible knife hanging in air over their heads. Dons are born from the womb of fear. When such is the state of affairs in the country, why blame the poor film stars for being friendly with the underworld?

There may be more than a lakh rich people in Mumbai alone, who can buy the entire film industry, but the underworld does not touch them because they know that any single real rich man can destroy the very politician who patronises them. Film people have no such muscle power. Stars are a frightened lot. They are lonely and miserable.

There is one area of closeness between stars and criminals. Most of the criminals have been ardent fans of stars and some of them wished to become stars when they were young. All of them are film-crazy people. When they attain enough muscle power, they manage to get stars to attend their parties. The neo rich from small towns pay a lot of money to the stars to inaugurate their offices and industries. No one minds this trend but everyone objects to stars attending birthdays of a don. Politicians also use the whip of income-tax to get stars at their residence. Most stars take part in election campaigns because of some fear. Police and politicians are seeking scapegoats in stars to hide their own failure and unholy alliance with criminals.

Today, India is like a masala film based on a script written by spineless politicians. Let’s hope, India rises above the script in the 21st century.

– J.P. Chowksey
Prachi Films,
Indore

YOU ASKED IT

Has audience taste changed in the last few years or is it the same?

– It has definitely changed. The audience is now receptive to newer subjects. What used to earlier click in just major cities, now appeals to the cinegoer in a small town also.

When should an artiste venture into doing a film which has a role which is not quite in keeping with his public image?

– Only when he has been accepted completely by the public and at least his last two or three films (in which he plays roles suited to his public image) have clicked.

What are the average theatre rentals in Bombay city and suburbs?

– About 35% of capacity in side-cinemas and 50% in main cinemas.

HERE & THERE

Shabana Goes To Rajya Sabha

Shabana Azmi is the latest star to become a Member of Parliament. She is among the nine who have been nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the President. Shabana, who has been recognised by the world as an actress of international standard, has won many national and international awards, worked as the chairperson of the N’CYP and is a social activist engaged in fighting for the rights of the downtrodden, will not be just a decorative piece in the Rajya Sabha as she has a mind of her own and is also outspoken.

The swearing-in ceremony of the new Rajya Sabha members was held on 29th August in Delhi. Mrinal Sen was sworn in that day but Shabana could not attend the ceremony in Delhi.

Filmmakers Demand Industry Status

A seminar on ‘The film industry’s expectations and government policy framework’ was organised on 23rd August as part of the Films Fair ’97, and a number of industry stalwarts as well as government officials participated in it. The filmmakers demanded recognition for filmmaking as an industry, and steps to mitigate its problems. It was emphasised by the industry speakers that the film industry was going through probably its toughest and trying period in its 100 years’ old history and the government should lend a helping hand to help it tide over the crisis. IMPPA president Sultan Ahmed asked the state and central governments to return part of the money earned through taxes on films, to the industry for the development of infrastructure facilities. He denied that there was any nexus between the film industry and the underworld. Only a few have connections with them, he said. AMPTPP president Pahlaj Nihalani expressed his unhappiness over the functioning of the Censor Board. He said that more often, personal biases and prejudices were at work when a decision was being taken. M. Bhaktavatsala from Karnataka was critical of the NFDC, which, according to him, had been usurped by a handful of directors while majority of the producers were being neglected. He also criticised the high rates of taxes and entertainment tax. ITPO chairman K.K. Mathur said that ITPO would try to act as a bridge between the industry and the government.

The seminar was jointly organised by ITPO and Federation of Film Societies of India.

Reshma Blames Indian Composers For Plagiarising Tunes

It was late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan first. Now is the turn of Reshma, the Pakistani singer who is in India these days and whom Subhash Ghai had introduced to Indian film music lovers in his film, Hero, with the song Lambi judaai. Reshma was in Patna this week, where she told the press that some of her best tunes had been dubbed in Hindi films without any acknowledgement. She said that Lata’s Yaara sili sili from Lekin was lifted from her 28-year-old song. She also blamed Lata for singing the ‘lifted’ song. Reshma rendered that song at a concert in presence of Bihar’s chief minister, Rabri Devi.

IN & OUT OF BOMBAY

Producer Pravesh Sippy is in Africa to scout locations for SILSILA HAI PYAR KA, and will return after 10 days.

Producer-director Subhash Ghai is in Australia.

Director Aditya Chopra, Bombay exhibitor-distributor Anil Thadani and director Karan Johar will go to London on 1st September.

CCCA president Santosh Singh Jain is in Indore and is expected back in a day or two.

Actress and stage artiste Mini Tabassum left for the USA for stage shows on 27th August and will return on 1st October.

DO YOU KNOW?

* Shri Krishna Talkies at Seoni Malwa (M.P.) must be the only cinema in the country which celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna every year along with its patrons. Every year, at the stroke of midnight when Krishna was born on Janmashtami, the cinema stops the screening of the film for a while and distributes prasad among the patrons. The cinema also has a Krishna temple in its premises, where a pooja is done at 12 midnight on Janmashtami.

* DAUD has created a theatre record by collecting 2,26,176/- in 1st week at Shree, Ahmedabad.

* BORDER has created a record by collecting 51,700/- in 11th combined week at Palace, Allahabad.

* BORDER (tax-free) has created a city record by collecting 72,105/- (against a capacity of 80,318/-) in 1st week at Shashikant Chitra Mandir, Karanja (C.P. Berar), despite heavy rains.

* ANACONDA (dubbed) has created a city record by collecting 60,004/- in 1st week at Rajkala, Wardha, in spite of heavy rains.

MIX MASALA

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Believe it or not but many people in the industry refer to …Aur Pyar Ho Gaya as Aao Pyar Karen. And there are many who call Virasat as Hirasat!

EARTHY COINCIDENCE

In this week’s release, Prithvi, Sunil Shetty’s name is Prithvi. And in real life, Sunil lives in Prithvi Apartments on Altamount Road. Why, he has bought another flat in the same building from Bombay distributor Ashok Ahuja.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Believe it or not but many people in the industry refer to …Aur Pyar Ho Gaya as Aao Pyar Karen. And there are many who call Virasat as Hirasat!

Dream Merchant

WATER DREAM……..WHAT A DREAM!

Last Friday’s torrential rains which lashed Bombay city and threw it completely out of gear caught me in my dream the following night.

I dreamt about the entire Bombay film industry battling with the rain water. The more enterprising ones were enjoying themselves in the downpour.

Aamir Khan, who could barely keep his face out of the waist-deep water outside his house (it was waist-deep for me and, therefore, more than neck-deep for ‘shorty’ Aamir), was struggling to reach his car parked outside his compound. Drenched in the rain from the top and the water below, he managed to hold a picture of Karisma Kapoor in his right hand and an imported umbrella in his left, as he sang loudly, “Pardesi pardesi nahaana nahin / Mujhe chhod ke, mujhe chhod ke / Pardesi mere yaara, vaada nibhana / Tum yaad rakhna, kahin doob na jaana / Pardesi pardesi….”

Just nearby, Urmila Matondkar, clad in a skimpy bikini, was getting down from her Maruti Zen which had a breakdown in the water-clogged road. Umbrella-less, she waved out to her umbrella-clinging Rangeela hero and wondered aloud, “Why don’t you dress up like me? Na rahenge tan pe kapde, na honge geele!” But looking at Aamir singing away to himself, Urmila also broke into a song, asking Aamir to join her thus: “Yayee re, yayee re, baarish zor zor se aaye re / Chal ho jaa mere sang, thoda sa be-dhang / Ho jaa geela re, ho jaa geela re…” Waving goodbye to an unwilling Aamir, she said, she had to reach Gaiety cinema for the first-day-show of Daud.

Outside Gaiety cinema, producer-director Ramgopal Varma stood expectantly as boat-loads of people came to see Daud. He was waiting for his Bombay distributor Shyam Shroff who had promised to be with Ramgopal (Ramu) at 11.30 a.m. It was almost 2 p.m. and I don’t know whether Ramu was crying at the poor public reaction or because he was missing Shyam Shroff. Or was it the rain water rolling down his cheeks and not tears? Anyway, Ramu too started singing a song, “Rain-a beeti jaaye / Shyam na aaye / Rain-a beeti jaaye…”

Barely had he started the song than Shyam Shroff arrived on the scene with a bag full of bottles of Ganga jal which he had bought some time back for distribution among patrons of Lav Kush before the start of every show at Maratha Mandir, Bombay. Since nobody came to see Lav Kush, the Ganga jal remained unused. Aware that people found Daud vulgar, Shyam Shroff had decided to distribute Ganga jal among the viewers after every show to cleanse them and their minds. When he told Ramu of his plan, the latter felt insulted. Pointing to the rain water dropping into the open bottles of Ganga jal, Ramu remarked, “Shyam, teri Ganga maili ho gayee.” Just then, Urmila — her face soiled and her wet hair dishevelled — reached the cinema. To get back at Ramu, Shyam Shroff shot back, “Ram, teri Urmi maili ho gayee.”

I cornered Ramu and asked him what his next film would be. Drawing inspiration from the wet atmosphere, he replied, “It will be called either Geela or Rain-Geela. And since I’m accused of exposing my heroines in my films, I’ll not do anything of the sort in this film. That’s why, it will be the hero taking bath in the rains this time. And like my Satya is a songless film, Geela/Rain-Geela will be a heroine-less film.”

Just then, I saw Shekhar Kapur in a wet Digjam suitings coat, in conversation with Bobby Bedi. “Shekhar, why this long absence?”, I asked him. “When are you starting your next? What’s it about?” Slow-coach Shekhar, as usual, was undecided. “Wet and watch,” he winked.

Watch I did. At Lokhandwala bazaar, I was astonished to see Sridevi buying vegetables from a roadside vendor, her teeth chattering because of the cold water in which she was standing. She was making an attempt to talk in shudh Hindi under hubby Boney’s instructions, and on reaching home, she told hubby — in shudh Hindi again — “Dekhiye jee, main to paani-paani ho gayee!” Boney buried his face in his hands and wanted to drown in the rain water at such atrocious Hindi.

BBC News on television came up with a sensational bit of news. Away in Bangalore, Mandakini was throwing a fit at being left out of the rain drama in Bombay. She telephoned Rishi Kapoor and begged of him to sign her for his directorial venture. She reminded Rishi of how she had boldly done the waterfall bathing scene in his father Raj Kapoor’s Ram Teri Ganga Maili. Sentimental Rishi agreed to drop Aishwarya Rai and take Mandakini in her place. Packing her bags with bikinis, Mandakini told her mom, “Aa ab laut chalen.”

Rajiv Kapoor too decided on that wet Friday that he should return to direction after the long holiday. “So what if Prem Granth did not run,” he told elder brother Randhir Kapoor. “I’ll make Rain Granth this time. And I’ll make it in collaboration with BMC. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will give me a lot of data on the rains in Bombay, down the centuries. People felt, Prem Granth was too dry, so, I’ve even chosen a wet title this time.”

Time took me to the office of Time Audio-Video. The Vijaypath makers were planning to announce Paanipath. No, it had nothing to do with the water-laden paths in Bombay. Rather, it was based on the battle of Panipat. The ‘h’ and extra ‘a’ in the title were purely for numerological reasons.

Numerology had me meeting producer Vashu Bhagnani who is obsessed with the number 1. Had the rains inspired him to announce another No. 1 film, I asked. “Yes,” he smiled, “Before Biwi No. 1, I plan to make Paani No. 1. The film will deal with water and related problems. It will star Govinda and will be shot completely in water.” Oh, a desi Waterworld, I suppose. “It will be a watershed film,” said an excited Vashu.

Suddenly, I heard Baba Sehgal singing a familiar song. He was gesticulating to Sheeba and the song went, “Aaja mere paani mein kood ja / Aaja mere paani mein kood ja / Swimming karenge / Dance bhi karenge / Gaana bajaana, khaana-peena paani mein hoga sanam…”

Anil Kapoor had to show his sincerity even on the rainy day. His driver was rowing a boat in which he was going towards Film City. Apparently, the boat had lost direction and a forlorn Anil was singing, “O majhi re, apna kinara…. Film City ka temple hai / O majhi re…”

At Film City, Salman Khan was shooting a rain song for brother Sohail Khan’s Pyar Kiya Yo Darna Kya. His heroine, Kajol, had not reached the location, and the shooting was held up for a while. Sohail’s fertile brain, during the forced interval, thought of a sequel to the film. It would be titled Paani Gira To Karna Kya.

On another floor, Akshay Kumar was barely able to give his shot because the water had reached the tall hero’s neck. I was scared, Akshay would drown. As it is, his films were sinking, I thought, and it would be terrible if the poor guy also drowned. Luckily, a taller and skinny Kamal Sidhu was shooting on the maidan in Film City and I requested her to get Akshay out of the water which she did. Doobte ko Thin K (Kamal) ka sahara mil gaya and I was happy.

On a set in Film City, Priya Teudulkar was shooting the 100th episode of The Priya Tendulkar Show. She had clinched the opportunity and had selected the topic ‘Should there be rains in Bombay?’ for the century episode. On the panel were Rain God Lord Indra, head of the meteorological department, and Sachin Tendulkar whose cricket was damper than the rains.

Producer R.V. Pandit had managed to reach the censor office despite the blocked roads, and was seen arguing with the soaked-in-rain regional officer who refused to issue a censor certificate to his Train to Pakistan. Maintaining his cool, despite all odds, Pandit informed me, “I am planning two more films now — Plane To Afghanistan and Rain From Pakistan. Khushwant Singh firmly believes that these torrential rains have been master-minded by our enemy, Pakistan.”

Rahul Rawail had just returned from London from the shooting of London and had managed to reach a far-off cinema screening his …Aur Pyar Ho Gaya to gauge the public reaction. He was in for a shock because there was no public, what to talk of reaction. “I’m sure, people haven’t come because of the rains,” he said, trying to hide the tears that threatened to come out of his eyes. Continuing his brave act, he sighed, “Oh, I thought, my film would at least be a Barsaat and I’m sure, it had the chances, but the rains have spoilt everything. I was looking forward to telephoning hero Bobby Deol in London today to give him the good news that the film Barsaat ho gayee, but look, I’ll now have to tell him that real life mein. …aur barsaat ho gayee.”

Amitabh Bachchan was frantically waving out to the stray cabs plying in the waist-deep water on Juhu Tara Road, but nobody was willing to stop. He had come out of his director, Mehul Kumar’s office, and his car refused to take off — in much the same way as his Mrityudaata had refused to take off. I thought, I’d chat up with him and swam across the road. “Where are you going? How have the rains affected you?”, I queried. With a fallen face, Amitabh replied, “It’s terrible. Meri company, ABCL, doob gayee.” Of course, I knew that, but what had the rains got to do with the company’s doobna? I asked him, “Doob gayee — figuratively speaking, isn’t it? “Yes, figuratively speaking,” he replied, “because all the figures of my creditors bhi saath mein doob gaye!”

– Komal Nahta

3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment

Of Content And Form

Although Pardes did not boast of a very exciting start, its collections became steady as the weeks progressed. On the other hand, Daud opened to bumper houses everywhere but collections began to drop day by day. This, in sum, describes the fate of, what we say, a grammatically correct film (Pardes) and grammatically incorrect film (Daud). The former had substance, the latter was rich in form but poor in content.

DAUD

Varma Corporation Ltd.’s Daud (A) is a film which has a thin story but more of anecdotes, incidents and items. The hero is a criminal, and the heroine — a club dancer — joins hands with him in his criminal activities. They begin to love each other even as they are on the run from the police who is chasing them for the theft of a box of gold biscuits (which ultimately turns out to be a box containing a neutron bomb). The story writer and director have taken the audience too much for granted in assuming that enjoyable comedy punches can make up for a poor story-line. But the fact is that while the comedy is entertaining at several places and even hilarious at some, the lack of a proper story as also weak characterisations are too big a drawback to be overlooked or compensated. In fact, the whole drama starts looking farcical, more so in the second half, due to the abovesaid shortcomings. Even the comedy itself is not throughout of the kind which can be understood and enjoyed by the masses. At times, it has a flavour which would appeal only to the elite audience.

While the first half is fairly good, especially the scenes in which the hero and heroine play the game of one-upmanship, the portion after interval has some silly twists and turns which make the screenplay look like a childish attempt. The policemen are often shown as idiots, incapable of achieving anything. The revelation of the suspense towards the end does not create the desired impact (of shock or bewilderment). Climax is too weak to be true. There is also too much repetition, especially after interval. Scenes are also lengthy and that sometimes dilutes the impact of the humour.

Sanjay Dutt looks superb (his physique is mind-blowing) and also performs excellently. He springs a pleasant surprise by doing a swell job in comedy. He has also danced very well. Urmila Matondkar is sexy as ever, exudes glamour and oomph and acts just too wonderfully. Her dances are a delight to watch. In fact, Sanjay and Urmila make a good pair and both lend more credence to the otherwise unbelievable story, with their natural performances, although their characters are quite sketchy and ill-defined. Paresh Rawal plays the eccentric villain with effortless ease and deserves distinction marks for a job ably done. Neeraj Vora is natural to the core but he has been given an unduly lengthy role which can be easily trimmed. Ashish Vidyarthi is sincere although it must be said that he deserved a better role. Manoj Bajpai, Sumukhi Pendse, Ram Mohan, Rana Jung Bahadur and the others lend adequate support.

Ramgopal Varma has made a technically outstanding film, his shot takings being remarkable. But he has relied too heavily on comic incidents but has overlooked the value of a good and coherent script and strong characterisations. As a result, the film looks like a body beautiful in which the soul is missing. Sanjay Chhel’s dialogues are brilliant, and some scenes are also remarkable (for instance, the one in which the hero and heroine fool each other by giving false names, the one where they go to shop for clothes, the one in which they spin a yarn to Chacko to hide their identities etc.). But then, the story, screenplay and overall impact leave a lot to be desired. Obviously, incidents and individually good items cannot act as a proxy for a plausible script.

A.R. Rahman’s music is good but since several songs are either dream sequences or without proper situations, their appeal on screen does not match their intrinsic worth. Song picturisations are lavish and a couple of them are extremely sexy. Musically, the title song, ‘Bhanvre’ and ‘Shabba shabba’ are the best numbers. Picturisations of ‘Zahreela’, ‘Saiyan’ and ‘Bhanvre’ songs are a visual treat. Background score is fabulous. Foreign locations are heavenly. and the camerawork is simply splendid. Sound effects in Dolby digital are fantastic.

On the whole, Daud is rich in technical aspects and poor in script and content. It has a tremendous initial value but not the potential to sustain. Its comedy, sex, grandeur, photography and Dolby digital sound will appeal to the city audience (that too, mainly to the youth and front-benchers), but it has precious little for the ladies and families. Considering its fantastic initial on the one hand and its high price on the other, it can be expected to sail safe in Bombay and South but will not find the going as smooth in other circuits.

Released on 22-8-’97 at New Excelsior and 23 other cinemas of Bombay by Varma Corporation Ltd. thru Shringar Films. Publicity and opening: excellent (adversly affected in central suburbs due to torrential rains). …….Also released all over. Opening was excellent all over (at places, it was historic, being better then even Border) despite heavy rains at many places. However, a noticeable drop (partly due to rains) was observed on the second day at several stations of C.P. and C.I.

LATEST POSITION

DAUD has taken a flying start this week everywhere. ….Heavy rains in different parts of the country are playing havoc with the collections.

Nobody seems to have fallen in love with …Aur Pyar Ho Gaya which has, therefore, been rejected almost everywhere. It has done quite well initially in cities like Bombay, Delhi and Hyderabad. 1st week Bombay 31,98,294 (83.77%) from 8 cinemas (7 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 10,19,193 from 9 cinemas, Baroda 1,67,053, Jamnagar 72,456; Pune 7,79,654 from 5 cinemas (2 in matinee), Solapur 1,89,241 (58.49%) from 2 cinemas; Delhi 38,39,198 (85.16%) from 10 cinemas (1 unrecd., 1 on F.H.); Kanpur 3,27,642 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 2,56,410, Allahabad 1,50,500, Meerut 1,43,424, Bareilly 1,03,413, Dehradun 1,47,342, Hardwar 35,000; Calcutta 16,11,929 from 13 cinemas; Nagpur 3,29,464 from 5 cinemas, Bhilai 1,80,133 from 2 cinemas, Khandwa 49,862; Indore 2,14,307 (4 on F.H.), Bhopal 2,44,876 from 2 cinemas (1 on F.H.); Jaipur 6,00,184 from 4 cinemas (1 in noon); Hyderabad 25,40,223 from 16 cinemas (3 in noon), share 18 lakh (including MGs).

Mere Sapno Ki Rani meets with a nightmarish response almost all over. It is somewhat okay in Maharashtra. 1st week Bombay (6 days) 16,29,802 (67.88%) from 8 cinemas (8 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 3,31,684 from 4 cinemas, Rajkot (mg. shows) 58,532, Jamnagar 84,000; Pune 3,19,299 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee), Solapur 1,39,304 (47.97%) from 2 cinemas; Delhi 7,83,760 (39.08%) from 7 cinemas (1 on F.H.); Kanpur 67,672, Lucknow 79,728, Allahabad 63,500; Calcutta 5,29,351 from 6 cinemas; Nagpur 2,98,110 from 4 cinemas, Akola 1,00,070, Raipur 1,12,235 (51.68%), Bhilai 82,030, Durg 70,487, Jalgaon 1,19,275, Wardha 50,539; Indore 2,45,253 from 2 cinemas (1 on F.H.); Jaipur 2,06,520 from 2 cinemas; Hyderabad 8,42,906 from 6 cinemas.

Pardes is steady at many places and is the only new film reaping the advantage of the holiday period. It is being liked by the families. 2nd week Bombay (6 days) 23,63,825 (85.36%) from 8 cinemas (9 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 6,15,159 from 3 cinemas, Padra 1,25,031, Bharuch (gross) 2,61,722, Rajkot 1,45,552 (1st 1,59,055), Jamnagar 61,687; Pune 10,15,526 from 3 cinemas, Solapur 1,80,000, Satara 1,35,154; Delhi 29,63,857 from 9 cinemas; Kanpur (6 days) 3,02,790 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 2,64,785, Allahabad 1,27,950, Meerut (6 days) 1,74,000, Bareilly (6 days) 1,16,036, Dehradun 1,56,000; Calcutta 15,63,531 from 19 cinemas; Nagpur 2,84,685 from 2 cinemas, Akola 1,50,380, total 3,29,109, Raipur (6 days) 1,31,502, Bhilai 1,06,800, 1st week Jalgaon 1,61,775; 2nd week Bhopal 2,49,050 from 2 cinemas, Ujjain 76,000; Jaipur 2,72,603; Hyderabad 7,20,474 from 3 cinemas; Vijayawada 2 weeks’ total 6,01,118.

……….

Border 10th week Bombay (TF) 11,05,818 (74.03%) from 3 cinemas; Ahmedabad (TF) 3,05,435 from 3 cinemas (1 unrecd.), Baroda (TF) 64,318, Rajkot (TF, 14 shows) 1,12,629; Pune (TF) 4,60,972 from 3 cinemas, Solapur (TF, matinee) 38,095; Delhi 27,06,883 from 11 cinemas; Kanpur 1,44,842 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 2,61,677, Allahabad 75,000, Dehradun 83,370; Calcutta 68,314; Nagpur (TF) 1,29,697 from 2 cinemas, 1st week Kampthi (TF) 46,144, 10th week Amravati (TF) 1,18,037, total 15,88,116, Akola (TF) 66,372, total 11,76,129, Bhilai 53,053, 5th week Bhusawal (TF) 52,000, 3rd Gondia (TF) 60,620, total 2,26,890, 1st week Balaghat 90,713, 4th week Sagar (5 days) 48,558; 10th Indore 1,10,500, Bhopal 90,888; Jaipur 2,47,843 from 2 cinemas; Hyderabad 4,07,227 from 3 cinemas (1 in noon); Vijayawada 3 weeks’ total 6,40,089.

PRODUCERS INVITED TO SHOOT IN U.P.

Kalraj Misra, minister for tourism and PWD, Uttar Pradesh, and S. Shekhar Singh, principal secretary tourism & civil aviation, government of Uttar Pradesh, were in Bombay earlier this week and they hosted a dinner party on 20th August at Holiday Inn. The aim of their visit was to invite Bollywood producers to shoot in U.P. While details of assistance that would be extended to those shooting in the state were not given, it was emphasised by the hosts that producers would be extended all help for shooting in Uttar Pradesh.

STILL PHOTOGRAPHER GOES TO COURT

A still photographer has filed a suit for recovery of dues (of Rs. 3.46 lakh) and for damages (Rs. 4.5 lakh) from producer-director Ramgopal Varma. He has alleged that two cheques, given to him by Varma, had bounced. The photographer has also alleged that his still cameras were damaged while shooting stills of Daud in Australia and New Zealand.

‘MRITYUDAND’ GOING PLACES

Prakash Jha’s Mrityudand, presented by Manmohan Shetty in association with G.S. Mayawala, is going places — literally! An abridged version (115 minutes’ duration) of the film has been officially invited for participation at the following international film festivals: London International Film Festival (to be held in November this year), Bite The Mango Film Festival, Bradford (October). It has also been entered at Mar Del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina (November) and Viennale, Vienna, Austria (October).

NUSRAT FATEH ALI KHAN NO MORE

Famous Pakistani singer and composer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan expired in London on 16th August due to a heart attack. He was 49 years old and had not been keeping well since quite some time.

Nusrat, who had recorded some private albums in India, had scored music in …Aur Pyar Ho Gaya. By a quirk of fate, …Aur Pyar Ho Gaya had released just a day before his death. He had also composed the music for Bandit Queen. At the time of his death, he was scoring the music for Tips’ Kachche Dhaage and Firoz Nadiadwala’s Kartoos. In the last-named film, he was the music composer alongwith Anu Malik and Bally Sagoo. He had recently recorded the ‘Vande Mataram’ album with A.R. Rahman on the occasion of 50 years of India’s Independence.

EXTRA WIDE SCREEN AT NEW EXCELSIOR, BOMBAY

The wide screen at New Excelsior cinema, Bombay, where Daud opened this week, has been further widened. It has now, perhaps, become the widest screen in India.

YOU ASKED IT

Why has Sanjay Dutt starrer Daud taken a fantastic start while his earlier releases (after his release from jail) like Vijeta and Mahaanta did not take such an initial?

– The audience was aware that both, VIJETA and MAHAANTA, were among his stale films while DAUD is his first fresh film after his release from jail. Besides, DAUD has bewitching Urmila Matondkar, RANGEELA director Ramgopal Varma, A.R. Rahman and ultra-sexy promotional trailers to its credit.

No big film has clicked universally in a big way after Border. Will this see film prices come crashing down?

– It doesn’t seem likely that prices will come down in the near future. Yes, they won’t go up either.

What should be the ratio of an Akshay Kumar starrer, a Bobby Deol starrer and a Sunny Deol starrer?

– A Sunny Deol starrer can fetch 2 crore easily. A Bobby Deol starrer and an Akshay Kumar starrer can hope to fetch about a crore and 60 lakh respectively. But ratios also depend on other factors like director, banner, etc. Akshay’s MR. & MRS. KHILADI is selling for over a crore-and-a-half.

DO YOU KNOW?

* The holiday of 15th August is generally considered to be one of the best holidays of the year for the box-office, but collections on Independence day this year, generally speaking, weren’t too exciting. In a town like Jamnagar where collections on Fridays and Sundays are usually outstanding, both the releases of Independence Day (Friday, 15th August) did not draw full houses on Friday and Sunday. The low collections could have been due to the telecast of hit films on Doordarshan and the various satellite channels, which kept the audience at home on Independence Day. Sunday collections were low because by then, the reports of the two new releases (…AUR PYAR HO GAYA and MERE SAPNO KI RANI) had spread. In fact, PARDES recorded better collections on its 8th day than …APHG and MSKR on their first day at several places!

* DAUD has created a new record by collecting 39,946/- (100%) on the opening day at Uday, Akola.

* PARDES has created another theatre record at Apsara, Meerut, by collecting 1,74,000/- in 2nd week (6 days).

HERE & THERE

Heartburn In Pakistan Over Award To Dilip Kumar

The Pakistan government’s announcement on the eve of its 50th Independence Day to present India’s top star, Dilip Kumar, the Tamgha-e-Intiaz in recognition of his accomplishments, has caused heartburn among Pakistani stars and filmmakers. Some of them bitterly criticised the government decision openly. “The award should have been given to a Pakistani actor,” opined well-known Pakistani actress Mediah Shah. Actress-producer Shamim Araa was very angry and condemned the idea of giving the award to “an Indian”. A number of stars asked the government to admit the mistake and withdraw the award. However, poet Qatil Shifai was an exception who defended the choice of Dilip, saying, “I think, actors cut across the barriers of boundaries.” It is well-known that a number of songs written by Qatil have been used in Indian films.

In India too, a number of people and organisations are not happy with this award and they have asked Dilip Kumar not to accept it. The organisation working for Kashmiri Pandits, Panun Kashmir, has urged Dilip Kumar to refuse the award as Pakistan is responsible for their sufferings. However, Dilip Kumar has not heeded any such requests.

Controversy Over Film On Mother Teresa

A film on Mother Teresa, which was shot in Sri Lanka and not India as the government was not happy with the script, has now landed in a controversy. The Missionaries of Charity, with which Mother Teresa is attached, has officially denied giving permission for making the film as the permission given earlier was withdrawn in 1990. But author Dominique Lapierre insists that the contract is valid. The contract states that Mother Teresa granted “exclusive permission to undertake a motion picture which will portray my life and the work of the Missionaries of Charity, in the service of God’s poor.”

The controversy has arisen on two counts. First, the film, Mother Teresa: In The Name Of God’s Poor, is based on an unauthorised biography as the permission given first by Mother Teresa was withdrawn before the filming started, and second, the film, which is total Hollywood-ish, seems to be a blot on Mother’s life. Mother Teresa’s friends in America feel that the gushing, sentimentalised portrayal of her remarkable life is an attack on her dignity. This 10-million dollar film is expected to fetch over 40 million dollars to the makers, Hallmark Entertainment of producer Kevin Connor of America, famous for making unauthorised docu-dramas for the last 20 years. The film is scheduled to be released on American TV later this year and in Britain next year.

Doordarshan-STAR War Starts

Doordarshan, which never considered the popular Zee TV or rising Sony or Home TV its rival, is worried over STAR TV’s game of employing DD’s high profile employees though the viewership of STAR is negligible as yet. STAR TV is increasing the duration of its Hindi programmes every few months and has lapped up some famous producers and directors who made profitable projects for DD earlier. STAR has employed DD’s top employees like R. Basu and others on such high salaries that they voluntarily retired from government of India services without even taking benefits of pension. Now, the ministry of personnel, government of India, has issued a notice to R. Basu to resign from STAR within three days, and to STAR to relieve Basu within a fortnight. According to government rules, a retiring employee cannot join any commercial organisation of the same nature immediately without government’s permission. Basu is in no mood to resign from STAR and is set to fight it out. However, STAR is in an awkward position as it does not want to spoil its relations with the government. STAR is unable to understand why the government has taken such a step now though Basu joined a year earlier, and no notices have been issued to other employees like former additional director, I & B, G. Guha, former additional secretary, RAW, Bimal Bhalla, ex-DDG, Urmila Gupta and Indira Mansingh, and additional secretary, dept. of telecommunications, Som Chaturvedi, all of whom have joined STAR TV on high salaries. All the above people were ‘star’ employees of the government, who knew the in and out of government working.

3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment

Publicity Boom

If star prices and film prices have reached phenomenal heights in recent years, so have publicity budgets. Time was, not many years ago, when publicities of big films used to cost some lakhs. But today, publicity bills can run upto even a crore and more. Distributors too have started spending a lot more on publicity, like producers. In the case of recent releases like Pardes and Daud, the respective Bombay distributors spent about 30 lakh each towards pre-release publicities alone! Budgets for publicity have gone up despite so many television channels airing film trailers and other publicity programmes (like interviews of producers, directors, stars, technicians, shooting coverages etc.) free of cost. Alongwith rising expenditure on publicity have come newer forms and formats for the same. Backlit hoardings, which cost a heavy packet, are a recent trend, of the past two years to be precise. Decorating bus-stops in Bombay is the most recent concept. For Rangeela, Bombay distributors Shringar Films had arranged a laser show at Eros, Bombay, at the start of every show. For Daud, there is a live dance recital on the film’s title song before every show at New Excelsior, Bombay. With producers’ profit margins being so high, one can expect more innovative forms of even more expensive publicity in the days to come. After all, as the saying goes: ‘The more you yell, the better you sell.’

Two As From Two Disasters

It is a coincidence and a strange one at that. Among heroes, it’s Akshaye Khanna who has won people’s hearts, and among heroines, Aishwarya Rai has endeared herself to the audiences. But while both have been loved, their debut-making films have been resounding flops. Akshaye’s Himalay Putra bombed and so has Aishwarya’s …Aur Pyar Ho Gaya. Even if one were to consider the Tamil film Iruvar as the ex-Miss World’s first film, that too was a bomb. So we’ve got two brilliant talents out of two big bombs.

Exciting Trailers

Two forthcoming films which give an exciting feeling to the public are Yash Chopra’s Dil To Pagal Hai and Indra Kumar’s Ishq. Promotional trailers of both the films on satellite channels are being widely discussed in trade circles and among the public alike. Both are scheduled for release on Diwali.

…AUR PYAR HO GAYA

Essem Entertainment Inc.’s …Aur Pyar Ho Gaya is a love story inspired from the Hollywood film, Only You. A girl from India sets out to test the credentials of her to-be husband in Switzerland but she is fooled by another guy who poses as the prospective husband. She falls in love with him after making sure that he bears a good moral character, but is shattered when told that he is not the guy whom she had come to meet. Two two split and then meet again. Back in India, a few days before their marriage, there’s a misunderstanding which threatens to separate the lovers. The guy realises his folly in spurning the girl’s love, just in time to win her back.

The story (Rumi Jafri) is thin, and the screenplay (written by Honey Irani) relies rather too heavily on coincidences. It would appear, after seeing this film, that life is full of coincidences, and anything and everything under the sun is possible. Several turns and twists in the drama, if not initiated by coincidences, are such as would seem too unbelievable. For instance, the girl leaves India for a foreign land, without even knowing how the guy whom she has to meet looks and with just the knowledge of his name and business. She suffers from a rather dangerous disease (she is a somnambulist, that is, she sleep-walks) but when it comes to going abroad, no member of her doting family bothers to accompany her. The reason why the guy spurns her love in the pre-climax and calls off the marriage is too flimsy to appeal to the masses because the fault, if one may call it so, lies with the girl’s father and not with the girl at all. Besides, the question which immediately crops up in the audience’s mind when he calls off the wedding is: if the boy could cheat the girl by posing as the prospective groom, why can’t he bear a bit of insult of his mother — and this, when the mother is ready to overlook the insult. As for the coincidences, they are far too many — the luggage of the guy and the girl is identical, the guy and the girl’s father meet in a saloon as unknowns, before they meet in the latter’s house, etc.

Notwithstanding the rather weak screenplay, the film does have some really good comedy scenes which evoke a lot of laughter. Two such scenes are that of the saloon and when the girl’s grandmother tries to convince the parents of another prospective groom that her grand-daughter is not the best girl for their son. Another highlight of the film are the breathtaking foreign locations which have been captured oh so beautifully on celluloid by cameraman Manmohan Singh. Dolby DTS mixing is yet another asset because the sound effects are splendid.

Bobby Deol does a fair job. He is a bit awkward in comedy scenes. Aishwarya Rai looks a heavenly beauty and mesmerises with her stunning and gorgeous looks (her costumes are fantastic) and figure. She makes a commendable debut with a promising performance and also dances gracefully. She’s a girl who, in her very first film, gives the impression that she is destined to go places. Anupam Kher impresses a lot in the scene in which he comes face to face with Bobby Deol in the former’s house. Otherwise, he is okay. His choti comedy looks silly, at times. Shammi Kapoor acts with aplomb. Shammi is very cute and endears herself with a good performance. Beena plays her role with utmost conviction and is restrained. Priya Tendulkar and Avtar Gill lend good support.

Rahul Rawail has concentrated more on the visuals than on content. He ought to have Indianised the Hollywood film. His attempt looks like a body beautiful in which the soul is missing. Computer graphics in the climax look jarring. Even otherwise, the climax (inspired from the English film, Liar, Liar), which ought to have been hair-raising, is dull and cold.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s music is a mixture of entertaining and boring songs. Although there are too many songs, not even one is a super-hit number. ‘Koi jaane koi na jaane’ is the best song.’Meri saanson mein basaa hai’, ‘Luk-chhup ke main galli-galli’ and ‘Jaagi huyee fizaayen’ are also appealing numbers. But a couple of other songs are boring. Song picturisations do not have much variety. Emotions are completely absent. Production and technical values are of a very high standard.

On the whole, high-priced …Aur Pyar Ho Gaya is a film for cities mainly, not having a completely Indian flavour and emotions. It, therefore, will entail most of its distributors to losses. Business in Bombay and South should be better.

Released on 15-8-’97 at Eros and 14 other cinemas of Bombay thru Raj Enterprises. Publicity & opening: excellent. …….Also released all over. Opening was dull in many circuits like U.P., C.P.C.I. but very good in Delhi.

MERE SAPNO KI RANI

Shri Raaghavendra Movie Corporation’s Mere Sapno Ki Rani is a love triangle. Remake of the Telugu blockbuster Pelli Sandadi, it is the story of a boy who romances a girl but is to be married to her elder sister. The film has too much of a hangover of Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, especially in the first half.

The pre-interval portion is light and although the comedy is entertaining, it gets repetitive at times. The real drama starts in the second half and it keeps the audience guessing till the last scene. Two main drawbacks of the film are lack of emotions and an overdose of songs. The drama actually moves ahead through the songs, and the director has conveyed a lot without dialogues and scenes but through songs. This could have appealed immensely had the music been super-hit but that isn’t the case. It is for this reason that at least three to four songs can be advantageously trimmed.

Sanjay Kapoor is quite relaxed and gives a fair performance. Urmila Matondkar is the life of the film. She looks pretty and does a first-rate job as the younger sister in love with Sanjay. Madhoo also looks good and plays the elder sister ably. Of the comedians, Satish Kaushik, Shakti Kapoor and Satish Shah impress the most. Anupam Kher also does well. Laxmikant Berde has limited scope. Asrani, Paintal, Rakesh Bedi and Rajesh Puri evoke laughter with their dialogues. Kulbhushan Kharbanda is restrained. Manmoujee, Dinesh Hingoo, Satyen Kappu, Dina Pathak, Himani Shivpuri, Vandana Ghai, Shalu Kashyap and Anita lend able support.

Raaghavendra Rao’s direction is fair. He should have infused more emotions in the script. Dialogues are quite good. Music is good but given the excessive number of songs, a couple of hits was the need of the film. ‘Yeh pyar yeh pyar’ is the best number, followed by ‘Chamma chakka’, ‘Choli ke peechhe’, ‘Swapna sundari’ and ‘Aaja meri baahon mein’. Song picturisations are very beautiful and eye-filling. Camerawork is also extremely nice. The film looks very colourful because of exceptional locations and colourful costumes. Production values are of a good standard.

On the whole, Mere Sapno Ki Rani has some masala for ladies and families but lack of emotions and an overdose of songs rob it of universal appeal, which will tell on its business prospects. Having taken a lukewarm start at most places, it can hope to fare well in a couple of circuits only. Business in Bombay and Maharashtra should be the best. In the rest of the circuits, it will find the going tough.

Released on 15-8-’97 at Novelty and 15 other cinemas of Bombay thru Balaji Enterprises. Publicity: superb. Opening: very good. …….Also released all over. Opening was poor in most circuits and fair in a couple of them. In Delhi, opening was good.

LATEST POSITION

PARDES has met with a mixed reaction and has failed to live up to people’s great expectations…. Both the releases of this week have had lukewarm starts in majority of the circuits.

Pardes started dropping from 3rd/4th day onwards. It has done fair in 1st week in Bombay, Delhi-U.P., East Punjab and South, but dull in Bengal and C.P.C.I. Rajasthan. 1st week Bombay 38,05,494 (94.04%) from 10 cinemas (6 on F.H.); Padra 1,68,495, Jamnagar 96,354; Pune 11,55,664 from 5 cinemas, Kolhapur 1,55,000, Solapur 2,68,610 (90.67%), Satara 1,54,067 (83.68%); Hubli 100%, Belgaum 100%, Dharwad 100%; Delhi 35,18,102 (90.01%) from 8 cinemas (1 on F.H.); Lucknow 2,70,487 (100%), Agra 2,10,304, Meerut (6 days) 1,83,795, record, Bareilly (6 days) 1,56,513, Gorakhpur 1,72,000 (85.57%); Calcutta (6 days) 17,40,103 from 17 cinemas (15 on F.H.); Nagpur 6,46,550 from 4 cinemas, Jabalpur (6 days) 1,50,135, Akola 1,78,500, Bhilai (6 days) 1,28,159, Jalgaon (6 days) 1,45,988; Bhopal 3,45,386 from 2 cinemas, Ujjain 99,345; Bikaner 2,15,868; Hyderabad 30,61,516 from 12 cinemas (1 in noon, 1 on F.H.), share 17,55,000; Vijayawada 3,34,455, Guntur 1,47,636.

Daadagiri has done quite well in several centres other than major cities. 1st week Bombay 20,46,449 (65.25%) from 12 cinemas (6 on F.H.); Rajkot 49,000; Delhi (6 days) 13,96,162 (55.18%) from 9 cinemas (2 on F.H.); Lucknow 83,499, Agra 87,037, Meerut 1,05,849, Bareilly 73,090 (47.45%), Gorakhpur 71,000 (47.92%); Calcutta (6 days) 6,44,252 from 10 cinemas; Nagpur 2,49,327 from 4 cinemas, Akola 1,08,094; Indore (6 days) 1,63,640 from 2 cinemas (1 on F.H.), Bhopal 1,51,439 from 2 cinemas; Jodhpur 2,10,000, Bikaner 85,881; Hyderabad 7,14,376 from 9 cinemas (3 in noon).

……….

Anaconda (dubbed) 3rd week Bombay 5,75,741 (70.68%) from 2 cinemas (3 on F.H.); 1st week Pune 1,45,096; Belgaum 1,21,198 from 2 cinemas; 3rd week Delhi (6 days) 2,39,812; 1st week Lucknow (E.) 1,37,641 (100%), Agra 2,00,113; 3rd Nagpur 2,26,757 from 2 cinemas; Hyderabad 1,45,553; Vijayawada (E.) 3 weeks’ total 1,50,508.

Yes Boss 4th week Bombay (6 days) 24,43,934 (76.68%) from 9 cinemas (3 on F.H.); Rajkot 82,161 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee), Jamnagar 46,936, total 2,72,130; Pune 2,98,110 from 3 cinemas (1 in matinee), Solapur 77,278 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee), 3rd week Satara 34,734 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee, 1 in daily 1 show); 4th week Hubli 72,347, Belgaum 73,254, 3rd Karwar 41,267; 4th week Delhi (6 days) 12,60,816 from 6 cinemas; Lucknow 2,00,816, Bareilly 21,850 (14.67%), Gorakhpur 35,000; Rohtak 8,289; Calcutta (6 days) 1,37,958; Nagpur 82,075 from 2 cinemas, Jabalpur 67,563, total 4,11,431, 3rd week Chandrapur 50,554 (2nd 68,746), total 2,45,961; 4th week Bhopal 84,444; Hyderabad 3,75,199 from 2 cinemas (1 in noon); 1st week Visakhapatnam 1,56,044, Nellore 1,82,668.

Gupt 6th week Bombay (6 days) 9,70,016 (72.38%) from 5 cinemas (3 on F.H.); Jamnagar (matinee) 9,500; Pune 4,62,238 from 3 cinemas (1 in matinee), Solapur 74,278, 1st week Barsi 57,302 from 2 cinemas (1 in daily 1 show), 4th week Satara 69,412 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee); 1st Bijapur 89,600; 6th week Delhi (6 days) 2,70,254; Lucknow (35 shows) 1,43,498, Agra 1,15,890, Bareilly 27,664 (12.60%), Gorakhpur 37,000, 3rd week Hardwar 28,000 (2nd 39,768); 6th week Calcutta (6 days) 1,20,206; Nagpur 74,714, 5th week Amravati 82,593, total 6,79,375, 6th week Akola 35,062, total 4,33,791, Bhilai 30,092, 3rd week Durg 36,749, 5th Jalgaon 43,129; 6th week Indore (6 days) 93,000, Bhopal 65,296; Hyderabad 4,00,901 from 3 cinemas (1 in noon).

Border 9th week Bombay (TF, 6 days) 12,01,290 (77.13%) from 5 cinemas (4 on F.H.); Baroda (TF) 53,648, 7th week Rajkot (TF) 1,25,615, 9th Jamnagar (noon, TF) 10,026; Pune (TF) 6,52,286 from 4 cinemas (1 in matinee), Kolhapur (TF) 97,324, Solapur (TF, matinee) 34,574, 5th week Barsi (TF, 7 shows) 10,347, 8th Satara (TF, matinee) 13,603; 9th week Belgaum 33,964; Delhi (6 days) 15,91,218 from 8 cinemas (1 unrecd.); Lucknow 2,68,016, Agra 56,460, Gorakhpur 65,000; Rohtak 17,100; Calcutta (6 days) 49,219; Nagpur (TF) 1,35,225, Jabalpur 67,288, total 15,01,621, Akola (TF) 89,224, total 11,09,756, 4th week Bhusawal (TF) 60,000, 2nd week Gondia 72,817, total 1,66,269, 9th Chandrapur (TF) 70,004, 3rd week Sagar (5 days) 44,685; 9th week Indore (6 days) 86,745, Bhopal 91,111; Hyderabad 2,89,852 from 2 cinemas (1 in noon); Vijayawada 2 weeks’ total 4,63,488, Guntur 3,82,902.

‘JUDAAI’ JUBILEE

Boney Kapoor’s Judaai is celebrating silver jubilee at 12 centres this week. The places where it has entered 25th week are Bombay, Ahmedabad, Baroda, Surat, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Pune, Solapur, Kanpur, Hyderabad, Aurangabad and Latur. Directed by Raj Kanwar, the film stars Anil Kapoor, Sridevi, Urmila Matondkar, Kader Khan, Farida Jalal, Paresh Rawal and Johny Lever. Music: Nadeem Shravan. Lyrics: Sameer. It is produced by Surinder Kapoor.

PAKISTAN BESTOWS HIGHEST AWARD ON DILIP KUMAR

Dilip Kumar was honoured with Pakistan’s highest civilian award, ‘Nishan-e-Imtiaz’, on the occasion of the golden jubilee of its Independence. Melody queen of yesteryears, Noorjehan, was similarly honoured.

Dilip Kumar, who is among 59 persons who have been honoured with various Pakistani civilian awards by President Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari, is the first Indian actor to have been conferred with the highest Pakistani civilian award. This, despite the fact that the screening of Indian films is banned in Pakistan since 1965.

Simultaneously, at the golden jubilee celebrations of its Independence day, Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif called for peace with India.

Gulshan Kumar Gunned Down By Terrorists

Music industry king Gulshan Kumar was shot dead at about 10.30 a.m. on 12th August by two youths near a temple off the Juhu Versova Link Road at Andheri, Bombay. He was 41 years old.

Four persons, including Gulshan Kumar’s driver, were injured. All four are out of danger.

The music baron was stepping into his Maruti Esteem after offering prayers at a small Shiva temple which he himself had helped build some years ago, when he was pumped with 15 bullets. According to the crime branch of the police, the killers are believed to be members of the Abu Salem faction of the Dawood Ibrahim gang. It is believed that Gulshan Kumar was shot dead because he refused to part with “protection money” of several crores of rupees which the Dubai-based gang wanted to extort.

The assailants are believed to have fired with sten guns. Gulshan Kumar ran for cover towards a neighbouring chawl and tried to enter one of the tenements but a panic-stricken resident shut the door on him. He then tried to enter a nearby room but was followed by the killers who pumped him with bullets. He slumped to the ground, blood oozing out of his body. The killers fled in a taxi after forcing its occupants and driver out of the vehicle.

The bleeding music tycoon was rushed by shocked local residents to Cooper Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.

Gulshan Kumar had reportedly sought protection from the Uttar Pradesh police but had made no formal or even verbal complaint to the Bombay police. Due to his business interests in Delhi and Bombay, he kept shuttling between the capital city of India and its commercial capital and maintained houses and offices in both the cities. His bodyguard, provided by the U.P. police, had been absent from work for the past two days due to illness.

Gulshan Kumar’s murder has taken place within 20 days of the abortive bid on the life of director Rajiv Rai. News of Gulshan Kumar’s death spread panic in industry circles. The horrified Bombay film industry observed a Black Day on 13th to protest against the growing insecurity of their members and the growing terrorism. All production activities in Bombay were suspended on Wednesday in a show of solidarity. Cinemas, however, continued to function.

EMOTIONAL FAREWELL FOR GULSHAN KUMAR

The body of Gulshan Kumar was taken from Bombay (where he was gunned down) to Delhi on 13th August and consigned to flames at Nigambodh Ghat the same day. Emotional scenes were witnessed when his son lit the funeral pyre. Earlier, mortal remains of the music industry king were mounted on a bedecked truck which was brought to the ghat in a huge procession from his residence.

SECURITY FOR INDUSTRY PEOPLE BEEFED UP

Perturbed by the spate of threats to the lives of industry people and petrified by the murder of Gulshan Kumar on 12th August by the Abu Salem faction of the Dawood Ibrahim gang, the film industry held a meeting on 13th at IMPPA House to demand police security for it and to protest the killing. The meeting was attended by a number of industry bigwigs.

A delegation of the film industry called on Maharashtra dy. chief minister Gopinath Munde at Mantralaya on 14th August to impress upon the government the need to step up security for film people. Munde, who holds the home portfolio, assured the industry that the state government would not let anybody hold the film industry to ransom. He told press persons that protection was already being given to seven artistes, including Amitabh Bachchan.

Munde also explained that apart from giving protection to individuals, the city police would also be asked to ensure adequate security in and around film studios. He appealed to producers and artistes to inform the police about threats from gangsters, and ensured that protection would be given as soon as complaints were received by the police. He also informed that while one of the four killers of Gulshan Kumar had been arrested on 13th August and remanded to police custody till 27th August by additional chief metropolitan magistrate Veer Singh Taware, the others would be nabbed soon.

AMARLAL CHHABRIA NO MORE

Producer Amarlal P. Chhabria expired on 12th August at a private nursing home in Bombay where he had been admitted for a liver problem. He had not been keeping well since the last few months. He was 58 and is survived by his wife, two sons, a daughter and two brothers.

Amarlal had made several films of which Kunwara Baap, directed by Mehmood, was a runaway hit. He also financed Mehmood’s Do Phool and Sabse Bada Rupaiya. He had a long association with Mehmood whose Ginny Aur Johny was also produced by Amarlal Chhabria. Among the other films produced by him are Janta Hawaldar, Patton Ki Bazi, Sannata, Mujhe Shakti Do and Lamboo Dada. At the time of his death, he was producing Honeymoon, a serial for Zee TV.

Amarlal had introduced playback singer Anwar in his Janta Hawaldar. He had also given break to music director Rajesh Roshan in Kunwara Baap.

His chautha was held on 15th August in Bombay.

HARMEET KATHURIA DEAD

Film journalist Harmeet Kathuria passed away in Jammu on 11th August. He had not been keeping good health for quite some time and had gone to Jammu to meet his parents.

Harmeet used to write for several magazines. Many years ago, he used to write the column ‘Information Meets’ in Film Information in which he used to interview film personalities. Harmeet was a bold writer and used to write as fearlessly as he used to speak bluntly.

PRODUCTION NEWS

‘Haseena Maan Jayegi’ Shooting Starts

Director David Dhawan will start the initial shooting schedule of Rahul Productions’ Haseena Maan Jayegi on Aug. 17 in Bombay. Many scenes will be picturised in a bungalow at Madh Island and different locations, featuring Govinda, Satish Kaushik and Kader Khan. Sanjay Dutt and Karisma Kapoor play the other leading roles. One more heroine is to be finalised. Anupam Kher plays a key role in the film which is being presented by Bharat Shah and produced by Smita Thackeray. Music by Nadeem Shravan, story-screenplay by Yunus Sejawal and Imteyaz Hussain, lyrics by Sameer, dialogues by Rumi Jafri, cinematography by K.S. Prakash, editing by A. Muthu, and sound by Vinod Potdar are the other major credits.

‘Gharwali Baharwali’ In Nepal, Hyderabad

Director David Dhawan will start a month-long shooting schedule of Tutu Films’ Gharwali Baharwali from Aug. 20 in Nepal and Hyderabad. A song and many scenes will be picturised featuring all the artistes. With the conclusion of this schedule, the entire talkie portion of the film will be complete. Starring Anil Kapoor, Raveena Tandon, Rambha, Satish Kaushik and Kader Khan, the film is being produced by Tutu Sharma. It has music by Anu Malik, and is being written by Rumi Jafri. Cinematography by K.S. Prakash, editing by A. Muthu, lyrics by Nitin, and art by Ashok Kumar are the other major credits.

‘Hindustan Ki Kasam’ On Indo-Pak Border

Devgans Films’ Hindustan Ki Kasam is currently being shot in Delhi, Agra, at the Golden temple in Amritsar and the Indo-Pakistan border. The proceedings and celebrations of 50 years of India’s independence are being captured on camera in Delhi and Agra for the film. It stars Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgan, Sushmita Sen, Farida Jalal, Shakti Kapoor, Shahbaaz Khan, Navin Bawa and Gulshan Grover. It is being produced and directed by Veeru Devgan, and presented by Bharat Shah. Writer: Janak Hriday. Music: Sukhwindara Singh. Lyrics: Anand Bakshi.

YOU ASKED IT

When you earn foreign exchange in US dollars as licence fee for export of films, what benefits do you get, now that the system of granting of import licences against such earnings has been discontinued?

– The exporter gets duty drawback to the tune of about Rs. 7,500/- to Rs. 9,000/-per print.

Why did a film like …Aur Pyar Ho Gaya have a bumper advance booking in Bombay and Delhi but not get even a decent opening in C.P. and C.I.?

– The craze for the film was mainly due to Aishwarya Rai, the ex-Miss World. The concept of beauty queens is quite alien (yes, it’s true!) in towns and smaller places. Secondly, even though it stars Bobby Deol, the film is a love story devoid of action.

Don’t you think the percentage ratios of various circuits need to be re-defined?

– Yes, if you look at the businesses of recent releases like GUPT, PARDES, JUDAAI, MAACHIS, KOYLA, YES BOSS, HERO NO. 1, etc., you will notice that businesses of the various circuits don’t match their ratios. Therefore, percentages of the different circuits need re-definition.

3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment

Panic As Never Before

The film industry is in the grip of panic as never before, following the murder of Gulshan Kumar. Its members have been receiving threatening calls, and the attempt on Rajiv Rai’s life three weeks back had sent shock waves in the industry. The gunning down of music baron and producer Gulshan Kumar on 12th August has left the industry completely speechless. Financiers, especially, are withdrawing as they don’t want to come in the limelight. Repercussions of Gulshan Kumar’s murder are going to be felt for months to come as the already tight money market will become tighter still. Tough days are ahead for the industry.

Bobby’s Hat-Trick In C.I.

So, Bobby Deol has completed his hat-trick. …Aur Pyar Ho Gaya is his third release and this one too, like his earlier two films (Barsaat and Gupt) did not get a decent opening in C.I. Poor Bobby, he had better visit the Mahakaal temple in Ujjain (which falls in C.I. territory). Maybe, thereafter, his films will get better openings in C.I. By the way, …Aur Pyar Ho Gaya had a dull opening (on Thursday) in C.P. Berar and U.P., too.

A ‘Ban’tastic Award

That Dilip Kumar has been honoured with the highest civilian award of Pakistan, ‘Nishan-e-Imtiaz’, is a matter of joy for the whole of India. After all, it is the first time that an Indian actor has been conferred with the award. But it is also paradoxical that while Pakistan has chosen an Indian actor to receive the award, it has banned the screening of Indian films since 1965. Dilip Kumar or, for that matter, no Indian star is permitted to act in a Pakistani film or even perform on stage in that country. On the other hand, India has permitted Pakistani artistes to act in Indian films and also perform in India. Quite rightly then has Film Federation of India (FFI) secretary K.D. Shorey remarked, “Dilip Kumar should either decline to accept the Pakistani award or use the opportunity to make the Pakistani government lift its over-30-year-old ban on the Indian films and artistes.”

Urmila’s South Connections

Urmila Matondkar, who shot to stardom with Rangeela, has had South connections ever since. Rangeela was directed by South-based Ramgopal Varma. Her next release, Judaai, was the remake of a Telugu hit, Shubhlagnam. Mere Sapno Ki Rani, released this week, is also a remake — that of the Telugu blockbuster, Pelli Sandadi. And due for release next week is Daud, again directed by Ramgopal Varma. Incidentally, Varma has just recently shifted base to Bombay.

PARDES

Mukta Arts Pvt. Ltd.’s Pardes is the story of two cultures — Indian and Western. Using a love triangle as the base, the virtues of Indian culture vis-à-vis Western culture are sought to be highlighted. The film, from the very beginning, appears to be heavily inspired by Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and, to some extent, by Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!.

A young girl, living in a town in North India, wins the confidence of a non-resident Indian (NRI) friend of her father because of her rich traditional values. He proposes his son, settled abroad, as a match for the girl, and it falls upon the NRI friend’s foster-son (also settled abroad) to get the girl and boy close. The prospective groom hates India and is completely Western at heart, while the foster-son, though living abroad, cherishes Indian values. The engagement ceremony takes place in India, and the girl accompanies her fiancé and to-be father-in-law abroad. Once there, she gets a cultural shock and realises slowly but surely that she would never be able to fit into the Western society. She starts breaking under the pressure, and a situation arises when she is forced to break all shackles and run away to protect her honour. All along, she looks upon the foster-son for mental comfort and physical protection and, in fact, comes back to India with him. Once in India, she realises, he is the man of her dreams and proposes marriage to him. After a lot of reluctance (mainly because the guy is too indebted to his foster-father), he agrees to take the girl as his wife.

The first half is replete with light moments, some of them hilarious and truly enjoyable. Of course, a couple of comedy punches are such as would appeal to the city audience more. The film becomes slow after interval and even begins to drag in the last hour or so. That is when the length of the film (running time: approximately 3 hours and 10 minutes) and its loose editing start irritating. Besides, due to the absence of super-hit music, the lengthy second half also offers no real relief.

While the story is quite likeable, the screenplay leaves something to be desired. For one, the writers and director have played too safe in establishing the love of the girl for the foster-son, perhaps, for fear that the subject should not begin to look immoral. Secondly, there is no heroism of the hero (foster-son) who remains a passive character almost till the end. The only sentiment he is shown to have towards the girl is that born out of protecting her in a foreign land. Sentiments for India have been intelligently highlighted but, at times, they also look too contrived. The kabaddi scene, though initiated on a weak base, is thoroughly enjoyable. The scene in which the heroine slaps her fiancé is also very good. Her conversation on telephone, with her father, touches the heart.

Dialogues are very good at several places. But the heroine’s free usage of main sometimes and hum at other times (when she talks in first person) does not befit the canvas of the film and the names behind it.

Shah Rukh Khan underplays brilliantly and excels as the foster-son. But he definitely ought to have had at least a couple of scenes to prove his heroism. Unfortunately, although there’s no similarity, Shah Rukh’s character in the film reminds of his character in the recently released Yes Boss. Debutante Mahima Chaudhary makes up for her lack of glamour and innocence (the latter was the demand of the character she plays) with a confident and appreciable performance. Apurva Agnihotri also makes a very good debut and suits the role beautifully. Amrish Puri is efficient as always, but one misses him at places in the second half. Alok Nath is just too good. Himani Shivpuri goes through her role with effortless ease. Dina Pathak, Padmavati Rao, Madhuri Bhatia, Benu Kalsi, Pawan Malhotra, Anand Balraj, Deepak Qazir, Vinod Raut, Smita Jaykar and Akash Singh lend admirable support. Aditya Narayan, Rakesh Thareja, Samta Sagar, Prachi Save, master Nagrath, Shashi Sharma and the rest are good.

Subhash Ghai’s direction has his brilliant touches at several places. But his script should have been tighter and should have also given more definite colour to the main characters rather than leaving them grey. Too much usage of English in some comedy punches restricts their entertainment value for the city audience only. Even the film as a whole holds more appeal for the class audience.

Nadeem Shravan’s music is very good but in a Subhash Ghai film, the audience expects magical music as a matter of right, and that is absent. ‘I love my India’ and ‘Meri Mehbooba’ songs are musically the best and their picturisatons are also very nice. ‘Dil deewana dil’ is tuneful and its picturisation takes one on a trip of America. The qawwali is good but its impact is reduced due to the intervening dialogues and action (stunts). ‘Do dil mil rahe hain’ is melodious. Kabir Lal’s camerawork is simply marvellous. The foreign locations have been captured excellently on celluloid. Photography and lighting of India locations are also brilliant. Art direction (R. Verman) is good. Dolby sound is superb. Background music (Vanraj Bhatia) is very effective but is also found missing in some crucial scenes. Editing, as mentioned earlier, is loose, and the film deserves to be trimmed by at least 10 to 15 minutes to take care of both, the dull moments as well as the odd show timings (due to the length of the film). In fact, if the producer does not effect cuts soon, some of the distributors and exhibitors may do it themselves.

On the whole, lengthy Pardes is not a landmark film (although it had the germs) but it has some merits, some freshness, an entertaining first half and nationalist sentiments to appeal to the audience and bring in some returns for most of its distributors. It shouldn’t be shocking, however, if it fails to recover its cost in a circuit or two due to lack of opening and craze. Business in cities will be the best. Extraneous factors like a fantastic (holiday) period ahead will improve the film’s prospects.

Released on 8-8-’97 at Minerva and 18 other cinemas of Bombay thru Metro Films. Publicity: good (but unduly low-key except in Bombay and major cities). Opening: bumper. …….Also released all over. Opening was good in most of the circuits but dull in C.I. (1st day Indore about 70%, Gwalior about 55%, Bhopal about 90%, Dewas 50%) and so-so in Orissa. Except in C.I. and Orissa, the film was released everywhere (U.P. and C.P. Berar also) on Friday.

TAMIL FILM INDUSTRY TALKS WITH CM FAIL AGAIN

The 5-hour meeting between Tamil Nadu chief minister M. Karunanidhi and representatives of the various sections of the Tamil film industry, in Madras to arrive at a solution to end the over 2-month old strike in the Tamil film world ended in a stalemate on 7th August again.

After the talks, the chief minister appealed to the two main warring factions — the Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI) and the Tamil Nadu Creators and Film Employees Federation (TANCIFEF) — to not disrupt the others’ film shooting. He also warned both the groups against violence.

ON THURSDAY IN C.I.

Subhash Ghai’s Pardes was planned to be released all over India on Friday (August 8). The U.P., C.P. Berar and C.I. distributors also agreed to Ghai’s request to release the film on Friday instead of the conventional Thursday there. But the C.I. distributor went back on his words and opened the film on Thursday (August 7) in Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior, Ujjain and Dewas. While he had not given the exhibitors a definite date (he said, it could be Thursday or Friday), he advertised in the press publicities that Pardes would be releasing on Thursday. Another circuit where the film was released on Thursday is Orissa.

BAN ON ENTRY OF BURKHA-CLAD WOMEN IN CINEMAS FAILS

More than 100 women activists, opposed to burkha-clad women frequenting cinemas, organised a silent protest in front of Santosh 70mm cinema in Hyderabad on 31st July. The activists requested burkha-clad women not to enter the cinema premises. The move, however, did not evoke any resentment among cinegoers as some of them returned home without entering the cinema premises. It may be recalled that the Tehreek Muslim Shabban has imposed a ban on the entry of burkha-clad women in cinemas from 1st August.

The Shabban, in association with some Muslim women’s organisations, also took out a car rally from Mecca mosque on 1st August to educate and urge Muslim women to comply with its ban. The Andhra Pradesh Mahila Samakhya strongly condemned the stand taken by the Shabban, terming its arguments as “unconvincing”. Several burkha-clad women could be seen arguing with the ban supporters in cinemas coming under the limits of the old city of Hyderabad.

‘BORDER’ TAX-FREE IN GUJARAT

J.P. Dutta’s Border has been granted tax exemption in Gujarat for a period of 54 weeks from 1st August. The film is being screened at tax-free rates with effect from 8th.

RECORDIST BABURAO BHALCHANDRA NO MORE

Senior sound recordist Baburao Bhalchandra expired on 23rd June in Bombay after a brief illness. He was 91 and was the founder of the Western India Motion Picture & Television Sound Engineers Association.

Baburao had recorded the sound of more than 100 films and was considered a specialist in song recording. He was the first honorary general secretary of the WIMPSEA and was associated with it for many years. Even after his retirement, he used to enquire about the welfare of the Association’s members and its activities. Only a few months before his death, a meeting of the Association was held at his residence at Kandivli, Bombay, for framing the guidelines for the disbursement of the interest earned from fixed deposit in the WIMPSEA Welfare Trust.

SANJAY KAPOOR IN AURANGABAD

Sanjay Kapoor was in Aurangabad on 7th August en route to Shirdi. At a press meet there, he expressed confidence that his Mere Sapno Ki Rani, due for release next week, would prove to be a major hit. The press conference was organised by Ravi Machhar who is distributing Mere Sapno Ki Rani in Nizam.

YOU ASKED IT

Why has the sale of music cassettes, in general, declined? Is it due to the high prices of cassettes?

– To an extent, yes. Pricing a cassette at Rs. 45 and 50 is not advisable unless the music is exceptionally good.

Why have so many big filmmakers of yesteryears turned to television?

– For two reasons. Television is equally, and sometimes more, paying. Secondly, the veteran filmmakers find it impossible to make films today under the one- and two-hour-shift system. They are used to making films with passion and that is possible when stars are at one’s disposal.

I had sold the satellite rights of my film to Mr. X for five years. He, in turn, sold them to a channel for seven years. Does the channel have the right to telecast my film after 5 years.

– No, because Mr. X has sold to the channel something which he does not possess. The rights of the channel will be for five years only.

CENSOR NEWS

Varma Creations’ Daud was given C.C. (in Hyderabad) No. CIL/4/65/97 (A) dt. 1-8-’97; length 4733.96 metres in 18 reels (with cuts).

Essem Entertainment Inc.’s …Aur Pyar Ho Gaya was given C.C. No. CIL/1/33/97 (U) dt. 6-8-’97; length 4339.13 metres in 16 reels.

Shri Raaghavendra Movie Corporations’ Mere Sapno Ki Rani was given C.C. (in Hyderabad) No. CIL/61/68/97 (U) dt. 7-8-’97; length 4310.30 metres in 15 reels (cuts: 5.71 metres).

Paramount Films of India Ltd.’s The Lost World: Jurassic Park (dubbed) was given C.C. No. CFS/2/38/97 (UA) dt. 7-8-’97; length 52.28 metres.

Yashish Enterprises’ Bhai has been passed for adults, with cuts.

HERE & THERE

Fresh Summons To Sunny, Karisma

The additional chief judicial magistrate (railway), Jaipur, Anil Kumar Sarolia, issued fresh summons to Sunny Deol, Karisma Kapoor and others, as they failed to appear in the court on 1st August due to non-service of summons. The judge found four members of the unit of Bajrang, including Sunny and Karisma, prima facie “guilty of causing delay to the train unauthorisedly”. The CJM has asked railway officers as well as the commissioner of police, Mumbai, to ensure that summons were served. The CJM has ordered that the summons also be sent by registered post to their residences.

MIX MASALA

INVITATION ON A PLATTER

If the occasion is the launch of a music cassette entitled ‘Khichdi’, it is only appropriate that the invitation should come in the form of a plate and spoon. Tips sent out invitations for the release of Ila Arun’s ‘Khichdi’ audio cassette on 8th August, in the form of a cute chinaware plate and a spoon. The invitation message, pasted on the plate, was to a ‘hot hot evening’ and went on to mention that Ila Arun’s ‘Khichdi’ “is being served at Harbour Hall, Hotel Centaur”.

PASSPORT TO PARDES

Ajay Chudasama, who has completely renovated his Ajay cinema at Bhavnagar, held a premiere show of Pardes on 7th August at the new-look cinema now called Rajshri. And very appropriately, the invitation card for the show of Pardes has come in the form of a passport — a passport to Pardes. The invitation passport mentions the airport’s name as Rajshri Cinema, Bhavnagar.

3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment

Audience Goes Crazy

Barely has the publicity of Yash Chopra’s new film, Dil To Pagal Hai, started and the public has already begun to go berserk. A huge poster of the film, showing Madhuri Dixit, Shah Rukh Khan ad Karisma Kapoor, was put up at Gaiety cinema, Bandra, Bombay, earlier this week, but since it was in a showcase close to the main entrance of the cinema, it was hindering the free passage of audience as huge crowds used to gather around the showcase to admire the poster. Barely had 24 hours elapsed when the cinema management had to put up the poster elsewhere near the entrance. Wow! that’s some craze for the film due for release on Diwali.

Life-Saving Suit

Producer Rahul Gupta’s Hum Panchi Ek Daal Ke is about 80% complete after the 35-day-long shooting schedule in the USA, which, incidentally, has become famous for the camera which sank in the river while the shooting was on. Rahul doesn’t curse his luck for the mishap but instead thanks the Lord that no lives were lost in it. The crew on the raft, which was holding the camera in the river, comprised all foreigners as an Indian second-unit cameraman missed joining them because his wet suit (everyone is required to wear a wet suit before getting on to the raft) was not available on hand and the foreigners didn’t fancy wasting even 15 minutes for him till he got his wet suit from a place 2 kms. away. The second-unit cameraman, who was earlier cribbing on being left out, heaved a sigh of relief for the same reason when he heard of the accident.

Of ‘Pardes’ At Trimurti

The management of Trimurti Talkies, Ujjain, it seems, enjoys discontinuing running films despite good collections, to accommodate new ones. It recently discontinued Tamanna which was being screened at Trimurti, despite share-yielding collections, and released Himalay Putra in its place. This week again, the management, in a very unbusinesslike manner, discontinued Mrityudand without the permission of its distributor and in spite of fair collections, to make way for Pardes. In the trade, it is believed that if a running film is discontinued despite good collections, the new film, which comes in its place, does not do well. Sure enough, the collections of Pardes at Trimurti Talkies were poor on Thursday and Friday.

Applause for ‘Dus’ From US

A US senator has given a perfect 10 to Mukul Anand’s magnum opus, Dus, which is currently being shot at the Salt Lake city in Utah, of course, with the active support of the US government.

The film, set against the backdrop of Operation Topac (a covert Indian initiative to flush out terrorists from the Charar-e-Sharief mosque in May 1995), has won a round of applause from an unlikely quarter. US senator Orrin G. Flash hailed the film as an answer to the 50-year-old Indo-Pak problem over Kashmir. “When completed, the film will be an important message of world peace,” he said in a communique dated July 31. The senator extended his recommendations to the Utah city Bureau of Land Management chief William Lamb, for all possible support to Mukul Anand’s unit which is in the USA.

A major part of the film is being shot in the USA with stars Vinod Khanna, Salman Khan, Raveena Tandon, Shilpa Shetty, Ashish Vidyarthi, Akash Khurana Jaspal Bhatti and Rahul Dev. Sanjay Dutt is likely to join the unit on 9th August.

TARAZU

Vee Vee Combines’ Tarazu (A) is yet another Akshay Kumar starrer with an oft-repeated and routine story which makes it look like other Akshay starrers released in recent times. It has the same good versus evil drama. On the good side are a police inspector, his brother, his sister-in-law, his beloved and his Muslim doctor. The evil force is represented by a don and his son. When the police inspector is not able to get justice in the court of law, he takes law into his hands and wipes out the evil forces one by one. So as not to come in the eyes of the police, the inspector is declared to be in a coma in hospital even while he actually exterminates the villains.

The story and screenplay are both quite childish. Several incidents are repetitive in the sense that they’ve been seen in earlier films. An attempt is made to make the drama light in the first half but if a few scenes entertain, several others fail to even get a smile on the lips. Situations have been forcibly created to raise laughter and that’s what is jarring. Further, the light scenes have been stretched too much, thereby robbing them of their humour value. A conscious attempt is also made to bring in communal sentiments but they hardly surface. Emotions are completely absent and even the romance is not very lively. Dialogues are okay.

Akshay Kumar continues to shine in action scenes and not impress in acting. Sonali Bendre’s performance is not too consistent. While she is good in some comedy scenes, she isn’t effective in others. Amrish Puri does not have much scope to leave a mark, and he actually disappoints if only because of that. Mohnish Bahl is quite nice. Kader Khan is alright as the Muslim doctor. Ranjeet, Shashi Sharma, Anil Dhawan, Rana Jung Bahadur, K.K. Raj, Anil Nagrath and Ajay Chadha fill the bill. Tej Sapru, Tiku Talsania, Harish Patel, Guddi Maruti and Dinesh Hingoo lend good support.

Direction is so-so. Director Vimal Kumar fails to inspire his cast to come up with effective performances. Rajesh Roshan’s music is good. ‘Ae deewane dil’ and ‘Haseena gori gori’ are very well-tuned numbers and the picturisation of the latter song is beautiful. Other song picturisations could have been better. ‘Su su su’ and ‘Chal ganne ke khet mein’ are, however, ordinary numbers. Action scenes have been well-composed. Editing needed to be much sharper. Camerawork is eye-pleasing. Background music is poor at places.

On the whole, Tarazu is too routine a fare to catch the fancy of the audience and will, therefore, find it difficult to touch the average mark.

Released on 1-8-’97 at Novelty and 20 other cinemas of Bombay thru Ahuja Films. Publicity: good. Opening: average. …….Also released all over. Opening was below expectations at several places.

LATEST POSITION

Heavy rains in many parts of the country have adversely affected box-office collections. …….Except for ANACONDA (dubbed), which has fared excellently, none of last week’s releases could make any mark at the ticket windows.

Lav Kush proves a total disaster. Its Bengali version, however, is excellent. 1st week Bombay 2,64,400 (25.66%) from 4 cinemas (1 on F.H.); Solapur about 23,500; Delhi 3,20,050 (28.38%) from 4 cinemas; Agra 50,565, Allahabad 25,000, Gorakhpur 48,000, Hardwar 49,000; Calcutta 1,30,970 from 2 cinemas; Indore 75,000 from 2 cinemas; Jodhpur 1,06,000, Bikaner 35,657.

…………

Anaconda (dubbed) has done extremely well. 1st week Bombay 10,63,168 (75.84%) from 3 cinemas (2 on F.H.); Pune 3,28,115 from 3 cinemas; Meerut 1,61,398; Nagpur 2,39,457 (100%); Hyderabad 3,30,832 (100%), Aurangabad 100%; Vijayawada (English version) 3,53,318 (100%).

Yes Boss drops further in Delhi-U.P., East Punjab, Bengal and C.P.C.I. Rajasthan but is very good in Bombay and South. 2nd week Bombay 26,88,661 (88%) from 8 cinemas (6 on F.H.); Rajkot 1,27,200 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee), Jamnagar 83,565; Pune 6,40,683 from 4 cinemas (1 in matinee), Solapur 1,08,467 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee), 1st week Satara 92,882 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee); 2nd week Hubli 1,12,365, Belgaum 98,356; Delhi 35,85,252 (69.76%) from 11 cinemas; Lucknow 2,55,934, Allahabad 93,000, Gorakhpur 75,000 (1st 1,05,000); Calcutta 7,41,306 from 4 cinemas; Nagpur 2,60,771 from 2 cinemas, Jabalpur 96,606, total 2,68,732, Amravati 92,623, Akola 64,800 (1st 1,18,108), Raipur 1,22,438, Bhilai 71,906, 1st week Chandrapur 1,26,662, 2nd Yavatmal (18 shows) 37,364; Bhopal 2,25,011 from 2 cinemas; Jaipur 3,34,063 from 2 cinemas; Hyderabad 11,66,227 from 4 cinemas.

…………

Gupt 4th week Bombay 21,58,933 (66.83%) from 9 cinemas (8 on F.H.); Vapi 91,794, total 11,02,985, Rajkot 1,48,650, Jamnagar 48,465; Pune 6,84,552 from 4 cinemas (1 in matinee), Solapur 96,914, 2nd week Satara 1,09,433 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee); 4th week Delhi 6,12,550 (61.03%) from 3 cinemas (2 on F.H.); Lucknow 1,92,455, Agra 1,38,000, Allahahad 88,050, Gorakhpur 51,000 (3rd 82,000), 1st week Hardwar 90,000; 4th week Calcutta 4,51,150 from 3 cinemas; Nagpur 1,03,213, 3rd Amravati 1,16,381, total 4,90,918, 4th week Akola 56,450 (3rd 73,986), Raipur 86,448, total 5,93,815, Bhilai 38,484, 1st week Durg (9 days) 83,134, 3rd week Jalgaon 73,000, 4th Gondia 26,200, total 1,96,024, Chandrapur 58,183, Yavatmal (18 shows) 9,683; Indore 1,34,406, Bhopal 85,984; Jaipur 4,38,216; Hyderabad 5,75,802 from 3 cinemas (2 in noon); Vijayawada 1,85,146, 2 weeks’ total at Visakhapatnam 3,91,832, Guntur 2,86,247.

Border 7th week Bombay (TF) 22,38,686 (76.41%) from 8 cinemas (7 on F.H.); Baroda 65,979, Rajkot 91,656, total 10,68,429, Jamnagar (noon) 16,575; Pune (TF) 6,89,933 from 4 cinemas (1 in matinee), Solapur (matinee, TF) 31,761, 3rd week Barsi (TF) 32,340, total 1,22,992, 6th Satara (TF) 64,829 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee); 7th Belgaum 41,956; Delhi 34,19,672 from 13 cinemas; 6th week Lucknow 2,87,080, 7th week Agra 78,760, Allahabad 74,000, Gorakhpur 79,000 (6th 87,000); Calcutta 2,52,039 from 2 cinemas; Nagpur (TF) 1,81,421 from 2 cinemas, Jabalpur 85,706, total 13,70,567, Amravati (TF) 1,20,441, Akola (TF) 1,09,980 (6th 80,539), total 9,13,817, Raipur 53,424, Bhilai 37,485, Chandrapur (TF) 65,650, total 9,62,478, Yavatmal (TF, 17 shows) 17,661; Indore 1,09,840, Bhopal 1,05,098; Jaipur 2,29,474, Bikaner 29,462; Hyderabad 3,71,744 from 2 cinemas (1 in noon).

RAJIV RAI ESCAPES BID ON LIFE

Director Rajiv Rai escaped a bid on his life at his office at Tardeo, Bombay, on the evening of 31st July when five assailants entered his office, planning to kill him. Rajiv, who had been receiving threatening telephone calls for ‘protection money’, had a personal bodyguard (a police constable) in his office. The constable injured one of the five assailants who has been arrested. Two more persons in connection with the murder bid were arrested later.

FWA FELICITATES GULZAR, JAVED AKHTAR

The Film Writers’ Association felicitated two of its members — Gulzar and Javed Akhtar — on 27th July at Hotel Sands for being honoured with the National Awards this year for Maachis and Saaz respectively.

Ramanand Sagar, the founder-member of the Association, was the chief guest. B.R. Chopra, Prakash Mehra and Sultan Ahmed were guests of honour.

Ramanand Sagar presented trophies and shawls to Gulzar and Javed Akhtar. B.R. Chopra presented a trophy to Hassan Kamal for the U.P. government’s Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad award. Ali Sardar Jaffery was the recipient of the Maharashtra government’s Urdu Academy award trophy which was accepted on his behalf by FWA president Ali Raza from Sultan Ahmed. Prakash Mehra gave the Ramakrishna Jaydayal Harmony award trophy to Nida Fazli, which was accepted on the latter’s behalf by FWA general secretary Tej Nath Zar.

Qamar Jalalabadi, Hassan Kamal, Ved Rahi and Jainendra Jain paid glowing tributes to Gulzar and Javed Akhtar. Hassan Kamal said that of all the awards received by a writer, the award from co-writers was the best. Jainendra Jain praised the two writers and said that they had done the other writers a favour by not compromising on their writings, as now, all the other writers could quote the examples of Gulzar and Javed Akhtar whenever a producer asked them to write something vulgar. Ved Rahi felt that the initial criticism of Maachis as being one-sided, was incorrect. Qamar Jalalabadi also paid glowing tributes to the two writers and was thanked by Javed Akhtar whom he called “naujawan”. According to Javed, he had not been called “naujawan” for many years now.

The function ended with a vote of thanks by Ali Raza and Tej Nath Zar. Tabassaum compered the function.

SANJAY DUTT’S PLEA REJECTED

The designated TADA court on 1st August rejected a petition filed by Sanjay Dutt, seeking permission to visit Salt Lake in the USA for the shooting of a film.

NEW CINEMA OPENS IN HUBLI

Sri Laxmi Narayan Chitra Mandir, a new cinema in Hubli, opened on 31st July. Shruthi Haakida Hejje (Kannada) is the opening attraction. The cinema is equipped with Monee Ultra Stereophonic sound.

CAA TO HONOUR ARTISTES AT AGM ON 15TH

The 39th annual general meeting of The Cine Artistes’ Association will be held on 15th August at 10.30 a.m. at Holiday Inn.

A felicitation function will also be held on the occasion when ex-presidents of the CAA, some veteran artistes and award winners will be honoured.

The ex-presidents to be honoured are late Jagdish Sethi, late Gajanan Jagirdar and late Iftekhar Ahmed. The veterans who will be honoured for their contributions are: Achla Sachdev, Agha Jaan (posthumously), Bibi Almas, Janki Das, Karan Dewan (posthumously), Madhubala (posthumously), Meena Kumari (posthumously), Mumtaz Ali (posthumously), Nalini Jaywant, Pradeep Kumar, Raj Kumari, Shobhna Samarth, Sulochana, Trilok Kapoor (posthumously), Usha Kiran and Veena.

Mithun Chakraborty will be honoured for bagging a National Award for the best supporting actor for Swami Vivekanand. Tabu and Rajeshwari will be honoured for receiving the National Awards for the best actress (Maachis) and the best supporting actress (Sardari Begum) respectively. Mohan Joshi, who bagged the Maharashtra government’s award for the best actor for the Marathi film, Rao Saheb, will also be honoured.

Mithun will be specially felicitated for strengthening the film trade union movement. Nitish Bharadwaj will also be felicitated for winning the Lok Sabha elections last year. The CAA’s legal advisor, P.K. Pandit, will be specially felicitated in recognition of his legal assistance rendered over the years.

Kamini Kaushal will be the chief guest.

NATIONAL AWARD FOR FILM ON NATIONAL INTEGRATION

Producer P.V. Gangadharan has bagged the National Award for the best film on national integration for his Malayalam film, Kanakkinave.

‘JEENE BHI DO YAARO’ JUBILEE

Media Entertainment Company’s sitcom, Jeene Bhi Do Yaaro, which is aired on Friday at 8 p.m. on STAR Plus, celebrates its silver jubilee this week. It features Madhavan, Sandhya, Rushali R., Shubha Khote, Raju Kher, Rajesh Khera, Kamia Malhotra and Aparna.Trophies were presented to the technical team and crew, at a private gathering this weekend.

It is conceived and directed by Akashdeep, and edited by Sanjay Walia.

CHANDRAKANT SANGANI NO MORE

Veteran writer-producer-director Chandrakant Sangani died on 28th July in Bombay at Nanavati Hospital following heart failure. He was 68 and is survived by his wife, three sons and a daughter.

Chandrakant Sangani had produced and directed 14 Gujarati films including Mare Javoon Bele Paar, Jigar Ane Amee, Tana Riri etc. He had also produced and directed one Hindi film, Gunahon Ki Shatranj.

He had played the hero in Jamai Raja (Gujarati) opposite Bindu in 1963. He was also the villain in Mehandi Rang Lagyo (Gujarati) which starred Rajendra Kumar. He also did bit roles in Hindi films.

Chandrakant Sangani had won eleven awards of the Gujarat state government for his films, direction and writing. He used to direct full-length dramas from 1948 to 1970 and also acted in about 80 stage-plays, besides directing about 50. Sangani had written a Gujarati novel, ‘Kholana Khudnar’.

NARAYAN RAJGOR SUCCUMBS TO INJURY

Veteran Gujarati film and stage actor Narayan Rajgor died at a hospital in Baroda on 28th July after receiving bullet injuries in a dummy firing during the shooting of Govindbhai Patel’s Desh Re Joya Dada Pardesh Joya at Lucky Studios, Halol. Uthamna was held in Bombay on 31st.

Rajgor was injured when Feroz Irani fired a dummy bullet at him in the studio on 25th July. The scene being picturised required Feroz to aim a revolver at Narayan Rajgor’s head but fire it in the air. Due to a miscalculation, Feroz pressed the trigger of the pistol even while it was pointing towards Rajgor’s head. The dummy bullet made a two-inch deep wound on the 68-year-old actor’s forehead and he had to be rushed to Mayo Hospital in Baroda. He slipped into a coma instantly and never recovered thereafter. He breathed his last on 28th in the hospital, and his body was flown to his residence in Bombay after a post-mortem.

Feroz Irani, producer-director Govindbhai Patel and the other unit members have been given a clean chit by the police following an inquiry. The deceased’s family has given an affidavit stating that they had no doubt that the cause of the death was an accident.

Narayan Rajgor had acted in over 150 films, besides a number of stage-plays. Some of his films are Dada O Dikri, Son Kansari, Patli Parmar, Saajan Ne Sathware, Laju Lakhan, Prem Na Bandhan, Raj Rajvan etc. He had played a bit role in the recently released Hindi film, Do Aankhen Barah Hath. He had received a number of Gujarat government’s state awards.

He is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.

ANNOUNCEMENT & LAUNCHING

Mahesh Bhatt To Direct Gulshan Kumar’s Next

Producer Gulshan Kumar has signed Mahesh Bhatt to direct Super Cassettes Industries Ltd.’s next. Kishan Kumar plays the male lead. Other cast and credits are being finalised.

PRODUCTION NEWS

‘Stree 420’ Is Now ‘Chachi 420’

The title of Raajkamal Films International’s Stree 420 has been changed to Chachi 420. It is almost complete and is being readied for an early release. Presented by Kamal Haasan and Jhamu Sughand and directed by Kamal Haasan for producer Saab John, the film stars Kamal Haasan, Tabu, Amrish Puri, Om Puri, Paresh Rawal, Ayesha Julka, Nassar and Raj Zutshi. Lyrics and dialogues: Gulzar. Music: Vishal Bhardwaj.

YOU ASKED IT

How sensible is it to release three big films – Pardes, …Aur Pyar Ho Gaya and Daud – one after the other?

– Very senseless!

Is it true that Indra Kumar is having second thoughts about picturising a song of Ishq on Amitabh Bachchan?

– Not true at all. The song will be picturised on Amitabh, as planned.

How many films is Tips producing currently?

– Six films of Tips are at different stages of production. They are ALBELA, FRIENDS, JAB PYAR KISI SE HOTA HAI, KUNWARA, KACHCHE DHAAGE and SOLDIER.

DO YOU KNOW?

* A vinyl hoarding of PARDES is the first of its kind to be put up in Rajkot near Mahila College. The 40 ft. x 20 ft. hoarding, showing Shah Rukh Khan and Mahima Chaudhary, is attracting a lot of public attention.

* Although producers Pranlal Mehta and Vijay Mehta have prepared five promotional trailers for their YUGPURUSH, only three will be aired on satellite channels. The video copies of the five trailers will be sent to distributors of the film to select the best three. The three selected ones will then be telecast on satellite channels.

HERE & THERE

Stars In Trouble For Stopping Train

After bandit queen-turned-MP Phoolan Devi, it is now the stars who have been charged of stopping a train for more than 25 minutes. A railway magistrate of Jaipur issued summons to Karisma Kapoor, Sunny Deol, Satish Shah and director Tinnu Verma to appear before him on August 1 for allegedly stopping a passenger train at Narena station for a film shooting in March this year. The magistrate took congnisance of a complaint filed by the assistant station master of Narena station that the stars and the director unauthorisedly pulled the chain of Link Express on March 11 to shoot a scene for their film, Bajrang. The complaint alleged that the train was stopped for more than 25 minutes, disrupting traffic on the route and causing inconvenience to the passengers.

Jaya Prada Ahead Of Sridevi In Income-Tax Arrears

South-based film stars were named in the Rajya Sabha on 29th July for their income-tax dues. Jaya Prada tops a list of 15 stars who owe income-tax in excess of Rs. 10 lakh each, with tax arrears of Rs. 1.13 crore. Next on the list is R. Gundamani with arrears of Rs. 78.97 lakh, and Sridevi owing Rs. 77.44 lakh. Others in the list are Senthil (Rs. 41.36 lakh), Murlikanthan (Rs. 24.31 lakh), Vijayashanti (Rs. 22.22 lakh), Arjun (Rs. 19.63 lakh), Soundarya (Rs. 17.27 lakh), R. Raja Babu (Rs. 15.45 lakh), and Srividya and Khushboo (Rs. 12.13 lakh each). Minister of state for finance Satpal Maharaj gave this information in reply to a question by R.M. Kumar.

Notices Issued To Vacate Five Delhi Cinemas

The Delhi authorities have become more vigilant with regard to safety in cinema halls after the Uphaar cinema tragedy. This week, notices have been issued by the Delhi Municipal Corporation to five cinemas to vacate their premises within five days, for violation of building bye-laws. The five cinemas are: Archana (which has been given ten days’ time because it also houses New Delhi Television Ltd. which produces STAR News), Paras, Virat, Sapna and Sangam.

Laughter, The Best Medicine

Here are some jokes to keep you smiling for the entire week:
Akshay Kumar’s new title: Rich man’s Mithun Chakraborty. At the rate at which his films are bombing, he has a fair chance of becoming the Mithun of 1997.

* * *

Manjit Singh, the only distributor who paid a price for the distribution rights of Lav Kush, can’t believe that the film has bombed. Since the Bengali version of Lav Kush is faring excellently, Manjit Singh is contemplating paying another 30 lakh for the distribution rights of the Bengali version for C.I.!

* * *

Q: What if Bobby Deol plays a double role in a film?
A: It will be Bobby’s first Deol role!

* * *

Q: What does the East Punjab distributor scream when he sees Shah Rukh Khan?
A: “Yes loss!”

* * *

Q: Why is Sanjay Kapoor praying for the success of Mere Sapno Ki Rani?
A: So that he can be called the most princely actor. He first clicked in Raja and if he clicks with this Rani, it will be something which even brother Anil Kapoor couldn’t achieve. Remember Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja and Rajkumar?

* * *

Q: After retirement from films, which is the best place for Sreedevi to go to?
A: Parliament, of course! If Phoolan Devi and Rabri Devi could make it, why not our Sreedevi? And with Jaya Prada already there, the film industry can expect a good tohfa from Delhi.

* * *

Q: What is the similarity between ex-Bihar chief minister Laloo Prasad Yadav and Amitabh Bachchan?
A: Plenty. When Laloo found himself losing his position, he promptly brought wife Rabri Devi in the ring. Likewise, after Mrityudaata, when Amitabh found himself losing his position, he, too, promptly brought wife Jaya Bachchan in the acting arena once again.

* * *

Q: Why is Raveena Tandon the RAT of the industry?
A: Because like a true rat, she was the first to desert the sinking ship called Akshay Kumar!

* * *

Q: Why do some of our action heroes neglect acting and concentrate completely on action?
A: Because, before every shot, when the director shouts, “Action”, these heroes think, he is asking them to perform action stunts!

* * *

Q: What does the feather below the logo of Pardes indicate?
A: It is the feather which fell off from Subhash Ghai’s cap when his Trimurti was released.

* * *

What did Yash Chopra say to son Adi (Aditya Chopra) when another Akshay Kumar starrer — Mr. & Mrs. Khiladi — was announced for Diwali release alongwith his own Dil To Pagal Hai?

– Mr. & Mrs. Khil to paagal hai, Adi.

* * *

3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment

Panic In Foreign Land

All is not well with the film being shot from start to finish on a foreign land. The cameraman has already been changed, it is heard. And there are loud whispers that the producer and its two heroes aren’t happy with the work of the director too. Perhaps, that’s the reason the panic button was pressed and a few directors approached to take up or, at least, supervise the project. One such director, who was approached, is the young genius who gave the biggest blockbuster of 1996. Anyway, a close friend of the hero is the director who has finally flown to the foreign city to help his friend in need.

In A Writer’s Words

The best compliment anybody must have paid Akshaye Khanna is the one paid to him by Javed Akhtar. Lyricist Javed saw some reels of Dinesh Gandhi’s Lawaris and was floored by the performance of the handsome son of Vinod Khanna. The guy plays a roadside Romeo in the film and, according to Javed, “his mannerisms, his gait, his dialogue delivery and his acting are all superb”. So when the film’s debut-making director, Shrikant Sharma, asked Javed what he felt about Akshaye and whether the young boy was a star, Javed replied, “Star? Arre bhai, he is an entire galaxy of stars!” Javed feels, Akshaye just needs one major hit before reaching right on the top.

Price Hike

If there’s no denying the fact that Akshaye Khanna is the new darling of the masses, it is also a fact that the guy is letting success affect him too much. Why else would he be changing his price not once but twice and thrice in the case of one film. He may have signed this particular film before he became a rage, but that does not mean that he can hold the producer to ransom and increase his price indiscriminately. The producer in question, rather than obliging Akshaye, thought it fit to take his signing amount back from the actor and bid him goodbye. Will somebody tell Akshaye that it’s good to be important, but it is also important to be good?

Laloo And Lady Luck

C.P. Berar distributor Laloo Kabra, who has released Border in C.P. Berar, is convinced that film distribution is all a game of luck. He acquired Border at the eleventh hour when its earlier distributor, Raju Kothari, and producer-director J.P. Dutta decided to part ways. As against Border, there are three films (released recently) which Laloo was very keen to buy at some point of time or the other, but couldn’t or didn’t buy them finally. One was Ghoonghat, of which the original distributor, Mohan Kasat, refused to relinquish the rights. The second was Lav Kush but the astronomical price which producer Dilip Kankaria was asking for put off Laloo rather badly. And the third was Mrityudand which again Laloo couldn’t acquire for some reason. The box-office fates of all the three films send jitters down Laloo’s spine today and he is happy that he was lucky not to have bought any of the three films. Laloo must thank Lady Luck for favouring him so much.

The Price Of Over-Confidence

While on Lav Kush and the high price its producer, Dilip Kankaria, was quoting for its distribution rights before release, it must be mentioned here that the unrealistic price he was demanding proved to be a terrible curse for Kankaria. For, except for one territory, the film did not find buyers in the whole of India and had, therefore, to be released by Dilip Kankaria himself. The disastrous fate of the film must’ve made Kankaria regret his decision to release the film in almost the whole of India himself. Incidentally, the single territory for which the film was sold is C.I., and the unfortunate buyer is Manjit Singh.

LAV KUSH

Devyank Arts’ Lav Kush is a mythological film based on the story of the twin sons of Lord Ram. The story does not have much drama and the screenplay adds little to make the incidents dramatic. Except for a couple of emotional scenes (when Laxman leaves Sita in the jungle; interaction between Sita and Lav-Kush), there isn’t much which moves the viewer to tears. Besides, after a point of time, the film moves at a slackened pace which results in boredom creeping in. But the biggest drawback, perhaps, is the absence of a super-hit musical score. Although three to four songs are well-tuned, what was the demand of the mythological drama was haunting melody, songs that could become a rage among the audience. In their absence, the drama appears dull. Furthermore, with television bringing the whole Ramayan free to people’s houses, the charm of seeing a chapter therefrom over again is minimum, more so because one has to pay for it.

Jeetendra does an average job as Ram and has a permanent frowning expression on his face. Jaya Prada plays Sita ably. Master Aditya and baby Shreshtha impress as the twin children. Arun Govil gives a very good account of himself as Laxman. Dara Singh is alright in the role of Hanuman. Pran plays Valmiki with sincerity. Jayshree Gadkar, Beena, Tiku Talsania, Aroona Irani and the rest provide average support.

V. Madhusudan Rao’s direction looks dated. Although computer graphics give the film a modern look, there’s still no novelty because graphics of almost the same kind have been seen on the small screen. Besides, the narration is of the style of the sixties. Even though some songs (‘Katha ye Ram ki’, ‘Pativrata Siya Purshottam Shriram’, ‘Ramayan ki katha suno’, ‘Yeh vidhi ki dekho’) are well-tuned, Raamlaxman’s music is a letdown when judged by the demand of the genre of the film. Cinematography is good. Dialogues are fair. Although the film is about two children, there’s hardly anything for kids in it. Money seems to have been spent quite lavishly in the post-production stage but not as much in the production stage. Dolby DTS mixing is very good.

On the whole, Lav Kush has come many years late and, given the poor start and in the absence of an interesting narrative, emotions and hit music, it will fail to make a mark at the box-office. It, however, may do well in some pockets and small centres.

Released on 25-7-’97 at Maratha Mandir and 4 other cinemas of Bombay by Devyank Arts thru Shringar Films. Publicity: fair. Opening: very poor. …….Also released all over except in C.P. Berar and South. Opening was disastrous everywhere except East Punjab where the first two shows’ collections (in Ludhiana) were about 70% due to a Lav Kush rath yatra taken out by the distributor for two days prior to the film’s release. 1st day Indore about 14%.

ANACONDA
(DUBBED)

Columbia Tristar Films of India Ltd.’s Anaconda (dubbed from the English film of the same name; A) is an adventure film about a monstrous snake. This typical kind of snake gulps down humans after cracking their bones with its tight grip and regurgitates the body after a while. A group of persons encounters the 40-feet long snake and loses its members one by one to the deadly snake. To add to their woes is a villain who wants to kill the snake and, to achieve his purpose, subjects the group to all sorts of risks. Ultimately, the two surviving members of the group succeed in escaping from the clutches of the snake and even manage to kill it.

The film has terrifying and horrifying moments which send chills down the viewer’s spine. Scenes of the snake have been picturised just too remarkably. Although the drama does get dull at times and moves very slowly in the initial reels, it has more than its share of excitement, especially in the last one hour.

Dubbing is fair. The commentary at the start of the film, to explain about the snake and its whereabouts, is good and prepares the audience for what’s in store for them. Performances are all good.

Direction is remarkable. Camerawork and computer graphics are just too brilliant. Background music and sound effects are also splendid.

On the whole, Anaconda has the merits to prove a paying proposition.

Released on 25-7-’97 at Novelty and 4 other cinemas of Bombay thru A.A. Enterprises. Publicity & opening: good. …….Also released in Delhi-U.P., C.P. and Nizam to good houses.

LATEST POSITION

It was a normal week, and the Idd holiday didn’t really see collections going up.

Yes Boss has met with a mixed response. It is very good in Bombay circuit and South as also some big cities, but dropped quite alarmingly in many centres of the other circuits (like Delhi-U.P., East Punjab, Bengal, Bihar, C.P.C.I. Rajasthan). It has done well in Overseas. 1st week Bombay 33,93,479 (90%) from 9 cinemas (10 on F.H.); Rajkot 1,67,422 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee), Jamnagar 1,02,933; Pune 7,55,800 from 4 cinemas (1 in matinee); Hubli 1,39,821 (100%), Belgaum 1,27,268; Delhi 35,94,680 (80.97%) from 10 cinemas (1 on F.H.); Kanpur 2,83,599 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 2,78,893, Allahabad 1,25,100, Amritsar 52,400; Calcutta 26,16,468 from 23 cinemas (7 on F.H.); Nagpur 5,69,226 from 4 cinemas, Jabalpur 1,72,127, Raipur 1,63,135 (66.77%), Bhilai 1,03,244; Bhopal 3,29,013 from 2 cinemas; Jaipur 6,30,564 from 3 cinemas; Hyderabad 34,87,501 from 17 cinemas, share 17,03,703.

Daava is below average in some circuits and average in others. 1st week Bombay 19,53,436 (61.38%) from 10 cinemas (7 on F.H.); Baroda 78,258, Jamnagar (matinee) 19,944; Pune 6,01,193 from 6 cinemas (1 in matinee); Belgaum 100%; Delhi 16,94,140 (53.94%) from 9 cinemas (1 on F.H.); Kanpur 2,03,489 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 1,27,204, Agra 1,09,330, Allahabad 88,500, Bareilly 90,661 (51.03%), Hardwar 65,000; Amritsar 49,480; Calcutta 15,53,426 from 18 cinemas; Nagpur 2,94,786 from 4 cinemas, Raipur 1,39,342 (57.54%), Bhilai 71,047, Jalgaon 1,19,747; Indore 2,26,255 from 2 cinemas, Bhopal 98,200; Jaipur 3,99,890 from 3 cinemas; Hyderabad 16,17,836 from 10 cinemas (1 in noon), share 7,02,657.

Mrityudand has maintained reasonably well in Maharashtra and M.P. due to tax-exemption. 2nd week Bombay (TF) 9,78,688 (70.11%) from 6 cinemas (4 on F.H.); Baroda (matinee) 20,660; Pune (TF) 3,65,012 from 3 cinemas (1 in matinee); Delhi 3,18,578 from 2 cinemas; Kanpur 55,086, Lucknow 77,749, Agra 34,362, Allahabad 23,779, Bareilly 35,820 (15.58%); Calcutta 90,367; Nagpur (TF) 94,435, Jabalpur (TF) 73,622, total 1,99,318, Bhilai (TF) 48,322, 1st week Jalgaon (TF) 60,009; 2nd week Indore (TF) 62,956, Bhopal (TF) 1,00,310, 1st week Ujjain (TF) 78,838; 2nd week Jaipur 69,637.

Gupt is extraordinary in Bombay, Gujarat, South and fair in other circuits. Should do over 4 crore in Bombay circuit and more than 60 lakh in Kerala alone! 3rd week Bombay 26,96,749 (78.68%) from 10 cinemas (10 on F.H.); Vapi 1,70,240, total 10,11,191, Padra 1,62,674, Rajkot 1,67,690 (1 in matinee unrecd.), Jamnagar 72,458 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee); Pune 9,05,064 from 4 cinemas (1 in matinee); Delhi 9,99,581 from 4 cinemas; Kanpur 2,59,089 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 2,36,622, Agra 1,80,050, Allahabad 88,000, Bareilly 62,126 (28.29%); Calcutta 4,80,614 from 2 cinemas; Nagpur 2,28,027 from 2 cinemas, Dhule 67,194, total 2,92,031, Raipur 1,09,795, Bhilai 44,991, 2nd week Amravati 1,40,779, total 3,74,537, Jalgaon 1,06,000, 3rd week Gondia 39,275, total 1,69,824, Chandrapur 90,008, total 3,89,063; Indore 1,61,681, Bhopal 1,09,846 (2nd 1,08,222); Jaipur 5,89,019 from 2 cinemas; Hyderabad 7,02,171 from 3 cinemas (1 in noon), share 3,39,380; Vijayawada 3 weeks’ total 9,36,927, share 4,49,233, Kurnool 4,22,890, 1st week Visakhapatnam 2,30,289 from 2 cinemas (1 in noon), share 1,10,988, Guntur 1,76,267, share 1,10,410.

Border 6th week Bombay (TF) 25,80,386 (83.44%) from 9 cinemas (8 on F.H.); Baroda 1,03,955, Rajkot 1,17,212, Jamnagar 45,624, total 5,83,000; Pune (TF) 8,54,995 from 4 cinemas (1 in matinee), 2nd week Barsi (TF) 38,606; 6th week Belgaum 47,914; Delhi 33,22,644 from 10 cinemas (1 on F.H.); Kanpur 1,93,263 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 3,05,111, record, Agra 86,460, Allahabad 80,000, Bareilly 44,628 (19.98%), Hardwar 25,000, total 4,01,159; Calcutta 3,64,706 from 3 cinemas; Nagpur (TF) 2,21,321 from 2 cinemas, Jabalpur 1,32,275, total 12,84,661, Raipur 66,727, Bhilai 45,883, 5th week Durg (5 days) 26,563, 1st week Bhusawal (TF) 1,52,274 (100%), 6th week Wardha (TF) 29,550, Chandrapur (TF) 56,187; Indore 1,36,905, Bhopal 1,35,268; Jaipur 2,58,160; Hyderabad 4,00,897 from 2 cinemas (1 in noon), share 1,52,373.

SNAKE BEATS THEM ALL

Indian filmmakers should hang their heads in shame. And not just because Jeevan Yudh, released this week, has had a 40% opening or Lav Kush (also released this week) has taken a 15% start or Ghoonghat (third release of the week) has opened to 30% houses.

If the above openings are shocking, more shocking is this. A dubbed (Hindi) Hollywood film, Anaconda, which has a snake as the central character, has registered the best initial this week. Yes, Columbia Tristar’s Anaconda (dubbed) has taken a respectable start not just in Bombay but also at places like Nagpur and Meerut.

Three cheers for the snake then and three boos for the three heroes of the three films! Hiss, hiss!!

BENGALI ‘LAV KUSH’ RELEASED AMIDST TENSION

The Bengali version of Dilip Kankaria’s Lav Kush was released on 25th July in Calcutta amidst much tension. Artistes and technicians of the Bengali film industry have been up in arms against Kankaria ever since he announced the release of the Bengali version, as they claim, it is a dubbed version. Dubbed Bengali films are not, as a rule, permitted to be released in Bengal. Kankaria, on the other hand, has maintained that Lav Kush is a bilingual.

Not satisfied with Dilip Kankaria’s contention, the Bengali industry artistes and technicians staged a dharna outside cinemas which were screening the Bengali version of Lav Kush on Friday.

As Kankaria had already obtained a court order to prevent the stay of release of the Bengali version, the anti-Lav Kush lobby got licences of at least three cinemas which were scheduled to release Lav Kush (Bengali), suspended. All the three cinemas — Uttara, Purabi and Shree — are of Kankaria himself. Kankaria contends that the suspension of licences was sudden and without show cause notices having been issued to the cinemas.

The Bengali version of the film could, therefore, be released in 16 of the 19 scheduled cinemas. The Hindi version was released in two cinemas (Hind and Ujjala).

FILMS FAIR ’97

The Films Fair will be held at Delhi’s Pragati Maidan from August 23 to 31, 1997. Films Fair ’97 will be a trade fair with a difference. Being organised by the Indian Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), it has been subtitled the Genesis of Motion.

Marketing the centenary of films in India, the fair will bring together major film and television houses, both, from the country and abroad, exhibiting the history of cinema, major landmarks of the film industry, the role of film and TV in society, and techniques of filmmaking including the process. It will also enable various industrial units and manufacturers dealing with TV and photography-related equipment, both Indian and foreign, to display and sell their products.

The ITPO has formed an advisory committee with eminent film personalities including N.P. Nawani, secretary, Information & Broadcasting, Sunil Dutt, Sultan Ahmed, Pahlaj Nihalani, Asha Parekh, Ramesh Sippy and K.G. Dossani, president, Film Federation of India.

A series of seminars on subjects of topical interest are being organised during the fair. These include ‘Mainline Cinema Versus Parallel Cinema’, ‘The Emerging Role of Satellite Channels’, ‘Role of Cinema Television in Society’ and ‘The Film Industry Expectations and Government Policy Framework’.

Films Fair ’97 will not only showcase the strength and capabilities of Indian film industry vis-à-vis the international motion picture industry, but will provide entertainment bonanza to the visitors through screening of films at Shakuntalam theatre and a number of sponsored events.

MANAGER OF MAYFAIR, LUCKNOW MURDERED

Noon shows of all the cinemas of Lucknow on 20th July were suspended following the murder of Rakesh Khatri, manager of Mayfair cinema, Lucknow. Mayfair was closed for all the four shows.

KABIR BEDI BEREAVED

Siddharth, son of Kabir Bedi from his first wife, Protima Bedi, and brother of Pooja Bedi, committed suicide in Los Angeles on 19th July. He was a chronic patient of schizophrenia and was 25 years old.

‘JUDWAA’ SILVER JUBILEE

Sajid Nadiadwala’s Judwaa entered 25th combined week at Minerva (matinee), Bombay. It stars Salman Khan in a double role, with Karisma Kapoor, Rambha, Anupam Kher, Shakti Kapoor, Dalip Tahhil, Satish Shah, Jack Gaud, Bindu, Deepak Shirke, Mukesh Rishi, Ishrat Ali, Tiku Talsania, Dinesh Hingoo, Reema and Kader Khan. It is directed by David Dhawan and written by Rumi Jafri. Music: Anu Malik.

FWA TO FELICITATE JAVED AKHTAR, GULZAR

The Film Writers’ Association will felicitate Javed Akhtar and Gulzar on 27th July at Hotel Sands for winning National Awards for 1996. Javed Akhtar has bagged the award for the best lyrics (Saaz), and Gulzar has won the award for the best popular film (Maachis)

CINEMA CLOSED

Gaisford cinema in Rajkot downed shutters from 22nd July for an unspecified period. It is one of the older cinemas of Rajkot.

HOLLYWOOD LAUNCHES ‘RAMAYAN’: SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS TO BE DONE IN INDIA

For the first time, perhaps, a Hollywood producer has engaged an Indian company to do the special visual effects for his film. John Caruhasa Breathwaite, the producer of Ramayan, has contacted Ramesh Meer (The FX Factory) to create the special visual effects of his film to be made in English with Western actors.

Jeff Rector, who has featured in movies like Slider and Double Impact, will play Rama. Jerry Rector, Jeff’s twin brother, will play Laxman. Sita will be played by Chandni Breathwaite who has also featured in films such as Jerry Maguire and Father’s Day. The film will be directed by Artist Robinson.

The film is the culmination of 20 years of research done by John Caruhasa on this project. Its shooting will commence on 3rd October. Ramesh Meer will go to Los Angeles next month for the pre-production meeting with the cast and crew.

The project has the blessings of the ISKCON temple, Bombay, where the producer has stayed as a monk for many years while researching on the script of the film.

H.D. MISTRY ELECTED WIMPTSEA PRESIDENT

H.D. Mistry was elected president of the Western India Motion Picture & Television Sound Engineers Association for 1997 at its annual general meeting held on 13th July at Empire Audio Centre. B.N. Tiwari was elected vice president, and S.C. Bhambri, general secretary. E. Rudra was elected treasurer, and Madan Prakash and J.C.V.R. Rao, joint secretaries. Other elected members of the executive committee are: K.B. Sharma, Abdul Gadir, V.M. Gandhi, Sushil Malik, P.S. Mishra, Dilip J. Sawant, Tahir Khambati, Ramanand Prasad and Kirti K.A. Chedda.

RAMCHANDRA MUKHIYA ELECTED UPFAA PRESIDENT

The first meeting of the newly elected executive committee of the Uttar Pradesh Film Artist Association was held on 20th July when Ramchandra Mukhiya was re-elected its president. Manohar Bharti was elected vice president, and Satyavir Singh, secretary. Anup Singh and Ravi P. Bhagat were elected treasurer and general secretary respectively. Jagdish Singh, Prem Singh and Kunal Singh were unanimously co-opted on the committee.

YOU ASKED IT

What will happen to the industry, considering that all the three Hindi films released this week have had disastrous openings?

– Don’t panic. It’s just a coincidence that the three films have been released on the same day. Frankly speaking, had you expected any of the three films to open well? One is a non-star cast film, the other has out-of-demand stars, and the third has a hero who has a line of flops to his discredit and even the film itself gives a non-fresh look. Further, except for GHOONGHAT, the other two films haven’t even been publicised well.

What will be the opening (initial) of Mere Sapno Ki Rani, Pardes and …Aur Pyar Ho Gaya?

– MERE SAPNO KI RANI will have to bank upon its popular family-appealing music for an initial draw, PARDES has to depend upon the name of Subhash Ghai, and …AUR PYAR HO GAYA, upon the pair of Bobby Deol and Miss World Aishwarya Rai.

How are so many films scheduled for release in the coming weeks? Where are the cinemas?

– Not all the running films are good. Cinemas will be free once some of the films are discontinued. Of course, there is a rush of releases, but the situation is not as alarming as is being felt today.

DO YOU KNOW?

* Venus has brought out special pocket calendars of HAMESHAA with the film’s advertisement on one side of it and the days and dates from June 1997 to May 1998 on the other.

* The C.P. Berar distributors of BORDER, Laloo Kabra and Narendra Agarwal, have hit upon an appropriate idea to make BORDER a more paying proposition. They are now approaching schools for block bookings for their students. And since the war scenes in the film have educational value, the response from the schools is extremely positive.

* Novelty is the first cinema in Lucknow as well as in U.P. to instal Dolby digital and DTS sound system.

* Sagar’s serial, SHRI KRISHNA, is currently being telecast on SABC-1 in South Africa and has become very popular.

* YES BOSS has created a theatre record by collecting 1,72,127/- in 1st week at Vineet, Jabalpur.

* MRITYUDAND has created a record for tax-free films by collecting 78,838/- in 1st week at Trimurti, Ujjain. 2nd week first day: 7,000/-.

* GUPT has created a district record by collecting a total of 10,11,191/- in 3 weeks from Shree, Vapi. 3rd week: 1,70,240/-.

* SONGADYA (Marathi, TF, r.r.) has created a city record by collecting 77,070/- in 1 week at Shyam, Amravati, in spite of release of GUPT and MRITYUDAND in Amravati on the same day and communal tension in the city for 2 days.

MIX MASALA

MISTAKEN IDENTITY

Sunil Shetty plays a fashion photographer in Nitin Manmohan’s Prithvi, but at the press conference of the film held last Saturday, Sunil, while replying to a query, said he was playing a press photographer in the film. Of course, it was simply a slip of Sunil’s tongue, but one which made the press guys happy because they felt, he was one of them — on screen, at least.

MIXING BUSINESS WITH PLEASURE?

There was some high-tension drama on the seventh floor of Naaz cinema building in Bombay last Saturday. The owner of one office on the floor brought in a girl of questionable character in his office. Some coolies outside Naaz telephoned the man’s wife and told her of her husband’s habit of picking up girls. The frightened man asked his peon to lock himself and the girl up in the office and go away. After a pretty long time, the owner (who had the keys) asked somebody to open the main door and let him out, giving the excuse that his peon had mistakenly locked him inside the office (!!!) and gone away home. That wasn’t all. By this time, two constables had arrived on the scene but the guy (his face was lal by now) had hidden his girl in a tiny cabin in his office. When interrogated, the man kept denying the presence of any girl in his office. Probably, the police couldn’t find the girl — or is it that they couldn’t even find the cabin?

NAAZ JUNGLE

The publicities displayed in offices in Naaz cinema building in Bombay these days take you back to the jungle days. Ashish Chhabria’s office has pictures of snakes all over because he is distributing Anaconda in Bombay. Tolu Bajaj is the distributor of The Lost World: Jurassic Park and so you see dinosaurs all over (in pictures, of course). From these two offices on the first floor, if you go to the sixth floor of Naaz, pictures of elephants, monkeys and dogs will stare you in the face in the office of Ashok and Nandu Ahuja. These animals play key roles in Ahujas’ forthcoming release, Jodidar.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

‘PARDES’ MUSIC: WHERE’S THE NADEEM SHRAVAN TOUCH?

Dear Komal,

It is very surprising that the musical score of Pardes sounds more a Laxmi-Pyare-Subhash Ghai creation than the work of Nadeem Shravan. The Pyare touch reverberates throughout the score. What perplexes me is that if Subhash Ghai wanted his songs to sound like that, he could have continued with his old team. He also had the choice to allow Nadeem Shravan to lend their individual distinct style. I am eagerly waiting for Shikhar score, only to see if Subhash Ghai has asserted himself there too, because A.R. Rahman is also equally headstrong. There is nothing wrong in a filmmaker insisting upon a certain musical style for his film. Pardes tonal patterns bear the signature of Subhash Ghai endorsed by Laxmi Pyare, and the evergreen Anand Bakshi factor is very much there.

– J.P. Chowksey
Prachi Films, Indore.

3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment

Not Interested

Believe it or not but one film, released all over recently, could not open in C.P. Berar because exhibitors were just not interested in releasing it. Exhibitors in Maharashtra were scared that since the film would take a disastrous start, they would lose out on the service charge on cinema tickets. And exhibitors of Madhya Pradesh, who are known to indulge in tax cutting, weren’t interested because they felt, when there wouldn’t be any audience, where was the tax going to come from and what cutting would they do. Hey Ram!

A Genius Called S.N. Agarwal

If today, many cinemas of the USA, Europe, the Far East and the Middle East use Indian cinema projectors, the credit goes to late S.N. Agarwal who died exactly a year ago at the age of 79. It was also Agarwal’s genius which brought to the country such new technologies as wide-screen presentation, Cinemascope presentation, magnetic 4-track Stereophonic sound system, Perspecta Integrator Stereo sound system, Photodiode-Solar cell technology (solid state) amplifiers, integrated circuitry, use of timing belt in projection equipments (to reduce noise and vibration in them). It was he who was instrumental in supplying and installing equipments in the Drive In cinemas of the country. He engineered and commissioned the first 4-track Optical Stereo film, HAHK..!. Out of 12,500 cinemas in India, S.N. Agarwal’s companies (Cinecita, Cinerama, Cinefones and Monee & Co. Pvt. Ltd.) have installed the sound and projection equipments in over 4,000 cinemas! B.R. Chopra had once called Agarwal a “machine man who has changed the dimension of presentation in motion picture and brought new dynamism and technologies”. It was because of Agarwal’s pioneering efforts that Chopra used in-speech projectors, thereby giving a new technical avenue to save enormous time of busy artistes by speeding up sound dubbing. Today, most of the dubbing, recording and re-recording theatres are equipped with hi-speed projectors, recording machines and dubbers etc. Again, it was Agarwal who indigenously manufactured and installed the Rock & Roll projectors at Film City and V. Shantaram’s Rajkamal Studios. The industry should be proud of Agarwal who brought India on the international map with his cinema projectors.

Time Sharing Basis

For the first time, perhaps, the triple cinema complex of Satyam, Sundaram and Sachinam at Worli, Bombay, is screening two films each this week. This is indicative of the rush of releases currently. At Satyam, Ghoonghat has been released this week and it is sharing the cinema with last week’s Yes Boss. Gupt and Border (tax-free) are sharing shows at Sundaram. At Sachinam, there’s Mrityudand (tax-free) and Virasat. Besides these three cinemas, there are several other cinemas in Bombay which are screening two films a day.