PHIR BHI DIL HAI HINDUSTANI

Dreamz Unlimited’s Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani (UA) is a satire on the satellite channel wars being waged today. Two competing channels have their ace reporters — one, a boy, and the other, a girl — who are engaged in a continuing battle of one-upmanship with each other. The  comedy gives a peep into how stories are cooked up and even enacted to cater to public tastes and, alongwith it, to make loads of money. There are no scruples, no principles, no considerations for feelings in the game. Even while the game is being played, a minister’s brother-in-law is murdered in one such channel-backed meeting. The murderer is dubbed a terrorist because it suits the bereaved but over-ambitious minister. The so-called terrorist happens to come in contact with the two ace reporters of the competitive channels and he explains to them the truth behind his killing. Convinced that he is not a terrorist but rather an innocent common man who has been wronged, the two reporters bury their differences and join forces to get justice to the killer who, in the meantime, has been awarded the death sentence. The television icon (male reporter), who is a star in his own right, for the first time decides to use his popularity with the masses to garner public support for saving the life of the common man. How he succeeds in doing so forms the climax.

The film, by its very content, has been aimed at the elite audience. Not many among the masses understand what channel wars are. Not just the content, even the treatment by director Aziz Mirza is of the kind which will appeal to the city audience mainly. Too many cinematic liberties have been taken in the name of satire and comedy. Besides, most of the gags are of the kind that have been seen earlier.

The first half is light and quite interesting for the elite audience, but the mass audience would find it very difficult to appreciate and enjoy the jokes in it. The pace slackens and the focus shifts a little before interval. The second half has more appeal for the masses as it has some drama and emotions too. The best part of the film, however, is the fairly lengthy climax which has a good dose of patriotic flavour and a couple of clapworthy dialogues. But the question is: will the mass audience endure the less enjoyable two hours of drama to watch the entertaining climax? The answer doesn’t seem to be in the affirmative! Manoj Lalwani and Raaj Kumar Dahima’s screenplay and Aziz Mirza’s narration cater to the class audience and overlook the masses at many places. Sanjay Chhel’s dialogues are witty and funny at several places but, again, the target audience seems to be the city folk.

Shah Rukh Khan does a very good job as the television icon. Juhi Chawla looks glamorous and she, too, acts very well. Paresh Rawal impresses a lot. Satish Shah and Dalip Tahhil, as television channel owners, are alright. Shakti Kapoor is fairly good. Govind Namdev is effective. Johny Lever is a highlight and endears himself with his comedy. Anjan Srivastava leaves a mark. Neena Kulkarni shines. TV anchor-person Suhaib Ilyasi comes as a surprise in a cameo role. Hyder Ali, Smita Jayakar, Bharti Achrekar and Vishwajeet Pradhan lend admirable support.

Direction, as mentioned earlier, restricts the film’s appeal to the class audience. Music (Jatin Lalit) is a mixed fare. The title song and ‘Tu yaar tu hi dildaar’ are very well-tuned. ‘I am the best’ has too much of a city flavour. Song picturisations (Farah Khan) are brilliant but a couple of them are so boring, they can be deleted or, at least, edited. Camerawork (Santosh Sivan) is superb. Technically, very good. Production values are of a good standard. Special effects (Rajtaru) are splendid.

On the whole, Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani will click in good cinemas of ‘A’ class centres on the strength of class audience and kids, but owing to lack of mass appeal, business in lesser cinemas and smaller centres will be dull. It, therefore, will fetch returns in Bombay, C.P. Berar and South mainly. The Republic Day holiday this week and the absence of any major release next week will prove a boon.

Released on 21-1-2000 at New Empire and 17 other cinemas of Bombay thru Yashraj Film Distributors. Publicity: extraordinary. Opening: excellent. …….Also released all over. Opening was dull in parts of U.P., East Punjab and just about fair in many other circuits.

RAKESH ROSHAN ESCAPES BID ON LIFE

Producer-director Rakesh Roshan was shot at by two unknown assailants on the evening of 21st January outside his office at Santacruz, Bombay. Extortion is said to be the motive behind the attempt on Roshan’s life.

Rakesh Roshan had left his office for the day and was seated in his chauffer-driven car when he noticed two armed assailants approaching his car. Sensing danger to his life, he asked his driver to start the car and speed away. But before that could happen, the assailants pumped a series of bullets at him from close range. Roshan, who was rolling up the windows, held his hand up in a reflex action but one bullet brushed past his chest. The hitmen fired a couple of more rounds even after the car left the spot and one of them hit Rakesh Roshan on his left arm. One bullet also hit the driver. Both were rushed to the nearby Nanavati Hospital at Vile Parle. Roshan was operated upon for the removal of the bullet from his arm. He is out of danger and is likely to be discharged tomorrow (23rd January).

Within hours of the incident, Nanavati Hospital was flooded with visitors from the Bombay film industry who called on the producer-director to express their concern. The episode has sent shock waves throughout the film industry which has been targeted by the underworld for the third time in the past one month and for the fifth time in recent months.

PREMIERE CINEMA OPENS IN BOMBAY

Premiere, an extensively renovated cinema at Parel, Bombay, previously known as Dharti, was opened for public patronage from 21st January with Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani. The cinema boasts of Dolby, DTS sound systems. It has a total of 465 seats — 397 in dress circle, and 68 in box class. Admission rates are Rs. 50 (dress circle) and Rs. 75 (box) from Mondays to Saturdays. For Sundays, the admission rates are Rs. 55 and Rs. 80 respectively. The weekly capacity for 28 shows is Rs. 4,34,300. Phone nos.: 410-0450/415-7147. The cinema is controlled by Shringar Cinemas.

SUNDERDAS SONKIYA’S SON TO WED

Naveen, son of Rajasthan distributor and financier Sunderdas Sonkiya (Jaipur Films, Jaipur), will wed Kavita on 25th January in Jaipur at Hotel Rajmahal Palace. The engagement ceremony will be held on 23rd at Ghatiwala House, Prithviraj Road, C-Scheme, Jaipur.

ANAND ROMANI DEAD

Writer Anand Romani, 79, died in New Delhi on 19th January due to heart attack. He had gone there to attend the International Film Festival of India. He is survived by his wife, a son and two daughters.

Anand Romani had been associated as a writer with many a successful film, including Bhappi Sonie’s Brahmachari. He had always wished “to die seeing a film in a film festival” and though he died while he was attending a film festival, he was not watching a film while he actually passed away.

I & B minister Arun Jaitley condoled Romani’s death. A condolence meeting of Bombay and Delhi journalists and delegates was held on 20th. Tributes were paid by Ali Reza, Dr. R.K. Verma, Devendra Kumar and Jagat Gupta.

DO YOU KNOW?

* East Punjab distributors have stopped releasing films in Amritsar because exhibitors there have formed a pool and are not offering MGs to distributors.

* Boney Kapoor will show his PUKAR to the defence authorities in Delhi on 24th January for their clearance, as the film deals with the armed forces. The CBFC is also likely to see the film on 24th or 25th in Bombay. The first copy came out at Adlabs on 20th January.

* Almost all the cinemas of West Bengal remained closed on 15th and 16th January following a token strike by cinema employees who were demanding increased wages.

* Producer Firoz A. Nadiadwala, who had done a swell job of the publicity of his last film, KARTOOS, is at it again. For his forthcoming HERA PHERI, he has made as many as five dialogues-and-scenes-based trailers for satellite channels. This is over and above the four musical trailers. For the non-musical trailers, he has had the background music specially recorded. Firoz plans to change the trailers aired, every 12 days.

* NFDC, which telecasts films on Doordarshan, does minimal publicity of the telecasts. Besides adversely affecting advertisement revenues, this lack of publicity also agitates producers who have to constantly keep tabs on whether their film/s is/are being telecast so that they can pester NFDC for their cheques. Yes, pester, because NFDC is quite slow in disbursing payments.

* The Maharashtra government seems to have discontinued its policy of granting tax exemption to films which win National Awards. Although KKHH bagged the National Award for the best film providing wholesome entertainment in 1998, the state government has refused to exempt it from entertainment tax.

* JAANWAR and HUM SAATH-SAATH HAIN are turning out to be the biggest hits of 1999 in West Bengal.

YOU ASKED IT

Not very long back, the audience used to applaud when photographs or statues of veteran national leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru and Shivaji were shown in films. But this doesn’t happen nowadays. Why such a change of attitude?

– Values have changed. What are you talking of attitude?

When the news of the plight of veteran cinematographer Rajendra Malone is being highlighted in Bombay dailies, why does the government not release funds from the Cine Workers’ Welfare Fund?

– Wonder whose welfare the fund is for?

Despite 80 per cent of our films flopping every year, what makes the public eager to see a new film?

– The hope that at least this new film will be a part of the 20%! Publicity, too, draws in the public.

Why are TV serials not censored?

– Perhaps, the government has big faith in producers for the small screen, and small faith in producers for the big screen.

In 1999, how many Indian feature films were certified as ‘A’, ‘UA’ and ‘U’? Give percentage-wise, please.

– A: 469 (61.39%); UA: 98 (12.83%); U: 197 (25.78%). Total : 764.

3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment

Enviable MGs For ‘Pukar’

Boney Kapoor and Rajkumar Santoshi’s Pukar is beginning to generate heat among exhibitors. An exhibitor of Aurangabad has reportedly offered an enviable MG of Rs. 12 lakh to the film’s Nizam distributor, Ravi Machhar! In Madras, a side cinema with a weekly capacity of approximately Rs. 1.5 lakh has offered the film’s Tamilnad distributor an MG of Rs. 3.5 lakh.

‘Taal’: The Beats Go On

When does Subhash Ghai feel really thrilled and complimented? The answer, in Ghai’s own words: “The biggest compliment I receive is when Indians abroad tell me that their children are learning Indian values and customs, thanks to the Indian films.” What is notable here is that Subhash Ghai spoke  about Indian films in general and not of his Taal in particular. Ghai made this observation at the inauguration of the mainstream section of the just-concluded 31st International Film Festival of India at Plaza Cinema in Delhi. The mainstream section opened with Taal. Subhash Ghai was present on the occasion with the film’s two lead men, Anil Kapoor and Akshaye Khanna. Union I & B minister Arun Jaitley, who presided over the function, said that after seeing Taal, he was convinced that it was a good work of art. He thanked the captains of mainstream cinema for bringing the audience back to the cinema halls by blurring the lines between art and commercial cinema. Shabana Azmi, who inaugurated the mainstream section of the festival, lauded mainstream cinema and said that it was difficult to ignore films like Taal which gave Hollywood stiff competition. Even six months after its release, the beats of tributes for Taal still continue. And what’s more, Taal will celebrate silver jubilee next week at Ashok Purohit’s City Pulse, Gandhinagar, where the film’s lead artistes will be present with Ghai to celebrate the occasion. It will also enter 25th week in Hyderabad at Maheshwari (noon).

Correct Pricing

There is no need to repeat the success story of Vijay Kondke’s all-time Marathi hit, Maherchi Saadi. But the story of its long run needs to be reiterated here to highlight the importance of correct ticket pricing. To remind readers, the film ran for 25 weeks at Bombay’s Roxy in regular shows. Thereafter, it was shifted to a neighbouring cinema, Central (now Central Plaza), where also it ran in regular shows for weeks together and then in matinee shows. In all, it ran for 145 weeks (combining regular and matinee shows) at Roxy and Central Plaza. After exhausting its run, the film was then released at another nearby cinema — Dreamland — for a week. Before the commencement of the first show at Dreamland, the cinema witnessed a massive crowd of ladies. The Naaz folk, surprised at such a strong reception to the film at the cinema, congratulated Vijay Kondke, marvelling at the film’s running stamina. Even Vijay Kondke was surprised at such a large turnout. But his surprise was short-lived. When the representative came to his office in the evening, Vijay Kondke was shocked to know that the film had collected only 15%-20% of the capacity. When asked the reason for such dismal collections despite an impressive display of ladies’ excitement outside the cinema in the first show, the representative replied, “The ladies who had thronged the cinema during the first show were put off by the ‘high’ admission rate of Rs. 10 (‘high’ by 1993 standards). Many of them had seen the film at Roxy and Central, where admission rates were comparatively lower.” (Rs. 5, 6 and 7).

High time, our distributors and producers realised this simple fact — that reasonable admission rates add to a film’s patronage. But these days, everyone wants to make a fast buck in a short time. However, the buck stops with those wishful producers and distributors. At one time, distributors blamed the producers for false prices. About time, someone protested against false admission rates.

LATEST POSITION

The lovely opening of KAHO NAA…PYAAR HAI this week has brought a new excitement in the industry. …Collections improved last week due to Idd festival. The advantage was most pronounced in the cases of MELA, JAANWAR and HS-SH.

Mela has not found appreciation in major cities except, to an extent in U.P., Bihar, C.P.CI. Rajasthan. 1st week Bombay 75,25,192 (79.77%) from 16 cinemas (9 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 7,08,085 from 3 cinemas, Padra 1,96,180, Rajkot 1,64,306, Jamnagar 1,58,740, Bhuj 1,15,900, Adipur 1,44,601; Sangli 1,85,000; Bijapur 1,91,100; Delhi 58,05,328 (75.03%) from 12 cinemas (3 on F.H.); Lucknow 6,56,258 from 2 cinemas, Agra 3,75,000, Varanasi 4,80,395 from 2 cinemas, Allahabad 2,37,411, Bareilly (6 days) 1,98,977, Hardwar 80,000; Calcutta 22,14,570 from 11 cinemas; Nagpur 10,68,778 from 5 cinemas, Amravati 2,80,274, Akola 2,07,810, Raipur (gross, 6 days) 3,07,312, Bhilai 1,40,860, Jalgaon 2,88,710, Wardha 1,56,336; Indore 1,73,250 (4 on F.H.), Bhopal 1,35,658; Jaipur 8,87,981 from 3 cinemas, Jodhpur (15 shows, gross) 1,47,616 (1 unrecd.), Ajmer (gross, 29 shows) 3,23,426, Bikaner 3,21,864; Hyderabad (gross) 43,36,647 from 16 cinemas (1 in noon).

Bulandi proves a horrifying disaster. 1st week Bombay 36,04,831 (61.09%) from 10 cinemas (9 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 3,71,535 from 5 cinemas (1 unrecd.), Rajkot 1,46,843 from 3 cinemas (1 in matinee), Jamnagar 85,880; Bijapur 1,10,000; Delhi 18,37,320 (25.13%) from 13 cinemas (2 on F.H.); Lucknow 1,99,776, Agra 1,85,000, Varanasi 1,51,297, Allahabad 1,64,000; did extremely poor in Calcutta (figures not disclosed); Nagpur 3,09,559 from 3 cinemas, Akola 1,16,197, Raipur (gross, 6 days) 1,22,092, Bhilai (gross) 1,38,315, Yavatmal 67,616; Indore (5 days) 1,28,232 from 2 cinemas (2 on F.H.), Bhopal (5 days) 1,01,429 from 2 cinemas; Jaipur 4,25,690 from 3 cinemas, Jodhpur (14 shows, gross) 97,151; Hyderabad (gross) 10,05,173 from 8 cinemas (1 in noon).

………..

Jaanwar is doing very well in U.P., West Bengal, Bihar and C.P. Berar. 3rd week Bombay 15,08,727 (41.60%) from 8 cinemas (5 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 54,823 (2 unrecd.), 1st week Bhuj 59,831; Miraj 87,657; 3rd week Delhi (4 days) 2,16,190; Agra 2,37,348, Varanasi 2,14,178, Allahabad 1,72,700, Bareilly (6 days) 1,37,897, 1st week Hardwar 1,15,000; 3rd Calcutta 7,71,257 from 6 cinemas; Nagpur 69,646 from 2 cinemas, Akola 95,881, total 3,59,909, Raipur (6 days) 75,804, Bhilai 35,165, Jalgaon 1,25,525 (2nd 1,57,423), Chandrapur 66,475, total 3,84,362, Yavatmal (gross) 1,13,212, total 4,28,852, share 2,78,852, very good; Indore 77,652, Bhopal 1,02,485; Jaipur 2,76,486 from 2 cinemas, Ajmer (gross) 1,40,244, Bikaner 1,31,380; Hyderabad (gross) 2,96,454.

Titanic (dubbed) 1st week Bombay 3,53,718 (63.39%) (1 on F.H.); 2nd week Allahabad 86,300, 1st week Agra 71,000.

Hum Saath-Saath Hain made a killing in Bombay-Karnataka, U.P., C.P. Berar and Nizam due to the Idd festival. 10th week Bombay 7,34,540 (45.82%) from 3 cinemas (6 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 1,46,913, Rajkot (14 shows) 51,199, Jamnagar 46,877 (9th 30,123), Bhavnagar 60,670 (9th 50,487); Hubli 1,30,178 (9th 78,207), Belgaum 96,596 (9th 84,557), 3rd week Gadag 56,057 (2nd 38,336), 1st Karwar 45,753, 6th week Bijapur 91,385 (5th 51,890), Nippani 36,874, 1st week Sankeshwar 37,419; 10th week Delhi 4,06,613 from 3 cinemas; Kanpur 1,72,235 (9th 1,24,645), Lucknow 3,97,848 (9th 2,48,526), Agra 1,78,993 (9th 1,19,397), Varanasi 1,65,489 (9th week 1,21,695), Allahabad 93,158 (9th 87,326), 3rd week Mirzapur 54,365, 1st Badaun 54,745, 10th week Meerut 1,19,237 (9th 54,774), 1st week Bahraich 58,097, Bulandshahr 99,338, Dadri 47,538, 10th week Bareilly 80,869 (9th 40,563), Jhansi 54,233, 1st Farrukhabad 69,441, 10th Dehradun 60,123, Saharanpur 62,746 (9th 22,847), 1st week Firozabad 1,21,418, Hapur 74,601, 10th week Gorakhpur 98,045 (9th 66,090), 1st week Raibareilly 62,231, 6th Hardwar 22,835, 10th week Moradabad 1,15,681 (9th 37,334), Aligarh 1,12,758 (9th 39,448), 1st week Shahjahanpur 69,623, Sitapur 98,582; 10th Calcutta 4,01,854 from 5 cinemas; Nagpur 1,75,832, 7th week Balaghat 39,023, 1st week Kamptee 67,435, 10th Jabalpur 2,05,231, Amravati 1,30,885, total 22,00,011, Akola 1,07,165, total 15,86,909, share 12,60,136, Dhule 76,516 (9th 45,082), Raipur 1,30,039, Bhilai 22,349, 8th week Durg 32,123, 10th week Jalgaon 97,601, Bhusawal 48,075, Gondia (14 shows, gross) 31,502, total 10,19,586, Chandrapur 73,181, total 19,26,289, Yavatmal (gross) 48,685, total 13,45,853, share 6,25,853, Khandwa 74,541; Indore 1,15,287 (3 on F.H.); Jaipur 5,28,400, Ajmer 66,529, Bikaner 46,350; Hyderabad (gross) 5,10,906 (9th 4,09,291), Aurangabad about 1,48,000; Bangalore 2,10,043 (9th 1,71,479); Madras (18 shows) 93,160.

________

Maa Baap Ne Bhulsho Nahin (Gujarati; TF) is doing great business. 4th week Ahmedabad 6,44,343 from 5 cinemas.

YESUDAS TO BE FELICITATED

Playback singer K.J. Yesudas will be felicitated by People’s Arts Centre on 26th January at Shanmukhananda Hall in Bombay on the occasion of his 60th birthday. Usha Mangeshkar will sing songs along with him on the stage. Music maestros Naushad and Khayyam will also attend.

Yesudas has rendered over 35,000 songs in several Indian and foreign languages.

SURINDER KAPOOR HOSPITALISED

Producer Surinder Kapoor, who was in Delhi to attend the International Film Festival of India, was hospitalised on 11th January after he complained of giddiness. He was discharged from hospital on 13th and returned to Bombay the same day. His son, Anil Kapoor, was also in Delhi when he was hospitalised.

NAGPUR EXHIBITORS FELICITATE DHARMENDRA

The Cine Exhibitors Association, Nagpur, felicitated actor Dharmendra on 6th January in Nagpur. Dharmendra was there on a brief visit. The actor recalled his visit to Janki Cinema, Nagpur thirty years ago when his Phool Aur Patthar was being screened there.

Anil Deshmukh, minister for education and sports, Maharashtra, was also present on the occasion. S.B. Patil and K.K. Sawhney, hon. secretary and hon. treasurer respectively of the CEA, welcomed both the distinguished guests.

PADAMCHAND AGARWAL NO MORE

Padamchand Agarwal, well-known Hyderabad exhibitor (proprietor of Asha Talkies, Hyderabad) and Nizam distributor, passed away on 9th January in Hyderabad.

FARIDA JALAL BEREAVED

Najma H. Kazam, mother of actress Farida Jalal and director Khalid, passed away on the night of 7th January at Belle Vue Nursing Home, Bombay. She was being treated there for cancer of the throat.

ASHOK THAKERIA RECOVERING

Producer Ashok Thakeria, who had met with a road accident a fortnight back near Nasik, is recuperating at his home. He had been admitted to Bombay Hospital.

‘PHIR BHI DIL HAI HINDUSTANI’ PRESS MEET

Dreamz Unlimited held a press briefing for Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani on January 13 at The Orchid Hotel, Bombay. The press briefing was addressed by the film’s producers-cum-lead pair Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla, producer-director Aziz Mirza and music directors Jatin Lalit. The press meet was followed by dinner.

VINOD MALHOTRA’S SON TO WED

Marriage of Amit, son of C.I. distributor Vinod Malhotra and grandson of D.R. Malhotra, with Gunjan, will be solemnised on 10th February at Hotel Taj, Indore. The marriage will be preceded by shagan ceremony on 9th February.

FESTIVAL OF RAJ KAPOOR’S FILMS

The Cultural Centre of Russia, Bombay, will organise a six-day festival of late showman Raj Kapoor’s films beginning 17th January, at the House of Soviet Culture, Bombay. Randhir Kapoor will inaugurate the festival. The inaugural function will be followed by the screening of Barsaat. The other films to be screened are Shri 420, Sangam, Bobby, Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai and Mera Naam Joker.

The festival is being organised to commemorate the 75th birth anniversary of the great filmmaker. Entry to the festival is free.

Tax ‘Cutting’ Is Normal In Baroda!

Tax ‘cutting’ is not uncommon in some ‘A’ class centres of Gujarat. Baroda is one such centre where entertainment tax is not paid in full. It is not as if only small or unpopular cinemas resort to tax ‘cutting’ in Baroda. Even big and well-known cinemas, which screen new films, indulge in the illegal practice of concealing ticket sales to save on entertainment tax.

While the above is shocking, what is even more shocking is that the authorities are turning a blind eye to this illegal act by certain cinemas. In spite of the practice of duplicate tickets issued by such cinemas being brought to the notice of the powers that be, they refuse to take corrective steps or action against the erring exhibitors. This is also causing a lot of heartburn among the genuine exhibitors who do not indulge in such unfair practices.

ANNOUNCEMENT & LAUNCHING

David To Direct Govinda In Jeetendra’s Film

David Dhawan has been signed to direct Shri Siddhivinayak Films’ Prod. No. 1, being presented by Jeetendra, and starring Govinda and Sushmita Sen in the lead. The film will be produced by Shobha Kapoor and Ekta Kapoor and will be launched on Feb. 1 with a song recording. Story-screenplay: Yunus Sejawal and Imtiaz Patel. Dialogues: Rumi Jafri. Executive producer: Prakash Pange.

David To Direct Salman In MKD’s Next

Producer Ketan Manmohan Desai has signed David Dhawan to direct, and Salman Khan to lead the cast of M.K.D. Films Combine’s next. It will go on the floors shortly. Other cast and credits will be finalised soon. Executive producer: Prakash Pange.

PRODUCTION NEWS

‘Hey! Ram’ Background Score Recording In Hungary

The recording of background score of Raajkamal Films’ Hey! Ram is currently under way in Budapest (Hungary). A 90-piece Western classical orchestra recorded 12 minutes of music composed by Ilaiyaraja, on the first day of the recording itself. The recording unit is expected to return to India today (15th). The film, due for release on February 18, is produced and directed by Kamal Haasan who also stars in it. Also in the cast are Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukerji, Naseeruddin Shah, Hema Malini and Om Puri. Bharat Shah presents it.

YOU ASKED IT

I have a group of friends from various businesses, who are ready to raise a capital of Rs. 3 crore. Will you please suggest a viable proposal to make a film?

– I have a director, artistes and technicians who will agree to complete a film with a capital base of Rs. 2 crore, the balance being credit available. Will you please suggest a viable story to make my film?

On which day and in which year did the Father of Indian Cinema, Dadasaheb Phalke, pass away?

– 16th February, 1944, at the age of 74. He was born in 1870. His real name was Dhundiraj Govind Phalke.

Do you foresee a time when films will be made without songs?

– Songs and music are an integral part of our daily lives. We have songs for every occasion, every festival, every mood, every part of the day. Therefore, films without songs are unthinkable.

At every muhurt, producers get the coconut-breaking ceremony performed. The coconut is described as “auspicious”. But in most cases, the results are not auspicious. Does it then mean that a film flopped because the coconut was not auspicious?

– Why blame the poor coconut? If you are honest and fair in assessing the merits and demerits of a film, you will notice that the blame lies in too many other departments, least of all in the coconut and the coconut-breaking ceremonies.

3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment

Shah Rukh Sells And How!

Shah Rukh Khan’s Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani seems to have broken a record even before its release. Its sub-distribution rights have been sold for Gujarat at a record price of — hold your breath! — Rs. 1 crore. Yes, about half the price has been paid by way of signing amount. The buyers, S.M. Movies, have, in turn, extracted outstanding MGs from different stations of Gujarat in a bid to hedge their huge investment. In recent times, no film has commanded such a superb price. And this, without the buyer having seen a single frame of the film. Is it the magic of Shah Rukh the star or the magic of Shah Rukh the producer? Or both?!?

The Starting Non-Starters

It is indeed inexplicable as to why the releases in the first week of any year in the eighties and nineties have almost never proved successful. The following is the list of first releases. 4-1-’80: no new release. 2-1-’81: Waqt Ki Deewar, Guest House. 1-1-’82: Daulat, Dil-E-Nadaan, Josh. 7-1-’83: Zara Si Zindagi, Chatpatee. 6-1-’84: Wanted, Sardaar. 4-1-’85: no new release. 3-1-’86: Ram Tera Desh. 2-1-’87: Insaniyat Ke Dushman (did quite well), Sutradhar, Patthar Se Takkar. 1-1-’88: Jungle Ki Beti, Khel Mohabbat Kaa. 6-1-’89: Vardi (did quite well). 5-1-’90: Souten Ki Beti, Pyar Ke Naam Qurban, Vidrohi. 4-1-’91: Jigarwala, Laal Paree. 3-1-’92: Daulat Ki Jung. 1-1-’93: Dil Hi To Hai, Balmaa, Zakhmi Rooh. 7-1-’94: Zid, Gopalaa, Thanedaarni, Aag Aur Chingaari. 6-1-’95: Ab Insaf Hoga, Gunehgar, Kala Sach. 5-1-’96: Himmat, Jurmana, Smuggler. 3-1-’97: Aastha (did well only in Bombay and C.P. Berar). 2-1-’98: Haiwaan. 1-1-’99: Sikandar Sadak Ka. And on 7-1-2000: Mela and Bulandi.

With the exception of two films — Insaniyat Ke Dushman (1987) and Vardi (1989) — the rest proved non-starters.

Pyar Jhukta Nahin, which proved a super-hit, was the first release of 1985. It was, however, not released in the first week of ’85, but in the second week (11-1-’85). There was no release in the first week of 1985.

Curiously enough, none of the films released from 1990 to 1999 proved successful. Insaniyat Ke Dushman and Vardi were both releases of the eighties.

Among the first releases of 2000, Bulandi proved a loser while Mela might earn part commission in some territories only.

Twinkle And The Killing Coincidence!

Here’s an interesting contribution from a reader of ours, who chooses to remain anonymous.

Whoever has played Twinkle Khanna’s brother in her recent releases has had to die in the film. In International Khiladi, Vivek Shauq was cast in the role of Twinkle’s brother. He was killed in the early reels. Deepak Tijori played Twinkle’s brother in Baadshah and he, too, gets killed in the film. Now, in Mela, it is Ayub Khan falling prey to Tinu Verma’s bullets in the initial reels and leaving his sister, Twinkle Khanna, all alone to face the mad, bad world.

Minister Framed!

And now a joke to keep you smiling for the week. This one is about a minister in the Maharashtra government. Several years back, he had been invited for a film’s muhurt as the chief guest. He was asked to sound the clapper-board for the muhurt shot. After being properly briefed, the minister ventured to do what he had never before done in his life. He gave the clap, announced good luck to the project and… and… well, he stayed put right there. Perhaps, taken in by the still photographers’ cameras clicking, he was unable to appreciate the fact that there was a movie camera too, which was switched on to capture the muhurt shot and not just him. He refused to budge from the frame and, thus, the artistes just couldn’t perform the inaugural shot. It took a while before the minister was politely asked to come out of the frame!

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Satellite Rights

Dear Sir,

After reading the contents in the matter under the heading, ‘Satellite Rights & Wrong’ in Film Weather: 1999 in the issue of Film Information dated 1st January, 2000, I feel that to effectively deal with the issue of satellite rights, our associations should make their members add the following in their distribution agreements:

a) That, if the producers are selling the satellite rights of their films for telecasting before the stipulated time of five years from the date of the film’s premiere theatrical release, the MG royalty should then be treated as ‘advance’ and made refundable to its distributor within a month of the film’s telecast on the satellite channel.

b) That, for overflow films, further overflows be stopped immediately after the film is telecast on satellite.

The above would be in addition to the penalties levied by the respective associations.

– Tarachand B. Kanuga
Shiva Enterprises
Controller, Krishna Theatre,
Risali, Dist. Durg (M.P.).

MELA

Venus Records & Tapes’ Mela (UA) is a masala film with revenge as its base. The peace of a village is disturbed when a dreaded dacoit assassinates a minister invited by the villagers to inaugurate a fair (mela), an annual feature of the village. The dacoit, after the assassination, falls for a beautiful girl who lives with her brother in the village. When the brother tries to save his sister from being picked up by the dacoit, he is killed. The girl swears revenge. While on the run, she comes across two guys who are close friends. One falls in love with her while the other treats her like his own sister. The three of them join forces to avenge the wrongs perpetrated on her, but not before her beloved becomes the victim of misunderstandings galore.

The story offers absolutely nothing new and the screenplay (by Neeraj Vora, Sanjeev Duggal and Robin Bhatt) reminds of films like Caravan, Sholay and the more recent China Gate. Some incidents also make the drama tedious at places. What save the film from deteriorating completely are the comedy punches in the first half and a few dramatic and well-executed action scenes. The second half is lengthy, repetitive and boring. The main negative aspects are the almost dull music (Anu Malik), the lack of repeat value and novelty, a weak romantic track, and a dacoit who is supposed to spell terror in the village, but is actually hardly menacing or intimidating in his performance.

Aamir Khan scores in the first half and his comedy and dialogues (Neeraj Vora and Dharmesh Darshan) are excellent. In the dramatic scenes too, he is likeable. Faisal Khan acts quite well but there’s no variation in his facial expressions or body language. Twinkle Khanna looks sexy, reveals quite a good deal of her anatomy but does an average job as far as acting goes. Her expressions are below the mark and, in fact, her dubbing (by a dubbing artiste) is better than her performance. Her constant conflict with herself (conveyed through her talking to her conscience quite regularly) gets boring after a while. Tinu Verma, as the dreaded dacoit, has screen presence but gives an average performance. He is not even a tenth as menacing as Gabbar Singh of Sholay, from whom his character is heavily inspired and because of which he is bound to be compared to the original character, much to his disadvantage. Johny Lever is excellent. Ayub Khan and Parmeet Sethi are alright. Archna Pooran Singh is wasted; she deserved a far meatier role. Navneet Nishan, too, does not get much scope. Veeru Krishnan does well but the scene in which he challenges a villager, though it prepares the public for an exhilarating experience, has hardly any impact. Asrani, Tiku Talsania and Kulbhushan Kharbanda get very limited scopes. Tanvi Azmi does an able job. Master Omkar Kapoor is alright. Anirudh Agarwal, Subbiraj, Viju Khote, Harish Patel and the others provide average support. Aishwarya Rai, in a special appearance, lends glamour coupled with a pleasant shock-value.

Dharmesh Darshan has concentrated more on the canvas of the film than its backbone (script). Not only is the script routine, the making is also quite crude. Nevertheless, this crudeness will appeal to the mass audience, especially in the Hindi-speaking belt. Music should have been nothing short of hit, considering the film’s canvas, cast and making. But while the title song and a couple of others including ‘Dekho 2000’ are hummable, a few are dull. Song picturisations are rich, the ‘Dekho 2000’ number being very well choreographed. Rajan Kinagi’s camerawork is beautiful. Sets (Nitin Desai) are grand. Action is very thrilling. Climax, though exciting and well-shot, is, nevertheless, predictable. Editing is loose. The film can and should be re-edited by at least 15 minutes to advantage. A couple of songs should be deleted.

On the whole, high-priced Mela has mass-appealing masala for circuits like Bihar, Rajasthan and C.I. but not enough for many of the other circuits. After a dull start at many places, it can hope to pick up on Idd, but in the ultimate analysis, it will not really gladden the hearts of too many. In some circuits, the result can be truly disappointing.

Released on 7-1-2000 at Metro and 24 other cinemas of Bombay thru AA Films. Publicity: very good. Opening: not up to the mark. …….Also released all over. Opening was dull almost everywhere, partly owing to Ramzan and partly due to ordinary music.

BULANDI

Maa Sherawali Productions’ Bulandi, remake of the Tamil hit, Nattamai, is based in a village where the Thakur’s word is law. The noble and extremely just and impartial Thakur is worshipped like a God in the village for these very qualities of his, inherited by him from his late father. The Thakur’s younger brother gets married to a rich and modern girl who finds it hard to believe that a human being can be treated like a God. She resents her husband’s blind hero-worship of his Thakur-brother and this breaks the peace of the house. She, however, learns to adjust to her new environment. All hell breaks loose when her husband is accused of raping a lady in the village and thereby leading her (rape victim) to commit suicide. The Thakur banishes his own brother from the village, as punishment for the rape and suicide. Ultimately, it is revealed that the Thakur’s brother was innocent and had been framed by his cousin to seek revenge for himself having been banished by the earlier Thakur (father).

On the plus side, the film boasts of a number of scenes with tremendous ladies appeal. Emotions are heart-rending. But on the flip side, the concept of likening a Thakur to God in today’s modern times will be difficult to digest, especially for the audience in cities. While the constant pointers to the role of ladies as being subservient to the menfolk may be liked by women and families in small towns and villages, the audience in ‘A’ class centres will find the same as being too regressive. The scenes showing the internal dissensions in the banished family of the cousin are repetitive and irritating too. The track of the modern girl not being able to adjust in her husband’s home and her ultimate repentance is excellent. Erode Sounder’s story, therefore, will be liked by the audience in small centres but will not be appreciated by people in many big centres. Aadesh K. Arjun’s dialogues are extremely good at several places.

Anil Kapoor plays a double role (Thakur and his younger brother) and does an excellent job. In the role of the just Thakur, especially, he gets into the skin of the character and comes out with flying colours. Rekha does a fine job but looks too old to be dancing in song sequences. Raveena Tandon acts very ably. Rajinikanth is simply fabulous in a brief role. His gait and walking style are par excellence but his Tamilian accent will be resented in North India. Harish is alright in a role that offers limited scope. Sadashiv Amarapurkar and Paresh Rawal provide crude comic moments that will be hated by the class audience but liked by the masses. Shakti Kapoor is okay and so are Aroona Irani and Ranjeet. It is the track of this trio that brings in boredom in the drama. Kulbhushan Kharbanda is restrained. Others lend fair support.

T. Rama Rao’s direction is good but he should have given the film a more contemporary flavour. However, he handles the emotional scenes with aplomb. Viju Sha’s music is a letdown. Except for a couple of songs which are reasonably well-tuned, the others are poor. Song situations are contrived and their picturisations are also not up to the mark. Action scenes remind of films made in Madras in the eighties. Camerawork is of standard.

On the whole, Bulandi, which has opened to disastrous houses almost all over, can hope to succeed on the strength of ladies patronage in circuits like Bengal, Bihar, C.P. Berar and Maharashtra. But its fate in cities like Bombay and Delhi and in circuits like East Punjab and South will be disastrous.

Released on 7-1-2000 at Minerva and 21 other cinemas of Bombay thru Maa Sherawali Films. Publicity: good. Opening: dull. …….Also released all over except in C.I. Opening was poor at most of the places.

LATEST POSITION

Collections are on the lower side due to Ramzan and also because of the cold wave in several parts of the country.

Jaanwar 2nd week Bombay 25,65,891 (41.43%) from 11 cinemas (8 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 2,37,845 from 3 cinemas (2 unrecd.), Jamnagar (matinee) 11,900; Delhi 14,70,722 from 9 cinemas (2 on F.H.); Kanpur 2,69,503 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 2,55,218, Allahabad 1,68,300, Bareilly (6 days) 81,292; Calcutta 10,82,506 from 8 cinemas; Nagpur 1,35,912, Akola 1,09,577, total 2,64,027, Raipur (6 days) 1,23,880, Chandrapur 1,24,117, total 3,17,886, Yavatmal 86,022 (1st 1,18,748); Indore 1,84,774 from 2 cinemas (2 on F.H.), Bhopal 88,587; Jaipur 2,91,021; Hyderabad (gross) 4,32,432 from 3 cinemas (1 in noon).

Hum Saath-Saath Hain 9th week Bombay 4,33,000 (47%; 6 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 1,34,083 (1 unrecd.), Rajkot (14 shows) 65,247, Jamnagar 30,123, Bhavnagar 50,487; Hubli 78,207, Belgaum 84,557, 2nd week Gadag 38,006, 5th week Bijapur 51,890, Nippani 31,532; 9th week Delhi 4,21,833 from 3 cinemas; Kanpur 1,24,645, Lucknow 2,48,527, Agra 1,19,398, Varanasi 1,21,696, Allahabad 87,326, Bareilly 40,563, Jhansi 60,635, Dehradun 87,289, 5th week Hardwar 36,930, Moradabad 37,334; 9th week Amritsar 1,33,810, Ludhiana 2,04,320, Faridabad 46,046, Jammu 65,220, 3rd week Ambala Cantt. 53,397; 9th week Calcutta 4,27,928 from 5 cinemas; Nagpur 2,19,647, 6th week Balaghat 46,137, 9th Jabalpur 2,18,123, Amravati 1,49,760, total 20,69,126, Akola 99,083, total 14,79,743, Dhule 45,082, Raipur (gross) 1,73,775, Bhilai 60,196, 7th week Jalgaon 1,11,853, Bhusawal 39,313, Gondia (14 shows) 36,627, Wardha (14 shows) 16,170, Chandrapur 1,01,877, total 18,53,108, Yavatmal 52,944 (8th 61,212), Khandwa 73,672, total 15,57,629; Indore 1,23,776 (3 on F.H.); Jaipur 5,94,067, Jodhpur (gross) 2,79,688, Ajmer 85,291, Bikaner 65,843, Kota 97,664, Bhilwara 49,737; Hyderabad (gross) 5,22,243 from 2 cinemas (1 in noon), Aurangabad 1,46,591; Bangalore 1,71,479; Madras 2,06,097 from 2 cinemas.

______

Lekroo (Marathi; TF) 1st week Bombay 25,036 (18.30%), poor.

Maadi Jaaya (Gujarati; TF) 1st week Ahmedabad 1,25,556 from 3 cinemas (1 unrecd.). Dull.

Maa Baap Ne Bhulsho Nahin (Gujarati; TF)  is very strong. 3rd week Ahmedabad 6,67,438 from 4 cinemas (1 unrecd.), 2nd week Rajkot 49,900.

Shaheed Uddham Singh (Punjabi; TF) has been appreciated in Punjab.

‘BULANDI’: C.I. DISTRIBUTOR DEFAULTS

Bulandi could not be released in C.I. on 7th January as the delivery could not be effected. The film’s distribution rights had been sold at a price of 25. Its C.I. distributor, Yogesh Syal (Seema Movies), had paid producer Bobby Anand 8.50 under-production and came to Bombay with only 7 more to take delivery. With a shortfall of 9.50, Bobby Anand could not effect delivery.

Cinemas in Indore, Bhopal and other stations of C.I., where Bulandi was due to open on Friday (7th), had to make do with other programmes. The film is now likely to be distributed in C.I. by Bobby Anand himself. Bobby has flown to Indore this morning (8th) with the prints. Bulandi may open in Bhopal today itself and in other stations, tomorrow.

NEW CINEMA IN MADRAS

Sree, a new cinema, opened in the Sathyam theatre complex in Madras on 31st December. The cinema is equipped with DTS and Dolby Digital sound systems.

G.D. MEHTA ELECTED MPA PRESIDENT

G.D. Mehta was elected president of the Motion Pictures Association, Delhi, at its 48th annual general meeting held on 31st December, 1999. He defeated K.M.S. Khan by bagging 165 votes as against the latter’s 127. Kirit C. Desai (162 votes) and Vinod Lamba (162) were elected vice presidents, and G.S. Mayawala (193), honorary general secretary. Sakshi Mehra (173), Surinder Paul (169), Rajinder Singh (141) and Vikram Sethi (135) were elected honorary joint secretaries, and Ram Swaroop Marwah (174), hon. treasurer.

The nine members elected to the executive committee were Brijesh Tandon (who bagged the highest number of votes — 192), Sushil Bhasin (170 votes), Ranjit Singh Seble (164), Ravinder Rastogi (162), S.K. Bedi (161), Rakesh Paul (152), Lalit Kothari (148), Ajay Gupta (147) and Shashank Raizada (141).

The Mayawala-Mehta group, which fielded nine candidates in the direct election of office-bearers and nine in the executive committee seat elections, had a hands-down victory. Seventeen of its candidates were elected. Vikram Sethi was the lone winner from the opposition (K.M.S. Khan) group.

ARTISTES’ SECRETARIES FELICITATE B.R. CHOPRA

The Cine Artistes Secretaries Association (CASA) recently felicitated B.R. Chopra on being conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his contribution to the film industry, at his Khar office. Madan Arora and Pawan Kumar garlanded B.R. Chopra.

The Association’s president, Punkej Kharabanda, and secretary, Dinesh Gupta, paid glowing tributes to the veteran filmmaker through their brief speeches.

YOU ASKED IT

Is there any significant example of a film released in 1999, which proved a super-hit in one or two territories but a flop or average in others?

– HUM DIL DE CHUKE SANAM is the best example. It was a big hit in Bombay circuit but a flop in the Eastern circuit. SOORYAVANSHAM is another example. It did very good business in West Bengal, Bihar and C.P. Berar, but is a dismal flop in Delhi-U.P. and East Punjab.

In his interview published in your issue last week, Shah Rukh Khan has said that the present-day newcomers are too methodical and that they must show “that little difference, that little something that’s you and only you”. But saying this, isn’t the star letting out a trade secret?

– Yes, he is letting out a trade secret, which is really creditable! But even if he has let out a secret, it may not be easy for newcomers to follow the advice because it depends on how much the individual newcomer is able to assess himself and his qualities.

Will a film click if its subject comprises great ideas from four to six super-hit films?

– Not necessarily! The different ideas should, first and foremost, match and merge into one another well. Secondly, since the ideas are being picked up from super-hit films, the challenge is even greater because they (the ideas) would be in public memory for a long time. Thirdly, my humble advice to you — think original.

I shudder to think what will happen to our writers if every Hollywood filmmaker issues a warning, stating, “Copying this film will amount to a criminal offence”! Your comment.

– The industry’s writers will have to think of a new formula for coping with the copying warning.

CENSOR NEWS

Dreamz & Filmz P. Ltd.’s Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, applied on 3rd and seen on 4th, has been issued C.C. No. CIL/2/1/2000 (UA) dt. 7-1-2000; length 4388.26 metres in 16 reels (minor deletion in sound only).

Aftab Music Industries’ Badal was given C.C. No. CIL/3/2/2000 (A) dt. 5-1-2000; length 4800.69 metres in 18 reels (cuts: 111.42 metres).

Columbia Tristar Films’ Khatarnak Qatil (dubbed), seen on 3rd, has been issued C.C. No. CFL/3/1/2000 (A) dt. 6-1-2000; length 3229.47 metres in 6 reels (no cut).

Neha International’s Kharidaar was seen on 28th.

Tapssvi Production’s Phool Bane Barood (revised), seen on 3rd, has been passed for adults, with cuts.

Sheela Devi Films’ Nagin Bani Chudail, seen on 4th, has been refused certificate.

☺☺ When ‘Hit’ Is A Four-Letter Word ☺☺

This incident took place about 10 years ago. The Bombay distributor of a to-be-released film was pretty sure that it would be a hit. We had seen the film’s trial and we weren’t confident of its performance at the box-office. Sensing our reaction and also because he was pretty confident, he invited us to see the film on the first day with the public, in the main cinema. Off went our staffer to see the film and to gauge the public reaction at Dreamland. As was expected, the public hated the film and came out of the auditorium, abusing it. The Information guy was standing beside the distributor, and he felt truly embarrassed with the public’s foul language. But our distributor was made of sterner stuff. Said he, “Mujhe maloom tha, yeh honewala hai. Public andar se khush hai lekin baahar se gaaliyan de rahi hai. Iska matlab ki film hit ho gayee.”

3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment

The Silver Lining

While the film industry was under a dark cloud in the year that went by, the wonderful and unique cover pages of Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge in the annual issue of Film Information last week gave the industry hope of a silver lining in the new year. The shimmering silver covers (front as well as back) had a-page-a-month calendar of Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge pasted on the front, with stills of the film on every page. Never before was such a grand cover seen by the trade in any magazine. We at Information were inundated with calls congratulating us. But, but… but credit hum nahin le jayenge! The credit and congratulations are entirely and rightfully due to the film’s enterprising producer, Gordhan Tanwani, and to the Nandas — Himanshu and Rahul — for their inimitable conception, visualisation and their aesthetically creative design. It is they who deserve 2000 pats for the silver lining at the start of year 2000! Incidentally, the calendar on the cover of our issue last week is meant to be detached therefrom and can be used as a wall-calendar.

35 Of A Family Saath-Saath

Pratibha Patil, a former member of parliament and also former deputy speaker of the Rajya Sabha, and her husband, Devisingh Shekhawat, a former MLA and first mayor of Amravati Municipal Corporation — both Congress leaders — recently decided to see Hum Saath-Saath Hain saath-saath with their family members. The entire group of 35 members included the politician-couple’s son-in-law from Delhi. On learning that Amravati’s numero uno cinema — Chitra — was showing HS-SH, he requested his father-in-law to book the tickets. The cinema management immediately complied with the request of the former MLA. And that’s how the politicians’ family saw the film en bloc! …Meanwhile, the cinema management is still receiving requests for bulk bookings even though the film has completed 9 weeks. The balcony class gets full in no time. The audience response to HS-SH is so heartening that the management of Chitra is confident of HS-SH surpassing the 25 weeks’ share of Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (which was also screened at Chitra) and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge in just 10 weeks!

Hope 2000!

“Although the last year has not been too good for most of us, we must take heart from the fact that we did not do too badly as compared to most other industries in India. The financial calamities faced by some top industries is unimaginable. We are better off.”

These are the words (rather observations) of Bombay distributor Ramesh Sippy of B.R.A. Corporation, while looking back at the year that went by. In his Millennium Message sent to friends in the film trade, he has infused hope and inspiration for the new year and concluded with a “token of sweetness”. In the message, he adds, “We need to remind ourselves that to survive, we have to overcome some of our obstacles of previous years in the new millennium. Unity amongst us was conspicuous by its absence. I sincerely hope that we all realise that lack of unity may lead to our ruin. So let us put our hearts, souls and minds together and tackle our problems selflessly and jointly to ensure that the problems faced by us in the last millennium are a thing of the past. Let us make the next millennium something to remember for the rest of the film industry and the country.

“I take this opportunity to wish you and your families a very Happy New Year and all the prosperity in the next millennium. Please accept this token of sweetness and let us make the next millennium a sweeter world to live in.”

Popular…. Phir Bhi Profound

The title song of Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, which has already become popular, may seem to be a light song but the thoughts infused into the song through its lyrics are very profound. The credit for penning such a thoughtful song goes to Javed Akhtar who has also written the film’s other songs. Lyricist Javed Akhtar, it may be mentioned here, has created a hat-trick by bagging three National Awards in a row in the last three years (for Saaz in 1996; Border in 1997; and Godmother in 1998).

Missing From ‘Mela’

This lapse would merit an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records, if only because it involves a big film like Mela. The print of the mega-budget film, which reached Nanded on Thursday (6th January) was, due to oversight, minus reel nos. 3, 4, and 5. But the exhibitor was cool enough to do what nobody would have dreamt of doing — he went ahead and screened the film without the three reels. And this, not in one show but in all the 4 shows of Friday, January 7! Whether the audience cribbed or complained, one is not sure. But the show went on! Perhaps, those among the audience, who realised that something in the film was missing, must’ve drawn their own conclusion that, perhaps, some reels had got lost in a mela! Anyway, the three missing reels were rushed to Nanded on Friday itself and, hopefully, the audience there will see the full Mela from today (Saturday).

MILLENNIUM EXCLUSIVE

“I want to return to my childhood. Yes, that’s my millennium resolution…”

– SHAH RUKH KHAN

KOMAL NAHTA

For all his superstardom, Shah Rukh Khan is one hell of an easy-going guy who, unlike many other stars, doesn’t pretend to be busy when he is not. Rather, for this interview fixed in one single message left on the voicemail box of his cellphone and a return call precisely 15 minutes later, Shah Rukh pretended to be free when actually he had 20 things on hand and 200 others on his mind. Mind you, he is a producer too now, besides being an actor. With his maiden production venture, Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, nearing release, the post-production work, the publicity, the distributors, the premieres, everything needed the star’s attention. Oops, sorry, the superstar’s attention. Because that’s what the name-plate on Shah Rukh Khan’s cabin on the fourth floor of the building belonging to his production company, Dreamz Unlimited, at Khar, Bombay, reads — SUPERSTAR. Modesty be damned! But if such blatant flaunting of one’s status in the film world doesn’t come across as vanity, it is because the actor himself comes across as an honest human being. And quite honestly, isn’t the guy a superstar? If he isn’t, why do the locals in the Carribean Islands line up all through the 35-killometre stretch from the airport to the only good hotel on the island, and cheer the actor, chanting his name, when he goes there for a stage-show? Nearer home, the euphoria is no different.

Information on 28th December met the star who has dominated the acting scene for the last five years of the millennium gone by — and should continue to do so for many more years in the new millennium too. Seated in his office, he spoke about his experiences as a producer, his journey as an actor, and other things. Excerpts limited from the conversation unlimited:

So, how do you look at the new millennium?

– Honestly, I don’t look at it any differently. Four days later, it will be the same thing. It’s just the end of a year and the beginning of another. I see the year 1999 as a year of some great work I’ve done — not in terms of the number of my releases, but great work as an actor.

And as a producer, too…?

– Yes. But for me, it has been a year of good work — more than as a producer and actor, as a worker. It has been a little more hectic than usual. Hopefully, it will be the same next year. Though, as an actor, I’ll have five releases in 2000. So, the whole industry’s future will be hanging by the thread of Shah Rukh’s releases.

When were the pangs of fear greater — when your first film as actor was released or now, when your first production venture is releasing?

– Even as an actor, I’ve never been scared of a release. Frankly, release of a film means that it’s on air. After that, a film is beyond anyone’s control. I really work with this in mind, that I don’t work towards working commercial. I’d like to make a film which I think, I’ll like making and which, I think, people would like to see. When such a film becomes a hit, it feels good. But yes, I’m a little more numb now as a producer than I’ve ever been as an actor. I’ve been taking a keen interest in the film’s post-production work and the publicity. I believe in the American style of lavish publicity. I’m not going to tell the world that it’s the greatest film ever made but I’m surely going to publicise the film as the greatest film.

The production has been completely handled by Yash-ji (Johar), the accounts have been taken care of by Jay Mehta (Juhi Chawla’s husband). I’ve contributed to the creative side which has been Aziz Mirza’s domain, but I contribute to the creative side otherwise also — not to portray myself as an intelligent actor or as a hint of interference, but because of my involvement in the films in which I work. The film’s dubbing got over today. Juhi is handling paper publicity and the media. Aziz is busy with the background music. I’m only hoping that the film I’ve enjoyed making, people enjoy viewing it. I don’t know whether the film we’ve made is commercial or not, whether it’s good or not, but I do know that we’ve made it honestly and that we’ve enjoyed making it. I just hope, it has turned out to be the film we had set out to make. I think, it’s 85% of what we had planned. But I’m sure, our next film will be better. My biggest enemy, incidentally, is my ‘next time’. I’m neither being immodest when I say that my next will be even better nor am I being humble when I say that this is less than what my next film will be. But I must say, we’ve all worked very hard. We’ve never worked so hard in our lives. None of us here has slept properly for the last 40 days!

I only hope, people like us, like myself, Juhi, Aziz, Farah Khan, Karan (Johar) and Adi (Aditya Chopra), Manish Malhotra, my unit members, we keep on making these kinds of films. I also understand that to make these films, the first pre-requisite is that you’ve got to be in a position of choice. Just for that, I hope, this company gets a position of choice. That will happen if Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani succeeds. I would be happy if our production company, Dreamz Unlimited, gets a position of choice like, say, Yash Chopra or the Barjatyas, maybe even 10 notches lower than them.

But, I assure you, I’ll make a better film next time, and a still better film after that.

Despite your busy schedules as an actor, what is it that prompted you to take the plunge into production?

– I’m not a very busy actor. I do only four films a year. And it has been so right from the day I started my career. I’ve had only 27 releases in my nine-year career so far.

This company and this film happened quite simply. I owe a lot to Aziz. I’ve stayed in his house for a whole year after my marriage. I’ve also been great friends with Juhi Chawla, with Salman, Chunkey… And they all have been nice to me when I was a nobody. So they weren’t expecting anything in return from me as I was a nobody then. I still remember how Juhi’s mother used to make a cake for my birthday. Then, a little later in my life, came Yash Chopra, Rajiv Mehra, Rakesh Roshan and Ratan Jain.

Coming back to how I became a producer, it happened just very casually. It all started when I was one day sitting with Ratan Jain. There was a friend of Ratan, who was not connected with the film industry at all. During the course of the conversation, he just mentioned that he wouldn’t mind investing his personal money in producing a film like Yes Boss, starring Juhi and myself and to be directed by Aziz Mirza, because he liked those kinds of films. That is the time I thought, we should start believing in ourselves. I thought, if an outsider can repose so much faith in us, why not we in ourselves. That is the time Aziz decided to start a production company and since he treats me and Juhi as his children and also because, as he said, he was going to earn money on our names, he asked us why we were not becoming his partners. And there we were, together on a mission to make a good, honest film.

The name of the company also simply happened. We were sitting with friends one day. Aziz said, the name had to be something to do with dreams because that’s what we were going to sell. We decided on Dreams itself. Aziz asked, “Dreams Ltd.?” I casually remarked, “Make that ‘Dreamz Unlimited’.” Sanjay Chhel, Raj Dahima, Manoj have all been friends. They all got down to writing a script. That’s how work started. We did reject the first story that emerged because we decided to make a little bigger film than originally planned. But, all the same, the process had started. Aziz, Juhi and myself decided to pool in Rs. 5 lakh each and open a bank account with that money. That was our idea of a company. Yash-ji and Jay then told us, if we were really serious, we should do proper documentation. The two of them set up the company for us formally. Friends like Karan, Manish and Aditya heard the story and gave their inputs. For instance, the title song is the work of Adi and Jatin Lalit, costumes have been taken care of by Karan and Manish.

Sony was wonderful enough to buy the music rights. Then Kishore Lulla was more than wonderful to buy the Overseas rights. Wonderful, not because they paid us a good price but because they gave us the confidence. Frankly, I had never thought that I would ever be a producer. Some day, I may have turned a director all right, but a producer? I hadn’t ever imagined that! Nonetheless, now that we have become producers, I’m glad about that. Maybe, we form a team of the best-looking producers, or, the only pin-up producers in the country! Jokes apart, there’s a lot of goodness in ourselves. The entire unit is quite like a family.

This company has so far quite been like my career. It has had the early success which I enjoyed. I sincerely hope, it also gets the fillip my career got. I’ve worked the hardest in my stint as a producer. We all have worked very hard. But Juhi and I had to also take care of our appearances because after the hard work, we had to face the camera for some other films. I did postpone Adi’s and David’s films for some months because of PBDHH. But the hard work notwithstanding, I’m ready for the next one.

You’ve dabbled into distribution in the past. But while you never got involved in the day-to-day business of distribution, what made you get into the thick of production activity?

– I turned a distributor with Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa because nobody was buying the film. I had Rs. 4 lakh, and the film’s price for Bombay was 12, so Ratan Jain, Vijay Galani and myself brought in 4 each and formed a distribution company in the name of my wife, Gauri. We made money in that film, so we bought other films like Chaahat and Oh Darling Yeh Hai India. But just like in distribution, I didn’t dabble into day-to-day production too. I don’t understand accounts, what will I get in day-to-day production activity?

Whose decision was it to voluntarily reduce the price of your film for C.I. territory? Yours or Yash-ji’s?

– Very clearly, I’m not making this film for making money. If money-making was my aim, I could have done two ad films or shows and earned the same amount of money — probably, more — in just two or four days. Nor am I the highest paid actor, as is generally believed. My whole notion of films is very different. Money has never been so important for me. For me, if my film is beautiful, my price is worth 10 crores. Making money is incidental for me, believe me. Even as an actor, I’ve never been too money-minded. I only want to act in good films. I rarely discuss my price. I tell my producers to pay me a respectable amount commensurate with my standing and their recoveries. No producer can blame me of troubling him for money or even otherwise. My only aim, now that I have a house and all other comfortable things of life, is to earn enough money to be able to buy new equipments, besides the ones we bought for PBDHH, new technology and, some day, make a film of international standard in India. I dream of the day when Shekhar Kapur does not have to go to Hollywood to make his films, he can jolly well make them here. I don’t want to be blamed that I didn’t do enough for the industry which has made me whatever I am today. I’ve told my director-friends that they can use my equipments which are all very good.

I had decided, the price of PBDHH would be less than the price of any other Shah Rukh Khan starrer. I am not greedy. Yes, I wanted to ensure that we didn’t make a loss in the film. We definitely haven’t made a profit of several crores, as is the talk in the industry. After PBDHH, we will have a production office to call our own, the film’s negative, a good working team, the equipments, and, maybe, some respect. I now want to just release my film. By reducing the price, I wanted to tell my distributors that if they make money from our film, they should share the same with us. Beyond that, if Yash-ji has reduced the price, it must be because C.I. territory may be being perceived as not very good for the fun film which PBDHH is. In fact, the Bihar distributor, whom we were negotiating with, often complained that his territory was not good for my kind of films. I told Yash-ji not to negotiate the film with him if he wasn’t interested in releasing it, without any grudge. A person must buy my film only if he feels good about it, not otherwise. I understand that our company has got a great deal of advantage because of my star status. But I keep telling my partners, if you’ve benefitted due to my star image, you are also going to get a lot of brickbats because of the same. Here, let me tell you, PBDHH is not an out-and-out Shah Rukh Khan film.

As an actor, how good has your gut feeling been about the box-office fate of your films?

– I don’t normally comment about my own films. But my judgement of films is excellent, it is better than yours.

A while back, you said, you want to act in good films. How do you assess which is a good film?

– I’ll only be honest if I said, I have no sense of story, no sense of character. In my nine years here, I’ve realised that I have no sense of screenplay. So I work with good people. I have my set of people whom I am comfortable working with, who are honest about their work. One such honest person is David Dhawan. He doesn’t believe me when I say, I like his honesty as a filmmaker. After all, what is a film? It is selling of a dream. We have to tell lies to people, we have to sell them dreams.

Does that mean that besides the people you’ve worked with, there’s an entry barrier for the rest who may be desirous of working with you?

– Nothing of the sort. I’m working with Shashilal Nair, Mansoor Khan, Ahathian, David Dhawan and now, with Sanjay Leela Bhansali. I’ve never worked with any of them earlier. But I can’t do more than four films at a time.

There must have been occasions when things which excited you when you signed a film are not as exciting as the film is progressing. How do you cope with such cases?

– Films have never been “not as exciting” for me. I bring excitement on the sets. I’m an exciting actor, overrated, exaggerated. But I’m not an unexciting actor. I excite people. I never let hope be lost. If I feel that a film is going wrong somewhere, I do even better. In at least 10 of the 27 releases I’ve had so far, I knew that they were going wrong. But I’ve given my best to them. I don’t want to feel guilty that I didn’t give it my best shot and maybe, therefore, the film failed. I invariably hope that the star charisma may be able to pull a film through despite the wrong things. But I also know that this is the wrongest thing for an actor to believe — that he can pull a bad film through. However, I do it all the time. If my films have done well, it is not because of me. Dilip Kumar or Amitabh Bachchan could take such credit, not me. My films do well only because they are good, not because of me. Every actor should understand that he can never be greater than his film.

Considering what you’ve just said, isn’t it a paradox that stars are still paid many, many times more than the creators of the film, viz. the writers and the directors?

– This is the dichotomy of the film industry. You don’t have an art form in the industry, which ensures that a thing of art is appreciated even if it does not sell. At the end of the day, a good film is the one which is a hit film. Finally, the commercial aspect is so strong that one has got to market his film, to package his film. As soon as you are going to market a film, you have got to package it. And the packaging has got to be beautiful. Like beauty, stardom too is skin-deep. An Arnold Schwarzenegger will always be better paid than a James Cameron. There are, of course, some directors who also get paid handsomely, but then they are stars in their own right. A film is like any other commercial product, say, a soap. The quality of most of the bars of soap is more or less similar, all of them smell nice, yet people pay more for the one which is beautifully packaged. People get taken in by the marketing. Films are an art form which are sold after packaging, in this commercial world. Otherwise, a film could as well have been sold as starring Salim-Javed or Sanjay Chhel.

Are you insecure about your no. 1 position?

– I would have been if I lived in a shell or in an ivory tower. But I don’t go in a shell, I don’t live in an ivory tower. I’m surrounded by my work. In that respect, I’m quite like Dev (Anand) Saab. Besides, I know that whenever my slide downwards begins, it will take some time, I won’t just fall down from the top position in one day. I don’t spend sleepless nights, I don’t get tense. I sincerely believe that if you are working, it will work for you. Otherwise, you could be shattered. I feel scared when I imagine that people will not recognise me, there’ll be no smiles on the faces of people on the roads when they see me. But I know, that won’t happen because I’m working. There will be smiles always. I am not insecure enough to count the bouquets I receive on my birthday, I don’t assess my popularity by the number of magazine covers I am on, I don’t get worried if my song is on the seventh position on countdown charts.

What does the public expect of a Shah Rukh Khan film?

– I think, they expect openness, upfrontedness, honesty from my films. Honesty in my performance is also what they expect — honesty in that I don’t hold things back. Mahesh Bhatt once told me a lovely thing which I also think, Michael Caines said: ‘As soon as someone has bought a ticket to see your film, he has already treated you as a God, he has put you on a very very high pedestal. So you don’t have to remind him again that you are God. If you do so, he is never going to like you for it.’ I take care not to remind my audience that I am Shah Rukh Khan. The better thing to do is to hold a mirror for them and to tell them, ‘this is you’. If people have liked me in my films, it’s because I could kill like an ordinary man, I could slip on a banana peel, I could hide behind a girl to save my skin from a villain, I could do all that a common man could and would do. Honestly, I don’t mind doing anything on the screen. I believe that you can never be too good for the things you are best at.

People tell me, I’m popular because I am sexy, because of the dimples on my cheeks etc. etc., but I think, they are just labels given by people and the media. I am popular for all that I’ve done on the screen. That is why I’m never ashamed of what I’ve done in front of the camera, nor am I extra-proud of what I’ve done. The other day, a friend of mine was telling me, I should no longer do something I had done in my previous films. I fail to understand why I shouldn’t do it. People liked me for doing it and it is because of the things I’ve done that I am what I am today, then how can I stop doing exactly that? It would be cheating the public.

What lessons have production taught you, which acting did not?

– I’ve always been a producer’s actor. I’ve never overridden a producer. I’m a large-hearted man, I know, but I also realise how difficult it is to put that extra buck anywhere. I don’t, therefore, make fun of my producers. For this film of ours, I’ve spent crazily. I need a team like Juhi and Aziz to control me, which they have done. But yes, as a producer, I’ve realised that films should be made faster. It’s better that way. I promise, my next film will be made with even more large-heartedness.

Are the dreams of Dreamz Unlimited limited to making films or do they transcend other territory too?

– No. Aziz, Juhi and I want to make only films. If our first film goes right, we’ll make a still bigger film next time. If, God forbid, the first one goes wrong, we will make a small film. I also want to do something for theatre, maybe build a theatre.

Any millennium resolution for yourself?

– Yes, to start working out. I need to lose some weight. Really, I’ve got to start looking like a hero. Currently, I’m looking like a producer. I also need to spend a little more time with my family. I’ve learnt all my acting from children, I want to learn a lot more from my son, Aryan. Children are the only people who don’t know what’s right and what’s wrong. And yet, if a child actor can make you laugh or cry in a film, he must be the best actor. There’s no method to their acting, no calculation whatsoever. Children are so likeable. Maybe, children are my greatest fans because I learn my acting from kids. I recently asked Aryan to repeat the words, ‘Papa, I love you’, after me. He told me, “Papa, I love you,” but in the same breath, he continued, “See, butterfly, Papa,” pointing out to a butterfly. Isn’t that amazing? And we heroes and heroines take pauses before saying the words, “I love you” and after saying them. The way my son hugs me, there’s so much purity in that. I wish, I could hug my heroines the same way, with the same spontaneity, the exact purity. Kids are the most pure of the human species, they are the closest to God.

I hope, in the new millennium, I can get the rawness I had in Deewana. I know, I danced awkwardly in that film, my costumes were awful, my hairstyle wasn’t good, but still there was a likeable purity and rawness which made me acceptable to the world. I want to recapture all that.

If newcomers are not achieving the status of stars today, it is because they are so methodical. Their dress sense is impeccable, they learn dancing and become experts before their first films, they learn acting, action, their gait is well-rehearsed. All that is perfectly fine, but the audience also knows that these things can all be learnt. If they are to like you, they want to see something that’s typical to you. You must show that little difference, that little something that’s you and only you, it cannot be emulated. In the new millennium, I want to retain what I have, and to recapture and rebuild what I’ve lost. I want to return to my childhood. Yes, that’s my millennium resolution…

LATEST POSITION

JAANWAR has done well in U.P., Bihar, C.P. and C.I. (despite Ramzan) but is poor in major cities like Bombay, Delhi, Hyderabad etc.

Jaanwar 1st week Bombay 44,37,946 (59.19%) from 12 cinemas (8 on F.H.); Ahmedabad (6 days) 7,13,076 from 6 cinemas, Jamnagar 74,962; Solapur 2,85,267 from 2 cinemas; Delhi 40,78,058 (52.76%) from 12 cinemas (2 on F.H.); Lucknow 3,69,868, Agra 3,48,384, Allahabad 2,46,000, Bareilly (6 days) 1,56,712 (52.39%); Calcutta 22,28,230 from 13 cinemas; Nagpur 6,75,612 from 5 cinemas, Jabalpur (6 days) 1,59,454, Amravati (6 days) 1,93,197, Akola 1,54,450, Raipur (6 days) 1,86,621, Jalgaon (6 days) 2,23,933, Chandrapur 1,93,769, Yavatmal 1,18,748; Indore 3,20,670 from 2 cinemas (2 on F.H.), Bhopal 2,13,913 from 2 cinemas (1 unrecd.); Jaipur 7,61,264 from 3 cinemas, Bikaner (gross) 3,15,426; Hyderabad (gross) 20,18,310 from 10 cinemas, share about 8 lakh.

Dulhan Banoo Mein Teri 1st week Bombay (7 shows) 1,65,421 (60.63%); discontinued from Delhi after 1 day; Allahabad 16,500; Calcutta 28,163.

…………

Khoobsurat 5th week Bombay 12,64,908 (46.23%) from 6 cinemas (4 on F.H.); Ahmedabad (6 days) 2,71,008 from 3 cinemas; Solapur 71,705; Delhi 5,36,413 from 4 cinemas (1 on F.H.); Lucknow 97,252, Agra 38,612, 4th week Varanasi 46,048, 5th Allahabad 21,650; Nagpur 77,363, Amravati (6 days) 1,08,214, Akola 54,561, total 4,99,049, Raipur (6 days) 53,232, 2nd week Wardha 63,704, 3rd Yavatmal 31,434 (2nd 45,613); 5th week Indore 59,350, Bhopal 55,500; Jaipur 1,15,889.

Hum Saath-Saath Hain picks up even more fabulously in 8th week in East Punjab, Rajasthan and Nizam. Is very steady in U.P. and C.P. Berar. 8th week Bombay 8,84,186 (47.43%) from 3 cinemas (6 on F.H.); Ahmedabad (6 days) 1,70,334 from 2 cinemas (1 unrecd.), Baroda 1,54,660, Rajkot (14 shows) 73,816, Jamnagar (6 days) 34,445, Bhavnagar 63,198; Solapur 1,59,196; Hubli 98,600, Belgaun 91,971, 1st week Gadag 54,027, 4th week Bijapur 66,495, Nippani 34,542; 8th week Delhi 8,06,357 from 5 cinemas; Kanpur 1,37,566, Lucknow 3,25,366, Agra 1,52,290, Varanasi 1,24,077, Allahabad 1,02,936, Ghaziabad 78,760, Meerut 78,747, Bareilly 63,844 (7th 69,764), Dehradun 1,03,477, Jhansi 62,005, Gorakhpur 73,007, Aligarh 65,142, 4th week Hardwar 53,084, Moradabad 54,287, 1st Mirzapur 63,518; 8th week Amritsar 2,03,300 (7th 1,57,490), Ludhiana 2,97,895 (7th 2,46,049), Jalandhar 1,42,837 (7th 1,29,566), Faridabad 60,466, Chandigarh 1,11,135 (7th 90,432), Jammu (6 days) 74,440, 2nd week Ambala Cantt. 78,403 (1st 77,888), Ambala City (6 days) 35,070 (1st 39,649); 8th week Calcutta 5,25,885 from 5 cinemas; 5th week Guwahati (6 days) 48,541, 1st week Gangtok (Sikkim) 1,36,820; 8th week Nagpur 2,53,461, 5th Balaghat 63,051, 8th Jabalpur 2,97,253 (gross), Amravati 1,63,902, total 19,19,385, Akola 1,13,060, total 13,80,660, Dhule 55,638, Raipur (gross) 2,00,076, Bhilai 61,166, 6th week Durg 50,124, 8th Jalgaon 1,10,095, Bhusawal 85,553, Gondia 73,674, Wardha 35,341, Chandrapur 1,25,163, total 17,51,231, Yavatmal 61,212 (7th 68,018), Khandwa 1,07,166; Indore 1,37,507 (3 on F.H.); Jaipur 6,38,842 (7th 5,95,480), Jodhpur (gross) 3,64,423 (7th 3,08,587), Ajmer 1,05,888 (7th 83,546), Bikaner 99,223 (7th 79,159), Kota 1,24,880 (7th 99,567), Bhilwara 60,942 (7th 53,642); Hyderabad (gross) 6,78,197 from 2 cinemas, Aurangabad 1,51,677; Bangalore 1,94,442 (7th 1,71,393); Madras 1,83,459 (7th 1,50,797).

…………

ATTEMPT ON LIFE OF MANMOHAN SHETTY

Some unidentified assailants made an abortive bid on the life of Manmohan Shetty, owner of Adlabs, on 29th December. The lab owner was heading towards his office when the assailants tried to open fire. Manmohan Shetty escaped unhurt. Extortion seems to be the motive.

About a fortnight back, a Bombay distributor-exhibitor was also targeted by unknown assailants. The distributor-exhibitor escaped unhurt.

YUSUF LAKDAWALA’S ‘SOUND CITY’

Builder, hotelier, financier and studio-owner Yusuf Lakdawala is setting up yet another sound recording studio — Sound City — in the Empire Studio complex, for his son, Feroz, to look after. For the first time, Amek-Rembrandt Galileo console for recording and DSP Work-Station for dubbing and editing have been installed in Bombay in this state-of-the-art studio. Sound City, scheduled to start shortly, will provide complete post-production facilities.

YOU ASKED IT

Which was the first Hindi film to celebrate a jubilee?

– It was Prabhat Film Company’s AMRIT MANTHAN. It celebrated jubilee in 1934.

What would you wish for the film industry in the year 2000?

– That the first year of the new millennium (is it actually the first year of the new millennium or the last year of the old one?) proves to be a script-healthy year. Healthy scripts of films means a healthy industry.

What is your New Year resolution?

–I’ve resolved to see some great movies in the new year. See, I’m smart — I make a resolution, and filmmakers will have to ensure that I adhere to my resolution.

CENSOR NEWS

Maa Sherawali Productions’ Bulandi was given C.C. (in Madras) No. CIL/1/0569/99 (U) dt. 22-12-’99 ; length 4813.04 metres in 16 reels (with cuts).

Film Kraft’s Kaho Naa…Pyaar Hai was given C.C. No. CIL/2/46/99 (UA) dt. 29-12-’99; length 4730.75 metres in 16 reels (cuts: 9.29 metres).

Surjit Movies’ Shaheed Uddham Singh, applied on 28th and seen on 29th, has been issued C.C. No. CIL/2/47/99 (UA) dt. 31-12-’99; length 4705.10 metres in 17 reels (no cut).

REGIONAL FILMS

Mitali Films’ Jivtar (Gujarati) was given C.C. No. CIL/1/75/99 (U) dt. 27-12-’99; length 3830.45 metres in 14 reels (cuts: 0.35 metres).

Headline Films’ Maadi Jaya (Gujarati) was given C.C. No. CIL/1/76/99 (U) dt. 29-12-’99; length 4121.92 metres in 16 reels (cuts: 66.06 metres).

Ajey Madhav Jhankar’s Lekroo (Marathi) was given C.C. No. CIL/1/77/99 (U) dt. 29-12-’99; length 3669.19 metres in 15 reels (cuts: 5.76 metres).

Vaibhav Chitra’s Maherchi Pahuni (Marathi), applied on 27th and seen on 28th, has been issued C.C. No. CIL/1/78/99 (U) dt. 31-12-’99; length 4601.09 metres in 17 reels (some deletions in sound only).

FILM INFORMATION’S BESTS OF 1999

Best Film
Hum  Saath-Saath Hain

Best Producer
Kamal Kumar Barjatya
Rajkumar Barjatya
Ajit Kumar Barjatya
(Hum Saath-Saath Hain)

Best Director
Sooraj R. Barjatya
(Hum Saath-Saath Hain)

Best Actor
Aamir Khaan
(Sarfarosh)

Best Actress
Kajol
(Hum Aapke Dil Mein Rehte Hain)

Best Supporting Actor
Anil Kapoor
(Taal)

Best Supporting Actress
Sushmita Sen
(Biwi No. 1)

Best Villain
Naseeruddin Shah
(Sarfarosh)

Best Comedian
Johny Lever
(Hum Aapke Dil Mein Rehte Hain)

Best Story
Ahathian
(Sirf Tum)

Best Screenplay
Sooraj R. Barjatya
(Hum Saath-Saath Hain)

Best Dialogues
Hriday Lani & Pathik Vats
(Sarfarosh)

Best Music Director
A.R. Rahman
(Taal)

Best Lyrics
Anand Bakshi
(Taal)

Best Song
Taal Se Taal Mila
(Taal)

Best Playback Singer (Male)
Kay Kay
(Tadap Tadap – Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam)

Best Playback Singer (Female)
Kavita Krishnamoorthy
(Title Song – Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam)

Best Background Score
Sandeep Chowta
(Kaun)

Best Action Director
Tinnu Verma
(Kachche Dhaage)

Best Sound
Dilip Subramaniam
(Kaun)

Best Cinematographer
Anil Mehta
(Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam)

Best Choreographer
Vaibhavi Merchant & Sanjay Leela Bhansali
(Dholi Taro – Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam)

Best Editor
Jethu Mundul
(Sarfarosh)

Best Art Director
Nitin Desai
(Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam)

Best Climax
Sirf Tum

Best Scene
Tabu lending helping hand to Mohnish during their marriage
(Hum Saath-Saath Hain)

Best Male Newcomer
Aftab Shivdasani
(Mast)

Best Costumes
Neeta Lulla (for Aishwarya Rai)
(Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam)

Best New Director
John Mathew Matthan
(Sarfarosh)

Best New Music Director
Ismail Durbar
(Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam)

Best Upcoming Playback Singer
Sunidhi Chauhan
(Mast)

Best Promotion
Vashu Bhagnani
(Biwi No. 1)

Best Dubbed Film
The Mummy

CLASSIFICATION: 1999

(Total 154 films, including 42 dubbed films)

AAA (Super-Duper Hit)

–

AA (Super-Hit)

HUM SAATH-SAATH HAIN
(lesser in some circuits, and ‘AAA’ in some)

A1 (Hit)

–

A (Semi-Hit)

BIWI NO. 1 (‘A1’ in Bombay, and losing in Bengal)
HUM AAPKE DIL MEIN REHTE HAIN (‘AA’ in Bombay, and lesser in some circuits)
DAAG – THE FIRE

BB (Overflow)

SARFAROSH (‘AA’ in Bombay & ‘A’ in Delhi-U.P.and C.P. Berar)
SIRF TUM
THE MUMMY (dubbed, ‘AA’ in Andhra)
MUNNIBAI (‘A’ in West Bengal, Bihar & C.I.)

B1 to BB (Commission-Earner to Overflow)

HOGI PYAR KI JEET (‘A’ in West Bengal, ‘AAA’ in Bihar)
KACHCHE DHAAGE

B1 (Commission-Earner)

TAAL (‘A1’ in Overseas, ‘BB’ in few, and losing in few circuits)
HUM DIL DE CHUKE SANAM (‘AA’ in Bombay, ‘A’ in Overseas, and losing in several circuits)
HASEENA MAAN JAAYEGI (‘BB’ in a few circuits)
VAASTAV (‘A’ in Bombay, West Bengal and C.P. Berar, and losing in some circuits)
JAANBAAZ KHILADI (dubbed)
MAUT KA SAMUDRA (dubbed)

B to B1 (Coverage to Commission-Earner)

TEZ RAFTAAR (dubbed)
ARJUN PANDIT (losing in some circuits)
JAANWAR (‘A’ in Bihar, overflow in some circuits, and losing in some)

B (Coverage)

INTERNATIONAL KHILADI (‘B1’ in some circuits)
HINDUSTAN KI KASAM (‘BB’ in Bihar)
TITANIC (dubbed)

THE REST

…………….

Is The Film Industry Y2K OK?

It’s become a fashion to ask of Y2K compliance. Whether it is the airlines or the bank or even your own computers, you want to know whether Year 2000 will paralyse your life in any way or make it more difficult.

It is not just a fashion statement that we are making when we are thinking aloud about whether the film industry is Y2K compliant. Because the question — if it is or isn’t Y2K okay — is more serious than it may sound or appear to be today.

Are we really prepared for the Year 2000? Is the industry walking into the new millennium with its eyes wide open? The sixth sense tells a different story — that our eyes are wide shut! Need proof? Open your eyes wide and look at the fate of several of the films released in 1999. Analyze this: a number of big-budget films have bombed. Some among them did not even manage a decent initial. The blockbuster of the year, Hum Saath-Saath Hain, also did not do equally gratifying business in all the circuits.

On the one hand, film prices continued to rise in 1999. On the other, business deteriorated, generally speaking. The year 1999 did not boast of a single universal blockbuster. Time was when in 1977, there were not one or two but three mega hits — Amar Akbar Anthony, Dharam-Veer and Dulhan Wohi Jo Piya Man Bhaaye — in a single year. Time is in 1999 when there’s no film qualifying for the title of ‘universal blockbuster’.

What ails the film industry now? Lack of efforts and sincerity in one aspect — and might we add, the most important one at that — story writing. While filmmakers have woken up to the technological strides in cinema, the backbone of films — script — is being given the royal ignore. Another dangerous tendency among producers is to make films keeping the Overseas territory in mind. The films of such Overseas-conscious filmmakers are tops in style. While style is fine, it cannot be so at the cost of substance. And our makers would do well to remember that modernity and style may be ‘hot’ in the world market but substance can never go out of fashion. In fact, there’s no combination in a film deadlier than content and stylish presentation. So, we cannot hope to leapfrog into the new millennium without being S2A ready — story-to-appeal ready!

The audience the world over is becoming sharper and wiser by the day. Nothing short of excellent cinema will now do if one is to compete in the international as well as the national arena. Let us shed our complacency and usher in the new millennium by infusing dynamism in thoughts and action alike. Let’s now begin a NEW STORY!

3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment

Kaho Naa… ‘O Shit’ Twice!

Rakesh Roshan’s Kaho Naa…Pyaar Hai has made the CBFC raise its eyebrows over an ‘objectionable’ utterance and an ‘unholy’ act. That is, ‘objectionable’ and ‘unholy’ from the CBFC’s point of view. The objectionable part was Amisha Patel, the film’s heroine, uttering “Oh shit!” twice in one scene in the film. The CBFC relented almost immediately after Rakesh Roshan agreed to cut the part where Amisha says the s-word a second time. Obviously, ‘you can say (sh)it, but say (sh)it only once’, seems to be the CBFC diktat!

Incidentally, the CBFC also objected to another scene from Kaho Naa…Pyaar Hai, where the hero and heroine are doing an ‘unholy’ act. Guess what? They are drinking champagne! The scene was later okayed when the hero and heroine were shown touching their lips to the champagne bottle rather than drinking from it.

Curiously enough, the CBFC did not find distasteful or objectionable the wind-breaking scenes of Salman Khan and Neeraj Vora in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Hello Brother respectively.

How’s That For A Change?

Here’s one to make you rack your brains for a while.

Why does Waheeda Rehman wear only one saree in the entire Gaata rahe mera dil song of Guide? That is to say, why does she not have a change of costume during the entire song?

Think, think…
Simple — because Dev Anand sings to her:

O mere hamrahi
Meri baanh thame chalna
Badle duniya SAREE
Tum na badalna…

Therefore, no change of SAREE, you see!

MILLENNIUM MADNESS

☺☺ No Ground For Seriousness ☺☺

A film publicist of many years’ standing had been ‘cheated’ by a producer of his, who refused to pay him his remuneration. The publicist felt, he deserved the money for work done. But the producer believed, there was nothing owing to the publicist, from his side. In such an atmosphere, the publicist once came face-to-face with the producer at Natraj Studios. He seized the opportunity and asked the producer to pay him his dues. Agitated, the producer asked the publicist, “On what grounds are you asking me to pay you?” Without batting an eyelid, the publicist gave proof of his poor English when he shot back rather bodly, “On the grounds of Natraj Studios!”

☺☺ Hey Maa! ☺☺

The term ‘and above all’ in a film’s cast is reserved for some important character actor or actress. But what does one do when there are two ‘above alls’ — that is to say, when there are two really important character actors in a film? A production house had us in splits when its press release mentioned the entire cast, and reserved the last space for the two important actors. But can you imagine how they sought to point out that both were playing key roles? Here’s how:
…and above all, Amrish Puri, and below all, Hema Malini!!
Absolutely no comments under this over-the-top howler!

☺☺ Master Blaster ☺☺

A top producer-director had invited us to his residence one fine morning to listen to the music of his forthcoming film. The music cassettes were due to be released shortly. We reached his house and, after the usual pleasantries were exchanged, we settled down to listen to the songs. Just as the first song on the audio cassette began to play, out came running the producer-director’s four-year-old nephew. The little kid had his fingers stuck in both his ears. Clenching his teeth, he shouted, “Uncle, I told you, I can’t bear this music. Why don’t  you switch it off?” The producer-director went red in the face. Our faces were redder. The only saving grace was that the film’s music was indeed good and that the one commenting to the contrary was a little kid.

☺☺ Undeserved Compliment ☺☺

We have a system of summing up our reviews with the words, ‘On the whole’. Of course, sometimes, we do use some other phrase in place of ‘on the whole’. For one flop film, instead of the normal ‘on the whole’, we commenced the summing-up with the words, ‘All said’. The film was so terrible that anybody who saw it, ended up criticising and condemning it. Hearing all-round criticism for the film, one of our readers complimented us thus: “Kya kamaal ki judgement hai. Aapne likha, ‘all said’, aur dekhiye, all are saying that the film is a flop.”

That’s literal translation, wot?!?

☺☺ Mrs. Juhi Chawla Who? ☺☺

This laughing matter is courtesy a producer whose first film was a runaway hit and the second, a ‘walkaway’ flop. The third? He hasn’t made a film after his second! Anyway, coming back to the laughing matter. He was once referring to an invitation card that had been sent to Juhi Chawla’s mother. There was confusion in the group about whether the card had reached Juhi’s mother. This producer was confident, it had reached. To put all speculation to rest, he told the group, ‘Arre baba, card pahunch gaya hai. Mrs. Juhi Chawla se maine khud baat ki hai.”

“Mrs. Juhi Chawla?”, someone in the group asked.
“Arre haan bhai, Juhi Chawla ki mummy — Mrs. Juhi Chawla!”

☺☺ They Care Two Hoots… ☺☺

Have you heard this one?

There are some distributors who telephone the producers of films released by them, on the day of release and congratulate them thus: Mubarak ji, mubarak, film hit hai. Public bahut hooting kar rahi hai.” Hooting?!? Hit!?!Well, some people think that hooting is akin to applauding. They do not know that hooting is a negative appraisal for a film. 

The joke is, some of our producers also think that ‘hooting’ is a good word. Two hoots to the English language!

JAANWAR

Shree Krishna International’s Jaanwar (UA) is the story of a child who falls into wrong hands and grows up to be a ferocious criminal. He meets a girl, falls in love with her and is about to get married to her and begin life afresh, leaving his past behind like a bad dream. But his past will not leave him so easily. Not just that, by quirk of fate, a little child falls in his lap and his upbringing becomes the criminal’s responsibility. The child grows up with the criminal, and the two of them grow very fond of each other. In the process, the criminal turns over a new leaf. After seven years, the child’s parents learn of the child’s whereabouts and seek his custody from the criminal-turned-guardian. The latter refuses to part with the child for sentimental reasons and, therefore, law has to step in. Finally, the child’s love for the guardian prompts his parents to request the guardian to stay with the family for the sake of the child.

Inspired from Mere Lal, the film has a weak and slow first half which has songs coming in quick succession of one another. The drama begins after interval, and the emotions of the child make the appealing part of the second half. Although dialogues (K.K. Singh) are well-written, they are, at many places, too flowery for the mood of the film. The screenplay (Robin Bhatt) is dull and it has some flaws too. For one, the ferocity of the criminal (Akshay Kumar) doesn’t come across in the first half to justify the title, because he has been shown as a criminal with a golden heart. Secondly, the criminal’s refusal to hand over the child to his parents looks a bit contrived. Even more surprising is the pleading of the lawful parents before the criminal-turned-guardian to give them back their child! Also, the criminal’s partner (Ashutosh Rana), who would rather die in prison than reveal the whereabouts of his friend (Akshay) to the police, has a change of heart at the drop of a hat — he begins to thirst for Akshay’s blood after being released from jail.

Akshay Kumar does quite well. He looks handsome in the first half but his get-up after interval is not very pleasing to the eyes. Karisma Kapoor is effective in emotional scenes but she is missing in a major part of the second half. Shilpa Shetty also scores in emotional scenes, which is all she gets to do. Mohnish Bahl gets limited scope and is alright. Ashish Vidyarthi, as the inspector with a mission, is okay. Ashutosh Rana does not have a role to match his talent. Master Aditya Kapadia looks cute and does a fair job. Johny Lever is just about funny at a couple of places. Shakti Kapoor is so-so. Kader Khan and Jaspinder Narula, both in guest appearances, lend face value. Malay Chakravorty, Viju Khote, Huma Khan, Dinesh Hingoo, Dolly Bindra, Jeetu Verma, master Mohd. Shanu, master Manjyot Singh and the rest lend ordinary support.

Suneel Darshan’s direction is quite good. He shows a marked improvement over his previous film, Ajay. Anand Milind’s music is the best thing in the film. Songs are all very well-tuned and the pick of the lot are ‘Mere yaar dildar’, ‘Mere sapnon ke rajkumar’, ‘Tujhko na dekhoon toh’, ‘Kasam se’ and ‘Chhamak chham’. Song picturisations, however, definitely needed to be more eye-catching to do justice to the lovely tunes. Camerawork (Sameer Reddy) is reasonably good. Tinnu Verma’s action is fairly exciting. Editing is loose. Production and other technical values are alright.

On the whole, Jaanwar has appeal for the masses (action) and ladies (emotions) but nothing for the upper classes. It should do fair business where is has opened well as in Maharashtra, U.P., West Bengal, Bihar, C.P.C.I. Rajasthan, mainly in ‘B’ and ‘C’ class centres.

Released on 23-12-’99 at Metro and on 24-12-’99 at 19 other cinemas of Bombay thru Niraj International. Publicity: excellent. Opening: fair. …….Also released all over. Opening was very good in U.P., Bihar, C.P. and Rajasthan.

LATEST POSITION

The good opening of JAANWAR this week in many parts of the country has brought joy in the trade.

Dahek is a complete washout. 1st week Bombay 12,56,070 (21%) from 11 cinemas (5 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 2,97,465 from 5 cinemas; Solapur 78,948; Delhi  6,07,035 (19%) from 6 cinemas; Kanpur 98,028 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 62,878, Agra 98,000, Allahabad 60,360, Bareilly 34,918; Indore 32,864 (2 on F.H.), Bhopal 42,260.

………

Khoobsurat 4th week Bombay 19,49,893 (58.66%) from 7 cinemas (5 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 2,07,587 from 2 cinemas, Rajkot 78,000; Solapur 91,387; Delhi 6,56,064 from 3 cinemas; Kanpur 87,999 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 1,06,464, Agra 62,323, Allahabad 33,800, Dehradun 70,122; Calcutta 1,50,652; Nagpur 1,02,503, Jabalpur (6 days) 72,089, Amravati (6 days) 1,16,854, Raipur (6 days) 77,696, 3rd week Jalgaon (6 days) 77,515, 1st week Wardha 90,558, 2nd week Yavatmal 45,613 (1st 1,03,745); 4th week Indore 95,393, Bhopal 72,607; Jaipur 1,37,678; Hyderabad (gross) 3,34,810 from 3 cinemas (2 in noon).

Collections of Hum Saath-Saath Hain have improved in 7th week over those in the previous week/s in East Punjab mainly. 7th week Bombay 10,23,043 (40%) from 4 cinemas (9 on F.H.), 3rd week Bhayandar (gross) 70,794; 7th week Ahmedabad 2,38,690 from 2 cinemas, Baroda 1,81,051, Surat 1,93,400, 3rd week Kadi 65,300, 7th Rajkot (14 shows) 73,488, Jamnagar 58,118, Bhavnagar 66,003, Surendranagar 34,385; Nasik 1,33,500, Solapur 1,69,931, Sangli 64,400, Ahmednagar 91,200; Hubli 93,893, Belgaum 91,234, 3rd week Nippani 51,144, Bijapur (6 days) 62,537; 7th week Delhi 7,47,461 from 4 cinemas; Kanpur 1,24,807, Lucknow 2,70,931, Agra 1,70,000, Varanasi 1,26,286, Allahabad 1,01,590, Meerut 86,000, Bareilly 68,108, Jhansi 64,948, Dehradun 1,07,681, Moradabad 53,779, Gorakhpur 66,549, Aligarh 62,436, 3rd week Hardwar 65,000; 7th week Ludhiana 2,46,050, Jammu 79,550, Patiala 83,845; Calcutta 6,39,098 from 6 cinemas; Patna 2,33,050; 4th week Guwahati 77,362; 7th Bhubaneswar 48,402; Nagpur 3,65,677 from 2 cinemas, Jabalpur (gross) 2,87,107; Amravati 1,60,902, total 17,55,463, Akola 1,19,213, Dhule 73,615, Raipur 2,27,497, Bhilai 71,626, 5th week Durg 58,542, 7th week Jalgaon 1,26,922, Bhusawal 87,777, 4th week Balaghat 68,317, 7th week Gondia 72,255, Wardha 35,207, Chandrapur 1,36,350, total 16,26,068, Yavatmal 68,018, Khandwa 1,12,856, total 13,96,222; Indore 1,61,037 (3 on F.H.), Sehore 43,750; Jaipur 5,95,480, Jodhpur (gross) 2,95,000 (6th 3,54,000), Ajmer 83,546 (6th 78,238); Hyderabad (gross) 7,87,254 from 3 cinemas (1 in noon); Aurangabad 1,58,836; Bangalore 4,06,389 from 2 cinemas; Madras 1,50,797.

Titanic (dubbed) was adversely affected due to Ramzan. 1 week Delhi 6,48,422 (32.79%) from 3 cinemas.

Maa Baap Ne Bhulsho Nahin (Gujarati; TF) 1st week Ahmedabad 7,19,175 from 5 cinemas; Rajkot 1,47,000. Very good.

Dariya Chhoru (Gujarati; TF) 3rd week Ahmedabad 1,66,873 from 2 cinemas; 1st week Bombay 5,56,077 (40.02%) from 3 cinemas.

‘HS-SH’: PRINT POSITION

Until two weeks back (that is, before the commencement of Ramzan), 316 prints of HUM SAATH-SAATH HAIN were in circulation in India. In the Ramzan period, about 100 prints were withdrawn in the last two weeks. The number of prints will be increased from Jan. 7 and brought back to the pre-Ramzan level on 14th Jan. A total of 130 prints have been taken out for Overseas.

MADHURI DIXIT’S WEDDING RECEPTION A SELECT AFFAIR

The wedding reception of Madhuri Dixit and Dr. Shriram Nene on 18th December at The Club was a select affair. Besides family member, relatives and friends, a limited number of people from the industry were invited for the reception in Bombay. Madhuri and Shriram had got married in Los Angeles on 17th October.

The couple, who had a short honeymoon soon after their marriage, were off on a trip to many countries on 22nd December. Madhuri will return to India in the second week of January 2000.

The actress, whose Pukar and Gaja-Gamini are ready for release, will continue to act in films. In fact, inside reports have it that she has already signed two films of top directors. In one, she co-stars with three heroes and in the other, she pairs with another heroine and a hero.

‘Q’ OF BOND MOVIE DEAD

Desmond Llewelyn, who played the eccentric inventor, Q, in 17 James Bond films, including the latest, The World Is Not Enough, died on 20th December in a car crash in South England. He was returning to London from a promotional campaign for a book about life, which had been released at the premiere of his film, The World Is Not Enough. He was 85.

AJAY DEVGAN GRANTED PERMISSION TO SHOOT

A division bench of the Madras high court, on 23rd December, granted permission to Ajay Devgan to shoot his Raju Chacha on the set he had constructed in the Udhagamandalam (Ooty) reserve forests. The bench, comprising Justice R. Jayasimha Babu and Justice P. Sathasivam, quashed the order of the district forest officer rescinding an earlier order, granting permission for putting up a huge set in the area.

YOU ASKED IT

Is Mela a rehash of Caravan?

– It draws inspiration from CARAVAN and MERA GAON MERA DESH. But, obviously, director Dharmesh Darshan must’ve added his touches.

How come, nobody has thought of registering titles like Y2K, Millennium, Saal 2000, and the like?

– You never know, enthusiastic producers may register the titles you’ve suggested before you even know it!

Can one buy the Indian remaking rights of a foreign film screened at film festivals here?

– Of course, if the foreign film’s producer is willing to sell them. If not, our producers have the knack of remaking them even without their rights!

PRODUCTION NEWS

‘Badal’ On Feb. 11

Mixing of Aftab Music Industries’ Badal is in progress. Produced by Salim and directed by Raj Kanwar from his own story, the film stars Bobby Deol, Rani Mukerji, Ashutosh Rana, Mayuri Kango, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Ashish Vidyarthi, Johny Lever, Upasna Singh, Shahbaaz Khan, Neena Kulkarni and Amrish Puri. Music: Anu Malik. Lyrics: Sameer. Screenplay: Robin Bhatt and Sutanu Gupta. Dialogues: Santosh Saroj. The film is scheduled for release on Feb. 11.

‘Mission Kashmir’ 15-Day Spell

Writer-producer-director Vidhu Vinod Chopra started a fifteen-day shooting schedule of Vinod Chopra Productions’ Mission Kashmir on Dec. 13 on a set at Film City. Many scenes are being picturised featuring all the artistes. Starring Sanjay Dutt, Jackie Shroff, Hrithik Roshan, Preity Zinta and Sonali Kulkarni, the film has music by Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonca. All the songs have already been recorded.

MULTIPLEXES IN GUJARAT

Government Clarification Causes Panic

The clarification, issued by the Gujarat government, in recent press advertisements regarding the tax exemption policy for new entertainment complexes in the state has sent shock waves among those planning such complexes. Although it is only a clarificatory notice and reiterates the position that already existed, people planning multiplexes in the state are panicking because they had interpreted the government policy on entertainment complexes insofar as it related to calculation of entertainment tax, differently.

The clarification mentions that the policy does not envisage that entertainment tax has been waived off but rather that tax exemption has been granted for the period of 10 years or till the investment in the multiplex is recovered, whichever is earlier. The clarification further provides for the maintenance of a pass book wherein the entertainment tax relief per week will be deducted from the total investment.

Since it is a tax relief, it implies that the multiplexes can neither collect entertainment tax from the paying public nor pay the same to the government treasury. This would imply that the admission rates charged by such multiplexes are the nett rates, and the tax to be deducted in the pass book would be calculated on the said rates. Multiplex owners would, on the other hand, interpret the policy to suggest that their admission rates were gross and only a part of that comprised entertainment tax collected but not payable to the government. In such an interpretation, the tax which is to be deducted from the investment in the pass book would be much lower every week.

At places like Gandhinagar, where tax is permitted to be compounded, the difference in the interpretations may not give rise to a very big difference in the tax calculations. But in places where tax is not allowed to be compounded, the entertainment tax calculated under the two interpretations would be very different — almost there times more by governmental interpretation than by multiplex owners’ interpretation.

3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment

Y3K… Not Y2K!

With the new millennium around the corner, the most commonly used term this last month of the old millennium is ‘Y2K’. An intelligent producer, wishing to remain anonymous, quipped, “While the concern the world over is the Y2K problem in computers, our film industry has another serious problem. It is called ‘Y3K’! ‘Y3K’ stands for ‘Why 3 Khans?’ That is to say, why is the industry so driven by only the three Khans — Aamir, Salman and Shah Rukh?” The producer further wondered, “Today, if you announce a film with any of the three Khans, music companies would fall over one another to acquire the music rights at crazy prices. Ditto, the Overseas distributors. But if your film does not have any Khan, no music company would even care to see who is your music director or how good is your music. For them, the three Khans are akin to sone ki khaan. But they would do well to remember that all that glitters is not gold! So, why so much importance to the three Khans? Y3K?” Any solution to the Y3K problem, anyone?!?

Out-Of-Tune Rumours

Rumours are rumours but they can sometimes harm the subject of the rumours badly. As the rumours concerning the singing career of playback singer Shailendra Singh are harming him. There was baseless talk of Shailendra having given up singing recently, but the singer, who shot to fame with Bobby, clarified, “I am shocked, and totally unaware about how these rumours emanated.” Rishi Kapoor telephoned Shailendra recently and expressed surprise that the singer did not partake in the Raj Kapoor celebration organised by Sony abroad last month. It is Rishi who told Shailendra Singh that he had heard rumours about him quitting singing. Surprised at the false talk, Shailendra informed Rishi that he could not participate, much as he would have liked to, because Sony had never contacted him for the same. “I’ve not quit singing,” the singer informed Information and added, “I’m lending my voice to a lot of songs for television serials and am also scoring music in films and serials.” So there!

Daddy Cool

Hrithik Roshan was a hit in Delhi among the youngsters on 22nd December during the screening of the songs of his launch pad, dad Rakesh Roshan’s Kaho Naa…Pyaar Hai. A live show with Hrithik Roshan and Amisha Patel dancing to the film’s songs, was choreographed by the film’s choreographer, Farah Khan. The lead pair was cheered by the youth among the invitees. All the adulation that the pair got at the show made Rakesh Roshan feel cool enough to calculate the response his film would get.

A ‘Moving’ Performance

An ardent activist, she has always believed in raising a voice of protest against various ills and injustices.

Shabana Azmi on 22nd December raised her voice in the Rajya Sabha too, but in doing so, she was moved to tears following sharp exchanges between her and Shiv Sena member Sanjay Nirupam. Her objection to a statement against a minority community, made by the Sena member brought tears to her eyes as she rushed towards the chair of the House to lodge her protest. The chair later reprimanded the Sena member.

INFORMATION MEETS

“Today, I am completely focussed on my film career.”

– ANJAN SRIVASTAVA

The lovable Mr. Wagle from the tele-serial Wagle Ki Duniya, Anjan Srivastava, is down-to-earth in real life just like the character which he made immemorable on the small screen. Even today, years after the serial made its first appearance, he is unable to shake the image of Wagle off completely. “Yeh ek character ne mujhe itna pareshaan kiya hai ki bas, poochho mat,” he admits. On his part, he has constantly strived to do all kind of roles in order to prove his versatility, notable among which are his negative role in Boney Kapoor’s Santoshi-directed Pukar and another in NFDC’s Chhuti Kar Doonga, both unreleased films.

Information recently met this widely-respected film actor, television star and theatre stalwart over a chat. Excerpts:

Some good roles in the past year or so. How does it feel?

– Good, I guess. Both, Bandhan and Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha, were successes. Khoobsurat has just released while the releases of Pukar and Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani are around the corner. It is an exciting going right now. Yes, China Gate didn’t do too well, but I guess that happens sometimes….

Tell us more about your experience of working in CHINA GATE.

– If you were to describe China Gate in very simple terms, you can say that it was the fitoor (whim) of Rajkumar Santoshi. He realised that whenever one talks of the best films or the best actors, one invariably talks of Hollywood. It disturbed him that whenever we compare our films with those made in the West, we say, yes, they are the best films. Especially now, when filmmakers all over the world are looking to Eastern countries for subjects and actors. Sadly, the all too human tendency of not letting outsiders enter one’s own market is what prevents more Eastern talent from getting a break there.

Let me stray a little here. I remember working with Mira Nair in Mississippi Masala some years ago. She had to literally fight it out with her American colleagues in order to include Indian talent in the project. They used to often ask her why she insisted on casting Indian actors in the film. They went on arguing endlessly even after Mira explained to them that she needed Indian actors because her characters were Indian!

Coming back to the point I was making earlier, the Italian cameraman of Mississippi Masala used to often tell me how they had no fresh subjects in the West, especially woman-oriented ones. Given this, I quite appreciate Santoshi’s belief that Indian films had the necessary talent to compete in the world market. Of course, this talent had to be presented in a befitting manner. So, he took several good character actors and, regardless of their ages and looks, made them the heroes of his film. He made China Gate a commercial film with a twofold aim that it went down well with the audience here and yet, enabled us to show to the West that we had some of the best actors in India. All of us were very thrilled with Rajkumar Santoshi’s vision and the respect he gave us as actors. On my part, I thoroughly enjoyed working in China Gate and can say that this time, Raj gave full justice to my role — something he couldn’t do in Barsaat and Ghatak, where he was forced to chop down my roles as the films had become too lengthy. Raj also gave us actors the respect we deserved, treated us with a lot of maturity and made full payments to us, even when in doing so, he had to bear losses.

Why is it that even after leaving a mark in films like DAMINI and KABHI HAAN KABHI NAA, one doesn’t see you very often on screen? Is it because you are too selective or…

– …Actually, I have received a lot of appreciation for a number of roles that I have played before the ones you have mentioned. Even in my earlier films, be they Loha, Shahenshah, Main Azaad Hoon or K. Vishwanath’s Sangeet, my roles have been liked a great deal.

I have never had any qualms about acting in commercial set-ups. I have always accepted every role that has come my way. Of course, sometimes it so happens that I am offered a film, but can’t take it up — as it once happened with K. Bapaiah’s film — because I have already committed the dates required, to someone else.

Apart from that, one of the reasons I got fewer offers was the perception in the trade that I haven’t ‘struggled’ much, so to speak. Perhaps, that’s true. Another thing that may have gone against me is the fact that I couldn’t use the media to my advantage like other actors did to theirs. When I began to be appreciated in Damini, I couldn’t figure out how to use my new-found success to push my case forward. But, I guess, that is purely my fault.

Mr. Wagle’s is probably one of the most successful characters on Indian television. Comment.

– What can I say? I can only say that it was because of team effort. Everyone on the team worked very hard on the serial, and I have always believed that if every small person on a project gives his optimum inputs — like we did on Wagle Ki Duniya — then there is no way it will fail.

On the flip side, Wagle became a very strong image for me to break free from. I tried acting in a variety of roles, but the Wagle image continued to haunt me for some time. I even did negative roles in films like Yodha, Shahenshah, Ghar Jamai, Main Azaad Hoon and Ghulami just to shake off the image. In fact, only some time back, before Rajkumar Santoshi offered me Pukar, he told me that my character was developing into a negative one, and nobody seemed to want to accept me in such a role. But somehow, he decided on me eventually, and I am happy that both, the film and my character in it, have turned out very good.

And what else does the future hold in store for you?

– I am looking forward to doing films that — as you had mentioned earlier — I deserve. I had even said the same thing to Anil Pandit of NFDC during negotiations for the role of the Maharaja of Baroda in Babasaheb Ambedkar. I asked him why I should accept a film for Rs. 25,000 when I had, after years of hard work, succeeded in having my price hiked to Rs. 5,00,000 today. In spite of doing every film that the NFDC had offered me in the past, all I had been getting in return were lame excuses and very low remunerations, I argued. Finally, I said, “Aap log kab tak mujhe bewaqoof banaaoge?” Anil Pandit then told me that the NFDC was about to start a new film called Chhutti Kar Doonga, in which I would be given a role and remuneration suitable to my calibre. True to his word, Chhutti Kar Doonga, even though being directed by a new director, has given me ample scope for performance. What is so unique about the film is that it is made within the commercial format where even songs are picturised on me — one of them with my lip-synch! Needless to add, this is one release I am looking forward to at the moment. Besides Pukar and Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, both of which should release soon, there is ABCL’s Loveria, which is complete too and awaiting release. Presently, I have signed Dr. D. Rama Naidu’s Aaghaaz, apart from Rajkumar Santoshi’s next and Kundan Shah’s next. I have also done a guest appearance in Mansoor Khan’s Josh. I play a key role in Parto Ghosh’s Dil Ke Aas Paas.

Today, I am completely focussed on my film career. I  am trying not to repeat the mistakes that I have made earlier. Yes, I will continue doing theatre and television, but very selectively. Right now, I am aiming to win the National Award for the best actor in a film. I know, I can do it, but I am depending on the makers to give me roles that justify my capabilities.

– RAJ VAIDYA

Fortune Favours The Brave

We’ve often heard this one — fortune favours the brave. And just at the turn of the millennium, we’ve got proof that fortune, in fact, sides with the brave-hearted.

At a time when producers would shy away from releasing their films, producer-director Suneel Darshan dared to come with his Jaanwar. Ramzan has, for years, been considered a very dull period for the release of big and star-cast films as a lot of Muslims abstain from visiting cinemas during this month. But Suneel Darshan dared to be different. And look, what happened! Despite the dull period, the film opened to pretty impressive houses at most of the places. By Ramzan standards, the opening of Jaanwar can be described as lovely. At least as far as the initial goes, Suneel’s  gamble has paid off. What must have given Suneel confidence to release his film in Ramzan was the film’s hit music score which had grown in popularity over the last few weeks. Coupled with the melodious songs were the well-made promotional trailers of the film for theatrical screening and telecast on satellite channels. A word about the trailers — they gave the impression of what the film was and were in sync with the title. Of course, the Christmas holidays and the absence of release of a proper star-cast film since a couple of weeks also helped in ensuring a good start for the film.

One more brave producer who reaped the fortune of his bravado earlier this year was Vashu Bhagnani. He released his Biwi No. 1 right when World Cup cricket matches were being played with India as a participating team. Leave alone the World Cup, even other international cricket matches make produces and distributors jittery, but Vashu threw caution and tradition to the winds. His film, too, was backed by a brilliant publicity campaign. Despite the cricket, Biwi No. 1 bowled the industry over with its superb opening then.

Moral of the story: Don’t be scared of myths. If you have the courage and the conviction, you can well explode them.

– Komal Nahta

DAHEK

M.J. Films’ Dahek (UA) is the love story of a Muslim girl and a Hindu boy. The girl belongs to an orthodox family which does not approve of any member falling in love, least of all outside their religion. Much after they’ve met and fallen in love, the girl and the boy realise that they belong to different communities, a fact they had never deliberated upon because they weren’t aware of it in the first place. The girl’s family fixes her marriage with a boy of its choice, but her Hindu lover elopes with the girl from the marriage venue. All hell breaks loose in the girl’s house, and the news of the elopement spreads like wild fire. It is exploited by selfish people from both the communities for their personal gains. The family affair degenerates into a social, political and communal issue, giving rise to rioting, arson and bloodshed in the city! Some time later, the girl and the boy are arrested and handed over to their respective families. Unable to stay without each other, the two leave their homes to once again run away, but some unidentified people shoot them dead.

The film, which appears like a poor cousin of Mani Ratnam’s Bombay, has neither the passion and pain of a love story nor the histrionics of a volatile drama. The whole premise of communal riots breaking out due to an inter-religious marriage looks unbelievable in today’s times of liberal sentiments. Had communal tension been shown as already existing and the marriage only aggravating it further, it would have appeared more plausible. The point of the girl and boy realising, only after a series of meetings, that they belong to different religions, looks ridiculous. The romance between them lacks fire.

The film has taken too long in the making and release, and the delay shows everywhere. There are also several continuity jerks which are jarring, to say the least. The first half is terribly slow. The pace picks up a bit, only in the second half. The sermonising dialogues on religion get too much at times.

Akshaye Khanna does a good job, as usual. Sonali Bendre is alright. Danny Denzongpa is effective as Sonali’s uncle. Dalip Tahhil, playing Akshaye’s father, acts quite ably. K.K. Raina and Achla Sachdev impress. Anang Desai, Anjana Mumtaz, Achyut Potdar, Kanu Gill and the rest lend average support.

Lateef Binny’s direction is hardly any better than his incorrect story and screenplay (jointly written by K.K. Raina). Dialogues (Javed Siddiqi) are good at some places. Music (Aadesh Shrivastava) has melody. ‘Meri aankhon mein tum’ and ‘Saawan barse’ are very well-tuned. Song picturisations are ordinary. Camerawork is of standard. Production and other technical values are just about fair.

On the whole, Dahek is a non-starter with no chances of picking up.

Released on 17-12-’99 at Dreamland, Metro (matinee) and 14 other cinemas of Bombay thru Veekay Enterprises. Publicity: poor. Opening: dull. …….Also released in Delhi-U.P., East Punjab and C.I.

TABAAHI – THE DESTROYER

AMGF’s Tabaahi – The Destroyer (A) is a revenge drama of an utterly routine kind. Every scene is a clichéd one, and the screenplay is simply made up of contrived situations. It tells the story of a military commando who serves the nation but finds it tough to punish the enemies within the country. The commando’s brother, a police inspector, and his wife are killed by a don and his accomplices. When the commando comes to know who the culprits were, he tries to seek revenge. And, quite predictably, he eliminates the bad elements.

Mithun Chakraborty, as the commando, is miscast and his performance is lacklustre. Ayub Khan, as his younger brother, is poor. Indira does not have much scope. Divya Dutta is fair. Danish and Monisha are okay in a dance number. Mukesh Rishi is so-so. Tej Sapru and Girija Shankar are fair. The rest pass muster.

Direction (by debut-making Gopi Sapru) could have been better. Music is poor. Action scenes are tame. Cinematography and other technical aspects are ordinary. Production values are hardly noticeable.

On the whole, Tabaahi – The Destroyer is fated to prove its title true for the distributors, more so, due to its release during Ramzan. Total loss.

Released on 17-12-’99 at Super and 10 other cinemas of Bombay thru Friends Movies. Publicity: fair. Opening: poor. …….Also released all over.

BAHKE KADAM

Om Namah Shivay Films’ Bahke Kadam (A) is a sex-educational film. It preaches about the bad effects of sexy films, TV programmes and even cinema posters. A college-going boy and girl fall in love with each other. Another boy, the wayward son of a sincere education minister, loves the same girl, but when she rejects him, he tries to rape her. His frustration makes him land at a brothel, under the influence of an evil friend. The minister takes a proposal to the girl’s father for his son’s marriage with the girl when he learns that his son had tried to rape her. But the girl’s father turns down the proposal. The girl, in the meantime, is forced to marry her lover as she is carrying his child. Her younger sister, who is a teenager, feels the pangs of sex when she sees her sister and brother-in-law indulging in sex. She almost becomes sex-starved but the death of her sister at the time of childbirth makes her a psychic case — she is afraid of any man coming near her. Meanwhile, the minister’s son, who was sent out of town by his father, comes back after contracting AIDS. He wreaks vengeance by killing all those who, he thinks, were responsible for his miseries, including his evil friend and his beloved’s widower-husband. Ultimately, he is killed by his own father. A group of college students start campaigning against open sex in society and asking for the introduction of sex education in schools.

The drama is crude and provides enough titillation all through. The bad effect of early marriages has been told well. Other bad effects have a more sermonising effect and are less entertaining and dramatic. Dialogues are ordinary.

Robin Ghai is no hero material. Raashi is fair. Aman Sagar is dull. Vaarun Vaardaan is quite good. Pramod Moutho has done well. Shakti Kapoor looks and acts like a perfect brothel-keeper. Aryan, Amisha, Aruna Sangal, Abhay Bhargav and Suhas Khandke give average support. Guest Trishna’s dance is good.

Direction is fair. Music is ordinary. Photography and other technical aspects are below the mark.

On the whole, Bahke Kadam has titillation value for front-benchers.

Released on 17-12-’99 at Shalimar and 4 other cinemas of Bombay thru Rero Films. Publicity: fair. Opening: so-so. …….Also released in East Punjab.

MADHURI DIXIT’S WEDDING RECEPTION

A reception to celebrate the marriage of top heroine Madhuri Dixit with Shriram Nene will be held this evening (18th December) at The Club. The actress had got married to Shriram in the US on 17th October this year.

GULSHAN RAI BACK HOME

Producer and Bombay distributor Gulshan Rai, who was admitted to the Breach Candy Hospital, Bombay, some weeks back, following a paralytic stroke, was discharged recently.

CANADA INDIANS’ AWARD FOR GURDAS MAAN

The Indian community in Canada has honoured Gurdas Maan as the ‘Outstanding Punjabi Star of the Millennium’. The honour was bestowed on him in recognition of his dedication to promote Punjabi culture and language. Maan was given the award on his recent visit to Canada.

Incidentally, following the success of his film, Shadeed-E-Mohabbat, Maan will be launching his next, titled Zindagi Khubsoorat Hai, in the first week of January 2000.

MAHESH KOTHARE ATTENDS MHASAWAD YATRA

Mahesh Kothare, actor and producer-director of Dhangad Dhinga (Marathi), visited Mhasawad yatra in Satara district recently. The collections at cinemas screening Dhangad Dhinga received a boost on the main day of the yatra due to his presence.

ORDER ON LAST SHOWS IN BIJAPUR

The superintendent of police in Bijapur has ordered that the last shows in cinemas of Bijapur should conclude by 11.30 p.m. Hum Saath-Saath Hain is, therefore, being screened in daily three shows at Amir from 2nd week onwards (that is, from last week).

NEW SOUND SYSTEM INSTALLED

A 6-track digital sound system was installed at Prabha Cinema, Bareilly, on 28th November. The sound system was formally inaugurated by minister of state for petroleum & natural gas, Santosh Gangwar.

Nadeem Shravan To Score Music In Kuku Kohli’s Next

Kuku Kohli has signed Nadeem Shravan to score the music for his forthcoming film. The songs will be recorded in London where Nadeem is facing extradition proceedings for his alleged involvement in the Gulshan Kumar murder case. The film, to be produced by Aroona Irani, will star a new boy and a new girl. It will be shot in London and India. It is likely to roll in April 2000.

Kuku Kohli told Information, “The police officials will not create hurdles if we assign the music direction of the film to Nadeem Shravan. I have been assured of that.” Added the director, “When someone asked me who will be the stars in my film, I replied that the only stars I’ll have in the new film will be Nadeem Shravan. Nadeem has some really wonderful new tunes ready.”

PRODUCTION NEWS

‘Pukar’ On 4th February

Recording of background music of Boney Kapoor and S.K. Films Enterprises’ Pukar will be completed on Dec. 20. Final mixing will begin soon thereafter at Media Artist, Madras. Pre-mixing of dialogues and effects are already complete. The film will be submitted for censorship by 27th December. Produced by Surinder Kapoor, co-produced by Bharat Shah and written and directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, the film stars Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit, Namrata Shirodkar, Om Puri, Girish Karnad, Farida Jalal, Anjan Shrivastava, Shivaji Satam and Danny Denzongpa. Music is scored by A.R. Rahman.

The film is due for release on February 4 all over.

‘Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai’ Recording, Shooting

The seventh song of Boney Kapoor and S.K. Films Enterprises’ Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai was recorded on Dec. 16 and 17 at Sunny Super Sounds. Penned by Javed Akhtar, it was rendered by Udit Narayan and composed by Sanjeev Darshan. A 12-day shooting schedule will begin on Dec. 20 at Padmalaya Studios in Hyderabad. Anil Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai and Sonali Bendre will participate alongwith kids. The film is being directed by Satish Kaushik for producer Surinder Kapoor.

‘Aaghaaz’ First Shooting Spell Complete

The initial 15-day shooting schedule of Suresh Productions’ Aaghaaz (The Beginning) concluded on Dec. 13 on Bombay locales and at Kamal Amrohi Studios. A song and scenes were picturised on Sunil Shetty, Sushmita Sen, Namrata Shirodkar, Anupam Kher, Asha Sachdev, Sharat Saxena, Gulshan Grover, Johny Lever, Alok Nath, Padmini Kapila, Akshay Anand, Govind Namdev, Anjan Shrivastava, Mukesh Tiwari, Shraddha Nigam, Dina Pathak, Asrani, Viju Khote, Yunus Perwaiz, Rakesh Bedi, Rajesh Puri, Rajendra Mehra, Dinyar Tirandaz, Brij Gopal, Sanjay Swaraj, Shashi Kiran, Manoj Joshi, Ahsan Khan and Suresh Oberoi with Sharad Kapoor and Saadhika who make guest appearances. The film is being directed by Yogesh Ishwar for producer Dr. D. Rama Naidu from a screenplay by Nikhil Saini. Dialogues: Kamlesh Pandey. Cinematographer: Shyam K. Naidu. Music: Anu Malik. Lyrics: Sameer. Art: Sharmishtha Roy. Dances: Ganesh Acharya. Action: Abbas.

‘Tarkieb’ Complete

The entire shooting of Jay Movies’ Tarkieb has been completed in 60 days. The second and last shooting schedule was held in Bhopal and Pachmarhi from Nov. 21 to Dec. 10. Only one song now remains to be picturised. Produced by Jay Mehta and directed by Esmayeel Shroff, the film stars Nana Patekar, Tabu, Shilpa Shetty, Aditya Pancholi, Milind Soman, Raghuvir Yadav, Tiku Talsania, Akhilendra Mishra, Razzak Khan, Deepak Qazir and Ashutosh Rana. Written by Moin-ud-din, the film has music by Aadesh Shrivastava. Lyrics: Nida Fazli. Choreographers: Ahmed Khan and Lollipop. Cinematography: Mazhar Kamran. Action: Sham Kaushal. Audiography: Buta Singh. Art: Vimlesh Lal. The post-production work of the film has already begun. It is presented by Pranlal Mehta.

‘Hadh Kardi Aapne’ Complete

With the conclusion of the final shooting schedule on Dec. 14 at Hiranandani Complex and Nair bungalow, the entire shooting of R.R. Productions’ Hadh Kardi Aapne is now complete. Produced by Rajiv Anand and Rakesh Malhotra and directed by Manoj Agrawal, the film stars Govinda, Rani Mukerji, Nirmal Pandey, Ritu Shivpuri, Johny Lever, Tinnu Anand, Satish Kaushik, Avtar Gill, Navneet Nishan, Himani Shivpuri, Tanaaz Currim, Viju Khote and Paresh Rawal. Story-screenplay: Rajeev Kaul and Praful Parekh. Dialogues: Anwar Khan. Camera: Nirmal Jani. Action: Andalib Pathan. Dances: Ganesh and Chinni Prakash. Art: Leeladhar Sawant. Sound: Jagmohan Anand. Editing: Arun Shekhar. Lyrics: Anand Bakshi. Music: Anand Raaj Anand.

YOU ASKED IT

How much profit can a super-hit non-film audio album yield?

– Maybe, even more than a crore!

Some big producers appoint agents to scrutinise accounts of distributors. Isn’t this practice of keeping a hawk’s eye on distributors a ridiculous exercise?

– If some distributors don’t reveal true accounts, isn’t that ridiculous too?

How do you compare the business of Rajshri’s HS-SH with that of Rajshri’s HAHK..! and the previous blockbuster, KKHH?

– In Bombay, HS-SH will do about 40% of HAHK..! and 85% of KKHH. In Delhi-U.P., it will do 25% of HAHK..! and 60% of KKHH. In East Punjab, the respective percentages are again 25% and 60%. In West Bengal, it is 35% and 65% respectively. In Bihar, HS-SH will do 60% of HAHK..! and 120% of KKHH. In C.P. Berar, it will do 70% of HAHK..! and 135% of KKHH. In C.I., it will do 65% and 100% respectively. In Rajasthan, HS-SH will do 65% of HAHK..! and 120% of KKHH. In Nizam, it will do 90% of HAHK..! and 125% of KKHH. In Mysore, it will do 45% of HAHK..! and 80% of KKHH.

DO YOU KNOW?

* Puru Raaj Kumar will play a villain in Boney Kapoor’s HAMARA DIL AAPKE PAAS HAI. With Sanjay Kapoor set to play a negative role in Boney’s new film (to roll shortly), it seems that heroes are now wearing the masks of the bad men!

* Govindbhai Patel has a penchant for releasing his films on the auspicious Makar Sankranti day (Jan. 14). Like his several previous Gujarati hits, including DESH RE JOYA DADA PARDESH JOYA, LAJU LAKHAN, OONCHI MEDI NA OONCHA MOL, etc., his new film, GAAM MA PIYARYU NE GAAM MA SASARYU will also hit the screens on 14th January, next year.

* BINDHAST (Marathi) is being remade in Tamil by director Priyadarshan, with Tabu and Jyotika Sadanah in the main cast. The film is also being remade in Malayalam and Telugu (by other directors). It has already been dubbed in Hindi.

MIX MASALA

OF SONY, SUCCESS & CELEBRATION

Earlier this week, we received a wonderfully designed invitation card for a celebration party hosted by the mega television channel, Sony, at The Oberoi yesterday (17th December). The extremely classy invitation came in the form of a diary. Its cover, made of genuine leather, had ‘Mantras of Success’ embossed in golden. Inside, there were some of the most relevant quotations on ‘success’, by famous people. A few samples:

♦ Success is what you do with what you’ve got.

– Leroy Van Dyke

♦ If you don’t leap, you’ll never know what it’s like to fly.

– Guy Finley

The invitation sure creates an impact!

3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment

‘Raju Chacha’ And Dirty Politics

Ajay Devgan must be cursing the day he decided to put up a set for his Raju Chacha in Ooty in the Schoolbund area. After taking due permissions from the authorities, the producers began the set construction work which took three months to complete, besides a couple of crores of rupees. Set workers worked furiously not only in Ooty but also in Bombay to ready the set for the shooting. But as shooting was about to begin, actor-producer Ajay was told by the authorities that he would not be allowed to shoot there for environmental reasons. And this, after he had spent so much time and money for the set erection. Insiders reveal that the issue has assumed a political colour, with the opposition party trying to stall the shooting and a scared ruling party not wanting to antagonise the opposition. Consequently, it is poor Ajay who has been made the scapegoat. Anyway, Ajay succeeded in obtaining a stay order from the Madras high court, against the authorities’ refusal to let him shoot.

Phir Bhi Price Hai Hindustani…

No producer in today’s times would dream of doing what Shah Rukh Khan has done. At a time when it is the rule rather than the exception to hike film prices, the debut-making producer, Shah Rukh, has gone ahead and reduced the price of his film, Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, for C.I. circuit. It was felt by the actor-producer that the price for C.I. was a little on the higher side. If only more producers would think like Shah Rukh Khan does, the industry would be such a nicer place to be in.

BHOPAL EXPRESS

Highlight Films’ Bhopal Express is a human document on the Bhopal gas leak tragedy which killed 16,000 people and maimed over 5 lakh others in 1984. A newly married man, working as a supervisor in Union Carbide factory, unwillingly sends his wife to her parents’ village for a few days and goes to a kotha for entertainment along with his Muslim bachelor friend. The friend drives an autorickshaw for a living, having given up his job in the Union Carbide factory. The autorickshaw-driver tells one and all about the terrible working conditions in the factory and warns everyone about an impending tragedy. But nobody gives it any thought. While both the friends are enjoying at the kotha, gas starts leaking at the factory, thus killing thousands of people in the city. Both of them try to save as many people as possible, but the Muslim friend dies due to gas inhalation. The young man finds out that the management of the factory is sitting tight on this tragedy. The company’s board of directors discusses on how they can save their skin and pay as little compensation as possible by blaming the factory supervisor for the mishap.

The supervisor stops a train coming to Bhopal, but he misses the other train in which his wife is returning to the city. However, he is relieved to find her safe in the railway platform’s telephone booth in front of which a mother has died, leaving a little child wailing by her side. The couple adopts the child, naming him after their beloved Muslim friend.

The drama establishes the miserable conditions in the factory and also the apathy and negligence of the board of directors. In between are the love episodes of the young couple and the Muslim friend’s light talk and banter. The film turns into a tale of disaster mid-way. Dialogues are witty and the pedestrian ones, mouthed by the rickshaw-driver, are enjoyable.

Writer-director Mahesh Mathai has woven a screenplay which will be appreciated only by the intelligentsia. He has cleverly pieced together elements of love, friendship and mean-mindedness of a multinational company’s bosses in the backdrop of the gas tragedy. But the story, by its very nature, will give the viewer a feel of watching a documentary. Secondly, the Bhopal gas tragedy is too distant in time a mishap to evoke the kind of pathos and poignancy that were generated at that time. After all, public memory is, proverbially, short. And what is more, our audience will never accept a national calamity being relived on celluloid (remember, Kaala Patthar, a film on the Chasnala coal mine tragedy, which did not work even despite an impressive star-cast and a well worked-out script?).

Kay Kay, as the young supervisor, does an excellent job. He lives his role and is natural to the core. Nethra Raghuraman is also natural. As the Muslim friend, Naseeruddin Shah is extremely lively. His scenes at the kotha are simply superb. His performance, when he is shown in a drunken state, is incredibly good. Zeenat Aman is okay. Vijay Raaz is the best among the supporting cast.

The film’s background score enlivens the various moods. The songs have their own flavour, and in that genre, are good. Cinematography is slick. Technically, a very well-made film.

On the whole, Bhopal Express will evoke ecstatic expressions of appreciation for its technical excellence and content, only from a slender section of the audience (like a piece of modern art being appreciated only by the connoisseurs of art). At the ticket-counters, however, this Bhopal Express will not get a berth in the list of commercial successes.

Released on 10-12-’99 at Sterling (daily 2 shows) and Gossip of Bombay thru Shringar Films. Publicity: very good. Opening: fair (due to only two prints).

PROTEST STRIKE

The Calcutta distribution film trade is likely to down shutters for three days beginning 14th January, 2000. Distributors of West Bengal and the cinema representatives’ union have been at loggerheads for quite some time now, on the issue of “unjust demands” of duty (bhattas) made by the union, and other demands.

The closure is planned as a result of the tension between distributors and representatives. Efforts are on to avert the closure.

NATUBHAI SHAH NO MORE

Veteran film agent and producer Natubhai Shah breathed his last at Nanavati Hospital in Bombay on 9th December at 5 a.m. He was 76 and is survived by his wife, two sons, a daughter and grandchildren. He was cremated the same day. Besna was held on 10th evening.

Natubhai was leading a retired life since the last several years following a heart ailment and prolonged illness. Despite his retired status, he was among the first to contribute Rs. 10,000 to Film Information‘s Kargil issue brought out in August this year. He used to keep himself abreast of all film happenings till the end came. He was extremely close to the Information family and was, in fact, a pillar of support to your late editor-printer-publisher, Shri Ramraj Nahta, when he started the magazine 26 years ago. He continued to encourage the magazine till his last day.

Natubhai had served as the vice president and honorary treasurer of the Western India Film Producers’ Association (WIFPA) for many years. The office of the WIFPA remained closed for half a day on 9th. Several office-bearers of the WIFPA attended his funeral.

HOLLYWOOD ACTRESS MADELINE KAHN DEAD

Hollywood actress Madeline Kahn, famous for playing comedy roles in a number of films including Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles, died of ovarian cancer on 3rd December in a New York hospital. She was 57.

GANESH JAIN’S SON WEDS

Marriage of Sushil, son of Ganesh Jain of Venus Records & Tapes Ltd., with Sarika was solemnised this morning (11th December) in Bombay. A reception to celebrate the wedding will be held this evening at the RWITC, Mahalaxmi, Bombay.

WEDDING RECEPTION OF KEWAL KASHYAP’S SON

Reception to celebrate the wedding of Shresht, son of producer-director Kewal Kashyap, with Sonal will be held on 12th December at the CCI (East Stand), opposite Hotel Ritz, Bombay.

‘HS-SH’ PIRATED VIDEO CASSETTE SEIZED

An illegal video cassette of Hum Saath-Saath Hain was seized in a raid conducted by the Indore police this week. The raid was initiated by Govind Acharya of Rajshri Pictures Pvt. Ltd., Indore. One Sanjay Tomar was arrested.

DO YOU KNOW?

* So far, whenever a Hindi film hero has played double roles in a film, the roles have always been of either father-son or twin brothers. But Anil Kapoor plays dual roles of a different kind in T. Rama Rao’s BULANDI — of two brothers born several years apart! For the record, Harish plays the third brother in the film.

SAATH-SAATH INDEED!

* As many as 80 members of the Reshamwala family witnessed the 3 p.m. show of Rajshri’s HUM SAATH-SAATH HAIN on 5th December at Rajmahal cinema in Surat! Spread over five generations, the family consists of members with an age difference of 85 years between the oldest and the youngest. The Reshamwalas are also considered one of the largest HUFs (Hindu Undivided Families) in India. The cinema management had a special photograph of the entire family clicked in the cinema and plans to send a copy of the photograph to the Barjatyas.

HUM SUPER-DUPER HIT HAIN IN NIZAM

* The Rajshri people have scored in Nizam not just with their films but also with their novel release strategies. In the past, a total of seven films made under the Rajshri banner have celebrated silver jubilees in morning shows in Nizam and four, in regular shows. They’ve released HS-SH in two main cinemas in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. The film is breaking all earlier records despite the simultaneous release in two main cinemas. The 5th week’s collection at Tarakarama 70mm cinema of Hyderabad is a whopping 6,47,247/- and at Ramakrishna 35mm cinema of Hyderabad, it is Rs. 4,78,835/-!

* HS-SH has created all-time history at Jalna (Nizam) by yielding a share in 5 weeks, which is more than the 22 weeks’ share of HAHK..!. Like HS-SH, the earlier HAHK..! was also screened at Majestic Talkies. It must be mentioned here that Nizam distributor Ravi Machchar was, perhaps, the only person in the whole of Nizam trade, who was supremely confident of the stupendous success of HS-SH in Nizam. “This film will write new history,” he had said when the film was released and even as many in the trade predicted that it would bomb.

YOU ASKED IT

Why has Pukar been postponed to 4th February?

– A.R. Rahman has not completed the background score of the film as yet. Further, the film’s audio cassettes were released only recently, and Rahman’s music needs time to make an impact on the listeners. 

When the last date for submission of prints for National Awards is 15th June, why is the cut-off date for films eligible for the Awards kept at 31st December of the previous year and not, say, 30th April of the year in which the Awards are presented?

– National Awards are given for a calendar year. What you are implying is that there is a lot of time gap between the cut-off date (31st December of the previous year) and the last date for submission of prints (15th June of the next year). This can be shortened by announcing the Awards earlier and, therefore, keeping the last date for submission of prints much earlier, say, 15th March.

What is the sense of dragging a film to silver jubilee?

– Do you seriously think that there is sense in everything that happens in the industry?

CENSOR NEWS

Shree Krishna International’s Jaanwar was given C.C. No. CIL/2/43/99 (UA) dt. 3-12-’99; length 4544.27 metres in 17 reels (cuts: 133.79 metres).

Venus Records & Tapes’ Mela has been passed with UA certificate, with cuts.

REGIONAL FILMS

Kamla Cine Arts’ Koyaladi (Rajasthani) was given C.C. No. CIL/1/69/99 (U) dt. 7-12-’99; length 3563.43 metres in 14 reels (cuts: 30.77 metres).

R.B. Films’ Maa Baap Ne Bhulsho Nahi (Gujarati), seen on 7th, has been issued C.C. No. CIL/1/70/99 (U) dt. 10-12-’99; length 5484.09 metres in 19 reels (no cut).

Mitali Films’ Jivtar (Gujarati) has been passed with U certificate, with cuts.

Mukund Films’ Jai Salasar Hanuman (Rajasthani) was seen on 7th.

R. Shankar’s Kumugi (Tamil; dubbed; length 3439.07 metres in 15 reels), applied on 2nd and seen on 6th, has been passed for adults, with cuts.

G.N. Films’ (Keshod) Gaam Ma Piyaryu Ne Gaam Ma Sasaryu (Gujarati; length 4987.28 metres in 18 reels), applied on 3rd, was seen on 8th.

PRODUCTION NEWS

‘Refugee’ Complete

The last 15-day shooting schedule of J.P. Films’ Refugee was completed in Bhuj this week. Except for patch-work, the entire shooting is now complete. Produced and directed by J.P. Dutta, the film stars Abhishek Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Sunil Shetty, Anupam Kher, Reena Roy, Sudesh Berry, Punit Issar, Ashish Vidyarthi, Mukesh Tiwari, Shadab Khan, Vishwajit Pradhan, Arif Zakaria, Avtar Gill and Ghanshyam. Music: Anu Malik. Lyrics: Javed Akhtar. Dialogues: O.P. Dutta. Cinematographer: Bashir Ali. Action: Bhiku Verma. Dances: Saroj Khan. Editor: Deepak-Vilas.

PEOPLE
Are talking about

♦♦ The title song of Mela. The song, rendered by a record number of 12 singers and composed by Anu Malik, has been beautifully penned by Dev Kohli. The song has the merits to reach the top of the charts.

♦♦ The title track of Shah Rukh Khan’s Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani. Incidentally, the picturisation of the song in the film will be different from what’s currently on air on satellite channels. Anyway, the song’s catchy tune has caught the fancy of the listeners.

♦♦ The big deal of the week — Universal (Polygram) acquiring the music rights of three films presented by Bharat Shah, viz. Kamal Haasan’s Hey! Ram, Ram Gopal Varma’s Jungle, and Nazim Rizvi’s Chori Chori Chupke Chupke.

Are surprised about

♦♦ The announcement of a sequel to Sholay minus the name of the creator of the original Sholay — director Ramesh Sippy. Wonder, who will call the shots this time?

☺☺ When One’s English Went Berserk! ☺☺

When it comes to English, it can be truly hilarious, how someone who doesn’t understand English too well, can sometimes make a blunder in interpreting something. Like it happened once, several years ago.

Film Information had written a piece about CCCA president Santosh Singh Jain’s war of words with the then IMPPA chief, Ramraj Nahta. The story in our issue was titled: SANTOSH SINGH JAIN GOES BERSERK, LAUNCHES TIRADE AGAINST IMPPA’. Soon after the issue, containing the story, was out, a CCCA member from out of Bombay came to Bombay and visited Information office. He asked one staffer: “Kya Jain Sahab laut aayen?”

“Laut aayen? Kahan se?”, the staffer queried because, as far as the staffer knew, Santosh Singh Jain was very much in Bombay and had been in Bombay since several days.

Pat came the reply from the CCCA member who had presumably read only the title of the published story but not the entire story: “Nahin, aapki magazine mein likha tha na, ki Jain Sahab B-E-R-S-E-R-K gaye hain. Toh kya woh Berserk se laut aayen?

Wow! ‘Goes Berserk’ can mean ‘has gone to a place called Berserk’, wherever that is!!

☺☺ In Daddy’s Shoes ☺☺

This incident would seem unbelievable. But it’s as true as true can be.

We gad gone to a suburban studio, many years ago, to interview a veteran producer-director. Interview over, we left the filmmaker’s office but soon realised that we had forgotten to take a photograph of the producer-director. We trotted back to the office but decided against disturbing the filmmaker since we only wanted a file picture of his. Our endeavour took us to the maker’s son who also used to attend office regularly. We told him about his dad’s interview and what had brought us to him. The son rummaged his drawer for his dad’s picture. He couldn’t find one but, perhaps, in a bid to not let us down, the over-enthusiastic son fished out his own photograph and very innocently asked us, “Will my picture do?”

We couldn’t believe our ears! A polite “no” from our side followed. We left the office and couldn’t stop laughing till we reached our office at Grant Road, from the suburban studio!

3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment

Tracking It Down

It never pays to change tracks where films are concerned. This is the conclusion one draws from some recent upsets caused by change of tracks. Some instances: Prakash Jha, who made a name for the kind of films he made, like Damul and Mrityudand, strayed from his track when he directed a love triangle, Dil Kya Kare. The box-office fate of Dil Kya Kare must’ve made Jha ask himself, ‘Film flop hui toh hum kya kare?”….. Govind Nihalani’s diversion into the commercial track led him to Thakshak which is a box-office chuck-out…. Indra Kumar, after having scored a hat-trick with family socials — Dil, Beta and Raja — fancied directing a soft romantic film like Mann. After the fate of Mann at the box-office, Indra Kumar must have now decided never to do any manmaani of this kind!…. Actor Rishi Kapoor ventured into direction with Aa Ab Laut Chalen, and he is back to acting (although he will direct more films too)….. Sunny Deol made his foray into direction with Dillagi which proved a disillusion….. Jackie Shroff nursed a desire to make a clean film, and he produced Grahan. Even after a couple of years of its completion, the film is yet to see release…… Art-smart Ketan Mehta made commercial films like Maya Memsaab and O Darling Yeh Hai India and is still smarting under their failures….. Going several years back, late Manmohan Desai, the lost-and-found film specialist, always said that he would never change tracks. He used to say, “When successful Hollywood filmmakers like Alfred Hitchcock and Steven Spielberg have never believed in changing tracks, why should I? But he backtracked from what he said and changed his track when he made an all-Muslim-characters film, Allah Rakha (directed by his son, Ketan Desai), and realised that it never pays to change tracks when you are sure of reaching your destination without switching tracks. So, before changing tracks mid-way, keep a track of the changes you will have to adapt to, otherwise, there are chances of derailment.

‘HS-SH’ On Satellite?!

Rumours were rife in the Bombay film trade this week that Hum Saath-Saath Hain would be telecast on a leading satellite channel on December 31. Those who heard the rumours, including the Barjatyas, dismissed them off as a figment of imagination of some mischief-monger.

Shringar & Sanjay Dutt

Bombay distributors Shringar Films have scored a hat-trick with Sanjay Dutt-starrers this year, with Daag – The Fire, Vaastav and Khoobsurat. All the three have done good business in Bombay. Khoobsurat is dull in almost every other circuit. Vaastav, too, is the best in Bombay circuit.

‘Doob’surat

Khoobsurat had a far-from-beautiful experience at Krishna cinema of Ratlam. Two shows (6 p.m. and 9 p.m.) of the film at the cinema on the last day of the second week (Thursday, 9th December) had to be cancelled because of nil audience! Sanman Films, the C.I. distributors of the film, had to release Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (repeat-run) on Friday at the cinema.

Wedding Bells & Starry Shows

The wedding bells at the grand marriage of Mulayam Singh Yadav’s daughter, Dimple, recently in Lucknow, made a national echo for its grand turnout. What made the event greater news all over the country was the presence of Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan, Raj Babbar, singers Saapna Mukherji and Nitin Mukesh. Amitabh, of course, stole the limelight when he sang and danced to the Mere angne mein tumhara kya kaam hai with Jaya Bachchan pleading not to be lifted during the interlude line, Jiski biwi chhoti... Amitabh was in his nostalgic elements when he regaled the invitees with Dekha na.. haai re socha na (from Bombay To Goa).

With one Yadav (Mulayam Singh) stealing the limelight, can the other Yadav (Laloo Prasad) be left behind? He, too, performed the marriage of his daughter, Misa, with great showmanship. Laloo Prasad sent his brother-in-law, Sadhu Yadav, to Bombay to personally invite Dilip Kumar, Mahesh Bhatt, Pooja Bhatt and Raj Babbar. And Mamta Kulkarni too!

Believe It Or Not…

This bit of information is rather hard to believe but, nevertheless, true…

A distributor had decided against buying Raja Hindustani because he did not fancy the Pardesi pardesi jaana nahin song — neither its music nor its picturisation! He instead went ahead and kicked the axe by acquiring Saawan Kumar’s Sanam Harjai for his territory!

How Intelligent Are Our Stars?

Is this a coincidence?

Most of the films produced and/or directed by stars or those produced by banners in which stars have stakes and released in 1999 have not made a mark at the box-office. Whether it was Rishi Kapoor’s Aa Ab Laut Chalen, Salman Khan’s Hello Brother, Ajay Devgan’s Dil Kya Kare or Sunny Deol’s Dillagi, the results of all these films at the cash counters have been far from satisfactory. Ajay Devgan’s Hindustan Ki Kasam, too, did not make the cash registers jingle although it was better than the other star productions.

Some of these films may have made money for the producers, but almost all distributors of films produced/directed by stars have cut a sorry picture this year.

On the one hand, we have stars insisting on story sittings before signing films of outside producers. So far, so good. But we also know how stars often interfere in the film’s making and insist on scenes being re-written. If the stars are so confident about their writing prowess or about their knowledge of what runs and what doesn’t, how is it that they fail in their own production/directorial ventures? Much more is at stake when the stars produce/direct films than when they only act in them. So the natural assumption is that more thought and effort goes into the films of which stars are producers/directors.

Of course, success and failure are unpredictable. Filmmaking, by its very nature, is a speculative business. But if films made by stars in 1999 fail at the box-office, it cannot be dismissed as a mere quirk of fate or a manifestation of the speculative nature of filmmaking.

There is more to this uncanny similarity. It exposes how much importance producers and directors unnecessarily give to our stars who claim to be know-alls, not just in the field of acting but also in the realms of writing and direction. But the fact, as indicated by the bombing of their films, is quite contrary to what the stars would like the industry to believe.

If our stars are so intelligent, films directed and/or produced by them should have been hits. But now that they’ve bombed, they (stars) should gracefully let directors and writers do their jobs. Creative inputs from them are always welcome. Stars’ involvement is necessary. But when involvement crosses limits and turns into interference, it’s time to remind the stars of Dillagi, Dil Kya Kare, Hello Brother, Aa Ab Laut Chalen…….

– Komal Nahta

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Dear Sir,

My letter pertains to that part of box-office collections, which appears every week in Film Information under the head ‘Latest Position’, generally on the 3rd or 4th editorial page.

Over the years, I have been interestingly observing the bold-lettered statement below it, which states (for more than ¾th of the year) that “It was a normal week BUT the collections were generally low.”

However, observing the present state of box-office collections, which, sadly, but usually, is the norm for a major part of the year, it would be apt if you worded the above statement as:

“It was a normal week AND the collections were generally low.”

In my opinion, this may highlight the abnormality of occasional successful collections.

Please construe my above letter in a sporting spirit.

Sincerely yours,
Amitabh Gupta
(An addicted reader)
Bombay

THAKSHAK

Udbhav’s Thakshak (A) is the story of a young man who is forced into the world of crime and who wishes to leave it when he falls in love with a girl who abhors crime and criminals of any sort. The man is the protector of a reckless grandson of a rich builder. The builder indulges in every unlawful activity under the sun to further his business interests. The grandson is several steps ahead of his grandpa. The young man’s father is a partner in the business of the builder and he (father) does not approve of his son’s desire to leave the world of crime. Despite a strong bonding between the young man and the grandson, the latter, in a fit of fury, kills the former’s father. When the man comes to know that his father’s killer is none other than the person whom he had been protecting all along, he is unable to control his emotions and ultimately kills him.

The film has an unbelievable story in the sense that the moral duty to protect a heartless villain (grandson) being bequeathed like a legacy from one generation to another looks implausible in today’s times. More so, because the young man’s role is played by Ajay Devgan who has a role subservient to that of the grandson played by a relative non-entity, Rahul Bose! The pace of the drama is so slow that the film bores to the core. The slackness also creeps in because of lengthy dialogues, slow camera movements and less use of background music at places.

The character of Ajay Devgan will not find much appreciation among the masses. Not only has he a secondary role to Rahul Bose but the concept of a villain’s ‘henchman’ (Ajay Devgan) doubling up as a confirmed romanticist will also be difficult to digest.

The issue of land-grabbing is played to death in the film. The second gang of builders makes a meek opposition. The screenplay lacks consistency. For instance: Ajay Devgan is shown as a very understanding man who, alongwith his mother, is aware that he and his father are living life dangerously. So much so that Ajay even decides to quit the underworld. But no sooner does his dad get killed than he throws all rationality to the winds and behaves as if he had expected his goonda-father to die a martyr’s death!

If the story is not too mass-appealing despite a violent drama, and the screenplay leaves a lot to be desired, dialogues are also too verbose and dull. Of course, some dialogues are good but they are few and far between.

Ajay Devgan does a fair job but his fans are bound to feel let down due to his incongruous characterisation. Tabu has her good moments but she is otherwise average. Amrish Puri is so-so. Rahul Bose has a pretty lengthy role, which is not in keeping with his low popularity. He, however, does fairly well. Govind Namdev acts ably. Nethra Raghuraman impresses only in dances. Vineet Kumar, Anupam Shyam and Ravi Patwardhan lend ordinary support. A.K. Hangal does well. Khalid Mohammed, as bad man Farooq, lacks the sting. The rest of the cast passes muster.

Director Govind Nihalani has tried to take a commercial subject but his narration often gives the film a very ‘arty’ look. The drama moves at such a slow pace that it irritates to the hilt. Nihalani’s cinematography is superb. Music (A.R. Rahman) is good but the only song which appeals in the film is the hit ‘Rang de’ number; it has a superb picturisation (on Tabu and dancers). A couple of other songs have also been well picturised but most of the songs come without situations and, therefore, lose their impact. At least two songs, including ‘Bheege bheege’, can safely be chopped off. Technically, of a high standard.

On the whole, dry and drab Thakshak has the excellent ‘Rang de’ song but, besides that, there’s precious little to entertain the viewer. It is neither a class film nor a mass film and will, therefore, be neither here nor there. Considering its dull opening almost everywhere, it will entail heavy losses to all concerned. The title is also too difficult too understand.

Released on 3-12-’99 at Minerva and 15 other cinemas of Bombay thru Devgan Entertainment & Software Ltd. Publicity & opening: very good. …….Also released all over except in C.I.

LATEST POSITION

It was a normal week but collections were generally low.

Khoobsurat is fair in Bombay, Maharashtra and Nizam but very poor elsewhere. 1st week Bombay 45,10,205 (86.01%) from 11 prints; Ahmedabad 11,56,960 from 4 cinemas, Rajkot 1,63,000, Jamnagar (matinee) 17,034 (1 cinema unrecd.); Solapur 1,69,880; Delhi 27,29,818 (52.27%) from 9 cinemas; Kanpur 2,27,645 from 2 cinemas, Varanasi 1,63,937, Allahabad 97,000, Bareilly 65,917; Calcutta 16,17,799 from 18 cinemas; Nagpur 7,24,564 from 4 cinemas, Jabalpur (6 days) 1,27,725, Akola 1,70,470, Raipur (6 days) 1,53,106, Bhilai 68,526; Indore 1,46,507 (3 cinemas on F.H.), Bhopal 2,68,407 from 2 cinemas; Jaipur 5,75,539 from 3 cinemas, Ajmer (gross) 2,02,197; Hyderabad (gross) 28,54,624 from 14 cinemas, share about 15 lakh.

…………

Dillagi drops miserably. 2nd week Bombay 22,18,023 (54.88%) from 9 cinemas (9 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 5,59,791 from 4 cinemas, Jamnagar 31,163; Solapur 62,980; Delhi 30,74,595 from 9 cinemas (4 on F.H.); Kanpur 1,29,702 from 2 cinemas, Varanasi 1,08,198, Allahabad 73,000, Bareilly (6 days) 47,062 (1st week 1,59,469), Hardwar 42,942; Calcutta 1,87,447 from 1 cinema (collections of other cinemas not disclosed); Nagpur 1,03,564 from 3 cinemas, Jabalpur (6 days) 53,378 (1st week 1,39,206), Akola 37,153, Raipur (6 days, gross) 71,730 (1st 2,30,463), Bhilai 19,461; Indore 89,000 (1 cinema on F.H.), Bhopal 43,961; Jaipur 2,35,944, Bikaner 1,35,640; Hyderabad (gross) 3,27,836 from 2 cinemas.

Hum Saath-Saath Hain drops at many places. 4th week Bombay 50,63,183 (54.73%) from 13 cinemas, Vasai (gross) 2,32,550, Virar 1,53,420; Ahmedabad 6,72,331 from 5 cinemas, Gandhinagar 8,65,486 from 2 cinemas, Baroda 1,53,080, Padra 1,26,786, Anand 1,59,995 from 2 cinemas, Surat 4,88,454 from 2 cinemas, Rajkot 1,68,408, Jamnagar 1,02,078, Morbi 81,408, Bhavnagar 87,586, Surendranagar 83,149; Pune 12,73,251 from 4 cinemas, Kolhapur 1,80,031, Ichalkaranji 1,42,710, Solapur 2,91,513, Ahmednagar 1,60,956, Malegaon 1,17,531, Satara 1,03,336, Sangli 1,34,884, Nasik 3,32,666 from 2 cinemas; Hubli 1,62,993, Belgaum 1,57,274; Delhi 18,34,909 from 6 cinemas; Kanpur 1,90,746, Lucknow 3,75,803, Agra 2,40,102, Aligarh 1,16,571, Varanasi 1,63,587, Allahabad 1,50,484, Meerut 1,24,443, Bareilly 91,859, Dehradun 1,11,214, Gorakhpur 1,03,605, Jhansi 1,04,798, Moradabad 1,12,462; Calcutta 14,95,210 from 11 cinemas; Patna 2,60,034; 1st week Guwahati 1,48 821; 4th week Nagpur 6,20,147 from 2 cinemas, Jabalpur 3,52,431, Amravati 2,50,372, Akola 1,82,819, Dhule 1,28,183, Raipur 2,98,093, Bhilai 1,03,520, Durg 86,142, Jalgaon 1,99,864, Bhusawal 1,44,320, Gondia 1,25,610, Wardha 75,382, 1st Balaghat 98,284; 4th Indore 1,81,906, Bhopal 1,07,498; Jaipur 6,40,285, Jodhpur 5,15,200 (gross), Ajmer 1,13,465, Bikaner 1,55,461, Kota 1,44,504, Bhilwara 83,432, Alwar 1,33,128; Hyderabad 14,98,041 from 3 cinemas; Aurangabad 2,58,448, Latur 1,64,407, Parbhani 1,31,980, Nanded 96,587, Jalna 76,570; Bangalore 6,77,997 from 3 cinemas; Madras 2,99,391.

Vaastav 7th week Bombay 14,59,958 (62.52%) from 5 cinemas (3 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 1,66,380 from 5 cinemas, Rajkot (shifting) 26,000; Solapur (mat.) 33,646; Kanpur 37,302, Varanasi (shifting) 1,08,687, Allahabad 62,000; Calcutta 85,500; Nagpur 75,791, 6 weeks’ share from Akola 3,53,340, 7th week’s collection 78,885, 4th Jalgaon 96,377, 1st day Wardha 27,884, city record; 7th week Hyderabad (gross) 90,482.

…………

HYDERABAD CINEMAS

Two of the main cinemas of Hyderabad — Santosh and Sapna — have been closed for good since last week. They are likely to give way to a commercial complex.

*        *        *

Shama Theatre, situated in the old city of Hyderabad, will be closed from 10th December for renovation. It will reopen on 7th January, 2000 with Mela.

‘HUM DIL DE CHUKE SANAM’ SILVER JUBILEE

Bhansali Productions’ Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam has entered combined silver jubilee week at Minerva (matinee) in Bombay. Produced and directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the film stars Salman Khan, Ajay Devgan and Aishwarya Rai, and has music by Ismail Durbar. It is presented by Jhamu Sughand.

GRAND WEDDING OF BRIJ MITTLE’S SON

The wedding reception of Devesh, grandson of D.S. Mittle and son of Brijbihari Mittle of D.S. Mittle & Sons, Bombay, with Payal at SNDT College Ground on 29th November was a grand affair. So was the pre-marriage cocktail-dinner function at the RWITC, Mahalaxmi on 27th. Both the functions were largely-attended affairs.

KAVI JUMANI TO WED

Overseas distributor Kavi Jumani, son of Ranchor Jumani of Worldwide Entertainment Group, Bombay, will wed Neelam on 10th December. A reception to celebrate the marriage will be held the same evening at The Regent, Bandra, Bombay.

YOU ASKED IT

When a film gets embroiled in controversy, does it help or mar the film’s box-office prospects?

– A controversy can help only if the film has intrinsic merits as in the case of Mani Ratnam’s BOMBAY, Shekhar Kapur’s BANDIT QUEEN, or Deepa Mehta’s FIRE. But if a film has no potential, no amount of controversy can help boost its prospects. Amrit Nahata’s KISSA KURSI KA, before release, was in a controversy of the magnitude no film has ever been in, but because it was a poor commercial fare, it bombed despite the controversy and free publicity. Controversies rarely mar a film’s prospects.

With Overseas bringing good money for our films, how about marking films in two versions — Hindi and English — for the Overseas market?

– Our English films would have to compete with Hollywood films as they would have to cater to the English-film audience. That would be a tough job. At present, Hindi films cater to the Hindi-film audience.

Can a mediocre film be remade into a successful/hit film after making changes in the script?

– Nothing like correcting a mediocre film’s — or, better still, flop film’s — deficiencies and, if the subject then turns out to be inspiring enough, nothing like remaking it into a hit.

SIGNED

Fardeen Khan Signed For Ram Gopal Varma’s ‘Jungle’

Producer-director Ram Gopal Varma has signed Fardeen Khan to play a leading role in his Jungle. He is currently participating in a month-long shooting schedule in a sanctuary in South India. Sunil Shetty and Urmila Matondkar are the other lead players.

REGIONAL FILMS

MARATHI

‘Bindhast’ Silver Jubilee

Producer Matchindra Chate’s Bindhast, directed by Chandrakant Kulkarni, entered silver jubilee week in matinee shows at Bombay’s Plaza and Milap (Kandivli) cinemas and in 16 other centres of Maharashtra on 3rd December. The film has been distributed by Deoyani Movies Pvt. Ltd. Its silver jubilee will be celebrated with functions at Plaza and Milap cinemas, Bombay on December 9.

DO YOU KNOW?

* HS-SH has created theatre records by collecting 2,00,188/- (nett) in 1st week, 2,21,323/- in 2nd week, and 1,31,901/- in 3rd week at Galaxy, Naroda, Ahmedabad. The weekly capacity of the cinema is 2,52,111/-.

MIX MASALA

MELA SINGERS KA

The title song of Mela — Mela dilon ka — which is fast gaining in popularity (music: Anu Malik), has a virtual mela of playback singers lending their voices to it. Believe it or not but in its two versions, the title song has 12 singers lending their vocal chords to embellish it. The singers are Alka Yagnik, Sonu Nigam, Udit Narayan, Shankar Mahadevan, Roop Kumar Rathod, Jaspinder Narula, Hema Sardesai, Nitin Mukesh, Sadhana Sargam, Abhijeet, Poonam and Anmol, besides chorus! Living up to the films’ title, wot?!

A Sequel To ‘Sholay’ In The New Millennium

G.P. Sippy on 30th November announced that Sippy Films would make a sequel to its all-time classic, Sholay. The film will roll next year, for which a national talent search will be launched. Besides newcomers, the cast may include some of the leading artistes of Sholay.

The announcement of the sequel was made at the party to celebrate 25 years of the making of Sholay, at President Hotel. G.P. Sippy and his grandsons, Sascha Sippy and Shaan Uttamsingh, took the gathering at the function down memory lane by presenting an audio-visual of the films produced by the banner. Dharmendra and Hema Malini made an entry together at the party. Hema’s was the most appropriate speech on the occasion. Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan could not attend due to a family engagement. Jagdeep, Viju Kote, Mac Mohan and Sachin were also present. Sanjeev Kumar, Amjad Khan, Jalal Agha, R.D. Burman, Kishore Kumar, cinematographer Dwarka Divecha, Keshto Mukherjee, Leela Mishra, Om Shivpuri, Iftekhar and associate producer Vijay Sippy, all of who were associated with Sholay, were remembered.

Ramesh Sippy, who directed the monumental hit, was conspicuous by his absence.

Sippy Films will undertake a nationwide talent search between January and March 2000 to scout artistes and technicians for the sequel to Sholay.

At the function, Sascha Sippy also announced the launch of G.P. Sippy Entertainment Group. The Group will comprise three separate enterprises viz. Sippy Films Pvt. Ltd., which will look after all the mega projects for the group; Generation 3 which will produce smaller-budget films; and a third company which will produce English films as well as TV serials.

Sippy Films’ other plans include commissioning 30 pieces of art on Sholay to leading Indian artistes. The works of art will be exhibited during Sholay World Tour which will kick off in September 2000. Sippy Films is also planning to recreate the Ramgarh village at the location near Bangalore, where Sholay was shot.

3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment

Panic Scene

Never have the panic buttons in the recent past been pressed so hard by exhibitors as now, thanks to the heart-breaking — and back-breaking — fate of Dillagi, poor appeal of Khoobsurat and an uninspiring initial response for Thakshak. One question that the shaky exhibitors ask themselves is: “What will happen to the trade, what with highly-expected films remaining highly unaccepted?!”

Films Make Stars…

“There are two kinds of artistes,” says Manoj Kumar. “Those who are a product of cinema and those who are a product of stardom.”

To drive home his point, Manoj Kumar narrated an interesting incident that took place nearly two decades ago. The incident, involving a top heroine of the time, a widely-respected thespian and Manoj Kumar himself, took place during a shooting schedule of Manoj’s film, to picturise a song. During the first two days of the schedule, shots involving the heroine were canned, for which she had to report early on the sets. From the third day onwards, Manoj Kumar decided to begin shooting in the morning with the thespian and himself. Upon learning that she would be required only later during the day, the heroine, on the evening of the second day, asked director Manoj Kumar whether she could report late for the shooting the following day. At this, Manoj Kumar drew her attention to the thespian, who was sitting quietly at a distance, and asked her if she knew who he was. “Of course, I know. He is …. (so-and-so),” the heroine named him. “You are wrong,” quipped Majoj Kumar and added, “Try again.” Puzzled, the heroine answered (thinking that Manoj Kumar was pulling her leg) that he was so-and-so’s husband. But, Manoj Kumar still insisted that she was wrong and that she try again. It was only after the heroine tried several times (with different descriptions of the same man) but failed to come up with the reply which satisfied Manoj Kumar that she realised that something was amiss. Finally, driven to her wits’ end, she asked Manoj Kumar who the man was. Manoj calmly replied, “He may be all of who you say he is, but, to me, he is a product of cinema. This man, who is probably the finest actor India has seen, has been reporting on the set on the dot even though he wasn’t required and yet, he didn’t complain even once. That is because he is a product of cinema and not a product of stardom like you are. You must realise that stars do not make films; rather, films make stars!”

A Wish Fulfilled For Naseer

Richard Attenborough had first considered Naseeruddin Shah to enact Mahatma Gandhi in Gandhi. Hoping to be cast in the role, Naseer had kept on going with Attenborough to various places until he (Naseer) realised that it was a futile exercise. Attenborough just wanted to give the impression to others in the unit that an Indian artiste was being considered (by him) for the role of Gandhi while, actually, Attenborough had already made up his mind to cast a foreign actor (Ben Kingsley) in the role. Naseer is still to get over the bitterness for not being finalised for the role of Gandhi in Attenborough’s film. But Naseer had a chance to satiate his desire to enact Gandhi on the stage a few years back. That was not all. Rather, it was the beginning. For, the actor was last year offered the role of Mahatma Gandhi in Hey! Ram, by Kamal Haasan. At first, Naseeruddin was averse to the idea of sitting before the mirror for five hours every day — that too, at-a-stretch — for donning the make-up for Gandhi’s character. But he soon got over his initial aversion. And when he did sign the film, he was pretty much impressed with Hollywood’s internationally-renowned make-up man, Ed French, who brought about a remarkable transformation in the actor’s look. On the days he was required for the shooting, Naseer would report on the sets at 4 in the morning and sit still till 9 a.m., being made up, before he faced the camera to enact the great man who Naseer had always looked upon “as a father figure”.

Urmila’S Sixer!

Urmila has hit a sixer of a different kind. The mast, khoobsurat heroine’s daud was such that she was run-out with all the six flop films released one after the other. Did you ask, kaun? Jaanam samjha karo! Six in a row, this is no dillagi!

Title Of The Week

Murde Ki Maut!

CITY PULSE PULSATES TO THE TAAL OF ‘TAAL’

A good film needs a good cinema. And if the two goods come together, the result can be too good! This was the message that came across loud and clear at the 100-day celebrations of Subhash Ghai’s Taal at the grand City Pulse cineplex in Gandhinagar (Gujarat).

Subhash Ghai lit the traditional lamp in the presence of City Pulse owner Ashok Purohit and the elite of the cities of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar on 21st November in the spacious foyer of the cineplex to mark the completion of 100 days of Taal. The lamp, which had plenty of wicks, was also lit by other guests present. After this, Ghai was led to the cinema screening Taal. Much to the joy of the audience, Subhash Ghai addressed them and thanked them for making Taal complete 100 days in Gandhinagar.

Praising City Pulse, Ghai remarked that a beautiful cinema like City Pulse “needed to be encouraged all the way”. It may be mentioned here that Subhash Ghai had visited Ashok Purohit’s multiplex when Taal had just been released there. He had loved the cinema very much and, therefore, when Purohit invited Ghai to visit it again on the occasion of 100 days of Taal, the latter consented immediately.

TO PARDES WITH A TICKET OF ‘TAAL’

Ashok Purohit has announced a lucky draw scheme which is running from the 100th day of Taal and will go on till the film completes 25 weeks at City Pulse. Counterfoils of all tickets sold from the 100th day to the silver jubilee week will be maintained by the cinema and one from among them will be picked up in a lottery. The lucky ticket-holder will be entitled to a free to and fro Dubai ticket, courtesy City Pulse. The audience has been asked to maintain counterfoils of their tickets of Taal as the lucky one would get to fly to pardes on presenting the counterfoil.

STARS ‘N’ SILVER JUBILEE

Ashok Purohit plans to have all the three lead artistes of Taal — Anil Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai and Akshaye Khanna — and, of course, Subhash Ghai present at City Pluse at the time of the lucky draw on the occasion of the film’s silver jubilee celebrations. Ghai, on his part, has consented to be present along with his stars.

For the 100 days’ celebrations, Purohit had a music troupe specially called from Jodhpur to entertain Ghai and a select gathering of the elite of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. The invitees included the finance minister of Gujarat. The presence of the glitterati was complemented by a glittering display of fireworks at midnight.

PULSE OF RAJASTHAN

For Subhash Ghai, it was a day of Rajasthani connections! Before he boarded the flight to Ahmedabad with yours truly (who hails from Jodhpur in Rajasthan), he was entertaining a Rajasthani friend in Bombay. At Ahmedabad airport, we were received by Ashok Purohit who also hails from Jodhpur. The music troupe was from Jodhpur. And the perfect hospitality of Purohit and his family was no less Jodhpuri…!

– Komal Nahta

KHOOBSURAT

Jhamu Sughand’s Khoobsurat is the story of a plain Jane who is so ordinary-looking that every boy to whom the girl’s family proposes marriage, rejects the girl. This makes the girl’s large joint family very tense and worried for her. In the meantime, a young good-for-nothing guy impersonates a distant relative of the girl’s family and comes to stay with them with the ulterior motive of robbing it of some lakhs of rupees. He wins the hearts of all the family members due to his feigned good-heartedness and even succeeds in turning the plain Jane into a sexy girl, much to the joy of the family members. His aim is to get a rich boy hooked on to the sexy lass in the hope that the girl’s wealthy in-laws would then indirectly meet his financial needs. But destiny has something else in store for the guy as well as the girl. Even while the girl is being groomed by the guy, she falls in love with him and ultimately gets married to him.

The film, designed as a comedy, is heavily inspired by Bawarchi. Even several characters are borrowed from the old film. As regards the girl’s marriage problem, the guy trying to reform her so that her would-be in-laws would come to his rescue, seems to be rather far-fetched. The romance between the girl and the guy has not been shown. While some comedy punches make one laugh for the wit and humour in the dialogues, several others fall flat. The first half is somewhat better but the second half is too lengthy and dull at many places. Even otherwise, many of the jokes are of the kind that will appeal to the city audience only.

Sanjay Dutt does reasonably well. But his fans will be disappointed to see him in a role that runs counter to his action image. Urmila Matondkar is fair. Om Puri gets a role that does not befit his stature. Ashok Saraf evokes laughter at places. Jatin Kanakia is very good and his always being at a loss for the right word entertains at times. Paresh Rawal is very effective and raises a lot of laughter with his popular jingle quotes. Himani Shivpuri impresses with her English words thrown in in Hindi dialogues. Supriya Sachin is alright. Farida Jalal is beginning to get type-cast. Anjan Shrivastava is so-so. Johny Lever could have been more fruitfully used. Dinesh Hingoo is good. Razzak Khan is hopelessly wasted. Master Vishal Solanki, baby Vritika, Heena Qureshi, Sophia Haque and the rest provide average support. The dog has been exploited quite well.

Sanjay Chhel scores in the field of dialogue-writing. Although his dialogues have a city flavour, they are quite original. His screenplay writing, however, leaves something to be desired. As a director, Sanjay Chhel makes a naive debut and needs to improve in the department of narration. Music (Jatin Lalit) is a plus point. ‘Ghoonghat mein chand hoga’ is a hit number. ‘Gash khake’, ‘Mera ek sapna hai’  and ‘Tum khoobsurat ho’ are the other appealing songs. Picturisations of songs are fairly eye-catching. Camerawork (Madhu Ambat) is good. Technically, alright. Action scenes are functional.

On the whole, Khoobsurat is a film for the gentry audience in select cities. It should do fair in Bombay, Maharashtra and South, but its prospects in other circuits are barely average and below.

Released on 26-11-’99 at Novelty and 15 other cinemas of Bombay by Friends India thru Shringar Films. Publicity: very good. Opening: good. …….Also released all over. Opening was dull/ordinary in most places.

LATEST POSITION

Last week’s release, DILLAGI, did not pick up at all, after a disastrous start.

Dillagi proves a major disaster; will entail untold losses to its distributors. 1st week Bombay 49,07,825 (73.92%) from 11 cinemas (8 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 13,65,104 from 4 cinemas, Jamnagar 95,502 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee); Pune 11,77,180 from 6 cinemas (1 in matinee), Solapur 1,74,310; Delhi 53,28,933 (81.46%) from 10 cinemas (4 on F.H.); Kanpur 3,07,618 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 3,93,706, Varanasi 2,38,495, Meerut (6 days) 2,38,318, Bareilly (6 days) 1,44,430, Hardwar 1,05,140; Calcutta 13,60,284 from 7 cinemas; Nagpur 5,74,614 from 5 cinemas, Jabalpur (6 days) 1,28,179, Amravati 1,88,260, Akola 1,31,276, Raipur (gross, 6 days) 2,15,809, Bhilai 58,980 from 2 cinemas (1 cinema discontinued after 4 days; 2nd cinema’s collection is for the first 5 days), Jalgaon (6 days) 1,52,506, Bilaspur 80,587 from 2 cinemas (1 cinema for 3 days); Indore 1,95,000 (4 on F.H.), Bhopal 1,00,430; Jaipur 9,74,861 from 4 cinemas, Bikaner 2,58,955; Hyderabad (gross) 35,13,730 from 19 cinemas; Vijayawada (gross) 2,16,353, dull in Overseas also.

…………

Jurm Ka Vinashak (dubbed) is doing very well in U.P. 1st week Allahabad was 78,623, Gorakhpur (4 days) 87,726, Agra 1,25,431, Kanpur 1,40,000 from 2 cinemas, Meerut (10 days) 1,25,000; 1 week Delhi 3,72,913 from 3 cinemas.

Hum Saath-Saath Hain, despite steep drop in matinee/noon shows, manages well in 3rd week due to the other shows. Drops further in Delhi-U.P. 3rd week Bombay 67,25,647 (70.57%) from 13 cinemas, Vasai (gross) 3,32,471, Panvel (gross) 1,67,449; Ahmedabad 23,83,110 from 8 cinemas, Baroda 4,80,497 from 2 cinemas, Padra 1,87,288, Bharuch 3,16,168, Valsad 2,96,554, Mehsana 2,05,562, Patan 1,12,104, Kalol 1,49,629, Palanpur 2,03,492, Bardoli 2,04,556, Ankleshwar 1,58,254, 2nd week Godhra 1,15,350, Dahod 1,36,802, 3rd week Rajkot 2,16,146, Bhavnagar 1,25,136 (2nd 1,29,047), Jamnagar 1,42,817, Surendranagar 1,05,779, Adipur 1,05,370, Morbi 94,431, Jetpur 75,560, Bhuj 96,726 (58.72%); Pune 18,59,403 from 6 cinemas, 3 weeks’ total at Barsi (gross) 3,62,239, 3rd week Kolhapur 2,28,283, Solapur 3,28,610, Nasik 4,91,979 from 2 cinemas, Ichalkaranji 1,65,598, Sangli 1,72,435, Ahmednagar 2,60,550 from 2 cinemas, Miraj 1,05,732, Islampur 1,67,124, Satara 1,48,306, Karad 85,020, Kopergaon 1,18,026, Shrirampur 1,36,213, 2nd week Baramati 83,207, Alibaug 1,29,700, 1st week Akluj 1,45,431; 3rd week Hubli 1,81,234, Belgaum 1,80,473; Delhi 35,36,443 from 10 cinemas (1 on F.H.); Kanpur 4,19,519 from 3 cinemas, Lucknow 6,17,819 from 2 cinemas, Agra 3,16,658, Varanasi 2,21,403, Allahabad 1,81,578, Ghaziabad 1,79,970, Meerut 1,84,186, Bareilly (6 days) 1,21,302, Dehradun 1,60,585, Gorakhpur 1,18,863, Aligarh 1,59,634; Ludhiana 3,24,486 (2nd 3,63,141, 1st 3,47,017), Jalandhar 3,16,358 (2nd 3,88,310, 1st 4,70,699), Jammu 1,16,093 (2nd 1,54,509, 1st 1,67,910), Chandigarh 2,91,197 from 2 cinemas (2nd 3,32,436, 1st 3,89,004), Faridabad 98,322 (2nd 1,13,253, 1st 1,56,603), Patiala 1,59,085 (2nd 1,82,400, 1st 2,24,145); Calcutta 16,88,102 from 14 cinemas; Patna 2,72,205 (2nd 2,70,952, 1st 2,81,000), Hajipur 62,212 (2nd 57,520, 1st 61,960); Nagpur 9,29,608 from 3 cinemas, Jabalpur 4,00,604, Amravati 2,85,660, total 9,56,190, Akola 2,11,753, total 6,64,106, Dhule 1,65,430, Raipur 3,39,259, Bhilai (5 days) 1,06,717, Jalgaon 2,31,910, Bhusawal 1,86,259, Gondia (gross) 1,54,451, total 4,78,945, Wardha 1,07,085, Chandrapur 2,53,908, total 9,04,759, Yavatmal 1,71,289, Khandwa 2,51,255, total 7,50,039; Indore 1,94,617 (3 on F.H.), Bhopal 1,41,766; Jaipur 6,44,765, Jodhpur (gross) 6,13,342, Ajmer 1,50,057, Bikaner 1,75,692, Kota 1,75,512, Bhilwara 1,15,027, 1st week Alwar (gross) 1,67,248; 3rd week Hyderabad (gross) 13,64,453 from 2 cinemas (1 on F.H.), Aurangabad (gross) 2,83,498, Jalna (gross) 98,228, Latur (gross) 1,84,269, Parbhani (gross) 1,32,658, Nanded (gross) 1,20,264; Bangalore 11,90,843 from 4 cinemas (collections affected due to heavy rains); Madras 3,57,945; Overseas:- UK 17 days’ gross UK pounds 371,690 from 25 screens (no. 13 in UK Top 15 for the Nov. 21 weekend), at no. 25 in US Top 50 for the Nov. 21 weekend, grossed US$ 1,592,291 in 17 days.

Shool 3rd week Bombay 13,56,251 (46.58%) from 6 cinemas (3 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 34,316 (1 unrecd.); Pune 3,43,003 from 5 cinemas (1 in matinee), Solapur 45,638; Delhi 4,58,368 from 3 cinemas (1 on F.H.); Kanpur 52,852 from 2 cinemas (1 cinema for 3 days), Lucknow 1,87,208, Varanasi 80,176, Bareilly (3 days) 11,200; 2nd week Nagpur 45,324, total 1,31,733, 3rd week Amravati (6 days) 24,981, Raipur (3 days) 40,990, 2nd week Bhilai (gross) 1,21,725; 3rd week Indore (4 days) 36,391, Bhopal 70,000; Hyderabad (gross) 1,79,947 from 2 cinemas.

Vaastav 6th week Bombay 21,98,032 (58.97%) from 8 cinemas (4 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 61,491 (1 unrecd.); Pune 4,26,182 from 3 cinemas (1 in matinee), Solapur (matinee) 40,490; 1st week Bijapur 1,50,000; 6th week Kanpur 1,02,608 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 64,868, Varanasi 89,702 from 2 cinemas, Allahabad 41,000; Calcutta 1,00,982; Nagpur 1,19,939 from 2 cinemas, Jabalpur (6 days) 29,345, total 3,86,605, Amravati 51,884, Akola 44,420, 3rd week Jalgaon 1,38,000 (2nd 1,84,285), 2nd week Chandrapur 87,003, total 2,63,036.

‘SIRF TUM’ SILVER JUBILEE

Boney Kapoor’s Sirf Tum is celebrating silver jubilee this week in Bombay, Patna and Hyderabad. Starring Sanjay Kapoor, Priya Gill and Sushmita Sen, the film is directed by Ahathian from his own story and screenplay. It has dialogues by Anees Bazmee, lyrics by Sameer, and music by Nadeem Shravan.

ILLEGAL SCREENING OF ‘HS-SH’ STOPPED

The Moghat Thana police on 20th November raided the premises of a cable operator at Khandwa (C.P.) and stopped an unauthorised cable telecast of Rajshri’s Hum Saath-Saath Hain. The police recovered a pirated VHS copy of the film and other video equipments from the cable operator, Rakesh, who was arrested on the spot for violating the Copyright Act, 1957.

RAMNORD WATCHMAN SHOT AT

In a shocking incident that occurred on 20th November, unidentified assailants fired at the watchman of Ramnord Laboratories at Jogeshwari, Bombay, in broad daylight. The watchman, who was shot in the abdomen, was rushed to a nearby hospital where his kidney had to be removed as a result of the bullet wound. It is believed that the assailants, who fled the scene, were sent to scare Girdharilal Seksaria, owner of Ramnord, into submitting to an extortion demand. Girdharilal himself wasn’t present in the laboratory when the incident took place. His two sons, however, were in the premises. Police investigations are in progress.

VIDEO PIRATES ARRESTED

Several unauthorised VCDs of various Hindi films were recovered by the social service branch (crime) of the Bombay police in two separate raids on VCD retailers in the city recently. The raids were conducted at the behest of the Feature Film Copyright, Bombay.

The police raided Junaid VCD shop at Musafirkhana, Bombay on 11th November and arrested one Junaid Israr Samsi following recovery of pirated VCDs of Mast, Taal, Mann, Arjun Pandit, Sarfarosh and other films from the shop.

The second raid was conducted on 19th November at Balaji VCD shop at Dharavi, Bombay, during which the police recovered illegal VCDs of Hum Saath-Saath Hain, Shool, Mast, Taal, Baadshah, etc. and arrested one Ramesh Sundaram Pillai.

‘ARJUN PANDIT’ 100 DAYS

N.R. Pachisia’s Arjun Pandit, starring Sunny Deol and Juhi Chawla, completed 100 days of its run today (27th November) in Bombay and other centres of India. Directed by Rahul Rawail, the film has music by Dilip Sen Sameer Sen.

WIFPA SUBMITS MEMORANDUM TO JAITLEY

A delegation of the Western India Film Producers’ Association, comprising Naresh Mohnot, Sangram Shirke, Prabhat Pandey, Sajid Ali, Dr. D.K. Sharma, O.L. Sharma and Ronu Mukerji, met I & B minister Arun Jaitley at Sahyadri guest house in Bombay on 19th November to discuss the industry’s problems, especially those of small-budget film producers. The delegation also submitted a memorandum to him.

The memorandum draws the minister’s attention to various difficulties faced by film producers and offers suggestions to solve them. It suggests several measures to eliminate the CBFC’s discriminatory attitude towards small-budget films. These are (a) appointment of eminent and knowledgeable people from the film trade on the CBFC; (b) amendment of the Cinematograph  Act to ensure that films are only certified and not mutilated; (c) easing of the CBFC guidelines; and (d) allowing producers to quote precedents before the examining and revising committees.

The WIFPA memorandum also suggests that the Cable TV Act, 1995 be suitably amended to make it mandatory for every cable operator to publish and publicise, in advance, the list of films that he intends to show from time to time. A harsher set of penalties for copyright violation has also been demanded.

The other demands of the WIFPA are (a) an increase in royalty paid by All India Radio to producers for Hindi and regional songs aired on AIR; and (b) abolition of entertainment tax.

The WIFPA has also urged the I & B minister to take up with the finance ministry the issues of (a) waiver of countervailing duty and reduction of customs duty on raw film stock imported into the country; and (b) bringing on par the customs duty structure on equipments and raw materials for film, TV and music industries with that for the information technology industry.

STARCITY CINEMA OPENS IN BOMBAY

Starcity, a state-of-the-art cinema at Matunga, Bombay, opened on 26th November with Hum Saath-Saath Hain. It is the first cinema in India built ground up with Lucasfilms’ THX technology and is installed with Dolby digital surround EX sound. The cinema stands on the plot where Badal-Bijlee cinemas once stood.

The 471-seater, with plush interiors, is centrally air-conditioned. The admission rates are Rs. 75 for 12 noon, 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. shows, and Rs. 90 for 9 p.m. shows. The weekly capacity is Rs. 6,40,854.20 (28 shows).

The cinema is controlled by Shringar Cinemas.

AIFPC’S PRE-BUDGET MEMORANDUM TO FINANCE MINISTER

In a pre-Budget memorandum addressed to Union finance minister Yeshwant Sinha, Pahlaj Nihalani, president of the All India Film Producers’ Council, has appealed for substantial reliefs for the film industry in the forthcoming Union Budget in view of the dwindling revenues and increasing taxes thrust on the film industry.

The following is the gist of the letter:

♦ Relief in income tax for revenue earned from export of films: In this regard, the AIFPC has asked for extension of section 80HHF of the Income-Tax Act to all categories of assessees in addition to just corporate bodies. AIFPC has also requested for either a suitable amendment in section 80HHC so as to enable the exporter to claim the said deduction under section 80HHC for all the years upto 31-3-’99 or for making the new section 80HHF  applicable retrospectively with effect from 1-4-’83 as has been done for the tea industry.

♦ Chapter 85.25 of Finance Bill 1997 (which exempted recorded audio and video cassettes from excise duty in the last Budget). The letter requests the FM (finance minister) to issue necessary directives to the officers of the Central Excise, stating that exemption is with retrospective effect, and the excise department should not harass the producers unnecessarily.

♦ It has been requested to completely abolish the unreasonable customs and countervailing duties on negative and positive raw films.

♦ The rates of customs duty on equipment and raw material for film, television and music industries be similar to the duty structure laid down for information and technology industry.

♦ An appeal for inclusion of film processing laboratories, recording and editing in the Projects Imports Regulations, 1986.

♦ Regarding entertainment tax, the AIFPC has demanded total abolition or uniform entertainment tax in all states to a minimum possible level.

NEED OF THE HOUR

SAVE THE DROWNING ORISSA DISTRIBUTORS

The havoc wrought by the cyclone in Orissa has adversely affected collections in cinemas in the state. Many cinemas on the coastal belt of Orissa have been badly damaged in the super-cyclone that ravaged the state on October 29 and 30.

Collections in the cinemas, which are functioning, have plummeted to 20-25% of the normal level. Producers, who are always generous when it comes to helping the flood or riot-affected in the country or when calamity strikes, would do well to come to the rescue of the Orissa distributors. A rebate in the price of films released after the floods and also of films due for release in the coming few months would be perfectly in order. In fact, that is the need of the hour.

‘DULHE RAJA’ TELECAST

ZEE TO GET INJUNCTION ORDER VACATED TODAY

Zee Telefilms Ltd. is likely to have the injunction order, passed by the Guwahati civil court junior division no. 4, vacated today (November 27). The said order restrains the telecast of Eastern Films’ Dulhe Raja on Zee Cinema tomorrow (28th). The ex parte injunction was granted by the civil court on 20th November in a writ  petition filed by the film’s Assam distributor, Subal Kumar Dey, against the producers (Eastern Films) and Zee Telefilms Ltd.

In the petition, Dey had claimed that the film’s satellite telecast was in violation of the terms of contract which his concern had entered into with the producer. The contract, claimed Dey, granted his concern exclusive distribution, exhibition and exploitation rights of the film in Assam territory for 10 years.

When contacted, producer-director Harmesh Malhotra told Information that the legal counsel of Zee had already filed an application for the vacation of the injunction order. He added that the court had heard Zee’s arguments on 26th November. Harmesh Malhotra expressed confidence that Zee would succeed in obtaining the vacation order today (27th) even though the court is closed on Saturday. The telecast would, in all probability, go as planned, he added. Terming the distributor’s court case “a ploy to extort money” out of him, Malhotra cited the case of the telecast of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai on Sony TV a few weeks back. Sony Entertainment Television had then succeeded in getting vacated a similar injunction order, passed by the Guwahati court, in a similar writ petition filed by the Assam distributor of KKHH, he added. The telecast of that film, too, had gone on as planned.

‘TAAL’ 100 DAYS

AN IKON FOR AN ICON!

The elite of Delhi from the worlds of fashion, drama, politics, music, media and the bureaucracy attended the 100 days’ celebrations of Subhash Ghai’s Taal on 23rd November at Hotel Hyatt Regency. Besides Ghai, who flew from Gandhinagar (Gujarat), where the 100 days of Taal at City Pulse was celebrated on 21st (read report next week), the lead artistes of the film, viz. Anil Kapoor, Akshaye Khanna and Aishwarya Rai as also cinematographer Kabir Lal were present in Delhi.

The same morning, Jacques Nasser, president of the Ford Motor Company, launched the Ford Ikon car in India by gifting the first car to Subhash Ghai in appreciation of him being the director of the last two decades.

YOU ASKED IT

Can you explain why Hum Saath-Saath Hain is not as strong in Delhi-U.P. and East Punjab as in the other circuits?

– Even the producers cannot fathom the reason for such a discrepancy. Do you have an explanation?

What are the reports of Deep Blue Sea?

– Those who’ve seen the film feel that its dubbed Hindi version, MAUT KA SAMUNDAR, will create waves.

What are the total collections of the first 3 weeks of Hum Saath-Saath Hain in India?

– Over Rs. 21 crore on about 284 prints.

IN & OUT OF BOMBAY

Producer Surendra Bohra and Gujarat exhibitor Nandu Bohra will return to Bombay from Jodhpur on 3rd December.

Mr. Dayanand Mandre of S.A.S. Movies, Bangalore, will be in town (98211-12063) from November 28 to 30.

Mr. Pramod K. Gupta of Rangbhumi and Intimate Relations, New Delhi, will be in Bombay at Hotel Seaside (620-0293/0696/0297; office phone no. 646-4055) from November 30 to December 4.

Mr. Naraindas Mukhija of Shree Navchitra Distributors P. Ltd., Jaipur, is expected in town (636-0106) next week.

DO YOU KNOW?

* Tarakarama and Ramakrishna 35mm cinemas of Hyderabad have decided to open separate counters for sale of tickets of HS-SH for senior citizens, such is the rush of old people for the film. The former cinema has printed attractive tickets on art paper! It has also started online booking for the film.

* Ramanand Sagar’s latest mythological TV serial, JAI GANGA MAIYA, has bagged the top spot among TV serials in India by achieving a high of 13.6 TRP within just 2 months of its telecast on DD1. The serial is currently telecast at 9.30 on Monday nights. Sagar’s previous serial, SHRI KRISHNA, had also created history by earning nearly Rs. 100 crore in advertising revenues for Doordarshan. Sagar’s biggest epic, however, remains RAMAYAN which is currently being telecast on Sony.

* Rajshri has decided to bring down the admission rates to the pre-HUM SAATH-SAATH HAIN level at most of the cinemas screening the film (HS-SH) in Bombay city and suburbs.

* While HS-SH is only in its 4th week, Baba Ramdeo, the controller of Kalpatru cinema, Jodhpur, is already on Cloud Nine! And he has reason to feel elated. His faith in HS-SH before its release, had made him spend not less than 15 lakh to give the cinema a grand new look, besides installing Dolby SR sound system. His faith has verily been vindicated by HS-SH (High Scoring-Scaling High film). The first week gross was 7,27,000/-, 2nd week too was 7,27,000/- and the 3rd week was 6,14,000/-. And what’s more, the collections of the first 3 shows of the 1st day of 4th week are equal to the collections of 4 shows of 3rd week’s last day. Baba Ramdeo is confident of the film scaling higher in 4th week.

* Producer Dr. D. Rama Naidu has earned a mention in the Guinness Book of World Records for having produced a record number of 101 feature films in various Indian languages including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Bengali. He is presently planning to produce at least one film each in the other Indian languages.

3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment

Matinee Fact

While the collections of Hum Saath-Saath Hain range from good to extraordinary in the 3, 6 and 9 p.m. shows, the film seems to be on the mat in the matinee shows (know as noon shows in circuits outside Bombay) all over. The collections recorded in matinee/noon shows are a dismal 15 to 20 per cent at many places. Such extreme variation has never been witnessed before in any film in the distant or immediate past. HS-SH is a ladies’ film and such films generally record dull collections in the 12 noon shows. But the difference in collections of matinee/noon shows and other shows of HS-SH is of a unique kind.

Doubly Tragic

One can’t but feel sorry for C.P. Berar and Rajasthan distributor Mohan Godha. He had Hum Tum Pe Marte Hain for C.P. Berar and Rajasthan. The film, as is well-known, proved a disaster. As if that was not enough, he acquired Dillagi, again for C.P. and Rajasthan, for an astronomical price. And the film met with a catastrophic end in the first week itself!

Costume Family Drama?!

In what category would you place Hum Saath-Saath Hain? In the category of family-social, of course. But this is surely the first family social in which big money has been spent on costumes. To cite an instance, just one suit worn by Saif Ali Khan has cost the producer half a lakh! Now, with so many costumes worn by so many stars and artistes in this film, the money spent on dresses can well be imagined. But, sadly, that doesn’t qualify the film to be placed under the category of ‘costume drama’. Shall we place it in a newly-coined category: Costume family drama?!? Incidentally, people living abroad have loved some of the costumes worn by the stars of HS-SH so much that they are asking their relatives and friends in India to have similar ones tailored for them (by the same costume designers) and sent to them!

Deols And ‘Dillagi’s

The title Dillagi has come to mean disillusionment for the Deols — for the second time. As far back as in 1978, producers Bikram Singh Dehal and Ajit Singh Deol had made Dillagi, which, needless to say, did not do well. History has repeated itself with Sunny Deol’s Dillagi.

DILLAGI

Vijayta Films’ Dillagi (UA) is a love triangle of the kind seen several times earlier. Two brothers, who are extremely fond of each other, fall in love with the same girl. Both of them don’t know about the other’s love for the girl. Actually, the younger brother himself is not aware that he has fallen in love with the girl who is his college mate and who loves him with all her heart.

The elder brother is a serious businessman and falls in love with the girl at first sight. The girl, unaware of this, falls in love with her college pal who happens to be the younger brother of the businessman. On his part, the younger brother is such a Casanova that the concept of love and marriage don’t exist in his scheme of things. He considers the girl as his close friend and that’s about all. The boys’ family takes a proposal of marriage (for the elder son) to the girl’s family but the girl refuses to give her consent as she is in love with her college pal. When, after this, she proposes marriage to the pal (who is the younger brother), she is in for an emotional shock as the boy scoffs at her seriousness. The elder brother enters her life again and she ultimately gets wooed by him. Till this stage, neither of the three players is aware that the two boys who are entangled in the love triangle are the two brothers themselves. All hell breaks loose when this comes to light. The climax is about how the tension is resolved.

Sutanu Gupta’s screenplay is ridiculous, to say the least. Characterisations are sketched so shabbily and childishly that it is a wonder how debut-making director Sunny Deol took up the project in the first place. The elder brother (Sunny Deol) is shown unnecessarily tense and uncomfortably reserved always, and the only two reasons that one can conjure up for that are that he has lost his mother when he was a child and he has worked hard to become a top businessman! On the other hand, the younger brother (Bobby Deol) is shown as a man of easy virtues and, therefore, his repentance in the climax looks like a farce. Also, why he has a change of heart (towards the girl) in the pre-climax is a mystery. His rude behaviour with the elders in his family also looks unwarranted. On her part, the girl (Urmila Matondkar) looks like she can flit from one boy to another at the drop of a hat. The Hindi cinema-going audience will not be able to identify with both, Bobby Deol and Urmila’s, characters.

The first half is pathetically poor, with the drama hardly making any movement. Songs come in too quick a succession of each other in the pre-interval portion. The drama is a bit enjoyable in the early part of the second half (when Sunny tries to woo Urmila) but drops thereafter. The climax is fairly good but too lengthy and, by then, the viewer has been bored enough to not find the climax appealing. The boredom, to some extent, also sets in because the viewer knows all the angles of the story whereas the three main characters are kept in the dark about one aspect or the other for far too long.

The emotions don’t quite touch the heart. Even the romance hardly creates any feelings for the characters. Dialogues are good at a couple of places. Comedy appeals but only sometimes.

Sunny Deol scores in the second half. But he looks old for the role of a lover boy. Bobby Deol is alright but suffers on account of a faulty characterisation. Urmila Matondkar looks pretty and does well in the routine scenes but needs to get her act — and dialogue delivery — right in emotional scenes. Zohra Sehgal delivers a lovely performance and is veritably cute as the boys’ grandmother. Dara Singh, Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Reema lend average support. Harish Patel, Vijay Kashyap and Sushmita Mukherjee irritate more than entertain with their comedy. Raj Zutshi, Deepshikha, Parvin Dabas, Amrik Randhawa, Surekha Sikri and the others are ordinary. Preity Zinta comes as a pleasant surprise in a special appearance at the fag end.

Sunny Deol’s direction relies more than it was necessary, on the tried and tested formula. His handling of some family scenes are good. But the narration leaves plenty to be desired, especially in romantic and dramatic scenes. His effort to show affection between the two brothers is overdone and even that has hardly any impact. He may have tried to give the film a youthful look, but even in such films, the soul is very important, and that’s woefully missing. Music is fair but the love story required a hit score. The title song, ‘Kya yeh sach hai’, ‘Yeh zameen hai’, ‘Raahon mein chhaayee’ and the ‘Kotha pa leya’ are the better songs. But there are so many songs and since not a single is a hit, at least two or three can and should be deleted. This, coupled with judicious re-editing of several scenes, will also take care of the length of the film and its terribly slow tempo. A total length of running time of 25 to 30 minutes needs to be chopped off. Song picturisations are quite similar to each other — the top-shot technique having been employed far too often. Camerawork (Manmohan Singh, Jeeva and Sameer Arya) is wonderful. Foreign locations are also brilliant. Production values are as grand as grand can be. Technically, very good. Action and thrilling scenes (Tinnu Verma) are pretty exciting.

On the whole, Dillagi is a dull fare and fails to make any impact on the viewer. It will entail heavy losses to its distributors, considering that it has not even opened to reasonably exciting houses.

Released on 19-11-’99 at Metro and 18 other cinemas of Bombay thru Nicks Investment P. Ltd. Publicity: excellent. Opening: fair. …….Also released all over. Opening was excellent in East Punjab and average in Delhi but dull in C.P.CI. Rajasthan, Nizam and several places in other circuits.

LATEST POSITION

DILLAGI has opened to shockingly dull houses in many parts of the country.

Jurm Ka Vinashak (dubbed) 1st week Allahabad (4 days) 15,700, Gorakhpur 50,000.

Titanic (dubbed) 10 days Akola 1,57,290, very good.

Hum Saath-Saath Hain has done extraordinary in 2nd week too in Gujarat, C.P. Berar and Nizam and is very good in Bombay, Maharashtra, Bihar, C.I. and Rajasthan. It has picked up at many stations of Gujarat and C.P. and some stations of other circuits. Matinee (12 noon) shows are being badly hit because it is a ladies’ film. However, due to high admission rates and extensive release strategy, the shares of the first 2 weeks are phenomenal — at places, unbelievable! The film faced a steep fall in Delhi-U.P. in 2nd week. All said, despite adverse talks in the trade, the film will ultimately turn out to be the fastest money-spinner of all times in many of the circuits. 2nd week Bombay 89,08,366 (80.68%) from 16 cinemas (8 on F.H.), Vasai (gross) 4,68,439, Virar (gross) 3,22,656, Panvel (gross) 2,62,286; Ahmedabad 38,47,286 from 9 cinemas, Baroda 6,45,726 from 2 cinemas, Vapi 5,67,962 from 2 cinemas, total 14,93,913, Surat 11,90,154 from 3 cinemas, Udhna 91,472, Padra 3,70,173, Navsari 1,31,720, Bharuch 4,66,913, Valsad 4,49,120, Rajkot 4,48,742 from 2 cinemas, Bhavnagar 2,58,720 from 2 cinemas, Morvi 1,61,119, Jamnagar 2,01,741, Surendranagar 1,75,324, Adipur 1,45,582 (89.72%), Jetpur 1,30,443, Bhuj 1,33,854 (81.61%), Mahuva 1,47,210; Pune 24,59,253 from 7 cinemas, Ahmednagar 3,63,142 from 2 cinemas, Kolhapur 4,19,153 from 2 cinemas, Solapur 3,52,532 (1st 3,39,779), Nasik 5,71,574 from 2 cinemas, Nasik Road 2,11,955, Barsi 1,41,942, Pandharpur 1,26,336, Ichalkaranji 2,42,090 from 2 cinemas, Satara 3,46,448 from 2 cinemas, Sangli 2,98,322 from 2 cinemas, Malegaon 1,92,907, Karad 1,00,672, Islampur 2,02,322; Hubli 2,98,081 (1st 3,47,165), Belgaum 2,50,665 (1st 2,54,758); Delhi 52,38,903 from 12 cinemas (1 on F.H.); Kanpur 5,12,556 from 3 cinemas, Lucknow 7,65,570 from 2 cinemas, Agra 4,29,879, Allahabad 2,15,996 (1st 1,97,000), Bareilly (6 days) 1,39,302, Gorakhpur 1,76,494; Calcutta 21,49,410 from 13 cinemas; Nagpur 11,63,825 from 3 cinemas, Jabalpur 4,60,576 (1st 4,82,528), Amravati 3,44,919 (1st 3,25,536), Akola 2,38,895 (1st 2,13,457), Dhule 1,81,487 (1st 1,70,333), Raipur (gross) 3,70,254 (1st 3,50,948), Jalgaon 2,80,909 (1st 2,46,937), Bhusawal 2,25,890 (1st 2,09,073), Gondia 1,77,569 (1st 1,46,935), Wardha 1,48,873 (1st 92,818), Chandrapur 3,44,124 (1st 3,06,727), Yavatmal 2,96,625 from 2 cinemas, Khandwa 2,62,843 (1st 2,43,725); Indore 2,26,748 (1st 2,08,694) (2 on F.H.), Bhopal 1,68,321 (1st 1,74,736); Jaipur 11,49,914 from 3 cinemas, Jodhpur 3,63,420 (nett), Ajmer (29 shows) 1,62,576, Bikaner 2,34,410; Hyderabad (gross) 23,98,874 from 5 cinemas, share 13,94,141, Aurangabad (gross) 6,59,331 from 2 cinemas; Bangalore 17,17,888 from 4 cinemas; Madras 4,13,492.

Shool 2nd week Bombay 24,64,677 (62.10%) from 8 cinemas (7 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 7,13,580 from 5 cinemas, Vapi 99,808, Rajkot (matinee) 10,500, Jamnagar 42,396; Pune 3,99,022 from 3 cinemas, Solapur 95,183 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee); Delhi 11,91,922 from 8 cinemas (2 on F.H.); Kanpur (3 days) 66,924 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 2,93,567, Varanasi 1,22,768, Allahabad (4 days) 88,373, Bareilly (3 days) 13,782, Gorakhpur 1,42,000 (1st 1,22,000), Deoria 35,000 (1st 45,000); Calcutta 4,48,185 from 3 cinemas; Nagpur 1,36,499, Jabalpur (4 days) 32,892, Amravati (3 days) 43,538, Akola (4 days) 29,480, Raipur (3 days) 45,380, 1st week Bhilai (gross) 2,63,010, Wardha 80,172; Indore (11 days) 3,11,408 from 2 cinemas (2 on F.H.); 2nd Jaipur 2,21,111 from 2 cinemas; Hyderabad (gross) 3,44,621 from 3 cinemas (1 in noon).

Gair is not good in ‘A’ class centres. 2nd week Bombay 13,66,310 (40.87%) from 9 cinemas (8 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 2,23,755 from 4 cinemas (1 unrecd.), 1st week Rajkot 1,10,000; 2nd week Pune 4,13,418 from 6 cinemas (2 in matinee), Solapur (5 days) 60,196 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee); 1st week Delhi 15,15,440 (25.76%) from 9 cinemas (2 on F.H.); 2nd week Kanpur 1,21,303 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 1,07,189, Varanasi 89,788, Allahabad 53,500, Gorakhpur 1,00,000 (1st 1,55,000); 1st week Calcutta 13,76,543 from 19 cinemas; Nagpur 2,89,942 from 4 cinemas, 2nd week Jabalpur (3 days) 11,504, 1st week Amravati (6 days) 1,02,876, 2nd Akola (4 days) 47,783, Raipur (gross, 3 days) 26,910, 1st Durg (11 days) 63,105; Indore (11 days) 75,000 (3 on F.H.), Bhopal 1,20,000; 2nd week Jaipur 1,89,983 from 2 cinemas.

Vaastav continues to score in Maharashtra. 5th week Bombay 27,44,798 (67.74%) from 9 cinemas (3 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 2,03,706 from 2 cinemas; Pune 5,75,480 from 3 cinemas (1 in matinee), Solapur 1,29,068; Kanpur 88,640 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 83,618, Varanasi 86,851, Allahabad 63,200, Gorakhpur 44,108, 2nd week Deoria 42,000 (1st 74,000); Calcutta 1,44,371; Nagpur 1,44,986 from 2 cinemas, Jabalpur 38,118, total 3,57,260, Amravati 75,797, Akola 60,115, Raipur (gross) 73,903, 2nd week Jalgaon 1,84,285 (1st 2,83,556); 5th week Indore 25,810; Hyderabad (gross) 2,88,633; 1st week Guntur (gross) 87,531.

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B.R. CHOPRA RECEIVES MAMI’S LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

The 2nd Festival of Films, Mumbai, organised by Mumbai Academy of Moving Images (MAMI), took a colourful start on 19th November at Rang Bhawan, Bombay, with the presentation of a lifetime achievement award to veteran film-maker B.R. Chopra and a cultural programme. Amitabh Bachchan introduced B.R. Chopra to the audience, and evergreen Dev Anand, the recipient of MAMI’s first lifetime achievement award (in 1997), presented the award to him amidst standing ovation from the audience. Chopra thanked the city of Bombay which not only gave him shelter after the Partition of the country but also the love and blessings which made him create meaningful cinema. A short film on B.R. Chopra’s life was screened before the award presentation. Inaugurating the festival, filmmaker M.T. Vasudevan Nair traced the role of Bombay in the development of cinema in India and said that filmmaking should try to enhance the standard of cinema. Presiding over the inaugural function, Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh assured full co-operation to the Bombay film industry and MAMI to make Bombay a top name in the world of cinema. Union I & B minister Arun Jaitley, who was the guest of honour, informed that he had met a number of industry leaders after joining the ministry recently and was aware of the cable piracy problem which was hurting the industry a lot. He said that in the coming months, serious discussions on the problem would be held and he assured that the government would make its utmost efforts to check it.

Deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, Chhagan Bhujbal, assured the industry that the government would take stem action against cable pirates and “the rules made to check piracy will be implemented sincerely”. MAMI’s director, Shyam Benegal, assured the audience that from this year onwards, the festival would be held every year.

The function started with a prayer dance by Archana Joglekar and her group and ended with a modern dance based on film songs, by Shiamak Davar and his troupe. Aishwarya Rai compered the show. Govind Swaroop proposed the vote of thanks. After the formal function, The Sixth Sense was screened.

The function was well-attended. Among the personalities present were Yash Chopra, Yash Johar, Subhash Ghai, Ramesh Sippy, Shakti Samanta, Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar and Manmohan Shetty (of Adlabs).

THE DAWN OF A NEW ROSHAN

The Club, Bombay, wore a festive look last Saturday (13th November) evening. It seemed like a meeting point for the leading lights of the Bombay film industry. The impressive turnout once again proved in ample measure the goodwill commanded by Rakesh Roshan among the industry’s big league.

The grand bash was hosted by Rakesh Roshan and HMV to release the music of Kaho Naa…Pyaar Hai. The occasion also served to introduce the film’s young lead pair, Hrithik Roshan and Amisha Patel. Everyone wished them great careers ahead.

All six songs of the film were screened and that further elevated everyone’s mood due to the ear-pleasing melodies and beautiful picturisation of the songs. Music director Rajesh Roshan acknowledged the compliments that came his way, with royal humility, just as he has been doing for the last 25 years. Unlike the others of his ilk, this music man does not believe in blowing his own trumpet!

Another shy but confident guy was Hrithik whose countenance gave an expression of a school student on the threshold of college life. Amisha Patel was all smiles.

Jeetendra and Rishi Kapoor, the most intimate buddies of Rakesh Roshan for the last many years, were summoned to unwrap the gigantic cassette packs. TV veejay Mini Mathur held everybody’s attention with her lively compering. HMV’s Harish Dayani also put up a good show during the cassette release.

Rakesh Roshan’s pa-in-law, J. Om Prakash, gave an emotion-charged speech and wished the unit and the lead pair the best of everything. “I would consider myself fortunate enough if I live to see the release of the first film of the third generation of the Roshans,” he concluded.

‘DILLAGI’ DELIVERIES DELAYED

The deliveries of Dillagi this week were not without problems and confusion. Shows in some cinemas across the country had to be cancelled due to late arrival of prints. At some places, Dolby prints reached instead of DTS and vice versa. The delivery of the Overseas distributor was effected late.

WOE! CALCUTTA
FEAR OVER THE CITY FILM TRADE

The distributors of Calcutta are under a siege with the cinema representatives’ union going on a rampage over the demand of duty (bhattas). Representatives are moving in groups numbering over fifty and go around distribution offices forcing them (distributors) to pay duty even when distributors have not appointed them or screened films on fixed hires! Hooliganism has become a way of life for these representatives. They have also resorted to goondaism of the worst order. The latest scenario:

– On 12th November, a lady partner in Swagat Chitram (distributors of Vaastav) was manhandled! The police refused to help, displaying gross lack of chivalry.

– On 13th November, the entire distribution trade of Calcutta downed shutters to register their protest against the high-handedness of the cine representatives.

– On 15th November, a crowd of cinema representatives, numbering about 200 stormed into a meeting of the EIMPA called to discuss the representatives’ harassment. The representatives, accompanied by local goondas, gheraoed EIMPA committee members. The police turned mere spectators and refused to mediate or take action.

– Last year, Arijit Dutta of Priya Cinema, Calcutta, was manhandled and his head was broken by irresponsible cine employees. The state government remained indifferent. Cinemas like Grace, Bina, Gem, Mini Gem of Calcutta have closed due to labour problems. In the Calcutta suburbs, Sangam, Alka, Kalyani, Mina, Banishree, Anita and a few more are closed. The West Bengal government is turning a blind eye to the unruly attitude of cine employees. They are all instigated by the politicians.

Things don’t seem to be under control. With labour turning violent and the police remaining silent, the cinema trade in Calcutta is living in a shadow of constant fear.

LARGE ATTENDANCE AT ‘DILLAGI’ PREMIERE

A premiere show of Dharmendra’s Dillagi was held on 18th November at Metro, Bombay. The film marks the directorial debut of Sunny Deol. It stars Sunny, Bobby Deol and Urmila Matondkar.

The premiere was followed by a party at The Taj. The premiere and the party were largely attended.

WEDDING BELLS FOR KAVITA KRISHNAMOORTHY

Playback singer Kavita Krishnamoorthy married violinist and music composer, L. Subramaniam, at a ceremony in Bangalore on 10th November. The two had met in February this year during the recording of a World Fusion album composed by him. The album will shortly be released internationally by a division of Warner Brothers.

This is Subramaniam’s second marriage. His first wife had died about five years ago, leaving behind three children.

RIKKU-REEMA’S 25TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

Producer and star-secretary Rikku (Rakesh Nath) and his writer-director wife, Reema Rakesh Nath, celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary with a warm party on 18th November at Hotel Sun-n-Sand. A number of industry people came to wish the Naths on the joyous occasion.

‘TAAL’ CELEBRATES 100 DAYS

Subhash Ghai’s Taal is celebrating 100 days of its run in regular shows in Bombay, Ahmedabad, Pune, Delhi, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Madras and other centres in India and abroad today (20th November).

Incidentally, Subhash Ghai will be honoured by Ford Motor company on the India launch of its new car, Ford Ikon, in New Delhi on 23rd November.

SHRAVAN SHROFF WEDS

Bombay distributor and exhibitor Shravan Shroff, son of Shyam Shroff and nephew of Balkrishna Shroff, got married to Sonali at a simple ceremony in Bombay on 16th November. The wedding and the reception, held the same evening, were attended by relatives and close friends.

RAMESH BHANDARI’S SON TO WED

Rahul, son of Ramesh Chand Bhandari of Rahul Film Distributors, Jaipur and nephew of Lakhpat Bhandari of Bhandari Film Exchange, Jaipur, will wed Mimansa on 23rd November in Jodhpur.

K.C. BOKADIA’S DAUGHTER WEDS

Sangeeta, daughter of producer-director K.C. Bokadia, got married to Abhishek on 19th November in Delhi. The wedding reception was held the same evening at Hotel Park Royale in New Delhi.

N.S. BHALLA’S SON, GURUDEV TO WED

Director Gurudev Bhalla, son of veteran film agent N.S. Bhalla, will get married to Sudha on 24th November in New Delhi at Intermark Vatika, D/17, Ansal Farm, Satbary. A reception to celebrate the wedding will be held on 29th November in Bombay at Army Officers Institute, near Ruia Park, Juhu.

RAMANAND SAGAR’S GRAND-DAUGHTER TO WED

Shabnam, daughter of Prem Sagar and grand-daughter of Ramanand Sagar, will get married to Puneesh on 23rd November. The wedding reception will be held the same evening at Hotel Sun-n-sand.

HC DIRECTS PLUS CHANNEL TO PAY RS. 4 CRORE

On a petition filed by Prasar Bharati, Justice A.P. Shah of Bombay High Court has directed Plus Channel India Limited to deposit Rs. 4 crore in two instalments with the court, failing which a winding-up petition would be admitted against the company. The directions were passed in October.

In its petition, Prasad Bharati had urged the High Court that Plus Channel be wound up since the company had failed to pay around Rs. 8.55 core it owed the agency for the programme Chitrahaar. Plus Channel owes Prasar Bharati around Rs. 22 crore.

According to the petition, Prasar Bharati had entered into an agreement with Plus Channel in 1997 for the production and marketing rights of 20 episodes of Chitrahaar to be beamed on Doordarshan-I. The minimum guarantee fee for each episode was to be Rs. 59.4 lakh while bank guarantee of Rs. 1,18,80,000 was to be given. This included the minimum fee for the first episode. The company was also to ensure that its advertising agency would pay all dues to the body within 45 days of the first month that followed the telecast of each episode.

However, Plus Channel’s advertising and marketing agency, Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Ltd. (AB Corp.), which had furnished the initial bank guarantee, had failed to pay the minimum guarantee fee and other amounts due, towards the 15 episodes eventually telecast between February 12 and June 11, 1997. According to the petition, Prasar Bharati had asked the company to pay its dues, but when it failed, it encashed the bank guarantee and directed the company to pay the rest of the amount it owed.

AB Corp. eventually claimed that since it was a sick company, Plus Channel had to make the payments. Doordarshan then withdrew the accreditation status granted to Plus Channel, and arbitration proceedings were initiated. The winding-up petition was filed when no payments were forthcoming even by June 1998.

In its defence, Plus channel pointed out that since arbitration proceedings were still underway, the petition should be dismissed. In an affidavit, it stated that the person under whom the earlier arbitration proceedings were to be carried out had been unable to proceed, and another person, Amit Mitra, had only recently consented to hear the proceedings.

Allowing for the arbitration proceedings to continue, Justice Shah, however, directed that the company deposit Rs. 4 crore in two instalments with the court — Rs. 2 crore by December 31, 1999, and another Rs. 2 crore by March 2000. If the company defaults, the winding-up petition will be admitted and advertised as such in papers.

AMPTPP OBJECTS TO SHOREY’S REMARK

The Association of Motion Pictures & TV Programme Producers has objected to a statement made by K.D. Shorey at the executive committee meeting of the Film Federation of India on 6th September, in regard to a proposal by the World Intellectual Property Organisation. According to the letter, Shorey had stated that since ‘no concrete suggestion was received from any constituent’ of the FFI in relation to the WIPO proposal, the committee had accepted it. The statement is in gross disregard to the facts, says the AMPTPP, as it had already objected to the proposal, vide two separate letters to the FFI, on the grounds that the article nos. 5, 7 and 8 in the proposal were ‘totally against the rights of the producer who is the author and copyright owner of his audio-visual product as per the Copyright Act’. The AMPTPP, in the same two letters, had requested that their objection be placed on record.

GREAT FANFARE MARKS UNIVERSAL MUSIC INDIA’S LAUNCH

Universal Music India (formerly known as PolyGram India Ltd.) was launched with great aplomb at a glittering function held on 16th November at The Taj Mahal Hotel in Bombay. Universal Music India is a fully-owned subsidiary of Universal Music International. The 49% stake in PolyGram was recently bought over by Universal from the Patel Family (Filmcenter).

Speaking at the function, Universal Music International chairman and CEO, Jorgen Larsen, called the launch a fresh start even though Universal had a presence in India since 1970 as, according to him, it was only now that they had a 100% control of their own destiny in the country. Norman Cheng, chairman, Universal Music Asia-Pacific, expressed faith in the potential of Indian music market which, he felt, was predominantly a youth market. President and managing director of Universal Music India, Vijay Lazarus, expressed happiness over receiving “Universal’s vote of confidence in this company and in Indian music in general”.

On the occasion of the launch, Universal Music India also honoured several outstanding artistes who have, over the years, collaborated with the company on various projects. The artistes honoured were Asha Bhosle, Amitabh Bachchan, late R.D. Burman, Ramesh Sippy, Pankaj Udhas and Anup Jalota. The highlights of the function were the heart -winning live performances of Anup Jalota, Pankaj Udhas, Falguni Pathak and Shiamak Davar. Marc Robinson’s fashion show, based on musical trends through the ages, was another highlight of the function.

The great success, Universal Music India’s launch function was attended by several of the top names in both, the film and music industries. These included Yash Chopra, Bharat Shah, Jackie Shroff, Govinda, David Dhawan, Shah Rukh Khan (who presented the Universal trophy to Amitabh Bachchan), Tanuja, Kajol, Shilpa Shetty, Urmila Matondkar, Karan Johar, Preity Zinta, Sameer, Anu Malik, Anand Milind, Jatin Lalit, Usha Uthup, Bali Brahmbhatt, Leslie Lewis, Ashok Khosla, Alex Kuruvilla and Suresh Bala.

There was a spectacular fireworks show accompanied by a breathtaking laser display.

YOU ASKED IT

In what way do international film festivals help?

– A lot of business of films is conducted at the festivals. There’s also a lot of exchange of ideas and an exposition of the trends in cinema.

Why is there a tendency among producers to keep long titles for their films?

– The trend was started by Rajshri’s HUM AAPKE HAIN KOUN..!. Besides, one-word or short titles are in short supply.

With so many pop songs on air, why doesn’t any filmmaker use a hit pop song in his film?

– Polygram tried it in PYAAR KOI KHEL NAHIN. Falguni Pathak’s Yaad piya ki aane lagi in the film didn’t make any difference to the film’s fate at the box-office. That film apart, the public may not really appreciate the idea of seeing a ‘free ka‘ song (pop songs are considered ‘free’ in the Indian psyche) in a film for seeing which they pay money.

MIX MASALA

AFTER ‘MOTHER’

Saawan Kumar may have suffered heavy loses in Mother but the man manages to crack a joke on himself even in the face of such adversity. Bumped into him last week and enquired, “What next, Saawan-ji?” Pat came the reply, “Surely, NOT Father!” Oh brother!!

DEAD MEN RUNNING

Commenting on the pathetic box-office fate of a new release, a distributor remarked, “Film ki haalat aisi hai ki distributors ki laashe bichh jaayengi.” A young debonair producer quickly corrected the distributor, “Laashe bichh jaayengi? Arre, yeh film dekh ke toh laashe bhi uthh-ke bhaag jaayengi!!”

AN AWARD-WORTHY BLUNDER?

This is one faux pas which should never have been committed. But it was committed at the Sansui Movie Awards nite in New Delhi on 12th November. The name of Kishan Kumar of T-Series was called out by the anchor-person as ‘Krishan Kumar of Tips’. The animosity between T-Series and Tips is too well-known to be repeated here. Imagine then, the embarrassment the erroneous announcement must’ve caused to Kishan Kumar when he was asked to come up on the dais. He did go on the dais, but once he did the honours that he was required to do, the anchor-person promptly apologised for the lapse.

3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment

Mera Bharat Mahaan

Character actor Sunil Rege once happened to read an article in some film magazine which, in its heading, questioned, “Bharat (Manoj Kumar), where are you?” Rege says, “I was shocked to read the title and was greatly disappointed to read its content.”

In a letter to Manoj Kumar to express his sadness, Rege states, “I know where Bharat is.” Rege was a student of Bilbo Studios in West Germany in 1987. Bilbo Studios is like India’s F.T.I.I., Pune. What Rege has written about the teaching course at Bilbo Studios must have come as a revelation to even Manoj Kumar.

According to Rege, the two major subjects at Bilbo Studios are ‘Screenplay writing’ and ‘Directors’ Creativity’. In ‘Screenplay Writing’, Manoj Kumar’s Shor was a part of the syllabus. Rege was naturally excited at the inclusion of his countryman’s film in the study course.

Rege writes further, “After the screening of Shor, during a debate, one of the students happened to ask me sarcastically, ‘Mr. Rege, when you belong to the country of Mr. Manoj Kumar, instead of learning filmmaking from him, why have you come here, so far?’ In reaction to this pointed question, our tutor, Mr. Beived, told the students, ‘Films like Shor are the films of directors who are ahead of time, maybe ahead by a generation!'”

Rege concludes the letter by saying, “Bharat lives in the hearts of millions — in India and abroad. Bharat was a star in India but now a star in the international film galaxy.”

When Asha Bhosle Went Size-Wise

At the grand bash organised by Universal on 16th November at The Taj Mahal, Bombay, Asha Bhosle paid ‘sizeable’ compliments to Universal’s president and managing director in India, V.J. Lazarus. Going nostalgic about the time when she had first met Lazarus, she said, “When I first saw Lazarus while he was with Polydor, he was so lean.” She gestured about the physical size of of Lazarus then, by raising her index finger. She then gestured with her two hands, saying, “Then Polydor became Music India. Thereafter, Music India became PolyGram.” The gap between her two hands went on increasing to indicate (jocularly, of course) how Lazarus had grown in size during the years. “And now, it is Universal,” she said, widening the distance between both her hands even more! For those who’ve not seen Lazarus, it may be added here that the lean Lazarus of yore (Polydor) is now a roly-poly Lazarus.

While Asha Bhosle was ‘sizing’ him up, Lazarus’ grin went wider and wider.