‘Taal’: A Beat And A Treat Of Passion
Subhash Ghai is in great form if the songs and some scenes of his new magnum opus, Taal, are anything to go by. Information saw glimpses of the film this week and came out mighty impressed.
That the music of Taal is doing extremely well is common knowledge. What isn’t known as yet is that Ghai has once again made his songs a treat for the eyes too. Their picturisations are grand. Ramta jogi may well have the audience on their feet. Aag lage lag jaave has Aishwarya looking bewitching; the sets on which it has been picturised are an eyeful. The Ishq bina kya jeena yaaron dance has the unmistakable Saroj Khan stamp; its climax version, choreographed recently in Toronto by Shiamak Davar, is also reported to be a masterpiece. Taal se taal mila is melody and nature’s (Chamba’s) beauty at its best.
Both the heroes of Ghai’s Taal come across as extremely honest protagonists. Anil Kapoor is a practical man of the fag end of the 20th century; he believes in principles like ‘dishonesty, and not honesty, is the best policy’. He is so open about his philosophy in life that there’s a likeable honesty to his dishonesty too. As for his performance, the couple of scenes one saw suggest that Anil is out to grab awards with this one. Ghai has made Anil’s character so mass-appealing (his lines of dialogues are remarkable, to say the least) that it is natural to be reminded of the lovable ‘Lakhan’ of Ram Lakhan. Akshaye Khanna is so brutally honest that his philosophy in life seems to be: ‘Honesty is the only policy’. He acts with a rare confidence, sincerity and simplicity. Aishwarya Rai follows up her acting calibre seen in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and impresses with a natural performance. Alok Nath and Amrish Puri are also brilliant.
Ghai’s direction is masterly. The man with the Midas touch is once again in perfect sur, perfect taal.
But just two points of caution here: the second promotional trailer of Taal, currently on air on satellite channels, is being found too ‘class’-appealing by the public. Since the film has so much ‘mass’ appeal, Ghai should change the trailer — quick! Secondly, Ghai should ensure that by the time Taal is released, the Ishq bina kya jeena yaaron number becomes a rage. The song has the merits. What is required is hammering. Because that can make a world of a difference to the film’s opening.
– Komal Nahta
INDER KUMAR BEREAVED
Narendra Kumar, youngest brother of actor Inder Kumar, expired on 8th July in Agra due to an electric shock. He was 18.
JEETENDRA, PRASAN BEREAVED
Producer and Bombay distributor Amarnath Kapoor, father of actor Jeetendra and producer Prasan Kapoor, passed away on 9th July at his residence in Bombay following cardiac arrest. He was 84 and is survived by his wife, two sons, two daughters and grandchildren.
ROHIT ROY WEDS
A reception to celebrate the wedding of actor Rohit Roy with Mansi Joshi was held last week at Royal Palms, Goregaon, Bombay.
TAX-EXEMPTION FOR ‘SARFAROSH’ IN U.P.
John Mathew Matthan’s Sarfarosh has been granted entertainment tax exemption for a period of two months by the Uttar Pradesh government with immediate effect. Incidentally, Sarfarosh has already been granted tax exemptions in Delhi and Maharashtra.
INDORE EXHIBITORS, DISTRIBUTOR HOSPITALISED
C.I. exhibitors Anil Pahuja and Chandu Goyal and distributor Aditya Chowksey met with a serious accident when the car they were travelling in from Dewas to Indore on 7th July collided head-on with another car coming from the opposite direction. The three had gone to Dewas in connection with checking video piracy. Anil sustained multiple fractures on his left hand and foot. Chandu Goyal’s nose was fractured and he also sustained injuries on his eye. The doctors have been able to save his eye. Aditya sustained minor injuries only. The skin on his forehead has had to be grafted. All the three were hospitalised immediately and are recuperating.
Both the cars were completely damaged.
NEW CINEMA AT PHALODI
A new cinema, N.K. Cinema, opened at Phalodi (Rajasthan) on 4th July with Sooryavansham. The cinema was inaugurated at the hands of Rajasthan health and information minister Rajendra Choudhary. It is owned by I.D.U. Khan and managed by Abdul Majid. The cinema has a seating capacity of 894.
YASH CHOPRA STARTS HOME ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION
Yash Chopra has started a home entertainment division called Yash Raj Films Home Entertainment. The first release of the company is the video cassettes and DVDs of Dil To Pagal Hai.
TULSIDAS BHATIA BEREAVED
Jaswanti, wife of financier Tulsidas Bhatia, expired on 8th July in Bombay at Breach Candy Hospital where she had been admitted two days earlier. She was 70.
MARATHI FILM COMEDIAN VASANT SHINDE DEAD
Veteran Marathi stage and screen actor Vasant Shinde, who witnessed the evolution of cinema from silent era to the present, died in Pune on 4th July following a massive heart attack. He was 87 and is survived by a son and two daughters.
Vasant Shinde was a comedian par excellence and worked in around 225 films. His prominent films were Lavani Bhulali Abhangala, Prem Sanyas, Ram Joshi and Sangtye Aika.
BANK FINANCE FOR FILMS LEFT TO INDIVIDUAL BANKS’ DISCRETION
The working group constituted under the aegis of the Indian Banks’ Association last year to study in depth the need, mode of financing, security and other aspects pertaining to bank finance for film industry, and to suggest suitable financing methodology, filed its report recently with the IBA after three meetings. The report was later examined by the IBA’s managing committee which observed that so far, film production has not been granted an industry status by the government. It was also observed that the working group report attempted to codify the circumstances prevalent in the film industry and it was a piece of guidance to the member-banks. Subsequently, it was decided to accept the report and leave it to the member-banks to decide the course of action to be taken. It was further decided to forward a copy of the report to RBI and to circulate the report among member-banks for information.
It may be recalled that a special session to discuss institutional financing for the film industry was held during a national conference on ‘Challenges before Indian Cinema’, jointly organised by the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and the Film Federation of India (FFI), in Bombay on 10th May last year. It was during that session that the working group had been constituted. The working group was chaired by IBA deputy chairman and Bank of Baroda managing director K. Kannan. The other members included K.C. Chowdhary, S. Rajagopal, T.S. Raghavan, P.S. Sheldenkar, C.B. Mouli, A.R. Kher and FFI representatives Pahlaj Nihalani and B.G. Dave.
IMPPA CANCELS CELEBRATION, DONATES TO ARMY
The IMPPA, which was to celebrate its 60th anniversary this year with a grand function, has decided to cancel the celebration. Instead, it will contribute Rs. 1,01,000/- to the Army Central Welfare Fund, for the Kargil victims. This will be IMPPA’s contribution over and above the individual contributions being made by producers.
In the meantime, IMPPA has requested producers and their family members to send in their contributions at the IMPPA office for onward submission to the Army Central Welfare Fund.
YOU ASKED IT
Which actor and actress, according to you, have delivered award-winning performances of the year so far?
– Even though this year is only half-way through, there have already been several performances that deserve to be awarded. Among these are actors Aamir Khan (for both, SARFAROSH and MANN) and Ajay Devgan (for HUM DIL DE CHUKE SANAM); and actresses Kajol (for HUM AAPKE DIL MEIN REHTE HAIN) and Aishwarya Rai (for HUM DIL DE CHUKE SANAM).
There have been several successful films in the first half of 1999 but none has proved an all-India hit. Why so?
– Because some of the hit films did not have universally appealing subjects, and those that did have universally acceptable subjects weren’t hit subjects.
Why did Mann not take as great an opening in the rest of the country as in Bombay?
– That’s not surprising at all. For one, Aamir Khan starrers have never had great openings in North India and so also MANN. Secondly, the film has good music but not one that can be termed exceptional which is what is necessary for a grand opening.
PRODUCTION NEWS
‘Refugee’ 15-Day Spell In Bhuj
Producer-director J.P. Dutta will start a 15-day shooting schedule of J.P. Films’ Refugee from July 11 in Bhuj. Two songs and scenes will be picturised featuring all the artistes. The film introduces Abhishek Bachchan and Kareena Kapoor in the lead. It co-stars Jackie Shroff, Sunil Shetty, Anupam Kher, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Reena Roy, Sudesh Berry, Padmini Kapila, Punit Issar, Ashish Vidyarthi, Mukesh Tiwari, Shadab Khan, Vishwajeet Pradhan, Arif Zakaria, Avtar Gill and Amit Ghanshyam. It has music by Anu Malik, lyrics by Javed Akhtar, dialogues by O.P. Dutta, cinematography by Bashir Ali, action by Bhiku Verma, dances by Saroj Khan, sound by Buta Singh, and editing by Deepak and Vilas.
‘Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega’ In East Africa
Producer Sajid Nadiadwala’s Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega, being directed by Raj Kanwar, will be shot from July 25 to August 15 on locations in East Africa. Three songs and many scenes will be picturised on Salman Khan, Rani Mukerji and Preity Zinta. Four helicopters and three small aircrafts will also be employed in the shooting. Being made under the banner of Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, the film has music by Anu Malik and lyrics by Sameer. Screenplay: Rumi Jafri. Cinematography: W.B. Rao. Choreography: Farah Khan.
REGIONAL FILMS
GUJARATI
Govind Patel To Launch ‘Gaam Maa Piyariyu…’
Following the phenomenal success of Desh Re Joya Dada Pardesh Joya, producer-director Govindbhai Patel will launch his 13th production, titled Gaam Ma Piyariyu Ne Gaam Ma Sasaryu on July 13 with a grand muhurt at Lucky Studios, Halol. The film’s story and screenplay is by Govindbhai Patel himself. Music is scored by Arvind Barot who has also penned the lyrics and dialogues. The film stars Hiten Kumar, Roma Manik, Firoz Irani, Kalpana Dewan, Devendra Pandit, Devyani Thakkar, Nimita, Bharti Sharma, Hiralal Thakkar, Manhar Thakkar, Sameer Rajda, Dinesh Hingoo, Indumati Rajda, Manisha Purohit, Trambak Joshi, Usha Lakod, Jeetu Dwarkawala, Hina Upadhyay and Hina Rajput. Being made under the banner of G.N. Films (Keshod), this will be the first Gujarati film to be made in Cinemascope with digital sound.
BHOJPURI
Moushumi In Title Role
Moushumi Chatterji has been signed to play the title role in Manoranjan Films International’s Badki Bhauji. The film is being produced by Manoranjan Sinha and directed by Prabhat Pandey. Also in the cast are Salil Sudhakar, Girija Shankar, Madhu Sharma, Kripa Shankar, Manoranjan Sinha, Girish Kumar and Rakesh Ranjan. Cinematography: F.R. Khan.
CENSOR NEWS
Pinnacle Entertainments P. Ltd.’s Sar Ankhon Par was given C.C. No. CIL/1/36/99 (U) dt. 7-7-’99; length 4263.02 metres in 16 reels (no cut).
Well Makers Films’ Chudail No. 1 (revised) was given C.C. No. CIL/3/30/99 (A) dt. 9-7-’99; length 2847.49 metres in 15 reels (cuts: 348.70 metres).
S.A.S. Movies’ Shaitan No. 1 (dubbed) was given C.C. No. CFL/3/51/99 (A) dt. 7-7-’99; length 2258.68 metres in 5 reels (minor deletion in sound only).
Warner Brothers’ Mahashaktimaan (dubbed) was given C.C. No. CFL/3/50/99 (A) dt. 6-7-’99; length 3862.73 metres in 7 reels (minor deletion in sound only).
REGIONAL FILMS
Gangani Film Productions’ Man Saayba Ni Mediye (Gujarati) was given C.C. No. CIL/1/35/99 (U) dt. 7-7-’99; length 4610.96 metres in 17 reels (cuts: 3.01 metres).
S.C. Entertainment’s Dracula 2000 (Telugu, dubbed; length 2542.24 metres in 6 reels), applied on 7th, was seen on 8th.
Devanchal Pictures’ Sat Manglya (Garhwali; length 4171.22 metres in 18 reels), applied on 8th, was seen on 9th.
Paramount Films’ The Prince Of Egypt (Egyptinte Rajkumaran) (Malayalam, dubbed; length 2712.76 metres in 10 reels), applied on 8th, was seen on 9th.
Aditya International’s Bhairavadu (Telugu, dubbed; length 2121.50 metres in 5 reels) was applied on 9th.
TRAILERS
Trailer of Devgan Films’ Hindustan Ki Kasam was given C.C. No. CIS/1/161/99 dt. 8-7-’99; length 52.57 metres.
Trailer of Vishesh Films’ Yeh Hai Mumbai Meri Jaan was given C.C. No. CIS/1/159/99 dt. 7-7-’99; length 73.10 metres.
Trailer of J.K. Movies’ Agni Putra was given C.C. No. CIS/3/26/99 (A) dt. 7-7-’99; length 88.42 metres (cuts: 1.49 metres).
Trailer of B. Gupta Creations’ Admi Aur Aurat was given C.C. (in Delhi) No. CIS/1/18/99 (A) dt. 14-6-’99; length 95.30 metres (cuts: 2.50 metres).
Trailer of Gangani Film Production’s Man Sayba Ni Mediye (Gujarati) was given C.C. No. CIS/1/160/99 dt. 8-7-’99; length 104.74 metres.
IMPORTED FILMS
Paramount Films’ The Mummy was given C.C. No. CFL/3/52/99 (A) dt. 8-7-’99; length 3418.20 metres in 14 reels (no cut).
Superfine Films’ The Possession: Witchboard 3 was seen on 5th.
20th Century Fox’s Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace was seen on 7th; Never Been Kissed has been passed with UA certificate, with cuts.
DO YOU KNOW?
* Sujit Kumar’s ANUBHAV has been revived in Bombay this week at Super and 6 other cinemas with an imaginatively amusing publicity campaign. The posters all over the city scream, “BIWI NO. 1 Ho Ya BIWI NO. 2, Donon Ko Pyar Ka ANUBHAV Chahiye”!
* MANN is the first film in Nizam which has been released in 7 districts simultaneously with Hyderabad and Secunderabad — at Aurangabad, Nanded, Parbhani, Gulbarga, Raichur, Warangal and Nizamabad.
* Playback singer Jaspinder Narula’s brother, Micky Narula, will make debut as a music director with Rashtriya Productions’ WOH BEWAFA THI. He also plays a lead role in the film.
3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment
‘Taal’ Release On The Beat
Finally, the speculation over the release date of Taal has ended. The film, according to Subhash Ghai, will definitely hit the screens all over on 6th August. Accordingly, premieres of Taal will be held from 5th August onwards in London, New York, Los Angeles and Toronto. Organised by the film’s Overseas distributors, Eros International, London, each premiere screening will be preceded by a grand event. Currently, an extensive media plan to promote Taal through display of vinyl hoardings on the streets of London and New York is being carried out. It would be a first for a Hindi film. Meanwhile, A.R. Rahman is recording the background score at Audeus. And Ghai — well, he is working day and night literally. Shooting (patch-work scenes) in the day, sitting on the background score with Rahman and editing in between.
…Another One On ‘Mann’
Mann publicity continues to feature in this column this week, too. The latest is a striking replica of Sun Vista, the luxury cruise on which Mann has been shot, which is placed on display in the foyer of Bombay’s Eros cinema. The replica has been attracting a great deal of attention of cinegoers. Moreover, the entire interior of Eros has been repainted in the lavender shade — the colour of the logo of Mann! As if this weren’t enough, a special live band has been hired to play the film’s music in the cinema’s foyer, before and after each show and during the interval.
Meanwhile, Mann magic also continues, if the public reaction during the first show on Friday at Eros, Bombay, is anything to go by. A group of people in the audience took to dancing in the aisle during songs and the music piece in the film.
Gola Ka Mann Bola
Hyder Gola (Gola Bros.), a Bombay distributor of dubbed Hindi versions of English films of the horror and sexy kind, has been inspired by Mann so much that he has decided to turn a producer with all his tan-mann-dhan! Know how? He has announced his maiden production venture as Tan-Mann! He has also announced the title of its English version as Mind And Body. And mind you, this is no mindless exercise. For, the film will be shot in a 15-day schedule (till completion) in Bombay and Jaipur.