YES BOSS
United Seven Combines’ Yes Boss is a comedy. It is the story of an ambitious boy (working in an advertising agency) and an ambitious girl (a model), both of whom could do anything to achieve their goals. The boy, especially, doesn’t even mind bending backwards to please his boss so long as the latter will fulfil his promise of presenting him an office. So blinded is the boy with his ambitions that he even acts as a pimp for his boss! The soft corner he has for one such girl, whom he tries to ‘fix’ for his boss, soon turns into love. How he saves the girl from the clutches of his lustful boss forms the climax.
The film has a thin story-line and it has been stretched too much. By its very nature, a comedy is best enjoyed when it is crisp and to the point. In this film, the screenplay is not as tight as desired in an out-and-out comedy, hence the impact is diluted. Of course, some scenes and situations are hilarious but the overall drama starts looking too unreal and contrived after a while. Dialogues are good and witty but not consistently so. The first half tends to get boring after a while, and the second half is better. Climax, however, is weak. The scenes involving the boy, his beloved and his mother in the post-interval portion are about the only ones which give an Indian feel to an otherwise Western kind of film.
One major drawback is that in the first six or seven reels, a hero of no less a stature than Shah Rukh Khan is shown as pimping for his boss (Aditya Pancholi). This will hurt the sensibilities of the viewers (other than the ‘class’ audience) because the bulk of Hindi cinema audience yet attaches a lot of importance to values in life. What is worse is that Shah Rukh is not made to repent or even realise that what he has been doing (pimping) is ethically wrong — a point which should definitely have been conveyed by writers Sanjay Chhel and Mangesh Kulkarni.
Shah Rukh Khan is simply fantastic in the role of the ambitious employee. He endears himself to the audience right from the word ‘go’ and, sometimes, even manages to rise above the script. His sense of timing is superb. Juhi Chawla is quite good. Aditya Pancholi also does reasonably well although he does appear stiff in a couple of comic scenes. Kashmira Shah acts well in a special appearance and can make a good vamp. Gulshan Grover is restrained and impressive. Ashok Saraf does a fair job. Johny Lever is very good and should have been given a lengthier role. Reema supports very ably. Rakesh Bedi, Mahavir Shah, Amrut Patel, Ghanshyam, Joginder and the rest lend the desired support.
Aziz Mirza’s narration of the subject is of the kind which will appeal to city-based audiences. The film moves on a single track — comedy — and there’s lack of emotions, romance and drama. Several scenes are repetitive too. Jatin Lalit’s music is good. ‘Main koi aisa get gaaoon’, ‘Jo bhi chaahoon’ and ‘Suniye toh’ are well-tuned. Songs have been picturised on truly beautiful foreign locales. Action scenes are fair.
On the whole, Yes Boss rests on too thin a story-line and has ‘class’ appeal. It will do well in major cities but for the rest, its high price will see its distributors in the red. Business in Bombay and South will be good.
Released on 18-7-’97 at New Excelsior and 18 other cinemas of Bombay thru V.I.P. Enterprises. Publicity & opening: excellent. …….Also released all over. Opening (on Thursday) was poor in C.I. Despite Idd holiday on Friday, opening was below the mark in Rajasthan (1st day about 74.77%) but excellent in Delhi and Calcutta.
LATEST POSITION
Communal tension in Maharashtra and Gujarat adversely affected box-office collections as cinemas remained closed for 1/2/3 days and audience attendance was poor. …..The Idd holiday on Friday (18th July) did not help the new releases much.
Do Aankhen Barah Haath 1st week Bombay 17,00,143 (61.64%) from 10 cinemas (5 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 3,12,096 from 5 cinemas (1 unrecd.), Rajkot 60,270 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee), Jamnagar 67,000; Pune 5,41,685 from 6 cinemas (1 in matinee); Delhi 15,23,042 (50.36%) from 9 cinemas (2 on F.H.); Kanpur 1,59,438 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 95,093, Agra 1,85,319, Allahabad 83,600, Varanasi 96,071, Bareilly 58,069 (30.45%), Gorakhpur 75,000 (42.42%); Calcutta (6 days) 5,23,409 from 6 cinemas; Nagpur 1,81,171 from 3 cinemas, Raipur 1,27,744 (48.69%); Bhopal 1,18,620 (1 on F.H.); Jaipur 2,86,950 from 2 cinemas, Jodhpur 2,00,000, Bikaner 97,393; Hyderabad 16,35,451 from 12 cinemas, share 5,10,000.
Mrityudand could not find any appreciation, not even in Bihar. It is somewhat okay in Maharashtra and M.P. due to tax-exemption. 1st week Bombay (TF) 12,56,348 (76.90%) from 6 cinemas (8 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 1,49,450 from 2 cinemas, Baroda 74,149; Pune (TF) 3,73,190 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee), Solapur (TF) 83,386 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee); Belgaum 93,267; Delhi 5,63,754 (41.52%) from 4 cinemas; Kanpur 1,07,333, Lucknow 1,16,856, Agra 71,654, Allahabad 36,600, Varanasi 70,788, Meerut 63,244, Bareilly 55,128 (23.99%), Dehradun 72,520, Gorakhpur 59,000 (27.92%); Calcutta (6 days) 1,25,205 from 1 cinema (other cinemas unrecd.); Nagpur (TF) 1,37,523 from 2 cinemas, Amravati (TF) 1,22,695, Akola (TF, 18 shows) 40,026, Bhilai (TF) 72,673; Indore (TF) 1,93,173 from 2 cinemas, Bhopal (TF) 1,18,160; Jaipur 2,13,097 from 2 cinemas; Hyderabad 2,35,729 from 2 cinemas (1 in noon), share 60,297.
………
Gupt 2nd week Bombay (6 days) 31,02,250 (92.22%) from 11 cinemas (10 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 7,55,678 from 3 cinemas (2 unrecd.), Valsad 3,00,462, Padra 2,03,838, Bharuch (6 days, gross) 2,84,048, Rajkot 1,75,680, Jamnagar 1,19,125 from 2 cinemas (1 in mat.); Pune 9,79,763 from 5 cinemas (1 in mat.), Kolhapur 1,77,338 (100%), Solapur 1,65,663; Hubli 100%, Belgaum 100%; Delhi 25,78,944 from 10 cinemas (1 on F.H.; 1 unrecd.); Kanpur 3,92,496 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 2,81,752, Allahabad 1,27,003, Varanasi 1,69,117, Meerut 1,90,264, Bareilly 1,09,205 (49.74%), Dehradun 1,68,473 (1st 1,84,552), Gorakhpur 1,25,000; Calcutta (6 days) 11,69,340 from 10 cinemas; Gaya 60,000 (1st 1,24,000) from 2 cinemas; Nagpur 2,91,919 from 2 cinemas, 1st week Amravati (30 shows) 2,33,757, 2nd Akola (16 shows) 38,429, Raipur 1,61,925, Bhilai 1,00,383, 1st week Jalgaon 1,91,000, 2nd week Gondia (26 shows) 47,500, total 1,31,563, Chandrapur (25 shows) 1,11,397, total 2,99,054, Yavatmal 50,016 (1st 1,30,198); Indore 1,90,300, Bhopal 3,08,217 from 3 cinemas; Jaipur 7,63,999 from 2 cinemas, Ajmer 1,09,367; Hyderabad 10,98,879 from 5 cinemas, share 5,36,920; Vijayawada 2 weeks’ total 6,34,705.
……….
CBI PROBE SOUGHT INTO UPHAAR CINEMA FIRE TRAGEDY
The Delhi government, dissatisfied with the police investigations into the Uphaar cinema fire tragedy of 13th June, has sought a CBI probe into it. Delhi chief minister Sahib Singh Verma said in New Delhi that many people, including MPs, had expressed their dissatisfaction with the investigations so far. He had, therefore, written to the lt. governor, seeking a CBI probe into the tragedy.
‘ZIDDI’ 100 DAYS
N.R. Pachisia’s Ziddi is celebrating 100 days of its run today (19th July) all over. Directed by Guddu Dhanoa, it stars Sunny Deol, Raveena Tandon, Anupam Kher, Ashish Vidyarthi, Farida Jalal and Raj Babbar. Music: Dilip Sen Sameer Sen. Action: Tinnu Verma.
RAVI KISSEN INJURED
Actor Ravi Kissen was hurt in a car accident at Lokhandwala, Bombay, on the morning of 18th July. He was in his Maruti Gypsy which collided with a truck. Ravi fell unconscious and had to be rushed to Cooper Hospital. He sustained injuries on his head and nose but is said to be out of danger.
ANJALIDEVI HONOURED
Celebrated artiste of Telugu films, Anjalidevi (of Suvarna Sundari fame), who has acted in almost 400 Telugu, Tamil and Hindi films in a career spanning 50 years, was conferred the prestigious Raghupathi Venkayya award for the year 1995 recently.
The Young Men’s Happy Club felicitated Anjalidevi on 13th July at Kakinada.
WEDDING RECEPTION
A grand reception to celebrate the marriage of Ravi, son of Jawaharlal Agarwal of Trimurti Talkies, Ujjain, was held on 17th July in Ujjain. It was well attended by trade people.
DIRECTOR KRISHNAN NO MORE
Director Krishnan (of the famous Krishnan-Panju duo) expired earlier this week in Madras. He was in his eighties. Among the films directed by Krishnan-Panju were Bhabhi, Varsha, Suhag Sindoor, Manmouji, Shaadi, Mera Kasoor Kya Hai, Ladla, Do Kaliyan and Main Sunder Hoon.
ANNASAHEB GHATGE DEAD
Noted Marathi film producer Annasaheb Ghatge passed away on 28th June at his residence in Sangli due to heart failure. He was 57 and is survived by his wife and two sons.
Annasaheb had produced Patlin, Pandharichi Wari and Sasar Maher. His Pandharichi Wari had bagged the best social film award of the Maharashtra state government in 1988-89. He had given actress Jayshree Gadkar a break as director in Sasar Maher. At the time of his death, he was producing Gaon Sara Jaga Zala, and its six songs have been recorded. The film was to star Ashok Saraf, and Ashwini Bhave in a double role.
EXTENSIVE RENOVATION & NEW NAME FOR BHAVNAGAR CINEMA
Ajay cinema at Bhavnagar is being extensively renovated. Dolby sound system is being installed. The cinema has been rechristened Rajshri and is owned by Ajay Chudasama who also owns Rajshri and Shalimar cinemas of Gandhinagar. The renovated cinema will open with Subhash Ghai’s Pardes.
HARBANS PAPE NO MORE
Dancer and dance director Harbans Pape expired on the night of 17th July in Dehradun. He was 69.
Badnam was his first film as a dancer. Among his other films (as dancer) were Jadoo, Naujawan, Mera Saya, Warrant, Sholey, Upkar, Ek Phool Do Mali, Deedar, Kajal, Do Ankhen, Madhumati, Nanak Naam Jahaz Hai etc. As a dance director, he directed Chandan, Deedar, Anjan and a few other films.
Harbans received several trophies and awards during his film career. After a fatal road accident around 1980, his career came to a halt. He returned to Dehradun from where he had come to Bombay, in 1984 and settled there permanently.
Harbans’ elder son, Titu, is working in the film industry as an artiste and dancer.
NOTICES ISSUED TO 42 DELHI CINEMAS
The municipal corporation of Delhi has issued notices to 42 of the 66 cinemas under its jurisdiction, for violation of building bye-laws. The cinemas have been asked to rectify the various violations within a fortnight. Action would be taken against those cinemas which fail to rectify the wrongs.
The notices have been issued following submission of inspection reports by the deputy commissioners of police of the respective zones. Earlier, licences of two cinemas of Delhi — Priya and Khanna — had been revoked. The licence of Priya was restored after the management showed papers which satisfied the authorities.
The municipal corporation of Delhi has taken a tough stand against erring cinemas of the capital city following the ghastly fire tragedy at Uphaar cinema in the city on 13th June.
FWICE GRANTS AFFILIATION TO CAC
The Cine Agents Combine, after dissociating itself from the Film Makers Combine (FMC), has become affiliated to the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE). The FWICE granted the CAC affiliation on 13th July.
I.R.K. PEON ABSCONDING WITH CASH
Gopal, a peon of Bombay distributor Inder Raj Kapoor (I.R.K. Films), was asked by the latter last Friday to collect a lakh of rupees from some place in Bombay and bring the same to office. To Kapoor’s bad luck, the peon never returned with the money he collected. Investigations are still on.
CONTROVERSY OVER BENGALI VERSION OF ‘LAV KUSH’
An ugly controversy has arisen in West Bengal over the release of Dilip Kankaria’s Lav Kush in the state. Technicians in West Bengal are up in arms against the release of any film dubbed in the regional language (Bengali) as, according to them, such dubbed films adversely affect Bengali films. In fact, just recently, the technicians and artistes of the Bengali film world appealed to the I & B minister to stop telecast of dubbed Bengali serials on DD.
With producer Dilip Kankaria insisting that the Bengali version is not dubbed, and the Bengali film industry convinced that it is a dubbed version, the fate of the Bengali Lav Kush hangs in balance a week before its scheduled release. According to Dilip Kankaria, Lav Kush is a bilingual shot in Hindi and Bengali simultaneously. “I have two negatives, one of the Hindi version, and the other, of the Bengali version,” says Dilip Kankaria. “Some vested interests are fanning this controversy but I’m sure, truth will prevail finally.”
FFI DELEGATION MEETS I & B MINISTER
A delegation of the Film Federation of India met I & B minister S. Jaipal Reddy in Delhi earlier this week and apprised him of the problems facing the film and television industries.
In particular, the issues of censorship, countervailing duty on raw film, and the constitution of the NFDC were discussed in detail. The minister was aware that in the name of preventing cruelty to animals, the Central Board of Film Certification was putting producers to a lot of hardship and promised to rectify the situation. He was shocked that Maneka Gandhi was indirectly dictating terms to the CBFC about prevention of cruelty to animals.
The minister was sympathetic to the demand of the industry to abolish countervailing duty on raw stock. The delegation also lamented the fact that there was no representative of the film industry on the NFDC, and asked the minister to appoint a suitable person.
The issue of the telecast of dubbed Bengali serials on Bengal Doordarshan was also discussed and it was impressed upon the minister to not discontinue them.
SIGNED
Sushmita Sen In ‘Chakra’
Sushmita Sen has been signed to play the leading lady opposite Sanjay Dutt in Mumbai Talking Pictures’ Chakra, being produced by Sanjay Dutt and Kumar Gaurav, and written and directed by Dilip Shukla. Aroora Irani and Amrish Puri play other important roles. Music by Vishal, editing by V.N. Mayekar, sound by Rakesh Ranjan, art by R. Verman, action by Raam Shetty, and cinematography by Nirmal Jani are the other major credits.
PRODUCTION NEWS
Boney Kapoor’s Film Progressing In Cochin
A 15-day shooting spell of Narsimha Enterprises’ untitled film, starring Sanjay Kapoor and Priya Gill, commenced in Cochin on July 16. The film co-stars Jackie Shroff (in a special appearance), Kader Khan, Johny Lever, Tej Sapru and Mohnish Bahl. Remake of the Tamil blockbuster Kaadhal Kottai, the film is being directed by Athathian for producer Boney Kapoor. It will be shot in its last schedule from Aug. 24 to Sept. 15 in Delhi. Music: Nadeem Shravan. Lyrics: Sameer. The film is being produced in association with Neha-MAD Films Combine.
YOU ASKED IT
Who is John Mathew Matthan who is making Sarfarosh? Has he made any film earlier?
– He is an ad filmmaker and SARFAROSH is his first feature film.
Will the audience accept Urmila Matondkar in a family film like Mere Sapno Ki Rani when the publicity of Daud, in which she is dressed too sexily, is at its peak?
– Didn’t the audience love her in JUDAAI after RANGEELA?
What is the total business, as per statements, of HAHK..!, DDLJ and Raja Hindustani in Bombay circuit and all over India?
– About 22, 14 and 11 respectively in Bombay. The first two films had the advantage of tax exemption in Maharashtra. In India, the figures are about 70, 40 and 38 respectively. RAJA HINDUSTANI is still running in its 32nd week and is expected to cross the DDLJ figure in the final tally.
MIX MASALA
MISSING THE TARGET
Ruia’s serial, Target, starring Sangeeta Naik in the lead, was to have gone on air on 18th July on DD Metro, but the makers couldn’t meet the target date due to a mishap on the sets on 12th July. Sangeeta, while performing a stunt, fractured her leg and has been advised six weeks’ bed-rest. And so the telecast of Target stands postponed.
PEOPLE
Are talking about
** The bumper opening of Yes Boss in Bombay and Delhi cities on the one hand and its lukewarm opening in circuits like C.P. and C.I. Actually, the difference in initials is not surprising considering that the film has an English title and although it has had extensive publicity, it (publicity) is of the kind which holds appeal for the class audience mainly. One might say that Border is also an English title, but there is a major difference, besides the fact that Border is a multi-starrer as against Yes Boss and it has a super-hit song in Sandese aate hain. The major difference is that although both are English titles, Border gives a serious connotation, while Yes Boss is a more frivolous title, if one may use the term.
** Akshay Kumar and his marketability after the debacles of Lahoo Ke Do Rang and Insaaf. The guy needs to take stock of the situation and also needs to take some corrective measures if he wants to regain his lost position. Incidentally, although comparisons are not always fair, people are comparing him with Mamta Kulkarni for their penchant for dropping their clothes on screen. He has taken off his shirt and pant a bit too often in films!
PEOPLE
Are wondering
** About how Subhash Ghai will release his Pardes on 8th August as announced, especially in view of the fact that the film’s music has been released less than a fortnight back, and the film’s publicity as yet is on a very low key. Know-alls insist, the film will be postponed, but people concerned with the film are confident, it will hit the screens on 8th August. According to Ghai himself, “My film is already censored, my mixing is half-complete and the film’s first copy will be out before the month-end. Then why should I postpone the release? The publicity has been kept low-key intentionally, because I want Pardes to grow week by week.”
3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment
No Cause For Celebration
Idd is an occasion to celebrate, but for the industry, yesterday’s Idd-e-Milad festival hardly gave reasons to celebrate. For, the initials of both the films released this week gave cause for concern. If Yes Boss opened to bumper houses in Bombay, Delhi and a few major cities, its opening in circuits like C.I., Rajasthan etc. was far from encouraging. Ditto with Daava. Why, not even the Idd holiday could help! Even though everybody is aware that the former film stars Shah Rukh Khan, and the latter, Akshay Kumar, it needs to be pointed out here once again alongwith the prices these two stars charge. Did you say, you are aware of their fees? Well, let’s not embarrass our heroes then!
‘Daava’ Delivery Drama
The effecting of deliveries of this week’s release, Daava, was not free from tension and drama. While the producer wanted his distributors to hike the price, the latter were in no mood to oblige, and some distributors/sub-distributors even wanted a price reduction. The deliveries for Bombay and the Eastern circuit were effected after a lot of haggling and heated arguments. In Bombay, the Gujarat sub-distributor made a deferred payment of a part of the delivery amount. The film changed hands for Saurashtra at the eleventh hour. In place of M.B. Films, it is now being distributed by Keshubhai of Porbandar, who managed to buy the film at a price less than the one for which M.B. Films had it.
It’s A Challenge
If you thought, Mehul Kumar is down and out after Lahoo Ke Do Rang and Mrityudaata, think again. The man has taken his two consecutive failures as a challenge for himself. Why, he has even titled his next as Challenge. Starring in the film will be Amitabh Bachchan and Nana Patekar.
The Experiment Man
R.V. Pandit is an unusual man. He will premiere his Train To Pakistan on STAR Plus on 15th August and release it theatrically from the very next day (Saturday, August 16). The cinemas where Train To Pakistan is booked will screen Pandit’s Maachis on 15th. BBC will also telecast the film on Channel 4 on 15th August. This is the first Indian film to be premiered by BBC. Pandit is also dubbing Maachis in various foreign languages and exporting the film to different countries. For his Darmiyaan, he has put up 90 hoardings all over the country.
The Indian World After ‘Jurassic Park’
It took the sequel of Jurassic Park (Hindi dubbed) to break the record of the first part in India. We are talking of the price the sequel (Hindi dubbed) has been sold for and is being sold to distributors. The sequel, titled The Lost World: Jurassic Park, is hot in distribution circles, thanks to the bumper initial business of the English version in Hollywood, and the tremendous business Jurassic Park (Hindi dubbed) had done in India. Paramount is likely to recover a total of about 1.5 to 2 crore from the various territories of India. Not a small figure, this. Incidentally, the publicity of The Lost World needs to be stepped up to match the high price.
‘Pardes’ Publicity: Not A Wise Decision
Another film’s publicity which, we feel, is being unnecessarily kept on a low key, is Subhash Ghai’s Pardes. With just three weeks to go before the film hits the screen, the awareness among the audience about the film and its release is not what it should be. Ghai wants to keep the publicity to the minimum possible level, as he feels, that will not raise people’s expectations too much. Obviously, he has not forgotten the Trimurti experience where the audience had expected the sky from the film. But if Subhash Ghai thinks, Trimurti bombed because people had great expectations from it, he is wrong. Trimurti was such a bad film that even if there were zero expectations from it, it would have proved a disaster. Coming back to Pardes, Ghai should definitely step up its publicity. In fact, an intensive and extensive publicity campaign is what is needed. Since it is not a multi-starrer (like Trimurti), the fear that people will expect the world out of it is unfounded. Even otherwise, the time is simply not enough for expectations to soar so high.
The Hero Image
Although this incident took place more than a year back in a cinema of Bombay, it went unreported. The cinema in question was screening Naseeruddin Shah and Shah Rukh Khan starrer Chaahat when a young man suddenly went wild and started breaking the chairs in the auditorium. The management, obviously, caught the man and slapped him for his behaviour. Although the cinema wallahs had beaten the guy enough, curiosity got the better of them and they asked the man the reason for his strange behaviour. The man’s reply stunned them as it will stun you now. Said he, “I don’t mind being beaten up by you, but I can’t bear to see Shah Rukh Khan being beaten so mercilessly on screen by Naseeruddin Shah. If Shah Rukh is a hero, how can he tolerate such a lot of violence on himself. What kind of a hero is he?” It may be recalled that Shah Rukh is almost beaten to death by Naseer in Chaahat. Our writers and directors would do well to keep the man’s logic in mind while writing/making films.