RAJA KI AAYEGI BAARAAT
Aftab Music Industries’ Raja Ki Aayegi Baaraat (UA) is a purposeful social film. A girl with a high morale and a fighter by nature drags her rapist to the court and pleads for justice by convincing the judge of the pitiable condition in which a raped girl finds herself in society even if the rapist is punished for his misdeed. The court sees reason in her arguments and, instead of merely meting out punishment to the rapist, orders him to marry the girl whom he has raped. The girl is tortured by her husband’s family members after her marriage, but not the one to give up so easily, she puts up a brave fight and, with her utmost faith in the power of sindoor, she ultimately wins the love of the whole family, including her husband.
The film starts on a dull note and goes on like that for about two or three reels. It is after the girl is raped and the matter goes to the court that a tense and edge-of-the-seat drama keeps audience interest alive. Some bold and hard-hitting dialogues evoke claps and applause, for both, the written word and the dialogue delivery. But once the family torture begins post-interval, predictable scenes dominate the drama and while some of them do entertain, the others dilute the impact of the film considerably. The script is good upto interval point.
Ranee makes an extremely confident debut. She performs ably, looks good, dances well and delivers her dialogues with aplomb and utmost confidence. Shadaab Khan does not have the looks of a hero and gives an average performance. Gulshan Grover is superb as the noble Sardar. Saeed Jaffrey does well. Shashi Sharma, Arjun, Asrani, Mohnish Bahl, Goga Kapoor, Raza Murad, Divya Dutta and the rest provide average support.
Ashok Gaikwad’s direction is fair. Music (Aadesh Shrivastava) is nice. ‘Palkon mein sapne’ and the title song are the most appealing numbers. ‘Rab ka hoon banda’ and a couple of other numbers are quite well-tuned. But song picturisations definitely needed to be better and visually more appealing. Photography and other technical values are okay. Action scenes are alright.
On the whole, Raja Ki Aayegi Baaraat has reasonable merits in the plot, but an ordinary second half and a weak opening coupled with the dull period will tell on its business. Even if it does pick up on the strength of ladies’ appeal, it will remain on the lower side.
Released on 18-10-’96 at New Excelsior and 11 other cinemas of Bombay thru Aftab Group. Publicity: good. Opening: poor. …….Also released all over. Opening was dull everywhere.
DO YOU KNOW?
* Kannada film actor Ambarish has refused to contest the Assembly election from the Ramanagaram constituency of Mysore. The seat is vacant due to the resignation of prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda.
* Cinegoers at Arun cinema, Belgaum have been given a Dassera bonus. Two films — EK BABY TEEN BADMAASH and EK BANDAR HOTEL KE ANDAR — are being screened in one show simultaneously at the cinema. While the former is screened before interval, the latter starts after intermission.
YOU ASKED IT
How does one get to know about the business of films in the Overseas circuit?
– One has to accept what the concerned film’s Overseas distributor says because there’s no alternative to that.
Is there a market for re-issue video rights?
– There is. Films which were sold for 7 or 10 years are/will soon be available for sale again.
On what basis do new actors, who are not even star-sons, command such heavy prices without a single release to their credit?
– Their prices are governed by the reports circulating in trade circles about their calibre and talent. They depend on how much confidence a producer is willing to put on a newcomer.
Is it proper for a film producer to repeat the title of an old hit for his new film?
– What choice does he have if his story demands that title?
‘HINDUSTANI’ TAX-FREE IN MAHARASHTRA
Hindustani has been granted exemption from payment of entertainment tax in Maharashtra for a period of one year with effect from 16th October, 1996.
‘INDIAN’ IS INDIAN ENTRY FOR OSCAR
A.M. Rathnam’s Tamil film, Indian, has been selected as India’s entry for the Oscar awards. A 15-member committee of the Film Federation of India, chaired by IMPPA president Sultan Ahmed, made the selection in Madras last week after viewing seven Indian films made in various languages.
AIFEC TO PRESS FOR HIGHER CESS
FOR WORKERS’ WELFARE
The National Executive of the All India Film Employees Confederation met in Bombay on 6th October and took note of the letter addressed by Raghu Menon, jt. secretary, ministry of information & broadcasting, to the president of the AIFEC that orders had been issued to the Central Board of Film Certification to collect workers’ welfare cess at the enhanced rate as notified.
Note also was taken of reports appearing in the press that a delegation of film producers had met the minister of labour in this regard, and he had stayed the order.
The representatives of film workers all over India deprecated the attempt on the part of film producers to crib about the payment of workers’ welfare cess which makes only an infinitesimal difference in the budget even of a small film. AIFEC resolved to take to agitational methods against procrastination by the government as also the negative attitude of the production sector for pressurising the government not to implement the Act passed by Parliament and which was gazetted and notified.
The National Executive Committee also decided to start an agitation to amend the Cine Worker’s Welfare Fund Act to raise the income ceiling defining a cine worker.
Members from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, West Bengal and Western India attended the meeting.
CINEMA CLOSED DUE TO BOMB BLAST
A bomb blast near Grandlay cinema, Delhi, earlier this week killed one person. Fourteen others sustained injuries. The cinema remained closed for a day.
PAPPU VERMA ELECTED FWICE PRESIDENT
Pappu Verma was elected president of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) for 1996-97 at its annual general meeting held on 17th October at Famous, Mahalaxmi. He replaces veteran Chandrashekhar who had occupied the post for 14 years.
R.K. Handa was elected senior vice president, and Prabhakar Nikhlankar, vice president. R.C. Das was elected general secretary, and Mohd. Kasam and Earnest Menezes, joint secretaries. The election of the hon. treasurer, which could not be held due to technical reasons, will be held shortly.
K.K. RAAJ DEAD
Actor K.K. Raaj passed away on 12th October at Vankaner (near Rajkot) in Gujarat following heart failure. He had completed his shooting for the Gujarati film Raj Ratan just a day earlier and had decided to spend a free day at Vankaner before returning to Bombay, but death visited him in the early hours. He was 42 and is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.
‘HIND KI BETI’ TAX-FREE
The Madhya Pradesh government has granted tax-exemption to Joginder’s Hind Ki Beti.
3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment
Hot Collections, Cool Reception
Jayshree Talkies, Nagpur, which is controlled by the Rathi group, has been fitted with air-conditioners in its Box (admission rate: Rs. 40). This is the first cinema in Vidarbha region to be installed with air-conditioners albeit in one class only. The cinema otherwise is air-cooled and is popularly known as a ‘jubilee talkies’, obviously deriving its coveted title because of the many films which have celebrated jubilees there. The longest run which any film has had at Jayshree is Muqaddar Ka Sikander (40 weeks). Qurbani had opened at the cinema in 8 shows on the opening day and it must have been a record of sorts that all eight shows were packed to capacity. Jayshree Talkies was started in 1947, and the first release there was Bhakt Dhruv. The owners also plan to install Dolby sound system in the cinema very shortly. Incidentally, the cinema got its name after late V. Shantaram’s wife, Jayshree. Shantaram was one of the founder-members of the cinema.
A Tale Of Two Baaraats
Alec Smart remarked, “This week, two baaraats have been released. One is Raja Ki Aayegi Baaraat, and the other is buddhon ki baaraat or, in other words, Return Of Jewel Thief.”
No Liberty For Salman From Liberty
Salman Khan and Bombay’s Liberty cinema are made for each other, it seems. Since August 1994, Liberty is screening Salman starrers. It was HAHK..! for more than two years in regular shows, and it has now been shifted in matinee. Once HAHK..! was discontinued from regular shows, it was Salman Khan’s Khamoshi which was released at the cinema. Another Salman (double role) starrer, Judwaa, is due for release at Liberty on 6th December ’96.
Dullest Pre-Diwali Week
That pre-Diwali days are really dull for the box-office is common knowledge, and it is because of this dull period that producers and distributors avoid releasing big films a week before Diwali. But this pre-Diwali week will be one of the worst ever because there is not a single film, not even a small one, scheduled for release on 1st November. As against a no-release week beginning 1st November, there will be four or five releases on 25th October — Maachis, Rangbaaz, Phool Bane Patthar, Rangeela Raja (dubbed) and Jurassic City (dubbed).
‘Certified’ And Notified As Diwali Attractions
Producers generally avoid announcing their release dates in advertisements in daily newspapers before censor certificates are issued to their films as they are wary of inviting the wrath of censor officials. But at least two producers of films, slated for release on Diwali this year, are announcing their release dates even though both of them have yet to obtain their censor certificates. Of course, the advertisements of the two films — Ghatak and Sapoot — do not mention the exact date (8th November) but only proclaim them as ‘Diwali attraction’ and give the name/s of cinemas where they will be coming. While Ghatak has been referred to the revising committee by the producer (because it has been offered ‘A’ certificate with as many as 12 cuts), Sapoot has not even been seen or applied for censorship. Why, even its first copy is not yet out, but the producers are confident of being able to show the film to the censors on 25th October. The first copy of the third Diwali release, Raja Hindustani, will be out early next week, and it is likely to be seen by the CBFC on 22nd October. The producers and distributors of Raja Hindustani have not yet advertised it as a ‘Diwali attraction’, but, you never know, even they might be inspired enough to follow in the footsteps of the makers of Ghatak and Sapoot.
Busy As Bees
Two offices in Naaz cinema building in Bombay are buzzing with more activity than any other office these days. One is the office of Dilip Dhanwani (Dilsa Distributors Combine) and the other is that of Vinod Kakkar (Mahalakshmi Film Distributors). While Dilip released a line of films recently in Bombay circuit, he will be releasing Ghatak in Gujarat and Saurashtra on Diwali. Not only that, Dhanwani has also started film production in right earnest. Vinod Kakkar’s distribution office has its hands full in the forthcoming weeks. Due for release from the office are Sapoot, Chhote Sarkar, Dastak, Tamanna, Yashwant, Mr. Aashiq, Zameer etc. No mean list, this!