MAHAANTA
Ayesha Films’ Mahaanta (UA) is a routine revenge drama laced with ingredients like friendship, love and sacrifice. Two bosom pals are separated when one of them is killed alongwith his wife. The murdered friend’s brother thinks that the other friend is behind the murders actually committed by a gang of villains. One by one, he seeks revenge on the villains and, in the end, is also convinced about the innocence of the friend.
Like the oft-repeated story, the film’s screenplay is also routine. Some twists and turns in the story look contrived and rather far-fetched. For instance, a police commissioner tries to save the life of his friend’s brother by putting him behind bars in the hope that he would be safe and secure there! What’s more, scenes are so lengthy that the drama loses a bit of its impact due to that. The second half, in which the hero kills the villains one after another, is better, although it could do with a lot of trimming. Emotions are totally absent. Dialogues (Talat Rekhi) are very good at places. The film has taken a number of years to complete and the time-gap shows.
Jeetendra does a fair job. Sanjay Dutt is competent. His stunts are very good. Madhuri Dixit looks young and pretty in some scenes and older in other scenes. Her performance, as usual, is good. Amrish Puri makes a terrifying villain. Paresh Rawal, as the other villain, evokes laughter with his dialogues and acting. Shakti Kapoor is okay. Mohsin Khan, Tej Sapru, Tariq Shah, Satyen Kappu, Sumalatha, Poonam Dhillon, Saeed Jaffrey, Kishore Bhanushali, Brijgopal and the others are alright. Commentary by Raza Murad is effective.
Direction is limited by the script. Director Afzal Khan has borrowed ideas from previous hits rather than offering something new. His shot takings are, however, good. Veeru Devgan’s action scenes have been wonderfully composed and they lend good thrill. On the music (Laxmikant Pyarelal) front, there are two good songs — ‘Tapka re tapka’ and ‘Chhoo le choo le’. A couple of other songs are rather dull. Background score is effective, the impact accentuated by DTS mixing. Camerawork is fairly good. Production values are rich. Special (computer) effects are fair.
On the whole, Mahaanta is too routine a film to be able to entertain and will, therefore, prove a costly proposition for its distributors.
Released on 23-5-’97 at Liberty and 26 other cinemas of Bombay thru M.V. Pictures. Publicity: very good. Opening: average (adversely affected due to excessive number of cinemas). …….Also released all over.
NEW CINEMA OPENS IN BOMBAY
A new cinema — King’s — opened on 23rd May at Kurla, Bombay. A mini cinema with 191 seats, it is housed in the same premises at Kalpana and Kamran cinemas. It is airconditioned and is fitted with Stereophonic sound.
The cinema has just one class with an admission rate of Rs. 32.50. Its nett capacity per show is Rs. 3,753.15 and for 28 shows, it is Rs. 1,05,088.70. It is owned by Agadi Seth and its booking is being done by Rajshri.
In recent times, this is the fourth new cinema of Bombay. The three other newly-opened cinemas are Sona (at Borivli), Madhuban and Pooja (both at Dombivli).
FIRST MARATHI FILM ACTRESS KAMALABAI GOKHALE DEAD
Kamalabai Raghunathrao Gokhale, the first Maharashtrian actress to have acted in a film, passed away on the midnight of 18th May at the age of 97. She is survived by her son, Chandrakant Gokhale, and grandson, Vikram Gokhale.
Kamalabai joined Marathi theatre at the age of five. She acted in just one Marathi film, Bhasmasur Mohini, produced and directed by Dadasaheb Phalke in 1913. In fact, Bhasmasur Mohini was the first film to have a female in the cast. Prior to that, it was the norm for male artistes to enact the female roles.
BETTER FACILITIES AT FILM CITY PROMISED
Govind Swaroop, secretary, cultural affairs, govt. of Maharashtra, and managing director of Film City, met film people in an informal meeting organised by G.P. Shirke on behalf of the Chamber of Motion Picture Producers, on 20th May. He patiently heard the various problems faced by the film industry at Film City during shooting and promised to solve these problems. He further informed that Film City had various new plans to give better amenities and facilities for filmmaking at Film City.
He said that Film City had already introduced a medical facility and insurance scheme, available for the benefit of the producers. When asked about the security at Film City, he explained that now, Film City had ex-army personnel on its security team, and security patrolling teams had also been introduced.
The film personalities present at the meeting were Sultan Ahmed, Gaffarbhai Nadiadwala, Ramesh Taurani, T.C. Dewan, Jagdish Sharma, Surjit Aujla, Mehul Kumar and Sushama Shiromanee alongwith representatives of cine workers.
DIMPLE KAPADIA BEREAVED
Chunibhai Kapadia, father of Dimple Kapadia, expired on 17th May in Bombay. Chautha was held on 20th.
BABY GIRL FOR ANAND
Music director Anand’s (Anand Milind) wife delivered a baby girl on 22nd May at Pushpa nursing home, Lokhandwala Complex, Andheri, Bombay. This is the first child of the couple in 17 years.
YOU ASKED IT
When does the Rs. 15 lakh subsidy become due to a Marathi film producer — during the making of a film or at the time of release of the second (next) film?
– Firstly, Rs. 15 lakh subsidy has been promised by the Maharashtra chief minister, it hasn’t been made a policy decision so far. Whenever the policy comes (expected in mid-June), the subsidy for a film will become payable at the time of production of the producer’s next film, that too, in four instalments.
What is the progress of Mehul Kumar’s Aey Watan Tere Liye? Will it be released on 15th August this year, as planned?
– Insiders reveal that the film has been postponed for the time being. It is rumoured that Mehul Kumar is toying with the idea of another film with Amitabh Bachchan and Nana Patekar together.
Why are other film associations not as strong as the CCCA?
– Because there’s no unity among members in the other trade bodies.
DO YOU KNOW?
* Jayshree Talkies, Bijapur, has completed a hat-trick of silver jubilees in 1997 with RAJA HINDUSTANI. The earlier jubilees celebrated were: RAJA in 1995, and DDLJ in 1996.
* A church set of Lala Damani’s SAAZISH, erected in Ooty, has become a tourist attraction. The set has people visiting it every day.
* Just a week before the release of J.P. Dutta’s BORDER on 6th June, his earlier film, KSHATRIYA, will be revived in Bombay under a new title, KHILADIYON KA MUQABALA. Incidentally, both are four-hero films.
Case For Collective Action
The scene in a magistrate’s court in Bombay earlier this week would agitate and shock any sensible person. A lady from Baroda had filed a writ petition in the court, alleging that heroines Madhuri Dixit, Juhi Chawla, Karisma Kapoor, Raveena Tandon, Pooja Bhatt, Tabu and Mamta Kulkarni were all indulging in obscenity in films. As if this wasn’t bad enough, the lady came with a whole gang of her relatives and friends of all ages, to the court, obviously, with the intention of seeing and showing the stars in flesh and blood! Of course, the lady and her entourage must have been disappointed on not seeing a single actress as the heroines were all represented by their lawyers. Anyway, their disappointment is besides the point. What is the point is: how long can the industry and its people continue to be dragged to the court by such self-proclaimed custodians of law who, more often than not, are actually least concerned about the aesthetics they say they are fighting for.
It is not rare for mahila mandals to take up such issues in courts of law, only because an actor or actress refused to show their face or talk to some mad member of the mandal. Sometimes, the mere kick of troubling a busy and famous artiste prompts an individual or an organisation to make a case out of virtually nothing, and drag a helpless actress to court. And, the person making such a hue and cry must, more often than not, actually be seeing films like a crazy film buff.
The industry must collectively take up this matter with the authorities concerned so that punishment can be meted out to the complainant if it is established that the intention of the complainant was to simply harass an actor/actress or if the complaint is ab initio weak/senseless/baseless. If such a precedent is set, ninety-nine per cent of the cases against stars and filmmakers will never come up. In a recent judgement, a person falsely holding himself out to be Priyanka Gandhi’s husband was sent to jail. A judgement on similar lines in fraudulent cases involving stars is what is needed.
Coming back to the complainants. What are they actually trying to prove with such crazy cases? Their senselessness? Or are they fanning their egos? If they have a grouse, the right body to be addressed, in case of an objection to scenes in a film, is the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). And if they are so concerned about India’s culture and the morality of Indians, why do they turn a blind eye to girls wearing skimpier clothes in real life than our heroines on screen? Is it because a case against a nobody will get them nowhere and no publicity, while a case against a celebrity will get them fame and recognition?
Such fame and recognition be damned. High time, an end was put to such games played with popular names on grounds that are lame.
– Komal Nahta
3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment
Changing Luck?
Lady Luck seems to be smiling on Mushir Riaz who are known as unlucky producers in the industry. For one, the music of their Virasat has become extremely popular, which has made the film ‘hot’ among the city audience, at least. Their hero, Anil Kapoor, who wasn’t exactly going through a good phase of his career, has recently delivered a hit in Judaai. And their heroine, Tabu, has won a National Award for 1996. Mushir Riaz had better keep their fingers crossed so that these three lucky points translate into box-office luck for their moderately-priced Virasat.
Sorry, We’re Not In The Race
Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the debut-making director of Khamoshi, may not have had a taste of success, but he felt, his film could have picked up an award or two at the National Awards. Even this became impossible because Sanjay realised (too late) to his dismay that Polygram (who presented the film) had simply not applied for awards in a single category. And this, despite the fact that the Polygram people kept telling Sanjay that they had sent the print of the film to Delhi for the jury to see it. Phew! Wonder, why anybody would be averse to winning awards?