This Is Simply Not Done!

The telephonic threats by Pravin Shah and Pradeep Singh, producer and Thane sub-distributor respectively of HU TU TU, to Komal Nahta, editor of Film Information, earlier this week, sent shock waves in the Bombay film industry. Industry leaders and top producers, distributors, exhibitors, artistes and technicians of Bollywood have expressed disgust over the incident and have promised support to your editor.

Pradeep Singh telephoned Komal on 26th January at the latter’s residence and threatened him of dire consequences for having written an “unfavourable review” of HU TU TU in Film Information issue dated 23rd January, 1999. This was followed by telephone calls from Pravin Shah who threatened to eliminate Komal for the negative review.

Komal Nahta lodged an N.C. complaint (no. 234 dated 26-1-’99) with the Khar police station and also met the additional commissioner of police, Mr. Rakesh Maria, who promised to look into the matter and assured him of his safety. But in the meantime, Komal’s mother panicked so much that she had to be hospitalised (at Leelavati Hospital) for highly fluctuating blood pressure. She was in hospital for three days and was discharged on 29th.

It would be pertinent to point out here that HU TU TU has done well only in Bombay and parts of Maharashtra (as predicted by us in our review) but has failed miserably in the other circuits. It had to be discontinued from Ramachandra cinema of Hyderabad (an ‘A’ class centre of Nizam) after just 5 days due to lack of audience (5 days’ collection was a paltry 48,359/-). In Jodhpur (an ‘A’ class centre of Rajasthan), the collections of the film at Kohinoor dropped like mercury in a thermometre kept in a refrigerator. Collections of other centres (printed elsewhere in this issue) are proof of how the film has fared in the whole country. But that is not the issue here.

The question which arises in that even if the film had hit the bull’s eye, were such ghastly threats in order? Rightly has the shameful incident been condemned with indignation by one and all in the industry. The incident assumes even more significance because it landed a lady, completely unconnected with the episode, in hospital in a traumatised state.

Does anyone in a free country have the right to play with another’s life so callously? It’s really shameful — much more shameful than the box-office figures of HU TU TU.

LATEST POSITION

Extreme cold in various parts of the country has affected collections in the night shows. At places, the night shows record 10-15% collections only.

Aa Ab Laut Chalen could not pick up much and remained steady at medium collections at many centres; it, however, dropped at some places. Is dull in East Punjab and Rajasthan. 1st week Bombay 42,92,860 (86.22%) from 9 cinemas (5 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 10,60,166 from 6 cinemas, Padra 1,94,988, Rajkot 1,31,400, Jamnagar 1,41,713, Adipur 1,19,650 (73.73%); Pune 7,28,357 from 4 cinemas (1 in matinee), Kolhapur 1,47,633, Solapur 2,33,901 from 2 cinemas; Hubli 1,89,988 (100%), Belgaum 1,62,505 (100%); Delhi 33,95,177 (77.90%) from 9 cinemas (1 on F.H.); Kanpur 3,26,569 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 3,76,520, Agra 2,97,282, Varanasi 4,14,410 from 2 cinemas, Allahabad 2,44,578, Meerut 2,64,900, Bareilly 1,71,597 (76.75%), Hardwar 44,622; Calcutta 12,55,314 from 10 cinemas; Nagpur 2,51,381 from 3 cinemas, Amravati 1,49,510, Raipur 1,49,951, Bhilai 1,41,570 from 2 cinemas, Jalgaon 1,40,049, Bilaspur 1,00,345; Indore 1,38,640 (3 on F.H.), Bhopal 2,76,608 from 2 cinemas; Jaipur 4,42,796 from 2 cinemas; Hyderabad 28,28,501 from 12 cinemas, share about 14,00,000.

Hum Aapke Dil Mein Rehte Hain picked up in several centres due to ladies’ patronage. It has done excellent in Bombay and is good in Delhi-U.P., West Bengal, C.P.C.I. and Nizam but dull in Rajasthan. 1st week Bombay 45,32,854 (94.77%) from 8 cinemas (9 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 8,30,821 from 3 cinemas (1 unrecd.), Valsad 2,10,332 (81.75%), Rajkot 1,89,960 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee), Jamnagar 1,25,943; Pune 13,02,746 from 5 cinemas (1 in matinee), Kolhapur 2,99,203, Solapur 2,19,217 (98%); Belgaum 1,27,890; Delhi 36,20,660 (85.16%) from 8 cinemas; Kanpur 4,97,480 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 4,91,849, Varanasi 2,26,939, Allahabad 1,83,430, Meerut 2,57,764, Bareilly 1,68,495 (55.60%), Hardwar 90,000; Calcutta 26,52,155 from 14 cinemas; Nagpur 5,83,275 from 3 cinemas, Jabalpur 1,70,435, Amravati 1,67,715, Dhule 1,30,609, Raipur 1,71,879, Bhilai 1,46,770, Gondia (gross) 1,20,631, Chandrapur 1,75,875, Yavatmal 1,00,065, Bilaspur 1,82,556; Bhopal 1,36,320 (1 on F.H.); Jaipur 7,09,544 from 4 cinemas; Hyderabad 14,95,762 from 7 cinemas (1 in noon).

Hu Tu Tu has done well in Bombay and parts of Maharashtra but dropped badly in the other places from 3rd/4th day onwards. It will entail heavy losses to almost all its distributors. 1st week Bombay 22,71,641 (93.82%) from 4 cinemas (8 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 3,30,975 from 2 cinemas, Rajkot 1,16,511, Jamnagar (matinee) 15,328; Pune 5,19,199 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee), Solapur (matinee) 72,470; Delhi 15,65,422 (56.64%) from 4 cinemas (1 on F.H.); Kanpur 1,91,000, Lucknow 3,75,962, Allahabad 1,24,000, Bareilly 94,904 (33.45%); Calcutta 12,08,877 from 8 cinemas; Nagpur 5,32,818 from 3 cinemas, Jabalpur 1,24,654, Amravati 1,75,164, Raipur 1,31,010, Jalgaon 1,32,397; Indore 1,65,159 (1 on F.H.), Bhopal 1,30,629; Jaipur 2,13,880; Hyderabad 12,88,764 from 7 cinemas (1 in noon).

Bade Dilwala is poor. 1st week Bombay 22,12,618 (49.09%) from 11 cinemas (7 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 2,40,567 from 4 cinemas, Bhuj 45,000; Pune 4,45,770 from 6 cinemas (1 in matinee); Delhi 14,52,907 (27.82%) from 10 cinemas (3 on F.H.); Kanpur 1,64,759 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 1,37,179, Varanasi 98,984, Allahabad 1,13,000, Meerut 1,17,513; Calcutta 3,05,552 from 3 cinemas; Nagpur 1,03,988 from 2 cinemas, Bhilai 24,084, Jalgaon 68,489; Indore 76,737 (1 on F.H.), Bhopal 73,591; Jodhpur 1,50,000.

Tej Raftaar (dubbed) has done well despite the opposition of so many new releases simultaneously. 1st week Ahmedabad 1,20,507 (70%), Surat 1,30,929 (69%), Baroda 1,13,627 (78%), Rajkot 1,38,848 (65%); Pune 47,854 (19%), Kolhapur 83,587 (45%), Solapur 1,18,741 (79%), Nasik 43,537 (20%), Sangli 88,987 (37%), Ichalkaranji 77,147 (46%), Malegaon 1,20,075 (45%); Belgaum 85,756 (81%); Hyderabad 2,38,893 (98%).

Kuch Kuch Hota Hai 15th week Bombay 23,25,892 (71.35%) from 8 cinemas  (5 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 3,80,835 from 4 cinemas, 2nd week Himmatnagar 1,24,210 (1st 1,27,325), 15th week Baroda 1,39,724; Pune 5,77,995 from 3 cinemas (1 in matinee), Solapur (matinee) 38,913; Delhi 4,72,397 from 2 cinemas (3 on F.H.); Kanpur 2,50,249 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 3,80,146, Agra 1,03,000, Varanasi 1,65,411, Allahabad 72,339; Calcutta 5,71,169 from 3 cinemas; Nagpur 1,06,970, 2nd week Kamptee 75,804 (1st 71,315), 10th week Jabalpur 1,61,848 (9th 1,58,369), total 19,12,562, 13th week Amravati (6 days) 76,570, 2nd week (6 days) Durg (gross) 63,678, 15th week Bilaspur 25,000, 3rd week Balaghat 66,090, total 2,27,482; 15th week Indore 89,224; Jaipur 4,61,496, Ajmer 43,581; Hyderabad 4,67,217 from 2 cinemas (1 in noon); Vijayawada 6 weeks’ total 4,25,146.

…………..

YOU ASKED IT

What is the final tally of China Gate?

– It will fetch commission in a few circuits. In the rest, it will entail losses to distributors.

When so many English films are being dubbed in Hindi, why is Shekhar Kapur’s Elizabeth not being dubbed?

– You never know, someone just might dub it in Hind. But one wonders whether it will have the same appeal as in English.

How much would an ‘A’ grade project’s music rights fetch today?

– The audio rights may fetch the price of a major circuit.

MIX MASALA

UNIQUE WEDDING INVITATIONS

That a wedding in the family of leading film financier Bharat Shah would be an ultra-grand affair has now come to be accepted as a custom. The wedding cards are always as rich and tasteful as the string of functions preceding the wedding reception and the reception itself. And the invitation card for the marriage of Sweta, daughter of Vijay Shah and niece of Bharatbhai, with Bhavin, on 6th and 7th February in Bombay, is simply breathtaking. It is in the shape of a book which has been explained to be a Bhrigu Samhita — an ancient Indian text which is believed to contain the life histories of everybody. The pages of the heavily decorated book, printed on imported paper, contain the details of the marriage ceremony and other programmes. The invitation book, it may be added here, has been sent out in huge and stylish boxes.

HERE & THERE

Republic Day Honours For Ashok Kumar, Lata, Javed

Melody queen Lata Mangeshkar was among the 14 distinguished people of the country chosen for the Padma Vibhushan award on the occasion of Republic Day this year. This is the country’s second highest civilian award. Veteran Ashok Kumar has been honoured with Padma Bhushan. The two film personalities awarded Padma Shri are lyricist Javed Akhtar and character actress Sulochana. The awards were announced by president K.R. Narayanan.

All the winners, obviously, feel honoured. Lata expressed her gratitude to the government. Javed Akhtar said that the honour had reminded him of his social responsibilities as a writer and poet and he would try to fulfil them. Veteran actress Sulochana thanked her teachers, parents and all her fans whose blessings had given her the will power to achieve this success.

Mahajan Assures Immediate Action To Solve FTII Problems

I & B minister Pramod Mahajan, who is taking a keen interest in promoting the film industry and solving its problems, visited the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, on 18th January to have first-hand information on its problems. The tussle between the students and the director of the institute, Dr. Mohan Agashe, has been on for a long time, as the new members of the governing council of the Institute have not yet been appointed by the government. The governing council is to take the final decision in the matter of the revised syllabus suggested by Dr. Agashe. At present, nothing seems to be moving on the FTII front. The government is giving a thought to privatising the Institute to make it a profit-making centre by opening its doors for producers to shoot their films there. Mahajan, after his visit to the Institute, assured the staff and students that he would take an immediate decision to chart out the future course of the FTII, which has 200 staffers working full-time.

Asha Bhosle Pained At Today’s Soulless Songs

Asha Bhosle, who is in Delhi to participate in a musical nite today (30th January), while talking to the press, opined that the passing away of the great music directors and poet-lyricists was one of the primary reasons behind the absence of melody in today’s film songs. She also found fault with the audience, saying that public demand compelled lyricists and musicians to churn out soulless songs. “Let the public reject it and melody would return,” she said. Asha, who has earned a place for herself in the world of pop music too, said that pop music was nothing but popular music, and she sang only those songs which had scope for melody and popular appeal. She said that the younger generation preferred fast music but their singing in various TV musical programmes provided ample proof of the timelessness of old film songs which were melodious.

3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment

Too Disturbing?

Many among the audience have found the scene of Hum Aapke Dil Mein Rehte Hain in which Kajol, in an advanced state of pregnancy, falls flat on her stomach, too disturbing to bear. But exhibitor Ravi Machhar has not just heard this complaint, he has had the staff of his Abhinay cinema in Aurangabad administer first aid to a couple of ladies who fainted in the auditorium while seeing the scene in different shows in the first week. While this is definitely not a good thing to have happened, it, nevertheless, speaks volumes for Kajol’s acting prowess.

The Showman And His Staff

The party which Subhash Ghai’s staff hosted at his Audeus studio on 23rd January to bring in his birthday on 24th was a well-organised and homely affair. It was a surprise party for Ghai who remarked, “Look, I’m not even dressed up for the occasion.” But the party also had surprises in store for the select invitees. For, Anand Bakshi rendered a lovely song which he has written for a film to be made by Zee and directed by Anil Sharma. Playback singer Sukhwinder also regaled the gathering with his songs. Anil Kapoor, Akshaye Khanna, Aishwarya Rai and Alok Nath were the four As who added glamour to the party which went on till the wee hours of the morning. And although there was a lot of merry-making, drinks and dinner, what was the best part of the party came towards the end when the amiable Ghai danced with his office boys, making each one feel so special that day. His wife was happy playing the hostess but when it came to speaking a few words on the mike, the elegant lady only blushed and was heard sweetly whispering into hubby’s ear, “Main kya boloon?” (“What do I say?”).