MELA
Venus Records & Tapes’ Mela (UA) is a masala film with revenge as its base. The peace of a village is disturbed when a dreaded dacoit assassinates a minister invited by the villagers to inaugurate a fair (mela), an annual feature of the village. The dacoit, after the assassination, falls for a beautiful girl who lives with her brother in the village. When the brother tries to save his sister from being picked up by the dacoit, he is killed. The girl swears revenge. While on the run, she comes across two guys who are close friends. One falls in love with her while the other treats her like his own sister. The three of them join forces to avenge the wrongs perpetrated on her, but not before her beloved becomes the victim of misunderstandings galore.
The story offers absolutely nothing new and the screenplay (by Neeraj Vora, Sanjeev Duggal and Robin Bhatt) reminds of films like Caravan, Sholay and the more recent China Gate. Some incidents also make the drama tedious at places. What save the film from deteriorating completely are the comedy punches in the first half and a few dramatic and well-executed action scenes. The second half is lengthy, repetitive and boring. The main negative aspects are the almost dull music (Anu Malik), the lack of repeat value and novelty, a weak romantic track, and a dacoit who is supposed to spell terror in the village, but is actually hardly menacing or intimidating in his performance.
Aamir Khan scores in the first half and his comedy and dialogues (Neeraj Vora and Dharmesh Darshan) are excellent. In the dramatic scenes too, he is likeable. Faisal Khan acts quite well but there’s no variation in his facial expressions or body language. Twinkle Khanna looks sexy, reveals quite a good deal of her anatomy but does an average job as far as acting goes. Her expressions are below the mark and, in fact, her dubbing (by a dubbing artiste) is better than her performance. Her constant conflict with herself (conveyed through her talking to her conscience quite regularly) gets boring after a while. Tinu Verma, as the dreaded dacoit, has screen presence but gives an average performance. He is not even a tenth as menacing as Gabbar Singh of Sholay, from whom his character is heavily inspired and because of which he is bound to be compared to the original character, much to his disadvantage. Johny Lever is excellent. Ayub Khan and Parmeet Sethi are alright. Archna Pooran Singh is wasted; she deserved a far meatier role. Navneet Nishan, too, does not get much scope. Veeru Krishnan does well but the scene in which he challenges a villager, though it prepares the public for an exhilarating experience, has hardly any impact. Asrani, Tiku Talsania and Kulbhushan Kharbanda get very limited scopes. Tanvi Azmi does an able job. Master Omkar Kapoor is alright. Anirudh Agarwal, Subbiraj, Viju Khote, Harish Patel and the others provide average support. Aishwarya Rai, in a special appearance, lends glamour coupled with a pleasant shock-value.
Dharmesh Darshan has concentrated more on the canvas of the film than its backbone (script). Not only is the script routine, the making is also quite crude. Nevertheless, this crudeness will appeal to the mass audience, especially in the Hindi-speaking belt. Music should have been nothing short of hit, considering the film’s canvas, cast and making. But while the title song and a couple of others including ‘Dekho 2000’ are hummable, a few are dull. Song picturisations are rich, the ‘Dekho 2000’ number being very well choreographed. Rajan Kinagi’s camerawork is beautiful. Sets (Nitin Desai) are grand. Action is very thrilling. Climax, though exciting and well-shot, is, nevertheless, predictable. Editing is loose. The film can and should be re-edited by at least 15 minutes to advantage. A couple of songs should be deleted.
On the whole, high-priced Mela has mass-appealing masala for circuits like Bihar, Rajasthan and C.I. but not enough for many of the other circuits. After a dull start at many places, it can hope to pick up on Idd, but in the ultimate analysis, it will not really gladden the hearts of too many. In some circuits, the result can be truly disappointing.
Released on 7-1-2000 at Metro and 24 other cinemas of Bombay thru AA Films. Publicity: very good. Opening: not up to the mark. …….Also released all over. Opening was dull almost everywhere, partly owing to Ramzan and partly due to ordinary music.
BULANDI
Maa Sherawali Productions’ Bulandi, remake of the Tamil hit, Nattamai, is based in a village where the Thakur’s word is law. The noble and extremely just and impartial Thakur is worshipped like a God in the village for these very qualities of his, inherited by him from his late father. The Thakur’s younger brother gets married to a rich and modern girl who finds it hard to believe that a human being can be treated like a God. She resents her husband’s blind hero-worship of his Thakur-brother and this breaks the peace of the house. She, however, learns to adjust to her new environment. All hell breaks loose when her husband is accused of raping a lady in the village and thereby leading her (rape victim) to commit suicide. The Thakur banishes his own brother from the village, as punishment for the rape and suicide. Ultimately, it is revealed that the Thakur’s brother was innocent and had been framed by his cousin to seek revenge for himself having been banished by the earlier Thakur (father).
On the plus side, the film boasts of a number of scenes with tremendous ladies appeal. Emotions are heart-rending. But on the flip side, the concept of likening a Thakur to God in today’s modern times will be difficult to digest, especially for the audience in cities. While the constant pointers to the role of ladies as being subservient to the menfolk may be liked by women and families in small towns and villages, the audience in ‘A’ class centres will find the same as being too regressive. The scenes showing the internal dissensions in the banished family of the cousin are repetitive and irritating too. The track of the modern girl not being able to adjust in her husband’s home and her ultimate repentance is excellent. Erode Sounder’s story, therefore, will be liked by the audience in small centres but will not be appreciated by people in many big centres. Aadesh K. Arjun’s dialogues are extremely good at several places.
Anil Kapoor plays a double role (Thakur and his younger brother) and does an excellent job. In the role of the just Thakur, especially, he gets into the skin of the character and comes out with flying colours. Rekha does a fine job but looks too old to be dancing in song sequences. Raveena Tandon acts very ably. Rajinikanth is simply fabulous in a brief role. His gait and walking style are par excellence but his Tamilian accent will be resented in North India. Harish is alright in a role that offers limited scope. Sadashiv Amarapurkar and Paresh Rawal provide crude comic moments that will be hated by the class audience but liked by the masses. Shakti Kapoor is okay and so are Aroona Irani and Ranjeet. It is the track of this trio that brings in boredom in the drama. Kulbhushan Kharbanda is restrained. Others lend fair support.
T. Rama Rao’s direction is good but he should have given the film a more contemporary flavour. However, he handles the emotional scenes with aplomb. Viju Sha’s music is a letdown. Except for a couple of songs which are reasonably well-tuned, the others are poor. Song situations are contrived and their picturisations are also not up to the mark. Action scenes remind of films made in Madras in the eighties. Camerawork is of standard.
On the whole, Bulandi, which has opened to disastrous houses almost all over, can hope to succeed on the strength of ladies patronage in circuits like Bengal, Bihar, C.P. Berar and Maharashtra. But its fate in cities like Bombay and Delhi and in circuits like East Punjab and South will be disastrous.
Released on 7-1-2000 at Minerva and 21 other cinemas of Bombay thru Maa Sherawali Films. Publicity: good. Opening: dull. …….Also released all over except in C.I. Opening was poor at most of the places.
LATEST POSITION
Collections are on the lower side due to Ramzan and also because of the cold wave in several parts of the country.
Jaanwar 2nd week Bombay 25,65,891 (41.43%) from 11 cinemas (8 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 2,37,845 from 3 cinemas (2 unrecd.), Jamnagar (matinee) 11,900; Delhi 14,70,722 from 9 cinemas (2 on F.H.); Kanpur 2,69,503 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 2,55,218, Allahabad 1,68,300, Bareilly (6 days) 81,292; Calcutta 10,82,506 from 8 cinemas; Nagpur 1,35,912, Akola 1,09,577, total 2,64,027, Raipur (6 days) 1,23,880, Chandrapur 1,24,117, total 3,17,886, Yavatmal 86,022 (1st 1,18,748); Indore 1,84,774 from 2 cinemas (2 on F.H.), Bhopal 88,587; Jaipur 2,91,021; Hyderabad (gross) 4,32,432 from 3 cinemas (1 in noon).
Hum Saath-Saath Hain 9th week Bombay 4,33,000 (47%; 6 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 1,34,083 (1 unrecd.), Rajkot (14 shows) 65,247, Jamnagar 30,123, Bhavnagar 50,487; Hubli 78,207, Belgaum 84,557, 2nd week Gadag 38,006, 5th week Bijapur 51,890, Nippani 31,532; 9th week Delhi 4,21,833 from 3 cinemas; Kanpur 1,24,645, Lucknow 2,48,527, Agra 1,19,398, Varanasi 1,21,696, Allahabad 87,326, Bareilly 40,563, Jhansi 60,635, Dehradun 87,289, 5th week Hardwar 36,930, Moradabad 37,334; 9th week Amritsar 1,33,810, Ludhiana 2,04,320, Faridabad 46,046, Jammu 65,220, 3rd week Ambala Cantt. 53,397; 9th week Calcutta 4,27,928 from 5 cinemas; Nagpur 2,19,647, 6th week Balaghat 46,137, 9th Jabalpur 2,18,123, Amravati 1,49,760, total 20,69,126, Akola 99,083, total 14,79,743, Dhule 45,082, Raipur (gross) 1,73,775, Bhilai 60,196, 7th week Jalgaon 1,11,853, Bhusawal 39,313, Gondia (14 shows) 36,627, Wardha (14 shows) 16,170, Chandrapur 1,01,877, total 18,53,108, Yavatmal 52,944 (8th 61,212), Khandwa 73,672, total 15,57,629; Indore 1,23,776 (3 on F.H.); Jaipur 5,94,067, Jodhpur (gross) 2,79,688, Ajmer 85,291, Bikaner 65,843, Kota 97,664, Bhilwara 49,737; Hyderabad (gross) 5,22,243 from 2 cinemas (1 in noon), Aurangabad 1,46,591; Bangalore 1,71,479; Madras 2,06,097 from 2 cinemas.
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Lekroo (Marathi; TF) 1st week Bombay 25,036 (18.30%), poor.
Maadi Jaaya (Gujarati; TF) 1st week Ahmedabad 1,25,556 from 3 cinemas (1 unrecd.). Dull.
Maa Baap Ne Bhulsho Nahin (Gujarati; TF) is very strong. 3rd week Ahmedabad 6,67,438 from 4 cinemas (1 unrecd.), 2nd week Rajkot 49,900.
Shaheed Uddham Singh (Punjabi; TF) has been appreciated in Punjab.
‘BULANDI’: C.I. DISTRIBUTOR DEFAULTS
Bulandi could not be released in C.I. on 7th January as the delivery could not be effected. The film’s distribution rights had been sold at a price of 25. Its C.I. distributor, Yogesh Syal (Seema Movies), had paid producer Bobby Anand 8.50 under-production and came to Bombay with only 7 more to take delivery. With a shortfall of 9.50, Bobby Anand could not effect delivery.
Cinemas in Indore, Bhopal and other stations of C.I., where Bulandi was due to open on Friday (7th), had to make do with other programmes. The film is now likely to be distributed in C.I. by Bobby Anand himself. Bobby has flown to Indore this morning (8th) with the prints. Bulandi may open in Bhopal today itself and in other stations, tomorrow.
NEW CINEMA IN MADRAS
Sree, a new cinema, opened in the Sathyam theatre complex in Madras on 31st December. The cinema is equipped with DTS and Dolby Digital sound systems.
G.D. MEHTA ELECTED MPA PRESIDENT
G.D. Mehta was elected president of the Motion Pictures Association, Delhi, at its 48th annual general meeting held on 31st December, 1999. He defeated K.M.S. Khan by bagging 165 votes as against the latter’s 127. Kirit C. Desai (162 votes) and Vinod Lamba (162) were elected vice presidents, and G.S. Mayawala (193), honorary general secretary. Sakshi Mehra (173), Surinder Paul (169), Rajinder Singh (141) and Vikram Sethi (135) were elected honorary joint secretaries, and Ram Swaroop Marwah (174), hon. treasurer.
The nine members elected to the executive committee were Brijesh Tandon (who bagged the highest number of votes — 192), Sushil Bhasin (170 votes), Ranjit Singh Seble (164), Ravinder Rastogi (162), S.K. Bedi (161), Rakesh Paul (152), Lalit Kothari (148), Ajay Gupta (147) and Shashank Raizada (141).
The Mayawala-Mehta group, which fielded nine candidates in the direct election of office-bearers and nine in the executive committee seat elections, had a hands-down victory. Seventeen of its candidates were elected. Vikram Sethi was the lone winner from the opposition (K.M.S. Khan) group.
ARTISTES’ SECRETARIES FELICITATE B.R. CHOPRA
The Cine Artistes Secretaries Association (CASA) recently felicitated B.R. Chopra on being conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his contribution to the film industry, at his Khar office. Madan Arora and Pawan Kumar garlanded B.R. Chopra.
The Association’s president, Punkej Kharabanda, and secretary, Dinesh Gupta, paid glowing tributes to the veteran filmmaker through their brief speeches.
YOU ASKED IT
Is there any significant example of a film released in 1999, which proved a super-hit in one or two territories but a flop or average in others?
– HUM DIL DE CHUKE SANAM is the best example. It was a big hit in Bombay circuit but a flop in the Eastern circuit. SOORYAVANSHAM is another example. It did very good business in West Bengal, Bihar and C.P. Berar, but is a dismal flop in Delhi-U.P. and East Punjab.
In his interview published in your issue last week, Shah Rukh Khan has said that the present-day newcomers are too methodical and that they must show “that little difference, that little something that’s you and only you”. But saying this, isn’t the star letting out a trade secret?
– Yes, he is letting out a trade secret, which is really creditable! But even if he has let out a secret, it may not be easy for newcomers to follow the advice because it depends on how much the individual newcomer is able to assess himself and his qualities.
Will a film click if its subject comprises great ideas from four to six super-hit films?
– Not necessarily! The different ideas should, first and foremost, match and merge into one another well. Secondly, since the ideas are being picked up from super-hit films, the challenge is even greater because they (the ideas) would be in public memory for a long time. Thirdly, my humble advice to you — think original.
I shudder to think what will happen to our writers if every Hollywood filmmaker issues a warning, stating, “Copying this film will amount to a criminal offence”! Your comment.
– The industry’s writers will have to think of a new formula for coping with the copying warning.
CENSOR NEWS
Dreamz & Filmz P. Ltd.’s Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, applied on 3rd and seen on 4th, has been issued C.C. No. CIL/2/1/2000 (UA) dt. 7-1-2000; length 4388.26 metres in 16 reels (minor deletion in sound only).
Aftab Music Industries’ Badal was given C.C. No. CIL/3/2/2000 (A) dt. 5-1-2000; length 4800.69 metres in 18 reels (cuts: 111.42 metres).
Columbia Tristar Films’ Khatarnak Qatil (dubbed), seen on 3rd, has been issued C.C. No. CFL/3/1/2000 (A) dt. 6-1-2000; length 3229.47 metres in 6 reels (no cut).
Neha International’s Kharidaar was seen on 28th.
Tapssvi Production’s Phool Bane Barood (revised), seen on 3rd, has been passed for adults, with cuts.
Sheela Devi Films’ Nagin Bani Chudail, seen on 4th, has been refused certificate.
☺☺ When ‘Hit’ Is A Four-Letter Word ☺☺
This incident took place about 10 years ago. The Bombay distributor of a to-be-released film was pretty sure that it would be a hit. We had seen the film’s trial and we weren’t confident of its performance at the box-office. Sensing our reaction and also because he was pretty confident, he invited us to see the film on the first day with the public, in the main cinema. Off went our staffer to see the film and to gauge the public reaction at Dreamland. As was expected, the public hated the film and came out of the auditorium, abusing it. The Information guy was standing beside the distributor, and he felt truly embarrassed with the public’s foul language. But our distributor was made of sterner stuff. Said he, “Mujhe maloom tha, yeh honewala hai. Public andar se khush hai lekin baahar se gaaliyan de rahi hai. Iska matlab ki film hit ho gayee.”
3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment
The Silver Lining
While the film industry was under a dark cloud in the year that went by, the wonderful and unique cover pages of Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge in the annual issue of Film Information last week gave the industry hope of a silver lining in the new year. The shimmering silver covers (front as well as back) had a-page-a-month calendar of Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge pasted on the front, with stills of the film on every page. Never before was such a grand cover seen by the trade in any magazine. We at Information were inundated with calls congratulating us. But, but… but credit hum nahin le jayenge! The credit and congratulations are entirely and rightfully due to the film’s enterprising producer, Gordhan Tanwani, and to the Nandas — Himanshu and Rahul — for their inimitable conception, visualisation and their aesthetically creative design. It is they who deserve 2000 pats for the silver lining at the start of year 2000! Incidentally, the calendar on the cover of our issue last week is meant to be detached therefrom and can be used as a wall-calendar.
35 Of A Family Saath-Saath
Pratibha Patil, a former member of parliament and also former deputy speaker of the Rajya Sabha, and her husband, Devisingh Shekhawat, a former MLA and first mayor of Amravati Municipal Corporation — both Congress leaders — recently decided to see Hum Saath-Saath Hain saath-saath with their family members. The entire group of 35 members included the politician-couple’s son-in-law from Delhi. On learning that Amravati’s numero uno cinema — Chitra — was showing HS-SH, he requested his father-in-law to book the tickets. The cinema management immediately complied with the request of the former MLA. And that’s how the politicians’ family saw the film en bloc! …Meanwhile, the cinema management is still receiving requests for bulk bookings even though the film has completed 9 weeks. The balcony class gets full in no time. The audience response to HS-SH is so heartening that the management of Chitra is confident of HS-SH surpassing the 25 weeks’ share of Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (which was also screened at Chitra) and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge in just 10 weeks!
Hope 2000!
“Although the last year has not been too good for most of us, we must take heart from the fact that we did not do too badly as compared to most other industries in India. The financial calamities faced by some top industries is unimaginable. We are better off.”
These are the words (rather observations) of Bombay distributor Ramesh Sippy of B.R.A. Corporation, while looking back at the year that went by. In his Millennium Message sent to friends in the film trade, he has infused hope and inspiration for the new year and concluded with a “token of sweetness”. In the message, he adds, “We need to remind ourselves that to survive, we have to overcome some of our obstacles of previous years in the new millennium. Unity amongst us was conspicuous by its absence. I sincerely hope that we all realise that lack of unity may lead to our ruin. So let us put our hearts, souls and minds together and tackle our problems selflessly and jointly to ensure that the problems faced by us in the last millennium are a thing of the past. Let us make the next millennium something to remember for the rest of the film industry and the country.
“I take this opportunity to wish you and your families a very Happy New Year and all the prosperity in the next millennium. Please accept this token of sweetness and let us make the next millennium a sweeter world to live in.”
Popular…. Phir Bhi Profound
The title song of Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, which has already become popular, may seem to be a light song but the thoughts infused into the song through its lyrics are very profound. The credit for penning such a thoughtful song goes to Javed Akhtar who has also written the film’s other songs. Lyricist Javed Akhtar, it may be mentioned here, has created a hat-trick by bagging three National Awards in a row in the last three years (for Saaz in 1996; Border in 1997; and Godmother in 1998).
Missing From ‘Mela’
This lapse would merit an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records, if only because it involves a big film like Mela. The print of the mega-budget film, which reached Nanded on Thursday (6th January) was, due to oversight, minus reel nos. 3, 4, and 5. But the exhibitor was cool enough to do what nobody would have dreamt of doing — he went ahead and screened the film without the three reels. And this, not in one show but in all the 4 shows of Friday, January 7! Whether the audience cribbed or complained, one is not sure. But the show went on! Perhaps, those among the audience, who realised that something in the film was missing, must’ve drawn their own conclusion that, perhaps, some reels had got lost in a mela! Anyway, the three missing reels were rushed to Nanded on Friday itself and, hopefully, the audience there will see the full Mela from today (Saturday).
