SHAPATH
Aabha Films’ Shapath (A) is one more tale of good versus evil. A commando and a police officer, who are sworn enemies first, unite to eliminate the evil men of society, including a police commissioner and an arms smuggler. There is also an element of suspense in the drama. The story and screenplay (Sanjay Kumar) have a number of turns and twists to keep the audience interest alive, but the presentation leaves something to be desired. Dialogues, except at a couple of places, are routine. Emotions fail to touch the heart.
Both, Mithun Chakraborty and Jackie Shroff, go through their roles mechanically. Ramya Krishna is average and so is Vinita in a small role. Harish does not get much scope. His dance is good as usual. Gulshan Grover does a fine job. Kader Khan is alright. Raza Murad and Deepak Shirke are okay. Salim Ghouse fails to impress. Karina Grover, Ranjeet, Rami Reddy, Guddi Maruti and Achyut Potdar lend average support. Shakti Kapoor’s comedy will appeal to the front-benchers.
Rajiv Babbar’s debut direction is functional. He leaves several loose ends and unanswered queries. On the music side, the qawwali of Altaf Raja is very good and its picturisation is appropriate. ‘Chuski’ and ‘Choom le’ are also quite appealing numbers. Camerawork is fair. Action is of the kind which will go down well with front-benchers. Production values are alright.
On the whole, Shapath is an average fare for ‘B’ and ‘C’ class centres only.
Released on 12-12-’97 at Alankar and 17 other cinemas of Bombay by Hum Films thru Balaji Enterprises. Publicity: good. Opening: quite good. …….Also released all over.
LATEST POSITION
Heavy rains in different parts of the country as also severe cold are adversely affecting collections.
Qahar is excellent in U.P. and quite good in other circuits except in Gujarat where it dropped badly from 4th/5th day. 1st week Bombay 32,81,726 (70%) from 14 cinemas (11 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 7,26,097 from 8 cinemas, Bharuch (gross) 2,33,032, Rajkot 1,95,690 from 2 cinemas, Jamnagar 1,18,764 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee); Pune 9,26,275 from 7 cinemas (1 in matinee), Kolhapur 1,89,063; Delhi 31,81,798 (75.27%) from 11 cinemas (3 on F.H.); Kanpur 3,64,888 from 2 cinemas, Varanasi 2,13,326, Meerut 1,98,320, Bareilly 1,56,450 (78.70%), Gorakhpur 1,48,000, Hardwar 90,366; very good in East Punjab; Calcutta 15,77,702 from 14 cinemas; Nagpur 4,19,089 from 5 cinemas, Jabalpur (6 days) 1,19,175, Amravati 1,68,611, Akola 1,43,561, Raipur (6 days) 1,10,811, Bhilai (6 days) 86,841, Khandwa 1,07,913; Indore 2,83,579 from 2 cinemas (3 on F.H.), Bhopal 1,63,243 (2 on F.H.); Jaipur 6,66,018 from 4 cinemas, Bikaner (5 days) 1,91,495; Hyderabad 19,79,364 from 12 cinemas (1 in noon).
Face/Off (Badalte/Chehre, dubbed) is poor. 1st week Bombay 4,06,526 (22.95%) from 4 cinemas (2 unrecd.). Its original English version is good.
Ishq 2nd week Bombay 40,52,630 (90.72%) from 10 cinemas (4 on F.H.), K.T. Vision, Vasai, Bombay (gross) 3,23,822, Meghraj, Vasai, Bombay 2,58,165; Ahmedabad 9,70,199 from 4 cinemas, Padra 1,68,043, Rajkot (matinee) 70,983 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee & 1 in daily 1 show), Jamnagar 1,17,602; Pune 13,04,282 from 6 cinemas, Kolhapur 1,52,000; Delhi 40,49,800 from 11 cinemas (1 on F.H.); Kanpur 3,37,705 from 2 cinemas, Varanasi 1,62,419, Meerut 2,07,578, Bareilly (26 shows) 1,18,940 (56.90%), Dehradun 1,65,000, Gorakhpur 1,27,000, Hardwar 45,000; Calcutta 16,05,569 from 13 cinemas; Nagpur 5,53,066 from 3 cinemas, Jabalpur (6 days) 1,63,497, Amravati 2,05,149, Akola (27 shows) 1,71,684, total 4,25,912, Raipur (6 days) 1,38,278, Bhilai (6 days) 1,15,400, Durg 1,09,429, Chandrapur 1,64,591, total 4,19,692; Bhopal 3,35,955 from 2 cinemas; Jaipur 4,59,964 from 2 cinemas, Ajmer (gross) 2,07,391 (1st week 30 shows 2,80,446), Bikaner 3,03,390; extraordinary in Hyderabad.
………
KULWANT KOHLI IS BOMBAY SHERIFF
Film financier and erstwhile Bombay distributor Kulwant Singh Kohli will be the new sheriff of Bombay. He will be sworn in today (13th December) at Raj Bhavan. Apart from being a hotelier, 64-year old Kohli had financed films like Pakeezah and Ladies Tailor, besides distributing a number of films including Pakeezah.
‘CHACHI 420’ PREMIERE AT CINEMAX, BOMBAY
Shringar Films, Bombay, will hold a premiere show of Chachi 420 on 18th December at the new Cinemax theatre which will open with this film. Shringar is the distributor of Chachi 420 in Bombay and also controls the new cinema.
RAMESH SIPPY TO COMPLETE ‘DUS’
Ramesh Sippy has been finalised to complete Neha-MAD Films Combine’s Dus. The film was being directed by Mukul S. Anand who passed away in September this year.
It stars Vinod Khanna, Sanjay Dutt and Salman Khan.
POOJA BATRA ASSAULTED AT FILMALAYA
Pooja Batra and her brother, who was escorting her, were beaten up by hoodlums in the Filmalaya Studios premises on the night of 10th December while they were leaving the studio after completing work for Ashok Ghai’s Sham-Ghansham. Three hoodlums, who were seen consuming liquor in the studio canteen, passed abusive comments when Pooja and her brother were leaving the studio. When her brother objected to the language used, there was a scuffle in which the members of the film’s unit roughed up the three miscreants who had sneaked into the studio without any apparent work.
One of the three hoodlums then fetched a chopper from a food stall near the studio and threatened the Batras as well as the unit hands. Another scuffle followed in which Pooja and her brother were thrown to the ground and beaten up by the miscreants who fled after the actress and the unit members ran for cover.
Pooja Batra has trained in karate and tried to defend herself but was instead roughed up.
While the security guard of the studio was sacked following the incident, the D.N. Nagar police station on 11th arrested two of the three miscreants. The third is still absconding. Wireless police vans have been asked to patrol the area of the studio periodically.
AMITABH BECOMES GRANDPA
Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan became grandfather and grandmother respectively when their daughter, Shweta, gave birth to a baby girl on 6th December in Bombay at Breach Candy Hospital.
COMMUNAL CONTROVERSY AVERTED
A major controversy was set to rest on 8th December when the Film Makers Combine and the Association of Motion Picture & TV Programme Producers accepted the apology of Mehboob Studios for disallowing producer Yash Johar from holding a muhurt pooja in the studio premises for the film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai last month. The film is being directed by Yash Johar’s son, Karan.
The film’s first schedule was to take place at Mehboob Studios and, as is customary in the industry, Yash Johar wanted to start the shooting with a pooja ceremony. But the Mehboob Studios authorities objected to the ceremony, before the scheduled date.
FWA ENROLS WRITER MAHASWETADEVI AS LIFE MEMBER
Jnanpith and Magsaysay award winner Mahaswetadevi, the writer of over 100 novels and more than 300 short stories and poems, was enrolled as a life member of The Film Writers’ Association last week. She was in the city to attend the Mumbai Film Festival which opened with Govind Nihalani’s Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa, based on her acclaimed novel.
She was felicitated on 28th November by The FWA at actor Chandrashekhar’s residence. The felicitation function was largely attended. Actress Nimmi presented a shawl to Mahaswetadevi, on behalf of FWA. President Ali Raza garlanded her, and Dr. Achla Nagar presented her flowers. Chandrashekhar presented her with an emblem of Goddess Laxmi.
The felicitation function was followed by snacks prepared by Mrs. Chandrashekhar.
SULTAN AHMED TO CONTEST LOK SABHA ELECTIONS
IMPPA president Sultan Ahmed has announced that he will contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections to be held early next year. He will contest as an independent candidate either from a constituency in Bombay or Rajasthan.
CINEMA OWNER DEAD
Ghanshyamdas Agarwal, proprietor of Prabha Theatre, Bareilly, expired on the night of 10th December.
STUNTMAN YUSUF FALLS TO DEATH
Bombay-based stuntman Sayeed Yusuf died when he jumped from a high tower while shooting for HMV’s God Mother at Morvi near Rajkot on 7th December. Twenty-eight-year-old Yusuf received a head injury and was rushed to the Morvi civil hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
The film is being directed by Vinay Shukla and stars Shabana Azmi.
SHIRKE HEADS CHAMPP
G.P. Shirke was re-elected president of the Chamber of Motion Picture Producers for the sixth consecutive term in its annual general meeting held on 6th December at Citizen Hotel, Juhu, Bombay. Sultan Ahmed was elected vice president, and Pranlal Mehta and Mahavir Jain, hon. treasurers.
KISHORE KALA’S DAUGHTER TO WED
Marriage of Monika, daughter of Rajasthan distributor Kishore Kala (Vinayak Films, Jaipur), with Puneet will be solemnised on 25th December in Indore at Hotel Crown Palace.
YOU ASKED IT
What is the potential of business in the Overseas circuit today?
– It’s great for big films, and bad for small films. Stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Anil Kapoor, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Sunny Deol are hot in Overseas.
Don’t you think, the ratios of the various circuits need redefining in view of the wide disparity in business of films in the different territories?
– Yes, business in Bombay circuit is far more than in Delhi-U.P. and Bengal. Soon, distributors of Delhi-U.P. and Bengal will not be willing to pay more than 75% of the price for Bombay. In other words, Bombay will be the only major circuit.
Has the panic situation in the industry, which had cast a spell of gloom from August, got over?
– Yes, it is almost over but the finance position is still tight. And that’s also a cause for panic!
DO YOU KNOW?
* Subhash Ghai is remixing the songs of PARDES, and the remix album will be marketed from 24th December under the label of ‘PARDES 98’. It will be released thru Tips but under the Mukta Audio Co. label. Tips will also release the instrumental music of Subhash Ghai’s films, from KARZ to PARDES, on audio cassettes. It was first released on CDs only and they were given as complimentary with PARDES CDs.
* Chiranjeevi’s MASTER (Telugu) is running in its 11th week all over Andhra and is all set to complete 100 days at a number of centres. It is the first Telugu film in DTS sound.
* Of the 229 cinemas equipped with 6-track sound system in India, 142 are in the four Southern states alone.
* So impressed was Jackie Shroff with his co-artiste, 7-year old Mazhar, while shooting a stunt for USTADON KE USTAD in Ooty recently that he asked producer D.N. Joshi to gift the child Rs. 25,000, and deduct the same from his (Jackie’s) remuneration.
PEOPLE
Are talking about
** The Mithun film festival that’s begun this week with Shapath. Among his soon-to-be-released starrers are Krantikari (dubbed), Saazish, Military Raaj, Hatyara, Sher-E-Hindustan, Hitler, Ustadon Ke Ustad…
** Whether Akshay Kumar’s position will improve with Aflatoon. The Poster chhapwa do song from the film has gained so much in popularity that one expects Aflatoon to have a much better opening than the recent Akshay starrers.
PEOPLE
Are speculating on
** Who will be the three heroines of Rajshri’s Hum Saath Saath Hain. Although the Barjatyas haven’t announced the names of their heroes, word has spread like wild fire that the three male leads will be played by Mohnish Bahl (eldest brother), Salman Khan (middle brother) and Saif Ali Khan (youngest brother).
** When the Lok Sabha elections will be held because on that will depend many a release schedules of forthcoming films.
IN & OUT OF BOMBAY
Producer Boney Kapoor is back from Madras and Ooty.
Mr. Sanjay Khandelwal of Vijayshree Pictures, Patna, is at ISKCON (620-6860).
Music director Anandji and baby Suhani (compere of ‘Little Wonders’ stage-show) will leave for Gandhidham today (13th December) for a charity programme there, and will return on 16th.
Producer Tutu Sharma is in Jaipur to look after his father who has been admitted in the ICU following a heart attack.
Producer-director Indra Kumar and producer Ashok Thakeria are in Ooty.
Mr. Ravi Machhar of Sahyog Films, Secunderabad, and Abhinay cinema, Aurangabad, is expected in town today (13th).
MIX MASALA
NOT YASH CHOPRA
The new ad film on Dabur Amla hair oil has been directed by Arjun Sablok and not Yash Chopra, as reported in a section of the press. Karisma Kaporor has modelled for the oil in the advertisement film.
GOOD FEELING
Remember our Graffiti in our issue dated 29th November about Dilli To Pagal Hai? Well, hoardings of Amul Butter have now sprung up all over the city with the same caption: Dilli To Pagal Hai. Feels nice.
Let’s Look Ahead
The assault on Pooja Batra inside a studio earlier this week is a pointer to the lax security in our studios. How three people, not connected with the film industry, were allowed entry into the premises of Filmalaya Studios remains an unanswered question even 60 hours after the ugly incident took place. Today it is Pooja Batra, tomorrow it could be someone else. And what if Pooja had been seriously injured? Producers should now stop simply condemning the act and move on to taking steps to prevent such crimes from being committed in future.
* * *
In fact, the incident I’ve referred to above also points out to the need for insurance in the film industry. So does the accident of the young stuntman at Morvi (near Rajkot) this week which cost him his life. The boy jumped from a height while performing a stunt for God Mother. As in Hollywood, films, film stars, junior artistes and stuntmen in Bollywood too should be insured. Bombay distributor Vimal Agarwal, I am told, is contemplating getting the insurance culture in the Indian film industry. Welcome him with open arms.
* * *
Unconfirmed reports say that ABCL is cash-rich now. The Sahara group has pumped in several crores. If the news is true, good for ABCL.
* * *
With the stakes in production and distribution being so high, it is only logical that the concept of script doctors, as they exist in Hollywood, also comes to Bollywood. Script doctors or consultants analyse and dissect film scripts and can help in preventing errors/blunders in films. A lot of money can be saved with the help of such script doctors, and they can lend a scientific approach to this highly speculative industry. I’d be happy to get feedback from our leading producers, directors and writers on what they feel about the concept.
* * *
The Tamil Film Producers Council’s (TFPC) move to not give film clippings, songs and trailers to the various satellite channels from 1st January is intelligent. Not only are box-office collections very adversely affected due to television, producers are also paid a pittance for each song sequence or clipping. Will the Bombay industry follow the South example?
* * *
Like her first film, Pardes, Mahima Chaudhry’s career is also a slow starter. But four months after the release of Pardes, Mahima has three or four good assignments on hand, including a film each with Raj Kanwar, Priyadarshan (for Sajid Nadiadwala) and Polygram. The girl looked pretty the other day at the sixth birthday party of Raj Kanwar’s son, Karan.
* * *
And finally this quiz for you guys.
Q: What would have been a more appropriate title for Yash Chopra’s telefilm, Humko Ishq Ne Maara, after the performance of DTPH?
A: Humko ISHQ Ne Nahin Maara!
– Komal Nahta
3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment
Magic Of Super-Hit Music
Although this piece of news has reached us a month later, it merits mention.
It happened on 4th November at Gautam cinema, Allahabad, which was screening Dil To Pagal Hai. As soon as the film started, a group of boys got excited and began to dance on their seats. When the rest of the audience objected to the disturbance, the management had to call in the police who had to use muscle-power to pacify the excited dancers.
After some time, when a song came on the screen, the same boys started showering coins on the screen and began to dance and whistle once again. In the Bholi si soorat, young boys and even girls got up from their seats and started to dance. Once again, the police had to be called in to restore normalcy. Then came the title song and, for the fourth time, the youngsters went wild. This time, the other viewers couldn’t help but enjoy their dance and even they started to clap and whistle in excitement. Why, the sober audience also began to shower coins on the screen. Finally, the dance mania took over the youthful audience for the fifth time in the Dholna song. By this time, even the police had given up. Maybe, they had begun to dance outside the auditorium. Anyway, this is surely reason for Yash Chopra and music director Uttam Singh to dance!
Rupee Devaluation Hits Industry
With the rupee tumbling against the dollar, producers and distributors are now having to pay more for raw stock. On a rough estimate, one has to pay Rs. 200 more for every 1,000 feet of positive raw stock, and Rs. 1,000 more for every 1,000 feet of negative raw stock. Since raw stock is imported from abroad, the importers have to pay more in terms of rupees for every dollar-worth of purchase. And knowing the film industry, where prices can go up but never come down, it isn’t likely that raw stock prices will decline even if the rupee value goes up.
Perhaps, the only ones who are smiling because of the devaluation of the rupee are film exporters.