(From our issue dated 27th August, 1994)
FFI RESENTS GOVT. APATHY
The Film Federation of India (FFI) has expressed its serious concern about the government’s apathy in implementing the Copyright Act, 1956, which has been recently amended. According to the FFI, although the bill has been passed by both the houses of Parliament and also has the assent of the President of India, the government has shown reluctance to implement the same. In case the Act is not enforced immediately, an FFI delegation may call on the prime minister to express its concern about the non-implementation of the amended Act.
The Federation has also written to the minister of state for information and broadcasting about the Cable TV legislation. Through a communication addressed to K.P. Singh Deo, minister of state for information and broadcasting, the president of the FFI, Santosh Singh Jain, has brought to the minister’s notice that more than four years have elapsed since suggestions on the proposed legislation were submitted, but no action has been taken by the government to pass the legislation.
DO YOU KNOW?
* So low was the temperature in Ooty last week that about 9 or 10 dancers (from Madras), who were participating in a song picturisation for Pahlaj Nihalani’s MR. AZAAD, fainted during the shooting. They had to be hospitalised and the song picturisation remained incomplete.
* Liberty cinema, Bombay, which had hiked admission rates with HUM AAPKE HAIN KOUN..!, will further increase the rates from next week. The new rates will be Rs. 75 (old rate: Rs. 50) and Rs. 60 (old: Rs. 40).
* The Film Distributors’ Council (FDC) intends to instruct its affiliates to not register any film of a producer who sells the video rights of his film for simultaneous release alongwith theatrical release. This bit of information was given by Santosh Singh Jain.
* Even ministers can’t resist the temptation to see HUM AAPKE HAIN KOUN..!. Jagdish Mukhi, finance minister, Delhi, saw the film recently alongwith his family, at Satyam, Delhi. The education minister, Delhi, Sahib Singh Verma, also saw the film in the last show on 16th August. But when will the ministers recommend it for tax exemption which it so rightly deserves?
* HUM AAPKE HAIN KOUN..! has created a city record by collecting 1,27,543/- in 3rd week at Vijay, Nasik. Better than 1st and 2nd weeks (1,18,158/- and 1,21,702/- respectively).
* Galaxy cinema, Rajkot had to conduct extra shows of HAHK..! on August 13 and 21 at 8.30 a.m. and 10.30 p.m. respectively due to the mad rush of cinegoers. Despite the odd show timings, the extra shows were packed to capacity. In the week that began from 26th August, the cinema is conducting one more show daily in addition to its quota of two shows daily, fixed for Hindi films.
* HAHK..! has created a city record by collecting 2,20,234/- in 3rd week at Novelty, Lucknow.
* HUM AAPKE HAIN KOUN..! has created a theatre record by collecting 1,30,879/- in 3rd week at Panchsheel, Nagpur. It has created a city record by collecting 1,63,810/- in 3rd week at Smruti, Nagpur.
* HAHK..! has created a city record by collecting 1,12,169/- in 3rd week at Chitra, Amravati.
* VIJAYPATH has created a city record by collecting a gross of 5,14,371/- in 3 weeks at Shalimar, Bharuch.
* VIJAYPATH has collected 38,674/- (gross) in 1st week (21 shows) against a capacity of 39,837/- in 1st week at Lata, Barsi, in spite of heavy rains. Nineteen shows were full.
YOU ASKED IT
If the Maharashtra government reduces entertainment tax as promised, will the benefit be passed on to the public?
– At least, that’s what the government has asked the exhibitors to do.
Who have enacted the roles of Mahatma Gandhi and Lord Mountbatten in Ketan Mehta’s Sardar?
– Annu Kapoor and Tom Alter respectively.
With so many stars and producers shifting from the big screen to the small screen (TV), will the small screen become big?
– Big is big and small is small and never
the twain small meet.
GUJARATI FILM TO BE SHOT ABROAD
The Gujarat government has granted permission to the makers of the Gujarati film, Halo Aapna Maalak Ma, to shoot in the USA. The producers had sought the government’s approval for the shooting of some scenes in New York so that the benefits of 70% tax exemption and a subsidy of Rs. 3 lakh on its release would accrue to the film even though it would not be shot completely in Gujarat.
The film, presented by Raju Bhatt, produced by Mukund Patel under the banner of Khodal Films, and directed by Shreedutt Vyas, stars Naresh Kanodia, Meenakshi, Ramesh Mehta and Rajdeep. Its music is scored by Mahesh Naresh.
“While the rest of the shooting has been completed in Gujarat,” revealed Raju Bhatt, “the unit will leave for the USA on 17th September to shoot about 20% of the film. It will be released on Diwali.” Raju Bhatt added, “It is because of the efforts of Mr. Upendra Trivedi that we have got the government permission to shoot abroad, and we will remain indebted to him.”
SAPAN CHAKRABORTY DEAD
Music director and lyricist Sapan Chakraborty died on 23rd August in Bombay. He was 61 and a bachelor. He is survived by two sisters. Sapan-da used to be the former assistant of R.D. Burman.
INDORE DIARY
** Rajshri’s Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! is doing wonders in Indore as in the rest of the country. It has already yielded a share of over 5 lakh from a single cinema (Kastur) in three weeks. And Kastur is not located in the heart of the city. Another cinema (Anop), which is at the other end of the city, will release the film in a couple of weeks.
** Trade buzz has it that sky is the limit for the business of HAHK..!.
** Unheard of MGs are being offered for HAHK..!. For Gwalior alone, there is an offer of 10. The Rajshris have reportedly not yet accepted the offer.
** The Rajasthani film, Baba Ramdev, which has not been able to make a mark in Rajasthan in spite of 75% tax exemption, is doing well in Ujjain. C.I. once again proves to be a bonus territory for Rajasthani films.
** Members of the opposition group in the CCCA are wary of the “discriminatory policies” of the ruling group. According to the opposition, while the rulings in committee meetings are just and fair for all members, the implementation of the rulings leaves a lot to be desired. A penalty is levied instantly if the member belongs to the opposition. If it is a member supportive of the ruling party, the file (containing the case papers and the papers of the penalty etc. levied) conveniently gets misplaced. Uttam Nahar, a distributor of C.I., gives the examples of Haque and Sahebzaade. A penalty for Haque was recovered from him (Uttam), while no penalty for Sahebzaade (which was a case exactly similar to Haque) has yet been recovered years after its release, because “the Sahebzaade member supports the ruling party”.
– Gautam Mutha
Fortune Favours The Brave
The Barjatya family has, as on many occasions in the past, once again shown the industry that its planning makes more business sense than most can ever imagine. Not only in its release but also in the making of Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, the Barjatyas dared to be different. They virtually defied the dictates of tradition and the advice of friends and well-wishers and did what they thought was right. They had the conviction and the courage too.
The very selection of the story idea of HAHK..! could have been dismissed by most of the people in the industry as passé. The inclusion of fourteen songs in one film was almost a laughing matter in today’s times. To devote the entire first half and a major portion of the second half of the film to customs and traditions in a North Indian marriage was going too far. Or so people felt. To top it all was the film’s length – a running time of 3 hours and 27 minutes.
If people criticised all this (and more) in hushed tones and whispers, it is only because Sooraj Barjatya was the director of a mega-hit called Maine Pyar Kiya. Had it been any other lesser director, the jeers and sneers of the industry folk would have been loud and clear. But even the runaway success of Maine Pyar Kiya did not deter the people from predicting doom for HAHK..!, albeit in close circles and off-the-record dialogues. Why, many industry people had preferred to call the film a video cassette of a wedding ceremony and wedding functions.
To add to people’s misdirected confidence was the Barjatyas’ release plan. Only 30 prints in the first week was suicidal, according to them. When the makers said, they wouldn’t release the film’s video cassettes, the trade thought, they would not be able to control piracy. With cable TV reaching every nook and corner of the country, the film would be seen by lakhs on TV. Or so they felt. But three weeks have passed and there’s no report from anywhere about video piracy of the film.
Today, Sooraj has proved, if proof was required, that he can give any top director with any number of hits under his belt, an unintended complex. The Barjatyas have proved to be wiser than everybody else. Post-release, their strategy of releasing such a limited number of prints has been admitted to be the most intelligent way of exploiting the film which is growing day by day. Even their publicity was quite low-key, which helped keep public expectations to the bare minimum. Their deleting two songs from the film was a foregone conclusion, the only thing one wasn’t sure about was the time they would effect the deletion. Opinions may differ about which two songs they should have edited, but the deletion is a welcome move, if only for the favourable effect it has had on the show timings of the film. It must be clearly understood that the songs had to go mainly because of the odd show timings and not because the audience felt, there were too many of them. For, hardly anybody complained of that.
Why most of the trade people failed to judge the film correctly is because it was different. Tradewalas have a hidden aversion to anything away from the routine. They have a set formula of successful films in their mind. Slight variations are welcome but a great departure as in HAHK..! is a no-no for them.
The success of HAHK..! should conclusively prove that films cannot always be judged by conventional yard sticks. Unconventional films as Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! can turn out to be movie marvels. And an unconventional film like this deserves tax exemption by the governments who condemn vulgarity, obscenity and violence in films but don’t support those films that shun all these on the one hand and project the customs of India so beautifully, on the other.
A long, long run for the film, whether with or without tax exemption, is now a certainty. As they say, fortune favours the brave. The Barjatyas have proved to be the bravest with a capital ‘B’ as in Barjatya. Bravo, the brave Barjatya brigade!
– Komal Nahta
3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment
Glory Regained
Naaz, which was considered the nerve-centre of the Bombay film industry, may soon get back its lost glory. With Shringar Films already having their office in Naaz and at least two more big distributors (V.I.P. Enterprises and Tolu Bajaj) due to open shop in the building, it shouldn’t be long before the building will begin to house the leading distribution concerns of Bombay. Ramesh Sippy (B.R.A. Corporation) is also on the lookout for an office in Naaz and it may not be long before he shifts there. Pahlaj Nihalani has already bought one and will soon shift to Naaz.
Magnificent Presentation
Presenter Vinod Doshi and producer Tutu Sharma have spent a fortune in the song picturisations of Raajkumar. And nothing can be more gratifying for a producer and presenter than when what is spent, comes across on the screen on an equally grand scale. It goes to the credit of director Pankaj Parasher and the cameraman for capturing the massive sets on which the songs have been picturised, so beautifully. The shot compositions in the picturisations are many and magical. Madhuri Dixit looks too sensuous to be true and she has danced like a possessed girl. To say that she is brilliant would sound clichéd. But that is what she is! On seeing three songs of the film, one can well imagine the efforts that have gone into their picturisations and choreography (Saroj Khan). The makers are aiming at giving the Hindi film audience novelty. That was clear not only from the three songs one saw but also a fight sequence between Anil Kapoor and Gorilla.
Limited Number, Unlimited Appeal
Javed Akhtar’s lyrics have always had one quality – simplicity. Whether it has been the racy ‘Ek do teen’ song of Tezaab or the ‘Saagar jaisi neeli aankhon wali’ number of Saagar, his songs have a distinctive and simple style. But the one that, perhaps, even Javed would rate as his best is the ‘Ek ladki ko dekha’ song of 1942 A Love Story. While its music is indeed electrifying, the various ways in which a beautiful girl has been described in the song is no less beautiful. Javed, in fact, has been lucky with his lyrics. Of the 15 films for which he has written the songs, at least eight – 1942, Tezaab, Mr. India, Silsila, Saagar, Sailaab, Narsimha and Saath Saath – boasted of hit music and popular songs. No mean score, this.
Big ‘Bit’ Business
Inclusion of ‘bits’ (uncensored portions) in films is no bit business. Rather, it is a big business. Those dealing in ‘bits’ see the film in which they are to be added and give closely resembling shots to interested parties – of course, for a price. All this goes on at several places right under the nose of the policemen – again, after paying the concerned people their price!
Excitement Eluding Elections?
If whispers from C.P.C.I. Rajasthan are to be believed, the CCCA elections this year may not be half as exciting as in the past. This is because the ruling party and the opposition may arrive at a consensus and choose members to be elected/nominated on the executive committee. While the opposition wants the ratio in the 16-member committee to be 8:8, the ruling party wants it to be 9:7.
Tears And Cheers
On 26th August fell the wedding anniversary of Anupam and Kiron Kher. And on 26th was also the last show of the Khers’ stage-play at Prithvi Theatre (Bombay). The play, titled ‘Salgirha’ (meaning ‘Anniversary’), was such a tear-jerker that many among the audience reportedly wept during the show. The play starred only Anupam and Kiron, who have won accolades for their performances.
The New Oberoi
After quite a long period of absence, Suresh Oberoi is back with a vengeance. Playing both, positive and negative, roles will be his new mix. “Earlier,” he says, “I have worked in negative roles opposite actors of the calibre of Amitabh Bachchan (Coolie) and Dilip Kumar (Mazdoor) but one requires change. So I switched to positive roles but I was also tired of playing the inspector in almost every film. After my hibernation, I am now working in all types of roles, with the younger lot like Sunil Shetty (Raghuveer), Ajay Devgan (Suhaag and Jab Jab Dil Mile), Aamir Khan (Raja Hindustani), Jackie Shroff (Soutela) and Sanjay Dutt (Jai Vikraanta).”
Danny’s Favourites
Though Danny Denzongpa has never worked with Dilip Kumar, he is one of his greatest fans. In fact, the first film he ever saw, as a twelve-year-old was Dilip Kumar’s Naya Daur. Later, he switched to action films, and Sheikh Mukhtar became his favourite hero. But as he advanced in age and got more mature and started understanding the finer aspects of life, he again switched his loyalties to social films. Later, his favourite became Amitabh Bachchan. One director he singles out from the present lot as being very talented is Rajkumar Santoshi, but in this case too, he has never worked with him. He also rates Rajiv Rai (with whom he worked in Yudh) highly as a director. In fact, Rajiv approached him for Mohra for Paresh Rawal’s role, but Danny wanted to play the role played by Naseeruddin Shah. Danny will now be doing only five films a year.
The S(t)inging Bee
Abhijeet is among the playback singers who is busier than the proverbial bee these days. Having lent his voice to a number of hit songs, he is in great demand and sometimes, sings five to six songs a day! Producers talk highly of the singer’s sincerity too.
