LATEST POSITION
The dull Ramzan period threatens to further deplete box-office collections. ….MOHABBATEIN is doing very well in good cinemas but is not maintaining well in average cinemas, and is dull in small centres.
Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye is a disaster and will cause its distributors in India and Overseas huge losses. 1st week Bombay 33,95,028 (60.70%) from 10 cinemas (11 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 12,84,586 from 3 cinemas (1 unrecd.), Vapi 2,67,552, Rajkot 1,45,000, Jamnagar (matinee) 14,231 (1 in regular unrecd.); Pune 7,43,330 from 4 cinemas; Hubli 2,25,534; Delhi 26,32,093 (38.69%) from 9 cinemas (3 on F.H.); Kanpur 2,22,336 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 3,88,664 from 2 cinemas, Agra 2,25,000, Bareilly (6 days) 76,056; Calcutta 7,48,671 from 3 cinemas (other cinemas’ collections undisclosed); Nagpur 4,32,345 from 4 cinemas, Jabalpur (6 days) 1,26,975, Amravati 1,42,744, Raipur (6 days) 1,81,288, Jalgaon 1,11,880, Wardha 77,000, Chandrapur 1,34,262, Yavatmal 1,22,503; Indore 2,31,222 from 2 cinemas (1 on F.H.), Bhopal 1,07,000 (1 unrecd.); Jaipur 3,47,430 (26.24%) from 3 cinemas, Bikaner 1,05,205; Hyderabad (gross) 24,46,121 from 9 cinemas.
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Kurukshetra drops. 2nd week Bombay 27,52,922 (71.40%) from 8 cinemas (7 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 13,26,597 from 10 cinemas, Jamnagar 78,806 from 2 cinemas (1 in matinee); Pune 8,62,845 from 4 cinemas (1 in matinee); Delhi 10,46,444 from 8 cinemas (3 on F.H.); Kanpur 1,74,420 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 2,01,655 (1st 3,75,422), Agra 1,66,500, Bareilly 73,335; Calcutta 6,00,349 from 4 cinemas; Nagpur 2,41,196 from 3 cinemas, Jabalpur (6 days) 47,371, Amravati 2,00,453, Dhule 1,15,524, Raipur (6 days) 90,509, Jalgaon 1,29,189 (1st 2,35,005); Jaipur 2,10,793 (24.17%) from 2 cinemas; Hyderabad (gross) 4,59,453.
Mohabbatein 4th week Bombay 47,91,471 (76.92%) from 12 cinemas (5 on F.H.), Vasai (gross) 2,11,793, Vashi (gross) 1,73,909; Ahmedabad 15,35,426 from 5 cinemas, Vapi 2,31,536, total 15,37,608, Rajkot 1,80,000, Jamnagar 1,07,793 (3rd 1,55,578); Pune 11,94,644 from 5 cinemas (1 in matinee); Delhi 36,62,795 from 11 cinemas (1 on F.H.); Kanpur 3,62,011 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 7,24,726 from 2 cinemas, Agra 2,64,000 (95%), Bareilly (6 days) 99,307; Calcutta 19,59,831 from 6 cinemas; Nagpur 5,93,652 from 3 cinemas, Jabalpur (6 days) 1,51,813, Amravati (21 shows) 2,12,509, total 10,66,055, Dhule 1,17,065, total 6,95,085, Raipur (6 days, gross) 1,98,553, Jalgaon 1,60,096, total 8,35,911, Gondia (gross) 68,457, total 4,40,390, 3rd Wardha (21 shows) 91,095, total 4,04,990, 4th week Chandrapur 97,054, total 7,31,207, Yavatmal (gross, 21 shows) 85,700, total 5,80,146; Indore 2,19,108 from 2 cinemas (2 on F.H.); Jaipur (21 shows) 2,85,005, Bikaner 1,23,550; Hyderabad (gross) 12,24,024 from 6 cinemas (2 in noon); 3rd week Guntur (gross) 1,07,493, total 3,99,876, Ongole (gross) 95,885, total 3,58,077, 2nd week Nellore (gross) 1,33,610, total 3,10,167.
Mission Kashmir has dropped further everywhere. 4th week Bombay 22,83,419 (69.53%) from 7 cinemas (5 on F.H.), Chembur 65,922; Pune 5,49,409 from 5 cinemas (1 in matinee); Delhi (TF) 15,11,461 from 6 cinemas; Kanpur (6 days) 83,813 from 2 cinemas, Lucknow 1,50,549 (3rd week 2,60,356), Agra 90,000, Bareilly (6 days) 22,530; Calcutta 4,85,336 from 3 cinemas; Nagpur 1,26,894 from 2 cinemas, Amravati 56,981, Jalgaon 51,785; Jaipur 4,95,539; Hyderabad (gross) 1,74,823 from 2 cinemas (1 in noon); 2nd Nellore 1,08,231, total 2,44,764.
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Mor Chhainha Bhuinya (Chhattisgarhi) is creating history. 4th week Raipur (nett) 2,06,101, city record.
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WAHEEDA REHMAN BEREAVED
Kamaljeet, husband of Waheeda Rehman, died of brain haemmorhage on 21st November in Bombay at Lilavati Hospital. He was 67.
Kamaljeet had accompanied Waheeda, who was in Bombay to participate in the shooting of Karan Johar’s Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham…. But after just a day’s participation, Waheeda got busy with her husband who reported seriously ill. His condition deteriorated, and Waheeda pleaded inability to do the role. She had to be replaced in the film with Achla Sachdev.
Kamaljeet used to also act in films. He played a leading role in Son Of India and had also acted in Shagoon, opposite Waheeda whom he later married.
UP IN ARMS AGAINST MULTIPLEXES
A group of cinema owners of Ahmedabad have made the tax holiday policy of the Gujarat government a subject-matter of a legal battle. The petitioners have contended that the tax holiday offered to new multiplexes in the state is discretionary in nature and would ultimately result in the closure of old cinemas in Gujarat as the existing cinemas would not be able to compete with the new and modern multiplexes with regard to facilities as well as earnings. They have also sought reliefs from the state to match the incentives offered to new multiplexes, or, in the alternative, discontinuation of the multiplex policy.
SHANTARAM BIRTH CENTENARY
The birth centenary of producer-director-actor Dr. V. Shantaram began with a pooja on the morning of 18th November at Rajkamal Studios, Bombay. Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh offered floral tribute at the memorial of the legendary filmmaker and also formally launched two websites — www.vshantaram.com and www.khwaab.com. Lauding the efforts of the late stalwart in the development of the Indian film industry, the Maharashtra CM said that even the titles of his films had cultural value. He asked Kiran Shantaran to produce at least one Hindi film in the centenary year of his father as Rajkamal Kalamandir had stopped producing films after the passing away of the doyen. The CM also announced that a film award, instituted in the memory of actress Ranjana Deshmukh, would be announced by the state government this year.
The CM then presented centenary mementoes to artistes and technicians who were associated with V. Shantaram’s films. Among those who received the mementoes were Sandhya, Vasanti, Shashikala, Padmini Kolhapure, Mahipal, Chandrashekhar, Ram Gabale, music directors Ramlal Chaudhry and Anandji, fight master Ravi Dewan, and Sushant Ray. Jeetendra, Nanda and some notable artistes and technicians were not present at the function.
Kiran Shantaram assured the CM that he would launch a Hindi film in the centenary year and, at the same time, he hoped to get full-fledged support from the state government. “I would like to celebrate this centenary year of my father with a series of small functions and events, which would focus around him, in various parts of the country,” said Kiran. “We are planning to have some kind of celebrations on the 18th of every month for the whole year in different major cities of the country. This will include screening of his films, a travelling photo gallery, an award function and also an exhibition of his belongings.”
About the two newly-started websites, Kiran Shantaram informed that vshantaram.com would be a research-based historical website which would provide exhaustive data of all Indian films made in various languages and categories. “It will be a veritable boon for all cinema lovers,” he added. Of khwaab.com, Rahul Shantaram, CEO, Rajkamal Infotainment, said, “I wanted to contribute in my own way to my grandfather’s birth centenary year. khwaab.com is an attempt to create a platform for newcomers who would want to enter the entertainment industry. My grandfather always gave chance to newcomers and I, continuing the tradition and keeping pace with new technology, thought of launching a site which would help worldwide new entrants in the entertainment industry.”
He added that khwaab.com will contain a complete list of all possible categories — film, television, music, video, theatre, radio and advertising.
The huge gathering at the celebration included Yash Chopra, Sunil Dutt, Shyam Benegal, Ramesh Sippy and Rahul Rawail.
The same evening, the government of Maharashtra celebrated Dr. V. Shantaram’s centenary with a function which was presided over by Maharashtra CM Vilasrao Deshmukh.
SAJID NADIADWALA WEDS
Producer Sajid Nadiadwala got married to Warda Khan on 18th November in Bombay. The couple flew to Mecca earlier this week.
SUNIL SAMAT TO WED
Bombay exhibitor Sunil Samat (brother of Vijay Samat) will wed Droupadi on 3rd December in Bombay. The wedding reception will be held the same evening at Hotel Sun-N-Sand, Juhu.
3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment
Rajshri To Revive Old Fervour
Believe it or not, the Barjatyas are getting into production full-throttle. Like they used to make films in the seventies and early eighties, they are yet again on the verge of starting multiple productions. Sooraj Barjatya, of course, will continue to make films but since he makes one film in four or five years, the banner will employ outside directors to also make films for it.
Says Rajkumar Barjatya, “In today’s times, when films don’t generally enjoy long runs, it is very difficult to maintain a huge office network like ours with just one film in 4 or 5 years.” The Barjatyas’ Rajshri banner is the only company in the country to have distribution offices in every circuit. Rajshri getting into production in a big way would automatically mean that its distribution division will also become busy since home productions are distributed by self.
Extortion Rears Its Ugly Head
Two sharp-shooters, who were killed in an encounter by the police on 20th November outside Natraj Studios, are believed to have targeted producer Shakti Samanta who has his office at Natraj Studios. According to Shakti Samanta, who is also the president of the Indian Motion Picture Producers Association, “We had been receiving anonymous calls for the past two weeks. The caller used to ask us to contact two numbers, one of Dubai and the other of Karachi. We asked them, ‘Why should we call these numbers?’ The phones continued for some time.”
Rumours were making the rounds in the film industry that the underworld got wind of Natraj Studios being sold. The underworld, according to sources in the industry, “wanted a share of the sale money”. Shakti Samanta refutes the news, saying firmly, “We are not contemplating selling the Natraj Studios premises to anyone.”
Natraj is owned by five producers of which Shakti Samanta is the co-owner.
Yash Chopra Recalls Shantaram’s Gesture
Yash Chopra has a plush office today in the swanky Juhu area of Bombay. But he will never forget those days when he had his office at V. Shantaram’s Rajkamal Studios. After directing several films for outside banners, when Yash Chopra decided to turn a producer, he did not have a place to operate from. Mustering courage and placing his trust on V. Shantaram’s helpful nature, he went up to Shantaram and said, “Anna Saab (that’s what V. Shantaram was referred to as), I have decided to turn a producer, but I don’t have an office to work from.” That was enough! Shantaram immediately called his people and ordered, “See, Yash is my son. Give him the office and give him whatever he needs.” Anna Saab then wished Yash Chopra good luck and thus Yash Chopra was ‘office-ially’ launched as producer. Yash revealed this at the V. Shantaram birth centenary celebration held at Rajkamal Studios on 18th November, to highlight Anna Saab’s grand gesture.
“If the industry lacks good writers today, it is largely because our writers are not well paid.”
– AMITABH BACHCHAN
Praised for his performance on the big screen as much as for his role as the host of the most popular TV show. That’s Amitabh Bachchan for you today. His restrained acting in Mohabbatein has won him a lot of accolades even as compliments haven’t stopped more than 50 episodes after the Kaun Banega Crorepati game show.
That Amitabh has renewed his contract with Star for an additional 130 episodes is old news. But some of the things Amitabh spoke, when we met him on 19th November on the sets of Suneel Darshan’s Ek Rishtaa – The Bond Of Love, were definitely news.
Bachchan is thrilled with the working styles of directors like Aditya Chopra and Karan Johar. “The system of bound scripts had become history after Javed Akhtar,” remarked Amitabh. “But these talented filmmakers have brought back that much-needed system again. You don’t know how useful a bound script is for us actors. We can prepare for the day’s shooting while we are going to the sets, in our cars or vans.” Taking a trip down memory lane, the comeback superstar further continued, “After a few films I did with Salim Javed, I stopped insisting on the complete script. I used to hear my role broadly before signing a film because they knew what was best for me.
“Now again, the era of bound scripts has come and I must add, I, for one, am thrilled. Would you believe, for all the films I am currently doing, except the one with David Dhawan, I have ready scripts from the directors.”
Amitabh has heard the subject of Sooraj Barjatya’s Main Prem Ki Deewani Hoon (yes, the title may be changed from Main Prem Deewani Hoon to Main Prem Ki Deewani Hoon). He revealed, “Sooraj wanted me, Jaya and Abhishek to hear it jointly. I tell you, it is fabulous. That boy is incredible. He gave us a complete narration and even sang us the songs!” Will Abhishek be acting in it? “Yes, the film will have Abhishek, Hrithik and Kareena Kapoor.”
Talking of narration, Amitabh couldn’t help recalling the time when Aditya Chopra had given him a narration of Mohabbatein. Says Bachchan, “At that time, even before he started the film, Aditya was aware that people might object to not establishing why I was the way I was, in the sense, why was I so much against love? But he told me, ‘I don’t want to show your past.’ He went on to explain to me why I was supposed to be like that by telling me that my wife, whom I loved dearly, had died, which is what had shaken my confidence in love completely. But Aditya told me, he didn’t want that to be a part of the film as he feared, it would look too clichéd. What I mean to say is that, omitting my past or background was not an error, rather it was intentional.” Another thing that greatly impressed Amitabh was that even before Mohabbatein was launched, Aditya knew how his promotion of the film would be, how the trailer would begin, what it would show, what it wouldn’t etc. etc.
While on the topic of scripts, the actor opined that if the industry lacks good writers today, it is largely because our writers are not well paid. “The writers need to be motivated enough to get the best out of them,” explained Bachchan.
Now that efforts were on to revive his company, ABCL, how would Amitabh ensure that mistakes of the past were not repeated? “To begin with,” began Bachchan, “we’ll go slow this time. We will do only selected things at a time and not try to put our fingers in too many enterprises. We will start with just film production. Secondly, we will keep the control with ourselves and not give cent per cent control to people appointed by us.”
ABCL will produce two films, one starring Aamir Khan, and the other, starring Bachchan Sr. and Jr. with Mrs. Bachchan. The latter film will be directed by Rakesh Mehra who is currently making Aks with Amitabh.
Amitabh reveals that the Sahara people are seriously contemplating taking over the control of several cinemas in Uttar Pradesh. Bachchan is a director in the Sahara group and he should know.
Is Bachchan net-savvy? “I do surf the net at times, though I’m not very net-savvy. I have my site on jalwa.com, but nobody wants to come and see what the site offers,” he jokes. “There are just two hits everyday, one by the person who has made the site, and the other, by me.” This bit of a joke he also shares with co-star Juhi Chawla who informs that srkworld.com, the site launched by Shah Rukh Khan recently, gets a million hits every day. He prods Juhi, “Will you please visit my site today? Promise? …Then, we’ll have three hits on a single day for the first time ever!”, he says with a straight face even as Juhi giggles away.
