OFFICER
F.A. Films’ Officer (A) is a crime-suspense thriller. A brave and honest police officer takes up an assignment to look after a pretty young lady married to a much older multi-millionaire. The married lady and the officer come close to each other and fall in love with one another. When the police officer declines the lady’s marriage proposal, she commits suicide. Later, the officer, on a holiday in his home town, is shocked to meet a club dancer who looks exactly like the lady who had committed suicide. With her help, he unearths a criminal conspiracy of which he had been made a part.
The film opens with fast-paced action and soon thereafter turns into a romantic drama of a bachelor boy and a married woman. But actually, there was no need to interweave the romantic angle with the suspense angle. The woman’s suicide gives a new twist to the story before interval. The suspense thereafter could have kept the tension mounting, but too many tracks in the story spoil the fun and dilute its impact. Further, when the suspense is actually revealed, it doesn’t shock the viewer if only because the build-up of the drama was not taut as it should be in films of this genre. The track of the hero’s phobia of heights looks contrived. The villains’ track is also not related to the main story. The heroine’s stance in the first half is not clear as her need for money has not been spelt out at all. The second half is lengthy. Dialogues are reasonably good.
Sunil Shetty does a fine job. He is very good, both, in action and romantic scenes. Raveena Tandon does justice to her role. Sadashiv Amarapurkar entertains to an extent only. Danny Denzongpa is fair. Shahbaaz Khan, Shehzad Khan, Tej Sapru, Pramod Moutho, Yusuf Khurram, Vishwajeet Pradhan, Babloo Mukherjee, Siraj Khan and the others lend good support.
Naeem Sha’s scripting is only slightly better than his ordinary narration. The finesse of a suspense drama is missing. The film does not really succeed in keeping the audience engrossed all through. The post-interval portion needed to be much faster. The scenes depicting the gunning down of the police commissioner and his staff look unnecessary.
Music is average; Phoolon se rang is quite a good number. Lyrics of the songs are fair and picturisations of at least two of them (Zindagi and Kaisa sama kaisa safar) are appealing. Action scenes have been composed very well. Cinematography is good. Technical aspects are of standard.
On the whole, Officer is an average fare but its ordinary-to-dull opening will make its journey tough. Business in small centres, especially in Maharashtra, will be better.
Released on 2-3-2001 at Novelty at 17 other cinemas of Bombay thru S.P. Enterprises. Publicity: dull. Opening: so-so. …….Also released all over. Opening was good in Bikaner.
ADMISSION RATES CUT TO COMBAT THIN ATTENDANCE
Admission rates in three cinemas of Jalgaon have been brought down to combat low attendance. Rajkamal Talkies has reduced its balcony and first class rates by a third — from Rs. 30 and Rs. 15 respectively to Rs. 20 and Rs. 10. The capacity per show is now Rs. 6,070.40 and for 28 shows, it is Rs. 1,69,971.40.
The new rates at Natraj Talkies are Rs. 25 for balcony (old rate Rs. 30) and Rs. 12 for first class (old rate Rs. 15). The new capacity per show is Rs. 7,866.40 and for 28 shows, it is Rs. 2,20,259.20.
The balcony rate at Natwar Talkies is down by Rs. 10, to Rs. 30. The reduction in the first class rate is Rs. 5 from the old Rs. 20. The capacity per show is now Rs. 9,357.40 and for 28 shows, is Rs. 2,62,007.20.
SUNIL SHETTY’S EFFORTS YIELD RS. 1.50 CRORE FOR QUAKE VICTIMS
Sunil Shetty’s fund-raising cricket match between Hindi film and cricket stars and the visiting Australian cricket team, to collect funds for the Gujarat quake victims, was held on February 25 at the CCI Grounds, Bombay. The match, called ‘Raymond Heroes For Hope’, was organised by ‘Save The Children, India’, chaired by Anita Goyal. Sunil Shetty is one of its ambassadors along with Ustad Zakir Hussain and Jagjit Singh while Raj Singh Dungarpur is the chief patron. The main aim of ‘Save The Children, India’ is focussed on a special care unit for disabled children and study centres for the under-privileged.
The cricketing event was managed by Sunil Shetty’s Popcorn Ripples. Among those who attended were Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, deputy CM Chhagan Bhujbal, minister Manikrao Thackeray, Amitabh Bachchan, Shatrughan Sinha and AMPTPP president Pahlaj Nihalani.
Among those from the film industry who participated in the cricket matches were Aamir Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Jackie Shroff, Akshay Kumar, Aishwarya Rai, Raveena Tandon, Urmila Matondkar, Sharad Kapoor, Mahima Chaudhry, Aditya Pancholi, Aftab Shivdasani, Shekhar Suman, Javed Jaffri, Namrata Shirodkar, Munish Kohli, Johny Lever, Asrani, Anupam Kher, Raakhi Tandon, Sanjay Suri, Yukta Mookhey, Rohit Roy, Diya Mirza, David Dhawan, S. Priyadarshan, Mahesh Manjrekar, Rajesh Bhatia, Vikram Razdan, Morani Brothers, Ajit Dewani and Mazhar Nadiadwala.
The matches were played in two semi-finals of 10 overs each, with the final match played between the NECC and the Dodsal teams. Aamir Khan led the NECC team to victory.
The event was compered by Javed Jaffri. Shekhar Suman also shared the dais. Asrani and Johny Lever were the commentators. Salman Khan danced to the tune of O oh jaane jaana. Singer Usha Uthup and Shaan gave live performances.
The show yielded an amount of Rs. 1 crore. Additionally, Rs. 50 lakh were collected through a special auction of memorabilia, collected from various cricketers. A bat, autographed by the Indian and the Australian teams, was auctioned for Rs. 12.5 lakh. A Fiat Siena car with autographs of all the celebrities present, was auctioned for Rs. 26 lakh.
CHARGES AGAINST 16 IN UPHAAR CINEMA CASE
A Delhi court on 27th February ordered framing of charges against the 16 persons accused in the Uphaar cinema (Delhi) fire tragedy. The fire claimed 59 lives besides injuring many others and damaging the cinema. Among the accused are the cinema’s owners, Sushil Ansal and Gopal Ansal. The fire occurred in June ’97, the day Border was released.
SURINDER KAPOOR ELECTED AIFPC CHIEF
Surinder Kapoor was unanimously elected president of the All India Film Producers Council at the first meeting of its newly-elected executive committee, held on 28th February. Other office-bearers elected in the meeting, held soon after the 22nd annual general meeting, were Pahlaj Nihalani – vice president, and Ramesh Taurani and Yash Chopra – honorary treasurers.
AWARD FOR STUDIO LINK
Film publicity designers Studio Link recently bagged the silver award at the first ever ‘The best of the world’s biggest calendar show’ in Germany. The award was given for Studio Link’s calendar, ‘The Journey of Life’, about Vedic philosophy. Atmanand and Vivek of Studio Link received the award at a function at the Y.B. Chavan Centre in Bombay on 19th February.
SANTOSH SINGH JAIN HONOURED BY IOMC
The advisory board and managing committee of the Indian Organisation of Mass Communication on 23rd February unanimously decided to induct Central Circuit Cine Association president Santosh Singh Jain as IOMC’s chief patron. The six-year-old organisation’s activities include holding seminars, workshops, debates and cultural events.
BRMC TO HONOUR WAHEEDA, MANNA DEY
Actress Waheeda Rahman, singers Manna Dey and Mubarak Begum, film journalist B.K. Karanjia and filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh will be felicitated at this year’s Smruti Sandhya, for their extraordinary contributions to Indian cinema. The annual event, organised by the Bimal Roy Memorial Committee, will be held on 10th and 11th March in Bombay.
BHARAT SHAH REMANDED TO JUDICIAL CUSTODY TILL MARCH 9
Financier Bharat Shah was on 1st March remanded to judicial custody by the special court till March 9 on which date the police is likely to file a chargesheet. Shah was arrested under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) on 8th January for his alleged links with the underworld in the financing of Chori Chori Chupke Chupke. The film’s producer, Nazim Rizvi, was arrested before Bharatbhai and he too has since been remanded to judicial custody.
Director Mahesh Manjrekar and producer Sanjay Gupta were earlier during the week called in for questioning by the crime branch in the Bharat Shah case. Before that, Salman Khan, Rani Mukerji and Shah Rukh Khan were also interrogated by the police. According to press reports, producer and Overseas distributor Bobby Anand is yet to appear before the crime branch for questioning.
Shah Rukh Khan was interrogated on Sunday (25th February) by the assistant commissioner of police, Shankar Kamble, at the crime branch’s Crawford Market headquarters.
Affirming the news, Shah Rukh Khan told Information, “It was just a routine enquiry. They wanted my statement because of the fact that my name was mentioned in the conversation that they had recorded.
“There were two references to me. So they wanted a specific comment from me after I had heard the tape. I told them, I didn’t want to hear the taped conversation. Basically, they wanted to know whether I had received any threatening calls. But during the period in which I was mentioned in the telephonic conversation, I had indeed received no threatening calls. Whenever I have received threatening calls in the last four years, I have always kept them in the loop.
“They wanted my statement on the same, as without it, they said, their interrogation would be incomplete. Aapka interrogation to khaana-purti hai (it is just a formality), they told me.
“For my convenience, they asked me to go over to the Hill Road office for the statement. But since it was a Sunday, the office was closed. So they called me back and said, I had to go to the Crawford Market branch. In fact, they suggested that I could do this on Monday.
“But since I was headed towards town, to congratulate Juhi and Jai Mehta on the arrival of their newborn baby, I said, I would go over on Sunday itself. I wished the new parents and went over to the police headquarters.
“They were extremely courteous to me. Only, I didn’t understand whenever they spoke in Marathi.”
“I was apprehensive about the fact that I had received no threatening calls during the period that I was mentioned in the telephonic conversation. So that nothing untoward happens, I have now tightened my security.”
In the meantime, the bail application of Bharat Shah was heard in the Bombay high court too by Justice S.S. Parkar this week. The prosecution specially flew in solicitor general Harish Salve from Delhi to Bombay to argue on its behalf on 2nd March. Bharatbhai moved the high court after his bail plea was rejected by special judge A.P. Bhangale of the MCOCA court on 7th February.
Meanwhile, Santosh Singh Jain, who has been appointed court receiver for the release of Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, confirmed that the ground was set for the film’s release on 9th March all over.
SHOCKING REVELATIONS IN UPHAAR CINEMA FIRE CASE
The Uphaar cinema fire case has revealed some startling facts about the “utter disregard of fire safety regulations” by the Ansals who own the Delhi cinema. According to the CBI, the agency investigating the case, there were separate sets of rules applied for the ‘common’ and the ‘elite’ cinegoers. This is borne out by the minutes of the meetings of the cinema management held in 1989.
The minutes reveal how the management decided to segregate the hall according to the social status of the people, thereby making glaring deviations in building bye-laws in the construction of the cinema.
According to the report of a 3-member committee appointed by the Delhi high court, more than 50 seats were added to the balcony and the two gangways, while one exit on the right side was closed. This left only a central gangway for the patrons to move about, says the report. Due to such uncommon blocking of exits, the central exit was forced to cater to at least 200 people as against the norm of one exit per 150 persons, the report concludes.
It may be recalled that the cinema is the subject matter of a court case following the outbreak of a fire in it in 1997, which claimed the lives of 59 people, besides injuring many others. Those dead were trapped in the balcony due to the management’s flouting of the norms.
SIGNED
Priyanka Chopra Signed
Priyanka Chopra has been signed to play the lead role opposite Sunny Deol in Movie World’s The Hero, being directed by Anil Sharma. The other cast and credits are being finalised.
YOU ASKED IT
Are adult films eligible for tax-exemption? Has any such film been exempted?
– There’s nothing to stop the government from exempting an adult film from entertainment tax. AGNI SAKSHI, DARR and GHAYAL, all adult films, were granted tax exemption in Maharashtra.
Most of the directors prefer to pose with the camera for their publicity stills. Why so? Does the director need to look into the camera for every shot?
– Yes, directors do look into the camera to see the frame. So what’s wrong in posing with the camera?
Lately, many films are being shot on locations in New Zealand and Australia? Are they considered lucky following the success of KN…PH?
– Besides being lucky, the two countries also boast of excellent locations.
Observations.com
Cinemas of Calcutta and other parts of Bengal will remain closed from 23rd March as the unions of cinema employees have decided to go on an indefinite strike beginning that day. The decision to this effect was taken on 1st March. The unions have been demanding wage revision for its members. The cinema owners are not willing to oblige. The West Bengal government seems to be in no mood to intervene. Will forthcoming film releases be rescheduled?
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Release of Officer in some cinemas of Bombay suburbs and circuit did not happen on Friday as Bombino obtained a stay order on further delivery of prints even before all the prints could be delivered to the distributor. Bombay distributor Pradeep (Bhaiya) tried to get the stay vacated but did not succeed. He could get only 28 of the 45 prints he was to take delivery of. Fearing the worst, Pradeep released the film at Thane on Thursday. Producer Farooq Nadiadwala is said to be owing Bombino 20 while Pradeep had to pay only 12 to the former. The shortfall of 8 proved the cog in the wheel. Reportedly, a settlement will be arrived at today. Some cinemas, unable to obtain prints, remained closed on Friday.
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Saali Poori Gharwali could well be re-titled Saali Poori Courtwali. Legal hassles seem to be the order of the day for its producer, Yogendra Konkar. He has moved the Bombay high court against the IMPDA order which provided that his film would be released in Bombay circuit by Gola and not by the distributor to whom Konkar had sold it for a price. Gola was earlier asked by Konkar to release the film on commission basis. But once the film clicked elsewhere, distributors were ready to pay a price for its rights.
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More than a year after Kaho Naa…Pyaar Hai became a blockbuster, Rakesh Roshan is struggling for a script for his next film. Although he has mentally decided on a story idea, it all depends on how the screenplay turns out.
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Karan Johar shot a song for Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham earlier this month in great style. Besides Indian dancers, he had 40 dancers — equal number of girls and guys — flown in from London specially for the song. The goris and goras stayed in the 5-star Sun-N-Sand Hotel at Juhu, Bombay. The song was choreographed by Farah Khan. The lead dancers were Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor.
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Aamir Khan told a guy, who was keen on acquiring the distribution rights of his Lagaan for C.I. territory, “We’ve not tried to make a money-spinner. We’ve done our creative best. We’ve made a Saraswati. And where there’s Saraswati, there’s Laxmi.” Considering that Aamir belongs to a different faith, his knowledge and application of the Hindu faith is very creditable!
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Shah Rukh Khan is keen to release his Asoka (yes, that’s the way it’s spelt) on 25th May, 2001. “I’ve told my people to keep everything ready for a 25th May release,” quipped the actor.
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The market is awaiting the release of Mukta Arts’ Rahul. The finance market, that is. Although Mukta has made a clean profit on the Prakash Jha film, the investors are still keenly awaiting the box-office fate of the emotional drama of a child and his estranged parents.
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Producer Vashu Bhagnani is the next to jump on to the bandwagon of public issues. Rumours are rife that Rajshri and Yash Chopra are contemplating going public too, but things are in an extremely preliminary stage. So preliminary that it may or may not happen.
– Komal Nahta
3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment
Bond With Success
Suneel Darshan has reason to rejoice. Those who’ve seen the rushes of his under-production film, Ek Rishtaa – The Bond Of Love, are convinced that producer-director Suneel’s bond with success will continue in this film too. Like his earlier hit, Jaanwar, this one also abounds in emotions and is reported to have sterling performances by Amitabh, Akshay Kumar, Juhi and Karisma Kapoor.
Ram Gopal Varma’s ‘Company’
The battle for supremacy among two underworld dons, Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan, which had contributed to so many stories in newspapers and magazines so far, will now explode on the big screen, thanks to producer-director Ram Gopal Varma who has announced Company. He has signed Vivek Oberoi, son of Suresh Oberoi, to play the character inspired by Chhota Rajan. Ajay Devgan has reportedly been signed to play Dawood Ibrahim. Malayalam films’ superstar, Mohanlal, will make his debut on the Hindi screen in this film in the character of a South Indian top cop (perhaps, joint commissioner of Bombay police, D. Sivanandan). While Ram Gopal Varma’s Satya saw the underworld from a don’s point of view, Company will be a subject which Varma will see from the police’s point of view. The filmmaker has based it on real-life experiences as recounted by various top cops whom he had met. Varma was indeed in good company during his research on the subject.
India-Bashing: Lollywood’s Lolly!
What is Pakistan’s answer to our patriotic films like Roja, Border, Refugee and Mission Kashmir? Films like Ghar Kab Aaogey, Tere Pyar Mein and Musalman. These Pakistani films are meant to be Pakistan’s rejoinders (!) to Indian patriotic films. In fact, such films are an attempt by Lollywood (the Pak film industry) producers to earn their lolly! These Pakistani propaganda films are an exercise in India-bashing. What’s interesting is that they are imitations of Hindi films, substituting a Pakistani hero for an Indian one. One film, Tere Pyar Mein, is an unabashed copy of Refugee.
Despite such Pak-propaganda films, there is still demand for Indian patriotic films. In spite of a ban, video libraries secretly rent out video copies of these films.
Tambu Bhi Nahin Mila!
Soon after the earthquake in Gujarat, Aamir Khan rushed relief material to Kunria, a small village in Kutch, where his Lagaan was shot. In his first instalment of relief supplies, he sent tent cloth to the villagers who had worked for the film’s shooting for nearly 10 months. That was enough to set the rumour that Aamir had adopted the village. The relief-supplying agencies, therefore, opted out of Kunria and went to another place! One villager, who was not a part of the shooting crew, is reported to have quipped, “Humein kya mila? Tambu bhi nahin mila!”