Tamil director Gautham Vasudev Menon making India's first trilingual film

How do you offer the same film to multiple audience groups? Dub it or remake it? No. Photon KathaasProduction, the brainchild of Tamil film director Gautham Vasudev Menon and where music director AR Rahman is a creative advisor, is well on his way to make what is India's first trilingual movie.

Photon Kathaas, which has producer Michael Rosenberg as its chairman, was established in 2009 and listed on LSE's AIM exchange, says it wants to be in the entire value chain of movie making.

Photon's idea is to make three movies with three different heroes, three different producers in three languages – Tamil, Telugu and Hindi. But only one script. Menon himself will be directing these three movies.

"Economically this is a good deal because you have all the three heroes on one set. You can complete three movies in a span of 110 days. This helps cut down on cost," says Venkat Somasundaram, chief executive officer of Photon Kathaas.

When asked whether this concept would work, he said, "There is no magic formula to calculate this. You can never predict on what works and what does not work when it comes to movies."

The trilingual, shooting for which is 60% over, will be released in 2012. The total cost of the three movies is about $8 million, Photon said in a statement to LSE's AIM exchange.

Photon has signed up with Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, part of the Viacom18 Group, to fund the yet-to-be-named Hindi version. According to the deal, Photon will receive half the profits.

The Telugu version, also to be named, will be funded by C Kalyan, president of the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce. The Tamil version, titled Neethaane En Ponvasantham (meaning You are my golden spring) will be funded by RS Infotainment, the makers of the recent hit Tamil movie Ko.

There's business reasoning behind the trilingual plan: cover key markets faster and with lower costs. Kollywood (Tamil), Tol lywood (Telugu) and Bollywood (Hindi) are three of the biggest markets for commercial cinema in India today.

A leading film critic, who wished anonymity, however, wondered if this approach will work. He recalled a similar attempt was made in 1975 by Gemini Studios with a Tamil film called Ellorum Nallavare, whose Hindi version was called Ek Gaon Ki Kahani. There was a Telugu version too. Except for the Telugu version, the other two bombed, he said. "When you do it all at the same time, you can't think of improvements or adding value," he said.

There's a growing trend in the Indian film industry of a single film being offered to different audience groups either as dubbed movies, remakes or bilinguals. The recent Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Ra.One was dubbed in Tamil. The blockbuster Salman Khan movie Bodyguard was a remake of a Malayalam movie which was successfully redone in Tamil and is now being done in Telugu. Even Salman's Dabangg is now being remade in Tamil as Osthi.

Ace film director Mani Ratnam's hit films Roja and Bombay were dubbed into Hindi. His Hindi film Guru was dubbed into Tamil. His Raavan was a bilingual.

Menon, who is also Photon's chief creative officer, said his inspiration was something similar. "When there were requests to make Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa (a hit bilingual movie that Menon directed in Tamil and Telugu, with different endings and actors) in Hindi, I thought why not make movies at the same time in the future," Menon says.

"That's how the idea sparked. Instead of making movies later I thought we should do it immediately." Thirtynine-year-old Gautham is no greenhorn when it comes to such celluloid experiments. Known as a creative guy who always delivers new and refreshing story angles, Menon began his film career as director of film advertisements. After shooting different commercials he joined film maker Rajiv Menon as assistant director.

Rajiv was making Minsaara Kanavu and Gautham was assisting him in this movie. Post that there was no stopping for him. Till date he has done films with different themes and concepts and has explored regions where none have been. He started off with Minnale in 2000, the movie was a superhit.

He went on to make some of the biggest hits in the Tamil film industry. Some of his notable films are — Kaaka Kaaka (2003), Gharshana (2004), Vettaiyadu Vellaiyadi (2006), Pachaikili Muthucharam (2007) and Vaaranam Aayiram (2008) and Rehna He Tera Dile Mein (2001), a remake of Minnale. These seven films of Gautham have together been estimated by the South Indian film trade to have achieved total gross sales of $14.6million.

His latest bilingual film, Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya (in Tamil) and Ye Maaya Chesave (in Telugu), which was released in February 2010 received positive reviews and this movie is now being made in Hindi also. The film, which is being made in Hindi now — Ek Deewana Tha — made gross sales of $8.8 million as on April 30, 2010.

Courtesy:economictimes.indiatimes.com

Soundarya Clarifies On Kochadaiyaan

Soundarya Rajinikanth has said that Kochadaiyaan is one of the names of Lord Shiva. There were reports that it is the name or title of a Pandya king, but the film’s director Soundarya has clarified that it is the name of Lord Shiva.

Rajinikanth starrers Arunachalam and Annamalai, incidentally, are also the names of Lord Shiva. With the debut director opting for yet another Lord Shiva’s names, there must certainly be some sentiment attached to the title, say sources.

Speaking about Kochadaiyaan, Soundarya has said that other cast and crew have not been finalized yet.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

What Rajini’s Kochadaiyaan Means?

Rajinikanth was impressed with the performance capturing technology used in The Adventures of Tin Tin that he wanted to use the same technology in his film. When Rajini put forth this idea to his daughter Soundarya, she immediately agreed to make a film as per dad’s wishes.

And that is the beginning of Kochadaiyaan, we are told. The film will use the technology that Steven Spielberg used in Tin Tin and James Cameron in Avatar.

When asked about the peculiar title, we heard that it is the name of Pandya King Kochadaiyaan Ranathiran.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Rajini’s Next Is Kochadaiyaan

Here is the hot news that all Rajinikanth fans have been waiting for months together now! His film has been titled Kochadaiyaan! It will be a 3D film for which the performance capturing technology is to be used!

KS Ravi Kumar will write the story, screenplay and dialogues for this film and Rajinikanth’s daughter Soundarya will wield the megaphone. Eros International, which was supposed to produce Rana, will produce Kochadaiyaan.

The film is aimed for a August 2012 release and after it is wrapped up, Rajinikanth will move on to Rana, which is to be directed by KS Ravi Kumar.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Ek Deewana Tha Movie First Look Poster | PLANET BOLLYWOOD - By Diptesh Thakore™

Ek Deewana Tha is an Upcoming Bollywood Movie of Prateik and Amy Jackson. Movie From the Director Gautam Menon - Makers of Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein. Ek Deewana Tha Movie Having the music of Oscar Award winner Musician A.R. Rahman. Ek Deewana Tha is a remake remake of the superhit Tamil film Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya.

Courtesy: bollywoodkhabri.blogspot.com

Award For AR Rahman

Oscar winner AR Rahman will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 8^th Dubai International Film Festival. The musician is the hot favorite for his coveted award as he has won several awards including the prestigious Oscar and Grammy.

Rahman is glad that he is to get yet another award and is looking forward to add one more feather to his already decorative cap. The musician has several international projects in his kitty right now which make him one of the busiest in the business right now.

He has been signed up for Rajinikanth’s Rana but this project is not expected to start any time soon. Rahman has scored the music for Gautham Menon’s Ek Deewana Tha and this film will release in January next year.

Courtesy:tamilkey.com

ARR to compose music for Randamoozham

While much acclaimed director Hariharan, maker ofPazhassi Raja, is all set to commence the shooting of his ambitious Malayalam film Randamoozham by 2012 mid, it is now heard that music maestro A.R. Rahman will compose music for this proposed flick, written by M.T. Vasudevan Nair.

If it happens, this would be A.R. Rahman's second Malayalam film after Yodha (1992). The costliest film ever in the history of Malayalam cinema, Randamoozham tells the story of Mahabharata from Bheema's perspective. According to sources, MT is now giving finishing touches to the script.

Reportedly, Mohanlal will play Bheema, while Mammootty will play a significant role inRandamoozham, produced by Gokulam Gopalan who produced Pazhassi Raja.

Courtesy:galatta.com

Gautham Plans A January Release

Ek Deewana Thaa, the Hindi version of Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaaya, will be released in January 2012. VTV received a huge response from the movie buffs when it was released and the film’s director Gautham Menon decided to take it to Bollywood.

Ek Deewana Thaa stars Prateik Babbar and Any Jackson in the lead roles. It may be recalled that Silambarasan and Trisha essayed the lead roles in the Tamil version and their on-screen chemistry was the talk of the town.

Music for this film has been scored by the Oscar winner AR Rahman, who also gave chartbusters in VTV.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Rockstar: Movie Review

Director: Imtiaz Ali
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Nargis Fakhri

In the film, Ranbir Kapoor is advised that to be a true-blue artist and a real rockstar he has to experience pain, which will come through heartbreak. If we go by this theory, most audiences of this film will walk out of the hall as rockstars, since the movie will largely leave them heartbroken. But for heartbreak, it is imperative to fall in love first and that's exactly what director Imtiaz Ali does. He starts off the film on a promising note and just when you fall in love with the amazing first half, the narrative nosedives with a stagnant second half.

So you have the naive Janardhan Jakhar (Ranbir Kapoor) who aspires to be a rockstar likeJim Morrison. His yearning for heartbreak gets him close to Heer (Nargis Fakhri), as they bond over soft-porn cinema and country liquor. Soon after, the girl is married off to some NRI, the boy is thrown out of his house, he seeks solace in a dargah and next you know he's a singing sensation rechristened as Jordan.

A foreign tour reunites him with Heer and their passive passion rekindles until Jordan is obsessed with her. What follows is another tribute to Devdas or rather Dev.D with the neurotic, lovelorn protagonist unable to get over his mixed emotions and confused definition of love. But that's not all as the plot meanders to culminate into an undesired arena of Erich Segal's Love Story.

Imtiaz Ali is known for his old-wine-in-new-bottle brand of cinema. Rockstar is very much engaging as far as it is in that familiar territory, where the director adds a refreshing touch to the regular romance drama. The casual chemistry that he induces between the lead pair through their wacky and eventful escapades has its moments of charm. The passion-play between them when they reunite after years is spontaneous, smoldering and yet tastefully achieved. Their reunion is also faintly reminiscent of the Jab We Met reunion, where the character-conduct is reversed with the burbling boy now trying to make the gloomy girl's life more exciting. And like Love Aaj Kal, Imtiaz Ali kick-starts the film with a montage song highlighting select significant sequences from the entire film.

But beyond that when the director ventures into uncharted zone, the narrative loses track. While one can still overlook the Dev.D influenced intoxicating attitude of the proceedings (which you can somehow attribute to the convoluted rockstar protagonist), the subsequent terminal illness conflict takes the film towards an unwelcome and undefined end. After an interesting graph to the narrative in the first half, the story almost turns stationary in the second half. The screenplay seems stretched and gets monotonous with repetitive media-bashing scenes and flashback shots of what has been already served to you.

Another problem with the plot is that it is neither a standalone story about the rise-of-an-underdog who becomes the biggest rockstar nor is it merely a love story with a rockstar backdrop. The director somewhere attempts to correlate the rockstar's rise with his romance but isn't able to achieve that impeccably. In fact the original one-liner plot with which the movie starts (a painful heartbreak gets out the real artist inside you) goes for a complete toss by the end. One can never clearly perceive when Jordan's heart is broken in the assorted scheme of events and that's where the film loses objectivity.

The storytelling pattern of the film is needlessly intricate for a simple romance-drama genre. While it is very much linear, the frequent use of multiple montages can have you confused. Initially the montages aid brisk storytelling but subsequently there are so much of them that it gets puzzling. Editing the film would surely have been a difficult task. Anil Mehta's cinematography is brilliant as he captures the beauty of Kashmir, Italy and Delhi with panache. AR Rahman's wide range of music has numbers which are instantly infectious (Sadda Haq) and others that take time to grow on you.

If Rockstar keeps you engaged even after you have given up on the story by the end, it is only because of Ranbir Kapoor. From his innocence in the opening reels to his arrogance in the climax, Ranbir breathes life into Jordan and keeps you riveted. Whether he adlibs his songs, gives a dance-tribute to Shammi Kapoor or dictates the concert crowd, Ranbir gives cent percent to his character. How much ever you try to ignore, but Nargis Fakhri fervently reminds of Katrina Kaif through her looks, acting, lip movements (and seemingly also has the same voice dubbing artist). Nevertheless she is likeable and shares good chemistry with Ranbir. Kumud Mishra as Jordan's advisor-turned-manager is impressive. Aditi Rao Hydari is confident but marred by a short-lived character. Piyush Mishra makes for an animated-yet-interesting negative lead. And it's pleasing to see Shammi Kapoor is his last decent cameo.

Rockstar rocks you but only partially thanks to the star called Ranbir Kapoor.

Courtesy:indiatimes.com

Mayank Shekhar's review: Rockstar

Ranbir, truly the rockstar!

Rockstar
Director: Imtiaz Ali
Actors: Ranbir Kapoor, Nargis Fakri
Rating: ***1/2

“Look at the great artistes, you’ll realise there’s one thing that’s common to all of them: pain.” Frustration, hurt, angst, struggles of all sorts may have produced deranged humans; they’ve also brought to the world, genius in expression, art of all kinds. It’s a fair point; the one making it in this movie is someone called Khataraji. Intellect is best earned from the street. Khataraji is a college canteen manager, pot-bellied, mustachioed, wearing a thick hand-knitted sweater and talcum powder over his sweaty neck: basically, he looks like your average, lower middle-class, middle-aged Delhi male.

Khataraji takes a shine on one Janardhan Jakhar (Ranbir Kapoor), a talented musician. Having taken Khatara bhai’s sermons on art and pain a bit too seriously; lost, confused, mildly stupid, vaguely asexual Janardhan (JJ, in short, Jordan later) goes around looking to get frustrated!

He finds a gorgeous girl dancing at her college auditorium. She is, as the boys describe, a dil todne kimachine (surefire heartbreaker).” He pretends to fall for this upper-class Kashmiri girl (Nargis Fakhri), approaches her while she’s with friends; goes, “Tu hote lagti hai, cool bhi (you’re hot, cool)… I louv you, crazy for u baeby.” She asks him to bugger off, of course. Burger off, is what he hears. She’s from the supposedly posh St Stephen’s in Delhi. They were at the café. He goes back to his canteen, ‘across the road’ (Hindu College, relatively down-market. Okay Hinduites, I never said that. The film implies it!)

These two could never be a couple. Oddly, they do make for great friends. There’s a rebellious streak in this rich, protected, pretty girl. Though she’s about to get married. She finds in the rustic boy a mate who can accompany her to things that constitute “gandh machana (literally, stinking up)”: something that no Delhi girl should ideally attempt, like getting into a show of a laugh-porn Janglee Jawani in a shaggy, shabby theatre called Amar Talkies in Chandni Chowk, or thereabouts.

The girl gets married, moves on. The boy finds enough frustration in his life to produce expressive art, make finely layered music, is spotted by a shehnai ustad (Shammi Kapoor, in his final role, as Bismillah Khan). Janardhan is by now the incredibly famous (or infamous) Jordan, who packs stadiums, sells concert tickets, CDs, T-shirts, women faint at his appearance, paparazzi stalks him everywhere. A rock star? Hmmm.

A problem with Rock On (2008), for instance, though doubtlessly an entertaining film, was the music quartet there wasn't really a rock band. Severely low on rage against the machine, in their life, and with their music, they were at best a believable pop group. The hero here expresses that reckless, devil-may-care attitude better. The middle finger’s firmly in place, and pointed everywhere. To be fair still, there are no rock stars in India. It becomes a problem then to place this guy.

Film actors dancing, lip-syncing to playback music on television take over all sacred spaces of showbiz fame in this country. Everyone will remember Ranbir Kapoor in this movie. Some will know Mohit Chauhan, the brilliant voice, behind his character. As Bollywood hero though, Ranbir, for a change, deserves all the national attention. We haven’t quite come across a full-on Hindi film-star since Aamir Khan (26 years ago), Hrithik Roshan (11 years ago), who’s this competent, dedicated and original an actor. This movie rightly belongs to him. It neatly attempts to capture extreme fame, and its pitfalls: hungry crowds outside, hollowness and mental turmoil within. It could be seen as an Indian movie star’s story as well. The giddy fans they attract are about the same as rock-stars do in the West.

The hero goes back to his girl. If you've known someone long enough as a friend, it's probably best to let them remain just that. It may be a terrible idea in life to make out with your best buddy, if you’ve been platonic throughout, and especially, if they're married now! It's still decent enough conflict for a romantic film. This one flits between the study of fame, and a feminine, old-world Romeo And Juliet kind of romance of eternal love, right down to the balcony scene. The heroine is called Heer, obviously from the popular Punjabi tragic folktale Heer Ranjha. As it is with so many heroes’ journeys, important side-characters are unfortunately trashed to the bin: the leading man’s family's made irrelevant, so is the girl’s husband.

The canvas is wide like early Sanjay Leela Bhansali's; bird's eye view of the stunning bridge is very Mani Ratnam; witty, earthy dialogues are so Vishal Bhardwaj. Director Imitiaz Ali (Jab We Met, Love Aaj Kal) manages to retain a personal, auteur's touch in a genre vastly commercial, mainstream. This is a rare feat.

From its start, to the way it progresses, you can tell, the film’s been through various stages of editing and several second thoughts. Sometimes the patchiness shows. It's a stretch. Anything that’s 18 reels long (close to three hours) in a flickering world of low attention spans would be. Something fizzles out towards the end. You still don't begrudge a movie that's been this engaging, entertaining thus far.

Oh, and did I forget. This is the best soundtrack of AR Rahman’s since Delhi 6 (early 2009). The compositions should grow on you. So should this film, surely.

Courtesy:hindustantimes.com

Rockstar movie review

All soul, no spine

Film: Rockstar
Director: Imtiaz Ali
Starring: Ranbir Kapoor, Nargis Fakhri
Rating:

It begins on an electric note, the big, bad rockstar escaping from a fight, hair blowing in the wind as he races through the streets of Rome (or is it Prague?) to jump straight into a crowd waiting for him. From then on, it goes downhill, and spectacularly so.

Imtiaz Ali has discovered his baroque side and it is a terrible thing to behold. Everything is in excess. Ranbir Kapoor as Janardhan Jakhar, the naive Haryanvi boy trying to flirt with Heer Kaul, the elusive St Stephen's beauty, is too much of a buffoon, and as Jordan, the angry rocker, he's a little too raging bull. Newbie Nargis Fakhri is painful to watch, her mobile mouth overpowering her face, never quite pulling off the "neat and clean" stunner who wants to get her hands and feet dirty with a bit of rough and absolutely cringingly bad as the unhappy wife whose life is slowly slipping away.

And whenever I see Shernaz Patel in any movie these days, it is an automatic Sanjay Leela Bhansali alert: I know there's trouble ahead and it will involve several medical/legal issues which she will try explaining to the audience ("the blood count is improving" or "it's a miracle") but fail.

Ali has crafted the film as one long song, and nowhere in recent times has the music integrated so well with what he is trying to say. Whether it is Kun Faaya Kunwhere Janardhan discovers the power of music, or the gorgeous jugalbandi between Shammi Kapoor on shehnai and Ranbir on guitar where you can see two different kinds of talent on display--one natural, almost animal-like, another refined, spiritually-inclined--AR Rahman's music is the soul of the film. What is missing is the spine, leaving just a jelly in place.

Ali's trademark obsessions are on full display -- travel for one. Jakhar discovers Heer and Kashmir on a motorcycle, he makes his grandest rockstar-like gestures coming out of a car or in a van (the only time the sultry Aditi Rao Hydari is allowed to burn on screen, mocking Ranbir's studly image). And spirited girls -- few filmmakers have plumbed the hidden spirit of good girls as he has -- whether it was Geet in Jab We Met or Meera in Love Aaj Kal. Girls who do as their families tell them but whose individuality is strong and fierce. But Nargis Fakhri is an utter failure at capturing that essence -- as Heer she was to be both wilful and wild, enigmatic and tragic. Try as you will to like her, her mouth gets in the way. She is the reason for Jordan's existence, at least as Ali must have envisaged it on paper, but here she is just an irritating presence, who just happens to look good in phirans and Kashmiri shawls, which is the extent of research Ali has done on Kashmir, peopling a Kashmiri Pandit wedding with scores of Muslim relatives.

There are moments of great beauty in the film. The heart-stopping duet between Shammi Kapoor and Ranbir; the Kun Faaya Kun song in the Nizamuddin dargah; the hilarious massage scene involving a leopard print underwear-clad music baron, Piyush Mishra; or even Ranbir dancing in a trance at a nightclub, transported into another world. But instead of taking the audience along on his journey of pain, the audience is increasingly frustrated. Too many things are left unexplained. How does Janardhan become such a symbol of rage -- does it really just take a single act of breaking in and entering a foreign country to make him the emblem of Free Tibet, angry Kashmiris and angry Khalistanis? Why does Heer not just run away with him?

I think one problem with the film is that it is about a grand passion, and mainstream Hindi cinema is not equipped to show a grand romance except in the most inane form. So while the young couple kiss each other with great gusto, they can't do much more. Ali's journey into the recesses of an artist's soul remains superficial, amplified only by its tokens -- aphiran in Kashmir, a group of gypsies in Prague, a Haryanvi haveli for Delhi's semi-urbanites. Planes, cars, motorcycles. Take whatever mode of transport you will, you come right back to the single fact: this is a film that lacks discipline. All the Rumi quotations of the world cannot provide either.

Courtesy:intoday.in

Rockstar: Film Review - The Hollywood Reporter

Music by Oscar winner A.R. Rahman carries a convoluted love story, made in India, about a rising star.

EMERYVILLE, Calif. — Rockstar is that rare popular film that captures the precise moment when music draws a man into the realm of the divine. That moment — set to a haunting Sufi song by A.R. Rahman — is drawn so movingly and with such affection by director Imtiaz Ali that it’s almost possible to forgive Ali’s blunders in handling the rest of the film.

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Rockstar is a story of a man struggling to find himself, spiritually and artistically, yet it’s billed as a love story, and that’s the trouble. The love story angle is so disjointed and overwrought that it will likely alienate viewers expecting the deft touch of Ali’s earlier hits, Jab We Met (2007) and Love Aaj Kal (2009), so prospects seem rocky for this star at the box office.

Delhi boy Janardan (Ranbir Kapoor) and exotic Kashmiri girl Heer (newcomer Nargis Fakhri) meet as students in a Delhi college. Heer dubs him “Jordan,” and the name sticks. Jordan is a bit of a nerd, but he has music in him; the one thing he’s missing, according to an old friend, is angst. “Nobody can make great art until they’ve experienced real pain,” says his friend.

When a family misunderstanding ends up with Jordan thrown out of his family’s home, he seeks refuge at Delhi’s Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah, sleeping on its floors with other city outcasts and eating the simple, free food from its kitchen.

Gradually, the charity he experiences there and the power of its Sufi music change Jordan, and — guitar in hand — he learns to hone his craft by playing for whatever audience will have him, be it a shrine full of Muslim worshippers or a Hindu gathering, random listeners on the street or even the prostitutes in a local brothel. These scenes are the absolute high point of the film, sparked with Rahman’s inspired music and convincing guitar and vocal performances by Kapoor (with the dubbed vocals of singer Mohit Chauhan).

The love story doesn’t easily fit into this scenario at all. Jordan and Heer are given some charming dialogue and a forbidden-slash-doomed love affair to work with. But though Fakhri, a Queens, New York-born model of Pakistani and Czech descent, is lovely enough, she’s too vacant to have much of an impact, much less come off believable as the muse to awaken the artist within Jordan.

Technical aspects are well handled, especially Anil Mehta’s camera work capturing the grand vistas of Kashmir, Dharamsala, Delhi and Prague (the film was shot in association with the Czech Republic’s film commission). Guitar wunderkind Orianthi Panagaris (This Is It) lends her blazing licks to the film’s background score as well.

One incongruous image sticks in the mind. During the film’s most blistering rock anthem, Jordan sings to an audience of Tibetan refugees in Dharamsala, the Dalai Lama’s home in exile. The careful viewer will note that a banner in the background that reads “Free Tibet” has been digitally blurred out — at the orders of India’s censor board, reportedly bowing to Chinese government pressure.

The song Jordan sings in the scene, “Sadda Haq,” speaks about freedom and truth. Director Imtiaz Ali has not spoken out publicly about the issue, but young Indians have been vocal in appreciating its irony.

Opens: Nov. 11, 2011 (Eros International)
Production company: Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision Ltd.
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Nargis Fakhri, Shammi Kapoor, Shikha Jain, Piyush Mishra
Director: Imtiaz Ali
Screenwriter: Imtiaz Ali
Producer: Dhilin Mehta
Director of photography: Anil Mehta
Production designer: Sumit Basu
Music: A.R. Rahman
Lyrics: Irshad Kamil
Sound designer: Dileep Subramaniam
Costume designers: Aki Narula, Manish Malhotra
Editor: Aarti Bajaj
Unrated, 160 minutes

Courtesy:hollywoodreporter.com

Movie Review: 'Rockstar' - It's Ranbir, Rahman All the Way

If you are looking for realism, better go somewhere else. 'Rockstar' tries to be real, but doesn't quite succeed. In the course of those few hours in the theatre, you get to witness the rising of a wannabe college bloke to a mega international rockstar, and believe me, the journey will have you scratching your head over how it all happened.

The rockstar's life is chaotic, to say the least, and the same could be said of the movie as well. In fact, it is more of a troubled love story with the rockstar part of it as a filler to keep the movie going forward. Or rather, backward-forward, backward-forward.

Plot

In a nutshell, it is the story of a boy-next-door Janardhan Jhakar (Ranbir Kapoor) who wants to become an international rockstar ala Jim Morrison. He is told that an artiste finds his real self only when he experiences pain and tragedy, and Janardhan lands at the feet of Heer (Nargis Fakhri), described as the 'dil todne ki (heart-breaking) machine' of the college. After a jarring bit of comedy and a screaming-at-the-top-of-her-voice Heer, the two strike a chord. You wonder how a girl who is known to have been with many guys before suddenly opens up to our simple lad, to show a side of herself 'never known before'. You just sigh to yourself and go on.

Heer marries off and goes to Prague, while Janardhan, who is by now Jordon, suffers all kinds of tragedies and ends up travelling to Europe and becoming a rockstar with a single performance in, guess where - Prague. What follows is a stormy love story, interspersed with rock concerts, stints in jail, screaming teens running after Jordon and media hounds thrusting their mikes into his face.

The kind of relationship the two share, you can't help but be reminded of Heathcliff and Catherine of Wuthering Heights. They are not childhood friends nor is the story the same, but the chemistry is similar. Heer's illness, Jordon's agony, his attempts at meeting her, all are reminiscent of the love that transcends ordinary limits that Catherine and Heathcliff depict so well.

Nevertheless, the movie fails in that it doesn't really touch you. You will not find yourself pitying either Heer or Jordon. Your heart will not weep for them, nor will you rejoice in their joy. The movie goes on and on, and the ending stretches for forever. And then it suddenly ends.

Movie

The cinematography is superb, and deserves full marks. Kashmir to Europe the scenery is captured beautifully, and the songs too are picturised well. The real winner, however, is A R Rahman. His music keeps you awake and alive, and there are times when you just want to get up and dance along. The second half is more about the music than the first, and more engaging as well. The screen play could have been better, as the story moves back and forth in a chaotic manner. One instant he is performing at a concert, next moment he's being roughed by police, and then you see him romancing Heer, all repeatedly and in no particular order.

Performances

Watch the movie for Ranbir Kapoor. That's the best reason to watch it, if not the only one. He is amazing in his roles, be it the wannabe buffoon or the angry rockstar, but personally, I felt the rockstar image does not go well with Ranbir, who is best when he's lovable and giggly. At times you tend to even mistake him for Arjun Rampal.

Nargis Fakhri looks breathtaking, but that's about it. Her acting skills need some fine-tuning, and in those scenes where she's supposed to be angry, all you get are expressionless screams.

Shammi Kapoor's cameo is the only thing that really touches you, and needless to say, the scenes he appears in make you want to watch him on and on.

Piyush Mishra as music agent Dhingra stands out with his perfect comic timing. He has you laughing heartily, especially in the 'maalish' scene.

Verdict

The movie is, at best, a one-time watch. Director Imtiaz Ali doesn't quite hit it off, and you can't help but wish for a flow and rhythm that his 'Jab We Met' had.

Courtesy:daijiworld.com

What Doctors Say About Rajini?

Doctors treating Rajinikanth have appealed to all his fans to wait patiently for the star to begin his next project. According to the doctors, Rajinikanth’s health is perfect but he needs some rest before resuming normal activities.

The Superstar needs rest so that there will be no complications further, say doctors. The doctors have appealed to all Rajini fans to wait for some more months and then he will be able to entertain them with full strength and vigor.

It may be mentioned here that Rajini is now gearing to do a commercial for children’s malnutrition program sponsored by the Central Government.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Rana Not Now

Although Rajini is fully fit, up and running, looks like his family is skeptical about letting him go through the grueling movie schedules so soon. According to sources close to the family, it's not likely that Rana will take off anytime soon. Although earlier rumors were adrift about the possibility of Rana kicking off soon, there doesn't seem to be anything promising happening in that direction.

Instead, Rajini will focus on the animated film Sultan that has been in production for sometime now. Sultan is produced by Soundarya and will have Rajni voicing over for his own character.

Courtesy:behinwoods.com

Updates On Gautham Menon's Projects

Gautham Menon is working on the Hindi version of Ek Deewana Tha with Prateik Babbar and Amy Jackson while simultaneously shooting Neethane En Ponvasantham in three different languages. If this were not enough on his plate, he is also producing Thanga Meengal and working on the script for his Vijay film.

The super director has said that he is halfway through Neethane En Ponvasantham and the film is shaping up well in all three languages. He also said that he is happy with Ek Deewana Tha and Prateik and Amy's work in it. AR Rahman has finished two tracks for this film and word is that the audio launch will be in January. The music for Neethane En Ponvasantham will also be released shortly after that.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Endhiran - the best movie in Asia!

Rajinikanth starrer Endhiran has been adjudged as Asia’s Best Movie in Japan. The Superstar has a great fan following in Japan ever since his Muthu released there some years ago and since then most of his films are being screened there on a regular basis.

Endhiran was a record smasher at the box office when it was released last year and did good business world over. The film had Rajinikanth and Aishwarya Rai playing the lead pair with Shankar directing it. Sun Pictures produced the film.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Rahman's latest plan

Rahman is going on a world tour and this one will be a tribute to salute the diversity in Indian music. The concert is expected to be launched on the 9th of December in Dubai. With the Rahman regular singers, the concert will also see Rahman collaborating with choreographer - director Amy Tinkham and the Superheavy, the global rock group in which he is also a part.

Back home, the maestro's songs for Rockstar are being raved about. They are also slowly becoming a rage with the movie about to be released soon.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Endhiran - The Best Movie In Asia!

Rajinikanth starrer Endhiran has been adjudged as Asia’s Best Movie in Japan. The Superstar has a great fan following in Japan ever since his Muthu released there some years ago and since then most of his films are being screened there on a regular basis.

Endhiran was a record smasher at the box office when it was released last year and did good business world over. The film had Rajinikanth and Aishwarya Rai playing the lead pair with Shankar directing it. Sun Pictures produced the film.

Courtesy: behindwoods.com

Vijay to do a James Bond act in Gautham Menon's film?

Vijay is on a roll! Following the success ofVelayudham, the actor will soon team up with A.R. Murugadoss for his next. After completing that Vijay will be joining hands with ace director Gautham Vasudev Menon for his 55th movie, a detective story based in New York! The project has been titled Yohan: Adhyayam Ondru! This dream project is scheduled to go on floors by June 2012, will have music by maestro A.R. Rahman, and the camera will be handled by Manoj Paramahamsa.

Now the latest buzz is that Vijay will play a James Bond kind of a role in this film and the director is planning to make a series of films (like the James Bond series) under the same title.

Courtesy:galatta.com

Rahman changed the tracks of Rockstar n number of times!

The music of ‘Rockstar’ is making people tap their feet on tracks like ‘Kun Faya’ and ‘Katiya Karun’ and bang their heads on ‘Saadda Haq’. The tracks are awesomely made by none other than A.R. Rahman and can see that he has truly put his heart and soul into the music of the film.

Commenting on the same, Rahman says, “We had great music for the song ‘Nadaan Parinde’ but still we were not satisfied and reworked on the whole thing. Mixing for the album took a lot of time; we took around 30 to 40 days as we had to redo the thing completely again and again until we were completely satisfied.”

After listening to the tracks and seeing the audience’s reaction to it, one can surely say that his hard work has paid off.

Courtesy:daily.bhaskar.com

We do not have pure rockstars in India: AR Rahman

Music maestro AR Rahman, who is looking forward to a live concert of his upcoming film Rockstar, feels that India does not have 'pure' rockstars.
The makers of Ranbir Kapoor-starrer film, Rockstar have planned a live concert to promote the movie. Rahman will be performing live at the concert.
Joining Rahman for the live performance will be lead actors Ranbir and Nargis Fakhri, director Imtiaz Ali, singer Mohit Chauhan and others.
"I have seen IIT people playing rock music and then you have the usual rock bands. India-wise, we have morals and hence, we do not see pure rockstars here," Rahman told reporters here at the announcement of the concert.
"Also, in this film, the character that Ranbir plays, does not drink. He does not like alcohol. But, I like the character," he said.
The song 'Sadda Haq' from the film has become quite a rage with the youth and will be the highlight of the concert.
The other songs that will be performed at rhe concert include - 'Jo Bhi Main', 'Kun Faaya Kun', 'Katiyan Karun', and 'Nadaan Parinde'.
When asked for which song he faced problems, Rahman said, "For a couple of songs we had trouble. Like for the song 'Nadaan Parinde', I felt, we could have done better so we re-worked on it. We faced problem while mixing the songs. It took 35 to 40 days for the mixing," Rahman said.
Rockstar, directed by Imtiaz Ali, starring Ranbir and Nargis, will release on November 11.

Courtesy:dnaindia.com

Shruti Haasan opts for Aamir Khan

Her breakup with her heartthrob Siddharth was the talk of the town recently. Shruti Haasan, the daughter of universal hero Kamal Haasan, is once again in the news for walking out of Jr NTR’S Tollywood flick Dammu.

If unit sources are to be believed, Shruti has opted out of Dammu after signing the movie and even shooting for it.

The reason? It seems that the Luck star is taken in by the comments of none other than Bollywood star Aamir Khan. Aamir Khan reportedly watched Suriya’s 7 Aum Arivu — thanks to director A.R. Murugadoss, and was so impressed by the script that he is keen on remaking it in Hindi.

The actor/filmmaker has already tasted success with the remake of Ghajini — which was also directed by Murugadoss.

The intriguing news is that Aamir was also smitten by Shruti’s performance and apparently commented that (just like he chose Asin for his Hindi Ghajini) he would want her on board for the Bollywood version of 7 Aum Arivu.

Shruti, who had just commenced shooting for Dammu with Jr NTR, was on cloud nine when she heard about Aamir’s remarks.

She suddenly decided to opt out of NTR’s project — probably, to keep her dates free — in the hope of suddenly getting a call from the Lagaan star.

The source also adds that Boyapati Srinu, the director of the film is miffed with her and is looking out for a quick replacement. Yet another source informs us that the film unit is trying to convince Shruti to stay on and complete the film.

In the meanwhile, it seems that Shruti has complained about the unit stating that the film was making very slow progress and payments due to her had been withheld!

And, that’s not the only reason for her opting out of Daamu. An unconfirmed source informs DC that Shruti has been approached by ace filmmaker Mani Ratnam for his film on the Rameswaram fishermen.

The movie is touted to have Rajeev Menon behind the camera and A.R. Rahman composing the music. After all, working in a Mani Ratnam film would any day be a better bet for international recognition.

The earlier rumours were that Shruti’s sister Akshara would be the female lead, with Gautham, actor Karthick’s son, debuting as the hero.

Despite all efforts to talk to Shruti, she was not available for comments. Let’s wait to hear what the young star has to say in her defence!

Courtesy:deccanchronicle.com