One of the world's biggest composing, production and musical names A R Rahman spoke exclusively to BBC Asian Network's Gagan Grewal this week sharing his views on war and his career.
Rahman, the man behind the musical score of countless Bollywood films as well as West End productions like Andrew Lloyd Webber's BOMBAY DREAMS and LORD OF THE RINGS spoke to Asian Network about his latest projects and war - something he's rarely spoken about in public.
A R Rahman scored his 1st Bollywood song ROJA in 1992 which went on to be listed as one of the top 100 songs of all time by TIME magazine, yet Rahman says it's hard to define a favourite song. In 2003 BBC World Service ran a global poll, asking its listeners for their 10 favourite tracks of the last millennium. A R Rahman had two tracks in the top ten, Vande Mataram - a rendition of the Indian National Song made it to number 2. We asked how that came about.
"I felt I should do something as a personal expression and I teamed up with my school mate Bharat Bala, a talented film maker, and he thought of this idea. I wanted to complete this album with the thought of belonging to the motherland. Though it was a controversial theme, I think the way it was put together I think it was acceptable to every community".
On one of A R's CDs he says the world spends 730 billion dollars on War. We asked A R Rahamn what his views on war are.
"The ultimate fight in humanity was actually for food. But now it's not about food anymore or healing anybody� It's about power, who's more powerful and who can control the world. Everybody's become a control freak, that's the reason why we are spending so much of money on war, and so that's the reason, why it was put on the sleeve of 'Pray for me brother' album. It's a simple thing, we don't think about that, but when we see the reality we feel disgusted about it".
We asked A R Rahman how he has found working over in the UK for the LORD OF THE RINGS musical.
"[It's] Completely different from what I do for movies because here [UK] is different kind of audience, the whole platform is reputed and credible. My first entry there has been great, �Bombay dreams'. �Lord of the Rings' being the 2nd musical, but completely western, completely non Bollywood, non Indian, good diversion for me, to go deeper into this kind of music.
"It [the Bombay Dreams collaboration with Andrew Lloyd Webber] started, the conversation by Shekhar Kapoor to Andrew introducing my music to him, and he calling me straight and it started all that time, and now Bombay Dreams has almost become a kind of landmark musical where people recognize Indian film from Bombay Dreams. It's a great bridge for that. And a bridge for me to go into western musicals like LORD OF THE RINGS and probably much more in the future".
A R Rahman has won recognition from a broad base including MTV, the Laurence Olivier awards as well as Bollywood. We asked how his father dying when he was nine years old affected him and his career.
"Everything changed when I started discovering myself, and the influence of Sufism in my life and my family. And the first film when it came, that changed the whole direction of my life in a way because that defined my music, principles and existence in a way actually... my inspiration I got from him [his father] was his hard work, the good name he earned in the industry, which I wanted to retain in a way."
Talking about what gives him strength Rahman replied, "I'm a spiritual person, the word religion has been so much in controversy, I think we need to go beyond and look at humanity with love rather than segmenting so much. I try to be as true as possible, but the main thing for me is how much it is turning me into a better human being and how much it makes me a good influence in the community. So that's very important and I keep that in my mind.�"My family is very personal. They are a great support for my all activities and moral support and everything...and I've got 2 daughters and a son, and we all live together..."
For a man that has achieved a lot at a very young age we asked A R Rahman what is next on the horizon.
"Right now I'm doing YUVRAJ, a Subhash Ghai's film, D6 by Rakesh Mehra, and GHAJINI with Aamir Khan, and the next music release will be a film JAANE TU JAANE NA, an Aamir Khan production".
Courtesy: Glamsham.com
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
MP High Court Gives Clearence To ‘Jodhaa Akbar’
Finally, Madhya Pradesh High Court has wiped out the ban on ‘Jodha Akbar’s’ exhibition across the state.
Siddharth Roy Kapur, UTV Motion Pictures director said, “The Madhya
Pradesh High Court has ruled in favour of UTV and we are commencing the
screening of Jodhaa Akbar immediately across the state. This is a huge
boost to all advocates of creative freedom in our country, and we are
very grateful to the court for recognising the validity of our stand
and allowing Jodhaa Akbar to resume screenings.”
Right from the outset, Gowariker’s Jodhaa Akbar has been bounded by
arguments, and turned an issue of abhorrence for the Rajputs.
The Rajputs said that Ashutosh Gowariker has hurt their feelings and
they felt that the movie maker has low them by picturing wrong concepts
and has exploited Indian history.
Despite being prohibited in Rajasthan, Ambala and parts of Gujrat and
Bihar, the movie also confronted temporary postponement in MP
accompanying protest against it by the Rajput community at cinema
houses.
This made UTV move the MP High Court to receive order revoked leading to their final win.
While talking about the HC decision issued, Ashutosh greeted the judgment with relief and respect for the High Court verdict.
He said, “The film portrays love between two cultures and religions
through a marriage of alliance between a Mughal emperor and a Rajput
princess. This is an alliance that took place 450 years ago; an
alliance that we need to respect, admire and learn from even today. He
also adds that a disclaimer had been inserted at the start of the film
saying that the film is a work of fiction and it draws from history but
at the same time it is not the exact representation of it and there can
be other viewpoints.”
Courtesy: topnews.in
Siddharth Roy Kapur, UTV Motion Pictures director said, “The Madhya
Pradesh High Court has ruled in favour of UTV and we are commencing the
screening of Jodhaa Akbar immediately across the state. This is a huge
boost to all advocates of creative freedom in our country, and we are
very grateful to the court for recognising the validity of our stand
and allowing Jodhaa Akbar to resume screenings.”
Right from the outset, Gowariker’s Jodhaa Akbar has been bounded by
arguments, and turned an issue of abhorrence for the Rajputs.
The Rajputs said that Ashutosh Gowariker has hurt their feelings and
they felt that the movie maker has low them by picturing wrong concepts
and has exploited Indian history.
Despite being prohibited in Rajasthan, Ambala and parts of Gujrat and
Bihar, the movie also confronted temporary postponement in MP
accompanying protest against it by the Rajput community at cinema
houses.
This made UTV move the MP High Court to receive order revoked leading to their final win.
While talking about the HC decision issued, Ashutosh greeted the judgment with relief and respect for the High Court verdict.
He said, “The film portrays love between two cultures and religions
through a marriage of alliance between a Mughal emperor and a Rajput
princess. This is an alliance that took place 450 years ago; an
alliance that we need to respect, admire and learn from even today. He
also adds that a disclaimer had been inserted at the start of the film
saying that the film is a work of fiction and it draws from history but
at the same time it is not the exact representation of it and there can
be other viewpoints.”
Courtesy: topnews.in
Jodhaa Akbar on NDTV’s The Big Fight
Yes, I caught a little TV last night. A little less sleep as well! Was actually sitting down to watch my favourite shows on Star - Seinfeld & Friends, when I saw Ashutosh Gowarikar on the telly. I stopped, wondering how it had got this far. Very interesting actually. There was a panel that comprised film folk (Gowarikar, Farooque Shaikh, Sudhir Mishra, a fairly pansy Komal Nahata & another film critic), a lady historian, and the root cause of all the trouble in Rajasthan a certain Mr. karni (described as the patron(!) of the karni sena).
Some excerpts:
karni was ranting about his problem actually being with the depiction of Jodha Bai as Akbar’s wife when she was actually his daughter in law. He found that offensive & disparaging to the Rajputs. I wonder if that was actually the motivation behind it, but if it was I thought fair point. Until I heard Nahata speak. Nahata said that the movie had been in the making for 2 years, that the name had been in the offing for 5 months before the release of the movie. Why did the karni sena have to wait for the release to protest? Hmmm… Interesting.
Nahata also pointed out that none of the protests in Rajasthan were peaceful requests to cinema owners. He rattled off names & locations of various cinemas in Rajasthan & Madhya Pradhesh where the owners have said that they are scared as they’ve been told politely that their cinemas will be burned down if they screen the film. At this point Farooque Shaikh (ever the gentleman) asked whether this was a lawful form of protest. Why could they not go through the Indian Legal system, the courts instead of protesting in such barbaric ways?
The anchor (can’t seem to recall his name) pointed out that the legal system takes about 30 years to resolve a case & by that time the movie will have influenced crores of people. To which Farooque quietly said something to this effect, “If Rajput history hasn’t been hurt in 700 years, what difference could another few years possibly make?”! Hmmm… Very Interesting.
Mr. karni was making some noises in totally unintelligible English about the future possibility of Indira Gandhi being potrayed as Gandhiji’s daughter. The anchor then asked Ashutosh if he felt that he had an additional responsibility since he was making a movie on historical figures. Ashutosh (& the historian lady) agreed. Ashutosh said that he had spoken to the current Raja & Rani of the Kachchawa dynasty of Jaipur before he made the film & as part of his research, as Jodha belonged to their family. He stated that he had narrated his script to them & that they’d given him the go ahead with both the depiction of Rajputs in the film AND the name Jodha (as that was what they too believed her name to be, from among the plethora of names she is referred to by historians)! I’m assuming the right-wing brigade is now going to label this royal family of Jaipur, traitors & pseudo-hindus (HOW I ABHOR that term!)
At this point some of the film folk asked how many no-objection certificates should a film-maker obtain? In response to a later suggestion by an audience member, the historian lady also said that she “didn’t think it was practical”. A film-maker approaches the censor board for a certificate. Nowadays they apparently approach the animal welfare board for a certificate too. Ashutosh does his research very well, consulting Jodha’s descendants besides a variety of historians, yet he must strive for another few NOC’s! Farooque (by now the legal eagle) said that the right way of lodging a protest is to ask the censor board to step into court. Let them fight the case, why should the film-maker be constantly bothered?
A valid question came from the anchor again: What if someone makes a film deliberately tampering with history? Would the filmy panel still back his creative license?
Sudhir Mishra then gave the example of the despicable mee nathuram godse boltoay. He said that to him Gandhiji was the greatest son that India produced. He said that to him the very idea of the aforementioned (can’t bring myself to type out that name again!) play is anathema. He said he “abhors” it. Yet he will stand up for the playwright’s right to write & show it. This is the “bleddy” problem with moderates I think!
A few things that I’d like to say here:
What is the function of a sena? Debate? Obviously not. Then why are they being given an ear to?
I’ve said this here as well & I’m saying it again. One thing that these jokers don’t realise is that their protests are in vain. They’ve blown this thing out of proportion. Ashutosh is suddenly on prime-time television, talking about his movie. He’s not spending a rupee on promoting it on movie & music channels. Instead he’s part of a panel discussion to discuss his movie! WOW! The added curiosity will send more people to the cinemas. Despite the movie playing only 3 shows instead of 4, despite it not being shown in Rajasthan & now in MP (both despicable BJP states), the movie has made almost the same amount of money as the other box-office winner. Add two more states & it will easily overtake that crappy piece of film-making!
Instead, if they’d protested quietly, like the Opus Dei did to The Da Vinci Code, people wouldn’t have branded them as barbarians & would’ve heard their voice. The Opus Dei, after the movie had run it’s course, was quietly featured in the Indian Express & all doubts were dispelled about it’s beliefs. No harm done to them. But like I’ve said before, the Christian community in India is the model of good behaviour. Now I’ll be called everything from a “pseudo” (UTTERLY LAUGHABLE TERM, NEED A NEW NAME!) to a missionary to a church-agent! :-D
Anyway, over to the awam…
Courtesy: Mutiny.in
Some excerpts:
karni was ranting about his problem actually being with the depiction of Jodha Bai as Akbar’s wife when she was actually his daughter in law. He found that offensive & disparaging to the Rajputs. I wonder if that was actually the motivation behind it, but if it was I thought fair point. Until I heard Nahata speak. Nahata said that the movie had been in the making for 2 years, that the name had been in the offing for 5 months before the release of the movie. Why did the karni sena have to wait for the release to protest? Hmmm… Interesting.
Nahata also pointed out that none of the protests in Rajasthan were peaceful requests to cinema owners. He rattled off names & locations of various cinemas in Rajasthan & Madhya Pradhesh where the owners have said that they are scared as they’ve been told politely that their cinemas will be burned down if they screen the film. At this point Farooque Shaikh (ever the gentleman) asked whether this was a lawful form of protest. Why could they not go through the Indian Legal system, the courts instead of protesting in such barbaric ways?
The anchor (can’t seem to recall his name) pointed out that the legal system takes about 30 years to resolve a case & by that time the movie will have influenced crores of people. To which Farooque quietly said something to this effect, “If Rajput history hasn’t been hurt in 700 years, what difference could another few years possibly make?”! Hmmm… Very Interesting.
Mr. karni was making some noises in totally unintelligible English about the future possibility of Indira Gandhi being potrayed as Gandhiji’s daughter. The anchor then asked Ashutosh if he felt that he had an additional responsibility since he was making a movie on historical figures. Ashutosh (& the historian lady) agreed. Ashutosh said that he had spoken to the current Raja & Rani of the Kachchawa dynasty of Jaipur before he made the film & as part of his research, as Jodha belonged to their family. He stated that he had narrated his script to them & that they’d given him the go ahead with both the depiction of Rajputs in the film AND the name Jodha (as that was what they too believed her name to be, from among the plethora of names she is referred to by historians)! I’m assuming the right-wing brigade is now going to label this royal family of Jaipur, traitors & pseudo-hindus (HOW I ABHOR that term!)
At this point some of the film folk asked how many no-objection certificates should a film-maker obtain? In response to a later suggestion by an audience member, the historian lady also said that she “didn’t think it was practical”. A film-maker approaches the censor board for a certificate. Nowadays they apparently approach the animal welfare board for a certificate too. Ashutosh does his research very well, consulting Jodha’s descendants besides a variety of historians, yet he must strive for another few NOC’s! Farooque (by now the legal eagle) said that the right way of lodging a protest is to ask the censor board to step into court. Let them fight the case, why should the film-maker be constantly bothered?
A valid question came from the anchor again: What if someone makes a film deliberately tampering with history? Would the filmy panel still back his creative license?
Sudhir Mishra then gave the example of the despicable mee nathuram godse boltoay. He said that to him Gandhiji was the greatest son that India produced. He said that to him the very idea of the aforementioned (can’t bring myself to type out that name again!) play is anathema. He said he “abhors” it. Yet he will stand up for the playwright’s right to write & show it. This is the “bleddy” problem with moderates I think!
A few things that I’d like to say here:
What is the function of a sena? Debate? Obviously not. Then why are they being given an ear to?
I’ve said this here as well & I’m saying it again. One thing that these jokers don’t realise is that their protests are in vain. They’ve blown this thing out of proportion. Ashutosh is suddenly on prime-time television, talking about his movie. He’s not spending a rupee on promoting it on movie & music channels. Instead he’s part of a panel discussion to discuss his movie! WOW! The added curiosity will send more people to the cinemas. Despite the movie playing only 3 shows instead of 4, despite it not being shown in Rajasthan & now in MP (both despicable BJP states), the movie has made almost the same amount of money as the other box-office winner. Add two more states & it will easily overtake that crappy piece of film-making!
Instead, if they’d protested quietly, like the Opus Dei did to The Da Vinci Code, people wouldn’t have branded them as barbarians & would’ve heard their voice. The Opus Dei, after the movie had run it’s course, was quietly featured in the Indian Express & all doubts were dispelled about it’s beliefs. No harm done to them. But like I’ve said before, the Christian community in India is the model of good behaviour. Now I’ll be called everything from a “pseudo” (UTTERLY LAUGHABLE TERM, NEED A NEW NAME!) to a missionary to a church-agent! :-D
Anyway, over to the awam…
Courtesy: Mutiny.in
Rajini ala Matrix!
After the stupendous success of Sivaji, the Shankar–Rajini duo is back in action with their next project Robot. This Shankar’s brainchild was initially offered to Kamal Haasan and then to Shah Rukh Khan before it finally reached the superstar.
With the shooting of Robot all set to commence on May 10, 2008, the frenzy is bound to get bigger and bigger with every passing day. And
even this time, as like his previous films, director Shankar will adhere strictly to his working style, which is 15-days shooting and 15-days discussion a month.
Another interesting piece of news is that the stunt master of the famous Hollywood film, Matrix, Yuen Woo-Ping has been roped in to direct the fight sequences in Robot. And naturally he has bagged the offer for a huge sum. Reckon how much? It is nothing less than Rs. 8 crores. But then, grandiose, thy name is Shankar right?
Courtesy: Behindwoods.com
With the shooting of Robot all set to commence on May 10, 2008, the frenzy is bound to get bigger and bigger with every passing day. And
even this time, as like his previous films, director Shankar will adhere strictly to his working style, which is 15-days shooting and 15-days discussion a month.
Another interesting piece of news is that the stunt master of the famous Hollywood film, Matrix, Yuen Woo-Ping has been roped in to direct the fight sequences in Robot. And naturally he has bagged the offer for a huge sum. Reckon how much? It is nothing less than Rs. 8 crores. But then, grandiose, thy name is Shankar right?
Courtesy: Behindwoods.com
Choose: Robot or Sarvam?
The cinematography for Billa by Nirav Shah so impressed Rajini that he wanted him to photograph Robot. Once again, Rajini was unerringly right: Nirav, who had virtually reinvented the way Tamil cinema could look in Billa, was the obvious choice. Nirav, of course, must have been thrilled and flattered. But there was a catch: he had already signed up to shoot Vishuvardhan’s next, Sarvam, starring Arya and Trisha.
The call sheets for Robot and Sarvam had coincided. Shah could have turned down Sarvam for Robot, of course, but he said he would not. Even though Robot is an epic project, involving none other than the Superstar, Shankar and A.R. Rahman, he would stay loyal to Vishnu. He and Vishnu go a long way back, he explained. They had been college friends, plus it was also Vishnu’s cinematic vision for Billa that had made their successful collaboration so talked about.
Robot’s new cinematographer is now ace cameraman Thiru. He once assisted P.C. Sriram, and now shoots for Hindi and Malayalam films. His previous work includes Hey Ram, Aalavandhan and Bhool Bhulaiyaa. His experience and expertise will surely make Robot special.
Courtesy: Behindwoods.com
The call sheets for Robot and Sarvam had coincided. Shah could have turned down Sarvam for Robot, of course, but he said he would not. Even though Robot is an epic project, involving none other than the Superstar, Shankar and A.R. Rahman, he would stay loyal to Vishnu. He and Vishnu go a long way back, he explained. They had been college friends, plus it was also Vishnu’s cinematic vision for Billa that had made their successful collaboration so talked about.
Robot’s new cinematographer is now ace cameraman Thiru. He once assisted P.C. Sriram, and now shoots for Hindi and Malayalam films. His previous work includes Hey Ram, Aalavandhan and Bhool Bhulaiyaa. His experience and expertise will surely make Robot special.
Courtesy: Behindwoods.com
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
What ails Gowariker’s portrait of a lady?
Two years ago, Mughal-e-Azam, the K Asif classic, had a second innings. In style. It burst into colour, enjoyed nostalgic reviews and headed for the UK and the US. The 2008 film, Jodhaa-Akbar, is headed — nowhere. Madhya Pradesh and Bihar followed Rajasthan in banning it. For the first time, perhaps, historical validity has become the mainstay of a film controversy.
Jodha, who existed more in folk memory than between the covers of history books, first made her silver screen debut as Akbar’s wife in Mughal-e-Azam, which was released without a disclaimer. No one raised a stink — then. “It probably affronts the contemporary consciousness of Rajput society which is imbued with Hindu consciousness today, irrespective of what happened or did not happen in the past,” reasons Bhagawan Josh, a history professor in JNU. If story telling is an art, that art has its politics.
During the genre’s heyday, till the 1960s, historicals have ridden on artistic licence. Recent films like Subhash Chandra Bose and Gandhi My Father, raised the heckles from few corners. Mangal Pandey (2005), whose bravery has always been contentious, drew some flak. The film even saw unknown local groups like Mangal Pandey Suraksha Samiti spring up. Says Sharmistha Gooptu, editor of Revisiting 1857: Myth, Memory and History, “Though 1857 has been the subject of seven films, only Mangal Pandey created a furore.” Jodhaa though has been the queen of controversy. Why? One explanation is, as Josh says: “Women are the social skin of a community.”
It’s in the plot
Historicals, from the very first feature film, Raja Harischandra (1913), have always been an important genre of Indian cinema. They have mostly had Mughal and Rajput themes.
The problem lies not so much in the script as in the immediate socio-political context, feels Ira Bhaskar, professor of cinema studies in JNU. Mahboob Khan’s Humayun (1945) was about the emperor’s relation with his Rajput sister. “Historicals, though set in the past, always addressed contemporary issues. In 1945, when Partition seemed imminent, this film tried to put forward the message of Hindu-Muslim amity. The focus of the film was not Humayun’s love interest but his Rajput sister,” she explains. So the mootpoint is that the controversy is tailored to suit political needs.
Space for imagination
K Asif might have had it easy but directors today know that they have to do their homework more so to ward off hungry wannabe politicos. Director Santosh Sivan consulted historians for Asoka but the film was criticised for showing Kaurvaki as the reason for Asoka’s Buddhist turn. But then as Bhaskar points out, “The hallmark of historicals has always been the combining of the romantic with the political.”
Shyam Benegal, whose Subhash Chandra Bose faced criticism for showing that Bose married an Australian without ‘proof,’ says, “There is a lot of pressure to get the facts right, which is why filmmakers never flout well-known facts.” Commenting on Jodhaa, Sudhir Mishra, director of Khoya Khoya Chand says,“Gowariker said that he ‘imagined responsibly’. There should always be space for imagination in History.” Historians are not spewing venom. “There was no need for Gowariker to meet historians. Facts are not necessary to bring out historical truth. That Jodha didn’t exist is a fact but the historical truth is Mughals had matrimonial alliances with Rajputs. Mughal-e-Azam might be factually wrong but brings out the contradiction of the times between power and love,”says Josh.
If the filmmaker has done his homework and historians not very unhappy, then who is at the source of the entire hullabaloo? The average moviegoer?
Shah Nadeem, a lecturer at Delhi’s Zakir Hussain College, who went to see the film reacted thus: “I was pleasantly surprised to see the kind of historical detail that went into the film. In Akbarnama, Abul Fazal refers to the emperor’s spiritual experience under a tree after which he gave himself the title of Insaan-e-Kamil. This is depicted onscreen as Akbar dancing to the song Khwaja Mere Khwaja in a trance. That apart, the killing of Aadam Khan by throwing him off twice from the pulpit, Akbar’s fascination to tame mad elephants are all historical facts. Of course, it’s all in filmy style but that’s ok.”
Which brings us to the same question, if not the audience, who do the shrill voices of protest belong to? Observes psephologist Yoginder Yadav, “With politics taking a communitarian turn, and with the young and infantile visual media looking for issues that are easy to turn into a story, the trouble makers are making merry.” Filmmakers too agree. Says Mishra, “There are too many vested groups in India. Who were these people before they started protesting?” Says Benegal: “Such protestors would want us to keep making fairytales so that they can use them to launch their political careers.”
Guiding history
But what about the lady in question? Says Najaf Haider, a professor of medieval history at JNU: “The whole concept of Jodha probably came into being in the 19th century from the stories of the tourist guides. They have a tremendous burden of narrating a story about each monument they show and often make up stories to fill gaps.” According to him, all three references to Akbar’s Rajput wife — in Abul Fazal’s Akbarnama when the Rajput marriage proposal comes, when Akbar gives her the title of Marian Zamani, and in Jahangir’s autobiography, Tuzuk-I-Jahangiri referring to his mother’s death — mentions no name. “But the fact that the Jodhpur princely house came into existence in the 17th century rules out the name Jodha in 16th century, when Akbar ruled,” says Haider.
Maximum mileage
With Bollywood emerging as a major newsmaker, these protests have become the easy way to hog limelight. Is there a solution to this problem? “To call the bluff of the protestors one should deal with it like a law and order issue. One tends to blame the people but it’s the politicians who are trying to make some capital out of it. It’s the most publicly displayable stunt at little cost,” Dipankar Gupta, the author of Interrogating Identity. Yadav puts his finger on the political pulse.
“One phenomenon that has been documented is that community identities are invented and discovered in the arena of politics through symbolism. Such protests should be seen in that context, and in Rajasthan with elections around the corner it’s all too obvious.”
Courtesy: hindustantimes.com
Jodha, who existed more in folk memory than between the covers of history books, first made her silver screen debut as Akbar’s wife in Mughal-e-Azam, which was released without a disclaimer. No one raised a stink — then. “It probably affronts the contemporary consciousness of Rajput society which is imbued with Hindu consciousness today, irrespective of what happened or did not happen in the past,” reasons Bhagawan Josh, a history professor in JNU. If story telling is an art, that art has its politics.
During the genre’s heyday, till the 1960s, historicals have ridden on artistic licence. Recent films like Subhash Chandra Bose and Gandhi My Father, raised the heckles from few corners. Mangal Pandey (2005), whose bravery has always been contentious, drew some flak. The film even saw unknown local groups like Mangal Pandey Suraksha Samiti spring up. Says Sharmistha Gooptu, editor of Revisiting 1857: Myth, Memory and History, “Though 1857 has been the subject of seven films, only Mangal Pandey created a furore.” Jodhaa though has been the queen of controversy. Why? One explanation is, as Josh says: “Women are the social skin of a community.”
It’s in the plot
Historicals, from the very first feature film, Raja Harischandra (1913), have always been an important genre of Indian cinema. They have mostly had Mughal and Rajput themes.
The problem lies not so much in the script as in the immediate socio-political context, feels Ira Bhaskar, professor of cinema studies in JNU. Mahboob Khan’s Humayun (1945) was about the emperor’s relation with his Rajput sister. “Historicals, though set in the past, always addressed contemporary issues. In 1945, when Partition seemed imminent, this film tried to put forward the message of Hindu-Muslim amity. The focus of the film was not Humayun’s love interest but his Rajput sister,” she explains. So the mootpoint is that the controversy is tailored to suit political needs.
Space for imagination
K Asif might have had it easy but directors today know that they have to do their homework more so to ward off hungry wannabe politicos. Director Santosh Sivan consulted historians for Asoka but the film was criticised for showing Kaurvaki as the reason for Asoka’s Buddhist turn. But then as Bhaskar points out, “The hallmark of historicals has always been the combining of the romantic with the political.”
Shyam Benegal, whose Subhash Chandra Bose faced criticism for showing that Bose married an Australian without ‘proof,’ says, “There is a lot of pressure to get the facts right, which is why filmmakers never flout well-known facts.” Commenting on Jodhaa, Sudhir Mishra, director of Khoya Khoya Chand says,“Gowariker said that he ‘imagined responsibly’. There should always be space for imagination in History.” Historians are not spewing venom. “There was no need for Gowariker to meet historians. Facts are not necessary to bring out historical truth. That Jodha didn’t exist is a fact but the historical truth is Mughals had matrimonial alliances with Rajputs. Mughal-e-Azam might be factually wrong but brings out the contradiction of the times between power and love,”says Josh.
If the filmmaker has done his homework and historians not very unhappy, then who is at the source of the entire hullabaloo? The average moviegoer?
Shah Nadeem, a lecturer at Delhi’s Zakir Hussain College, who went to see the film reacted thus: “I was pleasantly surprised to see the kind of historical detail that went into the film. In Akbarnama, Abul Fazal refers to the emperor’s spiritual experience under a tree after which he gave himself the title of Insaan-e-Kamil. This is depicted onscreen as Akbar dancing to the song Khwaja Mere Khwaja in a trance. That apart, the killing of Aadam Khan by throwing him off twice from the pulpit, Akbar’s fascination to tame mad elephants are all historical facts. Of course, it’s all in filmy style but that’s ok.”
Which brings us to the same question, if not the audience, who do the shrill voices of protest belong to? Observes psephologist Yoginder Yadav, “With politics taking a communitarian turn, and with the young and infantile visual media looking for issues that are easy to turn into a story, the trouble makers are making merry.” Filmmakers too agree. Says Mishra, “There are too many vested groups in India. Who were these people before they started protesting?” Says Benegal: “Such protestors would want us to keep making fairytales so that they can use them to launch their political careers.”
Guiding history
But what about the lady in question? Says Najaf Haider, a professor of medieval history at JNU: “The whole concept of Jodha probably came into being in the 19th century from the stories of the tourist guides. They have a tremendous burden of narrating a story about each monument they show and often make up stories to fill gaps.” According to him, all three references to Akbar’s Rajput wife — in Abul Fazal’s Akbarnama when the Rajput marriage proposal comes, when Akbar gives her the title of Marian Zamani, and in Jahangir’s autobiography, Tuzuk-I-Jahangiri referring to his mother’s death — mentions no name. “But the fact that the Jodhpur princely house came into existence in the 17th century rules out the name Jodha in 16th century, when Akbar ruled,” says Haider.
Maximum mileage
With Bollywood emerging as a major newsmaker, these protests have become the easy way to hog limelight. Is there a solution to this problem? “To call the bluff of the protestors one should deal with it like a law and order issue. One tends to blame the people but it’s the politicians who are trying to make some capital out of it. It’s the most publicly displayable stunt at little cost,” Dipankar Gupta, the author of Interrogating Identity. Yadav puts his finger on the political pulse.
“One phenomenon that has been documented is that community identities are invented and discovered in the arena of politics through symbolism. Such protests should be seen in that context, and in Rajasthan with elections around the corner it’s all too obvious.”
Courtesy: hindustantimes.com
Hattrick for Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan with Jodha Akbar ?
Will Jodha Akbar / Jodhaa Akbar prove third time lucky in openings for Bollywood queen Aishwarya Rai and the superman Hrithik Roshan. The magical duo has already proved their magic in Dhoom 2 .
Aishwarya Rai ’s great run started with Guru opposite now husband Abhishek Bachchan and continued with Dhoom 2 where she lip-locked opposite Bollywood hunk Hrithik. And again with Jodha Akbar, can Aishwarya prove her worth ! Her Hollywood movies Pink Panther 2 and Singularity are still in post production but we doubt if the beauty queen needs to go back to Hollywood any more.
Hrithik Roshan has been magical right from his first movie Kaho Na Pyar Hain in his home production (Papa Rakesh Roshan ’s). And could deliver box office magic only in home productions which included science fantasy Koi Mil Gaya and sequel Krrish. But Hrithik has now three back to back Bollywood hits and much like Akshay Kumar and Shahrukh Khan, he is among the most dependable stars today.
But due credit for Jodha Akbar goes to the Oscar nominated director Ashutosh Gowarikar for this epic movie. Not all historical movies work well in Bollywood as proved by Umrao Jaan ( Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan) and Mangal Pandey [corrected: thanks natalia] (Aamir Khan, Rani Mukherjee).
Jodhaa Akbar already earned Rs. 25 crores over the weekend all over India and is doing great abroad. The movie started slow but is already picking up in box office numbers. The controversies in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are still on. But as we have seen in the past, controversies help the movies to stay in the headlines and help box office statistics. Question remains if it can recover the huge investment and be declared a hit.
Courtesy: cityupdates.com
Aishwarya Rai ’s great run started with Guru opposite now husband Abhishek Bachchan and continued with Dhoom 2 where she lip-locked opposite Bollywood hunk Hrithik. And again with Jodha Akbar, can Aishwarya prove her worth ! Her Hollywood movies Pink Panther 2 and Singularity are still in post production but we doubt if the beauty queen needs to go back to Hollywood any more.
Hrithik Roshan has been magical right from his first movie Kaho Na Pyar Hain in his home production (Papa Rakesh Roshan ’s). And could deliver box office magic only in home productions which included science fantasy Koi Mil Gaya and sequel Krrish. But Hrithik has now three back to back Bollywood hits and much like Akshay Kumar and Shahrukh Khan, he is among the most dependable stars today.
But due credit for Jodha Akbar goes to the Oscar nominated director Ashutosh Gowarikar for this epic movie. Not all historical movies work well in Bollywood as proved by Umrao Jaan ( Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan) and Mangal Pandey [corrected: thanks natalia] (Aamir Khan, Rani Mukherjee).
Jodhaa Akbar already earned Rs. 25 crores over the weekend all over India and is doing great abroad. The movie started slow but is already picking up in box office numbers. The controversies in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are still on. But as we have seen in the past, controversies help the movies to stay in the headlines and help box office statistics. Question remains if it can recover the huge investment and be declared a hit.
Courtesy: cityupdates.com
I'm happy with the response: Ashutosh Gowariker
Filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker said he was careful in preserving Rajput pride and dignity while making the period drama Jodhaa Akbar starring Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai.
Excerpts of an interview:
Having made a film that does history proud, how do you feel about these sporadic protests?
You hit the nail on the head. These are sporadic incidents that appear much larger than they really are. While making the film, I did my best to go by the book. I consulted the best historians and went through the most rigorous research.
And there are different names used for Akbar's wife, Jodha being one of them. In fact, there's a disclaimer about the Rajput queen's name in the beginning of the film and to see that, the protestors have to see the film.
Most protests in our country are premature and based on insubstantial evidence.
Well, I want to say to people in the country and abroad that I've done deep research. Even the secondary characters like Shariffuddin, Bairam Khan and Mahamanga, which some critics have found filmy, are founded in history. That climactic combat between Akbar and Shariffuddin that I've shown really took place.
the trouble, do you think filmmakers should stay away from historicals?
No. We must make what we've to make, fearless of repercussions. I think you've to follow your heart. Of course, we must go back into the past, but after thorough research. I don't think there's any substitute for research. Since we're a multi-cultural and religious nation there're bound to be questions about historical movies.
We must be ready and equipped to handle these. I just hope more and more people come and see Jodhaa Akbar. The reports so far are very encouraging. What I want now is for the film to release in Rajasthan. Jodhaa Akbar belongs to Rajasthan. Let them see the movie.
Where did your imagination come in?
My imagination came in while describing what happened between Jodha and Akbar in the privacy of their chambers. There I had to get creative since no one knew what actually happened. That artistic licence apart, I haven't been jingoistic or fanciful in depicting history. In fact, I've been very careful in preserving Rajput pride and dignity.
Do you think the protests are politically motivated?
I wouldn't know. But it's a part of the Rajput community that's protesting against my film. So I've reason to believe the Rajputs are offended. I want to tell them that history books have given several names to the queen. I used the most popular of those names. But why focus on this issue? My intention was to show how the Rajputs made a difference to Mughal history.
Did you anticipate such loud protests?
Honestly, I did! After the release of Ketan Mehta's Mangal Pandey, there were protests about how he was depicted. So I feared this would happen.
Unlike my protagonists in Lagaan and Swades, Jodhaa and Akbar were real people. I delved into Rajput and Mughal history and prepared as much as I could. I also approached Jaipur royalty to get the facts, customs and traditions right.
And not once have you made Aishwarya Rai behave out of character!
Yes, I made sure of that. Only after the Jaipur royalty gave me the green signal to call my female protagonist Jodha did I proceed with my film. In anticipation of protests and controversies that are very much part of all our historical films, I decided to be very careful about historical detail.
Film personalities like Shyam Benegal and Raza Murad have hit out at the protesters.
I respect their opinion.
Courtesy: hindustantimes.com
Excerpts of an interview:
Having made a film that does history proud, how do you feel about these sporadic protests?
You hit the nail on the head. These are sporadic incidents that appear much larger than they really are. While making the film, I did my best to go by the book. I consulted the best historians and went through the most rigorous research.
And there are different names used for Akbar's wife, Jodha being one of them. In fact, there's a disclaimer about the Rajput queen's name in the beginning of the film and to see that, the protestors have to see the film.
Most protests in our country are premature and based on insubstantial evidence.
Well, I want to say to people in the country and abroad that I've done deep research. Even the secondary characters like Shariffuddin, Bairam Khan and Mahamanga, which some critics have found filmy, are founded in history. That climactic combat between Akbar and Shariffuddin that I've shown really took place.
the trouble, do you think filmmakers should stay away from historicals?
No. We must make what we've to make, fearless of repercussions. I think you've to follow your heart. Of course, we must go back into the past, but after thorough research. I don't think there's any substitute for research. Since we're a multi-cultural and religious nation there're bound to be questions about historical movies.
We must be ready and equipped to handle these. I just hope more and more people come and see Jodhaa Akbar. The reports so far are very encouraging. What I want now is for the film to release in Rajasthan. Jodhaa Akbar belongs to Rajasthan. Let them see the movie.
Where did your imagination come in?
My imagination came in while describing what happened between Jodha and Akbar in the privacy of their chambers. There I had to get creative since no one knew what actually happened. That artistic licence apart, I haven't been jingoistic or fanciful in depicting history. In fact, I've been very careful in preserving Rajput pride and dignity.
Do you think the protests are politically motivated?
I wouldn't know. But it's a part of the Rajput community that's protesting against my film. So I've reason to believe the Rajputs are offended. I want to tell them that history books have given several names to the queen. I used the most popular of those names. But why focus on this issue? My intention was to show how the Rajputs made a difference to Mughal history.
Did you anticipate such loud protests?
Honestly, I did! After the release of Ketan Mehta's Mangal Pandey, there were protests about how he was depicted. So I feared this would happen.
Unlike my protagonists in Lagaan and Swades, Jodhaa and Akbar were real people. I delved into Rajput and Mughal history and prepared as much as I could. I also approached Jaipur royalty to get the facts, customs and traditions right.
And not once have you made Aishwarya Rai behave out of character!
Yes, I made sure of that. Only after the Jaipur royalty gave me the green signal to call my female protagonist Jodha did I proceed with my film. In anticipation of protests and controversies that are very much part of all our historical films, I decided to be very careful about historical detail.
Film personalities like Shyam Benegal and Raza Murad have hit out at the protesters.
I respect their opinion.
Courtesy: hindustantimes.com
Did Ashutosh Gowariker really hurt the Rajput Pride.
Well, the verdict is still not out on it. There were reports that the Hritik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai starrer Jodha Akbar has not portrayed history correctly. The movie has now been released in 26 countries.
And now after watching Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai sizzle in the Ashutosh Gowariker movie what do the people feel ? Some say it is an epic and some say it is entertaining. The movie has received a warm welcome on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. It is doing good business abroad. Back home in India, the state of Rajasthan has banned it. There is a demand to ban the movie in MP. Gujrat has seen some violence.
Ashutosh Gowariker says that he has done his homework correctly. He used the best possible research to make the movie. One cannot go back in history. As long as it does not hurt sentiments it should be fine. Finally movies are for entertainment and the certification board should decide before the release if a movie has crossed the lines or not. All the post release controversies just adds to more news articles like this.
Courtesy: Cityupdates.com
And now after watching Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai sizzle in the Ashutosh Gowariker movie what do the people feel ? Some say it is an epic and some say it is entertaining. The movie has received a warm welcome on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. It is doing good business abroad. Back home in India, the state of Rajasthan has banned it. There is a demand to ban the movie in MP. Gujrat has seen some violence.
Ashutosh Gowariker says that he has done his homework correctly. He used the best possible research to make the movie. One cannot go back in history. As long as it does not hurt sentiments it should be fine. Finally movies are for entertainment and the certification board should decide before the release if a movie has crossed the lines or not. All the post release controversies just adds to more news articles like this.
Courtesy: Cityupdates.com
Jodha Akbar banned from Ambala, Haryana
Post the bomb blast in Maharashtra yesterday, the misfortune for Jodha Akbar continued up north in Haryana today. The film has now been removed from the Ambala district of Haryana effective Thursday.
Assorted groups had been protesting the film's release in Haryana, which is linked to a Hindu soldier turned leader Hemu. Hemu had won 22 battles in a row in mid-16th century, and for a brief period subdued the Mughal Empire out of power from Delhi. The locals believe he had been depicted incorrectly, and as an insulting caricature in Jodha Akbar.
The film had been screening in 2 prints in Ambala.
The loss adds to other centers where the screenings of the Hrithik Roshan - Aishwarya Rai Mughal saga has been evicted, led by from the state of Rajasthan.
Courtesy: Ibosnetwork.com
Assorted groups had been protesting the film's release in Haryana, which is linked to a Hindu soldier turned leader Hemu. Hemu had won 22 battles in a row in mid-16th century, and for a brief period subdued the Mughal Empire out of power from Delhi. The locals believe he had been depicted incorrectly, and as an insulting caricature in Jodha Akbar.
The film had been screening in 2 prints in Ambala.
The loss adds to other centers where the screenings of the Hrithik Roshan - Aishwarya Rai Mughal saga has been evicted, led by from the state of Rajasthan.
Courtesy: Ibosnetwork.com
Box Office: Jodha Akbar opening falls 11 crores short; 2nd week advance
UTV software has claimed a Rs 38.5 crore opening weeked gross (including overseas) claim for Jodha Akbar, 25 crores of which they claim are India grosses. These, notwithstanding disputes, are decent, not historic recordbreaking opening numbers that was being expected for the mega budget epic.
Below are the opening weekend distributor worldwide gross figures for some high profile films of last year whose distributors released their weekend figures:
Salaam-E-Ishq - Rs. 50 crore (Eros)
Partner - Rs. 42 crore (Eros)
Heyy Baby - Rs 41 crore (Eros)
Jodha Akbar - Rs. 39 crore (UTV)
Jab We Met - Rs. 12 crore (UTV)
These figures again are distributor claims, not independently verified. At times, ticket sales have been believed to be much less than advertised claims.
Meanwhile advance booking for 2nd week for Jodha Akbar has opened to an underwhelming response again Except for south which is better on limited screenings, bookings in Mumbai stand at 25% for its 2nd Friday despite a blank open week with no releases. That is below average for 2nd week. For reference, the film is trending worse than Hrithik Roshan's last non-hit at the box office, Lakshya.
Moreover unlike Lakshya, the film is still recording 0 collections from Rajasthan and looks to be heading for a washout from that territory, which means a loss of upto 6-7 crores, including in part the other centers where the screenings were stopped.
Pirate CDs have also come out in the market and videos are available on the internet.
At best, Jodha Akbar looks to be an above average/average film and having been forced out of the northwest, if the collections in other parts of India don't turn upside over the coming week, it can still be heading towards emerging the first big budget flop of 2008, a major loss of a film many were hoping would set new box office milestones across India for years to come.
Courtesy: Ibosnetwork.com
Below are the opening weekend distributor worldwide gross figures for some high profile films of last year whose distributors released their weekend figures:
Salaam-E-Ishq - Rs. 50 crore (Eros)
Partner - Rs. 42 crore (Eros)
Heyy Baby - Rs 41 crore (Eros)
Jodha Akbar - Rs. 39 crore (UTV)
Jab We Met - Rs. 12 crore (UTV)
These figures again are distributor claims, not independently verified. At times, ticket sales have been believed to be much less than advertised claims.
Meanwhile advance booking for 2nd week for Jodha Akbar has opened to an underwhelming response again Except for south which is better on limited screenings, bookings in Mumbai stand at 25% for its 2nd Friday despite a blank open week with no releases. That is below average for 2nd week. For reference, the film is trending worse than Hrithik Roshan's last non-hit at the box office, Lakshya.
Moreover unlike Lakshya, the film is still recording 0 collections from Rajasthan and looks to be heading for a washout from that territory, which means a loss of upto 6-7 crores, including in part the other centers where the screenings were stopped.
Pirate CDs have also come out in the market and videos are available on the internet.
At best, Jodha Akbar looks to be an above average/average film and having been forced out of the northwest, if the collections in other parts of India don't turn upside over the coming week, it can still be heading towards emerging the first big budget flop of 2008, a major loss of a film many were hoping would set new box office milestones across India for years to come.
Courtesy: Ibosnetwork.com
Tata Elxsi`s visual effects for ‘Jodha Akbar`
Focused on providing world-class, quality animation (2D & 3D), special effects, and gaming services to customers world wide, VCL has combined creativity and technology for Jodha Akbar, producing realistic and breathtaking images and creating the much required glory of the splendid Mughal era
Visual Computing Labs (VCL), a division of Tata Elxsi Ltd announced that it has rendered the exclusive visual effects for the most awaited movie of the year ‘Jodha Akbar’. A whole year of post production and over one hundred artists from VCL helped make give this epic drama a large scale canvas that has till now not been seen in Indian cinema.
Focused on providing world-class, quality animation (2D & 3D), special effects, and gaming services to customers world wide, VCL has combined creativity and technology for Jodha Akbar, producing realistic and breathtaking images and creating the much required glory of the splendid Mughal era.
Pankaj Khandpur, Creative Director, Visual Computing Labs, Tata Elxsi said, “Ashutosh Gowarikar, the director and co-producer of Jodha Akbar, discussed the visual effects of the movie with Tata Elxsi way back in 2005. With world-class creative talent, a strong and experienced team of artists and advanced CG filmmaking technology and techniques, VCL has been able to create realistic battle sequences in the movie and restore the long lost splendour of the 16th century Mughal dynasty.”
“Our team spent many months prior to the shooting to just test the feasibility of doing the shots in CGI. A team of modellers and texture artists was put onto the job to digitally restore the forts and palaces to look like they did in the 16th century. Wherever the structures were badly ruined Tata Elxsi went in and completely rebuilt them in CGI, and then using high-resolution digital images texture mapped the structures to blend in seamlessly with the existing fort or palace,” he further added.
Over 200 shots were meticulously planned during pre production in computer-generated imagery (CGI) for the 3 battle sequences in the movie. Wherever the camera movement was complicated and the existing layers proved inadequate VCL built the soldiers in CGI using crowd duplication software.
Additionally, all the arrows were hand animated in CGI and put into the battle sequences. Large tracts of ground had to be cleared of all modern day traces, most apparent being tyre marks of vehicles. Dust was added digitally to enhance the feeling of scale to the battle sequences and then the ground was strewn with dead bodies and vultures in the sky all done in CGI to show the devastation after a heavy battle.
Courtesy: Indiainfoline.com
Visual Computing Labs (VCL), a division of Tata Elxsi Ltd announced that it has rendered the exclusive visual effects for the most awaited movie of the year ‘Jodha Akbar’. A whole year of post production and over one hundred artists from VCL helped make give this epic drama a large scale canvas that has till now not been seen in Indian cinema.
Focused on providing world-class, quality animation (2D & 3D), special effects, and gaming services to customers world wide, VCL has combined creativity and technology for Jodha Akbar, producing realistic and breathtaking images and creating the much required glory of the splendid Mughal era.
Pankaj Khandpur, Creative Director, Visual Computing Labs, Tata Elxsi said, “Ashutosh Gowarikar, the director and co-producer of Jodha Akbar, discussed the visual effects of the movie with Tata Elxsi way back in 2005. With world-class creative talent, a strong and experienced team of artists and advanced CG filmmaking technology and techniques, VCL has been able to create realistic battle sequences in the movie and restore the long lost splendour of the 16th century Mughal dynasty.”
“Our team spent many months prior to the shooting to just test the feasibility of doing the shots in CGI. A team of modellers and texture artists was put onto the job to digitally restore the forts and palaces to look like they did in the 16th century. Wherever the structures were badly ruined Tata Elxsi went in and completely rebuilt them in CGI, and then using high-resolution digital images texture mapped the structures to blend in seamlessly with the existing fort or palace,” he further added.
Over 200 shots were meticulously planned during pre production in computer-generated imagery (CGI) for the 3 battle sequences in the movie. Wherever the camera movement was complicated and the existing layers proved inadequate VCL built the soldiers in CGI using crowd duplication software.
Additionally, all the arrows were hand animated in CGI and put into the battle sequences. Large tracts of ground had to be cleared of all modern day traces, most apparent being tyre marks of vehicles. Dust was added digitally to enhance the feeling of scale to the battle sequences and then the ground was strewn with dead bodies and vultures in the sky all done in CGI to show the devastation after a heavy battle.
Courtesy: Indiainfoline.com
GHAJINI to enjoy a 4 days weekend
It's still too early but indications are quite clear that Aamir Khan has a sure shot blockbuster in the making. Not just GHAJINI is one of the most talked about film this season even as the release is quite far away, smart release strategy is further ensuring that the film would take a bumper start all over.
How exactly? Well, the film would be arriving on 2nd October which is a National Holiday. Since 2nd October is a Thursday, the film would practically reap the benefit of a solid 4 day weekend. Incidentally, apart from GHAJINI, the only film confirmed for an October release is YUVRAAJ which arrives on 24th October.
Coming back to GHAJINI, the film is expected to be huge as it would see Aamir Khan in a mainstream commercial after two years. Ever since FANAA which came in May 2006, Aamir has been seen only in TAARE ZAMEEN PAR which was experimental and has yet achieved a blockbuster status.
Now with Aamir changing gears to hold the center stage once again in a hardcore 'masala' setup, sky is the limit for the film to generate moolah!
Courtesy: Glamsham.com
How exactly? Well, the film would be arriving on 2nd October which is a National Holiday. Since 2nd October is a Thursday, the film would practically reap the benefit of a solid 4 day weekend. Incidentally, apart from GHAJINI, the only film confirmed for an October release is YUVRAAJ which arrives on 24th October.
Coming back to GHAJINI, the film is expected to be huge as it would see Aamir Khan in a mainstream commercial after two years. Ever since FANAA which came in May 2006, Aamir has been seen only in TAARE ZAMEEN PAR which was experimental and has yet achieved a blockbuster status.
Now with Aamir changing gears to hold the center stage once again in a hardcore 'masala' setup, sky is the limit for the film to generate moolah!
Courtesy: Glamsham.com
Animated Rajinikanth to get new mannerisms in 'Sultan'
An animated version of Tamil superstar Rajinikanth is set to wow fans in a 3-D film that features him in the role of an armour-clad warrior -- with a whole new set of his trademark mannerisms.
In "Sultan - The Warrior", directed by daughter Soundarya, Rajinikanth dons the persona of a swordsman with an uncanny resemblance to the 58-year-old actor.
"Thousands of years from now when you look up Indian entertainment history and you say animation, Rajinikanth will be the first man to (have) ever been animated," Soundarya said in an interview.
The animation film, slated for release in 12 languages by the end of 2008, is being promoted as a completely commercial venture and includes four song-and-dance sequences.
"It is a period film…on the lines of 'Troy' and 'Gladiator'…it is more of a war movie," the director said. "(But) It has everything a Rajinikanth commercial film needs in it".
Rajinikanth's unique acting style is characterised by a trademark gesture: toss a cigarette in the air, catch it in his lips, then light it with a match struck on a shirt sleeve.
In "Sultan - The Warrior", fans will get to see some new additions to his repository of popular mannerisms.
"Not only what he is already famous for but some new ones which my dad and I have personally worked on," said Soundarya.
"I want to do something that will become a trendsetter after 'Sultan', so lot of new mannerisms."
Rajnikanth's last film, "Sivaji -- The Boss", was a blockbuster hit in 2007 and fans are looking forward to seeing the superstar in a new avatar.
"We love Rajinikanth and we will go to see any film that he is in because we are sure that the film will be good," said businessman Vijay Menon. "Seeing Rajinikanth in an animation film will be a great experience."
Although his popularity remains largely restricted to southern India and the Tamil diaspora, Rajinikanth has also gained a cult following in Japan after his film "Muthu" was released there in 1998.
Courtesy: Deccanherald.com
In "Sultan - The Warrior", directed by daughter Soundarya, Rajinikanth dons the persona of a swordsman with an uncanny resemblance to the 58-year-old actor.
"Thousands of years from now when you look up Indian entertainment history and you say animation, Rajinikanth will be the first man to (have) ever been animated," Soundarya said in an interview.
The animation film, slated for release in 12 languages by the end of 2008, is being promoted as a completely commercial venture and includes four song-and-dance sequences.
"It is a period film…on the lines of 'Troy' and 'Gladiator'…it is more of a war movie," the director said. "(But) It has everything a Rajinikanth commercial film needs in it".
Rajinikanth's unique acting style is characterised by a trademark gesture: toss a cigarette in the air, catch it in his lips, then light it with a match struck on a shirt sleeve.
In "Sultan - The Warrior", fans will get to see some new additions to his repository of popular mannerisms.
"Not only what he is already famous for but some new ones which my dad and I have personally worked on," said Soundarya.
"I want to do something that will become a trendsetter after 'Sultan', so lot of new mannerisms."
Rajnikanth's last film, "Sivaji -- The Boss", was a blockbuster hit in 2007 and fans are looking forward to seeing the superstar in a new avatar.
"We love Rajinikanth and we will go to see any film that he is in because we are sure that the film will be good," said businessman Vijay Menon. "Seeing Rajinikanth in an animation film will be a great experience."
Although his popularity remains largely restricted to southern India and the Tamil diaspora, Rajinikanth has also gained a cult following in Japan after his film "Muthu" was released there in 1998.
Courtesy: Deccanherald.com
Aishwarya Rejects one more!
Close on the heels of the confirmation from Aishwarya Rai that she will be acting opposite Rajinikanth in Robot is the news now that she will not be part of Jhansi Ki Rani: The Rebel, Ketan Mehta's ambitious historical sequel to Mangal Pandey: The Rising..
The media is abuzz with the question of why Ash has walked out of the project. Is this so that she can allocate enough time for Robot?
Speculations are rife. Readers might also remember Behindwoods carrying the news of the actress turning down a Karan Johar offer quite recently.
Talking to the media, Ash expressed her disappointment over her being linked to the project. "Please stop dragging my name into Jhansi Ki Rani. Ketan spoke to me nearly two years back when he was very keen on making this film with me. But thereafter, he has not been in touch with me and I don't think that as of now I am working in Jhansi Ki Rani. So I would appreciate it if the media stops writing stories about me playing Rani Laxmibai." The actress further added that what she was most keenly looking forward to now was her Hollywood stint in Pink Panther – an enormous and nice change from all these Bollywood blockbusters.
What is also more newsworthy is that Ash might write her own life story. Her glittering life is begging to be made into a best selling biography (and a movie) and though several publishers have been asking her permission to commission a book on her life, Ash has turned them all down. The reason was revealed only recently: she plans to write an autobiography.
Courtesy: Behindwoods.com
The media is abuzz with the question of why Ash has walked out of the project. Is this so that she can allocate enough time for Robot?
Speculations are rife. Readers might also remember Behindwoods carrying the news of the actress turning down a Karan Johar offer quite recently.
Talking to the media, Ash expressed her disappointment over her being linked to the project. "Please stop dragging my name into Jhansi Ki Rani. Ketan spoke to me nearly two years back when he was very keen on making this film with me. But thereafter, he has not been in touch with me and I don't think that as of now I am working in Jhansi Ki Rani. So I would appreciate it if the media stops writing stories about me playing Rani Laxmibai." The actress further added that what she was most keenly looking forward to now was her Hollywood stint in Pink Panther – an enormous and nice change from all these Bollywood blockbusters.
What is also more newsworthy is that Ash might write her own life story. Her glittering life is begging to be made into a best selling biography (and a movie) and though several publishers have been asking her permission to commission a book on her life, Ash has turned them all down. The reason was revealed only recently: she plans to write an autobiography.
Courtesy: Behindwoods.com
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Sony BMG makes it official!
Sony BMG, the world's leading music company, has got the music rights of Kamal Hassan's magnum opus Dasavatharam and declared the same officially today. It may be recalled that a few weeks back oneindia.in published an item on this and confirmed the musical tie-ups of the company with the Tamil projects of Ayngaran International and Oscar Ravichandiran.
Now the company has just confirmed the same what we said earlier. Produced by Oscar Ravichandran and directed by KS Ravi Kumar, with music by Himmesh Reshamaiah, the songs of Dasavatharam will be released by Asia's Biggest star Jackie Chan in a grand manner on March 14th at the Nehru Indoor Stadium, Chennai.
Managing Director, Sony BMG India, Shridhar Subramaniam said, "It is a privilege for us to enter the Tamil music market with a project as grand and special as Dasavatharam. Being associated with Kamal Haasan and Oscar Ravichandiran in our very first Tamil project says a lot about the equity of Sony BMG, even in the markets, where our presence has not been significant till now. Dasavadharam is a very special beginning to the things to come and it shows our commitment to be a serious long-term player in this market. Sony BMG has always redefined the way music has been marketed, and we are looking forward to setting new standards here as well."
The press note released today further stated, "Dasavatharam is the most expected movie of the year 2008, features Kamal Haasan in ten different roles, countered by the heroine Asin's dual role in the movie. Mallika Sherawat dons an altogether different cap in this movie. She appears as a CIA agent while Jayapradha, the well-known character artist, plays another important role in the movie."
Sony has already acquired the musical rights of Superstar Rajinikanth's Robot, produced by Ayngaran International.
Courtesy: OneIndia.in
Now the company has just confirmed the same what we said earlier. Produced by Oscar Ravichandran and directed by KS Ravi Kumar, with music by Himmesh Reshamaiah, the songs of Dasavatharam will be released by Asia's Biggest star Jackie Chan in a grand manner on March 14th at the Nehru Indoor Stadium, Chennai.
Managing Director, Sony BMG India, Shridhar Subramaniam said, "It is a privilege for us to enter the Tamil music market with a project as grand and special as Dasavatharam. Being associated with Kamal Haasan and Oscar Ravichandiran in our very first Tamil project says a lot about the equity of Sony BMG, even in the markets, where our presence has not been significant till now. Dasavadharam is a very special beginning to the things to come and it shows our commitment to be a serious long-term player in this market. Sony BMG has always redefined the way music has been marketed, and we are looking forward to setting new standards here as well."
The press note released today further stated, "Dasavatharam is the most expected movie of the year 2008, features Kamal Haasan in ten different roles, countered by the heroine Asin's dual role in the movie. Mallika Sherawat dons an altogether different cap in this movie. She appears as a CIA agent while Jayapradha, the well-known character artist, plays another important role in the movie."
Sony has already acquired the musical rights of Superstar Rajinikanth's Robot, produced by Ayngaran International.
Courtesy: OneIndia.in
Mughal Descendent Ziauddin Tucy Says Jodha was Akbar´s wife
Criticising the controversy over the Bollywood movie 'Jodhaa Akbar, a descendent of Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, claimed that Akbar had indeed married Rajput Princess Jodha Bai and conferred the title of Malaika Maryem Zamanni Begum on her. In a statement in Hyderabad, Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar's great grandson Y Ziauddin Tucy said, "It is indeed a specimen of sheer gaucher that certain vested interests are unnecessarily creating trouble without judging the realities."
Emperor Akbar married Jodha Bai to strengthen his forces and to extend his empire's boundaries. The brave Rajputs not only proved their sincerity but they did everything to support the Mughal empire.
Not only Akbar, but Aurangzeb also married a Rajput princess, he claimed while releasing two copies of rare paintings of Emperor Akbar and Jodha Bai. The recently-released 'Jodhaa Akbar,' directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, has been mired in controversy after some Rajput organisations protested the depiction of Jodha as Akbar's wife. They claimed Jodha was married to Akbar's son Jehangir.
Courtesy: planetbollywood.com
Emperor Akbar married Jodha Bai to strengthen his forces and to extend his empire's boundaries. The brave Rajputs not only proved their sincerity but they did everything to support the Mughal empire.
Not only Akbar, but Aurangzeb also married a Rajput princess, he claimed while releasing two copies of rare paintings of Emperor Akbar and Jodha Bai. The recently-released 'Jodhaa Akbar,' directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, has been mired in controversy after some Rajput organisations protested the depiction of Jodha as Akbar's wife. They claimed Jodha was married to Akbar's son Jehangir.
Courtesy: planetbollywood.com
Box Office: Jodha Akbar flops in large parts of India
Expected to rewrite box office history, Jodha Akbar at this point is hoping to not itself become history too soon at the box offices around the country. Driven physically out of Rajasthan, the film's commercial prospects elsewhere where it's allowed to screen vary from good in metros like Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore; to so so (Indore, Kolkata), to poor across Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Gujrat where it has flopped outright.
The much hyped, mega budget magnum opus was expected to shatter opening records around the nation by its makers, but that is not happening. In fact in many small centers the Hrithik Roshan-Aishwarya Rai starrer opened to shockingly dismal 25% response and went downhill.
The film also witnessed mass attacks in places like Patna, Meerut, Gurgaon, Ahmedabad, leading to 0 collections; and as it is the box office was going well below expectations there.
Jodhaa Akbar however has been released on around 92 prints in Mumbai, which is very high. And that print saturation will help it post some big numbers in first week in Mumbai and few other places, as it is posting 40% collection during weekdays after a 80% weekend. But even there it is posting great collections in some multiplexes and dismal collections at others. The response is decidedly ambivalent even where it is generally positive and that will keep it from scaling heights it was hoping for.
Overseas, as reported first exclusively on IBOS over the weekend, the film has opened well.
However for across India, relative to cost and expectations, the mega budget Jodha Akbar looks to be leaning more towards also-rans of history not making box office history as week 1 nears its end.
Courtesy: Ibosnetwork.com
The much hyped, mega budget magnum opus was expected to shatter opening records around the nation by its makers, but that is not happening. In fact in many small centers the Hrithik Roshan-Aishwarya Rai starrer opened to shockingly dismal 25% response and went downhill.
The film also witnessed mass attacks in places like Patna, Meerut, Gurgaon, Ahmedabad, leading to 0 collections; and as it is the box office was going well below expectations there.
Jodhaa Akbar however has been released on around 92 prints in Mumbai, which is very high. And that print saturation will help it post some big numbers in first week in Mumbai and few other places, as it is posting 40% collection during weekdays after a 80% weekend. But even there it is posting great collections in some multiplexes and dismal collections at others. The response is decidedly ambivalent even where it is generally positive and that will keep it from scaling heights it was hoping for.
Overseas, as reported first exclusively on IBOS over the weekend, the film has opened well.
However for across India, relative to cost and expectations, the mega budget Jodha Akbar looks to be leaning more towards also-rans of history not making box office history as week 1 nears its end.
Courtesy: Ibosnetwork.com
Kamal on a new note!
Southie biggie Kamal Haasan is a happy man these days.
His failed second marriage, to Bollywood actress Sarika, is put behind him. And what he has to look forward to now is his 100 crore project Marmayogi, plus their pretty musician daughter Shruti’s debut in movies, which Kamal as a nervous father is anxiously looking forward to.
"Marmayogi will be shot in Hindi as well," Kamal says. "But I’m doing things at my own pace. I’m one of the few filmmakers in Chennai who takes every Sunday off." That’s all he will talk about his work. Shruti is a more interesting topic. Back from LA where she was studying music, Shruti is staying with Kamal currently. "She consulted me before taking the decision to join films. Naturally, I was nervous. But I’m happy now. Had she chosen to be a nuclear scientist, I would have been clueless whether she would succeed or not, but this profession I know and understand," he says.
Kamal has faith in Shruti. He has advice for her but prefers if she discovers the exciting world of films herself. What would really excite him is a project with Shruti. "Of course, it would be interesting to work with my daughter. But it has to be an apt script. A great father-daughter story would be a perfect casting for us," he says, hoping somebody will come up with such a script.
That apart, the great actor is now into God bashing and publicly denouncing the futility of faith. "I don’t follow any religion. A lot of differences have happened between God and me," admits the actor. Like his personal setbacks? "All your decisions come from respect and disrespect of certain things that have affected you. But notwithstanding my personal life, I have enough factors around me to support my decision. I am deeply hurt by what is happening around in the name of religion. I personally feel, whenever there is a crisis, God becomes a mere witness. I am happy with my decision," he explains. And when imbalances upset his life? "So far, I’ve been able to survive without that connection, and I will be lucky to cross the hurdles without any divine intervention," he smiles. "It’s like getting a fit body after you give up certain things."
Courtesy: Indiatimes.com
His failed second marriage, to Bollywood actress Sarika, is put behind him. And what he has to look forward to now is his 100 crore project Marmayogi, plus their pretty musician daughter Shruti’s debut in movies, which Kamal as a nervous father is anxiously looking forward to.
"Marmayogi will be shot in Hindi as well," Kamal says. "But I’m doing things at my own pace. I’m one of the few filmmakers in Chennai who takes every Sunday off." That’s all he will talk about his work. Shruti is a more interesting topic. Back from LA where she was studying music, Shruti is staying with Kamal currently. "She consulted me before taking the decision to join films. Naturally, I was nervous. But I’m happy now. Had she chosen to be a nuclear scientist, I would have been clueless whether she would succeed or not, but this profession I know and understand," he says.
Kamal has faith in Shruti. He has advice for her but prefers if she discovers the exciting world of films herself. What would really excite him is a project with Shruti. "Of course, it would be interesting to work with my daughter. But it has to be an apt script. A great father-daughter story would be a perfect casting for us," he says, hoping somebody will come up with such a script.
That apart, the great actor is now into God bashing and publicly denouncing the futility of faith. "I don’t follow any religion. A lot of differences have happened between God and me," admits the actor. Like his personal setbacks? "All your decisions come from respect and disrespect of certain things that have affected you. But notwithstanding my personal life, I have enough factors around me to support my decision. I am deeply hurt by what is happening around in the name of religion. I personally feel, whenever there is a crisis, God becomes a mere witness. I am happy with my decision," he explains. And when imbalances upset his life? "So far, I’ve been able to survive without that connection, and I will be lucky to cross the hurdles without any divine intervention," he smiles. "It’s like getting a fit body after you give up certain things."
Courtesy: Indiatimes.com
GHAJINI, a perfectionist's play
The perfectionist Khan after completing yet another act of aptness in his directorial debut with ‘Taare Zameen Par’ again ready to offer complete entertainment with his next film Ghajini. Yes, Aamir Khan whose latest flick has leaped off.
As the shooting has resumed for the Hindi version of the Til film Ghajini the excitement is around Aamir’s fans awaiting the same result as the Tamil blockbuster.
Reportedly Aamir Khan will go bald for this movie as per the demand of some portion of the script.
Inspired by Christopher Nolan's critically acclaimed Memento and directed by A. R. Murugadoss, the film stars Aamir Khan as Sanjay Ramaswamy, Tamil actress Asin Thottumkal as Kalpana, and Nishbd fame Jiah Khan as Chitra.
As per the latest report the movie is going to make another mark in the history of Indian cinema after Shahrukh Khan’s Om Shanti Om as the rights of Ghajini has been sold at a whooping margin of over 70 crores for film and music distribution in domestic market.
No doubt the dynamic and perfection specialist actor Aamir Khan has chosen the right script to offer something different and bringing diversification into his acting talent like his earlier attempt with Lagan and TZP.
The production team is certainly eying for the next ‘Eid’ in the month of October for the action packed Ghajini’s release. It is also believed that this films may brought back memories of Aamir’s old days when he played characters like ‘Sidhu’ in Ghulam and ‘Pakia’ in Rangeela. No doubt with AR Rahman’s score the film is going to create yet another mind blowing film in this year.
Aamir deserves all the accolades to cater the need of the different breed of movie lovers who has got a taste of movie that is once in life time experience.
Courtesy: NewstrackIndia.com
As the shooting has resumed for the Hindi version of the Til film Ghajini the excitement is around Aamir’s fans awaiting the same result as the Tamil blockbuster.
Reportedly Aamir Khan will go bald for this movie as per the demand of some portion of the script.
Inspired by Christopher Nolan's critically acclaimed Memento and directed by A. R. Murugadoss, the film stars Aamir Khan as Sanjay Ramaswamy, Tamil actress Asin Thottumkal as Kalpana, and Nishbd fame Jiah Khan as Chitra.
As per the latest report the movie is going to make another mark in the history of Indian cinema after Shahrukh Khan’s Om Shanti Om as the rights of Ghajini has been sold at a whooping margin of over 70 crores for film and music distribution in domestic market.
No doubt the dynamic and perfection specialist actor Aamir Khan has chosen the right script to offer something different and bringing diversification into his acting talent like his earlier attempt with Lagan and TZP.
The production team is certainly eying for the next ‘Eid’ in the month of October for the action packed Ghajini’s release. It is also believed that this films may brought back memories of Aamir’s old days when he played characters like ‘Sidhu’ in Ghulam and ‘Pakia’ in Rangeela. No doubt with AR Rahman’s score the film is going to create yet another mind blowing film in this year.
Aamir deserves all the accolades to cater the need of the different breed of movie lovers who has got a taste of movie that is once in life time experience.
Courtesy: NewstrackIndia.com
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