Where Bollywood Comes Alive
Posts tagged 3 IDIOTS
English Vinglish becomes second highest grosser in Hong Kong after 3 Idiots
11 month ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Jigar Shah (MID-DAY; April 22, 2013)
If you thought Shah Rukh and Salman Khan were the biggest Bollywood names overseas, think again. Sources say that after 3 Idiots, Sridevi’s Bollywood comeback film English Vinglish has become the highest Hindi film grosser in the Hong Kong territory, a country that is fast becoming a growing market for Bollywood films.
While the film also did good business in India, in Hong Kong the Sri starrer raked in nearly US $ 2,00,000.
A source says, “The film released last month dubbed in Cantonese and English for the audience in Hong Kong. It had seven screens and 29 shows on a daily basis. In fact, the film is also going to be screened at The Director’s Club, a venue that celebrates works by popular filmmakers.”
Check out Bollywood fraternity posing with Steven Spielberg
02 months ago
BOMBAY TIMES (March 13, 2013)
Madhur Bhandarkar was part of a group of Indian directors who met Hollywood icon Steven Spielberg in Mumbai. Naturally, each of the directors who managed a short audience with the demi-God of global cinema had something distinct to tell him.
Madhur was overheard saying, “Sir, I’m a huge fan of your cinema. Early in my career, I ran a video library and I must thank you profusely, because the films that got me maximum reruns were all directed by you; be it Jaws or ET.” Madhur’s compliment blew Spielberg over. He stood there humbled and was happy to shake Bhandarkar’s hand once again. Talk of humility, Steven Spielberg redefined the word in his interaction with the Bollywood director fraternity. He was frank, humble and very warm through the evening. He paid rich compliments with a genuine smile on his face. Like the time when he told Rajkumar Hirani that he loved his 3 Idiots. Raju was so floored. Hirani almost lost his voice when he thanked him. And for the rest of evening, Raju admitted to being over the moon.
How Vidya Balan influenced Chetan Bhagat’s work over the years
02 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Kunal M Shah (MID-DAY; March 11, 2013)
Any guesses why the sister in Chetan Bhagat’s The 3 Mistakes Of My Life named Vidya? After all she shares her name with an acclaimed Bollywood actress now. Well, Chetan shares a good rapport with Vidya Balan and that answers the question.
For starters, Chetan named a character Vidya in The 3 Mistakes of my Life which was later adapted for Kai Po Che. Interestingly enough, Amrita Puri’s character in the film is also called Vidya a la the character in the book.
On being asked, the bespectacled writer sheds broader light on the subject. “The fact remains that Vidya is connected with me in every book I’ve written till date. I had first gone to meet her to ask her to launch my debut book Five Point Someone which she did. That was when she also introduced me to Raju Hirani. He later took my book and made 3 Idiots. After that, I decided to give tribute to Vidya by naming a female character in the book I was writing then. Incidentally, the producer of Kai Po Che happens to be Vidya’s husband Siddharth Roy Kapur. Furthermore, the rights of my latest book Revolution 20-20 has been bought by him too so my association with Vidya continues.”
Vidhu Vinod Chopra is mad & aggressive, but straight & large-hearted – Rajkumar Hirani
03 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Interviews
Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; February 20, 2013)
Raju Hirani is today India’s most sought-after director, both commercially and critically. He got his beliefs from his father and his stories from his mother. He takes his time to write and perfect his script and will not make a film till he is convinced himself. Days ahead of leaving to shoot his next film P.K., he talks to Bombay Times about the unconventional wisdom of his father, his large-hearted mentor Vidhu Vinod Chopra and his most cherished evening with Amitabh Bachchan. Excerpts:
Let’s talk about your childhood. I was born and brought up in Nagpur. My dad used to run the first typewriting institute there after which he started selling office equipment. Even though I grew up in this small middleclass Sindhi business family, I drifted into theatre and started enjoying that. I would go to college for three hours in the morning after which I would give demos and work with my dad. After work in the evenings, post 7 pm, I did theatre with a group we formed called Awaaz and it became a passion. I would act and direct and sometimes even write and translate some Bengali plays. Every year, we would put up two shows in a semi-professional way and we would go around selling tickets. Coincidentally, I had to make a choice between giving the law exam and the FTII exam, as they were both being held on the same day. I gathered a lot of courage and went to my dad to tell him that I did not want to become a chartered accountant or a More >
People expect Kai Po Che to be better than book-Abhishek Kapoor
04 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Interviews
Director Abhishek Kapoor and author Chetan Bhagat dropped in at After Hrs for a stimulating discussion on the synergy between books and films
Kaushani Banerjee (DNA; January 16, 2013)
What are the pros and cons of working on a film based on a book? Abhishek Kapoor: The plus point is that everyone has read it, is already aware of the book and if they’ve liked it, the movie starts on a good footing. But then comes a lot of responsibility, because the book has been liked so much, the audience wants more value for their money. People expect the movie to be better than the book. They want it to be worth their while, because anyone who has read the book has visualised the film in their head in some way. So we have changed quite a few things. It should be a fun experience for the audience, especially for the ones who’ve already ready the book.
What were the elements that you had to drop from the book for Kai Po Che? Abhishek: Certain things that feel good in a book and do not work on screen. You can’t explain certain things, for example the thoughts of the narrator. Chetan: All my books are in first person. The thoughts of the protagonist may be very witty or insightful. But those thoughts cannot always be picturised. But we try and incorporate it through a visual or any other angle. In the book, the protagonist talks about how he wants to be big and how he wants to make money. This is hard to show on screen, but the opening scene of the trailer shows them sitting in a car and More >
Balaatkar and rape are used in different contexts-Chetan Bhagat
04 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Interviews
Chetan Bhagat takes us through the twists and turns of his Kai Po Che journey and tells us why ‘balaatkar’ jokes should be read in the ‘right context’
MUMBAI MIRROR (January 5, 2013)
You have often said that The 3 Mistakes of My Life is the most special of all your books. Is it because it got you positive reviews for the first time? It is my most ambitious project because it takes a difficult subject and turns it into something that is popular mass fiction entertainment. I had an established image of a writer who writes about the metro youth. I wanted to change that. I had lived in Gujarat when it was peaceful. And I was impressed by the spirit of entrepreneurship there. After I left Ahmedabad, there was the earthquake and then the riots, and I realised, this was not the Gujarat I had known. And I wanted to write about it. This was not for my target audience, but for myself, and the people of Gujarat who were in the news for all the wrong reasons. It took plenty of courage, but I did it. Though it was my first book about a controversial issue, I had to keep my core audience happy and blend the fun and romance with some gravitas. I had other projects where I could have fun. That comes easy to me because I have a flair for wit. This was tougher and hence more satisfying.
Was it tough striking a balance between your creative urges and commercial considerations? When I wrote my first book, Five Point Someone, there was no commercial pressure. By the time I wrote my third, More >
Fenil’s Bollywood Talk # 237
14 months ago
WILL TABLE NO 21 PROVIDE A GREAT START TO 2013?
2013 has begun and the first week itself sees the release of as many 4 films, all small/medium budgeted ones – Table No.21, Rajdhani Express, Dehraadun Diary and Meri Shadi Karao. Out of these, Table No.21 seems most promising and if reports are positive, can turn out to be the first success of 2013!
The first trailer can make or break the film and first theatrical trailer of Table No 21 confirms the fact. The trailer is riveting and makes viewers extremely curious for the film. Paresh Rawal seems in top form as the villain while Rajeev Khandelwal though reminds one of his debut film Aamir, shows promise. Tena Desae, having Hollywood films to his credit, is part of the principle cast too. The film deals with a reality show which boasts of terrible and even fatal consequences if the participant break the only rule – lie while answering. The film is around 2 hours length and can turn out to be an engaging thriller if made well and attract audiences. Unfortunately, promotion hasn’t been satisfactory after the first trailer was unveiled. Also, the film is directed by Aditya Datt – who has made disasters like Aashiq Banaya Aapne, Dil Diya Hai, Good Luck and Will You Marry Me – which has made many viewers vary of the film. The film has no competition as such (Dabangg 2 wave is waving off). Good feedback is the only thing that can save the film.
Rajdhani Express is the directorial debut of Leander Paes and also stars talented names More >
Fenil’s Bollywood Talk # 237
04 months ago
WILL DABANGG 2 CROSS BUSINESS OF 3 IDIOTS?
As biggies after biggies keep releasing, one question always arises – will this film be the one that will beat the box office record of 3 Idiots? 3 Idiots, released in 2009, collected 202 crores from India alone and is the only film to do so. More than dozens of biggies, starring A-listers, have released since then. But not a single film has managed to get beat this record, although the number of screens and audiences has increased considerably and so has the ticket price. But then, 3 Idiots was special. It didn’t even have a 2000 screen release, which is the norm today for any biggie today, and yet collected so well. This is because the film was an outstanding product in all respects. Viewers loved to see the film twice and even thrice, in theatres that too – a significant reason why it netted so much.
3 years on, not a single film of the stature of 3 Idiots has released and hence it’s not a surprise why the record of 3 Idiots remains unbeatable.
Now that Dabangg 2 has released and has done a fabulous job at the box office, the question that is on everyone’s mind is, obviously – will this film be the one that would surpass 3 Idiots’ earnings? As of now, nothing can be said for sure. Till Wednesday, it has collected 92.75-93 crore (according to boxofficeindia.com). If Thursday throws up healthy numbers, film will definitely cross 100 crore. But it’s the performance of the film in the second week that will be a deciding factor. Like More >