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Anant Mahadevan brings Satyajit Ray back to Bollywood
07 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Subhash K Jha (BOMBAY TIMES; October 16, 2012)
The closest Satyajit Ray came to Hindi cinema was when he made Shatranj Ke Khiladi, the only Hindi film in his rich repertoire. However, Ray’s genius is set to sparkle once again in Bollywood.
National Award winning director Anant Mahadevan has unearthed an unpublished short story by Ray titled Golpo Boliye Tarini Khuro that he will adapt into a film christened The Storyteller.
Said Anant excitedly, “A Bengali writer-friend mentioned there was a very interesting unpublished Satyajit Ray story that I should look at. Being a lifelong admirer of Ray, I immediately got in touch with Ray’s son Sandip, who was kind enough to promptly part with the story. I feel incredibly privileged as a filmmaker. I have a slice of Ray’s genius in my hands.”
If all goes well, Amitabh Bachchan will play the title role. And, Farooq Sheikh will play the other main character in the film; the entrepreneur who loves to hear stories.
Anant, who has approached Big B for the lead role, said, “It has been a life long ambition to work with Mr Bachchan. For me to bring Satyajit Ray and Amitabh Bachchan together in the same film is a dream come true. Farooq Sheikh will play the businessman.”
The last time the Big B and Farooq came together was for the ill-fated Manmohan Desai superhero caper Toofan. This isn’t Big B’s first brush with Ray, considering he had done the voiceover in Shatranj Ke Khiladi.
Ray’s short story revolves round Tarini Khuro, a fictional More >
Film writer, Bollywood actors remember the ‘chacha in every story’
08 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Veteran film writer Ali Peter John remembers his association with A K Hangal
MUMBAI MIRROR (August 27, 2012)
Having met him several times, over the last 40 years, I noticed a few things about A K Hangal that were unforgettable. Firstly, he would never be in a bad mood. He would always wear impeccable clothes that he would proudly declare were designed and stitched by him. His smile never changed. And lastly, the most interesting thing about him were the stories he told us about himself and the people he had come across.
There was one story in particular that he would recall several times. It was about him being thrown in jail in pre-partition Pakistan. Hangal had taken part in a rally to protest the hanging of Bhagat Singh. The authorities released him on one condition – that he would leave Pakistan and settle in India. This, he gladly accepted – “Mera dil hamesha Hindustan mein hi tha, aur main har dam ek sachcha Hindustani tha, dil se”, he often said.
He had once told me about his journey to Bombay and the starting of his career as an actor with the IPTA (Indian People’s Theatre Association).
He took great pleasure in narrating the story of his life – of days when he worked as a ‘cutter’ in a tailoring shop at Flora Fountain. Senior actors like Prithviraj Kapoor and Balraj Sahni would come to him when they wanted a good suit stitched. “I was known as the best cutter and was paid a royal sum of Rs 300 per month which was a very big amount and was not paid to any other More >
Sequels are the latest fad in Bollywood
01 year ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Whether it is an urge to cash in on the success of the first film, or carrying the franchise forward
By Subhash K Jha (MID-DAY; April 8, 2012)
For all we know, the new Vidya Balan hit Kahaani may turn into a franchise soon. Director Sujoy Ghosh wants to cast Vidya in a series of films based on her character. “I feel her character Vidya Bagchi has the potential to grow and go much further.
I don’t want to do a sequel for a sequel’s sake. I see my protagonist growing into other stories and circumstances. It would all depend on how far Balan wants to go with the character.”
Sujoy Ghosh and Vidya Balan on the sets of Kahaani. Ghosh feels Vidya’s character can grow and be taken further in different ways
Filmmaker Aanand Rai echoes a similar sentiment when he tells us why he has decided to do a sequel to his 2011 surprise hit Tanu Weds Manu. Says Aanand, “It isn’t as though I have this burning ambition to do a sequel to Tanu Weds Manu.
But I feel there hasn’t been a closure to the lives of the two characters. I am left with a sense of dissatisfaction about their lives. I want to know what happens to Tanu and Manu after they marry.” Aanand discounts any burning urge to cash in on the success of the first film.
“If I wanted to cash in on Tanu Weds Manu I’d have launched a sequel immediately. But I’m making another film after Tanu Weds Manu and will return to the characters only when I am mentally prepared to take on their lives again.” Serenading sequels merely to cash in on a More >
Mahadevan not invited for state awards despite being winner
02 years ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Anant Mahadevan was left fuming when he was not invited for the Maharashtra State Awards, where he along with his film won awards for the best director and film category
Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 03, 2011)
Anant Mahadevan is in a state of shock. Rather it is an insult, which will take a long time for the actor/director to get over.
The reason despite winning the Best Director Award for his Marathi film Mee Sindhutai Sapkal (2010), Anant was not invited to the Maharashtra State Awards held at The Gateway Of India on April 30.
A source told us, “This is just not done. How can you not invite the winner? If the winners are not supposed to attend, then whom does the invite list comprise of? Think about this, Mee Sindhutai Sapkal was also conferred as the Best Film in that function. “
When contacted, a disappointed Mahadevan said, “I hope it’s not because I am not a Maharashtrian! I still remember after seeing Mee Sindhutai Sapkal Om Puri told me, that he couldn’t believe that I being a Malayali made this Marathi film.”
Anant further vent his anger, “I think it’s a goof up. Let’s say bad organisation. But I am very sad. I had even prepared a speech in Marathi. Agar jeetunga toh I will go up on stage and surprise them, that’s what I had planned.
Poster of the marathi film for which Anant(right) got the state awardI felt embarrassed when many of the actors and directors who were at the award function called up and asked why I wasn’t present More >
Filmmakers react to Onir-Yuvraaj controversy
02 years ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Subhash K Jha (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 20, 2011)
Recently, Madhur Bhandarkar installed cameras in his office to record all meetings and so did Ram Gopal Varma. And after being accused of allegedly molesting a wannabe actor Yuvraaj Parashar, Onir has done something similar – he has decided to get office space outside his home.
As for the accusation itself, here is what fellow directors have to say about it:
OnirRituparno Ghosh: For a filmmaker from the queer section it’s doubly tricky. Earlier, I used to go through this ordeal all the time. Newcomers would accuse me of trying to take advantage of them when I wouldn’t give them a role. I soon became immune to these attacks and luckily they were never made in public.
Jagmohan Mundhra: I always have a male and female assistant during the meeting.
Faruk Kabir: My sympathies are entirely with Onir. The solution lies in having a protocol for meeting actors, male or female, either at their office or at a coffee shop and always at an appropriate time. Though I don’t know the actor or Onir, I feel this actor is big enough to punch Onir if anything untoward happened. The actor did it for cheap publicity.
Manish Gupta: My meetings are only with people who come through a reference. I get calls from struggling actresses. They even mail their photos in bikinis and try to entice me to meet them. But I don’t. Marna hai kya!
Anant Mahadevan: I once received a call from a girl who said her father was willing More >
I’m getting emotional-Suniel Shetty
02 years ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Suniel Shetty pours his heart out on matters relating to militancy and the Naxalite menace
Aparna Phadke | TNN (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 12, 2010) Suniel Shetty
The concern in Suniel Shetty‘s voice cannot be missed. And then, the optimistic manner in which he says he will try to make a difference, gladdens the heart. As review after review is all praise for the actor’s portrayal of a farmer caught between the devil and deep sea of violence in his latest film Red Alert – The War Within, Suniel says, “My role of a poor farmer Narsimha is one of those life changing roles. I had read a lot about naxalism and to be offered a role that deals with this issue was something that any actor would grab. Anant Mahadevan’s done a wonderful job. In fact, there have been demands from the global markets for more English prints. It gives a very satisfying feeling.” We caught up with the actor as he spoke about naxalite violence and searching for long-lasting solutions.
Naxal menace As naxals are raising the spectre of violence again, ask Suniel Shetty how doing this film affected him personally, and he says, “When has violence ever made sense? When has it ever been the answer to any problem? This film says exactly this. It’s not for or against Naxalism. The problem is multi-dimensional, so there cannot be a one-dimensional solution. A part of your family is unhappy, and this unhappiness has to be dealt with. And when I say dealt with, it More >
Big B should have been here at IIFA: Salman Khan
02 years ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
STAR POWER: Actors Salman Khan and Jacqueline Fernandez help with building houses for the needy on the outskirts of Colombo on Thursday
Bharati Dubey | TNN (THE TIMES OF INDIA; June 4, 2010)
After being sucked unwittingly into the Tamil-Sinhala conflict, the IIFA Awards in Colombo saw the seeds of another clash being sown on its opening day. Salman Khan, who’s been the face of this year’s event, criticised superstar Amitabh Bachchan for giving the awards a miss despite being the brand ambassador.
“Mr Bachchan is the brand ambassador of the event, he should have been present here. Besides, we are doing a lot for the Sri Lankan Tamilians, building houses for them and rehabilitating them,’’ Salman said after lending a hand to construction of houses by an NGO on the outskirts of Colombo on Thursday.
The Bachchan clan has skipped the event despite being closely identified with it since its inception. Although none of them has commented, industry insiders pointed to the fact that the Abhishek and Aishwarya-starrer Raavan, due for release soon, has been directed by Mani Ratnam, who has supported the south Indian film industry’s call to boycott the IIFA Awards.
Though Bollywood tried to put up a facade of being united in the face of pressure from the south Indian industry by taking a huge contingent to Sri Lanka, the names of those who are missing are significant. Ranbir Kapoor, Shah Rukh Khan, Boney Kapoor, Yash Chopra and Karan Johar are More >
Promo: RED ALERT-THE WAR WITHIN
03 years ago
Cast: SUNIL SHETTY, SAMEERA REDDY, ASHISH VIDYARTHI, NASEERUDDIN SHAH, GULSHAN GROVER, SEEMA BISWAS, MURLI SHARMA, MAKRAND DESHPANDE, VINOD KHANNA
Director: ANANT MAHADEVAN
Producer: T P AGGARWAL, RAHUL AGGARWAL