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Aamir Khan’s co refuses to let Oppn use Peepli Live song
Jul 11th
Bharati Dubey | TNN (BOMBAY TIMES; July 11, 2010)
Mumbai: Official sources from Aamir Khan Productions have denied any possibility of letting political parties use a song from the coming film, Peepli Live.
“It will not lend itself to political use. The song in question is part of the story of the film, which is a humorous take on urban and rural divide that exists in India; inflation is a general issue,’’ a spokesperson for the production house said on Saturday. “Aamir Khan Productions also maintains a strictly apolitical stand. There is no question of allowing the song to be used for political campaigns.’’
Opposition parties, mainly the NDA, had contacted Aamir Khan Productions, asking them for the permission to use the song, Mehngai Dayan—the lyrics are about how inflation is eating into the happiness of people—for election campaigns in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The song, in its rural style, complains about the hike in petrol and diesel prices.
The Congress had gone filmy the similar way last year, when it adopted the Oscar-winning Jai ho as its anthem before the general elections. However, the party has now called the Oppostion’s bid to procure the Peepli Live song as a political gimmick. Rajiv Shukla of the Congress said, “The BJP wants to take political advantage of everything, including films.’’
Jai Ho was not the first time that Bollywood was used by political parties. Chak De was used by the Congress unit of Gujarat in 2007 before the state election there. Lyricist Sameer said, “I had written a parody of the song, Chor Bazari from Love Aaj Kal for chief minister Ashok Chavan for his election campaign. Most people connect with films and music. That is perhaps why political parties try to rope in artistes and songs.’’
The lyricist recalls how his father, Anjaan’s song from Don, Khaike Paan Banaraswala, was used by the Congress to promote none other than Amitabh Bachchan during the 1984 election campaign in Allahabad.
I wasn’t promoting MNIK-Ashok Chavan
Mar 21st
Somit Sen | TNN (THE TIMES OF INDIA; March 21, 2010)
Mumbai: Chief minister Ashok Chavan on Saturday said he had not promoted SRK’s film My Name is Khan and was only doing his duty of ensuring that its release in Mumbai was safe.
He was reacting to an editorial in the Shiv Sena’s mouthpiece, Saamna, on Saturday, which slammed him for deploying 22,000 policemen to ensure the safe release of the movie. Saamna said that the ATS in Gujarat had recently interrogated terrorists who confessed that MNIK was being used propaganda material by terrorist organisations.
“The film shows the insulting situations faced by Muslims and how they are given step-motherly treatment by other communities. This is being used as a propaganda to instigate Muslim youths to take up jihad,’’ it stated.
Chavan said he was seeking details of the findings of the Ahmedabad ATS. “I have nothing to do with the promotion of the film. It is my duty as a chief minister to provide security to every film which is cleared by the censor board,’’ he said.
“We are grateful to the people of Maharashtra for reposing faith in the government and coming to cinema halls to watch the movie despite threats,’’ he added.
Meanwhile, the Sena has demanded that the government should levy entertainment tax on IPL cricket matches. “We are losing out on crores of rupees as revenue while the IPL organisers are making huge profits,’’ said Sena group leader Subhash Desai. Chavan said the decision was “still under consideration’’.
“We will discuss the issue with cabinet members and legislators soon,’’ he said.
Govt tightens belt to protect filmwallas from harassment
Mar 17th
STAR POWER: Shah Rukh Khan, chief minister Ashok Chavan and producer Yash Chopra with Katrina Kaif at the FICCI Frames opening on Tuesday
Lull in war of words, MNIK opens to packed houses
Feb 14th
STEALING THE SHOW: Shah Rukh’s wife and MNIK co-producer Gauri Khan, along with daughter Suhana, visits INOX and Metro cinemas in south Mumbai on Saturday afternoon. (Left) Members of the NCP buy 100 tickets for the movie, which was released at a multiplex in Thane on Saturday
SRK Will Visit Theatres Today; Almost 3,000 Sainiks Arrested In 3 Days
Bharati Dubey, Nitasha Natu, V Narayan & Nitin Yeshwantrao | TNN (THE TIMES OF INDIA; February 14, 2010)
Mumbai: As the Shiv Sena’s threats simmered down, My Name Is Khan (MNIK) opened to packed houses in most multiplexes in the city on Saturday.
Things were slowly getting back to normal, said a multiplex owner. “By Sunday, we may release the movie in other other parts of the state as well,’’ he said. No untoward incident was reported on Saturday.
Most halls in the city, which had removed MNIK posters, have replaced them. In fact, even in Thane—a Sena bastion—the movie has made its foray. Though the film was not shown there on Friday, NCP leader Jitendra Awhad organised a screening on Saturday. The management of Cinemax at Eternity Mall screened it for morning show (10.30 am). The shows were peaceful in other parts of Mumbai as well. All the seats were booked at Andheri’s Fun Cinemas on Saturday afternoon.
Single-screen theatres, which did not hold the show on Friday, released the film on Saturday. Though their collections were slightly lower than that of multiplexes, trade pundits expect that even single-screens will run full house on Sunday.
SRK’s wife and co-producer of MNIK Gauri Khan—with daughter Suhana in tow—visited INOX and Metro in south Mumbai in the afternoon. “People liked the film and that’s why it has got a good response,’’ Gauri said, finishing the sentence with a “Jai Maharashtra’’. Gauri was quick to dismiss speculation that the “good response” was due to the controversy generated before the film’s release.
“People liked the movie not because of the controversy. Karan Johar and his team worked hard. The film was in the making for three years. Their efforts have paid off,’’ she said, adding that Shah Rukh, who was in Berlin for the premiere of the film, was happy about the smooth release. The actor himself plans to visit the theatres in the city on Sunday. According to a source, a special screening for chief minister Ashok Chavan may also be organised at INOX.
Despite a limited release in Maharashtra, Gujarat and parts of MP, the film’s worldwide box-office collection on Friday stood at around Rs 25 crore. A trade analyst said MNIK could have easily earned an additional Rs 5 crore-Rs 6 crore had it had a normal release.
The Andheri police on Friday arrested Sena deputy shakha pramukh Kuldeep Singh, who along with three party members, had staged a protest at a theatre on February 11. Commissioner D Sivanandhan said 2,929 Sainiks had been arrested over the past three days.
Thackeray calls Sena agitation a ‘success,’ flays CM for bandobast
Feb 13th
ANGER MANAGEMENT: Police arrest an anti-MNIK protestor after bottles were thrown at a multiplex
Ambarish Mishra | TNN (THE TIMES OF INDIA; February 13, 2010)
Mumbai: The Shiv Sena continued to flaunt its aggressive mood even after the successful release of ‘My Name Is Khan’ in Mumbai amid unprecedented police security on Friday.
Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray complimented his Sainiks for their “successful’’ agitation against MNIK. Sena leader Sanjay Raut, MP, said earlier that the Sena would continue to agitate against the film if Khan did not express regret over his statement backing the inclusion of Pakistani cricketers in the IPL.
In a statement issued late Friday evening, Thackeray severely criticised chief minister Ashok Chavan for pulling out all the stops and deploying police for the film’s release. “Chavan has been genuflecting before the Congress high command. Now, the CM has bowed before Shah Rukh Khan. It is unfortunate and revolting that the chief minister of Maharashtra, the state which takes pride in Shivaji Maharaj, should be so helpless.’’
Stating that the Sena was not against MNIK per se, the Sena supremo said that the agitation was against Khan’s statement on the IPL. “Shah Rukh Khan should apologise not to the Sena, but the entire country,’’ he said.
Saying the anti-MNIK agitation was to uphold love for India, the Sena patriarch said, “If patriotism is an offence then the Sena will commit it again and again. The Congress seems more worried about the Khans than the country’s security.’’
The Sena chief ’s statement was meant to revive the morale of his partymen who seemed trapped in a fruitless exercise to mobilise opinion against SRK, say Sena watchers.
Earlier, there was some confusion in the Sena over Khan’s Twitter messages in which he had said sorry to his innumerable fans. Matoshree, which expected Khan to convey regrets to Thackeray, was upset when the actor clarified that the regrets were meant only for his admirers.
Said senior Sena leader Manohar Joshi, “Shah Rukh Khan will have to clarify his position on his IPL statement. Until then, the Sena will agitate against MNIK.’’ Joshi personally led the Shiv Sainiks to stop the screening of Khan’s film at Nakshatra at Dadar on Friday.
Thackeray held extensive talks with his party colleagues on the Khan controversy and the release of the film amid tight security. Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray was present too. The Sena’s immediate task is to quell the impression that the party has lost its say following the grand reception to the film. The Sena supremo is likely to issue fresh instruction to his followers on the Khan controversy late on Friday night.
The widespread arrests of Shiv Sainiks and unprecedented police crackdown on shakhas led to the release of MNIK, said Milind Vaidya, Sena vibhag pramukh, Mumbai North-Central.
The city police have withdrawn Vaidya’s official security following a letter from him after Uddhav verbally announced that he was giving up his security.
Ramu to make a film on My Name Is Khan controversy
Feb 12th
While the entire country was glued on to their television sets since the last 48 hours to ascertain whether Karan Johar’s My Name Is Khan (MNIK) will see the light of the day in Mumbai and Maharashtra, filmmaker Ram Gopal Verma was in action. No, he wasnt calling the shots; he was noting down little details of the MNIK controversy and even took a tour around the city multiplexes to gauge the situation. Sources close to RGV confirm that the director is all set to come up with a film on this entire episode.
According to a close associate of RGV, “It was when news came that Shiv Sainiks have protested in some theatres in Mumbai that Ramu’s mind started ticking. He realized a film on this episode can turn out to be engrossing, thrilling as well utmost realistic, on the lines of his past hit Sarkar and the recent Rann. He immediately swung into action and called his writers to discuss about it. On Wednesday and Thursday, he toured some multiplexes in Mumbai and even interacted with the management, ticketing staff and constables stationed outside. All this reminded us of the ‘Terror Tour’ that RGV supposedly and reportedly undertook after the 26/11 incident at Taj”.
The source continues, “Last night, Ramu and writers zeroed on ‘Main Sorry Nahi Bolunga’ as the title of their film. Soon they would shortlist actors who they feel would carry out the role of Shah Rukh Khan, Karan Johar, the Thackerays, Ashok Chavan and R R Patil.”
However, keeping in mind the consequences of his tour in Taj, a cautious RGV will keep the film under wraps and will see to it that no one gets the slightest hint of what he’s upto until the film is ready for release. “Shooting of Main Sorry Nahi Bolunga would be completed with utmost privacy. Ramu is thinking of shooting the outdoor scenes using hidden cameras on the lines of Rajeev Khandelwal’s Aamir. He doesn’t want to take any chances.”
Also, this film will not get a theatrical release. “Ramu knows that certain political elements won’t allow Main Sorry Nahi Bolunga to release and it may result in a situation similar to the present one involving MNIK. Hence, RGV is thinking of giving it a direct television release.”
Ram Gopal Verma remained unavailable for comment.
Plexes: 1 film not worth risk
Feb 12th
FILM UNDER A CLOUD: CM Ashok Chavan feels plex owners are unduly afraid
THE TIMES OF INDIA (February 12, 2010)
Mumbai: The multiplex owners’ apprehensions, besides being a major embarrassment for chief minister Ashok Chavan and his government, put huge pressure on Shah Rukh Khan to make it up to the Thackerays as a film’s performance in Mumbai can make or mar its overall fortunes. A teleconference between the actor (in Berlin) and the producers came off in the evening, when Khan was formally told of the theatre owners’ decision.
Khan stuck to his decision not to “apologise’’ to anyone but the ‘tweets’ he sent out during the day were markedly conciliatory. “(I) feel awful that Balasaheb and Uddhav have misconstrued my words. The reactions of the Sena workers seem to make me believe that. Don’t want mayhem, anger and violence ‘cos of our beautiful film which talks about repairing a bruised and divided world. I hope my tweets clear this cloud of confusion. I hope peace prevails and the city is at rest. Nobody wants Mumbaikars or their property hurt and destroyed, least of all me. This also is the last time I clarify or say anything on this topic. This is not a justification, it’s just reiterating the facts,’’ he said. But he seemed to have resigned himself to the no-show. “Now what happens with the release, the film, is the film’s fate,’’ he tweeted.
Mumbai’s multiplex owners, too, seemed to have resigned themselves to living with the Sena. “I think the uncertainty over the release of one film and the risk we would have taken by releasing it, is not worth it. Several other films are showing in my multiplex and I don’t want to lose that revenue as well,’’ a multiplex owner in the central suburbs said. His was one of the cinemas targeted by the Sena on Tuesday.
Another multiplex owner from Navi Mumbai admitted the government’s assurances paled in comparison to the fear factor. “A plex screen costs between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 11 lakh and one stone can damage it irretrievably. Why should we take the risk?’’ he added.
There is another huge fact that plex owners had to bear in mind when they decided that life without MNIK probably made more sense in the current circumstances. Most multiplexes run on leased property and owners say they can’t bear the consequences of damage to that property for one film. “We have to live with the Sena and don’t have the confidence that cops can give us blanket security cover 365 days a year,’’ a western suburbs mall owner admitted. “We will wait till Friday morning to take a final call,’’ he added.
Chief minister Chavan and home minister Patil, however, felt the plex owners were chickening out without reason, regretting that cops, trained to tackle terrorism and the Naxal threat, had to be diverted to take care of problems that did not have “any solid issue’’. “I said the issue should be settled amicably but people misconstrued it as softness,’’ he said.
Congress circles, however, felt the government had been backstabbed by Patil’s leader, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar. “The decision to meet Bal Thackeray immediately after Rahul Gandhi’s whirlwind tour of the city, which had the Sena squirming, gave Balasaheb that much-needed lifeline,’’ a senior Congress functionary said. The Sena did not take too much time to latch on to that lifeline. Leaders bragged on Friday that the decision to go after MNIK had, in one stroke, exposed the “soft’’ chief minister, brought the Congress down to earth after the Rahul Gandhi-provided high and “showed Raj Thackeray his place’’.
Distributors slam CM, Patil
Feb 12th
FEAR PERSISTS: Police guard a multiplex on Thursday
Prafulla Marpakwar | TNN (THE TIMES OF INDIA; February 12, 2010)
Mumbai: Amid uncertainty over the release of Shah Rukh Khan-starrer My Name Is Khan, both chief minister Ashok Chavan and home minister R R Patil were at the receiving end for their inept handling of the issue.
While Chavan and Patil on Thursday claimed they were helpless as distributors backtracked, theatre owners blamed it on both the chief minister and home minister saying they would not screen the film as they had lost confidence in the government. “Instead of initiating a dialogue with Uddhav Thackeray, Chavan was threatening to withdraw security cover provided to the Thackerays. The inept handling left us with no option but to postpone the release,’’ a leading theatre owner said.
Defending himself, the CM said, “The role of my government is limited. If the film producer is keen on releasing the film on Friday as scheduled, my responsibility is to provide adequate security cover. My government has done so but now it appears the producers are in two minds on screening the film on Friday. Yet, we will ensure its safe release if they screen the film,’’ Chavan said.
R R Patil expressed his strong displeasure over the decision of theatre owners and film producers to postpone the screening of the film. “They had asked for more security and stringent action against Sena activists. We deployed police officials all over the metropolis, arrested over 3,000 Sena activists and most of them have been remanded either to police or judicial custody. But now it appears the film distributors have changed their stand,’’ Patil said. “I specifically told the producers that we have a law to recover damages caused by violent agitations and assured them that the entire loss will be recovered from the Sena,’’ Patil said.
Denying that the refusal of the distributors to release the film in the state was an embarrassing situation for the Congress-led Democratic Front government, Patil said they appear to have taken the decision under pressure from different quarters. “As a home minister, my responsibility is to provide security. Even after doing so if the producers postpone their plan, I am helpless,’’ Patil said.
Significantly, a section of senior Congress and NCP ministers felt both Chavan and Patil failed to assess the situation, despite specific inputs from intelligence agencies. “Whatever the Congress gained following Rahul Gandhi’s visit was lost in a single day,’’ a senior Congress minister said. Secondly, he said, NCP president Sharad Pawar’s marathon meeting with Sena chief Bal Thackeray proved to be counterproductive. “After Gandhi’s visit, the Sena was on the backfoot, but following Pawar’s meeting with Thackeray, the party got fresh momentum,’’ he added.
INSIDE STORY: How MNIK managed to get a release in Mumbai
Feb 13th
Posted by Fenil Seta in Bollywood News
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The State Government has claimed that My Name is Khan was screened at 13 multiplexes and single screen theatres. Sena claims its protest was successful. While Shah Rukh Khan claims he has stood his ground.
How did an impasse that did not look resolvable any time soon and threatened to throw the city out of gear, end on a truce within a day? According to sources, it took some massive backroom negotiations and a little bit of arm twisting by the government to achieve that.
It was a matter of political prestige and the Democratic Front government had to put in all its might. Multiplex chains and theatre owners were threatened that if despite all security assurances they did not screen the SRK-starrer, the tax rebates they enjoy currently would be withdrawn.
Shiv Sena was allegedly cajoled to an understanding that it had had enough time in the sun and it was in the best interest of the party that it ceded ground.
Chief Minister Ashok Chavan’s office assured that the government would provide Sena an environment to claim a successful protest. A bit of pressure in the form a threat to treat arrested Shiv Sainiks as criminals and not political workers sealed the deal.
As for Shah Rukh, he was reportedly asked to send another tweet regretting his comments that may have hurt sentiments without changing his stand.
The impasse all through was closely monitored by the Congress High Command in Delhi.
Backroom tactics
According to sources in the establishment and the theatre industry, when on Thursday evening it appeared that despite heavy force deployment theatre owners were reluctant to release the film, the government decided to take a strong step.
An exhibitor told Mumbai Mirror, “On Thursday evening a message was sent to all the exhibitors from the government that they could lose their tax benefits if the film was not released. It was reiterated on Friday.”
Similarly backroom negotiations with Sena were held. A senior functionary in the establishment said, “The Sena was told that it had had its protests and now it was a question of the government’s prestige.
If agitations were not stopped, it would take unprecedented harsh action against Sena workers. So it was in the best interest of Sena to withdraw the agitation and the government would let it claim success.”
By Friday afternoon, SRK too was instructed to subtly apologise and so the tweet of regret: “If I have said anything wittingly or unwittingly, have disturbed any sentiments, I express wholehearted regret.” Even though he later said this was meant only for his fans.
The result: kudos for CM Chavan from the Congress high command. Rajiv Shukla, Congress Rajya Sabha MP from Maharashtra said, “If at all, full credit goes to the Chief Minister who handled the situation firmly.”
Elsewhere, the Sena issued a statement, claiming a successful agitation. “We never insisted Shah Rukh to apologise to Sena. Our stand was that he should apologise to the nation. The country is bigger (than anybody). We stood up against Khan out of patriotic fervour,” said a press statement.
What happened on the ground
However, the government had to move a lot of things on the ground as well to make the backroom negotiations successful.
To ensure minimal damage to the theatres, some 48,000 policemen were on the streets as it had become a prestige issue for Chief Minister Ashok Chavan who was seen struggling with the political juggernaut coming his way in the last two-three days.
The CM, who appeared fighting his personal battle with no Congress minister except Narayan Rane and Minister of State for Home Ramesh Bagwe speaking on his side, got some respite with Home Minister R R Patil coming in for help.
Sources said, Patil asked senior police officers to speak to the theatre owners and assure them of state protection even after the release of the movie. That made a significant difference, as it is the Home Department and the police that handles issue of the cinema licences.
To restore the confidence of the theatre owners, CM Chavan, Patil and Bagwe visited a few cinema houses on Friday afternoon. MP Sanjay Nirupam went along with his supporters to watch the movie at Fun Cinemas in Andheri.
When contacted by this newspaper, the CM refused to elaborate on his plans for the release of the movie. “The government has made every effort to protect the theatres and the viewers who wanted to enjoy the movie,” he said. Though he did not speak much, he seemed a much relieved man as a non-release would have had an adverse effect on his chair.
Patil told this newspaper that the movie was released in almost 13 multiplexes and single screen theatres. “Our policemen have taken every care to stall any effort to disrupt the screening,” he said.
According to police sources, the movie released at Fun (Andheri), Inox (Nariman Point), PVR (Goregaon), Fame (Malad), Cinemax (Ghatkopar and Kandivali), Big (Wadala), Regal (Colaba), Ashish (Chembur), Kalpana (Kurla), Shreyas (Ghatkopar), Premier (Dongri and Parel).