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Posts tagged assam
Time to legalise prostitution-Reema Kagti
05 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
It’s the only way to reduce the real illegalities that come with the profession — like violent crimes against sex workers and child trafficking…
Reema Kagti (TIMES LIFE; December 23, 2012)
PROSTITUTES have always intrigued me. My first memory of an encounter with one is set in a small town in Assam where I grew up. I, aged 7or 8, was left in the car with an ayah while my mother was buying groceries in the market. Two women walked by. I might have thought nothing more about them had it not been for my ayah who asked me not to look at them and turned my face away. Precisely because I was told not to look, I stared even harder at the two garishly made up women.
Later, my parents were not very forthcoming with answers to my questions about them; sparking off an even greater curiosity. In my early life, books and movies were my only reference points; and they created an intensely romanticised picture of this fallen woman. She in her illegal, immoral way symbolised my personal cause as a teenager — rebellion against the establishment. Ironically, in an attempt to protect me, my ayah sparked off a lifelong fascination with this dark face lurking in the shadows of society.
It is this fascination that as a naïve college student made me volunteer for a WHO programme to distribute condoms in Mumbai’s Kamathipura to curb AIDS. Walking around the maze of human depravation and degradation that makes up Mumbai’s red light district, I had a crash course in reality. None of the women I More >
Kalpana Lajmi turns peacenik for North East
010 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
The filmmaker and late Dr Bhupen Hazarika’s companion of many years, will carry forward his message of peace and harmony in the region. Will form a team from the industry to visit the place
Subhash K Jha (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 20, 2012)
The music of late Dr Bhupen Hazarika, who hailed from Assam, epitomised humanity and universal brotherhood. More importantly, it was an astounding unifier, bringing the North East closer to the mainstream than any other medium possibly did.
Today, when violence, uncertainty and insecurity plague the region, the singer-composer’s soul-mate and companion of many years, filmmaker Kalpana Lajmi, misses his presence the most. Not one to sit idle and watch her beloved’s land go up in flames, Lajmi is firming up plans to take Dr Hazarika’s message of peace and harmony to the strife-torn region.
She is reluctant to divulge details but we hear, she plans to enlist her friends’ Mahesh Bhatt and Ila Arun’s help to form a team from the film industry to visit Assam and the North East. Shabana Azmi, who shot the filmmaker’s Ek Pal in Assam, and Javed Akhtar, who has penned many of Dr Hazarika’s lyrics, are expected to join her.
Kalpana, who is trying to find her way through the North Eastern imbroglio, said, “I am deeply sensitised to the situation in the North-East. Culturally, politically, ethnically and anthropologically, I am not equipped to slip into Bhupen’s shoes. But my heart bleeds for the impoverished, distressed victims of the violence. I More >
Shor In The City day-wise numbers
02 years ago
by Fenil Seta
in box office
-By Taran Adarsh, May 4, 2011 – 12:42 IST
SHOR IN THE CITY opened to rave reviews and has shown a healthy escalation in business over the weekend. The Monday numbers have also been steady. Here’s the day-wise, circuit-wise data:-
Mumbai: Fri 32.83 lacs, Sat 52.08 lacs, Sun 86.80 lacs, Mon 27.08 lacs
Delhi-U.P., Punjab: Fri 22.19 lacs, Sat 30.86 lacs, Sun 34.91 lacs, Mon 13.47 lacs
West Bengal: Fri 2.68 lacs, Sat 4.22 lacs, Sun 6.11 lacs, Mon 1.83 lacs
Assam: Fri 56,000, Sat 97,000, Sun 1.11 lacs, Mon 34,000
Bihar: Fri 76,000, Sat 81,000, Sun 63,000, Mon 31,000
C.P.: Fri 2.41 lacs, Sat 3.58 lacs, Sun 3.78 lacs, Mon 1.52 lacs
Rajasthan: Fri 1.68 lacs, Sat 2.42 lacs, Sun 2.36 lacs, Mon 93,000
C.I.: Fri 1.09 lacs, Sat 2.01 lacs, Sun 2.16 lacs, Mon 92,000
Mysore: Fri 3.96 lacs, Sat 7.84 lacs, Sun 8.31 lacs, Mon 2.65 lacs
Nizam: Fri 2.58 lacs, Sat 3.41 lacs, Sun 3.64 lacs, Mon 1.82 lacs
Orissa: Fri 45,000, Sat 35,000, Sun 27,000, Mon 11,000
Tamil Nadu, Kerala: Fri 89,000, Sat 1.17 lacs, Sun 1.12 lacs, Mon 69,000
Day-wise figures:-
Friday – 72.08 lacs
Saturday – 1.10 cr
Sunday – 1.51 cr
Monday – 51.67 lacs
Total – Rs 3.85 cr
BOLLYWOOD HUNGAMA.COM
Vashu Bhagnani to release F.A.L.T.U on internet
02 years ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
By Bollywood Hungama News Network, March 9, 2011 – 14:24 IST
Bollywood has all the glitz and glam, and quite like its western counterpart enjoys a wide audience base. You may be wondering why we are talking about international audience, well its coz producer Vashu Bhagnani has developed a whole new platform to release Indian films.
Speaking to Mr. Bhagnani we learn the details, “In collaboration with Zee Communications, we will be releasing my film F.A.L.T.U not just in theatres but also on the internet.” Yes folks you heard it, Vashu has been absolutely pepped with the film’s release, and is trying a new kind of film distribution model. By releasing his next film on the internet it looks like he’ll be paving the path for futuristic film releases.
When quizzed about the idea of such a release, Vashu states, “It wasn’t a while ago, I was in Hong Kong to visit a few friends, after getting a warm welcome and being well tended, I asked them rather sincerely, ‘Why they barely watched any Bollywood films?’ In fact it was a total eye opener and I realized that in the overseas, our Indian film audiences pay hefty sums to watch a film, while here in India, we can get a ticket for a mere Rs. 150.”
Further he adds, “In the US, the Indians pay about $12 to watch a film, which in our terms would amount to approx Rs. 500 per ticket! So I decided to give them the same viewing experience while keeping the cost the same as that they would normally pay in India. Hence, we More >
I am Hazarika’s wife-Kalpana Lajmi
02 years ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Filmmaker Kalpana Lajmi announces this to a rowdy mob of people, who asked her who she was to stop them from meeting Dr Bhupen Hazarika
Pranav Mankermi (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 01, 2010)
Recently, when Dr Bhupen Hazarika got caught in mob frenzy, his long-time companion, filmmaker Kalpana Lajmi, came to his rescue.
Lajmi, who has been living-in with the 84-year-old director-music composer for over four decades, called herself “his wife” for the very first time.
Hazarika was travelling and shooting for a new music video, Our North East, Our Star, when a mob from a small town called Chandrapur near Guwahati, Assam, pounced on him, intending to just touch him and talk to him.
Kalpana Lajmi and Bhupen HazarikaHazarika tried reasoning with them but did not succeed. “When they could not get close to him they got angry and unruly,” says a representative of Star Cement, the company handling the project.
In fact, an exceptionally rowdy section of the crowd began asking Kalpana Lajmi why she was not letting them get close to Hazarika. “They asked Kalpanaji who she was to stop them from making contact with him. She replied, ‘I am his wife,’” says a source present on the sets.
Lajmi was 17 and Hazarika 45, when she fell in love with him. Though Hazarika had a son from his earlier marriage to Priyamvada, Lajmi didn’t think twice before leaving home to start living with him. But in all these years, Lajmi and Hazarika never married.
Two years More >
81.50 Crore Nett Week 1 For Dabangg
12 years ago
by Fenil Seta
in box office
Saturday 18th September 2010 15.00 IST/Friday 17th September 2010 13.00 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Dabangg grossed 81.50 crore nett approx as per early estimates over its first week after its Thursday looks to be coming in around the 6 crore nett mark.
The film has smashed the first week record of 3 Idiots even if we include the paid previews of that film.
The film has set new first week circuit records in Delhi/UP, East Punjab, Bihar, CP Berar, CI, Rajasthan, Assam and Orissa while in Mumbai, West Bengal, Nizam/Andhra, Mysore and Tamil Nadu/Kerala the records of Three Idiots have held up. The collections over the second weekend should also be very good.
Meanwhile, Dabangg had a very good second Friday with business coming in around 6.20 crore nett as per early estimates. The 8 day business of the film is 87.25 crore nett plus. Dabangg should easily cross the 100 crore nett mark by the end of its second weekend. The ten day business should be in 103-105 crore nett range. The Friday business was better than Thursday. Below is the breakdown of the second Friday.
Mumbai – 2.05 crore Delhi/UP – 1.45 crore East Punjab – 55 lakhs West Bengal – 40 lakhs Bihar – 15 lakhs Assam/Orissa – 7 lakhs CP Berar – 35 lakhs CI – 23 lakhs Rajasthan – 33 lakhs Nizam – 33 lakhs Mysore – 22 lakhs Tamil Nadu/Kerala – 7 lakhs TOTAL – 6.20 crore
I Hate Luv Storys’ first day business
02 years ago
by Fenil Seta
in box office
Saturday 3rd July 2010 15.00 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
I Hate Luv Storys did very well on its first day with business in the 6.75 cr nett range. Business is Mumbai city and Pune was huge. The all India breakdown was as follows.
Mumbai Circuit 2.75 – 3 crore
Delhi/UP – 1.33 crore
East Punjab – 65 lakhs
West Bengal – 27 lakhs
Bihar – 8 lakhs
CP Berar – 20 lakhs
CI – 20 lakhs
Rajasthan – 26 lakhs
Nizam/Andhra – 36 lakhs
Mysore – 37 lakhs
Tamil Nadu/Kerala – 6 lakhs
Assam – 4.50 lakhs
Orissa – 2.50 lakhs
ALL INDIA 6.60 – 6.85 crore
3 Idiots has an earth-shattering first week
03 years ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Saturday 2nd January 2010 09.00 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
The three new releases of the week Accident On Hill Road, Bolo Raam and Raat Gayi Baat Gayi all opened to a dull response at the box office.
Three Idiots has unparalleled first week business of around 80 crore nett. All circuit records have been torn apart from Bihar, Orissa and Assam. The eighth day is off to a huge start and is like a first Sunday of big ticket films. ALL TIME BLOCKBUSTER
Rocket Singh – Salesman Of The Year fell in week three and will end its business on around 20 crore nett. BELOW AVERAGE
Paa dropped in week four with around 1.25 crore nett business. The four week total is around 30 crore nett. SEMI HIT
Ritesh to open tea centres
03 years ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Ritesh Deshmukh to pursue his passion and start a chain of tea centres in India, beginning with Mumbai
By Kunal M Shah (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 27, 2009)
Ritesh Deshmukh has plans to launch a chain of tea centres, the first of which will open in Mumbai. The chain will then spread to other major cities in India.
Ritesh got this idea from the numerous café chains in the city. His tea centre will be called Chai Piyo Ji and will house national and international varieties of tea. Our source said, “Ritesh has taken a special interest in designing the centre as he has studied architecture. The first centre will be ready by early next year in South Mumbai. He then plans a tie-up with a firm to take care of the chain. He has also hired a company to execute this project. The tea centre will have varieties of tea from Assam, green teas and masala chais.”
Ritesh spoke at length about his new venture. He said, “I have had this idea for over two years now, but I decided to work on it soon after we began shooting for Aladin. The first day of the shoot was held in a college canteen set. Interestingly, the canteen was called Chai Piyo Ji. I loved the name; I thought it was cool and unique, so I took permission of the guys there to use it. After that I got the trademark and registered the name and logo. Now I am really working hard on it.”
Which firm is he planning to tie up with? “I am open to all options right now,” said Ritesh. “I still am looking at how to go about it. Right
More >Nandana and father Amartya Sen tete-a-tete with BT!
03 years ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
BAAP RE BAAP: Amartya Sen and daughter Nandana
Nobel Laureate Prof. Amartya Sen discusses cinema exclusively for BT with actress daughter Nandana Sen in Mumbai
MARK MANUEL Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; October 25, 2009)
It’s funny, with a daughter like the lovely international actress Nandana Sen, you would have thought Nobel Prize economist Prof. Amartya Sen would be well informed about cinema. But he’s not. He knows just about five people connected with filmmaking. And these he counted for me with much difficulty and some prompting from Nandana. “I knew Satyajit Ray extremely well,” he began, “he and I studied at Santiniketan. I had huge admiration for him. And I know Mira Nair, Shyam Benegal, and, and… what’s his name, Mrinal Sen! I do know Nandita Das and like her films, also. And I met… what’s the name of the guy who acted with you in Rang Rasiya… I shook his hand? Randeep Hooda? Yes, I met him. I also met Amitabh Bachchan, whom I don’t know, and Shabana Azmi, who’s an old friend. I used to like her father’s poetry and now, I like her husband’s. And Salman Khan…”
He was in Mumbai to deliver a keynote lecture for the Indian Philosophy Congress yesterday and I was meeting the distinguished father and sexy daughter at his suite in the Taj. I was drinking coffee. The professor ordered a pot of Darjeeling tea. When it came, he was appalled. “This tea is too strong for Darjeeling,” he grumbled, “it’s got the strength of Assam.” Then to Nandana, who was busy More >