Where Bollywood Comes Alive
Posts tagged copy
MAMI: Women and young filmmakers brighten day 4
02 years ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
One of the highlights of the day was a discussion in which filmmaker Sajid Khan claimed that scripts were ‘not important’
Satyen K Bordoloi (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 25, 2010)
Filmmaker Zoya Akhtar speaks during a discussion involving India’s women directors at the Mumbai Film Festival (Pics: Satyen K Bordoloi)
As the Mumbai Film Festival reached the midway point on Sunday, it showed signs of maturity that was much expected of the event. Besides the usual film screenings, three events made the day for anyone who attended all or either one of these.
The morning stage was expected to be both fiery and enlightened as the fantastic eight of India’s emerging woman filmmakers shared the stage together. Moderated by journalist Nandini Ramanath, seated together were Sooni Taraporevala, Nandita Das, Zoya Akthar, Anusha Rizvi, Sona Jain, Bela Negi, Rajshree Ohja and Leena Yadav.
Zoya had the audience in splits when refusing to be embarrassed about having mood swings or crying on sets, she said, “On my sets I will cry if I want to. I will be in all my hormonal glory. As a man, you have chosen to be part of my set, so you handle it, boy.”
Rajshree Ojha’s comment that the other upside to making Aisha was that she got to check out clothes and shoes, drew many giggles from the audience, many of whom were women filmmakers themselves.
Different topics were discussed about women and cinema, sexism, difficulty of funding for women, stereotyping, control More >
Knock Out makers pay 1.5 cr for Phone Booth rip-off
02 years ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Makers of Phone Booth won a case against Knock Out, forcing producer Sohail Maklai to shell out Rs 1.5 crore in order to release his film today
Kunal M Shah & Sunil Baghel (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 15, 2010)
Sohail Maklai might have heaved a sigh of relief yesterday late evening when the special bench of the Bombay High Court passed the decision that he can release his film Knock Out today.
However the decision comes at a steep cost; Maklai has had to cough up Rs 1.5 crore as damages, as the judge ruled that the film was indeed a copy of the Hollywood blockbuster, Phone Booth, starring Colin Firth.
A still from Knock OutOur source said, “20th Century Fox had filed the case against the makers of Knock Out, AAP Entertainment and Sohail Maklai, saying that the film is a remake of their production Phone Booth. The judge, Roshan Dalvi, watched both the movies on Wednesday and ruled in favour of 20th Century Fox on Thursday, thereby putting a stay on the release of the film.
However, the producers of the movie approached a division bench of the HC against the order of single judge. After hearing the case for about an hour and a half, the division bench comprising of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice D Y Chandrachud, in turn, put a stay on the order passed by the single judge.
Yogen shah Sohail Maklai A poster of Phone BoothThe bench directives though made it clear that the relief granted to them was on More >
Movie Review: WE ARE FAMILY by FENIL SETA
02 years ago
Lets one get one thing straight-We Are Family isn’t a ‘copy’ of or ‘lifted’ from Stepmom as is believed by some. It’s an ‘official adaptation’ of the Hollywood flick and due credit is given to its writers as well. With a brilliant plot in one hand and powerhouse actors on the other, the makers could have easily come up with a classic. However, We Are Family suffers from the same problem that some recent films helmed by debutant directors faced-an execution which just isn’t upto the mark. Inspite of it, the film has its moments and also the wonderful performance make it worth watching!
The story of the movie: Although Maya (Kajol) and Aman (Arjun Rampal) are divorced, they are still on good terms. They have 3 children – Aliya (Aanchal Munjhal), Ankush (Nominath Ginsburg) and Anjali (Diya Sonecha) who live with Maya. She’s the perfect mother and wonderfully takes care of them and adheres to their needs. Aman, too, catches up with them regularly. However, he has moved on and has a girlfriend Shreya (Kareena Kapoor). On Anjali’s birthday, he introduces Shreya to Maya and their children who develop an immediate dislike for her. Aliya is angry and feels that Shreya will ‘rob’ her daddy from them and they both will marry. Whenever Shreya tries to be friendly with the kids and strike a chord, something unexpected happens which leads to the kids hating her more! However, one day Maya discovers a very bitter truth and realizes that Shreya needs to be made a part More >
Kajol or Kareena? Both!-Arjun Rampal
02 years ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Arjun Rampal refuses to play favourites with KJo’s heroines
Meena Iyer | TNN (BOMBAY TIMES; August 21, 2010)
Bollywood sees Arjun Rampal as a very ‘brave’ actor. Which star would agree to be part of a cast that has two superlative actresses like Kajol and Kareena Kapoor and then hope to shine through in a film like Karan Johar’s We Are Family?
But Arjun is confident. And his confidence comes from the fact that he has been scaling new heights in the last couple of years. From winning the National Award for Abhishek Kapoor’s Rock On to getting accolades for Prakash Jha’s Raajneeti, Arjun has been batting on a feverish pitch. “I’m sure that my winning streak will continue with We Are Family,” says the actor. “And I’m not intimidated about working with any actor because I feel that if I am honest and true to the character I’m playing, there’s no reason for me to worry about who I am pitted against.”
Having said that, Arjun explains that WAF is not a copy of Hollywood’s 1998 tearjerker Step Mom where the hero, Ed Harris, had a passive role when compared to the ladies — Susan Sarandon and Julia Roberts. “It is an adaptation. Siddharth P Malhotra and Karan Johar have made many changes in the hero’s character. In my opinion, these changes are for the better,” explains Arjun, adding that WAF’s hero is much younger… and the equations he shares with the two women is more suited to Indian sentiments.
“The film deals with so many different More >
Education should be a matter of excitement-Abhijat Joshi
03 years ago
by Fenil Seta
in Interviews
FILMI FUNDAS: Abhijat Joshi
Bollywood’s most celebrated writer Abhijat Joshi in a candid chat with BT
HARSHADA REGE (BOMBAY TIMES; February 4, 2010)
3 Idiots has been the toast of Bollywood this season; and writer Abhijat Joshi is overwhelmed with the kind of reactions he’s been getting. Though all seems to be well, the movie has faced its share of controversies, too. The writer talks about the movie and the mayhem…
What do you make of the reaction that the movie has garnered?
To tell you the truth, we didn’t have the slightest desire to write India’s biggest blockbuster. When I saw people talking about the dialogues and even imitating the actors in the movie, I realised that this was something else. Figures and collections are important, but people speaking the lines from films… that’s beautiful!
Post the movie there has been a lot of media attention given to students’ suicides…
The first scene we wrote was the funeral scene of the student. It was bothering us as to why so many students face such pressure. Education should be a matter of excitement. When you get to know something new or see something new, you are excited. So then why’s that not happening? What’s the problem with education? We got thinking about that. We hope that this movie conveys that message.
You have worked with Raj Kumar Hirani on Lage Raho Munna Bhai and 3 Idiots. Do you see yourself going solo or turning director?
I think I am still growing as a writer. Two years later, I may change my More >
Fenil’s Bollywood Talk # 84
03 years ago
WILL VEER BE A BIGGER HIT THAN WANTED?
The stage is set. Veer is ready to release tomorrow. The timing of the film is excellent. After 3 Idiots, all the films that arrived (Dulha Mil Gaya, Pyaar Impossible, Chance Pe Dance) had failed to bring audiences to theatres. People have money in their pockets but hadn’t spent and so majority might invest in Veer! Then there’s a holiday on Tues Jan 26 (Republic Day) and so the film has an extra day besides the 3-day weekend to amass profits.
Besides the aforementioned reasons, the most important factor that goes in favour of Veer is that it presents Salman Khan as an action hero. The last time he went around bashing up baddies in Wanted, audiences went crazy and the film became a super-hit. Something similar is expected for Veer too. Salman has a considerable fan base among masses who love to watch him in action and comedy films. Also, this is the first time that Salman is acting in a historic saga. Not to forget, Sallu himself has penned the story of the film too, which has aroused tremendous curiosity!
However, a sizeable number of factors go against Veer too. To begin with, it’s a period film which might put the audiences away notwithstanding Salman’s presence. Secondly, the film is too long (close to 3 hours). Thirdly, a lot of money has been pumped in and hence, the film’s costs are high and might be difficult to recover.
The film has to be really very well made in order to sustain in theatres and cover its More >
Shahid to play a Tom Cruise' Top Gun-kind role in his dad's next
03 years ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
GEARING UP: Shahid Kapoor and (below) Tom Cruise in Top Gun
Shahid to play Tom Cruise’s role from 1986 Hollywood hit in father Pankaj Kapoor’s directorial debut
SUBHASH K JHA Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; December 30, 2009)
Shahid Kapoor, as Tom Cruise did in 1986 with Top Gun, is all set to wear a uniform and take to the skies in Mausam — his father Pankaj Kapoor’s directorial debut. Pankaj, who felt Shahid needs a change of image after playing roles like an aimless student in Ishq Vishq, a gangster-social activist in Kaminey, a struggling dancer in Chance Pe Dance and an entrepreneur before that in Jab We Met and Vivah, decided a uniformed soldier’s role would give his son a mature man’s image. According to a source, the uniform has virtually been written into the script. Pankaj first toyed with the idea of making Shahid an Army officer. Then it was decided to cast him as an Air Force pilot. The last real big star to play an Air Force pilot in Hindi cinema was Rajesh Khanna in Shakti Samanta’s 1969 hit Aradhana, which itself was a copy of the 1946 Hollywood film To Each His Own. Shahid’s role is being modelled on the lines of Tom Cruise’s from Top Gun, in which the actor played a Navy pilot training in the US Navy Fighter Weapons School known in the Pentagon as ‘Topgun’. The film was a super hit and had great music and songs apart from scintillating dogfights in mid-air and other action. Shahid is taking the film seriously and has decided to train for the More >
Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 79
03 years ago
WHEN FILMS DON’T GET A TIMELY RELEASE…
RAAT GAYI BAAT GAYI: Last week’s discussion of The Hangover brings to my mind another topic of the upcoming film Raat Gayi Baat Gayi (RGBG) which is all set to release on December 31. Presented by Percept, produced by Pritish Nandy and Rajat Kapoor and directed by Saurabh Shukla, RGBG stars Vinay Pathak, Rajat Kapoor, Neha Dhupia Anu Menon, Navneet Nishan and Dalip Tahil. The film was announced 2 years back in 2007 and it’s ready since a long long time. But due to some reason, the film which could have released earlier this year is now finally releasing (and anyways, when Percept is involved, then that film is bound to get postponed!!).
On the other hand, The Hangover released this year and took the world by storm. Unfortunately, RGBG’s plot is very similar to that of The Hangover. While The Hangover was a story of four friends going to LA for a bachelor party only to wake up the next morning and not remembering a thing, RGBG involves three men who attend a party with their wives and where they come across a sexy lady. The men get drunk and when they wake up next day, they couldn’t remember what happened after meeting the lady. So the amnesic angle is common in both of the films but the situations are drastically different.
However, RGBG is not a copy of Hangover as the script of RGBG was written way back and the shooting was also completed last year, some 7-8 months before Hangover released. But the damage is More >