Posts tagged Jaffna

Unfair to say I walked out of Madras Cafe-Prosenjit Chatterjee

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4 months ago
by Fenil Seta in

Actor Prosenjit Chatterjee comes clean on the Jaffna/Madras Cafe controversy and his strained relationship with his stepsister in a candid chat with Bombay Times

Debarati S Sen (BOMBAY TIMES; January 2, 2013)

 

What about the Madras Cafe/Jaffna controversy? Did you walk out of it because John Abraham, the lead actor and also the producer, wanted changes in the movie? It would be unfair to say that I walked out of it. Also, John has nothing to do with my decision. The script changed completely — from Jaffna to Madras Cafe. What they set out to do was very different from the refurbished script. My role also went through a lot of changes. In Shanghai, my screen time was not huge, but the depth of the character was what thrilled me. In its current form, I would not have enjoyed my role in Madras Cafe.

You and Shoojit Sircar share strong ties. So, no hard feelings now that you are out of this movie? Shoojit and I are still thick. He needs to make a film that will sell, so in all fairness, he is right in making the changes. We have come a long way, so my decision does not change our equation. Shoojit is a good director, he is here to stay and if all goes well, we will work in the future.

Your relationship with your father has reportedly never been good. Why? This is an extremely personal aspect of my life, so I shall give this question a miss.

You are referred to as a superstar. Your feelings about it… I’m absolutely comfortable in my space. I have valued every relationship — More >

Why Prosenjit Chatterjee walked out of Madras Cafe

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5 months ago
by Fenil Seta in

Prosenjit tells Mirror why he walked out of Shoojit Sircar’s Madras Cafe, originally Jaffna, in which he was supposed to play a Sri Lankan militant

Subhash K Jha (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 11, 2012)

 

That Bengali actor Prosenjit Chatterjee has walked out of Shoojit Sircar’s Madras Café, originally titled Jaffna, has already been reported.However, what is not known is the reason behind the actor’s decision. After some digging, here’s what Mirror found out.

Apparently, the script underwent so much dilution that it forced a miffed Prosenjit to take such an extreme measure. He was to play an Sri Lankan militant in the film.

John Abraham, who plays the lead and is one of the film’s producers, needed to bring it into a more commercial zone in keeping with his image. More importantly, fear of political interference, censor trouble and audience rejection ensured all overt political references to Jaffna and the LTTE were knocked off. And, an entire romantic track featuring John and Nargis Fakhri was added on.

While Shoojit is bound by an NDA (non disclosure agreement) with co-producers Viacom18 Motion Pictures, a source close to the project revealed, “The script that Shoojit had originally written would have never got past the Indian censor board. He had written a hard-hitting political drama on the Sri Lankan LTTE struggle. There was also a reference to Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination and other sensitive issues. Once Shoojit’s Vicky Donor clicked, it was mutually decided by the More >

John Abraham voted Sexiest Men Alive…again

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5 months ago
by Fenil Seta in

Aakansha Naval-Shetye (DNA; November 28, 2012)

 

Actor John Abraham is the sexiest man alive. So says a list released by a magazine. He has raced ahead of some of the topmost Bollywood stars to win the title of Sexiest Man Alive, 2012. The hunky star has women swooning over his hot bod today, but John surprisingly reveals that he’s actually come a long way from being a ‘gawky’ youngster who could not even speak to girls. “I went through a stage when I couldn’t look into the eyes of a girl and talk to her. I’ve stood alone in a corner at parties. I have had beefy guys and their friends laugh at me,” John said.

The actor had earlier been voted among the top 25 sexiest men in the world. He admits that today he’s in a happy space personally and professionally and that these tags are just the icing on the cake. “Tags like these help you know that the industry acknowledges you and your body of work,” he says. Ask him about the emphasis here being on the ‘body’, and he laughs, “I don’t think that the two can be separated. I think sexy goes beyond looks, it’s your personality and the work is as much a part of that. I think being titled sexy is not a compliment solely for the looks. That’s also why it matters to me at some level.” And it is work that is keeping him on his toes these days. The actor who is currently concentrating on his action avatar with films like Race 2, Shootout At Wadala and Jaffna to look forward to, shares, “I want to push the envelope onscreen as an actor and More >

Nargis plays foreign journalist in John Abraham’s Madras Cafe?

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5 months ago
by Fenil Seta in

Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; November 26, 2012)

 

Bombay Times has learnt that John Abraham’s next film, earlier titled Jaffna, is a political thriller against the backdrop of the assassination of one of India’s prime ministers. While the actual name was kept under wraps, we learnt that the film has been titled Madras Cafe, as the plot to kill the prime minister was hatched at the cafe. Also interestingly, Nargis Fakhri, we learn from sources, is playing a foreign journalist from UK. Her role is modelled on the life of the famous Anita Pratap. Inspite of several attempts, both, director of the film Shoojit Sircar, and John, were unavailable for confirmation.

Meet John Abraham: Bollywood’s savviest investor

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5 months ago
by Fenil Seta in

The unlikeliest of stars is in the pink of financial health. 60,000 sq ft of prime property in Mumbai and a brand new home in Bel Air, LA, make John Abraham Bollywood’s savviest investor

Anand Holla (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 25, 2012)

 

In the last four weeks, John Abraham has spent four days in Mumbai; the city where he lives and works. London has seen far more of him after he chose to headquarter the overseas arm of his production house JA Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. in an upscale neighbourhood of Central London. It’s from here that the actor plans to roll out productions that will showcase upcoming British talent. Five thousand miles away, a property in Bel Air, Los Angeles, has been recently acquired. Together with Beverly and Holmby Hills, Bel Air makes up the platinum triangle of LA neighbourhoods, and is home to Hollywood stars Jennifer Aniston, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Add to this the tag of proud owner of 60,000 square feet of prime property in Mumbai, and you have a killer of clichés. Less-actor-more-looker, fitness fiend, and the Bollywood bomb’s boyfriend — wasn’t that Abraham’s popular persona? How has he, at 39, quietly emerged as savvy investor, endorsement star and arguably the only Indian male model-turned-actor to have made it to the elite club? If you put that to Abraham, he’ll probably tell you how 20 years ago as an Economics student at Jai Hind College — average at academics but an expert on bikes — he believed he was made to be a mechanic. An MBA in More >

Honeymoon over betweeen John Abraham-Sunil Lulla after Vicky Donor?

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6 months ago
by Fenil Seta in

Meena Iyer (BOMBAY TIMES; November 6, 2012)

 

John Abraham’s maiden production venture, Vicky Donor, co-produced by Kishore and Sunil Lulla, made a killing at the box-office.

The Shoojit Sircar film, that had newbies Ayushmann Khurrana and Yaami Gautam in the lead, is counted as one of the finest films made in 2012. The film found critical acclaim and also created box- office buzz by holding its own against new releases, for as long as eight weeks after release.

However, reliable trade sources from Bollywood now say that the ‘honeymoon’ between John and the Lullas is over, at least temporarily.

It is said that the Lullas and John allegedly couldn’t see eye to eye on the overflow amount (in layman’s language, this means a share in the profits). John, who is in London, didn’t revert to our message. But Sunil clarified, saying, “The first instalment from theatrical overflow has already been given to John. The film has just played on satellite. Once the final accounts are in place, we will take a call on the rest of the money due.” Sources who know both parties maintain that profit-sharing is in the process of being sorted out.

The second part of the story is that John and the Lullas were contemplating continuing their association with three more co-productions —Hamara Bajaj, Jaffna (tentative title) and Kala Ghoda. However, they will no longer work together on these.

Our source says, “John reportedly asked the Lullas for an extravagant amount for these three projects. More >

Quizmaster Siddhartha Basu turns actor

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7 months ago
by Fenil Seta in

Subhash K Jha (BOMBAY TIMES; October 24, 2012)

 

Among the first to produce and host quiz shows on television, his name is associated with ground-breaking formats like Kaun Banega Crorepati and Dus Ka Dum. And now, Siddhartha Basu is all set to make his Bollywood debut with Shoojit Sircar’s political thriller Jaffna.

In a casting coup of sorts, the director of Vickey Donor has roped in Siddhartha to play the head of the RAW team in his upcoming film, alongside John Abraham who portrays an investigative journalist. Not many people know that Siddhartha happens to have substantial past experience as a stage actor.

When contacted, Sircar refused to comment saying he had signed a Non Disclosure Agreement with his producers. However, Siddhartha, who is currently in London, spilled the beans: “My good friend and long-time associate Shoojit won’t take no for an answer. He says I am just what he has in mind to play the head of an intelligence agency.” We’ve learnt Jaffna will also have Ronit Roy and Rahul Bose as RAW team members.

Would love to direct a Bollywood film-Prosenjit Chatterjee

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8 months ago
by Fenil Seta in

Aakansha Naval-Shetye (DNA; August 31, 2012)

Prosenjit

National award winning actor Prosenjit Chatterjee, who has had several trysts with Bollywood in the past, made quite an impact with his latest outing in Shanghai. Having signed two more films since, the actor reveals that he now plans to focus on Hindi films just as much as on Bengali cinema. “I have enjoyed stardom to the hilt, now I want to reinvent myself as an actor. I have left that zone and don’t want to be a part of any race. All I’m looking for is sensible cinema that would challenge me further out of my comfort zone. And why just Hindi, I would love to do a Marathi film or a South film too,” says Prosenjit. In a freewheeling chat, the actor also reveals his plans of directing in Bollywood, even though he insists that shifting to the city is not on his mind. The excerpts:

A top star in Bengali cinema. What is it that draws you to Bollywood? Well, the draw is simply the content. I think it’s a great time for any actor to be here, as filmmakers are increasingly focussing on sensible content while striking a balance commercially in the mainstream. I too am looking to do something different from what I have ever done before. Offers have always been there, but it’s probably for the first time that I am attracted by multiple offers at the same time.

A lot of films from the South are being remade here, any of your films from Bengal that you would want to see made in Hindi? There are lots, and I would love to More >

Ayushmann Khurrana turns assistant director

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9 months ago
by Fenil Seta in

Ayushmann Khurrana, will assist Shoojit Sircar, who also directed his debut film, in Jaffna

Subhash K Jha (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 10, 2012)

 

While earlier reports said John Abraham was keen on casting Ayushmann Khurrana in his next home production titled Jaffna, it is now learnt that Ayushmann will assist director Shoojit Sircar on the film that features John in a stellar role.

Interestingly, Ayushmann’s film debut, Vicky Donor, that catapulted him to fame almost overnight, was also produced and directed by the same duo of John and Sircar, respectively. Needless to say, this is Ayushmann’s return gesture toward his mentors.

However, while the actor was originally supposed to assist Sircar on the entire film, due to time constraints, he will now do so only for a part of the film. Ayushmann will be there along with John and Sircar in the once-troubled city of Jaffna in Sri Lanka to help them shoot that particular schedule.

Sircar confirmed the news and said, “Ayushmann wanted to assist me for Jaffna. But he got busy with various acting assignments after Vicky Donor, including Rohit Shetty’s Nautanki Saala and debutant Vicky Bahri’s London-based rom-com produced by Kunal Kohli. So now, he’ll be accompanying me only when we shoot in the city of Jaffna. That would be the trickiest part of the schedule, and Ayushmann wants to be there when we’re doing the toughest part of the shooting.”

John plays an intelligence officer in the film that depicts the LTTE’s separatist conflict, More >

Only movie dates for John Abraham

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10 months ago
by Fenil Seta in

Aakansha Naval-Shetye (DNA; July 26, 2012)

John Abraham

Ever since actor John Abraham’s returned from Turkey where he was shooting for Race 2, the actor has been working double shifts almost every day. According to sources close to the actor, while John has been shooting for his endorsements during the day, he has been shooting for his film Shootout at Wadala during the nights. “The last time the actor had taken a vacation was in December. But post that he’s been shooting non-stop for one film after another, so much so, that his friends have been telling him that nowadays his days start and end only with films. In fact, even on the few days that he is not shooting, he catches up with the latest films in theatres with Priya (girlfriend Priya Runchal) or his friends. So they all have been saying that professional or personal, it only has to be movie dates for John,” shares the insider.

The actor however seems to be rather happy with his pace of work. “I am in a happy space right now and wouldn’t want to change a thing about the current pace at all,” John had said. The actor, who has as many as six films in hand — Race 2, I, Me Aur Main, Shootout At Wadala, Jaffna, Kala Ghoda and Dostana 2 — is also working on his next production Hamara Bajaj. But for now, insiders reveal that he is completely focussed on Shootout…, in which he plays gangster, Manya Surve. “From the body language to his dialogues, John is working hard on it. He’s taken up the role like a challenge More >

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