Where Bollywood Comes Alive
Posts tagged K Asif
100 years of Indian Cinema: Mahesh Bhatt on 18 great filmmakers
01 month ago
by Fenil Seta
in Interviews
BOMBAY TIMES (May 4, 2013)
In 1951, the Hollywood Moghul David Selznick was strolling through an empty, ghostly movie studio when he was struck by an uncomfortable thought. The maker of such giant classics like Gone With The Wind was in heavy debt. Television was beginning to be a threat to the movie business. Pointing to the empty stages, he said to his writer friend Ben Hecht ‘Hollywood is like Egypt… full of crumbled pyramids. It will just keep crumbling until finally the wind blows the last studio props across the sands.’
Thankfully, Selznick’s prophecy did not come true. The global movie business today is a multi-billion dollar industry. No wonder then that India, the film family’s most hyperactive child, is celebrating its 100th birthday party this year.
If I was given the chance to invite filmmakers for this bash, who would be on my list? Undoubtedly, the first person would be Dhundiraj Govind Phalke (Dadasaheb Phalke), who is the Brahma of Indian Cinema and whose 40-minute film Raja Harishchandra set the cinematic ball rolling in India. It was this brave son of India who understood that it is mythology that motivates cultures, not reason, race, or ideology. Next to him would sit Satyajit Ray, the only genuine auteur Indian cinema has ever had. Ray not only wrote his scripts and dialogues and songs, but also designed the sets, costumes, posters, operated the camera, edited the film and composed the music. He is the only Indian who has got a lifetime award at the More >
Sonam’s IQ is great but my EQ is better-Anil Kapoor
01 month ago
by Fenil Seta
in Interviews
Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; May 3, 2013)
Anil Kapoor, 56, feels blessed that even after acting for 35 years, he is able to pick and choose roles he wants to do. Ahead of his upcoming film Shootout At Wadala, he talks to Bombay Times about his meeting with Raj Kapoor, his attachment to Boney Kapoor and his desire to just see Sonam happy. Excerpts:
Let’s talk about your childhood? I was born in Tilak Nagar, Chembur, where we lived in a concrete one-room chawl. In a single room we were three brothers, one sister, my parents and sometimes even my grandparents. We had two lavatories that were shared between 10 families. We lived there till I was 10. My father was an assistant to K Asif, the director of Mughal-e-Azam, after which he became secretary to Shammi Kapoor. In those days, your secretary was treated like family. So we were close to Shammi uncle’s family and through him, Raj Kapoor’s family. Shammi uncle used to stay at Deonar next to Raj Kapoor’s house in Chembur. We had then shifted to Sion Koliwada from a single room to a double room till I was 14, when we shifted back to Chembur close to RK Studio, so that my mother and Krishna aunty could stay close to each other as they were inseparable sisters. They are still best of friends and we were like Krishna aunty’s children. She is the only one who has slapped me as a mom and till today I feel extremely close to her.
Are you a trained actor? I joined St Xavier’s College, but was not interested in studies and wanted to More >
Pyaar Kiya Toh Darna Kya: The song that almost shattered K Asif’s dream
03 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 11, 2013)
Mughal-e-Azam (1960) was K Asif’s Mughal dream, and it took 15 years to come true. In the interim, the director reportedly recorded 20 songs, 10 of which were never heard. But the dream merchant retained his version of what was essentially a UP folk song – Pyaar Kiya, Kya Chori Kari Hai – although there was no historical evidence of Anarkali defying the Badshah-e-Hind.
Composer Naushad and lyricist Shakeel Badayuni worked on the song through the day. Close to midnight, the folk melody floated into Naushad’s mind. “It was 6 am by the time Shakeel Saab finished rewriting the lyrics,” he recalled in an interview to this correspondent.
The song was filmed in Mohan Studios in the 30 feet high, 80 feet wide and 130 feet long Sheesh Mahal that took two years to build and cost Asif’s producer, business tycoon Shahpoorji Paloonji nearly Rs 13 lakh. The walls and pillars were inset with mirrors of coloured glass imported from Belgium.
Shahpoorji brought an European film expert, who made a big fuss over the many mirrors, saying it would be impossible to shoot as they would reflect back the light. Shahpoorji panicked, ordering the set be destroyed. He rushed to convince Sohrab Modi, the maker of epics like Sheesh Mahal and Jhansi Ki Rani to take over as director.
The next day, the duo were greeted at Mohan Studio by a menacing-looking Asif, seated on Akbar’s taqt, threatening to break the leg of anyone who dared break his set. He More >
Wrong to target culture and art because of border issues-Strings
04 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Interviews
The Pakistani band recorded song for a Bollywood film after five years
Soumyadipta Banerjee (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 29, 2013)
Amid rising tension at the borders, Pakistani band Strings, made a quiet fourday trip to Mumbai to record a song for the Naseeruddin Shah-starrer John Day. The band’s last recorded Bollywood song was for the 2007 gangster film Shootout at Lokhandwala. Mirror caught up with the band’s lead vocalist, Faisal Kapadia minutes before the band members were to board a Dubai-bound flight.
Why such a quiet trip to Mumbai? It is after five long years that we came to Mumbai to record a song for a Bollywood film which has Naseeruddin Shah and Randeep Hooda in the leads. For the past four days we were busy recording the vocals and it will be set to score soon. We are happy to be able to do playbacks in Bollywood again.
Why did you decide to sing the song all of a sudden? Though we were performing in India as apart of the Aman Ki Asha initiative, we never got an offer to sing for Bollywood after Shootout at Lokhandwala.
It was only recently that we got a call from Anjum Rizvi and K Asif asking us if we can record a song for their film John Day. We love singing songs that have a shade of grey. Shootout at Lokhandwala song, as well as the track we did for the Spiderman movie, had a distinct dark tone. The song we were offered for John Day is of the same genre and that was one of the main reasons we took up the project. Also, the fact that Naseeruddin Shah was a More >
Randeep-Naseer reunite after 11 years for John Day
010 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Mehul S Thakkar (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 27, 2012)
Eleven years ago, Randeep Hooda faced the movie camera for the first time, for his debut film Monsoon Wedding with the man he had considered his idol — Naseeruddin Shah. And though Randeep has slowly but surely carved his niche in the industry since then, he has never had the opportunity to work with Naseer again. However, on Thursday, the two actors shot again. This time for Ahishor Solomon’s John Day produced by Anjum Rizvi and K Asif. Naseer, revealed an eyewitness, was in a good mood. And when he was reminded about this being his second film with Randeep, Naseer joked, “My first film was with Randeep, this film is with Randeepji.” Interestingly, Randeep had spent a lot of time with Naseer’s Motley theatre group earlier to pick up the nuances of acting. The eyewitness told Mirror about a funny anecdote shared by Naseer on the sets. “Naseerji mentioned how Randeep for the first scene in Monsoon Wedding had to reverse a car. Scared that Randeep would run him over, Naseerji kept calling the newcomer an idiot,” revealed the source. But this time, Naseer did not have to face such a threat. A chase sequence was being shot where Randeep, who plays ACP Gautam interrogates a man for a robbery case.
Naseeruddin Shah turns 30 again
01 year ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
61-yr-old Naseer will play a 30-yr-old in upcoming film John Day
Amrapali Sharma (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 27, 2012)
If Amitabh Bachchan at 66 years of age could play a twelve-year-old in Paa and Aamir Khan at 44 could play a college going youth, Nasseruddin Shah, playing a 30-year-old at 61 isn’t surprising. What however, is striking is his transformation.
Anjum Rizvi, who had produced the Naseer starrer A Wednesday earlier, will now be making John Day along with co-producer K Asif. And to fit the role of a common man seeking revenge, Naseer will have to look slimmer, fitter and younger for the film. For Naseer’s young avatar, he will not only lose weight, but also use prosthetics. The makers also claim that through special effects, they will add to the thirty-year look.
However, director Solomon Ahishore is not too keen on special effects. He wants his hero to shed the extra kilos. About his project, he said, “There is a portion in the film where Naseer saab will have to look 30. Being a thorough professional, he wanted to know how real he could look. And after a few intensive discussions, he was convinced. For a look test, we ordered a special wig. With makeup and some special effects, we were able to achieve what we wanted. Naseer saab too is busy losing weight.”
Ready to be a desi Benjamin Button?
Shahid, Sonam shoot for promotional song of Mausam
02 years ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
By Subhash K. Jha, March 28, 2011 – 11:36 IST
Pankaj Kapoor’s dream project Mausam just got costlier. The fastidious director has decided to shoot an elaborate promotional number which would cost the producers a staggering amount of money.
The song which began shooting at suburban hotel on Saturday evening is not quite the promotional video that Shahid has done in the past with Kareena Kapoor for Jab We Met…remember ‘Mauja Hi Mauja‘?
Pankaj insisted that Shahid and Sonam not just take a chance with a dance .The specification to choreographer Ahmed Khan is, the lead pair has to remain in character even when dancing for promotion, thereby taking away from the characteristic zing of a promotional video.
A fairly expensive exercize for a film that’s already gone over-budget.
But as producer Sheetal Talwar puts it, “No expense is too much for this film. Every penny is a wise investment. The song has cost a whopping amount. But the extra amount is money well spent. Did anyone ask K. Asif how much he spent on that ‘Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya‘ song in Mughal-E-Azam? What is important is not the cost. It’s the end-result. We’ve shot a song that Shahid and Sonam can proudly show to their children.”
The extra song which would serve as a promotional video for Mausam, choreographed by Shahid Kapoor’s buddy Ahmed Khan, would cost the producers a whopping extra 1.5 crore rupees.
The song for which an elaborate set has been constructed began shooting at the Royal Palms in Goregaon More >
SRK joins Facebook
02 years ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Kunal M Shah (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 18, 2011)
After quitting Twitter, SRK didn’t want to be a part of social networking sites.
However, he has now decided to join Facebook primarily for his fans.
His Facebook page will be inaugurated today at 9 pm IST with the online premiere of his 22-minute documentary on Mughal-E-Azam, which celebrates 51 years of the timeless classic directed by the legendary director K.Asif.
Our source said, “He hopes to get support from the Indian Government and film associations in the future who will come together to create a forum to preserve such classic films and use Facebook to reach out to a wider audience.
SRK will also be promoting his upcoming film Ra.One through the social networking site.”
SRK’s gift to Dilip Kumar
02 years ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
The actor hosts a private screening of his documentary on Mughal-e-Azam for Dilip Kumar
Prithwish Ganguly (BOMBAY TIMES; February 26, 2011)
Shah Rukh Khan’s ambitious project on Mughal-e-Azam which was green flagged by the legendary actor Dilip Kumar himself, is ready. The film that has luminaries like K Asif among others talking about why cult films like Mughal-e-Azam should be preserved, also has industry superstars talking about the nostalgia of the iconic movie. But before SRK promotes the film in his king style, he is set to have an exclusive screening only for his idol in Tinseltown, Dilip Kumar and his wife, Saira Banu.
Speaking about the development Shah Rukh says, “It has been a project that is close to my heart. And now, I intend to show the film to Dilip saab and see his reaction. I’m going to have a screening for him.” The actor also informed that Mughal-e-Azam has been one of his favourite movies of all time. “Plus we have a deep connection to the film. My father auditioned for the film. He was so bad that he could not work in the movie. He was told by Asifsaab to go home and give birth to an actor.”
The actor, who has flown off to Malaysia for Don 2, also informed that as a child his parents used to constantly tell him that he should grow up to be a great actor like Dilip Kumar. “They were big fans of Dev saab. My parents wanted me to become like him. Our family and Dilip saab has another common link which is we hail from More >