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Posts tagged Nana Patekar
Ranbir patches up Prakash Jha, Nana Patekar
Jul 2nd
By Subhash K. Jha, July 2, 2010 – 10:40 IST
You’ve seen Ranbir Kapoor give sterling performances in film after film. But Ranbir the peace-maker is a new role he adopted to bring Prakash Jha and Nana Patekar together after their very public fall-out.
Apparently, Ranbir who got along like a house on fire with Nana during the shooting of Raajneeti in Bhopal didn’t quite relish the uneasy silence that prevailed between “two of my most favourite people”. He decided to end the cold war between Nana and Prakash when on an impulse; he dialled Nana’s number from Hong Kong when Ranbir, Arjun Rampal, Manoj Bajpai and Prakash had gone for a Raajneeti event.
When Nana answered the phone, Ranbir quickly handed over the phone to Prakash.
Says a source, “On Ranbir’s urging, Prakash and Nana spoke when Prakash was in Hong Kong. That’s how the ice thawed between the two.”
Nothing succeeds like success. After the public bickering and open display of hurt anger and resentment between the two, Nana Patekar and Prakash Jha have sorted out their differences.
And now Nana is in constant touch enjoying the heady success of Raajneeti and sharing his joy with the director.
Prakash admits the cold war with Nana is over. “We are once again connected. Nana is delighted by the success of Raajneeti and is keeping tabs on the film’s progress. He didn’t come for the Raajneeti celebration on Wednesday night. But he called to say he wouldn’t come because he never attends functions.”
BOLLYWOOD HUNGAMA.COM
Movie Review: KRANTIVEER-THE REVOLUTION by TARAN ADARSH
Jun 26th
By Taran Adarsh, June 25, 2010 – 15:59 IST
Raising a strong voice against the system, corrupt netas, dishonest cops, fraudulent land sharks and the corrupt practices in general has been a fav subject of dream merchants in Bollywood. Mehul Kumar’s KRANTIVEER [Nana Patekar, Dimple Kapadia] is best remembered, among other things, for Nana’s fiery performance and his outburst in the finale, when he’s about to be hanged in public. I distinctly recall, the single screens [there weren't multiplexes then] reverberated with ceetees and taalis when Nana delivered those acidic lines.
| BY BOLLYWOOD HUNGAMA.COM |
KRANTIVEER – THE REVOLUTION remains faithful to the core issue. This time, it’s Nana and Dimple’s screen daughter Jahan who takes the onus of fighting the politicians, land sharks and corporate honchos who take the common man for a royal ride. That’s not all, Jahan even ‘awakens’ a harassed housewife who is assaulted in full public view by her errant husband. Quite a hothead!
KRANTIVEER worked for various reasons, but a strong reason was it being amongst the early films to raise a voice against injustice and malpractices. Post KRANTIVEER, there has been a barrage of films that have followed a similar path. That’s why KRANTIVEER – THE REVOLUTION, despite the right intentions, doesn’t stand out. However, the provocative dialogue and the reference to 26/11 do catch your attention in its second half.
The young daughter of the man responsible for the last revolution, Pratap [Nana Patekar], is now wielding the power of media as a fearless journalist. Roshni has inherited not only the courage and sting of her legendary father, but also the spirited lingo and the indomitable style.
Roshni acts as a pivot of the revolution and gets along her determined neighbour Vishal [Sameer Aftab] and college mates Uday [Harsh Rajput] and Goldie [Aditya Singh Rajput]. The story takes all of them on a mission to rid the present society of the evils, a revolution for cleaning the system.
While the plotline is easy to guess, the execution of a few sequences do make a difference. Veteran Mehul Kumar handles the plot like a complete expert, more so towards the second hour, which has some engrossing moments. Sachin-Jigar’s music is okay, with the birthday song being the pick of the lot.
Jahan delivers a fiery performance and remains true to her character. She does a wonderful job. Sameer Aftab is decent. Aditya and Harsh are okay. Govind Namdeo and Mukesh Tiwari enact their villainous parts with ease. Ashok Samarth stands out in the confrontation sequence after the interval. Farida Jalal [as Jahan's granny] is as usual. Hiten Paintal is competent. Aman Verma plays the lecherous corporate bigwig well. Ranjeet, Darshan Jariwala, Avtar Gill and Suhasini Mulay feature in brief roles.
On the whole, KRANTIVEER – THE REVOLUTION is an ordinary fare, which is for the hardcore masses.
Movie Review: KRANTIVEER-THE REVOLUTION BY FENIL SETA
Jun 26th
A sequel has to be better or more impactful or at least equally powerful as the first part. Sadly, Krantiveer-The Revolution fails to reach the level of its predecessor, Krantiveer. There’s nothing fresh and hard-hitting about the film although it deals with lots of topical issues.
The story of the movie: Roshni (Jahan Bloch), daughter of the fierce and legendary Pratap Narayan Tilak (Nana Patekar) has inherited not only her father’s courage but also the spirited lingo and indomitable style. She joins a news channel and like her father, she is trying to awaken the people by exposing corruption at all levels. Helping in her mission are her college mates Goldie (Aditya Singh Rajput), Uday (Harsh Rajput) and her new friend Vishal (Samir Aftab). How they fight evil and attempt to rid society of corruption and other immoral practices is what the film is all about.
The problem with Krantiveer-The Revolution is that it doesn’t offer anything new. The builder-politician nexus, communal harmony, inefficient police, sting operation, terrorism, love triangle and other such issues are attempted a zillion times. Moreover, there aren’t any significant twists and turns in the film. The way the protagonist (Jahan) and her buddies so easily defeat the villains seemed too unbelievable.
Certain portions in the film seemed too vague. A wannabe tries to act too fresh with our heroine, she takes her to police station but the cop refuses to file a complaint. No explanations given! The angry girl then takes out of police station and bashes the guy while the cop just looks on! Then the armyman (Samir Aftab) suddenly decides to quit army on frivolous grounds and immediately becomes a news reporter since his friend (Hiten Paintal) is running the news channel!
On the flipside, certain individualistic scenes are well treated. The scene where Roshni provokes a wife to fight her devil husband was novel but it was overdramatized. Then the entire track on communalism was effective. The film even deals with 26/11 issue and also shows the actual footage of the incident. Thankfully, it doesn’t make a mockery of the episode.
The film was on Jahan Bloch’s shoulders and she delivers a powerful performance. The fiery look on her face and her impactful dialogue delivery compliments her role of a brave young lady who’s not to be messed with. Also, it’s good to see a heroine in such kind of a role as it brings some freshness. But why does she have a laugh like Rahul Mahajan?! Since the director is her father, her love interest (Samir Aftab) doesn’t get to be intimate with Jahan! But all in all, a great debut!
Samir Aftab, who was the only good performer in the last year’s dud Shadow (remember?), does a brilliant job here again. He is a sincere actor and deserves to be seen in better films. Aditya Singh Rajput and Harsh Rajput are good in their supporting roles. Mukesh Tiwari and Govind Namdeo are experts in playing villainous roles and perform with ease in the film. Ashok Samarth as Samir Aftab’s father leaves a mark. Aman Varma plays a playboy corporate honcho who gets secretly filmed while he asks for sexual favours to a newbie in return for a job! Wonder why Aman played such an autobiographical role! Farida Jalal, Ranjeet, Hiten Paintal, Darshan Jariwala, Suhasini Mulay and Avtar Gill play their part well.
Sachin-Jigar’s music is fairly good for such kind for a film. Their background score works far better. Amit Khan and Mehul Kumar’s dialogues are powerful and acidic. Certain dialogues leave a mark, especially the one on corporate creating havoc in Bollywood! Mehul Kumar’s story was very ordinary with nothing new or interesting. His direction somehow saves the film. He still has it in him to come up with powerful flicks like Krativeer and Tirangaa only if he is aided with good scripts.
On the whole, Krantiveer-The Revolution is a bland and forgettable flick!
My rating- * ½ out of 5!
There’s something about the mafia-Ajay Devgn
Jun 7th
Ajay Devgn returns with Emraan Hashmi to play a ‘don’ of the 1970s
Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; June 7, 2010)
Ajay Devgn is doing what he knows best. Seamlessly slipping into myriad characters in his films. The brouhaha of his recent political film has hardly died down and he’s ready to knock on the marquee again — this time as a mafia don in Balaji’s Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai which will release on July 30. Says the superstar, “Actors have no time to revel in the characters they do for too long. Before you know it, you’re dealing with another film.’’ Lighting up, he adds, “I know it seems convenient when I say that ‘mafia’ films are my favourite genre because I’m playing a character that has a reference to a don from the 70s, but the fact is that I do enjoy mafia films. I keep telling Ram Gopal Varma that Company, where I played a character that was like Dawood Ibrahim’s, still brings me fan mail. I guess there’s something interesting about the mafia.’’ He admits that Francis Ford Cappola’s Godfather makes for compulsive viewing, and adds that he has a collection of mafia flicks too. Director Milan Luthria, who is of the opinion that curiosity riding on mafia flicks is tremendous, says, “Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai should appeal to young and old alike because guns and gang-wars do have a draw.’’ Asked about his unusual casting that brings Ajay and Kangna Ranaut as also Ajay and Emraan Hashmi face-to-face for the first time, Milan says, “Interesting combinations make for interesting marketing and viewing of a film. This combination is generating interest in the media as well as in the fans. I am sure people are interested in seeing them take on each other in the film. I have successfully done other first time combos in Kachche Dhaage (Ajay and Saif Ali Khan) and Taxi No 9211 (Nana Patekar and John Abraham). Those combinations worked. I’m sure this one will also work.”
Movie Review: RAAJNEETI by FENIL SETA
Jun 4th
The present-day Indian political scenario is infested with corrupted netas and mantris with goondaism, rigged elections and dynastic partiality a regular feature of it. Raajneeti deals with all this and much more. However, let me break the myth that Raajneeti is not only for the intelligentsia or for serious cinema lovers. This is a complete entertaining film and those having no interest in politics will also love the goings-on. There’s so much happening in the film and the turn of events at each and every point is so sudden and unexpected that one won’t get a chance even to blink. This and the award winning performances are the strengths of Raajneeti and enough reasons to go and watch the film ASAP!
The story of the movie: Prithvi (Arjun Rampal) is the heir apparent to the throne of the Rashtrawadi Party. His ultimate rival is his cousin Veerendra (Manoj Bajpai), a fierce and impatient man who can do anything to reach the top. On the other hand, Sooraj (Ajay Devgn), born and brought in a Dalit area has strong political ambitions and wishes to secure the election ticket from his constituency. Veerendra uses him to thwart Prithvi. Soon, a family tragedy forces Prithvi’s younger brother Samar (Ranbir Kapoor), a person miles away from politics, to enter the corruption-infested waters of his family conflict. He’s pursuing a Ph.D from US and even has a girlfriend (Sarah Thompson) there. Indu (Katrina Kaif), Samar’s childhood friend loves him to death. However, fate proves treacherous for her as well. She’s used in this game as a pawn and has to face tragic and unforeseen situations. Brij Gopal (Nana Patekar) proves as a guide and mentor to Samar and Indu and helps them fight this nasty political battle.
Raajneeti begins wonderfully with the Naseeruddin Shah track. The film then gets little confusing when too many characters and their aspirations is put forward to the viewers. However, the film gets on the right track as soon as Ranbir and Ajay (excellent entry!) enters the narrative. And then, you are immediately sapped into the family v/s family battle. The best part of this conflict is that at every step, some character or the other is playing a dangerous double-crossing game that is a treat to watch on screen. Every character has shades of grey and the dangerous game they indulge in make it a brilliant cinematic experience!
Every character is very well written and sketched. The film is treated with aplomb perfection and it is evident that people with the right sense, knowledge and expertise has handled it. And the unique part is that the film has beautifully seamed Mahabharata with Indian political system! Truly brilliant!
In this supremely multi-starrer flick, every actor stands out, leave a mark and doesn’t disappoint. Ranbir Kapoor has the biggest role and yet again comes up with a sparkling performance. His role here is something that he hasn’t done before but he comes out with flying colours. Watch out how he speaks so much without saying a single dialogue in several scenes! Ranbir’s fan base will surely increase after Raajneeti! Great going!
Manoj Bajpai is the surprise of the film! After Ranbir, it’s Bajpai who leaves a tremendous mark. In every film, he has honestly come up with brilliant performance but unfortunately, he never got the justified fame and appreciation. It’s high time this performer gets his due! Arjun Rampal amazes once again and this time he has undoubtedly silenced all his critics who cry that he is a ‘woodden actor’! He infuses life in several scenes! And watch out when he suddenly breaks into ‘Ankhiya milayi tune ankhiya churayi’ in one of the scenes! YOU JUST ROCK DUDE!!
Ajay Devgn as usual comes up with a brilliant performance. Although relegated to the backseat most portions of the 2nd half, he gets maximum scope in the first hour. Nana Patekar was perfect for his role and comes up with a flawless performance! You can’t help but start admiring the character of Brij Gopal that he essays! Naseeruddin Shah is there only in the beginning but leaves a mark as the leftist leader.
Katrina Kaif surprises one and all. She gives a sincere performance both in her neta and non-neta avatar as well! In fact, the scene where she delivers a speech in front of packed audience is the best portion of the film! Although it is difficult to predict whether she’ll bag a National Award, she would be loved for her performance as Indu Pratap by one and all! And for those who were creating problems with the film by saying that she defames Sonia Gandhi, my only advice: just go watch the film and don’t complain about the product without consuming it! Sarah Thompson gives a honest performance. Nikhila Trikha (Ranbir’s mother) has an important role and does well. As for the supporting cast, Dayashankar Pandey (Ajay’s father), Kiran Karmarkar (corrupt cop), Chetan Pandit (Ranbir’s father), Vinay Apte (Babulal), Shruti Seth and Darshan Jariwala all come up with a brilliant performance.
There are only 3 songs in the film and are only half-played and that too in the background (Thank God!). However, Bheegi Si and Mora Piya are the best tracks.
Sachin Krishn’s cinematography deserves special appreciation. It must have been difficult capturing the election campaign scenes involving a huge crowd but the lensman does a great job. Jayant Deshmukh’s art direction was topnotch. The interiors of Ranbir’s political party office were brilliant!
Dialogues are sharp and deserve brownie points. Anjum Rajabali and Prakash Jha come up with a terrific screenplay. Only the beginning introductory portions were little confusing and the action-packed climax looked a little forced in the narrative. But these are very minor hiccups and overall the script can be termed as flawless!
Finally, Prakash Jha shines this time as the director! Making a film with such a huge star cast and on such a level is a real challenge and Jha successfully passes the test! The scenes involving the political twists-n-turns are nicely executed no doubt but it is the way he has neatly handled the romantic and confrontational scenes between Ranbir-Katrina, Ranbir-Sarah and Arjun-Katrina is what is truly appreciating! In fact, it won’t be wrong to say that this is Jha’s best film so far! Great work and keep rocking!
Some of the best scenes:
1. Beginning scene of Naseeruddin Shah
2. Sooraj and Prithvi come face-to-face for the first time
3. Veerendra’s father suffers a paralytic attack
4. Sooraj demands ticket at the Party Central Committee meeting
5. Samar with his dad and later confronted by the cop at the hospital (marvelous scene!)
6. The intermission point
7. Samar convinces Indu for marriage
8. Babulal gets used in the game
9. Prithvi seeks revenge from the cop
10. The bomb blast in the car scene (shocking)
11. Indu enters politics (best scene of the film!)
12. The climax
On the whole, Raajneeti is surely the best film of the year so far! Award-winning performances, tight script, unexpected twists and turns, scenes that gives goosepimples…the film has everything to give you a brilliant thrilling time! Although dealing with a boring theme like politics, the film has enough of interesting and entertaining sequences to keep you hooked. With no Hindi film next week, the film has a two-week window to accumulate profits which it’ll surely do! As for the viewers, just go and grab your ticket! This is something not to be missed!
My rating-**** ½ out of 5!
Movie Review: RAAJNEETI by TARAN ADARSH
Jun 3rd
By Taran Adarsh, June 3, 2010 – 09:26 IST
I’ve never really followed politics. But I am truly fascinated by ‘Mahabharata’. Lord Krishna, Arjun, Karan, Bheema, Duryodhan… are legendary and the clash between Pandavas and Kauravas is equally unforgettable. Prakash Jha’s RAAJNEETI talks of warring cousins, dynastic rule and electoral politics of the Hindi heartland, besides the vicious and horrifying games some people play to attain power.
To me, RAAJNEETI is a human drama, a complex game that people indulge in to achieve power and how this greed envelopes them and transforms them into ruthless and conniving humans. I admit, it takes time for the story to sink in, but slowly and steadily, you get sucked into a world that’s dark, dangerous and demonish. The attire may be white, but the deeds are grey or black.
| BY BOLLYWOOD HUNGAMA.COM |
RAAJNEETI is not only ‘Mahabharata’, but also ‘Godfather’. Despite knowing ‘Mahabharata’ or ‘Godfather’, one is not able to presume what games the present-day Pandavas and Kauravas would play in RAAJNEETI. In fact, the story alters constantly, unravelling in a serpentine manner and speed… so much so that you don’t know what’s gonna happen next. It keeps you awed at the constant turn of events. Clearly, unpredictability is the biggest strength of RAAJNEETI. Yet, let me clarify, this is not a documentary, tetchy or preachy film. This one not only entertains, but also enlightens.
The flipside? None, actually. The naysayers may point out that the subject material is ‘heavy’, ‘serious’ and ‘dry’, but you ought to know that when you adapt ‘Mahabharata’ in the current milieu [present-day politics], you can’t expect ‘item songs’ and ‘slapdash humour and mimicry’, for God’s sake. These naysayers may also state that the running time [almost 3 hours] is a no-no in today’s times, but let’s not forget that even 3 hours is too short a duration for a good film and vice-versa, even an hour is too lengthy for a terrible film. RAAJNEETI is a genuinely good product, so you definitely don’t mind its length. But one thing is for sure: RAAJNEETI doesn’t cater to an audience that keeps its brains at home while watching a film. You need to be alert while watching this one.
Final word? Prakash Jha, the persona, is known for qualitative cinema and RAAJNEETI, his new offering, stands tall on the list. Cinema is all about narrating interesting stories on celluloid and for that very reason, RAAJNEETI deserves distinction marks. Of course, the massive star cast and the sparkling performances are the icing on the cake.
I strongly advocate this film. Do yourself a favour: Watch RAAJNEETI.
Bhaskar Sanyal [Naseruddin Shah], the fire-brand leftist leader, is feared for his single-handed ability to challenge the most powerful of leaders. Until one private mistake of his hurtled him into a self-imposed exile.
Cut to the present day. Prithvi [Arjun Rampal] is the heir to a powerful political legacy and impatient to seize the top position. But his cousin, Veerendra [Manoj Bajpayee], proves his biggest political opponent. He’s a man who believes he was born to rule and who will now stop at absolutely nothing to claw his way back to the top.
Cornered by family and political colleagues, Veerendra plays a new game: He picks up Sooraj [Ajay Devgn], a youngster with anger in his heart and leadership on his mind. Sooraj doesn’t know the secret behind his identity, which, of course, is revealed much, much later.
Prithvi’s brother Samar [Ranbir Kapoor] is an ‘outsider’, with no political aspirations, but he gets sucked into the battle-ravaged arena of family rivalry. Only to turn into a master of the craft of political warfare. Indu [Katrina Kaif], daughter of a wealthy industrialist, is also caught in this web. Last but not the least, there’s Brij Gopal [Nana Patekar], who plays the role of mentor and guide to Prithvi and Samar as the battle gets bloodier by the day.
It requires courage to assemble a mammoth, ensemble cast, pick a story that does justice to each character and give the film the feel of an epic. Also, you ought to have comprehensive knowledge of the subject material – politics, in this case. And for all these and more Prakash Jha deserves all the praise possible. He knows the territory like the back of his hand, having observed the political culture very closely. Like I said at the outset, every character in RAAJNEETI is grey or black, not squeaky clean at all.
At an edited length of almost 3 hours, RAAJNEETI keeps the viewers glued to the goings-on for start to end. Anjum Rajabali and Prakash Jha’s screenplay brings to the fore the ugly face of democracy most realistically and convincingly. The constant twists-n-turns in the story, the characters who change colours faster than chameleons and the blood-bath they indulge in are the highpoints of this film. In fact, there are sequences that merit brownie points, but it wouldn’t be ethical to reveal them here since that would rob the fun while watching the film.
If the screenplay is watertight, the dialogue are equally remarkable. Every line is soaked in acid and only enhances the impact of several sequences. There’s no scope for music in the film and the songs, including the hugely popular ‘Mora Piya’, are interspersed briefly in the narrative. Cinematography is top notch. RAAJNEETI is not an easy film to shoot, given the fact that there are more than 3 or 4 actors in every frame, besides a massive crowd of course.
To slot RAAJNEETI as a multi-starrer film would be erroneous. It’s a multi-actor film and every actor delivers a sparkling performance. The film has some of the biggest names in the business, but the ones who stand out are Ranbir Kapoor, Arjun Rampal and Manoj Bajpayee. Ranbir surprises you with every film. Here’s an actor who can give the best in the business sleepless nights. Arjun is a revelation and what a terrific performance he pitches in. He’s like an untamed lion. Manoj delivers his career-best performance. He plays the evil part superbly.
Ajay Devgn is sidelined in the second hour, but you need to give it to the actor for accepting and enacting his part with complete conviction. Nana Patekar is brilliant. He utters the most acidic lines with a smile, which only an actor of calibre could’ve achieved. Actually, you can’t imagine anyone else in this role. Katrina Kaif is first-rate. The sincerity and earnestness shows in every sequence. She sheds her glam doll image and transforms into an actor with this film. Naseeruddin Shah, in a brief role, does well. Sarah is good.
The film has a number of talented names in supporting roles and each remain etched in your memory, especially Dayashanker Pandey, Chetan Pandit, Darshan Jariwala, Shruti Seth, Kiran Karmarkar and Vinay Apte. Nikhila Trikha, as Arjun and Ranbir’s mother, is admirable.
On the whole, RAAJNEETI makes a sweeping impact. A truly admirable effort, this brilliant film is not to be missed.
Nana dissociates himself from Raajneeti
Jun 1st
Nana Patekar refuses to associate himself with his former friend Prakash Jha’s Raajneeti any further after their fall out
Subhash K Jha (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 01, 2010)
Nana Patekar has decided that he has had enough of Prakash Jha and his film Raajneeti. He had walked out of the shooting after a fall out with the director and it doesn’t look like the two are making up in a hurry. Jha’s hurt and rejection has pushed Nana to the limit.
On Sunday night, the cast of the film including Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Arjun Rampal and Manoj Bajpai saw the film for the first time. Nana Patekar was conspicuous by his absence.
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When asked about it, Prakash Jha admits that matters between the two have come to a head, “When my assistant rang up to invite Nana for the Raajneeti screening on Sunday, Nana refused pointblank. He said he didn’t want anything to do with the film. He won’t attend any premiere or events. He won’t see the film at all. That’s what he said.”
Prakash has no intention of cajoling Nana into changing his mind. He says, “Why should I ask him? I won’t call him or send him any message. It’s me who has reason to be upset with Nana’s behaviour, and not the other way around.”
Nana is known to be hot-headed and the outspoken liberties come at a price. About the screening of Raajneeti, Prakash says, “Ironically, the youngsters are very happy with their own and each other’s performances. It’s the oldies who are upset.”
Ranbir does a Rahul Gandhi
May 27th
What Rahul Gandhi did, Ranbir Kapoor perfected in Mumbai
Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; May 27, 2010)
Rahul Gandhi, the poster boy of Indian politics, did it for the Congress first in Mumbai… travelling by a Kalyan bound CR local between Dadar and Ghatkopar, to defy the Shiv Sena in February and establish the fact that Mumbai is for all Indians… but Ranbir Kapoor, the poster boy of Bollywood, was more at ease when he hopped into a Churchgate-bound WR local at Andheri to alight at Mahim in a promo for the Ronnie Screwvala produced and Prakash Jha-directed film Raajneeti.
Both, Rahul and Ranbir undertook their train journeys to establish a local connect with the aam aadmi… and, coincidentally, both were dressed in kurta and Kolhapuris, which is the attire of the politician… and which, coincicentally again, is what Rahul is in real life and Ranbir plays Rajneeti. The film also stars Nana Patekar, Ajay Devgn, Katrina Kaif, Manoj Bajpai, Arjun Rampal, Naseeruddin Shah and Sarah Thompson Kane and is about Indian politics, about democracy and its ugly underside, about elections, and about the few people who control the destiny of millions, their unstoppable ambition, and their bitter and violent battle to achieve it. Rahul Gandhi, by this brazen act of defiance, won the hearts of Mumbaikars and perhaps scored brownie points for the Congress to be calculated in elections to come. And Ranbir Kapoor, he sent commuters’ hearts a flutter in the ladies compartment for sure, but what his Mumbai rail yatra will do for Raajneeti we’ll only know on June 4, when the film releases…
Vidya in Nana’s directorial venture?
May 24th
Nana Patekar to direct a multi-starrer Paanch Pandav
Mauli Singh (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 24, 2010)
Rumours of a fall out between Nana Patekar and Prakash Jha can finally be put to rest. Prakash Jha is producing Nana’s second directorial venture after Prahaar.
The film tentatively titled Paanch Pandav is based on the epic Mahabharata.
While Ajay Devgan will play the lead role of Arjuna, Irrfan Khan is Yudhishtira and Vidya Balan is Draupadi in the film. Om Puri has been finalised to play Shakuni and Rehan Khan will play Nakula. Our source says, “Prakash Jha’s production team is hunting for a muscular actor for Bhima’s role and a relatively new actor for Sahadeva’s character. Prakash Jha will start working on Nana’s film after the release of Raajneeti.
Paanch Pandav will go on the floors by the end of this year.”
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| Nana Patekar | Vidya Balan | |
It was reported earlier that Nana was planning to launch his son Malhar in his next directorial venture based on autism and had approached Deepika Padukone to play the female lead. The source says, “That film has been put on hold for now.”
Nana had recently announced at a film event that Prakash Jha would produce his next directorial venture.
Prakash Jha says, “Whenever Nana decides to direct a film, I will be more than happy to produce it.”
Declining to divulge details, Nana says, “I will talk about the film when I make it.”
Raajneeti stars will appear in National Anthem video in cinema halls
May 9th
By Devansh Patel, May 7, 2010 – 15:39 IST
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When was the last time you stood up in silence with respect? If you want to ponder over this question, I’d suggest you on medication. Here’s when. Composed by Rabindranath Tagore, the song ‘Jana Gana Mana‘ was first sung on December 27, 1911 at the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress. On January 24, 1950, the Constituent Assembly adopted the song as the National Anthem of India.
So before you munch on your pop-corns and sip your favourite cola, you’d be standing with respect in the cinema hall when the National Anthem is going on. You feel a sudden high, don’t you? When you see the soldiers on the Siachen glacier trying hard to hoist the Indian flag. That’s the spirit of India and us Indians. We’ve never backed off, we’ve always fought hard.
Some cinema halls have shown the entire Marathi television and film personalities coming together and singing the National Anthem in unity.
But come tomorrow, when you are just about to get up and stand in silence with respect before your favourite movie begins, you might just choke. Choke, not because the National Anthem is getting replaced by some other song. No! But because you’ll see Katrina Kaif, Ranbir Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Ajay Devgn, Nana Patekar, Manoj Bajpai and Naseeruddin Shah all sing the National Anthem with humility, respect, honour, courage and patriotism.
Yes, in the words of the originator and the director of the National Anthem video, Mr. Prakash Jha, “Yes, all the actors have sung the National Anthem and it’s an honour for me that we’ve been able to pull this off for Raajneeti. All the cinema halls from this week will be showcasing the Raajneeti cast singing the National Anthem.”
Trying to get hold of the cast in this busy Mumbai heat, we got one of the cast members, Manoj Bajpai to comment on this exclusive and innovative idea. He quotes, “Prakash Jha himself has directed the video and it’s beautiful. I’m happy and proud that we’ve done this together. The entire cast has been a part of this patriotic anthem.”
With a day left before the entire gang of Raajneeti kick start their promotions, we’re sure to be a witness to this grand video shot by this visionary called Prakash Jha.
