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Posts tagged pritam
Emraan Hashmi-Kunal Deshmukh-UTV team up for an edgy thriller
11 week ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
BOMBAY TIMES (May 14, 2013)
After their earlier successful associations (Jannat, 2008 and Jannat 2, 2012), Emraan Hashmi and Kunal Deshmukh have joined hands for an untitled edge-ofthe-seat thriller, being produced by UTV Motion Pictures. The makers are yet to finalise a leading lady for the film that will go on floors in July.
Says Emraan, “Kunal and I are experimenting with something new. After Ghanchakkar, this is my second film with the production house. Together we hope to make an entertainer.”
Kunal says, “I’m always excited to work with Emraan and this time the association is special because this production house is known for its slate of successful films.”
Says Siddharth Roy Kapur, Managing Director — Studios, Disney UTV, “Whenever Emraan and Kunal have come together in the past, they have taken the box office by storm. So it is a coup for us to be associating with this duo. The film will keep the audience guessing till the end.”
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Mehul S Thakkar (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 14, 2013)
After Jannat, Tum Mile and Jannat 2, director Kunal Deshmukh is teaming up with Emraan Hashmi one more time for his next project – a thriller. Not only is this their fourth collaboration, it is the first time they are joining hands on a film that is not from the Bhatt stable.
A source told Mirror: “Kunal is in talks with UTV and their discussions are in the final stage, almost. Emraan, who is currently on vacation with his family, has immense faith in Kunal’s vision and doesn’t More >
Pritam too busy for Madhuri Dixit?
03 weeks ago
by Fenil Seta
in Rumour has it
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; May 4, 2013)
Thanks to a busy and overworked Pritam, Madhuri Dixit’s item number in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani was kept in waiting. The film, which is slated to release on May 31, finally completed the shoot of the Ghagra track only last week!
Even though promotions of the film have already begun with Ranbir flying off to London for the publicity, the shoot of the Madhuri number, was on hold. Producer Karan Johar and director Ayan Mukerji had some anxious moments waiting for Pritam to deliver the item number.
Says a source, “Only the Ghagra song was still left leaving the makers on tenterhooks as the release date was almost upon them. As usual, the hard pressed for time Pritam was not delivering the last song.” The item number choreographed by Farah Khan was shot at the Filmistan Studios. The set had being prepared and the makers were hoping the song would come in time.
Adds the source, “Pritam eventually manage to complete it by giving one-one line on the sets with the shoot wrapped up in four and a half days.” It appears that it was one long anxious wait for Madhuri’s Ghagra!
Ranbir and I are in an old marriage-Ayan Mukerji
11 month ago
by Fenil Seta
in Interviews
Ayan Mukerji talks about friendship, romance, turning 30 and working with lovers-turned-best friends
Chandrima Pal (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 17, 2013)
Ayan Mukerji is a blur in the Dharma office. He has a crucial session with Pritam, some last-minute shots to be canned with Madhuri, his breakfast (egg whites and green tea) to finish and a thousand other loose ends to tie up before he can plan his next big trip to the Himalayas. Which of course, can happen only after Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani releases. Even then, he perches on the table in his cabin, and chats up a storm Excerpts from an interview:
How has Ayan changed from Wake up Sid to Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani? I feel more confident as a filmmaker. After my first film I felt too young and raw and I looked young and raw as well (laughs). Now that I am truly settling into my groove, there is no cap on that personal growth process. When the film was incepted I did not know how it was going to play out. Part of the journey of making a film is that personal growth that happens insidiously. You know, when you realise you were 10 years old yesterday and now you are 15…
Well, you are turning 30 this year… (Nods vigorously) It is a landmark of sorts. And that is part of the film as well.
That is the sense one gets from the promos… That journey or transition from being younger to slightly older, that journey through the 20s is present in the film
Wake up Sid also seemed to draw from as personal an experience. Did you feel like that? More >
Pritam will never plagiarise a tune-Neel Dutt
01 month ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
So says the arranger of the song which is being compared to Badtameez Dil by netizens
Soumyadipta Banerjee (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 16, 2013)
The privilege of being one of the most sought-after and popular music directors is a double-edged sword. And no one knows this better than Pritam, who has been dogged with controversies ever since he delivered his first chartbuster.
And not surprisingly, ever since Badtameez Dil, featuring Ranbir in a Shammi Kapoor avatar from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, began to climb up the charts, social media has been abuzz with debates over whether the track has been ‘inspired’ by the title track of a National Award-winning Bengali film by Anjan Dutt–Ranjana Ami Aar Ashbona. In fact, the original song, also by the actor-filmmaker-singer-composer, was released way back in 1994 and became sort of an anthem for the youth at that time. It was rearranged for Dutt’s ambitious rock musical in 2011 and the online community has been polarised over whether the similarities between the two tracks end with the opening bars and grooves.
To give Pritam his due, such is the pull of Badtameez Dil that Ranbir fans have happily muted the voices of dissent. But there is also a small but vocal community that refuses to look beyond his track record, Only a few years back, he had unceremoniously copied the legendary Bengali band Mohiner Ghoraguli’s famous song Prithibi note-to-note for the film Gangster. Although the song Bheegi bheegi became an instant hit, he faced More >
When hero’s voice changes dramatically during songs
03 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Ever noticed how the hero’s voice changes each time he hums a song in a film these days? Using multiple playback singers is a trend that seems to have the vote of both music directors and artistes who say it is the best thing to have happened to the music industry in a while, report
J Kothari and Itee Sharma (MID-DAY; February 10, 2013)
The recently released Race 2 would have us believe that the character played by Saif Ali Khan can transform his singing voice at will, perhaps depending on the situation and the leading lady prancing alongside. Saif sings in Atif Aslam’s voice as he woos Deepika Padukone with ‘Be Intehaan’; he has KK filling in for him in the dance number ‘Party on my mind’; and when he parties with Jacqueline Fernandez, a third playback singer, Benny Jacob, croons the upbeat ‘Lat lag gayi’. The film’s music director Pritam explains, “If I feel a voice suits a song, I utilize it. Whether the singer is old or new doesn’t matter. The voice should suit the requirements of the song.” It is almost as if every time a contemporary hero clears his throat to launch into song, the audience can expect a different playback singer’s voice to waft into the airwaves.
Take the case of 2012’s biggest crowd pleaser — Ek Tha Tiger. Composers Sohail Sen and Sajid Wajid have four different singers exercise their larynxes for leading man Salman Khan in four songs (Wajid in ‘Mashallah’, KK in ‘Laapata’, Sukhwinder Singh in ‘Banjaara’ and Mohit Chauhan in ‘Saiyyara’). Not to be More >
How Party On My Mind was finalized for Race 2 by Pritam
05 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
After shortlisting 20 odd tunes for Abbas- Mustan’s next, Pritam finally picked his favourite
Sonali Joshi Pitale (MID-DAY; November 28, 2012)
After shortlisting 20 odd tunes for Abbas- Mustan’s next, Pritam finally picked his favourite
The soundtrack may not make or break a film’s fate at the box office, but it certainly can create a buzz around the project. No wonder that Pritam along with the makers of Race 2 had to work hard at deciding what to finalise for the final cut.
Buzz is that Pritam had shortlisted 20 odd tunes but had a tough time selecting the final one. A source says, “ The music director along with Abbas- Mustan and producer Kumar Taurani just didn’t know which one to pick.” Creative producer of the film Jay Shewakramani adds, “ Pritam presented some tunes to us and we liked them too. However he said he was not entirely happy with them himself and kept rejecting them one by one. He wanted a theme that would become an instant party anthem.” However, once the music director had got his right tune, he couldn’t contain his excitement.
Jay says, “ He called us at 1.30 in the night to announce he had found his favourite tune.” Incidentally since the track, Party On My Mind, features the entire cast of the film, choreographer Ahmed Khan had a tough time coordinating the shoot in Turkey.
Hit songs of Bollywood; Made in Pakistan
07 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Most Pak artistes who sing for Hindi films record their songs outside India
Piyali Dasgupta (BOMBAY TIMES; October 24, 2012)
Roping in Pakistani singers to sing for Bollywood movies is nothing new, but it is still very rare to find a Pakistani artiste recording a song in India. Most of them record their songs in Pakistan, Dubai or London, and that too, via internet tools. While some artistes believe that it is more economical to record songs in Pakistan, some believe that issues like visas and permissions come in the way. BT talks to some of these Pakistani artistes to understand this process.
I WASN’T CALLED FOR THE RECORDING Arif Lohar, who gained popularity in Bollywood with tracks like Jugni-Dum Gutgoo (see right) from Cocktail, says, “Jugni was already a hit, so it was because of the popularity of this song that I got entry into Bollywood. When I was offered to sing for Cocktail I didn’t know the recording schedule. Unhone kaha ki bas aap gaana bhej dein phir hum usse film mein fit kar lenge. I wasn’t called to Mumbai to record the song. Humne Lahore se hi hamare gaane ka thoda sa modified version banakar music composer ko de diya.”
WE DON’T KNOW WHICH ACTOR WE ARE SINGING FOR Shafqat Amanat Ali (left) says that most often, the singers are told about the situation of the song, but not who they are singing for. He tells us, “It is sometimes difficult to modulate the voice according to a song requirement as we don’t know whom we are singing for. Most of the times More >
Rani Mukerji’s Durga Puja gets bigger, better
07 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Mehul S Thakkar (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 20, 2012)
It’s a tradition Rani Mukerji has been following for the past many years. And with the shift in venue to Tulip Star in Juhu, the Mukerji family’s Durga Puja has only become bigger and better.
This year being the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, the iconic Belur Math has been recreated at the venue as part of the theme. Elaborate celebrations have been planned, starting Saturday, October 19.
A source told Mirror, “The night after the music launch of her upcoming film, Talaash, Rani personally went and checked all the preparations and security. Earlier, the puja would take place at Balkanji Bari ground in Juhu but that proved too small for the huge crowd that turned up. Tulip Star is a bigger venue and gives the family the comfort and facility of adequate space for car parking.”
Day one will see a cultural programme being put up by some of the family members. The source revealed they’ve been rehearsing for it at Bappi Lahiri’s house for some time. On day two, there will be a live performance by Hema Malini while Pritam and Kailash Kher will perform on the third and fourth day, respectively.
Said our source, “Rani is looking forward to the celebrations. The likes of Bappi Lahiri, Ashutosh Gowarikar and his wife, Anurag Basu and family, Shaan, Dia Mirza, Bipasha Basu, Sharbani (Ayan Mukerji’s sister) and Vaibhavi Merchant will attend the pooja.”
When contacted, Deb Mukerji (Ayan Mukerji’s father), who is the More >