Posts tagged rajesh mapuskar
Sanjay Dutt is my first option-Arshad Warsi
0Arshad Warsi on wanting to cast ‘less troublesome’ actors for his debut direction and who will finally helm ‘Munnabhai 3′
Asira Tarannum (MID-DAY; July 13, 2012)
Ever since working back-to-back in two Munnabhai projects, Arshad Warsi has decided his former co-star Sanjay Dutt is one name he wants to rope in for his own film. More so, as he feels Sanju baba is probably the easiest actor to work with in the industry.
Arshad says he is eagerly looking forward to this film, an action thriller, and the first name that comes to his mind to cast in the film is Sanjay. He points out, “Vashu Bhagnani has signed me as the director. For the cast, Sanjay is my first option. I want to work with actors who are less troubling in nature.”
Ask him to elaborate and Arshad says, “The new generation of actors are really cool. Since this is my first project as a director, I want to work with actors who would actually help me make this film.”
The actor also says he is looking forward to discuss the script with his friend and filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani. Arshad also rules out rumours about Rajesh Mapuskar directing the third film in the Munnabhai franchise. He says, “Raju will be directing Munnabhai 3. I have heard the first part of the script and I love it. Hopefully, towards the end of next year we should start shooting.”
While also stating that the shoot schedule of his upcoming film Dedh Ishqiya, helmed by Abhishek Chaubey, has been postponed, Arshad says he is willing to try other cinematic More >
Anjali Tendulkar would have given Ferrari & money to Sharman-Rajesh Mapuskar
0Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; June 24, 2012)
They do not look similar but Rajesh Mapuskar, 40, the debutant director of Ferrari Ki Sawaari, and his mentor Rajkumar Hirani could be alter egos. They share a certain simple and straightforward value system and are motivated by a similar passion for storytelling.
In this interview conducted at a bustling Andheri coffee shop, the soft-spoken Mapuskar strains to be heard over the din, just as his film about the Indian middle-class dream tries to steer a different path from the Rowdies of Bollywood. Excerpts…
Tell me how a middle-class boy from Shrivardhan in Raigad district came to Bollywood. After my Class X, my father sent me to study Commerce at Kirti College in the hope that I’ll become a chartered accountant. But then I met Rajkumari Hirani during an ad film shoot where both of us were modelling for Vardhman Threads. We were both trying to become models! In addition, we shared many things in common. For instance, we both loved eating at Goa Bhawan at Juhu Circle. While we were making ad films, Raju often spoke of making a feature film about a maverick doctor. After years of doing ad films I got bored and decided to move to Bangkok which is when Raju told me to stay back to do just one film with him and that’s how I came to assist him in Munnabhai MBBS. And after that Lage Raho… and 3 Idiots. Now that my own film has released, Raju jokes with me calling me his senior because I have done four films whereas he has done More >
Rajesh Mapuskar’s big night graced by hometown friends
0Except for Aamir Khan, most of Chopra’s friends could not make it to the premiere
Mehul S Thakkar (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 16, 2012)
Three years ago, the premiere of Vidhu Vinod Chopra Films’ 3 Idiots had the who’s who of the Hindi film industry in full attendance. By contrast, the 2012 premiere of Rajesh Mapuskar’s Ferrari Ki Sawaari turned out to be a rather dull affair, with several stars who have worked with the production house away from the city, busy shooting for their projects.
However, Aamir Khan, whose biggest hit has been with VVC Films, lit up the atmosphere when he walked in to congratulate the team. An eyewitness present at the event told Mirror, “The premiere suddenly became lively when Aamir entered but within 45 minutes, we saw him leaving the venue.” We hear the actor has already seen the film.
Incidentally, the premiere was specially held for Mapuskar’s family, friends and acquaintances from his hometown Shriwardhan in Konkan. And, nearly four to five bus loads of villagers, including Mapuskar’s entire family, attended the event.
Sharman Joshi shone the brightest as he came in, dressed in a black jodhpuri, with his entire family. On Wednesday, a premiere was also held at a single-screen theatre in Delhi and L K Advani graced the event.
A source close to VVC Films revealed, “Vidhu was a little upset that the actors who have worked with him were not present. But he was aware they were away shooting. Sanjay Dutt was in Jaipur shooting for his next. Vidya More >
Ferrari ‘freshness’ may pull it off
0Shabana Ansari (DNA; June 14, 2012)
Director Rajesh Mapuskar left advertising to make films because “he was sick of selling soap and oil”.
And when filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra agreed to produce his debut venture Ferrari Ki Sawari, Mapuskar realised this was his big break.
The film takes a lot of risks — it is actor Sharman Joshi’s first film as a solo protagonist, it has no romantic angle but is about a father’s quest to fulfill his young son’s dreams and it has a first-timer like Mapuskar at the helm. And in Chopra’s own words, it was considered by many as “financial suicide’’. The production house, however, went ahead to give a chance to a budding director “who had not filmed anything before” but had worked as an assistant director in the Munnabhai series and 3 Idiots.
During an informal interaction with DNA reporters at the newspaper’s Lower Parel office on Wednesday, Mapuskar in his self-deprecating way recounted how he was helped in his journey by good friends Rajkumar Hirani who egged him on to put his thoughts on paper and actor Boman Irani who agreed to work in his debut film. The film’s lead actor Joshi and Irani, who plays his cranky old father, were present at the interaction.
The team feels that the selling point of the film that releases on Friday will be its “freshness” that has now become a trademark of all Vidhu Vinod Chopra films. “In Ferrari Ki Sawaari, Sharman’s character does all the things a mother does for a child in a traditional Hindi film,” Irani More >
IIFA Singapore 2012: Of thunder thighs and threats
0A low-down of the B-Town stars and their antics at the IIFA happenings in Singapore…
MID-DAY (June 11, 2012)
Posed glory Parineeti Chopra arrived on the green carpet in a tight grey dress which showed her thunder thighs and hovered in front of the cameras. She even made a faux pas in a question, then burst out laughing and then threatened the photographer to delete the quote. She was on the green carpet for a good 10 minutes and refused to leave and kept posing with her legs crossed.
Sridevi’s glass act Sridevi in shorts and a white shirt was spotted rushing into the hotel with a serious face, until she came to a glass door of the lobby entrance. She pushed it in a hurry twice only to realise that the door had to be pulled. Her daughter Khushi was seen giggling at her mum’s mistake and Sri started laughing herself.
Shotgun indeed! Shatrughan Sinha walked into an after-party in a bright orange silk kurta and pyjama. Really Shotgun, is this a place you need to play a politician?
Mika reigns Mika was a big hit in an otherwise lacklustre IIFA Rocks event. Mika danced and sang and then claimed, “You can love me or hate me, but you cannot ignore me,” before walking off the stage. The show started two hours late and the halls were not upto their capacity. Nargis was the showstopper at the Varun Bahl fashion show.
Race but no pace Sharman Joshi and Boman Irani were at their funny best at their film’s event. Sharman bagged an award for racing even without getting into the car More >
Ferrari Ki Sawaari team unveil song
0We spotted the uncanny resemblance of the little actor, who was hitherto kept under wraps, to master blaster Tendulkar
Mehul S Thakkar (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 9, 2012)
The key players of the eagerly anticipated Ferrari Ki Sawaari: director Rajesh Mapuskar, writer Rajkumar Hirani and leading man Sharman Joshi came together for a media interaction on Tuesday at a suburban theatre.
Among the event’s main highlights, the star of the film namely the child who plays Sharman’s son was revealed as part of the song Maara Re.
While the kid wasn’t there, the uncanny resemblance he bears to Sachin Tendulkar during his growing up years was obvious from the promo. Things like certain batting postures, the slight bending of the leg at the batting crease, etc. were giveaways that the makers have been inspired by more than just the master blaster’s Ferrari.
Later, Rajesh and Raju shared an interesting anecdote. Many years ago, over multiple glasses of beer, Raju, who was very impressed with Rajesh’s work as assistant director on Lage Raho Munna Bhai and 3 Idiots, had, in an unguarded moment, told him that whenever Rajesh directed a film, he would personally write the dialogues for it.
While Raju stopped having beer with Rajesh ever since that day, hoping Rajesh would forget what he had promised in a drunken state, Rajesh, being Rajesh, remembered and actually asked him to pen the dialogues of Ferrari…
What followed was, in Raju’s own words at the launch, “I ended up spending six months on More >
It’s raining new filmmakers in Bollywood
0A whopping 150 new directors have made their Bollywood debut in the last two years
Bharati Dubey | TNN (THE TIMES OF INDIA; May 7, 2012)
It’s an amazing statistic that Bollywood has probably never seen in its history. In the last two years, a whopping 150 directors have made their screen debut, giving renewed hope to others of their ilk.
In the last few weeks, five releases—Agneepath, Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu, London Paris New York and Blood Money—have all been made by newbies, and coming up are many more, thanks to production houses which have decided to invest money in new talent.
A peek at the statistics shows that UTV launches at least four new directors this year. In 2011 Viacom gave a break to two—Luv Ranjan (Pyaar Ka Punchnama) and Bejoy Nambiar (Shaitan); this year, it is Vishal Mahadkar (Blood Money), Supavitra Babul (Bittoo Boss), Sachin Kundalkar (Aiyya) and Satish Rajawade (Mumbai-Delhi-Mumbai). Vinod Chopra Productions is coming out with Rajesh Mapuskar’s Ferrari Ki Sawari in 2012, a film that is generating much buzz as EMET and Agneepath.
What accounts for this sudden generosity to newbies? “The foremost reason is the expansion of the market,” says Vikas Behl of Phantom Films. “More films need to be made, and hence more directors are needed. But, also, today making a film with a first-time director is not as much of a risk because film-making has become very organized. Once a production house is sure of a director’s sensibilities and script sense, s/he is provided More >
Will Sachin Tendulkar bat for Vidhu Vinod Chopra?
0Refusing to give up on his dream, the filmmaker tries to cajole the cricketer once again
Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 29, 2012)
Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s film, Ferrari Ki Sawaari about a young boy and his wish to meet the master blaster sparked off rumours about Sachin Tendulkar making his Bollywood debut. Unluckily for most of his fans (too many in this cricket crazy nation), Sachin’s first film failed to materialise. Mumbai Mirror has however learnt that the producer has not given up hope. At Mukesh and Nita Ambani’s special bash held for the little master at Antilla on Monday night, Vidhu was spotted speaking to Sachin rather animatedly. An eyewitness even overheard the two discussing the possibility of the cricketer making a special appearance in the Rajesh Mapuskar directed venture.
Vidhu’s spokesperson confirmed, “The matter of having Sachin Tendulkar in Ferrari Ki Sawaari is under consideration. We can’t say anything more at this point of time.”
The film stars Sharman Joshi and Boman Irani in lead roles. Vidhu had also crafted a role especially for the cricketer. A source close to the project said, “With Sachin coming back with his 100th hundred, he may be more receptive to the idea of doing this film. At the Ambani party, the first act in his honour was Pritam’s performance of an unreleased song from the film, Maara Re Sixer, Maara Re Four.”
Our source told us, “The film releases in May. If Sachin shoots, we need just one or two days. It would mark his film More >
Sanjay turns Sharman’s driving instructor
0Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 07, 2011)
Before Sharman Joshi’s stint as a rockstar for the sequel of Rock On!!, the actor will be going on a joy ride for producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Ferrari Ki Sawari. And to get into character to drive the luxury sports car, the actor has reportedly been taking driving lessons from Sanjay Dutt.
A source informed Mumbai Mirror that Chopra asked his good friend Dutt, who owns a Ferrari himself, to teach Sharman how to handle the vehicle.
The source told us that Sharman has been taking driving lessons from Dutt, since Sunday. “Sanjay instantly agreed to teach Sharman. He has been teaching the actor in his own Ferrari. They take the car out in the late hours of the night,” said the source.
The source added, “Vidhu could have hired a professional trainer to teach Sharman the same, but he chose to ask Sanjay instead. He is very close to Sanjay, especially after the actor starred in his films – Munnabhai MBBS (2003) and Lage Raho Munnabhai (2006).” Apparently, Sharman has until the end of the month to learn to drive the luxury sports car, as that is when he is scheduled to shoot the Ferrari sequence for the film. The film, which is directed by Rajesh Mapuskar, is expected to release in April 2012.
Rajkumar Hirani unveils his plans
0By Taran Adarsh, February 8, 2011 – 08:35 IST
Okay, so everyone’s wondering what is Rajkumar Hirani making next? After the epic success of 3 IDIOTS, the super-successful director had immediately immersed himself into writing his subsequent film. There were whispers that he was planning to take the MUNNABHAI series forward, while one also heard that Hirani was toying with the idea of making a non-MUNNABHAI film. Well, here’s the latest on his next venture…
“I have already completed two scripts – the MUNNABHAI installment and a non-MUNNABHAI film. In fact, I was working on the two scripts simultaneously and as luck would have it, both have shaped up to my complete satisfaction. I am yet to take a call on which script to execute first,” Hirani informs me. The star cast, he adds, will be finalized subsequently. Meanwhile, Hirani is also creatively involved with FERRARI KI SAWARI, which stars Sharman Joshi and is directed by Hirani’s protege Rajesh Mapuskar.
There’s tremendous speculation about the star cast of both MUNNABHAI and non-MUNNABHAI films. The rumor mills insist that producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Hirani may opt for a younger set of actors for the MUNNABHAI film, while for the non-MUNNABHAI film, Hirani is vacillating between Aamir and SRK. Let’s wait and watch!
BOLLYWOOD HUNGAMA.COM