Posts tagged raju patel

Sanjay Gupta on shooting Kaante in a ‘hellish’ LA hotel

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1 week ago
by Fenil Seta in

Roshmilla Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 13, 2013)

 

Sanjay Gupta’s 2002 action thriller, Kaante, was the first Bollywood film to be completely shot in Los Angeles with an American crew, using state-of-the-art technology. It was filmed in South California, not in Beverly Hills but downtown Los Angeles.

One of the locations was The Roosevelt Hotel at the Hollywood Boulevard, named after President Theodore Roosevelt. Opened May 15, 1927, it was dubbed ‘The Million Dollar Hotel’ after it came to light that it had cost its financiers including Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and Louis B Mayer nearly $2.5 million.

Gupta decided to set the opening and closing of his film on the hotel’s rooftop and even got a billboard advertising The Million Dollar Hotel. By the turn of the century, the hotel had lost its sheen and mainly offered subsidised living – a room for the night at $2 – drawing pimps, drug peddlers, drug addicts and the likes.

In Kaante, six men – Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Suneil Shetty, Kumar Gaurav, Mahesh Manjrekar and Lucky Ali – are arrested without evidence by the LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department). Their antipathy toward the department causes a plan to be hatched – robbing the bank that holds the payroll of the LAPD. The six men meet on the terrace of the infamous hotel to arrange for ammo and getaway vehicles. However, the heist goes wrong and they end up in hell and sit on the ledge again.

“The hotel was hellish and we couldn’t enter through the front More >

Salman Khan to play Hanuman?

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11 months ago
by Fenil Seta in

MUMBAI MIRROR (June 15, 2012)

 

Maybe it’s pure coincidence that the actor chooses to remain a bachelor offscreen as well. But we hear Salman Khan is Uru Patel’s actor of choice when it comes to playing Lord Hanuman in the producer’s modern-day re-telling of the epic Ramayana that he plans to put on floors next year.

Salman Khan will be Uru’s contemporary Hanuman, a super hero who can fly over mountains and skyscrapers to rescue Sita from the evil present-day Ravana. A source close to the project revealed the role had initially been offered to Aamir Khan but “somehow, things did not materialise.”

Word is Uru is keen on Hollywood stars Keanu Reeves and Gary Oldman portraying Rama and Ravana, respectively. And while Shilpa Shetty was to essay the role of Sita, the actress opted out after the stork came visiting her. The latest being the hunt is on for a fresh international face to play Sita. Uru’s Ramayana, incidentally his brother Raju’s (late brother-in-law of Kumar Gaurav) dream, will see all the epic characters being reborn in 2012-13 New York.

“Uru wants to turn that dream into reality. Salman has shown interest. Things are being worked out but it’s not going to be easy putting the film together. The cost is going to be astronomical as well,” said the source.

One more producer announces Kaante 2

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2 years ago
by Fenil Seta in

An astounded Sanjay Gupta talks about the random producers announcing sequels to his baby project, Kaante

Kunal M Shah (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 25, 2011)

 

A few days ago producer Pritish Nandy announced the sequel to 2002 cult film Kaante. Now Uru Patel, brother of late Raju Patel (he was one of the producers of Kaante) has joined in the race and has announced his sequel to the 2002 hit film.

Interestingly, both the producers claim that their film will also have the same star cast. Sanjay Gupta, the original producer, writer and director of the film, seems to have no clue about such developments and is rather amused by these reports. In fact he himself has no plans to make any sequel to his super hit.

A bemused Gupta said, “At the rate at which sequels of Kaante are being announced, I would not be surprised if the spot boy who had worked on the film, will be the next one to announce another sequel. I have heard that success has many fathers, but itne sare najayaz baap paida ho jayenge yeh nahi maloom tha.”

Gupta further added, “I am amused. One should keep in mind that the film is written, produced and directed by Sanjay Gupta. I have the IPRS rights and I don’t know from where all these announcements are coming.

The first sequel, Kaante Reloaded turned out to be blank and it was announced by Pritish Nandy, who was just an investor in the film. I myself have no intention of making the film, as I have moved on. I am not creatively bankrupt.

It’s been More >

Sanjay Gupta plants Kaante in Sanju’s sequel plan

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2 years ago
by Fenil Seta in
Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 23, 2011)

As far as a sequel to the 2002 multi-starrer Kaante goes, Sanjay Dutt may have a thorn in his side.

Sanjay Gupta, his one-time friend who directed the Reservoir Dogs-inspired first part, refuted reports that Pritish Nandy and Sanju had kept him out of Part II.

Sources said the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) to the film were with Gupta and he was in no mood to part with them considering there’s no love lost between the two now.

A source said, “How can Pritish Nandy make Kaante 2 without the IPR? Sanjay Gupta, who co-produced the film with Nandy and (late) Raju Patel owns them.

Sanjay Dutt may have been a part of Gupta’s company then but they had a fall out long ago and he resigned.”

Gupta, who has borrowed concepts from other films for Zinda and Aatish as well, claimed he had the rights for Kaante. “Yes, I have the IPR.

Pritish Nandy was just an investing partner.” He added, “They say they have a top director. Who is this person? How can they make a sequel when it wouldn’t be legal?”

Dutt and Gupta, incidentally, were very good friends when they started the production house called White Feather Films. Their relationship hit rough weather because some employees were allegedly not paid their dues for the movie Shootout at Lokhandwala in 2007.

Dutt allegedly confronted Gupta and resigned from the company after an altercation. The source said, “They still haven’t patched up. A reconciliation is rather More >

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