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Posts tagged ram aur shyam
Most remakes made because it earns makers pots of money-Salim Khan
01 month ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Money, name and identity. We talk to Bollywood’s old guard on why they are upset with zippy remakes
Anand Holla (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 14, 2013)
Forty years after Amitabh Bachchan ushered in the angry young man to whistles and cheers in Zanjeer, its writers Javed Akhtar and Salim Khan are channelling the character’s inner rage. Furious and unrelenting, Bollywood’s most successful scriptwriter duo filed a suit in the Bombay High Court this month, seeking a stay on the release of its remake, Zanjeer 2.0.
Their grouse is that producers Amit Mehra (whose father Prakash Mehra directed and produced the original) and Reliance Entertainment didn’t seek their consent for the remake, even though they hold the copyright of the ‘literary work’. While the 1973 film starred Bachchan, Dadasaheb Phalke award-winner Pran and Jaya Bachchan, the remake stars Telugu star Ram Charan Teja (top) and Priyanka Chopra.
Salim-Javed claim they have been trying to resolve the matter for a year now. Says 68-year-old Akhtar, “We tried speaking to Amit. When that didn’t help, we first went to the Film Writers Association and then the Federation of Western India Cine Employees, which also agreed that the rights belonged to us. But the producers didn’t relent. When we own its rights, how can someone make it in Telugu and Hindi without our consent?”
It’s not that the legendary scriptwriters are against remakes. Khan, 77, points out that a remake is a win-win situation for writers. “If it works, it proves More >
Filmmakers once again explore double role formula
010 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Aakansha Naval Shetye (DNA; July 3, 2012)
A still from the movie Bol BachchanBollywood’s love for double roles is an old one. Right from Hum Dono to Ram Aur Shyam to Seeta Geeta and later Mahaan, Chaalbaaz, Bol Radha Bol, Kishen Kanhaiya, Gurudev, Duplicate, Judwaa… there’s never been dearth of such films in the past. But it’s only more recently that filmmakers seem to have stumbled upon this formula once again and are not shying away from cashing on it. So, the recent superhit Rowdy Rathore had Akshay Kumar play a double role, while Saif Ali Khan is gearing to play two roles in the sequel of Judwaa and Kangna Ranaut reportedly in Tanu Weds Manu sequel. There’s also buzz that Katrina Kaif may be reprising Hema Malini’s iconic roles in a remake of Seeta Aur Geeta. Not just A-listers, starlet Veena Malik who made her debut in a recent release (Daal Mein Kuch Kaala Hai), too played a double role.
Trade observers say that double roles have always been lapped up by film lovers here. “There’s already more scope for entertainment in such films, be it action or comedy. Double roles naturally lend themselves to very interesting situations that work in favour of the films. So, it’s a tried and tested formula that has high success rates,” explains trade analyst Taran Adarsh, but adds that since the kumbh ke mele mein bicchade bit is a bit too done to death, filmmakers also have to be more innovative when it comes to presenting them.
Filmmaker David Dhawan, who has explored More >
Exploring the double role phenomenon of Bollywood
111 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Bollywood is all set to revisit the double role formula
Seema Sinha (BOMBAY TIMES; June 11, 2012)
In last week’s release Rowdy Rathore, apart from the desi action or unabashed entertainment, one thing that stood out was the double role of the leading hero. In the past decade, not many filmmakers have attempted to exploit the dual character, but now the double role formula, which was considered to be a favourite among many filmmakers at some point of time, looks set to return.
HIT FORMULA? Be it the identical twins caught in extreme dramatic situations of lost and found, or a lookalike becoming the cause of confusion, the comedy of clones is often a sure shot formula to success. Trace the history of Bollywood and you will find that almost every top actor has played a double role in at least one film in his or her career, and these films have been huge grossers at the box office – Dilip Kumar (Ram Aur Shyam), Dev Anand (Hum Dono), Sanjeev Kumar (Angoor), Rajesh Khanna (Aradhana), Amitabh Bachchan (Don, Satte Pe Satta), Shatrughan Sinha (Kalicharan), Hema Malini (Seeta Aur Geeta), Sridevi (Chaalbaaz), Salman Khan (Judwaa), Shah Rukh Khan (Duplicate, Om Shanti Om), Govinda (Aankhen), Sunil Shetty (Gopi Kishan), Anil Kapoor (Kishen Kanhaiya).
REVISITING DOUBLE ROLE In the recent past, we have seen Shahid Kapoor playing a double role in Kaminey and Saif Ali Khan in Love Aaj Kal. According to film director David Dhawan, who has given a string of hits with male leads in a More >