Posts tagged SACHIN PILGAONKAR

My mother is my queen; I don’t want to lose her-Sonu Nigam

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2 months ago
by Fenil Seta in

Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; March 3, 2013)

 

Editor’s note: Sonu Nigam’s mother breathed her last in his arms on Feb 28th. This interview was conducted a few weeks before that, when his mother was seriously ailing. For Sonu, there was no bigger priority than looking after her and ever since she was seriously ill, he was always on tenterhooks accepting shows due to his insecurity of losing her in his absence.

Sonu Nigam, 39, is a combination of his talent and his father’s manifestation of his desire for his son to achieve what he was unable to. He sees the deep spiritual reflection of God in his parents whom he surrenders to. Over an hourlong conversation he talks to Bombay Times about his mother, his struggling years and why he will always miss Gulshan Kumar. Excerpts:

Let’s talk about your mother. For the last few months since she was unwell, I would just hold her hand and start crying. When I was a child, we lived on the second floor and I would get down my school bus and not go up till my mother came down and took me on her back and climbed up. She was a professional singer, but would also do all the household work and look after me. She is my queen. Recently, I made her sing with me on stage in one of the concerts in LA and I made her listen to that recording. Starting from the second half of last year, it has been a difficult period for me be it my mother’s health or complications in my personal life. I had no other escape other than my work. Before every show I would More >

Bharatmata ko bachao!

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3 years ago
by Fenil Seta in

Actors and politicians and the janata join in to save the city’s iconic theatre for Marathi cinema

By Aneesh Phadnis and Nilanjana Nag (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 13, 2010)

// // // Are moviegoers gradually losing a chance to watch Marathi cinema at affordable rates? There are hardly any cinema halls left in the city that cater to patrons across classes. One such theatre, Lalbaug’s 70-year-old Bharatmata cinema, is in danger with city civil court dismissing its eviction case against the National Textile Corporation.

Since last week, Kapil Bhopatkar, managing partner of Bharatmata Cinema in Parel, has been knocking the doors of politicians to help him save the cinema hall. While some politicians, actors, and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists have promised support, he plans to meet the CM too to plead his case.

Chavan promised that the government will purchase the land from the National Textile Corporation but a dissatisfied Bhopatkar says, “Chavan just made a general statement on being questioned by media persons. There is zero clarity on the plan of action.”

For Bhopatkar, whose grandfather took over the theatre in 1940, in a plot sub-leased from United Mills Private Ltd, Bharatmata has emotional significance. “There have been bad times when we had to dig into our pockets to pay staff salaries.”

Of late with the flourish of Marathi movies, things have improved for the cinema hall.  Bhopatkar says, “The average occupancy at our cinema is 65 percent which More >

Nilu Phule passes away

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3 years ago
by Fenil Seta in
Marathi film and stage actor Nilu Phule died on Monday at a hospital in Pune after a long battle with cancer By Kunal M Shah / Ashwini Deshmukh (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 14, 2009) Veteran Marathi film and stage personality Nilu Phule died at Pune’s Jehangir hospital on Monday morning at 1.50am. He was 80. The actor breathed his last in the hospital where he had been admitted on July 5 for treatment of cancer of the oesophagus.

He is survived by his wife and daughter. The funeral was held in Pune yesterday morning.

Phule had acted in over 130 films, including some Hindi films and many Marathi plays for over four decades. He had also acted in memorable Hindi films like Pinjra, Samna and Sinhasaan. He was best remembered for Coolie, Woh Saat Din, Mashaal, Saaransh and Prem Pratigya.

Remembering Nilu Phule

He was extremely fond of reading English novels-SACHIN PILGAONKAR

Sachin Pilgaokar

I had the opportunity to work with Nilu bhau in 1971 in a film produced by my father. He played a negative role and I was a child artiste. He often stayed with us whenever he was in Mumbai and it was always a pleasant experience to be with him. He had a tremendous voice and carried himself very well. Despite being a star, he never refused to act in stage dramas. He perpetually suffered from colds but he (smartly) incorporated it (the sniffles) in his acting. For instance, he used his voice to his advantage, which might have been a hindrance for any other actor. When I became More >

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