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Posts tagged shekhar kapur
Ashutosh Gowarikar’s Buddha to be turned into a teleseries
01 week ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Jigar Shah (MID-DAY; May 10, 2013)
Back in 2010, it was announced that Ashutosh Gowariker would be directing a film on Buddha.
The filmmaker had already started working on the script but later he opted out of the project. Then Shekhar Kapur was approached to be part of it but the film never took off.
But now there is a ray of hope for Buddha as the producer of the film, B K Modi, has decided to revive the project.
Says a source, “Project Buddha will now not be a film but a tele-series of 50 episodes of one hour each on a leading entertainment channel in India.
Each episode would be like a film on its own about the life and times of Buddha and how much he achieved in this world.” Adds the source, “Also, all the efforts that Ashutosh had put into the project — including his inputs and research — would very much be part of the project.”
Shekhar Kapur goes the Eega way
02 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Kapur’s new animated film is about a cockroach and has choreographed sequences too
Kunal M Shah (MID-DAY; March 21, 2013)
Now that’s an interesting choice of subject. Apparently while speculations are ripe that Shekhar Kapur is working on the cast of his next film Paani, the director has just finished an animated film on cockroaches.
It even has music by A R Rahman and the songs are choreographed by Ahmed Khan. Last year, South director SS Rajamouli based his film Eega on a housefly.
A source says, “The film deals with the life of cockroaches and how they go about in their everyday routine. Shekhar has helmed the film along with a major animation studio. He will also market it along with a big Hollywood company.” Apparently there are also plans to have the film dubbed in Hindi.
Says Ahmed, “Shekhar called to tell me that he wants me to make a cockroach dance. I was initially surprised. Now, I am extremely excited about it. I have already completed two songs and will be choreographing another.” The scenes were shot with regular actors and the film was later animated.
Shekhar Kapur goes on a spiritual sabbatical
02 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 15, 2013)
It may come as a surprise to know that someone, like Shekhar Kapur, who spends most of his time jet-setting across the globe, is currently ensconced in a faraway ashram, enjoying some quiet time. Kapur, who is close to putting his dream project Paani on floors, is spending time in Isha Ashram in the Velliangiri Mountains near Coimbatore.
Although, all attempts to have a telephonic coversation with him failed, the filmmaker reverted to our text message saying: “I am feeling peaceful at the ashram. It is so far removed from the hustle and bustle of any city in the world.”
Asked if he was on a mission to refresh and rejuvenate himself for his ambitious next, the director said: “I love doing yoga and meditation. One has to do these things to experience how all the stress, worry and anxiety goes away, and gives rise to a positive state of mind.”
However, he was quick to point out: “This is not the first time I have visited this place. I just love it here. Isn’t it better even otherwise to take off for few days from one’s routine to just be with one’s self?”
On his next visit to the ashram, cinematographer Benoit Debie of Spring Breakers and The Runaways fame, who is slated to work with him on Paani, will join him. Kapur and Benoit go back a long way with the latter having worked in Kapur’s segment of New York, I Love You.
Will Shekhar Kapur ever complete dream project Paani?
02 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Rumour has it
With many delayed, unfinished and abandoned projects, one wonders if the maker will ever finish his seven-year-old film Paani
Subhash K Jha (DNA; March 11, 2013)
Shekhar Kapur’s proposed full-length feature film Paani is delayed yet again. After Aditya Chopra and Yash Raj Films stepped in to produce this purported magnum opus, there has been no real progress in the film that was announced seven years ago.
Geela Geela Paani The first time one heard about Shekhar’s plans to make Paani was in 1994.In the time between then and now, he has made only two short films, a segment of New York, I Love You the film paying homage to New York city in 2008, and another short film for the Sarovksy company in 2009.
That’s it. After Paani was announced Preity Zinta was set to feature in Mantra, a multi-million magical F-X film which Kapur was supposed to produce for director Vishal Bhardawaj. Needless to add, Mantra melted into nothingness.
Shekhar: The dreamer Two decades ago, Shekhar Kapoor had announced Tara Rum Pum which was to be Preity’s launch film, but it never got made. Ditto for another film called Time Machine starring Aamir Khan.
Says an industrywallah, “Shekhar is a dreamer. His ideas more often remain in the realm of the possible than in the zone of the achieved.” Undoubtedly one of the most gifted filmmakers, Kapur’s indecisiveness, his inability to grasp at ideas and crystallise them in celluloid shapes, is costing him heavily in terms of credibility.
After the profusion of More >
Shekhar Kapur adds muscle to Anil Kapoor’s next Indian Sherlock
03 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 19, 2013)
Even as Anand Tucker – of Leap Year and Shopgirl fame – gets ready to direct Anil Kapoor in Indian Sherlock (tentative title), Mirror has now learnt that Shekhar Kapur has got involved with the project. Shekhar will not only give his creative inputs, he will also be the executive producer of the film.
Explaining how Shekhar got involved with the project, a source close to the film told Mirror, “The film will be produced by Hemanshu Avasthi, who was Shekhar’s business manager for the longest time. When Shekhar learnt about Avasthi’s decision, he felt that he needed to throw himself into the project and support him in a big way.”
While Anil Kapoor plays the lead in the film, it is expected to draw in several international actors as well.
Added the source, “The induction of Shekhar in the film gives a big fillip and sets the stage for an extremely well-planned venture.”
Shekhar met Tucker recently. “The two had a very long meeting. Now, everything is in place. The shooting will commence sometime in Rajasthan, later this year,” said the source. When contacted, Shekhar said, “It was a damn good project and I am helping Hemanshu to put it together.”
Shekhar Kapur to direct daughter’s debut
03 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Twelve-year-old Kaveri has composed and sung her first solo which her dad will help release
Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 28, 2013)
Even as Shekhar Kapur prepares for his big directorial comeback, he has another reason to celebrate. His daughter Kaveri has recorded her first song Make a wish on a tree. The song has been written, composed and sung by the 12-year-old. The recording took place recently at Aadesh Shrivastav’s studio in Juhu.
Talking to Mirror, the filmmaker’s estranged wife Suchitra Krishnamurthy, a proud mother and a singer herself, said: “The song is in English, as that is the language Kaveri writes in. Shekhar and I are very happy about our daughter’s inclination towards music. She has been diligently pursuing it since she was just eight years old. She has hardly ever missed her music lessons.” The young songstress is coached by Archana Shah.
According to Suchitra, the song will be released as a single soon. “Shekhar is also planning to convert this song into a music video,” she adds.
When asked about when they intend to start shooting the video Suchitra said: “Very soon. Sekhar and I are already becoming impatient! Nothing can give you more happiness than your child’s achievements. ”
Check out Shabana Azmi-Shekhar Kapur in the 70s
04 months ago
MUMBAI MIRROR (January 16, 2013)
Over the years, Shabana Azmi has straddled different genres – commercial, art-house and more recently cross-over films with consummate ease.
Her wide-ranging repertoire includes films such as Ankur, Nishant, Mandi, Arth, Amar Akbar Anthony, Thodisi Bewafai, Morning Raga, Loins of Punjab, Madame Sousatzka, City of Joy, the latest feather in her much decorated cap being Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola.
While the actress’ first release was Shyam Benegal’s Ankur (1974), she also starred in Dev Anand’s Ishq Ishq Ishq in the same year. Among other actors, the film had Dev’s nephew – Shekhar Kapur – who had given up a cushy job as Chartered Accountant in London to return home in pursuit of his Bollywood dreams.
It was on the sets that Shabana and Shekar met but what started as a friendship soon blossomed into something deeper, more meaningful.
While Shekhar’s acting debut and all the six films he acted in thereafter didn’t really do well at the box office, he and Shabana were romantically linked in gossip columns. So much so, it was rumoured that Shabana’s affinity to Shekhar caused her break-up with actor Benjamin Gilani with whom she had been very close. This picture, captured by ace lensman Shyam Aurangabadkar says it all.
Though the two of them eventually parted ways, Shabana still went on to act in Shekhar’s directorial debut Masoom (1982), an adaptation of Erich Segal’s Man, Woman and Child. The film enjoyed both critical acclaim and More >
Children performing on talent shows is inappropriate-Shekhar Kapur
04 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Shakti Shetty (MID-DAY; January 10, 2013)
He’s not the one to mince words, be it on microblogging sites or in front of the media. Known for freely expressing his opinion, Shekhar Kapur strongly believes that children — despite their prodigious talent — are better off without an early exposure to the glitz world.
In collaboration with AR Rahman, the 67-year-old filmmaker recently launched a social media platform for creative minds in the country. While talking about this project, Shekhar pointed to the ongoing trend of encouraging little kids on national television.
“I’m much against children being exploited for entertainment’s sake. Not only that, I believe physically-challenged folks performing on stage is generally indecent. Different people have different point of views and I have my own,” says the director of films like Bandit Queen and Elizabeth.
Interestingly, the award-winning auteur served as one of the judges on the first season of reality TV series India’s Got Talent.
However, he didn’t repeat the act in the consecutive years. Turns out he wasn’t invited back on the show.
“I’ve always been sensitive towards the idea of using underage kids and disabled folks for TRP. On top of that, I was very vocal about the way I felt about it so naturally, the powers- to- be must have been apprehensive about me,” adds Shekhar.
Paani script to be reworked to suit Indian audience
04 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Jigar Shah (MID-DAY; January 1, 2013)
Looks like the glitches on Shekhar Kapur’s long in-the-making film, Paani, are finally being done away with.
First came reports that Aditya Chopra had personally taken the onus of backing the film that has been lying in the cans for almost a decade now. Now our sources say that the filmmakers are also trying to re-work the script to suit the Indian audience.
A source says, “The script of the film had earlier been written by Shekhar Kapur and David Farr, a UK-based playwright. David wrote the 2011 release Hanna that featured Cate Blanchett. But the style is distinctly for a Western audience.”
Apparently, Kapur had given an Occidental touch to his script as he had previously hoped a Hollywood studio would fund his film. The source adds, “Given his connection with Hollywood studios there, he was sure of getting backing from the West.” But now that Adi has decided to extend support, Kapur wants his film to be more ‘Indianised’. “A lot of time is being spent in reworking the script for the home audience.