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Posts tagged vishwaroopam
Prabhu Dheva’s a taskmaster, but easy to work with-Shruti Haasan
02 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Sonali Joshi Pitale (MID-DAY; March 20, 2013)
While some directors in Bollywood are known for their infamous tempers, Prabhu Dheva is apparently a sweetheart to his actors. Shruti Haasan, who features in his next film Ramaiya Vastavaiya, feels that though the choreographer-turned- director is a taskmaster, he doesn’t make his actors nervous in his presence.
The actress says, “I was happy to know that Prabhu is directing the film. He is a taskmaster but has a clear vision. He is easy to work with.” On working with Prabhu for the first time in this remake of a Telugu film, Shruti states, “Whenever I go in front of the camera, I become shameless. Prabhu taught me some interesting steps on the set. I just do as my director tells me.”
A bit earlier, Shruti’s father veteran actor Kamal Haasan had found himself in the middle of controversy regarding his latest release Vishwaroopam. Without wanting to comment on the nitty-gritty of the matter, all that Shruti says on the subject is, “He was not in India when the entire issue was unfolding. I was constantly in touch with him and I am happy that the issue has been sorted out and the film has released. I have seen the film and have loved it.”
Producers, multiplex owners lobby hard for post-midnight show
02 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Soumyadipta Banerjee (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 5, 2013)
Career insomniacs can rejoice. If the latest proposal by multiplex owners backed by producers finds favour with the Maharashtra Government, city multiplexes will soon have an extra show starting way past midnight and ending around 2.30 am or so.
With the number of releases going up year-on-year, exhibitors are struggling to get adequate number of screens for their films. The lack of screens is affecting producers too, especially when two biggies (the recent clash between Son of Sardar and Jab Tak Hai Jaan is an example) release on the same day or smaller films fail to get show slots or number of screens they desire.
Multiplex owners and producers are actively lobbying for extra shows that would run late into the night with a view to finding a solution to this problem. Senior officials of several multiplexes confirmed the news and added that while multiplexes in Chennai are already running shows past midnight, the Maharashtra Government is actively considering their request. According to the officials, the state government is open to the idea and the matter is being considered at the law and order level.
According to Gautam Datta, Chief Operating Officer at PVR Cinemas: “We have been discussing the proposal to increase the number of shows during the day and maybe, have a few more shows late into the night. We have the required infrastructure to provide for more shows at night.” Datta says, the formula could work well on More >
Kamal Haasan almost gets his house back
02 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Interviews
Soumyadipta Banerjee (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 1, 2013)
Kamal Haasan is a happy man today. After all the controversies and bans slapped by courts, Vishwaroopam has not only managed to see the light of the day, but has crossed the elusive 100-crore mark. And the latest is that he has also got the house he mortgaged to raise funds for the film, back—well, almost.
Kamal had to pawn his Chennai house to a private moneylender in order to raise funds for the film, and it is only recently that he managed to repay the loan.
However, the house is now mortgaged to a bank. “In order to pay the moneylender, I have remortgaged my house. But this time with a nationalised bank and the payment terms are standard and fairly easy there. With the film garnering enough revenue, I hope to get back the house soon, “ he says sounding quite optimistic.
Although the actor-producer-director is yet to reap the benefits of the box office collection, he says: “ Although I am yet to see any of the money, I am happy with the response of the film, especially after the amount of stress we all went through before its release. I was glad when people made it into an issue that affected them rather than viewing it as a film embroiled in a controversy. It became everybody’s issue after a certain point.”
The buoyant actor is already planning his next project and although he says he does not regret the decisions he had taken during Vishwaroopam, he adds: “There were quite a lot of things that I didn’t see coming. More >
Vishwaroopam to be released in TN on February 7
03 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Agencies (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 5, 2013)
Actor-director Kamal Haasan on Monday announced the release of his controversial film Vishwaroopam in Tamil Nadu on February 7. The announcement comes a day after the ban on the film under Section 144 of CrPc was lifted by District Collectors across the state following a compromise reached on Saturday between Haasan and Muslim outfits who were up in arms against it, claiming the film offended their sentiments.
“The film is to be released next Thursday, February 7, crossing all hurdles,” the 58-year-old filmmaker said in a statement shortly after both he and government withdrew their petitions before the Madras High Court.
Haasan thanked Chief Minister Jayalalithaa for helping him, apparently referring to government brokered talks with protesting Muslim groups, despite a “delay in justice,” that helped him to end the week long standoff.
The compromise with Muslim groups preceded an emotional outpouring by Haasan, who had spoken of having to pledge his house in the making of the Rs 100 crore multi-lingual spy thriller that was released in other states, barring his own.
Haasan said he was moved by the gesture of his fans who had sent money after his revelation that he could lose almost all of his property, pledged towards making the film. Haasan also thanked his colleagues from Tamil cinema industry and their counterparts in other languages of Indian cinema and also the media, whom he said viewed his right (to expression) as More >
Kamal Haasan, Muslim groups reach agreement
03 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Vishwaroopam Impasse Ends After Meeting
Karthick S | TNN (THE TIMES OF INDIA; February 3, 2013)
Chennai: After nearly 10 days of high drama, marked by protests, mediation and negotiations, actor-director Kamal Haasan’s trilingual film ‘Vishwaroopam’ is finally set for release in theatres across Tamil Nadu. The actor agreed to seven demands of Muslim leaders, mostly muting of the audio of portions objected to by them, thus bringing the curtains down on an episode in the history of the Tamil film industry, marred by allegations of infringement of freedom of expression and hurting of communal sentiments.
“I would like to thank the chief minister and the home secretary for facilitating the talks,” said Kamal Haasan, who arrived from Mumbai this morning after his film’s Friday release in theatres in the north. “We discussed many scenes with our Muslim brothers and finally both parties agreed to delete some sound clips from the film,” said Kamal. “We will withdraw our writ petition (in the Madras high court) and hope that the court will lift the ban soon. The release date of the movie will be announced very shortly.” He said the altered film would be sent to the Censor Board of Film Certification for approval.
With state home secretary R Rajagopal playing mediator, the actor and 15 representatives of the Tamil Nadu Federation of Muslim Organisations sat around the negotiating table at the state secretariat and talked for nearly four hours before thrashing out a compromise. More >
(Crisp) Movie Review: VISHWAROOP by FENIL SETA
03 months ago
VISHWAROOP is a slick film with an international feel. Kamal Haasan firmly carries the film on his shoulders. Rahul Bose jumps back into form and how! Jaideep Ahlawat as always is dependable. Pooja Kumar is an actress to watch out for! Andrea Jeremiah & Shekhar Kapur are okay in their supporting roles. Action and VFX is at par with global standards. The twist in the tale in the first half-an-hour is damn exhilarating and clapworthy. But soon after, film goes down at places and the length is the big culprit. Film could have been shorter by at least 30 minutes. Climax is novel but tension levels should have gone up significantly at this point which doesn’t happen. However, given the scale of the film, it’s worth a watch in theatres.
My rating-*** out of 5!
Salman Khan organizes special screening of Kamal Haasan’s Vishwaroop
03 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
After tweeting his support for Kamal Haasan’s film, the actor organised a special screening at Ketnav on Friday
Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 2, 2013)
The storm over Vishwaroopam may not have abated yet. But Kamal Haasan is overwhelmed by the support he has received from his well wishers in Mumbai. Foremost among them, is Salman Khan, who tweeted his endorsement of Kamal’s film and urged his followers to watch the film in defiance of the politically motivated controversy.
Salman did not stop at tweeting his support, he actually organised a special screening of the film at Ketnav Studio on Friday afternoon, proving that he is willing to walk the talk as well.
The screening started at around 3 pm with Salman and his father in attendance along with some of their industry friends and when it got over, they were greeted by Kamal Haasan, who was waiting outside to thank them.
Speaking to Mirror, Kamal Haasan sounded pleasantly surprised at Salman’s gesture. “I have known Salman for a while. Rani Mukerji had introduced us many years ago. We haven’t been phone buddies and that is why I was overwhelmed by his support on twitter,” he said.
What was even more surprising for him was Salman’s decision to screen the film at Ketnav. “I learnt he was keen to watch the film. But before I could make arrangements, he had already organised it with help from the distributors (Balaji). He was too fast for me!” laughs the Vishwaroop maker.
Sources say Salman had insisted on watching More >
Kamal Haasan’s Vishwaroopam finds release in Mumbai
03 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
DNA (February 1, 2013)
When a visibly tired and deeply hurt Kamal Haasan faced the media at a multiplex in Juhu on Thursday, he was hopeful and grateful. Hopeful because his Rs100-crore film Vishwaroopam that curiously managed to offend sensibilities, may be screened in entirety in Tamil Nadu with the state government, especially chief minister J Jayalalithaa, softening her stand and the agitators appearing confused over exactly what they are protesting against.
The film has already hit the screens in the US and Canada and is being shown in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala, where it was taken off the theatres earlier.
The Hindi version, Vishwaroop, will hit the cinemas in Mumbai on Friday. Haasan thanked Jayalalithaa for her intervention and insisted there were no “bad Muslims” in his film.
In Uttar Pradesh, however, the ruling Samajwadi Party said it won’t let Vishwaroop to release in the state until it ceased to be controversial.
The iconic actor is grateful to the film fraternity in Mumbai and Chennai, his thousands of Muslim fans (some of whom recited prayers for his well being and apologised for the conduct of the protestors) and the media for standing by him in his hour of crisis.
“The mobs have been incited by rabble-rousers. They have been playing politics with both religion and art. If a sachcha Muslim after watching the film tells me that his religious sentiments have been hurt, I will explain my artistic stand. Why should I make a film, which is meant to More >
Kamal Haasan thanks Jayalalitha; Vishwaroopam might face ban now in UP
03 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
TIMES NEWS NETWORK (THE TIMES OF INDIA; February 1, 2013)
Chennai: More than a week after the storm over Vishwaroopam began, Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa on Thursday broke her silence, robustly defending her government’s decision to ban it in light of the “grave law and order” problems that it might have created.
Dismissing allegations and innuendos that she had political and personal motives for banning the film—like Muslim appeasement before 2014 Lok Sabha elections and alleged enmity with actor-director Kamal Haasan (in pic)— Jayalalithaa emphatically said there were “very real threats to law and order” and that her government’s primary responsibility was to maintain peace.
Jayalalithaa said if Muslim organizations and Haasan are willing to come to an amicable agreement by deleting objectionable parts, then theatres would be free to show the film. In Mumbai, Kamal thanked the CM for “her help” and all but ruled out going to the Supreme Court.
Jaya threatens to sue Karuna Chennai: “How is it possible for the government to provide protection to 524 theatres and maintain law and order when we do not have adequate manpower for all the theatres?” Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa asked on Thursday. Her attempt was to allay growing concerns among the people across Tamil Nadu about the fate of Vishwaroopam, and refute charges by the DMK that she had an axe to grind in stalling Vishwaroopam’s release. There was also a nationwide backlash against the decision, with More >