Category: Movies

MUMBAI: The 41st International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will henceforth serve as a platform for films shot on mobile phones on shoe-string budgets or with as little as pocket money given to school and college students.

“The aim of Chhota Cinema is to get students who make extremely low-budget films on the IFFI canvas. It‘s a great platform for those who have virtually no resources. Chhota Cimena is their chance to become big. These films may have small budgets but very often the quality is unmistakable. It gives youngsters a great chance to showcase their talent,” Mandovi Entertainment managing director Janardhan Bhandari said. 

The festival, starting 22 November, will have 22 films in the five minutes section, 15 films in the 5 minutes section and 18 films in 30 minutes section of the ‘Chhota Cimena‘ segment.

Mandovi Entertainment is jointly hosting the Chhota Cimena segment along with the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG), a state government-run society that oversees the logistics of the IFFI.
 

MUMBAI: Crest Animation Studios Ltd’s co-produced 3D stereoscopic film, Alpha & Omega, has been selected for next year’s Oscar award in the animation section. It is the first animated film made in India to be on the Oscar list.

The first computer-generated full-length animation film produced jointly by Crest Animation and Lionsgate is a story about two mismatched wolves and has voices of artistes like Justin Long, Hayden Panetierre, Christina Ricci, Danny Glover, Dennis Hopper and Larry Miller.

Released globally on 17 September, the film made on a production budget of $25 million continues its successful run in the US, UK, France and some other territories.

The film is yet to be released in other major territories like Germany, Spain, Italy, Australia, Japan and Latin America.

The film will be released in India in more than 2000 screens later this year.
 

Producers: Ronnie Screwvala, Sanjay Leela Bhansali Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai, Aditya Roy Kapoor, Shernaz Patel, Suhel Seth, Nafisa Ali

MUMBAI: Guzaarish is yet another film from the emperor of self indulgence, a high budget film that some people may like to watch for Hrithik and some others out of curiosity. The maker’s fancy to live his life through his films as he averred in the media, does not live up to the audience expectations or box office demands. Yes, this also another pretentious Hindi film in English in most parts.

Guzaarish is about Hrithik Roshan, once a renowned magician suffering from quadriplegia after a fall from height during one of his shows. Strangely, he is seen performing only in his hometown Goa all the time! With Aishwarya Rai to nurse him, Hrithik has been consigned to one room in a palatial but dilapidated mansion since 12 years; why can’t he be taken out in open air or shown the sun once in a while is not considered in the script!

It is probably because you are supposed to sympathise with him. In fact, when Hrithik comes out once to visit a courtroom and basking in the open air, you feel as exhilarated as him after all that dark and drab atmosphere!

A hero in such themes would be expected to win sympathies of the audience by being larger than life. Hrithik runs a popular radio talk show instilling confidence in people on the verge of giving up hope and life, till suddenly he decides to give up his own life and moves the court to allow him to do so. He also starts advocating euthanasia on his radio slot seeking public opinion for his cause! Well, Hrithik manages to do all but gather sympathy for his plight and Aditya Roy Kapoor clowning around him foils whatever little he achieves. Things keep happening which hardly look relevant to the story.

If the story and the narration fail to touch you, performances don’t do much either. Hrithik is tantrum throwing pest at times, perverse at times and funny in his cynic way at others; considering the parameters and ill-defined role, he still manages a decent performance. Aishwarya Rai is all dedication to her ward, shading silent tears for him; is that nursing? But then, that’s the love angle in the film, again silent. She is her usual self. Shernaz Patel seems more determined to set a precedent in annuls of law by winning a euthanasia plea than concerned about her client, very stagy. Suhel Sheth is a misfit as a doctor shading tears for his patient while in real life he is a crusader fighting against all things wrong on various national TV channels. Aditya Roy Kapoor looks too full of life and verve to fit the situation.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali dons many hats in Guzaarish. He is the director, music director, a joint screenplay writer and the producer of the film. He opts for his usual treatment to create an ambience of sadness, an aura of no hope. Yet, he wants his lead actor to be funny and jovial. Even while seeking death, everything comes out as make-believe, superficial. Having decided to score the music himself for the film, he sets his songs to familiar tunes from the past. Some numbers sound soothing but slow down the pace of the film further. Dialogue is peppered with wry humour.

Guzaarish has not been the most anxiously awaited film looking at its poor opening show collections and since the word of mouth is not expected to be in favour, the film has all the makings of a commercial debacle. Not to mention, such theme merits less than 10 per cent of the monies spent here.
 

MUMBAI: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra is in on course to remake a Belgian film, Ledereen Beroemd (Everybody‘s Famous), that was directed by Belgian director Dominique Deruddre.

The film is about a father who dreams of making his daughter a singer. Says Mehra, “When I saw the film, I was completely bowled over. The father-daughter story is so Indian. We immediately sought out the rights of the film and purchased it. To me, only Amitji can play the father.”

Accordingly, Amitabh Bachchan has been tipped to play the father in the father-daughter saga. The hunt is on for a 17-year old newcomer to play his daughter in a remake of the film.

Mehra has earlier directed films like Rang De Basanti, Aks and Delhi 6.
 

MUMBAI: After regaling the Bengaluru audience with its three multiplexes, Inox Leisure Ltd. launched its fourth one today at the Bangalore Central Mall situated at J.P. Nagar. The four-screen multiplex has a total capacity of 1,118 seats.

Comments Inox Leisure Ltd. CEO Alok Tandon, “We at Inox take pride in bringing the best movie-going experience once again to our patrons at Bengaluru. With the launch of the fourth multiplex , we will continue to offer the Inox hospitality and ensure more and more patrons choose Inox to watch movies.”

The films that are being screened in the multiplex in the opening week are Guzaarish, Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows – Part 1, Shahrukh Bola Khoobsurat Hai Tu, Jackie, Endhiran, Golmaal 3 and The Social Network.
 

MUMBAI: After Dhoom director Sanjay Gadhvi quit Yash Raj Films, the search for an efficient director who would fill up the space was on for some time.

In fact, it was a three-film deal with Gadhvi that was never renewed, for which the director quit.

Eventually, it has been decided that Aditya Chopra will don the director’s cap for the eagerly-awaited Dhoom 3. He had last directed Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi in 2008.

While Shah Rukh Khan in all likelihood would be playing a negative role, Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra would essay their regular roles. The leading ladies are yet to be finalised.

The film will go on the floors in March next year.

MUMBAI: The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2010 that is to go underway in Goa from 22 November will have a special retrospective on French filmmaker Jean Becker.

Officials of the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG), co-host for the festival, have revealed that as many as four films will be screened as a part of the retrospective in honour of the legendary filmmaker. The retrospective would open with his 1983-made film titled One Deadly Summer.

Other films of Becker that would be screened are Elisa (1995), Conversation with My Gardener (2007) and Love Me No More (2008).

In 1961, Becker made his first film Un Nomm La Rocca (A Man Named Rocca) followed by three films including Tender Voyou (Tender Scoundrel) (1966), that were critically and commercially successful.

MUMBAI: The third edition Of ‘Rendez-Vous With French Cinema’ is set to begin here on 4 December when the organisers will pay a tribute to the late director-writer Alain Corneau. He passed away on 30 August this year, a fortnight after his new film Crime d‘Amour (Love Crime) released.

Corneau, who was a jury member at many Indian film festivals and shot Nocturne Indien on different locations in the country in 1988, was in love with India and was a regular visitor here.

As part of the event, as many as seven French films will be screened with English subtitles at Metro Big Cinemas and Fun Cinemas. Romantic comedy Heartbreaker, starring Romain Duris, Vanessa Paradis and Julie Ferrier, will kickstart the four-day festival.

”The eclectic mix of films lined up for the third Rendez-vous with French Cinema in India is set to mesmerise the Indian audience,” Unifrance general manager Regine Hatchondo said in a statement.

The fest is organised by the French embassy in India along with Unifrance, an official organisation dedicated to promote French cinema worldwide. It aims to establish a platform to showcase various facets of contemporary French movies in India.