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Tag: Farhan Akhtar

  • Sidharth Malhotra to travel time in his next film

    Sidharth Malhotra to travel time in his next film

    MUMBAI: Karan Johar’s student of the year Sidharth Malhotra is already a hit among the ‘cinemagoers.’ After back to back hits like Hasee Toh Phasee and Ek Villain, the actor has become one of the most successful newcomers in the industry. As he prepares to take on Akshay Kumar in the boxing ring in Karan Malhotra’s Brothers, a remake of ‘Warriors’ and cloak himself as a vigilante superhero in Vikramaditya Motwane’s Bhavesh Joshi, Sidharth Malhotra has another interesting movie in his bag.

     

    According to media reports, Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani has roped in Sidharth Malhotra to act in their next film which will be co-produced by the actor’s mentor Karan Johar. The movie was initially offered to Aamir Khan but the actor and the studio failed to agree on the remuneration and other commercial clauses.

     

    The yet untitled film is said to be a love story with a twist, about a time-traveller, with a romance which spans across timelines and will be directed by debutante Nitya Mehra.

     

    Confirming the news to media Sidhwani said, “Yes, Sidharth is on board and Karan too. Karan is a good friend and we’ve been talking about collaborating on a film for quite some time now. It was a conversation with the film’s hero which eventually brought Karan onboard. He heard about this film from Sid and asked us for the script. He loved it so much that he said he would be happy to get involved in any capacity. Farhan and I have never co-produced before, Karan is our first partner.”

     

    The film is expected to go on floors by April 2015, the leading lady will be locked in another four-five days.

  • Intex targets revenue of Rs 6500 crore by 2016; to focus on south India

    Intex targets revenue of Rs 6500 crore by 2016; to focus on south India

    BENGALURU: Intex Technologies (India) that got into the mobile business around two years ago, had initially focused on the north and west Indian markets. Now, it has set its eyes on the south to help grow its business, starting off with Karnataka. The company is targeting revenues of Rs 6500 crore (a little more than $1 billion) by FY 2016.

     

    It has roped in Kannada actor Sudeep, who is also the anchor of Suvarna TV’s reality show Bigg Boss Kannada 2, as its brand ambassador for a year. The TV/movie star launched Intex’s new range of aqua mobile handsets – Aqua Style- in Bengaluru earlier this week.

     

    The company states that its revenue doubled to Rs 2000 crore in FY-2014 as compared to Rs 1000 crore in FY-2013 and it plans to close the current fiscal with revenue of Rs 3500 crore. 65 per cent of the company’s business comes from mobile phone sales.

     

    Intex senior general manager mobile business Sanjay Kumar Kalirona said, “The Aqua range has been widely accepted by our customers across India. The Aqua Style has been designed keeping in mind, the need for style and quality. We are focused on increasing our footprint in Karnataka and I am certain that our association with Sudeep will be well accepted by the regional audiences. With Aqua Style, we aim to empower youngsters looking for a mobile that speaks about their personality.” 

     

    Earmarked for brand spends is Rs 150 crore for FY-2015, with around Rs 100 crore solely on mobile phone promotion. Intex is planning a Rs 30 crore to Rs 40 crore campaign over the next three to four months, with a big percentage of the spends in south India. The campaign will cover print, television, radio, outdoor, social media and BTL activities, along with retail branding strategies. 

     

    Intex had roped in Farhan Akhtar as its brand ambassador in 2013, and launched two TVCs featuring its smartphones – Aqua i5 and Aqua i7 with him. It plans to launch its third TVC, also with Farhan for Aqua i5 HD as one of the four to five TVCs planned for this fiscal. 

     

    To enhance its customer base, Intex has joined hands with various players in the sports and entertainment industry through associations with cricket tournaments and a partnership with Sanjay Leela Bhansali for the Priyanka Chopra-starrer biopic on Mary Kom.

     

    Most of the creative work has been done in-house, and the company has two to three agencies for media-buying, sources at Intex said.

     

    Intex is a player in India in mobile handset, consumer durables and IT accessories. It claims that it has a pan India presence through its wide network comprising 29 stock and sales offices and over 800 service touch points.

  • Singapore Indian Icons of the Year 2014: An amalgamation of art, fashion and bollywood

    Singapore Indian Icons of the Year 2014: An amalgamation of art, fashion and bollywood

    MUMBAI: The first ever Singapore Indian Icons of the Year 2014 is all set to have glitz, glamour and artistry, congregate in the Lion City – Singapore. For the first time ever, Art, Fashion and Bollywood – the three pillars of entertainment of India’s upper crust will converge, leading all ritzy roads to St. Regis, Singapore on August 24th, to raise a toast and celebrate diverse Indian talent spread across the globe. Christened ‘Camera Catwalk Canvas – Showcasing the Creative Essence of India’, the event is being organized by Act for Hope, an initiative by Prerna Jhunjhunwala and Aashna Chopra, and will be hosted by the gorgeous Mandira Bedi.

    The categories of Camera, Catwalk and Canvas will see a voting process come into play, so that audiences can vote for their favorites. The nominees will be selected by an eminent jury who will shortlist the best of the best from across Bollywood, Fashion and Art respectively, post which nominees opens to audiences across the world for voting. While a large part of the voting will be done digitally, Act for Hope has tied up with India’s No. 1 FM network 92.7 BIG FM to extend voting through the very powerful medium of radio, in India.

    The Singapore Indian Icons of the Year 2014 will showcase the stunning high fashion couture by India’s leading fashion designer, Gaurav Gupta and Anamika Khanna, presented by Outback Steak House. Top artists like Kumari Nahappan and Vibhor Sogani, known for their contributions to Art across Europe, US and Asia also come together to showcase the rich artistic and cultural landscape of contemporary India.  With the likes of Shahrukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Farhan Akhtar, Vidya Balan, Priyanka Chopra and Kareena Kapoor expected to lead the nominations list for their splendid body of work in 2013-14, Bollywood is expected to be there in full attendance. Coming on board as partners is Yes Bank and Outback, who will present the Yes Bank Singapore Bollywood Icon of the Year Award and Outback Fashion icon of the year respectively to the winners.

    A special highlight of the evening will see the first ever unique live auction, which will allow bidders a life-time experience which range, a lunch session with ace investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala or an expert training session on the pitch with cricketer Sourav Ganguly, or a bid for the extremely gorgeous Sabyasachi sari worn Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan at Cannes or for the exceptional art works of leading artists like T. Vaikuntham, Paresh Maity, Jogen Chowdhary, Kumari Nahappan and Vibhor Sogani.

    Speaking on the occasion, Prerna Jhunjhunwala, Founder, Art for Hope says, “India’s upper-crust has a penchant for all things fine and hence the idea of bringing together the best of ‘Camera Catwalk and Canvas’ for those who live life with panache! It is our endeavor to recognize the extremely talented Indians that the world is proud of. We look forward to engaging and honoring talent in the times to come, as we celebrate India!”

    Along with a multi-media marketing plan for the event, along with its telecast on Zee Singapore, the event already has partners in Yes Bank and Outback Steak House.

    Act for Hope brings together distinguished people from various backgrounds who unite over a shared enthusiasm for fine art, film and fashion, aiming to weave in Indian culture with the Southeast Asian diaspora. This glamorous platform will also be used to raise awareness about social causes that need attention and help garner support for them.

  • London Indian Film Festival to screen Marathi film ‘Hemalkasa’

    London Indian Film Festival to screen Marathi film ‘Hemalkasa’

    NEW DELHI: Jeffrey Brown’s film Sold and Samruddhi Porey Marathi film Hemalkasa will be the opening and closing films, respectively, of the 2014 London Indian Film Festival.

     

    In the festival to be held from 10 to 17 July, Sold will mark the European premiere while Hemalkasa will mark its world premiere.

     

    Featuring Nana Patekar, Sonali Kulkarni and Mohan Agashe, Hemalkasa is a biopic that follows the selfless journey of Dr Prakash Baba Amte and his wife Dr Mandakini Amte who dedicated their lives to a project for the development of tribal people of Maharashtra.

     

    Praveen Morchhale’s Barefoot to Goa, Amit V Masurkar’s Sulemani Keeda, Shilpa Ranade’s animation film Goopi Gawaiiya Bagha Bajaiiya, Anup Singh’s Qissa, Kaushik Ganguly’s Apur Panchali and KR Manoj’s Virgin Talkies are some of the well-known films that will be screened at the festival.

     

    Million Dollar Arm by Craig Gillespie which will have its British premiere is the Centrepiece, while Hank aur Asha by James E. Duf and Sulemani Keeda (Writers) by Amit V Masurkar are other films among the 18 features to be screened.

     

    The Kannada Ulidavaru Kandante by Rakshit Shetty, Bangladeshi director Munsur Ali’s Shongram and Pakistani film Anima State by Hammad Khan are also being screened among others.

     

    In addition, there will be a Satyajit Ray Foundation’s Short Film Competition.

     

    There will be master class by the renowned Santosh Sivan and a screen talk by Farhan Akhtar. 

  • Europe’s Largest South Asian Film Event is Back!

    Europe’s Largest South Asian Film Event is Back!

    MUMBAI: Executive produced by actor Emma Thompson, Sold will be the red carpet European Premiere opening night film of the Fifth annual London INDIAN Film Festival (July 10-17). This film is a powerful, survival against the odds tale about a young Nepali girl who is trafficked to Kolkata, India. Gillian Anderson stars with a great Indian and Nepali ensemble cast including Seema Biswas (Bandit Queen). Central highlights of the festival will be the UK Premiere of the true story Million Dollar Arm, from The Walt Disney Company, starring Jon Hamm (Mad Men) and Suraj Sharma (Life of Pi). Bollywood’s hottest actor Farhan Akhtar and South Indian cinematography supremo Santosh Sivan will be giving rare screen talks at the BFI Southbank. Closing the festival will be the World Premiere of Hemalkasa, an homage to the revolutionary human rights leader Prakash Baba Amte, starring Bollywood hero Nana Patekar. Many other special guests are expected to a packed week of UK first screenings.

    Now Europe’s largest platform for Indian cinema, the London Indian Film Festival returns to the Capital, in association with Pure Heaven, the British Film Institute, and official Hotel Partner Grange Hotels, celebrating the exploding movement of Indian Independent cinema and bringing to UK audiences a rare selection of cutting-edge films from some of the Indian subcontinent’s hottest independent talents. Going way beyond Bollywood, the festival presents a kaleidoscope of new films that challenge, shock, generate debate and present a more realistic view of India and the subcontinent today, in all its diversity. The festival will stretch citywide, opening in the West End at the historic Cineworld Haymarket, and continuing at BFI Southbank, Cineworld cinemas Wembley, Wood Green, Wandsworth and O2 in Royal Greenwich and ICA near the Pall Mall, so there is a screening near you.

    The first weekend of this high-impact festival launches with Sold, on 10th July which explores the controversial theme of child trafficking; one school girl’s battle against the odds and the dangerous journey to liberate her from the Kolkata mafia; expect a glamorous line up of celebs to follow X Files and The Fall actress Gillian Anderson down the red carpet.

    On 12th July Rotterdam Film Festival headliner Qissa: Tale of a Lonely Ghost, has its UK Premiere, Irrfan Khan (Slumdog Millionaire, Life of Pi) plays a rural Punjabi father hell bent on having a son and heir, no matter what the consequences. Apur Panchali, based on a true-life story, is an emotionally charged homage to Satyajit Ray’s impoverished child character Apu and the real-life person who played one of the most famous child roles in world cinema. It screens on 13th July. By contrast Slamdance audience winner Hank and Asha explores a new generation of trans-global online romance, at ICA and Cineworlds across London. The festival’s Central Gala is the inspirational true story Million Dollar Arm that follows the uplifting journey of two Indian boys whose lives are transformed by a national TV contest and against the odds end up going to the US to train to become major sports stars.

     

    As well as films in the Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam languages, and UK/Pakistani film Anima State, in Urdu, the festival previews its first Bangladesh based film Shongram (Struggle) directed by Munsur Ali. In terms of special talks, India’s most celebrated cinematographer and acclaimed director Santosh Sivan gives a unique Masterclass at BFI Southbank, 11th July. The multi-talented singer, actor and director Farhan Akhtar rocks into town on 15th July and offers an insight on his high-octane career so far, including his iconic recent role as muscle rippling athletics hero Milkha Singh in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. Expect lots of female fans! Bollywood icon Nana Patekar stars in the festival’s uplifting closing World Premiere of Hemalkasa. Directed by Samruddhi Porey it’s guaranteed to make you cry and smile at the same time.

    London Indian Film Festival also includes industry events at BAFTA, exploring UK and Indian subcontinent co-productions. The winner of the annual Satyajit Ray Short Film Competition will be announced at the end of the festival, with short-listed contenders battling it out at the ICA on 15th July. We are delighted to announce that our Major Sponsors this year will include Queen’s Award for Enterprise International Trade winner Sunmark Ltd, producers of Pure Heaven brand and founding sponsor Grange Hotels. The festival is also grant funded for by the BFI Film Festival Fund.

    Emma Thompson comments: “It is wonderful to have our film premiered at London Indian Film Festival, to raise awareness of child-trafficking, which is an issue close to my heart and is shockingly on the increase world-wide. We hope that this film will make people think and highlight the support for key charities such as The Helen Bamber Foundation and others working in this difficult area in India, Nepal and elsewhere”.
    Says Farhan Akhtar: “At its heart, Cinema is about sharing ones culture with the world. Be it on screen or in representation of ones work. I look forward to sharing my experiences, memories and motivations.”

    Cary Rajinder Sawhney, Festival Director comments: “We are delighted that the festival is now firmly established on the London and international scene after five amazing years. If you want to find out more about South Asian cinema, come to London and soak yourself in a week of magnificent, world class cinema”.

  • ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’ bags highest accolades at the 15th Tata Motors IIFA awards

    ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’ bags highest accolades at the 15th Tata Motors IIFA awards

    MUMBAI:  The 15th Tata Motors IIFA awards surpassed expectations with a spectacular show that saw Bhaag Milkha Bhaag nab the top awards of the night including Best Picture, Best Direction, Performance in Leading Role (Male), Performance in a Supporting Role (Female) and Best Story.  Aashiqui 2 bagged awards for Music Direction, Lyrics, Playback Singer (Male) and Playback Singer (Female).  Deepika Padukone won the award for her much acclaimed role in Chennai Express while Farhan Akhtar won the Best Actor (Male) for his role in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.

     

    Celebrating the magic of Indian cinema, the Tata Motors IIFA Awards was held at the Raymond James Stadium where actors, Shahid Kapoor and Farhan Akthar played host for the second time. The duo kept the audience entertained throughout the evening with their humour, wit and laudable on-stage camaraderie with sets varying from a celebrity antakshri to a live-rap with the audience (Raju and Pappu) to them being dressed as spirited pirates.

     

     Some of the highlights of the evening were the launch of IIFA Coffee Table Book by the Wizcraft International Entertainment founder- directors Andre Timmins, Sabbas Joseph and Viraf Sarkari along with superstar Hrithik Roshan.

     

     International actors John Travolta and Kevin Spacey shook a leg on popular Bollywood hits. Kevin Spacey was brought on stage by Shahid, Farhan and Deepika to join them for a little jig to Lungi Dance while John Travolta joined Priyanka Chopra on stage at the end of her act and later joined Hrithik to match his moves with him. 

     

     On having won the Performance in a Leading Role (Female), Deepika Padukone said, “2013 was an amazing year for me. I left home with a suitcase and a dream and I thank my parents for allowing me to follow my dream.”

     

    “This is a very special moment as it is the first time I’m receiving an award for the film in the presence of Milkha Singh. He shared a lot of amazing stories with me and was the wind beneath my wings. I am very honoured today,” said Farhan on winning the award.

     

    John Travolta was felicitated with an award for Outstanding Contribution to International Cinema. He accepted the award saying, “I am honoured and humbled to be put in this category. I believe that as human beings we are alike and this is a medium to celebrate our similarities. A heartfelt thank you to IIFA and the Indian film community.”

     

     Debutants, Vaani Kapoor (Shudh Desi Romance) and Dhanush (Raanjhanaa) took to the IIFA stage to collect their accolades for the most promising new faces in Indian cinema. The Tata Motors IIFA awards, organised by Wizcraft International Entertainment, had a foot tapping performances line-up. Madhuri Dixit Nene stole the show with her performance on Ek Do Teen, Piya Ghar Aaya, Dhak Dhak Karne Laga, Dola Re Dola.

     

    Another highlight of the night was the electrifying performance by Hrithik Roshan on his hit numbers Mein Aisa Kyun Hoon, Bhoomro Bhoomro, Idhar Chala Main Udhar Chala, Senorita and Dhoom among others.

     

     Priyanka Chopra performed on Jaane Kyon Dil Chahata Hai, Mujse Shaadi Karogi, Tune Maari Entriyaan and many more. Deepika Padukone performed on Dhol Bhaje among others. Other performers were Ranveer Singh and Siddharth Malhotra.   

     

    The awards night will be broadcast globally on Star Plus. Some of the key partners of the IIFA US celebrations are: Videocon d2h, Tata Motors, Freedom Health Insurance, Lava Mobile, Visit Tampa Bay Visitors and Convention Bureau, Visit Florida, Enterprise Florida, Hillsborough County Florida, Tampa Bay Trade and Protocol Council, Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Commission, Jammu & Kashmir Tourism, Arise, Vishal Fashions, UST Global, Myntra.com, FedEx, LT Foods – Daawat and Royal Bishwa Bandhan for Cerebral Palsy. Other support partners include Mosaic, Patina Solutions and Tampa Steel Erecting Company, Tampa International Airport, Tampa Bay Business Journal and Tampa Bay Times.

  • Akanksha, O&M ‘force’ celebs to help for free

    Akanksha, O&M ‘force’ celebs to help for free

    MUMBAI: If you are an organisation in desperate need of a service but don’t have the money to put out an advertisement, what do you do? Well, just let the advertising agency do the talking!

    That’s what NGO Akanksha did when it could no longer wait for teachers for the underprivileged kids under its care and protection.

    Akanksha’s brief to Ogilvy & Mather was clear: “The organisation does not have money for advertising, but it needs to reach out to thousands of people and tell them we need teachers, because when that happens, the teacher applications will go up.”

    O&M lost no time in getting onto the job at hand and the result was ‘Message Barter’, a ‘smart yet sweet’ way of getting celebrities to help these children without spending a rupee. “The insight was that you cannot say no to a child, especially when a child does you a favour and asks for one in return. You just can’t refuse! So in a way, we actually ‘forced’ the celebrities to help us,” says O&M associate CD Jigar Fernandes.

    “Another very, very important guiding point is that when you meet the kids from Akanksha, they are so intelligent, well spoken, street smart and always up for fun. I can guarantee you that if you do not know of their backgrounds, you would never guess, where they come from. So yes, the idea had to reflect the smartness and cheeky attitude of these cool kids.”

    A video was filmed with Hrithik Roshan being ‘forced’ to ask his fans to apply as teachers with Akanksha in return for services rendered by the kids – promoting the actor’s film Krrish 3 outside theatres and on streets. Similarly, Farhan Akhtar and Chetan Bhagat among other celebrities, and social media influencers featured in the video. The video was then mailed to the celebrities. Luckily, the Bollywood brigade jumped into the fray and through their facebook pages and twitter handles, urged people to not only watch the video but also apply for the job of teacher at Akanksha.

    Akanksha authorities were rendered speechless when traffic on the NGO’s official website (www.akanksha.org) increased four-fold and teachers’ applications witnessed a 160 per cent rise.

    “We didn’t set ourselves any target because this was a very new and unexplored experiment. In the end, it worked,” says Fernandes, proudly. A 10 member team worked on the campaign and took almost a month to execute it. Akanksha too was involved in the process; the NGO’s Chitra Pandit and Nupur Bhargava believed in the idea and were part of it from the scratch itself.

    The digital space was chosen as the destination as Akanksha’s target audience is largely urban educated youth which is most likely to be on social networks.

    The first-of-its-kind campaign, not only wooed celebs and helped the organisation, but it also won the agency the interactive award by BestAdsOnTV.com.

    Click here to watch the video

     

  • Good biopics can be made with good actors: Rakeysh Mehra

    Good biopics can be made with good actors: Rakeysh Mehra

    MUMBAI: He may be getting entirely positive response for the “biopic” he made on sprinter Milkha Singh’s life but filmmaker Rakeysh Omprkash Mehra believes that a film can’t be a biopic. He says that a film can always be an “inspired by a true life piece” which he believes even Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is as it isn’t telling the story of Singh from starting to end. “It’s rather telling the stories of his life that led him to become Milkha Singh,” said Mehra while talking during the session – “From Real Life Heroes to Reel Life Heroes: Biopics Inspiring Generations” on the first day of FICCI Frames 2014.

     

    Also present at the session was Farhan Akhtar who has received rave reviews for his performance as Milkha Singh, while it was being anchored by CNN-IBN Entertainment Editor Rajeev Masand.

     

    Mehra, when quizzed if filmmakers take certain liberties and tweak the life story while filming a biopic, he remarked: “When you tell a story, you have your own interpretation. Like in BMB, we didn’t follow Singh’s life in chronological order rather we started the story from an incident that would transform his life.” Mehra believes that storytellers have to be “morally” correct while telling stories.

     

    While talking about the most important aspect of making a film on a person’s life, Farhan said that it is very important to come down to that one lesson of the person’s life from which the audiences can draw an inspiration. “The writing is another important aspect,” says Farhan.

     

    In the same vein, Mehra says that it’s the actors, especially the one playing the title role who can put across the story in the best possible way. “It is important for the actors to get the feelings correct and the essence of the movie out,” he said.

     

    Mehra, now wants to make a movie on the life of Guru Dutt and for the research he thinks that more than studying the life of the person, it is important to understand the situation in which that person lived and grew to become who he was. “It’s very important to understand the time in which the person lived,” said Mehra, adding that he is even studying the life of Sahir Ludhianvi.

  • Sennheiser joins hands with Farhan Akhtar’s MARD campaign on International Women’s Day

    Sennheiser joins hands with Farhan Akhtar’s MARD campaign on International Women’s Day

    MUMBAI: Sennheiser electronics India Pvt. Ltd, world’s leading manufacturer of microphones and headphones, has joined hands with Farhan Akhtar to further popularize his social campaign – MARD – Men Against Rape and Discrimination.Supporting the International Women’s Day, Sennheiser has redesigned arhan’s Sennheiser-SKM2000 microphone to embody his cause with the ‘MARD moustache’ design.

    Farhan performs live for his fans across India under the banner of Farhan Akhtar Live. In an interview, Akhtar stated that he wanted to bring the campaign to education institutions, such as schools and colleges, “to drive home the message that women need to be respected.”With the newly designed MARD microphone for Farhan, Sennheiser aims to reach out to all the fans of Farhan Akhtar Live across schools and colleges to spread the awareness about his campaign to sensitize the male community towards women.

    Akhtar conceived MARD after an incident in August 2012 after an incident where a Mumbai lawyer was sexually assaulted and then killed by her home watchman. Akhtar launched his campaign in March 2013. The campaign has been supported by Bollywood celebrities and women’s right activists across India.

    Talking about the MARD campaign and his partnership with Sennheiser, Farhan Akhtar said “The tools I use to connect with my audience are important means to spread the message about MARD. In a society where a moustache is associated with masculinity, I wanted a microphone that embodies that message and also strongly supports our campaign towards spreading awareness of gender equality. I have been performing with the Sennheiser SKM 2000 series microphone and feel very comfortable with it. I was pleasantly surprised when Sennheiser offered to support the MARD cause with the new design on my microphone. It sounds beautiful and looks even better now! (Smiles)”

    Gunjan Srivastava, Managing Director, Sennheiser India said, “Sennheiser strongly condemns any violence or discrimination against women. We are very happy to be associated with Farhan Akhtar’s MARD initiative. The new moustache design on Farhan’sSennheiser microphone embodies the core of MARD campaign – Men Against Rape &Discrimination. “

     

  • ‘Shaadi Ke Side Effects’: A Yawn Fest

    ‘Shaadi Ke Side Effects’: A Yawn Fest

    MUMBAI: A sequel to director’s earlier film, Pyaar Ke Side Effects (2006), Shaadi Ke Side Effects deals with the post marriage equations between an urban couple, their ups and downs and their attempts to finally strike a balance in their married life. The names of the lead characters are carried forward though the faces have changed. Though posed as a comedy on two very independent people trying to adjust with each other, it is not really that. It crams in a lot of situations and issues in what could have been an outright laugh riot.

    Farhan Akhtar and Vidya Balan tie the knot even though her widowed mother, Rati Agnihotri, does not really approve of Vidya’s choice. Because, while Vidya is a well-placed executive, Farhan is a struggling singer waiting to cut his first album and, till that happens, making some living out of composing jingles. Considering all that, the couple lives a lavish life. They have devised some role playing games which is supposed to keep their marriage interesting and Farhan also believes in saying sorry to his wife either way, whether he is wrong or she is. One of the games they play is, they check into a hotel and land up in its bar. They pretend to be total strangers who have become friends over a few drinks and have decided to go to bed together.

    Their ecstatic romantic life leads to the inevitable. Vidya is pregnant. Neither one of the two is ready to start a family. While Farhan wants to do it after his career is launched, Vidya is shortly due for a promotion. While Vidya develops this sudden urge for motherhood, Farhan’s answer is no. It is while Vidya is on the operation table with an abortion due shortly that Farhan meets a father of quadruplets. They are the result of delaying parenthood and opting for other fertility methods, he learns. His decision is made and he wants the child too. The abortion process is terminated. To be fair to his wife, Farhan tries to undergo similar experiences that a pregnant woman would go through. The idea is to add some fun to the goings-on.

    Producers: Ekta Kapoor, Shobha Kapoor, Pritish Nandy, Rangita Nandy.

    Director: Saket Chaudhary.

    Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Vidya Balan, Ram Kapoor, Gautami Kapoor, Vir Das, Purab Kohli, Rati Agnihotri.

    Between the two, it is romance but when the couple becomes a family, role-playing and saying sorry stops being effective. Farhan tries his best to be helpful in tending to the child but Vidya’s maternal instincts always get the better of him. She knows why the child is crying, when it is feeling hungry, warm or cold. Farhan is no more the centre of attention to Vidya, he is marginalised while not being allowed to participate in parenting.

    Farhan approaches Vidya’s brother-in-law, Ram Kapoor, a man he never thought much of. But he has watched Ram doting on his wife and kid. The couple is lovey-dovey with Ram taking the lead all the time. He wants to know how Ram manages this. Ram has his little secret on which Farhan tumbles accidently! He is advised by Ram to follow the same formula as him. He starts doing what, they say, ‘all men do’. Tolerable so far, the film loses it purpose and goes on an abstract track. With its age-old marital discord theme, its attempts to be contemporary but ends up creating a mess.

    Scripting is rather ad hoc as it slips into flash-forward or flashback at whim. This includes a romantic song in flashback after the couple is married which does not quite interest a viewer. As a result of the script, the director has no hold on the proceedings and the film keeps meandering even as attempts at some light moments also fail. The film has some good songs in Tauba main vyaah karke pachtaya…, Bawla sa sapna, Desi romance… and Harry is not a brahmachari. However, these songs make for better listening on the audio track than they do in the film. Dialogue shows some sparks of wry humour in parts. 

    Yet, the main problem is with the film’s length, with two characters hogging most of the footage, it carries on for 145 minutes. This shortcoming shows as the film goes on to become unbearable in the second half. Vidya performs well as expected; but she is fast going out of shape to be appealing. Farhan is his usual casual self. Ram Kapoor is good in a brief role. Vir Das is loud. While Rati Agnihotri, Purab Kohli and Gautami Kapoor are okay in support, Ila Arun’s character looks forced.

    Shaadi Ke Side Effects has had a poor opening response despite much promotion; its reports won’t help further its prospects any more.