Tag: Jaya Bachchan

  • ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’ to premiere on 24 December on COLORS Cineplex

    ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’ to premiere on 24 December on COLORS Cineplex

    Mumbai: As we draw curtains to another fantastic year, get ready to celebrate the festivities in a blockbuster way, this Christmas with the world television premiere of ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’. Solidifying its status as the preferred choice for a diverse selection of films spanning different genres, COLORS Cineplex is all set to present ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’ on 24 December 2023 at 8:00 pm. ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’ encapsulates everything that will brighten your day – from the timeless charm of Bollywood music and classic romance to abundant comedy and, of course, a touch of glamour. Upholding its commitment to delivering top-notch entertainment, the addition of this blockbuster movie is poised to be a thrilling inclusion to the channel’s robust lineup of films. Let’s grab some popcorn, find a comfy spot on the couch, and remember, as Rocky wisely puts it, Ab full check out maarne ka time aa gaya hai—kyuki Rocky Randhwa and Rani Chatterjee are coming to spend the Christmas with you!

    Produced by Hiroo Yash Johar, Karan Johar and Apoorva Mehta, the romance dramedy ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’ is spearheaded by Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan, Shabana Azmi alongside Tota Roy Chowdhury, Churni Ganguly, Aamir Bashir, and Kshitee Jog. Directed by Karan Johar, the blockbuster is a modern love tale, underpinned by an old-word love story. It traces the journey of Rocky, a spirited Punjabi, and Rani, a sharp Bengali journalist, who fall in love and decide to live with each other’s families determined to prove that they’re a perfect match. Peppered with laughter and thought-provoking moments, the Karan Johar directorial delves into the complexities of love, family, and the daring choice to defy generations of tradition for the sake of love.

    “We are delighted to usher in the festive season with the World Television Premiere of ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani,’” said Viacom18 business head – Hindi movies cluster Rohan Lavsi. “At COLORS Cineplex, we have always taken pride in being the go-to destination for viewers seeking non-stop entertainment, especially during festive moments that bring families together. This Christmas, we are overjoyed to introduce another enduring love story into our collection, reinforcing our steadfast commitment to delivering best of entertaining content. ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’ is a heartwarming addition to our robust lineup of films, promising viewers a delightful and joyous experience. We look forward to riding the festive wave of love and laughter, as we invite our audience to join us on the 24th of December at 8:00 pm for an extraordinary celebration of cinema and the spirit of Christmas.”

    Sharing his thoughts on the world television premiere of ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’ Karan Johar said, “Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani marked my return to the cinemas after seven years and I was taken aback by all the unanimous love it received in theatres. It proved that this era of love is all about ‘love hain toh sab hain’. Its world television premiere on COLORS Cineplex brings back the joy of collaborating with incredible stars – Dharmendra ji, Jaya Bachchan ji, Shabana Azmi ji, Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt. My treasured dream team of Pritam Da and Amitabh Bhattacharya created wholesome tracks for this album. Get ready to experience all of it once again and cozy up with your squad with some popcorn! I invite the viewers to take to the steering wheel of entertainment with their family and friends doing the backseat driving this Christmas.”

    Ranveer Singh said, “The film’s reception during its theatrical release was overwhelming, and now, as it reaches the homes of millions with the world television premiere on COLORS Cineplex, I am quite thrilled as viewers across the nation will embark on this unforgettable rollercoaster ride of emotions and romance. This film holds a special place in my heart, as it exalts the strength of love and its ability to bind souls together, weaving a tale of an unbreakable familial bond. May this Christmas be a tapestry of abundant warmth, happiness, and the enchanting magic of ‘Rocky aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’ brings to all hearts.”

    Alia Bhatt said, “Christmas is one of my favourite times of the year and I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate this with all my fans. The season is all about joy, love, and togetherness and that’s what our film ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’ is all about. This movie is very close to my heart and as it makes its world TV premiere on COLORS Cineplex – I hope it adds an extra sparkle and loads of warmth to your celebrations!”

    Stay tuned to COLORS Cineplex for the world television premiere of ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’ on Sunday, 24 December at 8:00 pm.

  • Godrej L’Affaire concludes its fourth season with a grand celebration of lifestyle

    Godrej L’Affaire concludes its fourth season with a grand celebration of lifestyle

    MUMBAI: Godrej L’Affaire, a curated experiential lifestyle platform by the Godrej Group, concluded its fourth season in Mumbai. More than 1300 people including several prominent personalities attended Godrej L’Affaire.

    It kicked-off with a masterclass marking actress Bhumi Pednekar’s debut as a chef along with Chef Varun Inamdar. They engaged in a live cook-off followed by a conversation on how to bake a blockbuster. Celebrity couple Karanvir Bohra and Teejay Sidhu spoke about inculcating spirituality in children through travel. They also unveiled the trailer of their upcoming web-series ‘Baby Yatra’.

    Music director Shantanu Moitra did a standalone talk on his 100-day fascinating adventure across the Himalayas that changed his music forever. Designers Alan Abraham (Abraham John Architects), Madhav Raman (Anagram Architects), Swarup Dutta (Scenographer) and Asha Sairam (Studio Lotus) engaged in an insightful conversation, powered by Design Dekko, on ways to design homes that give back to nature and the importance of sustainable designs.

    The highlight of the evening soirée was ace couturiers Monisha Jaising and Shweta Bachchan Nanda’s luxury pret fashion label MxS’s first ever fashion show. The couture was street-inspired and had sportive elements and fabric mash-ups, giving the collection a jolt of energy. Supermodels like Carol Gracias, Deepti Gujral, Aanchal Kumar and Sucheta Sharma walked the ramp while the show was choreographed by Shie Lobo.

    Supporting Shweta’s first-ever MxS fashion show, Jaya Bachchan, among other celebrities, was also present. All models were accessorized with Isharya jewellery and watches by Guess Watches and Esprit, complementing the collection. India’s drag scene star, Sushant Divgikar, adorned his famed Rani Ko-He-Nur avatar for a musical performance with his band TopStorey leaving the audience mesmerized.

    The Godrej Food Trends Report – 2020 was unveiled at Godrej L’Affaire. The report curated by Rushina Munshaw-Ghildiyal is a compendium of insights, views and predictions collated from conversations with 150 experts – chefs, thought leaders and food influencers across major cities.

    Godrej Group executive director and chief brand officer Tanya Dubash said: "Godrej L’Affaire has redefined lifestyle trends with every new season. Be it personalities, experiences, footfalls and brand partnerships, our fourth season has raised the bar and turned out to be the most successful edition till date. Godrej L'Affaire has delivered on its promise of showcasing future lifestyle trends that people can adopt for a modern-day living.”

    Godrej L’Affaire soirée witnessed first time unveiling of Ginevra, a new perfume range from Tonino Lamborghini Fragrances. Radio host and producer Hrishikesh Kannan moderated an engaging panel comprising digital influencers such as Karishma Sakhrani, Khushnaz Turner, Rij Eappen, and Chef Amninder Sandhu. The panel titled ‘Make Space for Life’ by Godrej Interio, deliberated on the importance of maintaining work-life balance dynamics and explored what it takes to be an influencer.

    Tata Motors showcased its latest car in the electric vehicles segment –Tata Nexon EV. Godrej Locks unveiled an installation endorsing home safety, conceptualised and designed by Anand Menon and Shobhan Kothari of ADND, a prominent architecture, and interior design firm.

    Godrej L’Affaire’s fourth season presenting partner was MX Player, while the on-ground event was styled by Krsnaa Mehta of India Circus. The soirée offered experiences of top lifestyle brands such as Harley-Davidson, Guess Watches, BBLUNT, Esprit, Godrej Security Solutions, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Cinthol, Godrej Bambusa, Myntra, Script, Godrej Properties, and Goodknight Naturals.

    Other prominent brand partners include Godrej Veg Oils, Elior India, Slice of Pink, Godrej Professional, Godrej Protekt, Godrej Construction, Godrej Real Good Chicken, Houzz India and Godrej aer.

    MX Player CEO Karan Bedi said: "Godrej L’Affaire has been redefining lifestyle trends with every new edition, which makes it a great platform to interact with a range of premium audiences and brands. The theme for this year was 'Aarambh' – bringing together imagination, creativity, and innovation via bespoke experiences for its attendees. We are very happy to have been a part of this experience, and it was great to see the mix of ideas and concepts across various lifestyle categories."

    "The association with Godrej L’Affaire gives us the ideal platform to acknowledge and reward fashion-forward customers, while also setting new benchmarks in the industry on value creation and consumer engagement. For the second year of our association with Godrej L’Affaire, we invited over 50 Myntra Insiders to experience the best of fashion, travel, food, lifestyle and much more during this event,” added Myntra head of marketing Harish Narayanan on the partnership.

    Raymond Consumer Care director international brands Barun Mukherjee said: “Partnering with Godrej L’Affaire was a rewarding experience for us as the event reckons with everything lifestyle and luxury. We took the opportunity to launch Ginevra range of products and showcased the complete range of Tonino Lamborghini fragrances.”

    The media partners for the fourth season of Godrej L’Affaire were Sunday Mid-Day (Print Partner), Living Foodz (Lifestyle TV Partner), IWMbuzz.com (Digital Media Partner) and Radio One 94.3 (Radio Partner).  Wizcraft International managed the on-ground execution of this season.

  • Brands need to stay relevant, contemporary: Experts

    Brands need to stay relevant, contemporary: Experts

    NEW DELHI: “Nonsense”. That was the terse reaction of Jaya Bachchan – actor and now a member of the Parliament – to a question by the ebullient ad wizard Suhel Seth on whether she agreed that brand ambassadors should be held responsible for the brands they represent.

    Later, asked to elucidate, she told indiantelevision that she had already said that it was “nonsense.”

    Speaking at a session on the business of brand-building at FICCI’s 89th Annual General Meeting, Bachchan said that individuals were brands too, and they added value to the products and services which they endorsed to bring authentication.

    (The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Consumer Affairs had, in its review of the Consumer Protection Bill pending in the Parliament, stated earlier this year that stringent provisions may be made to fix liability on endorsers/celebrities as misrepresentation of a product, especially a food product, should be taken very seriously considering the influence of celebrities and high net-worth individuals or companies. It said the existing laws are not deterrent enough to discourage manufacturers or publishers from using such personalities for misleading advertisements.)

    Meanwhile, it was generally agreed that brands need to stay relevant and contemporary to the consumers to succeed. Experts agreed that brands need to create an experience by creating an emotional connect with the end-user (consumer); lest they cease to exist.

    “Brand is an idea that is in the head today,” said SKA Advisors chairman and former Britannia Industries CEO Sunil Alagh said. “The idea needs to be consistent, and remain contemporary.”

    According to Alagh, brands were not companies or products, a view that Bachchan disagreed with. But, Alagh, giving an example, said the ‘Angry young man’ as an idea was more relevant as an idea, and not Amitabh Bachchan or any other actor.

    Alagh said that brands had various stakeholders of late, and, most importantly, consumers were lately getting more information and react about the brand on social media.  He added that the stakeholders looked for an experience with the brand in the contemporary scenario.

    Coca-Cola India and south-west Asia president Venkatesh Kini said that a brand was not just an idea but it had to be embodied in a product. “A brand is a product, package and logo,” Kini who leads the 130-year old brand in the region said, and added that a brand might or might not require a celebrity to authenticate its product.

    “Consumers are taking ownership of brands, and companies are now looking at co-creating and co-owning the brand,” Kini added.

    Seth said that the idea was known if it keeps changing and remained contemporary. Reacting to the issue of brand ambassadors, he said that brand suffered if something happens to the celebrity endorsing it.

    Also read

    Brand ambassadors equally responsible for misleading ads,can be penalised: Parliamentary Committee

  • Brands need to stay relevant, contemporary: Experts

    Brands need to stay relevant, contemporary: Experts

    NEW DELHI: “Nonsense”. That was the terse reaction of Jaya Bachchan – actor and now a member of the Parliament – to a question by the ebullient ad wizard Suhel Seth on whether she agreed that brand ambassadors should be held responsible for the brands they represent.

    Later, asked to elucidate, she told indiantelevision that she had already said that it was “nonsense.”

    Speaking at a session on the business of brand-building at FICCI’s 89th Annual General Meeting, Bachchan said that individuals were brands too, and they added value to the products and services which they endorsed to bring authentication.

    (The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Consumer Affairs had, in its review of the Consumer Protection Bill pending in the Parliament, stated earlier this year that stringent provisions may be made to fix liability on endorsers/celebrities as misrepresentation of a product, especially a food product, should be taken very seriously considering the influence of celebrities and high net-worth individuals or companies. It said the existing laws are not deterrent enough to discourage manufacturers or publishers from using such personalities for misleading advertisements.)

    Meanwhile, it was generally agreed that brands need to stay relevant and contemporary to the consumers to succeed. Experts agreed that brands need to create an experience by creating an emotional connect with the end-user (consumer); lest they cease to exist.

    “Brand is an idea that is in the head today,” said SKA Advisors chairman and former Britannia Industries CEO Sunil Alagh said. “The idea needs to be consistent, and remain contemporary.”

    According to Alagh, brands were not companies or products, a view that Bachchan disagreed with. But, Alagh, giving an example, said the ‘Angry young man’ as an idea was more relevant as an idea, and not Amitabh Bachchan or any other actor.

    Alagh said that brands had various stakeholders of late, and, most importantly, consumers were lately getting more information and react about the brand on social media.  He added that the stakeholders looked for an experience with the brand in the contemporary scenario.

    Coca-Cola India and south-west Asia president Venkatesh Kini said that a brand was not just an idea but it had to be embodied in a product. “A brand is a product, package and logo,” Kini who leads the 130-year old brand in the region said, and added that a brand might or might not require a celebrity to authenticate its product.

    “Consumers are taking ownership of brands, and companies are now looking at co-creating and co-owning the brand,” Kini added.

    Seth said that the idea was known if it keeps changing and remained contemporary. Reacting to the issue of brand ambassadors, he said that brand suffered if something happens to the celebrity endorsing it.

    Also read

    Brand ambassadors equally responsible for misleading ads,can be penalised: Parliamentary Committee

  • Ki &Ka…..And not much else!

    Ki &Ka…..And not much else!

    MUMBAI: R Balki is known for bringing films way out of the ordinary formula framework. The good thing about him is his sincerity and dedication because of which he gets popular artistes to work in his films. This is a must for a maker’s film to be noticed, however good his theme may be. This time, Balki decides to trade roles between a man and a woman, both well educated. While the girl is well-placed professionally and has further ambitions, the boy hails from a huge realty developer family and shuns his family business.

    Arjun Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor are on a flight from Chandigarh to Delhi, sharing the same row with the middle seat being vacant. As soon as the flight takes off, Arjun gets emotional and starts crying. He remembers how his late mother used to clutch his hands tightly while flying because she was scared of flying and today happens to be her birthday. Kareena is told the cause. Both start getting familiar.

    Arjun is a topper in IIM as all film heroes are; before the IIM era, they used to stand ‘First Class First’. He is the only son of the biggest builder in Delhi. However, instead of following his father and inheriting his construction empire, he wants to emulate his mother whom he describes as an artist. His mother ran the household, cooked and that was her art.

    Kareena, on the other hand, is an executive on the corporate ladder always aiming at the next rung. Her mother, SwaroopSampat, a widow, is a social worker with an open mind.

    Arjun and Kareena are drawn to each other and realize they are in love. They decide to marry. Arjun’s father is not in favour of the marriage, while Swaroop blesses the couple. A deal is made. While Kareena will continue with pursuing her career, Arjun will manage the household, cooking and looking after both, Kareena and Swaroop.

    This has turned out to be a life changer for all the three concerned. Arjun keeps the house, cooks, cleans, shops and generally does everything a housewife does including attending kitty parties with other housewives. Of course, he is the life of these kitty parties.

    Kareena earns a promotion and as a result, media attention. She is all over the print and electronic media. Here, she is led to talk about her husband, Arjun, and what he does. Media attention turns to Arjun, as a man who runs the household. Overnight, he is a celebrity, on talk shows, on cookery shows, just about everywhere. His TRP rates much above that of Kareena.

    Jealousy replaces love. Kareena feels deceived and assumes that despite being the scion of a billionaire builder, he wants to live off her! Her tirade looks rather forced and unconvincing. Her venting her anger sans logic, looks silly. But, then, the couple’s love has survived by saying sorry multiple times. It is not going to be different on this occasion. Predictably, Arjun’s big-shot father too realizes the value of having a family.

    Meanwhile, Jaya Bachchan has watched Arjun talking on TV and is mighty impressed. She calls him over for dinner with Amitabh Bachchan present. What was this sequence about? It is inconclusive despite both debating Arjun’s way of life.

    Balki may have tried a new story but the content ispredictable. The story lacks twists and turns and efforts are made to make it a light entertainer towards which end it works in parts. Direction is fair to say that it skips melodrama for most part, and sticks to linear treatment. The film finds no slots for music.

    Although just 126 minute in length,the film surely needs some trimming. The cinematography is pleasant. The Arjun and Kareena match does not quite jell despite their age difference having been made clear in thenarration. Arjun is okay while Kareena looks good with no major scenes to steal. Swaroop provides an excellent foil to the two.

    Ki &Ka is a slow opener and carries a very limited appeal for a section of the audience and the compulsive moviegoer types.

    Producers: Sunil Lulla, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, R K Damani, R Balki.
    Director: R Balki.

    Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, SwaroopSampat, Rajit Kapoor and cameos by Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan.

     

  • Ki &Ka…..And not much else!

    Ki &Ka…..And not much else!

    MUMBAI: R Balki is known for bringing films way out of the ordinary formula framework. The good thing about him is his sincerity and dedication because of which he gets popular artistes to work in his films. This is a must for a maker’s film to be noticed, however good his theme may be. This time, Balki decides to trade roles between a man and a woman, both well educated. While the girl is well-placed professionally and has further ambitions, the boy hails from a huge realty developer family and shuns his family business.

    Arjun Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor are on a flight from Chandigarh to Delhi, sharing the same row with the middle seat being vacant. As soon as the flight takes off, Arjun gets emotional and starts crying. He remembers how his late mother used to clutch his hands tightly while flying because she was scared of flying and today happens to be her birthday. Kareena is told the cause. Both start getting familiar.

    Arjun is a topper in IIM as all film heroes are; before the IIM era, they used to stand ‘First Class First’. He is the only son of the biggest builder in Delhi. However, instead of following his father and inheriting his construction empire, he wants to emulate his mother whom he describes as an artist. His mother ran the household, cooked and that was her art.

    Kareena, on the other hand, is an executive on the corporate ladder always aiming at the next rung. Her mother, SwaroopSampat, a widow, is a social worker with an open mind.

    Arjun and Kareena are drawn to each other and realize they are in love. They decide to marry. Arjun’s father is not in favour of the marriage, while Swaroop blesses the couple. A deal is made. While Kareena will continue with pursuing her career, Arjun will manage the household, cooking and looking after both, Kareena and Swaroop.

    This has turned out to be a life changer for all the three concerned. Arjun keeps the house, cooks, cleans, shops and generally does everything a housewife does including attending kitty parties with other housewives. Of course, he is the life of these kitty parties.

    Kareena earns a promotion and as a result, media attention. She is all over the print and electronic media. Here, she is led to talk about her husband, Arjun, and what he does. Media attention turns to Arjun, as a man who runs the household. Overnight, he is a celebrity, on talk shows, on cookery shows, just about everywhere. His TRP rates much above that of Kareena.

    Jealousy replaces love. Kareena feels deceived and assumes that despite being the scion of a billionaire builder, he wants to live off her! Her tirade looks rather forced and unconvincing. Her venting her anger sans logic, looks silly. But, then, the couple’s love has survived by saying sorry multiple times. It is not going to be different on this occasion. Predictably, Arjun’s big-shot father too realizes the value of having a family.

    Meanwhile, Jaya Bachchan has watched Arjun talking on TV and is mighty impressed. She calls him over for dinner with Amitabh Bachchan present. What was this sequence about? It is inconclusive despite both debating Arjun’s way of life.

    Balki may have tried a new story but the content ispredictable. The story lacks twists and turns and efforts are made to make it a light entertainer towards which end it works in parts. Direction is fair to say that it skips melodrama for most part, and sticks to linear treatment. The film finds no slots for music.

    Although just 126 minute in length,the film surely needs some trimming. The cinematography is pleasant. The Arjun and Kareena match does not quite jell despite their age difference having been made clear in thenarration. Arjun is okay while Kareena looks good with no major scenes to steal. Swaroop provides an excellent foil to the two.

    Ki &Ka is a slow opener and carries a very limited appeal for a section of the audience and the compulsive moviegoer types.

    Producers: Sunil Lulla, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, R K Damani, R Balki.
    Director: R Balki.

    Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, SwaroopSampat, Rajit Kapoor and cameos by Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan.

     

  • DD Bharati extends deal with Films Division for two years

    DD Bharati extends deal with Films Division for two years

    NEW DELHI: The Films Division has extended its agreement with DD Bharati to telecast documentaries on Doordarshan’s cultural channel for a period of two more years.

     

    Films Division director general Mukesh Sharma said that the agreement may be extended if the slots prove popular. He was speaking at a workshop on ‘How not to make a film’ at the ongoing Mumbai International Film Festival for Shorts, Documentaries and animation films of which he is the director.

     

    Sharma holds additional charge at FD in addition to his main charge as head of the Mumbai Kendra of Doordarshan.

     

    He said in reply to a question that his predecessor had earlier signed a year-long pact with DD Bharati but he had taken a slot for another two years.

     

    Sharma added that it had become difficult to revive the Films Division slot in cinema halls despite winning a case in the Supreme Court because the judgment had a lot of riders to it. The primary directive that the apex court had made was that the slot should not be confined to FD films but also have other short films.

     

    “A way has to be found for selecting the right kind of films for showing in theatres and this may necessitate a selection body,” Sharma said.

     

    The FD was prepared to give up its demand of payment by theatres, which in any case was less than Rs 10 per show.   

     

    Earlier, Sharma related the experience of a film he had made for the Children’s Film Society, India, where he was then posted, in 1989 where everything appeared to be going wrong but he not only made the film but even went on to win awards. He was originally asked to be the production controller by then Chairperson Jaya Bachchan but ended up being the director, the production controller, an actor, editor, and man Friday for the film, Anokha Asptaal because he had to meet a deadline given to him by the chairperson.

     

    He said though he was lucky because he had planned everything backwards – from the expected date of completion working backwards to finding locations, turning a two-page story into a film script and so on – he would not advise others to do so. 

  • DD Bharati extends deal with Films Division for two years

    DD Bharati extends deal with Films Division for two years

    NEW DELHI: The Films Division has extended its agreement with DD Bharati to telecast documentaries on Doordarshan’s cultural channel for a period of two more years.

     

    Films Division director general Mukesh Sharma said that the agreement may be extended if the slots prove popular. He was speaking at a workshop on ‘How not to make a film’ at the ongoing Mumbai International Film Festival for Shorts, Documentaries and animation films of which he is the director.

     

    Sharma holds additional charge at FD in addition to his main charge as head of the Mumbai Kendra of Doordarshan.

     

    He said in reply to a question that his predecessor had earlier signed a year-long pact with DD Bharati but he had taken a slot for another two years.

     

    Sharma added that it had become difficult to revive the Films Division slot in cinema halls despite winning a case in the Supreme Court because the judgment had a lot of riders to it. The primary directive that the apex court had made was that the slot should not be confined to FD films but also have other short films.

     

    “A way has to be found for selecting the right kind of films for showing in theatres and this may necessitate a selection body,” Sharma said.

     

    The FD was prepared to give up its demand of payment by theatres, which in any case was less than Rs 10 per show.   

     

    Earlier, Sharma related the experience of a film he had made for the Children’s Film Society, India, where he was then posted, in 1989 where everything appeared to be going wrong but he not only made the film but even went on to win awards. He was originally asked to be the production controller by then Chairperson Jaya Bachchan but ended up being the director, the production controller, an actor, editor, and man Friday for the film, Anokha Asptaal because he had to meet a deadline given to him by the chairperson.

     

    He said though he was lucky because he had planned everything backwards – from the expected date of completion working backwards to finding locations, turning a two-page story into a film script and so on – he would not advise others to do so. 

  • Zee Classic to air cult favourite ‘Sholay’ for the first time

    Zee Classic to air cult favourite ‘Sholay’ for the first time

    MUMBAI: Even after 40 years of its release, the characters and dialogues of Ramesh Sippy’s Sholay are etched into our memories. Be it Basanti chatting away nines to the dozen but at the end claiming breathlessly, ‘Kyunke mujhe befuzool baat karne ki aadat to hai nahin’ or Gabbar Singh’s booming voice philosophizing, ‘Jo darr gaya samjho margaya’ or the sound of the swing squeaking after the dacoits have inflicted their reign of terror on the household of Thakur Baldev Singh, the movie continues to be a favourite throughout generations. Bringing alive its core proposition – ‘Woh Zamaana, Kare Deewana’ – Zee Classic brings the greatest epic ever told with the finest starcast ever assembled on Saturday, 20 June at 7:30 pm.

     

    The movie starring Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Hema Malini and Jaya Bachchan in lead roles holds a first-time record of running successfully for five years at Mumbai’s Minerva theatre. Not many know that initially Dharmendra was keen to play the role of Thakur Baldev Singh, which was immortalised by Sanjeev Kumar. He agreed to play Veeru only when the director told him, if he didn’t do it, Sanjeev Kumar would get the part and Basanti, too. Since Sanjeev Kumar had just proposed marriage to Hema Malini, Dharmendra didn’t want him sharing screen space with her let alone romancing her. And as they say rest is history, he quickly took on Veeru’s role.

     

    During the making of Sholay, four of the leads became romantically involved. While Amitabh Bachchan married Jaya Bhaduri four months before filming started, Dharmendra had begun wooing Hema Malini during their earlier film Seeta Aur Geeta and used the location of Sholay to help further his case. During their romantic scenes, he would pay the light boys to spoil the shot, thereby ensuring retakes.

     

    Exalted more than a religious scriptures for characterisation in Bollywood, Sholay tells a story of Amitabh Bachchan (Jai) and Dharmendra (Veeru) the two outlaws hired by a traumatized police officer (Sanjeev Kumar) to avenge the brutal murder of his family by Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan), the most feared villain in Hindi film.

     

    Everything about Sholay attained classic status and quickly entered the pop culture mainstream: the music by R.D. Burman, the dialogue by Salim-Javed and the characters, who also include garrulous female horse cart driver Basanti (Hema Malini) and the wistful widow Radha (Jaya Bhaduri). 

  • West Bengal government to set up a film archive

    West Bengal government to set up a film archive

    KOLKATA: With an aim to set up a film archive in the state, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met Bollywood actress Jaya Bachchan.

     

    “I had asked Jaya Bachchan to work out a plan for a film archive here with the direct involvement of Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan ji. It will help the industry here,” Banerjee said after her hour-long meeting with Jaya Bachchan at the state Secretariat Nabanna.

     

    Jaya Bachchan, after meeting the chief minister said, “I came here responding to the CM’s call for working out a plan for a film archive. The CM has also sought the involvement of Amitabh Bachchanji. I have submitted a proposal in this regard,” Jaya said.

     

    When experts were contacted they said that the state government plans to safeguard the heritage of cinema for posterity and act as a centre for dissemination of a healthy film culture here. “Familiarizing foreign audiences with Bengali cinema and to make it more visible across the globe is another declared objective of the state government,” an expert added.

     

    Going forward, the state might also look at classifying and documenting data related to film and undertake research on cinema.

     

    Generally books and periodicals covering cinema, festival publications, ancillary material like song booklets, photographs, wall posters, pamphlets, folders, disc records and other memorabilia on cinema are preserved by the research and documentation section.