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Tag: Vishal Bhardwaj

  • Zee initiates campaign for Kashmir floods- “HUM HAIN… Umeed-e-Kashmir”

    Zee initiates campaign for Kashmir floods- “HUM HAIN… Umeed-e-Kashmir”

    MUMBAI: The entertainment industry led by the Event and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA), the Film and Television Producers Guild and the global mediaconglomerate Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd.(ZEE) has initiated a fund-raiser campaign, “HUM HAIN… Umeed-e-Kashmir” to raise funds and awareness for flood-stricken Kashmir. The recent floods in Kashmir have devastated and unhinged the lives of many leaving many casualties and loss of homes, property and livelihoods in its wake.

     
    Acknowledging our chance to be one, the relief campaign kicked off on Gandhi Jayanti and ZEE’s 22nd Anniversary – 2nd October,  with a message from youth icon Ranbir Kapoor calling on the nation to join hands and raise hope for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The message was released along with a thematic music piece composed by Gulzar & Vishal Bharadwaj and sung by Sukhwinder Singh.

     

    HUM HAIN: Umeed-e-Kashmir will strive to work alongside several NGOs, Government bodies, celebrities and civilians to give the cause a unified voice. The concert will include a list of celebrity performers will appeal and urge viewers to donate to key NGOs and specified Disaster Relief Funds in support of the Kashmir relief project. Many other stars and performers will be shortly announced.

     

    On 18 October, HUM HAIN…Ummeed e Kashmir is being hosted at the Indira Gandhi Indoor stadium in Delhi and features a veritable who’s who: Aamir Khan, Vishal Bhardwaj, Farhan Akhtar, Ranbir Kapoor, Sharmila Tagore, Gulzar, Ayushman Khurrana, Daler Mehndi, Sonu Nigam, Shaan, Sukhwinder Singh, Rekha Bhardwaj, Pritam, Shantanu Moitra, Kavita Krishnamurthy and Dr L Subramanium, Anupam Kher, Imtiaz Ali, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Mukesh Bhatt, Swanand Kirkire, Zaheer Khan, Boney and Sridevi Kapoor and multiple celebrities. More celebrities will continue to join as performers, as the build-up to the event begins. Tickets for the event and all proceeds, which will completely go to the charity United Way will soon be available on Bookmyshow.com and other outlets across the Delhi NCR region.
     

    The campaign’s highpoint is the creation of simultaneous live events on ground across 7 cities on 18th October with the main event at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi and simultaneous events being held in Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkatta and Jaipur.  The spread of events across the country will help demonstrate that India cares.

     
    Zee TV’s 10 News channels will come together to connect the multiple events being held simultaneously across the country. India will be one as the event management industry in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Jaipur, and Kolkata will feature their respective film and entertainment industries. Zee’s anchors and network will connect the cities and performers live from 3 pm onwards on 18th October.

     

    A total of 38 Zee channels will SIMULCAST this initiative on Sunday 26 October including Zee TV, Zee Cinema, & Pictures, Zee Classic, Zee Action, Zee Premiere, Zee Café, Zee Studio, ETC, Zing, Zindagi, Zee Tamil, Zee Talkies, Zee Bangla, Zee Bangla  Cinema, Zee Anmol, Zee Smile, Zee Salaam, Zee Jagran, ZQ, Khana Khazana, Zee TV HD, Zee Cinema HD, & Pictures HD and Zee Studio HD, Zee Kannada, Zee Telugu, Zee Marathi Zee News, Zee Business, Zee 24 Taas, Zee 24 Ghanta, Zee MP CG, Zee Punjab, Zee Sangam, Zee Marudhara, Zee Kalina and Zee Purvaiya.

        
    Studios will also be set up in both New Delhi and Mumbai where celebrities will also send across poignant messages, performances and showcase footage films that bring alive the devastation and relief work undertaken in an effort to strengthen the appeal. Concert tickets for the same will be sold, with all proceeds going to charity. A collection of celebrity memorabilia will also go on auction. ALL money generated through the fund-raiser through sale of tickets, donations, sponsorships, commercial time, auctions, etc. will be given to charities in Jammu & Kashmir and the most-recently hit Assam that the organisers will painstakingly select.

    Amitabh Bachchan speaking about the initiative said, “As human beings and as Indians we need to do all that we can to help our countrymen in need. The plight of the people of Jammu & Kashmir has always been a matter of concern and the floods have only made it worse. All that we do simply won’t be enough to meet the various challenges facing the people; but every drop counts. Hence we call on everyone in our country and from the world community to come forward and provide their support.”

     

    Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, ZEE said “As a nation, we have always treasured Kashmir the most, our precious crown that it has always been. In such a calamity, it is nothing less than a moral responsibility of every citizen and corporate in India to step forward and extend the best possible support towards the relief. As a global media company, with a wide bouquet of multiple channels across the nation, and a strong connect with over 730 million viewers, ZEE aims at offering a dual support to this initiative. Firstly, through the advertisement revenues generated from the broadcast, which would be entirely donated to the relief work, and secondly by offering a nationwide reach to the event. Committed to ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, which we espouse as our brand positioning, it is ZEE’s responsibility to step forward and work for its Family, of which the people of Kashmir are an integral part.”  

     

    Ranbir Kapoor speaking about the initiative said, “Kashmir has always been an intrinsic part of our film industry. The happiness and joy that the Kashmiri people brought me and my Rockstar crew was incredible. The people are peace-loving and love all of us from the entertainment industry. I am grateful to the EEMA and the Film  Producers Guild for initiating this project with Zee TV. It’s important that the country comes together to demonstrate our solidarity with them at this time”

     

    Sabbas Joseph, President of Event and Entertainment Management Association said today, “As we continue to plan the relief campaign, there is an optimistic energy building that we will be able to help rebuild Kashmir with a sense of solidarity that is representative by every film, music and sports icon coming together. The idea of creating multiple simultaneous live events showcases the strength, diversity and unity of our country; it also demonstrates the growing strength of the live and event management industry across the country. Bringing the country together, is at the core of the initiative that we are building.”

     

    Mukesh Bhatt, President of the Film & TV Producers Guild, said, “The land of ethereal beauty & purity is in tatters, devastated by nature’s fury. Kashmir, the embodiment of Indian culture & tradition, is crying for help from millions of fellow Indians. The Indian entertainment industry has shared a wonderful symbiotic relationship with the land of Kashmir over the years & the time has come to repay the generosity & hospitality of Kashmiris in their time of strife. The industry has forever pioneered charitable causes whenever India has been ravaged by tragedies & this time too, we would like to support our Kashmiri brethren & contribute in our own humble way to this gargantuan task of relief & rehabilitation.”Hum Hain ….. Umeed-e-Kashmir” will not only assemble industry forces on a common platform of compassion & nobility but more significantly appeal to the consciousness of the vast multitude of Indians to generously donate funds in our endeavour to provide some succour to the survivors in Kashmir.”

     

    This October, the Event and Entertainment Management Association, along with Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. and the Film and Television Producers Guild of India have come together in solidarity with the people of Kashmir and India, at large and is sending out a call-to-action.

     

  • Bang Bang…. Just half a bang for your money..

    Bang Bang…. Just half a bang for your money..

    MUMBAI: Don’t try to relate the title with what is going in the film. It’s a film about a man on a mission and being a Hindi film there has to be a pretty woman accompanying him so that they can fit in some song and dance routine.

     

    Hrithik Roshan’s assignment is to steal the Kohinoor diamond from under the nose of the British authorities. The word spreads and Danny Denzongpa and Pawan Arora, who were planning to steal it too, find out about his mission. They think since now it is with Hrithik, it would be easier for them to lay their hands on the diamond.

     

    But the job is not as easy as Danny thought it would be. After all, Hrithik is an ex-army man and proficient in Kung Fu as well as gunfighting. Besides, he is an ace swimmer and knows every stunt in the book and then some more. As usual, Danny’s goons chase him in dozens on roads as well as in the sea. Hrithik finishes them all.

     

    Katrina Kaif, Hrithik’s companion, has no alternative but to stay with Hrithik because the villains have seen her with him and may use her as a bait to lure him.

     

    Hrithik was serving in Kargil when his brother, Jimmy Shergill, was killed by Danny. He leaves the army to join the Indian secret service. He knows Danny’s informers are in the service. The story of Kohinoor is concocted with the help of British secret service, MI6. That way Danny would come to find Hrithik rather than the other way around.

     

    But, Danny, who makes an appearance in the beginning, vanishes until much later leaving the task of finishing Hrithik to his goons. Pawan Arora is also involved and plants a device to see where Katrina meets Hrithik. That turns out to be exactly what Hrithik wanted. When the cops arrive with Pawan and his goons, Hrithik, though shot, escapes after leaving the diamond on the spot. Katrina is kidnapped and Danny is livid because the Kohinoor he got from her is a fake.

     

    Hrithik traces Katrina to Danny’s den. He has come equipped with enough material to blow up Danny’s palace.  Danny escapes to felicitate a final chase, first on road and later in water when Danny is escaping in a sea plane. Hrithik fells the sea plane with harpoon shots. The plane is on fire. Hrithik enters to save the handcuffed Karina and leaves Danny to die the same way he killed Shergill.

     

    There is nothing about the film one has not watched in recent past. In fact, it can be called a bad version of Ek Tha Tiger. There is not much happening in the first half. Second half is aboutchases and gun fights. The script is weak. Direction is passable. Cinematography is good. Couple of songs have appeal. Hrithik and Katrina make an attractive pair. It is nice to see Danny and Pawan after some time. 

     

     

    Producer: Fox Star Studios.

    Direction: Siddharth Anand.

    Cast: Hrithink Roshan, Katrina Kaif, Danny Denzongpa, Pawan Arora, Jaaved Jaffrey, Jimmy Shergil, Dipti Naval, Kanwaljit Singh.

     

    Haider …. RIP Shakespeare!

    Vishal Bhardwaj is a man who sources his films from Shakespeare. For him, it works well because there is no copyright and no price to pay and he can pretend to be intellectual. Sadly, his intellectualism costs crores to unqualified corporate houses, that want to be in the film business. In Haider, Bhardwaj adapts Shakespeare’s Hamlet. To say that he does no justice to the original and road rolls it would be an understatement.

     

    It is hard to call when the last film that was based on a regional problem worked at the box office. Haider is about a family’s Kashmir problem—and yet it has nothing to do with Kashmir. It is in fact about a family feud, sex, disloyalty and incest. It is a film with little by way of script. Haider takes all sorts of liberties, twists the script to its convenience and, in the process, and makes a joke of its writer, director and actors.

     

    Terrorism is the rule of the land in Kashmir and the young Haider, Shahid Kapur, is already embroiled in it when his mother, Tabu, discovers a pistol in his school bag, a way to show that Shahid has been initiated into terrorism. That too without a cause or a reason—those follow only much later when his father, whom he adores, is killed for being an accomplice of terrorists.

     

    That moment comes when Shahid returns from studies in Aligarh. He finds his family devastated: his father has been killed and he realises that his mother has been sleeping with his Chahcha who actually got his father killed.

     

    But instead of taking out his anger on his mother or uncle, he conveniently becomes a terrorist. In this cock and bull story, if you are angry with your mother, you take it out on your motherland, dig? Because Shahid’s mother, Tabu, sleeps around with his uncle, Kay Kay Menon, he becomes a terrorist only to kill them. No matter that terrorism means killing your own countrymen.

     

    Sadly, nowhere does the film match Indian sensibilities. The script is such a chalta-hai kind it changes tone with every scene. It takes the viewer to be a total moron. The Indian army has been shown in bad light throughout. The Kashmiris are shown in bad light with no sense of their priorities.

     

    With this kind of a story, the actors have little to work with. Shahid is totally at loss with whatever he is doing. Most of the time, he is made to act like a lunatic. Shraddha Kapoor appears at the whim and fancy of the director. Tabu’s character is ill-defined. That you don’t know if she is in love or is a nymphomaniac; she even kisses her son on the lips. As for Tabu and Menon’s relationship, it is still not okay with the Indian audience especially since he keeps referring to her as ‘Bhbhijaan’.

     

    As for the script, Haider is poor; its adaptation of Hamlet is pathetic. There is no direction worth its name. The musical score is poor. Editing does not exist. The background score is monotonous. Dialogue, for a Shakespeare drama, is a let-down.

     

    Haider is a big let-down commercially.

     

    Producers: Vishal Bhardwaj, UTV Motion Pictures.

    Director: Vishal Bhardwaj.

    Cast: Tabu, Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Kay Kay Menon, Irrfan Khan, Narednra Jha, Aamir Bashir. 

  • 11 films from India at Busan this year, festival to show 100 feature films

    11 films from India at Busan this year, festival to show 100 feature films

    NEW DELHI: 11 films from India will be screened at the forthcoming Busan International Film Festival next month.

     

    To be held between 2 and 11 October, the Festival will open and close with two films from Greater China. The festival’s opening is the international premiere of Taiwan’s Paradise in Service, Doze Niu’s coming-of-age drama about a young soldier stationed at a brothel on Kinmen Island. The film is produced by Hou Hsiao-hsien. The world premiere of Hong Kong’s Gangster Pay Day by Lee Po-cheung about a washed-out gang boss who turns legitimate by taking over a restaurant, closes the festival. It stars  Anthony Wong and Charlene Choi.

     

    This year’s festival is screening over 100 Asian feature films among a total of 313 films (features and shorts) from 79 countries. The lineup includes the world premieres of 65 feature films and the international premieres of 33 feature films.

     

    Vishal Bhardwaj’s Haider, Homi Adajania’s Finding Fanny and Shonali Bose’s Margarita with a straw are among the six films that will be showcased in “A window to Asian Cinema” section.

     

    Other films that will screen in the section include: Malayalam film Zahir by Siddharth Siva, Tamil film Goli Soda by Vijay Milton and Adityavikram Sengupta’s Labour of Love that earlier screened at Venice Days sidebar of Venice Film Festival.

     

    Omung Kumar’s Mary Kom will be screened outdoors in a special programme titled Open Cinema. The film had its world premiere at Toronto International Film Festival.

     

    Sunrise by Paris based Indian filmmaker Partho Sen-Gupta will compete in the New Currents section.

     

    Our Metropolis by Gautam Sonti and Usha Rao has been shortlisted for documentary competition while Balaka Ghosh’s Foot Prints in Desert will be screened in the Documentary Showcase section.

     

    The festival will also screen Gitanjali Rao’s True Love Story that has earlier screened at Cannes Critics Week and has won award for best animation film at Mumbai International Film Festival.

     

    The annual Korean Cinema Retrospective is dedicated to veteran director Jung Jin-woo. Hong Kong’s Ann Hui is this year’s Asian Filmmaker of the Year and her latest film The Golden Era will have a gala screening at the festival. 

  • It came at the right time – in the birth centenary year of Dadasaheb Phalke: Gulzar

    It came at the right time – in the birth centenary year of Dadasaheb Phalke: Gulzar

    NEW DELHI: Later this year, eminent director-screen writer-lyricist Gulzar will be honoured with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2013) by President Pranab Mukherjee along with the National Film Awards (2013). Gulzar will be the third lyricist after Majrooh Sultanpuri (1994) and Kavi Pradeep (1998) to win the award.

     

    According to Information & Broadcasting Ministry Secretary, Bimal Julka, the seven-member selection committee was unanimous in its recommendation of Gulzar for what is the nation’s highest award in cinema.

     

    “I am particularly happy since the choice was made by an independent committee, though set up by the Government,” said Gulzar. While many feel the honour was bestowed on him rather late, he only said, “This was special, as it came at the right time- in the birth centenary year of Dadasaheb Phalke.”

     

    An institution into himself, Gulzar has not only penned several Hindi film songs and dialogues but also directed a clutch of notable films. As one of the greatest authorities in the history of song in Indian cinema, he has given talks on the subject, both in India and abroad. Often accused of selecting other people’s novels/stories for adaptation, there’s no denying his talent for optimally adapting the same to Indian/Hindi film audiences.

     

    Biography

     

    Gulzar was born as Sampooran Singh Kalra to Makhan Singh Kalra and Sujan Kaur in Dina, Jhelum district, in undivided India, in what is now Pakistan. Sampooran started off as a car mechanic in a garage in Mumbai but went on to become a writer, assuming the pen name, Gulzar Deenvi. His father rebuked him for becoming a writer saying, “As a writer, you will have to depend on your brothers”. He started his film career as a lyricist, going on to write dialogues and screen plays, and later, even directing many critically acclaimed films.

     

    Gulzar began as a songwriter with music director Sachin Dev Burman in the movie Bandini (1963) with the song, Mora Gora Ang Lai le picturised on Nutan. Gulzar’s most successful songs as a lyricist came out of his association with S D Burman’s son, Rahul Dev Burman, whom he described as the anchor in his life. Gulzar’s lyrics were special in that they formed part of the narrative. As a lyricist, he also had award-winning associations with music directors Salil Chowdhury (Anand, Mere Apne), Madan Mohan (Mausam) and more recently Vishal Bhardwaj (Maachis, Omkara, Kaminey), A. R. Rahman (Dil Se.., Guru, Slumdog Millionaire, Raavan) and Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy (Bunty aur Babli).

     

    Some of Gulzar’s more notable songs are: Maine Tere Liye Hi from the film Anand; Bole Re Papihara Papihara from the film Guddi; Koii Hota Jisko Apna, a nostalgic number from Mere Apne; Aanewala Pal Janewala (Golmaal); Sun Sun Sun Didi (Khubsoorat); Ae Zindagi Gale Laga Le (Sadma); Roz Roz Aankhon Tale (Jeeva); Tum Aa Gaye Ho Noor and Tere Bina Zindagi Se from the film Aandhi; Saare ke saare gaama ko lekar gaate chale (Parichay); and Dil Dhoondhta hai (Mausam).

    Gulzar won international fame when he was awarded the prestigious Oscar Award (with A R Rehman and Sukhwinder Singh) for writing the Best Original Song  Jai Ho from the film, Slumdog Millionare. He was also honoured with the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media.

     

    Apart from films, he has written ghazals for ghazal king (late) Jagjit Singh’s albums “Marasim” and “Koi Baat Chale”. Both albums were a great success.

     

    For the peace campaign (Aman ki Asha) jointly flagged off by leading media houses from India and Pakistan, he wrote the anthem “Nazar Main Rehte Ho”, which was recorded by Shankar Mahadevan and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.

     

    Gulzar’s poetry is partly published in three compilations: Chand Pukhraaj Ka, Raat Pashminey Ki and Pandrah Paanch Pachattar (15-05-75).

     

    Gulzar also wrote dialogues and screen plays for films like Aashirwad, Anand, Khamoshi and more. His short stories are published in Raavi-paar (also known as Dustkhat in Pakistan) and Dhuan (smoke). He has penned dialogues and lyrics for several Doordarshan serials including Jungle Book, Alice in Wonderland, Guchche, Hello Zindagi, Potli Baba ki and more recently, the children’s audio-book series, Karadi Tales.

     

    Fluent in several languages and dialects, Gulzar has written in Braj Bhasha, Khariboli, Haryanvi and Marwari though he primarily writes in Hindustani (Hindi-Urdu) and Punjabi.

     

    He forayed into direction with Mere Apne(1971). The film was a remake of Tapan Sinha’s Bengali film Apanjan (1969), where Meena Kumari played the lead role of Anandi Devi, an old widow caught between the local fights of unemployed and tormented youngsters. Anandi Devi’s death in one of the fights makes the youth realise the futility of violence. The film was rated “Above Average” at the Box Office.

     

    He then directed Parichay and Koshish, with the former based on a Bengali novel Rangeen Uttarain by Raj Kumar Maitra and inspired by the Hollywood classic, The Sound of Music. Whereas Koshish, written by Gulzar, depicts the struggle of a deaf and dumb couple. Sanjeev Kumar won the National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance in the film. The year 1973 saw another directorial venture from Gulzar named Achanak, inspired by the real-life sensational 1958 murder case K M Nanavati vs State of Maharashtra. The story writer, Khwaja Ahmed Abbas, earned a Filmfare nomination for Best story.

     

    Gulzar’s Aandhi, based on the Hindi novel “Kaali Aandhi” by the renowned writer Kamleshwar, told the story of a separated couple against the backdrop of politics and was often believed to be based on the story of Indira Gandhi though it was actually based on the life of Tarkeshwari Sinha. Along with various wins and nominations, the film also won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Movie. During the emergency in 1975, the film was banned from theatres. Gulzar’s next, Khushboo, was inspired by Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s Pandit Mashay. While his other film, Mausam, won the National Award for second Best Feature Film, Filmfare Best Movie and Filmfare Best Director awards, along with other six Filmfare nominations. It was loosely based on the story “Weather” from the novel, The Judas Tree, by A.J. Cronin. Sharmila Tagore for her roles of Chanda and Kajli received The Silver Lotus Award at the 23rd National Film Festival.

     

    Gulzar’s 1982 film Angoor was taken from William Shakespeare’s play, The Comedy of Errors. In his Maachis, a young Punjabi boy becomes a terrorist only to realise the futility of it. While Hu Tu Tu dealt with corruption and one man’s fight against it. Flashback has been an important tool of narration in Gulzar’s films including Aandhi, Mausam, Ijaazat, Machis and Hu Tu Tu among others.

     

    On the small screen, Gulzar created the popular series Mirza Ghalib and Tahreer Munshi Premchand ki among others. 

     

    Gulzar, who will turn 80 on 18 August this year, was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2002 and the Padma Bhushan in 2004. He has won a number of National Film Awards and 20 Filmfare Awards. In 2012, he received the Indira Gandhi National Integration Award.

  • Shahid Kapoor’s look in Vishal Bhardwaj’s next revealed

    Shahid Kapoor’s look in Vishal Bhardwaj’s next revealed

    MUMBAI: Actor Shahid Kapoor’s best came out in the 2009-film Kaminey  where he played a double role of twin brothers – Charlie and Guddu – one stuttered and the other lisped. The director of the film Vishal Bhardwaj was given the credit for bringing out the hidden talent of Kapoor. Since then the industry as well as the fans of both the actor and the director have been waiting for them to reunite.

     

    It seems to be the right time to look forward to something interesting from the duo as the much awaited first look of their next movie together is out. Haider, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s popular work – Hamlet, is a film by Vishal Bhardwaj and Disney UTV.

     

    The actor’s first look in the film that was released today shows him in a neat buzz-cut for the role of a desi Hamlet. Shahid  says, “I believe in the script and have completely surrendered to Vishal sir’s vision on my character and my look.”

     

    Being shot in Kashmir, Haider is Vishal’s last film of his trilogy based on William Shakespeare’s tragedies.

     

    “Disney UTV Studios’ previous association with Vishal Bhardwaj and Shahid Kapoor delivered the cult box office hit Kaminey. The audiences have long awaited the next installment from this team, and in Haider we believe the audiences will find the wait was well worth it. With an incredible ensemble of actors including Tabu, Shraddha Kapur and Kay Kay Menon, this Shakespearean interpretation set against the backdrop of militancy in Kashmir, has some remarkable performances and great music. We believe Haider will be a worthy successor to Maqbool and Omkara,” says Disney UTV Studios Creative Director Amar Butala.

     

    Haider is set to release on September 12 this year and stars Tabu, Shraddha Kapur and Kay Kay Menon alongside Shahid Kapoor.

  • Shahid and Shraddha signed for Vishal Bhardwaj’s Haider

    Shahid and Shraddha signed for Vishal Bhardwaj’s Haider

    Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor and Tabu have been roped in for Vishal Bhardwaj’s ambitious next in line Shakespeare trilogy Haider, an Indian adaptation of Hamlet.

     

    While Tabu has already been a part of this trilogy as Lady Macbeth in Vishal’s Maqbool in 2003, Shahid will be pairing up with the director after the 2009 film Kaminey.

     

    The Kapoor boy will be essaying the lead role of Hamlet while Shraddha and Tabu’s role are still being kept under wraps.

     

    Hamlet is the story of a son of a former king who takes revenge from his uncle and the then King Claudius for snatching away the throne by murdering his father.

     

    The Indian version of this Shakespeare tragedy will be shot in the beautiful locales around Kashmir and is slated to go on floors by the end of 2013.

  • Vishal Bhardwaj to shoot Hamlet in Kashmir

    Vishal Bhardwaj to shoot Hamlet in Kashmir

    Though the leading man in Vishal Bhardwaj’s film adaptation of Hamlet is still under wraps, the locations for the film has been finalised. Bhardwaj’ recently revealed that the film will be shot in Kashmir.

     

    Apparently, the director wanted to weave the story of Hamlet with a violent, political backdrop and he believes that the story of Kashmir would perfectly suit the theme. With Maqbool (adaptation of Macbeth) which was based in Mumbai and Omkara (adaptation of Othello) based in a small town in the north, this location for yet another drama seems to be an apt choice.

     

    The film is said for a 2014 release and will coincide with the 450th birth anniversary celebrations of the most popular playwright William Shakespeare. Thus, continues Bhardwaj’s obsession with making movies on his favourite writer’s plays.

  • Dedh Ishqiya makes way for Highway

    Dedh Ishqiya makes way for Highway

    MUMBAI: Dedh Ishqiya sequel to the successful and acclaimed Ishqiya is one of the most awaited films of this year. The film was scheduled to release on 13 December, but will now release on 31 January, 2014. The plans were changed after Sajid Nadiadwala requested producer Vishal Bhardwaj to postpone the release date to avoid the clash with Imtiaz Ali’s Highway.

    Directed by Abhishek Chaubey, produced by Vishal Bhardwaj Productions and Shemaroo Entertainement, Dedh Ishqiya is about the romantic adventures of Khalujan (Naseeruddin Shah) and Babban (Arshad Warsi) with beautiful, irresistible and dangerous women of redoubtable character.

    In Ishqiya, Vidya Balan was the femme fatale who led the two men in a merry dance while in Dedh Ishqiya, fun is doubled with Madhuri Dixit and Huma Qureshi playing the seductresses with ‘nawabi ada’.

    Dedh Ishqiya’s music is by Vishal Bhardwaj and the lyrics are by Gulzar.
     

  • Ek Thi Daayan receives U/A certificate

    Ek Thi Daayan receives U/A certificate

    MUMBAI: Vishal Bhardwaj and Ekta Kapoor‘s Ek Thi Daayan, directed by Kannan Iyer, is the first thriller-horror to have received a U/A certificate from the Censors.

    The U/A certificate establish the film‘s enhanced potential and appeal among the youngsters as much as among adults. The Emraan Hashmi-starrer Ek Thi Daayan will release worldwide on 19 April.

    Hashmi plays Bobo, a leading magician, suffering from constant hallucinations. His life is falling apart. When he is put through regression hypnosis, a terrifying childhood story surfaces in which a daayan (witch), who has destroyed his family, returns to haunt him.

    Bhardwaj avers, "The film draws inspiration from folklore. Along with Emraan, Konkona, Kalki and Huma, two young kids play major roles in the film. With schools going in for a summer break, this film will surely turn out to be an enjoyable family outing."

    Remarks Ekta, "While we have the added advantage of being children-friendly, the film also has all the commercial masala that the audience expects from an Emraan Hashmi film. Young couples who want to cuddle up during the spooks and scares have found their film to do so!" she winks.

  • Huma Qureshi to star in Dedh Ishqiya

    Huma Qureshi to star in Dedh Ishqiya

    MUMBAI: Huma Qureshi, the Gangs of Wasseypur fame, has replaced Kangama Ranaut in the sequel of Ishqiya.

    The film is under pre-production. While Arshad Warsi and Naseeruddin Shah are returning for the sequel, the film will also star Madhuri Dixit.

     
    It is scheduled to go on the floors in February.

    Vidya Balan had played the lead role in the original comedy thriller which was released in 2010 and produced by Vishal Bhardwaj.