ITV

Tag: Vishal Bhardwaj

  • Inkaar fizzles at box office

    Inkaar fizzles at box office

    MUMBAI: Of the three movies released on Friday, the multiplexes had pegged their hopes on Inkaar. Sadly, the Sudhir Mishra-directed movie did not live up to the expectations. The film opened to weak response and failed to improve over the weekend and had Rs 52.5 million to show for its first three days.

    The other two releases – Mumbai Mirror and Bandook failed to find audience.

    Vishal Bhardwaj‘s Matru Ki Bijla Ka Mandola did not succeed in selling its hackneyed story which built a film around a character artiste leaving little for the lead pair to do. Having opened to a tepid response, it could not improve through its first week run and ended its first week with figures of Rs 313.5 million. The film showed a massive drop over its second weekend and will go down as the first notable flop of 2013.

    Paresh Rawal and Rajeev Khandelwal starrer Table No 21 survived week two and added Rs 17.5 million for the week taking its total collection to Rs 112.7 million.

    Salman Khan‘s Dabangg 2 collected Rs 27.5 million in its fourth week taking its total to Rs 1.45 billion. The number of screens and the opening week indicated a Rs 1.50 million business but the film may fall short of that mark by few million.

  • Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola: Bharadwaj fails to enthrall

    Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola: Bharadwaj fails to enthrall

    MUMBAI: Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola is a Haryanvi film made in Hindi and English. When the characters don‘t add ‘Se‘ to end a sentence like Hai in Hindi, Aahe in Marathi, Chhe in Gujarati, they are speaking immaculate Hindi or English. This time, the ardent Shakespeare devotee, Vishal Bhardwaj attempts to create his own masterpiece. He has Imran Khan and Anushka Sharma at his disposal but he chooses veteran Pankaj Kapur to be his star attraction.


    Producers: Vishal Bhardwaj, Fox Star India.

    Director: Vishal Bhardwaj.

    Cast: Imran Khan, Anushka Sharma, Pankaj Kapur, ShabanaAzmi, Arya Babbar.

    Kapur‘s character is inspired from a Rajshri film, Sunayana (which was ‘inspired‘ by a Charlie Chaplin classic, City Lights) where a drunkard rich man has split personality, all heart when drunk and a tyrant when sober. The rest is loosely strewn around him.

    Kapur is Mr Mandola, the tycoon in a village populated of 300 farmers. His home is palatial and the village Mandola, district Rohtak, Haryana state, is named after his family. He is a single parent to his only daughter, Sharma, who has been away most of her growing years, first studying in Delhi and later attending Oxford. Since Kapur has this problem where after four pegs he tends to get generous and will donate his fortune, he has employed a retainer, Matru, played by Khan. His job is to drive Kapur around and stop him from drinking after fourth peg. Kapur is bent on quitting alcohol but lacks willpower. He has another problem. His preferred brand of alcohol is Gulabo and every time he tries to go off drinks, he sees a pink buffalo, which only makes him drink again.

    Kapur is a land-grabbing tycoon who has dreams of turning the village of Mandola into another Gurgaon, filled with malls, multiplexes, corporate parks et al. Sharing Kapur‘s dream is the state CM, Shabana Azmi. She is obsessed by Pragati-progress-and has one eye on Kapur‘s estate and the other on Delhi, for ultimate power. To keep Kapur in check, she keeps romancing him and playing footsie with him while planning to marry her son, Arya Babbar, to Kapur‘s daughter.

    So, what does the hero Khan do for there is no romance happening in this film? He plays retainer to Kapur by the day, is his drinking partner by night and also plays a Zorro like character on the side, a saviour of the village people whose land he wants to save.

    Azmi, once she is in Mandola, forgets her state and acts like the CM of the village! Along with Kapur, she tries all sorts of tricks to make sure the crop is destroyed and the farmers are compelled to sell their land. One of the tricks is to invoke the rain gods to flood the village and ruin the harvested crop stored all around the village. The prayers work and crops are destroyed. If this is comedy, it does not work on the audience.

    That is the problem with Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola. Tagged as a romantic comedy, it fails on both counts. There is no romancing at all and the comedy is pathetic and juvenile. In fact, the first time one chuckles is a good 40 minutes into the film. There being no story as such, the film needed gags but they are sorely lacking. The film‘s co-writer, music composer and director fails on all counts. Gulzar‘s lyrics are uninspiring. And why did this charade have to last 150 minutes?

    Nothing much is expected from stars in this kind of film. Still, Kapoor, the veteran master, excels. To pit Khan against him is merciless act. Sharma is okay. Azmi‘s casting raises expectations but the characterisation is too bad for her to deliver. Babbar‘s job is to clown around and he is not good at that.

    Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola is poor at multiplexes and very poor at single screens. If it sustains through the week, it is only because the exhibitors have no other option to feed their screens.

     
    Gangoobai: Feel good movie

    Producer: National Film Development Corporation Ltd.

    Director: Priya Krishnaswami.

    Cast: Sarita Joshi, Purab Kohli, Meeta Vasisht, Raj Zutshi, Gopi Desai, Rushad Rana, Nidhi Sunil, Behram Rana, Ankita Shrivastav, Aparna Khanekar.

    MUMBAI: Gangoobai is mostly a Mumbai-centric subject; one which would have had some relevance in 1960s or thereabouts. It is a feel-good film in which there are no grey shades. All are positive, caring and considerate.

    Gangoobai is portrayed by veteran stage and TV artiste Sarita Joshi. She works as domestic help in Matheran, a hill station near Mumbai. Her employers visit their bungalow once a month and are generous. That is except for one young girl, Ankita Srivastava, who stays put in Matheran and is rude and abusive with Gangoobai. But Gangoobai is oblivious to all that because she is nurturing a dream since she saw Srivastava in a Parsi Gara sari. The sari is worth Rs 45,000 but that is no deterrent for Gangoobai; she wants to own one soon. She promises her dead husband‘s picture she will get one. He had wished to gift her beautiful sari but died in an accident before he could. (This should have come in a flashback when she makes up her mind but comes much later in the story.)

    Gangoobai stretches her limits and takes up multiple assignments to collect the money. Finally, when she has collected Rs 50,000, she descends on Mumbai with a plan to visit the shop, buy the sari and return to Matheran by the evening. But what she thought was a shop was actually a boutique where saris are designed exclusively and displayed in live ramp shows to be picked up by discerning and rich clients. With her appearance, Gangoobai is not entertained by the manager, Meeta Vasisht. But after seeing Gangoobai‘s determination and listening to her story, she melts and makes place for her to attend the ramp show.

    Gangoobai chooses her sari and plans to go back. But it turns out that the sari she chose is a demo piece and she has to wait a week before they can have a new one ready for her. Her host for her stay is Purab Kohli, the store cashier. Nidhi Sunil is her escort to his house. While in Mumbai, Gangoobai wins over everybody who comes in contact with her. They all are nice, kind-hearted people and take her as one of them.

    Gangoobai returns to Matheran with her sari to face another twist of fate but the end is very happy for her because the film is all syrup.

    Gangoobai has been given a very limited release with a show a day only in Mumbai and few centres of Maharashtra.

  • Kumar Mangat mulls of Omkara sequel

    Kumar Mangat mulls of Omkara sequel

    MUMBAI: Producer Kumar Mangat is mulling with the idea to make a sequel of Omkara.


    “I am thinking of the sequel. I think the film has a huge prospect. This is just an idea but I will speak about it soon,” Mangat was quoted in media reports.


    Co-written by Vishal Bhardwaj, Robin Bhatt and Abhishek Chaubey, Omkara, among the highest grosser of 2006, was the desi version of Shakespeare‘s Othello.


    But before making the Omkara sequel, Mangat will pursue with the sequel of his Pyar Ka Punchnama, the romantic comedy about three bachelors who fall in love with the girls they like.


    Mangat said, “The film‘s cast will be retained while the story will move ahead. There were loads of things that we couldn‘t show in our first outing. We will put it all into the second one. We will start shooting by mid-2012.”

  • Vishal Bhardwaj to make film for children

    Vishal Bhardwaj to make film for children

    MUMBAI: Filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj has said that he would make another film for children before the next edition of the International Children‘s Film Festival (ICFF).

    Speaking on the sidelines of the just concluded 17th International Children‘s Film Festival, organised by the Children‘s Film Society of India (CFSI) at Hyderabad, Bhardwaj said, “I have an intention of making a children‘s film, but not thought of a subject yet but I will definitely be making one which would be ready by the next international children‘s film festival here.”

    The director-composer, who made his directorial debut with Makdee in 2002 and followed it up with Blue Umbrella in 2007, said that he did not have any qualms funding the project. Bhardwaj made it clear that if anyone approached him with a good script (for children‘s film), he would not hesitate producing it too.

    Citing the success of films like Harry Potter and Tintin, Bhardwaj said, “Harry Potter and Tintin, released on many screens, have seen successes as they have attracted children and adults alike.

    Giving his impression of why do filmmakers not go in for making of films for children the filmmaker said that lack of distribution network compared to Bollywood commercial films could be one of the reasons for our producers not showing interest in making children films.

    Bhardwaj has been associated with the CFSI since 1994.

  • Fox Star Studios partners Vishal Bhardwaj for a comedy flick

    Fox Star Studios partners Vishal Bhardwaj for a comedy flick

    MUMBAI: Fox Star Studios, Vishal Bhardwaj Pictures, Ajay Devgn Films and Wide Frame Pictures have come together to make a comedy film titled Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola.

    Said Fox Star Studios CEO Vijay Singh, “Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola is a very special film for us at Fox Star Studios – it brings together the extremely talented director Vishal Bhardwaj, Bollywood‘s most successful and consistent actor across genres Ajay Devgn and the industry veteran Kumar Mangat of Wide Frame. We believe the nationwide appeal of this hilariously rustic comedy, the coming together of great talent and a title which raises eyebrows will make this an eventful film for audiences in 2012.”

    While the film will star Ajay Devgn and Anushka Sharma, Vishal Bhardwaj will play a three-pronged role of producer, director, writer and music composer respectively for the project.

    “I have had the idea of this comedy in my head for almost eight years. It‘s a totally new genre and completely different from what I have done in my previous seven films,” says Bhardwaj.

    The filmmaker will first do Devgn‘s film and then take up Sajid Nadiadwala film based on Chetan Bhagat‘s novel 5 States.

  • UTV Classics to promote alternative cinema

    UTV Classics to promote alternative cinema

    MUMBAI: UTV Motion Pictures has launched a sub-brand called UTV Classics, which will promote experimental and unconventional cinema, making it accessible to a wider audience.
    The first film to be released under the banner will be Vishal Bhardwaj’s The Blue Umbrella, which will be released on 5 January 2007, asserts an official release.

    The film is based on a Ruskin Bond’s novel by the same name and aims at adding a new dimension to today’s genre of kids’ films by combining entertainment with a morality tale. The Blue Umbrella stars Pankaj Kapur and Shreya Sharma. The movie has already been screened at a few international film festivals.

    UTV CEO Ronnie Screwvala said, “The entertainment tastes of a section of the audience are maturing with time and UTV Classics is an initiative to address the needs of this growing audience for different cinema. 2006 has been proof of this, with unconventional movies that have broken the mould and which have been applauded by audiences and critics alike.”

  • Shemaroo releases ‘Omkara’ on DVD, VCD

    Shemaroo releases ‘Omkara’ on DVD, VCD

    MUMBAI: Shemaroo Video has released Omkara on DVD and VCD.

    The film is Vishal Bhardwaj’s third interpretation of a literary classic after Maqbool which was based on William Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Chatri Chor which was based on Ruskin Bond’s The Blue Umbrella. Omkara is based on Shakespeare play Othello.

    The VCD has been released with English sub-titles. However since the film has extensive regional dialect from North India, Shemaroo has also released VCD with Hindi subtitles so that the audiences can enjoy the film’s dialogue and performances.

    Shemaroo VP Hiren Gada said “We are extremely proud to release Omkara on home video. Omkara has been acclaimed worldwide for its epic portrayal of Othello in the rugged semi-urban Indian backdrop. It is a movie people would like to add to their collection.”

    The DVD has a 10 page booklet which mentions facts and trivia about the film. It also has many bonus and special features like The Making of Omkara. The director and actors speak about the film and script, the locations, the cast and characters, the look and costumes, the music and songs. The DVD also has deleted scenes.

  • Screwvala’s target for UTV: Rs 5 billion turnover by 2008

    Screwvala’s target for UTV: Rs 5 billion turnover by 2008

    MUMBAI: Hardly has the ink dried on the landmark deal he stitched with Walt Disney, and UTV’s founder-promoter Ronnie Screwvala is already looking to the future. The Indian media pioneer is bullish on turning his company into a Rs 5 billion company by 2008.

    This will mean a jump in turnover of Rs 3 billion, but Screwvala believes high growth will come, particularly from movies and animation. Besides, he is eyeing acquisitions in gaming and expects air time sales to zoom. Incremental growth from TV content business is also expected.

    On the movie front, Screwvala is close to announcing three international co-production movie deals. While global major Fox will be involved in one venture, Ronnie says the other two will also be with major studios. In an earlier project, UTV has partnered with Fox Searchlight Pictures and Entertainment Farm to produce the $9.6 million Mira Nair-directed film The Namesake.

    “They are three mainline movies and will have a big star cast. Unlike The Namesake where we have three co-producers, these will be two-way partnerships,” Screwvala says. When queried, he rules out the involvement of Disney in any of these projects.
    Screwvala aims to have an annual pipeline of 12 movies, one or two international co-productions and possibly an animation film. Already lined up are three movies with Rakeysh Mehra. “We are making Ashutosh Gawarikar’s next movie and three films with other directors. We have also tied up with Vishal Bhardwaj,” he says.

    The film business will be production-led. “We do not have an aggressive distribution agenda at the moment. We may acquire just one or two movies for distribution. But we will be distributing all the movies that we produce,” Screwvala says.

    Gaming is a new area UTV is planning to enter as an extension of its businesses in animation, post production and special effects. “We are eyeing acquisitions of domestic and overseas gaming companies. There is a model for international companies to look at India as an outsourcing model and an Indian story for going overseas. We are spending a lot of time evaluating the gaming business,” he says.

    UTV has made investments in setting up the animation infrastructure and is having a pipeline across the value chain. “We have a good order book in outsourcing and are involved in originating content as well,” says Screwvala.

    The big script with Disney will also begin with both companies in process of identifying areas where they can work together. “We are looking at animation, movies, TV and gaming. On the movie front, we are exploring possibilities of co-producing with them for Hindi films as well as going mainline with English. Home videos is another area we are looking at to expand our Indian movies overseas through their strong retail network,” says Screwvala.

    UTV will be cash rich by Rs 2.36 billion between the sale of Hungama, fresh equity to UTV and Screwvala’s warrants. “We can leverage the company with a 1:1 debt-equity ratio and have a Rs 5 billion war chest. In media, that offers lots of opportunities,” Screwvala says, clearly relishing the challenges ahead.