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Perturbed by nude scene, Urvashi walks out of a film
Compromise. That’s the much used and abused word, especially when it comes to the entertainment world. More so when this world happens to Bollywood. A compromise could be presented in different ways and forms. It could be monetary, physical, mental or even psychological. In an industry where glamour sells, any form of compromise becomes even more visible, pertinent and perhaps even a bare minimum criterion for a step ahead in the career. Quite a few aspiring actors may fall in this trap, a few may agree to tread the path with their eyes open, some may remain oblivious to this while a select few may dare to say no. Urvashi Sharma belongs to the last category. The story doesn’t belong to the primitive times. In fact it dates back just a month ago when things had actually started heating up for better in Urvashi’s career. A couple of years after Abbas Mustan directed Naqaab, where the fair lady was noticed for her author backed role and performance, she went onto do a small but meaningful role in hard hitting Baabarr. She made her presence felt and as she awaited big banners to knock on her doors, she soon crossed over a few seas to see a British project landing in her lap. The film was called The Bounty Hunter and it seemed like a perfect new beginning for Urvashi Sharma, who was also signed by Priyadarshan for a couple of films back home. She went gaga over the prospects of doing an English language film that boasted of a cast from across the continents. A big league pretty much seemed to be in the offering for the young woman who till then was enjoying her professional standing of being an established model for long and a face of ‘hazaar’ commercials. However, this proved to be a dream that wasn’t destined to be fulfilled. Just when she was about to sign on the dotted line, she was informed about a ‘core requirement’ in the film’s narrative. She was asked to do a nude scene for the film, a compromise that she was certainly not willing to make for any movie, whether Bollywood, British or Hollywood. She reasoned with the makers (Endboard Productions) and argued if this scene was really that crucial for her to enact on camera. However, the production people and director Sunandan Walia had their own take on affairs. The leading lady in the film was required to go nude and there were no second thoughts. The situation pretty much reached a roadblock with none of the two parties willing to compromise. Urvashi Sharma, with her Indian ethics intact, was quite sure that she wasn’t willing to give in to the situation, regardless of the project promising to bring her up to an international platform. On the other hand, Endboard Productions felt that Urvashi’s stand was unreasonable. Also, they promised that the shoot would be done aesthetically. However, Urvashi being a newcomer in the industry was of course apprehensive about the entire affair. She chose to steer clear from this film without regretting her decision at a later stage. Even if this meant letting go off a plum acting opportunity in a film which is being funded by U.K. Film Council, she was unwilling to get into this compromise that could have had severe repercussions in her career. After a period of ecstasy followed by mental turmoil, she finally decided to let the project go away once for and all and instead started concentrating on her Bollywood career. She was sure that after all the appreciation she gained from Naqaab and Baabarr, it was a matter of time before filmmakers started taking note of her presence in the industry. This may perhaps require some more wait but at least that would be on her terms rather than someone else’s. She informed Endboard Productions about an end in their association and finally heaved a sigh of relief. “It was a period of immense mental turmoil since I had earlier made up my mind to be a part of The Bounty Hunter. It seemed like a good career decision but going nude for a role was never a part of my agenda. Skin show and exposure is a part and parcel in the glamour world but come on, there is a limit to everything”, says Urvashi who is quite clear in her mind about where to draw the line. Well, regardless of a The Bounty Hunter or the lack of it in her work profile, one waits to see the beautiful lady come back into action. Who knows, there may be many more tumbling skeletons as Urvashi turns on the heat. This time on her own will and without any sense of compromise!
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Perturbed by nude scene, Urvashi walks out of a film
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Ranbir-Katrina shoot extra scenes for Raajneeti
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When Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif met for a shoot on Monday, it was just like old times when they shot for Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani and Raajneeti last year. The twosome was fiercely competitive when they shot for the two films. So it was when they shot again together on Monday. The competitive spirit has taken over Raajneeti in a big way. Both Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif see the film as a passport to the National Awards. With stalwarts like Naseeruddin Shah, Manoj Bajpai, Nana Patekar and Ajay Devgn in the cast, the young stars of the show have decided to pull out all stops to ensure their performances are noticed at the right places. All efforts are now on by Ranbir and Katrina to ensure optimum audience participation in Raajneeti. A music video, only a part of which will be included in the film and the rest used for promotion, is to be shot. Says the director Prakash Jha, “We certainly don’t want to pitch Raajneeti as a dry political drama .Ranbir and Katrina are big commercial stars. We want their fans to see our film as an entertainer. At an edited length of about 3 hours’ playing-time, we want viewers to be glued to the edge of their seats. I wouldn’t call it a multi- star cast film .I’d call it a multi-actor film.” With the Ranbir-Katrina jodi being hotter-than-July, a certain amount of spicing up is certainly the order of the day. And the hit jodi is more than willing to shoot extra days to ensure the product gets them maximum attention. On Monday, Ranbir and Katrina did some additional shooting for Raajneeti at Mona Shourie’s Future Studios long after their dates for Raajneeti had dried up. Ranbir Kapoor just back from Las Vegas rushed to the shooting. close-ups and continuity shots were shot with the two. A sizzling music video featuring Ranbir, Katrina and Arjun Rampal is also on the cards. So who says politicians can’t dance? Says Prakash, “We did some patchwork shooting on Monday, close-ups, etc. Yes. It’s for the betterment of the end-product. We all want Raajneeti to be a big success. Katrina and Ranbir have surrendered themselves completely to the project and will do whatever is required.”
T-Series inks 5 Film Music deal with Shree Ashtavinayak Cinevision Ltd.
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The bond between T-Series and Shree Ashtavinayak Cinevision Ltd. just got stronger. T-Series has acquired Music Rights of Shree Ashtavinayak’s Khatta Meetha directed by Priyadarshan starring Akshay Kumar and Trisha Krishnan, Golmaal 3 being directed by Rohit Shetty starring Ajay Devgan, Kunal Khemu, Shreyas Talpade and Kareena Kapoor, Tees Maar Khan starring Akshay Kumar, Akshye Khanna, Katrina Kaif directed by Farah Khan. Run Bhola Run starring Govinda, Tushar Kapoor directed by Neeraj Vora and an untitled film starring Saif Ali Khan directed by Kunal Kohli. With this mega deal T Series once again proves that they are the biggest player in the music industry.
"The background score of Road Movie is non-Indian" – Michael Brooks
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How many of us ever thought that a Bollywood film would have music by a complete foreigner? Well that’s exactly the case with the film Road, Movie. Famous Canadian Guitarist, Michael Brook has given background score for Dev Benegal’s Road, Movie. Michael has contributed to U2’s famous album The Joshua Tree in the form of his invention – the infinite guitar and was also nominated for Grammy Awards in 1996 for his production work and as co-artist on Pakistani singer Nusrat fateh Ali Khan’s album, Night Song. Apart from these, he has also contributed for the album Rock Paper Scissors. While for Hollywood, Michael has done a number of film sound tracks including the music for Albino Alligator, Mission Impossible 2, Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth and Sean Penn’s critically acclaimed, Into The Wild. Bollywood Hungama spoke to Michael to find out more about his compositions and of course his experience of working in Bollywood. The first question on everyone’s mind is, how did Bollywood happen to you? I had some connection with the producers from the past, and I believe that Dev Benegal, the director was aware of my music. What made you sign Road, Movie? A combination of the beauty and emotional resonance of the film and Dev’s deep musical knowledge and creative ideas was enough cause and reason for me to say yes and sign the film. What according to you is unique about its background music? I’d say that the dominant aspect of the music is that it is quite distinctly non-Indian and strongly influenced by African music. This was Dev’s concept to try and create an exotic but non-specific atmosphere. So in a way yes this is some unique kind of music. The dominant aspect of the music is that it is quite distinctly non-Indian and strongly influenced by African music From making music for popular bands, creating breakthroughs like inventing the Infinite Guitar, to making music for Hollywood big wigs to Bollywood now, how has the journey been? Pretty good really. I’m extremely lucky to be able to do what I love to do and to earn a living. It’s a very privileged position and I appreciate it. Also having a 2 1/2 year old son is an equally rewarding experience. Tell us about your experience of Bollywood now that you have had a first hand taste of it? I’m not sure that I really experienced Bollywood as all of the work was done in my studio at home and we didn’t have the big dance and singing production numbers. Maybe my clichéd view of Bollywood is outdated. I have however played a concert in Chennai with Mandolin U. Srinivas and we did rehearse in some of the film studios, which was a very cool experience. How different is Bollywood from its western counterpart? My, again possibly not quite valid, impression is that Bollywood filmmaking is much more spontaneous and improvisatory than Hollywood. But I gather that Indian films are getting larger and more structured in their productions and that some film e.g. District 9, are being made more through an improvisatory process. What was the biggest challenge while doing the music for an Indian film? A big challenge was in trying to be other worldly without being unfocussed emotionally with the score. Was the language a barrier? The challenging part was that I don’t have the same cultural history as Dev, or probably most Indians, and so some aspects of the film had a different resonance for him e.g. Scherazade. You have also worked with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, how did that come about? I was asked by Peter Gabriel to work with Nusrat, probably based on what Peter heard in my first solo record Hybrid. When I was in Pakistan, about 12 years ago, I saw some really great singers at a concert, but I really don’t have much awareness of what is going on there now. So what are your future plans about Bollywood, does it look promising and would you like to do more work here? I don’t have plans, but certainly would love to do more projects with Bollywood. Certainly would love to do more projects with Bollywood Do you think there is now more interaction between the Asian and American / European markets than before or is it just the ‘Slumdog effect”? I think that there has been a gradual increase in awareness of the richness and depth of Indian culture over the last 40 years. Slumdog gave a kind of turbo boost to that process and I hope that it continues. I think that there has been a gradual increase in awareness of the richness and depth of Indian culture over the last 40 years You’ve composed scores for Mission Impossible 2 & Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth too. Can you share some special moments from these experiences? These two films are probably at opposite ends of the spectrum of my experiences. Both were good. On MI2, I was part of a very large team assembled by Hans Zimmer. It was great to work with so many people and I really enjoyed the kind of community of musicians and composers that I was part of. AIT was a much more delicate and solitary process, a great deal of which was trying to figure out where music should go. It turned out that we couldn’t really have music when AL Gore was lecturing as it made it seem propogandish. So there is only music when he is talking about his life or events outside the lecture. Having invented something like the Infinite Guitar, you must have a thing for instruments. What’s your favourite Indian instrument? My two favourite Indian instruments are the Shenai, particularly when played by Bismallah Khan, and the Veena. Which one (Indian instrument) have you used the most in Road, Movie? We didn’t use Indian instruments. The background score is one of the most important character of any film. Which film’s background score has impressed you the most till date? Recently I’ve come to appreciate the work of David Newman in his many scores, Wall-E, American Beauty, Cliff Martinez, Solaris, and of course the early work of the great Ennio Morricone. More recently, I thought that the score to Sherlock Holmes was really good You must have been one of the first people to see Road, Movie – what was your reaction? My first impression was of stunningly beautiful imagery and rich, intriguing characters. Did Abhay Deol impress you as much as Tom Cruise? Undoubtedly Which other Indian artist (Music or Films) have you been introduced to and like hearing or watching? I have been enjoying The Bombay Connection Volumes 1 and 2, collections of music from Bollywood films of the 60s and 70s
"Dev D was more out there… Road, Movie is more subtle" – Abhay Deol
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He broke every existing cliché, whether it was about playing safe with scripts or the stereotype about the good guy being the hero. He was part of the growing and exploring New Age Cinema. Abhay Deol, who always took the road less travelled, took off on a trip when he fancied one and never believed in being the follower, is hitting the screens shortly with his next film Road Movie. Chandni Dev at Bollywood Hungama finds out about this Journey undertaken by the rebellious Deol which is bound to traverse off the beaten track. You’ve been away for a while, what’s going on? Uhh…I like to take my breaks once in a while you know, it’s good to do that. You’re fans have been waiting, and with Road Movie coming up, they’re expecting you to give them something different all over again. Are you ready to face the expectations? It’s as different as different can get. I shot Dev D, Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye, and Road Movie back to back. As different as Dev D is from Oye Lucky, same way Road Movie is different from Oye lucky as well as Dev D. So the effort is there. As people are expecting me to be different from my earlier films, I am sure they are not going to be disappointed because it is different for sure. When you watch the movie you’ll understand what I mean. I am sure they are not going to be disappointed because it is different for sure How did this project come your way? I was in New York as my film Manorama Six Feet Under was playing at a festival there and I bumped into Dev Benegal. He said ‘I saw your film and it was really good’ and I thanked him when he said that he has something for me that he would like to speak to me about. And I knew Dev from Split Wide Open because I saw the film when it came out and I knew English August but I hadn’t seen it. So this is why I was keen on working with him and he had a great script. I read it when I was shooting for Oye Lucky and said yes to it. Was there any personal reason you took this journey up? Well I like travelling and as the name suggests it is a Road Movie so it’s on the road. I like the idea of being just out there in Rajasthan, away from civilisation. It’s not shot necessarily in Jaisalmer or Jodhpur, though we did shoot a bit in Jodhpur but most of it was out in the dessert and that idea was intriguing, not only that but the plot of the film was nice. Dev was somebody I wanted to work with and he had a great team, so yea there are many reasons why I did this film. Tell us what’s your character in the film like? He’s from a small town, a city you can say, pretty urban, but not a metropolis like Mumbai or, like Delhi or anything. He’s somebody who just wants to be out there, experience new adventures, and maybe have a different life. But he is not a rebellious sort of a guy, he is not someone who will stand up for what he really wants to do, and fight for it…No! Infact he is someone who is humble and towered down by the way he has been raised. That is what I really liked about the character. Without being rebellious, without being in your face, he finds an opportunity for an adventure and takes it up. The character was very different from me because I can be very vocal about what I want It’s interesting how all the characters you’ve played have a shade of grey in it, they aren’t just good guys and bad guys. I think none of us are good or bad right? People in general, nine on ten, are not all black or white. They all have shades of grey. In fact I would say all 10 are like that. That’s what attracts me to the characters in the script that have that. It’s more believable, when you see that in life everyday. So how different is this character from what you are in real life? Did you have to work on the feel of this character? Everything has to be worked on a little bit, to know the thought process behind it. You can do a workshop on it. Dev that way was easy to work with because he’s very similar to the way I work. I also try and tend to use my present state of mind, you know, sometimes you are in a state of mind or frame of mind at the present moment and you can use that. I had to shoot two films back to back so I was really tired and saturated. Getting new ideas was getting more and more difficult so I actually used that to my advantage and Dev wanted that as well. Though the character was very different from me because I can be very vocal about what I want, like I stand up for what I believe and fight for it whereas this character wouldn’t. So in many ways it’s quite different from what I am. So what is your favourite part of the film? My favourite part of the film? Anything, a scene, or act that you hadn’t done before? There are a few out there but I wouldn’t put any favourites between a film. It’s all part of the process, the journey, one thing leads to another, anyways even if I were to pick one I would give the story away… Hmm…I was hoping you would.. < Laughs/> nice try…. So any challenges that you faced on the set or was it an easy breezy ride? It wasn’t easy….filming never is. Being in Rajasthan was the biggest and hardest thing by itself… How was it working with Tannishtha? Awesome! She is really cool. She is a good actor and she is very focussed. I on the other hand tend to play around a little bit you know. I always tried to tease her. I would see her getting into the character, into the mood five minutes before the shot and I would make faces and tease her, and ended up finding myself distracted. So it really was lovely working with her. Just an amazing actor I would say. Faisal is the kid in the film and he is going to be the find of the movie, he was so good, people are going to discover a new kid who is a great actor as well. Faisal is the kid in the film and he is going to be the find of the movie The film has quickly garnered social appreciation, how does it feel? It feels awesome. It’s not one kind of audience that has accepted it but wherever it has played, it has a houseful show. Literally like, Berlin had five shows and all of them were houseful. I couldn’t get tickets for my own friends. Yea! They said “You should’ve told us before we would have booked you more tickets but be happy that there are people buying your tickets’ …so it’s really been well appreciated. People are like ‘Wow! This is what people are making in India now? Is it the norm?’ and we are like ‘No it’s not the norm but it can be if more people embrace it.’ So it feels really good that. But well, Indian audience loves drama… what kind of reaction are you expecting? I hope they react well, like you asked me earlier if it’s going to be different from my other films because people expect it to be, I was like ‘okay! If that’s what they are going to come in to watch they won’t be disappointed’ But on one level it’s a very subtle film, in its humour, in its drama, in every way it’s subtle. Something we are not used too, even in our food we are used to strong flavouring, that’s our basic roots. We as a culture like to indulge. That’s one thing I am hoping people appreciate, because it is a really good film. Our audiences want it over the top…. Yea! But there is a growing audience for subtlety, I wouldn’t say there isn’t. Umm…you know like Dev D was an easy sell because there was nothing subtle about it, it was more out there, it was more stylish. This film isn’t relying on any of those things. It’s a simple story and it’s beautifully told, and I hope that goes down well with the audiences here. It has worked with the global audiences. What’s after Road Movie? After Road, its Aisha… Leaning towards direction anytime… No! No…not at all…
"An unwanted guest is just not welcome" – Paresh Rawal
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Paresh Rawal is truly a versatile actor. Of late, the supremely talented actor was cast/will be seen in diverse roles — negative [RANN], serious [ROAD TO SANGAM] and comic [ATITHI TUM KAB JAOGE? and NA GHAR KE NA GHAAT KE] — which only goes to show his infinite range. “Believe me, I am nervous every time I accept a film. Will I get it [the role] right? This question crosses my mind several times,” he tells me. He has two back-to-back releases in March. ATITHI TUM KAB JAOGE? opens on March 5, while NA GHAR KE NA GHAAT KE hits the screens on March 12. He plays an unwanted guest in the former and a cop in latter, but the commonality is that he causes problems for the main characters of those films. Ask Paresh if he has ever had an unwanted guest over and he dismisses it off. “Not yet! Actually, everyone’s busy with their lives and there’s hardly time to socialise or overstay at anyone’s house. Also, I guess, everyone values privacy nowadays, so an unwanted guest is just not welcome,” Paresh points out. Not many are aware that Paresh never attends the mahurat ceremony [launch] of his movies. “Call me superstitious, but I’ve noticed that every time I attend a launch function of my movie, things start going wrong and the film ends up getting shelved. Similarly, I don’t watch my movies in preview screenings because I feel they meet a sad fate at the box-office. I prefer watching movies with the audience in a cineplex,” he states.
Deepika Padukone causes mid-air excitement
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It was a flight from Jaipur to Mumbai that the passengers won’t forget in a hurry. On Monday, Deepika Padukone and her Karthik Calling Karthik team were to fly back on a private jet. But the pilot informed the team that they couldn’t head for Mumbai due to a cyclone threat. Says Deepika, “We had to return on Monday night because many of us had to leave for Dubai for the premiere on Tuesday morning. So from Jaipur to Mumbai we all booked ourselves into the economy class of a commercial airline.” What could’ve turned out to be a nightmare turned out to be a joyride for Deepika and her team and perhaps not such a pleasurable experience for the other late-fliers on-board. Says Deepika gleefully, “We had blocked a whole row and instead of sleeping after a super-hectic day we started playing Mendicot. We forgot we were in a commercial flight. So we were yelling and screaming in excitement while the rest of the passengers were trying to sleep.” And now for the first time in her life Deepika is seriously addicted. “I can’t stop playing Mendicot. Ritesh and Farhan introduced me and director Vijay Lalwani to the game. When we took off on Sunday from Mumbai on our private jet the first thing Farhan and Ritesh did was to teach us this game. I’ve become addicted.” This could qualify as the biggest irony of the entertainment industry in recent times. While going on a whirlwind tour of cities across the country to promote her new film Kartik Calling Kartik, Deepika Padukone has gotten addicted to playing cards, which is what this week’s rival film Teen Patti is about. Deepika flew out of Mumbai in a private jet on Sunday with her co-star Farhan Akhtar, director Vijay Lalwani and producer Ritesh Sidhwani. Says Deepka, “I loved the whirlwind promotional tour. For two days I had more fun than I’ve had in my entire life. Throughout the trip we played Mendicot -not teen patti, please! We didn’t sleep at all for two days because some of the flight-duration was less than two hours. So all we did was play Mendicot on flight.” Now Deepika is hopelessly addicted to the game. On Tuesday Deepika headed for Dubai.”It has been a hectic time. We covered six cities in two days…three cities a day. It was possible only because the producer hired a private jet.”
Holi- A subdued affair this year in Bollywood
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Frankly, no one is really in a mood to celebrate Holi in a big way. The lack of enthusiasm this year has plenty to do with the way things are going for the entertainment industry. An actor on condition of anonymity puts the situation in a nutshell. “Earlier we had grand Holi celebrations in at least 5-6 major filmy families. Now it’s dwindled to just 1 or 2 Holi bashes.” In the past, film folks had a blast .The film industry chose to celebrate Holi either at Raj Kapoor’s Holi bash(by far the most well-attended), followed by the Bachchans’ warm open-house Holi festivities. Then there were Subhash Ghai, Yash Chopra and the Azmis, Javed and Shabana who hosted and continue to host the annual Holi bash. But the colourful spirit of Holi went out with Raj Kapoor. The true champion of filmy Holi bashes at R.K Studios in Chembur used to be a riot of colours and festivity every Holi. The entire film industry and all their kith and kin would arrive in spotless white to be dunked into the famous RK colour tank. Now the equations have changed drastically. Since the passing away of Raj Kapoor there’s no Holi at RK Studios any more. The family’s superstar-scion Ranbir Kapoor is busy shooting in the US . The rest of the family is no mood for Holi. Holi at the Bachchans is also expected to be a subdued close family affair with little or no shor-sharaaba. Even Akshay Kumar who generally loves the Holi revelry is heading out of Mumbai this weekend. “Just me, my wife and son driving out of the city,” says Akshay implying there’s little joy in being home for Holi this year. Akshay has a point. Holi ceased to be a source of fun long ago. As Shabana Azmi puts it, “The state must ensure safety and protection for women and men must make sure that the day of celebration doesn’t turn into an occasion for mourning.” Urmila Matondkar, however, is not daunted by the safety factor. “Holi isn’t unsafe for women provided you’re cautious and play Holi with people who are known to you. In any case I’m not much into Holi , bhang and masti.” For Shabana the Holi spirit never dies. “It’s always an open house for friends and family on the occasion of Holi at my parents’ home in Janki Kutir. There’s a generous flow of non-toxic colours, gaana-bajaana, and khaana…a long-standing tradition in our house as part of India’s ganga-jumna tehzeeb.” However even the never-say-die Shabana is out of town this Holi.
"Working in KCK wasn’t akin to being on a home ground" – Deepika
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Om Shanti Om, Bachna Ae Haseeno, Love Aaj Kal – Pick up any of the successful films that Deepika Padukone has been a part of and it is quite obvious that she has always had an important role to play in the film’s narrative. In fact even in a box office disappointment like Chandni Chowk To Chowk, she did have ample screen time with a double role to her credit. This is why when one sees her in a couple of song sequences and a light hearted scene or two in Karthik Calling Karthik, one wonders if this is all that she has to offer in the film? One wonders if there is space for any quintessential romance in Karthik Calling Karthik. Beyond a couple of love songs and a night club number, Deepika and Farhan can’t really be expected to romance around the trees in the film. So how does the entire romantic angle merge with the narrative? “Well, at the end of the day this film is a thriller”, agrees Deepika who is stepping into this genre for the first time, “Having said that, it was quite a lot of fun and challenge for me to be a part of it. The film is very different from its subject, plot, look and treatment perspective. I am glad to be doing something of this kind since I truly believe in what was explained to me abut Karthik Calling Karthik and hence chose it.” One also tends to believe that working in this film must have been akin to being comfortable in a home ground for Deepika. After all she comes from similar urban sensibilities and by the look of things; Karthik Calling Karthik too has its roots in being an urban contemporary tale. “Well, not really”, Deepika shakes her head in disagreement here, “The minute you become a part of a film, you transform from your real self to being a character. This is where you potential as a performer comes in. Shonali is very different person from what I am in real life. Hence, there was a definite effort involved in bringing her alive on screen. It wasn’t like being on a home ground for sure.” From an actor of her stature who has been gradually rising up the ladder, Deepika can’t be expected to have signed a film for the lure of big banner, big bucks and a rising star. There has to be a lot more than that and perhaps the promos are not showing it all while primarily focusing on Farhan’s character of ‘Karthik’. So is Deepika the ‘band muththi’ a.k.a. a surprise element in this debut directorial venture of Vijay Lalwani? “Well, keep guessing”, Deepika gives that mischievous smile here, “It is a thriller after all and I can’t be expected to reveal anything beyond a point. Of course you are right in saying that my roles have always boasted of good substance in them and Karthik Calling Karthik is going to be no different. Beyond that, I would rather be mum and wait for you to watch the film and then react.”
"Ajay is not dark or moody" – Konkona Sen
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For someone who has close to 20 released films to her credit in last 5 years, Konkona Sen Sharma is doing quite good for herself. More so because ever since her debut effort way back in 2002, Mr And Mrs Iyer, she has seen more bouquets coming her way and hardly any brickbats. Ok, so an occasional Dil Kabaddi doesn’t quite do much justice to her acting talent but the fact remains that when it comes to performance, Konkona is the one that many a film maker are vouching for today. While Wake Up Sid did get her the kind of critical and commercial acclaim that is always expected from her, the beginning of 2009 had a fantastic Luck By Chance as well. Both were relatively serious films though. Now with Atithi Tum Kab Jaaoge? up for release, can one comfortably believe that this is one film which would allow her to have some fun as well. “Why are you forgetting The President Is Coming”, she smiles, “I guess it has been THE most, light hearted comedy that I have ever done. It was totally an out and out comedy and it’s unfortunate that it didn’t get the kind of visibility that it truly deserved.” “It was such an awesome film but then I guess because of the kind of system that we work in, not many people knew about it. Also, the names involved were not that huge due to which The President Is Coming got sidelined. Sad but true”, she sighs. She cheers up though once the conversation steers towards Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge? and her co-star in the film, Ajay Devgn. “If you ask me, he is exactly like many other actors that I have worked with, most recently being Ranbir”, she says fondly, “Ajay is someone with whom you can easily strike a conversation and get chatting. He is a happy and easy going person rather than being dark and moody. I still won’t say that I know him very well but whatever I have seen of him, he is really quite friendly.” With the kind of ‘respected’ success that she has enjoyed over the years, especially with a true money spinner like Wake Up Sid not too far back, what does she feel about the direction that her career is taking? After all she seems to be seated quite comfortably in the big league with the likes of Karan Johar and Farhan Akhtar rooting for her after Yash Raj Films (Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, Aaja Nachle). “Honestly speaking, all the films that have happened to me so far are incidental. I don’t really plan and think much about the films I am doing or would be doing”, says Konkona, “I can’t really be making a decision that if I do something like this, my career would be driven in a particular direction. Yes, I have to admit though is that currently I am quite content with my career and have no complaints whatsoever.”
Madhavan skips Sundance, goes on US tour to discuss 3i with NRI audiences
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Madhavan missed his appointment with his 3 Idiots co-star Aamir Khan at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this month. During his recent visit to Canada with his wife and son, Madhavan was invited by Aamir to the Sundance Film Festival. But then man proposes, God disposes. Aamir’s father passed away. Says Madhavan, “I was supposed to join Aamir at the Sundance Film Festival and in fact all set to leave from Canada to the US when news came that Aamir had to rush back. Of course I was disappointed. I was hoping to participate in the festival with Aamir and catch his film Peepli Live which I haven’t seen. But more than disappointment about missing Sundance I was concerned for Aamir’s loss. We all were.” With Sundance being cancelled Maddy decided to take a different route. He decided to do an American tour entitled ‘Coffee With An Idiot’. Explains Maddy, “It was a very selected gathering, intellectual and fun at the same time. The whole idea of ‘Coffee With An Idiot’ was inspired by 3 Idiots. I wanted the film’s success to be take-off point for cozy sit-in dinners with a selected audience in four American cities namely Dallas, San Jose, New Jersey and Chicago. The interaction in each city lasted for nearly two hours.” Just back from his ‘Coffee With An Idiot’tour, Maddy was struck by the level of intellectual and mass connectivity the NRIs in the US had with 3 Idiots. “It’s opened up a whole new discussion on the education system and the role of Indian cinema in bridging the gap between Oriental and Western perceptions on the power of the youth.” Now Madhavan wants to take his ‘Coffee With An Idiot’ discussion to other parts of the world. “In many ways I owe the concept and its success to Aamir Khan. If 3 Idiots hadn’t happened, such a creative forum discussing education and the youth wouldn’t have opened up. On a more microscopic level it was Aamir’s invitation to Sundance which actually made my ‘Coffee With An Idiot’ tour Possible.” Quite like the protagonist in 3 Idiots, Madhavan seems confused about his future. “I’ve a thriving career in Tamil and my career in Hindi cinema has just found its bearings. I can’t pretend that a 3 Idiots will happen again. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon. So when I am asked during the promotional tours of Teen Patti if it will be as big a success as 3 Idiots, I feel like throwing my hands up in the air and running the other way.”