Sigh. Trolls be trollin'.
[Reema, center, with Rani Mukerji and Javed Akhtar]
Upcoming suspense film Talaash has been on my radar since at least January 2011 and I have been eagerly following its progress by tracking the media reports. Talaash caught my interest not only for Aamir Khan (who has a reliable barometer of future trends in Bollywood since he gave us Lagaan and Dil Chahta Hai in 2001) and not only for the casting coup of Rani Mukerji and Kareena Kapoor but for the woman behind it all – Reema Kagti. Reema has been kicking around in the Hindi film industry for some time, working as an assistant director and writing scripts (well, a script - last year’s surprise hit Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.) Reema has certainly paid her dues and I am intensely curious to see what this formidable woman can accomplish in the notorious boys club of Bollywood.
I was lucky enough to get a few minutes of her time over the phone while she was doing press for Talaash.
Let's wish the dancing queen of Bollywood a happy 72nd birthday and many more to come. She was and remains one of the cutest and classiest women in Bollywood...
(I have one more post to get out before I leave... hopefully I'll make my self-imposed deadline!)
Andy is hilarious, knows way too many facts about cricket, and is half of my favorite podcast: The Bugle.
There is November 22nd at Bonobo with Sorabh Pant.
November 27th at YB Chavan Auditorium, Nariman Point with a bunch of other comedians.
And November 28th at Hotel Bawa Continental in Juhu for the Schitzengiggles.
And the second part of my PSA, yes, I'll be leaving for Brazil and won't be posting gossip again until I get back - in about a week and a half! On the one hand, I feel bad for abandoning you during the massive holiday release season but on the other... sometimes real life is more important than movies. (*gasp* DID SHE JUST SAY THAT?!)
Sometimes I just need to break up the routine, and I always appreciate films all the more when I return to it. Plus, no massive melt-down over the overwhelming amount of SRK-related publicity this year! So, maybe it's for the best? Although I know some of you would appreciate me going off on how silly some of the news articles have been on the Jab Tak Hai Jaan box office. As we discussed in the comments section yesterday, it's done "well enough" but considering the advantages of screen numbers, quality and type of theater, and the cast... AND that it's Yash Chopra's last film, "well enough" isn't exactly a ringing endorsement from the public.
I think it's more impressive that Son of Sardaar has managed to hang on and do respectable business - and most of that coming from less desirable single-screen theaters!
We'll see what will happen over the weekend, I suppose. As Moimeme correctly pointed out yesterday, neither film has joined THE 100 Crore Club, despite the confusing press releases with various accounting methods floating around.
Anyways. Most importantly - PRAN IS OKAY!
I'm back from Austin!! But only for a couple of days... I'll be heading to Brazil on Thursday.
And, wow, did I miss a lot of things. First the sad news... Pran has been hospitalized and Shashi Kapoor is also rumored to be doing poorly.
Oh, right, Bal Thackeray passed away and Mumbai ground to a halt - affecting collections for both Diwali releases.
(And a girl gets arrested for anti-Bal Thackery facebook posts.)
The Times of India has an article explaining his long connection with Bollywood... beyond just the harassment of film sets and Muslim actors by Shiv Sena.
Yup.
And, though she is a far from objective source when it comes to Shahrukh Khan, here is Anupama Chopra's review of the film:
In what world would a beautiful, fabulously rich girl who cruises around London in a chauffer-driven Bentley fall in love with a waiter? In Yash Chopra's world, of course!
It helps enormously that the waiter is played by Shah Rukh Khan with charm turned on high-beam. In any case, you don't go to a Yash Chopra movie to delve into realism or the messiness of relationships. You go to partake in a fantasy of swooning, idealised love - and Jab Tak Hai Jaan delivers plenty of that.
Here's a video from the red carpet, if you're really curious! (Or if you have time to waste.)
And that's it for me for the week! I'm heading to Austin tomorrow and won't be back until Sunday. The following week, I'll be leaving for Brazil on Thursday and will be gone for a week.
I should have access to the Internets, so I may check in from time to time but daily news will be on hiatus while I'm on vacation. AND IT'S A MUCH NEEDED VACATION!
If you are in Austin, Brasilia, or Sao Paolo and want to say hello, do drop me a line!
But first, I was just pointed towards Project Bolo, which is a collection of oral histories from LGBT Indians. Please check it out!!
ARE YOU READY FOR THIS? *air horn*
There has been so much discussion and noise over Dabangg 2 - the fight between Arbaaz and Abhinav Kashyap, especially - that it's a relief to finally see that the trailer looks fantastic!
I saw some rumblings somewhere that Dabangg 2 has been influenced by the remakes of Dabangg from the South industries. If this means we get a song as amazing as Osthi Maamey I am behind this all the way. I haven't seen the Telugu remake yet. I wonder if I could get the DVD before Dabangg 2 releases.
(OH HELL YES! I WANT! AND TIME TO WATCH THEM ALL!)
And the first song promo...! I'm already in love with Dabangg 2 and we still have over a month to go... *cry*
Why not see for yourself?!
Here is a helpful list of all the tweets from Bollywood stars on Obama's re-election. My favorite (natch) is Maddy:
Obama wins... And I knew it al long time ago.
Heh. ILU, Maddy. Make more movies, okay?
I was trying to think of a political link to post about instead (poll of favorite actors turned politicians; list of politics themed songs...) but, as somebody who “inside the Beltway,” I find myself frustrated by a lot of what passes for politics in films. Hollywood AND Bollywood.
Usually, politics in film plays up the back-stabbing and greed and personal foibles of the politicians, as if there are no real world consequences of their legislation. Alas, this is generally how the (American) media covers politics, as well.
No wonder we’re all so frustrated.
Three of the better films with a political bent that I’ve seen out of the Indian film industries in the last few years are:
The auction includes a portrait of Bollywood superstar Salman Khan by Rashid Rana from his Ommatidia series of photomontages, estimated at Rs 7,50,000 to Rs. 10,00,000 (USD 15,000 to 20,000). Rana blurs the boundaries between advertising, painting, print making, photography and video. In this series, created in 2004, the artist comments on the social construction of celebrity and the role of fantasy. Salman Khan, the superstar of Indian cinema is idolized throughout South and West Asia as a paragon of masculinity and sexuality. This series of works, however, is not about the star. This portrait is composed of several thousand smaller images of ordinary Pakistani men, whose shared aspirations Rana believes uphold the entire industry.
And now on to the news!
It's always fun to be in that big, cheering crowd of fans! And a big shout out to 19 year old Andy Najar (#14), who was really full of hustle last night. He's going to be a big talent...
Anyways, in film news!
NOW! It's kind of a slow news day (you can always tell by the number of Poonam Pandey stories cluttering the news sites) but let's see what's up!
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