Friday 29 November 2013

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 237

RAJA ROCKS.
29.11.2013



Moving Picture produced aur Tigmanshu Dhulia likhi directed Bullet Raja Uttar Pradesh ki rajneeti aur mijaaz ki kahani hain.

Raja Misra yaane Saif Ali Khan padha likha, naukri ki talash mein bahdur ladka hain jo ek din raah chalte gundon ke saath ulajh jaata hain aur unse bachne ke liye chalti baraat mein shamil ho jaata hain.

Shaadi mein unki mulaqat dulhan ke first cousin Raghu, yaane Jimmy Shergill se hoti hain aur wahan se shuru hoti hain Raghu-Raja ki jugal bandi.

Dono jamkar aise baraste hain ki UP ka crime world/ industrialists /politicianss aur police baukhla jaati hain.

Film ki editing bullet ki tarha tez - aur likhawat extra-ordinary hain khaas taurpe daialogues – missal ke taurpe ‘Bhraman bhukha - toh Sudama aur rootha - toh Raavan’.

Tigmanshu Dhulia apne kirdaar, locations, unke aapsi rishte, pariwar, vyavhar aur bhasha ko sneh, adhikar aur bariki se pesh karte hain.

Ye shayad pehli film hain jiska action aur emotion ek hi sur mein hain – andar se uttejit aur bahar se shant!!

Lucknow- Mumbai- Kolkatta aur Chambal ke real locations par shoot ki gayi Bullett Raja ka har character dilchasp aur performance qabile taarif hain: supporting cast mein Gulshan Grover, Raj Babbar, Ravi Kissan aur Viddyut Jamval.

Premika ki bhumika mein sundar Sonakshi Sinha aur Sholay ke Veeru- Jay ki yaad taza karte hue Jimmy Shergil aur Saif Ali Khan.

Film ke raja beshaque Saif Ali Khan hain jinme gunde ka tevvar, leader ka thehrav and bhraman ka gyaan hain.    

Film ka second half thoda lamba hain aur revenge predictable hain. Dosti/dushmani- action/item number ki filmein  humne iske pehle bhi bohat baar dekhi hain, magar Tigmanshu Dhulkia ka Take hamesha alag hota hain.

Haasil, Saheb Biwi aur Gangster series ke baad, taiyaar ho jaiye ek intelligent, original, tikhi aur tadakedar film ke liye!!

Bullet Raja ko Big Entertainment Ratings milte hain 4 stars.

Thursday 21 November 2013

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 236



Eros Bhansali ki Ram Leela
20.11.2013, Mumbai

Eros International Media Ltd. has announced that their latest film Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela has done a business of a a whopping Rs. 93.58 crores gross weekend worldwide.  Sanjay leela Bhansali’s colorful Indian take on the classic Romeo and Juliet starring Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh in its lead roles, released worldwide on 15 November in over 3,500 screens and grossed Rs. 68.58 crores in India (Rs. 52.75 crores net) and Rs. 25 crores ($4 million) in the overseas markets.

The film earned Rs. 16 crores nett at the domestic box office on its release day, followed by Rs. 17.25 crores on Saturday and Rs. 19.50 on Sunday. Overseas too, the film had cash registers ringing making it the highest grossing first weekend film in overseas devoid of extended public holidays.  The film is also currently on the 9th spot on the charts in the United Kingdom.

Eros International of over three decades in establishing a global platform for Indian cinema is the first Indian media Company to raise capital and be listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The Company has a competitive advantage through its extensive and growing movie library comprising of over 1,100 films, which include Hindi, Tamil, and other regional language films for home entertainment distribution.

Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali has a knack of picking the most appropriate producer for all his films be it - Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Devdaas, Black or Guzarish and now Ram Leela.

Bhawana Somaaya / @bhawanasomaaya

Tuesday 19 November 2013

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 235

Day in the life of media
19.11.2013, Mumbai


Not that I attend all the events that happen in a day but a photographer has to and by the end of the day he is exhausted. You will be exhausted too just reading how many places he travels.

11.30am: Art Phoenix Festival to be inaugurated by Miss India 2012, Prachi Mishra, venue Nehru Centre, Worli, Mumbai..

11.30am: Marathi film Pitrutoon directed by Nitish Bharadwaj music launch by veteran star Tanuja and Sachin Khedekar. Venue: Kohinoor Hall, Prabhadevi.

12:15pm: Religare Broking addresses press conference. Venue: Gateway Room, the Taj Mahal Palace.

3.30pm: Merchandise launch of Dhoom 3 with Aamir Khan and Katrina Kaif. Venue: Yashraj Studio.

4.30pm: Dimple Kapadia’s trailer launch of What the Fish. Venue: PVR ECX.

4.45: Video interview of director Punit Malhotra, Kareena Kapoor and Imran Khan for Gori Tere Pyaar Mein. Venue: Filmistan Studio.

6.00pm : Musical Evening of Anil Sharma's Singh Saab The Great starring Sonu Nigam, Anand Raj Anand  and Simran Khan. Venue: Atrium R Cty Mall, Ghatkopar.

6.30pm: Ship of Theseus team announces their next film. Venue: Family Lounge, J W Marriott.

6.45pm: Milind Soman, Vidyut Jamwal, Sonu Sood & Rana Daggubati unveil the P&G Old Spice deodorants. Venue: Bandra Fort.

It is a hard life indeed and my sympathies to those who have to endure this day after day and week after week.
Bhawana Somaaya/ @ bhawanasomaaya

Monday 18 November 2013

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 234



Aarey o Samba kitne saal hue?
Sarkar 38 saal
 18.11.2013, Mumbai

Thirty eight years after the release of Sholay the producers are launching a 3D version of the film. While the film’s director Ramesh Sippy is fighting an ongoing battle on copyright issue with the family in court, the third generation of G P Sippy is ready to showcase the trailer of the classic.
It was a milestone moment at PVR Juhu to revisit the film footage in stereophonic sound and Dolby effect in the company of the young producer Sasha Sippy, distributor Jayantilal Gada, Ketan Mehta of Maya Digital and of course writers of Sholay Salim-Javed.
For years filmmakers tried to bring the duo to work together again but it never happened. They fought a common opponent – Zanjeer on the copyright issue and now share a platform for the 3D release of Sholay proving that life is indeed stranger than fiction.
I chatted with Salim and Javed independently and together and I realised that while a lot had changed over the decades, a lot remained the same.
Then, their credit mentioned them as Salim-Javed. Today, they are referred to as Salimsaab and Javedsaab. Then, both wore denim jeans and shirts. Today, Salim still wears jeans while Javed dons designer kurtas. Then, both had black heavy mop of hair. Today, Salim’s hair has turned brown and Javed’s hair is silver. Then, neither needed reading glasses. Today, Salim wears rimmed glasses while Javed after his laser surgery has done away with spectacles.
Both still have an attitude but have mellowed with time. The wit and old humour is still intact and it is evident in the manner they address the media.

Bhawana Somaaya / @bhawanasomaaya

Friday 15 November 2013

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 233

Rajjo is no queen
15.11.2013, Mumbai 



Vishwas Patil likhi aur direct ki gayi Rajjo ek tawaif ki kahani hain jiski zindagi mein 21 saal ka ladka Chandu aata hain, usse shaadi rachata hain aur apne saath le jaat hain.
Ye sab itna aasani se hota hain jaise Virar se train pakadkar Grant Road aana.
Chandu  khane ka thela lagata hain aur dono adivasi ki basti mein jhopde mein rehte hain.
Ab bas gaana gane ki der thi ki villain ke aadmi Rajjo ko wapas dance bar mein ghasit le jaate hain.
Film ki kahani regressive hain, screenplay illogical, characters banawti aur production-value below average!
Kuch filmein dil se banayi jaati hain, kuch technique se, kuch paise se aur kuch neeyat se.
Rajjo jaldi se mashoor hone ki lalach se banayi gayi film hai – isme Kotha hai, Begum hai, Besharmi hain ashleelta hain.

Kangana Ranauat iss kichad mein kamal ka phool hain. Rajoo ko sirf Kangana Ranaut ke liye – Big Entertainment Ratings milta hai 1 star.
*****************************************************************
Ram Leela is worth it

Eros produced aur Sanajay Leela Bhansali directed Ram Leela, Shakespear ki Romeo & Juliet se prerit, kaalpanik kirdaron par adharit, vibrant Gujarat mein bassi, 500 saal purani Saneda aur Rajade ki dushmani ki kahan  hain.
Holi ke din Rajade ka Ram/Ranveer Singh aur Saneda ki Leela/Deepika Padukone ko ek hi nazar mein pyaar ho jaate hain.
Film ka minus: film ki length, restricted location aur kuch pranto ke liye Gujrati samvaad.
Film ke plus: film ka shandar canvas aur scale – film ki mounting aur adbhoot shot taking.
Film ki cinematography, choreography, costumes, sets aur Bhansali ka foot tapping folklore music.
Saare performances powerful hain: Ram ki bhumika mein,kabhi udte, kabhi jhoomte Ranveer Singh. Leela ki bhumika mein, kabhi machalti, kabhi bikharti, phool se bhi sundar Deepika Padukone aur stabdh kar dene wale performance mein Supriya Pathak.
Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali ki 6 filmon mein se 3 filmein Khamoshi/ Black/Guzarish special ability ke vishay par hain, baaki teen Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Sawariyaa aur Devdaas prem kahaniyaan hain.
Ram Leela khoon se rangi do dhadakte dilon ki dastaan hain. Bhansali action sequences ko nritya ki tarha pesh karte hain…Nritya ko natak ki tarha… aur samvaad ko sur mein sunate hain!

Bhansali ki baaki filmon ki tarha Ram Leela ka har frame sushobhit hain – rajwadi kothiyaan, bade aangan, tang seediyaan, jharokhe, jharokhe ke uppar phisalte chappar aur sadkon par kali odhniyon mein lipti auroton ke jhund.
Kabhi ped jharno ke beech panchi udte hain… kabhi premiyon ke milan mein morr gaate hain…Navratri mein naachti ladkiyon ke rang birangi ghumte lehenge aapko mugdh kar deti hain...
Ram Leela rang aur rass ka bhandaar hain jisse dekh kar morr toh kya aap bhi than ghat karoge- Ta thaaiyya thaiyya thai!!

Ram Leela ko Big Entertainment Ratings milte hain 4 stars.
Bhawana Somaaya/ @bhawanasomaaya