Month: September 2017

‘Padmavati’ Posters Burnt By Karni Sena Members; Demand Special Screening Of Film Before Release

BY IANS On

The Shri Rajput Karni Sena, an organisation of the Rajput community, on Saturday burnt posters of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s much-awaited Padmavati which is slated for a December 1 release.

A group of protesters gathered in front of Rajmandir Cinema Hall and shouted slogans against Bhansali and burnt posters of the film.

“While shooting in Jaipur, Bhansali had promised to show the film to us and historians before releasing it. But since then no one has contacted us, nor has the film been shown to us,” Narain Singh Divrala, district president Jaipur of the Shri Rajpur Karni Sena, told IANS.

“We want him to show the film to the core committee of Shri Rajput Karni Sena and various organizations, including historians, before releasing it,” Divrala said.

“Till then we will not allow the film to be released. If the Karni Sena core committee and historians don’t have any problems only then will we allow screening of the movie. We have come to know through media reports that facts and history have been distorted in the film, and it is unacceptable,” he added.

In January, activists of the Shree Rajput Karni Sena had protested, manhandled and misbehaved with the crew of Bhansali’s Padmavati claiming that he was distorting historical facts in the movie.

They had also damaged some cameras and other equipments. Bhansali had to stop shooting.

The Karni Sena claimed that they have got a big library and that in no book is it written that Alauddin Khilji, a powerful ruler of the Khilji dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate in 13th-14th century, fell in love with Padmavati or that he was her lover.

“They are trying to defame Padmavati by distorting historical facts. It is not acceptable,” an activist of Karni Sena said.

In March some miscreants broke the mirrors in Padmini Mahal (palace) in Chittorgarh Fort where Ala-ud-din Khilji is believed to have seen Rani Padmavati or Padmini.

Shri Rajput Karni Sena claims that the mirror was invented years after Padmavati lived and therefore it is a completely untrue story.

The first look of Bhansali’s much-awaited film, featuring Deepika Padukone, was released earlier this week. The actor plays Rani Padmini or Padmavati of Chittor, alongside Ranveer Singh who plays Alauddin Khilji.

Aamir Khan’s ‘Dangal’ Is The Highest Grossing Bollywood Film In Hong Kong

BY IANS On

Aamir Khan’s sports drama film Dangal is continuing its victory march at the box office worldwide and has become the highest grossing Bollywood film in Hong Kong with a collection of 23.45 million Hong Kong dollars.

As confirmed by the film’s spokesperson, Dangal has crossed the lifetime collection of Aamir’s 2009 film 3 Idiots, which minted 23.41 million Kong Kong dollars in the country.

“The film released in 46 screens in Hong Kong and Macau which is four times more than the regular screen count for a Hindi mainstream release,” said Amrita Pandey, Vice President – Studios, Disney India.

“The local audience’s overwhelming response reaffirms that an inspiring story backed by the right team, distribution planning, superior storytelling with such strong performances – can win hearts and transcend boundaries, and Dangal exemplifies that,” Pandey added.

The film has been backed by Disney India and Aamir Khan Production.

Based on the life of Mahavir Singh Phogat, a former wrestler who trains his daughters Geeta Phogat and Babita Kumari to be world-class wrestlers, the film also features Sakshi Tanwar, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Zaira Wasim.

Dangal currently has an overseas total of $217.17 million and worldwide collection of $297.68 million (including India).

Pakistan Actors Condemn Slut Shaming; Offer Support To Mahira Khan

BY IANS On

Popular Pakistani actors like Ali Zafar, Humaima Malick, Mawra and Urwa Hocane have lent support to actress Mahira Khan, who was trolled over social media over a leaked photograph where she can be seen smoking.

In the image that surfaced online, Mahira can be seen smoking alongside Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor. Soon after the photograph went viral over social media, a lot of people started slamming Mahira for smoking and wearing a short dress. Ranbir Kapoor, on the other hand, got away scot free. 

However actors from the Pakistani film industry took to Twitter to extend support to Mahira and slam her haters.

“Every woman has the right to make her own choices in life (as long as she’s not hurting anyone else) just like we men do. How we react defines our own character. Choose wisely, for we shall be judged,” Ali said in a handwritten note while tagging Mahira.

Humaima tweeted: “Ok. So now you can’t date anyone, can’t smoke, can’t go out , can’t wear what you want to just because you are a celebrity. More power to all artist and girl. Mahira Khan live your life your way.”

Mahira, who made her Bollywood debut with Raees earlier this year that had superstar Shah Rukh Khan in the lead role, also found support from Mawra and Urwa among others.

“Strength your way! Mahira Khan,” Mawra posted on Twitter.

Urwa wrote: “Stay stronger Mahira Khan! Love and power your way.”

Actor Osman Khalid Butt shared a photograph of himself smoking along with a friend and wrote: “F**k your double standards.”

Singer Momina Mustehsan also came out in support of Mahira and tweeted: “Jesus. Can we please give Mahira Khan a break?! Why are we so quick to judge and attack?! Especially if it’s a woman in question. It’s her life!”

Sanal Kumar Sasidharan Walks Out Of Kerala Film Festival

BY Vandhana On

Sanal Kumar Sasidharan has withdrawn his Sexy Durga from the International Film Festival of Kerala. The filmmaker, wrote on his social media page, that he decided to do so to protest against the ‘insensitive behaviour’ of the festival authorities.

Sasidharan felt that the festival’s decision to include his film in an ‘insignificant corner’ of the festival called Malayalam Cinema Today, was insulting.

He also alleged that when he communicated his decision to withdraw the film from the festival, an organiser said that he’d get a lot of publicity.

Vijay’s Next Is Not A Sequel To ‘Devi’

BY IANS On

Filmmaker Vijay and actor Prabhudheva have reunited for a yet-untitled Tamil-Telugu bilingual, but it’s not a sequel to their last year’s horror hit Devi, a source said.

“They have plans for ‘Devi’ sequel and it will happen in due course, but this is entirely a different project. Even the genre of the film is yet unknown,” a source from the film’s unit told IANS.

On Friday, the project was officially launched and the team has started shooting.

Aishwarya Rajesh plays a crucial role in the film, to be produced by Pramod Films and Trident Arts.

Nirav Shah will crank the camera for this project, which will have music by CS Sam.

Not long ago, Pramod Films announced that they’ll remake Malayalam hit film Charlie with R. Madhavan in Tamil.

Vijay was supposed to direct the remake. However, the project got dropped for reasons unknown.

“Not sure if this film is a remake. Vijay sir was interested in helming Charlie remake but he dropped the idea as he didn’t want to do a remake at this point in his career,” the source added.

At present, Prabhu Deva is hard at work on his Gulebakavali. 

‘Newton’ Bears Close Resemblance To Iranian Film ‘Secret Ballot’: Report

BY Silverscreen India Staff On

Rajkummar Rao’s Newton, which has won over the critics, has been selected as India’s official to the Oscars. However, an exclusive report by the NDTV stated that Amit Masurkar’s film bears close resemblance to an Iranian film Secret Ballot. 

The premise of both the films is similar. Newton is set in the Maoist-controlled jungles of Chhattisgarh and is about how a young presiding election officer trying to conduct a free and fair election there. Pankaj Tripathi plays an Army general who is skeptical about the polling. 

Secret Ballot has a female protagonist who is also sent to a remote area to conduct polling where she comes across a soldier who is not willing to help her. 

“I remember after I wrote the script just before I was going to shoot, a friend told me about Secret Ballot. Since the film was on YouTube I watched bits and pieces but that was very different I felt,” Masurkar told NDTV. 

Watch the Secret Ballot trailer here: 

Darren Aronofsky Defends ‘Mother!’ Says, ‘I Wanted To Howl And This Was My Howl’

BY Vandhana On

Darren Aronofsky is not surprised by the strong reaction to his recent release, Mother!. The Jennifer Lawrence – Javier Bardem starrer has polarised critics and viewers alike, with a reviewer calling it the “worst film of the century”.

In conversation with radio host John Horn following a recent screening at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Aronofsky said:

“We always knew it was a strong cocktail. When I was trying to tell the history, or the story, of people on Mother Earth, I was like, ‘Oh, the Bible could be a really kind of good blueprint to sort of hang all these stories’. Whatever you believe, it doesn’t matter. But there’s power in those stories because we can relate to them and they have different types of meanings for different types of people.”

The passionate responses to the film, both good and bad, has pleased Aronofsky considerably. 

“We wanted to make a punk movie and come at you. And the reason I wanted to come is because I was very sad and I had a lot of anguish and I wanted to express it. Filmmaking is such a hard journey. People are constantly saying ‘no’ to you. And to wake up every morning and get out of bed and to face all those ‘no’s,’ you have to be willing to really believe in something. And that’s what I look for in my collaborators and what I pitched the actors.”

He concluded: “So I wanted to howl. And this was my howl. And some people are not going to want to listen to it. That’s cool.”

 

Image Courtesy: Screen Rant

Junior NTR’s ‘Jai Lava Kusa’ Earns Rs 60 Crores In Opening Weekend

BY IANS On

Actor Jr. NTR starrer Telugu action-drama Jai Lava Kusa has grossed over Rs 60 crore in two days since its global release, according to trade pundits.

Directed by Bobby, Jai Lava Kusa features NTR in a triple role.

“Despite releasing on a Thursday, the film grossed a whopping Rs 49 crore on its first day worldwide. The two days total gross earnings is over Rs 60 crore and the film is set for a very strong opening weekend at the ticket window,” trade analyst Trinath told IANS.

In the film, NTR plays triplet brothers. As one of the character Jai, he was seen in a negative shade and he spoke with a stutter.

Thrilled with the response, NTR tweeted on Friday: “All this love for Jai Lava Kusa is deeply satisfying. As an actor, can’t ask for anything better. A big thank you from team JLK to everyone.”

Produced by NTR’s brother Kalyanram, the film also stars Nivetha Thomas, Raashi Khanna and Ronit Roy among others.

Film Producer Morani Surrenders In Rape Case

BY IANS On

Bollywood producer Karim Morani has surrendered to the Mumbai Police. The Chennai Express producer was accused of rape earlier this year. His bail plea was rejected by the Court on September 22, following which he decided to surrender to the Police.

According to initial reports, Morani surrendered at the Hayathnagar police station on the city’s outskirts around midnight on September 22.

He will be produced before a court later today. The police had booked him in January on charges of rape, wrongful confinement, criminal intimidation and cheating.

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed Morani’s petition challenging the Hyderabad High Court’s verdict cancelling his bail.

The High Court on September 5 had upheld the decision of the sessions court cancelling Morani’s bail.

Morani was booked for cheating, rape, wrongful confinement), criminal intimidation), and cohabitation caused by a man deceitfully inducing a belief of marriage under the Indian Penal Code.

 

Image Courtesy: Hindustan Times

Remo D’Souza Announces ‘ABCD3’; Farhan Akhtar Wants To Be In A Society Free From Prejudice

BY Vandhana On

A quick look at everything making news in the world of cinema today!

Sign On

Remo D’Souza will make ABCD3 with Varun Dhawan soon

Newsworthy

Darren Aronofsky was prepared for the strong critical reaction to his latest release, mother!. 

“We always knew it was a strong cocktail. When I was trying to tell the history, or the story, of people on Mother Earth, I was like, ‘Oh, the Bible could be a really kind of good blueprint to sort of hang all these stories’. “Whatever you believe, it doesn’t matter. But there’s power in those stories because we can relate to them and they have different types of meanings for different types of people,” he said in an interview with radio host John Horn.

Spotlight

Farhan Akhtar says that he wants to be in a society that is free from prejudice. In a recent interview with The Indian Express, the actor said:

“Being a parent to my daughters, son to my parents and friends to many people, I would wish for a society that’s fair to everyone, that’s free of prejudice and as non-divisive as possible.”

Let them eat cake!

Actor Tanuja, Madhu, Prem Chopra, Singer Kumar Sanu will all turn a year older today!

Haseena Parkar Review: Amateur Acting, Inconsistent Plot Reduce The Dreaded ‘Aapa’ To A Caricature

BY Sanjana Chakraborty On

Apoorva Lakhia’s Haseena Parkar trailer had piqued little curiosity and ruffled more feathers, with the common question being – why her? The last we saw of her, she faked her own death to get away from her village idiot of a boyfriend and then somehow met him “half-way”. Not only was that film panned, her acting reinforced Kangana Ranaut’s nepotism comment. 

And now she returns, with an entire film relying on her; where she ditches the skirts and bling, and opts for sequined burqas, plum-coloured lipsticks, fuller cheeks (courtesy cotton balls or laddoos, it’s hard to say), and some uneven dusky coloured foundation. She has de-glamed herself clearly (or at least tried to), but the lack of acting inevitably guaranteed all the groans and eye-rolls. 

Shraddha Kapoor plays Haseena Parkar, a biopic on dreaded gangster Dawood Ibrahim’s younger sister. And when you’re not focusing on Shraddha’s insincere get-up, you’re wondering if the story in itself is a terrible one, regardless of the actors’ performance. Either way, it made Arjun Rampal’s Daddy look like the less-tacky biopic on a Mumbai-based criminal.

meme

The film begins with a court scene, with two lawyers on the opposite sides dueling over why Haseena Parkar should go to jail. It’s a regular motif filmmakers have used (and exhausted) where the lead character, presumably one with shades of grey, is finally caught and how he/she proves him/herself that they aren’t the monsters we make them to be. There are cold stares, quote-worthy statements made, and soliloquies to make the audience sympathise with the character more. Something even Daddy and Rustom relied on to get the narrative going.

However, it’s always hit or miss with court dramas. Haseena Parkar, though, doesn’t tread an inch away from the ‘miss’. The lawyers bicker and bicker, like two squabbling children narrating the story about a fabled ghost to their mother (in this case, the judge). A lot of time is wasted on focusing on these lawyers who give Haseena the image of of a ruthless criminal.

In reality, we watch a girl in her late twenties with garish make-up on who pretends to be an older woman, talking meekly to show that age has slowed her down. Nothing appears convincing. Instead of taking us to that era when Dawood and his gang were coming up, I’m reminded of amateur skits that kids put up in schools. Except kids still try, unlike…

YouTube screen grab

The main trouble with Lakhia’s film is the inconsistency in the characterisation and plot. Haseena is introduced as a young girl who obeys her family and religion, but has a soft corner for her brother. Whenever her brother is beaten up by the father, she goes to him with food and tries to cheer him. Even in her marriage, she comes across as someone who wants to be the “good wife” – pray everyday and keep the house clean. But for someone who heavily relies on the men in her life to go about her daily duties, there’s little learnt of how she became the aapa (sister) of Mumbai. One minute she’s young and subservient, the next minute she’s got plump cheeks and whips her son for minutes – the development is barely touched upon.

But singling out Shraddha in terms of bad acting would be grossly unfair, especially considering her brother, Siddhanth Kapoor, plays her reel-life sibling. The over-the-top screams, the overtly blinking eyes and anger that looks like they’re a part of Saturday Night Live – are proof enough that the two are siblings alright. 

Farhan Akhtar played a sleek, soft-spoken, Dawood with a bad wig in Daddy. Siddhanth, however, isn’t really sure about his Dawood. Bearded, gawdy clothes, and the most least convincing dialogues – this Dawood resembles a local ruffian more than anyone who’s remotely dreaded. 

For a film that originally intended on chronicling Haseena’s life, ends up focusing on irrelevant details, characters, with hurried cuts and camera work not really helping this lost cause. Of what could’ve been an interesting, maybe even a feminist take on a woman who made everybody afraid of her falters into a caricature of the person. It’s time Bollywood revisits the whole idea of biopics.

*****

The Haseena Parkar review is a Silverscreen original article. It was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the movie. Silverscreen.in and its writers do not have any commercial relationship with movies that are reviewed on the site.

Kalavu Thozhirchalai Review: Uninspired Crime Thriller That Doesn’t Make An Effort To Engage

BY Sinndhuja Ramprasad On

If anything, Kalavu Thozhirchalai is ambitious. It wants to be a pacy crime thriller with an ingenious plot, and to this effect, it wants to employ the ever-fascinating legacy of the Chozhas. A lovely temple heist involving subterranean caves, decoding inscriptions on pillars wrought centuries ago, and generally, creating an air of mystery that comes with the territory.

But what Kalavu Thozhirchalai attempts, it doesn’t succeed at.

Vamsi Krishna, as Suresh Chandra, a member of an organised crime group plans a heist in a renowned temple in Thanjavur. He eyes the idol – a maragathalingam (an emerald linga) which glows from within as if painted neon – and enlists the help of a local petty thief to do the job. The thief, hilariously named ‘Sweet’ Ravi, has quite the reputation -“I don’t steal idols,” he says, “I move them” – and lives in abject poverty. The camera wanders through his past, brings us snatches of his life and love. He has a girlfriend whom he loves, and who loves him back, and like any Tamil heroine worth her salt, she urges him to give up his life of crime. Sweet Ravi listens, but money beckons. He has to marry and marriages cost money. Plus, he needs a Pulsar.

Suresh Chandra, as the operator of the crime, is always glued to his Mac, staring at what looks like a video-game like interface that maps the heist area. He explores little known caves used by the Chozhas, walks, crawls, dusts, coughs and does what it takes to make us believe that there’s something serious underway. There’s also a continuous stream of commentary – in the form of a voice-over – to announce what Vamsi is up to, thanks to which, and the general setup, the plot ignites no interest. It’s dull and dreary, with songs snuck in at random intervals that by the end of the first half – which is propped up to be a moment pregnant with suspense – all that it elicits is a dry chuckle.

It’s easy to see what the censor board would have loved in the movie, though. Seeking to restore the much-revered and worshipped idol of the Tanjore temple, is a CBI officer named Irfan. He risks his life, doles out lessons in upholding the culture of the place, which he mysteriously connects to the lost idol, and is so eerily reminiscent of Vijayakanth in throes of patriotic fervour. He also traces Sweet Ravi with a cigarette butt that he had left behind – something that eloquently describes the kind of crime thriller that has been conceived.

Indeed as the movie closes, with scenic views of Yercaud, and a really boring chase – there just isn’t any engagement, just an dispassionate observation of the proceedings. And when Irfan shoots straight at Vamsi’s heart in the penultimate scene, you wonder whether there’s any real science to the movement of blood which spurts from his chest; wouldn’t it be more of a gentle trickle than a sudden burst of red?

*****

The Kalavu Thozhirchalai review is a Silverscreen original article. It was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the movie. Silverscreen.in and its writers do not have any commercial relationship with movies that are reviewed on the site.

Pokkiri Simon Review: Dull Film That Betrays The Fans Of The Superstar It Pays Tribute To

BY Aswathy Gopalakrishnan On

Director Jijo Antony’s Pokkiri Simon is a bizarre film. It clumsily spoofs the films of a superstar whose filmography consists of movies that are inadvertent spoofs of one another. It claims to be a comedy, but the joke, for the most part, is on the film’s inability to deliver emotions right. The lead actors ham it up in every scene, and the technical departments aren’t of much help, either. 

Pokkiri Simon is centred around a bunch of men in Thiruvananthapuram who are die-hard fans of Kollywood superstar Vijay. They are happily unemployed, and arrogantly irresponsible when it comes to matters that do not pertain to Vijay or his films. Their unofficial uniform is a chequered shirt worn over a t-shirt, a costume style that Vijay popularised. They mouth Vijay anna’s ‘mass’ dialogues time and again, irrespective of situations.

In case you are wondering if lack of education and employment opportunities are the reasons as to why youngsters subscribe to this fan frenzy, there is a retired ISRO scientist, played by Nedumudi Venu, who has resolved to spend his post-retirement life selling tickets at theatres screening Vijay films and working tirelessly for the superstar’s welfare. There is a lengthy, romantic dialogue that he mouths on why it’s better to idolise reel heroes than worship a conventional god because the reel hero does everything that a god does, and better, the former is visible and mobile, unlike the stone idols. 

The titular protagonist Simon (Sunny Wayne) is the 27-year-old son of a police constable who seems to be proud of his son’s ingenious talent to dress up like Vijay. At one point, the young man takes his star-worship too seriously and fights off nasty villains in Vijay style, and becomes a saviour for the weak and the meek. Smitten by the star bug, Simon refuses to find a job, but agrees to find a girl and get married. One day, he spots a girl cheering and hooting inside a theatre during Vijay’s introduction scene. Mightily impressed, Simon decides to track her down and get her married to him. She (Prayaga Martin) is a well-educated rich danseuse. A song later, they are in love. Prayaga is an actor equally bad or even worse than Sunny Wayne, and the scenes that show them together are lethal.

Saiju Kurup plays Gilli Naushad who refers to himself in the third person. His scenes with actors such as Baiju and Sarath Kumar lend some relief in this mess of a film. Pokkiri Simon is a trifle which attempts to cash in on the sentiments of star worshippers. It romanticises fan clubs through lines such as, “You can be sure that these young men will never abuse women for they are fans of Vijay.” But, in another scene, you see the fans ogling a woman jogging on a beach and complimenting her ‘figure’. Vijay anna doesn’t seem to have educated his fans enough on what pertains to abuse. 

*****

The Pokkiri Simon review is a Silverscreen original article. It was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the movie. Silverscreen.in and its writers do not have any commercial relationship with movies that are reviewed on the site.

Newton Review: Stark View Of The Conundrum Called Democracy

BY Sohini Chakravorty On

Newton presents a conundrum that probably everyone in their lives faces at least once in their lifetime – be doggedly part of the system and go by the rule book or wrap yourself with the cloak of cynicism and disdain. Nutan Kumar (Rajkummar Rao), who insists on calling himself Newton, meets with this conundrum when he takes up the duty of a presiding election officer.

The film starts with a rather simplistic and redundant rider on the state of Chhattisgarh and Naxalism – a movement waged by renegades “popularly known as Maoists.” But take a look at the multiplex audience around, and you would be inclined to think perhaps that foreword is necessary.

Young, idealistic Newton is willing to change his name from Nutan to Newton, but not marry an underage girl despite his father promising him “zindagi bhar ghee mein dooba rahega (he will be drowning in ghee all his life).” Newton likes to live by his ethics and call of duty. But, as Sanjay Mishra (in a brilliant cameo) astutely points out, his righteousness is misplaced if he wears it as a badge. Newton’s black and white world faces a monumental challenge when he is sent out on election duty in the Maoist-controlled jungles of Dandakaranya.

Yang to Newton’s Yin is Army officer Atma Singh (Pankaj Tripathi). He has seen the great Indian farce – the parliamentary elections – unfold in insurgent areas of Kashmir, Manipur. He views Newton’s determination to hold polls in the Maoist-controlled area as foolhardiness. He is willing to indulge Newton as long as he gets to hold the leash.

YouTube screen grab.

Director Amit Masurkar’s credit lies in presenting a nonpartisan narrative and not depending on dramatic crutches to make a point. The reality of India’s democracy is revealed when a tribal voter cluelessly looks at the EVM machine – he doesn’t know how it works. Heck, he doesn’t even know who all are contesting the election. The fact that these villagers are torn between their forced allegiance to the Maoist cadre and threats from the State forces is presented as a simple truth. Mayank Tewari’s witty dialogues and Swapnil Sonawane’s effortless cinematography manage to alleviate the situation and bring forth the absurdity and dark humour. 

Newton’s story is neither new nor shocking, but it is the stellar performances that make the film work. Newton’s bullish honesty can be endearing and exasperating. This character could have easily turned into a caricature, but with Rajkummar Rao’s portrayal, you end up empathising with him. Newton doesn’t want to change the world, he merely wants to do his duty. Matching Rajkummar Rao’s skills is Pankaj Tripathi. If Newton is the protagonist, is Aatma Singh the antagonist? Not really. In the Army officer’s world, you make the rules depending on the situation. He is not the bad guy; after all, he is also trying to do his duty when put in the line of fire. Raghubir Yadav as the government employee who would rather write zombie stories than debate on the complexities of the Indian electoral system, and Anjali Patil as the efficient and informed Adivasi teacher add colour to the film.

Amit Masurkar’s Newton neither raises any questions nor tries to find any answers. It presents the world as it is. It might be easy to be cynical and apathetic, but even staunch idealism and good intentions flounder in the face of the conundrum called Indian democracy.

*****

The Newton review is a Silverscreen original article. It was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the movie. Silverscreen.in and its writers do not have any commercial relationship with movies that are reviewed on the site.

Bhoomi Review: Promising Premise That Deserved Better Treatment

BY Subha J Rao On

A few months ago, director Omung Kumar shared the first look of Bhoomi, and everyone was waiting to see what Sanjay Dutt’s comeback film would be like. There was a lot of grey and a splash of red. The two colours find a lot of play in the film, too.

As for hope, that mostly flies out of the window. A tale of a father and a daughter – gang-raped a day before her wedding – is pregnant with possibilities, but what we get is a film that chugs along a predictable path, features textbook villains and even salutes irony while at it.

The only layering is reserved for the climax, where hundreds of red and yellow dupattas float down a stepwell, forming layer upon layer on the water. But, I’ll admit that this could be one among the most picturesque of scenes in recent times.

But, first things first. And, in this film, that would be Sanjay Dutt as designer shoemaker Arun, who exercises by day and drinks by night, because it is not all right to do so the other way around — a father who raises his daughter to believe that it is all right to stay out late when it comes to work, and stands by her, irrespective of what the world says.

This is his first film after release from prison, and the years have lent Sanjay’s face a gravitas that just needs a good script to reveal itself. Full marks to the actor for being seen on screen as an ageing father whose hair needs a sprinkle of hair dye once in a while. When was the last time you saw a father oil and comb his daughter’s hair, and even remove “unwanted guests” (lice) from it?

Of course, he gets many chances to flex his muscles, and display some acting chops too. Some of his scenes with daughter Bhoomi (Aditi Rao Hydari) have great potential, and almost succeed in eliciting a tear, but there’s no lived-in feel to their bond; it’s too perfect.

I’m sure Aditi is waiting for that one director who would look beyond her fragile looks. Omung is not one of them! She’s chirpy in parts, devastated in some, and looks like a deer caught in the headlights for the most. But, she consistently maintains a hint of a stammer through the film.

Among the supporting cast is Shekhar Suman as Sanjay Dutt’s friend and Sidhant Gupta as Bhoomi’s fiancé. You wish it were peopled with more performers who would lend some character to the mohalla, and, in turn, the film itself.

The villains include a boy who loves a girl and seethes when she does not reciprocate, another who revels in chasing women down the badlands, and a third who goes about uttering dialogues such as “Everyone else plays hide and seek; we play hide and cheek” and “In Dholpur, everyone says ‘Save the water’; in Agra, what will become popular is ‘Save the daughter’.”

This third, Sharad Kelkar, is having the time of his life playing baddie on the big screen. He was the one redeeming factor of Baadshaho, and his Dhauli brings to life a villain who thrived in the 80s. It aches to see a television heartthrob rob people’s peace in cinema, but it’s a mark of what an actor he is.

There’s a fourth villain too, whose reveal does make you jump out of your seat, but I’ll let you experience that moment. The less said about the court scene where Sanjay rises to protest the verbal abuse of his daughter, the better.

If only Omung had structured the story to build the father-daughter bond a little better, and given her a voice too, instead of merely tears and some brief action, you would have had a film that screamed aloud a message. Instead, as always, men take up cudgels for women, who, of course, must be protected!

The film merely attempts a hat-tip to celebrating womanhood. But, before you begin taking it seriously, you are reminded of the Sunny Leone number, ‘Trippy Trippy’ — a curious case of avenging one woman’s honour while training the lens on another’s body.

And yes, the next time the dupatta is used as a lajja vastra, a symbol of pride when worn, and shame when removed, I suggest we all take a deep breath, sort through our collection of dupattas, and calm down.

Luckily, we are not part of the world Bhoomi is set in.

*****

The Bhoomi review is a Silverscreen original article. It was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the movie. Silverscreen.in and its writers do not have any commercial relationship with movies that are reviewed on the site.

Madras High Court Orders Interim Stay On ‘Mersal’

BY Janani Karthik On

The Madras High Court on Friday ordered an interim stay on the release of Vijay-starrer, Mersal, with regard to a petition filed by AR Film Factory’s Rajendran.

According to a report on News 7 channel, “Rajendran’s film Mersalaayitten is currently under production, and he had also registered the title with TFPC. Since Vijay’s film also has the similar title, he claims that the release of Mersal might affect his film’s business. Though the title is not exactly the same, ‘Mersal’ and ‘Mersalaayitten’ are similar in meaning. The High Court has hence issued a stay order on Mersal and the production house cannot release the film until it [the issue] is sorted.”

Mersal’s teaser, which was released last evening, has already crossed one crore views on YouTube. Bankrolled by Thenandal Films, the movie was scheduled to hit the screens on Deepavali, October 18.

SS Rajamouli Clarifies On His Role In Designing AP’s Capital City Amaravati

SS Rajamouli, the director of Baahubali 1 & Baahubali 2, has issued a clarification about his role in the designing of Andhra Pradesh’s new capital city, Amaravati. 

A report in The Indian Express says that Rajamouli  said he has only been acting as a go-between the Andhra Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and the design firm that has been contracted to plan the new city. 

Rajamouli also tweeted: 

An earlier story in the Scroll traced the timeline of events leading up to Rajamouli’s involvement in the project. After hiring a team of Singapore-based architects and city planners to design the new capital, Naidu demanded that the new city be Vaastu compliant, a request not part of the original brief. Later, he fired the Singapore designers and hired London-based award winning firm Foster & Partners to design the city. However, reports said Naidu felt the design was lacking in Indian elements and thus engaged Rajamouli, who “designed” the mythical, fictional city of Mahishmati, from Baahubali, to give design inputs to the firm. 

Newton Starring Rajkummar Rao Is India’s Official Entry To The Oscars

Newton, starring Rajkummar Rao and directed by Amit Masurkar, has been selected as India’s official entry to the Oscars. 

The Economic Times said that the Film Federation of India announced the news, even as Rajkummar tweeted:


 

Also starring Pankaj Tripathi, Anjali Patil, Raghubir Yadav, and others, the film tells the story of a government employee in a conflict-ridden part of the country. The film was released only today, and has already found some support. 


 

Newton premiered at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival, and won the prestigious Art Cinema Federation prize there. 

Actor Jai Charged With Drunken Driving, Second Time In Three Years

BY Silverscreen India Staff On

Actors Jai and Premgi met with an accident early Monday morning near Adyar bridge in Chennai. Jai, who was driving the car – an Audi – rammed into the wall of the bridge. The actors escaped unhurt.

According to an official statement from the police, “Around 2.30 am on September 21, Jai rammed his car into the wall of the Adyar bridge. According to the breath analyser test, we learnt that the actor was under the influence of alcohol. His Audi car was damaged and it is kept at Thiruvanmiyur police station for further investigation. A case of drunken driving was filed against the actor. He was arrested and then released on bail. This was not the first time that the actor was caught for drunk driving. In 2014, there was a similar incident after he rammed his car into the wall of Guindy bridge. We are also planning to ban his driving licence.”

Premgi, speaking to Silverscreen, denied the allegations. “It was a small accident. Jai and I are fine now,” he said. 

Jai, meanwhile, is awaiting his next release Balloon, directed by Sinish. It has Anjali as the female lead. He is also part of Venkat Prabhu’s multi-starrer, Party. The team just got back from a month-long shoot in Fiji islands. Premgi Amaren composes music for Party.

After Hara Hara Mahadevaki, Gautham Karthik, Santosh To Team Up For An Adult Horror Film

BY Janani Karthik On

While Gautham Karthik’s adult comedy Hara Hara Mahadevaki, directed by debutant Santosh, is set to hit the screens next week, the actor has teamed up with the director again. Their next film, titled Iruttu Araiyil Murattu Kuthu, is touted to be an adult horror film. The shooting will start from next month.

Santosh told Silverscreen, “While working on the post-production work of Hara Hara Mahadevaki, we discussed a script and decided to work together again for Iruttu Araiyil Murattu Kuthu. The shooting will start from October 15. Only Gautham Karthik is on board, we are yet to finalise female lead and other cast members.”

On choosing adult content, the director said, “Adult film means we assume that it will have sexual content or will degrade women. No, that is not the concept of my films. When a group of adult guys talk, they discuss everything. It would be funny conversations. But when a young boy joins their conversation, they may not indulge in adult humour. Funny adult talk is what Hara Hara Mahadevaki is all about. It is not a family film. I do not want to mislead my audience by calling it a family entertainer. Go with your boyfriends and girlfriends and enjoy it.”

“My next film Iruttu Araiyil Murattu Kuthu is also from the same genre, but horror,” he added.

Rajinikanth Supports PM Modi’s ‘Swachhata Hi Sewa’ Mission

BY Silverscreen India Staff On

Rajinikanth has extended support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Swachhata Hi Sewa’ mission. Earlier this week, Mohanlal tweeted his support to the same initiative. Through the micro blogging site, Rajini announced:

Interestingly, Rajini’s announcement comes on the heels of fellow actor Kamal Haasan’s announcement that he’d be making his political debut shortly. While Rajini too has flirted with the idea of joining politics for over a decade now, he has still not given a clear indication of his interest.

Prabhu Deva And His ‘Devi’ Director Are Collaborating Again

BY IANS On

Filmmaker Vijay and actor-director Prabhu Deva, who had worked together in last year’s Tamil horror-comedy Devi, are set to reunite for a yet-untitled project in the language.

“It’s true they’re joining hands again for a new project. Vijay sir is wrapping up Karu and as soon as he is relieved of the project, he will start the pre-production for this film. The rest of the cast and crew are yet to be finalised,” a source close to Vijay told IANS.

The genre of the film, to be bankrolled by Trident Arts, is yet unknown. Since his comeback to Tamil cinema with Devi, Prabhu Deva is on signing spree. He is currently working on two Tamil projects which are Yung Mung Sung and Gulebakavali. In the former, he plays a Kung Fu master.

Also, Prabhu Deva might direct a Hindi film before he commences work on this film.

Prabhu And Soori Join Vikram’s ‘Saamy 2’

BY Sanjana Chakraborty On

Veteran actor Prabhu and popular comedian Soori have reportedly been roped in for director Hari’s Saamy 2. According to The Times of India, the two are the latest to join the cast that features Vikram, Trisha, Keerthy Suresh, and Bobby Simha.

Unlike the first film, this new project will not be shot entirely in Tirunelveli. With the film scheduled to go on floors on September 24, a portion of the scenes will be shot in Chennai, as well as in Kerala, New Delhi, Mussoorie and Nepal. Simha will be seen sporting two different looks, with his character being a more intense one. 

Shibu Thameens will be bankrolling this one, with music by Devi Sri Prasad.

The film is a sequel to the 2003 film, a cop-drama on DCP Aarusaamy and how he tries to bring Tirunalveli under control. Much like the original, the sequel will has a lot of stunts in the works, choreographed by Kanal Kannan.

Jai Lava Kusa Review: Junior NTR Is The Hero And The Villain, Leaves No Room For Others

BY Vandhana On

South Indian heroes have a curious problem these days. As their star power increases, actors and the directors they choose to work with, are faced with a dilemma. Can a star vehicle accommodate a villain who proves to be a real challenge to the hero? Will the fans accept? Will the star accept?

Dhanush, in his VIP series, wrote off this threat by using an ineffective man-child (Amitash Pradhan) as villain in the first part. That was perhaps the weakest part of the movie. In the sequel, he cast Kajol as the ‘negative’ character and tried to reason it away by spouting some theories about people and the grey areas they occupy. Even this was an exercise in futility.

There’s no paucity of villains in the South Indian film industry. But the heroes would rather avoid a face off with a man/woman who can beat them to pulp, if the need arises.

Jai Lava Kusa director Ravindra and Junior NTR took a leaf out of the Enthiran playbook, and cast Jr NTR as the villain, as well.

Jai, Lava and Kusa are brothers who look alike. Jai’s stutter means that he’s forced to remain in the shadows as his brothers take centrestage in the family’s stage shows. Jai descends into a world fuelled by ineffective rage and insecurity. Fraternal love is thrown to the dogs, especially as the whole family (including Lava and Kusa) make fun of Jai’s stutter. 

It only makes Jai’s life worse. He reciprocates by blowing up a stage show.

And thus, Ravana is born.

Heavily backed by mythological concepts, Ravindra’s Jai Lava Kusa idolises Jai and his grey shades. NTR’s larger than life presence lends itself effectively to the scenes involving Jai. Here’s a character (and a hero) unafraid to embrace the dark side. There’s a lot of showmanship in NTR’s interpretation of Jai, and the kind of background he comes from. There’s no denying the fact that this role is a supremely bold choice for the actor.

Jai-Lava-Kusa-New-Photos-01

But films that have strongly etched characters, the others fade into the background. There’s not much NTR can do as Lava or Kusa — who seem one-dimensional and somewhat, uninteresting in comparison to their elder brother. It doesn’t help that their characters are not as convincingly written as that of Jai. Actors Raashi Khanna and Nivetha Thomas too fall prey to this issue. Their characters don’t seem real enough to engage the audience.

Like Arjun Reddy, Jai Lava Kusa, too, celebrates toxic masculinity. It takes the greatest villain the Indian epics have ever produced – Ravana, and gives him a 21st Century makeover. Interestingly, there’s some effort made to explain his traits as not just a product of patriarchy, but also the side-effect of some psychological issues. A deeper exploration of this concept would’ve made this film satisfying. As it stands though, the film rides high only on the strength of NTR’s star power.

He is the hero. He is the villain. He reigns supreme, leaving the rest to watch the goings on from the corner of every frame. Unintentionally hilarious, yes. But, for a film that’s sincere on all other counts, it’s a sad misstep. And one that deeply affects.

*****

The Jai Lava Kusa review is a Silverscreen original article. It was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the movie. Silverscreen.in and its writers do not have any commercial relationship with movies that are reviewed on the site.

Rajput Karni Sena Chief: We Will Boycott ‘Padmavati’ If Facts Are Distorted

BY IANS On

The Shri Rajput Karni Sena, an organisation of the Rajput community, has said it will oppose screening of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavati if facts are “distorted” in the film.

“Around 20 days back someone from Bhansali’s team had called and told us to see the film, but we asked them to show it to historians and intellectuals. After that we have not heard anything from them,” Lokendra Singh Kalvi, patron and founder of Shri Rajput Karni Sena, told IANS.

His comments come as the first look of Bhansali’s much-awaited film, featuring Deepika Padukone, was released. The actor plays Rani Padmini or Padmavati of Chittor, alongside Ranveer Singh who plays Alauddin Khilji.

In January activists of the Karni Sena had protested and manhandled and misbehaved with the crew of Bhansali’s Padmavati claiming that the filmmaker was distorting historical facts in the movie.

They had also damaged some cameras and other equipments. Bhansali had to stop the shooting.

“We will not allow distorted facts to be shown in the film at any cost, and will see to it that the film is not screened in half of India,” Kalvi said.

The Karni Sena claimed that they have got a big library and that in no book is it written that Alauddin Khilji, a powerful ruler of the Khilji dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate in 13th-14th century, fell in love with Padmavati or that he was her lover.

“They are trying to defame Padmavati by distorting historical facts. It is not acceptable,” an activist of Karni Sena said.

In March some miscreants broke the mirrors in Padmini Mahal (palace) in Chittorgarh Fort where Alauddin Khilji is believed to have seen Rani Padmavati or Padmini.

Shri Rajput Karni Sena claims that the mirror was invented years after Padmavati lived and therefore it is a completely untrue story.