Monday, August 19, 2013

Sri Lanka is an amazing place - Ranbir Kapoor

Lead actor of the movie Bombay Velvet Ranbir Kapoor said, "Sri Lanka is an amazing place and what I love most about it is that, it is extremely clean". The Actor also added "I have been shooting films for quite some time now, but I have never enjoyed shooting as much as I did in Sri Lanka."

Bombay Velvet an Indian Movie starring Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Karan Johar and Kay Kay Menon is currently being filmed in Sri Lanka. The Film is the first foreign film to be shot at the Mahinda Rajapaksa National Tele Cinema Park in Ranminithenna which was recently re-launched as "Serendib Studio" under the patronage of MP Namal Rajapaksa.

Anurag Kashyap, Director of Bombay Velvet addressing the media said, " Shooting has been a breeze in Sri Lanka, We could have never completed the amount of work we have done so far at such speed in India."

The film will be shot in a number of locations around the Island including, Galle, Bentota, Kosgoda and Colombo. However a majority of the movie will be shot at Serendib Studios.

Kashyap added that the studio is up-to date with current technology and has facilities that many studios in Asia didnot have on offer.

Filming of the movie is scheduled to end in February 2014. The production team was also happy to announce "A big release of the film in Sri Lanka."

Friday, June 28, 2013

Actress Swarna on Ventilator Support

Malayalam actress, Swarna Thomas, who was seriously injured after she allegedly fell from the balcony of her fourth-floor apartment is critical and is on ventilator support, sources at the private hospital where she is undergoing treatment said today.

Hospital sources said the 18-year-old actress, who is in the intensive care unit for spine and pelvic fractures and liver contusion, is unconscious and on ventilator.

Swarna fell from the balcony on Wednesday night and was in the Neuro ICU.

Swarna Thomas came to the limelight after participating in some dance reality shows of various television channels.

She is the actor in the film 'Buddy', shooting of which is in progress here. The actress has also essayed roles in a few other films, including 'Pranayakadha', 'Flat', and was to act in two Tamil films.

 

Thursday, June 6, 2013

English Subtitles Can Make or Break an Indian Film

Subtitles are important but still a last minute job

Naman Ramachandran

In 1977, the world premiere of “The Chess Players” by Indian great Satyajit Ray at the London Film Festival was in danger of being canceled because the print wasn’t subtitled. Lead Saeed Jaffrey stepped into the breach and read aloud all the roles in English while the audience listened on headphones.

India has come a long way since then, but subtitlers have to deal with last-minute jobs and almost impossible deadlines.

Nasreen Munni Kabir is one of the vets, having subtitled more than 600 Hindi-language films in English and French since the late ’70s. “If it’s a new release, you never get enough time,” Kabir says. “Too much post-production work is left to the very last second; I mean hours before the film is released, the film can still be a work in progress. Sometimes I have had to subtitle a film before the final audio mix and that can lead to problems if some dialogue is dropped from the final sound mix while the subtitle is not removed.”

The last-minute scenario is also prevalent in the South Indian film industry (comprising the Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam languages). Rekhs has worked on some 150 films across these languages, including “Adam’s Son Abu,” India’s entry in the foreign-language Oscar category in 2012, and 2010’s “Enthiran,” the first Tamil-language film to break into the U.S. box office top 10.

“In the South we have a large group of filmmakers and producers who are not as open-minded to English as a language or fluent in it,” Rekhs says. “So they feel intimidated and English subtitling is not priority. … Most of them are not even aware that subtitles are not just in English. But English acts as a bridge for the movie to be subtitled in other foreign languages as well.”

However the southern scene is improving. It helps that the country’s top subtitling facility is in the southern filmmaking center Chennai, operated by India’s National Film Development Corp. (NFDC), also a leading producer of arthouse films. The process costs range from $830 to $1,400 depending on the length of the film and subtitlers’ charges.

NFDC m.d. Nina Lath Gupta calls subtitling, “a key tool since our films travel to international festivals and markets.”

In the commercial filmmaking sector Disney UTV is among the most aggressive in marketing across the world.

To Disney UTV’s Amrita Pandey, “it isn’t just about the language, but also the essence of the spoken dialogue and its cultural relevance to the audience. What’s important is also the timing of subtitles appearing onscreen, font, size, color.”

As Kabir sums up, “Good subtitles can’t save a bad film, but bad subtitles can ruin a good one.”

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Filmmaker And Gay Icon Rituparno Ghosh Dies At 49

Rituparno Ghosh, the flamboyant film director and one of the very few openly gay figures in Indian cinema, died Thursday at the age of 49 of a massive heart attack at his residence in his native Kolkata in Bengal.

Despite his relative youth, Ghosh enjoyed a long career spanning almost two decades, winning many national and international awards for his films along the way. Some of his most prominent directorial accomplishments included “Hirer Angti,” “Unishe April,” “Dahan,” “Asukh,” “Chokher Bali,” “Bariwali,” “Antarmahal,” “Noukadubi,” “Abohoman” and “Chitrangada.”

Ghosh was finishing his latest film, “Satyanweshi,” a thriller based on the popular Bengali detective character Byomkesh Bakshi, when he passed away. His films generally depicted the foibles and concerns of the urban, educated middle class of India in a realistic fashion, as the nation's status progressed from developing to global emerging power.


Ghosh also worked as an actor. In the movie “Chitrangada,” he portrayed a transgender person in an unusually frank depiction of a part of Indian society largely shunned by the mainstream, particularly by the conservative film industry.

Ghosh’s death triggered tributes from across the Indian film world, as well as from politicians in West Bengal. “Rituparno Ghosh had great sense of humor. He had a brilliant understanding of human behavior. Will miss him and his cinema. RIP my Friend,” wrote famed actor Anupam Kher on his Twitter account. “Shocked by passing of Rituparno Ghosh. He was dreaming of getting into what he called his 'next phase'. Hugely creative explorer on film," tweeted film director Shekhar Kapur.

The chief minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, also expressed her condolences. "We are stunned. In his sudden demise, Bengal has lost an eminent filmmaker. It is a very sad day for us," Banerjee said.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari told reporters: “It is tragic and his demise is not only a loss to the film industry but also to creativity. Right now, our hearts and minds should be with his family. We offer condolences to them.”

Ghosh was part of a long tradition of exemplary directors in Bengali cinema, which is quite different from Mumbai-based Bollywood, stretching back to world-renowned auteur Satyajit Ray. Unlike Bollywood’s focus on music, dancing and happy endings, Bengali cinema (sometimes called "Tollywood") tends to be more serious, penetrating, dark and complex.

One of the greatest actors of Bengali films, Soumitra Chatterjee, now 78 years old, praised Ghosh: "He was a great genius and the void left after his death cannot be easily filled.”

Similarly, Raima Sen, the granddaughter of legendary Bengali actress Suchitra Sen, said of Ghosh: "[He] gave the turning point to my career in the film 'Chokher Bali.' He was more than a director to me; he was almost a part of our family. He was [an immeasurable] genius."

Aside from his skills as a film director, Ghosh will also be remembered for his sexuality in a country that remains extremely hostile to homosexuality or any other form of what society regards as “deviant behavior.”

Amitabha Bhattasali, a BBC correspondent in Kolkata, noted that Ghosh loved dressing as a woman, wearing makeup and jewelry, and that his open sexuality marked him as a maverick in very conservative India. “Initially he wore men's clothes, but in the last few years he completely switched over to women's dresses,” Bhattasali wrote. “Film analysts say that through his films, writings and acting roles, Mr. Ghosh gave a voice to disempowered sexual minorities. Though mocked by many, he lived life on his own terms and never shied from taking up verbal fights with those who mocked him.”

Bhattasali added that women loved working with Ghosh since he, of course, would not sexually harass them in any way – in dramatic contrast to the “casting couch” mentality of many powerful men in Indian cinema. Indeed, Ghosh’s films were widely admired for how they explored the sufferings and feelings of the fairer sex. Onir, another gay Indian filmmaker, said Ghosh’s death marked a “big loss” for India’s LGBT community as well as for Indian cinema.

In an interview with Indian journalist Subhash K. Jha, Ghosh explicitly discussed his view of the portrayal of homosexuality in global cinema and found much to criticize.

“I didn’t like 'Brokeback Mountain' at all,” he said. “In fact, I quite hated it. I was put off by the abruptness with which the love scenes between the two male actors came on. I thought they were unnecessarily sensationalistic and seemed to be put there for titillation… I found it contrived.”

Despite his own career as an openly gay man, Ghosh expressed some skepticism that Indian films (or society) would ever treat homosexuality with total honesty or acceptance. “I don’t think 'Brokeback Mountain' can be done in Indian cinema,” he said. “I don’t know about our cinema. … The sexual mores, family structures and parameters of [what is] permissible are different.”

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Mollywood's most-loved moms

Retirement post marriage was the unsaid yet widely accepted norm for most actresses across the film industry. Though, a close introspection of Mollywood would reveal that the industry has always welcomed back its talented actresses, post their wedding and mother roles in real life... so much so that the most-loved young moms in recent times are setting new yardsticks for the yummy mummy brigade! TOI takes a dekko.



Shwetha Menon
She's been controversy's favourite child right from the time she sent shockwaves across puritan hearts with the condom ad with Milind Soman. Ironical as it may sound, Shwetha entered matrimony at a time when she played the protagonist, Rathi, in the remake of Rathinirvedam, where she played the muse of an adolescent boy. The actress stirred a hornet's nest yet again when she let her delivery be filmed for Blessy's Kalimannu, sparking off a new series of debates. However, Shwetha is unfazed by the series of criticisms, continues to make bold statements with her choice of films and has even declared that she'll give an apt reply to a politician who snubbed her (saying her next delivery would be in an open ground) once Kalimannu hits the screens. Bold and beautiful, did we hear?

Kaniha
Bhagyadevatha and Pazhassiraja set the ball rolling for Kaniha for a successful stint as an actress in M-Town post her marriage. While her marriage to US-based software engineer Syam seemed to have spelt the end of her career as an actress, Kaniha continued to get good offers from the industry.

And motherhood (she's mom to a three-year-old son) was no reason to put a full stop to her career. The actress went on to act alongside the big Ms of Mollywood in Spirit and Bavuttiyude Namathil, and also has a handful of films that will hit the screens this year. Way to go!

Gopika
She bid adieu to films with Veruthe Oru Bharya, where she starred alongside Jayaram, after she wed Ajilesh Chacko and settled down in Ireland. Though, she returned to do Swa Le with Dileep a little later. Now the mom of a three-year-old girl, Gopika is back on the screen once more to team up with Jayaram in Akku Akbar's recent release. Incidentally, the same team of Veruthe Oru Bharya that gave the actress a warm send-off years ago, have now welcomed her back to the industry, with the recent release having almost the same crew. Welcome home, Gopika!

Nadia Moidu
Now, age sure has forgotten to catch up with this actress! Nadia, who was the most-loved bubbly actress in her heyday, will soon be back in M-Town with Aaru Sundarikalude Kadha (ASK). The actress, who has sizzled onscreen in Telugu and Tamil besides Malayalam, settled down abroad post marriage and made a comeback of sorts with M Kumaran S/o Mahalaxmi. While Sohan Seenulal's Doubles had her team up to do a sister act alongside Mammootty a handful of years ago, ASK will see her in an entirely different makeover. We can't wait to watch the bundle of energy once more...

Navya Nair
Here's another actress who has pulled out at all the stops to be in the limelight even after marriage and motherhood. Nandanam's Balamani starred alongside all the leading heroes of her time before she took a break from films. Scene I Nammude Veedu paved the way for her comeback last year. While the actress is busy judging dance reality shows and giving stage performances, fans are eagerly looking forward to her next signing in M-Town.

Comedy ensures big returns on investment in Mollywood

It maybe the age of new generation movies in Mollywood; where experimentation is the key word. However, cash registers seem to tell a different story. When it comes to box office collections, Mollywood seems to stick to tradition — if the top grossers in the recent past are any indication.

Dileep-starrers My Boss and Sound Thoma, and Kuchacko Boban-Biju Menon-starrers Romans, which were box office hits, fall under the comedy genre. While films like Da Thadiya, Immanuel and Bavuttiyude Namathil just managed to break it even, Rajeev Ravi's Annayum Rasoolum and the award-winning Celluloid do not feature in the top grossing list, though they did not run on losses. The only exception is Lijo Jose Pellissery's Amen, which fetched record collections. However, Amen could not be slotted as a typical new-gen film, say experts, and it had its share of comedy as well.

"The reality is that the majority of new gen films is running at huge losses. Nearly 50 such films are on hold because there are no takers for their satellite rights. You can't blame the channels because these films were box office duds. The channel authorities reason that people stop watching them after breaks and they lose TRPs," says Sabu Cherian, producer. He further adds that, too many movies are getting released now and it is also adversely affecting box office collections.

Sleeba, an ad film maker, says comedy has always been an integral part of the Malayali psyche. "It is films like In Harihar Nagar which we watch over and over again on TV. Earlier, serious films too used to be a hit with the audience along with comedy but now people prefer entertainment over everything else," says Sleeba.

However, according to an industry insider, who doesn't wish to be named, the real reason is that people don't have much choice now. "Humour in most of these films is not classy or really entertaining. But people still love them!" According to him, a major chunk of movie goers, who used to enjoy watching emotional dramas of Mohanlal and Mammmotty in the past, now don't have a substitute for these films. "This is one of the main reasons why Mayamohini was the highest grosser last year," he says.

"It could also have to do with the fact that nobody wants to see a disturbing film with violence, bloodshed and stunts these days," says Prashanth R, a movie buff. "If I want to watch action, I'll watch Iron Man3 or some other Hollywood film. And if I want to see a rom-com, I prefer a Bollywood film with pretty actresses. But when it comes to comedy, nothing can beat Malayalam," he points out. So does that mean that the new wave of experimentation and going against the formula are just a hype?

"People today prefer pure entertainment, and it doesn't have to be a good film per se; as long as it is entertaining they will watch it. That doesn't mean that all the so called new generation films are of a lesser quality," adds Sleeba.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Old and new favourites delight music fans at Bollywood concert


BOLLYWOOD playback singers Dipalee Somalya and Samir Date claimed the hearts of thousands of mothers at Saturday night’s annual Mother’s Day spectacular.

The duo performed a range of selections from popular Bollywood movies. The event was held at the Centre of Excellence in Macoya and featured a concert performance by local entertainer Indar Kanhai and his band Active Trishul Orchestra.

The concert was dedicated to the late legendary Indian singer Mohammed Rafi. Somalya and Date performed singles and duets including “Naina Barse”, “Jhumkaa Gira Re”, “Suhani Raat”, “Ye Mera Prem Patra”, “Jo Wada Kiya”, “Jhil Mil Sitaroka”, “Dewanna Hua Bada”, “Sau Sail Pehele” and “Lak Kaa Gales”.

Date, who got his first break singing for the film Maine Pyar Kiya—the English version titled When Love Calls—delighted the packed audience.

Canadian Shweta Subram had mothers dancing as she performed her spicy hits, including “Fevicol” from the Bollywood movie Dabangg, Sheila Ki Jawani and Chikni. A favourite was “Heer” from the recent movie  Jab Tak Hain Jaan.

But the night belonged to Indar Kanhai and his band. Dressed in a dark-coloured suit and pink shirt, Kanhai performed songs from the old and new Bollywood movies.

He was accompanied by his sister, Nandini Kanhai, Nelisha Ali and Sunita Singh. Kanhai’s two young sons joined him on stage as they danced to their father’s upbeat selections. Kanhai, who has shared the stage with India’s Kumar Sanu, performed hits including “Piya Oh Re Piya” among others songs.

Anthony Batson, junior chutney singer, performed Sundar Popo’s classic “Mother’s Love”. He received a thunderous applause.

The San Juan Young Stars tassa group and comedian Kenneth Supersad added to the entertainment.
Supersad’s daughter, Peggy, was a member of the tassa group.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Mollywood stars at a mega event


A two-day mega event held recently in the Mumbai was a starry affair. Celebs from all fields attended the do and some even performed at the function.

Bollywood star Mithun Chakraborty, who was to inaugurate the event, could not make it; instead actor Dileep did the honours. Innocent, Hibi Eden, Manjari and Mayor Tony Chammany were spotted at the inaugural function, which saw filmmaker B Unnikrishnan co-ordinating the event. Dance and music shows followed; Shobhana's dance on the second day being the highlight at the do.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Indian Film Industry becomes 100 years old in Juky

Indian cinema is celebrating its 100 years of existence  The film Industry in Mumbai celebrates the 100th birthday while South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce (SIFCC) plans a three-day event to celebrate 100 years of Indian cinema, starting July 12, according to report in News track India


Prominent personalities were also honoured as ‘People of the Year 2013’ at an event held recently at the FICCI auditorium in the New Delhi. Veteran actress Shabana Azmi, cinematographer Santosh Sivan, actor-director-choreographer Prabhu Deva, Assamese filmmaker Jahnu Barua, wildlife photographer and documentary filmmaker Mike Pandey and film editor Sreekar Prasad were among those awarded. Minister of Information and Broadcasting Manish Tewari, the chief guest for the event, gave away the honours.

Shabana, azmi said, “I have often thought of what my life would be if I wasn’t doing cinema. Indian cinema completing a 100 years is a landmark and I am but a small part of it."

Sreekar Prasad, who has edited over 500 films in more than 15 languages, dedicated the honour to all the editors of Indian film industry. Filmmaker Jahnu Barua, who is currently working on Har Pal, said that filmmaking needs to be looked at not just as a business, but a mission to safeguard the cause of humanity. “Filmmaking is like a nuclear power. If used properly, it can immensely help mankind. And if misused, it can destroy many minds,” said Barua. Bollywood heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor was thrilled to share this honour with some of the greatest names from the industry. He shared, “These celebrations commemorate the remarkable journey of Indian cinema from the first film created in 1913. My great grandfather, Prithviraj Kapoor, was part of these pioneering years of cinema and I am honoured to follow in his footsteps.” Another luminary of Indian cinema actress Tabu said, “According to me, the real box office king or queen is a good film and a good script. I am glad to have been chosen for this recognition out of so many talented artists over so many years of Indian cinema.”

Members of the film chamber of the four south Indian states, along with hundreds of film personalities from other industries, will join hands in the celebration. "We are planning to make this an august event. It's a proud moment for Indian cinema and we should all be fortunate to be present to celebrate this moment. 100 artists from four south Indian film industries will be honoured during the course of the event,"  said C. Kalyan, President, SIFCC told IANS. "The artists will be handpicked by a jury comprising members from the respective state's film chamber.

Filmmaker K. Balachander will preside over the jury committee to select artists from Tamil film industry," he added. The chief ministers of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh are likely attend the inauguration. "We will felicitate all those who have made a difference in the Indian film industry. We are also planning to hold workshops on filmmaking along with so many other activities across all three days.

We will also invite our honourable President Pranab Mukherjee along with the chief ministers of all the four states," he added. The shooting of all Tamil films will be suspended to facilitate smooth organization of the events.

Monday, April 8, 2013

Direction is Shakeela’s new role


Shakeela got a chance to play a role in the soft-porn film, Playgirls, in 1994 in which reigning sex queen Silk Smitha was the heroine. In one scene, Shakeela had to only wear a towel and do a love-making scene. Then Smitha would enter the room, catch Shakeela in the act, and give her a slap. Before the scene could be shot, an anxious Shakeela kept asking Smitha about the slap. Smitha repeatedly said, “Don’t worry, I will only pretend that I am slapping you.”
However, when the shooting took place, Smitha gave an actual slap. A shocked Shakeela burst into tears and ran away from the set at AVM studios in Chennai. For three days she stayed away. Then the producer went to her home and told the youngster that Smitha wanted to say sorry. When Shakeela reached the set, Smitha gave a box of chocolates, and hugged her.
“Smitha told me that since I was new to acting, I probably would not know how to cry,” says Shakeela. “And since I was skimpily dressed, I would feel uncomfortable in front of the crew. So, in order to finish the shoot in one take, she slapped me. But till today, my heart is not convinced by her answer. I have been puzzled by her behaviour.” Could she have been jealous at the rise of a new competitor? “I don’t know,” says Shakeela.
Incidentally, Smitha committed suicide on September 23, 1996.
It is 2013. Shakeela, who has lost more than 20 kg, is relaxing in her hotel room at Kochi, after a day’s shooting for her latest Malayalam film, Neelakurinji Poothu, in which she is acting as well as being the director. The story is about a single mother bringing up a girl. The producer is Jaffer Kanjirapally, who has done 19 films with her. “I made a lot of money, thanks to Shakeela,” he says. “Now I am trying my luck again.”
As for Shakeela, she wanted to do something different. “To try new things like direction will help me grow as an actor,” she says. But it has been an up and down career.
For a time, from the nineties to 2000, Shakeela’s soft-porn Malayalam films were a rage in Kerala. Her film, Kinnarathumbikal, became a huge hit. She shakes her head and says, “How did this film do well? It had one of the worst background music I have heard: some scratchy remixes of Michael Jackson songs. I was wearing a blouse and a lungi. There were only two hot scenes. In one I am having a bath in a stream and, in another I make love to an older man.”
Nevertheless, the public were enamoured. Later, the films were dubbed into many other Indian languages and could also be seen in places like Nepal and Bangladesh. But once the Censor Board clamped down on the films, Shakeela’s career came to a sudden halt.
“I had been working for two years without a gap,” she says. “And when I got a break, I was so happy. For a month I was eating and relaxing. Then it became very boring. I learned cooking and passed the time by playing games on Play Station. For two years, I did not get any roles.”
Her break came when she got a comic role in Telugu director Theja’s Jeyam in 2002. Thereafter, she did similar roles in Tamil and Kannada films. However, the old request to wear revealing clothes kept cropping up. “Immediately I will say, ‘Is this a Malayalam film?’, and shut them up,” says Shakeela, with a smile.