Sunday, February 28, 2010

The Filmfare awards were reproduction of Star Screen awards.


The Filmfare awards were reproduction of Star Screen awards.

The 2010 Filmfare awards were absolute reproduction of Star Screen awards. Big B won the award for the best actor for his performance in the film Paa. Vidya Balan won the best actress for the performance in the same. Amir Khan’s performance in The 3 idiots went in vain.

It is nothing new that Big B never won any award for versatile performances in the films Akhree Rasta, Indrajeet, Akela, etc., but when the name got converted into brand name the awards had been running after him. Same thing had happened with AR Rehman. When he composed music for Roza, or Bombay, or Saathiya, there was innovation the main yardstick of awards. These days whenever even if he creates mediocre music in Delhi 6, he gets awards. Neither is there any promotion of new talents, nor recognition for good work. Pritam, Shantanu Moitra had just created good music in the films Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani and The 3 idiots.

Among the list of manipulated awards some rewards for genuine good performances included the award won by Boman Irani for best supporting actor in the film The 3 idiots. He has potential of the same lights of Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri. Also Ranbir Kapoor won the critics’ choice award for his performance in the films Wake Up Sid, Rocket Singh, etc.

The male and female singer award does not prove anything. Kavita Seth and Rekha Bharadwaj had won the awards for the film Delhi 6. The songs were ordinary by every musical standards. Also Mohit Chauhan’s award proves nothing.

The sad part of these filmfare awards is that it had huge heritage of stalwarts like Dilip Kumar, Meena Kumari, Balraj Sahani, Raj Kapoor winning the awards under different categories in the past. Critics even argue that there is hardly any justification of the best actor, the category should have been best hero.

The national awards still have some relevance. Filmfare awards had been a tool, either purchased or manipulated or rigged.

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Significance of Holi in the RK Studio.







Significance of Holi in the RK Studio.

These days holi is losing significance in the context of bollywood films and the stars involved with film-making. During the lifetime of Showman Raj Kapoor, holi was celebrated in RK Studio. It used to be a very prestigious affair. Other than members of the Kapoor family including Shammi Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Randhir Kapoor, Rajiv Kapoor and others, celebrities from the film industry used to play holi in the studio.

The event marked the strengthening of relationship of members of the bollywood film industry. The celebration included directors like Manmohan Desai, actors like Dilip Kumar, singers like Mukesh, composers like Shankar Jaikishan, to name a few. The enthusiasm was there even during the 80s, when most of the celebrities who were contemporaries of Raj Kapoor became old.

Raj Kapoor himself stopped it in the late 80s as he started having physical discomfort while playing holi. He had asthma and the contact of colours basically aggravated the disease. The prestigious celebration of holi stopped after 1988, after the death of Raj Kapoor.

After that time, a number of other celebrities started the tradition of inviting the film industry to play holi. But the pomp and grandiuer that was there in RK Studio could not be replicated.

Holi forms an important festival for Indians and bollywood films had devoted a lot of space for holi. It was shown in films like Paraya Dhan, Sholay, Silsila, to name a few. The songs related to holi like “holi re holi” sung by Manna Dey, “holi ke rang” sung by Kishore Kumar, or “rang barse” sung by Big B had not lost their appeal even after 30 years of the release of the films.

Modern producers and directors can also portray the festival of colours in modern films in their innovative style as holi is one of the most popular festivals of the country. Ranbir Kapoor is on the way to be the new superstar of bollywood films with successful performances in films like Bachna Aye Haseeno, Wake Up Sid and Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani. He can make an effort to revive the holi celebrations in RK Studio.

Friday, February 26, 2010

Atithi Tum Kab Jayoge has nothing new.


Atithi Tum Kab Jayoge has nothing new.

The film Atithi Tum Kab Jayoge, does not have anything new. There has been a mindset of most of the directors these days that the moment they make a comedy film it will automatically be hit. There is no basis of this mindset. If in 2009, All The Best did great business, Do Not Disturb and De Dana Dan flopped.

Ashwni Dhar had been the director of the film. He had cast Ajay Devgan, Konkona Sen Sharma and Paresh Rawal in the main roles. Warner Brother Pictures and Wide Frame Films had produced the film. In this film Ajay Devgan and Konkona Sen Sharma had a peaceful family.

But the appearance of Paresh Rawal in their house created the maximum amount of displeasure. He mentioned that he was a distant relative of the family and come from village. But the period of time for which promised to stay passed away. He never decided to leave the house.

He created annoyance of every type for the family. Ajay Devgan and Konkona Sen Sharma had tried every type of ploy to compel Paresh Rawal to leave the house. But he was adamant enough to act on their ploy. The character artists like Ritesh Deshmukh, Sanjay Mishra, Pradeep Rawat, Satish Kaushik did well in their respective roles.

The music had been composed by Pritam. The song “dohe” sung by Amit Misra and “aaja aaja” sung by Pritam had been popular. The other song “joti jalaile” sung by Vishal Bharatdwaj was not bad. But the film does not have the masala with which viewers can be drawn in to the cinema halls or persuaded to sit in the halls for three hours.

The acting of Paresh Rawal, Konkona Sen Sharma and Paresh Rawal had been fine. But if the script does not help the actors to that extent, the comedy punch at times become boring.

If the film does mediocre business it is more than enough for the director and producer.