Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Kaminey Movie Preview
A UTV Motion Pictures KAMINEY is being touted to be one of the most awaited films of the year 2009. Directed by Vishal Bharadwaj, who gave films like MAQBOOL and OMKARA (inspired by Shakespearean dramas), in the past, KAMINEY stars Shahid Kapur (in a double role for the very first time), Priyanka Chopra as a middle-class Marathi girl, a never seen before kind of role and lastly Amol Gupte (writer of TAARE ZAMEEN PAR) in a negative shade. The music of the film has been scored by director Vishal himself and lyrics by maestro Gulzar.
Synopsis:
Guddu and Charlie are brothers, born and raised in Dharavi, the world's largest slum dwelling in the heart of the megalopolis, Mumbai.
They also happen to be identical twins, in early twenties, hoping to leave the squalor behind and move into a life of prosperity and dignity. But the similarity ends here.
Guddu works as a trainee in a small NGO firm in the city. He hopes to climb up to the top of the corporate ladder. He wants to be a bona fide member of the burgeoning Indian middle class. His career has only just begun though and the road to bourgeoisie is both long and arduous. Yet Guddu is at it. He is honest, diligent and careful. Especially careful.
Charlie makes a living hedging bets at the race course. He moves around the plush hordes of the rich and famous at the races. For him this is just a way to make quick money and he dreams of becoming a legitimate bookie one day. Charlie is street smart, wily and brave. And only for himself.
The brothers don't like each other. They believe they have nothing in common, not even their speech defect. While Guddu stammers, especially when he is nervous, Charlie has a lisp. The brothers have built their lives so that their paths don't ever cross. They believe it's only a question of time before they are out of each other's sight forever.
All that is about to change. In one day. A day of reckoning. An unusual day; just right for the unusual events that unfold in its course.
Charlie is having a bad day at the office. He has practically bet everything he possesses on a coveted derby race. But at the last minute, he is double crossed as the race is fixed in their opponent's favour. He hunts down the jockey and plans to get even when the rival goons burst in. In the ensuing melee, Charlie and friends take off with a getaway car. Not knowing that the car belongs to a ruthless pair of cops, LOBO and LELE, who run drugs for the beach lord, TASHI. Soon enough, Charlie discovers a stash of coke in the boot of the car. All hell now breaks loose as the cops and the drug mafia get after his case. Charlie has to survive. And by his wits alone.
Guddu is performing a street theatre act when his newfound girlfriend, Sweety BHOPE appears on the scene, distraught and announces that she is pregnant. Guddu is shocked at first but realizes quickly that there is no real problem. They can get married right away! They can't. There is a real problem. Sweety reveals her secret; her brother is Sunil 'chopper' Bhope. A Gangster with political ambitions. A ridiculously dangerous man. And he already knows. Sweety informs Guddu that as they speak, her brother's men are out for his blood.
The story unfolds as the day progresses. Intercut between the parallel stories of the brothers as they run to protect themselves, their dreams and their love. Until a point where it converges and the brothers meet to realize that they only have each other. It is only through trust in each other that they can get out of the mess that they haven't created. They uncover a deadly political-police-underworld nexus. They discover virtues within themselves they thought didn't exist. And most important of all, they find each other.
By Bhagirath Goswami
Weekend Bollywood Box Office
The promo of 'Aladin' rocks
he first thing that catches your attention as you watch the first promo of Eros and Sujoy Ghosh's ‘Aladin’ is the look of the characters. While Ritesh Deshmukh [Aladin] and Jacqueline Fernandes [Jasmine] wear a contemporary look, Amitabh Bachchan [a genie called Genius] and Sanjay Dutt's [the bad guy called Ringmaster] appearances immediately transport you to a fairyland.
The second thing that catches your attention is the grand canvas and the mounting of the film. ‘Aladin’ is a visual extravaganza and the first promo gives you a clear idea of what to expect.
The third thing that catches your attention is the visual effects that have gone into this movie. Of course, what you get to see is just a tip of the iceberg, but if you visit the Eye Qube Studios, which has been instrumental in giving the film international-level effects, you'd know that ‘Aladin’ should push the envelope and break barriers.
‘Aladin’ is slated for a Diwali release and you've come to expect larger-than-life movies to set the screens afire in the festive week. Let's hope that ‘Aladin’ lives up to those monumental and humungous expectations that the promo rightfully raises.
The promo of ‘Aladin’ will be unleashed this Friday with the prints of ‘Love Aaj Kal’.
Sach ka Saamna offends? Turn off your TV: Delhi HC
Delhi High Court today threw out two petitions against the game show Sach ka Saamna, saying “moral policing” was not its job, and advised those offended by the show to turn off their TVs.
The judges slammed the petition as an example of the “misuse” of public interest litigation and, going a step ahead, also ridiculed the “hypocrisy of various ministers and parliamentarians” over deciding broadcasting law and television content.
“In this land of Gandhi, it appears that nobody follows Gandhi... Follow the Gandhian principle of ‘see no evil’. Why do you not simply switch off the TV?” a division bench of Chief Justice A P Shah and Justice Manmohan told the petitioners.
“We have very good advice for you. You have got two judges sitting here who do not watch TV at all. It will certainly help.”
Individual ideas of morality were not the business of the court, the judges said. “We are not sitting here for moral policing... You approach the Parliament and get the remedy. The courts cannot be expected to deal with issues that involve different individual perceptions.”
The plea by petitioners Deepak Maini and Prabhat Kumar was an “example of how PILs are being misused” in a country that faces “several far more serious problems”, the bench said. “Let the government decide whether the programme is to be banned or not. We are not getting into it.”
To the contention that the show — in which contestants are asked ‘objectionable’ questions in front of family and friends — was against the culture of India, the court said: “Our culture is not so fragile that it will be affected by one TV show. Moreover, nobody in his individual capacity can be allowed to take upon the social order and ask for directions.”
“You are asking us to entertain an area which deals with perceptions and opinions. Further, morality yardsticks are to be decided by the government. We cannot decide the issue,” the judges told the counsel for petitioners, former Additional Solicitor General Vikas Singh.
While repeatedly directing the petitioners to take the issue to the legislature and executive, the court was scathing on lawmakers.
“I am not sure whether the show has brought out the truth of many people but it is certain that it has brought out the hypocrisy of various ministers and parliamentarians,” Justice Shah said.
He made the comment in reference to the repeated flip-flops by MPs over broadcasting bills and endless debates over self-regulation of TV channels in both Houses. “We have seen numerous debates on self-regulation and what not over the broadcasting rules, though leading to nothing,” Justice Shah said.
“Probably the issue is so complicated that the Government is still contemplating.”
A number of MPs had created a song and dance in Parliament last week over the alleged ‘obscene’ content of Sach ka Saamna, following which the Information and Broadcasting Ministry had slapped a showcause notice on broadcaster Star Plus.
