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April 18, 2000
5 QUESTIONS |
Main bhi producer
The new company was launched formally at a party held on April 14 in Bombay. Their first venture will be a multi-star cast film directed by Gupta. Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay, Sunil Shetty and Akshaye Khanna have already been finalised to play the male leads. The duo recently made news when the actor held a press conference to announce that Jung, a film starring him and directed by Gupta, is incomplete and the public should not, therefore, see it. Gupta and the producer fell out when the film was in the making. At which point, both took the film’s title rather too seriously and took their battle to the streets.
First it was Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and the Dutt. And now, it's Amrish Puri. It looks like the singing bug is not prepared to spare anybody. The screen villain lent his rich baritone to a song from Shyam Chhatwal Production’s Badmash No 1 on April 12 at Sunny Super Sound. Bappi Lahiri wielded the baton. The film stars Amrish Puri in the title role with Johny Lever and Aruna Irani. On an aside, Chal mere bhai, rendered Sanjay and Salman for the film of the same name, is not exactly becoming the craze the makers thought it would be. Nor had the former's Ae Shivani number in Khoobsurat made people dance with glee. Let’s see if the Puri song will do otherwise. Hat-trick twice over! It has never happened before. And may never happen again. Two promising newcomers will have three releases each in the same debut year! Hrithik Roshan, who made his debut this year in Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai and Abhishek Bachchan, who makes his debut in Refugee, to be released in June, will both be seen in two more films each. Hrithik’s other releases this year include Fiza and Mission Kashmir. Abhishek will be seen in Tera Jadoo Chal Gaya and Dhai Akshar Prem Ke before the year ends.
The release of Hadh Kar Di Aapne was postponed by a day in UP, CP Berar and CI. Instead of opening on Thursday (April 13) as is customary in these circuits, the film opened all over on Friday! The release was postponed at the eleventh hour on Govinda’s insistence. As a result, exhibitors in Lucknow and Meerut (in UP), who had already opened the advance booking for the film, had to reimburse the cinegoers who had booked tickets for Thursday. Govinda’s keenness for a universal release on Friday seems to have stemmed from the fact that it was a bank holiday (Ambedkar Jayanti). And that Saturday was also a holiday on account of Moharram. Which means, the first three days (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) were consecutive holidays. Esha's double debut Esha Deol, like Abhishek Bachchan, will be launched in not one but two films. While Boney Kapoor’s film is titled Koi Mere Dil Se Poochhe, while the Pantaloon saga, where she stars with Hrithik Roshan, is called Na Tum Jano Na Hum. Vinay Shukla directs the former, while the shots in the latter will be called by debutant Arjun Sablok, Yash Chopra's ex-deputy. Those who stand also matter One hears about shootings being cancelled due to non-availability of a star's dates. But did you ever hear of a shooting being cancelled for want of junior artistes? Producer Vashu Bhagnani, who was in Jaipur recently for the shooting of Tera Jadoo Chal Gaya, had to cancel the schedule after a couple of days for want of a huge crowd. The local production man had promised Vashu a crowd of 1,000 to 2,000 people. But the faces of even 150 of the crowd of 1,500 he arranged weren’t appropriate. So Vashu, who had carted his unit to Jaipur, cancelled the shoot and returned to Bombay where he is now shooting the crowd-oriented scenes.
Jaya Bachchan, who was in the US and UK for the stage shows of two plays -- Maa Retire Hoti Hai and Dr Mukta, where she plays the title roles -- returns to India today for the music release of her son Abhishek's debut film, Refugee. She returns abroad to continue her shows after the function. A total of about 25 performances will be held. The plays are directed by Ramesh Talwar, who has directed such films as Kasme Vaade, Baseraa, Doosra Aadmi, Duniya and Sahibaan. Dream merchants manufacture nightmares It hasn’t been a very encouraging fortnight for the film industry. On more occasions than one in last 15 days, the industry has been shown in bad light. While the stories are unconfirmed, they nevertheless are of a very serious nature. Ketan and Vivek, sons of late film-maker Chetan Anand, were arrested earlier this month for allegedly masterminding the murder of actress Priya Rajvansh. Kishan, actor and brother of slain music magnate Gulshan Kumar, has found himself embroiled in the shocking cricket match-fixing controversy involving South Africa's former skipper, Hansie Cronje. Bombay exhibitor-distributor Gul Achra’s son, Anand, committed suicide earlier this week. It is believed he did so because he was unhappy about his father screening obscene, uncensored films at their cinemas. Gul had been arrested a few weeks ago in this context.
A look at the week
Komal Nahta edits the popular trade magazine, Film Information. Do tell us what you think of this column
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If Aamir Khan, Ajay Devgan, Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan could do it, why can't Sanjay Dutt? He has joined hands with buddy Sanjay Gupta and producer Bobby Anand (Bulandi) to float a production house called White Feather Films.
Alternate track
Govinda delays film's release
Maa returns