Quotas for the underpriviledged in the Bollywood Hindi film industry

There was a rather peculiar question in the All-India Pre-medical and Pre-dental Entrance Examination a few years ago. The question in the biology section asked if children of doctors were genetically inclined to become doctors themselves. I am sure that there were some students who filled in the “b” or “c” circle with their No.2 pencils  for all questions they did not know the answer.  Some must have chosen that option.

Will we ever see this story outside of the The Indian Bakwaas?

Reflecting back to the gist of the question, I can say that is certainly true that many physicians want their children to follow in their professional footsteps. The same also applies for practitioners of professions such as law, politics, sports, and engineering. The Hindu caste system was originally based on professions. Even today there is controversy regarding the touchy topic of race and ability. Geneticists are however, quick to point out that there is no “race gene” in the human genome.

Arguably the most visible instances of offspring following in footsteps all the way down to nepotism can be found in the Bollywood Hindi film industry. A staggeringly large proportion of lead actors and actresses who get their first ”big breaks” in Hindi films come from filmi households.

Yes, I have heard many of the usual arguments. The parents of these youngsters finance many of the movies. They are well-connected. They have acting in their genes. They are more marketable.

Further, arguments are made that financiers can choose whoever they want in a free country.The public is not forced into watching anyone’s films. And many actors and actresses related to industry folks have flopped miserably over the decades. For every Hrithik Roshan, there is an equal and opposite Puru Rajkumar.

These are all valid points. But my question is this: if we can have rational discussions on mandatory reservations for underprivileged castes and classes in India in the public and private sector, why can’t we imagine quotas in the top-spots in films for those of us not related to film-royalty?

© 2009-2011, Anirban

[Via http://milkmiracle.wordpress.com]

My Review On VEER

Yesterday on Jan 23, 2010 I went to see VEER along with my parents. It was surprising that only the last SIX rows were occupied.

The movie is based on a fictitious plot of  war between PINDARIS and a princely state of  MADHAVGARH.The story revolves around a brave Pindari soldier, VEER (SALMAN KHAN).

CHARACTERS OF THE MOVIE:

Salman Khan:VEER

Salman Khan plays the lead in the movie. He is a brave Pindari soldier.

Zarine Khan: Princess Yashodhara.

Zarine Khan is playing lead opposite to Salman Khan. In some scenes she did resemble KATRINA KAIF.

Jackie Shroff:  King of Madhavgarh

Jackie Shroff  is  playing the villain in the movie, who cheats the Pindaris to please the British but loses his arm.

Sohail Khan: He plays VEER’S brother

Mithun Chakroborty: He is VEER’S father and a brave PINDARI.

I liked the movie, my mother thought it was very violent and my dad thought it was good. There was one mistake that my dad noticed, that is, in one scene Salman Khan has short hair whereas in the next scene his hair grow and they are long again.

[Via http://avvalk.wordpress.com]

56th National Awards : Complete List

1. BEST FEATURE FILM – Antaheen (Bengali)

2. INDIRA GANDHI AWARD FOR BEST FIRST FILM OF A DIRECTOR – A Wednesday (Director : Neeraj Pandey)

3. BEST POPULAR FILM PROVIDING WHOLESOME ENTERTAINMENT – Oye Lucky ! Lucky Oye (Hindi)

4. NARGIS DUTT AWARD FILM ON NATIONAL INTEGRATION – Aai Kot Nai (Assamese)

5. BEST FILM ON FAMILY VALUES – Little Zizou (English,Gujarati)

6. BEST FILM ON SOCIAL ISSUES- Jogva (Marathi)

7. BEST FILM ON ENVIRONMENT CONSERVATION/PRESERVATION – Jianta Bhoota (Oriya)

8. BEST CHILDREN’S FILM – Gubbachigalu (Kannada)

9. BEST ANIMATION FILM Roadside Romeo (Hindi)

10. BEST DIRECTION – Bala (Naan Kaduval – Tamil)

11. BEST ACTOR- Upendra Limaye (Jogva, Marathi)

12. BEST ACTRESS – Priyanka Chopra (Fashion, Hindi)

13. BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – Arjun Rampal (Rock On !!, Hindi)

14. BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – Kangana (Fashion, Hindi)

15. BEST CHILD ARTIST – Shams Patel (Thanks Maa, Hindi)

16. BEST MALE PLAYBACK SINGER – Hariharan (Jogva, Marathi)

17. BEST FEMALE PLAYBACK SINGER – Shreya Ghoshal(Antaheen, Bengali)

18. BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – Avik Mukhopadhyay (Antaheen, Bengali)

19. BEST SCREENPLAY- Sachin Kundalkar (Gandha, Marathi)

20. BEST AUDIOGRAPHY- Pramod J. Thomas( Gandha, Marathi)

21. BEST EDITING- A. Sreekar Prasad (Firaaq, Hindi)

22. BEST ART DIRECTION- Gautam Sen (Firaaq, Hindi)

23. BEST COSTUME DESIGNER – Neeta Lulla (Jodha Akbar, Hindi)

24. BEST MAKE-UP ARTIST – Moorthy V. (Naan Kadauul, Tamil)

25. BEST MUSIC DIRECTION – Ajay and Atul (Jogva, Marathi)

26. BEST LYRICS – Anindya Bannerjee and Chandranil Bhattacharya (Antaheen, Bengali)

27. SPECIAL JURY AWARD – Bioscope (Malayalam)

28. BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS – Govardhan (Mumbai Meri Jaan, Hindi)

29 BEST CHOREOGRAPHY – Chinni Prakash & Rekha Prakash (Jodha Akbar, Hindi)

30. BEST FEATURE FILM IN EACH OF THE LANGUAGE SPECIFIED

a) Mon Jai – Assamese

b) Shob Charitro Kalponik – Bengali

c) Rock On – Hindi

D) Vimukthi – Kannada

E) Thirakkada – Malayalam

F) Harishcnadrachi Factory – Marathi

G) Vaarnam Aiyiram – Tamil

H) 1940 LO Oka Gramam – Telugu

I) Yarwng – Kokborok

J) Gaggara – Tulu

31. BEST BOOK ON CINEMA – Bollywood Melodies (English) Author: Ganesh Anantharaman

32. SPECIAL JURY MENTION – The Director’s Mind (English) Ujjal Chakraborty

33. BEST FILM CRITIC – Altaf Mazid and R.K. Bidur Singh

[Via http://crazyrals.wordpress.com]

Padmapriya

Padma Priya is one of the top heroine in Kollywood and Mallywood now.  She is going to enter into Bollywood with the movie called Striker. Its going to release on February 5th 2010. She has paired opposite Siddharth in that movie.

She is hoping that, Striker movie will give some more offers in Bollywood. Present She is working in a Telugu movie called Sumadhuram starring Allari Naresh in lead role. K. Vishwanath is the director to this movie. On the other hand she has a Kannada movie and Malayalam movie also in hand.

In a Tamil movie called Irumbu Kottai Murattu Singam she is going to pair with Lawerence.

[Via http://southtobollywood.wordpress.com]

Assorted Songs

1.  BUZDIL – ROTE ROTE GUZAR – 1951 – LATA – S D BURMAN

2.TAXI DRIVER –  JAYEN TO JAYE – 1954 – TALAT MAHMOOD – S D BURMAN

3. DEVDAS –  AAN MIL O SHYAM – 1955 – GEETA DUTT MANNA DEY – S D BURMAN

4. HOUSE NO 44 – PHAILI HUI – 1955 – LATA – S D BURMAN

5.HOUSE NO 44 – TERI DUNIYA – 1955 – HEMANT KUMAR – S D BURMAN

6. PAYING GUEST –  CHAND PHIR NIKLA – 1955 – LATA – S D BURMAN

7. MUNIMJI – JEEVAN KE SAFAR – 1955 – LATA – S D BURMAN

8. FUNTOOSH – DUKHI MAN MERE – 1956 – KISHORE – S D BURMAN

9.PAYING GUEST – CHHOD DO AANCHAL – 1955 – ASHA KISHORE – S D BURMAN

10. NAU DO GYARAH –  AANKHON – 1957 – ASHA KISHORE – S D BURMAN

[Via http://oldhindifilmsongs.wordpress.com]

Mudassar is proud of Dulha Mil Gaya

The last week’s release Dulha Mil Gaya opened with the mixed response but the maker of the film Mudassar Aziz is quite optimistic the way film is fetching the attention at the box-office.

Expressing his bliss Mudassar says, “I’m really happy- my film has seen the light of the day as it had to face many hurdles but finally it arrived the way I have imagined.”

He further adds, “Having said that I think reports are not as bad as it has been put forth by the media. In fact the film is doing well at Northern India though critics didn’t like the film.”

“With due respect to the verdict of critics in India I believed I think in India critics come up with their opinions too early,” he signs off.

-Anil A Kanojia/Sampurn Media

[Via http://monadarlingblog.wordpress.com]

Take on Rajeev Masand

I was wondering…when Rajeev Masand knows how a movie has to be, what and what not a movie should contain, the way songs and the music need to be in order to catch the pulse of the audience, the plot of a successfull movie, what a thriller/romantic/action/art..etc etc movie should constitute,what is comedy and what not is comedy when it comes to a movie,…and he can even judge how an artist has performed in a movie, and how he/she could have changed the performance for it to look superb!!! When he knows so much about all these…then why doesn’t he make a movie himself?

[Via http://prodigalcorner.wordpress.com]

3 Idiots

•  

Wahey! Aamir Khan has a blog. This is a lovely surprise as I was looking for an email address or facebook page to  let him and the entire team of ‘3 idiots’ know what a beautifully crafted production they conjured up.

 I’m sure you’ve heard it all before but hey I’d like to say my piece too! For me 3 idiots like many of your recent productions touched on many deep realities that get caught in the world of conforming. Living up to every one’s expectations and facing circumstances and situations as we’re growing up can have disastrous consequences if not handled correctly.

Each character was thought of so well! Loved the Professor from the fine details of exemplifying his sense of competition that even if someone cycling an inch ahead of him he has to speed up! The emotional bondage of friendship was also illustrated so beautifully the pranks, fall outs, riding through the tough time, trials and tribulations of parents, peer groups, in mates. The importance of cement in our lives is highlighted really well as it’s not just placing the bricks of each phase of our lives on top of each other, It’s living the moment capturing the essence of the experiences we are living and thus memories we are creating.

The education system correctly exposed in various institutes around the world focusing on the parrot method of learning where there is little room for personal growth. My favourite seen amongst many (Rancho’s entrance, the speech, the gate crashing at the weddings…) was probably the last scene where ‘Kareena’ drives a scooter in her wedding attire, removes her helmet just like ‘Rancho’s’ dream but instead of kissing him she slaps him! Alongside his friends having found him after so many years start beating him up….raw friendship, a combination of love and anger then when they are all silent burst out laughing and hug each other!

‘3 idiots’  is sheer genius, with its unpredictable storyline, each phase as gripping as the next all inter woven with comedy, romance, twists and turns leaving us all bewildered as the film ends. The best roller coaster of a film I’ve watched in a long time.

Thank you and keep up the good work!

Hope Aal izz well? tee hee

Here’s some song links to the movie  ‘3 idiots’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyX7EFIOXbM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t533PJnDMKg

[Via http://zarajosef.wordpress.com]

Track composed!

Finally after a 10 day marathon composition session at the studio, Ranjit and Divyang have come with the final scratch for the song. And given the hardware limitations faced, they have come up with very great sound and composition for the song. The duo have worked non stop over the past 3 days to get the final mix ready. The entire experience has been a great learning curve for all of us at the studio. There had been several instances where we had been facing dire situation, but the end result has worked out very well indeed. Hard work does pay off after all.

It was necessary for the song to have a neo classical feel to it, to match with the background and description of the video. Hence it posed a great challenge for both ranjit and divyang on the musical front to compose out of their usual genre of music. And the final mix i must say did blow away the audience who were present at the pilot test!

Though there were a few hardware glitches at the studio (and few software ones too but cant really blame windows too much :p) the team worked around them and delivered the song before the deadline.

Hats off to the composing team and a very big thanks to all those who supported the team throughout the process.

Best of luck to the team

cheers

[Via http://themegahertz.wordpress.com]

Best Links of the day 1/11/10

1. From the Business Standard: “Aal izz well… or is it?” – I kind of got the feeling that there is still a fair amount of confusion over what Bollywood movies should be. This Jai Arun Singh guy voices it pretty well, IMO.

2. From Whimsley: “Digital Activism: If Information Is Not the Problem, Information is Not the Solution” – An excellent post likens the use of technology to further democratic causes in authoritarian countries as an arms race. There is further analysis of how trust among activists may be more valuable than just the flow of information in making these causes successful.

3. From the Economist: “Worth a Hill of Soyabeans” – This article is basically offering some macro and anecdotal evidence on how the introduction of technologies like cellular communication and internet has made pricing mechanisms in developing markets (especially agriculture) more efficient. The interesting thing, I thought, is that ITC, a company discussed in the article has opened grocery stores named “Choupal,” too.

That is all for today. Pretty short. I have classes starting tomorrow (Yes, I am taking a Mass Spec class during the last week of Winter break) so my activities on the blog may be muted. Nevertheless, I should have some interesting links to post, even if they are unaccompanied by descriptions.

Gautam

[Via http://gkandlikar.wordpress.com]

Aal Izz Well Lyrics – 3 Idiots Song Lyrics

Hindi Song: Aal Izz Well

Movie or Album: 3 Idiots (2009)

Singer(s): Shaan, Sonu Nigam, Swanand Kirkire

Music Director(s): Shantanu Moitra

Lyricist(s): Swanand Kirkire

(jab life ho out of control, honto ko karke gol

honto ko karke gol, siti bajaake bol) – (2)

aal izz well

murgi ka jaane ande ka kya hoga

are life milegi ya tave pe fry hoga

koyi na jaane apana future kya hoga

hont ghuma siti baja, siti bajaake bol

bhaiya aal izz well, are bhaiya aal izz well

are chaachu aal izz well, are bhaiya aal izz well

confusion hi confusion hai solution kuchh pata nahi

solution jo mile toh saala question kya tha pata nahi

dil jo tere baat baat pe ghabraaye

dil pe rakh ke haath use tu fusala le

dil idiot hai pyaar se usako samajha le

hont ghuma siti baja, siti bajaake bol

bhaiya aal izz well, are bhaiya aal izz well

are chaachu aal izz well, are bhaiya aal izz well

scholarship ki piya daaru ghum toh phir bhi mita nahi

agar battiya raakh ho gayi god toh phir bhi dikha nahi

bakara kya jaane usaki jaan ka kya hoga

seekh ghusegi ya saala kima hoga

koyi na jaane apana future kya hoga

toh hont ghuma siti baja, siti bajaake bol

bhaiya aal izz well, are bhaiya aal izz well

are chaachu aal izz well, are bhaiya aal izz well

jab life ho out of control, honto ko karke gol

honto ko karke gol, siti bajaake bol

aal izz well

murgi ka jaane ande ka kya hoga, kya hoga

are life milegi ya tave pe fry hoga ho ho ho

koyi na jaane apana future kya hoga, kya hoga

hont ghuma siti baja, siti bajaake bol

bhaiya aal izz well, are murgi aal izz well

are bakare aal izz well, are bhaiya aal izz well

na na na na na…..

are bhaiya aal izz well, are bhaiya aal izz well

[Via http://survivein.wordpress.com]

Will Kites Fly High?

Kites has been the most anticipated movie for the year 2009. The whole theme about it is being touted as international, with keeping the foreign audience in mind. While Bollywood is trying and experimenting new technologies, Kites is only pushing the envelope a little further in the whole treatment to its theme, array of actors and locations. It is the film which will appeal to the international standards.

Starring Bollywood’s hearthrob Hrithik Roshan along with Kangana Ranaut and Mexican beauty Barbara Mori, the film was marketed heavily at the 62 nd Cannes Film Festival to attract Spaniards from across the word. Kites also star Nick Brown and Kabir Bedi.

Altough it has been in news for all the wrong reasons; at one point one had heard of even a split between Hrithik and his wife Suzanne, not on talking terms with his dad and of course his alleged affair with co- star Barbara Mori.

Set in Las Vegas, Kites has Hrithik playing a salsa teacher. Kangana plays a very rich girl and is shown as Hrithik’s dance student. In the course of learning Salsa, Kangana(Gina) falls madly in love with Jay (Hrithik Roshan). Jay was once a clever, street smart and charming guy, but is now a wanted man. To add to his woes he’s left to die in the scorching heat of the Mexican desert, where only one desire keeps him alive– to find the woman he loves.

That woman is Natasha (Barbara Mori) who is already engaged to another man. But that makes no difference to J. Here comes a twist and the romantic story turns into a thriller.

Barbara Mori’s character Natasha is a girl who speaks only Spanish and will be seen in the first half of the film. Hrithik on the other hand speaks only Hindi with a few words of broken English and does not understand Spanish. So he speaks to her in Hindi and yet the two communicate and fall madly in love.

But then something happens that forces the two to split and that’s where Kangana (Gina) steps in and brings in a love triangle.

Since the movie has a lot of non Hindi dialogues, director Anurag Basu and Rakesh Roshan will be releasing the film with subtitles in both Hindi and English.

Kites has been extensively been shot in the US, covering New Mexico, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. It has also been heavily shot in Mumbai for a majority of indoor scenes.

Slated for release on Diwali, is targeted at both Indian as well as the world markets and hence, will earmark the widest release ever for an Indian film. BIG Pictures, the Motion Pictures Brand of Reliance Big Entertainment, has acquired worldwide marketing & distribution rights of KITES. It is Filmkraft’s (Rakesh Roshan’s company) most ambitious project yet.

[Via http://monadarlingblog.wordpress.com]

Piggies on the Railway - Sneak Peek

Preface

My name is Kasthuri Kumar and I am twenty-eight years old—or thereabouts anyway. For reasons that many Thirumalas, Tilotammas and Bisheshwaris will understand, I like to be addressed either by my surname or my self-shortened moniker, Katie.

Contrary to what my first name might suggest, my ancestry is north Indian. My parents were both sensible, middle-class bureaucrats, the choice of my name being their one rash act. When they were posted in Kerala, my mother had patronised a local eponymous artist and recklessly promised her that she would name her daughter after her. And she did.

I recently (voluntarily) resigned my commission from the Indian Police Service (IPS) following some (minor) medical problems. After my retirement I came to Bombay with a vague but strong desire to do something creative, exciting even. Not as in adrenaline pumping-dodging-Maoists’-bullets exciting, but something stimulating. And if it involved a bit of fame and glamour, well, so much the better.

In Bombay, I camped out with my best friend, Marie Banerjee, while I figured out what to do with my life. It was Marie who inadvertently got me started on my present career. While I was shacked up with her, one of her uncles had some procedural problems renewing his arms licence. I, having wielded a weapon all my professional life, and having routinely dealt with such issues, was able to help him out.

Which gave Marie the idea that that’s what I could do with my life—and incidentally put my experience in the police to good use—private detecting. Now, that’s not exactly what I had in mind, but it would have to do till I figured out what it was that I actually wanted to do.

Actually, I think I wanted to be a famous doctor, or a scientist. Although it is probably too late for either, I still have fantasies about receiving the Nobel Prize. I’m not sure what the breakthrough discovery is, other than the hazy notion that it might be in the field of astrophysics. Perhaps some advanced work on string theory? What I am pretty sure about, is that I’m wearing a shimmering red gown by Valentino with black Fendi peep toes.

[Via http://smitajain.wordpress.com]

Baabarr

Baabarr was a crime thriller directed by Ashu Trikha. Ashu Trikha was not a success at the box office. The audience who likes this genre sure enjoys the full movie. First one 40 mins of the movie are really extra ordinary. But director failed to maintain the same tempo after that.

A 12 years boy kills a person with a gun and walks in that town streets with that gun. Every one in that small city surprises to see him with the gun in hand. That boy name is Baabarr. He grows and his crimes also grows along with him.

After 10 years, 22 years old Baabarr (Soham Deepak) is one of the most dangerous criminal in the state. Government appoints a police officer called S.P.Dwivedi (Mithun Chakraborthy) to kill or arrest Baabarr. Dwivedi notices that, its not so easy catching or killing Baabarr. With the help of another police officer Daroga Chaturvedi (Om Puri), Dwivedi set a plan.

What is their plan and how Baabarr gave reply to this police officers is the remaining story. TInnu Anand, Mukesh Tiwari and Urvashi Sharma were appeared in other important roles.

[Via http://crimethrillers.wordpress.com]

The five to three job...

We all saw the spat . It was hard not to since it was everywhere from newspapers to the idiot box and virtual space too . From Twitter to Times  the nation fought over who was in the right . It were the darlings of the country who exchanged brickbats , sometimes subtly and sometimes overtly . So , who was in the right – the star writer who brought an entire generation to the reading room or the filmmaker who redefined the way India saw Gandhi .

Well , actually both are . Nobody can say that the movie doesn’t borrow liberally from the book and nobody can call the movie a rip off  either . So , the question is of perception . It is in this forest of grey that the war is being fought . From the writer’s view point , if anybody were to write the summary of the movie then it wouldn’t differ too much from the book . From the film maker’s viewpoint , the story lies in the details – frame to frame , the end product has turned very differently from the book .

I think everybody who went to see the movie went under the illusion that it was Five point someone –  the movie . And with the cult status enjoyed by the book , there was no way the film makers were going to deny the rumor mills . So , they played along . The movie broke the bank , it was an uber success . But Chetan Bhagat would have surely liked a lot more credit . To squeeze in his name at the end must have surely hurt and betrayed him of  his tryst in the limelight . And , so he took up the cudgels against the movie makers demanding adequate credit for himself . The film makers were never going to let anybody spoil their party and so the fought back – showed contracts and interview transcripts . There is still no signs of the controversy fizzing out – Bhagat would like to have more credit as the script draws heavily from his book , Hirani and Co wouldn’t want their movie to be known as the Five Point Someone movie.

[Via http://varunvasisht.wordpress.com]

Shahrukh Khan on Twitter!,iamsrk,twitter hot

Bollywood’s Badshah Shahrukh Khan has joined Twitter and has amassed a following of 11,000 followers in his first day on the microblogging website popular with celebrities.Karan Johar, one of SRK’s best friends, convinced SRK to join twitter.

Shahrukh’s first tweet on Twitter was “hi everyone. being  extremely shy i never thought i would be here. but my friend Karan Johar insisted that i should learn to share my life.”

"Thanks everyone, this is really sweet…didn’t expect such a warm welcome. Love to you all," he added.

SRK’s twitted id is IamSRK.

Direct Link is :– http://twitter.com/iamsrk

[Via http://newsair.wordpress.com]