Is it true that earlier, you were apprehensive about apportioning responsibility in your production house?

I am more adventurous now. I am more fearless as an artist. I want directors from outside to bring in their aesthetics into my production house. For example, Prabhudheva made Rowdy Rathore and my sister Bela made Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi for me, which I couldn’t have directed and which I am very proud of. I directed an opera in Paris in 2008. Now I want to do more of the things that I can do if I have a team around me. Today, I am working far harder than I did five years ago. I put in nearly 20 hours every day. And I am enjoying every bit of it.

With Rowdy Rathore you have set a trend for cheesy C-grade titles like Revolver Rani and Bullet Raja and Rajkumar Rambo. How accurate is that?

I’ve grown up in Bhuleshwar (in Mumbai). I’d pass through the red-light area every day, looking at those theatres with those eccentric names. I’ve grown up with the rowdies and the rajas all around me. There was humour in my life and even my own family was quite filmy. It’s a wonderful thing to go back to these titles. I am very proud of Rowdy Rathore. The day I titled it Rowdy Rathore was the day the film’s fate changed. I love the sound of it. And I am glad other directors have started using these massy titles. There’s nothing cheesy about them; people erupt with ecstasy at such titles.

Do you miss having that someone special in your life?

No, I have chosen the life I lead. There were relationships that didn’t work out. I am basically a nomadic loner. And I am not capable of moving ahead with the baggage of a relationship. I’ve seen relationships traumatise people. As a child, I’d helplessly watch relationships crumble around me. Every individual is a sum-total of his past experiences. Maybe that’s why I am wary of relationships.

If you had to change anything in life what would it be?

Nothing at all. All the pain, suffering, love, passion and conflict have made me what I am. I make passionate love stories because I don’t have love in my life. My art completes my life. My life may be unfulfilled but I am not unhappy.

Is it possible to make good friends in the film industry?

I think so. But as a film-maker, I often find actors feel betrayed when you don’t cast them repeatedly and the friendship ends. That is very limiting and hurtful for any film-maker. Also, there’s a tendency among some actors to make fun of the people they call their friends. But then, cruelty is part of all human beings. But yes, people in the industry do stand by one another; as long as it’s not work-based.

Are Aishwarya Rai and Rani Mukerji your friends?

They are very dear to me. So are Shahrukh Khan and Manisha Koirala. And Salman Khan is one person I’d always consider very close to my heart. But, to me, friendship doesn’t mean sitting with people every day.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 18^th, 2013.

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“I always did everything according to my own merit,” says Rana. “I never became part of any lobby because I was happy working rather than promoting myself.”

Dunya highlights the topic of dowry and conflicts within the family system. Actor Jan Rambo’s character — young rural man goes to the big city to earn for his sister’s dowry — is crucial to the story. In the film, as Rambo arrives in Lahore, he realises that there is intense competition and it gets harder and harder for him to make money. Eventually, he runs into a guru for transgender people, played by Shafqat Cheema and starts dancing for money, at the risk of losing his honour.

“We live in a world where no matter what the circumstance is, you end up dancing for someone,” says Rana giving the message he wants to bring on screen.

Director Shahid Rana is clear that Dunya will face considerable odds and that local cinemas are shying away from traditional Lollywood films. PHOTO: ABID NAWAZ/ EXPRESS

Cheema, who was also in Rana’s first film Kalka, has a prominent role. Other actors include Moammar Rana, Saima and also Nargis — who recently announced that she will leave the film industry.

“Many people make announcements and we don’t really ask questions,” says Rana. “Actors have lost interest in promoting films and don’t take films seriously. They [actors] have their own free will and decide themselves about which projects they want to take.”

Rana is clear that Dunya will face considerable odds. And he is not perturbed by the fact that local cinemas are shying away from traditional Lollywood films. “The critical test for the film will be to ensure that it meets the minimum figures,” says Rana, who will release the film simultaneously nationwide.

Commenting on the development of the film scene in Karachi, he said that it’s important to remember that films had given way to television. He shares that people [of television] had laughed when the film industry raised a voice against Indian content. But now that the same thing has happened to them with the Turkish drama content, their reactions are the same.

“As the Turkish dramas came, those same people [who criticised us] started to speak out,” says the veteran director.

Rana continues to talk about upcoming films, which will face the same structural hurdles present in Lahore, as the film-makers in the past had to deal with.

“Let us be clear, and point out the real culprits who hurt the film industry,” says Rana. “There is no environment for film-making; the studio owners never invested to make sure that we have the basic facilities; and for the upcoming films, you will still have to go abroad for production.”

Rana also shared that his next project will explore the underworld, and highlight topics such as crime, bhatta (extortion) and target-killing.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 18^th, 2013.

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NEW DEHLI: Iron Man stunt director Eric Oram feels that Bollywoood films are much more fun than American movies in several ways. He believes that there has been a noticeable leap forward in the production value of Indian cinema.

“The production value seems to be getting better. Over the past several years, Bollywood films are being taken more and more seriously by Hollywood film-makers,” said Oram.

Oram is looking forward to the third part in the enormously popular Iron Man series, starring Robert Downey Jr, Guy Pearce and Gwyneth Paltrow, and is directed by Shane Black.

Iron Man 3 more of an action-thriller featuring popular Marvel comic character, Iron Man. What’s different this time?

There is a big difference in the story and in the tone of IM3. In IM1, we saw the rise of Iron Man. Tony is transformed into a more honest, likeable character than when he began.

In the second film, we saw the reaction and response to his rise. And though Tony manages to keep his tongue in cheek approach to saving the world intact, he is in fact challenged and humbled by his experience.

In this film, we see how being that hero has taken a huge toll on Tony and on those around him. This is a story about the man behind the iron mask, Tony Stark. It is about how he has to come out from hiding (behind the iron shield), and not just face his enemies, but himself.

How challenging is it to train actors?

The challenge of training most actors is time. Depending on the demands of the character, a given scene, or a given shot, we are usually racing against the clock from the word go. Every single actor is different and brings a unique set of strengths and weaknesses into the process. It is our (the stunt department’s) job to hide those weaknesses and showcase their strengths.

Advanced technology and equipment have helped improve shooting stunt scenes. Can you comment on that?

Certainly, there have been many leaps forward in film technology, and in the equipment we use in creating action, that have made it a lot easier to design and develop stunt sequences. When a stunt or fight is done practically, it has a certain look to it, which is still better than what a computer can create. Our goal on IM3 was to do every possible stunt and fight practically, only if it was absolutely necessary, would we turn it into a green screen shot.

The more realistic and practical the stunt or fight is, the more it increases the chances of the actor getting injured. The goal is to find the balance between what we can get away with doing for real, and what needs to be done with computer-generated imagery (CGI).

Hollywood has influenced Bollywood in a big way when it comes to action and adventure. What do you have to say about Bollywood films?

They don’t seem to take themselves as seriously as Hollywood films do. They can gracefully flow from a really intense and dramatic action sequence one minute, into a musical song and dance number the next. That kind of command of multiple genres compacted into a single Bollywood film is quite a feat!

The stunt coordinator on IM3, Markos Rounthwaite, was the action director for the recent hit, Ek Tha Tiger, before returning to Hollywood to work with us on IM3!

How do you control or manage the fear factor among actors?

Fear management among actors is a rather layered process. Because most actors are not trained fighters or stunt performers, they have to appear to be, and they must do so, again, in a very short amount of time. This can be very daunting, even for the most flexible of egos.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 19^th, 2013.                    

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KOLKATA: Director and producer Mahesh Bhatt compares movie-making to playing Russian roulette with three bullets, where there are more chances of getting shot than surviving.

“Movie-making is like playing the game of Russian roulette with three bullets in it so the chances of you blowing your brains out are more than surviving,” Bhatt said at the media conference of the upcoming film Aashiqui 2.

Bhatt, 64, who directed the 1990 superhit Aashiqui, is also the producer of Aashiqui 2.

In Russian roulette, a player places one bullet in a revolver, spins the cylinder and pulls the trigger after placing the muzzle against his head; the more the number of bullets, the higher the chances of the player shooting himself.

Bhatt, maker of acclaimed movies like Arth, Janam, Saaransh and Naam, was aware of the advantages and pitfalls of making sequels.

“When you make a sequel of a famous franchise, the chances of you getting a box office response are far stronger. But also with that, comes the fear that inevitably there will be a huge section of people who may be ardent fans of the first franchise, and they will say it’s good but not so good because they have nostalgia attached to it,” he said.

Bhatt claimed Aashiqui 2 would outshine its first avatar both in its narrative and performance of the cast.

“The expectations of the market are huge, but I am certain as I have been saying repeatedly on various platforms that this Aashiqui is head and shoulders above the Aashiqui that I directed, in terms of its narrative and in terms of its performance,” he added.

Aashiqui 2 is scheduled to release on April 26.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 20^th, 2013.                    

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MUMBAI: Actor and producer Saif Ali Khan, who was seen using abusive language in Go Goa Gone, quips that he is hoping the film gets an A certificate and doesn’t get banned.

“The dialogues in the film have Russian and Hindi galis [bad words]. I just hope the film gets an A certificate and doesn’t get banned at the censors,” a smiling Saif told reporters during the film’s music launch.

When asked how his family reacted to the abusive language he used in the film he said: “My mom thought this was not the best idea I had. She was a bit concerned about the subject and the language. But my sister [Soha Ali Khan] thought it was pretty cool as her boyfriend [Kunal Khemu] is in the film.”

“As far as my wife [Kareena Kapoor] is concerned, she is supportive and she is happy with the positive response that we have received from people,” he added.

There was a live performance by the zombies at the music launch. The music of the film is given by music directors Sachin and Jigar.

Saif, who is also producing and experimenting with the zombie genre for the first time, says there is a market for everything in India.

“I had a great time shooting for this film. It was a great team and we had wonderful technicians. I feel there is a market for everything in India,” he said.

“I am glad people have liked my role in the movie but I would like to say that the film is about two friends Kunal and Vir and how the third friend joins them and what happens in Goa.”

Directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, Go Goa Gone also features Vir Das and Puja Gupta among others. The film is scheduled to release on May 10.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 20^th, 2013.                    

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KARACHI: Ekta Kapoor and Vishal Bharadwaj’s latest supernatural venture Ek Thi Daayan will take you back to childhood huddles, where your friends narrated stories about their encounter with the long-haired female figure whose feet pointed backwards. It will not just revive those scary moments, but the gripping performances will draw you in at once.

While audiences did not have high expectations from film-maker Kapoor, who has previously churned out average horror flicks like Krishna Cottage and Kucch To Hai, she scored a full house at the 2pm show on Friday at Atrium Cinema.

What goes up must come down

The good thing is that the film has a very strong first half. Before the interval, the performances manage to give you goose bumps. The bad thing, however, is that after the interval, the screenplay slumps and debutant director Kannan Iyer fails to maintain the eeriness, leaving you almost bored.

The story revolves around Bobo (Emraan Hashmi), touted as India’s finest magician, who often feels that he is followed by evil spirits. He hallucinates about witches that follow him. After undergoing a hypnotic treatment, he discovers that he had once been haunted by a woman named Diana (Konkana Sen Sharma). Draped in saris and sporting long, braided hair, Konkana looks so wicked that one cannot help but be scared of her as she plays the roles of a witch, and later Bobo’s step-mother. Things take a different turn as Bobo’s reflection of the past intervenes with the present.

The first half of the film is by far the most impactful 70 minutes filmed recently in Bollywood. The screenplay is clinical; the sound design builds up suspense and makes you clutch your seat and the narrative is so gripping that you won’t realise the time that is passing. But right after the break, the film nosedives and the brilliant build-up suddenly seems irrelevant and insignificant.

The film, which had the potential to make an A-grade horror film, turns into a run-of-the-mill B-grade film with slightly better performances.

The problem with the screenplay, like any other Bollywood horror movie, is that it goes too much into the explanation of a complicated plot, as a result of which the entire suspense-packed build-up falls prey to a needlessly comprehensive resolution. Iyer ventured too much into the concept of dayaans (Hindi for witch), and the story ended up leaving loopholes and an unworthy climax.

Stellar performances

Hashmi is definitely the star of the film. The way he justifies the internal conflict of a magician being confronted by witches says a lot about the kind of potential and talent he has as an actor. Vishesh Tiwari, who plays the younger version of Bobo, is a multi-talented child star and should have loads of work heading his way after this performance. Lisa Dutt (Kalki Koechlin) and Tamara (Huma Qureshi) have nothing extraordinary to offer.

Thumbs up for music

Whatever Vishal Bharadwaj touches turns to gold. Breaking away from earsplitting Bollywood numbers, Ek Thi Dayan’s music is melodious, hummable and easy on your ears. The best thing about the movie’s soundtrack is that the songs are not random but very aptly timed. Bharadwaj’s soft and mellow compositions amalgamated with Gulzar’s contemporary lyrics make Ek Thi Dayaan a musical treat. Our pick from the album is Yaram, a duet by Sunidhi Chauhan and Clinton Cerejo.

Verdict

Ek Thi Daayan had the potential of becoming a blockbuster horror film, but falls prey to a bland second half. Watch it for a gripping build-up, an interesting spin on daayans and some spine-chilling moments.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 21^st, 2013.

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Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa judges Madhuri Dixit, Remo D’Souza and Karan Johar have stepped into the shoes of veteran actors Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor and Vinod Khanna for a promo of the upcoming season of the dance reality show.

They have danced to a customised version of the title track of 1977 film Amar Akbar Anthony. The song has been recreated and sung by multi-talented singer Jaspreet Kohli, who has also given his voice to the song Nimma Nimma, composed by AR Rahman for the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics.

Director Karan Johar is excited about featuring in the new version of the song, which was originally sung by Kishore Kumar, Shailendra Kumar and Mahendra Kapoor.

“It’s a great feeling to be dancing on a song as popular as this and we literally are doing some impossible things on the show this time! We hope the audiences like our dance as well,” he said in a statement.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 22^nd, 2013.                   

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LOS ANGELES: The end of the world once again comes to Hollywood’s big screens this summer, with movies ranging from big-budget action adventures to indie comedies putting their twist on the apocalypse.

Earth is annihilated after aliens destroy the moon, giant robots battle monsters, and in a comedy take on the biblical rapture, mortals are left behind to deal with atheists and spirits.

Oblivion, starring Tom Cruise and Morgan Freeman, starts the trend on Friday. Made on an estimated budget of $120 million and set in 2077, it follows the last humans as they prepare to find a new home on another planet.

“There’s an innate fascination with thinking about what life would be like after we’re gone,” the film’s director, Joseph Kosinski, told Reuters.

Oblivion will be followed in June and July by M Night Shyamalan’s After Earth, starring Will Smith, all-star comedy This is the End, zombie film World War Z and robots-versus-aliens adventure Pacific Rim.

British comedy The World’s End opens in August.

Bob Thompson, professor of pop culture at Syracuse University, said the trend may reflect a sense of insecurity among Americans, particularly over the economy, the environment and political gridlock.

“Americans do have an ‘end-of-days’ feel to them. Our civilisation is in decline, Congress can’t get anything done. The metaphor for the end of the world is simply an exaggerated story that deals with the same feelings,” Thompson said.

Social insecurity is at the core of Guillermo del Toro’s $150 million Pacific Rim, which puts a comic book spin on the end of the world with epic battles between robots and monsters.

Del Toro told Reuters that the film reflected larger social concerns and fragility including “global economic collapse, war and terrorism everywhere.”

Packed with special effects and human drama, apocalypse films have often been summer box-office hits, like Independence Day in 1996, Armageddon in 1998 and The Day After Tomorrow in 2004.

“In the summer movie lexicon, you’re going for the bigger gestures, the more operatic, the more acrobatic. You’re going for the big boom,” del Toro said.

But the apocalypse also has resonated with independent directors and comedy film-makers.

“If you’re doing an indie film that deals with it, you can do it beautifully from the perspective of a single family or a microcosm of the big event,” del Toro said.

New Zealand director Paul Middleditch has taken that approach with Rapture-Palooza, a quirky comedy made for under $3 million and out on limited theatrical release in early June.

“The film very much embraced the idea of the apocalypse at the end of your driveway. There’s something quite charming about the domestic-ness and simplicity of it,” Middleditch said.

There are more laughs in British director Edgar Wright’s The World’s End, about childhood friends who become mankind’s only hope for survival after a trip to the pub.

Another comedy, This Is the End, features Hollywood actors, playing themselves, whose party is interrupted by the end of the world.

“We’ve been telling these stories as far back as the Book of Revelation, if not further, and we’ll continue to tell end-of-the-world stories until the world actually ends,” Thompson said.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 22^nd, 2013.                   

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Iron Man 3, which opens in most of the world this Friday and on May 3 in the United States, has Downey reprising his role of superhero industrialist Tony Stark from the first two films as well as last summer’s The Avengers.

Collectively, the three films have made about $2.7 billion at the global box office in the past five years.

Iron Man 3, which continues Stark’s storyline from both sets of Marvel franchises, centres around the evil extremist known as The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) who is hell-bent on destroying the United States.

When The Mandarin destroys Stark’s personal world as well as his superhero suit, Stark must begin from scratch, rebuilding his suit, freeing the woman he loves and saving the country from destruction.

Bombs go off in crowds of people and buildings are destroyed in the film that the cast says reflects real-life threats.

“We do live in an unsafe world, that’s the truth,” Gwyneth Paltrow, who plays Downey’s love interest Pepper Potts, told reporters at a news conference this week.

“I don’t think there is anything wrong with presenting that idea. We can’t lie to our children and pretend the world is perfect.”

Marvel’s first self-financed film, 2008’s Iron Man, became a global phenomenon, transformed Downey into a superstar and set off a chain of action movies that spawned other franchises, culminating in last year’s crossover film, The Avengers.

Paltrow said all three films work because of the similarities between the off-screen Downey and his brash-but-vulnerable Stark, and also owing to the actor’s persistence.

“One particular strength of Robert’s that we don’t see on screen is the fact that he’s always asking, ‘What is the big picture here? How can we make it feel real?’” Paltrow said.

“I think that’s why the movies keep working. They’re not a weaker carbon copy of the one before.” 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 25^th, 2013.

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“We want to be more liberal, stop enforcing the old rules and instead recognise artistic endeavour,” said an official in the ministry while speaking to AFP. He further added, “With changing times, we want to have a fresh approach. Our aim is to change the old set of censor laws soon.”

The festival will be held in Delhi from April 25 to 30 and will open with a screening of the 1933 classic Karma starring Himanshu Rai and Devika Rani, whose deleted onscreen kiss was considered the first in a Bollywood film.

It will also screen films such as Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur, a film that includes a great deal of on-screen violence and abusive language, and Yash Chopra’s Dharamputra that discusses religion.

Another film to be featured is the 2004 documentary called Final Solution, which looks at the highly sensitive subject of Hindu-Muslim religious riots that was banned for being highly provocative.

Despite the fact that Bollywood movies these days show a great deal of sexually suggestive material, sex remains taboo in the Indian film industry with such movies getting an adult certificate and limiting the audience to over the age of 18.

Director, Dibakar Banerjee who ran into trouble last year with the censor board over his film Shanghai said, “I hated the idea of deleting the most powerful scenes from my movie but, well, I had to chop them otherwise the movie would have never seen the light of day.”

Acknowledging the attempt made by the organisers of the festival, he added, “Censorship has the power to kill the spirit of a film. It’s high time the government stops dictating what Indians should be watching.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 25^th, 2013.

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The IIFA Voting Weekend was held in March, and the resulting nominations list reflects the diverse and thriving landscape of the Hindi film industry at present.

Thirteen nods for Barfi!, is followed by nine nominations for Shoojit Sircar’s comedy film Vicky Donor, about a sperm donor. Following closely is Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur – Part I and Karan Johar’s action-packed production Agneepath.

“It’s been a phenomenal year for the Indian film industry and the nominations for this year will definitely reflect this. The growth has been remarkable,” Sabbas Joseph, director, Wizcraft International Entertainment and IIFA, said in a statement.

Other films like Cocktail, Kahaani, Paan Singh Tomar and late film-maker Yash Chopra’s last directorial Jab Tak Hai Jaan have also secured themselves a place in the 14th IIFA nominations.

This year’s awards ceremony will have directors Anurag Basu (Barfi!), Anurag Kashyap (Gangs of Wasseypur - Part I), Sujoy Ghosh (Kahaani), Tigmanshu Dhulia (Paan Singh Tomar) and Shoojit Sircar (Vicky Donor) vie for the best director trophy.

In competition for the best picture award are Barfi!, English Vinglish, Gangs of Wasseypur – Part I, Kahaani, Paan Singh Tomar, Talaash – The Answer Lies Within and Vicky Donor.

The best performance in a leading role (male) category will see Hrithik Roshan (Agneepath), Ranbir Kapoor (Barfi!), Manoj Bajpayee (Gangs of Wasseypur - Part II), Shahrukh Khan (Jab Tak Hai Jaan), Irrfan Khan (Paan Singh Tomar), and Ayushmaan Khurrana (Vicky Donor), in the run.

Among those vying for the best performance in a leading role (female) are Priyanka Chopra (Barfi!), Deepika Padukone (Cocktail), Sridevi (English Vinglish), Huma Qureshi (Gangs of Wasseypur - Part I), Kareena Kapoor (Heroine) and Vidya Balan (Kahaani).

Composer Pritam has bagged two nominations in the category for best music direction for his work in Barfi! and Cocktail, along with AR Rahman (Jab Tak Hai Jaan), Ajay-Atul (Agneepath) and Sneha Khanwalkar (Gangs of Wasseypur – Part I).

The results of the IIFA Voting Weekend were audited by KPMG. The online voting for the awards will go live on www.iifa.com, and audiences will be able to cast their votes starting May 1.

The venue and dates for this year’s IIFA gala are likely to be announced early next month.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 25^th, 2013.

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Setting a film like Chambaili in a make-believe place might save a film-maker from the sharp axe of the censor board, but it won’t prevent the audience from making connections to Pakistan. Anything CAN happen there, but because the audience relates it so closely to home, no matter how subtle the sequences may be, the plausibility of the film will always be judged by real circumstances.

Chambaili is set in pre-election Mulke Khudadad, a reflection of Pakistan today where target killings, crime and suo motu notices are the norm. The manner in which the issues of Mulke Khudad are addressed test one’s suspension of disbelief, both as a viewer and as a Pakistani. One might even walk out of the cinema feeling cheated but not politically enlightened.

The protagonist Saif (Shahzad Nawaz) has a generally happy existence with his friends and family in Mulke Khudadad. His fiancé (Mehreen Syed) and some other friends often discuss the dark future of their country and are torn between staying and escaping. Things change when Saif is badly beaten by Inquilab party workers and no police officers come to his rescue. The situation worsens when the soon-to-be leader of the Inquilab party, Sardar Sultan Sheikh, takes interest in building a Taj Mahal Complex on residential land, where Saif’s friend Sarmad (Ali Tahir) and others live. Angry party workers break into the house and create havoc. At this point, under the leadership of their friend Moosa (Ehteshamuddin), Saif and his friends decide to stand up to the political party and go on a hunger strike.

The beginning of the film will remind you of Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s masterpiece Rang De Basanti, in that it shows angry young men challenging the status quo by jumping into the political fray. The acting and scene build-up raised expectations, but sadly, a gripping first half was followed by an unexciting and predictable narrative post-interval. The real hollowness of the screenplay is revealed as the film mostly runs on montages with no real character transitions and arcs. For example, no one knows how Saif’s Chambaili party gains overnight popularity. It seems that the screenwriter is cheating his way through a film by robbing the audience of complete sequences for the film to make sense. But interestingly enough, he manages to honour an epilogue that was needless and give time to incomplete and insignificant songs.

The fall out

The biggest failure of Chambaili is that director (Ismail Jilani) and producer (Shahzad Nawaz) treat Pakistan’s heavy-weight political issues like trivial fairytales. Chambaili — the party that brings a revolution — is like the Prince Charming of Disney stories, in that it saves the day. The day is saved so easily, that it’s almost insulting to the audience’s intelligence. While artists have cashed in on the popular sentiments of ‘hope’ and the idea of a ‘Naya Pakistan’ before the elections, the message should be conveyed in a more impactful way that people can relate to.

This also reflects our expectations from politics as a nation. Becoming a successful politician in Pakistan means jail-time and hunger strikes, nothing more.

The silver linings in Chambaili are the performances. Jilani scores high for getting most of the cast from theatre and cinema. As the leader of a religious party called Hizb-e-Haq, Khalid Ahmad steals the show and infuses a new energy in every single frame that he is present in. Shafqat Cheema as a political advisor is brilliant and couldn’t have been better. While a few of Ehteshaam’s monologues manage to give goose bumps, the real surprise package is Ali Tahir from Teen Bata Teen.

Producer and writer Nawaz gives great dialogues for the film, but fails in his performance as a lead character. With his flat tone and monotonous character, Nawaz is a little like a robot programmed to deliver one-liners; Mehreen Syed, playing Saif’s love-interest/fiancé, also fails miserably as an actor. She should stick to modeling where she has better prospects.

Verdict

Watch Chambaili to support Pakistani cinema but don’t expect it to wow you.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 26^th, 2013.                    

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“I see this film as a dialogue between our world [South Asia] and the West. No character is going to be droned in this film — a film which shows young Pakistani actors alongside Hollywood A-listers,” says Nair. “I always had a deep interest in Lahore because my father was from there. We grew up around Faiz’s [Ahmed Faiz] time; there’s always this type of vibrancy which is associated with the people of Lahore.”

The film is set in corporate New York and a richly-hued Lahore, before and after 9/11. It examines the traces of a young Pakistani’s (Riz Ahmed) journey from a Wall Street high flyer to a suspected radical targeted by the American intelligence following the attacks.

Nair then elaborates on how the verdict to make a film on Hamid’s book came about. “I fell in love with the mutual suspicion [between two characters] which was present in the story. I saw one character wonderfully layered in the shape of a thriller,” she says, adding that she feels the story fits the modern-day perception well.

The book was a monologue per se; based on a young man sitting in a café in Lahore. Nair reveals Hamid’s prose had to be re-built for the film, which is a different medium altogether. “Mohsin was deeply involved with the script, from the beginning till the end,” she says about the man who has co-written the script. “And this was something different I experienced as compared to my previous projects.”

Nair admits that the film’s production faced several delays but in a way it was beneficial as the team ended up putting the right pieces together. In the film, her biggest steal seems to be British-Pakistani actor Riz Ahmed who plays the lead role of Changez. “We were strongly considering casting one of the two actors from Pakistan for the role of Changez,” she continues. “But when we met Riz, we knew he was perfect for the role right away.”

“The chemistry between Kate [Hudson] and Riz was sizzling. He is a confident bugger and the two just got along very well,” she adds.

The film-maker was happy with the Pakistani talent in the film and feels they have a desire to learn; she has spent time giving lectures and connecting with local artists as well. Meesha Shafi also has a small yet important role in The Reluctant Fundamentalist. “I loved her [Meesha] look and I think it’s an important role because I’ve always thought that Pakistani women are vigorous — the film is trying to show these different layers,” Nair continues.

With an array of films to her credit, which have left lasting impressions, Nair admits her themes are not redundant in any way. She feels it’s important to have such films which are about two differing cultures. “I feel it’s important to stay connected to my roots but I also know that I can fly anywhere which is also very important,” she says.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 27^th, 2013.                    

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An adaptation of acclaimed novelist Mohsin Hamid’s bestseller and Nair’s most ambitious project to date, the film’s narrative centres around a Pakistani protagonist’s journey. A compelling subject, the lead’s conflicting political ideologies explore the bicultural dialogue of the Pakistani- American equation.

The theatrical release in Pakistan is scheduled for May 17, where the film will open in the original version (in English and Urdu) as well as in a complete Urdu version called Changez. Thrilled about this, it was the realisation of a dream for Nair, who feels that the movie is her “love song to Pakistan”. She believes that the film is a celebration of not only the cinematic debut of artists and singers, but also a showcase of the rich, cultural tapestry of the country.

As the lead, Ahmed is also excited about the release of the movie in Pakistan. “Someone sent me a picture of a poster outside a big cinema in Lahore and I would just love to be there for the release,” says Ahmed. “It is important that the film is an official release because it is welcoming to the institution, which I think is huge for cinema halls in Pakistan.”

On a personal level, the experience of making this film resonated with Ahmed, who feels more immersed with his Pakistani roots. Having been raised in Britain with a family that speaks Urdu at home, he never really felt out touch culturally. However, the homework he did for the role of Changez allowed him to explore his potential. “Whether it was raising the standard of my Urdu to a point where I could read and understand Faiz or watch political discussion shows on Geo, I really tried to get to grips with it,” he says.

Ahmed also had to imbibe a sense of Pakistan from both Hamid (who co-wrote the screenplay) and novelist Ali Sethi, who acted as a guide to help him soak up Lahore from a distance. “A large part of the film is about missing Lahore and I have never been there,” explains Ahmed. He had booked a ticket when he was offered the role but was denied entry due to insurance reasons.

The experience of working with Nair also gave Ahmed a sense of home. “Sometimes we can erect these divisions between India and Pakistan or Britain and Pakistan and think that they must be really different,” he says. “While there is a cultural sensitivity that has to be taken into account and homework to be done, people are people and sometimes when you tell really specific stories, they can be universal in their impact and that’s what we are seeing with this movie.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 27^th, 2013.                    

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Fearing that the satirical song could become a racist anthem, they never released it and ended up changing the lyrics entirely. The “Paki” immigrants invoked by the song were one image of Pakistanis that pervaded the public conscious at the time. Another was of the corner-shop-owning Pakistani, who works all hours in pursuit of a better life. Both stereotypes were undoubtedly real though barely representative of us as a nation. But between them and our cricketers, we as a nation had a fairly positive image in the minds of people at large as a hardworking, somewhat mercurial race. Post 9/11, all that has changed.

It may have been the Saudis who were responsible for 9/11, but Al-Qaeda had undoubted links in Pakistan. It was British Pakistanis who were responsible for the London bombings. Osama Bin Laden was found in Pakistan. The would-be New York bomber was a Pakistani. It’s a damning list. Hearing about the Boston Marathon bombing, the first thought most Pakistanis probably had was, “Please don’t let it have been a Pakistani who did this”.

And yet, these violent terrorists are no more representative of our nation than the gun-toting lunatics who kill school children are representative of America. In the last two years, America has seen the Tuscon shooting, the Aurora Movie theatre shooting and the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Yet Americans aren’t invariably portrayed as gun-toting lunatics.

Conversely, it is difficult to find a portrayal of Pakistanis in popular culture other than as terrorists. Whether it’s in the GI Joe sequel or Agent Vinod, the only Pakistan we see in films or on TV is a dangerous place. Where are the urbane Pakistani doctors and the vain fashionistas who think a Birkin is a substitute for a personality? Where are the jetsetting bon-viveurs, the ordinary conservative Pakistanis and the misfit second generation immigrants?

Eastenders, a British Soap Opera, is an exception in that it had Pakistani characters from 2007 to 2013, none of whom were involved in terrorism. Of course being a soap opera, the characters were involved in story lines that covered everything from domestic violence to embezzlement, but at least there was no terrorism.

It’s bad enough that there is rarely anything positive about Pakistan that is considered news-worthy. India gets features about its fashion and glamour as well as feel-good stories to counter the stories of rape and corruption that also hit the news. Pakistan, on the other hand, suffers from negative reporting from even respected broadcasters like the BBC. Less reputable but still popular broadcasters like Fox News have no compunction in painting us as black as sin, jettisoning accuracy in the pursuit of their own agenda.

In this environment, it’s a shame that the usually liberal, free-thinking types that make up the entertainment industry, can’t find positive images of Pakistan to use in their art — whether it’s music, film or canvas. We ourselves have produced some cracking novelists and musicians but our own film industry is a crippled mess. The renaissance in our television production has put across various positive images of Pakistan but this has a limited audience.

So it’s the ordinary Pakistanis who get a double whammy. We are the ones who have suffered the most at the hands of terrorists and yet, abroad, we are lumped together with the fanatics. We may be conservationists or teachers, artists or financial wizards but to most of the world, we are all terrorists.

Oxford-grad Salima Feerasta is a social commentator and lover of style in any form or fashion. She blogs at karachista.blogspot.com and tweets @karachista

Published in The Express Tribune, April 28^th, 2013.

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“My mother used to teach in my hometown, Panchgani. She left her career and house just to be with me in Mumbai. I was too young at that time. And she supported me throughout,” the actor told reporters. Prachi’s debut vehicle was TV show Kasamh Se and after that she took big leap with movies Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai and Rock On!!. Currently, Prachi is busy shooting for Policegiri and Rock On!! 2.

She admitted never giving importance to her mother’s dreams. “My mother always thinks about me and the family. But I never asked her about her dreams. She says she wants me and my sister to be happy and successful,” said Prachi. The actor says she resembles her mother and knows everything about her. “Her favourite colours are white and blue. I have never watched a film with her, but her favourite movies are Kati Patang and Mera Saya.”

On Mother’s Day, Prachi wants her mother and family to visit Panchgani. “I want them [family] to visit Panchgani, where we lived and grew up. They love the place. They will relive their beautiful memories of staying in the house,” she said wistfully.

Though Prachi’s mother is proud of how her daughter has balanced her personal and professional life, she complains that the actor doesn’t take care of herself. “She neglects her health while working, so I keep telling her to eat on time,” said Amita, her mom. Disagreeing, Prachi said: “It’s actually vice versa, my mother keeps doing so much for us. She pampers me so much that in the process she doesn’t take care of her health.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 28^th, 2013.

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Son of late producer Yash Johar, Karan is the man behind films such as Dostana, Agneepath and Hum. He is the founder of Dharma Productions, one of the most prolific film-making banners in Bollywood.

“I hear stories of the yesteryear’s magic. One misses the love and compassion that film people had for each other even when they were making different films. As an industry, we have stopped belonging to each other,” Johar told IANS in an interview.

Johar has been an active member of the Hindi film industry since 1995. He recently worked with three directors — Anurag Kashyap, Zoya Akhtar and Dibakar Banerjee — to create Bombay Talkies, a bouquet of four short films, an ode to 100 years of the Indian cinema. While working with them, the 40-year-old enjoyed a sense of belonging. “I felt that we belonged together. I felt a synergy and that was elevating,” he said.

Known for focusing on family bonding and emotions in his films such as Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Johar confesses to a lack of inspiration at the moment to create a family drama. “I make what inspires me. Right now, I am not inspired to make a family saga. I make what drives me at the moment,” said the film-maker, who is busy with his production ventures Gippi!, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and Gori Tere Pyaar Mein.

“I like to make films on human dramas. They move me and motivate me,” added Johar, whose last directorial venture was college drama Student of the Year, which was high on emotional quotient and highlighted bonding among friends and family.

Johar admits that the industry has come a long way and that part of the transformation has been for the good. 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 28^th, 2013.

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LOS ANGELES: Quentin Tarantino’s violent slavery revenge fantasy Django Unchained will be released in China in May, its US distributors said on Friday, and a Hollywood source said additional cuts had been made after Chinese authorities halted the film’s initial rollout this month.

The movie was pulled from theatres in China minutes into its debut screenings on April 11 for “technical reasons,” according to a Shanghai movie theatre official.

The Chinese government censors all movies before they can be released. Scenes that contain nudity, politically sensitive issues, as well as extreme levels of violence, must be edited out before the film receives a go-ahead from the authorities.

“We are delighted that audiences throughout China will be able to experience Django Unchained beginning Sunday, May 12. There is tremendous excitement, anticipation and awareness for the film and we thank the local authorities for quickly resolving this issue,” Columbia Pictures said in a statement.

Columbia declined to comment on what changes, if any, had been made or why the movie, the first work by Tarantino to be shown in the increasingly important Chinese film market, was pulled from movie theatres in China earlier this month.

Anticipation was high for the April opening of Django because of reports that it would have only minor cuts by Chinese censors, despite Tarantino’s reputation for violence.

When it was pulled from movie theatres, Chinese media quoted industry insiders as saying the cancellation was probably due to some nudity that may have escaped initial attention.

A Hollywood source close to the film said on Friday that additional cuts had been made for the newly approved Chinese version but declined to elaborate on what they were.

The film stars Jamie Foxx as a slave-turned-bounty-hunter who wreaks revenge on slave plantation owners while on a mission to free his wife. It features Tarantino’s trademark style of extensive graphic violence, along with dark humour, and in one scene Foxx’s character is strung upside down wearing only a skimpy cloth.

China has become the largest international market for Hollywood films, with its box office takings for US films growing by 36% in 2012, according to a Motion Picture Association of America report in March.

Django Unchained won two Oscars in February for Christoph Waltz’s supporting actor turn as a dentist who became a bounty hunter, and for Tarantino’s screenplay.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 29^th, 2013.                    

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Bollywood actor Vidya Balan has been chosen as the member of the jury panel at the 66th Cannes Film Festival scheduled to take place on May 15.

The talented and critically-acclaimed actor, who is known for her roles in The Dirty Picture, Kahaani and Parineeta, feels honoured to be part of the jury. “It feels great. It’s a big honour for me to be on the jury of the most celebrated film festival in the world,” said Vidya while speaking to India Today. “Especially this year, when Indian cinema completes 100 years, it becomes even more special. I am looking forward to it.”

When asked if she would be biased towards Indian films, Vidya told IANS, “We are churning out better movies by the day, so we definitely deserve to be competing with films from all over the world. There is no scope for partiality and our films don’t need any of us to be partial, I think we deserve to be up there.”

While Vidya couldn’t get any happier, other members of Bollywood seemed equally excited with her selection. “Vidya Balan on Cannes jury…awesome,” tweeted director Anurag Kashyap.

Four Indian films will be screened at Cannes this year and the festival will witness the highest ever presence of Bollywood celebrities. The stars include Amitabh Bachan, Aishwariya Rai, Karan Johar and Nandita Das amongst several others.

Apart from Vidya, the nine-member jury will also include big names such as Hollywood director (and jury president) Steven Spielberg, Oscar-winning actor Nicole Kidman, director Ang Lee, Japanese director Naomi Kawase, British scriptwriter-director-producer Lynne Ramsay, French actor-director Daniel Auteuil, Romanian scriptwriter-director-producer Cristian Mungiu and Austrian actor Christopher Waltz.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 29^th, 2013.                    

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“I think I’ve evolved as an actor. My performance was appreciated. People are saying I am not a one-film wonder. That’s the best part of being in this film,” said Ayushmann.

“Some people presumed I was just being myself in Vicky Donor, a Punjabi boy trying to find my bearings in life. I had to work much harder on this character in Nautanki Saala,” he continued. “I had to get into a different skin. And the bromance between me and Kunal Roy Kapoor is immensely liked as well.”

“I was lucky to have him as my co-star. Just like Annu Kapoor, who was such a help in Vicky Donor, Kunal gave my character perspective and provided concentrated energy. Beyond that, I never have any expectations from life,” he added.

The one good thing that has come out of the Nautanki Saala experience is Ayushmann’s friendship with Kunal.

“He is a terrific guy, and an experienced actor. He has been doing theatre for 15 years, so he’s my senior. He is a very down-to-earth guy,” said Ayushmann. “It was fun working with him. You know, I’ve never experienced any viciousness in the industry, or in my life. That way, I’ve lived a sheltered life.”

“During my growing-up years in Chandigarh, or even in Mumbai, I’ve never come across nasty people. I’ve only heard of it but never seen the bad side of the film industry. Of course I was rejected many times in auditions. But I wouldn’t call that rude,” said the 28-year-old.

Today, Ayushmann has acquired the reputation of being picky about his roles.

“Every actor has to be careful about the work he does,” Ayushmann said defensively.

“I want to make sure the characters that I do give me a chance to broaden my horizon as an actor. But my first two films were quirky. I’d also like to do conventional roles. Every role can’t be out-of-the-box. I’d like to do something in the box now. In fact, the Yash Raj Films’ movie that I am doing with Sonam Kapoor is far more conventional than my first two films,” he said.

Ayushmann’s wife lives in Chandigarh with their one-year old son Virajer. In Mumbai, the actor misses them acutely even as his post-debut film fetches him a fresh crop of accolades.

“I do wish my wife Tahira and my son were here with me in Mumbai. But she is doing her Phd in our home town Chandigarh. I don’t get to see my son much. The past year has been the busiest time of my life,” sighs Ayushmann.

Ayushmann visited his wife and son in Chandigarh for three days recently.

“I’d love to have them with me permanently. But I’d like my son to grow up in Chandigarh,” he said.

Whatever the audience’s response may have been, Ayushmann was thrilled to get his wife’s approval for his performance in Nautanki Saala.

“She’s my most honest critic. I constantly try to get a compliment out of her when we’re together. I was thrilled when she saw Nautanki Saala and said I’ve improved as an actor,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 29^th, 2013.                    

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