Posts Tagged ‘anthony d’souza’
By Joginder Tuteja, November 2, 2009 – 15:43 IST
This has becomes a trend of sorts. No sooner does a film hit the screens or is ready for release, stories start floating around how its maker is ready with the plans of making his next. It may be mere speculation, a PR plug or a confirmed report but the fact that it does get the film (which is about to get released) noticed. In certain instances a filmmaker knows the origin of the news. However, there also have been cases where he himself is flabbergasted with such information floating around. What may just turn be a thought over a mug of coffee is elevated to the scale of being confirmed to such an extent that it appears as if the film would get on floors within a week of the news making headlines.
Diwali releases went through the same syndrome with glowing announcements around the next projects of Rohit Shetty (All The Best) and Prem Soni (Main Aurr Mrs Khanna). While Rohit was said to be caught in a dilemma of choosing his next film between the sequel to Golmaal and All The Best, Prem confirmed that Salman Khan had green lighted another project for him.
Something similar happened to Anthony D’Souza as well who happened to share certain thoughts about his next assignments with a few associates. The next thing he heard, there were projects like airborne thriller Aerial and a sequel to Blue all set to be kick started. What’s more, he had apparently also signed one of his favourite actors from the industry and close friends – John Abraham.
However, a fortnight after the release of Blue, Anthony D’Souza a.k.a. Tony is ready to term this information as sheer rumour that doesn’t come with any basis. He denies working on either Blue 2 or Aerial and also dispels the theory that he has signed John for his next.
“All of these are mere speculations and I have no clue from where have they originated. All I said was that I would love to work with John since he is a close friend. He is the one who got me in the industry and I owe him a lot. Tomorrow if a project works out well for both of us then we would be game for working together. However, this isn’t something that I am stating today after Blue; I have maintained this for a year now. If this admiration and gratitude of mine is sensationalised by some and posted as twisted headlines, then I can’t help it, right? On a lighter note, I have always been forthcoming in admitting my love for Hollywood. However, that doesn’t mean that Francis Ford Coppola has sanctioned a film for me”, jokes Tony.
There have also been talks that other than John, the principal cast of Blue is coming together with him again. What does the filmmaker has to say about that?
“As much as I love John and would want him in my films, there is no project for which he has signed on the dotted line yet. Neither is that the case with Mr. Akshay Kumar, Mr. Sanjay Dutt, Zayed, Lara or Katrina. They are all great actors and I would love to work with all of them together again. But no, there is no film which is happening with them at the moment”, Tony sets the record straight.
Where does that leave so-called announcements like Blue 2 and Aerial? The moment Blue hit the screens and took a very good opening; a sequel seemed to be offering. Also, knowing Tony’s penchant for action adventure, it was being stated that he would now take his cast and crew in the air with Aerial. There have also been theories around him making a trilogy of such action adventure cinema.
“These are nothing but overzealous minds at work”, laughs Tony, “For the records, I am neither doing Blue 2 nor Aerial. These are all speculations. Yes, I have a penchant for making action flicks and my next would belong to that genre as well. However, it won’t necessarily have an adventure element to that. Whether it would be Blue 2 or something else? Well, for all you know, it could be Red or Yellow“, he laughs, “Seriously, it’s too early to be even talking about it. I am still in the process of fleshing out a subject. Let things take their due course and we would make the right announcements. Till then, let’s enjoy Blue.”
Well, with another rumour biting the dust, one looks forward to how the trend continues for weeks to come. Whether there would be more in the offering around adventures of Aladin? Whether London Dreams may lead way for New York Dreams? Would Ranbir have many more stories to tell after Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani? Or if Aamir Khan would be bringing in four idiots for his next assignment after Three Idiots?
Of course, we are waiting!
BOLLYWOOD HUNGAMA.COM
Fenil’s Bollywood Talk # 72
Posted on: October 29, 2009
LONDON DREAMS OR ALADIN?
The following two Fridays are going to see the release of four big films two in each week. While Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani and Jail are releasing on Nov 6, London Dreams and Aladin are hitting the screens tomorrow, i.e. Oct 30.
London Dreams (LD) was originally to be directed by Raj Kumar Santoshi and he had planned the impossible-casting Shahrukh Khan and Aamir Khan together! Santoshi even managed to do a joint narration with Aamir and SRK. Both seemed genuinely interested while the narration was going on. But later, due to some unknown reason, both of them stopped responding to Santoshi’s calls and the project was put on the backburner. At that time, the film was titled Rashque (jealousy).
LD is now Vipul Shah’s venture and in place of SRK, he has casted Ajay Devgn and Aamir Khan is replaced by Salman Khan. Although the current version has created curiosity amongst moviegoers, I really really wished the film was made with the original cast. Just imagine, SRK and Aamir Khan together would have rocked completely. Even if the film was bad, just seeing them together would have been a paisa vasool experience!
LD has impressed overall everyone ever since its first promo was out. The song and the musical theme of the film have made it a must watch for everyone. Also, director Vipul Shah’s track record has been fantastic. All his past films (Aankhen, Waqt, Namastey London, Singh Is Kinng) were big time hits. Asin, who is very choosy when it comes to signing films, is also a part of this bid budget project. The film is expected to get a good opening and become a hit.
Since LD will be the first choice for majority, the 2nd release tomorrow, Aladin, may suffer. Frankly speaking, Aladin seems more impressive than LD to me as somehow I have never been interested in films about music bands (I wasn’t even excited for ‘Rock On!!’ before it released). Coming back to Aladin, it has the finest special effects ever seen in any Bollywood movie so far. The film’s star cast is amazing and it may turn out to be a fantasy joyride. On the flipside, the film isn’t well promoted. Also, there are chances that the film may highly disappoint. In the past, there have been countless big budget films which were pathetic and Aladin may also turn out to be the same. Also, the co-producers of the film are Eros who had come up with a similar kind of film last year which became the disaster of the season. That film was DRONA! What if Aladin is also on the same lines? So I’ll prefer to wait for the response and then decide whether or not to go for it!
Which film will be your first choice? Do let me know!
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BLUE’s SEQUEL IN THE OFFING?
There is no certainty yet as to whether Blue has managed to recover its 80-90 crs (or maybe more) cost and yet, its producers are planning its sequel! According to the reports, Katrina will have a longer role in the sequel. Director Anthony D’Souza has announced that John Abraham will be a part of the sequel without even consulting him, thus, pissing off John! Anthony also says that this time the adventures will take place in the sky too!
I was just wondering-what will they name the sequel to Blue? How about ‘BLUE TWO-TH’?!!
John pissed by Blue’s director
Posted on: October 28, 2009
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John Abraham is an angry man at the moment. He is upset with false news doing the rounds that he will star in A source said, “John is an extremely chilled out guy and seldom loses his cool. He was surprised to read reports of him doing Anthony’s next film. Next, he read about what the film was all about. A couple of days later, he read that he will supposedly star in Blue 2, while some reports said that the film’s title is Aerial. The worst part was Anthony’s claim that John will star in both the films.” John had had enough and decided to confront Anthony. The source said, “John categorically told Anthony that it was not right on his part to announce him being part of his films that too when they had not even discussed anything. John made his displeasure quite evident. Anthony apologised and assured John that he wouldn’t mention the actor’s name in the media again.”
Meanwhile, another source said, “John didn’t intend to be rude with Anthony. He always respects newcomers, but according to him, Anthony chose a wrong way to gain publicity.” John Abraham confirmed the news and said, “I have immense respect for Anthony and the fact that he wants to work with me. However, I am neither doing any film titled Aerial nor any underwater film. I am also not doing Blue 2.” |
Blue 2 in the offing
Posted on: October 20, 2009
If you think that the latest release Blue was made on a lavish budget, think again. A sequel to the film is already in the offing and is being planned on a much bigger scale. Blue actor Sanjay Dutt informs that they will be starting with the sequel immediately. “It was a thrilling experience shooting for Blue in the Bahamas. Tony (director) is ready with the idea for Blue 2 and he has promised that there will be more sharks and action in the sequel,” says Sanjay. Sanjay says that shooting for Blue wasn’t a cakewalk. “For me, Blue was an extremely difficult film to shoot. The same goes for the director Anthony D’Souza. Hats off to the producer who believed in the film and invested so much money in it. I don’t know about others but I had a tough time while shooting as I was scared when I saw 50 sharks around me.” Blue 2 will be shot in Australia and will have one more key male actor other than Akshay Kumar, Sanjay and Zayed Khan. While Blue has several sharks, its sequel will have deadlier sharks such as Great Whites and Bull Sharks. |
Movie Review: BLUE by FENIL SETA
Posted on: October 16, 2009
BLUE WILL GIVES YOU BLUES!!
No matter how grand a film is, how wonderfully it has been promoted or which big names associated are with it, if its content is bad, then nothing can save the film. Blue comes in this category. The film was so nicely publicized, the promos looked rocking, Akki-Sanju pairing seemed electrifying and Lara Dutta’s bikini scenes had sent the youth in frenzy. Unfortunately, the film’s story is pathetic and thus, the film disappoints…big time!
The story of the movie: Sagar (Sanjay Dutt) is an honest guy staying in Bahamas and has a girlfriend, Mona (Lara Dutta). His best friend is Aarav (Akshay Kumar), a rich and over ambitious businessman. One fine morning, Sagar’s younger brother, Sameer aka Sam (Zayed Khan) arrives at Sagar’s place after staying in Bangkok for 5 years. Sam hasn’t come there just to meet his folks for a few days-he had ran away from Bangkok after taking panga with a gangster Gulshan (Rahul Dev) there. On the other hand, there is a treasure lying deep under the sea, somewhere near Bahamas, and Aarav persuades Sagar to join him in finding the treasure. But Sagar has reservations about it which is connected to his past.
In just 15 minutes, you get a hint that the director is unfit and doesn’t know his job well. The opening credits scene was brilliant. But the following scenes and also the boxing sequence hold attention initially but the interest soon wears off. The movie then focuses on Zayed Khan which was the best part of the first hour. But the story hardly moves once Zayed comes to Bahamas and joins Sanju and his team and this happens till the intermission point. In between, there two songs are thrown in, ‘Chiggy Wiggy’ and Blue Theme, which serve no purpose to the main storyline.
The actual treasure hunting begins in the last 30 minutes and you expect fireworks right till the climax. But alas…it was plain lackluster. The director could have included added more thrills or at least some twists and surprises. Sure, there is a twist in the end but that doesn’t work big time. Also the climax was so lame!
Talking about flaws, there are plenty. What is striking is-the treasure is part of India’s wealth and was coming to India in a ship in 1949. But when the ship sank, no effort was made by the Indian Govt or for that matter, any adventurer to get hold of it. Although there were stories that the captain of the ship took away the treasure, still no one tried even investigating this case and that too for 5 decades! Very hard to digest!
However, the film scores at a few places. The bike race and the following chase scene involving Zayed Khan rocks! Another bike scene post-interval, which also involved a train, was also well-shot. And the best scene of the film was when the goons attack Sanjay’s place. Simply outstanding! So you can see, only the action sequences hold attention. And the film, overall, is a damp squib!
It’s a treat to see Sanjay Dutt in every film and in Blue too, he does a great job. Although he looked a bit fat places, overall, he gives a smashing performance. Akshay Kumar steals the show. He also raises a few laughs in between and was perfect for this role. However, it’s really disappointing to see Akshay Kumar in pathetic films lately. Let’s hope De Dana Dan (his next with Priyadarshan) works. Zayed Khan looked dashing and charming. The world may denounce him but I feel that he has the potential and can reach the top, if given an opportunity.
I really feel bad for Lara Dutta. When she signed Blue, she didn’t know swimming and she dedicatedly learnt how to swim in just three months and became a pro. However, she hardly has any contribution to the main plot of the film. In fact, one can argue that there was no need for her character in the film at all! Really very unfortunate! Rahul Dev was okay and Kabir Bedi doesn’t have a single dialogue in the film. Katrina Kaif is stunning while Kylie Minogue oozes oomph!
A R Rahman’s music was good, but nothing special. The Blue Theme, Chiggy Wiggy and Aaj Dil are the best songs of the lot. Rahman’s background score sounded modern and fresh.
Laxman Utekar’s cinematography was eye-catching. The underwater cinematography by Pete Zuccarini was outstanding and the underwater scenes really looked stunning. Oscar winner Resul Pookutty strikes a sixer with his marvelous sound designing. Fantastic job! The locales (Bahamas) are excellent.
Some of the dialogues (Mayur Puri) stand out. While the crew did their job wonderfully, the story and the script (Anthony D’Souza and Jasmine D’Souza) spoil and ruin the show. Same goes for direction by Anthony. He had everything-a producer who was ready to invest large amounts of money, top actors of the current period, an excellent crew (including some from Hollywood) and what not. But alas! Did Anthony feel that people are going to praise his film just by showing them some wonderful underwater scenes and handful of action sequences? The producer, Dhilin Mehta, is equally to blame. What was he thinking when he invested 90 crs+ on such a flawed script and on a debutant director? My blood boils to see huge amounts of money going waste, which could had been utilized in a better way. We are a pro when it comes to lifting/copying/inspiring from Hollywood flicks. Then why can’t we have a Hollywood-like terrific direction and screenplay? Really very very disappointing!
Some of the best scenes in the film:
1. Sam in Bangkok
2. Sagar and Aarav having a drink at the edge
3. Sam being chased in Bahamas
4. Gulshan’s attack on Sagar
5. Sam, Sagar and Aarav searching for treasure
6. The final scene
On the whole, Blue is a big time disappointment. The film’s cast and crew have done a brilliant job but the film fails to impress because of its faulty script. Blue should fail (and it will, for sure, keeping in mind its high cost) at the Box office so that it gives a lesson to all producers in Bollywood that investing large amounts of money on faulty scripts and taking audiences for granted will result in big losses and disaster.
My rating-** out of 5!
This review first appeared on MouthShut.com: http://www.mouthshut.com/review/Blue-177340-1.html
MEENA IYER Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; October 14, 2009)
Anthony D’Souza is the man behind Bollywood’s costliest film — Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision Ltd’s Blue that’s releasing this Diwali (October 16). And he admits that his producers have actually let money flow like water to make this big screen spectacle. “It is the first Bollywood film to be shot in the Bahamas,’’ says Tony, adding that he chose the location despite the heavy cost because it was the only place in the world where he could shoot with live sharks. The budget skyrocketed further because the food and drinking water had to come from Florida.
However, on the eve of the film’s release, the debutant director is hardly worrying his head over the accounts. Instead, he is excited about having made India’s first under-water film and says he is completely indebted to his producer Dhilin Mehta for partaking in his vision. He has also had Hollywood technicians like Amir Mokri (Bad Boys-II) to give him expert advice. Tony is also all praise for his actors. “Sanjay Dutt was the first one who I gave a narration to — and he agreed almost immediately. In fact, he will also be in my next film titled Bond.’’
About Akshay Kumar, the film’s backbone, the director says, “Akshay is the most unselfish, punctual, dedicated, uncomplicated actor I have ever met. Stories about his interference are a myth.’’ But Tony is partial to his leading lady Lara Dutta whom he salutes because she learnt to swim in three months and was then swimming with the sharks like a pro. The film’s youngest actor Zayed Khan is a friend, he says. “I love Zayed because he is frank, forthright and the perfect choice for my film.’’
But even Tony admits that Blue wouldn’t be complete without those magical seven minutes of Katrina Kaif. Says the director, “Katrina is a thorough professional. She takes her work very seriously. Katz is the female Akshay and, like him, she is a very punctual actor.’’
meena.iyer@timesgroup.com
By Taran Adarsh, October 14, 2009 – 08:08 IST
Roll out the red carpet.
Blow the conch shells.
Beat the drums.
It’s time to pop champagne…
BLUE, the most awaited movie of the year, with its canvas as huge as the ocean, comes alive on the Hindi screen this Friday. Like every biggie, this one also comes with the baggage of monumental expectations. With tremendous hype surrounding it, the inescapable question that crosses your mind is, will BLUE live up to those colossal expectations?
| BY BOLLYWOOD HUNGAMA.COM |
Let me keep it concise and to the point. You haven’t watched something like this on the Hindi screen before. Never ever!
It requires courage, willpower, fortitude, vision and of course, the financial backing to accomplish a project of this magnitude. And debutante director Anthony D’Souza puts his skills and the financial resources to best use. BLUE is not merely a stunning looking film, it’s also a well structured film. Most importantly, it’s a solid entertainer that packs in so much in those 1.58 hours.
Final word? Go, grab a ticket, if you haven’t booked one yet. This under-sea treasure hunt is a kickass film. A must-see for all those who love adventure flicks.
BLUE is set in the sun-soaked white sand beaches of Bahamas. Sagar [Sanjay Dutt] is a simpleton, while his friend Aarav [Akshay Kumar] is a rich, ambitious businessman.
Sagar’s brother Sameer aka Sam [Zayed Khan] has inadvertently managed to rankle the mafia in Bangkok [Rahul Dev]. He flees Bangkok and arrives in Bahamas. But the dangerous men reach Bahamas too. Sagar is the sole person who can bail him out from this crisis, but to save his brother, Sagar has to wrestle with the ghost of his dead father.
If you’re a die-hard moviegoer, you’d draw parallels with a lot of international projects [especially THE DEEP] that were set in the ocean. In Bollywood, flashes of the Dharmendra – Jeetendra starrer SAMRAAT cross your mind instantaneously, but comparing the two is akin to comparing chalk and cheese.
BLUE grabs your attention from its opening titles itself. The marine life, which you may’ve watched on National Geographic Channel or Animal Planet, comes alive in all splendour at the start itself.
The story is uncomplicated and Anthony D’Souza garnishes it beautifully. If the aquatic life keeps your eyes wide open, the action sequences are sure to make your jaws drop to your knees. The bike chase at the start, yet another chase subsequently, the chase soon after the interval [atop a running train] is simply astounding.
Anthony’s expertise comes to the fore in several sequences. One sequence that needs to be singled out is when Sanju narrates the tragic past, how he was responsible for his father’s death. It’s simply incredible!
Major portions of the film have been filmed in the ocean and you can’t stop admiring and appreciating the enormous contribution of the underwater cinematographer [Pete Zuccarini]. The lighting in those sequences deserves special mention. Also, the underwater sequences, which feature aquatic life like puffer fish, stingrays and sharks, hold tremendous appeal. Cinematography [Laxman Utekar] is gorgeous.
On the flip side, the climax could’ve been more impactful. The villain’s track looks clichéd, but you tend to overlook the minor aberration since the film never falls prey to mediocrity.
Anthony D’Souza is a director to watch. This film has style as well as substance. Also, it requires courage and conviction to think out of the box and most importantly, execute the material with panache. There’s not much scope for music in an action thriller, yet A.R. Rahman’s score suits the requirements. The Kylie Minogue track – ‘Chiggy Wiggy’ – is already popular. Sanju and Lara’s romantic track – ‘Aaj Dil’ – is sensuous. The song at the end credits – ‘Fiqrana’ – has a lot of energy.
Sound design [Resul Pookutty] is fantastic. Action scenes [James D. Bomalick and R.P. Yadav] are a treat and, in fact, one of the mainstays of the film. Dialogues [Mayur Puri] are effective, while the screenplay [Anthony D'Souza and Jasmine D'Souza] is well thought-out, especially towards the second hour.
Sanjay Dutt carries his part well, although he looks very well-fed in some scenes. Akshay Kumar steals the show with a sterling performance. This would easily classify amongst his best works. Zayed Khan is highly competent. This, despite the fact that he’s sharing the screen space with two hugely experienced actors.
Lara Dutta has never looked so good before. Though the story revolves around the guys, you can’t overlook Lara’s small but significant contribution to the film. Katrina Kaif [sp. app.] looks gorgeous and performs exceedingly well. The feminine charm [at the start specifically] would send the youth in a frenzy. Rahul Dev is first-rate. Kabir Bedi is hardly there.
On the whole, BLUE has style as well as substance. The film has everything going in its favour, right from its incredible star cast to the superb action scenes to the hitherto unseen marine life to the tremendous hype and hoopla. At the box-office, BLUE will strike like a hurricane in the festive week. It should set new benchmarks in days to come. In short, the business will be humungous.
Sexy is Fun!-Lara Dutta
Posted on: October 8, 2009
TIMES NEWS NETWORK (BOMBAY TIMES; October 7, 2009)
Lara Dutta’s living out of a suitcase these days. Shooting back-to-back for one film after another, the past few months have seen the Bollywood stunner go from the Bahamas to Cambodia and London. “I have rested enough,” says Lara referring to the lull in her career last year after a rocking 2007. “Now I’m just looking forward to work and more work.”
The actress is taking her glam avatar to sizzling heights this year as she puts her best bikini bod forward in Anthony D’Souza’s Akshay Kumar-Sanjay Dutt and Zayed Khan starrer Blue. Produced by Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision Ltd, the film that releases on October 16 required Lara at her sexilicious best. Though she had no hang-ups about showing off her toned figure, she does admit that there’s a “lot of hard working out to get into a bikini on screen”.
“Having a good body gives you a lot of confidence to carry off any look. But the emphasis is always on being and feeling fit. That’s sexy and, yes, sexy is fun!,” she says about her hot beach look in the film that promises to catapult her into the league of Btown’s sexilicious brigade of Kareena Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra. The ‘water-babe’ also reveals that she’s as excited about this underwater action thriller as she’s about the other two comedies lined up soon after — Housefull and Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai. Having performed some daredevil stunts for Blue, she’s gearing up for some more action-oriented films. “I am really dying to play a super hero,” she laughs. “I would love to at least have one superpower — either the flying bit or the invisibility one. That’s always been my childhood dream.” And if she could turn invisible for a day? “I would like to find out who’s behind spreading all the rumours,” she laughs referring to reports of her being upset about co-star Katrina Kaif ’s role being increased and being overshadowed by international pop queen Kylie Minogue in Blue. As for the question that’s high on almost everyone’s mind… is Bollytown’s sexy lady single? Lara says, “I hope to be in a steady relationship some day. But I am not going to shout from rooftops if I do find true love. My private life is not for public consumption.”
— Aakanksha Naval-Shetye
| September 5, 2009 1:21:25 PM IST Bollywood Trade News Network |
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The OVERSEAS division of Shemaroo Entertainment, in association with Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision Ltd., will be distributing the film BLUE worldwide.
Directed by Anthony D’Souza, BLUE has a star cast that any film would love to embrace – Sanjay Dutt, Akshay Kumar, Zayed Khan, Lara Dutta and Katrina Kaif.
For promoting the film worldwide, BLUE is planned to be premiered in Dubai, London and New York. The film will not only be exhibited in the ethnic territories, but will also be distributed and seen in the non-ethnic territories like Mexico, Scandinavian countries, etc. It is expected to be released in 650 screens around the world, making it one of the biggest Bollywood releases in the overseas market.
Hiren Gada, Director, Shemaroo Entertainment shares his thoughts, ”With the international appeal the film has, the first look of BLUE got a tremendous response from non-ethnic territories. We are glad to be associated with Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision Ltd. for this huge project and are really looking forward to taking it worldwide. Our subsidiaries in US & UK will be handling key territories of North America & Europe. With a catalog of more than 750 Indian films distributed by us in international territories, this is the next logical step for our international business.”
Dhilin Mehta, Director, Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision Ltd. shares his thoughts, ”BLUE is an ambitious project in terms of style, production values, standards, creativity etc… It’s a team effort as not only the production team, but also the captain of the ship, the director, his crew along with the Hollywood technicians and the experienced cast of the film. We are trying to release BLUE in maximum number of screens, to get an international appeal and target people of all ages. Technically and visually this film will be one of the best Bollywood has never seen before, it’s the first time in India movie has been shot 250 feet deep in the sea this is the USP of our film.”
Our Oscar Winners A R Rahman and Resul Pookutty have given the Music/ Background Score and the Sound Design respectively. To add to this, one of the dance numbers has been performed by the famous international pop star Kylie Minogue.
The film has been shot in ‘Bahamas’ – the country of islands, in the Atlantic Ocean & Bangkok -Thailand. The best Hollywood Technicians have worked on the film giving it an absolutely international look and feel. The Cinematography has been done by Laxman Utekar and underwater Cinematography by Pete Zuccarini which is the highlight of the film.
Apart from the casting, BLUE certainly has a lot to talk about and hope for the best.
GLAMSHAM.COM
AR Rahman stops accepting Indian assignments; is trying to do the right things demanded by public appearances in the West
 So full are Rahman’s hands with current assignments in the West that he has decided not to accept any new films. “At the moment, I’m racing against time to complete the Indian projects I’ve on hand and that includes Mani Ratnam’s Raavana, Rajnikanth’s animation film Sultan and Tony D’Souza’s Blue. The last new assignment I accepted was Abbas Tyrewala’s 1:800-LOVE. I’ve stopped taking on anymore for now.”
Rahman is going through a schizophrenic phase. He says, “In the studio, my outer self has to be completely switched off. But when I’m at international public events, I’ve to be all there, shaking hands, making friendly talk. I’ve to ensure that I am saying the right things. I’ve to prepare myself physically, look into the mirror and make sure my hair and tie are in place.” Rahman doesn’t mind letting his ‘outer self’ look dapper. But people around him don’t seem that comfortable with his upgraded look. Chuckles Rahman, “My south Indian friends say, ‘Oh look at him… he’s changed!’ And that makes me uncomfortable. I realise I have to go out there with a certain amount of dignity and even style. I know I’m representing my country and everyone is watching.” It’s not easy being India’s brand ambassador in the West. And Rahman, shy and reclusive at the best of times, finds it tough to assume his new gregarious, well-groomed persona with international brands vying to dress him up from head to toe. “It’s all new to me. I’ve just begun to get a hang of it. But I’m not uncomfortable,” he says. At the moment, Rahman is fighting off the temptation of taking on too many international assignments. He explains, “I take on what is physically possible. Money is not the main criteria. If I did anything for money, everything will fall flat. I want to do only those assignments to which I can give my fullest.” However Rahman admits money is important. He says, “Money is not my dream. But it fulfils my dreams. The way I travel and accompanying expenses are costly. It is, for me, my family and my children’s future.” With success, come the riders. He says, “My wife dreamt that one day I’d win an Oscar which I did. But after that I’ve been constantly traveling. The kids are growing up now and one of us has to look after them. I’m spending as much time with them as I can. Or trying to make them part of what I do so they can be with me.” At the moment, Rahman has only one ambition. “I want to be happy.” |
