Posts Tagged ‘Mukesh Bhatt’
It’s always a pleasure to see a meaningful flick which entertains as well enlightens. Rajkumar Hirani is the master of such flicks (his forthcoming 3 Idiots is also expected to be the same). Rocket Singh also falls in this category. Although it is laden with some glitches, overall it gives you a great time and also teaches you some valuable lessons which we may have forgotten or ignored because of living in this fast-paced urban ‘corporatized’ life!
The story of the movie: Harpreet Singh Bedi (Ranbir Kapoor) has just graduated with low marks but is determined to enter into the world of sales. He justified himself as ‘number kam hai dimaag nahi’! With his confidence and ‘never quit’ attitude, he lands as a trainee in the reputed company, AYS. But he soon realizes that in this professional field, the people worked with the most unprofessional attitude! He always believed in working honestly and caring for the customers. He even attempted to apply his principles which received a sharp reaction from his seniors. Harpreet was then denounced and humiliated. And this is when he realized that instead of merely being an observer, he’ll be the change he wants to see! From here begins the journey of Harpreet aka Rocket Singh!
One won’t take to Rocket Singh instantly, esp in the first hour. This hour focuses more on establishing characters. Also the film hasn’t applied sync sound system well due to which one has difficulty in deciphering some of the dialogues. But after some time in the film, we get ‘accustomed’ to it!
But there are some sequences in the first hour that deserve a mention. The ‘complaint’ scene was great and the boss’ (Manish Choudhari) angry reaction looked quite real. Also watch out when Ranbir is humiliated by the boss with his ‘zero-value’ theory. It was a bit over the top but made an impact.
But the second hour is when the film rocks big time! Ranbir creating a company within a company and popularizing it with his honest ways and making partners was damn interesting. The pre-climax wonderfully built up tension but the climax was dragged a bit. Maybe, the lengthy dialogue should have been a bit crisp. It would have made a better impact.
But nonetheless, the film manages to put its message across in a cool manner. It’s a must for all in the sales field or anyone dealing with customers…maybe it will inspire them to adopt more ‘human’ and honest ways of working!
Without a doubt, it’s Ranbir Kapoor who carried the film fabulously on his shoulders and came up with a great performance. He looked charming even in his sardar look and managed to do a great job-as great as he did in Wake Up Sid and Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani. The film may unfortunately not work at the BO but Ranbir will surely be appreciated and Rocket Singh will be remembered as one of his best performances!
Prem Chopra as Ranbir’s paa played his part well. D. Santosh (famous for his Rajguru act in The Legend of Bhagat Singh) was outstanding! In fact, he delivers better performance than Ranbir in many of the scenes involving both of them! Watch out for him!
Besides these, the rest of actors were all newbies but leave a mark. Gauhar Khan as Koyna looks stunning and gives a top-class performance. Her career in Bollywood is on the right track with this film! Shazahn Padamsee gets very little scope but manages to impress. Mukesh Bhatt as Chotelal was just brilliant! And finally, the other two actors who leave a maximum impact as Ranbir and Santosh are Naveen Kaushik (as Nitin) and Manish Choudhari. Both were wonderful and if the film impresses, then they are also to be credited!
Salim-Sulaiman’s music doesn’t make a mark as song-and-dance isn’t part of this film. Pocket Mein Rocket is missing from the film. But their background score like everytime was fabulous.
Vikash Nowlakha’s cinematography was flawless. Manas Choudhury, the sync sound recordist, could have done a better job.
Jaideep Sahni has written the story, screenplay, dialogues and lyrics. His work was exceptional in all four. Only the screenplay could have been a tighter in the climax and easy in the initial portions. But the best part is-his Khosla Ka Ghosla magic is wonderfully seen in some of the scenes which really makes the film impressive.
This is Shimit Amin’s weakest directorial venture, simply because his last two flicks, Ab Tak Chappan and Chak De! India are considered as classics. But still even in his weak performance, he impresses! Watch out for how he has paid attention to little details to make the film look as realistic and closer to real life as possible. Watch out for the beginning portions when the credits appear-observe how the simple articles found in every household are impressively highlighted. Overall, a good job, could have been better and best wishes for the next project!
Some of the best scenes of the film:
1. Harpreet’s first interview
2. Harpreet’s complaint box ‘kaarnama’
3. Boss reacts to Harpreet’s kaarnama!
4. Colleagues scold Harpreet
5. The intermission point
6. Koyna joins Harpreet
7. Harpreet and his boss’ telephonic conversation (best scene of the film!)
8. Boss finds out the truth (amazing!)
9. The final scene
On the whole, Rocket Singh is a feel-good film and should be seen by all sales professionals and corporates. A must watch for Ranbir too. Go for it to have a different kinda experience!
My rating-*** out of 5!
This review first appeared on MouthShut.com: http://www.mouthshut.com/review/Rocket_Singh-181580-1.html
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“The film industry tries to avoid releases in the first two weeks of January and also in March (exam season),” says an industry source. “The movie business really picks up during summer vacation time and the festive season. Big releases are reserved for Diwali, Eid or Christmas.”
Why this deviation from plan then? Trade analyst Amod Mehra blames it on the backlog. “The multiplex strike changed many a plan,” Mehra says. “Rann was meant to be a Diwali release but could not manage a clearance from the producers. Shah Rukh’s Dulha Mil Gaya was also marked for 2009 and My Name is Khan was rumoured to be a Christmas release. Veer is the only film that was planned for January 2010 and is on schedule,” he adds.
Producer Mukesh Bhatt has no reservations about time of release. “I released Raaz 2, The Mystery Continues in January and it was a hit. Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai, another January release, was a superhit.”
Film trade analyst Taran Adarsh explains that there has always been apprehension in the industry about releasing films in the first two months of the year. “They believe the audience doesn’t really want to start the new year watching films. Also, up north its too cold to get out and go to a cinema hall,” he says. Having said that, Adarsh thinks any month that provides the viewer with good content will be conducive for Bollywood. “Maybe early 2010 will break the jinx.”
About 25 films are releasing between December 4 and February 12. These which include many small-budget films such as the Vidya Balan, Arshad Warsi, Naseeruddin Shah-starrer Ishqiya, Chandan Arora’s Striker and MAMI-award winning Road to Sangam. Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan may clash at the BO with My Name Is Khan and Teen Patti likely to release on the same date. While some exhibitors feel that the release of big films are evenly placed, Mehra believes, “The audience will choose the film they want to watch. They cannot afford to make holes in their pockets and this will affect the fortune of some films.”
Of course, the fact that so many big names have releases within weeks of each other is another issue to contend with. Previously, producers have thrashed out their release dates in an informal manner to avoid overlap of big ticket films. But with the multiplex strike hitting the initial months of 2009 so hard, nobody is in the mood to wait anymore. Ranjan Singh, the marketing head of PVR Pictures is concerned that big releases may cannibalise smaller players. “But if this trend of back-to-back releases in a non-conventional period hits the high notes, all conventional jinxes will be broken and a new trend will be set.”
Karan lands in legal trouble
Posted on: November 11, 2009
Karan Singh Grover has his ex-wife and the producers of Dill Mill Gayye puzzled. Apparently, he used to tell his wife Shraddha Nigam before their separation (as reported by Mumbai Mirror, October 6) that he was leaving for a 9am shoot but would only reach the sets at 4pm.
Meanwhile, the production house suffered as Karan spent much less time shooting than he was committed to. Now, the producers, Cinevistaa, have filed a complaint against him with CINTAA (Cine & TV Artistes Association) and will sue him to cover their losses of about Rs 2 crore.
Karan would often turn up late or not reports to the sets, even though Shraddha thought he was diligently slaving over his shoots. Not so long ago, Shraddha called up Cinevistaa for some work and asked for Karan, only to learn that he hadn’t shown up.
Cinevistaa’s Managing Director, Sunil Mehta confirmed that his company has written to CINTAA complaining about Karan Grover. He said, “We’ve written to CINTAA telling them about Karan’s behaviour and the fact that we plan to sue him. He used to come at 4pm for a 9am shift and would leave by 10pm. My company has suffered a loss of over Rs 2 crore. We definitely intend to sue him. Shraddha was scandalised when my son told her that he has not reported for work, when she thought he’d left for a 9am shift.”
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| Shraddha Nigam | Karan Singh Grove |
“At one point of time, we had thought of making a film with him as the lead actor. Now, Karan’s film with Mukesh Bhatt is not happening. Ditto for his film with UTV. Success, fame, adulation and power went to his head, I guess.” added Mehta.
We sent Karan a text message, but he remained unavailable for comment.
IANS (Mid-Day; November 7, 2009)
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One of Bollywood’s most bankable stars, Emraan Hashmi, says people have contantly tried to pull him down. He also believes the new film “Tum Mile” will present him in a new avatar, having mostly essayed roles with shades of grey.
“In the kind of industry I am, every creative person has a judgement to make about someone else’s performance. After doing a movie, I may think that I have come up with my best act, but others may think otherwise. You can’t help it,” shrugs Emraan, 30. “This is something that has happened ever since I made my debut with ‘Footpath’. I went on to deliver successful films practically every year with ‘Murder’, ‘Zeher’ and ‘Aashiq Banaya Aapne’ followed by ‘Aksar’ and ‘Gangster’. Still people have tried to pull me down,” Emraan said in an interview. He is sitting pretty on the back to back success of “Raaz – The Mystery Continues” and “Jannat”. A year earlier, he came up with one of the best ever acts of his career in “Awarapan”. And now he is about to be seen in “Tum Mile”, his most expensive film till date that will release Nov 13. It co-stars Soha Ali Khan. “It’s a welcome change to have absolutely no grey shades in my character,” says Emraan. He is positive that after the release of the film, he would be looked upon as someone who can also show a sensitive side. “For that opportunity, I am thankful to my director Kunal Deshmukh. If not for him, I would have continued playing the kind of roles I have been successful in. In fact, when Kunal spoke to me about the role, I was sceptical because I have never played a full-on romantic guy before.”
He isn’t overtly bothered about certain negative statements about him. “Honestly, I don’t even look aside to see who is around for competition. There is nothing wrong if people choose to reserve certain remarks for me. “To each his own since I have to basically live up to my own judgement and fulfil the expectations of those who matter,” he says. He has his fair share of admirers and supporters though. “Yes, there are some out there who have been quite supportive throughout my career,” he agrees. “My goal is to keep delivering successful solo hero films and also do an occasional multi-hero film if I have an equal part. This is why I agreed to do Milan Luthria’s ‘Once Upon a Time in Mumbai’.” While he has been doing well as an actor after spending more than half a decade in the industry, does he have any plans to turn producer? “I don’t want to be in the hot seat,” shoots Emraan in a tone of mock horror. “Mukeshji (Bhatt) tells me that being a producer is the toughest job in the world. I agree with him since he has decades of filmmaking experience. “Today I am happy being an actor. Any aspirations to be producer are best kept on hold for a later stage.” |
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Theatre owners flay MAMK’s DTH release
Bharati Dubey | TNN (THE TIMES OF INDIA; October 21, 2009)
Mumbai: After Main Aur Mrs Khanna failed to impress at the box office, its producers released the film on DTH (direct to home) on Tuesday. The producers’ decision has upset theatre owners, who are considering taking the film off their screens.
The Rs 45-crore Prem Soni directed Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor starrer, released last Friday, filled theatres to only about 30% of capacity. A theatre source said, “The film has not made an impression at all. Not even Salman Khan’s effort to boost collections has helped much. That’s probably why the producers took the decision they did.”
Tata Sky premiered the film on October 20. Other DTH services plan to follow suit. Tata Sky chief marketing officer Vikram Mehra said, “It’s the first time a film is going to DTH within four days. We released What’s Your Rashee in a week. I don’t think this will affect the business of the film in theatres. DTH releases help curb piracy and earn additional revenue for the producer.”
But theatre owners aren’t happy. They plan to meet in early November to discuss the issue, said Cinemax Cinemas vice-president Devang Sampat.
Vishal Kapur, COO of Fun Cinemas, said, “We’re contemplating pulling out the film from cinema halls.” He added, “We’ve got seven shows scheduled per day, and people aren’t going to turn up. It’s going to hurt business.”
The Aamir Khan starrer 3 Idiots is likely to be the first film to be released on DTH and in cinema halls simultaneously. Trade analyst Amod Mehra said DTH releases of new films would “kill the film industry which is already suffering due to piracy. If DTH becomes a trend the theatre business will collapse.If people can watch a movie for Rs 100, why would they go to a theatre?”
Mukesh Bhatt, who upset many by releasing satellite rights to Ghulam six months after its release, also opposes a film going to DTH too soon. He said, “One must give space for theatrical revenues. Only then should DTH and satellite rights be released.” Sidharth Roy Kapur of UTV Producers, the distributor of Main Aur Mrs Khanna, was not available for comment.
‘Bombay’ in film kicks up row
Posted on: October 3, 2009
Bharati Dubey, Somit Sen & Sanjeev Shivadekar | TNN (THE TIMES OF INDIA; October 3, 2009)
Johar’s film has several characters calling Mumbai by its former name, Bombay, and that was enough for the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena—going into a make-or-break assembly election later this month—to smell a poll issue. MNS roughnecks raised a hullabaloo and Johar was forced to pay obeisance at MNS leader Raj Thackeray’s residence during the day and mouth politically correct lines later. “I apologise if I have hurt anyone’s sentiments and have agreed to put a one-line disclaimer, stressing this, right at the start of the film,’’ he said.
But he was mistaken if he thought his subservience would end the matter—subsequently, Congress chief minister Ashok Chavan went on to call the Johar-Thackeray meeting a “publicity stunt’’. “Raj Thackeray is not a constitutional authority,’’ he said. “Karan Johar should have come to the state government if he thought the issue was so serious.’’
This was enough for the Shiv Sena, whose ‘Marathi manoos champion’ claims have been questioned by the MNS, to enter the fray. Sena spokesman Sanjay Raut said Johar should not merely apologise to Raj Thackeray. “If he really feels sorry about it, he should apologise to Maharashtra and the millions of Marathi manoos staying here,’’ he said.
True to type, Kirit Somaiya, former MP of the BJP, the Sena’s poll partner, too dived in for a piece of the action. Somaiya claimed it was the BJP that was instrumental in getting the city renamed from Bombay to Mumbai. “Nobody has the right to refer to it by the old name when it has already been renamed Mumbai,’’ he said.
But the MNS had clearly taken the lead on the issue. “No film producer has the right to change the name of the city from Mumbai to Bombay,’’ said Raj Thackeray. “Karan Johar is a good director, and I have no issues with him. But he should respect the sentiments of Mumbaikars. Why can’t people accept Mumbai if they can accept Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram? Karan told me it was done unintentionally and has apologised. But I am warning other producers not to repeat his mistake. I have given Karan two days to amend the error and carry a rejoinder at the start of the film.’’
Thackeray declared that he now wanted a letter from the Indian Motion Pictures Producers’ Association, promising that the city would be referred to as Mumbai in all forthcoming films. “And if any producer dares to refer to this city as Bombay, my men will protest in typical MNS style,’’ he warned.
Johar played it straight. “I didn’t want any negative impact on our film into which so much of hard work has gone. It was also never our intention to hurt anybody’s sentiments. The film, in fact, pays homage to the city, and Mumbai is an integral part of the film,’’ he said.
But Johar clearly felt ill at ease in the midst of all the unwanted attention, and the chief minister’s “publicity stunt’’ salvo did little to salvage the situation. “We at Dharma Productions follow certain ethics and would never market our films like this. There are various other platforms to market films. Besides, my father always told me that if an issue arose, it should be addressed immediately—and that was exactly what I did,’’ he said in response to the criticism about his visit to Raj Thackeray’s residence.
Need for clearance upsets Bollywood
Mumbai: The film industry is severely disappointed that ‘Wake Up Sid’, cleared by the Censor Board, had to get another clearance from politicians looking for votes in the run-up to the polls. “The Cinematograph Act clearly rules there cannot be any curb over naming a city,’’ a Censor Board official said. “This is the first time that someone has objected to calling Mumbai by its former name of Bombay,’’ he said.
But film-makers feel their creative freedom is getting curbed too often because of politicians. The film industry is angry, but helpless and does not know where to go or whom to approach. Producer Mukesh Bhatt said: “The industry is the most vulnerable and gets no protection from the government. People in power need to take action against such elements.’’
Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association president T P Agarwal said: “The industry needs to take a stand on this and we will raise the issue with information and broadcasting minister Ambika Soni when we meet for the Goa Film Festival on October 5.’’ —Bharati Dubey I TNN
Bharati Dubey | TNN (THE TIMES OF INDIA; October 2, 2009)
The move comes in the wake of a recent incident in which processing lab and distributors’ staff were found involved in a piracy racket.
Producer Mukesh Bhatt, head of the anti-piracy cell of the film industry, told TOI, “We want the film and digital labs to give us an undertaking about keeping our property safe. They will now have to take complete responsibility. We are going to talk about this at the next meeting and will stop working with labs that don’t agree with us. A film is like a bank for us in which we deposit our money.’’
UTV CEO and What’s Your Rashee? producer Sidharth Roy Kapur said, “The earlier contracts never pinned responsibility on labs for theft or misappropriation of prints. But now, we want them to sign an undertaking and take responsibility. A lab should be like a safe deposit vault in a bank. We will not work with those who refuse to sign the new deal.’’
The producers are firm on inserting this clause but laboratories do not seem to be eager. Adlabs Ltd CEO Anil Arjun said, “I am not aware of it and will need to discuss it with the producers.’’ He added that the incident regarding What’s Your Rashee? was not attributable to Adlabs. “Adlabs has always taken steps to curb piracy. Adlabs Film Processing Lab, Digital Lab, Digital Cinema Mastering facility and Adlabs’ preview theatre are the only facilities in India to be accredited by London-based trade body Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT).’’
Bharati Dubey & S Ahmed Ali I TNN (THE TIMES OF INDIA; September 24, 2009)
Mumbai: UTV software and communications, producers of the film What’s Your Raashee? has demanded a compensation of Rs 50 crore each from Adlabs Films Limited and UFO moviez for ‘abetting piracy and infringement of copyright’. Both the parties have been asked to pay up within 7 days.
The masterprint of Ashutosh Gowariker’s yet to be released What’s Your Raashee? was stolen from Adlabs on Monday evening. UTV in its notice to Adlabs mentioned that in violation of the agreement, the masterprint of the film had been illegally copied on the Adlabs premises and sold to persons engaged in piracy, causing huge damage. The notice also alleged that the illegal activity was possible because of some highly-placed persons employed by Adlabs who gained access to the prints and made copies of it.
In its notice to UFO moviez, the producers alleged that UFO employee Rajesh Chowdhry arrested in the case has also confessed to piracy of the film Aage Se Right. “It is apparent that the entire illegal piracy racket has been able to continue unchecked on UFO premises and that their security system does not provide adequate protection,’’ the notice said. UFO has sacked Chowdhry but officials said that Aage Se Right was not released on the UFO platform.
UTV has also written to all producers and distributors’ bodies to send showcause notices to Adlabs and UFO moviez. Also, a film delegation including producer Mahesh Bhatt, senior vice-president of AMPTPP Vikas Mohan, Yash Chopra, Ratan Jain and Mukesh Bhatt will be meeting joint commissioner Rakesh Maria on Thursday.
Meanwhile, two more officials of two private companies, Neerav Shah (30), the manager of Reliance Big Pictures (overseas distributions) and Nagda Kalapi (29), the head of the overseas distribution of Shemaroo pictures, were arrested in the case. Kalapi and Shah get a ‘benefit’ of Rs 35,000 to 50,000 per film, said senior inspector Ansar Peerzade. A video-piracy racket was busted on Sunday. Ashraf Hussain alias Afsar, Feroz Khan and Aman Tanzeem Sayyed were arrested in the case. Their interrogation helped the police arrest Durgadas Bhakta, manager, business development of Adlabs and Chowdhry.
An Adlabs spokesperson said, “The incident in connection with What’s Your Raashee is not attributable to us in any manner. The film prints are recorded under the best possible security measures.’’ A UFO spokesperson Charu Sacham said that the company has communicated separately with the producers’ fraternity and assured them that their business interests and intellectual property are of paramount importance.
 Two-and-a-half months after the historic judgment between producers and multiplexes the first cracks within have begun to appear. Ajay Devgan, who wants to release All The Best, may have to shell out Rs 50 lakh if he wants his film to hit the theatres on October 16, the same day as Aladin, Blue and Main aur Mrs Khanna.
According to our source, the United Producers and Distributors Forum (UPDF) had decided that they will fix the release dates of films till November this year and anybody who goes against their decision will be fined. Commenting on why Ajay is keen on releasing All The Best on October 16, the source said, “Diwali is the best time to get the audience to the theatres.” Ajay’s spokesperson said, “We cannot comment on this issue.” However, an insider from Ajay’s office said, “We are releasing All The Best on October 16. 50 lakh bharna pada, toh bhar denge. Yes, we are aware there is a clause, which states that if we go against the UPDF’s decision we’ll have to cough up Rs 50 lakh. But we hear that one of the three films may not release on that day, in which case we will be free to release our film.” Distributor Ramesh Sippy, who is part of UPDF, said, “After the producer-multiplex fight was resolved, it was agreed that the release dates will be decided by the principal body. There is a certain amount of fine that has to be paid to UPDF, but the amount has not been fixed. If Ajay releases All The Best, he will have to pay the UPDF. The makers have been told all this clearly but they believe that Main Aur Mrs Khanna will not release on October 16, and that is how they will be able to release their film on that date.” President of Association of Motion Picture & TV Programme Producers, Ratan Jain, who too is part of UPDF, said, “I don’t think Ajay will release All The Best on October 16. He has given us in writing that he will go ahead only if one of the three releases scheduled for October 16 falls through. Even I am ready with my film, De Dana Dan and would like to release it on October 16. But we do need to understand that every big film needs a decent release in terms of screening.” Mukesh Bhatt, Chairman of UPDF, said, “Why should Ajay pay us? We are here to help people and not for extortion. Some of our people have advised Ajay not to release All The Best on October 16. Where will he release the film? On the roads? Moreover, how many films can a person see on a Friday or over the weekend? But if somebody has decided to commit suicide, you can’t stop them, can you?” |
 Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt had warned their nephew Emraan Hashmi not to sign up for Percept Picture Company’s (PPC) film Raftaar. Emraan paid no heed to their advice and signed it. He is now repenting his decision at leisure.
After allotting extensive dates to the film, Emraan feels that PPC is not keen on completing the film. Emraan demanded explanations, but their replies have been far from convincing. It became evident when the production company had a party and Emraan gave it a miss. According to industry insiders, PPC has shifted all its attention to Madhur Bhandarkar’s Jail and intends to release it much earlier because it is a better business proposition. So Raftaar has been put on the backburner. A source said, “Emraan’s dates have been wasted. He is very upset with them. They had promised him two songs, but showed no signs of shooting them.” According to Emraan’s uncle Mahesh Bhatt, Emraan has not been a happy man ever since he began working with PPC. He said, “I don’t know whether PPC has shifted their focus to Jail, but I know that Raftaar has been delayed because of lack of funds.” Commenting on Emraan’s decision to sign Raftaar, Mahesh said, “Emraan thought that there was great money in that film. He felt that the self-proclaimed big names were making a very lucrative offer to him, but it proved to be a mirage in a desert.” Meanwhile, PPC CEO, Navin Shah said, “It is not true. Raftaar is on course.” Mahesh further added, “Emraan is uncomfortable and embarrassed about this. He told me that he had put in a lot of hard work for Raftaar, but it didn’t add up to what he had thought it would be. But that’s a part of growing up. Some projects you do are nice, some end up being a nightmare.” Emraan, however said, “It is a bad decision that they’ll regret sooner or later.” |
