Posts Tagged ‘Ratan Jain’
Priyadarshan has always come up with zany comedies but De Dana Dan takes away the cake. In your entire life, you would have not seen such complicated and bizarre film ever, nor would you see it in future! There are some 25 characters; the entire action takes place inside a luxurious hotel and misunderstandings galore in the film. In fact, the flick thrives on misunderstandings and mistaken identities! However, like many other pathetic comedy flicks attempted this year, this doesn’t disappoint all thanks to Priyadarshan’s excellent handling and execution!
The story of the movie: Nitin Bankar (Akshay Kumar) works for Archana (Archana Puran Singh), a rich lady in Singapore and who loves her pet dog named Moolchandji the most! Nitin’s only friend is Ram (Suniel Shetty). While Nitin is in love with Anjali (Katrina Kaif), Ram loves Manpreet (Sameera Reddy). However, both Anjali and Manpreet are born and brought up in rich families and their families would not like their daughters to marry financially unstable men. So Nitin and Ram come up with plan to get quick money-they decide to kidnap Moolchandji in exchange of a huge ransom from Archana! Without realizing that the kidnapping has gone awry, both hide in the luxurious Pan Pacific Hotel waiting for the ransom. Unfortunately, there are more colourful, anti-social, gadbad-types people in the hotel at that time! And then starts the mother of all misunderstandings, mistaken identities and unlimited, uninterrupted laughter for the viewers!
There is absolutely no logic whatsoever in De Dana Dan. There are some big big loopholes in the story too! But if you are lover of masala Hindi comedies, then you won’t mind at all as there is so much fun happening in the film every second! Except during the songs, you won’t get a chance to yawn or check out the time in your watch or look anywhere else than the screen!
The first half is where the characters are introduced and established which is perfectly done. The asli mazaa begins when Nitin and Ram hatch the kidnap plan. The actual kidnapping and the events that follow was brilliant! Also, there are lots of tracks going on in the film, each one which is well written and worked upon. There is Harbans Chadda (Paresh Rawal) who is deep in debt and who wants to marry off his son Nonny (Chunky Pandey) to the best amir khandaan ki ladki; there is Brij Mohan Oberoi (Manoj Joshi) who is happy to marry off her manglik daughter Manpreet to Nonny; then there is smart theif cum club dancer (Neha Dhupia), Harban’s unfaithful wife Pammi (Aditi Govitrikar), a killer on a mission Peshawarwala (Johny Lever), an oversmart waiter Duggu (Rajpal Yadav), an Indian ambassador Paramjeet Lamba (Vikram Gokhale) and her wife (Supriya Karnik), Anjali’s dad Kakkad (Tinu Anand), Anti-corruption cop (Sharat Saxena) and a letch (Shakti Kapoor) (I hope I haven’t left anyone). Whew! With so many characters with interesting characteristics, Priyadarshan and the writing team excellently links up unrelated characters creating multiple mistaken identities, all which provide laughter unlimited!
The first half is laced with 4 songs but still the flick didn’t turn boring. However, it was the 2nd half where at a point, everything gets too monotonous and you want the flick to end. In fact, the film is close to 2 hrs 45 minutes. However, the climax again takes the film up and it was the most weird and bizarre climax I have ever witnessed! Once again, I state that don’t watch the flick if you can’t stand any nonsense in films. Or else you’ll surely faint watching the nonsense climax! But for those who love comedies, the climax will surely entertain!
With so many characters, it becomes difficult to decide who the best was. In fact all put their best foot forward and contribute well. Akshay Kumar was like everytime rocking! His films may not entertain everytime but he always impresses. In fact, it was so great to see a fantastic Akshay Kumar film after so long (the last such film was Welcome, 2 years back). Keep rocking Akki! Suniel Shetty gives an amazing performance and it was great to see him after a long time! Watch out for him in his next, Red Alert!
From the rest, the ones who impress and provide maximum laughs are Paresh Rawal, Archana Puran Singh, Johny Lever and Vikram Gokhale. Vikram Gokhale particularly entertains a lot! The rest-Asrani, Chunky Pandey (he had no role at all!), Manoj Joshi, Rajpal Yadav, Supriya Karnik, Tinu Anand and Sharat Saxena also did a nice job but it got overshadowed in presence of so many actors. Producer Ratan Jain is also there in the film!
As for the heroines, Katrina Kaif has the meatiest role and sizzles full on in the song Gale Lag Ja. Neha Dhupia gives a bindass performance. Sameera Reddy looks charming but hardly has any dialogues. Aditi Govitrikar’s performance was flawless.
Music was fine. Baamulaiza, Gale Lag Ja and Rishte Naate are the best songs of the lot. K Ahambaram’s cinematography was too shaky in some scenes which didn’t work. Salim-Suliaman’s background score, as usual, was flawless. Sabu Cyril’s production design deserves special appreciation especially for the climax where the entire hotel gets flooded. Some parts of the hotel were recreated in Mumbai, it was flooded and shot and it was so accurately done that it’s impossible to distinguish the actual hotel in Singapore from the set! Great work! But at the same time, disappointed to see enormous quantity of water wasted under the guise of entertainment!
Finally, we come to the writers and director. Suresh Krisshnan’s story was unusual. Jay Master’s dialogues were amazing and also contribute to the entertainment quotient in the film! And this is undoubtedly Priyadarshan’s one of the finest works! It requires guts and courage to screenwrite a film with so many complicated and tangled scenes and then directing it and also giving it a proper conclusion. Any other director would have either failed miserably or would have run away midway! So hats off to Priyan….keep giving us such films!
This time, there would be no section of Best Scenes….there are some 3 to 4 dozen memorable scenes, half of which I can’t even recollect now but enjoyed while watching! So please excuse this time!
On the whole, De Dana Dan is one of the most complicated comedies of all time. Those who love Priyadarshan and his slapstick comedies should not even think of missing it!
My rating-**** out of 5!
This review first appeared on Mouthshut.com: http://www.mouthshut.com/review/De_Dana_Dan-181702-1.html
By Joginder Tuteja, December 1, 2009 – 11:21 IST
The inevitable has happened. Owing to popular demand, ‘Gale Lag Ja‘ – the rain song and dance number featuring the lead pair of Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif – has been added to the film’s narrative.
Though this much hyped song had created quite some buzz en route to the release of De Dana Dan, it was chopped off from the final copy of the print since it was adding to the film’s length. However, the makers of De Dana Dan were open to the idea of incorporating the song as an added bonus if audiences demanded so and the film worked at the box office. With weekend collections being quite strong worldwide, the final call was taken around bringing back the song in the narrative.
Confirms Ratan Jain, producer of De Dana Dan, “We were clear that the song would be added only if the film did well at the box office. There was no point doing that if (God forbid) people wouldn’t have been going into theatres. Now that the weekend collections are out, we know that there would be repeat audiences for the film. For them, it would be another incentive to watch the film again while for the first timers, it’s an added bonus.”
Since the film’s running length is a little less than 3 hours already, would the incorporation of song be of any further impact?
“No”, says Jain, “The length of De Dana Dan is still the same. To compensate for those 4-5 minutes of the added song, we have edited an equal duration of a few scenes from the film.”
‘Gale Lag Ja‘ would now appear in the first half of the film at the point when Akshay calls Katrina to the hotel in order to share the kidnapping plan and then run away with the ransom amount.
Meanwhile, Ratan Jain is ecstatic with the kind of collections that the film is showing with every passing day.
“Saturday and Sunday were far better than Friday while Monday was more or less similar to Friday, which is superb”, he says, “Normally, films fall quite rapidly on Monday but we have stayed on very stable grounds. The collections are superb overseas as well, whether in UK, Gulf or elsewhere. In India, we have seen Rs. 23 crores coming in just from the weekend which is superb. All our distributors are very happy and we are all set for a bountiful first week.”
BOLLYWOOD HUNGAMA.COM
MEENA IYER Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; November 27, 2009)
On the fateful night of 26/11, National Award winning director Priyadarshan, Bollywood’s Khiladi Akshay Kumar, and the prolific producer Ratan Jain launched their comedy De Dana Dan. “We were asked to cancel the mahurat, but we didn’t because it would seem like we had cowered under pressure. If we hadn’t shown the spunk, it would have been a victory for the terrorists,” recalls Priyan.
Now, a year later, Venus Productions’ De Dana Dan is releasing worldwide today. Akki’s all smiles because his producer just brought in the news that the film’s got a good advance booking all over India. “Comedies are the in-thing this season. Films like All the Best and Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani have done brisk business. We too should have a winner in De Dana Dan,” says the actor.
Priyan thinks the film should work because it has got everything going for it — the jodi with the midas touch, Akshay and Katrina Kaif, and 25 of the best comic talent of the country.
Looking affectionately at his star he says, “Akshay is as dedicated to his work as Mohanlal. Both of them will go out on a limb for their craft. It is because of this trait alone, that I like working with Mohanlal in the South and Akshay in the North
Though Akki’s flattered with Priyan’s comments, he still ribs his director. “Sir, I’ve done only five films with you. If I’m your favourite, how come I was missing in so many of your films?” To which Priyan chortles, “Well, I offered you Hungama and Hulchul but you didn’t give me dates.”
Apparently both were brought together by Ratan for the blockbuster Garam Masala in 2005. “It was then that they rediscovered each other,” says the producer about the winsome twosome who did Bhagam Bhag and Bhool Bhuliya before they went on to do De Dana Dan. Candidly Priyan admits that sometimes comedies can fail (Dhol) because laughter is serious business, and film-makers don’t always get the formula right. However, Akshay feels that with terrorism and discontentment looming large over real life, a reel life comedy is what the doctor in him would prescribe. “Laughter is the best medicine,” he says to which Ratan adds, “If the audience take the prescription, then the producer can laugh all the way to the bank.”
Fenil’s Bollywood Talk # 76
Posted on: November 26, 2009
DE DANA DAN-COMBINATION OF SUCCESSFUL COMBOS!
This year hasn’t been great for Akshay Kumar as all his films have flopped at the BO, with an exception for Kambakkht Ishq which was average. De Dana Dan, which releases tomorrow, is the last film of Akshay in 2009 and it’s expected to be one of the biggest hits this year. The promos have been excellent, the film has wonderful star cast and is helmed by the comedy expert Priyadarshan. But most importantly, the film consists of all the hit combos which have worked big big time in the past! Let us have a look at these combos:
Akshay-Suniel-Paresh: The chemistry between the three actors worked wonders in Hera Pheri and also in its sequel, Phir Hera Pheri. The tigdi is super-hit and still in demand. In fact, any producer will be ready to pump as much money as needed if these three are ready to come together in a film!
Akshay-Katrina: They have been one of the most-popular jodis of Bollywood. Although their first film together, Humko Deewana Kar Gaye failed, their sizzling chemistry has worked in all other films. Even in De Dana Dan, both look wonderful together and they have also sizzling rain song in the film, Gale Lag Jaa, which is guaranteed to soar the temperature in the theatre!
Akshay-Priyadarshan: Akshay has till now worked on four films with Priyadarshan (Hera Pheri, Garam Masala, Bhagam Bhag, Bhool Bhulaiyaa) and all of them have been super hits at the BO. Even De Dana is expected to be another hit for the actor-director.
Priyadarshan-Venus: This is also a winning combination with 100% success rate. Venus produced Priyan’s Hungama, Hulchul and Garam Masala and all three proved to be successful. So there is little doubt that their fourth film together will work too. In Priyadarshan’s words, “I have always said that I am lucky for Ratan Jain (who heads Venus) and he is lucky for me”
Thus, De Dana Dan with all these factors going in its favour will definitely take a huge opening and if the film turns out well, there would be no stopping it!
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KURBAAN FAILS
Last Friday’s spectacular release, Kurbaan, has flopped which has shocked one and all. The film didn’t even take a decent opening inspite of big names associated like Karan Johar, Saif-Kareena and UTV and inspite of critical acclaim. I feel the major reason could be excessive violence which put a section of audiences away. Another would be its serious theme. I don’t buy the point at all that audiences weren’t interested in watching terrorism films. Anyways, it’s disappointing to see sincere efforts not getting their due, and that film like Tum Mile getting better opening than Kurbaan!
With Kurbaan’s debacle, this year has turned to be disappointing for UTV. In 2009, only 2 films of the production-Dev D and Kaminey worked at the BO while the rest-Delhi-6, Dhoondte Reh Jaoge, Agyaat, What’s Your Raashee? and Main Aurr Mrs Khanna failed. UTV also distributed Johar’s Wake Up Sid which ran successfully only in big city multiplexes. Let’s hope UTV will spring back in 2010!
Babu bhaiyya, they’re back!
Posted on: November 21, 2009
MEENA IYER Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; November 21, 2009)
By Taran Adarsh, November 17, 2009 – 08:42 IST
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While on Akshay Kumar and Priyadarshan, their new outing, DE DANA DAN, has evoked tremendous interest within and outside the industry. The film is piping hot, to put it in simple and straightforward terms. The Akshay – Suniel – Paresh pairing with Priyadarshan evokes strong memories of HERA PHERI.
“DE DANA DAN is not HERA PHERI,” producer Ratan Jain clarifies, “Sure, the star cast is same and so is the director, but there’s no effort to make a sequel to HERA PHERI or be like HERA PHERI. DE DANA DAN has a completely different storyline and the character sketches are poles apart too.”
But comparisons with HERA PHERI are inevitable. “I am well aware of that, but the fact is that DE DANA DAN is far more entertaining than any Akshay – Priyadarshan movies made in the past. DE DANA DAN has Priyan and Akshay at their best,” the respected producer explains.
Ratan Jain, who has worked with Aamir [AKELE HUM AKELE TUM, MELA], SRK [BAAZIGAR, BAADSHAH, YES BOSS, JOSH and MAIN HOON NAA] and Akki regularly, is planning a project each with Abbas-Mustan and Priyadarshan in the near future. What happens to KHILADI 2? “That will be made with Abbas-Mustan and Akki only, but till we lay our hands on the right script, we wouldn’t like to announce the project,” he says.
BOLLYWOOD HUNGAMA.COM
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.
Madhur Bhandarkar and Sunil Lulla will go ahead with the pre-decided release dates of their films, Jail and Aladin, despite the United Producers & Distributors Forum’s (UPDF) insistence that they postpone their release dates. The UPDF was formed by the Bollywood filmmakers to ensure that no two big films release on the same day, as films piled up after the multiplex-producers dispute. They had issued an order to Madhur and Sunil to postpone the release dates of their films, Jail and Aladin, as they are clashing with Rajkumar Santoshi’s Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani and Vipul Shah’s London Dreams respectively. However, Madhur and Sunil are in no mood to toe the line. A source says, “Producer Sunil Lulla from Eros was told to change the release date of Aladin from October 30 as it is clashing with Vipul Shah’s London Dreams. However, Sunil is adamant about releasing his film on the same date. Same is the case with Madhur Bhandarkar’s Jail, the UPDF wants the release date of the film to be changed from November 6 as it is clashing with Rajkumar Santoshi’s Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani. With both filmmakers refusing to budge, a huge dispute erupted over it. Incidentally, UTV’s Chance Pe Dance has already pushed their film’s release date to a later one, to avoid clashing its release with another film.” A spokesperson of Eros says, “We are releasing Aladin on October 30.” Confirming the news, Navin Shah, CEO of Percept Picture Company, producers of Jail, says, “The UPDF tried to bully us into postponing the release of Jail. I don’t think they have any right to discriminate. Five people cannot sit and decide how the entire industry will function and release their films. While releasing a film, many things need to be considered – like resources, finance and publicity and hence the filmmaker has the right to make the decision. We are in no mood to change our release date.” Producer Ratan Jain, who is a member of the UPDF, says, “It is in the best interest of the films that no two big films release on the same day as they eat into each other’s business and everybody suffers. We tried to make the filmmakers understand this, but at the end of the day, it’s their decision. As of now, they are not ready and there is no settlement.”
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KUNAL M SHAH (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 17, 2009)
Given that Hindi films have a generous dash of pelvic thrusts, French kissing and hot lovemaking scenes these days, this is one of the most incongruous things to have happened in the film industry in recent times. Ekta Kapoor and director Dibakar Banerjee were in for a rude shock when the title they wanted for their next film was rejected by the Association of Motion Pictures and TV Programme Producers. The association rejected the two shortlisted titles Love Sex Aur Dhokha and Pyaar Sex Aur Dhokha saying that the titles are obscene. And here we thought birds kissing and flowers gently dashing against each other are a thing of the past.
A source said, “Both Ekta and Dibakar are extremely dejected. Dibakar always stresses on having apt titles for his films. For instance, his earlier two films were titled Khosla Ka Ghosla and Oye Lucky Lucky Oye. They were shocked on receiving the reject letter from the association. They tried to reason it out but it was a futile attempt. Now they have no option but to look for an alternative title.”
Ekta Kapoor confirmed the story but didn’t divulge any more details. Dibakar Banerjee said, “We wanted to register the title Love Sex Aur Dhokha. The word pyaar could have been used in place of the word love. We had submitted the title to check if it was available. However, the association rejected the title saying that it is too obscene. We contacted them to ask why they thought that our title is obscene. They have heard our argument and the matter is subjudice so I can’t give you any details. They are going to give us their reason soon.”
Commenting on the title’s importance, Dibakar said, “This title was extremely important to us and as it suggests everything, which will be depicted on screen. The title explains the entire script and the way the film will be treated. All I can say is that it’s a film within a film and is like a window looking into the lives of the characters.”
Ratan Jain, President AMPTPP, remained unavailable for comment.
 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?” |
