Posts Tagged ‘dead’
Neetu Chandra’s father Umesh Chandra Shrivastava passed away last evening.
He was 60 years old and was suffering from cancer since a long time. He was admitted to a hospital in Mumbai where he breathed his last.
He is survived by his daughter, Neetu, and two sons.
By Taran Adarsh, August 21, 2009 – 12:59 IST
First things first! Before we dissect the film, discuss its merits and demerits, discuss whether it worked or not and offer reasons, let’s salute the grit, determination, willpower and courage of Nasser Khan, who enacts the role of the protagonist in SHADOW.
Imagine a blind person carrying off those hazardous, death-defying stunts… Just that effort deserves an applause.
| BOLLYWOOD HUNGAMA.COM |
Now let’s come to the point. SHADOW is more of a showreel to project the acting abilities of Nasser Khan, so, expectedly, the writing takes a backseat. The screenplay is very ’70s and ’80s, reminiscent of the masala films we enjoyed so much then. It’s just that times have changed and so have the tastes of a big chunk of moviegoers.
Yet, there’s no denying that there still exists a sizable chunk of movie-going audience that relishes masala films and SHADOW is targeted at them.
The police have not been able to crack a serial murder case. Arjun Sherawat [Nasser Khan] is a man who is unseen and is the criminal. No one knows his identity. This case has been granted to Sanjana [Sonali Kulkarni], a police officer. She has been trying too hard, but all her efforts have been in vain.
Sheetal [Hrishitaa Bhatt] is a press reporter who loves her profession to the core. She works with a news channel and has information about the case as she follows it very closely. Rahul [Milind Soman], a press reporter from another news channel, has also been following the case step by step. He constantly keeps nagging Sanjana about the case by questioning her from time to time.
Murders are still being committed at short intervals. Meanwhile, Sheetal passes a crucial information to police about the next target of Arjun Sherawat. But Arjun Sherawat meets with an accident and is presumed dead. Everyone is in a joyous mood until they hear Arjun Sherawat’s latest audio clip, which states that he will kidnap a famous builder Habeeb Faizal [Mushtaq Khan] in front of the police on a given date.
Everyone is stunned on hearing this. Meanwhile, Arjun Sherawat succeeds in kidnapping Habeeb Faizal. What happens next?
In an effort to showcase the heroic abilities of Nasser Khan, the writers throw logic out of the window while writing the scenes. The film holds your attention in the initial reels, but goes haywire in the second half. The romantic track between Nasser and Sonali is the weakest link in the narrative. So is the climax, which just doesn’t work.
At the same time, the stunts and also a few individualistic sequences are deftly executed. Plus, the musical score [Anand Raaj Anand] is the type that caters to the masses and fits well for this genre. Rohit Nayyar’s shot compositions are perfect. Plus, technically speaking, it’s a polished job. However, the writing lets him down at places. Cinematography is good. The stunts deserve special mention.
Nasser Khan is not an actor and though this is evident in several sequences, you don’t really complain because you haven’t come to watch the histrionics in any case. It’s the curiosity factor that has drawn you towards this film, right? Milind Soman gives a good account of himself. Sonali Kulkarni looks grossly over-weight, but does well nonetheless. However, what was the need to make her do an item song? Hrishitaa Bhatt and Samir Aftab get minimal scope. Sachin Khedekar enacts the mandatory villain’s part with ease. Vishwajeet Pradhan and Mushtaq Khan are commendable.
On the whole, SHADOW caters more to the hardcore masses mainly. A film for single screens!
The law says you can’t marry till 18 but can have consensual sex at 16-Satish Kaushik
Posted on: August 1, 2009
• You have been more known for melodrama. What made you take up an issue like teenage pregnancy in Teree Sang? Every filmmaker needs a change. While surfing the net, I came across a website called standupgirl.com. where I read many stories about teenage pregnancies and the problems it can create. I realised that this subject could be dramatised very well. • What makes your film different from others on the subject? • It’s not 18? No, the minimum age to marry is 18. There is some confusion because the ‘Age of consent’ law was made by the British and the ‘Age of Marriage’ was made by our traditional Republic of India. So, one can have pre-marital sex at the age of 16 but marriage can only happen after 18 years of age. In Manipur, the age of consent is 14 years and if the boy is ready to marry then it is 13 years. This is the first time that I am making a film that is so well researched. My story revolves around this girl who is 15 years of age, she enters into a sexual relationship and becomes pregnant. Now it is her decision to abort the child or keep it and she decides not to kill a life. Though she is very young, herself a baby in fact, she is what today’s teenager’s are, capable of taking her own decisions. The youth is no more what it used to be in our times, they are mature individuals. • Wouldn’t the film have more of an impact if you had taken known names instead of newcomers? No, because this film required fresh, young actors. In my film the girl is 15 years old and the boy is 17 years old. If I would have taken a well established face, then his or her image would have overpowered the character. I needed a baby-face girl to carry a baby. So Sheena (Shahabadi) was the apt choice for it. She has a very sweet face. Ruslaan (Mumtaz), though technically not a newcomer since he has had a release, looked like the character of the boy. • Is there any other social cause that excites you, that you would like to make a film about? It will be made in Hindi but I intend to take it international. I am in talks with some studios. I may even play the lead role; most people tell me I look exactly like a common man and so would be suitable for it. But, for me, it’s first Teree Sang. |
Fenil and Bollywood 