Posts Tagged ‘mausam’
SUBHASH K JHA Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; December 30, 2009)
Shahid Kapoor will soon have to get rid of those hard earned abs. He beefed up for Kaminey and Chance Pe Dance to get the bare-chested, rippling muscle look in place.
However, Shahid’s forthcoming film, Mausam, will see him saying goodbye to his coveted physique.
Shahid will have to return to the boyish look he sported in Ishq Vishq and Jab We Met. In Mausam, he plays an inexperienced loverboy aged 21-22.
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He has efficiently been oscillating between boyish to manly roles. He is going to take time off to work on his physique, so that it suits what is required of him in Mausam.
The film’s producer Sheetal Talwar of Vistaar Religare Film Fund confirmed our story. She said, “I can’t say much about Shahid’s look right now. But his entire body language and physique will have to be worked on.”
Our source added, “Shahid played a callow and inexperienced lover in Ishq Vishq and Fida. After Kaminey and Chance Pe Dance, Shahid plays a conman in a Yash Raj production. After that he needs to lose the sinewy muscular look to play the loverboy in Mausam.”
Pankaj Kapur is on a nationwide hunt for the female lead to be cast opposite Shahid Kapoor in his directorial debut Mausam. But his son has other ideas. Apparently, Shahid is keen on casting Katrina Kaif in the lead.
A source reveals, “After working with A-list actresses such as Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Vidya Balan, Katrina Kaif is the next actress on Shahid’s wishlist. He thinks Katrina is extremely talented and would love to work with her in a film. His father’s movie is a love story and Shasha (Shahid) finds Katrina apt for the role.”
Pankaj Kapoor, however, is not terribly keen on Shahid’s recommendation. The source continues, “He has spoken to his dad Pankaj recommending Katrina for the film. But, Pankaj is keen to cast a young fresh face for the film. A nationwide hunt is on for the film.”
The debutant director takes a cautious line. Pankaj Kapoor says, “I am still in the scripting process. My daughter is looking into the casting. Only once I am done with the script, will I be able to take the final call for the female lead.” The movie goes on the floors in January 2010.
Shahid remained unavailable for comment.
MEENA IYER Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; November 8, 2009)
meena.iyer@timesgroup.com
The music maestro will perform live with the Hungary Symphony Orchestra on January 26
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This is good news for everyone who admires the genius of music composer Ilaiyaraaja. He is preparing for his first ever live concert in Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai in collaboration with the Hungary Symphony Orchestra. He will perform on January 26 in Mumbai. The maestro is currently in Budapest, recording for Pankaj Kapur’s forthcoming film Mausam with producer Sheetal Talwar and his wife, filmmaker Bhavna Talwar.
The couple has planned Ilaiyaraaja’s three concerts where he will play Tiruvacakam, the ancient sacred hymns. Accompanying Ilaiyaraaja will be the Hungary Symphony Orchestra and its conductor Laszlo Kovacs. Speaking to us from Budapest, the soft-spoken musician says, “Yes, we’re planning a concert in Mumbai and other places.” Ilaiyaraaja, who often visits Budapest for music collaborations, adds, “Working in collaboration with symphonies is not difficult for me. It only requires a lot more preparation. All the music has to be written down in detail before work begins.” He says that live concerts are not an extra burden. “It is music in another form. Whether I’m composing for a film or playing at a concert, I’m doing music. The medium is secondary. I’m only concerned with music.” We ask Ilaiyaraaja about his renowned aptitude for reflexive composition, and he laughs and says, “Who knows how many births I had to go through before music came so easily to me? It’s not about how much music I know but about how well music knows me. The greatness is not in me, but in the music. I don’t compose the music. It’s just there within me and it comes out. I don’t make an effort to create music. It just flows out, like the conversation I’m having with you.” |
Had Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor still been a couple, Kareena would have surely starred opposite him in his father Pankaj Kapur’s directorial debut, Mausam. After all, Pankaj had written the script of Mausam keeping Kareena in mind. This, of course, was when Kareena and Shahid’s relationship was going strong. The former lovers last starred together in Jab We Met. After the Shahid-Kareena break-up, Mausam got delayed to some extent since Pankaj Kapur had to drop his plan of casting Kareena and started considering other options for the lead actress. Also, Pankaj couldn’t get a producer for a long time before Religare Vistaar Entertainment came into the picture. A source said, “Things are fine now but they can’t go back to Kareena saying that they want her to do the film. They are feeling quite awkward about asking her to star opposite Shahid and hence they have decided to launch a nationwide hunt to look for a girl who will be suitable for the film.” When asked about him earlier wanting Kareena in his film, Pankaj said, “Who told you this? I am still writing the script. How can I think of casting actors before I have completed my script? I will further talk when we are ready to roll.” Producer Sheetal Talwar said, “Well, Shahid and Kareena look fabulous together on screen. But we are now having a nationwide hunt for the lead actress for Mausam.” Kareena had no idea about this till we contacted her to ask what she has to say about Pankaj Kapur writing a script keeping in mind her and Shahid’s jodi. Clear about not mixing her personal and professional life, Kareena said, “If they have a good script and a good role and ask me to do it, I see no reason why I shouldn’t.”
Now that Kareena has no problem starring opposite Shahid, we wonder if his father will drop his plans of a nationwide hunt for the lead actress and make the next call to Kareena. Mausam is an out-and-out romantic film to be shot in five countries- UK, Spain, Italy, Austria and India. It is expected to start in January 2010. |
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It’s final. Shahid Kapoor will be taking nine months off starting this November to work on his father Pankaj Kapur’s first directorial venture, Mausam. Since Shahid wants to give all his time to Pankaj Kapur’s film, he won’t do any other film until July 2010.
Mausam is an out-and-out romantic film to be shot in five countries – Austria, the UK, Spain, Italy and India. Shahid will start shooting for the film in the last week of January 2010.
A reliable source says, “Though there is still some time before the shooting starts, Shahid will begin preparing for the film long before January 2010. He has been urging his father to direct a film for many years. In fact, if Shahid had his way, his debut would’ve been with his father’s film. But Pankaj likes to work at his own pace and only with those he’s comfortable with. They’ve found the right producer now.” Pankaj Kapur’s directorial debut will be produced by Religare Vistaar Entertainment. “The romantic film’s screenplay, written by Pankaj Kapur, spreads over 10 years,” adds a source. A new girl for whom an all-India hunt will begin soon will be launched with Shahid in Mausam. Commenting on the kind of girl the filmmakers are looking for, the source says, “The girl has to be fresh-faced, innocent, virginal and has to have a never-seen-before quality.” Sheetal Talwar, chairman and managing director of Religare, confirms the news and says, “I’m not denying any of what you’ve heard but I’m not at liberty to talk about it at the moment.” |
- In: Interviews
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| • What tempts you to do a film?
When I got married way back in 1968, my decision was to cut down on films but never give up. The very act of getting married means that you are not alone, you are taking on a family. In those days it could take two-three years to make a film. Now, we work on one film at a time, which is the ideal way to work. That’s how regional films are made. I am turned on by a good script and a good role and I don’t judge a good role by its length. When you start doing character roles, it gives you a liberating feeling because you are no longer victim to looking good and you can then freely be the character. I would love to do those characters with today’s directors like Vishal Bharadwaj or Raju Hirani. Imtiaz Ali obviously makes films about two young people in love but if he ever has a role for elderly people I would love to do it. • Samantar offered all this?In Samantar, although my character, Shama, is a recluse, she doesn’t go by social compulsions but by natural compulsions which is about being herself. Being herself means gardening, being close to nature, she creates beautiful pottery, she plays the violin. But in the company of people she isn’t herself. I chose this role because it is not a very verbose character so there is minimal dialogue except that I do have a three-page soliloquy. Amol is a very sensitive director, and there is beautiful camera work, beautiful locations, and very competent and talented actors who play the smaller supporting characters. We shot at this place called Kalna which even the Bengali directors haven’t discovered. It’s a place of archeological importance. It’s a terracotta Shiv temple dating back 300 years, it has 108 Shivlings white and black. The music by Anand Modak is excellent, Shomit’s lyrics are excellent.
• Why did it take you so long to take on a Marathi film? Because nobody asked me so far. Amol was the first one who came with a Marathi proposal. I have been seeing Shashikalaji’s performances, Dr Mohan Agashe is a dear friend and I have always had the highest regard for Marathi actors because like in Bengal, they are all very good actors. If we can see Iranian films and Chinese films, why can’t we see our own regional films? • Doesn’t every language have its own meter and isn’t it difficult to adjust? Bengali and Marathi have the same meter. Pauses, breaks and emphasis are the same. It’s just that some alphabets are pronounced differently. • So, is your character alone or lonely? When you are alone, not enjoying yourself, are resentful and wanting company and when you don’t get company you feel deprived, that is being lonely. I would take loneliness in a negative sense. Somewhere in our souls we are all alone. To be alone I think is wonderful, that is when you can introspect, grow or evolve and that is a very positive thing. To be alone and doing your own thing, listening to music, exercising, looking at a beautiful flower, swimming in the sea or walking alone in the hills, it’s a wonderful healing process. When you are doing yoga you aren’t doing it to impress anybody, you are doing it for yourself. That is a healing and growing process. That is the difference between loneliness and being alone. • Which three Hindi films would you list as most memorable? I would say Safar with Asit Sen, Dooriyan with Bhimsain and Mausam. Safar and Dooriyan were the two films where I follow an individual goal as a woman. Usually all women put the family before and sacrifice for them. These two women want to follow their careers and are therefore misunderstood. Indian films should have professional women because the moment you become a working woman, you are a negative character, you are the cause of divorce. Children should feel, ‘I have a working mother’ and look at it with added value as opposed to that she is working woman, she must be neglecting her children. • The change is happening… It needs to change more. Look at the disparity between the hero’s salary and the heroine’s. • What did you think of Saif in the Kal part of Love Aaj Kal? It’s written very well, and Saif is very good, specially in the Kal part. Whatever he does, pulls his shirt in front, the earnestness, he does it very well. He is one of those very spontaneous actors. When he interacts with others, the screen looks good, not that he outsmarts the others. He doesn’t interact with his audience, he interacts with his co-stars. Therefore his scenes are very real and I think he is becoming a wonderful actor. • You are set to have a celebrity daughter-in-law soon ( Kareena Kapoor). How will it affect family dynamics? I don’t think it changes anything. She also comes from a film background and we come from various fields. One extra person comes in and things change, but it’s for the better. You have to grow, everything grows. |
