Posts Tagged ‘Sanjay Gupta’
ACIDIC HANGOVER!
One can’t deny the fact that White Feather Films (WFF), Sanjay Gupta’s production house, has churned one of the best dark thrillers in the past. In fact, every film of WFF right from Kaante to the recent Woodstock Villa has been very dark but still managed to impress audiences. Their new flick, Acid Factory, too follows the WWF tradition! It’s dark, it has black humour and most importantly, it has surprises. However, the second hour spoils the show. More details later!
The story of the movie: A guy somewhere in his mid-20s (Fardeen Khan) wakes up and finds himself trapped in a dilapidated factory. He has no memory as to how he got there inside. He doesn’t even remember his own name! A phone rings somewhere and he picks up. The caller (Irrfan Khan) seemed like a boss, who gives some orders. Later, the man discovers four more people in the factory (Aftab Shivdasani, Manoj Bajpayee, Dino Morea and Danny Denzongpa) and they all are in a similar state of mind. One of them is tied to a chair and one is handcuffed. All doors are locked and the windows had iron grills and so there was no chance of escaping. Also, the factory was located at a remote place so there was no possibility of even shouting and getting attention of someone from outside. The guys later discover that it is an acid factory and that some of them were criminals. To find out as to how they lose their memory and what happen next, watch the film.
Acid Factory’s first hour is power-packed. The film holds your attention wonderfully right from the first scene. The characters in the factory waking up, bewildered, one by one and their talking, shouting and cracking jokes with one another sets the mood. Two more tracks run simultaneously-one, the flashback portions of Fardeen and the other, the kidnapping heist. Yet, the film doesn’t turn confusing and for this, full marks should be given to director Suparn Verma.
The characters later learn that two of them are kidnapped. But again, with no memory, they have no idea as to who are the kidnappers and who are the hostages! This really makes the situation weird but interesting!
But things slid down in the 2nd half. They should have been more thrilling moments and drama but instead, a lot of action scenes are thrown in. No doubt that it was a treat watching those scenes but after a point of time, it became too much. Also, the climax wasn’t impressive, although it was engrossing. And the glaring flaws at this point are shocking. But due to a bad 2nd half, one gets out of the theatre disappointed. If the film had an equally powerful 2nd half, Acid Factory would have been a coming of the age film.
Every actor was perfect. Fardeen Khan had more screen presence than the rest and like everytime, he gave a fantastic performance. He still has two films this year (Dulha Mil Gaya and All The Best). Let’s hope he gets appreciation which he rightfully deserves. Aftab Shivdasani rocks as the angry young man. Dino Morea surprises with a brilliant performance. Manoj Bajpayee acts well and succeeds in making the viewers laugh.
Danny Denzongpa, like everytime, was flawless. Irrfan Khan impresses. A lot of hype was created about Dia Mirza’s presence in the film as she’s the only female actor in the main cast. However, she enters only in the second hour and didn’t have much to do. But she performs well, though. Gulshan Grover and Neha were alright.
The film has couple of songs (including an item number) which wasn’t needed at all. The song ‘Ye Jism Hai’ looked totally out of place in the film. Sahil Kapoor’s cinematography was topnotch. Actor Saurabh Shukla and Sanjay Gupta have written the dialogues which were excellent. Tinu Verma’s action was top-class and kudos to him and his team! Hemal Kothari’s editing was slick. Milind Gadagkar’s story was great but he can’t be given the credit as the film seems inspired from the Hollywood flick, Unknown.
Suparn Verma and Sanjay Gupta’s screenplay was outstanding in the beginning portions but deteriorated in the 2nd hour, esp towards the climax. Suparn Verma, overall, impresses a lot as the director. This film will be a commercial flop but Suparn’s efforts will surely be noticed and would be appreciated for sure.
Some of the best scenes of the film:
1. Fardeen picking up Irrfan’s first call
2. The chase sequence in the beginning
3. Fardeen’s first meeting with Danny
4. Fardeen, Dino and Aftab interrogating Danny
5. Irrfan taking away the ransom (wonderful scene)
6. The intermission point
7. Dia Mirza’s entry
8. Fardeen, Dino, Aftab and Danny calling for help from outside (another fabulous scene)
On the whole, Acid Factory is a fast, intriguing film that falls in the 2nd half. The film was badly promoted and that’s why it failed to have a good opening. With three BIG releases next Friday, Acid Factory will vanish from the theatres for sure. But all those interested, it would be no harm catching this 120 minute dark thriller on VCD/DVD later!
My rating-*** out of 5!
This review first appeared on MouthShut.com: http://www.mouthshut.com/review/Acid_Factory-177028-1.html
By Taran Adarsh, October 9, 2009 – 09:32 IST
Besides Abbas-Mustan, Sanjay Gupta has attempted interesting thrillers in the past. His new outing, ACID FACTORY, directed by Suparn Verma, is a cat-n-mouse chase that will have you on edge of the seat as it unfolds.
Inspired by Hollywood film UNKNOWN, ACID FACTORY is engaging in most parts. Also, it’s well adapted to suit Indian sensibilities. It starts off strong enough and keeps the momentum going till the end, though, of course, it goes back and forth at times and that could get a bit confusing.
| BY BOLLYWOOD HUNGAMA.COM |
ACID FACTORY demands your attention from the very start. The viewer ought to stay alert and watch the goings-on carefully. Even if you blink, chances are you may miss a vital link and the subsequent portions may not work for you since there’s something happening every minute.
At the same time, ACID FACTORY has its share of loose ends. The climax, for instance, could’ve been more impactful. Also, the concept is too urbane and holds appeal for the urban youth, who’ve a penchant for slick thrillers.
Final word? ACID FACTORY is a well-crafted, well executed film with the ensemble cast pitching in competent performances.
A man [Fardeen Khan] wakes up in a deserted factory surrounded by several other seemingly dead men. He has absolutely no memory of who he is or how he got there and he is unable to get out. Before too long, the others [Aftab Shivdasani, Dino Morea, Manoj Bajpayee, Danny Denzongpa, Dia Mirza] wake up and they all have amnesia too.
All they know is that some of them have been shot, one is tied to a chair, a third is hanging by his wrist, which is handcuffed to a railing… It is eventually discovered that they have lost their memory because of gas leaked from a container.
Much later, they figure out that two of them have been kidnapped by the other three. Who are the kidnappers and who are their victims? Meanwhile, the police are tracking a sinister man [Irrfan Khan], while a worried wife [Neha] desperately searches for her husband.
ACID FACTORY has enough going for it, thanks to its premise which is intriguing. But the plot is such that it takes time to come to the point. There’s not much happening in the first hour, except the fact that everyone’s clueless about their identity and how they seem trapped in a dilapidated factory.
But the answers start flowing in the second hour. The answers come quick and the reasons why they are trapped are also justified. But, as mentioned earlier, the conclusion could’ve been as realistic like the rest of the proceedings. Also, the track of the harried wife trying to trace her husband isn’t too convincing.
This is Suparn Verma’s second film as a director and midway through the film, you realise that Suparn has grown as a storyteller. The film bears a slick look and also, the narrative holds your attention for most parts. Cinematography is top notch. So is the sound design. Tinu Verma’s stunts and chase sequences deserve distinction marks.
Every actor pitches in an effortless performance. They aren’t putting on an act. The film has an assorted mix of experienced and accomplished actors [Danny Denzongpa, Manoj Bajpayee and Irrfan Khan] and yet-to-reach-there actors [Fardeen Khan, Aftab Shivdasani, Dino Morea and Dia Mirza] and each display confidence in their respective parts. Neha doesn’t get scope, while Gulshan Grover is as usual.
On the whole, ACID FACTORY is a slick thriller that has an interesting premise and also super stunts and chase sequences as its trump cards. The film is targeted at the urban youth, especially those who relish thrillers. Of course, the film will have to storm the dull pre-Diwali period which might curtail its prospects to an extent despite decent merits and also, the three biggies that arrive next Friday.
Acid Factory-Fast and faster!
Posted on: October 9, 2009
SHARIN WADER BUTANI Times News Network (BOMBAY TIMES; October 8, 2009)
“All six actors — Irrfan Khan, Dia Mirza, Fardeen Khan, Aftab Shivdasani, Manoj Bajpayee, Dino Morea and Danny Denzongpa, have added a clear definition to their roles,” said Mumbai Mantra CEO Andrey Purushottam, adding, “Bollywood action has come of age and this film proves just that.”
The one person who had the time of his life working inside this “factory” was director Suparn Verma. “If the cast and crew, while shooting the scenes, thought that they could have probably died, then let me tell you… they could have! The scenes were dangerous,” said Suparn. There’s not a single place in Cape Town where they’ve not blown a car or had a helicopter chase. “By the time we had completed shooting, the place looked like a war zone,” laughed Suparn, giving all the credit to action director Tinu Verma.
Dia Mirza, who has surprised all with her daredevil acts, said, “I insisted on doing the stunts myself. I’ve proved that I can kick some butt too!” she said. Irrfan had other reasons for signing the film. He said, “I asked the director, ‘You think this will work, the critics will like the film?’ He said, ‘NO’. So I said, ‘Hell, man, let’s do it’.”
Fardeen is confident that the film will keep audiences at the edge of their seats. “The plot is such that you don’t know what the other person is going to do next,” said the actor.
Farhan to undergo back surgery
Posted on: October 2, 2009
Fardeen Khan’s acute back pain has him rushing to London for surgery; will be out of action for three weeks
Fardeen Khan is in acute pain and he has been told that he needs back surgery immediately. His back injury, which has been troubling him for some time now has aggravated and he flew to London last night for the operation.
Our source said, “Fardeen has always had back pain on the right side. It has been troubling him for some time now, especially while shooting for his action film Acid Factory. However, during his visit to London last week for Mayur Madhvani’s birthday celebrations, Fardeen’s injury aggravated. He wanted to consult the doctor there but it was tough to get an immediate appointment and he had to come back to finish the dubbing of Dulha Mil Gaya and the promotion of Acid Factory. He returned to keep his commitment and then informed his producers about his surgery. He left last night for London.” Fardeen’s business manager Rajkumar Tiwari confirmed the story and said, “Fardeen’s injury aggravated while he was in London last week but he had to come back to fulfill his professional commitments. He will now go there to consult the doctors and if needed, he will go in for surgery. Sanjay Gupta, the producer of Acid Factory said, “Yes, I am aware of his back problem. He was in lot of pain during our Acid Factory fashion show and it was very kind of him to walk the ramp and go through the press conference, despite being in such pain.” Suparn Verma, the director of Acid Factory has been informed as well and is accommodating about the situation. He said, “He always had this pain and he was on medication right through the making, but I believe that now the pain has become unbearable. I am told that he has gone to London for surgery and he will be out of action for a good three weeks. We will miss him during the release of the film.” |
When Sanjay Gupta got an innovative publicity poster designed of his forthcoming film, Acid Factory, little did he know that it would burn a deep hole in his pocket. Since the publicity design showed Fardeen Khan smoking, which is not allowed as per government laws, Gupta had to spend 20 lakhs to replace around 1000 standees (publicity posters), with a non-smoking picture of Fardeen. A source says, “After Sanjay Gupta had dispatched the standees, someone informed him that he couldn’t display them in theatres, as according to the government rule, no posters or publicity material can show anyone smoking. So Gupta had to make fresh ones..” Producer Sanjay Gupta confirms the news and says, “It is true. We had made about 1000 standees but the fact that we cannot use a picture of someone smoking slipped from our minds. Then some theatre guy called us and informed us that the standees can’t be used. It was a total waste of time and money but I guess a rule is a rule and we have to follow it. The new batch has been ordered and will be dispatched. We have to deliver it before September 18 to the theatres as it has to release with the film, Wanted.” |
She might be still trying to find a strong foothold in the film industry even after being in the business for almost nine years now. But Dia Mirza couldn’t care less about making the right noises even if it means offending the director of her forthcoming film, Acid Factory. Instead she chose to honour her commitment to designers Shantanu-Nikhil to whom she is contractually bound. On Saturday, she refused to turn up at an event to showcase Sanjay Gupta’s Acid Factory despite having promised him that she’d walk the ramp for their film saying that she wouldn’t walk for fashion designer Samant Chauhan. “I am loyally bound to Shantanu-Nikhil and I will walk only for them,” she told Sanjay Gupta. Dia ditched Sanjay Gupta minutes before she was scheduled to walk the ramp for Acid Factory at the Delhi fashion week on Saturday. Although Dia went all the way to Delhi, she simply refused to turn up at the venue at the last minute leaving Gupta in a lurch. Initially, Gupta felt that she was playing a prank on him. As the hour to walk the ramp drew near, Gautam Kohli, marketing in-charge for Sanjay Gupta, called up Dia only to get a rude shock. Dia refused to relent despite Kohli trying desperately to make her see reason. “However, all his attempts to make her understand failed,” said a source. Confirming that Dia ditched them, Gupta said, “There was some complication. Dia said that it would be ethically wrong to walk the ramp for anybody other than Shantanu-Nikhil. I think she is contractually bound to them.” Naturally, there was chaos backstage. While Dia’s Acid Factory co-actors, Dino Morea and Aftab Shivdasani waited hoping that Dia would eventually turn up, a nervous Samant went up to Gupta asking him to walk the ramp instead of Dia.
“I somehow did the job. Samant designs men clothes too,” Gupta laughed and added, “And it’s not the first time that have I walked the ramp.” Despite repeated attempts, Dia remained unavailable for comment. |
Sanjay Gupta’s Pankh has been engaged in a battle with the censors for six long months. Reason – director Sudipto Chattopadhyay didn’t want to delete the parts where Bipasha says ‘f***’ in the film despite it meaning that he got a A certificate. A source says, “Bipasha says f*** not once but twice in the film. Chattopadhyay was clear that those words should neither be beeped nor be deleted by the censor board.” Although Chattopadhyay has made a few compromises in the film by beeping some objectionable words uttered by other characters in the film, he didn’t want to mute Bipasha’s foul language. Explaining the relevance of Bipasha’s use of foul language in the film, he said, “Bipasha plays protagonist Maradona’s alter ego. She fights as well as supports him throughout the film. She says f*** during one of the scenes where they are at loggerheads. She tells Maradona, ‘You are f***** up in the head, that’s why you want to f*** me’.” We hear that actors Mahesh Manjrekar and Maradona too have quite a few objectionable lines in the film. |
No Smoking, says Bipasha!
Posted on: August 31, 2009
Bipasha Basu is a health freak and is known to never smoke or drink, which explains her bootylicious body. Now, she has refused to smoke a cigarette or even hold it for a scene in her forthcoming film, Pankh. Our source said, “Sudipto Chattopadhyay, the director of the film, wanted Bipasha to smoke on screen for a vital sequence. However, Bipasha flatly refused as she does not encourage smoking and hates it. She was not in favour of the scene and if she smokes, it meant that she would be promoting smoking. After that, Sudipto even gave her the option of holding a cigarette, but she refused that as well. Sudipto understood her point of view and agreed to shoot the scene differently.” Bipasha Basu confirms the story and maintains her anti-smoking stance. She said, “I don’t smoke and I don’t encourage smoking. Unless it’s absolutely essential to smoke for my role, I wouldn’t agree to do it. In Pankh, it was not essential, hence I refused. I had also refused to smoke in one of my earlier films, Corporate. If my role is that of an addict, then I will do whatever the character and the role demands, which was not the case with Pankh.” Director Sudipto, though forced to alter the scene, decided to respect Bipasha’s wishes. He said, “It was a song sequence with a smoky atmosphere. We wanted to show that when she starts singing, smoke comes out of her mouth. However, she had a very valid point that smoking was a very politically incorrect thing to do. She said that she does not endorse smoking and she did not endorse John doing No Smoking. She had never smoked in her life. We can’t fake smoking like we do with drinking. So, eventually, we placed a canister jar in front of her which emitted smoke and we framed it in such a way that when she sings, it seems that the smoke is coming out of her mouth.” Sanjay Gupta, the producer of the film, said, “It’s the question of an actor being comfortable. Bipasha had some inhibitions about it and it’s perfectly fine.” |
Some actors do take their jobs rather seriously, and sometimes the improvisations take an amusing turn. An enthusiastic Irrfan Khan kissed Dia Mirza on the lips during the shoot of Acid Factory, when the scene required him to only plant a kiss on her cheek. Taken aback, and then annoyed, Dia called up producer Sanjay Gupta and made her displeasure felt. Our source revealed, “We were shooting one of the most vital sequences in South Africa. It was the scene where Dia introduces Irrfan to Fardeen Khan and Irrfan comes ahead and kisses Dia on the cheek, making it clear to Fardeen to not step into his territory as he suspects that there is something brewing between them. However, to everyone’s surprise, Irrfan smacked Dia on her lips. She was shocked as such a kiss was not a part of the script. Dia did not make an issue about the scene at that time, but called up Sanjay later. Dia maintained a cold demeanor towards Irrfan after the scene.” The actress, however, chose to play down the incident and said, “Yes, I was surprised by Irrfan’s act as it was not a part of the script. But it was hardly a kiss, like you say. That’s the genius of his acting. I didn’t feel violated in any way, or bad about it as I don’t see the incident as Irrfan crossing the line. I guess he did it to establish the chemistry between us in the scene.” Sanjay Gupta said, “Dia did call me up and talked about the incident as I was not present on the sets during the shoot. I guess Irrfan wanted to make the scene more believable, and if you see the rushes, you’ll know that Irrfan has succeeded. And since Dia is cool about it, I’m okay too.” |
||||||
Fenil and Bollywood 