Posts Tagged ‘urvashi sharma’
By Joginder Tuteja, December 30, 2009 – 12:16 IST
The likes of Imtiaz Ali, Rajkumar Santoshi, Vishal Bhardwaj, Balki and Prabhu Deva must be feeling disheartened. If only Rajkumar Hirani, Aamir Khan and Co. would have released 3 Idiots a week later, the competition was just amongst the five of them for Love Aaj Kal, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, Kaminey, Paa and Wanted respectively. However, due to the fact that 3 Idiots is a fantastic experience for millions of cine-goers and above all is pretty much fresh in audiences mind, it is the unanimous choice for one and all. Whether it is ‘aam junta’ or industry alike, there is no negative word around this movie. Instead, it has been universally hailed, acclaimed, appreciated and above all respected, which has proved once again that if a film is really well made, all bad blood is forgotten, all negative vibes are kept aside and all competition stays a distance away. Over to the Bollywood folks who (keeping certain exceptions aside) truly believe that 3 Idiots is the film of 2009.
Kareena Kapoor – 3 Idiots was the best film of 2009.
Sajid Khan – Best movie of the year was Avatar. Reason? It was not a film but an experience.
Shirish Kunder – For the sheer sincerity with which it has been made, 3 Idiots is simply the best by leaps and bound. Aamir has once again proved that he is the ISI mark of good cinema.
Piyush Jha – 3 Idiots was the best film that 2009 had to offer because it took a very relevant issue and banged home the point. Moreover, the icing on the cake was that it was thoroughly entertaining.
Kalki – Best film of 2009 was Kaminey because it’s a furious and an intelligent film with great performances and music.
Aanand L Rai – For me the best movie in 2009 is 3 Idiots. It boasted of a brilliant screenplay and direction.
Suneel Darshan – 2009 ended on a positive note with two movies – Paa and 3 Idiots. Paa displayed refined performances by Mr. Bachchan and Vidya Balan. On the other hand 3 Idiots is a sincere attempt at entertainment with a soul.
Hasnain Hyderabadwaala – I enjoyed watching Wanted most. It was after a long time that I saw a complete masala film. Total paisa wasool!
Ramesh Taurani – Of course I believe that Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani was the best film of 2009. But so have been 3 Idiots, Paa, Wake Up Sid and Love Aaj Kal. All these films have been hugely entertaining.
Robby Grewal – It’s a one horse race – 3 Idiots.
Sadaa – 3 idiots was surely the best film of 2009. It was a complete film as it lacked nothing. Moreover, there was some very good message being delivered in an entertaining format.
Vaishali Desai – I loved both Avatar and 3 Idiots. Both films belonged to completely different genres. Avatar boasted of some breathtaking special effects and it was an entirely new experience. Whereas 3 Idiots is yet another cult film about the education system from Mr. Hirani.
Raksha Mistry – Call it ironical but the best of 2009 came at the very end. Yes, I am talking about 3 Idiots which is not just the best of 2009 but also one of the finest movies ever in all aspects.
Boney Kapoor – I have heard great things about 3 Idiots but I haven’t seen it yet. Of course Wanted was a complete package as it brought back the concept of hero, something which was in vogue years back when Amitabh Bachchan used to play such characters. Somehow such cinema had become extinct. Amongst other films, I also loved Love Aaj Kal. It’s entire approach was very fresh and everybody performed well. Its music was superb. The film was as mainstream as it gets and was a good blend of the old charm and new thinking. Even Paa was quite exciting. After a really long time came an Amitabh Bachchan film where he could showcase his talent. It was a neat and clean movie that really moved me. Moreover, in spite of having a sad tale on the surface, it was tackled in a very lighter vein. It reminded me of Hrisihikesh Mukherjee at his peak. Watching the film gave me the same feeling as I had when I watched Anand. Since Amitabh Bachchan’s effort didn’t show in the film, that itself reflects that how great an actor he is. Really, Imtiaz and Balki are two filmmakers to look out for. From Hollywood, it was Avatar all the way. I can’t think of a better movie visually. In fact it would take a really long time for anyone to match it technically; it has surpassed all films where technical wizardry and visual appeal is concerned. All the special effects have been taken to a different level altogether with Avatar.
Ken Ghosh – I am on a jury for an award, so I can’t really quote around the best or the worst of the year
Rohit Shetty – Best film of the year is 3 Idiots for sure. It makes you feel so good and happy after watching it.
Jagmohan Mundhra – 3 Idiots was the best movie of 2009.
Tanushree Dutta – For me, the best films of 2009 would be 3 Idiots and Avatar.
Ruslaan Mumtaz – Kaminey was the best film of the year along with 3 Idiots
Sujoy Ghosh – I haven’t seen 3 Idiots but I’ll go with Paa. It’s a film which made me feel very good about life. It’s a film which took some of my fears away. It’s a film which taught me to look at different things normally. I really appreciated that. It’s a film which didn’t try to squeeze my balls for emotions. And of course Mr. Bachchan, Vidya, Balki, Illayaraja and P.C. Sreeram made it all possible.
Sophie Choudry – According to me, 2009 was filled with below par cinema both in Hollywood and Bollywood. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed 3 Idiots, Kaminey and Paa. They were all brilliantly made films.
Urvashi Sharma – Baabarr is one of my favourite films from 2009 but I think 3 Idiots has broken all the records and is the best Hindi film of the year. From Hollywood, I loved both The Hangover and Avatar.
Kunal Deshmukh – I loved Avatar because it educates us to think ahead and learn so much. And of course 3 Idiots, as we all know today, is a fabulous movie. It brought home a message without shoving it down your throat.
Ananth Mahadevan – Though Paa and 3 Idiots are what I would define as ideal mainstream cinema (they made cine-going a pleasure after what seemed ages), if one has to select a film, my choice would be Nandita Das’ Firaaq. The four stories were moving accounts of the aftermath of human folly fuelled by political insanity. The critical eye may pick a few bones of contention, but the film was relevant, urgent, well enacted and most importantly, credibly treated.
Tusshar Kapoor – Which movie is best for me in 2009? Obviously, there is going to be just one answer – 3 Idiots.
BOLLYWOOD HUNGAMA.COM
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| Manisha Koirala |
Manisha Koirala, who has been missing in action for a while now, is back with a bang. She is set to play her first negative role as Jaya Bachchan’s shrewd daughter-in-law in Revathy Varma’s Aap Ke Liye Hum.
Confirming the news, director and co-producer, Revathy says that Manisha loved the role because of the challenge of playing somebody so negative. She adds, “It’s the role of Ranvir Shorey’s wife. This woman is so wicked that she doesn’t think twice about turning to her angelic mother-in-law and saying, ‘Why did you produce only one son and expect him to look after you? If you had a couple more we wouldn’t be burdened’. It’s the daughter-in-law who sends Jayaji to the old woman’s home. That beautiful angelic face saying such horrible ugly things to a frail, old woman would be the biggest challenge of Manisha’s career.”
The closest Manisha has come to playing a negative character was in Mani Ratnam’s Dil Se where she played a terrorist. The actress is expected to join the cast and crew when the shooting resumes in January.
Incidentally, this is the same role that Urvashi Sharma had earlier agreed to do, but backed out later because of non-payment of her remuneration.
Revathy laughs uncomfortably, “Well, yes. It’s the same role. But Manisha doing the role makes all the difference. And of course her remuneration too makes all the difference. Besides, Manisha loved the thought of sharing screen space with Jayaji. We start shooting right after Jayaji’s winter parliamentary session gets over.”
Director Revathy Sharma sacks her nearly bankrupt producers; to co-produce her directorial debut
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Revathy Varma, whose first Hindi film Aap Ke Liye Hum starring Jaya Bachchan , Raveena Tandon, Madhavan, Ayesha Takiya and Ranvir Shorey has been grappling in troubled waters for almost a year now, is finally breathing a sigh of relief. Revathy has now decided to get the project going by producing the film herself. Revathy said, “It was my producers who were actually responsible for all the trouble. However, I didn’t realise this initially because there were other matters like getting dates from actors and my leg injury, which made matters worse. It took months of harassment, schedules going haywire, and yes, bounced cheques to realise what the real hindrance was.” “I was new to Mumbai and trusted my producers blindly. But soon it dawned upon me that they were with me only because I had people like Jayaji starring in my film,” she added. Ravathy first got an inkling of trouble when actress Urvashi Sharma’s cheque bounced. “Initially, I was upset with the girl for making a big issue because of the money. Later I got to know that Urvashi’s as well as many other people’s cheques had really bounced. I was horrified and embarrassed.” Telling us about what really made her sit up and take action, Revathy said, “They made actor Swapnil Ralkar part of my film. I did not mind as he fit the role. But later they brought in another newcomer.” However, Revathy learnt that money was exchanged between the producers and the newcomer. That’s when she finally decided to part ways with her producers. “Schedule after schedule was getting cancelled and my producers always had some or the other excuse to hide their inadequacy. But when Jayaji allotted dates in January and February 2010, I had to take quick action,” added Revathy. Revathy will now co-produce the film with a financer. A cautious Revathy said, “I checked his antecedents before partnering with him. Once bitten, twice shy. My financier will take care of the budget while I look into the creative aspects. I can finally make my film in peace.” |
Parinda, Satya, Vaastav, Company and Gangster-these are handful of Hindi films which were based on the mafia/gangster menace and also very well executed. Now Baabarr should be added to this list of ‘finest gangster films of Bollywood’! The film is violent, gory and raw but at the same time, it’s thoroughly engrossing packed with award-winning performances and amazing execution! It was a must-watch but unfortunately, was missed by many!
The story of the movie: The film is based in Amarganj, the Uttar Pradesh town where criminal incidents occur daily and has become a part and parcel of the residents. In one of its dingy lanes, Baabarr (Sohum Shah) emerges as a ruthless gangster. Working with his 5 brothers, Baabarr runs an extortion racket and doesn’t think twice before killing. The govt entrusts the task of eliminating Baabarr and his gang and all their activities to S P Dwivedi (Mithun Chakraborthy). How Dwivedi, along with corrupted Daroga (Om Puri) go about doing their duty is what follows next in the film.
Director Ashuu Trikha may not accept, but the truth is that Baabaar, undoubtedly, is based on dreaded UP gangster, Rafiq Qureshi’s life. The director and the screenwriter (Ikram Akhtar) wonderfully trace Baabarr’s journey from his first murder at 12 years to his death at just 22 or 23 years. The film keeps you on the edge of your seat right from the beginning and has several high-voltage shocking scenes which give goosebumps.
One of the four factors that make Baabaarr stand out is that it takes us to a world which we are ignorant about. The film throws light on Amarganj where murders take place casually, where people have more guns in their houses than chairs, where people are never ever given lessons on good manners and where people are addressed as ‘Oye Pehelwan’ instead of ‘Hey Dude’! However, the setting doesn’t look unrealistic at all (it isn’t actually) and the viewer absorbs everything that is projected in the film. Secondly, every character in the film is added with a purpose and each of them is damn interesting. My 5 favourites were Baabarr, Daroga, Maamu (Tinnu Anand), Sarfaraaz (Shakti Kapoor) and the sexiest one in the film, Tabrez (Sushant Singh)!
Thirdly, everything that happens in the film has a purpose. Meaning, none of the scenes were unnecessarily added-it was all connected to the main plot. For instance, one may feel that grown-up Baabarr’s intro scene where he kills a businessman named Jilani was just added to project Baabarr’s ruthless and merciless nature. But the scene is well connected to the next one and also to the storyline. And lastly, the climax of this film is shocking! There is an excellent twist that takes place which catches you unawares! It doesn’t spoil the film at all and also looks justified. In short, a great work by the writer-director duo!
Some scenes of the film are memorable. Baabarr’s first murder at 12 and Baabarr killing Jilani in his own factory set the mood. Tabrez finishing Akram in a cow slaughter house is gruesome scene but clapworthy. The intermission point was easily the best scene of the film!
The only glitch in the entire film is that it gets a bit slow in the 2nd half.
Every actor in the film has pitched in a fabulous performance-in fact, much much better than their other films in recent times. Newcomer Sohum Shah rocks with his finest performance. Since it his debut, he doesn’t come with the baggage of any past significant performance and thus, one connects to his character instantly. Also, the actor wonderfully exhibits the ruthlessness that his character needed. Even his dialogue delivery rocked. This year, except Raj Singh Chaudhary of Gulaal, none of debutants have managed to impress and hence, Sohum has high chance of bagging the Best Debut award next year!
However, the question arises that based on his appearance and the kind of character he played in Baabarr, will he be offered other types of roles in future? I hope he gets as he’s a truly a gem! Best of luck! (P.S.: Is Sohum Shah Mukesh Shah’s son who is the co-producer of the film?!)
Mithun Chakraborty does his job with élan. His meeting with Sohum is an explosive scene! Om Puri rocks and this was certainly one of the finest performances of his life. The way he changed his mannerisms, walking style and accent for this role and did a great job is definitely praiseworthy. Same goes for Sushant Singh who delivers phaadu performance! I have loved this talented actor since 16 December and am impressed to see him in such an interesting role. Here is an actor who deserves to be a superstar!
Urvashi Sharma was fine but one may argue that her character was unnecessary. Mukesh Tiwari was brilliant, esp in the pre-climax scene inside the prison. Ditto for Tinnu Anand, who shows his extremely talented side in the pre-climax. Shakti Kapoor is surprisingly, extremely likeable! Govind Namdeo was as usual. Kashish Khan as Baabarr’s wife gives a nice ‘Kaminey’s Charlie-type’ performance! Abbas Ali Moghul, the action director of the film, is there for a scene and plays the role of Akram Qasai. He’s a great actor! Pratima Kazmi plays Lilavati, a character based on Mayawati. Shockingly, a beep tone is inserted whenever her name is mentioned in the film! Others also do a great job.
Anand Raj Anand’s music was alright. The title song is impressive. Suhass Gujarathi’s cinematography is brilliant and the dingy by-lanes of Uttar Pradesh towns are well captured. Abbas Ali Moghul charms as the actor and also as the action director! Although some scenes had too much bloodshed, it was needed. Sunil Singh’s background score was in sync with the film’s mood.
Vikram Misra and Ikram Akhtar’s dialogues were one of the best things about the film. The best dialogue of the film (and one of the best in recent times) is: “Gas khatam ho gayi hai…tujhe jalakar chai banayenge tujh pe!” Absolutely rocking!
Ikram Akhtar has also written the story and script of the movie and he excels thoroughly! The film keeps you on the edge of the seat and doesn’t bore even for a moment! Great job by Akhtar, who has scripted some contrastingly light films like Nayee Padosan, Joru Ka Ghulam, Chal Mere Bhai etc!
Finally, Ashuu Trikha is a revelation! The director has always done a fine job in his past films (Deewanapan, Sheesha, Alag) but was let down by faulty scripts. In Baabarr, however, he is armed with a flawless script and he does a brilliant job. He succeeds in exposing the gangster-police-politicians nexus that is rampant in the interiors of the country and where lawlessness prevails. Hats off to Ashuu and hoping to see him with such nice films in future!
Some of the best scenes of the film:
1. Baabarr’s childhood
2. Baabarr finishing Jilani
3. Tabrez’s entry
4. Baabarr and Tabrez’ confrontation during the tender meeting
5. The intermission point
6. Baabarr shot
7. Dwivedi teaches Daroga a lesson
8. The last 25 minutes
On the whole, Baabarr is surely one of the best gangster films that has come out from Bollywood. Although it has excessive violence, it manages to impress with his intriguing execution and performances. The film wasn’t publicized well when it released in September this year. But now, all movie buffs, do catch it on DVD! Don’t Miss It!
My rating-**** out of 5!
This review first appeared on MouthShut.com: http://www.mouthshut.com/review/Baabarr-178084-1.html
By Taran Adarsh, September 11, 2009 – 10:43 IST
Gangster movies – this genre has been done to death. Films like PARINDA [Vidhu Vinod Chopra] and SATYA [Ramgopal Varma] stand tall on this list. But, of late, the genre has taken a backseat since people aren’t too keen on watching bloodshed and the same old saga of an innocent taking to the world of crime.
BAABARR belongs to the same genre, yet is an exception. It shows how people, even kids, live by the gun and die by the gun. It tells you that crime never ends, it only changes faces. It tells of the wicked nexus between cops-politicians-gangsters and the deterioration of the law and order machinery. Also, this one’s not Mumbai-centric, but is set in Uttar Pradesh.
| BY BOLLYWOOD HUNGAMA.COM |
BAABARR isn’t just bloodshed, but at the same time, isn’t for the faint-hearted either. There’s violence galore, in fact several sequences are brutal, and chances are a section of the movie-going audience [read families/ladies] might shy away from this experience.
Yet, what makes BAABARR a must-watch experience is its story, the strong script [Ikram Akhtar] and the deftness with which director Ashuu Trikha has narrated the story. Without a shred of doubt, BAABARR is one of the most powerful films to come out of Bollywood in 2009.
A 12-year-old boy picks up a country made gun and shoots a man in cold blood. His eyes are devoid of any emotion. His heart exhibits no remorse. After shooting the person in broad daylight, he walks the streets of Aman Ganj with a gun in one hand. Everyone present in the market watches this young lad walk with no fear.
The boy, who started from the streets of Aman Ganj, had trespassed every barrier of crime. For the 10 years that followed, he traumatized one and all. His reign of fear terrorized everyone in the state, right from the common man to the Government. He was Baabarr [Sohum Shah].
When this reign of fear knew no bounds, the Government summoned a man to put an end to all of this: Encounter specialist S.P. Dwivedi [Mithun Chakraborty]. The order was simple, arrest him or kill him.
What’s the star cast like, that’s one question people generally pose when you ask them out for a movie. BAABARR has a new face – Sohum – but that exactly is its USP. Fortunately, he doesn’t carry the baggage of an image and that makes the character even more believable.
But there’s a flipside too. BAABARR is dark and gruesome and a few sequences can actually put you off, which, indirectly, also speaks of how impactful the film is.
Writer Ikram Akhtar’s script is power-packed and has several twists and turns in those 2 hours. In fact, even the final sequence of the film catches you unaware and that’s what makes BAABARR stand out from the crowd. The dialogues deserve special mention.
BAABARR is Ashuu Trikha’s best work so far. His handling of the dramatic sequences is commendable. Action scenes [Abbas Ali Moghul] are true to life. Cinematography [Suhass Gujarathi] deserves full marks. In fact, a film like BAABARR is difficult to shoot and it must’ve been a challenge for the DoP to give the right texture to the film.
Sohum lives the character of Baabarr and delivers a performance that you carry home after the show has concluded. The film would’ve fallen flat had it been entrusted to a lesser actor. Mithun Chakraborty is very good. In fact, this is amongst his better works. Om Puri stands out. This film should easily stride into ‘Best of Om Puri’ catalogue. Tinnu Anand is a revelation. Where was Tinnu all this while? Watch his death sequence in the film and it’s sure to give you gooseflesh. Shakti Kapoor is top notch. Again, he seems to be in form after a long, long time.
Sushant Singh is perfect for his part. Urvashi Sharma enacts her part with complete understanding. Govind Namdeo is competent. Mukesh Tiwari is, as always, good. Vivek Shauq, Vishwajeet Pradhan and Pratima Kazmi make an impact in brief roles.
On the whole, BAABARR is a captivating and powerful tale. Sure, there’s excessive violence, but there’s a reason behind it and that works in its favour. At the box-office, it has best chances in the Northern belt and also at single screens mainly.
 Urvashi Sharma was a victim of an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction while she was shooting for Priyadarshan’s untitled film in Kerala on Sunday. When Urvashi was shooting for a song, an errant button came off, unravelling her blouse. Showing presence of mind, she caught it and ran to her vanity van. Luckily, apart from the unit and the choreographer, Pony Verma, not many people were present at the location. Her co-actors, Akshaye Khanna and Ajay Devgan, were not present as the shoot required only Urvashi.
Pony Verma said, “Yes, the incident happened. However, I don’t think you should make a big deal about it.” On being probed further, she said, “The button of her blouse came off and she was naturally very uncomfortable. But the situation was handled carefully. Urvashi was covered and sent to her van.” Urvashi said, “I am okay with it now, although I did not feel the same way when it happened. I realised that my button had broken and so I covered myself with my hands and I ran to my van. The camera was on the side and so nothing was recorded. Moreover, there were very few people on the sets as my close-up scenes were being shot.” |
AAKANKSHA NAVAL-SHETYE (BOMBAY TIMES; September 8, 2009)
Ashu Trikha believes in following his dreams, even if that means waiting for three years to realise them. Not the one to follow a beaten path, the director, who’s also directed Alag, is back with another hatke film, this time based on the crime scene in Central India. Titled Baabarr, the film marks the debut of newcomer Soham along with actress Urvashi Sharma and also stars stalwarts like Mithun Chakraborthy, Om Puri, Tinnu Anand and Sushant Singh. Here, the filmmaker talks about his crime caper.
Baabarr is based on real-life incidents. What made you choose such a hard-hitting subject?
• The entire fact that such incidents have happened and continue to happen even today, and that the characters depicted in the film really do exist, is a matter of great shame for any society. It was something that I felt about very strongly.
You tried to deal with the film in realistic manner…
• Yes, because the film required it. Baabarr is a stark film, not for the fainthearted. A lot of research has gone into it. And during that, we realised that to get the right feel, it was important to keep the backdrop as natural as possible. So whether it’s shooting on rough terrain or in real locations or with real country made revolvers, we have tried to present reality in the truest form.
• Every film is a risk. The only thing in our hands is to make a film sincerely and with all honesty.
• Yes. And I felt like I’m having the best of both the worlds. There was raw talent waiting to be honed and there was a sea of experience waiting to be tapped. Omji and Mithunda are some of the finest actors to date, while Soham has the spark and is spectacularly good as a debutante.
Do you think a film so real is commercially viable?
• Absolutely. The film is not a documentary. It has its light moments, there are songs and dances too, but none of them have been forcibly included. So, it’s very much a hard-core commercial film, but with it’s sensibilities rooted in realism.
What was the most challenging thing about shooting for the film?
• Shooting in the kind of conditions that we did was challenging. Because unlike shooting in a studio which is quite a controlled environment, shooting in rough terrain is physically very demanding.
What’s the message you want your audiences to take home after watching the film?
• I don’t want to preach anything through my film. I only want them to question where we are headed as a society.
Urvashi Sharma unveiled
Posted on: August 15, 2009
Urvashi Sharma who shared screen space with Bobby Deol and Akshaye Khanna in Abbas Mustan’s disastrous Naqaab went into oblivion immediately after. Tough times followed for the Delhi beauty who was made to sit on the periphery of films doing precious nothing. All because she was under a contract with her mentors — Kumar and Ramesh Taurani. “My contract didn’t forbid me from accepting films from other banners,” clarifies Urvashi. However, producers were unwilling to approach the Tauranis to ask if they could cast her.
So Urvashi continued to do commercials and wait for the elusive film offer. D-day is here. She has just bagged a couple of meaningful films. One is Baabarr where she plays a Muslim girl from Kanpur. And there is Chashni where she will be seen alongside talents like Jaya Bachchan, Raveena Tandon and Ayesha Takia Azmi. “I’m really happy that I will be doing two to three good films soon,” says the Naqaab heroine.
She admits life in Mumbai has been tough, especially for a newbie like her who has had no friends in maximum city. “I just learnt to keep my head above the tide and keep swimming,” she says. Enrolling in a gym; doing power yoga and whathave-you, Urvashi managed to sit the tough times out and she is glad that she is headstrong enough to swing things in her favour finally. “I’m neither insecure nor unhappy,” says the 20-something, “I’m sure everyone has a period in life where they just have to sit it out and wait for the tide to turn. Isn’t this what they call destiny?”
Fenil and Bollywood 