Sujatha's legacy

If you are an Indian chances are your life would have been touched by Sujatha's work--both official and unofficial. Let me explain.

Sujata was one of the finest dialogue writers in India. Sadly, he passed away last night in Chennai.

He has written over 100 novels, 200 short stories, scores of essays and articles. He has also contributed to almost 15 film stories and dialogues and was a favourite of Mani Rathnam and Shankar. Sujatha's USP was that his dialogues were very "unfilmy"-- they were more like ordinary conversations, making characters and subjects more believable. Films he had contributed include Indian (Shankar), Dil Se (Mani Rathnam), Kandukondein Kandukondein (Rajiv Menon), Kannathil Muttamithal (Mani Rathnam), Boys (Shankar), Ayitha Ezhuthu (Mani Rathnam made also as Yuva), Anniyan (Shankar), Saravana (K S Ravikumar), Sivaji (Shankar, featuring Rajnikanth), Bheema (featuring Vikram) and Dasavatharam (featuring Kamal Hassan). Know you know why Shankar's film were blockbusters!

Sujatha's real name was S Rangarajan. Since government of India regulations forbid an employee to freelance, he used to write under his wife's name. Incidentally, he headed the R&D cell at Bharat Electronics Ltd,and developed the Electric Voting Machine... truly a Renaissance man!

Anil Kapoor hosts KBC

You read it here first. Anil Kapoor is following the footsteps of Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan. He is going to host the fourth season of Kaun Banega Crorepati, which Star Plus will air after they are done with the first season of SRK hosting Kya Aap Panchvi Pass Se Tez Hai?

Kapoor's move is a wonderful case of brand association. He is currently shooting for Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire where he plays the role of the KBC host too! When Kapoor starts quizzing on TV here, you will also see Boyle's film being international released. Smart, eh?

A little bird hovering at Kapoor's Juhu bungalow tells me that Kapoor who had shunned TV and commercials has had a change of heart. He will be soon making his first TV commercial appearance alongwith his daughter Sonam. On the film front, he has two releases this year: Subash Ghai's Black or White in a March and then Ghai's Yuvraaj for Diwali. Kapoor is also producing a film called Short Cut slated to release this year.

The Vada Pao Question

Just like the IPL cricketers auction, why don't we have an auction in Bollywood for stars, directors, and actors (people who can act but no one wants to pay for)? After all, there are only about 8 male stars, 5 female stars, 8 "star" directors, and about 10 decent actors-- and we have a demand for at least 100 Hindi films to be made in a year (not counting the B grade flicks). There is already an unofficial auction going around in the industry. Why not make it transparent and fair?

Ashutosh's Akbar

I am getting irritated by people who after seeing Jodhaa Akbar complain,"Oh, why was there nothing shown about Akbar's navaratnas? Or his unique Deen-E-ilahi religion? Or his other wives?" A film-maker makes a film that he or she wants to make. How can anyone tell him what to make or how to make it? You can either watch it or ignore it. You can, and should, have opinions about the film...

Anyway, for those persisting with the above complaints, Ashutosh Gowariker has an interesting take. Jodhaa Akbar was about Akbar's growing up years and his relationship with Jodhaa. The Navaratnas (and Birbal) were formed when Akbar was around 40 years. And the Deen-E-Ilahi when he was 55. As for tales of other wives, sigh, what is the film called?

Padma's chant

Two girls, successful actors from South India, are these days creating a flutter in Bollywood. The first is Asin who is paired with Aamir Khan in Ghazini which releases this year end. The second is Padmapriya, who makes her Hindi debut with Striker, a Chandan Arora film featuring Siddharth(of Rang De Basanti fame).

Rani Mukherji, Preity Zinta, Sushmita Sen, Tabu, and to some degree even Ashwariya Rai are suffering a fate similar to that of Rahul Dravid, Saurav Gangul and VVS Laxman-- they are considered passe' by the current lot of film makers.

While Asin is enjoying being cast in the young actress mould competing with Deepika Padukone and Sonam Kapoor, Padmapriya (who speaks Hindi fluently and was a former risk consultant with GE) is drawing up a shrewd strategy. She is trying to pitch herself as a glamourous heroine who can act-- that means competing for the slot serviced by Priyanka Chopra and Kareena Kapoor. Padma doesnt want to essay the roles that had won her acclaim in the south: like the one she did in Pattiyal or Cheran's Thavamai Thavamirunthu.

I think its an unwise move. What Bollywood needs is a fine actor who can fill up the shoes of a Kajol or a Rani Mukherji!

The Vada Pao Question

Why can't multiplex owners, distributors and producers agree on a fixed revenue sharing rate which can be revised every year? Why do they get greedy everytime a big film comes up for release and cause the public hardship? Maybe like the BCCI which grades players differently, why not have a different revenue models for big banner films, indie films, regional films, etc?

When SRK was sure...

A friend who is working on one of Yash Raj Films' project had this interesting anecdote to share. When Shahrukh Khan was shooting Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, he often complained it was a mistake. SRK cribbed that the story was awful and the debutantt director(Aditya Chopra) had no clue. SRK was doing the film only because Yash Chopra had asked him to.

Ten years later, it was a ditto experience for SRK. He reiterated to his friends that Chak De was a disaster, that the director (Shimit Amin) had no clue, and that he was doing it only because of his association with YRF.

We know how both films turned out to be and how they are amongst SRK's best films.

Moral: Even "intelligent" actors have no clue as to what is a good story or who is a good director till the box office says so.

Writers end actors insecurity

Now that the Writers' strike has ended in Hollywood, some Indian actors are heaving a sigh of relief. John Abraham, unemployed 'cos his films with Deepa Mehta and Sriram Raghavan were postponed, will smile again. John was all to set to act in Mehta's quickie, Luna, with Rachel Weisz and Dustin Hoffman--but the hacks in Hollywood spooked the production plans.

John and Amitabh Bachchan were also signed up for Mehta's more ambitious Exclusion. The film is a historical based on the 1914 Komagata Maru incident when hundreds of Indians were refused entry by the Canadian authorities and were literally left high and dry on the seas.

Bachchan's much touted Mira Nair film Shantaram with Johnny Depp has already been postponed to 2008 end 'cos of the Writers' strike. Exclusion may now be pushed to 2009.

Meanwhile, Irrfan Khan must also be breathing easier. He was waiting eagerly to hear from friend Brad Pitt whether there was a role for him in Oceans 14. Now that the writers are back in action, all of us will soon know.

Who cares for history?

Ashutosh Gowariker should thank his stars that Jodha Akbar is releasing this Valentine Day. It was meant to release last Diwali, then got pushed to Christmas, then to Jan 26. If at all the movie works it will but only as a romance. Audiences care two hoots if Gowariker has got the authenticity of the Mughal era correctly; that's for the historians to ponder. People definitely want a good love story and if Hritik Roshan and Ashwariya deliver on that count, the film will be paisa vasool.

Come to think of it who gives a shit about historicals? Mughal E Azam worked because it was a tragic love story. Lagaan because it was one man leading a group of innocent villagers to beat the British at cricket. Benhur and Gladiator because it was a story of a man betrayed, who wanted to avenge his family's death.

Hope Jodha Akbar does not turn out to be like Alexander and Kingdom of Heaven--both heavy on history and light on drama! I want to watch a movie not The History Channel.

Trend 2008: Malayalam stories, Hindi movies

A Malayali friend who dropped in for dinner last night tells me that the latest trend in Bollywood is to remake Malayalam films. In the 60s and 70s it was Tamil cinema being remade(led by SS Vasan). In the 80s and 90s it was Telugu films( from D Rama Naidu to Boney Kapoor). Now it's the turn of Malayam films.

Priydarshan is the man leading the Bollywood brigade. Of his 16-odd Hindi films, 14 are remakes of Malayalam films. He is now involved in the remake of Katha Paryumbol, a big hit featuring writer actor Sreenivasan and Mammooty. The film is being remade in Tamil as Kuselan, featuring Rajnikanth. Priyadarshan's film is going to feature Shahrukh Khan and is being produced by the star's Red Chillies Entertainment.

Another of last years hit, Chocolate, is being remade in Hindi by the Times of India's Mirchi Movies. The rights of Classmates is being actively wooed by Boney Kapoor and Rajkumar Santoshi. Anil Kapoor's next production (after Gandhi My Father) Short Cut is also a remake of a Malayalam film.

Aamir's top ten scripts

Aamir Khan in the Economic Times has mentioned his top 10 scripts. They are:

1. Mother India by S Ali Raza & Wajahat Mirza
2. Raiders of the Lost Ark by George Lucas & Philip Kaufman
3. Forrest Gump by Winston Groom & Eric Roth
4. The Sixth Sense by M Night Shyamalan
5. Rang De Basanti by Rensil D'Silva & Rakyesh Mehra
6. Stars Wars by George Lucas
7. Fried Green Tomatoes by Famie Flagg & Carol Sobieski
8. Usual Suspects by Christopher McQuarrie
9. Lagaan by Ashutosh Gowariker
10. Taare Zameen Par by Amol Gupte.

Interesting mix, isnt it? One of the writers of Mother India S Ali Raza passed away in January this year and there was hardly a murmur. And don't you think Sholay by Salim-Javed should have also been on the the list?

One for you, one for me

In Bollywood copyright usually means right to copy. And it is sad to see big stars and production companies indulging in it so blatantly. Sohail Khan Productions wants to remake Jerry Maguire with Salman(in Cuba Gooding's role) and Shahrukh Khan (doing a Tom Cruise). Enchanted is being currently remade by three diferrent companies. Sanjay Dutt's maiden production is planning to remake Ghostbusters with Sanjay, Salman Khan and Ritesh Deshmukh...

Apart from not wanting to pay, the reason why Bollywood is blatant ripping off Hollywood is because the copyright law is weak in India. If you can show your film to have 35 per cent of material different from the original, then you have an "original" creative work here. You don't have to be a genius to figure out how. Most Hollywood flicks are of 90-100 minutes duration; Indian films usually clock 150 mts... Last year Sony, the producers of Hitch, made some noise about taking K Sera Sera, the producer of Partner, to court. And then they dropped the idea.

Funnily, Indian film makers and the industry body FICCI, are now running to the government to change the copyright rules of old Indian films. According to the law, a movie loses copyright protection and falls in public domain after 60 years. This means that by 2010-12, you could remake classic like Arzoo, Awara, Baazi, Deedar,Aan and Baiju Bawra without any formal permission!

That would be sweet justice, isn't it?

The Vada Pao Question

Where have the film making companies gone? How many of India's listed film cos create a concept, develop the story, and attach the cast and crew to it? All producers are becoming traders now, buying and selling proposals.

SRK & Priyadarshan

The joke in B'wood was that in the time Shahrukh Khan takes to grow his ponytail or put on a 6 pack abs, director Priydarshan starts and finishes his film... so how could the two ever work together? Well, they are! SRK's Red Chillies is producing a film with Priyadarshan this year. The movie is supposed to feature a small cast but dont be surprised if SRK does a cameo or an item song-- to build the marketing hype.

The combo is sure to do wonders at the box office. In the last five years, Priyadarshan has churned out nine films--all of them (save for Kyon Ki which flopped and Chup Chup Ke which did average business) were hits! He is currently in the midst of shooting Mere Baap Pehle Aap with Akshaye Khanna and Paresh Rawal.

There were two actors Priyadarshan has been desperately wanting to work with-- SRK and Amitabh Bachchan. Looks like both his wishes will come true this year. A little bird tells me that Big B has also liked one of his scripts and is working out the dates.

Time for romance

While everyone is cheering lustily the return of Aditya Chopra, I'm not too kicked about it. Ya sure, I loved DDLJ and it is one of the best Bollywood romance flicks. But I think Mohabatein was crap. And Veer Zara (which Adi wrote) was lousy. Adi's Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi with SRK may be interesting if there is no Rani Mukherji or Priety Zinta... do you really want to see a romcom featuring them?

So what are the romantic flicks I am looking forward to? First, there is Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na which is writer Abbas Tyrewala's debut film. Tyrewala has a terrific sense of comedy, so this should be a good romcom. More importantly, the film is produced by Aamir Khan, so you can be assured of its "quality". Finally, Aamir's cousin, the reclusive and immensely talented Mansoor Khan, is the creative director! That combo has me salivating.

The other film I am eagerly looking forward to is Kismat Connection , featuring Shahid Kapoor and Vidya Balan. I love Aziz Mirza's feel good romances, even though they are not very original. Didn't you like Yes Boss and Chalte Chalte?

Patience pays

You've to hand it over to Sriram Raghavan. While every Johnny come lately in Bollywood wants to make a quick buck while the going is good, this chap is willing to bide time to further polish his skills. Take the case of Dreamgirl, his next project which stars Ashwariya Rai and John Abraham and is produced by Rohan Sippy He had the dates of his stars ready and was supposed to roll last week....but he was still not happy with the climax he and his brother Sridhar had written. So what does our man do? Start rewriting and push the shoot to November!

Of course, this hasn't pleased Sippy whose production house will have only one release this year, the Nikhil Advani directed Chandni Chowk to China Gate. Saif Ali Khan who was supposed to start shooting Agent Vinod with Raghavan will also be disappointed, since that project will now shift to mid-2009.

But Raghavan, who every production house wants to sign up, must be used to delays. It took eight years for him to make his first film (Ek Haseena Thi). And it took three years for Johny Gaddar. Both are movies to be proud of.