Amitabh Bachchan in Anurag Kashyap thriller
thanks to An Jo…
LINK
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan is teaming up with Anurag Kashyap in his next untitled movie. The 70-year-old will play the lead in the thriller, which is set to go on the floors early next year.
“I am delighted to be working with Anurag, a director, who has through his rugged belief in his kind of cinema compelled us to fall in line with him. I have a general concept of the story and anxiously wait for him to begin shooting,” Bachchan said.
The duo recently worked together on short film ” Bombay Talkies”.
“I’m thrilled. Like everyone, I have also been a fan of Mr Bachchan from my growing up years. Though I wanted to make a film with him for the longest time, I wanted to be sure that the role is something he has never done before. While working on the short film with him, I got this idea, which we discussed and he agreed,” Kashyap said in a statement
The movie will be produced by Phantom Films.
SATYAMSHOT 
February 27, 2013 at 9:12 AM
Does this mean he’ll be entirely done with Bombay Velvet this year?
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February 27, 2013 at 9:20 AM
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Bollywood/Friends-again-delighted-to-work-with-Anurag-Kashyap-says-Amitabh-Bachchan/Article1-1018185.aspx
I really doubt (though I posted the story!!) the time-line..If this were to happen, considering AB’s age, AK should logically make this movie first..BV is something I don’t think he can shoot in a hurry..he needs the luxury of time..but with AB, I think it can be a quickie..like SATYAGRAHA being over in a 3 month schedule..
Satyam & everybody:
I posted a link called THE HINDI MOVIES THAT NEVER GOT MADE..am not sure if you saw that..will repost it here…pretty interesting stuff..
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February 27, 2013 at 9:24 AM
I’ve shifted your query and Antya’s to the box office thread. Check out my responses.
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February 27, 2013 at 10:29 AM
I doubt. In any case Bombay Velvet will start very late this year since Ranbir is currently shooting for Besharam and Kashyap is making Ugly right now
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February 27, 2013 at 9:56 AM
Just hope that bachchan sahab does not agree to mouth BCs and MCs…….
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February 27, 2013 at 10:16 AM
Big B’s date are full for this year, irrespective of Bombay Velvet…He only confirmed in his blog that he has already committed Satyagraha (on going), Meharunnisa, Bhootnath 2 And Balki projects apart from a serial AB corp is planing. Also, OM prakash Mehra, Sujoy Ghosh, Shoojit Sircar, Resul Pookutty are waiting for Big B’s nods. just last week Rajkumar hirani & Subhash Ghai told, it will be their dream project to work with Big B… dont know why half of the industry is behind this 70 year old man!!
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February 27, 2013 at 10:21 AM
Rakesh OM Prakash Mehra , Sujoy Ghosh, Shoojit Sircar are waiting for the dates with the bounded script…
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February 27, 2013 at 10:22 AM
Not to forget RGV’s Sarkar 3
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February 27, 2013 at 10:23 AM
Satyam, any other rumored projects for Big B?
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February 27, 2013 at 10:47 AM
Think most of those projects are just rumors or if not then they’re certainly not starting right away. For instance the Balki film keeps getting pushed. He seems to be working on more than one option anyway. I very much doubt Sarkar 3 is happening anytime soon. Think Abhishek (and this applies to Balki too who had also suggested doing something with Abhishek at one point) is just doing very commercial films at the moment. At the most he’s probably willing to do something like Umesh Shukla which is less crazily commercial but nonetheless has a chance of being very successful. I suspect the only real exception to this current rule would be Ratnam. Think he would do Ratnam without any questions asked. Would probably do a Mehra with many more questions asked! Rohan Sippy is possibly somewhere in between. But no other director, no matter how serious probably breaches this ‘defense’ at the moment. At one level I understand his choices but as a fan of more meaningful stuff I obviously can’t celebrate it. Moreso because great commercial success doesn’t necessarily lead to more risky choices. Market pressures are just greater to repeat the same kind of success. And the star himself might not wish to be in that same position again, specially when with the passage of time the chances of reinvention become that much harder. So one is then left with a scenario where it’s very commercial stuff alternating with middle-of-the-road cinema that is still solidly commercial. The possibility of doing a D6 again is I fear not a very likely one. And since Bombay doesn’t write the 70s sort of fantastic scripts anymore or even the sort that one sees in contemporary Tamil cinema the chances of a film that is commercially viable but also ‘great’ otherwise are not very bright. At best there might be something with Ratnam or Mehra at some point that replicates Guru or RDB or something along those lines. So I have a wistfulness precisely about Abhishek’s potential success! But not because I am naive about industry realities. I just think there was a moment Abhishek had for a few years and a success here or there might have kept a different trajectory open for him. On the other hand this too is a naive fantasy. Because an audience with which some of those choices really worked would in any case constitute a very different world! There are nonetheless grounds for optimism in some ways as newer voices keep emerging but I am always skeptical of an industry where the right institutional forces are not in place. Interesting or important cinema cannot come about as the exception to the rule.
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February 27, 2013 at 1:13 PM
Abhishek was badly hurt by the Raavan debacle. The movie was not as terrible as it was made out to be collectively by the media. The negativity which followed Raavan was unprecedented. Abhishek since Raavan seemed to be in a different zone altogether & the movies which followed distanced him from the audience further. BB gave him some positivity finally & he seems to have turned pragmatic post BB by following it up with D3 & D2 which would definately elevate his BO potential further.
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February 27, 2013 at 1:29 PM
yeah there’s no doubt that Raavan was a reset in his career, ironically with the same director who gave him his greatest triumph in Guru. After Raavan his initials almost went down to zero. DMD was the worst affected here relative to the quality of the film but even a film in the Game genre shouldn’t have that kind of non-existent initial (of course Abhishek did something remarkable by following Raavan up with KHJJS!). Even Players should have had a much better initial. But I think in general audiences who were disappointed or moreso annoyed with Abhishek’s choices for a period of time (rightly or wrongly) saw Raavan as the final straw. Which is one of the reasons why he’s steering clear of dramatic roles at this point so as not to invoke those old ghosts.
Having said that I do think he’s over-correcting at this point. In a box office sense that might seem necessary but the same can be done with a better mix. Yes comedy is the easiest genre these days, you have the greatest safety net as a star attempting this. But my point is that if he isn’t careful and over-commits himself to some of these choices the box office success that he gets, even if great, might not be worth very much if it makes it harder for him to move back. And here it’s not just about risky films. Even the meaningful options will be greatly limited if the audience starts expecting comedy from him whether it’s at the multiplex Dostana end of the equation or the mass BB one. The trick to this business always is that the balance is hard to strike but relative to one’s goals it must be found. If you’re Akshay Kumar there’s no issue. You just do one kind of film 99% of the time. But otherwise each film creates an archive. Spectacular success much like spectacular failure creates long-lasting archives. You can’t just walk away at any given point. And again it’s not just about risky stuff. Sometimes even relatively meaningful films within solid commercial formats become tricky if the star is too associated with blockbuster kind of entertainment. In this sense preserving the balance means not letting your success and/or initial get out of hand. Because with certain formats it’s a question of repetition. You keep doing a certain kind of film in a genre that works and you keep increasing your initial (relative to the magnitude of your stardom). Here too one of the great things about Aamir is that he keeps expectations in line for any given project. Of course doing just one film at a time with sometimes long breaks in between helps. Notice how he didn’t let D3 interfere with Talaash but once that was done he’s been quite happy to have D3 overlap with PK. Because both films are potential blockbusters and neither one needs an intro.
Once more it is not that I don’t see the need for box office success for Abhishek but often you also have to be able to look around the corner. It could be that he has a strategy in mind, it might be that he just has this newer box office strategy as a permanent option. All I’m suggesting is that it would be a shame to lose what was most worthwhile about his choices earlier in the service of greater box office viability. Because if this capital cannot be used to generate more interesting stuff there’s less point to it. We don’t need better actors to also play the game the very same way.
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February 27, 2013 at 1:55 PM
“Here too one of the great things about Aamir is that he keeps expectations in line for any given project.”
Yup.
As for Abhishek, agree everywhere, although I think its hard to conclude he’s over-correcting just yet. I think in a post D3 universe we’ll have a better idea of where he’s heading once he’s had two back-to-back shots in the arm.
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February 27, 2013 at 2:03 PM
fair enough.. and perhaps the Umesh Shukla film as a more transitional effort offers cause for greater optimism. I’ve been overreacting to BB, D3 and now the Dostana 2 confirmation! In fact Abhishek hasn’t even confirmed the Shukla yet but he has Dostana 2. On the positive side he also hasn’t done so for Do aur Do Paanch or the rumored Farah Khan deal. And I should say I still have some hope of D3 meaning something more for the terrain with both Aamir and Abhishek in it.
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February 27, 2013 at 2:59 PM
Didn’t know about Dostana 2. Make that 3 back to back shots in the arm, then. If that’s really the case, then I think it’s completely fair to expect him to dial back on the purely commercial stuff…I would certainly consider Farah Khan an over-correction if it gets there!
Did see the Amour piece from the New Republic, thanks. Really good read.
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February 27, 2013 at 2:04 PM
on a different note not sure if you saw it but I put up an interesting link in my Amour thread a few days ago.
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February 27, 2013 at 3:00 PM
yup, aamir is the only one who has been able to keep it somewhat sane under tremendous pressure. it’s also the attitude, he is very secure, otherwise it’s hard to imagine more pressure than what he was under after 3 idiots. that’s why i like that he did dhobi ghaat and talaash even if you can debate their merits. the fact that he can go ahead and do those is remarkable.
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February 28, 2013 at 4:47 AM
“The trick to this business always is that the balance is hard to strike but relative to one’s goals it must be found”
Very well summarised. Success at BO is a given with projects like D3 & D2 . Post that however would be the most critical phase of his career. When ur riding a wave of BO success driven by commercial cinema it gets even more difficult to change course towards meaningful cinema. And in Abhishek’s case any strategy to move towards meaningful cinema would be clouded with unpleasant memories from the past which would surely act as a deterrent.
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February 27, 2013 at 4:44 PM
**Not fair; the post is for the FATHER..not the son…:-(
Shoojit Sircar to gift a love story to AMITABH..
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-interviews/Shoojit-Sircar-plans-to-gift-a-love-story-to-Amitabh-Bachchan/articleshow/18692890.cms
Director Shoojit Sircar and Amitabh Bachchan’s Shoebite might have stuck in the controversy, but the director plans a romantic feature film for his all time favorite Amitabh Bachchan.
In an exclusive conversation with TOI, Shoojit shares his desire to cast Big B in a romantic film. The director is leaving no stone unturned to make his dream come true. “Shoebite is yet not released, but Mr. Bachchan remains my all time favorite,” said Shoojit.
“I have promised him one script and currently working on it,” added the director.
When asked about the film, he said, “It will have a commercial aspect as it will be a feature film. Big B will be in the lead role. It’s a love story when you reach that age. Juhi Chaturvedi and I are working on the script and soon will get it ready.”
The director is busy these days working on Madras Cafe with John Abraham.
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February 27, 2013 at 5:16 PM
Not fair; the post is for the FATHER..not the son…:-(
I am a bit of a Christian.. no father without the son!
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February 27, 2013 at 5:06 PM
Am glad if it really happens. Interesting to say the least. But, like Rocky, I dont want AB mouthing those gaalis.
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February 27, 2013 at 5:21 PM
I can understand this impulse but I don’t think this should be any kind of serious deal breaker for either Bachchan as an actor or his audience. Not because swearing is special or an indicator of truth or “realness” of course but because an inhibition to curse shouldn’t prevent him from doing interesting projects.I personally find it more offensive to hear him utter the drivel from the piss-poor scripts he gets on a semi regular basis than the potential of hearing him say fuck or something.
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February 27, 2013 at 5:28 PM
Agree this is an interesting proposition if it happens rather than those diaper movies like BHOOTNATH etc..
Still, I can only hope AK reins-in his impulses to go MC BC to SHOCK the hell out of the multiiplex bourgeois..
Just hoping that the MC BCs happen IF and ONLY IF reqd..
And I do not think AB would agree for expletives..what he hasn’t done for 40 years, I don’t think he is going to do for anurag..it is AK darlings..not MARTIN SCORCESE..
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February 27, 2013 at 5:51 PM
Bachchan & Kashyap– the reconciliation!
Wow–now thats finally a bachchan film i will look forward to (if it gets made!). Dont really remember the last bachchan film i got really excited at the announcement stage–lemme think ….
well maybe going back to sarkaar, even nishabd and black
But this one is different–This brings bachchan face to face with a certain ‘space’ in indian cinema he hasnt ventured into yet. It may not be the best but will surely bring out a different flavour altogether!
As for abuses & MC/BCs –
think thats a non-issue. Tarantino doesnt have a patent over abuses whilst still being applauded for it! Havent seen gow but havent been irked by the rest of his works that ive seen (dev d, b fri, no smo). INfact the more ‘acceptable’ bhardwaj is more into abuses imo.
Also i doubt kashyap will give bachchan the same ‘type’ & ‘context’ of abusive lines(also doubt bachchan will mouth them)
Bachchans pov
This decision illustrates what is good and bad about bachchans PR dynamics ove the years. He forgives, forgets and moves ahead and usually doesnt nurse angst for too long–
But also lends to a certain impression of being a ‘soft target’ and even one of ‘opportunism’ (if one is critical). it helps him grow and find new avenues and reinvention modes.
Kashaps pov
The pic above says it all!
Its not a maverick rising messiah of different cinema meeting bachchan. Its just an enamoured fan holding bachchans hand there!
a nice
Overall nice to see all this ‘negativity’ & ‘animosity’ melt away seemingly towards a worthy project. Hope their ‘fans’ also follow their example..
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February 28, 2013 at 4:52 PM
Now THIS is a film to look out for…Kashyap after GANGS OF WASSEYPUR and Big B…..nuff said. Fingers crossed both Bajpai and Nawaz have decent roles in here too….
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February 28, 2013 at 9:28 PM
26/11 attacks is getting positive reviews everywhere and Ram Gopal Verma is being praised like never before.This indicates that he can still do good job and this is the answer for those who used to say that Ramu damaged Bachchan.Now everyone can understand the reality.It was Bachchan actually who destroyed Ramu’s career.
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February 28, 2013 at 9:46 PM
Sarkar Raj got good reviews and Bachchan got even better ones for it. But here’s the deal, I’m getting a bit tired of you showing up for just one kind of comment. You have nothing else to add to any kind of discussion. This might provide you with a certain juvenile pleasure. Can’t blame you. if I were a SRK fan I too wouldn’t want to talk about Ra One or Rohit Shetty or JTHJ. But in any case irrespective of the motivation this is getting rather boring. Hopefully I won’t have to do more and you will either make more useful contributions or not show up.
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March 1, 2013 at 12:13 AM
Bad time starts for Anurag Kashyap… I just hope he stays away from Bachhans..
Look what happened to JP Dutta, RGV, Ashutosh Gowarikar, Prakash Jha, Mani Ratnam & Goldie Behl..
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March 1, 2013 at 6:59 AM
Dude the post is for AMITABH BACHCHAN so stop playing this game of plurals
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March 1, 2013 at 8:55 AM
As I said before Saurabh, it is that time of the month for KKK/Manush/Shaan Khan/ or what-ever aliases you name..their hormones/mood-swings go way out of control..not their fault really..nature taking its toll on them..
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March 4, 2013 at 1:26 AM
@An Jo
I seriously don’t understand what is the problem with Abhishek bachhan fans like you. Can’t you learn how to behave from other AB fans in this blog like Satyam and other guys??
Did i write anything offensives against Bachhans or against u? I just predicted about this upcoming proj and Anurag’s career with reference to what ever past experiences we have..that’s all.
You will not see me behaving like you with any member if anyone writes bad about a proj which i like.
If you are extremely happy about this proj then go ahead and write ur essays. doesn’t matter to me but stop showing frustrations like these.
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March 4, 2013 at 1:59 AM
Wait, An just pointed out the truth. And I think like me he is a fan of only one Bachchan that is certainly not Abhishek
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March 2, 2013 at 9:26 AM
I think this will be the landmark movies for both Amitabh and Anurag.Looking forward to this movie.
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March 3, 2013 at 1:04 PM
I think this is not good for both.Boxoffice wise both have been struggling since long and their previous record can play the game here.
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March 3, 2013 at 3:13 PM
AB & SRK in Balki’s new!!
Bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan are set to be seen together once again, in R. Balki’s next film.
The two stalwarts were last seen together in Ravi Chopra’s 2008 production Bhootnath, where Big B starred in the lead role while SRK had a special appearance.
The last film where they featured in starring roles was Karan Johar’s 2006 hit, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna. Big B and SRK have also shared screen space in Aditya Chopra’s Mohabbatein, Yash Chopra’s Veer-Zaara and Amol Palekar’s Paheli.
The buzz doing the rounds is that Balki’s new film will be co-produced by Big B’s banner ABCL and SRK’s production house, Red Chillies Entertainment. The two superstars will also reportedly be involved in the distribution of the film besides facing the camera for the project.
“The content of the film is a closely guarded secret but the two actors have agreed to work in the project because of its unique and interesting storyline,” an industry source said, adding that Balki had been hunting for a script that would suit both Big B and SRK for a while now, and has finally found it.
While this is the first time that Shah Rukh will be associated with a Balki project, Big B has starred in both movies the filmmaker has directed so far. He was the hero of Balki’s 2007 debut directorial feature Cheeni Kum, and then essayed a National Awardwinning performance in the 2009 hit, Paa.
Currently, Big B is shooting for Prakash Jha’s Satyagraha in Bhopal.
SRK, meanwhile, is busy wrapping up Rohit Shetty’s Chennai Express. Balki’s previous projects have dealt with unusual subjects and have always had a surprise element for the audience. Cheeni Kum, for instance, was a mature romance that narrated the love story of an eccentric and aged chef played by Big B. In Paa, he cast the actor as a 13-year-old suffering from the rare illness, progeria.
Though Balki is tight-lipped about his next project with Big B and SRK, industry insiders believe it will once again deal with an unconventional story.
Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/amitabh-bachchan-shah-rukh-khan-r.-balki/1/252371.html
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March 3, 2013 at 3:54 PM
There have been so many rumors about Balki’s next that I’ll wait for official confirmation on it. But otherwise I’m always interested in a film of his.
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March 4, 2013 at 2:04 AM
Actually it’s a short for which SRK and Balki are teaming up-
SRK – Balki tie up for short film
By Bollywood Hungama News Network, March 04, 2013 – 10:31 hrs IST
#
Ad filmmaker and maverick Bollywood film director R. Balki has reportedly tied up with none other than the Badshah of Bollywood Shah Rukh Khan for a short film. The film which has already been shot is apparently for a social cause and it is scheduled to release on March 8.
Reportedly, the two met sometime back to discuss the script which deals with a current social issue. Though the subject of the film is kept under wraps, since the short film is releasing on March 8, which is Women’s Day, it is likely that the film deals with women’s issues.
SRK has shot his part and Balki is currently in the process of editing the film.
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March 4, 2013 at 1:37 AM
Definitely a rumor. I don’t understand why Balki will be working with Big B and SRK after super successful Paa. SRK can be easily replaced by Abhi and the team can recreate the magic again.
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March 3, 2013 at 10:12 PM
The concept of Balki’s movies is hard to digest and also are less entertaining,hence fail to score at boxoffice.Looking at above mentioned project,this seems to be a rumour unless and until there is official confirmation.
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March 4, 2013 at 11:45 AM
Paa can never be termed as super successful as it was just a semi hit.The other movie that was directed by Balki was Cheeni Kam which was just an average fare at boxoffice.So Balki might be thinking of making it big at boxoffice this time.But as i mentioned earlier nothing can be said till official confirmation.
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March 4, 2013 at 12:00 PM
you missed Saurabh’s comment up in the thread.. Balki’s just doing a short with SRK. So it indeed seems to be a rumor. On the rest you’re quite mistaken about the outcome of both films. But you have good company in BOI.
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March 4, 2013 at 10:29 PM
Actually i myself do not want to follow BOI but there is no suitable alternative.Taran,Komal and some others are quoting producer’s totals and it is the only BOI people who seem to be better choice at the moment though not the best one.In case you can suggest any better site the you are most welcome and i also will follow that.
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March 4, 2013 at 4:04 PM
Saw a snap of Amitji with Sajid Khan at his blog…I hope Amitji does not work in any of his silly comedies.Also he mentioned about ‘Shoebite’..Hope this and ‘Zamaant’ get a release this year.
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March 4, 2013 at 9:37 PM
why not? Big B has worked with Manmohan D and turned some mindless scripts into BB stuff….let Big B enjoy this phase of his life where he can enjoy everything under the sun
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March 4, 2013 at 9:44 PM
Firstly Manmohan Desai never had ‘mindless scripts’ in his films. Secondly he also NEVER made mindless films. Thirdly it’s a crime to take Sajid’s name alongside Desai in the same breath.
I might also add this- if someone puts a gun to my head I would prefer Desai to Yash Chopra and even Sippy
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March 4, 2013 at 11:27 PM
never thought much of chopra as a director but he had amazing writers and actors to work with in the 70’s. once he lost the great writing, his work became mediocre. sippy made too few films but he had sholay.
desai was a very fun film-maker, overall. and yes, not to be mentioned in the same breath as sajid. i made dhawan comparison yesterday, mostly to illustrate the whole time-limit thing on certain successes. but dhawan still did some entertaining work. sajid is not a film-maker, he is just a hack getting by the industry contacts he made due to his sister.
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March 4, 2013 at 11:48 PM
But Antya, dismissing Desai simply as a ‘fun filmmaker’ is doing a great disservice to the director. The kind of Nehruvian ideas Desai had in his films were not even, I dare say, in Raj Kapoor’s films (of course the latter is a better filmmaker). And at his best (like in AAA but also in parts of Chhaliya, Naseeb, Deshpremee as well as Coolie) there were not many who were better than him. And you must read Satyam’s piece on Desai and AAA-
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March 5, 2013 at 12:06 AM
Hey! What’s wrong with fun? Fun is good 🙂
Anyways, I didn’t mean it in a derogatory or dismissive way. I was sort of agreeing with you. I enjoy Desai a lot. Although I am not a big fan of the 70’s simplistic Nehruvian politics any more than 50’s simplistic socialist ideas, not in the way Satyam is. And I like the more fun films. AAA, Parvarish etc. Dont care for the later films as much, the quality of his work declined over the years too.
But those film-makers (both 50’s & 70’s) did achieve this engaging story-social commentary-entertainment amalgamation better than any of today’s film makers can hope to. Part of my point about Ratnam that was taken as criticism. He fails where Raj Kapoor, Desai and even Yash C succeeded.
PS: emailed you
PPS: typing on iPad sucks worse than iPhone, in my unsolicited opinion
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March 5, 2013 at 6:54 AM
“But those film-makers (both 50′s & 70′s) did achieve this engaging story-social commentary-entertainment amalgamation better than any of today’s film makers can hope to. Part of my point about Ratnam that was taken as criticism. He fails where Raj Kapoor, Desai and even Yash C succeeded.”
It’s not about criticism on its own but the terms on which it comes about. So yes Ratnam has failed more than Raj Kapoor or Desai but the question must then be asked: what does this ‘failure’ entail? In other words Guru Dutt failed more than Raj Kapoor and Desai. But that’s hardly the last word on the ‘value’ of Guru Dutt’s work. I’m not denying the pragmatic reality of the box office but it seems to me that in a lot of these discussions success and failure are too easily defined just using this yardstick. Because it is also ‘pragmatically’ equally true that the films that last over time are at least as often initial box office failures or ‘damp squibs’ as they are successes.
In any case one must differentiate a rampant commercialism, no matter how enjoyable or classic it might be on its own terms. from a cinema that constantly operates on the ‘limits’ of the same. I revere Raj Kapoor in many ways but he was never indifferent to box office success. The only truly important failure of his life was the experimental MNJ and the bombing of this film deeply affected him. So much so that in his next film, Bobby (which I adore), the aesthetics of MNJ or Sangam or in fact his entire prior career suddenly go out the window. So great as Raj Kapoor was he wasn’t willing to fail. There’s nothing wrong with this except that if you’re making Guru Dutt’s cinema you probably have to be willing to fail multiple times. And I’m speaking as someone who prefers Raj Kapoor’s best films to Guru Dutt’s work by quite a margin.
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March 5, 2013 at 1:13 AM
He also made emotional films like Aa gale lag jaa which is my all time favourite for its music and drama. And also Chalia with superb songs. His Sacha Jhutha was also a nice film with good songs. AAA was fun and drama, an everegreeen entertainer.
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March 5, 2013 at 2:44 AM
Completely agree with you that Desai lost his form starting with Coolie itself (Naseeb was the last of his flawless films)- the latter works became more or less a series of gags.
Inspire of whether you agree on Desai or not you should still give Satyam’s piece a read. Also his article on ‘What Is Masala Cinema’ (which is there in the sidebar) should be read by each and everyone. I don’t think one can find another piece of writing on this ‘supergenre’ as Satyam’s.
LOL, I am with you on typing on phone- quite a pain in the posterior. I don’t have an IPad but I thought the ‘traditional keypad’ must be making it easier for one to type than on a touch-phone
Replied to your mail
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March 5, 2013 at 10:09 PM
oh man! you wasted too many words satyam. i wasn’t talking about box-office failure at all. beyond amusing discussions about the business aspect that we sometimes get pulled into, i couldn’t care less about that. i meant ratnam has been failing to achieve that cinematically as well as those others did, in my opinion as a viewer. of course dutt did it well and failed too. even bimal roy for that matter. but ratnam is no dutt or roy, that was my point.
i didn’t get around to reading your piece saurabh linked mostly due to time constraints, will get to it.
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March 4, 2013 at 10:28 PM
Actually i myself do not want to follow BOI but there is no suitable alternative.Taran,Komal and some others are quoting producer’s totals and it is the only BOI people who seem to be better choice at the moment though not the best one.In case you can suggest any better site the you are most welcome and i also will follow that.
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March 5, 2013 at 9:20 AM
Letter by poet Dushyant Kumar to Amitabh Bachchan post-Deewar:
Shashi Kapoor appeared small before Big B in Deewar
http://movies.ndtv.com/bollywood/shashi-kapoor-appeared-small-before-big-b-in-i-deewar-i-poet-338491?pfrom=home-movies
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March 5, 2013 at 10:16 AM
in fact Big B at his peak was infinitely better than Dilip Kumar at his peak
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March 5, 2013 at 12:07 PM
I know many heroines whose ‘peak’ was better than both big b and dilip…oops lol
“typing on iPad sucks worse than iPhone, in my unsolicited opinion”—hehe mr anya–‘showing off’ & ‘impressing’ us small kids eh–joking 🙂
Btw anya/other folks–most of u know–but some may find useful
Suggest out bestbuy–they r managing mcbook airs even cheaper than the apple stores! Not by much but I love breaking this apple ‘leash’ -Good 4 gifting them to folks/parents in another country-gud deals
Ps2: the Delhi rape victim getting an award form ,I hell obama
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March 5, 2013 at 12:11 PM
Typo–award from Michelle Obama–think that’s a good gesture
Not sure–but what’s been done for her/her family by the Indian govt..and has that ‘minor’ been punished yet?
Ps: checked out SLP yesterday…
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March 7, 2013 at 11:24 PM
Dalip Kumar was unmatchable and no actor can come even close to him in acting department.Amitabh Bachchan himself has admitted that he used to copy Dalip Kumar to some extent only and it is difficult to pick him.After watching Shakti,one gets a clear idea about the acting skills of both the actors.I am not putting down Amitabh Bachchan as an actor here but comparing him with Dalip Kumar too much.
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March 8, 2013 at 12:13 AM
Personally, while Shakti features neither Dilip’s nor Amitabh’s best performance, I vastly preferred the younger man’s act: Dilip Kumar had the better written part, but he played the father like a hamming school-master, and it was quite irritating…Smita Patil’s was my favorite role in this film, although it wasn’t a very large one.
The other downer was the bland villain role: never would have expected this from the chap who gave us Gabbar and Shakaal.
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March 8, 2013 at 2:45 AM
This can be your personal view depending upon the taste but not an overall perception.Dalip Kumar dominated in Shakti and he was given Filmfare best actor award that year whereas he was supposed to get a best actor in supporting role at the best.
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March 8, 2013 at 2:47 AM
Legend has it that Mr. Kumar won by a margin of 1 vote and that vote was cast by none other than Amitabh Bachchan..
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March 8, 2013 at 2:56 AM
Filmfare awards have lost it long long back. DK’s fans will like his act while BigB’s fans will like his act. Endless arguments running in circles. Everything boils down as to whom you like more and whose fan you are. Objectivity loses and subjectivity rules in all these arguments.
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March 8, 2013 at 4:18 AM
Once Amitabh was asked to share his views on the history of Indian cinema and his answer was”in my opinion Indian cinema is divided unto two eras,the era post Dalip Kumar and era after Dalip Kumar”.So when Amitabh himself recognises him as best,then discussion here is over.
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March 9, 2013 at 10:50 PM
By that logic best player would be the best judge?
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March 8, 2013 at 5:14 AM
@Sanjana, I am a huge Bachchan fan but that doesn’t mean i should close my eyes and ignore other’s talent..One should be a fan not a fanatic..I think you haven’t seen many movies of DK. Just check a few and i am sure that you will come to know what real acting is.
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March 9, 2013 at 9:32 PM
I am not sure whether this has been put up on this blog..Satyam can delete this if it is a repeat..This is an amazingly fine interview moderated by Arnab..AB is superb in his answers..watch especially the beginning of the second part where he gives the actual reasons why he was feeling uncomfortable with carrying on campaigning for Rajiv Gandhi..
Part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3:
Part 4:
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