This entry was posted on April 2, 2015 at 9:05 PM and is filed under the bad. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.
101 Responses to “Byomkesh Bakshy, the rest of the box office”
Naina jo ladte hain
Ladne de oh piya
Nainon ki kitabein
Padhne de oh piya
Ps : ace perfomance by all the three women here in hunterrr..
Not showing anywhere –any ‘legal link’ to this ?
She had too much understanding to be entirely governed by her womanliness, had too much womanliness to use her understanding to her best advantage.
Carey Mulligan is somebody I used to hate & found unworthy of being a lead actress. But noticed her work in the great Gatsby which led me back to ‘an education’. She has this British reticence, apartness & self- effacivenss. Though I don’t find her attractive, she can emote without the need to go over the top, shout, scream or indulge in exaggerated theatrics.
She is apt for the conflicted compleat part of this Thomas Hardy Classic.
Ps: unfortunately in the times of iron man, avengers, transformers capturing mainstream space (& most bloggers here) quality stuff doesn’t merit attention!
But my ‘quality sensor’ seldom misses worthy stuff…
Can’t say I’m surprised.. did think for a while this might be a better than expected film.. in any case Rangan is making all the right points as far as I’m concerned (Hollywood et al).
1.-It’s 1943. This gives Banerjee and his team to indulge in some characteristically brilliant detailing – even if everything is reminiscent of Hollywood. Angoori Devi is styled like a Clara Bow type. The posters on the streets scream out Shadow of a Doubt and The Ox-Bow Incident, 1943 releases both. But the biggest blockbuster in India at the time was Ashok Kumar’s Kismat, our first one-crore grosser. That doesn’t seem to be playing anywhere. Or maybe that’s not cool enough to be part of the immaculate production design. After all, Banerjee does take a lot of his cues from Hollywood and other foreign cinema.
and –
2.At least Hitchcock did not think he was above mere “entertainment.” Detective Byomkesh Bakshi! suffers from the high-mindedness that suffocated Shanghai as well. We aren’t just making a movie. We’re sculpting a masterpiece.
Reading those points from Rangan itself distances me further from BB. I will be spending all moolah on Furious 7 as that delivers and has great reports.
The seventh edition of Fast And Furious has taken the biggest opening for a Hollywood film in India.
It also has the distinction of taking the biggest opening of 2015 so far.
Producer-exhibitor N R Pachisia says, “The F & F franchise has always done well in India. However, the opening of this film on Thursday was extraordinary.” While the Vin Diesel, Jason Statham film is said to have collected approximately Rs 11 crore from Indian box office; in Bangalore alone, the film did a business of Rs 1.30 crore.
The only Bollywood film that is likely to clash with F & F 7 is the mystery flick Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! that has opened today (Good Friday). While the thrills in Fast And Furious 7 have the action-junkies hooked; there are also those who are coming back teary-eyed because of the touching tribute to Paul Walker, that the makers of the film have added at the end.
This is the same film for which Deepika Padukone tried hard. However it was said that she couldn’t allot the required dates because of her Bollywood commitments at that point. It’s a pity because Fast And Furious 7 will rewrite desi box office history with or without having one of our own.
While the early collections of F & F 7 were estimated to be around Rs 11 crore in the domestic market making it the highest ever opener for a Hollywood film, the latest box office collections say that the film netted Rs 11.75 crore on the opening day. The previous big Hollywood opener was The Amazing Spider Man 2 with a collection of Rs 7.50 crore.
Some of the other Hollywood films that have done well at the domestic box office are Roland Emmerich’s blockbuster disaster epic 2012, the Spider Man series and also the Bond films Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale. Industry sources say that action films have an advantage even when dubbed in Indian languages like Hindi, Tamil and Telugu because the action surpasses language barriers. That is one of the main reasons why F & F 7 is racing furiously at the local ticket windows
What really separates the new film from its predecessors is its emotional depth; the knowledge that this is Paul Walker’s last turn as Brian O’Conner. Despite his tragic death midway through production, Walker remains a key figure in the film, thanks to the clever use of body doubles and nifty CGI effects. It’s hard not to get at least a little misty-eyed during the touching finale in which his character is given a fitting sendoff. Who’d have thought we’d leave a Fast & Furious film surrounded by mournful silence?
Didn’t want to miss friend Gulshan’s Hunterrr. Afraid that they might move it out on Friday, drove alone for a 10pm show. Reach there and find they are not running it. Having parked the car, I thought let me check out Fast and Furious 7 ( Had seen the only other option, NH10, twice.). My god, can a film be so uninteresting. Must be a long long time since I actually walked out of a film. But with this one I did. Fortunately, it was not a single-screen, and I could get my car out!
Now this is unfair, Utkal. F7 is as good/bad as previous films and actually is lot more emotional towards the end coz of extraordinary Paul Walker send off. You are clearly the wrong audience for this kind of film. For me the movie was great fun and totally worth the franchise and excellent ending for Paul. Even Rotten Tomatoes has it over 81% which is certainly not worthy of walking out during the show. As expected there is not much plot, its all thrills and chases and action and that is delivered. Gonna make huge money all over, its as simple as that.
whereabouts did you try to watch HUNTERRR? I am SOOOOOOO interested in finding out what people here thought of this movie…..imo its a cut above many of the nonsense being produced these days and yes of course it has been placed a bit oddly (its so NOT A SEX comedy) !!!!
Saina Nehwal loses top spot after defeat in Malaysia Open semifinals
How fickle topspots are. One day on top of the world and the next day someone else.
Haven’t seen byomkesh bak shy but don’t think it’ll be as bad as being made out to be. BUT have never seemed anything special from the promos etc–so my ‘radar’ never sensed anything worthy.
The problem was the dibakar was an EXCELLENT filmmaker TILL he restricted himself to Khosla, LSD, oye lucky and that middle class delhi sensibility.
If one CHARTS dibakar getting LOST—
Around the time of GOW, many kashyap wannabes were AWESTRUCK–and most stayed mum though (like many bloggers here & didn’t express their admiration)
But it led to a GERM within that URGED them to do more/BIGGER
resulted in the damp squib SHANGHAI (that I never watched)
Now he wanted to try other bigger things and that seems to have resulted in Bakshy
The ONLY worthwhile entity here is SUSHANT RAJPUT –who is a genuine talent
SIMILARLY we see bloggers/commenters here and elsewhere who suffer from this ‘ONE OR TWO TRICK PONY’ syndrome
And the faculties of some are further compromised by moderation duties …
Anupam Kher slams Vishal Bhardwaj for dedicating National Award to Kashmiri Pandits
IndiaToday.in March 25, 2015 | UPDATED 10:06 IST
Director Vishal Bhardwaj’s dedication of all the National Awards for Haider is ‘fraudish’, feels actor Anupam Kher.
Director Vishal Bhardwaj’s dedication of all the National Awards for Haider is ‘fraudish’, feels actor Anupam Kher. Kher, a Kashmiri Pandit himself, took to Twitter to vent his disappointment. In a series of tweets, Kher said that, ‘Vishal Bhardwaj’s dedication of for National Awards to Kashmiri Pandits genocide is fraudish when ‘he in fact humiliated us by doing dance of devil at our temple.’
Anupam Kher vocally opposed Haider during it’s release for a politically tilted story-telling of Kashmir issue.
Anupam Kher ✔ @AnupamPkher
Follow
The so called ‘Hindu’ centric Govt. gave Haider 5 National Awards which many felt was anti-Hindu & anti Indian Army. This is NOT Talibanism.
4:06 PM – 24 Mar 2015
Why are they calling Byomkesh Bakshi a detective? Isn’t this a label disliked by him in the books where he insisted upon being called ‘Satyanveshi’ – seeker of truth?
The title itself takes away the spirit, how can one expect to find it in the film? I’m wondering of course. Don’t want to judge without having seen the film, which I might if I get the chance.
A Hindi film buff from America punches his way into the fan club of Bollywood action movies
In his introduction Stadtman explains that as a longtime fan of cult movies, he came to 70s Bollywood after having been through Mexican lucha libre filmography as well as Turkish superhero mash-ups: he was seeking ‘speed, violence and garish style […] but cloaked in a cultural context that makes it all seem somehow fresh and new again’. Given this brief, and the glut of eye-popping material that mainstream Hindi films provided him, he might easily have constructed the whole book around tongue-in-cheek descriptions of costumes, props and villains’ lairs—such as this one from his account of the 1978 Azaad: ‘The Machine of Death includes dozens of swinging spiked balls arrayed around a lava pit like a deadly game of Skittle Bowl, a tunnel lined with spinning buzz-saw blades on sticks leading to a giant industrial fan with saw-toothed blades, and a cavernous hall that shakes, dislodging hundreds of empty glass bottles to shatter down on whoever passes through. This […] strikes me as potentially being extremely troublesome to set up again once sprung.’
Haha, that description of the contraption from Azaad rings so true: they were showing it on TV a couple of months ago and I ended up watching most of it… Someone must have ben stoned to come up with that (although the effect is a bit undone by the fact that Dharam and Hema Mailini are about as straight as straight can be in this film)…
“It’s one of the most beautiful films on Indian screens. I haven’t seen a movie like this for a long time. Sushant Singh Rajput is great. The film is really interesting to watch. People should see it,” Zoya said here on Friday after watching the film at a special screening.
“It’s an experience. It’s very beautiful. The cinematography is excellent. The production design is gorgeous. It is very stylistic. Dibakar is a craftsman,” she added.
Did not expect such a short span for Anurag Kashyap and his “Hattkay” group of filmakers. I mean with all the experimentation, different ideas and exploration this breed has lost touch with some of the very basic notions that makes cinema attractive. With all this intellectualization and the quest to create masterpieces they can’t even deliver a film that is interesting. Hattkay worked for a while when it was new but every hattkay film looks the same even when the story and themes are different. Its not cinema, it is not story telling, there is no magic on screen, nothing larger than life, it has just become an obsession of a few individuals hell bent on competing with world cinema. There is not even a shelf life. All the so-called masterpieces have become stale after a few years of release while the a good movie in a typical bollywood mould is still watchable even after decades. Private obsessions and hollywood inspirations was never going to survive. A truly rooted vinod chopra has been consistently able to deliver good when he followed his heart and did not try to be a copycat. And when he wanted to venture into hollywood he made what looks like a solid hollywood film rather than a cheap hindi immitation.
yes, yes and yes….alas the plot and story are lame…in the end, if beautiful frames are to be captured and disaplayed, lets have a photo/video exhibition….not a telling of the tale…..that is the lost in my opinion 😦 !
“But, Sushant Singh Rajput is not the only good thing about the film. Angoori Devi (Swastika Mukherjee) looks every bit a potential exotic dancer who also knows a lot about what’s going on. A bit of diffused light on her face and she becomes as opaque as a butter paper. Ajit (Anand Tiwari), Byomkesh’s client who unknowingly changes into his assistant, is a man of average intelligence, but he is so intrigued by the pace of the events that he decides to carry on. A fitness freak like Ajit is a valuable asset for any detective. Other character actors like Meiyang Chang and Divya Menon have also done justice to their roles.
A puritan may have some problems with the accent of the lead actor, but the director has tried to justify his fluency in Hindi. Byomkesh was born and brought up in Bihar and when he came to Calcutta, he saw it in a different light than people who were always there.
The suspense is good, but the film is more like a thriller in its structure. The background score seems absurd as it’s hard to imagine hard rock in Calcutta of those times, but trust me, it absolutely fits into the scheme of things. In fact, it may ring in your head every time somebody mentions detective Byomkesh Bakshy.
One more thing that clearly stands out is Nikos Andritsakis’ cinematography. His frames have brilliantly captured the colonial City of Joy in different colours and many moods.
It’s a film that will keep you glued to the screen for all the 135 minutes it runs into. Don’t think of even missing a minute of it.”
“The casting is apt. From Sushant Singh Rajput, Anand Tiwari and Neeraj Kabi – they handle the three pivotal roles – the director extracts gestures that ring true, lines that sound real and actions that hit home.
Swastika Mukherjee, cast as a femme fatale who steams up the story with her presence, and debutante Divya Menon in the role of a girl who Byomkesh is drawn towards, have more than just decorative value.
Many of the other artistic choices that Dibakar Banerjee makes are also felicitous. Among them is the decision not to pepper the dialogue with Bengali words.
Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! is a Hindi film set in a Bengali milieu but it resists the temptation to go overboard with the linguistic and culture flavours of the locale in a bid for overstretched authenticity.
What the production design team gets absolutely right is the 1940s aura, with the Kolkata street scenes being particularly dazzling. The cars, trams, billboards and attires transport the audience to a different era and add to the impact of the film.
The film also plays with contrasts to great effect. The characters wear desi outfits of the period, but stylistically the film has the look and feel of a modern international thriller.
The eclectic background score composed of contemporary songs and sounds that sound anachronistic but enhance the visuals.
Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! is a cinematic delight that deserves a sustained run in the multiplexes. ”
“‘Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!’ is a film that filled me to the brim. It is the kind of film that I will recall and savour, flaws and all. The pacing is languorous, and in the second-half, the stutters become obvious. The Mata Hari like Mukherjee is perfectly accoutered, ivory-handled pistol and all. She is the eye-catching glamour quotient of the film; the ‘good girl’, played by Menon, has a couple of moments too. But this is a film that is put into motion and charged by its men, and its biggest weakness is its leading man: Sushant Singh Rajput plays at being Byomkesh, getting in some well-judged gum-shoeing glee in places, but never quite fills in the outlines.
But this is also one of those films that makes up for the principal actor’s deficiencies by the performances of those who surround him. Anand Tiwari’s second-fiddle act is first-rate, and Neeraj Kabi, as the deceptively and determinedly good-natured doctor who runs the shabby-genteel ‘men-only’ lodgings where much of the action takes place, is so good you forgive his last-minute exaggerations.
You can say the same thing about the film.”
“Another aspect that falls flat is the femme fatale of Swastika Mukherjee, who makes the worst Bollywood debut since Nargis Fakhri in Rockstar. Most of her seduction is unintentionally hilarious at best and her big, dramatic moment only hurts the film at its weakest point. Fortunately she’s balanced out by the rest of the excellent cast, including Neeraj Kabi, Divya Menon and particularly Tiwari as the sidekick who literally kicks down doors with his side.
What’s wonderful is that you absolutely do not have to be familiar with the old cases of Byomkesh Bakshy to enjoy this film. It’s perfectly calibrated for both old hats and newcomers. It renders a bit of pop culture to today’s audiences – after all, we’ve never really had an adventurer in desi cinema.
Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! is ultimately a wicked cocktail of clues, images, sounds, emotions and sensations. From start to end, you’ll be firmly affixed to the edge of your seat. Hopefully this is the start of a franchise and the dawn of a bold new era for Yash Raj Films.”
“Somewhat like Banerjee. No other Indian director of late has moved with such restlessness between genres and themes. Khosla Ka Ghosla! was a middle-of-the-road comedy; Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!, an acid dissection of social climbing in class-conscious Delhi; Love, Sex Aur Dhokha, a defiantly un-pretty film about a society that is increasingly under surveillance; Shanghai, a political thriller in the vein of Z. It’s pointless to say that something looks or sounds like a Banerjee film because he’s constantly altering our perceptions of what this might be. There are scenes in Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! that could only have come from him. Yet there are others that might have been directed by Japanese film-maker Takeshi Kitano.
One of the delights of Banerjee’s films is his ability to conjure up settings that explain characters and their motivations without anyone saying a word. Here, working with production designer Vandana Kataria, he offers a detailed recreation of Calcutta circa 1943. Unlike the genteel depictions of the city one usually sees in period films, this Calcutta has a rude energy: Junkies and cabaret singers rub shoulders with pukka sahibs in the crowded streets, and air-raid sirens sound every night. Even the film posters hint at barely suppressed desires: Alfred Hitchcock’s Shadow Of A Doubt, about a niece’s infatuation with her killer uncle, and Howard Hughes’ Outlaw, a film notable mainly for its preoccupation with Jane Russell’s bosom.”
Watching Detective Byomkesh Bakshy on the big screen was an exhilarating experience.
I have had mixed feelings about Dibakar Banerjee’s films. I found his Khosla Ka Ghosla utterly charming. Missed Oye Lucky Oye. Found Love, Sex and Dhoka, very smart but with something missing and therefore not quite memorable. Shanghai was again very well made, but there was something clinical and underwhelming about it. So I did not quite know how DBB was going to turn out.
But I was hooked from Frame 1. Actually I entered the show a few minutes late, and when I took my seat, Byomkesh was trying to lie his way through to get a room in the hostel run by Dr Atanu Guha. The energy of the film got to me right away. Kolkata has never been presented in this kinetic avatar before. Trams zigzagging across streets, opium junkies, Chinese gangs, Japanese dentists, Burmese seductresses …ah it’s the queen of the east indeed. Add to it a dhoti-clad Bengali detective born and brought up in Munger and you have all the ingredients of a crackling fare. And Banerjee keeps spraying fresh droplets of oil to keep the pan sizzling whenever the heat simmers down a little. It’s slow-cooked fare, but not lacking in spice or sizzle, not at any part of its 135minutes running time.
What I love about the film is the way Banerjee lets us on in the very beginning that he is here to tell us a good story. Could there ever be an actress like Angooribala in Kolkata, was there ever a hostel in the Kolkata of 40’s where Japanese and Bengalis stay together … or has Kolkata ever had a dhoti clad private dick ready to take on Chinese gangs? This is not that kind of a film…one that researches to find out some arcane facts and then goes about recreating realities. It’s about telling a tall tale….in the tradition of all those cock-and-bull stories that all the Bengali writs from Premendra Mitra ( Ghana-da)to Satyajit Ray ( Felu-da) have been spinning, with their imagination and craft of story-telling being their most dependable tool rather than any real knowledge of the world of crime and international intrigues. And this is as tall as tales come…with a mix of opium cartels, gang wars, the fatal attraction between a Burmese seductress and a Bengali criminal mastermind, pre-independence Bengal politics, exciting scientific discovery and the power tussle between the British and the Japanese. Whoaw! Delicious.
I like the expressionistic mode in which Banerjee tells his tale. The moody cinematography of Nikos Andritsakis ( I am trying hard to memorize this name) with rich colours and haunting interplay of light and shadow, the playful and pulsating music of Sneha Khanwalkar and the entire production design makes sure that you can’t take your eyes ( an your ears) off from the screen for a second. I cannot get the pumping rhythm of Khanwalkar’s soundtrack out of my mind, neither the wicked ‘ I don’t know what time it is , I don’t care what time it is, it’s the time for Calcutta Kiss” , nor the tantalizingly short phrases of Malkauns, and Baul song, and thumri ( More Piya mose na bole and Jao jao) that waft in between from time to time. I like the grunge look of the Gajanan Sikdar’s chemical factory and Dr Atanu Guha’s hostel. I like the carefully calibrated balance that Banerjee maintains between a pan-Indian look and feel and some hard-core Bangaliana ( take the inmates of the hostel, including the tea-boy ( Puti?). I like the droll humour ( sample: “Blood! Okay, forget the blood, just get the tea.’ Or the exchange in Bhojpuri between Byomkesh and the two security guards of the factory.) And I like the robust plot.
The performances are first rate. I liked to tongue-in-cheek faux-femme-fatale act of Swastika and the over-the-top clever villainy of Neeraj Kabi. And I think Sushant Singh Rajput may have pulled off an impossible cat here – create a genuine character franchise for the big screen. He makes Byomkesh very human…not super-intelligent, just above-average , with just awe bit of swagger, knowing and acknowledging when he has been beaten, and learning from his mistakes to evolve and move on.
It’s a character arch that will be interesting to observe over upcoming sequels ( I hope.)
Utkal; Thank you for this. Beautifully encapsulated. And I LOVED the film, easily the most “entertaining” cinematic experience (from Bollywood) I have had since Rohan Sippy’s Dum Maaro Dum. Will atleast be watching it twice more in the theatre.
I felt Sushant fell short somehow on his depiction of a detective coming of age. I was really expecting him to come into his own a quarter of the movie through and he did not. i wonder if this character needed a more starry portrayal than Sushant could provide. I cant think of anyone of the younger brigade being able to pull it off, perhaps a younger Saif or a Shahid even, dunno…..Sushant did not work for me at all.
Great review Utkul. it shows real insight and strength to go against the tide, which is apparent in your review and I am sure in movie (Haven’t had a chance to watch it yet) too.
“Written in the 1960s, Shajarur Kanta portrays an older Byomkesh (compared to the earlier stories which appeared in the 1930s with a younger ‘Satyanweshi’), and who better to bring out the measured, mildly sarcastic master sleuth than veteran Dhritiman Chatterjee, who interprets his character with his own erudite urbanity, slipping so well into Byomkesh’s skin that any successor would find it hard to shake him off.
Interestingly, the serial killings, powerful and integral as they are to the plot, are mere interjections punctuating the main story, which revolves around a love triangle between a recently married actress, her secret lover and her husband.
It is Byomkesh’s job to reveal the identities of both the serial killer and the lover. Konkona effectively plays a double role—portraying both the actress Deepa and also Deepa playing Tagore’s Nandini in a play (Raktakarabi) within the film and glides easily from the now-crafty, now-coy new bride to the passionately dramatic heroine. Kaushik has played a convincing range of characters in recent films—from sly politician and slimy husband to the angst-ridden thespian here. Indeed, Mitra’s casting is spot-on. Indraneil is the soft-spoken, gentlemanly, if sickly husband who could be as much a suspect as the unscrupulous bureaucrat-with-a-passion-for-theatre (Biswajit Chakraborty). Konkona as the wannabe Nandini is noteworthy, as it takes a good actress to portray a bad actress. Cinematography, editing, music, script combine to make this a memorable Byomkesh rendition. In the original, the killer’s penchant for porcupine quills is not fully explained. Mitra has his Byomkesh deliver dialogue that contains the clue.”
Todd Stadtman and the ‘funky’ Indian films of the 1970s
“However, this defensive nervousness about Stadtman’s book faded once I began reading it. It’s true that he was drawn to 1970s Hindi cinema by its colourful over-the-topness, and that his publishers have had fun with glitzy photos and trivia boxes (e.g. the sequence of images showing a mini-skirted Jeetendra transforming into a snake in Nagin while Sunil Dutt, rifle in hand, stands by stoically) – but this is not in essence a frivolous book hurriedly thrown together to capitalize on a market for corn and cheese. Stadtman has put thought into it. He writes with affection, and with the ambivalence that often makes this sort of writing so compelling – where one gets the sense that the author is struggling with his own responses to a film. Fans of pop culture that tends to get labeled “trash” (or “great trash”, to use Pauline Kael’s simplistic formulation for movies she loved but couldn’t think of as having artistic merit) will know the feeling. ”
The ultra-action sequel “Furious 7” exploded for an April record of $143.5 million in its U.S. box office debut this weekend, the year’s best and by far its most emotional, thanks to the presence of the late Paul Walker.
“Furious 7” was in a market-high 4,003 theaters across the nation and dominated. “Home,” the DreamWorks Animation family film that opened at No. 1 last weekend, held up well and took in a solid $27.4 million for second place – but finished roughly $115 million behind the leader. The other studios cleared out and no other movie opened wide.
Saw it on Friday. Not a huge fan of the franchise and found the film a bit too sentimental at times. However, I found some of the action in the film quite scintillating and imaginative.
The action scenes were pretty nice especially watching it in IMAX. The plot was pretty weak (compared to the previous one). This franchise has made an epic comeback because 9 years it was looking like it was on life support. They’ve done a good job of putting freshness into it. But I feel the next one will be stale…not sure where and what they are going to do now….you can only drive and crash so many cars.
The Great Bong on DBB –
The cinematic adaptations of Byomkesh had, almost all of them, been extremely tepid, and that includes Satyajit Ray’s “Chiriakhana” which, despite the genius of its maker, could only scratch the surface of the darkness of the original source-material, and Rituparno’s last film “Satyaneshi”, which looked like it was not totally the finished material when it was released, thus setting the bar of expectations for a Byomkesh movie extremely low.
The initial signs for Dibakar Banerjee’s “reboot” were encouraging. The trailers, with its “Tintin and the Blue Lotus” visual palette, its rather odd choice of casting the most un-Bangali-looking Sushant Singh Rajput as the titular character, and the rather period-incongruous music, suggested strongly that this would be a daring re-imagination and I was happy that it would be. I had had enough of over-literal Byomkesh adaptations, cause, dude, I had read the books.
I read somewhere that what book publishers nowadays often look for is not so much a “story” but a “world”. Dibakar Banerjee establishes the world, or at least the external trappings of it, more or less successfully, but loses the essence of a Bakshi story in the process http://greatbong.net/2015/04/06/detective-byomkesh-bakshy-the-review/
Neither was Raje Bauji a regular character nor was Ankhon Dekhi a typical Hindi film. So, what was your reaction when you were offered the film?
Rajat sir and I were shooting for Phans Gaye Re Obama. Both of us are from diverse acting schools, he comes from an English theatre background and I am from National School of Drama. Yet, we clicked. One day, Rajat sir told me that he will write a role for me. I had met many people who made such false promises. But once the film is over or association ends it is forgotten thing. So, I took it lightly. When I was in Delhi I received a call from Rajat sir. He told me that he had written the script and wanted to meet. I was pleasantly shocked but was busy and forgot about it.
Then, one day I heard that he approached Naseeruddin Shah for the role, who had liked it too. That’s when I realised and called up Rajat sir. He told me that he had already offered AD to Naseer. I was disheartened. A few days later Rajat sir called me and told me that he spoke to Naseer. Naseer told Rajat sir: ‘If you had got anyone else for this role I would have deleted your name from my phonebook. But if it is Sanjay Mishra I know he will do a good job.’ After watching the film, Naseer saab messaged me, undersigned as Naseer. I thought it must be someone so didn’t reply. Next day he messaged me back: Prabhuji, aap mujhse baat kar sakte hain? (Sir, can you please call or reply to my message). This time he undersigned Naseeruddin Shah. He said he cried a lot while watching the movie and wanted to cry again. I had to push Om Puri to go watch the film. When he met me he hugged and held on to me for long. It’s very humbling because back at NSD we looked up to these actors. Even Anupam Kher told me that he loved the film. I have received such unexpected love and appreciation for this film. Elderly people have come and touched my feet. This doesn’t happen for a T-20 match player. I have cried at every screening of AD. http://pandolin.com/no-one-knew-my-name-before-ankhon-dekhi-sanjay-mishra/
Mishra’s performance in AANKHON DEKHI HAS to be one of the most poignant performances ever, from a Hindi film-actor playing the role of a twilight-staring man. Great, great performance that is right up there with Balraj’s in GARAM HAWA and Anupam’s in SAARNASH & Charu Haasan’s in the Kannada film TABARANA KATHE. Performances of these kind, however, largely remain unsung in the mainstream film-media thanks to the fact there isn’t much external ‘noise’ reverberating from such naturalistic performances.
Detective Byomkesh Bakshy First Day Business
Saturday 04 April 2015 13.30 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Detective Byomkesh Bakshy had an okay start and grossed 4.25 crore nett on day one but it was Good Friday so there will be limited growth over the weekend. Normally a film like this can easily grow 30% on Saturday and this would have meant a fair 17-18 crore nett weekend but that is unlikely to happen here.
he film has mainly collected in the premium multiplexes of Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, Bangalore and South Delhi/Gurgaon and these tend to show big growth on Saturday but as it was a holiday on Friday growth at these multiplexes will be limited if any.
The director’s last film Shanghai had opened to 3.35 crore nett and in real terms the opening is around 15% better than that if we allow for the holiday. The bumper business of Fast & Furious 7 has also held back business but that is expected as Fast & furious 7 is more like a Hindi potboiler and Detective Byomkesh Bakshy although a Hindi film is like a foreign film. Outside the big metros, the business of Detective Byomkesh Bakshy is just 25-30% of Fast And Furious 7.
Detective Byomkesh Bakshi Second Day Business
Sunday 05 April 2015 09.30 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Detective Byomkesh Bakshy was flat on saturday as it did the roughly the same business on Saturday as Friday. This was expected as first day was a holiday so the opening was better than it would normally have been. The final figures from Mumbai and Delhi may take it slightly over the Friday figure but not by much. The approx first two day business of Detective Byomkesh Bakshy is as follows.
Friday – 4.25 crore
Saturday – 4.25-4.50 crore
TOTAL – 8.50-8.75 crore
The director’s last film had grossed 12.85 crore nett in its first weekend and Detective Byomkesh Bakshy should edge past the figures of that film but not by much.
Detective Byomkesh Bakshy Weekend Business
Monday 06 April 2015 12.00 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Detective Byomkesh Bakshy had a poor weekend as it grossed around 14.25 crore nett. The writing was on the wall on day one as the collections were not high enough for the for a holiday and Saturday remained pretty flat. Sunday was better with 20% growth and business in the 5.50 crore nett range.
The film has a very high ratio of business coming from the high end multiplexes which enabled the film have relatively decent figures at the PVR, DT and Inox chains while other multiplexes were poor. The film released at a limited number of single screens and collections were awful.
The film has performed best in West Bengal with business of over 1 crore nett giving it a 7% ratio when the norm is around 5-5.5% but that was always likely as film based in Kolkata. The business in Mumbai was 4.75 crore nett and Delhi/UP was 3.25 crore nett approx while East Punjab 1.60 crore nett apprx. The Central India markets of Rajasthan, CP Berar and CI were a disaster collecting just 1.50 crore nett between them.
Detective Byomkesh Bakshi Falls Badly On Monday
Tuesday 07 April 2015 11.30 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Detective Byomkesh Bakshy fell badly on Monday. The film had to gross over 2 crore nett at least on Monday to have some sirt of respectable final total but has no chance now. The approx first four day business of Detective Byomkesh Bakshy is as follows.
The film will probably close the week out out at around 19 crore nett and will not make much thereafter and may not even reach the 23 crore nett business of Shanghai.
Satyam: Would you be watching Byomkesh anytime soon? Would recommend a theatre viewing if you can, visuals are one of the primary strengths of the films.
Most of the multiplexes are surviving and they may have to close down just like malls. Even famous films lose steam after the first two weeks and what to speak of other films! When I wanted to watch Interstellar, NH10, the audience was zero and they waited for atleast 10 viewers to buy tickets! Same case with other small but acclaimed films. They just show that films are running but the truth is films dont run anymore. Nowadays, recent films like Baby, Ungli, Roy are already on channels.
Good point on Carey mulligan –incidentally don’t find her attractive..
” i wonder if this character needed a more starry portrayal than Sushant could provide.”— good point girl ..though haven’t seen the film.
this guy sushant DOES have potential & even some star appeal but it needs to be TAPPED.. Not by giving him a unibrow !
When a film dies before reaching 25 crores lifetime, it’s bad news for the ‘star’—
As I has predicted earlier …
Aankhon Dekhi
Have seen bits. It IS a v good effort but it’s NOT the best thing to hit Bollywood as it’s being made out to be..
The lead actor was v good and apt but reminded me of a certain villain sayaji something in ‘shool’ who was excellent in that film but not seen much since. The ‘physicality’ & space & ambience suited the ‘actors’ physicality & language in real life and so on
As for Mishra he was v good (infact excellent) but the role screamed for a bit of STAR PERSONA, a bit of STATURE … (Not an actor who is shocked at having landed the lead role!)
I have seen bits of ankhon Dekhi and there were few points that needed some tweaks in my humble opinion —
The good thing was that I fell asleep on a flight (but that may be due to other reasons)
some missed opportunities but later on that maybe ,.,
” i wonder if this character needed a more starry portrayal than Sushant could provide.”— good point girl ..though haven’t seen the film.
– dont know who you thought you were commending but thoda gender mismatch ho gaya!
Liked your point about the Chikni Chameli song….yes indeed, someone starry was who what was required for DBB…..Sushant is too without that kind of charisma where an entire screen lights up when he is in the frame….Hrithik does it, SRK does it, Aamir, Salman and Dutt do it…..not Sushant unfortunately 😦
By the way, I just stumbled upon this PIECE OF WORK again–saw it being played somewhere & Assessed it again
Sometimes the best ACTING talent is NOT needed
STAR PRESENCE compensates
Now note the (ironical) SUBVERSION in a kjo product–after initially resenting this film, imo this director knows his job and the magnitude of job at hand of remaking agneepath & actually appeared unscathed from this
We have THREE BIG STAR PRESENCES (& one of them is not the strongest of ‘actors’)
1) We have one of them going bald for the first time
Shaving off his eyebrows and looking menacing
he plays the ‘loveable’ munnabhai around the same time (contrast)
2) We have a heroine who hardly knows speaks hindi..
Here she is made to play the village RUSTIC temptress talking of ‘pauwaa’…
3) And we have a lead actor with the NEAR IMPOSSIBLE job of standing up to the role that is arguably bachchans MOST ICONIC ROLE and at his OWN iconic peak
In a role that’s PITCHED at a much more MELLOWER level
One of his strongest POINTS ie dancing is WITHDRAWN
In an ITEM DANCE number
And the BEST DANCER ON INDIAN CINEMA EVER
Is made to just— WATCH !!
IMPLOSIVE stuff ….
STARDOM cannot be MANUFACTURED
It’s either there or it’s not
The same for real life..
apex has made some valid observations about star value and star presence and some films get overpraise and why audience reject what critics love and vice versa.
The top ten footfalls of 2014 are as follows and the ATP (Average Ticket Price) for each film is in brackets.
1. PK – 2.79 cr (160)
2. Kick – 2.03 cr (141)
3. Happy New Year – 1.63 cr (146)
4. Singham Returns – 1.43 cr (133)
5. Bang Bang – 1.31 cr (144)
6. Jai Ho – 1.24 cr (120)
7. Holiday – 1.16 cr (131)
8. 2 States – 95.5 lakhs (145)
9. Ek Villain – 93.3 lakhs (141)
10. Gunday 72.4 lakhs – (136)
The year saw some grossing films topping the 150 ATP mark for the first time with PK leading the list as it managed to hold first weekend ticket rates all through the week. Other films which topped 150 were Queen and Haider. The lower end of the grossing films saw Jai Ho and Action Jackson as they had a huge ratio of business coming from single screens. The footfalls have come down for blockbuster films due to high ticket prices as Gadar topped 4 crore in 2001 and Hum Aapke Hai Kaun was much more than 4 crore in 1994.
The biggest FAKERY here is the ‘pretence’ of being ‘fair’ & ‘scientific’ by giving the ticket prices –20 p difference –wtf?
Which of these films above were NOT solo releases and which of these got a FREE run with no other release for two weeks or more?
How many screens were these released on and how much was the FIRST day earning INSPITE of those enhanced screen numbers–
This info strips bare some ‘truths’..
Apex, when a student scores highest marks, one does not say that he went to tuition classes, that he had a good atmosphere at home, that he studies for 16 hours a day etc. What we see is his marks, the ultimate result.
I think in terms of footfall, 3 Idiots’s performance really stands out during recent times. Movies aren’t made for the long haul these days. They are made to open big, earn money quickly and they fizzle out after 2 weeks run.
Times have changed quickly. Gadar was earning more in week 2 and week 3 than in week 1. I remember it’s performance in week 9 was comparable to week 1.
Now, we have ‘super hits’ like HNY who manage 60% of its lifetime business within its first week-end.
In this context, 3 Idiots’ run is remarkable indeed. Started well and remained very stable for nearly 3 weeks. And by stable, I am not talking about the 60% drops which is the norm these days. 3 Idiots was being watched again and again during those first few weeks and its collections hardly dropped. It is the one exception that defies the recent trends.
Not sure about others, but I am quite excited about the new Daredevils TV series which will be out on the net on the 10th (all the episodes are being released simultaneously for binge-watching).
The ‘American editor’ is usually a sign of more trouble in these contexts. There has been so much negativity surrounding this one from Tandon walking out saying she was tired of constant changes, to release dates because of reshoots and so on it would be remarkable if a good enough film turned out at the end of it all (not talking box office here).
Kashyap might have bitten off more than he could chew. Because going from small quirky films (for the most part) or even smaller dramas to a big scale production is a transition that’s not easy to pull off. The Catch-22 here is that if you retain your instincts as a director you make the film unacceptable to a larger audience (you might get a bigger initial with a star but then negative WOM is also much greater than for a smaller film.. with the latter only an audience already more open-minded in this sense shows up). On the other hand if you start making compromises since you are not making a regular commercial film and you’re also not a regular director in the same way you run the risk of unhinging the entire project. Which is why it’s very common for such directors to later complain that they’re vision wasn’t allowed and so forth. This is actually true but it’s idealistic to believe that one would be given a massive budget just to preserve one’s auteurist instincts. Now there are directors like Ratnam or Mehra who might get away with this because they already have successful films behind them. So they take their producers/distributors by surprise sometimes. But to keep doing that they need to keep coming up with successes in between. Too much of this and they too are in trouble. But Kashyap is in a different category because he’s not coming off a RDB or a Guru and moreover he isn’t a commercial director at all. So to begin with no one would give him that sort of latitude. There was a piece somewhere about how he might have initially wanted Ranveer Singh (and this might not have necessarily been his first choice) but then with Ranbir he got an additional budget. But this isn’t a free ride. Because though you get a bigger initial with the latter you also have a more expensive film in the process. and now if even the songs are being cut out it’s that much more trouble trying to get to a respectable gross.
But notice how tricky things are in the industry. One day Ranbir had YJHD, a film that succeeded beyond anyone’s wildest dreams, and he of course had other successes leading up to it. But then Besharam was a disaster beyond anyone’s wildest nightmares and now BV, the prestige film is looking more and more problematic by the day. Meanwhile Jagga Jasoos has also been delayed with the silly excuse that Katrina was working on both this and Phantom and she decided to complete the latter first! Sooner or later Ranbir will have the Johar film that’s being talked about (the love triangle or whatever). Unlike Abhishek I think he’ll go in for course correction much faster if BV fails. But the point is this stuff isn’t easy. Sure you can keep doing YJHD but the moment you try and mix it up (which Ranbir needs to as a prestige star) the trouble begins. There are lots of ways of ‘seeming’ to be different without really being so. But very hard to actually do the different and pull it off.
3 hrs to 2 hours is a huge chunk of the film to cut, not sure why they would do that. Even if they cut all the songs, that should be like 30 min (which is also a terrible idea). BV looks like a lost cause imo. Jagga Jasoos should be good if it releases this year but Ranbir is taking way to much time with his films. He is looking at 2.5 years between hits. Tamasha should be huge as should the Karan Johar film.
Even if BV ends up flopping, the subsequent movies will bring him back in the reckoning. Among the current crop of actors in his generation only Ranveer comes close to RK’s BO pull. He will be back on track with KJo’s movie and Tamasha. To add to that I am sure he will do another movie with Ayan Mukherjee as well
Agree. He is the only visible star among the Ranveers and Varun dhawans inspite of his flops. He is lambi race ka ghoda.
Irrespective of boxoffice, BV may be a memorable film.
His novels and short stories published in literary magazines and popular journals made him a household name in Tamil society. And in a state where Brahmins are at a receiving end, Jayakanthan viewed the community sympathetically and his works bear testimony to his views.
In the Communist party, he was close to K. Baladhandayutham. JK, as he was known, said in his autobiography that it was Baladhandayutham, just released after serving a life term, who drew him to politics with his thunderous speeches.
He took enormous pride in his skills as a writer and fiery orator. He spoke his mind candidly, undaunted by anyone or anything. At a meeting organised at Sathyamurthy Bhavan to condole the death of Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai, he made the leaders squirm by lambasting Anna and the DMK
But he mellowed down with the passage of time and DMK leader M. Karunanidhi, despite Jayakanathan’s contempt for the Dravidian movement, respected him and finally won him over. “I have always been against the Dravidian movement. But the leaders have always been kind to me,” he said at a meeting later.
He shared the passion of many CPI leaders for Nehruvian socialism and had great respect for Indira Gandhi. He later joined the Tamil Desiya Katchi launched by E.V.K. Sampath and both of them, along with poet Kannadasan, went over to the Congress subsequently.
He also edited a pro-Congress daily Navasakthi for a while.
Once his popularity as a writer declined, and as the Congress’s political fortunes too nosedived, he withdrew into a shell. Yet, his courage of conviction was something very rare, and he never hesitated to swim against the current. Long before Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination, he denounced the LTTE as a fascist organisation at every opportunity, much to the chagrin of Tamil nationalists.
He wrote very little in the last phase of his life, but used to be the centre of a regular adda at his room or in his residence in Chennai.
Multiplexes make more money by selling popcorn at exorbitant rates than ticket sales.
How will it effect bollywood if multiplexes do not play bollywood in prime time in one of their screens?
I dont think it will affect that much if the film is really good. Fanaa was banned in Gujarat unofficially, yet it became a huge hit. PK was affected by various lawsuits and public anger which reduced screen count considerably, yet it became a huge blockbuster.
Karnataka limits number of multiplexes playing one big bollywood movie to protect Kannada film industry.
As the minister said, the move was initiated by the erstwhile UPA government.
There are some very good marathi movies and the move will give a boost to the regional cinema.
Those who want to make one day records and those who want to make a killing in the first weekend itself will be affected. Also average movies will suffer. Usually, the prime time is the rushhour for officegoers and families and also for students and ladies.
Obnoxious stuff !
Where are the ‘liberals’? Why isn’t there enough condemnation of this ?
One sees more objections to the ‘misogyny’ of denying deepika the right to be wantonly promiscuous …
The Yazidi religious minority community in Iraq says 3,500 of its women and girls are still being held by the so-called Islamic State (IS), many being used as sex slaves. A few have managed to escape and here tell their harrowing stories
A guide to slavery
It seems that IS has, indeed, given out orders on the proper use of women as slaves.
The group’s Department of Research and Fatwas (religious edicts) has issued a pamphlet with the chillingly matter-of-fact title: “Questions and Answers on Taking Captives and Slaves”.
An IS pamphlet instructs fighters about sexual activity with female captives
The document appears to be genuine. It was posted on an jihadist web forum and, apparently, given out after Friday prayers in Mosul.
Christians, Jews and Yazidi women can all be taken as slaves, it says. Women can be bought, sold, and given as gifts; they can be disposed of as property if a fighter dies.
The pamphlet’s Q&A format includes the following:
Question: Is it allowed to have intercourse with a female captive immediately after taking possession of her? Answer: If she is a virgin, her master can have intercourse with her immediately after taking possession. But if she is not, you must make sure she is not pregnant.
Question: Is it allowed to have intercourse with a female slave who has not reached puberty? Answer: You may have intercourse with a female slave who hasn’t reached puberty if she is fit for intercourse. However, if she is not fit for intercourse, it is enough to enjoy her without.
It is a depraved and depressing document, at odds with mainstream Islam, though well-researched with Koranic verses and hadiths, or reports of what the Prophet Muhammad said or approved.
One theory is that the pamphlet was actually issued to try to restrain the more outlandish behaviour of IS fighters. It says, for instance that a man may not sleep with his wife’s slave, or with another man’s slave; and that a man may own two sisters but not sleep with them at the same time.
Victims mocked
The atmosphere among IS fighters was revealed by a now-notorious video which appears to show a group of young men eagerly looking forward to their turn at the slave market.
Is a vada pav any less than popcorn? asks Marathi playwright Jayant Pawar
• Swati Goel Sharma and Aishwarya Iyer, Hindustan Times, Mumbai
|
• Updated: Apr 08, 2015 21:34 IST
________________________________________
Even as some cinema owners and film professionals criticised the Maharashtra government’s fresh order for multiplexes to ensure the screening of at least one Marathi film in their prime time slots, many Maharashtrians have welcomed the move. There was certainly a need for such a slot for local films, many said.
Mugdha Abhijeet Risbud, 40, who teaches at KJ Somaiya College of Science and Commerce, Vidyavihar, said she can finally watch a Marathi film with her family after work. “I never miss out on successful Marathi films, but the timings were always a problem,” she said. “In this cosmopolitan city, we Maharashtrians are taken for granted. I am very happy about this rule,” she said.
Risbud’s sentiment was echoed by Thane resident Shubhangi Deshpande, who rued that whenever her family went to a multiplex in the evening, the members were forced to watch Hindi films, even if they wanted a Marathi one.
Marathi author and Sahitya Akademi awardee Laxman Gaikwad, while expressing relief over the rule, wondered if it was acceptable for the government to force multiplex owners to run losses, in the event that such shows get a dismal response. This concern was rejected by another Sahitya Akademi winner and Marathi playwright, Jayant Pawar. “It is not a lack of response that makes multiplexes relegate Marathi films to morning slots, but a derogatory mentality towards them. Not all big Hindi films go house-full. Multiplexes have shied away from even giving Marathi films an opportunity,” said Pawar.
Criticising a tweet by columnist Shobhaa De that vada pav should now replace popcorn to go well with Marathi films, Pawar said, “Is vada pav any less than popcorn? It’s all about an inferior image our industry people have for anything regional.”
Mechanical engineer Vedant Veralkar, 21, felt the move was inviting unnecessary ire, as people still have the option of watching other movies at prime time. Suresh Argade, an accountant, said, “The family was forced to travel to a single screen only to watch Marathi movies. Now, we can just go the nearest multiplex.”
I do not go to office, so timings were never a problem for me. But I still think it is the right move by the government, because Marathi films will get more visibility and hold a better chance of commercial success.
~Veena Narayanan, student of Kelkar College
I could seldom watch Marathi movies at the multiplex because of the odd timings. I will now get the chance to do so.
~Shubham Shetye, a mass media student
that’s ridiculous. Shobha De’s point was the obvious one that if you’re going to force people to screen Marathi films in primetime slots (the govt has since withdrawn this condition, it’s now 12-9) on the basis of such misplaced nationalist claims you might as well also ask people to patronize ‘local’ snacks as opposed to popcorn. Candidly this whole ‘Marathi’ obsession that the Sena has fostered is one of the more absurd spectacles of contemporary India. This is something done quite often in the South also where at the drop of a hat someone’s sentiments are hurt. And of course 99% of the time these are orchestrated protests. The vast bulk of Maharashtrians or Tamilians or whoever don’t have the time to get obsessed with these frivolous issues but parties play politics with this stuff. And many get taken in. Now I’m all for fostering Marathi cinema but the way to do it is with govt incentives, tax breaks and the like and not by forcing theaters to play films in certain slots. I could never quite stand ethnic politics in any case for all sorts of reasons but one of the consequences is that it keeps people in a permanent state of insecurity where every other thing becomes an insult and an existential problem. Shobha De’s intention was a different one but so what if she even wanted to insult a few people? This is a democracy the last time I checked! And I think that among this sort of issue wouldn’t make my top 1000 of problems facing Maharashtra let alone the nation! And I’m being generous. But again people who think life changes when ‘Bombay’ becomes ‘Mumbai’ deserve this kind of politics!
It is affordable housing 🙂
They should have said they will not take tax for Marathi screening in prime time upto a limit. It would have incentivized the multiplexes to show Marathi movies.
When BJP came to power with such a huge majority, I thought it will control ethnic politics which divides the country. Unfortunately they want to make their votebank stronger by doing their own share of parochial politics. They want to have their cake and eat it too. It is a different thing if parties like DMK, TMC are what they are because they never were hypocritical about what they want. Congress party also plays this game when it suits it. We dont need external enemies to trouble us. We have our own people fighting against each other.
Now my liking for ‘cock tail’ is legendary and well documented!
But what has homi adjania done since ??
He tried to find deepikas fanny which turned a damp squib
In five goddamm years, the chap has come up with this deepika video –wtf has been doing ?!
As for deepika–why is she sitting on homis lap like this !?
In other films, she acts like SRKs default unpaid worker
There are well documented reports of deepika smooching hrithik in public and trying to make out even in the presence of Ranveer singh.
Being the thorough gentleman and for the sake of poor ranveer singh, hrithik didn’t go all the way (in public!)
But why is she sitting on homis lap like thi
What’s next
Any tom dick and harry like arjun kapoor,
And bloody studio boy or even tea seller can make out with deepika ?
Is this a bloody free for all?
What’s chilling about the IS sex slave stuff above is —
“is a depraved and depressing document, well-researched with Koranic verses and hadiths, or reports of what the Prophet Muhammad said or approved.”
What’s even MORE chilling is the SILENCE
From those who
Write long essays objecting the ‘vandalism’ in PK screenings (that couldn’t stop PK from becoming the alltime biggest hit)
Or long essays to protest the insistence for one show to encourage local cinema —
Guess these are the people who give sermons about the correct treatment of minorities —
Guess the answers are in Kashmir, ISIS, and other such settings
It’s the ‘SILENCE’ of these voices that’s STRATEGIC!
SATYAMSHOT 
April 3, 2015 at 12:49 AM
Furious 7 has opened with 10 crore nett on Day one..BB will struggle.
LikeLike
April 3, 2015 at 2:02 AM
‘Dilwale’ to be released this Christmas: Rohit Shetty
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/dilwale-to-be-released-this-christmas-rohit-shetty/537691-8-66.html
LikeLike
April 3, 2015 at 7:27 AM
Naina jo ladte hain
Ladne de oh piya
Nainon ki kitabein
Padhne de oh piya
Ps : ace perfomance by all the three women here in hunterrr..
Not showing anywhere –any ‘legal link’ to this ?
LikeLike
April 3, 2015 at 7:30 AM
She had too much understanding to be entirely governed by her womanliness, had too much womanliness to use her understanding to her best advantage.
Carey Mulligan is somebody I used to hate & found unworthy of being a lead actress. But noticed her work in the great Gatsby which led me back to ‘an education’. She has this British reticence, apartness & self- effacivenss. Though I don’t find her attractive, she can emote without the need to go over the top, shout, scream or indulge in exaggerated theatrics.
She is apt for the conflicted compleat part of this Thomas Hardy Classic.
Ps: unfortunately in the times of iron man, avengers, transformers capturing mainstream space (& most bloggers here) quality stuff doesn’t merit attention!
But my ‘quality sensor’ seldom misses worthy stuff…
LikeLike
April 7, 2015 at 3:45 PM
She was terrific in DRIVE as she was in AN EDUCATION. I first noticed her in the latter.
LikeLike
April 3, 2015 at 10:06 AM
“Detective Byomkesh Bakshy”… A tedious origins story
LikeLike
April 3, 2015 at 12:29 PM
Can’t say I’m surprised.. did think for a while this might be a better than expected film.. in any case Rangan is making all the right points as far as I’m concerned (Hollywood et al).
LikeLike
April 3, 2015 at 10:08 AM
Amitabh Bachchan, Farhan Akhtar’s ‘Wazir’ to release on October 2 this year
http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/amitabh-bachchan-farhan-akhtars-wazir-to-release-on-october-2-this-year/
LikeLike
April 3, 2015 at 12:26 PM
This is why I love Rangan !! LMAO !!
1.-It’s 1943. This gives Banerjee and his team to indulge in some characteristically brilliant detailing – even if everything is reminiscent of Hollywood. Angoori Devi is styled like a Clara Bow type. The posters on the streets scream out Shadow of a Doubt and The Ox-Bow Incident, 1943 releases both. But the biggest blockbuster in India at the time was Ashok Kumar’s Kismat, our first one-crore grosser. That doesn’t seem to be playing anywhere. Or maybe that’s not cool enough to be part of the immaculate production design. After all, Banerjee does take a lot of his cues from Hollywood and other foreign cinema.
and –
2.At least Hitchcock did not think he was above mere “entertainment.” Detective Byomkesh Bakshi! suffers from the high-mindedness that suffocated Shanghai as well. We aren’t just making a movie. We’re sculpting a masterpiece.
LikeLike
April 4, 2015 at 11:25 AM
Predictively all the Kashyap Bhakts reviewers have been going Ga ga over it !!
PS- I like Dibankar’s movies ( except Shanghai )
LikeLike
April 7, 2015 at 2:56 PM
i have absolutely loved Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye….that has to be his absolute masterpiece….the music to completely die for!
the young Lucky played by Navjot (who is one of the leads in FUKREY) absolutely killed it!
Ambitions are great for Dibaker, he is bound to get it right, sadly not with DBB.
LikeLike
April 3, 2015 at 12:37 PM
Read this another great piece of Rangan- ( from 2008 )-
FIVE MINUTES OF FUN AND NOTHING ELSE?
LikeLike
April 3, 2015 at 1:15 PM
Reading those points from Rangan itself distances me further from BB. I will be spending all moolah on Furious 7 as that delivers and has great reports.
LikeLike
April 3, 2015 at 3:27 PM
The seventh edition of Fast And Furious has taken the biggest opening for a Hollywood film in India.
It also has the distinction of taking the biggest opening of 2015 so far.
Producer-exhibitor N R Pachisia says, “The F & F franchise has always done well in India. However, the opening of this film on Thursday was extraordinary.” While the Vin Diesel, Jason Statham film is said to have collected approximately Rs 11 crore from Indian box office; in Bangalore alone, the film did a business of Rs 1.30 crore.
The only Bollywood film that is likely to clash with F & F 7 is the mystery flick Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! that has opened today (Good Friday). While the thrills in Fast And Furious 7 have the action-junkies hooked; there are also those who are coming back teary-eyed because of the touching tribute to Paul Walker, that the makers of the film have added at the end.
This is the same film for which Deepika Padukone tried hard. However it was said that she couldn’t allot the required dates because of her Bollywood commitments at that point. It’s a pity because Fast And Furious 7 will rewrite desi box office history with or without having one of our own.
While the early collections of F & F 7 were estimated to be around Rs 11 crore in the domestic market making it the highest ever opener for a Hollywood film, the latest box office collections say that the film netted Rs 11.75 crore on the opening day. The previous big Hollywood opener was The Amazing Spider Man 2 with a collection of Rs 7.50 crore.
Some of the other Hollywood films that have done well at the domestic box office are Roland Emmerich’s blockbuster disaster epic 2012, the Spider Man series and also the Bond films Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale. Industry sources say that action films have an advantage even when dubbed in Indian languages like Hindi, Tamil and Telugu because the action surpasses language barriers. That is one of the main reasons why F & F 7 is racing furiously at the local ticket windows
LikeLike
April 3, 2015 at 5:07 PM
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/Teenager-with-body-of-104-year-old-dies/articleshow/46797452.cms
Teenager with body of 104-year-old dies
LikeLike
April 3, 2015 at 10:25 PM
What really separates the new film from its predecessors is its emotional depth; the knowledge that this is Paul Walker’s last turn as Brian O’Conner. Despite his tragic death midway through production, Walker remains a key figure in the film, thanks to the clever use of body doubles and nifty CGI effects. It’s hard not to get at least a little misty-eyed during the touching finale in which his character is given a fitting sendoff. Who’d have thought we’d leave a Fast & Furious film surrounded by mournful silence?
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/furious-7-review-it-has-emotional-depth-with-a-touching-finale/537821-47-84.html
LikeLike
April 4, 2015 at 12:22 AM
Didn’t want to miss friend Gulshan’s Hunterrr. Afraid that they might move it out on Friday, drove alone for a 10pm show. Reach there and find they are not running it. Having parked the car, I thought let me check out Fast and Furious 7 ( Had seen the only other option, NH10, twice.). My god, can a film be so uninteresting. Must be a long long time since I actually walked out of a film. But with this one I did. Fortunately, it was not a single-screen, and I could get my car out!
LikeLike
April 4, 2015 at 11:18 AM
Sir jee ,we also want to know the cost of parking, were you able to get the refund (if you walked out within 30 minutes), Popcorn khaye ya naheen,
LikeLike
April 4, 2015 at 2:33 PM
Now this is unfair, Utkal. F7 is as good/bad as previous films and actually is lot more emotional towards the end coz of extraordinary Paul Walker send off. You are clearly the wrong audience for this kind of film. For me the movie was great fun and totally worth the franchise and excellent ending for Paul. Even Rotten Tomatoes has it over 81% which is certainly not worthy of walking out during the show. As expected there is not much plot, its all thrills and chases and action and that is delivered. Gonna make huge money all over, its as simple as that.
LikeLike
April 4, 2015 at 3:28 PM
cant be true! Utkal was it the April fool prank on us?
LikeLike
April 7, 2015 at 3:01 PM
whereabouts did you try to watch HUNTERRR? I am SOOOOOOO interested in finding out what people here thought of this movie…..imo its a cut above many of the nonsense being produced these days and yes of course it has been placed a bit oddly (its so NOT A SEX comedy) !!!!
LikeLike
April 4, 2015 at 1:21 AM
Top Indian mountaineer Malli Mastan Babu, who went missing on Mar 24, found dead
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Top-Indian-mountaineer-Malli-Mastan-Babu-who-went-missing-on-Mar-24-found-dead/articleshow/46802432.cms?
LikeLike
April 4, 2015 at 2:07 AM
Byomkesh Badass Bakshy and Sneha Kickass Khanwalakar, take a bow! You rocked my Friday night.
LikeLike
April 4, 2015 at 11:22 AM
Sir jee waiting eagerly for your review as to how Shri Byomkesh jee broke the shackles of RSS and Hinduism and converted his Kismet to an Angrez Bond.
LikeLike
April 4, 2015 at 3:12 AM
Saina Nehwal loses top spot after defeat in Malaysia Open semifinals
How fickle topspots are. One day on top of the world and the next day someone else.
LikeLike
April 4, 2015 at 6:29 AM
darn.. that was short..
LikeLike
April 4, 2015 at 3:29 PM
She will be BACK
LikeLike
April 4, 2015 at 7:43 AM
THE “ONE OF TWO TRICK PONY” SYNDROME!
Haven’t seen byomkesh bak shy but don’t think it’ll be as bad as being made out to be. BUT have never seemed anything special from the promos etc–so my ‘radar’ never sensed anything worthy.
The problem was the dibakar was an EXCELLENT filmmaker TILL he restricted himself to Khosla, LSD, oye lucky and that middle class delhi sensibility.
If one CHARTS dibakar getting LOST—
Around the time of GOW, many kashyap wannabes were AWESTRUCK–and most stayed mum though (like many bloggers here & didn’t express their admiration)
But it led to a GERM within that URGED them to do more/BIGGER
resulted in the damp squib SHANGHAI (that I never watched)
Now he wanted to try other bigger things and that seems to have resulted in Bakshy
The ONLY worthwhile entity here is SUSHANT RAJPUT –who is a genuine talent
SIMILARLY we see bloggers/commenters here and elsewhere who suffer from this ‘ONE OR TWO TRICK PONY’ syndrome
And the faculties of some are further compromised by moderation duties …
LikeLike
April 4, 2015 at 7:57 AM
Anupam Kher slams Vishal Bhardwaj for dedicating National Award to Kashmiri Pandits
IndiaToday.in March 25, 2015 | UPDATED 10:06 IST
Director Vishal Bhardwaj’s dedication of all the National Awards for Haider is ‘fraudish’, feels actor Anupam Kher.
Director Vishal Bhardwaj’s dedication of all the National Awards for Haider is ‘fraudish’, feels actor Anupam Kher. Kher, a Kashmiri Pandit himself, took to Twitter to vent his disappointment. In a series of tweets, Kher said that, ‘Vishal Bhardwaj’s dedication of for National Awards to Kashmiri Pandits genocide is fraudish when ‘he in fact humiliated us by doing dance of devil at our temple.’
Anupam Kher vocally opposed Haider during it’s release for a politically tilted story-telling of Kashmir issue.
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/anupam-kher-vishal-bhardwaj-national-award-kashmiri-pandits-haider-indian-army/1/425611.html
Anupam Kher ✔ @AnupamPkher
Follow
The so called ‘Hindu’ centric Govt. gave Haider 5 National Awards which many felt was anti-Hindu & anti Indian Army. This is NOT Talibanism.
4:06 PM – 24 Mar 2015
Ps: where are all the ‘sane’ voices now ??
LikeLike
April 4, 2015 at 8:31 AM
Why are they calling Byomkesh Bakshi a detective? Isn’t this a label disliked by him in the books where he insisted upon being called ‘Satyanveshi’ – seeker of truth?
The title itself takes away the spirit, how can one expect to find it in the film? I’m wondering of course. Don’t want to judge without having seen the film, which I might if I get the chance.
LikeLike
April 4, 2015 at 9:52 AM
“he insisted upon being called ‘Satyanveshi’ – seeker of truth”–
seems uncanny –thats MY patented concept thats being copied/stolen 🙂
LikeLike
April 4, 2015 at 11:57 AM
The Last Action Heroes
A Hindi film buff from America punches his way into the fan club of Bollywood action movies
In his introduction Stadtman explains that as a longtime fan of cult movies, he came to 70s Bollywood after having been through Mexican lucha libre filmography as well as Turkish superhero mash-ups: he was seeking ‘speed, violence and garish style […] but cloaked in a cultural context that makes it all seem somehow fresh and new again’. Given this brief, and the glut of eye-popping material that mainstream Hindi films provided him, he might easily have constructed the whole book around tongue-in-cheek descriptions of costumes, props and villains’ lairs—such as this one from his account of the 1978 Azaad: ‘The Machine of Death includes dozens of swinging spiked balls arrayed around a lava pit like a deadly game of Skittle Bowl, a tunnel lined with spinning buzz-saw blades on sticks leading to a giant industrial fan with saw-toothed blades, and a cavernous hall that shakes, dislodging hundreds of empty glass bottles to shatter down on whoever passes through. This […] strikes me as potentially being extremely troublesome to set up again once sprung.’
http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/books/the-last-action-heroes
LikeLike
April 5, 2015 at 1:08 AM
Haha, that description of the contraption from Azaad rings so true: they were showing it on TV a couple of months ago and I ended up watching most of it… Someone must have ben stoned to come up with that (although the effect is a bit undone by the fact that Dharam and Hema Mailini are about as straight as straight can be in this film)…
LikeLike
April 4, 2015 at 2:04 PM
Zoya Akhtar:
“It’s one of the most beautiful films on Indian screens. I haven’t seen a movie like this for a long time. Sushant Singh Rajput is great. The film is really interesting to watch. People should see it,” Zoya said here on Friday after watching the film at a special screening.
“It’s an experience. It’s very beautiful. The cinematography is excellent. The production design is gorgeous. It is very stylistic. Dibakar is a craftsman,” she added.
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/havent-seen-a-movie-like-this-for-a-long-time-sushant-singh-rajput-is-great-zoya-akhtar-on-detective-byomkesh-bakshy/537911-8-66.html
LikeLike
April 4, 2015 at 3:20 PM
Did not expect such a short span for Anurag Kashyap and his “Hattkay” group of filmakers. I mean with all the experimentation, different ideas and exploration this breed has lost touch with some of the very basic notions that makes cinema attractive. With all this intellectualization and the quest to create masterpieces they can’t even deliver a film that is interesting. Hattkay worked for a while when it was new but every hattkay film looks the same even when the story and themes are different. Its not cinema, it is not story telling, there is no magic on screen, nothing larger than life, it has just become an obsession of a few individuals hell bent on competing with world cinema. There is not even a shelf life. All the so-called masterpieces have become stale after a few years of release while the a good movie in a typical bollywood mould is still watchable even after decades. Private obsessions and hollywood inspirations was never going to survive. A truly rooted vinod chopra has been consistently able to deliver good when he followed his heart and did not try to be a copycat. And when he wanted to venture into hollywood he made what looks like a solid hollywood film rather than a cheap hindi immitation.
LikeLike
April 7, 2015 at 3:20 PM
yes, yes and yes….alas the plot and story are lame…in the end, if beautiful frames are to be captured and disaplayed, lets have a photo/video exhibition….not a telling of the tale…..that is the lost in my opinion 😦 !
LikeLike
April 4, 2015 at 11:34 PM
Rohit Vats in Hindustan Times
“But, Sushant Singh Rajput is not the only good thing about the film. Angoori Devi (Swastika Mukherjee) looks every bit a potential exotic dancer who also knows a lot about what’s going on. A bit of diffused light on her face and she becomes as opaque as a butter paper. Ajit (Anand Tiwari), Byomkesh’s client who unknowingly changes into his assistant, is a man of average intelligence, but he is so intrigued by the pace of the events that he decides to carry on. A fitness freak like Ajit is a valuable asset for any detective. Other character actors like Meiyang Chang and Divya Menon have also done justice to their roles.
A puritan may have some problems with the accent of the lead actor, but the director has tried to justify his fluency in Hindi. Byomkesh was born and brought up in Bihar and when he came to Calcutta, he saw it in a different light than people who were always there.
The suspense is good, but the film is more like a thriller in its structure. The background score seems absurd as it’s hard to imagine hard rock in Calcutta of those times, but trust me, it absolutely fits into the scheme of things. In fact, it may ring in your head every time somebody mentions detective Byomkesh Bakshy.
One more thing that clearly stands out is Nikos Andritsakis’ cinematography. His frames have brilliantly captured the colonial City of Joy in different colours and many moods.
It’s a film that will keep you glued to the screen for all the 135 minutes it runs into. Don’t think of even missing a minute of it.”
http://www.hindustantimes.com/movie-reviews/detective-byomkesh-bakshy-review-super-stylish-and-perfectly-paced/article1-1333551.aspx
LikeLike
April 4, 2015 at 11:36 PM
Saibal Chatterjee in NDTV
“The casting is apt. From Sushant Singh Rajput, Anand Tiwari and Neeraj Kabi – they handle the three pivotal roles – the director extracts gestures that ring true, lines that sound real and actions that hit home.
Swastika Mukherjee, cast as a femme fatale who steams up the story with her presence, and debutante Divya Menon in the role of a girl who Byomkesh is drawn towards, have more than just decorative value.
Many of the other artistic choices that Dibakar Banerjee makes are also felicitous. Among them is the decision not to pepper the dialogue with Bengali words.
Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! is a Hindi film set in a Bengali milieu but it resists the temptation to go overboard with the linguistic and culture flavours of the locale in a bid for overstretched authenticity.
What the production design team gets absolutely right is the 1940s aura, with the Kolkata street scenes being particularly dazzling. The cars, trams, billboards and attires transport the audience to a different era and add to the impact of the film.
The film also plays with contrasts to great effect. The characters wear desi outfits of the period, but stylistically the film has the look and feel of a modern international thriller.
The eclectic background score composed of contemporary songs and sounds that sound anachronistic but enhance the visuals.
Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! is a cinematic delight that deserves a sustained run in the multiplexes. ”
http://movies.ndtv.com/movie-reviews/detective-byomkesh-bakshy-movie-review-1111
LikeLike
April 4, 2015 at 11:39 PM
Shubra Gupta in Indian Express
“‘Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!’ is a film that filled me to the brim. It is the kind of film that I will recall and savour, flaws and all. The pacing is languorous, and in the second-half, the stutters become obvious. The Mata Hari like Mukherjee is perfectly accoutered, ivory-handled pistol and all. She is the eye-catching glamour quotient of the film; the ‘good girl’, played by Menon, has a couple of moments too. But this is a film that is put into motion and charged by its men, and its biggest weakness is its leading man: Sushant Singh Rajput plays at being Byomkesh, getting in some well-judged gum-shoeing glee in places, but never quite fills in the outlines.
But this is also one of those films that makes up for the principal actor’s deficiencies by the performances of those who surround him. Anand Tiwari’s second-fiddle act is first-rate, and Neeraj Kabi, as the deceptively and determinedly good-natured doctor who runs the shabby-genteel ‘men-only’ lodgings where much of the action takes place, is so good you forgive his last-minute exaggerations.
You can say the same thing about the film.”
http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/detective-byomkesh-bakshy-review/2/
LikeLike
April 4, 2015 at 11:42 PM
Mihir Phadnavis in Firstpost
“Another aspect that falls flat is the femme fatale of Swastika Mukherjee, who makes the worst Bollywood debut since Nargis Fakhri in Rockstar. Most of her seduction is unintentionally hilarious at best and her big, dramatic moment only hurts the film at its weakest point. Fortunately she’s balanced out by the rest of the excellent cast, including Neeraj Kabi, Divya Menon and particularly Tiwari as the sidekick who literally kicks down doors with his side.
What’s wonderful is that you absolutely do not have to be familiar with the old cases of Byomkesh Bakshy to enjoy this film. It’s perfectly calibrated for both old hats and newcomers. It renders a bit of pop culture to today’s audiences – after all, we’ve never really had an adventurer in desi cinema.
Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! is ultimately a wicked cocktail of clues, images, sounds, emotions and sensations. From start to end, you’ll be firmly affixed to the edge of your seat. Hopefully this is the start of a franchise and the dawn of a bold new era for Yash Raj Films.”
http://www.firstpost.com/bollywood/detective-byomkesh-bakshy-review-dibakar-banerjee-gives-byomkesh-a-wicked-brilliant-makeover-2184677.html
LikeLike
April 4, 2015 at 11:47 PM
Sanjukta Sharma in Mint
“Somewhat like Banerjee. No other Indian director of late has moved with such restlessness between genres and themes. Khosla Ka Ghosla! was a middle-of-the-road comedy; Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!, an acid dissection of social climbing in class-conscious Delhi; Love, Sex Aur Dhokha, a defiantly un-pretty film about a society that is increasingly under surveillance; Shanghai, a political thriller in the vein of Z. It’s pointless to say that something looks or sounds like a Banerjee film because he’s constantly altering our perceptions of what this might be. There are scenes in Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! that could only have come from him. Yet there are others that might have been directed by Japanese film-maker Takeshi Kitano.
One of the delights of Banerjee’s films is his ability to conjure up settings that explain characters and their motivations without anyone saying a word. Here, working with production designer Vandana Kataria, he offers a detailed recreation of Calcutta circa 1943. Unlike the genteel depictions of the city one usually sees in period films, this Calcutta has a rude energy: Junkies and cabaret singers rub shoulders with pukka sahibs in the crowded streets, and air-raid sirens sound every night. Even the film posters hint at barely suppressed desires: Alfred Hitchcock’s Shadow Of A Doubt, about a niece’s infatuation with her killer uncle, and Howard Hughes’ Outlaw, a film notable mainly for its preoccupation with Jane Russell’s bosom.”
Read more at: http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/vAREuz1UFfg3apVa3zNpNN/Film-review-Detective-Byomkesh-Bakshy.html?utm_source=copy
LikeLike
April 5, 2015 at 4:07 AM
Watching Detective Byomkesh Bakshy on the big screen was an exhilarating experience.
I have had mixed feelings about Dibakar Banerjee’s films. I found his Khosla Ka Ghosla utterly charming. Missed Oye Lucky Oye. Found Love, Sex and Dhoka, very smart but with something missing and therefore not quite memorable. Shanghai was again very well made, but there was something clinical and underwhelming about it. So I did not quite know how DBB was going to turn out.
But I was hooked from Frame 1. Actually I entered the show a few minutes late, and when I took my seat, Byomkesh was trying to lie his way through to get a room in the hostel run by Dr Atanu Guha. The energy of the film got to me right away. Kolkata has never been presented in this kinetic avatar before. Trams zigzagging across streets, opium junkies, Chinese gangs, Japanese dentists, Burmese seductresses …ah it’s the queen of the east indeed. Add to it a dhoti-clad Bengali detective born and brought up in Munger and you have all the ingredients of a crackling fare. And Banerjee keeps spraying fresh droplets of oil to keep the pan sizzling whenever the heat simmers down a little. It’s slow-cooked fare, but not lacking in spice or sizzle, not at any part of its 135minutes running time.
What I love about the film is the way Banerjee lets us on in the very beginning that he is here to tell us a good story. Could there ever be an actress like Angooribala in Kolkata, was there ever a hostel in the Kolkata of 40’s where Japanese and Bengalis stay together … or has Kolkata ever had a dhoti clad private dick ready to take on Chinese gangs? This is not that kind of a film…one that researches to find out some arcane facts and then goes about recreating realities. It’s about telling a tall tale….in the tradition of all those cock-and-bull stories that all the Bengali writs from Premendra Mitra ( Ghana-da)to Satyajit Ray ( Felu-da) have been spinning, with their imagination and craft of story-telling being their most dependable tool rather than any real knowledge of the world of crime and international intrigues. And this is as tall as tales come…with a mix of opium cartels, gang wars, the fatal attraction between a Burmese seductress and a Bengali criminal mastermind, pre-independence Bengal politics, exciting scientific discovery and the power tussle between the British and the Japanese. Whoaw! Delicious.
I like the expressionistic mode in which Banerjee tells his tale. The moody cinematography of Nikos Andritsakis ( I am trying hard to memorize this name) with rich colours and haunting interplay of light and shadow, the playful and pulsating music of Sneha Khanwalkar and the entire production design makes sure that you can’t take your eyes ( an your ears) off from the screen for a second. I cannot get the pumping rhythm of Khanwalkar’s soundtrack out of my mind, neither the wicked ‘ I don’t know what time it is , I don’t care what time it is, it’s the time for Calcutta Kiss” , nor the tantalizingly short phrases of Malkauns, and Baul song, and thumri ( More Piya mose na bole and Jao jao) that waft in between from time to time. I like the grunge look of the Gajanan Sikdar’s chemical factory and Dr Atanu Guha’s hostel. I like the carefully calibrated balance that Banerjee maintains between a pan-Indian look and feel and some hard-core Bangaliana ( take the inmates of the hostel, including the tea-boy ( Puti?). I like the droll humour ( sample: “Blood! Okay, forget the blood, just get the tea.’ Or the exchange in Bhojpuri between Byomkesh and the two security guards of the factory.) And I like the robust plot.
The performances are first rate. I liked to tongue-in-cheek faux-femme-fatale act of Swastika and the over-the-top clever villainy of Neeraj Kabi. And I think Sushant Singh Rajput may have pulled off an impossible cat here – create a genuine character franchise for the big screen. He makes Byomkesh very human…not super-intelligent, just above-average , with just awe bit of swagger, knowing and acknowledging when he has been beaten, and learning from his mistakes to evolve and move on.
It’s a character arch that will be interesting to observe over upcoming sequels ( I hope.)
LikeLiked by 1 person
April 5, 2015 at 4:13 AM
Utkal; Thank you for this. Beautifully encapsulated. And I LOVED the film, easily the most “entertaining” cinematic experience (from Bollywood) I have had since Rohan Sippy’s Dum Maaro Dum. Will atleast be watching it twice more in the theatre.
LikeLike
April 7, 2015 at 4:34 PM
I felt Sushant fell short somehow on his depiction of a detective coming of age. I was really expecting him to come into his own a quarter of the movie through and he did not. i wonder if this character needed a more starry portrayal than Sushant could provide. I cant think of anyone of the younger brigade being able to pull it off, perhaps a younger Saif or a Shahid even, dunno…..Sushant did not work for me at all.
LikeLike
April 5, 2015 at 8:42 AM
Great review Utkul. it shows real insight and strength to go against the tide, which is apparent in your review and I am sure in movie (Haven’t had a chance to watch it yet) too.
LikeLike
April 5, 2015 at 11:48 AM
Now that it’s the Byomkesh season.
“Written in the 1960s, Shajarur Kanta portrays an older Byomkesh (compared to the earlier stories which appeared in the 1930s with a younger ‘Satyanweshi’), and who better to bring out the measured, mildly sarcastic master sleuth than veteran Dhritiman Chatterjee, who interprets his character with his own erudite urbanity, slipping so well into Byomkesh’s skin that any successor would find it hard to shake him off.
Interestingly, the serial killings, powerful and integral as they are to the plot, are mere interjections punctuating the main story, which revolves around a love triangle between a recently married actress, her secret lover and her husband.
It is Byomkesh’s job to reveal the identities of both the serial killer and the lover. Konkona effectively plays a double role—portraying both the actress Deepa and also Deepa playing Tagore’s Nandini in a play (Raktakarabi) within the film and glides easily from the now-crafty, now-coy new bride to the passionately dramatic heroine. Kaushik has played a convincing range of characters in recent films—from sly politician and slimy husband to the angst-ridden thespian here. Indeed, Mitra’s casting is spot-on. Indraneil is the soft-spoken, gentlemanly, if sickly husband who could be as much a suspect as the unscrupulous bureaucrat-with-a-passion-for-theatre (Biswajit Chakraborty). Konkona as the wannabe Nandini is noteworthy, as it takes a good actress to portray a bad actress. Cinematography, editing, music, script combine to make this a memorable Byomkesh rendition. In the original, the killer’s penchant for porcupine quills is not fully explained. Mitra has his Byomkesh deliver dialogue that contains the clue.”
http://www.outlookindia.com/article/Shajarur-Kanta/293865
LikeLike
April 5, 2015 at 11:59 AM
Fast and Furious
versus
Slow and Curious
LikeLike
April 5, 2015 at 12:07 PM
Todd Stadtman and the ‘funky’ Indian films of the 1970s
“However, this defensive nervousness about Stadtman’s book faded once I began reading it. It’s true that he was drawn to 1970s Hindi cinema by its colourful over-the-topness, and that his publishers have had fun with glitzy photos and trivia boxes (e.g. the sequence of images showing a mini-skirted Jeetendra transforming into a snake in Nagin while Sunil Dutt, rifle in hand, stands by stoically) – but this is not in essence a frivolous book hurriedly thrown together to capitalize on a market for corn and cheese. Stadtman has put thought into it. He writes with affection, and with the ambivalence that often makes this sort of writing so compelling – where one gets the sense that the author is struggling with his own responses to a film. Fans of pop culture that tends to get labeled “trash” (or “great trash”, to use Pauline Kael’s simplistic formulation for movies she loved but couldn’t think of as having artistic merit) will know the feeling. ”
http://jaiarjun.blogspot.in/
LikeLike
April 5, 2015 at 2:44 PM
The ultra-action sequel “Furious 7” exploded for an April record of $143.5 million in its U.S. box office debut this weekend, the year’s best and by far its most emotional, thanks to the presence of the late Paul Walker.
“Furious 7” was in a market-high 4,003 theaters across the nation and dominated. “Home,” the DreamWorks Animation family film that opened at No. 1 last weekend, held up well and took in a solid $27.4 million for second place – but finished roughly $115 million behind the leader. The other studios cleared out and no other movie opened wide.
http://www.thewrap.com/furious-7-roars-into-box-office-record-book-with-143-million-debut/
LikeLike
April 5, 2015 at 3:10 PM
Crazy numbers but not surprising given everything..
LikeLike
April 5, 2015 at 6:20 PM
Saw it on Friday. Not a huge fan of the franchise and found the film a bit too sentimental at times. However, I found some of the action in the film quite scintillating and imaginative.
LikeLike
April 6, 2015 at 9:08 PM
The action scenes were pretty nice especially watching it in IMAX. The plot was pretty weak (compared to the previous one). This franchise has made an epic comeback because 9 years it was looking like it was on life support. They’ve done a good job of putting freshness into it. But I feel the next one will be stale…not sure where and what they are going to do now….you can only drive and crash so many cars.
LikeLike
April 6, 2015 at 2:35 AM
Box Office: Furious 7 Collects Around 50 Crs In 4 Days, Detective Byomkesh Bakshy Is Decent
http://www.koimoi.com/box-office/box-office-furious-7-collects-around-50-crs-in-4-days-detective-byomkesh-bakshy-is-decent/
LikeLike
April 6, 2015 at 3:32 AM
One of the most insane stunts in ‘Furious 7’ almost didn’t happen
http://www.businessinsider.in/One-of-the-most-insane-stunts-in-Furious-7-almost-didnt-happen/articleshow/46818645.cms
LikeLike
April 6, 2015 at 7:25 AM
http://www.rediff.com/movies/interview/byomkesh-bakshy-is-too-honest-to-exist-today/20150402.htm
LikeLike
April 6, 2015 at 11:31 AM
The Great Bong on DBB –
The cinematic adaptations of Byomkesh had, almost all of them, been extremely tepid, and that includes Satyajit Ray’s “Chiriakhana” which, despite the genius of its maker, could only scratch the surface of the darkness of the original source-material, and Rituparno’s last film “Satyaneshi”, which looked like it was not totally the finished material when it was released, thus setting the bar of expectations for a Byomkesh movie extremely low.
The initial signs for Dibakar Banerjee’s “reboot” were encouraging. The trailers, with its “Tintin and the Blue Lotus” visual palette, its rather odd choice of casting the most un-Bangali-looking Sushant Singh Rajput as the titular character, and the rather period-incongruous music, suggested strongly that this would be a daring re-imagination and I was happy that it would be. I had had enough of over-literal Byomkesh adaptations, cause, dude, I had read the books.
I read somewhere that what book publishers nowadays often look for is not so much a “story” but a “world”. Dibakar Banerjee establishes the world, or at least the external trappings of it, more or less successfully, but loses the essence of a Bakshi story in the process
http://greatbong.net/2015/04/06/detective-byomkesh-bakshy-the-review/
LikeLike
April 6, 2015 at 3:11 PM
Nice Interview of Sanjay Mishra-
Neither was Raje Bauji a regular character nor was Ankhon Dekhi a typical Hindi film. So, what was your reaction when you were offered the film?
Rajat sir and I were shooting for Phans Gaye Re Obama. Both of us are from diverse acting schools, he comes from an English theatre background and I am from National School of Drama. Yet, we clicked. One day, Rajat sir told me that he will write a role for me. I had met many people who made such false promises. But once the film is over or association ends it is forgotten thing. So, I took it lightly. When I was in Delhi I received a call from Rajat sir. He told me that he had written the script and wanted to meet. I was pleasantly shocked but was busy and forgot about it.
Then, one day I heard that he approached Naseeruddin Shah for the role, who had liked it too. That’s when I realised and called up Rajat sir. He told me that he had already offered AD to Naseer. I was disheartened. A few days later Rajat sir called me and told me that he spoke to Naseer. Naseer told Rajat sir: ‘If you had got anyone else for this role I would have deleted your name from my phonebook. But if it is Sanjay Mishra I know he will do a good job.’ After watching the film, Naseer saab messaged me, undersigned as Naseer. I thought it must be someone so didn’t reply. Next day he messaged me back: Prabhuji, aap mujhse baat kar sakte hain? (Sir, can you please call or reply to my message). This time he undersigned Naseeruddin Shah. He said he cried a lot while watching the movie and wanted to cry again. I had to push Om Puri to go watch the film. When he met me he hugged and held on to me for long. It’s very humbling because back at NSD we looked up to these actors. Even Anupam Kher told me that he loved the film. I have received such unexpected love and appreciation for this film. Elderly people have come and touched my feet. This doesn’t happen for a T-20 match player. I have cried at every screening of AD.
http://pandolin.com/no-one-knew-my-name-before-ankhon-dekhi-sanjay-mishra/
LikeLike
April 6, 2015 at 4:25 PM
Mishra’s performance in AANKHON DEKHI HAS to be one of the most poignant performances ever, from a Hindi film-actor playing the role of a twilight-staring man. Great, great performance that is right up there with Balraj’s in GARAM HAWA and Anupam’s in SAARNASH & Charu Haasan’s in the Kannada film TABARANA KATHE. Performances of these kind, however, largely remain unsung in the mainstream film-media thanks to the fact there isn’t much external ‘noise’ reverberating from such naturalistic performances.
LikeLike
April 6, 2015 at 8:02 PM
Agree on Mishra’s performance. However I think he has been adequately recognized for it this year.
I liked him a lot in “All the Best “
LikeLike
April 7, 2015 at 2:57 PM
If you do one Swades, your fans sing paeans for years; This is much better performance. We should have more performances like this by lead every year.
LikeLike
April 6, 2015 at 8:03 PM
The Bachchan Blog of today is one of his best, very emotional and nostalgic ……maza aa gaya !!
LikeLike
April 6, 2015 at 10:16 PM
Prem Ratan Dhan Payo Set To Enjoy 5 Days Extended 1st Weekend At The Box Office
http://www.koimoi.com/bollywood-popular/prem-ratan-dhan-payo-set-to-enjoy-5-days-extended-1st-weekend-at-the-box-office/
LikeLike
April 7, 2015 at 6:28 AM
The success of well mounted stunt movies like Fast and Furious and Dhoom 3 shows what audience like to watch.
LikeLike
April 7, 2015 at 10:41 AM
Detective Byomkesh Bakshy First Day Business
Saturday 04 April 2015 13.30 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Detective Byomkesh Bakshy had an okay start and grossed 4.25 crore nett on day one but it was Good Friday so there will be limited growth over the weekend. Normally a film like this can easily grow 30% on Saturday and this would have meant a fair 17-18 crore nett weekend but that is unlikely to happen here.
he film has mainly collected in the premium multiplexes of Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, Bangalore and South Delhi/Gurgaon and these tend to show big growth on Saturday but as it was a holiday on Friday growth at these multiplexes will be limited if any.
The director’s last film Shanghai had opened to 3.35 crore nett and in real terms the opening is around 15% better than that if we allow for the holiday. The bumper business of Fast & Furious 7 has also held back business but that is expected as Fast & furious 7 is more like a Hindi potboiler and Detective Byomkesh Bakshy although a Hindi film is like a foreign film. Outside the big metros, the business of Detective Byomkesh Bakshy is just 25-30% of Fast And Furious 7.
Detective Byomkesh Bakshi Second Day Business
Sunday 05 April 2015 09.30 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Detective Byomkesh Bakshy was flat on saturday as it did the roughly the same business on Saturday as Friday. This was expected as first day was a holiday so the opening was better than it would normally have been. The final figures from Mumbai and Delhi may take it slightly over the Friday figure but not by much. The approx first two day business of Detective Byomkesh Bakshy is as follows.
Friday – 4.25 crore
Saturday – 4.25-4.50 crore
TOTAL – 8.50-8.75 crore
The director’s last film had grossed 12.85 crore nett in its first weekend and Detective Byomkesh Bakshy should edge past the figures of that film but not by much.
LikeLike
April 7, 2015 at 10:41 AM
Detective Byomkesh Bakshy Weekend Business
Monday 06 April 2015 12.00 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Detective Byomkesh Bakshy had a poor weekend as it grossed around 14.25 crore nett. The writing was on the wall on day one as the collections were not high enough for the for a holiday and Saturday remained pretty flat. Sunday was better with 20% growth and business in the 5.50 crore nett range.
The film has a very high ratio of business coming from the high end multiplexes which enabled the film have relatively decent figures at the PVR, DT and Inox chains while other multiplexes were poor. The film released at a limited number of single screens and collections were awful.
The film has performed best in West Bengal with business of over 1 crore nett giving it a 7% ratio when the norm is around 5-5.5% but that was always likely as film based in Kolkata. The business in Mumbai was 4.75 crore nett and Delhi/UP was 3.25 crore nett approx while East Punjab 1.60 crore nett apprx. The Central India markets of Rajasthan, CP Berar and CI were a disaster collecting just 1.50 crore nett between them.
LikeLike
April 7, 2015 at 10:42 AM
Detective Byomkesh Bakshi Falls Badly On Monday
Tuesday 07 April 2015 11.30 IST
Box Office India Trade Network
Detective Byomkesh Bakshy fell badly on Monday. The film had to gross over 2 crore nett at least on Monday to have some sirt of respectable final total but has no chance now. The approx first four day business of Detective Byomkesh Bakshy is as follows.
Friday – 4,25,00,000
Saturday – 4,50,00,000
Sunday – 5,50,00,000
Monday – 1,50,00,000 apprx
TOTAL – 15,75,00,000
The film will probably close the week out out at around 19 crore nett and will not make much thereafter and may not even reach the 23 crore nett business of Shanghai.
LikeLike
April 7, 2015 at 11:04 AM
LikeLike
April 7, 2015 at 11:13 AM
Satyam: Would you be watching Byomkesh anytime soon? Would recommend a theatre viewing if you can, visuals are one of the primary strengths of the films.
LikeLike
April 7, 2015 at 11:59 AM
not playing at my end.. might have checked it out otherwise. Do hope Ok Kanmani runs nearby.
LikeLike
April 8, 2015 at 4:09 AM
Check this out as and when you get time
LikeLike
April 8, 2015 at 8:17 AM
thanks.. did see another long discussion he had with NDTV.. put up a long response to this in one of the Byomkesh threads.
LikeLike
April 8, 2015 at 8:24 AM
LikeLike
April 7, 2015 at 1:04 PM
Most of the multiplexes are surviving and they may have to close down just like malls. Even famous films lose steam after the first two weeks and what to speak of other films! When I wanted to watch Interstellar, NH10, the audience was zero and they waited for atleast 10 viewers to buy tickets! Same case with other small but acclaimed films. They just show that films are running but the truth is films dont run anymore. Nowadays, recent films like Baby, Ungli, Roy are already on channels.
LikeLike
April 7, 2015 at 6:42 PM
Good point on Carey mulligan –incidentally don’t find her attractive..
” i wonder if this character needed a more starry portrayal than Sushant could provide.”— good point girl ..though haven’t seen the film.
this guy sushant DOES have potential & even some star appeal but it needs to be TAPPED.. Not by giving him a unibrow !
When a film dies before reaching 25 crores lifetime, it’s bad news for the ‘star’—
As I has predicted earlier …
Aankhon Dekhi
Have seen bits. It IS a v good effort but it’s NOT the best thing to hit Bollywood as it’s being made out to be..
The lead actor was v good and apt but reminded me of a certain villain sayaji something in ‘shool’ who was excellent in that film but not seen much since. The ‘physicality’ & space & ambience suited the ‘actors’ physicality & language in real life and so on
As for Mishra he was v good (infact excellent) but the role screamed for a bit of STAR PERSONA, a bit of STATURE … (Not an actor who is shocked at having landed the lead role!)
I have seen bits of ankhon Dekhi and there were few points that needed some tweaks in my humble opinion —
The good thing was that I fell asleep on a flight (but that may be due to other reasons)
some missed opportunities but later on that maybe ,.,
LikeLike
April 9, 2015 at 4:13 PM
” i wonder if this character needed a more starry portrayal than Sushant could provide.”— good point girl ..though haven’t seen the film.
– dont know who you thought you were commending but thoda gender mismatch ho gaya!
Liked your point about the Chikni Chameli song….yes indeed, someone starry was who what was required for DBB…..Sushant is too without that kind of charisma where an entire screen lights up when he is in the frame….Hrithik does it, SRK does it, Aamir, Salman and Dutt do it…..not Sushant unfortunately 😦
LikeLike
April 7, 2015 at 6:57 PM
By the way, I just stumbled upon this PIECE OF WORK again–saw it being played somewhere & Assessed it again
Sometimes the best ACTING talent is NOT needed
STAR PRESENCE compensates
Now note the (ironical) SUBVERSION in a kjo product–after initially resenting this film, imo this director knows his job and the magnitude of job at hand of remaking agneepath & actually appeared unscathed from this
We have THREE BIG STAR PRESENCES (& one of them is not the strongest of ‘actors’)
1) We have one of them going bald for the first time
Shaving off his eyebrows and looking menacing
he plays the ‘loveable’ munnabhai around the same time (contrast)
2) We have a heroine who hardly knows speaks hindi..
Here she is made to play the village RUSTIC temptress talking of ‘pauwaa’…
3) And we have a lead actor with the NEAR IMPOSSIBLE job of standing up to the role that is arguably bachchans MOST ICONIC ROLE and at his OWN iconic peak
In a role that’s PITCHED at a much more MELLOWER level
One of his strongest POINTS ie dancing is WITHDRAWN
In an ITEM DANCE number
And the BEST DANCER ON INDIAN CINEMA EVER
Is made to just— WATCH !!
IMPLOSIVE stuff ….
STARDOM cannot be MANUFACTURED
It’s either there or it’s not
The same for real life..
Ps: THIS ONE IS FOR MY ‘FANS’–enjoy… 🙂
LikeLike
April 7, 2015 at 11:29 PM
apex has made some valid observations about star value and star presence and some films get overpraise and why audience reject what critics love and vice versa.
LikeLike
April 8, 2015 at 1:17 AM
The top ten footfalls of 2014 are as follows and the ATP (Average Ticket Price) for each film is in brackets.
1. PK – 2.79 cr (160)
2. Kick – 2.03 cr (141)
3. Happy New Year – 1.63 cr (146)
4. Singham Returns – 1.43 cr (133)
5. Bang Bang – 1.31 cr (144)
6. Jai Ho – 1.24 cr (120)
7. Holiday – 1.16 cr (131)
8. 2 States – 95.5 lakhs (145)
9. Ek Villain – 93.3 lakhs (141)
10. Gunday 72.4 lakhs – (136)
The year saw some grossing films topping the 150 ATP mark for the first time with PK leading the list as it managed to hold first weekend ticket rates all through the week. Other films which topped 150 were Queen and Haider. The lower end of the grossing films saw Jai Ho and Action Jackson as they had a huge ratio of business coming from single screens. The footfalls have come down for blockbuster films due to high ticket prices as Gadar topped 4 crore in 2001 and Hum Aapke Hai Kaun was much more than 4 crore in 1994.
http://www.boxofficeindia.com/Details/art_detail/toptenfootfallsandaverageticketprices2015#.VSS5Z1KCwqE
LikeLike
April 9, 2015 at 12:46 PM
The biggest FAKERY here is the ‘pretence’ of being ‘fair’ & ‘scientific’ by giving the ticket prices –20 p difference –wtf?
Which of these films above were NOT solo releases and which of these got a FREE run with no other release for two weeks or more?
How many screens were these released on and how much was the FIRST day earning INSPITE of those enhanced screen numbers–
This info strips bare some ‘truths’..
LikeLike
April 9, 2015 at 9:44 PM
Apex, when a student scores highest marks, one does not say that he went to tuition classes, that he had a good atmosphere at home, that he studies for 16 hours a day etc. What we see is his marks, the ultimate result.
LikeLike
April 8, 2015 at 3:52 AM
I think in terms of footfall, 3 Idiots’s performance really stands out during recent times. Movies aren’t made for the long haul these days. They are made to open big, earn money quickly and they fizzle out after 2 weeks run.
Times have changed quickly. Gadar was earning more in week 2 and week 3 than in week 1. I remember it’s performance in week 9 was comparable to week 1.
Now, we have ‘super hits’ like HNY who manage 60% of its lifetime business within its first week-end.
In this context, 3 Idiots’ run is remarkable indeed. Started well and remained very stable for nearly 3 weeks. And by stable, I am not talking about the 60% drops which is the norm these days. 3 Idiots was being watched again and again during those first few weeks and its collections hardly dropped. It is the one exception that defies the recent trends.
LikeLike
April 8, 2015 at 7:38 AM
Not sure about others, but I am quite excited about the new Daredevils TV series which will be out on the net on the 10th (all the episodes are being released simultaneously for binge-watching).
LikeLike
April 8, 2015 at 8:16 AM
absolutely, just learnt about this the other day.
LikeLike
April 8, 2015 at 8:28 AM
Tamil box office, 1st quarter:
http://www.sify.com/movies/first-quarter-of-2015-hits-misses-news-tamil-peijVRfdhdaij.html
LikeLike
April 8, 2015 at 11:06 AM
according to this BV has been cut from 3 hrs to 2:
http://movies.ndtv.com/videos/american-editor-snips-bombay-velvet-362757
The ‘American editor’ is usually a sign of more trouble in these contexts. There has been so much negativity surrounding this one from Tandon walking out saying she was tired of constant changes, to release dates because of reshoots and so on it would be remarkable if a good enough film turned out at the end of it all (not talking box office here).
Kashyap might have bitten off more than he could chew. Because going from small quirky films (for the most part) or even smaller dramas to a big scale production is a transition that’s not easy to pull off. The Catch-22 here is that if you retain your instincts as a director you make the film unacceptable to a larger audience (you might get a bigger initial with a star but then negative WOM is also much greater than for a smaller film.. with the latter only an audience already more open-minded in this sense shows up). On the other hand if you start making compromises since you are not making a regular commercial film and you’re also not a regular director in the same way you run the risk of unhinging the entire project. Which is why it’s very common for such directors to later complain that they’re vision wasn’t allowed and so forth. This is actually true but it’s idealistic to believe that one would be given a massive budget just to preserve one’s auteurist instincts. Now there are directors like Ratnam or Mehra who might get away with this because they already have successful films behind them. So they take their producers/distributors by surprise sometimes. But to keep doing that they need to keep coming up with successes in between. Too much of this and they too are in trouble. But Kashyap is in a different category because he’s not coming off a RDB or a Guru and moreover he isn’t a commercial director at all. So to begin with no one would give him that sort of latitude. There was a piece somewhere about how he might have initially wanted Ranveer Singh (and this might not have necessarily been his first choice) but then with Ranbir he got an additional budget. But this isn’t a free ride. Because though you get a bigger initial with the latter you also have a more expensive film in the process. and now if even the songs are being cut out it’s that much more trouble trying to get to a respectable gross.
But notice how tricky things are in the industry. One day Ranbir had YJHD, a film that succeeded beyond anyone’s wildest dreams, and he of course had other successes leading up to it. But then Besharam was a disaster beyond anyone’s wildest nightmares and now BV, the prestige film is looking more and more problematic by the day. Meanwhile Jagga Jasoos has also been delayed with the silly excuse that Katrina was working on both this and Phantom and she decided to complete the latter first! Sooner or later Ranbir will have the Johar film that’s being talked about (the love triangle or whatever). Unlike Abhishek I think he’ll go in for course correction much faster if BV fails. But the point is this stuff isn’t easy. Sure you can keep doing YJHD but the moment you try and mix it up (which Ranbir needs to as a prestige star) the trouble begins. There are lots of ways of ‘seeming’ to be different without really being so. But very hard to actually do the different and pull it off.
LikeLike
April 8, 2015 at 8:40 PM
3 hrs to 2 hours is a huge chunk of the film to cut, not sure why they would do that. Even if they cut all the songs, that should be like 30 min (which is also a terrible idea). BV looks like a lost cause imo. Jagga Jasoos should be good if it releases this year but Ranbir is taking way to much time with his films. He is looking at 2.5 years between hits. Tamasha should be huge as should the Karan Johar film.
LikeLike
April 8, 2015 at 10:10 PM
Even if BV ends up flopping, the subsequent movies will bring him back in the reckoning. Among the current crop of actors in his generation only Ranveer comes close to RK’s BO pull. He will be back on track with KJo’s movie and Tamasha. To add to that I am sure he will do another movie with Ayan Mukherjee as well
LikeLike
April 8, 2015 at 10:17 PM
Agree. He is the only visible star among the Ranveers and Varun dhawans inspite of his flops. He is lambi race ka ghoda.
Irrespective of boxoffice, BV may be a memorable film.
LikeLike
April 9, 2015 at 12:06 AM
Jnanapith winner Jayakanthan dead
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/tamil-writer-jayakanthan-dead/article7081930.ece?homepage=true
His novels and short stories published in literary magazines and popular journals made him a household name in Tamil society. And in a state where Brahmins are at a receiving end, Jayakanthan viewed the community sympathetically and his works bear testimony to his views.
In the Communist party, he was close to K. Baladhandayutham. JK, as he was known, said in his autobiography that it was Baladhandayutham, just released after serving a life term, who drew him to politics with his thunderous speeches.
He took enormous pride in his skills as a writer and fiery orator. He spoke his mind candidly, undaunted by anyone or anything. At a meeting organised at Sathyamurthy Bhavan to condole the death of Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai, he made the leaders squirm by lambasting Anna and the DMK
read on.
LikeLike
April 9, 2015 at 12:09 AM
But he mellowed down with the passage of time and DMK leader M. Karunanidhi, despite Jayakanathan’s contempt for the Dravidian movement, respected him and finally won him over. “I have always been against the Dravidian movement. But the leaders have always been kind to me,” he said at a meeting later.
He shared the passion of many CPI leaders for Nehruvian socialism and had great respect for Indira Gandhi. He later joined the Tamil Desiya Katchi launched by E.V.K. Sampath and both of them, along with poet Kannadasan, went over to the Congress subsequently.
He also edited a pro-Congress daily Navasakthi for a while.
Once his popularity as a writer declined, and as the Congress’s political fortunes too nosedived, he withdrew into a shell. Yet, his courage of conviction was something very rare, and he never hesitated to swim against the current. Long before Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination, he denounced the LTTE as a fascist organisation at every opportunity, much to the chagrin of Tamil nationalists.
He wrote very little in the last phase of his life, but used to be the centre of a regular adda at his room or in his residence in Chennai.
LikeLike
April 9, 2015 at 6:40 AM
didn’t know! Sad..
LikeLike
April 9, 2015 at 12:44 AM
Multiplexes make more money by selling popcorn at exorbitant rates than ticket sales.
How will it effect bollywood if multiplexes do not play bollywood in prime time in one of their screens?
I dont think it will affect that much if the film is really good. Fanaa was banned in Gujarat unofficially, yet it became a huge hit. PK was affected by various lawsuits and public anger which reduced screen count considerably, yet it became a huge blockbuster.
Karnataka limits number of multiplexes playing one big bollywood movie to protect Kannada film industry.
As the minister said, the move was initiated by the erstwhile UPA government.
There are some very good marathi movies and the move will give a boost to the regional cinema.
LikeLike
April 9, 2015 at 5:13 AM
Those who want to make one day records and those who want to make a killing in the first weekend itself will be affected. Also average movies will suffer. Usually, the prime time is the rushhour for officegoers and families and also for students and ladies.
LikeLike
April 9, 2015 at 12:41 PM
Obnoxious stuff !
Where are the ‘liberals’? Why isn’t there enough condemnation of this ?
One sees more objections to the ‘misogyny’ of denying deepika the right to be wantonly promiscuous …
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-30573385
The Yazidi religious minority community in Iraq says 3,500 of its women and girls are still being held by the so-called Islamic State (IS), many being used as sex slaves. A few have managed to escape and here tell their harrowing stories
A guide to slavery
It seems that IS has, indeed, given out orders on the proper use of women as slaves.
The group’s Department of Research and Fatwas (religious edicts) has issued a pamphlet with the chillingly matter-of-fact title: “Questions and Answers on Taking Captives and Slaves”.
An IS pamphlet instructs fighters about sexual activity with female captives
The document appears to be genuine. It was posted on an jihadist web forum and, apparently, given out after Friday prayers in Mosul.
Christians, Jews and Yazidi women can all be taken as slaves, it says. Women can be bought, sold, and given as gifts; they can be disposed of as property if a fighter dies.
The pamphlet’s Q&A format includes the following:
Question: Is it allowed to have intercourse with a female captive immediately after taking possession of her? Answer: If she is a virgin, her master can have intercourse with her immediately after taking possession. But if she is not, you must make sure she is not pregnant.
Question: Is it allowed to have intercourse with a female slave who has not reached puberty? Answer: You may have intercourse with a female slave who hasn’t reached puberty if she is fit for intercourse. However, if she is not fit for intercourse, it is enough to enjoy her without.
It is a depraved and depressing document, at odds with mainstream Islam, though well-researched with Koranic verses and hadiths, or reports of what the Prophet Muhammad said or approved.
One theory is that the pamphlet was actually issued to try to restrain the more outlandish behaviour of IS fighters. It says, for instance that a man may not sleep with his wife’s slave, or with another man’s slave; and that a man may own two sisters but not sleep with them at the same time.
Victims mocked
The atmosphere among IS fighters was revealed by a now-notorious video which appears to show a group of young men eagerly looking forward to their turn at the slave market.
LikeLike
April 9, 2015 at 4:53 PM
Is a vada pav any less than popcorn? asks Marathi playwright Jayant Pawar
• Swati Goel Sharma and Aishwarya Iyer, Hindustan Times, Mumbai
|
• Updated: Apr 08, 2015 21:34 IST
________________________________________
Even as some cinema owners and film professionals criticised the Maharashtra government’s fresh order for multiplexes to ensure the screening of at least one Marathi film in their prime time slots, many Maharashtrians have welcomed the move. There was certainly a need for such a slot for local films, many said.
Mugdha Abhijeet Risbud, 40, who teaches at KJ Somaiya College of Science and Commerce, Vidyavihar, said she can finally watch a Marathi film with her family after work. “I never miss out on successful Marathi films, but the timings were always a problem,” she said. “In this cosmopolitan city, we Maharashtrians are taken for granted. I am very happy about this rule,” she said.
Risbud’s sentiment was echoed by Thane resident Shubhangi Deshpande, who rued that whenever her family went to a multiplex in the evening, the members were forced to watch Hindi films, even if they wanted a Marathi one.
Marathi author and Sahitya Akademi awardee Laxman Gaikwad, while expressing relief over the rule, wondered if it was acceptable for the government to force multiplex owners to run losses, in the event that such shows get a dismal response. This concern was rejected by another Sahitya Akademi winner and Marathi playwright, Jayant Pawar. “It is not a lack of response that makes multiplexes relegate Marathi films to morning slots, but a derogatory mentality towards them. Not all big Hindi films go house-full. Multiplexes have shied away from even giving Marathi films an opportunity,” said Pawar.
Criticising a tweet by columnist Shobhaa De that vada pav should now replace popcorn to go well with Marathi films, Pawar said, “Is vada pav any less than popcorn? It’s all about an inferior image our industry people have for anything regional.”
Mechanical engineer Vedant Veralkar, 21, felt the move was inviting unnecessary ire, as people still have the option of watching other movies at prime time. Suresh Argade, an accountant, said, “The family was forced to travel to a single screen only to watch Marathi movies. Now, we can just go the nearest multiplex.”
I do not go to office, so timings were never a problem for me. But I still think it is the right move by the government, because Marathi films will get more visibility and hold a better chance of commercial success.
~Veena Narayanan, student of Kelkar College
I could seldom watch Marathi movies at the multiplex because of the odd timings. I will now get the chance to do so.
~Shubham Shetye, a mass media student
LikeLike
April 9, 2015 at 6:10 PM
that’s ridiculous. Shobha De’s point was the obvious one that if you’re going to force people to screen Marathi films in primetime slots (the govt has since withdrawn this condition, it’s now 12-9) on the basis of such misplaced nationalist claims you might as well also ask people to patronize ‘local’ snacks as opposed to popcorn. Candidly this whole ‘Marathi’ obsession that the Sena has fostered is one of the more absurd spectacles of contemporary India. This is something done quite often in the South also where at the drop of a hat someone’s sentiments are hurt. And of course 99% of the time these are orchestrated protests. The vast bulk of Maharashtrians or Tamilians or whoever don’t have the time to get obsessed with these frivolous issues but parties play politics with this stuff. And many get taken in. Now I’m all for fostering Marathi cinema but the way to do it is with govt incentives, tax breaks and the like and not by forcing theaters to play films in certain slots. I could never quite stand ethnic politics in any case for all sorts of reasons but one of the consequences is that it keeps people in a permanent state of insecurity where every other thing becomes an insult and an existential problem. Shobha De’s intention was a different one but so what if she even wanted to insult a few people? This is a democracy the last time I checked! And I think that among this sort of issue wouldn’t make my top 1000 of problems facing Maharashtra let alone the nation! And I’m being generous. But again people who think life changes when ‘Bombay’ becomes ‘Mumbai’ deserve this kind of politics!
LikeLike
April 9, 2015 at 8:18 PM
It is affordable housing 🙂
They should have said they will not take tax for Marathi screening in prime time upto a limit. It would have incentivized the multiplexes to show Marathi movies.
I agree with your comment.
LikeLike
April 9, 2015 at 9:41 PM
When BJP came to power with such a huge majority, I thought it will control ethnic politics which divides the country. Unfortunately they want to make their votebank stronger by doing their own share of parochial politics. They want to have their cake and eat it too. It is a different thing if parties like DMK, TMC are what they are because they never were hypocritical about what they want. Congress party also plays this game when it suits it. We dont need external enemies to trouble us. We have our own people fighting against each other.
LikeLike
April 9, 2015 at 8:10 PM
http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/music/sometimes-one-is-constantly-judging-the-music-rather-than-enjoying-it-ar-rahman/99/
LikeLike
April 10, 2015 at 6:15 AM
http://www.pinkvilla.com/entertainmenttags/homi-adajania/homi-adajania-responds-my-choice-video
Now my liking for ‘cock tail’ is legendary and well documented!
But what has homi adjania done since ??
He tried to find deepikas fanny which turned a damp squib
In five goddamm years, the chap has come up with this deepika video –wtf has been doing ?!
As for deepika–why is she sitting on homis lap like this !?
In other films, she acts like SRKs default unpaid worker
There are well documented reports of deepika smooching hrithik in public and trying to make out even in the presence of Ranveer singh.
Being the thorough gentleman and for the sake of poor ranveer singh, hrithik didn’t go all the way (in public!)
But why is she sitting on homis lap like thi
What’s next
Any tom dick and harry like arjun kapoor,
And bloody studio boy or even tea seller can make out with deepika ?
Is this a bloody free for all?
LikeLike
April 10, 2015 at 6:22 AM
What’s chilling about the IS sex slave stuff above is —
“is a depraved and depressing document, well-researched with Koranic verses and hadiths, or reports of what the Prophet Muhammad said or approved.”
What’s even MORE chilling is the SILENCE
From those who
Write long essays objecting the ‘vandalism’ in PK screenings (that couldn’t stop PK from becoming the alltime biggest hit)
Or long essays to protest the insistence for one show to encourage local cinema —
Guess these are the people who give sermons about the correct treatment of minorities —
Guess the answers are in Kashmir, ISIS, and other such settings
It’s the ‘SILENCE’ of these voices that’s STRATEGIC!
Why are the ‘satyams’ & ‘sanjanas’ quiet ?
LikeLike