Long before Ranbir Kapoor, Ileana D'Cruz and Priyanka Chopra faced a stampede in Bangalore a few days ago, Barfi! had entered my consciousness with its adorable trailer. Having watched it at its release, I have searched my words for several hours and would say that the film does not end when one comes out of the cinema hall. This one stays with you well beyond.
Barfi! is the story of Murphy/Barfi (Ranbir Kapoor) set in 1970's Darjeeling and Calcutta. Barfi is a mischievous and clever deaf-mute youth who falls in love with Shruti (Ileana D'Cruz). While Shruti feels affection for Barfi, she prefers to marry a man approved by her parents. When several years later, Shruti and Barfi meet again, he lives with Jhilmil (Priyanka Chopra), his autistic childhood friend who suddenly goes missing. As Shruti helps Barfi find the girl he now loves, she understands that she has never stopped loving him. Love and the pursuit of happiness are delicately portrayed by all three actors.
Barfi! has it all, starting by its delicate and pacy script, absolutely charming music and lyrics often taking center stage, beautiful cinematography, emotions, excellent comedy and a well sought-out and directed cast. Protagonists and second roles included.
A beautiful Ileana D'Cruz, one of Telugu cinema's leading actresses, is a fine match for Ranbir Kapoor. She looks the part and smoothly takes the plot to emotional places that are difficult to attain for an actor, particularly because she is mostly silent herself when she is with her costar. Priyanka Chopra, completely devoid of her beauty queen aura gives a subdued performance. I still have to find a role in which the actress makes me feel for the character and I do wish she had been given a tad more scope to relate to her, but she is quite commendable in her role. Where most Indian films with protagonists who are mentally or physically challenged struggle with accuracy and sentimentalism, Barfi! does just the opposite. Anurag Basu's writing conveys that "different" does not mean "strange", but simply "human", and that is only one of the elements for which the story should be strongly applauded.
The leading man, Ranbir Kapoor, is absolutely masterful. As I watched him, so many memories of Raj Kapoor's best moments appeared. Ranbir is his grandfather's grandson indeed. Chaplin, Mr. Bean and Georges Valentin (The Artist) all come to mind but are surpassed as the actor creates a character which is even more enchanting and endearing. I have not been moved by a performance in Indian cinema in a long time as I have by this one, in which the actor expresses so many nuances of emotion and life with pitch-perfect histrionics and not a single word! I would fearlessly say that young heroines now have their ideal counterpart in young Ranbir, a man who is good at his craft, is no longer promising or building his career, but has in my honest opinion, reached the start of its peak. May he continue gracing our cinema screens for a very long time.
Love, the true kind, is made of happiness, even when that happiness is not directly ours to own. Barfi! is an ode to that principle and more. Anurag Basu's delicate and humourous watercolour of life's twists and beauties has released and it is cinema not to be missed.
Visit the Barfi! webpage for stills and more information on the film.
Amer Shoib has been a huge fan of cinema from childhood and has always been a huge Amitabh Bachchan fan. Amer works in London and has made his dream of becoming a part time entertainment correspondent come true. As such, Amer has interviewed some of the biggest figures in entertainment, the media and major celebrities and is an avid cinema watcher and reviewer.
The trailers of Kunal Kohli's Teri Meri Kahaani made us all think that the film was a reincarnation drama. Seeing the three different looks of the lead pair Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra over three different eras, there were speculations that the film might have the lead pair reborn again and again. However, "Teri Meri Kahani is not a reincarnation film. It's a love story of three different pairs spread over three generations". Can Kunal Kohli strike gold with this hatke love story?
Can we truly luv one person throughout our life and hope that fate makes us meet with the same person in every life of ours?
The story of the film takes us through a journey of eternal love between a couple who have vowed to love each other not only in this life but in every life to follow. Their love is so strong that destiny wants to bring them together. The story starts in 1969 Bombay with Govind and Ruksar, then moves ahead to present times, 2012 England with Radha and Krish and then goes back in time to Punjab, 1910 with Aradhana and Javed.
Can Javed and Aradhana still be together? Will Ruksar realize that Govind’s feelings for her were genuine? Will Krish be able to clear the misunderstandings?
Will true love prevail? Or will destiny takes it’s course?
The music of the film is composed by Sajid – Wajid. Mukhtasar, has a fantastic tempo and rhythm matched with good lyrics. Allah Jaane, is a sweet track, The brightest song is, Humse Pyaar Kar Le., while other tracks like Jabse Mere DIl ko, and That’s I Really Wanna do are good but fail to make any impression. Teri Meri Kahaani's music is youthful and Sajid- Wajid deliver another hit sound track. Timelines, boundaries seems to be a favourite recipe for Bollywood success in these few years. So why not even this one. Once again we have yet another romantic movie with power packed music to back it up.
Kunal Kohli gives us a lovely youthful film , that is indeed very different from what we have seen in the past. The influence of Yash Chopra is plain to see. He has made a film that will appeal to all romantics out there.
Performance wise as the film is set in three different time periods Shahid is playing three different roles in the film across eras and that is something that he has never done before. He is playing a strong Muslim character Javed which is a first for him. Then he has never enacted a cool trendy character from the current era in a manner as shown in the film, Also he enacts a retro character, getting into a 60s mode is not something that many actors of today's generation can boast of. All of this brings uniqueness to the film because whenever Shahid has done something different. He stands out in all three roles he has enacted, but the poetry speaking Javed stands out. Priyanka Chopra is not stretched as an actress in the three roles she plays in the film , but her chemistry is sizzling with Shahid.
A lovely romantic comedy that spans one hundred years and does really make you believe that true love can prevail. All you romantics are going to love it.
Diwali is an enthusiastic Sanjay Dutt supporter who has agreed to give us her take on Kancha, Sanjay Dutt's newest character in the acclaimed Agneepath, directed by Karan Malhotra. The Hindi Cinema Blog thanks her for her valuable contribution to more literature on this amazing actor and is glad to leave more detailed introductions to Diwali herself. :-)
Okay, for the record and for those who don't know me: I love Sanju. However, I do not call myself a "fan" – I prefer the attribute "supporter" for that is what I do: I support Sanju for better and for worse. Sure, you might point out that I was crazy enough to fly down to Mumbai from Germany for only a two day stay (!) two years ago just because I got an invitation to meet Sanjay Dutt. On the other side, this meeting confirmed my opinions about the human being Sanju (I always cared more for the human being than for the actor) and so I keep on supporting him running my website www.sanjay-dutt.info and my Twitter fanclub SanjayDuttFC for him. Even a series of flops (not undeserved in the case of those mindless comedies in 2011) cannot change my affection for him given that, as I said, the man means more to me than his movies.
When the news was out that Sanju would play the role of the villain Kancha in Karan Johar's Agneepath I got the immediate feeling that this could turn out to be one of his best movies. My confidence grew when I heard that he should go bald for Kancha for this sounded just too good. I guess I should add that I do not belong to those film fans who always want their favorites to look good/dashing/sexy/hot or whatever on screen. I love actors who don't care about how they look in their films and who do not shy away from ugliness if the role requires it. And Sanju is such an actor. He has proved it again and again since his early years in the industry. He never wanted to be a star given that, as he once said, stars fade while actors stay forever.
Diwali going bald for her role in the theatre
Bald is beautiful. Not only Anupam Kher can confidently say this but me too, because just shortly before even I had gone bald – I actually had shaved off my hair (which had been considerably longer than Sanju's) for a role in an open air theatre performance. Similarly to Kancha we also had tried to use prosthetics first but already when we put it on for the first time I knew immediately that this wouldn't work for me – it looked terrible, it felt terrible, and it would take hours and hours in the makeup room only to end up with an uncomfortable result. Why should I do this to myself? So I asked the hair stylist to throw the prosthetics away and shave my head completely. It was the best decision I have made in my life. I felt so free and authentic in my role and not for a second did I miss my long mane.
So that's why I first frowned when I heard that Sanju would use prosthetics. I then predicted that he would sooner or later be sick and tired of using these and would get rid of them. And right I was! When I got the news from the sets in Diu that Sanju finally had given short shrift to it all when the prosthetics had started melting and dropping in the heat, there I was, celebrating – for now I was sure that this Kancha would become something exceptional in Sanju's filmography.
Nevertheless, I still remember how I gasped when Dharma Productions launched the first look of Kancha on Sanju's birthday last year. This "Dark Lord of Bollywood" actually surpassed my expectations. It was so good to read all those positive reactions on the Internet! But this was nothing compared to what happened when the first theatrical trailer came out. I watched the launch live on the web and I had promised my friends to take some screenshots. When the trailer started – and Kancha appeared in the rain – my jaw dropped. Literally. I forgot to make screenshots. I forgot everything – I could only stare at Kancha.
At that moment I knew I would love Kancha. No matter how evil, cruel or brutal he would turn out to be, I would love him. I have seen each and every one of Sanju's movies, even those where he appears in the smallest cameos, but hardly ever the look of a role has appealed so much to me than that of Kancha. And I also knew already after seeing the trailer, that this would be one of Sanju's milestone performances – to be added to the line of Naam, Saajan, Sadak, Khalnayak, Vaastav, Mission Kashmir, Kaante, Pitaah, Shabd and the Munnabhai series.
And since yesterday I know this for sure. I saw Agneepath – and I saw Sanjay Dutt as never before. Maybe even as he will never be ever again.
Often before and even after the release of Agneepath I read media reports about "Khalnayak's Return" and about all the other negative roles Sanjay Dutt has already played. But in my opinion, these comparisons do not work because never before had Sanju embodied a character as thoroughly evil as Kancha. All his "negative roles" had either been anti-heroes like Khalnayak or Raghubhai in Vaastav, or they had grey shades or even positive traits, such as the gangsters in Kaante, Plan or Musafir. Even Raka in Zaarelay, one of Sanju's meanest roles until now, had turned out to have at least a bit of goodness in his heart.
Kancha, however, is evil. No ifs, ands or buts. I do not want to agree with the statement that he is evil personified, but he becomes, as sure as hell, a completely mean and mad psychopath. A villain without conscience who has fun torturing and killing people. Mad, menacing, unpredictable, dangerous. A man to fear. And a man to hate.
Obviously even Sanju himself felt this way when he dubbed his portions in the climax and suddenly felt sick, could not go on and needed a break. When Karan Johar asked him what was happening, Sanju admitted that he just could not stand his own sight. He couldn't believe that this cruel, evil, mad psychopath on the screen was actually him. Hrithik had felt similarly when, during the shooting of the climax, Sanju had stared at him in such an angry and dirty way that Hrithik, as he remembered later, fell out of his character several times.
For in real life, Sanju is the most gentle and gold-hearted man one could imagine. If there is one role which actually reflects Sanju's personality onscreen it is not Kancha, not Khalnayak, not Raghubhai but the loveable Munnabhai. No wonder Sanju was scared of his own sight as Kancha. No wonder Hrithik couldn't believe that Sanju could transform into such a menacing monster. I couldn't believe it either. Not that I had doubted Sanju's acting skills, but in Agneepath I saw him look, stare, laugh, grin and act like never before. It was incredible. It was Sanjay Dutt at his best, baddest and most awesome at the same time.
With Kancha, Sanjay Dutt has given a villain to the Hindi Cinema which in days to come certainly will be named and remembered in the same breath with Gabbar Singh and Mogambo. However, I doubt whether I want to see Sanju as a villain again. Not because he failed or couldn't do it or because I wasn't stunned (for I definitely was!) – but because I don't think there will ever be a way to top this larger-than-life performance.
I do not know whether Sanju will be given any awards for Kancha, for let us be honest: Even Rishi Kapoor delivered an amazing and award-worthy performance as the villainous Rauf Lala in Agneepath. On the other hand, I guess no award in the world could be more valuable and dearer to Sanju's heart than the praise he keeps receiving when people say that he is mindblowing in both the most sweet and loveable as well as in the most evil and hateable roles. Sanjay Dutt is the man who convinces the audience both as Munnabhai and as Kancha and will be remembered for both these characters. An actor can hardly wish for a better compliment.
On his promotion tour, before the Agneepath release, Sanju expressed his amazement over people obviously loving Kancha. I can understand him, actually you should hate this devil. But I cannot. I love Kancha for giving us a new and never imagined Sanjay Dutt. And I love Sanjay Dutt for giving us Kancha.
Music in Bollywood has been filled with generations of brilliant composers and lyricists working behind the scenes. This new year will see the musical limelight shifting a bit towards celebrities who are making an incursion into the world of song.
Priyanka Chopra is set to be launched as a new pop star (click here to read the scoop), Akshay Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan both attempted to set their hands on the raging hit Kolaveri Di by negotiating with Southern star Rajnikanth to buy the rights for its use in Hindi movies and the newest buzz is that young star Neil Nitin Mukesh is composing and singing several tunes for his very own upcoming film production, taking this starry interest in music to a higher and more comprehensive level.
The year therefore has melodic surprises in stock.
Chat show host Oprah Winfrey had India in her "places to see" list for a long time and has finally flown over for a week-long visit in aims to shoot for her upcoming show "New Chapter".
While she has been scheduled to visit Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and Rishikesh during her stay, her week started with a visit to the Bachchan family and with a highly attended bash hosted by Parmeshwar Godrej in Bombay, to which numerous stars flocked to meet the TV diva.
Oprah sported an orange sari for the occasion and was personally chauffeured by none other than Amitabh Bachchan to the party organized in her honor along with Abhishek, Aishwarya Rai and Jaya Bachchan.
Other stars seen attending the event were Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Lara Dutta, Imran Khan, AR Rahman, Preity Zinta, Priyanka Chopra, Anil Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Sameera Reddy, and Arjun Rampal, all of which expressed their joy in meeting her and seeing her wear traditional Indian attire.
Have you been on holiday and have totally relaxed? Have you been enjoying the seasonal festive banquets, oblivious to whatever is happening in other parts of the world? Or have you returned to normal daily life, becoming absorbed in the same everyday boring duties?
In case you did not know: THE KING IS BACK.
Drop it all and take the first plane to Mumbai, London or any other place in the civilized world (Fiji, for example!) And without stopping for food, sleep or even calling your mother to tell her you have landed safely, head to the nearest cinema to watch Don 2: The Chase Continues. You will never be the same again.
PLOT
Don (Shah Rukh Khan, who else?) has been ruling the Asian underworld for five years. By becoming increasingly powerful, he has ended up challenging drug traffickers who operate in the European market and has therefore become an inconvenient competitor for them. He has less friends than foes and there are many enemies who wish him dead. He therefore decides to surrender to the police in Malaysia, not without offering an agreement to his old acquaintances, "wild cat" Roma (Priyanka Chopra) and inspector Malik (Om Puri). Don is hence arrested but once he finds himself in jail, he eventually meets Vardhaan (Boman Irani).
REVIEW
In 2006, Farhan Akthar took up a challenge against living legend Amitabh Bachchan by directing a remake of Don (1978). Don: the Chase Begins Again was born. The ending was different from the original and the main characters were revamped. The locations, soundtrack and general look of the film became modern and refined.
Shah Rukh Khan, having reached the utmost peak of his charm, returned to the screen successfully starring as a villain. The King of Bollywood was perfect for the part and he skillfully reinvented the role and made it fully his own. Five long years afterwards, a sequel seemed inevitable given that Shah Rukh Khan absolutely shines in the role of Don. The storyline's possibilities are endless, the opportunity was there to be seized. Additionally, SRK and Farhan Akhtar have raging fun together (see it for yourself by watching both Shah Rukh and Farhan Akhtar interviewing each other on The Times of India website).
Don 2 follows in the same style as Don: The Chase BeginsAgain and does not disappoint at all. Greater action, a fast pace, surprising and spectacular special effects. The film is an Indian blockbuster that is closer to what we are used to watching in Western cinema, even though Bollywood, of course, has never had anything to envy. With Don 2, however, even the die-hard fan of action-movies "Made in the USA" will be seduced. The movie's feel is very cosmopolitan, but, fortunately, lasting over two hours, the film will present a special screening at the 62 th edition of the Berlin International Film Festival.The most refined palates, that of the bloodthirsty Hindi cinema, do not feel betrayed. The plot is intriguing, the direction is in the hands of one of the "boys" most stylish and talented on the square (by Farhan!), The protagonist is one of those that leave their mark. Don 2 is already a legend. Stone-cold audiences and wallflowers should refrain from watching. Everyone else... HAVE FUN!
Positive points:
- Don, sporting wild long hair, kicks and punches better than a jujitsu champion, wearing a uber-cool cream coloured linen jacket.
- Don wearing an orange uniform in prison dominates a handful of shots, erasing decades of cinema by becoming the most unrepentant, brazen and sexy quintessential bandit ever to have graced the screen.
- Don, and his dangerously swaggering walk, his new-dandy look (the leather jacket worn under the coat will might make sensitive souls lose a few hours of sleep), walking the streets of Berlin totally free.
- Don, cigarette in hand, voluptuously surrounded by a cloud of smoke throwing a smug glance at the mirror.
- Don, the irresistibly seductive and elusive criminal. Don and the sexy villainous look in his eye. Don and his vitriolic wisecracks. Don: ruthless, sardonic, arrogant, über-cool, elegantly self-controlled, at times becoming suddenly angry and impetuous, burning ice. D-O-N!
Warning: Impressionable young girls are adviced to handle with caution.
- Shah Rukh Khan, who, shortly before the sixth minute, relieves the pain and frustration of all his Italian fans repaying their devotion with a few simple words: "Italian restaurant... you know spaghetti bolognese, a glass of red wine... What? Don't you like Italian food? What a shame..." - The D initial of Don, tattooed on Shah Rukh Khan's arm, which is, among other things, protected by copyright - Hrithik Roshan appears in the film during a delicious cameo. It is only a few minutes but is truly tasty.
TRIVIA- The film's official website is highly interactive. You may even register and participate as an agent aiming to capture Don.- Don 2 is the first sequel in SRK's career. For Farhan Akhtar it has implied a return to directing after a five year absence. He had not experimented anymore behind the camera ever since he had filmed Don: The Chase Begins Again.- Don 2 was created in 3D with the help of Chuck Comisky, who has already participated as technical staff in Avatar and Sanctum.- Many of the phrases uttered by Don, in the first film, have become popular and gained cult status. One of these: "Capturing Don is not difficult, it is impossible", is already a catchphrase.
During the promotion of the sequel, a set of videos under the title "Don Says" have been released, featuring the best lines from Don. My favorite? "Who says miracles do not exist Take a close look at me." Don Says videos.
- To the delight of fans and marketing gadget lovers, producers have also planned the release of a comic book, Don: The Origin, which unveils Don's background as well as a video game for Playstation 3 and the Android platform. - For a taste of the beautiful soundtrack, head to the following links: Hai ye Maya, Mujhko Pehchaanlo and Dushman Mera Don 2. - To enjoy the scenic shot where SRK is launched from the roof of the Park Inn Hotel at Alexanderplatz in Berlin, click here.
DON 2 Starring: Shahrukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Lara Dutta, Kunal Kapoor, Boman Irani, Om Puri, Aly KhanJabar, Sahil Shroff, Florian Lukas, Special Appearance - Hrithik Roshan Written by Farhan Akhtar, Ameet Shah, Amrish Mehta Directed by Farhan Akhtar Produced by Farhan Akhtar, Ritesh Sidhwani and Shahrukh Khan Music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy Lyrics Javed Akhtar Choreography by Vaibhavi Merchant Distributed by Reliance EntertainmentYear 2011
Shah Rukh Khan's dream film is finally out after much expectation this Diwali 2011.
The story of Prateek, a young boy who loves to play video games and how one of these games is brought to life is a concept that, according to director Anubhav Sinha, was born six years back when he watched a commercial that featured two children using a remote control on a human being. The original idea and Shah Rukh's dream of making a film that would cross all boundaries through the bold use of VFX resulted in developing a script about a superhero that, as Khan has explained, "saves mankind from Ra.One's (a new era Raavan) torment".
Ra.One has mainly created buzz prior to its release not only thanks to its all star cast and star cameos (Priyanka Chopra, Sanjay Dutt and none other than the legendary Rajnikanth) but also because it features visual effects and stunts that are absolutely new to Indian cinema and is an ambitious project that has seen huge collaboration between Indian and international teams. A visible example to the audience is that of the Ra.One soundtrack, which was composed by Vishal-Shekhar and includes the participation of internationally acclaimed singer Akon for two of its songs, "Chammak Chalo" and "Criminal", in accordance with a sporadic crossover musical trend in Hindi films.
The marketing of Ra.One has set a record as the "longest promotion in Bollywood history", having started as early as December 2010! One of the key elements in promoting the film has been keeping Arjun Rampal's avatar under tight wraps. The villain's skeletal look was only to be discovered late in promotions and this did create quite some expectation...
Part of the promotional strategies also included launching a Playstation 'G.One' game based on the film and featuring original dubbing by the movie's actors. Apart from the Playstation game, a social game application named Ra.One Genesis was also launched and has encountered unprecedented success. All sorts of collectibles have also been developed in accordance with the image of the film: G.One coffee mugs, T-shirts, watches, laptop skins, comics, video cameras and a collectible doll (similar to the Ghajini statuette, launched in 2009 by Aamir Khan).
Ra.One is the story of a father, Shekhar Subramaniam (Shah Rukh Khan), an un-herolike and Mr.Beany character who works as a graphics specialist in a video-game firm. Shekhar and his young wife, Sonia (Kareena Kapoor), have a son: Prateek (Armaan Verma). Prateek admires villains and therefore his father creates a highly futuristic video game in which the villain, named Ra.One, is more powerful than the game's good guy and also has a mind of its own. Prateek bites the bait and excitedly begins to play with Ra.One, oblivious to what is to come next: Ra.One comes to life in this dimension and threatens to kill Prateek and destroy everything in its path. Shekhar consequently brings to life his game's good guy: G-One (also played by a blue-eyed Shah Rukh Khan) to destroy evil. The film stunts and special-effects its way through the story that antagonizes both forces.
The effects will have you exclaiming "Wow!", heck, even the trailer had me exclaiming the same. Supernatural stunts, special effects and fellow action-movie inspired scenes set an electrifying tone. Technologically and novelty-wise it is undoubtful that Ra.One has what it takes to have viewers flock to the cinema. It bedazzles the audience with visuals and more visuals that are complex, modern and fiery, served at a very decent rhythm, particularly in the film's first half. The story is however no classic nor does it drive down a point of wisdom or a larger than life plot. Once the video effects are surpassed in the next decade or so, Ra.One risks not having the power of endearment generated by a graphically simpler Robot orKrrish. As an action film, Ra.One remains however a highly commendable incursion into a modern-day visual and promotional department, bringing expectations several notches up in India for films to come.
An action hero story this certainly is. However, as much as I want to believe the "hero with a heart" quote from the promotions, I have to stop and wonder... I sincerely remember feeling more emotional while watching Superman in the 80s (with sensibly less VFX) feel a quiet love for Lois Lane. Indian cinema had all the keys to bring in the necessary amount of emotion into the film but for some reason has not. As entertaining as Shah Rukh's presence can be and as pleasant as Kareena Kapoor is to watch on screen, I personally find the lack of emotions in the film a serious error, particularly coming from a trademark Indian film.
The story and game theme should be able to successfully make a mark among the gaming generation of youngsters. There is however an element that personally failed to engage me and was at odds (in my opinion) with what was promised in the promotional campaign: the film does have its good dose of below the belt, regionalist or even sexist humour, some of it even served by Armaan Verma (the little boy character!). Prateek is also a boy who is more worried by appearing cool than by being kind to others. All of the above to my judgement would not be suitable for a full-fledged "family film"...
Be aware that the second half of the film may seem as if a plot that was nicely being built up started unabashedly fizzling out. Having handsome Arjun Rampal successfully incarnate the evil forces was a good choice, but letting Prateek's mom also become Ra.One at a given point did seem way too far fetched even for a fantasy film and sadly made this viewer absolutely lose interest in whatever Kareena Kapoor had to do in the entire subsequent story.
Watch for huge entertainment of the eyes, not that much for plot or letting go off your emotions while you observe the lethal war between the pure and dark forces of the gaming universe. Do not expect to understand the reason underlying Ra.One's profound wrath either. The point is: Give your eyes a Diwali feast with handsome people on screen and state of the art VFX without asking for much more. Enjoy Ra.One for the phenomenal technological work that went into it and you will be able to say that your ticket was paisa vasool.
As a teenager, Bollywood beauty, Priyanka Chopra, was a choir singer and was also influenced by American music and the pop, R&B and rap culture. She has now started writing her own music with a Western team of songwriters and is all set to become an international music star, backed by Lady Gaga's managers and other top executives in the Western music production world, planning to release her debut pop music album in 2012. Chopra has been recently recording several tracks in New York and Los Angeles.
Her love of European disco dance music and pop hits will be colouring her choice of tunes for this album while she keeps working on four films at the same time. When interviewers wonder how she can do it all she jokingly states that as a girl, one of her talents is multitasking but then goes further to explain that she enjoys finding time for what she really loves: films and music. Asked about the music genre she is aiming for, Priyanka explains: “It’s pop. I love pop music, so that’s the kind of music want to be able to make and I’m a dancer, so I want to make music that makes people dance.”
The actress was recently in London, where riots have broken out but will be reaching India safely very soon.
Late night insomnia. I chance upon the music soundtrack of upcoming ‘7 Khoon Maaf’. My heart skips a beat at the good news. Vishal Bhardwaj and Gulzar are behind it. Both are similar to a quality seal on an album. My chance to finally relax and listen to new soulful music tonight is probably here. The computer drive’s laser skims the CD and…
01. Darling - My first reaction is “YES!”. Bhardwaj has done it again. Russian theme ‘Kalinka’, one of my favorite folk tunes, bounces off my bedroom’s walls. The muscles in my body feel compelled to move to the rhythm while Rekha Bhardwaj and Usha Uthup revisit the classic and transform it into a crisp ear-treat (Clinton Cerejo and Francois Castellino join the party in the re-make bonus track that has been baptised ‘Doosri Darling’). This is a skillful opening that certainly has a Russian but also "new tango" feel to it and I must say the "Bhardwaj mood" is set from square one!
02. Bekaraan – Wind. Raindrops. The sound of far away thunder. A heartbeat. The nazm written by Gulzar has been discreetly musicalized by Bhardwaj. It is all but pretentious but may just be what the doctor ordered. Vishal’s voice always has the privilege of leaving me dreamy… Other background vocals echo the starting wind. Soothing. A romantic balm with a beautiful ending.
03. O Mama – Strong performance by K.K. and lyrics by a rocking Gulzar! However, after such a spacy previous 'Bekaraan', I would have possibly preferred listening to the acoustic version of ‘O Mama’ featured as a bonus track in this space. It truly places K.K.’s powerful voice and raw delivery at the forefront of the melody for listeners to enjoy.
04. Awaara – Strings and percussion drizzle from the speakers and I close my eyes in expectation. The guitar riffs get my senses rolling and Master Saleem’s swift vocals elevate the atmosphere and me with it. This is a piece that I would have instinctively recognised as Vishal Bhardwaj’s, santoor, sarangi and all. The singular note combinations, airy feel and dark rhythmic core are all there and nonetheless Vishal succeeds in reinventing his musical personality with utmost elegance. ‘Awaara’ is witness to his chamaeleonic talent.
05. Tere Liye – How many songs have been named 'Tere Liye'? How many lovely ones have I played and replayed in my acoustic mind? This suave sound poem allows the piano and jazzy bass to dance together, playfully throwing soft and unusual chords at each other as romanticism touches new shores. The sitar interludes and the matter-of-fact interpretation by Suresh Wadkar make this particular ‘Tere Liye’ a lovable piece of artwork that will be rediscovered upon each listen.
06. Dil Dil Hai – Rock with a punch enters the scene. Seldom have I heard a singer from India give a rock track all he’s got but 'Dil Dil Hai' has impressive and exciting vocals by Suraj Jagan, who delivers with huge dollops of attitude. After listening I nevertheless still feel I should await the song’s picturisation before giving it a thumbs up. Maybe I have become too old for outright metal rock?
07. Yeshu – The song has a compelling introduction of church bells and choirs. The organ rhythm and a haunting guitar loop uncover Rekha Bhardwaj’s expressive voice, which has been gloriously selected for the mood while electronic instruments blend in without breaking the spell. Grandeur only frightens those who are afraid of achieving it and, as this gentle piece rises to touch grandeur, it pulls you in and moves you with a prayer that leaves no emotion unexplored.
And thus, my friends, as the CD drive cools down I have danced, smiled, pined and managed to unwind. Farewell, insomnia. Tomorrow is another day, and a better one for having discovered Gulzar’s and Bhardwaj’s new offerings. Here is wishing you all the same thrill. :-)
7 KHOON MAAF
Buy the 7 Khoon Maaf soundtrack online from Flipkart (English language site) or Amazon.fr (French site) Music Director : Vishal Bhardwaj Lyricist : Gulzar Music Release Date : 24 January 2011
Watch the 7 Khoon Maafofficial trailer Follow 7 Khoon Maaf on Facebook Follow 7 Khoon Maaf on Twitter Film director : Vishal Bhardwaj Film Cast : Priyanka Chopra, Naseeruddin Shah, John Abraham, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Irrfan Khan, Anu Kapoor, Vivaan Shah, Aleksandr Dyachenko. Film Release Date : 18 February 2011
Bollywood's Shah Rukh Khan reached Berlin this month, together with co-stars Priyanka Chopra and Lara Dutta as well as 70 of the film's co-actors and other film staff from India for the start of the shooting of their latest movie, the sequel "Don 2 - The Chase Continues", directed by Farhan Akhtar, who previously directed the remake of 1978 cult film 'Don' in 2006 (the original 70s film starred none other than Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan).
Producers have described 'Don' as a Hindi version of James Bond, in which the hero of the film is however a suave and smart criminal!
The sequel will star the original cast of Farhan Akhtar's first 'Don': Priyanka Chopra and Boman Irani, but will also welcome new characters being played by Lara Dutta, Sameera Reddy and Kunal Kapoor.
Shah Rukh Khan, who plays the lead role mentioned that the inspiration to shoot 'Don' in Berlin came while he was visiting the German city during its 2008 film festival.
"I just love Berlin... It is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. I have been here for two weeks and I don't feel I am working," Khan told reporters at a recent press conference. The 44-year-old actor enjoys a huge fan following in Germany, where his films are dubbed and sold to the general German-speaking public with huge success.
While the star might feel as if he is not working, he not only started filming but dove immediately into doing a difficult stunt consisting of jumping from the roof of the Park Inn Hotel on the Alexanderplatz in Berlin for a scene in which several gangsters are chasing him.
Apart from this difficult stunt, the actor has also been preparing for more action-packed scenes: "Learnt scuba diving...base flying...fast driving (crashed also once)...gyming...old songs...PS3 (Play Station 3) soccer...Beat Boman & Ritesh (Farhan & me)...happy," SRK tweeted this week.
'Don 2' is an Indo-German production that has Germany hoping to attract millions of Indian viewers to travel to the beautiful city of Berlin by showcasing some of the town's most famous tourist attractions. Shah Rukh Khan himself sees this opportunity as a "great way to showcase this city to an Indian audience".
The Hindi version of the film seems to be scheduled for release in December 2011. It is still being debated whether the dubbed German version will be released simultaneously or at the Berlin International Film Festival to be held in February 2012.
Hindi cinema is all set to take Canada by storm as a series of Indian films have been programmed at the Toronto International Film Festival taking place from September 9 to 19, 2010.
Among the 300 films that have been selected for screening this 2010, the Toronto Film Festival has scheduled two world premieres of Hindi films: 'What's Your Raashee?' and 'Dil Bole Hadippa', which will be attended respectively by stars and directors such as Ashutosh Gowariker, Rani Mukherjee, Priyanka Chopra and Harman Baweja.
Other films from India or the Indian diaspora that will be getting exposure during the renowned festival include:
'That Girl in Yellow Boots' (Anurag Kashyap) - From the acclaimed director of Dev D, starring Kalki Koechlin and Naseerudin Shah. Trailer
'Dhobi Ghat' (Kiran Rao) The much awaited debut film of Kiran Rao, which has caught the eye of the Toronto Film Festival director, Cameron Bailey, starring Prateik Babbar and Aamir Khan. For an excellent account on the TIFF screening and the film, click here.
'Water' (Deepa Mehta) which released in 2005 and was nominated for an Oscar. Starring Sarala, Lisa Ray and John Abraham. Trailer
