Latest Features from BollywoodHungama.com http://www.bollywoodhungama.com Hungama Feed Creator http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/templates/default/images/bollywoodhungamalogo.gif http://www.bollywoodhungama.com http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/features/2009/11/11/5666/index.html Leading animation and visual effects studio Visual Computing Labs (VCL), a division of Tata Elxsi has recently delivered innovative special effects for Videocon's latest television commercial for its new range of washing machines. This ad is unique in that it likens clothes as susceptible to germs to the way people fall sick due to viruses. The ad was conceived to communicate the fact that the new Videocon washing machine has Quanta Wash with the edge of UV ray technology that kills such micro germs. This idea is conveyed using various 3D animation characters. The challenge was designing four different characters, with each character representing a person wearing the garment and his / her personal traits and attitudes towards life. These attitudes / mannerisms had to be further infused with vigour and made to 'come alive' through the performances of the four characters in the animation. This TVC has been directed by ace ad film maker Mintoo Singh of Classics Films. At the outset, while the TVC looks uncomplicated to a non-discerning viewer, tremendous effort has gone into making this a visually foolproof commercial and ensuring that the animation aptly fitted into its proper environment and not ending up looking flat and stuck on. To fit the animation seamlessly onto the live action person's T-shirt and actually model the T-shirt / shirt complete with folds that matched the ones in the live footage was extremely challenging to say the least. Speaking about the creation of the commercial, Suhael Merchant, Animation Director, Visual Computing Labs, said, "The use of animation in advertising is fast becoming a potent force for companies to reach out to the target audience. The uniqueness of this ad film was that even though animation was used as the medium to communicate, the characters for the film were absolutely regular animation characters. The integration of the animated characters being used as prints on various people's t-shirts and the seriousness of the film's message is what makes this ad stand out." Since its inception, VCL has pioneered some of the finest animated and VFX work that has originated from India and garnered significant worldwide recognition. VCL has successfully delivered fully animated TVCs on a habitual basis for both Indian as well as global customers, the latest being the Kelloggs Honey Loops TVC. The Himani TVC for the production house, Equinox also created by VCL won the FICCI BAF award this year for executing outstanding visual effects in the category of "Best VFX in a commercial".]]> Bollywood Hungama News Network Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:51:58 EDT http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/features/2009/11/11/5665/index.html All of us have been called idiots at some point in our lives. But 'you were only going down the untrodden path' and being pulled up for it, opines Rajkumar Hirani, the director of the forthcoming college-comedy 3 Idiots. We are interviewing the musical trio of the 3 Idiots team today. These gentlemen make eccentric personas, to say the least. Each has believed in his own unique cinematic language and has managed to make it popular. Raju Hirani with his heartfelt comedies, Shantanu Moitra with his soulful and melodious music and Swanand Kirkire with his contemporary yet poetic songwriting. As we sit munching over a bread-and-omlette snack, they enthusiastically talk about the songs, the philosophy of the film, why they made the word 'idiot' cool and share their mantra for success - if nothing works, chill out, all is well. Like in Munnabhai, the music of the film is cheerful and casual, but at the same time has an underlying philosophy. Raju: Yes. In the film we've tried to portray a philosophy which says that by nature we get scared of things; when you get scared all you have to do is tell your heart, 'Bhai, dar mat. All is well. This too will pass away.' Aisa agar karoge, zaroori nahi hain ki problem solve ho jayega, but you'll be able to face it better. Swanand: Actually the concept of 'All Izz Well' is a part of the script but we had to take it to the song level. I happened to come across a cartoon where a chick is looking at an omlette and saying, 'Is that you brother?' You really don't know what's going to happen to you the next moment. Ek ko life milti hain, aur ek tave pe fry ho jata hain. That's where we found the song. Raju: (sings) Murgi kya jaane andey ka kya hoga, life milegi ya tave pe fry hoga. Koi na jaane apna future kya hoga. And since we don't know our future - Hooth ghuma, seeti baja, seeti baja ke bol bhaiya all izz well. All three have done inspiring work, where did you draw inspiration for 3 Idiots? Shantanu: We have passed through our college days, and the thing with the youth is that baat ka batangad nahi ho jaata. If there's a big issue, someone tells you, 'Problem hain, daru pee lay.' If it still doesn't get any better, you drink some more. What you are doing is that you are basically trying to handle the situation by not going 'Oh my God!' That's the youth's way of thinking. Forget it yaar, bandi ne ditch kiya hain, doosri dhoond le. I think this casual, yet in-depth way of thinking about life is what exemplifies what this film is all about. Raju: You know, if you are speaking the college lingo, you have to stick to that. You can't be very poetic because it will look false, that's not what they speak there. What I admire about Swanand's writing is that language college ki hain par uske peechey ek badi philosophy hain. Swanand: The same applies to the film too. The story's about college kids but has an underlying philosophy, which is revealed through laughs and cries in the film. It's the beauty of Raju's cinema. Shantanu: If there's a big issue, someone tells you, 'Problem hain, daru pee lay.' If it still doesn't get any better, you drink some more In the film posters and other communication, you have made the butt-grabbing idiots into the next 'cool' thing. Raju: Who do we call an idiot? Anybody who tries something different, somebody who's a non-conformist, who does something which is not on the trodden path. Usko bolte hain 'Yaar, aisa kaise karega? Pagal ho gaya hain tu?' We are all born conditioned in a way to live our lives on a normal path. Shantanu: I remember an instance from my school days. The word idiot was very liberally used then. During a football match, I chose to play barefoot because it was raining and the ground was very wet. My PT teacher called me an idiot and didn't let me play for the first half. He finally had to relent as I was the only one who could run without slipping. Therefore, being an idiot is somebody's point of view but what he is doing is actually sane. Does this mainstream projection of non-conformists draw from the kind of films you have made so far, from your own life? Raju: Even if you don't draw from your life, you believe in a particular way of living. Yes, we do particularly believe that zindagi aisi honi chahiye, that's why we've made this film. We draw from stories we've read, we draw from our lives. Swanand: Basically the crux of the film is 'chase excellence, success will follow'. And that's what Rajkumar Hirani, Aamir Khan, Shantanu, all of us have been doing all our lives. What's the message of the film? Raju: There is a message in the film. Kaabil bano, kamayabi to jhak maar ke peechey aayegi. If you think there was a message in Munnabhai MBBS, in Lage Raho Munnabhai, then there is a message in this film. We strongly feel that cinema is for entertainment, nobody's going to pay 100-200 bucks to be given a lecture. Hence the message is sugar-coated and you will take it home, but with lot of entertainment. Now that the music is out, let's talk about your favorite songs from the film. Swanand: 'Behti Hawa Sa Tha Who', which is a journey song is one of my favs. It's a marriage of Simon-Garfunkel and SD Burman and gives you the old town feel. Besides, 'Zoobi Zoobi', which pays a tribute to films of yesteryears... jaisa filmon mein hota hain... is another favorite. Raju: I like all the songs, each on a different occasion. But 'Jaane Nahin Denge Tujhe' would be my favourite because Sonu Nigam has sung it in a way which is very unusual. Jab usne gaana gaya, hum logon ke roongte khade ho gaye, we were shocked. What we are trying to say is that these three idiots were actually probably the sanest people but the world thought that they were idiots. Raju: These three idiots were actually probably the sanest people but the world thought that they were idiots Shantanu: Yes the song has an unusual structure, its operatic in style, has minimal music and the power comes from voice. Sonu has used an amazing vocal technique where he's singing on one-and-a-half octaves, which is incredible. I like 'Give Me Some Sunshine' because it's the first song we composed and I am emotionally attached to it. This song was composed even before the script was ready, to help Raju visualize the film. It's has a very acoustic, college mein akele, anthem-ish feel to it. The music has a soul. Shantanu: It does. We didn't go hunting for catch-phrases before composing the songs. We have never done this and are not doing this now. We have been with the songs for 1.5 years. If the songs were gimmicky we would have ourselves got bored of them. People will like the songs. This is an honest attempt to address the real youth and not sell them music as a brand. Swanand: We are not only approaching the energy of the youth but its spirit. Raju: In a nutshell, we have made songs that we would like to hear and not caring about adding bhangra beats or something to make a song that would work with a particular audience. All will be well.]]> Mrigank Dhaniwala Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:02:19 EDT http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/features/2009/11/11/5664/index.html There was a time when directors making cameos in their own films were considered to be a fad. Now the latest trend seems to be getting an actor to do a cameo in a film that has been hyped to the hilt, without even a mention about the star's presence. The last well-kept secret cameo that Bollywood witnessed was that of Deepika Padukone in the film Main Aurr Mrs Khanna, a film which only showcased the on-screen presence of Salman, Kareena and Sohail Khan. This time round, it is the Aftab-Aamna starrer fantasy flick Aao Wish Karein, directed by Glenn Baretto. We found out that Aftab's chaddi-buddy Riteish Deshmukh will be seen playing a Sardar in the film. Our sources also went to the extent of furnishing us with the snap of Riteish's look in the film. When Bollywood Hungama spoke to director Glen Baretto, unlike many directors, this man was indeed sweet enough to admit the presence of Riteish in the film. Not just that, he also went to the extent of telling that, "Riteish is not making a cameo in the film. He is actually the grown up version of the Sardar kid whom you have seen in the promos. He plays Bonny, Aftab's best friend. Riteish agreed to do this as a gesture of friendship towards Aftab Shivdasani." So friends, Aao Wish Karein that friendships in Bollywood should be as real as Aftab and Riteish! ]]> Bollywood Hungama News Network Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:12:18 EDT http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/features/2009/11/11/5663/index.html Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani is busy finding an entry in the record books and for Ramesh Taurani of Tips Music Films, it's the third major success in a row after Race and Kismat Konnection. With Ajab Prem... seemingly all set to cross the collections of Race and turn out to be the biggest success ever for the production house, the filmmaker obviously has good reasons to celebrate. As the film passes the test of the dreaded Monday (by not registering a major fall and staying on comfortably at the box office), Joginder Tuteja catches up with the Ramesh Taurani who now be beginning work on Race 2. At the least, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani should turn out to be a hit with expectations of a better box office tag in weeks to come. Were you always expecting such a huge opening or you too have been surprised? Frankly, I am not surprised at all. In fact I would have been disappointed had the collections been any lesser. I was always super confident of the product in hand and this is the reason why our marketing and promotion team went all out to make the film accessible to the 'junta'. We knew that Ajab Prem... is the kind of film that would break the multiplex v/s single screens and urban centres v/s small town barrier. It was meant to be a film for all segments of audiences and as you can see from the collections, it is pretty much in line with our thought. We knew that Ajab Prem... is the kind of film that would break the multiplex v/s single screens and urban centres v/s small town barrier A large segment of the industry and media is shocked though to see the way Ajab Prem... has performed. Agreed that it had Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif in the lead with chartbuster music by Pritam. Still, a start like has resulted in quite a few reactions? [Laughs] The industry we are in, it will always be shocked at something as phenomenal as this. We have a tendency for extreme reactions and this is no exception. I am happy though that it has happened when a film has been a success and brought in money back into the industry. It is heart breaking when a film's failure results in a shock! Even for Raj Kumar Santoshi, this must be a shot in the arm. After Halla Bol and Family, he must have been really down while making the film? See, no one can deny the greatness of Raj Santoshi as a director. The talent was always there in him and he has making good films too. It's just that a good director also needs an overall good set up. He should have a good producer, good set of actor, good music - everything. This seems to be the reason why he was going gaga over the way the film was being promoted. Even for the film's release, he seemed to be ecstatic about the fact that the buzz was catching up on the film in a big way... That's right. As I stated earlier, during the making we knew that we had a very good product in hand. This is why we came up with smart campaign to be in accordance with the kind of commercial film that Raj had made. We had to make sure that the film reaches out to the audiences. Time and again, it is stated that the film's real test comes on Monday after the initial hype dies down over the weekend. Seems like Ajab Prem... has passed the test? And with flying colours (says immediately). The film has stayed stable quite extraordinarily on Monday as well which gives a clear indication of how word of mouth has spread all over and it has been liked immensely. That's the hallmark of a good family film because the genre of Ajab Prem... is such that it cuts the boundaries. It can be seen anytime, anywhere and by anyone. The film has stayed stable quite extraordinarily on Monday as well Meanwhile, what happens to Race 2? The film is on the right path and we would begin work on it in full swing now that Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani has released. Come February/March 2010 and Race 2 will go on floors. The film will certainly be bigger and better than the first part. If you thought that the twists and turns in Race were deadly then watch out for the sequel. There are many more surprises in the offering. What I can promise is though is that just like Race, this one too is an expensive thriller and would be shot on a lavish scale in foreign locations. The action too would be many notches higher. Come February/March 2010 and Race 2 will go on floors There has been confusion around Saif Ali Khan, Anil Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor being on board in Race 2? Along with Saif Ali Khan, only Anil Kapoor is finalised for Race 2. These two are integral elements of the film and cannot be done away with. For the rest of the star cast, the decision would be taken once the script is finalised. Expectations are so high from the film that we have to be doubly sure and get everything perfect before we start shooting for the film. Now whether Bipasha Basu, Katrina Kaif or Akshaye Khanna would be repeated in the sequel or if Kareena Kapoor would be added to the cast or would replace any of the earlier leading ladies is something on which I can't comment on right now. Let the script be ready and we will decide on the balance star cast only after that. There have also been rumours that Abbas-Mustan may not necessarily be directing the sequel. Is that true? That's baseless. They are certainly directing the sequel.]]> Joginder Tuteja Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:44:47 EDT http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/features/2009/11/10/5662/index.html Profit for all, loss for none This time around, Himesh Reshammiya 's strategy is quite clear. Unlike Karzzzz where high price of the film resulted in a flop tag being associated with inside the opening weekend itself, Radio comes with one line vision of 'Profit for all and loss for none. "We don't want to get into a situation where just a single person earns", says Himesh who, along with the makers of Radio, has formulated a model where everyone in the value chain earns well, "In case of Karzzzz, only Bhushan Kumar earned but BIG Pictures lost. I want a different scenario for Radio. This is why the film has been sold at the kind of price which would be easy to recover and also result in profits to be earned." Table profit for Radio By means of satellite, music and video rights, the makers of Radio have already earned a neat table profit of Rs.1 crore. From this point on, it's the distributors who should be raking in moolah, hence going by the model of 'everyone earns from Radio'. "The film has been made at a budget of Rs. 6 crores, everything included, and that sum has already been recovered by the producer Ravi Agrawal. It's a happy situation for everyone since all territories have already been sold on M.G. which is remarkable since most other movies are sold on advance or commission basis", Himesh talks business here. Himesh's own remuneration Himesh hasn't charged a penny for Radio. Even though there were talks till a couple of years back that his fees for the triple role of an actor, singer and composer was Rs. 3 crores, Himesh changed his stand for Radio. Instead of hard cash, he has become a part of the business model for Radio. "My remuneration of Radio is the Mumbai territory and 50% of all the profits that are earned from the theatrical run. This way no one complains. If the film succeeds, which I am sure it will, I gain some good moolah. God forbid if it doesn't, then it's only me who has to worry. Rest everyone would have still made their money." The Chupke Chupke v/s Sholay comparison While Karzzzz was sold at more than Rs. 30 crores, Radio is being pegged at just a little more than Rs. 6 crores. Does this mean that for Himesh it is a step down when it comes to his market value? "How can one say that", reasons Himesh, "Chupke Chupke and Sholay were released in the same year and both starred Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra in the lead roles. Were they sold at the same price? It doesn't happen that way. Every film has its sensibilities and target audience. Some are made for mass commercial appeal while there are others that have a touch of class to them and are aimed at a select segment of audience." Which segment does Radio belong to? Himesh is candid enough to admit that from Karzzzz, he has learnt a lesson that not all audiences can be pleased through one film. "Look at the hit v/s flop ratio of the films that release every year. There are so many films being made that are seemingly targeted at universal audiences. How many of these succeed? May be three or four. The best way out is to identify the kind of audience that you are catering to and make your film for them. Radio is for the multiplex junta and that too for a niche audience that wishes to look at the complexities of relationships in today's times. This is why we are touching upon compatibility issues, f%^k buddies, emergence of Facebook, relationship status etc. etc.", explains Himesh. Limited release Unlike Karzzzz that was released on hundreds of prints with a dozen odd shows running every day, Radio would be seeing a meagre release which is just enough to get the houseful signs on. Himesh has a reference in Karan Johar's strategy as he talks about the release plans of Radio. "Look at the way Wake Up Sid has performed ever since it's release. With names like Karan Johar and Ranbir Kapoor, they could have gone all out and flooded the market with prints. But they didn't do that and basically focused on a select target audience. Result is that the film has managed to sustain so very well over the weeks and doing great on word of mouth. That's the kind of plan we have for Radio as well. We certainly don't want to get into an overdrive." No debate So why are the makers of Radio and Himesh making such declarations well in advance even though the film is about a month away? Simple. They want to steer clear of any debates that may happen after the release of the film when industry begins challenging its hit/flop status. Himesh starts explaining, "If you look at the way films have performed this year, even the biggest of them have come under scrutiny. Except for a Wanted or Love Aaj Kal, every film is being looked at with suspicion when they declare themselves as hits. Neither do I know whether these films worked or not nor am I in the know-how of their deals. But we see how we continue to debate around the ultimate box office outcome of an All The Best or a Blue or a London Dreams. That's unfair as I am sure their makers too must have devised a business model around the money recovery. It's just that in case of Radio, we are laying bare facts open for all to look at and comment. It is better that it happens well in advance before we start counting box office collections which would actually be an added bonus."]]> Joginder Tuteja Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:11:41 EDT http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/features/2009/11/10/5661/index.html Weekend collections of Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani are out and it is crystal clear that Raj Kumar Santoshi is all set to have the biggest ever money spinner of his two decade long career. Not just that, even Ranbir Kapoor is enjoying the biggest opening ever of his career with the movie continuing its record journey. In the concluding segment of this 2-part interview with Joginder Tuteja, a relieved Raj Kumar Santoshi reacts to the digs taken on him by other filmmakers, delay in completion of his films, failure of Family and Halla Bol and how he is quite sure that Ranbir and Katrina are sure shot superstars just round the corner. Even though you are sticking by your ethics and passion and are one of the select senior film makers who are still around, doesn't it hurt that there are digs being taken on the pace at which you complete your films? At times it appears to be harmless fun but sometimes, it is also a little below the belt. Don't you feel like retaliating? I am glad you asked this question. Though I won't wish to retaliate per se but I definitely to want state some bare facts on the records to bring a turnaround in perception of few who feel/believe/speculate/assume that I take time in completing my films. If we go down the memory lane, one of my biggest and most ambitious films till date, The Legend Of Bhagat Singh, took mere 120 days from the first day of the shoot till the release date. This included actual shooting, post production, marketing, promotion and release. Tell me how many big films like this have been completed in such speed. Moreover, my involvement with a project doesn't just end at the sets of the film. I know of so many out there who steer clear of a film once they are through the principal shooting. However, I am thoroughly involved in the background score, editing, mixing etc. The Legend Of Bhagat Singh, took mere 120 days from the first day of the shoot till the release date But isn't The Legend of Bhagat Singh an isolated example of a film being completed so fast? I can give you a lot more examples. Khakee was completed in 8 months even though Aishwarya Rai had met with an accident during the shoot. Also, there were other superstars like Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn as the part of the cast. Still, there were no delays. On the other hand, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, in spite of busy youngsters like Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif, was completed in 8 months flat. Sometimes there is a gap between making two films which gives people an impression that a movie is taking a lot of time to be completed. However, the actors with whom I have worked over the years know that I shoot fast and finish the films on time. It's unfortunate that there is such a wrong perception around my films getting delayed. I am happy that other than great looks, Katrina also has an inherent quality of being a good and honest human being that reflects in her performance Have you ever looked back on the box office failure of Family - Ties of Blood and Halla Bol? Whenever I look back, I become surer that poor marketing killed these films. In today's times something like that is so important for your film to make it's presence amongst in the audience. People make choices based on what is made available to them. Neither Family nor Halla Bol reached out to audiences. Moreover, in case of Family, Amitabh Bachchan had fallen ill before it's release and hence there was a lot of uncertainty around the film's release. Moreover, no one was in the right frame of mind to talk about the film. What is ironical though is that till date I get compliments from people who watch it on satellite or DVDs. These films were far better than the rubbish which is churned out today. Well, the story telling of your latest release was indeed comical. However, it must have required quite some thinking on your part to rope in someone like Katrina Kaif in a role like this, right? After all before New York, she was being billed as just Ms. Beautiful. I know her for last 2.5 years and have closely followed her progress as an actor, star and a professional. I had been hearing stories about her sincerity, discipline, punctuality and hard work. I saw it all for myself when she was roped in for the film. She was quite enthusiastic about the subject even though it required her to do something that she has never attempted before. Not many actors can carry off a role like this with élan but she did that. I am glad that my judgement paid off. She was very convinced herself that she could crack it well. I am happy that other than great looks, she also has an inherent quality of being a good and honest human being that reflects in her performance. Ranbir too has given an altogether different account of himself... It was such a pleasant experience to be directing this young boy; He too hadn't done anything like this before. Years back, I had enjoyed so much working with Rishiji in Damini. I still believe that the industry hasn't given him his due. Now Ranbir has played a role so well which required him to come up with an all around performance where he was required to display a wide variety of emotions. He is a definite star on way to be a superstar. Ranbir is a definite star on way to be a superstar There has been a considerable gap between Ajab Prem Ki Ghajab Kahani and your last release Halla Bol [Jan 2008]. Will there be an equally large time span before your next film arrives? That should not be the case (laughs). I was just waiting for the response to Ajab Prem Ki Ghajab Kahani. Now I can start putting together my next film in place which is pretty much in the pipeline.]]> Joginder Tuteja Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:00:24 EDT