Drishyam: reversal of Roles for AayTabu- DAY 631

Viacom produced aur Nishikant Kamath directed Drishyam, Japanese film, Devotion of Suspect X se prerit hai.

Iske Malyalam adaptation mein, Mohanlal ne kaam kiya hai aur Tamil adaptation mein, Kamal Haasan ne.

Kahani ke do protagonists hain, film library chalane wala Vijay/ Ajay Devgan aur Goa ki sabse sakht IPS officer Aarti/ Tabu. 

Film ka first half, plot aur characters establish karta hai aur behad dull aur neeras hai. Kahani interesting banti hai, second half mein, jab Tabu entry leti hai.

Film ka minus film ka pace, presentation aur kuch hadh tak, unconvincing characters! 

Ajay ke pariwar mein paise ki kummi hain, magar unke rehan sehan mein nazar nahi aati. 

Tabu professional hai magar, usse jazbati dikhana director zaroori manta hai. 

Film ka plus, film ki supporting cast Rajat Kapoor aur IPS officer ke assistant, Inspector Gaitonde.

Singham se bilkul alag image mein, Ajay Devgan, kirdaar se zyaada film ka sandesh hai. 

Satya-asatya / dharm-adharm ka nirnay kaun karta hai? Humare sanjog… ya phir humara zameer…?

Drishyam dekhni chahiye, Tabu ke liye…Uska gussa…uska dard…uski nirasha…uski aankhon se bayaan hoti hain!

Do drishtikon ko pesh karti Drishyam ko Big Entertainment Ratings milte hai 3 stars.

Bhawana Somaaya/ @bhawanasomaaya

Of Kings & Queens- DAY 630

Zee TV has a way of launching the most unique shows every season and this time the show that
will add to the glory of the channel is Ek Tha Raja Ek Thi Rani a period drama starring Drashti
Dhami and Siddhanth Karnick.

The show promises to be a lavish period drama and special designers have been roped in to work
on special looks of all the actors. Anita Raj for example has modeled herself on Maharani
Gayatri Devi and Drashti is doing her best so that she will not be associated with Madhubala Ek
Ishq Ek Junoon.

It is the first time a serial has been launched in such a grand scale and will be shot in actual
locations to lend the royalty lifestyle. The event was kick started with a dance ballet on the story
choreographed by Sandip Soparrkar, a first in the history of television.

Bhawana Somaaya/ @bhawanasomaaya

Akshay Kumar finds a Grandmother- DAY 629

Strangest things happen in the lives of film stars. They make friend, foes and at times
relationships out of strangers. Recently when Akshay Kumar was shooting in Transylvania for
his forthcoming film Singh is Bliing he encountered an unexpected problem during the shooting
of the climax.

His co-star, a Romanian fighter in an action scene with him accidentally ripped off his suit. Since
the suit was part of the continuity and there was no time to waste, Akshay suggested the unit
look for a local tailor to repair the suit rather than wait for the designer to fix an alternative.
As luck would have it a local Romanian grandmother part of the spectators at the shooting
helped the unit by sewing the suit with her needle work talent.
The Romanians were proud of their grandmother to have helped an Indian superstar.

This is called a stitch in time saves nine!

Bhawana Somaaya/ @bhawanasomaaya

Sonakishi Sinha: Reality shows to Brand Ambassador- DAY 628

Sonakshi Sinha, who is currently judging the reality singing show Indian Idol Junior 2, has been enthralled by the performances of the kids on the show. For the Parents Day episode, Sonakshi was unable to control her tears as the juniors paid emotional tributes to their parents.

Sonakshi became so emotional that the shoot came to a halt for sometime as everyone tried to console the actor.When she recovered Sonakshi laughed about it and said that an actor’s life on and off screen is about kabhi khushi kabhie gham.

She was right because the following day, Sonakshi was appointed brand ambassador for Digisol's wireless and networking products, her first high tech product.

The appointment of Sonakshi comes at a time when DIGISOL plans to magnify its presence in consumer segment and this association is expected to boost the brand’s visibility in India. Looking at her pictures all we can say is that the life of a star is kabhi techno kabhi tears!

Bhawana Somaaya/ @bhawanasomaaya

Yoga by the Bay- DAY 627

The event was organised by Nana Chudasama and daughter Shaina NCs I Love Mumbai at Marine Drive was a feast to the eyes. Innaugrated by Mayor Smt. Snehal Ambekar, Malini Shankar (IAS), actors Ira Dubey and Jackie Shroff, holistic health guru Mickey Mehta.

It seemed like the Mumbai rains would be a spoiler but Mumbaikars flocked in large numbers with their yoga mats, some to practice and some to learn from experienced Yoga teachers.

The event was supported by senior officials from Navy, Army and Air force and also Central Railway and Western Railway officials.

Children from St. Lawrence & St. Thomas Schools, as far as Borivli and Dahisar came to collect saplings and what was wonderful was that the children had their own school Music Band to welcome the guests which made the event all the more special.

Bhawana Somaaya/ @bhawanasomaaya

Masaan is about Varanasi we have never seen-DAY 626

Drishyam Pictures produced aur Neeraj Ghaywan directed Masaan, Bharat ke chote shehar aur
bade hauslo ki kahani hai.

5000 saal purane Varanasi ghaat mein sainkdo yaatri aate jaate hain.
Masaan wo ghaat par bassi zindagiyon ki kahani hain.
Aur jaise aam zindagi mein hota hai – kahanni se judi kahani aur rishte se jude aur rishte…
Theek ussi tarha se, writer Varun Grover ,hume  Sanskrit teacher, Vidyadhar Pathak.., unke
khaas shishya Jhonta..,  unki computer seekhi beti, Devi.., Devi ka dost.., dost ka pariwar.. aur un
sab ke halaat ka sampark karwaate hain.
Saath hi mein college mein padhte do premee Shweta Tripathi  aur Vicky Kaushal, unke
pariwar… aur unki alag samasyaein...

Director Neeraj Ghaywan Varanasi ke janam mrityu itihaas ko kabhi raag, kabhi kavita aur kabhi
jigyasa ka naam dete hai.

Film ko anokha banati hai film ka backdrop aur multi multi track narrative. Naya ladka Vicky
Kaushal aur Devi ki bhumika mein Richa Chaadha, apne career ke sabse mushkil performance
mein!

Masaan manoranjan nahi ek soch hai…Aaina hai… Mizaaj  hai...Ismein  thehraav hai aur
raungte khade kar dene waali kaddvi sachai bhi!!

Massan kio Big Entertainment Ratings milte hain 3.5 stars.

Bhawana Somaaya/ @bhawanasomaaya

Esha Deol in Box Cricket- DAY 625

Roadies judge Esha Deol is now the owner of a cricket team. Esha is part of the Box Cricket League Punjab, along with other Punjabi actors like Geeta Basra. Geeta has bought her close friend Harbhajan Singh’s hometown team Jalandhar, Geeta confirmed, saying, “Yes, I own the Jalandhar team in Box Cricket League Punjab. Jalandhar has always been close to my heart as my family is from there. I am very happy to be associated with them and looking forward to an amazing time.”      

Box Cricket League launched last year, brought together 150 of the biggest television celebrities in a potent mix of drama, cricket and celebrities. This year they’re adding ‘Punjabi’ tadka to that mix and taking the concept to a completely new level.

Bhawana Somaaya/ @bhawanasomaaya

Meet the Author- DAY 624

The political leadership of India under Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan under Mohammed Ali Jinnah emphasized the secular and non-violent foundations of their newly formed sovereign states. Yet almost immediately, riots broke out across the region, and today it has become one of the most violent legacies of the subcontinent. How did the Partition transform two countries with a shared history, geography, and people, into hostile and opposed forces? How can they overcome their differences to solve their greatest problems of border dispute, from terrorism to disaster relief, that dominate both domestic and international politics?

 Join Nisid Hajari, Asia Editor at Bloomberg View and Author of Midnight's Furies: The Deadly Legacy of India's Partition, in conversion with a distinguished panel of journalists. This program falls under Meet the Author series, which aims to bring together the freshest perspectives from writers across Asia as they engage in dialogue about their recent publications and the art of writing.

BhawanaSomaaya/@bhawanasomaaya

Writing Comedy- DAY 623

William Shakespeare once said, comedy is tragedy plus time. But is it really that simple? What makes a scene or a script inherently comic? Is it tone, content, situation, absurdity, the opposite of what would happen in regular life, all of these or none of these?

A compact important workshop on writing comedy has been organised in association with FWA by Whistling Woods. Conducted by Anuvab Pal, award-winning screenwriter of acclaimed films as Loins of Punjab Presents and President is coming will take you through writing and building the structure of a comedy film, focusing on how to write a comic scene, and the tools required to build a comedy story as opposed to any other genre. Ultimately, as Woody Allen said, funny is funny, but in the age of comedy that’s very fashionable in India today, can this be taught? Or is it just instinct?

Bhawana Somaaya/ @bhawanasomaaya

Bajrangi Bhaijaan in Being Human- DAY 622

S K Films produced aur Kabir Khan directed Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Uttar Pradesh ke Pawan Chaturvedi ki kahani hai.

Pawan Chaturvedi padhai mein sust aur kushti mein nirbal hai magar Bajrangbali ke pakke bhakt hai aur koi galat kaam nahi karte!

 Ek din, ek anjaan 6 saal ki bachi, Pawan ko yuhin raah chalet mil jaati hai aur usse zero se hero bana deti hai.

Film ka sabse bada plus Vyjayendra Pradad ki dil choone wali kahani. Iske alava film ka sandesh, saare kirdaar aur saare rishtey.

Film ka minus bas itna hai ke har kirdaar kuch zyaada hi achha hai. Film thodi si kum ‘feel good’ ho sakti thi…

Ya thodi chotti ho sakti thi…Ya Kareena Kapoor ka role thoda lamba ho sakta tha…

Ya climax thoda complicated ho sakta tha…

Magar shayad ye hi film ki khubi hai, ki ismein saadgi hai, aadarsh hai, manavta hai.

Hindustan Pakistan ko lekar bohat saari filmein bani hain, kuch dard ki kahniyaan, kuch dushmani ki aur kuch dosti ki.

Director Kabir Khan koi bhi mudda na uthate hue, dharam aur desh ki saari lakeerein mita dete hain aur uss se bhi badi baat, dono deshon ke prati barabar insaaf karte hai!

Iss Eid release ko chaar chand lagate hain - Rasikka ki bhumika mein Kareena Kapoor, hosh udane waale Chand Nawaz, yaane Nawazuddin, subhanalla Salman Khan aur chand ka tukda khud, chotti Harshaali.

Humour aur action se bharpur Bajrangi Bhaijaan ko Big Entertainment Ratings milte hain 3.5 stars.

Bhawana Somaaya/ @bhawanasomaaya

T​IPS ​Music says Radio Stations - DAY 621

TIPS Music has been among the leading music companies of Bollywood who has for a long time also producing films.
It has been a front runner in many decisions and now comes one more. TIPShas stated that it will be
working directly with radio stations in licensing their vast musical catalog. They want to work in closer proximity with the radio industry and initiate innovations in content. Says Kumar Taurani, “We’ve always worked closely with Radio Stations in promoting our content so it makes sense that we now take up the licensing deals as well...”



TIPS has produced the highly successful Akshay Kumar film Entertainment last year, is producing a Punjabi film starring the superstar singer, Gippy Grewal.and has started acquiring music r​ights of other producer’s films like Vijay Galani’s Loveshuvda starring Girish Kumar; of Sanjay Suri / Onir's
film Shab.



Bhawana Somaaya / @bhawanasomaaya

Prachi fits into Sangita Bijlan's shoes-DAY 620

For a long time we have been hearing about who will get to play the second wife of cricketer Azharrudin in his biopic produced by Balaji Films and to be released in 2016.

Now it is no more a secret that Prachi Desai will play Sangita Bijlani in Azharrudin.

When Azhar was asked who he would like to see in that role he had blushed and said, “Get the original since she is an actress too”.

But that was not to be and we spotted the two women together at a leading designer's collection preview for Vogue and they appeared more than friendly.

Now we know why because in show business nobody smiles and poses for camera without a reason.

Bhawana Somaaya/ @bhawanasomaaya

That's So Like Mahesh Bhatt- DAY619

When I got to know that Mahesh Bhatt had written the story of Humari Adhuri Kahani I knew it had to be a personal story. It was meant to be a story of domestic violence but the idea was not to show the violence. Or was it meant to be a remake of Madison County a film Mahesh has wanting to make for decades.

He was passionate about his story and followed up with the actors and the director while they were at the location shooting. He would inquire if the actors were biting into their characters and the director Mohit Suri getting the emotion and the passion required for the story.

They assured him all was well on the sets and Mahesh, as a conscious decision, stayed away from the shooting. He looked at the working stills and was assured that all will work out as per his imagination. It did not.

Sometimes the vision of the filmmaker and the writer don’t turn into a happy marriage and Humari Adhuri Kahni is one such example.

The film did not create ripples at the box-office which is unusual for Vishesh Films. Bhatt bros were disheartened which is understandable.

Now I’m happy that Mahesh has turned his unsuccessful film story into a novel. I can assure you without reading a single page that the book will be more interesting than the film.

Bhawana Somaaya/ @bhawanasomaaya

Kashish Gets into Art- DAY 618

Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival, city’s premier LGBT film festival launched another initiative to mainstream issues around diversity and inclusion on the sidelines of its festival in May.

The 377191 Wall Art Exhibition at Gallery Beyond (Kala Ghoda) launched by noted artist Prabhakar Kolte and filmmaker Aruna Raje, has become a hub of activity attracting diverse visitors – from students, artists and serious art buyers.

The exhibition, a show of solidarity between artists of all orientations, is like a beautiful rainbow. The art works are affordable and more important, for a worthy cause.

Apart from artworks by noted artists, there are also over three dozen artworks that are LGBT specific and reflect Kashish’s mission of engaging diverse audience with different art forms beyond cinema to include art and literature.

Must visit and check out the art works when that side of town or make a visit specially for this.

Bhawana Somaaya/ @bhawanasomaaya

Bahubali is a Visual Treat- DAY 617

Dharma productions presented aur S S Rajamouli directed Bahubali- The Beginning kahani hai
raja maharajao ki.

Ye kahani hai rajmahal ke wafadar sevak, unke dushman aur mahal ki apni rajneeti ki.
Ismein sab kuch hai- haathi, ghoda , palki, barfeele parbat, mashal se roshan goofayein aur
maayavi teetliyaa.

Ye maayne nahi rakhta ki ye kaunsi sadi ki…kaunse rajya ki…kis raja ki kahani hai.
Maayne rakhta hai toh sirf  paak sundar nazaare aur director ki neeyat.

Film ka plus film ka ambitious scale, film ka grandeur, exotic locations aur Sabu Cyril ka
production design.
Iske alawa film ki seductive cinematography, special effects, maharani ki bhumika mein Raamya
aur sab se badkar, film ke shaurya hero, Bahubali yaane  Prabhas.

Film ka minus bas itna hai, ki film lambi hai, aur 2 part mein hai, isliye kahani adhuri hai!
Iske bawajood film dekhni chahiye, director SS Rajamouli ke liye.

250 crore ka budget aur 2.5 saal bana ne mein, teen bhashayein (Tamil, Telegu, Hindi ) mein release
hui Bahubali - Bhaarat ki sabse mehangi film hai.

Bohat dekh li Harry Potter series ab kuch desi swaad bhi ho jayein.

Bahubali – The Beginning ko Big Entertainment Ratings milte hain 3.5 stars.

Bhawana Somaaya/ @bhawanasomaaya

Mahira Khan says Eid Mubarak- DAY 616

Pakistani Actress of the very famous teleserial Humsafar, Mahira Khan, heroine of Shah Rukh Khan in the upcoming film Raees, will also be seen in Pakistan’s most anticipated feature film Bin Roye set to release on Eid in Pakistan.

Mahira Khan  was last seen on the big screen in the controversial film Bol on gender discrimination in South Asian countries released all over India by Eros Pictures.

Bin Roye, a Shahzad Kashmiri-Momina Duraid directorial, is a saga of obsessive love that can be best described as a tragic beauty. Starring Armeena Rana Khan and the evergreen Humayun Saeed in lead roles the film was shot in Pakistan before Mahira bagged Raees

Bhawana Somaaya/@bhawanasomaaya

.

Remembering Madan Mohan- DAY 615

Singer, composer Madan Mohan was born on 25 June 1924. If he were alive he would have been 91 years old.  He passed away at young age of 51on 14 July 1975 the same year emergency was imposed on the country.

The present government is celebrating the 40^th anniversary of emergency and Madan Mohan’s family older son Sanjeev Kohli specifically is putting together the maestro’s career on the digital world.

The website was launched six years ago and today www.madanmohan.in is on the top charts for the music lovers.

The best thing about the site is the personal audio message in Madanji’s voice  on the Home Page followed by his most popular ghazal ‘Aap ki nazrone samjha pyaar ke kabil mujhe…’ written by Raja Mehdi Ali Khan and sung by Lata Mangeshkar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d08uc9DH8bc

Bhawana Somaaya/ @bhawanasomaaya

Because The Woman is Worth It- Day 614

In a brief conversation, a man asked a woman he was pursuing: ‘What kind of man are you looking for?’ She sat quietly for a moment before looking him in the eye and asked, ‘Do you really want to know?’ He nodded. ‘Today, I’m in a position to ask him what you he for me that I can't do for myself. I pay my own bills. I take care of my household and I’m in the position to ask, ‘What can you bring to the table?’

‘I need a man who is striving for excellence mentally because I need conversation, mental stimulation. I don't need a simple-minded man. I need someone who is striving for excellence spiritually because I don't need to be unequally yoked...believers mixed with unbelievers is a recipe for disaster! I need a man who is striving for excellence financially because I don't need a financial burden. I need someone who is sensitive enough to understand what I go through as a woman, but strong enough to keep me grounded. I need someone who has integrity in dealing with relationships...

‘Lies and game-playing are not my idea of a strong man. I need a man who is family-oriented. One who can be the leader, priest and provider to the lives entrusted to him by God. I need someone whom I can respect. In order to be submissive, I must respect him. I cannot be submissive to a man who isn't taking care of his business. I have no problem being submissive...he just has to be worthy… 

‘And by the way, I am not looking for him...He will find me. He will recognize himself in me. Hey may not be able to explain the connection, but he will always be drawn to me. God made woman to be a help-mate for man. I can't help a man if he can't help himself.’

When she finished her spill, she looked at him. He sat there with a puzzled look on his face. He said, 'You are asking a lot. She replied, ‘I'm worth a lot’.

Bhawana Somaaya/@bhawanasomaaya

MS Sathyu boards Mumbai Local- DAY 613

What role does design play in the theatre? What does it take to transform a stage into a completely different world? How does a sketch on paper become a tangible, elaborate set? How do stage, set and costume design bring alive the magic of a performance?
We are absolutely thrilled to invite M.S. Sathyu - director, designer and filmmaker - to Mumbai Local.

 M.S. Sathyu has spent a lifetime creating magic for diverse forms of theatre - ballet, small experimental productions, largescale spectacular theatre. He will take us into his wonderful world of theatre design, through fascinating stories from his life. We will have a chance to see and touch his beautiful, intricate designs, and understand how he 'saw' for the stage.

In fact, we've already dug a little into his beautiful treasure trove of experiences. Here are some gems he shared with us that we'd like to share with you. We are sure that Saturday will have many, many more stories in store for all of us!

Join us for a Mumbai Local session that gives us a rare, exciting window into the fascinating,compelling and gorgeous world of theatre design.

Bhawana Somaaya /@bhawanasomaaya

Guddu Rangeela interesting but inconsistent-DAY 612

Sangeetha Ahir- Naren Kumar produced aur Subhash Kapoor likhi-directed, Guddu Rangeela, Mirpur ke orchestra singers, Guddu, yaane Amit Saadh aur Rangeela, yaane Arshad Warsi ki kahani hain.

Dono bhai, raat mein Mata ki Chowki karte hain aur subah, shehar ke gundo ke liye khabri bante hain.

Ek din, bade paise ki lalach mein, dono apharan ke liye haan kar dete hain aur apne hi chakravyuh mein phaste hain.

Aisa nahi hai ki iske pehle, humne Haryana ke baare mein filmein nahi dekhi hai…

Aisa bhi nahi hai ki iske pehle, humne chori dacaiti ke baare mein filmein nahi dekhi hai…

Guddu Rangeela ko alag banati hain film ki taking aur treatment.

Director Subhash Kapoor, saamajik muddon ko hasi mazak, kabhi vyang aur kabhi hinsa se jawab dete hain!

Problem film ka inconsistent narrative hain - kuch portions mein film super engaging hain aur kuch jagah par – film niras aur dull ho jaati hai.

Film ka plus, film ke ensemble performances – phir wo constable ho, Bengali ho, heroine Aditi Rao Hydri, negative role mein Ronit Roy ya heroes Amit Saadh aur Arshad Warsi.

Guddu Rangeela ko Big Entertainment Ratings milte hain 2.5 stars

Bhawana Somaaya/ @bhawanasomaaya

Anil for Marathi cinema--DAY 611

There are some who make a big hue and cry about supporting a cause and some who do it quietly. Anil Kapoor falls into the latter category. The actor has been in the news for the role of a businessman in Dil Dhadakne Do going strong overseas but the actor is rooting for regional cinema.

The first look of Anand Sagar Productions and producer Vijayshree Patil's first production Manatlya Unhat directed by Pandurang Jadhav was unveiled at the hands of Kapoor in the presence of the entire cast and crew of the film. Anil made it a point to praise all the actors and the technicians involved in the team and wished them the best

Manatlya Unhat is about the new generation, their dreams and how they affect the life of their parents. Sensitive and substantial the film will prove pathbreaking in social dramas.

Bhawana Somaaya / @bhawanasomaaya