Tuesday, 30 September 2014

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 449

Navratri Mahotsav Day 5
29/9/2014



Pancham is dedicated Devi Skanda who is also known as Skanda Mata, mother of Skanda or Lord Kartikeya, who was chosen by gods as their commander in chief in the war against the demons. Devi Skanda has four arms and three eyes and is always accompanied by Lord Skanda in his infant form. She cradles infant Skanda in her right upper arm and holds a lotus in her right hand raised upwards. The left upper arm is in pose to grant boons and the lower hand holds a lotus. She is seated on a lotus and is as beautiful as the flower. The fifth day devi puja is Ashwin Shudda Panchami and the colour of the Goddess is Red.


Bhawana Somaaya/ Tweets @bhawnasomaaya

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 448

Navratri Mahotsav Day 4
28/9/2014



Chauth is dedicated to Devi Kushmanda, which literally means a little warmth in the cosmic egg.  It is believed that she is the creator of the universe which was an empty space of darkness, until she transformed nature with her powerful light. Devi Kushmanda rides a lion and holds different weapons including rosary and flower in her eight hands. The fourth day devi puja is called Durga Saran and the colour of the Goddess for today is White.


Bhawana Somaaya/ Tweets @bhawnasomaaya

Sunday, 28 September 2014

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 447

Navratri Mahotsav: Day 3
27/9/2014


Teej is dedicated to Devi Chandra Ghanta who embodies peace and tranquility. She is named after the moon because a half moon exists in the shape of a bell on her forehead.  She is alluring and golden in colour and is also referred to as sherawali as she rides a lion and is an avtaar of ten hands and three eyes. She is the apostle of bravery because she singlehandedly battle against ferocious demons. The third day devi puja is called Gauri Vratta and the colour of the Goddess for today is Grey.




Catch me on same at 92.7BigFM every morning.

Bhawana Somaaya/ Tweets @bhawnasomaaya

Friday, 26 September 2014

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 446

Navratri Mahotsav: Day 2
26/9/2014

Dooj is dedicated to Devi Bharmacharini, who practices devout austerity. She enlightens us in the magnificent embodiment of the all powerful and graceful Durga. She holds a rosary in her right hand and a water utensil in her left hand. It is believed that Devi Bhramachari brings peace and prosperity in our lives and guides us to Moksha.  The second day devi puja is called Ghata Sthapna and the colour of the Goddess for today is Green.





Catch me on same at 92.7BigFM every morning.

Bhawana Somaaya/ Tweets @bhawnasomaaya

Thursday, 25 September 2014

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 445

Navratri Mahotsav Day 1
25/9/2014

During Navaratri, we invoke the energy aspect of God in the form of the universal mother, commonly referred to as Durga, which literally means the remover of miseries of life. She is also referred to as Devi Shakti (energy or power) that precedes creation, preservation and destruction. It is believed that during these nine days God is motionless and it is the Divine Mother Goddess that rules the universe. Worship of Shakti re-confirms the scientific theory that energy is imperishable.

Ekum is dedicated to Devi Shailaputri, also recognized as Sati Bhavani, Parvati or Hemavati, the daughter of Hemavana - the king of the Himalayas. It is believed that she is an embodiment of the power of all the three gods that is –Lord Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. She rides a bull and carries a trident in one hand and a lotus in her other hand.  The first day devi puja is called Kalash Sthapna and the colour of the Goddess for today is Yellow.


Catch me on same at 92.7BigFM every morning.

Bhawana Somaaya/ Tweets @bhawnasomaaya

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 444

Old fashioned or over ambitious?
25/9/2014


Rekha seems to be enjoying playing Nargis in Mother India, Amitabh Bachchan and now Madhubala in Mugha -e-Azam in her forthcoming filmSuper Naani and her Indra Kumar seems to be enjoying indulging her in these various roles probably as  a part of a song or an item in the film.

What remains to be seen is whether the audience enjoys this kind of a comedy any more. I feel Super Naani will be as much of an acid test for Rekha as director Indra Kumar.


Bhawana Somaaya / Tweets @bhawanasomaaya

Wednesday, 24 September 2014

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 443

Touching the Sky
24/9/2014

Farhan Akhtar has always been a l rebel of sorts. He started as a writer director, then turned singer and actor, hosted TV show, recited poetry, did more films as an actor and continued to be a filmmaker.

Last year he picked all the popular and the critic awarded trophies for his brilliant performance  as the athlete in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. No matter how busy he is however Akhtar is always ready to support a good cause and does it cheerfully.

Times Music is releasing Farhan Akhtar’s brand new single Chule Aasmaan on 23rd September 2014. Salim-Sulaiman has composed the track.

Chulein Aasmaan is a song about female emancipation. A song about freeing women from roles they've be coerced into playing for centuries. It's a song about the importance of equal opportunities and about respecting an individual, regardless of the gender.


Bhawana Somaaya/ Tweets @bhawanasomaaya

Monday, 22 September 2014

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 442

5th Jagran Film Festival
23/9/2014


 The 5th Jagran Film Festival, Mumbai paid homage to the late Oscar-winning actor-filmmaker Richard Attenborough by screening Gandhi on Monday, 22 Sept at Cinemax Versova.

The 1982 epic dramatized the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the leader of India's non-violent, non-cooperative independence movement against the United Kingdom's rule of the country during the 20th century. Written by John Briley and produced and directed by Richard Attenborough, the film copped eight Oscars, including two for Attenborough as best director and for producing the best picture.

This year’s Homage Section of the festival will also pay tribute to character actor Pran, director Bapu and the versatile stage and film actor Farooque Shaikh. The respective films selected are Upkar, Who 7 Din and Lahore


Besides Homages the festival has several sections like Cinema of the Uprising, International Competition, Indian Showcase and Country Focus (Cyprus).Conceptualized to bring world-class cinema to its intended audience, the aim of the Jagran Film Festival is to mix all kinds of cinema and evolve the students. 

http://www.jff.co.in/ For further information, please call: Crisscross Communications Tejal Daftary | daftarytejal@gmail.com | 09820404621




Bhawana Somaaya/ Tweets @bhawanasomaaya

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 441

CII Big Picture Summit 2014
22/9/2014

Some things become a habit with a journalist and FICCI and CII are  part of those habits.

This year the theme of the Confederation of Industries was Monetising Strategies: The Tryst for a USD 100 billion Indian M & E Industry. It was as always a two day seminar starting in the morning after breakfast and ending over dinner. Held at Hotel Taj Palace, New Delhi CII roped in some impressive speakers which were a mix of politicians, journalists, sportsmen and film stars.

I was privileged to be a part of a panel debating if Media had taken over the role of Gurukuls. Not a very believable topic because the current image of media is far from the traditional Guru shishya parampara that ancient India was used to. In the olden days knowledge stopped at guru’s feet and his word was final. The Guru was a paragon of virtues. Today, we are living in times when nobody is above speculation. I believe that the present media is far too confused and often corrupt to play the role of a leader to a nation. There was a time we were addressed as the conscience of society. Today, does anybody care for the conscience?

The session was moderated by Kaveree Bamzai, Group Editor, India Today and Rajat Sharma,Editor-in Chief, India TV delivered the keynote address. Other panelist on the session was Mrinal Pande, Former Chairperson, Prasar Bharati.

Bhawana Somaaya/ Tweets @bhawanasomaaya 

Friday, 19 September 2014

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 440

Khoobsurat: Sab ka bum dole
19/9/14

Rhea Anil Kapoor produced aur Shashanka Ghosh directed Khoobsurat ek raajkumar aur ek doctor ki prem kahani hain.

Raajkumar Vikram Rathore, apni riyasat ke eklauti waris hain, aur business ke alaava, unko kissi baat mein dilchaspi nahi hain.

Mili Chatterjee, kaabil aur mashoor sports doctor hain, jisse apne patients’ ke saath saath, duniya bhar mein dilchaspi hain.

Dono ko milati hain Rani-sa, yaane Ratna Pathak Shah, kyon ki Hukum, yaane Raja-sa ko ilaaj ki zaroorat  hain.

Sabse pehle ye kehna zaroori hain ki 2014 ki Khoobsurat 1980 ki Khoobsurat ka remake nahi, prerna hain.

Dono filmein khushiyaan talaashti hain, magar jahan1980 ki Khoobsurat khayalaat badalti hain, 2014 ki Khoobsurat iraadein badalti hain.

Ismein maharajao ke thaat hain aur Dilli ki ada bhi, isme alishaan mahal hain aur Skype conversations bhi, vintage cars hain aur drunk parties bhi!

Film ka minus, kahani ek hi raftaar mein chalti hain. Na  ismin jasbaadon ka uttar chadhav hain aur na khaas drama!   

Film ka plus, film ki soch, film ka sandesh, film ki neeyat. Juhi Chaturvedi ke dialogues realistic hain aur  supporting cast mein Ratna Pathak Shah aur Manjiu ki bhumika mein Kiron Kher mazedaar hain!

Hero Fawaad Khan ki ye debut film hain, wo prince lagte hain aur bahtareen actor bhi hain.

Ye Sonam Kapoor ka sabse candid performance hain, shayad isliye, kyon ki role unki asli zindagi ke kareeb hai.


Film mein na koi villain hain, na vulgarity, na hi item number.

Saaf -suthri pariwarik entertainer Khoobsurat ko Big Entertainment Ratings milte hain 3 stars.


Bhawana Somaaya/ Tweets @bhawanasomaaya

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 439

Calm down 'Super Naani' team
18/9/14

Sometimes, an over efficient PR machinery can prove detrimental to an actor or a film. I explained this in my blog a few days ago but it does not seem to have any effect on the maker of the film I guess. Every day, the press releases get more and more offensive and nobody seems to be affected by it which is very strange.

First they release a picture of Rekha with a broom and compare her with Nargis ploughing in the field in Mother India.

Next they reveal that the trailer of the film is releasing with Disney-Anil Kapoor Productions’ Khoobsurat calling it Rekha’s original film. Yes, Rekha starred in Ashok Kumar Dina Pathak starrer Khoobsurat but the film belonged and continues to belong not to the actors but the director of the film, Hrishikesh Mukherjee.

Mistake number three is to describe Super Naani as Rekha’s comeback vehicle. The best artistes have refrained from such titles because it is bound to raise expectations of viewers.
And mistake number four to reveal Rekha doing a takeoff on Amitabh Bachchan. Should not something be reserved for the release and it is not as if the film is releasing this week, Diwali is still far away!

In my opinion Super Naani should have been promoted as women empowerment film, a coming together of an old pair Randhir Kapoor- Rekha who gave us memorable films like Rampur Ka Laxshman. It should have been promoted as combining force of cinema and theatre talent because Anupam Kher and Sharman Joshi have experience of both the mediums and finally, a celebration of bridging gaps of languages. In the past filmmakers like Vipul Shah and Umesh Mehra adapted Gujarati plays into box-office hits and now producer Ashok Thakeria and director Indra Kumar attempt to adapt the famous Gujarati play Baa Ae Mari Boundary into Super Naani.
    
Travelling the journey of Bharti Bhatia and her grandson Sharman Joshi is the story of every home, rather every mother.


Bhawana Somaaya/ Tweets @bhawanasomaaya

Wednesday, 17 September 2014

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 438

September is Bangalore Literature Festival
17/9/2014

As the date approaches closer, Bangalore Literature Festival gets its schedule in order. The website is ready and so are the authors, checking and connecting with their panel members. With just 10 days to go for the festival the countdown begins on the social media. Bangalore Liiterature Festival team spear headed by Vikram Sampath and Shine supervise communications with regards to travel and accommodation with authors from outstation.

It is not easy curetting such a vast festival; co-coordinating with local and outstation authors but with a skilled, hardworking, enthusiastic team everything is possible. They not just do a great job of the festival but make every author feel at home.

Mid September in my diary is blocked for Bangalore Literature Festival and I look forward to spending the special three days in the electronic city year after year. I look forward to meeting the very talented team, interacting with new and old authors walking in the gardens, chatting up with strangers in the Authors' Lounge over endless cups of coffee before and after the session. 

Love you Vikram and Shinie and can’t wait to see you both again at the best Lit Fest in India.


Bhawana Somaaya/ Tweets @bhawanasomaaya

Monday, 15 September 2014

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 437

Bad Joke
15/9/2014



Sometimes the media  receives information from a PR office which she would like to believe is a joke.


I'm aware that this is not the month of April and nobody is in a mood for April Fool jokes but when they send you a picture of Nargis in the iconic film Mother India and make a story combining a contemporary picture of Rekha in her forthcoming film Super Naani  I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

All I can say is let us hope that Rekha  is not reading the press release or even checking her pictures because if she were, she is sure to throw a fit at the interpretations intended.


Bhawana Somaaya - 
Twitter - @bhawanasomaaya

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 436

Happy New Year
14/9/2014

Most filmmakers these days prefer to launch their music and trailer release at Yash Raj Studio rather than a five star hotel. The reason being, controlled ambiance and not attracting  the wrong crowd to an event primarily meant for the media.

After Rani Mukherji's Mardani release and Aamir Khan's PK  poster event it is now turn of Shah Rukh Khan to release the music of Happy New Year with the cast and crew of the film.

A Farah Khan film starring Deepika Padukone, Shah Rukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Boman Irani, Sonu Sood and Naseerudin Shah's son, Vivaan Shah the music of Happy New Year  is composed by very talented Vishal- Shekhar. 

As expected it  was a rocking affair amd SRK had the media eating out of his palms, tell me something new!


Bhawana Somaaya
Twitter - @bhawanasomaaya

Friday, 12 September 2014

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 435

Finding Fanny is Finding Joy!
12/9/2014

Vishal Bajaj produced aur Homi Adajania directed Finding Fanny Goa ke chotte gaon Pocolim ki kahani hain.

Pocolim aisa gaon hain, jahan sab ek doosre ko jaante hain aur chahe na chahe, ek doosre ki zindagi mein shamil hain.

Homi Adajania aur Kersi Khambatta likhi iss kahani ke paanch khaas kirdaar hain:
Pehla, aur sabse senior, Ferdie, yaane Naseerudin Shah. Fredie akela hain, udaas hain aur zindagi se bezaar bhi.

Doosri, Rosie, yaane Dimple Kapadia. Rosie Pocolim ki shaan hain aur sab ki raazdaar bhi.

Teesri, Angie, yaane Deepika Paukone. Angie hasmukh hain, humdard hain aur kahani ki sutradhar bhi.

Chautha, Savio, yaane Arjun Kapoor, jo thoda confused aur thoda budhu hain.

Paanchva, Don Pedro, yaane Pankaj Kapoor. 

Pedro artist hain aur apne aap se bohat prabhavit hain.

Ek din, Fredie ki zindagi mein aisa kuch ho jata hain, jiski wajah se, Freddie ko Pocolim ke bahar jaana padata hain.

Freddie ko iss safar mein chahiye Angie ka saath...

Angie ko  zaroorat hai Savio ki madad ki …

Savio, Pedro ki ijaazat ke bagair koi vaada nahi kar sakta…

Aur Pedro, Rosie ki rajamandi ke bagair kuch karna nahi chahta…

Chakkar pe chakkar hain, aur jasbaadon ki guthli mein chuppaye hain rishtey…

Film ka plus, film ki casting, characterizations aur performances hain…

Naseerudin Shah aur Deepika Pdukone ki khaas chemistry aur Dimple Kapadia, Pankaj Kapoor ki khaas adayein.

Being Cyrus aur Cocktail ke baad, director Homi Adajania Finding Fanny mein, ek baar phir, samma bandh lete hain!

Jis tarha se baarish mein bhutta aur thandi mein paratha khane ka ek mood banta hain...

Ussi tarha se, Finding Fanny dekhne ka bhi ek khaas mood banta hain...

Finding Fanny ko humare dil aur dimaag refresh kar neke liye, Big Entertainment Ratings milte hain 3.5 stars.


Bhawana Somaaya/ Tweets @bhawanasomaaya

Thursday, 4 September 2014

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 430

Priyanka shines as Magnificent Mary Kom
9/4/2014

Sanjay Leela Bhansali produced, aur Omang Kumar directed, Mary Kom, Hindustan ki teen time Olympic Boxer, MC MaryKom ki kahani hain.

Manipur ke Imphal gaon mein pali badi, Chungejaan, ke appa chahte hain, ki uski beti athlete bane, magar MaryKom ka sapna Boxing hai!

Natural light aur real locations mein shoot ki gayi ye biopic, pahadi galiyon se jhoomti hui, Turkey aur China ke tournaments mein jhilmilati hain aur ghar waapas laut aati hai.

Bahtareen likhi, aur kathin paristithiyon mein filmayi, Mary Kom aspirational hain aur aham muddein bhi uthati hai…

Mudda 1: Ladki boxer nahi ban sakti…Mudda 2: Boxer shaadi nahi kar sakti…Mudda 3: Maa banne ke baad, boxer match nahi jeet sakti...

Ye samajik muddon ke alava, kuch mudein pariwarik hain – Mudda 4: pati aur bachon ko ghar chodkar patni kaam pe nahi jaati...  

Kuch mudein sarkari- Mudda 5: Player ko agar selection list mein aana hain, toh sport federation ke khilaaf awaaz nahi uthate…

Aur kuch mudein rashtriya – Mudda 6: Manipur Bharat ka hissa hote hue bhi kyon paraya kar diya jaata hain...

Film ke dialogues aur sangit mein Manipur ki sugnadh  aur Sanjay Leela Bhansali ki editing mein apne protagonist ke liye samarpan!

Kissi bhi kamyaab zindagi ko 2.5 ghante ki film mein pesh karna mushkil hai.

Director Omang Kumar Mary Kom ke school uniform se shuru hua safar, uske bachon ki nappies, aur phir se, boxing ring tak tayy karte hai.

Priyanka Chopra Mary Kom ki rooh mein kuch iss tarha se samma jaati hain, ki uske astitva ki maujudgi bhi mehsoos nahi hoti.

Wo khidkiyon se chalang marti hain, ghar ki gayy ko nehlati bhi hain…Wo zanjeer/ loha/ patthar ko thaame, kasrat karti hain, rishtedaro ke saath naachti bhi hai…

Wo kitchen mein khana pakati hain, bachon ko lori sunati hain, aur boxing ring mein apne opponent ko datt ke peetti hai!!

Ye zaroori nahi ki har film humara maoranjan kare - Mary Kom ka updesh sahas hain.

Ismein stheerta hai…sachai hai…saadgi hai… aur ye saare gunno ke liye Mary kom ko Big Entertainment Ratings milte hai 4 stars.


Bhawana Somaaya/ Tweets @bhawanasomaaya