Friday 30 October 2015

Tiltli is dark. Charles aur Main is cold blooded - DAY 689

Kannu Behl likhi directed Titli kahani hai Dilli ke Jawahar Nagar mein rehte ek pariwar ki.
Daddyji, yaane Lalit Behl, tandurast hai magar retired hai aur pura din ya toh radio sunte hai ya phir TV dekhte hai.

Bada beta Vikram, yaane Ranvir Shorey, ghar grahasthi, shaadi aur dal roti ki zimmedaari se pareshan hai…

Manjhla beta Pradeep, yaane Amit Sai, kabhi bade bhai to shaant karane mein aur kabhi chotte bhai ko samjhane mein jhunjhta hai…

Aur chotta beta Titli sabse bezaar hai aur shayad isi liye bolta kum aur sochta zyaada hai…

Film ka plus: film ki sachai aur performances. Ranveer Shorey ke alava, naye kalakar, Shashank Arora aur Shivani Raghuvanshi talented hai…

Film ka minus: film neem se zyaada kadvi aur raat se zyaadi kaali hai.
Agar aap ko manoranjan ki talash hai toh Titli aap ke liye nahi hai.

Haan magar agar aap Dilli ki kaddi dhoop mein scooter par sawaar hokar, wahan ki sachai jaan na 
chahte ho, toh Titli aap ke liye hai…

Titli ko Big Entertainment Ratings milte hai 2.5 stars.

                                                                          
                                                                           **


Praval Raman likhi directed Main aur Charles , 1980 ke dashak mein sabse zyaada surkhiyon mein rahe criminal Charles Sobhraj ki jeevan gaatha hai.

Thailand, Dilli aur Maharashtra mein shoot ki gayi ye film, hume Charles Sobhraj aur unkie jeevan mein aayein logon ka parichay karwati hai.

Film ka plus: film ki anokhi shot taking, cinematography, editing aur detailed research.

Film ka minus agar isse minus kaha jaayein toh 2 ghante 10 minute ke baad, hum Charles se jud nahi paate aur wo shayad isliye bhi, ki Charles kissi se nahi judta!

Main aur Charles dekhni chahiye Richa Chadha ke sirf ek scene ke liye…Jab wo police station mein tudti hai!

Police inspector ki bhumika mein Adil Hussain ke mature portrayal aur aatma vishwas ke liye…

Aur sabse badhkar, ek anokhe roop mein, Randeep Hooda ke liye…
Randeep, Charles ki mano-sthithi aur chaturai ko apnate hai, uske swaarth aur kathorta ko, bina jasbaad, sthirrta se pesh karte hai.

Charles aur Main ko Big Entertainment Ratings milte hai 3.5 stars.

@bhawanasomaaya
                                   

Thursday 29 October 2015

Khaas Aaadmi - DAY 688

Rickshaw drivers want dal chawal

On Sunday I had given my driver an off and hopped into an auto-rickshaw from Sion to Juhu. Driver Rashidbhai suggested a different route because some MLA was holding a rally on the Western highway. Rashidbhai said “Why are our politicians so foolish and don’t they think about people who need to drive to hospital or airport? Why can’t they hold meetings in open grounds and leave the roads for us civilians?”

At the traffic signal, we stopped in front of a smiling politician on the billboard, Rashidbhai looked at him disapprovingly and said, “I’m 62 and driving from 8am to 8pm but with great difficulty I carry home rupees 1,000 every night and out of that I have to pay house rent, vehicle rent. My family does not get square meal a day while these guys” he says pointing to the hoarding make crores, is this fair? I sometimes wonder how they sleep with a guilty conscience or maybe have they bribed Almighty as well, kya pata…”

Rashidbhai was upset, he gulped down water from a soiled plastic bottle then wiped his mouth with a dry napkin tied on the handle, and continued “I am Congress loyalist, my father took me to vote for the first time and demonstrated me to stamp on the open palm. Since then I have been stamping on the palm for years and taught my children to do the same but not anymore! We trusted them for 60 years and they give us corruption, price rise and potholes. I want to invite our leaders and drive them on Mumbai roads. They will not survive five minutes and we are driving these rocky streets all our life. The fault is ours we have allowed them to treat us like donkeys!”

Rashidbhai was angry and it reflected in his driving, he said, “Forget tomatoes, forget onions and forget Biryani on Idd day but promise me dal chawal atleast. These days I attend all political rallies to make sure what they promise and they promise a lot. I was present for Narendra Modi’s rally in Mumbai and I was impressed. I drove by road to Gujarat and was impressed again. I have decided memsaab, I will vote for Modi. He is strong and this country will be safe in his hands”

What about AAP, don’t you trust the young CM in Delhi? “They are too kachha as yet, they have a lot of josh but are foolish.” What about Rahul Gandhi? “No memsaab he is a baby, earlier he never talked and now he is talking too much.” What about the Prime Minister are you satisfied with him, has he delivered his promises, what do you think? Rashidbhai was irritated, said, “I was sure he would win and he has won. He has not delivered his promises, well not all of them but we need to give him time, he will”
I had reached my destination but Rashid bhai had not finished “Log kuch bhi bole but Narendra Modi mein dum hai. Aaap dekh lena ye ek aadmi aakha India badlega ek din.”

Bhawana Somaaya/ @bhawanasomaaya


Wednesday 28 October 2015

Beauty & the Beast - DAY 687

Last week I was invited to the premier of Walt Disney’s maiden venture Beauty & the Beast in India and I have to admit it was a spectacular show so what if it began 45 minutes late. Once you were seated and the show began you were transported in a magical world.

I was fortunate to be seated one row ahead of Vidya Balan and Siddharth Roy Kapoor of UTV and could sense Vidya Balan’s excitement. All through the show an anxious Vidya sat clutching husband Siddharth’s arm and everytime it was time for applause Vidya bloomed like a proud wife.

Based on the Academy award winning animated feature film Beauty & the Beast released in 1991, this classic musical love story is presented to Indian audiences on the same scale as the mega – productions seen on New York’s Broadway and on London’s west end. 

The India musical production has been developed and directed by Vikranth Pawar and featuring over 100 of the best musical theatre performers from all over India. It is said over 8000 entries were scanned for auditions which lasted over four months.

While many would have liked it to be a Hindi musical this one is in English at 130 minutes in duration, with select shows across Mumbai and Delhi from October to December 2015. The show is a result of super team work and spectacular talent be it the vision of Vikranth Pawar ( show director and creative head, live entertainment at Disney India), Lesle Lewis (music direction), Terence Lewis (choreography), Varsha Jain (set design), Gavin Miguel ( Costume Design), Pallavi Devika (hair & make – up) and Suzanne D’mello (vocal training).

Don’t miss the show if you can afford the tickets. If not beg, borrow, plead but watch the show. You will be proud of India and Vidya Balan has the right to be proud of her husband to bring this to India.


@bhawanasomaaya

Tuesday 27 October 2015

Sharad Purnima - DAY 686

Yesterday was Sharad Purnima and the purnima lasts for two days.

Sharad Purnima or Sharad Punam as is widely understood is a full moon night because it is believed that the moon is in close proximity to the earth and therefore the brightest on this night, which is why this festival is celebrated on the terrace of buildings and homes.

The beauty of the festival is to bathe in the pure moonlight often referred to as amri varsha by the scriptures. The sages believed that the nectar imparted in the moon light on Punam night has the capacity to heal the most dreadful diseases.

The festival is also called Kojagiri festival and associated with Goddess Lakshmi. On this idols of Lord Lakshmi Narayan are dressed in milk white costume and worshipped inside temples.

At home an offering of milk and sweets made of milk are offered to the deities.

There are many stories related to this festival, one of them is that it was on this night that Lord Krishna joined the 1,108 gopikas in the rasleela and made all of them believe that he was exclusively with them.

Super stories make for super festivals.


@bhawanasomaaya

Monday 26 October 2015

Getting ready for Prithvi Festival - DAY 685

Just in the way we are hardly done with Ganesh festival and the drums begin for Durga, similarly even before we can get our accredation card for MAMI film festival, preperations are on for the upcoming Prithvi Festival. October November is a super time in the cultural calendar of art world and in Prithvi Theatre this year one can look forward to many extra-ordinary events. 

There are going to be seven plays, six premier productions and all content as always will be original and more written, composed and choreographed locally.​ Besides the plays there will be a number of music concerts aptly titled Udayswar@Prithvi and which include classical Morning Ragas and one of these features Devaki Pandit.

For those interested in other form of music, there is a concert of Acoustic Jam featuring Neeraj Arya’s Kabir CafĂ©, a modern rendition. Then there  is SOI@Prithvi Premier Performance of Vanraj Bhatia’s composition Sinfonia Concertante by the Symphony Orchestra of India and a dance theatre you cannot miss by Sanjukta Wagh.

Prithvi Festival is not complete without Fringe Performances (this time five of them)​and StageTalk@Prithvi – that features conversations with eminent Theatre Professionals on their work and journey in theatre with artistes like Rajit Kapur, Rajat Kapoor, Ahlam Khan Karachiwala, Mohit Takalkar, Lillete Dubey and the erudite Ratna Pathak Shah.

The highlight of the festival will be the Rambo Circus on Diwali - Fun & Amazement of the Circus at Prithvi Theatre and Platform@Prithvi by Furtado’s: Platform Music performance curated by Furtado’s in the foyer before the shows.

I have booked my show at Prithvi have you?

@bhawanasomaaya



Friday 23 October 2015

Shaandar is special - DAY 684

Vikas Bahl likhi directed Shaandar, Bipin Sharma, yaane Pankaj Kapoor ke pariwar aur unke samdhi, Sanjay Kapoor ke beech tayy ki gayi shaadi ki kahani hai.
Film ke sabhi kirdaar, shaadi ke functions ke dauran introduce hote hai aur iss khushi ke mauhal mein judta hai ek aur rishta, Aliya, Bipin Sharma ki chooti beti aur wedding planner Jaginder Joginder yaane  Shahid Kapoor ke beech.

Film ka plus: director ek jaani pehchani kahani ko tedhi medhi raah chalkar, interesting bana dete hai.
Unke kirdaar aisa kuch nahi karte ya kehte hai, jiski hume unse umeed ho...
Director emotional scenes ko comic aur flashback scenes mein animation ka shara lekar stereotypes ko todte hai.
Jiss tarha se unki peechli film Queen bahar se toh thukrayi dulhan ki kahani thi. Magar asal mein, kuch aur nikli.  Ussi tarha se, Shaandar bhi, bahar se ‘business deal’ par asal mein, alag ehsaas hain!
Door se, film mein dhol bajte hain, goliyaan barasti hai, lambi gaadiyaan bhaagti hai aur chartered planes aasmaan mein ghumte hain.
Nazdeek se mehsoos karo, toh badlon mein ghode akriti badalte hain, titliyaan bageeche mein jhumti hain aur mendak paani mein chalang maarte hain...
Kuch sitaron se chupate hue, kuch baraon se churate hue, director Vikas Bahl, ek baar phir, hasi mazak mein gehri baat keh jaate hai…!
Shaandar dekhni chahiye Pankaj Kapoor/ Shahid Kapoor /Aliya Bhatt ki super chemistry aur unke saath kadam milati hui, ek nayi aadakara, Sana Kapoor ke liye!
Shaandar ko umda khayal aur bahtaren performances ke liye Big Entertainment Ratings milte hain 3.5 stars.

@bhawawanasomaaya


Thursday 22 October 2015

Real inspires Reel - DAY 683


Chauranga (Four Colours) based on a real life incident and judged as the Best Indian Film of MAMI 2014, as well as the winner of the Grand Jury prize at Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles IFFLA, is presented by Anticlock Films in Association with Surya Ventures, Drishyam Films and NFDC. Produced by Sanjay Suri, Onir and Mohan T Mulani, and directed by Bikas Ranjan Mishra. Anticlock Films have tied up with Drishyam for the film’s release and the film is being distributed by PVR Pictures. 

Set in the dark hinterland of India where tradition and modernity collide precariously, Chauranga is inspired by a real incident where a fourteen-year-old Santu wants to go to school like his older brother Bajarangi. When Bajarangi comes home from boarding school on holiday, he exposes Santu to the dreams of city life. But Santu’s destiny was pre-written in a village that’s steeped deep in caste-hierarchy and debauchery.

Director Bikas Ranjan Mishra says, “Chauranga is inspired by a news story. The film is my understanding of the village life where a gruesome act of killing is possible in the name of preserving the sanctity of caste system. It’s a fictional re-telling of the actual incident set in a real village where I grew up and which I was very much a part of.”

@bhawanasomaaya

Wednesday 21 October 2015

Jio MAMI workshops - DAY 682

India is a cauldron of diversity. Indian Feature films reflect that and every region within India has a specific film culture. This section brings forth the cinematic vibrance of the country. Traversing through various languages and forms in India, the films in this section will highlight talent from different regions. The films programmed will be a journey into the heart of India.



This year the most outstanding and imaginative live action; animation and documentary features and shorts from across the world will compete for children's Jury awards. Children will also learn film making from renowned directors and writers at a special interactive session at the festival. The aim of this section is to showcase and award ground breaking work produced for young audiences aged 6 to 16, in the hope that exposure to high quality and diverse films from across the globe will help develop a finer sensibility for all kinds of cinema and create future audiences.


Jio MAMI is delighted to announce a fantastic film section After Dark for the first time in the history of film festivals in India. The Fantastic film genre is an evolving piece across the world and enjoys a cult following in keeping with the tonality and texture of these films. The films that push the envelope oscillate between the unbelievable and the absurd, fantastic cinema is about all things extreme that stretch your imagination. We will curate and program 7 films in this section that will be an introduction to the Indian audience to this kind of cinema.

In a first there will be lab for aspiring film writers and critics called Young Critics lab is an attempt to hone and mentor future film journalists of the country. Two day workshops over 3 months running up to the festivals will be conducted that cover colleges all across Mumbai. These workshops with chosen journalism students from Mumbai will be mentored by experts and the best out of the lot will win the critics award at the festival. These workshops aim to create a breed of writers and critics that are shaped by the rich experiences and knowledge of the most credible and successful personalities in the field. The idea is also to create a pool that serves as a hiring ground for publications around the country.  


  @bhawanasomaaya


Tuesday 20 October 2015

Stage is set at Mehboob Studio - DAY 681

Jio MAMI  promises a movie-soaked week showcasing the best of Indian and international cinema that will foster a cultural exchange, enable conversations and shape a cinematic sensibility.

This year, the festival received an unprecedented 248 feature film submissions in 29 languages, including Pashto, Wanchu and Jaunsari. The selection of Indian films includes 14 World Premieres, and 17 India Premieres. Audiences at Jio MAMI will get a chance to watch 31 Indian films that have never been shown before in India. 13 films are competing for the best film award in the India gold section. There are 15 fiction features and 5 documentaries in the India story section.



Announcing a new section, After Dark will trace the journey for MAMI and the multiplexes way back in 1997 and now in its seventeenth year.  Six films feature in this section.


The international tribute is marked to the great French director Agnes Varda, who was given the honorary Palme d’Or this year.  Varda, who directed her first film in 1955, is also known as The Grandmother of the New wave cinema. The Indian tribute is to Chetan Anand who celebrates his 100th birth anniversary this year. Chetan Anand is the man who made the greatwar film Haqeeqat though his contribution to Hindi cinema goes far beyond that.


On October 31st, when you walk into Mehboob Studio, you will enter a different world – a world of movie characters, movie merchandising, movie books, dvds and above all, movie conversations. 



@bhawanasomaaya

Monday 19 October 2015

Get ready for Jio MAMI - DAY 680

With less than a month to go for the 17th edition of India’s biggest film festival, the 17th Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival in association with the STAR Network announced its stellar program line-up. The line-up included new programming sections being introduced this year, special screenings and events. 

The 17th edition of the festival will take place from October 29th to November 5th in Mumbai. The festival's presenting sponsor is Reliance Jio Infocomm (RJIL) -- and STAR India is the Associate Sponsor Partner.

Mrs Nita M. Ambani, Founder & Chairperson, Reliance Foundation was announced as Co-Chair, Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI).

The announcement was made in the presence of members of the Board of Trustees that include Kiran Rao, Chairperson – MAMI, Anupama Chopra - Festival Director, Filmmakers Dibakar Banerjee and Vishal Bhardwaj, Mr. Ajay Bijli, Chairman and MD, PVR Ltd, Mr. Siddharth Roy Kapur, Managing Director, Disney India, Mr. Manish Mundra, Founder and CEO, Drishyam Films and Gayatri Yadav, ‎Executive Vice President Marketing & Communications, STAR India.

 Jio MAMI 2015 announced that they will present two Excellences in Cinema awards – one to an international personality and one to an Indian. I’m also kicked to announce that our international Excellence in Cinema award will be given to the iconic Israeli filmmaker Amos Gitai who has created landmark films and won laurels around the globe including two Palme D’Or nominations.

The Indian Excellence in Cinema award will be given to two legendary screenwriters who changed the course of Indian cinema namely Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar. The festival is introducing a special section ‘Half Ticket’ for kids, that will feature children films from around the world.

@bhawanasomaaya


Friday 16 October 2015

Pyaar ka Panchnama 2 LOL - DAY 679

Luv Ranjan likhi/directed Pyaar ka Panchnama 2 saal 2011 ki Pyaar ka Panchnama ka sequel hai.


Pyaar ka Panchnama, teen dost, Chauka, Kartik aur Thakur ki dosti aur apne apne pyaar ki talash ki kahani thi.

Pyaar ka Panchnama 2 unki aur bhi gehri dosti aur phir se pyaar ki talash ki kahani hai.


Iss baar, Chauka, Kartik aur Omkar college boys nahi working boys hain, isliye wo thode kum sharrarati aur thode zyaada zimeedaar hain.


Film ka plus, film ki adhunik writing, sharp editing aur natural dialogues...


Film ka bada plus, film ka mauhaal aur engaging performances.


Director Luv Ranjan, ek samma bandhte hai aur apne actors ko mohabbat se pesh karte hain aur saare actors bhi unke vishwas par khare utarte hain.


Pyaar ka Panchnama 2 ka minus bas itna hi, ke kahani ek baar phir, male perspective pesh karti hai, jo mere hisab se ladkiyon ke saath na-insaafi hai.


Doosra, yahan pyaar aur pyaar ke alava koi bhi baat hoti hain!


 Pyaar ka Panchnama 2 dekhni chahiye, usse jo relationship mein hai, usse jiska breakup ho gaya hai aur usse bhi, jo relationship mein jaanewale hain ya jiska breakup hone wala hain.


Rochak aur manoranjak Pyaar ka Panchnama 2 ko Big Entertainment Ratings milte hai 3.5 stars.


@bhawanasomaaya





Thursday 15 October 2015

7 time Lucky - DAY 678

This is the premiere all movie lovers have been eagerly awaiting for! Disney and Lucas will unveil the most epic event of the year, the cult franchise Star Wars: The Force Awakens at a massive world premiere in Los Angeles on Dec. 14. 

The world premiere is likely to be the first time that most or all of the cast of the original and the new cast will be seen together!! From the old will be Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, MarK Hamill, Anthony Daniels and Peter Mayhew will be brushing shoulders with John Boyega, Daisy Ridley and Domhnall Gleeson, Adam Driver, Gwendoline Christie, Max von Sydow and Lupita Nyong’o.

One of the biggest Hollywood franchises of movie history, the iconic and cult Star Wars saga will see another most awaited reboot this year as Disney's Star Wars: The Force Awakens releases in December 2015.


The celebrations have already kick-started across the globe with mega activities for fans, exhibitions comic cons merchandise display and film promotions.


Star Wars: The Force Awakens is an upcoming American epic space opera film directed by J. J. Abrams. The seventh installment in the Star Wars film series (excluding spin-offs), it stars John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow, with Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker reprising roles from previous films.



@bhawanasomaaya        

Wednesday 14 October 2015

Love in Bangkok - DAY 677

 Pyaar Ka Punchnama was a path breaker for lovers and now Pyaar Ka Panchnama 2 is all set to define love again. 


What one remembers about the prequel is Kartik Aaryan breathless monologue and now Kartik is coming to your theatres makes you breathless again.


If the last monologue was hilarious this time it will be a Pyaar mein Pareshaan debate. The boy who is able to prove that he is the most tormented in love gets to win a trip all the way to Bangkok.


The cast is excited about the release and can barely hide their enthusiasm. 


They have become close friends and are thoroughly enjoying spending time with each other on promotions and if there is undercurrent rivalry it does not show or maybe they are super actors and a good job of hiding their insecurities.



@bhawanasomaaya

Tuesday 13 October 2015

Parthiv Gohil revives Garabo - DAY 676

Today is the first day of Navratri and singer Parthiv Gohil who is known to juggle many roles like composer and conceptualizer has come up with a dream project close to his heart.


Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali has been an admirer of his voice for years and used Gohil the alaap in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam the story of a guru/ Vikram Gokhale who asks for a volatile guru dakshina from his protégée Salman Khan.



Over the years Parthiv has proved his versatility and this includes his latest album a dream project Garabo, a hymn dedicated to Maa Shakti. For a long time Parthiv had been thinking of reviving the trend of Garbo and explaining the true significance of the festival which he has via his music video already a super hit on the YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5U_y-lvvas


Gohil reveals that when we decided on the video he was certain to keep it as authentic as possible. We researched how Garabo was sung and performed over the decades and made our set and costumes accordingly.  Many big names from the music industry are associated with the album.


Music arranged by Sumeet Mascarenhas and Aditya Dev and programmed by Akshay - Aakash Gohil has dedicated Garabo to his mother, as “She faced all the the adversities of life and made me an artiste, my tribute is to her and all the mothers”.


@bhawanasomaaya


Monday 12 October 2015

Farewell Ancestors - DAY 675

India is a land of customs and rituals and every custom has a reason or a story behind it. Some have faith in these stories some don’t but it is important to understand why these rituals are performed – for instance the ancient ritual of shradh that invokes one’s ancestors.



 It is said that the soul after death reincarnates into another body and the cycle continues depending on the cycle of karma one performs in one’s present life.



Certain souls do not reincarnate because their cycle of karma obstructs them and they are unable to manifest into a human body and therefore remain suspended as energies that we often refer to as ghosts or settle in another space that old guards describe as pitralok.


These souls need the help of their children and grand children to free them from their cycles, in other words if the children do good deeds, charity and chant mantras they can liberate their troubled and suffering ancestors.


That is the purpose of performing shradh, a ritual to pay our respect to our ancestors because there is no way of finding out if our ancestors are happy or unhappy, reincarnated or in pitralok, seeking liberty or celebrating another life so we find solace in our scriptures and Vedas and do what children are supposed to do for our ancestors.



@bhawanasomaaya

Friday 9 October 2015

Jazbaa: Emotions Unlimited - DAY 674

Sanjay Gupta produced/ directed Jazbaa  kahani hai  criminal lawyer Anuradha Verma ki jo apni kidnapped beti ko bachane ke liye ek criminal ka case ladti hai.


Iss hum paariwarik kahani keh sakte hai, samajik kahani keh sakte hai aur courtroom drama bhi keh sakte hai.


Film ka minus film ka pace. Bohat saare action aur bhag daud ke bawajood, kahani humein jakad kar nahi rakhti.


Kuch characterization mein kammi hai aur kuch scenes over the top hai, jaise Irfaan khan aur Aishwarya Rai ka beech sadak, rona aur cheekhna chilana!


Shabana Azmi complex role  mein convincing hai aur pehli baar action role mein dikhne wali Aishwarya Rai, nirali!


Film ka plus, Mumbai shehar ki gulliyaan/ flyover aur sealink, jo iske pehle, kabhi itne harre aur haseen nahi lage.


Film sahi galat ka prashna uthati hai, ye alag baat hai, ke sabhi characters sahi galat ka faisla nahi kar paate.


Writer Kamlesh Pandey ke dialogues Jazbaa ki shaan hai aur dono, criminal aur maa ke saath nyay karte hain.


Pandey neend ko ‘mashuka’ aur mohabbat ko ‘umeed’ ka darjja dete hai.


Jazbaa ko Big Entertainment Ratings milte hai 2.5 stars.



@bhawanasomaaya

Thursday 8 October 2015

Smita Patil turns 60 - Day 673

Smita Patil exemplifies what it means to be at the right place,at the right time and with the right people. This book is not a conventional biography but traces her meteoric journey through those seminal years when parallel cinema reached its heights as many auteur redefined both the film narrative and emergence of the new Indian woman. 


The Introduction sets Smita in the context of the rise of this new cinema and the next   two chapters describe her staunchly progressive middle-class Maharashtrian roots in Pune and her subsequent move to Bombay. From newsreader on Doordarshn to working with the foremost directors of the day is the fascinating story told in chapter 3.


Smita’s extraordinary contribution to the making of landmark films is the heart of chapter 4, titled Her Dasavatars. 


Chapter 5 details another remarkable feature of her career: a non-egoistic, whole- hearted participation in ensemble films that featured the who’s who of parallel cinema.


The 80s are ambivalent, where she straddled both the best of new cinema and ventured into mainstream masala and this uneasy ride is critically examined in chapter 6


The next chapter attempts to capture the elusive contradictions of the complex woman behind the screen image. 


The final chapter mourns Smita’s tragic death and celebrates what she meant to a host of people, both those who knew her well and others who loved her from afar, mesmerized by her screen presence.  The insights and reminiscences of her family, friends, directors, co-stars and journalists are woven into the narrative.



@bhawanasomaaya

Wednesday 7 October 2015

Aligarh opens17th Jio MAMI - Day 672

Eros International’s Aligarh directed by Hansal Mehta will be the opening film at the 17th Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival of India.


This pivotal film marks the first time that a Hindi film will open the festival since 1997, the inaugural year of the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.


Set in a small town in Uttar Pradesh Aligarh based on true events, tells the story of Dr. S R Siras (Manoj Bajpai) , a professor at the Aligarh Muslim University who, when discovered to be homosexual, was fired from his position. 


The film depicts the unlikely friendship between Dr. Siras and a reporter (Rajkumar Rao) investigating his first big story, a relationship that will change them both forever.


Aligarh has been selected to screen at the 20th Busan International Film Festival in South Korea and the 59th BFI London Film Festival, this October. 


Director Hansal Mehta is proud that his film is opening the festival, says this honour is a befitting reward for a team that has worked tirelessly. 


Mehta says MAMI began a journey of awards for his film Shahid and hopes the magic continues.



@bhawanasomaaya