Gupshup aka Baat Cheet (Bombay Talkies)

[kaytee]

Interview with Kabir Khan - Director of Kabul Express

A documentary film-maker turned commercial film-maker’s films are always something to look forward to. And when you have Yashraj backing your movie, it is nothing short of a fine setup. You might have seen the promising promos of Kabul Express.

IndiaFM caught up with the man who decided to make this film in the dangerous regions of Afghanistan. Here an exclusive tête-à-tête with Kabir Khan.

First and foremost give us a background about yourself?
Well, I’m a documentary film-maker. Some of my documentaries include ‘Taliban – Years and Beyond’, ‘Titanic Sinks in Kabul’, ‘Forgotten Army’ which was based on the Azad Hind Fauj and shot in Burma and ‘2 Assassins and an Accident’ based on Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. Some of my films have won national and international awards. Kabul Express is my first commercial film.

Tell us about the documentary you made about Taliban?
The documentary is being aired on Discovery channel right now after being aired on a lot of international channels before. It basically speaks about 5 years of the Taliban rule. What happens after they begin their regime and what changes. 

Weren’t you apprehensive about shooting in Afghanistan?
There were dangers involved. But Afghanistan is a place with so many exciting stories that makes it worth the risk. But you should be very careful and know where to draw the line. Over-stepping it can be very dangerous. We received a few death threats from the Taliban and then we got security from the Afghan government.

How were the physical attributes over there?
It has tough terrains and is mountainous. We shot at 15 degree Celsius and it was cold and had icy winds. After 25 years of war, the infrastructure is almost completely destroyed.

What is the genre of the movie?
It is very difficult to put it in a genre. By face, I would call it a road thriller. At a deeper level, there are emotions involved and also talks about artificial and political boundaries created by humans.

What made you start a film such as Kabul Express?
It is a fascinating place. Whoever goes there cannot come back untouched. Despite poverty and war, the people are full of life and very hospitable. This really intrigued me. It only seemed logical that I start my first film here as I understand the place well. Often we see producers go to U.S., Malaysia, etc. and shoot out there which has no bearing with the film whatsoever. For me Kabul is not just a location but is a character in my film.

Is it based on real life?
People say that the characters of John Abraham and Arshad Warsi are based on me and my friend Rajan Kapoor. Their characters may be a little inspired from our lives but we basically wanted to focus on John’s and Arshad’s off-screen image.

What can you tell us about the film?
It is an anti-war film set against the backdrop of war. Basically it speaks about the bonding of natural enemies created by society. We come down to the point that all human beings are equal.

With such an unconventional theme, what made Yashraj take over the film?
Aditya Chopra loved the film. It is not a film which has 6 songs and 5 dances. Cinema over the years has grown. It is important that it should be entertaining but at the same time can be realistic, informative and thought provoking. Aditya felt that this film would not just cater to the Indian but the international audience as well.

Yashraj in the last 3 years is moving away from their trademark films. Do you agree with that?
Every film-maker has his own style. Initially, only Yash Chopra used to make films for his banner. Now there are about 5-6 film-makers here and each of us have a different style. A ‘Hum Tum’ is different from a ‘Veer-Zaara’ which is different from a ‘Kabul Express’.

Were John and Arshad your first choices?
Oh Yes! I wanted only them as they resembled the characters in the film. Both of them were excited on reading the script and agreed to do it. All this happened before Yashraj came into the picture. They both play the role of journalists in the film.

Apparently John became ill over there. Did it affect the shoot?
He did but the whole incident was blown out of proportion by the media. He came down with fever only towards the end of the film. He however shot for 5 days but the conditions were such that he had to get hospitalized. It was a grueling 40 day shoot and I guess that was the best for him. Only a bit of patchwork was remaining.

Tell us about the other principle cast?
When I started the film, I insisted that every actor should be of the nationality that their characters are of. Hanif Humghum is an Afghani who is a driver and guide. Linda Arsenio is a journalist from New York and Salman Shahid is a Pakistani who again plays the role of a journalist.

Is there music in the film?
Yes there is definitely music in the film. But no sing songs and lip-syncing. The music comes during the portrayal of events. Here and there they hum a song naturally but no one sings as if there is an orchestra behind them.

Did you ever take your wife for any of the shoots?
Yes, Mini (Mathur) was there for the shoot but not entirely. She has a schedule for Indian Idol and found it hard to adjust her dates.

Is it true that you completed the film in Bhuj?
The media blew this thing out of proportion as well. We completed only the patchwork of the film like shooting tires, fingernails, etc. All this happened because of John’s illness. But a person who has seen Afghanistan can say that it cannot be replicated. Almost the whole film was shot there and Bhuj was just for pieces remaining which we realized we could have done in Mumbai as well.

Are there any more real life characters in the film?
Most of the characters in the film are inspired from the people I know and whom I have met.

Are you aware of the Afghan film industry? What is your opinion on it?
I have worked very closely with the Afghan film industry. In fact I have about 20 Afghan actors in the film. All my extras are Afghani. My friend Sudeep Verma who is a known name in the Afghan film industry helped me out when we got threats and he made us get security from the Afghan government.

Finally, the trailer of the film ends with Arshad mentioning Osama Bin Laden. Is his character involved in the film?
You will have to watch the film to find that out.

[kaytee]

I recently found this letter from the so called writer to Naseeruddin Shah's movie Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota. Read it, its interesting.

Uttam Gada is the writer of original script of the film 'Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Mr. Naseeruddin Shah,

 
First of all let me wish you a very happy birthday!

I was thrilled when Paresh Rawal, a dear friend, who had read my script titled 'UDAAN' recommended it to you and having read it you 'loved' it and 'right away decided' that this will be the film for your debut as a director.

The film version of this script 'Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota' is now being released. I saw the film last week.

Millions of people who have admired your acting skills (yours truly included) are eagerly awaiting YHTKH with great expectations, to watch what kind of a film you have made.

As a writer of the film, this places a lot of responsibility on my shoulders. What kind of film you make would depend, to a large extent, on the script. And viewers would question me - what kind of a script I have written.

This gives me a right to ask you certain questions. More so as you did shut me up when I was vehemently objecting to the changes you had indicated, with "Now you have done your job. Let me take over as a director. Let me make the film from my point of view. I have handled more than two hundred screen plays - so just rest assured - I know what I am doing."

My question to you Mr.Shah, is, if you loved the script, what was the need for you to rewrite yourself almost 80% of the script?

My question to you, Mr. Shah is, if you loved the script - which has four parallel stories running, at a plain reading, the stories must have been interesting enough and narrative flow must have been smooth enough - what was the need, in that case Mr.Shah, to arbitrarily change all the stories and screw up the entire narrative structure?

If you loved the script, the characters must have been etched out clearly, to get you involved at the reading stage. Then, Mr. Shah, what was the need to change almost all the characterizations? For example - what was the need to replace a middle class Marwari mother-in-law with an American woman? And change the stock broker from a regular North Indian to a drug snorting Muslim?

I am not passing any judgment about your capabilities as a screen writer, nor am I staking any claim as to the merits of my script (nor do I want to whine here about my five month's hard labor going down the drain). The end result is before the world.

All I am doing is asking a few simple questions:- If the script was in such a mess that you had to rewrite almost all the scenes, change all the stories, recreate all the characters and rework all the dialogues, Mr.Shah, what was there in the original script that you loved so much and that immediately made you decide to make a film out of it?

And my question is, Mr.Shah, if you possess the screen writing skills, why dismantle and over write somebody else's script - why not write one on your own?

And if you could not control the creative rush and deployed your skills as a writer to such a great extent - why the credits read - 'WRITTEN BY UTTAM GADA' and not 'WRITTEN BY NASEERUDDIN SHAH'?

Just as you have built your reputation and goodwill, for thirty odd years, with a certain quality of acting, I too have built my reputation and goodwill as a writer of the stuff of certain quality , for thirty odd years, with twenty one plays, more than 5000 performances, in three languages and in five countries.

I am asking you, Mr. Shah, how do I tell every one - "Hey guys! This is NOT the stuff I wrote! Please, you know me, I don't write lines like 'You want to see my exploitation tool?'(Hemant, threatening to open the towel he is wearing, and asking his sister!) And, Mr.Shah, how do I convey to them that - the extended toilet talk is not my creation! And so on and on and on..

As your film is now releasing, it will enter the public domain. The world will wonder - Is this the script Mr. Naseeruddin Shah fell in love with? Is this the script Uttam Gada wrote?

I too have decided to place my script (the exact version you read) in the public domain, at www.uttamgada.com - for any one to download and read it. From anywhere. Anytime.

Now I can tell the world - 'before blaming me, please read my script and decide for yourself what is the source of the incompetent, unaesthetic and at times atrocious writing that has gone in to YUN HOTA TOH KYA HOTA!'

With this, all the questions I have raised will no longer be my personal questions.

Hundreds of talented people, who trusted you and slogged on this project, thousands of people world over who are passionate about Indian cinema and who are concerned about the lack of good, original scripts, a generation of writers who may be contemplating screen writing, and above all, the posterity, they all will ask these questions.

Mr. Shah, now we both owe the answers to them.

With warm regards.

Yours sincerely, Uttam Gada.

[X.]

He makes some interesting points.

But if I were him, instead of writing a letter demanding answer, I'd use that time to work on another screenplay. This guy's got illusions of grandeur.

A writer must write. If he is possessive about the subversion of his work, using the novel format is the writer's best route. A screenwriter who is possessive about his work must either become a director himself, an auteur, or take Shah's advice: "Now you have done your job. Let me take over as a director. Let me make the film from my point of view. I have handled more than two hundred screen plays - so just rest assured - I know what I am doing."

[shariqq]

Kaytee : Did you catch YHTKH? A friend saw it and suggested I don't. But I still intend to...
Knowing Naseer as an actor and a personality, I guess the movie will have atleast a few good sequences.

[kaytee]

I intend to watch it but not on the big screen, will get it off Desitorrents.

[X.]

Watch Shah in "Some Kind of Wonderful" instead.

The similarities with his directorial debut are beguiling.

[kaytee]

The Killer banned in Dubai
 
Mukesh Bhatt’s latest release The Killer has been banned in Dubai. It seems that the film has shown the Dubai cops in a bad light. Apparently some scenes have mocked the cops. But some sources claim that the real reason behind the ban is a character named Jabbar who is said to have been modeled on the underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.

Representatives at Adlabs who are the overseas distributors and Vishesh films were not available for comment. Directed by Hasnain S Hyderabadwala and Raksha Mistry, The Killer stars Irrfan Khan, Emraan Hashmi and Nisha Kothari. 

[shariqq]

What more proof does one need that SRK is gay (or to be more precise, bi-sexual).



Below from his recent interview with CNN-IBN. If you may not want to read the whole thing, read the highlighted parts.


Rajeev Masand:  While shooting for Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna in New York, apparently there had been this incident when the shooting at the ‘Grand Central’, one of the busiest places in Manhattan had to be called off because of the massive crowd. We heard that there were thousands of Asians who had assembled just to get a glimpse of you. They disrupted the shoot and Karan Johar said that you had to shoot elsewhere. Do incidents like these make you feel proud or is it just a hindrance?

Shah Rukh Khan: To be honest, they were all there to see Karan Johar and not any of the actors. Karan is a more popular figure in America and London than all of us put together.
Amitji (Amitabh Bachchan), Abhishek, and me were sidelined and people pushed us out of the way to see Karan.
As a hindrance, we could not shoot in Grand Central, which was to be an important part of the film. Grand Central was to play an important part in the film as its climax and lot of other portions were to be shot there. But unfortunately, the 'love of the Asians', did not allow that to happen.
We were told by the authorities that a lot of Hollywood films have been shot at the Grand Central. They said, "It's an Indian film, so we don’t expect much crowd. Hollywood biggies like Robert de niro, Falleni and Martin Scorsese have shot their films here."
But they were completely taken aback when they saw that shooting an Indian film had actually become an impossible task. They have higher security in America these days; they are little paranoid about these things.
In a certain sense it is a hindrance and we wished that we could have shot in Grand Central. But also, it's a happy feeling that you were in New York where the authorities did not even expect anyone to come and see an Indian film, and they were made to find out how popular Karan Johar and Indian cinema is, by the massive crowd.

Rajeev Masand: Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, your new film is about marriage and infidelity.

Shah Rukh Khan: Which is one and the same thing.

Rajeev Masand: That’s an interesting thing to hear from you. Karan Johar- the director of the film says that he has seen even the happiest of marriages crumbling down with time.
He perhaps felt that long-lasting romance is vanishing from this world. He took this approach while scripting and making this film. What was your approach while performing your role in this film?

Shah Rukh Khan: I am completely uneducated in the matters of infidelity. I know nothing about infidelity. All the education I got about it was from Karan.
He has seen lot of relationships crumbling around him. He is someone that lot of people trust and talk with. His understanding of relationships is much higher than mine. So, I didn’t in fact prepare anything. I just went by what Karan told me.
Karan is an expert in matters of sex as well. So, I thought things should better be left to the hands of our ‘Dr Sablok’ Karan Johar.
I just asked him what to do and followed exactly what he said. People have different point of views about love. One can look at it as spiritual; someone might see it as an eternal thing, while another may find it just a waste of time.
Karan has made cinema based on different aspects of love. He began with a situation of 'eternal love' in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.
He made Kal Ho Na Ho which has the sacrificial aspect of love, where one of protagonist dies and the other one takes on from there. I think there are many different takes on love. One of it can also be the institution of marriage, which people follow hastily. Sometimes you marry for all the wrong reasons.
I did a film called Dil To Pagal Hai which had a line that said, ‘having a loving friend is better than getting married to someone that you perhaps don’t even know completely’. So, the point of view that says ‘all that you need is someone you dementedly love’ is indeed very true.
The film KANK is all about that. It’s not about ‘love being a waste of time’ or ‘marriage is not good’. The essence of the film is one should not marry out of any other reason except love.

Rajeev Masand: One of your co-stars in the film is Amitabh Bachchan, with whom you have done a few films prior to this. Of course you must have heard of stories of a 'cold war' between the two of you. Besides there have been stories of you not being a part of Yash Raj films anymore because of Mr Bachchan. What is your take on that?

Shah Rukh Khan: We hate each other. Right now we are planning to hire assassins to kill each other. I have even decided to take on Yash Chopra by destroying the negatives of all his films. That is how bad it is.
My assassins are all over Mumbai and even outside Mr Bachchan’s house attempting to take over.

Rajeev Masand: So, do we assume that you are amused by all these stories?

Shah Rukh Khan: I was amused earlier, but I was never irritated or disturbed by it. Now, it’s not even amusing. These stories have become quite old and boring now.
I think newspapers and channels should just freshen up. They should try to bring up some fresh scandal stories, like me having an affair with Abhishek Bachchan. That would be more interesting.

Rajeev Masand: Since you have mentioned that, tell us what really irritates you? Were you amused or irritated when Anil Kapoor joked at an award function when asked, “Whom would you like to see in an Indian version of ‘Broke Back Mountain’ and he replied, "Shahrukh Khan and Karan Johar".

Shah Rukh Khan: Anil always has had an impeccable sense of humour. He is known for his sense of humour. So, I think it’s just an extension of that humour. He is a funny guy. I think he should start a stand-up comic act.

Rajeev Masand: As an actor and now a co-producer, do things like piracy and declining box office concerns you? What is it that relentlessly inspires you to make films?

Shah Rukh Khan: To be honest, none of this concerns me. There are certain things that are beyond your control, like the rains in Mumbai. Either you can keep on being concerned about them or you can do try doing something about them. I can do neither.
I can’t really stop the rains from happening; neither can I worry myself to death that it’s going to rain again. I will say again and again please do not support piracy, do not buy pirated CDs etc. But it keeps going on, that is the truth. Perhaps it is something that you cannot escape.
There will be dwindling box office results whenever the films are not good. There will be times during festivals, holidays etc when there will be a boom, like this year has been very good for the films.
Sometimes they say that the year has been bad, and then it catches up again. So, it is a business. It will go through its ups and downs.
Unfortunately or fortunately this business is written about a lot. So, you get to hear a lot about it. I’m sure that other businesses like steel and bamboo industry too goes through the same cycle.
I’m not really a financial analyst of some kind but I’m a creative producer. I’ve wanted to make films, sometimes on subjects that nobody else wants to make. My track record in the last five films illustrates that.

Rajeev Masand: What do you think about the movies that are being made in this country today? Especially with the multiplexes coming in and the different kind of films that are being allowed today perhaps could not have been made years ago?
Does plagiarism upsets you? Do you even realise how much are we relying upon borrowed stuff? Does that concerns you?

Shah Rukh Khan: No.

Rajeev Masand: So you just choose to distance yourself from that kind of material then?

Shah Rukh Khan: Not really. I too get inspired by a lot of Hollywood films and the action sequences that I see in foreign films.
I think I have done a few films, which might have been direct lift or take offs from climax of some foreign films. Like in Badshah there were some sequences inspired from a Jackie Chan film.
And it was my suggestion. So, I won’t deny that I haven’t stolen ideas. Though I would like to be a part of an original film, the bottom line is that you want a film to tell a story which people understand. There are only limited subjects. So, there are going to be overlap of story ideas.
Do I get really disturbed and have sleepless nights over people stealing ideas from other films? The answer is no. Would I prefer it were not so? As an actor I would say yes, as a viewer I would see whatever pleases me.
Let me be honest also, there is no courage in making a different film. When the stakes are so high, you are talking about crores and millions, you really do wish on that Friday everyone turns around and says that your film has been a super-hit.

Rajeev Masand: Making a film that becomes a super hit is the most important thing isn’t it ?

Shah Rukh Khan: It is a very important thing. It may not be the most important aspect, but it is indeed very important for a film to click at the box office.
I can assure you that even the most artistic of producers, directors and actors want to hear on a Friday release that the film is a hit, rather than someone telling them they did brilliant acting, but the film sank at the box office. I think that balances what everyone wants.

Rajeev Masand What was the attraction for Don? Remaking a film that was a part of your childhood, the one that you grew up watching.

Shah Rukh Khan: The only reason for the remake of the yesteryear’s hit Don is that it has been a part of my childhood. You can ask anyone of my age walking on the road, someone in this office, someone at CNN-IBN may be, wouldn’t they love to say the dialogue of this 27-year old film, ‘Don ko pakadna mushkil hin nahin, namumkin hai.
The remake of Don has no comparison with the original hit. It will not be that great, but it is indeed a dream come true for me to play that legendary role.
I started off my film career with this film called Deewana in which my role comes only in the second half. And here I am, 15-16 years later saying the same dialogues that were mouthed by the actor that I saw on screen and wanted to be like. I am Amitabh Bachchan!

Rajeev Masand: Do you get overwhelmed with the journey that you have covered in the Hindi film industry so far?

Shah Rukh Khan: I enjoy it without being overwhelmed. I had said this about Devdaas as well. If you are going to run with Carl Lewis, you feel relaxed because you know you are not going to win. So, just enjoy the fact that you are getting the chance to run with Carl Lewis.
So, here I am been given a chance as an established actor, with 15-years of work and great films behind me. People love me, my children are beautiful, god has been kind, I am fantastically sexy and I am getting to do roles that Dilip Kumar and Mr Bachchan have done. What else could I have asked for? I just can’t stop smiling.

Rajeev Masand: What was your immediate reaction when you heard about the blast that tore apart Mumbai few weeks ago?

Shah Rukh Khan: I had just come back from London when I heard about the blasts. It is immensely sad. It is an understatement to say that it was a bad thing to happen. I feel really sad. People who were absolutely innocent and had not done any harm to anyone, had to die in a heinous act by some cowardly terrorists.
It’s not going to serve any purpose. I don’t know what kind of nonsensical ideology they are following. These people are psychopaths I think. They are wrong kind of people who think they have a right to do mass murder. It is really sad.

Rajeev Masand: On a completely different note, when big Hollywood films release they have action figures made out of their main characters. Like superman, batman etc. In London there is a toy company that has made dolls of the major characters played by you. What do you feel about it?

Shah Rukh Khan: That is indeed very sweet. There is this lady called Shamim Jivraj with a company called ‘Bollywood legends’ that makes Bollywood characters’ dolls.
It has manufactured Hrithik Roshan’s doll, Priyanka Chopra’s, Kajol’s and mine. I have one of them at home. I think it’s worth paying those odd £ 25 that they are priced at. I would be buying a lot of them.
It is a good beginning. I think merchandising that has started with films like Krish is a good concept.

Rajeev Masand: Do you like your own doll?

Shah Rukh Khan: Yes, I like playing with dolls. My daughter likes them more than me. It is always going to be special. Merchandising is one step that should be taken after the media coverage.
With films like Krish this concept has found its meaning. I like the doll that is based on my characters in Karan Johar films. The one in orange pants, based on the character in Kal Ho Na Ho, another one that looks like the way I looked in that shava shava song are my favourite ones.
Today there are these dolls in the market, who knows tomorrow I might just be in Madame Tussaud’s museum.

Rajeev Masand: What about the much talked autobiography of yours? That is something that you have been working on for sometime now.

Shah Rukh Khan: I didn’t get the time to write it. Anupama Chopra, a wonderful and much more accomplished writer than I can ever be has written a book which is likely to come up in the year 2007.
It is really much more intellectual than my book and has been written in an intelligent manner. So, I have taken a back seat. She has finished her work on this book.
She spent hours with me and gave two years of her life to write this book which is not just about me, but is about the kind of structure and changes that took place in India in 90’s. She has equated those changes with my films and my work tenure as an actor.
Also, Mushtaq has written a book, which is more like a pictorial. It is quite an interesting piece of work. It is called Still Reading SRK.

Rajeev Masand: So, there are a lot of these books coming up with you as the central theme.

Shah Rukh Khan: I don’t like competition. So, when I saw such intellectually higher-end people writing books about me, I decided I would stick to acting. But I have a deal with my publishers, that I will write a book on myself some time.
I have already written major portions of it. As soon I get the time, I will finish it. I have just few bits and pieces to finish now.

Rajeev Masand: We will be looking forward to reading your autobiography besides watching your latest films. Thank you so much for talking to us.

Shah Rukh Khan: Thank you.

[kaytee]

ROTFL @ Shariq...

[kaytee]

1993 Mumbai blasts verdict puts spotlight on Sanjay Dutt

August 08, 2006

When special TADA judge P D Kode starts delivering the judgment in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case on August 10, his words will decide the fate of 123 accused persons charged with the conspiracy.

Out of them, however, all eyes will be on the fate of accused number 117.

That is Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt.

Nayak or khalnayak?

The question has been doing the rounds in the public mind ever since Dutt was arrested on April 19, 1993, for his alleged involvement in the 13 blasts that killed 257 people on March 12 that year.

Sanjay Dutt's lawyer, Farhana Shah, says, "We have placed our arguments before the court. Inshallah (god willing), he will come out clean."

If convicted, Dutt can get anything from five years' to life imprisonment under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act.

Dutt was released on bail for the first time on May 5, 1993, by the Bombay high court but the very next year his bail was cancelled and he was re-arrested in July 1994.

This time he spent 15 months at a stretch in jail and was released on October 18, 1995, after the Supreme Court intervened to grant him bail.

His incarceration was spent between Thane jail and Arthur Road jail; in between he was also admitted to JJ hospital after he took ill.

According to the Mumbai police, Dutt's links with the underworld began during the shooting of Yalgaar in Dubai in 1991, where he met underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his brother Anis.

Since then he kept in regular touch with the underworld, states the police.

The Central Bureau of Investigation, which took over the probe from the Mumbai police, has charged Dutt with possessing an AK-56 during the 1993 Mumbai riots. The weapon was delivered to him by underworld don Abu Salem, film producer Samir Hingora and another accused Baba Moosa Chavan.

(Samir Hingora and his partner Hanif Kadawala were then co-producing Sanam starring Sanjay Dutt.)

Dutt had earlier admitted to the Mumbai police that he possessed an AK-56 but later on retracted this in the TADA court.

The prosecution has involved Dutt in the bomb blasts case stating that he knew about the conspiracy and was part of the gang that carried it out but kept quiet.

According to the prosecution, Dutt confessed to them that he was scared rightwing Hindu rioters would kill him and his family because his late father Sunil Dutt supported Muslim families affected in the Mumbai riots of 1992-93 in which more than 1,000 people were killed.

In his confessional statement, Dutt admitted to possessing the AK-56 and later on telling his close aide Yusuf Nulwala to dispose of it since he was shooting in Mauritius when the news became public.

Nulwala then approached Kersi Adajania to melt the AK-56. This was done, but parts of the weapon like rod and springs could not be melted.

The prosecution has produced the rod and the spring in the court as evidence against Dutt.

However, Farhana Shah says, "The rod and springs, only Allah or Bhagwan knows from where they got it. At this moment I can only say that there are discrepancies in the prosecution's statement. All the co-accused and witnesses against Sanjay have denied in court about their or Sanjay's involvement in this case."

Asked how Dutt has changed as a person in the last 11 years that she has handled the case, Shah said, "As far as his personal life is concerned I don't know much about him. His conduct in court is very good and he has always attended the court whenever he has been told to do so.

"He was targeted for no reason," Shah added. "Shiv Sena leader Madhukar Sarpotdar too was arrested with weapons during the Mumbai riots but nothing happened to him. And here, Sanjay Dutt was implicated for no fault of his."

[shariqq]

These people should go after the fucking bombers. Have they been able to stop the bombings itself? And here they're stuck with a case 13 years old. Pathetic.

[kaytee]

“In India My Brother Nikhil didn’t get its due as people were more excited about Brokeback Mountain. I realized that we always jump about things happening abroad rather than out here” – Onir

He started of as an editor with some of the most prominent filmmakers in Bollywood like RGV and Prakash Jha. His directorial debut happened last year with the film My Brother Nikhil. Though not a very big hit, the film touched the audiences. It strongly conveyed how life of a person takes a drastic turn when detected HIV positive. Onir definitely put his message across strongly.

And now, he is back with his second film Bas Ek Pal which deals with urban life. Onir speaks sense in this IndiaFM Exclusive.


Tell us about your upcoming film Bas Ek Pal
Bas Ek Pal is film which centers round one moment which changes the lives of five characters. It’s about that one moment that changes the perception of the characters about other characters. The format is that of a thriller where you keep discovering new things about the other person though it’s not a “who’s done it?” kind of a thing. I would say that this film is about one illusive moment of happiness that these characters are looking for.

The tagline says the film it is about "urban relationships". What exactly do you mean by that?
This film is set in Bombay. The characters are modern, upper middle class, who lead a very independent today’s life. So the characters, their personalities, their lives are very urban, very city centric and cosmopolitan. All the characters in my film are living on their own and not in joint families which is a very urban phenomena. In the rest of India, even smaller towns, people usually live in joint families. But here, the character of Urmila who is a civil engineer lives on her own. Juhi and Rehaan are a young couple who are living on their own. There is Jimmy’s character who is a businessman who is also living by himself. So, all of them are individualistic. Also their lives revolve around themselves in a certain way; they are all very ambitious which is very urban again. Their life revolves around night clubs; they do sport activities and things like that. So it is very much a part of city life.
 
Is this story inspired by Jessica Lal case in any way?
No, not at all. Actually I myself wrote this story and it’s been registered. That’s the best proof. Also, the story is not about justice not done. It is about an incident that happens at a night club but similarities begin and end there.

The preview says that "revelations, passions, jealousies, insecurities, love and anger, as each character searches for that ever – elusive moment of happiness."
There are five main characters in the film. And the film is their travel through different kind of emotions a normal human being goes through. They are not super humans, they are not typical heroes and heroines like you see in a Hindi film. They are all people who go through emotions of jealousy, envy, greed, love, passion, insecurities. And they are all very grey that way. In a sense they are not very good or bad, they are all very real. What you will see is people going through different kinds of emotions, experiencing these emotions, without the film being judgmental about anyone. The film does not take position in terms of the story saying this boy is bad or good; it’s just trying to understand what each character is going through, without being judgmental.

You have retained Juhi Chawla and Sanjay Suri in this film.

Sanjay Suri was always a part of this film, since I wrote this film. So though My Brother Nihkil happened earlier, this film was written before and since then Sanjay was a part of the film. And after having worked with Juhi in My Brother Nikhil, I thought it would be very interesting to cast her in the role of Ira that she is doing in the film, because it is a kind of role that no one would expect her to do. It has a lot of grey shades. It’s a kind of role that no one has seen her in before. And I think she brings in something special to this character which I don’t think anyone else could have brought in. Also, I enjoyed working with her because of her warmth as a person. So there is an actor and director chemistry that we share. It’s a bonding that one forms that spills over to the next film. Hence, lot of directors repeat actors not only because they believe in the actors but also because of a certain comfort level.

Your experience of working with Urmila Matondkar…
With Urmila I was earlier a little apprehensive thinking she is a big star. But I think after a first few days itself there was this level of comfort because she is a brilliant actress. Secondly she likes to be very thorough with the script. She knows everything in and out. At times she would just call me up and talk about “scene number so and so….” and I’m trying to figure out what scene she is talking of. She is very particular about her clothes and everything that she is wearing, in detail. And that’s my style of working as well. I like to be involved in everything. And I think that actresses like her try to understand what the directors want from them in terms of the character and then take it beyond. And through the process of the film, we have also becomes friends now. For me, so much time one spends working on a film; it’s now one’s family in a way. And I think it’s better if the relationship between an actor and a director goes beyond professional one, because that means you have succeeded as human being also. That happened with Juhi and Sanjay during My Brother Nikhil and I’m glad that now I have Jimmy and Urmila as friends too.

How was it working with the actors this time, considering that you were working on a complex subject?
For me when I was casting I knew that I was having a strong script. Hence, I needed performers; I wanted actors who are not necessarily stars. And I needed people who’d believe in the script and believe in me and they should not be bigger than their characters. And I would say all my actors have given the best of performances in 2005. Jimmy in Yahaan, Urmila in Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara, Juhi and Sanjay Suri in My Brother Nikhil had given performances which were most talked about in 2005. And performance level itself takes the film to another scale. It gives life to my script. It takes it beyond what the script was, which the plan is. Not just representing the film in the form of script but taking it beyond that. And I think all my actors have contributed in making it go beyond what I had imagined.

Tell us about the music of the film. You have three music directors doing music for it.
Music of the film is the integral part of the film but at the same time, it’s not used like in most of the Hindi films, which is lip-sync song and dance. Most of the songs are used as background. There’s one club song but then again here, this doesn’t have actors singing it. When a song from a film is played in a pub everyone starts singing and people do certain steps, identifying to the film. No one is dancing to the camera. It is very important for me that it looks real. I love music but in a realistic way. I have three music directors for this film. Pritam is a very close friend of mine. I had produced his first music album, so here I wanted him to do one song for me which he did. Vivek Philip had done music for my previous film. He has done three of the songs. I like to introduce new people in my films and I had met Mithoon and really liked his songs. So I have two songs of his in my film too.

Each character in Bas Ek Pal has a color code. What's the concept behind that?
I think that all of us have our favorite color like my favorite color is black. And I think it has something to do with what one is as a person and that’s why I thought let me try and experiment with it. That’s why I thought giving each character a color code which has something to do with their personality and it does not mean that they are wearing those colors all the time. It could be very subtle sometimes in the background somewhere or in the props around them. For people who notice it, its good as they’ll get additional layer to the film and who don’t notice it, there is nothing that’ll disturb them. So I was just trying out. It was an experiment for me.

How has the experience been with the producers?
Shailesh is a friend of mine whom I met 10 years ago. I had lost touch with him for a while but after My Brother Nikhil, we bumped into each other at Barista and he said listen I have to make your next film. I didn’t take it seriously but somehow he was after me. I was traveling abroad with My Brother Nikhil when he kept emailing me. So I said that I am working on this script; he loved it and it just happened like that. So it happened really fast. Without even realizing, we were ready with the film in six months time.

How does it feel after My Brother Nikhil won an award at the Milan Film Festival? Also Bas Ek Pal got screened at the Osian Cinefan festival.
It’s nice. I feel really good over the past one and half years I’ve been traveling around the world with more than 25 festivals for My Brother Nikhil. The film won more than 10 awards and that was a very satisfying experience. Though in India it didn’t get its due as people were more excited about Brokeback Mountain, despite the fact that My Brother Nikhil was done much before. But I realized that we always jump about things happening abroad rather than out here. It was also not nominated for any awards in India but in the rest of the world it was. So for me it was the world that compensated for the lack of it in India. Which I’m happy of because I think it connected with people all around the world and I could directly interact with audiences who were primarily not Indian. So it was interesting to see how people from other cultures reacted to the film. With Bas Ek Pal what’s nice is that it starts of with a festival in India. I was absolutely surprised because for me Bas Ek Pal is not a festival but very mainstream film. But it was selected and opened at Osian and for me it’s nice that this film starts in India because for me it’s more important than the rest of the world.

Do you think My Brother Nikhil helped changed people's perspective towards HIV affected and also 'Homosexual' people? Do you think the film has helped improve their status in the society?
See I don’t think it’s that simple. I think it’s a small step towards changing people’s perception. Luckily what has happened is, NGOs all over the world have been using this film majorly and successfully for screening it to common people, students, HIV positive people and their families to change their perceptions and it has worked for them. The amount of emails we have received on our website is not funny. People say their lives have changed because of this film. Be it issues of sexuality or HIV- AIDS awareness. So it has definitely happened to an extent. Also, UN aides have officially put their site link on ours. So unless the film had certain importance it wouldn’t have been.

 About a week back I had a screening for NACO (National AIDS Control Organization) and they want to dub the film in other Indian languages because they think it needs to be shown in India in other languages so that people can benefit from it. Plus they are distributing DVDs in all schools. So for me, that means something. And not just in India, in Pakistan, it was the highest selling pirated DVD. So for me that means a lot. I have traveled around the world to raise funds for HIV-AIDS thing, especially US. We have done lots of screening for raising funds for HIV in India. So I do think it has done an impact. But it is a small step. A lot more needs to be done, a lot more could have been done with the film if there was more support from the industry; then I think much more could have happened.

Do you think your stories are more "urban" hence restricted to limited target audiences?
See in a country like India, the divide between urban and rural is so much that it’s very difficult to have a film that will cater to the entire Indian audience. And the kind of Pan-India films that happens, I can’t identify with most of them. I respect it for what it is but it isn’t something I can identify with. I can do what I’m good at, which I can identify with, which I believe in. For me making a film is telling a story I want to tell. The purpose is not to necessarily go like mass hit, as along as it reaches the target audience. A film like My Brother Nikhil is a crossover because it was looked at as a multiplex film but it has been shown by NGOs in very remote areas. So for me it has crossed over from multiplex audience to other audience. I hope the same happens with Bas Ek Pal. I never try and negate the other audience. It’s a step towards making my film understandable and people who are not the so-called multiplex audience should be able to relate, but provided they also have to take one more step, thinking this film will not have an item number and maybe still we will get something out of it.

Real bad comedies are unfortunately doing really well. Also because lives are so difficult, people love escapism. 
It’s a two way system. I’ll give you a quote. Recently I was reading somewhere that a journalist had quoted that for Onir’s films one has to use grey matters so I would rather not use it. So for me, if a journalist says that I would rather not use grey matters, I think it’s a really sad state of the country, because then what all want is mindless films. The idea is the films, like any other form of art should be entertaining but at the same time fulfilling as a human being to take you forward in terms of some experience, something enriching. Otherwise, what is life all about?

Do you think the audiences here are now accepting reality based films?
I think to certain extend definitely or else why are they getting made. It’s because of the demand. And if you think it’s only a recent phenomena that realistic films (I would rather put them as “sensible films”), are happening so much, you are wrong. Earlier, about 15 years back, parallel cinema or sensible cinema existed with mainstream cinema because people were going for it. But what has happened that with multiplexes, the tickets are so expensive that middle class housewives are now only glued on to television. So, one has lost out largely on the middle class audience which used to watch sensible good cinema before.

That’s a problem but I’m sure things are slowly changing. There’s a huge urban educated audience who are looking for something else than just mindless comedies. But I think its going to take time to change, because mostly real bad comedies are unfortunately doing really well. So it will take time because unfortunately, we have huge illiterate population. Secondly, also because lives are so difficult, so we have people who love escapism. But we can’t blame them because life generally is so difficult. But then I think sensible cinema packed with entertainment should appeal to everyone.

The multiplex tickets are so expensive that middle class housewives are now only glued on to television. 
What kind of cinema do you enjoy the most?
I enjoy watching films which are sensible, intelligent and not regressive in terms of how they portray certain things, like the way women are portrayed. I really hate the films that have unnecessary item numbers. I don’t like mindless comedy. But when you are told you keep your brains at home and come and watch the film, I would say sorry. I have this many years of life and god has given me brains and therefore I would like to use it and not keep it home.

Who are your favorite film makers?
Oh there are many. There is this Bengali film maker called Ritwik Ghatak whom I really like. I’m a fan of European cinema because I trained in Europe. I like film makers like Godard, Tarkovsky etc. I’m not that fond of Hollywood though I like Charlie Chaplin. And yea, I do like Spielberg as well.

Do you think you have grown as a film maker since your first film?
Absolutely! I think if one does not grow then that’s the end of one. And for me with every film, I would like to try out different genre. Try and slowly discover a genre for myself. Try out new things and that is what I have tried in this film. I definitely see that there is a movement and therefore when I was making Bas Ek Pal it was important to see that it is a film which is totally different from My Brother Nikhil. So lot of people say ‘oh this is totally different!’ and I’m like ‘yea of course’. Why should I do something which is the same? The idea is not to do My Brother Nikhil Part 2 but to do something else where I explore myself as a director. See my weakness and strengths and look forward to my third film. So I know it’s a risk because people stereotype you but that’s a risk I’m willing to take or else my growth will stop.

You have also edited some films…
Editing has always been a step towards reaching this goal. I worked with different filmmakers right from Vikram Bhatt to Sai Paranjpe to Ram Gopal Varma and Prakash Jha. And while editing I also used to be involved in other aspects of filmmaking because it was learning process. At the end when I finish my film in 30-35 days I think it’s because I learnt as an editor what to edit while shooting.

Your future projects?
I have a couple of scripts. My Brother Nikhil was my fifth script, Bas Ek Pal was my third script so there are a whole lot of scripts that are lying which I want to slowly start making. But I’ll concentrate on it after my release because right now I’m just full of Bas Ek Pal.

What would you call the USP of Bas Ek Pal?
Bas Ek Pal is an unusual story with really great performances.

What are your expectations from the film?
Expectations from the film… I’m trying to talk to people. I hope people will listen.

[kaytee]

I have seen his Everybody Says I'm Fine and it was a pretty average flick.
The story centers on a hairdresser in Bombay, who is haunted by the memories of his parent’s death, which he witnessed as a child. The trauma actually gave him a gift by which he is able to read his customers minds when cutting their hair. Through this ability, we learn about the secrets of former upper class women, the hidden frustration of a psychotic actor, a criminal mind of a wealthy businessman and the sweet and awkward budding relationship between teenagers. But the main story lies on a woman whose thoughts this hairdresser cannot read. Fascinated by this inaccessible woman, he develops a curious infatuation with her.
A decent premise but the first half barely moves while the second finishes in a flash. The script needed more polishing as it leaves too many niggling questions too. But a brave effort from the first time director. The cast included some A-listers like Pooja Bhatt, Boman Irani, Koel Purie and Rahul Bose himself. Don’t remember who played the hairdresser.

Rahul Bose to make his second film
 
Rahul Bose is one known as an actor today but back in 2001, he had also made his directorial debut with Everybody Says I’m Fine. Now four years later, when he has established himself as an actor, Rahul Bose has decided to go back into direction again. Rahul confirms that he is currently working on an interesting subject. In fact, he has also bought the rights of an English book for the same. He informs that he is currently working on the draft and will be announcing his directorial venture by September. Apparently, Rahul has also decided to take a break from acting for about a year to focus completely on his film.

His upcoming film Pyaar Ke Side Effects in which he stars opposite Mallika Sherawat will be release soon. His other films include Anuranan which will be an English-Bengali film and The Whisperers, which will be an English film. 

[shariqq]

Isn't Rahul Bose over-rated as an actor? Other than the choice of off-beat roles he takes giving him that credibility, I see nothing in him as an actor. Like Aamir Khan, he is too self-conscious.

[sulphurhead]

yeah - he's over-rated. but he gets a lot of attention cos he's the poster boy for "indian art film" lead actors.