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lifestyle MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2016 MUSIC & MOVIES Bollywood film set to screen after Pakistani actor ban top Bollywood movie mired in controver- sy for featuring a Pakistani actor will open Aas scheduled in India after an industry body agreed to ban actors from across the bor- der in future. A hardline Hindu nationalist party had threatened to attack cinemas that showed prominent Indian director Karan Johar’s film “Ae Dil Hai Mushkil”, as tensions run high between New Delhi and Islamabad. But the Film and Turkish helmer Yesim Ustaoglu on her feminist drama ‘Clair-Obscur’ ot long after her new movie, “Clair- Golden Bear-winner Semih Kaplanoglu - who Obscur,” world premiered in Toronto, helped to bring it back from what she Nan audience member asked the describes as “a dead period.” It wasn’t an easy acclaimed Turkish helmer Yesim Ustaoglu road to travel. “We were completely alone,” how the powerful, provocative film would she says. “And it was an analog period, too. It fare back home, at a time of growing conser- was an expensive time, difficult to get mon- vatism in her country. Sharing her concern ey.” Yet to hear Ustaoglu reminisce about that Indian writer-producer and director, Karan with a packed house after a recent screening time is to imagine it, too, as her own journey Johar attends the ‘Jio MAMI 18th Mumbai in Antalya, the director laughed and to the sun. “It was also so free,” she says. “I did Film Festival’ Movie Mela for the upcoming Indian Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai shrugged. “I’m showing it here tonight,” she what I wanted.” That freedom was due in part Hindi film ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’, written-pro- Bachchan attends the ‘Jio MAMI 18th Mumbai said triumphantly. Over the course of a career to a successful career as an architect, which duced and directed by Karan Johar, in Film Festival’ Movie Mela for the upcoming that saw her emerge two decades ago as part provided the income she used to get her start Mumbai. — AFP photos Hindi film ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’. — AFP photos of a new wave of pioneering Turkish filmmak- as a filmmaker. Though she produced several ers, Ustaoglu has been a pugnacious pres- award-winning shorts in the ‘80s, it wasn’t Mukesh Bhatt told reporters after the meeting. They have also agreed to run a tribute to the ence in local cinema, unafraid to use political- until the release of her second feature, Bollywood is the latest battleground for height- soldiers who were killed before the film starts, ly charged themes as the backdrop for her “Journey to the Sun” (1999), that she broke ened tensions between nuclear-armed archrivals according to Raj Thackeray, head of the far-right intense interpersonal dramas. through, premiering in Berlin to critical Indian Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma India and Pakistan, sparked by a deadly attack regional party Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. The Her second, groundbreaking feature, acclaim. The movie’s frank depiction of attends the ‘Jio MAMI 18th Mumbai Film last month on an Indian army base blamed on firebrand leader said protests against the film “Journey to the Sun,” examined Turkey’s Turkey’s suppression of ethnic minority Kurds, Festival’. Pakistani-based militants. have now been called off, but it was unclear if explosive Kurdish conflict through the tragic though, all but blacklisted “Journey” back In a series of tit-for-tat moves in the enter- agreement was reached on his wider demand story of two friends; four years later, she home. “For three years, nobody touched [it],” Television Producers Guild of India has now tainment industry, Pakistan has suspended for all moviemakers to pay a penance if they had explored the fate of Turkey’s Greek minority she says. With local media and distributors promised to bar Pakistani actors in future under screening all Indian movies until tensions calm, cast a Pakistani actor previously. The deal was during World War I in “Waiting for the Clouds.” effectively imposing a ban, Ustaoglu and her a deal brokered between the sides on Saturday. while Hindu nationalists in India have threat- struck at a meeting between Johar, the guild With her sixth feature, she uses the interwov- partners literally took matters into their own The movie starring Pakistani heart-throb ened violence at cinemas showing films with and Thackeray and brokered by Devendra en stories of two women from different social hands, traveling around the country with Fawad Khan is set for release next weekend, two Pakistani actors. India and Pakistan have fought Fadnavis, chief minister of Maharashtra state. classes to raise questions about the limita- eight prints of the film and convincing the- days before the Diwali Hindu festival of lights, a three wars since independence in 1947. Under The state capital Mumbai is the home of tions facing Turkish women today. ater owners to screen it. “Journey” was a sen- major holiday in India. “In the larger interest of the deal, Johar and his colleagues have agreed Bollywood. “Ae Dil Hai Mushkil” (“This Heart is For Ustaoglu, of course, “Clair-Obscur” isn’t sation. “It was in the prisons. It was every- the sentiments of the people and the soldiers to contribute 50 million rupees ($747,220) to the Complicated”), which stars Aishwarya Rai simply an issue-based film. “It’s not just for where,” she says. Ustaoglu would hear stories and the entire country, we will not work with Indian army as “penance” for using a Pakistan Bachchan and Ranbir Kapoor, will hit Indian the- women,” she insists. “It’s for everyone.” But at of audience members sneaking Super-8 cam- any Pakistani artist in the future,” guild president actor in the first place. atres on October 28. — AFP the story’s heart is a visceral evocation of eras into theaters to record the movie. On the Turkish womanhood and sexuality, told with streets of Istanbul, a hawker’s rapturous sales a candor not commonly seen in local films. pitch convinced her to buy a pirated copy The helmer might argue that’s precisely the herself. As Ustaoglu has solidified her reputa- point. Ustaoglu has been outspoken through- tion as one of the most important directors in out her career about what she sees as a reluc- Turkey today, her films still struggle to put a tance by Turks to ask difficult questions about dent in the domestic box office. While her their society and the uglier chapters in their politically charged themes have certainly nation’s history. “It’s one of our traditions to scared off distribs in the past, the helmer says try to hide everything,” she says. it’s an even stronger indictment of Turkish exhibitors who refuse to give arthouse pics a Dead period chance in theaters. Buried beneath the headlines of recent political unrest, for example, are the ghosts of Ethnic minority the military coup in 1980, echoes of which Perhaps that makes B.O. success, when she rang out on the streets of Istanbul and Ankara finds it, even more rewarding. Her fifth fea- this July after the army’s failed efforts to over- ture, “Araf-Somewhere in Between,” was throw President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. That panned by Turkish critics and again turned coup ushered in a brutally repressive decade, down by distributors. But when it was finally remembered by Ustaoglu and other Turkish released in 2012, the film - about a young US actress Scarlett Johansson and her husband Romain Dauriac (left) US actress Scarlett Johansson greets customers at the opening of bizzers for how it sent the industry into a tail- woman in the countryside whose affair with a attend the opening of the Yummy Pop gourmet popcorn shop in the the Yummy Pop gourmet popcorn shop in the Marais district of spin, with production all but collapsing truck driver has terrible consequences - found Marais district of Paris. Paris. — AFP photos throughout the ‘80s. support in unlikely places, winning over auds Ustaoglu was among a generation - in small towns and conservative parts of including such auteurs as Palme d’Or-winner Turkey. Ustaoglu admits, “The country can be Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Zeki Demirkubuz, and surprising.” — Reuters Johansson turns popcorn girl in Paris ollywood superstar Scarlett Johansson Yummy Pop store she and husband Romain Ahead of the launch, Johansson’s swapped the red carpet for a turn Dauriac have opened in the city’s trendy Marais spokesman in Los Angeles said the she was Hbehind the counter at her new popcorn district. The couple hope their unusual twists on passionate about popcorn, adding that it was shop in Paris on Saturday. The “Lost in the classic cinema snack-including the 31-year- cooked and mixed fresh on the spot with sea- Translation” actress-decked out in a classic old “Avengers” star’s favorite truffle, parmesan sonal ingredients. After Saturday’s soft launch, French blue and white striped top-dished out and sage flavor-will wow customers in the gas- an official grand opening is planned for a later the crunchy treat to punters at the launch of the tronomic capital of the world. date. — AFP Review: ‘Jack Reacher’ sequel not as good as 2012 original t’s not the acting or the action that makes “Jack Reacher: Never Go Back” inferior to the original I2012 hit. It’s the story. The first film, “Jack Reacher,” established the title character as a bril- liant, brutal loner dedicated to justice. He’s a former military officer turned drifter, unfettered by emo- Singer Wizkid was named artist of the year and best male musician and also won the tional ties, motivated purely by exacting righteous- prize for top collaboration at the 2016 MTV Africa Music Awards.

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