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2 SUNDAY TIMES OF INDIA New Delhi, June 22, 2003 DELHI

Bollywood: No longer a haunted house To chat on SMS send 'cchat' to 8888 “We still hedge around the issue of sexuality” with the imaginary world, — PRAMADA MENON, Director, CREA rather than reality. Today’s PEOPLE well-informed audiences Q. The latest dowry Men do it too. Does that mean case of Nisha has that we do not empower anyone? must identify themselves been an eye opener, Q. People are averse to talk about with the characters on the but should women sex and sexuality, why?- fatima POWER screen. The films have to be not be made more A: It’s strange that in a country short and interesting. powerful?- Doll that is so progressive, that has Question of the week Sachin Manchanda, Lajpat A: People should be made more one of the largest populations, Nagar aware. But more importantly we still try and hedge around the ● Is Bollywood beckon- Bollywood is just stuck with women should be taught that issue of sex and sexuality. We ing you once again? love stories — the rich boy they can resist and survive. need to start talking openly about and a middle-class girl Q. What does your NGO do?- mah these issues. The more that peo- A: CREA works at promoting the ple start talking, maybe we will ● holding hands and singing What kind of films do leadership capacities of women. create the environment for a free you want to see? songs. Bollywood films have We work on issues of sexuality, discussion on issues of sexuality. no logic and they are unable violence against women and Q. What about the women's Bollywood is in a transi- to match the wild imagina- reproductive health. rights movement in India?- fem tional phase, with small- tion created in Matrix and Q. It's good that women are A: We owe a lot to the women's budget, off-beat films mak- Terminator. Bollywood getting empowermed but don't movement in India. If it had not yes films need to have some ing it big at the box office you think there is a lot of unjusti- been for their lobbying and rather than big-budget twist in the tale and some of fied misuse of the rights?- sumit getting on the streets a number 64% ones. I want to see well-pre- them have to be without A: Why is it that when women of laws and rights we enjoy, start articulating their rights, would not have been ours. sented films where a grip- any songs. Shreya Chakravorty, Mayur there is always the counterpoint For complete chat log on to ping storyline is woven around new urban that they misuse their rights? http://chat.indiatimes.com themes, preferably without any songs. Vihar Bhoot and Darna Mana hai are the kind, I Bollywood use to beckon would like to see more of. when it produced films like Dhruv Pandey, Hindu College Do ankhe bara haath, Mughal-e-Azam, Pakizah, • ‘I braved the rain to • Jug Suraiya’s column Bollywood stuff is certainly improving, buy Harry Potter’ Jugular Vein in audio with changing themes rather than the rot- Shree 420 etc. But today Bol- Times Talk Radio The other day I held ten, old formula films. The kind of films lywood is repulsive, except captures the responses of open a swing door that my friends and I would like to see are for a few films like Gadar, hysterical fans and bemused book- for a young person talking on well-made horror films which should be Border and Laagan in the re- sellers as Harry Potter number five a cell phone. A simple act of technically sleek and good comedies, like cent past, most films are Order of the Phoenix hit the courtesy... Jane bhi do yaro. Also, films that talk about violence and vulgarity. stands.The book was released To listen, log on to worldwide on June 21. about reality — little things in our Bollywood needs good stories http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com everyday life. and melodious music to Anubhuti Jain, Daryaganj match today’s technical ad- Bollywood is back with a bounce to catch vancement to be beckoning people’s attention with new trendy films The scare element: A still from Bhoot again. like Dil Chahta hai and Sathiya which also Rohit Kumar Pandit, Shali- is beckoning us to have an Ishq vishq with the Nay- Yes, Bollywood is coming back with all the nec- mar Bagh have good music. A film like Chandni Bar ee padosan. Offer a variety of entertaining films essary masala and ingredients for a perfect film. has proved that audiences do not mind and audiences will surely rush for it. A movie buff Bhoot is a good example. I would like to see movies Bollywood is not beckoning low-budget films as long as the content is like me would want to see a cocktail of romance, on more realistic themes which can help in chang- me once again. Even now the good. One still likes to see the Basu Chat- some scare or thrill element and a little comedy ing social attitude for the better. The movies basic theme of all the films terjee films — Golmal, Chhoti si baat and and good melody. This is already happening and should be able to reduce hatred in society and en- that Bollywood is churning the likes. They are not only a relief from needs to get better. courage people to be more sensitive beings. out, with a handful of excep- the fast-paced, computer-driven world that Himanshu Dev, Vasant Vihar Uttam Kumar,Vasant Kunj tions, are the same old love we live in today,they remind us of our in- stories, without any real ner sensibilities that we tend to overlook It’s really disheartening to accept that Bollywood twist or turn in it. In trying in our daily lives. IN THE LINE OF FIRE had to exploit the female body more than anything to be innovative, most of the Shruti Bhatia, Lawrence Road else to come out of the ‘‘flop era’’ that it was paas- plots are a copy of Hollywood Going by the box-office response to Yes. Bollywood is beckon- ing through. And that is why it‘s beckoning us films almost to the hilt. The films like Ishk Vishk, Andaaz, Chalte ing once again. Of late, once again. Teenagers are the ones who have re- films success still depends on Chalte it looks like cinema theatres there have been a good newed confidence in the minds of directors and the star cast. Shahrukh, won’t close down for a while. But the turnout of films. A good producers as is evident from the good business Aamir, Amitabh, Aish and steamy, sensuous and scary fare will storyline, the Dil Chahta done by Jism. But the fact is that these steamy directors like Subhash not help for long. Hai kind, a good starcast scenes cannot gurantee a hit, but a good story like Ghai, Yash Chopra, Karan I would want sensible stories, enjoyable with good acting is what I DDLJ can. That is what matters Johar etc. I want to watch musicals with a sensitive portrayal of life look for in a good film. And all that has most — good stories, well told. the movies, which are origi- as it should be and a fair sprinkling of in- just started happening after a long no Vishist Bhatia, email nal, like Lagaan and modern telligent comedy. period of lull. Not really. Watching Bollywood in their making and R K Malhotra, Alaknanda Abhishek Khaitan, MD Radico Khaitan films are a complete waste of time presentation. Yes, this Chalte Chalte, Andaaz and Bhoot 36% and money. They have to do more M Bharat, email

Pre-monsoon powercuts CINEMA OF THE WEEK leave city reeling TIMES NEWS NETWORK parts of the city have com- plained of power failures in New Delhi: The pre-mon- the past two days. soon showers led to long competition again!) and ter- killers. From one shoot-out to V M Sharma, a Sangam Vi- hours of power cuts since rific bonding make for com- the other, life becomes a mer- har resident, said there was Friday. People from several pelling viewing. Add to this, ry-go-round with guns and no power in the locality since the able support lend by the bullets, leaving no time for Thursday morning. ‘‘There Juhi Chawla as the quintes- the conscience to prick. Un- has been no electricity in my sential bhabhi and Rinke til, an accident happens... place for the past 48 hours. Khanna as the upmarket pro- There’s too much mean- This is a reflection of the fessional wife and you’ve got ingless violence, too tacky a sheer neglect of the con- a film with some great mo- characterisation for Nadita sumers by the private power ments. Das, too little to do for Ir- companies,’’ he said. The problem with Jhankar rfaan Khan and too tepid the His family, like many oth- Beats lies in its too-thin sto- love track between Uday ers in the area, had to suffer ryline: Three guys try to Chopra and Nauheed Cyrusi. water problems due to such a strike the delicate balance No, Supari isn’t Satya. long power failure. ‘‘We could between profession, obses- ★ ★ not fill water in the house sion and affairs of the heart. American Chai (comedy) and life has been miserable,’’ Truly, a tough undertaking Cast: Alok Mehta, Sheetal Seth he said. P S K Murthy, a sec- which calls for more dramat- Direction: Anurag Mehta Showing at: PVR Anupam tor VII resident of Dwarka, ic moments than the film ac- said there were power cuts tually offers. Also, consider- eady for another attempt since Friday. ‘‘On Friday, ing that the film is a musical, Rto unravel the ABCD there was no electricity from there is very little to make (American-born-confused- 5.30 am to midnight. On Sat- your feet tap. desi) conundrum? We’d sug- urday,there hasn’t been pow- Watch it for the perform- gest, you give this one the go- ances. by, unless you’re a die-hard er since noon,’’ Murthy com- Jhankar Beats We are happy to laud the spir- Paresh Rawal fan. plained. He has ailing par- (comedy) ★★ 1/2 it of adventurism itself for Supari (drama) ★★ Daddy wants his son to be ents at home, who were suf- Cast: Rahul Bose, Sanjay Suri, surely, this is the only way Cast: Uday Chopra, Rahul Dev, an engineer, doctor or any- fering the most, due to the Juhi Chawla, Rinke Khanna Bollywood would hit big Nandita Das thing that would bring in the power problem. Direction: Sujoy Ghosh time, once again. Direction: Padam Kumar dollars in conventional Showing at: Regal Hence, the importance of Showing at: Odeon white-collared videshi style. Jhankar Beats: Not too en- iva la! the Sonny boy wants to be a mu- grossing, nevertheless inter- nce again, a crossover new-found sician but doesn’t have the esting. Of course, it’s the ac- film with an interesting adventurism O guts to tell Daddy and Mom- V tors here who make the film. story-line, straight-from-the- my who have worked so hard, of the Bollywood Rahul Bose and Sanjay Suri heart performances and a struggled so much in alien bratpack. Come on as buddies who work in an new treatment. The problem? shores to integrate and bring guys, we’re ready advertising agency by day Once again, the director fails up the American desi family. for anything new, and worship Boss (RD Bur- to carry the experiment So he hides the guitar under anything different. man) by night with their pri- through... the sofa and disbands the So what if there’s vate band are a delectable Four college kids dream college band as soon as Dad still a distinct raw- duo. Totally post-modern and about the high-life. Their am- visits his hostel room. ness to the Colum- delightfully sweet, they fill bition? An apartment in The subterfuge doesn’t bus spirit. So what if your heart with a gladness Manhattan with a Ferrari work for long, for we Indians the experimentation that’s rarely delivered by tra- parked down below. Obvious- are like this only: Hard- often ends up in ditional Bollywood types. ly,college is hardly the ticket boiled exteriors with extra- half-baked ventures. Their little for their fantasy ride. Oppor- soft centres. Too wishy- joys, great tunity strikes when Mamata washy and squishy, Ameri- sorrows Sekri (Nandita Das), the un- can Chai is yes, another half- (what if we derworld queen, goes talent baked venture from the don’t win the shopping. She hires the trio crossover club. live music and uses them as supari Nikhat Kazmi

POOR★ AVERAGE★ ★ GOOD★ ★ ★ VERY GOOD ★ ★ ★ ★ OUTSTANDING ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

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