Now that the dry spell is over and the movies are back on screens, a lot of us are making plans for the weekend that include a movie theatre (at least I am).

Producers are making sure there are enough movies to keep you occupied for the rest of the year, and given the fact that half the year is over, there are now more movies up for release than weeks to release them.

Earlier, Bollywood would keep dates in mind while planning big-ticket releases (no releases during school exams or inauspicious periods). Now, there will be no such criteria — simply because there isn’t scope for any.

In the coming weeks, there are interesting films lined up for your viewing pleasure, with themes as diverse as romance, terrorism, college capers and thrillers.

Sylvester Stallone, Denise Richards, Akshay Kumar, Shahid Kapur, John Abraham and Katrina Kaif will soon be at a screen near you, and after two months of no movies, the line-up has me excited.

First up is “Sikander”, a film directed by Piyush Jha, based in Kashmir and starring “Black” girl Ayesha Kapoor. Not only am I looking forward to watching it for the locales, but also because it is a thriller based in the Valley, not your usual storyline.

Next on my must watch list is “Kaminey”, directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, a filmmaker I admire immensely. I enjoyed both his previous films and the promos of “Kaminey” look enticing.

Before that one releases though, I am looking forward to “Kambakkht Ishq”. The very fact that we have Hollywood stars acting in an Indian film for the first time (if you discount Samantha Fox’s appearance in a Bappi Lahiri music video) is enough to garner eyeballs, but I am mainly curious to see Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor pair up on screen after a long time.

“New York” is also another film on my list. John Abraham, a terrorism angle (possibly inspired by 9/11) and Katrina Kaif sounds like a great combination and I wonder how director Kabir Khan has pulled it off.

I just saw the first look of Imtiaz Ali’s Love Aaj Kal, starring Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone, and I know I want to see more of this, especially given his last success, Jab We Met. 

What about you? Which films are you looking forward to?

On a recent house-hunting trip in the suburbs of Mumbai, an enthusiastic real estate agent opened the French windows of a tenth-floor apartment and stepped aside to let us enjoy the view.

“It’s the Oscar view ma’am. The ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ view,” he said with a flourish as we took in the rows of slums spread out before us.

I have covered the ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ “phenomenon” since December, when it first caught everyone’s attention. 

I have followed it through the Golden Globe win, the Oscars, the “poverty porn” allegations and all the controversies that have hit the film after the original blaze of glory.

No wonder then that the real estate agent’s statement rankled. “Slumdog Millionaire” was supposed to be a great movie that touched people all over the world, a film both critically acclaimed and honoured with Oscars.

The film also brought child actors Rubina Ali and Azharuddin Ismail in the spotlight and gave them a life they could barely have dreamed of earlier.

Now, the same movie is being used to sell a side of life that really shouldn’t be up for sale. There are political parties gifting houses to Rubina and Azhar, even as the trust set up by the film’s producers tries to do the same. There have also been allegations of trafficking, allegations that not enough was being done to help the children.

The kids in question, Rubina and Azhar, have also changed in the process. When I first met the two, they seemed a little overwhelmed by all the attention. 

Now they seem used to the ways of the media, asking reporters for the name of their organisation and only then agreeing to interviews. Earlier, their answers were open and uninhibited, now they seem rehearsed.

When we now cover the “Slumdog Millionaire” story, it seems more to do with the aftermath of a success that no one can quite cope with. 

Director Danny Boyle put it best when he said “The film that we made should be a positive thing in their eyes and not a negative thing.”

As I walked out of that 10^th-floor apartment, I had a feeling the “Slumdog Millionaire” saga was turning a little sour.

‘Archie proposes to Veronica!’

That headline sent shockwaves and started heated debates in many parts of the world this week, with most fans of one of the longest-running love triangles despairing that Archie Andrews has chosen the rich and glamorous Ronnie over the sweet and simple Betty.

But is it really that different a story from those dished out by Bollywood or the many TV serials? Perhaps the guy is rich. Perhaps the girl is wealthy and doesn’t tell the guy. Perhaps the guy has a wealthy father and doesn’t know it. But the end result is always the same. The guy/girl with the rich dad gets the girl/guy. Every time.

Of course we have our great love stories that romanticise the poor lover: rich girl meets poor boy, they fall in love, she defies her stern dad, they run away and live in penury but happily, dad finally forgives her and they all live happily ever after in daddy’s big mansion.

Or, rich boy meets poor girl, they fall in love, he defies his authoritarian dad, they run away and live in penury…it still ends the same way.

So, are untold riches a great turn on? Or is it a matter of opposites attract? Or is it just a sign of the times: given the current economic environment, Archie — who doesn’t have Dilton’s brains or Reggie’s smarts — has no hope of landing a job.

Popping the question to Ronnie will at least give him a shot with Mr. Lodge. Love in the time of recession?

“Slumdog Millionaire” was proof enough of British filmmaker Danny Boyle’s love for India and Mumbai. But the filmmaker hasn’t had enough of the city or this country.

Boyle told reporters on Wednesday he would love to make more films in India and was in fact in talks with filmmakers Anurag Kashyap and Shekhar Kapur. He didn’t give any details but he did mention how much he loved working in Mumbai.

“Slumdog” producer Christian Colson was a little more forthcoming, saying a couple of projects were being discussed and Boyle was keen to direct them.

This is not the first time the British filmmaker has talked about making a film in India. In January, Boyle told a press conference in Mumbai he was keen to make a thriller in the city, because he felt its geography would lend itself very well to the subject.

I fear Boyle may not find making a film in Mumbai as easy this time around. During the making of “Slumdog Millionaire”, hardly anyone knew he was in the city let alone that he was making a film.

“Trainspotting” was a film very few people in India had seen and the record eight Oscar wins hadn’t happened.

Still, I am looking forward to seeing what Danny Boyle makes of Mumbai next. When he talks, you can see the passion he feels for this teeming, throbbing city and a celluloid translation of that is bound to be breathtaking — just as it was the first time.

“We are just good friends” has to be the most overused phrase in Bollywood (or even Hollywood) for that matter.

A couple of years ago, each time rumour mills started working non-stop about a “friendship” between celebrities, the two concerned parties were sure to come up with a statement about how they were just good friends.

Of course, there are a lot of Bollywood stars who are genuinely good friends, but cast your mind back to Aishwarya-Abhishek or Lara-Dino and you will see a lot of “we are good friends” statements before the relationship was “outed”.

I do see some change in this attitude though, and Preity Zinta is a good example.

Zinta, 34 has been pretty open about her relationship with Wadia scion Ness Wadia. Last week, she admitted she was single again – without giving too many details.

Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor are yet another couple who do not mind being open about their “taken” status, though not giving details, as is Kareena Kapoor (both with Shahid Kapur and Saif Ali Khan).

In an industry where the dominant feeling is that revealing your couple status hinders your fan base or “desirability”, this is a new wave of honesty I find refreshing.

What do you think? Are Bollywood stars really being more open about their relationship status?

It’s unusual for Indian cinemas to screen a 2007 film that has already had its television premiere.

But the stand-off between Bollywood producers and multiplexes has resulted in a slew of otherwise straight-to-DVD films getting a chance at the box-office.

“Partition”, in its dubbed Hindi version, is one such film.

This Canadian production revolves around the love story of a Sikh man and a Muslim woman drawn together by the partition of India in 1947.

The storyline is familiar — the Bollywood hit “Gadar: Ek Prem Katha” (2001) had an uncannily similar plot. But despite a host of accomplished actors, this Vic Sarin film is never as impressive.

Illiterate villagers mouthing dialogues in English is okay but an Indian actor in the role of Naseem (Kristin Kreuk) would have been more believable. And although Jimi Mistry as the protagonist Gian is first-class, Irrfan Khan and Vinay Pathak are wasted in their two-bit roles.

Neve Campbell plays with aplomb the role of an English lady who helps Gian search for Naseem’s missing family after the riots.

This is certainly not one of those ‘Pakistan is bad’ propaganda movies — director Sarin ensures there are good and bad characters on both sides of the border. But Naseem’s brother Akbar (Arya Babbar) remains a stereotype.

“Partition” loses its bearings after a placid first half, hurtling towards a predictable and unimpressive climax. Still, it’s worth a watch for its lovely cinematography.

I wasn’t so sure about the trains depicted in the film — they seemed too modern to be around 60 years ago. And the idea of a devout Sikh converting to Islam just to get across the border seemed a bit far-fetched.

Don’t expect “Partition” to be one of those sweeping epic love stories — it never reaches to such heights. If you are a Jimi Mistry fan, catch the film in your neighbourhood cinema. Otherwise, just wait for it to come around on your television screens.

Nearly 60 years after Rabindranath Tagore’s composition was adopted as India’s national anthem, filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma’s interpretation of it is raising conservative eyebrows.

Varma uses the tune of ‘Jana Gana Mana’ and adds to the lyrics, making it a full-fledged song for his film about India’s media industry — “Rann”.

The 47-year-old filmmaker has maintained he meant no disrespect but only wanted to use the anthem as a vehicle to “draw attention” to the country’s problems.

“For any right-thinking person, I do not believe that he can take offence to the way it’s been done and in what context it’s been shown,” Varma said at a news conference during the unveiling of “Rann” in New Delhi.

Unfortunately for Varma, his adaptation of “Jana Gana Mana” has proved to be more controversial than the film itself. The Censor Board refused certification to the song promo on grounds of it violating the National Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act 1950. And the song is no longer being aired on television.

But that hasn’t stopped curious netizens from checking it out on video-sharing web site YouTube.

“The National anthem is not meant to be Remixed. End of Discussion,” YouTube user ‘orionrage’ wrote in response.

Some in the media have warned things may take a turn for the worse.

“Narrow-minded priggishness posing as patriotism has long been one of the less attractive features of our national life and Ram Gopal Varma would be prudent in keeping a weather eye open for stormy protests,” columnist Jug Suraiya wrote in The Times of India.

There have been some protests already.

Effigies of Varma and actor Amitabh Bachchan, the protagonist of “Rann”, were burnt in Ranchi.

But the filmmaker is unperturbed and plans to challenge the censor board decision.

Media reports have quoted Varma as saying he will now be taking the case directly to the Supreme Court.

“The promo has been refused certification without me getting any chance to explain my case,” Varma said. “Where is my freedom of expression?”

What do you think? Is the “Rann” song a new-age national anthem, a parody or just a publicity stunt?

(Reuters photos of a ‘Rann’ press conference in New Delhi)

Now that we are nearing the end of election season in India, everywhere I go, conversations revolve around the big democratic circus. 

But I didn’t expect that to happen this week at a Mumbai bookstore where British author Jeffrey Archer was reading from his latest book “Paths of Glory”.

Throughout the reading and the Q&A session that lasted for two hours, Archer was in a playful mood, answering questions patiently, complaining good-naturedly that Indians always “nitpicked” and pointed out mistakes in his novels.

At the end of the session, Archer made a startling announcement.

“I am going to stand for elections this time around and I will represent the Samajwadi Party,” he said to audible gasps from the audience.

Archer paused for effect before continuing.

“Well, they say they want to ban computers, and I hand-write all my books.”

“They say they want to ban English and my books are now available in six Indian languages, so I don’t need English any more.”

“Eat your heart out, Mr (John) Grisham”.

I can safely say a lot of us breathed a huge sigh of relief. 

Can you imagine Jeffrey Archer sharing the stage with Amar Singh and Mulayam Singh Yadav?

One of my favourite childhood memories is watching the Sunday afternoon movie on television (on Doordarshan, of course) with friends and family.

And one of the films I always watched was “Seeta Aur Geeta” — no matter how many times they aired it.

Hema Malini perched atop a ceiling fan in a police station — now that’s a classic scene if there ever was one, and it remains one of my favourite movies on DVD.

Last week, I got an email informing me that “Seeta Aur Geeta” is going to be adapted for the small screen.

Did I really want to see this much loved film remade into some TV series that would be aired every day? Wasn’t it enough that Bollywood was making remakes of old classics without television having to get in on the act?

Give it deeper thought and you realise that films of the seventies and eighties form perfect material for the television serials of today — they had scheming mothers-in-law, dutiful daughters-in-law and unbelievable plot lines.
It’s a wonder someone didn’t think of this earlier. Also, it ensures that the younger generation can watch these films all over again, through a medium that is much more their style.

I can think of a lot of other Hindi films that could be remade for television, but my old- fashioned, Doordarshan-watching self still rebels at the idea.

What about you? Would you like to see such remakes on television?

For most people, Friday is just another day to get over with before one settles down for the weekend.

Not so for a film journalist. Friday is the day you watch the releases of the week (sometimes as many as three in a day), form an opinion about each of them and then put that opinion to paper (and then wait for everyone to disagree with you).

Sometimes, the film viewing is divided between Thursday and Friday, when the press shows are held.

Sometimes, it means scrambling between one movie theatre to another in terrible Mumbai traffic.

Mostly, it means watching a movie by yourself in an empty cinema on a Friday afternoon, with some college students and ushers for company.

“I can’t believe you complain about this stuff,” my friend tells me. “Most people would kill to be paid to watch movies every week.”

Yes, I love my job. But I must confess, when I heard there were to be no releases after April 4, I breathed a sigh of relief.

At last, I would have Friday evenings free; I wouldn’t have to watch mindless films that no one should be subjected to. I could do other stories; wouldn’t it be a nice change from having to watch Himesh Reshammiya execute mid-air kicks?

Two weeks later, I find myself feeling exactly the opposite. Every time I pass by a multiplex, I have the urge to go in and buy a ticket. I check newspapers for movie listings before stopping myself. And I actually miss Himeshbhai.

I have now come to terms with myself. I cannot do without movie watching. DVDs are now my succour and Friday nights are back to being movie nights. Finally, things are back to normal.

What about you? How are you faring in the absence of new Bollywood releases?