India Masala
Bollywood and culture in an emerging India
IFFI 2009: Makrand Deshpande on “Shahrukh Bola Khoobsurat Hai Tu”
Filmmaker Makrand Deshpande’s new film “Shahrukh Bola Khoobsurat Hai Tu” is about a flower girl in Mumbai whose life changes after a chance meeting with actor Shah Rukh Khan who tells her that she is beautiful.
Khan plays himself in a two-minute cameo in the film, which is a sort of tribute to the Bollywood superstar.
Deshpande spoke to Reuters about “Shahrukh Bola Khoobsurat Hai Tu” on the sidelines of the 40th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in the tourist haven of Goa.
(Click below to watch video)
(Flip cam video by Tony Tharakan)
De Dana Dan: Entertainment of the lowest level
Watching a movie like “De Dana Dan” in a single screen theatre where people are hooting and clapping at crass humour on screen may give you an insight into Indian audiences.
This audience doesn’t really mind that Archana Puran Singh uses foul language or that people randomly slap their husbands and wives or that there is really no logic to speak of. They found all of the above hilarious.
Can festivals escape popular cinema?
When Goa first hosted the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in 2004, it seemed there was no escaping Bollywood and its glamour.
Vidya Balan, Salman Khan, and a host of Bollywood stars were part of the event.
It led to vehement protests from delegates and guests at the festival who felt “unnecessary importance” was being given to popular cinema.
Kurbaan: Old wine, better packaged
If you watched Kabir Khan’s “New York” this summer, you won’t find much novelty in Rensil D’Silva’s “Kurbaan”. The storyline is pretty much the same, except for a few cosmetic differences.
There is an educated, suave man living a double life as a terrorist, his beautiful wife who doesn’t know about his identity and the “third man” who tries to help the family.
Tum Mile: Be prepared to drown in boredom
Cyclone Phyan may have scared the wits out of Mumbaikars but it certainly provided a good enough platform to director Kunal Deshmukh for his film “Tum Mile”.
The rain scenes in the film and its reference to a similar tragedy could have hit home if it had been made compellingly. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen.
Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani: Ranbir saving grace
You hear the words Rajkumar Santoshi and comedy in one sentence and you immediately think — “Andaz Apna Apna”.
Fifteen years later, Santoshi is back with another comic caper, this time starring Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif. But if you are expecting another “Andaz Apna Apna”, you will be sorely disappointed.
Jail: Avoid this three-hour sentence
Fortunately or unfortunately, I rented a DVD of Frank Darabont’s “The Shawshank Redemption” last weekend, watching this landmark film for the umpteenth time. So when I went in to watch “Jail”, expectations were high.
Obviously, Madhur Bhandarkar’s “Jail” is not a patch on Andy and Red’s story but it doesn’t even qualify as a gripping entertainer, mainly because of a sloppy script and characters who might as well have been caricatures.
Aladin: The magic fades away
Sujoy Ghosh’s ‘Aladin’, a film that attempts to give a twist to the classic fairy tale, starts off well enough.
The protagonist is Aladin Chatterjee, an unassuming young man (Riteish Deshmukh), who is orphaned at a young age.
London Dreams: Falls short of promise
One of my favourite films from 2008 was Abhishek Kapoor’s ‘Rock On’, the story of four rock band members who have a bitter fall out only to regroup years later.
It was a coming of age story that managed to stay in my heart for a while.
Vipul Shah’s ‘London Dreams’ has a similar storyline and a much larger scale and tone. Unfortunately, what it has in terms of budget and scale, it lacks in terms of heart.
What’s in a name? The truth about “Kaminey”
When a friend went to buy movie tickets for Vishal Bhardwaj’s “Kaminey”, she felt uncomfortable.
She had never before used the word — Hindi slang for ‘scoundrels’ — and was embarrassed to utter it at the ticket counter.
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The Wall
