Whole of August went without the usual Mumbai rain. Rain is not playing only truant, but in fact it is absent. During my 20 years of stay in Mumbai, I have never experienced such a dry monsoon.
In the last week of August, I had gone to Bengaluru for an acting workshop and I have already posted my blog about that KANNADA film. It’s shooting started today in Bengaluru. Now it is September and so it is time for my monthly Film Diary.
OBITUARY :
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Gulshan Bawra :It is sad that every month I have to start my diary with a homage to a prominent departed soul.
On August 08, a very prominent lyricist of the industry, Gulshan Bawra died of cardiac arrest. I read the news in newspapers and immediately flood of memories engulfed me completely. I still remember the year 1967, when I left my native place Deoria, Uttar Pradesh and went to Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh for higher studies. I took admission in the Government Inter College and started my new life in the hostel of the college. Away from the watchful eyes of my father, I grabbed every single opportunity that came in my way and started enjoying my new found freedom. In those days I used to watch almost every film that got released. I do remember that “ UPKAR ”was released with much fanfare in the same year. It was released in a theatre situated at Zero Road. I still remember the names of all the cinema halls of Allahabad, barring this one. It is situated in between Moti Mahal and Mansarovar theaters. Even before the release of the film, it’s song “ Mere Desh Ki Dharti Sona Ugle, Ugle heere Moti ” became immensely popular and became Binaka Geet Mala Sartaj, a benchmark of popularity in those days. “ UPKAR” created history and the song I mentioned above, became almost an anthem. Later on when I became a connoisseur of films, I got to know that Gulshan Bawra penned the lyrics. After his death, when I started re collecting his other works, I suddenly remembered “ Yari HaiIman Mera, Yar Meri Zindagi ” from “ ZANJEER” “ Kasme Vade Nibhayenge Ham ” and “ Aati Rahengi Baharen” from “ KASME VADE ” “ Jeevan Ke Har Mod Par Mil Jayenge Hamsafar ” from “ JHOOTA KAHIN KA ” and “ Dukki Pe Dukki Ho ” from “ SATTE PE SATTA ”. “ HAQEEQAT ” released in 1995 was his last film. He wrote more than 200 songs in a career spanning almost 40 years. Most of his lyrics were tuned by R. D. Burman and Kalyanji-Anandji, who incidentally gave him his first break in the film “Chandrasena” in 1959.
He loved to do small roles in many of his films. He acted in almost 20 films. “ UPKAR ” “ ZANJEER ” “PAVITRA PAPI ” and “ BEIMAAN ” are few films in which he did a cameo and which I have watched and still remember. Farewell Gulshan Bawra! May your soul rest in peace.
NEW RELEASES & ME :
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Two months back I started keeping track of the new films and started noting down the names of my students who are there in the film, just out of fun. But week after week, as I started keeping track of the films, I found that there is at least one student of mine in every new film. Following is the list :
LUCK ……………………Imran khan
LOVE AAJ KAL ………Saif Ali Khan
TEREE SANG…………..Sheena Shahabadi
AGYAAT………………..Priyanka Kothari
LIFE PARTNER………..Fardeen Khan
…………………………….Genelia Dsouza
KAMINEY………………Priyanka Chopra
SHADOW………………..Hrishitaa Bhatt
……………………………..Soniya Mehra
SIKANDAR………………Sanjay Suri
TOSS………………………Ashmit Patel
LOVE KHICHDI………..Divya Dutta
……………………………..Riya Sen
……………………………..Kalpana Pandit
YEH MERA INDIA…….Perizad Zorabian
……………………………..Smilie Suri
……………………………..Dhaval Gada
KISAAN………………….Arbaaz Khan
……………………………..Sarfaraz Khan
DADDY COOL…………..Kim Sharma
……………………………..Tulip Joshi
……………………………..Raghav Sachar
The list is humbling. In August, 13 films got released and 22 students of mine are working in them. Among them there are 20 actors, one music director and one producer. Raghav Sachar is the music director of “ Daddy Cool ” and Dhaval Gada is the co- producer of “ Yeh Mera India ”, they both are my students. Among all the releases of this month “ Quick Gun Murugun ” is the only exception. No student of mine is working in it. But it is a dubbed film. The list makes me humble. It signifies and illustrates that at this juncture of my career, there is no place for complacency. This enduring and fascinating journey must go on.
“ Daddy Cool ” is an important film for me on one more count. My son Abhinav Chaturvedi has worked in it as an assistant director. This is his first release.
NEWS :
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1- Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar has finalized distribution deal worth Rs. 98 crore with FOX for “ MY NAME IS KHAN ”. This is the second big Bollywood film after “ Slumdog Millionaire ” , which is being distributed by FOX.
2- there is a good news for Indian music lovers. Five Indian artistes have made it to Amazon.com’s 100 Greatest World Music albums of all times. The names are :
1- Pandit Ravi Shankar
2- Asha Bhosale
3- Ustad Ali Akbar Khan
4- A. R. Rahman
5- Ustad Sujaat Hussain Khan
Pandit Ravi Shankar’s “ THE RAVI SHANKAR’S COLLECTION: LIVE ” sits at no. 20, Asha Bhosle’s album“ PRECIOUS PLATINUM ” sits at no. 37, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan’s album sits at no. 38, A. R. Rehman’s “ LAGAAN ” is on no. 44, and Sujaat Hussain Khan’s album “ LOST SONGS OF THE SILK ROAD” is on no.52.
3- Kumar Mangalam Birla has decided to make an exit from the entertainment industry. He has stopped operation of Applause Entertainment, the company he established with much fanfare few years ago.
4- My student Preety Jhangiani has become acting trainer. She has started training acting aspirants in Gurukul Acting Academy Delhi. Best of luck !
5- Katrina Kaif, whom I am currently training for “ RAJNITI “ , got 12th Rajiv Gandhi Award 2009. Congratulations !
HAPPENINGS+EVENTS :
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1- 50 years ago, in August 1959, an iconic “ KAAGAZ KE PHOOL ” was released. The masterpiece, a dismal flop of it’s time, is considered by Sight and Sound magazine as the 160th best film ever made. It was the first Indian film shot in CinemaScope.
It was a commercial success, when re- released in Japan and France in 1984.
2- This month KAMAL HASSAN completed 50 years in films. Congratulations !
I am signing off. See you next month.
Vidur
www.vidur.co.in
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