Film – Page 123

Movie Review: 'Dil Dhadakne Do' is a perfectly enjoyable picture of a complex relationship

June 16, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

Banner: Junglee Pictures & Excel Entertainment
Producer: Ritesh Sidhwani & Farhan Akhtar
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Cast: Anil Kapoor, Shefali Shah, Priyanka Chopra, Ranveer Singh, Anushka Sharma, Farhan Akhtar, Ridhima Sood, Rahul Bose,
Zarina Wahab, Vikrant Massey, Parmeet Sethi, Manoj Pahwa, Pawan Chopra & above all Aamir Khan
Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy

To say that Zoya Akhtar is an accomplished director would be an understatement. She had proved her her directorial mettle with her debut directorial venture ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’. And with her latest directorial venture ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’ she has once again scored brownie points.

Kamal Mehra (Anil Kapoor) is a successful businessman who owns Ayka, a company on the verge of bankruptcy. He has a troubled relationship with his wife, Neelam (Shefali Shah), and his 2 children, Ayesha (Priyanka Chopra) & Kabir (Ranveer Singh). Ayesha has a successful business of her own, but is unhappily married to Manav (Rahul Bose). Kabir unwillingly participates in the family business and yearns to pursue a career as a pilot. In celebration of Kamal & Neelam’s 30th anniversary, they invite their family & friends for a 10 day cruise trip across the Mediterranean. Among their invitees, are Mr. Sood (Parmeet Sethi) and his family. Kamal plots to get Kabir married to Sood’s daughter, Noorie (Riddhima Sood), in exchange for his investing in Ayka. In the ship, Kabir meets a free-spirited dancer, Farah Ali (Anushka Sharma), and engages in a romantic relationship with her. Noorie, on the other hand, falls in love with Rana (Vikrant Massey), the son of a family hated by her parents.

Even giving Zoya Akhtar a standing ovation for her directorial triumph would be in suffice. She has even succeeded in extracting an earnest performance from her principal cast. And yes even from Aamir Khan who has lent his voice for the dog pluto who ultimately proves to be the mainstay of the film. A deserving special mention must also go to the film’s cinematography (Carlos Catalan) for having presented some of the breath taking & amazing visuals in the film. The film’s editing (Manan Mehta & Anand Subaya) gives the film its pace with which the film sails smoothly.

Performance wise Anil Kapoor is 1st rate and in full form, Shefali Shah is extraordinnare, Ranveer Singh is picture perfect, Priyanka Chopra is the scene stealer, Anushka Sharma is terrific & Farhan Akhtar is excellent. Débutante Riddhima Sood is a revelation. While the rest of the cast comprising of Rahul Bose, Zarina Wahab, Vikrant Massey, Parmeet Sethi, Manoj Pahwa, Pawan Chopra lend perfect credibility to their individual roles.

Tail Piece: ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’ is a classy film meant for the elite multiplex audiences. While the single screen cine goers may find this movie a trifle boring.

Movie Review: 'Jurrasic World' is an entertaingly watchable fare for one & all

June 16, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

Banner: Amblin Entertainment
Producer: Kathleen Kennedy & Gerald R. Molen
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Ariana Richards, Joseph Mazzello, Bob Peck, Martin Ferrero, Wayne Knight, Samuel L. Jackson, Cameron Thor & Miguel Sandoval
Music: John Williams

Hollywood Director Steven Spielberg certainly needs no special introduction and his latest directorial outing is an American science fiction adventure film which is the 1st installment of the ‘Jurassic Park’ film series. It is based on the 1990 novel of the same name by Michael Crichton, ‘Jurassic Park’ was followed by 3 sequels, ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’ (1997) & ‘Jurassic Park III’ (2001), both of which were box office successes but received mixed critical responses.

The film centers on the fictional Isla Nublar, an islet located off Central America’s Pacific Coast, near Costa Rica, where a billionaire philanthropist and a small team of genetic scientists have created a wildlife park of cloned dinosaurs. John Hammond, the founder & CEO of bioengineering company InGen, has created a theme park called Jurassic Park on Isla Nublar, a tropical island in an isolated Central American location populated with cloned dinosaurs. After a park worker is killed by a Velociraptor, in spite of an attempted rescue led by the park’s game warden, Robert Muldoon, the park’s investors, represented by lawyer Donald Gennaro, demand that experts visit the park and certify it as safe.

Almost a decade after the release of the last part in the ‘Jurassic Park’ series, we see the release of the 4th installment ‘Jurrasic World’. For those who have witnessed the spectacle of the 1st ‘Jurrasic Park’ more than 2 decades ago and have grown up on Steven Spielberg’s vision of the park, there will surely be feeling as to ‘what new will this movie show?. The 1st half of the film is a visual treat (especially in 3D) as the filmmaker gives us a full tour of the advanced dinosaur park. On the other hand, the 2nd half of the film features unending thrill rides in the form of a cat & mouse game. Overall, despite ‘Jurrasic World’ being predictable in parts, it does not fail to amaze you, developing into a fitting sequel to its predecessors.

Performance wise Chris Pratt adds life to the character of Owen, Bryce Dallas Howard keeps the audiences wondering. It will be noted 1st time in history of Bollywoodian Cinema that Irrfan Khan has got a very meaty role in this Hollywood big budget film and as always, he manages to charm the audiences with his performance. While the rest of the cast comprising of Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Ariana Richards, Joseph Mazzello, Bob Peck, Martin Ferrero as Donald Gennaro, Wayne Knight, Samuel L. Jackson, Cameron Thor & Miguel Sandoval have all performed exceedingly well.

Tail Piece: The film is for both, the young audiences who haven’t seen the series on the big screen and also for the ones who have been following it for decades. In fact ‘Jurrasic World’ is surely a big screen experience that is not to be missed, especially if you can catch it on IMAX 3D.

This is the first ever film I have danced in: Shraddha Kapoor talks about promoting 'ABCD 2'

June 13, 2015 by Nasheman

Bengaluru: The ‘ABCD 2’ team which is on a promotional spree across the country, was in city today.

Shraddha Kapoor, who made a lukewarm debut with Amitabh Bachchan starrer “Teen Patti” in 2010 but who got fame two years back with her stint as a budding singer in Aashiqui 2, said that ABCD 2, is her first ever film in which she will be seen dancing.

“I love dancing, however, I never got an opportunity to do it, in any of my films. This is the first ever film I have danced in,” Shraddha told Nasheman.in.

When asked, if this was her best film, Shraddha told that every film is a new experience, and she takes each and every one of them as her best.

Calling co-stars Prabhu Deva and Varun Dhawan as her best pair, the actress said the sequel to 2013’s ABCD is not about her or Varun but the dancers in the film and their journey.

Post ABCD 2, which releases on June 19, Shraddha will gear up for the sequel to musical drama Rock On!! and Baaghi, opposite Tiger Shroff.

Movie Review: The Duff is a enjoyably funny

June 13, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

Producer: Susan Cartsonis McG and Mary Viola
Director: Ari Sandel
Star Cast: Mae Whitman, Robbie Amell, Bella Thorne, Bianca Santos, Skyler Samels, Romany Malco, Ken Jeong, Allison Jenny, Chris Wylde, Mahaley Manning, Nick Eversman, Seth Mariwether, Gabriella Fraille, Danielle Lyn, David Gridley and Brian Dewar McNamara
Genre: Romantic Teen Comedy
Verdict: Good

Debutante director Ari Sandel’s, known more for his short film West Bank Story and a docu drama on Wild West Show named 30 Days & 30 Nights, ‘The Duff’ is a hilarious albeit a thought provoking tale of a girl nicknamed as DUFF which stands for a “designated ugly fat friend” which is bound to get lapped up by a teenie bopper crowd.

Plot: Bianca (Mae Whitman) is a content high school senior whose world is shattered when she learns the student body knows her as ‘The DUFF’ (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) to her prettier, more popular friends (Skyler Samuels & Bianca Santos). Now, despite the words of caution from her favourite teacher (Ken Jeong), she puts aside the potential distraction of her crush, Toby (Nick Eversman), and enlists Wesley (Robbie Amell), a slick but charming jock, to help reinvent herself. To save her senior year from turning into a total disaster, Bianca must find the confidence to overthrow the school’s ruthless label maker Madison (Bella Thorne) and remind everyone that no matter what people look or act like, we are all someone’s DUFF.

Aces: It depicts a truest picture of high school students intertwined with their romantic interludes and of course the most outstanding performances by its principal cast, aided and abetted by a cavalcade of some fresh talents.

Minuses: Sometimes the chemistry between the actors is missing and the movie tends to go overboard with ‘The Duff’ business.
Last Word: Missing ‘The Duff’ will be like missing a heart warming movie. Period!

Deepali Sathe: A sensational crooner makes waves

June 11, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

Deepali Sathe happens to be a latest singing sensation in Tinsel Town. So if you’ve heard the song “Yeh kaisi jagah” from Vishesh Films’ latest offering ‘Humari Adhuri Kahani’, which is releasing today and if it managed to steal your heart and make you hum the number on loop then you surely must’ve wondered who’s lilting voice is that? It’s the new rising sensation in the music world going with the name of Deepali Sathe.

Deepali, who has already lent her voice to the song “Daingad Daingad” in ‘Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania’, can’t stop gushing about her experience of having worked with popular music composer Jeet Ganguly. “This isn’t the 1st time I’ve sung for Jeet da, I 1st worked with him for a Bengali track “Janemon” from the movie ‘Herogiri’, clarifies Deepali while adding, “Jeet da liked my voice so much that he called me for “Ye kaisi jagah”. I got to know that Jeet da told Mahesh & Mukesh Bhattji that he was gifting them a fresh and new voice in this film and had praised me a lot too. He also told me that this is the most important song of my career and will prove to be a turning point for me. So frankly, I was nervous & excited all at the same time while recording for the song. But at the time of recording Jeet da helped me and narrated the story to me about a woman being in a dilemma because she is happy being in love but at the same time she is already married to someone else. It really made me get into the mood of the number and I could sing it well.”

Deepali Sathe isn’t new to the music world. The songstress started crooning at the raw age of 3 during Sai Samiti Bhajans and amidst various shows, music albums, reality shows among others started mingling with the stalwarts of the music industry including the likes of Udit Narayan with whom she sung a duet, Asha Bhosle, Kavita Krishna Murthy, Khayyam, Ustad Ghulam Ali Khan, Suresh Vadkar amongst others who were her judges at the reality show ‘Sa Re Ga Ma Pa’.

The singer then went onto lending her voice to the title tracks of shows like “Vaari Vaari Apne Piya Pe Vaari” on Life Ok, ‘Main Lakshmi Tere Angan Ki’ & ‘Jodhaa Akbar’ from Zee Tv before moving onto playback singing for Hindi films.

May God – The Almighty fullfil all her crooning wishes galore and may she reach the pinnacle of glories galore in no time.

A musical interactive session with lyricist & music composer Praveen Bhardwaj

June 8, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

Praveen Bhardwaj, in his one and a half decade long illustrious musical journey, happens to be a most reputed lyricist turned music composer. And of late with the release of his debut single audio album named “Desires – Mohabbat Mein Tujhe Kya Milega” he has turned a crooner too. Incidentally speaking his debut audio album “Desires – Mohabbat Mein Tujhe Kya Milega” has been acclaimed & ranked as #1 on an international level so much so that he he has been placed as #1 singer and clubbed with international singers like Enrique Iglasias, Justin Bibber et al. Shaheen Raaj recently spoke to the God gifted singer, over hot cups of spicy aromatic tea at his posh flat in Veer Desai Road. Tune in.

To set the musical ball rolling in your court tell us how did your musically crooning journey begin?

Honestly speaking my musical journey in Tinsel Town had kick started as a lyricist almost one and a half decade ago. And the most interesting about my musical career is that there has always been a landmark turning point. For instance as a lyricist my “kem che” song became a runaway chartbuster number and then there was no looking back. This was the 1st turning point. And then the 2nd turning point of my career was me turning a writer with the film ‘Swaha – Life Beyond Superstition’ in which I had penned the story, screenplay & dialogues. And needless to say the movie was hit and I gained instant recognition. And finally my one more, this time a hat trick, landmark turning point is the recent release of my debut single music audio album named “Desires – Mohabbat Mein Tujhe Kya Milega?”. Its a melancholic number written, composed an of course sung by me for the 1st time ever.

And how do you feel with this added responsibility of singing a song written & composed by your own self?

You see the lyrics which I used to pen I used to sing it for the music composers, producers, directors and all concerned. It was the result of these musical sittings that my friends inspired me to come out with my debut single music audio album “Desires – Mohabbat Mein Tujhe Kya Milega”.

And what was the response of your debut music audio album?

Believe me the response has been terrific, tremendous, mindboggling et al. I have no more words left to describe it. Just within 20 days of its release my debut single music audio album “Desires – Mohabbat Mein Tujhe Kya Milega” has been declared as an international hit all over. So much so that I have been clubbed and ranked #1 singer along with international singers like Enrique Iglasies, Justin Biebber et al. And please let not your parting question be “What Next?” As at this stage I don’t have the wish to be in search of the next turning point of my life at least not for the next 5 years of my life. But of course that does not mean that I do not mean to grow in my self chosen field of penning lyrics, writing, music composing and now singing too. That’s it.

Bollywood Newswatch

June 8, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

Salman Khan Gets Special Permission

Salman Khan, who faced a serious charge of culpable homicide in the 2002 hit & run case, was sentenced to 5 year imprisonment on 8th May, 2015. But he soon got a bail and has resumed his shooting schedules too. Amidst the controversy & jam packed work schedule, the actor, recently was asked to perform at an awards night gala in Dubai. Though Salman Khan had received bail, the actor, however required the permission to travel abroad, for which, his legal authorities filed an application requesting the court to grant the permission. In a hearing that was held at the Bombay High Court, Salman Khan, received the permission to travel to the Arab city from 27th to 30th May, 2015. Public Prosecutor Abha Singh too revealed that the High Court has accepted his plea. Salman Khan is currently gearing up for the release of ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ starring Kareena Kapoor Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui on 16th July, 2015.

NGO Seeks Ban On A “Lori” Song Lalla Lalla Lori’ from Welcome 2 Karachi

NGO Seeks Ban On A “Lori” Song “Lalla Lalla Lori” from ‘Welcome 2 Karachi’. The song “Lalla Lalla Lori” from ‘Welcome 2 Karachi’, which has gained a lot of momentum in recent times, is now caught up in a legal controversy,even a week before its release recently. The song has been facing charges for maligning a Hindi nursery rhyme and hence an NGO has sought a ban on the song according to a plea filed by them at a Delhi High Court. The Public Interst Litigation (PIL) has been filed by the NGO against the Central Government, Censor Board, the Delhi Government and producers Pooja Entertainment Pvt Ltd. As per that, the lyrics of the song “Lalla Lalla Lori, Daaru Ki Katori” fall under the objectionable category. They claimed that since this is a nursery rhyme which is very popular amongst children, they will be exposed to the word ‘daaru’ (alcohol) at the tender age and it is also against article 47 of the Indian constitution (duty of the state to improve the standard of living and to improve public health affairs).

‘Phir Se’ Release Delayed By Court

The release of Kunal Kohli’s upcoming film ‘Phir Se’ has recently delayed by court. Earlier this year, filmmaker Kunal Kohli found himself embroiled in a legal battle with writer Jyoti Kapoor, after the latter claimed that Kunal’s forthcoming film ‘Phir Se’ had been plagiarized from her work. In the ensuing battle the verdict kept tilting, but never settling the issue. But of late the court has ruled to delay the release of the film till a final verdict is reached. Tweeting about the same Kunal Kohli posted, “What I have learnt from this experience is that the free exchange of ideas is no longer permissible and I would go a step further to say it expressly prohibited. The debate on copyright & plagiarism is settled, it is neither. The industry has to move towards a more closed & protective environment with regards to work in progress. What is left to be decided is merely one principal aspect, what is the value of an idea which should be in direct proportion to the authorship.” However, Kunal refrained from talking about the matter itself, and resigned himself to saying, “The matter is sub judice, the court has granted an ad interim stay & kept the matter post vacations. We are hopeful justice will prevail.”

Digital Short Film Festival Commences in Film City, Noida

The AAFT Festival of short Digital Films at Marwah Studio has created a record of sorts. Throwing light on the same, Marwah Studio president Sandeep Marwah said, “We have created a world record by touching the 86th edition of our festival. There is no other festival in the World to reach to 86th edition so far.” “This is the only festival, which has given opportunity to more than 2000 directors from all over the world to showcase their debut film in the last 22 years,” added AAFT dean Kalyan Sarkar. The films that were screened during the festival were: ‘Taj Mahal – Crown Of Earth’ directed by Aamir Naqvi, ‘Maa Ki Aankhk by Hitesh Tandon, ‘Bloody Red’ by Anjali, ‘Sunaina’ by Parvesh Saini, ‘Side Effects Of Criticism’ by Alok Chaturvedi & ‘Masoom’ by Nikhil Kapoor.

Vivek Oberoi To Help Develop Robotics Centre

Vivek Oberoi to help develop Robotics Centre at Nagpur University. Vivek Oberoi will be sponsoring & helping the funding of the Advanced Centre of Robotics at the Rashtrasant Tukodoji Maharaj Nagpur University According to the proposed plan, the centre will be named after Oberoi’s family. Oberoi wants the robotics centre to be world class and for that he is in touch with the American based ASEA Brown Boveri (ABB), a robotic tech major, which will be the private partner and provide technical inputs and help set up the research centre. Vice Chancellor S P Kane had met Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai last week to discuss the research centre and introducing diploma courses in the university. Oberoi is expected to visit Nagpur along with ABB officials in the 1st week of June.

‘Masaan’ Bags 2 Awards At Cannes

The Cannes Film Festival’s Indian entry ‘Masaan’ has bagged wins 2 awards at Cannes, including Un Certain Regard.
India’s ‘Masaan’ by Neeraj Ghaywan became a big winner in the Un Certain Regard section of the 68th Cannes International Film Festival by bagging 2 awards, even as the top award in this category went to ‘Rams’, a drama set among farmers and their sheep in a remote Icelandic valley. ‘Masaan’ also received the Promising Future Prize, apart from bagging the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) award. Actress Richa Chadha, who features in a key role in the film, said the team feels “blessed.” “#MasaanAtCannes just got the FIPRESCI award. #blessed. Team, take a bow,” Chadha tweeted. The film even won a 5 minute standing ovation post its screening, leaving Chadha and Ghaywan in tears of joy. Ghaywan’s debut feature project, ‘Masaan’ is set in Varanasi and follows the stories of 4 people from a small town and how they fit in to the moralities. It also features Shweta Tripathi, Sanjay Mishra & Vicky Kaushal. The film is an Indian-French co-production with names like Manish Mundra of Drishyam Films, Macassar Productions, Phantom Films, Sikhya Entertainment, Arte France Cinema & Pathe productions.

No Tax Free Rebate For ‘The International Problem’

No tax free rebate for ‘The International Problem’, a movie on AIDS, even after 2 years. A feature film ‘The international Problem’ which focuses on AIDS and guides the youth on sex education and the truth behind Section 377 has not being made tax free by the Government even after more than 2 years of efforts. Made under Shri Education Films banner, the Writer-Producer-Director Dr. Jagdish Waghela has been running pillar to post at Revenue, Health & Health AIDS department. The move has received “U” certificate from the censor board. The makers have written a letter to the President urging the Health Department to review the movie.

‘Inside Out’s Premiere Brings Everyone To Tears At Cannes

The recently held premiere of ‘Inside Out’ at Cannes Film Festival brought tears in everyone’s eyes. Disney Pixar have made a sensational return at the Cannes Film Festival with their new animated film ‘Inside Out’ which has been described as “mind-blowing”.
The reception to the film after its premiere has been mind blowing leaving everyone teary eyed at the end. The film takes place inside the head of 11 year old Riley, where voices like Joy (Amy Poehler), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) Sadness (Phyllis Smith) and Anger (Lewis Black) compete for the girl’s emotions & memories in her psyche “headquarters”. “My daughter was about 9 when she did the voice of Ellie in Up,” said Director Pete Docter, referring to the movie which won him the Oscar for best animated film in 2010. “And then she turned 10 & 11 and at the beginning of this film I saw her looking a lot less energetic and more kind of quiet & reserved and I thought what’s going on in her head? And that’s what really started us working on this film.” Disney Pixar’s ‘Inside Out’ releases on 26th June in India.

‘Dead student’s’ Song Finds Way In Film

Back in 2011, a song entitled “Single Emptiness” was making waves all over the internet and the song continues to be a rage till date. The song was credited to an IIT student named Rohan Rathore, who apparently after being heart-broken in love composed the song for his girlfriend. Rohan was said to have died of cancer 15 days after the song. However, soon it came to light that the song had been composed & sung by Gajendra Verma and that Rohan Rathore was a phony name with an equally bogus story. Now, after releasing the hit in an album, the music composer has decided to lend his song for a film ‘Chor Bazaari’ that stars newbie Ankkit Narrayan. Ironically, the said to be ‘stolen’ song has been used in a film whose hero is a chor as the profession has been passed on to him in his genes.

Aishwarya Was The Queen Of The Red Carpet At Cannes 2015

Of late Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was definitely the queen of the red carpet at Cannes 2015. Wherein she posed with confidence & style. Aishwarya came to Cannes 1st with Devdas with Sanjay leela Bhansali. The film was screened at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival and was featured by Time in their listing of the “10 best films of the millennium”. And now again with ‘Jazbaa’ which happens to be her comeback film, she launched the 1st look with the director Sanjay Gupta. So she started with Sanjay Leela Bhansali
and this year with Sanjay Gupta.

‘Mohenjo Daro’ Release Date Announced

The release date of ‘Mohenjo Daro’ was announced recently. Hrithik Roshan’s upcoming film ‘Mohenjo Daro’s release date has been announced recently.

Disney & Ashutosh Gowariker Production Pvt Ltd (AGPPL) announced the release of ‘Mohenjo Daro’ on 12th Aug, 2016. Directed by Ashutosh Gowarikar, ‘Mohenjo Daro’ is an epic love story, set during the Indus Valley Civilization. The film marks the debut of Pooja Hegde in Bollywood, who stars opposite Hrithik.

Om Puri & Prashantt Guptha Honored At Rajasthan International Film Festival

The 1st Rajasthan International Film Festival at Jaipur saw veteran actor Om Puri & young talent Prashantt Guptha being felicitated with top honors. With the central theme of the festival being ‘The Common Man of Indian Cinema,” the festival highlighted the achievements of Om Puri for his contribution to Indian cinema with its equivalent of The Lifetime Achievement Award. Prashantt Guptha, being a Jaipur native who made his foray into Hindi cinema and showed immense progress over the last couple of years as the handsome villain in Pen India/Shailesh Singh’s ‘Issaq’, followed by 2 releases in 2014, ‘Identity Card’ & ‘6-5=2’ was bestowed upon the “Pride Of Rajasthan” Award. This award follows Prashantt Guptha’s awards at the San Francisco Festival and the National Awards for Excellence among others this year. Amongst several international, Hindi & regional films, the young actor’s critically acclaimed film ‘Identity Card’ was given “Best Feature Film” award at the hands of Padmini Kolhapure.

MPA APSA Academy Film Fund To Help Aspiring Filmmakers

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) & the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) gives an opportunity to aspiring filmmakers with the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund. MPA APSA Academy Film Funds is a unique initiative which has aided aspiring film makers in a lot of development in new film projects. A panel discussion was hosted at the 13th Pune International film festival on 10th Jan, 2015, to create awarness about the Asia Pacific Screen Awards & MPA APSA Academy Film Funds . The panelist for the discussion comprised of celebrated actor, Atul Kulkarni & Lohita Sujith, Director, Corporate Communications, Motion Picture Dist. Association (India) Pvt Ltd. Panelists also discussed how upcoming filmmakers/professionals can benefit from the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund worth USD 100,000. MPA APSA Academy Film Fund has been a hugely successful initiative taking the number of successful projects funded to a total of 20 feature films over the last 6 years. The projects now count amongst them winners of an Academy Award®, APSAs and an International Emmy Award. Grants have been awarded to projects from. India, Bangaldesh, Republic of Korea, People’s Republic of China, Iraq, Kazakhastan, Israel and the Islamic Republic of Iran. In 2014, over 100 submissions were received for the film fund. 4 grants were awarded to 2 documentary film projects from Israel & Denmark and 2 film projects from Bangladesh and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Movie Review: 'What We Did on Our Holiday' is a roller coaster ride

June 5, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

Producer: Norman Merry, Suzanne Reid, Ed Rubin, David M. Thompson and Dan Winch
Director: Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin
Star Cast: David Tennant, Rosemund Pike, Billy Connolly, Celia Imrie, Ben Millker, Emilia Jones, Amelia Bullmore, Annette Crosbie, Lewis Davie, Ben Presley, Jake D’Arcy, Bobby Smalldridge, Alexia Barlier and Ryan Hunter
Genre: Comedy
Verdict: Good

The director duo of Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin are more famous for having directed sitcoms and comedies like Outnumbered, Drop The Dead Monkey and Ballot Monkeys and now their latest offering is What We Did On Our Holiday, a rollercoaster ride albeit a hilarious take on petty squabbles of an extended family.

Plot: Doug and Abi are taking their 3 children on a trip to Scotland for a big family gathering. They are in the midst of a difficult divorce, and have asked the kids to keep it a secret from their extended family. But as the inevitable feuds kick in, a completely unexpected turn of events involving the children causes further tensions to rise to the surface. And with the repercussions that ensue, hilarious and emotional in equal measure, the family are forced to put aside their differences and work together or else risk losing what they hold most dear.

Aces: Kudos to the director duo Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin for coming up with such a heart warming movie and a special well deserving mention must also be made of the excellent job done by the entire cast including the bit role players too.

Minuses: The sub plots of the movie creates confusions galore.

Last Word: A lovely fable like feel good movie. Don’t miss it.

Movie Review: The Age of Adaline

June 5, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

Producer: Sidney Kimmel, Gary Lucchesi, Brett Ratner and Tom Rosenberg
Director: Lee Toland Krieger
Star Cast: Blake Lively, Michiel Huisman, Harrison Ford, Anthony Ingruber, Ellen Burstyn, Kathy Baker, Amanda Crew, Lynda Boyd, Anjali Jay, Richard Harmon, Mark Ghanimé, Barclay Hope, Chris William Martin, Lane Edwards and Peter J. Gray
Genre: Romantic Fantasy
Verdict: Very Good

Director Lee Toland Hrieger, after having several award winning movie outings like December Ends, The Vicious kind, Celeste, Jesse Forever etc, has now come up with an interestingly beautiful yet an unbelievable fare named The Age Of Adaline.

Plot: After miraculously remaining 29 years old for almost 8 decades, Adaline Bowman (Blake Lively) has lived a solitary existence, never allowing herself to get close to anyone who might reveal her secret. But a chance encounter with a charismatic philanthropist Ellis Jones (Michiel Huisman) reignites her passion for life and romance. When a weekend with his parents (Harrison Ford and Kathy Baker) threatens to uncover the truth, Adaline makes a decision that will change her life forever.

Aces: The brilliant & sensitive directorial treatment of Lee Toland Krieger and of course the par excellence performance of its principal actors like Blake Lively as Adaline, Michiel Huisman as Ellis, Harrison Ford as William and above all Anthony Ingruber as young William.

Minuses: it defies all logic of the ageing process

Last Word: A must watch movie.

Girish Wankhede – The man behind the movement spearheading the multiplexes in India

June 4, 2015 by Shaheen Raaj

“I have been in this multiplex arena since last 1 decade. At that time Multiplexes were booming in the market in spite of the fact that people had a lot of misconception about this particular medium of cinema, especially regarding its ticketing and cost factor.”

“Before jumping onto the bandwagon of the multiplex movement I was with Ultra Video in the PR & marketing arena. But when I realized that there was a lot of excitement & curiosity regarding multiplexes the new medium of cinema. I too decided to join in and spearhead the multiplex movement.”

“At that time the 1st multiplex named Cinemax was just coming up in Versova and I was invited to be a part of it since I come from a background of PR & Marketing. As they felt that I was the right person to project the concept of Cinemax mulitiplex to the audiences.”

“So finally I joined Cinemax and the 1st released film was ‘Salaam Namaste’. And from there on I started my multiplexian journey. At that time my innovative suggestion was accepted and so we invited the entire starcast to Cinemax for a meet & greet session with the audiences.”

“The next released movie in Cinemax was Salman Khan’s ‘Kyun Ki’. And the I started the whole process of organizing varied premiers of Hindi as well as Marathi films, local film festivals in all the properties of Cinemax across India.”.

“The main problem with multiplexes is that earlier on it could accommodate only Big Time filmmakers and not small time filmmakers. But I slowly changed that concept of accommodating Big Time filmmakers, besides giving way to a new initiative of releasing regional cinema especially Marathi films in multiplexes. Thereby giving them a greater visibility.”

“In fact I have got a lot of flak and a lot of kudos too for pioneering this movement of showcasing all kinds of movements of all kinds of films epecially Marathi films. I had done all this after thoroughly understanding the problems of regional filmmakers especially Marathi filmmakers.”

“And I gained a lot of kudos after organizing 7 consecutive film festivals of Marathi films and films of other languages too especially French films et al. That too in 10 Cinemax properties across Maharashtra.”

“That apart I also gave more visibility to the regional especially Marathi films by giving them a proper outlet of showcasing them in Prime Time slot. And I did this all for my passionate love for cinema.”

“So at that time the multiplex movement was mushrooming but now the same multiplex cinema has become a brand name in itself.”

“And now I have started my own production company named entity one in connivance with the PVR Group of properties. Through my company entity one I will handle the distribution & production of marathi films and of course Hindi films too. By the way I have launched my company entity one by showcasing the 1st look of Ananth Mahadevan’s upcoming ‘Gor Hari Dastaan’ which will be the 1st film to be released by my company entity one.”