Archives for 2017

by Rizwan Asad, Faizan Rizwan & Shaheen Raaj

Superstar Mahesh Babu’s forthcoming Telugu & Tamil bilingual spy thriller SPYDER is all set to be released in over 250 screens all over the Karnataka State, making it the biggest ever release in Superstar Mahesh Babu’s Telugu film career.

A grand Cocktail & Dinner function was organized on a Saturday night (24th Sept, 2017) @ Le Meridian’s Ballroom to showcase the trailer, the promos & the songs of Superstar Mahesh Babu’s soon to be released spy thriller named SPYDER, a Tamil & Telugu bilingual.

The grand event organized by the distributors (Goldie Films – Bengaluru, Karnataka) was graced by none other than its lead actor namely Superstar Mahesh Babu, the hunky, the handsomest & the heartthrob of millions of fans of the Southern Film industry including the ones in the National & the International arena, the charming & the beautiful actress namely Rakul Preet Singh & above all the humble & the boy – next – door director A R Murgadoss followed by the exhibitors & the distributors hailing from all over Karnataka.

The surprising & the eye pleasing screening of the trailer, the promos & the songs was followed by the Q&A session which Superstar Mahesh Babu, actress Rakul Preet Singh & director A R Murgadoss fielded very gracefully topped with absolute honesty.

To set the ball rolling in the gathering’s court Superstar Mahesh Babu averred, “SPYDER for me was the most thrilling, the most amazing, the most mind blowing, the most super spydi I mean the most super speedy & obviously the most difficult experience of my Telugu film career. And the most difficult part was shooting for the Tamil version and also shooting simultaneously for the Telugu version of SPYDER. This was the 1st ever time that I was shooting for a Tamil film and only I know what I went through to achieve that perfection & finesse that I have always succeeded in displaying so often in all my Telugu films. In Fact my Telugu film journey right from my debut film Murari to SPYDER was really very exciting, very enriching, very enlightening, very exhausting & above all very satisfying. I feel absolutely contented. And I was also happy, although reluctantly, doing a few Telugu films as a child artiste too. Here I would also like to squash all the rumors once & for all that I have no intention whatsover to mark my entry in the Bollywoodian arena. I have enough of work in Telugu films to even last me for a life time. I will never ever do a Bollywood film, no matter how tempting the offer is. Besides It has been a very good experience of working with Rakul Preet Singh. She has proved to be an amazing & a lovely person as a co – star. That apart I feel at a loss for words to describe the dedication & the perfection of A R Murgadoss Sir. I also feel that the 5 BEST movies of my Telugu film career were Srimanthudu, Okkadu, Pokiri, Dookudu and now of course SPYDER. I also take this opportunity to profusely thank all the organizations who have bestowed on me the National & the International awards galore. And last but not the least I wish to thank all my beloved global fans who have always encouraged me to give off my best and a special thanks to my Southern fans who have bestowed on me the title of “Prince”. And I shall also remain forever indebted to all my Bengaluru fans who have always welcomed me with open arms and given me all their love whenever I have come here to promote my films. It has always given me great pleasure to visit Bengaluru time & again to meet my lovely Bangalorean fans. Namaskara!!!!!

Rakul Preet Singh also thanked the gathering and fondly remembered her birth place Bengaluru and how she undertook her filmic journey from Bollywood to Southern films. She also took pleasure in describing her experience of working in SPYDER with a super co – star like Superstar Mahesh Babu and also recalling her washroom nightmare while shooting for the film SPYDER. She ended her conversation by stating that it was an absolute pleasure of working in SPYDER with a great albeit the most dedicated, humble, modest & the finest director like A R Murgadoss Sir.

On the other hand the so called humble & modest director A R Murgadoss thanked the gathering and especially the fans all over Karnataka for receiving all their love for all his films. He ended by stating that SPYDER will prove to be a very exciting, a very entertaining & a very adventurous film for them and also urged them to mark the D – Day of SPYDER’s global release on 27th Sept, 2017 in their good cinema viewing calendar.

To end the SPYDER event on a happy & an enjoyable note Goldie Films, the Karnataka. Distributor of the film, stated that already 250 screens all over Karnataka have been locked so far for the release of SPYDER in Telegu, Tamil & the dubbed Malayalam version and that SPYDER would prove to be the 2nd biggest Telugu release after Baahubali 2, which was also released by Goldie Films in over 350 screens all over the Karnataka State.

Incidentally speaking in SPYDER, the dashing & the debonair Superstar Mahesh Babu plays an Intelligence Bureau officer and is directed by A R Murugadoss. The project also marks the 1st time ever collaboration of Super director A R Murugadoss & Superstar Mahesh Babu.

SPYDER has been produced by Tagore Madhu & N V Prasad besides the film is tipped to be made on a lavish budget of approximately 120 crores while SPYDER is based on bio -terrorism and it also features actor – filmmaker S J Suryah as the antagonist. Rakul Preet Singh plays the leading lady. That apart SPYDER is a Harris Jayraj musical soiree.

So watch out for your most favorite Superstar Mahesh Babu’s SPYDER, which is all set to hit the celluloid silver screens on the 27th of Sept, 2017 worldwide.

After vowing audiences Internationally, director Gajendra Ahire’s Marathi film, The Silence featuring Nagraj Manjule, Anjali Patil & Raghubir Yadav produced by SMR films all set to be released In India on 6th Oct, 2017 The Silence will be released all over India with English subtitles, Come 6th Oct, 2017 and Indian audiences will finally get to watch director Gajendra Ahire’s The Silence, a powerful drama featuring Nagraj Manjule (Sairat & Fandry fame), Anjali Patil (With You Or Without You – Mirzya – Chakravyuh fame), Kadambari Kadam (Kshanbhar Vishranti & Aghaat fame), Mugdha Chaphekar (small screen serial Dharti Ka Veer Yoddha Prithviraj Chauhan fame), Vedashree Mahajan & Raghubir Yadav (Lagaan – Piku – Peepli Live fame) in pivotal roles.

The Silence is a Marathi film with English subtitles and has also been made in Hindi. The Silence which won laurels at several International Film Festivals is now all set for a theatrical release. Its list of awards include the “Best Child Actor” award (for Vedashree Mahajan) at the 16th New York Indian Film Festival, “The German Star Of India” (for Gajendra Ahire) at the Indian Film Festival of Stuttgart 2015, “Best Screenplay” & “Best Debut Actress” award (for Anjali Patil) at the Karrm Filmfare Marathi Awards 2016 & “Best Child Actress” award for (for Vedashree Mahajan) & “Best Debut Actress” award (For Anjali Patil) at the Maharashtra State Awards 2016.

The Marathi version of the film The Silence will be released on 6th Oct, 2017 in cinemas across Maharashtra with other states & the Hindi version following suit soon.

The Silence was also an official selection at The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) Goa (in Indian Panorama) 2015, Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2015, Bengaluru International Film Festival 2016 (BIFFES) & Imagine India International Film Festival Spain 2016.

The Silence produced by SMR Films & directed by Gajendra Ahire (of Postcard & Touring Talkies fame) is based on a true story. The narrative of The Silence revolves around a little girl Chinni who’s grown up in a rural area. Circumstances force Chinni’s father to send her to her uncle in a nearby town and then life takes a drastic & unexpected turn.

Blending the past & the present and with a forceful drama, The Silence tackles the crucial & the taboo topic of sexual assault & its aftermath, thereby tracing the recurring question of the responsibility or the silence.

The story & the screenplay of The Silence is written by Ashwini Sidwani and features music by Indian Ocean (of Black Friday & Masaan fame). Besides writing the story & the screenplay, Ashwini Sidwani has also produced the film along with Arpan Bhukhanwala and is the debut production of their banner SMR Films. The story idea of The Silence emerged when Ashwini Sidwani met a lawyer named Pooja Khote who had fought the case of the real life victim who inspired the film.

Ashwini Sidwani avers, “I was writing a TV show on domestic violence called Nyaay and that’s when I got to know about this case and wrote a script on it. We felt only the format of the film can do justice to this story. Films that deal with the theme of rape rarely focus on the victim’s trauma & the stigma that gets attached with them. While writing the script, I visited asylums, hospitals, jails et al to understand the psyche of a rapist and what a victim undergoes. I realized that the perpetrators are as normal as any other individual. Rape does not have anything to do with sex or lust. It is about opportunity & power.”

Producer Apan Bhukhanwala avers, “Rapists are normal people. They do not wear flashy clothes and do not have a physically overpowering presence. In most cases, we have seen that rapists are very normal people. And in such cases, not just the victims, their families also go through difficulties. Besides facing the trauma, the victims often end up blaming themselves, their clothes or the fact that they venture out at odd hours.”

Director Gajendra Ahire avers, “The movie challenges the notion that the victim is at fault. It’s not her fault that she goes out in darkness to answer nature’s call and gets assaulted. It’s not her fault she has to use the crowded public transport and it’s certainly not her fault when her father or her uncle takes advantage of her.”

Director Nagraj Manjule who is known for directing the critically & the commercially acclaimed Fandry & Sairat appears in a prominent role in the movie. The film also marks the Marathi debut of National Award winning actress Anjali Patil.

Nagraj Manjule avers, “Gajendra Ahire ji had narrated the script to me and I found it extremely powerful. Moreover it also gave me an opportunity to work with some the fantastic actors like Anjali Patil & Raghubir Yadav. This coupled with my role which I thought was very interesting motivated my decision to act in the film.”

Yash Raj Films recently bagged a prestigious award of being chosen as India’s #1
Film Production House Brand by Leading Research Report (LRR).

It is well – known that Yash Raj Films is synonymous to a legacy of quality cinema & wholesome entertainment in India. Now, the Media Research Group (MRG) has gone 1 step ahead and selected Yash Raj Films (YRF) banner as India’s #1 Brand 2017 based on the outcome of its insightful Brand Research Report (BRR).

It is a unique recognition of the success & the ingenuity of growing brands that contribute to the Indian economy and the nation’s global image. Yash Raj Films (YRF) has been chosen as the #1 brand amongst the film production houses by the peers & the consumers. As the one chosen in the production house category, the banner holds the prestigious place amongst the blue chip companies & the leading consumer brands from India.

Previously too, Yash Raj Films (YRF) was awarded the “Most Trusted Film Production House In Asia” award for 2016 by IBC Media and was also honored with “India’s Most Trusted Brand” award consecutively in 2016 & 2015, by IBC Media, a global brand consultancy in Bangkok. With this recognition, Yash Raj Films (YRF) reiterates its position as the most recognized & the most trusted Indian cinema brand worldwide once again.

Banner: Sony Pictures Networks Productions, Sunny Sounds Pvt Ltd & Affluence Movie Pvt Ltd
Producer: Sunny Sounds Pvt Ltd, Shreyas Talpade & Deepti Talpade
Director: Shreyas Talpade
Star Cast: Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, Shreyas Talpade, Ajay Devgn, Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor, Kunal Khemu, Parineeti chopra, Rohit Shetty, Sonali Kulkarni, Tripti Dimri, Randheer Rai, Raashul Tandon, Dilip Prabhavalkar, Elli Avram, Samiksha Bhatnagar, Bharati Achrekar, Sachin Khedekar, Murali Sharma, Ashwini Kalsekar, Jitendra Joshi, Ravi Jhankal et al
Music: Tanishk Bagchi

Actor turned debut director Shreyas Talpade makes quite an impact in his debut directorial offering Poster Boys which also happens to be inspired by a Marathi film of the same name. That apart Shreyas Talpade also happens to be inspired by films of the recent past based on equally novel themes like Vicky Donor (2012) which had proved that one can make great films on taboo or uncomfortable subjects if treated well and inspired by Vicky Donor’s success, other films were Piku (dealt with constipation) and the recently released films like Toilet – Ek Prem Katha (open defecation) & Shubh Mangal Saavdhaan (erectile dysfunction) which also tackled similar topics and succeeded big time. And now Shreyas Talpade’s film Poster Boys is another such film as it deals with vasectomy.

The scripted scenario of Poster Boys reveals that it is the story of 3 men whose lives turn upside down for no fault of theirs. Vinay Sharma (Bobby Deol) is a docile school teacher, Arjun Singh (Shreyas Talpade) is an over enthusiastic school teacher while Jagaavar Chaudhary (Sunny Deol) is the explosive but also well -mannered retired army officer. They reside in a village called Jangheti and 1 day, they find their pictures on a poster promoting vasectomy. They are immediately ridiculed and the trio tries their level best to convince their near & dear ones that they haven’t undergone the procedure and that their pictures have been wrongly used. They then decide to take on the system to avenge the humiliation that they have suffered. What happens next and whether they get justice forms the rest of the film.

Poster Boys doesn’t start on a great note. The beginning portions are stretched, with the family members & acquaintances ridiculing the trio but not telling them the reason for the same. Also the TV style flashback portions look poor. The film picks up when the trio meet each other at the bridge. From here, the film turns into a fairly entertaining ride right till the end with no dull moment anywhere. A Few scenes stand out like Jagaavar stopping Arjun & Vinay from fighting, the trio going to local health office, the interval point, Jagaavar getting a call from Riya (Tripti Dimri) at midnight, Jagaavar & Vinay fooling the doctor (Ashwini Kalsekar) et al.

The climax is quite exciting and it’s praiseworthy how the makers have managed to seamlessly add a social message into the narrative.

Shreyas Talpade’s direction is quite good and he makes a great directorial debut. He ensures the subject isn’t dumbed down and that audiences aren’t taken for granted. Also, the way he & his team has made references to the Deol brothers’ earlier films like Damini, Soldier et al is quite smartly done. Shreyas Talpade’s story is novel and makes for an entertaining film. Bunty Rathore & Paritosh Painter’s screenplay is effective overall, despite an average beginning. The fun element never stops and that is quite a feat. Bunty Rathore & Paritosh Painter’s dialogues are hilarious & witty and one of the highpoints of the film.

When it comes to music, “Kudiya Shehar Diyan” is the most memorable track. “Kendhi Menoo” is played during end credits. “Noor – E – Khuda’ is forgettable & “The Poster Boys Anthem” is foot tapping. Amar Mohile’s background music has a massy touch. Nigam Bomzan’s cinematography is satisfactory. Devendra Murdeshwar’s editing is simple but could have been crisper in the beginning portions. Somenath Parke’s production design is poor and doesn’t look appealing. Vikram Dahiya’s action is massy.

Poster Boys rests on the performances of its 3 main actors. Sunny Deol is in top form & rocks with his action & comic timing. Even at this age, he manages to look so fit & energetic and that’s really praiseworthy. Shreyas Talpade is the surprise of the film. His character is quite interesting and he manages to entertain thoroughly. Bobby Deol falters initially but once he warms up to his character, there’s no stopping him. What also works in his favor is that he gets to play a quirky character. A great comeback, in short!!! Sonali Kulkarni is okay and doesn’t get much scope. Samiksha Bhatnagar (Surajmukhi) is loud, as per her character’s requirement and adds to the fun. Tripti Dimri is decent while Ashwini Kalsekar is hilarious. Ravi Jhankal (Riya’s father), Murli Sharma (health minister) & Sachin Khedekar (chief minister) are good in their small roles. Elli Avram is sizzling in her item song.

Tail Piece: Poster Boys manages to tickle your funny bone and also neatly embeds a social message. Sadly the lack of promotions & limited shows with odd timings end up playing spoilsport. However the positive word of mouth may translate into decent footfalls over the weekend as well as the weekdays.