Ignorant Lot Make Insensitive Statements

Where ignorance is bliss, it is folly to be wise. And where ignorant lot is given celebrity status, it is more so. Movie stars and Bollywood artists, who has become dear to media across the sub-continent were never famous for informed pronouncements. So it was hardly surprising when Salman Khan, least of all the uninformed and put-your-foot-in-mouth brigade went public with his completely misplace statements. Salman's statement is politically incorrect to the core, but what adds gravity of the situation is the fact is he spoke to a Pakistani channel.

It did not required a pundit to predict the uproar from all political quarters after the actor spoke what he should not have. Salman is notorious for being in soup many times on earlier occasions. A man who was accused of creating nuisance at his lover's house, making scene with colleagues at pub and most of all alleged to have killed deers while shooting for a film-is not expected to study the situation prior and after to 26/11 in Mumbai. The Pakistani media persons did their job skillfully. Now asking for an apology will do little good to Salman's image, adding one more embarrassment to his already overflowing repertoire.

During an interview to a Pakistani channel, Salman said that the 26/11 attacks were hyped up because "elite people" were targeted.

"It was the elite that was targeted this time. Five-star hotels and all. So, they panicked. Then, they got up and spoke about it. My question is why not before. Attacks have happened in trains and small towns too, but no one talked about it so much," Salman reportedly told Pakistan's Express 24/7 channel in an interview.

Salman's comments have been described as "anti-national" by parties like the Shiv Sena. Maharashtra's Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and Deputy Chief Minister Chagan Bhujbal, who will usually avoid making any comments where a Muslim actor is involved, spoke this time explicitly. According to Chavan,

“It doesn't matter whether a big or small person has died. It's very serious matter for the country when somebody loses his life in a militant attack. We need to work together to root out terrorism.”

Bhujbal, who called the statement "uninformed", was more to the point. He said:

"He is an actor. He does not have the information to make a comment on whether the Pakistani govt was involved or not. People travelling in taxis, constables, waiters, hotel workers, all lost their lives in the attacks."

Shiv Sena was more vociferous in its reaction, being a flag bearer of Hindu ideology. Party leader Sanjay Raut said,

The 26/11 attacks were a war against the nation. Salman should apologise for his remarks. Ambani was not staying at the CST, nor was Tata or Birla staying in Cama Lane

The Bharatiya Janata Party also criticised Khan for his unwanted comments. Ravi Shankar Prasad, BJP spokesperson, said:

26/11 attack was an attack on India. We cannot forget that Indian citizens were killed. This was not a small issue for Salman Khan to comment. This was an attack meticulously planned by Pakistan.

Special Prosecutor in 26/11 trial, Ujwal Nikam, described Khan's statement as naive.

It appears that without knowing the details of the terror attack, the actor made such statements," said Nikam, adding, "I shall say these are childish remarks. They (terrorists) don't make any distinction between rich and poor. It is judicially established that the outcome was a deep routed criminal conspiracy hatched in Pakistan and the targets were deliberately selected to wage war against India.

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Michael Lured Us to Pop

I was born and brought up in Nanded, which seems rustic today to my eyes habituated to the glamour of metros for more than decade. But even living in small countryside city twenty years ago did not bar us from being lured into pop music. And I, with people from my generation who are in their thirty something now, could easily pinpoint the one phenomenal reason for this inclination towards this 'un-Indian' music. It was named Michael Jackson.

It was very late that we began to know MJ as 'Whacko-Jacko'. We were still in the era of audio cassettes and video cassettes. MP3s and You Tube were still to be dreamt. My uncle used to run a video cassette shop, a highly profitable business at that time. Renting out Hindi and Marathi movies (word Bollywood was still to be coined then) was the most profitable work then. VCPs and VCRs were new entrants then and just like Twitter today, were craze as well as a status symbol. But the music videos were the last thing to be given, especially that of a pop music video. First it was looked at with indignation for being obscene and second, not many could understand English, let alone songs.

It was in the state of ignorance itself that I first began tapping my feet on the Whacko-Jacko's rhythms. One of the first video cassettes featuring Michael's tour. The flow of time has drained down name of that particular tour. But I remember being mesmerised by the unbelievable theatrics of the King of Pop. As I passed matriculation, the magic spread day by day. The madness reached to its zenith in 1993 when Michael performed parts of his 'Black or White' at the annual Grammy awards function.

Then I began to notice the popularity of this artist. I could sense his popularity when fellow students from slum danced to his tunes. Moonwalk dance was an all time hit affair. One of my friend, who runs a local orchestra troupe now in Nanded, had performed the dance (imitated?) at our National Cadet Corps (NCC) camp way back in 1989. His influence endured far than school days. Five years later, I was busy requesting a local shop owner to prepare a cassette full of selected songs from Michael. In the days when a litre petrol cost Rs 10, I spent about Rs 30 for that cassette. During polytechnic years, the cassettes circulated in number of rooms in the hostel and was lost forever two years later.

Besides Bruce Lee, the only US artist which could adorn walls in my home town was Michael Jackson. Although I fear the majority of customers for those posters were bachelors. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stalone were later entrants in the same category, although timeline of their successes was concurrent with Michael.

I am not sure why Michael was so popular in regions hitherto unexplored. I could understand when the revellers danced to 'Dangerous' in a function with full volume blaring out thumping beats on the huge walls of speakers. Because that was in Pune and it was year 1998, when satellite channels were available as easily as mobile phones today. He was the poster boy of MTV. But what about Nanded in early 1980s? Were controversies in a way responsible for his fame? Was he an icon of rebellion? Or simply a craze? Whatever might be reason, he lured us towards pop music...I say it because pop culture has never thrived in Maharashtra. Even when Michael performed his only concert in India, it did not transformed into a movement of bands or pop music. Life moved in the same fashion as before only increasing his popularity more than ever. That he was popular in India more than any other artist of his time has to be taken with the fact that within a span of two years, he was mired into controversies after controversies. Generally, Indian people do not take to black artists as they do white ones. Only Michael was exception.

After coming to Pune, I lost track of Michael. I liked History, some songs from the album still being played on my portable music player. But Blood on the Dance Floor was almost unheeded by me. In the meantime, he turned to Islam and then I lost any interest in the person. His music continues to Thrill me, that's all. He may rest in peace now, but we will still move on his rhythms.

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If You Want Entertainment, Look No Further

_{All YOU HAVE TO DO IS WATCH NEWS CHANNELS}

India is a country rich with history. Many people have inhabited here living their lives full or void of any action. I wonder how they passed their time when there was no television or to be specific, news channels. What sort of entertainment exactly filled their existence surpassing other forms of pastimes. Being born in an era when even tape recorders, forget the idiot boxes, were hard to be found, one can easily ask for the details to this creature. But that was far away in the locked doors of my memories. They have already been blurred by the continuous bombardment of images in the aftermath of that age of innocence. One reason why I cannot recall the things people did to amuse themselves was that I was a mere child then. Most of my waking time was spent in worrying about my studies and it was proved beyond doubt in later period that the worrying was not uncalled for, because I could never do anything memorable in my academic career.

By the time I was accustomed to the torment on account of the studies, a tape recorder entered the life to accompany an old radio set. Poor thing radio, it worked on vacuum tubes. But its efficiency was never surpassed by any instrument which tried to fill the vacuum which was apparent there when the radio set did not blare any program. The arrival of tape recorder set the tone for influx of the audio cassettes by all and sundry in the household. Each member tried to bring the cassette as per his own choice. Shortly thereafter, the television arrived on the scene.

From the day the TV set came in, confusion has prevailed on the viewer as to what is entertainment and what is not. The foremost use our TV set was put to was to watch the live cremation ceremony of Indira Gandhi, late prime minister of India. Whole of surrounding areas thronged our old house then to catch the glimpse of young Rajiv Gandhi setting fire to the sandal pyre of his slain mother. Sobs could be heard from the each and every corner of the room where the TV set was put up. That was my first experience of surround sound!

As the days followed, the same confusion prevailed. The programs which Doordarshan, the only boradcatser at that time which has only a meager airtime of eight hours a day, beamed thinking that people will relish them were discarded without any hesitation. Programs which were supposed to educate the people were instantly lapped up as being most entertaining. Films Division’s documentaries always fell in the latter category. I remember we younger lot always looked forward to the election time because DD had a knack of turning into a movie channel when results were declared. That habit was in vogue till as late as 1990s. Bosses in DD thought that people in Maharashtra will be dying to know who was elected from the Hardoi in Bihar or viewers in Uttar Pradesh will be deprived of valuable knowledge nutrients if they do not know who was defeated in Thiruchchi. So they always intertwined old movies in between the programs which gave shape to the careers of Pranav Roy and Vinod Dua.

The same fate has now befallen on the news channels which are supposed to relay newer information. But seeing these channels is no less than an amusing distraction for a common man like me. They have all the spices to fill your dish making sure that you are never short of amusement nutrients. Like when a simple act of launch of party manifesto is turned into major serial for three consecutive days stretching the every corner of imagination’s limits. In addition to the sundry details of promises in the party’s ritualistic paper coming out at every election, the reporters of the channel do not tire of reminding you what the party piece has been missing in it.

Their latest muse seemed to be fixed not on the elections but shoes. About a month ago, each alternate two days, we heard of someone throwing his shoe at someone. The moment such an incident took place, you were bombarded with the clippings of past such incidents ranging from Iraq to China. You are not forgiven if you dare to question the authenticity of the information or the limits to which the coverage can go. It is okay to say that you have the remote control in the hand and you can change the channel anytime. But what can one do when every channel is playing the same footage and playing same nonsense game.

After the election results, it was proved that predictions from all channels were gone awry. Not to learn anything from this, the channels starting blaring one dose of sycophancy after another. One particular family in the country is labeled as the sovereign leaders of the land. As if it is not sufficient, the clips from Bollywood movies are played in between. It has become a staple for the channels. So much so that the entertainment and news are mixed irrevocably. That is why, if you want entertainment, do not go further. News channels are here.

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How can bend backwards for an old actress

Actresses hardly get old...at least in their own eyes. That Maharashtra government was forced to change the name of prominent award is testimony to this fact. All this just for the sake of an actress's sake.

Bollywood icon, who was the top actress in the Amitabh era and still appreciated for her long lasting beauty, Rekha refused to make any compromise on her image of an evergreen actress. About a fortnight ago, the state government announced to honour her with the Raj Kapoor Jeevan Gaurav award (Lifetime Achievement award in memory of first showman Raj Kapoor). But officials of the state cultural ministry were in for a shock when Rekha told them to change the name of the award. According to her, Lifetime Achievement is supposed to be given to someone who has spent his entire life in the service of the industry. But she thinks she is still active in the field.

To honour her sentiments, the government has now amended the title of the award to "Raj Kapoor Pratiba Gaurav" (Raj Kapoor Talent Award), putting an accent on the creative aspect of the artist.

Now, the renamed award will be presented to the actress on the occasion of 46th Maharashtra state film award distribution ceremony slated for May 30 in the city.The fact was disclosed by none other than the Maharashtra cultural affairs minister Harshwardhan Patil। It is also to be noted here that the state government has also doubled the award amount this year to Rs two lakhs. The award ceremony is to take place on May 30.

Now, the question arises should government have give in before an old actress, who is now 55 years old? This is one of the flagship award of the state government. Earlier, actors like Rajnikant have received this award without any fuss. After that, he went on to create new records with the release of Sivaji-the Boss. So who is Rekha to make such a demand and can government just nod with her? Was not there anybody else as worthy and less exacting? One can understand if someone extracts the benefits when he is in prime. But to throw tantrums even after fading away to natural oblivion is an act that only Bollywood can do. Only the minister can tell what type of cultural activity this is.

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Film Festival : Does It Help

The Pune International Film Festival was inaugurated yesterday. It was made to be a great event by all and sundry. Looking from the standpoint of an average cinegoer, I do not find it much exciting. They say the film festival is the place where you can have a vast view of cinema. For me, it is a place where those films are shown which can not stand in the theatre on their own.

Iranian films are hailed by everyone citing their content, which they say is ‘contemporary.’ To my mind, it is because they always portray Iran as others, particularly West, want to see. I have serious doubts whether people speaking on behalf of conneseaurs really have different aesthetic view than that of Hollywood. That is why no South Indian film is showcased in the current festival even though the current rage in Hindi viewers, Ghajini is a three year late remake of a successful Tamil films.

Coming to the speeches at PIFF, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting & External Affairs Anand Sharma was quoted as saying that film making in India should continue to remain connected with social realities and problems and keep hopes alive in the poor as they have been in the past. One fails to understand what social realities he was talking about. Even when protagonist of Hindi flicks were used to be from common masses, as was used to be in Amithabh Bachchan films, it was far away from reality. Now, Hindi films no more happen in India. They either take place on an exclusively reserved paradise-like islands or in Mauritius or any other country, willing to welcome Bollywood in exchange of good money.

Sharma also said that films should reflect the social challenges such as poverty, hunger, empowerment, violence and terrorism that confront us and we cannot allow these problems to overwhelm us. Since when was cinema a tool in fighting the social vices? People who used to make films based on these themes, were skilled in getting monetary help from government departments. Movies made with government money were showcased in festivals in other countries. That is why even festivals in India are unattended by public at large who has made Bollywood so big a industry. This is the seventh edition of PIFF taking place and history shows that forget about foreighn films, English films have been confined to multiplexes only. Audience for the non-Hindi regional films has seen a significant increase. Even second rate dubbed films are raking in money in Pune’s theatres. So much for the film festivals and enlightnement of the masses!

Veteran actress Sulochana, filmstar Shashi Kapoor and well known actress Hema Malini were conferred the lifetime achievement award for their contribution to Indian cinema. This was the only welcome thing in the PIFF as they deserve it.

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Hollywood faded out

Where would the English movie viewers go to watch their favorite and anticipated films? That is the question looming large in the minds of those who watch Hollywood stuff frequently. The regular theatres for the English movies are fast turning into endangered species. They are shrinking to exhibit the stuff in the fear of loosing the profit in the favor of dubbed movies. Dubbed movies also are fast encroaching on the space for the original Hollywood stuff.

It was in the year 1994. First ‘Jurassic Park’ had made waves in the pre-publicity era and its release was widely expected. When the movie actually hit the theatres, it came in two separate versions i.e. English as well as Hindi. That heralded a trend whereby more and more foreign films were dubbed in Hindi and few other regional languages. That business strategy paid off very well paving the way for major and minor Hollywood studios to set up their offices here itself.

What happened to English films later took place with films in other languages too. Chinese, Japanese, French and so many other films started making rounds. Not only through theatres, but through pirated CDs and DVDs too. Increasingly people started to see English films in their language instead of the original ones. The things have come to such a pass that ‘Spiderman 3’ last year was dubbed in Bhojpuri, a first for any Hollywood or for that matter, any non-Bhojpuri. The trend continued unabated and ‘A Night in Museum’ was released in India in only Hindi. However, the film was available in English on DVD circuit.

Rising localization and increasing competition has made original Hollywood films now as rare as old Hindi flicks. Either you see Hindi dubbed versions or else you see nothing. Even some multiplexes are going for the dubbed versions. In short, the day is not far away, when one will have to ask : English films, where are they?

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The No Show of Sports Movies

Movies and sport compete each other in India for the popularity. The length and breadth of the country unites when it comes to the talk of the movies and sports, especially cricket. But this similarity has seldom been translated in cooperation. The history of the Indian cinema is bereft of any great sport movie till now and what has been showcased now is a relatively new work, which is a product of mainly changed attitude of new crop of filmmakers.

The dearth of good sport movies from Bollywood stable is especially appalling when one looks at the Hollywood which churns out excellent sport movies time and again. Compared to Hollywood, Bollywood’s attempts have been too few in this direction. Neither the audience here has shown any taste for this genre of cinema nor the makers have shown any inclination to cultivate the same. The result is here for all to see, rather not to see.

There were some sports movies in India in the past. ‘Awwal Number’, ‘Boxer’, ‘Ashwini’, ‘Hip Hip Hurray’ etc. were the movies which attempted to showcase sports based subjects in the movie format. But it was only in the last five years or so that the trend has really got steam and the wagon is running in full vigor. ‘Bend it like Beckham’, though coming from Briton based filmmaker Gurinder Chadda, was a runaway hit and talk of the tinsel town some five years ago. That set the coin rolling and thereafter ‘Lagaan,’ ‘Chak de India’ etc have made their entry here.

The question here is : Is this trend here to stay or die away before we even notice it?
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Some Important Sports Movies

Hip Hip Hurray (1983)
Director : Prakash Jha
This film is about a Computer Engineer who happens to be a sport lover and soccer coach in a school in Ranchi. While carrying out his job duties, the hurdles and resistance he faces as well as his determination and the final victory of his soccer team forms the narrative of the movie. An excellent movie as a whole in its category.

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Boxer (1984)
Director : Raj N. Sippy

This flick inspired by the then stupendous success of Rocky starring Sylvester Stallone was more a run-of –the-mill Bollywood film rather than a Boxing feature. But it helped Mithun Chakaborty to establish in Bollywood as a hero.

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Ashwini (1992)
Director : Chandramauli
This movie based on the real life story of ace athlete Ashwini Nachappa was a unique experiment in its genre. What was more noteworthy was that the main role of the athlete was enacted by Ashwini herself. The sad part of it was that though the film appeared well, it received a meager response at the box office.

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Awwal Number (1990)
Director : Dev Anand
The evergreen and irrepressible Dev Anand came up with this novel film. The disheartening part was the half-hearted treatment given to the portrayal of the subject. The film had dwelt on many subjects related to Cricket. Alas, but that dwelling was too superficial. This movie starring Dev Anand, Amir Khan and Aditya Pancholi could not even register its presence at theatres, let alone making any news.

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Lagaan (2001)
Director : Ashutosh Gowarikar
This was the film that heralded the new crop of sports movies adoring today’s silver screens. It has cleverly blended patriotism, history and the cricket frenzy of Indians to give a superb celluloid venture. Making its presence felt at the last stage of Oscar race has also helped it to an extent to be a memorable movie.

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Iqbal (2003)
Director : Nagesh Kukoor
This is the story of a deaf and mute but excessively talented Cricketer living in an obscure village. The film saw a stupendous response thanks to the story which was just a filmed version of the dreams and aspirations of thousands in this country. The film not only gave a new identity to Shreyas Talapade, but it also showed to Bollywood filmmakers that an entertaining and successful movie could be done without spicing it up with routine tricks.

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Chak De India (2007)
Director : Shimit Amin
This was perhaps the first film made with a focus on Hockey. Based on the life incidents of Mir Ranjan Negi, it has also blended patriotism and reality. It has received accolades as well as success at many levels. It has not lost focus on Hockey, on account of which it has really became a sports movie.

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Tara Ram Pam (2007)
Director : Siddharth Anand
Though this movie is a story of a Racing Champion, it stops short of bring a sport movie. The reason for this are too obvious. There is no depiction of Car Racing. Instead it focuses on family drama. The audience too did not heeded to the movie. The movie only showed some scenes on Racing field. That’s all.
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Rajnikant : The new movie icon of India

The new frontiers

As the monsoon has set in the this nation, which is stretched from Himalayas to the Indian Ocean, the news of Sivaji-the Boss conquering one after another box office records are also pouring in. In the hitherto untreaded parts of the country, where regional films were strictly a no-no till now, the film is marching ahead to say the least. Not only in India, but even in overseas markets also it saw even the Hollywood blockbusters in the fray bite the dust in top ten charts. It seems that whole of India is rediscovering this Style King often derided for his mannerisms which many others have tried to ape but fail the produce the charm that Rajni has.
That also made the reigning Superstar of North India (devotees of Big B, please excuse me, but that’s the kind of address more often than not used in Tamil and other South Indian press) to attend a special screening of the film. The Boss was also there with him. And even BigB praised Rajni on the occasion. He has already praised the Thalaivar as the emperor of Indian cinema.

The next question

Now, question arises: Is Rajnikant the next movie icon of India? What Rajnikant has achieved is undoubtedly one of the biggest feats in movie industry in India as well as overseas. First of all, he climbed to the stardom in spite of any real backing from the industry. He has proved his mettle through his talents and mannerisms and most of all, his unparalleled ability to churn out films successively single handedly. In likes of MGR and Shivaji Ganeshan, not least Kamal Haasan, he created a place for himself that was unique in every sense. After appearing in some remakes of Amitabh Bachchan, he was described as Amitabh of Tamil movies.
Then in 1983, just eight years after he made his entry on silver screen, Rajnikant starred in the Hindi movie Andha Kanoon, which had Amitabh himself in what was said to be a `guest appearance’ role but extended to a large part of the film, convincingly. That success set up a train of some flicks, some of them making hay on box office while some bringing tears to the producers and distributors. Rajni then satisfied himself with some petty side roles in Bollywood while consolidating his position in his home (?) industry. But even so, his popularity and fan following in rest of India continued to grow. His image as an maverick was also reinforced through the new media like internet, even though there he was more present through the odd jokes.
But to speak of it, Rajinikant was the only non-Hindi actor to gain a large audience in the northern parts of India. His predecessors, like MG Ramachandran never quite entered in this specter, or some like Shivaji Ganeshan could only appear in one or couple of flicks. They never really have a base here. Even Kamal Haasan, who entered Hindi films with a bang through Ek Duje Ke liye (1980), could not make a mark here barring some odd films and a distant admiration from critics. (It was very later, in late ‘80s that Kamal made his re-entry through films like Appu Raja.) Chiranjeevi, Venkatesh, and Nagarjun…all these heroes came and went but except for registering their presence, they could hardly do anything. In that sense, Rajnikant was the first and only southern hero who could navigate the box office.

A large vacuum to fill

Now with Sivaji, Rajni has arrived on the centrestage and with what role, a man single-handedly taking the system by the horns. Many a Bollywood heroes had their careers built on this his image but in the last few years, in an era of globalization, Bollywood has largely discarded this category giving way to some ice-candy floss cinemas. While the former category of heroes and cinemas might appear old fashioned to some, in India these types of films do really capture the imagination of the people. That’s why actors in these types of films are more endeared to the public. This is the large vacuum, that now only Rajnikant can fill.
The process seems to have already started with Sivaji-the Boss gaining foothold even in non-Tamil speaking parts of India. If Rajnikant can bring the Tamil (or for that matter South Indian movie industry) with Bollywood, he will be the first to have this type of accomplishment. The day might be not far away when Bollywood, Kollywood and Tollywood would be amalgamated as one industry. The process has been already started with many a Tamil and Telugu films featuring prominent Hindi and Marathi artists in increasing numbers. And it will also be noted that the process was started by Rajni films whereby his Hindi films were dubbed in Tamil and vice versa (when the trend was almost non-existent.) His Dalpathi had Amrish Puri as the main villain.
In a nutshell, Rajnikant is set be a movie icon for the new India. Sivaji-the Boss’s collection records in UK and phenomenal rush it witnessed in Chicago, Muscat and Malaysia…you name it and he have it…only points to this fact. So toast to this new Sultan of the Indian Movies!

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Bollywood in the dock again

After seeing the most successful year in terms of business, the bollywood is again feeling the heat this year. Big stars, expensive sets and locations or media hype...almost everything has proven unsuccessful for the industry to churn out a single superhit in the first half of the year. What's more, the industry is staring at a big threat by down south to its monopoly over audience.
Barring just one 'Guru', directed by the veteran southern directior Mani Rathnam, no film has seen cash registers ringing. By the end of the June, Rajnikant's Sivaji has surpassed all the Hindi films in business. Even in the north cicuits like Delhi, it has made profits unseen by any southern film before. Even a Amithabh Bachchan starrer like Jhoom Barabar Jhoom failed to offer much resistance to the onslaught of Sivaji and now it seems the Kollywood express has much more steam than expected.
Last year, riding on the multiplex boom and a strong economy, many Bollywood films registered stupendous successes. Lago Raho Munnabhai, Krishh, Dhoom2..those were the movies that gave dose over doses of adrenaline to the producers. Nothing that sort of the thing happened now. In comparison, analysts said, the turnover in the first six months of 2007 was just a fourth of about $55 million collected during the same period in 2006.
Analysts are blaming to the weak scripts for the failures. "Where are the good stories? You can't get away with only star appeal and foreign locales," said Bollywood trade analyst Komal Nahta.
Guru was successful beacuse of its good script as well as hype that sorrounded it. The fact that the film was associated with the life of Reliance Group's founder, Dhirubhai Ambani, also gave the film an extra impetus. Compared to this one hit, the list of doomed big-budget films with top stars is long: "Salaam-e-Ishq," "Eklavya," "Nishabd," "Tara Rum Pum" and "Jhoom Barabar Jhoom," and many more.
This summer, Bollywood is also feeling the heat from Hollywood blockbusters. This week, five Bollywood films were beaten to dust by "Ocean's 13".
No Bollywood film was released on May 4, the day "Spiderman 3" hit the screens. Moreover, the distributors of the films tried to make dent in the traditional and emerging film markets by dubbing the film in Bhojpuri and other five languages. This films has become the highest-grossing Hollywood film in India, overtaking "Titanic."
Considering the heavy business Sivaji the Boss is doing and non-tamils are throngiing the cinema halls, a new curiosity might arise for the southern films which have hitherto been ahead in terms of content and technology than Bollywood. (Two of the blockbuster films from down south, Pokkiri and Gajini are being remade with Salman Khan and Amir Khan respectively.) So much so that going by the response to the Sivaji-the Boss, plans are in the pipeline to rehasp some old Rajni films and market them.

From that account, even if Bollywood successfully faces the onslaught of Hollywood, its real nemesis lies in south named Kollywood and Tollywood.

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Sivaji reigns, as always, but…

Sivaji-the entertainment personified
· Rajnikant’s latest flick Sivaji-the boss has hit theaters. After watching the movie seven days after its worldwide release, one is bound to be thrilled. The same emotion grips me as I remember the last night’s venture. First of all, I must say the film did not let me down. All the Rajni theatrics and elements were there to give every value for my money. It was down and down a Rajni movie and the whole three hours and twenty minutes of the movie does not allow you to forget that any moment. Rajni means entertainment…and the Boss shows that in the most entertaining way in his inimitable style and styles.
Sivaji-the director’s dilemma
· One has to remember also that it is Director Shankar’s film who has given us such memorable hits as Gentleman, Kadhalan, Jeans, Indian and the best of all Anniyan. Sadly though, in Sivaji, Shankar has failed to live upto his name. It is as though, he has reeled under the stature of Super Star Rajni than making the movie his own. All the scenes, barring those song pasteurizations where classic Shankar touch props up unstopping. The breathtaking locations, much larger than life exquisite sets, the zing thing orchestrations …you name it and Sivaji have it. But in the movie, right from the story no traces of director’s skill are evident. For once, comedy is the Rajni’s bastion and it does not take Shankar to make the comedy sequences memorable. Vivek and Rajni steal the show in their comedy scenes in the first half of the movie.
Sivaji-the momentous moments
· What overcomes the failings of the director have been compensated by the some very fast, really brilliant and full confrontation scenes wherein whole experience of watching the movie assumes new meaning. For example, the scene where Rajni blackmails Adisheshan (Suman) for his black money. You have to see to believe the unchallenged confidence of Rajni on the screen while he orders Bhajia and Tea for the twosome. After finishing the taling and (eating), he tells Adi, “Pay the bill for all this. We will settle it from 100 Crores.” Wow! Man! That sets the screen on fire. Equally astounding scene is in climax, where the students vying for the falling money trample Adi. That’s what we want to see in a Shankar movie. A social message, a kind of common man’s revenge in a very symbolic way, in a manner fit for the commercial flicks.
Sivaji-the unsung movie
· One big letdown of the movie is the music score by AR Rehman. One expects from the ‘Isai Puyal’ a thumping, vibrant and humming songs, the kind of which were present in Muthu and Padaiyappa. Even Baba score would fare better in comparison with the Sivaji. Except for Vaji Vaji song, no song clings to the nerves. Even the background score also do not match to the stature of Rajni film.
Sivaji-the boss of box office
· What Sivaji has achieved will be the subject of discussion for long in future. But it has indisputably bought to Indian regional cinema to the notice of the world cinema. After all when did you saw big queues lined up outside the theaters in the north India for a Tamil movie? When did you saw multiplexes in Mumbai increasing their no. of shows for a Tamil film in its second week? When did we saw a Tamil film finding its place in the top 10 films in UK? As I write this from Pune, five multiplexes and one single screen are running 16 shows daily for Sivaji, which is a feat for any regional film. It has wakened up to the fact that good or quality successful films are not the monopoly of the Hollywood or Bollywood. It has also shown the world that Rajnikant is not a subject of internet jokes only, but that he has far more substance than any other actor/hero in this country. In that sense, I think he is the most underestimated hero in India. Please check this and this to prove this point.

Sivaji-fumbled fairy tale
· Shankar seems to have fumbled while transferring the story from the storyboard to celluloid. While most of the half is spent in portraying the love story of the hero and heroine, second part tries to deal with three menaces at one go…i. e. black money, bribery and the menaces in the education system. That has created an unnecessary burden on the cinema as well as hero. Shankar’s earlier films centered on one theme and that ensued a big success for the flicks. Gentleman handled the problem of commercialization of the education system as Indian handled the bribery system of the country. Anniyan focused on the lawlessness in the citizens of India. It seems Shankar has tried to bundle all these themes in the one film. To be fair, he has succeeded in not making the affair a repetitive one. But it would have been better had he handled the one subject in this film. For that matter, one again thinks that had Mudhalvan been done with Rajni, we could have a movie of the lifetime. Sivaji leaves a lot to be wished.

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Two for tango, humble tango

Shivaji the Boss is a hit now. There is no doubt about it. But before the release of the film, some mediamen went on to ask Rajnikant about his comparion with Amithabh Bachchan. And Rajni, in his classic humble manner went further to say that Amitabh is Emperor.
I could not but put this interview on my blog.

You can also watch interview on NDTV here
Now, the same bollywood giant Amitabh Bachchan has gone on record to praise Rajnikanth as the undisputed superstar, the emperor of the Indian cinema. Read the article here...

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Himesh faces music in Germany

It is Germany again. I have talked about Bollywood films being popular in the beer country and loat of shows and shooting concerning Bollywood taking place there. It seems that the love between Germany and bollywood has stretched too far and cracks have begun to show.
Bollywood's current blue eyed boy Himesh Reshmiya is producing a film on his own life. This news item was flashed through various medias some time ago. At that time, no one cared much about the project. This same project has now created news in Germany for some wrong reasons. Reshmiya and his crew flew to Cologne this eek to film in one of the city's Gothic churches. But some residents opposed the shooting claiming the film crew had desecrated the site.
Bollywood has unarguably got a foothold in Germany. Indian films have made it onto German cinema and television screens and have a huge following. But Indian filmmakers have also discovered Europe offers prime locations for shooting. While they have already almost exhausted some scenic spots in the Alps, ever new locations are hunted zealously which make them constantly vulnerable to controversy.
The Agnes church is one of Cologne's biggest sacred buildings. Its gothic steeple rises up to the sky. Surrounded by cramped apartment buildings and busy streets, the landmark church is an oasis of calm .Amid that sorrounding, a voice drons out of the loudspeakers. That voice belongs to Himesh Reshamiyya. He plays the lead in the Bollywood film "Aap Ka Suroor," which is currently being shot in Germany.
Agnes church is one of the film's locations. The producers want to simulate a night-time concert in the huge nave and covered the windows and walls with black drapes. In a place where believers usually kneel down to pray, there are now 50 professional dancers in silver sequined dresses shaking their hips while a few hundred extras mill around waiting to play the cheering crowd.
But having fun and dancing in a church has raised a few eyebrows. Cologne's archbishop Joachim Meissner tried to stop the shooting from going ahead, but failed when it was revealed the church's pastor had already signed the contract with the production company.
Many parishioners are angry about the production. An elderly woman shakes her head as she enters the church and then turns to leave saying: "I wanted to pray, to light a candle."
Until Sunday, only the film team will be allowed to use in the main nave, which has upset more than a few people. They don't understand why she shoot has to take place in a building they consider holy. Deutsche welle recently reported about this episode. The full story is available on
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2387067,00.html

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Tollywood’s Sorry Picture

The picture can’t be more contradictory. On one hand, Hindi movie channels are running successfully showing dubbed and remake versions of Telugu films, which in all earnestness seem to be getting a lot of response from ­audience. At the same time, Telugu films themselves are facing a hard day in Andhra Pradesh itself. Having found itself in a quagmire of business losses and a stiff competition from Bollywood and Kollywood, it is striving hard to regain its land. But for the passive onlooker, that seems a distant possibility. What make it more pitiful is that this year Tollywood is celebrating its 75th year.
Telugu film industry in India has a unique standing. It has not only the distinction of being the third biggest film industry in India, in terms of films produced per year and the turnover achieved therein, it also thrives on many demi-gods and cult like fan following of some actors. These actors in turn have never let down their fans and have delivered year after year the films, that we relish even years later. That’s why a Chiranjeevi starrer ‘Gang Leader’ became a super hit in the latter part of 1980s and when it is shown on Star Gold in a dubbed version (named Naya Don), it still got a better TRP. It prompted the channel to show one more dubbed movie named ‘Vishwa’. It was a Nagarjun starrer which was released in 2004 as ‘Nenunnanu.’ The trend continued and rival channel Zee Cinema started to show some dubbed Chiranjeevi movies in prime time. Diler (Anji) and Rakshak (Mrugraju) are two films falling in this category.
It is not that all Telugu films sell on star value. They usually have a strong story element with eye-catching picturisation and of course, a great music. That was the case till recently, i.e. till last year. Now it is almost a sorry picture. Tollywood has seen too many flops for the last couple of years and it is frantically searching for a hit. Even superstars like Chiranjeevi and Nagarjun are finding it difficult to break this mould. One problem that these actors face is the non-availability of good roles. They have been caught in a kind of trap where they can’t play the roles they wish.
In a recent interview, Chiranjeevi has said, “"My image troubles me in different ways. I cannot act in roles different from that of mass commercial ones due to image." That brings the real dilemna of a hero who has steadfastly lead the industry for more than a decade. Lack of worthwhile stories and too much insistence on the routine formulas, that have proved to be a bane for Tollywood. The producers in the industry seem only working for garnering the monetary profit from the films without giving a hint of thought as to what its outcome might be. Trying to emulate the Bollywood for that purpose is just a way of doing that. That’s why heroines and character artists from Mumbai find their way in Telugu films these days more and more. Add to that song (and they abound to the hilt) and dance sequences picturised on the exotic foreign locations. Not surprisingly, the budget of the film skyrockets to few crores. Given the stiff competition in this era, this money is hardly recovered giving more sleepless nights to everybody associated with the project. Even the advertising cost of the film amounts to few crores.
From the start of this year, 40 films have been released in Andhra Pradesh and only two of the proved to be a hit. That’s why trade pundits are anticipating a bleak show ahead. Sankranti season, in which Tollywood is expected to make fortune did not yield expected revenue. Filmmakers and industry insiders are now pinpointing their hopes on summer season. Holidays to school and colleges mean a boon to the film circuit. Many big films are expected in this season. So one can only hope their expectations come true and we are treated to an entertaining fair once again, like we were in the past.

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Indian movies growing out of all woods

The film industry in India could not have better than this. After witnessing its most successful year in the recent past in terms of box-office collections, the industry is poised to grow even more. And this is not an abstract anticipation of any Bollywoodwallah, it is a studied inference of an American institute.
The PTI recently reported about a report by the Creative and Innovative Economy Centre (CIEC) of George Washington University Law School, wherein the centre has estimated that Indian film industry will grow by more than 15 per cent in the coming year. The reasons attributed are growing number of multiplexes and the availability of digital technology.
What this report did not elaborate, and which I specifically observed some three months ago, that this trend of growth is more evident in Bollywood but it equally, or more precisely more forcefully exist in the regional film industries. The statistical data of these scattered centres of film making does not come up at once and hence it is relegated to the unhidden corners of respective trade papers.
The Bollywood, that now produces Hindi films for mainly urban and overseas audience is considered worth 25, 000 Crores, according to Industry sources. Coming next to it is Kollywood or Tamil film industry which had a turnover of around 23, 155 Crores at the end of year 2005. This year’s data is yet to come by. The second biggest film industry in South India, that is Telugu film industry has a turnover to the tune of 23, 044 Crores.
Even the once near-dead or non-existent industries are gaining or regaining ground in the unprecedented ways. The Marathi film industry was staring at its death just five years ago. But the Shwaas changed it all. The film released in 2004 won a Golden Lotus Award from the President and that provided a much-needed impetus to the Maharashtrian producers. That’s why this year saw as many as 75 films in Marathi language were passed for the release by the Central Certification Board of India, called Censor Board, compared to the two or three on an average in the 90s.
The Bhojpuri films till recently remained in the shadow of the Hindi films. But as the Bollywood turn more and more urban; these films emerged strong with flavor of local themes and talent providing ingredients. Even Bollywood Superstar Amitabh Bachchan has thought it imperative to act in a Bhojpuri film, which was quite unthinkable in the past.
So given this trend, it is hardly surprising that world is anticipating a big growth from Bollywood. The question is, will it take cognizance of the growth of other film industries in India.

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Germany Toying With Bollywood

It seems that popularity of Bollywod in Germany is to stay for a long and for better. I have already dedicated three posts on this subject and this is one more. This article appeared in Deutsche Welle; I was promted to bring it here as it is one of my favorite subject.
The Nuremberg Toy Fair in Germany is targetting adults this year with puzzles and jigsaws based on Bollywood.
The world's largest toy expo, the Nuremberg Fair, is strictly for adults only this year. The adults-only rule has sparked a whole range of new play products which industry observers say is all part of a trend toward stepping up marketing to "aging children": people over 40 who play games to relax.

And Bollywood -- India's most popular cultural export -- it seems, is a grown-up's playground.

The country's trademark hip-gyrating song-and-dance films with its formulaic mix of Indian family values, kitsch and sexual titillation have apparently proved an inspiration for several toymakers. Jigsaws and puzzles depicting Bollywood scenes are all set to feature large at the toy fair. Parents have been warned to keep their kids from sneaking a peek.

"Bollywood is a big topic here, especially among our adult customers," said Bettina Brogsitter, sales representative for the puzzle-maker Lupu.

Some are going in for a more chaste version of India's ubiquitous images.

One German manufacturer of puzzles aims to entice European women who love all things Indian by launching a 1,000-piece puzzle, which would take days to solve, depicting Ganesha, the Hindu god of wisdom with four arms and the head of a one-tusked elephant.

Other jigsaws on show in Nuremberg are more serene, depicting yoga positions and mandalas-designs symbolizing the universe.
"People are in search of inner calm," Brogsitter added.

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Shahrukh Ban Gaya Joker

It is official now. However Shahrukh might try to ape Big B, he alwasys turns out to be a damp squib. First he tried to step in the Bachchan's shoe was when he acted in the remake of Don. His pubilcity machinery worked overtime and managed to proclaim that film as a hit, but the truth is that the film failed totally. Not satisfied with that misadventure, he jumped on the hot seat as anchor of the popular show Kaun Banega Crorepati on Star Plus. This time also he has got a bitting and in the attempt to crown himself as the new ruler of Bollywood, he has proved himself a joker. Even figures substantiate these observations.
A recent report in Hindustan Times tells how Khan has failed in recreating the magic that Bachchan created six years ago. There is a sheer absence in the overhyped performance of Shahrukh khan of the aura weaved by Bachchan. His popularity as host of KBC is no match for his predecessor Amitabh Bachchan, the report says. The data compiled by India's Television Audience Measurement for the first four days showed a television viewership rating, or TVR, of 12.33. Bachchan, 61, had a bigger four-day audience in August 2005 with a 19.75 rating, the daily said. The paper did not provide the margin of error, and the show remains India's most popular.
Originally based on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" from the USA, "Kaun Banega Crorepati" was started year 2000 as the main attraction og the relaunch of the Star Plus. The grandesque image and persona of Bachchan catapulated it to the heights unknown to the Satellite TV shows till then. It soon caught imagination of the millions of viewers across India. SO much so that this show played a big role in reviving Big B's film career. The show ran in two parts, but was halted abruptly following Bachchan's illness.
It was resurected last week with 41-year-old Khan at the helm. As with his filmy image, Khan brought with him a lot of hoopla in the form of songs and dances in this show, which was not the part of the show in its prior run. The Show started on Jan. 22, and a random survey shows that audiences have given Khan, one of the biggest Bollywood heartthrobs of the past decade, the thumbs down, the Hindustan Times has said.
Expectedly enough, Star Entertainment India doesn't agree with the findings. The number of people "reached " on Khan's first day was 23 million compared to Bachchan's 18 million, Paritosh Joshi, the network's president in charge of advertising and distribution said, according to the Hindustan Times.
Joshi's figures are based on those who watched the gameshow for at least a minute. The TVR, on the other hand, gives the number of people who sat through the hour-long program. If that does convince the anyone, here is some figures given by a portal moneycontrol.com.
TAM numbers for the opening week of Kaun Banega Crorepati with SRK are in. It looks like Shahrukh Khan has lost out in round one, reports CNBC-TV18. While Shahrukh's KBC debuted with a 12.3 rating the first episode of Amitabh Bachchan’s KBC had garnered 19.75.
But there's good news for Star Plus as well. The channel's relative shares in the general entertainment category is up from 37.7 to 55.9 percent in the primetime in the 9-10 pm band in the KBC launch week.
A closer look at the TAM data for all four episodes last week, however, shows a dipping interest in the show after the opening episode. Especially so on day three which was the 24th of January when KBC went head-to-head with the India-West Indies ODI in Cuttack. The show seems to have borne the brunt then, losing viewers to cricket.
That settles the matter for once. The reality is that Shahrukh is no match for BigB.

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Chiru...the eternal hero

The megastar of Telugu films Chiranjeevi recently completed 29 years of his film career. A function was organized to celebrate the occasion wherein his friend and another Telugu star Nagarjuna was present. Being one of the superstar’s quartet, (Amitabh Bachchan, Mohanlal and Rajinikant comprises other three in this club) Chiru, as he is fondly called by his fans, is undoubtedly the most prominent figure of the Indian movies. The word Chiranjeevi in Sanskrit means 'one who live on eternally.' Chiranjeevi's feats on screen and in movies make him really live eternally in the mind of the viewers.
Chiranjeevi was as Siva Sankara Vara Prasad Konidela, on 22 August 1955 at Narasapur, Andhra Pradesh, India
He was a student of the famous Madras Film Institute and later became a professional film star. His first public performance was in a government parade ballet at the Republic Day celebrations on January 26, 1976.
He started his professional career the film "Punadhirallu" in 1978. Though Punadhirallu was his debut, his first success came up with a negative role in the film 'Intilo Ramayya Vidhilo Krishnayya' which was released in the year 1981.
His roles in movies such as Abilasha, Adavidonga, Chantabbayi, Challenge, Gang Leader, Master, Kondaveeti Donga, Kodama Simham, Indra, Tagore etc. were all block busters in Tollywood. In the pre-90s, Chiranjeevi was first seen on Hindi scree. His first Hindi film released was Pratibandh (1990) with Juhi Chawla as his heroine. The films was a blockbuster and Rami Reddy, the main villain in the films also received much attention in the film. The success of Pratibandh prompted producers to make another movie with Ciranjeevi, exploiting his macho man and angry young man image. This films ‘Aaj Ka Gundaraj’ (1992) was a remake of Telugu hit Gang Leader. Meenakshi Sheshadri was the heroine in the film. As this movie minted money on the Box Office, Chiranjeevi’s popularity also soared.
Though his subsequent films could not recreate the magic that is Chiranjeevi is known for, his charisma as an actor remains in place as is shown by the number of dubbed movies. These movies appear in small cities and run to packed houses as well as in CDs and DVDs which have a good run on Cable cicuit. Besides Telugu, Chiranjeevi commande a huge fan following in Tamilnadu also.
He is married to Konidela Surekha on February 20, 1980 and is blessed with two daughters Susmita and Sirija, and one son Ramcharan Teja. His brothers Nagendra Babu and Pawan Kalyan are both into movies as well.
Chiranjeevi is the founder of the Chiranjeevi Charitable Trust, which is the state's largest recipient of Eye and Blood Donations. With the help of Chiranjeevi Charitable Trust more than 20,000 people have donated blood and more than 10 lakh people have pledged their eyes. Chiranjeevi also assists people for medical expenses in genuine cases.

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I had written before about the growing popularity of Indian films and India thereof in Germany. At that time, I had mentioned about the show, Bharati, to be held there. That mention remained albeit passingly and now I chanced upon some details of this show.
FRIEDRICH-KARL PRAETORIUS is a name to be reckoned with in Germany and the man is playing Sutradhar, the Narrator in the show. I read a couple of interviews which appeared just before this show and are especially related to it. In these interviews, he talks about playing his part in the show, how he landed in the role, his fascination for the India and what’s surprising, at least I was surprised, his knowledge about the India. I so longingly wish to see his portrayal and the show, but alas...While reading these interviews, I thought I should translate them so that my countrymen could also know how far this actor, director and paintor go. These translations are very loose to be sure but it sure brings out the frankness and magnamity of FRIEDRICH-KARL PRAETORIUS

Interview by Irmgard Berner.

Mr. Praetorius, You are famous as a stage actor, have worked with Peter Zadek and Hans Neuenfels, written books and Theater pieces and paint. From January 2nd you are venturing into the world of Showbiz as the narrator of “Bharati-Das Wunder von Indien.” How have you traveled so far?

FRIEDRICH-KARL PRAETORIUS: It is a coincidence. I am a tourist in India and search for the unreached areas there. That can be very adventurous. Sometimes that means going where one can not find the water to drink, where one can’t find descent hotels. But Mr. Mark Lieberberg, the concert agent, did not know it all as he knew me as a theater person of all, and asked me almost shyly what to do with musical. Lieberberg himself takes interest in so many subjects, rising above the typical German classification mania to describe Musical as dubious and theater on the other side as intellectual.
What role the Narrator is playing in the spectacle?
FRIEDRICH-KARL PRAETORIUS: The show consist of 17 brilliant numbers, which consist of 101 singers, dancers, acrobats and artists from various ethnic groups from the subcontinent are taking part in the show-and they are of only best quality. They bring with them the religious elements of their motherland. The producer of the show Ghashadh Deshe was searching farmost corners of the India last five years-for the balance act between show and religion, which consists of 350,000 Gods.
And is the Narrator your dear Marshal uncle?
FRIEDRICH-KARL PRAETORIUS: No, the figure is rather disrespectful of the Gods and makes jokes with the public-and that as a Hindu.
How do you look?
FRIEDRICH-KARL PRAETORIUS:I asked myself: Am I not too thick? But that is too crazy, in India to be thic is taken as rich and beautiful. I have no make-up, have an Indian costume, am barefoot and have a pole. Imagine: 100 performers in a masterly choreography, bombardment of music instruments and bits of Sitar-sounds. This constant change needs a quiet point, to give it the rhythm, it the single speaking figure. His speech is written very tactfully. The spectator gets this love story between Sidharta and Bharati in a manner, that goes with the pure dances. So a sensual magic unfolds, that can not be explained to uninitiated.
You stand with very beautiful person on the stage. How much Eroticism they have?
FRIEDRICH-KARL PRAETORIUS:Their beauty is incredible! Few Europeans know India, but many know the Kamasutra. The eroticisms of this was chiseled and represented in stone already before over 3,000 years are so beatiful, they can be said in no manner unsavory or pornographic. For me, they connect the sacred with the sexual in an ideal manner, especially the femaleness. That is not only my perception, women also admire how the Indians controlled the form, long before the Romans. Look at the sex of the Middle Ages in pictures of Hieronymus Bosch: these pale women with its deadly renouncing faces. In India also, that old ideal has been lost in part. Today many women are seen doing laborus work, they carry stones. They live in poverty. In the show, one does not naturally see that, but rather dancer in more absolute, lustful harmony.
With humour as well?
FRIEDRICH-KARL PRAETORIUS:Yes, it comes in various elements of the music. It is very similar to the Jewish humor. Indians do not pose that much problems as much we do. Indians are so joyful, bringing with them certain innocence. Nevertheless one senses this enormous power in the music and one recognizes the country that constructs atom bombs. It is a sensual Storytelling.
What does that mean to you personally?
FRIEDRICH-KARL PRAETORIUS:India came to me! In cultural concentration, in thinking, it is a gift.
What do you wish for to take from the show?
FRIEDRICH-KARL PRAETORIUS:The equanimity of the indian - as of April I will work again with Zadek.

The original story in German appeared in

http://www.berlinonline.de/berliner-zeitung/print/feuilleton/615549.html

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Bollywood 'Dhoom' in Germany

Bollywood cruises in Germany
That Bollywood is crossing new frontiers in geographic terms is nothing of a news now. But that it has created a much frenzy outside India is certainly a thing to be applauded. That frenzy at this point of time is evident much in Germany. The country will witness a gala show in about a month's time to celebrate the life Bollywood-way.
In Germany, many people know Bollywood through television only. And for Germans, Bollywood films are those in which songs, dance, laughter, crying and all other masalas are rolled into one. For them, now Bollywood is to be presented live in show called 'Bharati.' Which will showcase entire spectrum of the Indian movies from yesteryears to this day as they are. I read on a German website named ka-news.de the description of this show as follow (I have tried to translate it) : Bharati is a two hour long innovative work of art in fabric and tone, wherein 100 costumes made of expensive materials, brilliant fabric and vivid creations are employed. With these the Musical ensemble will tour all of Germany and Austria. The show will be held on 8 and 9 February 2007 in Baden-Baden.
In this show, 15 artists and Six singers will play the songs from popular Bollywood films, which will be traditional tunes but will be played on modern lines. This will be second show of this proportion in Europe. The first being Bombay Dreams some two years ago.

In fact, not only in Germany, but Bollywood films are gaining ground in Europe all over. Dadasaheb Phalke Award winner filmmakerYash Chopra has attributed this popularity to one reason. "People who see our films feel happy," he said in an interview at this year’s Berlin Film Festival.
The beats and strain of Bollywood music extravaganzas has become a booming economic and cultural force across Europe. Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan and Rithik Roshan starrer ‘Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gum’ was shown on a German TV channel last year. This was the first time a Bollywood film was aired such a way. And it was a instant hity. Germany has a very small ethnic Indian (if not Asian) population, but radio stations there frequently broadcast listeners’ favourite Hindi, Punjabi, Pakistani, Ghazals, Indian Pop, Filmi and Bhangra hits. Indeed, in Germany, a national television network is drawing high ratings with prime-time Bollywood film marathon weekends.
Dance schools around Europe are now besieged by people clamouring to sign up for courses in Bollywood-style dancing. Boutiques are all a-bling with glittery costume jewellery designed to make wearers look like Bollywood stars.
In Britain, Bollywood films have started to make more money at the box office than home-grown productions. 'Pardes' and 'Taal', produced by Subhash Ghai are two examples for this. This year, 69 Bollywood films have been released in Britain and 14 productions financed by the Indian film industry are being shot there.
Britain’s three largest multiplex chains - Odeon, Vue Cinemas and Cineworld - routinely screen Hindi films that appear in the nation’s top 15 film lists.
Hugely successful
The Bollywood fad was spearheaded in Germany by Berlin’s Radio Multi-Kulti station, which specializes in ethnic programming. But the fad took off when dance club deejays began mixing Bhangra beats on their turntables.
Arthouse cinemas featured Bollywood productions and that led to the first tentative prime-time TV viewings.
"They were hugely successful," says Joyce Mariel, a spokeswoman for RTL II television. The youth-oriented network aired "Good Times, Bad Times – Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham " and, against all odds, scored high ratings.
"We had an average 2 million households, which is very good for us," Mariel recalls. "And the best part of it all was that 73 per cent of the viewership was young women, which is an ideal target audience."
Following up that success, RTL II aired "Indian Love Story - Kal Ho Naa Ho " and then showed "Main Hoon Na" last spring. Through word-of-mouth publicity alone, each was a bigger hit than the previous one.

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Needed : Indian lesson for Stallone

It happens now and then. Especially in moviedom. Stars who are accustomed to arclights can not breathe `out of focus.' They try to prove the world that they can still grab the focus of the public. Many a stars and superstars have fallen prey to this attitude and some have really been sussessful in the endeavour. An actor after carving a larger than life image for himself, is assigned a measured time as his careerspan based on the experiences of past performers. Only a Amithabh or Rajnikant here or Marlon Brando there can outlong this careerspan. Examples of men who either proved to the world that they can overlive their prescribed and expected careerspan or perished in the process of attempting this can be found dime a dozen. But someone crying out loud to grab attention of public, and that too in Hollywood, was never heard of. And when that long unexpected thing happened, it could not become so curious as name of the person behind that cry. That man is Sylvester Stallone.

One who is nourished on a regular dose of Bollywood, Hollywood and all other flicks, needs no introduction of Sylvester Stallone. The 'Rocky' of the Seventies and 'Rambo' of the eighties someshow was overshadowed in Nineties and afterwards. This action hero is now 60 years old and feels sidelined in Hollywood. He thinks it's time to show people that careers of guys like him can last long after most people retire, and he sets out to prove it in his new movie, "Rocky Balboa." "People are living longer. They are healthier. They have more ambition, more energy, yet society is telling them to move aside," Stallone told Reuters. The movie "Balboa," will be released in US theaters on December 20. It is the sixth movie in 'Rocky' series that began with 1976's "Rocky." Stallone famously raised about $1 million to make that low-budget film based on a screenplay he wrote and would not sell to Hollywood's studios unless he was the star. It subsequently went on to become a cult hit and established Stallone as the Superstar even before Rambo appeared on the scene. It also gave birth to various copied movies in India and elsewhere, the notable being `Boxer' starring Mithun Chakraborthy and 'Main Intequam Loonga,' a Dharmendra starrer.

The original movie tells of a hapless boxer, Rocky "The Italian Stallion" Balboa, who overcomes huge odds to better his life. It became a surprise smash hit, earning over $117 million at US box offices, ($362 million in today's dollars), winning the Oscar for best film, and making Stallone a worldwide star. Four other movies followed the Philadelphia boxer through various stages -- career success, family troubles and bankruptcy. Stallone said the lovable lug has been championed by fans because he is humble, can be self-deprecating and is sometimes fearful of what life offers. "He has an almost childlike naivete in the body of a very courageous fighter," Stallone said. Stallone said he wanted a nobler ending to the "Rocky" series than in 1990's "Rocky V," in which Balboa fights a young boxer he trained to help save himself from financial collapse. Stallone, who wrote and directed "Balboa," said he spent 6 1/2 years trying to get the movie made and most Hollywood studio executives scoffed at the idea. Eventually new management came in at the MGM studio which owns the "Rocky" films, and they helped Stallone raise $20 million -- a small amount by studio standards -- to make the movie.

People in India, especially those in media and movies, tend to teach us about the excellence of Hollywood. But apart from the unacademic lure of the Indian movies, developments like these show that Hollywood can take a leaf out of us. We have more than one persona who have showed time and again that they need not go through tests once their mettle is unarguably proved. Take Amitabh Bachchan for example. The man who ruled Hindi movie industry for more than two decades, is now 65. Full five years more than Stallone. But he is still busiest actor in country. And if Stallone was a king in the Ring, Amitabh was the Shahenshah of action. But after a point in his career, he remained out of glare of cameras for about two years. Then he came again. Not 'Don'ning his usual 'Angry Young Man' image but with a reinvented look of a sophisticated elder. Welded with the family dramas filled with Indian ethos, this elderly actor has now transgressed to yet unreached territories for Hindi cinema. Amitabh's resentful young actor might have been popular in Egypt and Mauritius, but his new avataar is now buzzword in places like Germany.

A second example is that of Southern superstar Rajnikant. This actor is playing almost unifocal roles for more than twenty-five years, and still going places. He is the second most paid star in Asia (Pay: Approximately two million rupees per movie.) He had also at times put off his movie assignments, but every time he did so, managed to return with a bang. And with a bigger bang for that. He has not altered his image for a long time, but has experimented with the themes in the same set ups. That has endeared him to the public more and more. He did not nor does not require to say to public, that he wants to prove 'a certain point' throgh his projects. Besides all these, Indian movie world is filled with people who have defied their age and set the screen on fire. Dileep Kumar, a stalwart in his own right, worked wonders in Saudagar in 1991, when he was more than 75 years old. Mohanlal, Mammooty, Chiranjeevi, Nagarajun...these are some of the actors in Indian films, who are past their forties and in some cases, even past their 50s but are not only have a footing in industry but also giving young performers a run for the money. They are playing usual Hero in the run-of-the-mill ventures as well as doing some memorable, so called 'meaningful' roles. That's why when Stallone claims to try to prove something, it sounds so unconvincing. And to return to his basic film for such an attempt is most fallacious. 'Balboa' might come out as a good movie. But to relate it to one man's attempt to gain a footholding sucks the enjoyment out of it. Instead of banking on such fallacies, he should go on striking and shooting, the way we all liked him till now. C'mmon man, show must go on.

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