WHERE POLITICS IS REEL

Movie Stars Make A Splash In Andhra Pradesh

When it comes to electioneering by movie stars, none can beat the Andhra Pradesh. At the time when leaders from all political parties are slogging it out in the open, the state bridging North and South India is agog with actors and actresses addressing the people and appealing for the votes. Today I watched Junior NTR addressing the voters from his house and ridden on a bed on account of backache. His speech, which came after hectic schedule of road shows and rallies, was full of vigor and enthusiasm.

Those who have watched any of Junior NTR’s movie knows how the young descendent of Nandmuri Tarak Ramarao can deliver the speeches laden with aggression. He carried the same zeal in reality when he spoke about the political picture of his state. He invoked Telugu pride frequently during his about ten minute long speech. His speech was carried live by the NTV, a channel owned by Tummala Narendra Chowdary. The channel also interviewed some of the supporters of the young superstar and they seemed to have lapped all that was spoken by Junior NTR.

It was very appalling to see a young hero targeting the Mega Star like Chiranjeevi. He took a dig at Chiru, without the naming of course, “who had called Gandhiji to fight for the freedom of India? Who had called Dr. Ambedkar to fight for the cause of Dalits?” He also criticized Congress, the ruling party of Andhra Pradesh and main opponent of Telugu Desam Party, for which Jr. NTR was campaigning for last many days.

However, he was not alone in the fray. Almost half of Telugu movie stars and artists are in election process this time. Nagarjuna, who till now has managed to keep distance from the party politics, has opened his mouth this time. Even though speaking in a reserved manner and refusing to endorse any of the party, he said there have been only two persons in the state who have kept their promises. Those two are NTR and Y. S. Rajshekhar Reddy, the present chief minister of the state. Nagarjuna, a heartthrob of a large number of youths (I myself like the actor) in Andhra as well as in other states, also wished success to Chiru.

Meanwhile, many new actors like Allu Arjun are also campaigning for the Praja Rajyam, party founded by Chiranjeevi.

Read More

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!

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

Tamil Films facing closed doors in South

It was not long ago that Kannada film industry, apparently raged over the diminishing collections on account of copetition with Tamil films, demanded to the State government to restrict release of non-Kannada films in Karnataka for the six weeks. The state government subsequently conceded on account of which non-Kannada films were barred entry for the first six weeks of their release in Karnataka. That decision affected all other languages films as well. On account of that step alone, Karnataka witnessed a high number of remakes in Kannada from Tamil and Hindi films. It did not though brought any worthwhile trend of original stories or new concepts in Kannada movies. Some trade bodies even went to the Supreme Court against this order in 2004 and now recently state government has denied having issued any such order.
These trade bodies feared that neighbouring States like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala will be provoked to take similar decision against release and exhibition of Kannada and other language films in their respective states. Though these apprehension were not realised owing to the little popularity of Kannada films in other regions, it has came into existance for Tamil films. The same situation aroused in Andhra pradesh some time ago. Some Chiranjeevi films having failed to garner collections to the level they once did, at the same time Rajinikant's Chandramukhi dubbed in Telugu making records in collections and Santkozhi, Thimiru, Aanai etc. films making waves on box-office gave sleepless nights to the industrywllahs. Faced with a lacklustre performance of a majority of Telugu films and Tamil dubbed films making hay one after another, the film producers association there demanded a ban on Tamil films dubbed in Telugu. But this demand, arose as did subsequently vanished without a whimper and no concrete decision in this matter has not been taken till now.
After the Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, it is the turn of the Kerala now to try to halt Tamil films at its border.
Tamil films, actor, actresses and songs have a huge fan following in Kerala. Anyone watching Asianet or Surya TV can vouch for that. Even Malyalam actresses have a harvest time now in Kollywood. Asin, Nayanthara are two heroines who can prove this point. Sometimes Tamil songs have more buzz than the Malayalam songs in Kerala. Old horses like Rajinikant and Kamal Haasan command a big fanbase with young guns Vijay, Surya and Vikram following the suit. So much so, that though Prithviraj is a face to reckon with in Tamilnadu, he is a big craze in Kerala girls. A distributor in Palghat has the bought rights for Shivaji-the boss for a whooping amount of Rs. 35 Crores, which is considered a record in Kerala.
It is hardly surprising then that Mollywood's insiders are alarmed at the pace at which Tamil films are gaining ground. To contemplate on this situation, some financiers in Mollywood recently had a meeting. It was decided in this meeting that Tamil films should be released in Kerala few weeks after their release in Tamilnadu. Even so, this restriction is less likely to affect the films starring Rajini, Kamal, Vijay etc. These films will be released simultaneously in Kerala.

Read More

Tell of Two Woods

The Telugu film industry, that was rocking for last so many years is now seems to face music. The Tollywood seems to have been entangled in the time wrap of its own heydays. This biggest industry of Andhra Pradesh has been facing hard days for some time now and going by its present performance, it will be futile to hope that Telugu films prove to be a treat for our eyes in the year 2007.
There are a number of films slated for release in coming months and they are worth Rs. 100 crores. There have been many upsets in the second half of the 2006, which include Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna starrers. These films have benn marred by the same storylines, inimaginative presentations. One senses as if the makers and performers of these flicks were taking audiences for a ride. This nullity or void on the part of makers has been aptly translated on the Box Office collections with only a handful of films making it in the hits category.
Traditionally Christmas time is considered as auspicious for the film releases as Diwali and in case of Telugu films, that period extends upto Sankranthi. Accordingly, this year from the December 14th, several films will try their luck. NTR Junior's ‘Rakhi’ has been released and it has been received well, if one goes by the initial reviews. Pawan Kalyan has been serching for a hit for last few years and he is throwing his hat with `Annavaram', joining them will be Allu Arjun's `Desamudhuru', Prabhas' `Yogi' which is a remake of Kananda blockbuster ‘Jogi’. Some reports cliam that ‘Yogi’ is to be dubbed in Hindi and one satellite channel has bought rights for the same. Also testing waters will be Balakrishna's `Maharadhi' whose release has been curiously postponed a couple of times now.
These films were bought for staggering prices, all put together are about Rs. 90 crores to Rs. 100 crores. But, given the penchant of formulas and clichés in Telugu films, it is feared that half of these films might bomb miserably unless they have something substantial to offer to the discerning viewers. Already distributors have burned their fingers with Chiranjeevi's `Stalin', Nagarjuna's `Boss' and Mahesh Babu's `Sainikudu', all of which failed to reach the expectations of viewers, though they have garnered good openings. On the other hand, it was the small budget films that made waves bringing happiness to distributors and viewers. Sunil's `Andala Ramudu' is said to have collected four times the investment. Jagapathi Babu's `Samanyudu', which started on a low key, has picked up considerably given its good content.

Says a report in the newspaper ‘Hindu’:

In the year 2006, only a handful of Telugu films hit the bull's eye and about hundred films bit the dust. Mahesh Babu's `Pokiri', Nagarjuna's `Sri Ramadasu', Siddharth's `Bommarillu', Sunil's `Andala Ramudu' and Venkatesh's `Lakshmi' were the only genuine hits this year while several big heroes, including Chiranjeevi and Balakrishna, were down in the dumps.

The biggest duds that incurred huge losses shattering all expectations include Pawan Kalyan's `Bangaram', Balakrishna's `Veerabhadra', NTR Junior's `Ashok', Nagarjuna's `Boss', Chiranjeevi's `Stalin', and Mahesh Babu's `Sainikudu'. Raviteja's `Khatarnak', Prabhas's `Pournami' that halted the juggernaut of producer M.S. Raju, Siddharth's `Chukkallo Chandrudu' were also on the flop list.
To make the matters worse, dubbed films from Kollywood and Hollywood rubbed salt on Telugu films’ wounds when they made a more money than these films. That prompted Telugu films producer’s association to take a drastic step. They decided to impose a ban on the dubbed Tamil films. This move also drew flank from some quarters, since it is many small producers, who use to dub and release the films. Many producers even went ahead as to question the rational behind this move and their argument was unambiguous: if big budget films can be remade and if they can have non-Telugu speaking artists, why can’t we have dubbed films in the first place.

While this year might end with a low note for Telugu films, in stark contrast stands the Tamil movie industry. Kollywood witnessed heightened activity and zeal this year, with many films turning out be profitable ventures. Especially pleasing thing for the industry is that many newcomers and dark horses proved to be winner. Kamal Haasan starrer 'Vettayadu Vilaiyadu' was the first success of the year. This film is still going strong in many parts of Tamil Nadu. On many centers, it has already completed 100 days. It is considered to be a blockbuster.Director K.S. Ravikumar, who had in past delivered hits like Muthu and Padayappa, give yet another hit film with ‘Varlaaru.’ This film initially was delayed much, so much so that nobody thought it would be released at all. But it was released and is running successfully. Its success might be gauged from the fact that after the packed houses run of the films in first few weeks, Superstar Rajnikanth called Ajith, the hero of the film and his wife Shalini on dinner and heaped praises on him. The film is now reckoned as the second coming of Ajith. Varlaaru got such a opening that it is considered to be the best opening a non-Rajini starrer can get.
One such film which kept cash registers ticking was ‘Imsai Arsan 23rd Pulikesi’. Though the film has comedian Vadivelu in the lead role, it enjoyed a good run at the box office. Besides these there are many films like Thimiru, Em magan and now Rendu, which were profitable and had an envious stint on the box office. That made the producers from AP to dub them in Telugu and various other films from Kollywood found themselves to be remade in Kannada. The reason for the success of these films, as I se it, is that they had some original storylines, some out of box presentation and above all, these movies brimmed with novelties. Indeed in the first half of the year, Tamil movie marked was flooded with underworld flick with the successive successes of Thalainagaram, Kokki and other movies. But fortunately enough the trend was averted in time and now industry is reaping bonuses. It is high time Tollywood take a leaf out of Kollywood and enjoy the gains that it truly deserve.

Read More

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.

Read More

A Dubious Feat

Sometime ago while commenting upon an UNI story I had written, that dubbed films diminish enjoyment of a particular film. The better option will be to have subtitles instead. Those were my personal opinions and they did not required to be corroborated. On the contrary, I was aware of the fact that a large number of audienc go for such films. Particularly enjoyed from this lot are action movies! Now this fact is proved by a recent report from far south. A prominent English eveninger from Tamilnadu has reported that Telugu dubbed movies are gaining ground once again in the state. Here is an excerpt:
‘‘A decade ago, a host of Telugu films dubbed into Tamil flooded the theatres in the State. Movies of Dr. Rajashekhar, Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna and Vijayashanthi were dubbed and released simultaneously. A handful of them managed a decent run.
Over the years, patronage for such films reduced considerably and virtually came to a standstill with remakes being the norm. In contrast, Tamil moves dubbed to Telugu started to rule the roost in Andhra. The success of Ghajini, Chandramukhi, Poguru (Thimiru in Tamil), 7G Brindavan Colony (7G Rainbow Colony in Tamil) is example.
The popularity of Tamil films being dubbed forced Telugu producers to contemplate a ban on the same. However, after a long gap, Kollywood seems to be veering towards dubbed Telugu films again. Three Telugu movies are ready for release in Tamil now. Chiranjeevi’s Jai Chiranjeeva, Mahesh Babu’s Arjun and Lawrence Raghavendra and Prabhu Deva-starrer Style are slated for release.
Jai Chiranjeeva stars Chiranjeevi, Bhoomika and Sameera Reddy while Arjun features Mahesh Babu and Shriya and the whole movie is set in Madurai. Mahesh Babu, Keerthi Reddy are playing brother and sister and Shreya is in female lead. Prakshraj and Saritha are in other roles. Most of the faces are familiar for Tamil audiences.
According to a prominent distributor, they are confident that these movies will do well. They all have big star cast and a story line, which would be to the liking of the audience. The fate of these movies will set a new path for several other Telugu films waiting to be dubbed Tamil.”
This pondering about the dubbed films did not catch my fancy until I watched Roja recently. This Mani Rathnam directed Arvind Swamy, Madhu starrer was a huge hit in about 1992. Originally released in Tamil, it was released later in dubbed versions in Telugu and Hindi. I was one of those who could not help but mesmerized by this flick in 1993 and there appeared no flaw then in the movie. Just last month I watched it on a channel and realized first time what a crime a dubbed film commits to original. Here I talk of Roja because it was a hit and never have I came across any comment about the quality of the dubbing in this film.
In the movie, the main protagonist Roja is a village girl. Draped in the scenic beauty of rural Tamilnadu, Mani Rathnam has etched out a visual poetry on the silver screen. Now when you see the movie, the girls wearing Pudavai, Selai and men wearing Veshti with elaan, sandalwood powder tilak seen prominently on their forehead are seen speaking in Bihari dialect and accent without slightest hesitation!

This movie was not the only one doing such a thing. The same feat was achieved in the Kamal Haasan movie, Appu Raja where Apoorva Sahodargal was brought on Hindi screen with dubbed dialogues. The lead actor and actress in the film, Kamal Haasan and Revathi respectively, roam singing in the Nilgiri jungle, which has a distinct Southern view in it. But all the characters in the film refer to the place as Lonavala, which is a tourist spot in Maharastra. And all types of trees but Nigiris crowd Lonavala. The same fate fell on Muthu, which is an all time hit of Superstar Rajinikant. Its dubbing is so lackluster that an important aspect of the film is twisted in the process. In the original, the main villain of the film is the brother of the Jamindar’s mother, while in Muthu Maharaja; he is shown as a friend of the Jamindar’s father.
The state of the dubbed films being so, it is really surprising then that they are so popular in the territories where they are exhibited. Lack of quality films in the local language and an appetite for some good films on the part of the people in the region might be a reason for the same. I have seen this curious trend in Hindi nowadays with CDs and DVDs of films popular Southern actors like Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna, Balkrishna, Venkatesh, Vijay, Vikram, Arjun and many others are being sold. Footpaths of major cities in Maharashtra are full of these and they are being sold in no time.
As said above, quality of dubbing of these films is nothing said the better. Still audience tend to enjoy, at least it seems going by the way they are growing in numbers and people enquiring about them. There are people whom I know, who see these films regularly, and they swear that they do not get the stuff in Bollywood movies. That explains one way the success of dubbed ones. But that has not given recognition to the people concerned with original films as they have received in Telugu.
The dubbed films are in vogue for a long time in Andhra Pradesh where film industry is a major player in the whole of industrial sector in the state. There dubbed films as well as remakes continued to go hand in hand with the original ones and all these have competed each other without whining. But a recent decision of the leaders of the AP film industry might change this scenario. They have decided to impose a ban on the dubbed film releasing in the state and the decision is being implemented from 13th Nov. This year. The move is likely to have an effect not only on Hindi films, but also English, Tamil, Malayalam and other regional languages films as well.
Even James Bond films have been released in their dubbed avatar in the past and they have collected the money as much as Telugu ones. Last year, many Tamil films like Anniyan, Chandramukhi, Thambi, Thimiru, SandaiKozhi etc. were dubbed in Telugu and received more than warm welcome by the Telugu audience. The recent decision might hamper the prospects of new arrivals, but none the same it will surely pave the way for remakes. Already AP film industry is full of rehabilitated Bollywood actors, music directors and above all actresses. If the audience is ready to accept them as much as their own artists, how can artisans keep them at a hand’s bay?
This decision coming on the heels of the success of dubbed Tamil films, might be an attempt to save the Telugu industry from being washed away by the Tamil films, but it will certainly keep the audience with some options ready for them in the form of new films and that too good ones. An audience subsisting on a large number of half-baked stuff will always be worse than the one willing to have a limited but good material at its disposal.

Read More

The Remakes-Same Old Story

BOLLYWOOD has now entered a new age -The Age of Remakes. See the hype over Don, starring Shahrukh Khan, which is a remake of old movie of the same name, starring Superstar Amitabh Bachchan. Another remake, which saw the darkness of the cinema halls, was Umrao Jaan, with Aishwarya Rai playing the role that Rekha did years ago. ‘Don’ was not the first film that was remade with Shahrukh as the main protagonist. It was Devdas five years ago that Sanjay Leela Bhansali came with his Devdas, a caricature work compared to the classic and unforgettable two Devdas, played by K. L. Saigal and Dileep Kumar.
Why are Bollywood directors are going for remakes these days? One thing proposed is that they’re probably hoping to have the same success that the original movie did. Secondly, since we have advanced technical know-how now, these directors might have thinking that they can make a better version of the original. A third reason put forward (and which appeals to me nonetheless) is that they have probably run out of ideas for a new script. Let’s talk about all these reason and the hollowness of the claim in it.

There have been many films in Bollywood where the movie drew a hell lot of money when it was released. Sometimes actors in the film fetched accolades for their portrayals of the roles assigned to them. What made these films memorable were the acting, music and strong script of the film. Take the case of Don, which had Amitabh in the lead, Pran in a supporting role, which was nothing less than the main and it had music by Kalyanji-Anandji, a pair known for the versatility and experimentation. That’s why songs from the original Don are sung even today with as much enthusiasm as much as it were 22 years ago. ‘Khaike Paan Banaaras Walaa,’ ‘Jiska Mujhe tha Intzaar,’ these are the songs that have become a part of the Indian folklore. Now compared to this, recent Don has only more glitz to show while going on a lowly content. Shahrukh Khan might be a good actor (I have my own reservations on the issue), but he can never imitate Mr. Bachchan in any way. There are no technological obligations in the Don to show its unique advancement and really movie doesn’t try to show it either. The only thing in the new Don that identifies it as a new age movie are some sophisticated cars, bikes et al, which only serve to add machismo to the Heroism of the main actor. How can one forget that Mr. Bachchan had precisely flanked this same machismo by his sheer persona and without any automobile instrumentation in not only Don but also umpteen movies one after another?
The only thing that apparently might have driven the makers to remake Don is the box-office success that it enjoyed. Shahrukh Khan has a penchant for keeping his scribbling pals in good humour. Somewhere in the point of time, he got himself named King Khan even without proving its credentials on Box Offices. With Don, he has tried to ape Mr. Bachchan wherein Superstardom will only be a logical step for him. Everyone nowadays know perfectly that the Don-1981 and Don-2006 had a different turf to slog it out for tickets collection. In those days, when there was no channel to generate any hype for any sundry film, it was the name of Mr. Bachchan on account of which crowds thronged the theatres. Number of films that two Don were released with was also a factor determining the fate of the works.
As for as Umrao Jaan was concerned, the movie itself got a beating on Box-office and by critics as well. Aishwarya was no Rekha and that shows. In this case also, while watching this film, intention of J. P. Dutta does never seem to make another classic. On the contrary it smacks of cashing in the name of an old movie which has in the conscience of the moviegoers for the past two decades. The same story is going to take place for the third time I’m afraid with Ram Gopal Varma venturing out to re-make Sholay, that timeless classic which has nourished a whole lot of movie generation. News coming from the Varma camp makes all movie buff shudder to the spine. Choosing Nisha Kothari as Basanti might sound a great idea to RGV, but for the common cine-goers, it is more atrocious than any crime Gabbar Singh can commit. And What about Bhansali? He killed Devdas with such a pomp that Sharat Chandra would have never thought. That flashiness was the most tragic case for any Devdas.
It’s very, very difficult, nearly impossible actually, to make a film that’s as good as the original. If the first film was a big hit, for no matter what reason, that impression stays with the audience and they compare the remake with the original, mostly unfavorably. And in India, where film stars are next to gods, that taste of the original favourites sticks in throat and no matter how well the film is presented again, remade film does not match to that taste. This is not limited to the present crop of same language remake but also to those which have been transformed from one set up to another. India, with its multi-cultured environs and diverse localities as well as communities always provided an ideal ground for the remakes of the films. In literature, this is called translation. But when it comes to movies, one has to not only take the storyline but also actors, music and all other factors involved in film making to new set up.
From the days of Devdas, films in one language are being reproduced and represented in another language. Sometimes the film in question was remade several times. They got their
fair share of acclaim, but they lacked something that only the original had. And that is true of all remakes. An actor like Anil Kapoor in Hindi or Venkatesh in Telugu had remakes as their major hits in portfolio. People unknown to the original flooded to their hits one after another, sometimes in succession and enjoyed it unquestioningly. To be fair, these actors were talented without doubt and never let their fans down. But one who knew original scripts, finds it really hard to gulp down the fare they churn out. Thus ‘Ladlaa’ and ‘Jamai Rajaa’ (Anil Kapoor starrers) are very good and enjoyable films themselves, but having seen ‘Gharanaa Mogudu’ or ‘Jamai Majaka’ respectively, Megastar Chiranjeevi starrers, tests ones ability to praise the former two films. And consider the dilemma of one who, besides these two knows the really original ‘Mannan’ and ‘Mappillai’, knows that Style King Rajinikant has made these two films a part of the Tamil film history, that those films have a status of all time entertainers and really such are they. Then it really depreciates the appreciation one might have for the stuff brought in front. (To be continued)

Read More