Other Topics : Art Culture - Fashion - Tourism

Latest & Hot Bollywood Film News : * hourly updation

Back to Bollywood Current News Section

More curiosity over 'Rang De Basanti' as release is postponed
By Subhash K. Jha, Indo-Asian News Service

Mumbai, Jan 21 (IANS) The curiosity to see Rakeysh Mehra's "Rang De Basanti" grows by the day after the much-touted film's release date was postponed to Jan 26.
      

                          Advertisement

The Aamir Khan-starrer was postponed from this Friday (Jan 20) to Thursday (Jan 26 - Republic Day), adding to the growing curiosity about the film.

No one, not even the film's crew, has seen "Rang de Basanti". 

"Not even my six-year-old daughter Bhairavi. But one of her friends saw it very long ago when we had completed the film. And now poor Bhairavi can't hear the end of it," chuckles Rakeysh.

On Thursday, Rakeysh was in Pune for the Pune Film Festival where "Rang De Basanti" was supposed to be screened. However, the screening was cancelled.

Explains Rakeysh: "It was a big blow to all of us who were there - Aamir, Soha Ali Khan, Sharman Joshi, Kunal Kapoor and Siddharth, and for the audience. We were supposed to screen 'Rang De Basanti' as the Pune festival's closing film. 

"But with the release being postponed to next Thursday, it didn't make sense to show the film to the festival. It was okay to screen it at Pune this Thursday when the film's commercial release was the next day... not any more. 

"Anyway, we all went up on stage and said sorry to the audience. They were extremely gracious and curious about the film. They asked a thousand questions. I hope the curiosity remains alive until the film's release."

Interestingly, the postponement of "Rang De Basanti" has led to a no-release situation in theatres this week. 

"No other filmmaker, big or small, was willing to take on 'Basanti'. In spite of Aamir's last film ('Mangal Pandey') not being up to the mark and Rakeysh Mehra's last film 'Aks' causing a public perplexity," observes filmmaker Hansal Mehta.

-*-

Johan Mathan upset with criticism of 'Shikhar'

The last big film of 2005, "Shikhar", got swamped in criticism. 

"Critics even said the film should be shown to your enemies. I couldn't understand the vicious remarks," says director John Mathan still smarting under the unexpected blow. 

However, with no releases this week the film has suddenly got a new lease of life.

Some theatres in Mumbai have decided to re-release "Shikhar" in single shows. 

"I hope some more people will go see it this time without the baggage of scathing reviews weighing down their minds," said Mathan. 

"I agree 'Shikhar' isn't 'Sarfarosh'. It was never meant to be. I'm equally proud of both." 

And Shahid Kapoor's Screen nomination for best actor has definitely boosted the director's morale. The film also stars Ajay Devgan, Bipasha Basu, Amrita Rao and John Abraham.