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Sony tie-up won't hurt my creativity: Bhansali

By Subhash K. Jha, Indo-Asian News Service

Mumbai, Oct 31 (IANS) Sanjay Leela Bhansali is quite certain that entertainment giant Sony Pictures will exercise no pressure on his creativity as it ties up with him for its first Hindi film.

"There will be no interference, only collaboration. I feel my creativity will be considerably enhanced by the atmosphere of professionalism," Bhansali told IANS in an interview, referring to the film "Saanvariya".

"Sony has chosen me to make their first Hindi film. And I feel honoured. Now I've to give everything I've to this project." 

The filmmaker, whose "Black" was highly applauded but failed to make it to the Oscars, is also hoping that the collaboration with Sony will take his vision to a larger audience.

Excerpts from the interview:

Q: Sony Pictures Entertainment has just entered into an unprecedented deal with you. Does it put a sense of responsibility on you?

A: I think Indian cinema deserved this kind of entertainment collaboration long back. I guess it's never too late. The fact that it's happening with my film and that too "Saanvariya", a project really close to my heart, makes me proud. This is the right time for us to go global in a big way. The world wants to reach out to us and vice versa. Indians are scoring in every sphere, so why not our cinema? I'm proud that my film has flagged off this process.

Q: Does this deal put an extra burden on you to deliver?

A: No, not at all. I feel every filmmaker, big or small, has a dream. And we cannot define that dream by the size of the resources available to a filmmaker. Every film is made just once and you'd better give it your best shot. 

"Saanvariya" is as precious to me as my earlier films. But this time the world will be looking at me to deliver. Now I've to live up to my own expectations and the expectations of the people who are putting so much faith in my abilities.

Q: Wouldn't it make your creativity self-conscious? 

A: No, challenges are always stimulating to creativity. "Saanvariya" will take me further than my earlier films. Sony has chosen me to make their first Hindi film. And I feel honoured. Now I've to give everything I've to this project.

This doesn't mean "Devdas" or "Black" weren't given everything I had. You know very well what difficulties I went through in making "Devdas"... or even my first film "Khamoshi" wasn't a cakewalk. "Saanvariya" will be easier to make. It will reach out to the optimum audience in a far more organised way.

Q: Do you think "Devdas" and "Black" would've been better marketed by a corporate company like Sony?

A: Oh absolutely! "Devdas" was chosen for Cannes. It was bought by several countries. It had the song-and-dance routine and yet it was perceived abroad as art. Earlier too a Hindi filmmaker like Guru Dutt was very popular abroad. But his films weren't marketed properly. That's where my "Saanvariya" will score over "Black" and "Devdas"... "Devdas" did become a rage. Aishwarya Rai became internationally known through this film. 

I hope my actors and technicians in "Saanvariya" would make the same impact. Sony will make the marketing, promotion and overall projection of my film so streamlined I just have to concentrate on making my film. 

Q: Sony thinks your cinema embodies sensitivity and visual splendour? 

A: I think the authorities saw "Black" and "Devdas". They liked the latter. But it was "Black" that really swayed them. They feel it was on a par with anything from anywhere. They decided to put their trust in this Indian filmmaker who thinks and visualises purely Indian dreams on celluloid. I hope "Saanvariya" will transport my vision to a larger audience. I think I'll be learning a lot from this experience. I've always been disciplined. Now it's time for my cinema to go into a more organised infrastructure. 

Q: But Sony will exercise its own pressures on your creativity?

A: None at all. Of course, the project will involve huge resources. So there's bound to be a participative spirit prevailing during the shoot. There will be no interference, only collaboration. I feel my creativity will be considerably enhanced by the atmosphere of professionalism. And I want to thank the Sony team in India - Uday Singh, Kunal Dasgupta and Shreedhar - for helping in making it happen. 

Q: There're many other prominent filmmakers in the country. What made them come to you? 

A: I can't say for sure. Maybe they looked at "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam", "Devdas" and "Black" as very Indian films, though in India "Black" wasn't seen as that Indian. 

You know Japanese, Indian and Italian cinemas are far more passionately emotional. Filmmakers from these countries operate from the heart. I think these are the qualities that Sony saw in my films. The song and dance legacy is what they see as Indian cinema. These components will be an integral part of "Saanvariya". Perhaps they related to my cinema in some instinctive way. "Saanvariya" was destined to be the first Indian film made in collaboration with Sony.

Q: When do you start?

A: The principal shooting begins in March. 

Q: And the cast?

A: Ah, that's surprise. Let's reveal it later.
 

'In Bollywood, you have to be hot and guarded'

By Subhash K. Jha, Indo-Asian News Service

Mumbai, Oct 31 (IANS) Neetu Chandra, who hails from Bihar and is a martial arts expert, will be seen in Priyadarshan's forthcoming comedy "Garam Masala". She is upbeat about the film and plays down reports of cold vibes she shared with her two female co-stars.

There was reportedly so much tension between the three women that by the time the film neared completion two of the centre-spread candidates - Daisy Bopanna and Neetu - had stopped speaking to each other. The third newcomer is Nargis.

Wonder what happened to the bum-chum camaraderie that Zeenat Aman, Shabana Azmi and Parveen Babi shared when they whooped it up together as the 'desi' Charlie's Angels in F.C. Mehra's "Ashanti".

Neetu, the spunky sportsperson (she's a black-belt in tae kwon do and has represented India internationally), doesn't deny that there was tension among the trio in "Garam Masala". 

"But isn't it natural for three newcomers to be insecure about their position? Though I'm not really a newcomer at all," says the ultra-confident Neetu. 

"We were no Charlie's Angels. We're cast as three different kinds of girls. While Daisy plays a cute girl, Nargis is the shy one. I'm the hot babe and I've been projected accordingly." 

Neetu, who left her home in Bihar for Mumbai three years ago, says she has been supporting herself financially since Class 12. 

She is a veteran of numerous high-profile ads and has also done a number of south Indian films. 

She's currently shooting a Telugu film titled "Godavari" in Rajahmundry. Her leading man, Sumanth, is actor Nagarajuna's nephew.

"My roles in the two films are in complete contrast. While I'm all about short skirts and long strides in 'Garam Masala', in 'Godavari' I'm a simple traditionally dressed girl. Audiences will get to see me in two completely different roles within a month in November and December."

Talks are on for two more films for Subhash Ghai productions, one to be directed by Ashiwini Chaudhary, who directed "Siskiyan", and where she plays a Bihari girl who's afraid to open her mouth publicly for the fear of making a fool of herself.

"That's the way I was when I came to Mumbai. For a girl from Bihar to be taken seriously in Mumbai is next to impossible. Doing a number of top-notch ads boosted my confidence."

How did a single girl from Bihar manage to keep the wolves at bay? 

"I had two very protective male friends to begin with. Then my brother came to Mumbai to escort me around," said Neetu.

Sounds exactly like the story of actor Mallika Sherawat. 

Neetu protests. "No, no! I admire what Mallika has achieved. But I can't be as upfront as she is, though I can be very honest when I want to be. I've realized in this business you have to be hot, happening... and guarded." 

She ponders over her rapid rise in Bollywood. 

"Mazdoori ki hai maine ek saal is ke liye (I have slogged for this for a year)," she confesses. 

"'Garam Masala' gave me a chance to work with one of our best directors, Priyadarshan and a hero like Akshay kumar. Akshay was so supportive. He guided me throughout the film. I couldn't ask for more." 

Harry Baweja replaces director in new film

By Subhash K Jha, Indo-Asian News Service

Mumbai, Oct 31 (IANS) The pre-production scenario for Harry Baweja's new production directed by Vikram Bhatt gets murkier by the day.

First, Sohail Khan was replaced by Aftab Shivdasani almost overnight, apparently without the former's knowledge.

Though the official reason given for Sohail's ouster is "date problem" the actor, currently shooting Rumi Jaffrey's comedy with his brother Salman, learnt about his non-inclusion in the final cast after reading about it!

Even more shocking is the ouster of the film's original director Hansal Mehta from the picture.

Hansal confirms he was supposed to direct Baweja's Urmila-Zayed-Aftab-Sanjay Suri project which is inspired from David R. Elllis's psychological thriller "Cellular".

"I really don't know what happened. I worked on the project for two months. Harry Baweja and I go back a long way. I made the comedy 'Yeh Kya Ho Raha Hai' for Harry.

"When he asked me to put together this project Sohail was very much an integral part of the project. He was to play the main antagonist. Most of the film's drama occurs between the characters played by Urmila and Sohail. I met Urmila several times.

"Everything was fine when suddenly Harry told me this was too big a project for me to handle. He said he was willing to produce something smaller for me. Something gave way inside me. I turned down the kind offer."

What really offended Hansal was the fact that the replacement director Vikram Bhatt didn't even bother to clarify the situation with him.

"Strange, because it was my project to begin with. I had originally taken the idea to another producer. When things didn't work out I took it out to Harry... Anyway..." Hansal sighs.

"I've moved on. My new film 'Anjaan' is releasing on 11 November," Hansal adds.

Hansal describes it as "a relationship-driven thriller with three good-looking glamorous people. I've never really done a marital film before. 'Anjaan' is very close to my heart. It's very economically told thriller... just 100 minutes long."

Is it true that Sohail walked out of the Baweja film out of a sense of loyalty towards Hansal? "I don't know," Hansal laughs uneasily.

"But it's true that Sohail and I became very close friends while I directed him in my other ready-for-release film 'Raakh'.

"Sohail was very charged about the Harry Baweja film. In fact Ashish Chowdhary who's part of the cast and who's very close to Harry kept persuading Sohail to stay on."
 

What the stars are up to this Diwali 

By Subhash K. Jha, Indo-Asian News Service

Mumbai, Oct 31 (IANS) It's all about partying, spending time with family even if means travelling across continents, but for some the festival of lights will also be spent working. Here's what our stars will be doing on Diwali:

Hema Malini: "This Diwali, I won't be home. I'm planning to go to Bangkok to join my daughter Esha who's shooting there. Nov 2 is her birthday. And naturally I'd want to be with her. So I suppose we'll have a double celebration for Diwali and her birthday." 

Priyanka Chopra: "My dad is ill. So I'll be spending Diwali with him in the US. Not a very happy Diwali for me." 

Jaya Bachchan: "I'll be in New York attending the UN assembly. My husband and son will be shooting in New York for Karan Johar's film. So there will be no Diwali at our home in Mumbai. To be honest, I'm glad. With all the devastation that has happened it seems cruel to celebrate Diwali. Children have suffered so much. I'd rather do something to diminish their distress than celebrate Diwali."

Adnan Sami: "The best way to spend Diwali is with family and friends. And that's exactly what I plan to do." 

Bindiya Dutta: "This is the first Diwali that we're celebrating in Mumbai in the last three years. The last two Diwalis, JP (Dutta) and I were in London with our two daughters. So we feel a little out of the loop. JP isn't a very Diwali kind of person. He has his group of close friends whom he likes over every Diwali. They don't get all noisy and boisterous. They just chill basically, have dinner, relax and talk till the wee hours. But our kids have many noisy plans. They're doing up an entire room, decorating the house with Diwali idols and figurines. The whole atmosphere in our office and at home is very charged because JP has started his new film 'Umrao Jaan'. So yes, I feel very excited and happy this Diwali." 

Vipul Shah: "Though we'll have our normal celebrations, Shefali and I are going to be out of Mumbai. We'll be going out with a college friend to a small beach resort near Mumbai. Since I'm well into my next film this is the only time I'll have to take a holiday with my wife and kids."

Sammir Dattani: "I was supposed to go on a cruise with my entire family this Diwali. But now I'll have to stay back because my film 'Corporate' will start. Anyway Diwali will be a whole lot of fun. Since I don't have any close friends in the film industry, my close group of college and school friends and I will get together for a whole lot of masti."

Sonu Nigam: "The best way to celebrate Diwali every year is to be at home with my parents. That's exactly what I intend to do this year too." 

Urmila Matondkar: "No Diwali at home for me this year. I'll be working. I'll probably be on stage dancing in the US when everyone back home will be lighting diyas and bursting crackers. But I'm not complaining. There can be no bigger joy than to be entertaining thousands of people as they applaud you for your efforts."

Anil Kapoor: "This Diwali I'll be in New York with my daughter Rhea." 

Nikhil Advani: "Since the shooting of my film 'Salaam-e-Ishq' is around the corner I'll be working on the dialogues with Sourabh Shukla on Diwali. Work is worship, I guess."

Madhur Bhandarkar: "Diwali? With my wife Renu, my mother and close friends, counting my blessings. My new film 'Corporate' has just started to roll. I've a lot to be thankful for."

Dino Morea: "For Diwali I'll be shooting in Goa for 'Tom Dick & Harry'. All three of us and director Deepak Tijori will do both Pooja and Aarti, and light diyas at the same time." 

Lara Dutta: "I'm heading for Bhutan For Diwali."

Shabana Azmi: "This year the Diwali party is in my brother Baba's home. Every year we have a huge open-house party... Of course our home would be decorated with diyas and flowers. Cousins come down from Hyderabad every year. So we'll all play cards in the night.

Suneel Shetty: "Diwali means family, period... My parents, wife and kids. If I'm out of town, I call them to wherever I am and we celebrate together. This year I'm home for Diwali. Lots of pooja, masti and fun. Both my son and daughter love crackers. And as long as their Papa is with them they aren't frightened." 

Smriti Malhotra-Irani: "I suppose we'll have the usual Laxmi pooja and then the fireworks. What makes Diwali really special every year is the family get-together. This is the one time when we get to be together in such a happy atmosphere. This Diwali is more special than usual because both our children are old enough to understand the importance of the festival. They'll be painting diyas and pots with their Nani and helping her make chocolates. So yeah, I guess this Diwali is more special than the rest."

Bipasha Basu: "I celebrate Diwali with family and friends. I just like to spend quality time with them. I'll have Laxmi pooja at home. No crackers and certainly no gambling for me, thank you! But I indulge in a loads of yummy delicacies, including sweets. I'm sure my new figure-conscious mind can take it for one day."

Raima Sen: "If the entire family is together we have dinner at home and then we light diyas and have our family dinner... It's one of the highlights of the year for us. However, if one or the other member of the family is travelling then the festivity seems unfinished. This year I think all of will be together except my sis who's travelling. I guess that leaves my parents all for me. Not such a sad thought, ha!"

Raveena Tandon: "This is our first Diwali with our little Laxmi Rasha. Our daughter has brought my husband Anil and I the kind of happiness which cannot be described. Since this is Rasha's first Diwali, we'll make sure it's the most memorable Diwali we've ever celebrated." 

Sameera Reddy: "I'll be shooting. But I'll be taking the evening off for pooja with the family."

Amitabh Bachchan: "Diwali is a big occasion for us... Every year we've an open house. We throw our doors open for all our friends and family. This year both Abhishek and I will miss Diwali at home. We'll both be shooting for Karan Johar in New York."