| |
ENTERTAINMENT
Women
Power
Women directors were once synonymous with angst-ridden arty
films, wearing their hearts on their sleeves. Not any longer. Check out
these new entrants:
Farah
Khan
 Current
job: A-list choreographer.
Will Make: A film about two brothers with contrasting images.
Will Star: Shah Rukh and Abhishek.
Honey
Irani
Current job: A-list writer.
Will Make: A buddy movie about two policewomen.
Will Star: Tabu and perhaps Sushmita.
Meghna
Gulzar
 Current
job: Budding director.
Will Make: Afilm about two women's quest for children.
Will Star: Tabu and Sushmita.
He
Sings Too
 It's
not enough that director Mahesh Manjrekar has just had one release,
Astitva, and has two more coming up. Or that he has four films
on the floors. Now he's singing too. In his under-production Pyar Kiya
Nahin Jata, Manjrekar is crooning one song. But don't assume that
he's a novice like the Khans and Sanjay Dutt. Manjrekar used to sing on
the Marathi stage. He says, "Composer Anand Raj Anand thought I could
do justice. I'm no Sonu Nigam but I can sing better than the guy who dubbed."
We'll see.
|
|
|
"I'm
glad I've moved beyond action roles"
 With
critical appreciation and successes like Hera Pheri, Jungle and
Dhadkan, Sunil Shetty is on a roll. The erstwhile action
hero talks about changing images, Aghaaz and why he's no
longer interested in action films.
Q.
Why don't you act in action sagas any more?
A. I'm through with that. My mother, wife and daughter don't
watch these films so what am I doing them for? Now I'm only doing
films with high-level action and those which offer me different
types of roles.
Q.
But Aghaaz-The Beginning seems to be an out and out action film?
A. It's a revenge-based script but the hero's grievance is not
against the villains, but against society. I did the film because
the last 45 minutes are different. I think it's the best performance
of my life. When people leave the theatre, they won't think of the
action, they'll be thinking, "what intensity".
Q.
You're doing films with Mahesh Manjrekar, Priyadarshan and Kundan
Shah. Is this your most satisfying phase as an actor?
A. Absolutely. For someone who has been called wooden throughout
his career, this is highly satisfying. I'm getting offers of comedies
and emotional roles. I'm really glad that I've moved beyond the
dishoom-dishoom.
|
BOX
OFFICE
Karobar
Weeks in release: 2
Collections: Rs 2,22,476
Audiences don't care about this remake of Indecent Proposal.
Verdict: Flop
Fiza
Weeks in release: 3
Collections: Rs 43,58,659
Herculean Hrithik is propping up the film but collections are dipping
everywhere.
Verdict: Average
Hamara
Dil Aapke Paas Hai
Weeks in release: 5
Collections: Rs 13,88,486
The crude rape melodrama runs out of steam.
Verdict: Average
(Mumbai
collections only. Source: Trade magazines)
Man
To Watch: Ajith Kumar is the Tamil film industry's hottest
and most saleable star today. He had three hits in a row last year. After
Rajiv Menon's Kandukondain, Kandukondain, he's had offers pouring
in from Bollywood. Cinematographer-director Santosh Sivan has just offered
him a role with Shah Rukh Khan in Ashoka. He's also been approached
by Boney Kapoor. But all Kumar says is, "At this point, I don't want
to be impulsive. I want to give Hindi films some thought." Kumar's
Tamil projects—Citizen where the hard-working actor dons nine
get-ups and is paired with Meghna Reddy's sister Sumeera, and Deena,
an action-oriented masala film with newcomer Laila—are slated for
release soon. The professional that he is, he hasn't allowed the success
to go to his head.
Compiled
by Anupama Chopra and Methil
Renuka
Top
|
|
By
putting off rolling settlement, SEBI has given punters on Dalal Street
a Diwali gift, says INDIA TODAY Associate Editor V. Shankar Aiyar in
