Tossing Up:KUSUMERUMAL and MERO EUTA SAATHI CHA

Media is gung-ho about two movie releases, Mero Euta Saathi Cha and new Kusumerumal, slated to be released this Dasain. Do Mero Euta Saathi Cha and Kusumerumal live up to the expectations? Hmmm....I'm little confused and undecided whether to watch Kusumerumal, or to watch Mero Euta Saathi Cha. Though undecided, i 've this decided article on them - Mero Euta Saathi Cha and new Kusumerumal.

Mero Euta Saathi Cha and new Kusumerumal, both are new young generations films on block by the first time young directors Sudarshan thapa and Nirak poudel respectively. If Mero Euta Saathi Cha is a continual effort of Sudarshan Thapa after his hit series HOUSE FULL in Kantipur T.V, Kusumerumal is a education experimentation of OXFORD UNIVERSITY by Nirak Poudel. Mero Euta has an established casting coup of Aryan Sigdel, Namrata Shrestha and Jivan Luitel where as Kusumerumal stars the arrival of Niraj Baral and Rubi Bhattarai,along with Usha Rajak (though she is tested earlier).

Mero Euta embarks director Sudarshan Thapa's penchant for elaborate sets,locals and gloss. And it is evident with its teasers. Mero Euta Saathi Cha promos promises of having a well made candid entertainer. Mero Euta Saathi Cha has the feel of being very passionate and intimately intense. However, if the music of Mero Euta Saathi Cha is any indication, Sudarshan seems to be standing on a winning post , and has the Nepali pop kind of feel.


Will Aryan Sigdel or Namrata Shrestha exude the requisite charm to pull in the audiences?

Wait and watch.


Kusumerumal is a continuation of old Box office bluckbuster Kusumerumal played by Bhuwan K.c and Tripti Nadkar alongside Udit Narayan Jha. The film is backed up by gopi krishna movie and Uddab Poudel the original producer of years back Kusumerumal. The only change in this new chapater is the director Nirak Poudel. There's no Tulasi Ghimire calling the shot,who is the director of years back KUSUMERUMAL and no Ranjit Gajmer(original music director) fining the tunes of the tracks . Here the music director has been replaced by Souryajeet Baskota, son to Sambhujeet Baskota. With the promos of Kusumerumal, it is indicated that it's a light entertainer. The music is already a hit amongst youngesters though it's a rehash of the same years back movie. "KUSUMERUMAL is a sure shot hit and will take box office on fire. Not a single film would stand it race if it clashes with the realese of KUSUMERUMAL." said one of the young-reknown- film -maker in town. Hmm...sounds good.

Though unpedictable story lines , both movie shares the tragic end of the prominent character,the heroine, as per the close resources. Kusumerumal is a 35 m.m bonanza with a 1.5 digital sorround sound where as Mero Euta Saathi Cha is a 2k venture with virgin locals and a surprise appearance included.

Well only time will tell, whether both the films re-write box-office history; one thing that they have already re-written is the hype surrounding a film.

Though it seems ‘hype’ is never enough, as Clarissa Dickson Wright quoted “In the 20th century, the French managed to get a death on the myth that they produce the world’s best food. The hype has been carefully orchestrated, despite the fact that the most popular food in the last quarter has undoubtedly been Italian, the French have managed to maintain that mental grip.”

So sample this

• Namrata becomes heart throbe of hundreds wanna be.

• Aaditya Narayan Jha is humming his dad known by Udit Narayan Jha's year back hit song Maya ko bari ma once again.


Well, both these directors are leaving no stone unturned in going out of their way to promote themselves and their films.

So the obvious question of who’ll emerge as the winner from the two prompted us to speak to the movie insiders who have been closely associated with the duo. The directors in question,Nirak and Sudarshan may tag this war as ‘media created’ but certainly not our movie insiders and trade analysts. So who is going to walk away with the top honors for making the Best Film this year... any guesses?

As for now, Cut the crap, cut the gyan-baazi, cut the will-it-won’t-it work naatak. Rush for both Kusumerumal and Mero Euta Saathi Cha for clelebrating nepali cinema,with the festive mood in high.

feel free to comment
JAI CINEMA

Sleepless night : Thinking my directorial dreams

2nd September (yesterday) was the screening of FACE THE DEATH in JHAPA for the Youth volunteers of Nepal Red cross. There were about 200 members, mostly native I think, and I was curious to see the response of my native audience to what we had made. But since i was not there,few of my pal made arragements of screening. And here in kathmandu i was enjoying voice chat and cam service instantly.

First of all, it was not in a cinema hall but in a conference room so the acoustics were not good, and it was a DVD projection. Ashutosh, the projectionist, was really sweet and had done his best in the circumstances. As the lights dimmed out my friends might felt the nervousness. Tere were people who know all about Climate change and work in the field of learning all possible remedies. Also, whenever I watch my work around a week after it has released I usually hate it, and this time was no different. As the film played out I kept squirming, wishing I could disappear into a world unknown. Frozen, i felt millions of chill running down my spine.

"And then finally the film got over and the lights came on….. to an ABSOLUTELY THUNDEROUS STANDING OVATION" said Pralad, the event manager.

My God it was so moving. I was so overwhelmed. Then I came forward for the Q&A and heard the voices treambling down the cheeks of the audience. I can’t tell you how happy I was to hear so many people whispered! Needless to say I was part of them, I cry at the drop of a hat. And here were people from all over JHAPA who had dedicated their lives to helping poor with many difficulties. I was so glad that Red cross had chosen to screen FACE THE DEATH at their annual conference, and that I was able to make it to my own home town. And I felt so blessed to be part of a film that touches people so deeply.

Everyone just loved the film and it had struck a really deep chord. In fact the reaction was exactly as it had been with audiences back in Kathmandu. It really amazes me how people from all across the world react to some films in pretty much the same way, which reaffirms the fact of how similar we all are no matter which part of the globe we come from.

The subject struck once again and won all hearts. The story and screenplay were unanimously appreciated as were all the other aspects of the film. The visual and sound were especially loved and everyone wanted to know more about these technical aspect, especially.

All of them wanted to know when my own independent film would release in theatres . On being told that i have already been doing film (as an assistant) here they all insisted that i should come as an indepent director as my own . One of the interesting points which came out of the Q&A was the request from the audience to make a serial that touches the chord. They felt, and rightly so, that they wanted their children, friends and family to see the cliamte change film and were afraid that Climate change will endup making us all a rotten . So I’m going to talk more into that.

Well, you can imagine that I didn’t get much sleep last night. So on the night of the 2nd september (yesterday) there was at least one person who was sleepless in city, and this time it wasn’t a politician but an aspiring FILM-MAKER.

feel free to comment
JAI CINEMA

YASH CHOPRA :The King Of Romance

Born on 27th September 1932, in Jalandhar (Punjab), Yash Chopra is undoubtedly India's most successful film-maker. With a career spanning over five decades, he has been associated with almost 35 films, most of which have created box-office history.

He started out as an assistant to his brother and went on to direct 5 very successful films for his brother’s banner - B.R.Films. These were Dhool Ka Phool (1959), Dharmputra (1961), Waqt (1965), Ittefaq (1969) & Aadmi Aur Insaan (1969). He has wielded the baton, additionally, for 4 films made by other film companies - Joshila (1973), Deewaar (1975), Trishul (1978) & Parampara (1993). But his greatest repertoire of work has been around 30 films made under the auspices of his own company, YASH RAJ FILMS. Out of these, he has directed 12 films himself, while the others have been directed by younger directors – under his supervision and administrative acumen as one of India’s greatest producers.



Arguably he can be called India’s most successful confluence of creativity and administrative genius - as he dons his two hats - as a director and a producer.

As a director his speciality has been romance - he possesses a rare aesthetic knack of making his films look larger than life. His hallmark has always been the presentation of his screenplay embellished with gorgeous locations, snow-capped mountains, lakes and rivers, beautiful women draped in the most gorgeous costumes amidst fields of flowers - sights that he paints with his visual imagery. Love and romance inevitably happen to his characters who have become icons for film buffs. Yash Chopra is reputed to make his characters look the most gorgeous in his films - whether he works with a well-known star
or a newcomer, they have never looked so visually appealing as in his films. His sense of music, an integral part of Indian cinema, is renowned - musical scores from his films have become the largest selling albums in Indian film history.

Yash Chopra was one of the first directors to shoot his films out of India and Switzerland, Holland, Germany and the United Kingdom have become even more popular with the Asian population, who have been enamoured by the locales in Yash Chopra’s films. In fact, a lake in Switzerland has been unofficially named ‘The Chopra Lake’ because of the way he has used it in films. Yash Chopra has been honoured by The Swiss Government for rediscovering Switzerland and was presented a special Award by Ms. Ursula Andress on behalf of the Swiss Government.

As a producer he has lent the largest canvas to his films. He has never fought shy of adventuring into bold and controversial themes. His films have always had a message and have never failed to bring either a smile to the lips or a tear in the eye of the viewers. Yash Chopra is probably the only film-maker whom the older generation proudly blesses and the younger generation looks up to for blessings.

He has groomed various young talents through his films - as a director, his son Aditya Chopra, has been his most significant contribution. He has brought in new composers through his films, new singers, and new acting talent. To be a part of a YRF film is a dream for any talent in India - creative or technical.

With his vast years of experience in the entertainment business, Yash Chopra is indisputably the leader of the Indian Film industry. Every Institution wants him to be on their board or advisory committee and he lends his advice whole-heartedly in his quest
to better the administration and recognition of the Indian entertainment industry - poised for a major take-off. The corporatization of Indian entertainment, which is currently at its peak, will never forget its debt to the pioneering legend, Yash Chopra. He is currently on the Advisory Board of the Information & Broadcasting Ministry of the Government of India.

He is the Founder Trustee of Film Industry Welfare Trust established in the year 1996.

He is the Vice President of the Film Producers' Guild of India since the last 10 years.

He is the only Indian Film Producer and Director to receive the BBC Asia Awards twice - in 1998 and 2001 for his outstanding contribution in films.

He is the recipient of the Dr. Dadabhai Naoroji Millennium Lifetime Achievement in 2001.

He is the recipient of Certificate of Recognition from the British Tourist Authority and British Film Commission for promoting tourism in the UK through his films.

He is the recipient of the Vocational Excellence Award by the Rotary Club.

He has been awarded Outstanding Achievement Awards by the apex bodies of Indian Industry - like the CII (Confederation of Indian Industry). He is currently the Chairman of the Entertainment Committee of FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry) - the Apex Business Organisation of India.

He was honoured by the IIFA (Indian International Film Awards) at Malaysia for his outstanding contribution to Indian Cinema.

The British Film Institute handpicked Yash Chopra for a book written by Dr. Rachel Dwyer in their 'World Directors Series'. This book was launched amidst great fanfare in London and showcases the glorious 5-decade career of Yash Chopra. The book, ‘Yash Chopra’ was also released in New Delhi by the then Information & Broadcasting Minister Mrs. Sushma Swaraj and in Mumbai by Dilip Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan & Shah Rukh Khan.
He was honoured by NAASCOM (National Association of Software and Service Companies) and AIAI (All India Association of Industries) for his outstanding achievements.

He has also been awarded the prestigious Priyadarshini Award for his outstanding contribution to Indian Cinema. This award was presented to him by the then Deputy Prime Minister Mr. L.K.Advani.

He was also chosen for the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2001, the topmost and the highest honour given by the Government of India to a member of the entertainment fraternity.

His company, Yash Raj Films was also awarded the Golden Peacock National Quality Award for outstanding achievement in pursuit of Total Quality Management in the Entertainment Sector for the year 2002.



He was also honoured with the 'Teachers 2003 Outstanding Achievement Award'.

He was also felicitated at the Indian Film Festival 2003, in Kuala Lumpur, for his outstanding contribution in films.

The Guru Nanak University, Amritsar, India, has conferred upon him an Honorary Doctorate (Doctor Of Philosophy – Honoris Causa) in 2004 in recognition of his stature as a leading luminary of India.

He was honoured with the prestigious "Lifetime Achievement Award" at CineAsia 2004 held at Bangkok, Thailand in December 2004, and was the first Indian ever to be honoured at CineAsia.

Above all, India’s ace director recently offered a new love legend VEER-ZAARA, after a gap of 7 years, which released worldwide on 12th November 2004. Indeed, he is one of the only stalwarts from his generation whose creativity is in tandem with today’s generation of viewers.

Yash Chopra’s Veer-Zaara also got the prestigious recognition of being selected as one of the films screened at the 55th Berlin International Film Festival, in the "International Forum of New Cinema" section, in February 2005 in Berlin, Germany.
After winning heartsof people in major parts of the world, Yash Chopra’s Love Legend, Veer-Zaara also didn’t fail to cast its magical spell on Germany.

Yash Chopra was honoured with a major award presentation at the 5th Annual Marrakech Film Festival in November 2005. He joined Martin Scorsese and Dame Judi Dench in being honoured by His Royal Highness, Prince Moulay Rachid at the Royal Palace. His film, Veer-Zaara was screened to an unprecedented crowd who gave him a standing ovation.

Veer-Zaara was also honoured with the National Award for “Best Film for providing popular and Wholesome Entertainment”, and also almost swept all major award ceremonies of the year, including every “Best Film” Award.

Yash Chopra was one of the eminent Indians in 2005 selected for the coveted Padma Bhushan Award, one of the country’s highest civilian honours bestowed for the year 2005 by the Honourable President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.

Yash Chopra was invited as Guest of Honour for the 2005 Convocation ceremony of the Kanya Maha Vidyalaya – one of the oldest institutions for Women education in India. He joined the ranks of many great Indian stalwarts like Lala Lajpat Rai, Dr. Radha Krishnan, Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr. Rajinder Prasad, Mr. Morarji Desai, Mrs. Sarojini Naidu and Mrs. Indira Gandhi, who have been invited to this illustrious institution.

Yash Chopra was awarded the “Superbrand Award” for 2005 by Superbrands International, a worldwide organisation operating in 44 countries, which exists to promote the discipline of brand management and pay tribute to exceptional brands. The Superbrand Award is considered to be the Oscars of Brand Management, and is the Global Benchmark of Brand Management.

Yash Chopra was felicitated at the MTV IMMIES 2005 with the “Inspiration Award” for his contributions to Indian Music in his career spanning 5 decades. The Award was presented to him along with international music sensation and superstar Ronan Keating.

Yash Chopra was honoured at the 2nd Dubai International Film Festival 2005, along with the Egyptian comedy superstar Adel Imam, and the Oscar Winning actor Morgan Freeman as the Asian, Arab and Hollywood honorees in the Festival’s “In the Spotlight” program, for their distinguished service to the film industry.



Yash Chopra is the only film-maker to have won the National Award six times. He has won the Filmfare Awards nine times, the only living director to have won nine times and various other Association Awards innumerable times.


NATIONAL AWARDS
YEAR FILM AWARDS
1962 DHARMPUTRA President's Gold Medal
1989 CHANDNI National Award for "Best Film for Providing popular and Wholesome Entertainment"
1994 DARR National Award for "Best Film for Providing popular and Wholesome Entertainment
1995 DILWALE DULHANIA LE JAYENGE National Award for "Best Film for Providing popular and Wholesome Entertainment"
1997 DIL TO PAGAL HAI 3 Awards incl. National Award for "Best Film for Providing popular and Wholesome Entertainment
2004 VEER-ZAARA National Award for “Best Film for Providing popular and Wholesome Entertainment”


FILMFARE AWARDS
YEAR FILM AWARDS
1965 WAQT 4 Awards including Best Director
1969 ITTEFAQ Best Director
1973 DAAG 4 Awards including Best Director
1975 DEEWAAR 7 Awards including Best Director
1991 LAMHE 5 Awards including Best Director
1995 DILWALE DULHANIA LE JAYENGE 10 Awards including Best Film
[The largest number of awards ever won by any film]
1997 DIL TO PAGAL HAI 7 Awards including Best Film
2000 MOHABBATEIN 4 Awards
2004 VEER-ZAARA 4 Awards including Best Film

Personal Quotes

"We're making all kinds of films - English, Hinglish, sex, horror... this and that. It's a healthy trend. But for a film to run it has to have Indian values. For a film to be a blockbuster it has to be rooted to our culture."

"I'm the sentimental sort. I cry easily. I cry when I see poignant films made by other directors."

"You can always make a good film but for it to be successful, you need God's blessing."

About Veer-Zaara (2004): "Though it's a film about cross-border love, there isn't a word of politics in it. Forget politics, there isn't slap, not even a raised voice in Veer-Zaara (2004). It's a very intense, humane and emotional story. Veer-Zaara (2004) is a humble tribute to my home in Punjab. It's my tribute to the one-ness of people on both sides of the border. Every religion preaches peace. Then why the bloodshed for the sake of religion? Why are we destroying each other?"

"I always believe that my films should give some hope to the man who comes to watch them for those three hours. If he goes home on an optimistic note, I would feel satisfied at having done my duty."

"Films have been my only passion in life. I have always been proud of making films and will continue taking pride in all my films. I have never made a movie I have not believed in. However, though I love all my films, one tends to get attached to films that do well. But I do not have any regrets about making films that did not really do well at the box office."

On singer Lata Mangeshkar: "Lataji has always been so kind to me. She can never say no to me. As long as I am there and she's there she'll continue to sing for my films. When others sing they follow music, but when she sings, music follows her. I truly believe that. When she sang for Dhool Ka Phool (1959) the first film I directed, I was in awe of her. Today I'm much closer to her. But the awe remains."

The reason for his seven-year hiatus in direction: "My son Aditya made Mohabbatein (2000), which took a lot of time and energy. Then we started looking for a script for me to direct. Nothing seemed to excite us both. There's a complete bankruptcy of screenwriting in our cinema. I wanted a very earthy and Indian subject. I was tired of the promos on television. With semi-clad girls, they all looked the same. Of course Dhoom (2004) has them too. But I'd personally not make a film like that."

"Relationships interest me because man is one creature who is capable of sane as well as insane behaviour. It's this nature of human beings that inspires and gives room for innumerable plots. Like in _Daag (1973)_, Raakhee, who played the other woman, created all the drama, as did Rekha in Silsila (1981). In Aaina (1993) it was the jealous sister while in Darr (1993) it was the obsessive lover. So unlike other movies where a villain is added to create the problems, in my films villainy is substituted by a third angle."

Some Historinic Moments

In the 1980s, Chopra went through a rough time. Two of his melodramas, Silsila (1981) and Faasle (1985); and two action-oriented films, Mashaal (1984) and Vijay (1988), flopped at the box office, although the latter became a critically acclaimed classic years later. However, he made a comeback with his musical love triangle Chandni (1989). The film was a huge success, with great performances by established heroine Sridevi and action hero Vinod Khanna. Then came what critics and Chopra himself considered his best film, Lamhe (1991), a beautiful film about cross-generational love. It couldn't survive the box office, however, due to its incestuous nature.

Parampara (1992), done for an outside producer, was a misfire, but then came the box-office hit and trend setter Darr (1993). Starring the then-débutant Shahrukh Khan, it showed a sympathetic look at obsessive love and an emotion often overlooked in love--fear--and its success catapulted Khan to super-stardom. In 1995, Chopra turned to production and Aditya Chopra made his directorial debut with Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), which had the longest-running initial release in cinema history. He directed one more film, Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), a love story set against the theater, which became a huge success and a cult hit, before he retired from directing. However, in 2004, he made a grand comeback with Veer-Zaara (2004), a touching cross-border love story, which he said would be his last directorial effort.

Fun never ends..Feel free to comment
JAI CINEMA

The History of Film Fare

The Filmfare Awards ceremony is one of the oldest and most prominent film events given for Hindi Films in India. Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Mumbai-based Hindi film industry in India. The term is often used to refer to the whole of Cinema of India....

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world. The Filmfare awards were first introduced in 1954, the same year as the National Film Awards.
The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India, and the country's oldest alongside the Filmfare Awards. Established in 1954, it has been run by the Indian government's Directorate of Film Festivals since 1973....
and was initially referred to as the Clare Awards after the magazine's editor. A dual voting system was developed in 1956. Under this system, "in contrast to the National Film Awards, which are decided by a panel appointed by Indian Government, the Filmfare Awards are voted for by both the public and a committee of experts." The Filmfare Awards have been often referred to as Bollywood's equivalent of the Oscar.

History

The Filmfare awards were first introduced in 1953. The Clares was the original name of the award ceremony, named after Filmfare critic Clare Mendonca. Readers of Filmfare magazine

were polled to decide the winners, and over 20,000 readers spread throughout India participated in the polls;trophies

were given to winners of the popular vote. In the first awards function, held on 21 March 1954, only five awards were presented – for the best film , the best director, the best actor, the best actress, and the best music director. Do Bigha Zameen
was the first movie to win the award for the best film. The first winners for other four categories were: Bimal Roy for direction of Do Bigha Zameen, Dilip Kumar for his performance in Daag, Meena Kumari for her performance in Baiju Bawra, and Naushad Ali for his music in Baiju Bawra.

To celebrate the 25th year of the awards the statues were made in

Silver and to celebrate the 50th year the statues were made in

Gold.

Awards

As of 2005, there are 31 awards. There is a separate category of film-critics awards, decided by noted film-critics rather than popular votes. This dual format has also generated some controversy amongst viewers and recipients. Awards are given in the following categories. Follow the links for lists of the award winners, year by year.

Popular awards

• Best Film
• Best Director
  Filmfare Best Director Award
  
  The Filmfare Best Director Award is one of the Filmfare_Award#Popular_awards presented by the magazine Filmfare to the directors working in the Cinema of India....
  
• Best Actor
  Filmfare Best Actor Award
  
  The Filmfare Best Actor Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.The award was first given in 1953....
  
• Best Actress
  Filmfare Best Actress Award
  
  The Filmfare Best Actress Awards is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.The award was first given in 1953....
  
• Best Supporting Actor
  Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award
  
  The Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.Although the awards started in 1953, awards for the best supporting actor category started only the following year....
  
• Best Supporting Actress
  Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award
  
  The Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Awards is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.Although the awards started in 1953, awards for the best supporting actress category started only the following year....
  
• Best Villain
  Filmfare Best Villain Award
  
  The Filmfare Best Villain Award is given by Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films. Although the awards started in 1954, This category was first presented in 1992....
  
• Best Comedian
  Filmfare Best Comedian Award
  
  The Filmfare Best Comedian Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.Although the awards started in 1953, awards for the best comedian category started only in 1967....
  
• Best Male Debut
• Best Female Debut
  Filmfare Best Female Debut Award
  
  The Filmfare Best Female Debut Award is given by Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films. Technically, this category comes under the Filmfare Sensational Debut Award as it represents the male and female category....
  
• Best Music Director
  Filmfare Best Music Director Award
  
  The Filmfare Best Music Director Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to the best composer/arranger of a soundtrack....
  
• Best Lyricist
  Filmfare Best Lyricist Award
  
  The Filmfare Lyricist Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.The awards were first given in 1953, however the Award for the best lyricist was first given in 1958....
  
• Best Male Playback
  Filmfare Best Male Playback Award
  
  The Filmfare Best Male Playback Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.Although the Filmfare Awards started in 1953, awards for the best playback singer category started in 1959....
  
• Best Female Playback
  Filmfare Best Female Playback Award
  
  The Filmfare Best Female Playback Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.Although the award ceremony was established in 1953, the category for best Playback singer was introduced in 1959....
  

Critics Awards

• Critics Award Best Movie
  Filmfare Critics Award for Best Movie
  
  The Filmfare Awards are the oldest and most prominent film awards given for Bollywood in India. The yearly awards started in 1953. Movie awards were first given by popular vote....
  
• Critics Award Best Performance
  Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance
  
  The Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance consists of two awards: Critic?s Award for Best Actor & Critic?s Award for Best Actress. Although this awards was considered a special award each year since 1990....
  (Actor and Actress)

Special Awards

• Lifetime Achievement
  Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award
  
  The Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.Amitabh Bachchan was the first recipient of this Award....
  
• Superstar of the Millennium Award
• Power Award
  Filmfare Power Award
  
  The Filmfare Power Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.The first award was given for the year 2003 and is given every year to those who are ranked No....
  
• Special Performance Award
  Filmfare Special Performance Award
  
  The Filmfare Special Performance Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.It acknowledges a special and unique performance and encourages young artistes and filmmakers to break new ground in drama, direction and acting....
  
• Sony Scene of the Year
  Filmfare Best Scene of the Year Award
  
  The Filmfare Best Scene of the Year Award is decided by Sony Executives who nominate five scenes of the most popular movies of the year and telecast them on their channel two weeks prior to the event....
  
• RD Burman Award for New Music Talent
  Filmfare RD Burman Award for New Music Talent
  
  The Filmfare R.D. Burman Award for New Music Talent is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films....
  
• Raj Kapoor Award
• Best Film of 50 Years
  Filmfare Best Film of 50 Years
  
  The Filmfare Best Film of 50 Years was a rare award only given once to celebrate the 50th Filmfare Anniversary. If the award is repeated, the award will be given to a film at Filmfare's 100th anniversary....
  (once in 50th year anniversary)
• Special Award for Guest appearance

Technical Awards

• Best Art Direction
  Filmfare Best Art Direction
  
  The Filmfare Best Art Direction Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.Although the awards started in 1953, awards for the best art direction category started only in 1955....
  
• Best Action
  Filmfare Best Action Award
  
  The Filmfare Best Action Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.Although the awards started in 1953, the best action category did not start until 1996....
  
• Best Cinematography
  Filmfare Best Cinematographer Award
  
  The Filmfare Best Cinematography Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.The awards started in 1953,...
  
• Best Editing
  Filmfare Best Editing Award
  
  The Filmfare Best Editing Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.Here is a list of the award winners and the films for which they won....
  
• Best Choreography
  Filmfare Best Choreography Award
  
  The Filmfare Best Choreography Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.Although the awards started in 1953, the best choreography category did not start until 1989....
  
• Best Story
  Filmfare Best Story Award
  
  The Filmfare Best Story Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.Here is a list of the award winners from 1996 and the films for which they won....
  
• Best Screenplay
  Filmfare Best Screenplay Award
  
  The Filmfare Best Screenplay Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.Here is a list of the award winners and the films for which they won....
  
• Best Background Score
  Filmfare Best Background Score
  
  The Filmfare Best Background Score is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.Although the awards started in 1953, the best sound category was not introduced until 1997....
  
• Best Dialogue
  Filmfare Best Dialogue Award
  
  The Filmfare Best Dialogue Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.Here is a list of the award winners since 1958 and the films for which they won....
  
• Best Sound Recording
  Filmfare Best Sound
  
  The Filmfare Best Sound is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.Here is a list of some of the award winners and the films for which they won....
  
• Best Special Effects
  Filmfare Best Special Effects Award
  
  The Filmfare Best Special Effects Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.It was first given in the year 2007 where three films Don - The Chase Begins Again, Dhoom 2 & Krrish were nominated....
  
• Best Costumes
  Filmfare Best Costumes Award
  
  The Filmfare Best Costumes Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.Here is a list of the award winners and the films for which they won....
  

Retired Awards

• Best Documentary
  Filmfare Best Documentary Award
  
  The Filmfare Best Documentary Award was one of the Filmfare Awards, given by the magazine Filmfare to documentary films. It was first presented in 1967, and was eliminated in 1998.

Interesting Facts, and Information

Dilip Kumar won the Best Actor award continuously in 1955, 1956 and 1957. However, the other three actors only won the award twice successively. Sanjeev Kumar and Naseeruddin Shah won the award in 1975 and 1976, and 1980 and 1981 respectively. Amitabh Bachchan won the award in 1977 and 1978.

Surprisingly, the biggest blockbuster hit in the history of Bollywood - SHOLAY won only one Filmfare Award in 1975 and that too for Best Editing.

In 1969, Sunil Dutt organized a party for Dilip Kumar, when the latter beat him for 'Filmfare Best Actor Award'. This started the trend of post-award parties in Bollywood.

Gregory Peck was expected to be the guest of honour at the first ever awards (March 21, 1954 at the Metro theatre, Mumbai). He couldn't make it to the function since his flight from Colombo got delayed. Peck, however, did attend the banquet that followed the award nite.

Lata Mangeshkar refused to accept her first Filmfare award because the Filmfare statuette was designed in the shape of a woman and “the woman had no clothes on”; the award had to be wrapped with a handkerchief for it to be accepted by the Nightingale.

In 1975, Yash Chopra's Deewaar swept all the awards except, surprisingly, for the lead actor Amitabh Bachchan.

Vani Ganpathi and Kamal Haasan got married on the day of the 25th Filmfare Awards; they attended the award nite with their garlands still around their necks.

As the Filmfare award function of 1991 came to an end, the entire crowd ran towards Amitabh Bachchan as he stood up near the pool. One of the planks cracked, and Amitabh Bachchan had to do a filmy style rescue operation to save Rakhee from falling.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Black’ holds the record of winning the maximum number of Filmfare Awards. It won 11 at
the 51st Filmfare Awards.

Dilip Kumar has been nominated for 19 Filmfare Best Actor Awards in all and he won 8 awards for Best Actor (a record). Shah Rukh Khan has been nominated for 17 times and won 7 times. Amitabh Bachchan has been nominated for 28 Filmfare Best Actor Awards in all (a record) but won 4.
feel free to comment
JAI CINEMA

Wake Up Nepali Cinema

In the world history of cinema, those with “contradictory” views have become victorious. The students of cinema take those names with pride, those cinemas that have done “contradictory” in their time.

This is even more in Nepali cinema. However, there is no reason to be excited about the “opposite” or “contradictory” or “different” views in Nepali cinema. Because, the outcome of these “opposite” attempts are “opposite”, not creative.

Ten Opposite Trends in Nepali Cinema:

1. Heroine’s Dress up

The Nepali film makers just want to cash in by making the heroines wear shorter clothes – and the trend of bedroom dress in class rooms.

2. Wrinkle-less cheeks

The older actors never want to look old, even when they are playing old character.

3. Weak and Stupid Characters

In Nepali films, the leading character (Hero) is almost always portrayed as weak, poor, helpless and alone. He cannot afford to eat two times a day. No one believes him. He is proud and righteous, in other words – he is stubborn and stupid. On top of that, all sorts of diseases usually pester him. All the troubles and worries of the world that can be imagined, the hero character is endowed with.

4. Pay (not be paid) to become the “Star”

Most of the actors/actresses become hero/heroine by investing money into the film. They don’t get paid, they pay. Most of the “chalti ma raheka” actors/actresses entered into the industry by investing their own money.

5. Stories written to suit the actors

First, the actors are selected and then a script is written to suit the actors. On the notebooks of storywriters, one can find numerous stories/scripts that are written specifically for Rahesh Hamal and Nikhil Upreti.

6. Financer or Producer

The one who invests in films are financers. There’s a trend in Nepali cinema to see the financers as producers.

7. Posters that reduce audience

The designs of Nepali film posters have remained same for the last 20 years. They have resemblances of 30 years old Hindi film posters. The colour, font and design of almost all the posters are same.

8. Stars/Actors in pursuit of Media

Because, the number of actors/actresses is greater than the number of actual audience, in Nepal, the “Actors/actresses are always hounding the media” – not the other way around.

9. Releasing of films from village

In other parts of the world, the movies are released in major cities first. Nepali movies are however released first in the villages and later only in the cities.

10. Then 35 mm, now 16 mm

Nepali films are shot in 16mm and later in cinema halls, the film is blown up into 35mm and thus the picture instantly looses half of the original quality. The technical progression of Nepali cinema is exactly opposite.
Feel free to comment
JAI CINEMA

PRAKASH THAPA : a LegendaryDirector

Its Prakash Thapa : the topic and words are being damped about him, I have this privilege to speak on his craft through my blog. This is my private thoughts on the legendary filmmaker and it has to be taken theyou may like or dislike.


A man is known not just by the body of his work, but by the people he creates or help create;



BishowanBasnet , Kristi Mainali , Karishma Manandhar, Gauri malla,are all products of, or started their careers with Prakash Thapa !



I can’t even begin to imagine the discussions on the sets or the amount of genius and creativity flowing on the sets when all these names were there together ! Each one of them a genius in their own right, but each of them had one catalyst, one person they learn’t their art from, Prakash Thapa !



And That is not even the beginning of the genius of Prakash Thapa

Not a single director in the history of Nepali Cinema has made exceptionally commecial masala movie , except for Prakash Thapa . Think JEEVAN REKHA, SINDOOR, SANTAAN, KANYADAAN,NATA RAGAT KO and thik Prakash Thapa . For JEEVAN REKHA Prakash launched SHIVA SHRESTHA and MINAKSHI ANAND and the story goes when BHUBAN K.C saw the film he said ‘ how I wish I’d done this film’ ! which was supposedly to do by BHUBAN K.C, at first.

The reason I mentioned Prakash T hapawas to start that never ending debate of GOOD cinema v/s BAD cinema ! Whenever that debate comes up I wait for everyone to make their point of the GOOD cinema movement v/s BAD cinema and then all I have to do is ask so where do you put prakash thapa ! That’s the end of the discussion because Prakash Thapa is the only filmmaker I can think of who is till today an inspiration to every kind of filmmaker. Before or after him there hasn’t been a single filmmaker who has ridden both boats of glamour and content with panache . In and within the realm of GOOD/BAD cinema Prakash Thapa picked up subjects that people would term as ‘commercial’ or ‘masala’ or whatever other name you wanna call it, but with those subjects be it caste prejudice or the plight of a widow, he made delightful cinema. With those so called off beat subjects he received commercial success, super hit music, rave reviews, all kinds of appreciations , every kind of recognition in NEPAL and the world over where NEPALI viewers rules large ! Filmmakers for generations have been inspired by and will continue to be inspired by Prakash Thapa

Testimony to that is the fact that KANYADAAN and SINDOOR have already been remade, god knows how many times in how many ways. But the mood and tone of Nepali cinema is still the same.Every Nepali second director is happy and content rehashing his school of hard core masala movie.Difference: Prakash Thapa cared with his narrative these today's directors don't.



I recently watched a few of his films again after Suraj bhai (Film college student ) called me and asked me to speak on his work, not that I needed to see his films to speak about him, but the one thing I realized after seeing his films again, every time you watch a Prakash Thapa it means something else to you. Every time you take away something different, something new, there will always be something happening in your life which you’ll be able to relate with his characters or their situations. It might be the words of a song, a dialogue, anything, something in a Prakash Thapa film will always go straight to your heart, and every time it’ll be something different, there’s so much to explore in a Prakash Thapa film.


KANYADAAN was the first Prakash Thapa film I ever saw and as a child I remember the character of Gauri Malla being so strong that as a CHILD I felt a protective love for her ! Before I finished watching the film I was so mesmerized by it, that I knew at that age, watching that film on a Sunday evening on NEP[AL T.V on a black white screen that I want to be a filmmaker one day. The emotions that Prakash dai could stir up in a small boy of 6 or 7 with a subject like caste prejudice, child-widow is something I realized much later, is what the impact or hallmark of a great filmmaker is !



When I watched his films again as I grew up, the intensity of his characters is something I’ll never forget. Bhuvan K.C was not Bhuvan K.C in KANAYADAAN, he was a doctor trying to earese the doom fate of widow herione GAURI MALLA living in a village , that famous scene where he SINGS in his birthday ,the song 'DUNIYA LAI TADA CHODA' still gives me goose-bumps just thinking about it ! KANAYADAAN, was truly one of Bhuvan K.C and GAURI MALLA'S best performances and ofcourse Prakash dai was the director behind that inspired performance. I would give anything to be on the set watching one genius direct another !



Today anyone who wants to become an actor heads straight for the gym. That’s so sad and so wrong, if you want to be an actor, go watch a few PRAKASH THAPA films, see what it takes to be an actor, see the performances he brought out from Gauri Malla or Bhuvan K.C, if you can even do 25% of that it’ll be great, instead of wasting time in a gym if young aspiring actors watched PRAKASH THAPA films there chances of making it as actors would be so high. PRAKASH THAPA’s films are like instruction manuals or guidelines for anyone who has anything to do with films, actors, music directors, cinematographers, sound, editing, lyrics, there’s not one department of filmmaking which didn’t excel under PRAKASH THAPA, you can watch a PRAKASH THAPA film and learn about every single nuance of filmmaking.



One of the most brilliant things of PRAKASH THAPA was, he did not have a fixed genre, or style. You can’t put his films in any one genre. He attempted all different genres with as much brilliance, whether it’s the plight of a CHILD WIDOW in KANYADAAN, the story of an extra-marital affair ADHIKAR , a woman turned AANI for love in ADHIKAR, romance in the time of Panchayat in JEEVAN REKHA, JUNI, SANTAAN, every film totally different from the other, every film requiring a different palette, a different background, a different setting, be it in writing, music, cinematography. By picking up such diverse subjects and films PRAKASH THAPA showed not just his versatility but also the ease with which he moved from genre to genre. The only common thread in all his films was that every actor, every technician gave his best to a PRAKASH THAPA film ! This more than any other is such an inspiration to all us filmmakers, we need to learn from PRAKASH THAPA not to get typecast, not to repeat ourselves, to keep attempting different genres, to keep pushing the envelope, to keep taking chances without thinking of box office or awards.
Feel free to comment
JAI CINEMA

khamoshi-the musical,my all time favourite film

"When music breaks the barriers of silence"


Any movie whose publicity blurb claims the above better have some good music. Yet, 10 minutes into the movie, I was wishing that 'music' would stop breaking those barriers. I would be glad to have some silence. Happily, the movie improved from then on.

The movie starts with Joseph and Favvy waiting for their daughter Anne and her husband Raj. They are both deaf and dumb and the way they respond to music created by their child and her husband (I will not describe the scene- go see it!) is a real treat to behold. The song however is pure cacaphony and my goodwill towards the movie started to slip. The car carrying Raj, Anne and their son crashes and Anne is in coma (though she looked pretty good to me). Joseph and Favvy with the local antique shop owner (Raghubir Yadav in a lovely supporting role) come to the hospital and sit beside Anne. The entire story is told in flashback.

The actual story starts with the birth of Anne and the parents are initially afraid that their daughter is like them (the scene is reminiscent of the one in Gulzar's 'Khamoshi', but is played differently and manages to impress). Joseph's mother Miriam assures them that their daughter is quite all right. They later have a son. Because of Joseph's condition, he takes Anne along with him for selling soap door to door. From an early age, Anne is forced to grow up and be the caretaker of her parents. Her grandmother Miriam inculcates in her a keen music sense (Jatin-Lalit's music started to improve from here on).

Due to their poverty, the family is forced to sell the piano to the antique dealer and Miriam, lost without it passes away. Joseph and Favvy's son dies in an accident. Anne becomes their entire focus. Joseph, meanwhile joins a glass blowing factory and their financial situation improves. Anne grows into a beautiful young lady who is ardently wooed and finally won over by a musician named Raj. The rest of the movie is concerned with the friction arising out of Anne's love and her commitment to her parents.

The movie's main concern however is the dream of Anne to make her parents feel the music which she with her ears is able to enjoy. When she sings, she wants them to appreciate her singing even if they are unable to hear it. How she manages to do it forms one of the greatest uplifting moments I have ever seen in Indian cinema.

Before I proceed to bestow some richly deserved praise I must mention two substantial letdowns which prevent this movie from achieving classic status. The first is the script. The idea for the movie is really good, but the script tries to pack in too much. It would have been much better if the entire framework for the flashback was dropped. The climax is utterly ridiculous and almost made me consider a *** review. The movie could also have done with some severe pruning. A lot of scenes only seem to exist so that the cast can show us how good it is at histrionics. The writer does not seem to understand the value of restraint.

The second let down as mentioned in the beginning is the music. Though Jatin-Lalit come up with two very good tunes, the rest are strictly pedestrian. And whatever happened to good old Majrooh? With lines like 'Tell me o khuda', he manages to embarass himself.

Those two negatives aside, this movie is a gem. 'Khamoshi' contains some of the best ensemble acting I have ever seen in a Hindi movie. Not only are the individual actors brilliant, they mesh together like parts in a Swiss watch. Each actor while producing his or her best never try to dominate the others lending to some brilliant teamwork. When has anyone seen Nana Patekar not dominate? In this movie, he allows even Salman Khan to steal scenes from him! Seeing Nana, Seema and Manisha together, I could actually believe that they were father, mother and child. The way they react to each other, even in such minor things as eating; the ways in which their eyes seek out each other - together they build a potrait so strong that you identify with the family completely.

While you sort of expect great performances from Nana and Seema Biswas, Manisha is a revelation. Earlier I thought she could never surpass 'Bombay'. She goes ten steps ahead of 'Bombay' in 'Khamoshi'. She is present in almost every frame (she provides the narration in the childhood segment) and gives one of the very best performances I have ever seen from anyone. She has grown into a complete actress who uses every part of her body (notice how she constantly uses her hands, especially when she explains her music to her parents) and also exhibits a keen understanding of the surroundings (notice how she uses the pillar as a coactor in the monologue directed against her father). And she has something no current actress has - perfect voice modulation. Not one single wrong note in her performance here.

There are other notable performances. Helen, back after a long absence (though she did a cameo in the eminently forgettable 'Akayla') is very welcome. Her little jig brought tears of nostalgia and she gives a very spirited performance here. Salman Khan as the bashful lover is the one the audience will closely identify with. His self-depreciating demeanor and the easy way he handles his role suggest an actor who is not afraid to play the fool. He falters only in the ridiculous climax. The find of the movie is certainly Priya Parulekar who plays Anne Jr. She gives a rare performance which rivals those in 'Masoom'. Surrounded by the giants of acting, she more than holds her own. If Bollywood had any sense, they would write movies around her.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali, apparently a debutant director manages to impose strict control over the somewhat rambling script he himself wrote. The direction is certainly first rate. He manages to make his movie look original even when his inspirations range from the aforementioned 'Khamoshi' to the TV serial 'Tamas'. He even manages a little surrealism (Miriam's death scene). Even the romance seems fresh. Great direction. A pity his writing skills are not upto the mark.

The camerawork is quiet and unobtrusive and is very clean. There are no wasted movements and the frame always manages to seem perfect. The movie was totally shot in a single place and this gives the movie a coherence that seems to be lacking in today's movies. No dream songs to go to Mauritius! The editing is also clean, though not as sharp as it could have been.

This movie reaches for the sky and if it does not quite achieve what it aimed for, it still remains one fine effort. Certainly the best movie I have seen in a long long time

Any movie whose publicity blurb claims the above better have some good music. Yet, 10 minutes into the movie, I was wishing that 'music' would stop breaking those barriers. I would be glad to have some silence. Happily, the movie improved from then on.

The movie starts with Joseph and Favvy waiting for their daughter Anne and her husband Raj. They are both deaf and dumb and the way they respond to music created by their child and her husband (I will not describe the scene- go see it!) is a real treat to behold. The song however is pure cacaphony and my goodwill towards the movie started to slip. The car carrying Raj, Anne and their son crashes and Anne is in coma (though she looked pretty good to me). Joseph and Favvy with the local antique shop owner (Raghubir Yadav in a lovely supporting role) come to the hospital and sit beside Anne. The entire story is told in flashback.

The actual story starts with the birth of Anne and the parents are initially afraid that their daughter is like them (the scene is reminiscent of the one in Gulzar's 'Khamoshi', but is played differently and manages to impress). Joseph's mother Miriam assures them that their daughter is quite all right. They later have a son. Because of Joseph's condition, he takes Anne along with him for selling soap door to door. From an early age, Anne is forced to grow up and be the caretaker of her parents. Her grandmother Miriam inculcates in her a keen music sense (Jatin-Lalit's music started to improve from here on).

Due to their poverty, the family is forced to sell the piano to the antique dealer and Miriam, lost without it passes away. Joseph and Favvy's son dies in an accident. Anne becomes their entire focus. Joseph, meanwhile joins a glass blowing factory and their financial situation improves. Anne grows into a beautiful young lady who is ardently wooed and finally won over by a musician named Raj. The rest of the movie is concerned with the friction arising out of Anne's love and her commitment to her parents.

The movie's main concern however is the dream of Anne to make her parents feel the music which she with her ears is able to enjoy. When she sings, she wants them to appreciate her singing even if they are unable to hear it. How she manages to do it forms one of the greatest uplifting moments I have ever seen in Indian cinema.

Before I proceed to bestow some richly deserved praise I must mention two substantial letdowns which prevent this movie from achieving classic status. The first is the script. The idea for the movie is really good, but the script tries to pack in too much. It would have been much better if the entire framework for the flashback was dropped. The climax is utterly ridiculous and almost made me consider a *** review. The movie could also have done with some severe pruning. A lot of scenes only seem to exist so that the cast can show us how good it is at histrionics. The writer does not seem to understand the value of restraint.

The second let down as mentioned in the beginning is the music. Though Jatin-Lalit come up with two very good tunes, the rest are strictly pedestrian. And whatever happened to good old Majrooh? With lines like 'Tell me o khuda', he manages to embarass himself.

Those two negatives aside, this movie is a gem. 'Khamoshi' contains some of the best ensemble acting I have ever seen in a Hindi movie. Not only are the individual actors brilliant, they mesh together like parts in a Swiss watch. Each actor while producing his or her best never try to dominate the others lending to some brilliant teamwork. When has anyone seen Nana Patekar not dominate? In this movie, he allows even Salman Khan to steal scenes from him! Seeing Nana, Seema and Manisha together, I could actually believe that they were father, mother and child. The way they react to each other, even in such minor things as eating; the ways in which their eyes seek out each other - together they build a potrait so strong that you identify with the family completely.

While you sort of expect great performances from Nana and Seema Biswas, Manisha is a revelation. Earlier I thought she could never surpass 'Bombay'. She goes ten steps ahead of 'Bombay' in 'Khamoshi'. She is present in almost every frame (she provides the narration in the childhood segment) and gives one of the very best performances I have ever seen from anyone. She has grown into a complete actress who uses every part of her body (notice how she constantly uses her hands, especially when she explains her music to her parents) and also exhibits a keen understanding of the surroundings (notice how she uses the pillar as a coactor in the monologue directed against her father). And she has something no current actress has - perfect voice modulation. Not one single wrong note in her performance here.

There are other notable performances. Helen, back after a long absence (though she did a cameo in the eminently forgettable 'Akayla') is very welcome. Her little jig brought tears of nostalgia and she gives a very spirited performance here. Salman Khan as the bashful lover is the one the audience will closely identify with. His self-depreciating demeanor and the easy way he handles his role suggest an actor who is not afraid to play the fool. He falters only in the ridiculous climax. The find of the movie is certainly Priya Parulekar who plays Anne Jr. She gives a rare performance which rivals those in 'Masoom'. Surrounded by the giants of acting, she more than holds her own. If Bollywood had any sense, they would write movies around her.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali, apparently a debutant director manages to impose strict control over the somewhat rambling script he himself wrote. The direction is certainly first rate. He manages to make his movie look original even when his inspirations range from the aforementioned 'Khamoshi' to the TV serial 'Tamas'. He even manages a little surrealism (Miriam's death scene). Even the romance seems fresh. Great direction. A pity his writing skills are not upto the mark.

The camerawork is quiet and unobtrusive and is very clean. There are no wasted movements and the frame always manages to seem perfect. The movie was totally shot in a single place and this gives the movie a coherence that seems to be lacking in today's movies. No dream songs to go to Mauritius! The editing is also clean, though not as sharp as it could have been.

This movie reaches for the sky and if it does not quite achieve what it aimed for, it still remains one fine effort. Certainly the best movie I have seen in a long long time.
looking forward to see your comments folks
JAI CINEMA

COMING INTO FULL CIRCLE

Climate Chnage Video Competition by Himal Association is finally realesing top three finalists and special jury mention (by midnight or tomorrow morning - i heard) .

The last 24 hours have been most traumatic. In fact this afternoon I had written a post which I was just about to write focusing only my film , and then it didn't endup to the desirous one but concluded as my angest and frustration to the government too. I am emotionally totally drained. Just going to wait for your response now.

With the entrant of 124 films in CLIMATE CHANGE video challenge ,it is sheer proved Nepali film will see many a film makers within five years from now. I request and call all the senior film makers,associates and NEPAL FILM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY to take an agressive iniceatives of traning,intractions etc. If we don't do this by now we won't b doing this forever.

keep in touch folks
JAI CINEMA

CLIMATE CHANGE- a battele within

I was busy preparing my trip to INDIA for a crash course in cinema when news broke that HIMAL ASSOCIATION was holding Climate Change Film Competition . For someone who’s been born and raised in this day dream of cinema, this is easily one of the most wel-coming oppurtunity to have- and to do. And that’s all I could do. Glued to my papers in my own room , far away from friends and folks , I absorbed everything I knew and everything I collected. Everyone had a sound byte. Everyone had to come out and express his or her opinion. Himal Media should be praised. Certain so called Film makers should be bashed,for those not letting us how to participate though(middle finger for them). I agree with most of what’s already been said about Climate Chamge at front. Some have been eloquent and some have sounded like loud, misinformed banshees. Collectively we’re grappling with the ineffectiveness of the system and what was presented to us as information. Jajarkot was a high tide,a misfortune of our time. On the serious issue of Climate Change even Ministry of Envioroment appeared as soulless and emotionless,. They all were addressing their five stars meeting ,nonsense cocktail parties while reading off of current tragedy. Can you not feeling anything? Can you say nothing to make us feel just a little more secure in your hands? Poorly conducted “press conferences” announcing the death and casualty toll for press with the speaker unable to successfully read a list from a sheet of paper, confusing Vice- president for Judicary and generally making us look like illiterate idiots to a global audience. It left me embarrassed and struggling to find pride in our government.

I can’t offer a unique perspective on this yet because my grievances at this moment are primarily observations on humanity. The most common thing I hear from people is, “I want to do something, but what can I do?” The answer to this question has resulted in 124 film makers and their films to show support to these JAJARKOTIS and solidarity. It’s all very well and good because it is therapeutic. Our natural instincts veer us towards acting out – or at least towards being more active. In times like these, it becomes a challenge to look at the big picture. Climate Change attacks, massive loss of life – the reality eventually forces you to look at how we react individually and as a collective community. But I had to ask myself, when was the last time we rise a voice for a relationship that ended in floods and (un)natural disaster?

The hypocrisy unnerves me. We have issues with political figures, but how are we at home (NEPAL) with our parents? We can’t fix anything on the outside until we fix our equations on the inside. The universe has given us a body of relationships that we have a right to live up to – and we have no business expending our energies on vocalizing disdain towards the system or typing out petitions for change until we create peace in our individual worlds. Only then can we have peace on the streets. Only then can we truly be fit to fight.

A lot of anger has been spewing and stewing, and now seems like the perfect time to point fingers and run our throats hoarse. Everyone has a theory and most have taken a stance on something without allowing facts to surface. People criticized the media coverage, but how about acknowledging the tremendous amounts of bravery that went into tirelessly reporting horror and carnage (BE IT IN JAJARARKOT NOW )? A load of what was showing up on my TV was perhaps misinformation OR information , but for the most part, I felt an undeniable pride towards the journalists who risked their lives to film the truth. yes film,in any way.

I cancelled ny my trip and went ahead to pump my voice on CLIMATE CHANGE . We didn’t have a story to sort out,at first place. this issue had to be addred once by my side and i feel this necessery from the time being the competition was announced We’re fine and always will be. But just in case, just to be able to sleep better at ease, I had to make sure that the nation i've been seeing my pride within is strong and in tact. Only then did I feel fit to tackle the situation outside. But I have to ask, how fit do you feel?