Entertainment
Hindi cinema's story-driven, socially conscious filmmaker who even got 'police summons'
New Delhi, April 22 (IANS) A unique combination of circumstances led to him landing in Bombay soon after the Partition and being tasked with directing a film, though his cinematic experience was limited to being a film journalist. He even managed to rope in a top actor – and on the very first day, questioned his rendition of a crucial scene.
Recalling the episode decades later, veteran Hindi film director and producer B.R. Chopra revealed that Ashok Kumar, who had somehow agreed to act in the film despite his misgivings at its totally green director, was taken aback.
“He then suggested that he would do the shot again in the way I suggested, and prints of both this and the way he had done, should be made, and he would check them the next day to see which was better,” he told Bollywood personality and chronicler Shashi Ranjan in an interview.
As a nervous Chopra arrived at the studio quite early the next day, his tension increased as the star had reached even earlier and was waiting for him, especially when he got a gruff “Come in” as he knocked on his door. A brief, uncomfortable silence followed before Ashok Kumar had just one question – what was his name?
His response didn’t please the star, who somewhat irritatedly said that he was sure his parents didn’t call him B.R. Chopra. As Chopra said his given name was Baldev, Ashok Kumar said that from now onward, he would use the same name as he was impressed to find a rookie director’s conception of the scene was better than his.
It was a moment of validation for B.R. Chopra, born on this day (April 22) in the Jalandhar district of undivided Punjab in 1914, and made sweeter for the unsuccessful ICS aspirant-turned-film journalist as the film “Afsana” (1951) became a commercial and critical success.
The same status was enjoyed by the next five films he helmed – ‘Shole’ (1953), ‘Chandni Chowk’ (1954), ‘Ek Hi Raasta’ (1956) – the first film of his banner, the evergreen ‘Naya Daur’ (1957), and ‘Sadhana’ (1958). For ‘Dhool ka Phool’ (1959), B.R. Chopra entrusted the director’s hat to his younger brother and assistant Yash Chopra, and they alternated as directors throughout the 1960s until the latter separated professionally in 1970.
However, B.R. Chopra continued to post hits, whether as director or producer or both, well into the 21st century. His corpus spans ‘Waqt’ (1965), ‘Hamraaz’ (1967), ‘Ittefaq’ (1969), ‘Dastaan’ (1972), ‘Dhund’ (1973), ‘Chhoti Si Baat’ (1976), ‘The Burning Train’ (1980), ‘Insaf Ka Tarazu’ (1980), ‘Nikaah’ (1982), ‘Mazdoor’ (1983), ‘Dahleez’ (1986), down to ‘Baghbaan’ (2003) – based on his story idea – and ‘Bhootnath’ (2008), which came a few months before his death that year.
What made his films, which spanned genres from social dramas to taut courtroom thrillers to lost-and-found family tales – stand out and yet be successful was the strong stories and the social message they embedded skillfully, apart from innovative camera shots, slick editing, and memorable songs.
Whether it was the rural vs urban lifestyles and man vs machine conflict in “Naya Daur”, or taboo topics like marital infidelity, widow remarriage, illegitimate children, prostitution, rape – and how powerful perpetrators could get away, communalism, and even, the first cinematic treatment of ‘triple talaq’, the stories stood out.
That was to be expected from B.R. Chopra, who as a journalist, understood the power of the story. One of his earliest film articles, “Round the Indian Screen”, in the early 1940s, had bemoaned the absence of proper stories and social consciousness in films.
Such was the impact of his stories for which B.R. Chopra had set up a separate Stories Department with multiple writers that once Bimal Roy heard about one story – which later became “Gumrah” (1963) – and offered to buy it if he was not going ahead with the project.
Other prominent features of his films include innovations like the first songless film since ‘Naujawan’ (1937), the first ensemble film ‘Waqt’ with its expansive star cast, some of the best qawwalis of Hindi films – ‘Dil deewana machal gaya’ and ‘Dharamputra’ (1963), and ‘Pal do pal ka saath hamara’ (‘The Burning Train’) as well as evergreen songs like ‘Ae meri Zohar Jabeen’ and ‘Sansar ke hai shay’ (‘Dhund’), and the number of actors in judicial roles – Ashok Kumar, Dilip Kumar, Sunil Dutt, Rajender Kumar as well as Madan Puri, Iftekhar, and Simi Garewal, at the least.
If his big-screen exploits were not enough, he also made the transition to the small screen – with “Mahabharat” (1988-90).
An abiding testimony to B.R. Chopra’s storytelling was a “police summons” – though onscreen in Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s ‘Rang Birangi’ (1983) after Police Commissioner Dhurender Bhatwadekar learns the shenanigans he observes were inspired by his ‘Pati Patni Aur Woh’ (1978).
(Vikas Datta can be contacted at vikas.d@ians.in)
–IANS
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Allu Arjun is poised to dominate the box office with his highly anticipated film, Pushpa 2: The Rule, set to release on December 6, 2024. The excitement surrounding this film is phenomenal, already making headlines with an impressive pre-release collection of RS 1,085 crores! This achievement is particularly notable, given that it reached this milestone well before the movie even debuts in theaters.
Fans are eagerly looking forward to Allu Arjun’s return as Pushparaj, the character that earned him a National Award for Best Actor in the first installment, Pushpa: The Rise. The buzz surrounding Pushpa 2 is unparalleled, and the film is expected to break even more records upon its release. The pre-release collection includes a record-setting deal for theatrical rights, sold for ₹640 crores, making it one of the most lucrative film deals in Indian cinema.
Additionally, Pushpa 2 has secured a significant digital distribution agreement with Netflix, which acquired the rights for ₹275 crores, highlighting the high demand for the film. The overall pre-release earnings have been impressive across various regions, with ₹220 crores collected in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, ₹200 crores in the North, ₹50 crores in Tamil Nadu, ₹30 crores in Karnataka, ₹20 crores in Kerala, and ₹40 crores from overseas markets. The music rights were sold for ₹65 crores, while the satellite rights fetched ₹85 crores, contributing a total of ₹425 crores from non-theatrical rights.
Directed by Sukumar and produced by Mythri Movie Makers, Pushpa 2: The Rule features a talented cast, including Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil alongside Allu Arjun. The film’s music will be released by T Series, further adding to the anticipation.
With Allu Arjun’s National Award win and the remarkable pre-release collections, it’s clear that Pushpa 2 is set to be a blockbuster. As the release date approaches, fans are excited to see how this film will perform at the box office. If the pre-release collections are any indication, Pushpa 2 is bound to shatter records and become a massive success!
Mumbai, Aug 22 (IANS) Actress Anu Aggarwal, who rose to fame with “Aashiqui”, and “King Uncle”, recalled the time when filmmakers would come to her with money for signing a film and would not have a script ready.
In a conversation with Lehren shared on Instagram, the actress could be seen talking about it.
“I was shocked to see that people who don’t have their scripts are not ready when they would come to sign me up for a film. They would have the money ready and I would say I don’t want to sign with the money. I would like to hear the script.”
“They would say the script will be made so you can sign,” she added.
“This was the way and because I am an actor I would like to see what my role, story is. Everything is important. Nobody would have a script… 98 per cent of people would not have the script,” she said.
Anu Aggarwal gained immense popularity in the 1990s after featuring in the musical romantic drama “Aashiqui” directed by Mahesh Bhatt.
She starred alongside Rahul Roy and Deepak Tijori.
The film was known for its music, by composer duo Nadeem–Shravan establishing their careers.
The soundtrack album has been rated fourth by Planet Bollywood on their “100 Greatest Bollywood Soundtracks”.
It was the best-selling Bollywood album at the time of its release.
The film was remade in Kannada as “Roja” in 2002.
A sequel to the film, “Aashiqui 2”, with a completely new theme, directed by Mohit Suri, with Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor, was released in 2013.
–IANS
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Entertainment
Ram Charan's daughter Klin achieves this milestone on grandfather Chiranjeevi's birthday
Mumbai, Aug 22 (IANS) On the 69th birthday of actor and politician Chiranjeevi, his son Ram Charan has shared a peek into their family vacation to Paris, France, which is also the first trip of his daughter Klin Kaara with her grandparents.
Ram took to his Instagram account, where he has 23.9 million followers, and shared a family picture from Paris.
The snap shows his parents– father Chiranjeevi, mother Surekha, his wife Upasana Kamineni, and their furry friend–pet dog. We can see Chiranjeevi holding his granddaughter Klin adorably in his arms.
Ram looked dapper in a black shirt, matching trousers and an olive green jacket.
They are posing against the backdrop of Eiffel Tower.
The post is captioned as: “Klin Kaara’s first trip with her grandparents!!! Memorable”.
In another post, Ram dropped a photograph with his father, wearing matching South Indian ethnic outfits.
He wrote in caption: “Happpiest birthday, Appa!!”
Meanwhile, on the occasion of Chiranjeevi’s birthday, UV Creations and director Vashistaa Mallidi have unveiled the highly anticipated first look poster for ‘Vishwambhara’, a fantasy adventure film.
Sharing the poster on social media, the makers wrote: “When darkness and evil take over the world, a Magnanimous Star shall shine bright to fight, Happy birthday, MEGASTAR @KChiruTweets, Let the world witness your aura with #Vishwambhara, Get ready for a MEGA MASS BEYOND UNIVERSE, In cinemas from January 10th, 2025.”
The movie promises to be a cinematic spectacle, featuring Chiranjeevi in a lead role. The film also stars Trisha Krishnan, Ashika Ranganath and Kunal Kapoor.
The film will be released on January 10, 2025.
Chiranjeevi was last seen in Telugu action drama ‘Bhola Shankar’ directed by Meher Ramesh. It also featured Tamannaah Bhatia, Keerthy Suresh and Sushanth.
Meanwhile, Ram Charan last appeared in action drama ‘Acharya’, directed by Koratala Siva. The film starred Chiranjeevi, alongside Pooja Hegde, Sonu Sood and Jisshu Sengupta.
He next has ‘Game Changer’, and ‘RC16’ in the pipeline.
–IANS
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Entertainment
Rani Mukerji: Shivani Shivaji Roy shows how a woman can lead from front in a male-dominated field
Mumbai, Aug 22 (IANS) Actress Rani Mukerji has talked about why she loves her character Shivani Shivaji Roy from “Mardaani,” which has completed 10 years in Hindi cinema on Thursday.
She said: “Shivani Shivaji Roy is my most favourite on-screen character. She is a defiant, fierce force of nature who will stand up for what is right no matter what. She is someone who subverts gender norms in cinema and shows how a woman can also lead from the front in a male-dominated field.”
As the film celebrates its 10th anniversary, Rani is grateful for all the love and acclaim that she has received.
She said: “I’m truly proud of my ‘Mardaani’ franchise. It is a franchise that keeps on giving. The love, adulation, and the respect that I have received from Mardaani is truly humbling.”
On Thursday morning, the makers of the film teased fans about the next chapter of the franchise.
Production Yash Raj Films banner took to YouTube, where they dropped a teaser of sorts, which begins from the first installment, which first released in 2014.
The production company captioned it: “10 years of #Mardaani and the next chapter awaits… Celebrating the feisty, daredevil cop #ShivaniShivajiRoy and the spirit of #Mardaani today. Thank you for a decade of love and appreciation for our beloved franchise. We are inspired… again… thanks to you. #RaniMukerji #10YearsOfMardaani.”
Rani is too excited to reprise the role and don the cop uniform once again.
She said: “I’m looking forward to bringing back Shivani Shivaji Roy on the big screen soon. It’s been a while since I have donned the cop uniform and paid tribute to the women police force of our country.”
“Each (woman cop) one of them relentlessly works hard to keep our families safe and I have always loved to salute these fearless women. Shivani will be back and I hope you will give as much love to her as you have always showered for 10 years now!” added the actress.
–IANS
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Mumbai, Aug 22 (IANS) Bollywood actress and fashionista Sonam Kapoor brought out her A-game in fashion, where she flaunted “minimal, bold and effortlessly on point” look.
The actress took to Instagram, where she shared a string of pictures. In the pictures, she is seen wearing a powder pink shirt, paired with a blazer and long skirt. She completed her look with sunglasses.
“Celebrating @perniaq season 2 podcast drop with that sleek @phoebephilo energy—minimal, bold, and effortlessly on point. Shoutout to the squad for keeping the vibe,” she wrote and also mentioned that she is styled by her sister Rhea Kapoor.
Recently, Sonam shared several glimpses from her son Vayu’s vintage car themed cake as he turned two on August 20.
Sonam took to Instagram, where she shared a reel of the two-tier toddler friendly, refined sugar free chocolate cake. It featured a vintage ice blue car atop of the cake with the number 2 written on it.
The actress had also penned a heart-felt note for her son Vayu.
“My baby turns two today!!! Happy 2nd Birthday to our sweet, precious Vayu! W Being your mom is the greatest gift I could ever receive. You’ve filled our lives with so much joy, laughter, and wonder,” Sonam said.
The actress shared that with her son, everyday is an adventure filled with “your boundless curiosity, your infectious laughter, and your sweet, loving nature.”
“You’ve brought so much light and happiness into our world, making every moment more beautiful and every relationship stronger. You’ve deepened the love between your dadaa and me in ways we never imagined, and you’ve brought pure, unfiltered joy to everyone who loves you-your nani and nana, dadi and baba, kaaa masa, Masi and chachu,” she said.
“Your sweet spirit and playful energy make our family complete, and we are so blessed to have you in our lives.”
She tagged Vayu as her sunshine, music, little genius, and their endless “source of happiness”.
“We love you more than words can say, and we can’t wait to see all the amazing things you will continue to bring into our lives,” Sonam said.
–IANS
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