Ismail
Merchant's
Autobiography
Released
MUMBAI:
Ismail
Merchant's
autobiography,
'A
Passage
from
India',
was
released
here
on
Monday
by
thespians
Dilip
Kumar
and
Shashi
Kapoor.
The
book
records
a
40-year
journey
of
the
famed
film-maker
who
gradually
shifted
from
Bollywood
to
Hollywood.
Merchant,
now
based
in
the
US,
was
present
on
the
occasion.
He
started
working
on
the
book
last
year
and
the
objective
of
documenting
his
experiences
was
to
provide
inspiration
to
the
people.
"Because
it
is
such
an
interesting
thing
to
inspire
people.
This
book
is
nothing
but
a
positive
approach
to
life
and
work,"
said
Ismail
Merchant,
who
has
an
impeccable
reputation
as
a
quality
film-maker
and
is
held
in
high
regard
by
actors
who
have
worked
with
him.
"I've
known
Ismail
Merchant
for
45-50
years,
he
is
an
enthusiastic
cinema
man,
he
continues
to
keep
on
going
and
in
the
process
he
made
very
good,
successful
films.
I
wish
he
reaches
greater
heights,"
said
Dilip
Kumar.
Shabana
Azmi,
actress
and
member
of
the
Rajya
Sabha,
said,
"Ismail
Merchant
is
synonymous
with
good
quality
work,
that
is
painstakingly
creative
and
that
in
itself
is
an
achievement."
Educated
in
Mumbai
and
in
the
US,
India-born
Merchant
was
set
for
a
business
administration
career.
But
his
interest
in
films
took
him
to
Hollywood,
and
the
rest
is
history.
Two
people
who
have
influenced
him
greatly
are
actress
Nimmi
and
Satyajit
Ray.
It
was
when
Merchant
accompanied
Nimmi
to
the
premiere
of
her
film
Barsaat,
at
age
of
13,
that
he
knew
that
he
wanted
to
spend
his
life
in
the
world
of
colluloid.
After
40
years
in
the
business
of
movies,
he
is
still
there
and
the
printed
160
pages
are
clearly
not
enough
to
say
it
all.
-February
24,
2003
Prakash
Jha's
'Gangaajal'
a
Socio-political
Drama
MUMBAI:
A
small
town
called
Wai,
located
close
to
Panchagani
in
Maharashtra,
is
abuzz
with
sounds
of
camera,
clap
and
action
as
Prakash
Jha
is
busy
shooting
his
next
film,
'Gangaajal
-
The
Holy
Weapon',
in
a
start-to-finish
schedule.
But
this
is
not
the
first
time
that
he
is
shooting
in
this
place.
He
has
already
shot
major
portions
of
'Bandish',
'Mrityudand'
and
'Rahul'
in
and
around
Panchagani
and
Mahabaleshwar,
and
now
seems
to
have
developed
a
liking
for
the
place.
'Gangaajal'
is
socio-political
drama
projecting
the
relation
between
the
police
and
the
society
in
the
small
town
of
Tejpur
in
Bihar.
According
to
Jha,
the
word
'Gangaajal'
has
been
used
metaphorically
as
a
weapon
which
is
to
cleanse
the
rot
in
a
society
by
resorting
to
unusual
methods
like
encounter,
boycott
etc.
The
lead
role,
that
of
a
young
IPS
officer,
is
played
by
Ajay
Devgan.
He
feels
that
although
there
is
action
in
the
movie,
it
goes
with
the
script
and
thus
it
is
not
one
of
those
out-and-out
action
dramas.
This
is
the
second
time
that
he
is
working
with
Prakash
Jha.
The
protagonist
is
a
person
who
is
gripped
by
a
dilemma,
a
dilemma
that
disturbs
his
logic
and
puts
him
in
a
scenario
where
he
has
to
choose
his
own
heroism.
Says
Devgan:
"The
characters
are
policemen
who
have
different
principles.
There
are
policemen
who
go
by
the
book,
there
are
also
policemen
who
believe
that
if
we
follow
law
and
order,
nothing
can
be
done.
So
it
is
about
society,
about
the
problem
in
the
society
and
how
we
tackle
it."
Gracy
Singh
is
in
the
female
lead
role,
portraying
Devgan's
wife.
The
film
has
a
total
of
87
characters
with
artistes
like
Mohan
Agashe,
Mukesh
Tiwari,
Ayub
Khan
and
Anita
Kanwal
doing
the
needful.
It
is
being
shot
at
Wai
village
since
almost
a
month
now
and
is
supposed
to
be
completed
in
a
single
60-day
schedule.
Leading
the
negative
bandwagon
in
the
movie
is
the
famous
theatre
actor
Mohan
Joshi
who
says
that
one-schedule
shoots
are
very
helpful
in
maintaining
the
much-needed
continuity
for
an
actor.
"Basically
there
is
a
continuity
in
what
you
are
doing.
The
main
characters
stay
at
a
place
for
a
particular
time
and
thus
they
remember
what
they
have
been
doing.
If
there
is
a
break
of
six
months
between
schedules,
then
you
tend
to
forget
what
you
had
done
on
that
last
day.
This
doesn't
happen
over
here,"
Joshi
remarked.
The
film
is
supposed
to
be
a
long-lasting
dream
of
Prakash
Jha
as
he
had
conceived
the
concept
right
after
his
second
film
'Damul'
way
back
in
1984.
Now,
almost
50
to
60
per
cent
of
the
shooting
has
been
done
and
it
is
scheduled
to
be
completed
by
March-end.
The
director
plans
to
release
the
film
by
July
this
year.
-February
22,
2003
'Ek
Aur
Ek
Gyarah'
Bollywood
Awaits
the
Laugh
With
Bated
Breath
MUMBAI:
Stung
by
a
series
of
megaflops,
Hindi
film
industry
now
pins
its
hopes
on
a
laugh
riot
'Ek
Aur
Ek
Gyarah'
(One
and
One
is
Eleven)
due
for
release
next
month.
The
film
features
comic
actor
Govinda,
along
with
Sanjay
Dutt,
who
teamed
up
in
hits
like
'Jodi
Number
One'.
This
story
is
about
two
small
town
men
who
dream
of
becoming
actors
and
how
they
always
land
themselves
in
funny
situations.
Out
of
all
films
produced
in
various
genres
of
Indian
cinema,
only
one
per
cent
are
comedies.
Director
David
Dhawan,
who
has
pioneered
in
producing
comic-
oriented
movies,
promises
a
fullsome
entertainment
through
his
film.
Dhawan
has
so
far
delivered
blockbusters
like
'Aankhen'
(Eyes),
'Raja
Babu',
'Biwi
Number
One'
and
'Haseena
Maan
Jayegi',
among
many
others.
The
music
of
this
film
has
been
composed
by
the
popular
trio
of
Shankar,
Ehsaan
and
Loy.
Lead
actor
Govinda,
who
has
often
been
compared
to
the
famed
Hollywood
comedian
Jim
Carey,
feels
that
the
music
gives
an
extra
dimension
and
will
be
appreciated
by
the
audience.
-February
21,
2003
Eighth
Kolkata
Film
Festival
Comes
to
an
End
KOLKATA:
Kolkata's
passion
for
cinema
is
to
be
seen
to
be
believed.
And
nothing
brings
it
out
better
than
a
film
festival.
With
the
eighth
Kolkata
film
festival
drawing
to
a
close
on
Monday,
the
city's
film
loving
crowd
thronged
cinema
houses
to
catch
the
event.
The
city's
cine-goers
get
to
see
films
from
across
the
globe.
Although
the
sky
was
overcast
and
the
weather
gloomy,
the
enthusiasm
of
the
audiences
knew
no
bounds.
They
were
seen
crowding
outside
halls
screeing
the
best
of
Indian
and
foreign
films.
As
many
as
137
films
from
about
30
countries
were
screened
during
the
eight-day
festival.
The
sections
covering
the
Retrospectives,
Cinema
International,
Tributes
and
other
branches
were
also
retained.
The
festival
this
year
started
with
its
usual
glitter
and
glamour.
Union
information
minister
Sushma
Swaraj
inaugurated
the
festival
and
actress
Konkona
Sen
Sharma
helped
her
on
the
stage
to
lit
the
inaugural
lamp.
Among
those
present
were
West
Bengal
chief
minister
Buddhadeb
Bhattacharya
and
a
host
of
other
film
dignitaries
from
India
and
abroad.
The
inaugration
was
followed
by
the
screeing
of
Argentiana's
Macr
Bechis's
film
'Sons
and
Daughters'.
The
film
is
a
gripping
tale
of
Rosa,
a
woman
in
search
for
her
twin
brother,
Javier,
separated
from
her
during
the
1977
Argentine
military
dictatorship.
-February
18,
2003
Yash
Chopra,
Tabu,
Shobhana
Receive
Film
Awards
NEW
DELHI:
Yash
Chopra,
producer
of
Bollywood
blockbusters
like
Deewar,
Kabhi
Kabhi
and
Dil
to
Pagal
Hai,
on
Thursday
received
the
prestigious
Dada
Saheb
Phalke
Award,
the
top-most
honour
in
the
film
industry,
from
President
APJ
Abdul
Kalam
amidst
standing
ovation.
Yash
said,
"No
one
expects
award
when
he
makes
the
film.
It
is
the
work
and
your
contribution
which
counts.
If
you
have
in
your
destiny
the
award
will
come
of
its
own.
It
is
not
because
I
have
been
in
this
field
and
making
films,
that
this
award
has
been
given
to
me
rather
it
is
after
50-51
years
this
has
come
to
me
and
I
think
it's
great".
Kalam
also
gave
away
the
49th
National
Film
Awards
in
several
categories,
eight
of
which
went
to
Aamir
Khan's
Lagaan,
which
lost
out
in
the
race
for
Oscar
last
year.
India's
film
glitterati
gave
a
big
hand
as
Kalam
presented
the
best
actor's
award
to
regional
Malayalam
film
actor
Murali
for
his
role
in
'Neythukaran'
(Weaver)
as
a
committed
political
worker
caught
in
a
web
of
changing
values.
Actresses
Tabu
and
Shobhana
shared
the
best
actress
award.
Tabu
won
the
award
for
her
portrayal
of
a
dancing
girl
in
Madhur
Bhandankar's
off-beat
'Chandni
Bar'.
Shobhana
shared
the
same
honour
with
her
role
in
the
Tamil-English
film
'Mitr'
(Friend).
Incidentally
both
the
actresses
were
receiving
the
award
for
a
second
time.
Speaking
to
ANI,
Tabu
said,
"Usually
I
use
to
select
the
films
which
come
to
me.
And
luckly
they
got
the
award
and
recognition".
The
award
was
set
up
in
1969
to
commemorate
the
outstanding
contributions
made
by
the
late
Dada
Saheb
Phalke
to
the
film
industry.
How
could
an
event
of
this
much
importance
be
complete
without
a
get
together.
It
was
New
Delhi's
Taj
Mahal
Hotel's
Diwan-e-Aam
which
came
full
of
Bollywood
personalities,
noted
journalists
and
diplomats
of
various
countries.
Host
Subbirami
Reddy,
a
film-maker
and
law-maker
of
main
Opposition
Congress
party,
said
"The
party
was
organised
to
acquaint
south
Indian
artistes
with
the
north.
Mr
Yash
Chopra,
50
years
of
film-maker.
Five
decades
he
has
worked.
We
both
made
Chandni,
Lamhe
and
Vijay-
three
great
films
and
my
partner
in
50
years
have
got
Dada
Saheb
Phalke
award.
And
also
our
south
stars
-
Shobhana
and
Saundarya
-
they
have
got
national
awards.
So
I
thought
that
let
the
Delhi
friends
share
the
happiness".
The
cynosure
of
all
eyes
at
the
party
was
Shobhana,
the
award-winning
best
actress
from
the
south.
One
main
thing
about
these
parties
is
to
bring
people
from
various
walks
of
life
under
one
roof
and
have
fun.
It
is
also
a
place
where
one
can
hobnob
with
celebrities.
-February
18,
2003
'Ek
Aur
Ek
Gyarah':
Subhash
Ghai
Launches
Music
from
a
School
MUMBAI:
Showman
Subhash
Ghai,
who
tries
to
do
it
differently
every
time
he
comes
up
with
a
movie,
launched
the
music
of
his
forthcoming
movie
'Ek
Aur
Ek
Gyarah'
in
a
new
manner.
Instead
of
calling
the
big
shots
from
Bollywood,
he
decided
to
do
it
in
a
small
municipal
school
in
Mumbai,
amidst
the
young
and
relatively
neglected
kids
from
the
school.
He
also
donated
11000
sets
of
stationery
to
students
from
various
schools
from
Mumbai.
Music
of
the
movie
is
done
by
'Dil
Chahta
Hai'
fame
trio
Shanker,
Ehsaan
and
Loy.
According
to
the
music
directors,
the
album
has
a
very
peppy
feel
to
it
with
more
emphasis
on
rock.
This
happens
to
be
the
first
film
directed
by
David
Dhawan
under
the
banner
of
Subhash
Ghai.
One
of
the
lead
actors
of
the
movie,
Govinda,
feels
that
the
music
has
turned
out
to
be
way
beyond
his
expectations.
The
movie
has
six
songs
with
the
lyrics
penned
by
Sameer.
It
stars
the
Jodi
No1
Sanjay
Dutt
and
Govinda
once
again.
They
are
paired
with
new
glamorous
beauties
Amrita
Arora
and
Nandini
Singh
as
the
leading
ladies
to
join
them
in
this
humorous,
action
drama,
which
is
slated
to
release
on
the
11
April.
-February
14,
2003
'Valentine
Days'
All
Set
To
Hit
Theatres
MUMBAI:
"Each
day
is
Valentine's
Day",
sang
Frank
Sinatra
in
'My
Funny
Valentine'.
Come
February
14
and
India's
very
own
Bollywood,
as
the
film
industry
is
known,
will
offer
a
movie
reflecting
similar
emotions.
Aptly
named
'Valentine
Days',
the
film
is
all
set
to
hit
theatres
across
India
on
the
D-day,
hoping
to
cash
in
on
the
love
fever.
'
'Valentine
Days'
tells
the
story
of
an
American
girl
who
comes
to
India
to
find
her
roots
and
is
struck
by
cupid
in
the
process.
The
film
marks
the
debut
of
New
York-based
model
Sita
Thompson
and
three
other
Indian
wannabes
-
Manoj
Bidvai,
Nikhil
Sakhrani
and
Samir
Kocchar
-
all
of
whom
play
her
three
suitors.
Made
on
a
modest
budget,
the
film
aims
to
cater
to
the
young
urban
crowd
and
has
been
made
in
'Hinglish'
-
a
mix
of
Hindi
and
English
-
to
further
add
the
hip-hop
appeal.
Justifying
the
title,
director
of
the
film,
Sameer
Sabarwal,
says
that
the
plot
is
not
directly
related
to
the
popular
belief
of
what
February
14
is
all
about.
"Our
subject
is
not
on
14
February,
our
subject
is
about
once
that
you
are
in
love,
every
day
of
your
life
is
a
Valentine's
Day.
We
talk
about
it
in
plural.
It's
not
a
singular
title
as
such",
he
said.
For
Thompson,
a
trained
jazz
and
ballet
dancer,
being
ceaselessly
chased
around
trees
in
typical
Bollywood
style
has
been
different
but
exciting.
"I
am
very
excited.
It
was
a
lot
of
hard
work.
Lots
of
locations
-
buses,
trains
and
planes,
and
dancing.
It's
kind
of
exciting.
It's
like
a
baby
being
born,
know
what
I
mean?
...
kind
of
being
carrying
it
for
nine
months
and
it's
like
is
it
a
boy
or
a
girl",
said
an
excited
Thompson.
The
other
artistes
in
the
film
are
equally
excited
and
satisfied
with
the
way
their
debut
roles
have
been
crafted.
Samir
Kochar,
a
former
TV
anchor
and
the
film's
second
lead,
essays
the
role
of
a
spoilt
brat
ultimately
cured
by
love.
Kochar
says
this
is
the
best
debut
he
could
have
asked
for.
"I
got
to
play
all
the
various
emotions
-
romance,
comedy,
action,
good,
bad,
wicked,
sinister",
said
a
satisfied
Kochar.
If
'Valentine
Days'
rings
the
cash
register,
then
there
will
be
no
stopping
this
talented
foursome.
And
it
will
further
reinforce
the
popularity
of
films
made
in
the
lingo
used
by
the
youth
today.
-February
13,
2003
A
Shah
Rukh
Khan
Look-alike
LUDHIANA:
With
the
duplicates
of
Sachin
Tendulkar
and
Virendra
Sehwag
finding
their
way
to
the
advertising
world
in
Mumbai,
it's
now
the
turn
of
Shah
Rukh
Khan.
The
22-year-old
Sandeep
Kumar
Sehgal
almost
resembles
the
superstar
of
the
Bollywood.
May
it
be
the
style
of
speaking,
acting
or
the
body
language.
All
matches
the
Khan.
Sehgal
resembles
more
of
the
younger
Shah
Rukh,
one
seen
in
his
first
teleserial
'Fauji'
than
what
he
looks
like
today.
Sandeep
sits
with
a
cold
drink
and
utters
words
with
the
same
effortless
coherency
as
Shah
Rukh
did
in
'Devdas'.
Leaving
many
on
the
roads
and
shops
a
little
amused,
Sandeep
gets
a
kick
out
of
it
once
too
often.
All
the
same,
it
wasn't
till
around
five
years
back
that
he
realized
how
much
he
resembled
the
Bollywood
actor.
Till
recently
Sehgal
worked
as
a
salesman
in
a
ready-made
garments
showroom
at
Jalandhar
and
performed
on-stage
mimicking
Shah
Rukh
Khan.
It
was
Sakhi
Chand
of
Devi
orchestra
who
noticed
him
and
got
him
to
Ludhiana
to
work
with
him.
He
now
performs
at
weddings
and
other
functions
all
over
the
State.
Besides,
he
has
done
many
shows
in
other
States
as
well.
He
says
he
would
love
to
go
to
Bollywood
if
he
gets
a
chance.
But
his
biggest
dream
is
to
perform
live
a
dance-and-mimick
show
on
stage,
where
Shah
Rukh
and
some
of
his
other
favourites
like
Amitabh
Bachchan
and
Sunny
Deol
are
among
the
audience.
Sandeep
takes
care
to
keep
his
appearance
similar
to
what
his
hero
looks
like
in
the
latest
movies.
Now
he
looks
sober
as
does
Shah
Rukh
in
his
latest
film
Mohabatein.
-February
12,
2003
Kaante
All
Set
To
Explode
Before
Australian
Cine-goers
SYDNEY:
After
its
spell
over
the
Indian
cine-goers,
'Kaante',
which
offered
an
irresistibly
fun
of
movie-going
experience,
is
all
set
to
be
launched
in
Sydney
by
a
Melbourne
company.
It
will
be
the
first
Indian
film
to
receive
a
big,
mainstream
release
here.
Oddly
enough,
despite
being
inspired
by
Hollywood's
gritty
thriller
Reservoir
Dogs,
where
a
gang
of
crooks
robs
a
bank
and
spills
litres
of
blood.
In
Kaante,
the
Indian
gangsters
are
just
as
greedy
and
blood-thirsty,
with
one
difference:
they
have
a
habit
of
bursting
into
songs.
"An
Indian
film
without
songs
is
unthinkable.
Music
is
such
an
integral
part
of
our
story-telling.
The
men
singing
a
song
before
robbing
a
bank
is
the
most
natural
thing,"
explains
Mitu
Lange,
executive
director
of
MG
Distribution,
the
company
which
will
next
week
launch
an
ambitious
programme
of
Bollywood
films,
reports
the
Sydney
Morning
Herald.
Kaante
will
open
nationally
on
Thursday
in
Sydney
and
will
screen
at
Broadway,
Chatswood,
Mount
Druitt
and
Auburn
and
over
the
next
12
months,
MG
will
distribute
another
dozen
Bollywood
features.
"India
is
the
largest
film-producing
country
in
the
world,"
says
Lange
who
moved
from
Mumbai
to
Melbourne
18
months
ago.
"So
you
can
imagine
how
many
films
we're
being
offered."
Her
timing
is
good,
with
Indian
themes
proving
popular
in
Australian
cinemas.
Last
year
Bend
It
Like
Beckham
earned
13
million
dollars
here
in
an
impressive
five-month
run.
Earlier
in
2002,
Mira
Nair's
Monsoon
Wedding
was
a
two-million
art-house
hit,
earning
roughly
the
same
as
the
Guru
-
a
mainstream
Hollywood
comedy
inspired
by
Bollywood
-
released
in
November.
Lange
has
another
reason
to
distribute
Bollywood
films:
no
one
else
is
doing
it.
Until
now,
she
says,
most
Bollywood
junkies
have
obtained
their
fix
via
videos
from
grocery
store
owners.
"They
are
the
grocery
pirates,"
says
Lange.
"They
make
copies
of
Bollywood
films
and
sell
them.
But
now
Kaante
will
be
the
first
Indian
film
that
receives
a
big,
mainstream
release."
Speaking
of
pirating,
what
about
Kaante's
theft
of
the
Reservoir
Dogs
storyline?
Apparently
that's
something
of
a
Bollywood
trade
mark.
Has
anyone
ever
sued?
"I've
never
heard
of
any
legal
action,
though
I
could
be
wrong.
In
drama,
so
few
things
can
be
truly
original,"
she
says.
Unlike
the
stars
of
Reservoir
Dogs,
the
cast
of
Kaante
will
be
largely
unknown
to
Australian
audiences,
even
if
they
are
some
of
the
biggest
names
in
Bollywood,
such
as
Sanjay
Dutt.
"The
whole
thing
is
like
a
proper
evening
out.
All
these
films
are
three
hours
long,
with
an
intermission,
when
people
eat
and
talk.
Seeing
one
is
a
real
occasion,"
Lange
stated.
-February
8,
2003
Manisha
Plays
a
Sex
Worker
in
'Market'
MUMBAI:
Fifty-million
rupee
budget
Hindi
film
'Market'
will
feature
Manisha
Koirala,
a
leading
actress
of
Nepalese
origin,
as
a
sex
worker.
Inspired
by
a
real
life
incident,
the
story
revolves
around
a
woman
who
takes
up
prostitution
after
being
forced
into
marriage
to
an
Arab
who
divorces
her,
leaving
her
to
fend
for
herself.
Shooting
of
a
crucial
scene
of
'Market'
was
held
in
Mumbai
on
Saturday.
Director
Jaiprakash
along
with
leading
ladies
Koirala,
Suman
Ranganathan
and
former
Miss
India
Shweta
Menon
shot
the
scene
in
an
upmarket
hotel
where
a
pimp
introduces
Koirala,
who
had
featured
in
various
controversial
films
like
'Bombay'
and
'Ek
Choti
Si
Love
Story'.
Her
forthcoming
movies
include
real
life
celluloid
ventures
like
'Escape
from
Taliban'
and
'Indira
Gandhi'.
The
unit
will
now
be
flying
to
Dubai
to
shoot
the
last
and
the
final
schedule
of
the
film,
slated
for
release
in
June.
-February
1,
2003
Chadha's
'Bride
and
Prejudice'
MUMBAI:
'Pride
and
Prejudice'
makes
a
transition
from
books
to
celluloid
with
the
Bennett
family
of
Hertfordshire
becoming
the
Bakshi
family
of
India.
Portraying
the
life
in
the
genteel
rural
society
of
the
day,
and
the
initial
misunderstandings
between
Elizabeth
and
Will
Darcy,
the
original
version
of
the
novel,
'Pride
and
Prejudice',
was
written
way
back
in
18th
century
under
the
title
'First
Impressions'.
Making
this
adapation
come
to
life,
like
Bollywood
style
is
director
Gurinder
Chadha
of
'Whats
Cooking',
'Bhaji
on
the
Beach'
and
off
lately
'Bend
It
Like
Beckham'
fame.
The
film
'Bride
and
Prejudice'
shot
between
UK,
US
and
India
will
combine
the
spectacular
visual
extravagance
of
Bollywood
with
commercial
Western
story-telling.
And
making
her
international
debut
is
Bollywood
actress
Aishwarya
Rai
,
who
is
to
play
the
lead
role
of
Lalita
(Elizebath
),
Namrata
Shirodkar,
Meghna
Kothari
and
Piya
will
play
the
other
sisters
and
Nadira
Babbar,
their
mother.
And
instead
of
Mr
Bingley,
the
movie
will
have
a
British
Asian
character
called
Balraj,
who
studied
at
Oxford
with
his
friend
from
the
US,
Will
Darcy.
However,
no
actors
have
been
cast,
but
Chadha
is
in
talks
with
"very
exciting"
names.
Speaking
to
ANI
during
a
press
conference
in
Mumbai,
Chadha
said
that
she
hoped
the
film
would
open
Bollywood
up
to
mainstream
international
audiences.
Chadha
added
that
the
project
is
in
early
pre-production
and
will
start
shooting
next
March.
To
be
made
in
English,
the
film
will
have
seven
songs
in
all
composed
by
none
other
than
Anu
Malik.
Chadha
has
previously
shown
her
ability
to
bridge
cultural
divides
with
1993's
acclaimed
'Bhaji
on
the
Beach'
and
her
last
film
'Bend
It
Like
Beckham'
which
received
an
encouraging
response.
But
'Pride
and
Prejudice'
is
her
most
ambitious
project
yet,
and
will
be
her
first
Bollywood-style
film.
But,
there
is
always
a
huge
fuss
over
films
being
compared
to
novels.
"The
book
is
always
better,"
people
say.Will
Gurinder's
new
endeavour
break
from
this
jinx
only
time
will
tell.
-January
28,
2003
'Stumped',
Raveena's
Maiden
Film
MUMBAI:
With
the
World
Cup
fever
fast
catching
on,
there
could
not
have
been
a
more
apt
time
for
producer
Raveena
Tandon
to
launch
the
music
of
her
maiden
film
'Stumped',
which
is
set
to
hit
the
silver
screen
next
month.
The
music
composed
by
Pritam,
Dhruba
Jyoti
Phukan
and
Shamir
Tandon
is
available
on
Virgin
Records
(India)
and
the
album
was
released
by
Smita
Thackeray
in
Mumbai.
The
film,
as
the
title
suggests,
is
based
on
the
1999
World
Cup
against
the
backdrop
of
the
Kargil
war
and
promises
to
stir
patriotism
among
the
audience.
There's
a
lot
of
speculation
about
Raveena's
role
as
a
producer.
But
the
National
Award-winning
actress
would
rather
move
on
than
speculate.
In
fact,
she's
producing
yet
another
film,
Pehchaan.
We
caught
up
with
her
just
after
the
music
release
of
Stumped.
But
the
actress-turned-producer
now
has
two
great
films
lined
up
for
release.
While
Madhur
Bhandarkar's
Satta
is
all
ready
to
be
released
on
February
7,
Raveena's
home
production
Stumped
too
will
be
released
two
weeks
later
on
the
21st.
Raveena
said,
"Actually
the
initial
release
was
on
7th,
but
due
to
my
other
film
named
Satta
which
was
also
scheudled
to
be
released
on
the
same
date,
we
delayed
this.
Satta
is
also
a
very
strong
film.
Then
there
is
Stumped,
then
there
is
Pehchan,
Ek
Se
Bad
Kar
Ek.
So
slow
but
steady
we
will
try
hard".
Stumped
talks
about
war
and
how
futile
it
is.
And
it
shows
how
much
the
soldiers'
loss
of
life
means
to
us.
Cricket
is
a
topic
in
the
film,
but
Stumped
is
centred
around
an
army
major
and
his
wife
and
their
lives.
Written
and
directed
by
Gaurab
Pandey,
the
film
has
Raveena
in
the
lead
opposite
television
actor
Aly
Khan.
A
part
of
the
film's
proceeds
will
go
to
the
Army
Wives
Welfare
Association.
-January
28,
2003
Chura
Liya
Hai
Tumne
-
The
Usual
Twists
and
Turns
Veteran
Sanjay
Khan's
son
Zayed
Khan,
the
new
kid
on
the
block,
opens
his
Bollywood
account
with
Sangeet
Sivan's
movie
starring
Esha
Deol
in
leads
MUMBAI:
After
working
for
one-and-a-half
years
to
transform
his
scrawny
frame
to
hunk
material
...
stepping
up
in
Bollywood
is
one
more
Khan
from
the
Khan
brigade
...
Zayed
Khan,
son
of
the
veteran
film
and
serial
maker
Sanjay
Khan
and
Hritik
Roshan's
brother-in-law.
Zayed
makes
his
debut
in
Pantaloon
Fashion
House
and
Rave
Entertainment's
second
venture
'Chura
Liya
Hai
Tumne',
a
romantic
thriller
about
a
thief
who
gets
away
with
a
priceless
booty.
And
romancing
the
actor
in
the
film
is
Esha
Deol.
The
plot,
however,
of
Sangeet
Sivan's
movie
appears
to
employ
run-off-the-mill
twists
and
turns,
with
people
turning
out
to
be
not
who
they
say
they
are.
The
film
revolves
around
Tina
(Esha
Deol),
who
when
summoned
to
Bangkok
finds
out
that
her
uncle
has
been
killed
in
an
accident
who
was
wanted
in
India
for
a
Rs
10
crore
gold
heist
from
t
he
RBI.
She
also
finds
out
that
three
of
her
late
uncle's
accomplices
-
Om
(Gulshan
Grover),
Sheena
(Rakhi
Sawant)
and
Chingaar
(Vijay
Raaz)
-
are
freed
from
prison
and
now
are
in
Bangkok
to
get
the
money.
Then
comes
Vijay
(Zayed
Khan)
to
protect
her
from
the
hands
of
the
three
villains.
But
things
change
when
Tina
discovers
that
Vijay
is
not
the
original
one,
instead,
is
a
crook
and
that
he
too
was
after
the
money.
Now
Tina
doesn't
know
whom
to
turn
to
as
two
of
the
shadowy
trio,
Chingaar
and
Sheena,
show
up
dead
and
the
mystery
deepens
with
Vijay
and
Om
being
the
main
suspects.
The
newest
kid
on
the
block
,who
has
great
passion
for
acting,
says
it
is
the
multi-facet
character
that
made
him
take
up
the
role
of
Vijay
in
the
film."My
character
is
very
contemporary
and
very
very
practical.
He's
a
happy-go-lucky
guy
who
wants
a
happy
life.
I
wouldn't
call
it
an
out
and
out
negative
or
a
positive
role,
but
the
role
has
its
gray
shades,"said
Khan.
A
graduate
from
London
School
of
Drama,
Zayed
while
recounting
his
experience
working
with
Esha
Deol
said
that
she
and
the
whole
crew
had
been
very
supportive
and
caring
during
the
shooting
of
the
whole
film.
The
film
is
extensively
shot
in
the
rich
locales
of
Bangkok
and
Pattaya
in
Thailand.
"At
times,
it
didn't
feel
like
we
were
actually
working
and
was
fun,"
asserted
Khan
.
The
music
for
the
film
was
scored
by
Himesh
Reshmiya,
whose
previous
efforts
in
Humraaz
showed
quite
well.
After
'Churiya
Liya
Hai
Tumne',
the
actor
has
Shahrukh
Khan's
home
production
'Mai
Hoon
Na'
in
the
pipeline,
shooting
of
which
is
currently
on.With
Zayed
having
pedigree
on
his
side,
he
would
also
be
seen
in,
uncle
Akbar
Khan
magnum
opus
'Taj
Mahal'
which
stars
Manisha
Koirala,
Pooja
Batra
and
Kabir
Bedi
in
prominent
roles.With
the
promos
of
'Chura
Liya
Hai
Tumne
...
a
romantic
thriller
"looking
smashing
on
air,
what
fate
holds
for
it
at
the
box-office
is
to
be
seen.
-January
16,
2003
Love
at
Times
Square
-
Dev
Anand
Shares
His
Exeperience
NEW
DELHI:
Though
none
of
his
films
have
made
to
the
top,
actor-director
and
also
the
heartthrobe
of
millions
in
India
and
abroad,
Dev
Anand
commands
a
magical
lure
and
popularity
that
would
make
many
a
star
turn
envious.
Few
stars
of
the
entertainment
industry
anywhere
in
the
world
would
have
the
untiring
drive
and
zest
like
him.
Even
at
the
age
of
78
Dev
Anand
shows
no
sign
of
slowing
down.
The
recent
failure
of
'Censor'
has
not
dampened
his
spirits
and
he's
already
moved
on
to
his
next
project
'Love
at
Times
Square'.
Dealing
with
a
cliche
theme,
the
film
is
a
story
of
a
boy
meeting
a
girl
at
New
York's
s
Times
Square
on
the
New
Year's
Eve.
Also
the
story
winds
up
one
year
later
at
the
Times
Square.
It
is
his
exeprience
at
Times
Sqaure
which
he
intends
to
share
with
others
through
'Love
at
Times
Square'.
And
bringing
those
precious
momnets
to
life
is
the
young
starscasts
Henee
Kaushik
(a
Dev
Anand
discovery
who
made
her
debut
in
'Censor'),
Shoaib
Khan
and
Chaitanya,
the
two
young
men
who
fight
for
her
attention.
Khan
plays
Raj,
a
wealthy
young
Silicon
Valley
businessman,
and
Chaitanya
plays
a
nice,
middle
class
Indian
boy.
Produced
by
his
Navketan
International
Films
company,
Anand
appears
in
the
film
as
well,
playing
a
Silicon
Valley
billionaire.
The
music
of
the
film
was
launched
by
information
and
broadcasting
minister
Sushma
Swaraj
at
a
glittering
function
held
in
New
Delhi.
After
'Love
at
Times
Square'
"it
is
'Raj
Mahal
Mein
Hatyakand',
a
film
based
on
the
massacre
of
Nepal's
royal
family
earlier
this
year
that
the
actor
is
plannig
to
work
on.
But
first
let's
see
whether
his
love
triangle
proves
to
be
a
landmark
at
the
box-office.
Whatsoever
may
be
the
result,
success
has
never
been
a
destination
for
him,
instead,
it
is
a
never-ending
journey.
-December
16,
2002
India
Overseas