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Source : Variety.

The one in Italics indicates a possible South Asian Content. 

PREMIERES

“An American Crime,” directed by Tommy O’Haver (”Billy’s Hollywood Screen Kiss”) and written by O’Haver and Irene Turner, based on the true story of a mother of seven who kept a teenage girl prisoner in her basement in ’60s Indianapolis. Catherine Keener, Ellen Page, James Franco and Bradley Whiteford topline this world premiere. 
“Away From Her,” the feature directorial debut of actress Sarah Polley, who wrote this adaptation of an Alice Munro story about a man dealing with the institutionalization of his Alzheimer’s-afflicted wife. Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent star in this Salt Lake City opening night attraction, which preemed at the Toronto fest. 
“Black Snake Moan,” director-writer Craig Brewer’s follow-up to “Hustle & Flow,” a study of a reclusive black bluesman who makes it his mission to rescue a wild, promiscuous white woman from herself. Samuel L. Jackson and Christina …

It’s ironic that a country that boasts of being one of the leaders in Software and Development still has a movie industry that solely rests on age old tools of decision making.

Every Friday decides what producers and financiers will invest in, for the next 500 Fridays. Fashion and In Vogue may be the new buzz words but their meaning is the same old - look what happened last Friday. If the movie was a big hit - that’s what the audiences like. Lets make a similar movie.

Over a hundred projects then go on the floors each one making a “similar” movie.

The result is experimentation is non existent. Writers with amazing stories that aren’t based on “the current trend” are shown the door. Directors cannot take projects they would love to. Actors change shirts on different sets but feel they are doing the same role over and over again (though many …

Last minute improvs,nothing greater than that.. things are turning out better than expected..My AD’s are forever confused as they don’t know what we might do next..once or twice i was even forced by the shortage of time and other issues to do a shot breakdown..but it eventually remained on paper..

Initially when we started the film i was reluctant or you can say,i was unsure about John’s spontaneity..but soon he proved me wrong..given the space, no intelligent man will back off.. ok John Abraham is no De niro but he is one hell of an intelligent and sensitive man..you push his buttons and out flows an outstanding performer..we started improvising in the bathroom in worli house scene..i said lets do a kind of talking to the mirror, “are you talking to me scene”..but K is not angst ridden cab driver, so what would K do when he is confronted with himself.. …

NO SMOKING - JOHN’S MONOLOGUE & KARTIK IN WC

Sunday Morning 7 Am
I was on the sets wearing my green kurta (hoping the kurta effect would rub on me). Today was the day where the office and the cabin scenes were to be shot. The office of Pixon Studion looked like a modern day office, with green walls etc. It has to be, since it is a real office/studio and the guys had chosen a sunday so as to avoid being disturbed in the shooting.

Between, co-incidentally, the promos/trailers of Black friday were also being shot in the same studio. Unfortunately, couldn’t see them.

Met Anurag over breakfast. Asked him about Dhoom2. “I’m insecure since the audience liked the film !! The thing about Fanaa and Kank was that the audiences didn’t like the film. But Dhoom2 was being compared to Sholay !!!
How in heaven did they manage to …

Hi Folks,
Here is the South Asian centric content for Sundance 2007

“The Pool,” directed by documaker Chris Smith and written by Smith and Randy Russell, a class study acted in Hindi and filmed in Goa, India, about a young hotel worker’s fixation on a swimming pool and the family the comes to occupy the house it adjoins. Nana Patekar, Venkatesh Chavan, Jhangir Badshah and Ayesha Mohan topline.”

“How She Move?” (Canada), directed by Ian Iqbal Rashid and written by Annmarie Morais, the tale of a private school student forced to return to her former crime-ridden neighborhood, where she takes up competitive “Step” dancing. World premiere.”

“Enemies of Happiness” (Denmark), directed by Eva Mulvad and Anja Al Erhayem, an account of the victory of a 28-year-old Afghani woman in the 2005 parliamentary election ”

ALSO HERE IS THE COMPLETE LINE UP (Source: Variety)

DRAMATIC COMPETITION

“Adrift in Manhattan,” directed by Alfredo de Villa (”Washington Heights”) and written by …

Kundan Shah, the inimitable genius and creator of Nukkad, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron, Kabhi Haan Kabhi Na, is coming to Bangalore this weekend for Eye for India, a film screening program for Indian directors done by the Bangalore Film Society. For this weekend’s event, BFS is collaborating with Collective Chaos and Films for Freedom.

The program would include screenings of the classic Shah films-Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa & Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, and the Bangalore premier of his new film, Teen Behanein(Three Sisters)., to be followed by a POV discussion of his cinema. I plan to meet him, and also do a small interview on behalf of PFC.

A brief about Teen Bahenein:

You say life is beautiful. Yes, but what if it only seems so! With us three sisters, life hasn’t yet been beautiful, it has stifled us as weeds do grass….I’m letting …

Ashok Kumar had complimented BR Chopra for having a knack for recognising good story and script. BR always tried to walk on unsual path as far as subjects of films are concerned.  Anacdote says that he was attending some foreign film festival when somebody commented that Hindi films are just conglomeration of songs and dances and few emotional scenes and Indians cant make films without putting songs in them. BR Chopra took it as challenge and thus begun making of Kanoon- a film having no song.

Kanoon: A judge faces a case where a person is accused of killing someone and when accused saysthat he has already completed 10 years punishment in jail for killing the same person. Judge and his friends are talking in a club about absurdities involved in the law and the facts that case can be moulded in any manner because law needs evidence and evidences can be produces/changed …

For the longest time in the history of cinema, horror has been treated as a bastard child. Someone always looked down upon, never treated as a higher art form, always slotted as a B-grade flick.

I regard Stephen King is my god and guru, not just because of his capabilities to scare you but because of the characters he creates.

For the longest time I held on to a script with which I wanted to make as my debut film, you guessed it right, it was a horror film, but did not get any backers saying horror does not work.

For me horror is not just about scaring people, it’s about creating a whole new world, where the suspension of disbelief has to be far greater than a normal genre. It’s a world where we can stick to old rules or create new ones, a world without boundaries in it’s script, structure …

Hi Folks,
For people in and around Northern California, SAAFA, will be organizing a panel discussion with noted Art Director, Sharmishta Roy, at Stanford University, this Friday. Details are below. Readers of PFC are welcome to attend. Will be doing a similar kind of event later on in LA/NY and DC. Will keep you updated. In fact Karthik aka Striker, from this group will be organizing the DC one. This is similar to the series we did with Shibani Bhatija (co-incidently a dear friend of Sharmishta)

Details: What: One on One Discussion with Sharmishtha Roy, in which she will
talk about her work, her upcoming projects, what it is like to work with
Karan Johar, Adi Chopra, Shah Rukh Khan, her life, her goals and her
aspirations

Where: Colloquium Room, Bldg 110-111O ( Department of Cultural and
Social Anthropology), Stanford University (close to Main Quad), 7:00 pm.

Please park at the oval.

Date: 12/01/06

Cost : Free

Moderated By: Vivek Kumar …

What is the “No Smoking” Poster Contest?

Update (Jan 20)

The passionate response to this contest touches all of the No Smoking team… as a result we will now have 3 winners instead of one, cash prizes and credits in the movie… This as per Anurag’s latest message -

“The response is so overwhelming, that all of us including my producer,John Abraham has decided that we will have three winners and we will use the same concepts with our photographs and there credits in the film and will duly anounce it in the papers and also there would be a cash prize..for all three..right now shooting in snow under fifteen degrees, a lots of posts are due, expect them soon..back in india on 23rd..
cheers”

Update (Dec 5)

As per the latest info received from Anurag himself… The team of “No Smoking” will implement the winner’s concept and design for their official “No Smoking” poster…!!!

The …

Nothing is perfect in this world. In science we always remain in search to improve the technology, quality of product, cost of production etc etc. But in art when a product is out then its there with all its positives and negatives. In novels and stories followups can be there but in paintings, statues etc no follow up is there. In films, sometimes remakes are there and very few times same film makers also remake their own old film to improvise the film.
[A] Most positive aspect of Sholay : No direct depiction of violence in a drama filled with dense feelings of revenge !!!!!
Sholay is the most adorable hindi film and it was far ahead in terms of technology at the time of its realease. It was a different way of story telling and it was a piece of art where so many emotions were involved in the …

Just heard the news on Television. Sanjay Dutt found guilty.

The news channels claim that Sanjay has been only found guilty in case of possession of fire-arms and acquittted on the serious charges of supporting Terrorism or been part of it. Its a much relieved judgement for the admireres of Sanjay Dutt ,which is bailable, with maximum imprisonment of 3 years. His lawyer would be appealing for the bail today.

There are few films, which are incomplete involving Sanjay.

One of my favorite modern filmmakers, the
great Director Robert Altman has died, at 81.

Altman made mostly tv from 1951, with two features in 1957,
“The James Dean Story,” and “The Delinquents,” and in 1969
“That Cold Day In The Park,” shot in Vancouver, BC.

Although he’d directed them, and many of my favorite tv shows,
(like “Combat!,” “Route 66,” “Bonanza,” “The Roaring 20’s,”
“Surfside 6,” “Lawman,” “Maverick,” “Sugarfoot,” “U.S. Marshal,”
“The Millionaire,” “Hawaiian Eye,” “Whirlybirds,” “Peter Gunn,”
“Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” and a 1977 segment of “Saturday Night
Live”), for me, his movie career begins with “M*A*S*H.”

I got caught up in “M*A*S*H” in 1970, and watched it many,
many times. Hundreds of times, actually, just to see how
deliciously seamless was this anarchic collection of war
anecdotes. In many ways, it’s still Altman’s best film.
It was his biggest box office hit.

Hollywood said “M*A*S*H” couldn’t be done.
Altman was the fifteenth Director
offered the project.

It …

Exclusive pics, John Abraham, Ayesha Takia, Anurag Kashyap, No Smoking

[oz note: here are the latest pictures from the sets of No Smoking taken by Manjeet...]

Some of the pictures in this album contain:

The location: Living Room of the Studio, with a glass roof top, giving plenty of natural light for the shot!

Sound and Camera unit with our stinking guy!

AK giving direction

Art department’s posters.

Art AD Shlok with AK, assistant Art Director Punita and Production designer Wasiq Khan.

Ayesha with her Mom, AK and other having a casual discussion

Dress dept’s assistant, Sunil and Shlok. Sunil n Shlok are ADs, who would be playing a small role of K’s office boys. Almost everybody on the sets have acted so far :)

Anurag and John trying to improvise a difficult shot. The shot had long, tounge twisting dialouges, which John cracked in few takes with his own improvisation, which added that extra magic in the shot.

Bird’s …

Several male comedy actors have done this that they entered in to the get up of a female. Mahmood did it. Johny Walker did this but perhaps Biswajeet was the first leading man in Hindi film Industry who became a woman for a song ”Kajra mohabbat wala” (Shamshad Beghum singing for him). Rishi Kapoor and Pental improvised this art in Rafuchakkar. These acts have been creating loud laugh in audience. Even Amjad Khan did this.
And then came Lawaris of Prakash Mehra and here Amitabh Bachchan – “The angry young man” was dancing on the song “ Mere angne mein “. Several liked it and several criticised it heavily. Several film actors used this example to put sarcasm on Amitabh Bachchan. Even when he contested election for MP seat from Allahabad in 1985 then his opponent, veteran politician Late HN Bahuguna had hired groups of Eunuchs/transvestites and these people used …

No Smoking Script First Thoughts

(Pls pardon for the long break .. was terribly busy catching work in office when not catching on my sleep. As I bonus I’m writing another juicy post soon.

Additionally, call it ironic, this article has been toned down and censored. Meaning I would’ve loved to talk/write more. But I’m afraid Anurag might not like that. Hope you guys understand that.)

Thursday Evening Worli (Yeah Manjit u were absent on this day… thanks to a cold)
It was the last day of the shoot in the 31st floored house of John-Ayesha. I came in late (was coming from office - far away) and entered the lift along with Sumit Saxena. We entered the lift and saw John entering in with his costume designer and makeup man and bodyguards(how can I forget them). He was a few hours late. “Next I’m gonna say NO to any …

The scenes of K’s office were to be shot. The location was Pixion labs, Bandra, which is a post production set up. Kartik was stinking like hell :o I don’t think he took a shower after the airport scene. Anurag made him wash his face and shave in deception of offering one more role:) Kiding. Guys Kartik is in one more role!Read his postJ

John’s wardrobe is awesome! The first thought came to mind was that the I could easily fit in the clothes! John and myself are almost of the same height. Almost of the same built, just have to take some fat from my belly and put on chest n back. May be put some muscles on my shoulders and biceps and I would be …

Shahrukh Khan hosting KBC for two seasons? If we believe Rediff.com then Amitabh Bachchan  has denied to further hosting KBC and Star TV has been in touch with Shahrukh Khan to host the most popular TV game show of India. If its true then whats there in luck of SRK?
Remember Kofee with karan’s season finale, Karan Johar asks SRK, what is the thing Mr Bachchan has and Shahrukh wishes to have it? SRK promptly replies” KBC” and now he gets it!!!!
Is SRK daring? Just few days ago I had read that AB has said perhaps in UK that he would be hosting  remaining few episodes of KBC. He was hosting second inning of KBC till February 2006 and he had stopped shooting for KBC because of his illness in December 2005. It was exciting news that we may see him again on KBC though sadly only for 20-24 episodes. http://passionforcinema.com/kbc-pratham-ho-ya-dwitiya-as-long-as-amitabh-is-there-its-adwitya/
And …

Saurabh and me wrote a draft..he was simultaneously writing a play called KAAL..after we finished we came back to bombay..another thing i forgot to tell you..when saurabh met Ramu for the first time and Ramu narrated him what he had in mind..Saurabh spontanously came up with that scene where bhiku comes back home drunk and shefali slaps him and he slaps her back..Ramu was so goddamned impressed with him..

When we were thinking how do we name our characters..Ramu called his boy to make coffee for us..he said “Bhiku teen coffee”..and i said nice name..Satya was named after a woman called Satya..Someone Ramu knew back in college days..He just wanted her to know that he still rememberred her..Ramu was an engineering student..in some naxalite area in Andhra..then, when ever he got into trouble, he would strike a brucelee pose and make a eeyah sound to defend or protect himself..atleast thats what …

Time and time again, Bollywood movie makers have been called copycats for lifting an idea, script or complete scenes from various global movies. This was all OK before the early 80’s as not many Hindi movie-goers were subjected to the global cinema, especially Hollywood.

There have been rumors of writers renting out 10 DVD’s, lifting a scene from here, a dialogue from there and making a masala film.

This is fine for the village masses that only watch Hindi movies. For them everything is new. But wait a second. With advent of satellite channels beaming latest global flicks and movies being dubbed in Hindi, even they might not like what they see on the silver screen.

Are our writers, directors, producers so deprived of grey matter that their brain does not function properly? Or taking this route is a better prospect as they don’t have to exercise their brain.

Sometimes, I wonder if …