Comedy Films Today
If I say Agreement 123 (Atomic Energy Agreement with the US) reflects the comedies made today in our country, you will call me mad. Where is the connection? But it has. Well, we are in the process of being Americanised. That’s a general term to signify consumerism apart from other serious repercussions depending upon your world view. However, the fundamental tenet of a consumerist culture is that everything is a product. And the function of any product (film) is to serve only its basic need – in today’s case it is entertainment. Now, there is nothing wrong with entertainment. There never has been. To entertain in itself is a great art. And yet “to entertain” in today’s times, there is a difference – there is no aesthetics involved. So, no qualms in making films based on videos, rip-offs, lift-offs, etc, etc. Aptly today’s films are called popcorn movies. Eat the popcorn and throw the cardboard box away. See the movie and forget about it once you’re out of the hall.
Besides, these indianised remakes of foreign films reflect no value, no relation to our culture and no mirror to our fast developing consumerist society or to its rural counterpart which has been excluded in our so called Indian economic renaissance. These films and their entertainment exist in a limbo, in a vacuum where you don’t see any glimpse of the reality we live in. You said reality? What has reality got to do with entertainment? With films? Man, films cost lots of money. As a producer aptly puts it: “I pay entertainment tax, so my movies must fundamentally entertain.”
In Hollywood, there is an unspoken dictum: “No film should have the mental age of more than ten years.” So, the birth of popcorn movies. We call ourselves Bollywood. How can we be any different? We lement the fact that there is no more a Hrishikesh Mukherjee amongst us. When will we get another classic comic sequence played between Mehmood and Om Prakash in “Pyar Kiye Jaa” or that frothy unforgettable romantic tease played between Dilip Kumar and Vyjantimala in “Paigham”. And what about “Teen Bahuraniyan” which came from nowhere and regaled us with its take on middle-class morality. It is difficult to judge which of the two Prithviraj Kapoor’s performance is better: in that lavish and bombastic “Mughal-E-Azam” or this simpleton of a movie.
Comedies have the longest shelf life. Believe me, this is more true than the Einsteinian equation of E=MC square. Let’s take the earliest era – the silent films. What has survived are not the adventure and sword buckling dramas of Douglas Fairbanks, etc but even two-reelers of Chaplin, Buster Keaten and many others which regale us even today and make us wonder at amazing syncopation and unbelievable comic choreography some of their sequences achieved. They remain sublime, unsurpassed and impossible to film today. Why can’t we attempt to achieve their excellence? What is missing? What has been lost? The answer is simple – innocence. To cross new horizons, to discover unchartered territories, you’ve to take chances, take risks, most important “to experiment”. And the daringness of being a failure. Our budgets, multiplex ticket prices and the star prices rule it out. So do the vanity vans. I am so out of touch that I got a shock of life when I was informed that even in DD serials, vanity vans are provided for almost every actor. That’s an amazing progress! So what for the fact that most of the television work today is making soaps with an unending variety of swish pans ever invented in the lexicon of the film language.
To prove the point about shelf life twice over. How many more films do you remember which were contemporaries of “Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi”, “Padosan”, “Pyar Kiye Jaa”, “Teen Bahuraniyan”, “Chalte-Chalte”, etc, etc? Please don’t treat this to be an academic question. Off the cuff, you mention these very films again and again in daily conversations. While their contemporaries, probably bigger hits and winner of Filmfare awards, are forgotten and have already met their nemesis. Please…please…please….for heaven’s sake don’t jump the gun and conclude that the Filmfare Award winning films have zero shelf life! That’s unfair! So what if Oscar Academy never gave one to Chaplin till he was in his seventies.
I am diverting so much that I am forgetting what this article is all about. But does it matter? Are we destined to get the comedies we’re getting? No, please let’s leave the destiny and fate to their better usage in Shakespeare’s plays. We’ve brought it upon ourselves. I don’t mean the ills are only within our film industry. We’re, after all, a small part of the McDonald culture sweeping us today. And yet, some semblance of churning is taking place. The smaller films can probably learn to dare…to dare more and even experiment. The task is Sisyphian. But let’s begin rolling the stone to top of the mountain. The worst is that it will roll back once we reach on top. Even that may not be sufficient. But let’s roll back that other stone called Agreement 123 which may choke us to death. And once we roll that stone back, many more stones need to be rolled back before the phoenix can rise. I am a pessimist. Tell me, how not to be one.
Tags: Comedy, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron, kundan shah
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
A very warm welcome on PFC Sir!!! We had a short chat for a few seconds at IFFLA earlier this year and I had to express to you that I was feeling very nervous in approaching you and how you patted my shoulder and went “Aray Jaane bhi do yaar”… and after our chat I thought I had lost the opportunity to convince you to blog on PFC… and yet… this is a very pleasant surprise! Thank you!
…misery….very true…a hearty welcome to PFC sir!!
WeLcome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gr8 take by the maker of one of the best black comedies ever. But the article written by you and Naseeruddin Shah, I read on Tehelka yesterday was just superb. Here is the link to that article
http://www.tehelka.com/story_main40.asp?filename=hub300808Iamthejoker.asp
Guys this article is as much studded with black humour as JBDY
ever was and tells you why we do we need guys like Kundan Shah
Welcome Sir! You have been an inspiration to so many film-makers and aspiring ones.. Have a blast at PFC!
Welcome..Warm welcome to pfc sir..its a great honor to share the same platform with you…Had a wonderful interaction with you at IFFLA,,,
About the post..when you say, we have lost innocence…yes, not only as a filmmaker, but also as an audience, where we tear apart a film because of a couple of errors..when w should be able to look at a bigger picture and let the totality of the movie to trigger our emotions, any emotion..but the question..is there a way to regain the lost innocence?
Welcome sir. Very Happy to see you here.
Welcome to PFC and please write more. And often.
Sir, loved your interview in Tehelka…the way you have lambasted some new releases..
“Isn’t it symptomatic of our times that Siiiinnngh is Kiinnnnnngggg, with its more sick and more ugly content and with even more uneducated and crude minds behind its making, is made with crores and crores of rupees, bought with more crores, and released in farfrom- reality multiplexes and trumpeted all over as a box-office event while, ideally speaking, it should’ve been made in a peanutbudget and released, going by its wretched intentions, in those very same third-rate wretched cinema-halls where the other film was released?” He looked at me triumphantly and his eyes sparkled with a satanic glee. “As for the film Mudrank, it should’ve been made with — well let’s say, more honesty and with a punch… probably as many punches as possible and, ideally speaking, should’ve ended up as a box-office bonanza with the whole nation watching it.”
Bravo!!!
thanx for making us hear your voice..
Want you to write more on pfc.Would like to know which are the films in the last 5 years in our industry which you liked and you think will have a shelf life.Also we badly need people like you to make more films.
Great to see the man himself express !! I agree with you that comedies have been real pain these days. The mindless comedies produced like Krrazy4, No Entry, Welcome, SinghIsKing, Malamaal,Masti, Partner, Phir Hera Pheri, 123, Dhol, Fool n Final, Apna Sapna, Deewaane Huye Pagal, Dhamaal, Dhol, Golmaal, have left me speachless. I dont know which is a genuine one and which is a bundle. The last great comedy movie I saw was Munnabhai MBBS. It was a film that I enjoyed throughly, with equal gusto as maybe watching the classics that you mentioned in your post. I hope that more and more film makers come and give us timeless classics.
Welcome to PFC, Sir.
The mental age of viewers has fallen by half and they are HAPPILY lapping up the comedies comming their way.
We can only hope this phase of crass comedies will come to an end soon. A lot of film makers want to make comedies now and hopefully the standards will rise and come close to those set by you.
Kcp bhai..yes we want to see more and more timeless comedies, but the problem is…no one makes a movie feeling that he/she will make a timeless movie..i am sure kundar too, dint set out trying to make a timeless comedy…it eventually did, is in the hindsight…would also love to know…how was it accepted in the cinema hall circuit..was it a huge hit in cinema even then or did it become more like a an Andaz Apna Apna..which though it didnt make much money while it was running in cinema halls, but, is timeless comedy and made fantastic business in dvd sales
Naseeruddin Shah’s piece on JBDY is a delight to read. Even for those who might not have enjoyed the film a lot, just the manner in which it is written would force the reader to read over and over again and hopefully remember it for some time to time.
Thanks VB bhai for the link. “This kind of coming together of energies occurs very rarely and only accidentally” – I think this is not hapenning in modern times and so we dont have classics.
Welcome Sir!
Comedies require great understanding of the social atmosphere of the surroundings. Insular cultures, as we are now, do not promote such understanding.
Ex: Whenever we meet our old college friends and have a huge laugh over some bygone incident, we always say that, “Bahut din baad aisa hansa hai!”. That was a milieu and we do not have it anymore!
It is similar with movies, and as a society we are not funny anymore..so we have forced slapstick stand up acts doubling up as movies..removed from reality, removed from our culture, which in itself is at crossroads.
intersting…very intersting! and a warm welcome. not sure whats d last good comedy that i enjoyed…khosla ka ghosla, if it can be put in comedy and before that it was hera pheri! and since then its all just popcorn that i enjoy.
The Munnabhai films Phoenixnu?
A very good day for PFC.
A very warm Welcome Kundan Ji.
A very good post on PFC.
A very good reminder of a very good genre of comedy
A very good hope of a bright future.
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You make, we are ready to recieve it.
and a big Thanks to you and every member of the team who made and acted in Jane Bhi Do Yaaro.
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Very true when done with heart in the place then it does not matter whether this scene has been used in the past in some older film. Involvement of actors and director brings a wonderful impact in the scene.
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It was a great team in Jaane Bhi do yaro and hope sometime in the future such a talented team will appear again on the horizon of Hindi cinema.
THODA KAHO THODA PHENKO!!!!
a very very very very warm welcome to PFC, KUNDAN SIR!!!
my celebrations have begun…a dig into that piece of cake…ummm sweet memories….
And yes a blog on “Sunil” and how he was shaped…I think thats the best character ever written in recent hindi cinema memory for me…keep blogging…
and Phoenixnu the most underated and never given it’s due in this genre…..”WAISA BHI HOTA HAI -PART 2″ for me it’s right up there in my all time list….
Priyadarshan sold out…and became the Machine….churning PJs and not cinema…his Muskurahart still brings a smile though.
KUNDAN SHAH, DIBAKAR(of what I hear of Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye and of course Khosla Ka Ghosla) and Shashanka Gosh (waisa bhi hota hai and QUICK GUN…just love him)
they make the HOLY TRINITY for me.
pata hai america itna tarakki kyon kiya? wahaan peene ka paani, keechad ka pani alag.
A very warm welcome Mr. Shah. Blog away.
a very warm welcome sir ….
yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Jaane Bhi Do Kundan bhai… hum log nahin sudgrenge… After every “Welcome” we should cringe and think “never again will I make the mistake of watching such a bullshit film”… but instead, just a few months later, we line up to watch “Singh Is King”… if its the same audience who patronizes such films and then bitches about them later… than we’re far more two-faced, hypocritical and brain-dead then the filmmakers creating and promoting these films.
Just want to let you know, Sir, that there are still a few of us out here who crave a taste of the lost era of intelligent films, and sincerely miss film-makers such as Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Gulzar-saab and yourself.
Please Sir, turn a blind eye to all the vulgarity, close your ears to all the hypocritical bullshit and propaganda, shut out everything that is the unfortunate truth of our film-making culture of today… and just once more make the kind of film that SHOULD be made. Because there are only a few makers out there who CAN make such films… and Sir, your amongst our last hope…
I am so delighted to read the words of Kundan Shah in the same blog space where I also contribute. Thanks PFC and thanks Kundan Shah ji!!
There was a time when making a healthy comedy was a sure fire way to entertain – now the comedy we see is so forced and soulless that I dont take the pains of even opening my mouth to yawn at them – let alone laugh with innocent glee.
I only hope that no one tries to remake Jaane Bhi Do yaaron or Padosan and sully the name of the original. That is the height of my expectations.
Welcome to PfC sir… Expecting more such posts!
That’s an over-simplification of the whole issue. In your jest to put forward a point, you provide us with mis-guided information with flawed logic. Lets start with where you begun or to be the stepping stone of evolution of Indian cinema: 123 Agreement. Please point us why its not good for the country (and / or Indian movies) and how is it choking us to death ? No rhetorics please (at least that we can expect from an ace thinker like you), that it is the reason we dont have a Hrishikesh Mukherjee or McDonald’s will take over vada-pav. I am not arguing for the sake of it. I would like to know the reasons with facts. There are some positive and negative facts of the nuclear deal which you may know and we dont. I believe you dont expect us to oppose nuclear deal just because you said so just as you would like us not to believe every hearsay about the deal.
And warm welcome on PFC. Its nice to get to interact with a celebrity personality like you.
@vasan bhai.
priyadarshan sold out??!!!
his only purpose of moving to mumbai was to sell old stock.
a friend of mine approached his secretary with a script and was told priyan sir Wonly does remakes, no originals!
Hey, Kundan , nice to see you on PFC. Is there any footage of the cut scenes
in JBDY involving Anupam Kher (who played Disco killer)? My best scene
in the movie was the Mahabharat scene towards the end.
It would be great if a DVD of this movie with these cut scenes becomes available .
@Omprakash…the nuclear deal is a sell out of the country because it will keep us from having access to plutonium from the world markets. plutonium is required to catalyse thorium reactors..India is the only country in the world pursuing thorium reactors because we have a huge supply of thorium but not uranium, we are about 7 years from possessing fast breeder reactors which can convert thorium (with the help of plutonium) into an isotope of uranium which can be used to generate energy…incidentally this isotope of uranium cannot be used in making nuclear weapons but can concievably give India very cheap and abundant power and energy self sufficiency by a few years short of 2030…so basically agreement 123 keeps India dependant on the nuclear power generation technologies developed in the west…the congress party has sold national interest..I say sold because I have no doubt they got incentives to push the deal through…the truly disgusting thing is that this information was kept from the voting public and in fact various congressmen including the hilariously clueless rahul gandhi have claimed the agreement was made in the interest of national energy security..I realise I’m being petty about rahul g but honestly I find him to be puke inducingly vaccous to say nothing of the fact that the whole “family run business” attitude the congress condones is a slap to our collective face as a democracy…the “deal” will only generate less then 5% of India’s energy needs in 20 years ! to say nothing of how it compromises access to indian nuclear facilities both civilian and military to another nation with divergent and sometimes opposing self interest.
Sorry for the rant it’s just that omprakash asked and I’ve been really dismayed that indian press did not highlight the plutonium issue – which is key, so I wanted to highlight the point…oh well old money in cahoots with old power has been controlling the media for more than two decades in India rather brazenly so no surprise it was not reported.
@Avdhesh
Only point of contention is the plutonium necessary for thorium reactors. If you have read the draft (which I assume you have) of the IAEA agreement, can you please point to the point which ambiguously or unambiguously refers to plutonium being unavailable for thorium reactors for civilian purpose (because even you have agreed that thorium is basically useless for weapon grade material). No where in it mentions the aforementioned point that you raised.
Rest of congress fooling indian peoples or rahul gandhi or press fooling indian audience is strictly speculation which has no place in a debate.
About 5 pc energy needs being fulfilled by the deal is a vague argument particularly along with humongous energy needs of India. By that logic we dont even need to do natural gas exploration or invest in alternative energy resources in india as almost 80 pc of the need is being provided by external resources. This is precisely the rhetoric I was trying to steer clear in this debate.
@omprakash, the point you are missing is that 5% is not enough of a reason for India to compromise an indegenous program that is so security critical…no alternative energy resources or natural gas etc. is being leveraged to compromise independant policy in this fashion.
I don’t believe the fact that the congress government has repeatedly and in many diverse ways compromised national interest is in any way speculation at all, wilful ignorance and explanations to the contrary, in fact, are. I believe this is not an adequate enough or appropropriate forum to discuss this in detail so I’ll merely contest that absurd statement with stating that bhagalpur, emergency, 84 riots in delhi, bofors, wilful politicising and mishandling of IPKF operations in Sri Lanka, the selling off of the bhopal compensation claim for peanuts, the attempts in the 80s to bring down state govts in south India by bribing coercing, and even kidnapping on one occasion, of MLAs and yes once again most importantly “emergency” – the only indian govt to have dissolved democratic process when adjudged by the judiciary as culpable in corruptionare just some of the very few acts that fall in that category – any unbiased observer can investigate further
…in the very least if you are “debating” this with me you can’t be demarkating what has a place in the debate and what does not…ideally you would simply listen, try to comprehend and then respond – incidentally I don’t intend to respond to another mesagge should you post one because of the reasons I’ve stated regarding the forum so please do not feel compelled to respond.
Article 6 of the agreement states that to obtain or reprocess “special fissionable material” (which the text itself defines as inclusive of plutonium) India will have to adhere to IAEA safeguards. Under these safeguards a non signatory to the Non Proliferation Treaty (which India is due to the unequal terms of the treaty) cannot either obtain OR reprocess without “special approval” so the terms actually implicit make the access to plutonium at least limited if not outright impossible should that approval not be granted by a body or government external to India, note that this limitation does not exist pre agreement 123
Article 7 further places limitations to the use of plutonium from “irradiated fuel elements”, pretty much ruling out any logical and sustainable reprocessing…reprocessing of plutonium makes this technology cheap and viable for India not being able to reprocesses spent fuel rods makes it prohibitively expensive.
As I said before Omprakash I’m not going to respond to any future comments you might make on the subject…you’re welcome to investigate my claims within the text of the agreement and other avenues.
Welcome Sir..indeed a pleasant surprise.
a hearty welcome to PFC sir ….
@ VB – Thank you for the link aabout NS’s take on this film.
Its nice to have another acclaimed film-maker, Kundan Shah, to write here. Hoping to read more of such thoughts about films and cinema per se here on PFC..
@Avdhesh
Please do not bother about the forum being not the right place to discuss. I dont think Oz or others will bother about a harmless debate unless it spiral downs to namecalling.
First congress’s past records or even US’s past records or anyone’s past record should not be a reason to accept or reject the deal. It should be, I believe, accepted or rejected based on its merits and demerits.
Okay agreed that I will listen to whatever you have to say. My intention of saying “to steer away from rhetorics” (as you say demarcating) is to go into the heart of the matter and nothing else. But offcourse you can give the examples that you have given.
1. There is no mention of Article 6 or 7 in the whole draft. Can you be please more specific and point out the page nos (to gain more insight and nothing else). But the point you raised is correct. India will have to adhere to IAEA safeguards to reprocess and being a Non-NPT India is not “suppose” to be allowed [the second part is your deductions and not mentioned in the draft because in the first part u say that india will be allowed with reservations]. But please do not confuse IAEA agreements/NSG waiver with actual nuclear agreement between two countries of which India will be one partner. The IAEA draft gives a broad overview of what is allowed and what isnt. No where it mentions that reprocessing is not allowed (as you have also agreed). So it is upto India and the other signatory country (based on their national law) to textualize the details in actual nuclear agreement. It will mention a) which nuclear facilties are under question b) how un-interrupted fuel supply is ensured ? c) reprocessing d) transfer safeguard e) security. So it is upto India to get the reprocessing rights from the signatory country. Only thing IAEA mentions is it has to be under safeguard which means u cannot use it for military purpose (is it too difficult to understand why? why should any country help India in their military aspirations unless their aspiration coincide with ours). If India is not fully satisfied with a particular nuclear agreement because of the reprocessing rights, she can always wash its hands off the nuclear deal with that country and re-negotiate with other.
2. As I said the current IAEA agreement is general outlines and not specific details of a nuclear agreement. This is a passport to approach different countries for a possible deal (based on their benefits and nothing else). If India is not happy, she shouldnt sign the nuclear agreement with that country.
3. IAEA draft never mention reprocessing rights being denied. For example please read Section D. A part I reproduce verbatim (point 89, page 20): “A reprocessing plant having an annual throughput not exceeding 5 effective kilograms of nuclear material, and the safeguarded nuclear material in it, may be routinely inspected twice a year. A reprocessing plant, having an annual throughput exceeding 5 effective kilograms of nuclear material, and the safeguarded nuclear material in it, may be inspected at all times.”
4. Limitations on plutonium is for blended nuclear material (means where there is a mix of safeguarded and unsafeguarded material) such that determine whether it should be under safeguard or not. This suggests that it can be used for civilian use only.
As far as I am concerned, it would be grave mistake not to reply to your comments which I found though not untrue but definitely pulled out of context. Though you have reiterated that I shouldnt expect any response from you on this matter on this forum, I would love to see one. One post per day is not too much to ask.
“I am diverting so much that I am forgetting what this article is all about. But does it matter?”
i dont think you diverted at all sir!
pls keep writing….ur words are & will be inspiration to every person who’s tryin to roll that stone
& @ omprakash & avdesh….guys lets not lose focus>>>>”CINEMA”
On 19th September 2008 two Hindi comedy Films are releasing…..:
Welcome to SajjanPur
&
Hulla
I had read in between on PFC that JBDY part 2 was to be produced by Nadiadwaalaa’s ? Is it true sir ? JBDY was one of the best movies that I have ever seen in my life. The use of your name was also there ( Naseer takes your name, that they have taken money from you to make the ’studio udghaatan’ ). Also it was interesting to weave in the movie, the names of the people who were involved : Sudhir Mishra and Vinod Chopra !! Quite intelligent I must say. Its been a long time that I saw the movie, but I distinctly remember that Vidhu Vinod Chopra was named in the titles as an “actor”. Guys, you remember where does he chop in the movie as an actor ? I must see this movie as soon as I get time !!!
@kcp, I think Arjun Vidhu Vinod Chopra played the role of Dusshasan before being taken over by Vivek
sorry I meant, Vidhu Vinod Chopra played the role of Dusshasan before being taken over by Vivek
KCP: Vidhu Vinod Chopra appears as a photographer during the inauguration of the flyover; this is when Shrivastav (Deepak Qazir) makes the dedication to Commissioner D’Mello; VVC is the photographer who backs up the stairs preceding the people . Someone has to convince me about Dushaasan.
There is no point lamenting the consumerist culture over n over again..I am one on your side Kundanji..But am turning cynical or maybe reconciling to the reality..Hrishida, Gulzaarsaab, Basu Chatterji & Bhattachaya represented an era..Mindless comedies will have their audience because such audience exists..But the only answer to such a wave is to keep making movies even though on peanut budegts to keep the ship afloat of sensible comedies with someone like u being the torchbearer.
@george
imdb also mentions it but I am not sure if its correct…
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085743/fullcredits#cast
I think one of the most significant aspects of consumerism is the choice of the consumer himself.
Isn’t the consumer today CHOOSING to watch the comedies, or rather the tragedies that are being meted out to him? Isn’t the consumer choosing to pay Rs. 300 to watch it? Isn’t the consumer responsible for not demanding better?
Look at every other industry – there has been growth & progress. We are getting a better quality product / service, though arguably so. Why is it then that with films, we have gone in the reverse direction? Why then, have we started with Bimal Roys, Satyajit Rays, Guru Dutts and Hrishikesh Mukherjees about 5 decades back and never achieved that level of brilliance again?
Isn’t the CONSUMER also as responsible for this degeneration as the SUPPLIER? How can one resolve that situation? Why then should the producer be blamed for dishing out ‘whatever we choose to call it’ in the name of entertainment, when the consumer doesn’t demand any better? The onus cannot solely lie on only one side of the demand-supply forces.
Hi.. kundanji well come to PFC.. sir i am your greatest fan ever… Sir pls make JBDY part 2.. and not only that we all want more films from filmmaker like u.. we all love your films sir…
I am not an expert, but as a citizen of thsi country, I have an observation..Manmohan Singh as PM as never sounded so passionate about anything else than the Nuke deal…J&K was burning, Bihar is under water, blasts in Ahemdabad…the man looks deadpan…I almost thought it was a manufacturing defect till I saw him in parliament holding for on the Deal —the man had a range of emotions writ on his face…but now, afet the ’secret letter’ ….he stands Exposed!!!
Kundan Shah should now make a film called “thoda khao, thoda phenko” — that’s what globalisation is making us do in all sphere’s…..especially with regard to JOBS!!!!
IMHO “Hera Pheri” was the turning point for the downfall in the recent comedy films. After its stupendous success, filmmakers started doing mindless comedies ( thinking that they will better Hera Pheri ) and competition between them, and a few successful (box office i.e.) films, led to worse movies….
Dear Sir,
Acc. to me your best work was kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa. Whenever it comes on tv , i get glued.
I remember watching it in pinky theatre at a princely sum of Rs 7=75 paise.(I guess it was tax free)
Just wanted to ask u,any chance of u working with SRK again?
have you ever approached him with a script again?
When I saw Welcome to Sajjanpur at a 11:00 pm show at PVR Mulund, I was pleasantly surprised. One – there was at least a 70% audience, two – that theatre doesn’t attract audiences easily, three – the audiences did nobody a favour, they were laughing and getting ‘it’. They had a great time with the charachters.
This is a warning bell for a lot of shitty films that ran in theatres for the past few years. I also think an opportunity exists for past directors to get back to the limelight and infuse the film industry with sensible good films. In couple of years, I wouldn’t be surprised if directors like Sai Paranjpaye, Govind Nihalani, Saeed Mirza, will be courted to make films and become hot property and will big taste commercial success. That will be Mmmmwwaaaaahhh!
very very warm welcome sir….it was an honour reading your opinions
i think only way to make a difference is to make good healthy comedies…involve a couple of big names if needed,make them work…with welcomes being blockbusters,there is no denying the fact that audience is appreciating are appreciating works,which are not works of art,rather a disgrace of art…there isnt a hell lot we can do about it…but by making a few “actually” good ones work in the industry,we may just start a new process…I think WTS was a pretty descent attempt
Sir…I would really love to see a sequel to JBDY…especially the way the first one ended,always thought there was a possibility of a second one coming…
sir.. pls make films .. pls..
plssssssssssssssssss