Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali walks in with his mother at the premiere: Its all Here
Rani Mukherjee talking with the film’s infamous producer Bharat Shah (blue suit): See Them Here
Aishwarya Rai either looks very bored or fascinated while staring at the screen: Click.
The film’s two gorgeous leading ladies, Ash and Madhuri Dixit, pose for reporters as they walk out from the event: Go Here
- Ok, I guess with the help of international hits like “Lagaan”, “Monsoon Wedding”, “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham”, and “Devdas”, it looks like Bollywood is finally operating on an international level. Now comes news that Hollywood distribution company 20th Century Fox has set up offices in India in a bid to produce Bollywood films and release them globally on a much larger scale than previous productions. Fox is making a deal to start with 3 films for now and the first film is already in the initial stages of production. Titled “Ek Hasina Thi" (Once There Was An Attractive Woman)”, the film is being directed by Ramgopal Verma (“Company”) and will star Saif Ali Khan and Urmila Matondkar. Shooting is set to start in August and the film will be released in January. Click on this link to an interesting article on this film from CNN: http://asia.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/south/07/17/india.fox.film.reut/index.html
- More “Kaante (Thorns)” news: Not only will the film will have 9 premieres but it will be also dubbed into 5 languages for international distribution. The film will be dubbed from its original Hindi language into English, Spanish, Japanese and Tamil for releases in many various countries.
- Actor Sanjay Dutt has secretly completed a yet another project. This new film, titled “Anhonee(Mishap), is being directed by Rishi Talwar and produced by record company T-Series. The film, which also stars Chandrachur Singh and Shamita Shetty, is getting good buzz in the industry and the producers have already signed Talwar for another project. That next film will star Sanjay aswell.
DEVDAS
You’ve read Moviemaniac’s view up above, and I’m sure you read most of the reviews generating online. You already know that the film is the 9th version of a classic Indian literature and that it is India’s costliest production ever. My opinion of the film will not really force you to see it (which most of you already have), but I must state my opinion – in the hopes that just a few of the foreigners (those not exposed to mainstream Bollywood) venture out to the theatres and watch this instant classic.
Despite the many problems faced by the production, director Sanjay Leela Bhansali has not only made a film that is better than all of the other versions (yes, including the Bimal Roy version with Dilip Kumar), but will become a classic film in coming years. In fact such a noble and brave attempt of classical filmmaking hasn’t been tried since the golden age of Indian cinema (pre-1970s) which spawned such epics as “Mughal-E-Azam”, “Pakeezah”, “Patthar Ke Phool”, “Mother India”, “Shaheed”, and the 1950s version of “Devdas”. Yes my friends, this new version starring current Hollywood heartthrobs Shahrukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, and Madhuri Dixit, belong in that list of unforgettable classics.
But first, a little bit of history about the subject. “Devdas”, based on a 1919 Bengali novel, is much like “Hamlet” when compared with its classical status. Both are epic works of literature that have a tremendous potential to be transferred well onto the screen, and both are the roles of a lifetime for any actor brave enough to take on such a daunting task. And both have a spawned a classic film that people insist will never be matched (for “Hamlet” it was the Laurence Olivier film, for “Devdas” it was the Bimal Roy film). But in my opinion, two of the newer versions for both works have already beaten the classics at their own game – Kenneth Branagh accomplished the task in 1996, while Sanjay Leela Bhansali accomplished the task this year.
Exactly how much does this new version deviate from the original is hard to tell – atleast from me because I haven’t read the book. However I have seen the Bimal Roy version and I can say that the changes are minimal. Devdas’ character is pretty much fleshed out the same way (innocent at first, depressed and angry later on), while Chunnilal (Devdas’s drinking buddy)’s role is somewhat enhanced. Chandramukhi’s role is somewhat given more edge and charm while Paro has been given more authority as an aristocrat in the second half of the film. However these are simple character changes that don’t really take away anything from the initial plot. Simply put, if you’re a fan of the story, you will not be disappointed from this new version.
However, the plot is the only thing even remotely connecting this to any previous versions, or even the book itself. Bhansali has created a whole new look for the film which will truly take its audience away from their day-to-day lives and transport them into the fantasy world of 1930s Calcutta, made up of something that would closely resemble Heaven. Realism does not exist in the director’s vocabulary and instead the use of large expansive sets and lush elaborate colours give each frame a life of its own.
Check out the background in this shot of Shahrukh lying confused on a bed. Look carefully at the colours of the bedsheets, the curtains all around him, and the candleholders in the background: Click Here Now
And if you thought that was nothing, take a look at this picture of Madhuri Dixit (as courtesan Chandramukhi) performing an Indian dance for Devdas. Look at the elegant costumes on all of the background dancers, the lavish carpets and rugs on the floor, and all of the various assortments of crystals and glasses decorating the palatial platform: Just Click Here
Those pictures don’t really do the film any justice. In a short summation, all I can is if you think Moulin Rouge or Fellowship of the Ring looked gorgeous, multiply their beauty by 10, and you’ll somewhat get closer to the visual beauty of this film.
Gorgeous set designs and beautiful costumes aside, the film also has an abundance of great actors in various roles – all of whom perform their tasks equally well. Headlining everybody is Shahrukh Khan, who once again has proved that he is the very best actor working today. His mannerisms, dialogue delivery, and facial expressions are able to accomplish what most of us can’t even dream about. He doesn’t mope around the film like a lovesick Romeo (which he really is), nor does he go into the camp territory under the influence of alcohol. Instead he manages to turn from a sophisticated, foreign-educated man of affluence into a tormented being of death – one who really has no hope in living.
Here’s a picture of Devdas, the foreign-return elite (with the beautiful Aishwarya Rai as “Paro”): They're Here Now
And here’s a picture of the same character, towards the climax of the film. Witness the death and destruction in his eyes: Its here
And if the casting of Shahrukh Khan wasn’t enough for Bhansali, the director went ahead and hired two leading divas to vie for the affections of our tormented hero. Aishwarya Rai gives another great performance as the lifelong love of the leading character. Her character also goes through a major transformation during the film, and Ash is able to pull it off very convincingly. Combining equal parts beauty with talent, the actress is just simply great and will win many accolades for this role. It is too early enough to tell if she can win the acting awards or not, but right now, her chances are extremely high.
The beautiful Ms. Rai: She's Right Here
Our second heroine (and the second-most important character in the film) is played by none other than Madhuri Dixit. Once the reigning queen of Bollywood, the actress just simply disappeared into a happily married life, coming out once in a while to give good performances in average films. One exception was last year’s “Lajja” and another example is “Devdas”. Her character calls for the broadest range of emotions – from a charming yet seductive courtesan to an almost saintly, mother-like figure of love and devotion – and it is safe to say that the actress does not disappoint. Like many other reviewers, I too feel that Madhuri has given an excellent performance and has completely stolen the show from all of the actors, except for SRK.
The absolute STUNNING Madhuri Dixit: Pure Eye Candy
The rest of the supporting characters do not disappoint aswell. Both Smita Jaykar and Kiron Kher are well cast as Devdas and Paro’s mothers, respectively, while Jackie Shroff does not disappoint in his brief role as Devdas’s friend and drinking companion Chunnilal.
And to top off the great visuals and acting, Bhansali has hired a brilliant composer (Ismail Durbar) to pack the film with some rather excellent music. As this is a period epic, we have literally no modern instruments on the soundtrack, and instead are treated to semi-classical songs which can stand up to the best musical segments of that golden era. The score successfully establishes the tone of the era, and is another instrument in taking us back to that wonderful time period.
In the end, there’s nothing more I can say except to command you to see the film as soon as possible. “Devdas” is a brilliant piece of filmmaking that excels in every department, and just DESERVES to be seen on the biggest screen possible. If you’re even remotely interested in period epics, then you won’t be disappointed at all!
A final picture of the two divas from the film: Check them out here
CHINA / HK
Here’s the weekly report from AccSpy:
- Cecilia Cheung and Louis Koo are now shooting the period comedy "Lion from the East River (lit. title)", adapted from a classic folktale, in Shanghai, China.
- Eason Chan, Anthony Wong and Joey Yung are preparing for the production of "The Spirits Aren't Here (lit. title)" by going through Chinese Opera training with experienced traditional stage actors. The horror film is about a Chinese Opera actress (Joey Yung) coming back from the dead to seek revenge from her reincarnated lover (Eason Chan) in present day China. The film will feature some very creepy Opera scenes.
- Sammi Cheng and Lau Ching Wan's "My Left Eye Sees A Ghost" has collected $4mil in its first two days' run last weekend. Based on the good reviews of her breakthrough performance, Sammi could be easily nominated again in next year's HKFA. Here's some pics from the premiere night.
Ching Wan, Sammi, with co-stars Lee San San and Cheerie Yang:
See Them Here
Ching Wan with his wife Amy Kwok:
Click
More Ching Wan, Sammi and Cheerie:
They're Here
- A shooting ceremony for the romantic comedy "My Wife is Underage" was held in HK after the cast and crew came back from London. Here's some photos.
Ekin Cheng:
Click Here
Ekin and Charlene Choi:
Just Click
Charlene:
She's Right Here
- As mentioned "My Left Eye Sees the Ghost" debuted at no.1 of the box office. "Minority Report" fell to no.2 but was still running strong with $3.5 mil in three days, which brought its total gross to $17 mil in just 11 days. "Lilo and Snitch" was at no.3, while "Men in Black II", strangely failed to appeal to the HK audience. The film debuted at no.4 with less than 2 mil for its first weekend. Acclaimed director Fruit Chan's latest film "Hollywood Hong Kong" debuted at no.7.
JAPAN
Here’s the latest report from Pigmon:
- Takeshi Kitano’s next directorial project, “Dolls”, is finally complete! The actor/director took 6 months to shoot the film because he wanted to perfectly capture the 4 gorgeous seasons of Japan. The film’s central theme is love and focuses on 3 stories overlapping each other. It will be released in Japan this October and will be released internationally sometime next year.
- It has now been officially confirmed that director Ryuhei Kitamura (“Versus”) will next direct the big budget period epic “Azumi”. Based on a popular manga that has sold over 8 million copies, the film will tell tell the tale of a group of young warriors trained to be Samurai and Shogun assassins. Teen idol Aya Ueto has been signed to play the titular role. Shooting is set to start in September and the film will release next summer.
- Acting legend Kumi Mizuno has agreed to appear in the new Godzilla movie after a break from the genre for 36 years. The actress was very popular for appearing in various Toho monster films such as “Mushroom People”, “Gorath”, and many Godzilla films. She will play the prime minister of Japan (!) in the new film, titled “Godzilla vs. Mecha Godzilla”. The design for the Mecha Godzilla is very cool and is reported to be of a gigantic stature! You can catch a look at the creature very soon on www.godzilla.net.
- Director Alex Cox (“Sid and Nancy”, “Repo Man”) will direct an episode of the popular Japanese TV detective series “Hama Mike”. Directors Shinji Aoyama and Sogo Ishi have been hired to direct episodes aswell.
We have now reached the end of this week's column. Remember, if you have information regarding any film industry in Asia, please contact our Asia-AICN offices at atshrivas@rogers.com. See you all next week.
Darius25
