movie news

Vashu promotes Kal Kissne Dekha

Even as filmmakers stand united in their protest against the multiplexes and are refraining from releasing their films till the issue around revenue sharing is solved, there have been murmurs that some of them are unhappy with Vashu Bhagnani for having begun promotion for Kal Kissne Dekha. Even though there is uncertainty around the release of this Jackky Bhagnani starrer (or any other Bollywood film for that matter), a few others are miffed with the airing of song promos of this Vivek Sharma directed film.

Says a filmmaker who wishes to be unnamed, "It was clearly decided that no film would release till the time producers and multiplexes do not come to a consensus. This was the reason why the strike date of 4th April was announced in advance so that makers could abort the promotion plans, if any, of their forthcoming films. It was meant to be a complete boycott. This is why it is surprising to see the songs from Kal Kissne Dekha being on the air. Everyone's question is 'why'? Why is Vashu Bhagnani doing that when he knows that he should not be releasing his film till we all are in agreement."

Another filmmaker adds, "By bringing the songs of his film on air, he is giving out a sense of urgency to the multiplexes which makes our stand weak. It's unfair. Couldn't he have waited for a while? Today when there are no new promos on the air of any other film, why is Kal Kissne Dekha being in focus?"

Vashu Bhagnani has his answers handy though. "First and foremost, please let me reaffirm once again that I am with my other producers at every step which is being taken in our stand against the multiplexes. So let me state on record once again that Kal Kissne Dekha, by no means, would be bypassing any other film in it's aspiration to be released earlier. No, that won't happen. It will come at it's normal course once we all take a decision around waiting for multiplexes to agree to our terms or decide to head towards the single screens", he announces.

"Rahi baat song promos ki toh the fact here is that it is difficult to hold on to a film's promotion once it has been kick started", says Vashu in his defence, "The promotion of Kal Kissne Dekha had begun to a little extent before the strike was announced. Now since the album is already on stands and buzz had started building for the film and its music, I couldn't have afforded to be 100% laidback around the promotion."

He further adds, "In any case song promos have come on air just now and we are being low key in our approach. But if this is converted to zero, it would send out wrong signals amongst the audience. Tomorrow once we will have to start the promotion again; it would appear to be a slightly dated product. I don't want that to happen."

Vashu Bhagnani finds a supporter in filmmaker Ramesh Taurani. "There is a directive to stop release of movies, not music. If a filmmaker has released his music, he has to promote it. I don't see Vashu Bhagnani doing anything out of the way. The music has to find support system through means of promotion otherwise it may seem dated if it sits on the stands for weeks. I am sure though that he would bring his film only after the stand off is resolved", says Ramesh Taurani.

So what are Vashu's plans from here on? "At the end of the day, if there is someone who is forced to spend extra money, it is me. The longer the stand off continues, the more I will end up spending on its promotion. But yes, what I am doing is to have the songs coming on only 2-3 channels rather than those dozens of music and other entertainment channels. That's my promise to other filmmakers that I am not going overboard on the promotion. Also, let me reassure that I won't hijack my film into the release calendar at the expense of other films", promises Vashu.

Karan Johar shoots in Mumbai slums for My Name Is Khan

After Slumdog Millionaire, the West wants more of the Mumbai slums. Last week Karan Johar shot some key slum sequences in Borivali with the Slumdog Millionaire kid Tanay Chedda who plays SRK's childhood role in My Name Is Khan, and the incredibly underused Zarina Wahab who plays SRK's mother.Karan chose the boy to play the childhood part of Shah Rukh's life not only because of his facial likeness to Shah Rukh, but also because of Tanay's instant connectivity with the Mumbai slums and thereafter the Western audience.

Says Karan, "Tanay is exceptionally talented. He was able to imbibe Shah Rukh's character traits and use them to make SRK's childhood look convincing."The director now intends to cast Tanay as junior SRK whenever required, much in the way that Master Mayur played the young Amitabh Bachchan in a series of films.Karan's exposition on the Muslim identity is expected to reach out to a global non-NRI audience. Though the take-off point for My Name Is Khan is 9/11, not a single shot is taken in New York.The film is set in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Two of the most expensive cities in the US for shooting. While Karan Johar's production of Rensil D'Silva's Kareena-Saif film on terrorism will have Philadelphia masquerading as New York, Johar's own directorial take on terrorism and the isolation of the working-class Muslim has gone to the two actual US cities were the plot is location.

Karan shot in LA earlier this year. He leaves for San Francisco in May for a 40-day schedule. The first and last Hindi film to be shot in San Francisco was Imtiaz Ali's Love Aaj Kal.Putting his shoulder surgery behind him, Shah Rukh with best friend Karan Johar and favourite co-star Kajol to accompany him would be gone to San Francisco for 40 days in May and June.With Aamir Khan vacationing with his children out of the country and SRK busy with IPL, the two purported architects and the mediator Karan Johar for the solution for the multiplex crisis are all out of the loop, putting a large question mark before the deadlock that threatens to shut the film industry.

Sumber: https://bolliwoodstories.blogspot.com/2009/04/movie-news.html