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Karan’s work is his cause

Considering the racy pace at which Bollywood operates, it’s no wonder actors look forward to the occasional break from the industry. But not Karan Johar. The filmmaker candidly admits that he sleeps, eats, drinks and talks movies, and that he can’t think anything beyond celluloid.

“My work is my lifeline. My films move me and I don’t have a life besides my movies. They are my primary passion,” said Karan in an interview.

Karan gave a new definition to romance with his urbane, chic romantic comedy Kuch Kuch Hota Hai in 1998, following it with other films like Kal Ho Na Ho, but he admits that he doesn’t follow any trend.

“I am driven only by my instinct. I don’t go by what is happening around. If remakes are being made, that does not mean I will also make one. Or just because masala action films are working, does not mean I will make one. I make what I believe in and hope to achieve the best with it. I don’t follow a norm or go by trends. I make what motivates me,” he said.

And he realised a long-time dream of making a campus film with Student of the Year, which recently opened to mixed reactions.

“Whatever I think of, I make. I wanted to make a campus film about friendship, so made Student of the Year. It was different for us because we worked with newcomers for the first time. The whole idea excited me, so I made the film. Shooting with newcomers was a different but not a difficult experience,” said the 40-year-old director. The young newcomers, Varun Dhawan,

Legacy of Laughs

The mortal remains of famous comedian, actor and satirist Jaspal Bhatti were consigned to flames at a cremation ground in Chandigarh recently.

Bhatti died in a road accident near Punjab’s Nakodar town, 170 km from Chandigarh. Bhatti’s pyre was lit by his son Jasraj, who was injured in the accident, but was discharged from hospital without serious injury.

Hundreds of mourners from diverse fields attended the cremation. These included politicians, leading celebrities of the Punjabi film and theatre industry and scores of friends of Bhatti. Earlier, a large number of mourners visited his Sector 19 residence.

“The king of comedy has left everyone in tears. He did not deserve this,” one of his close associates said at the cremation ground.

Bhatti’s car rammed into a tree along the highway while he was on his way to Jalandhar early in the morning, to promote his latest film Power Cut. He was taken to hospital, but declared dead on arrival.

He sustained head injuries in the accident. Jasraj and the film’s heroine Surilie Gautam and publicist Navneet Joshi were also injured, but not seriously.

Power Cut had been produced and directed by him, and was to launch his son Jasraj.

Bhatti was a popular face on television and in Bollywood films with his comedy shows and appearances. His TV shows Ulta-Pulta and Flop Show were popular entertainers in the late 1980s and 1990s. He also directed a film Mahaul Theek Hai, a satire on the police, administration and society, in 1999.

Bhatti, perhaps the most famous Sikh comedian, acted in several Bollywood films too. Bhatti is survived by wife Savita Bhatti, herself an actor, son Jasraj and daughter Raabiya. Fans and the Indian film industry paid rich tributes to the actor and comedian, who leaves behind a legacy of laughs. Rest in peace, Jaspal Bhatti.

GUESS WHO ?

Alia Bhatt and Siddharth Malhotra, did a commendable job, but it’s anyone’s guess how the film will do at the box office. Karan’s not worried, though. He fulfilled his wish of making a campus film, and he doesn’t know what’s next. Watch this space to find out about his next venture.

Grand premiere to remember Yash Chopra

Yash Chopra’s last directorial work Jab Tak Hai Jaan is set for a grand premiere as a tribute to the late filmmaker, and will be held on November 12, while the film itself releases on Diwali the next day.

“I want to give my husband an unforgettable farewell. Accordingly, we have decided to have a grand premiere for his ultimate film Jab Tak Hai Jaan, exactly the way he wanted it,” Yash Chopra’s wife Pam Chopra said in a statement. “This is a fitting tribute to a man who would have had it no other way. I have asked my sons Aditya and Uday to go ahead with all the preparations. This premiere is our way of celebrating his illustrious life, rather than mourning it,” she added.

The film features Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma and Bollywood’s buzzing that it will be a box office superhit. A great way to farewell a great legend!

Hardcore masala is Bazmee’s best

Director Anees Bazmee, currently working on No Entry Mein Entry, promises that the new film will be a complete entertainer and a hardcore masala film.

“The kind of films that I have been making so far, you can call them full entertainers, hardcore masala films that are ‘paisa wasool’ like No Entry, Welcome, Singh Is Kinng, Ready. And No Entry... is just like them,” said Bazmee recently. “I feel that the script of the film is written beautifully and it will definitely turn out to be a good film”.

No Entry Mein Entry is the sequel to the 2005 hit film No Entry and will see Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor and Fardeen Khan reprising their roles.

Bazmee admits that the film is a biggie, with a large star cast and no less than ten heroines. Should be interesting to see how Bazmee deals with the heroine overload. Well, we’ll just have to wait and see.

Aashiqui 2’s

In A Hurry

Her first film is just out, but will she struggle, despite her pedigree?

(Find the answer under Caption Contest)

To complete shooting the film, that is, as they rush to make the early 2013 release date. Filmmaker Mohit Suri says the cast and crew of Aashiqui 2 will shoot without any break, non-stop till December. It’s a bit hard on the actors and crew, but for good reason, says Suri. Produced by

Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt, stars Shraddha Kapoor and Aditya Roy Kapoor.

“Contrary to reports, Aashiqui 2 not a sequel to Aashiqui”, clarified Suri and added, “It’s a new story. The only similarity is the music and the love story. There are seven to eight songs in the film. It’s a musical.”

The original Aashiqui starring Rahul Roy and Anu Agarwal was directed by Mahesh Bhatt. It came out in 1990 and was not only a box office success, but all its songs, including chahiye and Nazar ke saamne jigar ke were chartbusters. Let’s hope 2 brings in the money too!

Jha to take up Satyagraha

He’s one of Bollywood’s most respected filmmaker, and finds inspiration from many different quarters, but it is India’s current state of affairs that has inspired Prakash Jha to make his next film, Satyagraha

“You must be eagerly waiting for the next film Satyagraha. The whole world is in the line of agitation; people are fed up of corruption, inflation, and mal-administration. Amidst these problems, beautiful stories are coming out. I am bonding these stories together to make Satyagraha. So, I always try to match up to your expectations,” the 60-year-old said, addressing reporters recently.

Jha’s latest film Chakravyuh released on Dusshera, deals with the Maoist issue in India and stars Arjun Rampal, Abhay Deol, Esha Gupta and Anjali Patil. Jha is happy with the kind of response the film is getting.

“The kinds of compliments we are getting are beyond our imagination. Javed Akhtar saab, Shabanaji (Azmi), Shekhar (Kapur), friends, critics, people (like the film). I am so touched that every time a show ends, I get a call telling me that people are clapping,” he said.

“So, no matter what our marketing, I feel the audience will now market it. According to some reports that have reached me, people have liked the film, they have been getting emotional and reacting. This is my biggest achievement and I feel this is both - my award and reward,” he added.

Looks like Bollywood’s taking the path of righteousness and social issues to the big screen.

Let’s hope these ground-breaking movies make a positive change.

Diverse India, Bollywood style

Bollywood is going pan-Indian. Punjabi mundas and kudis - the staple of so many movies - are making way for Marathi mulgis and Parsi dikras as Hindi films roll out a tapestry showcasing the diversity that is India.

From Parsi and Marathi to Gujarati and Bengali, filmmakers are bringing diverse cultures to the Hindi film firmament. And the credit for this versatility goes to changing tastes and mindsets of the viewers.

Sujoy Ghosh’s Kahaani is a case in point. Made in Hindi, it had a strong Bengali flavour and was also shot in Kolkata, appealing to audiences so much so that it earned Rs.75 crore – almost 10 times more than its total cost of Rs.8 crore.

Lauding the new trend that he believes is a “great time for India cinema”, Ghosh said, “We make films with themes we are familiar with. For me, it was easy to write about Bengali culture, as I am a Bengali. Thanks to the audience, they are allowing us to experiment.”

Another small budget film, Vicky Donor, wove both Punjabi and Bengali cultures to show an interesting cultural contrast. And it worked.

A film’s success is estimated on the basis of its box-office earnings and this Rs.5 crore project, made by director Shoojit Sircar on an unconventional theme of sperm donation, got the thumbs up from viewers, earning Rs.45 crore.

It is a win-win situation for all - the viewer gets fresh stories to watch, directors are able to explore and experiment, and producers are laughing all the way to the bank.

Said an excited Sircar, “This is a new trend, which is very fascinating; and the best part is that these films are accepted by the audience. I really appreciate this era. This is a tribute to Indian cinema.”

Sanjay Leela Bhansali offered insights into the Gujarati community Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Catholics in Khamoshi - The Musical, Anglo Indians in Black and Bengalis in Devdas. His sister Bela focussed on the Parsi community in her debut film Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi and it was satisfactory, businesswise.

“The Parsi community talk is very bindaas. They are very bold and sweet. I picked up this aspect because I wanted to show them as nice and funloving people,” explained Bela, whose directorial debut was about a 40-plus Parsi couple.

The success of these films is proof of the viewers’ open-mindedness. Umesh Shukla, who is enjoying the success of Oh My God, which was set in a Gujarati community, says the film worked in all the

“You get to see different cultures in films these days. Your story should be good. For example, my film had Gujarati culture and it worked well in all the circuits. It worked even in Punjab, Maharashtra and many other places. It’s like a cultural

Sometimes, such films give a place or a culture much-needed closely observing crime in the area, and decided to share his experience.

Now that the trend is here, filmmakers are using this as an opportunity to experiment with various cultures and share interesting stories from different parts of the country.

Director Sachin Kundalkar delved into the world of Marathis with the recent Aiyyaa. Rani Mukerji plays a Marathi mulgi in this drama that shows how a simple middle class girl falls in love with a guy for his peculiar body odour. The film didn’t do well, but it was like a window into the Marathi culture.

Kudos to multicultural India!

Alia Bhatt

Gangs of Wasseypur, for instance, few knew about the small town of Wasseypur in Jharkhand. Writer Zeeshan Quadri says he grew up in the town and spent his childhood Answer to GUESS WHO?