The BUZZ

MEANWHILE, IN BANGLADESH….

Indian actor Irrfan Khan-starrer Doob - No Bed of Roses, which was once banned in Bangladesh, has been chosen as the country’s official entry for the Academy Awards 2019.

Doob stars Irrfan - also its co-producer - as a successful filmmaker facing a midlife crisis when he has a tryst with his daughter’s childhood friend, causing a national scandal.

The India-Bangladesh bilingual co-production, written and directed by Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, features Rokeya Prachi as Irrfan’s wife, while Nusrat Imrose Tisha plays the daughter and Indian actress Parno Mittra plays her childhood friend.

SHOULD THE GOVERNMENT BACK ‘VILLAGE ROCKSTARS’ IN OSCAR RACE?

Noted Assamese actor Adil Hussain has urged the government to release Rs 5 crore for the promotion of Rima Das’ Assamese film Village Rockstars ahead of the Oscars, where it will represent India in the Best Foreign Language film category.

The Film Federation of India (FFI) made the announcement of the selection of the film for the Oscars recently. But its selection committee chairman S.V. Rajendra Singh Babu, a veteran film producer, said there is an acute lack of funds to carry out the required promotional processes effectively, which is why many Indian movies haven’t made it to the final round, barring three, Mother India (1957), Salaam Bombay! (1988) and Lagaan (2001).

Adil said he was “flummoxed” by the statement and took to Twitter to blast the government.

“After selecting ‘Village Rockstars’, jury says there’s acute lack of funds to promote film at Oscars,” tweeted the actor, who starred in the 2017 Norwegian film What Will People Say which went on to become Norway’s official entry to the Oscars this year.

Adil drew the attention of the Assam government, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, his office and of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to the matter, hoping they “will immediately release Rs 5 crore for the promotion of Village Rockstars, since all other countries have already started their campaigns in the US”.

As Rajendra Singh Babu rightly pointed out, “It is impossible for independent and small producers to promote their film all by themselves. It is important that they receive funds to do so. It is important we follow these processes to reach all the Academy members and critics.”

Adil’s tweets got much reaction.

Actor Annup Sonii expressed disappointment, and wrote: “For the smallest achievement they have big funds but for this... ‘Acute lack of funds’. Eventually it will come down to the filmmaker asking for favours or donations... Sad... Very sad.”

Actress Renuka Shahane questioned: “Why don’t we from the film fraternity join hands and create a fundraiser for our Oscar entry? Let’s not depend on the government. It is important that we support this gem of a film onwards to the Oscars.”

When a Twitter user pointed out that “filthy rich, big stars and producers” from the industry “can afford your Oscar thingy”, Renuka retorted: “What do you mean ‘Our Oscar thingy’? It should be a matter of pride for the entire country that a young girl with no background or training in filmmaking makes an incredible film like ‘Village Rockstars’ that compels the jury to select it for the Oscars. Let’s not be myopic.”

But other users commented that the taxpayers’ money should not be used for Oscars.

“Is it some kind of national service? Why should we care about an American award? Why can’t the film industry fund these expenses?” the user questioned.

To which, Adil wrote: “Government can use taxpayers’ money to promote India’s image as a supporter of high quality art.

That’s what all civilised governments do! ‘Village Rockstars’ is an independent film. It’s not a mainstream run-of-the-mill film.

Set in Das’ own village of Chhaygaon in Assam, Village Rockstars is the story of “poor but amazing children” who live a fun-filled life.

The film won the Best Feature film Award at the 65th National Film Awards.

As for Das, she is hoping for the best as far as funds are concerned to put her film on the Oscars map.

“Village Rockstars is a film about dreams and hope. It has transcended so many barriers right from the time of its inception and I am hopeful that this time too, it will.”

Here’s hoping the Village Rockstars get their chance to be rockstars at the global village stage.

In a statement about the film, Farooki had said he took inspiration from a real-life incident “which shook the very foundation of Bangladesh’s judgmental Muslim society” and “how women struggle in our society and find strength in despair”.

The film walked on a path full of thorns as it was banned in Bangladesh on the grounds that it might be based on revered real-life author and filmmaker Ahmed, who divorced his wife of 27 years and married an actress 33 years his junior.

The ban was eventually lifted and the film released in October 2017 in Bangladesh, France, India and Australia. Irrfan, who is currently undergoing treatment for neuroendocrine tumour in London, is thrilled that the Bangladesh Oscar Committee has chosen Doob to represent the country at the Academy Awards.

Bangladesh has yet to secure an Oscar nomination, though it has been sending entries to the foreign-language category since 2002.

The 91st Academy Awards will be held on February 24, 2019.

REMEMBER THE KAANTA LAGA GIRL?

She shot to fame some fifteen years ago with the controversial song Kaanta laga, and the poor girl has been struggling to shake off the ‘one-hit wonder’ tag ever since.

But talk to dancer-actress Shefali Jariwala, and she’ll only say that her life after Kaanta Laga (2002) has been nothing short of a fairy tale.

“For a girl coming from a simple middle class family, earning so much recognition after the first stint is like finding Prince Charming. I love every bit of it.”

Back then, a lot of people criticised her for her bold dance steps. She feels the audience is much more open today.

“People are more accepting towards bold content. But there will always be some people who will find things vulgar. We can’t change that. We live in a free country and one has the right to freedom of expression,” she said.

She is back with more bold content, this time a bold comedy web series titled Baby Come Naa

“When Baby Come Naa was offered to me, I found the script so mindblowing that I had to gather the courage to perform or it would have been completely my loss,” she said.

“Besides the script, the whole set-up was terrific,” she said.

Directed by Farhad Samji, it also features actors like Shreyas Talpade, Kiku Sharda and Chunky Pandey.

Talking about her role and the series, she said, “It’s a story about how Adi (Shreyas) tricks his girlfriend (Shefali). She is a simple daddy’s girl who is in love with Adi.”

It has been a while since the audience saw Shefali, who had featured in the 2004 film Mujhse Shaadi Karogi.

“Yes, it has been a while. Stage shows have kept me very busy. Dancing has always been my comfort zone. But after a point, it got monotonous. I felt the need to grow as an artiste.”

Television audiences also got to see her alongside her husband Parag Tyagi in the celebrity dance-based show Nach Baliye

Will Shef get her much-needed break now? We’ll have to wait and see.

AAMIR’S NO THUG HERE, THANK YOU

So Aamir Khan has given us a glimpse of what he looks like in the upcoming Thugs of Hindostan. If you haven’t seen it yet, he rides a donkey, sports curly brown hair and wears a hat, for his role as the wily Firangi in the Yash Raj Films project.

And yet, he’s no thug, he’ll tell you, even if the film is called what it is. Introducing his character, he said people won’t find a more honest person on earth than him, and that honesty is the second name of his character.

The film, directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya, promises to be the biggest visual spectacle on the big screen with jaw-dropping action sequences and an epic war on the seas.

The makers have pulled off an incredible casting coup by bringing together Amitabh Bachchan - who plays the role of the fierce warrior Khudabaksh - and Aamir on screen for the first time.

It also stars Katrina Kaif as performer and Suraiyya and Fatima Sana Shaikh as the daredevil Zafira.

It will light up Diwali with its release on 8 November.

Ayushmann Learns

Multiple Dialects

Actor Ayushmann Khurrana, who will next be seen in Amit Ravindernath Sharma’s Badhaai Ho, learnt three different dialects for the family comedy.

While the actor picks up languages and accents easily, he also rehearsed with a special diction trainer and the film’s writer Akshat Ghildial on the sets, apart from spending time with friends from Punjab and Haryana. In the film, he plays a character whose family belongs to Meerut, and he needed a bit of that flavour in his dialogue delivery as well.

Ayushman said in a statement, “I consider myself as a linguist and I love learning accents from different parts of the country. Having travelled across the lengths and breadth of the nation, I love grasping different dialects.”

The actor, who is from Chandigarh, said, “My parents stay in Panchkula which is in Haryana. So, I have closely interacted with both Punjabis and Haryanvis. But, having an accent coach or a writer who is from the same place is really helpful. Since Akshat is from Meerut and Shantanu (co-writer Shantanu Srivastava) is from Haryana, both of them made it quite easy for me and helped me with the accents.”

Ghildial said, “Ayushmann picked up the accents and dialect really well. And it was a great experience working with him.”

As we divulged last issue, the film is about a young adult whose 50-year-old parents become pregnant late in life. It releases on 19 Oct.

RIP, KALPANA LAJMI

Filmmaker and screenwriter Kalpana

Lajmi, niece of the legendary Guru Dutt and acclaimed for making womenoriented films like Rudaali, Ek Pal, Daman and Chingaari, died in Mumbai on 24 Sept following a multiple organ failure. She was 64.

Lajmi breathed her last at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital, where she was admitted in the intensive care unit six days before due to kidneyrelated issues.

President Ram Nath Kovind and Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal paid condolences, as did a slew of well-known names like Hansal Mehta, Nandita Das, Soni Razdan and Raveena Tandon from the film industry.

“Sorry to hear of the passing of Kalpana Lajmi, a filmmaker of rare sensitivity. The repertoire of her work, from depicting strong and resilient women to cinematic renditions of Assamese life, was remarkable. Condolences to her family and wellwishers,” read a post from the official President of India Twitter handle.

Her contribution to Indian cinema will be remembered forever, said Sonowal.

Lajmi’s cremation took place the following day at the Oshiwara crematorium. Mahesh Bhatt, Soni Razdan, Shabana Azmi and Shyam Benegal were among those who were present.

Soni, who was her close friend, said,

“Our dear beloved friend Kalpana Lajmi has gone to a better place. RIP my darling Kalpana. I shall miss you so terribly.”

Lajmi had been undergoing dialysis for a couple of years, and true to her indomitable spirit, had said in an interview last year, “My kidneys have failed, but I haven’t.”

She had forayed into filmdom as an assistant director under renowned filmmaker Shyam Benegal, following which she made her directorial debut with a documentary film D.G. Movie Pioneer based on Bengali filmmaker Dhiren Ganguly in 1978.

Her feature film debut came with Ek Pal. She also directed the TV serial Lohit Kinaare (1988) for Doordarshan and 26 episodes of a serial Dawn, on the freedom movement of India.

Lajmi’s last film as a director was Chingaari, based on the novel The Prostitute and the Postman by the late Bhupen Hazarika, her long-time companion.

She also penned a book, Bhupen Hazarika: As I Knew Him. It was launched on 8 September by Benegal and Lajmi’s mother, painter Lalita Lajmi.

The filmmaker, who was hospitalised at that time too, could not attend the event as her doctors had refused to allow her a long commute.

Known for fearless filmmaking with women in strong roles, Lajmi’s 1993 Dimple Kapadia-starrer Rudaali was even chosen as India’s official entry to the 66th Academy Awards.

Actress Raveena Tandon, who played the lead role as a battered wife in Daman, mourned Lajmi’s demise.

“You will be missed Kalpanaji. Was not your time to go... But may your heart now be at peace. Those days while shooting ‘Daman’ will be a treasured memory. Om Shanti.”

Actor Viveck Vaswani was shattered at the news of the death of his friend and colleague, while Nandita recounted how she had promised to meet Lajmi in the coming week after the release of her film Manto

“No greater pain than losing one’s child, so my deepest condolences to Lalitaji,” Nandita wrote.

Lyricist and censor board chief Prasoon Joshi described Lajmi as “a seeker looking for more questions than just answers”. Actor Ranvir Shorey remembered her as “a warm and affectionate human being who made a huge contribution to socially relevant cinema in India”.