Yami’s Siyappa moment

Yami Gautam is very excited about her upcoming film Total Siyappa. “I think it’s the kind of script that will enthuse the audience just as Vicky Donor did. Nobody thought that a ‘sensitive’ film, if any at all, could be made on sperm donation. But it changed people’s outlook. With Total Siyappa, I think people will look at India-Pakistan relations from a fresh perspective,” says the actress whose first Hindi film released two years ago. Nonetheless, Yami has been an actress with a very high recall value because of her brand endorsements and television commercials. “Yes, it’s been a dream after the debut. I hope I can relive it again with the latest.”

Total Siyappa is a film produced by Neeraj Pandey (who earlier directed thrillers such as A Wednesdayand Special 26) and is directed by E. Niwas (who earlier directed Shool and Love Ke Liye Kuch Bi Karega). The film talks about the romance between an Indian girl Asha (Yami) and a Pakistani boy Aman (Ali Zafar). Their proposed wedding is smooth, but all hell breaks loose once the country identity of the boy is revealed.

“I play a zanier character than the one in Vicky Donor, but I am definitely more in control than my reel family. After the hullabaloo they create over my suitor’s identity, someone needs to keep that rising mercury in check! Honestly, I think it was a great learning experience working with Kirronji (Kher) and Anupamji (Kher). Ali too is a wonderful actor. I have had a good time shooting for the film,” she says.

“While the movie deals with what people of the two countries feel about each other, it has been treated in a fun way. We have made a good laugh-worthy film dealing with love without belittling any issue,” says the actor. The ever-smiling Yami says that her siyappa moment is when anyone refers to her as Yummy or anything close to that. “C’mon, Y-A-M-I, how difficult can that be?” she laughs.

Yami has one more big release this year. Prabhu Deva’s Action Jackson with Ajay Devgn and Sonakshi Sinha. “While at the moment I am doing Hindi films, I am, as always have been, open to interesting scripts in regional cinema too. I may have been born in the North, but I am from the South!” she smiles.

Randeep’s on a high

Randeep Hooda, whose film Highway released last week, is very happy with the kind of reviews he’s been receiving for his acting. “The last time I received rave reviews was for Jannat 2. The response has been overwhelming. It is challenging to portray a character when you can’t take the aid of the spoken word,” he says. But he is quick to clarify that he wouldn’t let it affect him. “If my existence was based on people’s opinions I wouldn’t be here today. I’m grateful they think I’m good but honestly, I never doubted my ability. I have worked so hard and trained myself to be good.”

Randeep, who isn’t much of a traveller otherwise, was glad that the film gave him an opportunity to explore new places. “That was the best part. Every morning we would wake up to new scenery, a new culture. We would travel for long hours by car or truck and shoot in remote locations. It felt good to be away from phone and TV for a while. In real life, I hardly travel, but I read a lot, which I think is a journey in itself. As a child, I was in boarding school and for me holiday meant going home to parents and grandparents. So no I’m not used to travelling to exotic locations.”

The actor’s personal life has also been under constant scrutiny. When quizzed about whether or not he’s dating someone, he simply says, “Next question please.”

Sridevi’s colleagues miffed on her birthday party

Remember Sridevi’s iconic line from Chaalbaaz, “Main madira nahin peeti ji”? Well, it seems the actress does love her madira after all. Nothing wrong with that, we say! But apparently, she is unable to handle her drinks and tends to get a little too high.

Rumours say guests at her birthday bash walked away in annoyance as the actress was in a happy, buzzed out state and couldn’t really interact with too many people. Now, the birthday girl is surely allowed her moments of pleasure, isn’t it?

What we do find funny, is that her male colleagues (we shall refrain from naming them) who are cribbing about her so called bad behaviour are known for their love of the bottle!

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Alia’s not your typical girl

She describes herself as “free-spirited” and a “tomboy” but is known for her ultra-girly onscreen persona courtesy her Bollywood debut, Student of the Year. We’re talking about Alia Bhatt, who admits that she’s never conformed to any norms and likes to do things in her own way.

How did the youngest child of a filmi family develop such an independent streak? “You know, from a very young age, I would go on long-distance trips with my friends. We’d be by ourselves, so I learnt to handle different kinds of situations fairly early on. I have always been very independent and I find that my experiences help me now. Especially since our profession requires so much travel, I find that it holds me in good stead,” Alia says.

While she may seem fragile and uber-feminine on screen and when she makes appearances at events, Alia tells us that she is actually quite the tomboy. “I’m not your typical girly girl,” she says, admitting that it is a professional requirement to take care of her looks. “I’m getting there though,” she adds, “I’m working on my look… At heart though, I’m quite the tomboy. I dress like one — I even use men’s fragrances! My profession demands that I look stylish, but then comes a film like Highway where I hardly have any make-up on, and that makes for a nice change.”

Alia’s attitude may seem quite at odds with the requirements of the industry she is part of, but the actress says that being down-to-earth and extremely “regular” was something that was instilled in her since childhood. “My parents never encouraged my visiting their sets,” she recounts. “So I had a very normal upbringing. However, I knew, even as a child, that I wanted to be a star someday.”

On Sunday, Alia discusses her film choices with her father, Mahesh Bhatt. “Dad was always busy making films when we were little, so I hardly spent any time with him. Since I didn’t visit his sets, there were times when I missed his presence. But now he has some time so we have long chats and he advises me how to handle life, films and most importantly — rumours about link-ups!” Alia says.

The advice must come in handy since Alia has had her fair share of link-up rumours. After Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra, it is now Arjun Kapoor she is being linked with. “Look, Arjun is sweet, very good looking and has a great sense of humour. I enjoy being with him — but that does not mean I’m dating him,” Alia asserts. “People can think whatever they want, write whatever they want. My personal life is my space and I will not clarify or talk about that aspect of my life.”

The only person who has “full access” to Alia’s mind and heart is her elder sister Shaheen. It is Shaheen who is Alia’s closest confidante. “Shaheen knows everything about me, she’s like my diary. She knows about all my boyfriends, heartbreaks, affairs — all my personal stuff,” Alia admits.

Coming back to matters related to work, doesn’t Alia ever feel that she missed out on attending college and other fun stuff during her teenage years as she debuted in Bollywood when she was only 19? “No, I think it’s a good thing that I joined the industry early,” says Alia. “I have age on my side. I can experiment with roles and my clothes, which I wouldn’t have been able to do had I been older. I would say I’m at the right place at the right time.”

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Newcomer Varun Dhawan has paid a tribute to ‘King of Pop’ Micheal Jackson in his upcoming film ‘Main Tera Hero’.

Varun, an avid fan of Jackson, has performed some of his signature steps in the songs of the film, directed by his father David Dhawan.

Choreographer duo Bosco-Ceasar incorporated some of MJ’s hugely popular moves in the songs on Varun’s request.

“Varun requested to add few famous steps like the Moonwalk, pelvic thrust in all the four songs of the film. In act even Bosco-Ceasar agreed instantly as they too are big fans of MJ and wanted to pay him a tribute in their style,” a source close to the team said.

Produced by Balaji Motion Pictures, ‘Main Tera Hero’ is all set to hit the screens on April 4. The film also stars Ileana D’Cruz and Nargis Fakhri in lead roles.

Take one

For acclaimed filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane, short films are the way of the future. “Actors can practise in front of the mirror while singers can just sing. But what can directors do? Short films are the only way to practise and learn. Now with so much advancement in technology, it’s very easy,” says the director of hits likeLootera (2013) and Udaan (2010).

The filmmaker was in the city recently with critic Anupama Chopra to choose finalists for the Jameson – Empire Awards 2014, the shortest of short film competitions titled ‘Done In Sixty Seconds’ in which entrants from across the country were challenged to remake their favourite Hollywood movie in just 60 seconds. The competition was for any form of filmmaking from animation to shooting with a smart phone and the winning filmmaker will travel to London with both of them to attend the Jameson Empire Awards and be in attendance with winners from 19 other countries when the global winner is announced.

On the competition, Vikram says he loves the concept. “The challenge to remake a full length film in 60 seconds is hard. Working within boundaries is much more challenging but also good. The aspiring filmmakers need to really rake their brains to see how to do it and this brings out real creativity.”

Is this a trend in choosing talent for the film industry? Vikram replies in the affirmative. “Short films are in fact the de facto standard for choosing directing talent right now. It makes judging easy. If you want to look for tomorrow’s directors, or even for that matter, sound designers, music directors and cinematographers, the only way to do it is through short films. Short films are made more for the love of making it rather than for money. This is the only way of showing the world what you can do. Now most definitely because of YouTube and vimeo, it’s across the board. As a producer I know that when somebody comes to me with an idea I can ask for a script or a synopsis and a short film now.”

On talent coming from film schools, Vikram says, “Schools like Mumbai-based Whistling Woods International are definitely sending out the next generations of directors. Not just directors, even technicians have all come from film schools.”

Being part of the panel of judges, Vikam and Chopra chorus that they’ll know what they are looking for when they see it. “We of course look for originality and wit. The really good ones we’ve seen in the previous competitions were really funny. It’s also hard to do a serious take although the one that won last year was a serious topic. It’s basically how you distil the essence of a movie into 60 seconds. The one that meets the challenge best wins.”

On looking for talent in India, Vikram says he would love to see us in a place like where Korea is right now. “In Korea, homebred champions are the onscreen heroes and their best directors are indigenous. Here though 90 percent of films are regional, directors have not yet become people you look up to. They are not established brand names yet. When we were growing up in the 90s, our heroes were Danny Boyle, David Fincher and others. Hopefully, filmmakers like Dibakar Banerjee and Anurag Kashyap will become the heroes for the next generation.”

He quickly adds that it is good times in Indian cinema. “There is a shift in sensibility and there is variety in Indian cinema. The fact that every kind of cinema can make it out there in the right budget is good news. Movies like the Lunchbox are a huge hit. Today, there is an audience for everything.”

For the director in him, Vikram says he has his hands full right now with Phantom Productions. “There are a lot of films getting produced and Anurag Kashyap, Madhu Mantena, Vikas Bahl and me are hands on in this. There is a lot of fire-fighting going on with so many creative heads involved but its good fun.”

I don't want my illness to define me: Manisha Koirala

New Delhi: Actress Manisha Koirala, who has successfully fought cancer, says life has become more precious now but she does not want the illness to define her.

The 44-year-old actress, who is best known for her unconventional roles in films like 'Bombay', 1942- A Love Story' and 'Dil Se', was diagnosed with ovarian cancer two years back.

She, however, has overcome the disease. Stating that life has become more beautiful after the illness, Koirala told PTI: "I have touched death with my illness. That phase has changed me. Today, every sunset, every handshake is valuable for me. But I do not want that to define me. I don't want my illness to become social conversation."

Now the actress has become a crusader for those who suffer from cancer by creating awareness about the disease. "There is a big psychological pressure when you have cancer. There is always this fear of the disease coming back. If my position of being a celebrity helps the cause, I would surely do my bit.

"Fear exists every day of my life, but that has never stopped me from facing my demons. I want the cancer survivors, especially the women to stare back and 'own up' rather than 'give up'. Let us not make cancer a life and death situation," Manisha said.

The actress shared that she is writing a book on her life and has also developed a keen interest in painting. "I am working on my book that will detail the crucial events in my life, and most importantly what I have taken from those events. It will be about how I see life now," she said. "I am also working on my NGO and have discovered the joy of painting."

Manisha, who hails from Nepal made her debut in Bollywood with 1991 film 'Saudagar' and went on to work with directors like Mani Ratnam, Ram Gopal Varma, Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Raj Kumar Santoshi. Now that she is back in Mumbai post her US treatment, the actress is game for more offers, provided she gets powerful roles.

"I love cinema. Acting is not just a pursuit for me, so I want the kind of work that can utilise that capacity in me. I do not want to end up disappointing my fans," Manisha said, adding she is reading scripts but nothing substantial has come so far. Manisha said she was ready to work on the small screen if she got challenging offers.

Vidya Balan doesn't regret doing 'Ghanchakkar'

Mumbai: Actress Vidya Balan says she was disheartened with the failure of her last film 'Ghanchakkar', but dose not regret being a part of it.

The Rajkumar Gupta directed comedy had Emraan Hashmi playing an ex-conman and Vidya played his Punjabi housewife. There were lot of expectations from the film but it did not do well.

"I did have expectations from this film as well like any other film. When we work on a film, we hope people will like the film. I felt sad when people did not like the film. I think you look at the larger perspective that we tried doing something new, but people did not like it and it is fine," Vidya said.

The actress feels she can't objectively look and say which portion of the film people did not like. "May be after a year or so when I see the film I will be able to say why people did not like the film," she said. Some people were of the view that Vidya should not have done the film but she does not feel so.

"I don't regret doing the film at all. It was a different experience for me. As an actor it was something different that I tried doing. I had never played a character who is obnoxiously loud...it presented me a new opportunity," she said.

"It was a comedy but of a different kind. I am too selfish to listen to what others think or expect from me. I only focus on what I want to do... It may sound bad," she said. The film was released in June last year.

Highway: A hazy roadmap

Special ArrangementHighway

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arts, culture and entertainment

Imtiaz Ali attempts to move away from the escapist fare to offer something refreshing. Veera and Mahavir represent the two Indias we inhabit, which seldom come together. One hates the other and the other doesn’t even know that people of his kind exist. What happens when they run into each other in Imtiaz’s sufi-inspired terrain? Over a period of two hours as they familiarise with each other, try to bridge the deep-seated fissures, they along with the viewers realise the need to look beyond the superficial differences to reach the core, which is starkly similar. It may not make for a compelling viewing for the typical Bollywood audience used to consistent dose of drama but as a thought process and a slice of mainstream cinema with frills trimmed to bare minimum, it is a road that needs to be accessed.

A slick city girl, Veera (Alia Bhatt) finds herself in a claustrophobic environment at home where money chokes her freedom. Just before her wedding, she is incidentally kidnapped by Mahavir Bhati (Randeep Hooda), a criminal with a scarred soul. Early in the film, Mahavir is cautioned by his own people that he is going to die a dog’s death but Mahavir knows that he is already living a mongrel’s life and holds the rich responsible for the state of affairs. Imtiaz clearly hints at the clash of cultures in the shining NCR’s underbelly.

We have seen something similar in Siddhrath Srinvisan’s independent film Pairon Talle but here Imtiaz tries to paint a bigger picture with interesting metaphors. As the captive and the captor get on the highway, the knots in their minds give way. For instance, Veera literally chokes when Mahavir stuffs a piece of dirty cloth into her mouth, yet she feels a sense of liberation. However, there are pitfalls in this journey. When Mahavir doesn’t treat Veera as a girl but as a deal it rings true but once he undergoes transformation he takes a rather straight path. There is no space for doubts and contemplation. We know the relationship is metaphorical and it is more platonic than physical but still questions cloud the mind.

Veera is better moulded. There are long stretches where she introspects — laughs and cries at the same time. Alia fosters an intimate relationship with the camera and doesn’t allow the stagey portions of the screenplay to seep into her performance till the very end. The narrative gets its best moments when she starts playing agony aunt to the emotionally dense Mahavir. Randeep gets the dialect and body language going but many a time his emotional upheaval amounts to posturing. It is also because the sidekicks (Durgesh Kumar, Pradeep Nagar) around him are just too believable.

After a point, Ali sweeps the obstacles and shades out of the screenplay and turns the mise-en-scene into a remote place which we admire but not relate to. The protagonists become ideal as Imtiaz once again goes in the hunt for utopia. When you can see the destination from a mile you concentrate on breathtaking vistas and moody tunes captured by cinematographer Anil Mehta and composer A.R. Rahman and feel the salt and mist along the way. Or the little details like the sticker on the truck that says “Bin Phere Hum Tere.” Ultimately, when Veera’s family come across as caricatures, it irks because it doesn’t go with the treatment of the rest of the film. All this gives a feeling that Imtiaz has upped the ante but still he is targeting the same audience who bought the candyfloss from him. He should have realised that for many of them it became a documentary on Himachal Pradesh, the moment Mahavir and Veera left Punjab.

Genre: Drama

Director: Imitiaz Ali

Cast: Randeep Hooda, Alia Bhatt, Durgesh Kumar

Storyline: When the captive gets afflicted with the Stockholm Syndrome the captor softens

Bottomline: He has not reached the destination but Imtiaz makes a brave attempt to extricate himself from the sanitised Highway of Bollywood

Paisa: Dance of money

Nani in a still from 'Paisa'

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A standard shot of Charminar, in many mainstream Telugu films, would indicate the arrival of the hero from a small town to the burgeoning metropolis. Now and then, there would be a glimpse of life in the Old City, either through rowdy sheeters or a sporadic character or two mouthing Dakhni dialect. Rarely has one found a Telugu filmmaker leading his audience into the underbelly of the Old City, beyond the glitter of Lad Bazaar and the Golconda Fort and Qutb Shahi tombs that one is habituated to watching as backdrops for romantic numbers.

Krishna Vamsi sets his madcap ride for money in a locality where young women are sold /married to aging sheikhs from the Middle East; a locality where hawala transactions, crime and politics are interlinked. Paisa has at its heart, a small-time model Prakash (Nani) who looks at the world through his garish tinted glasses and even outlandish shirts and firmly believes in the power of money. The opening sequence has him on a wild chase to make a rupee-laden kite his own. He even risks scaling an electric pole to lay his hands on the kite.

The tone of the film is set in the first 20 minutes. The emphasis on colour grading, playful background score and fast-paced frames promise a pulpy entertainer. Prakash’s happy-go-lucky character is offset with Noor (Catherine Tresa) who silently pines for Prakash but stares at the fate of being led away to do mujra to repay family debts. One gets a hint of the predictable path the story will take when money is involved.

In the larger picture is politician Sanyasi Raju (Charan Raj) plotting a hawala transaction to better his political prospects. A cocktail of crime, comedy and politics requires a solid plot, believable characters and racy storytelling. With Paisa, Krishna Vamsi tries to deliver a dizzying fun outing but tries to make do without a strong plot. The treatment of the film camouflages this considerably, though in some portions the director appears to be trying too hard to please. Far too many groups vying for bags of cash should have been a good opportunity for an edge-of-the-seat thriller comedy, but what we get to see falls short of becoming a memorable concoction. There are a few other irritants too; primarily the character played by the second lead Siddhika Sharma. She is made to speak with a forced accent that’s supposed to sound urban and cool but comes off as irritating. The episode involving her at Mehndi galli is pointless and in poor taste.

Nani holds the film together and proves his merit yet again. He shuns all the refinement he showed in his previous romantic characters and breathes life into the part of a smart alec threatening to hold up the shooting of a sherwani commercial for Rs. 200 more. The film’s highlight is the scene where he chances upon bags of cash and his reaction thereafter. Catherine Tresa and Tabar (as Nani’s friend) do well in the parts given to them. Cinematography and background score elevate the movie-watching experience.

Paisa has many things going for it by way of standing out from routine potboilers. There are witty lines, many well-conceived and well-executed scenes but on the whole, this isn’t Krishna Vamsi’s best.

PAISA

Cast: Nani and Catherine Tresa

Direction: Krishnavamsi

Music: Sai Karthik

Bottom line: A fun watch but falls short of being a riveting, madcap crime comedy.

Traffic: Don’t miss this one

The Malayalam film Traffic (2011), written by Bobby Sanjay and directed by Rajesh Pillai, has a cult following. The film is cited as a must-watch to any film-goer seeking to watch a well-made film, made possible by excellent narration, befitting actors and a sound technical team.

Traffic was remade in Tamil as Chennayil Oru Naal (2013 – directed by Shaheed Kader), keeping the ethos intact. Die-hard fans of the original argued that the Tamil remake was a shade paler but still made for an engaging watch. The same, we feel, holds good for this Telugu dubbed version. Rarely does a film make you overlook inconsistencies of lipsync (something unavoidable in dubbed films) and Traffic is one of those.

Commercial constraints

The annoying portions of this version of Traffic come early in the film, in the form of a couple of songs completely avoidable for a film of this genre. But once the director is done with these commercial constraints, he takes the audience on a spell-binding ride. Traffic follows a format Hollywood has a soft corner for — race against time. The pivotal characters involved in this ride are predominantly strangers thrown together in time of a crisis.

Police commissioner Sundara Pandian (R. Sarathkumar) is faced with one of the toughest requests in his career, to use his powers and control the traffic from Hyderabad to Kodad and facilitate an uninterrupted ride for a good reason. Taking charge of this mission is traffic constable Satyamurthy (Cheran) who wants to clear the blotch on his reputation with this good deed, a youngster (Mitun as Ajmal) mourning the loss of his friend and doctor Robin Joseph (Prasanna), caught in a personal turmoil.

At the other end of the mission are film star Gautam Krishna (Prakash Raj) and his wife Radhika, counting every passing second and hoping for a miracle. The race against time is intercepted with twists and turns, leading to a nail-biting finish.

Within this framework, the director effectively narrates stories of relationships — the fallacy of love between a young married couple, a girl who looks beyond personal grief, an elderly couple for whom their son means the world and a film star realising his moment of failure.

While the director shows you the shallowness of stardom through one star, he contrasts that with what a superstar (Suriya in a guest appearance) can do by mobilising his frenzied fans.

Traffic is an example of good filmmaking. Taut narration is complemented by sincere actors (including Parvathi Menon in a brief role) and a terrific technical team.

If you haven’t watched the original Malayalam film or the Tamil remake, watch this dubbed version. Films like this are rare.

TRAFFIC

Cast: Sarathkumar, Prakash Raj, Prasanna, Radhika

Direction: Shaheed Kader

Music: Mejo Joseph

Bottomline: Take this ride and you won’t regret.

Vikram's Ai on the verge of completion

Shankar’s upcoming film Ai starring Vikram and Amy Jackson in the lead roles is nearly completed. Reportedly, Shankar had recently canned the climax scene of the film that features Vikram and Upen Patel who plays the villain. According to sources, the scene has come out with perfection and the director is mighty happy with the result.

Ai is eyeing for a release during the Tamil New Year and the film has already aroused the curiosity of the audience with its ensemble cast and technicians.

Jackie Chan to retire?

Hollywood's action star Jackie Chan is 59 and yet so healthy and fit.

Having started his acting career in 1960, the actor has done over 150 film so far. Ever since he turned 40, media has always been behind him with one question, as to when he will retire. Chan has always replied saying “in another 5 years”.

The actor will turn 60 in six months and before the media is going to pressurize him with the same question, the actor says, he will let his body decide when he has o retire.

Till then, we are sure to see Chan do more of his dare devilry stunts.

Aaha Kalyanam: Conjugal fights

n a sense, Aaha Kalyanam is an interesting, perhaps even important, film. In a cinema culture obsessed with virginity, it’s refreshing to light on Shruthi (Vaani Kapoor), who begins a wedding-planning business with Shakthi (Nani) and gradually falls in love with him. After executing a big contract, they end up celebrating — with champagne. A woozy-headed kiss leads to sex, and she’s happy. But soon she discovers that he isn’t.

He’s confused about their relationship status. Are they just business partners or... partners? And when she casually lets slip that that night might not have meant much, he leaps at this out with visible relief. And she’s crushed — not because she’s had sex with him and he’s not going to marry her, and not because she could be pregnant, but because something that meant so much to her means so little to him. She doesn’t regret having sex, but the fact that to him it’s just sex, nothing more.

Band Baaja Baaraat mined gold from this premise. The film was an example of how relatively standard-issue rom-com fare could be transcended — indeed, made transcendent — through terrific casting, staging and a feel for both the milieu and the material. Gokul Krishna’s remake follows the original almost beat for beat, but never does anything more.

Vaani Kapoor appears so invested in pronouncing her lines right that she hasn’t any energy left for a performance. Nani gamely allows his Telugu accent to be mocked — but the role, especially during the final declaration of love, calls for much more. The supporting characters aren’t well developed (the actress who plays Shruthi’s mother is good, though). And despite some wonderfully conversational dialogue, we’re left with the strange feeling of watching a Hindi movie dubbed in Tamil, along with the realisation that a story alone doesn’t make a movie.

Genre: Rom-com

Director: A Gokul Krishna

Cast: Nani, Vaani Kapoor,

Storyline: Partners of a wedding-planning firm face problems when they fall in love.

Bottomline: Generally underwhelming.

Amnesty seeks 'more detail' on Indian deaths in Qatar

Human rights group Amnesty International has urged India to give "more transparent information" about the deaths of Indian workers in Qatar, the host nation for the 2022 World Cup.

India revealed on Monday that 455 Indians had died in 2012 and 2013, prompting concerns from labour groups.

It said the "overwhelming number" of deaths were due to natural causes.

Indian and Qatari officials insist there is nothing abnormal about the death rate given the population there.

About 500,000 Indians live in Qatar and India's external affairs ministry said the "figures for the number of Indian deaths in the last five years remain consistent" and are not "in any way attributable to any one cause or the other".

Nevertheless Amnesty International said the government should provide more details about the deaths.

'Serious labour abuses'

"Instead of simply saying that such deaths are normal, the Indian government should provide clearer and more transparent information," Nikhil Eapen, spokesperson, Amnesty International India, said in a statement.

He said that concern arose because cause of death was unclear.

"What we need to know is who these people were - how old they were and what work they were doing - and how they died."

Mr Eapan said the Indian government should "work urgently with the Qatari government and other governments across the Gulf to address the serious labour abuses experienced by Indian migrant workers".

Following a freedom of information request by the AFP news agency, the Indian embassy in Doha published figures showing that 237 Indian workers had died in Qatar in 2012 and 218 in the first 11 months of 2013. On average, about 20 died per month, peaking at 27 in August.

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) said the data showed "an exceptionally high mortality rate".

The emirate has been under pressure to improve conditions for migrant workers.

Last month, AFP reported that 191 Nepalese workers had died in Qatar in 2013, many of them from "unnatural" heart failure, taking the total to at least 360 over two years.

The World Cup organisers subsequently published a "workers' charter", in response to a call from football world governing body Fifa for Qatar's working practices to be revised.

Happy Birthday AR Rahman!

Why do directors act? The situation, if you think about it, is a bit of a paradox. Someone who steps into the film industry to become an actor knows that he wants to be in front of the camera — he wants to be the film’s face. Someone wanting to be a director, on the other hand, wants to be the film’s voice. He knows full well that his is a life conducted behind the camera. How, then, does this crossover happen — and so frequently, in Tamil cinema?

Every time I watch a film where M Sasikumar plays the lead, I find myself beset by these thoughts — but this time, the film abets this inquiry. Bramman, directed by Socrates, is partly a “family entertainer” (about that, later), and partly a meditation on the Sasikumar persona. And it’s not just the usual self-deprecation — declaring that he never imagined himself a hero, or being told, by a sidekick, that he cannot dance. As if anticipating the question “Why are you wearing designer duds and singing romantic songs in foreign locations, while lending an ear to Santhanam’s one-liners, instead of dreaming up the next Subramaniyapuram?” Sasikumar tells us — through his character Siva, who owns a single-screen theatre in Coimbatore — that it’s not easy.

Siva’s mother is obsessed with mega-serials. His father is content with other television programmes. And his sister watches films on pirated DVDs. In addition, the single screens, where a balcony ticket costs Rs. 30, are being replaced by marriage halls and commercial complexes (and if they have to survive, it’s by screening soft porn). “I want to give people good cinema,” Sasikumar/Siva says. But...

Siva reveals that even as a boy, he was crazy about cinema, stealing film strips from the local theatre and gazing at the frames. And this obsession stuck. The fight scenes in Bramman are staged in front of cinema halls, and they come about because Siva cannot bear to see these temples defiled by audience members who put their feet up in the seats in front of them or by others who drink and relieve themselves in the premises. Siva is such a devotee of cinema that he allows himself to be shamed by Gayathri (Lavanya Tripathi) — a student of, wait for this, Mass Media. She goes about tearing posters of the films he’s screening in his theatre — and when cornered, she says that it’s not right to promote cinema near temples, schools and government offices.

And as the film shifts, in the second half, to Chennai — to Kodambakkam, the capital of Tamil cinema, where Siva ends up being asked to direct a film; in other words, we have, here, a director playing an actor playing a director — we get scenarios written around the life of strugglers in the industry, boys who follow their dreams and make short films; Tamil directors finding fame in Telugu cinema; the importance of marketing and presentation; our gruesome obsession with leaving the audience with a message; the value of the bound script (and the valuelessness of the screenwriters who deliver those scripts). And the title, we discover, stands for the creator... of cinema.

With all this, Sasikumar could have made his own movie, a scorching drama about a man with ideals forced to sell himself in the marketplace. Instead, he opts for the safer route, coating this bitter pill with the sugar of “family sentiment,” “friend sentiment,” a last-minute love triangle, and an item song.

Bramman isn’t a “mass hero” movie, thankfully — the “villain,” so to speak, is just the Corporation that demands that Siva pay up tax arrears if he wants to keep his theatre. But this major crisis, which seemed to be the film’s central plot point, is resolved with a whimper, and the story abruptly changes tracks to gaze on a dreadfully sentimental friendship. The love angle, similarly, is all over the place. These, along with the circumstance of Siva moving away from home, are portions that could have helped us invest emotionally in this story, but we get scenes like the one where Siva, calling his mother in Coimbatore for the first time, many days after moving to Chennai, asks for her vatha kozhamburecipe — she cheerfully obliges, as if she just heard from him five minutes back.

With someone else at its centre, we might have said that Bramman is just about watchable, but with Sasikumar, we begin to wonder if Subramaniyapuram was a one-off. It’s coincidence, of course, but a few days after the demise of Balu Mahendra, we have another instance of a serious-minded filmmaker hurling at us a few reels of perfunctorily shaped cinema. He could be saying: Neengal Kettavai. But is this what we asked for?

Genre: Drama

Director: Socrates

Cast: Sasikumar, Lavanya Tripathi, Santhanam

Storyline: The struggles of a cinema-crazy theatre owner.

Bottomline: Barely watchable.

MINI ANTHIKAD CHHIBBER

Watching this film brings to mind several iconic pop-cultural references. Pink Floyd’s non-concert concert film Live in Pompeii, for instance. How young they all looked! Roger Waters and Dave Gilmour with long, long hair walk the empty amphitheatre holding up their guitars like gladiators all set to conquer the music arena. The fantastic ruins and eerie silence create a mesmeric soundscape for the band’s psychedelic sound. The grinning skull mosaic preserved from the ancient disaster site at the start of ‘Careful with that Axe Eugene’ seemed so apt.

Pompeii reminds one of Baron Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s 1834 novel, The Last Days of Pompeii. The book was inspired by a Russian painting in Milan (sounds very Joseph Heller-esque) and in turn inspired many movies and television shows. Pompeii takes some elements from Sergio Leone’s 1959 adaptation of the novel including the climatic gladiatorial games and the leads meeting over an out-of-control chariot. The Christian element is written out and instead of the Greek Glaucus, you have Milo, a rebellious Celt.

Kit Harington, who plays Milo, seems to have stepped out of his Jon Snow avatar from Game of Thrones into another fight — not between the Lannisters and Starks but between the Romans and Celts. You could think of the many end-of-days movies Pompeii is inspired by, throw in a dash of star-crossed lovers from Titanic and spare a thought for the poor petrified doggie among the ruins of the city.

The fact that you can think of so many things while Pompeii is playing indicates that the happenings on screen are not particularly captivating. Clichés careen across the screen colliding with improbabilities, hammy acting and atrocious dialogues.

Milo is this slave-turned-gladiator who is the last surviving Celt from his village. The evil Roman (Keifer Sutherland) who slaughtered his parents and people is back in Pompeii sneering and up to no good as he casts lascivious glances at the comely Cassia. She, however, is already making cow’s eyes at Milo because of how he broke a horse’s neck. “That was the kindest thing to do,” she says tremulously with bosom heaving. There is noble African savage, Atticus, who was promised his freedom after this one last fight. Carrie-Ann Moss as Cassia’s mom is weepy (What a fall there was Trinity!).

Remember to finish all your mind wandering before the final battle because then Pompeii moves into fourth gear and is the greatest fun. Director Paul W. S. Anderson (Resident Evil) does know to set up a fight sequence. And once the Vesuvius starts erupting in right earnest after grumbling through the film (for bad acting I suppose) Pompeii is eye-popping. The 3D is used to excellent effect with ash, lava and ginormous tidal waves laying waste the city.

The third act emphatically redeems Pompeii. Yay!

Genre: Historical /Action

Director: Paul W. S. Anderson

Cast: Kit Harington, Keifer Sutherland, Carrie Ann Moss

Storyline: Gladiator and Braveheart face off on the Titanic

Bottomline: Cheap thrills courtesy Mt Vesuvius

'Jai Ho' Review: It’s quite ho-ho-hum!

Movie: Jai ho
Cast: Salman Khan, Daisy Shah, Tabu
Director: Sohail Khan
Rating: Two stars

Get this. A tormented streetkid, a nattering nephew, not to forget a bunch of zapped tots being held hostage on a warfield, are saved from miscellaneous perils by their mega-muscular Uncle. For the bacha party, he’s Krrish, Super-duperman and  Spidey, rolled into one tight package. Truly, his shirt’s such a close fit that the buttons are about to pop as he skips-jumps-hops through studio sets, warehouses and yo, even a railway station.

Welcome, then, to another round of Salmantics in Jai Ho, directed by Sohail Khan, with the eye partly trained on the pre-teen constituency. Kids talk about pink panties, go wink-wink-nudge-nudge on sighting some romantic foreplay, and speak as if they possessed the IQs of Einstein. The problem is that no one else does, all the adults behaving as if they had left their brains to behind to frost in a refrigerator. Necessary perhaps because it doesn’t really need grey cells to bash up baddies who’re as canivorous as alligators. Duh.

Quite curiously, Sohail Khan’s direction is as ancient as the hillocks, banking excessively on slow fade-outs, bleaches and gigantic close-ups lavished upon even the most minor and camera-unfriendly of faces. The set designs are retro (not in a good way), the blingy costumes and quite a few of the family bonhomie scenes belong to Sooraj Barjatya’s Hum Saath Saath Hain, while the quotient of politics – demonic minister and his son – is the stuff that cliches are made of. Comparatively, in terms of both style and content, Dabangg and Chennai-cinema-inspired blockbusters of Salman Khan have been leagues aheads.

So what went wrong – or right (after all, this could also end up earning multiple-hundred crores, no?). Either way, this Jai jaikar sourced from Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi’s do-gooder fest Stalin (2006), seems to be lost in translation. As for the sermons about any recipient of  a favour carrying out three good deeds in return, that remains a figure of speech. This intended USP in the screenplay, alas, comes off as much blah-blah about nothing. Or at most, an idea inspired by the Kevin Spacey movie Play it Forward (2000).

The point is  more than ever before, Salman Khan must carry the burden of action-romance-comedy-melodrama on his shoulders. Admittedly, he does radiate a charismatic screen presence, and it’s obvious that frequently he goes on an improvising spree, resulting in goofball antics, unquestionable dance moves and the ability to make stale dialogue about the much-exploited ‘aam janta’, brand-new. But that’s it. If you’re the sort who can relate to an actor going all over the place, like a bull in a chinaware shop, fine. Those who crave more from cinema, however, may have serious issues about the goings-yawn.

Which are? Well. Our demi-god of a hero has had to quit the army because he disobeyed some obscure orders while rescuing those kid hostages. Apparently, unemployed now, he shoots the breeze with his amplifier-loud mom (Nadira Zaheer Babbar, over-the-top), a supremely irritating nephew (Yakety Yakathon) and a sister (Tabu, wasted), who  has married against the Amplifier’s wishes. Sister keeps entering and exiting, theatrically, as if she had just been combed, touched up and synthesised in a vanity van. Incidentally, the Sister’s disapproved husband (Grin Carnival), eventually donates a kidney to his ma-in-law, and she approves of him instantly. How ‘matlabi’ is that?

So much for family values. Next: there’s a catatonic dancer (Daisy Shah, barely passable), who discos, Bharata Natyams, garbas and longs to marry our Jai. Who doesn’t ? He’s uber noble: he helps out a limbless girl (Genelia D’Souza, likeable as ever) to write her college examination papers, sheds tears when she commits suicide (a grisly 15 minutes of the plot, this), generally aids the meek of the earth. And takes on  the mighty Monster Minister (Danny Denzongpa),his burly sons, a fidgety vamp and about a 1000 goons. As always, during the combat scenes, those goons patiently wait for their turn to be pummelled. Ouch. Surely the stunts could have been executed more plausibly.

Over to the big moment: the ripping apart of the shirt to exhibit abs, is a given. About the only ancient thing that’s missing are those dhishoom dhishoom sound effects.
Aah, so you wait patiently for the finale,  to check out the list of cameo players, who almost seem to have been resurrected from the backwoods, be it  Suneil Shetty, Ashmit Patel, Nauheed Cyrusi, Tulip Joshi or Vatsal Sheth. In fact, throughout the malarkey, there’s a population explosion. 

The unremarkable dialogue attempts to get nationalist and jingoistic. Plus there’s a thoroughly odd visual – of an aged garage worker in underpants. Wazzat?

Sajid-Wajid’s music is nothing to hum or haw about either. On the techfront, the editing, sound design as well as the editing – especially the transitions – belong to the last millennium, enhancing the overall tedium. Ummm.

All said and endured, here’s the sort of average product which is immune to criticism. Say anything you honestly feel,  down the decades it has been huffed – so what? That doesn’t make a jot of a difference. Correct. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t express your take. You may be in a minority of one or two, but you can’t help feeling that Salman Khan, like most of his peers, could do with immediate re-invention. Repetition and excess can sell. Unpleasant question: but for how long?
 

P