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MR. JOHN: WONDERS,
WONDERS ALL THE WAY
I have
heard and read and learned and wondered and been mystified
by mysterious stories about almost all the countries in the
world. There are  countries
who are much more ancient, much more backward, much more uncivilised
and much more uncultured than our own country. Then why do
most people from even the most backward countries always think
our country (Mera Bharat mahaan) is soaked and seeped in superstition?
Why do they still consider, this, our beloved country that
is built on myths and unbelievable mystical and mysterious
stories? I don’t know why. So I keep wondering why and
the only conclusion that I can come close to is that these
amazingly unbelievable stories (most of them) sell, sell in
books, in anthropological and social studies written by authors
from all over, which reach no conclusion, sell as films about
a land and its people who are a little better than their “brothers
and sisters” living in the deepest jungles and ravines.
Why do people all over still revel in  recreating
stories that are not true, that can not be true in these modern
times. I request all those good people who believe that we
are a little better of than the denizens of the jungles to
go around the India of today, an India on the move at a pace
difficult to believe, our country which is going to give the
millennium we have just entered a massive complex with the
rapid strides it is taking in every field, even racing ahead
of some of the so-called developed countries.
These are my views on my country, my great country. To all
those learned people who pass “junglee” judgements
in our country, I say atleast try to understand, make an all
out honest and sincere effort to understand this ‘mahaan’
country, its great culture, one of the most ancient, most
civilised and most traditional in the positive sense. I can
say with all the confidence that the most hardened of critics
of “junglee” India will change their minds.
I am therefore happy and congratulate the team which is making
its own efforts to understand, if nothing than atleast the
anthropology, its folklore and its miracles in a film called
Mr. John.
The team headed by Singeetham Srinivasa Rao, one of the most
learned, cultured and talented filmmakers of the country is
doing its best to make as many people understand the truth
and only the truth about India, so what if they are using
a folk story as the backdrop and some of the most outstanding
modern-day techniques discovered recently in the realms of
film making all over the world?
The most crucial thing about the film, Mr. John, is the Graphics
that have never been seen in an Indian film before. The film,
Mr. John, is also being made simultaneously in three original
languages, English, Hindi and Tamil and hence there is no
question of dubbing the film in any of the three languages.
The hero of the film, Bentley Mitchum, who is the grandson
of the legendary Mollywood actor, Robert Mitchum, who says
the film has come to him as a God-sent because he always wanted
to know more about India, a country he often saw in his dreams
when he was a little boy. His passion to do the film as the
hero was so intense that he took all the pains possible to
learn the original languages, Tamil and Hindi, that the makers
were delighted with his dedication.
“I didn’t do it as a form of determination or some
kind of delightful pastime. I did every thing that I could
do in the film, something I could never ever imagine and with
all the sincerity I could muster. I have worked in thirty
major films made in Hollywood. I have lost count of the number
of television serials I have done and also the number of plays
that I have acted in. I have mastered all kinds of sports,
horseback-riding, specially, I am very good at dancing and
playing all kinds of musical instruments and, above all, I
am an expert in martial arts”, Bentley says. Incidentally,
Bentley Mitchum has even sung a song in shudh Hindi in the
film which was a big surprise to his director, to the unit
and more than anyone else to Bentley himself. “I have
done many other unbelievable things which I don’t want
to talk about now. My work will speak for them at the right
time”. The surprises in the film which come one after
another were performed by Bentley himself. The surprises,
it were, that made him accept the role at the risk of loosing
out some of the most prestigious films in Hollywood. “I
think these new experiences as an actor and my role in the
script gave me all the reason to give up any thing to come
all the way to India and do the film”, he says.
Singeetham was also very lucky to get Jyotika Saddanna (once
know as the younger sister of Naghma who was the number one
leading lady in Tamil film for quite some time who gracefully
made way for her younger sister, Jyotika, who is the indisputable
number one in Tamil films today). Jyotika who started her
career in Hindi films in Priyadarshan’s Doli Saja Ke
Rakhna, produced by Xavier Marquis, a film whose failure is
too difficult to analyse.
Jyotika than went South, to Tamil films and within no time
she was the young woman to respect, the heroine who was wanted
in every big film but was not easily available. She did some
of the best films like Poovellaam Iltupaar, Hyirile Kalandhaam,
Kushi, Rhythm, Vaali, Mungareri, Tennali (with Kamal Haasan,
an opportunity she considers a highpoint, changing point of
her career), Bum Dum Dum (Mani Ratnam) and now this one big
surprise in Mr. John. She has three very big films in Tamil
to start soon but she is very excited about this strange film
made by a maker who is looked upon by actors as a Guru. “Every
film I accept with great care. That’s why I just do four
good and meaningful films in a year. I work only with the
best directors and the best young and saleable actors. This
self reflection has helped me grow into what I find myself
as, a good actress, the best I can say with all modesty. All
this was possible because I took the right steps in the right
direction at the right time. I could have got many other good
films but I turned down most of them. The only film which
gave me immense joy was Tennali with Kamal Haasan. What more
could I ask for? I have settled down in the South now in a
very comfortable position. I have no ideas of coming down
to Mumbai soon because of my serious commitments in the South.
Talking about my experiences in Mr. John, working with Bentley
Mitchum was a little uncomfortable in the initial stages but
as time passed and we got into the thick of our work we formed
a mutual admiration society which helped in the making of
the difficult film made in three languages very easy. This
experience has made me strong enough to face any challenge,
any film, any where, in any language, with any actor or director
in the world, a confident and courageous Jyotika says.
The film also has Anupam in a major role. Bentley is all praise
for Anupam, “one of the best actors I have come across.
I loved working with such a natural and talented artist and,
frankly, I would try my best to do another film with him,
an actor who knows so much and yet is so humble and modest
about his tons and tons of talent. I have rarely admired an
actor so much, please tell Anupam, that”. There are other
actors and actresses in the film, all of them good, but Anupam
is the one whose memories Bentley will carry back home.
The film is about a young American who comes to India to do
research on anthropology, folklore and miracles. He decides
to do research on a temple called the Mookuthlumnan temple
situated in a remote South Indian town renowned for its miracles.
John has an Indian friend who not only helps him in his research
but also finds him a place to stay in his house. John comes
to India and meets a Swamiji who lives in an Ashram adjoining
the temple. John has several discussions with the Swamiji
about the temple, the mookuthi and the powers it has. Swamiji
also tells John about some mythical powers which can lead
to the destruction of mankind. Swamiji performs a strange
miracle which leaves John dizzy, dazzled, in a strange state.
The story goes on to talk about an evil force called Bhairav,
who wants to possess the Mookuthi for performing a ritual
on Pournami to attain supernatural powers. The Swamiji tells
John about the significant knowledge in the leaves surrounding
the deity. Bhairav, the evil force, almost manages to steal
the mookuthi when it slips and falls into an ant hill.
In a case of mistaken identity John is arrested in connection
with the theft of the mookuthi. John escapes from prison and
goes straight to Swamiji for help. Swamiji performs a extraordinary
miracle. This is the time when the Graphics come into play
in the film and stay on till the end. They transform John
into a man who is just six inches tall. He is so small that
no one recognises him, not even Vani’s grandfather. The
six inches tall, Mr. John, follows Vani’s grandfather
to his house without his knowledge and meets Vani. In the
meanwhile Vani is forced to accept another man as her husband.
Vani, however, is in love with John. She attempts suicide
but John saves her in time inspite of his handicap. John tells
Vani his mysterious story and seeks her help.
Pournami, the festival draws closer and Bhairav is agitated
beyond anger. He is worried about the missing mookuthi. Swamiji
reveals the secret of the mookuthi to John. He tells him it
is placed safely in the ant hill in the temple. He also warns
John of some strange and frightening happenings around the
mookuthi. John, just six inches tall, reaches the temple and
finds the mookuthi inside the ant hill. Bhairav reaches at
the same time and there is an extraordinary and grim struggle
between God and devil. John places the mookuthi back in its
holy place and immediately there is a miracle. Bhairav is
changed into a man six inches tall and Mr. John goes back
to his original size. The film is packed with special effects
worked out by techniques which are too difficult to believe
by ordinary men and women.
It is the surprises worked out by the techniques that makes
Mr. John a universally unique film, tried out for the first
time by a genius like Singeetham Srinivas Rao. Nothing is
impossible for the filmmaker in Rao who has made impossible
films possible, films like Pushpak, Appu Raja, Mayuri and
now this film Mr. John. Rao has many other plans to work on
different kinds of films. He is already working on the scripts
of some of them, scripts which he has never worked on during
all the forty years of his career as an always extraordinary
filmmaker.
What can you expect from him this time? Extraordinary things
and it’s a promise he has made and I know good men, great
men will do anything to keep their promise. Keep it up Mr.
Rao, for the love of the good and healthy Indian cinema.
Ali Peter John
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MISSION
KASHMIR:
Sanjay,
Hrithik, Jackie excel
Chori
Chori:
Romance
at Luni Fort
Ek
Rishta:
Explosive
father-son tale
AAGHAAZ:
COME,
LET’S BEGIN BUILDING A BRAVE NEW WORLD
Dhaai
Akshar Prem Ke:
ONLY
LOVE CAN SAVE THIS WORLD GROWING IN HATE
HAMARA DIL AAP KE PAAS HAI:
THERE'S NO POWER LIKE THE POWER OF LOVE
DHADKAN:
THE HEART BEATS BEST WHEN IN LOVE
DEEWANE:
THERE’S A FIRE IN THEIR FEELINGS THERE’S A METHOD
IN THEIR
MADNESS THERE’S A SLICE OF HEAVEN IN THEIR PASSION
HAR
DIL JO PYAR KAREGA: LETS'S ALL FALL IN LOVE-THE
ONLY WAY TO SAVE THE WORLD
KUNWARA:
TIPS TOPS AGAIN AND TOCHES NEW PEAKS IN ENTERTAINMENTS
PAPA
THE GREAT: WAKE UP, ALL YOU FATHERS
REFUGEE:
AN ENGROSSING FIRST HALF AND A TAME SECOND
B
I C H H O O: LOVE SOOTHES, LOVE CAN ALSO STING
JORU
KA GHULAM: RIB-TICKLER ALL THE WAY
JOSH:
Josh hai toh hosh hai Hosh hai toh zindagi hai Josh nahi
to kuch bhi nahi hai
HUM
TO MOHABBAT KAREGA: KUNDAN SHAH KI BAAT HAI
TO ZAROOR KOI BAAT HAI
KYA
KEHNA!: LET’S ALL FALL IN LOVE
JODI
NO.1: TOGETHER THEY ARE A BLAST TOGETHER
THEY GIVE LOVE A NEW LIFE
CHAL
MERE BHAI: BRINGING
UP BIG BROTHER
DIL
HI DIL MEIN: TRUE
LOVERS HAVE LITTLE HEAVENS IN THEIR HEARTS
‘BAAGHI’:
ONE
MAN'S FIRELY REVOLT TO SAVE
DULHAN
HUM LE JAYENGE: DAVID
GIVES AWAY THE BRIDE
VIDROH:
COME,
TEAR ALL THREATS TO TATTERS
PUKAR:
A
CLARION CALL TO CHALLENGE, TO CAPTURE AND CRUSH THE ENEMY
BADAL: HE'S
OUT TO WIPE OUT EVERY DARK CLOUD
PHIR
BHI DIL HAI HINDUSTANI: IT'S
TIME EVERY INDIAN FELT PROUD BEING AN INDIAN
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