Behind The Scene

MAZHAR KAMRAN
The camera as the real hero
"As a detached observer, the days of the passive camera are over. Now the time has come when the camera becomes an active participant,".

Celeb Chat

AMISHA PATEL -- Gadar’s special, very very special
She wasn’t the first choice to play the heroine in Kaho Na.. Pyar Hai. But the role fell into the lap of the pretty grand daughter of barrister Rajni Patel. Her father and Rakesh Roshan went to the same school.

Review

Refugee -- An engrossing first half and a tame second
Director JP Dutta’s Refugee starts with the story of a refugee and ends with the birth of another refugee . First and foremost JP fails to justify the title and the character played by Abhishek Bachchan who is called a Refugee and which doesnt have any relevance in the film.

Ali’s Notes

THOSE YOUNG WOMEN I’LL NEVER FORGET
I see Bindiya Dutta, once a star called Bindiya Goswami (now charming but fat and full of life Mrs JP Dutta), pretty, young and always cheerful, a fantastic hostess to look after the home of a rare good man, JP.

Short Takes

AFTER THE MUCH-AWAITED PREMIERE
CO-STAR Abhishek and she have been pampered silly on the sets of Refugee. And now that the film’s hit the big screens, KAREENA KAPOOR, Bebo, to her friends, has begun to regret it’s all over.

Tribute

VASANTA CHOUDHURY -- AN INSTITUTION
BY HIMSELF
One of the most prolific actors of the Bengali screen and stage, Vasanta Choudhury passed away on June 20. With his demise, an era of the most classic icons of Bengali cinema, that defined a beautiful blend of high intellect, eminent scholarship and aesthetic creativity in histrionics came to an end...

News Flash

Karobaar first copy out
The first copy of Karobaar, being directed by Raakesh Roshan, was out last week from Film Center. The film stars Anil Kapoor, Juhi Chawla, Rishi Kapoor, Asif Sheikh and Tinu Anand.

Editorial

The viewer is king
HYPE can be diasastrous. We saw that last week all over again for ourselves, at a Refugee show in town. Irate moviebuffs were seen tearing down the film’s billboards as they walked out of the show.

On the Sets

Major stint of One Two Ka Four completed
Producer Nazir Ahmed and director Shashilal K. Nair completed a marathon 19-day shooting schedule for Glamour Films’ One Two Ka Four on July 1.

People's Verdict

100 % initial for Refugee
The talk of the trade is JP Dutta’s Refugee. With its extraordinary publicity, the film has generated interest not only among the public but also in film business circles.

Focus

Dekha : Gautam Ghose’s next
GAUTAM Ghose has begun his new feature film, Dekha, after a long hiatus since Gudia, which had a rather lukewarm reception from both the masses and critics when it was released some years ago.

Debate

Will privatisation help the NFDC?
The reference made by the Information and Broadcasting Minister, Arun Jaitley, in Mumbai, recently to the possible privatisation of the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC).

Subhash Ghai releases public issue

Notching up a first in Bollywood history, Shubash Ghai’s motion picture and film production house will step into the open market over the next two weeks.

KAHO NAA... ONLY SUPERHIT OF FIRST HALF

Of 89 releases, only a dozen recover costs
Rakesh Roshan’s Kaho Naa... Pyar Hai has emerged as the lone smash hit in the first half of 2000, providing the film industry with a fresh lease of hope and a new, promising superstar, Hrithik Roshan.

HAVING SETTLED OLD DUES...

ABCL tees off restructure bid
NEW DELHI: The shahenshah of Indian cinema Amitabh Bachchan has returned dues to all creditors, except Doordarshan, and is now working to put his beleaguered dream venture Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Ltd (ABCL) back on track.