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BEVERLY HILLS MAN
FOR the grandson of the legendary Hollywood baddie, Robert
Mitchum, the role in the Tamil-Hindi bilingual, Little John,
has been a dream come true. With Tamil filmdom caught up in
a battle between the artistes and producers on which among
the stars is saleable, Media Dreamz has played it safe, importing
the newfind from Beverly Hills.
Says director, Singeetham Srinivasa Rao, “I’d been
abroad in connection with a Pentamedia film when I came across
several artistes and talent agents who were keen to be associated
with Indian films. Young BENTLEY MITCHUM seemed to be the
best of them all, and he was keen to come to India, and learn
more about our culture, yoga and the like.”
Bentley is a trained make-upman in prosthetics, but he took
to acting with Promises To Keep, a film which incidentally
co-starred his grand-dad, Robert and dad, Christopher, and
predictably, dealt with three generations of a family. In
the 15 years since, he’s acted in 32 films, an indication
of just how strong the itch of the acting bug has been.
“I may not be a nobody, but I’m still waiting for
that one film that will catapult me into stardom,” says
Bentley. He’s had small roles to play in hits like Shark
Attack, Delta Force One and Mission Impossible, and even co-starred
the likes of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. “All I need is
one big role,” he says.
Well, Little John is unlikely to be the big one he’s
itching to get his hands on. But it’s still a substantial
role. He plays an anthropologist on a trip to India, where
he comes across a Swami only to get involved in a conflict
with the good and bad forces. “I even turn into a six-inch
man, and perform lots of wonders, which the graphics will
help bring alive,” he twinkles. His knowledge of prosthetic
make-up was an unexpected bonus for director Rao, a veteran
of more than 30 films. He even dubs for himself in both Hindi
and Tamil, albeit with a pronounced Yankee twang.
“I am just as interested in Asian cinema, just as I am
about vegetarian food, yoga and meditation. So may be we will
meet again on the sets of another Indian film,” he says,
signing off.
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WELCOME BACK TO INDIA!
SIMRAN has a none-too-pleasant surprise waiting for her when
she returns from her trip to Canada. In her absence, a Chennai
court has just ordered that as soon as she touches base, she
report for shoots for the Chiranjeevi-starrer, Murugaraju.
On a plea from the producer, Devivara Prasad, the court has
directed Simran to complete her work on the film before she
takes up any other assignment. This is perhaps the first instance
when a producer has sought court intervention to enforce dates
on an artiste.
Prasad, a leading Telugu filmmaker, said in his writ that
Simran had not reported for the shoots despite reminders,
and that she’d left for a starnite in London, from where
she jetted it straight to Canada for the shoots of another
Telugu film. In the lady’s absence, the reason for her
unprofessional behaviour is not known. Your guess is as good
as ours.
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HUNGAMA
ON HIS MIND
SO another star’s about to join the dotcom brigade. Entertainment
and promotions site, hungama.com have announced a tieup with
Popcorn Entertainment, SUNIL SHETTY’s start-up. The deal
is intended to bring Hungama’s leading corporate clients
closer to the nation’s favourite pastime, cinema.
Says a Hungama hand-out, “There is tremendous activity
in the entertainment sector and Mumbai’s cine industry
will be at the center of it all. The reach of Indian cinema
is spread across the globe. Several leading brands have already
been flirting with Bollywood with associations such as branding
during songs to outdoor hoarding support. Hungama and Popcorn
will endeavour to extend this association to a more integral
one, with the brand being integrated into the movie, seamlessly
and more effectively.” So the next time Hrithik Roshan
times his escape from the baddie’s den in a movie, the
watch he’d be using could well be a leading Indian brand.
Watch out, Pierce Brosnon.
Popcorn, Shetty’s outfit, specialises in motion picture
promotion and publicity, in addition to the mainstream brick
and mortar activity of entertainment complexes, multiplexes,
and restaurants. Popcorn has also forayed into motion picture
production and distribution, with alliances with the leading
names in the business.
Says Shetty, “I personally see three areas of business
that will form major revenue earners for India — infotech
and communications, entertainment and media and health. Although
I’d like to have a finger in all these pies, I see myself
in at least two of them. Our strategic alliance with Hungama
will help us tap opportunities with corporates in terms of
product placement in feature films, celebrity endorsements,
corporate sponsorship of films and the like.
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HIS GROWTH, THEIR DECLINE
EVER since the uncle-nephew duo of composers, Dilip and Sameer
Sen split up, their fans have been left high and dry. No one
quite knows the reasons for the split, though they’re
mentioned as personal ones.
But guess who’s making the most of the split? Why, Dilip’s
brother, LALIT SEN, of course. His growth has been their decline.
What’s more, Lalit seems to have become quite a workaholic,
of late, too, going by the sheer numbers alone — of albums
and films he’s composing the tunes for.
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WOWING
THE RAMP
AMITABH Bachchan has done it all. Or so he thought until that
evening when he donned a white Pathani, touched up his ageing
but compelling visage and rehearsed with professional models
for a fashion show.
Bachchan on the ramp? Yes, after he blazed across the 70 mm
screen and earned a permanent place in cinema history, recited
his father’s poetry, cut a music album, launched and
tried to manage an entertainment conglomerate, and then redefined
game-show anchoring on television.
Last week, hundreds of Mumbaites watched Bachchan displaying
the Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla collection. It’s a different
Bachchan altogether. The grace and the charm is all there
and to bystanders watching the rehearsals on the eve of the
show, he looks just fine. But he isn’t. “I’m
nervous... let’s see what happens,” he says.
Somewhere on the ramp is son Abhishek too, also rehearsing
for the show but his concentration is less on the nitty-gritty
of it, more on his father. Out of the corner of his eye, he
keeps glancing at how his legendary father is doing this and
not feeling like a fish out of water.
It’s the cause that has motivated Bachchan Sr. The show
is being done for AIDS victims and sponsored by a clutch of
high-profile establishments. Bijon Das Gupta has worked on
the sets for the show while the choreography has been done
by Farah Khan. Dimple Kapadia will make an appeal on behalf
of the victims. Apart from the Bachchans, the show also has
Raveena Tandon, Madhu Sapre, Anna Bredemere and other well
known models.
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GIVING ROMANCE A CHANCE
DIRECTOR DEEPAK SHIVDASANI is in for an image overhaul, or
so it seems. Having established himself as a director of actioners,
the last being the Sunil Shetty-starrer, Bhai, he’s now
trying a new tack — he’s got not one, but two sugarcandy
romances coming up. There’s yet another difference, too.
After making four films with Sunil Shetty, he’s not approached
the hunk for either of them.
First off the blocks will be Yeh Raaste Hain Pyar Ke, which
is more than half complete. Madhuri Dixit fans are looking
forward to its release, and it could well be the first of
her several starrers to hit the screen. Also in the cast are
Ajay Devgan and Preity Zinta. Two more schedules for the film
have been drawn up, and chances are, these could be its last.
Also on Shivdasani’s drawing board is another romance,
written by Anees Bazmi. The story requires two heros, and
he’s on the look-out for his men. No, he hasn’t
quite ruled out Shetty yet, but the cast, he says, will depend
totally on the availability of dates.
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RECREATING
HISTORY
TALKING
of image overhauls, this man’s in for a major one, too.
Just what is SHAH RUKH KHAN up to, these days? Well, recreating
history, with the Santosh Sivan period movie, Ashoka The Great.
So what’s different, did you ask? Well, just about everything,
for the Khan will sport none of the trademark leather jackets,
shoes and sunglasses that one associates with him. The costume
drama, his first, is being produced by his own banner, Dreamz
Unlimited, and is also a love story with history shimmering
in the backdrop.
Will Khan and Sivan depict history in all its authenticity?
It’s hard to say, just yet, which is why historians in
Madhya Pradesh are crying themselves hoarse demanding the
film’s shoots be banned forthwith. Historians may or
may not be well-known for their progressive outlook, but surely,
the gentlemen in this case know there is such as thing as
poetic licence? So what if the duo create an entirely fictional
Ashoka — who’s to deny them the right to do so?
Sivan, meanwhile, has been all praise for the Khan. “He
runs Dreamz Unlimited with a big heart. Not only does he want
himself to profit from it but everyone associated with it.”
That’s big praise, coming from Sivan.
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WORK ON HER OWN TERMS
SHE arrived with a splash, with Mission Kashmir, playing Sanjay
Dutt’s wife in the film. But for the former theatre actress
and Satyadev Dubey discovery, Mission Kashmir sure wasn’t
her first film.
The mainstream cinemaholics may not have heard of her yet.
But on the film festival circuit, she’s been a much-toasted
actress. She made her debut with Girish Karnad’s Cheluvi,
following it up with intense performances in films like Mukta,
Daayra and Doghi, even winning the Shantaram National Award
for the last of them.
No, SONALI KULKARNI isn’t about to make a switch to the
running around trees routine, even if that means doing but
a single movie in an entire year. “I am a selfish actress,
who imbibes every detail of the character before I sign up
for a film. I also speak to the director to find out how comfortable
I am with the idea of working with him,” she says.
For an actress who’s so hard to please, she sure has
no dearth for forthcoming movies. She has a Ramgopal Verma
movie, opposite Fardeen Khan, in her kitty. And one alongside
Saif Ali Khan — Dil Chaahta Hai. We can hardly wait.
MUTUAL ADMIRATION SOCIETY
The former alumnus of the National School of Drama hit the
limelight with a crucial role in the longteleseries, Swabhimaan,
following it up with the Pooja Bhatt-directed Dhundh. Since
then, ASHUTOSH RANA has been a fixture of sorts with the Mahesh
Bhatt camp — he did Swabhimaan and Zakhm with Mahesh Bhatt,
Dhundh and Tamanna with Pooja and a few projects with Tanuja
Chandra. What’s the reason, do you think? Well, it’s the obvious:
“It’s the same reason why Bachchansaab worked with Manmohan
Desai so often, or Shah Rukh Khan with Yash Chopra. It’s called
chemistry. We get along well with each other, and that’s the
only reason why we keep getting back together so often.” On
the cards are two more, Kasoor and Tumko Meri Kasam, both
of them with Vikram Bhatt. With exciting offers like these
coming his way from the Bhatt camp, why on earth would Rana
complain?
Shaju George Alex
With inputs from Ayyappa Prasad & Shoma A Chatterjee.
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