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Gujarati Update
Mahiyar
Maaru Lakhnu...: Editing complete
Writer, producer-director and editor Ashok Patel has completed
the entire editing of his film, Mahiyar Maaru Lakhnu Saasaryu
Sawalakhnu, made under his own banner of Samrat Film Productions.
The editing was done at the Mukta Arts editing room in Mumbai.
The filmmaker plans to commence dubbing work soon and has
plans to release the movie in mid-January.
Mahiyar Maru Lakhnu... stars JD Majithia, Mona Thiba, Meenakshi,
Deepak Dave, Seema Siddhu, Jeet Upendra, Arvind Rathod, Devendra
Pandit, Roopa Divetia, Jaimini Trivedi along with Vijaykumar
Mangaria and Neha Mehta. Amar Nawab has written the lyrics
as well as composed the music
.
New Year launch planned for Mayyar Ma.....
Writer Jaswant Gangani, who has turned producer-director,
plans to launch his maiden Gujarati film, Mayyar Ma Mandu
Nathi Laagtu, on the first day of the new Millenium (January
1, 20001), at Lucky Studios in Halol. The film will be made
under his own banner of Gangani Film Productions. The writer-cum-filmmaker
indicated that he will complete the film with a start-to-finish
shooting, which also includes location filming in and around
Halol. There are nine songs in the film which have already
been taped. They have been penned by Gangani himself and set
to music by Gaurang Vyas. The songs were rendered by Alka
Yagnik, Diwaliben Bhill, Arvind Barot and Sadhana Sargam.
The writer-filmmaker is at present busy finalising the main
artistes and technicians for his debut production.
Rangaee Ja Ne Rangma: Hiten Kumar signed
Hiten Kumar has been signed to play a key role in Ram Rishi
Productions’ Rangaee Ja Ne Rangma being directed by Arun
Bhatt for producer Kaushal Thakkar. Other artistes who head
the cast of this film include JD Majithia, Sharmilee Raj,
Juhi Parmar, Darshan Zariwala, Meenal Mansoori, Arvind Vaidya
and Sarita Joshi. The film rolled before the camera on November
17 at Lucky Studios in Halol with the picturisation of a song.
Being cinematographed by Randev Bhaduri, it has lyrics by
Arun Bhatt and Natudan Barot set to music by Gaurang Vyas,
under whose baton the songs have already been recorded. Mukesh
Malvankar is the writer of the film.
Narmada: Editing in progress
The editing of Rohan Films’ Narmada is making brisk progress
at present while the dubbing work is expected to commence
during this week. Produced by Shobhana Panwala and written
and directed by Kirit Panwala, the film stars Hiten Kumar,
Channa Ruparel, Krishnakant, Devendra Pandit, Jaimini Trivedi,
Chandni, Amrit Patel and Nilesh Sukhadia. Mehul Surti has
composed its musical score.
Daldu Chorayu Dhire Dhire: Due next Friday
Kala Jagruti’s Daldu Chorayu Dhire Dhire, produced by
IV Solanki and directed by Jiten Purohit from his own story
and screenplay, is scheduled to be released all over Gujarat
and Saurashtra with effect from December 8. The music of the
film has been scored by Iqbal Darbar and the musicassettes,
brought out by Venus, were recently released at a function
held in Mumbai. Cinematographed by Rajan Trivedi, the film
stars Kiran Kumar, Hiten Kumar, Sudha Chandran, Newcomer Radha
and Sheetal Suvarna.
>>>Pandit Shimpi
Tollygunge
Update
Tribute
to veteran Chhabi Biswas
A tribute to this screen veteran of yesteryear Tollywood was
long due. A young enterprising filmmaker like Reshmi Mitra
had to break the ice. Her documentary on Chhabi Biswas entitled
Amar Sechhabi was televised by ATN World on October 22. Aside
from the archival interest for film buffs and research scholars,
it should serve as an eye-opener for the modern generation
to know about the contribution of artistes of the earlier
era.
Reshmi had to do a lot of research before shooting but completed
the film in record time by October 10. Shot in U-matic, the
duration of the documentary is 45 minutes. Reshmi endeavours
to present the actor from different angles as actor, director
and producer. Her documentary incorporates interviews of those
persons who were directly connected with the late thespian,
like Madhabhi Mukherjee, Tarun Kumar, Ketaki Dutta, Bharati
Devi, Sukhen Das and Chhabi Biswas’s family members including
his son.
Little is known, for instance, that the actor was also engaged
in other creative activities such as embroidery needle work
for nagra shoes in Tapan Sinha’s Kabuliwallah and designed
his own costumes in the stage production of Shirajudullah.
Chhabi Biswas could also paint, do bridal make-up and work
on decorations at traditional Bengali weddings. He was a great
hand in ornament designing, are all projected to reveal Chhabi
Biswas’s versatility as an actor.
The documentary will also contain snippets from some of his
films such as Jalsaghar, Kabuliwallah, Dada Thakur etc. When
asked from where she garnered her directorial skills, Reshmi
Mitra states confidently “I was lucky to be brought up
in a very cultural set up. This naturally triggered my interest
in films and gained experience by observing in the capacity
of an assistant director in a number of tele-serials and documentaries”,
she admits.
Initially, Reshmi was engaged in script-writing and research
work as well as dramatic presentations on stage. Amar Sechhabi
is incidentally her second documentary, the first being a
documentary on the late Uttam Kumar, the matinee idol of Tollywood,
entitled Arun Thekey Uttam (From Arun to Uttam) which was
also commissioned by ATN World and was televised on September
3, this year. Her documentary on the legendary singer Hemanta
Mukherjee titled Hemantey Chiro Basanta (Hemanta is evergreen)
also for ATN World was beamed on November 19 on this channel.
As far as future project goes, Reshmi Mitra is planning a
serial entitled Kajer Phakey Phakey based on Calcutta’s
celebrities and their extra curricular activities for ATN
World 2001. She has also undertaken some government projects
for tele-serials as script-writer and director for the West
Bengal Film Development Corporation (W.B.F.D.C.).
>>>Anit Mukerjea
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