COMMENDABLE HABITS

THIS has reference to the item "To cope with the routine," published in Short Takes, (Screen, July 20). Tabu’s voracious passion for books is definitely an exemplary personal trait which other actors and actresses would do well to emulate. Books are our all-time friends which never desert us. Tabu’s firm resolve to exercise daily keeps her body svelte and lissome, and looking just as vivacious film after film.

— Jyotiranjan Biswal
Angul, Orissa

WRITING ON THE WALL

I don’t know if anyone noticed similarities between Yaadein and Mohabbatein. The logos of both look similar. Both films have characters who imagine they’re seeing ghosts (Shah Rukh Khan imagines he has seen Aishwarya’s ghost in Mohabbatein and Jackie Shroff imagines Rati Agnihotri’s ghost in Yaadein). The titles sound similar (they end with "ein") and the climax in either film takes place on a stage.

Why was this film called Yaadein when there is no concrete reason in the film’s non-existent plot to justify it’s title? Maybe it means that people will retain this film in their memories (yaadein) as the worst film ever to be made. Sab log is film ko zaroor yaad rakhenge!

A few more movies like Yaadein and the Indian film industry can close shop.

— Narmada Sharma
received on email

SUPERSTAR OR GOD?

AMITABH Bachchan, our ageless war-horse has well and truly broken the age barrier that was considered as strong as apartheid. The phenomenon is the only star in the world who has been a superstar for the last 30 years.

After award-worthy performances in Mohabbatein and Ek Rishtaa - The Bond Of Love, he has brought even the sophisticated elite to watch the small screen with Kaun Banega Crorepati. Now, he has once again dazzled with an electrifying performance in Aks, for which he must be a contender for the best actor awards along with Aamir Khan (Lagaan) and Sunny Deol (Gadar - Ek Prem Katha).

Recently, his fans performed a yagna pooja in his honour. AB’s wax statue has been revered as an idol in a marble temple in Kolkata. And now, he is playing Lord Indra in Agni Varsha, which proves he is indeed a real living God.

— Dr RB Nachar
Ghatkopar, Mumbai

WATCH OUT FOR MS DIMPLES

YOUR cover story "Journey" on Preity Zinta, dated August 3, was interesting. Dimpled Preity Zinta is indeed a pretty lady. After Sharmila Tagore, Preity has been perhaps the first Ms Dimples to add sheen to Hindi cinema. With her performances in Dil Se.., Chori Chori Chupke Chupke and Mission Kashmir, she has also showed she is improving with every performance.

Rakesh Roshan’s latest offering Koi Mil Gaya, where she is cast opposite Hrithik Roshan and Rekha will be a treat to watch. Can she turn the tables on dear Aishwarya Rai, Tabu, Karisma and Kareena?

— TR Anand
Sarangabad

PHENOMENAL SUCCESS

APROPOS the report "300 weeks of Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge" (Screen, August 10), here’s to doffing my hat to young Aditya Chopra on his record breaking run. Three cheers to Aditya Chopra and his father’s banner on the phenomenal success.

— Iqbal Qasim
Bandra East, Mumbai

HERO OF OUR TIMES

MY belated greetings to Telugu megastar Chiranjeevi on his birthday. He began his career with roles of a character artiste and villain, before developing into a megastar.

Every year on his birthday, his fans’ associations and the Chiranjeevi Charitable Trust undertake fresh projects of charity, such as blood and eye donation drives, support for poor students and the like. May God bless Chiranjeevi.

—Sudhakar Tekumalla
Nellore

DEEWAAR IMPRESSES

I read the article in Screen on the making of Deewaar with real fascination. It is a delightful article and very well written.I have been a Hindi film buff since I was a kid. I saw Deewaar the first time when I was only two years old. I have since seen the film quite a few times and even have a VCD of the movie. It was really interesting to know interesting tidbits about what is undoubtedly one of my favourite films.

— Punit Oza

INDO-PAK FILMS: A REJOINDER

REFER to K Raghunath’s letter "Naive Notions" (Screen, August 17) i.e., his comments regarding my letter published on July 27. I still stand by my views. If by screening Indian films in Pakistan, it extinguishes the Pakistani film industry, what has India got to lose? If our films are screened in Pakistan definitely our culture will have an effect on Pakistani viewers and our film trade and exports will benefit. If by a bilateral agreement - say an equal number of films are exchanged for screening, this too will benefit us. If their films don’t do well here it is a matter of concern for the Pakistani film industry and not us.

The above logic and reasoning applies to a resumption of trade and cultural relations too. K Raghunath says, "The Delhi culture crowd and the Mumbai film industry have nurtured this myth because they happen to be dominated by UP Muslims and Punjabis." Are these people not Indians, too, may I ask?

— Mahesh Kapasi
New Delhi

WRITING ON THE WALL

IF as Subhash Ghai claims he is now making films for the dollar-paying NRI audience, they have every right to be offended that a substandard product like Yaadein is being offered to them. Ghai has taken his audience for granted, rehashing Yash Chopra’s films and trying to pass it off as fresh by signing on two bright young stars, Kareena and Hrithik. Neither his heart nor his mind seems to have been on the content. The tawdry way in which he has inserted brand promotions throughout the film shows he was more interested in profits.

Yaadein is a mediocre, third grade film which has nothing to offer. The most incredible part, however, is the way the scenes are framed, without proper lighting or even a sense of composition. Certain shots appear as if they are pasted from another source, especially the ones showing a crocodile chasing Kareena. What’s happening to Mukta Arts? Except for the title song Anu Malik’s music is a total washout. Even the actors are wasted. Jackie Shroff’s so-called ‘best’ performance is probably his worst while Kareena is the only saving grace of the film. Hrithik Roshan has nothing to offer.

Yaadein’s total failure in a way also reflects the splintering of the 90s NRI mush where they played around with vague concepts without paying heed to the narrative. Since storytelling is right back in the reckoning, it’s high time Ghai stops making such ludicrous and pathetic films if he values his future as a filmmaker.

—RC Parsa
Secunderabad

A MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT

THE editorial "Audience Is King", dated August 3, is indeed an eye-opener. The banner Mukta Arts has let everyone, including its investors down with Subhash Ghai’s latest offering Yaadein. The Hrithik-Kareena-Jackie starrer, Yaadein makes no impression on viewers. The film is certainly no patch on films like Kalicharan, Vishwanath, Pardes, Karma, Khalnayak and Jaal.

—Rashmi Surendranath
Kowdiyar
Thiruvananthapuram

ACTOR MOST DESERVING

THE sad demise of Nadigar Thilakam, Dr Sivaji Ganesan is a great loss to the Indian film industry. He has dominated the Tamil film industry for over five decades and acted in all South Indian languages and played different roles in social, mythological and historical characters. Sivaji, recepient of the Padmashri, Padmabhushan and Dada Saheb Phalke Awards deserves the prestigious Bharat Ratna award. Hope the central government will confer the award on him posthumously.

The best way to condole the death of one of the greatest actors of this century is by conferring Bharatratna Award.

— B Chamaraj Urs
Shimoga, Karnataka

CRITICISM MOST FOUL

ANIL Bhandarkar in his letter to Screen (August 10) has dutifully praised Amitabh Bachchan’s Aks but has unnecessarily dubbed Aamir Khan and his director Ashutosh Gowarikar as novices. His remarks deserve flak for unnecessarily wounding the Lagaan team.

Bhandarkar needs to note that Aamir Khan is one of the most intelligent actors who has churned out more hits than anyone else in the line. The gentleman actor producer needs to be patted by one and all for producing a masterpiece in Lagaan, that too on a subject no one else has attempted so far.

— TR Anand
Sarangabad

BEFITTING REVIEW

YOUR review of Pearl Harbor (Screen, August 10) was interesting. After Titanic, Pearl Harbor is the only Hollywood film worth repeated viewing. The days of Guns of Navarone, Ten Commandments and Where Eagles Dare seem to be back with Pearl Harbor.

— Lakshmi Srinivasan
Puthuppally, Kottayam