Short Takes

THE PRIZE FLYER
She had an entire charterload of passengers aboard a Pawan Hans helicopter walking off in protest. SHILPA SHETTY trooped in late, long after all the passengers had taken their seats, for a flight from Jammu Airport to the Mata Vaishnodevi shrine. And the very sight of her had the Pawan Hans crew in an excited tizzy. In an effort to accommodate the celebrity flyer, a Mumbai man was reportedly asked to get off the copter, and await the next shuttle.

The man wasn’t one to get off without some ado, as it turned out. He whipped up quite a bit of support from the bevvy of flyers, all of whom walked out in protest. An impromptu dharna ensued at Jammu Airport, complete with sloganeering. They demanded that Shilpa be asked to get off the flight, and the hapless Mumbai man be let in.

The dharna cost them close to an hour, and didn’t quite pay the protestors fair dividend in the end. Shilpa, who’d flown in to Jammu on a two-day whistle-stop tour to inaugurate Vandana Luthra’s Curls and Curves branch in the city, was allowed to stay on. And the Mumbai man who’d kept the seat warm for her, had to settle for the next shuttle, scheduled a good three hours later. He left the airport in a huff, threatening to take Pawan Hans to court, as well he ought. And Shilpa, for all her charm, may well have lost a few fans on that flight.

A SENSATIONAL TURN
It’ hot and humid on the sets, in more ways than one. 50 pairs of eyes glover with lecherous intent, as the scene gets steamier by the second. Joy Sengupta and KITU GIDWANI are in bed, apparently lost in the heady throes of foreplay, even as the strains from the song, Main boondon se baatein begin to flood the room. Then, out of the woodwork, as it were, as if to spoil the fun for the voyeuristic hangers-on, director GOVIND NIHALANI shouts "Cut!"

Shot over, an acutely-embarrassed Kitu surfaces, to talk to a couple of pressfolk, even as the traditional coconut is broken, and vermilion-sporting unit hands pass laddoos and Kaju Katlis around for the guests. The scenes of lovemaking, she says, are among the first in the story -- Manjula Padmanabhan’s award-winning play, Harvest, being adapted for cinema by Nihalani. As the shoots for the film, titled Deham, are to take place in chronological order, the steamy scene just canned happens to be the muhurat shot. And Nihalani couldn’t have asked for a more sensational inaugural scene.

Kitu plays a passionate, intense, even neurotic woman in the film, an unsettling look at the problems of mankind in the 21st century. The "social sci-fi" quickie, as Nihalani describes it, foresees a grim future for the country’s poor, who’re forced to become organ-donors to the wealthy to make ends meet. On another level, the movie’s also a reflection on interpersonal relations -- between husband and wife, son and mother and the like. And Kitu’s raring to get into the skin of the neurotic woman she plays.

EYES ON MADHURI, SHAH RUKH
This one’s bound to please their fans no end. ISMAIL MERCHANT’s told the California-based newspaper, India West, that he’d love to work with Madhuri Dixit and Shah Rukh Khan. Speaking to the newspaper from his office in London, Merchant said, "Madhuri and Shah Rukh are indeed phenomenally talented. I’d definitely use them in a film, if only I could come up with a good enough story for both."

His Madhur Jaffrey, Greta Scacchi movie, Cotton Mary may have failed to cotton on to viewers. But Merchant’s already on to his next obsession -- an adaptation of the VS Naipaul novel, The Mystic Masseur. Shoots for the movie to be directed by him begin in August in Trinidad. He will also produce The Golden Bowl, which, of course, will be directed by his bosom pal and teammate, James Ivory. One hopes he will also have time for some good old-fashioned scouting around -- for a script for the Madhuri, Shah Rukh movie. That will be one cinematic bonanza Indian fans would love to have him try.

TRAUMA OF RAPE
Talking of Manoj Bajpai and Shool reminds us of Raveena Tandon, who played the harried girl next door in it, shorn of formula and even make-up. The performance has stuck in memory, with the non-glamorous look adding to the effect. For a change, she even earned some good press for her pains,

As reported last week, she’s just about wrapped up her shoots for her next outing now, Kalpana Lajmi’s Daman, which costars Sayaji Shinde, Sanjay Suri and Rhyma Sen. She’s played a rape victim in it, the trauma and scars it leaves behind comprising the basic premise of the story. Lajmi and her unit are back in Mumbai having completed the shoots in Assam, all within the month.

Lajmi and others in her unit have only good things to say for Raveena’s performance in, what, most likely, is her best role to date. Seeing is believing, did you say? Well, your wait’s not quite over. Post-production’s now on for Daman, which should hit theatres by end-August. That’s a long wait yet, as you can see.

KEEN TO DO A KHAIRNAR
Among his coming attractions at the b-o are Nagesh Kukunoor’s Bollywood Calling, Ramesh Sippy’s Zaharila and Mahesh Manjrekar’s Kurukshetra. OM PURI himself, is excited no end about them. But there’s something about the challenge-hungry actor in him that yearns for bigger game.

Such as the double role he’s playing in DLV Prasad’s Guru Maha Raj? Well, even that’s alright in its place. But Puri’s dream role is different, closer to real life than reel. He’s dying to get his teeth into playing real life heros like GR Khairnar and TN Seshan. "You rarely ever get a Pukar or a China Gate," he’s been quoted, moaning, "Strong scripts are a rare occurrence, as very few directors are prepared to experiment."
Care to surprise him, anyone?

APRIL LONG OVERDUE
For Aamir Khan, it’s not quite April yet. Or so it seems. Lagaan, his home production, he’d promised, would be ready and released by end-April. But even the shoots, we’re told are yet to wrapped up. An August release now appears on the cards, four months behind schedule.

Should it be released in August, it’d still be a fairly creditable achievement though. After all, what’s four months in an industry synonymous with bungled schedules? What’s more, the Khan even has the budget strictly under a leash. And, not to forget, he’s stuck to one locale and one schedule as planned. All said and done, it should make an object lesson for other producers to follow, now when financial crunch is the order of the day. Question is, will they ever learn?

WALKING HER WAY TO SUCCESS
She’s never really cared for acting, though she’s Jumping Jack, Jeetendra’s blue-eyed girl. In any case, the family has one more representative in acting now, brother Tushar Kapoor. But it’s showbiz that EKTA KAPOOR plumped for readily, preferring to strike a lonesome furrow as producer of television software, instead. And what a success she’s made of it, much to her doting papa’s glee.

She has one serial on air on Sony now, Ghar Ek Mandir. But she’s poised to add four more programmes to her current kitty -- with Kyon Ke Saans Bhi Kabhi Bahu The, that’s to be telecast on Zee from July 3, and others like Kundli, Kaho Na Pagal Hain and Kuch Aise Rishtey to follow. With four programes on air simultaneously, Ekta will soon have her hands full. But that’s not all. She’s also preparing to launch a film, a Govinda, Sushmita Sen starrer to be directed by David Dhawan.

No, Ekta isn’t the sort to be fazed by the prospect of work overload. A devout Hindu, she attributes her success to the blessings of her gods. Few know it, but she makes it a point to walk all the way to Siddhivinayak Temple, Prabha Devi, from her home in Juhu every morning. And every year, her brother and she walk up to the Tirumalai shrinefrom Tirupati without fail. Obviously, she thinks the trips help her immensely, which is why she’s even named her movie banner Sri Siddhivinayak Films, and her television banner Balaji Telefilms. And the same gods, she reckons, will help her now when she has several projects in the pipeline.

THE TREAT AWAITED
The lines he’s had to learn by rote are unusually long. Yet, to everyone’s utter amazement, he manages to get them right, with expressions and diction to match. All in one take, too. The shoots for Kumar Mohan’s Ghaath are in progress, and MANOJ BAJPAI, we’re told, plays an unemployed youth in it, who aspires to a career in the police force, as inspector.

The shot over, a visibly smug Bajpai speaks about the roles he has on hand. No, the role he essays in Ghaath isn’t even a remote resemblance to the cop he played in Shool. Bajpai, as everybody knows, is a stickler for variety. And he insists there’s no way anyone would have got him to do Ghaath if his role were a take-off on Shool.

"I am fortunate to have so much of variety in my roles. In Ghaath, I play an intense character along the lines of Satya. And, mind you, I don’t play a villain in Aks, as has been reported in the press, but a positive character," he trails off. He co-stars the redoubtable Big B in Aks, incidentally, and that’s one treat moviebuffs are particularly looking forward to. With good enough reason.

A ROYAL PREMIERE
She's in London right now, reliving some of the pleasures and pains of life before stardom. "I live in a small apartment, walk to work everyday, cook my food, wash the dishes and rehearse my lines before going to bed," she’s been quoted saying.

For SHABANA AZMI, Thursday, May 25, was a dream come true. Her play The Waiting Room moved from the rehearsal room to centrestage at London’s prestigious Royal National Theatre, the ultimate honour for any stage actress. Life in the waiting room hasn’t been without its customary sacrifices, what with weeks of rehearsals in South London. It’s been a spartan existence, without the creature comforts she’s grown accustomed to. But exchange it for anything else in the world, she will not.

Keeping Azmi company in the play is veteran Dilip Kumar, played by British Indian actor Kulvinder Ghir, who’s become a sensation of sorts in Britain, thanks to the cult comedy series on BBC, Goodness Gracious Me.

The play, as reported in these columns earlier, revolves around a woman who has just three days left to roam the earth, before she goes on to the waiting room of spirits. An immortal spirit guide, her childhood idol, Dilip Kumar, prepares her to confront her past bravely. The play is directed by debutant Indhu Rubasingham and has been written by another first-timer, Kanika Gupta, who’s written for several popular television and video series before this.

Facing the crowd at the Royal National has been a daunting experience. "But," says Azmi, "actors have to push themselves into situations where there is the risk of failure." It’s one risk she’s weathered with characterisitic aplomb, of course.

JUST A HUMBLE BEGINNER
All the hard work is beginning to pay rich dividend, now. Going religiously to Kishore Kapoor’s acting classes, and, not to mention, attending lessons in singing, dancing, horse-riding, stunts and the like wasn’t exactly fun while they lasted. In fact, after a point, they seemed like a dreadful chore to get done daily.

But look at him now. HRITHIK ROSHAN’s the current flavour of the season as far as cinematic honours go. The man most hankered after, the teenage idol who can do no wrong. And of course, already, they’re tom-tomming him as Shah Rukh’s replacement for the numero uno slot, pre-mature though that sounds. Hrithik isn’t letting any of it get to his head, though.

Wisely, he hasn’t gone on a signing spree, unlike most other one-film sensations we can think of. All he has on hand are four films, and he’d rather prove himself as something more than a mere flash in the pan before he takes on other offers.

As for the so-called competition between him and Shah Rukh the media has speculated at length about, Hrithik says he’s embarrassed by the lengths to which people go. "There’s work enough and to spare in films for all of us. So why would I want to compete with Shah Rukh? He’s been around for eight years now, and has had several major hits to his name, while all I’ve had is one hit. I can hardly compete with, leave alone dislodge him," he smiles. That, we hope, will reassure the legions of Shah Rukh fans, who’ve been shooting off angry letters to SCREEN, ever since the media took to speculating on their idol’s ‘dethronement.’ Hopefully, it will also leave us with a lot less mail to sort each week.

Compiled by Shaju George Alex
With inputs from Namita Nivas.