Is AR Rahman considering quitting Bollywood?????

A.R. Rahman has been considering whether he should quit Bollywood or not to give him more time to focus on his international career.
"The Indian assignments after Slumdog Millioniare have been very time-consuming, especially Raavan where Rahman not only had to do two versions of the music in Hindi and Tamil, but director Mani Ratnam also asked him to give three or four tunes for every lyric before one was selected, " a source revealed.
"The music of Raavan took more time than Rahman could afford, with the result that other Indian assignments primarily Abbas Tyrewala’s untitled John Abraham-Pakhi starrer got left behind.
"Rahman had to continuously keep breaking his international tours and other projects to be home for various reasons, like the music release of Raavan and other things. He has begun to feel that his international career would never take off if he has to keep returning home."

Bridge that missing link - i.e. show advance previews to press!!

Absence of advance screenings of Bollywood films leave journalists in US with no option but to accept PR material and work on them

Aseem Chhabra

Two weeks ago a group of journalists, gathered at Cisco’s office space in Manhattan for the global press day for Mani Ratnam’s Raavan. Using a new technology Tele-Presence, Cisco connected the film’s director and actors with journalists in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Dubai and New York.


I walked into the small conference room and was blown away with the new technology. I have participated in video conference calls, but this was remarkable. We sat facing three giant screens. Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan were in Mumbai in the middle screen, while Ratnam and Vikram were in Chennai on the left. More important, the technology had erased the distances. It seemed as if the stars and the other journalists were in the same room, right in front of us.

Cisco’s Tele-Presence press conference for Raavan in New York
Maria Giovanna

There was a lot of friendly banter with general questions, such as whether the Bachchans discuss work when they get home or what was it like working with Ratnam? Finally one reporter asked Ratnam “What is Raavan about?” Ratnam’s response was “Haven’t you seen the preview?” Yes, the reporter had seen the preview, but nobody had seen the film, which explained the mostly superficial conversation.

Bollywood production houses do not hold advance screenings of their films and it is somewhat understandable. There is a concern that bloggers and others who moonlight as critics on social media sites may post negative reviews and thereby ruin a film’s chance of finding its audience in its opening weekend.

But that is where the production houses have to work at winning the confidence of journalists. In the US the concept of review embargoes works as film journalists almost always respect the guidelines. In fact, most PR firms insist that reporters have to attend the advance screenings before they can interview the film-makers. It helps the level of reporting, especially the feature articles that focus on film-making.

Lately more and more Bollywood stars and film-makers are travelling to New York to promote their films, but at each situation reporters accept the general public relations material that is fed to them. There is a lot of excitement having a star like Shah Rukh Khan or Hrithik Roshan in our presence, but no reporter is prepared to ask specific questions about how and why certain scenes were written, acted, directed or shot.

There is access to Bollywood personalities in India and also here and yet there is hardly any intelligent conversation. The general discourse on Bollywood cinema is missing. Perhaps the producers and distributors like to keep the mystery about their films, but ultimately the audience loses out.

Last year Nikhil Advani told the press in New York that the soul of Chandni Chowk to China lay in the interactions between Mithun Chakraborty and Akshay Kumar. That evening I attended the film’s premiere – the first screening of CCTC and was surprised as I recounted Advani’s claims. The scenes between Chakraborty and Kumar were flat, lacking any emotional punch. I would have liked to talk further with Advani about the film he claimed was going to be the first crossover hit. But after the screening he was not available to the press.

There are some film personalities who continue talking about their films after the release. Karan Johar does not get tired sending out weekly Twitter updates that MNIK is doing well in various international markets. But that is a rare example. At the Raavan press day, Abhishek was exuberantly chatting with the reporters, but in the aftermath of the film’s debacle at the box office, he disappeared for a few days from Twitter, leaving his father to defend the film.

This week I received a screening invite for director Anusha Rizvi’s Peepli Live from a New York-based PR firm. Aamir Khan will be in New York in late July to talk to the press. The screening will enable journalists to have an open conversation with Khan about the film, his role as a producer and the reasons why he backed Peepli Live. It should only help the film as well as the audience.

LINK

Bridge that missing link - i.e. show advance previews to press!!

Absence of advance screenings of Bollywood films leave journalists in US with no option but to accept PR material and work on them

Aseem Chhabra

Two weeks ago a group of journalists, gathered at Cisco’s office space in Manhattan for the global press day for Mani Ratnam’s Raavan. Using a new technology Tele-Presence, Cisco connected the film’s director and actors with journalists in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Dubai and New York.


I walked into the small conference room and was blown away with the new technology. I have participated in video conference calls, but this was remarkable. We sat facing three giant screens. Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan were in Mumbai in the middle screen, while Ratnam and Vikram were in Chennai on the left. More important, the technology had erased the distances. It seemed as if the stars and the other journalists were in the same room, right in front of us.

Cisco’s Tele-Presence press conference for Raavan in New York
Maria Giovanna

There was a lot of friendly banter with general questions, such as whether the Bachchans discuss work when they get home or what was it like working with Ratnam? Finally one reporter asked Ratnam “What is Raavan about?” Ratnam’s response was “Haven’t you seen the preview?” Yes, the reporter had seen the preview, but nobody had seen the film, which explained the mostly superficial conversation.

Bollywood production houses do not hold advance screenings of their films and it is somewhat understandable. There is a concern that bloggers and others who moonlight as critics on social media sites may post negative reviews and thereby ruin a film’s chance of finding its audience in its opening weekend.

But that is where the production houses have to work at winning the confidence of journalists. In the US the concept of review embargoes works as film journalists almost always respect the guidelines. In fact, most PR firms insist that reporters have to attend the advance screenings before they can interview the film-makers. It helps the level of reporting, especially the feature articles that focus on film-making.

Lately more and more Bollywood stars and film-makers are travelling to New York to promote their films, but at each situation reporters accept the general public relations material that is fed to them. There is a lot of excitement having a star like Shah Rukh Khan or Hrithik Roshan in our presence, but no reporter is prepared to ask specific questions about how and why certain scenes were written, acted, directed or shot.

There is access to Bollywood personalities in India and also here and yet there is hardly any intelligent conversation. The general discourse on Bollywood cinema is missing. Perhaps the producers and distributors like to keep the mystery about their films, but ultimately the audience loses out.

Last year Nikhil Advani told the press in New York that the soul of Chandni Chowk to China lay in the interactions between Mithun Chakraborty and Akshay Kumar. That evening I attended the film’s premiere – the first screening of CCTC and was surprised as I recounted Advani’s claims. The scenes between Chakraborty and Kumar were flat, lacking any emotional punch. I would have liked to talk further with Advani about the film he claimed was going to be the first crossover hit. But after the screening he was not available to the press.

There are some film personalities who continue talking about their films after the release. Karan Johar does not get tired sending out weekly Twitter updates that MNIK is doing well in various international markets. But that is a rare example. At the Raavan press day, Abhishek was exuberantly chatting with the reporters, but in the aftermath of the film’s debacle at the box office, he disappeared for a few days from Twitter, leaving his father to defend the film.

This week I received a screening invite for director Anusha Rizvi’s Peepli Live from a New York-based PR firm. Aamir Khan will be in New York in late July to talk to the press. The screening will enable journalists to have an open conversation with Khan about the film, his role as a producer and the reasons why he backed Peepli Live. It should only help the film as well as the audience.

LINK

Raavan - Movie review thread

Please post all the media movie reviews of RAAVAN on this thread.

Nikhat Kazmi's review from Times of India

Critic's Rating: 3.5

Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Vikram, Govinda, Ravi Kishan

Direction: Mani Ratnam

Genre: Drama

Duration: 2 hours 6 minutes

 

Story: Cop Dev Pratap Sharma (Vikram) has just one mission in his life. He wants to capture the local outlaw, Beera (Abhishek Bachchan) who may be a Robin Hood for the tribals around, nevertheless, he is a law breaker. More importantly, he has kidnapped the cop's beautiful wife, Ragini (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) to avenge a personal grouse and has escaped into the dense jungles. Turn ofevents: the kidnapper falls in love with his trophy victim who too gets indecisive about where her loyalties lie....

Movie Review: The epics return again to contemporary cinema. After a re-telling of the Mahabharata against a political backdrop in Prakash Jha's Raajneeti, cineastes can now feast their eyes on a modern-day rewrite of the Ramayana, against a cops-and-robbers canvas.

Feast? Yes. The high point of Mani Ratnam's film is primarily its visual opulence. The film is literally a work of art where one luminescent frame follows another as the scenes keep shifting from one wet and rocky landscape to another misty mountainscape. You can't seem to get enough of the montages that leave you breathless with the excellent camera artistry by Santosh Sivan and Manikandan. From the opening sequences where Beera (Abhishek) smashes his boat into wide-eyed Aishwarya's canoe, to the fleeing, flinging, fulminating visage of Aishwarya, captured against wild waterfalls, turbulent tidal rivers, crumbling trees and silken drizzle, the film is a string of breath taking images. So much so, you seem to forget -- and almost forgive -- the fact that the first half hardly has any story. It is essentially just one prolonged chase, where cop Dev (Vikram) relentlessly pursues criminal Beera (Abhishek Bachchan) in order to rescue his wife (Ragini) and book the fugitive who garners great local support.  

The paper-thin plot in the first half, does get you somewhat restless, despite a seminal scene where Sita-esque Aishwarya suddenly discovers a strange new emotion for a Raavan-esque Abhishek. After having labelled him beastly and brutish, a complete low-life when compared to her devta-like husband Dev, she finds herself being involuntarily drawn towards her kidnapper, despite his muddy visage and his gory past. And herein lies the second hook that draws you to the film: it's revisionist tale of a Sita-like heroine flipping for a Raavan-like anti-hero, even as the traditional hero gets imbued in grey tones.... The anti-hero has always remained an alluring figure in cinema lore and Mani Ratnam carries his charisma forward with Raavan.


The second half of the film does get a semblance of story, with adequate twists and turns which reflect the Surpanakha legend (again revised), the Hanuman-Sita encounter, the Agni-pariksha demand (re-interpreted again as a polygraph test) and the film moves from sheer visual to visceral too. There are enough punches in the second half to keep the momentum going, but by and large, the film scores mostly on art and aesthete. Everything seems to be geared to make Raavan an object d'art, including the music (AR Rahman and Gulzar create a few foot-tapping numbers), the stunts, the cinematography and the no-make-up and heavily-made-up look of Aishwarya and Abhishek respectively. However, a little more attention to the narrative was desperately needed in Raavan.


In terms of performance, Aishwarya stands out as the lead actor, with her competent rendition of a woman who is torn between her love and loyalty towards her husband and her attraction towards a misunderstood brigand, with a heart of gold. Vikram, by and large remains a side hero: somewhat undefined and formless while Govinda's Hanuman-like rendition of the forest guard is flippant. Which brings us to Beera: Abhishek Bachchan is immensely watchable, but he fails to lift the character of the anti-hero to another level altogether. Maybe, a less of multani mitti (mud packs) and `bagad billa' antics would have allowed the natural actor in him to surface and bloom. Also, his other two outings with Mani Ratnam -- Yuva and Guru -- definitely tower above Beera.


But hey, Raavan is chicken soup for the senses. Go, indulge yourself.


A word about:


Performances: Aishwarya leads, Abhishek follows, Vikram lags behind, Govinda's going nowhere.


Story: The screenplay by Mani Ratnam needed more substance and bite.


Cinematography: Absolutely riveting! The camera artistry by Santosh Sivan and Manikandan is the heart and soul of Raavan.


Music: AR Rahman and Gulzar create an interesting audio track, although Rahman's earlier associations with Mani Ratnam remain unforgettable. Numbers to watch out for: Beera, Behne De and Khili Re.


Styling: Sabyasachi Mukherji's costumes are apt, blending modernity with tradition, just as the film tries to do. Aishwarya's no-make-up look is a winner.


Inspiration: The film is a modern day, revisionist adaptation of the epic, Ramayana.

LINK

Raavan - Movie review thread

Please post all the media movie reviews of RAAVAN on this thread.

Nikhat Kazmi's review from Times of India

Critic's Rating: 3.5

Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Vikram, Govinda, Ravi Kishan

Direction: Mani Ratnam

Genre: Drama

Duration: 2 hours 6 minutes

 

Story: Cop Dev Pratap Sharma (Vikram) has just one mission in his life. He wants to capture the local outlaw, Beera (Abhishek Bachchan) who may be a Robin Hood for the tribals around, nevertheless, he is a law breaker. More importantly, he has kidnapped the cop's beautiful wife, Ragini (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) to avenge a personal grouse and has escaped into the dense jungles. Turn ofevents: the kidnapper falls in love with his trophy victim who too gets indecisive about where her loyalties lie....

Movie Review: The epics return again to contemporary cinema. After a re-telling of the Mahabharata against a political backdrop in Prakash Jha's Raajneeti, cineastes can now feast their eyes on a modern-day rewrite of the Ramayana, against a cops-and-robbers canvas.

Feast? Yes. The high point of Mani Ratnam's film is primarily its visual opulence. The film is literally a work of art where one luminescent frame follows another as the scenes keep shifting from one wet and rocky landscape to another misty mountainscape. You can't seem to get enough of the montages that leave you breathless with the excellent camera artistry by Santosh Sivan and Manikandan. From the opening sequences where Beera (Abhishek) smashes his boat into wide-eyed Aishwarya's canoe, to the fleeing, flinging, fulminating visage of Aishwarya, captured against wild waterfalls, turbulent tidal rivers, crumbling trees and silken drizzle, the film is a string of breath taking images. So much so, you seem to forget -- and almost forgive -- the fact that the first half hardly has any story. It is essentially just one prolonged chase, where cop Dev (Vikram) relentlessly pursues criminal Beera (Abhishek Bachchan) in order to rescue his wife (Ragini) and book the fugitive who garners great local support.  

The paper-thin plot in the first half, does get you somewhat restless, despite a seminal scene where Sita-esque Aishwarya suddenly discovers a strange new emotion for a Raavan-esque Abhishek. After having labelled him beastly and brutish, a complete low-life when compared to her devta-like husband Dev, she finds herself being involuntarily drawn towards her kidnapper, despite his muddy visage and his gory past. And herein lies the second hook that draws you to the film: it's revisionist tale of a Sita-like heroine flipping for a Raavan-like anti-hero, even as the traditional hero gets imbued in grey tones.... The anti-hero has always remained an alluring figure in cinema lore and Mani Ratnam carries his charisma forward with Raavan.


The second half of the film does get a semblance of story, with adequate twists and turns which reflect the Surpanakha legend (again revised), the Hanuman-Sita encounter, the Agni-pariksha demand (re-interpreted again as a polygraph test) and the film moves from sheer visual to visceral too. There are enough punches in the second half to keep the momentum going, but by and large, the film scores mostly on art and aesthete. Everything seems to be geared to make Raavan an object d'art, including the music (AR Rahman and Gulzar create a few foot-tapping numbers), the stunts, the cinematography and the no-make-up and heavily-made-up look of Aishwarya and Abhishek respectively. However, a little more attention to the narrative was desperately needed in Raavan.


In terms of performance, Aishwarya stands out as the lead actor, with her competent rendition of a woman who is torn between her love and loyalty towards her husband and her attraction towards a misunderstood brigand, with a heart of gold. Vikram, by and large remains a side hero: somewhat undefined and formless while Govinda's Hanuman-like rendition of the forest guard is flippant. Which brings us to Beera: Abhishek Bachchan is immensely watchable, but he fails to lift the character of the anti-hero to another level altogether. Maybe, a less of multani mitti (mud packs) and `bagad billa' antics would have allowed the natural actor in him to surface and bloom. Also, his other two outings with Mani Ratnam -- Yuva and Guru -- definitely tower above Beera.


But hey, Raavan is chicken soup for the senses. Go, indulge yourself.


A word about:


Performances: Aishwarya leads, Abhishek follows, Vikram lags behind, Govinda's going nowhere.


Story: The screenplay by Mani Ratnam needed more substance and bite.


Cinematography: Absolutely riveting! The camera artistry by Santosh Sivan and Manikandan is the heart and soul of Raavan.


Music: AR Rahman and Gulzar create an interesting audio track, although Rahman's earlier associations with Mani Ratnam remain unforgettable. Numbers to watch out for: Beera, Behne De and Khili Re.


Styling: Sabyasachi Mukherji's costumes are apt, blending modernity with tradition, just as the film tries to do. Aishwarya's no-make-up look is a winner.


Inspiration: The film is a modern day, revisionist adaptation of the epic, Ramayana.

LINK

My thoughts on Raavan

At the outset, I would like to make it clear that this piece is NOT a review of the film. Too many of those have already been written and dissected endlessly! However, I would just like to share (more appropriately “vent”) my thoughts on this long awaited film. My overwhelming feeling after watching Raavan was that I had just seen a montage of breathtaking images put together with a wafer-thin plot thrown somewhere in between. The whole experience was extremely choppy and uneven with the non-linear narrative confounding the situation even further. The film at a basic level is deeply flawed, but the biggest disappointment are its lead actors. I have a lot of grievances with the filmmakers, but I’ll restrict myself to just listing a few of my peeves here:

1. I had a gargantuan issue with the vague geography of the film (another film where I had this quandary was Saawariya). Where was this beautiful place where there were huts, caves, waterfalls, and forests, all in the same location? We were being transported back and forth at a frenzied pace from the backwaters of Kerala to the thick forests of Karnataka to Malshej Ghats in Maharashtra to the villages of Madhya Pradesh, almost as if the cinematography was the central character of the film instead of the lead actors! If it’s “real” that Mani wanted, then why give us such designer fare?

2. There was no time to feel the emotional connection with any of the characters because of lack of context/poor editing. Why does Beera fall in love with Raagini so suddenly? Because she wasn’t scared of him? Puhleez...gimme a break! Defiance would be reason enough for instant retribution by the kidnapper under normal circumstances. It’s not as if Beera was demanding a ransom from Dev and had to keep Raagini alive! In fact, the whole point of the kidnapping was to kill Raagini to avenge his sister’s rape and subsequent suicide. There was absolutely no context or background shown for this abrupt falling in love with the abductee.

3. Even more warped is the logic of Raagini’s attraction to Beera! She was a strong woman who was in love with her husband. When and how she develops this strange attraction has not been explored at all. Her entire journey from anger and loathing towards her abductor transforming to sympathy and eventually a reluctant attraction required an actor with far more depth than Aishwarya posesses!

4. There are so many other situations that come to mind where there is no context or explanation given. Like for e.g. how does Sanjeevni find out where Raagini is when the entire police force couldn’t locate her? In the climax scene, how does Raagini manage to find the exact location of Beera?

5. The ending of the film was quite ambiguous which is not a problem per se; however, it did leave me dissatisfied and kind of craving for a closure for Raagini. I was left wondering about her marriage- did it survive the turmoil? Also, the symbolism that Mani wanted to convey through the virginal white costume of Raagini was in my opinion totally wrong. Mani’s Sita was actually not pure, at least not where it really counts- in thoughts!

6. Lastly, a word about the performances! Abhishek totally hammed his way through the entire film. His deranged bak-bak-jhak-jhak act was so over-the-top that the audience was actually laughing instead of feeling the chilling intensity his character should have evoked. Made me wish for a Manoj Bajpai in and as Raavan! As for Aishwarya, her limited range of two to three expressions and constant screeching (all the while looking pretty in her Sabyasachi costumes and full makeup) throughout the movie grated on my nerves. Vikram was quite good as Dev, managing to appear intense and ruthless at the same time without over-acting which was quite a relief after Jr B’s act! Also, Priyamani and Ravi Kissen were quite impressive in their brief roles. Govinda was reduced to a caricature- don’t know why he accepted that humiliating role! Didn’t expect Mani Ratnam to make such a literal adaptation of Ramayana where Hanuman is named Sanjeevni and is actually made to act like a baboon.


This is not to say that the movie did not have its redeeming features. There were flashes of brilliance like the opening credit sequences, the bridge scene, Abhi-Priyamani track (superbly enacted by both actors), and several others. And of course, the cinematography, the background score and music was outstanding. The only problem was the rest of it was an exercise in self-indulgence by India’s most celebrated director!

My verdict- 2.5/5

My thoughts on Raavan

At the outset, I would like to make it clear that this piece is NOT a review of the film. Too many of those have already been written and dissected endlessly! However, I would just like to share (more appropriately “vent”) my thoughts on this long awaited film. My overwhelming feeling after watching Raavan was that I had just seen a montage of breathtaking images put together with a wafer-thin plot thrown somewhere in between. The whole experience was extremely choppy and uneven with the non-linear narrative confounding the situation even further. The film at a basic level is deeply flawed, but the biggest disappointment are its lead actors. I have a lot of grievances with the filmmakers, but I’ll restrict myself to just listing a few of my peeves here:

1. I had a gargantuan issue with the vague geography of the film (another film where I had this quandary was Saawariya). Where was this beautiful place where there were huts, caves, waterfalls, and forests, all in the same location? We were being transported back and forth at a frenzied pace from the backwaters of Kerala to the thick forests of Karnataka to Malshej Ghats in Maharashtra to the villages of Madhya Pradesh, almost as if the cinematography was the central character of the film instead of the lead actors! If it’s “real” that Mani wanted, then why give us such designer fare?

2. There was no time to feel the emotional connection with any of the characters because of lack of context/poor editing. Why does Beera fall in love with Raagini so suddenly? Because she wasn’t scared of him? Puhleez...gimme a break! Defiance would be reason enough for instant retribution by the kidnapper under normal circumstances. It’s not as if Beera was demanding a ransom from Dev and had to keep Raagini alive! In fact, the whole point of the kidnapping was to kill Raagini to avenge his sister’s rape and subsequent suicide. There was absolutely no context or background shown for this abrupt falling in love with the abductee.

3. Even more warped is the logic of Raagini’s attraction to Beera! She was a strong woman who was in love with her husband. When and how she develops this strange attraction has not been explored at all. Her entire journey from anger and loathing towards her abductor transforming to sympathy and eventually a reluctant attraction required an actor with far more depth than Aishwarya posesses!

4. There are so many other situations that come to mind where there is no context or explanation given. Like for e.g. how does Sanjeevni find out where Raagini is when the entire police force couldn’t locate her? In the climax scene, how does Raagini manage to find the exact location of Beera?

5. The ending of the film was quite ambiguous which is not a problem per se; however, it did leave me dissatisfied and kind of craving for a closure for Raagini. I was left wondering about her marriage- did it survive the turmoil? Also, the symbolism that Mani wanted to convey through the virginal white costume of Raagini was in my opinion totally wrong. Mani’s Sita was actually not pure, at least not where it really counts- in thoughts!

6. Lastly, a word about the performances! Abhishek totally hammed his way through the entire film. His deranged bak-bak-jhak-jhak act was so over-the-top that the audience was actually laughing instead of feeling the chilling intensity his character should have evoked. Made me wish for a Manoj Bajpai in and as Raavan! As for Aishwarya, her limited range of two to three expressions and constant screeching (all the while looking pretty in her Sabyasachi costumes and full makeup) throughout the movie grated on my nerves. Vikram was quite good as Dev, managing to appear intense and ruthless at the same time without over-acting which was quite a relief after Jr B’s act! Also, Priyamani and Ravi Kissen were quite impressive in their brief roles. Govinda was reduced to a caricature- don’t know why he accepted that humiliating role! Didn’t expect Mani Ratnam to make such a literal adaptation of Ramayana where Hanuman is named Sanjeevni and is actually made to act like a baboon.


This is not to say that the movie did not have its redeeming features. There were flashes of brilliance like the opening credit sequences, the bridge scene, Abhi-Priyamani track (superbly enacted by both actors), and several others. And of course, the cinematography, the background score and music was outstanding. The only problem was the rest of it was an exercise in self-indulgence by India’s most celebrated director!

My verdict- 2.5/5

Raavan - My Review

In a religious country like India, where people have ended up fighting over Rama and Allah, it needs some courage to take up one of the two greatest epics written and show our worshipped Lord Rama having a grey side to him. It takes even more courage to start telling the story from the villain Raavan’s point of view and justify his actions. Mani Ratnam is his latest film does exactly that when he gives the mythological story a realistic setting in today’s world and twists the story a bit to make people sympathize for the villain of the epic.

Abhishek Bachchan plays an outlaw called Beera(Raavan) in the film. Though he goes against the law, the villagers believe in him, his actions, and his ideology which makes him a character like Don Vito Corleone or the Sarkar. The only difference is he is wilder than those. The wildness, ofcourse is to draw parallelism to Raavan’s character in Ramayana. He kidnaps Raagini(Sita) played by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to kill her for reasons told later in the film. But instead of killing her, he starts falling for her beauty, her bravery. This is where we see the film getting similar to RGV’s Jungle where the lead bandit started falling for Urmilla Matondkar and starts taking wrong decisions.

Mani Ratnam goes back to what he is most known for and does the best, depicting violence and terrorism on screen. Though Raavan isn’t exactly a film about terrorism, its style is very similar to those. He might not have come back to his real best, but it seems like he is on his right way now after Guru where I thought he completely lost his way and like other directors got pulled and attracted by commercial brand of cinema. With Raavan, he seems to be coming back to his own.

The most pleasing thing in this film is the visuals, the cinematography. Santosh Sivan is really a master of camerawork. He has never disappointed me with his camera work. While Terrorist is his best piece of work for me, Raavan isn’t very far behind. Though shooting infront of the waterfalls, and naturally beautiful scenes makes it easier for him to make the picture look beautiful, he is equally good in indoor scenes and close-up shots. He and Manikandan make the film a visual treat and worth watching just for the visuals alone.

Read more from HERE

Raavan - My Review

In a religious country like India, where people have ended up fighting over Rama and Allah, it needs some courage to take up one of the two greatest epics written and show our worshipped Lord Rama having a grey side to him. It takes even more courage to start telling the story from the villain Raavan’s point of view and justify his actions. Mani Ratnam is his latest film does exactly that when he gives the mythological story a realistic setting in today’s world and twists the story a bit to make people sympathize for the villain of the epic.

Abhishek Bachchan plays an outlaw called Beera(Raavan) in the film. Though he goes against the law, the villagers believe in him, his actions, and his ideology which makes him a character like Don Vito Corleone or the Sarkar. The only difference is he is wilder than those. The wildness, ofcourse is to draw parallelism to Raavan’s character in Ramayana. He kidnaps Raagini(Sita) played by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to kill her for reasons told later in the film. But instead of killing her, he starts falling for her beauty, her bravery. This is where we see the film getting similar to RGV’s Jungle where the lead bandit started falling for Urmilla Matondkar and starts taking wrong decisions.

Mani Ratnam goes back to what he is most known for and does the best, depicting violence and terrorism on screen. Though Raavan isn’t exactly a film about terrorism, its style is very similar to those. He might not have come back to his real best, but it seems like he is on his right way now after Guru where I thought he completely lost his way and like other directors got pulled and attracted by commercial brand of cinema. With Raavan, he seems to be coming back to his own.

The most pleasing thing in this film is the visuals, the cinematography. Santosh Sivan is really a master of camerawork. He has never disappointed me with his camera work. While Terrorist is his best piece of work for me, Raavan isn’t very far behind. Though shooting infront of the waterfalls, and naturally beautiful scenes makes it easier for him to make the picture look beautiful, he is equally good in indoor scenes and close-up shots. He and Manikandan make the film a visual treat and worth watching just for the visuals alone.

Read more from HERE

Do Western reviwers treat BW patronizingly?

In Bollywood’s ‘Raavan,’ Abhishek Bachchan a ‘Ham’
By Tripti Lahiri

Mani Ratnam’s “Raavan,” whose story and characters are inspired by the epic ‘Ramayan,’ opens worldwide today. It centers around the triangle between policeman Dev (Vikram), outlaw Beera Munda (Abhishek Bachchan) and Dev’s wife Ragini (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan), whom Beera kidnaps.

Early reviews are in and most praise the film for being beautifully shot but are mixed on the acting, particularly Mr. Bachchan’s. American reviewers seem to like the film much more than Indian ones do. A separate Tamil version “”Raavanan” also opened today in which Vikram plays the role of the outlaw opposite Ms. Rai Bachchan. India Real Time presents a round-up:

U.S. entertainment trade publication Hollywood Reporter’s Ray Bennet describes “Raavan” as a “pan-Indian saga with epic sweep, intense emotion and gorgeous images.”

Cinematographers Manikandan and Santosh Sivan, production designer Samir Chanda and editor A. Sreekar Prasad come in for high praise. THR says they “serve Ratnam superbly with images, settings and vitality that take one’s breath away.”

Both Bachchans do well in their roles, THR says. Mr. Bachchan’s kidnaps the character played by his wife.

“Bachchan has fun with a character who is fierce, passionate and dangerous but also comic in his self-doubt over whether to kill his captive or make love to her,” says Mr. Bennet, describing Ms. Rai Bachchan in this movie as “a force of nature.”

Courtesy of Reliance Big Pictures
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan plays Ragini, a policeman’s wife, in “Raavan” and in “Raavanan.”

In this mini-review, the Guardian’s Cath Clarke, however, finds this a film of “innate sexism” and says Mr. Bachchan hams it up excessively in an “absurdly extravagant melodrama.”

On the web site India.com Mihir Fadnavis says the film is a crushing disappointment and gives it only two thumbs up out of a possible (if anatomically impossible) five thumbs.

“Mani Ratnam’s epic retelling of an ancient tale is amalgamated and cut to create a stylized but characterless piece with some spectacular imagery,” writes Mr. Fadnavis. “The film is too celebratory of Bollywood’s good guy-versus-bad guy, buddy-buddy ethos to rise above the limitations of the genre, and too obsessed with its own seriousness to be a truly ’serious’ film.”

In another mini-review, the Los Angeles Times says “Raavan” belongs to Mr. Bachchan’s “exquisite real-life wife Aishwarya Rai” but laments that “it takes a couple of hours to learn whether Beauty can tame Beast.”

On Indian portal Rediff.com, Raja Sen is unhappy with the way the film draws on the epic, saying Mr. Ratnam is excessively literal in his interpretation at times, and gives the film just two out of five stars.

Mr. Ratnam “takes a big chunk of larger-than-life Indian mythology, sloppily swaps antagonist with protagonist, and ends up giving an earnest Bachchan far too much scenery to chew in far too much spotlight,” says Mr. Sen.

Read more HERE

Do Western reviwers treat BW patronizingly?

In Bollywood’s ‘Raavan,’ Abhishek Bachchan a ‘Ham’
By Tripti Lahiri

Mani Ratnam’s “Raavan,” whose story and characters are inspired by the epic ‘Ramayan,’ opens worldwide today. It centers around the triangle between policeman Dev (Vikram), outlaw Beera Munda (Abhishek Bachchan) and Dev’s wife Ragini (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan), whom Beera kidnaps.

Early reviews are in and most praise the film for being beautifully shot but are mixed on the acting, particularly Mr. Bachchan’s. American reviewers seem to like the film much more than Indian ones do. A separate Tamil version “”Raavanan” also opened today in which Vikram plays the role of the outlaw opposite Ms. Rai Bachchan. India Real Time presents a round-up:

U.S. entertainment trade publication Hollywood Reporter’s Ray Bennet describes “Raavan” as a “pan-Indian saga with epic sweep, intense emotion and gorgeous images.”

Cinematographers Manikandan and Santosh Sivan, production designer Samir Chanda and editor A. Sreekar Prasad come in for high praise. THR says they “serve Ratnam superbly with images, settings and vitality that take one’s breath away.”

Both Bachchans do well in their roles, THR says. Mr. Bachchan’s kidnaps the character played by his wife.

“Bachchan has fun with a character who is fierce, passionate and dangerous but also comic in his self-doubt over whether to kill his captive or make love to her,” says Mr. Bennet, describing Ms. Rai Bachchan in this movie as “a force of nature.”

Courtesy of Reliance Big Pictures
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan plays Ragini, a policeman’s wife, in “Raavan” and in “Raavanan.”

In this mini-review, the Guardian’s Cath Clarke, however, finds this a film of “innate sexism” and says Mr. Bachchan hams it up excessively in an “absurdly extravagant melodrama.”

On the web site India.com Mihir Fadnavis says the film is a crushing disappointment and gives it only two thumbs up out of a possible (if anatomically impossible) five thumbs.

“Mani Ratnam’s epic retelling of an ancient tale is amalgamated and cut to create a stylized but characterless piece with some spectacular imagery,” writes Mr. Fadnavis. “The film is too celebratory of Bollywood’s good guy-versus-bad guy, buddy-buddy ethos to rise above the limitations of the genre, and too obsessed with its own seriousness to be a truly ’serious’ film.”

In another mini-review, the Los Angeles Times says “Raavan” belongs to Mr. Bachchan’s “exquisite real-life wife Aishwarya Rai” but laments that “it takes a couple of hours to learn whether Beauty can tame Beast.”

On Indian portal Rediff.com, Raja Sen is unhappy with the way the film draws on the epic, saying Mr. Ratnam is excessively literal in his interpretation at times, and gives the film just two out of five stars.

Mr. Ratnam “takes a big chunk of larger-than-life Indian mythology, sloppily swaps antagonist with protagonist, and ends up giving an earnest Bachchan far too much scenery to chew in far too much spotlight,” says Mr. Sen.

Read more HERE

Raavan Box Office reports (please add information to this thread)

B.O. update: 'Raavan' has below the mark opening, reports disappointing
- By Taran Adarsh, June 18, 2010 - 19:36 IST
Raavan The much-anticipated RAAVAN did not fetch the desired start on Friday. While certain big city plexes opened to a 50% to 60% to 70% response, the response at smaller centre plexes and also single screens was much lower, in 20% to 25% to 30% range. Even in Mumbai, which contributes heavily from multiplexes, the occupancy was extremely erratic. In the recent past, films like HOUSE FULL, BADMAASH COMPANY, KITES and RAAJNEETI had opened to a terrific start and the industry was expecting a similar start for RAAVAN. But the reports of RAAVAN -- the audience feedback specifically -- is extremely mixed, tilting towards negative.

RAAVAN has had an extensive release in the Hindi version and therefore, the Friday numbers might be better due to this reason, but the fact remains that the opening day business is below expectations. Now let's see how Saturday and Sunday fares!

LINK

Raavan Box Office reports (please add information to this thread)

B.O. update: 'Raavan' has below the mark opening, reports disappointing
- By Taran Adarsh, June 18, 2010 - 19:36 IST
Raavan The much-anticipated RAAVAN did not fetch the desired start on Friday. While certain big city plexes opened to a 50% to 60% to 70% response, the response at smaller centre plexes and also single screens was much lower, in 20% to 25% to 30% range. Even in Mumbai, which contributes heavily from multiplexes, the occupancy was extremely erratic. In the recent past, films like HOUSE FULL, BADMAASH COMPANY, KITES and RAAJNEETI had opened to a terrific start and the industry was expecting a similar start for RAAVAN. But the reports of RAAVAN -- the audience feedback specifically -- is extremely mixed, tilting towards negative.

RAAVAN has had an extensive release in the Hindi version and therefore, the Friday numbers might be better due to this reason, but the fact remains that the opening day business is below expectations. Now let's see how Saturday and Sunday fares!

LINK

I don't know how to make a film: Mani Ratnam

LINK

He has been making movies for almost three decades and is known as a maverick. But Mani Ratnam says every time he starts working on a new film, he has to struggle to find the right way to can the shots.

“In every film, I go back to square one. When I did my first film, I didn’t have formal training; I didn’t work under any director. I really didn’t know how to make a film,” the self-effacing Ratnam, who is gearing up for the release of his multilingual movie “Raavan” Friday, told IANS in an interview.

“So I thought, if I make two-three films, I will become an expert and be able to walk through anything. But after 20-odd films, I still don’t know how to shoot a film. I still struggle, but the most enjoyable part is not knowing and trying to find something,” said the 54-year-old who started his career with Kannada film “Pallavi Anu Pallavi” starring Anil Kapoor in 1983.

His body of work includes landmark Tamil movies like “Mouna Raagam” (1986), “Nayagan” (1987), “Anjali” (1990) and “Thalapathi” (1991); critically acclaimed Hindi movies “Yuva” (2004) and “Guru” (2007) and his trilogy on terrorism -- “Roja” (1992), “Bombay“(1995) and “Dil Se” (1998).

Though he earned rave reviews for his movies, the director never revisits his past work.

“I don’t watch my old films like ‘Roja’, ‘Dil Se’ because I only see mistakes. I see five minutes of the film and I am scared I will start finding mistakes in them.”

For the thriller “Raavan”, he has teamed up again with Abhishek after “Yuva” and “Guru” and says the young actor is growing amazingly.

“Every time I worked with him, he had drastically different characters and each time he delivered. He is tremendous to work with. Abhishek is growing with every film. He is growing by leaps and bounds,” said the director who dared to give Abhsihek a negative role in “Yuva” that took the actor’s career to new heights,” said Ratnam.

“I can only talk about him since ‘Yuva’ when I first interacted with him. Even then I did not do something very drastic, we just made him play the character without worrying about anything. In this film his character is much larger than life -- it needed a bigger portrayal, flamboyance. He has been able to do it much convincingly.”

How difficult was it to shoot the film simultaneously in two languages?

“It’s difficult, you know. It’s a huge task. When I am making a film, it’s very instinctive, it’s not preset. I have to bring the actors there, stage it together, make it comfortable, make it work and then decide how to shoot it. I go a lot by instinct.

“But when you are doing a film in two languages, you can’t go totally by the instinct because once you have finished the shot, you can’t move on to the next. You have to do the same thing in the other language.”

The film has been shot simultaneously in Tamil and Hindi at tough locations, including the Athirapally forests in Kerala, Ooty in Tamil Nadu, Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh, Kolkata, and the Malshej Ghats in Maharashtra.

“As a filmmaker, every tool you get to tell the scene better is important. The geography, the light are big tools used to tell the story. This film is completely set in the outdoor. So if outdoor has got to play a role, you have to make sure it is helping you to tell the story better. The set gives the mood and correct setting to concentrate on the emotions of the characters.

“The idea is not to make it look tough. When you watch the film, you should not be aware of the film being shot in such tough locations. The idea is that it flows effortlessly.”

Asked which version he enjoyed while filming, Ratnam said: “It isn’t easier to make it in Tamil. If it is in Tamil, I hold more reins in my hand. When I make a film in Hindi, I become a little more liberated. I trust the writer a little more. I trust the actor a little more. I make them a little more responsible.”

I don't know how to make a film: Mani Ratnam

LINK

He has been making movies for almost three decades and is known as a maverick. But Mani Ratnam says every time he starts working on a new film, he has to struggle to find the right way to can the shots.

“In every film, I go back to square one. When I did my first film, I didn’t have formal training; I didn’t work under any director. I really didn’t know how to make a film,” the self-effacing Ratnam, who is gearing up for the release of his multilingual movie “Raavan” Friday, told IANS in an interview.

“So I thought, if I make two-three films, I will become an expert and be able to walk through anything. But after 20-odd films, I still don’t know how to shoot a film. I still struggle, but the most enjoyable part is not knowing and trying to find something,” said the 54-year-old who started his career with Kannada film “Pallavi Anu Pallavi” starring Anil Kapoor in 1983.

His body of work includes landmark Tamil movies like “Mouna Raagam” (1986), “Nayagan” (1987), “Anjali” (1990) and “Thalapathi” (1991); critically acclaimed Hindi movies “Yuva” (2004) and “Guru” (2007) and his trilogy on terrorism -- “Roja” (1992), “Bombay“(1995) and “Dil Se” (1998).

Though he earned rave reviews for his movies, the director never revisits his past work.

“I don’t watch my old films like ‘Roja’, ‘Dil Se’ because I only see mistakes. I see five minutes of the film and I am scared I will start finding mistakes in them.”

For the thriller “Raavan”, he has teamed up again with Abhishek after “Yuva” and “Guru” and says the young actor is growing amazingly.

“Every time I worked with him, he had drastically different characters and each time he delivered. He is tremendous to work with. Abhishek is growing with every film. He is growing by leaps and bounds,” said the director who dared to give Abhsihek a negative role in “Yuva” that took the actor’s career to new heights,” said Ratnam.

“I can only talk about him since ‘Yuva’ when I first interacted with him. Even then I did not do something very drastic, we just made him play the character without worrying about anything. In this film his character is much larger than life -- it needed a bigger portrayal, flamboyance. He has been able to do it much convincingly.”

How difficult was it to shoot the film simultaneously in two languages?

“It’s difficult, you know. It’s a huge task. When I am making a film, it’s very instinctive, it’s not preset. I have to bring the actors there, stage it together, make it comfortable, make it work and then decide how to shoot it. I go a lot by instinct.

“But when you are doing a film in two languages, you can’t go totally by the instinct because once you have finished the shot, you can’t move on to the next. You have to do the same thing in the other language.”

The film has been shot simultaneously in Tamil and Hindi at tough locations, including the Athirapally forests in Kerala, Ooty in Tamil Nadu, Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh, Kolkata, and the Malshej Ghats in Maharashtra.

“As a filmmaker, every tool you get to tell the scene better is important. The geography, the light are big tools used to tell the story. This film is completely set in the outdoor. So if outdoor has got to play a role, you have to make sure it is helping you to tell the story better. The set gives the mood and correct setting to concentrate on the emotions of the characters.

“The idea is not to make it look tough. When you watch the film, you should not be aware of the film being shot in such tough locations. The idea is that it flows effortlessly.”

Asked which version he enjoyed while filming, Ratnam said: “It isn’t easier to make it in Tamil. If it is in Tamil, I hold more reins in my hand. When I make a film in Hindi, I become a little more liberated. I trust the writer a little more. I trust the actor a little more. I make them a little more responsible.”

Raavan release news and your predictions

'Raavan' in 2200 Screens Worldwide Click here to add this article to My Clips

By Taran Adarsh, June 16, 2010 - 16:51 IST

Reliance BIG Pictures and Madras Talkies' forthcoming film RAAVAN will release in approximately 2200 screens worldwide on Friday, June 18, making it the first Indian film to release simultaneously in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu versions.

The Hindi version of the film RAAVAN is slated to release in 1250 screens in India and 325 screens overseas in over 35 countries, including India, U.S., Canada, U.K., U.A.E., Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, South Africa, Netherlands, France, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Sri Lanka etc.

The Tamil version RAVANAN will release in 225 screens in India, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka and also in Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Pune, Nasik, Surat, Baroda, Kolkata cities with English subtitles. It will release in 150 screens overseas in Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, U.S., U.K., Middle East Asia, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa etc.

The Telugu dubbed version VILLAIN will release in 215 screens in Andhra Pradesh and in additional 25 screens in U.S., Australia and New Zealand.

LINK

Post your predictions on this thread!

Mine - Opening week 45 crores - end at 75 crores

Raavan release news and your predictions

'Raavan' in 2200 Screens Worldwide Click here to add this article to My Clips

By Taran Adarsh, June 16, 2010 - 16:51 IST

Reliance BIG Pictures and Madras Talkies' forthcoming film RAAVAN will release in approximately 2200 screens worldwide on Friday, June 18, making it the first Indian film to release simultaneously in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu versions.

The Hindi version of the film RAAVAN is slated to release in 1250 screens in India and 325 screens overseas in over 35 countries, including India, U.S., Canada, U.K., U.A.E., Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, South Africa, Netherlands, France, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Sri Lanka etc.

The Tamil version RAVANAN will release in 225 screens in India, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka and also in Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Pune, Nasik, Surat, Baroda, Kolkata cities with English subtitles. It will release in 150 screens overseas in Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, U.S., U.K., Middle East Asia, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa etc.

The Telugu dubbed version VILLAIN will release in 215 screens in Andhra Pradesh and in additional 25 screens in U.S., Australia and New Zealand.

LINK

Post your predictions on this thread!

Mine - Opening week 45 crores - end at 75 crores

Roar of Raavan

Abhishek Bachchan on being Beera in the modern-day adaptation of ‘Raavayan’

Everyone’s been waiting so eagerly for Raavan... How have you been feeling in the run-up to the release?

I have just come back from an outdoor. (Abhishek was shooting for Abhinay Deo’s thriller Game in Greece and Turkey.) So all this buzz is just sinking in, you know. But I am definitely excited because everyone’s worked so hard on the film and we have given it our best. We can’t do much more than that. I am very, very happy with the film. It’s really turned out very well. Mani is fantastic in the film... he is in top form and yet again he has given me a memorable character. I have no complaints whatsoever.

When Mani Ratnam offers you a film, do you ever ask for the script or just blindly say ‘yes’?

The way it happens is that whenever Mani is ready to make a film, he would just call me and ask: “Are you on?” and that’s it. We take it from there. I never ask him for a script. I trust him implicitly... my bond with him is beyond that of an actor and director. He is family to me. And he just has to order and I will be there. It’s as simple as that.

How does it feel to be Mani Ratnam’s hero? He has never repeated a Bollywood star and you are doing his third film on the trot...

I am very proud. I can proudly say that I have done three films with the Mani Ratnam. I am very honoured and humbled at the same time. Of course, there’s a lot of responsibility. When this great man is bestowing so much faith on you, you shouldn’t let him down. I sincerely hope that. Every day at the end of shooting, I would ask him, I did okay today, naa? And he would turn around and say: “You did okay but did I do okay?” I would say, “Come on man, you are Mani. You shouldn’t be asking that!” (Laughs out loud.) I am so happy when I work with him. I believe he is the best in the business.

But you did say no to the Tamil version Raavanan...

In fact, I had said ‘yes’ at first! Mani had bullied me into doing it initially. But then I went and pleaded to him. I told him... look Mani, I would love to do this and you know I would do it for you, but the fact is I don’t know Tamil! And I don’t want to be in a situation where I am panicking about just learning my lines and doing the role without any proper feel of the emotions. I have Beera which is a complex enough character to play and I want to concentrate on that. He understood that.

When did he first share with you the idea of Raavan?

I was shooting for Delhi-6 in Jaipur when he called me one day. And he asked: “Should we do it again?” I was like, do what? And he said: “Should we make another film?” I said, of course... I was waiting when you are going to call me. He told me about the idea of this one guy and the basic story. I asked, have you thought of a title for the film? And he said, Raavan. I thought it was fantastic... the whole project was appealing from the word go. Working in a Mani Ratnam film is a big thing in itself and to play a character like Beera is just amazing.

What makes Beera so special?

I really believe Beera is going to be memorable. He is really loveable. Although at first he looks intimidating and evil and mad and wild and almost animal-like, but once the film carries on, you will start liking him. He is very interesting.

Is Beera Munda based on Birsa Munda the legendary tribal leader? Or is he a Maoist leader as has been speculated widely?

Not at all! It is absolutely not inspired from any Maoist or Naxalite leader. He is a completely original character. In central India Beera is a very common name. It’s just a name.

So how did you create Beera?

As Mani and I have always done. We sit down and flesh out the character. We do a lot of work on the characteristics before we get onto the floor... from the way he talks to the way he walks from the way he looks to the way he dresses. I look upon Beera as the purest character in the film. In life, there is a grey shade to everything. What I love about Beera is there is no grey. There is only black and white. You are either good or bad. If you are good, he will give his life for you. If you are bad, he will take your life. I like his clarity... that’s the purity in him and that’s why you start liking him. You realise at heart he is a very correct person.

Are you in a position to rate Beera vis-a-vis Lallan (Yuva) and Gurukant Desai (Guru)?

I would like to believe it’s bigger and better. If it’s not then Mani and I have failed as a team. When we were making Guru we were very conscious of doing something totally different from Lallan Singh... something which could top Lallan. And when we did Raavan, we wanted to top Guru. Otherwise why would you work together if you can’t outdo what you did last?

The analogy with Ramayan... how much of it is obvious or is it entirely subtextual?

Everybody says it’s from Ramayan but I say no, it’s the Raavayan! I really believe that in our films we have always borrowed from our scriptures. No matter which film, you will always find some angle because our scriptures are so vast and so in-depth. You will always find a jhalak of them in our work. And I don’t think Raavan is any different. It is a modern-day story with wonderful characters and if people draw parallels to Ramayan, go ahead! I am not going to say no it’s not. I do believe Mani is inspired... but not just from Ramayan... from a lot of things.

Did Aishwarya come on board as Sita after you became Raavan?

She came on board almost immediately. When Mani first spoke to me, he did mention that he wanted to take Aishwarya in it. I thought it would be cool and I said, of course! I think the very next day he spoke to her. With Aishwarya and me, there’s no question of saying ‘no’ to Mani. He is too special. He launched Aishwarya in Iruvar. So, he is very close to both of us.

Aishwarya had turned down Dostana because she wasn’t comfortable playing a character being pursued by you. There were no such concerns with Raavan?

No, never. Once you see the film you will understand how our two characters work in the film. And if I tell you now, you won’t enjoy the film. Dostana was a different kind of film. The entire dynamics between Aishwarya and me in Raavan is absolutely amazing! It’s something very unique and it’s something never been done before.

Finally, do you remember your brief Calcutta shoot for Raavan?

Of course! I only shot there for two-three days this time. Calcutta is always fantastic to come to. You know what I think about Calcutta. It always holds a special place in my heart and to come back there with Mani after Yuva was that much more special. The best thing was we actually got some time to sneak away and rush to Victoria Memorial and have phuchka quietly and run back!

Pratim D. Gupta

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100616/jsp/entertainment/story_12568831.jsp

Roar of Raavan

Abhishek Bachchan on being Beera in the modern-day adaptation of ‘Raavayan’

Everyone’s been waiting so eagerly for Raavan... How have you been feeling in the run-up to the release?

I have just come back from an outdoor. (Abhishek was shooting for Abhinay Deo’s thriller Game in Greece and Turkey.) So all this buzz is just sinking in, you know. But I am definitely excited because everyone’s worked so hard on the film and we have given it our best. We can’t do much more than that. I am very, very happy with the film. It’s really turned out very well. Mani is fantastic in the film... he is in top form and yet again he has given me a memorable character. I have no complaints whatsoever.

When Mani Ratnam offers you a film, do you ever ask for the script or just blindly say ‘yes’?

The way it happens is that whenever Mani is ready to make a film, he would just call me and ask: “Are you on?” and that’s it. We take it from there. I never ask him for a script. I trust him implicitly... my bond with him is beyond that of an actor and director. He is family to me. And he just has to order and I will be there. It’s as simple as that.

How does it feel to be Mani Ratnam’s hero? He has never repeated a Bollywood star and you are doing his third film on the trot...

I am very proud. I can proudly say that I have done three films with the Mani Ratnam. I am very honoured and humbled at the same time. Of course, there’s a lot of responsibility. When this great man is bestowing so much faith on you, you shouldn’t let him down. I sincerely hope that. Every day at the end of shooting, I would ask him, I did okay today, naa? And he would turn around and say: “You did okay but did I do okay?” I would say, “Come on man, you are Mani. You shouldn’t be asking that!” (Laughs out loud.) I am so happy when I work with him. I believe he is the best in the business.

But you did say no to the Tamil version Raavanan...

In fact, I had said ‘yes’ at first! Mani had bullied me into doing it initially. But then I went and pleaded to him. I told him... look Mani, I would love to do this and you know I would do it for you, but the fact is I don’t know Tamil! And I don’t want to be in a situation where I am panicking about just learning my lines and doing the role without any proper feel of the emotions. I have Beera which is a complex enough character to play and I want to concentrate on that. He understood that.

When did he first share with you the idea of Raavan?

I was shooting for Delhi-6 in Jaipur when he called me one day. And he asked: “Should we do it again?” I was like, do what? And he said: “Should we make another film?” I said, of course... I was waiting when you are going to call me. He told me about the idea of this one guy and the basic story. I asked, have you thought of a title for the film? And he said, Raavan. I thought it was fantastic... the whole project was appealing from the word go. Working in a Mani Ratnam film is a big thing in itself and to play a character like Beera is just amazing.

What makes Beera so special?

I really believe Beera is going to be memorable. He is really loveable. Although at first he looks intimidating and evil and mad and wild and almost animal-like, but once the film carries on, you will start liking him. He is very interesting.

Is Beera Munda based on Birsa Munda the legendary tribal leader? Or is he a Maoist leader as has been speculated widely?

Not at all! It is absolutely not inspired from any Maoist or Naxalite leader. He is a completely original character. In central India Beera is a very common name. It’s just a name.

So how did you create Beera?

As Mani and I have always done. We sit down and flesh out the character. We do a lot of work on the characteristics before we get onto the floor... from the way he talks to the way he walks from the way he looks to the way he dresses. I look upon Beera as the purest character in the film. In life, there is a grey shade to everything. What I love about Beera is there is no grey. There is only black and white. You are either good or bad. If you are good, he will give his life for you. If you are bad, he will take your life. I like his clarity... that’s the purity in him and that’s why you start liking him. You realise at heart he is a very correct person.

Are you in a position to rate Beera vis-a-vis Lallan (Yuva) and Gurukant Desai (Guru)?

I would like to believe it’s bigger and better. If it’s not then Mani and I have failed as a team. When we were making Guru we were very conscious of doing something totally different from Lallan Singh... something which could top Lallan. And when we did Raavan, we wanted to top Guru. Otherwise why would you work together if you can’t outdo what you did last?

The analogy with Ramayan... how much of it is obvious or is it entirely subtextual?

Everybody says it’s from Ramayan but I say no, it’s the Raavayan! I really believe that in our films we have always borrowed from our scriptures. No matter which film, you will always find some angle because our scriptures are so vast and so in-depth. You will always find a jhalak of them in our work. And I don’t think Raavan is any different. It is a modern-day story with wonderful characters and if people draw parallels to Ramayan, go ahead! I am not going to say no it’s not. I do believe Mani is inspired... but not just from Ramayan... from a lot of things.

Did Aishwarya come on board as Sita after you became Raavan?

She came on board almost immediately. When Mani first spoke to me, he did mention that he wanted to take Aishwarya in it. I thought it would be cool and I said, of course! I think the very next day he spoke to her. With Aishwarya and me, there’s no question of saying ‘no’ to Mani. He is too special. He launched Aishwarya in Iruvar. So, he is very close to both of us.

Aishwarya had turned down Dostana because she wasn’t comfortable playing a character being pursued by you. There were no such concerns with Raavan?

No, never. Once you see the film you will understand how our two characters work in the film. And if I tell you now, you won’t enjoy the film. Dostana was a different kind of film. The entire dynamics between Aishwarya and me in Raavan is absolutely amazing! It’s something very unique and it’s something never been done before.

Finally, do you remember your brief Calcutta shoot for Raavan?

Of course! I only shot there for two-three days this time. Calcutta is always fantastic to come to. You know what I think about Calcutta. It always holds a special place in my heart and to come back there with Mani after Yuva was that much more special. The best thing was we actually got some time to sneak away and rush to Victoria Memorial and have phuchka quietly and run back!

Pratim D. Gupta

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