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Sanjan shards help piece together Parsi history

And Now… Dr. (Wing Commander) Merzi Dhunjishaw Marker MBBS. MHA

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Fravarne ~ My Trust - Free Will

BASELESS ARGUMENTS 0N CONVERSION /ACCEPTANCE By Vira J. Bhathena

Within The Walls

For the past two or three years, there has been a strange phenomenon of small, light, frivolous or baseless films which have a run of two or three weeks and then vanish for ever. May of them do not even surface on D.V.D.

Trade Pandits and analysts wonder, who finances these films, gets them distributed and released after some hyping. Also about who bears the losses and how is the balance sheet managed, if the recovery period is short and dull? A little probe into the economics shows that the new multiplex culture and those behind it, like M.N.C.’s corporates or marketing magnates, support this trend indirectly or directly. After all they do want a stream of films to fill the multiple screens. Through the main money cream comes from mall and exposure, the basic structure has to run as a cinema theatre.

While an occasional “Bheja Fry” may attract the elite crowd and show profit above its costs, there are a dozen every month which go “thanda” in the heavily cooled and cushioned plexes, with fifty to hundred people in each show. It is an unwritten rule that if there are less than ten cinegores in any show, it would be cancelled and money refunded. And this happens quite often in the suburbs. Two new films just coming up in this way are “Woodstock Villa” and “Hari Putter” ripped off from “Harry Potter”. Recently gone with the A.C. wind are “Dhoom Dhadaka”, “Mr. Black Mr. White” and such other nonsense.

About Shashi Ranjan’s Dhoom D”, many trade people were asking how such a script was at all read and approved. On paper it was obvious that it would not make even a “Chalta hai” comedy. And there are vulgar attachments, too. Anupam Kher and Satish Shah in the cast are not enough to make and sell a film. Even Sunil Shetty could not help the “Black-white” crap. Then how? Well, obtaining dubious finance has become a fine art. And the multiplexes, with their multiple hoardings merchandise to sell, are there for background support. The producer rarely puts in his own money.

Despite the fate of “D. Dhadakka”, another odd films being made with Anupam Kher as lead actor is Mr. Bhatti on Chhutti and little known others in cast. Karan Razdan exposes his directorial brain in this venture, about a bank worker who dreams of world peace and wants to concretize it with America’s George Bush. A free trip falls in his lap and thinks the Presidents has called him. Instead, he falls into a lot of hurdles. Helping him cross them is Big B (jumping in from nowhere). Kher quickly declares him to be his second idol. And finally he does save the world with the secret plans. Well, computer graphics can make you shake hands with any topper, as hanks did in “Forest Gump”. Bachchan’s guest appearance is supposed to help the film.

But what does an actor of his stature achieve by agreeing to play such silly roles? Just for the sake of old friend Kher? Of course there will be the self promoting spectacle shown croeds gathering outside his bungalow, joined by our poor hero. Once abroad, he finds himself wooed by a Kher. Then the crime agencies get into the act, not accepting his real identity and calling him a terrible terrorist Abu. Even Bachchan on foreign shores tells him to accept the new situation. It must be all for the cause of world harmony. We hope the audience’s mental peace does not get unbalanced.

Paresh Rawal is another old comedian on whom films are being pegged, through with crutches of regular heroes like Akshaya Khanna. Coming up is “Mere Baap… Pehle Aap” another from the comical warehouse of Priyadarshan. It is a piquant situation, of a son getting his father married and the various cross-roads he has to face including his own live affair. The Shemaroo video people headed by Raman Maroo are piloting the project.

Director Priyadarshan reverses the traditional father-son roles. Akshaye has to convince the widower and then make him a suitable bride-groom by grooming him up, through he may resist the moves. His own romantic angle with a sweet girl played by newcomer Genelia is jeopardized. But he is bent on playing the band – master at his father’s nuptials and the make bonding goes well with the new generation and times. For an idea-recall you can look up “Sleepless in Seattle” and then Karan Johar’s remarke where the child tries to match – making of father and a new woman who responds.

If Anupam Kher is making a lot of noise without results, his and Kiron’s son Sikander is making a dashing biker debut with “Woodstock Villa”. With forbidding Ekta Kapoor joining hands with Sanjay Gupta as producers. Arty director Hansal Mehta did not have a ball making this thriller cross-weaving sex, ladies, murder and mystery, on who is and who is what. Neha Oberoi is the heroine.

Examples are very many of queer little films (queer in the other sense too) which passed like the parade gone by. There was “Darjeeling Ltd.” Lying on D.V.D’s for long, till someone through it fit to give it a Plex release. The semi-foreign film about three brothers discovering their private ghosts did not make much impact. Hindi films like “Mithya”, “Sunday”, “Yatra” were also confused and confusing. Only “Superstar”, through not properly followed and acclaimed made a job of an exchanged double role, where a struggler has to pose as a star who dies. At least the multiplex aid is helping new people to make films of their choice with untried talents of actors, technicians etc. That’s a small blessing.

Kher and Big B come together in “Mr, Bhatti on Chhutti”
Sikander Kher --- Debut in “Woodstock Villa”
“Mere Baap Pahale Aap”