Village Rockstars goes for the Oscars
Village Rockstars has been selected as India’s official entry to the 91st Academy Awards following which members of the Film Federation of India (FFI) urged the Indian film industry and the Government to promote the Assamese film for the final round.
The chairman of the committee SV Rajendra Singh Babu, also a veteran film producer, made the announcement. Talking about the selection of the film, Anant Mahadevan, one of the members of the committee, said: “One of the criteria is that the film has to be rooted in India with a universal message. The film has to be professionally and technically well made with hardly any flaws to capture and a well-performed film. It was absolutely an unanimous decision. The film 'Village Rockstars' got votes of all the jury members unanimously. We are very proud of this film.”
As many as 28 films were shortlisted. Some of the big budget Bollywood films like Padmaavat, Raazi, Hichki and Pad Man along with some of the critically acclaimed movies like Love Sonia, Manto, Kadvi Hawa and Gali Guleiyan made the list.
But why do Indian films generally don't make it to the final round of Oscars? Rajendra explained: “Many Indian films reach there but because of their rules and perspectives, our films might not be eligible. The film which is selected from here should be properly presented at the Oscars, and that needs huge money. When a film goes there, we need at least Rs 2 crore to promote it, to present it to the Academy members. There are many processes, and we may be failing there.”
No one can match dilip kumar’s talent: Ghai
Filmmaker Subhash Ghai says he hasn’t met any actor who can match up to the talent of veteran star Dilip Kumar. Ghai worked with Dilip Kumar in Vidhaata, Karma and Saudagar. “My problem is that after working with Dilip Kumar in three films, I haven't been able to notice any star above his acting power on screen in spite of many talented actors today. Since myself been an ardent student of acting for five decades though not as an actor,” Ghai tweeted.
Dilip Kumar, whose real name is Yusuf Khan, became a name to reckon with in the 1950s and 1960s through his performances in films like Aan, Daag, Devdas, Madhumati, Mughal-e-Azam, Leader and Ram Aur Shyam.
After working for about six decades, he stepped out of showbiz in 1998 after Qila.
Lamba’s theatre debut
After a career in Bollywood, actor Minissha Lamba’s acting career has taken on a new lease of life in a different medium — theatre — with her solo play Mirror, Mirror, enacting 13 characters.
The 75-minute play is the dramatised story of two identical twins, whose sibling rivalry transcends the bounds of the normal. As the little girls Minal and Maanya grow up, more characters enter and all of them are single-handedly played by Lamba.
But her foray into theatre comes at a time when, in her own words, “nothing was happening”. She said it seemed too daunting a task for her to take on.
“Although the role fell in my lap, I was in a complete flux, thinking it's theatre. This is where the director Saif Hyder Hasan stepped in saying: ‘It’s acting, you're an actor. It’s just a different medium’,” the 33-year-old said.
“When Saif sir narrated the story, I loved it, but it seemed to be so daunting. I just committed myself to it right there and then, thinking that if I go home, I might change my mind,” she said.
After four hours of rehearsals and voice lessons each day for 45 days, what seemed daunting and made her mouth run dry by the fourth scene, had transformed into a ‘breeze’.
How did she prepare for each of the 13 characters? “The characters came very organically to me. The children were the easiest, since children’s behaviour and mannerisms are generic. Getting that manly voice was a bit tough and so was switching between them,” she said.
Minissha, who even resorts to singing dialogues for a male character — protagonist Minal’s husband — said she borrowed many Disney tunes.
